MIDDLE EAST Archives
May 9, 2008
The Bush administration accused Iran and Syria on Friday of fueling ongoing violence in Lebanon by inciting members of the radical Shiite Hezbollah movement to take up arms against the country's western-backed government.
We saw that one coming a mile away. - M. R.
The White House yesterday confirmed that it has opposed a meeting between President Bush and Israeli and Palestinian leaders next week in Egypt, and said the peace process can go forward even if Israel's prime minister is ousted from office.
Translation: the "peace process" is, from Israel's and the US's perspective, simply a sham. What I am sure will be discussed, however, will be the timing of a potential attack against Iran. - M. R.
May 7, 2008
What is crucial in understanding the evolving Middle Eastern war theater is that the movements taking place in both Syria and Israel are unprecedented. Along with the growing Israeli-U.S. threats directed against Iran, including statements of support for military action from the E.U. and NATO, there is justifiable reason for apprehension and concern. Whatever the scenario, the United States and Israel are making joint preparations and intend to confront the same players including Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas. Only time will tell what happens. In the words of Robert Fisk, "Whether this frightening conflict takes place will depend on President Bush's behaviour. If America -- or its proxy, Israel -- bombs Iran, the response is likely to be swift..."
The question seems now to be, rather than "if" such a conflict will be taking place, but precisely when. The current US administration will try to time such an attack so that it best benefits the Republican party candidate, John Mc Cain. However, as things unfold, the timing may ultimately not be left up to them. - M. R.
May 6, 2008
Amid regional fears of a summer war between Israel and Syria, the two countries may in fact be inching closer to a deal. Not even President George W. Bush's recent disclosures to Congress, intended to prove Syrian-North Korean nuclear cooperation, appear able to dent the resolve for peace, or at the very least, a reduction in tensions.
" Peace breaking out in the Middle East?!? Well, we just can't have that happening, now, can we?!?"- Official white horse souse. - M. R.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tops the field. Known for her inability to articulate a foreign policy based on U.S. national interest, Rice sits on the political fence most of the time, a Gucci boot dangling on either side, but recently it was believed that she was preaching moderation. Not so any more. The worst national security adviser and worst secretary of state in memory has now added to her laurels. Her understanding of what is taking place in the Middle East places her only one notch above the comprehension level exhibited by her boss.
What the current administration is plotting may well lead to a new world war, with Russia having to come into the picture in defense of Iran. In the past, it was the US which fought with courage and resolve against "the bad guys"; unfortunately, with this administration appears to be getting ready to do, we are the "bad guys" - M. R.
April 30, 2008
It is 1939 all over again. The world waits helplessly for the next act of naked aggression by rogue states. Only this time the rogue states are not the Third Reich and Fascist Italy. They are the United States and Israel.
April 28, 2008
With ongoing violence in Gaza, Carter's critics have already pronounced his mission a failure. But he elicited an official pledge that Hamas would honor a semi-permanent truce under certain conditions and accept a Palestinian referendum to ratify a peace settlement. That hint of moderation, halting and reversible, suggests that he may yet be vindicated.
April 25, 2008
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Friday he failed to achieve any progress in Middle East peace talks with President George W. Bush and he was returning home with little to show for his visit.
One has to wonder just what Abbas thought he might be able to achieve in at this time by visiting Bush. Most of the rest of the world is just trying to sit out the rest of his presidency (provided we don't start some foolish military misadventure before he leaves), and see how well they will fare with the next administration. - M. R.
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday called former President Jimmy Carter "a bigot" for meeting with the leader of the militant Hamas movement in Syria.
A short memo to Israel's UN Ambassador Gillerman: what Carter has said about there being no possible peace in the region without the involvement of Hamas is absolutely, and uncompromisingly true. And as to your characterization of Carter as a bigot, let me ask the following question; when sick infants are denied medical care which could save them because of their ethnicity and religion, how would you describe that kind of national policy? Is that not, sir, bigotry of the highest order? And this time, Ambassador Gillerman, the entire world watching. - M. R.
April 23, 2008
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert undoubtedly heard about the Syrian report saying he had agreed to cede Israeli control of the Golan Heights in exchange for peace with Syria, while on vacation. The Syrian report's credibility may be questionable, but that did little to pacify the infuriated political arena. One has to wonder if the report is true, or if, perhaps, this was a "trial balloon" floated by Syria regarding getting the Golan Heights back. If in fact this report was a trial balloon, it certainly got well and truly punctured by the reaction of most of Israel's MKs. - M. R.
Head of the Knesset House Committee MK David Tal on Wednesday said he intends to accelerate the passage of a bill requiring any withdrawal from the Golan to be dependant upon a national referendum. Tal spoke after a Syrian news agency reported that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has offered Damascus a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory in return for peace I really wouldn't bet on this giving back of the Golan Heights happening anytime soon. - M. R.
April 22, 2008
So I don't expect much new out of tomorrow's meetings in Kuwait, especially if Rice follows through on her announced intention of snubbing her Iranian counterpart. Most likely, we'll see the ritual of mutual accusations between Iran and the US, a few new vague promises for the sake of appearances, and everyone continuing to wait out the Bush administration.
It appears that various Middle Eastern countries are going to "run out the clock" on the issues of Iraq and Iran until there is new leadership in Washington. That is, if Israel lets them by not starting a military confrontation somewhere in the area before the end of Bush's term. Remember: Bush has promised Israel that the US will support it military , no matter who starts the fighting. - M. R.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Monday for immediate presidential elections in Lebanon without foreign interference and told Syria and Iran they must support the disarmament of Hezbollah's well-armed militia.
What UN Secretary General Ki-Moon fears, in the not too distant future, is another Israeli invasion of Lebanon, which may well happen under some kind of pretext or false flag operation. - M. R.
According to the report, Abdullah is expected to meet with Bush in Washington before his upcoming visit to the Middle East and to deliver a message from the moderate Arab states. He will ask the US president to cancel his visit to the region "if there is not an agreement of principles between Israel and the Palestinians on the horizon."
Unfortunately for King Abdullah, Bush will listen, courteously, and then go do precisely what he has planned to do. And of course, this will only add fuel to the fire of Palestinian and Middle Eastern fury at Israel's intransigence, and the US acting as Israel's enabler in the process. - M. R.
April 21, 2008
The government of Dubai recently allowed a major bankroller of Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank to open at least two Jewelry stores in the Gulf emirate.
