In this issue: 1) Just Foreign Policy does radio on "Uniting for Peace" 2) Jackson-Lee Introduces cease-fire resolution 3) Israeli Troops Sweep Southern Lebanon 4) Hezbollah Fires Over 200 Rockets Into Israel 5) U.S. Insists Truce Must Await Plan to Disarm Hezbollah 6) European Union Seeks Halt to Battles as First Step 7) Olmert Stands Firm as Fighting Continues 8) At Beacon of Learning, Looking to Pass a New Test in Beirut 9) US, France Working on Two - Phase UN Mideast Plan 10) Believing Bombing Over, Lebanese Paid High Price 11) Widening War Complicates US Policy Goals 12) US Rebukes UN No. 2 for Criticizing Mideast Policy 13) Saudi Arabia Criticizes US Policy Over Lebanon 14) U.N. Again Postpones Peacekeeper Meeting 15) EU Rejects Ceasefire Call and UN Fails to Act as Disunity Prevails 16) How Israel's Bombing Turned Hizbollah Leader into a Symbol of Muslim Pride 17) Iran VP: Country Still Considering Offer 18) Soldiers Smiled Before Killings in Iraq: Witness 19) Report Faults Iraq Reconstruction Plans 20) Mexico Leftist Under Fire as Vote Protests Drag On
Contents: 1) Just Foreign Policy does radio on "Uniting for Peace" Just Foreign Policy did three radio interviews today in support of the petition for the UN General Assembly to take action for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon under the "Uniting for Peace" resolution, on Pacifica/WPFW, KCSB, and XM radio.
2) Jackson-Lee Introduces cease-fire resolution On July 25, Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) introduced H.Res.945, calling for secure humanitarian corridors to be opened in Lebanon, an immediate cease-fire, and a comprehensive and just resolution to the Israeli-Arab conflict. 16 Members have signed on to the Jackson-Lee resolution.
3) Israeli Troops Sweep Southern Lebanon Associated Press August 2, 2006 Filed at 3:16 p.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Lebanon-Israel.html Israel pressed the first full day of a massive new ground attack, sending 8,000 troops into southern Lebanon on Wednesday and seizing five people it said were Hezbollah fighters in a dramatic airborne raid on a northeastern town. Hezbollah retaliated with its deepest strikes yet into Israel, firing a record number of more than 210 rockets. Diplomatic efforts faltered, with France saying it will not participate in a Thursday U.N. meeting that could send troops to help monitor a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah. France, which may join or even lead such a force, said it does not want to talk about sending peacekeepers until fighting halts and the U.N. Security Council agrees to a wider framework for lasting peace. Pope Benedict XVI issued a new appeal for peace in the Middle East.
4) Hezbollah Fires Over 200 Rockets Into Israel John Kifner And Hassan M. Fattah New York Times August 2, 2006 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/02/world/middleeast/02cnd-mideast.html Hezbollah guerrillas fired more than 200 rockets into Israel today, a record number, even as Israel poured thousands of troops backed by tanks and armored bulldozers into fierce fighting along the border. As the battles raged in a half-dozen pockets just over the border, Prime Minister Olmert vowed that Israel would fight on until an international force moved into southern Lebanon, an uncertain prospect that could take weeks or more. Olmert declared that Hezbollah's infrastructure had been "entirely destroyed" and asserted that some 770 command and control centers has been struck and taken out of action. But even as he spoke, shadowy Hezbollah fighters, flitting between shattered villages and underground bunkers, were showering Israel with the biggest barrage of rockets in the 22-day-old war.
5) U.S. Insists Truce Must Await Plan to Disarm Hezbollah Jim Rutenberg And Thom Shanker New York Times August 2, 2006 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/02/washington/02diplo.html
The US firmly reiterated its position on Tuesday that there can be no cease-fire in the Middle East until there is a solid plan in place to disarm Hezbollah. Secretary of State Rice had seemed to be ready to hasten the diplomatic effort to end the crisis on Monday, saying a solution was possible this week. But after she had dinner with Mr. Bush on Monday night, and France effectively postponed a United Nations session to work out the details of a international peacekeeping force, the administration strongly reiterated its message: a cease-fire will not be hastened without a plan to make it a lasting one. On Tuesday, European officials, joined by some United States counterparts, said the diplomacy could easily extend into next week.
