كوندوليزا ولجنتها الرباعية العربية

Great Analysis
(But unfortunately, available only in Arabic)

عبد الباري عطوان

"تتصرف السيدة كوندوليزا رايس وزيرة الخارجية الامريكية كما لو انها الزعيمة الحقيقية للمنطقة العربية، وتتعامل مع المسؤولين فيها، كبارا وصغارا، كما لو انهم موظفون في وزارتها، تصدر اليهم الاوامر وتوزع الادوار، وما عليهم غير الطاعة واظهار اقصي درجات الولاء.
اليوم تلتقي السيدة رايس في مدينة اسوان بوزراء خارجية مصر والاردن والمملكة العربية السعودية والامارات، اي قبل يوم واحد من توجههم الي الرياض للانضمام الي زملائهم الآخرين لوضع القرارات النهائية التي من المفترض ان تصدر عن القمة العربية التي ستعقد يومي الاربعاء والخميس المقبلين في العاصمة السعودية.
وقبل هذا اللقاء الرباعي عقدت السيدة رايس اجتماعا غير مسبوق مع قادة اجهزة الاستخبارات في الدول نفسها، الامر الذي اثار العديد من علامات الاستفهام حول نوايا وزيرة الخارجية والصلاحيات المفتوحة المعطاة لها من قادة الدول العربية.
فالمنطق يقول بان تجتمع السيدة رايس بنظرائها وزراء الخارجية، وتصدر اليهم تعليماتها، ليقوموا بدورهم بنقلها الي قادتهم واجهزة استخباراتهم، ولكن ان تتجاوز السيدة رايس هذا العرف الاداري والدبلوماسي وتجتمع مع قادة الاستخبارات مباشرة، وكأنها ما زالت مستشارة الامن القومي الامريكي وليست وزيرة الخارجية، فان هذا يعني ان هؤلاء مجرد موظفين تابعين لأجهزة الاستخبارات الامريكية تبعية مباشرة.
هناك تفسير واحد لمثل هذه الازدواجية في الاجتماعات، ربما يبدو اكثر منطقية، وهو ان رؤساء اجهزة الاستخبارات العربية هم الاكثر نفوذا وصلاحيات، وهم وزراء الخارجية الحقيقيون، ولذلك قررت السيدة رايس التوجه اليهم مباشرة دون اللجوء الي قنوات وسيطة. فالامير بندر بن عبد العزيز امين عام مجلس الامن القومي السعودي اقوي بكثير من ابن عمه الامير سعود الفيصل فهو يمسك بالملفات الساخنة مثل الملفين العراقي والايراني، وكان القناة السعودية الرسمية للتعامل مع الادارة الامريكية، الامر الذي اغضب ابن عمه الآخر الامير تركي الفيصل السفير السعودي السابق ودفعه الي الاستقالة من موقعه احتجاجا. والشيء نفسه يقال عن السيد عمر سليمان رئيس جهاز المخابرات المصري بالمقارنة مع زميله احمد ابو الغيط وزير الخارجية المصري بالاسم. فالملفات الحساسة مثل ملف فلسطين والعراق وايران ولبنان هي من ممتلكات اللواء سليمان، اما صلاحيات السيد ابو الغيط فمحصورة في كيفية دعم التعاون المصري ـ السيريلانكي، او المصري ـ الانغولي وهكذا. وما ينطبق علي مصر والسعودية في هذا الاطار ينطبق علي الدول الاخري.
السيدة رايس هي التي اخترعت تعبير محور المعتدلين ، وهي التي نحتت مفهوم تكتل الدول السنية السبع الذي عقد اول اجتماعاته في اسلام اباد علي مستوي وزراء الخارجية، وها هي تخرج علينا بصيغة جديدة مختصرة، وهي اللجنة الرباعية العربية.
لا نعرف ما هي طبيعة المعايير التي استخدمتها السيدة رايس لبناء مثل هذه التكتلات والمحاور العربية والاسلامية، ولكن ما يمكن استنتاجه هو اغفالها ثلثي العرب تقريبا عندما اسقطت جميع دول المغرب العربي من محور المعتدلين العرب، علاوة علي سورية واليمن والسودان، وكل هؤلاء ايضا من التكتل الاسلامي السني.
الارجح ان السيدة رايس اعتبرت اعضاء اللجنة الرباعية العربية التي تدشن وجودها كقوة سياسية ممثلة للعرب في لقاء اسوان اليوم، هم الاكثر حماسا لتطبيق الخطط الامريكية في المنطقة، وخاصة في العراق وفلسطين، وهذا لا يعني ان الدول العربية الاخري ليست حليفة لواشنطن، ولكن الولاء درجات مثل التحالف والصداقات.
فالسيدة رايس اختارت دولتين خليجيتين مجاورتين لايران هما المملكة العربية السعودية والامارات، واخريين مجاورتين لفلسطين، وتقيمان علاقات دبلوماسية كاملة مع الدولة العبرية هما الاردن ومصر، وهذا يعني ان هذه الدول الاربع ستكون مجتمعة او منفردة، رأس الحربة للمشاريع الامريكية المقبلة، سلما في فلسطين، او حربا ضد ايران.
فاذا كانت قمة الرياض ستركز علي احياء مبادرة السلام العربية بعد موات استمر خمس سنوات، فان علينا ان نتوقع دورا مهما للجنة الرباعية العربية، لـ تلطيف هذه المبادرة حتي تتلاءم مع المطالب الاسرائيلية في اسقاط ما علق بها من شوائب في قمة بيروت عام 2002 عندما اضافت اليها سورية بندين اساسيين، هما الاصرار علي حق العودة، ومنع توطين اللاجئين الفلسطينيين في الدول المضيفة مثل الاردن وسورية ولبنان.
والمقصود بالتلطيف هنا، هو اعادة صياغة هذه المبادرة بطريقة تجعل من التراجع عن هذين البندين امرا ممكنا، كأن تنص قرارات القمة علي اعتبار مبادرة السلام العربية مجرد اعلان مبادئ ، مما يوحي بانها ليست نصوصا مقدسة وقابلة للتعديل.
ولعل النقطة الاخطر التي تحاول السيدة رايس تسويقها في لقاء اسوان اليوم، هي مطالبة الدول العربية باعطاء افق سياسي للاسرائيليين، اي الاعتراف بها، والتطبيع الكامل معها، لاعطاء حكومة ايهود اولمرت مساحة من المرونة العربية، لتشجيعها علي انسحابات محدودة من بعض مناطق الضفة الغربية، وازالة بعض المستوطنات الثانوية، للايحاء بانها مستعدة للعودة الي طاولة المفاوضات والقبول بدولة فلسطينية مهلهلة بحدود مؤقتة.
التطور الايجابي من وجهة النظر الامريكية الذي يمكن ان يساعد في انجاح عملية التسويق هذه، هو اعتدال حركة حماس ، وابتعادها بشكل ملحوظ ومتدرج عن محور الشر السوري ـ الايراني، واقترابها اكثر من محور المعتدلين منذ توقيع اتفاق مكة، وتشكيل حكومة وحدة وطنية تقوم علي اساس المشاركة السياسية، بين التطرف سابقا و الاعتدال الدائم ، بين خيار المقاومة للوصول الي الاهداف الوطنية في التحرير، و خيار التفاوض ، الذي يسقط كل الخيارات الاخري، ويراها مضيعة للوقت وغير عملية.
نجهل اسباب تغيب الطرفين الاسرائيلي والفلسطيني عن اللجنة الرباعية العربية واجتماعها في اسوان، لان حضورهما يبدو منطقيا في ظل ما تطبخه السيدة رايس من حلول، وربما يكون هذا الغياب مؤقتا ، والمشاركة مؤجلة ريثما تتهيأ او تنضج الظروف، ظروف اسقاط حق العودة من مبادرة السلام العربية بحيث تعود الي اصلها السعودي، والمواجهة العسكرية مع ايران لتدمير مفاعلها النووي وبناها التحتية."

