Russia and China blocked a bid to force regime change. But a negotiated settlement is the only way out of civil war
Seumas Milne
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 7 February 2012
".....The overthrow of the Syrian regime would be a serious blow to Iran's influence in the Middle East. And as the conflict in Syria has escalated, so has the western-Israeli confrontation with Iran. Even as US defence secretary Leon Panetta and national intelligence director James Clapper acknowledged that Iran isn't after all "trying to build a nuclear weapon", Panetta has let it be known there is a "strong likelihood" Israel will attack Iran as early as April, while Iran faces crippling EU oil sanctions over its nuclear programme.
Western intervention in Syria – and Russia and China's opposition to it – can only be understood in that context: as part of a proxy war against Iran, which disastrously threatens to become a direct one. There is little sign, meanwhile, of either the Syrian regime or opposition making a decisive breakthrough.
If the opposition can't shoot its way to power and the regime doesn't implode, the only way out of deepening civil war is a negotiated political settlement leading to genuine elections. To stand any chance of success, that would now need to be guaranteed by the main powers in the region and beyond. The alternative of western and Gulf-dictator intervention could only lead to far greater bloodshed – and deny Syrians control of their own country."
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Guardian Video: 'Syrian uprising has sparked proxy regional war'
The Guardian's Middle East editor, Ian Black, gives his analysis of recent international diplomatic activity on Syria, the ongoing violence in the city of Homs and the regional implications of western intervention in Syria
Ian Black and Mustafa Khalili
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 7 February 2012
Ian Black and Mustafa Khalili
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 7 February 2012
U.S. military beginning review of Syria options
Although the U.S. focus remains on exerting diplomatic and economic pressure on Syria, the Pentagon and the U.S. Central Command have begun a preliminary internal review of U.S. military capabilities, CNN has learned.
The options are being prepared in the event President Barack Obama were to call for them. Two senior administration officials who spoke about the review to CNN emphasized that U.S. policy for now remains the use of non-military options.
The focus on diplomatic options was underscored by the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in an interview with CNN on Tuesday.
"Before we start talking about military options, we very much want to ensure that we have exhausted all the political, economic and diplomatic means at our disposal," Ambassador Susan Rice said on CNN's “Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”
The president has also said that the U.S. is working on non-military options first.
"I think it is very important for us to try to resolve this without recourse to outside military intervention, and I think that's possible," Obama said in an interview with NBC News that aired during the Super Bowl on Sunday.
This Time, Assad Has Overreached
by Rime Allaf
Syrians are approaching the first anniversary of one of the most unexpected implosions of people power and psychological liberations the region has seen. But they have yet to experience the exhilaration of watching a dictator flee the country or be forced to resign.
One year ago, as Syrians saw the fast pace of the Tunisian and the Egyptian popular uprisings, most knew that if they ever were to face the same situation, they would pay a much heavier price and that the regime would not hesitate to mow them down in order to keep the Assad dynasty in place. Having already lived through one of the most vicious massacres in modern history, the Syrian populace knew that the ruling clique would just as easily do another Hama, possibly more, to keep its grasp on the country.
It is unclear how the transition will be achieved, but the majority of Syrians are sure of one thing: we have reached the end of an era.
Save for a few die-hard civil society activists and intellectuals who kept banging on the drums of freedom, continuously paying with their own freedom for this lèse-majesté, most Syrians became realists by necessity. By seemingly letting bygones become bygones, and by humoring the regime with odes to its empty rhetoric about the Assad du jour’s eternal leadership, they thought they were buying themselves a slow but sure upgrade to a less stifling life, at the discretion of a corrupt and power-mad clique.
This was, in many ways, a reverse Faustian bargain, with the regime getting the power and the people getting the scraps – socially, economically and politically. As incredible as it may sound in this revolutionary era, Syrians felt they had no choice but to coax the regime into complacence in order so that they could breathe.
This de facto pact could have survived beyond the revolutionary era, had it not been for the arrest and torture of 15 schoolchildren in Daraa, triggering an uprising that spread through Syria. As their indignation finally manifested itself, the deal fell through as people’s demands for justice and dignity were met with live fire, and as brute force once again erased all pretense of civility.
It doesn’t matter how much support Bashar al-Assad’s regime still commands, nor does it ultimately matter why his fans still cling on to the illusion of his ability to remain in power. The regime has gone on a killing, torturing and jailing spree for nearly a year, and is still unable to crush the resistance that has now begun to arm itself and to exercise self-defense. It is a matter of time, and it is unclear how the transition will be achieved, but the majority of Syrians are sure of one thing: we have reached the end of an era.
A Struggle for Regional Supremacy: Syria Conflict Escalates as World Powers Debate Assad’s Future
"Syria is seeing some of the worst violence of the 11-month uprising against Bashar al-Assad amid an ongoing international standoff over how to respond. Assad’s forces have launched what appears to be one of their fiercest assaults on the flashpoint city of Homs to date. Both the United States and Britain have closed their embassies in the Syrian capital of Damascus and withdrawn diplomatic personnel, citing safety fears. As the crisis escalates, Russia and China are facing criticism for blocking a U.N. Security Council resolution backed by the United States and Arab League calling for a political transition in Syria. To discuss the situation in Syria, we’re joined by Patrick Seale, a leading British writer on the Middle East and author of "Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East." "It’s at least a two- or possibly a three-stage crisis. Internally in Syria, the situation is getting worse by the day," Seale says. "At a higher level, there is a struggle between the United States, on the one hand, and its allies, and its opponents like Russia and China... Then there’s a third level, possibly, of Arab Gulf states like Qatar, for example, even Saudi Arabia behind it, who are obsessed and worried by Iran, and they think that Iran might stir up Shia communities in the region."...."
“Who Killed Che? How the CIA Got Away With Murder”: New Book Ties Johnson Admin to Guevara’s Death
"Michael Ratner and Michael Steven Smith are the co-authors of a new book about the U.S. role in the killing of Cuban revolutionary, Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Born in Argentina in 1928, Che rose to international prominence as one of the key leaders of the 1959 Cuban Revolution that overthrew U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. After a period in the new Cuban government leadership, Che aimed to spark revolutionary activity internationally. On October 8, 1967, he was captured by Bolivian troops working with the CIA. He was executed one day later. In their book, "Who Killed Che?” Ratner and Smith draw on previously unpublished government documents to argue the CIA played a critical role in the killing. “The line of the [U.S.] government was that, 'The Bolivians did it, we couldn't do anything about it.’ That’s not true,” Smith said. “This whole operation was organized out of the White House by Walt Whitman Rostow and the CIA.” On Che’s significance, Ratner said, “Che became a symbol for revolutionary change. … He still remains that today. If you go to Tahrir Square or Occupy Wall Street, people are wearing Che T-shirts because they understand their obligation, their necessity is to take on the 1 percent. That is what Che was about. I think that is why he is such a hero for people in the streets today.” ....."
Real News Video: Global anti-war rallies oppose sanctions and war on Iran
Iranian Americans call for peace and support of Iran's pro-Democracy movement
Real News Video (with transcript): Why Demand Nuclear Transparency from Iran and Not Israel?
Hamid Dabashi: People should demand a nuclear weapons free region that starts with Israel and Pakistan
Anniversaries From ‘Unhistory’
The events we fail to commemorate say as much about our national narrative as those we acknowledge.
BY Noam Chomsky
In These Times
"George Orwell coined the useful term “unperson” for creatures denied personhood because they don’t abide by state doctrine. We may add the term “unhistory” to refer to the fate of unpersons, expunged from history on similar grounds.
The unhistory of unpersons is illuminated by the fate of anniversaries. Important ones are usually commemorated, with due solemnity when appropriate: Pearl Harbor, for example. Some are not, and we can learn a lot about ourselves by extricating them from unhistory.
Right now we are failing to commemorate an event of great human significance: the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s decision to launch the direct invasion of South Vietnam, soon to become the most extreme crime of aggression since World War II......"
BY Noam Chomsky
In These Times
"George Orwell coined the useful term “unperson” for creatures denied personhood because they don’t abide by state doctrine. We may add the term “unhistory” to refer to the fate of unpersons, expunged from history on similar grounds.
The unhistory of unpersons is illuminated by the fate of anniversaries. Important ones are usually commemorated, with due solemnity when appropriate: Pearl Harbor, for example. Some are not, and we can learn a lot about ourselves by extricating them from unhistory.
Right now we are failing to commemorate an event of great human significance: the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s decision to launch the direct invasion of South Vietnam, soon to become the most extreme crime of aggression since World War II......"
Search for a Syria strategy focuses on stiffening fragmented opposition
Arab and western governments contemplate backing the Free Syrian Army as hopes fade of a negotiated peace
Ian Black and Julian Borger
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 7 February 2012 02
"....Any outside involvement in Syria would also have "an Arab face", said a former British intelligence officer.
The most significant outside player would probably be neighbouring Turkey, which already hosts the opposition Syrian National Council and allows a safe haven for the Free Syrian Army (FSA), whose lightly armed fighters are in action against regime forces.....
Qatar and Saudi Arabia are believed to have been financing the FSA, but Baer said the FSA was having problems smuggling heavy and sophisticated arms into the country....
One analyst, Marc Lynch, commented: "I expect calls to mount for the provision of weapons to the Free Syrian Army, or for that to simply happen without fanfare … But nobody should be fooled into thinking that this is a panacea: arming the weaker side in a fully fledged, internationalised civil war is much more likely to produce a painful stalemate than a quick, decisive outcome."
Jordan, whose intelligence service is considered the best in the Arab world, is watching developments in Syria through the eyes of tribes that straddle the border. It could also train and supply the anti-Assad rebels, but only if that mission were "subcontracted" to it by the far wealthier Gulf states........"
