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News archives for the week ending 5th June 2009

"The clock is ticking, and this war is going south"

Top defense officials say they have about a year to show the American public that they are winning in Afghanistan. But as the US prepares to apply its new strategy there, those same officials are trying to square the need to demonstrate quick success with a fundamental aspect of counterinsurgency warfare: Results don't come quickly.

Top administration officials say the next year is crucial. Defense Sevretary Robert Gates has said he believes American public support for the war in Afghanistan will evaporate over the next year without some early successes. James Jones, national security adviser, said in Washington last week that "we should know within a year" if the new US strategy is successful.

"The clock is ticking, and this war is going south," says a senior military official who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media on such a sensitive matter. "We have to turn it around quickly."

While Mr. Obama's popularity ratings are high, only about half of Americans support his plan to expand the mission in Afghanistan, according to a CNN/Opinion Research poll taken last month. At the same time, about 42 percent of Americans think it was a mistake for the US to invade Afghanistan, according to a Gallup poll taken in March. That marked a 12 percent increase compared with earlier this year.

Christian Science Monitor, 2/6/09

US and civilian deaths on rise in Afghanistan

U.S. deaths in Afghanistan have risen to 65 so far this year, up from 36 over the first five months of 2008 — though U.S. and coalition troops have also killed hundreds more militants, an Associated Press tally shows.

As newly arriving Marines enter the violent Afghan south — the spiritual home of the Taliban and the country's major drug-producing region — the military said Tuesday that U.S. deaths will likely increase even further this summer.

In Washington, the U.S general chosen to take over as commander of American and NATO troops in Afghanistan said he believes the war is "winnable, but I don't think it will be easily winnable." Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal said at his confirmation hearing that avoiding civilian casualties is key to success.

Civilian deaths, long a contentious issue in Afghanistan, are also higher this year because of militant attacks and U.S. and NATO operations.

Associated Press, 2/6/09

British troops to protect Iraqi oil

Iraq and Britain have struck a deal that will allow British troops to remain in the country, helping Iraqi naval forces protect oil platforms beyond a previously agreed withdrawal date, officials said on Tuesday.

Britain's presence in Iraq began with its support of the 2003 U.S. invasion, but was set to conclude at the end of June under a pact signed at the end of last year.

But the two sides agreed to extend the British deployment so that a small number of British troops and up to five naval vessels could help Iraq protect its floating oil terminals against attack, said government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.

Reuters, 2/6/09

Kurdish party banned from Iraq elections

A party said to be close to Kurdish rebels in Turkey has been barred from contesting next month's elections in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, the election commission and the party said on Tuesday.

"Judicial authorities in Baghdad informed us that they have banned the al-Amal list from participating in the elections" on July 25, said Ali Qader, the head of the regional electoral commission in Kurdistan.

"Our list was banned for political reasons," said Najiba Omar, who heads the al-Amal ('Hope' in Arabic) list. The list is dominated by the al-Hal party, seen as close to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which took up arms for self-rule in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeast in 1984, triggering a conflict that has claimed some 44,000 lives.

"Our list is independent and al-Hal has participated in elections twice before" in Kurdistan, Omar insisted, adding that the grouping would appeal the decision.

AFP, 2/6/09

Obama considers symbolic pressure on Israel...

As President Obama prepares to head to the Middle East this week, administration officials are debating how to toughen their stance against any expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The measures under discussion — all largely symbolic — include stepping back from America’s near-uniform support for Israel in the United Nations if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel does not agree to a settlement freeze, administration officials said.

Other measures include refraining from the instant Security Council veto of United Nations resolutions that Israel opposes and making use of Mr. Obama’s bully pulpit to criticize the settlements, officials said.

Placing conditions on loan guarantees to Israel, as the first President Bush did nearly 20 years ago, is not under discussion, officials said.

New York Times, 31/5/09

...as Israel's plan would double number of illegal occupiers...

If Israel built all the housing units already approved in the nation’s overall master plan for settlements, it would almost double the number of settler homes in the West Bank, according to unpublished official data provided to The New York Times.

