Thursday, August 31, 2006















Living In A Police State
*****************************

Courtesy Of: YouTube.com
By The Daily Show
With Jon Stewart
And Steven Colbert
Added: March 20, 2006
RunTime: 04:21

This is a funny clip by Steven Colbert mocking all the new homeland security laws, that are curtailig our liberties and invading our privacy...

Video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=J6otbnLMDVM&eurl=













Rumsfled And The Politics Of "New Fascism"
********************************************************

Courtesy Of: YouTube.com
From: Veredictum
Added: August 30, 2006
RunTime: 07:54

"Those that downplay the threat of terrorism in today's world can be compared to the apologists that ignored the threat of fascism in Nazi Germany prior to World War II,"
Says Donald Rumsfeld at a speech given to the American Legion yesterday.

The Secretary of Defense terms the threat of terrorism as a "new fascism."

He also suggests that those opposing the war are appeasing the enemy.

E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post provided some analysis of Rumsfeld's "new fascism" to MSNBC.

Dionne says,

"What they're trying to say, 'Anybody who opposes our policy in Iraq is some kind of sell-out who is going to appease the enemy.'"

Dionne continues by syaing.

"What they are clearly trying to do is they are clearly trying to shift attention away from specific questions about failures in Iraq--About 'Why isn't Iraq going better?'

No one is saying any of the things that they claim their opponents are saying.

Their opponents are mostly saying, 'How did you guys make such a mess of this war?'"

The following video report uses clips from CBS News, CNN, FOX News and MSNBC News.

Video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2QfqW0Coa6g&eurl=














9/11 Vendetta: Past, Present & Future
***********************************************

Courtesy Of: Google Video
By: Destruit Productions
RunTime: 7 min 15 sec
26-Jun-2006

This is a witty incorporation of scenes from the movie, "V For Vendetta" and 9/11 images, into a thought provoking 7 minute video clip...

Video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4580078919009360294&sourceid=docidfeed&hl=nl














U.S. Secretly Negotiated With Gaza Kidnappers
**********************************************************

Courtesy Of: ABCnews.com
From Brian Ross
Hoda Osman Reports
August 29, 2006

The U.S. secretly agreed to the "real demands" set by the group behind the August 14 kidnapping of two FOX News Journalists in Gaza, according to a report in the pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat.

The paper quotes "informed sources close to the mediators" as saying that the U.S. secretly negotiated with the group through leaders of "The Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees."

last week, the previously unknown group calling itself "The Holy Jihad Brigades" issued a statement demanding the release of all Muslims held in U.S. prisons in return for the release of the two Journalists.

In fact, the paper reports that the public demand was not serious and that the group's "real demands" were that the U.S. press Israel to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Palestine and cease the shelling of "Palestinian activists" residences.

According to the report, the mediators contacted a representative of a European country who in turn contacted U.S. and British diplomats.

The paper's sources said in the report that members of a senior FBI delegation, who had arrived in the area a few days earlier, were also involved in the negotiations.

The announcement that the two Journalists had converted to Islam as a reason for their release was only a camouflage to conceal the fact that the U.S. had agreed to the hostage-takers' demands, according to the sources cited in the article.

A few days ago the Rafah crossing was reopened for a few hours daily, and the Israeli forces stopped shelling residences of activists in the past few days, noted the paper's sources.

When asked for a response by ABCnews.com, a State Department spokesperson refused to comment on the report in Al Hayat.

The Department's stated policy has been that the United States does not negotiate with terrorists.

Source:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/08/report_us_secre.html

Wednesday, August 30, 2006














Hezbollah And Hamas Should Be Engaged
*****************************************************

Courtesy Of: The Jerusalem Post
By: The Associated Press
Posted: Aug. 29, 2006
Updated: Aug. 30, 2006

Rome, Italy--The Italian Foreign Minister said that groups such as Lebanese guerrillas Hezbollah and Palestinian militants Hamas are not purely terrorist organizations and that efforts to bring them into the political fold should be encouraged.

