ArabDigest.org: The struggle for Tripoli

The struggle for Tripoli Summary: Too many players engaged on both sides in Libya’s civil war to assume that Khalifa Haftar will emerge victorious. The US is the wild card. Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and France, launched an assault on the Libyan capital 4 April this year. Despite air support from the Emiratis, the offensive quickly bogged down and has been stalemated for more than 7 months. General Haftar’s claim that his Libyan National Army (LNA) launched the assault to topple extremists controlling Tripoli lacks much credibility. The Tripoli-based GNA led by Fayez al-Sarraj and supported by the UN is recognised internationally as the legitimate Libyan government. Despite reports that Haftar is poised for a breakthrough on the Tripoli frontline, a knowledgeable source has told Arab Digest that talks of a Haftar victory are “overselling the facts on the ground.” The source said that despite claims that the Misratan militias were set to abandon the battle to defend the Libyan capital, “the Misratans will continue to support the GNA (Government of National Accord) because if Haftar takes Tripoli they know he will then come after Misrata.” The source described “relentless air attacks” by the Emiratis in recent days as well as sustained rocket attacks, mainly Grad missiles, from Haftar’s forces on the ground. Despite that and the presence of Russian mercenaries there are not enough troops to enable the general to achieve a breakthrough, the source says. The Wagner Group, run by a close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin has anywhere from 200 -350 fighters on the Tripoli frontline. Hospitals in the capital are noting different wounds from previous casualties. “There are many more head and chest wounds,” the source reports in a reference to the skilled snipers that Wagner uses. Those comments are backed up by a recent article in the New York Times which notes that “medics say they are seeing something new: narrow holes in a head or a torso left by bullets that kill instantly and never exit the body.” The Russian engagement is thus far limited to mercenaries and it is unlikely that Putin will deliver the same level of support to Haftar that he gave to Syria’s Bashar Al Assad. The source makes the point that the Russians simply “do not have the capacity” to engage in Libya to the extent they were able to do in shoring up and buttressing the Assad regime. However, with the Wagner Group, Putin has plausible deniability that the Russian state is involved while still being able to stay a player in the game of who will ultimately decide Libya’s fate. Another player worth watching is Turkey. On 27 November, the Turks and the GNA signed a memorandum of understanding to delimit maritime zones in the Eastern Mediterranean in an attempt to block Greek and Cypriot energy drilling activities. This is part of a running feud that Turkey has with Greece, Cyprus and the EU on drilling rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. In return for Sarraj’s support, President Erdogan has no doubt committed to continue and possibly substantially upgrade the provision of arms to the GNA. Those weapons include drones which are a key part of the air war on both sides. The source reports that Haftar’s forces have destroyed 20 Turkish drones. Meanwhile, the Emiratis are supplying Haftar with Chinese-made Wing Loong drones (see Arab Digest of 6 Sept and 2 Oct). Neither the Turks nor the Emiratis are paying the slightest bit of attention to the UN Security Council arms embargo which in June was extended unanimously for another year. At the same time there are signs that the United States may be prepared to weigh in on ending the war. On 24 November, a US delegation led by deputy national security advisor Victoria Coates and the US ambassador to Libya Richard Norland, a career diplomat met with Haftar and applied pressure on him to end the offensive (or as the State Department politely put it to discuss with the general “steps to achieve a suspension of hostilities and a political resolution to the Libyan conflict.”) This represents a reversal of sorts in that Donald Trump had called Haftar when he launched the Tripoli offensive to congratulate him and give him America’s support, though, as the offensive stalled the president’s interest and support waned. Nonetheless as various players jockey for position, America could play a decisive role in ending the conflict. But given the vagaries and uncertainties of Trump’s capricious approach to foreign affairs such an outcome must remain in doubt. As the source put it “America is the wild card.”

American Exceptionalism Is Killing the Planet: The Many Abuses of Endless War - LA Progressive

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Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection December 2, 2019

Monday, December 2, 2019

First Week of Advent

Matthew 8:5-11

Friends, in our Gospel today a Roman centurion comes to Jesus and says, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering    dreadfully. . . . I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” Any objective observer would say, “Well, this is ridiculous! What this man is asking is impossible.” He is not only asking that his servant might be cured; he is asking that he be cured at a distance, with simply a word. He’s at the limit of what he could possibly know or control or measure. And yet he trusts; he has faith. Søren Kierkegaard defined faith as “a passion for the impossible.” Is God opposed to reason? Absolutely not; God gave us the gift of reason. Does God want us to be unrealistic? No; he wants us to use all of our powers of imagination and analysis. But faith goes beyond reason; it is a passion for what reason can’t see. That centurion had a passion for the impossible. And that’s why Jesus says to him, in some of the highest praise you’ll find in the Gospel: “In no one in Israel have I found such faith.” Reflect: What would you like Jesus to “only say the word” for and it will be done? Have you asked him with the faith of the centurion? Monday of the First Week of Advent Lectionary: 175 Reading 1 Is 4:2-6 On that day, The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory, and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor for the survivors of Israel. He who remains in Zion and he who is left in Jerusalem Will be called holy: every one marked down for life in Jerusalem. When the LORD washes away the filth of the daughters of Zion, And purges Jerusalem's blood from her midst with a blast of searing judgment, Then will the LORD create, over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her place of assembly, A smoking cloud by day and a light of flaming fire by night. For over all, the LORD's glory will be shelter and protection: shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain. Gospel Mt 8:5-11 When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."

