Vladimir Putin accuses David Cameron of betraying humanitarian values by supporting Syrian rebels

Vladimir Putin accuses David Cameron of betraying humanitarian values by supporting Syrian rebels

    Monday, June 17, 2013   No comments

Russian President says his country will continue to arm the 'legitimate government' in Syria as Cameron's Coalition allies warn against involving Britain in the conflict
The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, rounded on Britain on Sunday, accusing David Cameron of betraying humanitarian values by supporting Syrian rebels with “blood on their hands”.

In harsh and undiplomatic language, Mr Putin accused the UK and other Western powers of attempting to arm rebels who “kill their enemies and eat their organs”. He insisted that Russia would continue to arm what he said was the recognised “legitimate government” in Syria and called on other countries to respect the same rules.

Mr Putin’s comments, ahead of Monday’s G8 summit in Northern Ireland, suggest that earlier British hopes of a softening of Russia’s position on Syria were misplaced. After around an hour of bilateral talks with David Cameron in Downing Street, Mr Putin’s spokesman told The Independent that the two sides remained as far apart as ever.

“There are very serious disagreements in terms of who is guilty and who is to blame,” he said. Asked what the impact of the American decision to arm Syrian rebels would be on potential peace talks, he added: “It makes it harder.”

On Monday, Foreign Secretary William Hague backed Mr Cameron's assessment, saying that the UK had to save the Syrian rebels from being "exterminated." But elsewhere in the Tory Party, London Mayor Boris Johnson warned that there could be no guarantee that weapons sent to moderate rebels wouldn't end up in the hands of "odious, twisted, hate-filled thugs."

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Putin warns Cameron against arming Syrian rebels as UK weighs options

Putin warns Cameron against arming Syrian rebels as UK weighs options

    Sunday, June 16, 2013   No comments

Russia and UK still have very different approaches to the Syrian crisis,British PM Cameron said after meeting Putin adding that the decision to arm rebels is yet to be made.Russia’s President warned against such a move citing rebels' atrocities.

"The  blood is on the hands of both parties” of the conflict, not only Bashar Assad’s government but also the rebels, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin stressed at the press conference at 10 Downing Street.

"I think you will not deny that one does not really need to support the people who not only kill their enemies, but open up their bodies, eat their intestines, in front of the public and cameras," Putin said referring to a video footage on the Internet of a rebel fighter eating the heart of a government soldier. Later however it was concluded the fighter was holding a lung.

"Is it them who you want to supply with weapons?" he said adding that it does not correspond with international humanitarian norms.

Putin also defended Russia's arms supplies to the official government of Syria saying they are "in accordance with  international laws.”

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Muslim Brotherhood: Turkey protests aim to make Islamic project fail

Muslim Brotherhood: Turkey protests aim to make Islamic project fail

    Thursday, June 06, 2013   No comments

Leaders from the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in Egypt have accused Turkish protesters who are participating in the recent wave of protests that started in İstanbul’s Gezi Park and later spread to other cities of receiving funds from “foreign entities to make the highly successful Islamic project fail,” according to a news report appeared on the Al Arabiya news website.
A media adviser to Egypt’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm, Mourad Aly told an Egyptian daily that the demonstrations in Turkey have “nothing to do with daily or economic needs. It is intended to promote the idea that Islamic regimes, which have made economic achievements and proved to the world that they can stand in the face of all external challenges, have failed,” Aly added in an interview with the Al-Masry Al-Youm daily.

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Tony Blair: Woolwich attack shows there is a 'problem within Islam'

Tony Blair: Woolwich attack shows there is a 'problem within Islam'

    Sunday, June 02, 2013   No comments

Tony Blair has launched an attack on the “problem within Islam” in the wake of the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich at the hands of Islamist extremists.

The former Prime Minister said the ideology that inspired the act of terror that shocked Britain last month is “profound and dangerous”.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he warned that the Government cannot protect the UK “simply by what we do here”. The Islamist ideology, he said, is “out there” and “isn’t diminishing”.

“There is not a problem with Islam,” he wrote. “For those of us who have studied it, there is no doubt about its true and peaceful nature. There is not a problem with Muslims in general. Most in Britain will be horrified at Lee Rigby’s murder.

“But there is a problem within Islam – from the adherents of an ideology that is a strain within Islam. And we have to put it on the table and be honest about it.”

