Press TV has conducted an interview with Marvin Weinbaum, Middle East Institute, to further discuss the issue.

The following is a transcription of the interview.

Press TV: In your opinion, is this a lost war with Afghanistan?

Weinbaum: It certainly does reflect the views of a good many people that the picture which is painted by the military is one which may not conform entirely to reality.

At the same time, there’s a good deal in the remarks of the Lieutenant Colonel which do seem to go much farther than probably the facts warranted. Obviously, it’s been a very mixed picture there.

There clearly are indications of places, where however fragile the games may be, that they’re very real. And I say fragile because it’s questionable about whether they can be sustained.

Let me say though that even if one accepts basically what has been said here, the tenure of it being that this cannot be a sustained campaign, that the Afghans are not capable of taking over; even if one accepts that, one has to also ask the question, so what then should be American policy and NATO policy?

If one is saying at this point that an early withdrawal is going to improve things, one has to face the fact that we’re very likely looking at a civil war. And whether the country would be worse off with a civil war, well, a lot of people would think so.

The question may very well be if you accept the realities on the ground, how can you mitigate the worse possible outcome? I would submit to you that a complete Taliban military victory is not in the interests of anybody in the region.

At the same time, one has to be realistic. The answer conceivably is to have a political solution except that the evidence is that the Taliban will talk about, perhaps, a negotiated solution but that they really have their eyes set on a victory.

Press TV: You discussed the Taliban situation with us, it started about 10 years ago under the Bush administration with the US going after Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden is not in the picture anymore; however, the US is more after the Taliban than ever before. And also Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis compares this war with Iraq – it was an illegal war in Iraq. How do you compare what the US is doing…?

Weinbaum: I share his conviction about Iraq. I think that was a war of choice not of necessity, and perhaps a bad choice. But I do think that there are real distinctions here between Afghanistan and Iraq.

The mistake in Afghanistan was to get involved in Iraq. Remember, in that point in time, all the countries including Iran were very much on board with setting up a new stable government in Afghanistan and as a replacement of the Taliban. The Taliban regime was not good news for anyone.

Now, I think the problem is that in putting the emphasis on al-Qaeda as we did, we really failed to talk about what really is important and that is the stability of the region. And this is a stability in which all the neighbors have a responsibility to aim for a stable government.

Can a stable government exist now, is the question? Will it exist under a Taliban regime, is also an interesting question.

GMA/JR

Iraqi officials, clerics and residents who visited the exhibition condemned the humanitarian crimes committed against Bahraini protesters and urged the international community to bring an end to their sufferings and stop the killings.

Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more arrested or fired from their jobs since the beginning of the popular uprising in Bahrain in February 2011.

In late January, Amnesty International called on Bahraini authorities to “investigate and account for the reports of more than a dozen deaths following tear gas use.”

Amnesty also called on the US government to “suspend transfers of tear gas and other riot control equipment to the Bahraini authorities.”

Bahraini protesters have vowed to continue their anti-regime protests despite the violent crackdown by security forces.

FGP/TE

The Vatican’s previous stance towards the issue had been one in support of the priests involved in the abuse cases.

Mounting pressure on the Roman Church has led it to focus on protecting the victims.

”Healing for victims must be of paramount concern in the Christian community, and it must go hand in hand with a profound renewal of the church at every level,” Pope Benedict XVI said.

Bishops from 100 nations, as well as 33 religious leaders attended the summit.

Over the past years, large numbers of such scandals involving Roman priests have surfaced. The Pope has been accused of trying to cover up the scandals.

Abuse allegations have rocked the Roman Catholic Church in Germany in recent years, making thousands of disenchanted Germans leave the Church over revelations of abuse.

About 180,000 renounced their Catholicism in 2010, up 40% from 2009, due to the revelations of priests sexually abusing minors, the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported.

SZH/JR

Winners were announced in different sections during the closing ceremony of the festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on February 6.

In the World Panorama section, Omar Killed Me by Rachid Bouchareb from France won the Best Film Award.

Marius Holst received the Best Director Award for King of Devil’s Island produced by Norway, France, Sweden and Poland.

The Best Script Award went to Rachid Bouchareb and Olivier Lorelle for London River.

