Fears over Sri Lanka war children

A growing number of children have been killed or injured in Sri Lankan fighting over the last 10 days, the UN children’s agency (Unicef) says.

It has called on the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to give “absolute priority” to the safety of children and the wider civilian population.

The Tamil Tigers say 250,000 civilians in the conflict zone want to stay in rebel-held areas for protection.

Filed under: Asia, Australia, Canada, Chennai, Colombo, Elephant Pass, Guerrilla Group, Guerrilla war, India, Jafna, London, LTTE, Madras, Mahindra Rajapaksa, Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka, Tamil, Tamil Nadu, Terror, Terrorism, The Terror Journal, Toronto, UK, Velupillai Prabhakaran, War

New rules of engagement for U.S

The “two-state solution” is, in boxing terminology, about to be counted out, some say. More and more people maintain there’s already been a count of “10 and you’re out.”

Acknowledging the urgency, President Barack Obama has been as good as his word, letting not a single day pass before taking action to demonstrate that the United States is reengaged to avert the knockout.

But is it enough?

It isn’t. Obama needs to establish new rules of engagement.

Filed under: Analysis, Arab, Arab Media, Barack Obama, E.U, Egypt, European Union, France, Gaza, Gaza raids, Gaza strip, Hamas, IAF, IDF, International, Iran, Iraq, Islam, Israel, Israel Air Force, Jordan, Lebanon, Middle East, MidEast, Muslim, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Terror, Terrorism, The Terror Journal, Turkey, U.N, U.S.A, UK, War, West Bank, World

LTTE say civilians will remain

The Tamil Tigers say that 250,000 civilians in the conflict zone in north-eastern Sri Lanka want to stay to be protected by the rebels.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa had appealed to the rebels to allow the civilians to leave. But his government also ruled out a ceasefire.

Rebel political chief B Nadesan said the people did not wish to end up in the hands of “their killers”.

Health officials and rights groups say hundreds of civilians have died.

Filed under: Asia, Australia, Canada, Chennai, Colombo, Elephant Pass, Guerrilla Group, Guerrilla war, India, Jafna, London, LTTE, Madras, Mahindra Rajapaksa, Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka, Tamil, Tamil Nadu, Terror, Terrorism, The Terror Journal, Toronto, UK, Velupillai Prabhakaran, War

Counting casualties of Gaza’s war

In any conflict the number of deaths – of combatants and civilians – is a highly sensitive topic.

Numbers can be used for propaganda purposes by all sides and they can play a role in determining perceptions of whether the sides have kept within international law’s rules of keeping civilian casualties to a minimum.

In the Israeli offensive on Gaza, far more Palestinians, including women and children, were killed than Israelis. But the exact figures have been disputed.

Filed under: Voice, Arab, Arab Media, Barack Obama, E.U, Egypt, European Union, France, Gaza, Gaza raids, Gaza strip, Hamas, IAF, IDF, International, Iran, Iraq, Islam, Israel, Israel Air Force, Jordan, Lebanon, Middle East, MidEast, Muslim, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Terror, Terrorism, The Terror Journal, Turkey, U.N, U.S.A, UK, War, West Bank, World

Egypt to monitor Gaza tunnels

Egypt says it has begun to install cameras and motion sensors along the border with Gaza to try to stop weapons smuggling by Palestinian militants.

Tighter surveillance of the tunnels is one of Israel’s key conditions for maintaining the ceasefire that ended its three-week offensive against Hamas.

The tunnels were used to smuggle food and medicine, as well as arms.

Israel bombed them, but when the fighting stopped some were still usable and others have been repaired.

Filed under: MidEast, Arab, Arab Media, Barack Obama, E.U, Egypt, European Union, France, Gaza, Gaza raids, Gaza strip, Hamas, IAF, IDF, International, Iran, Iraq, Islam, Israel, Israel Air Force, Jordan, Lebanon, Middle East, MidEast, Muslim, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Terror, Terrorism, The Terror Journal, Turkey, U.N, U.S.A, UK, War, West Bank, World

High stakes as Rwanda move into DRC

At least 5,000 Rwandan troops are now taking up positions across eastern DR Congo.

