Blogs
Iran and Syria defy the West
Well Ahmadinejad's vist to Damascus and the closer Iran-Syria ties really snub America. We are being played like fish and Syria is cock of the walk.
The presidents of Syria and Iran signed a visa-scrapping accord yesterday, signalling even closer ties and brushing aside US efforts to drive a wedge between the two allies. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The presidents of Syria and Iran signed a visa-scrapping accord yesterday, signalling even closer ties and brushing aside US efforts to drive a wedge between the two allies. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Sudan Peace - Really?
The Qataris have brokered a partial peace in Dharfur. This kind of cherrypicking is of dubious value. I just wish they could have done better - but the nature of the process is flawed if you don't go for national reconciliation. So the Qataris have brought an end to Dharfur violence? I sincerely doubt it:
Qatar's diplomatic initiative has brought to an end seven years of violence and bloodbath in Darfur, a terrain of Sudan blessed with immense yet unutilised natural resources.
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Qatar's diplomatic initiative has brought to an end seven years of violence and bloodbath in Darfur, a terrain of Sudan blessed with immense yet unutilised natural resources.
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Unfairness from the UK
PALESTINIAN FARMERS DENIED VISAS BY THE UK GOVERNMENT FOR FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT:
These farmers, whose olive oil is the only one in the world to carry the Fairtrade mark, have been invited by a UK social enterprise, Zaytoun, and were to be accompanied by a leading British NGO. The shocking refusal to allow those producers from newly certified Fairtrade Cooperatives into the UK to attend events across England, Wales and Scotland, comes exactly one year after this: Gordon Brown said he was "delighted" by the launch, marking the start of Fairtrade Fortnight, the annual campaign urging people to buy goods with the internationally recognised mark designed to ensure producers from poorer countries get a fair price and long-term security. Brown said: "Olive oil production provides an essential part of the West Bank economy. In buying this oil, British shoppers wil be helping the farmers of Palestine to make a living. "
PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION TO TELL THE FCO TO ALLOW THESE FARMERS TO ATTEND FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/fairtradefarmersfrompalestine/
These farmers, whose olive oil is the only one in the world to carry the Fairtrade mark, have been invited by a UK social enterprise, Zaytoun, and were to be accompanied by a leading British NGO. The shocking refusal to allow those producers from newly certified Fairtrade Cooperatives into the UK to attend events across England, Wales and Scotland, comes exactly one year after this: Gordon Brown said he was "delighted" by the launch, marking the start of Fairtrade Fortnight, the annual campaign urging people to buy goods with the internationally recognised mark designed to ensure producers from poorer countries get a fair price and long-term security. Brown said: "Olive oil production provides an essential part of the West Bank economy. In buying this oil, British shoppers wil be helping the farmers of Palestine to make a living. "
PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION TO TELL THE FCO TO ALLOW THESE FARMERS TO ATTEND FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/fairtradefarmersfrompalestine/
Seducing Syria
The Syrian opposition are upset about the USA's outreach to Syria (Bill Burns the US State Department heavy is visiting Damascus). They are concerned that it means we no longer oppose the Syrian government. But we have bigger fish to fry and that means bringing Syria back into the Western camp at almost any cost because that will weaken Iran. But does weakening Iran reduce the risk of another Mid East war - or increase it?
The Obama administration last week made a major diplomatic opening to Syria. It dispatched Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns to Damascus for talks, thereby elevating the level of diplomatic contact and further making good on a pledge to engage with countries that George W. Bush s administration shunned.
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Iran Sanctions
A great piece by our sometime Senior Fellow Jonathon Paris. You might find it worth reading
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Hammas Summer Camps
Award winning Gaza journalist and NCF member, Adel Zanoon, writes to send us this:
GAZA CITY, June 17, 2009 (AFP) - Summer has arrived, school's out, and on the carpeted floor of a Gaza City mosque Ala al-Ramalawi is reciting the Koran to a group of 12-year-old girls in colourful veils.
For most of Gaza's children summer camp still means swimming, horseback riding and campfire songs.
But the number of children attending Hamas-run religious camps has soared in the two years since the group seized power, reflecting the growing religious awareness among the enclave's impoverished residents.
