General Sir Michael Rose, a former commander of the UN peace force in Bosnia during the 1990s, further said that the American and British forces in Iraq were in an impossible situation.

The war in Iraq is an ongoing battle which began with a US led invasion in 2003. It began in March 2003, when a largely British and American force invaded Iraq. They were supported by small contingents from Australia, Denmark and Poland. The invasion led to the overthrow of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and after that the US attempted to establish a new democratic government. The coalition, however still is unsuccessful in restoring order in Iraq.

The unrest led to asymmetric warfare with the Iraqi insurgency, civil war between Sunni and Shia Iraqis and al-Qaeda operations in Iraq. As the insurgent activity increased, there was a distinct change in targeting from the coalition forces towards the new Iraqi Security Forces, as hundreds of Iraqi civilians and police were killed over the next few months in a series of massive bombings. The invasion of Iraq was highly unpopular with many traditional US allies, particularly France and Germany whose leadership has since been replaced by more US friendly leadership.

“There is no way we are going to win the war and we should withdraw and accept defeat because we are going to lose on a more important level if we don’t,” General Sir Michael Rose said. While accepting the allied forces couldn’t just “cut and run”, Sir Michael said announcing a date for withdrawal would quell the widespread fighting between the Sunnis, Shias and Kurds. General Sir Michael Rose feels, general people, militias and political parties will stop fighting and start working towards a peaceful transfer of power if foreign soldiers are pulled back from Iraq.

He made the comments while speaking at the Hay Literary festival in mid Wales about his book Washington’s War. In the book, Sir Michael draws parallels between the guerilla tactics used by George Washington against the British army in America in 1775 and by Sunni insurgents against Allied troops in Iraq.

To stand any chance of success, Sir Michael said the Allied Forces should have deployed more soldiers and not opted for a conventional war strategy. He said Iraq should have, in any case, been a low priority compared to the war in Afghanistan, various conflicts in Africa and the war against global terrorists. Sir Michael also appreciated Sir Richard Dannatt, the Chief of General Staff, for saying in October 2006 that UK soldiers in Iraq were ‘exacerbating the security problems.

Douste-Blazy said at a press briefing that this agreement initiates a process which should lead to the full recognition of Israel by all Palestinian factions, especially Hamas. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told journalists that the Palestinian unity government will likely be formed in the coming months and will constitute a political base that will enable them to begin working with the international community. Abbas said he was ‘happy’ that France was prepared to work with that government and would urge other countries to do likewise.

Earlier, Abbas met with French President Jacques Chirac and asked him for help in reviving the stalled Mid-east peace process. Chirac in return said it was now up to various parties to ensure the Mecca agreement is confirmed in reality. The French president reminded Abbas that the international community expected the Palestinians to live up to certain commitments, such as recognizing the state of Israel.  

The European Union, Russia, the UN and the United States repeatedly demanded that the newly formed Palestinian government should renounce violence, recognise Israel and respect peace deals in order to receive Western aid; while Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said in a statement that a new Palestinian unity government does not satisfy the demands of the international community. A ban on direct Western financial assistance since Hamas came to power in March 2006 has pushed the Palestinian Authority to the brink of financial collapse which they no longer can pursuit. France’s positive nod comes as a breath saver for Palestine. 

The fighting came two days after a Hezbollah-led general strike to topple the government. Four people died and dozens were injured before Army troops backed by tanks and firing barrages of warning shots into the air dispersed most rioters. The military then declared Beirut's first curfew since 1996.

Earlier, hundreds of protesters blocked off several roads including the one leading to Beirut international airport with rubble and burning tires on 23 January at the start of a general strike called by the opposition. Angry protesters cut off roads in several streets in central Beirut, and mainly Shia southern suburb and the southern and northern entrances of the capital.

