The destroyed center of Ramadi, in Anbar Province, the site Tuesday of some of the heaviest fighting between U.S. occupation forces and the Iraqi Resistance.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Latest Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll
The question is:
Will the Palestinian dialogue in Macca (S.A.) succeed in ending inter-Palestinian strife?
With over 1,800 responding so far, here is the breakdown:
Yes......40%
No.......60%
ESCAPING THE MAHDI GANG
UN Office For The Coordination Of Humanitarian Affairs
IRAQ: More Palestinians flee Baghdad
"BAGHDAD, 1 Feb 2007 (IRIN) - The number of Palestinians stranded at the Iraq-Syria border has risen to 700 as more refugees flee the escalating violence in Baghdad, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday.
"Another 50 Palestinians have fled to the Iraq-Syrian border following a traumatic week in Baghdad, bringing the total number stranded at the frontier to about 700," Jennifer Pagonis, UNHCR spokeswoman, said at a press briefing in Geneva......
UNHCR said a group of 356 Palestinians has been in no-man's land between Iraq and Syria since May, and is living in a makeshift camp that was erected there. The second group of more recently arriving Palestinians, which now numbers around 340, is stuck in another improvised camp, al-Waleed, on the Iraqi side of the border.
Syrian authorities continue to deny access to all Palestinians, leaving them stranded in these camps, UNHCR added.
UNHCR is concerned that Palestinians have been systematically targetted and threatened by authorities and militias. The refugee agency said they face constant threats from death squads.
"More Palestinians are leaving Baghdad on a daily basis due to ongoing violence against them and they are heading to the borders where they are suffering a lot," Dhilal al-Kasous, the Palestinian Charge d'Affaires in Baghdad, told IRIN.
"They are living in tents in very dismal conditions during this cold weather season, and have no access to potable water and medicine. Their children have left schools and they will be an uneducated generation in the future," al-Kasous said.
He added that fewer than 15,000 Palestinians are now left in Baghdad where they do not venture out of their houses for fear of violent attacks by militia and harassment by Iraqi police.
On 16 January, Iraqi security forces broke into two buildings in Baghdad that are rented by UNHCR for Palestinian refugees and arrested 30 men. But they were released shortly.
In another incident in Baghdad's central district of al-Batawyen, Interior Ministry forces broke doors and windows of a building and arrested 17 Palestinian men. A third incident took place in al-Amin district in the eastern side of the capital on the same day and 13 Palestinian men were apprehended by Iraqi security forces.
"We again urge the international community, including neighbouring and resettlement countries, to help find a humane solution for these refugees who are persecuted inside Iraq and have nowhere to go," UNHCR said. "
The 'axis of fear' is born
A Good Article
By Pepe Escobar
"The Bush administration, in a sense, is getting what it wants in the wider Middle East. To battle a fictitious Shi'ite crescent (a construct by Jordan's King Abdullah), it has emboldened even more a reactionary Sunni crescent (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates), thus exacerbating to a paroxysm the "strategy" it has already applied in Iraq: sectarianism as the golden parameter of imperial divide and rule. Historically, Sunnis and Shi'ites have co-existed amid social tensions. But never have these tensions been so cynically exploited - by Washington - as in post-invasion Iraq and the wider Middle East.
The administration of US President George W Bush was forced to acknowledge that the monumental disaster of occupied Iraq had to be blamed on a new scapegoat. Thus the umpteenth twist in the "war on terror": exit al-Qaeda, enter Iran.
The Sunni Arab "axis of fear" is merrily playing along. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia even complained in a Kuwaiti newspaper that Iran is trying to convert Sunni Arabs to Shi'ism. Even Israel is now by all means allied with Saudi Arabia against Iran - Mecca/Jerusalem against Qom; Muslims and Jews battling Muslims.
It's enlightening to compare this development with how Iran's ambassador to Syria, Mohammad Hassan Akhtari, sees it - as nothing other than a replay of the British Empire's divide-and-rule. Washington is once again sowing the seeds of discord among Muslims: "Bush and his allies are in favor of further unrest, turmoil and crises so that they can justify deployment of their troops in the region."
Shi'ites also happen to live in the midst of the "axis of fear" - such as in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf monarchies. Beyond sectarianism, Arab popular perception is alert enough to identify this for what it is: a war of the US - supported by dictatorial Arab regimes - against Islam. And the target is not only Iran: the Saudi/Israeli link is also anti-Hamas - an obvious point as the House of Saud is little else than an annex of Washington.
A recent survey of Arab public opinion by the British YouGov group revealed that Israel (88%) is the "greatest threat to the security and future" of the Middle East, followed by the US, al-Qaeda and finally Iran (33%). This has not prevented the bulk of Arab mainstream media from engaging in a systematic anti-Iranian propaganda wave.
But as Iran strives to position itself in practice as the key supporter of the Palestinian national-liberation movement, it is bound to solidify its pre-eminent popular role in the Middle East. Washington, once again, will not be amused.
Patriot games
As even the mineral kingdom is aware, the Bush administration's war on Iran is already on. Escalation and provocation are fast reaching fever pitch. This includes:
* The - bogus - White House claim that Iranian "networks" are helping to target US troops in Iraq.
* An imminent Bush administration-peddled dossier detailing alleged Iranian "subversion" in Iraq, which is bound to include the surrealistic notion of Iranian "agents" collaborating with the Sunni Arab muqawama (resistance) in an anti-American orgy.
* US Special Forces destabilizing Iran on the ground (especially in Khuzestan and Sistan-Balochistan provinces).
* United Nations sanctions.
* The blacklisting of Iranian state-owned Bank Sepah.
* The deployment to Israel and Gulf states of defensive Patriot missiles (theoretically to shoot down any retaliatory, incoming Iranian Shihab-3 missiles).
* The deployment toward the Gulf of the USS John C Stennis nuclear strike force plus the USS Eisenhower nuclear strike force - in practice two huge floating airports accompanied by guided-missile cruisers, frigates, destroyers, and submarine escorts and loaded with a deluge of missiles and helicopters. In the event the Nimitz strike force - currently in San Diego - also heads to the Middle East, the attack on Iran will be a certainty.
And there is the non-stop disinformation avalanche. As in 2002, pre-shock and awe, where the focus was shifted from Osama bin Laden to Saddam Hussein, in the 2007 remix (with a nuclear twist) the focus is being moved from the quagmire in Iraq to the Iranian "threat".
The London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies has joined the fray, insisting Iran "could" be only two years away from building a nuclear bomb. This curiously ties with Likud supremo Benjamin Netanyahu claiming that Iran is "1,000 days away" from going nuclear. CNN and Fox News are mercilessly slugging it out to get prime Pentagon handouts - the best ringside view to watch the next war.
Meanwhile in Tehran, everything hinges on a crucial decision to be made by the nationalist theocracy's leadership. What path to choose: cooperation with the US, or confrontation? President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and his faction favor confrontation. Hashemi Rafsanjani, in practice the regime's No 2, favors cooperation (as does a crucial player, reformist Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri). Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali al-Khamenei has taken steps to isolate Ahmadinejad. But it may be too late: whatever the path chosen, the Bush administration is already on a war footing. Options abound.
As under the new White House-defined rules the guerrillas in Iraq are now led by Iran and not al-Qaeda, Iran can be attacked with no further authorization. The crucial missing piece is how to fabricate the new (Persian) Gulf of Tonkin incident, as in 1964 when Vietnamese naval vessels attacked US destroyers, setting in motion the impetus toward the Vietnam War.
Pray and then I'll kill you
The US-stoked Sunni-Shi'ite divide had to involve oil. Saudi Arabia is directly confronting Iran inside the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Traders take for granted that the Bush administration is once again allied with the House of Saud. Iran wants oil to be sold for at least US$70 a barrel. Saudi Oil Minister Ibrahim al-Naimi, on the other hand, keeps repeating that oil prices are going "in the right direction", ie down.
The US/Saudi nexus pulls no punches to squeeze Iran economically (fewer oil sales, less hard currency, mounting problems for Ahmadinejad, whose notoriously incompetent administration has not managed a better distribution of Iran's oil revenues). To top it off, to extract a barrel of oil Saudi Arabia may spend as little as $2. Iran, on the other hand, may spend as much as $18. And it will get worse. Iran is barred from buying the best exploration and drilling equipment, which is basically made in North America.
No wonder Tehran is proceeding with extreme caution - while bracing for a possible attack. Diplomatically, Tehran has invited International Atomic Energy Agency scientists and diplomats from the Non-Aligned Movement, the Group of 77 and the Arab League to visit Iran's nuclear sites. Ali Larijani, the head of the Supreme National Security Council and chief nuclear negotiator, went to Saudi Arabia and personally talked to King Abdullah - conveying the Supreme Leader's offer of Iranian help to stabilize Iraq. But this won't be enough to appease Bush.
Bush's green light for the assassination of Iranians inside Iraq has been no less than absurd - apart from being illegal. The majority of Iranians in Iraq are pilgrims, who go predominantly to the holy sites in Najaf and Karbala (Iran is actually financing the construction of an airport in Najaf). Anyone now can dub the pilgrims "spies" or "terrorists" or worse, and engage in targeted assassinations. What Iranian agents do is sell mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades to Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army commanders. The Mehdi Army is not killing Americans - at least not yet.
American casualties are not produced by Shi'ite pilgrims. The killers are Sunni Arabs - from al-Anbar province to Salahuddin, from Mosul to western Baghdad. These Sunni Arab killers are sponsored by none other than wealthy individuals living in the "axis of fear" - Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and the Emirates. Of more than 10,000 prisoners in US jails in Iraq, the majority of foreigners are Saudis, followed by Jordanians. There are practically no Iranians.
In a January 19 interview with the Arab satellite channel al-Manar, Hezbollah secretary general Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah sharply analyzed how Lebanonization is linked to Iraqification and to the larger Sunni-Shi'ite divide in the Middle East. It all has to do, of course, with Bush's "New Middle East".
In Nasrallah's view, "In short, the 'New Middle East' signifies a collection of statelets that are divided along religious, sectarian and racial lines from Lebanon to Syria to Iraq to Iran to Turkey to Afghanistan to Pakistan; all the way to Saudi Arabia and Yemen and the rest of the Gulf states, reaching North Africa. And here ... I would like to warn everyone in the Arab and Islamic world, whichever sect or religion they identify with, whether they be Muslim or Christian, Shi'ite or Sunni or Druze, whichever race they belong to, Arabs, Kurds, Turks, etc ... Whoever believes that the 'New Middle East' will grant him his own independent state, that may be the case, but they should not ignore that a founding pillar of the 'New Middle East' is continuous conflict between these statelets."
