#saudi

A New Deal for Israel
Rafe MAIR (Canada)
12.04.2013

Strategic Culture Foundation (Strategic Culture Foundation provides a platform for exclusive analysis, research and policy comment on Eurasian and global affairs)
Online Journal

http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2013/04/12/a-new-deal-for-israel.html

“Just like bouts of poison ivy, every few years we see a watershed visit to Israel by a sitting US president. And every time that happens we’re all supposed to take heart. Then the usual drift sets in, there are international incidents and resolutions of the United Nations.
President Obama has just concluded such a session with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and although it depends upon who’s reporting, Mr Obama was seen to be backing Israel while belittling the Palestinians. This is understandable in terms of US current internal politics but is folly for the long term…

(…) America must survey not just what is today but what the unfolding landscape will look like and judge its position with Israel in that light. In the mix it must be recognized that Israel’s population is over 20% Arab and growing.

Here’s what President Obama must do.
First he speak at home a new and more aggressive policy towards Israel, In that regard, Mr Obama must establish as a condition precedent to future discussions that she tear down the settlements – all of them – and pledge to desist in this practice. One suspects that the only reason Israel has followed this policy is an «up yours» to its neighbours.

Second, Israel must consent to a «two state» policy including Gaza.

Thirdly the United States must guarantee the safety of Israel’s new boundaries.

Fourthly, America must set up but not be part of, an organization much like the Organization Of American States (OAS) if only as a «talk shop» to keep dialogues going amongst the various states.

How can the US force Israel to seek reason?
With money, the oldest and best weapon in history. The US funds to Israel are critical. They must be the pressure points in US policy.
This isn’t intended to state that Israelis the only naughty child in the region but it is to say that she is the object of hatred throughout. No one expects that new firm boundaries will mean peace and harmony in the area. As I often say to my wife, we’ll have peace in the world just as soon as a village can draw up a dog by law that everyone can live with. (…)

#Israel #Obama #Jewish_lobby #Mahmoud_Abbas #Palestine #Arab_Spring #Syria #Pakistan #Afghanistan #Iran #Jordan #Saudi_Arabia

Mohammad Ballout décrit comment les diverses composantes de l’opposition syrienne mènent, à la fois, un combat contre le régime d’Assad et une lutte interne pour la prise du pouvoir. Ces affrontements respectifs et concomitants retardent leur unification et, dans l’immédiat, la formation d’un gouvernement intérimaire. Ils se nourrissent, financièrement, politiquement et militairement, de forces extérieures venues d’Occident, du Qatar ou d’Arabie saoudite, chacune ayant son propre agenda (inclusion et protection des minorités pour les uns, islamisme pour les autres, etc.)

►http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2013/04/syrian-opposition-formation.html

Sectarianism, Saudi-Qatar Jostling Prevail in Syrian Opposition
By: Mohammad Ballout Translated from As-Safir (Lebanon)

The Syrian opposition finds itself at a standstill, following the moment of rapture when the National Coalition appropriated Syria’s seat at the Arab League.

The pace of consultations within the coalition points to a lack of urgency in moving forward toward the next step of forming an “interim government,” following the appointment of Ghassan Hito as its head. The task of forming the government is hindered by an American and Qatari insistence on nominating people who would help restructure and expand its level of representation and legitimacy, so that posts and ministries are more equitably divided. It also awaits a Qatari-Saudi consensus on the manner in which Hito’s government would be run, and the nature of that government: technocratic or political.

The Saudis have put all their media and financial potential at the service of the Syrian opposition, with the aim of reducing Qatar’s monopoly over the opposition, to the point of encouraging and enlisting secularists in their fight with Doha. Furthermore, the Americans, in the last few days, have also requested that the formation process be put on hold, as a result of it becoming a great point of contention between the different political and military Syrian opposition factions.” (…)

#Syria #National_Coalition #Arab_League #Ghassan_Hito #Qatar #Saudi_Arabia #Muslim_Brotherhood #Burhan_Ghalioun #Georges_Sabra #National_Council #Khatib #Friends_of_Syria #Lakhdar_Brahimi # Organization_of_the_Islamic_Conference #recognizing_the_Syrian_opposition #Syrian_revolution #interim_government

Ibrahim al-Amin (Al-Akhbar) énumère, de manière pas toujours logique, les ambitions de l’opposition syrienne qui vient de se donner un premier ministre par intérim, sous la « pression de certains pays comme la France, la Grande-Bretagne, la Turquie, le Qatar et l’Arabie saoudite » :
– Unifier les diverses composantes politiques et militaires syriennes - y compris le Front Al-Nosra ;
– Occuper le siège vacant de la Syrie au sein de la Ligue arabe et dans d’autres instances arabes ;
– Etre perçue comme l’égal du régime de Damas dans la perspective de futures négociations et se présenter comme le seul et unique représentant du peuple syrien ;
– Ecarter ceux qui, au sein de la coalition, ont accepté le principe d’un dialogue avec le régime, comme Moaz al-Khatib (Président de la Coalition Nationale Syrienne) ;
– Obtenir des avancées sur le terrain de manière à contrecarrer toute velléité américano-russe, avec ou sans le truchement de Lakhdar Brahimi, de contraindre à un dialogue avec Damas.

Why the Rush to Form a Syrian Opposition Interim Government?

http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/why-rush-form-syrian-opposition-interim-government

By: Ibrahim al-Amin, editor-in-chief of Al-Akhbar.

