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News archives for the week ending 16th January 2009

Biden: Afghanistan is going to get tougher

Freshly returned from a tour of war zones and global hotspots, Vice President-elect Joe Biden told President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday that "things are going to get tougher" in Afghanistan.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, Biden's partner in the five-day, bipartisan fact-finding mission to Kuwait, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq, predicted that "casualties are likely to increase" in Afghanistan as the number of U.S. troops there goes up this year.

"It is a fair criticism to say, Mr. President, that we have taken our eye off the ball in Afghanistan and we need to re-engage," Graham said. "And that re-engagement is going to come at a heavy price."

Associated Press, 14/1/09

Olmert call 'behind US abstention'

Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, has said a last-minute telephone call to George Bush forced the US to abstain in a crucial UN vote on the Gaza war. In a speech late on Monday, Olmert said Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, was left "pretty shamed" at the vote and had to abstain on a resolution she had personally arranged.

The Israeli prime minister narrated how he demanded to talk to Bush last Thursday, minutes before a vote in the UN Security Council on a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. "When we saw that Rice, for reasons we did not really understand, wanted to vote in favour of the resolution ... I looked for President Bush," Olmert said.

Bush, who apparently was taken off a stage in Philadelphia where he was making a speech, said he was not informed on the resolution and was "not familiar with the phrasing."

"I'm familiar with it. You can't vote in favour." Olmert claimed telling the US president. "He [Bush] gave an order to the secretary of state and she did not vote in favour of it, a resolution she cooked up, phrased, organised and manoeuvred for," Olmert said.

The Israeli PM described Bush as an "unparalleled friend" of Israel.

Aljazeera, 13/1/09

US will use reconstruction to back Abbas

The United States hopes to use post-war reconstruction of the Gaza Strip to help the Western-backed Palestinian Authority reassert its presence and influence in Hamas's stronghold.

U.S. and Western officials said details have yet to be worked out and depended on the extent to which Israel's military offensive, which has killed more than 900 Palestinians, weakens Hamas's hold on power.

The aim would be to ensure that credit for reconstruction accrues to President Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority, and not to the Iranian-backed Islamists who won a 2006 Palestinian election and seized control of Gaza 18 months later.

A Bush administration official said the United States was weighing how Gaza reconstruction could be used to bolster Abbas. "We certainly don't want Hamas to benefit by the reconstruction programme and we certainly don't want any of this money to go to Hamas or through Hamas," the official said.

"On the positive side, we also want the legitimate Palestinian government, the PA, to get the credit for this and also to be able to reassert a presence in Gaza. Obviously Hamas will oppose this, so it's going to be a difficult issue."

Abbas's prime minister, Salam Fayyad, is approaching donors, making housing the homeless his first priority and drawing up plans to repair all ruined or damaged buildings in Gaza.

Reuters, 13/1/09

Miliband praises Israel as 'beacon of democracy'...

David Miliband, the foreign secretary, told MPs that Israel and Hamas had rejected last week's UN security council resolution 1860 calling for a ceasefire. But he dismissed any equivalence between the two sides. "Hamas have shown themselves over a number of years ready to be murderous in word and deed," said Miliband. "Their motif is 'resistance' and their method includes terrorism."

"Israel is meanwhile a thriving, democratic state with independent judiciary. But one consequence of the distinction between a democratic government and a terrorist organisation is that democratic governments are held to significantly higher standards, notably by their own people. That is one reason we supported resolution 1860 - to uphold the standards on which Israel and the rest of us depend."

"As a beacon of democracy in the Middle East, Israel's best defence is to show leadership in finding a political solution ... and comply with the standards of international humanitarian law."

Guardian, 13/1/09

...as Israel bans Arab parties from standing in election

Israel on Monday banned Arab political parties from running in next month's parliamentary elections, drawing accusations of racism by an Arab lawmaker who said he would challenge the decision in the country's Supreme Court. The ruling by parliament's Central Election Committee reflected the heightened tensions between Israel's Jewish majority and Arab minority caused by Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip. Arabs have held a series of demonstrations against the offensive.

The 37-member committee is composed of representatives from Israel's major political parties. The measure was proposed by two ultranationalist parties but received widespread support.

Roughly one-fifth of Israel's 7 million citizens are Arabs.

Associated Press, 12/1/09

Bush to pass covert action against Iran on to Obama

President Bush deflected a secret request by Israel last year for specialized bunker-busting bombs it wanted for an attack on Iran’s main nuclear complex and told the Israelis that he had authorized new covert action intended to sabotage Iran’s suspected effort to develop nuclear weapons, according to senior American and foreign officials.

