The RPS have sent round a really comprehensive background not on the new Obama foreign policy advisor. He's not as pro-Israel as he's been painted.

Excerpts from John Perazzo's Article "Obama's Road to Damascus"

Washington - Nov. 11, 2008 (RPS Opinion) -- A Harvard-trained lawyer and Rhodes Scholar, Robert Malley is no newcomer to the Obama team. In 2007, Obama selected him as a foreign policy adviser to his campaign. At the time, Malley was (and still is today) the Middle East and North Africa Program Director for the International Crisis Group (ICG), which receives funding from the Open Society Institute of George Soros (who, incidentally, serves on the ICG Executive Committee).In his capacity with ICG, Malley directs a number of analysts who focus their attention most heavily on the Arab-Israeli conflict, the political and military developments in Iraq, and Islamist movements across the Middle East. Prior to joining ICG, Malley served as President Bill Clinton’s Special Assistant for Arab-Israeli Affairs (1998-2001), and as National Security Adviser Sandy Berger’s Executive Assistant (1996-1998).Robert Malley was raised in France. His lineage is noteworthy. His father, Simon Malley (1923-2006), was a key figure in the Egyptian Communist Party. A passionate hater of Israel, the elder Malley was a close friend and confidante of the late PLO terrorist Yasser Arafat; an inveterate critic of “Western imperialism”; a supporter of various revolutionary “liberation movements,” particularly the Palestinian cause; a beneficiary of Soviet funding; and a supporter of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. According to American Thinker news editor Ed Lasky, Simon Malley “participated in the wave of anti-imperialist and nationalist ideology that was sweeping the Third World [and] .. wrote thousands of words in support of struggle against Western nations.”In a July 2001 op-ed which Malley penned for the New York Times, he alleged that Israeli—not Palestinian—inflexibility had caused the previous year’s Camp David peace talks (brokered by Bill Clinton) to fall apart. This was one of several controversial articles Malley has written—some he co-authored with Hussein Agha, a former adviser to Arafat—blaming Israel and exonerating Arafat for the failure of the peace process.Malley’s identification of Israel as the cause of the Camp David impasse has been widely embraced by Palestinian and Arab activists around the world, by Holocaust deniers like Norman Finkelstein, and by anti-Israel publications such as Counterpunch. It should be noted that Malley’s account of the Camp David negotiations is entirely inconsistent with the recollections of the key figures who participated in those talks—specifically, then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton, and then-U.S. Ambassador Dennis Ross (Clinton’s Middle East envoy).Malley also has written numerous op-eds urging the U.S. to disengage from Israel to some degree, and recommending that America reach out to negotiate with its traditional Arab enemies such as Syria, Hamas, Hezbollah (a creature of Iran dedicated to the extermination of the Jews and death to America), and Muqtada al-Sadr (the Shiite terrorist leader in Iraq). In addition, Malley has advised nations around the world to establish relationships with, and to send financial aid to, the Hamas-led Palestinian government in Gaza. In Malley’s calculus, the electoral victory that swept Hamas into power in January 2006 was a manifestation of legitimate Palestinian “anger at years of humiliation and loss of self-respect because of Israeli settlement expansion, Arafat’s imprisonment, Israel’s incursions, [and] Western lecturing ..”
Moreover, Malley contends that it is both unreasonable and unrealistic for Israel or Western nations to demand that Syria sever its ties with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or Iran. Rather, he suggests that if Israel were to return the Golan Heights (which it captured in the 1967 Six Day War, and again in the 1973 Yom Kippur War—two conflicts sparked by Arab aggression which sought so permanently wipe the Jewish state off the face of the earth) to Syrian control, Damascus would be inclined to pursue peace with Israel.Malley has criticized the U.S. for allegedly remaining “on the sidelines” and being a “no-show” in the overall effort to bring peace to the nations of the Middle East. Exhorting the Bush administration to change its policy of refusing to engage diplomatically with terrorists and their sponsoring states, Malley wrote in July 2006: “Today the U.S. does not talk to Iran, Syria, Hamas, the elected Palestinian government or Hezbollah.. The result has been a policy with all the appeal of a moral principle and all the effectiveness of a tired harangue.”This inclination to negotiate with any and all enemies of the U.S. and Israel—an impulse which Malley has outlined clearly and consistently—clearly has had a powerful influence on Barack Obama.It is notable that six months ago the Obama campaign and Malley hastily severed ties with one another after the Times of London reported that Malley had been meeting privately with Hamas leaders on a regular basis—something Obama had publicly pledged never to do. At the time, Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt minimized the significance of this monumentally embarrassing revelation, saying: “Rob Malley has, like hundreds of other experts, provided informal advice to the campaign in the past. He has no formal role in the campaign and he will not play any role in the future.”But indeed, within hours after Obama’s election victory, Malley was back as a key player in the president-elect’s team of advisors—on his way to Syria. Mr. Obama, meanwhile, received a most friendly communication from Hamas, congratulating him on his “historic victory.”

