Reach for your shoes…
By Justin Raimondo
"The shoe-throwing Iraqi journalist, who is, by now, probably half beaten to death for the "crime" of paying back – in very small measure – George W. Bush for his crimes against the Iraqi people, is a folk hero to millions. And his admirers aren't all Iraqis or other Arabs, not by a long shot.
The shoe-wielding Iraqi television reporter, one Muntadar al-Zeidi, managed to sum up, in a single gesture, how much of the world feels about the 43rd president of the United States – including Americans.
Remember waaaay back when we were supposedly going to be greeted with showers of rose petals and high fives by the "liberated" peoples of Iraq? Mr. al-Zeidi seems to have definitively put that one to rest for all time......
The next time some pompous politician, earnest policy wonk, or just your average, everyday agent of a foreign power suggests invading and occupying a nation purportedly just waiting to be "liberated," we should all reach for our shoes and – like Mr. al-Zeidi – take careful aim…...
"This is a farewell kiss," al-Zeidi cried out, as he hurled his footwear at the presidential noggin, "you dog!" What struck a nerve, throughout the world, not just the Middle East, was the sight of an ordinary person who somehow got to express his opinion of the most powerful human being on the planet in a way that not only garnered attention, but also underscored the sense of powerlessness and frustration felt by Americans and Iraqis when it comes to this seemingly endless occupation.
The American people voted – twice! – to end it, to bring this disgraceful chapter in our history to a rapid close, yet we're still there......."
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
'يديعوت' بيريس وليفني التقيا ملك البحرين سرا في نيويورك
يديعوت' بيريس وليفني التقيا ملك البحرين سرا في نيويورك
كشفت صحيفة 'يديعوت أحرونوت'، أمس الثلاثاء، النقاب عن أن الرئيس الاسرائيلي شمعون بيريس ووزيرة الخارجية تسيبي ليفني التقيا قبل نحو شهر، بشكل سري في نيويورك، ملك البحرين الشيخ حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة.
وأشار المراسل السياسي للصحيفة ايتمار آيخنر، استناداً إلى مصادر مطلعة وموثوقة في تل أبيب، إلى أن هذا اللقاء هو الأرفع مستوى الذي يتم بين شخصيات إسرائيلية وبحرينية، مضيفاً أنه في الفترة ذاتها التقت ليفني في نيويورك نظيرها العماني.
وأفادت الصحيفة الإسرائيلية أيضاً ان هذه اللقاءات تندرج ضمن ما سمته النشاط الدبلوماسي الهادئ الذي تقوم به الدولة العبرية في عدد من دول الخليج التي لا تقيم علاقات دبلوماسية مع إسرائيل.
وزادت قائلة إن الاتصالات مع البحرين جارية منذ سنوات لكنها لم تثمر حتى اليوم عن قرار بفتح ممثلية دبلوماسية إسرائيلية في العاصمة البحرانية، المنامة.
ولم يصدر عن المنامة حتى مساء امس اي نفي لخبر اللقاء الاسرائيلي البحريني.
واستذكرت الصحيفة أن المدير العام السابق لوزارة الخارجية الإسرائيلية رون بروسؤور قام بزيارة سرية إلى البحرين قبل عامين لإجراء حوار سياسي حساس مع البحرينيين، على حد تعبير المصادر ذاتها.
وكان ولي عهد البحرين التقى بيريس في الامم المتحدة، كما سبق للمسؤول الاسرائيلي يوسي بيلين ان زار المنامة على رأس وفد اسرائيلي.
وكان وزير الخارجية البحريني الشيخ خالد بن أحمد آل خليفة دعا إلى إقامة منظمة إقليمية تضم الدول العربية وإسرائيل وإيران وتركيا، مشددا على أن هذه المنظمة يجب أن تضم الجميع، وأن تتجاوز الأعراق والأديان، فالشرق الأوسط مهد الأديان السماوية كلها تقريبا على حد تعبيره.
....."
كشفت صحيفة 'يديعوت أحرونوت'، أمس الثلاثاء، النقاب عن أن الرئيس الاسرائيلي شمعون بيريس ووزيرة الخارجية تسيبي ليفني التقيا قبل نحو شهر، بشكل سري في نيويورك، ملك البحرين الشيخ حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة.
وأشار المراسل السياسي للصحيفة ايتمار آيخنر، استناداً إلى مصادر مطلعة وموثوقة في تل أبيب، إلى أن هذا اللقاء هو الأرفع مستوى الذي يتم بين شخصيات إسرائيلية وبحرينية، مضيفاً أنه في الفترة ذاتها التقت ليفني في نيويورك نظيرها العماني.
وأفادت الصحيفة الإسرائيلية أيضاً ان هذه اللقاءات تندرج ضمن ما سمته النشاط الدبلوماسي الهادئ الذي تقوم به الدولة العبرية في عدد من دول الخليج التي لا تقيم علاقات دبلوماسية مع إسرائيل.
وزادت قائلة إن الاتصالات مع البحرين جارية منذ سنوات لكنها لم تثمر حتى اليوم عن قرار بفتح ممثلية دبلوماسية إسرائيلية في العاصمة البحرانية، المنامة.
ولم يصدر عن المنامة حتى مساء امس اي نفي لخبر اللقاء الاسرائيلي البحريني.
واستذكرت الصحيفة أن المدير العام السابق لوزارة الخارجية الإسرائيلية رون بروسؤور قام بزيارة سرية إلى البحرين قبل عامين لإجراء حوار سياسي حساس مع البحرينيين، على حد تعبير المصادر ذاتها.
وكان ولي عهد البحرين التقى بيريس في الامم المتحدة، كما سبق للمسؤول الاسرائيلي يوسي بيلين ان زار المنامة على رأس وفد اسرائيلي.
وكان وزير الخارجية البحريني الشيخ خالد بن أحمد آل خليفة دعا إلى إقامة منظمة إقليمية تضم الدول العربية وإسرائيل وإيران وتركيا، مشددا على أن هذه المنظمة يجب أن تضم الجميع، وأن تتجاوز الأعراق والأديان، فالشرق الأوسط مهد الأديان السماوية كلها تقريبا على حد تعبيره.
....."
Al-Jazeera Video: Iraqis rally in support of Bush's attacker - 16 Dec 2008
"Muntazir al-Zaydi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at the US president, has been taken into custody.
Al Jazeera's Clayton Swisher has more on George Bush's attacker, who is being hailed a hero by many."
The shoes we longed for
The young journalist who took on Bush has become a unifying Iraqi symbol, a national hero
A Great Comment
Sami Ramadani
The Guardian, Wednesday 17 December 2008
"......While the uprisings of Falluja, Najaf, Basra and Baghdad against the occupation will always remain as landmarks of a people resisting occupation, these incredible seconds have united Iraqis in the most dramatic fashion.
Contrary to most media coverage, the 28-year-old TV reporter Muntadhar al-Zaidi made history not by merely throwing a pair of shoes, the highest expression of insult in Iraqi culture, at the US president, but by what he said while doing so and as he was smothered by US and Iraqi security men. He groaned as they dragged him out of the press conference. They succeeded in silencing him - and according to his brother he was beaten in custody - but he had already said enough to shake the occupation and Nouri al-Maliki's Green Zone regime to their foundations.
Strip the words away, and his and the Iraqi people's cry of deep pain, anger and defiance would amount to no more than a shoe-throwing insult. But the words were heard. "This is the farewell kiss, you dog," he shouted as he threw the first shoe. The crucial line followed the second shoe: "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq." Once those words were heard, the impact of a pair of shoes became electrifying. A young journalist has put aside the demands of his profession, preferring to act as the loudest cry of his long-suffering people. If one considers the torture and killings in Iraqi and US jails that Muntadhar often mentioned in his reports for al-Baghdadia satellite TV station, he was certainly aware he risked being badly hurt.
As the Iraqi and Arab satellite stations switched from the live press conference to reporting reaction to the event, the stunned presenters and reporters were swept away by popular expressions of joy in the streets, from Baghdad to Gaza to Casablanca. TV stations and media websites were inundated with messages of adulation. The instant reply to any criticism of "insulting a guest" was: "Bush is a mass murderer and a war criminal who sneaked into Baghdad. He killed a million Iraqis. He burned the country down."
Expressions of support and demands for Muntadhar's immediate release have spread from Najaf and Falluja to Baghdad, and from Mosul in the north to Basra in the south. An impressive show of anti-occupation unity is developing fast, after being weakened by the sectarian forces that the occupation itself has strengthened and nourished, as Muntadhar himself used to stress.
No one asked after Muntadhar's religion or sect, but they all loved his message. Indeed, I have yet to come across an Iraqi media outlet or website that pronounced on his religion, sect or ethnicity. The first I heard of his "sect" was through US and British media.
The reality is that Muntadhar is a secular socialist whose hero happens to be Che Guevara. He became a prominent leftwing student leader immediately after the occupation, while at Baghdad University's media college. He reported for al-Baghdadia on the poor and downtrodden victims of the US war. He was first on the scene in Sadr City and wherever people suffered violence or severe deprivation. He not only followed US Apache helicopters' trails of death and destruction, but he was also among the first to report every "sectarian" atrocity and the bombing of popular market places. He let the victims talk first.
It was effective journalism, reporting that the victims of violence themselves accused the US-led occupation of being behind all the carnage. He was a voice that could not be silenced, despite being kidnapped by a gang and arrested by US and regime forces.
His passion for the war's victims and his staunchly anti-occupation message endeared him to al-Baghdadia viewers. And after sending Bush out of Iraq in ignominy he has become a formidable national hero. The orphan who was brought up by his aunt, and whose name means the longed or awaited for, has become a powerful unifying symbol of defiance, and is being adopted by countless Iraqis as "our dearest son"."
A Great Comment
Sami Ramadani
The Guardian, Wednesday 17 December 2008
"......While the uprisings of Falluja, Najaf, Basra and Baghdad against the occupation will always remain as landmarks of a people resisting occupation, these incredible seconds have united Iraqis in the most dramatic fashion.
Contrary to most media coverage, the 28-year-old TV reporter Muntadhar al-Zaidi made history not by merely throwing a pair of shoes, the highest expression of insult in Iraqi culture, at the US president, but by what he said while doing so and as he was smothered by US and Iraqi security men. He groaned as they dragged him out of the press conference. They succeeded in silencing him - and according to his brother he was beaten in custody - but he had already said enough to shake the occupation and Nouri al-Maliki's Green Zone regime to their foundations.
Strip the words away, and his and the Iraqi people's cry of deep pain, anger and defiance would amount to no more than a shoe-throwing insult. But the words were heard. "This is the farewell kiss, you dog," he shouted as he threw the first shoe. The crucial line followed the second shoe: "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq." Once those words were heard, the impact of a pair of shoes became electrifying. A young journalist has put aside the demands of his profession, preferring to act as the loudest cry of his long-suffering people. If one considers the torture and killings in Iraqi and US jails that Muntadhar often mentioned in his reports for al-Baghdadia satellite TV station, he was certainly aware he risked being badly hurt.
As the Iraqi and Arab satellite stations switched from the live press conference to reporting reaction to the event, the stunned presenters and reporters were swept away by popular expressions of joy in the streets, from Baghdad to Gaza to Casablanca. TV stations and media websites were inundated with messages of adulation. The instant reply to any criticism of "insulting a guest" was: "Bush is a mass murderer and a war criminal who sneaked into Baghdad. He killed a million Iraqis. He burned the country down."
Expressions of support and demands for Muntadhar's immediate release have spread from Najaf and Falluja to Baghdad, and from Mosul in the north to Basra in the south. An impressive show of anti-occupation unity is developing fast, after being weakened by the sectarian forces that the occupation itself has strengthened and nourished, as Muntadhar himself used to stress.
No one asked after Muntadhar's religion or sect, but they all loved his message. Indeed, I have yet to come across an Iraqi media outlet or website that pronounced on his religion, sect or ethnicity. The first I heard of his "sect" was through US and British media.