The tense exchanges also prompted the White House to step up intelligence-sharing with Israel and brief Israeli officials on new American efforts to subtly sabotage Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, a major covert program that Mr. Bush is about to hand off to President-elect Barack Obama.

New York Times, 12/1/09

UN Human Rights Council condemns Israel

A divided UN Human Rights Council voted on Monday to condemn Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip and set up a probe into "grave" human rights violations by Israeli forces against the Palestinians.

The resolution setting up a fact-finding mission was adopted despite the lack of Western support. Thirty-three African, Asian, Arab and Latin American countries voted for the resolution. Thirteen mainly European states abstained, while Canada was the only country to vote against.

The 47 member council - frequently critical of Israel in the past - normally seeks to adopt resolutions by consensus. Western countries said the text put forward by Arab and African states was too biased and failed to clearly recognise the role that rocket attacks launched by Palestinian militants played in triggering the offensive.

Israel also dismissed the resolution as biased and cast doubt on the Council's credibility. The United States is not on the Council and steers clear of it.

AFP, 12/1/09

Lack of money prevents mine clearance

Afghanistan will not be able to reach its goal of being free from landmines and unexploded bombs by March 2013 unless urgent funding is received, the United Nations said on Monday.

After nearly 30 years of war, Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world with more than 640 km square (247 square miles) of land still contaminated, the U.N. said. Afghanistan signed the Ottawa Treaty in 2003, committing itself to ridding the country of all mines by March 2013. In a separate agreement with the international community, 70 percent of the country is to be cleared by March 2011.

"In order to reach these objectives ... over the next five years, based on our calculations, the programme needs another $500 million," Mohammad Haidar Reza, programme director for the U.N. mine clearing agency (UNMACA) told a news conference.

The UNMACA has had to reduce operations in parts of Afghanistan despite having the capability to reach its targets due to a recent drop in international funding for mine clearance in the country. Up to a 150,000 people have been killed or wounded by landmines or explosive remnants since 1989. On average, 45 to 50 people are killed or wounded by landmines in Afghanistan every month, compared to 150, three years ago.

Reuters, 12/1/09

The reality of the US handover to Iraq

First Lt. Ilya Ivanov's initial mission of 2009 began with a crucial, if irksome, task: rousing an Iraqi army sergeant out of bed. "Tell him we would be honored if he joined us in this mission," Ivanov asked his interpreter to relay.

Tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq started the year calibrating their missions to conform with a new security agreement that demands that American combat troops depend more heavily than ever on their often-bungling Iraqi counterparts. Sometimes that means dragging one or two along on patrol.

American troops, who for years were the ultimate and only unquestioned authority in Iraq, have lost the right to detain Iraqis without warrants and are being asked to coordinate all missions with Iraqi security forces. Soldiering without the robust protections of the U.N. Security Council resolution that expired Dec. 31, in a country where animosity toward U.S. service members runs high, has left some troops feeling uneasy and vulnerable.

"We've got to walk on eggshells," said Spec. Cory Armer, 23, of Lake Charles, La. "I understand you can't go out and shoot everyone and play Rambo. But war is war. We shouldn't be falling under the jurisdiction of a country we're at war with."

Washington Post, 12/1/09

Taliban attack base in Pakistan

Hundreds of Taliban militants poured into northwestern Pakistan in a large frontal attack on a paramilitary base late Saturday and Sunday that left at least 40 militants and 6 Pakistani soldiers dead, according to Pakistani security officials.

The attack, on an outpost of the Frontier Corps paramilitary force in the Mohmand district, appeared to be the heaviest assault on Pakistani troops in months. And in a reversal of usual patterns, it involved a large number of Taliban forces from Afghanistan attacking into Pakistan, signaling coordination among militants on both sides of the border.

The assault was particularly troubling as in the past militants have often pulled away from high concentrations of Pakistani troops, only to return later. But this time, an estimated 600 Taliban fighters directly assaulted a paramilitary base at Mamad Gatt, according to Frontier Corps officials.

New York Times, 11/1/09

Overstretch pushes British troops

Figures released by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) show that 46 per cent of all Army units are now in breach of the "harmony guidelines".

The MOD data shows that 18 of the Army's 36 infantry regiments, 8 of the 15 regiments which make up the Royal Regiment of Artillery and three of the 11 regiments in the Royal Armoured Corps, have failed to give troops enough leave between combat tours. The number of soldiers thought to have been affected by the breach is estimated at 10,000.

