On Palestine, identity, and the ‘non-state solution:’ Reviewing Khaled Diab's ‘Intimate Enemies’

Comment: 

My Hebrew - Ex-Jew- speaking Palestinian brother once discovered that he i living in an Occupied Land he left and shall not return until Palestine is liberated from River to Sea.

"a brief book titled, “Intimate Enemies: Living with Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land,” recently released as an e-book by the UK-based newspaper The Guardian under their “Guardian Shorts” series."

Khaled Diab's  wrote his "Guardian short ‘ntimate Enemies" for Guardian.

In case you missed it: 

Is it the Guardian Of Judea Or Just The Observer Of Zion? Asked Gilad 

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On Palestine, identity, and the ‘non-state solution:’ Reviewing Khaled Diab's ‘Intimate Enemies’

Palestinian protesters perform Friday prayers prior to a protest on the highway between Jerusalem and Jericho on November 28, 2014, against the construction of Jewish settlements in the Jordan Valley and against the plan to relocate Bedoiuns from the central West Bank area. AFP/Abbas Momani

By: Yazan al-Saadi

Published Friday, December 5, 2014

Nearly every facet of the conflict over Palestine has been dissected, examined, and rediscovered by writers of a multitude of backgrounds – and there is always room for more. Egyptian-Belgian journalist Khaled Diab is the latest, in a constant stream of writers, to tackle this hefty topic. Diab is mainly interested in the slippery concept of identity, through a paradigm centered on the cultural and social facets which comes at the expense of the historical and political dimensions. In the end, Diab’s proposal, the result of well-intentioned ambitions, falls far short from its lofty goal of solving the “conflict.”

“After years of writing about the conflict, visiting and living [in Palestine], I was struck by how the reality does not match the prevalent, and oft simplistic, narratives and discourses. Mutual fear, distrust and misconceptions are widespread, which undermine efforts to resolve this conflict by enabling extremists to dehumanize the other,” Diab, elaborating on why he decided to tackle the topic, wrote to Al-Akhbar English.

“Most of the available literature, which tends to focus on the situation through the prism of politics or history, does not highlight or dwell on these complex human realities and nuances, and few look at the human face of both Palestinians and Israelis together. As a kind of inside-outsider whose Egyptian identity opened up a surprising number of doors, hearts and minds, I found that I was in a privileged position to write a book of the people as a minor corrective,” he added.

The outcome is a brief book titled, “Intimate Enemies: Living with Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land,” recently released as an e-book by the UK-based newspaper The Guardian under their “Guardian Shorts” series. A larger, more expansive version is expected to be released sometime in the first half of 2015.

In the course of almost 50 pages, which can be read in one sitting, Diab’s journalistic attributes are clearly evident. He weaves together a multitude of Palestinian and Israeli voices, each at times respectively different within their own communities, to highlight their social and cultural differences and symmetries.

The writing is concise and easily digestible from the onset, and the fact that Diab was able to amass so many voices is a testament to his seriousness regarding the topic and to his solid journalistic ability.

The writing is concise and easily digestible from the onset, and the fact that Diab was able to amass so many voices is a testament to his seriousness regarding the topic and to his solid journalistic ability. He was not only able to access such voices with ease, but was also able to clearly present them to the reader. As simple as this may seem, it is rare for journalists, let alone writers, to do so, and Diab is quite successful in that regard.

Structurally, the book is akin to a long-form article, in which the general Palestinian and Israeli communities are introduced, their histories and ideologies briefly discussed, before delving into the contradictions and parallels that exist within and between the sub-communities of both. Diab concludes with his own thoughts and views on what the future may hold.

Erased vs. enforced identities

The most successful sections of “Intimate Enemies” in which Diab attempts to ‘cross the political divide’ are parts that discusses Palestinians still residing in the 1948 territories and Mizrahi (West Asian) Jews, both groups whose existence are real examples that cuts through the crude, simplistic and prevalent narratives of Jew vs. Arab or Israeli vs. Palestinian.

Here, the reader, through Diab’s account, comes in contact with Palestinians in 1948 occupied territories, those who are struggling and resisting Israel’s attempts to wipe out their Palestinian identity and those who are more keen in being part of the large Israeli social identity. In the same vein, Mizrahi, or Arab, Jews find themselves equally caught between a constant clash between their traditional, historical Arab identity and their enforced Jewish identity under Israel.

Ultimately, both these two communities are more or less perceived as being ‘caught in the middle,’ due to their peculiar position, and the various trails and tribulations they respectively faced, and continue to face today. Ultimately, they are linked by the core issues that have driven the struggle against Zionism and Israel for decades, issues that include nationality, rights, identity, ownership, dignity, and legitimacy.

These are perhaps the strongest sections in “Intimate Enemies” that will leave the reader with much to ponder.

Other brief sections that are equally as strong are parts of the book in which Diab effectively shows the role reversal that has occurred socially and culturally between Palestinians and Israelis in terms of exile.

In Judaism – especially the European interpretations of the religion – the experience and effect of exile from a “homeland” (whether this is historically or archaeologically accurate is best left for another discussion) was part and parcel of building an identity for centuries and is commonly articulated presently. It has become infused in their political, religious, and cultural acts and thoughts of its followers.

Similarly, for the Palestinians today, many of whom have been forced into exile due to the Zionist ethnic cleansing in 1947-1948, and the ongoing incremental genocide that followed, much of their current social and cultural identity has naturally been shaped by that trauma. The Palestinian, in effect, has become the “wandering Jew.” This adds a further wrinkle to the narratives in play, and Diab is quite effective in that aim.

The Palestinian, in effect, has become the “wandering Jew.” This adds a further wrinkle to the narratives in play, and Diab is quite effective in that aim.

While it is quite rare for articles or books to solely to tackle the Palestinian issue from a social and cultural standpoint, it is not an entirely novel approach. Moreover, for those well-versed in the complexities and history of the conflict, “Intimate Enemies” does not provide anything ground-breaking or new. Because of the brief nature of the work, there is a constant desire left for the reader for more, deeper analysis to the points that Diab brings up, and he does not tackle further complexities within communities like class, urban vs. rural, Gaza vs. West Bank, among other matters.

(Un)masking power dynamics

The most glaring omission, which Diab acknowledges, is a more thorough, critical examination of history and the power dynamics that inherently divides an Israeli and a Palestinian. To his credit, Diab does touch on the historical events, like the Nakba or the Holocaust, but it is more a matter of cursorily noting them.

