PressInfo 2006

Assessing the United Nations after the Lebanon War 2006   TFF PressInfo # 241 August 15, 2006   Richard Falk Professor emeritus Princeton University, TFF Associate Of course, we all breathe a bit easier with the news of a ceasefire in Lebanon even if its prospects for stemming the violence altogether are not favorable at this time. And after dithering for 34 days while the bombs dripped and the rockets flew we need to acknowledge that the United Nations, for all of its weaknesses, plays indispensable roles in a wide array of international conflict situations. It is notable in this instance that despite Israel’s discomfort with UN authority, and the reluctance of the United States to accept any UN interference with its foreign policy priorities, as in Iraq, both countries were forced to turn to the UN when Israel’s war against Lebanon ran up against the unexpectedly strong Hezbollah resistance....

Time for substantive Iran-US talks   TFF PressInfo # 240 May 10, 2006   Farhang Jahanpour New TFF Associate*   On 8th May the Iranian government’s spokesman revealed that the Iranian president had sent a letter [translation here] to President George Bush suggesting new ways of resolving the differences between the two countries. The 18-page long letter does not contain any new suggestions on Iran’s nuclear file, but has criticised some of the United States recent policies in the Middle East. US officials have summarily dismissed it as ‘rambling’ and not addressing the nuclear standoff. They have also indicated that they do not intend to respond to the letter.   Ahmadinezhad’s letter is most significant However, the very fact that the hard-line Iranian president who had declared only a short time ago that there was no need to talk to the United States has decided to take this unusual step...

The Non-Proliferation Treaty is failing: What now?   PressInfo # 239  March 29, 2006 By Richard Falk and David Krieger, TFF Associates* For several decades now the world has been living with the illusion that the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) established a functioning treaty regime that has spared the world from nuclear danger. It is an illusion partly because three nuclear weapons aspirants (Israel, India, Pakistan) have kept clear of the treaty, and suffered no adverse consequences when they developed nuclear arsenals. On the contrary, President Bush’s proposed nuclear deal with India must be understood as a major diplomatic reward in spite of India’s crossing the nuclear weapons threshold. And Israel has been allowed to develop a formidable nuclear weapons arsenal while the West kept completely silent. But this is not the only concern. The NPT has generated a new set of pretexts for launching aggressive war. The invasion of Iraq...

India, Iran and U.S. nuclear hypocrisy   PressInfo # 238  March 29, 2006 By David Krieger, TFF Associate*   The Bush administration has approached nuclear nonproliferation with Iran and India by two very different measures. Iran, a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, has been threatened with sanctions, if not actual violence, for its pursuit of uranium enrichment, although there is no clear evidence that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program. India, on the other hand, has now been offered U.S. nuclear technology, although India is not a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, is known to have tested nuclear weapons and is thought to possess a nuclear weapons arsenal of 60 to 100 weapons. The Non-Proliferation Treaty, which entered into force in 1970, is at the heart of worldwide nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The United States was one of the original signers of the treaty and was one of the major...

Iran, International Law and Nuclear Disarmament   PressInfo # 236  March 28, 2006 By David Krieger, TFF Associate*   See also Associate Richard Falk’s TFF PressInfo 237 – a different angle on the same issues.   Iran has been accused of secretly pursuing a nuclear weapons program. Although Iranian leaders claim to be enriching uranium only for peaceful nuclear energy purposes, these claims have been treated with derision by the West. Despite the fact that most experts believe that Iran is still years away from developing a nuclear weapon, there are media reports suggesting that Israel and the US are making plans to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, should Iran not give up its uranium enrichment program.  Given this possible military scenario, and the recent vote by the Board of the International Atomic Energy Agency to report Iran to the United Nations Security Council, what is Iran likely to do?  ...

Israel, Iran, and the Future of the Middle East   PressInfo # 232  March 28, 2006 By Richard Falk, TFF Associate*   Also posted by JUST International Movement for a Just World Vol. 6, # 2, 2006 See Associate David Krieger’s TFF PressInfo 236 – a different angle on the same issues    There is a dangerous game underway in the Middle East that could erupt at any point in the form of a devastating regional war if urgent diplomatic steps to head it off are not taken immediately. There are growing signs that Israel is pushing the United States to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities partly by threatening (or bluffing) to attack itself and partly by using its leverage in Washington to pressure the U.S. Government to harden their stance on Iran’s nuclear program. Among the warning signs are dramatic public statements by Israeli military and political leaders, including Sharon,...

Muhammed-karikaturerne (3) Splinten og bjælken: Vi må lære at se vores egen kulturelle blindhed   PressInfo # 235  22. marts, 2006   Af Jan Oberg, TFF direktør   Mohammed (1) Undertrykkelsesfrihed Mohammed (2) Men der er jo en større sammenhæng! Mohammed (3) Splinten og bjælken This article in English Artikeln på svenska   Hvis en begivenhed udvikler sig til den værste politiske krise siden 1945 i et ellers stabilt og demokratisk land som Danmark, turde det være på sin plads at stille nogle mere grundlæggende spørgsmål: Hvad handler det hér om? Kan de der leder og lever i Danmark lære noget af det både som danskere og som vesterlændinge? Kan andre i Vesten? Og kan vi gøre tingene bedre i fremtiden? Hvis vi selv stiller sådanne spørgsmål inviterer vi også andre, inklusive dem der brænder flag og ambassader, til at tænke over om der måske findes bedre metoder til at...