Reality proves it. The Bush administration thrives on chaos - internal sectarianism and state-to-state sectarianism. It orders an Iraqi client regime (the Nuri al-Maliki government) to kill Sunni Arabs (or nationalist Shi'ites, such as the Sadrists). It orders a supplicant client in Palestine (Mahmoud Abbas) to kill people from Hamas. It orders a client regime in Lebanon (the Fouad Siniora government) to kill people from Hezbollah. This is what Washington calls "democracy". Compare it with the fact that Nasrallah, Khalid Meshal from Hamas and Ahmadinejad are the three most popular Muslim leaders among the Egyptian masses.
If "Sunni solidarity" were something more than a meaningless slogan in the war for the soul of Islam, the "axis of fear" would have had to support the Sunni Arab guerrillas in Iraq to drive out the US. They could never have summoned the courage, of course - unlike their populations - so they fabricated the threat of a "Shi'ite crescent". The US is more than comfortable attributing to hardcore Sunni Saudi Arabia the role of key "axis of fear" player in the war of the US against Shi'ite Iran. Taliban-friendly Pakistan may soon join.
The fact that both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan fabricate "terrorists" in industrial quantities is a minor detail. What matters now for the Bush administration is yet another wild bunch of even more evil "terrorists" who threaten "civilization" with (non-existent) nuclear weapons.
Should a mini-September 11, 2001, come, the US will blame it on Iran. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the US Congress will have to say "yes" to US bombs. And meanwhile, Muslims will be killing Muslims all over the Middle East for the United States' greater benefit. "
دحلان يقود مخططاً لشن حملة اغتيالات
Sorry, but there is no English version of this important article.
Please see my brief translation at the end.
تشكيل ميليشيات مجهزة بأحدث الأسلحة والتنفيذ بدأ
مصادر: دحلان يقود مخططاً لشن حملة اغتيالات تطال قيادات "حماس" بإشراف عباس
"غزة - المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام
أكد مصدر فلسطيني مطلع، يتبوأ موقعاً قيادياً داخل رئاسة السلطة الفلسطينية، في تصريح لـ "المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام" أن حركة فتح، وبإشراف وتنسيق مع رئيس السلطة محمود عباس وتدبير وتخطيط من محمد دحلان، الذي يشار إليه باعتباره أحد قادة التيار الانقلابي في حركة "فتح"، قد قررت القيام بحملة اغتيالات واسعة تطال قيادات حركة "حماس".
وبحسب المصدر؛ فإنّ الخطة تشمل تشكيل ميليشيات مسلحة في قطاع غزة من مختلف الأجهزة الأمنية، يتراوح عددها ما بين 7000 إلى 10000 عنصر، يضاف إليهم 5000 آخرين من مسلحي كتائب شهداء الأقصى، مما يمنحها تفوقاً عددياً على "القوة التنفيذية"، التابعة لوزارة الداخلية، من وجهة نظر أصحابها والمشكلين لها، وذلك بهدف العمل على إضعاف حركة حماس من خلال تنفيذ حملة اغتيالات شاملة تطال مختلف المستويات القيادية فيها.
ويقول المصدر، الذي رفض الكشف عن هويته؛ إن مقر "أنصار"، الذي أُنزلت فيه الليلة الماضية كميات كبيرة من الأسلحة والعتاد العسكري، سيكون المقر الرئيس وساحة التدريب والانطلاق الخاصة بهذه القوة، وأن عملية اختيار وفرز العناصر المُشكلة لهذه القوة تتم حالياً بشكل دقيق للغاية، بحيث يتم التدقيق في طبيعة العناصر المختارة، وضمان مرورها على ما لا يقل عن عشرة أشخاص من الأجهزة الأمنية الذين خصصوا لهذا الغرض، بما يمنع إمكانية تسرب أي عنصر منتمٍ أو موالٍ لحركة حماس بأي حال من الأحوال.
ويضيف المصدر أنّ التدريب الذي تتلقاه هذه القوة هو تدريب قوي وبالذخيرة الحية، وأن عناصرها مجهزون بالعتاد الحديث، بما يمنح كل عنصر فيها وحدة نارية كاملة، كما سيتم صرف رواتب كاملة لهم بمعزل عن بقية الأجهزة الأمنية.
"قوات العاصفة" .. فرقة موت جديدة للانقلابيين
وأكد المصدر أنّ هذه القوة ستحمل اسم "قوات العاصفة"، وتتبع مباشرة لحركة فتح، وأنّ العتاد العسكري الخفيف والمتوسط (رشاشات وقنابل وقذائف آر بي جي) قد أصبح في متناول أيدي هذه القوة، فضلاً عن عدد كبير من "الجيبات" الحديثة وعدد من "الجيبات" المصفحة لتنفيذ المهام الخاصة، مشيراً إلى أنّ هذه القوة هي التي خاضت الاشتباكات الأخيرة مع حركة حماس والقوة التنفيذية التابعة لوزارة الداخلية، ونفذت العديد من المذابح وعمليات القتل والاغتيال والإجرام خلال الأحداث الأخيرة التي وقعت في قطاع غزة.
وأوضح المصدر أنّ هذه القوة تهدف أساساً إلى إضعاف حركة المقاومة الإسلامية "حماس"، بشكل واضح في فترة زمنية تقارب ثلاثة أشهر، بما يسمح بتمرير وفرض مخطط الانتخابات المبكرة التي تراهن عليها حركة فتح للعودة إلى الحكم في أعقاب تنفيذ مخطط إضعاف حركة حماس أمنياً.
وشدد المصدر ذاته على أنّ القوة إياها قد قطعت شوطاً كبيراً في عملية التجهيز والإعداد، إلا أنها لم تستكمل بعد كامل تجهيزاتها، مؤكداً أنها سوف تعمل بشكل مبرمج بين الحين والآخر على تصدير الأزمات والأحداث بشكل شبه يومي هنا وهناك، بشكل يمثل تدريباً تدريجياً لعناصر القوة ريثما تستكمل التجهيزات والاستعدادات، انتظاراً لبدء تنفيذ المخطط الذي سيشهد استدراج حماس ميدانياً، لإشعال المعركة الشاملة بشكل متزامن في الضفة والقطاع.
ووفقاً للمصدر؛ فإنّ الخطة المرسومة تقضي بأن تشرع هذه القوة في العمل وبشكل مدروس في تصفية قادة ورموز حركة حماس، وخاصة في شمال قطاع غزة وخان يونس.
كما أكد المصدر على أنّ من ضمن الخطة التي تم رسمها، الشروع في حملة اعتقالات في صفوف أبناء حركة حماس بشكل متوازٍ مع بدء القوة الجديدة لحركة فتح أعمالها وإشعالها للمعركة مع حركة حماس، وذلك بما يشبه الاعتقالات التي جرت في جنين مؤخراً، والتي شكلت "بروفة" مبدئية لما يمكن أن يكون عليه الحال مستقبلاً.
"الوقائي" يستعد لاغتيالات محددة ضد قيادات "حماس"
وفي السياق ذاته؛ أوضح المصدر أنّ جهاز الأمن الوقائي قد أعد عدته للانتقام من حركة حماس والقوة التنفيذية عقب مقتل العميد محمد أبو غريب، وأنه قد شكل "فرق موت" خاصة لتنفيذ إعدامات محددة ضد قادة وأعضاء في حركة حماس والقوة التنفيذية، وهو ما بدا واضحاً خلال الأحداث الأخيرة التي ارتكبت فيها عناصر من الأمن الوقائي جريمة اقتحام واستباحة مسجد الهداية في حي تل الإسلام (تل الهوى) بمدينة غزة، وإعدام الشهيد القائد زهير المنسي بدم بارد، وهو يتدارس كتاب الله مع ثلاثة من إخوانه، فضلاً عن قتل واغتيال عدد كبير من المجاهدين من أبناء حماس والقوة التنفيذية في مناطق مختلفة من قطاع غزة.
وأكد المصدر أنّ محمد دحلان يقود بشكل مباشر هذه القوة، ويقع تحت إشرافه العديد من القيادات التنظيمية ومن بينها سمير المشهراوي وماجد أبو شمالة وسامي أبو سمهدانة وسليمان أبو مطلق وعادل حلس وماهر أبو الجديان ومحمد العواودة، فضلاً عن راسم البياري وتوفيق أبو خوصة وعبد الحكيم عوض وماهر مقداد.
واختتم المصدر حديثه بالقول إنّ حكومة الوحدة الوطنية هي "آخر ما تفكر فيها حركة فتح، وأنها لن تقدم بأي حال من الأحوال على التجاوب مع الجهود الراهنة لتشكيل الحكومة، وأنها سوف ستظل تفتعل الأحداث الميدانية ريثما تشتعل المواجهة الشاملة مع حركة حماس والتي ستتكفل بقبر جهود حكومة الوحدة وإنهائها من وجهة نظرها".
يُذكر أنّ الإدارة الأمريكية قد كشفت عن مبالغ ضخمة تقدر بعشرات الملايين من الدولارات يتم تحويلها إلى حساب الرئاسة الفلسطينية، وآخرها مبلغ 86 مليون دولار خصصت لتقوية الأجهزة الأمنية الخاضعة لرئيس السلطة ومدها بالسلاح المتطور لمواجهة حركة حماس والقوة التنفيذية، في الوقت الذي كشفت فيه مصادر أمريكية وصهيونية وفلسطينية رسمية متطابقة عن شحنات ضخمة من الأسلحة يتم توريدها بشكل شبه يومي إلى الضفة الغربية وقطاع غزة، وخصوصاً منطقة القطاع الذي تشعر فيها حركة فتح والأجهزة الأمنية التابعة لها أنّ الغلبة ترجح فيها لحركة حماس والقوة التنفيذية.
بيان تهديد .. خطوة أولى في إطار المخطط
وفي ظل الكشف عن هذا المخطط؛ أصدرت حركة فتح وكتائب شهداء الأقصى والأجهزة الأمنية والعسكرية بياناً هددت فيه قيادات في حركة "حماس" ووزراء في الحكومة بالقتل والاستهداف.
وجاء في البيان، الذي حصل "المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام"، على نسخة منه؛ "إن كل أفراد حماس (وكتائب الشهيد عز الدين) القسام والميليشيات السوداء (في قصد منهم إلى القوة التنفيذية) هم أهداف مشروعة لبنادقنا وسنقتص منهم"، مشيرة إلى أنها ترصد تحركاتهم وسياراتهم "وسينالون مصيرهم المحتوم".
