Palestinian deaths
IN spite of the bloodletting on Sunday, it is unlikely that anyone in the US will summon the courage to cancel Benjamin Netanyahu`s planned address to a special session of Congress. On Sunday, Israeli security forces shot dead 12 Palestinians as they demonstrated on the anniversary of Nakba — the catastrophic day when foreign settlers carved out a state for themselves out of Palestinian soil. The deaths occurred in the Golan Heights, on the West Bank and along Israel`s borders with Lebanon and Gaza and go to show the new courage the Palestinian people have discovered from the unity forged by Fatah and Hamas after years of discord. The protests come at a time when the so-called peace process has ground to a halt, and there is no sign that it will be revived in the near future. Much less agree to a pullout, Israel has continued to build new settlements and expand old ones.
There is much speculation in the western media about what the Israeli prime minister will say at the joint session of Congress on May 24. But it is obvious that congressmen will give a standing ovation to a man who had the cheek to snub their president repeatedly. In his address to the Muslim world on June 4, 2009, President Barack Obama had re-pledged America to a two-state solution and made clear he wanted a halt to settlements. However, this had little effect on Israel, which ended the moratorium on new housing and relaunched new projects on Arab lands, including East Jerusalem. Whatever pressure the Obama administration could apply on Israel eased as America headed towards mid-term polls — because it was the pro-Israel lobby whose monetary clout and media control would influence the election the way it wanted. Later there was another diplomatic drama: President Obama had President Mahmoud Abbas and Mr Netanyahu summoned to Washington and told them to clinch a deal within 12 months. The host as well as the guests knew that this was a hoax, for Israel was not going to do in a year what it had not done since 1967: withdraw from the occupied territories.
Israel can flaunt its hubris because the legislative and policymaking apparatus of the world`s only superpower is at the service of the Jewish state. The Palestinian cause may be a moral one, but the assets which count in this harsh world of realpoltik — financial and military power — are Israel`s. Little do American policymakers realise that a major cause of anti-US sentiments in the Muslim world is Washington`s abject surrender to the Israel lobby for reasons of domestic politics.
Electricity for the rich
TWO reports published in this paper yesterday offer insight into the mindset of Pakistan`s ruling elite. The new federal budget is expected to include an “uninterrupted electricity supply tariff” scheme which involves providing power to consumers, particularly industries, as long as they are willing to pay higher than normal rates. Meanwhile, in Balochistan 12 towns and cities not linked to the national grid will cease to have electricity from May 20. The Quetta Electric Supply Company has announced that the power stations currently supplying electricity to these areas will have to cease operations because Qesco cannot arrange for the oil to run them. A senior Qesco official said that the organisation is in a serious financial crisis because the provincial government has not paid it dues amounting to Rs1.15bn.
With the country in the grip of power shortages that may be a reality of life for many years, the administration has responded to the pressure of the ruling elite whose business and industrial outputs are slowing down. Meanwhile, the poor, who have no leverage even with their elected representatives, are left in the dark. Obscene though the idea of providing only the rich with electricity may seem, we should not be surprised. Already, safety is available mainly to those who can afford private security. The common man is left to the dubious ministrations of a corrupt and inefficient police system. Access to healthcare, safe drinking water and adequate dietary needs is available only to those with the ability to pay. In January, Unicef likened the levels of hunger and malnutrition in Sindh to Chad. Time and again, successive administrations have demonstrated that the rich are their main priority. Consider, for example, how much attention has been paid to expanding the road networks and creating signal-free corridors in major towns and cities, rather than focusing on public transport systems. The government likes to boast about its democratic nature, but it needs to be reminded that the system is meaningless unless it is for the people. Until ordinary Pakistanis become the first concern of elected representatives, the former will remain unconvinced of the virtues of democracy.
WHEN the victim of a `targeted` killing is a member of the diplomatic corps, it becomes increasingly incumbent on the state to ensure foreign missions have adequate security. This was highlighted by Monday morning`s attack in Karachi`s Defence area, in which a staffer of the Saudi Arabian consulate was killed. The diplomat, a security official, was shot close to the consulate, reportedly while driving to work without a security escort or driver. He was targeted by assailants on motorcycles. The killing comes only a few days after the Saudi consulate was attacked by grenades; no one was hurt in that incident. It is not clear what the exact motive for the murder or the earlier attack was, but there are several possibilities. The staffer may have been targeted in response to the situation in the Gulf, specifically the Saudi military intervention in Bahrain. The murder may also have been retaliation by Al Qaeda or the Taliban to Osama bin Laden`s killing; the terror mastermind had no love lost for the Saudi establishment which had revoked his citizenship.
The Saudi foreign ministry has said it will tighten security at missions abroad, starting with Pakistan. Yet the killing was a clear lapse on the part of Pakistan`s own security apparatus. After the grenade attack, it was obvious the Saudis were being targeted. A threat existed, yet it appears no steps were taken to counter it. To say foreign missions did not request extra security is not a plausible excuse. If a credible security threat exists it is the responsibility of the host state to protect diplomats. Security for diplomats serving in Pakistan should be reviewed. Also, it is imperative that the diplomat`s murder be fully investigated while security for Saudi and other missions vulnerable to such attacks in the country must be beefed up immediately.
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