IAF Planes in Saudi Arabia?

The Jerusalem Post reported:

Israel Air Force aircraft have been spotted in recent days at a Saudi Arabian military base unloading military equipment in the city of Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, according to a report from Iranian news agency FARS.

The base will reportedly be used as a forward operating base by the Israelis as part of an offensive on an Islamic country.

The TimesUK reported Saudi Arabia will give Israel clear skies for an attack on Iran. While the public move is sanctions on Iran, American military might steams toward the Persian Gulf.

Orchestration Toward War on Iran Continues

The Jerusalem Post reported:

Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, during his meeting with a select group of rabbis last month in Washington, explained that the sequencing of the moves against Iran was extremely important.

Israel and America's planned campaign of escalation against Iran ran into an unexpected blowout, the Gaza flotilla.

May 25 - Rahm Emanuel meets with Israeli leaders in Israel
May 31 - Gaza flotilla attack kills 9 people. Israel Prime Minister cancels White House meeting
June 2 - Palestinian Economic Development Session
June 2-4 - Treasury's Neal Wolin meets with Palestinian, Israeli and Lebanese leaders
June 7 - Vice President Joe Biden meets with Egyptian President Mubarek

Despite Israel's spitting on a United Nations investigation into the Flotilla killings, the UN Security Council approved stronger sanctions against Iran.

Russia will not deliver S-300 air defense missiles to Iran. The buy had been held up for three years. What will Russia get in return? They prize Israel's drone technology. What will "carrot and stick" oriented Uncle Sam give?

U.S. State Department spokesperson P.J. Crowley said:

"We appreciate Russia's restraint in the transfer of the S-300 missile system to Iran."

Sticks are coming for Iran, while America blocks for Israel.

Treasury's Neal Wolin Pushes Palestinian Economic Peace

U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Neal Wolin spoke at the Palestinian Investment Conference. He said:

Two years ago, representatives from across the Middle East and around the world gathered here in Bethlehem for the first Palestine Investment Conference. That conference – like this one – was both an invitation and a declaration:
An invitation to investors – from the Arab world, and from the United States, Europe, and Asia – to come to the West Bank to help unlock the tremendous economic potential latent here;
And a declaration that the Palestinian economy is open for business; that the Palestinian people and their government are committed to laying the foundation for an economically viable state, where private enterprise can thrive.

The first conference occurred in the West Bank in November 2008. A month later Israel dropped bombs over Gaza, using American made fighter jets. Quartet envoy Tony Blair indicated Hillary Clinton and General James Jones approved the change in strategy on Gaza.

What's not open for rebuilding, much less business? Gaza. Neal Wolin didn't address the Gaza blockade's economic strangulation, much less Israel's killing nine people in the Gaza aid flotilla. He did cite "Monday's tragic incident" as a reason to return to the bargaining table. Wolin didn't say how Fatah's return to negotiations would help Gaza.

The United States continues divide and conquer with its best friend in the Middle East. Where might the pair drop bombs two months from now?

Update: Wolin was in Tel Aviv discussing Palestinian-Israeli economic cooperation with experts. His legwork is the foundation of Obama's meeting with Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas. Obama and Abbas will "discuss steps to improve life for the people of Gaza, including US support for specific projects to promote economic development and greater quality of life," a US official said.

Update 4-9-13:  Three years later and Secretary of State John Kerry offers the same "economic peace."

Obama's Bad Luck Streak Continues

President Obama is as snake bit as a BP Chief Executive. First, the Deepwater Horizon blew out killing 11 people and unleashing an Exxon Valdez sized oil spill every two weeks. Then, Marjah was retaken by the Taliban in the Kandahar region of Southern Afghanistan.

Now, Israeli commandos killed between 14 and 20 activists delivering 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Turkish media reported another 60 wounded. Haaretz reported:

Defense Minister Ehud Barak voiced regret for the deaths, but called the flotilla a political provocation and said the sponsors of the flotilla were violent supporters of a terror organization.

Isreali Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu canceled his upcoming White House visit in light of the incident. Netanyahu spurned the President's invitation. What does this interruption do to their planned intervention on a nuclear, terrorist Iran?

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the flotilla. In light of Israel's blanket rejection of the UN Goldstone Report on their pummeling of Gaza, who will chair any special commission? Obama's commission appointments, Gulf Oil Catastrophe and Deficit Commission, leave much to be desired.

First oil, now blood is in the water. The world cries for a real investigation.

Update: Nine activists were killed by Israeli forces during the seizing of the ship.

Marjah Failed to Win Hearts/Minds, On to Kandahar

President Obama's Afghan offensive will march on despite data indicating its failure. The operation is intended to drive out the Taliban and win over the population. The Marjah offensive failed on the latter objective. Reuters reported:

A report by policy think tank the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) this week found that 61 percent of 400 men interviewed in and around Marjah felt more negative about NATO forces than before the operation.

On to Kandahar where the offensive is now being described as a "process." Sounds rather clinical, doesn't it? At least to those sitting safely in their American homes.

"More foreign troops means more attacks and more dead civilians," said Khan Mohammad, a car dealer. "I think the government and international troops, especially Americans, should open their eyes and realise they can't beat the Taliban through military means," he said.

"We don't know if this operation brings any advantages, but something we know for sure is innocent people will be killed, harmed and displaced," said Kaka Shirin, a Kandahar shopkeeper.

War is the killing, harming and displacing of innocent people. That's any Commander-in-Chief's implied order, no matter how clinical the verbage of war or how understated the expectations.
Obama warned the war in Afghanistan will get worse before it gets better. The Afghan people know it.

Harmony by Suppression

Consider the following comments:

"The people understand more that splittism brings misfortune and ethnic unity brings happiness."- Hao Peng, the Chinese vice governor of Tibet

"So far, in order to develop harmony, the main method is suppression!" -The Dalai Lama

This tension plays out in fractal like fashion throughout the globe. One man's cultural good is another's oppression.

Unified happiness cannot be achieved squeezing the breath out large groups of people. The problem looms larger when those pushing controlled happiness have no clue as to the causes of suffering.

So many seem incapable of being in functional relationship with their brother and sisters. This applies to world, political and business leaders. One has to wonder, what's the aim? Is it to destroy the other, to profit excessively, to garner goods at the cheapest cost regardless of risk to others or the earth? How much is enough?

For this generation of mean & greedy leaders, it's never enough.

Hillary Sends Panamanian Strongman Noriega to France?

Panama dictator Manuel Noriega finished his jail term for drug charges in 2007, yet remained behind bars in Miami as America decided his next stop. Panama wanted Noriega for murder, France for laundering drug money. BBC reported on France's win:

The former Panamanian leader, Manuel Noriega, has arrived in France after being extradited from the US, where he has served more than 20 years in jail.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier signed a "surrender warrant" after all judicial challenges ended.

Does the French extradition have anything to do with Noriega's work for the CIA? The CIA recruited Noriega in the late 60's and supported the strongman until 1987.

Will Panamanians ever get justice? Not from the "Just Us" crowd.