Wednesday, July 07, 2010
First Helen Thomas now Octavia Nasr
In the latest case of new media (or oversharing) gone wrong, CNN’s Senior Editor of Mideast Affairs Octavia Nasr is leaving the company following the controversy caused by her tweet in praise of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah
Mediaite has the internal memo, which says “we believe that her credibility in her position as senior editor for Middle Eastern affairs has been compromised.”
Nasr tweeted this weekend: “Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah… One of Hezbollah’s giants I respect a lot.”
After a blog post expanding on her position, CNN promised the issue was “serious” and would “be dealt with accordingly.” That’s apparently her exit from CNN. Here’s an internal memo obtained by Mediaite:
From Parisa Khosravi – SVP CNN International Newsgathering
I had a conversation with Octavia this morning and I want to share with you that we have decided that she will be leaving the company. As you know, her tweet over the weekend created a wide reaction. As she has stated in her blog on CNN.com, she fully accepts that she should not have made such a simplistic comment without any context whatsoever. However, at this point, we believe that her credibility in her position as senior editor for Middle Eastern affairs has been compromised going forward.
As a colleague and friend we’re going to miss seeing Octavia everyday. She has been an extremely dedicated and committed part of our team. We thank Octavia for all of her hard work and we certainly wish her all the best.
Parisa.
Nasr has been with CNN for 20 years.
After U.S. Praise for Netanyahu’s "Restraint", Israeli Journalist Amira Hass Asks Obama to Imagine Life as Palestinian Under Occupation
Democracy Now!
With Amy Goodman
"Meeting at the White House, President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the "unbreakable" bond between Israel and the United States. Despite ongoing Israeli settlement expansion, roadblocks, closures and the attack on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Obama said he thinks Israel "has shown restraint." The meeting came on the heels of a decision by the Israeli military prosecutor to take disciplinary and legal action in four separate cases from Israel’s 22-day assault on Gaza last year. We speak to veteran Israeli journalist Amira Hass....."
With Amy Goodman
"Meeting at the White House, President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the "unbreakable" bond between Israel and the United States. Despite ongoing Israeli settlement expansion, roadblocks, closures and the attack on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Obama said he thinks Israel "has shown restraint." The meeting came on the heels of a decision by the Israeli military prosecutor to take disciplinary and legal action in four separate cases from Israel’s 22-day assault on Gaza last year. We speak to veteran Israeli journalist Amira Hass....."
Video: Gaza besieged
The Economist
"Photographer Bruno Stevens on Gaza's intricate network of tunnels and circumventing Israel's stifling trade restrictions "
"Photographer Bruno Stevens on Gaza's intricate network of tunnels and circumventing Israel's stifling trade restrictions "
Afghan probe excluded key witnesses
By Gareth Porter and Ahmad Walid Fazly
Asia Times
"Eyewitnesses who saw US troops digging bullets out of the bodies of two Afghan mothers and a teenage girl after a botched Special Operation Forces raid in February were not interviewed in a follow-up investigation ordered by General Stanley McChrystal.....
Yarmand told the New York Times that his investigation had concluded that "there was evidence of tampering in the corridor inside the compound by the members" of the SOF raiding unit.
Within 24 hours of the publication of Yarmand's revelations, McChrystal's spokesman was telling reporters that McChrystal had ordered a new US investigation, even as he was continuing to deny that there was any evidence of SOF tampering with the evidence."
Asia Times
"Eyewitnesses who saw US troops digging bullets out of the bodies of two Afghan mothers and a teenage girl after a botched Special Operation Forces raid in February were not interviewed in a follow-up investigation ordered by General Stanley McChrystal.....
Yarmand told the New York Times that his investigation had concluded that "there was evidence of tampering in the corridor inside the compound by the members" of the SOF raiding unit.
Within 24 hours of the publication of Yarmand's revelations, McChrystal's spokesman was telling reporters that McChrystal had ordered a new US investigation, even as he was continuing to deny that there was any evidence of SOF tampering with the evidence."
The Charge of the Media Brigade
by John Pilger, July 07, 2010
"....Melvin Goodman is now a scholar at Johns Hopkins University in Washington. He was in the CIA more than 40 years and rose to be a senior Soviet analyst. When we met the other day, he described the conduct of the Cold War as a series of gross exaggerations of Soviet “aggressiveness” that willfully ignored the intelligence that the Soviets were committed to avoid nuclear war at all costs. Declassified official files on both sides of the Atlantic support this view. “What mattered to the hardliners in Washington,” he said, “was how a perceived threat could be exploited.” The present secretary of defense, Robert Gates, as deputy director of the CIA in the 1980s, had constantly hyped the “Soviet menace” and is, says Goodman, doing the same today “on Afghanistan, North Korea, and Iran.”
Little has changed. In America, in 1939, W.H. Auden wrote...."
"....Melvin Goodman is now a scholar at Johns Hopkins University in Washington. He was in the CIA more than 40 years and rose to be a senior Soviet analyst. When we met the other day, he described the conduct of the Cold War as a series of gross exaggerations of Soviet “aggressiveness” that willfully ignored the intelligence that the Soviets were committed to avoid nuclear war at all costs. Declassified official files on both sides of the Atlantic support this view. “What mattered to the hardliners in Washington,” he said, “was how a perceived threat could be exploited.” The present secretary of defense, Robert Gates, as deputy director of the CIA in the 1980s, had constantly hyped the “Soviet menace” and is, says Goodman, doing the same today “on Afghanistan, North Korea, and Iran.”
Little has changed. In America, in 1939, W.H. Auden wrote...."
Bradley Manning, American Patriot
The campaign to smear him is picking up steam
by Justin Raimondo, July 07, 2010
"Army Specialist Bradley Manning, the intelligence analyst who leaked the “Collateral Murder” video of US pilots shooting down Iraqi civilians (including two Reuters photographers) in cold blood, is finally being charged. For revealing to the American people the truth about what’s going on in Iraq, Manning faces horrendous legal consequences – nearly sixty years in prison if convicted on all counts. One of the charges, incredibly, is espionage. He was a “spy,” according to the US government – for letting Americans in on the “secret” that we are committing war crimes in Iraq, and around the world....."
by Justin Raimondo, July 07, 2010
"Army Specialist Bradley Manning, the intelligence analyst who leaked the “Collateral Murder” video of US pilots shooting down Iraqi civilians (including two Reuters photographers) in cold blood, is finally being charged. For revealing to the American people the truth about what’s going on in Iraq, Manning faces horrendous legal consequences – nearly sixty years in prison if convicted on all counts. One of the charges, incredibly, is espionage. He was a “spy,” according to the US government – for letting Americans in on the “secret” that we are committing war crimes in Iraq, and around the world....."
American politicians face domestic constraints to talking tough with Israel
US strength in the Middle East has been reduced by the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan
By Patrick Cockburn
"....It may be in the interests of the US to restrain Israel but this is almost certainty not going to happen. The reason why is shown by the strange story of the attempt by General David Petraeus, now commander in Afghanistan, previously head of Central Command and America's most prestigious general, to put on the record the fact that US support for Israeli actions in the Middle East was endangering the safety of US troops. He reiterated this in written testimony before Congress in March.
But no sooner had General Petraeus done so than he was swiftly rowing back. The explanation for General Petraeus's swift turnaround suggests that he wants to keep open the option of running for the presidency as Republican candidate in 2012 and does not intend to alienate Jewish voters or militant neocons....."
By Patrick Cockburn
"....It may be in the interests of the US to restrain Israel but this is almost certainty not going to happen. The reason why is shown by the strange story of the attempt by General David Petraeus, now commander in Afghanistan, previously head of Central Command and America's most prestigious general, to put on the record the fact that US support for Israeli actions in the Middle East was endangering the safety of US troops. He reiterated this in written testimony before Congress in March.
But no sooner had General Petraeus done so than he was swiftly rowing back. The explanation for General Petraeus's swift turnaround suggests that he wants to keep open the option of running for the presidency as Republican candidate in 2012 and does not intend to alienate Jewish voters or militant neocons....."
Bibi the "Builder," by Dave Brown
Exposed: The truth about Israel's land grab in the West Bank
As President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet, a report reveals 42 per cent of territory is controlled by settlers
By Catrina Stewart in Jerusalem and David Usborne
The Independent
" Jewish settlers, who claim a divine right to the whole of Israel, now control more than 42 per cent of the occupied West Bank, representing a powerful obstacle to the creation of a Palestinian state, a new report has revealed.
By Catrina Stewart in Jerusalem and David Usborne
The Independent
" Jewish settlers, who claim a divine right to the whole of Israel, now control more than 42 per cent of the occupied West Bank, representing a powerful obstacle to the creation of a Palestinian state, a new report has revealed.
The jurisdiction of some 200 settlements, illegal under international law, cover much more of the occupied Palestinian territory than previously thought. And a large section of the land has been seized from private Palestinian landowners in defiance even of an Israeli supreme court ruling, the report said, a finding which sits uncomfortably with Israeli claims that it builds only on state land.
Drawing on official Israeli military maps and population statistics, the leading Israeli human rights group, B'Tselem, compiled the new findings, which were released just as the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, arrived in Washington to try to heal a gaping rift with US President Barack Obama over the issue of settlements......."
The 'trick' of Camp David
Palestinians feel they were deceived by a PR exercise. Now aid carries disruptive caveats and the peace process is just a circus
Rachel Shabi
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 7 July 2010
"If there are Palestinian textbooks on the failure of the Camp David talks with Israel in 2000, they ought to carry diagrams illustrating the use of smoke-and-mirrors tactics. In this case, the confusing burst of smoke used by the Israeli side to such spectacular effect was the "generous offer" made by then Israeli prime minster, Ehud Barak – a now mythically impressive peace proposal which Palestinian president Yasser Arafat, it is claimed, both stubbornly and stupidly refused....
A toxic, humiliating consequence of those peace process years that began with the 1993 Oslo accords has been the creation of an aid economy in the occupied Palestinian territories. Palestinians, who place no less emphasis on education, economy and good business than do their Israeli neighbours, are now ashamed to point out that they are among the most aid-dependent societies.
There is no good reason for this: it is absolutely a decision made by the international community, to allay some of the more devastating consequences of Israel's occupation while refusing to push for a political agreement. Now the aid carries its own disruptive caveats: for instance, USAID feeds funds into swathes of the Palestinian NGO sector, but only on condition that documents are signed to assure that the organisations to be funded are Hamas-free. Observers say that civil society organisations and grassroots groups, pre-Oslo, were far better able to take care of Palestinians than the mushrooming, internationally dependent and politically compromised NGO economy that currently powers Palestine......"
Rachel Shabi
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 7 July 2010
"If there are Palestinian textbooks on the failure of the Camp David talks with Israel in 2000, they ought to carry diagrams illustrating the use of smoke-and-mirrors tactics. In this case, the confusing burst of smoke used by the Israeli side to such spectacular effect was the "generous offer" made by then Israeli prime minster, Ehud Barak – a now mythically impressive peace proposal which Palestinian president Yasser Arafat, it is claimed, both stubbornly and stupidly refused....
A toxic, humiliating consequence of those peace process years that began with the 1993 Oslo accords has been the creation of an aid economy in the occupied Palestinian territories. Palestinians, who place no less emphasis on education, economy and good business than do their Israeli neighbours, are now ashamed to point out that they are among the most aid-dependent societies.
There is no good reason for this: it is absolutely a decision made by the international community, to allay some of the more devastating consequences of Israel's occupation while refusing to push for a political agreement. Now the aid carries its own disruptive caveats: for instance, USAID feeds funds into swathes of the Palestinian NGO sector, but only on condition that documents are signed to assure that the organisations to be funded are Hamas-free. Observers say that civil society organisations and grassroots groups, pre-Oslo, were far better able to take care of Palestinians than the mushrooming, internationally dependent and politically compromised NGO economy that currently powers Palestine......"
Video (Arabic): Angry Arab Interview
هل إسرائيل عبء استراتيجي على أميركا؟
فواز طرابلسي
".....
للمقارنة فقط، أثار حامي الحرمين الشريفين زوبعة من ردود الأفعال إذ صرّح لجريدة «الفيغارو» الفرنسية أثر زيارة واشنطن، ثم كذّب التصريح، أن ثمة دولتين لا تستحقان الوجود في المنطقة: إسرائيل وإيران. ومع ذلك، تمت زيارته تحت لواء الحرب ضد إيران والسلام مع إسرائيل. في واشنطن، توسل العاهل السعودي التصديق الأميركي على صفقة لتحديث سلاح بلاده الجوي من مقاتلات «أف 15». قيمة الصفقة 40 مليار دولار. أما الطريقة التي بها سوف يزيل العاهل السعودي إسرائيل من الوجود فتتمثل في أنه «انتزع»، من الرئيس أوباما دعماً لدوره في مبادرة السلام. لاحظوا: الدعم لا للمبادرة بذاتها، بل للدور القيادي للعاهل السعودي فيها! في المقابل تمنى حامي الحرمين الشريفين الانتقال إلى المفاوضات المباشرة بين إسرائيل والسلطة الوطنية، في وقت يعلن فيه رئيس السلطة الفلسطينية أن لا أمل يرجى من المباشرة ما دام لا شيء تحقق في غير المباشرة!
