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| From Middle East Information Center |
CHANGING THE REALITY IN GAZA
Alon Ben-Meir - Jan 5th, 2009
Israel's ongoing and decisive military response to Hamas' continuing rocket
attacks should have been anticipated by the organization's leadership. Yet it
seems they have badly miscalculated the Israelis' sentiment and resolve. They
have failed to realize that Israel cannot afford further erosion of its
deterrence credibility especially in the wake of the summer 2006 war in Lebanon;
that Israel views this conflict in its wider context of the future challenges
from Iran and Hezbollah; and that future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations will
not be conducted under the gun. Counting on international pressure to bring a
quick end to the Israeli onslaught may also prove to be misplaced as Israel is
now determined to never allow a return to the status quo ante.
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Arab States or Mafia Regimes?
Voice of the Copts 12/19/08 - Ashraf Ramelah
Ever since I was a child, certain questions occupied my mind; I was always
curious about western leaders, political groups and even normal people.
Until today when one mentions the word Mafia, certain things always comes to
mind like the beautiful Sicilian island, or the actor Marlon Brando in his
legendary Godfather movie, but no one ever thinks that the real Mafia was
initiated around 1400 years ago in the Arabian peninsula.
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Voice of the Copts
12/15/08
Thousands of Muslims, who were angered by Copts celebrating mass in the
Zagazig Diocese's Hospitality Hall on 10th December, gathered in the village
of Kafr Farag Guirgis, in an attempt to attack the building. The Muslim mob,
which also included those from nearby villages, was armed with fire balls
and gasoline bottles. The security forces had to intervene to contain the
situation, closed the building and are still surrounded it.
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Asymmetrical Propaganda War.
by Steven Shamrak May. 27, 2008
When I started my weekly Internet editorial letters six years ago, the term Hasbara, pro-Israel propaganda, was dormant. Fighting the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel propaganda is only the first step. The main and ultimate goal is to unite Jews and our genuine friends behind the true Zionist inspiration and create a Jewish state on all Jewish ancestral land, Eretz-Israel. Generally speaking, I believe that it is a waste of time to reply to accusations and fabrications of anti-Semitic or anti-Israel bigots, if there is a difference. We must focus on our own goals and actively pursue them!
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Madness of self-Destructive World!
by Steven Shamrak May. 20, 2008
I can't understand how the family of Mohammed (be it in Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Jordan or Egypt) can afford to have 8 children. He and his wife have not worked a day of their lives. They have been given a house or an apartment and food. Their children go to school and even a college. For 60 years his family has been benefiting from the generosity of the international community delivered by the United Nations. The family has been receiving education and medical care that most Arabs in the region can only dream about. The family is a part of the so-called Palestinians refugees' scam. They became the best-educated and looked after group in the Muslim world!
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Empty Rhetoric of Deceitful Candidates.
by Steven Shamrak May. 14, 2008
White House candidates proclaimed their ties to Israel and vowed to stand by the Jewish state as the key US ally celebrated its 60th anniversary.
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Rebuilding a Modern Iranian State
Jaff Sassani - Feb, 13 2008
Rebuilding a modern Iranian State following the overthrow of the current illegitimate Arabic regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran
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The Future Plan to Fight the Terrorist and Extremist Ideology in The Middle East
Why we need an Aryan Economic Union (AU) similar to the European Economic Union (EU
Jaff Sassani - Feb, 15 2008
Since the fall of the Sassanian Empire, the principal victims of genocide or attempted genocide by the Arab Imperialists and their agents, the Sayed families, have been the Aryan nations. These people were known as “ERANSAHR”, or speakers of the Aryan languages, during the Sassanid Empire era. They have since come to be known as Iranian people, although these people are not limited to modern day Iran. These atrocities have been committed against our people under the pretext of the Islamic doctrine.
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Jerusalem Conference – What a Waste!
by Steven Shamrak Feb. 21, 2008
I visited and reviewed an official website of the Jerusalem Conference which took place this week. The only thought that came to mind was "What a waste!" The waste of time, human and financial resources and the waste of opportunity to set the agenda for reaching a Jewish National Goal and uniting Jews and our true friends around the world behind it.
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DIMINISHING HAMAS
Alon Ben-Meir - February 18, 2008
The most acute problem facing Israeli officials today is how to end the daily
Kassam rocket attacks intended to demoralize Israelis and to undermine the peace
negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Israel
insists--rightfully--that Hamas, as the self-proclaimed authority in Gaza, is to
blame and must suffer the consequences. The question is what to do so that Hamas
is weakened rather than strengthened by the Israeli punitive counter measures
while progress continues in the peace negotiations.
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Scientific Approach to Arab-Israel Conflict.
by Steven Shamrak Feb. 17, 2008
For centuries, with the exception of the Dark Ages, scientists and the intellectual elite have been considered as a vanguard of humanity. They are a leading force not just of technical or medical advance, but have greatly influenced and contributed to the political and social fabric of the society. All of this is achieved by dedication of their lives to their chosen fields, usually with no or little personal involvement in politics.
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A MONUMENTAL CHALLENGE TO AMERICA
Alon Ben-Meir - February 11, 2008
The collapse of the Soviet Union at the beginning of the last decade of the
twentieth century, leaving the United States as the sole superpower, led to the
century being dubbed, "The American Century." The world looked forward to
enlightened leadership, visionary policies, and a multilateral approach in the
conduct of American diplomacy. President Clinton was, though tainted by the
Lewinsky affair, widely respected in the global community. It was hoped the new
president would follow, if not the same policies, an enlightened path. But in
seven short years, President Bush turned the world's hope and optimism into deep
disillusionment. Many in the Middle East, looking back, wonder how a single
president could have committed so many blunders that so tarnished America's
global standing and moral leadership.
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Sinai Option – The Road to Permanent Peace!
by Steven Shamrak Feb. 9, 2008
Only 120 years ago, most parts of the Middle East, including Palestine and entire Sinai Peninsula, were a desolated, arid, land mass which did not belong to any country. It was a no man's land with which for 2000 years Jews had an unbroken spiritual and historical bond!
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THE POLITICS OF ILLUSIONS
Alon Ben-Meir - February 5, 2008
I have just returned from an extended trip to the Middle East, hoping that I
would come back feeling recharged by the progress made in the
Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, especially in the wake of the Annapolis peace
conference. To my dismay, not in Israel or in Jordan or in talking to
Palestinian and Egyptian officials, have I felt or seen much optimism. Those who
still believe that an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement is possible by the end
of 2008--President Bush’s stated desire--are few and far between.
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Blame Jews for Everything!
by Steven Shamrak Jan. 21, 2008
Throughout history, Jews have been blamed for almost everything. We were responsible for the Black Death during the Dark Ages and responsible for the exploitation of working classes by Capitalist society and spreading the ideals of Communism around the world. Jews were slave traders and were fighting against slavery; we are branded as Imperialists and human rights activists; we destroyed the rule of Tsar in Russia and created and obliterated, 70 years later, the Soviet Union. We are Anarchists and Socialists, Hippies, gay and women's right's activists, as well as neo-Conservatives!
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Extortion Payout to Arab Mafia!
by Steven Shamrak Jan. 7, 2008
At the opening of the donors' conference in Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy emphasised the urgency of creating a Palestinian state by the end of next year, 2008. International donors eagerly pledged $7.4 billion, pretending that it will boost PA economy.
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Bring Israelis Back – What for?
by Steven Shamrak Dec. 19, 2007
Israel is trying to persuade hundreds of thousands of its citizens living overseas to return home (about 650,000 Israelis live abroad). The project, dubbed "coming home", will try to lure Israelis living abroad to come back with tax breaks, employment and small business loans. "Every Israeli, even if he lives abroad, is Israeli at heart and knows that his home is here. I call on all Israelis to return home," Olmert said.
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A 1001 Words Plea to European Parliament
Dr. Artin - December 2007
Foremost I would like to thank the organizers and patrons of the 4th international conference by EUACC, still known as EUTCC. What we call a sponsor in the United States seems to be called a patron in the United Europe. Europeans are amazing people in making simple matters complicated. As easy going Americans we believe everyone who likes red, white, and blue colors is simply one of us. For Europeans one has to be a patron to be one of them. I did not know the origin of patron, so I searched. In ancient Europe a patron was an owner who without relinquishing the legal claims of his slave let him free. I concluded any owner who sponsors the freedom of minorities in the ancient yet captive Middle East of today is called a patron by European standards.
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SASSANIAN KURD DEFENSE COMMITTEE (SKDC)
Jaff Sassani - Nov, 21 2007
We call for the establishment of a committee whose purpose is to
defend and keep alive the tribes of the Jaff and other tribes of
similar heritage who are remnants of the Sassanian family. History
experts in Kurdistan and the world as coming know us from Sassanian
dissent, which makes us very proud of our forefathers and our
ancestors.
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Islamic Extremist or Islamic terrorist
Jaff Sassani - Nov, 21 2007
To understand the problem facing humanity in the world today one needs
to read the history of Islam and examine the root of this problem
carefully without any biased opinion.
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DO NOT LET THE ARAB INITIATIVE DIE
Alon Ben-Meir - November 5, 2007
The most momentous declaration that came out of the Arab world was the Arab
Initiative which was re-adopted by the Arab League in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in
March 2007. It would be tragic to allow the Initiative to die the way it
withered and died in Beirut, Lebanon, when it was first introduced by Saudi
Arabia in March of 2002. The Arab Initiative offers the only hope for a
comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace and has the potential to extinguish many of the
horrific fires and extremism that have engulfed the Middle East to the detriment
of America and its allies in the region.
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Dear Friends, Adversaries and Disturbed people.
by Steven Shamrak Oct. 29, 2007
You might be surprised, but I do like receiving messages from people who disagree with ideas I express, as long as they are able to support their views with facts and intelligibly present them. It gives me an opportunity to revisit my own 'pre-conceived' ideas and analyse them from an antagonist's point of view. While doing so, I have been finding more supporting facts and ideas for the main point I advocate – the right of Jews to the land of Eretz-Israel – that I might not look for otherwise!
