Received: from retort.sout.netline.net.uk (retort.sout.netline.net.uk [213.40.66.77]) by mikee01.mcint.com (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id BAA21530 for ; Sun, 11 Aug 2002 01:44:13 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from RBMedia@afi.supanet.com) Received: from [212.111.172.7] (helo=oemcomputer) by retort.sout.netline.net.uk with smtp (Exim 4.04) id 17dnZm-0005k2-00 for mikee@mcint.com; Sun, 11 Aug 2002 08:55:51 +0100 Message-ID: <005801c2410b$97927a00$07ac6fd4@oemcomputer> From: "RBMedia" To: "Mike Crawford" Subject: AFI Intelligence Briefing; US Middle Eastern policy moribund Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2002 08:49:13 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0053_01C24113.F7D65C80" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0053_01C24113.F7D65C80 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable AFI Intelligence Briefing - 21st July 2002 RICHARD BENNETT MEDIA =20 Intelligence Consultants for the News Media and Global Business = Community =20 To commission articles, arrange interviews or for expert OSINT analysis; = =20 E-mail RBMedia =20 Tel: +44(0)1626 33 50 40 =20 Fax: +44 (0)1626 33 50 40 Website RBMedia Author and Journalist Richard Bennett presents another controversial and = hard hitting commentary on the Middle East; US policy on the Middle East remains moribund The upsurge in Palestinian suicide attacks in the last week once again = highlights the overall futility of a military response to a political = problem. However unpalatable the facts undoubtedly are, the Intifada and = the suicide bombing campaign are the product of the fractured politics = of the Middle East and the apparently unmoveable stumbling block of = national sovereignty, land ownership and water resources. These are = however quite obviously economic and political questions with no = military solution. Unless and until there is a genuine consensus in = Jerusalem and Washington that the military option is no longer viable = and that the only real alternative left is meaningful peace talks based = on a willingness by both sides to make significant and ground breaking = concessions will there be any chance of an end to the present conflict. = However, Washington's Middle Eastern policies are now moribund, with = those not completely supportive of Israel's present hard-line attitudes = effectively sidelined until circumstances change or common-sense = prevails. Indeed the United States is far more interested in navel gazing at past = counter-terrorist failures and desperately seeking any examples of = successful military operations that may help encourage the feint-hearted = in Congress and the Media.=20 The Malayan emergency in the 1950's is often given as an example of an = insurgency clearly defeated by the correct use of military force based = on good intelligence and special operations. This is a misunderstanding = as the rebels were largely drawn from the Chinese minority and did not = represent in any way the economic aspirations or national interests of = the predominately Malay population. Additionally in can be argued that = the modern terrorist is a far more nebulous enemy and one that = represents a definable and widespread sickness in the national or even = the international body-politic. Israel's right to self-defence must not blind Washington to wider issues Israel in common with all nations threatened to one degree or another by = the pestilence of terrorism is entitled to take all sensible and = necessary steps to defend the country, its interests and its people. The = question that must be answered however, is whether Prime Minister = Sharon's present policies can do that or will the reliance on military = power eventually prove highly counter-productive to Israel's long-term, = best interests? Both the United States and Israel have unfortunately = become locked into a straight-jacket of their own making. The = over-reliance on a tough response and no negotiations with terrorists or = their supporters may be blinding them to other more cerebral = alternatives to simply fighting fire with fire. The problem of = international terrorism may only really be defeated when the root causes = are addressed and the internationalization of the response is a must.=20 To treat the symptoms and not the disease is madness.Terrorism is a = response to perceived ills and however much we may disapprove of their = actions matters not one jot, in the real world if sufficient of the = disaffected come to believe in the cause then terrorism will surely = follow. The developed worlds response must be both wide-ranging and = comprehensive. Tough on the one hand, constructive on the other. Defeat = the current terrorists particularly those driven by racialist, religious = or criminal motives, but ensure that their breeding ground is deprived = of just cause by well managed aid programs, the rebuilding of shattered = communities and the prompt introduction of equitable and just = administration, and in some cases full nationhood. It cannot be beyond the wit of those in power in Washington, Jerusalem, = London, Islamabad and New Delhi to understand that terrorism is like a = weed - you cut off one head and ten more sprout up. It is imperative = that the causes of terrorism are destroyed at the roots, this you simply = cannot do with military force alone as in most cases the roots are = firmly embedded in the ordinary suffering masses. Increasingly = desperate people condemned to live in poverty and injustice, deprived of = hope or forced to exist in squalid refugee camps for fifty years are the = real roots of most terrorist activity. To put it bluntly, unless the = Democracies are looking for an acceptable form of 'final solution' or = 'ethnic cleansing' then political and economic change are the only real = hope for an end to this relentless cycle of slaughter. Richard M. Bennett=20 This news story is taken from a longer report carried by the AFI = Executive Briefing=20 exclusively for subscribers. To be among the first to see the complete = report subscribe=20 to the new AFI Executive Intelligence Briefing package - Confidential = and expert OSINT=20 analysis, risk assessment and strategic forecasting from RICHARD BENNETT = MEDIA=20 Intelligence Consultants for CEO and Senior Executives in the Global = Business=20 Community. Please contact Executive Briefing for details of the = subscription to this=20 vital new security information resource Contact: RBMedia at AFI Research, The Ground Floor, 27 The Avenue,=20 Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 2BZ, UK. =20 E-mail AFI Research =20 Tel: +44(0)1626 33 50 40 =20 Fax: +44(0)1626 33 50 40 =20 US Associates, c/o ComLinks, National Press Building,=20 Suite 1059, Washington DC 20045, USA =20 news@comlinks.com =20 Tel: +001(202) 662 7109 =20 Fax: +001(202) 662 7127=20 www.spiescafe.com AFI Research have Associates in Australia, Belgium, India, Israel, = Italy,=20 Russia, Singapore & Turkey=20 SUBSCRIBE TODAY just send a cheque/IMO made out to AFI Research=20 for $50.00(=A335.00) per annual subscription for the Intelligence = Briefing to=20 the UK address.A limited number of subscriptions are provided free for=20 bone fide members of the News Media. This Briefing is available in Plain Text or HTML Books by AFI Associates ESPIONAGE- An encyclopedia of Spies and Secrets, ISBN 1 85227 942 7,=20 by Richard M. Bennett published by Virgin Books throughout Europe on the = 27th June and in the USA on Ist July 2002 FIGHTING FORCES a review of the worlds leading Armies, including many in = the Middle East, by Richard M. Bennett published in September 2001 which = is=20 available from Barrons of New York ISBN 0-7641-5343-9 ADVERTISEMENT - FREE NEWS SERVICE!=20 The war on terrorism means defense news has become vital; that's why for = the=20 foreseeable future PERISCOPE will provide you ABSOLUTELY FREE its=20 Daily Defense News Capsules. Every morning our experienced editors = deliver=20 to your email box the most important defense-related stories from press=20 sources worldwide. To receive this FREE SERVICE send an empty email to=20 mailto:ddnc@ucg.com. There's no obligation; act now so you won't=20 miss a single issue! =20 "If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people = what=20 they do not want to hear" George Orwell=20 Copyright AFI Research 2002 ------=_NextPart_000_0053_01C24113.F7D65C80 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
AFI Intelligence Briefing  = - 21st=20 July 2002
 