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Syria peace talks likely to be postponed until July or August

Syria peace talks likely to be postponed until July or August

    Friday, May 31, 2013   No comments

Peace talks in Geneva between Syria's warring parties are almost certain to be postponed after further diplomatic setbacks on Friday, as Russia announced its intention to ship more weaponry to the Assad regime.

Heavy fighting continued on the ground in Syria, where it emerged that a British man and American woman had been killed, apparently while fighting with the rebels in Idlib, in the north, earlier this week.

The US and Russia had together conceived the Geneva talks between the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition, raising hopes that the two superpowers, long at odds over the civil war raging in the country, could at last make some progress in curbing the violence.


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Syria: Arms Sans Frontières

Syria: Arms Sans Frontières

    Wednesday, May 29, 2013   No comments

If it was already a gargantuan task to get all sides conducting and feeding the war in Syria around a table in August, three events in the last three days have just made that task much more difficult but no less urgent. The first and by far the most important was Hassan Nasrallah's speech on Saturday in which the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah personally committed his movement to the survival of the Assad regime. Unlike any other development in the grinding two-year war of attrition between Syria's Sunni majority and its Alawite-dominated government and military, Nasrallah's statement has the power to upset the fragile balance between Sunnis, Shias and Christians in Lebanon that has lasted since the end of its own 15-year civil war. For the first time in its history, Hezbollah shed the fig leaf that its sole purpose was to defend Lebanon against Israel, and publicly committed itself to waging a sectarian war against fellow Arabs.

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Syria and the Middle East: our greatest miscalculation since the rise of fascism

Syria and the Middle East: our greatest miscalculation since the rise of fascism

    Wednesday, May 29, 2013   No comments

There could no more dreadful idea than to pour more armaments into the sectarian war now consuming Syria. Yet that is precisely what Britain's coalition government wants to do. The foreign secretary, William Hague, seemed on Monday to parody his hero Pitt the Younger by demanding "how long must we go on allowing … ?" and "what we want to see is …". Who is this we? But even Pitt would never be so stupid as to declare war on Syria, which is the only morally sound outcome of Hague's rhetorical mission creep.

For two years pundits have proclaimed the imminent fall of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. High on Arab spring, they declared he would fall from the logic of history. Or he would fall because western sanctions would bring him down. Or he would fall because the media, as in the novelScoop, were with the rebels and had decided they would win.

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Syria crisis: US-Russia accord offers no easy answers

Syria crisis: US-Russia accord offers no easy answers

    Friday, May 10, 2013   No comments

By Jim Muir

The vogue word "game-changer" has been heavily overused in recent months. But the agreement that seems to have emerged on Syria from more than five hours of intensive talks in Moscow between US Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov may turn out to be just that.

For the past two years, the international community has been hamstrung from taking concerted action over Syria, because the UN Security Council was paralysed by big power differences, with disputes between Washington and Moscow at the core.

Now at last the two seem to be genuinely singing from the same song sheet.

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Egypt's army took part in torture and killings during revolution, report shows

Egypt's army took part in torture and killings during revolution, report shows

    Wednesday, April 10, 2013   No comments

Egypt's armed forces participated in forced disappearances, torture and killings across the country – including in the Egyptian Museum – during the 2011 uprising, even as military leaders publicly declared their neutrality, according to a leaked presidential fact-finding report on revolution-era crimes.

The report, submitted to the president, Mohamed Morsi, by his own hand-picked committee in January, has yet to be made public, but a chapter obtained by the Guardian implicates the military in a catalogue of crimes against civilians, beginning with their first deployment to the streets. The chapter recommends that the government investigate the highest ranks of the armed forces to determine who was responsible.

More than 1,000 people, including many prisoners, are said to have gone missing during the 18 days of the revolt. Scores turned up in Egypt's morgues, shot or bearing signs of torture. Many have simply disappeared, leaving behind desperate families who hope, at best, that their loved ones are serving prison sentences that the government does not acknowledge.

The findings of the high-level investigation, implicating Egypt's powerful and secretive military, will put pressure on Morsi, who assumed power from the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces after his election last June and has declined to prosecute any officers, despite allegations that some participated in abuse. They could also figure in the retrial of the toppled president Hosni Mubarak and his former interior minister Habib el-Adly, who are set to return to court on Saturday to face charges – perhaps supported by new evidence from the fact-finding committee – that they were responsible for killing protesters during the revolt.