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REBUILDING TRUST REMAINS AT THE CORE
Alon Ben-Meir - October 24, 2007
Since President Bush declared his intention a few months ago to convene a Middle
East peace conference, experts on the region and government officials have
proposed specific agenda items that should be addressed to insure its success.
Key suggestions include a declaration of principle, the creation of an ongoing
negotiation process, broad-based regional representation, and endorsement of
international bodies, agreement on future conferences, and the inclusion of
Syria. Whereas all these ideas are necessary to reach an agreement I do believe,
however, that the conference will be another missed opportunity unless the
Israelis and the Palestinians agree on three critical components: an agreement
in principle, enter immediately into negotiations to sort out the details, and
most importantly, undertake immediate, continuous and concurrent
confidence-building measures (CBM) to keep up the momentum and to offer a real
hope for eventual agreement.
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LACKING MORAL TENET TO RIGHT THE WRONG
Alon Ben-Meir - October 17, 2007
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs which adopted a resolution calling the
Armenian mass killing by Ottoman Turks genocide, has basically sat in judgment
on an event that occurred 92 years ago. The question here is whether the mass
killing of Armenians during the World War I era was genocide committed by the
Ottoman's military, as many contend -- or was it the result of world war during
which millions were killed on all sides, including the Armenians, as the Turkish
government insists.
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Letter From: Kurdish National Congress of North America
To: ANCA and Armenian Communities Armenian National Committee of America
On Wednesday, October 10th, the United States House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs approved a resolution describing the killing of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as an act of genocide in a 27-21 voting. The United States House Foreign Affairs Committee adopted the resolution the following day. The KNC-NA regards this as an important event in eliminating denial and recognizing the truth of the crimes committed against humanity.
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CHANGING COURSE WITH SYRIA
Alon Ben-Meir - October 10, 2007
The notion that the focus of the Middle-East conference is to reach an agreement
in principle between Israel and the Palestinians, and so other conflicting
parties, such as Syria, are marginal to the deliberation, is fundamentally
flawed. The Bush administration must quickly reassess its position regarding
Syria if it wishes to achieve even a modicum of success at the conference. There
are several reasons that support this argument:
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Senator Brownback's Line Crossing
Dr. Artin - October 2007
Expecting to follow any conservative or liberal party line blindly is an insult to one’s intelligence. Like Senator Biden, who stands on the left side of the line in the US senate, Senator Brownback form the right confirmed that Mesopotamia is better off with federalism than with centralism. He deserves much admiration for his courage and integrity to cross a predetermined party line in support of this relatively progressive idea. His stance as well as the stance of three quarter of other US senators is good news for those who are hoping for a better, inclusive, free, and democratic Middle East . I am wondering if the reaming one quarter of US senators have a deeper commitment to the dictators of the Middle East or not.
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The Vision of the White House
Dr. Artin - September 2007
To have the same rights as other nations such as being able to learn their own language and determine their own destiny, the people of my origin have been fighting four undemocratic regimes. These regimes have called them tribal, radical, separatist, and even racist. Surprisingly the White House at times also uses not all but some of those words pejoratively to describe the assertive faction of our people who seek independence.
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Assimilation is a Destroyer of the Miracles.
Steven Shamrak. August 20th, 2007
Being a Jewish single guy, I went to a lecture "Why marry Jewish?" with the over-optimistic hope of meeting a nice Jewish girl. During an hour of a well-prepared speech, the presenter, Doron Kornbluth, mentioned several reasons why intermarriage generally, and for Jews in particular is not a good idea. He offered many non-confrontational ideas of how to keep Jews from marrying out. Suggestions ranged from focusing on Jewish religious education, nudging to financial bribery of the kids.
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MID-EAST PEACE CONFERENCE UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE IRAQ WAR
Alon Ben-Meir - August 20, 2007
It appears that the Bush administration's proposed Mid-East peace conference may
not be held before November 2007 -- a relatively long time from now considering
the volatility of the region, especially the ever deteriorating situation in
Iraq and the deepening Fatah-Hamas conflict. Holding such a conference during
the current turmoil would seem to jeopardize any prospects of achieving even a
modest success, that is, unless the administration abandons failed policies,
embraces the Arab Initiative, and has all participants commit in advance to a
negotiated set of principles.
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IRAQ: THE WAY OUT
Alon Ben-Meir - August 3, 2007
As Congress debates when and how to withdraw American troops from Iraq, the most
critical question for every single member to answer is: What sort of Iraq will
the United States leave behind? Having torn the country to pieces, destroyed its
social order and brought millions of Iraqis to the point of utter despair
through the Bush administration's tragic misadventure, America has a moral
obligation to help the Iraqi people reconstitute their civil society and restore
their shattered lives.
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Jewish Jihad is Better.
Steven Shamrak. August 1st, 2007
Many Muslim mullahs, imams and terrorist chiefs have been igniting their followers by the word "Jihad" – Holy War. Even the leaders of some Muslim countries are not able to resist temptation. Their true intent is a war against everything that is un-Islamic. Any infidel, not just Jews, any non-Islamic country is a target. Even Muslim countries that allow some flexibility, freedom and personal rights that are not inline with hard-core Islamic doctrine are considered as a blasphemous and also are targeted.
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BACK TO THE DEBATE ON SYRIA
Alon Ben-Meir - July 16, 2007
For a number of years, I have been advocating the importance of constructively
engaging Syria, not only to improve the prospects for a comprehensive
Arab-Israeli peace, but to substantially contribute to the stability of the
Middle East. With security conditions throughout the region deteriorating daily,
especially in Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, and Iraq, Damascus can play
a significant role in stemming the tide of violence. This is why it is sadly
ironic that the Bush administration, which is battling to stabilize the
situation especially in Iraq, remains blind to the fact that a change of
strategy toward Syria is critical to tilting the region's political and security
dynamic toward at the very least a modicum of peace and security.
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What we are meant to be!
Dr. Artin - June 2007
As Homo sapiens we are fascinating social creatures with the capacity to function in various stages of our evolution. We might not need to think socially and be satisfied, if our primary drives such as hunger, thirst, and sex are taken care of. We might think about insignificant details of our social ailments but ignore the major incapacitating ones created by ourselves and our leading heads. We might follow any leading head as long as we can survive and our basic needs are met. Depending on who heads us, we might move forward or backward. We might be gullible, have an average level of consciousness, and easily led in the direction of least resistance. An imbalance in our lives might cause a shift in the level of our morality. In case of a downward shift, we might use justifications for our wrong doings such as somebody else would do it, if we don’t. If the level is up, we might deal with our flaws and guilt by confession and correction.
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One or Four States Solution.
Steven Shamrak. June 18th, 2007
After the WW1, following the collapse of Ottoman Empire , the League of Nations , in order to facilitate the transition to independent states, created many mandate governed areas in the Middle East and the Central Asia. As a result the countries such as Iraq , Saudi Arabia , Syria , Lebanon and others were created. The same principle was intended for the creation of a Jewish state when the United Kingdom (UK) was given a guardianship of the Palestinian Mandate.
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HAMAS' BITTERSWEET VICTORY
Alon Ben-Meir - June 18th, 2007
Thanks to Fatah's ineptitude and corruption, Israel's shortsightedness, and the
Bush administration's misguided policies, Hamas is now in control of the Gaza
strip, setting the stage for potentially ominous developments.
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FORTY YEARS OF DEADLY DELUSIONS
Alon Ben-Meir - June 5, 2007
Perhaps more than anything else, the fortieth anniversary of the 1967 Six Days
War has shown a spotlight on the present crisis of leadership in the Middle
East. Israel is now being led by a government paralyzed by self-inflicted
wounds, a government that lost its compass in the wake of the war with Hezbollah
along with the courage to risk seizing the initiative and taking real steps
toward peace. Meanwhile, the Palestinians continue to pay dearly for their
delusional and inapt leaders, who have missed every opportunity to give them any
hope for the future.
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WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT IRAQ?
Alon Ben-Meir - May 14, 2007
The recent conference on Iraq, held in Sharm el-Sheikh, and attended by more than 50 countries representing half of the world’s population, seems at first glance to underscore the “great interest so many countries have displayed” over the future of that torn country. But, perhaps we should lay it on the line and ask, “Who really cares about Iraq itself?” I submit that each nation represented at the conference came not only with its own diagnosis and cure for Iraq, but, even more, because it sought to protect its own national interests. Let’s look at the eight most prominent countries, those with the greatest stake in Iraq, but whose “deep concerns” were nothing more than exploitation of Iraq’s vulnerabilities and resources.
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WILL OLMERT RISE OR FADE AWAY?
Alon Ben-Meir - May 1, 2007
However damning Judge Eliyaho Winograd's report may be regarding the Prime
Minister's conduct of the second war in Lebanon, it would be far more
damning and destructive for Israel if the political leaders seeking to replace
Mr. Olmert lose sight of Israel's ultimate national interests. The situation
in the Middle East is deteriorating to a dangerous degree, while the threats to
Israel's national security by extreme radical groups are increasing. This is
no time for the nation's leaders to settle political scores. They must seek
a national consensus not only in order to deal with present dangers but to seize
the opportunity that the Arab Initiative presents for achieving a comprehensive
peace.
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ISRAEL'S CALL
Alon Ben-Meir - March 27, 2007
The Israeli government should accept the Arab initiative because it has a solemn
obligation to explore any possibility, however remote, to peacefully end the
Arab-Israeli conflict. Israel can accept the Arab initiative in principle, and
as long as it negotiates in earnest, the whole world will listen to its
legitimate national concerns. But any negotiation the government enters into and
any peace agreement it may reach must not betray Israel's three core
requirements: 1) maintaining indefinitely the Jewish national identity of the
state, 2) ensuring its national security and territorial integrity, and 3)
ending the state of belligerency while establishing normal relations with the
entire Arab world. No Arab nation or any other global power should ever expect
Israel to compromise on these three tenants because they form the core of its
very existence.
