ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER 1 December 2012 17 Muharram 1434 - Volume 17 Number 5535 Price: QR2 ON SATURDAY US condemns Israeli settlement expansion WASHINGTON: The White House yes- terday condemned Israel’s decision to build 3,000 settler homes in east Jerusalem and the West Bank as “counterproductive” and said it would make resuming peace talks harder. Israel revealed the plans in response to a his- toric vote in the UN General Assembly on Thursday to recognise Palestine within the 1967 borders as a non-member observer state. “We reiterate our long-standing opposition to settlements and east Jerusalem construction and announcements. We believe these actions are counterproductive and make it harder to resume direct negotiations or achieve a two-state solution,” said National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor. Reports said some of the Israeli construction would be in a highly contentious area of the West Bank known as E1, a corridor that runs between the easternmost edge of annexed east Jerusalem and Maaleh Adumim settlement. See also page 9 Protests rage against Mursi CAIRO: Tens of thousands of Egyptians protested against President Mohammed Mursi yesterday after an Islamist-led assem- bly raced through approval of a new constitu- tion in a bid to end a crisis over the Islamist leader’s newly expanded powers. “The people NGOs want to bring down the regime,” they chanted at Tahrir Square. Mursi said a decree halt- ing court challenges to his decisions, was “for an exceptional stage” and aimed to speed up the democratic transition. “It will end as soon as the people vote on a constitution. There is no place for dictatorship.” Meanwhile, a top aide to Mursi has joined National Salvation Front, the country’s biggest opposition move- ment. Samir Morkos was Mursi’s adviser on the transition to democracy and the only Christian in the Islamist leader’s team. UNDER FIRE See also pages 7&8 Net, phones down in Syria THE ISSUE BEIRUT: Syrian air force jets bombarded rebel targets yesterday close to the Damascus airport road and a regional airline said for- eign carriers had halted flights to the capi- many as representing the interests of their NGOs play a key role during summits like tal. Internet connections and most telephone One hoped that with the coveted Abraham Augusthy Climate Change Conference respective countries. COP18 as they hold mass demonstrations lines were down for a second day, the worst It is too well-known a fact that the West and help draw the attention of the world communications outage in a 20-month-old being held here, at least some looks at the Middle East, the GCC region in media to issues of relevance. Design: uprising in which 40,000 people have been of a host of environment-related particular, as a source of cheap energy and They act as pressure groups through such killed and hundreds of thousands forced to shies away from raising issues that it fears protests on negotiators to work on issues flee the country. Global hacking network challenges the Middle East faces might have an adverse impact on energy they might ignore or want to ignore due Anonymous accused Syria’s government of would be brought into focus— supplies and security. to the vested interests of the countries or blocking communications to silence critics mainly by the global NGOs. As pointed out earlier, the region faces regions they represent. and said it would respond by attacking Syrian a number of challenges but none has so far The NGOs, on their part, say they don’t government websites around the world. been touched on by any NGO—whether it is have their offices locally and so lack the See also page 9 eing a hub of oil and gas produc- to do with water crisis, high carbon emission wherewithal to hold demonstrations. In tion, the region has been battling levels or air quality. other words, since they don’t have a pres- a number of challenges—high car- Some countries in the region are plan- ence locally they don’t have member-activ- Kuwaitis march against polls Bbon emission levels, air quality and ning to have nuclear power plants at a time ists who would be taking part in protests. KUWAIT CITY: Tens of thousands of sup- plans of some countries to have nuclear when Europe, especially, wants to do away Nearly all NGOs have sent leaders to the porters of the Kuwaiti opposition marched in power plants. with existing nuclear power plants due to COP18 summit and flying in large numbers the capital on the eve of election to urge vot- But the NGOs, some of them big names safety concerns. of activists would not be feasible due to the ers to boycott the polls in protest against a like Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund The irony is that the very countries that exorbitant costs involved. change to the electoral law. Chanting slogans (WWF), have so far disappointed people are shunning existing nuclear plants and So, all eyes are at today’s procession, and “we are boycotting” and “the people want the as they have been lethargic and inert, say want to disband them want to sell their on Greenpeace, which has hinted in media repeal of the amendment”, the demonstra- critics. technology to interested countries in this interviews that ‘something is in store’. “We tors marched peacefully after authorities Not a single protest has been held by region. If that is true, it is not difficult to never announce our protest plans in advance. issued a permit unlike the previous protests any of them on any issue so far and one guess why they might be doing that—for easy Wait and watch,” was how a Greenpeace which turned violent. The Islamist, national- PAGEeagerly awaits the 6outcome of their proces- money. office-bearer said when told that critics ist and liberal opposition says the poll boycott sion tomorrow. No NGO has so far raised this issue. This were skeptical whether it would live up to is in protest at the government’s unilateral As it is, people in this region do not have is a living example of how western NGOs its name in Doha, and questioning its silence. amendment of the electoral law, which it much trust in global NGOs as a vast major- avoid issues that directly or indirectly con- See also page 2 describes as a violation of the constitution. ity of them are from the West and seen by cern western interests. See also page 8 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 DECEMBER 1, 2012 ON SATURDAY 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home Pics: Salim Matramkot & Shaival Dalal Arab activists take over BY ISABEL OVALLE and Development (AFED) has outlined activists are sure that Qatar hosting called the attention of dignitaries and very clear expectations, essentially the most serious effects of climate COP18/CMP8 will be the ultimate colleagues from other organizations dis- related to the level of ambition to deal ongovernmental organiza- change on the Arab world, referring thrust for Arab countries to start dig- playing maps and flags to put a face to with climate change, in other words, tions (NGOs) have been to scarcity of water, which will reach ging for alternatives to oil and gas. the impact of climate change. what countries are willing to do. Essop unusually quiet during the alarming levels by 2025. Arab civil society groups are partici- The President of COP18/CMP8, expects a “strong decision about compen- Nfirst week of the UN Climate AFED points to the raise of sea lev- pating more than ever in the confer- Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, has sation and dealing with loss and damage”. Change Conference in Doha, the first to els as another serious consequence for ence, with about 50 attending this year, taken time to connect with young “No developed countries have come take place in the Middle East. Banners Arab countries due to climate change. while in the previous Conference of the attendees. Nevertheless, movements here with new pledges on emissions; and megaphones seem to be something Parties only five did so. like Connected Voices have complained we’re still hoping developing countries limited to previous conferences such as Doha Oasis, the group heading up about the lack of direct representation will come forward with new pledges. In Cancun (2010) and Durban (2011). Arab civil society the event, describes its mission as pro- of younger generations in the confer- addition, a number of key countries like Traditionally active organizations viding a “link between the community ence, given that only 50 of the 140 coun- Canada, Japan, Russia and New Zealand like Greenpeace or World Wildlife Fund groups are participating and the organizations to solve environ- tries have young delegates. have already jumped the ship”, she added. (WWF) have said that a lack of repre- more than ever in the mental and health issues, jump-starting In the mean time, traditionally active WWF officials admitted that in past sentatives in this small country of the new environmental projects in Qatar, organizations such as Greenpeace and COPs there has been more activism. Gulf has made it difficult to implement conference, with about 50 and raising the level of environmental World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are left Nevertheless, they think “this is an actions similar to those that took over attending this year. awareness of the population”. behind arguing they don’t have local opportunity for the Qatari Government the hall of the building where the nego- The event will take place with the and the region to get more involved”, she tiations of COP17, in Durban (South The report said that “the bulk of the support of other civil society organi- stated.