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Monday, November 29, 2010

WikiLeaks: These documents relate all major subjects of modern world

28 November 2010

The documents have been put online by organization WikiLeaks relate to "all major subjects" in all countries of the world, the founder of the Internet project, Australian Julian Assange, announced on Sunday.

He added his organization has made public secret and confidential documents from more than 100 countries over the past four years. According to WikiLeaks founder, these documents cover a wide range of issues, "from assassinations in East Timor to the behavior of some of the biggest United States private banks".

WikiLeaks Founder told this speaking by a video link to participants of the conference held in the Jordanian capital Amman, organized by the Arab Organization for reporters dealing with investigative journalism.

It was unclear in which country was Assange at the time of the teleconference. He said his visit to Amman was impossible as "Jordan's not the best place to be with the CIA on your tail".

"Over this last month much of my energy and activities have been spent preparing for the upcoming release of a diplomatic history of the United States", Assange said. - Over 250,000 classified cables from US embassies all around the world, and we can see already in the past week or so that the United States has made movements to try to disarm the effect that this could have".

Washington had "contacted the governments of almost every nation on earth to brief them about what some of these embarrassing revelations will do", said WikiLeaks founder.

"They're in a rather unusual difficult position where it is not sure precisely what is going to be revealed. So it has been treading this rather thin line on briefing its allies on what it thinks we are going to reveal", Assange believed.

Julian Assange rejected US State Department's accusations that WikiLeaks actions would endanger the lives of "countless innocent individuals". "This is an organization with a four-year publication history. As far as we are aware, and as far as anyone has ever alleged in any credible manner whatsoever, no single individual has even come to harm as a result of anything that we have ever published", said the project founder.

Late on Sunday site WikiLeaks posted 250 thousand secret diplomatic cables of the United States.

However, the site has undergone a massive DOS attacks and is not accessible.

Meanwhile, five leading publications - The New York Times (USA), Le Monde (France), El Pais (Spain), Spiegel (Germany) and The Guardian (UK) - posted on their web sites materials provided to them by the organization Wikileaks.

Western newspapers have published more than 250 thousand documents. It is clear from them that the US had spied on UN leaders, including Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Classified directives to this were issued in the name of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In particular, as the Guardian wrote, Wikileaks' documents tell about the Russian government's links to organized crime, inappropriate remarks by a member of the British royal family, Pakistan's growing instability, US covert operations against al-Qaeda in Yemen, as well as the efforts of Saudi Arabia to persuade the US to attack Iran in order to destroy its nuclear weapons program.

According to documents, other Arab countries also secretly urged the US to intervene militarily in Iran's affairs.

The materials of Wikileaks also, according to Guardian, contain very unflattering comments by US embassy staff of their host governments around the world, from Caribbean to Russia.

For example, according to British newspaper, Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin in these cables is called "alpha-dog", the Afghan president Hamad Karzai - "driven by paranoia", and German Chancellor Angela Merkel - " risk avoiding and rarely creative".

In one of the cables is a direct comparison between Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Adolf Hitler, and a Russian president Medvedev as "afraid, hesitant".

Here are some excerpts from published classified materials of American diplomacy.

U.S. interests in movements of Kadyrov

U.S. diplomats are interested in movements of Ramzan Kadyrov. This conclusion can be drawn from an analysis of internal documents of the U.S. government.

American diplomats had witnessed the visits of Kadyrov of a wedding of representatives of influential clans in Dagestan. "After the dancing, Ramzan and his army drove off back to Chechnya", says one of these documents.

Diplomats are also interested for what reason Kadyrov did not stay in Makhachkala, a document relating to 2006 says.

Weddings in Dagestan struck U.S. diplomats

U.S. diplomats were surprised by a scale of Dagestani weddings, which is reflected in the internal documents of the U.S. government. The New York Times presents them.

The diplomat tells of drunken guests throwing $100 bills at child dancers, and nighttime water-scooter jaunts on the Caspian Sea.

"The dancers probably picked upwards of USD 5000 off the cobblestones," Americans noted.

"The dancers may have collected up to $5 thousand" - note the Americans.

U.S. believes Russia's bureaucracy ignores Putin

Russian bureaucrats often ignore Putin's edicts, such an opinion has U.S. diplomats.

In their conception of the Russian reality, Putin is the most powerful man in Russia. Thus specifically in this document, Putin is not compared with president Dmitry Medvedev. Nevertheless, according to U.S. diplomats, Putin's power is undermined by an unmanageable Russian bureaucracy that often ignores his edicts.

***

Meanwhile, the administration of U.S. president issued a statement on Sunday in which it attempted to justify the content of internal government documents that were published by website Wikileaks.

The world media, which have access to this leak before the others, noted that the document referred to possible links of the Russian government to the organized crime.

According to the Associated Press, the White House emphasized that the estimates, which were publicized in a leak from Wikileaks, are "often incomplete, and it is not an expression of policy, nor does it always shape final foreign policy decisions of the US".

Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center

Source: Kavkaz Center.
Link: http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2010/11/28/13000.shtml.

Over 250 000 secret U.S. diplomatic documents released by Wikileaks

28 November 2010

Major publications release excerpts from thousands of secret US diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks.

Several major media organizations, including The Guardian and The New York Times, have published detailed reports on a massive trove of leaked US diplomatic cables.

The files address negative perceptions of various world leaders, repeated calls for US attack on Iran, and requests for US diplomats to spy on other countries' officials.

The White House has described the leaks as "reckless and dangerous".

There are several explosive revelations contained within the documents including diplomatic notes detailing how Arab leaders in the Gulf have been urging an attack on "evil" Iran.

The documents reveal serious fears in Washington over the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program.

They also detail advice given to US diplomats on how to gather intelligence and pass information of interest over to the country's spy agencies. According to media reports, senior UN figures were the target of intelligence gathering by US diplomats.

The cache of documents contain allegations of corruption against foreign leaders, who are subjected to stinging criticism in the cables, with Vladimir Putin referred to as an "alpha-dog."

Angela Merkel "avoids risk and is rarely creative", and Hamid Karzai is described as being "driven by paranoia."

World leaders have scrambled to contain the diplomatic fallout in advance of the expected full release by Wikileaks of the full set of cables later on Sunday.

The limited release comes one day after the US state department's lawyer threatened legal action over publication of the confidential material, obtained by an unknown source.

Meanwhile, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has said the release of the classified documents by the whistle-blower website will amount to a "diplomatic history" of global affairs.

"The material that we are about to release covers essentially every major issue in every country," Assange told reporters in Jordan by video link from an undisclosed location on Sunday.

US officials took the unusual step on Saturday of sending a letter to WikiLeaks to warn against the release of the secret government documents, which it says will put "countless" lives at risk.

The letter, from Harold Hongju Koh, the US state department's top lawyer, argued that publishing the classified files would threaten counterterrorism operations and jeopardize US relations with its allies.

"No single individual has even come to harm as a result of anything that we have ever published," Assange said on Sunday.

The classified documents reportedly cover correspondence between US diplomatic missions abroad and the state department in Washington and could reveal "unflattering" views that American officials held about close EU allies and countries like Russia and Turkey.

US diplomats have been visiting foreign ministries hoping to stave off anger over the cables, which are internal messages that often lack the niceties diplomats voice in public.

WikiLeaks has said the newest release will be seven times the size of the October publication of 400,000 Iraq war documents, the biggest leak to date in US intelligence history.

The site also published 77,000 classified US files on the Afghan conflict in July.

'Violation of US law'

In his letter, Koh said the release will "place at risk the lives of countless innocent individuals,'' "place at risk on-going military operations,'' and "place at risk on-going cooperation between countries".

"You have undermined your stated objective by disseminating this matieral widely, without redaction, and without regard to the security and sanctity of the lives your actions endanger," he wrote.

Koh said WikiLeaks should return them to the US government and destroy any copies in its possession or in computer databases.

"They were provided in violation of US law and without regard for the grave consequences of this action,'' he said.

The letter also said the US government would not cooperate with WikiLeaks in trying to scrub the cables of information that might put sources and methods of intelligence gathering and diplomatic reporting at risk.

Steve Clemons, a political strategist and director of the American Strategy Program at New America Foundation, told Al Jazeera that the US reaction to this latest round of leaks has been stronger than in the past because of mainly diplomatic concerns.

"Certainly I wouldn't take it to the level of lives lost on the battlefield. This is essentially diplomatic brouhaha," he said.

"I think also that the content of these documents is a lot about the gossip and innuendo and the nuance ... and there are going to be a lot of embarrassing things that come out of these documents.

"There are be political repercussions of the way foreign leaders are going to read these documents. And in that sense, you're going to see people, ranging from have everyone from [Asif Ali] Zardari In Pakistan, to, I understand, Nelson Mandela of South Africa has had some bad swipes taken at him in these cables."

Whatever the consequences for the US, Clemons said the leaks are highlighting the extent to which governments' reliance on secrecy has become so pervasive.

"Governments have been trying to hide themselves from embarrassment. And I think that's what WikiLeaks is trying to create a market reaction to and trying to change."

'Diplomatic catastrophe'

The document release will contain more than 250,000 cables and 8,000 diplomatic directives - mostly from the last five years.

According to White House sources cited by a correspondent of the US website Politico, none of the documents are classified as 'Top Secret'. But reportedly six per cent are listed as "secret" and 40 per cent as "confidential".

Less than five per cent of the files are about EU nations, according to OWNI, a French news site with a live blog covering the "StateLogs".