وهدد البيان، الذي ذيّل بـ "دولة فلسطين .. اللجنة الإعلامية لحركة التحرير الوطني الفلسطيني فتح"، بشكل صريح كلاً من الدكتور عاطف عدوان وزير شؤون اللاجئين في الحكومة الفلسطينية، والنواب من كتلة "التغيير والإصلاح" بالمجلس التشريعي التابعة لحركة "حماس"، يوسف الشرافي، وإسماعيل الأشقر، ومشير المصري، فتحي حماد، وغيرهم.
ويتزامن هذا التهديد في الوقت الذي وصلت فيه شحنات أسلحة ووسائل قتالية إلى قطاع غزة عبر معبر رفح (الفاصل بين مصر وقطاع غزة)، وفي الوقت الذي تعهدت فيه الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية بتسليح حرس الرئاسة ودعمه بأكثر من ستة وثمانين مليون دولار."
***
A VERY BRIEF TRANSLATION
An anonymous, high ranking source within Abbas' office asserted that Fatah, with coordination and direction from Abbas as well as planning by Mohammad Dahlan, has decided to launch a large scale campaign to assassinate Hamas leaders. For this purpose armed militias are being formed involving 7,000-10,000 from the various "security" branches and an additional 5,000 from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. The Ansar Center is the headquarters of this combined force. Large quantities of weapons (from Egypt) arrived there last night and intensive training with live ammo and new weapons is going on there. Individuals selected for this force are very carefully screened to exclude any who might have any sympathy or support for Hamas. This force, which is directly under Fatah's control, has been equipped with light and medium weapons including RPGs as well as armored jeeps. This new force is the one that was involved in the deadly attacks on mosques and Hamas supporters in the past few days.
This force, pending full readiness and mobilization, will incite limited and scattered attacks on an almost daily basis. A full scale and coordinated attack on Hamas in both Gaza and the W.B. is planned when the force is ready. The force is directly under Dahlan's command. Large scale arrests of Hamas supporters are planned.
***
The Midwife of Death, Rice, will be in the region, again, in 2 weeks. The plan, apparently, is to have the Pinochet-style putsch led by Dahlan underway at that time.
***
Breaking News!
Four were killed this afternoon when Hamas intercepted two trucks loaded with weapons heading towards Gaza City coming from the south. The weapons were provided by Egypt, even though Egypt denied the charge. Hamas took control of the smuggled weapons.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
كونترا فلسطينية بتمويل امريكي
A Great Editorial
عبد الباري عطوان
01/02/2007
عندما اندلعت الاشتباكات الدموية في قطاع غزة، التي اودت بحياة ثلاثين شخصا علي الأقل من خيرة ابناء القضية الواحدة، حاولنا ان نكون متوازنين، وان نضع اللوم علي الجانبين، ولكن عندما أعلنت الادارة الامريكية يوم امس انها ستقدم ستة وثمانين مليون دولار لتدريب وتسليح الحرس الرئاسي، وتدرس في الوقت نفسه توسيع تقديم المساعدة لتشمل عناصر قوات الامن الوطني التابعة للرئيس محمود عباس وبعض قادته الامنيين، فإننا نجد من الصعب علينا ان نلتزم الحياد ونمسك العصا من الوسط، لان هذه الخطوة الامريكية لا يمكن الا ان تكون مشروع فتنة، وصب المزيد من الزيت علي نار الحرب الاهلية، او جمرها الذي ما زال متقدا تحت رماد الاتفاق الاخير للهدنة، الذي يصارع من اجل الثبات.
لا يستطيع احد ان يقنعنا، مهما تبحر في علم البلاغة والبيان، بأن الولايات المتحدة تريد تمويل قوات الرئاسة، والامن الوطني الفلسطيني، وتسليحها، من اجل التصدي للقوات الاسرائيلية، وتوغلاتها المستمرة في الاراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة واغتيالاتها التي لا تفرق بين كتائب القسام وشهداء الاقصي. ولا يمكن لأحد ان يحاججنا ايضا، بان الحكومة الاسرائيلية ستسمح بمرور الاسلحة لهذه القوات، من مصر والاردن، اذا كان لديها ادني شك، في ان هذه الاسلحة ستستخدم ضدها وضد جنودها ومستوطنيها.
نحن الآن، ونقولها بكل اسف وحزن، امام كونترا فلسطينية جديدة، تدعمها الولايات المتحدة من اجل تصفية المقاومة الفلسطينية وحركاتها، وكل من يفكر بمعارضة الحلول الامريكية المفروضة، وهي حلول اسرائيلية بالأساس. فمثلما تصدت فرق الكونترا لرجال المقاومة في امريكا الجنوبية واستنزفت الأنظمة الوطنية فيها ستفعل هذه القوات الفلسطينية الشيء نفسه وربما اكثر، او هذا ما هو مخطط لها ان تفعل. وعلينا ان نتذكر ان نغروبونتي الذي عين قبل شهر نائبا للسيدة رايس هو الأب الشرعي لفكرة الكونترا هذه.
المصيبة ان الكونترا الفلسطينية الجديدة تتطوع بالقيام بمثل هذا الدور الدموي القذر، دون ان يكون هناك اي حل علي الطاولة، يستند الي قرارات الشرعية الدولية، ويحقق الحد الأدني من المطالب الفلسطينية في حق تقرير المصير، والعودة والدولة المستقلة.
ومن المفارقة ان هذا الاعلان الامريكي يتزامن مع اتخاذ حكومة ايهود اولمرت، رئيس الوزراء الاسرائيلي، قرارا بتغيير مسار الجدار العنصري الحالي بحيث يضم مستوطنتين يهوديتين جديدتين في الضفة الغربية، والتصديق علي قرار آخر باقامة مستوطنة في غور الاردن لاستيعاب المستوطنين الذين تم اجلاؤهم من قطاع غزة في الصيف قبل الماضي وبناء كنيس يهودي في باحة المسجد الأقصي.
لا نعرف ما هو الغرض من انشاء حرس رئاسي فلسطيني يزيد تعداده عن عشرة آلاف عنصر، ونحن ما زلنا تحت الاحتلال، ولا يستطيع الرئيس الفلسطيني مغادرة قصره الا بإذن شاويش اسرائيلي. ولا يستطيع رئيس وزراء فلسطين المنتخب الاجتماع مع وزرائه في الضفة الا عبر الهاتف وبتنصت اسرائيلي.
نفهم ان يؤسس رئيس دولة اقليمية عظمي مثل الراحل صدام حسين حرسا جمهوريا ضخما، او ان يفعل الشيء نفسه رئيس روسيا العظمي او حتي رئيس مصر الذي يتنقل بين عدة قصور واستراحات ورثها عن العهد الملكي، ولكن ان يقيم رئيس دولة وهمية لا تزيد مساحتها عن بضعة عشرات الآلاف من الاميال خاضعة للاحتلال وتأتمر بأمره، حرسا رئاسيا، فهذا ما لا يخطر علي بال احد، ولكن كل شيء ممكن في هذا الزمن العباسي السعيد.
هناك مشروع سري يتم طبخه علي نار هادئة من وراء ظهر الشعب الفلسطيني، فتمويل هذه القوات وتسليحها من قبل الولايات المتحدة، وبمباركة اسرائيلية هما العمود الفقري له، وهو مشروع حرب اهلية، يبشر بحمامات دم فلسطينية ـ فلسطينية من خلال استهداف حركات المقاومة الفلسطينية، وكل ما اشيع عن حوارات من اجل تشكيل حكومة وحدة وطنية، والتوصل الي وفاق بين رأسي السلطة، هو مجرد مناورة لكسب الوقت، واستكمال الاستعدادات للمنازلة الدموية الكبري التي باتت وشيكة جدا.
الدكتور صائب عريقات المستشار السياسي للرئيس عباس قال في تصريحات صحافية تبريرا لهذه الخطوة، بأن الاموال الامريكية ستذهب الي تمويل اجهزة ومعدات لمراقبة المعابر. فإذا كانت الادارة الامريكية حريصة فعلا علي هذه المعابر، فلماذا لا تبادر الي فتحها اولا، وخاصة معبر رفح المغلق منذ ستة اشهر، الا في حالات نادرة. حيث يحشر اكثر من مليون ونصف المليون فلسطيني في قفص كبير اسمه قطاع غزة. فما دخل الأجهزة بمرور المرضي والحجاج والمعتمرين؟
الشعب الفلسطيني يتضور جوعا، والأوبئة تتفشي، والمستشفيات خالية من الأدوية الاساسية بسبب الحصار المالي الامريكي، وعشرات الآلاف من الموظفين، ومعظمهم من حزب الرئيس، لا يجدون رغيف الخبز لاطفالهم، ومع ذلك تستثني الادارة الامريكية قوات الرئاسة من حصارها وترسل عشرات الملايين من الدولارات لاعطائها الاسلحة والذخائر التي ستستخدمها في الاشهر المقبلة لتصفية حركات فلسطينية تتمسك بالثوابت التي انطلقت من اجل تحقيقها الثورة الفلسطينية بزعامة حركة فتح .
ما زال من الصعب معرفة ما اذا كان الرئيس محمود عباس قد تشاور مع اللجنة المركزية، او الكوادر الوطنية الشابة لحركته وكتائب شهداء الاقصي بالذات قبل الموافقة علي الانخراط في هذا المشروع الامريكي الخطير ام لا، ولكن ما نستطيع التكهن به، انه لم يفعل ذلك مطلقا، ولم يلجأ الي اي مرجعيات فلسطينية سواء داخل تنظيمه او خارجه، لان كوادر فتح كما نعرفها هي في قمة الوطنية والحرص علي الثوابت ولا يمكن ان تقبل بالانخراط في حرب تصفيات ضد اناس يرفعون راية المقاومة، ويتطلعون للشهادة. فالمؤكد ان الرئيس عباس بات اسيرا لبعض الشخصيات التي تلتف حوله، وترافقه كظله في حله وترحاله، هذه الايام، وتزين له محاسن القبول بالاملاءات والمخططات الامريكية.
النوايا تتجه الآن الي حل قوات الامن الفلسطينية، او غربلتها، كنتيجة للاتصالات التي اجراها خبراء امريكيون مع قادة الاجهزة الأمنية الفلسطينية. والغربلة تعني ابعاد او تجميد كل عنصر ما زال يتمسك بحق العودة، وقيام دولة فلسطينية عاصمتها القدس، ويتعاطف مع المقاومة، اي اننا امام خطوة مماثلة بحل الجيش العراقي، ولن نفاجأ اذا ما جاءت النتائج متطابقة.