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SIEZING ON THE SAUDI INITIATIVE
Alon Ben-Meir - 20 March 2007
The flurry of activity surrounding the reintroduction of the Saudi initiative at
the Arab League Summit in Riyadh in late March is entirely different from the
atmosphere when it was originally adopted by the Arab states during their Beirut
meeting five years ago. The convergence of ominous developments in the Middle
East in the wake of the Iraq war, especially the looming regional conflict
between Shiites and Sunnis along with Iran's ambition to become, armed with
nuclear weapons, the region's main power has precipitated rapid and
extraordinary realignments. Israel is now seen not only as the lesser evil but
as a possible strategic partner in deterring Iran. In addition, because Syria is
essential to any unification of the various Sunni groups, ending the
Arab-Israeli conflict has assumed new urgency.
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ENDING THE IRAQ STRIFE
Alon Ben-Meir – March 12, 2007
For the U.S. representative, during the regional conference held in Bagdad on March 10, to actually sit at the same table with the Iranian and Syrian delegates represents, in itself, an important development. The next such meeting, scheduled for early April, and at the foreign minister level, offers the Bush administration a tremendous opportunity to go beyond Iraq’s internal strife. With vision, boldness, and careful planning, Washington can open the door to bilateral talks on larger regional security issues. This, along with intensifying reconstruction efforts in Iraq and the passage of the oil law, may give the administration a real opportunity to turn the corner in Iraq.
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Mentality of the Former Masters.
Steven Shamrak. Feb. 26, 2007
The following communication reveals the deep-seated hatred of 'the master' toward the former slaves. This attitude and twisted mentality toward Israel and Jews can be easily observed in the behavior of the French, Russians, Turks… and even some Americans. These former rulers of the Jewish people appear unable to accept Jews as equals; thus they are incapable of taking an objective view on the Arab-Israel conflict and allowing Israel a free hand in dealing with her enemies. They are not willing to accept Jews, nor are they able to accept Israel as a free and equal nation. They have been doing everything possible to sabotage and minimize our successes both before and since Israel declared her independence.
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SYRIA DOES MATTER
Alon Ben-Meir – February 20, 2007
Administration officials are increasingly talking about the wisdom of engaging with Syria to try to gain its support of and participation in efforts to stop the already chaotic situation in the Middle East from further deteriorating. Although it would have been wise from the first to engage with Syria, talking directly to Syria at this juncture is even more urgent and of paramount importance to the United States and its allies in the region. Whether Washington likes it or not, Syria does matter, and so it is imperative for the administration to forget about regime change in Damascus and view Syria as a future partner rather than an adversary.
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ANOTHER MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Alon Ben-Meir – February 14, 2007
It has been famously said that the Palestinians never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity. The recent meeting, hosted by Saudi King Abdullah, held in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, between Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Ismail Haniya, the Palestinian Prime Minister, and Khaled Meshal, Hamas’s political guru, seems to prove the dismal truth of this quip, with the gathering ending with only small accomplishment. After two-days of deliberation, the participants signed a letter and congratulated one other, all the while missing a momentous opportunity to shift the dynamic of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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ENDING IRAN’S DEFIANCE
Alon Ben-Meir – February, 5, 2007
That Iran stands today able to challenge or even defy the United States in every sphere of American influence in the Middle East, attests to the dismal failure of the Bush administration’s policy toward it during the last six years. Feeling emboldened and unrestrained, Tehran may, however, miscalculate the consequences of its own actions, which could precipitate a catastrophic regional war. The Bush administration has less than a year to rein in Iran’s reckless behavior if it hopes to prevent such an ominous outcome and achieve, at least, a modicum of regional stability.
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PRESS RELEASE Saddam's incomplete trial
The Kurdish National Congress of North America
Saddam Hussein used every means unimaginable by human standards to stay in power. With the help of his associates he created a country of helpless victims living in fear and insecurity. The world knew about his imposed war on Iran and Kuwait. With his execution the world also now knows he killed many Shiites who opposed his sectarian policies. However, the international community still does not know the depth of atrocities of Saddam against Kurds and why Kurdish forces opposed him. The world also still does not know about the role of the leaders of the neighboring countries and international military corporations that helped Saddam commit his crimes. We believe the dictator should have been tried either in Kurdistan or in an international court in order to clarify all ambiguities.
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THERE IS NO VICTORY STRATEGY
Alon Ben-Meir – December 11, 2006
After nearly four years of successive disasters in Iraq, which unleashed a civil war and brought the country to its knees, not to speak of the monumental American losses, there are still those dreamers, including the president, who speak of victory. Knowing what we know about the grave situation in Iraq today, we can no longer engage in such recklessly wishful thinking.
As Mr. Bush reviews his options, in the wake of the Iraq Study Group’s report, he must clearly demonstrate the cause and effect of every aspect of any “victory strategy” he envisions before embarking on another perilous misadventure. Sadly, the reality in Iraq precludes a victory in any classic sense, and the only realistic solution lies in dividing Iraq into three self-ruled parts—a Kurdish part that actually already exists, a Shiite part, which is in the making, and a Sunni part which must be created.
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Civilization vs. Purification
Dr. Artin - Dec 6th 2006
Civilization and purification have a long history and are not limited to an empire, culture, race, and social class. Purification here might be substituted with a less permissible word that describes gratification of sexual urges of others for monetary gain. While civilization tends to promote long term strengthening of a society’s foundation, purification might serve the immediate gratification of individuals with unusual urges. Some of the thinkers of an old school in the East, such as the proponents of ‘Hilmism’ – ideas of Dr Fereydun Hilmi, tend to put Western Civilization (WC) and its counterpart, Western Purification (WP), in the same boat. Although they have W in common, it is unjust to consider WP and WC as the same. Reviewing pros and cons of these two phenomena is beyond the scope of this satire. Instead I try to highlight some of the aspects of WP and WC that are relevant to the people of my origin.
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Separating the three legged twins
Dr. Artin - Sept 1st, 2006 (Rev)
It might have taken other empires centuries to achieve what the current world empire has achieved in decades. Since the old empires expanded their territory via force, brutality, and corruption, their collapse was inevitable. Some supporters of the old world and the enemies of the current one might wish for the collapse of the American empire. However, self repair ability of this new empire prevents the wishes of its enemies to come true. The out come of 2006 mid term election in the United States is not surprising and consistent with the assumption of the empire’s self repair ability.
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From conception to election, 1001 words!
Dr. Artin - Nov 1st, 2006
Conception without a base such as affection is as disturbing as election without a true representation. Where free speech is a right, using an acronym such as “SOBP” to describe Short Of Base Politicians might prevent them from abuse of power. In a repressive society 1001 nightly tales might be needed for the same purpose. The purpose of this satire is reaching a similar goal by using only 1001 words!
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“Nonstarter”, please start!
Dr. Artin - Oct 21, 2006 (Rev)
Every evidence hints toward spread of freedom in the Middle East, despite the efforts of dark forces to turn the clock back! Although dividing Iraq would be advantageous for all, the US administration remains resistant to accept this inevitable starting point of reform in the Middle East and calls partition a “nonstarter”. Maybe the current Republican administration is exhausted with making any further drastic changes and is waiting for a Democrat to deal with their angry friends from the past! I believe partition is a reasonable and progressive solution at this stage; it is just a matter of time, and the sooner the better.
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A comment on “Land of the Blind”!
Dr. Artin - Oct 10, 2006
Accidentally I came across the "Land of the Blind", a recent movie directed by Robert Edwards. Surprisingly two months after its theatrical release in June, the movie was released to video stores in August 2006. Such a short interval might indicate the unpopularity of the movie, despite a great performance by its main characters: Ralph Fiennes, Donald Sutherland, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Tom Hollander. Maybe questioning the misuse of power by glorious sociopaths is not something that a movie director can count on to attract many people. George Orwell would most likely have given this political drama a very good rating, since it is almost a replica of his novel, Animal Farm, in a human zoo.
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On Dr. Rice’s visit!
Dr. Artin - Oct 6, 2006 (Rev)
Recently Dr. Rice, US Secretary of State, visited Mr. Barzani, the President of KRG, and encouraged him to be forthcoming in keeping Iraq together and share the oil revenue of KRG with the rest of the country. It is no-brainer that every nation is entitled to its rights and should utilize its resources for the health, education, and progress of its people first. Using oil or any other resources to build one's land first should be no exception. It is also no-brainer that a prosperous land will have a moral obligation to help neighbors after taking care of self first.
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A dialogue with the wall
Dr. Artin - San Francisco, Oct 1, 2006 (Rev)
Many talented signers and musicians were the guests of The San Francisco World Music Festival (SFWMF) form September 29 to October 1, 2006. They performed their unique style individually and their common theme of representing our culture collectively. They included Aynur (Saz, Vocal), Kourosh Moradi (Tanbur, Vocals), Mico Kendes (Vocals, Buzuk), Rojan (Vocals), Nariman Gunes (Viola), Omar Avci (Daf, Percusion), Cemil Kocgun (Baglama), Hussein Zahavi (Daf, Percusion), and Ulas Oezdemir (Saz, lecturer). It is very difficult for our people to separate even such cultural events from politic. Since SFWMF and musicians in the festival were rightfully not of any specific political conviction, a friend of mine and I volunteered to present our views on the cause of a divided people and their hope for unity and independence. Following is the summery of my presentation for the event. I compared that talking to the opponents of these people resembles a dialogue with a wall.
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What about the combining part?
