- Eurozone finance ministers and
International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde are having a third
attempt on Monday (26 November) to agree on how to keep Greece afloat
and unblock its long-awaited bailout tranche.At the core of the debate is how to decrease Greece's debt from 190
percent of GDP to 120 percent over the next eight to ten years and how
to bridge a multi-billion-euro funding gap that has emerged due to
worsening recession and political delays.The IMF insists eurozone governments should accept losses on their
Greek loans - so-called Official Sector Involvement (OSI). Germany and a
few other countries have argued against saying that as long as the
current bailout programme is ongoing, it would be against national and
EU law to give loans and at the same time accept losses.But since the programme ends in 2014, there would be no legal
impediment for OSI the following year. According to the German newspaper
,
ministers discussed this option last week during a secret meeting in
Paris one day ahead of a second Eurogroup which ended in disagreement.Der Spiegel on Monday also reported that both the IMF and the
European Central Bank - Greece's other creditor - are still insisting
governments give up half of their Greek claims.Germany continues to oppose this option. Instead it wants to shift
the attention to the "immediate" funding needs - the disbursement of the
tranche and filling the funding gap through a bond buying scheme
possibly funded by the eurozone bailout fund to the tune of €10 billion.Lowering the interest rates on the Greek loans is also on the table,
but that would raise the question of why other bailed-out countries -
Ireland and Portugal and Spain for its banking sector - have to pay
more."I'm against this write-off and I want to find another solution,"
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday after an EU summit dedicated
to EU budget talks.Ministers and the IMF are under high pressure to agree, as the Greek
government is losing credibility after forcing through highly unpopular
spending cuts only to see its bailout tranche further delayed by
quarrels among creditors.Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Friday said his EU peers
during the summit had recognised it is no longer "Greece's fault."“We now have some strong supporters. The talks will go on right up to the last minute (on Monday)," he said.A total of €44.5 billion are to be disbursed by the end of the year,
if the Eurogroup agrees on Monday. Preparatory talks took place on
Saturday, with ministers sounding cautiously optimistic afterwards."I think that in effect we are very close to a solution," French
finance minister Pierre Moscovici told BFM television on Sunday. "I
don't know if there will be an agreement tomorrow, I know it is possible
and I want on," he said.A third failure to agree would be "irresponsible, given the efforts everyone has made," he added.One EU source told this website that there will most likely be a deal
for the disbursement of the tranche, but the language would be
"incomprehensible" and any debt restructuring deal would not be publicly
announced.
BRUSSELS - EU diplomats have given the green light for member states to impose visa bans on violent Israeli settlers.The Political and Security Committe (PSC) - a group of EU ambassadors
dealing with conflict zones - approved the step at its meeting in
Brussels on 16 November.The PSC memo - seen by EUobserver and copied below - says:
"Individual EU member states could explore possibilities of denying
access of known violent settlers to the EU."It also says EU diplomats in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Tel Aviv should
"step up monitoring" of the problem, including to "attend trials in the
most serious cases" - an activity normally reserved for countries with
egregious human rights problems, such as Belarus.It notes that settler violence "mainly targets Palestinian civilians,
including children, and their property and includes vandalizing
religious sites such as mosques and Christian institutions."It adds that "the attacks appear ... to be becoming more severe and,
in some areas, more co-ordinated" in what amounts to "coercion aimed at
forcing Palestinian communities in area C [a vast swathe of the
Israeli-occupied West Bank] to leave with a view to expanding
settlements or outposts."The memo recognizes that Israel has stepped up action against settler radicals.
But it says they still operate in a "culture of impunity ... There
are worrying reports of incidents in which the Israeli military, despite
being present, have failed to intervene to protect Palestinians."The settler sanctions idea has been bandied around by EU heads of mission in Ramallah for over a year.But it never became public EU policy because Israeli-friendly member states routinely blocked it.Meanwhile, EU ministers did not discuss the PSC memo at their meeting
in Brussels last week because the Middle East agenda was hijacked by
the eruption of fighting in Gaza.An EU diplomat told this website that PSC-level approval falls short of making sanctions into official EU policy.But it raises - for the first time - the prospect of concrete action:
under the EU's so-called Schengen passport-free travel zone, if one
Schegnen member red-flags a name in the border-control system, all the
other Schengen members are legally obliged to keep that person out.
It also highlights EU frustration with Israeli settlement expansion
ahead of a UN vote on 29 November on upgrading Palestine's status.For its part, Israel reacted angrily to the development."As for the inflammatory proposal to refuse to admit what they call
'known violent settlers' because Israel hasn't put them on trial,
there's an internal contradiction there. How will a person be defined as
a 'violent settler' if he hasn't been convicted?" its foreign ministry
spokesman, Yigal Palmor, told the Haaretz newspaper on Monday.
Israel's line is that settlers are a side issue in the conflict,
which can only be solved if Palestinians agree to recognise Israel in
bilateral peace talks.
