Ambassador Stevens was single! Nobody can ignore the bereavement of his family even without a wife .But please do some fact checking before engaging in rhetoric.
See how realistic Obama is: "President Barack Obama says he will decide whether Egypt is an ally or an enemy of the United States in part according to the way the fledgling government in Cairo responds to the violent assault on the American Embassy there, which happened on Monday. "Certainly in this situation what we're going to expect is that they are responsive to our insistence that our embassy is protected, our personnel is protected," Obama said. "And if they take actions that indicate they're not taking responsibilities, as all other countries do where we have embassies, I think that's going to be a real big problem." The president—his handling of the so-called "Arab Spring" under fresh scrutiny after attacks on American diplomatic posts in Egypt, Libya and Yemen—had been asked by Telemundo whether he sees Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's government as an ally. "I don't think that we would consider them an ally, but we don't consider them an enemy. They're a new government that is trying to find its way," Obama replied in what, by the standards of diplomatic talk, amounted to a blunt warning. "They were democratically elected. I think that we are going to have to see how they respond to this incident. How they respond to, for example, maintaining the peace treaty with Israel," he added. "So far, at least, what we've seen is that in some cases they've said the right things and taken the right steps. In others, how they've responded to various events may not be aligned with our interests," Obama said. "So I think it's still a work in progress."
The trouble that has engulfed Pakistan , is well described by Nadeem F. Paracha, in ‘Dawn’ a Pakistani daily,excerpts: 20 to 30 years ago, being a youthful rebel usually meant being democratic and against anything that symbolised military intervention in politics or the use of faith to meet demagogic ends. Fast forward to today and the scene has been turned on its head. Today, mainly thanks to the brilliant ways the ‘Deep State’ has used to manoeuvre and mobilise the electronic media and certain ‘youth icons,’ young urban middle-class Pakistani ‘rebels’ are closest in their thoughts to the aspirations of the security establishment than ever before. The urban youth elsewhere have platforms on mainstream media and generous opportunities to hold, well, their ‘revolutionary’ rallies. But this generation, has been given a ready-made narrative. A narrative spun by right-wing media men and intellectuals backed by the civil-military establishment. It reflects the ‘strategic’ concerns of those sections of the establishment that has kept a ubiquitous presence in the country’s opinion-making institutions. As I have mentioned before in many of my previous pieces on these pages, this narrative sees Pakistan as always being surrounded by malicious enemies that are to be dealt with through an always full and well-fed army and its ideological allies in the shape of the political clergy, right-wing ideologues and preferably media personnel and politicians. Even till about 25 years ago, this narrative was scorned and challenged, both intellectually and through political action, by numerous young, middle-class rebels. Not anymore. Ironically, what was once decried as being establishmentarian mantra and modus-operandi to exercise illegitimate and undemocratic social and political control has now become a rallying cry of those waving their fists for a revolution.
………the explosive issue of drone attacks has been cleverly mutated into the kind of a bargaining chip that certain sections of the security apparatus use to haggle with its more sinister counterparts in the CIA. Journalist Najam Sethi maintains that these agencies use certain civilian politicians and media personnel to whip up anti-Americanism among the public to pressure US policy. This pressure, according to Sethi, is excreted to get a better deal from the CIA whenever it refuses to play, what it says, is Pakistan’s ‘double game’ regarding the war against Islamist militants. Whatever the case, the truth is, it is a cynical move that a part of the establishment should be given (or asked to be given) an emotional and populist twist by certain politicians and media men.
Not surprisingly, the comments from the anti-Obama brigade are muted.Hope that no one will compare Obama to Carter any more. Also hope that marshaling his 4 C's – cool, consensus , cerebral , and cautious (as a New York Times columnist put it ) , Obama will be able to advance the Middle East peace process substantially further and not let the Arab spring wither!
Among Internet Explorer , Google Chrome and Firefox, I prefer Chrome. It seems to be faster than others ,and updation is automatic. Also it is quicker to display usernames . The only problem is that it requires frequent removal of cookies .When it comes to Malayalam, my vernacular, only Explorer works, others display only codes. I am not tech savvy, and have not tried to get around this problem.