Psychiatrists believe that prolonged period in combat zones without proper rest and recuperation leads to increased risks of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcoholism and family breakdown.

Sunday Telegraph, 11/1/09

John Reid's £50,000 Iraq security job

Former Defence Secretary John Reid has secured a £50,000 job with a private security company operating in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Dr Reid, who famously boasted in 2006 that he expected British forces being sent into Helmand would leave again ‘without a shot being fired’, is to be a consultant to G4S Security Services. The company provides armed security guards to British Government employees stationed in war-torn countries.

Just over a year ago, G4S won a major Ministry of Defence contract to provide training to British Army units heading for Iraq and Afghanistan. The firm, the largest private security contractor in the world, also operates three Immigration Removal Centres in Britain and is responsible for the enforced repatriation of illegal immigrants from this country.

Daily Mail, 10/1/09

US armed Israel with bunker bombs to use against Gaza...

The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC)hired a commercial ship to carry a large consignment of ordnance in December from the United States to Israel ahead of air strikes in the Gaza Strip

A senior military analyst in London who declined to be named said that, because of the timing, the shipments could be "irregular" and linked to the Gaza offensive. The tender document said the vessel had to be capable of "carrying 5.8 million pounds (2.6 million kg) of net explosive weight," which specialist brokers said was a very large quantity.

In September, the U.S. Congress approved the sale of 1,000 bunker-buster missiles to Israel. The GPS-guided GBU-39 is said to be one of the most accurate bombs in the world.

The Jerusalem Post, citing defense officials, reported last week that a first shipment of the missiles had arrived in early December and they were used in penetrating Hamas's underground rocket launcher sites.

Reuters, 9/1/09

... and is now re-supplying Israeli forces...

The U.S. is seeking to hire a merchant ship to deliver hundreds of tons of arms to Israel from Greece later this month, tender documents seen by Reuters show.

The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) said the ship was to carry 325 standard 20-foot containers of what is listed as "ammunition" on two separate journeys from the Greek port of Astakos to the Israeli port of Ashdod in mid-to-late January.

"Shipping 3,000-odd tons of ammunition in one go is a lot," one broker said, on condition of anonymity.

Reuters, 9/1/09

...but stopped due to Greek opposition

The U.S. military said on Monday it cancelled the shipment of 325 containers of ammunition from the western Greek port of Astakos to a U.S. stockpile in Israel, citing safety concerns at the Israeli port of destination due to the conflict in Gaza.

However, a Pentagon spokesman said on Tuesday the transport had been cancelled at the request of the Greek government. Reports of the shipment had provoked a media outcry in Greece, where Israel's 18-day-old offensive in Gaza is deeply unpopular.

Reuters, 12/1/09

US will continue to hold Iraqis without charge

Some prisoners held indefinitely without charge by U.S. forces in Iraq may not be freed or given trials, even though U.S. forces lost the authority to hold them at the beginning of this year, a U.S. military spokesman said.

Iraqi legal experts said the plans -- which would apply to prisoners U.S. forces believe are dangerous or of intelligence value but have not been charged with a crime -- might violate Iraqi law by placing detainees beyond the reach of the courts.

U.S. forces are holding 15,000 prisoners, most of whom have been detained without charge under the authority of a U.N. Security Council resolution which expired on December 31.

Reuters, 9/1/09

Al-Qaida chief killed in Pakistan

The head of al-Qaida’s operations in Pakistan has been killed by a US air strike in South Waziristan, close to the Pakistani border with Afghanistan, a US counter terrorism official has said. Neither the CIA nor the Pakistani government commented on reports of the death.

The US does not officially confirm air strikes, reflecting sensitivity over raids by US drone planes on Pakistani territory. The strikes have prompted public outrage in Pakistan, where there is wide-spread anger over the breach of the country’s sovereignty and the death of civilians in some of the attacks.

There is also scepticism about the strikes’ alleged targets. “How many times have they said they killed the head of al-Qaida’s Pakistan chapter?” said Muhammed Amir Rana, director of the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, an independent thinktank in Islamabad.

“The cost is collateral damage and has the effect of encouraging violent radicalisation in Pakistan”. US forces in Afghanistan carried out about 30 missile strikes in Pakistan in 2008, according to Reuters, most of them since September.

Guardian, 10/1/09

Israel pleased with results of banning journalists

Throughout the two-week bombardment of the Gaza Strip most journalists have been kept out by the Israeli government on the pretext of security. And the Israelis are pleased with the results.