Former President Carter said Monday that Hamas -- the Islamic militant group that has called for the destruction of Israel -- is prepared to accept the right of the Jewish state to "live as a neighbor next door in peace."
But Carter warned that there would not be peace if Israel and the U.S. continue to shut out Hamas and its main backer, Syria. For Carter to have gotten this far with Hamas is a major breakthrough; but were I a betting person, I would be willing to bet that Israel will reject it out of hand. Israel, having stolen such large quantities of land from the Palestinians, and continuing to build in Palestinian areas, will never go back to the 1967 borders. - M. R.
April 20, 2008
The question is no longer -- if it ever was -- what economic incentives are required to change Iranian behaviour. Rather, to reach a settlement with Iran that could help stabilise Iraq, prevent a Taliban resurrection in Afghanistan, reach a political deal in Lebanon and create a better climate to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the U.S. must arguably grant Iran a role in the region and begin focusing on how to influence Iranian behaviour rather than how to roll back Iranian influence. Neither Washington nor Tehran can wish the other away. While the United States' days in Iraq may be numbered, it is not likely to leave the entire Middle East anytime soon. Nor can Washington continue to design policies and arrangements in the region based on the notion that Iran can be neglected and excluded. Sooner or later, Iran and the U.S. must learn how to share the region. The only fly in this ointment is Israel, and it's "manifest destiny" approach to its foreign policy. Even now, Israel appears to be looking at stoking the fires of a wider regional middle-eastern war. Israel understands that any window on a US-led attack on Iran is closing, therefore is kicking up the pressure any way it can to create a situation where such an attack will go forward before the end of Bush's administration.And remember: Bush has promised Israel that the US will support it militarily, no matter who starts the shooting. - M. R.
It is now 2008 and the spectre of war has remerged in the Middle East. Syrian President Basher Al-Assad revealed that his country is uneasy and prepared for the worst once again. Despite Tehran's position that the U.S. would not dare launch a war against Iran, the Iranian military is on standby. The Lebanese military and Hezbollah have also been placed on alert. Clearly, Israel has been preparing for war on a broader regional level. Simultaneously, Tel Aviv has been preparing to shift blame for any possible outbreak of a regional war on the Syrians, the Lebanese, the Palestinians, even the Russians, and foremost on the Iranians.
April 18, 2008
Aides to Carter said they plan to hold a second round of talks with Hamas on Friday night to discuss proposals for a ceasefire with Israel and for the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, that Carter made when he met Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal.
If Carter does come through with a breakthrough proposal which includes (and guarantees) Shalit's release, watch for Israeli politicians to pounce on it, and attempt to tear it to shreds. Shalit is much more valuable to Israel symbolically as a prisoner of Hamas than he would be a freed man, who had been treated humanely while in captivity. - M. R.
"He's just unilaterally going off on his own and undermining everything the international community and the United States is (sic) trying to do," protested Republican U.S. House Rep. Sue Myrick (NC-09) today in the call to revoke the passport of former president Jimmy Carter.
Unflipping believable. Looks like Israel and AIPAC have gotten to this lady, big-time. And what they hate, and what terrifies these folks, is the possibility that Carter just might come up with a breakthrough which might move the region of the Middle East on a more peaceful, non-adversarial path. And of course, that's something they can't tolerate. - M. R.
April 16, 2008
Is Arab oil more precious than Arab blood? This is a question that many Palestinians are asking these days in light of the oil-rich Arab states' reluctance to help the Palestinians withstand the most ferocious onslaught ever being waged by Zionism against the Palestinian people's very existence.
April 14, 2008
FLASH - Who has controlled the Middle East over the course of history?...
Egypt is not a country without resources, or indeed, without brains. However, for brains to function properly, they need a fee environment. Brains simply can't function in an environment dominated by despotism, tyranny and authoritarianism. Dictatorship can only produce human robots that obey orders, but don't think.
April 13, 2008
There is talk of new wars across the Middle East this summer - and there is nothing new about that. What is new is the reaction of America's closest allies in the Arab world to the latest outbreak of belligerent rhetoric. Led by Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states, and Egypt, they have indicated they don't like the war talk from Vice-President Cheney and his team. Furthermore, they're hedging their bets. While not exactly cosying up to Moscow they have opened up new lines of diplomacy with the Russians on a range of issues from regional security to nuclear technology, and joining the World Trade Organisation.
Former President Jimmy Carter said he feels "quite at ease" about meeting Hamas militants over the objections of Washington because the Palestinian group is essential to a future peace with Israel.
Inclusion of Hamas is logical, as this was the legitimate government of Palestine in the last election held there, deemed by international observers as primarily free and fair. Of course, this is why Israel and the US are shunning Hamas as though this organization was the devil itself, and Abbas has become Israel's best, "new" friend in the region. - M. R.
April 9, 2008
The top two U.S. officials in Iraq accused Iran, Syria and Lebanon's Hezbollah Tuesday of fueling recent fighting in Baghdad, saying Tehran and Damascus were pursuing a "Lebanization strategy" in Iraq. "The hand of Iran was very clear in recent weeks," U.S. commander in Iraq, Army Gen. David Petraeus, said at a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. These statements, coupled with current "preparedness drills" in Israel and tensions on its borders, do not augur well for any kind of peace or stabilization in the Middle East. - M. R.
April 7, 2008
Thousands of demonstrators angry about rising prices and stagnant salaries torched buildings, looted shops and hurled bricks at police who responded with tear gas Sunday in a northern industrial town as Egyptians staged a nationwide strike. About 150 people were arrested and 80 were wounded in the gritty Nile Delta town of Mahalla el-Kobra, where riots broke out among residents and disgruntled workers at the largest textile factory in Egypt. Nearly 40 percent Egypt's 76 million people live below or near the poverty line of $2 a day. The prices of staples such as cooking oil and rice have nearly doubled in recent months, amid widespread shortages of government-subsidized bread. We seem to have the same syndrome going on here that we have had in various countries for decades in the Middle East. Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak is, undeniably, a real thug when it comes to truly taking care of his people, but he's "our thug". What US policy makers appear to be in consistent denial about is the fact that when peaceful evolution is impossible, violent revolution (as happened with the overthrow of another of "our thugs", the Shah of Iran) is inevitable. - M. R.
Ministers will go over various scenarios in which thousands of missiles and rockets are fired at Israel, incurring many civilian causalities. There will also be scenarios including the use of non-conventional weapons. "The drill is no front for Israeli bellicose intentions toward Syria," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said. "Its aim is to check the various authorities' ability to carry out their functions." This kind of a drill is a very expensive dress rehearsal in advance of some kind of large-scale military action Israel is contemplating. The question is, against whom? - M. R.