Ian Black and Julian Borger
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 7 February 2012 02
"....Any outside involvement in Syria would also have "an Arab face", said a former British intelligence officer.
The most significant outside player would probably be neighbouring Turkey, which already hosts the opposition Syrian National Council and allows a safe haven for the Free Syrian Army (FSA), whose lightly armed fighters are in action against regime forces.....
Qatar and Saudi Arabia are believed to have been financing the FSA, but Baer said the FSA was having problems smuggling heavy and sophisticated arms into the country....
One analyst, Marc Lynch, commented: "I expect calls to mount for the provision of weapons to the Free Syrian Army, or for that to simply happen without fanfare … But nobody should be fooled into thinking that this is a panacea: arming the weaker side in a fully fledged, internationalised civil war is much more likely to produce a painful stalemate than a quick, decisive outcome."
Jordan, whose intelligence service is considered the best in the Arab world, is watching developments in Syria through the eyes of tribes that straddle the border. It could also train and supply the anti-Assad rebels, but only if that mission were "subcontracted" to it by the far wealthier Gulf states........"
Syria: Russia on the wrong side
Moscow must now set out how to broker a credible alternative to the Arab League plan that it has done so much to destroy
Editorial
The Guardian, Monday 6 February 2012
".....Russia has put itself on the wrong side of the argument. But its foreign minister and its spy chief are both in Damascus today for talks with the Syrians. They have an opportunity to prove that the Syrian tail does not wag the Russian dog. Russia always protests that it has the interests of the Syrian people at heart. So let it give a clear sign today that this is true. Let it make clear, before it is too late, that it refuses to be the Assad regime's protector against its own people. Let Russia make clear whether it is part of the problem or the solution. Russia must now show precisely how it proposes to broker a credible alternative to the Arab League plan that it has just done so much to destroy."
Editorial
The Guardian, Monday 6 February 2012
".....Russia has put itself on the wrong side of the argument. But its foreign minister and its spy chief are both in Damascus today for talks with the Syrians. They have an opportunity to prove that the Syrian tail does not wag the Russian dog. Russia always protests that it has the interests of the Syrian people at heart. So let it give a clear sign today that this is true. Let it make clear, before it is too late, that it refuses to be the Assad regime's protector against its own people. Let Russia make clear whether it is part of the problem or the solution. Russia must now show precisely how it proposes to broker a credible alternative to the Arab League plan that it has just done so much to destroy."
Israel must release or try Palestinian detainee on prolonged hunger strike
Amnesty International
6 February 2012
"The Israeli authorities must release a Palestinian detainee or charge him with a recognizable criminal offence and promptly try him, Amnesty International said today amid fears the man could die in detention after more than 50 days on hunger strike.
Khader Adnan, 33, was arrested on 17 December 2011 at his home in the village of Arrabe near Jenin in the occupied West Bank, after Israeli security forces burst into his home in the early hours of the morning.
Mr Adnan, a baker, is allegedly affiliated with the Islamic Jihad movement.
On Wednesday a military court conducted a review of Khader Adnan’s case but the judge has yet to announce the outcome - release, his detention shortened or the order confirmed.
“For years Israel has been using administrative detention to lock up Palestinian activists without charge or trial, said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East.
“Military commanders can renew the detention orders repeatedly, so in effect detainees can be held indefinitely. The process violates their right to a fair trial which is guaranteed by international law Israel is obliged to uphold.”
Khader Adnan, who is also a post-graduate student, has been on hunger strike since 18 December in protest against his ill-treatment, the conditions of his detention, and the policy of administrative detention.
The Israeli military commander in the West Bank imposed a four-month administrative detention order on him last month.
The baker has been hospitalized since 30 December as his health deteriorated. He has not been allowed any family visits and the Israeli authorities have since moved him to various different hospitals around the country........"
6 February 2012
"The Israeli authorities must release a Palestinian detainee or charge him with a recognizable criminal offence and promptly try him, Amnesty International said today amid fears the man could die in detention after more than 50 days on hunger strike.
Khader Adnan, 33, was arrested on 17 December 2011 at his home in the village of Arrabe near Jenin in the occupied West Bank, after Israeli security forces burst into his home in the early hours of the morning.
Mr Adnan, a baker, is allegedly affiliated with the Islamic Jihad movement.
On Wednesday a military court conducted a review of Khader Adnan’s case but the judge has yet to announce the outcome - release, his detention shortened or the order confirmed.
“For years Israel has been using administrative detention to lock up Palestinian activists without charge or trial, said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East.
“Military commanders can renew the detention orders repeatedly, so in effect detainees can be held indefinitely. The process violates their right to a fair trial which is guaranteed by international law Israel is obliged to uphold.”
Khader Adnan, who is also a post-graduate student, has been on hunger strike since 18 December in protest against his ill-treatment, the conditions of his detention, and the policy of administrative detention.
The Israeli military commander in the West Bank imposed a four-month administrative detention order on him last month.
The baker has been hospitalized since 30 December as his health deteriorated. He has not been allowed any family visits and the Israeli authorities have since moved him to various different hospitals around the country........"
Egypt’s US Coach Bob Bradley calls football violence a “set up, a massacre”
Bikya Masr
"CAIRO: Egypt’s national football team manager Bob Bradley said in an interview with Al-Jazeera news network that he believes, after speaking with leading football officials in the country, that the violence last Wednesday at a match in Port Said that left 75 people dead was not simple football violence.
He argued that it did not have the markings of hooliganism, instead telling the news network that “this has all the markings of a setup, of a massacre, and with it there’s been many levels of questions that have been asked, and that’s why in the last few days there has again been confrontation in and around Tahrir Square.”
Bradley pointed out that young people in Egypt are again making their voices heard in the protests that erupted on Thursday, after fans and activists gathered in downtown Cairo to demand the removal of the military junta.
“Young people are again making their feelings known about the situation in the country and what has happened since the revolution,” he said......."
"CAIRO: Egypt’s national football team manager Bob Bradley said in an interview with Al-Jazeera news network that he believes, after speaking with leading football officials in the country, that the violence last Wednesday at a match in Port Said that left 75 people dead was not simple football violence.
He argued that it did not have the markings of hooliganism, instead telling the news network that “this has all the markings of a setup, of a massacre, and with it there’s been many levels of questions that have been asked, and that’s why in the last few days there has again been confrontation in and around Tahrir Square.”
Bradley pointed out that young people in Egypt are again making their voices heard in the protests that erupted on Thursday, after fans and activists gathered in downtown Cairo to demand the removal of the military junta.
“Young people are again making their feelings known about the situation in the country and what has happened since the revolution,” he said......."
Egypt’s MB asks “Why do you hate us?” and activists respond
Bikya Masr
"CAIRO: When the Muslim Brotherhood’s Twitter account asked the seemingly innocent question, “why do you hate us?” the Islamic group likely did not anticipate the reaction it stirred.
The question was directed at Egyptian activists who do not shy away from criticizing the group, especially now that their political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), are in power. The level of intensity soars high.
Hundreds of activists took turns in answering the question, as candidly as possible. Feelings of frustration at the groups’s actions thus far and a lack of support for the revolution and its unmet demands were clear in all the responses.
The group recently came under fire for defending the ministry of interior in Monday’s Parliament session, where one MP accused the ministry of using live ammunition, holding an empty shell allegedly used in the battles against protesters, but he was attacked and the ministry was defended by Speaker of Parliament Saad al-Katatany, who bluntly said “the minister of interior told me no live ammunition was used” and received a round of applause from the Islamist MPs, who are apparently leaning towards the official side in the clashes.
The recent football clashes that took the lives of 75 people was the first real test for the newly elected legislation, an Islamist-dominated parliament, but many say they have failed drastically in supporting the people....."
"CAIRO: When the Muslim Brotherhood’s Twitter account asked the seemingly innocent question, “why do you hate us?” the Islamic group likely did not anticipate the reaction it stirred.
The question was directed at Egyptian activists who do not shy away from criticizing the group, especially now that their political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), are in power. The level of intensity soars high.
Hundreds of activists took turns in answering the question, as candidly as possible. Feelings of frustration at the groups’s actions thus far and a lack of support for the revolution and its unmet demands were clear in all the responses.
The group recently came under fire for defending the ministry of interior in Monday’s Parliament session, where one MP accused the ministry of using live ammunition, holding an empty shell allegedly used in the battles against protesters, but he was attacked and the ministry was defended by Speaker of Parliament Saad al-Katatany, who bluntly said “the minister of interior told me no live ammunition was used” and received a round of applause from the Islamist MPs, who are apparently leaning towards the official side in the clashes.
The recent football clashes that took the lives of 75 people was the first real test for the newly elected legislation, an Islamist-dominated parliament, but many say they have failed drastically in supporting the people....."
فيتو المجزرة!
فيتو المجزرة!
الياس خوري
"جاء الفيتو الروسي في مجلس الأمن في موعده تماماً. ترافق مع الذكرى الثلاثين لمجزرة حماه الرهيبة، وواكب مجزرة حي الخالدية في حمص. انه فيتو المجزرة، هكذا سنتذكره بأسى بعد حين، اي عندما يتهاوى نظام المافيا العسكرية/العائلية/الاقتصادية في سورية.
لا يختلف الفيتو الروسي ضد الشعب السوري بشيء عن الفيتو الامريكي ضد الشعب الفلسطيني. كلاهما تعبير عن طموحات استعمارية، وعن دعم للقتلة، وكلاهما يكشف لنا عن الضعف العربي الذي اوصلتنا اليه الأنظمة الانقلابية، بأن حولت ارض العرب الى ملعب للقوى العظمى.
