Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Afghans Who Fled Conflict Face Cultural Divide in U.S.

When the Soviets invaded in 1979, Afghanistan's ruling elite escaped immediately if they could. Intellectuals who refused to embrace the new party dogma followed in the 1980s. And when the communist regime collapsed in 1992, any Afghans associated with it fled and civil war broke out. Four years later, after the Taliban seized Kabul, the capital, still more left.

The Deep Well Of Egypt's Literary Oasis

Naguib Mahfouz was a writer from the age when people with a pen could be heroes. Icons of the national spirit. Hemingway. Tolstoy. Grass. Milosz. Garcia Marquez. Perhaps, after 94 years in the dusty chaos of Cairo, he is equally at home with his literary posterity.

A Round of Recriminations in Israel

World Opinion Roundup -- Jefferson Morley's Review of Opinions and Commentary on News Around the World - washingtonpost

Rumsfeld Warns Against Appeasement

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Tuesday the world faces ''a new type of fascism'' and warned against repeating the pre-World War II mistake of appeasement.

U.S. Drafts List of Sanctions as Iran Ignores Deadline

UN denounces Israel cluster bombs

The UN's humanitarian chief has accused Israel of "completely immoral" use of cluster bombs in Lebanon.

71-year-old Gitmo detainee released

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The oldest detainee at Guantanamo Bay — an Afghan man who is at least 71 and hobbled around the U.S. prison in Cuba using a walker — has been sent home, his lawyer said Monday. "How could I be an enemy combatant if I was not able to stand up?" he asked, according to transcripts released to the AP.

Contact President Hamid Karzai

By e-mail: president@afghanistangov.org, By mail: President Hamid Karzai, Gul Khana Palace -- Presidential Palace Kabul, Afghanistan

Get a taste of what awaits you in print from this compelling excerpt.

National Geographic , The fabled Bactrian gold is back, but other antiquities are quickly disappearing from Afghanistan. With the country trying to rebuild after decades of conflict, can its past be part of its future?

Monday, August 28, 2006

Deconstructing Afghanistan -- Council on Foreign Relations

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's economy remains a basketcase, with "levels of poverty, hunger, ill health, illiteracy, and gender inequality that put [the country] near the bottom of every global ranking," writes Barnett Rubin in this CFR Special Report. To reverse these downward trends, experts say a strong, effective state must emerge where none traditionally had existed. "Delivery of services is the primary means of gaining broad popular respect," while "development aid is still one of the major assets the central government possesses," according to this August 2006 CSIS report. The Afghan government must also rein in the growing drug trade. Roughly 87 percent of the world's heroin poppy is produced in Afghanistan, Harriet C. Babbitt of Hunt Alternatives Fund told CFR last November.

Rebel killing raises stakes in Pakistan

Ahmed Rashid: By killing Bugti, the army is sending a clear message to nationalists in other provinces as to how they will be dealt with if they rear their heads.

Energy key to Japan's Central Asia ties

The visit is the first to Central Asia by a Japanese prime minister, and comes amid efforts in Tokyo to build stronger ties with the resource-rich region, especially as Chinese and Russian influence there have also increased.

Afghanistan: Disputes Spur His Critics, Karzai Says

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 26 — President Hamid Karzai said Saturday that recent criticism of his leadership and his administration stemmed from disagreements that he had had with some partners of the United States-led coalition in Afghanistan over the conduct of military operations.

Picture bleak for women in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Violence against women in Afghanistan is widespread and mainly happens inside victims' homes, according to a U.N. survey released Monday.

Wolesi Jirga condemns Bugti's killing

KABUL, Aug 28 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The Wolesi Jirga or lower house of parliament on Monday condemned the killing of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti in a military operation in Pakistan.

Senators angry over civilians' killing in Kunar

KABUL, Aug 27 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Member of the Meshrano Jirga or upper house of parliament on Sunday warned bombing populated areas and killing civilians could result in an uprising in the country.

