Stories tagged "international"

Palestinians report that Israeli attacks in Gaza have been intense and news agencies are reporting that at least 18 people have been killed so far today. Of those, only two of the dead have been confirmed as militants. Late Monday, three Israeli soldiers were killed by what Israeli officials say was an errant tank round. Additionally, aid agencies warn that an already dire humanitarian situation is deteriorating. Mike Sargent, from our partner the BBC World Service, joins us to report the latest.

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This weekend, President Bush weighed in on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Vice-President Dick Cheney also made the rounds of talk shows to express support for Israel. As Israel continues its ground offensive in Gaza, there is increasing speculation that they timed their actions against Hamas to benefit from the last few days of the Bush administration. To explain why, Scott Shane, a reporter in the Washington Bureau of the New York Times joins us.

Read Scott Shane's article in the New York Times.

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Israel launched a ground offensive in Gaza this weekend and started house-by-house fighting. Meanwhile diplomatic efforts by the global community have stepped up and French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders today. Ethan Bronner is the Jerusalem bureau chief for our partner, the New York Times, and he joins us from from the road to Gaza where he is fixing a flat tire.

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The latest conflict in Gaza, and the challenges it poses to the Obama Administration, is the latest data point on a long line of history between the United States and the Middle East. Policy decisions there have profound implications on our global alliances, govern the price of oil, make or break presidencies, and draw us into war. Joining The Takeaway to explain what can we draw from our history in the region is Patrick Tyler, former reporter for The Washington Post and New York Times and author of A World of Trouble: The White House and the Middle East—from the Cold War to the War on Terror.

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The Arab League met yesterday in Egypt to discuss ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip. But what happened there wasn’t exactly a show of unity. Turns out the Arab world is having a hard time coming up with a united front as they try to deal with the latest clash between Israel and Palestinians. For more on that meeting The Takeaway turns to Steven Erlanger a New York Times reporter in Cairo.

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The new year in Gaza is taking up where the old one left off, in a blizzard of Israeli bombs and Hamas launched rockets. Israeli jets bombed the Palestinian parliament building and navy ships opened fire at Hamas positions along the coastline and Hamas fired at least three rockets into Israel. Meanwhile, the United Nations security council held an emergency session late yesterday. Mike Sargent is covering the story for our partner, the BBC. He joins us from Jerusalem for the latest from the ground.

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This morning U.S. and Iraqi officials had a ceremony to officially recognize the new U.S.-Iraq security pact. This pact, which is considered a landmark in restoring Iraq’s independence, requires all U.S. troops to leave Iraq by the end of 2011. For a look at what the pact's implications are for Iraq's future and the new role of U.S. forces (key words: baby steps), The Takeaway turns to Campbell Robertson. Mr. Robertson is the Iraq war correspondent for our partner The New York Times and is in Iraq and watched this morning's ceremony.

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Violence continues in the Gaza Strip today despite global pleas for a ceasefire. France's foreign minister says he and President Nicolas Sarkozy are considering going to Israel to try and end the violence in Gaza after Jerusalem rejected a proposed 48-hour pause in the fighting. Alan Johnstone is the former Gaza correspondent for our partner, the BBC. Hamas arranged for his freedom when he was kidnapped by an Islamic militant group. He has been closely following the strife in Gaza. He joins us from London where he has been monitoring the diplomatic efforts to negotiate a cease-fire in this conflict.

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Chinese state media reports four milk company executives and five others have gone on trial in connection with the melamine-tainted milk scandal. Sanlu, the company at the center of the scandal, has gone bankrupt after officials blamed their milk and milk-based products of killing at least six people and sickening hundreds of thousands of others. The BBC's James Reynolds is covering this story from Beijing.

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Despite pleas from the U.S., the European Union, United Nations and Russia, Israeli officials say the country has decided to reject an immediate 48-hour pause in fighting. The decision came today after overnight meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and France's foreign minister. Mike Sargent is covering this story for our partner, the BBC World Service, in Jerusalem.

