Saturday 16 June 2012

Eye on The Enemy: "Israel" Threatens World Peace More than Syria

Global Peace Index, issued by the American Australian Institute for Economics and Peace, ranked "Israel" in the forefront of countries that pose a threat to world peace and ranked 150 in the index. It is noteworthy that the Institute "GPI" is an international non-profit organization specialized in studying the security situation in the world through scientific tools and publishes an annual report since 2007.

According to its report for year 2012, it has been shown that only eight countries, out of 158 countries are more threatening than "Israel" to world peace, including the countries of the Middle East; Iran ranked 128, Lebanon ranked 136, and then Egypt 111, and Syria is ranked 147 in spite of the massacres being committed daily, as it has declined from rank 41 from last year, but "Israel" precedes it by three ranks.

Countries were classified in descending order according to 23 examined negative fields that pose a threat to peace in general, i.e. the proportion of murders and crime, relations with neighboring countries, the power of the army, export of arms, number of soldiers, and the volume of heavy weapons owned by the state as well.

The index classified Somalia in the last rank 158, as the most dangerous country for world peace for the third consecutive year, and then followed by Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, Democratic Republic of Congo, Russia, North Korea, Republic of Central Africa, "Israel", and later in the list, Pakistan, Syria, Libya, Nigeria, Chad, Kuala Lumpur, Yemen, India, Georgia and Zimbabwe.

---------------------------

Livni: Next Elections, No Kadima
Army Radio


Tzipi Livni, attended the seminar of the Ministry of Information in Herzliya, to talk about the illegality of "Israel" in the world and ways to face it, but an occasional note from the public changed everything. During her speech, someone from the audience asked her: "Will Kadima join the government?" as a reference to the new elections. Livni, who was the leader of this party less than three months ago, responded without hesitation: "Kadima will not participate in new elections."

So what does that mean? Was it a vague skit? Or perhaps Livni is cooking something new - for example, a new party with Haim Ramon, who also withdrew from Kadima less than a month ago? Recently, Livni herself is trying to create the image of a "simple worker" for herself, which has been done previously, but she is now investing more in this regard.

MK Ze'ev Bielski said in response, "Livni was one of the founders of the party and she is still a member as I hope she will be present again in the future among its ranks - but I have a different estimate." In an interview at our show "Poker Tov Yisrael" With Micah Friedman, Bielski said: "Elections will be held in a year and a half, during which the public who voted for Kadima, will realize that this party will be serving the State of "Israel"." "We will find an alternative to the Tal Law, and we will change the approach of the government, "and he pledged that" Kadima is a primary party that will contribute to the State of "Israel" and the "Israeli" government".

In the meantime, the President of the Coalition in Likud, Ze'ev Alkene, who seems to be concerned about his office, asked for the forgiveness of Prime Minister Netanyahu. Last week, Alkene voted in favor of the Organization Act, which angered the prime minister and his men, who are more likely to dismiss him.

Such dismissal requires a secret voting session in the Likud bloc. Alkene depended on the freedom of vote given to him, but he is still so far from those who are struggling against Netanyahu's position. Alkene wanted to apologize in the meeting of the bloc, but it was canceled due to the abuse of the prime minister. Therefore, the two met yesterday, when he admitted his guilt. He said, " If the words that I said last week, were interpreted as an abuse against you, Prime Minister, I apologize, it was not my intention, "and continued, " I will take advantage of this meeting in order to apologize in case my words were understood as a personal abuse or interpreted as such. "


MEP: Gush Dan Shelters, All Contaminated
Ynet- Amir Ben David


The examination done by the "Israeli" Ministry of Environmental Protection of the shelters in Gush Dan and Sharon raised a big concern, since taking refuge at these shelters is expected to cause real damage. In real-time shelters are supposed to protect us, but in almost all shelters that have been tested, toxic and carcinogenic elements were found in the air. The Ministry of Environmental Protection examined 179 shelters, and in 177 of them, hazardous materials were found. 10% of these shelters had amounts of toxic substances that exceeded the expected rate that causes a short-time damage.

