Why does Israel continue to dismiss Obama's Mideast peace efforts?

Dr. Gabi Sheffer

The writer makes his case, not by pointing to observable proof, but by eliminating any other reasons which would explain why Obama is treated like a leper.

Most Israelis, including the heads of the defense establishment and politicians led by the prime minister and the foreign minister, categorically state that U.S. President Barack Obama will never solve the Israeli-Arab conflict. This lack of confidence in and sympathy for Obama have accompanied him, unjustifiably, since the day he began campaigning for the presidency - and has only intensified following his election. The disrespect toward him and his administration is unwarranted; there is no doubt that it is connected to Obama's ethnic background.

In view of the economic crisis that hit the United States and, in its wake, the rest of the world, the accepted wisdom is that the ability of the United States and its president to influence what happens beyond their borders has been diminished. However, that is not where things actually stand. As no other existing power holds such extensive strength and influence, Obama's ability to act in the world in general and the Middle East in particular has not been eliminated. Russia, China and the European Union have not surpassed the United States in terms of their capability.

The writer is a professor of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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Note: Headline links to source.

Why Obama Is Ignoring Europe

I'm too fucking lazy to grab all the links, but it ain't only Europe.

Try Russia, China, Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine, Japan... ad nauseam.

Any instances where Obama has improved US relationships with foreign countries after Shrub's horrible administration he's pretty much pissed away by now.

There's an old (really) routine by Mort Sahl where he says the President is standing before a globe with all the trouble spots colored black. He continues, "So the President is standing in front of this black globe..."

Its all black out there, folks.

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Note: Headline links to source.

Putin sworn in as PM - and Russia's real ruler

"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss"

-- The Who
-- Won't get fooled again

Pete Townsend & Keith Moon by Ronnie Wood

Vladimir Putin was today confirmed as Russia's new prime minister by the country's lower house of parliament in a move that formalises his power-sharing role with the new president Dmitry Medvedev.

Deputies in Russia's state duma voted overwhelmingly to support Putin's candidacy – by 392 to 56 votes. Only the communists voted against. MP's from Putin's United Russia party then led a standing ovation.

Today's widely anticipated move follows the inauguration yesterday of 42-year-old Medvedev – Putin's close ally - as Russia's third post-Soviet leader. Immediately after today's vote Medevev said he would pass a decree formally naming Putin as head of Russia's new government.

Note: Headline links to source.

Putin suspends Russian adherence to Cold War arms treaty: Kremlin

I tried, but can't ignore this story. As always, I'll try to be civil and adult.

President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a decision to suspend Russia's adherence to a Cold War treaty limiting military forces in Europe, the Kremlin said Friday.

Thank you George "fucking" Bush. Your insistence on that damn missile defense shield effected this. It isn't like you weren't warned.

A Russian general has threatened a tough response if the United States goes ahead with a plan to site a missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

"If the governments of Poland and the Czech Republic take such a decision, the strategic missile force will be able to aim at these installations," said the force's head, General Nikolai Solovtsov, on Monday.

Russia, he said, could easily restart production of medium-range missiles if the decision were taken to withdraw from a Cold War-era treaty, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), signed by Moscow and Washington in 1987.

"If the political decision is taken to withdraw from this treaty the strategic missile force will be ready to fulfil this task," Solovtsov said at a news conference.

You. have. been. warned.

The official considered to be a leading contender to succeed President Vladimir Putin criticized a landmark Soviet-U.S. arms treaty as being a "relic of the Cold War," and promised that Russia would have a "sword" capable of piercing a U.S. missile shield.

During a two-hour news conference Wednesday, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov harshly criticized U.S. plans to deploy elements of its missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, saying that Moscow does not trust Washington's claims that they are intended to fend off potential missile threats from Iran.

"A radar the U.S. is planning to deploy in the Czech Republic will be capable of scanning airspace up to the Ural Mountains," he said.

Ivanov said that Russia was not going to build a strategic missile defense system similar to the one the United States is developing but would take "adequate steps" to respond to the U.S. move. "A more efficient sword can be found for every shield," he said.

The litany of Russian objections is extensive.

There's nothing like living in a fucking bubble and ignoring what's going on in the real world.

Russia abandons key Cold War arms treaty

This can't be good.

The Russian senate voted Friday to abandon a key Cold War treaty limiting conventional military forces across Europe, a move strongly criticised in the West and by NATO.

Why don't we just throw down the gauntlet and duke it out?

Oh yeah, we haven't the resources. How stupid of me.

Via Channel NewsAsia.

Russia ready to renew short, medium-range missile production

One more fucking feather in Bush's hat.

