Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Blogs | Writers | Paid | My Orble | Login
 
Welcome to Outsider Views. We look forward to your comments and appreciate the support. Politics Blog Directory Progressive Bloggers Bookmark and Share

OV Week-End II (6/20/2010): The Middle East Over the Past 24 Hrs

: Never a Dull Moment!!!
The Past 24 hours has been quite exciting throughout the MIddle East. In Iran, the terrorist Rigi was executed. He was leading a Sunni Splinter group in Southern Iran who had used Pakistan's Baluchestan Region to launch raids into Iran and provide safe passage for drug runners who have used the nearly lawless Southern Iran for drugs coming through Afghanistan. There are some who may say that he was one of the brave ones who took on the regime in Iran because his group was behind the assassination of a number of Senior Revolutionary Guard Commanders . What his biggest crime was to perpetuate the regime because he played into the hands of the regime.
This is exactly the kind of fight that the current regime is vying for to rally the country. They have done it repeatedly throughout the last thirty years.
Iran and the World are continuing their cat and mouse game, too:


Moving on to Israel, it has been quite busy again. Although I welcome the annoucement of the easing of the Gaza blockade, the sea blockade will continue to remain in effect. I am certain that the Israeli Prime Minister wants a prize for doing what the World has been asking for the longest time. I am yet to figure out how it is that chocolate, shaving cream and textbooks are a security risk. But, I guess the folks running Israeli Government Policy are a lot smarter and see things the rest of us don't see. Not withstanding this "development", the fact still remains that Gaza will continue to remain the World's biggest prison. At least Egypt had the courage to open up the Rafah crossing indefinitely. As for the West Bank, supposedly there is freedom of movement. But this was debunked when Norm Chomsky was denied entry to Bethlehem to speak at Bir Zeit University. The Israeli Prime Minister talks a good talk about "two people/two states". Yet, the actions of the Israeli Government betrays this very vision.

Moving on to Iraq and Afghanistan, the wars rage on. They have termporarilyl dropped off the radar screen simply because the Gulf Tragedy continues to dominate--and rightly so. There was just some scant attention made to the Foreign Policy challenges the United States faces. But the challenges are real. The fight is real as this clip indicates and I reported on it earlier when commenting on the "Trillion Dollar Bet":

27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0">

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


The Political Leaders continue to remind us that it will get worst before it gets better. The question is what is defined as better? What is victory? I have read the Obama National Security Strategy and view it as fundementally flawed because it continues to perpetuate a vision originally pushed by George W. Bush. The question is what will happen now.
Add CommentsAdd Comments
58
Vote
   


OV Week_End III (3/7/2010): Today's Tidbits from the Middle East

: Well!??!?
Iraqis went to the Poll. There was violence and some 35 people lost their lives. But the insurgents did not succeed. The reports I have seen show that the elections went well, was well organized and reasonably fair. It shows that the people are speaking with one voice--the need to change. Now the real work begins.

Iraq is a country that is frankly broken in many ways. People can't find jobs. The infrastructure is non-existent. More importantly, the Political leadership is mostly interested in perpetuating its own power structure than actually working to overcome and rebuild. Yet, I believe that the Iraqi People must be congratulated to have turned out in such force to speak for change.

But, there is also one more profound hotspot that should be of concern. George Mitchell is back in the Middle East to start indirect talks. My reaction was simply this: "whatever". The West Bank seems to have made a nascent recovery since 2007. But, land grabs continue. The Israeli Prime Minister has been apparently targeting Muslim Holy Sites. Illegal Settlements are continuing with token Israeli response. What is clear is that the Palestinians have done everything they can according to the roadmap. They have rebuilt institutions, stamped out corruption, began a concerted effort to rebuild their economy and are making progress. Joe Klein talked about in a recent Time Magazine Column he wrote when he was in the Middle East.

There is also a sublte shift by Hamas. Fawaz Gerges, one of the Pre-Eminent Middle East Scholars, has writen on the transformation onf Hamas in a recent edition of the Nation Magazine. He lays out how Hamas has continued to change its stance as it has contineud to rule Gaza. Khaled Mashal has said that that there is an entity called Israel. The Israeli Right and the Amen Crowd in the United States seem to not accept and understand that. Israel's current governing coaliton rejects a Palestinian State despite all the pronoucements that have been made since 1967. What is bothersome is that Israel wants International law to be applied to Iran--yet it exempts itself by virtue of its actions.

