Pen Thoughts

The Democrats were handed a golden opportunity to transform U.S. politics for years to come--and they blew it. Alan Maass looks at how it happened--and why. November 5, 2010 BARACK OBAMA thinks you really ought to be more patient. "It took time to free the slaves," he said in a speech at the end of September. "It took time for women to get the vote. It took time for workers to get the right to organize." Well...he's certainly right about that. The struggles of the past that changed the world didn't happen overnight. But Obama wasn't just making an observation about history. This was his excuse for how little the Democrats have done to meet the expectations of their supporters--they need more time. The real question is: More time for what? The Democrats haven't moved at even a snail's pace on so many of the issues that motivated millions of people to support them in 2008--keeping people under threat of foreclosure in their homes, creating good-pa

By Patrick Seale With growing insistence, some influential Israelis are beginning to press the Netanyahu government to seek to make peace with Syria -- even if the price-tag is the return of the entire Golan to Syrian sovereignty. The latest example of this campaign is an interview which Major-General (res.) Uri Saguy, 66, gave on 11 June to the Israeli daily Yediot Aharanot, in which he declared that “I believe that a political agreement between Syria and Israel is a military national interest of the highest order.” Of all Israelis, whether soldiers or civilians, Saguy can probably claim to have the greatest first-hand knowledge of the Syrian file. He fought on the Golan Heights in both the 1967 and 1973 wars, and was wounded twice. He commanded the elite Golani brigade, was head of the General Staff’s operations department in the 1982 Lebanon war, served as head of Southern Command, and then as chief of military intelligence from 1991 to 1995. He has advised several Israeli prime m

Refugees International Statement: Washington, D.C. -- Refugees International today expressed disappointment that President Barack Obama failed to recognize the plight of Iraqi refugees during his speech marking the end of combat operations in Iraq. In his address to the nation last night, on August 31, President Barack Obama failed to take the opportunity to highlight the humanitarian plight of the Iraqi people. For the half a million refugees unable to return home, and the one and a half million Iraqis displaced inside the country, the end of U.S. operations in Iraq does not mean that peace has returned. Their original homes and communities are either destroyed or insecure, and they remain in a dangerous and unsettled limbo. "The Obama administration has provided funding and resettlement opportunities for Iraqis. But resolving the displacement issue is a long-term project, requiring U.S. funding and engagement and commitments from the Iraqi government to give them the help they

Friday 27 August 2010 Amnesty International calls for the eight men, all detained after taking part in a protest against poor safety conditions, to be tried by a civilian court for recognizable criminal offences. Amnesty international has condemned the trial before an Egyptian military court of eight factory workers, all civilians, detained after taking part in a protest against poor safety conditions at the factory, following an explosion which killed one of their fellow workers. The trial of the eight workers from Helwan Factory for Engineering Industries (Military Factory No. 99) resumes at the military court in Nasr City, in the east of Cairo on Saturday. It is the first such trial since the authorities amended the Military Justice Code in June to allow workers in a military factory to be tried before a military court for “stopping work in utilities of public interest" and "assault on freedom to work”, preventing others from working. "Trials of civilians before milit

Friday 27 August 2010 Amnesty International has criticized the Kenyan government for its failure to arrest Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir during his visit to the country to join celebrations ushering in Kenya’s new constitution. Amnesty International has criticized the Kenyan government for its failure to arrest Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir during his visit to the country to join celebrations ushering in Kenya’s new constitution, viewing the refusal to arrest President al-Bashir as an obstruction of justice for victims in Darfur. The President of Sudan is the subject of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. “Kenya has regrettably followed the example of Chad, which violated its obligations under international law by providing safe haven to President Bashir during his visit to the country last month,” said Michelle Kagari, Deputy Director in Amnesty’s Africa programme. As Kenya has ratified the Rome St

Friday 27 August 2010 Abdallah Abu Rahma, head of the "Popular Committee Against the Wall" in the West Bank village of Bil'in, now faces imprisonment for exercising his right to freedom of expression. Amnesty International has condemned the conviction by an Israeli military court of a Palestinian non-violent political activist who has been detained since last December because of his involvement in protesting against the fence/wall which the Israeli authorities have been building largely on Palestinian land. Abdallah Abu Rahma, head of the "Popular Committee Against the Wall" in the West Bank village of Bil'in, was found guilty of "organizing and participating in an illegal demonstration" and "incitement" by an Israeli military court on Tuesday. He was acquitted of two other charges of "stone-throwing", and "possession of arms". He is expected to be sentenced within the next few weeks and could face up to 10 years in pr

