Lebanon's Path from Perdition to Redemption?

By Franklin Lamb - Al Buss Palestinian Refugee Camp, Lebanon
Palestine Chronicle

"....Interviews with representatives of Lebanon’s political parties, as they make final preparations to get out the vote, reveal general agreement that for Palestinians here, decades of living in exile are made worse by the continuing discrimination found in Lebanon’s laws.

Most agree that for Palestinians waiting to return to their homes in Palestine, life is now a daily struggle for survival and fundamental Parliamentary redress is long overdue A common response to inquiries from Party operative is: “We ourselves want to help the Palestinians but we have partners in government and we need to be sensitive to their wishes”. This could be about to change after the June 7th election....."

The New Neocons

The left wing of the War Party raises its ugly head

by Justin Raimondo, May 13, 2009

"...... When Bill Clinton was in power, Weekly Standard editor William Kristol organized an ad hoc think-tank/advocacy group known as the Project for a New American Century, which ceaselessly agitated for war with Iraq and a policy of "regime change" throughout the Middle East. In coordination with like-minded folks over at the American Enterprise Institute, publications such as the Weekly Standard and National Review, plus influential columnists such as Charles Krauthammer and Max Boot, the neocons led the charge as we careened into the Iraqi quagmire. It took them a good decade, but in the end they succeeded: both major political parties are now committed to their program of endless military intervention in the Middle East, with the only differences being tactical.......

The establishment is facing a popular uprising on several fronts, and foreign policy is no exception. There is a general, though inchoate, rebellion against the idea that we have to intervene all over the world, especially given our present economic straits. The Iraq war has soured a new generation on the idea of America as a world-savior, as Vietnam did the previous one, and the left-neocons pushing the Af-Pak war are facing an uphill fight in the long run, although they may hold the temporary advantage of serving under a popular president.

It’s early yet, and already voices are being raised – on the Left as well as the anti-Obama Right – against the widening of the Afghan war and the incursions into Pakistan. Yet the War Party has one big advantage......"

Rare Video Interview with Sheikh Naim Qassem, Deputy Secretary-General of Hizbollah

Financial Times

Sheikh Naim Qassem, in a rare interview, reveals that Hizbollah offers broad support to Hamas.

Cairo is the wrong choice for Obama

By choosing the corrupt Egyptian regime as his Middle Eastern host, Obama risks undermining his message of change

Chris Phillips
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 12 May 2009

"......This will prompt fears of Washington opting for pragmatism over principle. At his inauguration, Obama told "those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent" that "we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist". Yet Mubarak has done no such unclenching. No positive reforms have been made and Egypt remains authoritarian. Even in the short time that Obama has been in office hundreds of people have been held without trial following the Gaza war protests......."

The curious sacking of Gen McKiernan

Obama's top US general in Afghanistan has been shown the door, but top brass at the Pentagon haven't really explained why

Simon Tisdall
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 12 May 2009

".....The changes in command underscore the impression that Obama, abandoning long-term nation-building goals, is looking for quick, minimalist results in Afghanistan, chiefly containing and deflating the insurgency. His aides don't want the war dragging on when he stands for re-election in 2012. And the top brass increasingly believe the real counter-terrorism battle is centred next door, in the tribal areas of Pakistan......"

Progress is doomed if Obama is merely a cleverer version of Bush

At next week's US-Israel summit, a change in mood music will not be enough. A radical shift in strategy is needed

Jonathan Freedland
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 12 May 2009

Unholy Wall, by Steve Bell

By Steve Bell, The Guardian

Haaretz reporter Amira Hass arrested upon leaving Gaza

Israel Police on Tuesday detained Haaretz correspondent Amira Hass upon her exit from the Gaza Strip, where she had been living and reporting over the last few months. 

Hass was arrested and taken in for questioning immediately after crossing the border, for violating a law which forbids residence in an enemy state. She was released on bail after promising not to enter the Gaza Strip over the next 30 days. 