Speculation has swirled on the inclusion of cables about US ties to separatist groups in Turkey, perceptions of the UK coalition government, and allegedly corrupt politicians in several countries.

The documents could include reports from officials in Washington and diplomatic posts around the world about issues on which Britain and the US have collaborated closely, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Members of the former Labor administrations of Gordon Brown and Tony Blair were bracing for the flood of millions of documents.

Franco Frattini, Italy's foreign minister, said he did not know the content of the files to be released but warned they would "blow up the relationship of trust between states", according to Italian news agencies.

"It will be the September 11th of world diplomacy," he said, adding that the release would be the product of "a criminal activity that has already been prosecuted in 10 countries, including the United States".

"I hope Italian magistrates will also look into the matter."

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Kavkaz Center

Source: Kavkaz Center.
Link: http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2010/11/28/13001.shtml.

WikiLeaks not afraid of FSB/KGB terrorist threats

28 November 2010

According to a Russian newspaper "Marker", members of terrorist group "FSB Center for Data Security" in an interview with a KGB website, Life News, expressed their willingness to close permanently the world-famous website WikiLeaks.

As for now the Russian ruling "party" KGB/FSB can only effectively close Russian servers, said the KGB website. Fighting foreign websites that threaten the security of KGBist Russia is conducted with varying success.

The spokesman for WikiLeaks Kristinn Hrafnsson in an interview with the "Marker" said the threat by Putinist-Medvedevist terrorist group KGB-FSB does not frighten him.

"KGB/FSB can block access to our site, but materials of our resource are distributed by many other websites, so it is almost impossible to block completely access to our information", said Hrafnsson.

A few days ago, WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said they are going to place on the Internet classified materials related to the political situation in Russia.

In his talk with the "Marker", Kristinn Hrafnsson refused to disclose details on the discrediting evidence about Putinist-Medvedevist Russia collected by the WikiLeaks.

The "Marker" notes that the international terrorist network KGB/FSB have already had experience in dealing with politincorrect Internet sites.

In 1998, a newly created terrorist group "Russian interior ministry's department for fighting crimes in the area of high technologies" managed, literally within two hours, to close down a Russian dissident website "Kogot", accusing its administration of the use of "illegal methods of obtaining information".

However, after the "Kogot" disappeared in Russia, a "Kogot 2" came into being. This time, it was registered in the U.S. It remained on the Internet a bit longer. Nevertheless, a few weeks later, the KGB solved the problem too: "colleagues" from the FBI helped these terrorists.

Some anti-terrorism resources, including the Kavkaz Center, which are hostile to international terrorist network KGB-FSB and "Russian interior Ministry", are still invincible for Russian state terrorism, the newspaper says.

"Thus, a Chechen independent Internet news agency Kavkaz Center demonstrates wonders of survival". The portal had to repeatedly change its country of location: for example, in 2003, the site's server was confiscated by Estonian secret police, acting on the orders of the international terrorist network KGB-FSB.

A year later, the KC server was closed again, because of posting of a Shamil Basayev's statement, this time by the Lithuanian secret police on the order of the same Moscow gang. But then it resumed its operation in Sweden - the servers of WikiLeaks are also located here, the Moscow agency reminds.

"Some Russian Internet providers, acting on the orders of the KGB-FSB, blocked access to the Kavkaz Center, but it can be easily accessed by means of anonymous proxies" (as well as through anonymizers and the "Google Translate" - KC).

A website "Lubyanka's Truth" has been closed by Lubyanka (headquarters of the KGB) this summer, because it published some declassified documents of Russian state terrorists from the KGB-FSB gang. Two weeks after the KGB reported on its closure, Russian state terrorists found out that Egyptian servers of the resource are still available, the "Marker" writes.

Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center

Source: Kavkaz Center.
Link: http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2010/11/28/12986.shtml.

Indian idol-worshipers claim two courageous Chechen Mujahideen are fighting in Jihad in Kashmir

28 November 2010

Indian authorities said that Kashmir Mujahideen have drastically intensified their activities in the occupied part of Kashmir, in winter capital Srinagar. The most dangerous, the idol-worshipers say, is a detachment of 90 Mujahideen, against whom the occupiers launched a major military operation.

Indian press reported that two of the Mujahideen were identified as courageous Chechen fighters, according to photographs, stolen from a Kashmiri Mujahid who martyred in recent fightings in northern Kashmir.

Their names are Umar and Usman.

However, occupation authorities and the command of Indian troops refuse to confirm officially a statement about Chechen Mujahideen fighting in Kashmir.

A local occupation ringleader Shiv Murari Sahai, who is the chief of terrorist "police units", told reporters that the information requires further verification.

The Indian press writes that "militants" with Caucasian features fight in the units of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.

Hindustan Times claims that Chechen and Sudanese Mujahideen joined the ranks of Kashmiri fighters in early 1990s. Now, Indian newspaper said, the fighting is conducted mainly by local Mujahideen from Hizbul Mujahideen, while Lashkar-e-Taiba and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen have been "sidelined".

Idol-worshiping authorities and military command of the occupation Indian troops refused to give details on the fightings erupted in Sopore, 55 km from Srinagar.

Idol-worshipers only recognize that new recruits of the Kashmiri Mujahideen are highly motivated and better organized.

It is to be recalled thereupon that with the start of US-NATO military aggression against Afghanistan in 2001 within the framework of the Global War by infidels against Islam, reports regularly appear in mainstream Western, Pakistani and Indian press saying that units of brave Chechen Mujahideen are fighting in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and now in Kashmir.

There were also reports on captures of Chechen fighters. However, no evidence has been ever presented supporting these allegations over the years. Neither martyred nor alive Chechens have been so far seen by anybody there.

Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center

Source: Kavkaz Center.
Link: http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2010/11/28/12988.shtml.

Pakistan - China - Iran

Pakistan - China - Iran
Wikileaks Cables: Key Issues

The controversial whistle-blowing site Wilileaks has released a cache of 250,000 secret messages sent by US diplomatic staff. Here are some of the key issues the documents reveal, as reported by the New York Times and Guardian newspapers.

By BBC

November 28, 2010

Pakistan stand-off

The cables show US concern over radioactive material in nuclear power stations in Pakistan, with fears it could be used in terror attacks. They reveal the US has been attempting to remove highly enriched uranium from a research reactor in Pakistan since 2007.

In a May 2009 cable, US ambassador Anne W Patterson says Pakistan had refused a visit from US experts. She quotes a Pakistani officials as saying removing the fuel would be seen in Pakistan "as the United States taking Pakistan's nuclear weapons".
China hacking

There is concern over the alleged growing use of large scale computer hacking by the Chinese government. Cables reports claims that a network of hackers and private security experts has been employed by China since 2002and that it has hacked into US government and business computers, those of Western allies and the Dalai Lama.

The cables quote a Chinese contact telling the US embassy in Beijing that the Chinese government had been behind the hacking of Google's computer systems in the country in January.

Iran attack

Several Arab leaders and their representatives are quoted as urging the US to carry out an attack on Iran to bring an end to its suspected nuclear weapons program.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is reported to have "frequently exhorted" the US to attack Iran in order to bring an end to its nuclear program.

In a report of a 2008 meeting with US General David Petraeus, the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Adel al-Jubeir, said King Abdullah wanted the US to "to cut the head off the snake".

King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain is reported to have told the US to stop Iran "by whatever means necessary", while the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed, told the US he believed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was "going to take us to war".

Biometric spying on UN

A cable to US diplomats issued under US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's name tells them to collect "biographic and biometric" information - including iris scans, DNA samples and fingerprints - on key officials at the UN. They are also ordered to find credit card details, email addresses and passwords and encryption keys used for computer networks and in official communications.

The officials covered include "undersecretaries, heads of specialized agencies and their chief advisers, top SYG [secretary general] aides, heads of peace operations and political field missions, including force commanders".

At least nine similar directives covering various countries are included in the Wikileaks release, both under the name of Mrs Clinton and her predecessor, Condoleezza Rice.

Korea plans

US and South Korean officials have discussed plans for a united Korea, should North Korea collapse.

The US ambassador to Seoul said South Korea would consider offering commercial incentives to China to "help salve" Beijing "concerns about living with a reunified Korea".

Guantanamo

The cables appear to reveal discussions between various countries on whether they would take prisoners released from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.

Slovenia is offered the chance to meet President Barack Obama if it takes a prisoner, while Kiribati, in the South Pacific, is offered millions of dollars of incentives. Brussels is told taking prisoners could be "a low-cost way for Belgium to attain prominence in Europe".

World leaders

Various world leaders are covered by the documents - showing the diplomats' less than flattering views of them.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is referred to as "feckless, vain, and ineffective as a modern European leader" by a US diplomat in Rome.

In 2008, the Moscow embassy describes Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as playing "Robin to (Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's) Batman.

The cables also comment on the extremely close relationship between Mr Berlusconi and Mr Putin.

North Korea's Kim Jong-il is a "flabby old chap" suffering from trauma from a stroke, while Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is referred to as "Hitler".

South Africa's international relations and cooperation minister refers to President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe as "the crazy old man".

Source: Information Clearing House (ICH).
Link: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26929.htm.

Wikileaks: Yemeni President Agreed To Cover Up US Attack In Yemen

Wikileaks: Yemeni President Agreed To Cover Up US Attack In Yemen
Cables Shine Light Into Secret Diplomatic Channels

By SCOTT SHANE and ANDREW W. LEHREN

November 28, 2010 "New York Times" -- Some of the cables, made available to The New York Times and several other news organizations, were written as recently as late February, revealing the Obama administration’s exchanges over crises and conflicts. The material was originally obtained by WikiLeaks, an organization devoted to revealing secret documents. WikiLeaks intends to make the archive public on its Web site in batches, beginning Sunday.

