World Update #1

To make sure everybody understands what's going on in the world, we here at the Foreign Harbinger are pleased to give you rightful balanced news.

Here's what's lighting up the media's cigarettes right now.

ISRAEL 

As for the white phosphorous, the IDF says it is used by armies all over the world in legal munitions for flares and smokescreens, but that it is investigating the firing by a reserve brigade of about 20 phosphorous shells in the Bet Lehiya area of northern Gaza where civilians may unintentionally have been hit. … As the dust settles, the question of whether Israel actually broke the rules of war and whether any of its soldiers will face judicial proceedings is one of the major issues that have come to the fore.

 

SAUDI ARABIA

A Turkish state prosecutor has launched an investigation into allegations that Israel's offensive in Gaza amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity, a human rights group said yesterday. … The complaint named 19 people including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, President Shimon Peres, as well as Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. … "We submitted the complaint against those who we could prove were in some way responsible for giving orders for the attack on Gaza," Meryem Sari, an attorney, said. "The complaint asks that Turkey be given the right to try the people mentioned."

CHINA

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith told reporters that he was aware of a number of allegations of atrocities by the Israeli military during its incursion into the Gaza Strip in the past two weeks. … There were also allegations the Israeli military had used phosphorous bombs which cause chemical burns to victims. … Smith also announced an extra 5 million Aust. dollars ($3.3 million) in humanitarian assistance from Australia to address food shortages, medical supply shortages and the displacement of families in Gaza.

RUSSIA

Israel has been systematically carrying out genocide, indeed a holocaust, against the Palestinian people…very literally. Most recently, Israel used a weapon of mass destruction known as phosphorous bombs which literally set people on fire. This type of murderous behavior has been going on since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Additionally, there are "Jews only" roads. … The International Federation of Journalists has condemned Israel's targeting of journalists. In Gaza City, journalists held a sit-in after Israeli forces bombed the Jawhara Media Building killing a journalist, Ala' Murtaja.

HAMAS

Khaled Meshaal, chief of Hamas, was interviewed by an Italian newspaper and told them that he credits the way that US President Barack Obama has communicated his ideas to the Middle East.  The President has called for “new beginning” in relations with Iran.  Mr. Meshaal has high hopes and strongly believes the Palestinian Islamist movement is only a ‘matter of time’.  He said this to the newspaper "The challenge for everybody is for this to be the prelude for a genuine change in US and European policies. Regarding an official opening towards Hamas, it's a matter of time.” Nobody is willing to deal with Hamas, unless they stop violence and recognize Israel, nobody being, US EU and UN.

IRAN

Five Britons were taken hostage about two years ago, four of the men were security guards of information technology consultant Peter Moore.  They were kidnapped by heavily armed men in police uniforms in central Baghdad.  There have been a few videos released by those holding the men, where the Britons were explaining how well they were being treated.  A new video recently surfaced with demands for Britain.  The US believes that the Shiite extremists are being backed by Iran.

 

Also, the Iranian leaders have responded to US President Barack Obama’s offer to the Middle East of better relations.  Iran wants better treatment from the US, one way would be to give back frozen assets.  Iran’s leaders were caught saying that they were not impressed by the lack of change so far with the United States’ new administration. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said this in a recent speech “You change, our behaviour will change.”  He also said that more than just a change in US rhetoric was needed, he said that the US is ‘hated in the world’ and should not continue with it’s interference with the global community.  The city of Tehran has stated that it will not let it’s guard down until US troops are out of its borders in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

An interesting speech by Barack Obama was recently made about the Middle East.  He talked about putting the Middle East back on the agenda and most surprisingly he said that the Palestinian's needed a state.
 

More to come..