Clustering in small groups to man the blazing roadblocks, opposition supporters escalated their nearly two-month protest. Commuters were stranded and an eery silence hung over many commercial districts. Burned tyres sent plumes of black smoke into Beirut skies as security forces began deployment in various streets. Scattered violence was reported involving stone throwing, fist fights and even firing of guns. Police said 14 people sustained gunshot wounds in disturbances between opposition supporters and pro-government activists in central and northern Lebanon. Hospital sources have been reported as saying at least two people were wounded when gunmen fired at men trying to block the roads at dawn. 

The Hezbollah-led opposition has been running a campaign and organizing massive street protests, sit-ins, over the past months calling for the West-backed government, led by Fouad Saniora to step down. Last week, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah warned that his opposition alliance will step up its anti-government campaign and mount an "effective" action in the coming days. The present strike is backed by labor unions. Prime Minister Fuad Saniora on the other hand urged Lebanese to ignore the call, a move endorsed by banking associations and business leaders. Many workers stayed home, either in support of the strike or simply fearing violence; some schools which had earlier said they were open sent mobile text messages to parents announcing closures because of the unrest. Blazing roadblocks cut off the road to Beirut international airport and the highway linking Beirut with the mountains and the road to Damascus, the Syrian capital. Five flights arrived at the airport, six others left but another seven flights were canceled due to the unrest.

The unrest came just before Saniora and his economic teams are to seek financial aid for the country at an international donors' conference in Paris. The opposition said the grants and loans will only increase the national debt and further weaken the economy. 

Hezbollah is a political and military party in Lebanon founded in 1982 to fight the Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon. It is regarded by many in the Arab and Muslim world as a legitimate militant Shia political party in Lebanon . In addition to its military wing, Hezbollah maintains a civilian arm, which runs hospitals, various news services, and educational facilities. After emerging during the civil war of the early 1980s, Hezbollah focused on expelling Israeli and Western forces from Lebanon. Hezbollah is an active participant in the political life and processes of Lebanon, and its scope of operation is far beyond its initial militant one. In 1992, it participated in elections for the first time, winning 12 out of 128 seats in parliament. It won 10 seats in 1996, and 8 in 2000. In the general election of 2005, it won 23 seats nationwide, and an Amal-Hezbollah alliance won all 23 seats in Southern Lebanon. Since the end of the Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon on May 22, 2000, Hezbollah has been involved in activities like building schools, clinics, and hospitals.

The opposition has vowed to keep up protests until their demand that is the government's resignation, is met.

Iran situation 

After several months of prolonged negotiations, the 15 members of the UN Security Council collectively passed a resolution which limits Iran?s trade in material and technology that it could use to create a nuclear weapon. UN Resolution 1737 prohibits the sale of any materials to Iran that could be used in their "enrichment related, reprocessing or heavy water related activities". It also imposes restrictions on the movements of twenty-two people or entities involved in the nuclear program. The resolution froze the assets of 10 Iranian companies and 12 individuals related to those programs. This is arguably the first time in history of the Security Council that an entire nation is being punished based not on actual violations of international law, but on pure speculation on the part of some powerful countries, regarding its hypothetical future conduct. 

Iran?s stand on the sanction:

Iran from the start denied that it seeks to build atomic weapons, saying its nuclear program is limited for generating electricity; it opposes the idea of obtaining nuclear weapons and wants to use nuclear technology under the framework of the Nonproliferation Treaty as the same technology used for producing fuel for nuclear power can be used for producing fuel for a nuclear explosion. 

Iran feels the imposition of sanctions is rather ill-advised and unhelpful to peaceful dialogue. Iran said, this action not only take away Iranians? inalienable rights enjoyed by all other nations, but also exposes the irresponsible way in which the international body is being used as a tool to satisfy militant warmongers in US and the West. Iran's top nuclear envoy, however, warned that Tehran's commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear technology will change if the country is threatened in any way or the other.

Iranian President Ahmadinejad said that sanctions won't stop Iran from enriching uranium.  

Territory full of disputes:

Western powers fear that Iran secretly wants to develop either a nuclear bomb or the ability to make one, even if it has not decided to build one at the moment. So from stopping Iran from any enrichment now is a step to the idea ?precaution is better than cure?. History of the Middle East is fearful and precaution is well justified as several countries in the territory have international dispute at the highest level. Iran openly criticized Israel?s activities and in some cases threatened it with military actions.  