تصير إسرائيل عبئاً استراتيجياً على أميركا عندما يصير العرب عبئاً استراتيجياً على أميركا. أي عندما يمتلكون القدرة والقوة على تخيير الولايات المتحدة بين مصالحها في المنطقة وبين دعمها لإسرائيل.
إلى أن يتم ذلك، ما يحجم عنه حاكم عربي، من حيث المطالبة والضغوط، يفيد منه حاكم إسرائيلي أضعافاً مضاعفة وهو يمارس المطالبة والضغوط. وكل ما عدا ذلك حديث خرافة يا أم عمرو!
"
".....
للمقارنة فقط، أثار حامي الحرمين الشريفين زوبعة من ردود الأفعال إذ صرّح لجريدة «الفيغارو» الفرنسية أثر زيارة واشنطن، ثم كذّب التصريح، أن ثمة دولتين لا تستحقان الوجود في المنطقة: إسرائيل وإيران. ومع ذلك، تمت زيارته تحت لواء الحرب ضد إيران والسلام مع إسرائيل. في واشنطن، توسل العاهل السعودي التصديق الأميركي على صفقة لتحديث سلاح بلاده الجوي من مقاتلات «أف 15». قيمة الصفقة 40 مليار دولار. أما الطريقة التي بها سوف يزيل العاهل السعودي إسرائيل من الوجود فتتمثل في أنه «انتزع»، من الرئيس أوباما دعماً لدوره في مبادرة السلام. لاحظوا: الدعم لا للمبادرة بذاتها، بل للدور القيادي للعاهل السعودي فيها! في المقابل تمنى حامي الحرمين الشريفين الانتقال إلى المفاوضات المباشرة بين إسرائيل والسلطة الوطنية، في وقت يعلن فيه رئيس السلطة الفلسطينية أن لا أمل يرجى من المباشرة ما دام لا شيء تحقق في غير المباشرة!
تصير إسرائيل عبئاً استراتيجياً على أميركا عندما يصير العرب عبئاً استراتيجياً على أميركا. أي عندما يمتلكون القدرة والقوة على تخيير الولايات المتحدة بين مصالحها في المنطقة وبين دعمها لإسرائيل.
إلى أن يتم ذلك، ما يحجم عنه حاكم عربي، من حيث المطالبة والضغوط، يفيد منه حاكم إسرائيلي أضعافاً مضاعفة وهو يمارس المطالبة والضغوط. وكل ما عدا ذلك حديث خرافة يا أم عمرو!
"
Afghan Exit Strategy, by Khalil Bendib
UK to Withdraw from Afghan Area, 3 NATO Occupation Troops Killed
Al-Manar
"07/07/2010 Following heavy casualties they are paying in South Afghanistan, British occupation troops are to withdraw from an area in Helmand province, British reports said on Wednesday. NATO reported that three occupation forces were killed in bomb attacks, also in the South.
British servicemen will be pulled out of Sangin district in the north of Helmand province and be replaced with some of the 20,000 US occupation troops already stationed in the province, the Guardian newspaper and the BBC reported. UK troops will leave the district by the end of the year, according to the media reports.
Of 312 British occupation troops personnel to have died in Afghanistan since operations began there in 2001, around a third were killed in Sangin....."
"07/07/2010 Following heavy casualties they are paying in South Afghanistan, British occupation troops are to withdraw from an area in Helmand province, British reports said on Wednesday. NATO reported that three occupation forces were killed in bomb attacks, also in the South.
British servicemen will be pulled out of Sangin district in the north of Helmand province and be replaced with some of the 20,000 US occupation troops already stationed in the province, the Guardian newspaper and the BBC reported. UK troops will leave the district by the end of the year, according to the media reports.
Of 312 British occupation troops personnel to have died in Afghanistan since operations began there in 2001, around a third were killed in Sangin....."
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
News » Dockworkers at Indian port boycott Israeli ships
According to the Indian communist publication People's Democracy, "The boycott began on June 17 on receipt of information that cargo unloaded at Colombo Port [Sri Lanka] from Israeli ship m/v Zim Livorno 16 was bound to arrive at Cochin Port in a feeder vessel."
"On June 23, trade unions held a joint protest rally in Cochin Port near the office of Zim Integrated Shipping Services (India) Pvt Ltd – the Israeli shipping line," the report added. At the demonstration, labor leaders denounced Israel's attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May which left nine people dead.
Representatives of several trade unions—including those aligned with both left and right wing parties— joined the demonstration.
The port of Cochin, in the state of Kerala, is one of the biggest ports in India.
The Chochin dockworkers join workers at ports in Sweden, South Africa, and other countries who have refused to unload Israeli cargo. Calls for boycotts against Israel intensified in the wake of the flotilla raid.
"On June 23, trade unions held a joint protest rally in Cochin Port near the office of Zim Integrated Shipping Services (India) Pvt Ltd – the Israeli shipping line," the report added. At the demonstration, labor leaders denounced Israel's attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May which left nine people dead.
Representatives of several trade unions—including those aligned with both left and right wing parties— joined the demonstration.
The port of Cochin, in the state of Kerala, is one of the biggest ports in India.
The Chochin dockworkers join workers at ports in Sweden, South Africa, and other countries who have refused to unload Israeli cargo. Calls for boycotts against Israel intensified in the wake of the flotilla raid.
U.S. Provides Millions in Bulletproof Vests, Rifle Scopes to West Bank Settlers
As the American government seeks to end the four-decade Jewish settlement enterprise and foster a Palestinian state in the West Bank, the American Treasury helps sustain the settlements through tax breaks on donations to support them.A New York Times examination of public records in the United States and Israel identified at least 40 American groups that have collected more than $200 million in tax-deductible gifts for Jewish settlement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem over the last decade. The money goes mostly to schools, synagogues, recreation centers and the like, legitimate expenditures under the tax law. But it has also paid for more legally questionable commodities: housing as well as guard dogs, bulletproof vests, rifle scopes and vehicles to secure outposts deep in occupied areas.
Majority of Americans don’t support Israeli flotilla raid
Israel’s Channel Ten TV News was leaked a memo on a Frank Luntz poll commissioned by the right-wing propaganda outfit The Israel Project analyzing the effectiveness of the Israeli government’s public diplomacy efforts around the Gaza flotilla raid.
A summary of the findings:
1. 56% of Americans agree with the claim that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza;
2. 43% of Americans agree with the claim that people in Gaza are starving;
3. 34% of Americans support the Israeli operation against the Flotilla;
4. 20% of Americans “felt support” for Israel following announcement of easing of Gaza closure.
Consider these numbers against the fact that 84 Senators and 298 Representatives — 71% of the U.S. Congress — signed an AIPAC-backed letter supporting the flotilla raid.
A summary of the findings:
1. 56% of Americans agree with the claim that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza;
2. 43% of Americans agree with the claim that people in Gaza are starving;
3. 34% of Americans support the Israeli operation against the Flotilla;
4. 20% of Americans “felt support” for Israel following announcement of easing of Gaza closure.
Consider these numbers against the fact that 84 Senators and 298 Representatives — 71% of the U.S. Congress — signed an AIPAC-backed letter supporting the flotilla raid.
Warsaw and Gaza: Oppression Is Oppression
In an act of powerful symbolism, a group of Israeli, Palestinian and Polish activistsspray-painted "Free Gaza and Palestine" and "Liberate all ghettos" on the last remnant of an infamous one - the Warsaw Ghetto. Among them was Yonatan Shapira, a former IDF pilot, conscientious objector and descendant of Polish Holocaust victims who insisted, "The message is that people are imprisoned in a ghetto." More photos at the Polish link here.
"It may be difficult for Israelis to hear these things, but that is no reason not to say them. I was always taught growing up that the atrocities that happened to the Jewish people here happened because the world was silent. And therefore I cannot be silent. The Jewish people needed to be liberated from the ghettos, and now Israelis need to be liberated from the crimes of their own government." – Yonatan Shapira
Haytham Al-Maleh: Syrian human rights lawyer jailed 3 years
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders - a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) - today strongly condemned the decision of the Second Military Court of Damascus to convict Mr. Haytham Al-Maleh, a 79 years old prominent Syrian human rights lawyer, and to sentence him to three years’ imprisonment. This conviction was ordered on the grounds of “transferring false and exaggerated news that weaken national sentiments”, under Articles 285 and 286 of the Syrian Criminal Code. The charges arise from Mr. Al-Maleh’s interviews with the media in which he criticized, amongst other things, the continued use of the emergency laws in Syria and the ongoing control of the Syrian authorities over the judicial system.
Tony and the Shah of Palestine
(Cartoon by Carlos Latuff)
Why Tony Blair is the Most Useless Peace Envoy on the Planet
By YVONNE RIDLEY
CounterPunch
"....They realize that people power has achieved more in that one heroic action, than any of them have achieved for the people of Palestine. And, despite that brutal episode, they know that more flotillas and convoys are being planned because people power is achieving more than anything else has over the past 60 years for the people of Palestine.
The so-called Middle East Peace Envoy Tony Blair certainly does not want to see any more flotillas sailing for Gaza. It’s not because he lies awake at night thinking about the deaths of those innocent humanitarian activists. No, Blair is afraid - very afraid - that people power will expose him for what he is, probably the most useless peace envoy on this planet.....
Apart from the Shah of Palestine – Mahmoud Abbas – I am struggling to think of a more redundant individual than Tony Blair, but I’ll come to Abbas later....
Conditions in Area C have reached “crisis point”, says Save the Children, with 79 percent of the local communities surveyed lacking sufficient food, a greater proportion than in blockaded Gaza, where the figure is 61 percent. Many children living in such communities are showing signs of stunted growth, with the figure running at more than double Gaza’s rate, and more than one in ten children surveyed for the study were found to be underweight.
So there you have it – the Shah of Palestine has delivered nothing but more hardship for his own people in the West Bank while lining his own pockets and those of his enforcers. Abbas has been praised by Tony Blair for making friends with Israel and proving he’s someone the West can do business with. This might be true but in the process he has well and truly sold his own people down the river and I hope they punish him in the ballot box, should there ever be another free and fair election.
No wonder Mahmoud Abbas has no time for the human rights activists and humanitarian aid workers who put their lives on the line to launch the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla....."
By YVONNE RIDLEY
CounterPunch
"....They realize that people power has achieved more in that one heroic action, than any of them have achieved for the people of Palestine. And, despite that brutal episode, they know that more flotillas and convoys are being planned because people power is achieving more than anything else has over the past 60 years for the people of Palestine.
The so-called Middle East Peace Envoy Tony Blair certainly does not want to see any more flotillas sailing for Gaza. It’s not because he lies awake at night thinking about the deaths of those innocent humanitarian activists. No, Blair is afraid - very afraid - that people power will expose him for what he is, probably the most useless peace envoy on this planet.....
Apart from the Shah of Palestine – Mahmoud Abbas – I am struggling to think of a more redundant individual than Tony Blair, but I’ll come to Abbas later....
Conditions in Area C have reached “crisis point”, says Save the Children, with 79 percent of the local communities surveyed lacking sufficient food, a greater proportion than in blockaded Gaza, where the figure is 61 percent. Many children living in such communities are showing signs of stunted growth, with the figure running at more than double Gaza’s rate, and more than one in ten children surveyed for the study were found to be underweight.
So there you have it – the Shah of Palestine has delivered nothing but more hardship for his own people in the West Bank while lining his own pockets and those of his enforcers. Abbas has been praised by Tony Blair for making friends with Israel and proving he’s someone the West can do business with. This might be true but in the process he has well and truly sold his own people down the river and I hope they punish him in the ballot box, should there ever be another free and fair election.
No wonder Mahmoud Abbas has no time for the human rights activists and humanitarian aid workers who put their lives on the line to launch the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla....."
Al-Jazeera Video: Looters target Iraq antiquities
"Iraq's antiquities are facing an old enemy.
A new wave of looting has hit museums and archaeological sites across southern Iraq.
Officials say the treasures have been left completely unprotected and exposed to increasingly organised gangs.
That's despite a national and international clamour to protect Iraq's history.
From Baghdad Al Jazeera's Omar Al Saleh reports."
Egypt Practises for Bigger Rigging
By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa Al-Omrani
(Left: The Next Pharaoh? The son of the present one.)
"CAIRO, Jul 5, 2010 (IPS) - Egypt's recently concluded Shura Council elections were accompanied by widespread reports of serious electoral breaches by the ruling party. According to analysts and opposition figures, such voting "irregularities" bode poorly for upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections....
Another reason for rigging some Shura contests in favour of small and ineffectual opposition parties is the upcoming presidential election, said Rabie. "Article 76 of the constitution stipulates that opposition parties can only field presidential candidates if they are represented in the Shura Council. The five small opposition parties were each given one Shura seat to allow them to do this.
"Egypt will therefore be able to stage-manage a 'multi-candidate' presidential election, with a fall-guy nominee drawn from one of the weak opposition parties," Rabie added."