لكن لا الفيتو الامريكي سوف يوقف النضال الوطني الفلسطيني ولا الفيتو الروسي يستطيع ان يغّير المعطى الذي رسمه نضال الشعب السوري في انتفاضته الكبرى. النظام السوري سقط حتى وهو يوجه المدفعية الى حمص وادلب والزبداني. نعم النظام سقط وانتهى الأمر، ولعبة المافيا السورية لم تعد قادرة على انقاذ النظام الذي تهاوى، بل صار هدفها هو اسقاط سورية كلها وتحويلها حطاما.
هل هذا ما تريده روسيا البوتينية وهي تندفع الى مد حبل نجاة كلنا يعرف انه لن يستطيع انقاذ بشار الأسد من الطوفان السوري؟
ما بات يعرفه الجميع هو ان المعارضة السورية مدت للروس اكثر من يد، فليس من مصلحة سورية اخراج روسيا من المنطقة، وليس من مصلحة الثورة السورية ان تستفرد امريكا ووكلاؤها من دول النفط العربي بالمنطقة. لكن الديبلوماسية الروسية تصرفت بعقلية الدول الاستعمارية في القرن الماضي، بدل ان تستمع بدقة الى موقف المعارضة السورية، انتظرت صفقة مع الامريكيين. اي ان ديبلوماسية السيد بوتين لا تزال تعتقد انها تستطيع عقد صفقات من فوق رؤوس الشعب، كي تبرهن انها لا تزال قوة عظمى.
الخاسر الأكبر في الفيتو الروسي هو روسيا. صحيح ان شلّ قدرة مجلس الأمن عن اتخاذ قرار يدين العنف الوحشي الذي يمارسه النظام السوري، يعني اعطاء النظام مزيدا من الوقت كي يمارس ساديته المفرطة، لكن هذا لن ينقذ نظاما لم يعد من الممكن انقاذه. الفيتو الروسي هو الوجه الآخر للمجزرة، وهو سيكون مصدر الم كبير للشعب السوري، وسيزيد من عنف المواجهات، ويجعل من سورية كلها ملعبا للموت.
ربما كان هذا الفيتو مناسبة كي تستفيق جميع اطياف المعارضة السورية من وهمين: الوهم الأول هو التدخل العسكري الخارجي. لن يكون هناك اي تدخل يتجاوز التدخلات التي نشهدها اليوم. دعم روسي بالسلاح ودعم ايراني بالمال للنظام الأسدي، وفتات دعم اكثره كلامي للمعارضة والشعب السوريين من بعض العرب وبعض الدول الغربية.
لن يُسقط النظام سوى الشعب، ولا وجود لأي رهانات اخرى ذات جدوى. وهذا يقتضي تصليب المواقف المعارضة، وبناء شبكات دعم للثورة بشكل جدي وفعال.
الوهم الثاني هو ان النظام يقاتل للبقاء في السلطة. ربما كان بعض قادة النظام يعتقدون انهم يستطيعون تحويل سورية كلها الى حماه، ما يسمح لهم بثلاثين سنة اخرى من الحكم! لكن الوقائع تقول عكس ذلك، وترسم لوحة داكنة للمشروع الحقيقي الذي تسعى آلة القمع والتشبيح للوصول اليه، انه تدمير سورية.
هذا هو منطق الانظمة الديكتاتورية العربية، من صدام الى القذافي وصولا الى آل الأسد. اذا لم يعد في الامكان حكم البلاد فلتذهب البلاد الى الجحيم. انهم يريدون اليوم تدمير سورية وتحطيم نسيجها الاجتماعي، وتحويلها الى اشلاء شعب وبقايا وطن.
امام انهيار هذين الوهمين تصير مهمات الثورة السورية اكثر وضوحا رغم الصعوبات. ويصير البديهي هو الاعتماد على النفس، والتأكيد على احتلال الشعب للشوارع والمدن، والصمود الى ما لا نهاية.
ومن جهة أخرى فان مهمة الثورة السورية هي حماية سورية من آلة النظام التفكيكية، وهذا يقتضي بناء خطاب واضح حول مسألتين كبريين:
المسألة الأولى هي رفض الانجرار الى حرب طائفية مهما كان الثمن، وبلورة خطاب وممارسة وطنيين ديموقراطيين يخاطبان الأقليات الطائفية الثلاث التي يعتقد النظام انه يستطيع استثمار خوفها. خطاب وممارسة تخاطب ضمير العلويين والمسيحيين والدروز، وترسم افقا لوطن لا مكان فيه للطائفية ولا لاضطهاد الاقليات ولا لتدفيع الناس ثمن جرائم النظام. سورية وطن للجميع من عرب وكرد، فيها يتمتع المواطن بحقوقه كافة من دون الالتفات الى العرق او القومية او الانتماء الديني.
المسألة الثانية هي بلورة مشروع سياسي اجتماعي لسورية المستقبل، من حيث التأكيد على الحرية والعدالة الاجتماعية، وتفكيك آلة المافيا الأمنية الاقتصادية التي حطمت الاقتصاد السوري وحولته الى اطار للنهب.
خلال المفاوضات المعقدة في مجلس الأمن، بدا وكأن روسيا تحاول ان لا تجد نفسها في عزلة دولية كاملة، وهذا اعطى بصيص امل بأن يمر مشروع القرار العربي بعد تعديله. لكن يبدو ان بوتين ونظامه الاوليغارشي فضل بناء تحالف بين المافيتين السورية والروسية، على احتمالات ان تجد روسيا لنفسها مكانا في التغيير العربي.
وهذا يدعو للاسف فعلا، لأن المصلحة الوطنية السورية والعربية تقتضي بوجود توازن في المنطقة كان بامكان روسيا ان تلعب دورا رئيسيا فيه.
لكن الفيتو اضاع هذه الفرصة ورمى سورية في المذبحة."
الياس خوري
"جاء الفيتو الروسي في مجلس الأمن في موعده تماماً. ترافق مع الذكرى الثلاثين لمجزرة حماه الرهيبة، وواكب مجزرة حي الخالدية في حمص. انه فيتو المجزرة، هكذا سنتذكره بأسى بعد حين، اي عندما يتهاوى نظام المافيا العسكرية/العائلية/الاقتصادية في سورية.
لا يختلف الفيتو الروسي ضد الشعب السوري بشيء عن الفيتو الامريكي ضد الشعب الفلسطيني. كلاهما تعبير عن طموحات استعمارية، وعن دعم للقتلة، وكلاهما يكشف لنا عن الضعف العربي الذي اوصلتنا اليه الأنظمة الانقلابية، بأن حولت ارض العرب الى ملعب للقوى العظمى.
لكن لا الفيتو الامريكي سوف يوقف النضال الوطني الفلسطيني ولا الفيتو الروسي يستطيع ان يغّير المعطى الذي رسمه نضال الشعب السوري في انتفاضته الكبرى. النظام السوري سقط حتى وهو يوجه المدفعية الى حمص وادلب والزبداني. نعم النظام سقط وانتهى الأمر، ولعبة المافيا السورية لم تعد قادرة على انقاذ النظام الذي تهاوى، بل صار هدفها هو اسقاط سورية كلها وتحويلها حطاما.
هل هذا ما تريده روسيا البوتينية وهي تندفع الى مد حبل نجاة كلنا يعرف انه لن يستطيع انقاذ بشار الأسد من الطوفان السوري؟
ما بات يعرفه الجميع هو ان المعارضة السورية مدت للروس اكثر من يد، فليس من مصلحة سورية اخراج روسيا من المنطقة، وليس من مصلحة الثورة السورية ان تستفرد امريكا ووكلاؤها من دول النفط العربي بالمنطقة. لكن الديبلوماسية الروسية تصرفت بعقلية الدول الاستعمارية في القرن الماضي، بدل ان تستمع بدقة الى موقف المعارضة السورية، انتظرت صفقة مع الامريكيين. اي ان ديبلوماسية السيد بوتين لا تزال تعتقد انها تستطيع عقد صفقات من فوق رؤوس الشعب، كي تبرهن انها لا تزال قوة عظمى.
الخاسر الأكبر في الفيتو الروسي هو روسيا. صحيح ان شلّ قدرة مجلس الأمن عن اتخاذ قرار يدين العنف الوحشي الذي يمارسه النظام السوري، يعني اعطاء النظام مزيدا من الوقت كي يمارس ساديته المفرطة، لكن هذا لن ينقذ نظاما لم يعد من الممكن انقاذه. الفيتو الروسي هو الوجه الآخر للمجزرة، وهو سيكون مصدر الم كبير للشعب السوري، وسيزيد من عنف المواجهات، ويجعل من سورية كلها ملعبا للموت.
ربما كان هذا الفيتو مناسبة كي تستفيق جميع اطياف المعارضة السورية من وهمين: الوهم الأول هو التدخل العسكري الخارجي. لن يكون هناك اي تدخل يتجاوز التدخلات التي نشهدها اليوم. دعم روسي بالسلاح ودعم ايراني بالمال للنظام الأسدي، وفتات دعم اكثره كلامي للمعارضة والشعب السوريين من بعض العرب وبعض الدول الغربية.
لن يُسقط النظام سوى الشعب، ولا وجود لأي رهانات اخرى ذات جدوى. وهذا يقتضي تصليب المواقف المعارضة، وبناء شبكات دعم للثورة بشكل جدي وفعال.
الوهم الثاني هو ان النظام يقاتل للبقاء في السلطة. ربما كان بعض قادة النظام يعتقدون انهم يستطيعون تحويل سورية كلها الى حماه، ما يسمح لهم بثلاثين سنة اخرى من الحكم! لكن الوقائع تقول عكس ذلك، وترسم لوحة داكنة للمشروع الحقيقي الذي تسعى آلة القمع والتشبيح للوصول اليه، انه تدمير سورية.