"This chapter sheds light on new and extremely disturbing incidents that implicate the military in serious human rights violations," said Hossam Bahgat, the director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. "In particular, it uncovers new details on one of the most secret aspects of the 18 days of revolt that ended with the ouster of Mubarak: the role played by the armed forces in supporting Mubarak against protesters from the date they were deployed on 28 January 2011, until the first military statement was issued in support of the protesters on 10 February."

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Christian mourners, mob, police clash in Egypt

Christian mourners, mob, police clash in Egypt

    Monday, April 08, 2013   No comments

CAIRO (AP) — A mob threw rocks and fired birdshot Sunday at several hundred Christians marching in a protest against Egypt's Islamist government after the funeral of four Christians killed in sectarian clashes over the weekend.
The Christians were chanting slogans against Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, just as several thousand did earlier during the funeral service nearby in the Coptic Orthodox cathedral in Cairo.
The attacking mob, described by witnesses as residents of the area, forced the marchers to take shelter inside the sprawling cathedral complex. They also showered the protesters with rocks from the roofs of nearby buildings, according to witness Ibrahim el-Shareef.
Mohammed Sultan, director of Egypt's national ambulance services, said at least 17 people were wounded in the clashes.

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Three killed in Cairo as violence rages after Port Said verdict

Three killed in Cairo as violence rages after Port Said verdict

    Saturday, March 09, 2013   No comments

Three protesters have been killed and reportedly 65 injured in Cairo as outraged crowds protest both in the Egyptian capital and the city of Port Said over the latest verdict on the deadly Port Said stadium riot in February 2012.

Security sources have reported that the protester died from the effects of tear gas. Meanwhile, Ahram Online puts the number of dead at three, saying an 8 year-old boy was among them. It says the other two were killed by birdshot during the clashes.

The number of injured also differs with the majority of sources reporting about 15 people and Reuters putting the figure at 65.

The verdict, broadcast live from the courtroom, was initially cheered by fans of Cairo's Al-Ahly team.

"First we were happy when we heard the 21 death sentences," one fan told AFP news agency.

"We were cheering and didn't hear the rest of the verdict. Then we were very angry."

An Egyptian court has confirmed Saturday the death sentences for 21 football fans involved in the fatal riots in Port Said in 2012, in which most victims were supporters of the Cairo team.

It also sentenced five other suspects to life in jail and 10 others to 15-year terms, including the city’s security chief Esam Samak.

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Syria world's top destination for jihadists, says William Hague, as aid promised

Syria world's top destination for jihadists, says William Hague, as aid promised

    Thursday, March 07, 2013   No comments

Syria has become the "top destination for jihadists" across the world, William Hague said on Wednesday, announcing that Britain will give the opposition "non-lethal" military equipment for the first time.

The Foreign Secretary promised another £13 million of British help for opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, on top of £9.4 million already committed.

While no weapons or ammunition will be supplied, Britain has secured an amendment of the European Union arms embargo to allow the provision of certain kinds of military equipment.

In particular, armoured cars and body armour will now be given to the opposition. "Our policy has to move towards more active efforts to prevent the loss of life in Syria and this means stepping up our support to the opposition," said Mr Hague in the Commons. The aim was to increase the "pressure on the regime to accept a political solution".

Mr Hague's statement came as the United Nations confirmed that 20 peacekeepers from the Philippines had been detained by armed fighters in a Syrian-controlled area of the Golan Heights. A video posted on the internet showed the gunmen, claiming to be Syrian rebels, standing next to UN-marked vehicles.

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EGYPT: BROTHERS GET ROUTED IN STUDENT ELECTIONS

EGYPT: BROTHERS GET ROUTED IN STUDENT ELECTIONS

    Wednesday, March 06, 2013   No comments

Results for student elections taking place in Egyptian universities this week suggest the Muslim Brotherhood, normally one of the best-organized and most successful political movements in student politics, has lost much ground. This tends to confirm and accelerate trends first seen last year of new political movements on campus becoming more popular, as well as some good coalition-building between radicals, leftists, liberals and others to face challenges by Brothers and the Salafis. The trend has also been seen in professional syndicates over the last year, and may also grow this year. This should be striking, as one would expect the Brotherhood to reap the benefits of being the party in power. But the opposite is happening, and the failure of the Brotherhood to win a majority in a single election yesterday (although of course there will be more) is telling of the discontent with them.

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Egypt’s Morsi ‘mulling’ army takeover of restive Port Said

Egypt’s Morsi ‘mulling’ army takeover of restive Port Said

    Tuesday, March 05, 2013   No comments

Clashes continue in Port Said as security forces fired shots into the air and deployed teargas to disperse hundreds of protesters. Egypt’s president ordered police to withdraw from the streets, leaving the army to restore order in the city.