Dr. Artin - Sept 5th 2006 (Rev)
I had noted the eloquence in the cultural articles of a retired dentist, who describes the beautiful aspect of her Persian heritage and criticizes the less beautiful elements of it in English language very well. Considering that individuals who know their own heritage tend to value the heritage of others, I invited her to a concert, that had been advertised as a regional music by the Iranian community. Discussing the pros and cons of such advertisement requires a separate article. In any case, when we met my guest and her spouse, we noted that their younger and livelier look and flexible attitude was not typical of a retired couple. We had different opinions, priorities, and approaches to promoting a society to move forward, yet we became good friends, as if we had known each other for years. She described our encounter as serendipity. I learned that she had used reason for many years and become a skillful professional; she then had retired early to focus on her passion for art. Apparently she was not only an articulate writer, but a talented painter, and a tasteful culinary artist. In appreciation for my invitation, she invited us to a Persian cultural and educational seminar few weeks later.
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Pacifism might save people!
Dr. Artin - Sept 1st, 2006 (Rev)
A main purpose of invading Iraq by the director of the new world was to lead the Middle East toward adopting the universal civic values of this century. Mistakes are inevitable, yet, it will be very naïve to think that the experts of the most developed country did not know what they were doing. To initiate change in the region, obviously the US administration could not first target the main Middle Eastern players, Iran and Saudi Arabia, since these fundamentalist regimes still serve the American interests one way or the other, and the cost of their elimination would have been too high at this stage. Based on calculation of the available data, directing the change in the Middle East seemed easier from the weakest points of entry into the region, Afghanistan and Iraq. The intellectually and morally handicapped leaders of these countries had already turned their territories into horrifying zones justifiable to be rescued by the international police force!
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PREVENTING GENOCIDE IN IRAQ
ALON Ben-Meir – November, 28, 2006
To prevent genocide in Iraq on the scale of the genocide in Rwanda between the Tutsis and the Hutus, the Bush administration must move swiftly to divide Iraq into three main self-rule entities with loose federal ties. Neither the insurgency nor the sectarian killing will end unless the Sunnis can govern themselves. The Bush administration must use every ounce of leverage it has to push for such a solution before it is too late.
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Gullible Jews and Jewish Press.
Steven Shamrak. Nov. 29, 2006
Contrary to the common belief of anti-Semites, that Jews are shrewd, we are quite trusting people and naive. For example, if today a Christian anti-Semite or an Arab terrorist, with years of Jew-bashing experience, would announce that they condemn their evil ways of the past and support Israel's right to exist, Jewish communities around the world would immediately start actively promoting them as saints. Quite often, the reason behind these kinds of transformation is sinister - It is the desire to get the free publicity for an upcoming book, movie or Jewish money for speaking engagements.
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Are Nightmares of the Cold War Still Haunting US?
By: Sherkoh Abbas, Kurdistan National Assembly of Syria
Security, stability, and peace cannot be established in the Middle East while the same orchestra of tyranny continues to play its own familiar tune. Radicals and terrorists who are part of this orchestra have been playing the litany of thirty-three days in Lebanon. They are very happy and because they feel that the most advanced weapons and most skilled leaders of the war failed to get rid of them. This what they are looking for to defeat democracy and globalization – a failed experience in Lebanon, withdrawal or failure in Iraq, etc. By not addressing the root of the problem, by not supporting democracy and undoing past sins, we have demonstrated to them that we are weak and unwilling to support those who value democracy and peace. What is puzzling is that this orchestra is very weak. They have no superpower supporting them like Soviets used to do, so why are we giving up democracy and globalization, going back to status quo ante, and letting the orchestra continues its death tune? Maybe the nightmares of the Cold War are still haunting us. We need to remind ourselves of the euphoria of the victory over the Soviet Union.
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Teaching Jewish Children.
Steven Shamrak. Oct. 24, 2006
Israeli Education Minister Yuli Tamir signed the directive to public schools to mark the 50th anniversary of the 'massacre in Kafr Kassam,' referring to the shooting of Israeli Arab protestors by security forces. It took a week, almost no time at all by Israel's political calendar, to approve this self-hating idea, which was brought on by MK Zehava Gal-On (Meretz).
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THE BITTER FRUITS OF OCCUPATION
Alon Ben-Meir – October 23, 2006
Whatever the circumstances and regardless of the Palestinians’ internal struggle, Israel must recognize that continued occupation is not only non-sustainable but insidiously eroding rather than enhancing its own national security. This is why a responsible Israeli government must develop a framework for withdrawal and implement it in stages at a pace consistent with prevailing conditions. Time is not on Israel’s side. The longer it holds onto the territories, the greater and more ominous the danger.
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THE PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP CRISIS
Alon Ben-Meir – October 9, 2006
The failure of Fatah and Hamas to reach an agreement on a unity government that recognizes Israel and begins to deal with the desperate needs of their people is just another in a string of failures that have come to characterize the Palestinian situation. For nearly sixty years, the Palestinians have allowed their own leaders and those of the Arab states to use and abuse them to the point where they are finally face-to-face with the abyss. The Palestinian people must rise up and say enough is enough. How many more decades of shattered lives must they endure before their so-called leaders face the sad reality and, for once, do something to end the suffering and misery?
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IRAQ’S FAILED POLICY
Alon Ben-Meir – September 28, 2006
Try as it may to put the best face on it, the American intelligence agencies’ assessment of global terrorism trends is damning the Bush administration in whichever way we look at it. In many ways the report stated the obvious: The Iraq war has contributed directly to the rise of Islamic radicalism and the diffusion of the Jihad ideology globally, and made the overall problem of terrorism considerably worse. What is tragically sad is not the report’s findings but the Bush administration’s stubborn refusal to acknowledge that the Iraq war and the occupation have enraged Arabs and Muslims throughout the world. Instead of dealing with the disastrous repercussions of the war and developing a viable exit strategy, the administration continues to link international terrorism to Iraq when in fact Iraq itself was thrown into a civil war.
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The Path of Self-Destruction
Steven Shamrak. Sept. 21, 2006
In recent years there have been many Islamic acts of terror committed against Western countries. The bombing of the marine barracks in Lebanon; two US embassies in Africa; the bombing of the US destroyer Cole in Yemen; the attacks of September 11; The deadly explosions in Bali; the Madrid train bombings; the subway in London--these are just the most publicized attacks. All of them were openly or covertly supported by most Muslim rulers and are silently condoned by most of the Islamic communities around the world.
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A REGION IN TURMOIL
Alon Ben-Meir – September 18, 2006
For the more than two decades that I have been involved, directly and indirectly, in Middle-Eastern negotiations and, at the same time, in my research and analysis of the region’s trials, never have I witnessed such turmoil. At present, nearly every nation there is embroiled in an internal conflict that is shaking not simply the government’s power base but often the very foundation of the state itself. Many things beyond the United States’ control have happened to bring the Middle East to this point. But unless the United States changes its policies toward the region in a fundamental way, it will find itself in a never-ending quagmire, sapping its own energy and resources and seriously threatening its own national security while ushering in even greater regional upheaval of historic proportions.
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Are You Ready to Convert?
Steven Shamrak. Sept. 11, 2006
In a recently aired video, Al Qaida's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri introduced a speaker, Azzam the American, who invited all non-Muslims, especially in the United States, to convert to Islam and to abandon their 'misguided' ways or suffer the consequences. He called for "...repent and enter into the light of Islam and turn their swords against the enemies of God..."
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THE SCORECARD: FIVE YEARS LATER
Alon Ben-Meir – September 8, 2006
I'm writing this column from Cairo while on an extensive visit to the Middle East. If there's a more appropriate place from where to assess the implications and repercussions of the events of 9/11 and the success or the failure of the Bush administration’s so-called war on terrorism, I don't know of one. If success or failure is judged by the number of subsequent attacks on the United States, it might be said that President Bush’s strategy in combating terrorism is a success. But who can say that the purpose of Al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups is merely to strike repeatedly inside the United States to achieve their core objectives?
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IRAN’S NUCLEAR MENACE
Alon Ben-Meir – August 25, 2006
The failure of the Bush administration to persuade or coerce Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions for the past six years has increased the menace while decreasing the prospects for a peaceful solution. The United States must now develop a new strategy to end Iran’s nuclear program. Anything less will bring the Middle East ever closer to nuclear conflagration.
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SYRIA VERSUS IRAN
Alon Ben-Meir – August 21, 2006
The Bush administration’s strategy of treating Syria and Iran as if they are evil twins is fundamentally flawed. Although Damascus and Tehran have many common interests in addition to their grievances against the United States, they differ dramatically in their assessment of their regional roles and strategic objectives. To foster a more peaceful Middle East, Washington must take these into account and pursue a different strategy, one that seeks to further separate Syria’s interests from those of Iran.
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THE WAR OF PERCEPTION
Alon Ben-Meir --August 14, 2006
Regardless of how and when the guns fall silent, Israel has lost the war of perception. No matter how many Hezbollah fighters were killed, or how many Katushka rockets destroyed, or how severe the damage to the Lebanese and Hezbollah’s infrastructure, what matters in the Arab streets is that for five weeks Hezbollah stood up to the mighty Israeli army. Hezbollah’s ability to rain thousands of rockets on Israel’s urban centers and, as a result, send a million Israelis into bomb shelters is in sharp contrast to the performance of the Arab states during previous conflicts with Israel. As the dust settles, Israel must reassess its strategy toward Iran and the Arab states, and reestablish its military credibility, not only for its own sake, but for the sake of its enemies to prevent their making a tragic miscalculation, based on recent events.
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THE CASE FOR ENGAGING SYRIA
Alon Ben-Meir –August 7, 2006
In my last weekly article “The Missing Link,” I argued for the need to engage Syria in any future negotiations that may lead to a sustainable ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Since the reaction to my article was mixed, I thought that, given Syria’s critical importance, I should offer a more comprehensive argument in support of this view. I say this because I believe that ending the war in Lebanon has the potential of changing dramatically the region’s geopolitical landscape in such a way as to lead to a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace. By refusing to engage Syria, the Bush administration will forfeit another historic opportunity to bring to an end the Arab-Israeli conflict, however remote that prospect may now seem.
