The First War; The Liberals Vs. The Muslim Brotherhood

Well, it was bound to happen; The liberals in Egypt are uniting and taking action and standing up to the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies; the Salafi, the Wahhabi, and the rest of the groups that began politically to surface in the Middle East by the end of the 1970s. The confrontation is important and its the first, in this magnitude, between the two dominant forces in the Middle East, and the Arab countries. The most important aspect here, in my opinion, is that the Liberals are no longer on the sidelines, the moderate middle class, teachers, Judges and the rest who believe in the civil society, are no longer on a stand by waiting for someone to call their names and direct them to which gate they need to go. They are taking action. Iran as well needs to watch out, if the Liberals in Egypt succeed in gathering momentum, then the effect will be felt all over the Middle East, including Iran and Afghanistan, and even as further in Asia as to Pakistan.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/13472035-the-first-war-the-liberals-vs-the-muslim-brotherhood 

Hamas and The Muslim Brotherhood; Political Parties But Not a Way Of Life

The Egyptians in a twist show of force are revolting against each other and against the Muslim Brotherhood. Very interesting, It's the first time in the Middle East that anyone actually revolts against the Muslim Brotherhood. Now, it's Gaza's turn to revolt against Hamas. Maybe this time a good example that is happening in Egypt will have a ripple effect across the Middle East. Again, the Muslim Brotherhood can be a regular political party But not a way of life or a manipulator or a dictatorship. Same of course applies to the famous hypocrisy and the Gaza kidnappers, occupiers, rockets at neighbors firing, and manipulators; Hamas. 


http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/13460941-hamas-and-the-muslim-brotherhood-political-parties-but-not-a-way-of-life 

*Hamas and The People of Gaza, Possible Cross Road, Part II

Hamas is like Taliban in Afghanistan, a terrorist organization, that's main goal is to advance its own agenda and not the advancement of its people. Hamas job has been to delay an establishment of a Palestinian state, in Gaza and the West Bank, and to kill the people of Gaza. Through its rockets diplomacy and negotiations through terrorism, Hamas is somehow being considered a party to deal with. For now, and meanwhile, Hamas continues to destroy, through its rockets, the people of Gaza and its infrastructure. Hamas and its leaders have no interest in anything called the Palestinian people. Now, politics is not a benign game, so these terrorists of Hamas could eventually turn into politicians and work a deal with the State of Israel, as Taliban is doing, on and off, so far in Afghanistan. But again, it will continue to destroy Gaza in the process. The other possibility is the complete destruction of Hamas which it seems is not right now on the US or Israel's agenda.

* I first published this perspective, on my page on Facebook  before the announcement of The Egyption brokered truce between the State of Israel and Hamas in Cairo yesterday during the visit of the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Hamas and The People of Gaza----Possible Crossroad by Jamil Shawwa

The thing about this latest Hamas escalation is that it cannot be isolated from the overall Palestinian Israeli march towards peace. There are no middle grounds here, either a genuine project among the Palestinians for peace based on Gaza and the West Bank or no peace. Hamas style of rockets diplomacy and its style of committing terrorism in order to get a voice might work for its selfish needs and might help the organization in having a voice in Palestinian politics,but the people of Gaza are those that have been suffering from its political games and pretentious terrorism and suicide bombing. The Palestinians need to rise and elect leaders that are focused on the best interest of the Palestinian people which are immediate negotiations, no preconditions, just a goal towards building a viable state in Gaza and the West Bank and peaceful relations with the State of Israel.

Negotiations Through Terrorism...by Jamil Shawwa

Negotiations through terrorism is what Hamas is doing right now. It could work and make the West Bank and Gaza get glued together again or it could result in a defeat for Hamas and negotiations as well by getting, through defeat, the West Bank and Gaza together to the negotiating table with the State of Israel. Either way the rockets of Hamas are killing innocent Israelis and innocent Palestinians. Hamas triggers a normal reaction from Israel to defend its population. It's the Palestinians that never had anyone to defend them from their own rockets and suicidal politics. There is an example of Hamas in the Taliban, the US is trying to get them or some of them to the negotiating table to become a regular political power in Afghanistan. In the same time, Taliban continues in its terrorism and the US in responding and attacking and negotiating.