Hundreds of protesters massed near the Port Said Security Directorate and lobbed stones and firebombs at security forces, who responded by firing teargas and warning shots into the air.

Earlier in the day, a group of protesters fell on the port city’s branch of the National Security Agency, setting the building’s garage on fire with Molotov cocktails. Armed Forces vehicles were deployed to the scene, which proceeded to fire live shots to disperse the demonstrators.

A tank was later stationed outside the building, while armored vehicles patrolled the surrounding neighborhood.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi ordered police forces to withdraw following three weeks of strikes and protests in the city which boiled over on Sunday.

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Egypt's president calls early elections and the opposition responds with a boycott

Egypt's president calls early elections and the opposition responds with a boycott

    Thursday, February 28, 2013   No comments

EGYPTIANS have reason to fear the domestic news these days. If it is not about events such as a freak ballooning accident that killed 18 tourists, or the death of nine villagers who fell, one after another, into an open manhole, or a plague of locusts sweeping in from the Red Sea, it will surely be about something at least as grim: Egyptian politics. Two years after an uprising toppled the regime of Hosni Mubarak, the country’s public affairs remain as miserably unsettled and accident-prone as ever.

It might seem a good thing, for instance, that the president, Muhammad Morsi, should recently have set a date, April 22nd, for fresh parliamentary elections. Egypt has had no lower legislative house since June, when courts dissolved the last one after declaring the election rules which produced it to be unfair. The weak upper house, elected last year with a voter turnout of barely 10%, functions as a temporary lawmaking body. Its 85% dominance by Islamists, led by Mr Morsi’s own group, the Muslim Brotherhood, renders its deliberations suspect in the eyes of many.

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THE RISE OF A PHARAOH: THE ARAB SPRING’S FIRST DICTATOR

THE RISE OF A PHARAOH: THE ARAB SPRING’S FIRST DICTATOR

    Sunday, November 25, 2012   No comments

by Nezar AlSayyad

President Mohammed Husni Morsi Tantawi Mubarak

Over the course of the past two years, the Arab World celebrated the fall of several of its most brutal dictators but last week it witnessed the meteoric rise of yet a new dictator, President Mohammed Morsi of Egypt.

While the world was occupied with celebrating the cessation of hostilities between Hamas and Israel in Gaza and heaping praise on Morsi for his intervention, Morsi seized the opportunity to issue the most sweeping decree ever issued by an Egyptian President in history. With one Constitutional declaration, Morsi -who has held both executive and legislative authority since he sidelined the Egyptian Armed forces a few months ago- fired the Public Prosecutor and castrated the Egyptian Judiciary by declaring that his decisions cannot be appealed to any court.  Morsi and his party did not initiate the Egyptian uprising but they came out of it as the major winners with latent intent of giving Egypt a new Islamic constitution.  Citing a need to protect the “revolution” from unspecified dangers, Morsi achieved in a very short time what no modern leader of Egypt had ever achieved, a total control of all branches of government. Even Muhammad Ali, the founder of modern Egypt at the beginning of the 19th century did not held such unchecked powers.

As Morsi announced his decree, the Muslim Brotherhood from which he hails and its political wing- the undeservedly named “Freedom and Justice” Party- orchestrated major demonstrations in support of his decision in an attempt to preempt the anticipated opposition. The process of wrestling total control of governmental powers through preemptive mobilizations is not unusual. Indeed it is a recurring pattern in contemporary Egyptian History.   In the 1950s and 1960s Egyptians were mobilized to support the many decrees of the Army Officers who organized the 1952 coup that turned Egypt a decade later into a socialist republic.

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Syria's Kurdish leader rejects new opposition, labels it Turkey proxy

Syria's Kurdish leader rejects new opposition, labels it Turkey proxy

    Wednesday, November 21, 2012   No comments

Saleh Muslim, head of the
Democratic Union Party (PYD)

A party that controls much of Syria's Kurdish region on Tuesday rejected the new opposition coalition, highlighting the deep divisions still remaining between the many Syrian armed groups 20 months into the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

Saleh Muslim, head of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), said he had not been invited to talks in Doha this month in which the Syrian National Coalition was formed, and he labelled the group a proxy of Turkey and Qatar.

The coalition, led by moderate Sunni Muslim cleric Mouaz Alkhatib, was meant to unify Syria's myriad opposition groups in a bid to secure Western backing in their efforts to topple Assad, and has been endorsed in the West by Britain and France.