عباس يدعو حكومة الاحتلال إلى تطبيع علاقاتها مع 57 دولة إسلامية

"دعا رئيس السلطة الفلسطينية محمود عباس، الكيان الصهيوني إلى تطبيع علاقاته مع كافة دول العالم الإسلامي مجتمعة، معتبراً في لقاء مطوّل أجرته معه صحيفة "يديعوت أحرونوت" العبرية، ونشرته الجمعة (23/3)، أنّ ذلك سيجعل علم الكيان مرفرفاً في كافة العواصم الإسلامية من المغرب وموريتانيا وحتى إندونيسيا.

فجواباً عن سؤال يتعلق برأيه في مستقبل تفاوض الجانب الصهيوني على ما يُعرف بالمسار السوري وطبيعة تأثير ذلك على باقي مسارات التفاوض؛ قال رئيس السلطة الفلسطينية "هذه تفاهات. نحن نقترح عليكم التوصل إلى سلام مع سبع وخمسين دولة إسلامية. لن تكونوا بعد ذلك جزيرة معزولة. علم "إسرائيل" سيرفرف من المغرب وموريتانيا حتى إندونيسيا. الجميع مستعدون لتأييد المبادرة السعودية"، وتابع "هذه مبادرة السلام الأكثر جدية منذ عام 1948"، وفق قوله.
....."

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To All Muslims and Arabs: Prepare for a Bigger Celebration!

The Israeli Flag Will be Flying in Your Sky Soon.

Abu Mazen is Lobbying for Israel Now....What is Left?? Habila Joining Him??

Abbas to Israel: Chance to normalize ties with Muslim world at hand

"GAZA, (PIC)-- PA chief Mahmoud Abbas has invited the Hebrew state not to lose the chance of normalizing ties with the Muslim world, affirming that all 57 Muslim countries were supporting the Arab Initiative for peace.

“Normalizing relationship with the Muslim world means that your flag will fly in the sky of more than 57 countries from Morocco, in the west, to Indonesia in the east. You won’t be an isolated island any more”, Abbas said in an interview with the Hebrew Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper Friday......."

Saudi-Israeli Romance in the Air?

Report quotes diplomats as saying Rice envisions comprehensive Middle East meeting

Israel to talk to Saudi Arabia?

"Washington: Will Israel meet with Saudi Arabia? According to a Friday report by the Washington Post, diplomats said that US Secretary Condaleezza Rice wants to initiate a multilateral meeting that would bring the two countries together.

A multilateral meeting of this sort would include the Quartet (the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations), Israel, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the so-called 'Arab Quartet' –Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – in a single meeting.

Such a meeting would bring together Israeli and Saudi officials formally for the first time since 2000. As of now, the Saudis refuse to meet publicly with Israeli officials.

Israel seems to be taking a similar stance: According to a recent 'Yedioth Aharonot' report, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with a senior Saudi official when visiting in the Jordanian capital of Amman. The prime minister denied this report....."

Mad War Pimp Alert: Bolton: Iranian regime must be toppled

Former US ambassador to UN John Bolton tells Ynet world has waited too long and has done too little to restrain Iran, deal with its nuclear program. Bolton does not advocate military action, but says current diplomatic efforts have proved futile

"WASHINGTON - John Bolton, the outgoing American ambassador to the UN, said that his country should have launched efforts to topple the Mullahs' regime in Iran four years ago. In a special interview, Bolton told Ynet that he was disappointed by Russia's support of Iran in the UN Security Council, and the failure of diplomatic efforts to address the Iranian nuclear threat.

Bolton served as undersecretary of state for arms control during George W. Bush's firs term in office, and has been the US ambassador to the UN in the past 17 months.

"I'd dealt with the Russians extensively…on a range of proliferation matters. In the discussions on the Security Council over Iran, Russia emerged as Iran's biggest protector, for a variety of reasons, some commercial, some strategic, some just political, as opposition to the United States......

Are there any forces inside Iran that are working to overthrow the regime?

"I think there are a lot of Iranians that are unsatisfied with the regime, I think that there is more unrest there than what people believe, I think that the government is constrained because of the fall of oil prices and there is mismanagement of the oil sector of Iran's economy, they've got fewer resources to spread around to keep the populous happy. "There's a large Iranian diaspora that know what the situation is. So, I think that there are a lot of possibilities. It won't necessarily be easy or quick, but that's not to say we shouldn't be pursuing it. "In think it's very close to the point where Iran will have completely indigenous mastery over the fuel sites, that is to say the point in which stopping the things from the outside will not be sufficient, so I don't think we have much time. That's why all these negotiations with the Europeans have played to Iran's advantage, because time is on their side, time is not on our side." ......

Not through military action?

"I don't think military force is the preferable way to go. I don't rule military force out because as unpalatable as military force might be, Iran with nuclear weapons is even worse. I think you have to show you have tried the alternatives, I think we've spent too much time on this EU-three diplomacy, I think now is the time to ramp up the pressure very dramatically."

What should Israel do? Wait for the world to resolve this?

"I think Israel has to make its own decisions…I think any country threatened with its own survival at stake has to be prepared to do what it has to do. I wouldn't second guess that."........"

Embassies in Teheran prepare escape plans

"Several foreign embassies in Teheran are updating their emergency evacuation plans should a Western or Israeli attack on Iran occur.

According to foreign sources, foreign diplomats believe a possible attack would take place before the end of 2007. By that time, Iran might have enough enriched uranium to cause a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe from radioactive fallout should its nuclear facilities be damaged or destroyed in an attack.

Embassies in all countries generally have evacuation plans for their staff, but foreign sources describe the general atmosphere in Iran as one of heightened preparedness. Recently, several diplomatic missions based in Teheran have begun to reassess their plans, and embassies without permanent security officers have requested them.

Embassy experts reportedly are testing various evacuation options and logistics, such as timing routes to different destinations by different types of vehicles. The plans include evacuation for all staff.

Foreign sources say both the United States and Israel, who accuse Iran of wanting to develop nuclear weapons, want to give diplomatic efforts aimed at stopping Iran's nuclear drive the best possible chance to succeed.

But according to these sources, should the West or Israel feel that the time needed for diplomatic efforts is longer than the time it would take for Iran to obtain nuclear independence, they are likely to strike at Iran's main nuclear facilities before the damage done by such an attack would cause serious radiation fallout [isn't this kind?]. Such fallout would likely kill many civilians and render some parts of Iran uninhabitable for an undetermined period of time.

According to this logic, the timing of such an attack would take place just before Iran has enriched an amount of weapons-grade material that, if damaged, would cause such a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe, it could be construed as a nuclear attack.

The assessments posit that Israel and the US will try to delay an attack until the last moment due to the expected Iranian counterattack and regional deterioration.

Similar dilemmas over timing were faced by Israel before the 1981 raid that destroyed Saddam Hussein's reactor at Osirak......."

Welcome to Iraq, Mr. Ban

Bomb Goes Off Within Yards of UN Chief in Baghdad

By PATRICK COCKBURN
CounterPunch

"A rocket or mortar bomb exploded 50 yards from the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, as he was telling reporters in Baghdad that he was thinking of boosting the UN presence in Iraq because of improved security.

A startled looking Mr Ban ducked as if for cover behind the artificial flowers decorating the podium as the roar of the explosion reverberated through the hall where he was giving a press conference, standing beside Iraq's Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki.

It was Mr Ban's first visit to Iraq and like all other visits by senior international dignitaries to the Iraqi capital it was a "surprise", in a bid to get in and out of the country before insurgents could react.

In Mr Ban's case their response was immediate and highly accurate: the blast was close enough to the conference hall to bring down pieces of debris from the ceiling while outside it slightly wounded two security guards.

Iraqi officials were reassuring. "This was not a security breach," said the Interior Minister, Jawad Bolani. "Things like this happen in Baghdad once or twice a week." In reality, they happen every few hours outside the Green Zone, which few government ministers ever leave. The zone itself comes under regular mortar fire and is sometimes hit by Katyusha rockets, a favourite spot for launching them being the Dohra area in southern Baghdad.