Two Generals and Two women; Petraeus and Allen Last Battles

We have two women, so far, and two generals, so far. Two of our top 4 stars and decorated generals- we do not have any five stars Generals- Petraeus and Allen, both served in Afghanistan, Allen is the current commander there and Petraeus resigned the CIA on Friday. Both know the long and difficult terrains of that mountain country and both fell, Allen is in the way, to a battle that has nothing to do with Afghanistan, Al Qaeda or terrorism. A story is evolving that has various covered and uncovered, yet, events and people. We have a told story of jealousy and probably competition between two women that unveiled this whole steamy relations. And we have an evolving and related story that these two women might have known or revealed military secrets and information through these relations including a connection to the Benghazi attacks as some news reported that Paula Broadwell - Petraeus inamorata-might have  mentioned in a lecture. “The other woman”, Jill Kelly, of Tampa Florida, originally a Lebanese American from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a maiden name of Khawam,  might not be too "innocent" after all- her emails with General Allen were of sensual nature as various news reported and might have revealed leaked secret military information . We will see how it goes. However, for our generals, the episode or episodes also reveal a hidden and protected underground culture among top officers in the US Military, the FBI, and the Secret Service; a web of sexual encounters and favors. In addition to watching each other's back and keeping the politicians away. The affair between Petraeus and Broadwell have been known to the FBI for sometime as The Republican majority leader Congressman Eric Cantor revealed through a whistle blower at the FBI but this revelations never reached the president until last week when Petraeus resigned and no information yet from the FBI director, as if the whole matter is none of his concern. Moreover, Both women, somehow, have been involved with the military establishment  either by graduating from a military academy like Paula Broadwell, or as working at the Pentagon as a liaison in the case of Jill Kelly. This is not new to the defense and national security establishment, few months ago, The Secret Service Personal in charge of protecting the president in and outside the US were caught in Colombia having parties with call girls while the president was on an official visit. Few years ago, in December of 2009, a year after being elected president, a couple, uninvited-  crashed the first State dinner that the Obama hosted and it happened to be for  the Indian Prime Minister Singh and the visiting Indian delegation; trespassers that managed to go through all types of security to reach the room where the president was hosting the formal dinner. The Secret Service confirmed then that this wise couple- The Salahis- were not on the guest list. So how did it happen, and where were the Secret Service. The head of the Secret service is still in place. Back to the “Allen Petraeus Kelly Broadwell”  A conclusion  might be reached that these  uncoordinated events might hide some sort of contempt and lack of  respect for the presidency and maybe in particular to the presidency of Barack Obama. No conspiracy theories here, just a chain of events and similarities for few years now. We have many crossed lines and we need clarity and transparency and answers.  So is it just the classic Women, politics, scandals, add to that Generals now or is there more to it than meets the eye.

A Legacy President; Not an Accidental President, Obama 2012...by Jamil Shawwa

The election of Barack Obama in 2008 was historic, no doubt about. He was the first African  American to be elected  president in a country that is still struggling with the way it looks at race relations, but at the same time a country that went the long way, and took the long haul to correct itself and do right to those that it did wrong.

America though elected Obama not because he was black, but because there was then no choice but his; McCain was seen as an extension to the failed Bush economics and politics.But America still crossed a bridge and jumped over a barrier, and elected Obama because he looked and sounded like the right choice. So it was not difficult for America to move beyond race to elect someone it thought that can change things around and clean the mess left behind.

Obama’s election today was not about the economy, it was about him, about Obama, and nothing else.America tonight, across race lines, sent the strongest message ever in race relations, it made it clear, that the legacy of a dominant race or ethnic group is finished in America, done, does not exist.

**The Romney campaign was all about race, and ethnicity and keeping the status quo. The Romney camp made it clear, indirectly, that it is Obama and nothing else, and the American people were confronted to choose, either Obama, the African American, or Romney, the son of the good old boys network who went to furthest destination to rally the disgruntled white vote and made his bid that those whites will turn things around not because they are the majority but because they vote as a majority.

The whole Republican establishment during the election went after Obama, talked again about his birth, and whether he is an American, Trump offered  five million dollars if Obama can produce his birth certificate and school credentials.

In a strong statement, the renowned Barbara Walters was so fed up with Trump that she asked him to drop it, people across the spectrum felt that he made and continue to make a fool of himself and in the process making more Americans fed up with his politically motivated ploys. But he was hardly alone, the purpose was to continue to cast doubts on Obama and show him as some sort of “not one of us”.

The election tonight erased all this, Obama is no longer the accidental president that got lucky in 2008, tonight it is Obama that made history and built a legacy by just getting reelected. It is today, the new day in America, its importance is not less than  independence day or the day after the civil war. America tonight ended forever the so called old boys network, no race any longer can claim America to itself. Obama claimed it tonight and earned it  for all those that bear the US Citizenship. A legacy is in the way and a new America is in the making.

** Update: 09/03/2016-Trump is the Republican nominee for 2016 presidential campaign, Romney denounced Trump divisive politics using the strongest terms to descreit his campaign. In comparison to Trump, Romney now comes across as a first rate politician.

Check Trump here:

A Different 4th of July for America 2016 by Jamil Shawwa

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg Endorses Obama

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a leading former Republican party figure, independent since 2007, and the mayor of New York City has endorsed the Democratic candidate for president, Barack Obama, to be reelected as president of the United States.

This important political endorsement that comes a day or so after the worst hurricane to the East Coast of the US, in over 80 year is very significant for many reasons; he is the mayor of New York City but Bloomberg also is a leading conservative business entrepreneur in America and by endorsing Obama, he is discrediting the whole Romney platform that Obama is against business owners or free enterprise and for big government.

Also, by talking environment, Bloomberg sounds like a progressive conservative candidate that could have a role, as an independent or on the ticket of either party, in the 2016 presidential elections.

There is a momentum for Obama now among moderate undecided Republicans and independent voters that are witnessing improvements in the economy, decrease in unemployment numbers and an overall rebound of the housing market, which is a crucial index that the economy is on its way to recover.

The Bloomberg endorsement will be echoed by many of them on 11/06/2012, especially  in Florida and Ohio; two states that are a must win- or one of them at least with other states like Michigan, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Colorado- to win the presidency.