The gratitude tree: a way to learn how to say "thank you" — Aleteia

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A simple cuddle from his sibling saved this premature baby’s life

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“Don’t get lost.”

“Very funny.”

I stood up stiffly from the low cot where I had been reading for hours under piles of blankets and leaned against the damp windowsill, peering through the dirty glass into a bleak Alaskan landscape. The late October light was watery and faded here in the far Northwest. For thousands of acres in every direction, the tundra stretched out gray-brown and flat, with no break except for winding rivulets and pools that divided the boggy ground into puzzle pieces. No matter how far I walked, I would never get lost as long as I could still see this haphazard Yupik village huddling on the horizon.

[caption id=attachment_3111 align=aligncenter width=640] Michelle Kazanjian holds the rosary bracelet she found in Alaska.[/caption]

My husband John and I were in Alaska for a ten-day Live Free mission, but mostly it felt like a silent retreat. I was catching up on sleep (the sun didn’t rise until almost 10 a.m.), praying a lot, and teaching myself Italian for fun. We were invited by intrepid Bishop Chad, an ex-military chaplain who hung up on Vatican City when they gave him “the call”—he thought it was a prank. But, no, it was for re

Natural Gas Network Resiliency to a“ShakeOut Scenario” Earthquake

 SANDIA REPORTSAND2013-4938Unlimited Release

 Printed June 2013 

Natural Gas Network Resiliency to a“ShakeOut Scenario” Earthquake



SAND2013-4938 - 134938.pdf

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https://www.technologyreview.com/s/613890/a-third-crispr-baby-may-have-already-been-born-in-china/?utm_medium=tr_social&utm_campaign=site_visitor.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0yjNTnYJlSnbN8fK_O262TidLZoIvsjTzP0vlb_zEG6WEpMhcX53wPtps#Echobox=1574983673

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Tomgram: William Astore, Mutiny on Spaceship Earth | TomDispatch: null

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The following are remarks given at a conference on Thursday night at St. Pancras Church in London by some of Assange's bigges

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https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2014/6/shame-and-survival?utm_campaign=cm&utm_source=crm&utm_brand=vyf&utm_mailing=VYF_TrigReeng_06032019&utm_medium=email&bxid=5be9fc1e3f92a40469391fef&cndid=20985530&hasha=e6a9a97f971519b8818ba7420a6d576d&hashb=70abbf98d5ff7d5a551e17c2d697f32a93c4fb97&hashc=18cf6875565f00576100498c28021ee146009b5a81700516d0187e66ea405602&utm_term=VYF_CM_Sub_Re-engagement%20Month%2011

“I'M THE GUY THEY CALLED DEEP THROAT”

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CPUC Audit: 2 Critical Repairs on PG&E Transmission Grid Near Camp Fire Were 632 Days Late - NBC Bay Area

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articles2.marketrealist.com/2019/11/pge-gets-no-respite-from-inverse-condemnation/

articles2.marketrealist.com/2019/11/pge-gets-no-respite-from-inverse-condemnation/

PG&E‘s CEO Would ‘Love to Meet‘ Buffett Amid Takeover Speculation | Daily Stock Dish

PG&E‘s CEO Would ‘Love to Meet‘ Buffett Amid Takeover Speculation | Daily Stock Dish

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PG&E says shutting off power in Northern California is helping with wildfires

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PG&E equipment caused no deadly fires this year, utility company says | Fox Business

PG&E equipment caused no deadly fires this year, utility company says | Fox Business

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Advent tells us it’s okay to hope | America Magazine

Advent tells us it’s okay to hope | America Magazine: Yes, your hopes might be frustrated, but that is better than trying to extinguish hope in God.

Advent Reflections by Fr. Warren

1Dec

Advent Reflections – by Fr. Bob Warren, S.A.

It’s that time of year again. A time to get ready to celebrate the greatest event in human history; the birth of Christ. Ever since the fifth century the Church has observed the season of Advent as a special time for spiritual renewal. There is no specific biblical command that we should keep this four-week observance, but there is a clear exhortation running through scripture that we ought to prepare for the Lord’s coming.
We read in Isaiah 40:3-5
“A voice cries:
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
The uneven ground shall become level,
And the rough places a plain.”
And then, in Luke 3:4-6
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
And every mountain and hill shall
Be brought low,
The crooked shall be made straight,
And the rough ways shall be made smooth;
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
This is the imagery used by Scripture. The King is arriving; prepare the way. The Ruler is coming, make sure His path is clean. I would like to suggest that during these weeks of Advent we do just that. Along with our other Christmas preparations, let us get things ready for the coming of Christ.

