Israeli prisoner swap with Hamas could herald big Middle East breakthrough
Deal for captive soldier Gilad Shalit may include return of the one man able to rebuild Fatah and unite the Palestinians: Marwan Barghouti
Captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit could be swapped for hundreds of Palestinians jailed in Israel. Photograph: Reuters
Prisoner exchanges have been part of the terms of trade of the Middle East conflict for the past 60 years. If the reports, rumours and speculation of the last few days turn out to be correct, the deal swapping Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for hundreds of jailed Palestinians could turn out to be one of the most significant ever.
Hard facts about the negotiations are few and far between. But Hamas delegations from Gaza, including military men, have been in Cairo talking to Egyptian intelligence and are said to be heading for Damascus to consult the Islamist movement's exiled political leadership; the presence of discreet German intermediaries and rare public comments by Israel all suggest an agreement may be imminent.
Israel has always gone to great lengths to bring its servicemen home from captivity – dead or alive. Past swaps have involved releasing hundreds of Palestinian or Lebanese prisoners for the bodies or even body parts of Israelis killed in action.
Video Report from Afghanistan: How the U.S. Counterinsurgency Campaign Is Failing
At a conference in Portugal over the weekend, NATO countries agreed to hand over responsibility for Afghanistan’s security to Afghan forces by the end of 2014. In his speech, President Obama claimed there has been significant progress in the fight against the Taliban. But reports from the ground in Afghanistan question these upbeat claims about the ongoing NATO operation. Last spring, NATO launched a major operation in the Taliban-held town of Marjah. The offensive was supposed to showcase America’s new counterinsurgency campaign and demonstrate that victory is still possible. Independent filmmaker Rick Rowley of Big Noise Films recently traveled to Marjah and discovered the counterinsurgency campaign in crisis. [includes rush transcript]
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Saturday, November 28, 2009
Israeli prisoner swap with Hamas could herald big Middle East breakthrough | World news | guardian.co.uk
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
VOA News - Iranian Opposition Protesters Hijack Government Rally
VOA News - Iranian Opposition Protesters Hijack Government Rally
Iranian Opposition Protesters Hijack Government Rally
By Edward Yeranian
Cairo
04 November 2009
Photo obtained by AP outside Iran shows a man running from police in anti-government protest in Tehran, 04 Nov 2009
Iranian police have clashed with opposition demonstrators who tried to take over a government sanctioned protest organized to mark the 30th anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran. A government crackdown on the anti-government demonstrators turned violent in some places.
An officially sponsored government rally devolved into rival protests Wednesday as tens of thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of the Iranian capital, some of them renewing opposition protests against the conduct of the recent election campaign.
Anti-government protesters were dealt with by force, as a government crackdown turned violent.
Government backed demonstrators at the initial rally outside the old U.S. Embassy in Tehran shouted "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." A pro-government speaker also addressed the crowd, praising the Islamic Republic, the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and it's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Meanwhile, in Tehran's nearby Hafte-Tir Square, thousands of opposition demonstrators shouting anti-government slogans, including "Death to the dictator", and "Down with (Supreme Leader) Ayatollah Khamenei" were met by anti-riot police and Basij militiamen waving batons and firing tear gas. Eyewitnesses report numerous injuries and dozens of arrests.
Scores of volunteer Basij militiamen also drove their motorbikes into crowds, to disperse them.
Scores of opposition demonstrators, many of them young people, also chanted "Death to Russia" and "Death to China", because of their support for Iran's government, instead of the usual pro-government slogan of "Death to America."
Photo obtained by AP outside Iran shows anti-government protestors in Tehran, 04 Nov 2009
The demonstrations came 30 years after Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy and took 52 Americans hostage, holding them for 444 days.
On the eve of the anniversary of the U.S. embassy takeover, Tuesday, President Barack Obama said, "We have heard for 30 years what the Iranian government is against; the question, now, is what kind of future is it for."
Opposition demonstrators, meanwhile, chanted "Obama, Obama, are you with us, or against us?" Many opposition activists have been critical of Mr. Obama for negotiating with the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whom they say was re-elected in June as a result of fraud and vote-rigging.
Mr. Obama also told Iranians in his Tuesday message that the United States wants to move beyond a past of "sustained suspicion, mistrust and confrontation" and seeks a relationship based upon mutual interests and respect.
VOA News - Iranian Opposition Protesters Hijack Government Rally