Previous efforts to unite the opposition under the umbrella of the Syrian National Council ultimately failed after widespread accusations that the SNC had little sway within Syria and was dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood.

"They're making the same mistakes as the Syrian National Council. They're one colour, a cleric is the ruler. More than 60 percent of the SNC were from the Muslim Brotherhood and the religious groups, and they've made the same mistake with this coalition," Muslim told Reuters in London.

"It (the opposition coalition) has emerged from obedience to Turkey and Qatar," he said, adding that the Kurds included in the group were not representative of Syria's Kurds and were handpicked by Turkey to follow its agenda.

  

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Mohamed Morsy, President of Egypt, at United Nations GA 2012

Mohamed Morsy, President of Egypt, at United Nations GA 2012

    Wednesday, September 26, 2012   No comments

Mohamed Morsy, President of Egypt, at United Nations GA 2012

MOHAMED MORSY, President of Egypt, told Member States that he was the first Egyptian civilian President elected democratically and freely following a great revolution in his country. Since that revolution, Egyptians had taken a number of steps towards establishing the modern State to which they aspired — one that was in tune with the present, based on the rule of law, democracy and respect for human rights; a State that sought justice, truth, freedom, dignity and social justice. “The Egyptian revolution was not the product of a fleeting moment, or a brief uprising,” he said, adding, “nor was it the product of the winds of change of spring or autumn.” Rather, the revolution, and all the ones preceding and following it throughout the region, was triggered by the long struggle of authentic national movements that sought a life of pride and dignity for all citizens.

That vision of a new Egypt should also guide the country’s cooperation with the international community, he said, in a spirit of equality and mutual respect and entailing the non-intervention in the affairs of other States. The “new Egypt” was determined to regain its standing among nations, assume an effective role in global issues. Egypt’s involvement in Arab, Islamic and African issues was the reflection of the essential role it played in defence of interconnected fates and interlinked interests and values. In that vein, long decades had passed since the Palestinian people expressed their longing for their full rights and for building their independent State, with Jerusalem as its capital. It was shameful that the free world accepted, regardless of the justifications provided, that a member of the international community continued to deny the rights of a nation that had been longing for decades for independence. It was also disgraceful that settlement activities continued in the territories of those people, along with the delay in implementing the decisions of international legitimacy. He called, in that regard, for the immediate and significant measures to put an end to colonization, settlement activities, and the alteration in the identity of Occupied Jerusalem.

The bloodshed in Syria and the humanitarian crisis that had unfolded there “must be stopped”, he continued, as the Syrian people deserved hope for a future of freedom and dignity. That was the essence of the initiative he had proposed last month in Mecca, along with three other nations; they would continue to work to put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people and provide them an opportunity to choose freely the regime that best represented them. He also emphasized that the initiative was open to all those who wished to positively contribute to resolving the Syrian crisis. Indeed, Egypt was committed to putting an end to the catastrophe in Syria within an Arab, regional and international framework. That should spare Syria to dangers of foreign military intervention, which he opposed. Egypt was also committed to supporting the mission of Lakhdar Brahimi, the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, and continuing the current efforts aiming at unifying the Syrian opposition and encouraging it to propose a comprehensive, unified vision of the steady, democratic transfer of power.

Turning to the situation in Sudan, he urged Member States to support that country. Sudan had committed itself to a Comprehensive Peace Agreement and it had been the first country to recognize the nascent State of South Sudan. “But let me be frank: it has not received the support it deserves”. Similarly, he called upon Members of the Assembly to support the Somali people in their present difficult period of transition, and in fending off those seeking to hinder their efforts to achieve stability, reconstruct public institutions, and realize the aspiration of the Somali people for a better future.

Over many years, some had wrongfully sought to attain stability through oppression and tyranny, he said. “Some of us have, alas, applauded their bad deeds”. But now that the peoples of the region had regained their freedom, they would not tolerate being deprived of their rights, whether by their own leaders or outside forces. The will of the people, in particular in the region, no longer tolerated the continued non-accession of any country to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the non-application of a safeguards regime to their nuclear facilities, especially if that was coupled with irresponsible policies or arbitrary threats. In that regard, the acceptance by the international community of the principle of “pre-emptiveness” or the attempt to legitimize it was, in itself, a serious matter and must be firmly confronted in order to avoid the prevalence of the “law of the jungle”. In that regard, Egypt stressed the need to mobilize international efforts to hold a conference on achieving a Middle East free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction before the end of the current year. “The only solution is to get rid of nuclear weapons”, he said.