The anticipated disclosure of the cables is already sending shudders through the diplomatic establishment, and could conceivably strain relations with some countries, influencing international affairs in ways that are impossible to predict.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and American ambassadors around the world have been contacting foreign officials in recent days to alert them to the expected disclosures. On Saturday, the State Department’s legal adviser, Harold Hongju Koh, wrote to a lawyer for WikiLeaks informing the organization that the distribution of the cables was illegal and could endanger lives, disrupt military and counterterrorism operations and undermine international cooperation against nuclear proliferation and other threats.

The cables, a huge sampling of the daily traffic between the State Department and some 270 embassies and consulates, amount to a secret chronicle of the United States’ relations with the world in an age of war and terrorism. Among their revelations, to be detailed in The Times in coming days:

¶ A dangerous standoff with Pakistan over nuclear fuel: Since 2007, the United States has mounted a highly secret effort, so far unsuccessful, to remove from a Pakistani research reactor highly enriched uranium that American officials fear could be diverted for use in an illicit nuclear device. In May 2009, Ambassador Anne W. Patterson reported that Pakistan was refusing to schedule a visit by American technical experts because, as a Pakistani official said, “if the local media got word of the fuel removal, ‘they certainly would portray it as the United States taking Pakistan’s nuclear weapons,’ he argued.”

¶ Gaming out an eventual collapse of North Korea: American and South Korean officials have discussed the prospects for a unified Korea, should the North’s economic troubles and political transition lead the state to implode. The South Koreans even considered commercial inducements to China, according to the American ambassador to Seoul. She told Washington in February that South Korean officials believe that the right business deals would “help salve” China’s “concerns about living with a reunified Korea” that is in a “benign alliance” with the United States.

¶ Bargaining to empty the Guantánamo Bay prison: When American diplomats pressed other countries to resettle detainees, they became reluctant players in a State Department version of “Let’s Make a Deal.” Slovenia was told to take a prisoner if it wanted to meet with President Obama, while the island nation of Kiribati was offered incentives worth millions of dollars to take in a group of detainees, cables from diplomats recounted. The Americans, meanwhile, suggested that accepting more prisoners would be “a low-cost way for Belgium to attain prominence in Europe.”

¶ Suspicions of corruption in the Afghan government: When Afghanistan’s vice president visited the United Arab Emirates last year, local authorities working with the Drug Enforcement Administration discovered that he was carrying $52 million in cash. With wry understatement, a cable from the American Embassy in Kabul called the money “a significant amount” that the official, Ahmed Zia Massoud, “was ultimately allowed to keep without revealing the money’s origin or destination.” (Mr. Massoud denies taking any money out of Afghanistan.)

¶ A global computer hacking effort: China’s Politburo directed the intrusion into Google’s computer systems in that country, a Chinese contact told the American Embassy in Beijing in January, one cable reported. The Google hacking was part of a coordinated campaign of computer sabotage carried out by government operatives, private security experts and Internet outlaws recruited by the Chinese government. They have broken into American government computers and those of Western allies, the Dalai Lama and American businesses since 2002, cables said.

¶ Mixed records against terrorism: Saudi donors remain the chief financiers of Sunni militant groups like Al Qaeda, and the tiny Persian Gulf state of Qatar, a generous host to the American military for years, was the “worst in the region” in counterterrorism efforts, according to a State Department cable last December. Qatar’s security service was “hesitant to act against known terrorists out of concern for appearing to be aligned with the U.S. and provoking reprisals,” the cable said.

¶ An intriguing alliance: American diplomats in Rome reported in 2009 on what their Italian contacts described as an extraordinarily close relationship between Vladimir V. Putin, the Russian prime minister, and Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister and business magnate, including “lavish gifts,” lucrative energy contracts and a “shadowy” Russian-speaking Italian go-between. They wrote that Mr. Berlusconi “appears increasingly to be the mouthpiece of Putin” in Europe. The diplomats also noted that while Mr. Putin enjoys supremacy over all other public figures in Russia, he is undermined by an unmanageable bureaucracy that often ignores his edicts.

¶ Arms deliveries to militants: Cables describe the United States’ failing struggle to prevent Syria from supplying arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has amassed a huge stockpile since its 2006 war with Israel. One week after President Bashar al-Assad promised a top State Department official that he would not send “new” arms to Hezbollah, the United States complained that it had information that Syria was providing increasingly sophisticated weapons to the group.

¶ Clashes with Europe over human rights: American officials sharply warned Germany in 2007 not to enforce arrest warrants for Central Intelligence Agency officers involved in a bungled operation in which an innocent German citizen with the same name as a suspected militant was mistakenly kidnapped and held for months in Afghanistan. A senior American diplomat told a German official “that our intention was not to threaten Germany, but rather to urge that the German government weigh carefully at every step of the way the implications for relations with the U.S.”

The 251,287 cables, first acquired by WikiLeaks, were provided to The Times by an intermediary on the condition of anonymity. Many are unclassified, and none are marked “top secret,” the government’s most secure communications status. But some 11,000 are classified “secret,” 9,000 are labeled “noforn,” shorthand for material considered too delicate to be shared with any foreign government, and 4,000 are designated both secret and noforn.

Many more cables name diplomats’ confidential sources, from foreign legislators and military officers to human rights activists and journalists, often with a warning to Washington: “Please protect” or “Strictly protect.”

The Times has withheld from articles and removed from documents it is posting online the names of some people who spoke privately to diplomats and might be at risk if they were publicly identified. The Times is also withholding some passages or entire cables whose disclosure could compromise American intelligence efforts.

Terrorism’s Shadow

The cables show that nearly a decade after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the dark shadow of terrorism still dominates the United States’ relations with the world. They depict the Obama administration struggling to sort out which Pakistanis are trustworthy partners against Al Qaeda, adding Australians who have disappeared in the Middle East to terrorist watch lists, and assessing whether a lurking rickshaw driver in Lahore, Pakistan, was awaiting fares or conducting surveillance of the road to the American Consulate.

They show American officials managing relations with a China on the rise and a Russia retreating from democracy. They document years of painstaking effort to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon — and of worry about a possible Israeli strike on Iran with the same goal.

Even when they recount events that are already known, the cables offer remarkable details.

For instance, it has been previously reported that the Yemeni government has sought to cover up the American role in missile strikes against the local branch of Al Qaeda. But a cable’s fly-on-the-wall account of a January meeting between the Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, and Gen. David H. Petraeus, then the American commander in the Middle East, is nonetheless breathtaking.

“We’ll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours,” Mr. Saleh said, according to the cable sent by the American ambassador, prompting Yemen’s deputy prime minister to “joke that he had just ‘lied’ by telling Parliament” that Yemeni forces had carried out the strikes.

Mr. Saleh, who at other times resisted American counterterrorism requests, was in a lighthearted mood. The authoritarian ruler of a conservative Muslim country, Mr. Saleh complains of smuggling from nearby Djibouti, but tells General Petraeus that his concerns are drugs and weapons, not whiskey, “provided it’s good whiskey.”

Likewise, press reports detailed the unhappiness of the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, when he was not permitted to set up his tent in Manhattan or to visit ground zero during a United Nations session last year.

But the cables add to the tale a touch of scandal and alarm. They describe the volatile Libyan leader as rarely without the companionship of “his senior Ukrainian nurse,” described as “a voluptuous blonde.” They reveal that Colonel Qaddafi was so upset by his reception in New York that he balked at carrying out a promise to return dangerous enriched uranium to Russia. The American ambassador to Libya told Colonel Qaddafi’s son “that the Libyan government had chosen a very dangerous venue to express its pique,” a cable reported to Washington.

The cables also disclose frank comments behind closed doors. Dispatches from early this year, for instance, quote the aging monarch of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah, as speaking scathingly about the leaders of Iraq and Pakistan.

Speaking to another Iraqi official about Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, King Abdullah said, “You and Iraq are in my heart, but that man is not.” The king called President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan the greatest obstacle to that country’s progress. “When the head is rotten,” he said, “it affects the whole body.”

The American ambassador to Eritrea reported last year that “Eritrean officials are ignorant or lying” in denying that they were supporting the Shabab, a militant Islamist group in Somalia. The cable then mused about which seemed more likely.

As he left Zimbabwe in 2007 after three years as ambassador, Christopher W. Dell wrote a sardonic account of Robert Mugabe, that country’s aging and erratic leader. The cable called Mr. Mugabe “a brilliant tactician” but mocked “his deep ignorance on economic issues (coupled with the belief that his 18 doctorates give him the authority to suspend the laws of economics).”

The possibility that a large number of diplomatic cables might become public has been discussed in government and media circles since May. That was when, in an online chat, an Army intelligence analyst, Pfc. Bradley Manning, described having downloaded from a military computer system many classified documents, including “260,000 State Department cables from embassies and consulates all over the world.” In an online discussion with Adrian Lamo, a computer hacker, Private Manning said he had delivered the cables and other documents to WikiLeaks.

Mr. Lamo reported Private Manning’s disclosures to federal authorities, and Private Manning was arrested. He has been charged with illegally leaking classified information and faces a possible court-martial and, if convicted, a lengthy prison term.