Fully agree. But the crookedness and unabashed hobnobbing with Pakistan's dictatorial regimes ( which in a way led to escalation of cold war that led to Soviet Union's intervention in Afghanistan which gave birth to Taliban and the continuing quagmire,escape from which is nearly impossible at least in the near term) make me wonder whether Nixon is the worst!
Following is an excerpt from Vatican's declaration condemning assassination of Pakistani minister Bhatti:
"Our prayers for the victim, our condemnation for this unspeakable act of violence, our closeness to Pakistani Christians who suffer hatred, are accompanied by an appeal that everyone many become aware of the urgent importance of defending both religious freedom and Christians who are subject to violence and persecution".
My doubt: Is the expression 'everyone many' correct? If correct, what does it mean ? Hope knowledgeable CSers will throw some light
The Daily Beast's Peter Beinart's brilliantly observe how the new wave of Mideast revolts may finally be ending America’s wasteful war on terror—and why it would have been smarter not to intervene in the first place.Excerpts: Dear world, sorry about the last 10 years.They (Mideast revolts) are exhilarating, of course. But from an American perspective, the revolutions transforming the Middle East are also deeply sad. They’re sad because they underscore what a terrible waste the last decade of American foreign policy has been. Since September 11, the United States has spent more than $1 trillion in Afghanistan and Iraq. Those wars have cost thousands of young Americans their lives and maimed many more. And for what? We were told (and I, for one, believed) that in jihadist terrorism we faced a threat of epic military and ideological power. We were told that unless we toppled anti-American regimes and imposed American ideals, the military and ideological balance would tip decisively in our enemies’ favor. “I will not wait on events,” vowed George W. Bush in his 2002 State of the Union address. We were told to wage war because time was not on our side. Turns out, time was on our side. It was on our side militarily, because Saddam Hussein had no nuclear-weapons program and because in almost 10 years Al Qaeda hasn’t managed another attack on the scale of 9/11 anywhere in the world. But it was also on our side ideologically, because although our foes appeared ideologically strong, they were actually ideologically weak. From Egypt to Libya to Bahrain to Iran, the lesson of the last month is that any regime that offers its people neither free speech nor a decent job is ideologically weak, whether it wraps itself in the mantle of leftism, secularism, or Islam.Had America’s leaders understood that after 9/11, they might have realized that waiting on events, rather than trying to remake the Middle East at gunpoint, wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Now we may be witnessing the end of the “war on terror” as well. The rise of democratically elected Arab regimes that are less beholden to the United States represents Osama bin Laden’s and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s worst nightmare. The only source of their appeal was their opposition to American foreign policy at a time when other Middle Eastern leaders looked like corrupt flunkies for the U.S. and Israel.
America will still face huge challenges in the Middle East, mostly because Arabs and Muslims no longer stand in awe of our power. But they won’t be the challenges of discredited, destitute tyrants. They’ll be the challenge of politically accountable, economically modernizing regimes that throw in their lot with China, India, Russia, or Brazil, and question America’s right to patrol the Middle East and cheaply consume the oil under its soil.
Now, as in the Cold War, the health of our system will prove decisive. We were strong vis-à-vis our enemies on 9/11—strong enough to wait them out as long as we confronted challenges at home. But we didn’t, and will now likely face more formidable competitors from a weakened state. It’s a glorious time, and a time for regrets.
A new Newsweek/Daily Beast poll shows that while the American people are gradually warming to President Obama's job performance—he's at 50 percent approval ratings, versus 44 percent who disapprove—the American electorate remains deeply skeptical toward the plans of both the Democrats and Republicans in Congress, and gives Congress itself a distinctly negative rating.
As for Middle East , except perhaps Israel, the ongoing uprisings and US administration's studied (though slow) response thereto , have started making people less suspicious of US intentions.
Pakistan may be the only country where the anti-US attitude is on the rise. The reasons are obvious.Interestingly,while the Muslim world generally is drifting toward democracy, many in Pakistan seem to favor a theocratic state ruled by the military.