RICHARD BENNETT=20 MEDIA 
Intelligence Consultants=20 for the News Media and Global Business Community  
 
To commission articles, arrange = interviews or=20 for expert = OSINT analysis;    
E-mail   RBMedia         
Tel:  +44(0)1626 33 50=20 40    
Fax: +44 (0)1626 33 50 = 40
Website =20 RBMedia
 
Author and Journalist Richard Bennett = presents=20 another controversial and hard hitting commentary on the Middle=20 East;
 
US policy on the Middle East remains=20 moribund
 
The upsurge in Palestinian suicide = attacks in the=20 last week once again highlights the overall futility of a military = response=20 to a political problem. However unpalatable the facts undoubtedly are, = the=20 Intifada and the suicide bombing campaign are the product of the = fractured=20 politics of the Middle East and the apparently unmoveable stumbling = block of=20 national sovereignty, land ownership and water resources. These are however quite obviously economic and = political=20 questions with no military solution. Unless and=20 until there is a genuine consensus in Jerusalem and Washington that the = military=20 option is no longer viable and that the only real alternative left is = meaningful=20 peace talks based on a willingness by both sides to make significant and ground breaking concessions will = there be=20 any chance of an end to the present conflict. However, Washington's = Middle=20 Eastern policies are now moribund, with those not completely supportive = of=20 Israel's present hard-line attitudes effectively sidelined until = circumstances=20 change or common-sense prevails.
 
Indeed the United States is far more = interested in=20 navel gazing at past counter-terrorist failures and desperately seeking = any=20 examples of successful military operations that may help encourage the=20 feint-hearted in Congress and the Media. 
The Malayan emergency in the 1950's is = often given=20 as an example of an insurgency clearly defeated by the correct use of = military=20 force based on good intelligence and special operations. This is a=20 misunderstanding as the rebels were largely drawn from the Chinese=20 minority and did not represent in any way the economic aspirations=20 or national interests of the predominately Malay population. = Additionally=20 in can be argued that the modern terrorist is a far more nebulous = enemy and=20 one that represents a definable and widespread sickness in the national = or even=20 the international body-politic.
 
