Category Archives: International news

Hope may lead to possibility in Gaza

While it is virtually impossible to expect any long-term gain from the ceasefire that has taken hold in the 15-month-long Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, there remains room for hope.

The fighting has stopped in Gaza as Israel and the terrorists in Hamas have agreed to the ceasefire. Three Israeli women held hostage since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023 have been released; more will follow them on the path to freedom.

Aid is flowing into Gaza. Rebuilding the shattered region has begun.

What does any of this portend for a permanent peace? Probably nothing … at least not at this point. However, my limitless font of optimism harbors the hope that could spring from the ashes. It might emerge as a peace framework that could bring some semblance of calm to a region that has known far more than its share of bloodshed, mayhem and heartache for centuries.

Israel vowed to destroy Hamas when it sent the tanks and troops into Gaza after the horrific missile attack that killed an estimated 1,200 Israeli civilians. The gunfire, bombs, rockets and artillery shells fired into Gaza have killed tens of thousands of civilians in return … as well as thousands of Hamas fighters.

It’s not altogether clear whether Israel achieved its mission of destroying Hamas. The terrorist organization is gravely wounded, which well could explain why Hamas is willing to accept the ceasefire framework hammered out months ago by President Biden.

So … what happens now? The bloodshed has ceased for the time being. I cannot possibly predict anything good will come from this. However, I damn sure can hope it will.

That is what I will do. Hope for the best.

Is peace now possible?

In this season of never-ending negativity, we now might be able to rejoice in some seriously good news … from the Middle East of all places!

Israel and the terrorists known as Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire that begins Sunday. Furthermore, they have agreed to a significant swap of hostages, meaning that the families of Israelis and Americans held captive since the Oct. 7, 2023, rocket attacks can be set free.

I am going to hold out hope that the cease fire agreement holds up and that the violence that erupted with Hamas’s brazen and bloody attack will end. Let us not call it a peace agreement, because the cease fire only means the bitter enemies will stop killing each other for the time being.

Let’s be clear on a couple of key points. Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and said the only path to peace would require the destruction of the terrorist leadership; it appears that Israel has accomplished its stated aim. However, it has come at a horrific price for the Palestinians caught in the middle of the fight between Israel and Hamas. Thousands of innocent people have died since Hamas started this war.

Thus, the ceasefire — brokered in large part by President Biden’s team — requires an immediate rebuilding effort. It must commence fully, not on a piecemeal basis. It must include massive deliveries of food, water, construction equipment, medical supplies and personnel to help Gaza residents seek to restore their shattered lives.

To that end, Joe Biden and his team deserve the highest praise any of us can give for their tireless work in bringing an end to the bloodshed in Gaza.

Now, though, the hardest task of all awaits … finding a path to a permanent piece in a region that knows only heartache and despair.

No, you cannot just ‘take back’ canal

Donald J. Trump is all bluster and fake bravado and zero substance and knowledge of the limits of the power of the office he is about to inherit.

He said he wants to “take back” the Panama Canal from the country that owns it outright, Panama. Why? Because he doesn’t like the steep fees the Panamanians are charging U.S.-flag ships using the canal.

Good grief! Panama took over the canal decades ago in a deal worked out with the U.S. government. It belongs to them! Panama is a sovereign nation that can do whatever it chooses with its assets. The United States has zero legal authority to seize property owned and operated by another nation.

I get that Trump doesn’t like the fees being charged U.S. shipping. I don’t particularly like it either. However, disliking another nation’s policies does not give us the inherent right to do the kind of thing that Trump is suggesting.

Let’s all get ready for this kind of nonsense to repeat itself for the next four years.

Good riddance, Mr. Despot

It’s not too often we can cheer news from the Mideast but today is one of those rare days.

Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad’s government has been toppled and the dictator has received asylum in Russia. Armed rebels managed to run this madman out of the country.

I consider this reason to cheer the news. Assad is a bad guy. One of the worst guys on Earth. He has been indicted as a war criminal because of the immense pain he inflicted on his people. The man needs to be delivered to the justice system.

I won’t hold my breath waiting for that to happen, given that he is living now in Russia, home to another war criminal, thug/goon/killer Vladimir Putin.

Indeed, the fighting in Syria likely won’t end soon. Without Assad, the pro-government forces have no one for whom to fight … and die!

So, we have reason to cheer some news out of a region that has ripped to pieces by the ravages of war.

Hell freezes over!

Dare I declare that hell has frozen over with the announcement that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah?

Netanyahu is considered widely to be a warmonger, that he prefers violence to a negotiated settlement with a known and dreaded terrorist organization.

I don’t buy into the pejorative view of him. The man’s country is surrounded by nations that wish Israel’s destruction. Hezbollah governs Lebanon and has been at war with Israel after launching a missile attack that killed hundreds of Israelis.

