The Diplomatic Times Review

Turning Munich On Its Head: Using Nazi Ideology To Justify War

Nelson Brown Jr. over at The Opinion Gazette takes on those who loosely throws around the term Islamo-fascist to denote Muslim fighters challenging the U.S. in Iraq and other parts of the world. His post is headlined "Turning "Munich" On Its Head: The Right Wing Uses A Nazi Analogy To Justify War."

Even U.S. President George W. Bush and other administration officials have begun to use the term.

Syrian Writer Raises A Provocative Question About Regime Change

"What do Sunnis [in Syria] intend for Alawis following regime change? " That provocative question was posed August 30, 2006 in Syrian Comment.com by a Syrian engineer posting under the name Khudr.

It's the kind of discussion that is timely, especially given the religious strife that broke into the open in the aftermath of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq."

Dan Halutz To Face Retired Israeli Generals

"Israeli army chief Dan Halutz is to face off" September 5, 2006 "against a phalanx of retired generals unhappy with the way the incumbent brass handled the 34 day war against Lebanon's Hezbollah, which left the army with heavy casualties but did not destroy the guerrilla group's missile arsenal," according to The Associated Press.

See "Israeli military chief to face disgruntled generals." Also see Haaretz's August 31, 2006 post headlined "Halutz to face wrath of reserve officers.

Haaretz reporters Nir Hasson, Yuval Yoaz and Mazal Mualem said, "Senior officers in the reserves are planning to carry out an unprecedented attack" on Mr. Halutz during the meeting. 

The AP said "the former officers will seek answers to charges that front line troops were sent into action with inadequate supplies and equipment by a command that, at times, appeared confused and indecisive, reserve Major General Doron Almog" said  August 31, 2006.

But Haaretz reported that "officers whose names were made public during Channel 10 news last night, deny the report that they intend to call on Halutz to resign because of his failures."

Haaretz quoted Major General (reserves) Uri Sagi, former head of Military Intelligence, who thinks the Israeli Defense Force "needs a rehab," as saying:

"I did not hide my views regarding the conduct of the war. I think that there was a great gap in the expectations, between the aims and the ability to achieve them. It is obvious to me that the chief of staff is responsible to everything that takes place but I cannot dismiss anyone, nor do I decide who should be dismissed."

He added, according to Haaretz: "there is no organization of reservist generals. We are not a military junta."

Israel Reportedly Prepared to Swap Prisoners With Lebanon

Samir Kuntar.org, the website established for Samir Kuntar, one the men Hezbollah wants released from an Israeli prison in exchange for Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev,  says in an August 31, 2006 report that "Israel would discuss freeing Lebanese prisoners for the two soldiers.

Hezbollah killed eight Israeli troops during the July 12, 2006 operation that resulted in the captured of Mr. Goldwasser and Mr. Regev. It gave Israel an excuse to launch what became a 34-day war in Lebanon and Israel. The war caused civilian casualties on both sides, mostly from missiles and bombs.

Other publications and wire services including United Press International (UPI) are also reporting similarly. According to UPI, "Israel has reportedly agreed to work out a prisoner exchange deal with Lebanon, raising hopes of a breakthrough in implementing U.N. Resolution 1701." See "Israel ready for swap deal with Lebanon.

Patrick Goodenough, Cybercast News Services' international editor, reported July 18, 2006 that:

In past years, Israel has succeeded in winning freedom for captured soldiers, or the return of missing soldiers' remains, but only by negotiating exchanges involving large numbers of Arab prisoners. (See "Hizballah Wants Israel to Free Child-Killer).

In the most recent of these highly controversial swaps, in January 2004, Israel handed over more than 400 Lebanese and Palestinian detainees in return for one Israeli businessman and the bodies of three soldiers abducted along the Lebanon border in 2000.

That exchange left just two Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails - [Samir] Kuntar and a man named Nasim Nesser. (Lebanon claims a third man, named as Yehya Sekaf, is also being held, although Israel denies this.)
Lebanese media refer to Kuntar as the "dean" of Lebanese prisoners in Israel. He has been in prison for 28 years, and Hizballah wants him out.