طبخة اوباما 'تنضج عربيا'

طبخة اوباما 'تنضج عربيا'

عبد الباري عطوان

".....
المبادرة الامريكية تقوم على مرحلتين اساسيتين وفق التسريبات المذكورة:
الاولى: تسريع خطوات التطبيع العربي الرسمي مع اسرائيل من خلال فتح الحدود والاجواء، والسماح للاسرائيليين بالحصول على تأشيرات دخول الى الدول العربية بشكل طبيعي، واعطاء الحق لشركة الطيران الاسرائيلية (العال) بالمرور في الاجواء العربية، والهبوط في المطارات دون اي عوائق. وكل هذا من اجل طمأنة الحكومة الاسرائيلية الحالية، واقناعها 'بتجميد' الاستيطان، والقبول بحل الدولتين.
.....
الثانية: الدخول في مفاوضات على اساس حل الدولتين، مع تأجيل البحث في قضايا الحل النهائي مثل مستقبل القدس وحق العودة للاجئين الفلسطينيين الى مرحلة لاحقة.
......
خطورة التحرك الامريكي الجديد هذا تتمثل في عدة نقاط نوجزها في ما يلي:
اولا: مطالبة الحكومات العربية بتطبيع العلاقات مع الدولة العبرية (حرية تنقل الاسرائيليين واعطاء ممرات جوية لخطوطهم)، ليس مقابل الانسحاب الكامل، مثلما نصت مبادرة السلام العربية، وانما مجرد 'تجميد' الاستيطان وقبول حكومة نتنياهو بحل الدولتين.
ثانيا: تأجيل القضايا التي تعتبرها اسرائيل شائكة او معقدة، مثل القدس وحق العودة للاجئين الفلسطينيين، وهذا يعني قيام دولة فلسطينية، ولو كمرحلة انتقالية، ودون الاتفاق على هاتين المسألتين، اي دولة فلسطينية دون حدود متفق عليها، ودون القدس عاصمة لها. وهذا النهج هو ما جرى اتباعه في مفاوضات اوسلو السرية، والاتفاق الذي تمخض عنها، اي نحن امام اعادة صياغة هذا الاتفاق، وتقديمه بصورة اخرى، من قبل ادارة جديدة.
ثالثا: توسيع دائرة التطبيع بحيث تشمل الدول الاعضاء في منظمة المؤتمر الاسلامي (57 دولة)، وانهاء اي خلاف بين هذه الدول والدولة العبرية بعد التوصل الى اي اتفاق سلام وفق المبادرة الامريكية الجديدة.
هذه المبادرة اذا ما تم تبينها من قبل الدول العربية، تعتبر اخطر بكثير من اتفاقات كامب ديفيد التي ادت الى إحداث شرخ كبير في الصف العربي بخروج مصر، وانهاء حالة الحرب بينها وبين الدولة العبرية،
......
مصدر الخطورة ان اتفاقات كامب ديفيد رغم سلبياتها الكارثية، تركزت حول العلاقة المصرية الاسرائيلية، ولم تتطرق مطلقاً الى جوهر الصراع العربي الاسرائيلي، اي الثوابت الفلسطينية، ولكن المبادرة الامريكية تركز على 'تسوية' هذه القضية، بالقفز على هذه الثوابت، تحت ذريعة تأجيلها، والرضوخ بالكامل للمطالب الاسرائيلية في هذا الصدد.
.....
ولكن المطلوب من خليفته الرئيس حسني مبارك والزعماء العرب الآخرين، الذهاب الى ما هو ابعد من ذلك، اي تصفية القضية الفلسطينية برمتها دون اي مقابل، غير الدخول في علاقات تحالفية طبيعية مع اسرائيل تشمل الاقتصاد وربما تمتد الى تحالف عسكري وتكتل سياسي ضد ايران اذا لزم الامر.
فمن الواضح ان هذه المبادرة الامريكية الجديدة تريد توسيع دور 'سمسار' السلام العربي، بحيث يمتد الى العالم الاسلامي بأسره،
.....
ندرك جيداً اننا نقف في خندق القلة التي تحاول تمزيق حواجز الصمت الممارس حالياً في بعض الاوساط الاعلامية العربية، وفضح مخططات جديدة يجري طبخها بهدوء في واشنطن وتل ابيب حالياً بتعاون بعض القيادات العربية، او بمباركتها على الاقل، ولكن نرى ان من واجبنا ان نشرح الاخطار، بتسليط الاضواء عليها للمواطن العربي المطحون بالفقر والأمية والاضطهاد من قبل الدكتاتوريات العربية المتغولة
......
نضع هذه الحقائق امام الشارع العربي، حتى لا يفاجأ بما سيعلنه الرئيس اوباما في خطابه، وسلسلة التنازلات التي يستعد بعض، او معظم، قادته العرب لتقديمها تودداً لاسرائيل التي لم تعد عدواً في نظرهم، بعد ان جعلوا ايران تحتل مكانها على قمة قائمة العداء، بتعليمات امريكية وتحريض اسرائيلي."

Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll

The poll asks:

Do you see the Arabs' adherence to their peace plan justified?

With close to 2,000 responding so far, 89% said no.