The world also had a responsibility to support Africa’s efforts at development and economic growth, beyond mere promises. Egyptians, as Africans, were ready and willing to do so. In addition, the youth representing the majority of the country believed that real legitimacy was derived from the people’s will, not the one imposed by an assertive authority that lacked any legal or moral basis. In that vein, he recalled that he had proposed, during the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran, a new initiative dedicated to youth issues and paying particular attention to the issues of education, training, employment and improving their participation in political life. In addition, “we look to the current situation in the international financial system, and stress the need to work diligently to reform it.” Revitalizing the General Assembly and reforming the Security Council must also remain high on the priority list of issues that must be tackled with the necessary seriousness.

Why I had no choice but to spurn Tony Blair: I couldn't sit with someone who justified the invasion of Iraq with a lie

Why I had no choice but to spurn Tony Blair: I couldn't sit with someone who justified the invasion of Iraq with a lie

    Sunday, September 02, 2012   No comments

by Desmond Tutu

The immorality of the United States and Great Britain's decision to invade Iraq in 2003, premised on the lie that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, has destabilised and polarised the world to a greater extent than any other conflict in history.

Instead of recognising that the world we lived in, with increasingly sophisticated communications, transportations and weapons systems necessitated sophisticated leadership that would bring the global family together, the then-leaders of the US and UK fabricated the grounds to behave like playground bullies and drive us further apart. They have driven us to the edge of a precipice where we now stand – with the spectre of Syria and Iran before us.

If leaders may lie, then who should tell the truth? Days before George W Bush and Tony Blair ordered the invasion of Iraq, I called the White House and spoke to Condoleezza Rice, who was then national security adviser, to urge that United Nations weapons inspectors be given more time to confirm or deny the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Should they be able to confirm finding such weapons, I argued, dismantling the threat would have the support of virtually the entire world. Ms Rice demurred, saying there was too much risk and the president would not postpone any longer.

On what grounds do we decide that Robert Mugabe should go the International Criminal Court, Tony Blair should join the international speakers' circuit, bin Laden should be assassinated, but Iraq should be invaded, not because it possesses weapons of mass destruction, as Mr Bush's chief supporter, Mr Blair, confessed last week, but in order to get rid of Saddam Hussein?

The cost of the decision to rid Iraq of its by-all-accounts despotic and murderous leader has been staggering, beginning in Iraq itself. Last year, an average of 6.5 people died there each day in suicide attacks and vehicle bombs, according to the Iraqi Body Count project. More than 110,000 Iraqis have died in the conflict since 2003 and millions have been displaced. By the end of last year, nearly 4,500 American soldiers had been killed and more than 32,000 wounded.

On these grounds alone, in a consistent world, those responsible for this suffering and loss of life should be treading the same path as some of their African and Asian peers who have been made to answer for their actions in the Hague.

But even greater costs have been exacted beyond the killing fields, in the hardened hearts and minds of members of the human family across the world.

Has the potential for terrorist attacks decreased? To what extent have we succeeded in bringing the so-called Muslim and Judeo-Christian worlds closer together, in sowing the seeds of understanding and hope?

Leadership and morality are indivisible. Good leaders are the custodians of morality. The question is not whether Saddam Hussein was good or bad or how many of his people he massacred. The point is that Mr Bush and Mr Blair should not have allowed themselves to stoop to his immoral level.

If it is acceptable for leaders to take drastic action on the basis of a lie, without an acknowledgement or an apology when they are found out, what should we teach our children?

My appeal to Mr Blair is not to talk about leadership, but to demonstrate it. You are a member of our family, God's family. You are made for goodness, for honesty, for morality, for love; so are our brothers and sisters in Iraq, in the US, in Syria, in Israel and Iran.

I did not deem it appropriate to have this discussion at the Discovery Invest Leadership Summit in Johannesburg last week. As the date drew nearer, I felt an increasingly profound sense of discomfort about attending a summit on "leadership" with Mr Blair. I extend my humblest and sincerest apologies to Discovery, the summit organisers, the speakers and delegates for the lateness of my decision not to attend.

Source: The Observer

British, Qatari troops already waging secret war in Syria?

British, Qatari troops already waging secret war in Syria?

    Thursday, February 09, 2012   No comments

British, Qatari troops already waging secret war in Syria?