“I do explore the effects of the Nakba and the loss of Palestine on the Palestinian psyche, as well as the disparity in the power relationship between Israelis and Palestinians, not to mention within Israeli society itself, i.e. the Ashkenazi-Mizrahi divide,” Diab responded when asked of this by Al-Akhbar English. “But, like I said, in the limited space available, I could only go so far, especially since my primary focus is on the people. I go into these issues in much greater detail in the full-length manuscript.”

Diab’s keenness to concentrate on “the people” rather than the political is both important and problematic. Undoubtedly, it is important to humanize those who are effected by the issues and consequences that arose in the colonization and conquest of Palestine. But the effort to humanize and tackle other elements – in this case, the cultural and social sectors – regarding Palestine does not automatically shrug aside the politics. Diab’s desire to separate the two is understandable considering his aims and the limitations he is faced with, but it results in two points of contention.

First is the artificial creation of equivalency. Diab is right to note that there are parallels and symmetries between Palestinians and Israelis, and these parallels are universal and can include any community anywhere in the world. Yet, the facts, history, and politics created one community as the victim and the other as the aggressor, one community as the occupied and the other as the occupier. This is not a matter of opinion, but a matter of fact despite issues of “terrorism,” the discriminatory treatment of European Jews in Europe, and the evolution of social and cultural norms in occupied Palestine today.

And because of this unequal power relations, whatever bridges built from social and cultural links between Palestinians and Israelis will ultimately collide with all the privileges, advantages, and controls that power bestows to only one of the two.

Secondly, Diab’s compartmentalization and separation of politics from the topic assumes that culture and identity can be apolitical – while the reality is starkly different. To use the classic adage, the personal is political, and the political is personal. The basic identity of Israelis – Zionism – is derived from a political movement and action, and by not challenging or leaving room to discuss the politics, Diab’s “Intimate Enemies” feels hesitant and somewhat naive.

[D]iab’s compartmentalization and separation of politics from the topic assumes that culture and identity can be apolitical – while the reality is starkly different.

 Envisioning a ‘people’s peace process’

This leads to the final point Diab attempts to make during the concluding chapters of “Intimate Enemies.” He argues:

[T]alking of a one- or two-state solution, or even an alliance of city states, is premature. What we urgently need are strategies to help move us towards a state of justice. It is my conviction that we need to pursue an incremental path forward and adopt what I call the “non-state solution.”

Instead of the current fixation on borders and territory, as if soil is so much thicker than blood,
the focus must shift to the people. Prioritising the people will necessitate transforming the
Palestinian struggle into a mass, non-violent civil rights movement. Under this model,
Palestinians will deploy all the tools of peaceful resistance that they have constructed and
utilised over the years, including non-violent protest, civil disobedience, strikes and targeted
boycotts.

In order to do this, Diab adds:

The non-state solution does not actually determine the final form of borders or the character of the state(s) but, on the contrary, can potentially empower the citizenry, rather than the political class, to forge the solution which most appeals to them.

Once disenfranchisement has ended and everyone is an equal citizen, then a bi-national
conversation can commence to reach gradually a final settlement through a people’s peace
process. Any Israeli or Palestinian should be free to propose initiatives and suggest actions.
Any proposals that garner enough initial support should then be voted on by the Israeli and
Palestinian publics. Any measure for which the majority on both sides vote should be
implemented immediately, to create momentum.

Having the voices of people in the process of justice and peace is laudable and necessary. To a degree, Diab hits the mark on the need to bring to the fore voices of those other than usually useless, self-interested politicians who are working with the long-dead, defunct Oslo process. Yet, true justice – and here we are speaking of actual implemented justice, such as the Right of Return, compensation, restitution, reparations, and accountability, which are absolutely necessary for long-term real peace for all – will necessitate that certain voices and concerns – i.e. Israeli – be set aside.

”[I]nstead of the current fixation on borders and territory, as if soil is so much thicker than blood, the focus must shift to the people.” – Khaled Diab, “Intimate Enemies”

If we follow Diab’s suggestion of a “non-state solution,” one that is concerned with ending disenfranchisement and creating equality, that will ultimately require a political, as well as an economic, social, and legal solution. The politics will be vital in the end game, and Diab’s circumventing of the politics is a major flaw in an otherwise generally strong work, and feels more of an unnecessary detour, or for some readers, a dangerous deviation.

This short book dives headfirst into one of the most important regional and international struggles today and is written by a high-profile journalist – who has privileged access to different parts of Palestine and has lived there for a number of years. For this reason, a critical deconstruction and an intellectual review of the work is necessary. This is especially so since Diab ends with a suggestion of a “non-state solution,” a thoughtful, even if lacking proposal. The act of humanizing the ‘other’ is meaningful, but recognizing and acknowledging humanity should not belittle the inequalities in power, privilege, poverty, and suffering. Yes, Palestinians and Israelis are humans, their respective communities assembled from a medley of micro-universes of hopes, fears, desires and dreams that sometimes mirrors each other. However, the similarities end when it comes to occupation, ethnic cleansing, abuse, and humiliation.

In the end, “Intimate Enemies” is useful for those not well-versed in the intricacies of Palestine and want to learn more about the various identities in a quick and easily digestible manner. For those who are in tune with developments in Palestine, “Intimate Enemies” has value in terms of suggested ideas and tactics through a social and cultural lens that should and need to be mulled over.

As for the problems noted above, they stubbornly linger beneath the current abridged edition of “Intimate Enemies,”and one has to wait and see if Diab’s expanded edition will cover the gaps.

Yazan is a staff writer for Al-Akhbar English. Follow him on Twitter:@WhySadeye

A MUST READ

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• “Chosen”, so they can!
• A culture of Supremacy
• God’s Chosen Terrorists 

• Equal Rights for serial killers, and for their victims ? 

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

Israeli aggression on Syria reasons and subtleties

العدوان الإسرائيلي على سوريا الأسباب والخفايا

 ـ نضال حمادة

شنت إسرائيل صبيحة يوم الأحد الواقع في الخامس من شهر ايار الحالي أعنف هجوم جوي ضد سوريا منذ بداية الحرب التي ناهزت العامين، واستهدف الكيان الإسرائيلي مواقع قرب العاصمة السورية دمشق يعتقد البعض انها قصفت بصواريخ "كروز" من بارجة امريكية في عرض البحر

 وحملت "إسرائيل" المسؤولية تجنبا لإحراج امريكا خصوصا امام روسيا، بينما يقول موقع "يهود فرنسا" المقرب من الليكود الإسرائيلي أن طائرات إسرائيلية حلقت فوق شرق لبنان وقصفت منه مدينة دمشق.