The screening process took place in the cities of Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Givatayim, Holon, Beth Am, Herzliya and Ramat Hasharon. Toxic or carcinogenic materials were not found in only one shelter in Holon and another in Beth Am. In contrast, in seven shelters in Ramat Hasharon, four in Tel Aviv, and two in Holon and one each from other cities, large enormous quantities of carcinogens and toxic materials were found. 

MEP: Gush Dan Shelters, All Contaminated
Ynet- Amir Ben David


Ministry agents who carried out the examination said it is difficult to ascertain whether the materials came to the shelter are a result of terrestrial gases leakage or due to equipment and other materials stored in or near them. However, they recommend conducting tests on the same shelters to determine the terrestrial gases.

In the years 2008-2012 agents in the Ministry of Environmental Protection shelters of Tel Aviv scanned the areas for fear of contamination. A disturbing picture resulted from the examination will be published in the next issue of the journal "Ecology."

Source: Hebrew Papers
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

Most Precious Gifts


Leaving Palestine when I was seven put my life on hold
Leaving Palestine today tore my soul away 
Shredded, it lingered behind

Scattered between the hills 
of El Haram El Shareef and Olive Mount


Casting her shadow
A rainbow of tenderness and love
over the graves of her ancestors


Drenched with sorrow
Imbued with sadness
Empty, as if bereaved;
I walked away


"Cheer up", I whispered in my ear
"Think of what you just had
where have you been?
what have you seen?"

Sparkles of light peeked through my grief
Sprouting lilies
Blossoming hearts and stars


Then I heard my heart singing 

I had been to PALESTINE
I had been to PALESTINE
 
I had seen it IN SPRING
I had seen it IN SPRING
First time since exile
Forty five years of cruel exile
I had been to PALESTINE


 
A beatific gift... humbling down
Thank you God, Most Gracious, Most Sublime



I had been to PALESTINE
I had the honour to stand before a child
whose gaze caresses Jerusalem hills
as she wanders in her thoughts
At night, she opens the door
Her colourful dreams run out
flying over the village next door
Stroking her hills, calming her fears
Giving Lifta solace in her solitude
Praying with her for the return of her loved ones
Humbled, besotted, full of adoration
I fall on my knees
 Thank you God, Most Gracious, Most Sublime


I had been to PALESTINE
I had the pleasure
of looking into the eyes of my grandmother



To kneel before her, kiss her hand
To see her smiling
To hear her voice
To hold her close
To dry my tears with her veil
To soothe my heart with her prayers
Thank you God, Most Gracious, Most Sublime




I had been to PALESTINE
With the eyes of my soul
I had seen my many loved ones
my parched heart swells with gratitude
Flowers with joy
Smiles grow broad, sincere and serene
Thank you God, Most Gracious, Most Sublime




















                               



YES
I had been to PALESTINE

Thank you God, Most Gracious, Most Sublime



New Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Houla: "The Extermination"

Via FLC

Via 'b' at MoonOfAlabama;
A well regarded and qualified author of the prime German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported (in German) how the recent massacre in Houla, Syria, was perpetrated by Sunni rebel forces. I translated the piece to English. There was some push back against the piece and an anonymous rebuttalfrom Houla activists.
 
