[Peace-discuss] Just Foreign Policy News, August 2, 2006

[Robert Naiman]

Just Foreign Policy News
August 2, 2006

In this issue:
1) Just Foreign Policy does radio on "Uniting for Peace"
2) Jackson-Lee Introduces cease-fire resolution
3) Israeli Troops Sweep Southern Lebanon
4) Hezbollah Fires Over 200 Rockets Into Israel
5) U.S. Insists Truce Must Await Plan to Disarm Hezbollah
6) European Union Seeks Halt to Battles as First Step
7) Olmert Stands Firm as Fighting Continues
8) At Beacon of Learning, Looking to Pass a New Test in Beirut
9) US, France Working on Two - Phase UN Mideast Plan
10) Believing Bombing Over, Lebanese Paid High Price
11) Widening War Complicates US Policy Goals
12) US Rebukes UN No. 2 for Criticizing Mideast Policy
13) Saudi Arabia Criticizes US Policy Over Lebanon
14) U.N. Again Postpones Peacekeeper Meeting
15) EU Rejects Ceasefire Call and UN Fails to Act as Disunity Prevails
16) How Israel's Bombing Turned Hizbollah Leader into a Symbol of Muslim Pride
17) Iran VP: Country Still Considering Offer
18) Soldiers Smiled Before Killings in Iraq: Witness
19) Report Faults Iraq Reconstruction Plans
20) Mexico Leftist Under Fire as Vote Protests Drag On

Contents:
1) Just Foreign Policy does radio on "Uniting for Peace"	
Just Foreign Policy did three radio interviews today in support of the
petition for the UN General Assembly to take action for an immediate
cease-fire in Lebanon under the "Uniting for Peace" resolution, on
Pacifica/WPFW, KCSB, and XM radio.

2) Jackson-Lee Introduces cease-fire resolution
On July 25, Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) introduced H.Res.945,
calling for secure humanitarian corridors to be opened in Lebanon, an
immediate cease-fire, and a comprehensive and just resolution to the
Israeli-Arab conflict. 16 Members have signed on to the Jackson-Lee
resolution.

3) Israeli Troops Sweep Southern Lebanon
Associated Press
August 2, 2006
Filed at 3:16 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Lebanon-Israel.html
Israel pressed the first full day of a massive new ground attack,
sending 8,000 troops into southern Lebanon on Wednesday and seizing
five people it said were Hezbollah fighters in a dramatic airborne
raid on a northeastern town. Hezbollah retaliated with its deepest
strikes yet into Israel, firing a record number of more than 210
rockets. Diplomatic efforts faltered, with France saying it will not
participate in a Thursday U.N. meeting that could send troops to help
monitor a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah. France, which may
join or even lead such a force, said it does not want to talk about
sending peacekeepers until fighting halts and the U.N. Security
Council agrees to a wider framework for lasting peace. Pope Benedict
XVI issued a new appeal for peace in the Middle East.

4) Hezbollah Fires Over 200 Rockets Into Israel
John Kifner And Hassan M. Fattah
New York Times
August 2, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/02/world/middleeast/02cnd-mideast.html
Hezbollah guerrillas fired more than 200 rockets into Israel today, a
record number, even as Israel poured thousands of troops backed by
tanks and armored bulldozers into fierce fighting along the border. As
the battles raged in a half-dozen pockets just over the border, Prime
Minister Olmert vowed that Israel would fight on until an
international force moved into southern Lebanon, an uncertain prospect
that could take weeks or more.
Olmert declared that Hezbollah's infrastructure had been "entirely
destroyed" and asserted that some 770 command and control centers has
been struck and taken out of action. But even as he spoke, shadowy
Hezbollah fighters, flitting between shattered villages and
underground bunkers, were showering Israel with the biggest barrage of
rockets in the 22-day-old war.

5) U.S. Insists Truce Must Await Plan to Disarm Hezbollah
Jim Rutenberg And Thom Shanker
New York Times
August 2, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/02/washington/02diplo.html

The US firmly reiterated its position on Tuesday that there can be no
cease-fire in the Middle East until there is a solid plan in place to
disarm Hezbollah. Secretary of State Rice had seemed to be ready to
hasten the diplomatic effort to end the crisis on Monday, saying a
solution was possible this week. But after she had dinner with Mr.
Bush on Monday night, and France effectively postponed a United
Nations session to work out the details of a international
peacekeeping force, the administration strongly reiterated its
message: a cease-fire will not be hastened without a plan to make it a
lasting one.
On Tuesday, European officials, joined by some United States
counterparts, said the diplomacy could easily extend into next week.

