Gabriel Helou

Real international morals appear in times of natural disasters. Sadly, everything gets politicized, even hurricanes.

“The Likud” Central Committee has just approved a merger with Lieberman's “Yisrael Beiteinu”. It never happened that “The  Likud” went on an alliance with another Party. This step shows one thing: a setback in “The Likud” classical position. However, this merger will give rise to an Israeli racist union par excellence.

European Parliament resolution on the Human Rights situation in the United Arab Emirates 

Disseminating false information doesn't help any cause. If you lose support for your cause, don't change it, rather change the way you present it - remote from falsification. A good cause could turn into a bad one if you are a bad defender. Weeping is not the key to victory.

Peace prevails if every side carries out its obligations in good faith (bona fide); as a matter of fact, it's an obligation per se.

“President Barack Obama cast his ballot for the November 6 election on Thursday in his hometown of Chicago and encouraged others who could vote before Election Day to follow his example.    Obama, who was a U.S. senator from Illinois and had before becoming president, went to an early-voting facility to show his driver's license before making his pick for president. "I'm just glad I renewed my driver's license," the president said after a poll worker asked to see his photo ID. When he handed it over, she studied it closely. "For all of you who have not yet voted early, I just want everybody to see what an incredibly efficient process this was," he said to journalists afterward.” “Polling workers double check the photo on U.S. President Barack Obama's drivers license as he voted early at the Martin Luther King Community Center in Chicago, Illinois October 25, 2012. ”

The debate didn't address the Arab-Israeli conflict. Obama and Romney avoided mentioning the protracted Israeli occupation of Palestine. Neither Obama nor Romney talked about the status of Jerusalem. Both Obama and Romney focused on Israel, but the latter even more so. Obama probably tried to keep distance.

Obama: 41:42  Romney: 41:07 | Obama talked longer.

Third  Presidential Debate:  Romney is striving to change the debate into domestic affairs ! It's supposed to be about foreign policy ! 

President Obama is so far making clear points. No Romney, Israel shouldn't be involved in the Syrian crisis.   President Obama seems to be relaxed, while Mitt Romney seems to be stressed and hesitant.

“A federal judge has granted a stay of execution for a convicted mass killer in Florida who is mentally ill and was scheduled to be executed on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley on Saturday granted a motion for a stay for John Errol Ferguson, who was to be executed Tuesday after 34 years on Florida's death row. A hearing is scheduled for Friday.”  

ألقيت نظرة سريعة على المسودة الأولية لمشروع دستور جمهورية مصر العربية – المنشورة في 14 تشرين الأول 2012.   المادة (1) ملفتة للنظر. أضافت أمور جديدة، وحذفت أمور من المادة (1) من الدستور الحالي . المادة (1) من الدستور   المصري   الحالي تنص على العمل على تحقيق الوحدة الشاملة للأمة العربية. المادة (1) من مسودة مشروع الدستور حذفت هذا الأمر . تنص المادة (1) من مسودة مشروع الدستور المصري على مشاركة الشعب المصري ﺑﺈﯾﺟﺎﺑﯾﺔ ﻓﻰ اﻟﺣﺿﺎرة اﻹﻧﺳﺎﻧﯾﺔ. هذا جديد كليا على الدساتير العربية . المادة (1) من مسودة مشروع الدستور تنص على أن الشعب المصري "ﯾﻌﺗز ﺑﺎﻧﺗﻣﺎﺋﻪ ﻟﺣوض اﻟﻧﯾل وأﻓرﯾﻘﯾﺎ واﻣﺗدادﻩ اﻷﺳﯾوي". اضافة جديدة وملفتة للنظر . المادة (80) من مسودة مشروع الدستور: ﯾﺗﻛون اﻟﺑرﻟﻣﺎن ﻣــن ﻣﺟﻠس اﻟﻧواب وﻣﺟﻠس اﻟﺷﯾوخ. مجلس الشيوخ أمر جديد في   مصر (بعيدا عن مجلس الشورى). المادة (130) من المسودة خطيرة: يتكون مجلس اﻟﺷﯾوخ ﻣن ﻋدد ﻣن اﻷﻋﺿﺎء ﻻ ﯾﻘل ﻋـن 150 عضوا، ﯾﻧﺗﺧـب ثلاثة أرباعهم، وﯾﻌﯾن الرئيس الربع الباقي   ! ليست ديمقراطية أن يعين رئيس الجمهورية "ربع أعضاء مجل...

That was an outstanding achievement for the Austrian Felix Baumgartner, and for the United States as well. Remember: it was the United States that built the capsule and designed and controlled the whole mission. Therefore, congratulations to both of them.