Multiculturalism fails – when it is a one way affair , When even wearing small symbols of faith like cross are considered as pariah , and misguided political correctness takes over, When Merry Christmas is replaced with Happy holidays, When banning of non-Muslim places of worships and celebrations by Middle East dictators are not objected to by the secular West. Pope Benedict is right- while the West is forgetting its Christian roots and getting rid of faith, Islam is filling the space with more vigor. Any way, this in not happening in our India. For all its ills, inequality and corrupt politicians ,in India secularism means respect for other religions and celebrating the religious festivals , and NOT doing away with religions.
I am unable to comprehend the mindset of those who are blindly supporting Israel. Being the land of chosen people , Israel is entitled to do anything to further its interests -Is this their philosophy ? Seems so. So the rightist Israeli administration is doing everything to make a cent percent parochial state and no rules of natural justice is applicable, and sharing is totally anathema to them . But they seem to forget the Tower of Babel, while building edifices on usurped lands.
Arrogance seems to be have inebriated present Israeli government as evidenced by the Israel's new law requiring that any withdrawal from East Jerusalem or the Golan Heights be approved either by two-thirds of the legislature or in a popular referendum has lengthened the odds against the country's conflicts being settled by negotiation. Excerpts from Time article: The Knesset vote was roundly condemned by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday and by the Syrian government, but its passage was also criticized by Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who said the law "won't do anybody any good." Opposition Kadima party leader Tzipi Livni said the move was a sign of weak leadership on the part of Netanyahu.
Amid the confusion and sense of gloom on both sides, an Israeli General is doing whatever seems to be possible within his limits , to bring the writ of civil authority to terrorist controlled Gaza. Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot, the Israeli general who controls the gates of Hamas-run Gaza says he is pursuing a complex and delicate strategy: enable exports from and development in the impoverished Palestinian territory while somehow preventing the Islamic militants who rule it from getting credit for any progress. Dangot says Israel seeks to work with Hamas' rival, the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, to help revive the economy. Fayyad would set priorities for what Gaza needs and place his people at the borders, Dangot explained. Today, most consumer goods are allowed into Gaza, while many raw materials and building supplies remain restricted and exports are banned, with the exception of seasonal shipments of strawberries and cut flowers.The general says he hopes to ease restrictions further. This could include allowing in more raw materials to crank up Gaza's key industries — textiles, furniture and agriculture — and to enable more exports by spring……………… He said the issue of private construction could also be addressed in tandem with the Palestinian Authority in order to build up the Fayyad government's credit with Gazans: "We have to find a mechanism," he said. "If, for example, a group of local commercial people will come and the PA will (sponsor) them, this is what I am looking for." He said the PA can also help determine priorities for infrastructure projects. "I am not confirming anything without Fayyad's approval." ……………………. In a meeting with Dangot earlier this month, Gaza business people told the general that 75,000 to 120,000 jobs could be created in the construction industry, and that the entire embargo notion was misguided. "You succeeded to inject blood into a patient who is intensive care," delegation member Ali al-Hayek told Dangot. "You are not killing him and you are not reviving him. We need to re-evaluate the blockade, which failed." Dangot urged them to be patient, saying that change would be gradual.
While the peace initiative is tottering on the brink, the bill to make all new citizens swear an oath of loyalty to Israel as a "Jewish and democratic state," appears to be a totally unwelcome move. Israel’s Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog has said: There is a whiff of fascism on the margins of Israeli society. The overall picture is very disturbing and threatens the democratic character of the state of Israel.There have been a tsunami of measures that limit rights... I see it in the halls of the Knesset (parliament), in the commissions and departments responsible for legislation. We will pay a heavy price for this.
Judith Levy opines on the blog of right leaning Claire Berlinski : ………………….And here is the other side of the argument, as expressed by Hagai el-Ad in the Post: This new version [of the oath] crosses the line from what is commonplace in democracies to what is commonplace in countries Israel would not want to associate with. It is one thing to require adherence to the law; it is another altogether to demand that free individuals in a democracy sign on to a specific ideology or identity – and specifically one with particular religious content.
ONE MAY theorize that these are just words, they carry no concrete implications. It is symbolic, not practical. But symbols do matter, and in fact practical implications, and very troubling ones, do exist.