6) European Union Seeks Halt to Battles as the First Step, With
Cease-Fire to Follow
Elaine Sciolino And Dan Bilefsky
New York Times
August 2, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/02/world/europe/02europe.html
The 25 countries of the EU called Tuesday for an immediate end to the
fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, hoping
to create the momentum for a political solution and the deployment of
an international military force to secure the peace. The meeting
suggested a widening gap between the European and American positions.
The Europeans essentially gave their support to a French proposal for
a UN Security Council resolution that envisions an immediate stop to
the fighting, followed by a permanent cease-fire and a political
agreement, and only then the deployment of an international force.
That sequence of events is opposed by the US, which says there can be
a cease-fire and political arrangements only after the formation of a
foreign force to enforce them. The Europeans called for the "immediate
cessation of hostilities, to be followed by a sustainable cease-fire."

7) Olmert Stands Firm as Fighting Continues
Associated Press
August 2, 2006
Filed at 1:11 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mideast-Fighting-Olmert.html
In an interview with AP, Olmert said Israel's offensive against
Hezbollah will stop only once a robust international peacekeeping
force is in place in southern Lebanon, his clearest indication to date
that Israel would resist European pressure for an immediate
cease-fire. Olmert said the release of two Israelis seized by
Hezbollah on July 12 must be unconditional, signaling Israel does not
favor a prisoner swap. ''Israel will stop fighting when the
international force will be present in the south of Lebanon,'' he
said. ''We can't stop before because if there will not be a presence
of a very effective and robust military international force, Hezbollah
will be there and we will have achieved nothing.''

8) At Beacon of Learning, Looking to Pass a New Test in Beirut
John Files
New York Times
August 2, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/02/education/02beirut.html
Through decades of violence and unrest in the Middle East, the
American University of Beirut has preserved its reputation as one of
the best institutions of higher learning in the region. As the
university again finds itself in the midst of conflict and
uncertainty, with the fighting in southern Lebanon between Israel and
Hezbollah, the university's president, on a visit here last week, said
he was optimistic that the institution would persevere. So far, the
university's campus has been spared from the Israeli bombing campaign
that has killed dozens and driven thousands from their homes. But
summer programs have been suspended indefinitely. The university runs
summer sessions for graduate students, as well as programs for
Americans and other foreigners to study Arabic and Middle East
history, culture and politics. It was unclear whether fall classes
would begin the first week of October as scheduled.

9) US, France Working on Two - Phase UN Mideast Plan
Reuters
August 2, 2006
Filed at 1:17 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-mideast-un.html
The US, France and Britain hope for a U.N. Security Council resolution
within a week that would call for a truce and perhaps beef up U.N.
peacekeepers in Lebanon until a more robust force can be formed,
diplomats said Wednesday. The US and France are rapidly working out
differences on an initial resolution that would also call for the
creation of a buffer zone and the need to disarm Hizbollah guerrillas.
But Paris has made it clear it will not join an international force
without a truce and an agreement in principle on the political
framework of a long-term peace deal. Once fighting has ended,
negotiations would begin at the UN on a second resolution setting out
a permanent cease-fire that all combatants could accept. That
resolution would also authorize an international force in southern
Lebanon and set out terms for a sustainable cease-fire. Russia and
China have not yet been involved in the negotiations. A key issue is
whether all sides would accept a truce. The US had anticipated a
Security Council meeting at the foreign minister level next week, but
no date has been set. Meanwhile France, often mentioned as a leader of
an international force, rejected a U.N. meeting of potential troop
contributors set for Thursday because there was no political deal on
ending the conflict.
Consequently, the United Nations called off the meeting, for the
second time this week.

10) Believing Bombing Over, Lebanese Paid High Price
Reuters
August 2, 2006
Filed at 12:01 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-mideast-lebanon-danger.html
Ali Bajouk set off to deliver supplies to elderly relatives in the
village of Aita al-Shaab thinking Israel had suspended its aerial
bombardment of southern Lebanon. He was wrong. Bajouk now lies in a
hospital bed in Beirut, his body, head and face wrapped in bandages to
cover the burns caused by an air strike which scorched half his skin.
"We went up to Aita on the grounds there was a ceasefire,'' he said,
his mouth and eyes all that were visible beyond thick layers of
bandages. "They are liars." Israel had said on Sunday it would suspend
air strikes on southern Lebanon for 48 hours to investigate an air
strike on the village of Qana. There were fewer air strikes on Monday
and Tuesday, but warplanes still struck. The Israeli military said it
had reserved the right to strike at Hizbollah guerrillas firing
rockets into Israel from their strongholds in south Lebanon. Israel
also warned civilians to leave the area but residents say they are
hindered by bomb damage to roads.