Hutu rebels deny DR Congo rapes - Africa - Al Jazeera English

Kofi Annan’s Bombshell

ei: Israel's multi-front war on Lebanese resistance : "The 3 August border clash itself that left two Lebanese soldiers, one Israeli officer and a Lebanese journalist dead underscored several realities of the current political and military climate. Despite the incessant war-mongering by Israel over the past few months, the killing of one of its high-ranking officers -- a colonel -- did not translate into a massive offensive the same way Hizballah's capturing of two Israeli soldiers did in July 2006. This clearly undermines arguments blaming Hizballah for starting the July 2006 war. Wars are rarely improvisational affairs. Specific incidents are almost always pretexts rather than triggers of war. Israel was ready and eager to go to war in 2006. In spite of its rhetoric, this time Israel was not."

http://socialistworker.org/2010/08/17/the-withdrawal-that-isnt Interview: Michael Schwartz The withdrawal that isn't August 17, 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Michael Schwartz , the author of War Without End: The Iraq War in Context [1] and a commentator on U.S. wars and occupations for Web sites such as Huffington Post and TomDispatch, talked with Ashley Smith about the Obama administration's announcement that the withdrawal of "combat troops" is on schedule--and what its plans for Iraq really are. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PRESIDENT OBAMA recently announced that he was fulfilling his promise to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq. Is the U.S. really bringing the occupation to an end? ON THE surface, that appears to be case, but it's not in fact true. Obama plans to retain 50,000 soldiers in Iraq after the supposed withdrawal of combat troops. He is merely re-branding these remaining combat troops as advisers and trainers. These remai

In Baghdad there are still 56 thousand soldiers, to be reduced to 50 thousand at the end of the month. U.S ensure it is not a complete withdrawal, but the beginning of a new phase. Iraqi Lieutenant General: "The U.S. must remain until 2020. Baghdad (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The last U.S. combat brigade, the 4th Stryker, left Iraq yesterday, crossing the border with Kuwait. In Iraq there are still 56 thousand American troops, but the number should decrease to 50 thousand by the end of August. The remaining soldiers will be converted into assistance forces. Philip Crowley, spokesman for the State Department, spoke of a "historic moment" and assured that it is not the end of the American presence in Iraq, but the beginning of a new phase: "The last thing that we want to see is an occasion where we have to send troops back into Iraq yet again. This is not the end of something. It's a transition to something different. We have a long-term commitment to Iraq". Th

Monday 16 August 2010 Amnesty International condemns the executions of two people for 'eloping', carried out in a Taleban-controlled village in the province of Kunduz. Amnesty International has condemned the first Taleban executions by stoning carried out in Afghanistan since 2001. A couple were stoned to death on Sunday for "eloping", in a Taleban-controlled village in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, Amnesty International confirmed on Monday. "The stoning of this couple is a heinous crime. The Taleban and other insurgent groups are growing increasingly brutal in their abuses against Afghans," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Director. The stoning came two days after Afghanistan's highest Islamic religious body, the Council of Ulema, called on the government to more strictly enforce physical shari'a punishments, known as hudood, as a concession to the Taleban in an attempt to end the war. Under the Taleban, hudood punishments

Wednesday 18 August 2010 Amnesty International calls on the Bahraini authorities to reveal the whereabouts of eight human rights defenders, political activists and Shia clerics arrested in a clampdown by the authorities. Amnesty International calls on the Bahraini authorities to reveal the whereabouts of eight human rights defenders, political activists and Shia clerics arrested in a clampdown by the authorities amid fears that they could be prisoners of conscience. Muhammad Saeed, a board member of the banned Bahrain Centre for Human Rights was arrested at his home in Sehla, northern Bahrain, in the early hours of yesterday morning by security forces. Two others, Abdulhadi al-Mokhoder and Mirza al-Mahrus, both clerics, were also arrested yesterday at their homes in Sanabis, and Manama, respectively. “The Bahraini authorities must make it clear why these eight men have been arrested, and either release them or charge them with recognizable criminal offences. It is unacceptable for them

Police release rabbi arrested for inciting to kill non-Jews - Haaretz Daily Newspaper Israel News

South Korea signs on to finance first Jordan nuclear reactor - Haaretz Daily Newspaper Israel News

Iran officials: U.S., Israel wouldn't dare attempt a military strike - Haaretz Daily Newspaper Israel News

A football player and a part time actor Recently, to be precise, in the last couple of weeks while watching the football matches played in South Africa for the occasion of the 19th world cup series, most of all I was frustrated of the aspect that rules the football game today and "acting" seemed the only way to describe that aspect. Throwing themselves on the ground when no body touched them, rolling over like children and acting pain, trying to cheat the referee by playing the ball fast as it is the most natural assumption "the ball is there entitle" and many other incidents we saw give us the postulation that those athletics are quit more interested in an acting carrier then in football itself. I don't know about you, but I felt like watching hypothetical football techniques. Beside a couple of good games and as a whole, these days football is about having the most powerful wrestlers, I mean players, that have some kind of a talent in acting, and a keen persu

