[Peace-discuss] Just Foreign Policy News, September 8, 2006

[Robert Naiman]

Just Foreign Policy News
September 8, 2006

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Summary:
U.S. Politics
Congressional sources, as well as several senior officials with
national Jewish organizations, said that many officials in Washington
are unhappy about the way in which Israel used cluster bombs in
Lebanon, the Jewish Forward reports.  The Bush administration's
proposal to bring leading terrorism suspects before military tribunals
met stiff resistance Thursday from key Republicans and top military
lawyers, the New York Times reports. President Bush said the CIA's
secret network of prisons had used lawful interrogation techniques,
was fully described to select members of Congress and led directly to
the capture of a string of terrorists, but a review of public
documents and interviews with American officials raises questions
about Bush's claims on all three fronts, the Times reports. Many of
the harsh interrogation techniques repudiated by the Pentagon on
Wednesday, including stress positions, sleep deprivation and extreme
temperatures, would be made lawful by legislation put forward the same
day by the Bush administration. The proposed legislation would provide
retroactive immunity from prosecution to government agents who used
harsh methods. Human Rights Watch issued a couple-dozen reports during
the Lebanon war, some sharply critical of Israel for killing
civilians, and has had to fight a rear-guard action to maintain its
standing among American Jews, The Nation reports. Orthodox Jewish
households are being targeted in Brooklyn in Congressional races in
which candidates running against Yassky and Towns have criticized U.S.
support of Israeli policies, Jewish Week reports.

Iran
Reuven Pedatzur, writing in the Israeli daily Haaretz, suggests that
it is possible to build a stable system of future nuclear deterrence
between Israel and Iran. Mohammad Khatami, the former president of
Iran, speaking at Washington's National Cathedral on Thursday evening,
urged religious tolerance and political dialogue. He repeated his
government's position that Iran is prepared to discuss its nuclear
program, but without the precondition of freezing its enrichment of
uranium.

Iraq
Baghdad's morgue almost tripled its count for violent deaths in Iraq's
capital during August from 550 to 1,536, appearing to erase most of
what U.S. generals and Iraqi leaders had touted as evidence of
progress in a major security operation to restore order in the
capital. Roadside bombs in Iraq rose to record numbers this summer --
to about four times as many as in January 2004 -- as tips from Iraqi
citizens warning of the bombs and attacks have dropped sharply amid a
flaring of sectarian violence.

Lebanon
Israel's naval blockade of Lebanon ended today. Israel had formally
lifted its air blockade late Thursday, leading to a stream of
commercial planes landing at Beirut's international airport.

Palestine
Gaza has been reoccupied, writes Gideon Levy in Haaretz. It is in its
worst condition ever. Since the abduction of Gilad Shalit, the Israel
Defense Forces has been rampaging through Gaza, killing and
demolishing, bombing and shelling, indiscriminately. In large parts of
Gaza, there is no electricity. Israel bombed the only power station in
Gaza, and more than half the electricity supply will be cut off for at
least another year. There's hardly any water. More than ever, Gaza is
also like a prison.

Afghanistan
A NATO commander said Thursday the alliance needs as many as 2,500
more soldiers and additional aircraft for sweeps in southern
Afghanistan, acknowledging that officers were surprised by the force
of the fight being mounted by resurgent Taliban militia.

In this issue:
U.S. Politics
1) Senators Seek Curb on Cluster Bombs  - Jewish Forward
2) Lawyers and G.O.P. Chiefs Resist Proposal on Tribunal
3) Questions Raised About Bush's Primary Claims in Defense of Secret
Detention System
4) Interrogation Methods Rejected by Military Win Bush's Support
5) Israel Lobby Watch - The Nation
6) Israel Now Key Issue In Brooklyn House Races - Jewish Week
Iran
7) Let them have nukes - Haaretz
8) In Washington, Ex-President of Iran Calls for Tolerance
Iraq
9) Body Count in Baghdad Nearly Triples
10) Army Faces More Roadside Bombs
Lebanon
11) Israel's Naval Blockade of Lebanon Ends
Palestine
12) Gaza's darkness - Haaretz
Afghanistan
13) NATO Calls for More Troops in Afghanistan

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Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org