The kissing party and beyond

A Great Comment
By Khalid Amayreh

"The kissing, some say “exaggerated kissing” at Ehud Olmert’s official residence in Jerusalem on 23 December looked cordial and surrealistic. Cordial because Abbas and Olmert (and also the old-timer Ahmed Qrei) were smacking kisses on each other’s cheeks like gluttonous lovers.

Well, even the proverbial prodigal son wouldn’t have received this preponderance of warmth, which really surprised political observers and gave the impression that the “problem” between Israel and the Palestinian people was only psychological in nature.

And surrealistic because only a few months ago, Olmert was referring to Abbas as “irrelevant, weak, and expendable” until the Israeli premier was prodded by the Bush Administration to stop it.

This , of course, is added to the thousands of Palestinians, most of them innocent civilians, whom Olmert’s army murdered and maimed since he came to power more than six months ago as well as the concomitant wanton destruction wreaked on Palestinian towns and villages by the Nazi-like Israeli war machine.

So what happened behind the curtains of secrecy that we pen pushers and keyboard clickers have failed to notice? Well, in truth, nothing at all has really happened, apart from a request from Tony Blair that the two sides put up a “positive show” for the cameras to give the impression that “things are finally moving” between Israel and the Palestinians.

Otherwise, the basic realities involving God’s lying people and God’s tormented people remained unchanged. Indeed, no sooner had the kissing party in West Jerusalem been over than the Israeli government ordered the creation of a new Jewish-only colony in the West Bank.

The new colony, the construction of which is already underway, is Israel ’s and Olmert’s peculiar way of displaying good will toward the “moderate Palestinian leader.” And, Abbas, who has not uttered a word in protest against this humiliating affront continues to be almost euphoric about the outcome of his encounter with Olmert.

At the same time, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who has been trying desperately to portray herself as “rational and moderate,” is reportedly working on a new ‘peace’ initiative whereby “the land of Israel” (notice how she doesn’t even recognize the very existence of Palestine and Palestinians) would be divided along the apartheid wall. This is the same wall which Israeli politicians, leaders and spokespersons have been telling the world ad nauseam that it is a security barrier not a political border.

Not only that. Livni, who had opposed Sharon ’s plan to remove Talmudic Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, wants Abbas and the Palestinian people to kiss good-by the right of five million Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and villages in what is now Israel and also forget about Jerusalem and al-Masjidul Aqsa (the Aqsa Mosque).

A smart lady, indeed!!

Interestingly, all this farce is taking place while Abbas and his cohorts are busy preparing for war against Hamas and other Palestinian factions in order to meet incessant demands to that effect by Condoleezza Rice and her ignorant master of the White House. This is evidenced from the reported “transfer” of thousands of rifles and millions of rounds by Egypt , in coordination with Israel , of course, to Abbas’s “presidential guard” and Fatah militiamen in Gaza .

Isn’t it disgraceful that the movement which for a long time stood at the forefront of Palestinian struggle for freedom and liberation has, willfully and happily, thrown itself into the laps our tormentors?

The Persian poet al-Saadi of Shiraz , who lived nearly 800 years ago, wrote that “when money appears, heads bow.” In the case of our hapless Palestinian leadership, it seems that not only their heads are bowing but also their principles, morals, and the proverbial constants of preserving national unity are collapsing like a house of cards.

Well, does Abbas think that placing his eggs, apparently all of them, in the American and Israeli baskets would enable him earn him respect in the eyes of his people, let alone extract Palestinian rights from Israel ’s hands? How many times did Israel and America promise the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, but to no avail? Shouldn’t Abbas learn from Arafat’s experience with the murderous liars in Tel Aviv and their guardians in Washington ?

The truth of the matter is that by “blending in” fast, deeply and cheaply with Olmert and the Americans, Chairman Abbas is actually committing a political suicide in the eyes of his people.

One disgruntled Fatah leader wrote this week that the widespread impression that Fatah was joining “the Sinioras and Karazais” (a reference to Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and Afghan President Hamed Karazai) of Palestine was seriously undermining the movement’s image among ordinary Palestinians.

“The Israelis and Americans are actually killing our image. So far, we have succeeded in portraying ourselves as sincere fighters for our people’s freedom and independence. But, now with active American financial and military backing, we risk appearing to our people as quislings and agents working in collusion with Israel and its strategic ally, the United States . This is hurting us a lot.”

There is no doubt that Fatah will lose dearly as a result of this de facto collusion with Israel and the US against a segment of the Palestinian people.

But, when will the true patriots within Fatah rise up and say enough is enough. "

America's Puppet Of The Year

Snow covering the Dome of the Rock at the Al-Aqsa compound in the Old City of Jerusalem on Thursday. (Reuters)

Democracy and Its Discontents in Gaza

A Good Piece
By Ramzy Baroud

"It's all too convenient for the BBC website to describe the ongoing bloodshed between Hamas and Fatah supporters in the Gaza Strip as “inter-factional rivalry,” and it’s equally fitting for the Washington Post to narrate the same unfortunate events — which have left many Palestinians dead and wounded — as if they are entirely detached from their adjoining regional and international milieus.