Ful text of PSC memo
MASHREK/M.GHREB [MaMa]
DATE : 17/10/2012
Follow-up to 14 May FAC conclusions on MEPP: Settler violence
Note from MaMa to PSC
1. Following the l2 June 2012 tasking of the PSC MaMa discussed the
issue of settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)
and possible ways for the EU to help counter it. The discussions were,
in particular, based on the EU head of mission report on settler
violence from April 2011 and on the update to it from February 2012: "EU
note on settler violence."
2. MaMa recalled that the EU Foreign Ministers had expressed deep
concern regarding settler extremism and incitement by settlers in the
West Bank, condemned continuous settler violence and deliberate
provocations against Palestinian civilians and called on the government
of Israel to bring the perpetrators to justice and to comply with its
obligations under international law (14 May 2012 FAC conclusions on
MEPP). In this context MaMa recalled that ending incitement is an
obligation of both parties of the conflict under the Roadmap.
3. Violence by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank, including
East Jerusalem, mainly targets Palestinian civilians, including
children, and their property and includes vandalizing religious sites
such as mosques and Christian institutions. Israeli security personnel
and other settlers have also been attacked. A particularly worrying
aspect of the violence are so called "price tag" attacks aiming also at
intimidating the Israeli authorities and public in an attempt to prevent
action against settlements and outposts. Many of the cases of violence
and intimidation also appear to be part of a pattern of coercion aimed
at forcing Palestinian communities in area C to leave with a view to
expanding settlements or outposts.
4. Settler violence has developed in a political context where the
number of settlers has continued to expand, where the political strength
of the settlement movement has grown and where the Israeli authorities
have generally not taken firm action against outposts illegal also under
Israeli law, contributing to a culture of impunity in which the
violence continues.
5. In addition to the documented increase in the numbers of settler
attacks in recent years, MaMa assessed that the attacks appear also to
be becoming more severe and, in some areas, more co-ordinated. The UN
considers settler violence as the biggest security threat to its
personnel in the West Bank. According to UNOCHA, the number of settler
attacks resulting in Palestinian casualties and property damage had
increased by 32% in 2011 compared to 2010, and by 44% compared to 2009.
The majority of these attacks take place in area C of the West Bank, and
in recent years many attacks have been carried out by extremist
settlers living in settlement outposts.
6. MaMa welcomed the recent strong condemnations by the lsraeli
Government of violent acts by extremist settlers and the creation of a
special police unit to investigate "price tag" attacks. It took note
that certain Israeli authorities have defined some acts by violent
settlers as "terrorism acts" and have pledged compensation for the
victims. The Israeli military issued, in January 2012, restraining
orders to a dozen extremist settlers suspected of targeting Palestinians
and Israeli security forces and a number have been arrested in
connection with recent attacks. However, more should be done in practice
to counter the culture of impunity surrounding settler violence.
Perpetrators have rarely faced punishment for crimes against
Palestinians. Over 90% of monitored complaints regarding settler
violence filed by Palestinians with the Israeli police in recent years
have been closed without indictment according to UNOCHA. Many victims
are reluctant or unable to file complaints with the police as police
stations are often located in settlements where access is restricted for
Palestinians. There are also worrying reports of incidents in which the
Israeli military, despite being present, have failed to intervene to
protect Palestinians or their property from violence by extremist
settlers.
7. Settler violence is a joint preoccupation of the international
community, including the EU, the PA and Israel. MaMa agreed that
combating it is essential for creating an environment conducive to the
two-state solution. If current trends continue, any dismantling of
settlements, which in numerous instances is already a Road map
obligation, would risk entailing an even greater increrse in settler
violence. If settler violence is not dealt with preventively, it will
increasingly obstruct efforts by both parties for solving the conflict.
8. In line with the May 2012 FAC conclusions on MEPP and taking into
account the recommendations of EU HoM's in Jerusalem and Ramallah in
countering settler violence and ensuring accountability, MaMa recommends
the following line of action:
The EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah will increase monitoring
and regular reporting on settler violence in the oPt. The EU missions in
Tel-Aviv will monitor and report on settler violence that occur in
Israel. The EU will do this with the assistance local and international
organizations and provide support to NGOS undertaking such monitoring.
The EU missions in Tel Aviv as well as in Jerusalem and Ramallah will
step up monitoring on the Israeli authorities action against violence
by extremist settlers with a view to having systematic and trustworthy
information. In so far as possible, the EU missions could attend trials
in the most serious cases.
The EU will continue to urge Israeli authorities to respect their
obligations under international humanitarian law, in the oPt, including
the applicability of the fourth Geneva Convention relative to the
protection of civilians. In line with its 2009 Guidelines on human
Rights and International humanitarian Law, the EU will engage with
Israeli authorities, including within the framework of the EU-Israel
Association Agreement.