As Iraq reached a milestone, there is more challenges to come. The challenge for Iraq is whether the political elite of the country will have the courage to go beyond their narrow self-interest and work for the country and not take five months to form a government. The people of Iraq cannot afford any more disappointments. As for the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, I wish Senator Mitchell success. So far, it has been a utter failure. I have to wonder what will be achieved with this "indirect" approach after all the direct approaches so far. I also wonder what is preventing the United States from putting its' foot down and basically tell Israel that it has to change its ways. Senator Mitchell floated the idea of potentially taking away Israel's financial guarantee if Israel balked at making peace. He was crucified. What are choice is there left?

Add CommentsAdd Comments
25
Vote
   


MIddle East Today: Briefly.....

: Interesting!!!
Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) is reporting that Ali Larijani has arrived in the Holy City of Najaf on an unannouced visit. IRNA also reports that after visiting Imam Ali's Shrine, he is to hold talks with Grand Ayatollah Sistani. This is while some violence has yet again been reported. In addition, there is the agreement Ehud Barak has struck with The Israeli PM-Designate to retain his position as Defense Minister.

I find both developments quite signifcant. The fact that Larijani has gone to Najaf signifies Iran's growing influence and concern. I will be keen to see what Larijani will have to say once he either returns to Tehran or while in Iraq. I am sure that the trip was in the works for a while. As for Barak joining the government, that's also interesting. Supposedly, he has secured Bibi's committment to continue negotations with the Palestinians on a two-state solution and to abide by previous agreements. I hope that it is not mere lipservice, because Bibi did as much as anyone to destroy the spirit of Oslo and the impasse and misery so far in the occupied territories


[ Click here to read more ]
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
30
Vote
   


Witness to History: An Historical Inauguration

: ..and now the real work begins......
History.....
A New Dawn Has Arrived


Barack Hussein Obama is now the 44th President of the United States. Throughout my lifetime, I have had the privilege to read on the traditions and was finally able to be a true witness to this momentous transfer of power due to the power of technology. I have continued to marvel at how someone with so much power gives it up so willingly because the people are truly sovereign in America. This was quite moving when the President and the First Lady escorted Former Mr. and Mrs. Bush


[ Click here to read more ]
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
39
Vote
   


9/11......

: What a Day
The Seven-Year Anniversary of 9/11 is before us. It is gratifying to see that the two leading U.S. Presidential Contenders will unite at the site of that terrible tragedy to remember. It changed lives and the world forever.

Al Qaeda, though, has been at it again. The terrorist Al Zahwari has headlined a video blasting Iran. Your text goes here It also dismissed Hezbollah's war against Israel. This is further proof that Al Qaeda 's supposed ties to Iran (something pushed by John McCain and his buddy Joe Lieberman) is pure fiction. The same peddlers of false history seem to forget that Iran almost went to war with the Taliban and Afghanistan because there is a fundemental disconnect and profound disagreement over the very nature of Islam that the Taliban and Al Qaeda espouse to


[ Click here to read more ]
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
33
Vote
   


Jordan's King Abdullah's Trip to Iraq

: A Hopeful Face for the Middle East.....
King Abdullah has gone to Iraq. This is important because he's the first Arab leader to have gone since the war. Al Jazeera is reporting that he got a nice gift: cheaper oil. Jordan has hosted quite a bit of Iraqi refugees. But, it has also benefited greatly. From the reports I have seen, they are enjoying quite a property boom. So, His Majesty will do what he has to do to maintain the economic and political stability of a country that is 70% Palestinian.

I have found him to be quite interesting and vibrant. I have periodically visited the Jordanian Monarchy Website. It seems that the people seem to genuinely hold the King in high esteem. But, Jordan is one of those countries that does practice "managed democracy", just like countries like Morocco. Al Jazeera was fined in Morocco not too long ago. So, this notion of Al Jazeera somehow being anti-american (the line that the Bush Adminstration tried to sell to the rest of us) is just nonesense. King Abdullah has his eye on the ball. with a very attractive family. IIn my view, Queen Raina, King Abdullah and Queen Noor (King Hussein's Wife) have worked dilligently to overcome the misconceptions that has been perpetuated by that lowlife Bin Laden and his followers. I call Bin Laden a lowlife simply because I have no other way to refer to him. I can't refer to him as an animal, because even animals have an honor code


[ Click here to read more ]
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
25
Vote
   


Mike Pouraryan's Blogs

26166 Vote(s)
361 Comment(s)
500 Post(s)
16091 Vote(s)
129 Comment(s)
317 Post(s)
Moderated by Mike Pouraryan
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]