Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Israel and its neighbours, courtesy of Inkgrrl.
TOP TOPIC
- Nope, The Intifada Ain't Over... Yet, and Israel hasn't quite finished making her point in Hebron or Gaza in retaliation for the Be'erSheva bombing two days ago, but has also chosen to pick on someone her own size - Syria. Sharon believes that by harboring Hamas leader Khaled Mashal, Syria is directly at cause in the double suicide bombing that cost 16 lives. And he's taking it all the way to the top.
Other Topics Today Include: Palestinians Discover Peaceful Protest... Sort of, Israeli Tunnel Rats Working Hard, Don't Shadow Bashar Assad's Bets, GI Jamila, and Election-Rigging Isn't Just An American Pasttime
ISRAEL
- Israeli tunnel rats are working overtime nowadays, finding tunnel after tunnel leading out from Gaza toward neighboring Israeli settlements. Wonder just how deep down that wall goes?
THE PALESTINIANS
- The Palestinian hunger strike is supposedly over, with an estimated 3,800 prisoners reported by Israel to be eating again under medical supervision, whereas Arab news out of Egypt claims the strike has resumed. Too bad they couldn't have discovered the principle of peaceful protest earlier... it's worked elsewhere like bloodshed never has.
- Arafat's status is quo - still holed up, still talking out of both sides of his mouth, condemning the latest suicide bombing in English, and praising it in Arabic. Does he think that none of us speak Arabic? Or is he just too old a dog to learn any new tricks, like telling the truth?
SYRIA & LEBANON & JORDAN
- Colt pointed out yesterday, Bashar al-Assad has been known to back the wrong horse before. According to the UN and Israel -- in rare agreement -- he's doing it again.
- The UN noticed that Syria is occupying Lebanon, and asked them to leave. Give up the breadbasket of the Roman Empire? Never! Not even if they're voted out...
- Speaking of voting, Syria is fixing Lebanon's upcoming election in order to keep Emile Lahoud -- an easily-controlled and craven politician in the worst sense of each word -- in power for another term. Given that Lebanon has traditionally been one of the few Middle Eastern countries which actually respected and enforced its constitution, the international community is understandably outraged.
- Jordan has trained the first cadre of 38 female Iraqi soldiers. The boys back in Iraq better watch out, GI Jamila is coming home!
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