"There is no way for us but learning ... The enemy wants to condemn us to a siege and shelling and poverty," says Ramalawi, 16, who prides herself on having memorised the Koran but says she is not a member of Hamas.
Anwar Nassar, the director of the Koran camps, says Hamas supporters make up at most 60 percent of the youth who attend the camps, but that the total number of attendees has soared since the group seized power.
Since the takeover on June 15, 2007, Israel and Egypt have sealed Gaza off to all but limited humanitarian aid, crippling the local economy, fueling massive unemployment, and stalling reconstruction efforts.
Israel has insisted that the blockade is necessary to prevent Hamas -- which is backed by Iran and Syria and committed to the Jewish state's destruction -- from arming itself.
But human rights groups have slammed the restrictions as collective punishment of the overcrowded territory of 1.5 million people, where the vast majority of the population depends on foreign aid.
The lack of most building materials has meant that Gaza has recovered little from the devastating three-week Israeli offensive at the turn of the year that killed more than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.
"The stronger the siege gets and the more frustration there is, the more it pushes the youth towards religiosity and Koranic studies," Nassar said.
More than 20,000 youth between the ages of 12 and 20 will attend the two-month-long religious summer camps this year, up from just 3,000 the year before, he said.
'No future for girls except to learn religion'
Another 100,000 are attending camps that Hamas says are purely recreational, according to Ayman Dalul, the director of the "Victory of Gaza for Jerusalem" camp.
"We will teach the participants arts, swimming, riding horses and history. There are other camps especially for scouts, technology and computers," he says, insisting that military training is not part of the curriculum.
Although many of the youth attending the camps are not Hamas supporters, the growth in interest in Islam serves the interests of the movement, which is committed to the destruction of Israel.
"Hamas is interested in the youth from childhood on," says Sheikh Hamza, a 22-year-old teacher with a long, scraggly beard, one of 1,200 instructors paid 250 dollars a month to teach the Koran and religious studies.
"Teaching the Koran is part of the religion. These are the generations that the movement will rely on for steadfastness and confronting enemies."
Hamas will spend more than 3.5 million dollars on the camps this year alongside its vast network of charities and other social programmes, with much of the funding coming from international Islamic charities.
Such activities, which date back to the movement's founding in the 1980s, have helped it to build up grass-roots political support and contributed to the increasing religious conservatism in Gaza in recent years.
Umm Mohammed, her face concealed beneath a long, black Saudi-style veil, proudly sends her three daughters to a Koranic camp held on the second floor of a mosque near her house.
"Every path is blocked," she says. "There is no future for girls except to learn the religion and the Koran in order to raise their children to serve Palestine and Islam. Everything brings frustration. We have to be stronger."
GAZA CITY, June 17, 2009 (AFP) - Summer has arrived, school's out, and on the carpeted floor of a Gaza City mosque Ala al-Ramalawi is reciting the Koran to a group of 12-year-old girls in colourful veils.
For most of Gaza's children summer camp still means swimming, horseback riding and campfire songs.
But the number of children attending Hamas-run religious camps has soared in the two years since the group seized power, reflecting the growing religious awareness among the enclave's impoverished residents.
"There is no way for us but learning ... The enemy wants to condemn us to a siege and shelling and poverty," says Ramalawi, 16, who prides herself on having memorised the Koran but says she is not a member of Hamas.
Anwar Nassar, the director of the Koran camps, says Hamas supporters make up at most 60 percent of the youth who attend the camps, but that the total number of attendees has soared since the group seized power.
Since the takeover on June 15, 2007, Israel and Egypt have sealed Gaza off to all but limited humanitarian aid, crippling the local economy, fueling massive unemployment, and stalling reconstruction efforts.
Israel has insisted that the blockade is necessary to prevent Hamas -- which is backed by Iran and Syria and committed to the Jewish state's destruction -- from arming itself.
But human rights groups have slammed the restrictions as collective punishment of the overcrowded territory of 1.5 million people, where the vast majority of the population depends on foreign aid.
The lack of most building materials has meant that Gaza has recovered little from the devastating three-week Israeli offensive at the turn of the year that killed more than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.
"The stronger the siege gets and the more frustration there is, the more it pushes the youth towards religiosity and Koranic studies," Nassar said.