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In a speech today, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak said his country will not fully open the border crossing into Gaza. He said that it will remain that way until the Palestinian Authority is in control of the border post. This decision comes despite criticism of Egypt from the Arab world for refusing to open the Rafah crossing in the past year, which has helped complete an Israeli blockade of the territory. Since the violence in Gaza began on Saturday, Egypt has allowed some of the wounded to cross for treatment and some humanitarian supplies. For more, we go to the BBC's Christian Fraser live at Rafah Crossing, on the border between Gaza and Egypt.

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On Tuesday morning the Japanese stock market completed its investment year with a final session that ended 1.3% higher. This is a small high note in what was a dismal year for the Nikkei. The market tallied losses of over 42%, the worst annual performance ever. Andrew Walker, the BBC Business and Economics Correspondent, joins The Takeaway to explain what this means for Japan and the global economy.

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The conflict between Israel and Hamas rages in the aftermath of a six month truce, which expired earlier this month. Today marks day four of what Israel’s Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, describes as a “war to the bitter end.” As of Monday the death toll had topped 360 with 1400 wounded. For an assessment of how this will end and what America’s responsibility will be under an Obama Administration, we are joined by Daniel Levy. Mr. Levy is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Initiative at the New America Foundation. Mr. Levy was a member of the official Israeli delegation to the Taba negotiations with the Palestinians in January 2001, and previously served on the Israeli negotiating team to the "Oslo B" Agreement from May to September 1995, under Prime Minister Rabin.

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In the fourth day of violence along the Gaza Strip, Hamas and Israel each claim wins and losses. The Israeli military is continuing its campaign of air strikes against targets in Gaza. A Gaza official puts the Palestinian death toll at more than 360 with 1400 wounded. Rockets fired from Gaza at Israeli cities killed four people yesterday. Meanwhile, the international community, led by the United Nations, calls for an immediate ceasefire as civilian casualties mount up in the densely-populated region. From the protests in Syria to the pleas from the United Nations, Ethan Bronner, Jerusalem bureau chief with at the New York Times, and Jim Muir, the Beirut bureau chief for the BBC, give us a road map to the global reaction to the ongoing strife.

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One year has passed since the murder of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan. Meanwhile, tensions with neighboring India are high and there are reports that Pakistan is redeploying troops to their shared border. Ambassador Munir Akram, former Permanent Representative to the United Nations from Pakistan, joins The Takeaway for an analysis.

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In Afghanistan and Iraq, war dominates every day. For a brief holiday from Christmas, The Takeaway turns to New York Times correspondent Campbell Robertson.

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Baydan Shoe Company, the Turkey-based shoe manufacturer that made the infamous footwear hurled at President Bush earlier this month, has seen such a high demand in shoes that the company has added one hundred new jobs. The shoes are flying off the shelves...

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A six month ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza has expired and late on Thursday Hamas announced it would not be extending the truce. The Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, says the Palestinian people don't feel they have anything to gain by keeping the ceasefire in place. In recent weeks, there has already been an upsurge in violence. Katya Adler, a BBC Correspondent in the Middle East, joins The Takeaway to discuss this troubling turn of events.

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The State Department announced yesterday that it recommended that the U.S. drop Blackwater, the main private security contractor for American diplomats in Iraq. Blackwater has had an international reputation as the big Baghdad bully who is exempt from Iraqi law and U.S. oversight. All of that changed last year when its guards opened fire in Baghdad, killing 17 Iraqi civilians. Five Blackwater employees have since been charged with manslaughter. If the Blackwater contract is not renewed next year, the big question is, who will rush in to fill the security vacuum? Joining us for some answers is Washington Post foreign correspondent Steve Fainaru, who was embedded with thousands of private security contractors while researching his new book, "Big Boy Rules: America's Mercenaries Fighting in Iraq."

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