(Left: The Next Pharaoh? The son of the present one.)
"CAIRO, Jul 5, 2010 (IPS) - Egypt's recently concluded Shura Council elections were accompanied by widespread reports of serious electoral breaches by the ruling party. According to analysts and opposition figures, such voting "irregularities" bode poorly for upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections....
Another reason for rigging some Shura contests in favour of small and ineffectual opposition parties is the upcoming presidential election, said Rabie. "Article 76 of the constitution stipulates that opposition parties can only field presidential candidates if they are represented in the Shura Council. The five small opposition parties were each given one Shura seat to allow them to do this.
"Egypt will therefore be able to stage-manage a 'multi-candidate' presidential election, with a fall-guy nominee drawn from one of the weak opposition parties," Rabie added."
Return to the scene of a lynching
The killing of Mohamed Msallem shocked a nation. Two months on, Robert Fisk visited Ketermaya to find out what his death says about Lebanon
"They didn't hang him from a tree," the police chief insisted to me. "They put a butcher's hook through his throat and hanged him from an electricity pole – that one, over there."
And sure enough, just opposite the clean little mosque of Ketermaya, stands the rusting pylon upon which Mohamed Msallem met his terrible end. His victims – two little girls and their grandparents – lie in their graves a few metres away, plastic flowers blessing the grey earth, not far from the tomb in which half their family were buried almost 30 years ago, among the 50 victims of an Israeli air attack.....
The lynching on 29 April shocked Lebanon. A country that has shrugged off its civil war – and is trying to ignore the next Hizbollah-Israeli conflict – is supposed to have reverted to tourism, Crusader castles and Roman ruins and fine restaurants. But Ketermaya is an awful reminder of the incendiary pain that exists beneath its soft landscape.
Msallem was an Egyptian – which didn't help – but he was believed to have been a rapist as well as a murderer and the police, for reasons still to be explained, brought him back to the village less than 24 hours after the murders....."
"They didn't hang him from a tree," the police chief insisted to me. "They put a butcher's hook through his throat and hanged him from an electricity pole – that one, over there."
And sure enough, just opposite the clean little mosque of Ketermaya, stands the rusting pylon upon which Mohamed Msallem met his terrible end. His victims – two little girls and their grandparents – lie in their graves a few metres away, plastic flowers blessing the grey earth, not far from the tomb in which half their family were buried almost 30 years ago, among the 50 victims of an Israeli air attack.....
The lynching on 29 April shocked Lebanon. A country that has shrugged off its civil war – and is trying to ignore the next Hizbollah-Israeli conflict – is supposed to have reverted to tourism, Crusader castles and Roman ruins and fine restaurants. But Ketermaya is an awful reminder of the incendiary pain that exists beneath its soft landscape.
Msallem was an Egyptian – which didn't help – but he was believed to have been a rapist as well as a murderer and the police, for reasons still to be explained, brought him back to the village less than 24 hours after the murders....."
Monday, July 05, 2010
Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll
The poll asks:
Do you believe that Petraeus is capable of achieving victory in Afghanistan?
With over 2,000 responding so far, 95% said no.
Do you believe that Petraeus is capable of achieving victory in Afghanistan?
With over 2,000 responding so far, 95% said no.
Kosher Pigs, by Khalil Bendib
Peace May Rest on the Future of 88 Houses
By Mel Frykberg
"SILWAN, Occupied East Jerusalem, Jul 5, 2010 (IPS) - Frequent clashes and continuing tension in disputed East Jerusalem could portend a major outbreak of civil unrest, residents fear.
"SILWAN, Occupied East Jerusalem, Jul 5, 2010 (IPS) - Frequent clashes and continuing tension in disputed East Jerusalem could portend a major outbreak of civil unrest, residents fear.
Confrontations follow Israel's acceleration of plans to demolish dozens of Palestinian homes. This could leave over a thousand Palestinians homeless.
Furthermore, Israel is continuing to strip hundreds of East Jerusalemites of their residency. Four members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) from Jerusalem have been ordered to leave the country.
Silwan has become a pivotal point of friction, in the boiling cauldron that East Jerusalem is fast becoming. This follows Jerusalem municipality's approval of the pending demolition of 22 Palestinian homes -- with another 66 on the waiting list -- to make way for a Jewish theme park and an extension of Jewish neighbourhoods, all illegal under international law.....
Meanwhile, hundreds more East Jerusalemites continue to live in fear of losing their Jerusalem residency as Israeli authorities strip Palestinian residents who have lived or studied abroad for more than seven years of their residency.
The Israeli authorities have also warned that Palestinians joining demonstrations may be stripped of their residency."
Furthermore, Israel is continuing to strip hundreds of East Jerusalemites of their residency. Four members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) from Jerusalem have been ordered to leave the country.
Silwan has become a pivotal point of friction, in the boiling cauldron that East Jerusalem is fast becoming. This follows Jerusalem municipality's approval of the pending demolition of 22 Palestinian homes -- with another 66 on the waiting list -- to make way for a Jewish theme park and an extension of Jewish neighbourhoods, all illegal under international law.....
Meanwhile, hundreds more East Jerusalemites continue to live in fear of losing their Jerusalem residency as Israeli authorities strip Palestinian residents who have lived or studied abroad for more than seven years of their residency.
The Israeli authorities have also warned that Palestinians joining demonstrations may be stripped of their residency."
MORE DEBT, OBAMA TELLS THE WORLD
By Eric Margolis
".....The G8/G20 Toronto economic summit cost a staggering $1.1 billion, the most expensive economic meeting in anyone’s memory. That’s over $500 million per day.
This gold-plated summit was designed to boost the standing of Canada’s unpopular, prime minister, Stephen Harper who runs a shaky minority government.
When politicians get in trouble at home, they invariably turn to international affairs to burnish their faded images. Harper, a born-again Christian fundamentalist from Alberta is closely allied to Israel’s hard-right government and a disciple of George Bush.....
Heads of states attend these summits for two good reasons unconnected to the actual agreements achieved.
First, such meetings give voters the impression their leaders are actually making progress in dealing with the global financial/economic crisis. Activity is equated with achievement.
Second, safety in numbers....
Obama failed to cut America’s gigantic, trillion-dollar military budget, which represents close to 50% of total global military spending. Instead, he increased it.
The US is financing its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (now costing $7 billion monthly), and growing military operations in Pakistan and Yemen, on borrowed money, leaving the bill for the next generation of unlucky taxpayers.
Add another $33 billion this year for Obama’s Afghan “surge.” A nation addicted to financial gambling and war will have a very hard time bringing itself back to fiscal reality.
The world’s battered economy can’t be healed until its biggest debtor reforms its ways – but there is no sign this will happen anytime soon."
".....The G8/G20 Toronto economic summit cost a staggering $1.1 billion, the most expensive economic meeting in anyone’s memory. That’s over $500 million per day.
This gold-plated summit was designed to boost the standing of Canada’s unpopular, prime minister, Stephen Harper who runs a shaky minority government.
When politicians get in trouble at home, they invariably turn to international affairs to burnish their faded images. Harper, a born-again Christian fundamentalist from Alberta is closely allied to Israel’s hard-right government and a disciple of George Bush.....
Heads of states attend these summits for two good reasons unconnected to the actual agreements achieved.
First, such meetings give voters the impression their leaders are actually making progress in dealing with the global financial/economic crisis. Activity is equated with achievement.
Second, safety in numbers....
Obama failed to cut America’s gigantic, trillion-dollar military budget, which represents close to 50% of total global military spending. Instead, he increased it.
The US is financing its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (now costing $7 billion monthly), and growing military operations in Pakistan and Yemen, on borrowed money, leaving the bill for the next generation of unlucky taxpayers.
Add another $33 billion this year for Obama’s Afghan “surge.” A nation addicted to financial gambling and war will have a very hard time bringing itself back to fiscal reality.
The world’s battered economy can’t be healed until its biggest debtor reforms its ways – but there is no sign this will happen anytime soon."
US questions its unwavering support for Israel
(Click on cartoon by Khalil Bendib to enlarge)
Consensus forming in Washington that Israeli government is abusing support with policies seen to be risking US lives
Chris McGreal
Chris McGreal
The Guardian, Monday 5 July 2010
"There are questions that rarely get asked in Washington. For years, the mantra that America's intimate alliance with Israel was as good for the US as it was the Jewish state went largely unchallenged by politicians aware of the cost of anything but unwavering support.
But swirling in the background when Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, arrives in Washington tomorrow to patch up relations with the White House will be a question rarely voiced until recently: is Israel ‑ or, at the very least, its current government ‑ endangering US security and American troops?......"
"There are questions that rarely get asked in Washington. For years, the mantra that America's intimate alliance with Israel was as good for the US as it was the Jewish state went largely unchallenged by politicians aware of the cost of anything but unwavering support.
But swirling in the background when Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, arrives in Washington tomorrow to patch up relations with the White House will be a question rarely voiced until recently: is Israel ‑ or, at the very least, its current government ‑ endangering US security and American troops?......"
Al-Jazeera Video: Sand houses defy Gaza shortages
An Interesting Short Video
"Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip has created a shortage of construction materials such as cement.
But, some builders have adapted to make use of one thing they have plenty of - sand.
Al Jazeera's Bhanu Bhatnaagur reports."
"Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip has created a shortage of construction materials such as cement.
But, some builders have adapted to make use of one thing they have plenty of - sand.
Al Jazeera's Bhanu Bhatnaagur reports."
The chill in US-Israeli relations
(Cartoon by Steve Bell)
Guardian Poll:
Should President Obama insist on an extended settlement freeze when he meets Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu this week?
88% Said: Yes, it's a precondition for peace talks with the Palestinians.
Should President Obama insist on an extended settlement freeze when he meets Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu this week?
88% Said: Yes, it's a precondition for peace talks with the Palestinians.
US to blame Iran for Afghanistan failure
Press TV
"US and British intelligence services are working on a fake video clip aimed at diverting blame for failures in Afghanistan to Iran, an informed US military source says.
A source at the US base in Bagram, told Press TV on condition of anonymity that the US and British spies have employed renowned American film editors to produce the video.
The video consists of footage doctored in a way to show that Iran is providing weapons and military equipment to "anti-government forces" in the war-torn country.
The montage sequence will rely on false satellite imagery and radar images allegedly taken by spy drones.
This is while pressure is mounting on the US over its failure in Afghanistan, amid rising causalities among foreign troops in the country.
June was the bloodiest month for the US-led troops in Afghanistan since the beginning of invasion of the country in 2001, with a record 102 fatalities......"
"US and British intelligence services are working on a fake video clip aimed at diverting blame for failures in Afghanistan to Iran, an informed US military source says.
A source at the US base in Bagram, told Press TV on condition of anonymity that the US and British spies have employed renowned American film editors to produce the video.
The video consists of footage doctored in a way to show that Iran is providing weapons and military equipment to "anti-government forces" in the war-torn country.
The montage sequence will rely on false satellite imagery and radar images allegedly taken by spy drones.
This is while pressure is mounting on the US over its failure in Afghanistan, amid rising causalities among foreign troops in the country.
June was the bloodiest month for the US-led troops in Afghanistan since the beginning of invasion of the country in 2001, with a record 102 fatalities......"
New tensions test old allies
By Lamis Andoni
Al-Jazeera
Al-Jazeera
"....
'Payback'
Ankara's improving ties with Tehran were also arousing mistrust in Washington, and the Turkish and Brazilian brokered uranium swap deal seemed to confirm the suspicions of those who felt the Turkish government was moving in a direction contrary to US interests. While Turkey may have been asserting its new role and trying to avoid a scenario it saw as destabilising to the entire region, it was not necessarily misunderstood. The Iranian-Brazilian initiative did run counter to US Republican and neo-conservative pressure to support a war or at least an Israeli military strike against Iran.
But two events became the catalyst for an all out campaign against the Turkish government in Washington: Turkey's suspension of military maneuvers with Israel, the recalling of its ambassador and demand for an international investigation in the wake of Israel's military interception of the Turkish aid ship; and Turkey's vote against a new round of sanctions on Iran at the United Nations Security Council.
The response was swift: A number of prominent Republican and Democrat congressmen slammed Turkey's "disgraceful conduct," warning that there would be "payback" if Ankara continued to pursue its close relations with Iran and hostility towards Israel.
In conclusion, when Obama visited Turkey in 2009 he declared: "We are not solely strategic partners, we are also model partners." No similar statement followed the Toronto meeting, but little has changed in terms of the two countries' mutual needs.
The US needs Turkish support troops in Afghanistan and to benefit from Turkey's influence the Black Sea region, the Caucuses and the Middle East. It also needs secure transport from Turkish ports during the eventual withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Likewise, Turkey needs sustained US support in its battle against the PKK and its apparent splinter groups, which Ankara suspects are backed by Israel.
But the US needs to patch up the Turkish-Israeli rapture - partly to placate right wing pressures at home, but also because it is vital to US interests in the Middle East.
It is likely that Ankara will collaborate with Washington to stop any further deterioration in its relations with Israel, but may wait until a new government takes over to mend the rift.