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt reconciles with Syria Walid Jumblatt has been a stern critic of Syria The leader of Lebanon's Druze community, Walid Jumblatt, has met with Syria's president - signalling a thaw in relations between former foes. In the past, Mr Jumblatt has accused Damascus of assassinating his father, and said President Bashar al-Assad was a "savage, a liar and a criminal". The meeting was welcomed by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has close ties to Syria. Mr Jumblatt has said his criticism of Mr Assad was "inappropriate". 'New page' Mr Jumblatt was a former ally of Syria, but fell out with them after Damascus was linked to the 2005 murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. In 2008 Syrian-backed Hezbollah fought Mr Jumblatt's Druze militias in a conflict that brought Lebanon to the brink of civil war. Last month Mr Jumblatt told Al-Jazeera he wanted to "open a new page" in relations with

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt reconciles with Syria Walid Jumblatt has been a stern critic of Syria The leader of Lebanon's Druze community, Walid Jumblatt, has met with Syria's president - signalling a thaw in relations between former foes. In the past, Mr Jumblatt has accused Damascus of assassinating his father, and said President Bashar al-Assad was a "savage, a liar and a criminal". The meeting was welcomed by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has close ties to Syria. Mr Jumblatt has said his criticism of Mr Assad was "inappropriate". 'New page' Mr Jumblatt was a former ally of Syria, but fell out with them after Damascus was linked to the 2005 murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. In 2008 Syrian-backed Hezbollah fought Mr Jumblatt's Druze militias in a conflict that brought Lebanon to the brink of civil war. Last month Mr Jumblatt told Al-Jazeera he wanted to "open a new page" in relations with

I Found you and I lost you, All on a gleaming day. The day was filled with sunshine, And the land was full of May. A golden bird was singing Its melody divine, I found you and I loved you, And all the world was mine. I found you and I lost you, All on a golden day, But when I dream of you, dear, It is always brimming May. Paul Laurence Dunbar

when you apply tension, focus it solely on the thing that you require the tension for; other wise, conserve your energies, learn, that in order to achieve something, you do not need to take a giant step, but simply to focus on your objective Zen in the Art of Archery

Hikeless Sunday and I blame Issam. Well, first YES hikeless is a new word. Why not! I sat down all day this Sunday with a book in my hand, I ate a very nice meal, nothing like I'm using to have every Sunday while hiking with the guys, it was a very nice day actually but the thing is it was hikeless. There were no Isam call me on the talky telling me to harry up, no chats and laughs with the gentleman Khaled Missak or Geroge, no youpi songs with Zeki, Mira and the rest of the scouts, no sweet Chantal drawing smile on my face no Roula making fun of how short I am and me hopping that she pass away so I could make fun when I reach her from the end of the tale. But the thing I missed the most is Leila shouting all day long on us to move faster. It was simply a hikeless day, and I blame Issam , because usually his the one to blame for everything :-). God please, I don't mind bad weathers, just don't let it be on Sundays Tony

As I awake once more without you at the start of another day. I wonder if life will be easier than it was for yesterday. My pain doesn't get better I hurt because I'm missing you. I know that it sounds selfish, but I don't know what else to do.  

A fond kiss, and then we sever; A farewell, and then forever! Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee, Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee. Who shall say that Fortune grieves him, While the star of hope she leaves him? Me, nae cheerfu' twinkle lights me; Dark despair around benights me. I'll ne'er blame my partial fancy, Nothing could resist my Nancy; But to see her was to love her; Love but her, and love forever. Had we never lov'd say kindly, Had we never lov'd say blindly, Never met--or never parted-- We had ne'er been broken-hearted. Fare thee well, thou first and fairest! Fare thee well, thou best and dearest! Thine be like a joy and treasure, Peace. enjoyment, love, and pleasure! A fond kiss, and then we sever; A farewell, alas, forever! Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee, Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee! Robert Burns

I said to Love, "It is not now as in old days When men adored thee and thy ways All else above; Named thee the Boy, the Bright, the One Who spread a heaven beneath the sun," I said to Love. I said to him, "We now know more of thee than then; We were but weak in judgment when, With hearts abrim, We clamoured thee that thou would'st please Inflict on us thine agonies," I said to him. I said to Love, "Thou art not young, thou art not fair, No faery darts, no cherub air, Nor swan, nor dove Are thine; but features pitiless, And iron daggers of distress," I said to Love. "Depart then, Love! . . . - Man's race shall end, dost threaten thou? The age to come the man of now Know nothing of? - We fear not such a threat from thee; We are too old in apathy! Mankind shall cease.--So let it be," I said to Love. Thomas Hardy