Towards a global perspective . . .

Back in March, I noticed a couple of news reports about Lebanon that seemed a little fishy to me. I wrote a blog entry about them at the time.[ 1] Both the Arabic, including Lebanese, TV News and the New York Times were reporting about a little group of militants call Fatah al Islam which was reported to have settled in the middle of the Nahr al Bared Refugee Camp in Lebanon. The situation seemed fishy to me for a couple of reasons. First, the NY Times and the Arabic news outlets converged their sights on this group in a very timely way. Also, the Arabic, in particular, the Lebanese news was still investigating the nature of the group and presented the refugee camp in a compassionate light, while the NY Times had them pegged from the beginning as Al Qaeda Terrorists and painted the camp a den of iniquity. Also, the Times was already complaining about Lebanese restrictions on attack ing Palestinian refugee camps.

On May 11, the NY Times printed a letter from the Lebanese Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora[ 2]. In the letter he asserts a very civilized reprimand to Israel for bombing his country last year, and support for the Arab League Peace Initiative for Israel and Palestine, and expresses a desire for the US to arbitrate this solution. The tone is incomprehensible, as if he were not directly involved in the events of last summer, he recites the list of damages with little emotion, then suggests that Israel must learn to be peaceable if they are to have peace. In closing, he would like to see this peaceable solution midwifed by the direct supplier of Israel’s destructive capabilities, who worked overtime to ensure them in unlimited supply up to the very bitter end, and who actively blocked the rest of the world from intervening to set an end to the destruction for several weeks. He nominates Dracula as midwife for the peace process.

Is it any surprise that a couple of weeks later, May 21, it begins. Read the rest of this entry »

At the G8, there was some initial tension between Vladimir Putin and George Bush over the US plan to build missile defense bases in Poland and the Czech Republic. Putin went so far as to threaten to aim Russian missiles at any we might place so close to their border. Bush reassured him that Russia is not the problem and not the target. On the Iranian English TV Station, there was a segment this week where Ali Larinjani laughed and said that the scuffle between the US and Russia, both heavily armed nations possessed of numerous long range nuclear weapons was a very big joke since apparently Iran is the real target. But, he said, Iran does not have the capability of building a nuclear weapon, no does it have the capability of launching a missile to reach Europe, much less the US.

Putin then made a counterproposal that the US and Russia build a joint missile defense system in Azerbaijan where Russia already leases a place to build it. This is interesting because Azerbaijan is a peaceful neighbor of Iran, because Russia has negotiations in the background to buy Iranian oil and gas, so they probably would be happy to place themselves in a position to restrain any US aggression in the area. The main stream media is asking whether Putin was serious with his offer or just creating a distraction. I think he would like to be taken seriously, but probably doesn’t expect that to occur. I wonder if Larinjani is still laughing.

Now picture this. In Watts, some members of the Crips rob a bank. They return to their clubhouse with the police in hot pursuit. When they arrive, the policmen fire on them, and they return fire, killing a couple of the policemen. Governor Schwarznegger calls out the national guard, who surround the entirety of Watts with tanks and cannons and large armaments. They have the power to Watts cut, and the water turned off, then begin firing on the residential areas of Watts. The people of Watts are trapped in the middle of a firefight, the Red Cross isn’t allowed in, and when they are finally let out, adult men are detained for questioning. No assistance is given the families as they head for wherever they think they can find a place to rest. President Bush immediately sends out a large shipment of tanks and helicopters and various types of large ammunition to California to assist in the effort.

The people of Beverly hills sit on their roofs to watch and cheer on the Guard. The national press carries days of stories about the heroic National Guard, and the evil Crips and the danger they present to society. Many blame Hugo Chaves for inciting them to attack the police. Some attribute the problem to illegal aliens. The military continues to shell Watts for a couple of weeks. Watts residents are told that the military will not go into Watts after the Crips if the NAACP or Immigrant support groups can convince the entire club of the Crips and, in particular their leadership, to turn themselves in. Eventually the Guard moves in, Watts is destroyed, hundreds of residents are killed, and hundreds of thousands of residents are left homeless and without resources. Governor Schwartznegger takes credit for decisive action in a crisis.

Can’t happen here? Well, maybe in Lebanon. The accusations seem a little off the wall? Maybe there is a better explanation. But no one is interested . . .

are you?

Lebanon is in the midst of a complex crisis that is creating a situation of absolute devastation for thousands Palestinian refugees and, possibly, returning the entire country to the brink of civil war. While celebrations are occurring on one front due to the upcoming tribunal for the assassination of Rafik Hariri, his son Saad Hariri appears to have a significant role in the creation of the escalating crisis in the Palestinian refugee camps. Hariri, Nadim Gemayel, leader of the Christian Maronite party and Samir Gangeas, head of the military forces are openly blaming Syria for the current crisis, as well as the assassination of Rafik Hariri.

However, evidence is emerging in both the US press and the International press, that the Siniora Government, Saad Hariri, and a secret US program have acted directly and indirectly to produce the current crisis, and continue, not only to deny their responsibility, but to use it to further their own purposes. Meanwhile, Hassan Nasrallah of Hizbollah and General Aoun of the Free Patriotic Movement Party are sitting this one out. Nasrallah has commented that he supports the national army, however he would encourage all parties to act in such a way as to limit the suffering of innocent civilians. As far as I can see, this has not been the case.

I am working on an in depth exploration of this issue, which I expect to post by the end of the week.