The EU will try to reinforce the dynamic of the Israeli Government's
stronger stance against settler violence and more actively engage in
dialogue with the Israeli authorities at different levels, including
within the framework of the EU-Israel Association Agreement (e.g.
sub-committee on political dialogue and co-operation) to curb all forms
of settler violence and increase law enforcement in areas prone to
settler violence. In this regard the EU messages should focus on the
following: step up protection of Palestinians by Israeli security
forces; actively prevent the recurrence of acts of violence; take more
decisive action against known extremist settlers; strengthen
investigation capacities (e.g. collection of evidence, testimonies on
cases); provide appropriate access to law enforcement for Palestinians
and take measures to ensure that cases of settler violence are followed
up with appropriate legal proceedings. Prevention implies also a
stronger attitude against any form of incitement emanating from both
political as well as religious circles.
On the basis of 14 May Council conclusions, the EU and Member States
will engage in a consistent manner on all relevant occasions at the
appropriate political level with the Israeli counterparts conveying the
key messages outlined above.
The EU will systematically condemn publicly serious attacks by
extremist settlers and reinforce language used in such statements.
Member States willing to issue individual statements should ensure
consistency in the messaging.
The EU will encourage the government of Israel and the PA to provide
appropriate support for Palestinians subject to settler violence. This
includes informing individuals and communities about ways of filing
complaints to Israeli police and liaising with the Israeli Civil
administration. The EU will also continue to provide support to
different NGOs which can also undertake such action and will explore
greater coordination of such financial support.
The EU will continue to raise the issue with key international
partners individually and in forums such as the Quartet and relevant UN
bodies.
Individual EU Member States could explore possibilities of denying access of known violent settlers to the EU.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 12:25
25 For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.
EZEKIEL 5:17
17 So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8,11-18
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
13 Yea, all the people of the land (OF ISRAEL) shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I (GOD-JESUS) shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
14 And they shall sever out men of continual employment,(NUCLEAR BOMB EXPERTS) passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it,(WON'T TOUCH IT) till the buriers have buried it (PROPERLY) in the valley of Hamongog.(RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS NEW BURIEL SITE)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl,(500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS THREW ISRAEL EVERY SPRING,FALL) and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF THE RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM ARMIES)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye (MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL) shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.(RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS)
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I (GOD-JESUS) will set my glory among the heathen,(WORLD NATIONS) and all the heathen (WORLD NATIONS) shall see my judgment that I have executed,(AGAINST ISRAELS ENEMIES) and my (GODS) hand that I have laid upon them.(ISRAELS HATER ENEMIES)
JEREMEIAH 49:35-37 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR NUKE SITE SOME BELIEVE)
35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRAN/BUSHEHR NUCLEAR SITE) the chief of their might.(MOST DANGEROUS NUKE SITE IN IRAN)
36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven,(IRANIANS SCATTERED OR MASS IMIGARATION) and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(WORLD IMMIGRATION)
37 For I will cause Elam (IRAN-BUSHEHR NUKE SITE) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(ISRAELS NUKES POSSIBLY) saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:(IRAN AND ITS NUKE SITES DESTROYED)
ISAIAH 17:1,12-14
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,(USELESS U.N) that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14 And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not.(ASSAD) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.
JEREMEIAH 49:23-27
23 Concerning Damascus.(SYRIA) Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea;(WAR SHIPS WITH NUKES COMING ON SYRIA) it cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27 And I will kindle a fire (NUKES OR BOMBS) in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.(ASSADS PALACES POSSIBLY IN DAMASCUS)
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they (MUSLIMS) have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,(JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, PALESTINIANS,JORDAN) and the Hagarenes;(EGYPT)
7 Gebal,(HEZZBALLOH,LEBANON) and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA,ARABS,SINAI) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
JEREMIAH 47:1-7
1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines,(PALESTINIAN/ARABS) before that Pharaoh smote Gaza.
2 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north,(NORTHERN TSUNAMI POSSIBLY) and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.
3 At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses,(ISRAELS ARMY) at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands;(ISRAEL POSSIBLY NUKES GAZA)
4 Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines,(PALESTINIAN FAKE ARABS) and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.