Real News Video:

US policy makes things worse in Pakistan
Aijaz Ahmad: US policy will lead to thousands of new recruits for Al Qaeda

Video: Finkelstein on Gaza

Part 1 Finkelstein on Gaza: What to call it



Part 2 Finkelstein on Gaza: Why?



Part 3 Finkelstein on Gaza: Deterrence Capacity



Part 4 Finkelstein on Gaza: We're Crazy



Part 5 Finkelstein on Gaza: White Phosphorus



Part 6 Finkelstein on Gaza: Education and War Crimes (1 of 2)



Part 7 Finkelstein on Gaza: Education and War Crimes (2 of 2)



Part 8 Finkelstein on Gaza: Defeating the Palestinian Peace Offensive (1 of 2)



Part 9 Finkelstein on Gaza: Defeating the Palestinian Peace Offensive (2 of 2)

Sanctions renewed, but Syria understands

Sanctions renewed, but Syria understands

By Sami Moubayed
Asia Times

COMMENT: The author is close to the Syrian regime and the views he expresses give us an idea about the bankruptcy of that regime and the hopes it still hangs on Obama and his "magic."

"The renewal of United States sanctions on Syria comes as no surprise to Damascus, which realizes that undoing former president George W Bush's handiwork is no easy feat. Syria is instead setting its sights on the Middle East peace process, though it stresses the return of the Golan Heights by Israel remains non-negotiable....."

Envisioning a better future: Activist Mazin Qumsiyeh interviewed

Ida Audeh, The Electronic Intifada, 11 May 2009

"Mazin Qumsiyeh is a tireless activist for Palestinian human rights who returned to his hometown of Beit Sahour in the Israeli-occupied West Bank last year and now teaches at Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities. The author of Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human Rights and the Israeli-Palestinian Struggle (2004), Qumsiyeh is both a human rights activist and a scientist who has a lengthy list of publications on genetics to his credit. The Electronic Intifada contributor Ida Audeh met with him in April and discussed advocating the Palestinian cause in the United States and his impressions about the current direction of the Palestinian struggle.

During the 29 years he lived in the United States, Qumsiyeh earned masters and doctoral degrees; taught at several prestigious universities, including Duke and Yale; co-founded activist organizations (Al-Awda, the Palestinian Right to Return Coalition and the Wheels of Justice Tour -- a traveling tour bus that stops at different communities to educate them about Palestine and Iraq)......

IA: Why are you optimistic?

MQ:.......Every day in Palestine, I witness hundreds of instances of brilliant actions. [Besides] the usual forms of resistance, even breathing the air here, having a married life or going to school are all forms of resistance, because we are not wanted in our own land. I find that ingenuity in resistance, the ability to persevere -- what we call sumud -- to be tremendously inspiring. Our people are able to continue their lives despite the incredible odds arrayed against them and not only to persist but also to find some measure of success. As the graffiti on the wall says, to live is to resist."

Abbas tells Ahmadinejad to bury his head in sand

Press TV

"Acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas hammers Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for making supportive remarks about the Palestinians.

"Nobody gave Ahmadinejad the authorization to make statements on behalf of the Palestinian people," Abbas said in an interview with the RAI Italian TV.

"We recognize the state of Israel, we do not seek its destruction, and we want to establish our state next to Israel," he went on to say.

President Ahmadinejad, an outspoken critic of Israeli crimes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, has been accused of harboring ill intentions against Israel.....

Ahmadinejad intensified his criticism of Israel after Tel Aviv embarked on an all-out war with the Gaza Strip on December 27 and committed war crimes while killing nearly 1,350 Palestinians in the densely-populated coastal strip.

Referring to a speech last month by the Iranian president at the UN anti-racism summit in Geneva, Abbas took Ahmadinejad to task for lambasting political Zionism and said that the support of the Iranian president "did not serve the interests of the Palestinian people and their cause".

At the event, Ahmadinejad criticized the Zionist quest for a pure Jewish state in native Palestinian lands as equivalent to 'racism'.......

Abbas, whose term as PA chief has ended, added that the Palestinians set no preconditions for the resumption of peace talks......."

Abbas Standing Takes a Fall

By Mel Frykberg

"RAMALLAH, May 12 (IPS) - Yet another sign of the growing unpopularity of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA) was evident on the streets of Ramallah last weekend.

Demonstrators ripped apart hundreds of posters of PA President Mahmoud Abbas that were plastered on walls and buildings along the street leading to the heavily fortified compound known as the Muqata, the PA government headquarters.

All this was done within spitting distance of the heavily armed soldiers who patrol the sidewalks and roads leading to the Muqata.