The incident is the most embarassing conclusion to an official visit since Paul Wolfowitz, then US deputy Defence Secretary, was sent running in his pyjamas down a smoke-filled stair well from his suite in the nearby al-Rashid hotel in November 2003, after it was hit by a barrage of rockets that killed an American colonel. He had been conducting a tour of Iraq, making optimistic statements about the success of the US occupation.

Mr Ban had just committed himself to praising Mr Maliki's "strong leadership" and added: "As we see the improved situation on the ground, I am considering an increase in the presence of the United Nations."
The UN pulled out of Iraq after a truck bomb exploded close to its Baghdad headquarters in August 2003, killing its chief envoy to the country, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and 21 others.

It has apparently been a tactic of the insurgents to make sure that any potential foreign allies of the US or the Iraqi government are singled out for immediate attack. Presumably, Mr Ban will now think again about sending more UN personel to Baghdad....."

Fingerprints of history

Gamal Nkrumah and Mohamed El-Sayed gauge the state of the world's most troubled region -- the Middle East -- with eminent author Robert Fisk

Al-Ahram Weekly

"It is Pakistan, not Iran or Iraq, that serves as a true barometer for the future of the region, according to Robert Fisk, The Independent 's renowned Middle East correspondent. This thesis, though novel, is not to be taken lightly. It comes from a man who has lived in, studied and witnessed the region for the past three decades. And Pakistan, indeed, is a country in turmoil.....

For Fisk to single out Pakistan is an eye- opener, for the populous predominantly Muslim nation is not even considered by some to be part of the Middle East proper. Fisk's contention, however, is that the West is shy to focus on the main game, preferring instead to concentrate on sideshows such as Iran's nuclear ambitions, which Fisk reminds whoever listens were first encouraged and nurtured by the West.

"There is a country in the region that has lots of Taliban supporters, lots of Al-Qaeda supporters, whose capital city is in constant chaos and sectarian crisis, and it has got a [nuclear] bomb -- it's called Pakistan," Fisk told Al-Ahram Weekly. "But General Musharraf is our (the West's) friend. What will happen if Musharraf goes? Pakistan is one of the most fragile and dangerous areas," he ponders ominously. "However, we direct our attention to another country, Iran, just as we always do in the Middle East."....."

This is where Salam Al-Zubayi Lives; Notice the Concrete Blast Walls.


The Condition of Salam Al-Zubayi, Maliki's Deputy, is Unstable. He is in an American Hospital (in the Green Zone) after Being Seriously Injured in an Attack near the Green Zone.
But don't be Misled, Maliki is Still Asserting that the Security Situation in Iraq is Improving. Is it Going to be Maliki Himself Next?

Will Hezbollah Hand Israel Its 6th Defeat?

Another Civil War in Lebanon?

By FRANKLIN LAMB
CounterPunch

".....To know for sure, one would want to walk around the Gemezzeh neighborhood in east Beirut around 2 in the morning near the rebuilt Phalange Party HQ.where Baschir Gemeyal was blown up on September 14, 1982 and nose around a bit..

And what's that frenetic activity behind the Walid Jumblatt's estate at El Moukhtara in the Chouf.? It has increased since his long meeting with GW Bush a couple of weeks ago.

And those fine new military style boots and swagger one sees among some of Saad Hariri's March 14 movement young men. Armani or US Army or Israeli issue?.....

Sabra-Shatilla massacre participant Samir Geagea, now the leader of the Lebanese Forces Militia and recently feted in Washington DC, beats his chest and taunts Hezbollah's Secretary-General with threats like "Don't you dare think Hassan Nassrallah that Beirut is Haifa (referring to the July War) or else Lebanon is headed for the worst."

Some in the opposition dismiss the Siniora government as nothing more than 'an organized crime syndicate that wants to turn Lebanon into another Iraq,' as Talal Arslan, an anti-government Druze leader (breaking ranks with Jumblatt) recently roared. Many accuse the government of functioning as agents of Israel and the Bush administration and demand early elections and a greater share of government posts for the growing anti-government coalition.

Other observers are concluding that Israel and the Bush administration must foment a civil war in order not to 'lose' Lebanon and be driven from the region.

Pro-Israel "tink tanks" (Robert Fisk's label) argue that having created a disaster for both the US and Israel in Iraq and Afghanistan, and having failed miserably to destroy, much less seriously damage Hezbollah during the July War, both Olmert and Bush desperately need a Lebanese civil war.

Their reasoning is that if Bush and Olmert can provoke Hezbollah into turning its guns on Lebanese rivals, which it has never done and refuses to do,(Nasrallah recently declaring that "they can kill 1,000 of the opposition and we will still refuse to participate in a civil war") the US and Israel can invade, destroy the Lebanese resistance and set up another 'more sustainable' government, to borrow a pet term from Condoleezza Rice.....

Hezbollah has a habit to defeating Israel on the battle field and increasingly in political circles and they may just prevail in preventing a civil war....."

Coming Home to Roost

By Mike Luckovich

Video: Blowing Up a U.S. Tank in Ramadi

This is a detailed video of the destruction of a tank in Ramadi which was shown on Al-Jazeera, last week.

Click to Watch

Ban Ki-Moon in Baghdad
By Baha Boukhari

The Pelosi-crats and the War

Caught like a deer in the headlights

By Justin Raimondo

"The times, they sure are a changin.' Why, it seems like only yesterday – although it was December 16, 1998 – that Nancy Pelosi opined:

"As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am keenly aware that the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons is an issue of grave importance to all nations. Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."

Today, however, she's singing a different tune: "There was never anything in the intelligence that said Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States, never."

When Bush launched the war, both the Senate and House adopted resolutions ostensibly to "support the troops," but in reality endorsing the war, the bombing, and the policies of the Bush administration. The Senate voted 99-to-nothing for a resolution that "commends and supports the efforts and leadership of the President, as Commander in Chief, in the conflict against Iraq."......."

Flickers of Light

by William S. Lind

".......Two points of military theory are important here. First, a higher level dominates a lower. If you win on the tactical level but lose operationally, you lose. If you win on the tactical and operational levels but lose strategically – Germany's fate in both world wars – you still lose.

Second, in most wars, including Fourth Generation wars, success on higher levels is not merely additive. That is not to say, you cannot win operationally or strategically just by adding up tactical victories. We tried to do that in Vietnam, and the Second Generation U.S. military still does not understand why it didn't work. In Second Generation theory, it is supposed to work, which is why we are trying it again in Iraq and Afghanistan, and again not understanding why we are losing.

If we consider the operational and strategic situations in Iraq, we can easily see why no amount of tactical success can save us. Strategically, we are fighting to support a Shi’ite regime closely aligned with Iran, our most potent local opponent. Every tactical success merely moves us closer to giving Iran a new ally in the form of a restored Iraqi state under Shi’ite domination. The more tactical successes we win, the worse our strategic situation gets. This flows not from any tactical failure (though there have been plenty of those), but from botching the strategic level from the outset. Saddam's Iraq was the main regional counterweight to Iran, which means we should not have attacked it.


Operationally, we have been maneuvered by Iraq's Shi’ites into fighting their civil war for them, focusing our efforts against the Sunnis. As I have observed before, we are in effect the Shi’ites’ unpaid Hessians. That is why Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered his Mahdi Army not to fight us in Sadr City. It is not that he is afraid of us; he is simply making a rational operational decision.

Our only other apparent option is to take a more even hand and fight the Shi’ite militias as well as the Sunnis, which is what some in Washington want our forces to do. But that would make our operational situation even worse, because the Shi’ites lie across our lines of communication. If we get into a fight with them, they can cut off our supplies, leaving us effectively encircled – the essence of operational defeat......"

Olmert: as expected

Israel is demanding the absurd, but the illusion is shattered if Arab states understand that the game of axis politics is not in their interest

By Azmi Bishara
Al-Ahram Weekly

"......It is difficult to say whether the Arabs recovered a margin of freedom because America messed up so drastically in Iraq and because they realised what a folly it was to heed Washington's orders once the Israeli army started to stumble so frantically over its shoelaces in Lebanon, or because, during the war in Lebanon in particular, they proved themselves no less hostile to the "extremists" in the region than the neo-cons, yet, at the same time, more realistic and certainly not as clouded by the dreams of spreading democracy and other facets of the ideological romanticism that governed the American neo-cons' view of Israel and its regional role. In all events, the result is the same: Washington has loosened the leash and Israel under Olmert is taking the so-called moderate Arabs more seriously than it did under Sharon.