5 Baldness is come upon Gaza;(NUKED POSSIBLY) Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?
6 O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.
7 How can it be quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? (MEDITTERANEAN SEA) there hath he appointed it.
DANIEL 11:40-43
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south ( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS-MUSLIMS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them,(BEFORE THE NUKE GOES OFF) and behind them a desolate wilderness;(AFTER THE ATOMIC BOMB GOES OFF) yea, and nothing shall escape them.(EVERYTHING NUKED)
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,ARAB,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate,(SIBERIAN DESERT) with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
JEREMIAH 8:7
7 Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times;(MIGRATION TIME) and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming;(IN MIGRATION SEASON) but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.(WW3 MIGRATING BIRDS EAT ISRAELS ENEMIES FLESH AND BLOOD)
Egypt's Mursi to meet judges over power grab
By Yasmine Saleh and Edmund Blair | Reuters – 45 mins ago NOV 26,12
CAIRO (Reuters) -
Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi
meets senior judges on Monday to try to defuse a crisis over his
seizure of new powers which has set off violent protests reminiscent of
the revolution last year that led to the rise of his Islamist movement.The justice minister said he believed
Mursi would agree with the country's highest judicial authority on its proposal to limit the scope of the new powers.But the protesters,
some camped in Cairo's Tahrir Square, have said only retracting the
decree will satisfy them, a sign of the deep rift between Islamists and
their opponents that is destabilizing
Egypt two years after
Hosni Mubarak was ousted."There is no use amending the decree," said Tarek
Ahmed, 26, a protester who stayed the night in Tahrir, where tents
covered the central traffic circle. "It must be scrapped."One person has been killed and about 370 injured in
clashes between police and protesters since Mursi issued the decree on
Thursday shielding his decisions from judicial review, emboldened by
international plaudits for brokering an end to eight days of violence
between Israel and Hamas.The stock market is down more than 7 percent.Mursi's political opponents have accused him of
behaving like a dictator and the West has voiced its concern, worried by
more turbulence in a country that has a peace treaty with Israel and
lies at the heart of the Arab Spring.
Mursi's administration has defended his decree as an
effort to speed up reforms and complete a democratic transformation.
Leftists, liberals, socialists and others say it has exposed the
autocratic impulses of a man once jailed by Mubarak.Mursi's office said he would meet Egypt's highest
judicial authority, the Supreme Judicial Council, on Monday, and the
council hinted at compromise.Mursi's decree should apply only to "sovereign
matters", it said, suggesting it did not reject the declaration
outright, and called on judges and prosecutors, some of whom began a
strike on Sunday, to return to work.Justice Minister Ahmed Mekky, speaking about the
council statement, said: "I believe President Mohamed Mursi wants that."
LIBERALS ANGRY
The protesters are worried that
Mursi's
Muslim Brotherhood aims to dominate the post-Mubarak era after winning the first democratic parliamentary and presidential elections this year.A deal with a judiciary dominated by Mubarak-era judges, which Mursi has pledged to reform, may not placate them.A group of lawyers and activists have also challenged
Mursi's decree in an administrative court, which said it would hold its
first hearing on December 4. Other decisions by Mursi have faced similar
legal challenges brought to court by opponents.Banners in Tahrir called for dissolving the assembly
drawing up a constitution, an Islamist-dominated body Mursi made immune
from legal challenge. Many liberals and others have walked out of the
assembly saying their voices were not being heard.Only once a constitution is written can a new
parliamentary election be held. Until then, legislative and executive
power remains in Mursi's hands, and Thursday's decree puts his decisions
above judicial oversight.One Muslim Brotherhood member was killed and 60 people
were hurt on Sunday in an attack on the main office of the Brotherhood
in the Egyptian Nile Delta town of Damanhour, the website of the
Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party said.The party's offices have also been attacked in other cities.One politician said the scale of the crisis could push
opponents towards a deal to avoid a further escalation. Mursi's
opponents have called for a big demonstration on Tuesday."I am very cautiously optimistic because the
consequences are quite, quite serious, the most serious they have been
since the revolution," said Mona Makram Ebeid, former member of
parliament and prominent figure in Egyptian politics.Mursi's office repeated assurances that the steps would
be temporary, and said he wanted dialogue with political groups to find
"common ground" over what should go into the constitution.Talks with Mursi have been rejected by members of a
National Salvation Front, a new opposition coalition that brings
together liberal, leftist and other politicians and parties, who until
Mursi's decree had been a fractious bunch struggling to unite.
MILITARY STAYING OUT
"There is no room for dialogue when a dictator imposes
the most oppressive, abhorrent measures and then says 'let us split the
difference'," prominent opposition leader and Mohamed ElBaradei said on
Saturday. He has said he expected to act as the Front's coordinator.The military has stayed out of the crisis after leading
Egypt through a messy 16-month transition to a presidential election in
June. Analysts say Mursi neutralized the army when he sacked top
generals in August, appointing a new generation who now owe their
advancement to the Islamist president.Though the military still wields influence through
business interests and a security role, it is out of frontline politics.Egypt had hoped to stop the economic rot by signing an
initial deal last week for a $4.8 billion loan from the International
Monetary Fund. As well as tumbling share prices, yields at a Sunday
treasury bill auction rose, putting even more pressure on the government
that faces a crushing budget deficit."We are back to
square one, politically, socially," said Mohamed Radwan of Pharos
Securities, an Egyptian brokerage firm.(Additional reporting by Tom Perry, Patrick Werr and
Marwa Awad in Cairo; Editing by Philippa Fletcher and Giles Elgood)
Syrian rebels take airbase in slow progress toward Damascus
By Khaled Yacoub Oweis | Reuters – 3 hrs ago NOV 26,12
AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian rebels said on Sunday they had captured a helicopter base east of Damascus after an overnight assault, their latest gain in a costly battle to unseat President Bashar al-Assad that is drawing nearer to his seat of power.The Marj al-Sultan
base, 15 km (10 miles) from the capital, is the second military
facility on the outskirts of the city reported to have fallen to Assad's opponents this month.
