Monday, November 27, 2006

Another update for today--Israel using bionic hornets as weapons among much more...

The post below was the first of today's updates. I think from now on I will only post on the front page today's posts, and archive the rest.

The following Deir Spiegel article is a must-read. I read it last week in Deir Spiegel and and couldn't believe it. The article outlines new tactics that Israel is working on to neutralize 'the enemy.' It makes all the Terminator movies look as cute as unicorns.The Israeli army is hoping to use 'bionic hornets' as weapons:

www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,449171,00.html

Deir Spiegel is a German daily that is also translated into English. The paper has interesting reporting on the situation in Lebanon. I wanted to include their perspective of the situation because it's a German one and I find it's fresh and interesting.
I thought these were interesting Spiegel articles that outlines what's happening in Lebanon:

www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,450352,00.html

From last week, right after the Gemayel assassination:
www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,448261,00.html

Comparing Iraq and Lebanon's sectarian rifts:
www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,450868,00.html


The Washington Post printed an interesting article today featuring the Mouqtadar Sadr led Mahdi army. The militia has learnt from Hezbollah and is also stepping in to fill the void and provide state services and philanthropy to it's people, garnering more support with time. Check it out:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/26/AR2006112601242.html?nav=hcmodule

Interesting editorial by Haaretz. At first it seems like the same-old opinion piece, cynical about a Palestinian-Israeli peace-agreement, but then get's interesting in the last 2-3 paragraphs:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/792884.html

Also, please check out the links to the right. I've added a Wikipedia link to explain the structure of the Lebanese government (which includes links to all the major parties). However, some of the Arabic words are used to refer to the parties, as opposed to this blog's english references to the parties. Tayyar al Mustaqbal is the Future Movement (headed by Hariri, a Sunni party). Aoun leads the Tayyar Al-Watani Al-Horr (Free Patriotic Movement, a Maronite Christian party). The Druze party led by Jumblatt is called Hizb al-Taqadummi al-Ishtiraki (Progressive Socialist Party. The Druze --also spelt Druise--is a religion unique to Lebanon). Then there's the Hizb al-Kataeb (Kataeb or Phalangist party, also Maronite). Harakat Amal (or just Amal) is lead by Nabih Berri (Shi'ite). Hezbollah lead by Hassan Nasrallah (Shi'ite). The Lebanese Forces (also Christian, headed by Geagea). Those are the main parties. Click on the links included in the Wikipedia link listed to the right, to read about each party.

Surprise, we're bringing down the government!

Prime Minister Fouad Siniora decided to hold cabinet talks on Saturday despite his promise to wait for the five resigned Shi'ite cabinet ministers (CM) and one Christian CM to rejoin the cabinet. The international tribunal was approved in the cabinet and will go through in the UN.
In response Hezbollah and Amal announced that they will protest in a peaceful way and may even request Shi'ite government officials and unions to strike until a national unity government is agreed upon. Also, the parties threatened to call on their 57 MPs to resign. The parliament has 128 MPs and this resignation would topple the government by triggering by-elections. They also failed to set a date for the street protests, but said it wil happen by surprise.
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/newsdesk.nsf/Lebanon/385CCADEB3CCB4F9C225723300214A24?OpenDocument

The Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri from the Amal party, announced that he renders void the cabinet's approval of the international tribunal as any cabinet meetings that take place without all sect being represented are unconstitutional. In cabinet meetings all sect must be present for the meeting to be legal. As all Shi'ite ministers have resigned, the sect is not represented.
http://dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=77187

Also, the Maronite patriarch, Sfeir, (who represents the largest Christian sect, Maronites) held a meeting with top Christian leaders. He lamented the ploitical rifts among the Chrisitan population. Aoun, a Hezbollah ally who is also calling for a national unity government, represents most Christians but is also at odds with the Lebanese Forces party (lead by Geagea) and the Kataeb (also known as the Phalange, who was lead by Pierre Gemayel who was assassinated last Tuesday). Geagea and Gemayel oppose Hezbollah and are allied to the March 14 coaltion of parties (which also includes the Future Movement lead by Hariri).
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/newsdesk.nsf/Lebanon/C4367FB67FD3969CC2257233002ED686?OpenDocument

Also, the UN Human Rights Commission just released a report claiming that during this past summer's war, Israel bombed Lebanese infrastructure for 'destruction's sake.' The report claims that Israel used the assertion that infrastructure could be used by Hezbollah as somewhat of a scapegoat to indiscrimnately bomb Lebanon. The report denies that Hezbollah used civilians as human shields BUT does allege that Hezbollah did use UNIFIL (UN Interim Forces in Lebanon) and Observer Group Lebanon posts as shields to launch attacks into Israel.
The report can be found here: http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/

Naharnet's article on the report:
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/newsdesk.nsf/Lebanon/4D6137065110D8BBC225723300399FA3?OpenDocument

Reuter's article (Nov. 20) about the UN commission's observation's of Israel's conduct in Lebanon:
http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=L21788660

PALESTINE/ISRAEL:

Israeli PM Ehud Olmert claims he's ready for a prisoner exchange to recover corporal Gilad Shalit seized in June by Palestinian militants, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The exchange is part of a move towards peace agreements on both sides. A cease-fire is encompassed in the agreement.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/793168.html

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-11-27T142647Z_01_L23458912_RTRUKOC_0_US-MIDEAST.xml&src=112706_0953_TOPSTORY_israel_ready_for_swap



The cease-fire that was agreed upon by Palestinian militants and Israel has been violated in Gaza. Hamas' military wing and Islamist Jihad both claimed responsibilty for missiles launched into the bordering Israeli town of Sderot. The missiles inflict no damage. Both factions claimed that Israel had not withdrawn all its forces from Gaza though the IDF claims otherwise. Israel killed a palestinian militant today and a 55-year-old woman.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-truce27nov27,0,698255.story?track=tottext

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6187282.stm



REGIONAL:

Trying to bring in it's neighbours to help quell the violence in Iraq, Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, visits Iran.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6188348.stm

Yesterday King Abdullah of Jordan claimed that the Middle East is facing three prospective civil wars: one in Lebanon, one in Iraq and one in the Palestinian territories.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6186624.stm

The king makes these comments ahead of Pres. Bush's visit in Amman where he will meet with the king and Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister of Iraq. King Abdullah also claims that the situation in Palestine is the pivotal point in the Middle East and remains the heart of the conflict in Iraq and Lebanon. However, many believe that Lebanon's conflict is due to an unfair balance of power between the sects.

AFGHANISTAN
Washington Post has an interesting article on NATO's post-reconstruction and stability efforts in Afghanistan. Afgani Fazel Mahmad says something interesting (on the second page) about how the Taleban is split into two: the local Taleban and al-Qaeda trained. The latter apparently has norespect for locals and attacks them regularly.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/26/AR2006112600960_2.html