أوقاف غزة تطلق حملة "نعم للفضيلة" وتحذر من المشاركة في الفعاليات الخارجة عن الشريعة

بعد تفشي مظاهر غير أخلاقية في القطاع

Are These the Overriding Issues for Hamas?

"غزة - المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام

أطلقت وزارة الأوقاف والشؤون الدينية في الحكومة الفلسطينية برئاسة إسماعيل هنية حملة دعوية بعنوان "نعم للفضيلة".
....
وقال فرحات إن الحملة ستهدي سائقي السيارات شريط "كاسيت" يحمل خطبة بعنوان الحملة (نعم للفضيلة)، وإنها ستنظم زيارات ميدانية إلى محال البيع الخاصة بالنساء وستهديها نشرات دعوية تعالج بعض المخالفات التي تحدث فيها، وبالتالي محاولة القضاء على ظاهرة ما يسمى "الماليكان"؛ حيث تعرض الملابس الفاضحة خارج المحال، إضافة إلى الصور العارية.

وبيَّن فرحات أن الحملة ستقوم بالتنسيق مع فضائية "الأقصى" و"إذاعة القرآن الكريم" وغيرهما من أجل تنظيم برنامج بعنوان "حراس الفضيلة" يقدمه نخبة من أهل العلم والقدوات في المجتمع الفلسطيني، وكذلك طرح عدد من القضايا الحوارية لنفس الهدف.

وحذر فرحات المواطنين من الوقوع في الرذيلة من خلال المشاركة في فعاليات خارجة عن الشرع، مكررًا تحذيره المواطنين من الاختلاط في الصالات العامة وصالات الأفراح وإقامة السهرات الليلية المختلطة دون وجود أدنى حد من الرقابة، وكذلك إقامة رحلات الطلابية المختلطة، والحذر من انتشار ظاهرة الـ"كافي شوب" المغلقة، وعدم رقابة الأجهزة الأمنية هذه الأماكن.

كما حذر فرحات من انعدام الرقابة على الإنترنت؛ مما يتيح الفرصة للجميع بتداول أية مواد إباحية، وكذلك تداول وبيع قطع ذاكرة محملة بالمقاطع الإباحية، وتداول حبوب الـ"ترامال"، وانتشار العلكة المثيرة للجنس، واستمرار الاختلاط في معظم الجامعات الفلسطينية، بالإضافة إلى وجود بعض مؤشرات الانحلال الأخلاقي في بعض المواقع، واللباس الفاضح في الأماكن العامة وشواطئ البحر.
"
COMMENT: This is a very alarming news item, and I will post the English version of it as soon as it is available.

Briefly, it outlines a campaign Hamas is waging in Gaza called,"Yes to Virtue!" It talks about a coordinated media campaign to organize a program called, "Guardians of Virtue!"

It warns the citizens against "falling into vice" by, among other things, attending weddings and other public events where both sexes mix, with no supervision! It goes on to warn against mixed company on university campuses and in student outings. A warning is issued against what it calls the spread of coffee shops not under the supervision of the security services. Finally, it advocated supervising and censoring the Internet.

Man, this Talibanization of Palestine is getting scary! Talk about being reactionary! No Palestinian should put up with this crap, which is modeled after the Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia.

The essence of Islamist resistance: a different view of Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas

By Alastair Crooke, New Perspectives Quarterly, June 2, 2009

"Most Western analysts of political Islam make the same mistake. They instinctively assume that conflict with the West has mainly to do with specific foreign policies, particularly of the U.S. with respect to Israel, the Arab world and Iran, and, if those changed, all would be well.

In fact, my intensive contact over the years with Iranian clerics, Hezbollah and Hamas suggest that the conflict with the West is much deeper. It is rooted in radically different worldviews about human nature and the good society.

Failing to grasp this reality, the West continually misreads what is going on in the Muslim world. At root, the West is about individualistic, instrumental rationality and materialism; the Islamic resistance movements are about a communal and spiritual approach to life......

Ironically, the West of the Enlightenment is situated on the wrong of the divide — backing dogma versus the open intellect of religious evolution. It is perhaps not surprising that a literalist and dogmatic West has contributed to literalism in Islam also. But the West, by holding on to this flawed perception that it is supporting docility and “moderation” against “extremism,” paradoxically has left the Middle East a less stable, more dangerous and violent place."

رد قوى المقاومة والممانعة على إستراتيجية أوباما

A Good Piece in Arabic

ياسر الزعاترة

".....
من هنا تبدو مهمة قوى المقاومة والممانعة بالغة الصعوبة للرد على إستراتيجية أوباما، لأن المطلوب قبل الرد هو العمل على إقناع الجماهير بأن الرجل لم يغادر المواقع الأميركية التقليدية من صراعاتنا، وأن بلاده لن تخلع ثوبها الإمبريالي، فضلا عن ضرورة النظر إلى فعل يديه وليس إلى مدحه للمسلمين وابتساماته في وجوههم.

بعد هذا الجهد الضروري تأتي عملية المواجهة مع مخطط الرجل الرامي إلى دفع الأنظمة العربية إلى مساعدته للخروج من المستنقعات التي تتخبط فيها بلاده، ومن ثم استدراجنا إلى مواقف تضر بقضايانا الرئيسة.
....
من المؤكد أن التعددية القطبية في المشهد الدولي هي الوضع الأفضل لخدمة قضايا أمتنا، ومعها سائر المستضعفين في الأرض، وليس من مصلحتنا أبدا مساعدة أميركا على استعادة قوتها ونفوذها من جديد بعدما أخذت في التراجع التدريجي بسبب المغامرات التي ورطها فيها جورج بوش، بل لعل من الأفضل لنا ولقضايانا أن نساعد على المزيد من تراخي القبضة الأميركية على المشهد الدولي، أكان بتكريس فشلها هنا وهناك، أم بفتح مجالات للتعاون مع القوى الكبرى الصاعدة مثل روسيا والصين والبرازيل ودول أميركا اللاتينية.

من الواضح أن أوباما يريدنا أن نحقق له الهدفين معا، فهو يريد منا مساعدته في حل معضلاته المتفاقمة، في ذات الوقت الذي يريدنا أن نبقى أسرى العلاقة مع بلاده بعيدا عن فتح مجالات تعاون مع القوى الكبرى المنافسة، والتي تسعى بدورها إلى دور ونفوذ في هذه المنطقة الحيوية من العالم.
في مواجهة إستراتيجية أوباما، ثمة عنوانان رئيسان على قوى المقاومة والممانعة التوقف عندهما، أولهما ذلك المتعلق بموقف واشنطن من الأنظمة العربية، إذ من الواضح أن الصفقة التي حكمت العلاقة بين تلك الأنظمة وبين الولايات المتحدة في مرحلة بوش الثانية ستبقى قائمة، أعني عدم الضغط عليها في مجال الديمقراطية والإصلاح مقابل الدفع من جيب قضايا الأمة الكبيرة في فلسطين والعراق وأفغانستان والصومال والسودان.