The reality is that Muntadhar is a secular socialist whose hero happens to be Che Guevara. He became a prominent leftwing student leader immediately after the occupation, while at Baghdad University's media college. He reported for al-Baghdadia on the poor and downtrodden victims of the US war. He was first on the scene in Sadr City and wherever people suffered violence or severe deprivation. He not only followed US Apache helicopters' trails of death and destruction, but he was also among the first to report every "sectarian" atrocity and the bombing of popular market places. He let the victims talk first.
It was effective journalism, reporting that the victims of violence themselves accused the US-led occupation of being behind all the carnage. He was a voice that could not be silenced, despite being kidnapped by a gang and arrested by US and regime forces.
His passion for the war's victims and his staunchly anti-occupation message endeared him to al-Baghdadia viewers. And after sending Bush out of Iraq in ignominy he has become a formidable national hero. The orphan who was brought up by his aunt, and whose name means the longed or awaited for, has become a powerful unifying symbol of defiance, and is being adopted by countless Iraqis as "our dearest son"."
Dick Cheney's fantasy world
Despite the facts, the vice-president still insists that Saddam Hussein could have produced weapons of mass destruction
Scott Ritter
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 16 December 2008
".....At a time when the US and the world struggle with a resurgent Iran, the Iranian-dominated Dawa party of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki governs Iraq today in name only. The stability enjoyed by Iraq today has been bought with the presence of 150,000 US troops who have overseen the ethnic cleansing of entire neighbourhoods in cities around Iraq, and who have struck temporary alliances with Shia and Sunni alike which cannot be sustained once these forces leave (as they are scheduled to do by 2011).
Invading Iraq and removing Saddam, the glue that held that nation together as a secular entity, was the worst action the US could have undertaken for the people of Iraq, the Middle East as a whole and indeed the entire world. For Cheney to articulate otherwise, regardless of his fundamentally flawed argument on WMD, only demonstrates the level to which fantasy has intruded into the mind of the vice-president."
Scott Ritter
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 16 December 2008
".....At a time when the US and the world struggle with a resurgent Iran, the Iranian-dominated Dawa party of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki governs Iraq today in name only. The stability enjoyed by Iraq today has been bought with the presence of 150,000 US troops who have overseen the ethnic cleansing of entire neighbourhoods in cities around Iraq, and who have struck temporary alliances with Shia and Sunni alike which cannot be sustained once these forces leave (as they are scheduled to do by 2011).
Invading Iraq and removing Saddam, the glue that held that nation together as a secular entity, was the worst action the US could have undertaken for the people of Iraq, the Middle East as a whole and indeed the entire world. For Cheney to articulate otherwise, regardless of his fundamentally flawed argument on WMD, only demonstrates the level to which fantasy has intruded into the mind of the vice-president."
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Israel's Supreme Court limits how far barrier can jut into West Bank, taking Palestinian land
Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank cannot run in wide loops around Israeli settlements to allow for their expansion, the country's Supreme Court ruled Monday in an order hailed by a lawyer for Palestinian villagers as a precedent-setting victory.
Monday's ruling came in the case of Bilin, a West Bank village that has become a symbol for Palestinian opposition to the barrier with weekly protests and clashes between villagers and Israeli troops. Bilin has lost half its land, or 500 acres, to the barrier and to the Modiin Illit settlement, home to 40,000 people and expanding rapidly.
Monday's ruling came in the case of Bilin, a West Bank village that has become a symbol for Palestinian opposition to the barrier with weekly protests and clashes between villagers and Israeli troops. Bilin has lost half its land, or 500 acres, to the barrier and to the Modiin Illit settlement, home to 40,000 people and expanding rapidly.
تحية إلى ضمير الشعب (منتظر)
Free Iraq Blog
"حييت يا كل الرجال... ـ
حييت يا خير البشر... ـ
يا سيدي يابن العراق... ـ
يا أيها البطل العظيم... يا منتظر... ـ
أنت الكرامة والرجولة والإباء... بل أنت القدر... ـ
فبك العراق قد ازدهى وبك العراق قد انتصر... ـ
أهنأ بها.. فلك الحياة.. لك الخلود.. لك الظفر... ـ
حييت يا أمل العراق.. يا كاتب التاريخ في أبهى سفر... ـ
يا راسماً في لوحة أغلى صور... ـ
أهنأ بها.. فالشعب أنت ضميره يا سيدي يا منتظر... ـ
أهنأ بها.. الشعب يزحف خلفكم والشعب يهتف خلفكم... ـ
فليذهب الآتون من خلف البحار إلى سقر... ـ
وليخسأ الجبناء رواد الخيانة والعمالة والغدر... أولاء أسلاف الغدر... ـ
فأهنأ بها... أنت الجبين المشرق الوضاء في قلب السحر... ـ
أهنأ بها يا سيدي يا منتظر. ـ
د. طالب البغدادي 14/12/2008"
حييت يا خير البشر... ـ
يا سيدي يابن العراق... ـ
يا أيها البطل العظيم... يا منتظر... ـ
أنت الكرامة والرجولة والإباء... بل أنت القدر... ـ
فبك العراق قد ازدهى وبك العراق قد انتصر... ـ
أهنأ بها.. فلك الحياة.. لك الخلود.. لك الظفر... ـ
حييت يا أمل العراق.. يا كاتب التاريخ في أبهى سفر... ـ
يا راسماً في لوحة أغلى صور... ـ
أهنأ بها.. فالشعب أنت ضميره يا سيدي يا منتظر... ـ
أهنأ بها.. الشعب يزحف خلفكم والشعب يهتف خلفكم... ـ
فليذهب الآتون من خلف البحار إلى سقر... ـ
وليخسأ الجبناء رواد الخيانة والعمالة والغدر... أولاء أسلاف الغدر... ـ
فأهنأ بها... أنت الجبين المشرق الوضاء في قلب السحر... ـ
أهنأ بها يا سيدي يا منتظر. ـ
د. طالب البغدادي 14/12/2008"
THE TANGLED US-IRAN KNOT, Part 3
Economy, ties with West key to polls
By Gareth Porter
Asia Times
"The main issue in Iran's June 2009 presidential election will be the country's dire economic woes and President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's role in them. The challenger - expected to emerge from the moderate camp - will also charge that Ahmadinejad has mismanaged relations with Europe, while Ahmadinejad will accuse his foe of conspiring with the West. Therein lies the deep rift within the country....."
By Gareth Porter
Asia Times
"The main issue in Iran's June 2009 presidential election will be the country's dire economic woes and President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's role in them. The challenger - expected to emerge from the moderate camp - will also charge that Ahmadinejad has mismanaged relations with Europe, while Ahmadinejad will accuse his foe of conspiring with the West. Therein lies the deep rift within the country....."
Israel denies entry to UN rights reporter
Press Release, Adalah, 15 December 2008
"Today, Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel sent an urgent letter to the Israeli Minister of Interior, Meir Shitreet and Attorney General (AG) Menachem Mazuz, demanding that they lift the ban imposed on Professor Richard Falk, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, from entering these areas. At the order of the ministry of the interior, the border police denied Prof. Falk entry into Israel yesterday, 14 December 2008, on his way to the West Bank to carry out his official functions. He was deported from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv this morning, 15 December 2008.
In March 2008, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) voted to appoint Prof. Falk to this position as UN Special Rapporteur for a six-year term. Prof. Falk's duties include preparing reports on human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), informing the UN about his work and conclusions, and suggesting ways of alleviating these violations. Prof. Falk is an eminent expert in international law and works as a lecturer at several prominent universities in the United States, including the University of California at Santa Barbara and Princeton University. He has published several seminal books on the subject of international law and human rights.
Prof. Falk's arbitrary denial of entry into Israel is a severe blow to the rights of the Palestinian civilian population living under Israeli occupation, a population which must be afforded protection by the occupier under international humanitarian law. Denying Prof. Falk's entry also impairs the work of numerous human rights organizations and human rights defenders working in Israel and the OPT to protect and advance the human rights of Palestinians......"
"Today, Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel sent an urgent letter to the Israeli Minister of Interior, Meir Shitreet and Attorney General (AG) Menachem Mazuz, demanding that they lift the ban imposed on Professor Richard Falk, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, from entering these areas. At the order of the ministry of the interior, the border police denied Prof. Falk entry into Israel yesterday, 14 December 2008, on his way to the West Bank to carry out his official functions. He was deported from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv this morning, 15 December 2008.
In March 2008, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) voted to appoint Prof. Falk to this position as UN Special Rapporteur for a six-year term. Prof. Falk's duties include preparing reports on human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), informing the UN about his work and conclusions, and suggesting ways of alleviating these violations. Prof. Falk is an eminent expert in international law and works as a lecturer at several prominent universities in the United States, including the University of California at Santa Barbara and Princeton University. He has published several seminal books on the subject of international law and human rights.
Prof. Falk's arbitrary denial of entry into Israel is a severe blow to the rights of the Palestinian civilian population living under Israeli occupation, a population which must be afforded protection by the occupier under international humanitarian law. Denying Prof. Falk's entry also impairs the work of numerous human rights organizations and human rights defenders working in Israel and the OPT to protect and advance the human rights of Palestinians......"
Arabs, Muslims Start Action Friday to End Gaza Siege
Al-Manar
"15/12/2008 Friday will be the day to start action to end the siege of Gaza, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah announced Monday night.
In a televised speech broadcast on Al-Manar, Sayyed Nasrallah said that large demonstrations in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinians and to end the siege of Gaza will take place starting Friday after noon prayers. His eminence stressed in his speech the demonstrations are also to support the choice of resistance, steadfastness and adherence to rights regardless of the sacrifices and difficulties.......
"15/12/2008 Friday will be the day to start action to end the siege of Gaza, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah announced Monday night.
In a televised speech broadcast on Al-Manar, Sayyed Nasrallah said that large demonstrations in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinians and to end the siege of Gaza will take place starting Friday after noon prayers. His eminence stressed in his speech the demonstrations are also to support the choice of resistance, steadfastness and adherence to rights regardless of the sacrifices and difficulties.......
His eminence added: “Given the military and political escalation by the Israelis as well as threats to launch a military operation against the strip, there seems to be no hope of breaking the siege in the near future. This necessitates that we contemplate and take responsibility regarding this extensive human suffering.” Sayyed Nasrallah warned against US-Israeli schemes to obliterate the Palestinian cause, the international collusion and the Arab silence with regards to the right of return of the Palestinian refugees and plans to settle them in host countries. He also warned against persevering attempts to detach Jerusalem from its Arab identity and displace the remainder of Palestinians from east Jerusalem.
“Our essential goal is breaking the siege and putting an end to the humanitarian tragedy of the people who stood steady despite the world’s collusion and the Arabs’ silence.”
"What Livni said was not a slip of the tongue," Sayyed Nasrallah warned.
On Thursday, Livni drew criticism for saying "my solution for maintaining a Jewish and democratic state of Israel is to have two distinct national entities." "And among other things I will also be able to approach the Palestinian residents of Israel, those whom we call Arab Israelis, and tell them: 'your national aspirations lie elsewhere,'" Livni said.
Sayyed Nasrallah said that the goal of besieging Gaza was to break the will of the Palestinian people and frustrate it to impose US and Israeli conditions in line with the “humiliating settlement process that does not preserve the least rights of this people.”
The Resistance chief urged Egypt to take a historic and brave decision to permanently open the Rafah crossing for Gazans. He called on the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League to stand by Egypt should it takes this step. “Abiding by the checkpoint agreements [Egypt and Israel share] has no moral, ethical, legal or religious basis if it leads to a major humanitarian crisis and if it results in a war crime. I address Egyptian officials and say: yes brothers, this is not the time for outbidding for we are in front of a painful truth where hundreds of ill Palestinians are dying and hundreds of thousands others are living in darkness and starvation, so this requires a historic position from your side and the whole nation will support you should you take it.” “There are a million and a half Muslims in Gaza who call on us to assist them and it is our religious and human duty to respond,” he said.