"Hamas and Hezbollah are not Al-Qaeda," Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said, in an interview with Corriere della Sera published Tuesday.

"Besides their well-known responsibilities for terrorist actions, they have a political side, they are engaged in assistance."

"IRA and ETA have become political movements from (being) terror groups," D'Alema said, referring to groups that have carried out terrorist attacks in Northern Ireland and in Spain.

"We must encourage this metamorphosis in the Middle East," D'Alema said.

"Instead, organizations that are purely dedicated to terror must be fought and defeated," he told Corriere, the country's leading newspaper.

Both Hezbollah and Hamas are on a U.S. list of terror organizations. The European Union considers Hamas a terrorist organization but does not list Hezbollah.

Source:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525966123&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



















The Killing Zone
*********************

Courtesy Of: Google Video
Broadcast: Channel-4's Dispatches
By: Rodrigo Vasquez
RunTime: 49 min
Aug 22, 2006

Dispatches reporter Sandra Jordan and producer Rodrigo Vasquez put their lives on the line, in order to reveal the brutality and bloodlust of the "Israel Death Force," in its war against innocent Palestinian civilians and Western peace activists in the Gaza Strip.

An American peace activist was crushed to death by an "Israel Death Force" bulldozer, a British peace activist was shot by an "Israel Death Force" sniper and is in a coma, and a British camerman was executed by the "Israel Death Force."

Within hours of arriving in Gaza, Sandra and Rodrigo were shot and tear-gassed by "Israel Death Force" troops while breaking up a memorial service for Rachel Corrie, and the American peace activist that was crushed to death by an "Israel Death Force" bulldozer.

Documentary:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5863204188744026936&sourceidfeed&hl=en














Kremlin To Blame For Beslan Deaths
**********************************************

Courtesy Of: The Independent
By Andrew Osborn,
East Europe Correspondent
Published: 30 August 2006

Almost two years after 331 people died in the Beslan school siege, one of the MPs investigating the tragedy has released a report that blames the Kremlin for the death of more than a third of the hostages, whose safety, he suggests, was not a priority.

Yuri Savelyev, an MP and member of the official parliamentary inquiry panel, claims that Russian forces deliberately stormed the school on 4 September 2004 using maximum force.

His account suggests the government disregarded the safety of the women and children cowering inside the school in southern Russia and that it was more interested in killing the pro-Chechen terrorists than saving the hostages.

According to Mr Savelyev, a weapons and explosives expert, special forces fired rocket-propelled grenades without warning as a prelude to an armed assault, ignoring the fact that negotiations were apparently still going on.

He says the explosions turned the school into a war zone when the Chechen gunmen retaliated, causing a fire which killed many of the hostages trapped beneath its burning roof.

Mr Savelyev's 700-page report, Beslan: The Hostages' Truth, contradicts the official account, which is that the school was not deliberately stormed and that it was the hostage-takers, not special forces, who detonated the two explosive devices that triggered the gunfight.

Source:
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article1222599.ece















Atrocities Against The Muslims Of India
*************************************************

Courtesy Of: YouTube.com
Added: May 23, 2006
RunTime: 19:15

Narendra Modi, an RSS prodigy and chief minister of Guijrat in India, had let loose the dance of death and terror on Muslims under the staged precursor of a 9/11 like attack on Hindu pilgrims.

The attack has since been established as a case of fire accident rather than a premeditated attack by Muslims over Hindus in an enquiry done by the Indian government and forensic authorities.

Nevertheless, under the guise of "they started it first," the complete law and order breakdown and active conivance of state machinery to target about 2,000 innocent Muslims and butcher, rape and roast them alive, is unique in Indian history.

The wounds live on as none of the crime perpetrators, involved at any level of executing this pogrom, has been brought to book.

This film won Best Documentary & Critic's Choice at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, as well as the Wolfgang Staudte Award & Special Jury Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Documentary:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=j_Bkqwzl_Yg

Tuesday, August 29, 2006














IRA Human Bombs 'Brainchild Of British Intelligence'
******************************************************************

Courtesy Of: IrelandOn-Line
29/08/2006

Britain's intelligence services may have masterminded an IRA human bomb strategy which killed soldiers and civilians in Northern Ireland in 1990, a lobby group claimed today.