Derek Tidd from Canada received the Diploma of Honor for the Best Actor for Black Noise.

Diploma of Honor for Technical or Artistic Achievement was granted to Alireza Zarrindast for The Queen from Iran.

In the Eastern Vista Asian Cinema Section, Darioush Mehrjui’s Narenji Push from Iran won the Best Film Award.

Banmei Takahashi from Japan garnered the Best Director award for Hakamada Case.

Jang Jing from South Korea won the Best Script Award for Lovers’ Sky.

Diploma of Honor for the Best Actor was presented to Shirin Yazdanbakhsh for Kissing the Face of the Moon from Iran.

The festival’s Special Prize of Islamic Awakening went to Jugular Vein Produced by Ali Daher and Morteza Shamsi from Lebanon.

The Diploma of Honor for Technical or Artistic Achievement went to Jonsong Dong and Dong Jinsong (cinematographers) for China’s 11 Flower.

Winners of this year’s Salvation Cinema section were announced as follows:

Best Film
Freemen produced by Fabienne Vonier from France

Best Director
Ismail Ferroukhi for Freemen from France

Best Script
Abdul Quddus Al Amine for Jugular Vein from Lebanon

Diploma of Honor for Best Actor
Parivash Nazarieh for Waiting for Miracle from Iran

Diploma of Honor for Technical or Artistic Achievement
Morteza Heidari for Waiting for Miracle from Iran

FGP/TE

The convoy arrived in Gaza from Egypt through the southern border crossing of Rafah on Monday evening after about a one-week delay due to the situation in Egypt, a Press TV correspondent reported.

The convoy members are mainly Tunisians along with human rights activists from several other countries.

Fairouz Saeed, a Tunisian activist, told Press TV that the group wants to “liberate Palestine and Jerusalem (al-Quds).”

“I also want to tell the people of Gaza that they are a great source of pride for us and they inspire the world with their resistance and their steadfastness despite all calamities,” she added.

The convoy is scheduled to stay in Gaza for several days to assess the humanitarian situation, meet with Palestinian officials and show solidarity with the people in the coastal enclave.

“The aim of our visit is to help break the Israeli blockade and to get a firsthand look at the situation in the Gaza Strip. We also want to convey a message of solidarity to the Palestinian people who have suffered a lot in recent years due to the ongoing Israeli blockade,” said Mohammad Abbas, another Tunisian activist.

Residents still live in what is known to be the “world’s largest open-air prison” as Israel remains in full control of the airspace, territorial waters and border crossings of Gaza.

Since the December 2008-January 2009 war Israel imposed against Gaza, several convoys have successfully managed to break the Israeli blockade.

Hamas Minister of Social Affairs Ahmad al-Kord told Press TV that the convoys come to Gaza to show solidarity with its besieged people and to break the political and economic blockade.

“They also bring in badly needed aid and express sympathy with the Palestinians in Gaza… They do not want the Palestinians to feel that they are alone in facing the Zionist regime,” Kord added.

On June 19, 2011, a European aid convoy with 53 pro-Palestinian activists and about 30 tons of medical supplies also traveled to Gaza via the Rafah crossing.

Israel denies about 1.5 million people in Gaza their basic rights, including the freedom of movement and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.

HSN/JR

“Washington and key NATO partners plan intervention with or without Security Council cover,” Stephen Lendman wrote in an article “Heading for War on Syria” on Global Research.

“Doing so violates fundamental international law that prohibits interfering in other countries’ internal affairs, except in self-defense if attacked,” he added.

On Saturday, Russia and China vetoed a UN draft resolution on Syria which called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign.

“Plans are longstanding. With or without UN support, they’re coming,” Lendman predicted.

The analyst noted that the Western powers are trying to replicate Libya’s model in Syria, which is the scene of violence since last March.

Lendman believes the recent military interventions are part of Washington’s “New Middle East” project, which is aimed to control North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia to Russia and China’s borders.

“For over a decade, regime change plans targeted Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Syria, and other countries outside the region,” he said.

The author also described the US as the number one country across the world for causing human tragedies.

“Since WW II, no combination of nations caused more slaughter, destruction, and human misery globally that America. Moreover, Washington won’t tolerate democracy at home or abroad,” Lendman said.