"Had the Arab leaders acted responsibly 60 years ago, Palestine would not have been conquered," he continued. "I ask all those who are proud to be Arabs, where is your Arab sentiment now, as a million-and-a-half Arabs in Gaza are under siege? I call on you to take part in the rallies and join us in this call," Sayyed Nasrallah said."
“Our essential goal is breaking the siege and putting an end to the humanitarian tragedy of the people who stood steady despite the world’s collusion and the Arabs’ silence.”
"What Livni said was not a slip of the tongue," Sayyed Nasrallah warned.
On Thursday, Livni drew criticism for saying "my solution for maintaining a Jewish and democratic state of Israel is to have two distinct national entities." "And among other things I will also be able to approach the Palestinian residents of Israel, those whom we call Arab Israelis, and tell them: 'your national aspirations lie elsewhere,'" Livni said.
Sayyed Nasrallah said that the goal of besieging Gaza was to break the will of the Palestinian people and frustrate it to impose US and Israeli conditions in line with the “humiliating settlement process that does not preserve the least rights of this people.”
The Resistance chief urged Egypt to take a historic and brave decision to permanently open the Rafah crossing for Gazans. He called on the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League to stand by Egypt should it takes this step. “Abiding by the checkpoint agreements [Egypt and Israel share] has no moral, ethical, legal or religious basis if it leads to a major humanitarian crisis and if it results in a war crime. I address Egyptian officials and say: yes brothers, this is not the time for outbidding for we are in front of a painful truth where hundreds of ill Palestinians are dying and hundreds of thousands others are living in darkness and starvation, so this requires a historic position from your side and the whole nation will support you should you take it.” “There are a million and a half Muslims in Gaza who call on us to assist them and it is our religious and human duty to respond,” he said.
"Had the Arab leaders acted responsibly 60 years ago, Palestine would not have been conquered," he continued. "I ask all those who are proud to be Arabs, where is your Arab sentiment now, as a million-and-a-half Arabs in Gaza are under siege? I call on you to take part in the rallies and join us in this call," Sayyed Nasrallah said."
"Iraqi reporter al-Zaidi's arm, ribs broken"
Press TV
"Security agents have broken the arm and ribs of al-Zaidi, a reporter who hurled his shoes at Bush during a press conference Sunday in Baghdad.
"He has got a broken arm and ribs, and cuts to his eye and arm," the reporter's brother Durgham told AFP on Tuesday. "He is being held by forces under the command of Muaffaq al-Rubaie," he added.
According to Durgham, his brother was being held by Iraqi forces in the heavily fortified Green Zone compound in central Baghdad.
On Monday, thousands of Iraqis staged a demonstration in Sadr City in Baghdad calling for the release of the journalist....."
"Security agents have broken the arm and ribs of al-Zaidi, a reporter who hurled his shoes at Bush during a press conference Sunday in Baghdad.
"He has got a broken arm and ribs, and cuts to his eye and arm," the reporter's brother Durgham told AFP on Tuesday. "He is being held by forces under the command of Muaffaq al-Rubaie," he added.
According to Durgham, his brother was being held by Iraqi forces in the heavily fortified Green Zone compound in central Baghdad.
On Monday, thousands of Iraqis staged a demonstration in Sadr City in Baghdad calling for the release of the journalist....."
Staunch Critic of Israel at U.N. Reports Death Threats
By Thalif Deen
"UNITED NATIONS, Dec 15 (IPS) - The outspoken president of the General Assembly, Father Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, who recently described Israeli policies in the occupied territories as tantamount to "apartheid", says his life is under threat.
Enrique Yeves, spokesperson for the president, told reporters Monday there were "very serious threats" on the Internet against D'Escoto's life and the matter is being looked into both by the U.N. security services and law enforcement officials in the United States......"
"UNITED NATIONS, Dec 15 (IPS) - The outspoken president of the General Assembly, Father Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, who recently described Israeli policies in the occupied territories as tantamount to "apartheid", says his life is under threat.
Enrique Yeves, spokesperson for the president, told reporters Monday there were "very serious threats" on the Internet against D'Escoto's life and the matter is being looked into both by the U.N. security services and law enforcement officials in the United States......"
Israel's 'Get Out of Jail Free' Card
By Philip Giraldi
".......If you have been wondering what has happened to the other Israeli spies who are currently in court or facing trial at some future point, you are not alone. The trial of American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) officials Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman has been dragging on for more than three years. The two men were arrested together with Pentagon official Col. Lawrence Franklin under the Espionage Act of 1917, which defines espionage in legal terms as "injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign country." Franklin had taken classified Pentagon documents dealing with Iran policy and had shared them with the two AIPAC officials, who in turn provided them to the Israeli embassy in Washington and to the media to support the case for going to war with Tehran......
.....Predictably, no one in the mainstream media wants to report on Rosen and Weissman or follow up on the story of Ben-Ami Kadish. Nor has the Department of Justice made any public statements, though federal prosecutors claim to have a continuing interest in convicting the two AIPAC ex-officials. In the U.S. media, stories that are critical of Israel, particularly if they challenge the fundamentals and reciprocity of the "special relationship" between Washington and Tel Aviv, tend to die immediately and, in some cases, are even expunged from Web sites and archives. The tales of Rosen, Weissman, and Kadish are all too typical, reflective of a judicial system that is selective in its application of law combined with a political and media oligarchy that is willing to compromise every operating principle if Israel is involved. Perhaps Obama will do better, but one would be right to be skeptical, as he has already bowed to the power of AIPAC. If Rosen and Weissman are convicted, as they should be, and if Kadish suddenly appears for trial and sentencing it would be a remarkable indication that change has indeed finally come to Washington."
".......If you have been wondering what has happened to the other Israeli spies who are currently in court or facing trial at some future point, you are not alone. The trial of American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) officials Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman has been dragging on for more than three years. The two men were arrested together with Pentagon official Col. Lawrence Franklin under the Espionage Act of 1917, which defines espionage in legal terms as "injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign country." Franklin had taken classified Pentagon documents dealing with Iran policy and had shared them with the two AIPAC officials, who in turn provided them to the Israeli embassy in Washington and to the media to support the case for going to war with Tehran......
.....Predictably, no one in the mainstream media wants to report on Rosen and Weissman or follow up on the story of Ben-Ami Kadish. Nor has the Department of Justice made any public statements, though federal prosecutors claim to have a continuing interest in convicting the two AIPAC ex-officials. In the U.S. media, stories that are critical of Israel, particularly if they challenge the fundamentals and reciprocity of the "special relationship" between Washington and Tel Aviv, tend to die immediately and, in some cases, are even expunged from Web sites and archives. The tales of Rosen, Weissman, and Kadish are all too typical, reflective of a judicial system that is selective in its application of law combined with a political and media oligarchy that is willing to compromise every operating principle if Israel is involved. Perhaps Obama will do better, but one would be right to be skeptical, as he has already bowed to the power of AIPAC. If Rosen and Weissman are convicted, as they should be, and if Kadish suddenly appears for trial and sentencing it would be a remarkable indication that change has indeed finally come to Washington."
Is a US-Iran Deal on the Middle East Possible?
By Gareth Porter
"TEHRAN - Would a negotiated agreement between Iran and the Barack Obama administration be feasible if Obama sent the right signals? The answer one gets from Iranian officials and think-tank analysts is, "Yes, but…"
The Iranian national security establishment has long salivated over the prospect of an agreement with Washington. But there's a big difference between Iranian and U.S. ideas of what such an accord would look like.
Washington is fixated on what it would take to get Iran to agree to stop enriching uranium. On the other hand, Iranians interviewed here indicate that an agreement would only be possible if it represented a fundamental change in the U.S.-Iran relationship. Iranian officials and analysts see the problem of U.S.-Iranian relations as a seamless web of issues on which agreement must be reached as a whole. And in addition to the bilateral issues of normal diplomatic and economic relations, they see a new U.S.-Iranian understanding on the Middle East as essential....."
"TEHRAN - Would a negotiated agreement between Iran and the Barack Obama administration be feasible if Obama sent the right signals? The answer one gets from Iranian officials and think-tank analysts is, "Yes, but…"
The Iranian national security establishment has long salivated over the prospect of an agreement with Washington. But there's a big difference between Iranian and U.S. ideas of what such an accord would look like.
Washington is fixated on what it would take to get Iran to agree to stop enriching uranium. On the other hand, Iranians interviewed here indicate that an agreement would only be possible if it represented a fundamental change in the U.S.-Iran relationship. Iranian officials and analysts see the problem of U.S.-Iranian relations as a seamless web of issues on which agreement must be reached as a whole. And in addition to the bilateral issues of normal diplomatic and economic relations, they see a new U.S.-Iranian understanding on the Middle East as essential....."
Real News Video with Gareth Porter: Obama, Iran and control of the Middle East
Gareth Porter: US must acknowledge that Iran has a broad influence that no US policy can alter Part3/4
"In part three of our series of interviews with Gareth Porter, Gareth describes the general unwillingness in the US to accept the level of clout that Iran has in the Middle East and how this is viewed in Tehran. Gareth, who returned days earlier from a trip to Iran, points to Iran's influence over major players in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine as examples of the broader question that is on the table in any discussion of Iran's nuclear program, and that is whether or not the US will accept an Iran that exercises influence over the region?"
"In part three of our series of interviews with Gareth Porter, Gareth describes the general unwillingness in the US to accept the level of clout that Iran has in the Middle East and how this is viewed in Tehran. Gareth, who returned days earlier from a trip to Iran, points to Iran's influence over major players in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine as examples of the broader question that is on the table in any discussion of Iran's nuclear program, and that is whether or not the US will accept an Iran that exercises influence over the region?"
Keep out... a message for foreign leaders
I used to think that all these official visits did little harm, even if they did no good
By Patrick Cockburn
".....Official press conferences of any kind seldom produce real news, but the worst are usually those given by foreign leaders on trips abroad in which they and their local ally suggest that they are in control of events and all is going according to plan.
One of the many infuriating, though also ludicrous, events in Iraq since the invasion of 2003 has been American and British leaders, arriving in secret at the enormous US base at Baghdad airport and travelling, accompanied by numerous armed guards, by helicopter to the heavily-fortified Green Zone. After a few hours there they would give upbeat press conferences, sitting alongside the Iraqi leader of the day, claiming significant improvements in security and chiding the assembled journalists for ignoring such clear signs of success.
Periodically reality would break in, such as the time a mortar bomb exploded nearby the press conference hall at the very moment when UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon was lauding security improvements, compelling him to cower down behind a display of artificial flowers......
One small lesson of the debacle in Iraq might be to cut back on these official visits such as those by Mr Bush and Mr Brown last Sunday. In Islamabad Mr Brown's demand for a crack down on terrorism makes any action taken by the host government look as if it is cravenly acquiescing to a foreign power. In Baghdad Mr Bush could see for the first time in five years, in the shape of pair of shoes hurtling towards him, what so many Iraqis really think of him."
By Patrick Cockburn
".....Official press conferences of any kind seldom produce real news, but the worst are usually those given by foreign leaders on trips abroad in which they and their local ally suggest that they are in control of events and all is going according to plan.
One of the many infuriating, though also ludicrous, events in Iraq since the invasion of 2003 has been American and British leaders, arriving in secret at the enormous US base at Baghdad airport and travelling, accompanied by numerous armed guards, by helicopter to the heavily-fortified Green Zone. After a few hours there they would give upbeat press conferences, sitting alongside the Iraqi leader of the day, claiming significant improvements in security and chiding the assembled journalists for ignoring such clear signs of success.
Periodically reality would break in, such as the time a mortar bomb exploded nearby the press conference hall at the very moment when UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon was lauding security improvements, compelling him to cower down behind a display of artificial flowers......
