This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

Israel-Palestine struggle moves to the United Nations


Sisyphus

The mythical Sisyphus was condemned to perform hard labor by pushing a heavy rock to the top of a hill, watching it roll downhill, and push it again, continuing to eternity. The participants in the Mideast “peace process” are all like Sisyphus, in that they keep doing the same things over and over, and start all over again after each failure. And as I’ve written many times starting in May, 2003, the “peace process” will fail with mathematical certainty, and the Sisyphean negotiations will finally end only with a major new war between Jews and Arabs, re-fighting the 1948 war that followed the partitioning of Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel.

In the latest chapter, Jordan, which is currently a member of the United Nations Security Council, has submitted on behalf of the Palestinian Authority a resolution formulated by France that specifies:

Several countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates, all support the resolution.

But Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is staunchly opposed to the resolution, saying, “we will not accept attempts to dictate to us unilateral moves on a limited timetable.”

And the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) also bitterly opposes it, saying that it presents a false view of the conflict as one between equal partners with legitimate rights and interests, it provides no punishment for Israel for failing to meet its obligations and, most important, it negates the “Palestinian refugees’ inalienable right to return” to the homes of their ancestors in Israel.

At first, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas demanded a vote in the Security Council and, assuming it doesn’t pass, a vote in the General Assembly where passage is all but certain, but non-binding.

However, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned that if the resolution passed prior to Israel’s March 17 elections, it would strengthen the hardliners in Israel’s government and affect the elections.

And so, a vote on the resolution has been postponed, this time until after March 17. And thus ends the current round of labor. For the next three months, the participants can watch the boulder roll down the hill again, after which they move on to the next Sisyphean round of their task.

Middle East North Africa Financial Network (MenaFn) and AFP and Jerusalem Post and Palestine News Network

ISIS executes 100 foreign fighters for trying to flee Syria

Syria is turning into something of a roach motel for would-be jihadists who had hoped to join the fight against Syria’s genocidal president Bashar al-Assad: They can check in, but they’re discovering that they can’t check out.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (IS or ISIS or ISIL) has reportedly created a military police force to penalize those who do not report for duty. Hundreds of foreign fighters have been arrested and held prisoner by ISIS, while several dozens have been executed. They’ve become disenchanted with the grueling fight for various reasons. Some who escaped complained that they were fighting against other rebel groups in Syria rather than against the al-Assad regime. One said, “We aren’t able to speak the truth, and we are forced to do useless things.” Another said, “[If] you turn against ISIS, they will kill you.” International Business Times

Reader comments say that Vietnam can defend against China

Whenever I express my belief that Vietnam’s military is no match for China’s, I always get reader comments disagreeing, and my latest such analysis did the same. ( “20-Dec-14 World View — Philippines and Vietnam launch military and legal buildup to confront China”)

Many recalled how the Vietnamese defeated America:

“I remember they said the same thing about Vietnam, back in the sixties. The flags on the ships bringing supplies into Haiphong Harbor will be different this time.”

Another pointed to Vietnam’s long history with China:

“Vietnam is no match for China?

Well, tell that to the 5,000 year history of Vietnam, and Vietnam is still Vietnam standing tall today. Certainly, China didn’t learn any lesson from the last deadly anti-China riot in Vietnam. Did China shamefully pick up over 10,000 Chinese losers in Vietnam back to mainland China?

Vietnam – a country like no other, has a great history of resisting and defeating the world’s great powers. Well, bring it on because the Vietnamese are ready.”

Indeed, the explosive Tay-Son rebellion of the late 1770s is the most celebrated military event in Vietnamese history, when the Vietnamese troops repelled a much larger Chinese army in a brilliant battle that united the north and south for the first time. (See “18-May-14 World View — A generational history of Vietnam”)

Another reader, Emily Han, laid out an entire Vietnamese military strategy:

“Of course, if the Chinese compare numbers and incite continued Han-based nationalism so to feel good of thumping these 2 regional challengers then, yes the Philippines and Vietnam would be no match. However, given the world-wide attention and background of South China Sea conflict, Chinese aggressions are limited to at the most, “a justifiable return of foreign occupied assets” and even that will be near impossible to pull off without chain reactions:

* Australia, Japan and India will not watch and in fact are awaiting for such act to populate South China Sea with their warships, lands-based military counter-measures (India) and East China Sea’s naval maneuvers (Japan), starting with a Chinese ship-lanes closure.

* Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore will step out of their faked “neutral” interested parties as they can’t cover under “salami slicing” and “cabbage peeling”. Minimally, they will shut down Malacca Strait as part of the economic blockade.

* To avoid the triggering of US-Philippines treaty, Chinese will target Vietnamese 29 positions with missiles launchers from warships and follow up with amphibious assault vehicles and without air forces. Strategically, Vietnam’s asymmetric warfare has sufficient sustainable counter-measures for several months: every position is a self-defense line against individual landing and 9 positions have a 50-kilometers radius of coordinated defense. Within 1 hour of notification, squadrons of Su-30’s and Mig’s will directly engage en-route Chinese ships while awaiting arrivals of 3 Kilo submarines, 4 Gepard frigates and 24 Molniya high-speed (40 mph), shallow water (500 tons), missiles carriers (16 Kh-35) to conduct hit-and-hide tactics.

* While Chinese navy must build its offense with replenishment waves, Vietnamese goal is simply 1:1 exchange of ships, delaying landing, disrupting re-supplies and retreats (3 days to nearest Hainan base vs.1/2 day or less to Vietnamese shore)

* When Vietnam destroys or damages more than 2 dozens of Chinese warships (regardless of their own losses), the invasion will be called off and the fight will end. China, however may select to save-face by launching ballistic missiles against Vietnam’s mainland targets to cause civilian casualties and claim victories – like they did in the failed 1979 cross-borders. Such move will be ill-advised as it will then, invite global interventions beyond South China Sea theater.”

KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Sisyphus, Israel, Palestine, United Nations, Security Council, Jordan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas, John Kerry, Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Iraq, Syria, Vietnam, China, South China Sea
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