Also puzzling are calls made by “leading moderate Arab leaders” to fighting Palestinian factions to convene in this Arab capital or that to settle their differences and to achieve an increasingly elusive cease-fire, as if they, the Arabs — who cowed to US pressure to ensure the success of the debilitating sanctions imposed against the democratic Palestinian governments — haven’t contributed, actively and knowingly to the unfolding crisis in Palestine.

This is all but atypical, where Palestinians will be gently or harshly reprimanded for failing to sort out their differences in a more civilized manner, where they will be taught a lesson or two by some self-righteous American commentators about the true meaning of democracy, where they will be reminded that they are “their own worst enemies” and that they never “miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” Nonsense.

What is taking place in the Occupied Territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip has much less to do with inter-factional rivalries and a lot more with regional and international power plays, in which some foolhardy Palestinians decided to involve themselves for the sake of maintaining personal and factional gains.

To avoid delving into self-pity, I wish to emphasize a point that I have made repeatedly in the past: If it were not for the dysfunctional nature and lack of unity within the myriad of political and societal structures that claims to represent the Palestinian people, no political designs, be it American or Israeli or any other, would’ve succeeded in duping the Palestinians into such caustic behavior and self-defeatism. (The gunning down of three kids on Dec. 11 and the killing of other innocent people, including children, in addition to the attack on Prime Minister Ismail Haniya on Dec. 14, have indeed crossed all red lines.)

Self-admonishment aside, however, one must not be too hasty to conclude that the newest episode of violence witnessed in Gaza — following PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ suggestion of early polls on Dec. 9, and then his televised speech on Dec. 14 revealing his intention to hold early legislative and presidential elections— was a spur of the moment event, incited by lack of discipline on the part of a few rogue elements. Rather, it’s a facet of the thus-far unsuccessful, prolonged coup d’état to topple the Palestinian government, which was declared candidly by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, demanded by Israel, and entrusted to President Abbas and some factions within his Fatah party, following Hamas’ advent to power in the internationally monitored and transparent elections held January 2006.

Those who might find it justifiable to oust a “theocratic” regime by any means necessary, even by an assassin’s bullet, fail to realize that despite Hamas’ religious posture, it has done very little so far to divert from the dictates of democracy. To the contrary, they seem more keen on adhering to the secular Palestinian Constitution than Abbas himself.

Indeed, this is not a war between religious zealots and democratic secularists; far from it. However, it’s a battle of many meanings, each tailored and defined to suit the interests and manage the concerns of the many parties involved, and indeed, they are not all Palestinians.

Hamas did not come to power on the back of an American tank, like more or less the pro-Washington regime in Iraq, or via an Israeli sanctioned and armed political system of corruption and elitism, like the one concocted following the signing of Oslo in 1993. It neither imposed nor manipulated its way to power. It was the outcome of an overwhelming democratic process, ironically enough, a part of America’s democratic drive in the Middle East, itself a distraction from its horrendous failures in Iraq.

So what went wrong?

The election of Hamas sent shock waves across the Middle East, for it offered an Islamic alternative that didn’t defy the norms of democracy, but seemed capable of locating a method for a lasting union between the two, unlike the Algerian example, which inspired the most destructive civil war.

Second, it crippled the Bush administration’s vision of democracy in the Middle East, one that is cemented with the assumption that pro-American regional allies can possibly achieve a façade of democracy without any major overhauling of their political systems that might endanger US interests. The Iraqi and Egyptian presidential elections were hoped to be the models to follow, not that of Hamas.

Third, Hamas’ win, mostly based on its anti-corruption ticket, has threatened to destroy and filter out an utterly corrupt political system that the Palestinian Authority’s echelons have enjoyed, with full Israeli backing. The authority’s structure, as constructed by Oslo, has produced one of the most corrupt and corruptible political regimes, with full reliance on American and European aid, money that has barely tricked down on the oppressed multitudes.

Palestinians had no illusions that electing a government under occupation doesn’t change the status quo of their beleaguered lives, but it could, they hoped, bring an end to the nepotistic system espoused at home.

The Bush administration, which immediately toned down its democracy rhetoric following the Palestinian elections was hell-bent on toppling Hamas. Although for Israel no matter who is at the Palestinian helm, Israel can never admit to having a trustworthy peace partner (for Israel it has always been about winning time, rather than achieving peace). The Israelis seemed to be enjoying and had actively exploited Palestinian chaos for it represented a historical opportunity to consume Palestinians in endless internal strife, and even better, a civil war. And as the Arabs followed Washington’s orders and as the Europeans waited for further instructions (so much for the European alternative peace broker), Palestinians fell into the trap, turning one of the shiniest moments for democracy in the region, to one of extreme irony, agony and possible defeat.