And while the US cannot afford to bow to right wing pressure to drop its support for Turkey, it may still choose to support the AKP's rivals in the next elections - something US ambassador James Jeffrey's recent visit to Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey's opposition Republican People's Party, may hint at."
'Payback'
Ankara's improving ties with Tehran were also arousing mistrust in Washington, and the Turkish and Brazilian brokered uranium swap deal seemed to confirm the suspicions of those who felt the Turkish government was moving in a direction contrary to US interests. While Turkey may have been asserting its new role and trying to avoid a scenario it saw as destabilising to the entire region, it was not necessarily misunderstood. The Iranian-Brazilian initiative did run counter to US Republican and neo-conservative pressure to support a war or at least an Israeli military strike against Iran.
But two events became the catalyst for an all out campaign against the Turkish government in Washington: Turkey's suspension of military maneuvers with Israel, the recalling of its ambassador and demand for an international investigation in the wake of Israel's military interception of the Turkish aid ship; and Turkey's vote against a new round of sanctions on Iran at the United Nations Security Council.
The response was swift: A number of prominent Republican and Democrat congressmen slammed Turkey's "disgraceful conduct," warning that there would be "payback" if Ankara continued to pursue its close relations with Iran and hostility towards Israel.
In conclusion, when Obama visited Turkey in 2009 he declared: "We are not solely strategic partners, we are also model partners." No similar statement followed the Toronto meeting, but little has changed in terms of the two countries' mutual needs.
The US needs Turkish support troops in Afghanistan and to benefit from Turkey's influence the Black Sea region, the Caucuses and the Middle East. It also needs secure transport from Turkish ports during the eventual withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Likewise, Turkey needs sustained US support in its battle against the PKK and its apparent splinter groups, which Ankara suspects are backed by Israel.
But the US needs to patch up the Turkish-Israeli rapture - partly to placate right wing pressures at home, but also because it is vital to US interests in the Middle East.
It is likely that Ankara will collaborate with Washington to stop any further deterioration in its relations with Israel, but may wait until a new government takes over to mend the rift.
And while the US cannot afford to bow to right wing pressure to drop its support for Turkey, it may still choose to support the AKP's rivals in the next elections - something US ambassador James Jeffrey's recent visit to Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey's opposition Republican People's Party, may hint at."
محنة أبو الغيط
محنة أبو الغيط
عبد الحليم قنديل
"ربما تكون من المصادفات الموحية أن شخصا كأحمد أبو الغيط يشغل منصب وزير الخارجية المصري، فالرجل يبدو دبلوماسيا متواضع الموهبة، وتصريحاته الخشنة ـ أحيانا ـ لا تعكس فوائض نشاط، بل تعكس ضعفا خائرا في السياسة التي يعبر عنها، وتعكس تضاؤلا متزايدا فى دور وزارة الخارجية، وتعكس تآكلا مخيفا في الدور المصري، وإلى حد جعل مصر ـ التى كانت مقتدرة ـ كأنها إمارة موناكو أو دولة موزمبيق.
آخر أزمات أبو الغيط كانت مع محمود الزهار القيادي البارز في حركة حماس، وصدرت بيانات حامية عن وزارة أبو الغيط، وتصريحات أسخن عن المتحدث الرسمي باسمه السفير حسام زكي، تحمل على حماس في نبرة حربية، وتهددها بالويل والثبور وعظائم الأمور، وليس لسبب ظاهر، إلا لأن الزهار قال الحقيقة التي يعرفها القاصي والداني، وهي أن أبو الغيط ووزارته لا علاقة لها بالتعامل مع الفلسطينيين، وأن الملف الفلسطيني في يد جهة مصرية أخرى لم يسمها الزهار، وإن كان الكل يعرف أنها المخابرات المصرية وعميدها اللواء عمر سليمان، فهي التي اعدت ورقة المصالحة بين فتح وحماس، وهي التى تدير الحوارات، وهي التي تلتقي المسؤولين في رام الله وفي غزة، وهي التى توفد المسؤولين والصحافيين في مهمات خاصة، وعميدها اللواء سليمان هو الذى يلتقي المسؤولين الإسرائيليين، ويجري المباحثات معهم، ومقعده دائما قريب من مقعد الرئيس مبارك في أي لقاء مع مسؤول فلسطيني أو مسؤول إسرائيلي.
وسحب الملف الفلسطيني من وزارة الخارجية له مغزى كبير، فالقضية الفلسطينية ـ أيا ما كانت تباينات الرأي فيها ـ تمثل نصف مهمة وزارة الخارجية المصرية، وهو ما يعني أن أحمد أبو الغيط - بدون الملف الفلسطيني ـ صار نصف وزير، ثم أن احدا لا يريد أن يبقى النصــــف الآخر للسيد الوزير، فملــــف السودان ومياه النيل انتقل هو الآخر، وملــــف العلاقة مع الليبيين كــــذلك، ومن باب أولى ملف العلاقة مع الأمـــريكيـــين الذي يخـــــتص به مبارك لنفسه، والمحصلة: أن أبو الغيط صار أقرب إلى وزير تشريفات دبلوماسية، وربما ذلك ما يجعله عصبيا أكثر من اللازم، ويورطه في تصريحات عبث من نوع تعهده بكسر أرجل الفلسطينيين.
وللحق، فإن القصة تنطوى على ما هو أكبر من محنة رجل كأبو الغيط، يفقد وظيفته عمليا، ويستحق لقب وزير الخارجية المقال، ويتسلى بالكلام في الوقت الضائع، ويدخل في منافسة بائسة مع المتحدث باسمه حسام زكي، والذي صار عنوانا على أعجب التصريحات في التاريخ الدبلوماسي، وقد تصادف أن التقيت ـ برفقة نواب من المعارضة المصرية ـ مع اثنين من مساعدي وزير الخارجية، كنا في آخر نهار بدأ صباحه بالعدوان الاسرائيلي الهمجي على سفن أسطول الحرية، وكان الخبر وقتها، أن وزارة الخارجية المصرية استدعت السفير الاسرائيلي بالقاهرة لتأنيبه، وكان قد مر على الحدث ساعات، ولم يكن مساعدا وزير الخارجية يعلمان بالضبط أين تم هذا اللقاء والاستدعاء، ومن التقاه بالضبط، وكان أبو الغيط بدوره لا يعلم، كان في سفر خارج البلاد، وكان المغزى ناطقا، فمبنى وزارة الخارجية الانيق على كورنيش النيل هو آخر من يعلم.
إذن، فقد جرى تغييب وزارة الخـــارجية، وليس أحــــمد أبو الغيط وحده، جرى التفريغ من الدور، فليس من مـــهمات كبرى، ولا من صياغة لبدائل، ولا من مهام مميزة لدبلوماســيين كبار، والوزارة تحولت إلى ديوان موظـــفين، يعين ويرقى وينتدب، ويتلقى رسائل تذهب إلى جهات أخرى خارج الوزارة، وكأنه قد تم التواطؤ على أنه لا حاجة فعلية لوزارة خارجية ولا لوزير خارجية، وعلى تغطية الفراغ بأي كلام، فملفات الوقت ليست فى وزارة الخارجية، بل فى جهات خفية، أقيلت الوزارة من دورها، ولم يبق لها سوى التفرغ للتعامل مع موظفيها، تعاقب هذا، وتقرب ذاك، فيما ينصرف الموظفون عن حقائب المهمات الدبلوماسية لحقائب من نوع آخر، ويتسابقون إلى نوع من «الخصخصة المجازية» للوظائف، ويعدون عملهم في هذا البلد أو ذاك مجرد فرصة شخصية، فلم تعد الأولوية لرعاية سياسة ما، بل الأولوية لاسستثمار الفرص، وتكوين دوائر استثمار خاصة، ونيل ترقيات طبقية تجعلهم فى سلك المليونيرات، وقبل أن ينقضى ما تبقى من العمر الدبلوماسي.
ومحنة وزارة الخارجية ووزيرها فرع من أصل محنة الدور المصري، فلم تعد لمصر الرسمية سياسة تخصها، بل سياسة على طريقة الانتداب لدور، سياسة على طريقة الوسيط الذى يطلب أجره قبل أن يجف عرقه، سياسة بالوكالة، تماما كما هو الحكم في مصر بالوكالة، سياسة بأولويات غير مصرية، وبأولويات أمريكية وإسرائيلية تحديدا، وحين تتصادم الأولويات الأمريكية ـ الإسرائيلية مع الأولويات المصرية، تكون الغلبة دائما للأولى، خذ عندك ـ مثلا ـ قصتان لهما مغزى مفزع، القصة الأولى على جبهة السودان، وهي موثقة فى مضابط البرلمان المصري، وملخصها اتفاق رسمي مصري ليبي سوداني جرى في أواخر الثمانينيات من القرن الماضي، جرى الاتفاق على مزرعة قمح هائلة بملايين الفدادين في السودان، وبعمالة وخبرة مصرية، وبتمويل ليبي، وحين جاء أوان التنفيذ، تراجعت مصر الرسمية، ولم يخجل وزير الزراعة المصري الأسبق الشهير يوسف والي من التصريح بالسبب، وقال الحقيقة ببساطة، وهي أن أمريكا اعترضت على المشروع، وهكذا راحت الفرصة في خبر كان، رغم أن مصلحة مصر في مزرعة القمح يفترض بديهيا أنها فوق كل اعتبار، لكن البداهات المصرية سقطت تحت أقدام البداهات الأمريكية، والتى لا تريد لمصر خلاصا من أزمات مزمنة تبقيها في القيد، وتجعل واشنطن سيدة القرار في القاهرة، وعلى جبهة الشرق - بعد جبهة الجنوب ـ كانت القصة الثانية، والتي طويت فصولها قبل أربعة أعوام من الآن، كان قد جرى اتفاق رسمي مصري سعودي على إنشاء جسر بري فوق خليج العقبة، وعلى أن تمول السعودية تكاليف الإنشاء، وحين جاء أوان التنفيذ، تراجع مبارك علنا، وبصورة هستيرية، وبدعوى أن الجسر سيؤدي لتلويث البيئة السياحية في مدينة شرم الشيخ، رغم أن الجسر كان مقررا له أن ينتهي على الجانب المصري بعيدا جدا عن شرم الشيخ، وإلى الجنوب والغرب منها بعشرات الكيلومترات، وتوقف المشروع لأن اسرائيل أرادت ذلك، فمشروع الجسر ـ على بساطته ـ يؤدى الوظيفة العكسية لوجود اسرائيل ذاتها، ويقيم اتصالا بريا مباشرا يربط مصر بشرق العالم العربي، ومصلحة المصريين في المشروع أظهر من أن تحكى، فالمصريون هم الذين يستفيدون بالانتقال البري السريع إلى السعودية، ولأغراض دينية وتجارية واقتصادية، ويرفع الجسر عنهم أعباء التنقل المكلف بالطائرات، وهواجس الموت المحدق فى السفر بالعبارات المتهالكة، ورغم وضوح وبداهات المصلحة المصرية، فقد كان موقف مبارك على العكس تماما، وأقرب إلى طاعة وأولوية البداهات الإسرائيلية، وبدواعي حفظ مصلحته الشخصية
- ومصلحة عائلته - بالبقاء في قصر الحكم.
وفي المثالين ما يكفي للتدليل على محنة الدور المصري، ومحنة وزارة الخارجية التي يفترض أنها ذراع الدور، فليس من أولوية للمصلحة المصرية المباشرة، ولا من مراكز لصنع سياسات، ولا من مهام دبلوماسية خاصة، ولا من حاجة لدبلوماسيين كبار، وربما لذلك نجد السفارات المصرية فى الخارج على حالها المثير للأسى، فالمصريون آخر من يهمها، والشواغل شخصية بحتة، والمباني ضائعه في السكون، والسبب المفهوم، فقد ضاع الدور في المركز، وضاع الدور في الأطراف، واتصل الخواء فى الداخل بالغياب في الخارج، وصرنا بصدد بلد استقال من دوره، ووزارة أقيلت من وظائفها، ووزير يحارب طواحين الهواء على طريقة أحمد أبو الغيط.
"
عبد الحليم قنديل
"ربما تكون من المصادفات الموحية أن شخصا كأحمد أبو الغيط يشغل منصب وزير الخارجية المصري، فالرجل يبدو دبلوماسيا متواضع الموهبة، وتصريحاته الخشنة ـ أحيانا ـ لا تعكس فوائض نشاط، بل تعكس ضعفا خائرا في السياسة التي يعبر عنها، وتعكس تضاؤلا متزايدا فى دور وزارة الخارجية، وتعكس تآكلا مخيفا في الدور المصري، وإلى حد جعل مصر ـ التى كانت مقتدرة ـ كأنها إمارة موناكو أو دولة موزمبيق.