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WHAT ABOUT PROPORTIONALITY?
Alon Ben-Meir –July 24, 2006
Much has been said and written in recent days about the issue of proportionality in armed conflict in the context of Israel’s response to Hezbollah’s unprovoked across-the-border attack. No cogent argument can be made for or against Israel unless we first consider the three fundamental principles of a just war and then how the doctrine of proportionality applies in such a situation. These principles are: 1) adherence to norms and rules that guide international conduct in armed conflict, 2) discrimination in the execution of the war to prevent collateral damage, and 3) creation of better conditions than those existing before the eruption of hostilities and prevention of renewed violence.
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This War Must not be in Vain.
Steven Shamrak. July. 17, 2006
Since the Israel's Withdrawal from Gaza several months ago, Gaza became a launching pad for various Arab terror groups. Over 1,000 rockets and an uncountable number of mortar shells were fired toward Israel. Last months attack on the security post and the kidnapping of an Israeli solder by Hamas was the last straw. If anyone thinks that all of this is just a random act of terror - they are mistaken.
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DISASTROUS MISCALCULATIONS
Alon Ben-Meir –July 17, 2006
As the violence in the Middle East escalates, it is hard not to conclude that every player involved directly or indirectly has badly miscalculated. This conflict will not end by a restoration of the status quo ante. Israel will refuse to allow a replay of the last two weeks. This means that there must be a dramatic change in both Lebanon and the Palestinian territories that satisfies Israel’s security concerns and sends the Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table in a permanently calm atmosphere.
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Refined Genocide Facilitators
Steven Shamrak. Jun. 11, 2006
September 29, 1938 - Munich agreement of German, Italian, British and French leaders agrees to German demands regarding annexation of Sudeten borderland of Czechoslovakia.
November 9, 1938 - Kristallnacht begins in Germany, the "night of broken glass" begins as NAZI troops and their sympathizers loot and burn Jewish businesses (the all night affair saw 7,500 Jewish businesses destroyed, 267 synagogues burned, 91 Jews killed, and at least 25,000 Jewish men arrested).
June 4, 1939 - The SS St Louis, a ship carrying 963 Jewish refugees, is denied permission to land in Florida and was forced to return to Europe, most of its passengers later died in Nazi concentration camps.
June 30, 1939 - A drastic Immigration Restriction Bill passed through congress, suspending all quota immigration to the US for five years. The bill also called for the immediate registration of all aliens in the US at the time.
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Just Imagining
Steven Shamrak. Jul. 1, 2006
In 1964 a "Mexican Liberation Organization" for Independence of the South-West states of the USA" – MLO - was created with the help of the Mexican government.
In 1972 the MLO murdered the members of US wrestling team at Olympic Games of Munich.
Since then, the citizens of the United States have been subjected to random acts of terror by the members of various factions of the MLO.
1993: Mexican and US representatives met in Oslo and signed a breakthrough agreement of mutual recognition between the USA and the MLO Organization, which began the US-Mexican peace process.
The chain of agreements that followed, were facilitated by Israel - Wye River Memorandum, Camp David, summit at Sharm El Sheikh, Tenet Plan, Road Map.
During all this time the MLO organization continued terror activity against the USA and ignored all agreements it had signed.
The UN and EU observed the suicide bombings, kidnappings and home made rockets fired across the border by the MLO, but financially, politically and morally supported the MLO and the Mexican government struggle against the USA.
Ten months ago the US government announced its decision to withdraw from New Mexico and transferred full control of the territory to the MLO.
Six month ago, US government ignored the protest of its people and deported the non-Mexican population from New Mexico, hoping to save lives and reduce the cost of the conflict.
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"Never Again", Again!
Steven Shamrak. Jun. 12, 2006
After the Shaoah - Holocaust the words "Never Again" had a special and powerful meaning for the Jewish people. The Holocaust survivors, who had just arrived in Palestine, went to battle against well-armed Arabs with wooden sticks, due to the lack of weapons. Jews all over the word vowed not to allow the systematic killing of the Jews again.
Almost sixty years passed. The words have become just another empty and meaningless slogan, that politicians and apathetic community leaders are using during feel-good ceremonies. The unimaginable has happened! The Israeli government assumed the role of the concentration camp Capo and is collaborating with its enemies. Instead of pursuing the Jewish National goal, the return of all Jewish land - Eretz Israel. The government is preparing ground for giving up more Jewish land to the enemies who are killing and ready to kill even more Jews.
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Sinai Option - The Road to Permanent Peace!
Steven Shamrak. Feb. 23, 2006
Not long ago the entire Sinai peninsula, as most parts of the Middle East, including Palestine, were a desolated, arid land mass and did not belong to any country. It was a no man's land!
Trans-Jordan was the part of the Palestinian mandate which was allocated for creation of a Jewish state by the League of Nations, in accordance with the Balfour Declaration. Therefore, its separation from Palestinian mandated land was an illegal act. Unfortunately, the dominant imperial powers at the time, Britain and France, controlled the League of Nations, which they used to rubber stamp their shady deals.
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The Jewish National Goal
Steven Shamrak. January 16, 2006
Many Jewish groups, organizations and individuals are actively involved in signing petitions, writing letters and monitoring anti-Semitism worldwide. These are very important activities, but they all are missing a direction.
Jews must unite behind the most important objective - the Jewish National goal: "Jewish people have the right to live in peace on the all Jewish ancestral land". Only by uniting behind the National goal, Jews have the chance to survive the modern, internationally orchestrated, anti-Jewish onslaught!
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Don’t put imperialism on trial stupid! The Middle Eastern expanse and the international security corollary
LEE RUDDIN January 12, 2006
British citizens, scholars and students alike are growing ever–increasingly apologetic of preceding imperial ruling in the Middle Eastern expanse (and contemporary U.S. foreign policy). This is most recently evidenced by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who reprehensibly commented that, “A lot of the problems we are having to deal with now, are a consequence of our colonial past.”
The manuscript was comprised whist researching at the London School of Economics (LSE) and the University of Exeter on the topics of Middle Eastern Global Politics and Islamic Studies respectively in 2005.
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Zionism and Judaism, the same difference.
Mordechai From Middle East Information Center 01/10/2006
Zionism is a point of conflict among supporters and anti-Zionists partly based on that pinning down what a Zionist or Zionism is can be difficult especially when the range of opinion is wide, from “Dr. King: Anti-Zionism Is Anti-Semitism” by www.FrontPageMagazine.com to “Traditional Jews Are Not Zionists” stated by http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com/ .
To help sort a lot of this out, one can always look into the history of the Zionist movement or Modern Zionism where the key founders and supporters such as Theodor Benyamin Ze'ev Herzl, Chaim Weizmann, David Ben-Gurion and Asher Hersh Ginsberg come to the forefront.
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Leadership and Self-determination!
Steven Shamrak. December 23, 2005
"Sharon would accept a Palestinian state in Gaza and 90 percent of the West Bank, and a compromise on Jerusalem, in exchange for peace. But the Israeli leader does not believe Palestinians will be able to deliver peace or make other compromises" - Kalman Gayer, Ariel Sharon 's senior campaign pollster, has revealed the truth about Sharon 's intentions.
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Disengaging Disengagement
Mordechai From Middle East Information Center 08/08/2005
I want to start out with this commentary in stating I do not support the disengagement of Yesha known as the West Bank and Gaza strip for many reasons that are addressed in my commentary “A Two State Solution, but not what you think.” However I wish to comment on the apparatus of disengagement and the confusion it causes on both sides of the disengagement. That being the finality of disengagement of Yesha is not disengagement at all.
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The question of an entropic Iraq
Mordechai From Middle East Information Center 07/31/2005
For many critics of the Iraqi operation, the question is commonly used. In various forms perhaps, but nonetheless it articulates one of the principle arguments against the Iraqi operation. However for those who support the Iraqi operation, the question is not a valid question as it inherently has bias. Whatever side one may be, much of the question depends on one’s perceptions and goals for the operation; moreover, it brings with it any bias, prejudice one may have, such as a view of an “imperial United States,” or some variation of an evil wrong United States and allied forces or Arab and Muslim countries, or “the Jews are responsible,” or “Islam is the root of all evil” among other reasons. Moreover, many have a vicarious bias such as lashing out at Iraq for a grievance with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict or vice-versa.
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A Two State Solution, but not what you think: part II, The Economic Union
Mordechai From Middle East Information Center 07/06/2005
After a few questions from readers I thought it necessary to go in further detail on the solution. However, I would first like to regress a bit and to help answer the question at how I arrived at the Economic Union solution. Quite simply, the current "road map" offers no real solution but a process of attrition and a more polarized environment for both Israel and Palestinians while enabling the local and surrounding terrorist groups to have more mobility, cover, supply, further integration into the population and not to mention the finalities limiting future possibilities in regards to the conduct of war and diplomacy.
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Is it really East versus West?
Mordechai From Middle East Information Center 03/31/2005
Almost everyday I encounter a person, news report or editorial lumping all Muslims in one category with the label of "Terrorist Religion", "The Religion of intolerance and Repression" or "Islam is the enemy of the World." One problem I have with this is that if we are to win or significantly reduce terrorism as defined by "The War on Terror" we are surely to lose as we are attacking the wrong target. So I ask is it really east versus west?
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A Two State Solution, but not what you think.