Symbolically, the new declaration of loyalty sends a clear message to all non-Jews in Israel, whether they were born citizens or have naturalized. It tells one in five Israelis: You are less a citizen than your Jewish neighbor, you have less ownership of your country, less stake in its future than other citizens. Thus, it introduces an oxymoron into the to-be-amended Citizenship Law: Telling some citizens that they are less equal than others is essentially anti-democratic. Requiring an oath to a Jewish Israel immediately makes that very Israel less of a democracy. I tend to agree. I grew up in the US with a clear perception that it was a Christian country, but its Christian character never threatened me or made me feel an outsider. If I had been told, though, that my hypothetical Jewish fiancé from East Grinstead would have to swear an oath of loyalty to the Christian State of America before receiving citizenship, I would feel that I was being reminded that I was not quite as American as my Christian neighbors. Israel has plenty of problems, and the biggest revolve, as always, around her relationship with the Palestinian Arabs. It strikes me as a terrible time to go out of our way to offend Israeli Arabs, who already often experience life at a notch below that of Israeli Jews. Israeli Arabs are Israeli, but a move like this seems designed to push them ideologically into the arms of the Palestinians. Strategically speaking, that doesn't look like a good move to me. Full text:
After the third round of talks, where do the peace initiatives stand?
"I have reason to be hopeful," Martin Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and now director of the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution, said pointing out that Netanyahu has called Abbas his partner and has said that the Palestinians need sovereignty — "which is very new and critical to a deal." Jim Phillips, Middle East specialist at the Heritage Foundation, took a pessimistic stance. He focused his concern on Iran and Hamas "It is politically incorrect to say so, but I believe there can be no genuine peace so long as Hamas remains a spoiler backed by Iran," Phillips said.
The most crucial test will come in two weeks when Netanyahu is due to decide whether to extend the partial moratorium on settlement construction.
In a nutshell Top EU official under fire over 'Jewish lobby' remark (excerpts) BRUSSELS: EU trade chief Karel De Gucht sparked a storm on Friday after referring to the power of the "Jewish lobby" in US policy and the difficulty of having "rational" discussions with Jews on the Middle East. "You cannot underestimate the weight of the Jewish lobby on Capitol Hill, the US Congress. It is the most well-organized pressure group over there," De Gucht said. "You cannot underestimate the weight of the Jewish lobby on US policy," he told VRT radio, a Flemish station. "You also cannot underestimate the opinion, outside the lobby, of the average Jew who does not live in Israel," he said. "There is a conviction, and I can hardly describe it in another way, among most Jews that they are right. And conviction is something which is hard to combat with rational arguments," he said.
Islamist groups attempt to derail Middle East talks (excerpts) WEST BANK: As Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was holding face-to-face peace talks in Washington with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, rejectionist groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and smaller left-wing militant organizations, met in Gaza. Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the Hamas military wing, said resistance will be stepped up and all options were open. "We declare that the actions of resistance have gone into a new and advanced stage of co-operation in the field at the highest levels in preparation for more effective attacks against the enemy." Gen Adnan Damiri, a Palestinian security forces commander, said his forces have also been placed on alert, fearing more violence from Hamas. "As the negotiations progress, if they see it stands a chance, Hamas will attempt to step up the attacks," he said. In contrast to previous attacks in the West Bank, Israeli officials did not blame the Palestinian Authority. Indeed, Israeli security sources went out of their way to praise the actions against Hamas.
Settlers defy Netanyahu with vow to begin construction (excerpts) ERUSALEM: Jewish settlers across the West Bank have vowed to begin construction in more than 60 locations, posing a direct challenge to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he returned home from Thursday's first round of direct peace talks in Washington. Settler spokesman Naftali Bennet said construction would begin immediately in settlements across the West Bank, a direct violation of the freeze that Netanyahu imposed in November. That freeze expires on Sept. 26 , but Bennet said settlers had been moved to action after to a spate of shootings at settler vehicles this week. Bennet said the attacks were an example of what awaits Israel if it fails to support the settler movement. The United States was trying to force Israel into a "phony peace" Bennet said. "Once they understand Israelis are here to stay and only growing stronger day by day, they will give up," Bennet said. Danny Pinach, a 43-year-old who lives in Pisgat Ze'ev said that Netanyahu had "wiggle room to make compromises," but had to "also make reparations towards the settlers." "It's a no-win situation. Either he makes the settlers mad or the Americans. Either one could bring down his government," Pinach said.