آخر أزمات أبو الغيط كانت مع محمود الزهار القيادي البارز في حركة حماس، وصدرت بيانات حامية عن وزارة أبو الغيط، وتصريحات أسخن عن المتحدث الرسمي باسمه السفير حسام زكي، تحمل على حماس في نبرة حربية، وتهددها بالويل والثبور وعظائم الأمور، وليس لسبب ظاهر، إلا لأن الزهار قال الحقيقة التي يعرفها القاصي والداني، وهي أن أبو الغيط ووزارته لا علاقة لها بالتعامل مع الفلسطينيين، وأن الملف الفلسطيني في يد جهة مصرية أخرى لم يسمها الزهار، وإن كان الكل يعرف أنها المخابرات المصرية وعميدها اللواء عمر سليمان، فهي التي اعدت ورقة المصالحة بين فتح وحماس، وهي التى تدير الحوارات، وهي التي تلتقي المسؤولين في رام الله وفي غزة، وهي التى توفد المسؤولين والصحافيين في مهمات خاصة، وعميدها اللواء سليمان هو الذى يلتقي المسؤولين الإسرائيليين، ويجري المباحثات معهم، ومقعده دائما قريب من مقعد الرئيس مبارك في أي لقاء مع مسؤول فلسطيني أو مسؤول إسرائيلي.
وسحب الملف الفلسطيني من وزارة الخارجية له مغزى كبير، فالقضية الفلسطينية ـ أيا ما كانت تباينات الرأي فيها ـ تمثل نصف مهمة وزارة الخارجية المصرية، وهو ما يعني أن أحمد أبو الغيط - بدون الملف الفلسطيني ـ صار نصف وزير، ثم أن احدا لا يريد أن يبقى النصــــف الآخر للسيد الوزير، فملــــف السودان ومياه النيل انتقل هو الآخر، وملــــف العلاقة مع الليبيين كــــذلك، ومن باب أولى ملف العلاقة مع الأمـــريكيـــين الذي يخـــــتص به مبارك لنفسه، والمحصلة: أن أبو الغيط صار أقرب إلى وزير تشريفات دبلوماسية، وربما ذلك ما يجعله عصبيا أكثر من اللازم، ويورطه في تصريحات عبث من نوع تعهده بكسر أرجل الفلسطينيين.
وللحق، فإن القصة تنطوى على ما هو أكبر من محنة رجل كأبو الغيط، يفقد وظيفته عمليا، ويستحق لقب وزير الخارجية المقال، ويتسلى بالكلام في الوقت الضائع، ويدخل في منافسة بائسة مع المتحدث باسمه حسام زكي، والذي صار عنوانا على أعجب التصريحات في التاريخ الدبلوماسي، وقد تصادف أن التقيت ـ برفقة نواب من المعارضة المصرية ـ مع اثنين من مساعدي وزير الخارجية، كنا في آخر نهار بدأ صباحه بالعدوان الاسرائيلي الهمجي على سفن أسطول الحرية، وكان الخبر وقتها، أن وزارة الخارجية المصرية استدعت السفير الاسرائيلي بالقاهرة لتأنيبه، وكان قد مر على الحدث ساعات، ولم يكن مساعدا وزير الخارجية يعلمان بالضبط أين تم هذا اللقاء والاستدعاء، ومن التقاه بالضبط، وكان أبو الغيط بدوره لا يعلم، كان في سفر خارج البلاد، وكان المغزى ناطقا، فمبنى وزارة الخارجية الانيق على كورنيش النيل هو آخر من يعلم.
إذن، فقد جرى تغييب وزارة الخـــارجية، وليس أحــــمد أبو الغيط وحده، جرى التفريغ من الدور، فليس من مـــهمات كبرى، ولا من صياغة لبدائل، ولا من مهام مميزة لدبلوماســيين كبار، والوزارة تحولت إلى ديوان موظـــفين، يعين ويرقى وينتدب، ويتلقى رسائل تذهب إلى جهات أخرى خارج الوزارة، وكأنه قد تم التواطؤ على أنه لا حاجة فعلية لوزارة خارجية ولا لوزير خارجية، وعلى تغطية الفراغ بأي كلام، فملفات الوقت ليست فى وزارة الخارجية، بل فى جهات خفية، أقيلت الوزارة من دورها، ولم يبق لها سوى التفرغ للتعامل مع موظفيها، تعاقب هذا، وتقرب ذاك، فيما ينصرف الموظفون عن حقائب المهمات الدبلوماسية لحقائب من نوع آخر، ويتسابقون إلى نوع من «الخصخصة المجازية» للوظائف، ويعدون عملهم في هذا البلد أو ذاك مجرد فرصة شخصية، فلم تعد الأولوية لرعاية سياسة ما، بل الأولوية لاسستثمار الفرص، وتكوين دوائر استثمار خاصة، ونيل ترقيات طبقية تجعلهم فى سلك المليونيرات، وقبل أن ينقضى ما تبقى من العمر الدبلوماسي.
ومحنة وزارة الخارجية ووزيرها فرع من أصل محنة الدور المصري، فلم تعد لمصر الرسمية سياسة تخصها، بل سياسة على طريقة الانتداب لدور، سياسة على طريقة الوسيط الذى يطلب أجره قبل أن يجف عرقه، سياسة بالوكالة، تماما كما هو الحكم في مصر بالوكالة، سياسة بأولويات غير مصرية، وبأولويات أمريكية وإسرائيلية تحديدا، وحين تتصادم الأولويات الأمريكية ـ الإسرائيلية مع الأولويات المصرية، تكون الغلبة دائما للأولى، خذ عندك ـ مثلا ـ قصتان لهما مغزى مفزع، القصة الأولى على جبهة السودان، وهي موثقة فى مضابط البرلمان المصري، وملخصها اتفاق رسمي مصري ليبي سوداني جرى في أواخر الثمانينيات من القرن الماضي، جرى الاتفاق على مزرعة قمح هائلة بملايين الفدادين في السودان، وبعمالة وخبرة مصرية، وبتمويل ليبي، وحين جاء أوان التنفيذ، تراجعت مصر الرسمية، ولم يخجل وزير الزراعة المصري الأسبق الشهير يوسف والي من التصريح بالسبب، وقال الحقيقة ببساطة، وهي أن أمريكا اعترضت على المشروع، وهكذا راحت الفرصة في خبر كان، رغم أن مصلحة مصر في مزرعة القمح يفترض بديهيا أنها فوق كل اعتبار، لكن البداهات المصرية سقطت تحت أقدام البداهات الأمريكية، والتى لا تريد لمصر خلاصا من أزمات مزمنة تبقيها في القيد، وتجعل واشنطن سيدة القرار في القاهرة، وعلى جبهة الشرق - بعد جبهة الجنوب ـ كانت القصة الثانية، والتي طويت فصولها قبل أربعة أعوام من الآن، كان قد جرى اتفاق رسمي مصري سعودي على إنشاء جسر بري فوق خليج العقبة، وعلى أن تمول السعودية تكاليف الإنشاء، وحين جاء أوان التنفيذ، تراجع مبارك علنا، وبصورة هستيرية، وبدعوى أن الجسر سيؤدي لتلويث البيئة السياحية في مدينة شرم الشيخ، رغم أن الجسر كان مقررا له أن ينتهي على الجانب المصري بعيدا جدا عن شرم الشيخ، وإلى الجنوب والغرب منها بعشرات الكيلومترات، وتوقف المشروع لأن اسرائيل أرادت ذلك، فمشروع الجسر ـ على بساطته ـ يؤدى الوظيفة العكسية لوجود اسرائيل ذاتها، ويقيم اتصالا بريا مباشرا يربط مصر بشرق العالم العربي، ومصلحة المصريين في المشروع أظهر من أن تحكى، فالمصريون هم الذين يستفيدون بالانتقال البري السريع إلى السعودية، ولأغراض دينية وتجارية واقتصادية، ويرفع الجسر عنهم أعباء التنقل المكلف بالطائرات، وهواجس الموت المحدق فى السفر بالعبارات المتهالكة، ورغم وضوح وبداهات المصلحة المصرية، فقد كان موقف مبارك على العكس تماما، وأقرب إلى طاعة وأولوية البداهات الإسرائيلية، وبدواعي حفظ مصلحته الشخصية
- ومصلحة عائلته - بالبقاء في قصر الحكم.
وفي المثالين ما يكفي للتدليل على محنة الدور المصري، ومحنة وزارة الخارجية التي يفترض أنها ذراع الدور، فليس من أولوية للمصلحة المصرية المباشرة، ولا من مراكز لصنع سياسات، ولا من مهام دبلوماسية خاصة، ولا من حاجة لدبلوماسيين كبار، وربما لذلك نجد السفارات المصرية فى الخارج على حالها المثير للأسى، فالمصريون آخر من يهمها، والشواغل شخصية بحتة، والمباني ضائعه في السكون، والسبب المفهوم، فقد ضاع الدور في المركز، وضاع الدور في الأطراف، واتصل الخواء فى الداخل بالغياب في الخارج، وصرنا بصدد بلد استقال من دوره، ووزارة أقيلت من وظائفها، ووزير يحارب طواحين الهواء على طريقة أحمد أبو الغيط.
"
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Jordan is not Palestine
By Lamis Andoni
Al-Jazeera
".....
Perpetual war
The fulfillment of the right wing dream of turning Jordan into Palestine cannot happen without a gradual or mass expulsion of Palestinians from Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, along with the use of force against Jordanians.
It presents, therefore, a scenario of continuous war and conflict that cannot possibly end Israel's "Palestinian problem".
But even though this 'vision' cannot be easily fulfilled without resorting to all out war, it must be taken seriously as it offers an excuse to force yet more Palestinians from their homeland.
Over the years, two variations of the "Jordan option" have developed. The first is based on "transferring" the Palestinian population of the East Bank and even Israel "proper" to Jordan, where the Palestinian homeland is to be established. The second scenario is based on establishing a Palestinian state in Jordan, which would also include the Arab-populated areas of the West Bank.
Both options have been rejected, but the proposals have remained alive as a stick with which to threaten the Palestinians and the Jordanians and to counter perceived threats or the international community's verbal support for the establishment of a Palestinian state. In other words, Israeli leaders use the "Jordan option" whenever Israel is in time of crisis......."
Al-Jazeera
".....
Perpetual war
The fulfillment of the right wing dream of turning Jordan into Palestine cannot happen without a gradual or mass expulsion of Palestinians from Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, along with the use of force against Jordanians.
It presents, therefore, a scenario of continuous war and conflict that cannot possibly end Israel's "Palestinian problem".
But even though this 'vision' cannot be easily fulfilled without resorting to all out war, it must be taken seriously as it offers an excuse to force yet more Palestinians from their homeland.
Over the years, two variations of the "Jordan option" have developed. The first is based on "transferring" the Palestinian population of the East Bank and even Israel "proper" to Jordan, where the Palestinian homeland is to be established. The second scenario is based on establishing a Palestinian state in Jordan, which would also include the Arab-populated areas of the West Bank.
Both options have been rejected, but the proposals have remained alive as a stick with which to threaten the Palestinians and the Jordanians and to counter perceived threats or the international community's verbal support for the establishment of a Palestinian state. In other words, Israeli leaders use the "Jordan option" whenever Israel is in time of crisis......."
The Battle of Nabi Saleh: Soldiers vs. Kids
When Israeli soldiers entered the embattled Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh on July 2, they were immediately confronted by over a dozen small children. While the IDF is accustomed to firing teargas canisters, percussion grenades, rubber bullets and even live .22 caliber ammunition at adolescent boys, members of the Nahal unit and Kfir border police brigade tasked with suppressing the weekly Nabi Saleh demonstration were frustrated by the children who surrounded and taunted them. At one point, the division commander became so upset he barked into his radio, “I need backup!”
The spectacle of seven-year-old children confronting heavily armed and visibly confused soldiers offers one of the clearest perspectives of the lopsided power dynamic that animates the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It also highlights the reality of life for children in the Occupied Territories. They play soccer and dodgeball between phalanxes of soldiers firing lethal projectiles at their neighbors just a few meters away — everyday life is an act of resistance.
Why are children participating in popular protests? Consider the case of Ni’ilin, a Palestinian village engaged in popular struggle against the construction of the separation wall across its privately owned land. The Israeli army is holding three members of its small popular committee — the political leadership of the village — in harsh conditions in Ofer prison. They were arrested without charges during a night raid, subjected to psychological torture by the Shabak (Israel’s General Security Service), and are being held indefinitely.
The Lost Arabs, by Emad Hajjaj
Fourth of July: Put Away the Flags
Remembering Howard Zinn on July 4th
by Howard Zinn
Global Research
(Howard Zinn, a World War II bombardier, was the author of the best-selling "A People's History of the United States" (Perennial Classics, 2003, latest edition). This piece was distributed by the Progressive Media Project in 2006.)
"On this July 4, we would do well to renounce nationalism and all its symbols: its flags, its pledges of allegiance, its anthems, its insistence in song that God must single out America to be blessed.
Is not nationalism -- that devotion to a flag, an anthem, a boundary so fierce it engenders mass murder -- one of the great evils of our time, along with racism, along with religious hatred?
These ways of thinking -- cultivated, nurtured, indoctrinated from childhood on -- have been useful to those in power, and deadly for those out of power.
National spirit can be benign in a country that is small and lacking both in military power and a hunger for expansion (Switzerland, Norway, Costa Rica and many more). But in a nation like ours -- huge, possessing thousands of weapons of mass destruction -- what might have been harmless pride becomes an arrogant nationalism dangerous to others and to ourselves....