Activists said rebels had destroyed two helicopters and taken 15 prisoners."We are coming for you Bashar," a rebel shouted in an
internet video of what activists said was Marj al-Sultan. Restrictions
on non-state media meant it could not be verified.The rebels have been tightening their hold on farmland
and urban centers to the east and northeast of Damascus while a major
battle has been underway for a week in the suburb of Daraya near the
main highway south."We are seeing the starting signs of a rebel siege of
Damascus," veteran opposition campaigner Fawaz Tello said from Berlin.
"Marj al-Sultan is very near to the Damascus Airport road and to the
airport itself. The rebels appear to be heading toward cutting this as
well as the main northern artery to Aleppo."Assad's core
forces, drawn mainly from his minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of
Shi'ite Islam that has dominated power in Syria for nearly five decades, are entrenched in the capital.They also have devastating air superiority although
they have failed to prevent rebels increasing their presence on the edge
of the capital and in neighborhoods on the periphery.A Syrian government air strike on the rebel-held village of Deir al-Asafir, 12 km (8 miles) east of Damascus, killed 10 children on Sunday, opposition activists said.
Internet video footage also showed residents collecting
young bodies hit by shrapnel. A sobbing woman picked up the lifeless
body of a girl, while the bodies of two boys were shown in the back seat
of a car.
"None of those killed were older than 15 years old.
There are two women among 15 people wounded," said Abu Kassem, an
activist in the village told Reuters.A Western diplomat following the fighting said Assad
still had the upper hand. "The army will allow positions to fall here
and there, but it can still easily muster the strength to drive back the
rebels where it sees a danger," the diplomat said."The rebels are very short of international support and
they do not have the supplies to keep up a sustained fight, especially
in Damascus."
IRAN CONDEMNS PATRIOT PLAN
Iran said Turkey's
request to NATO to deploy Patriot defensive missiles near its border
with Syria would add to problems in the region, where Iran is pitted
against mostly Sunni Turkey and Gulf Sunni powers.
Iran's Shi'ite rulers have stepped up support for Assad
while Sunni Arab powers helped forge a new opposition coalition this
month recognised by France and Britain as the sole representative of the
Syrians.
Syria has called the missile request "provocative",
seeing it as a first step toward a no-fly zone over Syrian airspace
which the opposition is seeking to help them hold territory against an
enemy with overwhelming firepower from the air.Most foreign powers are reluctant to go that far.NATO has said the possible deployment of the missiles
was purely defensive. The U.S.-led Western alliance has had some talks
on the request but has yet to take a decision.Turkey fears security on its border may crumble as the
Syrian army fights harder against the rebels, some of whom have enjoyed
sanctuary in Turkey in their 20-month-old revolt against Assad's rule.Ankara has scrambled fighter jets and returned fire
after stray Syrian shells and mortar bombs from heavy fighting along the
border landed in its territory.More than 120,000 Syrian refugees are sheltering in
camps in southern Turkey and more are expected with winter setting in
and millions of people estimated to be short of food inside Syria.Abu Mussab, a rebel operative in the area of Hajar
al-Aswad in south Damascus, said the opposition fighters had given up
expecting a no-fly zone. "The bet is now on better organization and
tactics," he said.The video said by activists to have been filmed at the
Marj al-Sultan base showed rebel fighters carrying AK-47 rifles.An anti-aircraft gun was positioned on top of an empty
bunker and a rebel commander from the Ansar al-Islam, a major Muslim
rebel unit, was shown next to a helicopter.
"With God's help, the Marj al-Sultan airbase in eastern
Ghouta has been liberated," the commander said in the video. Eastern
Ghouta, a mix of agricultural land and built-up urban areas, has been a
rebel stronghold for months.Damaged mobile radar stations could be seen on hilltops, with rebels waiving as they walked around the compound.Footage from Saturday evening showed rebels firing
rocket-propelled grenades at the base, and what appeared to be a
helicopter engulfed in flames.Last week rebels
briefly captured an air defence base near the southern Damascus district
of Hajar al-Aswad, seizing weapons and equipment before pulling out to
avoid retaliation from Assad's air force.(Additional
reporting by Dominic Evans in Beirut Yeganeh Torbati in Dubai and Ece
Toksabay in Istanbul; Editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Israel, Hamas teams in Cairo for more truce talks
Reuters – 48 mins ago NOV 26,12
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian mediators began separate talks on Monday with Hamas and with Israel to flesh out details of a ceasefire agreed last week that ended eight days of fighting in the Gaza Strip.An Egyptian official told Reuters the talks would discuss Palestinian demands for the opening of more Israeli crossings into Gaza - a move that would help end six years of blockade of the coastal enclave ruled by the Islamist Hamas.
