What happened in Annapolis?
December 2nd, 20070 BEIRUT The Middle East peace gathering at Annapolis, Maryland, Tuesday was full of lofty rhetoric, some intriguing new promises, a few bold commitments and a tantalizing cast of characters alongside plenty of rehashed old rhetoric, rigid positions and regurgitated failed diplomatic mechanisms. It left us with as many questions as...
The U.S. narrative for Lebanon
December 2nd, 20070 Even if France were tempted to play guardian again for the Christians in Lebanon with the approval of the American Empire, instead of the Ottoman Empire this time the official Arab and international order could not directly imprint itself on Lebanon in a way favorable to the opposition, not even the Christian opposition, which makes...Christians and Muslims coexist in Gaza
GAZA CITY (IPS) As Sunday dawns in Gaza City the traditional Islamic call to prayer mingles melodically with church bells. Side by side, mosque and church doors swing open, welcoming the faithful. Greetings are eagerly exchanged. The October kidnapping and murder of Rami Ayyad, the manager of Gaza's only Christian bookstore, sent...The untold story of HAMAS
When the Holy Land Foundation was acquitted of funneling money to terrorist organizations, it was not only a victory against Washington's and Tel Aviv's efforts to stifle any kind of support to the Palestinians, but also a reality check. Specifically, it highlighted a fact known to most, that groups like HAMAS don't get their funding...Demolition decimating Palestinian village
RAMALLAH (IPS) Al Walajeh village was once a quiet but busy place. Just four kilometers from Bethlehem and 8.5 km from Jerusalem, its rolling hills filled with fruit trees, natural forests, and blooming vegetation made it a prime farming location. Easy access to large and consistent markets led its inhabitants to relative economic...Iraq spending bill stalls in Senate
Former Iraqi commander says bring the troops home The Senate remains deeply divided over whether to give President Bush all the money he wants without limitations for continuing the war in Iraq, as two opposing war funding measures failed to pass Friday morning. Republicans had the first crack at the latest war funding bill, as...Likudniks work to undermine Annapolis
WASHINGTON (IPS) Despite near-universal skepticism about the prospects for launching a serious, new Middle East peace process at next week's Israeli-Palestinian summit in Annapolis, a familiar clutch of neo-conservative hawks close to the Likud Party leader, former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, isn't taking any chances....
Divided Lebanon has no president
November 24th, 20070 Country unable to elect a president, vote delayed for another week Beirut Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on Friday handed over the task of securing law and order in Lebanon to the country's army commander until a political consensus is reached and a new president is elected, after efforts to again chose his...
UN: Israel’s siege of Gaza breeds extremism and human suffering
November 23rd, 20070 Jerusalem A senior United Nations official has issued an unprecedented appeal to British MPs to use their influence to try to alleviate the impact of "indiscriminate" and "illegal" Israeli sanctions in Gaza which display "profound inhumanity" and are "serving the agenda of extremists."In one of the strongest attacks on recent Israeli...Dealing Syria out of rogue statehood
For decades Syria has played the role of a bad student at school, its leaders thinking that if you don't cause trouble, no one will pay attention to you. The Syrian regime meddled in Iraq, nurtured Palestinian militants opposed to peace with Israel and dominated its smaller neighbor, Lebanon. Syria's gambits in a tough part of the world...The undeclared Palestinian civil war
The Palestinians have never been as divided and weak as they have been since this summer's infighting in Gaza. Their internal conflict is undermining international solidarity and distracting them from challenging the Israeli occupation. The Palestinian territories could explode at any moment. HAMAS accuses Fatah of conspiring against its...Will ‘armloads’ of U.S. cash buy tribal loyalty?