وفي حين تبدو قضية الإصلاح بالغة الأهمية بالنسبة لقوى الأمة الحية، فإن المطلوب هو تصعيد النضال السلمي داخل كل قطر من أجل دفع عجلة الإصلاح، بل التغيير الجذري إن أمكن ذلك، لا سيما بعد أن ثبت أن ديمقراطية الديكور القائمة لا تأتي بإصلاح حقيقي مهما رفع رقم "كوتا المعارضة" في مجالس النواب، ومن الضروري أيضا فضح الصفقة المذكورة للجماهير حتى تكون على بينة من أمرها.

العنوان الكبير الثاني هو المتعلق بقضايا الأمة الرئيسة، وأولها قضية فلسطين، وهنا يمكن القول إن مخطط أوباما للتسوية يستحق المواجهة، ولا ينبغي الركون إلى مقولات تشدد نتنياهو، وقد قال أوباما نفسه في لقاء صحفي عقب خطاب القاهرة إن هذا الأخير أقدر على صناعة السلام من قوى اليسار، لا سيما أن ما سيُعرض عليه سيكون مغريا إلى حد كبير، وسيحظى على الأرجح بغالبية في الداخل إذا انضم كاديما إلى الائتلاف الحاكم، كما سيحظى بدعم من قادة كبار في اللوبي الصهيوني داخل الولايات المتحدة.

عندما يتحدث أوباما عن حل الدولتين ينسى المهللون أنه طرح بوش وشارون، أما وقف الاستيطان فهو نداء زعماء أميركا منذ عقود لقادة الدولة العبرية بلا جدوى، لكن خطاب القاهرة استبطن من جهة أخرى مطلب تغيير المبادرة العربية، حين قال إنها ليست كافية، ما يعني شطب حق العودة والتطبيع المبكر، فكيف حين نعلم أن رئيس السلطة قد وافق عمليا على معظم النقاط الإشكالية في التسوية (شطب حق العودة، بقاء الكتل الاستيطانية الكبيرة تحت بند تبادل الأراضي، السيادة المنقوصة)، والنتيجة أن التسوية ليست مستبعدة إذا وافق نتنياهو على منح السلطة حصة بسيطة في القدس الشرقية تقام عليها عاصمة الدولة، وبترتيبات طرف ثالث للمقدسات الإسلامية كما ذهب أحد وزراء السلطة.

مثل هذا الحل هو تصفية للقضية الفلسطينية، لأن دولته الفلسطينية العتيدة بائسة أيما بؤس، وقد تؤدي إلى رحيل الكثير من السكان نحو الأردن الذي يؤوي أغلبية اللاجئين، فضلا عن ترتيبات لا يمكن استبعادها لإلحاق الضفة الغربية به، لكن انتظاره يفعل ذات الشيء أيضا، فهو يعني كما ذهب أوباما "نبذ العنف" والاستمرار في تنفيذ البند الأول من خريطة الطريق، أي شطب المقاومة بالكامل وتكريس الدولة المؤقتة القائمة، بصرف النظر عن المدى الزمني الذي ستستغرقه المفاوضات.
لا بد من مواجهة صارمة لمثل هذا الحل، الأمر الذي لن ينجح من دون توافق قوى المقاومة، ومن ضمنها قطاعات من فتح على رفض ديمقراطية السلطة، بل حتى وجودها إذا اقتضى الأمر، ورفع شعار المقاومة حتى دحر الاحتلال دون قيد أو شرط عن الضفة الغربية، مع إدارة بالتوافق لقطاع غزة كقاعدة شبه محررة للمقاومة، وتجييش دعم شعبي عربي وإسلامي، مع ما تيسر من دعم رسمي لهذا المسار.
....
القضية الأخرى البالغة الأهمية هي قضية المواجهة مع إيران، وهنا يجدر التنبه إلى أن خطاب أوباما حيالها لم يأت بجديد، فهو يمد يدا ناعمة، لكن المطلوب هو ذاته (شطب الخيار النووي، ووقف دعم قوى المقاومة)، ولذلك ينبغي التصدي لمقولة الخطر الإيراني الذي يتقدم على خطر المشروع الصهيوني الأميركي، ليس لأنه محض تزوير على الأمة، حتى لو صح أن لإيران طموحاتها التي يمكن التصدي لها عربيا بطرق مختلفة، أو عبر تفاهم مع طهران على الملفات الإشكالية بين الطرفين، بل أيضا لأن أي هجمة عسكرية على إيران لن تكون في صالح الأمة، لا سيما إذا مضى البعض في لعبة الحشد المذهبي تحضيرا لتلك الهجمة.
...."

A divided country united by the spirit of democracy

A brave people went in their millions yesterday to vote for the next president of Iran.


By Robert Fisk

"They went for the right reasons and they went for the wrong reasons but they wanted a say in how their country is governed. In their tens of thousands, they waited in Tehran amid the sword-like heat of summer to insist that they had duties and obligations towards their society. Alas, the clerical blanket which smothers Iran will ensure that mullahs – not people – ultimately get their way. Thank you, Ayatollah Khomeini......"

It's not British fascists we should fear

If you think we should be more concerned with the BNP in Britain than events in Israel, just look at the leadership of each nation

Seth Freedman
guardian.co.uk, Friday 12 June 2009

"..... Far from being a sign of why Israel needs to exist as an exclusively Jewish state, the reaction to the BNP's showing in the European elections is in fact quite the opposite. It is precisely because Britain is a multicultural, multi-faceted entity with a proven track record of integration that there is no serious threat of the BNP and its cronies ever making real progress towards the upper echelons of power. In countries where such coexistence is not preached by the rulers, it is not practised by the masses either – whether in the Arab world, in Africa, in Israel or anywhere else where racial division is seen as par for the course.

Instead of worrying about the rise of fascists in a state where even the foreign minister is Jewish, the hasbaraniks should be up in arms that the Jewish state's foreign minister is a fascist. Israeli society has a lot to learn from its British counterparts: the BNP is so far from Downing Street as to render it all but irrelevant. In Israel, on the other hand, the wolves aren't just close to the door, they've already got their feet under the kitchen table."

