Gaza was host to three prestigious international visitors on Sunday as pressure mounts to speed Gaza's reconstruction. Tony Blair made his first visit to the territory as international envoy to the middle east. Blair called for a change of international strategy and asked Israel to lift its economic blockade of the territory. He was joined in Gaza by DouglasAlexander, Britain's international development secretary, who announced a £30m aid package from Britain and seconded Blair's calls for unfettered access foraid to the region. The UN Secretary-General's Special Humanitarian Envoy, Abdul Aziz Arrukban, also arrived to discuss the challenges of aid distribution inthe territory with relief workers. All avoided any contact with Hamasofficials.
The toD verdict: The reconstruction of Gaza remains the most pressing problem facing the international community in the region. Over 34,000 Palestinian homes were destroyed and 50,000 Palestinians remain withoutdrinking water in the aftermath of the recent Israeli incursion, operation Cast Lead.
Although much aid seeks to alleviate immediate humanitarian suffering, there is a growingrecognition that the longer-term security situation in Gaza is inextricably tied to the territory's economic development. This was in part the motive behind the creation of Blair's post, which largely dealt with issues of economic reconstruction. However in attempting to keep aid and politics separate, Blair faced inevitable friction when attempting to deal with thorny issues such as restrictions on the movements of goods and people, which are inextricably political. Thus, the tangled web of economic concerns, security and international diplomacy continue to paralyze recent efforts to build a stable Palestinianstate.
Blair, Alexander and Arrukban's visits coincide with an international conference on reconstruction in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, which began on Monday. Governments pledged $4.4 billionin aid to Palestine, including a $900 million US pledge announced by Secretaryof State Hilary Clinton. While the sums have exceeded even the hopes ofPalestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the challenge of distribution isalmost as great as that of raising funds. Aid was pledged to the Palestinian Authority, whereas it is Hamas, despite being battered during the Israeli offensive, that remains in control of the Gaza Strip. The move may be seen as an attempt to strengthen the hand of Fatah, which has been engaged in simultaneous negotiations in Cairo on the possibility of cooperation with Hamas.
Gunmen attack Sri Lankan national cricket team in Lahore
Twelve fighters armed with assault riffles, grenades and anti-tank missiles attacked the motor convoy of the Sri Lankan cricket team near Lahore's main cricket ground earlier today. Six policemen were killed and six cricketers wounded in the attack. Lahore'schief of police described the attackers as bearded young men who he believed were Pathans, native of the North West Frontier Province which includes Taliban-dominated tribal areas. The attack heaps further pressure onthe beleaguered government of Asif Ali Zardari. It also ensures that cricket-obsessive Pakistan will not see international cricket on its own soil for the indefinite future.
President of Guinea-Bissau assassinated
Joao Bernardo Vieira, the president of Guinea-Bissau has been assassinated byrogue soldiers in an apparent revenge attack for the killing of general Tagme, army chief of staff, on Sunday night. The role of senior military figures in the killing remains unclear. An army spokesman accused Vieira of ordering Tagme's murder, but radio broadcasts by the military have denied that a coup is underway. The assassination follows a similar failed attack by renegade soldiers on the presidential palace in November 2008.
Iran's first nuclear reactor will open on schedule
Iran's first nuclear power plant, built with Russian consultation, will begin generating power on schedule, a spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday. The US has engaged in urgent negotiations with Russia in an attempt to forestall the plant's opening. Barack Obama offered concessionson the US missile shield programme, which is officially aimed at Iran but which Russia sees as an act of aggression.
Mounting tension follows the alarming statements made in an interview with CNN on Sunday by Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff,that Iran had sufficient nuclear material to make a bomb. Several Obama advisors contributed to a hawkish report that called for a toughened embargo on Iran and supported improving Israeli capabilities to target possible nuclear sites. Mohamed El-Baradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, also criticised the Iranian regime's lack of co-operation in a speech at the Agency's headquarters in Vienna on Monday.
Pakistani Taliban warlords join forces tofight US in Afghanistan
Three rival forces in Waziristan, Pakistan's tribal borderland with Afghanistan, have united their efforts to fight the US under the new banner of the Council of UnitedHoly Warriors. One of the three, Baitullah Mehsud, is accused of organising the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and had launched a series of attacks against Pakistani forces. It is possible that he will now redirect his efforts against NATO troops in compliance with an order of ceasefire against other Muslims from Mullah Omar, the founder and ultimate leader of the Afghan Taliban.is visit coincides
Japan readies interceptor rockets in case of North Korean missile launch
Japanese Minister of Defence, Yasukazu Hamada, announced today that naval forces armed with interceptor rockets were being deployed to the seas off North Korea. The defensive measures come amid widespread anticipation that Pyongyang will imminently test a long-range nuclear-capable missile. North Korea held urgent talks with the UN, the first in almost seven years, in the demilitarised zone separating it from South Korea on Tuesday. The North feared that US military exercises south of the border were provocative and warned they would further destabilise the region.