The British Irish Rights Watch (BIRW) said counter-terrorism agencies may have been behind the lethal strategy, which saw six soldiers and one civilian die after civilians linked to the security forces were made to drive explosives into army facilities.

The pressure group has sent a dossier to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)'s Historical Enquiries Team about the October 1990 bombing of three army installations and checkpoints, two of which exploded.

An official report from BIRW said:

"It is known that at least two security force agents were involved in these bombings and allegations have been made that the human bomb strategy was the brainchild of British Intelligence."

"Questions arise as to whether the RUC, An Garda Siochana and the Army's Force Research Unit had prior and/or subsequent intelligence about the bombings."

"These questions in turn lead to concerns about whether these attacks could have been prevented and why no-one has been brought to Justice."

A worker at a Derry Army base, Patsy Gillespie, was used by the IRA as the first human bomb and forced to drive a large explosive device to a military checkpoint at Coshquin near Derry, where it exploded.

The bomb was set off while he was still in the driver's seat, killing him and five soldiers--Stephen Burrows, Stephen Beacham, Vincent Scott, David Sweeney and Paul Worral.

Another soldier, Ranger Cyril Smith, was killed the same night in a similar attack on a permanent checkpoint at Killeen near Newry. Civilian James McEroy, 68, was injured after being ordered to drive the van and its deadly cargo or see his two sons shot.

An attempt to bomb Lisanelly Army barracks in Omagh, Co Tyrone, was foiled when explosives failed to ignite.

The claims may be linked to allegations made by an unknown Army agent, who said the RUC's Special Branch had three IRA agents involved in three separate attacks in South Down in 1989 and 1990.

...At the time, there was widespread criticsm of the IRA's human bomb attacks, which were seen as particularly savage and mericless.

The Catholic Bishop of Derry, Dr Edward Daly, accused Republicans of crossing a new threshold of evil...

Source:
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=193693218&p=y936939z4



















The Israel Lobby And U.S. Foreign Policy
***************************************************

Courtesy Of: InformationClearingHouse.info
By: Council On American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Broadcast By: C-Span.org
RunTime: 90 Minutes
08/28/06

Two international affairs experts discussed pro-Israel lobbying and its influence on U.S. attitudes toward the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Topics included: Israel and international law, U.S. neutrality, defining terrorism, and $3 billion per year U.S. aid to Israel.

They said there is a loose coalition of individuals and groups lobbying Congress for U.S.-Israel policy.

They also said most mainstream media are strongly pro-Israel.

U.S. aid to Israel in the recent Hezbollah-Israel military action was described.

After their presentations, the panalists responded to audience members' questions.

Walt and Mearsheimer wrote an article in the March London Review Of Books that raised questions about the power the Israel lobby wields over U.S. foreign policy, saying that the lobbyists try to prevent criticism by claiming anti-Semitism.

Their article was also the cover story in the July-August issue of Foreign Policy Magazine.

Video:
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article14752.htm



















The Truth About Iraq's WMD's
**************************************

Courtesy Of: YouTube.com
By John Pilger
Added: June 15, 2006
RunTime: 00:56

This clip from John Pilger's documentary, "Breaking The Silence," contains 2001 footage of Powell and Rice declaring that Iraq is not a threat.

During a press conference on 24 February 2001 during Powell's visit to Cairo, Egypt, answering a question about the US-led sanctions against Iraq.

The Secretary Of State said:

"He has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbors."

On 29 July 2001, Condoleezza Rice appeared on CNN Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. Guest host John King asks her about the sanction against Iraq.

She replies:

"We are able to keep arms from him. His military forces have not been rebuilt."

Another nail in the warmonger's coffin of lies.

The truth was always out there, but the mainstream media and malicious politicians put a spin on it. And in many instances, they produced outright lies in order to further their dark agenda.