Instead of Israel responding to the latest provocation with a prisoner exchange, Israeli leaders, in collaboration with the Bush Administration, used the situation to try to disarm Hezbollah, a gross miscalculation. So was Hezbollah's killing of Israeli soldiers inside Israel and making Mr. Goldwasser and Mr. Regev prisoners and taking them into Lebanon. See "Hezbollah: We did not expect war over soldiers' capture."

Unlike previous wars against its Arab neighbors, the 34-day war with Hezbollah left Israel humiliated and defeated in the public diplomacy arena (also see this analysis); engaged in an intense internal debate and calls for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's resignation. There are also calls for an official inquiry and the resignation of some military leaders.

On the otherhand,  Hezbollah is viewed by many in the Arab world and beyond as heroes for going toe-to-toe with Israel and the U.S. It emerged largely intact and with its image enhanced where it counted, not among Israelis and Americans, but among people that received aid provided by Hezbollah relief workers immediately after the war. Hezbollah also showed Arabs they need not fear the Israeli Army, according to some observers.

Edward N. Luttwak, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C, contends in an August 27, 2006 article published in The Japan Times that, "No victor emerged from Lebanon war.

It is amid that background that "A high-ranking Israeli official source" told United Press International August 31, 2006 that, as UPI wrote, "the Israeli government is ready to conduct a deal with the Lebanese government to swap Lebanese prisoners for the two Israeli soldiers whose kidnapping by Hezbollah sparked the Israeli offensive on Lebanon on July 12 [2006]."

"Israel considers the government of Lebanon a party in the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 and is responsible for returning the abducted Israeli soldiers," the government source said," according to UPI.

UPI said the official "stressed that Israel will not negotiate with "terrorists," referring to the Iranian-backed Shiite Hezbollah."  

"He noted, however, that "Israel said clearly that the abducted Israeli soldiers should be returned without conditions according to Resolution 1701."

Because it has members in Lebanon's parliament, Israel cannot avoid a deal that does not involve Hezbollah, since any prisoner swap involving the Lebanese government will be approved by parliament.

Rice And Rumsfeld: 'Good Cop, Bad Cop'

The Salt Lake Tribune of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, opines in an August 29, 2006 editorial that, "Tuesday's (August 29) good cop/bad cop performance put on by [U.S. Secretary of State] Condoleezza Rice and [U.S. Secretary of Defense] Donald Rumsfeld before the [88th] national convention of the American Legion was largely dictated by their jobs."

"Secretary of State Rice, diplomatic, hopeful, envisioning a brighter future for all the world if only the United States and its allies will "stay the course" in the war on terror. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, prickly, quick to blame everyone but himself, warning of limitless threats and the "folly of turning a blind eye to danger."

For more, please see "Good cop, bad cop: Rice, Rumsfeld deliver equally deluded visions."

Here are Ms. Rice's convention remarks. Here are  Mr. Rumsfeld's remarks. President George W. Bush addresses the convention today.

The Salt Lake Tribune's political writers' blog offers updates and observations about the Bush Administration speakers at the convention.

Iranian Scholar Ramin Jahanbegloo Released From Prison

Canadian-Iranian Scholar Ramin Jahanbegloo, who was "arrested four months ago on spying charges has been freed, Iranian news agencies say," according to the BBC. For more, please see "Iranian writer 'freed from jail.'"

Nigerian Writer Wole Soyinka Receives Another Honor

Segun Ajayi at The Daily Sun in Nigeria noted in an August 30, 2006 article that "Perhaps in recent times, Oduduwa Hall" at "Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)" in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, had not paraded an array of writers" such as that witnessed August 25, 2006, "at the opening ceremony of the International Colloquium" marking the 20th year since Professor Wole Soyinka won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1986.

Mr. Soyinke was the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Egypt's Naguib Mahfouz, who died August 30, 2006, won it in 1988, is the second.

