Editors »
10 August 2008 »
In Iraq, Politics and Security »
دعا مرشح الحزبِ الديموقراطي للرئاسةِ الأميركية السناتور باراك أوباما العراقيين إلى تحملِ زمامِ المسؤولية في بلادِهم والإنفاق على مشاريع إعادة الإعمار فيها.
واشار اوباما في حديث صحفي نشر اليوم الاحد الى ان الاموال العراقية تودع في البنوك الاميركية في وقت يواصل فيه دافعو الضرائب الأميركيون “صرف عشرات المليارات من الدولارات شهريا للدفاع عن العراق وإعادة إعماره”.
يشار الى ان كلام اوباما يأتي بعد الإعلان عن فائضٍ كبير جدا في ميزانيةِ العراق وفقا لتقرير اميركي تطرق الى ان الحكومة العراقية لم تعمل حتى الان على التصرف بالميزانية كما يجب ولم تبدأ بمشاريع الاعمار بخلاف الجانب الاميركي الذي ينفق في العراق اكثر مما تنفقه الحكومة العراقية،حسب التقرير الذي اصدره مكتب محاسبة الحكومة التابع للكونغرس الأميركي.
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Tags: American election, Barack Obama
Editors »
31 July 2008 »
In Analysis Briefings Commentary, Middle East, Politics and Security »
Neither Bush nor McCain so much as mention — let alone criticise — Israel’s inhumane treatment of Palestinian populations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This treatment includes frequent military assaults often targeting civilians, the use of ‘targeted assassinations’, the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip (which has brought that territory to the brink of starvation), continued construction of Jewish-only settlements on occupied Palestinian land, and the forced removal of non-Jewish, Arab inhabitants from the city of Jerusalem.
More disturbing to Arab critics of U.S. policy is the fact that Democratic presidential contenders have shown just as much zeal for Israeli supremacy as their Republican rivals.
In his own speech to AIPAC in early June, Obama stressed the need for a “more nuanced” approach to U.S. Middle East peacemaking. He stunned many, however, when he went on to state that Jerusalem would “remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided.”
Although Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967, its claim to the city has never been recognised by the international community. Officially, the status of Jerusalem — which Palestinians also want as capital of their future state — is supposed to be determined in long-awaited “final status” negotiations.
CAIRO, Jul 31 (IPS) - For decades, the U.S. has jealously guarded its role of sole arbiter of the Arab-Israeli dispute. In light of recent shows of support for Israel by U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama, however, many Arabs fear that Zionist influence on the U.S. body politic — across the political spectrum — has made the notion of ‘U.S. even-handedness’ a contradiction in terms.
“When it comes to the Middle East conflict, the Arabs no longer see any difference between Republicans and Democrats,” Ahmed Thabet, political science professor at Cairo University told IPS. “Both parties vie with one another in expressing total support for Israel.”
In a speech before Israeli parliament in May, U.S. President George W. Bush went further than any of his predecessors in voicing praise for the self-proclaimed Jewish state. Referring to Israelis as a “chosen people”, Bush pledged Washington’s unwavering support against Israel’s traditional nemeses, including Iran and resistance parties Hamas and Hezbollah.
In statements heavy on “Judeo-Christian” religious references, Bush went on to describe Washington’s alliance with Israel as “unbreakable”.
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Tags: Analysis, Barack Obama, Egypt, Gaza, IPS, IPS Reports, Iran, Israel, John McCain, Lebanon, Palestine
Editors »
26 July 2008 »
In Iraq, Politics and Security »
قال المرشح الجمهوري لانتخابات الرئاسة الامريكية جون مكين ان منافسه الديمقراطي باراك اوباما اخفق في تقديره فيما يتعلق بحرب العراق .
وفي كلمة له امام جماعة المحاربين القدامي في ولاية كولورادو امس الجمعة اتهم مكين الذي شارك في حرب فيتنام أوباما بمحاولة منع الولايات المتحدة من تنفيذ استراتيجيتها العسكرية من خلال تصويته في الكونغرس ، موضحا ان أوباما توقع أن الجنود الامريكيين سيفشلون.
مؤكدا ان تأييده لزيادة حجم القوات وتصويت أوباما ضدها مثل اختبارا هاما بخصوص من سيقود الجيش الامريكي بشكل أفضل.