الشعب الفلسطيني يقف الآن امام مجزرتين ، الاولي بشرية كنتيجة لحرب التصفيات التي من المتوقع ان تنفذها الكونترا الجديدة، والثانية سياسية ، ستترتب مباشرة علي المجزرة الاولي، وسيكون عنوانها فرض تسوية منقوصة، ومعيبة، علي الشعب الفلسطيني وفق المقاييس الامريكية والاسرائيلية.
الادارة الامريكية تريد تنظيف المنطقة العربية من حركتين اساسيتين للمقاومة، هما حماس و حزب الله ، قبل الانطلاق نحو الحرب الكبري ضد ايران، بغطاء عربي من الدول المعتدلة، ومشاركة اسرائيلية كاملة.
فليس من قبيل الصدفة ان تتحدث السيدة كوندوليزا رايس عن دولة فلسطينية مؤقتة قبل اجتماعها الثاني مع وزراء الدول العربية المعتدلة في الكويت. فالمؤقت سيصبح دائما، وسيظل مرهونا بمدي الرضوخ للاملاءات الامريكية والاسرائيلية.
الرئيس عباس يقدم علي مقامرة جديدة، اخطر بكثير من مقامرة اوسلو ، قد تكون باهظة التكاليف بالنسبة الي الشعب الفلسطيني، فقد عقد العزم مثلما يتراءي لنا، ان يكون جزءا اصيلا في تحالف المعتدلين او حلف بغداد الجديد، اعتقادا منه ان الرئيس عرفات اخطأ عندما وقف ضد تحالف مماثل ايام حرب الخليج الاولي عام 1991، وضم الدول نفسها عدا الأردن، وبما سمي في حينه دول اعلان دمشق .
الرئيس عرفات لم يخطئ عندما وقف في خندق شعبه في مواجهة الخندق الامريكي المقابل، لانه كان يدرك بحدسه الوطني ان بوصلته الوطنية هي الاكثر دقة ومصداقية. فقد حققت امريكا غرضها من اخراج القوات العراقية من الكويت، وتدمير العراق، ونزع اسلحته، ولم تقدم للعرب، وحلفائها علي وجه الخصوص غير حرب اهلية دموية في عراق مفتت ممزق، وخلل اساسي في موازين القوي لمصلحة اسرائيل في الغرب وايران في الشرق.
كان اشرف للسيد عباس ان يتهم بأنه رئيس ضعيف، علي ان يدخل التاريخ كرئيس اشعل فتيل الحرب الاهلية الفلسطينية ووضع اوراقه في السلة الامريكية مقابل حلول جزئية هزيلة، هذا اذا حصل علي هذه المكافأة.
عبد الباري عطوان
01/02/2007
عندما اندلعت الاشتباكات الدموية في قطاع غزة، التي اودت بحياة ثلاثين شخصا علي الأقل من خيرة ابناء القضية الواحدة، حاولنا ان نكون متوازنين، وان نضع اللوم علي الجانبين، ولكن عندما أعلنت الادارة الامريكية يوم امس انها ستقدم ستة وثمانين مليون دولار لتدريب وتسليح الحرس الرئاسي، وتدرس في الوقت نفسه توسيع تقديم المساعدة لتشمل عناصر قوات الامن الوطني التابعة للرئيس محمود عباس وبعض قادته الامنيين، فإننا نجد من الصعب علينا ان نلتزم الحياد ونمسك العصا من الوسط، لان هذه الخطوة الامريكية لا يمكن الا ان تكون مشروع فتنة، وصب المزيد من الزيت علي نار الحرب الاهلية، او جمرها الذي ما زال متقدا تحت رماد الاتفاق الاخير للهدنة، الذي يصارع من اجل الثبات.
لا يستطيع احد ان يقنعنا، مهما تبحر في علم البلاغة والبيان، بأن الولايات المتحدة تريد تمويل قوات الرئاسة، والامن الوطني الفلسطيني، وتسليحها، من اجل التصدي للقوات الاسرائيلية، وتوغلاتها المستمرة في الاراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة واغتيالاتها التي لا تفرق بين كتائب القسام وشهداء الاقصي. ولا يمكن لأحد ان يحاججنا ايضا، بان الحكومة الاسرائيلية ستسمح بمرور الاسلحة لهذه القوات، من مصر والاردن، اذا كان لديها ادني شك، في ان هذه الاسلحة ستستخدم ضدها وضد جنودها ومستوطنيها.
نحن الآن، ونقولها بكل اسف وحزن، امام كونترا فلسطينية جديدة، تدعمها الولايات المتحدة من اجل تصفية المقاومة الفلسطينية وحركاتها، وكل من يفكر بمعارضة الحلول الامريكية المفروضة، وهي حلول اسرائيلية بالأساس. فمثلما تصدت فرق الكونترا لرجال المقاومة في امريكا الجنوبية واستنزفت الأنظمة الوطنية فيها ستفعل هذه القوات الفلسطينية الشيء نفسه وربما اكثر، او هذا ما هو مخطط لها ان تفعل. وعلينا ان نتذكر ان نغروبونتي الذي عين قبل شهر نائبا للسيدة رايس هو الأب الشرعي لفكرة الكونترا هذه.
المصيبة ان الكونترا الفلسطينية الجديدة تتطوع بالقيام بمثل هذا الدور الدموي القذر، دون ان يكون هناك اي حل علي الطاولة، يستند الي قرارات الشرعية الدولية، ويحقق الحد الأدني من المطالب الفلسطينية في حق تقرير المصير، والعودة والدولة المستقلة.
ومن المفارقة ان هذا الاعلان الامريكي يتزامن مع اتخاذ حكومة ايهود اولمرت، رئيس الوزراء الاسرائيلي، قرارا بتغيير مسار الجدار العنصري الحالي بحيث يضم مستوطنتين يهوديتين جديدتين في الضفة الغربية، والتصديق علي قرار آخر باقامة مستوطنة في غور الاردن لاستيعاب المستوطنين الذين تم اجلاؤهم من قطاع غزة في الصيف قبل الماضي وبناء كنيس يهودي في باحة المسجد الأقصي.
لا نعرف ما هو الغرض من انشاء حرس رئاسي فلسطيني يزيد تعداده عن عشرة آلاف عنصر، ونحن ما زلنا تحت الاحتلال، ولا يستطيع الرئيس الفلسطيني مغادرة قصره الا بإذن شاويش اسرائيلي. ولا يستطيع رئيس وزراء فلسطين المنتخب الاجتماع مع وزرائه في الضفة الا عبر الهاتف وبتنصت اسرائيلي.
نفهم ان يؤسس رئيس دولة اقليمية عظمي مثل الراحل صدام حسين حرسا جمهوريا ضخما، او ان يفعل الشيء نفسه رئيس روسيا العظمي او حتي رئيس مصر الذي يتنقل بين عدة قصور واستراحات ورثها عن العهد الملكي، ولكن ان يقيم رئيس دولة وهمية لا تزيد مساحتها عن بضعة عشرات الآلاف من الاميال خاضعة للاحتلال وتأتمر بأمره، حرسا رئاسيا، فهذا ما لا يخطر علي بال احد، ولكن كل شيء ممكن في هذا الزمن العباسي السعيد.
هناك مشروع سري يتم طبخه علي نار هادئة من وراء ظهر الشعب الفلسطيني، فتمويل هذه القوات وتسليحها من قبل الولايات المتحدة، وبمباركة اسرائيلية هما العمود الفقري له، وهو مشروع حرب اهلية، يبشر بحمامات دم فلسطينية ـ فلسطينية من خلال استهداف حركات المقاومة الفلسطينية، وكل ما اشيع عن حوارات من اجل تشكيل حكومة وحدة وطنية، والتوصل الي وفاق بين رأسي السلطة، هو مجرد مناورة لكسب الوقت، واستكمال الاستعدادات للمنازلة الدموية الكبري التي باتت وشيكة جدا.
الدكتور صائب عريقات المستشار السياسي للرئيس عباس قال في تصريحات صحافية تبريرا لهذه الخطوة، بأن الاموال الامريكية ستذهب الي تمويل اجهزة ومعدات لمراقبة المعابر. فإذا كانت الادارة الامريكية حريصة فعلا علي هذه المعابر، فلماذا لا تبادر الي فتحها اولا، وخاصة معبر رفح المغلق منذ ستة اشهر، الا في حالات نادرة. حيث يحشر اكثر من مليون ونصف المليون فلسطيني في قفص كبير اسمه قطاع غزة. فما دخل الأجهزة بمرور المرضي والحجاج والمعتمرين؟
الشعب الفلسطيني يتضور جوعا، والأوبئة تتفشي، والمستشفيات خالية من الأدوية الاساسية بسبب الحصار المالي الامريكي، وعشرات الآلاف من الموظفين، ومعظمهم من حزب الرئيس، لا يجدون رغيف الخبز لاطفالهم، ومع ذلك تستثني الادارة الامريكية قوات الرئاسة من حصارها وترسل عشرات الملايين من الدولارات لاعطائها الاسلحة والذخائر التي ستستخدمها في الاشهر المقبلة لتصفية حركات فلسطينية تتمسك بالثوابت التي انطلقت من اجل تحقيقها الثورة الفلسطينية بزعامة حركة فتح .
ما زال من الصعب معرفة ما اذا كان الرئيس محمود عباس قد تشاور مع اللجنة المركزية، او الكوادر الوطنية الشابة لحركته وكتائب شهداء الاقصي بالذات قبل الموافقة علي الانخراط في هذا المشروع الامريكي الخطير ام لا، ولكن ما نستطيع التكهن به، انه لم يفعل ذلك مطلقا، ولم يلجأ الي اي مرجعيات فلسطينية سواء داخل تنظيمه او خارجه، لان كوادر فتح كما نعرفها هي في قمة الوطنية والحرص علي الثوابت ولا يمكن ان تقبل بالانخراط في حرب تصفيات ضد اناس يرفعون راية المقاومة، ويتطلعون للشهادة. فالمؤكد ان الرئيس عباس بات اسيرا لبعض الشخصيات التي تلتف حوله، وترافقه كظله في حله وترحاله، هذه الايام، وتزين له محاسن القبول بالاملاءات والمخططات الامريكية.
النوايا تتجه الآن الي حل قوات الامن الفلسطينية، او غربلتها، كنتيجة للاتصالات التي اجراها خبراء امريكيون مع قادة الاجهزة الأمنية الفلسطينية. والغربلة تعني ابعاد او تجميد كل عنصر ما زال يتمسك بحق العودة، وقيام دولة فلسطينية عاصمتها القدس، ويتعاطف مع المقاومة، اي اننا امام خطوة مماثلة بحل الجيش العراقي، ولن نفاجأ اذا ما جاءت النتائج متطابقة.