The decision of whether to build, and how much, goes to the heart of the tensions between the administrations of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and President Obama, an unaccustomed and no-budge conflict between Israel and the United States. Washington is standing firm against any additional settlement construction in the West Bank, including what Israel argues is necessary to accommodate what it terms “natural growth.”

That term has been defined vaguely by Israeli officials, meaning for some that settlements should expand to accommodate only their own children. But Mr. Netanyahu, of the conservative Likud Party, made his own wider position clear on Monday. He said that while Israel would not allow new settlements and that some small outposts would be removed, building within the confines of established settlements should go on.

Israel “cannot freeze life in the settlements,” he said, describing the American call as an “unreasonable” demand.

New York Times, 1/6/09

...and settlers go on rampage

Israeli settlers, angered by a governmental decision to evacuate illegal outposts in the West Bank, have attacked residents in the Palestinian territories.

Masked settlers living in Ramat Gilad, an outpost located near the northern West Bank settlement of Karnei Shomron, blocked roads and attacked Palestinian cars near Karnei Shomron, Kedumim and Yitzhar.

Settlers had reportedly obstructed road access by placing boulders in the roadways. The attackers then assaulted drivers who tried to move the stones out of the way. Palestinians responded by throwing rocks. Four Palestinians were injured in the clashes.

Settlers also torched olive groves and fields in the Palestinian village of Burin, located near Yitzhar. Firefighters seeking access to the areas were also attacked by the settlers.

Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now in early 2008 reported that from the beginning of 2000 until September 2007, "94% of planning requests submitted by Palestinians were denied by the Civil Administration."

This is while "for every construction permit granted to a Palestinian,... 18 other buildings are destroyed and 55 demolition orders are issued," the group further explains.

During the same period, over 1,663 Palestinian buildings -- as opposed to 199 homes in the settlements -- have been razed to the ground by Israeli bulldozers.

Press TV, 2/6/09

US seeks to reassure China on dollar holdings

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Monday reassured the Chinese government that its huge holdings of dollar assets are safe and reaffirmed his faith in a strong U.S. currency.

A major goal of Geithner's maiden visit to China as Treasury chief is to allay concerns that Washington's bulging budget deficit and ultra-loose monetary policy will fan inflation, undermining both the dollar and U.S. bonds.

China is the biggest foreign owner of U.S. Treasury bonds. U.S. data shows that it held US$768-billion in Treasuries as of March, but some analysts believe China's total U.S. dollar-denominated investments could be twice as high.

Geithner also offered strong backing for a bigger Chinese role in international policymaking. "China is already too important to the global economy not to have a full seat at the international table," he said.

Financial Post, 1/6/09

US denies renaming troops as trainers to get around pact

Thirty days before the deadline to withdraw U.S. combat forces from Iraq's urban areas, it is still unknown how many troops will remain in cities as commanders determine their new roles, a U.S. general said Sunday.

The U.S. military has repeatedly said it will abide by the requirements of an U.S.-Iraqi security agreement, but has released little publicly about how it will meet the June 30 deadline or what the new distribution of its forces in Iraq will look like.

"It remains to be seen what the numbers will be," Army Brig. Gen. Keith Walker, commander of the Iraqi Assistance Group, told reporters during a briefing in Baghdad.

Under the security pact, American troops who train and advise Iraq's security forces will stay in the cities. Walker said commanders were working to determine the number of additional forces, including some combat troops, that would be added to training teams working in Iraq's urban areas.

Walker dismissed any suggestion the U.S. military was just renaming its combat units as trainers to get around the pact.

Associated Press, 31/5/09

Predator drones face legal challenge

Human rights activists at odds with President Obama over his recent national security decisions are indicating that they might legally challenge the U.S. military's use of Predator drones, a weapon that intelligence officials say is their single most effective tool in combating Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Activists are turning their attention to the drone program in part because they say there's no warning to innocent civilians who are in a targeted area.