Losing Afghanistan -- Editorial

Friday, August 25, 2006

Moscow making Central Asia its own -- By M K Bhadrakumar

When President Vladimir Putin in his State of the Union speech last year called the collapse of the Soviet Union "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century", cold warriors on both sides of the Atlantic pounced on the statement as fresh evidence of Russia's imperial ambitions.

Afghanistan: New Supreme Court Could Mark Genuine Departure, Amin Tarzi

To date, Afghanistan's judiciary has remained mostly in the hands of men from conservative religious circles. Since the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001, conservative circles have been in firm control of the judiciary, most notably the Supreme Court.

Bush invites Afghan counterpart Karzai to US

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Israel army chief admits failures

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Office of the President

Afghans' faith in leader Karzai shaken

Kabul, Afghanistan - The bloodiest fighting since the Taliban's fall, abject failure to control the drug trade and gaping disparities between rich and poor are shaking the credibility of Afghanistan's U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai.

U.S. Spy Agencies Criticized On Iran

Astronomers Say Pluto Is Not a Planet

The solar system now has only eight planets, an international group of astronomers announced today, after taking a vote to demote Pluto from planetary status.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Afghan President Under Fire Over Poverty

While a small elite has enjoyed unprecedented prosperity, more than half of Afghanistan's 31 million people live below the poverty line and 40 percent are unemployed. Electricity and water shortages are acute. Illicit crops like opium represent more than a third of gross domestic product. "People want jobs and security, but the government cannot provide them with either," said Akhgar. "People also complain about corruption and government does nothing about it."

The 'New Middle East' Bush Is Resisting

Now the cold war on Islamists has escalated into a shooting war, first against Hamas in Gaza and then against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel is perceived in the region, rightly or wrongly, to be an agent acting on behalf of U.S. interests.

Karzai to visit US

US President George Bush, in a telephone call on Tuesday, invited Karzai to visit the United States.

Sources of terrorism in Pakistan: German FM

Declining House Sales Indicate Slowing Economy

As housing inventories reached new highs, existing-home sales in the United States fell in July to its lowest rate in more than two years. Industry economists discuss the drop and the impact of the softening real estate market on the U.S. economy.

Using words, not guns, to protect Afghan schools

KABUL -- The schools of Afghanistan have endured a growing flurry of attacks in recent months: They've been bombed, shelled, burned, shot up and hit by rockets as Taliban insurgents target one of the most hopeful signs of reconstruction in this country.

Afghanistan: America's options

If US national security interests in Afghanistan are to be secured, then the evil spell cast by Pakistan has to be removed. Dr Subhash Kapila

Steinmeier Reasserts Germany's Pledge to Afghanistan

Deutsche Welle: German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier began his first visit to Afghanistan by urging the international community not to forget the war-torn country and reiterating Germany's own commitment.

Afghan Iraqistan

"If you fail in Afghanistan, we have lost the war against terror," Said Jawad, the country's ambassador in Washington, told the Daily News. Jawad has delivered that message to President Bush, but it's not clear if the White House is listening.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Nation Faltering, Afghans’ Leader Draws Criticism

LAHORE, Pakistan, Aug. 22 — After months of widespread frustration with corruption, the economy and a lack of justice and security, doubts about President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, and by extension the American-led effort to rebuild that nation, have led to a crisis of confidence.

Amnesty slams Israel 'war crimes'

Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing war crimes by deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in Lebanon.

Immigration Attorney Highlights Legal Problems

I wish that people would look at these as real human beings or imagine them as real human beings as opposed to people of a certain appearance or different language who are "invading" our country, because nobody has invaded this country since immigrants from Europe came and conquered the Indians.

Analysis: Problems in the Middle East

Rashid Khalidi, I do not think that the debate in the United States over when we should withdraw is the right debate. I think we should be looking very carefully at the roots of this. And the roots of this do include problems inside Middle Eastern civilizations and in Iraqi culture, but to ignore the degree to which we have smashed that country, as Israel has smashed Lebanon, is irresponsible, in my view.