Returning, therefore, to Olmert, why did he home in on Resolution 194, in particular, despite the fact that the Arab peace initiative -- regretfully -- does not explicitly mention the Palestinian right of return but rather confines itself to the formula of "a just peace in accordance with" this resolution? Why, too, did he not happen to remind us that he refuses to withdraw to pre- June 1967 borders, inclusive of Jerusalem? Certainly, he had made his position on this clear on earlier occasions, going so far as to accuse Ehud Barak of forsaking Jerusalem during Camp David II, even though Barak did nothing of the sort.

Firstly, Olmert likes to air his objections in instalments, so that he can wring out more concessions from the Arabs in a gradual way. Secondly, he didn't want to bring up the subject of withdrawal so as not to undermine the efforts of the "moderate Arab axis" before the Riyadh summit, especially since he knows that Saudi Arabia will not budge an inch on the question of borders and Jerusalem in particular. So, to spare the "moderates" any embarrassment, he confined his remarks to 194, because he rejects the Palestinian right of return on principle. But, supposing for the sake of argument, that the Arabs play along and openly or tacitly relinquish the right to return, would Israel then accept the Arab peace initiative? Of course not. And we should be wary of deluding ourselves into thinking it would. It would only be prepared to accept it as a basis for negotiations, which is to say that it would accept the principle of withdrawal and then haggle over the depth and phasing of the withdrawal and over final borders. In short, Israel will agree to no point whatsoever in the Arab peace initiative.

By accepting to consider this initiative, Israel hopes to transform it into a drawn out process of extracting compromises from the Arabs, just as it had turned its agreement to deal with the Palestine Liberation Organisation into a protracted process of forcing the Palestinians against the wall. In the past we could identify the major turning points in the downward slope of the Palestinian/Arab position with respect to Israel. Now it is difficult to discern even the nooks and crannies, so fluid and convoluted has this process of extraction become, what with all the play given to the "two sides" and "moderates and extremists on both sides", and with the endless biding of time until the Israeli elections are over, the next American elections, a new spate of envoys shuttling about the region, Palestinian elections triggering a blockade, another period of waiting to see how a people under occupation handled economic strangulation, and then whether or not they could form a national unity government and, if so, whether this might bring the end of the blockade or usher in yet another period of waiting......"

Peace-loving goose chase

Israel is railing that even the mild language of the Arab peace initiative must be replaced by its own demands

A Good Analysis

By Ramzy Baroud
Al-Ahram Weekly

".....Not that a war against Iran is no longer on the agenda; on the contrary, something will be done to confront the Iranian "threat". But one has to understand that Israel cannot possibly allow for a regional bully aside from itself to emerge.

It was this logic, as articulated by Richard Pearle in a set of recommendations made to then Likud leader Benyamin Netanyahu in the infamous "Clean Break" memo that envisaged the Iraq war as a strategic Israeli imperative. Iraq or Iran, Sunni or Shia, are all irrelevant semantics, in Israel's view. The failure, however, to "contain" Iran, coupled with America's disastrous war strategy in Iraq, which has given rise to powerful Shia groups with direct links, and in some cases allegiance, to Tehran is sending Israel's military and policy planners to the table, once more, to study their future options.....

The power of the Israeli lobby and the persisting influence of the neocons have reached new heights when Democratic leaders were obliged to strip from a military spending bill a requirement that the president must gain the approval of Congress before moving against Iran. Pelosi and others agreed to such a removal "after conservative Democrats as well as other lawmakers worried about its possible impact on Israel," reported ABC News.

With Iran in focus, coupled with serious worries amongst some Arab countries regarding its possible destabilising role in the region, Israel has agreed to a conditional arrangement: contain Iran to Israel's benefit; stabilise Iraq to the Bush administration's benefit; and introduce a new horizon of peace with the Palestinians to appease the Arabs.

The new horizon of peace -- a new term invoked by Condoleezza Rice in her recent visit to the region -- is basically the old "peace process": significant enough insofar as it yields a sense of hope, but clever enough in guaranteeing nothing, since Israel, assured of unprecedented clout in the corridors of power in Washington, will neither give up its grand plans of territorial expansion and annexation, halt its construction of the gigantic apartheid wall, nor surrender an inch of the illegally-annexed East Jerusalem -- all, predictably, key Arab and Palestinian demands.

Meanwhile, the Arab initiative always seemed vague on the issue of Palestinians made refugees by Israel in 1948 and 1967 and whose plight is as urgent as ever (especially considering their systematic targeting in Iraq, including 500 murdered to date, and Libya's decision to deport its cache of Palestinian refugees to Gaza, as callous as this seems). In order to remove any remaining ambiguity, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is "demanding that the leaders of the 22 Arab states excise the right of return from [the Palestinians]," reports Haaretz.

By crossing out the "controversial" elements contained in the Arab initiative and then opening it up for negotiations, Palestinians -- now browbeaten with a year of embargo and near starvation -- will be taken on another peace-loving goose chase, during which Israeli army bulldozers will hardly cease their determined colonial project. My fear is that Arabs will play along, willingly or not, and Palestinians will be forced to partake in the charade, for their reliance on international handouts for mere survival will make it impossible to defy US-Israeli regional designs forever."

USRAELI ORDERS TO ARAB PUPPETS: CHANGE THE PLAN

'US wants Saudi peace plan amended'

"The United States has quietly joined Israel in urging Arab leaders to reformulate their 2002 peace offer, in an effort to end the decades-long Middle East conflict, Arab diplomats said Thursday. But so far, some Arab heavyweights are publicly resisting the idea.

Three Arab diplomats in different Arab capitals said Washington has been pressing for changes to make the offer in line with the "road map," a peace plan supported by the United States and other members of the so-called Quartet group. That plan calls for a two-state solution to the conflict but falls short of specifying border lines for the proposed Palestinian state.

The American ideas were presented through different diplomatic channels, said the Arab diplomats, all speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to talk to the press....."

***

Israel said, "Jump!" The U.S. said, "How high?"

Now the U.S. says, "Jump!" Next the Arab puppets (in their "summit") will ask, "How high?"

Finally, Saudi Arabia will say, "Jump!" and the Palestinian "leaders" will ask, "How high?"

But don't stop celebrating just yet, save some for Condoleezza when she arrives.

US struggles to avert Turkish intervention in northern Iraq

· Ankara claims Kurdish rebels preparing attacks
· Operations could wreck American peace strategy

Simon Tisdall in Ankara
Thursday March 22, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

"The US is scrambling to head off a "disastrous" Turkish military intervention in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq that threatens to derail the Baghdad security surge and open up a third front in the battle to save Iraq from disintegration.

Senior Bush administration officials have assured Turkey in recent days that US forces will increase efforts to root out Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) guerrillas enjoying safe haven in the Qandil mountains, on the Iraq-Iran-Turkey border.

But Abdullah Gul, Turkey's foreign minister, MPs, military chiefs and diplomats say up to 3,800 PKK fighters are preparing for attacks in south-east Turkey — and Turkey is ready to hit back if the Americans fail to act. "We will do what we have to do, we will do what is necessary. Nothing is ruled out," Mr Gul said......

The firm Turkish belief that the US is playing a double game in northern Iraq. Officials say the CIA is covertly funding and arming the PKK's sister organisation, the Iran-based Kurdistan Free Life party, to destabilise the Iranian government.

US acquiescence in plans to hold a referendum in oil-rich Kirkuk in northern Iraq. Turkey suspects Iraqi Kurds are seeking control of Kirkuk as a prelude to the creation of an independent Kurdistan......

US support for Iranian Kurds opposed to the Tehran government is adding to the agitation. "The US is trying to undermine the Iran regime, using the Kurds like it is using the MEK [the anti-Tehran People's Mujahideen]," said Dr Logoglu. "Once you begin to differentiate between 'good' and 'bad' terrorist organisations, then you lose the war on terror." But he warned that military intervention might be ineffective and could be "disastrous" in destabilising the region....."