One small lesson of the debacle in Iraq might be to cut back on these official visits such as those by Mr Bush and Mr Brown last Sunday. In Islamabad Mr Brown's demand for a crack down on terrorism makes any action taken by the host government look as if it is cravenly acquiescing to a foreign power. In Baghdad Mr Bush could see for the first time in five years, in the shape of pair of shoes hurtling towards him, what so many Iraqis really think of him."
Ducking the issue on Iraq
One Iraqi journalist shows more willingness to stand up to President Bush than the entire White House press corp
Ian Williams
guardian.co.uk, Monday 15 December 2008
".....In Arab culture, dogs and the soles of shoes are two very potent demonstrations of detestation and the intemperate. Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi's lobbing of two well-aimed shoes at the president is a belated make-up for all the softballs thrown at him in Washington.....
As Bush gives up his dude-ranch in Crawford to move into the McMansion that really suits him in Dallas, he should not be allowed to go quietly into that good night to file My Pet Goat into his presidential library. Better than throwing boots, prosecutors should be throwing the book at Bush and his accomplices."
Ian Williams
guardian.co.uk, Monday 15 December 2008
".....In Arab culture, dogs and the soles of shoes are two very potent demonstrations of detestation and the intemperate. Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi's lobbing of two well-aimed shoes at the president is a belated make-up for all the softballs thrown at him in Washington.....
As Bush gives up his dude-ranch in Crawford to move into the McMansion that really suits him in Dallas, he should not be allowed to go quietly into that good night to file My Pet Goat into his presidential library. Better than throwing boots, prosecutors should be throwing the book at Bush and his accomplices."
Audio: Life behind the Green Line
In the first in a series of audio programmes by Comment is Free writers, Seth Freedman hears how Palestinians in the West Bank have been affected by Israel's security wall, and what efforts have been made to find unity in the region
Seth Freedman, guardian.co.uk, Monday 15 December 2008
"After nearly two years of travelling round the West Bank and seeing the truth behind the propaganda I was spoon-fed during my army service, the impact of the harsh reality in which Palestinians are forced to exist does not get any less shocking as time goes by. Throughout the making of this documentary, I was exposed once more to a litany of injustices and inequality, all perpetrated by Israeli officialdom in the so-called quest for peace – and, according to those with whom I spoke, life is as unbearable now as it has been at any point during Israel's decades-old occupation of the West Bank.
During the recording of this programme, I travelled to several Palestinian communities in the West Bank, interviewing local residents as well as the activists and aid workers who assist them in their quest for survival. I also spent time in Ramallah, the de facto Palestinian capital, as well as travelling to Jericho for an exclusive interview with Dr Saeb Erekat, the Palestinians' chief negotiator. According to those with whom I spoke, if there is to be any chance of salvaging what little hope remains for a true, just resolution to the conflict, the yoke of oppression must be lifted from around the necks of those for whom life behind the Green Line is nothing more than an interminably bleak and cruel existence at present."
Seth Freedman, guardian.co.uk, Monday 15 December 2008
"After nearly two years of travelling round the West Bank and seeing the truth behind the propaganda I was spoon-fed during my army service, the impact of the harsh reality in which Palestinians are forced to exist does not get any less shocking as time goes by. Throughout the making of this documentary, I was exposed once more to a litany of injustices and inequality, all perpetrated by Israeli officialdom in the so-called quest for peace – and, according to those with whom I spoke, life is as unbearable now as it has been at any point during Israel's decades-old occupation of the West Bank.
During the recording of this programme, I travelled to several Palestinian communities in the West Bank, interviewing local residents as well as the activists and aid workers who assist them in their quest for survival. I also spent time in Ramallah, the de facto Palestinian capital, as well as travelling to Jericho for an exclusive interview with Dr Saeb Erekat, the Palestinians' chief negotiator. According to those with whom I spoke, if there is to be any chance of salvaging what little hope remains for a true, just resolution to the conflict, the yoke of oppression must be lifted from around the necks of those for whom life behind the Green Line is nothing more than an interminably bleak and cruel existence at present."
Fighting on a different front
They are just out of school and would rather go to jail than serve in the Israeli military
Ben White
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 16 December 2008
"This Thursday, a group of Israeli young men and women, barely out of school, will bring home some important truths about the situation in Israel/Palestine for those who care to listen. The Shministim (Hebrew for twelfth-graders) are Israelis who, having been called up for compulsory military service, have refused to serve in an occupying army and are thus sent to prison for refusing the draft........
In the last few weeks, as some Israeli youth refused to "hurt in the name of defence or imprison in the name of freedom", the IDF killed and arrested Palestinians, and raided and vandalised occupied villages. By the end of October, more than 3,300 Palestinians in the West Bank – and more than 700 in the "non-occupied" Gaza Strip – had been arrested in 2008 alone, with a weekly total of around 100 IDF search operations. In the same period, 1,204 hours of curfew were imposed on Palestinian communities across the OPT; the 600 roadblocks and obstacles augmented by a weekly average of 76 "flying" (ie unpredictable) checkpoints.
In contrast to the cliché-trapped media, and policy papers and peace plans that are a grand exercise in missing the point, the Shministim remind us that as you read this, the Palestinians are living another day corralled into enclaves, overlooked and encircled by colonies of settlers who exist in a parallel legal realm of privilege and domination. They remind us of the occupation, and also of hope, for they are some of the Israelis who choose to exchange the "privilege" of the IDF call-up, for the "great privilege of saying 'No'"."
Ben White
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 16 December 2008
"This Thursday, a group of Israeli young men and women, barely out of school, will bring home some important truths about the situation in Israel/Palestine for those who care to listen. The Shministim (Hebrew for twelfth-graders) are Israelis who, having been called up for compulsory military service, have refused to serve in an occupying army and are thus sent to prison for refusing the draft........
In the last few weeks, as some Israeli youth refused to "hurt in the name of defence or imprison in the name of freedom", the IDF killed and arrested Palestinians, and raided and vandalised occupied villages. By the end of October, more than 3,300 Palestinians in the West Bank – and more than 700 in the "non-occupied" Gaza Strip – had been arrested in 2008 alone, with a weekly total of around 100 IDF search operations. In the same period, 1,204 hours of curfew were imposed on Palestinian communities across the OPT; the 600 roadblocks and obstacles augmented by a weekly average of 76 "flying" (ie unpredictable) checkpoints.
In contrast to the cliché-trapped media, and policy papers and peace plans that are a grand exercise in missing the point, the Shministim remind us that as you read this, the Palestinians are living another day corralled into enclaves, overlooked and encircled by colonies of settlers who exist in a parallel legal realm of privilege and domination. They remind us of the occupation, and also of hope, for they are some of the Israelis who choose to exchange the "privilege" of the IDF call-up, for the "great privilege of saying 'No'"."
Monday, December 15, 2008
Petition to Free Montather al-Zeidi. Please Sign it and Circulate Widely
Contributed by Irish Eyes
"The petition"This is a gift from the Iraqis. This is the farewell kiss, you dog," shouted Muntather al-Zeidi in Arabic as he threw his shoes at Bush during a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Dec. 14th. Multiple sources in Baghdad confirmed that Mr. Al-Zeidi was heavily beaten right after the incident. (He can be heard shouting in pain in this video). And after beating him, the Iraqi authorities arrested Mr. Al-Zaidi. Here is a statement issued by Al-Baghdadia (the TV channel he works with): www.albaghdadia.com/ (rough translation) Al Baghdadia asks the Iraqi authorities to immediately release our employee Montather Al-Zaidi in line with the Iraqi and US promises of democracy and freedom of expression. Any action taken against Montather Al-Zaidi will remind us of the behavior we experienced during the time of the dictatorship era that when we witnessed violence, arbitrary arrests, mass graves and the confiscation of public freedoms and private. We also call for press and media institutions and the Arab world to stand in solidarity with Montatger Al-Zaidi and call for his release. (end translation) Please sign this petition to demand the immediate release of Mr. Al-Zeidi ....."
"The petition"This is a gift from the Iraqis. This is the farewell kiss, you dog," shouted Muntather al-Zeidi in Arabic as he threw his shoes at Bush during a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Dec. 14th. Multiple sources in Baghdad confirmed that Mr. Al-Zeidi was heavily beaten right after the incident. (He can be heard shouting in pain in this video). And after beating him, the Iraqi authorities arrested Mr. Al-Zaidi. Here is a statement issued by Al-Baghdadia (the TV channel he works with): www.albaghdadia.com/ (rough translation) Al Baghdadia asks the Iraqi authorities to immediately release our employee Montather Al-Zaidi in line with the Iraqi and US promises of democracy and freedom of expression. Any action taken against Montather Al-Zaidi will remind us of the behavior we experienced during the time of the dictatorship era that when we witnessed violence, arbitrary arrests, mass graves and the confiscation of public freedoms and private. We also call for press and media institutions and the Arab world to stand in solidarity with Montatger Al-Zaidi and call for his release. (end translation) Please sign this petition to demand the immediate release of Mr. Al-Zeidi ....."
Thousands demand release of Iraqi journalist who threw shoes at George W Bush
The Telegraph
"Arabs across the Middle East hailed the journalist a hero and praised his insult as a proper send-off to the unpopular U.S. president.
Muntadhar al-Zeidi, who was kidnapped by Shiite militants last year, was being held by Iraqi security today and interrogated about whether anybody paid him to protest during the press conference.........
Showing the sole of your shoe to someone in the Arab world is a sign of extreme disrespect, and throwing your shoes is even worse.
In Baghdad's Shiite slum of Sadr City, thousands of supporters of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr burned American flags to protest against Bush and called for the release of al-Zeidi.
"Bush, Bush, listen well – Two shoes on your head," the protesters chanted in unison.
Newspapers across the Arab world printed front-page photos of Bush ducking the flying shoes and satellite TV stations repeatedly aired the incident, which provided fodder for jokes and was hailed by the president's many critics in the region. "Iraq considers Sunday as the international day for shoes," said a text message circulating around the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Many users of the popular internet networking site Facebook posted the video of the incident to their profile pages, showing al-Zeidi leap from his chair as Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki were about to shake hands.
"This is a farewell kiss, you dog," al-Zeidi yelled in Arabic as he threw his shoes. "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.".......
Al-Zeid's tirade was echoed by Arabs across the Middle East who are fed up with U.S. policy in the region and still angry over Bush's decision to invade Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein. Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor of the influential London-based newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi, wrote on the newspaper's website that the incident was "a proper goodbye for a war criminal."
The response to the incident by Arabs in the street was ecstatic.
"Al-Zeidi is the man," said 42-year-old Jordanian businessman Samer Tabalat. "He did what Arab leaders failed to do."...... "
"Arabs across the Middle East hailed the journalist a hero and praised his insult as a proper send-off to the unpopular U.S. president.
Muntadhar al-Zeidi, who was kidnapped by Shiite militants last year, was being held by Iraqi security today and interrogated about whether anybody paid him to protest during the press conference.........
Showing the sole of your shoe to someone in the Arab world is a sign of extreme disrespect, and throwing your shoes is even worse.
In Baghdad's Shiite slum of Sadr City, thousands of supporters of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr burned American flags to protest against Bush and called for the release of al-Zeidi.
"Bush, Bush, listen well – Two shoes on your head," the protesters chanted in unison.
Newspapers across the Arab world printed front-page photos of Bush ducking the flying shoes and satellite TV stations repeatedly aired the incident, which provided fodder for jokes and was hailed by the president's many critics in the region. "Iraq considers Sunday as the international day for shoes," said a text message circulating around the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Many users of the popular internet networking site Facebook posted the video of the incident to their profile pages, showing al-Zeidi leap from his chair as Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki were about to shake hands.
"This is a farewell kiss, you dog," al-Zeidi yelled in Arabic as he threw his shoes. "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.".......
Al-Zeid's tirade was echoed by Arabs across the Middle East who are fed up with U.S. policy in the region and still angry over Bush's decision to invade Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein. Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor of the influential London-based newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi, wrote on the newspaper's website that the incident was "a proper goodbye for a war criminal."