It is decidedly clear that the policy planners in Washington and Tel Aviv have converged on the need for a prolonged era of Palestinian infighting and to eventually topple the government. It’s also clear that Abbas and his followers have agreed to play their entrusted roles, as have many Arab rulers.

I desperately want to conclude with the claim that Palestinians will once again withstand this harsh, cruel test, and win with their unity and democracy unscathed; but after what I have seen in the last few weeks, and being convinced of the extent of the American experiment that stretches far beyond the crowded streets of besieged, impoverished Gaza, I am no longer certain that they will.

But if they fail, so will true democracy and its advocates, for the word would then be devoid of any meaning, and would once again be demoted to resemble another usual US charade, as it always has."

In Somalia, a reckless U.S. proxy war

Salim Lone
International Herald Tribune

"NAIROBI: Undeterred by the horrors and setbacks in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, the Bush administration has opened another battlefront in the Muslim world. With full U.S. backing and military training, at least 15,000 Ethiopian troops have entered Somalia in an illegal war of aggression against the Union of Islamic Courts, which controls almost the entire south of the country.

As with Iraq in 2003, the United States has cast this as a war to curtail terrorism, but its real goal is to obtain a direct foothold in a highly strategic region by establishing a client regime there. The Horn of Africa is newly oil-rich, and lies just miles from Saudi Arabia, overlooking the daily passage of large numbers of oil tankers and warships through the Red Sea. General John Abizaid, the current U.S. military chief of the Iraq war, was in Ethiopia this month, and President Hu Jintao of China visited Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia earlier this year to pursue oil and trade agreements.

The U.S. instigation of war between Ethiopia and Somalia, two of world's poorest countries already struggling with massive humanitarian disasters, is reckless in the extreme. Unlike in the run-up to Iraq, independent experts, including from the European Union, were united in warning that this war could destabilize the whole region even if America succeeds in its goal of toppling the Islamic Courts.

An insurgency by Somalis, millions of whom live in Kenya and Ethiopia, will surely ensue, and attract thousands of new anti-U.S. militants and terrorists.

With so much of the world convulsed by crisis, little attention has been paid to this unfolding disaster in the Horn. The UN Security Council, however, did take up the issue, and in another craven act which will further cement its reputation as an anti-Muslim body, bowed to American and British pressure to authorize a regional peacekeeping force to enter Somalia to protect the transitional government, which is fighting the Islamic Courts.

The new UN resolution states that the world body acted to "restore peace and stability." But as all major international news organizations have reported, this year Somalia finally experienced its first respite from 16 years of utter lawlessness and terror at the hands of the marauding warlords who drove out UN peacekeepers in 1993, when 18 American soldiers were killed.

Since 1993, there had been no Security Council interest in sending peacekeepers to Somalia, but as peace and order took hold, a multilateral force was suddenly deemed necessary — because it was the Islamic Courts Union that had brought about this stability. Astonishingly, the Islamists had succeeded in defeating the warlords primarily through rallying people to their side by creating law and order through the application of Shariah law, which Somalis universally practice.

The transitional government, on the other hand, is dominated by the warlords and terrorists who drove out American forces in 1993. Organized in Kenya by U.S. regional allies, it is so completely devoid of internal support that it has turned to Somalia's arch- enemy, Ethiopia, for assistance.

If this war continues, it will affect the whole region, do serious harm to U.S. interests and threaten Kenya, the only island of stability in this corner of Africa.

Ethiopia is at even greater risk, as a dictatorship with little popular support and beset also by two large internal revolts, by the Ogadenis and Oromos. It is also mired in a conflict with Eritrea, which has denied it secure access to seaports.

The best antidote to terrorism in Somalia is stability, which the Islamic Courts have provided. The Islamists have strong public support, which has grown in the face of U.S. and Ethiopian interventions. As in other Muslim-Western conflicts, the world needs to engage with the Islamists to secure peace."

Man Of The Year

Livni holds in-camera meeting with PLO, Fatah officials

"Nazareth - Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni has met with two PLO and Fatah officials three days ago in line with ongoing "backdoor" negotiations between the two parties on major issues, according to Ma'ariv daily on Thursday.

The paper said that the meeting was held on Monday 25/12, noting that it came only few days after PA chief Mahmoud Abbas proposed holding such secret channels during his meeting with Israeli premier Ehud Olmert.

It said that Livini has been preparing an initiative to resume negotiations with the Palestinians over final status of major questions according to the Geneva document that gives up the Palestinian refugees' right of return and included Israeli readiness to evacuate a number of West Bank settlements.

The report named the PLO executive committee member Yasser Abed Rabbo and Fatah leader and former PA finance minister Salam Fayyadh as the officials that met Livni."

Peres holds "backdoor" talks with Rejoub, Nusseiba

"Occupied Jerusalem - Israeli first vice premier Shimon Peres held a series of in-camera meetings with Jibril Al-Rejoub, advisor to PA chief Mahmoud Abbas, and Sirri Nusseiba, rector of Al-Quds Open University, Hebrew media reported.

