CNN.com - U.N. vote backs Arafat - Sep. 19, 2003
How does one parse the Arab/Israeli conflict? On the one hand, the Arabs are living under the yoke of occupation. Their movements restricted, subject to attack by Israeli forces, living in desperate conditions in many ways. Uncitizens of any country, voting members of an authority under siege. The Israelites, surrounded by enemies and besieged by homicide bombers who attack despite the military futility of these efforts.
Isarel wants to get rid of Arafat. They feel, with some justification, that he cannot and will not deal with them in good faith. Its clear that he made sure that Abbas would be unsuccessful. He tanked that whole deal, and you don't have to be a diplomatic genius to see that. Neither the U.S. nor Israel wants to deal with him, and now Israel says they will remove him from the scene themselves. Frankly, I think Israel gets more utility out of making the threat than actually carrying it out. What the utility is is not entirely clear to me considering the round condemnation they are getting from the rest of the world for the idea per the U.N. vote on a resolution decrying such an action. If they were to actually carry out this threat, it would surely drive the Palestinians berserk, and ensure continued attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah and all the other terrorists organizations. And getting a more agreeable leader to negotiate with would probably become twice as hard after forcibly removing the old one. Actually carrying out the threat does not seem to serve much purpose.
On the other hand, Arafat has been at this game for a long time. He turned down the deal at Camp David that nearly everyone agrees was the best that was probably ever going to come on the table. I don't believe he will ever stop gaming for advantage at the table over Israel. The Palestinians continue to support him perhaps because he continues to fight the good fight. I think radically different tactics are called for. Strategic non violence. But the Palestinians seem functionally incapable of operating without violence. If I walked a mile in their shoes, I might be the same way. But that merely highlights the importance of their leadership. They need leadership that could move them in a new direction that might go somewhere. The basic bottom line though is that there really is no significant attachement point between the parties for compromise. The Palestinians want a deal that would mean the demise of Israel pretty much any way you slice it. The Israelis won't give in, and they will continue to repress the Palestinans as long as they are under threat. The imperatives driving both sides are immovable object meets irresistable force.
Friday, September 19, 2003
Saturday, September 13, 2003
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The deal that got US sanctions lifted off Libya will pay out $4 million a piece to the families of the Lockerbie bombing victims. French victims of another bombing of a plane that Libya was responsible for are also receiving upgraded compensation packages. They had a deal, but it was not as good as what the U.S. got, so they held up the deal until they got a better one too. The deal is symbolic since U.N. sanctions were suspended indefinitely for some time. And the real deal is really getting U.S. sanctions lifted which are still in place and won't go away until Libya complies with U.S. demands to deal with terroism. The major point here though is that contrary to the aims of Al Qeuda, governments like Libya have not become more strident or been toppled. On the contrary, they are either cooperating in some fashion or changing their behavior in response to U.S. pressue. Libya's rehabiliation is yet another example of America's offensive against terror.
The deal that got US sanctions lifted off Libya will pay out $4 million a piece to the families of the Lockerbie bombing victims. French victims of another bombing of a plane that Libya was responsible for are also receiving upgraded compensation packages. They had a deal, but it was not as good as what the U.S. got, so they held up the deal until they got a better one too. The deal is symbolic since U.N. sanctions were suspended indefinitely for some time. And the real deal is really getting U.S. sanctions lifted which are still in place and won't go away until Libya complies with U.S. demands to deal with terroism. The major point here though is that contrary to the aims of Al Qeuda, governments like Libya have not become more strident or been toppled. On the contrary, they are either cooperating in some fashion or changing their behavior in response to U.S. pressue. Libya's rehabiliation is yet another example of America's offensive against terror.
Friday, September 12, 2003
America's growing network of bases
America's growing network of bases
America's need to have a ready access point to the world's hot spots has given us a new network of "virtual" bases, ready to be revved up and utilized for military operations on fairly short notice. Bases in a lots of out of the way, seemingly god forsaken places in the old soviet republics and countries in Asia. With these bases, agreements and overflight rights, relationships with this myriad number of others. Still to come, hypersonic bombers that can fly through space from U.S. soil and bomb a target out of existence without asking anybody's permission for overflights. American influence. Some people say this is the stuff of empire, of conquest. I don't think so. We are not out to take other people's lands or territory. In fact, if that were the intent, none of these countries which host these bases would do it, even though we pay them. Thankfully, as a country, we have the resources to take the fight to the terrorists. To fight this battle largely over there, and not over here. For this I am profoundly thankful.
America's need to have a ready access point to the world's hot spots has given us a new network of "virtual" bases, ready to be revved up and utilized for military operations on fairly short notice. Bases in a lots of out of the way, seemingly god forsaken places in the old soviet republics and countries in Asia. With these bases, agreements and overflight rights, relationships with this myriad number of others. Still to come, hypersonic bombers that can fly through space from U.S. soil and bomb a target out of existence without asking anybody's permission for overflights. American influence. Some people say this is the stuff of empire, of conquest. I don't think so. We are not out to take other people's lands or territory. In fact, if that were the intent, none of these countries which host these bases would do it, even though we pay them. Thankfully, as a country, we have the resources to take the fight to the terrorists. To fight this battle largely over there, and not over here. For this I am profoundly thankful.