Video Clip:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=v0wbpKCdkkQ
















A Scotsman Playing Golf
*******************************

Courtesy Of: Google Video
By Robin Williams
RunTime: 2 min 19 sec
Added: Jan. 19, 1992

Robin Williams explains the origins of golf.

WARNING: This video clip contains some profanity. Viewer discretion is advised!

Video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3636435540043947603

Monday, August 28, 2006











Bigotry And Ignorance Of Islam
***************************************

Courtesy Of: Antiwar.com
By Charley Reese
August 28, 2006

President George Bush's ignorance of the Middle East and its people is well-known. So also is his habit of parroting words and sentinces given to him by other people. He hit a new low when he referred to "Islamic Fascists."

No two more opposite concepts are to be found.

Fascism glorifies the nation-state; Islam is transnational. Fascism demands slavish devotion to a national leader; Muslims are far too independent-minded to be slavish followers to anybody. Virtually all the people Saddam Hussein murdered were people trying to overthrow him. Fascism is militaristic. Islam is not.

Mr. Bush, who has dubbed himself the "War President," has made a pathetic and absurd effort to picture himself as Winston Churchill facing off against evil. He is no Churchill.

Most of the enemies he imagines, he created himself. The West faces no threat from Islam.


Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world, but it really is a religion of peace. More importantly, it is a religion that concentrates on individual salvation.

There is no Muslim pope, no College of Cardinals, no bishops, no priesthood. Any five Muslims anywhere in the world can start their own Mosque.

Imams are teachers and, like Protestant preachers or Jewish rabbis, can be fired by their congregation. The Shiite version is slightly more organized.

A Fatwa is a statement issued by an Imam, usually explanatory. It is similar to statements issued by the Pope, with this important difference: No Muslim is bound by any Fatwa. Muslims are free to pay attention to it or ignore it.

Islam, like Christianity, is a universal religion that ignores nationality, race or color.

To become a Muslim, one must profess belief in One God (SWT), acknowledge Muhammad (PBUH) as his Prophet, recognize the Quran as the word of God, pray five times a day, provide for the poor and, if possible, make a trip to Mecca once in your lifetime.

The God Muslims worship is the same God Christians and Jews worship.

To dispose of some of the slanderous misstatements being floated about, Islam forbids forced conversions.

People would do well to read some history rather than rely on ignorant and malicious radio and TV talk-show hosts.

The oldest Christain communities in the world are all in Muslim countries. There have always been Christian and Jewish communities in the Muslim World. Muslims are commanded to treat Christians and Jews as they would treat themselves.

They revere Jesus (PBUH) as a Prophet and highly respect the Virgin Mary (RA).

The disputes you see in the modern Middle East are not religious; they are all about secular matters, principally Israeli occupation of Arab lands.

The Arabs see Israel as the last European colonialist state imposed on them by the European powers. That's true, in fact.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad are concerned only with ending Israeli occupation of Palestine. Hezbollah is concerned with ending Israeli occupation of Lebanon.

Al-Qaeda wants to overthrow the Persian Gulf governments and is at war with us because we are the principal backers and supporters of those governments.

Al-Qaeda alone is most un-Islamic and has been so labeled by a majority of Muslims. It is a small group.

If you wish to understand Islam, turn off your TV and go to the library. Introduce yourself to some of America's 6 million Muslims. You'll find them to be very decent and patriotic people.

There are some fanatics among Muslims, Just as there are among Jews and Christians.

Most of the New England states were originally populated by people fleeing Puritan rule in Massachusetts.

The way to combat fanatics is to extend the hand of friendship to ordinary Muslims and to protest the slander and libel of Muslims and Islam, Just as you should protest the slander and libel of Jews and other groups.

Bigotry should have no place in our public dialogue, regardless of the target.

It's obvious that President Bush will never understand the world into which he was born, but most Americans have more open minds--Except, of course, those who prefer to click their heels and salute when their Fuehrer of choice speaks.

Note:
--------

The insertion of the following acronyms, were placed by me and not by the author of this article. They represent signs of respect to God, His Prophets and to the Virgin Mary.

(SW) - Subhana Wa Ta' La, means: Glory Be To God. It is always stated when God is mentoned.