Bolton admits Lebanon truce block

A former top American diplomat says the US deliberately resisted calls for a immediate ceasefire during the conflict in Lebanon in the summer of 2006.

BBC

"Former ambassador to the UN John Bolton told the BBC that before any ceasefire Washington wanted Israel to eliminate Hezbollah's military capability.

Mr Bolton said an early ceasefire would have been "dangerous and misguided".

He said the US decided to join efforts to end the conflict only when it was clear Israel's campaign wasn't working.

The former envoy, who stepped down in December 2006, was interviewed for a BBC radio documentary, The Summer War in Lebanon, to be broadcast in April.

Mr Bolton said the US was deeply disappointed at Israel's failure to remove the threat from Hezbollah and the subsequent lack of any attempt to disarm its forces.

Britain joined the US in refusing to call for an immediate ceasefire.

Mr Bolton now describes it as "perfectly legitimate... and good politics" for the Israelis to seek to defeat their enemy militarily, especially as Hezbollah had attacked Israel first and it was acting "in its own self-defence".

Mr Bolton, a controversial and blunt-speaking figure, said he was "damned proud of what we did" to prevent an early ceasefire.

Also in the BBC programme, several key players claim that, privately, there were Arab leaders who also wanted Israel to destroy Hezbollah.

"There were many not - how should I put it - resistant to the thought that the Israelis should thoroughly defeat Hezbollah, who... increasingly by Arab states were seen as an Iranian proxy," said UN special envoy Terje Roed Larsen....."

"Happy" Fourth Anniversary, by Latuff

So, What’s Iraq Actually About Now?

By Tony Karon

"Four years into the Iraq war — “hard to believe,” eh, Mr Wolfowitz? — don’t expect the U.S. media to dwell on the conceptual foundations of this catastrophe. That may be because the media was rather complicit in laying those foundations. But the more interesting question, today, I think, is where the Iraq adventure is going, because its narratives have clearly unraveled, and its strategic purpose — in the sense of attainable goals rather than fantasies — is now far from clear. To be sure, today, Washington is clear only on what it wants to prevent in Iraq, and even then its chances of doing so are slim. Still, as Bush says, that doesn’t mean it can withdraw.

It’s worth noting, in passing, that the decision making structures in the United States are fundamentally dysfunctional to its imperial project — its system of government is democratic (in a plutocratic sort of way), and distributes its flow of information and decision making across a number of bureaucratic command centers that are seldom on quite the same page, and compete for authority and resources — a competition that occurs partly in the public eye, via “leaks” to the media, whose source is invariably the bureaucratic rivals of those who are made to look bad by the story. The executive decision makers are always vulnerable to the limited appetite of the electorate for costly imperial adventures, and the electorate gets to express its impatience every two years by using the ballot box to limit the authority of those directing the current imperial expedition.

The patience of the enemy out in the field, meanwhile, is invariably far deeper than that allowed by U.S. election cycles. Ho Chi Minh knew that; so do the Iraqi insurgents and the Shiites and the Iranians, and the Palestinians and Syrians and everybody else Washington is fighting. The Iraqis are intimately aware of the debate in Washington over withdrawal, and they know that despite the surge of troops, the U.S. will in the near future be forced by domestic pressure to withdraw most of its infantry from Iraqi streets. (No wonder frustrated hawks like Max Boot and Michael O’Hanlon are suggesting that the U.S. military begin outsourcing expeditionary warfare to the satrapies, offering green cards for four years service — just as the British wherever possible sent Indians or Ghurkas to do their fighting.) But even that won’t overcome the bureaucratic internecine warfare. Ask a question as simple as “How could the U.S. occupy Iraq without having a coherent plan?” and the answer is simple: There was a plan, but it was trashed because it had been developed in the State Department, whose personnel hadn’t drunk the Kool Aid of permanent revolution in the Middle East, and therefore couldn’t be trusted. While the neocons might have believed their fantasies about Iraq tranforming itself immediately into a willing and happy satrap of the U.S., the likes of Cheney and Rumsfeld had no inclination to back a long occupation. So, Paul Bremer was sent in without a clue, armed with some old manuals from the occupation of Germany in 1945 (no jokes!) and a civil administration recruited largely from the intern echelon of neocon think-tanks. (Again, no jokes!)....."

Video: Israeli Border Guard policemen filmed beating Palestinian youth

(VIDEO) Israeli policemen caught on camera abusing 17-year-old Hawara teen who was on his way home from school. Local residents say life in village has become nightmare due to Border Guard violence. Border Guard chief says incident will be investigated

"VIDEO - Border Guard policemen were caught on camera beating a 17-year-old Palestinian youth at the West Bank village of Hawara, near Nablus Wednesday. The incident was documented by one of the local residents.....

The youth, Hindawi Qawarik, told Ynet that at about 12:30 pm Wednesday, he and his friends were leaving school when they noticed a Border Guard jeep not far from them.

"I told my friends that if we pass near them, they'll hit us like they did a few weeks ago," he said.

The policemen approached the youths and questioned them regarding a stone-throwing incident that took place earlier. They then decided to detain three of the teens for further questioning.

Hindawi was one of those three. "I pretended not to hear them and kept walking, because I could still remember the beating I got last week. But one cop chased me. When I saw that he was after me I halted. He dragged me back to the direction of the jeep, and when we got there he pushed me and pinned me to the wall, so that no one will be able to see what they were doing to me."

At this point, according to Hindawi, the violence began. "Two of the policemen started hitting me in the legs with a rifle, punching me, slamming my head against the door of a nearby container, pushing me to the floor and hitting me in the head.

"I kept screaming: I haven't done anything, you can check my ID." Hindawi said that one of the policemen tried to persuade the others to stop, "but they just ignored him and kept on hitting me."

According to the teen, one of the policemen also took books out of his school bag and tore some of them apart. Then they released him, not before "a few more slaps and punches." Hindawi's account has been verified by an eyewitness.

'Our lives have become a nightmare'

Hindawi told Ynet that the police violence has already become a daily routine in the village. "We already got used to the beatings, but it makes it very hard for us to study… very often we miss the first two classes of the day because they detain us, humiliate and hit us."

Other Hawara residents told Ynet that soldiers and policemen, mostly Border Guard policemen, have turned their lives into a nightmare. "Once every few days the policemen and the soldiers declare a curfew in the village, claiming that Border Guard jeeps have been stoned," they said.

One of the residents said that in addition to the violence, the policemen harass the village girls, a thing that causes "severe social problems within the Palestinian families and social and psychological problems for the girls, who are forced to handle curses that are unacceptable in our society."....."

Blast disturbs UN head's Iraq visit

Ban Ki-Moon took cover behind the podium
at the sound of the explosion [Reuters]

"The United Nations secretary-general has been shocked by a huge explosion in Baghdad's secure Green Zone during an unannounced visit to Iraq.

Ban Ki-Moon was unharmed when a suspected rocket landed outside the office of Nuri al-Maliki, the prime minister, during a joint news conference on Thursday.

Small pieces of debris could be seen falling from the ceiling above Ban before the two men resumed the news conference.

The UN chief was making his first visit to Iraq since since taking office in January, to discuss a five-year reconstruction plan for the country announced last week.

Shortly before the explosion, al-Maliki had said that Ban's visit was a sign that Iraq was on the road to stability.

"We consider it [the visit] a positive message to world in which you [Ban] confirm that Baghdad has returned to playing host to important world figures because it has made huge strides on the road toward stability," the prime minister said.

'Secure future'

Ban had told reporters: "I'm confident that we'll be able to see, in the near future, a more prosperous and secure ... and a healthier future of the Iraqi people and government.".....

Palestinian refugees in Iraq accuse Maliki government of defaming their image

"BAGHDAD, (PIC)-- Palestinian refugees in Iraq have accused the government of Iraqi premier Nuri Al-Maliki of intentionally defaming their image and attempting to instigate the Iraqi people against them.