America's socialism for the rich

The US has a huge corporate safety net, allowing the banks to gamble with impunity, but offers little to struggling individuals

Joseph Stiglitz
guardian.co.uk, Friday 12 June 2009

"......America has expanded its corporate safety net in unprecedented ways, from commercial banks to investment banks, then to insurance and now to cars, with no end in sight. In truth, this is not socialism, but an extension of longstanding corporate welfarism. The rich and powerful turn to the government to help them whenever they can, while needy individuals get little social protection.

We need to break up the too-big-to-fail banks; there is no evidence that these behemoths deliver societal benefits that are commensurate with the costs they have imposed on others. And, if we don't break them up, then we have to severely limit what they do. They can't be allowed to do what they did in the past – gamble at others' expenses.

This raises another problem with America's too-big-to-fail, too-big-to-be-restructured banks: they are too politically powerful. Their lobbying efforts worked well, first to deregulate and then to have taxpayers pay for the cleanup. Their hope is that it will work once again to keep them free to do as they please, regardless of the risks for taxpayers and the economy. We cannot afford to let that happen."

From Cairo with love

The Arabs applauded Bush's vision of a Palestinian state before the end of his term in office. Why expect anything better from Obama.

By Azmi Bishara
Al-Ahram Weekly

COMMENT: I posted the Arabic version of this article last Sunday (June 7).


"......Those Arabs who agreed with everything the last US president said will probably not care one way or another about what the new president says or about any analysis of it. They will agree with the US president regardless. It is not as if the US's Arab allies had any serious qualms about what Bush used to come up with, and they are now relieved at what the new president has to say. Whatever the US president says is good by definition from the point of view of these regimes, which take it as their duty to accept and justify what the US president says, and what the next US president says, even if it turns out that different US presidents are saying exactly opposite things. This is the only strategy they have to their name......

......Why should the Arabs hope for anything new from the new US president with regard to Palestine, having agreed so enthusiastically to Bush's roadmap and having fixed their demands on Israel's fulfilling its obligations under the plan after the Palestinians had carried out theirs? That they should not hope for much was clearly demonstrated during the war on Gaza. The Palestinian Authority (PA) on the West Bank not only repressed the resistance forces, but it also clamped down on peaceful demonstrations of solidarity with the people in Gaza. By so doing, the PA argued, the Palestinians would be in a position to insist that Israel meet its obligations under the roadmap because they were demonstrating their commitment to the destruction of terrorist infrastructure. The Arabs applauded Bush's vision, and today they are applauding Obama's. Bush envisioned a Palestinian state before the end of his term. Why expect anything from Obama, who has made exactly the same pledge?.....

In addition to adopting a tougher tone towards Israel, he has also pledged to pressure Israel into returning to the "peace process". The US and its Arab allies need this ongoing "process" as a kind of muzak, one that is essential to setting the mood for Arab moderation....."

Israeli War Crimes Against Children During Operation Cast Lead

by Stephen Lendman
Global Research, June 12, 2009

"...PCHR (Palestinian Centre for Human Rights) summarized the 23-day toll as follows:

"Alongside the 313 children killed by Israeli forces during (Operation Cast Lead), 1606 children were injured, with some sustaining horrific disabilities, head and spinal injuries, facial disfiguration, burns and amputation."

Most were in their homes at the time. Others in shelters for their safety. Some of the injured couldn't access medical care resulting in their permanent disability, infection, and for some their death. Even at hospitals, doctors were overwhelmed, under-resourced, and forced to deliver care under battlefield conditions.

The toll on parents and children was horrific, and some surviving adults face a lifelong task of caring for their permanently disabled offspring. Those who lost parents require help from relatives. The stench of death, injury, vast destruction, displacement, and Gaza still under siege pervades the Territory. The conflict's psychological impact inflicted collective trauma - unrelieved and hardly noticed by Israel, America, the West, and most Arab states.

Children more than others suffer most and now experience "anger, sleeping difficulties, nightmares, avoidance of situations that are reminders of the trauma, impairment of concentration, and guilt" because they survived while others didn't. Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) approach epidemic levels, but fortunately Gaza's Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) provides some of the best care of its kind in the Middle East. Years of conflict honed their skills....

In an appendix, PCHR listed all 313 children killed by name, gender, age, location, date of attack, and date of death. The youngest was one month old Al-Mu'tasim Bellah Mohammed Ibrahim al-Samouni. Also one month old Hala 'Isam Ahmed al-Mnei'i. Israel expressed no regrets nor did America. "

What If Israel Strikes Iran?

The mullahs would retaliate. But things would be much worse if they had the bomb.

By JOHN R. BOLTON
The Wall Street Journal

"....Consider the most-often mentioned Iranian responses to a possible Israeli strike:
....
5) Iran launches missile attacks on Israel. Because all the foregoing options risk more direct U.S. involvement, Tehran will most likely decide to retaliate against the actual attacker, Israel. Using its missile and perhaps air force capabilities, Iran could do substantial damage in Israel, especially to civilian targets. Of course, one can only imagine what Iran might do once it has nuclear weapons, and this is part of the cost-benefit analysis Israel must make before launching attacks in the first place. Direct Iranian military action against Israel, however, would provoke an even broader Israeli counterstrike, which at some point might well involve Israel's own nuclear capability. Accordingly, Iran's Revolutionary Guards would have to think long and hard before unleashing its own capabilities against Israel.

6) Iran unleashes Hamas and Hezbollah against Israel. By process of elimination, but also because of strategic logic, Iran's most likely option is retaliating through Hamas and Hezbollah. Increased terrorist attacks inside Israel, military incursions by Hezbollah across the Blue Line, and, most significantly, salvoes of missiles from both Lebanon and the Gaza Strip are all possibilities. In plain violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, Iran has not only completely re-equipped Hezbollah since the 2006 war with Israel, but the longer reach of Hezbollah's rockets now endangers Israel's entire civilian population. Moreover, Hamas's rocket capabilities could easily be substantially enhanced to provide greater range and payload to strike throughout Israel, creating a two-front challenge.

Risks to its civilian population will weigh heavily in any Israeli decision to use force, and might well argue for simultaneous, pre-emptive attacks on Hezbollah and Hamas in conjunction with a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Obviously, Israel will have to measure the current risks to its safety and survival against the longer-term threat to its very existence once Iran acquires nuclear weapons.

This brief survey demonstrates why Israel's military option against Iran's nuclear program is so unattractive, but also why failing to act is even worse. All these scenarios become infinitely more dangerous once Iran has deliverable nuclear weapons. So does daily life in Israel, elsewhere in the region and globally.