April 6, 2008
Prime minister Ehud Olmert says Syria should not worry about a national public safety drill the Zionist regime is conducting this week.
Were I part of a government in any area bordering Israel in the Middle East, I would be extraordinarily concerned about this development, coupled with the fact that Israel is redistributing anti chemical/biological kits to its citizens. Israel is completely capable of creating some kind of "false flag" event, blaming it on one of the usual suspects (Hezbullah, Syria, Lebanon, or Iran), and they're off and running.< p>And the real down side for this, from a standpoint of ordinary American citizens, is that Bush has pledged to support Israel militarily, no matter whether it started the conflict or not. - M. R.
April 5, 2008
When American politicians talk about strategic interests, they are talking about just what I called it, manure. We have no strategic interests in the Middle East whatsoever. We wish to buy oil there. Last time I checked, those countries that produce oil were selling it to any country willing to buy it, whether that country had troops in the area or not. Since oil isn't edible, there's not a heck of a lot you can do with it if you don't sell it.
April 4, 2008
Israel has increased the number of times it sends fighter jets to the Syrian border, 'in preparation' for a possible confrontation.'
Wonder what the bets are in Vegas about how soon Israel will be staging a false flag attack as a justification for starting the next military conflict in the Middle East? - M. R.
April 3, 2008
A report warns of Saudi Arabia and Turkey possibly joining in a nuclear arms race.
After having had an object lesson, courtesy of the US government, as to precisely what can happen to countries (translation: Iraq) which do not have nuclear weapons, can you really blame them? - M. R.
Peres said the media reports had caused 'artificial tension,' which would pass.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak nevertheless cancelled a trip to Germany scheduled for next week, Israeli media reported, apparently to follow up on the situation along Israel's northern - as well as its southern border with the Gaza Strip.
Take a good look at a map. What's at the north of Israel? Lebanon. UN commanders in Lebanon have been complaining that Israel has been violating its airspace numerous times since the cease-fire. One wonders just what kind of "false flag" Israel may have planned this spring in Lebanon's direction. - M. R.
March 28, 2008
"WAR IS much too serious a thing to be left to military men," in Talleyrand's memorable words. In the same spirit, one could say: The American presidential elections are much too serious to be left to the Americans.
March 27, 2008
The draft gave several reasons for scrapping the treaty, including that Israel "does not honor the agreement and is still a threat to Jordan." It said the Jewish state "has committed premeditated crimes in Jordan, and genocide in Palestine."
March 24, 2008
Three decades ago, in the throes of the energy crisis, Washington's hawks conceived of a strategy for US control of the Persian Gulf's oil. Now, with the same strategists firmly in control of the White House, the Bush administration is playing out their script for global dominance.
Americans on board told the barges to stop and opened fire when they continued to approach
One has to wonder: in what language were the sailors on the barges told to stop? In a part of the world where violent misunderstandings can happen even when people speak the same language, was there not one Arabic-speaking person attached to the Global Patriot to possibly prevent this kind of situation? - M. R.
An American nuclear submarine has crossed the Suez Canal to join the US fleet stationed in the Persian Gulf, Egyptian sources say. An American destroyer recently left the Persian Gulf, heading towards the Mediterranean Sea; earlier on Thursday, a US Navy rescue ship crossed the canal to enter the Red Sea.
The United Arab Emirates says it will establish a $100 million agency to look into developing nuclear energy to satisfy rising electricity demand in the Gulf oil exporter on Iran's doorstep. "Analysis of future domestic electricity demand ... has concluded that peaceful nuclear power generation represents an environmentally promising and commercially competitive option which could make a significant contribution to the UAE's economy and future energy security," a government statement carried by the official WAM news agency said.
Well, guess who just made the "must invade" list. - M. R.
March 22, 2008
US Vice President Dick Cheney, during a trip to the Middle East aimed at consolidating Washington's position in its ongoing wars of aggression and preparing new ones, gave vent Wednesday to his utter contempt for the will of the American people.
We can only conclude that following the occupation, the US had no intention of rebuilding Iraq and indeed as I've pointed out, the US is on record as saying that it's not in the business of 'nation-building', so, what is the 'Plan'? The creation of a 'failed state' destabilises the region which weakens opposition to imperial plans and as we have witnessed, it also creates the pre-conditions for extending the 'area of instability' Eastward. It is within this context that we see that the never-ending 'rumours of war with Iran' spread by the US and its faithful minions in the media make sense. This is classic psychological warfare waged not only by the Fort Bragg posse but also by a complicit media.
US Vice President Dick Cheney was poised to visit Israel on Saturday to promote Middle East peace and highlight the US ally's "right to defend itself" after Saudi talks on sky-high oil prices, aides said.
This trip to Israel has absolutely nothing to do with peace. The Israelis just held a mock drill on invading Gaza. They're building ever-more settlements in the in the West Bank, and are itching to strike Iran any way they can in order to get a larger regional war going. There have been some stories circulated which indicate the Israeli defense department will be showing Cheney various scenarios for a potential attack on Iran, with various combinations of US/Israeli forces. However, the one question no one in Tel Aviv or Washington is thinking about is this; in the face of a US/Israeli led attack against Iran, what is Russia going to do? - M. R.
March 21, 2008
President Peres tells Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov that Israel distrusts Syrian peace overtures; Earlier, Lavrov meets with Assad, says Moscow peace conference aims to restart Israel-Syria talks
Translation - Peres to Lavrov: Peaceful resolutions to any international situations we're involved with in this region? You've got to be joking!" - M. R.
March 19, 2008
Cheney did not see the real Baghdad, drowning in sewage, desperate for water and plunged in the dark - lacking 3,000 megawatts of electricity (it may take as many as 10 years before the city gets power 24 hours a day; so much for "reconstruction"). As no US official was suicidal enough to take Cheney, for instance, to a real life suicide bomber-targeted vegetable market in Sadr City - or to Imam Hussein's shrine in Karbala for that matter - these "phenomenal changes" warrant examination.
March 18, 2008
Lebanese sources have revealed that the Syrian army is reinforcing its military presence along the Lebanese-Syrian borders point from the western Bekaa valley area to Deir Al Ashaer. The sources linked the military reinforcement to increased speculation inside and outside Lebanon about the possibility that Lebanon will be lured into a war with Israel, which could be triggered by Hezbollah in retaliation for the assassination of its commander Imad Mughniyeh.