During an interview with the Quds Press news agency, the refugees affirmed that the Iraqi government’s allegations of arresting Palestinian citizen Abu Kutada and identifying him as the second man in Al-Qaeda group in Iraq was meant to incite the Iraqi people against the refugees.

“It is true that Abu Katada is a Palestinian and it is true that he was arrested at the hands of the Iraqi police, but he absolutely has no connection whatsoever with Al-Qaeda group”, the refugees asserted.

Kasim Al-Mosawi, the spokesman of US-initiated “Baghdad security plan” claimed that Abu Kutada is a pure Palestinian citizen and that he was the right-hand-man of Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Ayyob Al-Masri.

The refugees viewed such an instigation campaign as part of the government’s programmed plan to force the refugees out of Iraq.

Few days ago, large numbers of Iraqi and American troops unleashed a wide-scale incursion into the Palestinian refugee complex in the Baladeyyat suburb, east of the capital Baghdad, the biggest gathering of Palestinian refugees in Iraq, killing an Imam (Muslim leader) and arresting tens others.

Many Palestinian homes were ransacked in the raid and valuable properties were stolen by the invaders, residents in the complex confirmed.

More than 140 Palestinian refugees were killed and scores others were arrested and tortured at the hands of the American, American-sanctioned Iraqi sectarian militias, and Iraqi government troops since Baghdad fell under the US occupation in 2003.

As a result, tens of Palestinian families fled that war-torn country on fears for their lives, yet, neighboring Arab countries denied them entry, leaving them stranded in tents at the international borders."

Palestinians reject Quartet demands

Two Drivers Looking for a "Road Map."
Keep Looking, and Looking....

".....The Quartet's statement "reflects an evolution of its positions, [but] this remains insufficient," Nabil Abu Rudeina, a spokesman the Palestinian presidency, said on Thursday.

"We have to work immediately toward the application of the roadmap and the Arab peace initiative."......"

***

Keep that opium of "peace talks" flowing now that Hamas is a full partner; Condoleezza is bringing a fresh supply. Enjoy!

After 4 years: Iraqi Resistance Indicators..Up and Up . Rumsfeld's Metrics..Wet.

From Imad Khadduri's Blog, Free Iraq

"The following graphs show the steady progress of the Iraqi resistance over the four years of occupation. They are extracted from the Iraq Index (pp 23 and 24) and updated on 19th March 2007.

The first graph shows that the average number of attacks have more than doubled in the last year to about 185 per day. That is 1300 per week, and over 5500 attacks per month. Another way of understanding this is that in any one hour, day and night, there are 7-8 new mortar attack, IED, sniper fire, etc. The figures are based on variety of official and semi-official US sources and estimates. The inclusion of ‘Militias’ in the title of the graph is recent, and seems linked to the evolving political vocabulary by the US. In the light of the two other items. Militia can be understood to refer to local vigilantes that are largely part of the resistance.

The second graph shows that 75% of the recorded attacks,(here based on the quarterly reviews to congress only) has remained directed at the occupation forces directly, and further 17% at the Iraqi government forces. The remaining, 8% are directed at unspecified civilian targets. It is the later that makes it to the media.
The official Iraqi government security forces numbers have been steadily rising and now stand at about 330 000. They often act as forward or guard units for the occupation forces. It is not known what proportion of the attacks on "civilians" who are in fact mercenaries who operate in civilian clothes and are often based in civilian areas. The official US estimates is of 100,000 private contractors in Iraq. Other civilian targets may be Facility Protection Forces, whose number is estimated by the government at 150 000, or at real civilians. Word on the Iraqi street is that attacks on real civilians are the work of occupation agents, a version of events that is at least as credible as the mad fanatics attacking each other.

The third figure gives the geographic distribution of the resistance attacks. There are small shifts in pattern over time, but the frequent clashes in most southern provinces seem not to be included. This may indicate that the figures used refer only to resistance actions. It must be noted that the 800 km supply route from Kuwait to Baghdad through several southern provinces is the most heavily protected one in the world, with massive funds paid to contractors, ‘tribes’ and local militias.

The Iraq Index is produced by the Washington-based Brookings Institutions. It comes in 54 pages of tables, graphs and footnotes in PDF format, half of which on security indicators.

The index has been updated weekly over the last four years, in whatever section new data become available. The authors are Michael E. O’Hanlon and Jason H. Campbell......."

30 Killed, 33 Freed in Company-sized Assault on Prison

By Juan Cole

"Early in the morning on Thursday, before dawn, some 200 Sunni Arab guerrillas in Muqdadiya (Diyala Province) stormed a jail and freed 33 prisoners, many of them guerrillas. I can't think of another recent operation that involved a company-sized fighting force. Thirty persons died in the fighting. One wire service reported, "Insurgents battled Iraqi and US reinforcements, set fire to the police station, courthouse and 20 police vehicles before making their escape." If they accomplished all that after US reinforcements arrived, imagine what they could have accomplished if no US and Iraqi troops had come out to confront them.

Part of the explanation for why this could happen lies in a recent report on the readiness of Iraqi troops. The Iraqi military won't be ready to 'stand up' any time soon, according to the General Accounting Office. A third of Iraqi troops are on leave at any one time. Many troops on the books who draw a salary don't really exist and are just a scam. And, the Iraqi troops are deeply dependent on the US for the simplest logistics."

Iraq After 4 Years of U.S. Occupation

"The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib" - Doc Traces Path to Torture of Prisoners at Infamous Iraqi Prison

Democracy Now!
With Amy Goodman

""The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib" - a new HBO documentary - traces the political and legal precedents that led to the torture of prisoners at the infamous Iraqi prison. It includes numerous interviews with U.S. soldiers directly involved with torture at Abu Ghraib, Iraqi torture survivors as well as experts, legal scholars and former government officials. We speak with acclaimed filmmaker Rory Kennedy.....

Another memo sought by Gonzales provided a narrow definition of torture so as to allow very severe interrogation techniques.

John Yoo, a former Justice Department official at the Office of Legal Counsel: "Our office eventually issued a memo in August of 2002 to the White House. 'Physical pain amounting to torture must be equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function or even death.'

That was an excerpt from the HBO documentary "The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib." The film traces the political and legal precedents that led to the torture of prisoners at the infamous Iraqi prison. It includes numerous interviews with American soldiers directly involved with torture at Abu Ghraib......

AMY GOODMAN: You had quite a showing on Capitol Hill, when you had both Janis Karpinski there, who was demoted, and also the South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. Talk about what happened.

RORY KENNEDY: Well, we did have a screening. And Senator Kennedy was there, as well. There was a panel.

AMY GOODMAN: Your uncle.

RORY KENNEDY: Yes. Senator Kennedy and Senator Graham, and Senator Graham had -- when he was asked by Jeffrey Toobin, who was moderating the panel, “Who was really responsible for what happened at Abu Ghraib?” he, you know, mentioned a number of different organizations and kind of groups of people, but the person that he really targeted was Janis Karpinski. Unfortunately, Janis Karpinski -- he didn’t realize that Janis Karpinski was in the audience, because he had arrived a little late. And so, Jeffrey Toobin then gave her an opportunity to defend herself, and she really went in on the attack. One of the things that he had said was, you know, she should have been court-martialed, and she rebutted, “You know, I wanted to be court-martialed. I wanted to go to court, but nobody would let me, because they didn’t want me to tell the whole story of really what happened.” So it got pretty heated.

AMY GOODMAN: She called Senator Graham a coward.

RORY KENNEDY: She did, she did. And, you know, he stood his ground, but it was -- you know, I think it’s telling. I think this continues to be an issue that touches a lot of people and brings a lot of issues to the surface. It’s an important issue.....

AMY GOODMAN: Let's end with the prisoners, the people who were tortured. How did you track them down?

RORY KENNEDY: I worked with a group in Philadelphia, a legal group, Susan Burke, who was representing a number of the prisoners in a class-action suit against independent contractors. And she ultimately was able to put me in touch with a number of the prisoners who were willing to speak with us on camera. And they were not willing to be filmed in Iraq, because they felt the situation there was too precarious, too dangerous, so we ended up flying them to Jordan and filming them there.