And nationalism is given a special virulence when it is said to be blessed by Providence. Today we have a president, invading two countries in four years, who announced on the campaign trail in 2004 that God speaks through him.
We need to refute the idea that our nation is different from, morally superior to, the other imperial powers of world history.
We need to assert our allegiance to the human race, and not to any one nation."
by Howard Zinn
Global Research
(Howard Zinn, a World War II bombardier, was the author of the best-selling "A People's History of the United States" (Perennial Classics, 2003, latest edition). This piece was distributed by the Progressive Media Project in 2006.)
"On this July 4, we would do well to renounce nationalism and all its symbols: its flags, its pledges of allegiance, its anthems, its insistence in song that God must single out America to be blessed.
Is not nationalism -- that devotion to a flag, an anthem, a boundary so fierce it engenders mass murder -- one of the great evils of our time, along with racism, along with religious hatred?
These ways of thinking -- cultivated, nurtured, indoctrinated from childhood on -- have been useful to those in power, and deadly for those out of power.
National spirit can be benign in a country that is small and lacking both in military power and a hunger for expansion (Switzerland, Norway, Costa Rica and many more). But in a nation like ours -- huge, possessing thousands of weapons of mass destruction -- what might have been harmless pride becomes an arrogant nationalism dangerous to others and to ourselves....
And nationalism is given a special virulence when it is said to be blessed by Providence. Today we have a president, invading two countries in four years, who announced on the campaign trail in 2004 that God speaks through him.
We need to refute the idea that our nation is different from, morally superior to, the other imperial powers of world history.
We need to assert our allegiance to the human race, and not to any one nation."
Deja Vu All Over Again: Dubious Intelligence on Iran's Nuclear Program Used to Justify UN Sanctions and US War Threats
by Gareth Porter
Global Research
(Left: Olli Heinonen)
"WASHINGTON - Olli Heinonen, the Finnish nuclear engineer who resigned Thursday after five years as deputy director for safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was the driving force in turning that agency into a mechanism to support U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran.
Heinonen was instrumental in making a collection of intelligence documents showing a purported Iranian nuclear weapons research programme the central focus of the IAEA's work on Iran. The result was to shift opinion among Western publics to the view that Iran had been pursuing a covert nuclear weapons programme.
But his embrace of the intelligence documents provoked a fierce political struggle within the Secretariat of the IAEA, because other officials believed the documents were fraudulent....
The Bush administration had threatened to replace ElBaradei in 2004 and had reluctantly accepted his reelection as director-general in 2005. ElBaradei was not strong enough to threaten to fire the main antagonist over the issue of alleged studies.
ElBaradei’s successor Yukio Amano is even less capable of adopting an independent position on the issues surrounding the documents. The political dynamics of the IAEA ensure that Heinonen's successor is certain to continue the same line on the Iran nuclear issue and intelligence documents as Heinonen's. "
Israel: A Failing Colonial Project
By M. Shahid Alam
Palestine Chronicle
"....As the failure of Israel’s colonial project looms larger, its nervous leaders will increasingly seek security in new and more dangerous wars. Increasingly, Israel will become an intolerable threat – if it isn’t already – to the Middle East, the world, and no less to Jews everywhere. Zionism was founded overwhelmingly by secular Jews, but, in order to succeed, it created a new religious myth of Jewish restoration, galvanized messianic tendencies among Western Christians, and created the myth that Israel alone shields the West from a resurgent Islam and Islamicate. It will not be easy putting these genies back in the bottle.
Perhaps, the best chance of unwinding the Zionist colonial project lies with the Jews themselves. Only when liberal segments of the Jewish diaspora are convinced that Zionism endangers Jewish lives, only when they act to countervail the power of the Jewish lobby in leading Western societies, will Israel finally be moved to dismantle its apartheid regime. In the end, the alternative to this orderly dismantling of Zionism is a destructive war in the Middle East that may not be limited to the region. Whatever else happens, it is unlikely that Israel or US interests in the Middle East will survive such a war."
Palestine Chronicle
"....As the failure of Israel’s colonial project looms larger, its nervous leaders will increasingly seek security in new and more dangerous wars. Increasingly, Israel will become an intolerable threat – if it isn’t already – to the Middle East, the world, and no less to Jews everywhere. Zionism was founded overwhelmingly by secular Jews, but, in order to succeed, it created a new religious myth of Jewish restoration, galvanized messianic tendencies among Western Christians, and created the myth that Israel alone shields the West from a resurgent Islam and Islamicate. It will not be easy putting these genies back in the bottle.
Perhaps, the best chance of unwinding the Zionist colonial project lies with the Jews themselves. Only when liberal segments of the Jewish diaspora are convinced that Zionism endangers Jewish lives, only when they act to countervail the power of the Jewish lobby in leading Western societies, will Israel finally be moved to dismantle its apartheid regime. In the end, the alternative to this orderly dismantling of Zionism is a destructive war in the Middle East that may not be limited to the region. Whatever else happens, it is unlikely that Israel or US interests in the Middle East will survive such a war."
Lebanon takes worrying steps on online freedom
Lebanese prosecutors have no business bringing charges against those who insult the president on Facebook
Patrick Galey
(Patrick Galey is a reporter based in Beirut, Lebanon, writing on security, environmental and social development issues)
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 3 July 2010
"Lebanon's president, Michel Sleiman, may have more than 60,000 Facebook fans, but it took the opinions of just three people for things to get unfriendly. The three – all of them in their 20s – were arrested earlier this week for allegedly defaming the president on the social networking website.
There is currently no specific law governing the publication of online content in Lebanon. People can – and do – say what they want across a variety of networking sites. However, it is a crime to criticise the president of the republic, as his position represents the entire country. Knock Sleiman and you knock Lebanon.....
Lebanon frequently tops the Arab pile in freedom of expression indexes, but the Facebook affair smacks of practices that are more familiar among Lebanon's neighbours, and it might be considered a warning shot for those who assumed that free speech is constitutionally guaranteed."
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Al-Jazeera Video: Homes in Gaza destroyed by Hamas
"In Gaza, around 20 families have had their homes demolished as part of a plan to regulate housing in the strip.
The deposed government of Hamas says the houses were built illegally on governmen towned land and should be torn down.
But the families say they paid for the land.
Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston reports from Rafah, in southern Gaza."
Al-Jazeera Video: Riz Khan - Justice denied: What next?
"Rendition victim Maher Arar talks about the US supreme court's refusal to hear his appeal."
Newspeak: why the BBC has an 'issue' with problems
(Covering stories such as the Middle East conflict is a challenge to the BBC's 'neutrality')
By Robert Fisk
"A few weeks ago, a Very Senior Correspondent of the BBC was asked a tricky question.
I will not reveal the identity of this friend of mine, nor the country in which he spoke – He Knoweth Who He Is – but it was his answer that captivated me.
"I recognise this as an issue," he replied....
Note the two words he didn't want to use. Of course, what he should have said was: I know this is a problem. But he couldn't. Because BBC-speak doesn't allow words like problems – because problems have to be solved. And the BBC doesn't solve problems. Because they do not exist. There are only "issues". And issues only have to be "recognised". Thus what my friend really meant was: "I know exactly what you're talking about but I haven't the slightest intention of admitting it, so piss off."....
...But wait. He found, he says, that "lots of people had been thinking deeply about some of the issues". And there are other BBC darling words, too. "The big challenge" is to make sure the media understand the BBC's "strategic direction". And "the challenges of working in the public sector are huge ... I've always been lucky to work with teams that have challenged me."
O Lordy, Lordy, where does this bloody vocabulary come from?.....
But then who wants to talk about anything serious these days? I note an Associated Press dispatch from Jerusalem this week telling us that the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, recently talked to American Jewish leaders about what the reporter Josef Federman called "touchy topics". Whoops! Touchy topics? Well, here goes. Abbas, according to the AP, spoke about "Mideast peace talks, anti-Israeli incitement in the Palestinian media, violence and terrorism and the Holocaust". What on earth is "touchy" about the Jewish Holocaust? Or about "violence"? Or "incitement"? Or "terrorism"?
What all these words – issues, challenges, delivery, success, quality, achievers, touchy topics – have in common is the essential lie: that everything is for the good; that problems, disasters, third-rate work or bloodbaths simply don't exist, or are at best to be regarded as "touchy topics", something we don't need to hear about or for which we should be forewarned......"
Habila: We will not allow the return of security chaos
"GAZA, (PIC)-- Palestinian premier Ismail Haneyya has said that his government would never allow the return of security chaos to the Gaza Strip [Sure! That is why UNRWA summer camps for the children were burned, not once, but twice! Tell us more lies Habila.], adding that the execution of convicted agents and criminals came to preserve the Palestinian society.
Haneyya, addressing a tribal conciliation in Gaza on Friday, said that his government was keen on maintaining social security, noting that it managed to solve numerous complicated cases including murder.
The premier asked all families to put an end to their differences through the courts and concerned parties.
Citizens in Gaza Strip are in need of security and stability after suffering a lot from the previous state of security mess that prevailed in previous years, Haneyya underlined."
“Obama Warned Erdogan of Flotilla Probe”
Al-Manar
"03/07/2010 An international inquiry into the Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla may hurt the Turks – This is the message that US President Barack Obama has conveyed to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish sources told the London-based al-Hayat newspaper.
Saturday's report said Obama told Erdogan that "such an inquiry commission may lead to accusations against several passengers on the Marmara ship, or members of the IHH organization and Turkey must know that its request could turn into a double-edged sword."
Turkish sources told the paper that the meeting between Obama and Erdogan on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Canada paved the way for the secret meeting between Israel's Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Brussels.
According to the Turkish sources, "Obama conveyed promises and calming messages to Turkey, in an attempt to convince Israel's prime minister, Netanyahu, in their upcoming meeting next Tuesday, to accept the Turkish demands."
The sources said Ben-Eliezer noted that Israel could apologize to the families of some of the activists killed in the flotilla raid, but not to all of them, as some of them were affiliated with Hamas.
The sources added that Ben-Eliezer asked that Turkey give the internal Israeli probe into the raid a chance, or include its report in the international commission's report, which Israel will not officially take part in or work with directly......"
"03/07/2010 An international inquiry into the Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla may hurt the Turks – This is the message that US President Barack Obama has conveyed to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish sources told the London-based al-Hayat newspaper.
Saturday's report said Obama told Erdogan that "such an inquiry commission may lead to accusations against several passengers on the Marmara ship, or members of the IHH organization and Turkey must know that its request could turn into a double-edged sword."
Turkish sources told the paper that the meeting between Obama and Erdogan on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Canada paved the way for the secret meeting between Israel's Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Brussels.
According to the Turkish sources, "Obama conveyed promises and calming messages to Turkey, in an attempt to convince Israel's prime minister, Netanyahu, in their upcoming meeting next Tuesday, to accept the Turkish demands."
The sources said Ben-Eliezer noted that Israel could apologize to the families of some of the activists killed in the flotilla raid, but not to all of them, as some of them were affiliated with Hamas.
The sources added that Ben-Eliezer asked that Turkey give the internal Israeli probe into the raid a chance, or include its report in the international commission's report, which Israel will not officially take part in or work with directly......"
عناق شركاء بيع العراق
A Very Good Piece
"استقبلت اجهزة الاعلام عناق اياد علاوي ونوري المالكي، منذ أيام بالتغطية المستمرة والتحليل وما قد يكون عليه الواقع السياسي العراقي بعد لحظة التقارب ما بين علاوي ورئيس وزراء حكومة الاحتلال الرابعة. ولم تتطرق اجهزة الاعلام، في غمرة استغراقها في التفاصيل، الى السؤال الاهم وهو عن ماهية الفرق الجوهري بين الرجلين فيما يخص مستقبل العراق المرهون بالمعاهدة الامنية ومعاهدة الاطار الاستراتيجي. هل هناك فرق حقا بينهما وقد رحبا ووقعا، سوية، على المعاهدتين اللتين ستبقيان نيرا حول عنق كل عراقي لسنوات لم تحدد؟ هذا اذا نسينا ان علاوي هو الذي ساهم في أبشع مذبحة بشرية استخدمت فيها الاسلحة المحرمة دوليا في الفلوجة، بينما ساهم المالكي في ترسيخ الطائفية الى حد تهجير الملايين وتقسيم بغداد الى ما يزيد على الاربعين قطاعا طائفيا، محولا العاصمة الى سجن مقسم الى ردهات محاطة بجدران الكونكريت المسلح و1400 نقطة تفتيش ثابتة ومتحركة؟ وكأن الاثنين في حالة سباق مع الكيان الصهيوني لاثبات من هو المؤهل اكثر للفوز بلقب جزار الشعوب. ان ما يبدو من صراع بين المستخدمين المحليين هو صراع حول الحصص والضمانات بالحصانة من الملاحقات القانونية المترتبة على الجرائم والسرقات، وسجل كل منهم يفيض بها وموثق لدى المحتل لابتزازهم، في اللحظات المناسبة سياسيا. ولم يحدث، حتى الآن، ان دار الصراع حول برنامج عملي أو وطني، سواء بينهم من جهة او بينهم وبين ادارة الاحتلال من جهة اخرى.
