The assassination of former Afghan President Barahuddin Rabbani in a suicide attack makes it clear that peace in that war-torn country is very far yet. His assassination is an attempt to sabotage the ongoing efforts for peace in that country. Those involved in hatching the conspiracy alone cannot be held responsible for it. Efforts to bring peace are under way with the US support. But not only the Taliban, but the common man in Afghanistan also have no faith and trust in the United States, hence, they do not take these efforts seriously. Insurgents and terrorists derive mileage efforts; and have to bear the brunt of it. Even the former Afghanistan president became a victim to such suicide attack.
Talks With Taliban
Rabbani was among the moderate leaders in Afghanistan. He was the president of Afghanistan in the period 1992-1996 and as president he made efforts to bring peace in Afghanistan. Afghan President Hamid Karzai assigned him the task of bringing terrorist elements in the peace process by holding talks with the Taliban and bringing them back to the mainstream. Since Rabbani was an influential leader, his efforts were being supported not only by various sections of the society but at the international level as well. He visited India in July as the chairman of the High Peace Council. He held meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, and others. He attached special importance to India on the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the establishment of peace and lauded India's cooperation and commitment for it. That is why India has expressed deep sorrow and grief at his sudden demise and announced to continue to extend cooperation in the peace process in that country.
Rabbani was of the firm belief that without India's full support, the peace dialogue cannot move in the right direction. Under these circumstances, his killing has given rise to a significant query to what role would India have in the dialogue with the Taliban and to whom Karzai would hand over the responsibility to hold talks with the Taliban.
Hatred Toward US
The killing of Rabbani makes it clear that there exist a most powerful group among the Taliban, which want to derail the peace dialogue. The main reason behind it is nothing but the strong resentment and hatred toward the United States. The assassination of Rabbani is a severe jolt to the United States also which is prepared to pack up and leave Afghanistan. If, consequent upon Rabbani's killing, the peace dialogue get affected, it may have an impact on the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan as well.
Most importantly, Rabbani's assassination is a severe jolt to moderate elements in Afghanistan. This moderate group includes that section of the Taliban, which was supporting the talks, by abjuring violence with the Karzai government and US representatives. In short, the fatal attack on Rabbani has placed a big question mark on his expectations of establishment of peace. It has, more importantly, added to the woes and difficulties for the United States.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Europe, US To Tell Palestinians Not To File Application as UN Member
Palestinian Authority has announced its application in wanting to become a member country of the United Nations. This announcement made the Israeli authority extremely furious. Israel has come out with a stern warning and said action taken by the Palestinian authority will end with a "tragic result." In addition, Israel has even given Palestine the hint that not only the Israeli authority will not allow Palestine to become an independent country; it will even annex some of its lands. As it stands, the United States and the European Union (EU) are getting very nerves over this recent development by the Palestinian authority in wanting to become an UN member.
Israeli-Palestinian Negotiating Table
On one hand, they warned the Palestinian regime that such action taken by the Palestinian authority will result in the United States and the EU cutting off their aid and assistance to the Palestinians; on the other, they also quickly dispatched special envoy to meet up with Palestinian and Israeli leaders respectively. They hope that at the eleventh hour, they can convince the Palestinian authority to give up its action in wanting to file a membership application to the United Nations but will instead choose to return to the Israeli-Palestinian negotiating table to settle their disputed border.
However, we must understand that it has been a dream for the Palestinians to become an independent country for a long time now. For more than 20 years in the past, the Palestinian authority has already engaged in numerous rounds of peace talks with the Israeli regime to settle the territorial dispute. Palestinians also hope that they can become an independent state under some kind of peaceful negotiation atmosphere. But until today, there is still no progress in the peace talk between the Palestinian authority and the Israeli authority. Palestinians are in a "desperate" stage now. They have no other choice but to apply to the United Nations and ask the UN member countries to recognize it as an independent nation. It is difficult for Europe and the United States to tell the Palestinians not to file an application as an UN member.
Pragmatic Solution
As the situation stands now, although the United States and European nations are rather anxious about the application of UN membership by the Palestinian authority, the only measure they can do at this moment is try to persuade the Palestinian authority not to apply as an UN member; however, until today, the West especially the United States still cannot find a pragmatic solution which is acceptable by the Palestinian authority to resume peace negotiation talk with Israel. The last Israeli-Palestinian talk was held more than a year ago. But at that peace talk, due to the fact that the Israeli authority has insisted on the continual construction of the Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories, the peace talks has broken down eventually.
Palestinian-Israeli Border Conflict
However, the Palestinian authority's demand now is different. The Palestinian authority has, besides insisting that the Israeli side must stop constructing permanent settlements in the Palestinian land, it also demands that the revived peace negotiation talk on the Palestinian-Israeli border must be based on the Palestine territory before the Six Day War held on 1967. In addition, the Palestinian authority also said that the peace negotiation talk with the Israeli regime must be based on the principle that East Jerusalem would become the future capital of Palestine. But all these conditions set by the Palestinian authority are also the terms firmly opposed by the Israeli side. As such, the special envoys sent by the United States and European nations to the respective Israeli and Palestinian side can only say all the good things they can say in the hope that eventually the Israeli authority and the Palestinian authority can resume peace talk between them. Yet in reality, they can only do the "talking" they cannot persuade either side to give in a little bit of concessions to the other side in order to cut a negotiation deal. So, the lobbying miss ions of the US and European envoy to Israel and Palestine are doomed to fail.