Israel has the right to defend itself.

Still, I am surprised to hear today of the Israeli agreement to call a halt to the bloodshed in Lebanon. Netanyahu hasn’t agreed to a permanent peace and the hope now should exist that the warring sides can breathe deeply and get the wheels turning toward a settlement that can end the bloodshed over the long term.

I do not want hell to thaw.

A critique of a great city

ATHENS, Greece — Consider this brief blog post a critique of one of the world’s great cities.

I am near Athens for the fourth time in my life and I have concluded something important about this city of about 3 million residents. I depart from the city’s airport in the morning, heading for my house near Dallas.

It isn’t very pretty.

I have had the pleasure of seeing some marvelous cities around the world. Nuremberg, London, Copenhagen, Taipei, Tokyo … to name just five. They’re all different. Yet they all celebrate their personalities by offering beautiful streets lined with homes that sparkle.

Athens? Hmm. It offers crowded streets, not a skyscraper to be seen anywhere … and sone of the best eatin’ one will find on this good Earth.

It also offers something else that lends to its personality: ancient antiquities. One can walk around virtually any street corner in central Athens and find a nearly 3,000-year-old ruin. I am not going to sell that quality short. The ruins are worth seeing and their age puts into huge perspective just how old sone civilizations are compared to what we have in the U.S.A.

I only wish that Athens could boast of a tree-lined boulevard. It they’re out there, I haven’t seen them.

All that said, I love coming here. Athens is the capital city of the country of my ancestors. When I walk among the horde of people, I feel as though I am among family members. They all look like me.

Two kitties have arrived

MIKRI VIGLA, Greece — On my final day in paradise, I got an unexpected treat in the form of a furry pal.

I’ll call him Two-Tone, who happens to be a kitty who joined Calico in sharing their love with me.

I’ve told you already about Calico, a feral cat who doesn’t act like one. The same can be said of Two-Tone, who showed up on the patio this afternoon to talk loudly to me. I think he was asking if I had a little extra love I could send his way. Sure! So, I did.

I will have to leave them both in the morning. I have my own kitties waiting for me at the house, Actually, they’re my son’s kitties, but Macy and Marlowe know I love them, too.

What they don’t know is that I might have a new puppy to join our family. More on that later. I hope.

All good things must end

NAXOS, Greece — My all-too-brief visit to Paradise is coming to an end and I am beginning to prepare for my return to what I call “normal” life in North Texas.

It won’t be easy.

Normally, I am usually ready to go home at the tail end of vacations. I’m good for a limited amount of fun and good times. This stint far from the crowds, noise, hassles and pressure is different.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time away, so much so in fact that I want to continue to enjoy it for a little while longer.

Naxos is a special place, to be abundantly clear. I have enjoyed some marvelous conversations with strangers. The locals have welcomed my cousin, her son and me with warmth … which shouldn’t surprise anyone, given how dependent this island community is on tourists and the money they spend.

But it’s almost over. The grind awaits. I am more ready for it now than I was when I arrived here.

Mission accomplished!

He is ‘seeing someone else’

NAXOS, Greece — One of two people with whom I am visiting Greece offered a quip today that expressed the instant love he felt upon arriving in this paradise in the middle of the Cyclades Islands.

“Athens, I love ya,” said my cousin’s grown son, “but the truth is, I am seeing someone else.”

The “someone else” happens to be the largest island among the Cyclades and truth be told, I share Aaron’s love of the place.

Man, oh man. It is quiet here, As in stone-cold silent. The Aegean Sea water is crystal clear/blue. It’s not overly warm, but it is, so very swimmable.

We arrived by “ferry,” which is a misnomer describing the ship that carried hundreds of passengers and dozens of vehicles from Pireaus to Naxos. It’s more like a cruise ship than a ferry.

We intend to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of this idyllic island. I’ll be here six days total before I head back to Athens, the capital city of 3 million residents who seemingly make enough noise to be heard across the Aegean ,,.. to Naxos.

I do hate to say this, and it’s not often that I do: As much as I love my North Texas home and my family that awaits me … it will be difficult to leave this tiny portion of paradise,

Parthenon’s permanent scaffolding

ATHENS, Greece — I have concluded that one of tbe world’s ancient wonders is permanently “scarred” by the presence of scaffolding.

The Parthenon was built in Athens five centuries before Jesus’s birth. It has been bombarded, used as a depot for explosive ordnance and has fallen victim to the ravages of time.

Today I made my fourth trip to see Parthenon and was disappointed yet again by the site of scaffolding inside and outside the structure.

None of the guides showing the antiquity to the public could answer my question: Does the scaffolding ever come down? Ever?

I know that a 2,800-year-old structure needs humankind’s TLC. I am now believing the love and care it gets from humanity is a permanent fixture among the ruins.