World-News

The heads of Israel's main security organizations, the Mossad and the Shin Bet, harshly criticized the results of the Second Lebanon War during a meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, calling it "a national catastrophe."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/1,7340,L-3383151,00.html


From Information Clearing House

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0207/p01s01-wome.htm


Informant: binstock



http://sharenews.twoday.net/search?q=cluster+bomb

Earlier this year, more than 300,000 of us came together to successfully petition for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon. Since then, we've campaigned together on other critical global issues like the war in Iraq and Israel/Palestine. Thank you for being a part of Ceasefire Campaign and continuing to believe in peace during this difficult year.

Now to close 2006, please join with us again to help the people of Lebanon. Massive numbers of unexploded mines and cluster bombs continue to kill and maim civilians - a horrific legacy of war. MAG (Mines Advisory Group) is one of the leading organizations helping to address this problem. Please click below to support their crucial de-mining work.

http://www.ceasefirecampaign.org/mines

The UN has reported over 100,000 unexploded cluster bomblets at 359 separate sites in Lebanon. Unexploded ordnance prevents farmers from cultivating their land, families from returning to their homes, and children from playing safely outside. These bombs kill or maim unsuspecting civilians; a number of children in Lebanon recently suffered severe injury after mistaking the small explosive packages for toys.

You can help prevent this. MAG, co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, is working hard to make Lebanon safe for civilians by clearing unexploded ordnance. MAG is providing critical equipment, expertise, and personnel to assist with cleanup efforts throughout the country, destroying over 11,000 bombs since the ceasefire and assisting over 450,000 people at risk of death or injury from these harmful remnants of conflict. MAG also has active conflict recovery projects elsewhere in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. We encourage you to support their work here, to ensure that others may have a more peaceful holiday season:

http://www.ceasefirecampaign.org/mines

As we reflect upon 2006 and look ahead to 2007, we hope that you will continue to help us campaign for peace. Through our work together we have shown policymakers that people around the world care deeply about what is happening to those in other countries and demand a better future.

Thanks for all you've done, and here's to a more peaceful and prosperous 2007.

Peace,

Ricken, Rachel, Paul, Tom, Amparo and the Ceasefire Campaign team

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/nation/16204225.htm


From Information Clearing House



Lunch with Robert Fisk

Video

Robert Fisk talks about his latest posting to Lebanon, shares his intimate understanding of the Middle East and tells us where the region-wide struggles are heading.

http://tinyurl.com/y87jc9

Hostilities may be over, but over one million unexploded cluster bombs continue to threaten Lebanese lives.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/815/re8.htm


From Information Clearing House

By Dick Mazess

An October attack would rally the US public around the currently unpopular Republican Congress and undercut the hapless Democratic Party whose virtually only appeal is "anti-Bush". It would also undermine the attempt of Iran to establish its oil bourse, a move that would bring Iran an additional $10 billion in revenues, and that some think would help undermine the US dollar as the world reserve currency.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article15229.htm