On the Trail of the Fast-Food Jihadists

Natural Resources are Fuelling a New Cold War

Oil and gas supplies are becoming scarcer and more expensive. The hunt for the world's remaining resources is creating new alliances and the danger of fresh conflicts. China is moving aggressively to satiate its growing appetite for energy, potentially setting up a confrontation with the United States over the dwindling resources of the Middle East and Africa.

Israeli reserve soldiers accuse government of 'cold feet' over conflict

President on a Mission

"We're not leaving so long as I'm the president," Bush said. "That would be a huge mistake."

Iran Reportedly Rejects Demands to Halt Nuclear Efforts

Cost of Senate Immigration Bill Put at $126 Billion

Karzai says world not doing enough on Afghan drugs

KABUL (Reuters) - Drugs pose a far greater threat to Afghanistan than terrorism but the international community is not doing enough to tackle the scourge, President Hamid Karzai said on Tuesday.

Monday, August 21, 2006

AUDITING AFGHANISTAN

The two faces of Pakistan -- by PRAVEEN SWAMI

The West tends to see the Musharraf regime as the last barricade against an Islamist coup, but Islamabad continues to support terrorism.

Spanta lauds German's help in reconstruction

Spanta said both Germany and Afghanistan had deep and historical bonds of friendship and interaction between them. He said they were grateful to the generous support of people of Germany in helping Afghans' resistance against the Red Army. The minister also thanked Germany for providing asylum to thousands of Afghan refugees during the occupation of the country.

Cold War Missiles Target of Blackout

Millions of dollars worth of aid money is being wasted

Pakistan eyes Afghan link in foiled London plot

"So far, all agencies have failed to break [Mr. Rauf] in identifying the Afghan national who works as a frontline man of Al Qaeda," says an intelligence official, speaking anonymously. Afghan officials have repeatedly rejected such claims, characterizing them as diversionary tactics. Casting some doubt on any Afghan connection are the facts that Pakistan and Afghanistan frequently exchange accusations and the possibility that Rauf may be saying what his Pakistani interrogators want to hear.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Islamic paranoia rivals Nazis’ -- by Jonah Goldberg

President Bush undoubtedly didn’t have any of this in mind this week when he dubbed our enemies in the war on terror “Islamic fascists.” But his comments – analytically flawed as they may be – added some much-needed moral clarity to our current struggle.

Bush Signs Sweeping Revision of Pension Law

The new law will force most private employers that provide traditional pensions to their workers to pump tens of billions of dollars more into those systems over seven years while making it easier to expand 401(k) and IRA retirement plans. But the law cuts a break to the financially troubled airline industry, where the pensions of tens of thousands of workers have been endangered.

Judge Rules Against Wiretaps

Ruling in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and other advocacy groups in the Eastern District of Michigan, Taylor said that the NSA wiretapping program, aimed at communications by potential terrorists, violates privacy and free speech rights and the constitutional separation of powers among the three branches of government. She also found that the wiretaps violate the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the 1978 law instituted to provide judicial oversight of clandestine surveillance within the United States.

Editorial, Ruling for the Law

The ruling eviscerated the absurd notion on which the administration’s arguments have been based: that Congress authorized Mr. Bush to do whatever he thinks is necessary when it authorized the invasion of Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Leader Faces Increasing Political Challenges

Friday, August 18, 2006

Pakistan: Plot Mastermind in Afghanistan

A U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan said Pakistan routinely shares terror-related information with American counterparts, but he could not comment on whether Islamabad had notified U.S. authorities about the al-Qaida operative.

Afghan President Blames U.S. Airstrike for 10 Deaths

ISTANBUL Islam and the West!

What's going on, exactly? Some hawks in the West talk about a "clash of civilizations." This is a perilously shallow idea. The world's 1.2 billion Muslims, some of whom live happily in Western societies, do not constitute a single entity that sees itself engaged in a war of civilizations.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Afghan spy chief urges Pakistan action on enemies

KABUL (Reuters) - Pakistan is the main source of Afghanistan's insecurity, the country's intelligence chief said on Thursday, adding that there could be no peace here if the war against Islamic militants was not shifted to include Pakistan.