Walid Muallam has just been in London. His visit coincided with the U.S bombing of the Syrian border village. Whilst talking to the press on that issue he did say that the ball was in the Isaeli court when it came to the Golan Heights problem. Apparently Syria is ready to go ahead tomorrow if negotiations are on the basis of hte '67 borders. Of course Israel has problems of its own getting its act together and heaven knows how Tzipi Livni's bid for power will pan out in the long run. Perhaps Olmert will stay on as caretaker Israeli premier till January and find the courage to do something on the Syrian track in the interim.

Seems there is more and more trouble brewing in Damascus. To start with the Syrian opposition was blaming the Israelis - which was wierd (see previous posts). Now they are blaming the Syrian government - which is weirder still.

October 9, 2008 //RPS News// – The Al-Arabiya web site reported this morning that a fight erupted in Damascus around noon time today between the Syrian Security Forces and unknown combatants. Al-Arabiya reporter asserted that the engagement happened next to the al-Wasseem Mosque on Al-Yaroom Street.

Israel seems to be trying to distance itself from the Damascus car bombing. Following the oblique accusation in the recent Reform Party of Syria circulated article - the RPS are now circulating this item which links the whole thing to the Hariri death. A bit far fetched perhaps. Their original police implied that Israel did it to get at Syria's nuclear team. They can't have it both ways. What next? They could coved r all their bases and say the Russians did it.

A Syrian intelligence officer who was involved in the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri in February 2005 was killed in the car bomb attack in Syria on September 27, Syrian opposition representative Sheikh Abdullah Hamidi told Israel Radio on Sunday.

Here's a strange thing indeed. The Syrian opposition group, RPS, is suggesting rather obliquely that the Israelis were responsible for the terrible terrorist car bomb in Syria. And their source? The Debka file, an extremist Israel based site rumored to be well connected at the Pentagon. So - obliquely - an Israel group seems to be implying that Israel did this terrible thing just to assassinate someone connected with an alleged nuclear program. Weird indeed! If not borderline obscene. And untrue we trust. Extract from the Debka item below - click for the link:

Our military sources describe rising tension between Syria and Israel in the wake of the car bomb explosion Saturday, Sept. 27, which killed 17 people and injured 14 outside a Syrian security installation at Sidi Kadad on the highway to Damascus airport. The victims were not officially identified. Various Arab sources report that one was a Syrian brigadier who was not named. After the attack, DEBKAfile’s sources raised the possibility that it might have targeted people involved in Iranian/Syrian nuclear activity.

The Syrians are becoming active again in Lebanon - especially in Alawite towns and villages. Perhaps that's natural. And certainly Lebanon needs stability - if that's what it takes.

Lebanese and Israeli media are reporting at least two Syrian commando (special operations) battalions have crossed the Syrian-Lebanese border into north Lebanon and taken up positions in seven Alawite-controlled villages.

More trouble. Why can't the Syrians and the Saudis get it together? So sad really - and so unnecessary:

Al-Sharq Qatari Newspaper reported today that Syrian Foreign Minister al-Moallem ignored an invitation by his Saudi counterpart Foreign Minister Saud al-Faysal to attend an Iftar dinner in Cairo where the Arab League was meeting for its 130th session.