هذا هو منطق الانظمة الديكتاتورية العربية، من صدام الى القذافي وصولا الى آل الأسد. اذا لم يعد في الامكان حكم البلاد فلتذهب البلاد الى الجحيم. انهم يريدون اليوم تدمير سورية وتحطيم نسيجها الاجتماعي، وتحويلها الى اشلاء شعب وبقايا وطن.
امام انهيار هذين الوهمين تصير مهمات الثورة السورية اكثر وضوحا رغم الصعوبات. ويصير البديهي هو الاعتماد على النفس، والتأكيد على احتلال الشعب للشوارع والمدن، والصمود الى ما لا نهاية.
ومن جهة أخرى فان مهمة الثورة السورية هي حماية سورية من آلة النظام التفكيكية، وهذا يقتضي بناء خطاب واضح حول مسألتين كبريين:
المسألة الأولى هي رفض الانجرار الى حرب طائفية مهما كان الثمن، وبلورة خطاب وممارسة وطنيين ديموقراطيين يخاطبان الأقليات الطائفية الثلاث التي يعتقد النظام انه يستطيع استثمار خوفها. خطاب وممارسة تخاطب ضمير العلويين والمسيحيين والدروز، وترسم افقا لوطن لا مكان فيه للطائفية ولا لاضطهاد الاقليات ولا لتدفيع الناس ثمن جرائم النظام. سورية وطن للجميع من عرب وكرد، فيها يتمتع المواطن بحقوقه كافة من دون الالتفات الى العرق او القومية او الانتماء الديني.
المسألة الثانية هي بلورة مشروع سياسي اجتماعي لسورية المستقبل، من حيث التأكيد على الحرية والعدالة الاجتماعية، وتفكيك آلة المافيا الأمنية الاقتصادية التي حطمت الاقتصاد السوري وحولته الى اطار للنهب.
خلال المفاوضات المعقدة في مجلس الأمن، بدا وكأن روسيا تحاول ان لا تجد نفسها في عزلة دولية كاملة، وهذا اعطى بصيص امل بأن يمر مشروع القرار العربي بعد تعديله. لكن يبدو ان بوتين ونظامه الاوليغارشي فضل بناء تحالف بين المافيتين السورية والروسية، على احتمالات ان تجد روسيا لنفسها مكانا في التغيير العربي.
وهذا يدعو للاسف فعلا، لأن المصلحة الوطنية السورية والعربية تقتضي بوجود توازن في المنطقة كان بامكان روسيا ان تلعب دورا رئيسيا فيه.
لكن الفيتو اضاع هذه الفرصة ورمى سورية في المذبحة."
Monday, February 6, 2012
Al-Jazeera Video: Signs of rift in Syrian armed group's ranks
AN IMPORTANT VIDEO
"There appears to a rift growing in the leadership of the armed opposition group, Free Syrian Army, operating from Turkey.
Anita McNaught reports on the development from Istanbul."
"There appears to a rift growing in the leadership of the armed opposition group, Free Syrian Army, operating from Turkey.
Anita McNaught reports on the development from Istanbul."
Al-Jazeera Video: Syrian army intensifies shelling of Homs
"Syrian soldiers are shelling the central city of Homs, bombing houses and a temporary medical clinic, witnesses and activists say.
They say the government is attacking opposition targets across the country, but the military is concentrating its attacks on Homs, to try and break the back of the opposition.
Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi wraps up the developments."
Syria's most senior defector: Assad's army is close to collapse
In his first full-length newspaper interview, General Mustafa al-Sheikh, who has taken refuge in Turkey, gave an apocalyptic insider's view of the state of the regime – despite its attempt to reassert control this weekend.
He said only a third of the army was at combat readiness due to defections or absenteeism, while remaining troops were demoralised, most of its Sunni officers had fled, been arrested, or sidelined, and its equipment was degraded.
"The situation is now very dangerous and threatens to explode across the whole region, like a nuclear reaction," he said.
The failure of President Assad to keep a tight grip even on the towns and suburbs around Damascus, some of which have driven out the army for periods in recent weeks, has led to a reassessment of his forces' unity.
When Gen Sheikh fled over the border from his town in the north of the country in the second half of November, he thought the army could hold out against a vastly outnumbered opposition for a year or more. Now, he said, attacks by the rebels' Free Syrian Army were escalating as the rank and file withered away due to lack of belief in the cause.
The Assads' increasing reliance on loyalists from their own Alawite minority meant Sunni officers had fled, were under house arrest or at best marginalised and distrusted.
"The army will collapse during February," he said. "The reasons are the shortage of Syrian army personnel, which even before March 15 last year did not exceed 65 per cent. The proportion of equipment that was combat ready did not exceed that, due to a shortage of spare parts.
"The Syrian army combat readiness I would put at 40 per cent for hardware and 32 per cent for personnel.
"They are sending in elements from the Shabiha (militia) and the Alawite sect to compensate, but this army is unable to continue more than a month. Some elements of the army are reaching out to the FSA to help them to defect."
On Massad: The Failure of Anti imperialist intellectuals
I just read Massad's new post, "Imperialism, despotism, and democracy in Syria and my initial reaction is that it is out of touch with what is happening in Syria. There are good ways to overthrow a dictator and there are bad ways, he seems to say. The bad way is to ask for the West for help, the good way is, well, unclear. Massad tells us that a good anti-imperialist would oppose the dictator AND the West, which is pretty straightforward, but he doesn't tell us how that is going to help the people of Syria, or how he proposes that they get rid of Assad.
Where he refers to the "hijacking" of the Syrian revolution, does that mean it is any less deserving of support in light of the repression that it faces? Or are we to chastise the Syrian people for not being good anti-imperialists and insisting that they be massacred without asking for help - from the devil if need be. I do wonder how much of this hijacking of the Syrian revolution took place because of a moral vacuum that the anti-imperialists themselves have allowed to occur. That Massad himself says that the revolution was "hijacked" means that at the start the Syrian people were not calling for external or "imperialist" intervention, and were desperate for help wherever it could be found.
At many anti-regime protests that I have attended, I would argue with sectarian bigots that were keen on turning this into an anti-Shiite crusade, and were keen to call for Western involvement. Where were the anti-imperialists then? At one demonstration, the only person I could find who stood by me in such debates was a Marxist Syrian activist, Ghias al Jundi. Not one of my anti-imperialist "acquaintances" bothered showing up for the anti-regime protests. The space was left open for the SNC and it's types to beg for help from the West or wherever else. Furthermore, I don't recall one of the many vocal anti-imperialist voices online ever stating that they attended even the earliest of anti-regime Syrian protests to support the Syrian people. Not one that I know of bothered showing up, or said that they did so from their hallowed online thrones- and this meant that the ground lay uncontested from the start. But, according to Mr Massad, we must blame the Syrian people, and the Libyan people, and the Iraqi people, for being politically unsophisticated enough to recognise the nuances between imperialism and opportunistic opposition groups, home-grown tyranny and the unfathomable third way that Massad supports. Like some tragic Chekovian drama, the Syrian people are expected to bare their naked chests to bullets and die in the name of higher principles, rather than sully themselves with asking for help from wherever they can find it.
Where was the intellectual support and leadership that the Syrian - or even Libyan - people needed in their time of need? Why were they abandoned to the West? Was that simply because of Assad's politics? These are all rhetorical questions that I pose to Mr Massad and to all self-professed anti-imperialists.
Finally, Massad wonders why the Yemeni and Bahraini oppositions did not ask for Western intervention. Is Mr Massad unaware that the death toll from Assad's security services lies somewhere in the thousands - or at least is far higher - as compared to Yemen and Bahrain? The situation is so atrocious in Syria that Massad himself states Assad is trying hard to reach the same level of brutality with Saddam - for those unaware, that means a lot when we recall Saddam's brutality. And what is this about the Palestinians never asking for help from the imperialists? This point specifically highlights my earlier case that a moral vacuum by the anti-imperialists has allowed the West to step in and "hijack" the Syrian revolution. The Palestinian struggle has always had the support of anti-imperialist, or nominally anti-imperialist groups. It has a long history of [nominal] support from various Arab countries. The Palestinian people were certainly not abandoned to the vagaries of brutal occupation and repression unlike the Syrian people.
The brutal dichotomy that Massad seems to want to avoid - that of imperialism or fascism - is forced on the Syrian people precisely because of the vacuum that was allowed by the anti-imperialists that he speaks of. If they were as vocal and enthusiastic in fighting for the moral and intellectual high ground in spite of the cynical attempts of oil potentates and princes to subvert the revolutions, then the miserable farce we are seeing today would never have happened. If there ever was a true third way for the anti-imperialists to follow regarding Syria, this is what Massad should have called for in his piece.
Where he refers to the "hijacking" of the Syrian revolution, does that mean it is any less deserving of support in light of the repression that it faces? Or are we to chastise the Syrian people for not being good anti-imperialists and insisting that they be massacred without asking for help - from the devil if need be. I do wonder how much of this hijacking of the Syrian revolution took place because of a moral vacuum that the anti-imperialists themselves have allowed to occur. That Massad himself says that the revolution was "hijacked" means that at the start the Syrian people were not calling for external or "imperialist" intervention, and were desperate for help wherever it could be found.
At many anti-regime protests that I have attended, I would argue with sectarian bigots that were keen on turning this into an anti-Shiite crusade, and were keen to call for Western involvement. Where were the anti-imperialists then? At one demonstration, the only person I could find who stood by me in such debates was a Marxist Syrian activist, Ghias al Jundi. Not one of my anti-imperialist "acquaintances" bothered showing up for the anti-regime protests. The space was left open for the SNC and it's types to beg for help from the West or wherever else. Furthermore, I don't recall one of the many vocal anti-imperialist voices online ever stating that they attended even the earliest of anti-regime Syrian protests to support the Syrian people. Not one that I know of bothered showing up, or said that they did so from their hallowed online thrones- and this meant that the ground lay uncontested from the start. But, according to Mr Massad, we must blame the Syrian people, and the Libyan people, and the Iraqi people, for being politically unsophisticated enough to recognise the nuances between imperialism and opportunistic opposition groups, home-grown tyranny and the unfathomable third way that Massad supports. Like some tragic Chekovian drama, the Syrian people are expected to bare their naked chests to bullets and die in the name of higher principles, rather than sully themselves with asking for help from wherever they can find it.
