Tag: Peace Process

How To Mend A Broken War

Donny has been trying to get our attention away from his failed war that Israel conned him into fighting….but so far he has done a terrible job of doing so.

There have been many articles written about how the US could end this war and few are very pleasant…..but then I read an op-ed by Kristof…..

Nicholas Kristof sees the Iran war as a major miscalculation by President Trump, and he warns in a New York Times opinion piece that things could get far worse if Trump doubles down instead of finding a way out. What to do? “His least-bad option, I believe, is to do roughly what he did when he bungled policy toward China and Yemen last year,” writes Kristof. “In each case he boldly declared victory and then frantically negotiated. The United States ended up the loser, particularly vis-à-vis China, but at least the storms calmed.”

The same could happen here, he writes. After declaring that his war aims have been achieved, Trump should press Israel to stand down and quietly seek a negotiated pause in Iran’s nuclear work in exchange for some sanctions relief. “I don’t know if a deal is possible, and it would require immense finesse,” writes Kristof. “But Iran does need revenue and investment, and a reduction in sanctions would be very appealing.” Let everyone declare victory, he advises, because “intensifying and lengthening this war would leave everyone a loser.”

Read the full piece.

To me this idea has Donny written all over it.  He could declare himself the winner and start doing his ‘stable genius’ crap and negotiate.

Then what would Iran do?

After the violation by Israel and the US would they be willing to saddle up with the US?

Then there is Israel…..could Donny con them into stop their blood lust long enough to find a solution.

Like I said the idea sounds good but there are so many moving parts that Donny may have a hard time keeping up.

Any thoughts of this possibility?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego erego scribo”

Democracy For A Peaceful World

Since the early years of my schooling I was taught that the US was a beacon of freedom and democracy in this world.

The original mission statement for the Department of State was that it was to promote democracy and human rights….I believe that mission statement has been changed in the last few months.

The high moral ideal that democracy promotes peace is being challenged these days.

This is an article from Switzerland…..

Switzerland is not only a peaceful, democratic country, it is also – as stated in its constitution – committed to democracy and the peaceful “coexistence of peoples” worldwide. The extent to which democracy and peace are linked from a Swiss perspective is demonstrated by the fact that the promotion of democracy is the responsibility of the “Peace and Human Rights” department in the foreign ministry.

The perspective that democratisation brings peace has also had an impact internationally since 1945. Since the Second World War, the number of interstate wars has decreased and the number of democratic states has increased.

In 2024, there were once again more autocratic states than democratic ones. And liberal democracies, which respect the rights and freedoms of the individual, have even become a rare form of government. Only 900 million people live in a liberal democracy. In contrast, 72% of the world’s population live in a dictatorship. This is the highest number since 1978. At the same time, Western countries, above all the US, are scaling back their promotion of democracy abroad.

Are these developments linked to the many conflicts that exist around the world?

In addition to peace, prosperity in particular has long been a promise of democratisation, political scientist Karina Mross told Swissinfo. “But the example of China has undermined this argument. Especially since China is trying to define its own form of democracy,” she said.

A few years ago, China presented an argument as to why dictatorship is “a democracy that works”External link. Authoritarian states are trying – also in international organisations – to counter the liberal order with their own alternative model of values and prosperity.

If the economic argument is dropped, the question arises as to whether democratisation is at least a guarantee for peace.

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/global-elections/does-democracy-really-make-the-world-more-peaceful/89646855

In recent years I have not seen the promise of democracy brings with it a peaceful world.

Has anyone else had this vision?

What makes anyone think that a country that spends a trillion dollars on war prep is working for a more peaceful world?

Indicators point o a problem….

In 2024, the number of state-based conflicts worldwide reached its highest level since 1946. Military expenditures have risen for 10 consecutive years, surpassing $2.7 trillion annually.

A record number of children have been victims of armed conflict, and gains in women’s rights hang in the balance around the world amid record levels of conflict.

The world is confronting converging crises. In September 2024, the United Nations convened the Summit for the Future, an initiative by the UN secretary-general aimed at addressing the collapse of the post-Cold War multilateral system, as well as the increasing number of conflicts and humanitarian emergencies. All of this is occurring in the climate change era.

https://theconversation.com/the-world-on-the-brink-why-governments-must-invest-in-peace-not-just-arms-264543

The world does not need more wars….even our once proud nation has been slowly drifting away from being a safe place….