11) Widening War Complicates US Policy Goals
Reuters
August 2, 2006
Filed at 10:02 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-mideast-usa-policy.html
President Bush has described the Israel-Hizbollah crisis as another
opportunity to remake the Middle East in his democratic vision. But as
civilian casualties from the conflict in Lebanon mount, the situation
looks increasingly chaotic, and a damage-control operation will make
it harder to advance U.S. foreign policy interests, analysts say. "I
think the chances of this having a silver lining are diminishing,''
said Ellen Laipson, former vice chairman of the National Intelligence
Council. "The phrase 'this is an opportunity' is such a best-case
scenario. Haven't we learned from the Iraq experience? Be careful of
setting out a strategic goal that is so unrealistic,'' Laipson said.
Bush's agenda was already loaded when rocket attacks by Hizbollah
guerrilla group three weeks ago provoked Israeli retaliation. [Note
this innovation in the sequence of events - JFP.] Initially, the world
focused on Hizbollah as the aggressor. But Israeli air attacks caused
hundreds of civilian deaths and stoked a new backlash against Israel
and America, its chief ally.

12) US Rebukes UN No. 2 for Criticizing Mideast Policy
Reuters
August 2, 2006
Filed at 2:46 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-mideast-un-usa.html
The US sharply rebuked the No. 2 U.N. official, Deputy
Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, on Wednesday for his repeated
criticism of Washington after he said America should allow others to
share the lead in solving the Lebanon crisis. "We are seeing a
troubling pattern of a high official of the U.N. who seems to be
making it his business to criticize member states and, frankly, with
misplaced and misguided criticisms,'' State Department spokesman Sean
McCormack said. McCormack's remarks were in response to an interview
published in the Financial Times on Wednesday, in which the U.N.
official also told Britain to adopt a lower profile to end fighting
between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.

13) Saudi Arabia Criticizes US Policy Over Lebanon
Reuters
August 2, 2006
Filed at 11:18 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-mideast-saudi-usa.html
Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally, criticized Washington's stance on the
Israeli military campaign in Lebanon and urged it on Wednesday to
press for an immediate ceasefire.
"We disagree with the U.S. policy in this area ... the United States
is the super power and it can seek an immediate ceasefire,'' Foreign
Minister Saud al-Faisal said "(We) take issue with the United States
that it did not take a position that prevents Israel from striking
Lebanon.'' He said Washington was morally obliged to prevent Israel
from using U.S.-made weapons in attacks against civilians.

14) U.N. Again Postpones Peacekeeper Meeting
Associated Press
August 2, 2006
Filed at 12:53 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mideast-Fighting-UN.html
The U.N. announced Wednesday that it was again postponing a meeting of
nations that could send peacekeepers to south Lebanon, saying talks
about sending troops were pointless before there was progress on peace
between Israel and Hezbollah. Diplomats still claimed substantial
progress toward agreement on a peace plan, saying there was general
agreement on the elements required for a lasting solution. Those
include halting the fighting, disarming Hezbollah, deploying
peacekeepers and creating a buffer zone in south Lebanon free of
Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops. ''I'm confident that by
tomorrow we'll be in a position to have discussions in the Council on
a text which actually takes us forward,'' Britain's U.N. Ambassador
Emyr Jones-Parry said. The diplomats are debating a French draft
resolution that would impose that framework for peace and lay the
conditions for a peacekeeping force. But France, considered a possible
leader of a peacekeeping force, wants fighting to stop immediately, to
create the political framework, and then to send the troops. France
has refused to take part in a meeting of nations willing to contribute
troops. That refusal has now led the U.N. to postpone the meeting
twice.

15) EU Rejects Ceasefire Call and UN Fails to Act as Disunity Prevails
Nicholas Watt, Ewen MacAskill, Simon Tisdall and Oliver Burkeman
Guardian / UK
August 2, 2006
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0802-01.htm
Efforts to secure an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon collapsed again
yesterday after a divided EU issued a watered-down statement and the
UN postponed a full security council discussion promised by Blair and
Rice. Despite escalating violence in southern Lebanon, EU foreign
ministers rejected a draft statement that would have called for an
immediate ceasefire and would have branded Israel's bombardment as "a
severe breach of international humanitarian law". In a semantic bow to
Washington and Tel Aviv, they called instead "for an immediate
cessation of hostilities to be followed by a sustainable ceasefire".
Germany and four other countries joined Britain in opposing the
tougher language that had been urged by France. In EU parlance, a
"cessation" now appears to mean a temporary pause, whereas a
"ceasefire" implies a more permanent arrangement.
The foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, denied the compromise
amounted to a "green light" for Israel to continue its military
offensive. "I would be saddened and dismayed if someone would read
that into today's conclusions," she said. The German foreign minister,
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said: "Cessation of hostilities is not the
same as a ceasefire. A ceasefire can perhaps be achieved later ... We
can now only ask the UN security council and put pressure on it not to
waste any more time."

