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Britain to Send 1,000 More Troops to Afghanistan
The United Kingdom is reportedly answering the call by the American commander in Afghanistan for additional troop-strength by sending 1,000 more soldiers. Although not official as yet, The Times is reporting that plans are being drawn up. U.S. General Stanley McChrystal, who also heads the NATO forces in Afghanistan, has called for a “military surge” to turn the tide in the conflict, mimicking the “surge” which was credited with positive results in Iraq. At 10,000 soldiers, Britain is the second largest fighting force among the NATO contingency in the conflict after the United States. McChrystal wants 30,000 more soldiers, most of which will be Americans fighting with NATO.
Obama, ‘Abbas and Netanyahu Together in New York Expectations are low for a three-way meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama; Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud ‘Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. The White House had envisioned the summit to be the starting point of a return to serious peace talks under American supervision and sent mideast envoy George Mitchell to the region to get the pieces in place. But the Palestinian refusal to sit with Netanyahu until he declares a total freeze on building in Israeli communities located on territory acquired in the 1967 war has stymied any hope of progress. Mitchell remained in the area until the last minute, hoping to cajole Netanyahu and ‘Abbas to meet in New York on the sidelines of the opening sessions of the U.N. General Assembly. But the only thing Mitchell could scratch out is a photo-op that both sides have specifically cautioned should not be seen as “negotiations.” Reports from Washington, New York and Jerusalem indicate that President Obama has not removed the pressure and still wants to pull off something more significant than a mere photo-op.
Deputy FM Ayalon: Peres’s Comment to Medvedev Not A Guarantee Against Action A day after Russian President Medvedev quoted Israeli President Peres as saying Israel will not attack Iranian nuclear sites; Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister cautioned that the military option remains very much alive. Medvedev told CNN that Peres had promised there will be no Israeli raid. Danny Ayalon, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States and the number two in the Foreign Ministry, told Reuters news agency that he doubts “the Russian president is authorized to speak for Israel and certainly we have not taken any option off the table." That sentiment was echoed by Israel’s army chief-of-staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, who told Army Radio that, “Israel has the right to defend itself, and all the options are on the table."
Palestinian Killed as He Tried to Ram Checkpoint Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man who tried to crash his car into a checkpoint outside an Israeli community in post-1967 territory on Monday. The Israelis opened fire after the vehicle hit the checkpoint, injuring one soldier. The incident took place outside Beitar Illit, a religious community presently building new housing units in the face of strong Palestinian opposition.
World Bank Approves $10 Million Development Program for Palestinians A $10 million grant for the purpose of improving management practices and foster transparency has been approved for the Palestinian Authority by the World Bank’s directors. The multi-phase project promotes efficiency, energy-saving and responsiveness to citizens.
U.S. and Israel to Continue Joint Anti-Missile Exercise Which Began in 2000 The United States and Israel will again conduct joint anti-missile exercises in a program carried out biannually since 2000. The exercise, called Operation Juniper, simulates a combined missile attack from Syria, Iran, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. The exercise is slated for October. Military planners in Israel believe any major attack by Iran or Syria will be accompanied by heavy shelling and rocket fire from Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s advanced anti-missile umbrella is a combination of Israeli and American technology.
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