Global Peace Index (GPI), released annually by the Institute for Economics & Peace, provides a look at the country’s overall safety and security—and it’s concerning. The Index rates more than 160 nations on factors like crime, conflict, and military spending. In the most recent report, the United States ranks near the bottom.

The 2025 results officially place the U.S. among the least peaceful countries in the world. Here’s more insight into why America’s score is so low and how it compares with other nations.

https://www.thetravel.com/study-shows-us-one-of-least-peaceful-countries-in-the-world/

How sad is that?  But not to worry it will make america great again, right?

Just wondering.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Yet Another Peace Plan

The Ukraine-Russia conflict has seen several peace proposals from countries around the globe….from Brazil, China, Turkey, et al and now a new proposal will be presented to both sides….this time African nations will do the presenting.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed to host a delegation of African leaders to discuss a potential peace plan for the conflict in Ukraine.

“My discussions with the two leaders demonstrated that they are both ready to receive the African leaders and to have discussion on how this conflict can be brought to an end,” Ramaphosa said, according to DW. “Whether that will succeed or not is going to depend on the discussions that will be held.”

On top of Ramaphosa, the leaders of Senegal, Uganda, Egypt, the Republic of the Congo, and Zambia also support the plan. Ramaphosa did not give a timeline on when the visits to Moscow and Kyiv might happen.

The news of the African-led peace push comes as China has dispatched a senior envoy to visit Ukraine, Russia, and other countries in the region in an effort to foster dialogue. Li Hui, China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, was expected to arrive in Ukraine on Tuesday.

The US has not been happy with South Africa’s neutrality in the Ukraine conflict and recently accused Pretoria of aiding Russia. The US ambassador to South Africa claimed without evidence that a Russian ship that recently docked in the country was loaded with arms.

According to Ramaphosa, the US and Britain have expressed “cautious” support for the African-led peace push. The New York Times reported last week that US officials are “wary of any calls for an immediate ceasefire or peace talks.”

(antiwar.com)

The plan is supported by the leaders of South Africa, Senegal, Uganda, Egypt, the Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.

Specifics are slim at this draft….but I will be watching and writing as soon as more info is available.

Somewhere sanity must prevail and a plan be formulated that will end the carnage in Ukraine.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Peace In Their Time

I know to most I am an old hippie, a peace-nik, but sense I am antiwar what would you expect?

I believe that there is an opportunity for a negotiation….below is a plan offered up by Medea Benjamin and Nicholas J.S. Davies (I post the full plan because most do not bother to click on the link and this is a good plan and deserves more exposure)

Here are eight reasons why this holiday season too offers the potential for peace and a chance to move the conflict in Ukraine from the battlefield to the negotiating table.

1. The first, and most urgent reason, is the incredible, daily death and suffering in Ukraine, and the chance to save millions more Ukrainians from being forced to leave their homes, their belongings and the conscripted menfolk they may never see again.

With Russia’s bombing of key infrastructure, millions of people in Ukraine currently have no heat, electricity or water as temperatures drop below freezing. The CEO of Ukraine’s largest electric corporation has urged millions more Ukrainians to leave the country, ostensibly for just a few months, to reduce demand on the war-damaged power network.

The war has wiped out at least 35% of the country’s economy, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The only way to halt the meltdown of the economy and the suffering of the Ukrainian people is to end the war.

2. Neither side can achieve a decisive military victory, and with its recent military gains, Ukraine is in a good negotiating position.

It has become clear that U.S. and NATO military leaders do not believe, and possibly have never believed, that their publicly stated goal of helping Ukraine to recover Crimea and all of Donbas by force is militarily achievable.

In fact, Ukraine’s military chief of staff warned President Zelensky in April 2021 that such a goal would not be achievable without “unacceptable” levels of civilian and military casualties, leading him to call off plans for an escalation of the civil war at that time.

Biden’s top military advisor, Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, told the Economic Club of New York on November 9, “There has to be a mutual recognition that military victory is probably, in the true sense of the word, not achievable through military means…&quot

French and German military reviews of Ukraine’s position are reportedly more pessimistic than US ones, assessing that the current appearance of military parity between the two sides will be short-lived. This adds weight to Milley’s assessment, and suggests that this could well be the best chance Ukraine will get to negotiate from a position of relative strength.

