Hamas appears to be re-positioning itself in response to the recently announced Israeli ceasefire. A senior Hamas official has stated that Hamas will shortly declare a cease-fire. Hamas is claiming that it will give Israel one week to withdraw from Gaza.
In Syria Hamas's exiled leader Khaled Mashaal is due to make "an important" announcement on Sunday afternoon which will address Israel's unilateral cease-fire declaration.
The move comes as Hamas militants in Gaza fired rockets into southern Israel on Sunday and continued to resist the unilateral cease-fire announced by Israel. The rocket firing risks restarting the violence that has lasted three weeks. Palestinian sources claim that more than 1,000 people have been killed. More bodies were being pulled from the rubble as the ceasefire took hold. 13 Israelis have died in the violence.
Israeli security sources have indicated that the military operation may not necessarily be over and that the Hamas response would be critical in deciding how things developed.
Israeli aircraft responded to the rockets on Sderot by destroying the rocket squad.
Hamas have said repeatedly that any truce will depend on Israel pulling out of Gaza.
The Israeli comes without a full solution to the problem of arms smuggling into Gaza.
Israel appears to have calculated that it's unilateral ceasefire in the days running up to President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday would leave Hamas in a no win position politically.
Hamas seized control of Gaza in June 2007 in a violent struggle and this triggered an Israeli blockade. However the longer term violence stems from Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and provocations such as the creation of settlements in occupied territories.
Sunday, 18 January 2009
Saturday, 10 January 2009
UN Gaza resolution fails to halt violence
Despite the passing by the UN security Council of a carefully drafted resolution calling for a ceasefire the violence in Gaza is continuing with both the Israelis and Hamas rejecting the ceasefire calls and each side seemingly entrenched in their irreconcilable views. Civilians in Gaza will of course pay the heaviest price for this failure to heed the UN resolution but then it seems that neither side really is considering the suffering of the ordinary Palestinians at the moment.
Hamas would appear to be calculating that despite the heavy losses that they have suffered they have more to gain from being seen to continue to resist the Israeli war machine. their calculation. no doubt is that in the longer term the deaths of Palestinian civilians strengthens them politically and will bring them more recruits and more sympathy in the Arab and wider Muslim world. As an organisation they have little interest in an accommodation with the Israeli state and the present conflict is simply a reflection of their view of the necessary state of affairs between Palestinians and Israel.
The Isrealis see little to gain from a ceasfire because they are clearly calculating that any actions to prevent Hamas rebuilding and rearming will be ineffective. They see Hamas as a snake on their doorstep and having got the smnake by the neck they are not about to let it go alive and risk having it turn around and bite them. Isreali's still appear to believe that a military solution is possible in this conflict and that this short term assault on Hamas will bring them longer term gains. They fail to take into account the likelihood that the present actions will simply encourage Palestinian unity to coalesce around a violent reaction to Israel rather than around a peaceful compromise.
We should not be surprised by this however for the Israeli mind set is to see themselves as victims and to fail to see the horror that they are causing for others. The Jewish state has turned in some respects into a mirror of that nemesis of the Jews in the 20th century - fascism. If not in the way they manage their own affairs then at least in terms of the way they treat their neighbours. They show no regard for the rights of their neighbours, they steal their land and they coral them into what are effectively ghettos where they shell and bomb them.
The present action although understandable in some ways also reminds one of the action taken by the Nazis against the Warsaw ghetto.
Hamas would appear to be calculating that despite the heavy losses that they have suffered they have more to gain from being seen to continue to resist the Israeli war machine. their calculation. no doubt is that in the longer term the deaths of Palestinian civilians strengthens them politically and will bring them more recruits and more sympathy in the Arab and wider Muslim world. As an organisation they have little interest in an accommodation with the Israeli state and the present conflict is simply a reflection of their view of the necessary state of affairs between Palestinians and Israel.
The Isrealis see little to gain from a ceasfire because they are clearly calculating that any actions to prevent Hamas rebuilding and rearming will be ineffective. They see Hamas as a snake on their doorstep and having got the smnake by the neck they are not about to let it go alive and risk having it turn around and bite them. Isreali's still appear to believe that a military solution is possible in this conflict and that this short term assault on Hamas will bring them longer term gains. They fail to take into account the likelihood that the present actions will simply encourage Palestinian unity to coalesce around a violent reaction to Israel rather than around a peaceful compromise.
We should not be surprised by this however for the Israeli mind set is to see themselves as victims and to fail to see the horror that they are causing for others. The Jewish state has turned in some respects into a mirror of that nemesis of the Jews in the 20th century - fascism. If not in the way they manage their own affairs then at least in terms of the way they treat their neighbours. They show no regard for the rights of their neighbours, they steal their land and they coral them into what are effectively ghettos where they shell and bomb them.
The present action although understandable in some ways also reminds one of the action taken by the Nazis against the Warsaw ghetto.
Saturday, 3 January 2009
Is Obama going for protectionism?
Bloomberg and others are reporting that the Obama camp are considering measures which could be interpreted as protectionist.
“We are reviewing the buy American proposal and we are committed to a plan that will save or create 3 million jobs, including jobs in manufacturing,” said Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for Obama’s transition team.
Chris Van Hollen the Maryland Democrat liaises between Congress and Obama’s transition team in an interview on Bloomberg Television said the aim wasn’t to “set up walls”. Van Hollen, clearly sensitive to potential accusations of protectionism added that any package would be aimed at “generating American jobs,” not triggering a “trade war.”