Many argue that Israeli military action will cause Iranians to rally in support of the mullahs' regime and plunge the region into political chaos. To the contrary, a strike accompanied by effective public diplomacy could well turn Iran's diverse population against an oppressive regime. Most of the Arab world's leaders would welcome Israel solving the Iran nuclear problem, although they certainly won't say so publicly and will rhetorically embrace Iran if Israel strikes. But rhetoric from its Arab neighbors is the only quantum of solace Iran will get.

On the other hand, the Obama administration's increased pressure on Israel concerning the "two-state solution" and West Bank settlements demonstrates Israel's growing distance from Washington. Although there is no profit now in complaining that Israel should have struck during the Bush years, the missed opportunity is palpable. For the remainder of Mr. Obama's term, uncertainty about his administration's support for Israel will continue to dog Israeli governments and complicate their calculations. Iran will see that as well, and play it for all it's worth. This is yet another reason why Israel's risks and dilemmas, difficult as they are, only increase with time."

Al-Jazeera Cartoon

"Reconstruction" of Gaza

What Really Happened in the Lebanese Elections?

Yup, Tom Friedman Gets It Wrong, Again

By ESAM AL-AMIN
CounterPunch

"Since the Lebanese parliamentary elections on June 7, the mainstream media have declared that the results of the elections clearly show that Hizbollah and its coalition partners have suffered a “crushing defeat.” Some, led by the New York Times and cable news outlets, went even further, suggesting that the Cairo address by President Barack Obama was what made the difference, tilting the elections in favor of the pro-Western governing coalition.

This is pure fantasy, and reveals a complete misunderstanding of the nature of Lebanese politics and an ignorance of the realities on the ground.....

The real question now is whether the new government, having a majority in parliament, will press for disarming Hizbollah in order to satisfy their patrons. If such a policy were to be carried out, it would immediately create a crisis and the majority of the Lebanese as shown on election day will be in the streets protesting and demanding that the real will they exhibited on election day be respected. "

The CIA's Drone Wars

Secrecy Over Data on Bombings Hides Abuses

By GARETH PORTER

CounterPunch

"The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s refusal to share with other agencies even the most basic data on the bombing attacks by remote-controlled unmanned predator drones in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal region, combined with recent revelations that CIA operatives have been paying Pakistanis to identify the targets, suggests that managers of the drone attacks programmes have been using the total secrecy surrounding the programme to hide abuses and high civilian casualties.

Intelligence analysts have been unable to obtain either the list of military targets of the drone strikes or the actual results in terms of al Qaeda or civilians killed, according to a Washington source familiar with internal discussion of the drone strike programme. The source insisted on not being identified because of the extreme sensitivity of the issue......"

Real News Video with Pepe Escobar: Iran's green revolution

Pepe Escobar: "Red" Ahmadinejad may have met his match



"All bets are off on the eve of the most crucial presidential election in the 30 years of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Pepe Escobar argues the campaign of reformist - actually moderate conservative - Mir-Hossein Mousavi has evolved into a green revolution; the color of Islam and also the color of hope for a less confrontational, and more competent and pragmatic administration. Mousavi's campaign - roughly the Iranian equivalent of Obama's campaign in the US - has crossed all economic, ethnic and gender barriers, and was heavily supported by Iran's very young, tech-savvy population. He has the youth vote, the women's vote and the intelligentsia vote. But President Ahmadinejad, running for a second term, has the vote that counts the most: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's - not to mention the bulk of the rural, provincial vote. The stage is set for a second round between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi."

Free Gaza launches the Right to Read Campaign

"The Free Gaza Movement (FGM), in partnership with the Al Aqsa University in Gaza, declared it is launching “The Right to Read Campaign” as it intends to sail to Gaza to deliver textbooks and educational supplies to universities in the Gaza Strip.

The FGM said that this campaign is not intended to be a charitable endeavor, but is as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians, and the nonviolent resistance to the Israeli siege on Gaza.

Besides denying the entry of basic humanitarian and medical supplies, the siege is preventing the import of ink, paper and other sorts of learning materials.

“Our first shipment will be sent on FG’s Summer of Hope July voyage to Gaza”, the FGM said......"

Village sues Canada companies cashing in on occupation

Deborah Guterman, The Electronic Intifada, 11 June 2009
(Deborah Guterman is a member of Young Jews for Social Justice, a collective of Montreal Jews who take action on racism, injustice in the Middle East and inequality in their communities.)

"The small Palestinian village of Bilin will face-off this month against two Canadian corporations accused of aiding and abetting the colonization of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Bilin has charged Green Park International and Green Mount International with illegally constructing residential buildings and other settlement infrastructure on village territory, and marketing such structures to the civilian population of the State of Israel. The condominiums in question are located in a settlement neighborhood known as Matityahu East......"

No work in Nahr al-Bared camp

Ray Smith, Electronic Lebanon, 11 June 2009

".....Nahr al-Bared used to be a thriving marketplace between the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli and the Syrian border. In the UNRWA survey, three quarters of the former business owners stated that their work premises were totally destroyed. Additionally, a report prepared by the SME Working Group finds that 1,512 micro, small and medium enterprises in Nahr al-Bared Camp were damaged or destroyed in the aftermath of the conflict. During and after the war -- when the camp was under sole control of the Lebanese army -- machines, tools and stocks of goods were looted. Furthermore, businesses were burnt or otherwise destroyed. By October 2007, Nahr al-Bared's economy was physically eliminated.....

The current economic misery in Nahr al-Bared forced the former owner of several clothing stores to ask about the reasons behind the destruction of the camp. Abu Ali drew a comparison to last autumn's clashes between the Alawis of Jabal Mohsen and the Sunnis of Bab at-Tabbaneh in Tripoli. He exclaimed that "The army positioned soldiers and tanks there, but didn't isolate the area. Therefore, they can also leave Nahr al-Bared open! We demand that the Lebanese authorities immediately lift the siege of the camp!"......"

The Palestinian Cause in 2 Minutes

Last Updated on Friday, 12 June 2009 13:22
Written by The Free Gaza Movement

"In the midst of the struggle, and the dust of battle, many people still don't realize what this is all about... It is not only about land and rights...

The Palestinian Cause in 2 Minutes:

Obama's Speech: Great Oratory, Wrong Message

By Ramzy Baroud
Palestine Chronicle

".....Imposing Peace?

"America will align our policies with those who pursue peace, and say in public what we say in private to Israelis and Palestinians and Arabs. We cannot impose peace," Obama said. True, but neither Palestinian, nor Arab or Muslim grievances and expectations from the United States ever including a call on Obama or any of his predecessors to "impose peace", not in Afghanistan, not in Iraq, and certainly not in Palestine.

