Haiti: Josh Shahryar's News LiveBlog (19/20 January)

EA's Josh Shahryar brings the overnight news from Haiti, complemeting his latest updates on the humanitarian situation:

0500 GMT

The Los Angeles Times has another touching story of a rescue attempt in Haiti:

Newspapers in Mexico this morning carried a happy item about Mexican officials in Haiti finding one of their countrymen who had been missing in the ruins for nearly a week.

But the tale didn’t mention that it was Times correspondent Tracy Wilkinson who came across the victim and relayed his whereabouts to Mexican diplomatic officials here in Mexico City.

Carlos Peralta, a Spanish teacher living in Port-au-Prince, lay writhing in pain on a salvaged pew outside a church when Wilkinson found him Sunday while she was reporting on prayer services in the quake-ravaged city.

Read full entry by CLICKING HERE.

0427 GMT

Catch Pierre’s livestream with news and live updates from Haiti by clicking here.

0400 GMT

Fireside International has more pictures from the tragedy. You can access them by going here. They only ask for your email address, that’s all. CLICK HERE to visit the page. (Be warned, some of the images are going to be very disturbing to some people. Don’t view without understanding that and don’t pass along without a stern warning.)

0352 GMT

Search and rescue attempts at Port-au-Prince’s Caribbean Supermarket seemingly ends after seven days. There are people still trapped under the rubble, but hope for their survival has ends as this story from CNN explains.

Read LiveBlog....

Israel-Palestine: US Envoy Mitchell Asking for Temporary Halt to Settlements

U.S. Mideast special envoy George Mitchell, coming to the region on Wednesday for four days, is reportedly raising the Palestinian Authority's proposal to re-start negotiations . This proposal, modifying Mahmoud Abbas's previous demand for a total halt to construction of Israeli settlement beyond 1967 borders, asks the Israeli side for a freeze in the West Bank and also in the East Jerusalem for three to six months.

Israel-Palestine: An Economic Platform for the Peace Process?

However, senior Israeli officials say Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will not agree to this demand. "This is not going to happen; it goes against everything Netanyahu says and believes in," one source in the Prime Minister's Office said. This follows Sunday's statement by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman that Israel had emptied out its "arsenal of gestures" and was now waiting for concessions from the Palestinians.

Israel-Palestine: An Economic Platform for the Peace Process?

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the Secretary-General of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, Angel Gurria, signed an agreement on Tuesday paving the way for Israel to become the 32nd member of  the OECD this May.

Israeli President Shimon Peres stated that membership in the organization would enable Israel to show the world its technological and scientific ability.

However, a West Jerusalem official was cautious: "In politics, nothing is final until it's final, and today there are more countries angry with Israel." Earlier Tuesday, Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi urged the OECD to reject Israel's request for membership, saying state-led discrimination against the Arab sector ran counter to the group's regulations. On the economic side, the OECD is concerned about the country's high level of national debt relative to gross domestic product, as well as its heavy spending on security.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad received 158 million euros from the European Union as part of the 500 million euros in  aid to the Palestinians for 2010. However, the EU representative to the Palestinian Authority, Christian Burger, warned PA that this support would not continue without clear progress in the peace process with Israel.

Iran Analysis: The Supreme Leader Warns Rafsanjani

Hat-tip to a valued EA source for this story:

On the surface, the meeting was simply the greetings of a Supreme Leader to those organising the anniversary celebrations of his Islamic Republic. It was an occasion to declare that the most important aspect of any ceremony is the presence of the Iranian people, and it is important to protect them and guarantee their security.

The Latest from Iran: If Khamenei’s Other Shoe Drops (20 January)
The Latest from Iran (19 January): Cross-Currents

Not so far below the surface, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has just told other important Iranian political figures --- not those in "the opposition" but those within the establishment: Get Beside Me.

Of course Khamenei referred to the Green movement but he did so primarily to shoo it away: this was "merely a small deceived group". Behind them was the bigger threat of "the enemy [who] is trying to shaken our great national treasure, February 11 (anniversary of Iranian Revolution)".

The important passage in Khamenei's speech came after he declared, "Our real need is understanding that this is an important time for making decisions....We need to be in the arena in full force and make wise moves." He asked, or rather demanded, that all people with responsibility in the "elite" should "make their approach clear" and end their "two-sided stance". They should do so "without any ambiguity and playing of tricks"; the silence of the "elite aids the sedition."

Hashemi Rafsanjani, you have just been served a warning.

In the midst of the current battle between conservative/principlist critics and the Ahmadinejad Government, symbolised by the hostility over the alleged role of former prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi in the Kahrizak prison abuse case and the influence of close Ahmadinejad ally Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, Rafsanjani spoke to a group of students and university lecturers. He praised the current televised debates as an alternative to protest on the streets but said little about specific political issues.

Far too little for the Supreme Leader.

Ayatollah Khamenei's speech points to his frustration with Rafsanjani's cautious, ambiguous statements. But, going public with that frustration, it also shows the Supreme Leader's growing worry over the situation. Seven months ago, Khamenei could talk tough but still praise Rafsanjani, believing that the incipient opposition could soon be defeated. Well, the opposition is still here, Rafsanjani still hasn't chosen sides, and Khamenei must be hoping that this does not last another seven months. (Indeed, he may be thinking that, if this does last seven months, he may not be in a position to lecture Rafsanjani or the opposition any longer.)

Today on EA - Tuesday 19 January 2010

Iran: Strange happenings within Iran ---- newspapers being closed down but one quickly reopens; more pressure on President Ahmadinejad; claimed footage from yesterday's first day of the "Mohareb" trial. All this and more, including tributes for the victims Professor Ali-Mohammadi and Seyed Ali Mousavi, and is available in our live weblog.

We have two special "breaking" analyses, evaluating the Supreme Leader's latest speech as a challenge to Hashemi Rafsanjani and the detentions of key aides to Mir Hossein Mousavi.

On the advice of an EA reader Scott Lucas took a "reality check" on the Regime's position in Iran and concluded: Yep, They're Still in Trouble.

Haiti: The most recent posts from Josh Shahryar's Humanitarian Liveblog on the Haitian crisis can be read here and those from his News Liveblog here.

Israel/Turkey: Following Israel's Defense Minister Barak's visit to Ankara, Foreign Minister D-G Yossi Gal will today hold official strategic dialogue meetings with Turkish officials,

Israel/Gaza: Tzipi Livni appeared on CNN's Amanpour on Monday. She said she would travel to Europe "For Israeli Soldiers" - despite the possibility of arrest.  We have a transcript of the interview and will try to post the video later.