An Israeli missile strike has destroyed the Hamas Interior Ministry building in Gaza City, part of an Israeli military offensive this week that has killed about 30 people, mostly militants, in Gaza. Earlier today, Israel closed its border with the Gaza Strip to all traffic, except humanitarian supplies, in response to continuing rocket fire by Palestinian militants from Hamas-controlled Gaza into southern Israel.

Ordinarily I wouldn’t mention this ongoing clash, as it’s just more of the same old, same old. What’s special about this is the destroying of the Hamas ministry building. While the Israelis often target individual Hamas terrorists, they seldom go after political headquarters or government offices. This is definitely sending a warning of impending escalation by the Israelis if the rockets don’t stop.

In a surprise move, the U.S. State Department’s third-ranking official, Undersecretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns, has announced his resignation effective in March. Burns, in the post for three years, has been a key diplomatic troubleshooter for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He’s been actively involved in key issues including the status of Kosovo, U.N. sanctions against Iran, and the stalled U.S.-Indian nuclear accord.

The usual excuses are given but plainly this is someone deserting a sinking ship. I have no doubt that Mr. Burns has been repeatedly frustrated in his efforts to take appropriate action, much as so many other members of this administration have been and resigned. This doesn’t look good for our relations in the Mid-East.

The CIA says that Benazir Bhutto was killed by assassins of Baitullah Mehsud, a Pakistani militant leader in hiding, and that some of them had ties to Al Qaeda. While the CIA isn’t the most believable source of information, this does seem the likeliest scenario simply because a power-sharing alliance with her would have given pres. Musharraf a stronger position in retaining his own power. In fact, her murder caused him major problems, not the least being riots over suspicions that he did it, exactly what his enemies would have foreseen.

Russia has just decided to ratify an agreement to reduce Syrias debt to them to $3.6 billion from about about $14.5 billion, and to restructure repayment at four percent interest annually to be charged on the remainder of the debt. Syria says it will pay in Euros and cited the possible freezing of its accounts in U.S. dollars because of U.S. economic sanctions.

This is significant for several reasons. Russia is making fast friends with our worst enemies, for one, and the forgiving of so much debt indicates that Russia is fast coming out of their economic crunch, to be able to afford it. More bad news for us in the Mid-East.

Western governments have concluded that Syria and North Korea were collaborating on a nuclear weapons program at a mysterious site in the Syrian desert that was bombed by Israel last year. “An international consensus that the governments in Pyongyang and Damascus have collaborated on nuclear weapons would mark a new setback to U.S. efforts to entice North Korea to scrap its nuclear armament program. It also could blunt efforts to pursue engagement with Syria.”

The State Department has taken the unusual step of publicly disavowing the remarks of special envoy Jay Lefkowitz, who said Thursday North Korea is not serious about giving up its nuclear weapons, and is only using the Chinese-sponsored six-party talks as a way of extorting aid.

This is exactly the same tactic that Kim Jung Il used repeatedly in the past, and while Bush is disavowing Lefkowitz’ remarks, they are no doubt true. “Lefkowitz’ comments reflect broad skepticism among U.S. conservatives about the wisdom of negotiating with North Korea, rather than trying to bring about an end to communist rule there.”

Well, Amen to that. All of the above ties together. We’ve been played off once again by N. Korea, who is in league with Syria to nuclearize that nation with the financial assistance of Russia. The Russians won’t give the Syrians nuclear technology because of their deals with Iran, but they can go around this by freeing up Syrian debt to them, thus giving the Syrians more money to pay N. Korea.

So our State Department people are bailing out because they’re having to butt heads with unworkable policies and Israel is ramping up against the Palestinians to quell them in advance of a much greater military campaign looming in the future.

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