occupation

A few extracts. The 2nd and 3rd cables, from Jun 2007, seem to put in question a view I've heard from a number of sources - that the US / Israel supported Fatah (militarily) to take over in Gaza. Or maybe I'm not good enough at reading between the lines of diplomatic cables.

(all emphasis mine)

This one, from Apr 2007, makes clear that there was a strategy for 'regime change', but it was economic:

CODEL ACKERMAN'S MEETING WITH OPPOSITION LEADER BINYAMIN NETANYAHU:

Bring Down Hamas [Original heading in US cable]
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¶5. (C) Congressman Ackerman asked Netanyahu for his views on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Netanyahu said Abbas was a "nice man who means well," but he added that Israel and the U.S. should focus on "bringing down Hamas" through an "economic squeeze." Netanyahu asserted that eight months ago, the Hamas government had been on the brink of collapse, but had become stronger because Israel became weaker as a result of the Lebanon war. Without elaborating, Netanyahu said it would be easier to weaken Hamas than to strengthen Abbas.

...

Netanyahu predicted that Palestinians would vote for Abbas if they believe that he can deliver the money. He suggested putting in place an "economic squeeze with an address," so that Hamas would receive the popular blame.

...

¶7. (C) Congressman Ackerman asked if Abbas would survive politically. Netanyahu said he was unsure, since politics were stressful, especially Palestinian politics. The policy, he added, should be to starve the NUG. If any money is given, it should go directly to Abbas. Netanyahu said it was not clear the GOI has a policy, there was a general climate of weakness.

Vladimir Danchev was a Soviet radio reporter who broadcast 'anti-soviet' reports on the Afghanistan invasion, referring to it as an 'occupation'. This is an account of the way Danchev came to the attention of the KGB, by one of his former colleagues. Original version available at http://vasilysweekend.rpod.ru/7451.html (Russian). The following translation is not exact and omits some parts of the original report.

* * *

[Voice of Vassiliy Strelnikov] Vladimir Danchev worked as newsreader for Radio Moscow, English service. The radio put out hourly news casts and if I wasn’t in the office, I’d listen from home. If there were any mistakes, I’d ring the newsroom and alert the newsreader: ‘check the text, you may have made a mistake. Have another look’. Mostly my colleagues would thank me, because if the Radio controller caught any mistakes, the consequences might have been terrible. It was our kind of ‘newsreader solidarity’.

Vladimir Danchev had a very interesting background: he was half Bulgarian, half Russian, but came from Tashkent. He was a longstanding [Communist] Party man, hard working, member of the ‘DND’ (Voluntary People’s Friendship Group). Used to clean the streets, volunteered to work even on non-working days. A quiet man, intelligent, Pushkin-style.

1983. 3rd or 4th year of the Afghan occupation (of course we didn’t call it that then). Volodya Danchev was a newsreader, used to broadcast live in English.

What did broadcasting live mean? You came to the studio, a policeman stood at the door, you had to have a special pass to get to the microphone. The whole world heard you, so live broadcasts were taken very seriously.