“As the crisis in Syria has deepened, the White House has appeared willing to wait for the demise of Syrian President Bashar Assad. For Ankara, the crisis has become an emergency.   As turmoil in Syria has grown over the past 18 months, Ankara has presumed that the United States and Turkey were on the same page regarding regime change. Now, though, differences are emerging. The Obama administration is hesitant toward Syria for several reasons, including reticence to act before the November elections and war-weariness among Americans. Erdogan appears to view such concerns as cover for general indifference to Turkey’s Syria problem. A sign of such sentiment emerged Sept 5, when Erdogan chided Obama on CNN for lacking initiative on Syria — a rare rebuke from an otherwise steadfast friend. This statement could be a harbinger. Erdogan has a penchant for treating foreign leaders as friends — and losing his temper when he thinks his friends have not stood by him. The more Washingt...

Anything that comes from Turkey these days shouldn't be given any attention. The Turkish Government has no credibility.

In my view, the Turkish Parliament’s authorization to the Government “to carry out military operations outside Turkish borders” poses a serious threat to international peace and security in the region - a matter which the Security Council should address.

By no stretch of the English language can Turkey’s latest behaviour be described as exercising its right to self-defence, or taking steps to “protect” the Syrian people. Moreover, forcing a Syrian civilian aircraft to land in Ankara for “inspection” is only a way to look for a new pretext. It has therefore become crystal clear that Turkey - by creating pretexts and taking provocative steps - is seeking to escalate the situation towards dragging NATO into a military intervention in Syria. This in turn could lead to disastrous consequences for the whole region. 

It is now pretty obvious that Erdogan is creating pretexts in order to carry out a military intervention in Syria.  The issue of mortar shells fired inside Turkey is Turkish-made ! Erdogan seeks to alienate any form of internal opposition to military intervention in Syria. NATO's Rasmussen stated that the Alliance has all the necessary plans to defend Turkey, if necessary. Erdogan on his part, by creating false pretexts, is seeking to drag NATO into the Syrian quagmire.

“Refusing to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel until Arabs agree, makes the issue a hostage to Arab demands. Such capitulation is unfair and encourages Arab intransigence .”

“Did Mitt Romney Cheat? No Notes Written Beforehand Can Be Used During Debate ”

The right to self-defence must not be abused or used as a pretext in order to invade or occupy the territory of another country. 

Turkey   responded and   Syria   apologized. Now, the authorization given by the Turkish Parliament to the Government must be rescinded.

Turkey's Parliament approves bill authorizing military operations in Syria. This is illegal under international law !     It authorized military operations "in   Syria". Therefore, it breaches Article 2(4) of the   UN   Charter.     Turkey  has the right to self-defence. But it must be necessary and instant and it must not be unreasonable or disproportionate.   It can defend its own territory, but it cannot enter other's territory. Requirements of self-defence: It must be necessary and instant, and the acts done - in self-defence - must not be unreasonable or excessive, and the force used must be proportionate to the harm threatened or caused. Otherwise, the situation turns into an act of aggression! If you "accept" Turkey's decision, then you should "accept" the US occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, which is unacceptable and illegal!

Turkey's complaint to UNSC implicitly calls for action under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. It won't get more than a Presidential Statement.

Turkey files a complaint with the UN Security Council against Syria demanding "necessary action" . I expect an UNSC Presidential Statement.

دعا اردوغان لتحويل النظام التركي من نظام برلماني إلى "رئاسي قوي". حسب النظام البرلماني، البرلمان ينتخب الرئيس وصلاحياته شكلية أو بروتوكولية. نذكر أن قبل أن يصبح عبدالله غُل رئيس تركيا، وهو من نفس حزب اردوغان، كان وزير الخارجية. وبين الاثنين صداقة قوية. وصارت هناك صفقة بينهما . تم ترشيح عبدالله غُل عن حزب العدالة والتنمية لرئاسة الجمهورية، وانتخبه البرلمان رئيساً. لكن في البداية، لم تكن له سوى صلاحيات بروتوكولية . منذ تحصين السلطة التنفيذية، بدأ اردوغان بنقل بعض من صلاحيات الحكومة إلى رئيس الدولة - صديقه عبدالله غُل - تحضيرا لمخطط اردوغان المستقبلي . اردوغان يخطط لأن يصبح رئيساً لتركيا. على أن تكون له صلاحيات واسعة، وليس فقط شكلية أو بروتوكولية. والأهم بعيداً عن رقابة السلطة القضائية . اليوم دعا اردوغان لتحويل النظام في تركيا إلى نظام رئاسي قوي: أي أن يتم انتخاب الرئيس مباشرة من الشعب وأن تكون لديه صلاحيات قوية وواسعة . اردوغان دائماً يلعب ويركِّز على مشاعر وعواطف الشعب، ليكسب تأييده ودعمه له، وذلك لينتخبه في المستقبل رئيساً لتركيا - ذا صلاحيات قوية وواسعة .

“ Mohamed Morsy is willing to meet with   Israeli   President Shimon Peres and other Israeli officials following the US presidential election, according to a senior Egyptian official. The official, who had accompanied Morsy to the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Israeli newspaper Israel Today that the meeting would be under US auspices, to “reduce the gaps” in Egypt-Israel relations since the fall of Hosni Mubarak.”