Mordechai From Middle East Information Center 03/28/2005
In many regards, there is already a Palestinian state via Oslo and following peace accords. So the question is, what does the current Palestinian state have or how is it defined? If we were to take a closer look at it, we would find the state has a President, International recognition, a flag and other nationalistic symbols, a police force, banks, territory, citizens, trade, an economy and the list goes on. The one thing that is being worked on is a Palestinian currency. So with that being said, as Israel declared a state, why hasn't the existing Palestinian government? It would most certainly force a vote in the General Assembly and would likely become "officially" a state. One could argue that the current Israeli forces create a situation of duress; however, I would argue that the declaration of Israel was no cakewalk either.
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Some Advice to Fanatics
Dr. Artin August 5th, 2006
Recent escalation of violence in the Middle East initiated by frustrated weak militarists against angry more powerful ones might have caused some ambivalence where to stand! The simple answer for many of us, as pacifists who enjoy peace at home and are currently not affected directly by war, is to reject both sides for their violent behavior. For those who are suffering or have suffered because of war, the answer might be different. Apparently Israelis, whose ancestors’ right to live freely was taken away by the most brutal fanatic of the 20th century, take any threat to their existence seriously and are afraid of the rise of a 21st century fanatic who opposes their people. Some of them as fanatic Jews might compete with their fanatic Muslim cousins and become so revengeful that they take an eye for an eye in the name of their religious pride. It is time that these cousins compete for forgiveness and independent peaceful co-existence to show that their faith is worth being proud of! If they freely choose violence instead, they should be aware that a natural outcome of such a choice might be death or self destruction.
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PRESS FREEDOM VERSUS CORRUPTION IN KURDISTAN
BY DR.KAMAL SAID QADIR Vienna-Austria
Low levels of freedom of the press are associated with higher levels of corruption. This rule is also the main reason behind the oppression of press freedom worldwide, including the Kurdistan Region.
Corrupt systems hate the free press, because it is simply bad for corruption. The press plays the leading role in detecting the crimes of corruption and making it public, what may lead to accountability.
This correlation between press freedom and corruption is much more obvious in Kurdistan, where official corruption has reached alarming levels threatening the future and national security of Kurdistan Federal Region.
Shoulder on shoulder with the increasing rampant corruption in that region, the oppression of press freedom, journalists, writers and intellectuals has reached also very critical levels, even compared with press freedom in most corrupt societies in the World.
An empirical investigation into into the legal, economic, political and social fields, in connection with the press freedom in Kurdistan, will lead us to the same conclusion, many other independent researchers on this topic have achieved so far. There is namely a strong correlation between the oppression of the press freedom and corruption in a given society.
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For the people of my origin!
Dr. Artin May 7th, 2006 - Kurdish American Education Society
In response to my expressed hopes for the people of my origin I recently received comments such as:
“… we shall unite the region against separation,…crazy world splitting us into small pieces, … people like you must and will stand trial for treason… idiotic separating mentality, Why??…you want to write the history on your way …you are working for... terrorist regime,…you are not a separate nation. Just because colonialists want it that way…So last thing these separatists know is history…Hallucination, is that what it called??...Think before opening that big fat mouth… Don’t feed strangers of British colonialism, American Imperialism and French Fascists, Got it??..... As long as we are alive, we will fight traitors…will not surrender one inch of the HOLY soil of… you take your hands off…, you imposter even don’t know the history …Treason??? Separatism shall never be tolerated (Period)…You and your friends shall be held responsible for your acts in the future courts …Sorry in the future anybody spoken of separation I will shut his/her mouth no tolerance whatsoever… a good respond to you and separatist dogs like you… I would dare you to try such a thing”.
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Memorial Day, a Kurdish American perspective
Dr. Artin May 27, 2006 - Kurdish American Education Society
Memorial Day in the US for some of us, as average citizens might mean camping, barbequing, and socializing with friends on the last weekend of May. For those who have lost their loved ones, those who have had traumatic experiences, and those who are still in the battle field to protect and expand freedom, Memorial Day might have a different meaning. It is beyond my ability to comment on the motivation, cost, and outcome of the wars that American soldiers have engaged in to globalize the American ideals in the past. However, I will try to comment on their current war on this Remembrance Day.
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Kurdish vs. Kurdish American Dream!
Dr. Artin June 2nd, 2006 - Kurdish American Education Society
For a KNC-NA conference on Iran in Washington DC on May 30th, 2006, I had prepared a presentation on independence, a Kurdish dream. Since a Kurdish dream seemed difficult to have by many of the guests in the conference, I modified my presentation to reflect a Kurdish American dream, federalism. Consistent with this objective, I decided to highlight some flaws in Iranian constitution. I suggested that if the Iranian opposition votes for a federation such as the one in Canada or Switzerland, then the constitution needs to change and reflect a democratic and voluntary union!
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Insulting humor loses its educational effect
Dr. Artin June 1st, 2006 - Kurdish American Education Society
Humor is the tool of many intellectuals not only to cheers people up but to make an educational contribution to their society. Reportedly an Iranian humorist, Mana Nayestani, had ridiculed the language of Azari minority to that of insects. In response another humorist, Elmira C, harshly has ridiculed Persian language to barking of dogs. I understand that such humor is reflective of anger and frustration related to discrimination and unresolved ethnic and nationality conflict in Iran. I believe the burden is primarily on dominant groups in a society to assure the minorities have their rights, so they can trust the majority. If this expectation is not met, reacting with anger is not unusual. However, using an insulting language would promote hate than justice, and I wish the above mentioned intellectuals could have avoided it, despite being humorous.
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The Palestinian National Accord: Consensus at Any Cost
May 26, 2006 - Washington Institute
By Ben Fishman and Mohammad Yaghi
Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmoud Abbas’s surprise May 25 announcement that he would call for a national referendum should Palestinian factions fail to reach agreement during their national dialogue was wrongly interpreted as a peace plan by many in the press. The document Abbas threatened to put to a popular vote is intended to quell the daily gun battles, kidnappings, and assassination attempts among rival armed groups in Gaza. However, since each party will interpret the document to affirm its own interests, the vague language on relations with Israel could be interpreted either as advocating a one-state solution that would eliminate prospects for peace or as recognizing a two-state solution. Abbas and Fatah may view the “national accord,” negotiated earlier in May among prominent prisoners in Israeli jails, as a means of forcing Hamas into a corner on negotiating with Israel, but the text of the document much more closely resembles Hamas’s own political program. (Read an English translation of the national accord in PDF format.)
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2006 Soref Symposium: How to Deal with the Challenge from Iran
May 29, 2006 - Washington Institute
Featuring Graham Allison and Richard Haass
On May 12, 2006, Graham Allison and Richard Haass addressed the 2006 Soref Symposium. Dr. Allison is a professor of government and the director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. During the Clinton administration, he served as assistant secretary of defense for policy and plans. Dr. Haass is the president of the Council on Foreign Relations. He served as director of policy planning at the State Department from 2001 to 2003. The following is a rapporteur’s summary of their remarks.
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The IDF and the Israeli Spirit
Spring, 2006 - Washington Institute
By Moshe Yaalon
I know of no other country in the world whose existence as an independent, sovereign state has been called into question for so long and in so many different circles as has Israel’s. This continuous existential challenge will be the foremost problem with which Israel and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are going to have to contend for the foreseeable future.
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Rising Tensions Between Turkey’s AKP and the Courts
May 30, 2006 - Washington Institute
By Soner Cagaptay
On May 17, a gunman chanting Islamist slogans attacked the Turkish Council of State (the Danistay, or high court for administrative affairs) in Ankara. The gunman killed one judge and wounded four others who were sitting in the Council’s second chamber, which has recently upheld Turkey’s ban on “turbans” in schools. In accordance with the European and Turkish notion of secularism (laïcité in French) as freedom from religious symbols in the public sphere, Turkey bans public officials and school students wearing turbans—a specific style of women’s headcover that emerged in the mid 1980s and that the courts consider an Islamist political symbol. (Turbans are distinct from traditional headscarves, which are not banned.) Photographs of the judges had earlier been published in Islamist newspapers with headlines targeting them.
Although the attack might be an isolated incident, it followed months of quarrels about secularism between the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and the high courts. This tension could escalate to threaten to the ability of the AKP, a party with Islamist origins, to remain in government.
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WHO ELSE BUT US
Dr. Artin April 17th 2006 - Kurdish American Education Society
To my knowledge what differentiates intellectuals from the general public is the intellectuals’ sensitivity and ability to analyze mishaps from the past, and make recommendations to create a better present and future. The mind of intellectuals might be free from worries that preoccupy others people’s minds. Being ahead of their time, free minded intellectuals are hopeful to serve their people by discussing matters that the majority of people are not ready to face. As an example when Thomas Jefferson, the prototype of an American intellectual was preparing the declaration of independence in 1770s, many Americans still were not ready do disappoint the British King.
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IN US WE TRUST!
Dr. Artin April. 7 2006 - Kurdish American Education Society
During the past weeks the media has had a fair amount of coverage on two violent and sad events (and rightfully so), men setting fire on Halabce’s monument and an earthquake shaking people in Lurestan, a modified version of Kurdistan. On top of these, Kurdistan experienced a few other major events with less media attention. Kurds of Syria were able to hold a unity conference in Washington DC; Kurds of Iran were shown a green light that they might be supported by the US if they cooperate with Iranian lobbyists opposing the fundamentalist regime in Tehran. The United States remained supportive of the “good Kurds” in Southern Kurdistan, yet continued to ignore the “bad Kurds” in Anatolia who are ruled by a NATO member. Although Turkey remained under pressure to follow democratic principles in hopes of joining the EU, its militarists persisted with their old style of suppression of the Kurdish people. Allegedly the extent of recent violence in Turkey has ranged from shooting at children on the street to using chemical weapons against Kurdish rebels in the mountains. To be fair, one should not underestimate the damages done to the Kurdish movement by some of the Kurds themselves either in Halabce or in the mountains.
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An Achievable Kurdish Idealism!