“We are reviewing the buy American proposal and we are committed to a plan that will save or create 3 million jobs, including jobs in manufacturing,” said Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for Obama’s transition team.
Chris Van Hollen the Maryland Democrat liaises between Congress and Obama’s transition team in an interview on Bloomberg Television said the aim wasn’t to “set up walls”. Van Hollen, clearly sensitive to potential accusations of protectionism added that any package would be aimed at “generating American jobs,” not triggering a “trade war.”
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Mr Bean works at Bank of England
If there ever was an unfortunate coincidence of of a name and a job it must be Mr Bean a deputy Governor at the Bank of England. With the pound falling to near record lows against world currencies both Mr Charlie Bean and the other Bank of England Deputy Governor Sir John Gieve have been commenting on the state of regulation of the financial markets and the Banks in particular.
It appears that the Bank of England and the FSA were possibly not entirely asleep at the wheel as the current financial tsunami broke over the world and the UK.
According to Sir John Gieve in an interview with Robert Peston the Bank had been aware of concerns about rising debt levels but failed to act on this because of concerns that action would be criticsed as countering wealth creation. So they were not entirerly asleep at the wheel then. Merely dozing.
Now, rather late in the day, he and his fellow deputy governor are calling for additional instruments to control the banks and lending. Unfortunately they appear to be making these calls long after the horse has bolted.
The problem we face at the moment clearly is not putting the brakes on excessive lending. It is keeping a reasonable flow of lending running at the same time as allowing overall debt levels to fall. Sure there is a need for the future to have controls over excessive and risky borrowing but one can't help having the feeling that, like First World War generals, those in charge at the Bank of England are continually fighting the last war rather than developing tools to win the present one.
It appears that the Bank of England and the FSA were possibly not entirely asleep at the wheel as the current financial tsunami broke over the world and the UK.
According to Sir John Gieve in an interview with Robert Peston the Bank had been aware of concerns about rising debt levels but failed to act on this because of concerns that action would be criticsed as countering wealth creation. So they were not entirerly asleep at the wheel then. Merely dozing.
Now, rather late in the day, he and his fellow deputy governor are calling for additional instruments to control the banks and lending. Unfortunately they appear to be making these calls long after the horse has bolted.
The problem we face at the moment clearly is not putting the brakes on excessive lending. It is keeping a reasonable flow of lending running at the same time as allowing overall debt levels to fall. Sure there is a need for the future to have controls over excessive and risky borrowing but one can't help having the feeling that, like First World War generals, those in charge at the Bank of England are continually fighting the last war rather than developing tools to win the present one.
Sunday, 21 December 2008
UK nuclear weapons handed to private US firm
The United Kingdom apppears to have effectively abandoned control of it's Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston following a sale by BNFL to a US firm. Aldermaston has a key role in the production and maintenance of the British Nuclear deterrent Trident warheads. In effect then Britain has privatised its nuclear weapons production and maintenance and handed it over to US owned provate interests.
The UK government is predictably downplaying the implications of the move and claiming that control still rests with the UK government. This begs the question though as to who has the say over the selectin and vetting of staff at the establishment. Presumably this will now rest with the provate companies involved.
The UK government is predictably downplaying the implications of the move and claiming that control still rests with the UK government. This begs the question though as to who has the say over the selectin and vetting of staff at the establishment. Presumably this will now rest with the provate companies involved.
More Strictly Come Dancing Phone grief
TV viewer voting shows have been plagued by problems in the last year or so and the BBC flagship program Strictly Come Dancing seems to be unable to shake of problems with it's own voting. Not only did the voting system result in an unexpected three couples in the final show but thousands of viewers have now been complaining that they were unable to cast votes for some of the couples in the final voting stage.
Holby City actor Tom Chambers and his dance partner won the final vote and there was no doubt that their final show dance was a masterpiece of performance. But it is not good when a program which is meant to draw viewers in and make them feel engaged simply leaves them feeling frustrated and angry.
TV shows really must get their act together on the viewer voting arrangements. If viewers are left feeling that their votes are ignored, miscounted or that they are prevented from voting for certain contestants then they will rapidly turn away from these currently popular TV formats.
Holby City actor Tom Chambers and his dance partner won the final vote and there was no doubt that their final show dance was a masterpiece of performance. But it is not good when a program which is meant to draw viewers in and make them feel engaged simply leaves them feeling frustrated and angry.
TV shows really must get their act together on the viewer voting arrangements. If viewers are left feeling that their votes are ignored, miscounted or that they are prevented from voting for certain contestants then they will rapidly turn away from these currently popular TV formats.
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
US care makers hold out begging bowl
Times are desperate for US car makers General Motors and Chrysler. It seems they are suggesting that they may barely survive a month or two if they are not given a major bail out by the US taxpayer. The chief execs of the two major US companies are looking for a bail out of around $34 Billion to stop the impending collapse of the US car industry. With car sales in the US having fallen by around 37% in the last month things are looking really grim for all the US carmakers. So grim in fact that there have been reports that the Chief execs have said that they will work for $1 a year of they get the hand out. Of course it wont really be $1 because they will have some other perks to keep their income up but it does show how desperate they are.
Perhaps if the US carmakers had upgraded their technology and focused on fuel efficiency then consumers would be keen to update their models even in hard economic times. But who wants to trade up for another gas guzzler when money is short.
Perhaps if the US carmakers had upgraded their technology and focused on fuel efficiency then consumers would be keen to update their models even in hard economic times. But who wants to trade up for another gas guzzler when money is short.
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