The Soyinke commemoration event was organized "by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA)," according to Mr. Ajayi.

For more, please see "Day Oduduwa Hall stood still for Soyinka."

Egyptian Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz Dies

Egypt's "Naguib Mahfouz, the first Arab writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, has died after suffering from a bleeding ulcer, Egypt's state-run Middle East News Agency reported," according to Al-Jazeera.Net and other publications.

The Egypt State Information Service said August 30, 2006 that, Egyptian "President Hosni Mubarak mourned Egypt's Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz who died early in the morning today."

The BBC quotes Mr. Mubarak as saying: "Mahfouz was a cultural light... who brought Arab literature to the world."

"He said the author expressed "values of enlightenment and tolerance". the BBC reported.

While I've only read five of Mr. Mahfouz's many books, I found those entertaining, revelatory and provocative as they sought to examine and question old and new ways of looking at the human struggle for meaning in life. However, some Muslims viewed his books with disdain.

For more, please see "Nobel winner Naguib Mahfouz dies.

Will Diplomacy Lead To Journalist Paul Salopek's Release?

While in  Khartoum, Sudan, holding talks with Sudanese officials about the grave situation in Darfur, Dr. Jendayi Frazer,  the American Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, discussed with Sudanese  President Omar al-Bashir the August 6, 2006 arrest and detention of Chicago Tribune Correspondent Paul Salopek (in National Geographic photo below). See "U.S. State Department's August 29, 2006, Briefing On Sudan."  

Mr. Salopek is not the first journalist arrested by Sudan for entering the country from neighboring Chad and charged with "spying, writing false news and the illegal dissemination of news." See Brian Adeba's August 30, 2006 article in Embassy, Canada's foreign policy newsweekly," headlined "Sudan's Not-Too-Subtle Warning.

The International News Safety Institute noted August 24, 2006 (See "Danger -- extreme caution needed in entering Darfur from Chad") that:

In the last five weeks, the Sudan government has arrested three journalists who crossed into Darfur from Chad without Sudanese visas. Slovenian photojournalist Tomo Kriznar was apprehended in Fasher, capital of North Darfur state, on 19 July. He was convicted of espionage on 14 August and sentenced to two years' imprisonment. The two other journalists, both Americans, were seized near the Chad border by the Minni Minawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Army and handed to Khartoum's Military Intelligence.

One of the two Americans has since been expelled from Sudan, by order of a court in Fasher, after being convicted of entering the country illegally. There are reports that a condition of his release was silence about the arrest of the second American - two-time Pulitzer prizewinner Paul Salopek of the Chicago Tribune.

According to the August 30, 2006 edition of Sudan Tribune online, Mr. al-Bashir "said during a meeting with a senior U.S. envoy that he would consider Chicago Tribune reporter Paul Salopek’s 'case out of a humanitarian standpoint,' said al-Bashir’s spokesman Mahjud Fadul Bedry."

The publication, whose report is based partially on Associated Press reporting, noted that Mr. "Salopek, who was in Sudan on assignment for National Geographic magazine, his driver [Idriss Abdelrahman Anu] and interpreter [Suleiman Abakar Moussa] were arrested by pro-government forces on Aug. 6, [2006]. He was charged Saturday [August 26, 2006] with espionage, passing information illegally, writing "false news" and entering the African country without a visa." See "Statement From National Geographic On Paul Salopek." Mr. Salopek is scheduled to go on trial September 10, 2006. He is seeking a change of venue from El Fasher, "the capital of North Darfur state in western Sudan," to Khartoum, Sudan's seat of government.

The Los Angeles Times, which is owned by The Tribune Co., reported August 26, 2006 that:

"Chicago Tribune Editor and Senior Vice President Ann Marie Lipinski called Salopek "one of the most accomplished and admired journalists of our time. He is not a spy.

"Our fervent hope is that the authorities in Sudan will recognize his innocence and quickly allow Paul to return home to his wife, Linda, and to his colleagues," Lipinski said. She added: "We are deeply worried about Paul and his well-being, and appeal to the government of Sudan to return him safely home."