“Long-suffering Afghans, Iraqis, Libyans, Somalis, Bahrainis, Yemenis, Palestinians, and many others elsewhere understand the horrors when America intervenes. So do Syrians. They abhor Washington led meddling in their internal affairs and want no part of it,” he added.

AGB/JR/IS

“A realistic objective would be to get the sanctions agreed by February 27, when EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels, but it could also happen before,” an EU diplomat said on Tuesday, adding that the sanctions had the full support of Germany and France.

After the US, Britain, and Belgium recalled their envoys from Syria for consultation, several EU states such as France, Italy, and Spain have also revealed plans of doing the same. This is while Persian Gulf states have also announced plans to withdraw their envoys.

The EU imposed an earlier set of sanctions against Syria last May.

The draft, presented to the Security Council by Morocco, initially supported an Arab League plan that called on President Assad to resign and hand over power to a deputy to form a national unity government “with the opposition within two months.”

However, during a meeting on February 2, UN Security Council ambassadors met to consider a revised version of the resolution, which no longer included the explicit reference to Assad handing over his powers and also excluded the explicit call for a new national unity government.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011, with demonstrations being held both against and in support of President Assad.

The West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of killing protesters. But Damascus blames “outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups” for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

SZH/JR

Press TV has conducted an interview with Ramtanu Maitra, Executive Intelligence Review, to further discuss the issue.

The following is a transcription of the interview.

Press TV: These drone attacks are considered illegal by much of the international community; however, the US continues. Are they just undermining the rights of the Pakistani people by continuing these drone attacks?

Maitra: Definitely. There are a number of issues here involved. For example, A, since these so-called terrorists do not endanger the American troops in anyway, and it’s an easy way to kill people, I think there is a tendency to use this loosely, ruthlessly and in abundance.

Therefore, I think that there is enough evidence that investigative journalism has provided which shows – we’re getting this report anyway on a day to day basis – that a militant gets killed, but along with a militant maybe five or six other civilians get killed.

One instance I remember in North Waziristan happened about two years back when a militant group was targeted by a drone and killed. Then the rescue villagers came in to rescue those people who were hurt or even killed. And there was another drone attack, and the civilians died.

The second part of it is like attacking the Red Cross workers who are going out to help those who have become victims. This is extrajudicial and judicial killing.

What is interesting to note is that in the US government, not a peep has been heard so far. Nobody has talked about it.

Press TV: Under the Obama administration, these spy attacks have increased. However, President Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize for trying to bring peace in many countries. Isn’t this hypocritical?

Maitra: To begin with, the whole thing is hypocritical because he was given the Nobel Prize before he had done a day’s work. Now, that was as soon as he got elected, primarily.

Now, these drone attacks have really increased during the last two or three years, there’s no question about it. And it was never acknowledged.

But only recently the last week when Obama was having a chat with the news on Google and you tube, he acknowledged that a lot of these strikes had been administered in tribal areas.

But he was not sorry at all, or anything like that. Instead he said that for the most part they’ve been very precise precision strikes against al-Qaeda, and they were very careful in terms of how it’s been applied.

Now, the Geneva Convention has not gone anywhere. There is no attention being taken to the Geneva Convention simply because that John Brennan, I think about a year back, was speaking at Harvard law school and he said that since the United States is at war with al-Qaeda, it’s a worldwide war, the United States does not view our authority to use military force against al-Qaeda as being restricted solely to hot battles in Afghanistan. In other words, it’s in Pakistan.

So, there is a no more requirement that the killings should take place in the battle sense.

GMA

The last Syrian ambassador to Tunisia returned to Syria a few months ago after his term in office came to an end, the source said on Monday.

The informed source added that Damascus has not appointed a new ambassador to replace the previous envoy.

The source also said Syria’s Charge d’ Affaires in Tunisia had been performing the duties of the Syrian ambassador during the past months.

Several news outlets claimed that the Tunisian government expelled Syria’s ambassador to Tunis over the unrest in Syria.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March and many people have lost their lives in the violence.

The West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of killing protesters. But Damascus blames “outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups” for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

VG/MYA/GHN/JR