Sunday, May 22, 2011
OBAMA REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO 'CONTIGUOUS PALESTINE'
SAUDI, UAE CHARITIES SPENT $100 MILLION A YEAR TO FUND TERROR NETWORKS IN PAKISTAN: WIKILEAKS VIA PAKISTAN PAPER DAWN
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Recalling the Six-Day War and its Aftermath
Spanish Demonstrators Defy Rally Ban
Monday, 23 May 2011
The White House has released an advance copy of U.S. President Barack Obama's May 22 address to AIPAC, the leading lobbying organization for Israel. The President's speech stresses the "ironclad" bond that exists between Israel and the United States, based on mutual interests and shared values, while also reaffirming his commitment to creating a "sovereign, viable" Palestinian state (a second Arab state in historic Palestine after Jordan) with "contiguous" borders based on negotiated "land swaps." The key excerpt is set forth below.
Obama's repeated reference to "contiguous" coupled with "viable" and "land swaps" is most ominous as it implies chopping Israel into two sections. Israel would be reduced to a bifurcated ghetto, reliant on outside powers for security.
It is inconceivable that any U.S. state (Israel is roughly the size of New Jersey) would voluntarily agree to such a suicidal scheme, let alone the U.S. itself, of course, or any nation on earth. The outline of Obama's peace plan recalls the "peace for our time" Munich Pact and the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia. History is either repeating, or, as Mark Twain put it, rhyming, in ways that threaten Israel's survival.
I said that the United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine. The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states. The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state.
As for security, every state has the right to self-defense, and Israel must be able to defend itself - by itself - against any threat. Provisions must also be robust enough to prevent a resurgence of terrorism; to stop the infiltration of weapons; and to provide effective border security. The full and phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces should be coordinated with the assumption of Palestinian security responsibility in a sovereign, non-militarized state. The duration of this transition period must be agreed, and the effectiveness of security arrangements must be demonstrated.
That is what I said. Now, it was my reference to the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps that received the lion's share of the attention. And since my position has been misrepresented several times, let me reaffirm what "1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps" means.
By definition, it means that the parties themselves - Israelis and Palestinians - will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967. It is a well known formula to all who have worked on this issue for a generation. It allows the parties themselves to account for the changes that have taken place over the last forty-four years, including the new demographic realities on the ground and the needs of both sides. The ultimate goal is two states for two peoples. Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland for the Jewish people, and the state of Palestine as the homeland for the Palestinian people; each state enjoying self-determination, mutual recognition, and peace.
Click on the above headline for the Reuters report.
(VOA) A leading Pakistani newspaper has joined with the online whistleblower Wikileaks to publish diplomatic cables which indicate a closer cooperation between the U.S. and Pakistani military in counter-terrorism operations than had been previously known.
The English Language newspaper Dawn began publishing cables received from Wikileaks this week. In the printed cables there are communications which indicate that, in the past, Pakistan's military requested increased drone missions and also allowed U.S. Special Forces to conduct ground operations in volatile frontier regions near Afghanistan.
The claims come at a time when U.S.-Pakistan relations are at a low point following the unilateral U.S. raid to Kill Osama bin Laden in Abbotabad, Pakistan.
The Drone strikes are a highly sensitive issue in Pakistan. On Saturday thousands came out in the city of Karachi to demand an end to the drone attacks.
Pakistan's parliament recently passed a resolution warning that if the strikes continued, important supply routes for NATO forces in Afghanistan could be closed.
The published cables regarding drone activity show that the head of the Pakistani military requested 'continuous' coverage from the unmanned vehicles. But it did not indicate if that coverage also included missile strikes or just information gathering.
The Wikileaks documents also indicate U.S. Special Forces were embedded with Pakistani troops in the 2009 offensive in South Waziristan.
Pakistan's military denies the Wikileaks allegations. A spokesman for the Pakistani Military, Major General Athar Abbas, says no U.S. Special Forces were involved directly in combat operations.
"Absolutely not," said Abbas. "There is no truth in that that there were any boots on the ground either in North Waziristan or South Waziristan. That's not true."
Media reports quote unnamed U.S. military officials in Pakistan as saying there are no combat troops located or operating from inside the country.
Major General Abbas also said that the Pakistani military did not ask for any aid from the U.S. in regards to Drone strikes.
"We have clarified that there was no support sought from the strike drones," added Abbas.
U.S. officials have repeatedly complained that Pakistan's military engages in a double game: playing to Pakistani public opinion by condemning the strikes, but in private supporting them.
Since the May 2 Raid that killed Osama bin Laden the intelligence sharing and relationship between the U.S. and Pakistani intelligence units and military is said to have sunk to its lowest point in many years.
The release of the Wikileaks cables also comes as criticism of the military from the fallout of the Bin Laden raid is at a high point. Many politicians are calling for the military to be censured and brought under the control of elected officials in the Pakistani government and parliament.
WHEN THE ARAB NATION AIMED TO 'CLEANSE PALESTINE' ...
WHEN ISRAEL, ABANDONED BY THE WORLD, WON A MIRACULOUS VICTORY ...
WHEN A VICTORIOUS ISRAEL OFFERED LIBERATED LAND FOR PEACE ONLY TO BE REJECTED ONCE AGAIN BY ENEMIES SEEKING ITS DESTRUCTION ...
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