March 16, 2008
Vice President Dick Cheney, embarking on a 10-day trip to the Middle East, will discuss with Arab allies how to bring about a peaceful resolution to international concern over Iran's suspected development of nuclear weapons, a senior administration official said.
"Peaceful" resolution regarding Iran, my astrolabe! The countries whose leadership he's allegedly becalming (except for that of Israel, which desperately wants a military confrontation before the end of this administration) are getting set up for some kind of false flag operation which gives the US and Israel "no other option" rather than to go in with missiles blazing. - M. R.
March 9, 2008
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the United States' Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Nassau group would operate in the region "for a while" and that the deployment signals the navy "is engaged" in "a very important part of the world".
You don't send this kind of naval fire-power off the coast of the Eastern Mediteranian without understanding that you are going to use it, at some point in the not too distant future. - M. R.
March 8, 2008
The council of world leaders launched by former President Nelson Mandela is sending a three-person team to the troubled Middle East.
March 5, 2008
A US warship deployed off the coast of Lebanon has passed through the Suez Canal and is heading for the Gulf, an official with the canal authority told AFP. "The USS Cole has crossed the Suez Canal and is making its way to the Gulf," the official said. This explains why it was replaced off the coast of Lebanon yesterday. One has to wonder: for what reason has the USS Cole been ordered into the Persian Gulf?? - M. R.
February 28, 2008
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters the deployment should not be viewed as threatening or in response to events in any single country in that volatile region.
Expect some fur to fly shortly. Between Israel making threatening noises at Hezbullah, Hamas, Lebanon, Syria, and of course, Iran, this is probably not about presenting a show of strength: this is strategic. - M. R.
George Bush once said in a state of the union address that Americans were addicted to oil. Bush was probably apologizing for another more serious problem that is part and parcel to our foreign policy in the Middle East. Our government is addicted to easy power, to fantasies of empire, and it fears real freedom, at home or abroad.
February 24, 2008
President Bush's second term in office will expire in one year. For the president who has unconditionally rubber-stamped Israeli policies, one year is not enough to set long-term goals, but it's enough to ignite chaos. The assassination of a high-profile person like Mugniyah was not merely an opportunity to boast over a classic Mossad operation. It was a major ingredient in a larger scheme, the end result of which may be war with both Lebanon and Syria -- with the hope of getting Iran involved. The big question which Israeli policy makers and its military strategists need to be asking is, relative to how Russia would respond to an attack on Iran, do they really feel that potentially lucky, even with US involvement? Russian officials have stated consistently that any attack on Iran will be perceived as an attack against Russia. And what sane person or government really wants to go to war with Russia? - M. R.
February 23, 2008
In a tactic that could dramatically escalate the conflict, the PKK, or Kurdistan Workers Party, vowed to “move the theatre of combat to the heart of Turkish cities” unless Ankara ended the military campaign, which began on Thursday evening.
We may well on the brink of a huge, regional war, with various alliances evolving. The problem with the "hoping cooler heads prevail" theory is, at this moment in history, there aren't many of the cooler heads actually creating policy anywhere. - M. R.
February 21, 2008
Defense Minister Ehud Barak has warned Syria through Turkish mediation that the Israel Defense Forces is planning to escalate its military operations against Hezbollah and Hamas, the London-based daily Al-Hayyat reported on Thursday.
Remember: Bush has pledged to support Israel military in any of its fights in the region, whether Israel starts the conflict or not. - M. R.
This road to the pause has been in play for some time, and those in the military and defense establishment who believe that the United States requires a long-term presence in Iraq are quietly putting in place the pieces that will indeed tie the next president's hands. This isn't some conspiracy to install "permanent bases" in Iraq. What is unfolding is much more insidious.
February 19, 2008
As the Israel Foreign Ministry protests to the UN repeated statements by Iran to "wipe Israel off the map" security analysts in Israel say that the Jewish democratic nation is more than ready for any aggression by Iran, Hezbollah and Syria.
Translation: look for some kind of false flag operation, courtesy of Israel, to trip off the next war in the Middle East. And remember: Bush has promised to support Israel militarily, no matter whether or not it starts a confilct. - M. R.
February 16, 2008
According to as-Safir, Hizbullah has ordered 50,000 of its fighters to be on high alert, and has also evacuated most structures used by the group for non-military purposes in south Lebanon, in order to prepare “to curb any Israeli aggression.”
Whoever assassinated Mugniyah knew full well what the consequences of this assassination would be. Those consequences look like they are about to get seriously ugly. Israel is itching to have an excuse to hit any country in the region where they think their chances of a big military "win" are at least decent. Remember: President Bush has pledged to support Israel militarily, no matter whether it starts the next new regional conflict or not. - M. R.
February 9, 2008
Reuters’ reported that a peace deal is possible in 2008 if sides honor commitments…..
What sides???
What commitments????
February 7, 2008
Egypt threatens to break the legs of Gaza infiltrators
Egypt threatens to break the legs of Gaza infiltrators
- Egypt said on Thursday it would no longer tolerate Palestinians infiltrating the country from the Gaza Strip, and threatened to break the legs of anyone crossing the Rafah border illegally. Egypt is the second largest recipient of United States military aid after Israel. Put the two statements below together, and you understand the degree to which the US pulled Egypt's financial "choke chain" to get Egypt to take these measures. Tel Aviv must be quite pleased with itself right now. Gaza is back in the cage, just where Israel wants them. - M. R.
February 2, 2008
Defiant Hamas bulldozes Rafah crossing wider...
Looks like Israel has just lost a significant hunk of the deadly power of its siege against Gaza. The officials in Tel Aviv are really caught in a bind right now. Despite Israel's consistent bickering with Egypt, the two countries do have a peace treaty between them So if Israel decides to bomb the border and turn it into rubble, it cannot do that without hitting the Egyptian side as well. Hamas has shown itself a force to be reckoned with, and I would almost be willing to bet real money that Egypt will be unable to keep the barricades closed at this border. - M. R.
January 30, 2008
NATO and Israel: Instruments of America's Wars in the Middle East...
Israel understands that if there is no attack against Iran under the current administration, chances are that the possibilities for such a strike, under the watch of the next president, may be remote. That's why they are trying to get some pretext, any pretext going to launch a US attack against Iran. The clock is ticking down for this administration, but it is still capable of doing a world of hurt in this region. - M. R.