Where was the intellectual support and leadership that the Syrian - or even Libyan - people needed in their time of need? Why were they abandoned to the West? Was that simply because of Assad's politics? These are all rhetorical questions that I pose to Mr Massad and to all self-professed anti-imperialists.
Finally, Massad wonders why the Yemeni and Bahraini oppositions did not ask for Western intervention. Is Mr Massad unaware that the death toll from Assad's security services lies somewhere in the thousands - or at least is far higher - as compared to Yemen and Bahrain? The situation is so atrocious in Syria that Massad himself states Assad is trying hard to reach the same level of brutality with Saddam - for those unaware, that means a lot when we recall Saddam's brutality. And what is this about the Palestinians never asking for help from the imperialists? This point specifically highlights my earlier case that a moral vacuum by the anti-imperialists has allowed the West to step in and "hijack" the Syrian revolution. The Palestinian struggle has always had the support of anti-imperialist, or nominally anti-imperialist groups. It has a long history of [nominal] support from various Arab countries. The Palestinian people were certainly not abandoned to the vagaries of brutal occupation and repression unlike the Syrian people.
The brutal dichotomy that Massad seems to want to avoid - that of imperialism or fascism - is forced on the Syrian people precisely because of the vacuum that was allowed by the anti-imperialists that he speaks of. If they were as vocal and enthusiastic in fighting for the moral and intellectual high ground in spite of the cynical attempts of oil potentates and princes to subvert the revolutions, then the miserable farce we are seeing today would never have happened. If there ever was a true third way for the anti-imperialists to follow regarding Syria, this is what Massad should have called for in his piece.
Must we fight imperialism before we get our own freedom ?
I was thinking about it this morning, for silent Arab intellectuals on Syria (and they are a whole bunch ranging from Massad to Ali Abu Nimah ...etc) what would be their stance if one day the US for its own interests decided to side with Palestinians and oppose and reject Israel ? would they welcome it ? would they say "Finally US saw the light ?" or would they say "No US we don't need you, we oppose your imperialism and Zionism" ?
of course we may never know the answer but I speculate they would be the first to justify their reversal by quoting Malcom X "by any means necessary" and I hope I live long enough to see that day.
Irony is the regime in Syria is not acting alone, it is getting the political and military support from the "diet imperialist" Russia and Iran , so when you have a super power behind the regime (unlike Iraq) would you not expect the opposition to seek another super power to balance things out ? I mean what are the other choices ? pray for allah ? who is going to Arm the FSA ? who is going to help them out ? this "neither nor" alternative is no alternative but slow death and suicide. In this current world dynamics you need to have a super power behind you , Syrian regime has Russia and China , to expect the Syrian people/opposition to reject help from the west, fight imperialism before they gained their own freedom is naive and pointless.
Syria between two massacres: Hama's memory endures
As Syrians find their voice to mark the 1982 massacre, their resolve to overthrow this brutal regime is clear
Wadah Khanfar
(Wadah Khanfar was the director general of the al-Jazeera network)
guardian.co.uk, Monday 6 February 2012
".....As for the supposed weakness and organisational ability of the Syrian opposition, there is in fact a huge capacity to organise and instil discipline. The people's co-ordinating committees administer to the people's needs efficiently. They communicate between themselves in all parts of Syria, assigning duties and dealing with logistics in a manner that is now much better than it was in the early days of the revolution. At the same time, the Syrian National Council has begun to organise its ranks abroad, agreeing on a political discourse that is more coherent and co-ordinated. True, the Syrian opposition is less well organised than their counterparts in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen because of the extreme brutality of the Syrian regime, but an acceptable measure of maturity and commitment has been achieved. The street, with its civil and political forces, is able to guide the process of transition to democracy with no less proficiency than the other peoples in the region who have already got rid of their regimes.
The demonstrations that Syria witnessed last Friday ("forgive us Hama, we apologise") show that the Syrian people have resolved to overthrow the regime. It is now for the international community, especially Russia and China, to ask for forgiveness from Hama, Homs, Idlib and the Syrian people. They should also make their choices, because this time the Syrian people have a voice, and it is being heard, with photos of their daily suffering being widely circulated, and memories that never die."
Wadah Khanfar
(Wadah Khanfar was the director general of the al-Jazeera network)
guardian.co.uk, Monday 6 February 2012
".....As for the supposed weakness and organisational ability of the Syrian opposition, there is in fact a huge capacity to organise and instil discipline. The people's co-ordinating committees administer to the people's needs efficiently. They communicate between themselves in all parts of Syria, assigning duties and dealing with logistics in a manner that is now much better than it was in the early days of the revolution. At the same time, the Syrian National Council has begun to organise its ranks abroad, agreeing on a political discourse that is more coherent and co-ordinated. True, the Syrian opposition is less well organised than their counterparts in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen because of the extreme brutality of the Syrian regime, but an acceptable measure of maturity and commitment has been achieved. The street, with its civil and political forces, is able to guide the process of transition to democracy with no less proficiency than the other peoples in the region who have already got rid of their regimes.
The demonstrations that Syria witnessed last Friday ("forgive us Hama, we apologise") show that the Syrian people have resolved to overthrow the regime. It is now for the international community, especially Russia and China, to ask for forgiveness from Hama, Homs, Idlib and the Syrian people. They should also make their choices, because this time the Syrian people have a voice, and it is being heard, with photos of their daily suffering being widely circulated, and memories that never die."
Guardian Video: Homs bombarded by Syrian government forces
Footage obtained from YouTube purports to show Syrian government forces shelling the city of Homs. According to the rebel Syrian National Council, 50 people were killed. Unverified footage also shows the aftermath of clashes in Zabadani, and protesters in Idlib calling for President Bashar al-Assad to step down
guardian.co.uk, Monday 6 February 2012
guardian.co.uk, Monday 6 February 2012
Imperialism, despotism, and democracy in Syria
The stark choice between a fascist or an imperialist course in Syria should be discarded for a third and better course.
AN EXCELLENT COMMENT
Joseph Massad
Al-Jazeera
"....Like Saddam, the Assad dynastic regime has been an ally of the Saudi theocracy and its junior Gulf partners, and an agent of US imperialism in the region, especially in its major intervention in Lebanon in 1976 at the invitation of the Christian fascist forces who called the Syrians in to help them crush the leftist revolutionary movement in the country, including the PLO. The role played by the Syrian regime (in conjunction with Israeli advisors) in the horrific Tel al-Za'tar massacre in 1976, when thousands of Palestinians were slaughtered at the hands of fascist Maronite forces abetted by the Syrian army, is now the stuff of history.
Moreover, the Assad regime again proved most helpful to its US and Saudi sponsors when it joined the imperial coalition to invade the Gulf in 1990-91 under the US flag. On the Zionist front, the Syrian regime proved as pliant as the Jordanian one, ensuring the security of Israel's "borders", which Israel conquered and established inside Syria's and Jordan's own territories. Internally, the regime has used and continues to use draconian measures to suppress, repress, and oppress the Syrian people mercilessly (though still not to the extent of Saddamist repression, which no Arab regime has ever reached). By calling for imperial military intervention, the Syrian exile opposition invokes, without originality, the very same puerile yet insidious choices presented to anti-imperialist and pro-democracy Arabs and non-Arabs by the erstwhile bankrupt Iraqi and Libyan exile oppositions, namely, that there is only one choice to be made: for or against Assad.
These are false choices not only ideologically but also, and more importantly, historically. The monumental loss of Iraqi lives and the destruction of their country as well as the ongoing destruction and killings in Libya belie the Syrian exile opposition's call for imperial invasion of Syria as the way to peace, democracy and to stop the ongoing carnage in the country. One wonders why the Bahraini and Yemeni oppositions have never called for an imperial invasion of their countries to liberate them from their equally despotic rulers. Nor have West Bank and Gaza Palestinians, languishing under the despotic boots of the Israeli occupation army for almost half a century, ever demanded an imperial invasion to liberate them from Israel. In fact, when the Palestinians deigned to request UN peace forces to protect them from the deadly power of the Israeli occupation army, the US balked in utter horror and disgust.
Those cowed into silence by this old and tired rhetoric of the Iraqi, Libyan, and now Syrian exile oppositions should reconsider the imperial pedigree of the stark choices they present. Anyone acquainted with the history of American imperialism in the Arab world and with the record of local despotism knows that these choices are designed to block a third and central choice.
Unlike Fred Halliday and his pro-imperialist Arab and non-Arab acolytes, we need never choose between imperialism and fascism; we must unequivocally opt for the third choice, which has proven its efficacy historically and is much less costly no matter the sacrifices it requires: fighting against domestic despotism and US imperialism simultaneously (and the two have been in most cases one and the same force), and supporting home-grown struggles for democratic transformation and social justice that are not financed and controlled by the oil tyrannies of the Gulf and their US imperial master."
AN EXCELLENT COMMENT
Joseph Massad
Al-Jazeera
"....Like Saddam, the Assad dynastic regime has been an ally of the Saudi theocracy and its junior Gulf partners, and an agent of US imperialism in the region, especially in its major intervention in Lebanon in 1976 at the invitation of the Christian fascist forces who called the Syrians in to help them crush the leftist revolutionary movement in the country, including the PLO. The role played by the Syrian regime (in conjunction with Israeli advisors) in the horrific Tel al-Za'tar massacre in 1976, when thousands of Palestinians were slaughtered at the hands of fascist Maronite forces abetted by the Syrian army, is now the stuff of history.