(PBUH) - Peace & Blessings Upon Him: Is always said when one mentions the name of any Prophet.

(RA) - Radia Allahu Anhum: Is always said when one mentions a family member and companion(s) of the Prophets.

Source:
http://antiwar.com/reese/?articleid=9608

















The Jerusalem Declaration On Christian Zionism
*************************************************************

Courtesy Of: The Jerusalem Diocese
August 25, 2006

"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9)

Christian Zionism is a modern theological and political movement that embraces the most extreme ideological positions of Zionism, thereby becoming detrimental to a Just peace within Palestine and Israel.

The Christian Zionist programme provides a worldview where the Gospel is identified with the ideology of empire, colonialism and militarism.

In its extreme form, it laces an emphasis on apocalyptic events leading to the end of history rather than living Christ's love and Justice today.

We categorically reject Christian Zionist doctrines as false teaching that corrupts the biblical message of love, Justice and reconciliation.

We further reject the contemporary alliance of Christian Zionist leaders and organizations with elements in the governments of Israel and the United States that are presently imposing their unilateral pre-emptive borders and domination over Palestine.

This inevitability leads to unending cycles of violence that undermine the security of all peoples of the Middle East and the rest of the world.

We reject the teachings of Christian Zionism that facilitate and support these policies as they advance racial exclusivity and perpetual war rather than the Gospel of universal love, redemption and reconciliation taught by Jesus Christ.

Rather than condemn the world to the doom of Armageddon we call upon everyone to liberate themselves from the ideologies of militarism and occupation.

Instead, let them pursue the healing of the nations!

We call upon all Christians in churches on every continent to pray for the Palestinian and Israeli people, both of whom are suffering as victims of occupation and militarism.

These discriminative actions are turning Palestine into impoverished ghettos surrounded by exclusive Israeli settlements.

The establishment of the illegal settlements and the construction of the Separation Wall on confiscated Palestinian land undermine the validity of a Palestinian state as well as peace and security in the entire region.

We call upon all churches that remain silent, to break their silence and speak for reconciliation with Justice in the Holy Land.

Therefore, we commit ourselves to the following principles as an alternative way:

- We affirm that all people are created in the image of God. In turn they are called to honor the dignity of every human being and to respect their inalienable rights.

- We affirm that Israelis and Palestinians are capable of living together within peace, Justice and security.

- We call upon all people to reject the narrow world view of Christian Zionism and other ideologies that privilege one people at the expense of others.

- We are committed to non-violent resistance as the most effective means to end the illegal occupation in order to attain a Just and lasting peace.

- With urgency we warn that Christian Zionism and its alliances are Justifying colonization, apartheid and empire-building.

- God demands that Justice be done. No enduring peace, security or reconciliation is possible without the foundation of Justice.

The demands of Justice will not disappear. The struggle for Justice must be pursued diligently and persistently but non-violently.

"What does the Lord require of you, to act Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8).

This is where we take our stand. We stand for Justice. We can do no other.

Justice alone guarantees a peace that will lead to reconciliation with a life of security and prosperity for all the peoples of our Land.

By standing on the side of Justice, we open ourselves to the work of peace--And working for peace makes us children of God.

"God was reconciling the world in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Cor 5:19).


His Beattitude Patriarch Michel Sabbah,
Latin Patriarchate, Jerusalem.

Archbishop Swerios Malki Mourad,
Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate, Jerusalem.

Bishop Riah Abu El-Assaf,
Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East.

Bishop Munib Younan,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.

August 22, 2006

Source:
http://j-diocese.com/DiocesanNews/view.asp?selected=238#slbl238















Compliant And Subservient
***********************************

Courtesy Of: The Sunday Telegraph
By John Preston and Melissa Kite
Monday 28 August 2006

Tony Blair's lack of leadership and timid subservience to George W Bush lie behind the ongoing crisis in Iraq and the worldwide threat of terrorism, according to the former American President Jimmy Carter.

"I have been surprised and extremely disappointed by Tony Blair's behaviour," he told the Sunday Telegraph.