How the Kuwaitis view Palestinian cause? KUWAIT: Kuwait used to be a fervent supporter of the Palestinian cause, offering an occupied nation financial, political and social support. After, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Kuwait's support decreased as a result of the official Palestinian support for Saddam Hussein. Post the Second Intifada (Uprising) in 2000, the Kuwaiti government strengthened its support for the Palestinian cause. The Kuwaiti support for the Freedom Flotilla, best exemplifies Kuwait's support for the Palestinian cause. On May 31, the freedom flotilla aid convoy which was headed to Gaza was attacked. Many Kuwaitis were on board including MP Dr. Waleed Al-Tatabaie. The question however is, are there many people like MP Al-Tatabaie in Kuwait who remain loyal to the cause or has the Kuwaiti youth forgotten about the Palestinian cause? This is an issue Al Watan Daily investigated by talking to various Kuwaitis of different generations. After talking to society, one thing seemed to surface; the youth in Kuwait are certainly not aware of the Palestinian cause as much as the older generation who are better informed of the Palestinian struggle. Fahad, who is 24 years old, did not seem to know much about the Palestinian cause either except for some of the basic information. "The Palestinian cause is most likely fading away from the Kuwaiti collective consciousness, in particular the youth - this tells me that in a decade or so the Palestinian cause will not have a place in our society," Fahad ended. Abu Soud who belongs to a different generation seemed more informed about the cause. He stated that the Palestinian struggle has been long and hard, not only for the Palestinians but for Arabs who value Arab unity. "Jerusalem belongs to us, and it is our duty to liberate Palestine and guarantee the right of return for the Palestinian refugees. Abu Soud further said, "We feel their pain and the massacres that are occurring on a daily bases are unbearable and a violation of human rights." Ahmad Al-Ali, who is in his early 60s, had a different opinion and pointed out that Palestinians have been wrong in the approach they took to gain their rights. "I believe Hamas is to blame for what has been happening to the Palestinians. They have resorted to violence, bombs and so forth to acquire their land and violence will not work towards the peace process," he lamented. ... "However, I believe that during the last 30 years Palestinians had some good opportunities but lost it. They could have gained more during the Anwar El-Sadat days. Let us hope they come to realize that the only means available to them to achieve what they want is through peaceful rallies and peaceful talks and diplomacy," Al-Ali ended. A further voice in sync with Al-Ali's belongs to Hana, a Kuwaiti in her late 40s. Hana explained that the Palestinians have failed to organize an orderly state. "They do not live their lives normally, without violence and suicide operations, all which are harming the peace process. As a Kuwaiti I support the Palestinian cause but the Palestinians need to give us something solid to go by. They need to find peaceful ways to get their message across so that the Kuwaiti society can better reach out to them." "We have a typical game of cat-and-mouse going on with Israel and Palestine. Palestine carries out a violent operation and then Israel retaliates by carrying out a more violent operation. The Palestinian people ought to realize that diplomacy is their only way out of long and hard struggle and the only way they can achieve a Palestinian state," she asserted.
"If only the Palestinians could unite, collaborate and join hands, not only will all Arab states back them up but I am sure the entire world will intervene and the peace process will finally find its way," Hana concluded.