The
Egyptian-brokered ceasefire came into force last Wednesday, ending
hostilities between the two sides that cost the lives of 167
Palestinians and six Israelis.However, the text of the truce stipulated that issues
such as access to the borders, free movement for Gazans and the transfer
of goods would be dealt with "after 24 hours".Israel imposed restrictions on Gaza in 2006, following
an election victory by Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel's right
to exist. The curbs were tightened, and backed by Egypt, after Hamas
seized control of the enclave in a civil war.Some of the import
and export limits have since been eased, but Israel still prevents a
long list of goods into the territory - including many items needed for
construction - arguing they could be used for the manufacture of
weapons.Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar told reporters on
Saturday that the group wanted to see the opening of all four goods
crossings with Israel that used to operate before 2006.Only one operates
at present, with a second passenger terminal reserved for the handful of
Palestinians and foreigners who are allowed in and out of the
territory.The Egyptian official said Cairo would also urge both
sides to cement their commitments to the ceasefire agreement.Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man on Friday
after he approached the Gazan "no-go" border area, apparently in the
belief that under the terms of the ceasefire deal he was able to go up
to the heavily patrolled fence.Alarmed by the
prospect of the truce failing, Egypt encouraged Hamas police to be
deployed along the border line to keep Gazans away and prevent further
violence.Israel launched its
air offensive against the Gaza Strip on November 14 with the declared
aim of deterring Islamist militants from firing rockets into its
territory.
The Israeli military also says its soldiers have come
under increasing attack from the border area this year, including
earlier this month when a jeep was hit by an anti-tank missile.(Reporting by Nidal Almughrabi; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Iran criticizes U.S. over delayed Middle East atomic talks
By Fredrik Dahl | Reuters – 1 hr 6 mins ago NOV 26,12
VIENNA (Reuters) -
Iran
criticized the United States on Monday for announcing that talks on
banning atomic arms in the Middle East would not take place as planned
this year, accusing it of causing a "serious setback" to the
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).The
U.S. State Department said on Friday that the mid-December conference on creating a zone free of
weapons of mass destruction would not occur and did not make clear when, or whether, it would take place.Iran, which is accused by the West of developing a
nuclear weapons capability, said this month it would participate in the meeting that had been due to take place in Helsinki, Finland.Asked about the U.S. announcement, Iranian nuclear envoy
Ali Asghar Soltanieh told state broadcaster Press TV from Vienna:"It is a serious
setback to the NPT and this is a clear sign that the U.S. is not
committed to the obligation of a world free of
nuclear weapons."Even if the talks eventually occur, Western diplomats
and experts expect little progress any time soon due to the deep-rooted
animosities in the region, notably the Arab-Israeli conflict and Israeli
concerns about Iran's nuclear program.
Washington feared the conference could be used as a forum to criticize its ally
Israel
- widely believed to be the volatile region's only nuclear-armed state -
a concern only likely to have increased after eight days of fierce
Israeli-Palestinian fighting that ended with a ceasefire last week.Israel, which says say Tehran is the Middle East's main
proliferation threat, had not said whether it would attend.Iran and Arab states often say Israel's presumed nuclear arsenal poses a threat to Middle East peace and security.
SECURITY
The plan for a meeting to lay the groundwork for the
possible creation of a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction
was agreed at a 2010 conference of 189 parties to the 1970 NPT, a treaty
designed to prevent the spread of nuclear arms in the world.Israel, which neither confirms nor denies having nuclear arms, is not a signatory.U.S. and Israeli
officials have said a nuclear arms-free zone in the Middle East could
not be a reality until there was broad Arab-Israeli peace and Iran
curbed its nuclear program, which Tehran says is for peaceful energy and
research purposes.Soltanieh, Iran's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear
agency, said: "The U.S. has taken hostage this Helsinki conference for
the sake of Israel ... they want to support the Israelis' nuclear weapon
capability."Some Western diplomats said they suspected that Tehran
only agreed to attend the Helsinki talks once it had become clear they
were likely to be postponed anyway.The two other co-sponsors of the meeting together with
the United States - Russia and Britain - signaled in separate statements
at the weekend their hope for a delay to be as short as possible and
that the talks could be held next year instead.The U.S. State Department said it would keep working to
try to bring about a meeting, adding such a gathering must take into
account the security of all the states in the region and operate on the
basis of consensus.(Additional reporting by Steve Gutterman in Moscow; Editing by Alison Williams)
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3
REVELATION 16:12
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up,(AT THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY) that the way of the kings(CHINA,NORTH-SOUTH KOREA, of the east might be prepared.(THIS IS THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY,THEY CROSS OVER).
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(4 WINDS OF THE WORLD-WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(COULD ALSO MEAN THE 4 CORNERS OF THE EARTH OR WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
Beijing's S. China Sea rivals protest passport map
By ANNIE HUANG | Associated Press – Fri, Nov 23, 2012
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has enraged several neighbors with a few dashes on a map, printed in its newly revised passports that show it staking its claim on the entire South China Sea and even Taiwan.
