Not many people know that, in the Lebanon, Hezbollah is defending UN forces (which are really NATO forces), from attacks by al-Qaeda and at the same time, UN (NATO) forces are defending Israel from attacks by Hezbollah. The Israelis, defended by the Americans, attack everyone.
You will only know these things if you read Robert Fisk in the Independent.
The Daily Telegraph reports on the scandalous treatment of wounded troops repatriated from the Middle East.
An estimated 5,000 injured troops are being prevented from joining front-line operations because they are languishing on health service waiting lists.When wounded troops actually get to hospital their treatment is often not as good as they deserve.
Military doctors have told The Daily Telegraph of the "absolute scandal" of soldiers having to wait for treatment while a fully equipped military hospital lies virtually empty.
Night of Terror says the BBC headline (under "Features, Views, Analysis", bottom left). This being the BBC, the report refers to an IDF defensive operation in Gaza, where they were hunting unspecified "Palestinian militants". Hamas or Hezballah or perhaps the IDF was chasing PLO ghosts? We are not told. We are told that the troops were beating an innocent mentally disabled youngster, who was defended by a brave relative from al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades militant group.
Now, that is what I call propoganda.
A week old but it this it is still prominent on the BBC's Middle East page. Has nothing important happened in Gaza or the Middle East in the last seven days?
Kurdistan is largely mountainous region stretching from Turkey, across northern Iraq and into Iran, taking in a bit of Syria on the way. Each of those countries has a long history of conflict with its Kurdish ethnic minority populations. Now, reports DEBKAfile in a detailed analysis, the Kurds are likely to be the subject of a co-ordinated Turkish and Iranian invasion.
Map of Kurdistan, with inset showing etnhic Kurdish inhabited area, based on Wikipedia.
DEBKA concludes that Turkey wants
...to get in its blow against Kurdistan before an American action against Iran. The Turks buy Russian and Iranian intelligence evaluations according which the US attack may take place at any time between the last week of September and the end of December, 2006...A major worry is that the Coalition forces in Iraq would be drawn into a major conflict, one which they currently do not have the resources to fight. Unfortunately, there is little sign of Coalition governments having the political will to make such resources available.
...Iran, for its part, is waiting for Turkey to make the first move in Iraqi Kurdistan. Its troops will go into action only after the first Turkish soldier and tank are on the move.
The Greeks have joined the UN Peace Keeping force in Lebanon. It's only one frigate, but it will be empowered to open fire if attacked. I assume it will have live ammunition on board.
I wonder why the Athens News Agency thinks it necessary to report that the frigate will be "fully-staffed". Does that mean it will have a full compliment of wine waiters?
