Have your heard this?

Listen to our podcast first, because it's great, but then listen to this piece on the possible shift towards diplomacy from NPR.

It's what we've been talking about in the office for months, and we're (especially Bridget and Trevor) very excited about the prospects.

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What are the interns thinking? The "Chat about Obama" Podcast

And we're back! After the inauguration hoopla, illness, and some icey days, Maggie and I have returned on the mic to chat with Stephen and Christine about the inauguration, Barack Obama, and torture. Enjoy!

Also - Here is my nomination for best op-ed of the month. It follows on the tails of my "ode to D.C." post.

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Stumbling forward - An ode to D.C.

Whew. Well, it's been a week. I finally feel like I've recovered from the inauguration. Now I feel as though the city is lurching forward, shaking off all those people and all that garbage on the mall and settling into normalcy again.

Except… normal feels a bit different than it did before. Why? Part of it is that now when I walk by the White House I feel pride that the people who live and work there view torture as unacceptable and share my views on a myriad other issues. One in particular, about which I won't go into detail here, makes me want to skip down the mall and turn cartwheels on the ellipse.

This shift was expected and is great. But I also wonder when the honeymoon will fade away, and we all realize that President Obama can't change the economy overnight (or even over a number of years).

So is there a more resilient shift happening in the city? I think that there is. I have always liked Washington D.C., even before I lived here. As a nerdy child I loved the museums all in one place, all of them free, and couldn't think of a more wonderful place to spend my summer vacation. The National Museum of American History was kind of like mecca.

As a high school senior, I toyed with the idea of attending GW University, and almost went there, until I admitted that I really just wanted to be in D.C., and really didn't want to study at a large university.

But after college I quickly moved here, and fell in love with all new aspects of the community. I basked in the free museums but also in the strange mix of braininess and gentility that seems to hang around the place. I found an apartment that is an easy walk from restaurants, bars, the White House, museums, and embassies. I like being close to "real D.C." where people live, and "official D.C." where laws and policies are made. Moving between the two (which I realize is a luxury many of my fellow residents don't enjoy) adds an official excitement to my everyday life, and makes seeing Dick Cheney's motorcade or talking about my boyfriend's meeting with the Kenyan economic advisors seem a bit more every day.

But not many people really got my affair with D.C. before. Most of my friends gleefully moved to New York after college, with enthusiasm I didn't understand (I grew up near New York, and I think it will always be a little too close to home and little too full with memories of going to Broadway shows with my family). They didn't understand why I wanted to live here.

Now they're starting to get it. The Obama excitement is drawing people here and they're discovering that their nation's capital is pretty great (except for the humidity. That's actually not that great). Sure, you can run into rampant and slightly annoying idealism, not to mention partisanship, but for me, someone who lives in the district limits and doesn't own a car, it's also incredibly liveable, walkable, exciting, and pleasant. Not to mention the fact that while Wall Street collapses the D.C. economy is looking comparatively stable.

So long New York. Welcome to the District.

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Blogging the Inauguration

Dear reader,

Here at your fingertips are several eyewitness accounts to the inaugural festivities. Some of us talk about the cold, some of us talk about the excitement, and some even recount coming close to disappointment. We all have a different perspective on what happened yesterday, and what it means for the country. Enjoy!

Note from the National Mall - Caroline Anderson

I am a patriot - Karyn Wingard Manuel

Ticket Debacle - Emily Rhodes

The Swearing in of the 44th- Trevor Keck

On the joy of braving giant crowds to stand in the freezing cold. - Christine Haider

Dust off our country: Post-Inauguration Reflection - Stephen Donahoe

Lincoln and helicopters - Laura Chirot

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Lincoln and helicopters

Inauguration weekend was filled with very self-conscious Lincoln references. From Obama’s train ride from Philly to Washington to Tom Hanks’ Academy Awards-style tribute on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the swearing-in with the Lincoln bible, the theme was clear: in a moment of great national hardship and war (and domestic strife? though the culture wars have, thus far, been less bloody than the Civil War), a far-sighted president takes over to renew the nation, promising both return to and, ultimately, fulfillment of our founding ideals. Of course, the symbolism was most meaningful because the inauguration of our first black president is possible thanks to Lincoln’s legacy.

So, following on this theme, I was secretly hoping that Obama’s speech on Tuesday would take inspiration from Lincoln’s second inaugural: the concise, beautiful, biblical, 700-word invocation to continue the fight for liberty and for the Union (“Fondly do we hope--fervently do we pray--that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away”, and later “With malice toward none, with charity toward all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in...”).