The reports said that Rejoub, who is the former head of the PA preventive security apparatus in the West Bank, and Nusseiba, who previously was in charge of the Jerusalem file and who proposed an initiative that annulled the Palestinian refugees' right of return, traveled to Spain a couple of days ago for the meetings.

They said that the meetings would end on Thursday but could not pinpoint the exact issues discussed in view of secrecy of the meetings, which might end in a joint declaration on Thursday evening.

The secret meetings coincide with Abbas' declaration in Cairo on Wednesday that he proposed "backdoor" talks between the PA and Israel over major issues in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Abbas told a press conference at conclusion of his Cairo visit that he offered the idea during talks with Israeli premier Ehud Olmert, who promised to study it, and added that the USA did not reject the idea. "

Arming Usrael's Thugs; How Touching!

Egypt transfers arms, ammunition to Fatah


"Egypt transfered a large quantity of arms and ammunition to Palestinian Authority security organizations in the Gaza Strip Wednesday. The move was carried out with Israel's approval and was made in an effort to bolster Fatah affiliated groups, following clashes with Hamas paramilitary organizations.

The shipment included 2,000 AK-47 rifles, 20,000 magazines and two million rounds of ammunition. The arms and ammunition were transfered from Egypt to Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing, in coordination with the Israel Defense Force and with the government's authorization.

The four trucks carrying the weapons were accompanied by Military Police, and crossed into the Gaza Strip through the Karni crossing, where PA security personnel received the shipment......

The issue of reinforcing the Fatah forces was the subject of discussions among Israeli, Egyptian and American officials. A decision was made during the meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday.

During the meeting, Abbas also promised to deploy men from his Presidential Guard along the Philadelphi Route to prevent smuggling, and also in the northern Gaza Strip, to prevent the targetting of Israeli towns with Qassam rockets."

***

The Slow Motion Coup Is Right On Schedule; Are You Paying Attention, Hamas? Or Are You Still Waiting For "Brother Abu Mazen" To Restart "Unity Talks?" I Am Afraid You Are Giving Him All The Time He Needs To Set Up The Gallows For You!

Arab Puppets Care More About One Israeli Soldier Than 10,000 Palestinian Prisoners

Egypt: Captured Israeli soldier is alive

"JERUSALEM - The Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants last June is still alive, Egypt's foreign minister said Wednesday during a visit to Jerusalem.

Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Egypt is mediating between Israel and Hamas to win the release of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who was captured last June by militants linked to the ruling Hamas faction who tunneled into Israel and then fled back to Gaza. Shalit has not been seen or heard from since then, though Israeli officials have said they believe he is alive.

"This is a very sensitive issue," Aboul Gheit told a news conference in Jerusalem. "I hope and believe that he will be released ... but I emphasize that we are working hard for his release and we are sure that he is still alive."

However, he said he could not guarantee Shalit's release.

Aboul Gheit spoke in Arabic and his comments were translated into Hebrew. The news conference was held after a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

The militants holding Shalit have demanded a large-scale prisoner release by Israel."

***

Bastard, Boot Licker!

2700 Palestinians detained without trial this year

Associated Press
26 December 2006

A top military judge disclosed that 2,700 Palestinians have been detained without trial this year, criticizing the military prosecution for not filing charges against
some of them.

Colonel Shaul Gordon, chief justice of the army's West Bank appeals court, told the soldiers' weekly "Bamahane" that 2,000 of the detainees filed appeals, and their
detention was shortened in many cases. He said even the ones who do not file appeals are reviewed.

The practice of administrative detention has been harshly criticized by Palestinians and human rights groups, who say that if the military has evidence against suspects, it should put them on trial. The military has responded that sometimes evidence is too sensitive to submit to a trial.

Gordon, who is leaving his post after six years, backed the critics in some cases. "Sometimes we get the impression that with a bit more effort in the investigation, an indictment could have been brought, because that is the best way," he told the weekly.

The publication reported that Gordon instituted basic reforms in the military court system during his term.

Until 2002, the military courts were part of the army prosecution system, but Gordon forced a separation, making the courts independent. "Today every defense lawyer knows
the prosecution is a separate entity" from the courts, he said.

Also, until two years ago, the military used army officers with no legal training as judges. The weekly said standard procedure was to run defendants through the judicial
process at top speed, with officers pulling duty as judges regardless of their qualifications.

Gordon scrapped the system. "It appeared absurd and unacceptable to me," he said. Instead, he persuaded civilian judges to serve their reserve army duty as
military judges.

The soldiers' publication said that about 10,000 indictments are brought against Palestinians each year, including 3,600 for security offenses and 1,500 for public
disturbance. Others are criminal and traffic offenses.

Gordon said the most difficult period was during Israel's 2001 sweep through the West Bank that followed a wave of Palestinian suicide bombings. The judicial system was
flooded with thousands of detainees. In one case, he said, a Palestinian was brought before him on charges that he helped plan a terror attack.