6) European Union Seeks Halt to Battles as the First Step, With Cease-Fire to Follow Elaine Sciolino And Dan Bilefsky New York Times August 2, 2006 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/02/world/europe/02europe.html The 25 countries of the EU called Tuesday for an immediate end to the fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, hoping to create the momentum for a political solution and the deployment of an international military force to secure the peace. The meeting suggested a widening gap between the European and American positions. The Europeans essentially gave their support to a French proposal for a UN Security Council resolution that envisions an immediate stop to the fighting, followed by a permanent cease-fire and a political agreement, and only then the deployment of an international force. That sequence of events is opposed by the US, which says there can be a cease-fire and political arrangements only after the formation of a foreign force to enforce them. The Europeans called for the "immediate cessation of hostilities, to be followed by a sustainable cease-fire."
7) Olmert Stands Firm as Fighting Continues Associated Press August 2, 2006 Filed at 1:11 p.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mideast-Fighting-Olmert.html In an interview with AP, Olmert said Israel's offensive against Hezbollah will stop only once a robust international peacekeeping force is in place in southern Lebanon, his clearest indication to date that Israel would resist European pressure for an immediate cease-fire. Olmert said the release of two Israelis seized by Hezbollah on July 12 must be unconditional, signaling Israel does not favor a prisoner swap. ''Israel will stop fighting when the international force will be present in the south of Lebanon,'' he said. ''We can't stop before because if there will not be a presence of a very effective and robust military international force, Hezbollah will be there and we will have achieved nothing.''
8) At Beacon of Learning, Looking to Pass a New Test in Beirut John Files New York Times August 2, 2006 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/02/education/02beirut.html Through decades of violence and unrest in the Middle East, the American University of Beirut has preserved its reputation as one of the best institutions of higher learning in the region. As the university again finds itself in the midst of conflict and uncertainty, with the fighting in southern Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, the university's president, on a visit here last week, said he was optimistic that the institution would persevere. So far, the university's campus has been spared from the Israeli bombing campaign that has killed dozens and driven thousands from their homes. But summer programs have been suspended indefinitely. The university runs summer sessions for graduate students, as well as programs for Americans and other foreigners to study Arabic and Middle East history, culture and politics. It was unclear whether fall classes would begin the first week of October as scheduled.
9) US, France Working on Two - Phase UN Mideast Plan Reuters August 2, 2006 Filed at 1:17 p.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-mideast-un.html The US, France and Britain hope for a U.N. Security Council resolution within a week that would call for a truce and perhaps beef up U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon until a more robust force can be formed, diplomats said Wednesday. The US and France are rapidly working out differences on an initial resolution that would also call for the creation of a buffer zone and the need to disarm Hizbollah guerrillas. But Paris has made it clear it will not join an international force without a truce and an agreement in principle on the political framework of a long-term peace deal. Once fighting has ended, negotiations would begin at the UN on a second resolution setting out a permanent cease-fire that all combatants could accept. That resolution would also authorize an international force in southern Lebanon and set out terms for a sustainable cease-fire. Russia and China have not yet been involved in the negotiations. A key issue is whether all sides would accept a truce. The US had anticipated a Security Council meeting at the foreign minister level next week, but no date has been set. Meanwhile France, often mentioned as a leader of an international force, rejected a U.N. meeting of potential troop contributors set for Thursday because there was no political deal on ending the conflict. Consequently, the United Nations called off the meeting, for the second time this week.
10) Believing Bombing Over, Lebanese Paid High Price Reuters August 2, 2006 Filed at 12:01 p.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-mideast-lebanon-danger.html Ali Bajouk set off to deliver supplies to elderly relatives in the village of Aita al-Shaab thinking Israel had suspended its aerial bombardment of southern Lebanon. He was wrong. Bajouk now lies in a hospital bed in Beirut, his body, head and face wrapped in bandages to cover the burns caused by an air strike which scorched half his skin. "We went up to Aita on the grounds there was a ceasefire,'' he said, his mouth and eyes all that were visible beyond thick layers of bandages. "They are liars." Israel had said on Sunday it would suspend air strikes on southern Lebanon for 48 hours to investigate an air strike on the village of Qana. There were fewer air strikes on Monday and Tuesday, but warplanes still struck. The Israeli military said it had reserved the right to strike at Hizbollah guerrillas firing rockets into Israel from their strongholds in south Lebanon. Israel also warned civilians to leave the area but residents say they are hindered by bomb damage to roads.