The response to the incident by Arabs in the street was ecstatic.
"Al-Zeidi is the man," said 42-year-old Jordanian businessman Samer Tabalat. "He did what Arab leaders failed to do."...... "
A Hero of Our Time: Muntadar al-Zaidi
Finally, A Journalist We Can Look Up To!
By DAVE LINDORFF
CounterPunch
"When Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi heaved his two shoes at the head of President George W. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad, he did something that the White House press corps should have done years ago....
Al-Zaidi, who paid for his courageous act of protest by being brutally beaten by security guards, is a hero of the profession. He stopped taking the president’s BS and called him what he is: a murderer and a criminal, with the blood of perhaps upwards of a million Iraqis on his hands. Al-Zaidi used what was supposed to be a staged photo-op for the president as an opportunity to speak up for those whose lives have been ruined by this president—the ones our suck-up journalists routinely ignore......"
By DAVE LINDORFF
CounterPunch
"When Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi heaved his two shoes at the head of President George W. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad, he did something that the White House press corps should have done years ago....
Al-Zaidi, who paid for his courageous act of protest by being brutally beaten by security guards, is a hero of the profession. He stopped taking the president’s BS and called him what he is: a murderer and a criminal, with the blood of perhaps upwards of a million Iraqis on his hands. Al-Zaidi used what was supposed to be a staged photo-op for the president as an opportunity to speak up for those whose lives have been ruined by this president—the ones our suck-up journalists routinely ignore......"
Why Hezbollah Stiffed Carter
Was It "Housekeeping" or Personal?
By FRANKLIN LAMB
CounterPunch
"Truth be told, this observer, along with one suspects plenty of others, was miffed at Hezbollah this past Wednesday morning....
My disgruntlement got seriously worse as I answered my phone and was advised that Hezbollah had turned down a meeting with former President Jimmy Carter which this observer, and others, had been trying to arrange......
And the answer is….
Hezbollah, my inquiries suggest, decided at the last minute not to meet with Jimmy Carter this trip at the request of Iran and out of respect for their Persian ally and the memory of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, still deeply revered in much of Lebanon among Hezbollah's rank and file as well as the wider Shia community.
It was a one-time message-sending rejection to clear the air, tidy up and perhaps settle some old scores and does not necessarily preclude a future meeting in Dahiyeh or Tehran.
Some in Lebanon are speculating that Tehran put the kibosh on Hezbollah meeting with Carter, remembering Carter's support for the Shah and the US embassy hostage crisis when, despite pleas from Carter operatives, Ayatollah Khomeini held the hostages until just after the 1980 US election, thus depriving Carter of reelection and throwing the contest to Ronald Reagan........"
By FRANKLIN LAMB
CounterPunch
"Truth be told, this observer, along with one suspects plenty of others, was miffed at Hezbollah this past Wednesday morning....
My disgruntlement got seriously worse as I answered my phone and was advised that Hezbollah had turned down a meeting with former President Jimmy Carter which this observer, and others, had been trying to arrange......
And the answer is….
Hezbollah, my inquiries suggest, decided at the last minute not to meet with Jimmy Carter this trip at the request of Iran and out of respect for their Persian ally and the memory of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, still deeply revered in much of Lebanon among Hezbollah's rank and file as well as the wider Shia community.
It was a one-time message-sending rejection to clear the air, tidy up and perhaps settle some old scores and does not necessarily preclude a future meeting in Dahiyeh or Tehran.
Some in Lebanon are speculating that Tehran put the kibosh on Hezbollah meeting with Carter, remembering Carter's support for the Shah and the US embassy hostage crisis when, despite pleas from Carter operatives, Ayatollah Khomeini held the hostages until just after the 1980 US election, thus depriving Carter of reelection and throwing the contest to Ronald Reagan........"
Iraq cheers reporter for Bush shoe attack
Press TV
"Citizens in Baghdad have ennobled a frogmarched Iraqi reporter for throwing his shoes at lame duck US President George W. Bush. Iraqi reporter Muntadhar al-Zaidi shocked the world on Sunday by hurling his shoes at the visiting US president, who had come to the war-torn country to say farewell.
Sitting in the third row at a press conference attended by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the reporter 'jumped up' and shouted "It is the farewell kiss, you dog."
He then threw his shoes one after the other toward Bush, who was reportedly not hurt. Bush ducked and the first shoe hit the American and Iraqi flags behind the two leaders, while Maliki tried to block the second shoe as it flew toward Bush.......
Iraqi television responded by demanding the immediate release of the al-Baghdadia correspondent and called on authorities to respect the right of the detained in exercising "freedom of expression". "Al-Baghdadia television demands that the Iraqi authorities immediately release their stringer Muntadhar al-Zaidi, in line with the democracy and freedom of expression that the American authorities promised the Iraqi people," reads a statement released by the station.
Baghdad citizens also voiced approval over the stunning act and raked the police over the coals for the arrest....."
"Citizens in Baghdad have ennobled a frogmarched Iraqi reporter for throwing his shoes at lame duck US President George W. Bush. Iraqi reporter Muntadhar al-Zaidi shocked the world on Sunday by hurling his shoes at the visiting US president, who had come to the war-torn country to say farewell.
Sitting in the third row at a press conference attended by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the reporter 'jumped up' and shouted "It is the farewell kiss, you dog."
He then threw his shoes one after the other toward Bush, who was reportedly not hurt. Bush ducked and the first shoe hit the American and Iraqi flags behind the two leaders, while Maliki tried to block the second shoe as it flew toward Bush.......
Iraqi television responded by demanding the immediate release of the al-Baghdadia correspondent and called on authorities to respect the right of the detained in exercising "freedom of expression". "Al-Baghdadia television demands that the Iraqi authorities immediately release their stringer Muntadhar al-Zaidi, in line with the democracy and freedom of expression that the American authorities promised the Iraqi people," reads a statement released by the station.
Baghdad citizens also voiced approval over the stunning act and raked the police over the coals for the arrest....."
THE TANGLED US-IRAN KNOT, Part 2
Iran urges Obama to start talks - now
By Gareth Porter
"Political insiders in Iran believe it would be a serious mistake for United States president-elect Barack Obama to postpone communication with Tehran until after next year's Iranian election, as he has been advised. Analysts want Obama to do two things quickly: denounce President George W Bush's "Axis of Evil" label and assure Tehran he's not pursuing regime change. Sooner is better than later, they say...."
This is the second article in a five-part series.
By Gareth Porter
"Political insiders in Iran believe it would be a serious mistake for United States president-elect Barack Obama to postpone communication with Tehran until after next year's Iranian election, as he has been advised. Analysts want Obama to do two things quickly: denounce President George W Bush's "Axis of Evil" label and assure Tehran he's not pursuing regime change. Sooner is better than later, they say...."
This is the second article in a five-part series.
Arab rights body faces sponsors’ ire
By Jonathan Cook
The National
"NAZARETH // The Human Rights Association with its 20-year record of exposing Israeli policies that discriminate against the country’s 1.2 million Arab citizens is facing imminent closure as major funders withdraw money in what some observers believe may be a co-ordinated policy to silence Israel’s harshest “critics from within”.
The association, one of the most prominent of several leading Arab rights organisations, is attracting the opposition of international charitable foundations concerned with promoting democracy in Israel, according to Mohammed Zeidan, the HRA director. The financial squeeze, Mr Zeidan said, is also designed to weaken the representation of Arab groups from Israel as they prepare to make their case at a UN conference in April that is likely to criticise the country’s human rights record.
The Jewish state has announced it will boycott the conference in Durban, South Africa......."
The National
"NAZARETH // The Human Rights Association with its 20-year record of exposing Israeli policies that discriminate against the country’s 1.2 million Arab citizens is facing imminent closure as major funders withdraw money in what some observers believe may be a co-ordinated policy to silence Israel’s harshest “critics from within”.
The association, one of the most prominent of several leading Arab rights organisations, is attracting the opposition of international charitable foundations concerned with promoting democracy in Israel, according to Mohammed Zeidan, the HRA director. The financial squeeze, Mr Zeidan said, is also designed to weaken the representation of Arab groups from Israel as they prepare to make their case at a UN conference in April that is likely to criticise the country’s human rights record.
The Jewish state has announced it will boycott the conference in Durban, South Africa......."
Israel’s ‘Crime Against Humanity’
By Chris Hedges
"Israel’s siege of Gaza, largely unseen by the outside world because of Jerusalem’s refusal to allow humanitarian aid workers, reporters and photographers access to Gaza, rivals the most egregious crimes carried out at the height of apartheid by the South African regime. It is meant to break Hamas, but will only breed future generations of militants....
Israel seeks to break the will of the Palestinians to resist. The Israeli government has demonstrated little interest in diplomacy or a peaceful solution. The rapid expansion of Jewish settlements on the West Bank is an effort to thwart the possibility of a two-state solution by gobbling up vast tracts of Palestinian real estate. Israel also appears to want to thrust the impoverished Gaza Strip onto Egypt....
The use of terror and hunger to break a hostile population is one of the oldest forms of warfare. I watched the Bosnian Serbs employ the same tactic in Sarajevo. Those who orchestrate such sieges do not grasp the terrible rage born of long humiliation, indiscriminate violence and abuse......"
"Israel’s siege of Gaza, largely unseen by the outside world because of Jerusalem’s refusal to allow humanitarian aid workers, reporters and photographers access to Gaza, rivals the most egregious crimes carried out at the height of apartheid by the South African regime. It is meant to break Hamas, but will only breed future generations of militants....
Israel seeks to break the will of the Palestinians to resist. The Israeli government has demonstrated little interest in diplomacy or a peaceful solution. The rapid expansion of Jewish settlements on the West Bank is an effort to thwart the possibility of a two-state solution by gobbling up vast tracts of Palestinian real estate. Israel also appears to want to thrust the impoverished Gaza Strip onto Egypt....
The use of terror and hunger to break a hostile population is one of the oldest forms of warfare. I watched the Bosnian Serbs employ the same tactic in Sarajevo. Those who orchestrate such sieges do not grasp the terrible rage born of long humiliation, indiscriminate violence and abuse......"
No Witnesses to the Genocide Allowed: IOA detains international human rights rapporteur
"OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Israeli occupation authority on Sunday detained professor Richard Falk, the rapporteur of the UN human rights inquiry commission for the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, at Ben Gurion Airport and refused to allow him to pass through to the Palestinian lands.
Palestine's permanent observer mission at the UN in Geneva said in a press release that the IOA refused to allow Prof. Falk to enter through the airport, noting that he was visiting Palestine on an official mission to investigate the human rights conditions and the IOA violations of international and humanitarian laws.
It said that Falk was held at the immigration section in the airport awaiting his deportation on Monday back to Geneva, and noted that Falk is Jewish and carries an American passport.
Falk, 78, has been appointed by the UN human rights council and is commissioned to write reports on the human rights conditions in the Palestinian lands occupied since 1967 to present it at the council's tenth session next March. "
The pragmatism of ethnic cleansing
Steven Salaita, The Electronic Intifada, 15 December 2008
"Barack Obama's election victory has inspired a windfall of comment, most of it euphoric, with some grumbling from the political right and the small quarters of the left that remain unimpressed, so I am hesitant to contribute to the chatter. There is one element of Obama's victory, however, that has received less attention than it deserves, and that is his profound commitment to an extreme form of Zionism. I do not wish to spend this essay condemning Obama for that commitment; I have done so elsewhere, and others have offered eloquent condemnation already, though such a perspective hasn't yet managed to penetrate the liberal left.
As a note of clarity, I do not use the phrase "extreme form of Zionism" for rhetorical effect; I deploy it soberly and literally. Obama's statements during his campaign unambiguously situate him in a right-wing Zionist outlook both politically and philosophically. During his speech at the hawkish Israel lobby AIPAC's 2008 convention, for instance, Obama promised, "I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Everything in my power. Everything." Later, he remarked, "It was just a few years after the liberation of the camps that David Ben-Gurion declared the founding of the Jewish state of Israel. We know that the establishment of Israel was just and necessary, rooted in centuries of struggle and decades of patient work, but 60 years later we know that we cannot relent, we cannot yield, and as president I will never compromise when it comes to Israel's security."