In a new piece (in German) the reporter, Rainer Hermann, extends on the first one and explains why his reporting is correct and why other reporting was terribly wrong.What follows is my translation of the FAZ piece: The Extermination
The Houla massacre was a turning point in the Syrian drama. There was great worldwide outrage when 108 people were killed there on May 25, among them 49 children. Calls for a military intervention to end the bloodshed became louder and the violence in Syria has since steadily escalated. Based on Arab news channel and the visit of UN observers on the following day, world opinion almost unanimously blamed the regular Syrian army and the Syrian regime's Shabiha militia for the massacre. 
In the past week and based on reports from eyewitnesses the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung put this version into question. It reported that the civilians killed were Alawites and Shiites. They were deliberately killed by armed Sunnis in Taldou, a town in the plains of Houla, while fierce fighting between the regular army and Free Syrian Army was taking place at checkpoints around the village.  
Our report was taken up by many media outlets worldwide and was rejected by many as implausible. We have therefore to ask four questions: Why did the world opinion so far followed a different version? Why does the context of the civil war makes the doubted version plausible? Why are the witnesses credible? What other facts support the report?
Firstly, why world opinion follow a different version?  
It is undoubted that during the first months of the conflict, when the opposition did not yet possess weapons and was defenseless, all atrocities were done by the regime. The assumption is therefore obvious that this would continue. [Note by the translator: Here Mr. Hermann errs. There were reliable reports about deadly attacks against government forces by well armed perpetrators, allegedly foreign financed, as early as April 10 2011.]  
Furthermore, the Syrian state media enjoy no credibility. They use the standard labeling "armed terrorist gangs" since the beginning of the conflict. Thus no one believes them, when that is indeed the case. Two media outlets, the Arab news channel Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya have become key sources even as their owners, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, are two states which are actively involved in the conflict. Not without reason do we know the saying "In war, truth dies first." 
Secondly, why is, in the context of the civil war, the doubted version plausible?  
During recent month many weapons have been smuggled into Syria and the rebels have long had mid-sized weaponry. Every day more than 100 people are killed in Syria with about equal numbers of dead on both sides. The militias that operate under the banner of the Free Syrian Army control wide parts of the provinces of Homs and Idlib and extend their dominion over other parts of the country. The increasing lawlessness has led to a wave of criminal kidnappings and also facilitates the settling of old disputes. 
 If one looks through Facebook pages or talks to Syrians: Everyone knows everyday stories of "religious cleansing" - of people being killed just because they are Alawite or Sunni.The plain of Houla, which lies between the Sunni city of Homs and the mountains of the Alawites, is predominantly inhabited by Sunnis and is burdened by a long history of sectarian tensions. The massacre took place in Taldou, one of the largest sites of Houla. Of the names of civilians killed, 84 are known. These are the fathers, mothers and 49 children of the family Al Sayyid and two branches of the family Abdarrazzaq. Residents of the city state that these were Alawites and Muslims who had converted from Sunni to Shia Islam. A few kilometers away from the border with Lebanon, this made them suspect of being sympathizers of Hezbollah, detested among Sunnis. Additionally killed in Taldou were relatives of the government loyal member of parliament Abdalmuti Mashlab.The homes of the three families are located in different parts Taldou. The members of the families were targeted and killed up to one exception. No neighbor was injured. Local knowledge was a prerequisite for these well-planned "executions".  
The AP news agency quoted the only survivor of the family Al Sayyid, the eleven year old Ali, as saying:. "The perpetrators were shaved bald and had long beards." This is the look of fanatical jihadists, not of the Shabiha militia. The boy said he survived because he had pretended to be dead and smeared himself with the blood of his mother. 
On April 1 the nun Agnès-Maryam, from the monastery of Jacob ("Deir Mar Yakub") which lies south of Homs in the village of Qara, described in a long open letter the climate of violence and fear in the region. She comes to the conclusion that the Sunni insurgents operate a stepwise liquidation of all minorities. She describes the expulsion of Christians and Alawites from their homes, which are then occupied by the rebels, and the rape of young girls, who the rebels pass off as "war booty"; she was an eye witness when the rebels killed a businessman in the street of Wadi Sajjeh with a car bomb after he refused to close his shop and then said in front of a camera from Al Jazeera that the regime had committed the crime. Finally she describes how Sunni insurgents in the Khalidijah district of Homs locked Alawite and Christian hostages into a house and blew it up only to then explain that this was an atrocity of the regime.Why are, in this context, the Syrian witnesses (in my report) regarded as credible? Because they do not belong to any party of the conflict, but are caught in the middle and have no other interest than to stop a further escalation of violence. Several such people have already been killed. Therefore, no one wants to reveal their identity. In a period in which an independent review of all facts on the spot is not possible there can be no certitude that all details have happened exactly as described. Even as the massacre in Houla took place in the version described here, no conclusions can be drawn from it for other atrocities. As before in Kosovo every massacre must be examined individually after this war. 
What other facts support this version?  
The FAZ was not the first to reported on a new version of the massacre of Houla. Other reports could just not compete with the big key media. The Russian journalist Marat Musin, who works for the small news agency Anna, was in Houla on May 25 and 26, in part became an eyewitness and also published the statements of other eyewitnesses. Additionally the Dutch Arabist and freelance journalist Martin Janssen, who lives in Damascus, contacted the Jacob Monastery in Qara, which has taken in many victims of the conflict with the nuns doing devote humanitarian work, after the massacre. 
Sunni rebels perpetrate "liquidation" of all minorities The nuns told him how on that May 25th more than 700 armed rebels, coming from Rastan, overran a roadside checkpoint of the army near Taldou, how these, after the massacre, piled up the corpses of the killed soldiers and civilians in front of the mosque and how they, on next day, told their version of the alleged massacre by the Syrian army in front of the cameras of rebel-friendly channels and to the UN observers. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced on May 26 at the UN Security Council that the exact circumstances are unclear. The UN could confirm, however, "that there has been artillery and mortar attack. There were also other forms of violence, including shots from up close and serious abuses."The following sequence of events can be reconstructed: After the Friday prayers on May 25th more than 700 gunmen under the leadership of Abdurrazzaq Tlass and Yahya Yusuf came in three groups from Rastan, Kafr Laha and Akraba and attacked three army checkpoints around Taldou. The numerically superior rebels and the (mostly also Sunni) soldiers fought bloody battles in which two dozen soldiers, mostly conscripts, were killed. During and after the fighting the rebels, supported by residents of Taldou, snuffed out the families of Sayyid and Abdarrazzaq. They had refused to join the opposition.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