16) How Israel's Bombing Turned Hizbollah Leader into a Symbol of Muslim Pride
Patrick Cockburn
Independent / UK
August 2, 2006
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0802-04.htm
A year ago Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbollah, was an important
figure in Lebanon but seemed destined to remain on the sidelines of
Middle East politics. Nasrallah's great moment had apparently come and
gone in May 2000 when Israel had unilaterally withdrawn its troops
from southern Lebanon after years of harassment by Hizbollah
guerrillas. He returned in triumph to reconquered Lebanese territory
and, if the military victory over Israel was small in scale, it was
still an accomplishment not enjoyed by many Arab leaders over the past
half century. But the departure of the Israelis from Lebanon also
robbed Hizbollah of its raison d'être and excuse for forming a state
within a state. No doubt its leader, Nasrallah, would remain a power
within Lebanon but it seemed increasingly unlikely that he would be
anything more. It was Israel that decided otherwise. By launching a
massive military campaign in retaliation for the kidnapping of two of
its soldiers on 12 July it made Nasrallah into a symbol of resistance
to Israel in the Muslim world.

17) Iran VP: Country Still Considering Offer
Associated Press
August 2, 2006
Filed at 1:33 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Iran-Nuclear.html
Iran is still considering a package of incentives offered by Western
nations in June for Tehran to suspend its nuclear program, Iranian
Vice President Isfandiar Rahim Mashaee said Wednesday. Mashaee also
repeated Iranian criticism of a U.N. resolution calling for Iran to
halt its uranium enrichment by Aug. 31 or face the threat of economic
and diplomatic sanctions. ''The U.N. Security Council resolution was
adopted despite the fact Iran is seriously studying the incentives
package ... Western countries are resorting to pressure, not dialogue,
and wish to deny Iran its rights,'' Mashaee said. Mashaee's remarks
came a day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced the
U.N. resolution adopted earlier this week, telling a crowd in
northeastern Iran that Tehran would not give in to United Nations
threats. Tehran has said it would reply to the package on Aug. 22, but
the council decided to issue a resolution and not wait for Iran's
response.

18) Soldiers Smiled Before Killings in Iraq: Witness
Reuters
August 2, 2006
Filed at 7:28 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-iraq-usa-hearing.html
U.S. soldiers charged with murdering three detainees in Iraq smiled
before carrying out the shootings and threatened to kill another
soldier if he informed on them, a military court heard on Wednesday.
Prosecution witness Private First Class Bradley Mason, under cross
examination, said the rules of engagement were "we get to kill all the
male insurgents.''

19) Report Faults Iraq Reconstruction Plans
Pauline Jelinek
Associated Press
August 2, 2006
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0802-09.htm
The beleaguered Iraq reconstruction effort was beset by problems from
the very start and is also hampered by a long pattern of corruption in
the country, a new report finds. For several months before the war,
government agencies didn't consult each other on what they were doing
because their work was classified. The report is a chronological
review of American contracting and purchasing efforts starting in the
summer of 2002 for post-invasion relief and rebuilding. "It is a story
of mistakes made, plans poorly conceived or overwhelmed by ongoing
violence," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. "And of waste, greed and
corruption that drained dollars that should have been used to build
schools, improve the electrical grid, and repair the oil
infrastructure." The report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq
Reconstruction is being presented Wednesday before the Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which Collins chairs.

20) Mexico Leftist Under Fire as Vote Protests Drag On
Reuters
August 2, 2006
Filed at 1:26 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-mexico-election.html
Mexico's leftist opposition leader came under fire on Wednesday for
crippling Mexico City with protests against alleged fraud in a tight
presidential election, but his supporters vowed to fight on. Thousands
of leftists seized the capital's Zocalo square, one of the biggest in
the world, and the main boulevard running through the city, causing
three straight days of chaos. Lopez Obrador is heading the protests to
pressure Mexico's electoral court to order a full recount of votes in
the July 2 presidential election. While the protests have been
effective, some analysts say the tactic could backfire by angering
residents and alienating some of Lopez Obrador's former supporters.
The government of President Fox increased the pressure on Lopez
Obrador and his supporters on Wednesday by saying the protests were
hurting the city's economy, putting jobs at risk and violating
residents' rights of free movement.

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Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org