الشعب الفلسطيني يقف الآن امام مجزرتين ، الاولي بشرية كنتيجة لحرب التصفيات التي من المتوقع ان تنفذها الكونترا الجديدة، والثانية سياسية ، ستترتب مباشرة علي المجزرة الاولي، وسيكون عنوانها فرض تسوية منقوصة، ومعيبة، علي الشعب الفلسطيني وفق المقاييس الامريكية والاسرائيلية.
الادارة الامريكية تريد تنظيف المنطقة العربية من حركتين اساسيتين للمقاومة، هما حماس و حزب الله ، قبل الانطلاق نحو الحرب الكبري ضد ايران، بغطاء عربي من الدول المعتدلة، ومشاركة اسرائيلية كاملة.
فليس من قبيل الصدفة ان تتحدث السيدة كوندوليزا رايس عن دولة فلسطينية مؤقتة قبل اجتماعها الثاني مع وزراء الدول العربية المعتدلة في الكويت. فالمؤقت سيصبح دائما، وسيظل مرهونا بمدي الرضوخ للاملاءات الامريكية والاسرائيلية.
الرئيس عباس يقدم علي مقامرة جديدة، اخطر بكثير من مقامرة اوسلو ، قد تكون باهظة التكاليف بالنسبة الي الشعب الفلسطيني، فقد عقد العزم مثلما يتراءي لنا، ان يكون جزءا اصيلا في تحالف المعتدلين او حلف بغداد الجديد، اعتقادا منه ان الرئيس عرفات اخطأ عندما وقف ضد تحالف مماثل ايام حرب الخليج الاولي عام 1991، وضم الدول نفسها عدا الأردن، وبما سمي في حينه دول اعلان دمشق .
الرئيس عرفات لم يخطئ عندما وقف في خندق شعبه في مواجهة الخندق الامريكي المقابل، لانه كان يدرك بحدسه الوطني ان بوصلته الوطنية هي الاكثر دقة ومصداقية. فقد حققت امريكا غرضها من اخراج القوات العراقية من الكويت، وتدمير العراق، ونزع اسلحته، ولم تقدم للعرب، وحلفائها علي وجه الخصوص غير حرب اهلية دموية في عراق مفتت ممزق، وخلل اساسي في موازين القوي لمصلحة اسرائيل في الغرب وايران في الشرق.
كان اشرف للسيد عباس ان يتهم بأنه رئيس ضعيف، علي ان يدخل التاريخ كرئيس اشعل فتيل الحرب الاهلية الفلسطينية ووضع اوراقه في السلة الامريكية مقابل حلول جزئية هزيلة، هذا اذا حصل علي هذه المكافأة.
The Media Cover-up of the Najaf Massacre
By Mike Whitney
".....Hoorah! More innocent people butchered!
Say what you will about the corporate media; they still havn’t lost their appetite for carnage.
Neither has the decider-in-chief who, when asked about the attack, answered, "My first reaction on this report from the battlefield is that the Iraqis are beginning to show me something."
What the Iraqis "showed" Bush was how easy it is to dupe the US military into carrying out their genocidal reprisals against rival groups. Just as the Mahdi Army and other Shiite militias are "laying low" while the US military ethnically cleanses Sunni neighborhoods throughout Baghdad, so too, the Shiite-led Iraqi government is now using American firepower to eliminate their potential Shiite enemies.
Apparently, Bush is as happy with this new arrangement as the Shiite warlords who now run the country.
A spokesman from the Iraqi Ministry of Defense said that "200 terrorists were killed and 60 wounded" lowering the original estimates.
"Terrorists"?
"Terrorist families" (including children) or just plain old terrorists?
Whatever the precise details may be, the official version is utter nonsense. That’s why the survivors of the attack are being prevented from speaking to the press. Just like the bombed-out wedding party in Anbar Province, or the Jessica Lynch fiasco; the official version is "always right" as long as there is no competing narrative.
The bottom line is that the US military is now being used as an "enforcer" in tribal and clan-based disputes. This will make it even more difficult for Washington to prove that its honest broker who can reconcile the differences between the between the warring factions. With every reckless act of violence, the US becomes further mired in an "unwinnable" war in a hostile country. Only the American media thinks that that's something to cheer about. "
".....Hoorah! More innocent people butchered!
Say what you will about the corporate media; they still havn’t lost their appetite for carnage.
Neither has the decider-in-chief who, when asked about the attack, answered, "My first reaction on this report from the battlefield is that the Iraqis are beginning to show me something."
What the Iraqis "showed" Bush was how easy it is to dupe the US military into carrying out their genocidal reprisals against rival groups. Just as the Mahdi Army and other Shiite militias are "laying low" while the US military ethnically cleanses Sunni neighborhoods throughout Baghdad, so too, the Shiite-led Iraqi government is now using American firepower to eliminate their potential Shiite enemies.
Apparently, Bush is as happy with this new arrangement as the Shiite warlords who now run the country.
A spokesman from the Iraqi Ministry of Defense said that "200 terrorists were killed and 60 wounded" lowering the original estimates.
"Terrorists"?
"Terrorist families" (including children) or just plain old terrorists?
Whatever the precise details may be, the official version is utter nonsense. That’s why the survivors of the attack are being prevented from speaking to the press. Just like the bombed-out wedding party in Anbar Province, or the Jessica Lynch fiasco; the official version is "always right" as long as there is no competing narrative.
The bottom line is that the US military is now being used as an "enforcer" in tribal and clan-based disputes. This will make it even more difficult for Washington to prove that its honest broker who can reconcile the differences between the between the warring factions. With every reckless act of violence, the US becomes further mired in an "unwinnable" war in a hostile country. Only the American media thinks that that's something to cheer about. "
Official Lies over Najaf Battle Exposed
NAJAF, Iraq, Jan 31 (IPS) - Iraqi government lies over the killing of hundreds of Shias in an attack on Sunday stand exposed by independent investigations carried out by IPS in Iraq.
AN IMPORTANT INVESTIGATIVE PIECE
By Dahr Jamail and Ali al-Fadhily
"Conflicting reports had arisen earlier on how and why a huge battle broke out around the small village Zarqa, located just a few kilometres northeast of the Shia holy city Najaf, which is 90 km south of Baghdad.
One thing certain is that when the smoke cleared, more than 200 people lay dead after more than half a day of fighting Sunday Jan. 28. A U.S. helicopter was shot down, killing two soldiers. Twenty-five members of the Iraqi security force were also killed.
"We were going to conduct the usual ceremonies that we conduct every year when we were attacked by Iraqi soldiers," Jabbar al-Hatami, a leader of the al-Hatami Shia Arab tribe told IPS.
"We thought it was one of the usual mistakes of the Iraqi army killing civilians, so we advanced to explain to the soldiers that they killed five of us for no reason. But we were surprised by more gunfire from the soldiers."
The confrontation took place on the Shia holiday of Ashura which commemorates Imam Hussein, grandson of the prophet Muhammad and the most revered of Shia saints. Emotions run high at this time, and self-flagellation in public is the norm.
Many southern Shia Arabs do not follow Iranian-born cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. They believe the religious leadership should be kept in the hands of Arab clerics. Al-Hatami and al-Khazaali are two major tribes that do not follow Sistani.
Tribal members from both believe the attack was launched by the central government of Baghdad to stifle growing Shia-Sunni unity in the area.
"Our convoy was close to the al-Hatami convoy on the way to Najaf when we heard the massive shooting, and so we ran to help them because our tribe and theirs are bound with a strong alliance," a 45-year-old man who asked to be referred to as Ahmed told IPS.
Ahmed, a member of the al-Khazali tribe said "our two tribes have a strong belief that Iranians are provoking sectarian war in Iraq which is against the belief of all Muslims, and so we announced an alliance with Sunni brothers against any sectarian violence in the country. That did not make our Iranian dominated government happy."
The fighting took place on the Diwaniya-Najaf road and spread into nearby date-palm plantations after pilgrims sought refuge there.
"American helicopters participated in the slaughter," Jassim Abbas, a farmer from the area told IPS. "They were soon there to kill those pilgrims without hesitation, but they were never there for helping Iraqis in anything they need. We just watched them getting killed group by group while trapped in those plantations."
Much of the killing was done by U.S. and British warplanes, eyewitnesses said.
Local authorities including the office of Najaf Governor Asaad Abu Khalil who is a member of the pro-Iranian Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) had claimed before the killings that a group of primarily foreign Sunni fighters with links to al-Qaeda had planned to disrupt the Ashura festival by attacking Shia pilgrims and senior ayatollahs in Najaf. The city is the principal seat of religious learning for Shias in Iraq.
Officials claimed that Iraqi security forces had obtained intelligence information from two detained men that had led the Iraqi Scorpion commando squad to prepare for an attack. The intelligence claimed obviously had little impact on how events unfolded.
Minister of Interior Jawad al-Bolani announced to reporters at 9 am Sunday morning that Najaf was being attacked by al-Qaeda. Immediately following this announcement the Ministry of National Security (MNS) announced that the dead were members of the Shia splinter extremist group Jund al-Sama (Army of Heaven) who were out to kill senior ayatollahs in Najaf, including Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Iraq's national security advisor Muaffaq al-Rubaii said just 15 minutes after the MNS announcement that hundreds of Arab fighters had been killed, and that many had been arrested. Rubaii claimed there were Saudis, Yemenis, Egyptians and Afghans.
But Governor Khalil's office backed away from its initial claims after the dead turned out to be local Shia Iraqis. Iraqi security officials continue to contradict their own statements. Most officials now say that the dead were Shia extremists supported by foreign powers.
The government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has a pattern of announcing it is fighting terrorists, like its backers in Washington. Many Iraqis in the south now accuse Baghdad of calling them terrorists simply because they refuse to collaborate with the Iranian dominated government. "
Dr. Mona El-Farra: Latest From Inside Gaza
"....While living in Gaza and experiencing the situation on the ground, and
living in the midst of the Palestinian-Palestinian clashes between Fatah
and Hamas, I blame both parties for the Palestinian bloodshed and do not
give any excuse whatsoever for any of them, nevertheless I blame the West
for its economical sanctions against Palestine and the Israeli occupation
which on its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip it converted to a big boiling
pressure cooker.
That Israeli disengagement plan from Gaza was a new form of Occupation,
because Israel still controls Gaza from outside. It controls the borders
and the economy, and has a free hand to carry out various incursions.