BREAKING: Saudi crown prince Nayef dead: state TV

Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, interior minister and next in line to throne has died in Geneva
Reuters , Saturday 16 Jun 2012
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud has died in Geneva, Saudi state television said on Saturday, citing a royal court statement.

Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, a half brother of King Abdullah and the long-serving interior minister of the kingdom, died on Saturday, state television announced.

The 79-year-old Prince Nayef, who was recently abroad for medical treatment, had "died outside the kingdom," said Al-Ekhbariyah Television, quoting a statement from the royal court.

A controversial figure, the Crown Prince was known for his fiercely conservative views and for backing crackdowns on pro-democracy movements both in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

More to follow
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

Syria crisis: conflict of giants ... By Proxy

أزمة سورية: صراع العمالقة.. بالوكالة

إسراء الفاس

تتسارع وتيرة أحداث أزمة دمشق بشكل معقد وغير مسبوق، وفي ظل عدم لوحان أي أفق لحلحلة سياسية، لازالت مساعي القطب الروسي مستمرة؛ تارة من خلال التصدي لمحاولات إسقاط سورية دولياً وأخرى من خلال طرح أوراق الحلول واحدة تلو أخرى، عله يتمكن من إخراج سيناريو لحل سياسي يكون مرضياً عنه سورياً ومقبولاً دولياً.
واليوم، بعدما أخذت الأحداث تكشف عن موت بطيء لخطة مبعوث الأمم المتحدة كوفي أنان، يصرّ الروس على انعاش الخطة ومدّها بدم جديد يعيد إليها الروح ويُبعد شبح سقوطها بالكامل.. فكانت فكرة عقد مؤتمر دولي للدول النافذة في المنطقة.
الدكتور عماد الشعيبييشرح المحلل السياسي والاستراتيجي السوري الدكتور عماد الشعيبي المقترح الروسي بوصفه محاولة إنقاذ لخطة أنان بعدما نعتها دعوات تسليح المعارضة واللغة الاعلامية التحريضية التي تستخدمها بعض الدول.
وفي حديث خاص إلى الموقع الإلكتروني لقناة المنار، أوضح الشعيبي أن خطة المبعوث الأممي تندرج في إطار تفاهم أُبرم بين واشنطن وموسكو على إثر زيارة قام بها مساعد وزيرة الخارجية الأميركية فريديرك هوف إلى العاصمة الروسية، أعلن الطرفان عقبها أن أموراً جرى بحثها في العمق.
ويلفت الأستاذ المحاضر في جامعة دمشق أن بحوزة هوف ثلاث ملفات يتابعها اليوم:
الأول – ملف الصراع العربي - الصهيوني وتحديداً ما يتعلق بلبنان وسورية.
الثاني – ملف الغاز في منطقة الشرق الأوسط، وهو كان وراء زيارة عدة قام بها إلى لبنان لثنيه على ترسيم الحدود مع الكيان الصهيوني لتحديد مناطق الغاز.
الثالث- الملف السوري.
فزيارة هوف إلى موسكو لم تكن مرتبطة بالملف السوري وحده، بل برزمة الملفات التي يتابعها، حسبما أوضح الشعيبي. وأضاف أن الدعوة الروسية لعقد مؤتمر دولي حول سورية أتت بعد توافق بين الروس والأميركيين على ضرورة التوصل إلى حل ما للأزمة السورية.
وعلّق الشعيبي على موقف الأميركيين والأوروبيين الرافض لمشاركة إيران في المؤتمر الدولي حول سورية بصفتها طرفاً داعماً للنظام السورية، في ظل رضى دولي بمشاركة دول أعلنت بشكل صريح دعمها تسليح مجموعات المعارضة السورية، فقال: "لن ينعقد المؤتمر بدون حضور كافة الأطراف.. ومن لديه اعتراض على مشاركة إيران فهو لا يريد للمؤتمر أن يلتئم. لا يجوز أن ينعقد مؤتمر لصالح طرف واحد، بل يجب أن يشارك كل الأطراف ليكون متوازناً".
وربط الشعيبي زيارة وزير الخارجية الروسي سيرغي لافروف المقررة غداً إلى طهران، مؤكداً ارتباط محادثات المؤتمر بالتوافق على الملف النووي الإيراني. واعتبر أن هناك رزمة ينبغي التوصل إلى توافق حولها من ضمنها: المحادثات النووية... ليتم تهدئة الملف السوري. وأشار إلى أنه سبق وأن تم الاتفاق على صيغة توافقية للملف النووي الإيراني في بغداد، قبل أن تسحب الولايات المتحدة إعترافها بحق إيران بالتخصيب، وتربطه بالإتفاق على الرزمة السابقة الذكر ككل.
صراع القرن: من يملك الغاز؟