ان تشدق علاوي والمالكي بالوطنية لا يعدو كونه، ازاء مآسي الواقع الحياتي وآخرها قتل المتظاهرين احتجاجا على انقطاع الكهرباء، رطانة لغوية يجيدها المتعاونون مع المستعمر بحكم التدريب اليومي على مدى سنوات الاحتلال السبع. كما باتوا يجيدون لعب ادوار الحرص على مستقبل العراق ووحدته وسيادته بينما وصلت امريكا وايران الى حد اختراق احشاء العراق بعد ان مزقت حدوده. ولا ننسى، هنا، القصف الايراني والتركي المستمر على الحدود ايضا.
بالمقابل، تواصل امريكا انسحابها العسكري التدريجي وبيع معداتها التي ستكلفها اموالا طائلة لنقلها الى امريكا او افغانستان، الى العراقيين، لتكرس بقاءها باشكال ستطبق من خلالها مفاهيم 'القوة الناعمة'، و'الالمام بثقافة البلد المضيف'. ولفهم معنى 'انسحاب القوات الامريكية' وفق المعاهدة الامنية وحسب تطبيل ادارة اوباما ومستخدميه العراقيين من الضروري قراءة خطاب الجنرال اوديرنو، الحاكم العسكري الامريكي للعراق، في 4 حزيران/يونيو من العام الحالي حيث تحدث بالتفصيل عمن وماذا سيبقى ومن هو صاحب القرار الحقيقي في العراق. يخبرنا اوديرنو (تمت ترقيته الى افغانستان للاستفادة من نجاحاته في العراق) عن ابقاء 50 ألف عسكري أمريكي 'غير مقاتل' كمستشارين ومدربين وداعمين للقوات العراقية البالغ عددها 250 ألف جندي وما يزيد على نصف مليون من الشرطة (هل تتذكرون الضجة حول ضخامة الجيش العراقي السابق ووجوب التخلص من عدده 'الهائل'؟)، بالاضافة الى 65 ألف متعاقد. ويزف اوديرنو الى العراق وعموم المنطقة اخبارا سارة حين يتحدث عن تخفيض عدد القواعد العسكرية من 126 الى 94. من بينها قواعد تعتبر من بين الاكبر في العالم، وثلاث قواعد جوية محصنة كالقلاع القروسطية، وهي: قاعدة بلد التي تعتبر الاكثر ازدحاما في العالم بعد مطار هيثرو. وتبلغ مساحتها 15 ميلا مربعا، وتضم 20 الف جندي. وقاعدة علي (طليل) الجوية، جنوب الناصرية ومساحتها 30 كيلومترا مربعا، وقاعدة الأسد، على مبعدة 120 ميلا غرب بغداد. بالاضافة الى قاعدة النصر، قرب مطار بغداد الدولي، وتضم 14 ألف جندي. وقاعدة ماريز في الموصل ورينيجيد قرب كركوك. وهي موزعة ضمن استراتيجية تتيح للقوات الامريكية التدخل السريع والمباشر. كما يجب الا ننسى ان السفارة الامريكية، في المنطقة الخضراء، ببغداد، التي تبلغ مساحتها اربعة اضعاف مساحة البنتاغون، هي بحد ذاتها قاعدة عسكرية. وتتواجد، في العراق، أكثر من 150 شركة أمنية اجنبية، تعمل بمنتهى الحرية في طول البلاد وعرضها، لم تسجل منها سوى نحو 25 شركة فقط، بحسب الوكيل الاقدم لوزارة الداخلية عدنان هادي الاسدي، في تصريح خاص لـ'الصباح' في 24 كانون الاول/ديسمبر 2009.
وستكون هناك على مدى 300 ميل الفاصلة بين 'المناطق المتنازع عليها' بين اقليم كردستان والموصل وكركوك، ما يطلق عليه اسم 'مواقع ثابتة' لوضع حد لتأجج 'النزاعات العرقية'، حسب التبرير الامريكي. ما الذي ستفعله كل هذه القوات بانواعها ومسمياتها وهل ستقتصر مهامها على ابداء المشورة للسياسيين العراقيين؟ يأتينا رد اوديرنو قائلا: 'اننا سندرب ونقدم الاستشارة ونواصل الاعمار ونعمل مع منظمات الامم المتحدة ونواصل العمليات المشتركة ضد الارهاب، أي سنفعل بعد ايلول/سبتمبر (تاريخ الانسحاب) ما نفعله الآن'. وتدل ملامح المستقبل المخيف بان 'العراق الجديد'، سيكون فضلا عن اخضاعه للسيطرة العسكرية وفرق 'الاعمار' التابعة للجيش الامريكي ومنظمات 'المجتمع المدني' بتمويلها الامريكي، سيوفر مساحة اكبر للعمليات الخاصة، تحت ذريعة 'محاربة الارهاب'. اذ يؤكد رقيب العمليات كورمييه اورايز الذي تم نقل فرقته الى العراق في 14 حزيران/ يونيو الماضي، بان مهمة فرقته لن تتغير بل وسيتوجب عليها القيام بمهام اضافية خاصة، اذ قال: 'سوف توفر أيضا قوات للرد السريع ... مع تقديم الدعم لوحدات العمليات الخاصة في جميع أنحاء العراق... ان مهمتنا لم تتغير حقا'.
وماذا عن تسليح الجيش العراقي بالطائرات مثلا؟ يقول اوديرنو بان 'ان الحكومة العراقية قدمت طلبا وسننظر فيه... علينا الحصول على موافقات، قد يستغرق الامر سنوات'. وكيف ستتعامل امريكا اذا ماحدث وتعرض العراق الى هجمات كبيرة؟ يقول اوديرنو: 'لدينا 50 الف جندي أمريكي وثلاثة ارباع مليون من القوات الامنية العراقية، ثم ان مركز وقوات القيادة المركزية ( سنتكوم) ليس بعيدا'.
ان الادارة الامريكية التي وجهت اليها المقاومة العراقية ضربة موجعة فشلت في تحقيق استراتيجيتها التوسعية في المنطقة وجعل العراق نموذجا يحتذى به في بقية الدول العربية والاسلامية. كما فشلت في تصفية المقاومة، وفي خلق قاعدة إجتماعية مأمونة لها تتيح لها السيطرة على مصدر الطاقة بالاضافة الى أزماتها الخانقة، الاقتصادية وغير الاقتصادية، وورطتها في أفغانستان. غير ان فشلها في مختلف الجوانب لايعني ان الانتصار والانسحاب الكلي لقواتها ومرتزقتها سيتم غدا، بل انه سيستغرق زمنا طويلا خاصة مع تواجد مستخدمي الاحتلال المخلصين الذين نمت مصالحهم السلطوية والذاتية مع تواجد الاحتلال ومع تزايد كفاءاتهم في التضليل والادعاء والفساد وتزييف الحقائق، وتوقيعهم (كما فعل علاوي والمالكي) عقود بيع الوطن لحماية انفسهم ومصالحهم.
ان ترحيب بعض المواطنين باية مبادرة كانت للتخلص من المآسي اليومية، مسألة طبيعية. فالكل متعب والكل يأمل بالوصول الى بر الامان، وكانت المشاركة في الانتخابات القشة التي حاول البعض التمسك بها طمعا في انقاذ ما يمكن انقاذه، الا ان نتائجها وصراع ساسة الاحتلال وتناثر رشاش قتالهم على المواطنين الابرياء يؤكد بان اختيار اهون الشرور لا يغني ولا يسمن. وان العملية السياسية اصبحت كالوباء بلا علاج. وان قيام حكومة وطنية تمثل ابناء الشعب جميعا، وتحفظ سيادة العراق المستقل، وكرامة المواطن وعزة نفسه، يتطلب ما هو أكثر من مجرد فعل التمني والقبول بالسيئ تفاديا للاسوأ. انه يتطلب استمرارية النضال ضد الاستعمار بكافة السبل الممكنة وخلق المبادرات الجديدة المستهدفة له بعد تغيره من مرحلة الاحتلال العسكري المباشر الى الاستعماري الجديد، المشرعن بمعاهدات طويلة الأمد، المستهدفة لبنية المجتمع وهويته والمتحكمة بموارده.
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ان تشدق علاوي والمالكي بالوطنية لا يعدو كونه، ازاء مآسي الواقع الحياتي وآخرها قتل المتظاهرين احتجاجا على انقطاع الكهرباء، رطانة لغوية يجيدها المتعاونون مع المستعمر بحكم التدريب اليومي على مدى سنوات الاحتلال السبع. كما باتوا يجيدون لعب ادوار الحرص على مستقبل العراق ووحدته وسيادته بينما وصلت امريكا وايران الى حد اختراق احشاء العراق بعد ان مزقت حدوده. ولا ننسى، هنا، القصف الايراني والتركي المستمر على الحدود ايضا.
بالمقابل، تواصل امريكا انسحابها العسكري التدريجي وبيع معداتها التي ستكلفها اموالا طائلة لنقلها الى امريكا او افغانستان، الى العراقيين، لتكرس بقاءها باشكال ستطبق من خلالها مفاهيم 'القوة الناعمة'، و'الالمام بثقافة البلد المضيف'. ولفهم معنى 'انسحاب القوات الامريكية' وفق المعاهدة الامنية وحسب تطبيل ادارة اوباما ومستخدميه العراقيين من الضروري قراءة خطاب الجنرال اوديرنو، الحاكم العسكري الامريكي للعراق، في 4 حزيران/يونيو من العام الحالي حيث تحدث بالتفصيل عمن وماذا سيبقى ومن هو صاحب القرار الحقيقي في العراق. يخبرنا اوديرنو (تمت ترقيته الى افغانستان للاستفادة من نجاحاته في العراق) عن ابقاء 50 ألف عسكري أمريكي 'غير مقاتل' كمستشارين ومدربين وداعمين للقوات العراقية البالغ عددها 250 ألف جندي وما يزيد على نصف مليون من الشرطة (هل تتذكرون الضجة حول ضخامة الجيش العراقي السابق ووجوب التخلص من عدده 'الهائل'؟)، بالاضافة الى 65 ألف متعاقد. ويزف اوديرنو الى العراق وعموم المنطقة اخبارا سارة حين يتحدث عن تخفيض عدد القواعد العسكرية من 126 الى 94. من بينها قواعد تعتبر من بين الاكبر في العالم، وثلاث قواعد جوية محصنة كالقلاع القروسطية، وهي: قاعدة بلد التي تعتبر الاكثر ازدحاما في العالم بعد مطار هيثرو. وتبلغ مساحتها 15 ميلا مربعا، وتضم 20 الف جندي. وقاعدة علي (طليل) الجوية، جنوب الناصرية ومساحتها 30 كيلومترا مربعا، وقاعدة الأسد، على مبعدة 120 ميلا غرب بغداد. بالاضافة الى قاعدة النصر، قرب مطار بغداد الدولي، وتضم 14 ألف جندي. وقاعدة ماريز في الموصل ورينيجيد قرب كركوك. وهي موزعة ضمن استراتيجية تتيح للقوات الامريكية التدخل السريع والمباشر. كما يجب الا ننسى ان السفارة الامريكية، في المنطقة الخضراء، ببغداد، التي تبلغ مساحتها اربعة اضعاف مساحة البنتاغون، هي بحد ذاتها قاعدة عسكرية. وتتواجد، في العراق، أكثر من 150 شركة أمنية اجنبية، تعمل بمنتهى الحرية في طول البلاد وعرضها، لم تسجل منها سوى نحو 25 شركة فقط، بحسب الوكيل الاقدم لوزارة الداخلية عدنان هادي الاسدي، في تصريح خاص لـ'الصباح' في 24 كانون الاول/ديسمبر 2009.
وستكون هناك على مدى 300 ميل الفاصلة بين 'المناطق المتنازع عليها' بين اقليم كردستان والموصل وكركوك، ما يطلق عليه اسم 'مواقع ثابتة' لوضع حد لتأجج 'النزاعات العرقية'، حسب التبرير الامريكي. ما الذي ستفعله كل هذه القوات بانواعها ومسمياتها وهل ستقتصر مهامها على ابداء المشورة للسياسيين العراقيين؟ يأتينا رد اوديرنو قائلا: 'اننا سندرب ونقدم الاستشارة ونواصل الاعمار ونعمل مع منظمات الامم المتحدة ونواصل العمليات المشتركة ضد الارهاب، أي سنفعل بعد ايلول/سبتمبر (تاريخ الانسحاب) ما نفعله الآن'. وتدل ملامح المستقبل المخيف بان 'العراق الجديد'، سيكون فضلا عن اخضاعه للسيطرة العسكرية وفرق 'الاعمار' التابعة للجيش الامريكي ومنظمات 'المجتمع المدني' بتمويلها الامريكي، سيوفر مساحة اكبر للعمليات الخاصة، تحت ذريعة 'محاربة الارهاب'. اذ يؤكد رقيب العمليات كورمييه اورايز الذي تم نقل فرقته الى العراق في 14 حزيران/ يونيو الماضي، بان مهمة فرقته لن تتغير بل وسيتوجب عليها القيام بمهام اضافية خاصة، اذ قال: 'سوف توفر أيضا قوات للرد السريع ... مع تقديم الدعم لوحدات العمليات الخاصة في جميع أنحاء العراق... ان مهمتنا لم تتغير حقا'.