More than 20,000 youth between the ages of 12 and 20 will attend the two-month-long religious summer camps this year, up from just 3,000 the year before, he said.
'No future for girls except to learn religion'
Another 100,000 are attending camps that Hamas says are purely recreational, according to Ayman Dalul, the director of the "Victory of Gaza for Jerusalem" camp.
"We will teach the participants arts, swimming, riding horses and history. There are other camps especially for scouts, technology and computers," he says, insisting that military training is not part of the curriculum.
Although many of the youth attending the camps are not Hamas supporters, the growth in interest in Islam serves the interests of the movement, which is committed to the destruction of Israel.
"Hamas is interested in the youth from childhood on," says Sheikh Hamza, a 22-year-old teacher with a long, scraggly beard, one of 1,200 instructors paid 250 dollars a month to teach the Koran and religious studies.
"Teaching the Koran is part of the religion. These are the generations that the movement will rely on for steadfastness and confronting enemies."
Hamas will spend more than 3.5 million dollars on the camps this year alongside its vast network of charities and other social programmes, with much of the funding coming from international Islamic charities.
Such activities, which date back to the movement's founding in the 1980s, have helped it to build up grass-roots political support and contributed to the increasing religious conservatism in Gaza in recent years.
Umm Mohammed, her face concealed beneath a long, black Saudi-style veil, proudly sends her three daughters to a Koranic camp held on the second floor of a mosque near her house.
"Every path is blocked," she says. "There is no future for girls except to learn the religion and the Koran in order to raise their children to serve Palestine and Islam. Everything brings frustration. We have to be stronger."
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com
Well Iran has been doing everything it can to promote war in my view. It had a new US President ready to bend over backwards for peace - and Iran squandered the opportunity. Now it is posturing for war all the time. Sad really. Especially because Iran can't even see it. Iran thinks IRAN is the helpless victim:
Arab News - 20 February, 2010
From the deck of Iran’s new guided-missile destroyer, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized the United States’ military presence in the Gulf on Friday and said Washington was trying to frighten Iran’s Arab neighbors so it could sell them weapons.>>>>>>>>>>
Arab News - 20 February, 2010
From the deck of Iran’s new guided-missile destroyer, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized the United States’ military presence in the Gulf on Friday and said Washington was trying to frighten Iran’s Arab neighbors so it could sell them weapons.>>>>>>>>>>
Conspiracy Theories
Well this about beats all when it comes to conspiracy theories. What do you think? This was sent over to us by RPS (the Syrian opposition group):
Assad's Intelligence Services Helped Kill al-Mabhouh
"If you question what Assad has given-up in return for US appeasement, then look no further than the killing of al-Mabhouh RPS believes was facilitated by Syrian intelligence in cooperation with the west. Notice the silence of the Iranian regime due to Iranian coordination with Assad knowing that less pressure on Syria will help Assad, clandestinely, further Iranian influence as we have seen in Syrian training on the SA-2 missiles of Hezbollah on Syrian soil and Syrian intransigence on a nuclear program Iran may well be the ultimate beneficiary."
Assad's Intelligence Services Helped Kill al-Mabhouh
"If you question what Assad has given-up in return for US appeasement, then look no further than the killing of al-Mabhouh RPS believes was facilitated by Syrian intelligence in cooperation with the west. Notice the silence of the Iranian regime due to Iranian coordination with Assad knowing that less pressure on Syria will help Assad, clandestinely, further Iranian influence as we have seen in Syrian training on the SA-2 missiles of Hezbollah on Syrian soil and Syrian intransigence on a nuclear program Iran may well be the ultimate beneficiary."
Beating the drums for War
Hilary is getting shirty with Iran and Iran is getting shirty with the West. Which is worrying. We are on the road to war. Here's Clinton:
Addressing a plenary session at the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Clinton said Iran had gone back from its commitment made to the Group of Five plus One in Geneva last year and the entire world had enough reasons to feel that Tehran was not moving in the “right” direction on its nuclear programme.