1Dec

Advent ‘In Home’ Retreat

As we prepare for Christmas in our homes, let us also prepare for Christmas in our hearts, minds and souls.

Week 1 – Hope – a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen

As we begin Advent, we light one candle in the midst of all the darkness in our lives and in the world.  It symbolizes our longing, our desire, and our hope.  Three “advents” or “comings” shape our desire: we want to be renewed in a sense that Jesus came to save us from our sin and death; we want to experience His coming to us now, in our everyday lives, to help us live our lives with meaning and purpose; and we want to prepare for His coming to meet us at the end of our lives on this earth.

So we begin with our longing, our desire, and our hope.   

When we wake up each day this week, we could light that candle just by taking a few moments to focus our minds.  We could pause for a minute at the side of our bed, or while putting on our slippers or our robe, and light an inner candle. Who among us doesn’t have time to pause for a moment? We could each find our own way to pray something like this:
“Lord, the light I choose to let into my life today is based on my trust in You.  It is a weak flame, but I so much desire that it dispel a bit more darkness today. Today, I just want to taste the hope I have for Your coming as I go to the meeting this morning, carry out the responsibilities of my work, face the frustration of some difficult relationships. Let this candle be my reminder of my hope.”
Each morning this week, that momentary prayer might get more specific as it prepares us for the day we will face. And as we head to work, walk to a meeting, rush through lunch, take care of errands, meet with people, pick up the phone to return some calls, answer e-mail, return home to prepare a meal, listen to the ups and downs of our loved ones’ day, we can take brief moments to relate our desire for the three comings of the Lord to our life.
If our family has an Advent wreath, or even if it doesn’t, we could pray together before our evening meal as we light the first candle on the wreath, or as we simply pause to pray our normal grace. Then, as we begin to eat, we can invite each other to say something about what it means today to light this first candle.
Perhaps we could ask a different question each night, or ask about examples from the day.  How am I getting in touch with the longing within me?  How did I prepare today?  What does it mean to prepare to celebrate His coming 2,000 years ago?  How can we prepare to experience His coming into our lives this year?  What does it mean for us now, with our world involved in so much conflict? How are we being invited to trust more deeply?  How much more do we long for His coming to us, in the midst of the darkness in our world?  In what ways can we renew our lives so we might be prepared to greet Him when He comes again? Our evening meal could be transformed this week, if we could shape some kind of conversation together that lights a candle of anticipation in our lives. Don’t worry if everyone isn’t “good” at this kind of conversation at first. We can model it based on our momentary pauses throughout each day, in which we are discovering deeper and deeper desires in the midst of our everyday lives.
And every night this week, we can pause briefly, perhaps as we sit for a minute at the edge of the bed. We can be aware of how that one, small candle’s worth of desire brought light into this day. And we can give thanks.  Going to bed each night this week with some gratitude is part of the preparation for growing hope and anticipation.

Ask the children….

What does it mean to hope?
What do you hope for?
How could you help share hope with other people?

Concluding Prayer

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Oh Come, oh Come, Emmanuel!

Advent In Home

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In a joint statement Friday, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden said they are in the process of become shareholders of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX). Britain, France and Germany launched INSTEX in January to enable companies to trade with Iran without using U.S. dollars or going through U.S.

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Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection December 1, 2019

Sunday, December 1, 2019

First Sunday of Advent

Matthew 24:37-44

Friends, today’s Gospel reminds us to be prepared as we await the Lord’s coming again. I don’t think it is the least bit accidental that when Paul wrote back to the community at Thessalonika (the earliest Christian document we have), his major motif was the end of the world as we know it and the longing for Christ to come to remake the cosmos. When Paul speaks in that text of Christ arriving on the clouds and the Christians going up to meet him in the air, he is not predicting a great escape from the world of matter; rather, he is envisioning a welcome committee of believers moving out to escort into the world its new King. The entire Bible ends on a note not so much of triumph and completion as longing and expectation: "Come, Lord Jesus." From the very beginning of the Christian dispensation, followers of the risen Jesus have been waiting. Paul, Augustine, Chrysostom, Agnes, Thomas Aquinas, Clare, Francis, John Henry Newman, and Simone Weil have all waited for the second coming and have hence all been Advent people. During this season, let us join them, turning our eyes and hearts upward and praying, "Come, Lord Jesus." Reflect: Would you describe yourself as an "Advent person"? Why or why not? First Sunday of Advent Lectionary: 1 Reading 1 Is 2:1-5 This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: "Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths." For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord! Reading 2 Rom 13:11-14 Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. Gospel Mt 24:37-44 Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

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