My stylistic hopes weren’t realized – Obama's speech wasn’t a towering statement of moral purpose made in four paragraphs or less. But what did come out in his 20 minute talk was, perhaps, even better. It was a declaration of principles, but of principles translated concretely into policy. Obama got everything right : from his shout out to the Muslim world to his rejection of the “false choice” between civil liberties and security to his promise to “return science to its rightful place.”

Immediately afterward, the New York Times headlining article emphasized Obama’s call to personal responsibility as the theme of the speech. This was certainly an important element, and one that held appeal for some conservatives. For me, though, the speech’s tagline was this: "For the world has changed, and we must change with it.”Eloquently, precisely, Obama repudiated the small-mindedness, partisanship, and backwardness that have plagued American politics of late. It has seemed so often over the last eight years that, instead of looking forward to the problems of the 21^st century, we have been not just standing still, but moving backward. Instead of recognizing the real problems, we have been creating more – or simply pretending that they don’t exist (nowhere are the negative consequences of reactionary policies evidenced more obviously than on issues of the environment and global warming). In its final tribute to Bush, The Economist summarized nicely: “The three most notable characteristics of the Bush presidency [were]: partisanship, politicization and incompetence.” In asking America to adapt itself in order to solve these problems, Obama asked us to leave behind this style of politics: “We come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.” After these eight years, the presidential promise to reintroduce a basic level of honesty, openness and integrity into the federal government feels revolutionary.

When the whole thing was over, Kate and I gleefully waved goodbye to the Bush helicopter, which circled out over the Mall then disappeared behind the Capitol dome. The 43^rd president looked unapologetically relieved to be leaving, and the crowd on the Mall – representing the country? – was palpably relieved to see him go.

Here at FCNL, we’ll be asking a lot of the new administration and the new Congress. We didn’t require Obama’s repeated exhortations to “continue the movement” to be cognizant of the fact that this election, and this inauguration, is the beginning, not the end. Cluster bombs aren’t yet banned; we aren’t yet assured that diplomacy will prevail in our relations with Iran; and the votes aren’t yet fully assembled for passage of the CTBT. But this speech was a start: a full recognition of the broad problems, and a cogent, honest statement of all of the right principles. It wasn’t Lincoln. But it’ll do.

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Dust Off Our Country: Post- Inauguration Reflection

During the last moments of Barack's Inauguration, I picked up one of the flags that had been given out and dusted it off. This was a powerful symbol for how I feel about these amazing times. I feel like we have a tremendous opportunity to take Barack's challenge and dust ourselves and this nation off--wiping away years of hopelessness and bad policy. I am very excited to embrace the changes Barack is proposing that will result in a better country and a better world. I am also ready to continue to do my part, responding to his call for responsibility and service.

It is a good time to be alive.

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On the joy of braving giant crowds to stand in the freezing cold.

So, I'll be honest. Earlier this week, I wasn't so excited about the inauguration. Election night had been one of the most electric, monumental events of my life, and for a while I had been looking forward to the inauguration as a way to re-live that excitement. However, as my house mates and I figured out how many people could crash at our house that week (turns out a lot!), and I got caught up in the post holiday rush, the inauguration began to look like a hassle. I realized that what I'd loved about election night was the spontaneity of it all (college students dancing on bus shelters, homeless men giving young professionals high fives), which seemed very far from the impeccably planned inauguration. I began to tell people that I was looking forward to being able to say that I'd lived through the inauguration, but that I was dreading the actual inauguration day.

So, when I came home from Philadelphia on Saturday, I was a bit of a curmudgeon. It took 2 hours to get into my favorite restaurant, everything was crowded and no one seemed able to figure out how to use the Metro escalators (you stand on the RIGHT, people!). Early, on, I felt a bit at odds with my fabulous guests, who were giddy with excitement about the giant block party that seemed to be invading my quaint little town.