Moreover, the Assad regime again proved most helpful to its US and Saudi sponsors when it joined the imperial coalition to invade the Gulf in 1990-91 under the US flag. On the Zionist front, the Syrian regime proved as pliant as the Jordanian one, ensuring the security of Israel's "borders", which Israel conquered and established inside Syria's and Jordan's own territories. Internally, the regime has used and continues to use draconian measures to suppress, repress, and oppress the Syrian people mercilessly (though still not to the extent of Saddamist repression, which no Arab regime has ever reached). By calling for imperial military intervention, the Syrian exile opposition invokes, without originality, the very same puerile yet insidious choices presented to anti-imperialist and pro-democracy Arabs and non-Arabs by the erstwhile bankrupt Iraqi and Libyan exile oppositions, namely, that there is only one choice to be made: for or against Assad.
These are false choices not only ideologically but also, and more importantly, historically. The monumental loss of Iraqi lives and the destruction of their country as well as the ongoing destruction and killings in Libya belie the Syrian exile opposition's call for imperial invasion of Syria as the way to peace, democracy and to stop the ongoing carnage in the country. One wonders why the Bahraini and Yemeni oppositions have never called for an imperial invasion of their countries to liberate them from their equally despotic rulers. Nor have West Bank and Gaza Palestinians, languishing under the despotic boots of the Israeli occupation army for almost half a century, ever demanded an imperial invasion to liberate them from Israel. In fact, when the Palestinians deigned to request UN peace forces to protect them from the deadly power of the Israeli occupation army, the US balked in utter horror and disgust.
Those cowed into silence by this old and tired rhetoric of the Iraqi, Libyan, and now Syrian exile oppositions should reconsider the imperial pedigree of the stark choices they present. Anyone acquainted with the history of American imperialism in the Arab world and with the record of local despotism knows that these choices are designed to block a third and central choice.
Unlike Fred Halliday and his pro-imperialist Arab and non-Arab acolytes, we need never choose between imperialism and fascism; we must unequivocally opt for the third choice, which has proven its efficacy historically and is much less costly no matter the sacrifices it requires: fighting against domestic despotism and US imperialism simultaneously (and the two have been in most cases one and the same force), and supporting home-grown struggles for democratic transformation and social justice that are not financed and controlled by the oil tyrannies of the Gulf and their US imperial master."
Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll
How do you explain the escalation of the Syrian regime against the uprising?
A show of force after getting the green light from the veto (Russia and China).
Or an indication of losing control.
With about 1,200 responding, the vote was evenly split.
A show of force after getting the green light from the veto (Russia and China).
Or an indication of losing control.
With about 1,200 responding, the vote was evenly split.
Assad Housecleaning, Taylor Jones, Cagle Cartoons, El Nuevo Dia, Puerto Rico
(Click on cartoon to enlarge)
Real News Video: Clashes rage in Cairo for fourth day
Protesters battled police forces for the fourth consecutive day demanding an immediate end to military rule.
Al-Jazeera Video: Inside Story - Has Syria been given a licence to kill?
"The UN has again failed to condemn the Syrian government for its crackdown on protesters, after Russia and China blocked a Security Council resolution. Has diplomacy reached the end of the road? Guests: Dimitry Babich, Sameer Al Taqi and Shadi Hamid."
Egypt: Rights Activists at Risk of Prison
Repressive Draft Law to Control Civil Society Groups
"(New York) – Egyptian authorities should drop all charges against unregistered nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and stop the criminal investigation of such groups, Human Rights Watch said today. Authorities should not take action against NGOs until Egypt’s new parliament proposes legislation consistent with international legal standards, Human Rights Watch said. The organizations under investigation are not registered under the Mubarak-era Associations Law, in many cases because the government failed to respond to their requests to register.
"(New York) – Egyptian authorities should drop all charges against unregistered nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and stop the criminal investigation of such groups, Human Rights Watch said today. Authorities should not take action against NGOs until Egypt’s new parliament proposes legislation consistent with international legal standards, Human Rights Watch said. The organizations under investigation are not registered under the Mubarak-era Associations Law, in many cases because the government failed to respond to their requests to register.
On February 5, 2012, the state-run MENA news agency announced that two investigative judges hand-picked by the government had referred 40 NGO staff to trial, both Egyptian and American nationals. Over the past several months, the judges interrogated staff from at least seven groups, and on December 29 military and police raided their offices. A new draft NGO law proposed by the government would actually increase restrictions on free association, Human Rights Watch said. Authorities have given the organizations until February 3 to provide comments on the law.
“The Egyptian authorities are using a discredited Mubarak-era law to prosecute nongovernmental groups while proposing even more restrictive legislation,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The government should stop using the old law, halt the criminal investigations, and propose a law that respects international standards.”....."
Most Egyptians Oppose U.S. Economic Aid
GALLUP
"LOS ANGELES -- About 7 in 10 Egyptians surveyed by Gallup in December 2011 oppose U.S. economic aid to Egypt, and a similar percentage opposes the U.S. sending direct aid to civil society groups. This rebuke of U.S. financial support may be a challenge for Egypt's newly elected parliament and its future president as the government attempts to bolster the nation's financial stability.....
Egytians are nearly as likely to favor aid from Arab governments as they are to oppose help from the U.S. Almost 7 in 10 favor aid from Arab governments.This may in part reflect high-profile announcements by several of the country's Arab neighbors about their involvement in projects to help rebuild Egypt's economy....."
"LOS ANGELES -- About 7 in 10 Egyptians surveyed by Gallup in December 2011 oppose U.S. economic aid to Egypt, and a similar percentage opposes the U.S. sending direct aid to civil society groups. This rebuke of U.S. financial support may be a challenge for Egypt's newly elected parliament and its future president as the government attempts to bolster the nation's financial stability.....
Egytians are nearly as likely to favor aid from Arab governments as they are to oppose help from the U.S. Almost 7 in 10 favor aid from Arab governments.This may in part reflect high-profile announcements by several of the country's Arab neighbors about their involvement in projects to help rebuild Egypt's economy....."
Egyptians oppose US economic aid, says Gallup
Bikya Masr
"CAIRO: A new poll published by Gallup revealed that some 70 percent of Egyptians surveyed oppose United States economic aid to Egypt. The poll, conducted in December 2011, also said that Egyptians are against direct aid to civil society organizations in the country.
“This rebuke of US financial support may be a challenge for Egypt’s newly elected parliament and its future president as the government attempts to bolster the nation’s financial stability,” wrote Gallup in their report published on Monday.
Egyptians were not against international economic assistance altogether, however, showing signs of support from international aid groups.
Gallup reported that around 50 percent of the country favoring aid and assistance from international institutions.
Egypt’s ruling military junta and the interim government appointed by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) had initially rejected assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but has since reversed their opposition......"
"CAIRO: A new poll published by Gallup revealed that some 70 percent of Egyptians surveyed oppose United States economic aid to Egypt. The poll, conducted in December 2011, also said that Egyptians are against direct aid to civil society organizations in the country.
“This rebuke of US financial support may be a challenge for Egypt’s newly elected parliament and its future president as the government attempts to bolster the nation’s financial stability,” wrote Gallup in their report published on Monday.
Egyptians were not against international economic assistance altogether, however, showing signs of support from international aid groups.
Gallup reported that around 50 percent of the country favoring aid and assistance from international institutions.
Egypt’s ruling military junta and the interim government appointed by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) had initially rejected assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but has since reversed their opposition......"
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Can civil disobedience succeed in Egypt?
Joseph Mayton 5 February 2012
Bikya Masr
"CAIRO: Rocks and Molotov cocktails are not working in Egypt. The military and its police force respond with tear gas, rubber bullets and even live ammunition against protesters. Now, Egyptians are calling for a massive civil disobedience movement to begin on February 11, the one-year anniversary of President Hosni Mubarak’s departure. The question is can it be successful?
It is certainly the right move. Right action. Right time. The concern has to be whether it will have the numbers necessary, and the discipline to make an impact. With all the deaths and violence meted out at the protesters in downtown Cairo over the past few days, in December, November and October, moving to an in-your-face protest movement that employs civil disobedience is a good start.
Historically, mass civil movements of this kind have been successful in creating the change desired by protesters.
Two successful protest movements can be a good starting point for the anti-military movement in Egypt to choose a different path.....
If it fails to achieve any amount of success, however, it will show the cracks in the protesters’ organization and the supremacy of the military junta in maintaining their stranglehold on power and media. Once again Egypt is at a turning point in its struggle to fulfill its revolutionary goals, but the military and its commanders stand in the way, just as Mubarak and his cronies did one year ago."
Bikya Masr
"CAIRO: Rocks and Molotov cocktails are not working in Egypt. The military and its police force respond with tear gas, rubber bullets and even live ammunition against protesters. Now, Egyptians are calling for a massive civil disobedience movement to begin on February 11, the one-year anniversary of President Hosni Mubarak’s departure. The question is can it be successful?
It is certainly the right move. Right action. Right time. The concern has to be whether it will have the numbers necessary, and the discipline to make an impact. With all the deaths and violence meted out at the protesters in downtown Cairo over the past few days, in December, November and October, moving to an in-your-face protest movement that employs civil disobedience is a good start.
Historically, mass civil movements of this kind have been successful in creating the change desired by protesters.
Two successful protest movements can be a good starting point for the anti-military movement in Egypt to choose a different path.....
If it fails to achieve any amount of success, however, it will show the cracks in the protesters’ organization and the supremacy of the military junta in maintaining their stranglehold on power and media. Once again Egypt is at a turning point in its struggle to fulfill its revolutionary goals, but the military and its commanders stand in the way, just as Mubarak and his cronies did one year ago."