In July and October, The Times, the British newspaper The Guardian and the German magazine Der Spiegel published articles based on documents about Afghanistan and Iraq. Those collections of dispatches were placed online by WikiLeaks, with selective redactions of the Afghan documents and much heavier redactions of the Iraq reports. The group has said it intends to post the documents in the current trove as well, after editing to remove the names of confidential sources and other details.

Fodder for Historians

Traditionally, most diplomatic cables remain secret for decades, providing fodder for historians only when the participants are long retired or dead. The State Department’s unclassified history series, entitled “Foreign Relations of the United States,” has reached only the year 1972.

While an overwhelming majority of the quarter-million cables provided to The Times are from the post-9/11 era, several hundred date from 1966 to the 1990s. Some show diplomats struggling to make sense of major events whose future course they could not guess.

In a 1979 cable to Washington, Bruce Laingen, an American diplomat in Teheran, mused with a knowing tone about the Iranian revolution that had just occurred: “Perhaps the single dominant aspect of the Persian psyche is an overriding egoism,” Mr. Laingen wrote, offering tips on exploiting this psyche in negotiations with the new government. Less than three months later, Mr. Laingen and his colleagues would be taken hostage by radical Iranian students, hurling the Carter administration into crisis and, perhaps, demonstrating the hazards of diplomatic hubris.

In 1989, an American diplomat in Panama City mulled over the options open to Gen. Manuel Noriega, the Panamanian leader, who was facing narcotics charges in the United States and intense domestic and international political pressure to step down. The cable called General Noriega “a master of survival”; its author appeared to have no inkling that one week later, the United States would invade Panama to unseat General Noriega and arrest him.

In 1990, an American diplomat sent an excited dispatch from Cape Town: he had just learned from a lawyer for Nelson Mandela that Mr. Mandela’s 27-year imprisonment was to end. The cable conveys the momentous changes about to begin for South Africa, even as it discusses preparations for an impending visit from the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson.

The voluminous traffic of more recent years — well over half of the quarter-million cables date from 2007 or later — show American officials struggling with events whose outcomes are far from sure. To read through them is to become a global voyeur, immersed in the jawboning, inducements and penalties the United States wields in trying to have its way with a recalcitrant world.

In an era of satellites and fiber-optic links, the diplomatic cable retains the archaic name of an earlier technological era. It has long been the tool for the secretary of state to dispatch orders to the field and for ambassadors and political officers to send their analyses back to Washington.

The cables come with their own lexicon: “codel,” for a visiting Congressional delegation; “visas viper,” for a report on a person considered dangerous; “démarche,” an official message to a foreign government, often a protest or warning.

Diplomatic Drama

But the drama in the cables often comes from diplomats’ narratives of meetings with foreign figures, games of diplomatic poker in which each side is sizing up the other and neither is showing all its cards.

Among the most fascinating examples recount American officials’ meetings in September 2009 and February 2010 with Ahmed Wali Karzai, the half brother of the Afghan president and a power broker in the Taliban’s home turf of Kandahar.

They describe Mr. Karzai, “dressed in a crisp white shalwar kameez,” the traditional dress of loose tunic and trousers, appearing “nervous, though eager to express his views on the international presence in Kandahar,” and trying to win over the Americans with nostalgic tales about his years running a Chicago restaurant near Wrigley Field.

But in midnarrative there is a stark alert for anyone reading the cable in Washington: “Note: While we must deal with AWK as the head of the Provincial Council, he is widely understood to be corrupt and a narcotics trafficker.” (Mr. Karzai has repeatedly denied such charges.) And the cables note statements by Mr. Karzai that the Americans, informed by a steady flow of eavesdropping and agents’ reports, believe to be false.

A cable written after the February meeting coolly took note of the deceit on both sides.

Mr. Karzai “demonstrated that he will dissemble when it suits his needs,” the cable said. “He appears not to understand the level of our knowledge of his activities. We will need to monitor his activity closely, and deliver a recurring, transparent message to him” about the limits of American tolerance.

Not all Business

Even in places far from war zones and international crises, where the stakes for the United States are not as high, curious diplomats can turn out to be accomplished reporters, sending vivid dispatches to deepen the government’s understanding of exotic places.

In a 2006 account, a wide-eyed American diplomat describes the lavish wedding of a well-connected couple in Dagestan, in Russia’s Caucasus, where one guest is the strongman who runs the war-ravaged Russian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.

The diplomat tells of drunken guests throwing $100 bills at child dancers, and nighttime water-scooter jaunts on the Caspian Sea.

“The dancers probably picked upwards of USD 5000 off the cobblestones,” the diplomat wrote. The host later tells him that Ramzan Kadyrov “had brought the happy couple ‘a five-kilo lump of gold’ as his wedding present.”

“After the dancing and a quick tour of the premises, Ramzan and his army drove off back to Chechnya,” the diplomat reported to Washington. “We asked why Ramzan did not spend the night in Makhachkala, and were told, ‘Ramzan never spends the night anywhere.’ ”

Source: Information Clearing House (ICH).
Link: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26927.htm.

Africa ICT week opens in Algeria

2010-11-28

The Africa Week on Information and Communication Technologies (AICTW) opens in all Algeria's provinces on Sunday (November 28th), APS reported. A statement of the communication ministry read that the event "will mark the will of the authorities to translate its Africa ICT approach" and "is also intended to be an opportunity for African countries to promote new technologies in the field of information and communication." A "zero paper" day will be held on December 1st across the whole country, and all citizens will be invited to use only electronic communications and online services.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/11/28/newsbrief-05.

Turkey's Erdogan to receive Libya's human rights prize

2010-11-28

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will receive the Kadhafi International Prize for Human Rights on Wednesday (December 1st), AFP and Today's Zaman reported. The award ceremony will take place after the Africa-EU summit, to be held this week in Tripoli, and which Erdogan will attend as a guest.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/11/28/newsbrief-04.

Netanyahu appoints Mossad veteran to head spy agency

29/11/2010

JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday appointed Tamir Pardo, a veteran of the Mossad, to head the spy agency when its current chief steps down next month.

"Pardo served for many years in senior positions in the Mossad. In his last position he served as deputy Mossad chief," said a statement from Netanyahu's office.

Meir Dagan, the current head of the espionage agency, retires in December after eight years on the job.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu noted that Pardo has rich experience of dozens of years in the Mossad and he is sure that he is the right man to lead the organization in the next few years given the complicated challenges that face the state of Israel," the statement said.

The statement did not release any further details about Pardo, who was previously unknown to the Israeli public due to the secretive nature of his post.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak, himself a former commando and army chief, praised Pardo as a partner in many missions.

"I have known Tamir for dozens of years and we took part in many operations together," Barak said in a statement.

"He is a professional with a rich operational experience, common sense and responsibility. He is worthy and very suitable to serve as Mossad head."

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=337181.

Abdullah Hourani, former PLO leader, dies in Jordan

29/11/2010

RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- Former member of the PLO’s Executive Committee and the Palestinian National Council Abdullah Al-Hourani died Monday in Jordan.

The Executive Committee announced his death in a statement reminding of his traits as a loyal leader of the Palestinian struggle and co-founder of the contemporary Palestinian revolution. “His extensive national and patriotic activities contributed to protect the Palestinian identity.”

The deceased was born in the village of Al-Masmiyya and he was displaced in 1948 along with his family. He attended school in the Gaza Strip, then he obtained a Bachelor of Arts. He worked as a teacher in Khan Younis and later became school headmaster of a Khan Younis refugee camp school which was later named after him. In 1963, Israeli authorities deported him from the Gaza Strip for his political activities.

He worked in Dubai from 1963-65 before he was deported again for his political activities. Dubai was then under British Mandate. Then he moved to Syria where he worked in media. He became director of the Palestine radio station in Damascus, then director of the Syrian Broadcasting Corporation.

Hourani opposed the Oslo Accords and as a result he resigned from the Executive Committee.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=337114.

'Strong Parliament vital to move forward'

AMMAN (JT) - His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday inaugurated the first ordinary session of the 16th Parliament with a Speech from the Throne.

In the speech, the King underscored that "the existence of a strong Parliament that exercises its constitutional responsibilities in legislation and monitoring is essential for the realisation of our vision for our people”.

The Monarch underscored that a genuine and institutional partnership between Parliament and government is essential for moving forward and for consolidating people's trust in their public institutions.

"I have directed the government to reassess the mechanisms through which it conducts its relations with the House of Representatives," the King said, stressing that the assessment must lead to improving the relationship between the two authorities, so that it becomes a relationship of cooperation and complementarity.

The Monarch highlighted the importance of avoiding past mistakes, noting that in order to do so, it is imperative that the two authorities agree on a binding set of principles, consistent with the Constitution and laws, that defines the basis on which the government will conduct its interaction with members of the House.

“Such clear guidelines for this interaction will assure our dear people that the government-Parliament relationship is a true partnership intended to serve public interests,” the King said.

The King highlighted the importance of political reform in the Kingdom, noting that economic reform should be accompanied with democratic reforms that increase public participation in the decision-making process.

In this regard, the government will refer the temporary Elections Law to the Lower House to study it and amend it as necessary to render this legislation more conducive to advancing democratic reforms, and to adopt it as a permanent law, the King said.

The government will also refer to the Parliament the draft Decentralisation Law, which is intended to ensure a larger role for the people in building their future and determining the development priorities for their governorates.

In the speech, the King stressed that the relationship between the government and the media should be based on the right of media institutions to work freely and independently, and to have access to information.