But, in an attempt to be a gracious host, I agreed to go with them to the inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial. "Argh," I thought. "Why am I standing outside to see something on a JumboTron when I could just be watching it at home?" Then, as the national anthem started, I started to realize why I and my guests had chosen to brave the cold and the crowds to be there. I glanced over at the man next to me, and saw that he was holding his child on his shoulder, singing the anthem, with tears running down his face. Then, afterwards, the whole crowd joined Mary J. Blige in singing "Lean on Me." We were all there, dancing, and crying and singing TOGETHER. And I suddenly realized that that was why I braved the cold that day (and two day later for the actual inauguration). It wasn't just so that I could someday be able to tell my children that "I was there." And it (certainly) wasn't because I expected to see anything better than I'd be able to see at home on my TV. It was because I got to be there, sharing the experience with children waving U.S. and Kenyan flags, men who graciously moved out of the way so that we short folks could see the JumboTron and older ladies who cracked jokes and made small talk to pass the time in the stressful and overcrowded metro stations.

I feel privileged to have watched history being made, not just with my (fantastic) family and friends, but with U.S. Americans and well-wishers from all over the world. And that's something that I could have never done in the comfort of my own home.

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The Swearing in of the 44th

People are obsessed with Barack Obama. You would have seen this on the streets of Washington yesterday. Vendors were out in force. Barack Obama t-shirts, buttons, flags, blankets, posters, jean jackets...You name it, you could buy it. One t-shirt likened the inauguration of the new president to the second coming of christ. "And he shall be called Barack Obama," the gold shirt read. Yes, the inaugruation of the first African American president was quite an event.

For me, it started early -- about 2am. Not because I wanted to stay up. Even if I wanted to sleep, there was no way I would get a wink. Those fortunate enough to live on Capitol Hill were treated to the sounds of sirens blaring all night. It was like the apocalyspe.

After dozing in and out of sleep, I rolled out of bed at 7am, and set off. After hours of walking through below freezing weather, I arrived on the steps of the Lincoln memorial. In an age of deep divides, the new President spoke of unity of purpose and perseverance in the face or formidable challenges.

Early in his speech, President Obama noted: "the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met." He spoke of "ending petty grievances" and "worn out dogmas." Republicans and democrats alike could agree with his call to "make government work."

As I listened to the new president give his speech, I was reminded why Barack Obama inspired me and hundreds of millions of others. Barack Obama challenged me to think differently about politics. I was 17 when George W. Bush was sworn into office. Despite avowing to work across the aisle, I watched President Bush use deeply partisan means to achieve political objectives. The Democrats were certainly culpable of the same divisive tactics. I grew to believe that politics was about ramming your side's agenda through Congress.

But, moving to Washington and has helped me realize that politics is the art of compromise. Working amongst colleagues with different perspectives has helped me realize how, despite the difficulties of working together, collaborative policy-making can produce better legislation. Barack Obama's inaugural speech embodied this unity. The challenge - will President's Obama's call for post-partisanship prove demonstrable enough to heal a divided country? I believe so. But, yesterday he only set the goal. It's up to us to help meet it.

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inauguration ticket debacle

my boyfriend and I both secured tickets--in different sections--from our respective Representatives. After 2 ticket trades, we finally secured 2 coveted purple tickets!

We were not optimistic about being able to get in even with tickets and showed up at the purple ticket gate at 7:15, where we waited in line for 3 and a half hours squished together like sardines. Yet everyone was so excited, so happy that this wasn't so bad and it was great to feel the positive energy of the huge mass. Jessie Jackson walked 4 feet away from us! A girl fainted and doctors in the crowd quickly showed up to help her out. Everyone worked together to make a space for her to get to the ambulance.

Then it was 10:30 and people started to worry we couldn't get in at all. Rumors started spreading that the gate was closed because of a security breach. People climbed trees to see what was happening. No one was moving. A friend with a purple ticket that show up at 8:30 has slipped in in front of the huge crowd, no problem, but we were trapped.

Finally, we worked our way up to the gate. No one was getting in and no one knew what was happening. We moved as far as we could and got onto the parade route, we could see the capitol lawn from there, that's where we're supposed to be! So close yet so unreachable!

Around 11 we decided the most important thing was to hear Obama's speech and decided to watch it on TV at FCNL. On our way to FCNL, we decided to try for the yellow ticket gate on a whim. WE MADE IT THROUGH IN 10 MINUTES, NO PROBLEM! and skipped onto the capitol lawn. We made it in minutes before the invocation.

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I am a patriot

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Despite my two pairs of pants, two pairs of socks, two pairs of gloves, two thermal shirts, a sweater, scarf, hat, and ski coat -- I spent most of my time waiting for the Inauguration to begin by jumping up and down -- my toes were numb and I desperately wanted to start feeling them again. To be honest, there were a couple of times when I thought about ditching the mall and the masses and taking the metro back home to watch the inauguration in my heated apartment.