A Cult Following for the Elvis of Afghanistan

A Kabul singing school draws fans of Ahmad Zahir, who died 27 years ago under mysterious circumstances.

Just whose side is Pakistan really on?

"The moment I heard the first news about the airline plot, I knew it was just a matter of time until we heard the word Pakistan,” said a US intelligence agent. “Whether it’s 9/11, the Bali bombs, 7/7 and now this, Pakistan is always the connection. That’s gotta raise some questions." The roots of Pakistan’s reputation as a haven for jihadists run deep. It was, after all, in the city of Peshawar that Al-Qaeda was born after ISI, Pakistan’s military intelligence, started to recruit Arabs to fight in the Afghan jihad.

UNITED NATIONS GIVES $11 MILLION FOR AFGHANISTAN DROUGHT

NEW YORK, 14 August (OCHA) -- The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has allocated $11 million from the rapid response component of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for emergency relief for drought-stricken Afghanistan.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Pakistan says 'ringleader' admits link with al-Qaida

Reports in Pakistani newspapers yesterday that Mr Rauf had "broken" under interrogation were described by a Pakistani human rights group as confirmation that he had been tortured.

U.S. Eases Rules on Carry-On Luggage

Afghanistan Denies U.K. Terror Plot Link

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghanistan's foreign ministry on Sunday denied any Afghan al-Qaida connection to a plot to blow up jetliners over the Atlantic, rejecting a Pakistani allegation. "(Afghanistan) has become an inhospitable environment for al-Qaida to commission any terrorist attacks outside Afghanistan," the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.

Annan praises Middle East resolution as key step on road to lasting ceasefire

In a unanimous vote, conducted after weeks of intensive diplomacy with Mr. Annan pushing for action, the 15-member Council called for Hizbollah to stop all attacks immediately and for Israel to cease “all offensive military operations.”

Friday, August 11, 2006

112 Year-Old Afghan Man Welcomes U.S.

"I like the Americans because they say they are not here to occupy us, but they better not change their minds," the leathery-skinned Mohammed said Thursday at a U.S. base in far-eastern Afghanistan's village of Naray, in mountainous Kunar province. "I might not be strong enough to pick up an AK-47, but I can still hit them with my cane," he quips with a grin before his toothless mouth opens wide with laughter.

Plot to Bomb U.S.-Bound Jets Is Foiled

British authorities had been secretly watching the alleged conspirators, most of them British citizens of Pakistani origin, since late last year, officials said, and moved in to make arrests after concluding they were close to trying to stage their suicide attacks. Officials warned that some members of the plot may remain at large.

The Only Option Is to Win

Yesterday on this page, in a serious and thoughtful survey of a world in crisis, Richard Holbrooke listed 13 countries that could be involved in violence in the near future: Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Somalia. And in addition, of course, the United States.

Diplomats Agree on Resolution Text

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 11 -- American, French and British diplomats have agreed on the text of a U.N. Security Council resolution to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, a senior State Department official said this afternoon. The official said Israel and Lebanon appear willing to support the draft resolution.

U.K. Bank Freezes Assets of 19 Terror Suspects

LONDON, Aug. 11 --Britain's central bank on Friday named 19 people arrested in connection with the alleged plot to blow up passenger jets over the Atlantic Ocean as fresh details about the international counter-terrorism investigation emerged in reports from London, Washington and Pakistan. One person arrested in Britain was reportedly released without charge.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

The Forgotten War

With a few stellar exceptions, the U.S. media have largely ignored the fighting in Afghanistan. Here’s why that’s a serious mistake.

Three-quarters of US aid to Afghanistan going on security

KABUL (AFP) - The United States said it will give Afghanistan 3.2 billion dollars in aid this year, with more than three-quarters earmarked for boosting the insurgency-racked country's army and police.

The Guns Of August

Two full-blown crises, in Lebanon and Iraq, are merging into a single emergency. A chain reaction could spread quickly almost anywhere between Cairo and Bombay.

