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SUBJECT: O GLOBO NEWSPAPER ON GAZA CONFLICT 
 
"Flight of the Falcons" 
 
Rio-based center-right O Globo commented on page 06 (01/06/2009): 
"Yesterday, entering its 13th day, the Gaza tragedy pointed, as is 
always the case in these situations, to the victory of the falcons 
and radicals in the Middle East.  The greatest losers are the 
civilian populations in the Gaza strip and on a merely smaller 
quantitative scale, Israeli regions within reach of Hamas rockets. 
Diplomacy has also lost if one looks at the inefficiency of the 
so-called "Quartet" responsible for preventing the situation from 
reaching its boiling point.  The United States, in a presidential 
transition, is doing less than what was expected of it... Russia 
does not seem to be present at all.  The U.N. had schools and 
humanitarian aid convoys bombed by Israel and has already suffered 
losses.  In the European Union, the efforts of French President 
Nicolas Sarkozy to obtain a cease-fire stand out.  Hopes to close 
this Pandora's box again rest upon the decision of Arab countries - 
who also have much to lose with this conflict - to change their 
stance and agree to negotiate, in the United Nations, a cease-fire 
proposal presented by England with the support of France and the 
United States.  It is an illusion for Israel to think that by 
destroying Hamas - and the Gaza Strip - it will annihilate Muslim 
radicals... The "flight of the falcons" is extremely dangerous. 
Hamas, just like Hezbollah in Lebanon, is allied with Iran, which 
aspires to become a regional power.  Thus, an escalation of the Gaza 
conflict, which has already killed 700 Palestinians, could throw the 
Middle East into total war, something that no one is interested in. 
President-elect Barack Obama least of all... In such a scenario, it 
is unbefitting for the Government of Brazil to issue hurried 
statements which could undermine its position as a possible peace 
mediator.  It would be much better to keep to Itamaraty's usual 
balanced stance." 
 
 
MARQUEZ