And, you know, I think that they offer a dimension to the film that is really important and a dimension to this story, because we’ve seen the photographs, but we haven’t really heard the voices of those who were most directly involved. And it really made me feel, in talking with them and interviewing them that the photographs were just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the level of abuse, the constancy of it, and the degrading nature of it and the horror of it, really. They were so dignified in their telling of these horrific events and, I think, so courageous in their willingness to even speak with me. And I think their voices are essential. And as, you know, we know that in this war in Iraq, in general, we really haven't heard from the Iraqis, right? We’ve heard a lot of people talking about the Iraqis, but we haven’t heard from them directly. And so, it was important to me in this film to hear from the people who are most directly involved.....

ANY GOODMAN: The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib is chilling, it is unforgettable, and unfortunately it is all too real.

RORY KENNEDY: Yes, and it’s on HBO for the rest of the month, so I hope people will tune in......"

Click Here to Watch, Listen or Read Transcript

Rice: Palestinians' future lies with the moderates

"Bethlehem - Ma'an - US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, stressed on Wednesday the need for Washington to continue its support for the political process in the occupied Palestinian territories. Rice was addressing the financial assistance committee in the House of Representatives. She said the Palestinians have to realize that their future is better when the so-called "moderates" are in power.

Rice added, "Washington will not suspend its contacts with the moderates in the Palestinian government." She said, "The unity government does not comply with the Quartet's conditions, or the basic principles to achieve peace. However, some members of that government recognize these conditions and principles, but we will not change our aid plan until the government recognizes these principles and conditions."

The Quartet, which comprises of the US, EU, UN and Russia, has stipulated that the Palestinian government recognises Israel's right to exist, renounces violence, and adopts the previous signed peace accords.

Rice urged the international community not to offer support to the Palestinian people through the Palestinian government. Instead, she urged them to continue sending aid through the available informal channels. One of these channels is the Temporary International Mechanism set up last year by the European Union in order to provide financial aid to the Palestinian people while bypassing the Palestinian government.

In another development, the Associated Press reported that Rice had announced that Washington would reduce aid to President Abbas' security forces.

She did not provide specifics, but a senior U.S. official said the cut would amount to about $36 million, leaving only $50 million of the original package intended for the Palestinian security forces, AP reported.

According to AP, Rice said the revisions would strengthen a ''firewall'' to keep money away from Hamas, who formed a national unity government with Fatah and other Palestinian political factions last week. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by the USA. "

One of Latuff's Latest

Our Mad Mad Mad Mad Vice President Speaks

by Karen Kwiatkowski

"......But it is Cheney – not al Qaeda – who is watching the clock now. This former Secretary of Defense understands only too well that the deployment of two battle groups in the Persian Gulf, and the onset of this year's "spring offensive" in Afghanistan both point to a ticking clock – second-generation shock and awe forces require many months of planning, and a massive logistics tail to support even a short-lived coordinated attack. The clock is indeed ticking, and nothing must get in the way of that. It is not ticking for the occupied Palestinian territories, nor the fractured and dazed Iraqis living out some kind of neo-colonial nightmare. Those efforts are perfectly on track, as hoped for, and AIPAC completely understands this.

It is all about Iran. The U.S. military, from the tone and content of Cheney's speech, is now ready, and the window is open. The administration may actually be a bit behind in building its public case – at least one as plausible as the false case made by this same administration less than five years ago regarding Iraq. Part of this case-making process entails boxing the Congress, and preventing that body from asserting its collective intellect, refreshing its own collective familiarity with truth, justice, reality and even the Constitution. Iran is back on the table, and the House warning language on Iran stricken.

70% of the American public, and most of the soldiers and Marines in Iraq understand the idiocy, the pointlessness and shoddy logic of this alter-ego "war" we are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, soon Iran and perhaps even Syria. This majority of Americans are beginning to hate Dick Cheney and George W. Bush for what they are doing to our own nation. But the 70% in this country have no important conferences for the political leadership, they have no lobbyists, they have no deep pockets, and they have no rabidly confident sense that they alone have all the answers to the world's problems. AIPAC, on the other hand, has all these things.

And soon, it is likely they'll have their desired attacks on Iran. We may soon hear of an accident, an incursion, or a purported attack on our forces. That provocation will force the President to bomb until our bombs run out, and will give the Democrats one more opportunity to prove their abject fealty to war. From what we are hearing of this year's AIPAC conference, it will be up to a few honest and courageous souls in the Senate, or a revolt of the generals, to stop America's next war. "

To All Palestinians: Rejoice!
After 90 Years, We Have Finally Found Our Liberator....
His Majesty and the Great Usraeli Ally King Abdullah...
Let the Celebrations Continue!

Latest Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll

The Question:

Do you see, after four years of the invasion, a horizon for Iraq to emerge from its current crisis?

With about 1,500 responding so far, 89% said no.

Hard to translate from Arabic; it mocks the impotence of Arab "leaders" in their Summit. While Arab and Muslim women are being raped in Iraq, Sudan and Somalia, their cries for help go unheeded by such stooges who pretend that the cries are not directed to them.

Meet the Global Ruling Class

The Billionaires and How They Made It

By JAMES PETRAS
CounterPunch

".....Conclusion

Given the enormous class and income disparities in Russia, Latin America and China (20 Chinese billionaires have a net worth of $29.4 billion in less than ten years), it is more accurate to describe these countries as 'surging billionaires' rather than 'emerging markets' because it is not the 'free market' but the political power of the billionaires that dictates policy.

Countries of 'surging billionaires' produce burgeoning poverty, submerging living standards. The making of billionaires means the unmaking of civil society ­ the weakening of social solidarity, protective social legislation, pensions, vacations, public health programs and education. While politics is central, past political labels mean nothing. Ex-Marxist Brazilian ex-President Cardoso and ex-trade union leader President Lula Da Silva privatized public enterprises and promoted policies that spawn billionaires. Ex-Communist Putin cultivates certain billionaire oligarchs and offers incentives to others to shape up and invest.

The period of greatest decline in living standards in Latin America and Russia coincide with the dismantling of the nationalist populist and communist economies. Between 1980-2004, Latin America ­ more precisely Brazil, Argentina and Mexico ­ stagnated at 0 per cent to 1 per cent per capita growth. Russia saw a 50 per cent decline in GNP between 1990-1996 and living standards dropped 80 per cent for everyone except the predators and their gangster entourages.

Recent growth (2003-2007), where it occurs, has more to do with the extraordinary rise in international prices (of energy resources, metals and agro-exports) than any positive developments from the billionaire-dominated economies. The growth of billionaires is hardly a sign of 'general prosperity' resulting from the 'free market' as the editors of Forbes Magazine claim. In fact it is the product of the illicit seizure of lucrative public resources, built up by the work and struggle of millions of workers, in Russia and China under Communism and in Latin America during populist-nationalist and democratic-socialist governments. Many billionaires have inherited wealth and used their political ties to expand and extend their empires ­ it has little to do with entrepreneurial skills.


The billionaires' and the White House's anger and hostility toward President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is precisely because he is reversing the policies which create billionaires and mass poverty: He is re-nationalizing energy resources, public utilities and expropriating some large landed estates. Chavez is not only challenging US hegemony in Latin America but also the entire PDD edifice that built the economic empires of the billionaires in Latin America, Russia, China and elsewhere."

U.S.: With Iranian help, Hamas forces growing faster than Fatah

"With Iranian help, Hamas forces are expanding fast and getting more sophisticated weapons and training than do those under Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' control, according to the U.S. security coordinator.

U.S. Lieutenant-General Keith Dayton said Hamas' growing military strength, if left unchecked, would erode Abbas' already limited ability to enforce any ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and increase the chances of Israeli military intervention.

Dayton delivered his assessment in a series of closed-door briefings late last week to congressional leaders and staff, sources familiar with the discussions said on Wednesday.

Concerned about Abbas' coalition government with Hamas, a group that Washington considers a terrorist organization, the U.S. Congress has blocked $86 million in U.S. funding to bolster Abbas' presidential guard and national security forces.