What Muslim peoples and nations want from the United States — as articulated in their chants, since they are denied democratic platforms to express such demands — is to bring its colonial drive to an end; to cease its imperial hubris; to quit standing on the wrong side of history by funding and justifying the Zionist colonial program in Palestine; by no longer identifying and backing corrupt rulers and self-serving elites — "our friends and allies" — by abandoning the persisting relationship that sees Muslim lands as strategic and economic assets ready to be plucked, exploited; by not suppressing genuine democracy projects, and foolishly imposing its own; in short, by leaving Muslims alone, so that they may heal their own wounds, resolve their own problems, and shape their own future.

It's that simple."

Life after death in Gaza

For a man who lost 11 close relatives during the Israeli offensive in January, Moeen Deeb is remarkably philosophical. Donald Macintyre meets him and other survivors of Operation Cast Lead

The Independent

".....Yet there is something remarkable about the capacity of some bereaved Gazans to cope with their losses. Maysa Samouni, 20, was one of those who say they were ordered the previous day by Israeli troops to take shelter in the warehouse in which 29 civilians – mainly Samounis – were killed by Israeli shelling early on the morning of 5 January, when three of her husband's male relatives ventured out of the door to bring an uncle to what they thought was safety.

Mrs Samouni, whose husband Tawfiq was killed and whose one-year-old daughter Jumana lost three fingers, gave precise – and often inevitably gruesome – testimony by telephone to the Israeli human rights organisation Btselem the next day: testimony which has held up in every subsequent inquiry by reporters and human rights organisations.

One shell killed the three men, and as Tawfiq, a former bulldozer driver who was trying to make ends meet by running a grocery business from his home, ran to help, another missile hit the roof, killing another 26 people. Even today she swiftly corrects a reporter's reference to 30 being killed in one of the worst events of the war. "It was 29," she says, adding of her testimony, "details are important."......."

Iran's old guard are poised to crush any hope of revolution

By Robert Fisk

"All the world wants to know the results of today's presidential election in Iran, not least the Republican Guard supporters of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But will it make a difference, either to the Iranians or to the rest of the world?

Of course the West wants to be told that this dramatic poll will change Iran's desire for nuclear facilities. Whatever it is, this election is not about nuclear power....

Mirhossein Mousavi may talk more sense to the Americans – if he wins – but the nuclear facilities will keep functioning. It is all a matter of pride in Iran – where pride is a special quality.[COMMENT: Pride is a quality the Arabs no longer have or desire.]...."

The Libyan Clown is Complaining Now; it is Too Late and you were Taken fo the Fool that you are: Kadhafi Complains Libya Not "Rewarded" for New Course

Al-Manar

"12/06/2009 Libyan President Muammar Kadhafi faced protests by students on Thursday during his first visit to former colonial power Italy, where he said the world had not rewarded Libya for giving up its ambitions to have weapons of mass destruction.
"We cannot accept living in the shadow of intercontinental missiles and nuclear weapons, which is why we decided to change route," the Libyan leader told Italian senators. "We had hoped Libya would be an example to other countries," Kadhafi said. "But we have not been rewarded by the world"......"

Déjà Vu All Over Again: Mashaal Hopes Obama Cancels Conditions for Talks with Hamas

Al-Manar

"11/06/2009 One week after US President Barack Obama's address in Cairo, Hamas officially responds in detail, with praises alongside several complaints.

Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal said in an interview published Thursday by the London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper, "Obama addressed Hamas with a new language, which we hope will be translated into views and a policy on the ground. We hope he will cancel the conditions set for holding talks with Hamas."

The Hamas politburo chief also said that Obama's speech included "a new and wise language, but the test is not in the language but in its translation to decisions on the ground."
"Obama said he would turn over a new leaf in the region and launch a dialogue with the Iranians and the Syrians without preconditions. So why is he setting condition for Hamas?"........"

COMMENT: Beg....Beg....Beg....

Let me explain it to you Mr. politburo chief: Iran has clout and is a regional power, so Obama has to deal with it. Also, Iran (under the right conditions) has been beneficial to the Empire, as in Iraq and Afghanistan, so Obama is trying to put the ayatollahs to good use. Syria has some influence (especially in Lebanon) and Obama is trying to divide and conquer, by moving Syria away from Iran.

But Hamas, Mr. politburo chief, regardless of how much "moderation" it shows, and how much begging it does, has no clout, and is safely caged in the Gaza concentration camp while Dayton destroys any presence it has left in the West Bank.

By removing Iran and Syria from the equation, Hamas will be cut off and the plan is to destroy it or at least domesticate it, just as Arafat was domesticated and finally destroyed.

You got that now, Mr. politburo chief?

Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll

This poll asks:

Do you see the Obama administration as being serious about establishing a Palestinian state?

With over 1,500 responding so far, 73% said no.

BOYCOTT SABRA HUMMUS

Sabra produces traditional Arab salads like hummus, baba ghanoush, and fried eggplant. Sabra is 50% owned by the Israeli company the Strauss Group, and 50% owned by Pepsico (the Strauss Group also owns 100% of Max Brenner -see below). The Strauss Group is the second largest Israeli food and beverage company and is widely touted as one of the great successes of Israeli industry. According to a Strauss Group report, “Humus is one of our national foods, and can be found in just about every Israeli home.”
On its website in the section on “Corporate Responsibility,” the Strauss Group emphasizes its support for the Israeli army, noting in a section entitled “In the Field with Soldiers”, “Our connection with soldiers goes as far back as the country, and even further. We see a mission and need to continue to provide our soldiers with support, to enhance their quality of life and service conditions, and sweeten their special moments.

Syrian deal with Saudi Arabia: a conspiracy

Angry Arab

"A source tells me that there is a story that Syria reached a deal with Saudi Arabia that it would arrange for the defeat of the Lebanese opposition in return for Saudi mediation with the US to improve relations. (I have heard from another source that Syria had promised funding for opposition groups but wound up not paying anything under the pretext that Saudi Arabia and Syria agreed to not pay any Lebanese groups--kid you not).
Saudi media reported that Bashshar Al-Asad was one of the first to call Saudi king to congratulate him on the victory of his puppets in Lebanon. "

Israeli Nazi forces destroy Palestinian Bedouins houses from Um El Hir

Al-Jazeera Video: Inside Story - Search for Palestinian peace - 9 June 09

Smile On The Face Of The Tiger

A Very Good Piece

By John Pilger

"At 7.30 in the morning on 3 June, a seven-month-old baby died in the intensive care unit of the European Gaza Hospital in the Gaza Strip. His name was Zein Ad-Din Mohammed Zu'rob, and he was suffering from a lung infection which was treatable.