But I didn't -- and I'm glad. My memories will now always reflect back to how I felt as Aretha Franklin belted America in her understated sultriness -- (and that hat!!), Obama's speech, and that gorgeous benediction by Reverend Joseph Lowery. That voice weathered smooth by age and those words inspired by experience, made me so joyful. The reverend lit me on fire. His prayer could've come from the lips of Amos and Jeremiah. Indeed -- it is a time when we need such prophets.

Barack said many statements in his address that will continue to be dissected for weeks to come -- but no one can dissect the feeling so many of us had of the moment when we knew Obama was leading us to a much bigger understanding of politics and patriotism. I'm quite happy to be done with these "childish things." And if that means rejecting the false choice "between our safety and our ideals" -- then bring it on.

Notes from the National Mall

First off, let's just get this straight. I am tired, and still a little cold. I woke up in my warm bed at 4:30 on Tuesday morning, and walked down to the mall from my home north of Dupont Circle to arrive at my place on the mall at 6:10 am – only 4 hours until the musical prelude began! So yes, cold and tired, but glad that I went to witness history.

The inauguration felt more serious and solemn than I thought it would, especially compared with the ebullience and enthusiasm of the election. On election night people were dancing in the streets. Yesterday people were huddled in crowded masses trying to get down those streets to reach the metro. There was happiness, but a more guarded sort than on that comparatively balmy night in November.

I think a few factors contributed to this. As I alluded to above, the cold, the crowds, and the state of the economy all put a damper on the unimpeded joy of November. There was hope, but, at least for me, hope tempered with the knowledge that this man who became president yesterday is human, capable of flubbing his oath of office, and capable of making mistakes and disappointing us. In fact, I find the cult of personality springing up around President Obama to be slightly upsetting. The people of the United States (and the world) need to take a collective step back and begin constructively scrutinizing their president.

There was also the presence of former president George W. Bush, who was left out of the celebrations in November. As President Obama was delivering his speech you could spy Bush over his shoulder, a reminder amid the excitement of the mistakes, secrecy and despair we are hoping to change.

But it wasn’t all bad! History was made, and there were moments of giddy excitement. When Vice-President Biden and President Obama took their oaths I grinned, cheered, and waved my flag because specters of torture and racism were falling. When I walked by the White House on my way down to mall I had to pinch myself to believe that someone I respected and who respected my city would be living there. After all, Bush had been president since before I could vote.

Because I think that this is an important moment for Washington as well. As the commentators at a live Slate Political Gabfest I went to on Monday pointed out, Washington is becoming “cool” again. Celebrities want to come here to be close to the Obamas, and the Obamas want to get to know the city. And it’s a pretty great place! I’m excited for a president who doesn’t disdain and ignore it as the Bushes did.

So, as I work to recover from my epic journey to the mall yesterday (I fear it may take a week), I am filled with a somber joy. I am confident that our new president will do his best, but I am hesitant to insist that he will succeed. Turning this country around will be an immense job, and we need to think not just what President Obama is going to do to fix our lives, but what we can do to help raise this country up again. What a blessing that we have chosen a president who will let us try.

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concert of a life time

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I had a great afternoon going to the inauguration concert yesterday. Joan Walsh (my heroine for all things editorialized) from Salon wrote a great piece about the event. Please read it because I couldn't do any better describing the afternoon than she did.

My favorite part of the night was when we got to see shots of the 1st family. Malia and Sasha could not have been cuter. Bono was my favorite just because he so embodies the hope we have as a country right now. (When he mentioned that even Palestinians can have hope -- my heart fluttered) Garth Brooks was the best performer and got everyone riled up with "Shout" -- tons of fun.

Other than the inauguration tomorrow -- this might be the most historic event Jeff and I will ever go to. Memories of the March on Washington were conjured up and I can't help feeling as though I was part of something just as important -- especially when Barack Obama mentioned that despite the foundational memorials to Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt surrounding us on all sides, that the most crucial to the change we wish to seek now was what filled the spaces in between. Us. Me and all the people we were snuggled up with on either side of the reflecting pool.

It's times like these that make me sentimental. I can't help but think of my own grandparents and great grandparents -- people born in poverty -- as farmers, sharecroppers in Alabama. They certainly were not perfect, born in their time and place, they were embedded in racism. And now their granddaughter or great granddaughter-- who has never lacked for money -- is celebrating the first black president of the United States.