In terms of improving the performance of public institutions, the King said the government “has set a unit to monitor the implementation of executive plans and adopted a code of ethics by which all Cabinet members will abide”.

His Majesty noted that the government will provide the judicial authority with everything it needs to improve its performance and to ensure justice is served.

Referring to the state of the country’s economy, the King said overcoming economic challenges requires the adoption of viable economic policies that can provide citizens with better lives.

He added that the government has achieved positive results and that major economic indicators have shown improvement.

“There has been positive growth in the gross domestic product and the budget deficit has been reduced. The fiscal policies will continue to be geared towards curbing the budget deficit and consolidating financial stability,” the King said.

As for the educational sector, His Majesty emphasised the need to improve the living standards of teachers and protect their social standing.

Pointing to the seven priorities listed in the new government’s Letter of Designation, the King said: “The government’s work in the seven areas of priorities, that it has identified, represents a comprehensive development programme to improve performance in all sectors.”

Regarding the Jordan Armed Forces, the Monarch directed the government to provide the required support to ensure the military’s preparedness and development, whether in terms of training or armaments.

The King also renewed Jordan’s support for the Palestinians in their efforts to end the Israeli occupation, achieve justice and establish their independent state on their national soil.

The King also highlighted the Kingdom’s support for the Iraqi people in preserving the stability and security of their country.

29 November 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=32174.

'We must learn from the lessons of the past'

Following is the official translation of His Majesty King Abdullah’s Speech from the Throne at the opening of the 16th Parliament’s first ordinary session on Sunday:

Honourable Senators,

Honourable Deputies,

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.

In the name of God, and with His blessings, we inaugurate the first ordinary session of the 16th Parliament. With the inauguration of this session, we reaffirm our commitment to fulfilling the constitutional requirements of our democratic process. We also emphasise our utmost care for the participation of our people in decision making, and in building the future that befits their tremendous sacrifices and their right to live freely and with dignity, in a homeland whose strength, progress and prosperity are?exemplary.

On this occasion, I wish to congratulate the respectable deputies who have won the confidence of our people in the recent parliamentary elections, which we did our utmost to hold in a transparent and impartial manner. We hope these elections and this assembly, will further strengthen our democratic process.

Honourable Senators,

Honourable Deputies,

Over the last few years, we have been working within a transparent vision of reform and modernisation, to rectify deficiencies and to achieve comprehensive development. We have made many achievements. But it is imperative to assess our efforts and evaluate their outcome, with a view to maximising achievements, correcting mistakes and ending shortcomings.

This appraisal process is not the sole responsibility of only one authority. Neither is the responsibility of advancing reforms. These are a collective responsibility. And only through institutional cooperation among all branches of government, cooperation guided by the Constitution and the recognition of the central roles of all of them, will we be able to shoulder these responsibilities and build the bright future that our people deserve.

We must learn from the lessons of the past. We must rectify mistakes made. And we must admit that relations between the executive and legislative authorities suffered from numerous shortcomings that hindered our reform efforts, to the detriment of the interests of our people.

The legislative authority has a pivotal constitutional role. We do not accept any situation in which the role of the House of Representatives is undermined. And we do not accept any distortion of its image among the people. We face tremendous challenges, and we have great aspirations for our people. A strong Parliament that exercises its constitutional responsibilities in legislation and monitoring is essential for the realisation of our vision for our people. A real and institutional partnership between P?rliament and government is also essential for moving forward and for consolidating people’s trust in their public institutions.

I have directed the government to reassess the mechanisms through which it conducts its relations with the House of Representatives. This assessment must lead to improving the relationship between the two authorities, so that it becomes a relationship of cooperation and complementarity, whereby the government and Parliament perform their duties and exercise their authorities fully. Neither authority should encroach on the role of the other. And the relationship between government and Parliament must not be?hostage to vested interests. Its stability should not be conditional on realising private gains.

In order to avoid past mistakes, it is imperative that the two authorities agree on a binding set of principles, consistent with the Constitution and laws, that defines the basis on which the government will conduct its interaction with members of the House. Such clear guidelines for this interaction will assure our dear people that the government-Parliament relationship is a true partnership intended to serve public interests.

Honourable Senators,

Honourable Deputies,

Our directives to the government have stressed the need to conduct its work through a well-defined institutional mechanism that sets clear objectives and timelines. We have further emphasised the need for assertiveness and transparency, and for the need to make decisions without reluctance or fear. And there should be no room for policies of appeasement that had strongly hindered the achievement of necessary and positive change. The government is committed to these guidelines as it works to advance our dev?lopment process through seven areas of priorities.

Political, economic, social and administrative reforms are interconnected. We have emphasised, therefore, that economic reform should be accompanied with political reform that increases public participation in the decision-making process. Accordingly, the government will work to ensure conditions necessary for the development of all aspects of political life. In this regard, the government will refer the temporary Elections Law to the House of Representatives. Parliament will then study and amend it as ne?essary to render this central legislation more conducive to advancing our democratic reforms, and adopt it as a permanent law. The government will also refer to you the draft Decentralisation Law, which seeks to build capacity in the various governorates, and to ensure a larger role for the people in building their future and determining the development priorities for their governorates.

The government will work in partnership with your respectable assembly to modify and update legislation governing political work and relating to the rights and liberties of our citizens, in order to create an environment that can move comprehensive political development forward.

Political development cannot, however, be fully attained without the participation of civil society organisations and national political parties that build credibility through convincing the people of the viability of their programmes and their ability to contribute to the development of the country. In this regard, my government will continue to work to encourage the emergence of political parties that adhere to the Constitution and the law. It will work to remove all obstacles facing them.

My government will continue to invest in developing a professional relationship with the media. It will respect the right of media institutions to work freely and independently, and to have access to information. Law, as well as the Code of Conduct that was adopted by the previous government, will govern this relationship. But it is necessary to consider any legislative amendments that can lead to the development of an independent professional media industry, and protect citizens and their rights from unpr?fessional practices that falsify facts and harm our country.

In view of the significance of the role of our youth, on whose shoulders lies the responsibility of building our future, the government is working towards implementing a comprehensive plan to develop the role of the youth sector and to equip our youth with necessary skills and knowledge. Likewise, the government will continue to strengthen and reinforce the role of women in society, and will take all necessary measures to protect women’s rights.

Honourable Senators,

Honourable Deputies,

Improving the performance of our public institutions is a requisite for confronting challenges. Hence the government has adopted key performance indicators, and has empowered institutions mandated with monitoring performance, ensuring transparency and fighting all aspects of corruption and redundancy. It has also set a unit to monitor the implementation of executive plans and adopted a code of ethics by which all Cabinet members will abide. It has prepared a special programme to develop the efficiency of p?blic administration. Furthermore, the government has improved the quality of services extended to our citizens, particularly in the fields of health, education and housing, to help make suitable accommodation available to citizens. It has increased the number of healthcare centres and built more schools. The government also worked on enhancing municipality services and providing more support to cultural activities.

And since justice is the pillar of governance, we are committed to strengthen the independence of the judiciary. The government will make available all the requirements the judicial authority needs to improve its performance and to ensure justice among people. It is imperative to develop and modernise legislation, recruit the best trained professionals and invest in their training so that the judicial authority maintains its record of efficiency and impartiality.

Honourable Senators,

Honourable Deputies,

Jordan faces enormous economic challenges. Overcoming these challenges dictates the adoption of viable economic policies that can fulfil our aspirations to provide a better life for our citizens. Therefore, improving the performance of the economy will continue to top our priorities due to the direct impact such an improvement will have on the quality of life of our people.

The global economic conditions have been extremely difficult and our economy has been affected by this global crisis. But despite these difficult conditions, the government has achieved positive results; and the major economic indicators have shown improvement. There has been positive growth in the gross domestic product and the budget deficit has been reduced. The fiscal policies will continue to be geared towards curbing the budget deficit and consolidating financial stability. The government will also f?cus on improving the investment environment, stimulating economic growth and developing self-sufficiency.

We have directed the government to give due attention and care to all vital sectors, specially the educational sector. We have emphasised the necessity of improving the living standards of teachers and protecting their social standing. We have further directed the government to pay due attention to the agricultural sector and workers, and to increase investment in the tourism sector. And as we want Jordan to remain a pioneer in the communication and information technology, we have directed the government t? support this sector, which plays a major role in enhancing the performance of various public institutions.

Honourable Senators,

Honourable Deputies,

Our citizens are our primary asset. They are the engine of development; and their well-being is its objective. It is the government’s duty, therefore, to be committed to maintaining economic and social justice and equality. The government’s policies will seek to expand the middle class, and to protect and support the poor. Poverty and unemployment are two evils that we should fight by all possible means. In this regard, the government will improve the current mechanism for helping the poor, and will seek t? enhance the role of civil society organisations and the private sector in providing parallel support programmes.

Honourable Senators,

Honourable Deputies,

The government’s work in the seven areas of priorities, that it has identified, represents a comprehensive development programme to improve performance in all sectors. This programme entails specific projects and practical procedures. And the government will present this programme to you for detailed discussion and consultation on how to improve it. Cooperating on implementing this comprehensive programme and its objectives of improving our performance and preserving and developing our achievements is esse?tial for success.

Honourable Senators,

Honourable Deputies,

Our country would not have realised all its achievements without the blessings of stability and security, which have been safeguarded by our brave comrades-in-arms in the armed forces and our security agencies. These men and women are a source of pride for all Jordanians. We will continue to extend all support to our brave Arab Army and our security agencies, providing them with the training, equipment and weapon systems they need to carry out their responsibilities. We will also work to improve standards ?f living for all members of the army and security agencies, who put their lives on the line in defence of our country and its achievements.