Denied basic equipment, the doctors in Gaza could do nothing. For weeks, the child's parents had sought a permit from the Israelis to allow them to take him to a hospital in Jerusalem, where he would have been saved......

Instead, Obama spoke in Cairo as if his and previous White House administrations were neutral, almost divine brokers of peace, instead of rapacious backers and suppliers of the invader (along with Britain). This Orwellian illogic remains the standard for what western journalists call the "Israel-Palestine conflict", which is almost never reported in terms of the law, of right and wrong, of justice and injustice - Darfur, yes, Zimbabwe, yes, but never Palestine. Orwell's ghost again stirred when Obama denounced "violent extremists in Afghanistan and now Pakistan [who are] determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can". America's invasion and slaughter in these countries went unmentioned. It, too, is divine....

In his "reaching out" in Cairo, as in his "anti-nuclear" speech in Berlin, as in the "hope" he spun at his inauguration, this clever young politician is playing the part for which he was drafted and promoted. This is to present a benign, seductive, even celebrity face to American power, which can then proceed towards its strategic goal of dominance, regardless of the wishes of the rest of humanity and the rights and lives of our children."

Poetic justice of a green revolution

By Pepe Escobar
Asia Times

".....The plot thickens. Ahmadinejad may have lost the support of the Iranian Republican Guards Corps - according to insistent rumors in Tehran. Should that be the case, even if he won he would be absolutely toothless. And a secret state poll suggesting Mousavi will win the first round by a landslide may - or may not - be true. Many in Tehran do not forget the regime's back-door deals that led to Ahmadinejad's victory in 2005.

Ahmadinejad has been soundly blasted by his utter incompetence in economic matters, his appalling foreign policy and the lack of civil liberties in Iran. But he was never more dangerous then when he was lying about inflation and unemployment in the Iranian TV debates, always with a straight face - a face the poor and disenfranchised in Iran identify as "one of us".

But millions of young, urban, educated - and unemployed - Iranians would rather dream of "poetic justice". The promise would be fulfilled if Ahmadinejad in the end were defeated by an electronic intifada. Fight the power - with green power."

Gaza's hospitals short of surgeons and supplies

(Click on cartoon by Carlos Latuff to enlarge)

Eva Bartlett, The Electronic Intifada, 11 June 2009

"One of the most densely populated places on earth only has two cardiac surgeons to serve its entire population. According to Dr. Nasser Tatter, head of Shifa hospital's cardiology unit, that only explains part of the medical crisis that exists in the Gaza Strip today.....

Christopher Burns-Cox, who has previously visited Gaza five times in order to provide medical training, reported that he'd planned to both consult with medical students at Gaza's al-Azhar University and with patients at the Strip's al-Wafa rehabilitation hospital.

He added that his colleague, Dr. Mangoush, was "keen to restart what is life-saving and not necessarily very expensive surgery." However, since both of his colleagues were using their leave time to travel to Gaza and due to the wait at Rafah crossing, it is unlikely that either will be able to return any time soon. Although not accompanying the Hammersmith team, Dr. Sonia Robbins, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon from the UK, also found herself locked out of Gaza, although she is a regular visiting doctor in Gaza.

Just a few days after the PIMA trio left, the siege claimed Gaza's 337th victim, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Muhammad Rami Ibrahim Nofal, a one-year-old infant from Khan Younis, died on 25 May precisely because of the inability to operate on his heart."

[Video Free Gaza] We will not go down, 10th June 09

A Very Nice Short Video

The Free Gaza Movement



"Dear Supporters, friends and interested observers:

Our update this week took a bit longer to finish, because we wanted it to be a piece that would stay with you. Thanks to Michael Heart, who gave us permission to use his stunning song, and thanks to Paola, who spent many sleepless hours editing and re-editing, we think we have a video that you will not forget... a video that is a testament to the grace and bravery of the Palestinians.

Thank you. The Free Gaza Movement"

Obama Speech Leaves a Heavy Hangover

By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa Al-Omrani

"CAIRO, Jun 11 (IPS) - The historic speech U.S. President Barack Obama delivered in Cairo Jun. 4 continues to stir people around the Middle East. Questions are raised what it will mean on the ground in the region.....

But some Arab commentators saw in the speech less cause for optimism. Opposition journalist Abdel-Halim Kandil said the U.S. President's talk of peace in the Middle East amounted to "the same old fare wrapped up in a new package."

"He merely repeated the same mantras mouthed by (former U.S. President Bill) Clinton, (former Israeli prime minister Ehud) Barak and (late Palestinian leader Yasser) Arafat in 2002; mantras like 'peace process,' 'Road Map' etc," Kandil told IPS. "When in reality, Washington - like Israel - doesn't want peace, but rather wants to maintain Israeli supremacy on the ground."....

"Obama might look different from his predecessor (George W.) Bush, but in reality his policies appear to be no different," Kandil added. "Despite all the talk of peace, the region has never been closer to war." "

Lebanon’s Election: An International Affair

By Khody Akhavi

"WASHINGTON, Jun 11 (IPS) - It was touted as an historic election, a vote to determine the future direction of Lebanon. But even with the winners declared, analysts say the Jun. 7 ballot was far from decisive, and did little to alter the fundamental balance of power in the country....."

Syrian Foreign Minister Eager to Work with Obama

By Helena Cobban

"WASHINGTON, Jun 10 (IPS) - Former U.S. senator George Mitchell is due to arrive in Syria’s capital, Damascus, Friday on his first visit there since being named Pres. Barack Obama’s special envoy for Arab-Israeli peace.

In an exclusive interview with IPS in Damascus on Jun. 4, Syria’s foreign minister, Walid Moualem, made clear that Mitchell will receive a warm welcome......"

Déjà Vu All Over Again: Mishaal discusses Obama's new language with Carter

"DAMASCUS, (PIC)-- Hamas political bureau chairman Khaled Mishaal is to discuss with former US president Jimmy Carter on Thursday in Damascus the latest speech of US president Barack Obama in Cairo.

A reliable Palestinian source told PIC that the meeting would tackle numerous other questions including the new "language" used by Obama in addressing the Islamic world.

The source, noting that the meeting is the third of its kind, said that this meeting follows Carter's promise that he would convey Hamas's views and stands towards various issues to the Obama administration.

He noted that the Mishaal-Carter meeting also precedes Carter's expected visit to the Gaza Strip."