"I think that more than any other person in the world the Prime Minister could have had a moderating influence on Washington--And he has not. I really thought that Tony Blair, who I know personally to some degree, would be a constraint on President Bush's policies toward Iraq."

...Mr Carter also said that the Iraq invasion had subverted the fight against terrorism and instead strengthened al-Qaeda and the recruitment of terrorists.

"In many countries where I met with leaders and private citizens there is an equating of American policy with Great Britain--With Great Britain playing the lesser role."

"We now have a situation where America is so unpopular overseas that even in countries like Egypt and Jordan our approval ratings are less than five per cent. It's a shameful and pitiful state of affairs and I hold your British Prime Minister to be substantially responsible for being so compliant and subservient."

...Mr Carter...has Just published a book, Faith And Freedom, in which he savages the American administration for leading the country into insularity and intolerance.

"We've never before had an administration that would endorse pre-emptive war--That is a basic policy of going to war against another country even though our own security was not directly threatened," he said...

But had he still been President, he says he would never have considered invading Iraq in 2003.

"No," he said, "I would never have ordered it. However, I wouldn't have excluded going into Afghanistan, because I think we had to strike at al-Qaeda and its leadership. But then, to a major degree, we abandoned the anti-terrorist effort and went almost unilaterally with Great Britain into Iraq."

This, Mr Carter believes, subverted the effectiveness of anti-terrorist efforts. Far from achieving peace and stability, the result has been a disaster on all fronts.

"My personal opinion is that the Iraqi people are not better off as a result of the invasion and people in America and Great Britain are not safer."

Source:
http://telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=Q2BMVQDOW0SZJQFIQMFCFF4AVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2006/08/27/nblair27.xml

Sunday, August 27, 2006















The Pentagon Plans An African Command
*****************************************************

Courtesy Of: Time.com
By Sally B. Donnelly
Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006

In what may be the most glaring admission that the U.S. military needs to dramatically readjust how it will fight what it calls 'the long war,' the Pentagon is expected to announce soon that it will create an entirely new military command to focus on the globe's most neglected region: Africa.

Pentagon sources say that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is close to approving plans for an African Command, which would establish a military organization to singlehandidly deal with the entire continent of Africa.

It would be a sign of a significant strategic shift in administration policy, reflecting the need to put more emphasis on proactive, preventative measures rather than maintaining a defensive posture designed for the Cold War.

The Pentagon has five geographic unified combatant commands around the world and responsibility for Africa is awkwardly divided among three of those:

European Command, Pacifice Command and Central Command which is also responsible for running the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Creating an African Command would be an important structural move to coordinate U.S. defense policy for the continent, as well as provide a single military organization for agencies like the State Department and the CIA to work with in the region.

...A former military officer...Says creating an entirely new command compounds an existing problem. "The size and number of headquarters already is skewed too far in favor of 'tail' at the expense of warfighting 'teeth.' Want to increase 'boots' on the ground? Eliminate or downsize some of these staffs, don't create more," says this observer.

...Gen. John Abizaid, the Centom commander, laid out a laundry list of concerns to the Senate Armed Services Committee last March. While Abizaid spoke about the Horn of Africa, the threats stretch across much of the continent.

"The Horn of Africa is vulnerable to penetration by regional extremist groups, terrorist activity, and ethnic violence. Al-Qaeda has a history of planning, training for, and conducting major terrorist attacks in this region, such as the bombings of U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

The volatility of this region is fueled by a daunting list of challenges to include extreme poverty, corruption, internal conflicts, border disputes, uncontrolled borders and territorial waters, weak internal security capabilities, natural disasters, famine, lack of dependable water sources, and an underdeveloped infrastructure.

The combination of these serious challenges creates an environment that is ripe for exploitation by extremists and criminal organizations."

Source:
http://time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1328840,00.html

Saturday, August 26, 2006




















Gaza After Disengagement
**********************************

Courtesy Of: Google Video
By: IfAmericansKnew.org
RunTime: 3 min 10 sec
August 22, 2006

This is a 3-minute video examining the situation in the Gaza Strip AFTER Israel's "disengagement."