Gordon asked for the documentation and was shocked to read that the man was innocent - another person had confessed to the crimes of which he was accused. "That's a story
that shows how we can go wrong," he told the weekly.

Is There a Sunni Majority in Iraq?

Iraqis By the Numbers

By FARUQ ZIADA
CounterPunch

"The United States based its policy on Iraq on two primary so-called facts:

1. The Sunnis are a 20 % minority.

2. The Sunni minority and Saddam Hussein ruled the Shiite majority in Iraq.

Thus, the U.S. Iraq policy -- as set by the Bush Administration, and the Neoconservatives--both before and after the 2003 war and occupation, was based on this false premise. Because of this, the Sunnis were marginalized and power was handed over to the Shiite religious parties and Kurdish parties by the occupation force CPA, Ambassador Bremer, and later Ambassador Negroponte.

Based on this false premise, the U.S. policy failed miserably. Still, the Bush Administration continued and still is continuing this policy. Bush called it "Stay the course"

For this reason, and to bring to light information that should help inform a new policy, it is of the utmost importance to correct this fallacy. We need to put the facts in front of all who will try to correct the course, find the correct necessary policies to end the bloodshed, and end the catastrophe that has befallen Iraq.

The Correct Percentages of Sunnis, Shiites, Arabs, and Kurds

The actual, real percentages of various groups in Iraq is outlined below. Statistics come from the Al- Quds Press Research Center, London Study (www.qudspress.c om) and, with reference to the map on the distribution of religious groups, from the Baker--Hamilton Committee report page, 102).

As Nationalities
Arabs 82 - 84%
Kurds, Turks, etc. 16 - 18%

Religions
Moslems 95 - 98%
Christians and others 2 - 5%

Moslem Sects
Sunnis 60 - 62%
Sunni Arabs 42 - 44%
Sunni Kurds and Turks 16 - 18%
Shiites 38 - 40%
Shiite Kurds and Turks 2 - 4%
Percentage of Sunnis, Shiites, Arabs, and Kurds
............

Conclusion

With the full backing of Shiite religious leaders and all efforts by the Shiite political parties, groups and factions, regardless of whether they were religious or liberal (Ahmed Al-Chalabi), and uniting under one banner (Shiite), the numbers that the Shiites could muster were meager. It can be clearly seen that they are a minority in Iraq, and not a majority:

They received 26.3 % of the votes of eligible voters in the January 31 2005 elections.

They received 32.2% of the votes of eligible voters (regardless of all election violations, forgeries and filled ballots boxes) in the December 15, 2005 elections

Therefore, one of the main reasons for the drastic failure of U.S. policy in Iraq must be attributed to the reliance on the false premise that the Sunnis are a minority and the Shiites are a majority in Iraq. It is very clear from the official numbers taken from the results of the elections of January 31, 2005, and December 15, 2005, that: the Sunnis are 60--62 % of the population of Iraq (42-44% Arab, and 16-18% Kurd and Turk Iraqis), and only 38--40 % are Shiites. "

Desperate Puppets Will Try Anything Even Backdoor Entry

Abbas to Mubarak: PA ready for 'backdoor' talks with Israel

"Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas proposed Wednesday the start of "backdoor" negotiations with Israel on the most difficult problems of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

"It is the right time to talk about this issue seriously," Abbas told
reporters after he met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak onTuesday."

ليس عيباً بل جريمة!

ليس عيباً بل جريمة!

بقلم :سوسن البرغوثي

بعد اقتراب عام كامل تذّوق فيه الشعب الفلسطيني وحكومته شتى أنواع القسوة والعنف الممنهج من السلطة والاحتلال، والإنكار العالمي لخيار الشعب، وحصار خانق على مدى شهور للإطباق والإجهاز على ما تبقى للشعب الفلسطيني من مطالبة بحقه العام والخاص.

سنة ونحن نشهد تجنيداً منقطع النظير لقوى أسست لتيارٍ منشقٍ عن ثوابت النضال الفلسطيني، ومن العمل الدؤوب للاستئثار بالسلطة دون تقديم أي منجز على أرض الواقع.

سنوات مضت والفلسطينيون ينتظرون بوادر نتائج الاتفاقيات الكثيرة التي أبرمت على أنها في صالح الفلسطينيين، ولا شيء من ذلك غير مزيد من البؤر الاستيطانية ومواصلة بناء جدار يعزل الفلسطينيين عن أبسط متطلبات حياتهم الطبيعية، وانتهاكات مستمرة للمقدسات، وما زلنا نسمع وجوب العودة إلى طاولة المفاوضات، كتخدير موضعي والشعب بين فكي كماشة يعاني من الضغط المستمر.