Dr. Artin Mar. 14 2006 - Kurdish American Education Society
This article is the text of a slide presentation at the 18th annual conference of Kurdish National Congress of North America on March 17-19, 2006. After the conference I had the honor of being elected as one of the board of directors of KNC-NA. I would like to appreciate the trust and confidence of my friends in the organization and I hope that together we can bring further progress to Kurdistan, the Middle East, and the world.
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Nawroz and Inner Liberty
Dr. Artin Mar. 14 2006 - Kurdish American Education Society
As the spring season brings a new beginning, many Kurds symbolically celebrate the victory of liberty over tyranny on Nawroz. On this day people might have a sense of inner liberty and be able to forgive each other for past shortcomings without forgetting possible causes. In the spirit of this unique day on the Kurdish calendar, I would like to focus on the positive sides of all of those who had an impact on Kurdistan during the past year.
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Islam’s Coming Crusade
March 2, 2006 - Washington Institute By Martin Kramer
The Crusades began with a rumor of defilement. In 1095, Pope Urban II denounced the Muslims as "a race utterly alienated from God." Among their many offenses, Muslims had seized the churches of Jerusalem: "They circumcise the Christians, and the blood of the circumcisions they either spread upon the altars or pour into the vases of the baptismal font." Such false rumors were already widespread in Christendom. Urban tapped them to launch the First Crusade.
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Iran: The Least Bad Options for Limiting the Growing Threats
March 2, 2006 - Washington Institute Featuring Patrick Clawson
On March 2, 2006, Institute deputy director Patrick Clawson testified before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. The hearing was on the subject, “Challenges from Iran.” The following is a corrected copy of Dr. Clawson’s written statement.
Given the fiasco about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, it is only natural that many Americans are suspicious when the Bush administration warns that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. And against the background of many exaggerated claims about a direct Iraqi role in terrorism against the United States, it is to be expected that many Americans are skeptical about U.S. claims that Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terror. The U.S. government has a tough task to convince Americans that Iran is a real threat. Undertaking that task is well worthwhile.
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Where to Draw the Line on International Assistance to the Palestinians?
March 1, 2006 - Washington Institute By David Makovsky, Michael Herzog, and Elizabeth Young
In the immediate aftermath of Hamas’s parliamentary victory in late January, the Quartet—the United States, the EU, Russia, and the UN—set clear criteria for funding a Palestinian Authority (PA) under Hamas’s leadership. The Quartet said direct funding would be a function of the new government’s “commitment to the principles of nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap.” Indeed, there is no other example of taxpayers subsidizing a government run by an organization that appears on State Department and EU terror lists.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made clear in London and in subsequent congressional testimony that she envisioned the United States and the international community continuing humanitarian support. Continuing humanitarian aid serves a threefold purpose: averting a potential humanitarian crisis, avoiding the unintended effect of strengthening Hamas by fueling public hostility, and sustaining trans-Atlantic unity as exemplified by the Quartet principles in January. Sustaining that resolve will require a common understanding of what is the objective of aid, what types are permissible, and what criteria must be met for it to be dispersed
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A Kurdish Wish for a Happy New Year!
Dr. Artin Dec. 05 2005 - Kurdish American Education Society
I asked myself what is the difference between New Year's day and any other day. I couldn't find any major difference except for the symbolic meaning of an end and a new beginning. New beginnings are usually associated with reviewing of the past, with hope and vitality, and with motivation to implement new ideas for a better future. Although a new year's wish or event is non political, nothing Kurdish can be separated from politic at this stage of Kurdish movement. Independent nations have it easier to organize purely cultural, social, educational, or professional events; for people whose national identity is not recognized by other nations, anything that hints to that identity becomes political. Even the Kurdish American Education Society (KAES), that I happened to have been leading for the past year, is considered political by some standards.
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America’s Earliest Terrorists
Lessons from America’s first war against Islamic terror.
Joshua E. London December 18th, 2005
At the dawn of a new century, a newly elected United States president was forced to confront a grave threat to the nation — an escalating series of unprovoked attacks on Americans by Muslim terrorists. Worse still, these Islamic partisans operated under the protection and sponsorship of rogue Arab states ruled by ruthless and cunning dictators. Sluggish in recognizing the full nature of the threat, America entered the war well after the enemy’s call to arms. Poorly planned and feebly executed, the American effort proceeded badly and at great expense — resulting in a hastily negotiated peace and an equally hasty declaration of victory.
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Visiting Southern Kurdistan Makes 730 a Reasonable
Choice!
Dr. Artin Dec. 05 2005 - Kurdish American Education Society
It is expected for one to not have a sense of belonging to a home, when the home denies one's freedom, security, and identity. I had not felt the importance of identity and belonging until I had the joy of seeing Kurdistan Airline's logo on my airplane
ticket. Although the flight form Frankfurt to Arbil was operated by Hamburg International, speaking in Kurdish with the travel agent at the counter of
Frankfurt airport was enough to give me a sense that I was heading home. The joy of my sense of belonging peaked right after arrival, when I had an urge to show my respect for the achievements in Southern Kurdistan by kissing the ground of the airport in Arbil.
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JIHADI TERRORISM: RIDICULOUS EXPLANATIONS, COMPLEX SOLUTIONS
Terrorism has existed for centuries. The world has witnessed colonialism,
slavery, crusades, inquisition, holocaust, witch burning, destruction of
ancient cultures by invading Islamic warriors and missionaries, communism,
world wars, chemical warfare, guerilla war, and the cold war. Millions of
people perished and several ancient civilizations vanished
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Overcoming Obstacles for Kurdish Independence
Speech for KNC Conference at University of Slahaddin and Sulaimani
Nov. 10 and 13, 2005, Southern Kurdistan
Introduction:
Since I left Eastern Kurdistan 22 years ago, I have been waiting to visit home without going through the territory of neighboring biased countries. It is my utmost pleasure to be able to travel directly from the free world to this part of my homeland and speak freely. Thank you Southern Kurdistan, coalition forces, and KNC for making this happen. The title of the conference is Kurdish Independence. Independence, the freedom from being controlled by others, is not only one of the highest values of mankind, but also a very difficult aim to achieve. Kurdistan, the foster child of the Middle East, has been dreaming of obtaining her natural right of independence for decades. While its inhabitants share a common origin, history, language, and customs that define Kurdistan as a nation, obstacles such as culture, geography, politics, and traumas have prevented Kurdish independence.
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Zarqawi’s ‘Total War’ on Iraqi Shiites Exposes a Divide among Sunni Jihadists
November 15, 2005 - Washington Institute
On November 2, Iraq’s Defense Ministry appealed to junior officers from Saddam Hussein’s disbanded army to return to service. The decision to include these soldiers is part of an ongoing strategy to minimize support for terrorism by reintegrating Sunnis into the political fabric of the new Iraq. This latest effort comes as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s group steps up targeting of Shiite civilians in an effort to spark retaliatory attacks against Sunnis. But as Zarqawi’s attacks on Shiites exact growing toll among civilians, his tactics may be causing a divide within the ranks of the resistance.
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Israel's Search for Peace and Security: The Challenges Ahead
November 04, 2005 - Washington Institute
Ten years ago today, the Israeli prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, was assassinated. This was one of the darkest days in the history of the State of Israel, the Israeli democracy, and the Jewish people. Prime Minister Rabin, who had also previously served as the IDF’s chief of the General Staff, was born in Jerusalem in 1922—perhaps symbolically, during the days of the first significant Arab murderous attacks against the reestablished Israeli settlements in the land of Israel. In January 1964, Yitzhak Rabin was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, becoming the seventh IDF chief of the General Staff. After war broke out in 1967, General Rabin led the IDF to the decisive victory in the Six Day War and, on December 31, 1967, stepped down from his command with Israel enjoying, for the first time since its establishment, defensible borders.
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Creating Effective International Pressure for Human Rights in Iran
October 26, 2005 - Washington Institute
On November 2, the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee is due to consider a Canadian resolution condemning Iran for human rights violations. A similar resolution was approved by the General Assembly in 2004 by a vote of 71–54 with fifty-five abstentions. Iran’s human rights violations have recently worsened, and the Iranian government is becoming less concerned about international complaints on the matter.
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Syria’s Response to the Mehlis Report
October 24, 2005 - Washington Institute
The long-awaited report by the international commission investigating the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri was released on October 21. Overseen by UN chief investigator Detlev Mehlis, the report concluded, “Given the infiltration of Lebanese institutions and society by the Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services working in tandem, it would be difficult to envisage a scenario whereby such a complex assassination plot could have been carried out without their knowledge.” The dynamics engendered by the report, coupled with the political atmosphere of gloom pervading Syria, confront the Bashar al-Asad regime with a bitter choice: accept international demands or go down the self-destructive path of continuing with its old political mindset and flawed one party rule.
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The Copts and Their Political Implications in Egypt
October 25, 2005 - Washington Institute
In the third week of October, Egypt saw some of its most significant sectarian clashes in the last five years. Violence broke out as police forces protected a church in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria against Muslims protesting a play that was staged inside the church and that they considered offensive to Islam. Sporadic tensions are an expression of Egypt’s general political malaise.
In this climate, the second annual Conference of Coptic Emigrants (Aqbat al-Mahgar) will take place November 16–18 in Washington. The conference comes amid extensive and controversial media coverage in Egypt, where local voices accuse the conference organizers of being supported by foreign powers seeking to interfere in Egypt’s internal affairs and tarnish its reputation. The conference organizers maintain that it is a conference for all Egyptians active in demands for more civil liberties and equality for all citizens.
Christians in Egypt are a main component in the social fabric of the country, and the role they play in politics has considerable implications for the country.
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Why Division?