Despite all the fundamental differences I have with my ancestors, I am a product of of them as well. They are the ones that helped shape my deep sense of connectivity with humanity and the earth. They are the ones that taught my parents to love me and raise me in a way that is open to different ideas and worldviews.

Yes, much has changed -- but change embedded in the unchanging ideas of love, respect, and openness to possibilities.

Talk about Cluster Bombs: Podcast

Another week, another podcast! (We actually did this one a little early, because we've got a bit of a party going on in town this weekend)

We chat with Laura Chirot about why it's so important to ban cluster bombs. Give it a listen!

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Rice: Lessons from Rwanda

"I swore to myself that if I ever faced such a crisis again, I would come down on the side of dramatic action, going down in flames if that was required," Dr. Susan Rice on visiting post-genocide Rwanda.

In her confirmation hearing for U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. this morning, Senator Feingold asked Dr. Rice what this quote means to her.

To my surprise, Dr. Rice used the occasion to stress the importance of conflict prevention. Information gathering and efforts to asses the potential for mass violence need to be improved, Rice noted. The U.N. and international community to improve overall conflict prevention efforts, Rice added. There is a strong relationship between persistent chronic poverty and mass violence, she further noted.

Yes, yes, yes! The debate in Washington is shifting from reaction to prevention. As FCNL and other groups have noted, genocide and mass atrocities don't occur in a vacuum. While these situations can develop fast (as in the case of Rwanda), there are indicators or signs that precede mass violence. In Rwanda, it was hate radio. While many note the international communities' failure to send troops into Rwanda, the real lesson is that the international community failed to asses reports of ethnically driven hate media and respond before the killing started.

Not convinced? Similar hate media started to come out of Cote d'Ivoire from 2004-2006. Persistent diplomacy from high level U.N. officials including the threat of legal action is credited with preventing tensions from escalating into catastrophic violence.

The real lesson from Rwanda is that earlier responses to credible threats of genocide works. While she didn't dive into details, Dr. Rice's comments on the need to improve conflict assessment demonstrated that she understood that this morning. Hopefully she will work to make the U.N. more adroit and better able to prevent these atrocities in the future.

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Super Special Wednesday Treat

Know what your congressional district looks like? Is it among these?

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Clinton Confirmation Hearing

Senator Clinton came before the Foreign Relations Committee as part of the confirmation process to be U.S. Secretary of State. The new foreign relations chair - Senator John Kerry (MA) - opened by outlining the litany of foreign policy challenges before the Administration. Senator Clinton gave a quite remarkable opening statement that demonstrated a nuanced understanding of the world, and spoke with clarity and a sense of urgency in the need to address the myriad of global problems. Overall, the hearing was quite good.

Some highlights:

-- Clinton noted the need to "design and implement global solutions to global problems"

-- Clinton highlighted the need to empower the State Department with resources, manpower and tools to lead vigorous diplomacy; Noted that President Elect Obama has tapped Jack Lew to become Deputy Secretary of State for Resources and Budget. Lew will be responsible for securing resources for increasing State Department personnel and operating funds -- a key objective FCNL has advocated.

-- Clinton expressed support for ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

-- Clinton urged the expansion of U.S. foreign assistance

-- Sens. Corker and Menendez also asked Clinton about Foreign Aid Reform. Clinton made no promises to work towards a cabinet level department of development, which many development and relief groups have advocated for. However, Clinton said the Administration would provide Senator Menendez a plan to rationalize and made aid programs more effective. Clinton also noted that "USAID has been decimated."

-- Clinton also noted her intellectual growth on the Commanders Emergency Response Program (CERP) -- a pot of money granted to the DoD for relief, reconstruction and development in Iraq and Afghanistan. While Clinton originally backed giving DoD authorities and resources for these non-military activities, she has since realized that the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) need to be empowered with the resources to do their job. The military isn't a substitute for civilian expertise, Clinton noted.

-- Senator Feingold asked about the crisis in Darfur. Clinton said the Darfur crisis is under a policy review by the Obama Administration. Along with fully deploying a 26,000 UN-AU peacekeeping force, Clinton noted other measures the Administration may consider, such as a no-fly zone.

-- Sens. Voinivich and Casey again both highlighted the need to increase the capacity of the State Department.

-- Senator Kerry noted that the committee would consider and try to ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty - which would define U.S. rights and responsibilities in the use of the oceans and seas around the world.

