US-led coalition has neither a political nor an exit strategy

US-led coalition hits targets in Syria’s Homs province – YouTubeShort conversation with me about why I predict that the US-led bombing of ISIS structures will turn out to be an intellectual and moral disaster and that the Obama administration has neither a politico-military nor an exit strategy. Continue reading US-led coalition has neither a political nor an exit strategy

US to strike ISIL ‘sanctuaries’ in Syria

US to strike ISIL ‘sanctuaries’ in SyriaI venture the following predictions: 1) This will lead to mass-killing of innocents too. 2) This will further undermine the United Nations since there is no mandate for bombing Syria. 3) It will strengthen the resolve of ISIL and other groups (see end statement). 4) This is done either without President Al-Assad’s acceptance and is thus international aggression or … Continue reading US to strike ISIL ‘sanctuaries’ in Syria

Six Steps Short of War to Beat ISIS – the speech Obama should have held!

Six Steps Short of War to Beat ISISBy eminent researcher Phyllis Bennis The speech President Obama ought to have held…based on brilliant intellectual points and the logics of ethics. With that the U.S. could lead. Without it, it just can’t. Continue reading Six Steps Short of War to Beat ISIS – the speech Obama should have held!

Obama’s plan to stop ISIS

☮ ☮ Obama’s plan to stop ISIS – video of speech, about 13 min.This speech is a record low in terms of moral and intellectual analysis: What it boils down to is war – i.e. killing every single ISIS person anywhere. The war on terror has always been about killing terrorists but you can not kill an ism – terrorism. Do something about the causes … Continue reading Obama’s plan to stop ISIS

☮ ☮ New TFF PressInfo 277 – After all this, what?

☮ ☮ New TFF PressInfo 277 – After all this, what?Messages to NATO – After Yugoslavia? After the fall of the US Empire? After NATO?And After Violence – the world needs something else… Continue reading ☮ ☮ New TFF PressInfo 277 – After all this, what?

The Powers Behind The Islamic State

▶ The Powers Behind The Islamic State – YouTube Nafeez Ahmed, brilliant reliable researcher/journalist gives you, in 21 min, all you basically need to know about ISIS/Islamic State and why it is the result of policies conducted by the U.S., Britain, Qatar, Saudi-Arabia. He offers some common sense proposals on how to stop it. And there is NO military solution to it, only a shift … Continue reading The Powers Behind The Islamic State

☮ ☮ NEW TFF PressInfo: All Danish MPs now turn humanitarian aid into a military mission for Iraq

☮ ☮ NEW TFF PressInfo: All Danish MPs now turn humanitarian aid into a military mission for Iraq Tragic. Nothing learnt from Denmark’s 4 wars since 1999. Risk of mission creep and spreading to Syria and splitting up Iraq. The Denmark I grew up in and the government commission I was a member of in the 1980s was competent and decent in comparison with this. Continue reading ☮ ☮ NEW TFF PressInfo: All Danish MPs now turn humanitarian aid into a military mission for Iraq

☮ ☮ UN Official weeps over Gaza bloodshed

☮ ☮ UN Official weeps over Gaza bloodshed Please pay respect to the UN for having such deeply caring people on their staff, people with a heart. And thank you Chris Gunness for not just plaing it cool as so many others. This iconic clip of a UN humanitarian worker will be remembered for long into the future. I have been privileged to met similar … Continue reading ☮ ☮ UN Official weeps over Gaza bloodshed

Will we see a new wave of anti-Semitism now?

Israel strikes the Islamic University in Gaza City – Al Jazeera English “This brings the death toll in Israeli offensive on Gaza, which began on July 8, to at least 1,655 Palestinians, mostly civilians. More than 8,900 others have been reported injured. On the Israeli side, 3 civilians have been killed by rockets launched from Gaza and at least 63 troops have died in the … Continue reading Will we see a new wave of anti-Semitism now?