Inside the passports, an
outline of China
printed in the upper left corner includes Taiwan and the sea, hemmed in
by the dashes. The change highlights China's longstanding claim on the
South China Sea in its entirety, though parts of the waters also are
claimed by the
Philippines,
Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia.China's
official maps have long included Taiwan and the South China Sea as
Chinese territory, but the act of including them in its passports could
be seen as a provocation since it would require other nations to tacitly
endorse those claims by affixing their official seals to the documents.Ruling
party and opposition lawmakers alike condemned the map in Taiwan, a
self-governed island that split from China after a civil war in 1949.
They said it could harm the warming ties the historic rivals have
enjoyed since Ma Ying-jeou became president 4 1/2 years ago."This
is total ignorance of reality and only provokes disputes," said
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, the Cabinet-level body responsible
for ties with
Beijing. The council said the government cannot accept the map.Philippine
Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario told reporters in Manila that he
sent a note to the Chinese Embassy that his country "strongly protests"
the image. He said China's claims include an area that is "clearly part
of the Philippines' territory and maritime domain."
The Vietnamese
government said it had also sent a diplomatic note to the Chinese
Embassy in Hanoi, demanding that Beijing remove the "erroneous content"
printed in the passport.In Beijing, the Foreign Ministry said the
new passport was issued based on international standards. China began
issuing new versions of its passports to include electronic chips on May
15, though criticism cropped up only this week.
"The design of
this type of passports is not directed against any particular country,"
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily media
briefing Friday. "We hope the relevant countries can calmly treat it
with rationality and restraint so that the normal visits by the Chinese
and foreigners will not be unnecessarily interfered with."It's
unclear whether China's South China Sea neighbors will respond in any
way beyond protesting to Beijing. China, in a territorial dispute with
India, once stapled visas into passports to avoid stamping them."Vietnam
reserves the right to carry out necessary measures suitable to
Vietnamese law, international law and practices toward such passports,"
Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said.Taiwan does not recognize China's passports in any case; Chinese visitors to the island have special travel documents.China
maintains it has ancient claims to all of the South China Sea, despite
much of it being within the exclusive economic zones of Southeast Asian
neighbors. The islands and waters are potentially rich in oil and gas.There
are concerns that the disputes could escalate into violence. China and
the Philippines had a tense maritime standoff at a shoal west of the
main Philippine island of Luzon early this year.
The United
States, which has said it takes no sides in the territorial spats but
that it considers ensuring safe maritime traffic in the waters to be in
its national interest, has backed a call for a "code of conduct" to
prevent clashes in the disputed territories. But it remains unclear if
and when China will sit down with rival claimants to draft such a
legally binding nonaggression pact.The Philippines, Brunei,
Malaysia and Vietnam are scheduled to meet Dec. 12 to discuss claims in
the South China Sea and the role of China.___Associated
Press writers Oliver Teves in Manila, Philippines, Chris Brummitt in
Hanoi, Vietnam, and researcher Zhao Liang in Beijing contributed to this
report.
With surprise resignation, Barak may have rocked political arena for last time
Defense
minister drops political bombshell days after he oversaw assault on
Hamas, and after four years partnering Netanyahu in strategies aimed to
thwart Iran’s nuclear drive
Defense Minister Ehud Barak
announced on Monday that he would leave political life after the next
elections, dropping a bombshell after a career that saw him rise from
one of the country’s most highly decorated soldiers to prime minister
before falling out of favor and then making an improbable comeback.
His surprise announcement came less than a
week after he oversaw Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense assault on
Hamas and other rocket-firing terror groups in Gaza, and after almost
four years in which he had been Benjamin Netanyahu’s close security
partner, working with the prime minister to formulate strategies aimed
at thwarting Iran’s drive to a nuclear weapons capability.Barak, 70 and a nearly constant fixture at the
top levels of the country’s political leadership for the last two
decades, said he would leave his post as defense minister when a new
government is formed, likely in February.He said he had deliberated for several weeks
on the decision and he was proud of his career, which included a stint
as prime minister, but it was time to move on.“I feel there is room now for other people to
take up positions in Israel,” he said. “There are many ways to
contribute, but the state is not just politics.”Barak smiled throughout the press conference
he called to make the announcement, and said he now wants to spend more
time with his family. He noted that the surge in violence in the south
and the start of Operation Pillar of Defense delayed his final decision
until Monday morning.“I am comfortable with my decision,” he said.
He noted that Netanyahu was aware of his decision, and said his
much-reported episodes of friction with the prime minister had not
influenced his course of action.Netanyahu said he “respects” Barak’s decision
to retire from political life. Netanyahu thanked Barak for “the
cooperation in the government, and greatly esteems his contributions
over many years to the security of the state,” according to a statement
published by his office.Barak told the press he would be open to
staying on as defense minister in the next government if appointed and
said he would always be available to advise future governments on
matters of defense and national security.While non-elected officials can fill nearly
all ministerial posts in a “professional” capacity, it is unlikely
Netanyahu, who is expected to handily win the next election, will keep
Barak on, given likely pressure from the right flank for a more
hard-line head of the Defense Ministry.However, Barak proved a popular defense
minister, even if his political fortunes have waned with time.