Sources familiar with the Bush administration's deliberations said a revised spending plan would be submitted, likely limiting aid to Abbas' presidential guard and security improvements at Gaza's main commercial crossing with Israel.

It is unclear if and when the money will be approved.

Palestinians hope a unity government formed on Saturday between Abbas' secular Fatah faction and Hamas Islamists will bring an end to fighting between the groups. But tensions remain high, especially in the Gaza Strip.

In his first act after swearing in the new government, Abbas appointed Hamas' long-time foe, Mohammad Dahlan, as national security adviser, angering the Islamist movement.

Over objections from Fatah, Hamas is pushing ahead with plans to double the size of its Executive Force to 12,000 members. The force is built mostly from members of Hamas' armed wing, which on Monday carried out its first attacks against Israelis since a shaky Gaza truce took effect in November.

The U.S. wants Abbas' own forces to be strong enough to maintain law and order, and to prevent militant groups like Hamas from firing rockets and launching other attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip.

But in fierce fighting before Abbas agreed to join the unity government, Hamas' Executive Force and armed wing were beating their Fatah rivals, Dayton said, according to two sources familiar with his comments.

Dayton, who became U.S. security coordinator between Israel and the Palestinians in December 2005, said Hamas has continued to build up its forces using Iranian funds and equipment.

He added that Abbas' troops will not be strong enough to confront them without outside assistance.

Israeli officials have likewise said that Hamas fighters are receiving training in Iran and smuggling into Gaza rockets that could penetrate deep into Israeli territory.

Despite the U.S. funding embargo, Palestinian officials and Western diplomats say Abbas has continued to expand his own forces.

The presidential guard recently set up a camp near the Karni commercial crossing in Gaza, and it is finishing construction of a larger training base in the West Bank city of Jericho."

***

I wonder how long the "unity" will last; don't stop celebrating yet and keep sending your congratulations to Habila.

She Will be Back, Again. Expect Trouble !

"Jerusalem – Ma'an – In a special interview with Ma'an, the United States Consulate Spokesperson spoke of the imminent visit of Condoleezza Rice to the Middle East.

"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will hold bilateral meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mohmoud Abbas. She will also meet with the foreign ministers of the Arab Quartet [Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Jordan] and with Egyptian President Mubarak in Aswan and Jordanian King Abdullah II in Amman. While in the region, Secretary Rice will discuss the next steps in achieving a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as other regional issues of mutual interest."......."

Still Turning the Corner

By Tom Toles

Save Sami Al-Arian's life; demand his immediate release

Action Alert, Al-Awda, 20 March 2007

"Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, calls on all people of conscience to demand that Dr. Sami Al-Arian is immediately freed from his political imprisonment. Dr. Al-Arian is a Palestinian former University of Florida professor who is currently on his 58th day of a water-only hunger strike. He is protesting his maltreatment by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) which violated an earlier plea agreement that absolved Dr. Al-Arian from any further cooperation with the government. According to his lawyer, the DOJ wanted Dr. Al-Arian to testify before a grand jury in Virginia. When he refused, citing his plea agreement, he was sentenced up to 18 months in jail.

Dr. Al-Arian is currently being held at a medical facility in North Carolina. Family members who recently visited him reported that he had lost 53 pounds, equivalent to more than 25 percent of his body weight. He is no longer able to walk or stand on his own.

More information on Dr. Al-Arian's ordeal can be found in the transcript of a recent interview with his wife, Nahla Al-Arian.

Take Action

We ask all people of conscience to demand the immediate release and end to Dr. Al- Arian's suffering.

Call, Email and Write:

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Fax Number: (202) 307-6777
Email: AskDOJ@usdoj. gov

The Honorable John Conyers, Jr
2426 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5126
(202) 225-0072 Fax
John.Conyers@ mail.house. gov

Senator Patrick Leahy
433 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
(299029)224- 4242
senator_leahy@ leahy.senate. gov

Honorable Judge Gerald Lee
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
401 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314"

The Dead-Enders

Being a neocon means never having to say you're sorry

By Justin Raimondo

"......Centered in the office of the vice president, the neocons did an end run around the mainstream intelligence agencies to manufacture the lies that lured us into war, and Christopher Hitchens did more than his part to spread these lies. But in the minds of the neocons, all their lies are noble ones – besides , this whole obsession with such outdated concepts as truth and falsehood is just a superstition dreamed up by the "reality-based community," as one White House official put it to Ron Suskind. Watch us while we make history: in the triumphal atmosphere of the War Party's heyday, a fatal hubris was in the air, and the pro-war intellectuals breathed this in so deeply that the effects have yet to wear off. Hitchens is drunk on a lot more than booze.

Alcoholics often suffer from delusions, and their recalcitrance is part and parcel of their strenuous denial. The reality on the ground has proved the drunken warriors utterly wrong, yet they still go on pretending that all is well, if only the "surge" would be given time to work, if only the media would stop subverting the war effort, if only…

When the neoconservative version of this war's history is written, each chapter will elaborate on a different "if only" scenario that deftly ignores what actually happened and instead focuses on the imperfect implementation of their wonderful scheme.

Hitchens at least tries to defend the indefensible, which is a brave thing to even attempt, but his fellow neocon Richard Perle is clearly uninterested in making the effort......"

Nakba: The Israeli Holocaust Denial

A Good Article Contributed by Datta

by Kim Petersen
www.dissidentvoice.org
March 18, 2007

"Ilan Pappe deserves credit. He goes further than most Israelis in deconstructing the Jewish state’s historical revisionism, which he calls a “Zionist whitewash of words.” But does Pappe go far enough?

The iconoclastic Haifa University historian has written a book, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, destroying the “Israeli foundational myth,” which he describes as a “sheer fabrication.” Pappe sets straight the Israeli historiography. Central to Zionist historical revisionism is Nakba (catastrophe) denial. Pappe affirms the occurrence of the Nakba which he states was not a “voluntary flight” but part of a Zionist blueprint (Plan Dalet) for the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. It was ethnic cleansing, but was it not also something more sinister?

Pappe identifies the perpetrators of the Nakba as the “heroes of the Jewish war of independence,” of who the best known is David Ben-Gurion, “the architect” of ethnic cleansing. Ben-Gurion is more accurately viewed as one of history’s vilest war criminals.

Pappe writes, “[C]ontrary to claims historians such as Benny Morris have made, Plan Dalet was handed down to the brigade officers not as vague guidelines, but as clear-cut operational orders for action.” The action resulted in the expulsion of almost 800,000 people and the destruction of 531 villages and 11 urban neighborhoods. Palestinian villages were literally wiped off the map by Zionists.

In addition to the ethnic cleansing and massacres, Pappe details the crimes committed by the Zionists against Palestinians: bioterror, imprisonment, abuses, ghettoization, rapes (Ben-Gurion was, perversely, informed of every case), looting, and desecration of religious sites.......

Pappe does go further than most Israeli intellectuals. He tackles the Nakba and the right of refugees to return. He decries the “horrific repression” of the Palestinians and understands how it helps provoke suicide bombings.

Pappe says the Zionists have a “siege mentality” about Arabs. He admits that Israeli Jews who support Palestinians are “few and far between.” Pappe faults the Zionist ideology and Zionists’ fear of a “demographic danger.” Even the Palestinians now in refugee camps are not safe from a future wave of ethnic cleansing warns Pappe, and those Palestinians living in Israel are in danger of “transfer.”.

He views Palestinians as moderate and forgiving for the most part and, therefore, believes there is a chance for reconciliation. But this requires atonement: “[U]nless Israel acknowledges the cardinal role it has played, and continues to play, in the dispossession of the Palestinian nation, and accepts the consequences this recognition of the ethnic cleansing implies, all attempts to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict are bound to fail.”

Pappe’s language sometimes betrays him. Why is it an “Israel-Palestine conflict”? It implies an equivalency between the two sides. There is no equivalency. It is a Zionist genocide perpetrated against Palestinians, abetted by much of the bystanding world. This is what it has always been and continues to be."