3. US government officials, especially in the Republican Party, are starting to balk at the prospect of continuing this enormous level of military and economic support. Having taken control of the House, Republicans are promising more scrutiny of Ukraine aid. Congressman Kevin McCarthy, who will become Speaker of the House, warned that Republicans would not write a “blank check” for Ukraine. This reflects the growing opposition at the base of the Republican Party, with a Wall Street Journal November poll showing that 48% of Republicans say the US is doing too much to help Ukraine, up from 6% in March.

4. The war is causing upheavals in Europe. Sanctions on Russian energy have sent inflation in Europe skyrocketing and caused a devastating squeeze on energy supplies that is crippling the manufacturing sector. Europeans are increasingly feeling what German media call Kriegsmudigkeit.

This translates as “war-weariness,” but that is not an entirely accurate characterization of the growing popular sentiment in Europe. “War-wisdom” may describe it better.

People have had many months to consider the arguments for a long, escalating war with no clear endgame – a war that is sinking their economies into a recession – and more of them than ever now tell pollsters they would support renewed efforts to find a diplomatic solution. That includes 55% in Germany, 49% in Italy, 70% in Romania and 92% in Hungary.

5. Most of the world is calling for negotiations. We heard this at the 2022 UN General Assembly, where one after another, 66 world leaders, representing a majority of the world’s population, eloquently spoke out for peace talks. Philip Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, was one of them, pleading with Russia, Ukraine and the Western powers “to immediately end the conflict in Ukraine, by undertaking immediate negotiations to permanently settle all disputes in accordance with the principles of the United Nations.”

As the Amir of Qatar told the Assembly, “We are fully aware of the complexities of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the international and global dimension to this crisis. However, we still call for an immediate ceasefire and a peaceful settlement, because this is ultimately what will happen regardless of how long this conflict will go on for. Perpetuating the crisis will not change this result. It will only increase the number of casualties, and it will increase the disastrous repercussions on Europe, Russia and the global economy.”

6. The war in Ukraine, like all wars, is catastrophic for the environment. Attacks and explosions are reducing all kinds of infrastructure–railways, electrical grids, apartment buildings, oil depots–to charred rubble, filling the air with pollutants and blanketing cities with toxic waste that contaminates rivers and groundwater.

The sabotage of Russia’s underwater Nord Stream pipelines supplying Russian gas to Germany led to what may have been the largest release of methane gas emissions ever recorded, amounting to the annual emissions of a million cars. The shelling of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, including Zaporizhzhia, the largest in Europe, has raised legitimate fears of deadly radiation spreading throughout Ukraine and beyond.

Meanwhile, US and Western sanctions on Russian energy have triggered a bonanza for the fossil fuel industry, giving them a new justification to increase their dirty energy exploration and production and keep the world firmly on course for climate catastrophe.

7. The war has a devastating economic impact on countries across the world. The leaders of the world’s largest economies, the Group of 20, said in a declaration at the end of their November summit in Bali that the Ukraine war “is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy – constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity and elevating financial stability risks.”

Our long-standing failure to invest the relatively small proportion of our resources required to eradicate poverty and hunger on our otherwise rich and abundant planet already condemns millions of our brothers and sisters to squalor, misery and early deaths.

Now this is compounded by the climate crisis, as entire communities are washed away by flood waters, burned out by wildfires or starved by multi-year droughts and famines. International cooperation has never been more urgently needed to confront problems that no country can solve on its own. Yet wealthy nations still prefer to put their money into weapons and war instead of adequately addressing the climate crisis, poverty or hunger.

8. The last reason, which dramatically reinforces all the other reasons, is the danger of nuclear war. Even if our leaders had rational reasons to favor an open-ended, ever-escalating war over a negotiated peace in Ukraine – and there are certainly powerful interests in the weapons and fossil fuel industries that would profit from that – the existential danger of what this could lead to absolutely must tip the balance in favor of peace.

This war needs to end….the death and destruction only effects the Ukrainians….that should be the ONLY reason for this conflict to end.

Since you do not have the problems, the death, the hunger, the cold and the constant war….maybe you should look at it from the average Ukrainian before you make any observations.

