JERUSALEM — When a Palestinian rocket hit a training base in Israel on Sept. 11, sending 67 soldiers to the hospital, many in Israel, in Gaza, and beyond thought it would be the event that would launch a full-scale Israeli invasion of Gaza to put an end to the rocket attacks once and for all. Hamas quickly began evacuating key locations, and many in Gaza began stocking up on food and water, fearing a massive Israeli response. Instead, what they heard was thundering demands for action from the Israeli right, followed by a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert [...]
JERUSALEM — In Israel, a country where everyone has an opinion and every home has at least one senior military expert, the events that (may or may not have) transpired in Syria last Thursday have fueled a frantic round of nervous speculation and analysis. Last week, Syrian authorities announced they had fired anti-aircraft weapons at Israeli planes illegally flying over their territory. At the time, Israeli officials refused to comment. Since then, the entire government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has maintained complete silence on the issue, displaying a level of discipline that has left Israelis utterly amazed. The government [...]
KAMPALA, Uganda — Northern Uganda has been mired in violent conflict for over 20 years. And though it rarely receives as many headlines as nearby fighting in Darfur, Somalia, or even Eastern Congo, the war in Northern Uganda, one of Africa’s longest running conflicts and humanitarian disasters, is inching toward a possible resolution. In Juba, Southern Sudan, negotiators from the government of Uganda and the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) recently signed the third phase of a five-part peace agreement. The progress is important, but the government of Uganda and its Western sponsors still have much to answer for. Even [...]
