Peacemaking efforts around the world
Christians await the Prince of Peace during Advent, just as the 8th-century prophet Isaiah foresaw a time of universal peace among the nations when “one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” While . . .
Christians await the Prince of Peace during Advent, just as the 8th-century prophet Isaiah foresaw a time of universal peace among the nations when “one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” While recent diplomatic efforts haven’t achieved quite so dramatic a breakthrough, there has been progress towards peaceful settlement in some areas of conflict:
• Even though denounced by Israel as a "bad deal," a breakthrough agreement between Iran and six world powers to restrain its nuclear program should nevertheless make it significantly harder for the Islamic state to build any atomic bomb, experts said
By halting Iran's most sensitive enrichment of uranium, last Sunday's interim accord is designed to stop the expansion of Iranian atomic activities and buy time for negotiations on a final settlement of the decade-old nuclear dispute. Iran will for now retain thousands of centrifuges refining uranium,but only to concentrations far below that needed for nuclear weapons, and also keep a stockpile which could potentially be used for bombs if processed much more.
"The short-term deal accomplishes a great deal," nuclear proliferation expert David Albright of the U.S. Institute for Science and International Security said. For example, he said, it would eliminate Iran's stock of uranium gas refined to a fissile purity of 20 percent, a source of deep concern for the West as it represents a relatively short technical step away from bomb-grade material.
Under the agreement, Iran must halt this higher-grade enrichment and also dilute or convert its existing reserve of such uranium to a form that is not suitable for further enrichment, according to a U.S. fact sheet.
The interim agreements leaves heavy economic sanctions against Iran in place while the world community works toward a permanent solution over the next six months.
• From Afghanistan, a nation hoping to emerge from more than a decade of war, the news is less optimistic. Afghanistan's president and the U.S. delivered blunt messages to each other Monday which gave no indication of a resolution of their disagreements over a pact that governs the future of the American troop presence in the country.
Hamid Karzai said he won't back down from his refusal to sign a Bilateral Security Agreement during the rest of his term in office, with National Security Adviser Susan Rice responding that would mean the U.S. would then start planning to pull out all its forces after 2014.
Their meeting in Kabul came the day after Karzai's surprise decision to ignore last Sunday's recommendation by an Afghan assembly of dignitaries to sign the agreement, a refusal that cast doubt on whether American and allied troops would remain in Afghanistan to train Afghan forces after most foreign troops depart next year.
The U.S. has urged Karzai to sign a deal that would allow about 8,000 U.S. troops to stay in the country beyond a 2014 withdrawal deadline. The two-term Afghan leader has insisted that the winner of an April 5 election to succeed him should be the one to sign the deal. More than $8 billion in annual funds for Afghanistan’s fledgling security forces and development assistance also are at stake.
• On a third front, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pope Francis spoke a united word in favor of peace in Syria on Monday, agreeing in what the Vatican called cordial discussions on the need for the end of violence and a diplomatic solution in Syria. The United Nations announced this week that talks between the Syrian government and opposition representatives will begin January 22 in Geneva.
Homily hint: Peacemaking is tiring work. Conflict seems to come more readily to the human race than cooperation. All the more reason we need to redouble efforts to be be peacemakers—in our homes and communities, our churches and cities. A peaceful people builds a peaceful world. Advent is the season to begin.
• Even though denounced by Israel as a "bad deal," a breakthrough agreement between Iran and six world powers to restrain its nuclear program should nevertheless make it significantly harder for the Islamic state to build any atomic bomb, experts said
By halting Iran's most sensitive enrichment of uranium, last Sunday's interim accord is designed to stop the expansion of Iranian atomic activities and buy time for negotiations on a final settlement of the decade-old nuclear dispute. Iran will for now retain thousands of centrifuges refining uranium,but only to concentrations far below that needed for nuclear weapons, and also keep a stockpile which could potentially be used for bombs if processed much more.
"The short-term deal accomplishes a great deal," nuclear proliferation expert David Albright of the U.S. Institute for Science and International Security said. For example, he said, it would eliminate Iran's stock of uranium gas refined to a fissile purity of 20 percent, a source of deep concern for the West as it represents a relatively short technical step away from bomb-grade material.
Under the agreement, Iran must halt this higher-grade enrichment and also dilute or convert its existing reserve of such uranium to a form that is not suitable for further enrichment, according to a U.S. fact sheet.
The interim agreements leaves heavy economic sanctions against Iran in place while the world community works toward a permanent solution over the next six months.
• From Afghanistan, a nation hoping to emerge from more than a decade of war, the news is less optimistic. Afghanistan's president and the U.S. delivered blunt messages to each other Monday which gave no indication of a resolution of their disagreements over a pact that governs the future of the American troop presence in the country.
Hamid Karzai said he won't back down from his refusal to sign a Bilateral Security Agreement during the rest of his term in office, with National Security Adviser Susan Rice responding that would mean the U.S. would then start planning to pull out all its forces after 2014.
Their meeting in Kabul came the day after Karzai's surprise decision to ignore last Sunday's recommendation by an Afghan assembly of dignitaries to sign the agreement, a refusal that cast doubt on whether American and allied troops would remain in Afghanistan to train Afghan forces after most foreign troops depart next year.
The U.S. has urged Karzai to sign a deal that would allow about 8,000 U.S. troops to stay in the country beyond a 2014 withdrawal deadline. The two-term Afghan leader has insisted that the winner of an April 5 election to succeed him should be the one to sign the deal. More than $8 billion in annual funds for Afghanistan’s fledgling security forces and development assistance also are at stake.
• On a third front, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pope Francis spoke a united word in favor of peace in Syria on Monday, agreeing in what the Vatican called cordial discussions on the need for the end of violence and a diplomatic solution in Syria. The United Nations announced this week that talks between the Syrian government and opposition representatives will begin January 22 in Geneva.
Homily hint: Peacemaking is tiring work. Conflict seems to come more readily to the human race than cooperation. All the more reason we need to redouble efforts to be be peacemakers—in our homes and communities, our churches and cities. A peaceful people builds a peaceful world. Advent is the season to begin.
Sources: Articles by Patrick Quinn for the Associated Press, Reuters,
Patrick J. McDonnell for the Los Angeles Times, and VOA News