The present peacemaking process which got off to a start mainly due to the efforts of Obama ,is going to face strong headwinds, the first test being the September 26th expiration of moratorium on new settlement construction. Hamas has unabashedly announced its intentions of sabotaging the peace effort ,by the killing of four Israelis and wounding of two others on the eve of the new talks. Amidst this not- so -rosy scenario , film buffs like me look to ‘Miral’ ,a film by Jewish director Julian Schnabel ( who won 2007 Cannes best director award for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" ). Being an Indian, the film is of special importance to me, since it features Indian actress Freida Pinto (who played Latika in "Slumdog Millionnaire" ) in the lead role of Miral.Excerpts from a report published in Al Watan, Kuwait: PARIS: Julian Schnabel, an American Jew born three years after the creation of Israel, views four decades of Palestinian history through Palestinian eyes in "Miral," screening Thursday at the Venice film festival. "Obviously it's a Palestinian story, but it's very important that an American Jewish person tell a Palestinian story," Schnabel, 58, said on a stop in Paris en route to Venice for the screening. The film is based on an autobiographical novel of the same name by Palestinian journalist Rula Jebreal, a book the director said provided a "pretext" for approaching a conflict that most of Western cinema usually keeps at arm's length. Like Jebreal, Miral grew up in an orphanage in East Jerusalem set up by a Jerusalem socialite from a wealthy Palestinian family, who one morning in 1948 came across a group of children who escaped the massacre of Deir Yassin, a nearby village, committed by radical Jewish militants. Adapted in collaboration with the author, Schnabel's film traces the lives of these two women from the establishment of the orphanage until the Oslo peace accords of 1993, a moment of great hopes later to be dashed. "The whole point is because I'm an American Jew, and that's why it touched me because it's a big part of my life," Schnabel said. "It's important for Muslims to hear that, it's important for Jewish people to hear that, and for Israel and for people everywhere," said Schnabel, whose "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" won the award for best director at Cannes in 2007 as well as several Oscar nominations. A native New Yorker who is also a neo-expressionist artist famous for his oversized ceramic "plate paintings", Schnabel admits he "didn't know much about the Palestinians" when he set out to make his fifth film. Schnabel recruited Indian actress Freida Pinto, who played Latika in "Slumdog Millionnaire," for the role of Miral and Hiam Abass of Israel ("The Syrian Bride," "Lemon Tree") for the elegant orphanage director Hind Husseini in the French-Israeli-Italian-Indian production. For authenticity -- and perfect light -- Schnabel shot in Israel and the West Bank despite especially tense circumstances. "The incursion into Gaza took place just three days before we arrived in Jerusalem and I was looking for a location in (Israeli-occupied) East Jerusalem," he said. "I wanted to shoot in the Husseini house but I couldn't really have people with walkie-talkies looking like the army and speaking Hebrew inside this house," he said. "But they trusted me, and the Israeli people in my crew were very respectful and they spoke English when they were working on the location," Schnabel said. Of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said it was like a marriage: "These people live in the same house and ultimately they have to survive together. If you're married to somebody, sometimes you have to give up some parts of yourself in order to get something that might be greater than what you had when you were alone." Schnabel says he still harbours hope for a resumption of direct peace talks, and dedicates the film to "people on both sides who still believe that peace is possible."
Professor Stephen Hawking had previously appeared to accept the role of God in the creation of the universe. Writing in his bestseller A Brief History Of Time in 1988, he said: "If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason – for then we should know the mind of God."
In his new work, The Grand Design, Hawking argues that the Big Bang, rather than occurring following the intervention of a divine being, was inevitable due to the law of gravity. The possibility of negating this view too cannot be ruled out.
The debate as to the existence of God will continue till the end of time.
Outlines Emerge of Future State in the West Bank By ETHAN BRONNER Published: August 30, 2010 RAMALLAH, West Bank —
As preparations intensify for aPalestinian-Israeli summit meeting in Washington on Thursday, the crude outlines of a Palestinian state are emerging in the West Bank, with increasingly reliable security forces, a more disciplined government and a growing sense among ordinary citizens that they can count on basic services. Personal checks, long shunned as being unredeemable, are now widely accepted. Traffic tickets are issued and paid, movie theaters are opening and public parks are packed with families late into the summer nights. Economic growth in the first quarter of this year was 11 percent over the same period in 2009, the International Monetary Fund says………………………………………. And these talks, the first direct negotiations in nearly two years with 17 years of failed diplomatic efforts behind them, have one advantage that past rounds have lacked: a West Bank administration that to many Israelis and Palestinians alike has begun to resemble, tentatively, a functioning state. A senior Israeli Army commander, speaking under army rules of anonymity, said security coordination with the Palestinian forces was