إسرائيل حصلت على ضوء أخضر امريكي للقيام بهذا العمل ضد سوريا، فواشنطن بقبولها بالضربة الاسرائيلية هذه وبضربة وقعت قبل ثلاثة أشهر إنما تصيب عصفورين بحجر واحد فهي من جهة تشد عصب المعارضة السورية المسلحة التي بدأت تفقد زمام المبادرة العسكرية في الحرب السورية، ومن ناحية ثانية ترضي غرور اسرائيل وتمنعها من التهور في عملية ضد ايران سوف تجر المنطقة والعالم الى حرب لا يعرف أحد نتائجها.

إسرائيل التي تدخل على خط الحرب السورية بشكل مباشر في عملية دعم عسكري للمعارضة المسلحة تسعى اسرائيل هذه منذ سنوات عديدة لجر الولايات المتحدة لحرب ضد ايران تأخذ طابع الحرب الدولية، وتكون فيها القوة النارية الأمريكية في خدمة الأهداف الإسرائيلية الراغبة في تدمير ايران، وهذه الاستراتيجية الإسرائيلية ثابتة غير انها تواجه برفض قاطع من إدارة أوباما التي لا تريد خوض حرب ضد طهران لا تعرف نتائجها ولا امتداداتها.

ويقول أحد الباحثين في وزارة الدفاع الفرنسية في ندوة عقدت في مجلس الشيوخ الفرنسي أن إدارة اوباما وضعت خطوطا حمراء امام إسرائيل في كل ما يتعلق بعمل عسكري اسرائيلي ضد ايران، ويضيف الخبير الفرنسي ان الإسرائيليين بعد الرفض المتكرر من إدارة أوباما بشن حملة عسكرية ضد طهران او السماح لإسرائيل بالقيام بأي عمل عسكري بدأوا يطرحون على أمريكا فكرة شن ضربة محدودة لا تشعر النظام الإيراني بالإهانة ولا تجبره على الرد وفي نفس الوقت تعطي هذه الضربة رسالة قوية عن قدرة اسرائيل الردعية وتقترح اسرائيل شن ضربة صاروخية لكن إدارة اوباما ترفض ذلك وتسأل ما الذي يضمن أن لا ترد ايران عبر حلفائها وتشتعل المنطقة لعشر سنوات مقبلة، وهذا الموقف الأمريكي يزيد تعقيد العلاقات بين أميركا واسرائيل حيث تشعر الاخيرة أن هناك نوعاً من التغير في التفكير السياسي الأمريكي نحوها وهو بأي حال لا يصل الى تغير في طبيعة العلاقات الاستراتيجية ، غير ان النخب الأمريكية التي تخشى ان تورطها إدارة نتنياهو في حرب مع ايران وجدت ضالتها في دفع نتنياهو لقصف سوريا المشغولة بمشاكلها الداخلية الكبيرة والكثيرة، فسمحت لإسرائيل باستهداف مواقع سورية بحجة وجود قوافل سلاح ترسلها سوريا الى حزب الله، وهي عبر هذا العمل تبرئ ساحتها وتستخدم اسرائيل في مهمة المرتزق التي وجدت من اجلها في أربعينات القرن الماضي.

وفي السياق نفسه، تعتقد مصادر فرنسية أن العملية الاسرائيلية سوف تنحصر في هذا الاطار ولن تتوسع أكثر حتى لا تندلع حربا على مستوى المنطقة، وهذه الحرب لا تريدها الولايات المتحدة رغم كل التصريحات الإعلامية التي تهدف للضغط على الرئيس السوري بشار الأسد ودعم المعارضة المسلحة التي تشهد تراجعا وبداية انهيار ظهرت اولى معالمه الواضحة في الانهيار الكبير لقوات المعارضة وخطوطها الدفاعية والهجومية والتموينية في ريف القصير وسط سوريا.

العهد

• ماذا أرادت إسرائيل بعدوانها؟؟.. وكيف سيكون الرد؟ ..د أمين محمد حطيط
• دمشق والعدوان... احتمالات مفتوحة بخطوات مدروسة

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

 

Gilad Atzmon Who?

Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 4:17PM Gilad Atzmon

 

A few words by GA: This is one of the most interesting articless on my work as a musician/writer and a public person. I spent two fascinating days with Ariadna in Buenos Aires. Reading this article helped me to understand my own work and the way it is perceived by others.

By Ariadna Theokopoulos

http://www.boldfacenews.com/gilad-atzmon-who/

One of the best international jazz musicians of today, philosopher, humanist thinker and author, Gilad Atzmon has been challenging all of us (and primarily Jews) for several years now to examine what defines Jewish Identity Politics (JIP), its core supremacist beliefs, and the many issues that arise from it: its strategies, the various disguises of racism, concealment and suppression of free speech.

The response has never been lukewarm: he has been hailed by some of the most distinguished intellectuals and academicians as “brilliant,” “original” and “profound” or he has been denounced with uniformly unsubstantiated accusations as being a “racist” and/or a “self-hating Jew.”
Since none of those charges carried any credibility, new ones will probably be manufactured in the attempt to silence him.

What is certain is that nobody has yet found him boring or inconsequential.

I have recently returned from a trip to Argentina where I had traveled to meet GA, who had been invited there upon the publication of The Wandering Who in Spanish (La Identidad Errante) by Editorial Canaán in Buenos Aires.

Copies of his book were available in bookstores already.

Buenos Aires is a reading town: it is hard to walk more than four blocks in any direction without finding a bookstore. Gilad marveled at seeing philosophy books displayed in the window of one. (I do not know about the UK but in the US only a bookstore manager bent on bankruptcy would display philosophy books instead of the usual shop window fare, something like “Quick Guide to Having Great Sex While Eating, Shopping and Investing Smartly.”)

He was generous with his time: I ended up spending a couple of full days with him, talking for many hours on end, accompanying him to radio interviews, to a talk he gave to history professors, an engagement in a jazz club, browsing through musical instruments stores and simply walking and enjoying together the unique and stunning beauty of Buenos Aires.

His reception was enthusiastic everywhere we went, although “la identitad politica Judia” is nowhere near as familiar a term as JIP has become in Europe and North America. Here, in South America in general, he does not (or not yet) benefit from the unintentional but helpful marketing support he has received from zionists and “anti-zionist zionists.”

I observed his interactions with people and watched their reactions to his ideas and his music, and most of all talked with him in a desultory fashion on a wide range of topics from the politics of marginal identities to sexual identity (“Sex and Character”), the difficulties of translating German philosophy in other languages, pro-Palestinian activism and its new ‘dietary laws,’ the beauty of national cultures and music, his nostalgic love of his native land, Palestine, his itinerant life style (he had flown to Buenos Aires straight from Japan), people we both know, and even about what constitutes a perfect pizza.

