Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Israel and its neighbours, courtesy of Inkgrrl.
TOP TOPIC
- Israelis continue major push into Gaza, and casualties are growing. Meanwhile, the US is sending mixed messages about the whole thing: on the one hand, Powell is calling for an end to the operation, and on the other, the US has vetoed a UN resolution against same.
Other Topics Today Include: Al-Quds Beheaded, Arafat Wants To Be Mandela, A Rare Voice Of Dissent Caught On Film, and Syria's Cabinet In A Kerfuffle
ISRAEL
- Israel took out the leader of Islamic Jihad's violent military wing, the Al-Quds Brigade, in Gaza, claiming that all they wanted was "three days without a damned missile strike. Is that too much to ask for?" The Palestinian Authority agrees to discuss. Finally.
- Bringing it home again, in his review of the new-to-Hebrew version of The Algerian War and the French Army, 1954-62: Experiences, Images, Testimonies, Israeli author Reuven Miran draws some painful parallels between Israel's situation in the Occupied Territories and France's experiences in Algeria.
THE PALESTINIANS
- Because it's all about him, Arafat vows to stay in office until the Palestinians achieve statehood.
- Because it's not really all about Arafat, a shout out to BitterLemons.org - a wonderful website founded in November of 2001 which presents Israeli and Palestinian viewpoints on both the larger issues and the finer details of the ongoing conflict and peace process.
SYRIA & LEBANON
- Syrian filmmaker Omar Amiralay presents a rare voice of dissent with his documentary of damage done by the Baath regime in Syria. Not surprisingly, his film is attacked across the Arab world as part of a Zionist plot.
- Going... going... not gone yet... Syria completes a token redeployment of troops from Lebanon.
- Former Lebanese Minister Hamadeh, who resigned his post in protest at the Syrian-sponsored extension of Lahoud's term in office, narrowly escaped death in a car bomb attack that killed his driver and wounded himself and a bodyguard - coincidence? 'Tis a Syrian tradition to crush the voices of dissent, despite a token filmmaker's escape or two...
- Meanwhile, Syria's doing the old cabinet shuffle while Lebanon stands there and shuffles its feet. Again.
The problem is, Arafat wants to be Winnie Mandela.
Something's wrong with the Algerian link.
Thank you, Warum - I fixed the link.