وماذا عن تسليح الجيش العراقي بالطائرات مثلا؟ يقول اوديرنو بان 'ان الحكومة العراقية قدمت طلبا وسننظر فيه... علينا الحصول على موافقات، قد يستغرق الامر سنوات'. وكيف ستتعامل امريكا اذا ماحدث وتعرض العراق الى هجمات كبيرة؟ يقول اوديرنو: 'لدينا 50 الف جندي أمريكي وثلاثة ارباع مليون من القوات الامنية العراقية، ثم ان مركز وقوات القيادة المركزية ( سنتكوم) ليس بعيدا'.
ان الادارة الامريكية التي وجهت اليها المقاومة العراقية ضربة موجعة فشلت في تحقيق استراتيجيتها التوسعية في المنطقة وجعل العراق نموذجا يحتذى به في بقية الدول العربية والاسلامية. كما فشلت في تصفية المقاومة، وفي خلق قاعدة إجتماعية مأمونة لها تتيح لها السيطرة على مصدر الطاقة بالاضافة الى أزماتها الخانقة، الاقتصادية وغير الاقتصادية، وورطتها في أفغانستان. غير ان فشلها في مختلف الجوانب لايعني ان الانتصار والانسحاب الكلي لقواتها ومرتزقتها سيتم غدا، بل انه سيستغرق زمنا طويلا خاصة مع تواجد مستخدمي الاحتلال المخلصين الذين نمت مصالحهم السلطوية والذاتية مع تواجد الاحتلال ومع تزايد كفاءاتهم في التضليل والادعاء والفساد وتزييف الحقائق، وتوقيعهم (كما فعل علاوي والمالكي) عقود بيع الوطن لحماية انفسهم ومصالحهم.
ان ترحيب بعض المواطنين باية مبادرة كانت للتخلص من المآسي اليومية، مسألة طبيعية. فالكل متعب والكل يأمل بالوصول الى بر الامان، وكانت المشاركة في الانتخابات القشة التي حاول البعض التمسك بها طمعا في انقاذ ما يمكن انقاذه، الا ان نتائجها وصراع ساسة الاحتلال وتناثر رشاش قتالهم على المواطنين الابرياء يؤكد بان اختيار اهون الشرور لا يغني ولا يسمن. وان العملية السياسية اصبحت كالوباء بلا علاج. وان قيام حكومة وطنية تمثل ابناء الشعب جميعا، وتحفظ سيادة العراق المستقل، وكرامة المواطن وعزة نفسه، يتطلب ما هو أكثر من مجرد فعل التمني والقبول بالسيئ تفاديا للاسوأ. انه يتطلب استمرارية النضال ضد الاستعمار بكافة السبل الممكنة وخلق المبادرات الجديدة المستهدفة له بعد تغيره من مرحلة الاحتلال العسكري المباشر الى الاستعماري الجديد، المشرعن بمعاهدات طويلة الأمد، المستهدفة لبنية المجتمع وهويته والمتحكمة بموارده.
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Friday, July 02, 2010
Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll
The results of this new poll are a bit surprising, considering the strong endorsement of Turkey by the Arab public lately.
The poll asks:
Do you believe that Israeli-Turkish relations will return to their previous status?
With about 700 responding so far, 42% said yes. This is a high percentage and could reflect the not so firm Turkish response to the attack on the flotilla (and the murder of 9 Turks). It was also probably influenced by the current revelations of a recent meeting between the Turkish foreign minister and the Israeli minister of industry.
The poll asks:
Do you believe that Israeli-Turkish relations will return to their previous status?
With about 700 responding so far, 42% said yes. This is a high percentage and could reflect the not so firm Turkish response to the attack on the flotilla (and the murder of 9 Turks). It was also probably influenced by the current revelations of a recent meeting between the Turkish foreign minister and the Israeli minister of industry.
Israel Eyes Lebanon's Offshore Gas Reserves
Energy Hegemony
By RANNIE AMIRI
CounterPunch
"In all regional disputes, big or small, Israel will invariably threaten or implement violence. It is the preferred method of conflict resolution. The recent discovery of natural gas reserves in Lebanese territorial waters, and Israel’s claim to them, is no exception....."
By RANNIE AMIRI
CounterPunch
"In all regional disputes, big or small, Israel will invariably threaten or implement violence. It is the preferred method of conflict resolution. The recent discovery of natural gas reserves in Lebanese territorial waters, and Israel’s claim to them, is no exception....."
'Surge'' smoke follows Petraeus to Afpak
By Pepe Escobar
Asia Times
"As General David Petraeus, the mainstream US media's new armored Messiah, takes command in Afghanistan, the myth of his "successful surge" in Iraq could not but linger. Anyone who buys the Pentagon's spin and believes the same conquest will happen in the Pashtun south and southeast of Afghanistan must have smoked Hindu Kush's finest.....
Asia Times
"As General David Petraeus, the mainstream US media's new armored Messiah, takes command in Afghanistan, the myth of his "successful surge" in Iraq could not but linger. Anyone who buys the Pentagon's spin and believes the same conquest will happen in the Pashtun south and southeast of Afghanistan must have smoked Hindu Kush's finest.....
If Petraeus goes "clear, hold and build" COIN in Pashtun lands he is doomed. If Petraeus gets restless and produces a Fallujah in Pashtun lands, he is also doomed (that may be in effect right away, as one of his minions told Fox News that rules of engagement will be more "kinetic" - code for more US firepower and more civilian casualties.) So what's the point of all this upcoming carnage? Well, there are so many - the poppy trade, the "Saudi Arabia of lithium", the ultimate pipe dream known as Trans-Afghan Pipeline, those military bases spying both Russia and China ... So many rats scurrying around the sinking US flotilla in the sand, but what the hell, there's another successful "surge" to sell and the (war) show must go on. "
The Spy Scare
And its uses
by Justin Raimondo, July 02, 2010
"We’re in the midst of a spy scare, one of those periodic bouts of paranoia that spreads, like a virus, from Washington on outward. This time, it’s alleged Russian spies, but the scare is already becoming a generalized fear, permeating official Washington and the "mainstream" media like a poisonous fog......
I would submit, based on their pathetic performance, that the Russkies are the very least of our problems. As for the Chinese, they already have their boots on our necks: in any conflict with the US, all they have to do is stop buying our debt and they’ll have won. Why bother stealing our secrets when they can buy them – buy us – without going to the trouble to plant "sleeper cells"? (The likeliest recruits to a Chinese sleeper cell are members of the Congress of the United States, which keeps upping the national debt — and handing Beijing the whip they’ll use if we get too aggressive.) ....."
by Justin Raimondo, July 02, 2010
"We’re in the midst of a spy scare, one of those periodic bouts of paranoia that spreads, like a virus, from Washington on outward. This time, it’s alleged Russian spies, but the scare is already becoming a generalized fear, permeating official Washington and the "mainstream" media like a poisonous fog......
I would submit, based on their pathetic performance, that the Russkies are the very least of our problems. As for the Chinese, they already have their boots on our necks: in any conflict with the US, all they have to do is stop buying our debt and they’ll have won. Why bother stealing our secrets when they can buy them – buy us – without going to the trouble to plant "sleeper cells"? (The likeliest recruits to a Chinese sleeper cell are members of the Congress of the United States, which keeps upping the national debt — and handing Beijing the whip they’ll use if we get too aggressive.) ....."
How Goldman gambled on starvation
Speculators set up a casino where the chips were the stomachs of millions. What does it say about our system that we can so casually inflict so much pain?
By Johann Hari
The Independent
"By now, you probably think your opinion of Goldman Sachs and its swarm of Wall Street allies has rock-bottomed at raw loathing. You're wrong. There's more. It turns out that the most destructive of all their recent acts has barely been discussed at all. Here's the rest. This is the story of how some of the richest people in the world – Goldman, Deutsche Bank, the traders at Merrill Lynch, and more – have caused the starvation of some of the poorest people in the world.
It starts with an apparent mystery. At the end of 2006, food prices across the world started to rise, suddenly and stratospherically. Within a year, the price of wheat had shot up by 80 per cent, maize by 90 per cent, rice by 320 per cent. In a global jolt of hunger, 200 million people – mostly children – couldn't afford to get food any more, and sank into malnutrition or starvation....
If we don't re-regulate, it is only a matter of time before this all happens again. How many people would it kill next time? The moves to restore the pre-1990s rules on commodities trading have been stunningly sluggish. In the US, the House has passed some regulation, but there are fears that the Senate – drenched in speculator-donations – may dilute it into meaninglessness. The EU is lagging far behind even this, while in Britain, where most of this "trade" takes place, advocacy groups are worried that David Cameron's government will block reform entirely to please his own friends and donors in the City.
Only one force can stop another speculation-starvation-bubble. The decent people in developed countries need to shout louder than the lobbyists from Goldman Sachs....."
By Johann Hari
The Independent
"By now, you probably think your opinion of Goldman Sachs and its swarm of Wall Street allies has rock-bottomed at raw loathing. You're wrong. There's more. It turns out that the most destructive of all their recent acts has barely been discussed at all. Here's the rest. This is the story of how some of the richest people in the world – Goldman, Deutsche Bank, the traders at Merrill Lynch, and more – have caused the starvation of some of the poorest people in the world.
It starts with an apparent mystery. At the end of 2006, food prices across the world started to rise, suddenly and stratospherically. Within a year, the price of wheat had shot up by 80 per cent, maize by 90 per cent, rice by 320 per cent. In a global jolt of hunger, 200 million people – mostly children – couldn't afford to get food any more, and sank into malnutrition or starvation....
If we don't re-regulate, it is only a matter of time before this all happens again. How many people would it kill next time? The moves to restore the pre-1990s rules on commodities trading have been stunningly sluggish. In the US, the House has passed some regulation, but there are fears that the Senate – drenched in speculator-donations – may dilute it into meaninglessness. The EU is lagging far behind even this, while in Britain, where most of this "trade" takes place, advocacy groups are worried that David Cameron's government will block reform entirely to please his own friends and donors in the City.
Only one force can stop another speculation-starvation-bubble. The decent people in developed countries need to shout louder than the lobbyists from Goldman Sachs....."
Lebanon Wins Economically if Palestinians are Granted Right to Work
By Franklin Lamb
Al-Manar
Shatila Palestinian Refugee Camp
Al-Manar
Shatila Palestinian Refugee Camp
"“These are humanitarian, social and ethical duties, and the Lebanese state must assume the responsibility of providing them to our Palestinian brothers and sisters. Lebanon will not dodge these duties, which must be crystal-clear, and not be subject to any misinterpretation. The international community has to bear also the responsibility that our Palestinian guests will have the right to go back to their homeland: Palestine, with Jerusalem as their capital.”
Prime Minister Saad Hariri during the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee (LPDC) meeting at the Grand Serail, June 29, 2010
Handicapping the Parliamentary Vote to grant Civil Rights to Palestinian Refugees
Votes needed to Pass: 65 MP votes in favor out of 128
As of July 2, 2010:
Firmly in favor: 13
Firmly opposed: 16
Leaning towards voting in favor: 41
Leaning towards voting against: 58
......
WHAT LEBANON’S ECONOMY NOW ENJOYS FROM PALESTINIANS WILL INCREASE
Prime Minister Saad Hariri during the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee (LPDC) meeting at the Grand Serail, June 29, 2010
Handicapping the Parliamentary Vote to grant Civil Rights to Palestinian Refugees
Votes needed to Pass: 65 MP votes in favor out of 128
As of July 2, 2010:
Firmly in favor: 13
Firmly opposed: 16
Leaning towards voting in favor: 41
Leaning towards voting against: 58
......
WHAT LEBANON’S ECONOMY NOW ENJOYS FROM PALESTINIANS WILL INCREASE
The Washington DC and Beirut based Palestine Civil Rights Campaign and those in Lebanon and internationally who are working to secure civil rights for Palestinian refugees advocate a rights-based approach based on international legal norms and universal moral and religious teachings. While these arguments are sufficient, it is also worth emphasizing the benefits that the Lebanese economy will reap from access to the Palestinian refugee labor market.
At the time of their exodus, only four years after Lebanon’s independence from the French in 1943, Palestinian assets brought into Lebanon were estimated at four times the value of the Lebanese economy. Ever since, periods of economic expansion have greatly benefited from Palestinian capital being invested in the country.
As it is now, Palestinian refugees contribute massively to the Lebanese economy....."
At the time of their exodus, only four years after Lebanon’s independence from the French in 1943, Palestinian assets brought into Lebanon were estimated at four times the value of the Lebanese economy. Ever since, periods of economic expansion have greatly benefited from Palestinian capital being invested in the country.
As it is now, Palestinian refugees contribute massively to the Lebanese economy....."