Affects of the sanctions:

Iran now cannot get letters of credit for trade and therefore has had to forego work on most oil and gas development projects. Banks UBS and Credit Suisse have retreated from involvement in Iran while European financial institutions like ABN Amro, HSBC and Standard Chartered had halted new loans and investments. Japan pulled out it?s involvement of the Azadegan oil field and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation halted new financing of projects until Iran suspended enrichment. 

Date back:

International Atomic Energy Agency reported in 2003 that Iran is hiding a uranium enrichment programme for last 18 years. Members of the IAEA then called on Iran to commit it to stopping all enrichment activities permanently, but Iran refused to do so. The conflict escalated in February 2006, when the IAEA reported Iran to the Security Council. Tehran later defied the council by ignoring a 31 August deadline to halt enrichment as a precondition to negotiations. The IAEA later reported that Iran had started a new round of uranium enrichment just days before the UN deadline. 

Diplomatic stand in favor of Iran:

China, a close ally of Iran asked Tehran to give a "serious response" to the UN Security Council resolution that imposed sanctions for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment. Chinese leader Hu added that "China continues to believe the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved through diplomatic negotiation."

State-owned China National Petroleum Corp. announced recently that it will invest $3.6 billion in Iran's South Pars gas field despite US pressure for China to cancel the deal. The US views the planned investment by the Chinese state-run company as sending the wrong signal to Tehran but China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said China has every right to do business with Iran, and the US has no right to comment on the two countries' dealings.

Russia, hungry for energy to feed its booming economy, has close relations with Iran, and has called for diplomacy rather than confrontation to resolve the nuclear dispute. 

Venezuela expanded its cooperation with Iran to create an anti-US strategic alliance and signed 11 new bilateral agreements and pledged to boost the price of oil.

The United Arab Emirates has reassured Iran that it will not allow the United States to use its territory to spy on the Islamic Republic as Tehran faces mounting pressure over its atomic programme.

The West says that Iran cannot be trusted because it long secreted an enrichment programme and the sanctions were inevitable as Iran acted aggressively rather than working for peaceful solutions. Resolution 1737 however only allows for economic sanctions but not the use of military force. Countries that have strategic long-term relationships will Iran will not change their strategic relationships because of tactical issues. It has to be understood by both the parties that sanctions and aggressive stand in favor of enriching uranium can not destroy ?non-existent nukes? or ?fictitious weapons programs?, but they can destroy peace of the region.

War and Sectarian Hatred Are Creating a Generation of Iraqi Children Who Are Traumatized, Undereducated — and Vulnerable to Appeal of Militia and Insurgent Groups, Reports Newsweek

Iraqi Sociologist: 'These Children Will Come to Believe in the Principles of Force And Violence … There's No Question that Society As a Whole Is Going to Feel the Effects in the Future'

NEW YORK: Last fall Ammar joined the neighborhood watch in his section of Baghdad, a ragtag bunch of men who stand guard nightly at improvised roadblocks and rooftop observation posts. And in mid-October Ammar fought his first big battle against soldiers from the Mahdi Army — "the garbage collectors and robbers," as he contemptuously refers to the Shiite militia. He says he put his Kalashnikov assault rifle to good use: "I think I injured or even killed two of them. Our group killed more than six of them that night," he tells Newsweek in the January 22 issue (on newsstands Monday, January 15). Ammar is only 17 years old. In this week's cover story, "The Next Jihadists," Newsweek Correspondent Christian Caryl — along with an international reporting team — looks at how the U.S. occupation, daily bloodshed and sectarian hatreds are warping young Iraqis like him, laying the seeds of conflict for years to come.

