Worries about Palestinian democracy climb as Abbas strengthens role of military courts

[babylonsister]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/17733.html

Worries about Palestinian democracy climb as Abbas strengthens role of military courts
By Dion Nissenbaum | McClatchy Newspapers


RAMALLAH, West Bank — In a bid to undercut his Hamas rivals and solidify control in the West Bank, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is working to dilute the power of the fractured Palestinian legislature and expand the role of controversial military courts.

In his latest move, made public Monday by a Palestinian human rights group, Abbas issued a decree granting broad power to military courts to decide the fate of Palestinians accused of harming "public safety."

The order will allow military judges to handle new charges against civilians.

The latest moves by Abbas are drawing criticism from human rights groups and a cross-section of Palestinian lawmakers.

Even some of his advisers view the presidential decrees as risky steps that could undermine the foundation of a fragile government once viewed as the best hope for establishing a healthy democracy in the Arab Middle East.

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[Scurrilous]

1. Abbas turning into Arafat

Why is Israel happy to see Palestinian leader increasingly resembling tyrant he replaced?

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3421479,00.html

<snip>

"It appears that the establishment of the Palestinian emergency government headed by Dr Salam Fayyad proved, in Prime Minister Olmert's eyes, his optimistic approach in the face of the bloody chaos in the Gaza Strip: There, the horror show we've been watching with loud disapproval gave rise to the kind of government we've been seeking for ages.

A tie-wearing government without beards for the sake of which we are willing to hand over some withheld tax funds that Palestinians deserve by law and even engage in talk of prisoner release, roadblock removal, and promises for further "gestures" that Israeli politicians tend to make whenever they're in good spirits.

However, all those celebrating this euphoria should be reminded that this dream government is supposed to run its course in about two weeks. According to the Palestinian constitution, an emergency government can only serve for a 30-day period and after that it needs the support of two-thirds of Legislative Council members. Considering the fact that the Palestinian parliament is comprised of Hamas members, this probably won't happen.

What then will happen to the Palestinian political system within a short while? Will the emergency government indeed be disbanded and power returned to Hamas?"

[bemildred]

2. "a political gamble doomed to fail"

"Abbas' current moves to unilaterally declare an emergency government in the West Bank is a political gamble doomed to fail. First, Parliament will not approve deposing Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Therefore the only options Abbas has are to amend the constitution without a parliamentary vote, or to stage a military coup bolstered by Israeli arms and secret-service support in a move reminiscent of Algeria's FLN negating moderate Islamist victories at the ballot box in 1991."

Actually, it looks like he's going to follow in the footsteps of Mushhead in Pakistan, or rather attempt it. I think that the quote is right that the outcome won't be pretty.

[papau]

3. Interesting - FIS - Front Islamique du Salut - A Saudi money creation - is "moderate" per

the quote.

I wonder what kind fundamentalist Muslim religious party that wants to throw out secular civil rights is not moderate? Indeed these are the folks that riot over the idea women - who have the right to vote - would actually vote - and instead demanded that men be allowed to cast the womens vote for her.

In any case, post 91 Algeria went technocrat again (as it had in 88 after those riots) and seems stable today except for the fundi Muslims of the FIS raiding Berber villages (Berbers are not real Arabs so we kill those not in our tribe) and killing men, women, and children.

Abbas seems to be going technocrat also - perhaps it will have as "good" an ending as Algeria seems to have accomplished.

[bemildred]

4. "moderate" == "people we are in cahoots with"

"extremist" == "people we are opposed to"

As near as I can tell, that is really all the terms mean. The Saudis being "moderate" is a perfect example. I think you are being wildly optimistic about Abbas, but only time will tell.

[barb162]

5. moderate= people who are at least willing to talk

extremist=people who won't even talk, people who want to outright kill their opponents, etc.

[bemildred]

6. No, that is implacable vs flexible, or something like that.

"Moderate" and "extremist" are clearly used in the senses I gave, with the example Papau cited being a perfect example. One sees the Saudis being labelled "moderate" all the time, which tortures the meaning of the word worse than anything done at Guantanamo, figuratively speaking. One will also see people that are perfectly willing to talk being labelled "extremist" all the time, e.g. Hamas. The reason there are no talks with Hamas is because it would be seen as legitimizing them, not because they are not willing and even eager to be so legitimized.

[barb162]

7. Maybe the phrase "ability to compromise" should be added to "moderate"

and the phrase "inability to compromise" should be added to "extremist."

I don't see Hamas as wanting to talk to or compromise with Israel. That's why there's no talks with Hamas.

[bemildred]

8. Actually, there do seem to be talks with Hamas.

It's just that they are under the table. So again, it's more a matter of politics and legitimacy and not wanting to look stupid and driven by expediency than any "inability to compromise" on either side.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1641945,00.html

[bemildred]

9. Here, Syria is "radical", but it could become "moderate":

"Well I do think it is an opportunity for Israel to reach a peace agreement with the last Arab country with which we are officially at war," said Golan.

Mr. Olmert is interested in negotiations because he believes it would weaken the radical forces in the region by bringing Syria into the camp of the moderates.

But U.S. officials say such negotiations would relieve international pressure on Syria over its attempts to destabilize Iraq and Lebanon.

According to our good buddy Ehud Olmert.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-07-10-voa15.cfm