Israel / US Peace Plan
On cue, Palestinians wasted no time mounting a violent response. Riots near Hebron have reportedly resulted in IDF firing live rounds. Other protests getting ramped up in other towns in the west bank such as Rafah and Ramallah. Hamas has officially announced its rejection and declares it will overthrow it. Protests now reported ramping up in Gaza.
Warning - not sure if Hamas/PIJ will launch rocket attacks in response. This would escalate the situation far above protests. At this stage I am inclined to think not - important stage in forming international support for their side of the story, so to speak. Bad PR. PIJ is a hot head group with very close ties to Iran and may buck Hamas’ leadership on this as they have other times recently.
SARS -
The British paper The Independent is reporting that patients in Germany and Japan who caught the coronavirus did not visit China. Interesting development.
Wuhan epidemic and the impeachment circus flooding my new sources
Israel / US Peace Plan
Quote of the day from Jared Kushner “Its a big opportunity for the Palistianians and they have a perfect track record of blowing every opportunity they’ve had in the past . . . . .” Violence and rioting continued overnight across the West Bank and Gaza in opposition to the plan. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and UAE all welcomed the plan. Jordan and Turkey were critical of the plan.
The PA’s (Abbas) options are limited. They could try to rally for a ‘third intifanda’, but hinges on the motivation of the West bank residents and their relatively good economy as compared to Gaza. An new intifanda would likely damage that economy.
Hamas’ hands are also limited. They could adopt a full military confrontation, but that would likely lead to Israel launching a ground offensive and elimiating all Hamas’ control and military resources. They could inflict casualites, but the Israeli population has been favorable of a ground offensive to remove the almost constant rocket/mortar attacks on their cities.
Wuhan Coronovirus -
Numbers infected and killed keep increasing. Various outlets say China is reporting 9239 cases with 132 deaths. Continued concerns about the accuracy of these numbers both for potential propaganda, length of incubation time and China running out of test kits. Keep these factors in mind when reading/hearing numbers. It has reportedly surpassed the SARS epidemic of a few years ago. Australian scientists have successfully grown copies of the virus in a lab, enabling more detailed testing and evaluation.
First batch of US citizens evacuated from the Wuhan region were flown into March AFB in California where they will be kept under observation (and probably tested) for the virus before being released. Germany, Japan, Britain, Australia and India are also evacuating citizens from Wuhan.
Syria -
Assad has essentially won his war, but his economy is in shambles and being propped up by Iranian cash (causing problems in Iran). But it doesn’t mean that all is calm. Outside of western Syria, the predominant population is Sunni arab that are favorable to the rebels. Brutial reprisals abound to spread terror and force aquesence to the Assad regime.
Iraq -
Continued protests with iranian supported militas still using lethal methods to drive anti government protestors off the streets.
Taal Volcano-
The Phillippine govt has lowered the watch level from 4 to 3. There are still concern of a major eruption but the current activity level suggests that such an event is not as imment as first thought.