These comments are notable for their implicit ferocity. Obama not only expresses fealty to Israel's lobby, he also refuses to set any parameters for what he would consider acceptable Israeli behavior. "Everything," after all, is a remarkably broad obligation.
Rather than condemning Obama's Zionism, I would like to instead focus on the justifications and rationalizations for his decision, especially those that dismiss its moral consequences and instead emphasize what its purveyors claim to be its strategic inevitability. I have seen countless times on the Internet and have heard even more frequently some variation of the following argument: "Obama had to court the Israel lobby in order to be elected; it's part of presidential politics in the United States."......"
"Barack Obama's election victory has inspired a windfall of comment, most of it euphoric, with some grumbling from the political right and the small quarters of the left that remain unimpressed, so I am hesitant to contribute to the chatter. There is one element of Obama's victory, however, that has received less attention than it deserves, and that is his profound commitment to an extreme form of Zionism. I do not wish to spend this essay condemning Obama for that commitment; I have done so elsewhere, and others have offered eloquent condemnation already, though such a perspective hasn't yet managed to penetrate the liberal left.
As a note of clarity, I do not use the phrase "extreme form of Zionism" for rhetorical effect; I deploy it soberly and literally. Obama's statements during his campaign unambiguously situate him in a right-wing Zionist outlook both politically and philosophically. During his speech at the hawkish Israel lobby AIPAC's 2008 convention, for instance, Obama promised, "I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Everything in my power. Everything." Later, he remarked, "It was just a few years after the liberation of the camps that David Ben-Gurion declared the founding of the Jewish state of Israel. We know that the establishment of Israel was just and necessary, rooted in centuries of struggle and decades of patient work, but 60 years later we know that we cannot relent, we cannot yield, and as president I will never compromise when it comes to Israel's security."
These comments are notable for their implicit ferocity. Obama not only expresses fealty to Israel's lobby, he also refuses to set any parameters for what he would consider acceptable Israeli behavior. "Everything," after all, is a remarkably broad obligation.
Rather than condemning Obama's Zionism, I would like to instead focus on the justifications and rationalizations for his decision, especially those that dismiss its moral consequences and instead emphasize what its purveyors claim to be its strategic inevitability. I have seen countless times on the Internet and have heard even more frequently some variation of the following argument: "Obama had to court the Israel lobby in order to be elected; it's part of presidential politics in the United States."......"
The Crisis-Mongers
It's an "emergency" – do as I say. Or else…
By Justin Raimondo
"Did you, too, get that frisson of déjà vu when you first heard about the bank bailout and its rationale? If you don't hand over untold trillions of dollars in the next five minutes, the economy is going to explode. This was how the PATRIOT Act got rammed through Congress in record time, before anyone had a chance to even read the voluminous bill, surrendering what's left of our liberties and giving the president dictatorial powers: give us your freedom, or else the terrorists are going to blow the country up. This was also how the Bush administration and its neoconservative amen chorus whipped up war hysteria against Iraq: "We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud." Unless we invaded Iraq immediately, we were told, Saddam would unleash his legendary "weapons of mass destruction" – yes, even against the continental United States.
The methodology at work here might be called the Dershowitz Principle, after America's most famous theoretician of torture, who maintains that what qualifies as torture is defensible in an extreme situation. That is, when life suddenly morphs into a Jack Bauer-like scenario, in which the clock is ticking and you have to torture the evil terrorist or else they'll l blow up the White House, Capitol Hill, and the corner grocery for good measure....."
By Justin Raimondo
"Did you, too, get that frisson of déjà vu when you first heard about the bank bailout and its rationale? If you don't hand over untold trillions of dollars in the next five minutes, the economy is going to explode. This was how the PATRIOT Act got rammed through Congress in record time, before anyone had a chance to even read the voluminous bill, surrendering what's left of our liberties and giving the president dictatorial powers: give us your freedom, or else the terrorists are going to blow the country up. This was also how the Bush administration and its neoconservative amen chorus whipped up war hysteria against Iraq: "We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud." Unless we invaded Iraq immediately, we were told, Saddam would unleash his legendary "weapons of mass destruction" – yes, even against the continental United States.
The methodology at work here might be called the Dershowitz Principle, after America's most famous theoretician of torture, who maintains that what qualifies as torture is defensible in an extreme situation. That is, when life suddenly morphs into a Jack Bauer-like scenario, in which the clock is ticking and you have to torture the evil terrorist or else they'll l blow up the White House, Capitol Hill, and the corner grocery for good measure....."
Gazans reflect on Hamas legacy
By Motasem Dalloul in Gaza
Al-Jazeera
"On December 14, 1987, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Mohammad Taha, two prominent members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza, formed the Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, Hamas, as an alternative to the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).
From the outset, Hamas wove its way into the socio-economic Palestinian fabric by operating social welfare programmes, running hospitals and schools, and providing for the families of killed fighters.
Since the first and second intifadas (1987 and 2000, respectively), Hamas has gained political power culminating in its surprise 2006 parliamentary elections win......
Al Jazeera spoke to Palestinians in Gaza about Hamas' 21 years in power and what lies ahead......"
Real News Video With Ray McGovern: Obama and Russia
Ray McGovern: Will Obama continue the encirclement of Russia?
"Ray McGovern says Obama should reject the McCain rhetoric about Russia and negotiate a rational relationship"
"Ray McGovern says Obama should reject the McCain rhetoric about Russia and negotiate a rational relationship"
Brown's al-Qaida blame game
He should accept Britain's responsibility for encouraging terror attacks rather than pointing the finger of blame at Pakistan
Tariq Ali
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 14 December 2008
"Gordon Brown is targeting Pakistan. His claim that 75% of UK terror plots originate there is now part of a common western stance that refuses to accept any responsibility for encouraging the growth of recruits to jihadi organisations. Just as the events of Bloody Sunday helped IRA recruitment, the New Labour-supported wars in Iraq and Afghanistan play an important part in encouraging young Muslims to sacrifice their lives. The London bombings, which Brown mentioned in Pakistan, were the direct result of Labour's foreign policy. There is near unanimity on this within the British intelligence community. Had Britain not participated in occupying two countries, there would have been no attacks and no training trips to Pakistan or elsewhere......
Add to this the continuing sore of Kashmir, which has for decades been treated as a colony by Indian troops with random arrests, torture and rape an everyday occurrence. Conditions have been much worse than in Tibet, but have aroused little sympathy in the west. Being tough on terror but not on the causes of terror is, as we have seen since 9/11, a road to nowhere."
Tariq Ali
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 14 December 2008
"Gordon Brown is targeting Pakistan. His claim that 75% of UK terror plots originate there is now part of a common western stance that refuses to accept any responsibility for encouraging the growth of recruits to jihadi organisations. Just as the events of Bloody Sunday helped IRA recruitment, the New Labour-supported wars in Iraq and Afghanistan play an important part in encouraging young Muslims to sacrifice their lives. The London bombings, which Brown mentioned in Pakistan, were the direct result of Labour's foreign policy. There is near unanimity on this within the British intelligence community. Had Britain not participated in occupying two countries, there would have been no attacks and no training trips to Pakistan or elsewhere......
Add to this the continuing sore of Kashmir, which has for decades been treated as a colony by Indian troops with random arrests, torture and rape an everyday occurrence. Conditions have been much worse than in Tibet, but have aroused little sympathy in the west. Being tough on terror but not on the causes of terror is, as we have seen since 9/11, a road to nowhere."
Pressure on Emanuel over Senate scandal
"Barack Obama's choice to be his White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is coming under mounting pressure to make a full disclosure about his contacts with the disgraced governor of Illinois over the billowing Senate "seat for sale" scandal.
Federal investigators are looking into communication between Emanuel and Rod Blagojevich, the governor who was last week charged with trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by Obama to the highest bidder. Though Emanuel is understood not to be a target of the investigation, the disclosure that he was in contact with Blagojevich's office with regard to the seat has unleashed a storm of media interest that is awkward for the Obama team.....
There is nothing untoward about Emanuel having made clear Obama's opinions about the Senate appointment. What is proving difficult is the silence emanating from the Obama camp about the full nature of his contacts with the governor. Observers are puzzled by how long any response has taken, giving Republicans space to criticise Obama for failing to live up to his promise of open government......"
Federal investigators are looking into communication between Emanuel and Rod Blagojevich, the governor who was last week charged with trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by Obama to the highest bidder. Though Emanuel is understood not to be a target of the investigation, the disclosure that he was in contact with Blagojevich's office with regard to the seat has unleashed a storm of media interest that is awkward for the Obama team.....
There is nothing untoward about Emanuel having made clear Obama's opinions about the Senate appointment. What is proving difficult is the silence emanating from the Obama camp about the full nature of his contacts with the governor. Observers are puzzled by how long any response has taken, giving Republicans space to criticise Obama for failing to live up to his promise of open government......"
Face to face with the Taliban
Exclusive report from a Taliban veteran's compound in Afghanistan and on the battlefield
The Guardian
"......"Salar is the new Falluja," declared Qomendan Hemmet emphatically. "The Americans and the Afghan army control the highway, and five metres on each side. The rest is our territory."
Salar district in Wardak province is 80km (50 miles) south of Kabul. The Kandahar-Kabul road that passes through this district is a major supply line for US and Nato troops. The road is reminiscent of the road from Baghdad to Falluja: littered with IED [improvised explosive devices) holes and the carcasses of burnt-out Nato supply trucks and containers.
The frequency of Taliban attacks is higher this year than at any time since 2001. Four British marines were killed last week, three of them when a 13-year-old boy blew himself up in Helmand province. Meanwhile, the area controlled by the Afghan government is shrinking to the fortified islands of the cities......"
Guardian Video: Shoes and insults hurled at Bush on Iraq visit
"George Bush's engagement with Iraq appeared to end as it began - in chaos and anger - yesterday when a surprise trip to Baghdad to thank his troops and herald a new security pact was disrupted by an Iraqi man calling the US president a "dog" in Arabic and throwing his shoes at him....
But his comments were clearly not to the liking of one person. "This is the end!" the man shouted, before hurling first one and then his other shoe at the American leader from a distance of about 12 feet.
Bush ducked as the first shoe flew close above his head, hitting the wall behind him. He ducked again to avoid the second shoe, as Iraqi security men pounced on the assailant - reported to be an Iraqi journalist - and dragged him screaming out of the room....."
Sunday, December 14, 2008
وداع لائق بمجرم حرب
وداع لائق بمجرم حرب
عبد الباري عطوان
"......
العراقيون لم يستقبلوا الرئيس بوش بالورود والرياحين ولا بالرقص بالشوارع، وانما بالأحذية، مثلما فعل احد الصحافيين الذي كان يشارك في تغطية الزيارة، ويستمع الى المؤتمر الذي عقده الرئيس الامريكي مع السيد المالكي، واسهب فيه في وصف انجازاته ومكارمه للعراقيين باحتلاله لبلدهم.
استخدام 'الاحذية' كوسيلة تعبير عن الرأي عمل غريب، وغير مهني، في نظر الكثــــيرين، خاصــة عندما يصدر من صحافي، ولكنه مفهوم اذا علمنا ان هذا الصحافي يشعر بالاحباط والقهر من جراء الاوضاع المتدهورة في بلاده واستشهاد اكثر من مليون من ابناء جلدته واشقائه واقربائه بفضل هذا 'التحرير' الامريكي لبلاده.
فالعراق الجديد الذي يتغنى به الرئيس بوش تحوّل الى مقبرة جماعية، وساحة قتل وسلب ونهب. خمسة ملايين من ابنائه هربوا من ديمقراطيته المزدهرة، وسجله الناصع في حقوق الانسان، وهو السجل الذي اسهب السيد الطالباني في امتداحه في كلمته التي القاها في حضور ضيفه الأمريكي.