Israel’s disengagement from Gaza was a step towards making an independent
Palestinian state impossible. Its consequence was to turn the Palestinian
cause into a charitable not a national issue. By making the Palestinian
people go hungry and lose all aspects of a dignified life, it is a step
towards demoralising them and making them in the end accept whatever
solution, however small and inadequate.
What do you expect of people living inside this pressure cooker, but all
sorts of aggression, despair, demoralization, and frictions against each
other? More than 60 people were killed, 30 in 3 days, and more than 70
were injured in different parts of Gaza. Most people stayed inside their
homes, one man was killed inside his home, many buildings in the Remal
area where I live were hit by random shooting, many residents left their
homes seeking safer areas, but where are those safe areas, when no place
is safer than any other?
It is mid-term holidays for the children of Gaza, 2 weeks holiday, no
regular electricity, no safe streets to run in, no proper places to play,
no safe homes to stay in, and no proper food to eat. Life continues and
the most dangerous time is when people start to lose faith and hope, and
have no vision for the future.
With your solidarity, with the solidarity of all those good people
worldwide who hate to see injustice and aggression, and continue to work
for a better world, I can keep my hope and vision for a better future, and
try to transmit those feelings to the others here to keep them strong.
I still count on you for a better future for the Palestinian people, the
women, the children who deserve better lives.
From Gaza with love
Mona"
Iran Clock Is Ticking
by Robert Parry
"While congressional Democrats test how far they should go in challenging George W. Bush’s war powers, the time may be running out to stop Bush from ordering a major escalation of the Middle East conflict by attacking Iran.
Military and intelligence sources continue to tell me that preparations are advancing for a war with Iran starting possibly as early as mid-to-late February. The sources offer some differences of opinion over whether Bush might cite a provocation from Iran or whether Israel will take the lead in launching air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
But there is growing alarm among military and intelligence experts that Bush already has decided to attack and simply is waiting for a second aircraft carrier strike force to arrive in the region – and for a propaganda blitz to stir up some pro-war sentiment at home.
One well-informed U.S. military source called me in a fury after consulting with Pentagon associates and discovering how far along the war preparations are. He said the plans call for extensive aerial attacks on Iran, including use of powerful bunker-busting ordnance.
Another source with a pipeline into Israeli thinking said the Iran war plan has expanded over the past several weeks. Earlier thinking had been that Israeli warplanes would hit Iranian nuclear targets with U.S. forces in reserve in case of Iranian retaliation, but now the strategy anticipates a major U.S. military follow-up to an Israeli attack, the source said.
Both sources used the same word “crazy” in describing the plan to expand the war to Iran. The two sources, like others I have interviewed, said that attacking Iran could touch off a regional – and possibly global – conflagration.
“It will be like the TV show ‘24’,” the American military source said, citing the likelihood of Islamic retaliation reaching directly into the United States.
Though Bush insists that no decision has been made on attacking Iran, he offered similar assurances of his commitment to peace in the months before invading Iraq in 2003. Yet leaked documents from London made clear that he had set a course for war nine months to a year before the Iraq invasion.
In other words, Bush’s statements that he has no plans to "invade" Iran and that he’s still committed to settle differences with Iran over its nuclear program diplomatically should be taken with a grain of salt.
There is, of course, the possibility that the war preparations are a game of chicken to pressure Iran to accept outside controls on its nuclear program and to trim back its regional ambitions. But sometimes such high-stakes gambles lead to miscalculations or set in motion dynamics that can't be controlled.
‘You Will Die’
The rapidly deteriorating situation in Iraq is seen as another factor pressing on Bush to act quickly against Iran.
Other sources with first-hand knowledge of conditions in Iraq have told me that the U.S. position is even more precarious than generally understood. Westerners can’t even move around Baghdad and many other Iraqi cities except in armed convoys.....
Another experienced observer of conflicts around the world told me that Bush’s new idea of putting small numbers of U.S. troops among Iraqi government forces inside police stations represents an act of idiocy that is sure to get Americans killed.
Conditions in Iraq have so deteriorated – and animosity toward Americans has so metastasized – that traditional counterinsurgency strategies are hard to envision, too.
Normally, winning the hearts and minds of a target population requires a commitment to move among the people and work on public action projects, from building roads to improving the judicial system. But all that requires some measure of political goodwill and personal trust.
Given the nearly four years of U.S. occupation and the devastation that Iraq has suffered, not even the most talented American counterinsurgency specialists can expect to overcome the hatred swelling among large segments of Iraqi society.
Bush’s “surge” strategy of conducting more military sweeps through more Iraqi neighborhoods – knocking down doors, gunning down hostile Iraqis and dragging off others to detention camps – is not likely to assuage hard feelings.
Wider War
So, facing slim odds in Iraq, Bush is tempted by the allure of escalation, a chance to blame the Iranians for his Iraq failure and to punish them with air strikes. He might see that as a way to buy time, a chance to rally his pro-war supporters and a strategy for enhancing his presidential legacy.
But the consequences both internationally and domestically – from possible disruption of oil supplies to potential retaliation from Islamic terrorists – could be devastating.
Yet, there is a sense of futility among many in Washington who doubt they can do anything to stop Bush. So far, the Democratic-controlled Congress has lagged behind the curve, debating how to phrase a non-binding resolution of disapproval about Bush’s “surge” of 21,500 troops in Iraq, while Bush may be opening an entirely new front in Iran.
According to intelligence sources, Bush’s Iran strategy is expected to let the Israelis take a lead role in attacking Iran's nuclear facilities in order to defuse Democratic opposition and let the U.S. intervention be sold as defensive, a case of a vulnerable ally protecting itself from a future nuclear threat.
Once American air and naval forces are committed to a new conflict, the Democrats will find it politically difficult to interfere at least in the near future, the thinking goes. A violent reaction from the Islamic world would further polarize the American population and let Bush paint war critics as cowardly, disloyal or pro-terrorist.
As risky as a wider war might be, Bush’s end game would dominate the final two years of his presidency as he forces both Republican and Democratic candidates to address issues of war and peace on his terms.
On Jan. 10, the night of Bush’s national address on the Iraq War, NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert made a striking observation about a pre-speech briefing that Bush and other senior administration officials gave to news executives.
“There’s a strong sense in the upper echelons of the White House that Iran is going to surface relatively quickly as a major issue in the country and the world in a very acute way – and a prediction that in 2008 candidates of both parties will have as a fundamental campaign promise or premise a policy to deal with Iran and not let it go nuclear,” Russert said. “That’s how significant Iran was today.”
So, Bush and his top advisers not only signaled their expectation of a “very acute” development with Iran but that the Iranian issue would come to dominate Campaign 2008 with candidates forced to spell out plans for containing this enemy state.
What to Do?
The immediate question, however, is what, if anything, can Congress and the American people do to head off Bush’s expanded war strategy.
Some in Congress have called on Bush to seek prior congressional approval before entering a war with Iran. Others, such as Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, have asked Bush to spell out how expansive he thinks his war powers are.
"I would suggest respectfully to the President that he is not the sole decider," Specter said during a Senate hearing on war powers on Jan. 30. "The decider is a shared and joint responsibility."
But Bush and his neoconservative legal advisers have made clear that they see virtually no limits to Bush's "plenary" powers as Commander in Chief at a time of war. In their view, Bush is free to take military actions abroad and to waive legal and constitutional constraints at home because the United States has been deemed part of the "battlefield."
Nothing short of a direct congressional prohibition on war with Iran and a serious threat of impeachment would seem likely to give Bush more than a moment’s pause. But congressional Republicans would surely obstruct such measures and Bush might well veto any law that was passed.
Still, unless Congress escalates the confrontation with the President – and does so quickly – it may be too late to stop what could become a very dangerous escalation."
"While congressional Democrats test how far they should go in challenging George W. Bush’s war powers, the time may be running out to stop Bush from ordering a major escalation of the Middle East conflict by attacking Iran.
Military and intelligence sources continue to tell me that preparations are advancing for a war with Iran starting possibly as early as mid-to-late February. The sources offer some differences of opinion over whether Bush might cite a provocation from Iran or whether Israel will take the lead in launching air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
But there is growing alarm among military and intelligence experts that Bush already has decided to attack and simply is waiting for a second aircraft carrier strike force to arrive in the region – and for a propaganda blitz to stir up some pro-war sentiment at home.
One well-informed U.S. military source called me in a fury after consulting with Pentagon associates and discovering how far along the war preparations are. He said the plans call for extensive aerial attacks on Iran, including use of powerful bunker-busting ordnance.
Another source with a pipeline into Israeli thinking said the Iran war plan has expanded over the past several weeks. Earlier thinking had been that Israeli warplanes would hit Iranian nuclear targets with U.S. forces in reserve in case of Iranian retaliation, but now the strategy anticipates a major U.S. military follow-up to an Israeli attack, the source said.
Both sources used the same word “crazy” in describing the plan to expand the war to Iran. The two sources, like others I have interviewed, said that attacking Iran could touch off a regional – and possibly global – conflagration.
“It will be like the TV show ‘24’,” the American military source said, citing the likelihood of Islamic retaliation reaching directly into the United States.
Though Bush insists that no decision has been made on attacking Iran, he offered similar assurances of his commitment to peace in the months before invading Iraq in 2003. Yet leaked documents from London made clear that he had set a course for war nine months to a year before the Iraq invasion.
In other words, Bush’s statements that he has no plans to "invade" Iran and that he’s still committed to settle differences with Iran over its nuclear program diplomatically should be taken with a grain of salt.
There is, of course, the possibility that the war preparations are a game of chicken to pressure Iran to accept outside controls on its nuclear program and to trim back its regional ambitions. But sometimes such high-stakes gambles lead to miscalculations or set in motion dynamics that can't be controlled.
‘You Will Die’
The rapidly deteriorating situation in Iraq is seen as another factor pressing on Bush to act quickly against Iran.
Other sources with first-hand knowledge of conditions in Iraq have told me that the U.S. position is even more precarious than generally understood. Westerners can’t even move around Baghdad and many other Iraqi cities except in armed convoys.....
Another experienced observer of conflicts around the world told me that Bush’s new idea of putting small numbers of U.S. troops among Iraqi government forces inside police stations represents an act of idiocy that is sure to get Americans killed.
Conditions in Iraq have so deteriorated – and animosity toward Americans has so metastasized – that traditional counterinsurgency strategies are hard to envision, too.
Normally, winning the hearts and minds of a target population requires a commitment to move among the people and work on public action projects, from building roads to improving the judicial system. But all that requires some measure of political goodwill and personal trust.