Watch the hearing

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Talk about Gaza: New Podcast

Maggie and I have decided to take the Legislative Action Message topic each week and chat with one of FCNL's lobbyists about it.

First up: the Israel/Palestine conflict in Gaza. We talk with Kate Gould, the Program Assistant on Foreign Policy, about what you can do now to push Congress towards taking a stand on the crisis. It's a great 12 minutes of discussion and information from inside Capitol hill. Listen in!

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Take 10 Min: Tell Congress to Stop the Killing in Gaza!

Take 10 Min to Tell Congress to Stop the Killing in Gaza and Spread the Word!

In less than 10 min, 200 Palestinians were killed and hundreds wounded on December 27th. In that same amount of your time, you could write all the people who are supposed to represent you to call for an immediate ceasefire and an opening of Gaza's borders to humanitarian aidhere.

The House and the Senate just passed resolutions that give Israel a green-light to escalate its attacks on Gaza. Members of Congress will continue to issue press statements, make floor speeches, and give interviews on the crisis—which will heavily influence how Bush and Obama respond. The response from Congress carries tremendous weight in Israel—leaders from the two countries are in constant contact, and even in the midst of the carnage the U.S. is supplying ammunition to Israel.

Multiple staffers from Congress have called my office asking for us to generate more letters to Congress—this has never happened to me before. Usually they ask us to stop sending messages—this time they are wondering why it is that peace groups aren’t deluging their office like the groups supporting continued attacks on Gaza. They need avalanches of emails and phone calls to convince their bosses to speak out against Israel’s massive bombing campaign. Even though Americans are almost evenly split about supporting Israel's bombardment on Gaza, extremists who support even greater attacks on Gaza have generated far more contact with Congress. Members of Congress need to hear they have support from their voters—or they will keep passing resolutions that are licenses to kill.

It takes 5 minutes for you to tell the people that are supposed to represent you (if you're an American voter) to support an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access to Gaza, as endorsed by the UN Security Council unanimously (while the U.S. abstained). Just click here, put in your zip code, and a letter will appear automatically. When you click send it will go to your senators, rep, Bush, and Obama as soon as he takes office. It’s best if you can personalize the letter with info about yourself, but the main point is to send it and spread the word with our “tell a friend” system. We will keep the link updated.

Everybody—American or not—should sign the global Avaaz petition to the UN, US, European Union, and the Arab League calling for an immediate ceasefire and lifting the blockade on humanitarian aid to Gaza. The petition, with the number of signatories, will be published in the Washington Post—one of the most powerful media institutions in the world.

This is not just an Israeli invasion and forced regime change of Gaza--it's an American one. With American F-16's, Hellfire missiles, "bunker buster bombs" meant to penetrate 1 m of steel reinforced concrete, and it couldn't have happened without an American decision. Without different American decisions NOW, the carpet bombing of Gaza will radically escalate and far more people will be killed in a number of hours and instability for all Israelis and Palestinians will increase.

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Gaza Crisis: A Human Rights Disaster!

"I’ve just come from the Congressional briefing by representatives of Israeli human rights organizations sponsored by Americans for Peace Now, Churches for Middle East Peace and other groups.

These groups are doing invaluable work to provide a clear picture of what’s happening in Gaza and to preserve human ties between Israelis and Palestinians.

The organizations have joined to provide information at the blog site: http://www.gazaeng.blogspot.com

Their current summary of the dead and injured:

Gaza: at least 700 killed, of them at least 240 children and 100 women. More than half those killed since the ground incursion began (313) are women and children. Over 3,100 injured, of them over 350 severely injured. Israel: 10 killed, of them 1 woman and 7 soldiers. Over 68 civilians injured, of them 4 severely injured, not including those treated for shock, and 60 soldiers injured, of them one in critical condition."

And now organizations that were providing the small amount of humanitarian aid that was being allowed in to the Palestinians are being forced out. UN aid workers were caught in the Israeli attacks. So the UN can't provide aid. The Red Cross is being turned away.

What is the US response to this tragedy? The Senate just unanimously passed (by voice vote) a heavily one-sided resolution in support of Israel (although it does rightly state support for a 2 state solution). The Senate resolution states: "Whereas the ultimate goal of the United States is a sustainable resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." However, the US' refusal to pressure Israel to improve this humanitarian crisis clearly shows that the US' priority is on supporting attacks on Gaza.