Invited in by the Congolese government, they are part of a joint military operation to flush out the Hutu militia.

The rebels of the FDLR poured in from across the border following the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Some 6,000 combatants never returned .

Filed under: Analysis, African Union, Aid, Civil war, Congo, Genocide, International, International Criminal Court, Justice, Rwanda, South Africa, Terror, The Terror Journal, U.N, War, War Crimes, World

Iraq’s political future

Iraq has held multiple national and local elections since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein, but ethnic and sectarian violence has impeded political progress. Analysts say the latest round of voting—provincial council elections scheduled nationwide for January 31—could mark a new chapter for Iraq’s struggle with democracy. And while there have been scattered assassinations and reports of intimidation leading up to elections, most experts agree the emergence of hundreds of new parties and thousands of candidates illustrate the maturation of the Iraqi political system.

Filed under: Think Tank, Arab, Arab Media, E.U, Egypt, International, Iran, Iraq, Islam, Jordan, Lebanon, Middle East, MidEast, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Terror, Terrorism, The Terror Journal, Turkey, U.N, U.S.A, UK, War, West Bank, World

Abbas rejects Hamas leader’s call for new PLO

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is leading a chorus of opposition to calls by rival Hamas supremo Khaled Meshaal for a new leadership to replace the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

The Damascus-based Meshaal this week said that the PLO — which has long been internationally recognised as the sole representative of the Palestinian people — had become obsolete.

Meshaal’s remarks threw the spotlight again on the protracted and sometimes vicious Hamas-Fatah feud which has prevailed since the Islamists seized the Gaza Strip in June 2007 after deadly street battles with Abbas loyalists.

Filed under: MidEast, Arab, Arab Media, Barack Obama, E.U, Egypt, European Union, France, Gaza, Gaza raids, Gaza strip, Hamas, IAF, IDF, International, Iran, Iraq, Islam, Israel, Israel Air Force, Jordan, Lebanon, Middle East, MidEast, Muslim, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Terror, Terrorism, The Terror Journal, Turkey, U.N, U.S.A, UK, War, West Bank, World

Gaza rocket hits southern Israel

A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip has hit southern Israel, exploding near the city of Ashkelon, the Israeli military has said.

No casualties were reported from the rocket, which landed in a field.

It is one of several rocket attacks from the territory since Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, declared ceasefires on 18 January.

The ceasefires ended Israel’s three-week offensive in Gaza, which was aimed at stopping rocket attacks on Israel.

The ceasefires, independently declared by each side, have been violated several times.

Filed under: MidEast, Arab, Arab Media, Barack Obama, E.U, Egypt, European Union, France, Gaza, Gaza raids, Gaza strip, Hamas, IAF, IDF, International, Iran, Iraq, Islam, Israel, Israel Air Force, Jordan, Lebanon, Middle East, MidEast, Muslim, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Terror, Terrorism, The Terror Journal, Turkey, U.N, U.S.A, UK, War, West Bank, World

Sri Lanka’s inconvenient truth

As Sri Lanka’s military takes control of key territory held by the Tamil Tiger rebels, Chris Morris in Colombo reports on a deepening mood of determination and defiance on both sides of the conflict.

Getting through to the Tamil Tigers isn’t easy these days. Their world is getting smaller.

Surreptitious messages. Crackling phone lines.

“Can I talk to him now?”

“It’s difficult.”

“Why?”

“There’s heavy shelling. Please call again later.”

Filed under: Voice, Australia, Canada, Chennai, Colombo, Elephant Pass, Guerrilla Group, Guerrilla war, India, Jafna, London, LTTE, Madras, Mahindra Rajapaksa, Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka, Tamil, Tamil Nadu, Terror, Terrorism, The Terror Journal, Toronto, UK, Velupillai Prabhakaran, War