لقاء روسي-أميركيوربط الشعيبي أي حل للملف السوري بإيجاد حل لكل من ملفي: الصراع العربي-الصهيوني وقضية الغاز، مشيراً إلى أن هناك قناعة سائدة في الدوائر الأميركية بأن "ملف الغاز مرتبط بنتائج ومآل الصراع العربي-الصهيوني، كون استخراج الغاز من منطقة البحر المتوسط لن يكون ممكناً في ظل عدم وجود هدنة أو ما وصفه بـ"عملية سلام"، ما يعني إنهاء حالة الصراع العربي-الصهيوني أو تبريده، والتخلص من الدول المناوئة لأميركا و"إسرائيل".
"الدراسات تجمع بأن منطقة شرق المتوسط اليوم هي أشبه بمنطقة الخليج العربي في مطلع القرن العشرين فهي تخزن موارد الطاقة من نفط وغاز، والغاز سيكون المورد الأهم في القرن المقبل.. ما يعني أن صراعات المنطقة هي صراعات على هذا المورد بالدرجة الأولى" يقول عماد الشعيبي.
سورية: خزان المتوسط الأغنى بالغاز
أنابيب الغازويفنّد المحلل الإستراتيجي السوري أسباب صراع النفوذ بين المعسكرين الأميركي والروسي، مشيراً إلى أن الحسابات الدولية تلحظ أن الأراضي السورية هي الأكثر غنىً بالغاز نسبةً لغيرها من دول المنطقة. وأن الموجود في منطقة المتوسط هو من فائض غاز البر السوري، ما يفسر ملامح مشهد الصراع على سورية.
كما يوضح أن السيطرة على الغاز السوري تقع في سلم الأولويات الأميركية، خصوصاً وأن روسيا تضع يدها على مشروعي "السيل الشمالي" و"السيل الجنوبي"، وبعد قطع إمدادات أنبوب نابكو من خلال السيطرة على 80% من الغاز التركمستاني، والقرار الإيراني بتمرير الغاز عبر العراق إلى سورية لا عبر أنبوب "نابكو" التركي.
"واضح بأن روسيا تعتبر أن نجاحها في السيطرة على القرن القادم هو من خلال سيطرتها على موارد الغاز وحجبها عن الولايات المتحدة"، التي سارعت مبكراً في الدخول إلى اللعبة عندما أرسلت فريقاً من شركة انجي الأميركية للتنقيب في فلسطين المحتلة وقبرص على الرغم من كل "النعيق" التركي بأن منطقة قبرص يعود غازها إلى الأتراك"، يقول د. الشعيبي.
ويعتبر أن الروس يريدون من خلال وضع اليد على الغاز بأن يقولوا بأنه لم يعد هناك مكان للأحادية الأميركية بل هناك أقطاب جدد على الساحة الدولية الروسي والصيني. كما يضيف أن المقترحات الروسية تحمل في طياتها رسالة مفادها أنه من غير المسموح تدهور الأوضاع في سورية أكثر، وقد "آن الأوان لتنتهي اللعبة في سورية، ولا يجب أن تبقى الأزمة مفتوحة".
الحرب الباردة : إحتراق العمالقة
المندوبين الصيني والروسي في مجلس الأمنويشير المحلل السياسي والاستراتيجي السورية إلى أن الصراع في المنطقة وصل إلى حد يقارب الذورة وهو في أعلى معادلاته منذ نهاية الحرب الباردة. وأضاف: "نحن اليوم أمام حرب ساخنة وحالة من الاحتراق بين العمالقة؛ عملاق سابق وهو الأميركي وعمالقة تدعوه للانسحاب من المشهد الدولي".
ولفت الشعيبي إلى كلام لبريجينسكي قال فيه إن الصينيين أبلغوا الأميركيين بأن عليهم أن يدركوا أنهم لم يعودوا الرقم واحد في العالم، وأنهم لا يريدون لأميركا أن تنحدر بسرعة لأن أحداً لا يستطيع أن يملأ ما ستتركه من فراغ في العالم بسرعة.
وأكد أنه رغم تنامي حدة الصراع، إلا أن الأميركيين لا يريدون فتح أكثر من جبهة لأن ذلك سيكون بمثابة النهاية للأميركيين، ولا نية لديهم بالاصطدام مع الروس في الوقت الحالي.. بل هم مستعدون لتقديم بعض التنازلات مقابل التفرغ بالكامل لمعركة النفوذ القادمة مع الصين، والحؤول دون أن تحل مكان الأميركيين على المستوى الاقتصادي والجيبولوتيكي في منطقة الباسيفيك.
وأمل المحلل الإستراتيجي السوري عماد الشعيبي أن ينعقد المؤتمر الدولي حول سورية كترجمة لاتفاق روسي-أميركي يهدف لحل لا يعطله الأميركيون في اللحظات الأخيرة.. وإلا فأفق الأزمة سيكون مفتوحاً ليصبح "حرباً بالكونترا".. ما يعني ثورة مضادة بحسب تعبيره.
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

