UN chief Kofi Annan Thursday heads for talks in Syria, a key supporter of Hezbollah, whose stance will be critical to the success of the tenuous ceasefire between the Shiite Muslim movement and Israel, says the Middle East Times.
“After failing Wednesday to convince Israel to quickly end its blockade of war-devastated Lebanon, Annan faces in Syria a regime that has taken a hard line against the UN resolution that led to the end of the month-long conflict.
“Israel, the United States, and other Western powers accuse Syria of acting as a conduit for arms shipments to Hezbollah from its other key backer, Iran, a charge that Damascus denies.
Annan left Israel Wednesday with little to show for his efforts, after urging Israel to lift its blockade on Lebanon and later calling for a similar measure in the Gaza Strip following talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
“Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Israel would only lift the blockade on Lebanon after international forces and Lebanese troops are fully deployed, not only in southern Lebanon but also along the Syrian border.
“Annan told French radio Thursday that Israeli officials had agreed to withdraw forces from southern Lebanon once 5,000 UN peacekeepers and 16,000 Lebanese troops have been deployed, something that he hoped would happen in “a week to 10 days.”
“Annan also demanded the release of two soldiers whose capture sparked Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah, and said that full implementation of the UN resolution that brokered a ceasefire could lead to a “durable peace.”
“But Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, who has accused Israel of crimes against humanity, said that Lebanon would be the “last Arab country” to make peace with Israel. The two have had no relations since Israel’s creation in 1948.
“Annan is expected to travel on to Iran, which faces a critical moment in its dealings with the international community over its controversial nuclear program.
“Thursday is the deadline for Iran to abide by a Security Council resolution calling for it to halt its enrichment of uranium or face possible sanctions, something that Tehran has indicated it will not do.
“The UN chief is also expected to visit Saudi Arabia.”
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.