Turning the tables on him, so to speak, and using his own premise, it seems fair to ask:

If GA, a born Israeli Jew (who occasionally refers to himself as a Hebrew-speaking Palestinian), musician, philosopher, humanist thinker and finally a man, insists on critically examining JIP, then we have a right to try to find out who is GA, the itinerant saxophone player and story teller and what is his identity? Gilad Atzmon Who?

For each of us personal identity is made up of many strands of qualifiers with which we identify: idiosyncratic personal identity, sexual identity, professional identity, allegiance to a family, to one’s ethnic group, religion, national identity, universal human family. One of them will always be primary. After all, we know that some men rendered impotent in battle prefer to die than live without their ‘sexual identity,’ while others turned paraplegic but with their intellectual functions intact wish to live, religious zealots would rather kill and die rather than not prevail over their “enemies,” and so on.

It is reasonable to make the assumption that one’s primary identity, that which one chooses as a defining descriptor above others (e.g., “As a Jew, I think that….”) is the allegiance in whose perceived service one is willing to make the most sacrifices, often to the detriment of other “identities. “

Using that assumption, Gilad’s primary identity is without a doubt that of an artist.
What follows is like Magritte’s pipe

 
It is not Gilad. It is only my impression and rendition of him.

The Musician


At Jazz & Pop in Buenos Aires

That he is a consummate jazz player and a talented composer needs no elaboration at this point. His music has been acclaimed worldwide and not just by those who ever listened to him live or bought his CDs. When I returned to Montevideo I went to my favorite neighborhood caffe to give a gift to the owner – a copy of La Identidad Errante. He looked at it, read the author’s name and said: “I know this guy. I listen to him on youtube.”

“Songs of the Metropolis” was discussed in both of the radio interviews to which I accompanied him. They played Buenos Aires and he explained his admiration for Astor Piazzolla whose music is beautifully evoked by his song.

Gilad also expressed his delight in the Argentineans’ proud attachment to and nurturing of their musical heritage and traditions. Indeed, everywhere we went we could hear tango tunes pouring out of stores, cabs and caffes. In fact, walking in La Boca we passed by an impromptu street scene of ordinary people dancing tango, which I felt worth capturing:



Pride in the tango can be fierce and the controversy about whether the great Gardel was really a Uruguayan or an Argentinean is a cause of rancor between the two neighboring nations. In this light, Gilad’s expression of sincere and deep admiration for Piazzolla alone could make him an honorary Argentinean citizen.

The format of the two radio shows was pretty much the same: a presentation of the artist by the interviewer as musician and writer, a discussion of Songs of the Metropolis, a few intelligent questions about the transformative effect of Gilad’s early acquaintance with jazz and its stellar black performers on his thinking and ethical view of the world, including his “discovery” of Palestinians and their national tragedy, and the message of The Wandering Who. They played Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv and Scarborough and at the end gave the listeners information about his upcoming shows and about the availability of his book in Spanish in local bookstores.

I have no way to gauge the reception of the radio interviews by listeners but later I recognized some of the radio station staff among the audience in the jazz club.

The show was memorable. The jazz club was packed and Gilad seemed, if anything, energized by lack of sleep and the jetlag and totally connected with the audience.

Women seem to be thronging around him at his shows and talks, a fact he dismisses and attributes only to his fame. That is entirely plausible for some of them. It is perhaps the “triangular desire” that Rene Girard describes in Mensonge Romantique et Verité Romanesque, “mediated desire” or “desire according to others.” In other words he is “vetted” as charismatic by the arbiters of fame. Others may find him attractive because—no offense to Gilad—almost any man can become attractive when he plays his saxophone with abandon. Bill Clinton, although he never seems to have advanced beyond the saxophone version of Chopsticks surely knows that. There is perhaps something about the sight of a man passionately immersed in his playing (not the tuba though) that makes some women wish to grab some of that intense concentration and try to have it turn on themselves. John Berger thinks that “to be passionately desired is perhaps the closest one can get in this life to feeling immortal” (“ser deseado con pasión es tal vez lo mas parecido que se pueda alcanzar en esta vida a sentarse inmortal”—El Cuaderno de Bento). Nevertheless his incessant talking about his beautiful wife, with evident admiration, must be a killer to the hopes of even the most determined female stalkers or the fakers wishing to test his “male chauvinism.”

The audience was electrified by his performance (with the somewhat self-effacing Juampi Juarez trio) and brought to an ovation by his scatting, pouring forth from somewhere deep, almost in a frenzied trance.

The Story Teller

It was his scatting also that made me think that, indissolubly linked to his identity as a musician, he has a twin primary identity as the Story Teller, in the mold of Mario Vargas Llosa’s main character in the eponymous novel.

In the Amazonian jungle, among the natives, Llosa narrates, there was a Story Teller, a man whose life mission was to roam from one isolated group/tribe to another and another, all across the vast and almost impenetrable jungle to sing the truth and to record and revise history. Given the difficulties and perils of the trek he only got to visit each community once a year.

Upon his arrival all gathered to hear him sing the Story that told them about themselves and others like them, from the beginnings of creation to present day events, like news of births and deaths and impending perils in all the places he had been visiting since his last meeting with them.

The Story was never quite the same from one visit to the next not only because it was growing with more additions of news and events but also because the memory of the past was changing and enriched by new learning.

The Story reminded them that they were not alone although they were isolated and only rarely got to really know any of the other tribes, with whom they became acquainted mostly from his Story. Nevertheless, it was clear from his Story that the others were very much like them.

To be the Story Teller was a function of great responsibility but also great personal sacrifice: enduring the life of a lone wanderer.

Llosa eventually reveals that the Story Teller was a Peruvian Jew who had abandoned his “tribe” and the larger urban culture he belonged to, and chose to live among the real people of the land, the old inhabitants pushed deep into the jungle by the “civilization” of the invading colonists. When they honored him by appointing him Story Teller, he became their singer of history, keeper of truth and teacher.

His recital, in the form of a sung epic, also contained a refrain, much like an invocation, a repetition that, when uttered fast over and over unraveled words and became only sound, like scatting.
In his own way, combining music with his Story and carrying the compact universal message to all as he wanders all over the world, Gilad Atzmon is also the Story Teller.
 

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I'm an Israeli Soldier (must watch)

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 12:06PM Gilad Atzmon

 

Israel popular culture provides us with a perfect insight into Israeli collective morbidity. This is what Israeli consume culturally, this is how they interpret the meaning of their Jewish identity. This is the true reality of the Jewish state..