better than it had ever been. Unlike the situation in 2000, he said, when Washington-sponsored peace talks failed and the West Bank exploded in violence, the area is stable because of both its economic growth and a strong security situation……………………. The commander noted that while there could be no long-term stability without a political deal, once the talks start, stability will be linked to them. If they fail, those among Jewish settlers and Palestinians who promote violence could take steps to disrupt the talks or exploit a sense of defeat, he said……… Hamas followers in the West Bank could play the part of spoilers, although the Palestinian and Israeli security forces work to keep them on the defensive……. The American notion is that if talks with Mr. Abbas are successful, he will gain political strength as the deal is put into effect, and that strength could ultimately be used to return his party to power in Gaza. Israelis remain skeptical, however. Much of the credit for the positive changes in the West Bank go to Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, who is halfway through a two-year plan to build institutions and infrastructure for a Palestinian state. In the past year, he has opened 34 schools and 44 housing complexes, planted 370,000 trees and increased tax revenue by 20 percent. “We have had 11 governments since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, and we never got anything from any of them until this one,” remarked Ahmad Douqan, a leader in the Balata refugee camp near Nablus. “People in the camp look at Salam as someone who, more than anyone else, works for them.” Mr. Fayyad is imposing discipline on his bloated bureaucracy, taking away free cars and cellphones from officials. He has reduced the authority’s dependence on outside budgetary aid, from $1.8 billion in 2008 to a projected $1.2 billion in 2010, according to Oussama Kanaan, head of the International Monetary Fund mission to the West Bank and Gaza. “The Palestinian Authority is determined to follow the path of fiscal consolidation with a view to substantially reducing reliance on foreign aid for government expenditures,” Mr. Fayyad said at a news briefing on Monday. Mr. Kanaan said the goal for 2011 was to bring the dependence below $1 billion.
Jordan sees speed as key to Middle East peace talks
AMMAN: Jordan's King Abdullah II, who met Israel's defense minister on Sunday, said success in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks will depend on speedy progress before extremism returns to centre stage. "I don't think we should put a one-year target date," Abdullah said in an interview with Israel's TV1 late on Saturday ahead of the direct talks being re-launched in Washington this week. "I believe words coming out of the United States is within one year (for a two-state settlement). Why wait for one year? The longer we wait, the more we give people a chance to create violence," he said…… "It is the willingness of the leaders on the second day to really solve this problem, which is really going to be the deciding factor of how the Middle East is going to shape itself over the next 10 years," said Abdullah. A senior Jordanian official, meanwhile, said his country and Egypt, the only two Arab states to have signed peace treaties with Israel, are "cautiously optimistic, because historically such meetings have led to no success." On Netanyahu, the official said the Israeli leader "does not want to commit to anything but he says he is in a hurry and would like to finalize it all in six months." Jordan's advice to Abbas was: "Try to be positive. Don't say 'no,' you can say 'yes, but'."……….. "We have to have the strength of our convictions to take the tough steps over the next couple of weeks and hopefully that will lead into a process that is not just between Israelis and Palestinians," he said. "The bigger picture for the Israeli people is, Israel's integration in the Arab-Islamic world. That's the prize. … Abdullah warned the military dynamics in the Middle East had changed, with the Jewish state waging short wars on average every two years in the absence of a settlement with the Palestinians. "Today the dynamics have changed. Conflict with Israel today is not necessarily to win against Israel but to survive. Therefore that opens the dynamics to a completely different threat towards Israel," he said. "Is it going to be fortress Israel ... or are we going to have the courage to break down those walls and bring peoples together and eventually bring full security to the Israeli people?" he asked. "But if the Israelis and Palestinians are sitting at the table and solving their problems, then all of those elements that are trying to work for the destruction of Israel will have no longer a justification. "What's happening in Washington is not just about the Israelis and Palestinians. It's about Israel's future with the Arabs and Israel's future with the Muslim world."
Regarding security arrangements, see the views of Martin Indyk, former US Ambassador to Israel: Security arrangements were all but settled in 2000 at Camp David before the talks collapsed. The increased threat of rocket attacks since then, among other developments, require the two sides to agree on stricter border controls and a robust third-party force in the Jordan Valley. But one year is ample time to resolve this. In fact, if the leaders are sincere in their intent to make a deal, dragging out the negotiations would only weaken them politically and give time for the opponents of peace to rally.
tomin Forum Posts (127)
RE: Who is going to win the american presidential election in November? Obama or Romney?
Ambassador Stevens was single! Nobody can ignore the bereavement of his family even without a wife .But please do some fact checking before engaging in rhetoric.