Urge your Congressmembers to STOP THE KILLING!

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President Bush: A Man of the Seas

The first thing I learned when I came to FCNL was that we pride ourselves on looking for opportunities to work with everyone, even if the organization disagrees with him or her on many
(or even most!) issues. It is the most valuable lesson I have been taught since arriving on 2nd Street.

Given that standard it's no secret, however, that FCNL has been disappointed with President Bush's record on the environment. In looking for opportunities to work with the administration we rarely found openings in the environmental arena. I was pleasantly surprised then, when I picked up my Washington Post yesterday to discover that President Bush has valiently done for the middle of the Pacific what he could not do for the land: protect a vast area of ocean as a national monument.

But is this too little too late? No doubt some of you agree with the New York Times that it is. I am inclined to think that we have found the environmental good in President Bush -- he may not be an avowed environmentalist, but he's not a lost cause either. Who knows what his post-presidency might bring? I am hopeful that it will be not just fundraising and memoir writing, but could possibly hold more inspiring work than was seen (by me) in his presidency.

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Bush's Legacy: Pragmatic Internationalism?

Barack Obama's foreign policy approach mirrors that of George W. Bush's second term, according to Christian Brose, a chief speechwriter and policy advisor for Condoleezza Rice. "Pragmatic internationalism" are the words Brose uses to describe Bush's second term.

Really, pragmatic internationalism. The arrival of Sec. Gates to Bush's team as well as more cooperative engagement at international institutions has been a welcome improvement. Yet, I would argue the changes in Bush's foreign policy have been out of necessity rather than enlightenment.

For instance, take Iran. With international support for the U.S. in the toilet, military action against Iran came off the table. The Bush Administration turned to the international organizations it had once chided for "failing to act" against Iraq to turn the heat on Iran. Pragmatic yes, but even more so would be real negotiations and normalization of ties, as advocated by five former Secretary's of State.

On Middle East Peace, Brose says that" Obama will inherit a Middle East peace process finally proceeding on both tracks at once: state-building and peacemaking." Oops! Must have written that part before the latest conflagration.

On Guantanamo, Brose says Obama will close this facility, something "some in the Bush Administration tried to do but couldn't." Rubbish.

On terrorism, Brose claims that the administration is now focused on "not just fighting terrorists but building conditions of security, opportunity and justice for societies that terrorists seek to radicalize." This certainly would be a pragmatic position if only policies and funds supported this rhetoric.

In Somalia, for instance, military action and a green light for Ethiopia's invasion was supported over any attempt to help rebuild this broken society.

Uncritical support for Musharraf's existed even while he assaulted democracy and the rule of law in Pakistan. The bulk of assistance going to Pakistan is military and security aid, when it should be assistance for development and education as well as trade preferences.

Yet, the Administration has radically boosted foreign aid, a central tool to preventing terror, says Brose. The untold story is that the majority of the foreign aid increase has been for HIV/AID's, security aid and politically motivated assistance. While Bush's massive PEPFAR plan has helped treat millions, it hasn't done a thing for preventing terrorism.

Development and human security based accounts have only seen a slight boost. The much heralded Millennium Challenge Corporation - a new institution designed to ensure accountability from recipient states - was created outside of U.S. aid structures, and confused an already entangled aid bureaucracy.

Brose's central contention, that Obama's foreign policy, will look like Mr. Bush's second term remains unknown. Some things will stay the same. Gates will remain. Obama will likely to continue to fund U.S. soft power tools. Troops will remain in Iraq and Afghanistan for some time. But, on issues like engagement with Iran, Darfur, climate change, I think we will see a big difference -- real leadership.

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Episode in an Airport

While most of us were out of town or distracted by the atrocious violence happening in Israel and Palestine last week, a small atrocity happened right here in Washington, at Reagan National Airport.

The Post covered the story of 9 muslim patrons of an airline who were asked to leave a plane after commenting on the safety of their seats and their proximity to the aircraft's jets. Incidentally, the women with wearing head scarves, and the men beards.

Now, obviously, I wasn't on the plane, didn't hear the conversation, and am prone to snap judgments (usually about fashion choices) myself. We can't be sure exactly what happened, but the story did get me thinking.

It reminded me that even though I am safely ensconced in a hyper-politically correct environment I will be presented with opportunities when I can choose to behave with respect, tolerance, and compassion, or choose to be motivated with fear, bigotry, and ignorance.