Gabor Rona, international legal director of Human Rights First, a U.S.-based group that advocates universal rights and freedom, said large number of civilians are being unintentionally hit, harmed and killed.

"This is not only a violation of the international laws of war," he said. "It's bad policy."

Opponents of the drones say that the policy could be illegal. The laws of war allow individuals who are engaged in hostilities to be targeted in an armed conflict but strictly prohibit actions against those not engaged.

Fox News, 29/5/09

Britain planning clandestine operations in Afghanistan

The British Army’s SAS Regiment, which played a vital role in defeating al-Qaeda in Iraq, is now arriving in Afghanistan in one of the biggest deployments of UK special forces since the Second World War. Two squadrons from 22 SAS are being sent to Afghanistan now that Britain’s combat role in Iraq has been wound up, to carry out clandestine operations against the Taleban.

The arrival of the SAS from Iraq, accompanied by additional specialist troops from the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (former undercover surveillance teams from the counterterrorist campaign in Northern Ireland), and the Special Forces Support Group (formerly the 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment), will make a substantial difference to Britain’s military campaign in Helmand province.

The Times, 30/5/09

Aghanistan, US calls for more help from Europe and China

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged Europe and China to step up their involvement in rebuilding Afghanistan, saying Saturday that America alone cannot put the conflict-ridden nation back on its feet while mired in a fight against the Taliban.

Gates said he has been tougher on the Europeans than countries in Asia in demanding bigger contributions because three successive NATO summits have declared Afghanistan to be their "highest priority."

But he said he is concerned by "the difference between the rhetorical emphasis ... and the capabilities that our allies are prepared to put forward."

Gates also said the United States would "welcome China's help in Afghanistan, whether it is for the security fund or a number of these civilian areas of expertise."

Associated Press, 30/5/09

Former Iraqi minister arrested for corruption

Iraq's former trade minister has been arrested at Baghdad airport on corruption charges as he was trying to leave the country. Officials said Abdul Falah Sudani had been on a flight to the United Arab Emirates which was asked to turn back to Baghdad so he could be arrested.

Earlier this week, the Commission on Public Integrity said arrest warrants had been issued for some 1,000 allegedly corrupt officials. Few details were disclosed, but the watchdog said at least 50 were senior figures.

BBC News, 30/5/09

Public support for US in Pakistan is dropping

Public support for the U.S. is declining in Pakistan because of military strikes there that the U.S. conducts from Afghanistan, according to the top American commander in the Middle East.

“Most polling data reflects” an increase in anti-U.S. sentiment, General David Petraeus said, without identifying the source of the polling. Pakistanis are angered by “cross-border operations and reported drone strikes” that they believe “cause unacceptable civilian casualties,”

Petraeus wrote in court papers supporting President Barack Obama’s decision not to release photographs showing the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Releasing images “depicting, or that could be construed as depicting, U.S. forces abusing detainees who would likely be depicted as ‘fellow Muslims’ would undermine” the Pakistani government’s efforts to bolster support for the U.S., which is helping Pakistan fight al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in its ungoverned northwest provinces along the Afghan border, he said.

Bloomberg, 29/5/09

Iraq bans import of vegetables

Iraq has placed a temporary ban on vegetable imports from countries including Turkey, Iran and Syria in a bid to boost its neglected farm sector. Acknowledging the move could fuel inflation, the Agriculture Ministry said it had also decided to take over from private buyers the purchase of vegetables from abroad.

Iraqi farmers and manufacturers have complained of a flood of cheap imports since the fall of Saddam Hussein and his tightly controlled economy in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. That has stoked calls for a partial reversal of free market reforms to give Iraqi industries time to develop and compete after years of war and sanctions.

The ministry did not have any statistics on the volume and value of vegetables imported into Iraq, which has a population of about 28 million people. Abdul Rahman al-Mashhadani of Baghdad's al-Mustansiriya University, said Iraq imports between 90 and 94 percent of all its food, and 60 to 70 percent of its vegetables.

Reuters, 29/5/09