Online NewsHour -- Profile: Hamas
Hamas. Dedicated to the destruction of Israel. I know something of the history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Whatever side you come down on though, it just seems to me that you can't deny the futility of armed conflict. Hamas seeks no accomodation with Israel. They seek its destruction. Israel wants to survive, and cannot give ground to Hamas or others of its ilk. Neither can militarily defeat the other. With all the misery that Palestinian people live in, the poverty and struggle, I have often wondered why they do not abandon this strategy of violence and death. The palestinians offer themselves up as victims and expect compassion for their plight. But terrorists are singularly unlovable. I often wonder why they don't adopt a strategy of non-violent protest, take a page from the books of successful movements led by King or Ghandi. Its not for lack of courage or resolve. If you can strap on a bomb and detonate yourself, you can march on the Israeli army. In India, in S. Africa, America, non-violent movements got the job done. The Palestinians could and should take a lesson.
Hamas. Dedicated to the destruction of Israel. I know something of the history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Whatever side you come down on though, it just seems to me that you can't deny the futility of armed conflict. Hamas seeks no accomodation with Israel. They seek its destruction. Israel wants to survive, and cannot give ground to Hamas or others of its ilk. Neither can militarily defeat the other. With all the misery that Palestinian people live in, the poverty and struggle, I have often wondered why they do not abandon this strategy of violence and death. The palestinians offer themselves up as victims and expect compassion for their plight. But terrorists are singularly unlovable. I often wonder why they don't adopt a strategy of non-violent protest, take a page from the books of successful movements led by King or Ghandi. Its not for lack of courage or resolve. If you can strap on a bomb and detonate yourself, you can march on the Israeli army. In India, in S. Africa, America, non-violent movements got the job done. The Palestinians could and should take a lesson.
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Where was I on 911?
Well, the anniversary of 911 has come and gone. Lot of emotions and feelings opened up again for so many people. I was in New Orleans at a training on 911. I'd been there for a day. I was staying at a hotel in the French Quarter, which happened to be directly across the street from a strip joint (didn't think my company was really winning one for family values that day). I woke up that morning around 8:30, and flipped on the news. I'm a bit of an info junkie, so I love listening to news. I flip to CNN, and there's a live feed of the Trade Center, A few minutes after the first plane struck. The shot was showing the tower burning. I thought to myself "oh man, some idiot flew his plane into the trade center". It looked bad, but I thought " a tragic accident", nothing more. I continue getting dressed, watching the tv, listening to the commentary.
Suddenly, coming in from the right of the screen, I see the 2nd plane strike. Thats when I know. "We're under attack". Thats when the sense of horror starts growing. And it never stopped. Later in the day, the FAA grounds every plane in the air. The towers continue to burn, people begin leaping out of windows in desperation. A lot of the people at the trainining I was attending were from the New York office. We were all scared and worried. We tried to soldier on through the training anyway. Later on, the towers collapsed. Word came that the Pentagon was hit, and the first reports came in about the plane crashing in Pennsylvania.
The whole country was in shock. With the planes grounded, none of us could fly out, and were now looking for alternative means of travel. Rental cars quickly ran out. At that point, as far as I knew, the country was under attack, no telling what was going to happen next. I just wanted to get home to my family. I hopped a bus the next day for home in Detroit. It took 14 or 15 hours to get home. But once I was back with my family, I was more ready for whatever was coming next.
A lot has happened since then. The President declared war on the terrorists, and you know the rest.
Suddenly, coming in from the right of the screen, I see the 2nd plane strike. Thats when I know. "We're under attack". Thats when the sense of horror starts growing. And it never stopped. Later in the day, the FAA grounds every plane in the air. The towers continue to burn, people begin leaping out of windows in desperation. A lot of the people at the trainining I was attending were from the New York office. We were all scared and worried. We tried to soldier on through the training anyway. Later on, the towers collapsed. Word came that the Pentagon was hit, and the first reports came in about the plane crashing in Pennsylvania.
The whole country was in shock. With the planes grounded, none of us could fly out, and were now looking for alternative means of travel. Rental cars quickly ran out. At that point, as far as I knew, the country was under attack, no telling what was going to happen next. I just wanted to get home to my family. I hopped a bus the next day for home in Detroit. It took 14 or 15 hours to get home. But once I was back with my family, I was more ready for whatever was coming next.
A lot has happened since then. The President declared war on the terrorists, and you know the rest.
Why is the media so off the mark?
I read Stratfor.com regularly in order to get a strategic understanding of whats going on with the war on Terror. With information resources and analysis like this available, I wonder why the media spends so much time with banal, lacking in depth commentary on the war on terror. I also wonder why the president does not take the time in an address to break the war down to the people like this. People deal with things better when they understand them better. We have not done the best job of breaking down our strategy or that of our enemies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