Den vestlige fredsforebyggelse fortsætter i det tidligere Jugoslavien   PressInfo # 234  21. marts, 2006 Af Jan Oberg, TFF direktør In English På svenska På dansk   Hvis du har den opfattelse at vestlig politik bør tjene som model for anstændighed, fairness og principfast politik ude i verden, så kig lige på disse aktuelle emner fra det tidligere Jugoslavien: • Kofi Annans sendebud vedrørende forhandlingerne om Kosovos fremtidige status, den tidligere finske præsident Martti Ahtisaari, fortæller Der Spiegel at Kosovo er på vej til at blive en selvstændig stat. Med et tonefald, der kun kan betegnes som arrogant, fortæller han at den serbiske part i konflikten burde kende spillets regler og vide hvad der er i deres egen bedste interesse. Dét indebærer ganske enkelt at han ikke fortjener titlen “mægler” for at mægle betyder blandt andet at man lytter til og respekterer alle sider med henblik på at finde en...

The Muhammad caricatures (3) The speck and the log: We must learn to see our own cultural blindness   PressInfo # 235  March 17, 2006 By Jan Oberg, TFF director Muhammad (1) Freedom of Suppression Muhammad (2) But there is a context ! Muhammad (3) We must learn to see our own cultural blindness Denna artikel på svenska Denne artikel på dansk If something leads to the worst political crisis since 1945 in an otherwise stable, democratic country such as Denmark, it should be worth asking some deeper questions: What is this about? Can those leading and living in Denmark learn something from it both as Danes and as Westerners? Can other Westerners? And can we do things differently in the future? If we ask such questions, we also invite those who have burned Danish flags and embassies to reflect on whether there could be better methods to show their...

Western peace prevention continues in former Yugoslavia*   PressInfo # 234 March 9, 2006 By Jan Oberg, TFF director In English In Swedish In Danish   If you believe that Western politics should serve as a model of decency, fairness and principled policies, consider these topical news from ex-Yugoslavia: • Kofi Annan’s envoy on Kosovo, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, tells Der Spiegel that Kosovo is heading for independence. In a tone that can only be characterized as arrogant, he tells the Serb side that they should know the rules of the game and know their own best interests. This simply means he is no mediator who listens to and respects all sides with a view to find a fair solution. He is an agent for powers who can dictate their solution. Is Kofi Annan concerned? • Kosovo which was bombed off from Serbia and occupied by NATO’s illegal war...

Mohamedkarikatyrerna (2): Det finns ju ett sammanhang !   PressInfo # 233  February 11, 2006 Av Jan Öberg, TFF direktör Engelsk version Dansk version Mohamedkarikatyrerna (1) Förtrycksfrihet Mohamedkarikatyrerna (2): Det finns ju ett sammanhang ! Mohamedkarikatyrerna (3): Vi måste lära att se vår egen kulturblindhet   Den allmänna massmediebevakningen i västvärlden inriktar sig på de tolv karikatyrerna av Profeten i danska Jyllands-Posten. Denna inriktning är för smal både i tid och rum, och den gör våldsdåden på “gatan” i arabvärlden oförståelig och överdriven. Dansk TV och andra massmedier har nu vinklat affären i en särskild riktning: Danmark och den danska regeringen är nästan oskyldiga, Danmark har blivit missförstått och är offer för elak propaganda; reaktionen är orimlig och de protesterande runt om i den muslimska världen är obildade ligister medan deras moderata ledare egentligen förstår situationen och vill ha samarbete, danska exportvaror och stabilitet. Vi får höra, samma sak från...

Muhammed-karikaturerne (2) Men der er jo en større sammenhæng !   PressInfo # 233 10. februar, 2006 Af Jan Øberg, TFF direktør Engelsk version Svensk version Muhammed-karikaturerne (1): Undertrykkelsesfrihed Muhammed-karikaturerne (2): Men der er jo en større sammenhæng Muhammed-karikaturerne (3): Vi må lære at se vor egen kulturelle blindhed   Den generelle mediedækning i Vest fokuserer på Jyllands-Postens 12 karikaturer af Profeten. Dét fokus er for snævert i både tid og rum. Det får samtidig vreden på den arabiske “gade” til at fremstå som ubegribelig og overdrevet. TV-Avisen og andre medier har nu vinklet historien i en bestemt retning: Danmark og regeringen er næsten uskyldig, vi er blevet misforstået og offer for tarvelig propaganda og løgn; reaktionerne i den muslimske verden er urimelig og de, der protesterer, er uuddannet pøbel, men deres moderate ledere forstår situationen og ønsker samarbejde, danske eksportvarer og stabilitet. Både CNN og “Profilen” giver ministre mulighed...