11) Widening War Complicates US Policy Goals Reuters August 2, 2006 Filed at 10:02 a.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-mideast-usa-policy.html President Bush has described the Israel-Hizbollah crisis as another opportunity to remake the Middle East in his democratic vision. But as civilian casualties from the conflict in Lebanon mount, the situation looks increasingly chaotic, and a damage-control operation will make it harder to advance U.S. foreign policy interests, analysts say. "I think the chances of this having a silver lining are diminishing,'' said Ellen Laipson, former vice chairman of the National Intelligence Council. "The phrase 'this is an opportunity' is such a best-case scenario. Haven't we learned from the Iraq experience? Be careful of setting out a strategic goal that is so unrealistic,'' Laipson said. Bush's agenda was already loaded when rocket attacks by Hizbollah guerrilla group three weeks ago provoked Israeli retaliation. [Note this innovation in the sequence of events - JFP.] Initially, the world focused on Hizbollah as the aggressor. But Israeli air attacks caused hundreds of civilian deaths and stoked a new backlash against Israel and America, its chief ally.
12) US Rebukes UN No. 2 for Criticizing Mideast Policy Reuters August 2, 2006 Filed at 2:46 p.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-mideast-un-usa.html The US sharply rebuked the No. 2 U.N. official, Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, on Wednesday for his repeated criticism of Washington after he said America should allow others to share the lead in solving the Lebanon crisis. "We are seeing a troubling pattern of a high official of the U.N. who seems to be making it his business to criticize member states and, frankly, with misplaced and misguided criticisms,'' State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. McCormack's remarks were in response to an interview published in the Financial Times on Wednesday, in which the U.N. official also told Britain to adopt a lower profile to end fighting between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
13) Saudi Arabia Criticizes US Policy Over Lebanon Reuters August 2, 2006 Filed at 11:18 a.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-mideast-saudi-usa.html Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally, criticized Washington's stance on the Israeli military campaign in Lebanon and urged it on Wednesday to press for an immediate ceasefire. "We disagree with the U.S. policy in this area ... the United States is the super power and it can seek an immediate ceasefire,'' Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said "(We) take issue with the United States that it did not take a position that prevents Israel from striking Lebanon.'' He said Washington was morally obliged to prevent Israel from using U.S.-made weapons in attacks against civilians.
14) U.N. Again Postpones Peacekeeper Meeting Associated Press August 2, 2006 Filed at 12:53 p.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mideast-Fighting-UN.html The U.N. announced Wednesday that it was again postponing a meeting of nations that could send peacekeepers to south Lebanon, saying talks about sending troops were pointless before there was progress on peace between Israel and Hezbollah. Diplomats still claimed substantial progress toward agreement on a peace plan, saying there was general agreement on the elements required for a lasting solution. Those include halting the fighting, disarming Hezbollah, deploying peacekeepers and creating a buffer zone in south Lebanon free of Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops. ''I'm confident that by tomorrow we'll be in a position to have discussions in the Council on a text which actually takes us forward,'' Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones-Parry said. The diplomats are debating a French draft resolution that would impose that framework for peace and lay the conditions for a peacekeeping force. But France, considered a possible leader of a peacekeeping force, wants fighting to stop immediately, to create the political framework, and then to send the troops. France has refused to take part in a meeting of nations willing to contribute troops. That refusal has now led the U.N. to postpone the meeting twice.
15) EU Rejects Ceasefire Call and UN Fails to Act as Disunity Prevails Nicholas Watt, Ewen MacAskill, Simon Tisdall and Oliver Burkeman Guardian / UK August 2, 2006 http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0802-01.htm Efforts to secure an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon collapsed again yesterday after a divided EU issued a watered-down statement and the UN postponed a full security council discussion promised by Blair and Rice. Despite escalating violence in southern Lebanon, EU foreign ministers rejected a draft statement that would have called for an immediate ceasefire and would have branded Israel's bombardment as "a severe breach of international humanitarian law". In a semantic bow to Washington and Tel Aviv, they called instead "for an immediate cessation of hostilities to be followed by a sustainable ceasefire". Germany and four other countries joined Britain in opposing the tougher language that had been urged by France. In EU parlance, a "cessation" now appears to mean a temporary pause, whereas a "ceasefire" implies a more permanent arrangement. The foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, denied the compromise amounted to a "green light" for Israel to continue its military offensive. "I would be saddened and dismayed if someone would read that into today's conclusions," she said. The German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said: "Cessation of hostilities is not the same as a ceasefire. A ceasefire can perhaps be achieved later ... We can now only ask the UN security council and put pressure on it not to waste any more time."