I know we hate Putin and want to see him destroyed….fanciful for I do not think that end will be realized….so I think that all aspects and plans should be considered.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Peace For Ukraine?

The war in Ukraine is drawing close to a year long…..a peaceful conclusion is further away than it was just last month….but many Americans, me included, think that diplomacy should be the only aid in this conflict…..

Nearly 60 percent of Americans would support the United States engaging in diplomatic efforts “as soon as possible” to end the war in Ukraine, even if that means Ukraine having to make concessions to Russia, according to a new poll. 

The survey, conducted by Data for Progress on behalf of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, also found that a plurality (49 percent) said the Biden administration and Congress have not done enough diplomatically to help end the war (37 percent said they had). 

The poll’s release comes after Vladimir Putin doubled down on Russia’s war in Ukraine by mobilizing reserves and issuing threats to use nuclear weapons after recent gains by the Ukrainian military near the country’s eastern border with Russia. 

Moscow has also recently orchestrated referendums in some Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine on whether citizens there want to secede and become part of the Russian Federation, leading experts to believe that regardless of the outcome, Putin plans to illegally annex parts of Ukraine. 

Poll: Americans support quick diplomatic end to war in Ukraine

There are some that are working to a dip0lomatic end…..like retired Adm Mullen…..

Retired Adm. Mike Mullen said Sunday that the US should work quickly to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

Mullen, who served as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff for George W. Bush and Barack Obama, told ABC that President Biden should “back off” his talk of nuclear armageddon and work to end the war.

“President Biden’s language — we’re about at the top of the language scale, if you will. And I think we need to back off that a little bit and do everything we possibly can to try to get to the table to resolve this thing,” Mullen said.

He said that it was up to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other diplomats to figure out how to bring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to the table for negotiations.

“As is typical in any war, it’s gotta end and usually there are negotiations associated with that. The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned,” Mullen added.

When discussing the risk of nuclear war, Mullen said that he has to take Putin seriously since he could use lower-yield tactical nuclear weapons and described the Russian president as a “cornered animal.”

(antiwar.com)

There are a couple things that could end this war…..some are a bit hard and others seem like logical thinking….

Biden offered no answers to his own questions. But one way might be for the western diplomatic community to put pressure on Kyiv to rein in its battlefield advances and to accept some territorial losses to Putin. This pressure could come from withholding the western-supplied arms or through the cutting of the major overseas funding that is currently keeping the whole Ukrainian economy afloat.

The levers are there. But they would be hard sells. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said many times that Ukraine would accept nothing less than a complete Russian withdrawal from its captured territory and many in the west would rail against any military or financial constraints being applied on Kyiv.

Another sop to Putin might be for Nato to say to Moscow that, unequivocally, Ukraine (and Georgia) will never be allowed to join the alliance. But this would have little support within NATO itself – and with countries like Sweden and Finland who also want to join.

Since there is seemingly no off ramp for Putin this could be a very long war that the US must bankroll……does Afghanistan come to mind?

Peace is always elusive….but as they say “where there is a will there is a way”….sadly there is NO will these days….and we all know why this is allowed to continue.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Can The War In Ukraine Ever End?

It is time for this thing to end!

The attack by Russia on the nation of Ukraine has been one of the big stories of 2022…..all the destruction, deaths and humanitarian crisis are all parts of any war….but the question is…how long will this conflict continue….or will it ever end?

My thought is the answer to the last question is….it will only end when the profits dwindle……so the short answer is…no time soon.

But let’s say there is a consensus on ending this conflict…..how will it play out?

Given the devastating effects of this war, first in Ukraine but also, through sanctions, on the world economy and the risks of famine that they entail, it seems obvious that the first task of any diplomat and political leader should be to end this war.

The problem is that there are at least two ways of considering how this will end and they are irreconcilable.

The first, which until recently was the view of the U.S. government, which is the view of the Ukrainian government, European Greens, and the majority of our media, is that the Russian invasion is illegitimate, unprovoked, and must simply be repelled: Ukraine must regain all of its territory, including Crimea (which has been attached to Russia since 2014).

The other, supported by individuals as different as Chomsky, the Pope, Lula in Brazil, and Kissinger, is that a negotiated solution is inevitable, which in practice means Ukraine giving up territories such as Crimea and Donbass and presumably other regions, as well as agreeing to the neutrality of that country.