Published Thursday, March 21, 2013

“Syrian opposition groups only took the step of naming a head of an interim transitional government as a result of pressure, on the one hand, from France and Britain, and Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia on the other.
But what does this move signify, and what does it add to the agenda?
They want the interim government to be the go-to place for any inquiries about the opposition – including armed groups on the ground. For one thing, the Syrian opposition’s sponsors believe it provides them with a fresh opportunity to unite various opposition groups. They see the process of forming an interim government as a means of bringing them all together by providing them with representation and resources.
They want the interim government to be the go-to place for any inquiries about the opposition – including armed groups on the ground – as well as the sole provider and distributor of money, arms, and supplies. They hope that by channeling aid through it, all the political and paramilitary opposition factions will gradually be forced to accept it.”

#Syria #interim transitional government #Syria opposition #Arab League #negotiation #Syria National Coalition #Al-Nusra Front #Turkey #France #Qatar #Saudi Arabia

A Istanbul, le 19 mars, le Qatar impose la formation d’un « gouvernement provisoire » syrien et la nomination d’un « premier ministre », Ghassan Hitto (un citoyen américain), au détriment de celui qui avait été précédemment choisi par ce même Qatar et l’Arabie saoudite (Asaad Mustafa, ancien ministre de l’Agriculture syrien). La prochaine étape pourrait être l’admission de ce gouvernement provisoire au sein de la Ligue arabe (Réunion à Doha le 26 mars) au siège jadis occupé par la Syrie d’Assad. Ce « coup » diplomatique prend à contrepied l’Arabie saoudite, une partie de l’opposition syrienne qui a gelé sa participation aux travaux de la Coalition nationale des forces de la révolution et de l’opposition syrienne dont le président, Moaz Khatib, s’était résolu à favoriser une solution diplomatique plutôt que l’option militaire (le « moindre des deux maux »), les Frères musulmans qui ont fini par se rallier au choix qatari par crainte de voir revenir l’Accord de Genève (30 juin 2012) qui prévoit la participation du régime d’Assad à un gouvernement transitoire et Lakhdar Brahimi, Représentant spécial conjoint des Nations Unies et de la Ligue arabe pour la Syrie, qui militait pour que l’opposition syrienne accepte le maintien d’Assad pour quelque temps encore (2013, voire 2014).

Qatar Trumps Saudi Arabia On Syrian Opposition Leader

Mohammad Ballout Translated from As-Safir (Lebanese independent ’leftist’ newspaper)
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2013/03/qatar-appoint-coalition-head-syria.html#ixzz2OFaCyaxb
A “temporary Syrian government” for the opposition ... a Qatari coup against Saudi Arabia in the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (NCR) ... and the sabotaging of the US-Russian understanding. The first fruit of the above is that 12 NCR members froze their memberships a few hours after provisional prime minister Ghassan Hitto presided over his new Syrian “government” in contravention of the deal that Qatar and Saudi brokered among the various wings in the NCR.

#Qatar #Saudi Arabia #National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces #Arab League #Ghassan Hitto #Asaad Mustafa #Moaz Khatib #US #Russia #Geneva Accord #Muslim Brotherhood #Syrian National Council #Mustafa al-Sabbagh #John Kerry #Sergei Lavrov #Lakhdar Brahimi

Twitter / MFQahtani
https://twitter.com/#!/mfqahtani/status/126278638831276033

While the #Saudi king revoked her 10-lash sentence, today the same court judge has reinstated Shima Justiniah’s verdict for #Woman2Drive!

Revelations in #BAE Saudi case prompt inquiry call - Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8377562/Revelations-in-BAE-Saudi-case-prompt-inquiry-call.html

à part ça on n’apprend rien avec #WikiLeaks #cablegate

A senior MP has demanded a parliamentary inquiry into #Britain’s £43 billion arms deal with #Saudi_Arabia after a leaked US diplomatic cable disclosed the full case against BAE Systems, the defence contractor.

#armements #corruption

America’s secret plan to arm #Libya's rebels - Middle East, World - The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/americas-secret-plan-to-arm-libyas-rebels-2234227.html

Obama asks Saudis to airlift weapons into Benghazi
By Robert Fisk, Middle East Correspondent
Desperate to avoid US military involvement in Libya in the event of a prolonged struggle between the Gaddafi regime and its opponents, the Americans have asked #Saudi_Arabia if it can supply #weapons to the rebels in Benghazi.

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/dynamic/00571/main-libya-arms_571521t.jpg

AFP : Western arms makers eye lucrative Mideast market
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gYuIbPZ40JULzDaBUMv4VHZjhmFg?docId=CNG.a0d7b7b8196bf0fd9798e07825395bd

Une grande foire de vente d’#armes se tenait dans le Golfe en plein pendant la brutalissime répression des manifestants en #Libye et ailleurs.

The six Gulf Cooperation Council countries — #Saudi_Arabia, #Bahrain, #UAE, #Oman, #Qatar, #Kuwait — along with Jordan are set to spend $68 billion (49.6 billion euros) on defence in 2011, according to research firm Frost & Sullivan. Their spending is expected to reach nearly $80 billion in 2015.

“Undeniably, in the Gulf there are very big budgets that we don’t have in #Europe,” said Christian Mons, president of French Land Defence Manufacturers Association (GICAT).

The dynamic market is a godsend for Western contractors as defence budgets at home are being curbed, particularly in the United States and in Western Europe. But they are faced with increasing competition from emerging economies. The #Chinese, #Ukrainian and #South_African stalls at the event expanded the most this year.

Saudi Arabia urges US attack on Iran to stop nuclear programme | World news | guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-saudis-iran

“King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has repeatedly urged the United States to attack Iran to destroy its nuclear programme, according to leaked US diplomatic cables that describe how other Arab allies have secretly agitated for military action against Tehran.”

#wikileaks #cablegate