Egypt NGOs accuse military junta of “crimes against humanity”
Bikya Masr
"CAIRO: Some 16 Egyptian rights NGOs issued a joint statement on Sunday holding the military ruling council responsible for the violent clashes that killed 75 people at a football match last Wednesday in the city of Port Said, east of Cairo.
They said the military council, represented by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, are in collusion with what had happened and are continuing to commit “crimes against humanity.”
The Ahly vs Masry match ended with the latter winning 3-1, yet once the match ended Masry fans crossed the gates into the field and attacked the players and the fans of al-Ahly. No police presence or medics were there, which led to the death of many who were in critical condition.
The NGOs condemned the government and the ministry of interior for their failure to provide effective security during and after the match.
Eyewitnesses at the game reported that police in charge of securing the stadium and the crowd were in fact the ones who opened the gates to allow the Masry “fans” and then fled the scene......"
"CAIRO: Some 16 Egyptian rights NGOs issued a joint statement on Sunday holding the military ruling council responsible for the violent clashes that killed 75 people at a football match last Wednesday in the city of Port Said, east of Cairo.
They said the military council, represented by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, are in collusion with what had happened and are continuing to commit “crimes against humanity.”
The Ahly vs Masry match ended with the latter winning 3-1, yet once the match ended Masry fans crossed the gates into the field and attacked the players and the fans of al-Ahly. No police presence or medics were there, which led to the death of many who were in critical condition.
The NGOs condemned the government and the ministry of interior for their failure to provide effective security during and after the match.
Eyewitnesses at the game reported that police in charge of securing the stadium and the crowd were in fact the ones who opened the gates to allow the Masry “fans” and then fled the scene......"
Evidence points to tear gas being used in Egypt from December shipment
One of the tear gas canisters(CS) used in Cairo, made in Jamestown, PA.
Joseph Mayton 5 February 2012
Bikya Masr
"CAIRO: With more and more tear gas being fired on Egypt protesters the past four days and counting, images of the canisters have reignited anger towards the United States over their selling of the deadly dispersant to Egypt’s military and security forces.
In December, Egyptians were enraged to learn that a shipment of some 21 tons of tear gas arrived at its Suez port from the US, worrying many that any clashes to come would have reinforcements of the gas, banned for military use.
According to a weapons specialist, much of the tear gas being used in the past four days is from those shipments that arrived late last year....."
Bikya Masr
"CAIRO: With more and more tear gas being fired on Egypt protesters the past four days and counting, images of the canisters have reignited anger towards the United States over their selling of the deadly dispersant to Egypt’s military and security forces.
In December, Egyptians were enraged to learn that a shipment of some 21 tons of tear gas arrived at its Suez port from the US, worrying many that any clashes to come would have reinforcements of the gas, banned for military use.
According to a weapons specialist, much of the tear gas being used in the past four days is from those shipments that arrived late last year....."
Syria on brink of civil war as diplomacy fails to dislodge Assad
As Arab countries lose patience with diplomatic effort, Qatar rumoured to be arming Free Syrian Army with Saudi blessing
Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 5 February 2012
"....Perhaps, though, suggested analyst Rime Allaf, there is a silver lining. "Russia's veto showed that Assad's supporters are not really prepared to negotiate," she said. "Everything is clearer now that we know – even if things will get worse." On the ground, the activists of the local co-ordination committees and the fighters of the Free Syrian Army already sound more defiant. "In the coming days, many Syrians are going to do a lot of soul-searching ultimately leading to a decision to support armed struggle," one activist tweeted. "We have to depend solely on Syrians to liberate ourselves," insisted another. "Where do I donate to buy arms for the Free Syrian Army?" asked a third.
Overnight, demonstrations in the suburbs of Damascus – in solidarity with Homs and in support of the FSA –displayed growing readiness to risk everything. But the balance of forces between the regime and even its armed opponents remains terrifyingly unequal. In Homs, BBC correspondent Paul Wood reported from inside the city, it was a battle of "Kalashnikovs versus tanks."......
But its hawkish vanguard is losing patience. Qatar, the wealthy dynamo of regional diplomacy, is already rumoured to be arming the FSA with Saudi blessing. Senator Joe Lieberman, the former US democratic presidential candidate, welcomed the idea too. Further militarisation could see Syria becoming a battleground in a proxy war between the Gulf Arabs and Iran, Assad's only regional ally. Many see parallels with Libya – though Syria's opposition is fragmented and has no stronghold like Benghazi from which to fight the regime......"
Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 5 February 2012
"....Perhaps, though, suggested analyst Rime Allaf, there is a silver lining. "Russia's veto showed that Assad's supporters are not really prepared to negotiate," she said. "Everything is clearer now that we know – even if things will get worse." On the ground, the activists of the local co-ordination committees and the fighters of the Free Syrian Army already sound more defiant. "In the coming days, many Syrians are going to do a lot of soul-searching ultimately leading to a decision to support armed struggle," one activist tweeted. "We have to depend solely on Syrians to liberate ourselves," insisted another. "Where do I donate to buy arms for the Free Syrian Army?" asked a third.
Overnight, demonstrations in the suburbs of Damascus – in solidarity with Homs and in support of the FSA –displayed growing readiness to risk everything. But the balance of forces between the regime and even its armed opponents remains terrifyingly unequal. In Homs, BBC correspondent Paul Wood reported from inside the city, it was a battle of "Kalashnikovs versus tanks."......
But its hawkish vanguard is losing patience. Qatar, the wealthy dynamo of regional diplomacy, is already rumoured to be arming the FSA with Saudi blessing. Senator Joe Lieberman, the former US democratic presidential candidate, welcomed the idea too. Further militarisation could see Syria becoming a battleground in a proxy war between the Gulf Arabs and Iran, Assad's only regional ally. Many see parallels with Libya – though Syria's opposition is fragmented and has no stronghold like Benghazi from which to fight the regime......"
Video of my Penn BDS speech and how Zionist filmmaker pretended to be from Canada’s CBC
By Ali Abunimah
"After all the negativity and attacks by anti-Palestinian groups, prior to the Penn BDS conference, the event itself has been a real celebration of solidarity among an incredibly diverse group of people.
I had the honor to give the keynote lecture last night to a packed auditorium. Here’s the recording of the live stream for anyone who wants to watch. Hopefully a better quality recording will become available in a few days...."
"After all the negativity and attacks by anti-Palestinian groups, prior to the Penn BDS conference, the event itself has been a real celebration of solidarity among an incredibly diverse group of people.
I had the honor to give the keynote lecture last night to a packed auditorium. Here’s the recording of the live stream for anyone who wants to watch. Hopefully a better quality recording will become available in a few days...."
Breaking: NGO workers, including Americans, sent to criminal court in Egypt
By Joseph Mayton
Bikya Masr
"CAIRO: At least 40 NGO workers in Egypt have been referred to a Cairo criminal court and have been charged with “illegal funding of a civil society organization,” judicial sources told Bikyamasr.com on Sunday afternoon.
Among those sent are 19 Americans, 5 Serbians, two Germans, three Arabs and the remaining Egyptians. Sam LaHood, the son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who has made headlines recently after being barred from leaving Egypt, was among those charged.
The spat over American citizens being barred from leaving Egypt has left a diplomatic row between the military junta here in Egypt and the American government.
A senior State Department official said Sunday that a “handful of US citizens have opted to stay in the embassy compound in Cairo while awaiting permission to depart Egypt.”
The official, who was not allowed to discuss the matter on the record, would not say whether Sam LaHood, the son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, was among those at the embassy.
LaHood said last week that he fears he could be jailed for up to five years after being barred from leaving the country earlier this month.
LaHood and a number of other Americans were banned from leaving Egypt little over a week ago.
The younger LaHood told Fox News via telephone last Friday that an Egyptian judge claims he, along with the other Americans stopped, worked for an unregistered non-governmental organization and took a salary.
“We’re kind of expecting the worst,” LaHood said.....
According to the statement from the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), the employees of the organizations are now under investigation by the public prosecutor.
Additionally, with regards to the ACIJP office at least, “authorities restricted access to the entire building, preventing people from entering or exiting the building,” during the raid.
CIHRS said that the move is part of the ruling military junta’s “campaign” against civil society and human rights groups in Egypt. In recent months, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has accused local NGOs of receiving money from abroad, and have argued to the public that the recent unrest in the country is by “foreign hands.”...."
Bikya Masr
"CAIRO: At least 40 NGO workers in Egypt have been referred to a Cairo criminal court and have been charged with “illegal funding of a civil society organization,” judicial sources told Bikyamasr.com on Sunday afternoon.
Among those sent are 19 Americans, 5 Serbians, two Germans, three Arabs and the remaining Egyptians. Sam LaHood, the son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who has made headlines recently after being barred from leaving Egypt, was among those charged.
The spat over American citizens being barred from leaving Egypt has left a diplomatic row between the military junta here in Egypt and the American government.
A senior State Department official said Sunday that a “handful of US citizens have opted to stay in the embassy compound in Cairo while awaiting permission to depart Egypt.”
The official, who was not allowed to discuss the matter on the record, would not say whether Sam LaHood, the son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, was among those at the embassy.
LaHood said last week that he fears he could be jailed for up to five years after being barred from leaving the country earlier this month.
LaHood and a number of other Americans were banned from leaving Egypt little over a week ago.
The younger LaHood told Fox News via telephone last Friday that an Egyptian judge claims he, along with the other Americans stopped, worked for an unregistered non-governmental organization and took a salary.
“We’re kind of expecting the worst,” LaHood said.....
According to the statement from the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), the employees of the organizations are now under investigation by the public prosecutor.