I hope that in the new year I can rise to the standards of tolerance and open-mindedness that make me and those around me feel respected and acknowledged as equal partners in this country and world. Sounds like a resolution to me (and much better than my original one, which was to take better care of my leather shoes.)

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U.S. Weapons Targeting Civilians Living Off Grass and Painkillers in Gaza

"Gaza is on the threshold of becoming the first territory to be intentionally reduced to a state of abject destitution, with the knowledge, acquiescence and - some would say - encouragement of the international community."
~The Head of the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) Karen Koning Abu Zayd (emphasis added)

Even before the December 27th "Black Sabbath" when 200 Palestinians were killed in 10 minutes, Ms. Abu Zayd alerted us all to the mass suffering of Gazans living under an increasingly tightened blockade of food, medicine, natural gas, and other basic necessities of life. Since Hamas was democratically elected in January 2006, Israel, backed by the United States, imposed a blockade that has reduced Gaza, as Amnesty International put it, to bare survival.

Now, UNRWA warns us that Gaza is on the verge of real starvation and death UNRWA has been unable to deliver food aid for the last 2 weeks because of a shortage of supplies and Israel's aerial bombardment.

Many Gazans--the ones lucky enough to still be alive even before the latest Israeli blitzkreig--are living off grass and painkillers.

FACTS ON THE GROUND IN GAZA & ISRAEL (as of this writing)

*500 Palestinians have been killed, at least a quarter of whom the UN estimates are civilians. Israel has intentionally targeted civilian infrastructure on a massive scale, which is a war crime. Israel has attacked transportation, education, and police government buildings. The justification is that it is just attacking Hamas--not mentioning of course that Hamas is the (democratically elected) government of Gaza. I haven't yet found Israel's justification for bombing an American International School in Gaza.

*3 Israeli civilians and 1 Israeli soldier have been killed--all killed AFTER Israel broke the truce that had sharply decreased violence since June 19th. Not one Israeli civilian was killed during the truce. Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups have fired hundreds of rockets and mortars at Israeli civilians, which is also a war crime.

* Gaza has one of the highest unemployment rates in the entire world That was the unemployment situation last July. To put that in perspective, the highest unemployment rate during the Great Depression in U.S. was 25%. The unemployment rate of Weimer Germany was about 33%--that was the height of Germany's economic depression before the Nazi takeover. It should be self-evident (but obviously it isn't or the bombs would not be falling on Gaza today) that massive and particularly inflicted poverty leads people to take desperate measures.

* Gaza is densely populated. It is about the size of Detroit, or twice the size of D.C., with nearly 1.5 million people living there. (Mostly concentrated in Gaza City--Israel has been bombing A CITY.)

For more a great backgrounder on the recent attacks, see Adams Sheets on "The Facts about Israel's War in Gaza".

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We Cannot be Silent About the Attack on Gaza

"These are historic crimes, and we cannot be silent about them." -Ali Abunimah, author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse in an interview on Democracy Now!

I have trouble believing that Israel's four-day attack on Gaza that has killed 368 Palestinians, including at least 64 civilians, is self-defense, or justice for the rocket attacks that have killed 4 Israelis. For 6 months there has been a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine and the Israelis are blaming Hamas for breaking the ceasefire. Yes; Hamas has fired lots of rockets into Israel, tragically killing 4 people. But does that justify killing 368 Palestinians?

Much of the U.S. response to the current situation is that both sides need to stop the fighting, which is true. However, I am hesitant to place blame equally between Israel and Palestine (or even Hamas). Israel claims that the current attack, with the threat of a ground offensive is to thwart Hamas rocket bombings, but these bombings have only increased since Israel's attack. As a matter of fact, there had been remarkable few rocket attacks before Israel started its offensive.

The past four days has made me seriously wonder how U.S. public opinion can be so pro-Israel. Can't we see that Israel is murdering many more innocent civilians than Hamas is? Obama has said very little about the recent attacks, but his policy in the past has also been very pro-Israel. I am not suggesting that the U.S. should be anti-Israel, but I agree with Abunimah above that we cannot stay silent about Israel's recent actions. The U.S. should condemn Israel's unnecessarily brutal attack on Gaza.

Urge your member of Congress to end the killing, support diplomacy, and end the blockade on Gaza. These steps will be major progress toward Middle East peace in 2009. Check out FCNL's new Middle East page that has great resources and actions to continue working toward peace in the Middle East.

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