Jordan, which will remain strong, stable and secure, will continue to support our Arab brethren in defending Arab and Islamic just causes. First among these is the Palestinian cause. Jordan has always been and will continue to be the strongest supporter of our Palestinian brethren, and we will do all we can to help them put an end to occupation, to lift the injustice, and to establish their independent state on their national soil, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initi?tive and international law, and within a regional context that ensures comprehensive peace.

Jordan will also spare no effort in supporting our Iraqi brethren to preserve the stability and security of their country, and to regain Iraq’s pivotal role in the region and the world at large.

Honourable Senators,

Honourable Deputies,

Many are the challenges we face. But the opportunities are greater. We have always overcome challenges, and our history is a record of victoriesة A record that was achieved through the will, unity and knowledge of Jordanians. And so, God willing, will the future be: New achievements that we will make through hard work and belief in our abilities. There is no time to waste. Let everybody work as a team that places the common good above all other considerations; that abides by the law; that nurtures the cult?re of democracy; that builds viable institutions, and that is armed with knowledge, education and wisdom. Let everybody work as a team that protects national unity; that stands firmly against all voices of division and negativism; that carries our reform process forward towards new horizons of achievement; that builds on the accomplishments of our forefathers, and protects Jordan as a beloved and proud homeland.

May God guide us to what is best to our country and the people, and to our Arab and Islamic nation.

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.

29 November 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://jordantimes.com/?news=32154.

Jordan's king opens parliament, renews support for Palestinians

Sun, 28 Nov 2010

Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday opened the newly-elected parliament by pledging continued support to the Palestinians in their effort to set up an independent state.

"Jordan will do its utmost to end the injustices which have been inflicted on the Palestinian people and to enable them to get rid of the (Israeli) occupation and set up their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital," the monarch said.

He said that the Hashemite Kingdom would continue to work for a "comprehensive peace" between Israel and Arab countries on the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative and the relevant UN resolutions.

The Saudi-authored Arab peace blueprint offers Israel full recognition by all Arab states if it pulls out from all territories it occupied in the 1967 Middle East war, including East Jerusalem which was then part of Jordan.

King Abdullah also pledged that his country would do its best to enable neighboring Iraq to restore its stability and security as well as "its vital role in the region and the world."

Prime Minister Samir Rifai formed a new 31-member cabinet on Wednesday, just over two weeks after elections were held.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355557,parliament-renews-support-palestinians.html.

Saudi king playing into US hands?

Mon Nov 29, 2010

Wikileaks claims that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia secretly urged the United States to strike Iran's nuclear facilities to end its nuclear program.

Part of the documents recently released by the whistleblower website reads the Saudi king has "frequently exhorted the US to attack Iran to put an end to its nuclear weapons program."

"He told you [Americans] to cut off the head of the snake," the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Adel al-Jubeir said, according to a report on Abdullah's meeting with the US general David Petraeus in April 2008.

The apparently leaked documents suggest leaders of other countries such as Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates as well as the Israeli regime also considered Tehran's peaceful nuclear program an existential threat, urging a US attack on Iran.

At the beginning, Wikileaks sought to shed light on Washington's belligerent polices and condemn the killing of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, analysts believe the recent document release is a scenario carefully orchestrated by US intelligence agencies to deflect attention from the United States' domestic problems, upset the situation in the region and lay the groundwork for military action against Iran.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/153087.html.

Iranian academic killed in terror attack

Mon Nov 29, 2010

An Iranian academic has been killed and another university professor and his wife wounded in two separate car explosions in Tehran.

Yet unknown terrorists exploded the cars of Doctor Majid Shahriari and Professor Fereydoun Abbasi in separate places on Monday morning, IRNA reported.

Shahriari was killed immediately, but Professor Abbasi and his wife received injuries and were transferred to hospital.

The two were professors at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/153089.html.

APA urged to face Palestine challenges

Mon Nov 29, 2010

The Iranian parliament (Majlis) speaker says the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) in Syria enjoys "good political potential and dynamism to face Palestine challenges."

Ali Larijani made the remarks in a joint press conference with Speaker of the Syrian People's Assembly Mahmoud al-Abrash upon his arrival in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Sunday.

"There are important challenges regarding Palestine which have previously been discussed at the APA…, which indicates the assembly has good political potential and dynamism to confront such challenges," Fars news agency quoted Larijani as saying on Sunday.

The top parliamentarian said Asian countries have always been hindered by challenges, expressing hope that al-Abrash's presidency will pave the way for tackling Asia's setbacks.

He further said Lebanese Premier Saad Hariri's current visit to Tehran is a positive development proving close relations between Iran and Lebanon.

Saad Hariri arrived in Iran Saturday on his first visit to the country as premier, aiming to expand relations with Tehran.

During his three-day visit to Tehran, Hariri held meetings with Iranian high ranking officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi.

Hariri's trip to Tehran comes one month after President Ahmadinejad's landmark visit to Lebanon.

The Iranian parliament speaker is in Syria to take part in the 5th Plenary Session of Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA).

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/153098.html.

'Iran favors Lebanon stability, unity'

Mon Nov 29, 2010

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has expressed the Islamic Republic's support for maintaining stability, security, national unity and convergence in Lebanon.

"Defending security and national unity in Lebanon is not a motto that someone can oppose. This is the main foundation of Lebanon," IRNA quoted Mottaki as speaking in a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Tehran on Sunday.

He said cooperation between Tehran and Beirut will prepare the ground for strengthening regional convergence, and stressed the importance of making use of all potentialities to achieve the goal.

The top Iranian diplomat pointed to ongoing developments in the region, including the situation in Afghanistan, Iraq and occupied Palestine as well as the spread of terrorism and extremism, urging regional countries to further bolster cooperation.

Mottaki called on countries in the Muslim world and the region to remain vigilant against those who seek to sow discord.

He said the recent landmark visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Lebanon and Lebanese Premier Saad Hariri's current trip to Tehran would create opportunities for amicable relations between the two countries in all fields.

President Ahmadinejad paid a visit to Lebanon in mid-October upon an invitation from his Lebanese counterpart Michel Sleiman.

During the visit, the Iranian president met with Lebanon's top officials, political leaders, academics and university students, and addressed large crowds of people in Beirut and southern Lebanon.

The Iranian went minister on to note that Lebanon has been under repeated attacks by Israel since 1948 and emphasized that the Islamic resistance and national unity led to the Israeli regime's failures during recent years.

"The enemies, who were aware of Lebanon's special position as a serious regional rival in the field of economic development, had targeted the country's stability," he said, adding Lebanon can currently experience a new era of development.

"Lebanon can play its leading role not only at a national level but at the regional level," Mottaki pointed out.

He also called on the Lebanese premier to pursue the case of four Iranian diplomats who disappeared in Lebanon on July 4, 1982 -- during the Israeli invasion of Beirut.

Hariri, for his part, termed President Ahmadinejad's visit to Beirut as "historical," and called for the highest level of ties with the Islamic Republic, particularly in trade and economic fields.

"Ahmadinejad's Lebanon visit emphasized the opening of political, economic and trade ties, and my current trip to Tehran aims to promote this process," he said.

He also expressed his country's resolve to boost relations with Iran.

He said stability and national unity in Lebanon are among the main causes of victory against enemies, and appreciated Iran's support for Lebanon against Israeli's threats and lauded Tehran's support for the reconstruction of the country.

He also emphasized that Lebanon will always support Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy.

Hariri arrived in the Iranian capital of Tehran for a three-day visit on Saturday.

In his first visit to Tehran as the Lebanese prime minister, Hariri has held talks with senior Iranian officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili, Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani and Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi about bilateral and regional issues.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/153096.html.

Iran names OIC satellite 'volunteers'

Sun Nov 28, 2010

Iran's Telecommunications Minister Reza Taqipour says Turkey, Pakistan and some Arab countries have volunteered to collaborate with Iran on design and launch of a satellite for Islamic states.

Tehran first announced plans for launching the "Besharat" satellite into space with the help of member states of Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in February 2009.

"Apart from Iran, some Arab countries, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia will participate voluntarily in building and launching of the Besharat satellite," Taqipour told Mehr news agency on Saturday.

"Among the OIC member states there are a few with space technology, with Iran at the top. This is why materializing this project will depend on Iranian capabilities,” he added.

Iranian officials say Islamic countries could use satellite imagery for hazard and natural disaster management as well as accurate cartography.

In October, the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) ratified a bill allowing the government to enhance its efforts to design and launch satellites and satellite carriers.

On Monday, Iranian lawmakers voted in favor of Article 49 of a bill in the country's Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2011-2015), which will authorize the government to set up the infrastructure needed for the Islamic Republic's satellite projects.

Omid was the third Iranian-made satellite to be sent into space. Three years after Russia launched Iran's first satellite in 2005, another satellite --jointly designed by Iran, China, and Thailand -- was launched into orbit by China.

Tehran also plans to launch the country's first manned mission into space by 2019.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/152935.html.

EU, OIC delegates arrive in Gaza Strip

Mon Nov 29, 2010

Representatives from the European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) have arrived in Gaza for an eyewitness account of the situation in the Palestinian territories.

Eighteen European parliamentarians entered the Gaza Strip on late Friday through the Rafah crossing on Egypt's border for talks with Hamas leaders and to have a closer look at the brewing crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories, Ma'an news agency reported on Sunday.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has undertaken the task of coordination for the European MP's visit.