Given the nearly four years of U.S. occupation and the devastation that Iraq has suffered, not even the most talented American counterinsurgency specialists can expect to overcome the hatred swelling among large segments of Iraqi society.
Bush’s “surge” strategy of conducting more military sweeps through more Iraqi neighborhoods – knocking down doors, gunning down hostile Iraqis and dragging off others to detention camps – is not likely to assuage hard feelings.
Wider War
So, facing slim odds in Iraq, Bush is tempted by the allure of escalation, a chance to blame the Iranians for his Iraq failure and to punish them with air strikes. He might see that as a way to buy time, a chance to rally his pro-war supporters and a strategy for enhancing his presidential legacy.
But the consequences both internationally and domestically – from possible disruption of oil supplies to potential retaliation from Islamic terrorists – could be devastating.
Yet, there is a sense of futility among many in Washington who doubt they can do anything to stop Bush. So far, the Democratic-controlled Congress has lagged behind the curve, debating how to phrase a non-binding resolution of disapproval about Bush’s “surge” of 21,500 troops in Iraq, while Bush may be opening an entirely new front in Iran.
According to intelligence sources, Bush’s Iran strategy is expected to let the Israelis take a lead role in attacking Iran's nuclear facilities in order to defuse Democratic opposition and let the U.S. intervention be sold as defensive, a case of a vulnerable ally protecting itself from a future nuclear threat.
Once American air and naval forces are committed to a new conflict, the Democrats will find it politically difficult to interfere at least in the near future, the thinking goes. A violent reaction from the Islamic world would further polarize the American population and let Bush paint war critics as cowardly, disloyal or pro-terrorist.
As risky as a wider war might be, Bush’s end game would dominate the final two years of his presidency as he forces both Republican and Democratic candidates to address issues of war and peace on his terms.
On Jan. 10, the night of Bush’s national address on the Iraq War, NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert made a striking observation about a pre-speech briefing that Bush and other senior administration officials gave to news executives.
“There’s a strong sense in the upper echelons of the White House that Iran is going to surface relatively quickly as a major issue in the country and the world in a very acute way – and a prediction that in 2008 candidates of both parties will have as a fundamental campaign promise or premise a policy to deal with Iran and not let it go nuclear,” Russert said. “That’s how significant Iran was today.”
So, Bush and his top advisers not only signaled their expectation of a “very acute” development with Iran but that the Iranian issue would come to dominate Campaign 2008 with candidates forced to spell out plans for containing this enemy state.
What to Do?
The immediate question, however, is what, if anything, can Congress and the American people do to head off Bush’s expanded war strategy.
Some in Congress have called on Bush to seek prior congressional approval before entering a war with Iran. Others, such as Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, have asked Bush to spell out how expansive he thinks his war powers are.
"I would suggest respectfully to the President that he is not the sole decider," Specter said during a Senate hearing on war powers on Jan. 30. "The decider is a shared and joint responsibility."
But Bush and his neoconservative legal advisers have made clear that they see virtually no limits to Bush's "plenary" powers as Commander in Chief at a time of war. In their view, Bush is free to take military actions abroad and to waive legal and constitutional constraints at home because the United States has been deemed part of the "battlefield."
Nothing short of a direct congressional prohibition on war with Iran and a serious threat of impeachment would seem likely to give Bush more than a moment’s pause. But congressional Republicans would surely obstruct such measures and Bush might well veto any law that was passed.
Still, unless Congress escalates the confrontation with the President – and does so quickly – it may be too late to stop what could become a very dangerous escalation."
The government : one year on
By Khalid Amayreh
"......Hamas’s massive victory not only shocked Fatah (the Palestinian FLN), but surprised Hamas itself which never thought even in its wildest dreams that it would harvest up to 75 seats out of the 132 contested seats, making up the Legislative Council.
Now, a year later, and with the specter of civil war haunting and hounding every Palestinian, and with the West, particularly the Bush Administration, hell bent on punishing the Palestinians for electing a government that is not to America’s and Israel’s liking, many Palestinians are wondering if it was wise to hold elections under the Israeli military occupation in the first place.
Many other Palestinians feel that the international community deceived and betrayed the Palestinian people, first by encouraging them to hold elections and then by imposing crippling sanctions when the outcome turned out to be incompatible with American and European expectations.
PIC spoke to Professor Atef Odwan, a political scientist and Minister for Refugee Affairs in the Hamas-led government on how he would , in retrospect, evaluate the past 12 months, particularly since the Hamas-dominated government took power in April, 2005
“The January elections were not the first polls to be organized under the Israeli occupation; and the problem doesn’t lie in the elections, but in Israeli and western policies that makes a mockery of democracy. Indeed, the fact that the US and EU hastened to impose a hermetic siege on us immediately after the elections was a clarion proof if one was needed that these countries are not really serious about the ideals and ideas they claim to uphold and adhere, namely democracy and human rights.”
Asked if he thought that the West deliberately deceived the Palestinians with regard to the elections, Odwan said the matter went beyond mere deception. “The US thought and calculated that the outcome of the elections would be different, but when the outcome turned out to be undesirable from the American view point, the Bush Administration hastened to bully other countries to blockade and isolate the government in the hope that the Palestinian people would rise up to topple it and then replace it with a government that is acceptable to the US.”
Odwan, though a government minister, doesn’t believe that the government is blameless. He says that much could have been done, and that had it been done properly, the overall picture would have been different in many aspects. “In retrospect, I believe that more efforts should have been made to form a government of national unity, a government that should have encompassed all the colors of the Palestinian political spectrum. This would have enabled the Palestinian people to avoid the sanctions. The fact that this didn’t happen was a real mistake, a real blunder.” Asked farther if he thought that it was still possible to correct this mistake, Odwan said that in order to correct the mistake, of which all Palestinian factions, not just Hamas are responsible, strong intervention by Arab states is necessary. “We need sincere intervention from Arab States, such as Saudi Arabia . This could have a true positive effect.”
A somewhat opposing view comes from Abdullah Abdullah, a Fatah MP and former Director-General of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He attributes much of “the perplexity in our political thinking” to the fact that many people don’t really understand “that we are still in the national liberation phase.” “We have a fledgling experiment, and our constitutional laws are incomplete, and the borderlines between the presidential powers and prime ministerial powers are not well marked and the result of all of this is duplicity of authority.” Abdullah puts much of the blame for “the tribulations of the past year” on Hamas and its “political inexperience.” “The problem is that our brothers in Hamas don’t make a distinction between the political and the ideological. The ideological is absolutist by its very nature but the political is relative. In ideology, I am right and you wrong, period. But in politics, there must be sharing, compromise, give and take. It is the art of the possible.”
Like Odwan, Abdullah believe that more efforts should have been made to form a government of national unity. “I believe that Hamas came with the mentality of the opposition, they should have sought to build up on the accumulative achievements that had been made by the previous government and previous parliament…but they insisted on doing things their own way and this undoubtedly created a psychological mistrust and feelings of dichotomy.”
Abdullah argues that a strong central leadership was very important in order to safeguard Palestinian national interests in this stage of national struggle, arguing that democratic evolution, however important it may be, is always dwarfed by and relegated to a secondary degree when national survival is at stake.
The tribulations of the past 12 months pushed many Palestinians to the edge and shattered many taboos in our national life and thinking. Now, as society is regaining some serenity and mental equanimity, it is imperative that Palestinians, individually and collectively, go through a process of soul searching.....
And while Palestinians have no alcoholic problem, they certainly need to muster all the wisdom in the world to extract themselves and their enduring just cause from the clutches of uncertainty and disunity."
Facts, What Facts?
Only 22% in U.S. Say Bush Relies on Facts
"......Polling Data
Do you think U.S. president George W. Bush’s decisions about policy in Iraq and other major areas are influenced more by the facts or more by his personal beliefs, regardless of the facts?
Influenced more by the facts
22%
Influenced more by personal beliefs
67%
Don’t know
11%
......."
"......Polling Data
Do you think U.S. president George W. Bush’s decisions about policy in Iraq and other major areas are influenced more by the facts or more by his personal beliefs, regardless of the facts?
Influenced more by the facts
22%
Influenced more by personal beliefs
67%
Don’t know
11%
......."
More Arms For Mohammad Pinochet
Mutiny trend in Fatah secretly smuggles weapons and munitions through Rafah
"Gaza - Palestinian security sources have affirmed Wednesday that trucks loaded with weapons and munitions were parked at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing point waiting to secretly cross into Gaza Strip during night in the coming two days.
According to the sources, more trucks carrying weapons and munitions have crossed the borders over the past few days and unloaded their loads at PA presidential guard’s Ansar camp, and the PA preventive security headquarters in Gaza. Both PA security apparatuses are under the command of PA chief Mahmoud Abbas.
The sources furthermore revealed that the military support came directly to Mohammed Dahalan being the leader of the mutiny trend in Fatah faction that vandalized Gaza streets and killed 33 Palestinian citizens, most of them Hamas cadres.
However, smuggling of the weapons goes under the watching eyes of the Israeli occupation government and its army in a bid to bolster strength of Dahalan’s groups in the Strip against Hamas.
A Fatah leader who preferred not to be identified had earlier revealed to the Hebrew Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper that Dahalan was building private army with full American and Israeli support and blessing.
He added that Dahalan’s private army would comprise 12,000 armed men, mostly coming form Fatah armed wings and PA security apparatuses. He added that financial support for that army comes from European countries through Abbas’ office. Military support was left to the USA and Israel, the Fatah leader asserted.
Meanwhile, spokesman of the executive force of the PA interior ministry, which keeps law and order in the Strip, Islam Shahwan condemned Abbas’ remarks on the force, adding that the force was a legitimate one being part of the interior ministry’s security force.
PA basic law allows interior minister to create security force he deemed necessary to enhance peace and order condition in the PA-run lands, which PA interior ministry Sa’aeed Siyam had exactly done.
During a press conference in Egypt Tuesday, Abbas alleged that the force was illegitimate.
“We have documented papers with Abbas’ signature proving that the force was endorsed by the PA chief himself, and we have distributed copies of the endorsement to media apparatuses. This is clear tampering of the law on the part of the PA chief”, said Shahwan in refuting Abbas’ remarks."
U.S. mulling expanded assistance to Abbas' security forces
By Reuters
"The United States is considering expanding assistance beyond Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Presidential Guard to members of the largest
force under his command, Western and Palestinian officials said.
Providing U.S. funds to train elements of Abbas's National Security Forces (NSF), in addition to the Presidential Guard, could increase U.S. involvement in the violent power struggle between Abbas's Fatah faction and the governing Hamas movement.
