Reneging

Nations' reneging on deals is not a good basis for world peace. For instance, North Korea was supposed to receive heavy fuel oil in exchange for disabling its nuclear reactor, as discussed in an editorial in The Boston Globe 3/16/09. This fuel has not been delivered. Libya is also complaining that it has not received the weapons and civilian nuclear cooperation it was promised in return for ending its nuclear weapons program (editorial The New York Times (3/15/09).

Meanwhile in Iraq, there has been recent fighting between members of the Sunni Awakening groups and Iraqi/US troops. These Awakening groups are angry because the Iraqi government had promised to enlist one fifth of the 94,000 Awakening members into the Iraqi police, security forces, etc, but only 5,000 have been hired (The New York Times 3/29/09).

Indeed, the recent Gaza slaughter followed the same pattern. President Jimmy Carter explained the origins of the situation in a recent interview on PBS with Charlie Rose. From July 2007 until June 2008, one Israeli had been killed by a Hamas rocket, whereas an average of 49 Palestinians per month were being killed by the Israeli military. On June 19, a ceasefire was started under the conditions that by day 13 Israel would have lifted the starvation blockade on Gaza (food, fuel, medicines, water) by 30% and then up to 100%. Rockets were then stopped 99% by Hamas but Israel only increased food to 20% and then on November 4 the Israeli military attacked Gaza killing six people. The ceasefire of course broke down.