في محاولة عملية رصد شامل لما وصل إليه الشعب الفلسطيني وقضيته، يقود إلى ضرورة التحرك كي لا ينحدر الوضع من سيء إلى أسوأ، وكي لا يبقى رهن فئة عبثية لا تملك المصداقية ولا الجدية في البحث عن حل مشرّف وعادل لنكبة حلت بتشريد شعب وتدمير الشجر والحجر والبشر.

فالأرض محتلة والشعب منقسم على نفسه بين حاشية تُرضي أسياداً فُرضوا عليه، ليقبل بأي حل ومهما كان أو يكون، وبين محتل لا يرحم صغيرهم ولا كبيرهم، فإلى متى، وماذا تعني الثورة إذن؟..

عندما يتعرض الشعب لضغط لا يُحتمل، لا بد من البدء بتوجيه رسائل الرفض بأي شكل وأي وسيلة تعبر عن خيار الشعب، فالتحايل الفلسطيني الرسمي على الشعب والقبول بـ "إسرائيل" كدولة تحل مكان فلسطين، والمناورة على تأسيس لبنة دويلة مهمشة ومهشمة فلسطينية في إطار الكيان الاستعماري، حاملين شعارات متناقضة تماماً كالممارسات والتصريحات، إضافة إلى استمرار السلطة بالمبايعة العلنية وهدر المال الفلسطيني، دون الالتفات لبناء بنية تحتية للمجتمع من مؤسسات ومصانع ومعاهد تقنية، مما جعل حماس كحركة مقاومة تصر على ضرورة إيقاف هذا التيار الضارب بعرض الحائط المصلحة العليا للشعب، والقبول بالدخول بالسلطة من منطلق المشاركة بالقرار السياسي وليس الشراكة لسلطة مترهلة مترنحة، المنزلقة بانحطاط نحو الهاوية مورطة الشعب الفلسطيني بالداخل والخارج من تداعيات سابقة وحالية، لتعرية النضال من ماهيته وابتداع شكل هلامي لسلطة منقسمة داخل أروقتها الحزبية.

يدرك الجميع أن الانتخابات والسلطة قائمتان تحت احتلال وهو شأن تنقصه السيادة، ولكن كيف يمكن أن تستمر المقاومة في ظل من يحتضن القضاء عليها، ليصبح العدو أمامها والعابثون بمصيرها بالخلف يكيلون كيداً ويحيكون مؤمرات لتصفيتها وإنهائها باسم التأكيد على المشروعية الدولية؟.

إن من يدقق بتصريحات بطانة الرئاسة، يدرك أن قياداتها أصيبت بخلل نفسي بعد خسارتهم بالانتخابات، فلم يحتملوا فكرة التغيير للمصلحة الوطنية، بوجود تيار يقف حجر عثرة أمام مشروع مقدم لهم لتنفيذه، وبعد ذلك العوض بسلامة الشعب، هذا إن بقي هناك بشر في فلسطين بعد التناوب على تصفيته.

فهذا الخلل يتضح ليس بإطلاق كلمات العيب على تيار وطني آخر، إنما موظفاً لتأكيد الحصار وليس لفكه، بتصعيد مشروع الانفصال عن خيار الشعب، ومحاولات مستمرة لإفشال المشاركة والتوافق الوطني، وكل ما تقدم يدحض زعمهم بأنهم قبلوا بنتائج الانتخابات.

منذ لحظة الإعلان عن تشكيل الحكومة بدأت العصي تعرقل المسيرة من أجل التغيير والإصلاح، ولهذا لنا أن نتساءل لماذا؟.

الحقيقة المجردة أن الحكومة المنتخبة ستفتح أبواب الفساد على مصاريعها، وسيُعرف وينفضح كل من قدمت يداه السوداء من جرائم بحق الشعب الفلسطيني بأكمله، لكن الحكاية لم تنتهِ عند هذا الحد من التهاون، إنما منح كيان الاحتلال شرعية وموافقة علنية لبيع فلسطين، مقابل السلطة والنفوذ على الشعب وليس الأرض، وابتزازه بالتجويع لتجيشه لحساب السلطة الرئاسية وملحقاتها، والمفسدة لشعب لم يطأطئ رأسه للاحتلال، ولم تهن كرامته وكبرياؤه أمام فتات موائدهم، ليصبح مطية تُنفذ باسمه أحكام إعدام محتم لفلسطين.

هذا الابتزاز لم يتوقف عند حد العراقيل والتجويع، بل تطاول لاستغباء متعمد للشعب على أنه مصدر السلطات!، فهل استفتي الشعب بقبول المفاوضات، وهل أقر الشعب بالحرامي "الإسرائيلي" حامي الأراضي الفلسطينية من شعبها، أم أن القبول بحكومة الوحدة الوطنية على مقاس العالم العربي المعتدل والغربي المنحاز، هو إثبات بأن الشعب هو آخر من يفكر به عباس ومن حوله؟. وماذا لو أجريت انتخابات رئاسية وتشريعية مبكرة، ولم ترضِ المحتل وأصحاب النخوة العربية المعتدلة، والنشامى الفلسطينيون المتصهينون بتجديد الرفض الشعبي للخنوع لسلطة وإملاءات القرارات الدولية، فهل سنشهد فصلاً جديداً من وقوف الجوقة ذاتها ضد مصدر السلطات، ونعود إلى الموقف نفسه من الانقسام وشراء الذمم من أجل تعبيد الطريق العربية أمام آل صهيون؟.