.....
نعم الرئيس بوش صديق للسيدين الطالباني والمالكي وكل الذين تواطؤوا مع المحتل لتسهيل غزو بلادهم، والمشاركة في حملات التضليل والكذب على الشعب العراقي، وكوفئوا من قبل السيد الأمريكي بالوصول الى سدة الحكم، ولكنه قطعاً ليس صديقاً للشعب العراقي، أو الغالبية الساحقة من ابنائه الشرفاء الذين يملكون تاريخاً حافلاً في مقاومة الغزاة، ورفض احتلال بلادهم، وناصروا كل قضايا الامتين العربية والاسلامية العادلة.
الصحافي العراقي الذي قذف الرئيس الأمريكي بالحذاء، وان اختلفنا معه في اسلوبه، إلا انه كان معبراً عن الأغلبية العراقية الصامتة المسحوقة التي اكتوت، وتكتوي من جراء تدهور أوضاع بلادها الأمنية والمعيشية، حيث لا ماء ولا كهرباء ولا فرص عمل، في بلد يعتبر واحدا من أغنى الدول في العالم بثرواته الطبيعية وعقول أبنائه المبدعة.
فهذا الصحافي مواطن غيور على بلده، قبل ان يكون صحافيا،
....
فمن المؤسف ان هذا الرئيس الامريكي الذي لفظه ابناء جلدته، وعاقبوه باسقاط مرشح حزبه في الانتخابات الرئاسية الاخيرة بشكل مهين، لا يلقى ترحيباً الا من قبل المسؤولين العرب، بينما تستقبله المظاهرات في كل مدينة او عاصمة يزورها، ولو اعطي العراقيون البسطاء الفرصة للتعبير عن مشاعرهم تجاهه، مثل بقية الشعوب الاخرى، لاستنكفوا قذفه بالأحذية، لانه يستحق القذف بما هو اكثر اهانة منها.
العقاب الذي يستحقه الرئيس بوش، وكل الذين تورطوا في مجازره في العراق، سواء من المسؤولين الامريكان او العراقيين، هو الوقوف في قفــــص الاتهام كمجرمي حـــــرب، في محكمـــة عادلة، في حضور كل ضحاياه من العراقيـــين وأهاليـــهم، سواء اولئك الذين واجهوا التعذيب والانتهاكات الجســدية والجنسية في سجن 'ابو غريب' او الذين استشهدوا بالقنابل العنقودية واليورانيوم المستنفد والاسلحة المحرمة دوليا في الفلوجة والبصرة والقائم، او برصاص القوات الامريكية الغازية في معظم أرجاء العراق.
لا نشارك بعض الصحافيين العراقيين في اعتذارهم للرئيس الامريكي عما فعله زميلهم،
.....
هذا الصحافي يمثل وجه العراق الحقيقي ورأيه بـ'محرري' بلاده ومن يحكمونها امام العالم بأسره."
عبد الباري عطوان
"......
العراقيون لم يستقبلوا الرئيس بوش بالورود والرياحين ولا بالرقص بالشوارع، وانما بالأحذية، مثلما فعل احد الصحافيين الذي كان يشارك في تغطية الزيارة، ويستمع الى المؤتمر الذي عقده الرئيس الامريكي مع السيد المالكي، واسهب فيه في وصف انجازاته ومكارمه للعراقيين باحتلاله لبلدهم.
استخدام 'الاحذية' كوسيلة تعبير عن الرأي عمل غريب، وغير مهني، في نظر الكثــــيرين، خاصــة عندما يصدر من صحافي، ولكنه مفهوم اذا علمنا ان هذا الصحافي يشعر بالاحباط والقهر من جراء الاوضاع المتدهورة في بلاده واستشهاد اكثر من مليون من ابناء جلدته واشقائه واقربائه بفضل هذا 'التحرير' الامريكي لبلاده.
فالعراق الجديد الذي يتغنى به الرئيس بوش تحوّل الى مقبرة جماعية، وساحة قتل وسلب ونهب. خمسة ملايين من ابنائه هربوا من ديمقراطيته المزدهرة، وسجله الناصع في حقوق الانسان، وهو السجل الذي اسهب السيد الطالباني في امتداحه في كلمته التي القاها في حضور ضيفه الأمريكي.
.....
نعم الرئيس بوش صديق للسيدين الطالباني والمالكي وكل الذين تواطؤوا مع المحتل لتسهيل غزو بلادهم، والمشاركة في حملات التضليل والكذب على الشعب العراقي، وكوفئوا من قبل السيد الأمريكي بالوصول الى سدة الحكم، ولكنه قطعاً ليس صديقاً للشعب العراقي، أو الغالبية الساحقة من ابنائه الشرفاء الذين يملكون تاريخاً حافلاً في مقاومة الغزاة، ورفض احتلال بلادهم، وناصروا كل قضايا الامتين العربية والاسلامية العادلة.
الصحافي العراقي الذي قذف الرئيس الأمريكي بالحذاء، وان اختلفنا معه في اسلوبه، إلا انه كان معبراً عن الأغلبية العراقية الصامتة المسحوقة التي اكتوت، وتكتوي من جراء تدهور أوضاع بلادها الأمنية والمعيشية، حيث لا ماء ولا كهرباء ولا فرص عمل، في بلد يعتبر واحدا من أغنى الدول في العالم بثرواته الطبيعية وعقول أبنائه المبدعة.
فهذا الصحافي مواطن غيور على بلده، قبل ان يكون صحافيا،
....
فمن المؤسف ان هذا الرئيس الامريكي الذي لفظه ابناء جلدته، وعاقبوه باسقاط مرشح حزبه في الانتخابات الرئاسية الاخيرة بشكل مهين، لا يلقى ترحيباً الا من قبل المسؤولين العرب، بينما تستقبله المظاهرات في كل مدينة او عاصمة يزورها، ولو اعطي العراقيون البسطاء الفرصة للتعبير عن مشاعرهم تجاهه، مثل بقية الشعوب الاخرى، لاستنكفوا قذفه بالأحذية، لانه يستحق القذف بما هو اكثر اهانة منها.
العقاب الذي يستحقه الرئيس بوش، وكل الذين تورطوا في مجازره في العراق، سواء من المسؤولين الامريكان او العراقيين، هو الوقوف في قفــــص الاتهام كمجرمي حـــــرب، في محكمـــة عادلة، في حضور كل ضحاياه من العراقيـــين وأهاليـــهم، سواء اولئك الذين واجهوا التعذيب والانتهاكات الجســدية والجنسية في سجن 'ابو غريب' او الذين استشهدوا بالقنابل العنقودية واليورانيوم المستنفد والاسلحة المحرمة دوليا في الفلوجة والبصرة والقائم، او برصاص القوات الامريكية الغازية في معظم أرجاء العراق.
لا نشارك بعض الصحافيين العراقيين في اعتذارهم للرئيس الامريكي عما فعله زميلهم،
.....
هذا الصحافي يمثل وجه العراق الحقيقي ورأيه بـ'محرري' بلاده ومن يحكمونها امام العالم بأسره."
The War Criminal Gets A Deserved Farewell: Angry Iraqi throws shoes at President Bush in Baghdad
Contributed by Steven Rix
"President Bush made a farewell visit Sunday to Baghdad, Iraq, where he met with Iraqi leaders and was targeted by an angry Iraqi man, who jumped up and threw shoes at Bush during a news conference.
President Bush, left, ducks a thrown shoe as Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki tries to protect him Sunday.
1 of 3 Bush ducked, and the shoes, thrown one at a time, sailed past his head during the news conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in his palace in the heavily fortified Green Zone.
Throwing shoes at someone, or sitting so that the bottom of a shoe faces another person, is considered an insult among Muslims....."
"President Bush made a farewell visit Sunday to Baghdad, Iraq, where he met with Iraqi leaders and was targeted by an angry Iraqi man, who jumped up and threw shoes at Bush during a news conference.
President Bush, left, ducks a thrown shoe as Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki tries to protect him Sunday.
1 of 3 Bush ducked, and the shoes, thrown one at a time, sailed past his head during the news conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in his palace in the heavily fortified Green Zone.
Throwing shoes at someone, or sitting so that the bottom of a shoe faces another person, is considered an insult among Muslims....."
This Genocide Will Not Be Televised, But Don't Say You Didn't Know About it
Gaza families eat grass as Israel locks border
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
(Graphic by Carlos Latuff)
"AS a convoy of blue-and-white United Nations trucks loaded with food waited last night for Israeli permission to enter Gaza, Jindiya Abu Amra and her 12-year-old daughter went scrounging for the wild grass their family now lives on.
“We had one meal today - khobbeizeh,” said Abu Amra, 43, showing the leaves of a plant that grows along the streets of Gaza. “Every day, I wake up and start looking for wood and plastic to burn for fuel and I beg. When I find nothing, we eat this grass.”
Abu Amra and her unemployed husband have seven daughters and a son. Their tiny breeze-block house has had no furniture since they burnt the last cupboard for heat.
“I can’t remember seeing a fruit,” said Rabab, 12, who goes with her mother most mornings to scavenge. She is dressed in a tracksuit top and holed jeans, and her feet are bare.
Conditions for most of the 1.5m Gazans have deteriorated dramatically in the past month.....
The UN, which has responsibility for 1m refugees in Gaza, is in despair. “The economy has been crushed and there are no imports or exports,” said John Ging, director of its relief and works agency.
“Two weeks ago, for the first time in 60 years, we ran out of food,” he said. “We used to get 70 to 80 trucks per day, now we are getting 15 trucks a day, and only when the border opens. We’re living hand to mouth.”
He has four days of food in stock for distribution to the most desperate - and no idea whether Israel will reopen the border. The Abu Amra family may have to eat wild grass for the foreseeable future. "
"AS a convoy of blue-and-white United Nations trucks loaded with food waited last night for Israeli permission to enter Gaza, Jindiya Abu Amra and her 12-year-old daughter went scrounging for the wild grass their family now lives on.
“We had one meal today - khobbeizeh,” said Abu Amra, 43, showing the leaves of a plant that grows along the streets of Gaza. “Every day, I wake up and start looking for wood and plastic to burn for fuel and I beg. When I find nothing, we eat this grass.”
Abu Amra and her unemployed husband have seven daughters and a son. Their tiny breeze-block house has had no furniture since they burnt the last cupboard for heat.
“I can’t remember seeing a fruit,” said Rabab, 12, who goes with her mother most mornings to scavenge. She is dressed in a tracksuit top and holed jeans, and her feet are bare.
Conditions for most of the 1.5m Gazans have deteriorated dramatically in the past month.....
The UN, which has responsibility for 1m refugees in Gaza, is in despair. “The economy has been crushed and there are no imports or exports,” said John Ging, director of its relief and works agency.
“Two weeks ago, for the first time in 60 years, we ran out of food,” he said. “We used to get 70 to 80 trucks per day, now we are getting 15 trucks a day, and only when the border opens. We’re living hand to mouth.”
He has four days of food in stock for distribution to the most desperate - and no idea whether Israel will reopen the border. The Abu Amra family may have to eat wild grass for the foreseeable future. "
Al-Jazeera Video: Torture Speaks - Israel / Palestine - December 9
"Since 1967, some 75,000, men and women have been in and out Israelis prison where they had been jailed for long periods of time. A large number of them say have been subjected to severe torture that left many of them physically and mentally handicapped. Some of the old ex-prisoners have kept their stories to themselves and have not shared it with others. Hasan Abed Almajeed and Mohamad Abu Nie open up to Al Jazeera about their torture experience for the first time. "
Opinion: Israeli blockade of Gaza amounts to occupation
By Darlene Wallach
(Darlene Wallach of San Jose is a participant in the Free Gaza Movement)
Special to the Mercury News
"On Nov. 18, the Israeli military kidnapped me — a Jewish American leaving behind the comforts of San Jose — and 17 others from three Palestinian fishing vessels plying Gaza's coastal waters. Two other international human rights workers and I were accompanying 15 Palestinian fishermen to provide witness to and documentation of the frequent harassment and attacks by the Israeli navy. Our seizure belies Israel's claim that it no longer occupies Gaza and its 1.5 million people.