The U.S. policy of paying Sunni Arab sheikhs for their allegiance could be risky. TIKRIT Inside a stately guesthouse on the grounds of Saddam Hussein's palace in Tikrit on the banks of the Tigris, sheikh Sabah al-Hassani jokes that the initials "SH" of the former dictator etched on the walls are his. "I have a weakness for Cuban...Presidential election tops international agenda
BEIRUT (AFP) U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon warned Lebanese leaders Friday that their country stood on the brink of an "abyss" if they failed to put their differences aside to elect a new president by a November 23 deadline. "If the responsibilities are not shouldered, there might be a move to the brink of an abyss," the U.N. chief said after...The Sunni in Iraq’s Shi’a leadership
Baghdad Tariq al-Hashemi says he cringes when he's described as Iraq's Sunni vice president. Mr. Hashemi, one of two vice presidents the other, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, is Shi'i says he is trying to reach out to all Iraqis. In September, he met for the first time with Iraq's most influential Shi'i cleric, the reclusive Grand Ayatollah Ali...Gaza marks Arafat death in bloodshed
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians marked the third anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death in Gaza Monday with more inter-Palestinian bloodshed, underscoring a division that the late Arafat had relentlessly tried to avert since the 1993 interim peace accords with Israel and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in the......
Dealing Syria out of rogue statehood
For decades Syria has played the role of a bad student at school, its leaders thinking that if you dont cause trouble, no one will pay attention to you. The Syrian regime meddled in Iraq, nurtured Palestinian militants opposed to peace with Israel and dominated its smaller neighbor, Lebanon. Syrias gambits in a tough part of the world...Will a new Lebanese president make a difference?
Today the Christian community of Lebanon retains a political privilege from the past, privilege that comes at a heavy cost. Lebanon is on the verge of collapse if a strong and respected presidential leader does not emerge by November 24. Elections are scheduled for November 12, but they may be postponed again, this time only for a......
A spiritual first in Baghdad
BAGHDAD There is neither a cross nor a sign on the heavy metal gate to indicate that this is the official residence of one of the country's most prominent Christians, the first in Iraq in modern times to be elevated to cardinal by the Roman Catholic Church. The simple structure, in a dilapidated neighborhood of this capital, opposite...Torture ruling in Egypt boosts rights
CAIRO (IPS) Anti-torture activists in Egypt scored a rare win this week when an Egyptian judge handed down three-year prison sentences in a high-profile case to two police officers filmed last year abusing and sodomizing a man in custody with a broomstick. Torture is not uncommon in this country whose regime is known for its...Rice against ‘compromises’ with pro-Syrians
SHANNON, Ireland (AFP) U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday warned against diplomatic moves to solve Lebanon's serious political crisis by compromising with the country's pro-Syrian opposition. "I think there is a lot of talk right now about compromise," she told journalists on a plane taking her to Ankara for talks with...Egypt challenges Israeli smuggling claims
CAIRO (IPS) Throughout October, Israeli officials reiterated longstanding claims that Egyptian authorities were failing to prevent weapons from being smuggled into the Gaza Strip, which has been governed by Palestinian resistance faction Hamas since June. According to many local commentators, however, the Israeli accusations are......
Lebanon to U.N.: Israel violating resolution
Lebanon has accused Israel of nearly 300 encroachments into Lebanese air space since the end of the Second Lebanon War, in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, Army Radio reported on Thursday. In a letter to the United Nations, Beirut alleges that the Israel Air Force has performed 290 sorties into Lebanese...Israel threatens Gaza with blackout
JERUSALEM Israel unveiled a new tactic this week aimed at deterring Palestinians from firing rockets out of the Gaza Strip. It will cut off Gaza's electricity bit by bit as a pressure tactic every time rockets hit Israeli territory. Israel provides more than half of Gaza's electricity, and any power cutoff is sure to make life more......
Bloody protests worsen in Yemen
Since May, Yemen has witnessed widespread civil unrest in the southern governorates, including Aden and Marib. Three protesters were killed during demonstrations in Mukallah, and two more were killed in Dhalie. On October 13, five people were shot dead at a sit-in in Radfan, Lahj when security forces opened fire on the crowd. Witnesses...U.S. to build ‘strategic partnership’ with Lebanese army
A senior Pentagon official said last week that the U.S. military would like to see a strategic partnership with Lebanon's army to strengthen the country's forces so that Hizbullah would have no excuse to bear arms. The comments by Eric Edelman, undersecretary of defense for policy, in an interview aired on Lebanese television two days......