The popularity of Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, has plunged to an all-time low in the wake of allegations of corruption, and of collusion with Israel during its bloody January offensive in Gaza which killed more than 1,400 Palestinians, most of them civilians.

PA security forces have carried out mass arrest campaigns against political opponents mostly from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. Those arrested have included sympathisers not attached to the military wings of either organisation. Human rights organisations have alleged widespread torture.

Recent polls have shown that the PA's popularity has dropped to an all-time low....."

U.S. Thaw with Syria Hits Stumbling Blocks

By Ali Gharib

"WASHINGTON, May 11 (IPS) - U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement on May 8 calling for the renewal of sanctions on Syria, which were set to expire on Monday. The declaration came at the end of a busy week in which both high-level U.S. officials and the Iranian president visited the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Though Syria has recently sought engagement with the U.S. and Israel, the executive order extending sanctions is only the latest in a series of significant stumbling blocks to peeling off one of Iran’s closest regional allies........"

Palestinian Refugees and Lebanon's Election

By Franklin Lamb - Wavel Palestinian Refugee Camp, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
Palestine Chronicle

"......Watching from the Sidelines

As the Lebanese get ready to vote, more than 10% of its population, three generations of whom were born in Lebanon, wait, watch and listen.

Still possessing almost no civil rights including voting, home ownership, employment, secondary state education, health care, identification documents, marriage registration, places to bury their deceased loved ones or equal protection of Lebanese laws, Lebanon’s Palestinian refugees nonetheless have a huge stake in next month’s election results. The 420,000 UNRWA registered Palestinians, more than half living in squalor and jammed packed into 12 camps and half a dozen ‘Gatherings’ barely subsist, the wretched refuge of Zionist ethnic cleansings in 1947-48, and 1967. They are the survivors of various illegal population transfers as well as massacres at Sabra-Shatila (1982), Qana I (1996), Qana II ( 2006), Hula (Burg Shemali Camp 1982) Tel al-Zaayter Camp (1975) to mention a few.......

Hezbollah: Palestinians Last Best Hope?

Hezbollah’s political stance towards Palestine is well known and its support among Lebanon’s Palestinians is strong within all 9 PLO factions still existing here. Even though they cannot offer any votes in the June election, secular Palestinians want the Party of God to do much more it for them if forms the next government.

Hezbollah intends to liberate Palestine and escort Lebanon’s Palestinians home. That’s the only reason it’s still on the US political terrorism list. If it abandons the Palestinian cause it immediately comes off the list according to increasingly numbers of western diplomats seeking dialog with the Party of God.

Hezbollah’s Party platform focuses on improving and developing Social Services for Lebanese citizens and Palestinian Refugees......."

Saigon Again?

by Philip Giraldi, May 12, 2009

"The problem with assessing President Barack Obama’s foreign policy after little more than 100 days is that it is nearly impossible to distinguish what has already become policy from approaches that might be termed more tentative. Does he really think that a continued American engagement in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and on behalf of Israel serves the national interest? Maybe not.......

Leaving Central Asia alone might seem like a radical step to some, but it could be the only option that would actually improve the situation, forcing the people of the region to come up with their own answers and solutions. It would also be better than turning on the nightly news and watching wave after wave of U.S. helicopters evacuating staff from the roofs of the embassies in Kabul and Islamabad. We Americans have been there before."

Obama in Cairo is a blow to democracy

Obama's decision to give a speech to the Muslim world from Cairo is an endorsement of Egypt's brutal dictatorship

Wajahat Ali
guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 May 2009

"By choosing Cairo, Egypt as the platform for his long awaited address to the global Muslim community, President Barack Obama predictably leans on a reliable dictatorship suffocating a country that is teetering toward religious and political irrelevance.....

Similarly, the near-30-year, brutal autocracy of Hosni Mubarak weighs heavily on the immobilised body of an exasperated, stifled and proud populace who've wearily observed their country, a former beacon for Arab nationalism, transformed into a loyal watchdog and stooge for anti-democratic, "pro-western" policies......

This charity flows annually despite the Egyptian government's brutal crackdown on political opposition, the free press, dissidents and even critical bloggers whose punishment runs the ignominious gamut from harassment and arrests to torture and "mysterious disappearances". For example, a Christian blogger, Hani Nazeer Aziz, turned himself in after the government's security apparatus arrested two of his brothers and used them as hostages, forcing his surrender.........

Although Obama's shameful silence on Israel's massacre in Gaza and his increasingly unsuccessful and casualty-inducing drone attacks in Pakistan have left many Muslims frustrated, his words of conciliation, dignity and respect continue to inspire optimistic Egyptians and Muslims abroad, whose only currency now is hope........."