16) How Israel's Bombing Turned Hizbollah Leader into a Symbol of Muslim Pride Patrick Cockburn Independent / UK August 2, 2006 http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0802-04.htm A year ago Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbollah, was an important figure in Lebanon but seemed destined to remain on the sidelines of Middle East politics. Nasrallah's great moment had apparently come and gone in May 2000 when Israel had unilaterally withdrawn its troops from southern Lebanon after years of harassment by Hizbollah guerrillas. He returned in triumph to reconquered Lebanese territory and, if the military victory over Israel was small in scale, it was still an accomplishment not enjoyed by many Arab leaders over the past half century. But the departure of the Israelis from Lebanon also robbed Hizbollah of its raison d'être and excuse for forming a state within a state. No doubt its leader, Nasrallah, would remain a power within Lebanon but it seemed increasingly unlikely that he would be anything more. It was Israel that decided otherwise. By launching a massive military campaign in retaliation for the kidnapping of two of its soldiers on 12 July it made Nasrallah into a symbol of resistance to Israel in the Muslim world.
17) Iran VP: Country Still Considering Offer Associated Press August 2, 2006 Filed at 1:33 p.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Iran-Nuclear.html Iran is still considering a package of incentives offered by Western nations in June for Tehran to suspend its nuclear program, Iranian Vice President Isfandiar Rahim Mashaee said Wednesday. Mashaee also repeated Iranian criticism of a U.N. resolution calling for Iran to halt its uranium enrichment by Aug. 31 or face the threat of economic and diplomatic sanctions. ''The U.N. Security Council resolution was adopted despite the fact Iran is seriously studying the incentives package ... Western countries are resorting to pressure, not dialogue, and wish to deny Iran its rights,'' Mashaee said. Mashaee's remarks came a day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced the U.N. resolution adopted earlier this week, telling a crowd in northeastern Iran that Tehran would not give in to United Nations threats. Tehran has said it would reply to the package on Aug. 22, but the council decided to issue a resolution and not wait for Iran's response.
18) Soldiers Smiled Before Killings in Iraq: Witness Reuters August 2, 2006 Filed at 7:28 a.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-iraq-usa-hearing.html U.S. soldiers charged with murdering three detainees in Iraq smiled before carrying out the shootings and threatened to kill another soldier if he informed on them, a military court heard on Wednesday. Prosecution witness Private First Class Bradley Mason, under cross examination, said the rules of engagement were "we get to kill all the male insurgents.''
19) Report Faults Iraq Reconstruction Plans Pauline Jelinek Associated Press August 2, 2006 http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0802-09.htm The beleaguered Iraq reconstruction effort was beset by problems from the very start and is also hampered by a long pattern of corruption in the country, a new report finds. For several months before the war, government agencies didn't consult each other on what they were doing because their work was classified. The report is a chronological review of American contracting and purchasing efforts starting in the summer of 2002 for post-invasion relief and rebuilding. "It is a story of mistakes made, plans poorly conceived or overwhelmed by ongoing violence," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. "And of waste, greed and corruption that drained dollars that should have been used to build schools, improve the electrical grid, and repair the oil infrastructure." The report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction is being presented Wednesday before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which Collins chairs.
20) Mexico Leftist Under Fire as Vote Protests Drag On Reuters August 2, 2006 Filed at 1:26 p.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-mexico-election.html Mexico's leftist opposition leader came under fire on Wednesday for crippling Mexico City with protests against alleged fraud in a tight presidential election, but his supporters vowed to fight on. Thousands of leftists seized the capital's Zocalo square, one of the biggest in the world, and the main boulevard running through the city, causing three straight days of chaos. Lopez Obrador is heading the protests to pressure Mexico's electoral court to order a full recount of votes in the July 2 presidential election. While the protests have been effective, some analysts say the tactic could backfire by angering residents and alienating some of Lopez Obrador's former supporters. The government of President Fox increased the pressure on Lopez Obrador and his supporters on Wednesday by saying the protests were hurting the city's economy, putting jobs at risk and violating residents' rights of free movement.
-------- Robert Naiman Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org