Jot Mid East

Israel in Haiti

An Israeli doctor's account of the Israeli relief effort -- one of the first up and running in Haiti following the earthquake.

Plea for Obama to support NGO in Gaza

How well was the 2008 Israeli invasion of Gaza covered by the American media? Based on conversations I have had with Middle East residents, Muslims, and American journalists on the subject, there is widespread agreement that US news coverage failed to convey the terrible impact of the invasion on the residents of Gaza. (During the invasion, blogs were the best way grasp what was happening on the ground. In December and January of 2008, ThereLive.com compiled the definitive list of live-bloggers of the Israeli strike on Gaza).

A few months later a new president gave an inspiring speech at Cairo University on peace in the Middle East. However, since then, the US Administration has actively deterred American citizens from turning Obama's hopeful words into good works. The US and other Western countries have been preventing their own citizens from entering Gaza to engage in NGO work. I find it hard to fathom what good is supposed to come from such a policy.

Pam Rasmussen, an activist, has written an open letter to President Obama on the matter:

... perhaps what I have found most upsetting is the complete lack of US willingness to foster the people-to-people exchange we say will help bridge the West/East divide. Some of us in the Freedom March want to live and work in Gaza with nongovernmental organizations dedicated to emergency relief, human rights monitoring and mental health treatment. However, the only way Egypt will allow me into Gaza right now is if I present a letter from my embassy asking that my entry be permitted. Is that too much to ask? It isn’t for individuals with Indian citizenship; the only person who has been granted entry into Gaza since Egypt clamped down in the wake of the Viva Palestina “uprising” (other than a 50-person MP delegation from Europe) has an Indian as well as American passport. He bypassed the US and wisely sought the assistance of India. He got in, and is still there, working on an MIT research project. Ireland has signaled a willingness to help its residents as well. But for those of us who live in the US, Canada, UK, Germany and Portugal? We’ve been flatly turned down. Why? “It’s dangerous,” we’re told.

Afghanistan and Iraq are also dangerous, Rasmussen notes. She certainly has a point. Surely Westerners who want to volunteer to help rebuild Gaza ought to be encouraged to do so.

Photos of funny Egyptian cats

Shroud Cat

In the city of Alexandria I photographed a number of cats (here and here).

However, one photo stuck me as particularly unusual. I had never encountered a blue and green cat before!

Drone attack mortality statistics

According to Pakistani sources, the civilian mortality rate from drone attacks relative to the number of terrorists that have been killed is extremely high. Moreover, the ratio of civilians killed to suspected terrorists appears to have gone up since Obama took office. More here.

Corruption Index 2009: Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria

Some countries in the Middle East -- Egypt, Turkey, and three Gulf States -- did relatively well on Transparency International's corruption index this year:

Egypt has the same perceived level of corruption as Indonesia (#111), but the "land of baksheesh" is perceived as being less corrupt than Lebanon (#130) and Syria (#126) and even Vietnam (#120).
Turkey (#61) and Italy (#63)are perceived as being almost equally corrupt, but Turkey (still considered unfit to join the EU) ranks higher than both Italy and dismally-ranking Greece which is tied with Romania at #71.
Three Gulf states are perceived as less corrupt than Israel (#32)

More results compared here.

Thais most exploited workers in Israel

Reuters (h/t Thai Report):

About 30,000 migrant workers hired by farms in Israel pay thousands of dollars to middlemen for their jobs but earn less than the minimum wage and are cheated out of overtime, according to an Israeli report.

The rights group Kav LaOved says the workers come mostly from Thailand but also Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Palestinian Territories.

Its report calls them "the most exploited segment of workers in Israel".

"The Thai workers come from rural areas after paying middlemen in Thailand and Israel brokerage fees running from $8,000-10,000," the report says. ...

According to Kav LaOved, "the most common complaint among agricultural workers is that their wages, especially the Thais', are withheld for months, or sent to their home countries without them receiving any accounting".

Afghanistan: text of resignation letter by Matthew Hoh

Ambassador Nancy J. Powell
Director General of the Foreign Service and
Director of Human Resources
U.S. Department of State
2201 C. Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520

Dear Ambassador Powell:

It is with great regret and disappointment I submit my resignation from my appointment as a Political Officer in the Foreign Service and my post as the Senior Civilian Representative for the U.S. Government in Zabul Province. I have served six of the previous ten years in service to our country overseas, to include deployment as a U.S. Marine officer and Department of Defense civilian in the Euphrates and Tigris River Valleys of Iraq in 2004-2005 and 2006-2007. I did not enter into this position lightly or with any undue expectations nor did I believe my assignment would be without sacrifice, hardship or difficulty. However, in the course of my five months of service in Afghanistan, in both Regional Commands East and South, I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan. I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end. To put simply: I fail to see the value or the worth in continued U.S. casualties or expenditures of resources in support of the Afghan government in what is, truly, a 35-year old civil war.