The head of Russian strategic missile forces warned on Friday that Moscow could restart at short notice production of short and medium-range missiles, amid fears of a renewed arms race.

Via Channel NewsAsia.

Must read IMHO

I don't usually excerpt the last paragraph, but...

None of this is meant to indicate that the volatile admixture of Muscovite monopolistic authoritarianism and Iranian mullahocracy is going to have beneficent results for world [oil] markets. At this point, no ones knows what such a blend might bring. But while it is almost certainly unlikely under this sabre-rattling administration, the US needs to recognize that there are ways that such collusion might have been addressed, and could be addressed now, to the benefit of all. In fact, the current collaboration between Moscow and Tehran (and China) might have never arisen had it not been for the utterly misguided fantasies of those who imagined the US as the agent of a "benevolent global hegemony," especially when that "benevolence" is to be delivered by 500 lb bombs, white phosphorous and 20mm cannon rounds.

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Official: Israel is THE pariah state

I'm going to purloin this entire article for balance. You'll see why. In other words, this is a must read IMHO.

A recent GlobeScan survey conducted for the BBC World Service confirms what most people know but governments want to deny: Israel is an unpopular state whose role is seen as anything but benign in world opinion

By Dr. Sahib Mustaqim Bleher

A recent GlobeScan survey conducted for the BBC World Service confirms what most people know but governments want to deny: Israel is an unpopular state whose role is seen as anything but benign in world opinion. The poll rates countries as to whether there influence in the world is considered to be mainly positive or negative, and the results show Israel to be perceived the least positive and the most negative influence. Even Iran did slightly better in the perception of people around the world.

These results have to be viewed against the background of relentless negative propaganda against Iran whereas Israel is usually perceived in the dominant mass media as a beleagured democracy of victimised people fighting for survival in a despareate struggle against Arab and Islamic terrorism. So whilst many people in the world may have been hoodwinked into accepting the official line on Iran, they have not been fooled into believing the myth of Israel as the innocent home for persecuted Jews.

China, by the way, is seen as more positive than the USA, and the latter is perceived as more negative than Russia. It seems the people of the world do not share the American dream, but their clear vote against the role Israel is playing is most telling. Short of accusing the pollsters of anti-semitism in the design of their research methods, as the Israeli paper Haaretz does, Israel and its supporters have an evident image problem in spite of privileged access to the media. No doubt, in their typical arrogance they will respond by claiming that the world's inhabitants will need to be better educated.

This would make the Americans the best educated nation on earth: the Israeli national news service Arutz Sheva tells us that unlike other nations, the sympathies of Americans are still solidly with Israel. Who would have guessed!

-- Mathaba author Dr. Sahib Mustaqim Bleher is a German living in England, a Muslim and a pilot - in the oppressive neo-fascist climate of today, this means walking a tight rope. And it requires speaking out. He has done so through articles, pamphlets and books, many of which are available via his FlyingImam web site which you can visit at FlyingImam.com.

(courtesy link)

Oh my how the world can change

Those pinko commies may be our salvation. Talk about your irony.

Russia will try to prevent the possible use of force by the United States against Iran in the dispute over its nuclear program, the foreign minister said on Tuesday.

"We cannot ignore statements made by high-ranking U.S. officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney," the minister, Sergei Lavrov, told a news conference.

Cheney, speaking on a trip to Australia last week, refused to rule out the possibility of taking military action against Iran, saying "all options are still on the table."

"We are convinced that this (use of force) has no prospects and we will do all we can to prevent this scenario," Lavrov said. He called on Iran to show flexibility.

And right now I trust Russia to do the right thing much more than I trust the US.

Was that a white rabbit I just saw run through here?

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NKorea nuclear talks appear to secure breakthrough

Who knew? It appears negotiating can work. Are you listening here, Bush?

Marathon talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons drive have appeared to secure a major breakthrough with a joint agreement on first steps towards disarmament, according to envoys.

However, the deal still needed final approval from the governments of each of the six nations involved -- host China, the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia -- and could yet fall apart, they warned.

Following 16 hours of gruelling negotiations here that finished at 2:00 am on Tuesday (1800 GMT Monday), envoys said China had circulated a draft joint statement outlining the initial actions Pyongyang would take to end its nuclear drive and the economic rewards it would receive in return.

US chief envoy Christopher Hill described the draft agreement as "excellent", and said he hoped China would be able to release a confirmed accord following one final round of meetings on Tuesday.

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Russia backs plan for 'time-out' on Iran Nuclear dispute

OMG! Now Russia is agreeing with me.

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