And here's Iran:
Since the 2006 war and 2008 war both Hezbollah and Hamas have emerged stronger particularly Hezbollah, which not only increased its military capabilities but has also gained crucial political advantages in Lebanon and in its position in the Muslim world in general. An Israeli war against either Hamas or Hezbollah is an asymmetrical war, which Israel’s conventional army, as proven by their failure in 2006 and 2008, is incapable of winning. Further, such a war will not alleviate Israel’s deteriorating political condition.
Addressing a plenary session at the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Clinton said Iran had gone back from its commitment made to the Group of Five plus One in Geneva last year and the entire world had enough reasons to feel that Tehran was not moving in the “right” direction on its nuclear programme.
And here's Iran:
Since the 2006 war and 2008 war both Hezbollah and Hamas have emerged stronger particularly Hezbollah, which not only increased its military capabilities but has also gained crucial political advantages in Lebanon and in its position in the Muslim world in general. An Israeli war against either Hamas or Hezbollah is an asymmetrical war, which Israel’s conventional army, as proven by their failure in 2006 and 2008, is incapable of winning. Further, such a war will not alleviate Israel’s deteriorating political condition.
The 256th soldier to die!!
The Independent on Feb 9th seems to make us aware that there are contradictory messages coming from Afghanistan. This death toll is more than the no. killed in the 1982 Falklands war.
Gen Stanley McChrystal the US commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan is aiming to retake Marjah which is now in Taliban hands; he wanted the citizens to know that an Afghan Government will be there to replace the Taliban. But the Taliban are not going to leave without a fight. They said that they would "defeat the infidel invader". They also have brave international Mujahedin behind them.
Mahar now looks empty; most of the families have now gone, but as a farmer says: he has no money to leave with his family and cannot move them to safety.
With accusations being levelled at MI5 today Feb; and there are prisoners at Guantanamo Bay that "committed suicide" simultaneously by hanging themselves in their cells, yet the cells are checked every 10 minutes, with 5 guards for 28 prisoners but the bodies weren't discovered for two hours!
Lord Newburger cited that MI5 must have known about the treatment and torture of Binyam Mohamed with apparently all those condoning this treatment. The trials go on and the public get more and more disillusioned with the institutions that they had trusted for so many years.
We are from a first world country, but how will the Afghans be able to trust the US, UK,China and the big powers.
Gen Stanley McChrystal the US commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan is aiming to retake Marjah which is now in Taliban hands; he wanted the citizens to know that an Afghan Government will be there to replace the Taliban. But the Taliban are not going to leave without a fight. They said that they would "defeat the infidel invader". They also have brave international Mujahedin behind them.
Mahar now looks empty; most of the families have now gone, but as a farmer says: he has no money to leave with his family and cannot move them to safety.
With accusations being levelled at MI5 today Feb; and there are prisoners at Guantanamo Bay that "committed suicide" simultaneously by hanging themselves in their cells, yet the cells are checked every 10 minutes, with 5 guards for 28 prisoners but the bodies weren't discovered for two hours!
Lord Newburger cited that MI5 must have known about the treatment and torture of Binyam Mohamed with apparently all those condoning this treatment. The trials go on and the public get more and more disillusioned with the institutions that they had trusted for so many years.
We are from a first world country, but how will the Afghans be able to trust the US, UK,China and the big powers.
Deadlines and posturing
The West and Iran are posturing ahead of tomorrow's big demo. The US is saying it wants a UN sanctions resolution within weeks. Meanwhile:
Tomorrow (Thursday's) upcoming anniversary of the Iranian revolution will be a major test in the struggle between Ayatollah Khāmene’i and the opposition. The government has issued a warning to the people not to come out onto the streets. Mousavi has said it should be a "day of the public". This is a face-off. If there are major numbers then Khāmene’i is facing sustained opposition. A major demonstration on the anniversary of the revolution is almost insulting to Khāmene’i as it implies he has failed to carry forward the legacy of the Revolution. If the numbers are small then the crack-down is working - people will give up and go underground and resort to secret meetings and sabotage. The man to watch is Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Mousavi Khomeini (the son of Ahmad Khomeini, who was the Grand Ayatollah's youngest son and always very close to his father). He is annoyed with Ahmadinejad and has an uncomfortable relationship with the conservatives. If he comes out vocally or visibly in support of the Greens it will be a further problem for Khāmene’i (Hassan Khomeini has already been having meetings with them).