His Independence party, which he formed in a surprise 2010 move in the
wake of an internal rift with Labor, was expected to gain three seats at
most in upcoming elections, with some polls showing it unable to even
cross the threshold to enter the Knesset.Barak said he supported the remaining members
of the party in their campaigns for the coming elections but would not
be drawn into predictions or evaluations about those still left in the
race. He also remained tight-lipped when asked about the negotiations he
has held with other parties and political personalities with whom he
has been linked.Rumors had surfaced that he was in talks with former Kadima head Tzipi Livni to form a new party.
Ehud Barak speaking to the press Monday. (Screenshot/ Channel 2)
Other reports over the past several months had
Barak joining the Likud party, which would have been a rightward turn
for the once-dovish minister, but Likud party members reportedly opposed
the deal that would allow him to join.Ynet had reported that Barak was asked by Netanyahu to resign his post if he planned on joining up with another party.Barak’s stepping down likely paves the way for
former army chief Moshe Yaalon, currently strategic affairs minister
for Likud, to become defense minister, as has long been rumored. Current
opposition head Shaul Mofaz, a former defense minister, may also be
gunning for the post.
At once hailed by the left and demonized by
the right for being willing to compromise with the Palestinians, Barak
proved a polarizing, albeit flexible, leader. His drift toward toward
Netanyahu, who is seen as a security hawk, at the end of his career
pushed him away from the Labor rank and file.Right-wing politicians reacted happily to the
news of the planned resignation, while there was a more mixed response
on the left.“Today is Likud’s Independence Day,” said
Likud Minister Yuli Edelstein, adding that Barak will be remembered in
Israel as the “most terrible” defense minister regarding Israeli
settlement of the West Bank. “His conduct was one of continuous
political and egotistical schemes, and all at the expense of the
settlements.”Barak, considered a military expert with a
flair for the unexpected, served as Israel Defense Forces chief of staff
before entering politics in the 1990s.Born on a kibbutz in 1942, Barak was central
to the early successes of the IDF’s most elite commando unit, Sayeret
Matkal, and is the most decorated soldier in Israeli army history,
having taken part in a number of daring raids that earned him a
reputation as a defense stalwart.He entered politics with the left-wing Labor
Party in the mid-1990s and succeeded Netanyahu as prime minister in
1999, serving concurrently as defense minister.As prime minister, presenting himself as a
successor to the assassinated Labor prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, he
sought to conclude a permanent peace accord with Palestinian leader
Yasser Arafat, initiating and participating in 2000′s abortive
negotiations at Camp David hosted by US president Bill Clinton. Rebuffed
by Arafat after offering an Israeli withdrawal from almost all of the
West Bank, Barak later said he had “removed the mask” from Arafat,
exposing the Palestinian leader as unwilling to agree to the compromises
necessary for a viable two-state solution. Nonetheless, Barak remained
committed to advancing talks with the Palestinians and was trounced in
elections in 2001 by the hard-liner Ariel Sharon, forcing him out of
politics.Following a failed bid for the leadership of
Labor in 2005, he eventually won back the post of defense minister under
Ehud Olmert in 2007 after rising from the ashes and winning the
leadership of Labor for a second time.After Netanyahu was elected for a second term
in 2009, Barak stayed on as defense minister, eventually spinning off
his own Independence party once Labor began to drift away from the
ruling right-wing coalition.He built a strong alliance with Netanyahu,
even though they differed over the Palestinians, and even though Barak
was wary of settlement expansion. They seemed to see eye-to-eye on the
imperative for urgent action to thwart Iran’s nuclear drive, although
recently they moved apart on the issue, with Barak indicating he
believed there was still some more time to see whether sanctions would
force the regime to abandon its program.As he did with Operation Cast Lead four years
ago, Barak stewarded the recent Israeli Pillar of Defense assault on
Hamas and other terror targets in Gaza following years of rocket fire,
and in both cases sought to weaken Hamas’s terrorist and rocket-fire
capacity, without ousting Hamas and retaking the Gaza Strip altogether.Raphael Ahren contributed to this report.
John
McAfee has been in the news for some strange reasons. We take a look at
the intriguing life of John McAfee, founder of the computer security
biggie McAfee and try to understand the good, the bad and the ugly side
of this eccentric computer programmer. Even at first glance, there’s
nothing geeky about this man – he doesn’t look like one and certainly
does not behave like one. That he created a marvelous anti-virus and is
easily a legend in that regard, one cannot quite stereotype him.Of late, he’s been in the news because the police have been wanting
to question him over the murder of his neighbor. But he’s been on the
run and is purportedly hiding in Belize. He’s screaming out loud that
he’s innocent, yet his sudden run isn’t painting a good picture in the
eyes of law enforcement agencies. Nearing the age of 70 in a few years,
the 67-year-old has spent nearly 20 years of his life in a series of
experimentation – drugs, sex, extreme sports, and manipulating the
media.