January 28, 2008
If we put aside diplomatic niceties and self-serving proclamations of an urgent need for peace and Israeli readiness to "make painful sacrifices" to achieve it, the Annapolis conference in fact confirmed the logic of war. The current Israeli assault on and collective punishment of the Palestinians in Gaza prove it. Annapolis confirmed the logic of war because American and Israeli positions indicated that whatever negotiations take place between Israelis and Palestinians would not be within the context of justice and law, but overshadowed by the realities of power produced by the Israeli war machine.
January 18, 2008
Twixt silken sheets – in a bedroom whose walls are also covered in silk – and in the very palace of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, President George Bush awakes this morning to confront a Middle East which bears no relation to the policies of his administration nor the warning which he has been relaying constantly to the kings and emirs and oligarchs of the Gulf: that Iran rather than Israel is their enemy.
January 17, 2008
After pandering to Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert's right-wing government last week, US president George W. Bush carried the Israeli/neoconservative campaign against Iran to Arab countries. Sounding as authentic as the "Filipino Monkey," Bush told the Arab countries that "Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terror," and that "Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere." To no effect. Every country in the world, except America, knows by now that the US is the world's leading state sponsor of terror and that the neoconservative drive for US hegemony over the world threatens the security of nations everywhere. Carrying Olmert's water in the Middle East has got to be some very heavy lifting, considering it's based on a pack of lies (as was the justification for going into Iraq). - M. R.
President Bush lavished praise on President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt on Wednesday, emphasizing the country’s role in regional security and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process while publicly avoiding mention of the government’s actions in jailing or exiling opposition leaders and its severe restrictions on opposition political activities.
Might the real reason Bush didn't say anything about human rights abuses in Egypt is that anything he might have said (representing a country which tortures) would have gotten him laughed off the podium for the sheer hypocrisy of opening his mouth on the subject? - M. R.
January 16, 2008
But the proverbial last nail on the coffin of American credibility in Arab opinion would have been the sensational report appearing in the Sunday Times on January 13, quoting Iraqi government sources, that the head of the IRGC, Major General Mohammed Ali Jafari, had slipped into the so-called Green Zone of Baghdad last month. Jafari apparently passed through checkpoints on his way to the fortified enclave that contains the American Embassy, even though he is on Washington's "most wanted" list.
Arab regimes will be wondering what Washington is really up to by holding secret talks with a high-ranking Iranian official while Bush makes incessant demands that they must confront Iran. Besides, only a few months ago, the Bush administration declared the IRGC as a "foreign terrorist organization" and imposed sanctions on it. It is immaterial whether the Sunday Times report turns out to be substantiated or not. Either way, US standing in the region suffers.
January 15, 2008
The US President arrived in Riyadh on Monday night on the latest stage of his tour of the Middle East and was treated to the lavish personal hospitality of King Abdullah. But talks yesterday were likely to have been soured by demands that the 13 Saudi prisoners still in the US camp should be sent home at once - a plea by the Interior Minister, Prince Nayef, that was made public before Mr Bush arrived.
January 14, 2008
Israel and the Bush administration place great emphasis on confronting Iran's nuclear potential and are prepared to engage in a peace process partly to build an anti-Iran coalition. Arabs see it differently. They use the Iran issue to lure Israel and the United States into serious Palestinian-Israeli peacemaking, having concluded that the perceived Iranian threats sell better in Washington and Tel Aviv than the pursuit of peace itself.
January 13, 2008
Chiding U.S. allies who have withheld civil liberties, Bush said governments will never build trust by harassing or imprisoning candidates and protesters. But his rebuke was general, and he did not single out any U.S. partner in the region for oppressive practices. "You cannot expect people to believe in the promise of a better future when they are jailed for peacefully petitioning their government," Bush said. "And you cannot stand up a modern, confident nation when you do not allow people to voice their legitimate criticisms." This from the man who has condoned torture as part of American policy? ? The heavy irony of these statements was surely lost on Bush, who probably has no clue what the word means. I am absolutely certain, however, that it was not lost on his host countries during this tour. And the charge that "Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terror," is laughable. How many times in last 8 years has Iran started pre-emptive wars of aggression for other countries' resources, based on a pack of lies? Not once. But the US has. - M. R.
January 12, 2008
US admits Mideast peace deal hangs on fate of Gaza
US admits Mideast peace deal hangs on fate of Gaza
The US official, who declined to be named, said the fate of Bush's targeted peace deal by the end of this year depended on Abbas taking back control of the Gaza Strip. "I don't think in the long term that an agreement is going to work if Hamas continues to control Gaza," he said. The question here is,will it be Fatah or Israel that winds up taking over Gaza? - M. R.
It is impossible for the Palestinians, whose land is occupied and whose lives are totally controlled by the most powerful military state in the Middle East, to make any concessions. To make a concession, you have to have something. They have nothing. They have no power. They don't control their land, their borders, their access to the sea or the air, the water or even their movements within the territories. Thanks to the American vetoes, they don't even have any recourse in the U.N. The only party, then, that can make concessions is Israel, and Israel is not making any concessions, since it far prefers land to peace with an enemy that is virtually powerless. In future dictionaries, when the words "catastrophic failure" are stated, there will be a note stating "see: Bush Administration". This man, and the people around him, have been a catastrophic failure not only for this country, but the entire world. - M. R.
January 11, 2008
One either wants to laugh at his naivete, or cry. It is almost as though he ferverntly believed that his very presence would whip the Israelis and Palestinians into a frenetic chorus of "Kumbyah", and a whirlwind of truly meaningful negotiations.
January 10, 2008
While celebrity politics overwhelms the sleeping electorate and Obama Girl flounces around on YouTube, Americans are under the illusion that they control events, but it isn't so. The invasion and occupation of Iraq has unleashed forces that cannot be contained and are even now gathering for an explosive finale. George W. Bush still has the power to change the political landscape with a single command, and it seems fairly certain – to me, at least – that he intends to do so. Perhaps he can be prevented from taking this fatal course by military commanders and rational elements in the national security bureaucracy; perhaps not. In any case, recent events – and especially this ominous Middle East trip, which you can bet has little to do with a "peace plan" – ought to make us all very nervous.
BENJAMIN HEINE ~~ A YEAR IN REVIEW...
For President Bush and Prime Minister Olmert, the fallout expected from the information in these disturbing reports, released one day before President Bush arrived in Israel, was not even worthy of worry. As a matter of fact, the reality that Israel has successfully placed 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, over 50% of them children, in the dark and under the most draconian siege in recent history did not even make it to the footnotes of either leader’s comments.