Tomorrow (Thursday's) upcoming anniversary of the Iranian revolution will be a major test in the struggle between Ayatollah Khāmene’i and the opposition. The government has issued a warning to the people not to come out onto the streets. Mousavi has said it should be a "day of the public". This is a face-off. If there are major numbers then Khāmene’i is facing sustained opposition. A major demonstration on the anniversary of the revolution is almost insulting to Khāmene’i as it implies he has failed to carry forward the legacy of the Revolution. If the numbers are small then the crack-down is working - people will give up and go underground and resort to secret meetings and sabotage. The man to watch is Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Mousavi Khomeini (the son of Ahmad Khomeini, who was the Grand Ayatollah's youngest son and always very close to his father). He is annoyed with Ahmadinejad and has an uncomfortable relationship with the conservatives. If he comes out vocally or visibly in support of the Greens it will be a further problem for Khāmene’i (Hassan Khomeini has already been having meetings with them).
Grassroots protests
Israeli momentum to have prisoner Gilad Shalit released has taken a new turn given that previous negotiations for the Marwan Barghouti /Shalit exchange seems to have faltered.
The focus of this alternate campaign is Hadarim Detention Centre - the prison which holds Fatah leader Barghouti. Protestors hope to block families of Palestinian prisoners from visiting their relatives inside. The argument for this: why should Palestinian prisoners be allowed visits when Shailt has not even had one visit since his capture in 2006 from Gaza.
Earlier this year the same Israeli group staged demonstrations outside the Israeli prime minister's residence and also tried to prevent fuel tanks from going into the Gaza Strip from Israel to try and make their point.
The visitation rights that the Palestinian prisoners have are believed to be one of the reasons why Hamas is under no pressure to negotiate a prisoner exchange. By bringing this protest movement to the grassroots level, Israeli’s are hoping that Palestinian mother’s will turn into their ambassadors, and champion the cause to have Shalit released.
Prince Turki and the Israeli
Danny Ayalon had the humility to apologise for his bad behaviour and that earned him a handshake from Prince Turki. Which is good. We should all manage more humility. Should we not? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Jerusalem Post's bad behaviour
An extraordinary story sent to us by our Board member June Jacobs. It seems that an obscure right wing group is targeting the New Israel Fund because it has dared to speak on the Gaza War issue, AND AS A RESULT Jerusalem Post editor David Horovitz has caved in to pressure and sacked (by e-mail - presumably too frightened to face her) Naomi Chazan who writes a column for him and also happens to chair the New Israel Fund >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Playing games - the West and Iran
Everyone seems to be playing games on this nuclear issue. But the end result may well be another Middle East war unless someone wises up soon. We need a sort of Mo Mowlam figure to beat their heads together.
Reuters - 07 February, 2010
The United States and Germany said on Saturday they saw no sign Tehran would make concessions on its nuclear programme, despite upbeat comments from Iran’s foreign minister over prospects for a deal. >>>>>>>>>>
Reuters - 07 February, 2010
The United States and Germany said on Saturday they saw no sign Tehran would make concessions on its nuclear programme, despite upbeat comments from Iran’s foreign minister over prospects for a deal. >>>>>>>>>>
<strong>The RPS sent round this
The RPS sent round this interesting comment on a story about Israel's infiltration of Hamas:
A story published by Khaled Abu Toameh in the Jerusalem Post highlights the possibility that the Israeli intelligence may have infiltrated Hamas and the Syrian security apparatus as questions linger about the mysterious killing of a top Hamas operative in Dubai some two weeks ago.
When it comes to recruiting for the services of a high intelligence officer in Syria, or anywhere else for that matter, the reasons are not many. One either does it for money, ideology, or because you know the ship is sinking and you are hedging your bet.
To view article click here
A story published by Khaled Abu Toameh in the Jerusalem Post highlights the possibility that the Israeli intelligence may have infiltrated Hamas and the Syrian security apparatus as questions linger about the mysterious killing of a top Hamas operative in Dubai some two weeks ago.
When it comes to recruiting for the services of a high intelligence officer in Syria, or anywhere else for that matter, the reasons are not many. One either does it for money, ideology, or because you know the ship is sinking and you are hedging your bet.
To view article click here