This fall will mark the eighth year of U.S. combat, governance and development operations within Afghanistan. Next fall, the United States' occupation will equal in length the Soviet Union's own physical involvement in Afghanistan. Like the Soviets, we continue to secure and bolster a failing state, while encouraging an ideology and system of government unknown and unwanted by its people.

If the history of Afghanistan is one great stage play, the United States is no more than a supporting actor, among several previously, in a tragedy that not only pits tribes, valleys, clans, villages and families against one another, but, from at least the end of King Zahir Shah's reign, has violently and savagely pitted the urban, secular, educated and modern of Afghanistan against the rural, religious, illiterate and traditional. It is this latter group that composes and supports the Pashtun insurgency. The Pashtun insurgency, which is composed of multiple, seemingly infinite, local groups, is fed by what is perceived by the Pashtun people as a continued and sustained assault, going back centuries, on Pashtun land, culture, traditions and religion by internal and external enemies. The U.S. and NATO presence and operations in Pashtun valleys and villages, as well as Afghan army and police unites that are led and composed of non-Pashtun soldiers and police, provide an occupation force against which the insurgency is justified. In both RC East and South, I have observed that the bulk of the insurgency fights not for the white banner of the Taliban, but rather against the presence of foreign soldiers and taxes imposed by an unrepresentative government in Kabul.

The United States military presence in Afghanistan greatly contributes to the legitimacy and strategic message of the Pashtun insurgency. In a like manner our backing of the Afghan government in its current form continues to distance the government from the people. The Afghan government's failings particularly when weighed against the sacrifice of American lives and dollars, appear legion and metastatic:

Glaring corruption and unabashed graft;
President whose confidants and chief advisers comprise drug lords and war crimes villains, who mock our own rule of law and counternarcotics efforts;
A system of prvincial and district leaders constituted of local power brokers, opportunists and strongmen allied to the United States solely for, and limited by, the value of our USAID and CERP contracts and whose own political and economic interests stand nothing to gain from any positive or genuine attempts at reconciliation; and
The recent election process dominated by fraud and discredited by low voter turnout, which has created an enormous victory for our enemy who now claims a popular boycott and will call into question worldwide our government's military, economic and diplomatic support for an invalid and illegitimate Afghan government.

Our support for this kind of government, coupled with a misunderstanding of the insurgency's true nature, reminds me horribly of our involvement with South Vietnam; an unpopular and corrupt government we backed at the expense of our Nation's own internal peace, against an insurgency whose nationalism we arrogantly and ignorantly mistook as a rival to our own Cold War ideology.

I find specious the reasons we ask for bloodshed and sacrifice from our young men and women in Afghanistan. If honest, our stated strategy of securing Afghanistan to prevent al-Qaeda resurgence or regrouping would require us to additionally invade and occupy western Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, etc. Our presence in Afghanistan has only increased destabilization and insurgency in Pakistan where we rightly fear a toppled or weakened Pakistani government may lose control of its nuclear weapons. However, again, to follow the logic of our stated goals we should garrison Pakistan, not Afghanistan. More so, the September 11th attacks, as well as the Madrid and London bombings, were primarily planned and organized in Western Europe; a point that highlights the threat is not one tied to traditional geographic or political boundaries. Finally, if our concern is for a failed state crippled by corruption and poverty and under assault from criminal and drug lords, then if we bear our military and financial contributions to Afghanistan, we must reevaluate and increase our commitment to and involvement in Mexico.

Eight years into war, no nation has ever known as more dedicated, well trained, experienced and disciplined military as the U.S. Armed Forces. I do not believe any military force has ever been tasked with such a complex, opaque and Sisyphean mission as the U.S. Military has received in Afghanistan. The tactical proficiency and performance of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines is unmatched and unquestioned. However, this is not the European or Pacific theaters of World War II, but rather is a war for which our leaders, uniformed civilian and elected, have inadequately prepared and resourced our men and women. Our forces, devoted and faithful, have been committed to conflict in an indefinite and unplanned manner that has become a cavalier, politically expedient and Pollyannaish misadventure. Similarly, the United State has a dedicated and talented cadre of civilians, both U.S. government employees and contractors, who believe in and sacrifice for their mission, but have been ineffectually trained and led with guidance and intent shaped more by the political climate in Washington, D.C. than in Afghan cities, villages, mountains and valleys.