The European politicians are scheduled to visit hospitals, schools and areas battered as a result of Israeli's attack on the Gaza Strip in December of 2008 to January of 2009.

The Israeli attack claimed the lives of more than 1,400 Palestinians, most of them civilians.

Many world countries, including the UN Human Rights Council has harshly criticized Tel Aviv for failing to launch an investigation into the alleged war crimes committed by Israeli forces during its assault on the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, a separate delegation of the OIC, headed by its humanitarian director, Fouad Meznay, arrived in Gaza on Sunday as part of a four-day tour of the Palestinian territories.

A group of specialist surgeons and doctors, who will treat patients in the Strip, are accompanying the OIC's delegation during the visit.

The visit comes as UNRWA says that "about 80 percent of the Gaza population depends on assistance from UN agencies as unemployment has soared [to] above 40 percent."

Just as officials in the Gaza Strip were greeting their foreign guests on Sunday, the Israeli forces shot and wounded four Palestinians, including a 15-year-old, in the town of Beit Hanun in the north of the coastal sliver.

They were reportedly scavenging for food in an effort to cope with Tel Aviv's siege.

Tel Aviv has continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than 3 years.

The illegal Israeli-imposed blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has been steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the coastal enclave.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://presstv.ir/detail/153075.html.

Pollution forces Iran to declare another holiday

Sun, 28 Nov 2010

Tehran - Pollution in Iran's capital has forced the government to declare a two-day public holiday, the official news agency IRNA reported Sunday.

All public organizations, banks, schools and universities in Tehran will be closed Wednesday and Thursday due to high levels of pollution, the environmental protection organization said.

The government was forced last Wednesday to declare a day's holiday on the same grounds.

Tehran, which spreads over an area of 900 square kilometers, is considered one of the world's most polluted cities.

During the 1980s, the population was between 3-4 million, but it increased drastically following migration during the 1980-88 war against Iraq.

On weekdays, the city's population reaches up to 15 million, leading to traffic jams and pollution in the city center.

The construction of a subway in recent years has not alleviated the problem. Environmentalists say expanding the rail network and taking cars older than 20 years off the roads would help tackle the issue.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355590,forces-iran-declare-holiday.html.

EU ministers approve Ireland rescue package - Summary

Sun, 28 Nov 2010

Dublin/Brussels - European Union finance ministers agreed Sunday on an 85 billion euros (112 billion dollars) rescue package to help Ireland overcome its debt crisis.

An urgently called meeting in Brussels also approved proposals to set up a permanent mechanism from 2013 to help other eurozone countries that get into financial difficulties.

EU economy commissioner Olli Rehn said the decisions taken in Brussels were an important step to counter instability on financial markets.

The ministers had wanted a deal in place before the markets open on Monday in order to reduce uncertainty and prevent Ireland's debt crisis from spreading to other eurozone countries, particularly Portugal and Spain.

Ireland was forced to seek international assistance after its banks ran up huge debts that threatened to derail the government's attempts to borrow on capital markets, posing a threat to the stability of the euro

Welcoming the deal in Dublin, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said the program was "essential for Ireland" and was in the best interests of the Irish economy and that of the European Union.

The three-year program will mean that the Irish state will receive 50 billion euros to meet its budgetary requirements, he said.

As part of the deal, Irish banks will be recapitalized immediately using 10 billion euros of the fund and 25 billion will be used for contingency funding for the banks.

An average interest rate of 5.8 per cent will be charged.

The EU is contributing 45 billion dollars and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 22.5 billion dollars. Ireland will contribute 17.5 billion euros to the fund for the banks from its cash reserves and National Pension Reserve Fund.

A somber Cowen said people should understand that the loans were necessary to fund Ireland's budgetary requirements over the coming years.

He said this was money the country would otherwise have got from the markets, but it would have been at higher prices.

Cowen repeated that the four-year plan stood but the extended 2015 target for deficit reduction "simply allowed for some scope if growth did not reach targets."

He said that it was "reasonable in the context of such large loans from other countries" that 17.5 billion of the money would come from Ireland's own resources and that this was a means of reducing the total amount of debt involved.

He said that crucially for Irish jobs the agreed program does not involve any change to our corporation tax rate of 12.5 per cent.

In addition, he said, Ireland had obtained "more room for maneuver" by agreeing with the European Commission that the timeframe for reducing the deficit below 3 per cent of GDP can be extended to 2015 if the four-year adjustment of 15 billion proves insufficient.

"This program, he said, was "absolutely essential" for the country.

Rehn said the turbulence on financial markets had in part been triggered by the European debate on private sector involvement when countries are facing bankruptcy.

He said the permanent mechanism intended to come into place in 2013 would not automatically draw in private creditors, but would follow the practices used by the IMF.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355592,rescue-package-summary.html.

Crushing defeat for Zapatero party in Catalan poll

Sun, 28 Nov 2010

Barcelona - Embattled Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist Party suffered a heavy defeat Sunday in elections in the key north-east region of Catalonia.

The Socialist prime minister of the region, Jose Montilla, lost to Artur Mas, leader of the Catalan nationalist party CiU, which had governed Catalonia for 23 years until 2003.

CiU took 62 seats in the 135-seat regional parliament, against 28 seats for the Socialists, when 96 per cent of the vote had been counted. Montilla - Zapatero's former industry minister - announced that he would step down as the Catalan Socialist leader.

Montilla's defeat was perceived as partly reflecting the slumping popularity of Zapatero, who is seen by many has having been erratic in his handling of Spain's deepest economic crisis in decades.

Despite austerity measures and reforms undertaken by the government, concerns persist that Spain might follow Greece and Ireland in needing an international bailout.

The Socialists' defeat in Catalonia could be followed by others in next year's municipal and regional elections, setting the stage for a victory of the opposition conservative People's Party (PP) in the 2012 parliamentary elections, polls indicate.

The Catalan election result left conservative-liberal CiU short of an absolute majority. Mas has not said with whom he might build a coalition government.

Montilla had governed the region of 7.5 million people in a coalition with the Catalan separatist party ERC and the leftist-ecologist ICV.

Mas focused his campaign on promising improvements in areas such as transport and economic management, and on pledges to increase Catalonia's already extensive self-government.

While Montilla sought more autonomy without severing the ties with Spain, CiU has flirted with the idea of independence. Mas has backed the idea of staging a referendum on independence, while saying time is not yet ripe for it.

Catalonia's campaign for more autonomy suffered a setback in June, when Spain's Constitutional Court curtailed new powers that had been granted to the region by the Spanish parliament.

The court said Catalonia could not legally call itself a nation, that the Catalan language could not be regarded as more important than Spanish, and trimmed the region's judicial powers.

Catalonia is now trying to win back the powers the court stripped it of. Spain also faces a separatist movement in the Basque region.

Spain's main economic worries include an 11.1-per-cent budget deficit and 20-per-cent unemployment, the highest in the European Union.

Catalonia is one of the richest of Spain's 17 semi-autonomic regions, but even there, the jobless rate stands at 17.4 per cent.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355609,zapatero-party-catalan-poll.html.

دعوة العرب للانضمام للمحكمة الدولية

29/11/2010 م

أثناء ندوة بصنعاء
دعوة العرب للانضمام للمحكمة الدولية

إبراهيم القديمي-صنعاء

دعا المشاركون في ندوة "التعريف بدور المحكمة الجنائية الدولية" كافة الدول العربية المصادقة على ميثاق روما الأساسي الموقع عام 1998 الذي بموجبه دخلت المحكمة الجنائية الدولية حيز التنفيذ كمؤسسة دائمة تعنى بملاحقة مجرمي الحرب ومنتهكي حقوق الإنسان أينما وجدوا.

وأكد رئيس مركز المعلومات والتأهيل لحقوق الإنسان عز الدين الأصبحي -في الندوة التي عقدت أمس بصنعاء- أن الدول العربية بغيابها أثناء عملية تأسيس المحكمة أضاعت فرصة ذهبية وكان الأحرى بها المبادرة لتحقيق العدالة الدولية باعتبار المنطقة العربية هي التي تعاني من الاحتلال والظلم والاضطهاد.

وقال الأصبحي للجزيرة نت يجب على العرب أن يدخلوا المحكمة ككتلة موحدة حتى يتأتى لهم فرصة تعيين قضاتها والمدعي العام ونائبه والمقررين والمشاركة في عضوية الطاقم الإداري والسكرتارية.

وكان وزير الخارجية اليمني أبو بكر القربي قد اتهم المحكمة الجنائية باتباع سياسة الكيل بمكيالين قائلا "في حين تتحرك المحكمة تجاه بعض الدول بحماس وقدرة عجيبة على التقصي والمتابعة، نراها تغض الطرف عن آخرين".

وأوضح أن نصوص اتفاقية روما جاءت لتعزز العدالة الدولية واحترام حقوق الإنسان والعمل على عدم شرعنة الاعتداءات من أي جهة كانت إلا أن تلك البنود ما زالت بعيدة عن اهتمامات المحكمة فيما يتعلق بالقضية الفلسطينية.

وأشار -في كلمته التي افتتح بها الندوة- إلى أن دولا ظلت بمنأى عن المحاسبة كما هو الحال مع إسرائيل التي أدان العالم حربها على غزة، ومع ذلك، بدت المحكمة وكأن الأمر لا يعنيها، وفق تعبيره.