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Double Standards for Prisoners Vanished In "Israel"

Secret Prisoners of "Israel’s" Past

By: Yahya Dbouk Al-Akhbar daily, February 15, 2013 The case of Ben Zygier, known as "Prisoner X," has opened the door to questions about the possibility of "Israel" secretly detaining other prisoners and abductees. Zygier, a Jewish-Australian citizen, died in an "Israeli" prison two years ago, in a case "Israel" went to extreme lengths to cover up, imposing media gag orders. Until recently, the global norm was to accept that "Israel" is an entity where the rule of law is paramount.   This is not the first time "Israel" has hidden information related to the whereabouts and conditions of prisoners. Consider, for example, reports of the three Iranian diplomats kidnapped by the Lebanese Forces during the "Israeli" invasion of Lebanon in 1982, who were reportedly moved to prisons in occupied Palestine. Then consider the case of Lebanese prisoner Yahya Skaf. In addition to a wealth of reporting on his case, testimonies by other detainees all aver that he is still alive and being held in an "Israeli" prison. It's a claim that Tel Aviv denies, maintaining that it lost Skaf's body. In the same vein, reports from various sources assert that Iranian General Mohammed Reza Asgari, who was kidnapped in Turkey in 2007, is being held in "Israel".   Until recently, the global norm was to accept that "Israel" is an entity where the rule of law is paramount. Any reports that questioned "Israel's" democratic credentials were considered prejudiced or even anti-Semitic.   Yet if Tel Aviv was able to conceal the truth about Zygier for so long - the fact that he had committed suicide more than two years ago - then it's entirely fathomable that "Israel" is withholding the truth about other prisoners like Skaf, Asgari, and the above-mentioned Iranian diplomats. The answer is now clear and backed up by damning evidence: "Israel" has both the capability and the willingness to engage in such acts. A simple hypothetical exercise. Let's say the kidnapping, detention, and subsequent suicide of the Australian Prisoner X had happened to another detainee of a different nationality. How would the global media reaction differ? Would it have been as fervent as with the Australian Prisoner X? Just look to the cases of the Lebanese and Iranian detainees, specifically with the three Iranian diplomats and General Asgari. Iran repeatedly declared that it had evidence as to their whereabouts, and the Iranian press reported extensively on the matter. Yet "Israeli" denials were enough to refute the Iranian account. Western and "Israeli" reports did not stop there, and Iran was even mocked as a source of fabricated news. The same applies to cases involving Lebanese citizens, such as Skaf. "Israel" cannot possibly deny it has him, and that he had entered occupied Palestine. For one thing, Tel Aviv's claims about Skaf and his lost body make little sense. If he had been a citizen of Australia, or other nations of similar stature, "Israel's" account would have differed. "Israeli" assertions that Tel Aviv had kept the Australian government in the loop on Prisoner X created more - not less - ramifications. Indeed, "Israel" is not only able to hide the facts and detain people in secret, but also to involve Western governments in the cover-up.   Secret Prisoners of "Israel's" Past   Mohamad Bdeir   "Israel" is not only able to hide the facts and detain people in secret, but also to involve Western governments in the cover-up. Ben Zygier's is not the first case where the authorities in Tel Aviv detained someone in secret, isolating them from the outside world and denying their existence. The "Israeli" tradition in this regard dates back to the 1950s, with the precedent set in the arrest of Mordechai ‘Motke' Kedar. Kedar served in Unit 131 of the military intelligence and was detained for the murder of an agent working for Mossad during a mission in Argentina. When Kedar was arrested in 1957, his imprisonment was kept under wraps. The only details that surfaced at the time were reported by the "Israeli" daily Yedioth Ahronot, It was able to report the detention of a "secret agent" before the military censors in Israel imposed a gag order. Kedar remained in a secret section of the Ramle prison for 17 years. He was also nicknamed "Prisoner X." After his 1974 release, he immediately left "Israel". Kedar returned in the 1990s to demand a retrial, but to no avail.   After Kedar, there was the case of Shabtai Kalmanovich, a Lithuanian Jew who was recruited by the KGB in exchange for allowing him to emigrate from the USSR to "Israel". There, he became active in the Labor party, and served as a parliamentary assistant for a Labor MP.   Kalmanovich was arrested years later on charges of passing information to Soviet intelligence for 17 years. He spent five years in prison before he was granted an early release due to his health. In 2009, Kalmanovich was shot dead by unknown assailants in Moscow and was buried afterwards in Israel. Avraham Marcus Klingberg, a Polish Jew, was another secret detainee. He enlisted in the Red Army during World War II and then emigrated to "Israel". Klingberg served in the "Israeli" army, and rose through the ranks to lieutenant colonel. After that, he served as the deputy head of a biological institute that was responsible, according to press reports, for weapons research. He was arrested in 1977, and during his interrogation, he admitted that he had been working for the Soviets for 20 years, during which he relayed classified information on "Israel's" biological and chemical weapons research. Klingberg was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but his detention was kept secret for ten years. In the late ‘90s, his sentence was shifted to house arrest. In 2003, he left "Israel" to live in France. Another case involves Mordechai Vanunu, the famous nuclear whistleblower who was kidnapped by Mossad in Italy in 1986. Vanunu was tried and jailed in "Israel" for 18 years for exposing secrets related to the "Israeli" nuclear program that employed his as a technician. Similarly, Yitzhak Yaakov, a brigadier general in the "Israeli" army reserve, was arrested and tried in secret in 2001 for disclosing national security secrets in his autobiography. In most cases where the "Israeli" authorities engaged in secret proceedings and cover-ups, the excuse cited was preserving national security secrets. However, there are other cases where "Israel" secretly detained people for years after kidnapping them.   One prominent case of this kind involves six Lebanese prisoners who were handed over to "Israel" by the Lebanese Forces in the late 1980s. "Israel" kept their detention secret for over seven years before notifying the International Committee of the Red Cross of their existence as part of negotiations for a prisoner swap with the Resistance.

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Exorcism / When Peoples Recover Dignity

By Daniel Mabsout,



We have been cheated for so long and we have contributed to the plight that has been inflicted on us . We have glorified our enemies and turned them into gods and idols, we have turned them into examples and models to all . The more cruel they proved to be the more we surrendered to them and acknowledged their authority and superiority and this is what made them even more determined to transgress human and natural laws and commit what they commit .

We have followed them blindly and made them lead us on the way of knowledge and science and progress and success. We believed that they were the promising future and the bright tomorrows . We felt that there was no alternative but follow their steps and walk in their trails. We knew probably that we could never catch up with them and that we will lag behind endlessly, nevertheless we continued on the same pace and playing the same tune , each step forward made us more dispossessed and vulnerable .