The rumour is that there's been a major reshufle in Syria's armed forces. The take is that they are getting rid of the pro-Western military and promoting the pro-Iran military. Which shows, I suspect, how little people understand Syria - even the exiled Syrians that have never lived or visited there. Yes, they purge pro-Western people from time to time. They are worried they might be getting subverted for counterinsurgency, either by Dr Rifat or the USA.

Information received by RPS confirms that Iran has, from direct orders of Ayatollah Khameni, influenced the removal of Gen. Ali Mamlook of the State Security Services to be replaced by Gen. Hassan Khalouf. Khalouf has been lobbying with those who have advocated with the policy of peeling away from Iran.

Have just left Gaza and am in Tel Aviv where the gossip is extraordinary. They say that Syria has evicted Khalid Mishal of Hamas and sent him to Khartoum. I am not sure at this early stage how credible that report means but if so it would mean - in turn - that the USA is now fully engaged in the Israel-Syria talks.

What is certain is that Syria is moving back towards their old friend Moscow. There is not prosepect - from an Israeli perspective - of peace anywhere else but on the Syrin track. So we all take what we can get. For the moment.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is preparing to go to Damascus on September 3 and 4, after hosting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Paris in July. So it seems that the West is at last easing its stranglehold and beginning to welcome Syria back into the international community of nations. Which all bodes well maybe. Isolating a people and a government has never proved a truly effective policy.

From Jerusalem - We picked up a Farid Ghadry e-mail complaining about the Syrian exchange of Ambassadors with Lebanon. I know Farid is opposition but sometimes he protests too much. They recognise Lebanon as a seperate country from Syria and he doesn't like it. Heavens the guy will always be unhappy. Meanwhile the question here is can Bashar al Assad do anything to swing Israeli public opinion further towards peace and undermine Olmert's reticence. One idea is that he grant an audience to an Israeli satellite channel. Might work.

Again from Jerusalem. Wise council from those in the know here seems to be that all is not lost on the Syria track after all. Bashar Al-Assad has himself acknowledged that what we have so far is talks about talks. And our earlier dire predictions that a Mofaz premiership would destroy the Syrian track may be groundless. His people are saying that he can be pragmatic - even on this. And after all - it may be Leevni in any case.

A note from Jerusalem. The word here is that Israel's Peace with Syria lobby is very concerned about the prospect of Olmert's coming resignation. Olmert has handled the proximity talks with Syria personally - by which we mean through his own office. If Tzipi Leevni wins out in the coming Khadima elections there is a chance the talks will still proceed. If it is Mofaz the talks will be destroyed. Olmert could force things forward before he leaves office. There is already a draft memorandum of understanding on the table which he personally leaked to Maariv newspaper. But leaking it is one thing - announcing it and progressing matters is another and Olmert seems to lack the courage to go for the big gamble.

Bashar says "Israel always invades, and cannot be trusted, and we are working daily to strengthen our defenses, but we do not know whether Israel is planning a war, and we cannot ignore this possibility... We have seen nothing from Israel but harm... Evil."

Working Group on the Middle East Peace Process: Israel to attack Syria?

It seems Syria is to negotiate it's border with Lebanon - and establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon. But there's a big difference between saying and doing. The Syrians have always hated the Palestinian State but finally a couple of years back they said they'd establish diploamtic relations with Palestine - and they still haven't done it. How long Lebanon. And they say they won't negotiate their border at Shebbaa Farms with Lebanon until the Israelis withdraw from the Golan. What's the point then? That's always been Lebanese land. Why can't they admit it?

Well it seems there are still a few people around that think peace is possible - though we get increasingly doubtful here at NCF. Thank God for the optimists. Here is something forwarded to us by ATFP:

By Janine Zacharia Bloomberg News, International Herald Tribune
Published: July 29, 2008

WASHINGTON: Israel and Syria have suddenly found fresh reasons to try to make peace after eight years of stalemate. President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, concerned about the survival of his regime, wants to reap the political and economic benefits of ending his nation's isolation from the West.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel, mindful of his own precarious political future, seeks to wrest Syria out of Iran's orbit and stop it from funneling weapons to the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which used them against Israel in the 2006 war.

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