Additionally, with regards to the ACIJP office at least, “authorities restricted access to the entire building, preventing people from entering or exiting the building,” during the raid.
CIHRS said that the move is part of the ruling military junta’s “campaign” against civil society and human rights groups in Egypt. In recent months, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has accused local NGOs of receiving money from abroad, and have argued to the public that the recent unrest in the country is by “foreign hands.”...."
Yemen’s Tawakkul Karman condemns China, Russia veto of UN Syria vote
Bikya Masr
"Munich (dpa) – Yemeni activist and Nobel Peace laureate Tawakkul Karman on Sunday condemned China and Russia for their decision to veto a United Nations resolution to end the violence in Syria.
The UN vote Saturday coincided with reports of some 260 people killed by security forces in the central city of Homs, in an escalating crackdown by the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
“In the name of this brave Arab youth, I declare the complete condemnation of this regime,” Karman said at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
“The war al-Assad is leading is a war on humanity.”
Moscow and Beijing would have to “bear the moral and human responsibility for these massacres,” she said.
“The human conscious cannot rest when you see the patient and peaceful people, their blood is shed on the streets. We are looking forward to the victory of the Syrian people,” Karman said.
Discussion on Syria, which many experts say is slipping into civil war, and the impact of the wider Arab Spring, is a key topic at the annual conference.
Karman, founder of the group Women Journalists Without Chains and a key figure in the opposition movement in Yemen and the wider Arab Spring, was awarded the Nobel last year for her work in promoting women’s rights."
"Munich (dpa) – Yemeni activist and Nobel Peace laureate Tawakkul Karman on Sunday condemned China and Russia for their decision to veto a United Nations resolution to end the violence in Syria.
The UN vote Saturday coincided with reports of some 260 people killed by security forces in the central city of Homs, in an escalating crackdown by the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
“In the name of this brave Arab youth, I declare the complete condemnation of this regime,” Karman said at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
“The war al-Assad is leading is a war on humanity.”
Moscow and Beijing would have to “bear the moral and human responsibility for these massacres,” she said.
“The human conscious cannot rest when you see the patient and peaceful people, their blood is shed on the streets. We are looking forward to the victory of the Syrian people,” Karman said.
Discussion on Syria, which many experts say is slipping into civil war, and the impact of the wider Arab Spring, is a key topic at the annual conference.
Karman, founder of the group Women Journalists Without Chains and a key figure in the opposition movement in Yemen and the wider Arab Spring, was awarded the Nobel last year for her work in promoting women’s rights."
Real News Video: Doha Debates: Is Turkey a Bad Model for the New Arab States?
The Doha Debates takes on one possible model for Arab states
59% Said That Turkey is a Bad Model for the Arabs.
59% Said That Turkey is a Bad Model for the Arabs.
UN: Russia, China Vetoes Betray Syrian People
Human Rights Watch
February 4, 2012
"(New York) – Vetoes by Russia and China of the UN Security Council resolution on Syria are a betrayal of the Syrian people, Human Rights Watch said today. A resolution urging the Syrian government to end all human rights violations and cooperate with the UN commission of inquiry and the Arab League observer mission was approved by 13 council members, including India, South Africa, and Pakistan, before being vetoed.
“After weeks of Russian diplomatic games-playing and in the middle of a bloodbath in Homs, vetoes by Moscow and Beijing are simply incendiary,” said Philippe Bolopion, UN director at Human Rights Watch. “Vetoes by Russia and China are not only a slap in the face of the Arab League, they are also a betrayal of the Syrian people.”
The death toll had more than doubled since Russia and China vetoed a previous Syria resolution on October 4, according to United Nations figures. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported 5,400 dead in December, but as the country descends into chaos, her office stopped counting for lack of accurate figures. Human Rights Watch warned the government of President Bashar al-Assad, blamed for the majority of the killings, against interpreting this double veto as a green light for even more violence.
“The Russian government is not only unapologetically arming a government that is killing its own people, but also providing it with diplomatic cover,” Bolopion said. “But the failure of this resolution should not provide illusory comfort to the Assad government: most countries around the world and in Syria’s neighborhood are repulsed by its bloody repression campaign.”....."
February 4, 2012
"(New York) – Vetoes by Russia and China of the UN Security Council resolution on Syria are a betrayal of the Syrian people, Human Rights Watch said today. A resolution urging the Syrian government to end all human rights violations and cooperate with the UN commission of inquiry and the Arab League observer mission was approved by 13 council members, including India, South Africa, and Pakistan, before being vetoed.
“After weeks of Russian diplomatic games-playing and in the middle of a bloodbath in Homs, vetoes by Moscow and Beijing are simply incendiary,” said Philippe Bolopion, UN director at Human Rights Watch. “Vetoes by Russia and China are not only a slap in the face of the Arab League, they are also a betrayal of the Syrian people.”
The death toll had more than doubled since Russia and China vetoed a previous Syria resolution on October 4, according to United Nations figures. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported 5,400 dead in December, but as the country descends into chaos, her office stopped counting for lack of accurate figures. Human Rights Watch warned the government of President Bashar al-Assad, blamed for the majority of the killings, against interpreting this double veto as a green light for even more violence.
“The Russian government is not only unapologetically arming a government that is killing its own people, but also providing it with diplomatic cover,” Bolopion said. “But the failure of this resolution should not provide illusory comfort to the Assad government: most countries around the world and in Syria’s neighborhood are repulsed by its bloody repression campaign.”....."
Israel: End Restrictions on Palestinian Residency
Military Control Over Population Registry Splits Families
Human Rights Watch
February 5, 2012
"(Jerusalem) – Israeli policies on Palestinian residency have arbitrarily denied thousands of Palestinians the ability to live in, and travel to and from, the West Bank and Gaza, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Israel should immediately stop denying or cancelling the residency of Palestinians and close family members with deep ties to the West Bank and Gaza, and end blanket bans on processing their applications for residency.
The 90-page report, “Forget about Him, He’s Not Here,” describes the arbitrary exclusion by the Israeli military of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians since 1967 and documents the impact that exclusion continues to have on individuals and families. The way Israel’s military has exercised its control over the Palestinian population registry – the list of Palestinians whom it considers to be lawful residents of the West Bank and Gaza territories – has separated families, caused people to lose jobs and educational opportunities, barred people from entering the Palestinian territories, and trapped others inside them, Human Rights Watch said. Egypt also has problematic policies on Palestinians trying to enter Gaza that are based on the Israeli-controlled population registry.
“Israel has never put forth any concrete security rationale for blanket policies that have made life a nightmare for Palestinians whom it considers unlawful residents in their own homes,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The current policies leave families divided and people trapped on the wrong side of the border in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel should revise these policies and process requests for families to reunite, so that Palestinians can live with their families where they want.”
Israel requires Palestinians to be included in the population registry in order to be considered lawful residents and obtain Israeli-approved identification cards and passports. In the West Bank, Palestinians need the ID cards to travel internally, including to schools, jobs, hospitals, and to visit family, because Israeli security forces manning checkpoints require these cards before allowing passage. Israeli officials, who control all West Bank borders, also require Palestinians entering or leaving the territory to present an identification card or passport........"
Human Rights Watch
February 5, 2012
"(Jerusalem) – Israeli policies on Palestinian residency have arbitrarily denied thousands of Palestinians the ability to live in, and travel to and from, the West Bank and Gaza, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Israel should immediately stop denying or cancelling the residency of Palestinians and close family members with deep ties to the West Bank and Gaza, and end blanket bans on processing their applications for residency.
The 90-page report, “Forget about Him, He’s Not Here,” describes the arbitrary exclusion by the Israeli military of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians since 1967 and documents the impact that exclusion continues to have on individuals and families. The way Israel’s military has exercised its control over the Palestinian population registry – the list of Palestinians whom it considers to be lawful residents of the West Bank and Gaza territories – has separated families, caused people to lose jobs and educational opportunities, barred people from entering the Palestinian territories, and trapped others inside them, Human Rights Watch said. Egypt also has problematic policies on Palestinians trying to enter Gaza that are based on the Israeli-controlled population registry.
“Israel has never put forth any concrete security rationale for blanket policies that have made life a nightmare for Palestinians whom it considers unlawful residents in their own homes,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The current policies leave families divided and people trapped on the wrong side of the border in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel should revise these policies and process requests for families to reunite, so that Palestinians can live with their families where they want.”
Israel requires Palestinians to be included in the population registry in order to be considered lawful residents and obtain Israeli-approved identification cards and passports. In the West Bank, Palestinians need the ID cards to travel internally, including to schools, jobs, hospitals, and to visit family, because Israeli security forces manning checkpoints require these cards before allowing passage. Israeli officials, who control all West Bank borders, also require Palestinians entering or leaving the territory to present an identification card or passport........"
Download The Report (pdf)
Blast hits Egypt's gas pipeline to Israel
Al-Masry Al-Youm
"An explosion hit a gas pipeline running from Egypt to Israel Sunday, witnesses and state television reported.
The pipeline, which also supplies gas to Jordan, has come under attack at least 12 times since Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in 2011.
The latest blast took place in the Massaeed area west of the Mediterranean coastal town of Arish. Gas pumping was stopped after the explosion.
Residents in Arish told Reuters they could see flames from their town. Security forces and fire trucks raced to the scene, witnesses said....."
"An explosion hit a gas pipeline running from Egypt to Israel Sunday, witnesses and state television reported.
The pipeline, which also supplies gas to Jordan, has come under attack at least 12 times since Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in 2011.
The latest blast took place in the Massaeed area west of the Mediterranean coastal town of Arish. Gas pumping was stopped after the explosion.
Residents in Arish told Reuters they could see flames from their town. Security forces and fire trucks raced to the scene, witnesses said....."
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