By: Kamal H Artin Sep 8, 2005 Kurdish American Education Society
Despite opposing views (myself included) not to start
the war, the United States was determined to invade
Iraq and remove one of the Middle Eastern dictators in
March 2003. Many argued that the main goal of the
invasion was domination and the easy access to cheaper
natural resources, in other words, colonialism. While
occupations based on such humiliating factors might
have been true of old aristocratic European and Asian
colonial powers, I think that the main goal of the
United Sates to enter any foreign soil has been to
liberate people from brutal dictators, and create an
opportunity for them to become equal partners in the
global free market economy. It is for such reasons
that this contemporary empire and its people are so
successful in their political or humanitarian actions
as evidenced by ending absolutism in various part of
the world or being the most efficient and generous
providers of humanitarian aid abroad (Tsunami) or at
home (Katrina). Cynical intellectuals might ignore
these facts and the fact that the majority of people
in the world admire this empire including majority of
the voters in Iraq who welcomed the invasion and
regime change by their participation in a democratic
election in January 2005 when they elected their
representatives.
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"NO", a Better Option Now!
By: Kamal H Artin Oct 13, 2005 Kurdish American Education Society
Although a "Yes" vote to Iraqi constitution might be a
temporary bandage to cover a deep wound, a "No" vote
bring Kurdish dream closer to its fulfillment. With
all due respect to all of those Iraqi leaders for
their continuous effort to find a pragmatic solution
to the very complex Kurdish and Iraqi situation and to
modify their draft constitution, they seem to be
moving backward by voting "Yes" to it this time. The
draft still contains elements that are not consistent
with values of contemporary civilized and modern world
or with the assurance that Kurds will be able to
determine their destiny by themselves. The draft still
contains elements of mixture of religion and state and
approves superiority of one religion over others; it
supports the idea of Iraq to be a part of the bigger
Arab nation that has 22 countries, but prevents the
Kurds to have a national identity and a country of
their own.
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Algeria’s GSPC Shows Little Willingness to Accept Amnesty
October 12, 2005 - Washington Institute By Joshua Prober
According to Algeria’s interior minister, Yazid Zerhouni, on September 29 more than 97 percent of voters approved an amnesty for Islamic militants willing to surrender their weapons. Algeria’s main political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), hailed the passage of the amnesty as something that should make the public “proud.” Interestingly, reports suggest that even the former leader and founder of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), Hassan Hattab, is now trying to persuade some of the Algerian terrorist brigades operating in central Algeria to surrender.
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A Bedouin on a Camel? Saudi Foreign Policy and the Insurgency in Iraq
October 5, 2005 - Washington Institute
Iraq’s interior minister, Bayan Jabr, lashed out at Saudi diplomacy while speaking to journalists in Amman on October 2. Referring to Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, Jabr said Iraq would not be lectured by “some Bedouin riding a camel.” Broadening his remarks to the Saudi ruling family, the House of Saud, the Iraqi minister said, “There are regimes that are dictatorships; they have one god, he is the king, he is god of heaven and earth, and he rules as he likes. A whole country is named after a family.”
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No to Islamist Turkey
Center for Security Policy Monday, 2005-09-26 Decision Brief
(Washington, D.C.): On October 3, representatives of the European Union and the Turkish government of Islamist Recep Erdogan will meet to determine whether Muslim Turkey will be allowed to seek full membership in the EU. It will be best for Turkey, to say nothing of Europe and the West more generally, if the EU's answer under present circumstances is: "Thanks, but no thanks."
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Can Democracy Stop Terrorism?
F. Gregory Gause III
From Foreign Affairs, September/October 2005
The Bush administration contends that the push for democracy in the Muslim world will improve U.S. security. But this premise is faulty: there is no evidence that democracy reduces terrorism. Indeed, a democratic Middle East would probably result in Islamist governments unwilling to cooperate with Washington.
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For the Kurdish Daughters of Mesopotamia!
By: Kamal H Artin, Oct. 8, 2005, California - Kurdish American Education Society
Surprisingly current American administration had the courage to take a risk and “terminate” one of the Middle Eastern dictators, without worries about potential complications of an invasion. It is more surprising that the same administration has lost its courage to say no to a flawed draft constitution.
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Anatolian Eagle Air Warfare Training: A Valuable Turkish Contribution to NATO, the United States, and the World
Washington Institute’s Turkish Research Program
Anatolian Eagle is one of the largest and most complex joint air force exercises in the world, paralleled only by Red Flag, held periodically at Nevada’s Nellis Air Force Base, and the annual Maple Flag exercise in Canada. The Turkish Air Force (TUAF) is now preparing for the multinational leg of the next Anatolian Eagle, scheduled to take place September 12–23. Anatolian Eagle has obvious public relations value for Turkey and its air force as hosts of the event. Moreover, as an exercise mimicking realistic aerial war minutes away from the U.S. forces, it also serves as an important component of U.S.-Turkish military cooperation.
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The Role Played by Funding in the Iraq Insurgency
Jane's Intelligence Review, August 2005
Controversy continues to surround the murky role played by financing in Iraq’s insurgency since Operation ‘Iraqi Freedom’ began two years ago. Lieutenant-General John Vines, the Multinational Force commander in Iraq, stated on 21 June 2005: “These insurgents do not have an ideology except violence and power. They have nothing to offer the Iraqi people. And so those who seek to regain power hire people for money to attack the Iraqi security forces, as well as the coalition.” Although ethno-nationalist and religious motivation clearly plays an important role in sustaining the struggle in Iraq, Vines touched on an underappreciated dimension of the conflict.
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Will the PKK Renounce Violence?
Bitterlemons-international.org, August 25, 2005
If the US-Turkish relationship is the single most important unintended victim of the Iraq war, then disarming the PKK is a sure way of restoring the partnership to good health. The PKK presence in northern Iraq has thus far escaped US occupation untouched, and the organization has relaunched attacks inside Turkey. Stopping the PKK now will ensure that Iraq-related issues do not damage the US-Turkish relationship further. Indeed, this is the common logic in Washington and Ankara. The question is how to do it.
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Publicists for Jihad
The media love statistics. Statistics are facts, or anyway, they look like facts, and facts are what the media promise to deliver. And when those facts corroborate media prejudices--well, all the better.
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Lessons for the Islamic world
Since the terrorist bombing in London on July 7, there have been a number of articles published dealing with the causes and effects of the bomb attack. Most of the writers argued that the attacks were the result of frustration and hopelessness of the Muslim community the world over. They cited two principal reasons: first, the West's foreign policy in the Middle East that favours Israel at the expense of the Palestinians and second, the US-led invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. They primarily blamed the US President George Bush and the British PM Tony Blair for alienating the Muslim community and giving boost to the extremist elements within it. One of them suggested that since the West would not be able to defeat Al-Qaeda, they should negotiate peace with them as the British did with the IRA in Ireland. However, I would argue that even if the Palestinian state is established and the Western troops depart from Afghanistan or the Middle East, Islamic religious extremism and violence is not going to go away.
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IRAQ: Militia Groups
Updated: June 09, 2005
What's the status of Iraq's various militia groups?
Despite repeated U.S. requests for them to disband, Iraq's various ethnic and sectarian militias continue to exist, and in some cases, are on a path to being recognized as part of Iraq's security apparatus. On June 8, for example, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani praised an Iran-trained Shiite militia known as the Badr Organization and the Kurdish peshmerga security force. The continued operation of these militias raises fears among experts that security responsibilities in Iraq will increasingly be enforced not by a unified, U.S.-trained army, but by a diverse group of potentially feuding militias that could deepen the nation's sectarian divisions.
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General admits to secret air war
Michael Smith The Sunday Times - Britain June 26, 2005
THE American general who commanded allied air forces during the Iraq war appears to have admitted in a briefing to American and British officers that coalition aircraft waged a secret air war against Iraq from the middle of 2002, nine months before the invasion began
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Al Qaeda issues “final warning” to Europe
July 19, 2005, 7:27 PM (GMT+02:00)
The same Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades which claimed London’s July 7 rail-bus attacks gives European states still in Iraq – Denmark, the Netherlands, Britain, Italy – one month to bring their soldiers out.
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Don't cut and run in the War on Terror
Center for Security Policy June 28, 2005
On the eve of President Bush's major address tonight on the status and prospects of the War on Terror, the Center for Security Policy released a new "web ad" warning that there is no way the United States can safely follow the advice of Mr. Bush's critics who would have us cut and run from Iraq and Guantanamo Bay.
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The Jewish state-icide
Center for Security Policy Monday, July 11, 2005
Suddenly, the world is seized with the danger of ignoring the Islamofascists in our midst. Lengthy front-page articles in Sunday's New York Times and Washington Post describe how British authorities allowed this virulent ideology-masquerading-as-a-religion to establish - and metastasize - into a veritable "Londonistan" in the years preceding last week's murderous attacks on the host community.
The complacency shattered by the four bombs in London has been replaced with hard questions about the threat posed to other West societies. The French, Dutch, Germans and Italians are suddenly seized with the prospect that their own Londonistans are festering Islamist breeding grounds, sores that can at any time subject transportation and other soft targets in these democracies to the sort of bloodletting seen over the past fifteen months in Spain and Britain.
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Africa Needs an Al Jazeera
By Philip Fiske de Gouveia
From Foreign Policy, June 2005
If G-8 leaders want to promote good governance in Africa, they should pave the way for a news network that will give corrupt politicians headaches all over the continent.
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A Partnership for Central Asia
S. Frederick Starr
From Foreign Affairs, July/August 2005
Summary: U.S. engagement with Afghanistan has brought all of Central Asia to a turning point, but flagging interest and uncoordinated policies risk undermining recent gains. To seize the opportunity for progress in a vital region, Washington should form a Greater Central Asia Partnership for Cooperation and Development.
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Regime Change and Its Limits
Richard N. Haass From Foreign Affairs, July/August 2005
So far, the Bush administration has shown it would like to resolve its problems with North Korea and Iran the same way it did with Iraq: through regime change. It is easy to see why. But the strategy is unlikely to work, at least not quickly enough. A much broader approach -- involving talks, sanctions, and the threat of force -- is needed.
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Middle East Information Center © 2005
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