"We are spending oursleves into oblivion" a very talented and intelligent commander, one of America's best, briefs every visitor, staff delegation and senior officer. We are mortgaging our Nation's economy on a war, which, even with increased commitment, will remain a draw for years to come. Success and victory, whatever they may be, will be realized not in years, after billions more spent, but in decades and generations. The United States does not enjoy a national treasury for such success and victory.

I realize the emotion and tone of my letter and ask you excuse any ill temper. I trust you understand the nature of this war and the sacrifices made by so many thousands of families who have been separated from loved ones deployed in defense of our Nation and whose homes bear the fractures, upheavals and scars of multiple and compounded deployments. Thousands of our men and women have returned home with physical and mental wounds, some that will never heal or will only worsen with time. The dead return only in bodily form to be received by families who must be reassured their dead haves sacrificed for a purpose worthy of futures lost, love vanished, and promised dreams unkept. I have lost confidence such assurances can anymore be made. As such, I submit my resignation.
Sincerely,

MATTHEW P. HOH
Senior Civilian Representative
Zabul Province, Afghanistan
Source of letter: scribd.com

Despite Nobel Peace Prize, criticisms of Obama on Middle East

From an article in the Jakarta Post (H/T Lowenstein):

A discussion about writers’ views on the United States President Barack Obama and on the Middle East peace process stole the show during the third day of the annual Ubud Writers and Readers Festival on Friday.

Speaking at the discussion were Benazir Bhutto’s niece, Fatima Bhutto, Australian author Antony Loewenstein and novelist Jamal Mahjoub, whose works have been widely translated and received several awards.

Delving into the world’s hottest war zones was never going to be solved in an hour-long discussion, but what panelists did was to dissect the rhetoric from the reality of Obama’s much-hyped potential for global change.

Fatima Bhutto said Obama – who was named on Friday as this year’s Nobel Peace Price laureate – had yet to bring changes in Pakistan and Afghanistan because the US would still add more troops.

Similar sentiments came from Antony Loewenstein, author of My Israel Question, who just got back from a trip to Palestine. He said things had never been worse in the West Bank.

Even novelist Jamal Mahjoub, the most optimistic among the panelists conceded that perhaps the power of Obama was largely as a symbol rather than a testament to change.

Obama's Nobel Peace Prize and the Middle East

Greenwald blogs:

. . . .the U.S. -- in a worldwide survey released just this week -- rose from seventh to first on the list of "most admired countries."

All that said, these changes are completely preliminary, which is to be expected given that he's only been in office nine months. For that reason, while Obama's popularity has surged in Western Europe, the changes in the Muslim world in terms of how the U.S. is perceived have been small to nonexistent. As Der Spiegel put it in the wake of a worldwide survey in July: "while Europe's ardor for Obama appears fervent, he has actually made little progress in the regions where the US faces its biggest foreign policy problems." People who live in regions that have long been devastated by American weaponry don't have the luxury of being dazzled by pretty words and speeches. They apparently -- and rationally -- won't believe that America will actually change from a war-making nation into a peace-making one until there are tangible signs that this is happening. It's because that has so plainly not yet occurred that the Nobel Committee has made a mockery out of their own award.

I would call it a gambit that could end up making a mockery of the award. What if Obama were to rise to the challenge?

Kyrgyzstan PM Chudinov at the UN: uranium tailings waste and the environment

In a Sept. 26 press release, the Deptartment of Public Information of the United Nations General Assembly reported Chudinov's statement to a plenary session.

JotMidEast has reprinted the entire press release as it relates to the Kyrgyzstan PM's remarks and highlighted the most important points.

IGOR CHUDINOV, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, said his country supported broader representation in the Security Council and had nominated itself as a candidate for a non-permanent seat for 2012-2013. Located in the heart of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan was actively maintaining peace, security and environmental stability in the region and had been elected to the Human Rights Council in 2009.

He said that the outlook for the complicated situation in Central Asia hinged on developments in Afghanistan, which required new approaches to the humanitarian, political and socio-economic sectors. In March, Kyrgyzstan’s President Kurmanbek Bakiev had unveiled the “Bishkek initiative”, which would create a centre for hosting international conferences on security and stability in Afghanistan and Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital. The initiative could become a forum of practical cooperation in the area of security, as the region fought terrorism, extremism, illegal drug trafficking and transboundary organized crime.

