Linked Up: Cyprus, Israel, Kerry on Georgia, and A U.S.-UN Progress Report

Three heavyweights — Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, and Lakhdar Brahimi — team up to focus attention on the divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Now may be the last, best hope for reunification, they argue, which would bring, among other benefits, raised incomes, improved infrastructure, and the ability of Cypriots to send text messages across the dividing Green Line.  Maybe even road signs in both Turkish and Greek?

To this propagandistic denunciation of the UN report on Israeli actions in Operation Cast Lead, I’ll add only this: the report does acknowledge the role of inexcusable Hamas tactics to endanger civilians; Israel has not fully cooperated with UN investigations, and Ban Ki-moon is not distancing himself from the entire report, even if he is regrettably not following up on one of its recommendations to create a further commission.

Senator Kerry and Rep. David Dreier explain how signing a free trade pact with Georgia will help improve relations with both Tbilisi and its larger neighbor to the north.  Not sure Russia will see it that way, but this may be one of those things that Moscow will just have to get over.

And Citizens for Global Solutions points to this “progress report” issued by the United States Mission to the UN. They’ve been busy enough, that’s for sure.