ليس عيباً يا سيادة الرئيس، بل جريمة يقترفها رأس السلطة بالاجتماع مع من تلطخت يداه بدماء من هو مسؤول عن حماية حياتهم وأمنهم، والتوسل للرجوع إلى طاولة خارطة الطريق، وتبادل القبلات مع مجرم حرب بجدارة، وهو من قتل أبرياء في القطاع والضفة الغربية، وهو من يحاصر ويحتجز الأموال وبدعم السلطة، فالعيب كلمة تافهة أمام ما حدث، ولا ينطبق على ما اقترفته أياديكم سوى الجرم والقفز على المحرمات الوطنية، وهذا ما لا يقره منطق ولا دين.

كفاكم ضحكاً وتسخيفاً للشعب، وعباس وتوابعه يراهن على أولمرت ووعوده الكاذبة، والشعب يفتقر للأمن الداخلي والقوت اليومي، وكفاكم متاجرة بدمائه وصوته، والشروط معدة مسبقاً لإنجاح والقبول بأي حكومة تُبقي تلك الفئة في مكان صدارة اقتسام الكعكة النتنة، والتي لا تصلح لموافقة أي عاقل يعي ما حدث ابتداءً من أوسلو حتى يومنا هذا.

هذا التيار الحاكم بأمر "إسرائيل" هو مستنسخ استنساخاً رديئاً من حركة فتح، وبت على قناعة أنه لم يكن منتمياً لحركته الأم في يوم من الأيام، ولا داعياً للوحدة الوطنية، بقدر ما هو فاقد لتوازن واتزان وطني وأخلاقي، بعد إسقاطه رسمياً من الشعب، وإلا ما هي تلك فرق الموت والأجهزة الأمنية وقوات بدر المستوردة من الخارج، وإلى من موجهة، هل إلى مصدر السلطات؟، أم لصالح بائع متجول يجوب الجنوب والشمال المحتل، دون أن يتعرض لأي مضايقة من الاحتلال، يشحن ويوظف أنصاف العقول والأنذال لفتنة وطنية. فبالأمس كانت دعوة للحوار المبطن بالفشل مقدماً وانسداد أفقه في المستقبل العاجل، واليوم أمر آخر وقناع آخر يلتمس ويتوسل رأس حكومة العدو بالإفراج عن المال الفلسطيني، والهدف بالمماطلة وتضييع الوقت هو كسر إرادة الشعب في مواصلة مسيرة التحرر، واستغلاله في أبشع جريمة بحق نضاله، ليصبح قرباناً من أجل كرسي ومنصب تتهافت عليه قوى مختلة في قراراتها، ومنفلتة من أي احتكام للعقل وشرعية السلطة وأركانها.

Bush Could Usher in a Very Dangerous New Year

Intelligence sources say President Bush -- along with Israel's Ehud Olmert and the UK's Tony Blair -- are weighing the possibility of Israeli-led attacks on Syria and Iran in early 2007, with the United States providing logistical back-up.

By Robert Parry

"The first two or three months of 2007 represent a dangerous opening for an escalation of war in the Middle East, as George W. Bush will be tempted to "double-down" his gamble in Iraq by joining with Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair to strike at Syria and Iran, intelligence sources say.

President Bush's goal would be to transcend the bloody quagmire bogging down U.S. forces in Iraq by achieving "regime change" in Syria and by destroying nuclear facilities in Iran, two blows intended to weaken Islamic militants in Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

The Israeli army and air force would carry the brunt of any new fighting albeit with the support of beefed-up U.S. ground and naval forces in the Middle East, the sources said. Bush is now considering a "surge" in U.S. troop levels in Iraq from about 140,000 to as many as 170,000. He also has dispatched a second aircraft carrier group to the coast of Iran.

So far, however, Bush has confronted stiff opposition from the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff to the plan for raising troop levels in Iraq, partly because the generals don't think it makes sense to commit more troops without a specific military mission.

But it's unclear how much the generals know about the expanded-war option which has been discussed sometimes in one-on-one meetings among the principals -- Bush, Olmert and Blair -- according to intelligence sources.

Since the Nov. 7 congressional elections, the three leaders have conducted a round-robin of meetings that on the surface seem to have little purpose. Olmert met privately with Bush on Nov. 13; Blair visited the White House on Dec. 7; and Blair conferred with Olmert in Israel on Dec. 18.

All three leaders could salvage their reputations if a wider war broke out in the Middle East and then broke in their favor.

.....Continue"

Latuff: I Can't Hear You!