"Mikati surprised Americans & even Israelis with his independence from both Syria & Iran"

Via FLC

"... Prime Minister Najib Mikati is struggling to keep Lebanon out of the fray through a policy he calls “dissociation.” Though Mikati was seen as a strong Assad backer when he became prime minister last year, he has surprised Americans and even Israelis with his relative independence from both Syria and its patron, Iran.To make dissociation work, Mikati has pulled back not simply from Assad but also somewhat from Hezbollah, the Shiite militia that is Assad’s key ally in Lebanon. It’s a tricky move, since Mikati heads a government dominated by Hezbollah. But he knows that as prime minister, he must represent the Sunni community, which traditionally holds this post under Lebanon’s religious power-sharing system. 
Mikati’s first step away from Syria and Hezbollah was a decision last November to fund the U.N. special tribunal investigating the 2005 murder of former Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri.... 
Rahimi in a press conference with Miqati
In cae you missed it: US Envoys: Losing Lebanon—Visit by Visit?
A second surprise for U.S. officials was Mikati’s willingness to stiff Iran last month. Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi had traveled to Beirut with a 105-member delegation to complete agreements implementing several dozen protocols on trade and other issues. But Mikati didn’t sign the package, leaving his economics minister to endorse several smaller measures. The Iranian visitor was said to be furious, while State Department officials were delighted...."

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!