US Support to Israel
In fact, on the pending Palestinian demand in wanting to file in an application for UN membership, US President Obama has also faced with a sense of helplessness. On one hand, President Obama does not want to offend the powerful and influential Jewish community in the United States, and on the other, President Obama also does not want to further alienate the Arab countries if the United States chooses to support Israel. However, after weighing the types of interests he can obtain from both sides, in the end, President Obama still chose to support the Israeli authority and will prevent the application of the UN membership by the Palestinian authority.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the authority that represents the Palestinians, is determined to submit an application for Palestine to become an UN member to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on 23 September. However, according to the spokesperson of the Palestinian authority, if a "trusted choice" favorable to the Palestinian authority can emerge prior to 23 September; the Palestinian authority will still take it into consideration. However, due to the shortage of lead time, there is no indication to show that the Israeli regime will soften its position on its peace negotiation term with the Palestinian authority. It is thus unavoidable for a new round of fight between the Israel authority and the Palestinian authority to emerge in the United Nations in the coming days.
Israeli-Palestinian Negotiating Table
On one hand, they warned the Palestinian regime that such action taken by the Palestinian authority will result in the United States and the EU cutting off their aid and assistance to the Palestinians; on the other, they also quickly dispatched special envoy to meet up with Palestinian and Israeli leaders respectively. They hope that at the eleventh hour, they can convince the Palestinian authority to give up its action in wanting to file a membership application to the United Nations but will instead choose to return to the Israeli-Palestinian negotiating table to settle their disputed border.
However, we must understand that it has been a dream for the Palestinians to become an independent country for a long time now. For more than 20 years in the past, the Palestinian authority has already engaged in numerous rounds of peace talks with the Israeli regime to settle the territorial dispute. Palestinians also hope that they can become an independent state under some kind of peaceful negotiation atmosphere. But until today, there is still no progress in the peace talk between the Palestinian authority and the Israeli authority. Palestinians are in a "desperate" stage now. They have no other choice but to apply to the United Nations and ask the UN member countries to recognize it as an independent nation. It is difficult for Europe and the United States to tell the Palestinians not to file an application as an UN member.
Pragmatic Solution
As the situation stands now, although the United States and European nations are rather anxious about the application of UN membership by the Palestinian authority, the only measure they can do at this moment is try to persuade the Palestinian authority not to apply as an UN member; however, until today, the West especially the United States still cannot find a pragmatic solution which is acceptable by the Palestinian authority to resume peace negotiation talk with Israel. The last Israeli-Palestinian talk was held more than a year ago. But at that peace talk, due to the fact that the Israeli authority has insisted on the continual construction of the Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories, the peace talks has broken down eventually.
Palestinian-Israeli Border Conflict
However, the Palestinian authority's demand now is different. The Palestinian authority has, besides insisting that the Israeli side must stop constructing permanent settlements in the Palestinian land, it also demands that the revived peace negotiation talk on the Palestinian-Israeli border must be based on the Palestine territory before the Six Day War held on 1967. In addition, the Palestinian authority also said that the peace negotiation talk with the Israeli regime must be based on the principle that East Jerusalem would become the future capital of Palestine. But all these conditions set by the Palestinian authority are also the terms firmly opposed by the Israeli side. As such, the special envoys sent by the United States and European nations to the respective Israeli and Palestinian side can only say all the good things they can say in the hope that eventually the Israeli authority and the Palestinian authority can resume peace talk between them. Yet in reality, they can only do the "talking" they cannot persuade either side to give in a little bit of concessions to the other side in order to cut a negotiation deal. So, the lobbying miss ions of the US and European envoy to Israel and Palestine are doomed to fail.
US Support to Israel
In fact, on the pending Palestinian demand in wanting to file in an application for UN membership, US President Obama has also faced with a sense of helplessness. On one hand, President Obama does not want to offend the powerful and influential Jewish community in the United States, and on the other, President Obama also does not want to further alienate the Arab countries if the United States chooses to support Israel. However, after weighing the types of interests he can obtain from both sides, in the end, President Obama still chose to support the Israeli authority and will prevent the application of the UN membership by the Palestinian authority.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the authority that represents the Palestinians, is determined to submit an application for Palestine to become an UN member to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on 23 September. However, according to the spokesperson of the Palestinian authority, if a "trusted choice" favorable to the Palestinian authority can emerge prior to 23 September; the Palestinian authority will still take it into consideration. However, due to the shortage of lead time, there is no indication to show that the Israeli regime will soften its position on its peace negotiation term with the Palestinian authority. It is thus unavoidable for a new round of fight between the Israel authority and the Palestinian authority to emerge in the United Nations in the coming days.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Thai Government Sets Up Command Center for War on Drug
Prime Minister Yinglak Shinawatra presided over the ceremony to launch the operation of a national agenda called National Command Centre for Combating Drugs (NCCD) at the Santi Maitree building in the compound of the Government House on 11 September. Yinglak said poll results from several offices state that the public wanted the government to urgently address drug problems since drug figures have increased rapidly. According to a 2007 statistic, there were then 490,000 drug abusers. The figure has tripled over the past four years. For this reason, the government has made anti-narcotic operation a national agenda as suggested by Her Majesty the Queen. It expects to reduce the prevalence of drug problems in one year. Relevant authorities need to integrate their effort to reduce the prevalence of drug problems by 80 percent.