The supporters of the first solution shower those of the second with insults: Putin-lovers, pro-Russians, supporters of appeasement in the face of Russian fascism etc. But we can ask at least two questions about this first solution: is it fair? And is it realistic?

How To End the War in Ukraine?

Zelensky has stated that there will never be an exchange of territory……even thought he has signaled a possible compromise in the past……

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was willing to “compromise” over the country’s Donbas region. A core Russian demand has been that Ukraine gives up its territorial claim to the republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. However, Zelensky then appeared to contradict himself saying he would prioritize the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine.

….and the US will not push for a settlement to this situation….

John Kirby, the National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications, said Sunday that the US will not push Ukraine to reach a negotiated settlement with Russia even if the Biden administration thinks it’s the right thing to do.

Kirby, who recently joined the NSC after serving as the Pentagon’s spokesman, said that the US will continue to support Ukraine in its war and that it’s up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if and when to pursue negotiations with Moscow.

“[Zelensky] gets to determine how victory is decided and when and on what terms. And [what] we’re going to do is continue to make sure that can succeed on the battlefield so that he can succeed at the table. But even President Zelensky will tell you that the time is not now for those discussions,” Kirby said in an interview with Fox News.

(antiwar.com)

Throwing money at Ukraine does nothing to end this….

The US keeps pushing this war to continue until they see fit to call it over.

All this just illustrates the power and control the M-IC has over world events.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Ukraine–Will It Every End?

I have been critical of the US and the West because I do not see any effort to find a solution to the conflict other than sanctions (which do not seem to be working they way they were intended)….sorry but I do not see massive amounts of money spent on weapons is an accurate solution.

The media is not helping either….their daily reports on the suffering just sets the resolve to ‘kick Russia’s ass’……there is little objective reporting in the MSM…..and that will go a long way to a prolonged war.

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin openly acknowledged something that analysts and critics of American foreign policy have suspected since Russia attacked Ukraine in February: That one of the Biden administration’s primary objectives in arming Ukrainian forces to the teeth is to severely degrade Russia’s military capacity.

“We want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine,” Austin told reporters Monday following a visit to Kyiv, where he and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged an additional $713 million in military aid to Ukraine, which has received billions of dollars worth of heavy weaponry from the Biden administration.

“We want to see the international community more united,” Austin continued, “especially NATO.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/04/27/experts-warn-against-perpetual-war-ukraine-us-signals-long-term-strategy

Ask yourself this…..if Russia is weaken to stop this sort of conflict ever happening again….what will be used to justify excessive Pentagon budget if Russia is no longer a threat?

Ukraine needs a solution to this situation…..

Personally I believe there can be a solution but few look beyond the armed response for a solution.

As the war in Ukraine heads for its third month amid a rising toll of death and destruction, Washington and its European allies are scrambling, so far unsuccessfully, to end that devastating, globally disruptive conflict. Spurred by troubling images of executed Ukrainian civilians scattered in the streets of Bucha and ruined cities like Mariupol, they are already trying to use many tools in their diplomatic pouches to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to desist. These range from economic sanctions and trade embargoes to the confiscation of the assets of some of his oligarch cronies and the increasingly massive shipment of arms to Ukraine. Yet none of it seems to be working.

Even after Ukraine’s surprisingly strong defense forced a Russian retreat from the northern suburbs of the capital, Kyiv, Putin only appears to be doubling down with plans for new offensives in Ukraine’s south and east. Instead of engaging in serious negotiations, he’s been redeploying his battered troops for a second round of massive attacks led by General Alexander Dvonikov, “the butcher of Syria,” whose merciless air campaigns in that country flattened cities like Aleppo and Homs.

So while the world waits for the other combat boot to drop hard, it’s already worth considering where the West went wrong in its efforts to end this war, while exploring whether anything potentially effective is still available to slow the carnage.

How to End the War in Ukraine: a Solution Beyond Sanctions

There may be some work behind the scenes that us mere mortals are not privy to but so far I do not see anything that would lead me to believe that there is anything on the table other than throwing taxpayer cash at the situation.

When a war is going on, though, it is absolutely the time to talk about peace. How else can we prevent even further loss of life or yet more millions forced into refuge somewhere else in the world? It is welcome that at last the United Nations has taken an initiative with the welcome request by Secretary-General António Guterres for face-to-face meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

All wars end in a negotiation of some sort—so why not now?