Kabul Wilts Under Power Cuts

The Failed States Index -- FOREIGN POLICY

Democracy may be spreading, but is the world more stable?

The Terrorism Index -- FOREIGN POLICY

Is the United States winning the war on terror?

Bush says US at war with "Islamic fascists"

UK general warns over Afghanistan fighting

Britain Thwarts Airline Terror Plot

President Bush called the alleged plot "a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation."

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Afghans Condemn Killing of Widow and Son

The woman was shot dead and her son was hanged by an electric wire from a tree Monday, the provincial governor’s spokesman said.

U.S. Directs Criticism at Israel

War Crimes Act Changes Would Reduce Threat Of Prosecution

Officials say the amendments would alter a U.S. law passed in the mid-1990s that criminalized violations of the Geneva Conventions, a set of international treaties governing military conduct in wartime. The conventions generally bar the cruel, humiliating and degrading treatment of wartime prisoners without spelling out what all those terms mean.

Eight Issues That Will Shape the 2006 Elections

Which party will control Congress?

U.S. Forces Push Further Into Afghanistan

On Monday, about 100 U.S. and Afghan forces launched an operation in Nuristan province to destroy a suspected anti-craft gun operated by militants and threatening American helicopters flying between Kamdesh and Naray, said Capt. Dan Walker of the 4th Battalion, 25th Artillery Unit of the 10th Mountain Division.

Karzai: One term is enough

In an exclusive interview with Fortune, the 49-year-old Karzai said, "I don't think it is good to be running all the time. Let other people get a chance to run."

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

The battle to rebuild Afghanistan

As more than 5,000 British troops are being deployed in Afghanistan, it is becoming clear that the dire security situation is just one of many obstacles that hold back reconstruction efforts.

Millions of dollars worth of aid money is being wasted”

Ashraf Ghani: "More than 90% of the more than $1bn that was spent on about 400 UN projects in Afghanistan in 2002 was a waste of money." Mr Ghani believes the Afghan government could build a school for about $40,000 (£23,000), a fraction of the $250,000 cost racked up when one international aid agency took on the task of delivering 500 schools.

We've failed in Iraq: let's get it right in Afghanistan

Meanwhile, British troops are engaged alongside our US and Nato allies in a mission in Afghanistan in which we must not fail, because the consequences of any failure there, unlike in Iraq, will be felt on our own doorstep in the equally lethal forms of increased heroin supply and increased domestic terrorism. An Afghanistan not brought into the 21st century will be fertile territory for both.

Baba-i-Millat confers Malalai award on UN official

KABUL, Aug 7 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Former monarch and Baba-i-Millat Zahir Shah conferred Afghanistan's "Malalai Qahraman" award on Thusitha Pilapitiya, a UNDP official in recognition of her services in supporting the establishment of the Baba-i-Millat confering award on UN official parliamentary support project.

France takes lead role on Lebanon

France insisted there could be no military solution to the crisis - so Israel must stop the shooting, as well as Hezbollah.

The dishonesty and stupidity behind this Afghan fiasco is beyond belief -- By Simon Jenkins .

US defends opium policy despite Afghanistan violence

Monday, August 07, 2006

Congress Cautioned On Support of Israel

Even as the fighting continues and the civilian casualties mount in Lebanon, sentiment in Congress is overwhelmingly on Israel's side. Last week, the House passed a resolution, 410 to 8, that went even beyond the Bush administration in supporting for Israel in its battle with Hezbollah militants.

A string of intelligence failures

Despite being armed with the latest high-tech paraphernalia, the richest countries in the world have gone through stunning reversals of fortune when it comes to intelligence gathering and assessment.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Books: 'The Places in Between'

Author Rory Stewart will be online Thursday, Aug. 10, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss "The Places in Between," a memoir of his journey on foot through Afghanistan in January of 2002.

The neocons' next war -- By Sidney Blumenthal

08/03/06 "Salon" -- -- The National Security Agency is providing signal intelligence to Israel to monitor whether Syria and Iran are supplying new armaments to Hezbollah as it fires hundreds of missiles into northern Israel, according to a national security official with

Kabul's Uneasy Summer

Returning to the Afghan capital after four years, a reporter finds a new openness and vibrancy, but detects a hint of Iraq in the air.