Officials said members of the NSF would undergo a review process to ensure they are qualified and have no ties to militant groups before undergoing the training.
The nearly 4,000-man Presidential Guard is far better armed and trained but tiny in comparison to the NSF, the closest thing the Palestinians have to an army.
Palestinian officials estimate that the NSF have as many as 40,000 members. Western diplomats involved in the matter say the number of "active" members is closer to 20,000 and that a portion of those would be eligible to participate in the U.S.-funded training.
"They need a lot of work," said a Palestinian security source who has been involved in evaluating the forces.
U.S. President George W. Bush has committed $86 million to provide training and non-lethal equipment to forces loyal to Abbas. Guns and ammunition are being supplied by key U.S. allies Jordan and Egypt, with Israeli approval, Israeli officials say.
Diplomats say Abbas's military build-up is meant to counter strides by Hamas in smuggling in more powerful weapons into Gaza for its fast-growing "Executive Force" and armed wing."
Shameless in Gaza
by Ramzy Baroud
Global Research, January 31, 2007
"......That said, one should not succumb to the analysis that puts the entire blame for this unfolding drama on the active Cold War between the US and Iran. In Lebanon, for example, sectarianism and factionalism, similar to Iraq’s sectarianism and tribalism, has rendered the country nationally fragmented and hardly possesses the necessary requirement of a nation state, where allegiance is made to the state, not to a sect, clan or tribe. The same is true for the Palestinians, where corruption is rife and disunity has been the longest defining factor of the Palestinian political temperament. While plenty can be said as of how physical fragmentation has lead to national disintegration in Palestine, and how many Palestinian groups, willingly or otherwise, served the interest of regional powers, the truth is that the Fatah- Hamas clash was forthcoming and preceded the US’s ongoing blunders in the region. The US-Israeli backing of Fatah merely exposed the perpetual weaknesses that have marred Palestinian society for generations, by providing political, financial and military requirements to intensify the fight so that Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation might fizzle out, an evident outcome of the current fighting.It is indeed more than disheartening to see that Palestinians have themselves surrendered readily to the Israeli and American designs, allowing their revolting factionalism to morph into a near civil war which has already harvested many lives. Those responsible for the violence — blame that can no longer be placed on a cluster of individuals — must have forgotten that their infighting is taking place in an occupied land, besieged by Israeli fences and walls, and under the watchful eye of Israeli intelligence, who must be brimming with glee as Palestinians are shamelessly slaughtering one another, a job that has for a long time been reserved for Israel, and for Israel alone."
Saddam Hussein’s Last Words: "To the Hell that is Iraq!?"
What the Media has Deliberately Concealed
by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya
Global Research, January 31, 2007
"The barbaric lynching of Saddam Hussein, the former president of Iraq, was a choreographed event, a carefully staged U.S. sponsored PSYOP, with a view to triggering social divisions and fomenting sectarian violence within Iraq and the broader Middle East.....
In his last moments, the words of Saddam Hussein were very compelling. When he was told to "go to Hell" by his executioners, the Iraqi leader replied, "[You mean] to the hell that is Iraq!?"
Who turned Iraq into a living Hell? Who is to be blamed? These words were so powerful that several major media outlets conveniently omitted them from their translations, including the BBC and CNN. Any meaningful revelation or coverage of the correct final statements of Saddam Hussein could have severe and negative implications for the Anglo-American military roadmap in the Middle East. "To the hell that is Iraq!?" could become a powerful political slogan, serving to rally public opinion throughout the Muslim World against America's imperial ambitions.
The Iraqi leader’s final words carry great weight because they describe the situation created in Iraq under military occupation. This final statement could also have political ramifications in the U.S. and Britain, as public opinion becomes increasingly aware that these last words, "the living Hell," describes what Iraq has been turned into, under U.S. and British military occupation.
The late Saddam Hussein’s words could have strong implications for rallying resistance in the Arab world against the US-UK occupation of Iraq. In this regard, the Arab mainstream media has played a calculated role in furthering the Anglo-American military agenda by shifting the blame for Saddam Hussein’s execution onto the Shiite Iraqis.....
This deliberate media portrayal of an emerging “Shiite ascension” in Iraq and the Middle East is part of a multifaceted strategy geared towards creating tensions within the predominately Muslim populations of the Middle East. It is a typical “divide and conquer” strategy, which is supported by the long tentacles of the intelligence apparatus of the United States. The hidden agenda is to trigger "civil war" and the redraw the map of the Middle East. The ultimate objective is the domination of the Middle East by the United States, Britain and their coalition partners, including Israel and proxy Arab leaders. The active collaboration of the frontline Arab governments, which have military cooperation agreements with NATO and the U.S., are also tied into this agenda.
Divisions and animosity within their respective populations is what has allowed these pro-U.S. Arab authoritarian figureheads, which increasingly act as proxies, to remain in power.
Since the Anglo-American sponsored Israeli siege of Lebanon, the coalition building phase of the military roadmap has been launch. The United States has been constructing the “Coalition of the Moderate,” which includes Israel, Saudi Arabia, Mahmoud Abbas, the Lebanese government, Egypt, the U.A.E., Turkey, and Jordan. While this has been going on there is a continuous attempt to build public consensus in support of dividing Iraq and military strikes against Syria and Iran. The media in North America, Europe, and the Arab World have played an important role in demonizing the Syrians and the Iranians.
As the United States gears up for the next stage of the Middle East war, the drive to divide the populations of the region now encompasses a broad area extending from Lebanon and Palestine to the Persian Gulf.
The life of Saddam Hussein was used by the United States as firewood to further fuel discord and division in Iraq and the Middle East before the next phase of its military roadmap, which is directed against Iran and Syria."
by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya
Global Research, January 31, 2007
"The barbaric lynching of Saddam Hussein, the former president of Iraq, was a choreographed event, a carefully staged U.S. sponsored PSYOP, with a view to triggering social divisions and fomenting sectarian violence within Iraq and the broader Middle East.....
In his last moments, the words of Saddam Hussein were very compelling. When he was told to "go to Hell" by his executioners, the Iraqi leader replied, "[You mean] to the hell that is Iraq!?"
Who turned Iraq into a living Hell? Who is to be blamed? These words were so powerful that several major media outlets conveniently omitted them from their translations, including the BBC and CNN. Any meaningful revelation or coverage of the correct final statements of Saddam Hussein could have severe and negative implications for the Anglo-American military roadmap in the Middle East. "To the hell that is Iraq!?" could become a powerful political slogan, serving to rally public opinion throughout the Muslim World against America's imperial ambitions.
The Iraqi leader’s final words carry great weight because they describe the situation created in Iraq under military occupation. This final statement could also have political ramifications in the U.S. and Britain, as public opinion becomes increasingly aware that these last words, "the living Hell," describes what Iraq has been turned into, under U.S. and British military occupation.
The late Saddam Hussein’s words could have strong implications for rallying resistance in the Arab world against the US-UK occupation of Iraq. In this regard, the Arab mainstream media has played a calculated role in furthering the Anglo-American military agenda by shifting the blame for Saddam Hussein’s execution onto the Shiite Iraqis.....
This deliberate media portrayal of an emerging “Shiite ascension” in Iraq and the Middle East is part of a multifaceted strategy geared towards creating tensions within the predominately Muslim populations of the Middle East. It is a typical “divide and conquer” strategy, which is supported by the long tentacles of the intelligence apparatus of the United States. The hidden agenda is to trigger "civil war" and the redraw the map of the Middle East. The ultimate objective is the domination of the Middle East by the United States, Britain and their coalition partners, including Israel and proxy Arab leaders. The active collaboration of the frontline Arab governments, which have military cooperation agreements with NATO and the U.S., are also tied into this agenda.
Divisions and animosity within their respective populations is what has allowed these pro-U.S. Arab authoritarian figureheads, which increasingly act as proxies, to remain in power.
Since the Anglo-American sponsored Israeli siege of Lebanon, the coalition building phase of the military roadmap has been launch. The United States has been constructing the “Coalition of the Moderate,” which includes Israel, Saudi Arabia, Mahmoud Abbas, the Lebanese government, Egypt, the U.A.E., Turkey, and Jordan. While this has been going on there is a continuous attempt to build public consensus in support of dividing Iraq and military strikes against Syria and Iran. The media in North America, Europe, and the Arab World have played an important role in demonizing the Syrians and the Iranians.
As the United States gears up for the next stage of the Middle East war, the drive to divide the populations of the region now encompasses a broad area extending from Lebanon and Palestine to the Persian Gulf.
The life of Saddam Hussein was used by the United States as firewood to further fuel discord and division in Iraq and the Middle East before the next phase of its military roadmap, which is directed against Iran and Syria."
The massacre of Najaf
An Important Note
From Imad Khadduri
"An email from a friend:
"What is certain from the information we have (see the different 'official' versions of this massacre then scroll to under the two pictures for the eye-witness story) is that processions of Arab shiite tribes were walking (as part of the Ashoora tradition) to Najaf: The Hawatim and The Khazael. Both tribes are known for their Arab national and patriotic positions. Khazael for example had played an important role in supporting Iraq's position toward Palastine in 1948.
Had they the intention to attack the Hawza symbols in Najaf? I cannot be affirmative but there is a story from inside iraq saying that they have demanded that all Iranians in the Hawza are to leave Najaf.
Were they Mahdists? This may be a simple propaganda to isolate them among other shiites and in the eyes of the outside world.
In any event, this massacre is of great significance.
First: There were many indications and information that the Hakim-Maliki-Sistani alliance is becoming very isolated among the Arab shiite tribes and cities throught central and southern Iraq. For a while, Saddr (in Arabic) was an alternative but since he participated in the elections, returned recently to rejoin the parliment after demanding a scheduled withdrawal of occupation forces while his followers participate in wide spread attacks against the sunnis, he is losing his influence among Iraqi shiites. Iraqi nationalism is stronger than sectarianism.
Secondly: The use of lethal force by the Americans, like what they did in in Falluja, against important Arab tribes will spread the anti American anti Iranian resistance. The myth of the shiites being united behind Sistani is finished. More and more of Arab shiites will join the resistance.
The occupation and its puppets have nothing to the Iraqi people but blood, death, lies and destruction.
Abdul Ilah Albayaty" January 31, 2007
Questions do come to mind? How can more than 300 'terrorists' remain hidden in a field near Najaf for so long, and are then suddenly discovered and obliterated? If they are claimed to be such well-trained militants, how come the Iraqi police and military casualties are so low in comparison with near 260 dead 'terrorists'?"
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