Now, Let Us Talk Peace

Ukraine needs for this conflict to come to an end….there ends to be an end to the death and destruction…..

But will it ever end?

One analysis has some thoughts….

If you’ve been feeling pretty optimistic about Ukraine’s chance of vanquishing Russia, Michael O’Hanlon is here to burst your bubble. O’Hanlon, the Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy at the Brookings Institution, allows that Ukraine has “performed amazingly well so far” in a piece for the Hill, but he doesn’t think it’s sustainable for the long term. To illustrate his point, he likens this war to another: the Civil War. O’Hanlon lays out the parallels, starting with the population ratio of the North to the South (taking into account just white settlers) of about 3.5 to 1; that’s in line with the Russia-to-Ukraine population ratio.

The military strength ratios are similar as well. The early battles of the Civil War—he calls out Manassas, Seven Pines, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville—were won by the “underdog,” too. The tide began to turn in September 1862 with the Battle of Antietam, writes O’Hanlon, and he shares Ulysses S. Grant’s assessment of the situation: “The enemy have not army enough.” O’Hanlon writes “the Confederacy probably still won more of the battles than it lost—though not all—but not by margin enough to compensate for its disadvantage in size or resources.” Yes, it’s possible that Ukraine could be the underdog exception, but in O’Hanlon’s view, it’s unlikely. He sees the best, if “unpalatable,” outcome as one in which Ukraine likely agrees to give up some of its territory.

(Read the full column, which compares the current situation to two other past invasions.)

Maybe it is time for other NATO nations to step up and do something other than wait for the US to decide for them…..someone needs to take the lead on finding a solution…..the US is not the answer as long as the profits keep rolling in.

Watch This Blog!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Do We Have An Afghan Deal?

We have just posted on 2 more American deaths in Afghanistan and the next day there is word coming out that there is conditional peace deal with the Taleban….

US insists Taliban must reduce violence levels this month

The Taliban has publicly requested that the US provide clarification on their stance on the peace process. A deal which by all accounts was finished months ago, the Taliban are interested in where the US is going on the final deal.

It’s reasonable to ask, as since backing out of the last deal, President Trump has tried to add new conditions. Concerningly, Trump is now approving the deal, but only conditionally, and wants the Taliban to unilaterally cut violence in February first.

The US is planning troop cuts either way, but a concrete peace deal would oblige the US to actually leave Afghanistan, and almost certainly will establish a timetable for that. It would put an end to the US changing its mind on the war, as it has time and again over the last 19 years.

For the Taliban, the question is likely not so much about if they can cut violence, but if this time, meeting a Trump condition will net them anything. Trump had previously conditioned the deal on a ceasefire, and when the Taliban agreed he just added more demands.

(antiwar.com)

How close are we to a deal?

We have heard that it has been close before to fall apart only days later….so again how close are we?

If Trump and his bunch can find peace deal for Afghanistan war then they will have my undying thanks….any time we can find an end to a war then the props should go to those that find a way out.

And then there is the coming election…..and Afghanistan…..

Negotiation between the US and the Taliban is picking up pace. A partial ceasefire is expected to be agreed upon soon, and there is substantial hope that an outright peace deal could be reached shortly thereafter, if the US wants it.

US officials seem to be keen to emphasize the ceasefire, as opposed to the peace deal.That’s because President Trump is determined to carry out troop cuts ahead of the November election, and that’s the case whether or not the peace deal is reached.

Of course, the peace deal is already there to be had, and Trump has rejected it and added additional demands. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani noted “notable progress” on the peace deal front, saying the Taliban had made a proposal to deliver on President Trump’s demand for a violence reduction.

There is a growing risk that, as President Trump demands more from the Taliban, he may overreach and derail the peace process. This is possible, and it’s also possible Trump will just keep dragging on the war, even if troop cuts are in line before the election.

(antiwar.com)

One point….the Taleban protected the barbaric al-Qaeda and they attacked the US on 9/11 and now we are making nice with the Taleban….but will not talk with Iran….why is that?  (I know but do you?)

Let’s do the right thing and end this war once and for all.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Deal Of The Century Is A Complete Dud

We have been waiting for 3+ years for the promised “Deal of the Century”….and now the wait is over.