Latuff: I created this cartoon with the assistance of a kind Palestinian girl called Yasmine. Take a look at her blog: http://sileas.wordpress.com

Thank you, Yasmine. I love you and your people.

The Factory Of Lies Working Overtime

Framing Iran and Hamas:

DEBKAfile Exclusive: Iranian officers take command of Palestinian Gaza missile front. But Olmert ties IDF to pinpoint fire on missile crews after two Sderot schoolboys seriously hurt

".......Our military sources report that the IDF does not accept the Iran-sponsored Jihad Islami’s claim to have shot the missile which wounded the schoolboys because since Monday, Dec. 25, two changes were detected in the Palestinian offensive: A new type of homemade missile called Al Buraq 2 (after the Western Wall Jewish shrine in Jerusalem), and a new unit, calling itself the Mujahiddin Brigades, identified by military experts as the first Palestinian terrorist unit set up by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ al Quds Brigades.

This group’s first action was to fire the new missiles at Kibbutz Nahal Oz Monday. They were diagnosed at first as mortars, but the fragments did not match any ordnance seen before. It was then discovered that the Mujahiddin Brigades units - consisting of Hamas, Jihad Islami, Fatah-al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Popular Resistance Committees operatives - are commanded by an Iranian Revolutionary Guards officer.

Such direct Iranian command of front-line Palestinian missile units is another innovation; it did not occur even on the Hizballah side of the of July-August Lebanon war.

Monday, too, the Americans disclosed the capture in Baghdad of Iranian officers, members of the same RG al Quds Brigades, on another front line: against Iraqi and coalition forces. It looks as though the Islamic Republic has gone into action in Iraq and Gaza in reprisal for the tepid sanctions the UN Security Council imposed Saturday, Dec. 23, for its continuing pursuit of uranium enrichment. "

We All Want to Live!

Samah Idriss, Al-Adab Magazine. Translation by Tadmaon!, 27 December 2006
Electronic Lebanon

"........"We want to live!" This is what president Siniora says, repeating the slogans posted on bulletin boards across the capital these days. Those promoting the new slogan may be no different from those who, after the end of the Syrian tutelage, promoted the slogan "Independence 05" followed, a few months later, by the slogan "Dependence 06", mocking and ridiculing the first! We, of course, want to live like Siniora wants. But, "free and dignified" living has to include everyone: our captives in the jails of occupation that have sacrificed for us, our people in the South dwelling amid daily Israeli violations and in the danger that one of the one million two hundred thousand cluster bomblets dropped by Israel during the last hours before the cease-fire could explode in the face of their sons and daughters. Free and dignified living should include the poor and dispossessed, low-income employees and the victims of Hariri’s "reconstruction"— most people neither benefited from his upscale Solidère or from his luxurious airport. "We want to live" should include, as well, the more than three hundred thousand Palestinians who, in the camps of misery, are simply not "living". And, by the way, only one thing "lives" better now than at anytime in the past: the banks!"

Egyptian FM: We appreciate Israeli restraint

Arab Puppets Lining Up To Kiss Olmert's Ass

PM's office says Aboul Gheit welcomes Israeli efforts to strengthen PA moderates. Olmert to meet Mubarak next week in Egypt

"Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed his country's appreciation of Israel's policy of restraint and efforts to empower moderates in the Palestinian Authority, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said in a statement issued following the meeting held between the two leaders earlier Wednesday in Jerusalem.

According to the statement Olmert and Aboul Gheit spoke of the continuous ceasefire breaches and their implications. The PM explained the complexity of the situation due to incessant rocket attacks against Israel throughout the ceasefire and Israel's need to preserve the lives of its citizens.

The two also spoke of Olmert's upcoming meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and general Mideast developments. Olmert also stressed the importance of preventing arms smuggling across the Egypt-Gaza border."

The new refugees

By Amira Hass

"Until Enaya Samara, who has been living in forced exile for the past eight months returns to her village near Ramallah, and until Someida Abbas, who was banished from his home 10 months ago accompanies his children to kindergarten again, it will not be possible to believe the defense establishment's promise to change its policy. So long as American, Brazilian and German citizens whose name is not Cohen but Abdullah, are refused entry at the borders, we will know that the policy is still in effect - the policy of causing tens of thousands of Palestinian families to break up, or to leave their homes and emigrate. This is not a new policy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Since 1967, Israel has been carrying out demographic manipulations which should actually be called expulsion. Military edicts have caused some 100,000 people to lose their status as permanent residents in the occupied territories and to remain exiles in the countries to which they went to study or work. These manipulations have turned 240,000 people who were born in the West bank and Gaza and left the territories because of the 1967 war, and another 60,000 who were abroad when it broke out, to become new refugees......

......More than ever before, the Israeli system today denies the fact that it is repression and discrimination, an integral part of every occupation, that create the security threat. The most it is prepared to do is make "improvements" and mete out "favors," but it will not recognize rights. "