لكن الأصبحي في دراسته أكد أن هذه السياسة لن تكون السمة الحقيقية والدائمة للمحكمة الجنائية الدولية.

وتوقع الباحث أن تشهد المحكمة في السنوات القادمة تطورا حقيقيا في مسألة تتبع مجرمي الحرب من الدول الاستعمارية المنتهكة حقوق الإنسان.

واعتبرت الدراسة أن مسألة إنجاز المحكمة -كمؤسسة لتحقيق العدالة الدولية وإنصاف المظلومين- تعد من أهم الخطوات على مستوى القانون الدولي التي ناضل من أجلها الحقوقيون على مدى ثمانين عاما.

أعداء المحكمة

وبحسب الأصبحي فإن الولايات المتحدة وإسرائيل تعارضان إنشاء محكمة جنائية دولية مستقلة مهمتها معاقبة المجرمين ومصاصي الدماء.

واستشهد بإجراء الرئيس الأميركي السابق جورج بوش حينما انسحب من اتفاقية روما التي وقعها سلفه بيل كلينتون إلى جانب توقيعه اتفاقيات ثنائية مع غالبية الدول المصادقة على اتفاقية روما تلزمها بعدم تسليم المسؤولين والضباط والجنود الأميركيين للمحكمة الجنائية.

وجدت لتبقى

وفي مداخلته المعنونة بـ"المحكمة الجنائية وجدت لتبقى" أشار نائب عميد كلية الحقوق بجامعة عدن عبد الوهاب شمسان إلى أن المحكمة هي مؤسسة دولية دائمة أنشئت بموجب معاهدة لغرض التحقيق ومحاكمة الأشخاص الذين يرتكبون أشد الجرائم خطورة وهي الإبادة الجماعية وجرائم الحرب.

وأشار إلى أن المستفيد الرئيسي من عدم قيام المحكمة الجنائية بدورها الإنساني هي الدول الكبرى ولذلك تخلق مبررات عديدة في هذا الشأن.

وانتقد شمسان الهيكلة الحالية للمحكمة وقال إن الدول النامية هي التي تحتاج دوما إلى قوة القانون الدولي وتساءل لماذا تتردد في الانضمام إلى المحكمة والمصادقة على نظامها؟

في السياق ذاته، اعتبر الأكاديمي اليمني أن وجود المحكمة أمر تستلزمه قواعد العدالة والمساواة في محاكمة الأشخاص المتهمين بارتكاب الجرائم الدولية.

نصرة المظلومين

وطغت على المداخلات المطروحة قضايا تهاون المحكمة عن نصرة المظلومين في المنطقة العربية ومنها غزة وتطاولها على السودان بحجة وجود انتهاكات في إقليم دارفور والمظالم المرتكبة بحق الشعب العراقي وأفغانستان وانحيازها إلى الدول الكبرى.

ووفقا للندوة، فإن دول الاتحاد الأوروبي و37 دولة تقدمت بـ112 تعهدا تتضمن التزامات بشأن المصادقة على اتفاقية امتيازات وحصانات المحكمة وموائمة التشريعات والتعاون معها في بناء قدراتها في الملاحقات والتحقيقات الداخلية، في المقابل لم تتقدم أي دولة عربية بأية تعهدات.

معلوم أن عدد الذين صادقوا على معاهدة إنشاء المحكمة الجنائية الدولية بلغ حتى الآن 113 دولة منها ثلاث دول عربية هي الأردن وجيبوتي وجزر القمر بينما وقعت عشر دول عربية على الاتفاقية بالأحرف الأولى لكنها لم تصل لدرجة المصادقة الكاملة في حين رفضت تسع دول عربية التوقيع عليها.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/EF48E6D4-3BFB-4F63-91AE-1C91F772DB71.htm.

برلمان الأردن يبدأ بتزكية رئيسه

29/11/2010 م

محمد النجار-عمان

فاز رئيس الوزراء الأردني الأسبق فيصل الفايز برئاسة مجلس النواب لمدة عام بالتزكية بعد انسحاب كافة منافسيه من السباق الانتخابي، في سابقة تعد الأولى منذ عودة الحياة البرلمانية للمملكة عام 1989.

وانسحب النائب محمود الخرابشة -آخر المرشحين لمنافسة الفايز- من السباق الانتخابي، ليخلي الساحة للفايز الذي جاء فوزه متوقعا ودون مفاجآت.

وانسحب أبرز المنافسين للفايز, النائبان عبد الكريم الدغمي ومفلح الرحيمي الخميس من السباق، بينما انتقل الصراع بين النواب والكتل الست التي تشكلت الأيام القليلة الماضية على مقاعد نائبي ومساعدي الرئيس.

وفاز النائب عاطف الطراونة بمنصب النائب الأول بعد أن تنافس مع النائب ناريمان الروسان.

وبات جناحا البرلمان (الأعيان والنواب) تحت قيادة رئيسي وزراء سابقين، هما طاهر المصري الذي عينه الملك الخميس رئيسا لمجلس الأعيان، وفيصل الفايز رئيسا للنواب الذي انتخب مطلع الشهر الجاري الذي يغيب الإسلاميون عنه بعد أن قرروا مقاطعته.

وترأس المصري -الذي تعود أصول عائلته لمدينة نابلس الفلسطينية- الحكومة في عهد الملك الراحل الحسين بن طلال خمسة أشهر عام 1991، في حين شكل الفايز الحكومة الخامسة بعهد الملك عبد الله الثاني.

واعتبرت المعارضة الإسلامية تولي الفايز منصب رئيس النواب بمثابة "سيناريو مرتب".

وقال الأمين العام لجبهة العمل الإسلامي حمزة منصور للجزيرة نت "الأمور كانت مرتبة ، فمنذ أعلن السيد فيصل الفايز رغبته بالترشح لمجلس النواب كان الجميع يتحدث بأنه قادم لرئاسة البرلمان".

لكن منصور اعتبر أنه ومنذ أن بدأ تطبيق قانون الصوت الواحد كانت أمور رئاسة مجلس النواب تحسم قبل الجلسة الأولى "وفي مرات قليلة شاهدنا تنافسا لم يكن وفق أسس برامجية سياسية".

وذهب القيادي الإسلامي للقول إن المشهد السياسي "غير مبشر بالإصلاح" وتابع "نحن لا نرى إصلاحا في البلاد إلا بانتخاب برلمان يكون أكثر تمثيلا للشعب الأردني، وأن تكون هناك حكومة منتخبة تستطيع مواجهة التحديات الكبرى داخليا وخارجيا".

غير أن النائب في البرلمان عن كتلة التجمع الديمقراطي جميل النمري نفي وجود "سيناريو مرتب" لانتخاب الفايز.

وقال للجزيرة نت "بعد انسحاب النواب الذين كان يمكنهم منافسة الفايز جاء المشهد بانتخابه بالتزكية" ويضيف "لا دلالة سياسية لتولي الفايز رئاسة البرلمان بالتزكية".

وقال النمري إنه كنائب يحمل برنامجا سياسيا يجد صعوبة في الحكم على مجلس النواب الجديد وأدائه كون 80% من أعضائه من النواب الجدد، غير أنه اعتبر أن هناك مناخا عاما يتجه نحو التغيير في البرلمان.

واعتبر محللون أن تشكيلة مجلس الأعيان (الغرفة الثانية للبرلمان) زادت من تمثيل الأردنيين من أصول فلسطينية بعد تراجع تمثيلهم بمجلس النواب إلى أقل من 9%.

أقل من المتوقع

ويرى المحلل السياسي لبيب قمحاوي أنه رغم هذه الزيادة فإن هذا التمثيل "مازال أقل من المتوقع حيث إن ثلث الأعيان من أصول فلسطينية وفي سنوات سابقة كانت نسبتهم النصف، ولكن ما جرى خطوة للأمام ويجب دعمها".

وأضاف قمحاوي للجزيرة نت "سبب تراجع الفلسطينيين في البرلمان هو أن قانون الانتخاب مصمم للحد من تمثيلهم ومن تمثيل الإخوان المسلمين".

واستطرد بالقول أن الأسابيع الأخيرة شهدت "بعض الانفراج في الواقع المأزوم يعالج ضعف المشاركة الفلسطينية بالقرار ضمن سياسة متأنية لأصحاب القرار".

وفي كلمته بافتتاح البرلمان، دعا الملك الحكومة ومجلس النواب للاعتراف بأن "علاقة السلطتين التنفيذية والتشريعية شابها الكثير من الأخطاء، التي أعاقت مسيرتنا الإصلاحية، وألحقت الضرر بمصالح شعبنا، وتلك أخطاء يجب أن يعمل الجميع على إزالتها".

وقال أيضا إنه وجه الحكومة إلى أن تعيد تقييم آليات تعاملها مع مجلس النواب لتصحيح علاقة السلطتين، بحيث تقوم على التعاون والتكامل، وبحيث تمارس كل منهما صلاحياتها، من دون تغول سلطة على أخرى، أو اللجوء إلى تفاهمات مصلحية، تجعل من تحقيق المكتسبات الشخصية شرطا لاستقرار هذه العلاقة.

وطلب عبد الله الثاني من الحكومة إحالة قانون الانتخاب لمجلس النواب بصفة الاستعجال ليصدر كقانون دائم بعد ذلك، حيث تجري الانتخابات البرلمانية منذ عام 1993 وفق قانون الصوت الواحد المؤقت.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/E84189B4-0312-4354-AC51-A5B58637FF16.htm.