لبنان: موسم الشماتة بالمهزومين

لبنان: موسم الشماتة بالمهزومين

عبد الباري عطوان

"من يتابع اجهزة اعلام دول محور الاعتدال وحالة الشماتة التي سادتها بعد اعلان نتائج الانتخابات النيابية اللبنانية، فجر يوم الاثنين الماضي، يخرج بانطباع مفاده ان العرب حققوا نصرا تاريخيا على عدو رهيب احتل ارضهم واهان كرامتهم الوطنية.
حالة سعار عربية غير مسبوقة، وهجوم دون وعي، والسبب هو الكراهية الممزوجة بالحقد على 'حزب الله' زعيم تكتل الثامن من آذار،
....
فعندما تقف امريكا واسرائيل جنبا الى جنب مع دول محور الاعتدال، المملكة العربية السعودية ومصر على وجه التحديد، في مواجهة تكتل الثامن من آذار، وتجيّش الانصار وتستوردهم بالطائرات، وترصد مئات الملايين من الدولارات من اجل هذا الهدف، فإن هذا اكبر تجسيد لحالة الاستقطاب المرعبة التي تعيشها المنطقة، وانعكست بشكل جلي في الانتخابات اللبنانية الاخيرة.
.....
نذّكر هنا بأن التكتل الذي هُزم في هذه الانتخابات هو الذي الحق الهزيمة الاكبر والافدح بالدولة العبرية، وكسر انف جيشها الذي لا يقهر، وارسل اربعة آلاف صاروخ الى العمق الاسرائيلي، فهل هذه الهزيمة لهذا التكتل الوطني تستحق مهرجانات الفرح هذه، التي نراها في اكثر من عاصمة عربية، وبالذات في الرياض والقاهرة على وجه الخصوص؟
ردود فعل بعض الدول العربية وصحافتها وكتابها ذات النزعة الثأرية، جاءت اكبر اثبات على مدى تدخل هذه الدول بشكل مباشر في الشأن الداخلي اللبناني، وهي التي بنت مواقفها تجاه لبنان على اساس منع التدخلات الخارجية، السورية والعربية منها على وجه الخصوص
.....
كلمة أخيرة نقولها بأن المنطقة مقبلة على استحقاقات قد تقلب المعادلات السياسية رأساً على عقب، وكلها تدور حول قطبي الصراع الحالي، اي ايران وامريكا، ونتمنى على الشامتين بهزيمة تحالف 'حزب الله' ان يتريثوا لبرهة، ويفكروا ويتبصروا بماذا سيحدث لو تفاهم القطبان، اي امريكا وايران بشأن المفاعل النووي الايراني او لم يتفاهما وتذهب المنطقة الى الحرب؟
"

Erekat: Palestinians in Position of Strength for First Time

Al-Manar

"Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Wednesday the Palestinians are in a position of strength vis-a-vis Israel for the first time in their history. Speaking to the BBC, Erekat said American pressure on Israel would probably succeed and move the “peace process” forward. The Palestinian Authority has been pleased in recent weeks with the tough U.S. stance on Israeli settlement construction....."

The Arabs Have Plenty of Clowns.....
Who Are Mistaken for Leaders.

Obama's Doublespeak on Iran

New Rhetoric, Same Translation

A Very Good Piece

By ISMAEL HOSSEIN-ZADEH
CounterPunch

"On the US-Iran relationship, President Obama seems to be talking from both sides of his mouth. From one side we hear promising messages of dialogue and a “new beginning” with Iran; from the other side provocative words that seems to be coming right out of the mouth of his predecessor, George W. Bush....

It follows that efforts to end war and geopolitical turbulence in the Middle East require removing or reducing the destructive influences of these two extremely powerful interest groups in the shaping of the policies of the Middle East.....

First, as the late General Smedley D. Butler pointed out long ago, it requires “taking profits out of war and arms production” [13]. This means greatly downsizing the military-industrial complex, closing down the nearly 800 US military bases overseas, and nationalizing the war/defense industry.....

Second, ending war and political turbulence in the Middle East also requires ending the suffering of the Palestinian people and the occupation of their land.....

While this may appear remote and unlikely, it is bound to happen. It is simply a matter of time. I only hope that more Jewish people will wake up to the ominous trajectory of expansionist Zionism, and play a salutary role in the unfolding of this inevitable outcome. The sooner they realize and/or acknowledge (as many far-sighted and peace-loving Jews already have) that militant Zionism is a con game, headed toward a dead end, the better.

No doubt, the leaders of militant Zionism are, by and large, intelligent and politically-savvy people. But they are also short-sighted, as they seem oblivious to the fact that their project of Greater Israel remains, ultimately, hostage to the political utility and profitability imperatives of imperialist powers. They fail to realize or acknowledge that forceful conquest and occupation of the Palestinian land cannot be continued or maintained for ever; and that, as the late Albert Einstein put it, "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.""

Fear Rules

Who Spent All That Money For What?

By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
CounterPunch

"The power of irrational fear in the US is extraordinary. It ranks up there with the Israel Lobby, the military/security complex, and the financial gangsters. Indeed, fear might be the most powerful force in America.

Americans are at ease with their country’s aggression against Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan, which has resulted in a million dead Muslim civilians and several million refugees, because the US government has filled Americans with fear of terrorists. “We have to kill them over there before they come over here.”

Fearful of American citizens, the US government is building concentration camps, apparently all over the country. According to news reports, a $385 million US government contract was given by the Bush/Cheney Regime to Cheney’s company, Halliburton, to build “detention centers” in the US. The corporate media never explained for whom the detention centers are intended.

Most Americans dismiss such reports. “It can’t happen here.” However, In northeastern Florida not far from Tallahassee, I have seen what might be one of these camps. There is a building inside a huge open area fenced with razor wire. There is no one there and no signs. The facility appears new and unused and does not look like an abandoned prisoner work camp.

What is it for?......"

Obama's Speech to The Islamic World

Obama’s Song & Dance in Cairo

by Dr. Elias Akleh
Global Research, June 9, 2009

".....Obama ended his speech with patronizing quotes from the three religions and calling to work together for peace.

Obama sang and danced very well. Now comes time for deeds. "

Iran's elections a soft-power boon

By Kaveh L Afrasiabi
Asia Times

"No matter who wins the presidential election on Friday, the open and dynamic election process ensures that the man in power will have a clear mandate to deal with the rest of the world, particularly over Tehran's contentious nuclear program. This reduces the maneuverability of the anti-Iran coalition the United States has been trying to put together in the Middle East....."

N Y Times Subscription, by Mr.Fish

Universal jurisdiction once again under threat

Sharon Weill and Valentina Azarov, The Electronic Intifada, 10 June 2009



Pressure is being exerted on the Spanish government to amend its legislation regarding universal jurisdiction.