Who's the extremist? -- The Guardian

Tony Blair's speech to the World Affairs Council in Los Angeles was revealing. His definition of the "arc of extremism" applies to himself perfectly.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

KARZAI'S GERMANS, Going Home to Afghanistan

Leftist intellectual Spanta wrote his dissertation under Kurt Lenk, a student of the German philosopher Theodor Adorno, on the problems of the third world, as illustrated by Afghanistan's vicious circle of war, underdevelopment and resistance. He likes to quote Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci, and he recommends what he calls the "long march through the institutions" -- not in Europe but in his country in the Hindukush region.

Israel/Lebanon: End Indiscriminate Strikes on Civilians

The pattern of attacks shows the Israeli military’s disturbing disregard for the lives of Lebanese civilians. Our research shows that Israel’s claim that Hezbollah fighters are hiding among civilians does not explain, let alone justify, Israel’s indiscriminate warfare.
Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch

Afghanistan Deports Christian Koreans

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Afghanistan on Thursday ordered hundreds of South Korean Christians to leave the country, accusing them of seeking to undermine Islamic culture.

Jordanian king 'enraged by war'

King Abdullah of Jordan has publicly criticised the United States and Israel over the fighting in Lebanon. The Jordanian monarch blamed Israel's harsh military campaign in Lebanon for undermining the voice of moderation in the Arab world, saying the Arab people now saw Hezbollah as the hero because it was fighting Israel's aggression.

France Circulates Revised Resolution on Mideast

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- France circulated a revised U.N. resolution Thursday calling for an immediate halt to Israeli-Hezbollah fighting and spelling out conditions for a permanent cease-fire.

Mideast trouble should not deflect focus on Afghanistan: minister

CONSUMER PROTECTION:

Barbara Boxer, US Senator, We expose ourselves to this risk almost every day, any time we use a credit card, provide a Social Security number, or withdraw money from an automatic teller machine.

A forgotten conflict

THE world, preoccupied with the Middle East conflict, appears to have completely forgotten Afghanistan, the other conflict, the other front. Yet this was the country that US President Bush, not long ago described as the first front in the so-called war on terror and ‘greater struggle’ for democracy in the Muslim world. Where is Afghanistan headed today? Unfortunately, no one seems to have an idea, not the US-led 'coalition of the willing' and not certainly the government of President Hamid Karzai.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Lebanese-Americans Disagree with U.S. and Israeli Policy Towards Lebanon

ADAM SALEH: The intensity of bombardment and the indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas that I personally witnessed has led me to believe that the actions of the Israeli government, and the Israeli air force, and their defense forces have gone way, way too far, and it's very disproportionate. It's very wrong to kill civilians the way they're being killed. They're unarmed; it should not happen that way.

Afghanistan Advised on Fighting Drug Trade

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Anti-drug police from Colombia have been touring Afghanistan to advise it on how to combat its booming illegal drug trade, officials said Tuesday.

Future of Orthodox Jewish Vote Has Implications for GOP

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Government must first disarm Afghan warlords

Afghans need peace, justice and equality. The Hamid Karzai government and the international community must first and foremost disarm the warlords.

Afghans struggle in face of drought

Deh Sabz, in the local Dari language, means "green village". But this year Deh Sabz, near Kabul, like much of Afghanistan, is dusty and brown.

Lebanese Special Envoy Tarek Mitri Calls for Immediate Ceasefire

TAREK MITRI: Our country continues to be the victim of a collective punishment. The country is being destroyed. I don't know what military strategy, I don't know what the time frame that is in the minds of the Israelis, but I know that they have been destroying my country, harming the civilian population everywhere. But you cannot support a government while you're allowing its country to be ruined. No government democratically elected can survive on the ruins of its country. Those who affirmed that they support our government need to stop Israel from continuing to destroy our country.