January 7, 2008
Two U.S. Navy fighter jets plunged into the Persian Gulf Monday, after what initial reports suggest was a mid-air collision, a defense official said.
"Iran MADE them crash into each other!" -- Official White Horse Souse - M. R.
January 4, 2008
White House Downplays Bush Mideast Trip...
Ah, that much hoped-for "legacy thing" Bush is chasing in his last days in office. This trip will be one very expensive photo-op, on the taxpayers' tab, enabling Bush to attempt to have at least the appearance of some kind of global statesman. Too bad that his real legacy will be that of carnage, devastation, and destabilization of large parts of the Middle East, coupled with a world-wide loathing of what this country has become under his watch. - M. R.
January 2, 2008
Before his arrival, Bush has already insulted the entire nation of Palestine by making a point of announcing that he has no intention of placing a wreath at the tomb of Yasser Arafat. Arafat was/is more than just a name, he was the symbol of Palestinian resistance. Bush's declaration of his intentions is a slap in the face on the people of Palestine. This is not the way to start off on a peaceful solution. The non recognition of Hamas combined with this insult will certainly result in failure.
December 31, 2007
The pilgrims are trying to return to Gaza after completing the annual haj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Israel insists they must all pass through Israeli security checks on the grounds that some may be carrying arms or money for the Islamist movement Hamas, which runs Gaza. HAMAS runs Gaza because it is the elected government of Gaza. - M. R.
December 19, 2007
CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS WEEP TOGETHER...
December 16, 2007
WHAT WOULD MARY AND JOSEPH ENCOUNTER TODAY??...
December 14, 2007
Israel, Washington's main ally in the region, is believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East with an estimated 200 nuclear warheads. It has, however, never formally acknowledged having an atomic arsenal.
Israel will never give up its weapons programs. Countries in the region understand this, and also had had one horrific object lesson as to what happens to countries which do not have nuclear deterrent capablities, like Iraq. - M. R.
December 9, 2007
Asked at an international security conference in Bahrain on Saturday whether he thought Israel's nuclear program posed a threat to the region, Gates replied: "No, I do not." The statement was greeted by laughter from a room filled with government officials from Middle Eastern countries. Unflipping believable. Would someone please stop this man from saying idiotic things in public? Did he believe he was speaking to a room full of nincompoops or children when he made that remark? - M. R.
THE US' most senior military official in the Gulf yesterday said he had been left baffled by hostile questioning of his country's intentions in the region on the opening day of the Manama Dialogue. Commander of US Central Command Admiral William J Fallon told the GDN that the strongly-worded questions posed by Arab delegates to US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates on whether the large US military presence in the Gulf is in the region's best interests overlooked the important role played by his country. Is this man stupid, clueless, or both? What do you say to representatives of a country which has brought two wars of aggression to the region, and is just salivating to start a third? The "important role played by his country" has been that of creating death, carnage, destruction, and mayhem in the region in the name of controlling its oil. - M. R.
December 1, 2007
In 1988, Yehoshafat Harkabi wrote an excellent book, Israel's Fateful Hour. In it, Harkabi, former head of Israel's military intelligence and a hard-liner, said that unless Israel grants the Palestinians a state, Israel will be committing national suicide. What he predicted is coming true. Israel will eventually bankrupt itself trying to remain a regional military superpower, even with U.S. assistance. The occupation has already corrupted the Israel Defense Forces, which no longer enjoys the enormous prestige it once had. Israel was driven out of Lebanon by Hezbollah fighters, and despite its high-tech weapons and brutal tactics, it was unable to stop Hezbollah from raining rockets down on Israel in the summer of 2006.
November 30, 2007
Yes of course, we all want an end to bloodshed in the Middle East but the Americans are going to need Syria and Iran to support this – or at least Syrian support to control Hamas – and what do we get? Bush continues to threaten Iran and Bush tells Syria in Annapolis that it must keep clear of Lebanese elections, or else...
The folks in this administration can't seem to find anything approximating a sane foreign policy in this region (or any other, for that matter), with both hands and a flashlight. - M. R.
November 28, 2007
No mention of timetable, boundaries of Palestinian state, refugees or Jerusalem leave few Palestinians who bothered to tune into live broadcast from Annapolis bitterly disappointed with outcome. In undeclared battle between the delegations over who would outmaneuver the other, Israel clearly finished on top
Much sound and fury, signifying....nothing. - M. R.
Hearing the sounds of silence at Mideast conference
Hearing the sounds of silence at Mideast conference
If you listened closely to Abbas and Olmert, listened very closely, it was what wasn't said that was significant. There was indeed a sound, and it was the sound of the peace process unraveling even before it started.
Arab commentators on Wednesday dismissed the relaunch of Israeli-Palestinian talks as a U.S.-staged media event unlikely to lead to Middle East peace.
Some argued that U.S. President George W. Bush's real aim in convening Tuesday's conference in Annapolis, Maryland, was to rescue his image after failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, or to persuade Arab states their deadliest foe was Iran, not Israel.
November 26, 2007
Thanks to the perverse King Midas touch of the Bush administration, Iran has indeed emerged as the most influential player in Iraq and Turkey is poised to invade Iraqi Kurdistan. Moreover, as Anne Applebaum has written in the Washington Post: [T] he collateral damage inflicted by the war on America's relationships with the rest of the world is a lot deeper and broader than most Americans have realized."
The debate on which forces determine US Middle East policy has cut across the usual political spectrum: On one side most neo-conservative and progressive writers, academics and journalists argue that the military-industrial complex and Big Oil interests are the most influential forces shaping US policy. On the other, a small group of conservative and leftist writers and a few academics have identified what some call the Israel or Zionist Lobby and others refer to the Zionist Power Configuration (ZPC) as the prevailing influence in deciding US strategic policies in the Middle East. While the debate rages over who and what interests got us into the Iraq war and the escalating confrontation with Iran, there is no better test of conflicting positions than the proposed US sale of $20 billion dollars of military equipment to Saudi Arabia.
November 27 at Annapolis kicks off the latest Israeli-Palestinian Middle East peace process round that may be an historic first. It's the first time in memory the legitimate government of one side is excluded, and that alone dooms it. Like previous rounds, it's more pretense than peace, and as Jonathan Steele puts it in his November 16 Guardian column "The Palestinian path to peace does not go via Annapolis....so what do....Palestinians do next....In their decades-long bid for justice, they have tried everything:" armed struggle to compromise, but nothing works and the reason is simple. Their sincerity isn't matched by Israel, the West, other Arab states and the US most of all with all the muscle in its hands to push or constrain Israelis to be serious and fair. That's the problem.