Foreign journalists have been forced to report without getting to the detail of what is going on. That meant, at least in the early days of the bombardment, that reporters who would have been in Gaza were instead reporting from Israeli towns and cities under fire from Hamas, and Israeli officials found it easier to get themselves in front of a television camera.

An Israeli official told me they were delighted at a BBC TV correspondent broadcasting from Ashkelon in a flak jacket, reinforcing the impression that the Israeli city is a war zone when there is more chance of being hit by a car than a rocket.

Guardian, 10/1/09

Official: NATO will be in Afghanistan for 'decades'

The top commander of NATO said the U.S. and its allies will need to keep a large force in Afghanistan for “at least” 10 years and maintain some military presence for “decades.”

U.S. Army General Bantz Craddock said the troops will be necessary because it will be at least three years before the Afghan National Army is strong enough to maintain security in the country. “We can’t afford to wait three years,” Craddock said in a session with reporters.

“We’ve got to have a greater density of forces to be able to hold those communities, those districts, those provinces,” especially in southern Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgency is most intense, he said.

There are now about 32,000 U.S. troops and another 31,000 forces from other North Atlantic Treaty Organization members in Afghanistan. The U.S. plans to add another 20,000 to 30,000 troops over the coming year.

Bloomberg, 9/1/09

Report criticises Blackwater contract

The State Department has poorly managed a nearly $2 billion deal with Blackwater Worldwide and other security contractors in Iraq, according to a report from the agency's inspector general, which cites failures to station guards in the right places and weak oversight as key problems.

Neither the department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security nor the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has done studies to determine how many security personnel are needed In Iraq, where to put them or what kind of weapons they need, the report says. The result has been inefficiency.

In one example, several dozen security guards from Triple Canopy were posted in 2007 at Tallil Airbase in southern Iraq, home to three Provincial Reconstruction Teams. Yet for a six-month period, no one left the base because it was too dangerous outside.

In August 2008 at a nearly empty regional embassy office in northern Iraq, 14 Dyncorp security personnel were assigned to protect a single Foreign Service officer.

The contract requires the companies to submit roster sheets to show their people are present and available for work. But there was no attempt to ensure the accuracy of these sheets so there was no way to verify the labor costs before they were paid. Investigators found all three companies have had repeated difficulties maintaining enough emergency medical technicians, marksmen and interpreters.

Associated Press, 10/1/09

US Senate supports attack on Gaza...

The U.S. Senate voiced strong support on Thursday for Israel's battle against Hamas militants in Gaza, while urging a ceasefire that would prevent Hamas from launching any more rockets into Israel.

"When we pass this resolution, the United States Senate will strengthen our historic bond with the state of Israel, by reaffirming Israel's inalienable right to defend against attacks from Gaza, as well as our support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said before the vote.

The resolution expresses an "unwavering" commitment to Israel's welfare and recognizes its right to act in self defense to protect citizens against acts of terrorism, Reid said. Co-sponsor and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican said before the vote: "The Israelis ... are responding exactly the same way we would."

The House was expected to pass a similar resolution.

Reuters, 8/1/09

...as Israel rejects UN call for ceasefire

Israel rejected a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza today and, as jets and tanks again pounded the Palestinian enclave, ministers debated whether to step up their two-week-old campaign against Hamas guerrillas.

With the civilian death toll in the hundreds and rising amid outraged denunciations of Israel from the Red Cross, United Nations agencies and Arab and European governments, diplomats also sounded an alarm that Egyptian-brokered truce talks launched this week might also be foundering.

Israel's key ally the United States abstained in the UN vote, easing the pressure on the Jewish state, while noting talks on a truce were still under way under Egyptian mediation.

Independent, 9/1/09

Alternative supply route for Afghanistan

Talks aimed at setting up alternative supply routes to the Khyber Pass for U.S. and other NATO forces fighting in Afghanistan are at an advanced stage, officials said Thursday.

The issue is one of growing urgency because of intensifying attacks by pro-Taliban guerrillas on the mountain pass, which links Pakistan and Afghanistan and is the main supply route the soldiers use. Finding alternative routes also is critical as the U.S. troop deployment to Afghanistan is expected to as much as double this year to 60,000.

In Brussels on Thursday, a NATO official said diplomatic efforts are nearing conclusion on setting up new routes for U.S. and NATO military supplies that will likely pass through Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Associated Press, 8/1/09