Gradually we were stripped of our culture and language and tradition while thinking that we were treading the path of progress . We made the enemies our reference, we overlooked their horrors and crimes , we thought these were the price we have to pay for the betterment of humanity in general , and we were ready to pay the price as high as it proved to be . Palestine was taken which was a big thing in itself and then our resources were exploited and taken , our language our heritage were declared useless , our traditions outdated , our society inadequate, our thinking reactionary , our heritage empty .

This is what our enemy made of us : a complete failure , leaving us in want of everything , demonizing us thus, making us convinced that our culture and civilization were defective and in great need to be straightened and redeemed . This process of demonizing touched all people : the Natives , the Africans , the Arabs , the Muslims . The western monster demonized all keeping all the good attributes to himself and acting in the name of God and religion and welfare of humanity while helpless we watched this usurping of the morals and principles in which we had faith.

Without this demonizing process the indigenous t could not be stripped of everything including his own identity. We rejected what could not be admitted or praised by the superior west, we became thus removed from our cultural and social and historical identity . We became nobody and therefore it became easy to fill us with anything including the big lie of the civilized west .
 
This lasted until something unusual happened . It happened in Iran. The great achievement of the Islamic Revolution of Iran was to recover the lost treasure , to give back to us our identity and superiority and reality and above all our dignity . Once this war of dignity won , once the cultural and spiritual superiority of the indigenous over the predators asserted and confirmed and experienced, then all the other wars could be easily won.

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‘US hates Iran, because…..’

Posted on December 17, 2012 |

Islamic Republic of Iran is among the very few world nations (Cuba and Venezuela being the two others) which have broken the chains of the western Zionist bankers’ imperialism. That’s the major reason the former western colonial powers have been threatening Iran with sanctions and war for the last three decades.

Iranian have suffered at the hands of foreign powers (Russian, British and Americans) for centuries. The 1979 Islamic Revolution open a door of national independence and dignity for them. Since then, Iranian have not backed-down against all odds – and finally became “the most powerful regional nation“, according to Lord David Owen, former British foreign secretary, Daily Record, December 16, 2011.

In 1980, an Iranian jailer summed-up Iranian mindset when the chief of US embassy staff, Bruce Laingen, called his imprisnment “immoral, illegal and totally wrong”. He replied to Laingen: “You have nothing to complain about. The United States took our entire country hostage in 1953“.
Recently, professor Rodney Shakespeare (Jakarta’s Trisakti University), a world renowned political commentator told Namavaran Network Corporation (NNC) that United States hates Iran for later’s independence from the westen-controlled World Order and Iran’s support of anti-Israel resistance groups.

“The USA hates any country, such as Iran, which wants to be independent. Which is why the USA is continually pushing for a regime change in Tehran. On top of that the USA’s foreign policy is to support the Zionist entity in every possible way, which means, if at all possible, the general destruction of any Islamic country (Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.) and the specific destruction of Iran. Iran stands firm against ever-expanding Israel which has a Nazi-like policy of lebensraum, i.e., Israel believes that there are lands inhibited by a sub-human species who may be expelled leaving the lands for Zionist expansion (Eretz Yisrael). Israel, apart from committing war crimes, is implementing a creeping genocide in Gaza and Palestine – and Iran is the only country giving clear, unambiguous opposition. The USA actively supports the (Palestinian) genocide,” said Rodney Shakespeare.

Professor Rodney Shakespeare also added that Washington have been lying about Iran’s intentions to produce nuclear weapons for the last 20 years. “However, there are signs that the world is begining to wake-up to the Zionist lies and America’s unreasonable hatred of Iran is increasingly being noticed by sensible people everywhere“, he said. Read the entire interview here.

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Jordan Leads Meetings between Syrian Rebels and US, Zionist Intel. Officers

Local Editor 13-11-2012

The American newspaper Wall Street Journal revealed Sunday that Jordan organizes meetings between officers of the American and the Zionist intelligence services with Syrian soldiers who defected and fled to Jordan. "The Jordanian intelligence services organized for officers and officials of the Israeli and U.S. intelligence interrogation sessions with Syrian soldiers, who fled to Jordan in order to extract information about the Syrian army and liaise with Syrian officers, "said the paper on the role of Jordan in aiding to intensify the Syrian uprising. Started last spring, the role of Jordan continued in buying and transferring weapons financed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar to the militia of the so-called ‘free Syrian army’. The daily ensures that Jordanian intelligence services officers regularly meet with the Syrian militia leaders, facilitating their coming and going across the borders, and discussing with them issues and strategic military. In exchange for this assistance, Riyadh and Doha pay cash, Amman has received assurances from Saudi Arabia and Qatar that it will get economic aid and security.

Source: Newspapers Arms Deals – Pentagon supports Saudi Arabia, Iraq under Pressure   River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

Flooding Syria with Foreign Arms: A View from Damascus

Franklin Lamb
Damacus

Al-Manar



Across Syria these days, one is able to examine massive evidence that this ancient civilization, the historic bastion of nationalist Arabism and since the 1948 Nabka, an essential pillar of the growing culture of Resistance to the Zionist occupation of Palestine, is becoming awash with foregin arms being funneled to “rebels” by countries advocating regime change.

This observer has been researching foreign arms transfers into certain Middle East countries since last summer in Libya, where to a lesser degree the identical foreign actors were involved in faciliating the transfer of arms and fighters to topple the then, “Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.”

During a recent stay in Syria, I was able to observe first hand, substantial demostrative evidence supporting the thesis that American, Zionist and Gulf intelligence agencies as well as private arms dealers from these countries top the list of of more than two dozen countries benefiting from the crisis in Syria by injecting arms. These counries gain politically and financially, via governmental and black market arms transfers.

Which countries are sending the most weapons into Syria to arm militia?

A list of the top 24 countries, among the more than three dozen that are currently ivolved in sending weapons to Syria to achieve regime change include:

USA, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, UK, France, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Portugal, Poland, Yugoslavia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, and Argentina.

Nearly two-thirds of the above listed arms suppliers are members of NATO and constitute almost half of NATO’s 28 country membership.

Russia is not included in the above list because it is the main supplier of arms to the Syrian government. Yet, one finds older USSR era weapons and even some more recent vintage Russian arms in rebel hands, the latter from the decade (12/79-2/89) of Soviet, occupation of Afghanistan. Also offering Russian weapons are a growing number of black market arms dealers of whom there is no shortage along the Turkey-Syrian border and elsewhere.

