STWR - Share The World's Resources

As the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War approaches, the once-unchallengeable claims that “the surge worked” are harder to find. While the additional 30,000 U.S. occupation troops remain in Iraq, analysts agree that the most important reasons for the late 2007 decline in violence – especially the rise of the Sunni-based “awakening” militias – are becoming increasingly dicey.

Americans have grown so accustomed to the disastrous dynamics operating between Israelis and Palestinians today that the failure to reach a peace deal amid the soaring death tolls assumes an aura of normalcy in their minds. This reflects a situation we imagine ourselves to be powerless to help change and only adds to the tragedy unfolding in the Occupied Territories and Israel as well.

Oxfam has today (Jan 31st) written to Gordon Brown and other world leaders on the situation in Afghanistan.

Saying they were waging "economic warfare" against the Gaza Strip's Hamas leaders, Israeli officials told the Supreme Court on Sunday that the military intends to start cutting electricity to the Palestinian territory and continue restricting fuel.

A staggering disparity in images has emanated from the Middle East over the past two weeks. While US President George W. Bush received a warm welcome during his tour of the Persian Gulf, Israel pounded Gaza killing over 40 Palestinians, nearly half of them civilians.

Palestinian suffering has reached new depths. Peace cannot be built by reducing 1.5m people to a state of abject destitution. 

"To me, I confess, [countries] are pieces on a chessboard upon which is being played out a game for dominion of the world." Lord Curzon viceroy of India, speaking about Afghanistan, 1898