☮ ☮ US supplies Israel with bombs amid Gaza blitz

Do we see a new moral principle concerning arms exports? ☮ ☮ US supplies Israel with bombs amid Gaza blitz – who is morally responsible for Gaza? – says Al-Jazeera Two points here: 1) While Obama calls for immediate ceasefire, Pentagon keeps assisting Israel in killing even more civilians. Spineless? Absurd? Cruel? Immoral? You name it. The NATO country, Norway’s Nobel Committee should request that Obama … Continue reading ☮ ☮ US supplies Israel with bombs amid Gaza blitz

Gaza chamber? Zionism must be replaced

Israeli bombs kill 100 Gazans in single day – Al Jazeera English Israel’s leaders seem determined to turn Gaza into what one could call a Gaza chamber. While Israel’s leaders believe they destroy the Palestinian state and people, we are also seeing the possible self-destruction of Israel. When everybody – presumably including the U.S./NATO and the EU – have abandoned Israel as a friend and ally, … Continue reading Gaza chamber? Zionism must be replaced

It’s doable: Peace Israel-Palestine

By Jan Oberg This one has just been published as TFF PressInfo here. I argue that we need to focus on the violence on both sides rather than taking sides among the parties. The article ends with some principles about conflict understand and will be followed-up with some more concrete ideas. I sincerely believe we must try to be constructive, pro-peace and not continue to … Continue reading It’s doable: Peace Israel-Palestine

☮ ☮ And President Obama wants peace!

☮ ☮ And President Obama wants peace? – See him in this video and read the facts from CNN. In terms of total money received, Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of military assistance from the US since World War II. Between 2002 and 2011 Israel got $30 billion of US foreign aid of which nearly 75% was used to purchase U.S. defense equipment from American … Continue reading ☮ ☮ And President Obama wants peace!

☮ ☮ Mahatma Gandhi On Palestine, Written in 1938

☮ ☮ Mahatma Gandhi On Palestine, Written In 1938 Since my student years, Gandhi has been one of my inspirations, perhaps the basic one. I have studied his theories and action, I’ve been teaching Gandhi and I walked in his footsteps here and there in India in 2001. No less than 76 years ago he gave us a perspective on what happens these very days … Continue reading ☮ ☮ Mahatma Gandhi On Palestine, Written in 1938

☮ ☮ Some people are exceptional

☮ ☮ Some people are exceptionalBy Jan ObergA short think piece on Gaza 2014 and the moral decay of the West.Written 12 days after Israel launched Operation Protective Edge, after Shejaiya and after 400 people on the Palestinian side have been killed.Go to the article on TFF’s blog. Continue reading ☮ ☮ Some people are exceptional

Syrien – hvad kunne være gjort og hvad kan stadig gøres?

Gad vide hvor mange mislykkede krige vi endnu skal igennem før især politikere og medier opdager det indlysende faktum, at der findes et temmeligt bredt spektrum af handlingsmuligheder mellem at gøre ingenting og at smadre et land når konflikter dukker op?

Det spektrum hedder konflikthåndtering og tilhører et fagområde, der undervises i rundt om på verdens universiteter. Det kræver at FNs medlemsstater etablerer ”styrker” af uddannede konfliktanalytikere, facilitatorer, mæglere, områdeeksperter, forhandlere og forsoningsterapeuter, der kan rykke ud endnu hurtigere end de kan sende krydsermissiler og F-16 fly.

For at dette spektrum kan blive inddraget forudsættes endvidere at regeringer ikke direkte ønsker krig under foregivende af at have gode og ofte humanitære motiver hvor de i virkeligheden har rå interesser.

Med andre ord, man kan gøre noget ved den manifeste konfliktanalfabetisme, der først søger militære løsninger og – som en række danske politikere – hurtigt tilsidesætter folkeretten og FNs fornemste norm, nemlig den at fred skal skabes med fredelige midler og først når de alle har været prøvet og vist sig uden effekt kan man gribe til militære midler, vel at mærke i FN-regi.

Eller anderledes udtrykt: fred kan læres. Når nu de fleste mennesker i verden – også 98% af de civile i konfliktzoner der ikke griber til vold men er dens ofre – ønsker fred skulle man kunne tage demokratiet alvorligt og gøre en kraftanstrengelse for at mindske (ikke afskaffe) militæret, der globalt koster 1700 milliarder dollar eller 30 gange mere end alt FN gør – og i stedet øge konflikthåndteringen.

Eksemplet Syrien – gal diagnose og prognose

Verden har brug for konflikt-lægevidenskab: diagnose, prognose og behandling.

Diagnosen turde være nok så klar: Det handler om endog meget komplekse indre konflikter, den arabiske vår (oprindeligt) men det handler også om hele Mellemøsten og især hér om Vestens ønske om at holde Iran nede og Israel oppe. Continue reading “Syrien – hvad kunne være gjort og hvad kan stadig gøres?”