The Washington Post opines in an August 30, 2006 editorial headlined "Wielding a Muzzle":

It is plain that Mr. Salopek isn't a spy. He is a veteran Africa correspondent who has twice won the Pulitzer Prize. When he crossed into Darfur, he was on assignment for National Geographic magazine, researching an article on Africa's Sahel region.

Also plain is why Sudan might raise such a preposterous charge. If it can discourage reporters from visiting, it can diminish worldwide attention to government-caused suffering in Darfur. A press blackout now would be particularly convenient. The State Department claims that the regime is planning a new offensive in northern Darfur. In preparation, government-backed militias are launching attacks on foreign aid workers, and officials in Khartoum are resisting the deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force to replace African Union troops. And the killings and rapes go on.

For more, please see "Sudan to consider case of US journalist accused of spying. Also see "CPJ urges Sudan to release Pulitzer-Prize winning reporter.

U.S. State Department's August 29, 2006, Briefing On Sudan

Tom Casey, Deputy Spokesman at the U.S. State Department press office in Washington, D.C., discussed a number of issues with the State Department correspondents on August 29, 2006. Below is the excerpt on Sudan:

QUESTION: Today, Assistant Secretary[Jendayi] Frazer (in photo below) is in Khartoum, Sudan and she's hoping to see President Umar Al-Bashir. And apparently, he has yet to accept any UN peacekeeping for Darfur. Now if that peacekeeping doesn't go through, if he's against it, as an alternative, would you wish to expand the AU forces [in Sudan]?

MR. CASEY: Well, first of all, let's talk about Assistant Secretary Frazer's trip. She is -- as you said, she's been in Khartoum. She's had a number of meetings with officials there. She did meet this morning with President Bashir at his home, and our Charge Cameron Hume was also there as well as some other officials. In that meeting, she delivered a letter from President Bush, a message from President Bush to President Bashir.

QUESTION: A letter or a message?

MR. CASEY: A message, sorry. And President Bashir listened to her concern. She certainly stressed to him our continued support for the African Union and humanitarian operations in Darfur and obviously, reiterated our continued belief in the need to move quickly to take the AU force and put it under UN auspices, to expand it and make it stronger, to be able to implement the Darfur peace agreement. President Bashir has said in response to the message from the President that he would be sending an envoy to Washington and that he would then provide a direct response to that message at that time.

QUESTION: When --

MR. CASEY: I don't have a specific timetable for it. You know, I would expect we are talking within the next couple of weeks.

QUESTION: About the multinational forces, did he respond to Frazer's comments about implementing that?

MR. CASEY: Again, I'll let the Government of Sudan talk about their specific reactions to this. Again, she made a very clear case of what U.S. policy is, and he certainly listened to what she had to say. Whether there will be any specific comments on this from the Government of Sudan, again, I'll leave it to them.

QUESTION: Is there some reason the Sudanese would be disgraced by having a United Nations force in there, as has been suggested by one of the translations of Bashir?

MR. CASEY: Well, I'm not sure which translation you're referring to, but -- you know, I think one of the things that we have continued to say, and it's important to remember, is there already is a United Nations force in Sudan. It is helping with the implementation of the North-South agreement. There already are international forces under African Union mandate in Darfur. The Darfur Peace Agreement specifically calls for a strengthening of those forces and an expansion of them to be able to implement the agreement. And we think that it is very clearly not only in the interests, again, of the international community, but of the Sudanese themselves to see that there's a force sufficiently strong to be able to implement and help them implement the Darfur Peace Agreement, which is ultimately the way to end the violence and assure a better future for everyone in that country.

QUESTION: One follow-up --

MR. CASEY: Sure.

QUESTION: -- on Sudan. The Chicago Tribune journalist [Paul Salopek]-- did Ms. Frazer bring that up in the meeting and what was the response?