In August 2005, Israel "disengaged" from Gaza.

One year later:

Israel continues to obstruct humanitarian aid into Gaza, causing shortages of dietary staples like bread and flour.

Israeli border closures prevent Palestinians from exporting their crops, destroying the means of survival for thousands of families.


"The total blockade of the [West Bank & Gaza Strip] has paralysed the Palestinian economy..."

"...It is now in a deep recession, with millions of people severly impoverished and extremely food insecure." [UN Food & Agriculture Organisation, April 15, 2002]

"The humanitarian outlook for the occupied Palestinian territory looks extremely bleak, and is predicted to worsen dramatically in the coming months..."
[UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, May 31, 2006]

"Heavy damage to the Palestinian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, including the destruction of the Gaza power station, has greatly reduced the supply of electricity and water to Gazan households."

"Humanitarian organisations are concerned of potential outbreaks of communicable diseases in Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas in the world."
[UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, July 14, 2006]

"We are concerned that with international attention focusing on Lebanon, the tragedy in Gaza is being forgotten." [UN Humanitarian Agencies, August 3, 2006]

Video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5505313474649612534&q=gaza+after+disengagement&hl=en













Conversations With History: Occupation & Terrorism
******************************************************************

Courtesy Of: Google Video
By: UC Berkeley
http://www.uctv.tv
Jul 12, 2004
58 min 0 sec

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Israeli Journalist Amira Hass for a discussion of the Israeli occupation, Palestinian terrorism, and the consequences of the conflict for the daily lives of both Israelis and Palestinians.

Video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1698401720504600023&sourceid=docidfeed&hl=en















UK 'Assisted In Acts Of Terror'
***************************************

Courtesy Of: News24.com
23/08/2006

London--Britain was accused in court on Tuesday of knowingly assisting in 'acts of terrorism' by Israel during iths month-long conflict with the Shi'ite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Britain was guilty of 'aiding and abetting" breaches of international law when it allowed US cargo planes believed to be carrying bombs bound for Israel to stop over at British airports, according to the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) at the high court in London.

The IHRC sought to bring injunction proceedings against the Defence Secretary Des Browne, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Foregin Office to stop "grave and serious violations" of international humanitarian law and contraventions of the Geneva Convention.


'Disproportionate' Military Action
-------------------------------------------------

Peter Carter, the lawyer arguing on behalf of the IHRC, said Britain was assisting in "disproportionate" military action which killed and caused terror to civilians who were not directly involved in the conflict.

According to the IHRC, Britain's government knew that arms being supplied to Israel from the United States would encourage Israel to continue its attacks in the knowledge that supplies would be replenished.

The Israeli attacks were "not Justified by military necessity," he argued.


"Acts Of Terrorism"
-----------------------------

"I submit it is more than arguable that some of the acts of the Israeli military amount to acts of terrorism," Carter told the Judge, who said he hoped to give Judgement by Wednesday.

The IHRC said it was bringing the case "following many complaints that we have received from British citizens whose family members are in Lebanon facing grave danger as well as acts of terror."

Source:
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Middle_East/0,,2-10-2075_1986964,00.html

Friday, August 25, 2006




















Farewell
***********

Leave me, my love, it's time to part
This paradise is not my portion.
I had to cross a bridge of flame whenever
I visited this land of bliss.
Yet I've been your life-long companion
Since earliest youth and your tender years.
But now I come like a transient guest,
And go away like a bird of passage.

Has anyone drunken with love like us,
Seen love like we have seen it?
We built a thousand castles on our way,
Walked together on a moon-drenched road,
Where Joy danced and leapt before us,
We gazed at the stars that fell, and we possessed
And we laughed like two children together, then
Ran and raced with our shadows.
After this nectar's sweetness we awoke-
How, I wished it had never been so!
Night's dreams had vanished, the night was ended
The night that used to be our friend.
The light of morning was an ominous herald;
Dawn loomed up like a wall of fire.

--By Ibrahim Naji--