This recent visitor to Syria was offered near the Old City, AK 47’s (Russian Kalashnikovs) or Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) for $ 1,800 (in Lebanon today and before the Syrian crisis the price was around $800. After some bargaining and starting to walk away a couple of times, the “special one-time only price for an American friend” dropped to $ 750 each. Russian made Dragunov sniper rifles are being offered at $ 6,500 but can be bought for around $ 5000.

Buying arms these days in Syria is a caveat emptor proposition. Fake weapons and military rejects/defects are also being offered by hustlers from nearby countries including Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey.

The involvement of numerous countries in the Syrian crisis as arms suppliers and political operatives was tangencialy referenced by the recent UN Security Council Statement of 12/25/12 which admits the existence of foreign actors and implies their arms supplying activities by urging "all regional and international actors to use their influence on the parties concerned to facilitate the implementation of the (Eid al Adha) ceasefire and cessation of violence."

Syria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Bashar al-Jaafari observed last week:

"This part of the [Security Council] press statement, mentioned for the first time, proves Syria's view repeated since the beginning of the crisis on the existence of Arab, regional and international parties influencing the armed groups negatively or positively. Therefore, those parties need to be addressed."

One of the key challenges for the UN and Arab League envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi whose aides told this observer at the Dama Rose hotel on 10/22/12 where we were staying, is:  "We need to persuade key countries in the Middle East, but also internationally, not to support the rebels with arms.

The failed initiative of envoy Brahimi, was the third ceasefire attempt to date following the December 2011Arab League proposal and the April 2012 Kofi Annan initiative, both of which were endorsed by the Syrian government and most of the world community. Some rebel militia, but not nearly enough, did endorse the Brahimi four day Eid al Adha ceasefire only to have it collapse this past weekend. To his credit, Brahimi continues his work.

The same Brahimi sources suggested that the United States may also be supplying man-portable air-defense systems (Manpods) to rebels in Syria.

According to Russian Foregin Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich, speaking on 12/15/12: “At the same time, it is also well-known that Washington is aware of supplies of various types of arms to illegal armed groups operating in Syria. Moreover, the United States, judging by admissions by American officials that have also been published in American media, is conducting coordination and providing logistical support for such supplies.” NBC News, based in New York reported in July that Syrian insurgents had obtained two dozen US MANPADS, delivered from Turkey.

A month after the October 2011 death of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced in Tripoli that the U.S. was committing $40 million to help Libya "secure and recover its weapons stockpiles." Congressional sources report that the Obama administration is fully aware that quantities of these arms are current in Syria and more in transit.

With respect to arms moving from Libya to Syria, on the night of Sept. 11 Libya time, in what was his last public meeting, US Ambassador Christopher Stevens met with the Turkish Consul General Ali Sait Akin, and accompanied him to the consulate front gate just before the assault began. Although what was discussed has not yet been made public, Washington sources including the pro-Zionist Fox News speculate that Stevens may have been in Benghazi negotiating a weapons transfer, from Libya to Syria.

Earlier this year, Assistant Secretary of State for Political and Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro expressed concerns that the increasing flow of Libya arms was far from under control. Speaking to the Stimson Center in Washington D.C. on 2/10/12 Shapiro said:

"This raises the question -- how many weapons and missiles are still missing? The frank answer is we don't know and probably never will."

According to a 10/14/12 report by the Times of London, a vessel flying the Libyan flag named Al Entisar (Victory), loaded with more than 400 tons of cargo, docked in southern Turkey 35 miles from the Syrian northern border. While some of the undeclared cargo was likely humanitarian, staff accompanying UN envoy Brahimi during his recent Syrian trip report the Al Entisar also carried the largest consignment of foreign weapons to date, including surface-to-air anti-aircraft missiles, RPG's and MANPADS destined for Syria.

Partly because of the jihadists and arms entering Syria from its northern border, southern Turkey is increasingly referred to here in Damascus as “New Afghanistan”, given its matrix of jihadists, salafists, wahabists, and battle-hardened panoply of arriving foreign would-be mujahedeen and al Qaeda affiliates.

Remarkably, as was witnessed in 2007, during the conflict at the Nahr al Bared Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon, some of the arriving eager jihadists in “New Afghanistan” actually believe that they are fighting against Zionist forces near occupied Palestine and not killing fellow Arabs in Syria.

Some, but not all of the many types of small arms flowing into Syria in large numbers, and viewed by this observer include:

7.62mm Tabuk (Yugoslavia) rifles, Mass rifles (UK), 7.62 mm rifles (Poland), 12 mm rifles (Italy), 7.62 mm Kalashnikovs (several countries versions), 9 mm ‘fast gun’, (Austria), 7.62 mm Val (Belgium), G3 7.62 mm G3 rifles (Germany), 7.5mm model 36 rifles (France), M16 and a variety of sniper and other rifles (USA), 7.62 rifles (Bulgaria, 10.5 Uzi and other automatic machine guns, three types of hand grenades (Israel), 9 mm guns (Canad), 7 mm guns (Czech Republic), 7 mm guns (Brazil),

The observer also examined and was briefed on M72 LAW and AT-3 anti-tank missiles developed by the United States. But the extent of their use is difficult to verify. Most of the arms shown in accompanying photos are from the main urban centers and near the Turkish, Iraqi, Lebanese and Jordanian borders.

In tightly built up urban areas such as Homs, Idlib and Aleppo, door to door fighting includes a battle among snipers. According to one Syrian military intelligence source in whose Damascus office this observer discussed the subject, the most frequently confiscated sniper rifles currently being found in the hands of “rebels” include:

• · the U.S. Army & USMC M1903-A4 (also: USMC M1903-A1/Unertl), the U.S. Army & USMC M1C & M1D and U.S. Army M21;
• · the Israeli M89SR Technical Equipment International 7.62x51mm NATO Semi-automatic, Galil Sniper Rifle and the T.C.I. M89-SR,
• · the British .243 Winchester, 7.62x51mm NATO/.308 Winchester,.300 Winchester Magnum, and the 338 Lapua Magnum Bolt action sniper rifles.

A few Afghanistan era Russian Dragonov SVD and SV-98 sniper rifles have also been confiscated among an assortment of others.

Foreign jihadists have some access to Soviet-era DShK heavy machine guns or ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft cannons which are used for anti-aircraft and fire support. Both use fairly scarce high-explosive rounds and armor-piercing rounds, which are capable of penetrating the armor of the Syrian military's BMP infantry fighting vehicles. The ZU-23-2 "Sergey", also known as ZU-23, is a Soviet towed 23 mm anti-aircraft cannon. Vehicle mounted Zu-23-2’s are relatively easy to spot by government aircraft and artillery units are used to attack a target and quickly flee to avoid counter strikes.