Israel's military occupation of Gaza did not end with the withdrawal of its soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005. Israel still controls access of people and goods into and out of the Strip. It controls Gaza's airspace, borders and, as my capture attests, territorial waters.......
Palestinians have a right to live free of Israeli occupation. That will not be possible, however, until Palestinians control their land borders, air space and coastal waters. Until then, Gaza will be little more than a Bantustan over which Israel exercises control.
The incoming Obama administration should withhold financial and military aid to Israel until it ends the blockade and should demand the free flow of people, goods, and services in and out of Gaza. Then I would feel my ordeal had been well worthwhile. "
(Darlene Wallach of San Jose is a participant in the Free Gaza Movement)
Special to the Mercury News
"On Nov. 18, the Israeli military kidnapped me — a Jewish American leaving behind the comforts of San Jose — and 17 others from three Palestinian fishing vessels plying Gaza's coastal waters. Two other international human rights workers and I were accompanying 15 Palestinian fishermen to provide witness to and documentation of the frequent harassment and attacks by the Israeli navy. Our seizure belies Israel's claim that it no longer occupies Gaza and its 1.5 million people.
Israel's military occupation of Gaza did not end with the withdrawal of its soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005. Israel still controls access of people and goods into and out of the Strip. It controls Gaza's airspace, borders and, as my capture attests, territorial waters.......
Palestinians have a right to live free of Israeli occupation. That will not be possible, however, until Palestinians control their land borders, air space and coastal waters. Until then, Gaza will be little more than a Bantustan over which Israel exercises control.
The incoming Obama administration should withhold financial and military aid to Israel until it ends the blockade and should demand the free flow of people, goods, and services in and out of Gaza. Then I would feel my ordeal had been well worthwhile. "
Yes We Con, and Con, and........This is Change??
Obama to base his Middle East policy on army of envoys
"Jerusalem has received various reports in recent weeks indicating that American foreign policy in the Middle East and in Southeast Asia after president-elect Barack Obama takes office will operate on the basis of special envoys who will report directly to Obama and his designated secretary of state, Hillary Clinton.....
However, senior government sources in Jerusalem said that the information they have received indicates that the new administration is planning a hierarchy of about five special envoys to various regions, overseen by a kind of "super coordinator," who would answer directly to the president and the secretary of state.....
The most prominent name in consideration for the top coordinator post is Dennis Ross, who served as President Bill Clinton's special envoy to the Middle East. Ross' name has also come up as a possible senior adviser to Hillary Clinton.
The envoy to the Middle East would oversee the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, negotiations between Syria and Israel and the situation in Lebanon.
Short-listed for this job are Colin Powell, who was President George W. Bush's secretary of state during his first term; Dan Kurtzer, U.S. ambassador to Israel from 2001 to 2005; and Martin Indyk, who is close to Hillary Clinton and who served as U.S. ambassador to Israel from 1995 to 1997 and from 2000 to 2001........"
"Jerusalem has received various reports in recent weeks indicating that American foreign policy in the Middle East and in Southeast Asia after president-elect Barack Obama takes office will operate on the basis of special envoys who will report directly to Obama and his designated secretary of state, Hillary Clinton.....
However, senior government sources in Jerusalem said that the information they have received indicates that the new administration is planning a hierarchy of about five special envoys to various regions, overseen by a kind of "super coordinator," who would answer directly to the president and the secretary of state.....
The most prominent name in consideration for the top coordinator post is Dennis Ross, who served as President Bill Clinton's special envoy to the Middle East. Ross' name has also come up as a possible senior adviser to Hillary Clinton.
The envoy to the Middle East would oversee the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, negotiations between Syria and Israel and the situation in Lebanon.
Short-listed for this job are Colin Powell, who was President George W. Bush's secretary of state during his first term; Dan Kurtzer, U.S. ambassador to Israel from 2001 to 2005; and Martin Indyk, who is close to Hillary Clinton and who served as U.S. ambassador to Israel from 1995 to 1997 and from 2000 to 2001........"
Livni Tells Obama to Go Back to Africa?
Tzipi’s Nation-State
IT SOUNDS like an invented story. And indeed it is.
By Uri Avnery
"In this tale, an American politician gets up and declares: The United States was founded by British Protestants who were persecuted in Europe for their Puritan beliefs. Therefore, the United States is an Anglo-Saxon Protestant state.
And he goes on: the United States is also a democratic state. Therefore, people with another background – such as Native Americans, Africans, Latinos, Asians and Jews – enjoy full equality. But they must know that the United States is an Anglo-Saxon nation-state, while they belong to other nation-states.
Sounds far-fetched? Indeed it is. No American politician would dream of uttering such a statement, even if he might feel it in his heart.
Here in Israel one can say such a thing, and nobody gets excited.
THIS WEEK Tzipi Livni did just that. She was speaking to high-school pupils – the audience preferred by our politicians, who know that the great majority of them are conformists who will listen to anything without protest. Standing in front of these pupils, boys and girls, who will be called up by the army in a year or two, Tzipi disclosed her inner convictions.
Israel, she said, is a Jewish and democratic state. The Arab citizens enjoy full civil rights. But they must know that this is the Jewish nation-state, while they belong to another nation, and their nation-state will be the putative Palestinian state......"
IT SOUNDS like an invented story. And indeed it is.
By Uri Avnery
"In this tale, an American politician gets up and declares: The United States was founded by British Protestants who were persecuted in Europe for their Puritan beliefs. Therefore, the United States is an Anglo-Saxon Protestant state.
And he goes on: the United States is also a democratic state. Therefore, people with another background – such as Native Americans, Africans, Latinos, Asians and Jews – enjoy full equality. But they must know that the United States is an Anglo-Saxon nation-state, while they belong to other nation-states.
Sounds far-fetched? Indeed it is. No American politician would dream of uttering such a statement, even if he might feel it in his heart.
Here in Israel one can say such a thing, and nobody gets excited.
THIS WEEK Tzipi Livni did just that. She was speaking to high-school pupils – the audience preferred by our politicians, who know that the great majority of them are conformists who will listen to anything without protest. Standing in front of these pupils, boys and girls, who will be called up by the army in a year or two, Tzipi disclosed her inner convictions.
Israel, she said, is a Jewish and democratic state. The Arab citizens enjoy full civil rights. But they must know that this is the Jewish nation-state, while they belong to another nation, and their nation-state will be the putative Palestinian state......"
Real News Video: Blagojevic scandal emblematic of systemic problem
Josh Israel: System needs tougher ethics laws and open disclosure
"Illinois State Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested on corruption charges on Tuesday. Accused of scheming to enrich himself by selling President-elect Barack Obama's open senate seat for cash or a lucrative job for himself. The incoming administration remains confident that no member of its team was involved with the deal. According to court papers, the governor tried to make it known through emissaries, including union officials and fundraisers, that the seat could be had for the right price. Ignoring calls for his resignation, Blagojevich was charged with two counts: Conspiracy to commit fraud, and solicitation to commit bribery. The governor has denied all wrongdoing. Josh Israel from The Center for Public Integrity believes that what the system needs "are tougher ethics laws and open disclosure.""
"Illinois State Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested on corruption charges on Tuesday. Accused of scheming to enrich himself by selling President-elect Barack Obama's open senate seat for cash or a lucrative job for himself. The incoming administration remains confident that no member of its team was involved with the deal. According to court papers, the governor tried to make it known through emissaries, including union officials and fundraisers, that the seat could be had for the right price. Ignoring calls for his resignation, Blagojevich was charged with two counts: Conspiracy to commit fraud, and solicitation to commit bribery. The governor has denied all wrongdoing. Josh Israel from The Center for Public Integrity believes that what the system needs "are tougher ethics laws and open disclosure.""
What am I bid for a Senate seat? Half a million should do it
Out of America: Chicago politics has always been a sewer, but this scandal is a throwback to the days of Al Capone
By Rupert Cornwell
The Independent
".....You couldn't make this stuff up. Home-state boy Barack Obama wins the presidency, and even before the result is in, Blagojevich is out to sell, yes sell, his US Senate seat. After all, as he told a crony in a now globally famous chat on 3 November, a day before the election, a seat in the greatest deliberative body on earth "is a fucking valuable thing: you don't just give it away for nothing". And, if further extracts from the federal wiretaps are correct, someone quickly came forward with $500,000 (£335,000) on behalf of an un-named "Candidate 5"......
Part of the pleasure lies in hoary caricatures that have again been proved true. We all knew Chicago and Illinois politics was a sewer. Now we have a profanity-spewing Chicago-born governor offering a US Senate seat to the highest bidder; putting the squeeze on the local paper; and enforcing the Chicago political speciality of "pay to play" bribes, or"contributions", in return for a slice of city or state business. And this guy wanted to run for president in 2016?
And just like in the gangster movies, there are good guys as well. Federal District Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald (who prosecuted former governor George Ryan, currently serving a six-year prison term for corruption), could be a reincarnation of Eliot Ness, federal agent and nemesis of Al Capone, with a similar mission of cleaning up Chicago.
Of course, it hasn't been fun for everyone. A few weeks ago, Obama's state and adopted city were brimming with pride about the local boy made good.......
....But it's turned the spotlight on the grubby habits of the state where Obama's political career began. Once again, disreputable former associates – however distant – such as the convicted graft peddler Tony Rezko, once an Obama fund-raiser, are in the headlines.
Fitzgerald stresses that there is no hint of impropriety by Obama. But hometown sleaze is not what he wanted to be talking about as he set about building a new administration to open a new chapter in Washington.....
The process is polluted by money. All told, the 2008 election cost $5.3bn, with $2.4bn poured into the presidential campaign alone. The line between the politicians, lobbyists and downright bribery is often blurred......"
By Rupert Cornwell
The Independent
".....You couldn't make this stuff up. Home-state boy Barack Obama wins the presidency, and even before the result is in, Blagojevich is out to sell, yes sell, his US Senate seat. After all, as he told a crony in a now globally famous chat on 3 November, a day before the election, a seat in the greatest deliberative body on earth "is a fucking valuable thing: you don't just give it away for nothing". And, if further extracts from the federal wiretaps are correct, someone quickly came forward with $500,000 (£335,000) on behalf of an un-named "Candidate 5"......
Part of the pleasure lies in hoary caricatures that have again been proved true. We all knew Chicago and Illinois politics was a sewer. Now we have a profanity-spewing Chicago-born governor offering a US Senate seat to the highest bidder; putting the squeeze on the local paper; and enforcing the Chicago political speciality of "pay to play" bribes, or"contributions", in return for a slice of city or state business. And this guy wanted to run for president in 2016?
And just like in the gangster movies, there are good guys as well. Federal District Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald (who prosecuted former governor George Ryan, currently serving a six-year prison term for corruption), could be a reincarnation of Eliot Ness, federal agent and nemesis of Al Capone, with a similar mission of cleaning up Chicago.
Of course, it hasn't been fun for everyone. A few weeks ago, Obama's state and adopted city were brimming with pride about the local boy made good.......
....But it's turned the spotlight on the grubby habits of the state where Obama's political career began. Once again, disreputable former associates – however distant – such as the convicted graft peddler Tony Rezko, once an Obama fund-raiser, are in the headlines.
Fitzgerald stresses that there is no hint of impropriety by Obama. But hometown sleaze is not what he wanted to be talking about as he set about building a new administration to open a new chapter in Washington.....
The process is polluted by money. All told, the 2008 election cost $5.3bn, with $2.4bn poured into the presidential campaign alone. The line between the politicians, lobbyists and downright bribery is often blurred......"
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