So what can a Middle East correspondent write on a Saturday morning except that the world in the Middle East is growing darker and darker by the hour. Pakistan. Afghanistan. Iraq. "Palestine". Lebanon. From the borders of Hindu Kush to the Mediterranean, we--we Westerners that is--are creating (as I have said before) a hell disaster. Next week, we are supposed to believe in peace in Annapolis, between the colourless American apparatchik and Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister who has no more interest in a Palestinian state than his predecessor Ariel Sharon.
November 25, 2007
Syria to attend Mideast summit...
I'm almost willing to wager that when conference explodes like a bad trick cigar, the only thing these participants will be left with is the stench, and absolutely no forward movement on core issues. - M. R.
November 22, 2007
"The mountain went into labor, then it gave birth to a rat ," so says the famous Arab proverb. This adage is likely to caricature the outcome of the upcoming American-sponsored "peace conference," slated to take place on 27 November, in Annapolis , Maryland . Forecasting the failure of the Annapolis meeting is more than speculation. It is a realistic assessment of an event that is not intended to be successful, even if the declared desire suggests otherwise. If Annapolis implodes, Secretary Rice will very probably wind up taking most of the blame for its failure (something current Israeli leaders would love to see happen). Israel is hopeful that such a failure would push Bush again into the orbit of the carnage-prone Cheney's foreign policy agendas, which dovetail rather nicely with Israel's foreign policy agendas. - M. R.
November 16, 2007
An Israeli demand that Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state lies at the heart of the latest crisis to upset preparations for an upcoming Mideast peace conference. But the Palestinians think offering that recognition would imply they are dropping one of their key demands in any peace deal — a solution for Palestinian refugees who lost their homes after Israel's 1948 creation and for their millions of descendants. Israel opposes a return of refugees, for fear they would eventually outnumber the Jewish majority. It appears that Olmert & Company have been playing Secretary Rice for a fool. Since she has put so much geopolitical weight (as well as her own professional reputation) on the line for a positive outcome for this conference, the very carefully constructed timing for the statement of this Israeli demand could well make this conference a non-starter. Part of this may have well have been an Israeli move to deligitimize Rice in Bush's eyes, pushing him more closely into the arms of the ever carnage-prone Cheney, who never met an Israeli act of genocide against the Palestinian he didn't love. - M. R.
November 11, 2007
Why do Jews and Arabs / Muslims hate each other?...
Pretty good summary right up to the part where they claim Jews have a right to Israel because God gave it to them. They lost me there, because God FAXed me just last week and said I am supposed to own that land. - M. R.
The defensive missile shield around Israel's nuclear facility at Dimona was placed on red alert 30 times last week out of concern over a possible Syrian air strike, the Sunday Times has reported. The British newspaper said that a battery of US-made Patriot anti-aircraft missiles had been moved to the Negev site following intelligence that Damascus may launch a raid in retaliation for the September 6 strike on a suspected nuclear installation in northern Syria. Why would Syria do something that blunderingly stupid, when what they showed was absolute restraint when one of their facilities got bombed? This makes no sense whatsoever, particularly in light of the fact that, as of the 4th of this month, reported in ynetnews.com ( http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3467627,00.html), Olmert and Rice were talking about the possibility of Syria's participation on the Annapolis talks. Something else appears to be going on here. - M. R.
November 9, 2007
"If Egypt and Saudi Arabia begin nuclear programmes, this can bring an apocalyptic scenario upon us," Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman told the English-language Jerusalem Post newspaper. "Their intentions should be taken seriously and the declarations being made now are to prepare the world for when they decide to actually do it," said the minister, responsible for coordinating Israeli efforts against a nuclear Iran. Memo to Strategic Affairs Minister Lieberman: Saudi Arabia and Egypt have seen very clearly what happens to countries in the region which do not have a nuclear deterrent. Iraq never had WMDs: you knew it, the US knew it, and the world knew it. Yet Iraq was attacked and occupied on the pack of lies that it did. The leaders of these two countries don't want that to happen to them, and really, who can blame them? And by the way, Minister Lieberman: the world knows that Israel has nukes. Your conviction of Mordechai Vannunu, for having committed the crime of telling the world the truth, has confirmed it. So before screaming about Egypt and Saudi Arabia, why doesn't Israel come to the negotiating table honestly, and and become a participant in the IAEA? - M. R.
November 7, 2007
You know there's trouble ahead when Iraq, in its present state, is the good news story for Bush administration policy. While various civilian and military officials from the president on down have been talking up "success" in Iraq and beating the rhetorical war drums vis-à-vis Iran, much of the remainder of the administration's foreign policy in what the neocons used to call "the arc of instability" began to thoroughly unravel.
November 1, 2007
US troops could be in the Middle East for another 50 years, according to the longest serving commander of the Qatar-based US Central Command. General John Abazaid, who retired in May, said the "strategic situation" in the region - the rise of extremism and the global dependence on oil - would necessitate a long-term presence. I guess now that he's retired, Abazaid figures he can afford to tell the truth.
Reversing previous assessments and indicating continued problems in getting the planned Annapolis meeting off the ground, senior diplomatic officials said Wednesday it did not now look like US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would bring invitations to the US-sponsored Annapolis meeting when she arrives here Saturday night.
Because of Israel's intransigence, it appears that there will be no conference. And this is precisely what Israel wanted to happen. - M. R.
October 30, 2007
The White House on Monday said it had little information about Egypt's plans to relaunch its nuclear power program but declared itself "generally supportive" of civilian atomic power. "I don't know a lot about it. In general, we are supportive of countries pursuing civil nuclear energy. It's clean burning. It provides electricity in a clean-burning and affordable way for citizens," said spokeswoman Dana Perino. "I love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning!" - official white horse souse. But seriously, how can they say this with a straight face yet be jumping up and down on Iran for wanting to do precisely the same thing? - M. R.
October 29, 2007
PA's lead negotiator warns of failure to reach viable agreement in Annapolis, says clear timetable must be set for talks. 'We need support from Israel, not with kisses but with the evacuation of settlements,' says Ahmed Qureia. "If the summit fails – frustration will win out over everything else and it will have a negative affect on the region. I cannot predict exactly what will happen, but it may lead to more wars. Unfortunately for Qureia, the Annapolis conference may not actually take place, or if it does, whatever might be accomplished will be symbolic only, but not substantive. - M. R.