Like many of its neighbors, Iraq is a young country: nearly half the population is under the age of 18. And, as Caryl points out, those children have had a particularly turbulent upbringing. Kids like Ammar were born in the aftermath of one debilitating war, against neighboring Iran, then suffered two others and years of impoverishing sanctions in between. Hassan Ali, a sociologist at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, estimates that at least 1 million Iraqi kids have seen their lives damaged by this latest war — they've lost parents and homes, watched as their communities have been torn apart by sectarian furies. "These children will come to believe in the principles of force and violence," says Ali. "There's no question that society as a whole is going to feel the effects in the future."

Jonathan Powers, a former U.S. Army captain who served in Iraq in 2003 and now directs a nonprofit working with kids there, notes that the ongoing violence is creating a generation that is undereducated, unemployed, traumatized and, among boys in particular, ripe for the vengeful appeals of militias and insurgent groups. Already some of these kids are taking up arms – - mostly against members of the opposite sect, whether Sunni or Shia, but often against American troops as well. "Instead of training them to rebuild their country, they are being trained to use weapons to destroy it," Powers says. If the pattern isn't changed, "we will be fighting these same youths in the future for peace in the Middle East."

***image1***Many forces are working against the Iraqi youth. The ongoing violence is forcing many families to move for safety reasons. Baghdad neighborhoods used to be close-knit places where neighbors shared information and helped each other out regardless of sect or ethnicity, Caryl reports. Parents watched after each other's kids; the children had a ready support network. Today, refugees are surrounded by strangers thrown together by sect and defended by militias. Once wrecked, these families have little capacity to rebound. While no reliable figures of kids orphaned or left fatherless by the war exist, the overwhelming majority of Iraqi civilians killed in the sectarian slaughter have been men between the ages of 18 and 40. The Iraqi Red Crescent Society says it's been seeing a stark increase in the number of households run by women — a problem in traditional Iraqi society, where women rarely work outside the home. In Fallujah, 17-year-old Jumaa Ahmed al-Issawi had to become the primary breadwinner for his family after his father went into hiding, wanted by the Americans. He still attends high school in the mornings, but then drives a taxi to earn money. "I'm exhausted," the tall, athletic teen says, sighing. "At my age it's hard to bear all these miseries and concerns."

Since September, millions of other kids have had to abandon their education for other reasons. The Ministry of Education estimates that only 30 percent of the 3.5 million Iraqi elementary-age kids are attending school now, down from 75 percent last year. Part of the problem, reports Caryl, is that sectarian hatreds roiling society outside have found their way into the classroom. One teacher at a primary school in Baghdad, who asked not to be identified by name for her safety, says many parents pulled their kids out of her school when they learned it was being guarded by the Mahdi Army. "We used to have over 600 kids but now it is no more than 400," she says. According to her, the number of Sunni children in particular is dwindling, replaced by Shiite youth. She also says the education depends "on what sect the teacher is." Kids in other schools have reported being harassed by teachers because of their overtly Sunni or Shiite names.

Money clearly is an element of the militias' allure. Iraqi and U.S. soldiers in the capital trade tales of kids working as spotters, couriers and fighters. Powers likes to point out that when he served in Iraq the going rate to have an IED planted was $1,000, with another $1,000 paid for killing an American. Now, he says, kids will set bombs for as little as $20. Ahmed Ali, 10, was on his way to school in Baghdad one morning when a "smiling man" called him over and asked for his help. The man offered him the princely sum of $35 in return for carrying a canvas bag to a spot nearby. No sooner had Ahmed completed the delivery than he was knocked to the ground by an enormous blast. "I fell down on my face, screaming. I couldn't stop screaming," he recalls. A woman and her child were injured by the bomb.

Whether Iraq's next generation can break out of this cycle of violence may depend on the kids themselves. Thaka, a 14-year-old Baghdadi who saw his father killed before his eyes, is an example. Even now, despite his traumas, he resists the urge for revenge. A studious practitioner of his faith, Thaka finds consolation in the suffering of the great Shiite imams and the belief that a new age of justice and peace is about to dawn. Asked if he wants to kill his father's murderers, he shakes his head: "I don't want to become like them. They are men without religion."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16610767/site/newsweek/