Israel's right to = self-defence must=20 not blind Washington to wider issues
 
Israel in common with all nations = threatened to one=20 degree or another by the pestilence of terrorism is entitled to take all = sensible and necessary steps to = defend the=20 country, its interests and its people. The question that must be = answered=20 however, is whether Prime Minister Sharon's present policies can do that = or will=20 the reliance on military power eventually prove highly = counter-productive=20 to Israel's long-term, best interests? =20 Both the United States and Israel have unfortunately become locked into = a=20 straight-jacket of their own making. The over-reliance on a tough = response and=20 no negotiations with terrorists or their supporters may be blinding them = to=20 other more cerebral alternatives to simply fighting fire with fire. The = problem=20 of international terrorism may only really be defeated when the root = causes are=20 addressed and the internationalization of the response is a must. =
 
To treat the symptoms and not the = disease is=20 madness.Terrorism is a response to perceived ills and however much we = may=20 disapprove of their actions matters not one jot, in the real world if = sufficient=20 of the disaffected come to believe in the cause then terrorism will = surely=20 follow. The developed worlds response = must be=20 both wide-ranging and comprehensive. Tough on the one hand, constructive = on the=20 other. Defeat the current terrorists = particularly=20 those driven by racialist, religious or criminal motives, but ensure = that their=20 breeding ground is deprived of just cause by well managed aid programs, = the=20 rebuilding of shattered communities and the prompt introduction of = equitable and=20 just administration, and in some cases full nationhood.
 
It cannot be beyond the wit of those in = power in=20 Washington, Jerusalem, London, Islamabad and New Delhi to understand = that=20 terrorism is like a weed - you cut off one head and ten more sprout up. = It is=20 imperative that the causes of terrorism are destroyed at the roots, this = you=20 simply cannot do with military force alone as in most cases the roots = are firmly=20 embedded in the ordinary suffering masses.  Increasingly desperate people condemned to live in poverty and = injustice,=20 deprived of hope or forced to exist in squalid refugee camps for fifty = years are=20 the real roots of most terrorist activity. To put=20 it bluntly, unless the Democracies are looking for an acceptable form of = 'final=20 solution' or 'ethnic cleansing' then = political=20 and economic change are the only real = hope for an=20 end to this relentless cycle of slaughter.
 
Richard M. Bennett
 
This news story is taken from a = longer report=20 carried by the AFI Executive Briefing 
exclusively for subscribers. To be among the first to see=20 the complete report subscribe
to the=20 new AFI Executive Intelligence=20 Briefing=20 package - Confidential and expert OSINT=20
analysis, risk assessment and strategic forecasting from = RICHARD=20 BENNETT=20 MEDIA <= /SPAN>=
Intelligence Consultants for CEO and Senior Executives in=20 the Global Business=20
Community. Please contact Executive Briefing for=20 details of the subscription to this 
vital new security = information=20 resource
 
Contact: RBMedia at AFI Research, The = Ground Floor,=20 27 The Avenue,
Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 = 2BZ,=20 UK.  
E-mail  AFI Research   =
Tel:  +44(0)1626 33 = 50=20 40  
Fax: +44(0)1626 33 50 = 40 =20
&= nbsp;
US Associates, c/o ComLinks, National Press Building,=20
Suite 1059,=20 Washington DC 20045, USA 
news@comlinks.com  
Tel: +001(202) 662=20 7109   
Fax: +001(202) 662=20 7127 
www.spiescafe.com
 
AFI Research have = Associates in=20 Australia, Belgium, India, Israel, Italy,
Russia, Singapore & Turkey 
<= /SPAN>=
<= /SPAN>=
SUBSCRIBE = TODAY just=20 send a cheque/IMO made out to AFI=20 Research <= /SPAN>
for $50.00(=A335.00)=20 per=20 annual <= /SPAN>= subscription = for the=20 Intelligence Briefing to=20 <= /SPAN>
the=20 UK=20 address.<= /SPAN>A limited = number of=20 <= /SPAN>subscriptions=20 are provided free for=20 <= /SPAN>=
= bone=20 fide members = <= /SPAN>of the News=20 Media.= <= /SPAN>
= <= /SPAN>= This = Briefing is=20 available in Plain Text or=20 HTML<= /SPAN>=
=  
Books by AFI=20 Associates
&= nbsp;
ESPIONAGE- An encyclopedia = of Spies=20 and Secrets, ISBN 1 85227 942 7,=20
= by=20 Richard M.=20 Bennett = published = by Virgin=20 Books throughout Europe on the=20
= 27th=20 June = and in the USA on Ist July=20 2002
<= /SPAN> 
FIGHTING FORCES=20 a review of = the worlds=20 leading Armies, including=20 many in=20
the=20 Middle East, by Richard M. Bennett=20 published in = September=20 2001=20 which is=20
available=20 from=20 Barrons of = New York ISBN=20 0-7641-5343-9=
=  
ADVERTISEMENT - FREE NEWS SERVICE!=20
The=20 war on terrorism means = defense news=20 has become vital; that's = why for the=20
foreseeable=20 future=20 PERISCOPE = will provide=20 you ABSOLUTELY FREE its=20
Daily=20 Defense News Capsules. Every=20 morning our experienced editors deliver=20
to=20 your email box the most important defense-related=20 stories = from press=20
sources=20 worldwide. To receive this FREE SERVICE send an empty email = to=20
mailto:ddnc@ucg.com. There's no=20 obligation; act now so you won't=20
miss a=20 single issue! =20
<= /SPAN> 
"If liberty means = anything at=20 all, it means the right to tell people what=20
they do not want to = hear"  George=20 Orwell 
 
Copyright AFI Research=20 2002
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