MR. CASEY: My understanding was that she did raise that in her meeting with President Bashir. I don't have any specific response to offer you. Again, I think, as we've said previously, you know, we want to see him receive a speedy and fair trial. A couple of you yesterday had asked us about the timeline of visits by U.S. Embassy officials to Mr. Salopek. This is the Chicago Tribune journalist who has been detained on a variety of charges by the Sudanese Government.

Again, the embassy in Khartoum learned that Mr. Salopek had been arrested on August 18th. On August 19th, one of the U.S. Military observers in Darfur was able to visit him, bring him some food and water. On August 21st, a consular officer then arrived in El Fasher and visited him on that day and visited him every other day consecutively through the 27th. That consular officer returned to Khartoum yesterday on the 28th and will be returning back to El Fasher and visit him again tomorrow, Wednesday, on the 30th.

He also, I think, as you know, was -- had the opportunity to meet with our Chargé Cameron Hume, as well as Congressmen [Christopher] Shays [of Connecticut] and [Brian] Higgins [of New York], who were in Darfur on an unrelated Congressional visit.

QUESTION: Is he okay so far, very --

MR. CASEY: Yes. Our reports are he is in good health. Certainly, again, we're concerned about the time between when he was first taken into custody and the delay in notifying us, as is generally required under consular agreements. But yes, he is in good health and again, we're continuing to visit him almost on a daily basis so that we can continue to verify the conditions in which he's being held and make sure he's okay.

QUESTION: Thanks. On Sudan again -- oh, I'm sorry, go ahead.

MR. CASEY: Okay. Brian

QUESTION: Before Ms. Frazer left, she said that she expected a UN Security Council resolution on Darfur within the next few days. Given that you now are talking about several weeks for an envoy to come here, does that mean this resolution will be pushed back and the re-hatting is likely to be in January?

MR. CASEY: Well, the -- again, the -- you probably heard from the British UN representative today that there is a plan to put forward a jointly drafted U.S.-UK resolution today to the Security Council. The exact timing of the -- when a vote might take place on that, obviously, depends on discussions within the Council. But we are hopeful that we could have that resolution passed this week.

Same subject?

QUESTION: Yeah.

MR. CASEY: Okay.

QUESTION: And where is Ms. Frazer now? Is she -- she's still in Khartoum or she's gone?

MR. CASEY: I believe she has departed Khartoum and is on her way to Stockholm, but let me check for you and see if I can find that for you. I'll check and verify that for you, Sylvie. I believe she has departed Khartoum now and is on her way to Europe, but let me check for you.

QUESTION: Thank you.

QUESTION: Tom, I can understand your reluctance to speak for the Sudanese Government and to describe the responses that the president gave to Ms. Frazer on any number of subjects, but you could be asked, I think legitimately, to characterize the United States view of this discussion and whether or not you were pleased with how it went and whether you considered it constructive and so forth.

MR. CASEY: Well, I think they had a frank discussion. I think it was important that she was received rather warmly by him at his personal residence. You know, again, they had a good exchange of views. What I'm trying not to do, James, is speak for the Sudanese Government or make any claim that, you know, I have heard any kind of definitive response from them coming out of this meeting. Again, President Bashir said that he would be sending an envoy to Washington directly to respond to the message from The President, and I think we'll let them speak to either what they wish to say now about this or what the envoy has to say when he arrives.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Is sending an envoy a good enough answer, though? I mean, Secretary Frazer said the other day discussions needed to stop and there needed to be action, so adding another couple weeks to this process doesn't seem to be ending discussion.

MR. CASEY: Well, I don't have a specific -- again, a specific timetable for you as to when the envoy might or might not come. But we are moving forward. We're moving forward in the UN today, as I said. There's a resolution that's being tabled that calls for what the Darfur Peace Agreement calls for, which is an expanded force in the region under UN auspices to be able to implement the agreement. This is an agreement that the Government of Sudan has signed onto. It's an agreement that other players have signed onto.

So we are moving forward, we are making progress, and you know, I expect we'll see more as the days go forward.