As a landlocked, mountainous developing nation, Kyrgyzstan believed that the world community, under United Nations leadership, should use the foreign debt swap for sustainable development, he continued. For example, it could swap its debt in turn for aid for Afghanistan’s socio-economic development, a swap of debt for sustainable development of poor mountainous countries and rehabilitation of uranium tailing ponds. He urged Afghanistan’s neighbours with specific scientific, industrial and agricultural expertise to help in Afghanistan’s recovery.

He noted that the Assembly had adopted several resolutions concerning mountainous countries, which contained an analysis of their socio-economic situation, as well as recommendations for assistance to help those nations develop in a sustainable manner. As an initiator of the resolution “Sustainable mountain development”, Kyrgyzstan would appreciate support for it at the current session.

Regarding the environment, he said the numerous uranium tailing dumps, loaded with large volumes of toxic waste from uranium production and processes, were of great concern in the region. Those dumps were dangerous to health and the cleanliness of transboundary river basins and land. Kyrgyzstan constantly worked with other countries in the region to process international legal documents, which could curtail radiation pollution in the region. The Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia, for example, entered into force on 21 March. He asked the nuclear Powers to support that initiative of the Central Asian countries and sign the protocol on negative security assurances. He noted that the high-level International Forum “Uranium Tailings in Central Asia: Local Problems, Regional Consequences, Global Solution”, held in Geneva in June, had been an example of regional cooperation. He praised the wide range of assistance provided by different United Nations entities and noted the success of the United Nations Regional Centre on Preventive Diplomacy in Ashgabat, created in December 2007.

Obama to Israel: Build baby build!

CNN reports:

Prodding Israel and the Palestinian Authority to restart talks aimed at a permanent resolution of their decades-old conflict, President Obama dropped a demand for an Israeli settlement freeze, U.S., Israeli and Palestinian officials said.

"Simply put, it is past time to talk about starting negotiations. It is time to move forward," Obama told reporters before a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Forward? Obama used the same excuses in justifying why torture didn't need to be investigated. Unbelievable.

Cynthia McKinney's aid boat to Gaza seized

Huff Post reports that Israel stopped a "Free Gaza" aid ship destined for Gaza, diverting it to an Israeli port:

The 20 passengers include former U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire and other activists from Britain, Ireland, Bahrain and Jamaica.
The ship was flying a Greek flag, but no Greek citizens were aboard. The Greek government issued a statement saying it sent a message to Israel demanding that it release the ship, crew and passengers.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Israel was planning to free the crew and passengers. "Nobody wants to keep them here," he said. "They will be released as soon as they are checked."

The Free Gaza Movement has organized five boat trips to Gaza since August 2008, defying a blockade imposed by Israel when the militant group Hamas seized control of the territory from its Palestinian rivals in June 2007. Two other attempts were stopped by Israeli warshi
ps during Israel's three-week war in the territory in December and January. Nobody on board was harmed.

So Greece will stand up for an old ship, but the US government won't say a word on behalf of a former Congresswoman?

A lot of Americans will hear of this story and not think kindly of what Israel has done. Israel is not playing this very smart. Stopping aid ships is just plain stupid PR, anyway you look at it.

Iran: What is the Basij?

Rand (Pdf):

In the provinces, the Basij present a more benign face through construction projects and disaster relief, while in urban areas, they are more apt to be seen quite negatively, quashing civil society activities, arresting dissidents, and confronting reformist student groups on campuses. Urban sentiments may be, moreover, affected by the Basij’s affilia-tion with the “pressure groups” or hardline vigilantes, of which Ansar-e Hezbollah is the most widely known.

Journalists, terrorists, and risk of being taken hostage

A live-blogged a truly extraordinary panel of journalists who cover terrorism at the International Press Institute's World Congress in Helsinki:

Three panelists -- Alan Johnson of the UK (pictured left), Giuliana Sgrena of Italy, and moderator Hamid Mir of Pakistan -- have survived kidnapping by terrorist organizations.

Two members of the panel -- Peter Bergen and Hamid Mir -- have interviewed Bin Laden. CNN analyst and author Peter Bergen -- who conducted the first TV interview with Bin Landen -- has written a biography of the man. Hamid Mir is the only person aside from Robert Fisk to have interviewed Bin Laden on three occasions and Mir was the last person to have interviewed Bin Laden (the interview took place in Kabul in Nov. 2001).

Read the whole post.