"Currently, the fate of one of the only remaining venues that offers a redress mechanism for Palestinians is at stake. It is one that can bring accountability of Israeli officials and decision-makers who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. The amendment of universal jurisdiction laws, often incommensurably restricting access to these mechanisms, is at variance with the effect of certain crimes on humanity as a whole, on which the notion of universal jurisdiction is premised. The pressure exerted on the Spanish government to amend its law is an example of the regrettable phenomenon of the weakening of international law at the price of the individual......."

Women battle for citizenship rights

Matthew Cassel and Moeali Nayel, Electronic Lebanon, 9 June 2009

"BEIRUT (IPS) - One can be born in Lebanon and live here all one's life, and still not be a Lebanese citizen. Lebanon is one of few remaining countries in the Middle East where a mother is unable to pass citizenship to her children.

Campaigners have succeeded in securing that right in countries such as Egypt, which amended the law in 2004 to allow women to pass citizenship to their children, and in Algeria, which granted women full citizenship rights in 2005. In Lebanon the struggle continues....."

Protest at Erez, video report

Written by ISM Gaza



"Upwards of 300 Palestinians, with a number of international supporters, rallied at the road to the Erez crossing in northern Gaza on Wednesday morning, calling for the crossing to be opened and an end to the 3 year long siege, in place since shortly after Hamas was elected in early 2006 and escalated dramatically following June 2007, when Hamas gained control of the Gaza Strip.

Women were a strong presence in the demonstration, as were elderly, and children. A number of ill and disabled Palestinians highlighted the importance of the crossings being opened. Nearly 340 Palestinians have died as a result of denied medical care, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health....."

Guardian Video: Gaza: The destitute and the forgotten

"Nearly six months since the devastating war in Gaza, Palestinians are still living amid the rubble. Despite stirring talk of reconstruction efforts, little has changed. Inigo Gilmore visits the devastated neighbourhoods to see how families are coping.

The al-Attar family, in this video, were first visited by the Guardian's Clancy Chassay three months ago. See the earlier video (February 10) here"

Déjà Vu All Over Again: Mashaal in Cairo: Hamas Will Be Positive Force in Region

Mashaal in Cairo: Hamas Will Be Positive Force in Region

Al-Manar

"10/06/2009 Hamas politburo Chief Khlaed Mashaal said Tuesday night that "Hamas will be a positive force in helping to find a fair solution to the Palestinian people and enabling them to fulfill their rights. Hamas will not be an obstacle. Everyone knows that Israel is the obstacle."

Mashaal and other Hamas leaders have expressed optimism about the apparent change in US policy toward the Israeli-Arab conflict [Dream on! Wishful Arab thoughts never die. It has been like this for over 70 years! First, the hope and the begging was in London (before 1948); now the salvation comes from Washington! The Palestinians are immune to learning, and that is why they are losing it all.] under the administration of President Barack Obama. "President Obama speaks a new language, but we expect real pressure on Israel," he said......"

Lebanon's Election Results and the Age of Resistance

By Franklin Lamb - Hezbollah Election HQ, Dahiyeh

Palestine Chronicle

"....No Major Change

As one who has been able to observe some events in this country firsthand, sometimes being granted unique opportunities, this observer has tried to see events with the eye of a conscientious witness and reporter, interested in passing along, the truth as best it can be divined. Yet it is a struggle as one observes events first hand and whose sympathies and concerns and respect for the people of Lebanon and their unwelcomed Palestinian guests are not neutral.

The June 7, 2009 election did little to change the political landscape here. It was never a question of an Islamic Republic if the Opposition had decisively prevailed or that Hezbollah’s weapons would be decommissioned before Lebanon was able to defend itself. Nor was it in question that a slim majority by either side would not require a renewed commitment to the Taef accord calls and the full implementation of all the clauses and the need for Parliament to enact a modern electoral law based on proportional representation which a majority in Lebanon desire.

With regard to the noisy issue of arms of the resistance, there remains insufficient political will in Lebanon to force the issue in Parliament although Israel has wasted no time insisting on it.

The new Parliament has important business to conduct from granting women rights including the right to confer nationality on their children, to aid the Palestinian refugees with civil rights until the return to their Country and many other pressing social issues.

The National Lebanese Resistance sprung from its people in every village, seeking to defend a Zionist terrorized Lebanon, staking their lives on their basic belief in God and the independence and sovereignty for their country and the Liberation of Palestine.

Nothing changed this yesterday.

As this era of Resistance to Zionism spreads around the World and intensifies here and abroad, every hour that Lebanon resists brings the region closer to justice and real peace.

Nothing changed this yesterday. "

Iraq Pact Referendum Delayed Until 2010

Delay Renders Vote Virtually Meaningless

"The only way the Iraqi government was able to ratify the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States in November was with the promise that the deal would be put before the Iraqi populace as a referendum to be held on July 30 of this year.

With less than two months before the promised vote and with no preparations made, it was hardly surprising today when the government announced that it would push back the referendum and hold it concurrently with the already-delayed parliamentary elections on January 30, 2010. The delay was ostensibly to “save time and money.”

Yet in reality the delay has taken what was already a largely symbolic referendum and made it virtually meaningless........"

Anti-Americanism in Israel

Israeli minister wants sanctions on US

by Justin Raimondo, June 10, 2009

"Obama gets tough with the Israelis – or, rather, talks about getting tough – and hilarity ensues:

"In a sign of growing concern in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government over U.S. President Barack Obama’s Middle East policies, Minister-without-Portfolio Yossi Peled proposed Israeli sanctions on the U.S. in a letter to cabinet ministers on Sunday.

In the 11-page letter, obtained by the Jerusalem Post from a minister on Monday, Peled recommends steps Israel can take to compensate for the shift in American policy, which he believes has become hostile to Israel."

According to Peled, the Obama administration will eventually come to realize the error of its ways, but for now the U.S. president seems intent on exerting "intensive pressure to stop building in settlements, remove outposts, and advance the formation of a Palestinian state" – all steps previously agreed to by Israeli leaders, by the way, and now thrown in the trash bin by the far-Right nutballs who have captured the Israeli government.

"But in the interim," the Post reports, "the minister suggests reconsidering military and civilian purchases from the U.S., selling sensitive equipment that the Washington opposes distributing internationally, and allowing other countries that compete with the U.S. to get involved with the peace process and be given a foothold for their military forces and intelligence agencies."

The irony of someone "reconsidering military and civilian purchases" which are being made, or will be made, with our money is a real hoot – but the laughs are just starting!......"