A little known advance in conflict resolution is taking place in the northern West Bank (Judea and Samaria) as pro-Fatah Palestinian Authority forces attempt to defeat Hamas and terror activities in the Jenin region.  Almost forgotten is the evacuation of four Jewish settlements between Jenin and Nablus in August 2005 just a few days after the Gaza Disengagement.  Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative elections in January 2006 and overthrew the power sharing arrangement with Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) in the Gaza Strip in June 2007 when their armed uprising defeated a 22,000 strong Palestinian Authority police force.  From that moment on the Fatah controlled PLO led by Abbas has been struggling to gain full control over the West Bank.  With a sense of urgency the Americans sent Gen. Dayton to train their forces in one last attempt to stave off a Hamas takeover of the West Bank as well.  This first test for the PA is to impose law and order while crushing the Hamas.  Everyone knows that to come to terms for peace will only be possible if the PA emergency government sitting in Ramallah and led by Abbas and Salam Fayyad will be victorious in its civil conflict against the Hamas Islamists.

Several major moves are underway concerning Israel and the Palestinians, most of them without an overwhelming amount of publicity, but they are crucial events nonetheless.  PM Ehud Olmert is on his way out, although that might take months and hence he is pushing his “consolidation” or “realignment” agenda openly without fear of condemnation or of losing votes in what appears to be the upcoming election.  The Palestinians are not sitting still either.

In Gaza the Hamas is being replaced by the more radical adherents of Al-Qaeda, even if they do not take orders from bin Laden personally.  The Islamic revolution in Gaza is pushing towards the pinnacle of extremism forcing Ismail Haniyah’s government into a corner by demanding an end to the calm or “tahadiyah” with Israel along the Negev frontier.  Hamas is now viewed as moderates when speaking in revolutionary terms and will be confronted with the choice of eradicating the Al-Qaeda types or of further radicalizing their own stance.  Call it “beat them or join them.”  Either way the process bodes ill both for Israel and Abu Mazen’s (Mahmoud Abbas) Palestinian Authority and secular Fatah faction.

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Please forgive the mess while we restore the site and all our articles. We are working day and night to resolve the issue. Althought it will take some time it will not stop us or slow us down.

The Mideast: On Target team

…and, as the Georgians learned to their dismay, some days the bear gets you.

The Russian onslaught brought back images of the Cold War and the Soviet “evil empire” threatening to roll over opposition, as it did in Eastern Europe and around the rim of its borders.  This attack, taking place nearly two decades after the fall of the USSR and the end of the Cold War, surprised those who still clung to the belief that we have entered a new era in which major powers would no longer smash their way into their neighbors’ territory.  Fukuyama, the prophet of “The End of History,” was apparently wrong.  Again.

Turn on the news in Israel and you will drown in Ehud Olmert “alleged” corruption scandals.  And yes, we do hear about the upcoming prisoner and body exchange agreement with the Hezbollah, but that will pass.  By the way, Olmert will pass too, apparently sometime this autumn.  He has promised to resign when there will be an indictment and with six investigations pending, there has got to be an indictment in there somewhere unless the police and state prosecutor’s office are completely incompetent (no comments please).  But more about this at a later time.

What will not go away is the impending world economic crisis.  Oil is heading for $150 a barrel and the sub-prime disaster in the US is not getting any better.  Many believe it to be much worse than what is known.  The two major mortgage finance companies, Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac are said to be holding some 50% of US home owners mortgages and guarantees (5 trillion dollars) have seen their stocks drop by tens of percents recently and the final count is not in.  Let us recall that the US annual GNP is worth $11 trillion.  The US administration sees itself as a guarantor and therefore a partner to the debt.  Even should the present situation not worsen, USA Inc. is in big trouble and with it the world economy.  Furthermore the developing world is in horrific shape as food has become prohibitively expensive.  It is said that 1/9th of the world’s population, 700 – 750 million people, are facing famine conditions.  Hundreds of millions more are certainly on the verge of such a fate.  Everyone is feeling the crisis but most exude a helplessness in doing anything about it.