But sadly the only good thing is that is finally made public the rest is pure bullshit.

With the ink still drying on President Trump’s Middle East peace plan, Israel says it’s ready for action. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he will have his cabinet vote Sunday on two key measures: applying Israeli sovereignty to parts of the Jordan Valley and to Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, the New York Times reports. Both ideas were suggested in Trump’s plan in exchange for Palestine attaining a path to statehood that would include roughly 70% of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and other land. But US officials say they’re OK with Israel annexing the areas regardless of whether the 4-year peace plan progresses.

“Israel does not have to wait at all,” says US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, per the Times of Israel. “If they wish to apply Israeli law to those areas allocated to Israel, we will recognize it.” It’s unclear whether these moves will require parliamentary approval in Israel, and there could be court challenges since Nethanyahu’s cabinet is an interim government. Meanwhile Jordan, Palestine, and more liberal Israelis are all opposing Netanyahu’s plan. “This is the first result of the ‘fraud of the century,'” Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat tells the Washington Post. “It was a green light for Netanyahu and the settlers council to do what they wanted to—legalize the settlements.” Palestinians were also slamming the peace plan, per the AP, with President Mahmoud Abbas saying “a thousand no’s” to it

state of palestine map deal century

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/revealed-trumps-deal-century-map-future-palestine-israel

This “plan” is nothing but a prescription for more war and more violence.  It is heavy handed on the Palestinians and gives Israel everything they ever wanted……

Human rights advocates condemned U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “annexation plan” for large swaths of Palestinian territory as the two leaders on Tuesday presented what they termed a “peace deal” for Israel and Palestine.

Critics joined Palestinian leaders in rejecting the premise of the so-called “vision for peace,” which was drafted by the White House and Netanyahu without the input of Palestinians.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/01/28/not-peace-plan-it-war-plan-trump-netanyahu-deal-decried-shameful-attack-palestinian

This is NOT a plan for peace…..but I did not think tha  amental midget and his drooling minions could possibly find an answer that would be acceptable…..the moving of the capital of Israel should have been the first clue.

I Read, I Wrote, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Magical Mystery Tour

This post is about that ever elusive “Peace Plan” that has been promised by Trump and his ilk for the Middle East…in June a meeting was held (there is always a meeting being held)……

Since taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump has said he wants to strike a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians. Details about his on-again, off-again peace plan are sparse. Washington recently unveiled the economic component of its vision, which will be discussed at the Peace to Prosperity workshop in Bahrain this week. But neither the Israeli government nor the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) will be there.

What do the countries involved think of the latest attempt to resolve one of the world’s thorniest diplomatic challenges?

https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/06/24/trump-s-middle-east-peace-plan-is-in-works.-what-does-region-think-pub-79365

Trump’s self entitled the “Deal of the Century” has been released (sort of)…….

The so-called “Deal of the Century” would see a trilateral agreement signed between Israel, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Hamas, with the establishment of a Palestinian state branded “New Palestine” on the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/middle-east/1576531861-report-trump-middle-east-peace-draft-supports-formation-of-new-palestine

Now that you have the details (as much as we can give the reader)……but all the optimism has come to a raging abrupt HALT…….

A bi-partisan move has put a dagger in that deal….

The United States Congress has rejected a request from the White House for $175m in funds that would go towards pushing the Trump administration’s Middle East “peace plan”.

In a bipartisan decision on Monday, lawmakers rejected having funds be set aside in the government’s 2020 budget.  

In a section devoted to the Middle East, a Congressional document stated: “The agreement does not provide $175,000,000 for a Diplomatic Progress Fund, as proposed in the House report.” 

The Trump administration’s “deal of the century” plan for the future of Israel and Palestine has faced one obstacle after another since inception, including a complete boycott by Palestinian officials. 

The plan calls for $50bn in regional investments over 10 years, with $28bn going to the Palestinian territories – the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip – as well as $7.5bn to Jordan, $9bn to Egypt and $6n for Lebanon.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/congress-rejects-trumps-175m-request-deal-century-funding

Did you see that…BI-PARTISAN!

Oh crap!

Well “back to the drawing board” as they say……

But good news for Jared….he gets to travel on the taxpayers dime and do god knows what for this country.

I Read, I Wrote, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”