Egypt launches nuclear power program...
"You should go bomb them for us!" -- Israel - M. R.
October 26, 2007
The Middle East peace conference proposed by the Bush administration is clearly a smokescreen, aimed at concealing the true intentions of US foreign policy in the region. In the predictable process of rewarding 'moderate’ allies and chastising 'extremist’ foes, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will most likely receive the accolades befitting a peacemaker, while his protagonists in Hamas are reprimanded, demonized and further isolated. But the ultimate goal of this charade is not even so much to isolate Hamas, but rather to set in motion events that will further isolate Iran and Syria.
October 23, 2007
DEADLY raids into Turkey by Kurdish militants holed up in northern Iraq are the focus of urgent diplomacy, with Turkey threatening to invade Iraq and the United States begging for restraint while expressing solidarity with Turkish anger. But out of the public eye, a chillingly similar battle has been under way on the Iraqi border with Iran. Kurdish guerillas ambush and kill Iranian forces and retreat to their hideouts in Iraq. The Americans offer Iran little sympathy. Tehran even says Washington helps the Iranian attacks, a charge the US denies. Whatever the truth the conflict, like the Turkish one, has explosive potential. Creators of US foreign policy have spawned a monster of their own making, and have no one else but themselves to blame for the way the region has careened out of control since the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. This administration absolutely wins the all-time booby prize for creating the horrifically unintended consequences which could erupt into either a larger regional war, or perhaps another world war. - M. R.
October 22, 2007
The sources said Mubarak's deteriorating condition has accelerated efforts to groom his son, Gamal, for succession. The 43-year-old Gamal has been appointed the No. 2 figure in Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party and has undertaken sensitive diplomatic missions for his father in Europe and the United States.
Mubarak is another example of a dictator who is an acknowledged thug, but he's been our thug, thanks to the tune of over one billion dollars a year in aid to prop him up. Only time will tell if his son Gamal will be a better leader than his father has been in terms of raising the standard of living for the Egyptian people, or if he will simply be more of the same. - M. R.
October 21, 2007
Olmert has sought to lower expectations for the conference to deflect pressure from right-wing coalition partners who are opposed to dividing Jerusalem and taking other sweeping steps as part of any deal with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Imagine my (complete lack of) surprise. In fact, I have to wonder what the Vegas odds are of this conference not happening at all. - M. R.
October 18, 2007
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has ended a Middle East tour without firm commitments to a conference on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. But she said the talks, due to be held in the US by the end of the year, still had a "reasonable chance of success". Secretary Rice says these talks "still had a reasonable chance of success?" How much do you want to be that the talks become "postponed indefinitely?" - M. R.
October 17, 2007
CONDOLEEZZA Rice last night told the Palestinians to lower their expectations ahead of the White House-sponsored peace conference and to drop demands for a timetable to implement final status agreements. The US Secretary of State's latest round of shuttle diplomacy has emerged as her most crucial yet as gaps start to become entrenched between both sides ahead of the meeting late next month, to be chaired by US President George W.Bush in Annapolis. Translation: "Rice to Palestinians: abandon your hopes completely" for this conference. - M. R.
Both Iran and Turkey have vowed to send troops into northern Iraq, but until now evidence of active military cooperation between them has remained a closely-held secret. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stepped up political and diplomatic threats in recent days, telling the United States he would cut off U.S. access to the strategic Incirlik airbase in eastern Turkey if the U.S. tried to prevent Turkey from sending troops against the Kurdish bases in northern Iraq. "YEE-HAW!" - official white horse souse. - M. R.
The "Middle East Peace Process" is like one of those big budget Broadway extravaganzas; they go on for years, but with each revival the cast changes. What may seem like a tired production to some nevertheless manages to remain fresh to the gullible throngs willing to hand over the price of admission.
Linked in light of Bush's press conference (just now ending) in which he waved around a Palestinian state to show how much progress he has made in the Middle East. - M. R.
Disagreement between Israel and the Palestinians on the content of the document, which negotiating teams are drawing up to serve as a basis for the looming conference has been seen as a possible cause for delaying the summit.
Were I a betting person, I would almost be willing to bet that this conferenece will be "delayed" at least for some time, if not indefinitely. - M. R.
October 13, 2007
While the Bush White House promotes the possibility of armed conflict with Iran, a tantalizing passage in Wesley Clark's new memoir suggests that another war is part of a long-planned Department of Defense strategy that anticipated "regime change" by force in no fewer than seven Mideast states.
"Start cranking out those soldiers, ladies! It's your patriotic duty!" -- Official White Horse Souse
- M. R.
October 10, 2007
'Hebron settlers don't miss a chance to provoke and abuse Palestinians'
Americans are hearing much less from the Bush administration about democracy for the Middle East than they did a year ago. As Shiite Iran rises, the White House has muted its calls for reform in the region as it redirects policy to reembrace Sunni Arab allies – who run, to varying degrees, authoritarian regimes. To contain Tehran, Washington is now reaching out to Saudi Arabia, other Gulf states, Egypt, and Jordan, in the form of large arms deals and new talks on such issues as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which in the eyes of most Arabs and many others remains the greatest source of tension – and extremist support – in the region. If there would ever be an international prize given on a yearly basis to governments and government administrations for horrendous, unintended consequences resulting form their foreign policies, the US would have been the winner hands-down for at least the last 6 years running. - M. R.
"We have to make responsible decisions in the Congress that are not driven by the dissatisfaction of anybody who wants the war to end tomorrow," Pelosi told the gathering at the Sofitel, arranged by the Christian Science Monitor. Though crediting activists for their "passion," Pelosi called it "a waste of time" for them to target Democrats. "They are advocates," she said. "We are leaders."
Memo to Nancy Pelosi: you have lost your base, and become an embarrassment to your party and this nation. When you characterize activists by saying their criticism is a "waste of time", you have immediately telegraphed that you will do absolutely nothing to stop the two wars our soldiers are currently fighting (wars based on an absolute pack of lies), or the coming war with Iran. It appears that you have been acquired by the defense industry (as have so many other of your colleagues) Additionally, it appears that your agenda regarding the Middle East is absolutely in line with that of a country which prides itself on the getting the US to 'neutralize' its supposed enemies in the Middle East. As the Bush administration's "Madame Enabler", you have both astonished and betrayed those who truly believed that this last election was going to bring a change in policy, terminating these wars. - M. R.
October 5, 2007
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