ويتفاوت الرأي العام الامريكي بخصوص حرب العراق لكن معارضي الحرب حساسون بشكل عام تجاه التلميحات، الى أنهم لا يؤيدون القوات الامريكية التي تقاتل هناك فعليا.
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Tags: American election, Barack Obama, John McCain
Editors »
20 July 2008 »
In Iraq, Politics and Security »
من المقرر ان يقوم المرشح الديمقراطي للرئاسة الأميركية باراك أوباما بزيارة الى العراق غدا الاثنين وسط تضارب الانباء بشان تصريحات المالكي فسرت على انها تؤيد موقف اوباما من الانسحاب الاميركي.
وقال رئيس المؤتمر الوطني العراقي احمد الجلبي ان أوباما سيجتمع مع القادة العراقيين والقيادات العسكرية الأميركية للاطلاع على الوضع الأمني في البلاد ،
إضافة إلى وضع قوات الجيش الأميركي .
ووصف الجلبي الزيارة بانها مهمة جدا للمرشح لأنه يتعرض الى ضغوط كبيرة في اميركا وهناك انتقاد من منافسه في الحزب الجمهوري جون ماكين بأنه ليس بذي خبرة في قضايا الأمن الوطني ، مشيرا الى ان أوباما يريد أن يثبت أنه يصلح قائدا عاما للقوات الأمريكية.
وتوقع الجلبي أن يلاقي اوباما استجابة من القيادات العراقية بسبب التصريح الذي أطلقه بأنه سيقوم بسحب القوات الأميركية من العراق في فترة ستة عشر شهرا في حال فوزه بالانتخابات الرئاسية الأمريكية المقبلة كما نقلت عنه وكالة نيوزماتيك.
واضاف ان التوجه الآن في العراق ان يكون هناك جدول لانسحاب القوات الأميركية من العراق.
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Tags: American election, Barack Obama
Editors »
20 July 2008 »
In Iraq, Politics and Security »
‘The Tenure of Coalition Troops in Iraq Should Be Limited’
The situation in Iraq seems to be improving. SPIEGEL spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki about his approval of Barack Obama’s withdrawal plans and what he hopes from US President Bush in his last months in office.
It is a fundamental problem for us that it should not be possible, in my country, to prosecute offences or crimes committed by US soldiers against our population. But other issues are no less important: How much longer will these soldiers remain in our country? How much authority do they have? Who controls how many, soldiers enter and leave the country and where they do so?
SPIEGEL: Mr. Prime Minister, the war and its consequences have cost more than 100,000 lives and caused great suffering in your country. Saddam Hussein and his regime are now part of the past. Was all of this worth the price?
Maliki: The casualties have been and continue to be enormous. But anyone who was familiar with the dictator’s nature and his intentions knows what could have been in store for us instead of this war. Saddam waged wars against Iran and Kuwait, and against Iraqis in the north and south of his own country, wars in which hundreds of thousands died. And he was capable of instigating even more wars. Yes, the casualties are great, but I see our struggle as an enormous effort to avoid other such wars in the future.
SPIEGEL: Germany was opposed to the war. German Economics Minister Michael Glos was in Baghdad the week before last, Daimler AG plans to build trucks in Iraq, and you will travel to Berlin this week. Has everything been smoothed out between Germany and Iraq?
Maliki: We want closer relations, and it is my impression that the Germans — the government, the people and German companies — want the same thing. Our task is to rebuild a country, and the Germans are famous for effective and efficient work. We have great confidence in them and want to involve them in the development of our country.
SPIEGEL: And there is truly no resentment against a country that opposed the war in 2003?
Maliki: We do not judge our partners on the basis of whether or not they were militarily involved in toppling Saddam. The decisions back then corresponded to the national will of the countries, and we respect that.
SPIEGEL: What exactly do you expect from the Germans and from German companies?
Maliki: We want to get to know them, and we want to know what they want — and the things they fear when thinking about Iraq. We have to start over again in many areas, including oil production, the development of the power grid and all industries. There is much to be done.
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Tags: American attempts to get permanent bases, American election, Barack Obama, Der Spiegel, Germany, John McCain, Maliki - Nouri al-, Militias, Muqtada al-Sadr