On 10/25/12 Russia reiterated its claims that the US assists and coordinates arms deliveries to foreign-sponsored insurgents battling the Syrian government forces. Russia's chief military officer said that Syrian armed groups have acquired US-made weapons, including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. This observer saw many weapons from more than a dozen types of IED’s (improvised explosive device) to medium sized artillery pieces but no missiles.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry issued statement of 10/25/12,

“Washington is aware of the deliveries of various weapons to illegal armed groups active in Syria. Moreover, judging by the declarations of US officials published in US media, the US coordinates and provides logistical assistance in such deliveries.”

Some analysts in Damascus claim that Syria’s potential military strength has not been as effective as it could be in the current urban fights against rebels. The government appears very strong militarily if one studies the statistics regarding Syria’s large and disciplined army which continues its support and also given its sophisticated long range missiles, air defense systems that have deterred an airborne attack from Israel. One reason progress has at times appeared slow against the “rebels” according to some local analysts was a certain initial unpreparedness to confront highly motivated guerrilla militia in downtown densely populated areas.

These kinds of battles, it is claimed, require a mobile infantry, armored flexibility and very effective use of light arms. The Assad government’s “adapt, catch up and go on the offensive” paradigm is developing rapidly according to US Senate Armed Service Committee sources who assert that the Syria army has actually become battle hardened, tougher, stronger and more disciplined over the past several months. But it has taken time and has incurred a significant cost.

Weapons examined by this observer in Syria during 10/12 include some of the more than 1,750 new American sniper rifles channeled from Iraq and NATO supply stores to rebel militia.

How foreign weapons are entering Syria

As widely speculated particularly in the regional media, foreign supplied weapons to “rebels” arrive by air, sea and mainly by land from Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and occupied Palestine.

Israel is reported, by some researchers in Damascus who have been covering the crisis for nearly 20 months, to be sending arms to Syria from Kurdistan, having had much experience in Africa, South America and Eastern Europe via Mossad and Israeli black market arms dealing.

 

What Israel did in Libya in terms of a wide spread arms business it is also trying to do in Syria. Israeli arms, according to Syrian and Lebanese sources are being transported into Syria from along the tri-border area of South Lebanon, near Shebaa Farms, close to Jabla al-Saddaneh, and Gadja. In addition, Israeli smugglers have increasingly, over the past five months, been seen by locals moving arms inside Syria via the Golan Heights. These violations of Syrian and Lebanese sovereignty raise serious questions about the vigilance of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone (UNDO) based in the Golan Heights as well as the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese Army as well as National Lebanese Resistance units near the ‘blue line’ to stop the these illicit Israeli arms transfers.

 

The recent arrival in southern Turkey and along the northern Syrian border of Blackwater mercenaries is expected to increase the foreign arms flow. Currently using the name Academi (previously known as Xena- Xe Services LLC, Blackwater USA and Blackwater Worldwide) Academi is currently, according to Jane’s Defense Weekly, the largest of the US governments “private security” contractors. Details of its relationship with the US Defense Department and the CIA are classified.

Is there a coherent US policy toward the Syrian crisis?

Secretary of State Clinton has been announcing recently that the U.S. is increasing its “non-lethal support” (i.e. direct shipments as opposed to boots on the ground or ballistic weapons) according to her Congressional liaison office. She also confirmed that Washington is working with its friends and allies to promote more cohesion among the disparate Syrian opposition groups with the aim of producing a new leadership council following meetings scheduled for Doha in the coming weeks.
However, to the consternation of the State Department, General David Petraeus the former US commander of NATO forces in Iraq, now director of the CIA acknowledged, during his senate confirmation hearings.

“Non-lethal aid to combatants, including communication equipment, is sometimes more lethal and important than explosive devices due to the logistical advantages they provides on the battlefield.”

In tandem with the US, the UK and several European governments are supplying “non-lethal” aid to the Syrian opposition, including satellite communications equipment according to Syria security sources.

There is also plenty of anecdotal and demonstrative and probative evidence in Syria of human weapons patterned on the "Zarqawi model” which refers to the bloody al Qaeda in Mesopotamia campaign named for its leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi after U.S. troops occupied Iraq.

In a speech this week in Zagreb, Croatia, this week, Secretary of State Clinton insisted that any group seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad must reject attempts by extremists to "hijack" a legitimate revolution. She added, “There are disturbing reports of heavily armed foreign extremists going into Syria and attempting to take over.”

Clinton used her strongest words to date concerning risks that the uprising in Syria could be overtaken by militants who do not seek a democratic replacement or the reforms that the current government claims it is trying to implement. She told her conferees:

"We made it clear that the SNC can no longer be viewed as the visible leader of the opposition. They can be part of a larger opposition, but that opposition must include people from inside Syria and others who have a legitimate voice. We also need an opposition that will be on record strongly resisting the efforts by extremists to hijack the Syrian revolution. There are disturbing reports of heavily armed extremists going into Syria and attempting to take over.”

Clinton advised her colleagues that the US has become convinced that the SNC does not represent the interests of all ethnic and religious groups in Syria and that it has little legitimacy among on-the-ground activists and fighters, and has done little to stem the infiltration of Islamist extremists into the opposition forces.

Clinton’s language is being interpreted by some as evidence that a post-election Obama Whitehouse, she he win on November, may move toward the Russian, Chinese, and Iranian position and away from, what one Congressional source derisively labeled, “ the view from the Gulf gas stations” i.e. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and some other despotic monarchies.

The intervention in Syria by more than three dozen countries supplying weapons must be stopped. Both sides of the Syrian crisis need to manifest by actions, not just words, a serious commitment to meaningful dialogue. The above noted arms supplying countries, and others off stage, have a solemn obligation to their citizens and to the world community to immediately halt the shipment of arms.
They should, and their people should demand that they do without further delay, honor the words of Isaiah 2:3-5….”and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
Granted, perhaps a cliché and certainly far easier said than done.

Yet, as Oregon’s late great US Senator Wayne Morse used tell audiences around America during the Vietnam War, quoting General George Marshall, “The only way we human beings can win a war is to prevent it.”

It’s time for the international community to end the Syrian crisis diplomatically, stop funneling arms and cash fueling hoped for regime change elements. Instead, they must demand that all the involved parties immediately engage in serious dialogue and settle their differences.

Franklin Lamb, just returned from Syria and is reachable c/o fplamb@gmail.com

Source: Al-Manar Website   River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!