Antinarcotic Operation
There are six factors in the antinarcotic effort during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration. First, authorities based their operation on areas with drug problems and divided jurisdiction among relevant authorities. Second, relevant authorities had been assigned to share responsibilities. Third, the database of drug traffickers and prospective traffickers and abusers at the district and provincial levels should be synchronized with the government's database. Fourth, it had identified 300,000 drug abusers that could be rehabilitated. Fifth, it set up the protocol for assignment between the government's anti-narcotic center and provincial agencies. And six, it designated clear focal points for each operation. This government will incorporate the poll results with its operation plan, which comprise six components. First, it will empower the people with the concentration on urban communities and villages. This requires cooperation from all sectors.
The government will also incorporate the suggestion of Her Majesty the Queen in its antinarcotic operation. Second, the government will address drug abuse problems by regarding abusers as patients.
Third, it will prevent the spread of drug abuse in vulnerable areas. The government will reduce the number of vulnerable areas from more than 80,000 communities to more than 60,000 communities. Fourth, the crackdown on drug traffickers and influential people will be based on the rule of law. The enforcement of legal measures must be fair for all. Fifth, the government will promote the cooperation with other countries and border authorities in preventing and suppressing the trafficking of narcotic drugs and reactants into the country. And sixth, the government will convince more than 600,000 patients to receive medical treatment.
Set Goals
The Yinglak government has set the following six goals:
First, it will curb narcotic problems and strengthen 60,000 communities to immediately reduce drug demand in the market. Second, the government has set up a national center on anti-narcotic effort, the NCCD, which is the center of the cooperation between relevant ministries, provinces, local administrative organizations and border agencies. Third, it will build up the structure of authorities and responsibilities among relevant officers, including criteria for rewards and punishment. Fourth, the government will base its operation on people in communities and the participation of all sectors. They are expected to regard this issue as an urgent issue. Fifth, the government has asked the Office of Narcotics Control Board to support the NCCD. Sixth, the Finance Ministry and the Bureau of Budget will allocate budgets to authorities at all levels to enable them to work smoothly. This is because the government has truly made its anti-narcotic effort a national agenda.
Antinarcotic Operation
There are six factors in the antinarcotic effort during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration. First, authorities based their operation on areas with drug problems and divided jurisdiction among relevant authorities. Second, relevant authorities had been assigned to share responsibilities. Third, the database of drug traffickers and prospective traffickers and abusers at the district and provincial levels should be synchronized with the government's database. Fourth, it had identified 300,000 drug abusers that could be rehabilitated. Fifth, it set up the protocol for assignment between the government's anti-narcotic center and provincial agencies. And six, it designated clear focal points for each operation. This government will incorporate the poll results with its operation plan, which comprise six components. First, it will empower the people with the concentration on urban communities and villages. This requires cooperation from all sectors.
The government will also incorporate the suggestion of Her Majesty the Queen in its antinarcotic operation. Second, the government will address drug abuse problems by regarding abusers as patients.
Third, it will prevent the spread of drug abuse in vulnerable areas. The government will reduce the number of vulnerable areas from more than 80,000 communities to more than 60,000 communities. Fourth, the crackdown on drug traffickers and influential people will be based on the rule of law. The enforcement of legal measures must be fair for all. Fifth, the government will promote the cooperation with other countries and border authorities in preventing and suppressing the trafficking of narcotic drugs and reactants into the country. And sixth, the government will convince more than 600,000 patients to receive medical treatment.
Set Goals
The Yinglak government has set the following six goals:
First, it will curb narcotic problems and strengthen 60,000 communities to immediately reduce drug demand in the market. Second, the government has set up a national center on anti-narcotic effort, the NCCD, which is the center of the cooperation between relevant ministries, provinces, local administrative organizations and border agencies. Third, it will build up the structure of authorities and responsibilities among relevant officers, including criteria for rewards and punishment. Fourth, the government will base its operation on people in communities and the participation of all sectors. They are expected to regard this issue as an urgent issue. Fifth, the government has asked the Office of Narcotics Control Board to support the NCCD. Sixth, the Finance Ministry and the Bureau of Budget will allocate budgets to authorities at all levels to enable them to work smoothly. This is because the government has truly made its anti-narcotic effort a national agenda.
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