Wednesday, April 22, 2009

نجاد يفضح الهوان العربي


نجاد يفضح الهوان العربي

عبد الباري عطوان

"كنت اتمنى شخصياً، لو ان زعيماً عربياً، من دول الاعتدال او الممانعة، لا فرق، هو الذي اعتلى منبر المؤتمر الدولي لمكافحة العنصرية في مقر الامم المتحدة في جنيف، وفضح الدولة العبرية، واماط اللثام عن وجهها العنصري القبيح، ولكن الرئيس الايراني محمود احمدي نجاد قام بالمهمة على اكمل وجه، وحقق ما لم يحققه زعماء اثنتين وعشرين دولة عربية، بل والرئيس الفلسطيني نفسه الذي تغيب كلياً عن المؤتمر لاسباب ما زلنا نجهلها حتى هذه اللحظة.

ففي الوقت الذي ينشغل فيه قادة عرب، من دول الاعتدال خاصة، في تحريض فرق 'الردح الاعلامي' ضد ايران و'حزب الله'، وخلق فتنة مذهبية بين ابناء العقيدة الواحدة، يذهب الرئيس الايراني الى جنيف، ويعتلي منبر الامم المتحدة، ويتمسك بالمواقف التي تخلى عنها العرب، ويشرح للعالم بأسره مدى الظلم الذي وقع على شعب عربي مسلم على ايدي الصهيونية والغرب الداعم لها
.....
ان هذا الانسحاب هو دليل اضافي على استمرار هذه الدول وقيادتها في دعم العنصرية وتعميق جذورها، خاصة في هذا الوقت الذي تحكم فيه اسرائيل بحكومة تضم عتاة العنصريين اليهود، تشترط اعتراف العرب بالطابع اليهودي الصرف لدولتهم، مما يعني طرد مليون ومئتي ألف مسيحي ومسلم عربي لأنهم من ديانات اخرى
......
نشعر بالحزن والاحباط لان الوفود العربية الرسمية المشاركة في مؤتمر جنيف مارست دورا 'تخريبيا' لمصلحة اسرائيل، عندما خضعت للابتزاز الامريكي الاسرائيلي، وازالت جميع الفقرات التي تبناها مؤتمر ديربان الاول، والتي اشارت الى اسرائيل بالاسم كدولة عنصرية، من مشروع البيان الختامي.

وما يحزننا اكثر ان الوفد الفلسطيني، وبأوامر من السلطة في رام الله، هو الذي قاد الترويج والضغط من اجل الرضوخ لهذا الابتزاز على امل رفع 'الفيتو' الامريكي ـ الاسرائيلي عن المؤتمر، وهو ما لم يحدث في نهاية المطاف، وذهبت هذه التنازلات هباء منثورا، وكررت موقفاً عربياً تاريخياً في تقديم التنازلات مجانا ودون مقابل للطرف الآخر.
نحمد الله كثيرا، ان الوفود العربية المشاركة في مؤتمر جنيف لم تنسحب تضامنا مع نظيراتها الاوروبية احتجاجا على كلمة نجاد، وخيبت ظننا ببقائها في مقاعدها، لان بعض الدول العربية باتت تعتبر ايران هي العدو الاكبر وليس اسرائيل.
ففي زمن الهوان العربي الذي نعيشه حاليا، كل شيء ممكن وجائز، ولم يعد يفاجئنا اي تصرف من اي طرف عربي، خاصة ما يسمى بمحور الاعتدال، بما في ذلك ان نرى ليبرمان يستقبل بالاحضان كوزير خارجية في اكثر من عاصمة عربية.
"

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Prosecutors Considering Dropping Espionage Charges Against Former AIPAC Lobbyists

Review Comes Amid Reports That Rep. Harman Was Overheard on Wiretaps Agreeing to Seek Lenient Treatment for Them

Washington Post

"Federal prosecutors are considering whether to drop the charges against two former pro-Israel lobbyists accused of violating the Espionage Act, law enforcement sources and lawyers close to the case said today.

The review comes amid reports that Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) was overheard on federal wiretaps allegedly promising to intervene with the Bush administration on behalf of the two lobbyists. The sources said the prospect of dropping the charges is unrelated to the disclosures about Harman's alleged role......."

Lieberman tells Russian newspaper: U.S. will accept any Israeli decision


HAARETZ

"The Obama Administration will put forth new peace initiatives only if Israel wants it to, said Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in his first comprehensive interview on foreign policy since taking office.

"Believe me, America accepts all our decisions," Lieberman told the Russian daily Moskovskiy Komosolets......

During the interview, Lieberman said Iran is not Israel's biggest strategic threat; rather, Afghanistan and Pakistan are. This comes after years of Lieberman warning about the growing Iranian threat. Now, he has dropped Tehran to number two, with Iraq coming third....."

The success of surge ?

Saul Landau 
Zent

The increased number of U.S. soldiers did allow U.S. forces to disarm some Sunnis in Baghdad. Then, the U.S. occupiers invited Shiite militias to invade Sunni neighborhoods and ethnically cleanse them. By mid 2007, Baghdad, once about 65% Sunni, emerged as a predominantly Shiite city. Indeed, leader of the multinational armies in Iraq General David Petraeus, now in charge of Central Command, purposely or inadvertently encouraged Shiites to drive Sunnis from their homes. Many went to Syria. (George Hunsinger, Common Dreams.org, October 23, 2008)

In other words, Bush was paying unknown quantities of U.S. taxpayers' money to Iraqis in return for them not attacking U.S. forces. So, while the infusion of more U.S. troops played some role in cutting down violence, it didn't compete with the part played by death squads. Bob Woodward in The War Within (Simon & Schuster, 2008) suggests that by creating Iraqi "Death Squads" the Pentagon also helped reduce fighting in Iraq. A "Top Secret" memo, according to Woodward, implies that U.S. forces targeted certain Sunni groups for systematic assassination. This operation, like the CIA's Phoenix Program in Vietnam, called for killing those who refused to "reconcile" to U.S. reason; they wouldn't even take bribes.

Thus far, thousands of Iraqi professors, scientists, and doctors have been assassinated. Bush's rescue of Iraq also cost the lives of some 350 journalists. Tens of thousands of prisoners remain in detention camps and, according to a UN report, "the detention of children in adult detention centers violates U.S. obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as accepted international human rights norms." (AP, May 19, 2008)

The Royal Asshole Wants to Make a Deposit!



King Abdullah floats 'deposit' to spur Israel

"King Abdullah of Jordan told Jewish leaders here Friday that Arab countries need to take steps to encourage Israel to advance final-status negotiations with the Palestinians, according to several participants in the closed-door meeting.

.....it was the first time he spoke about Arab responsibilities for moving the process forward beyond the confines of the Arab Peace Initiative, and suggested it indicated new possibilities for regional peace-making. Several meeting attendees said that Abdullah staked out the concept of an "Arab deposit," or commitment of deliverables.....

Jewish leaders who participated in the conversation, however, said Abdullah also referred to Iran and the impetus it provides for working together to solve the regional discord."He thought that there was more common ground than ever existed before between Arabs and Israelis, given the common threat of Iran,"......

US officials are increasingly referring to the Arab peace plan as an approach that could provide a way forward, and appreciate Abdullah's efforts to maintain support in the Arab world for the program. The proposal offers Israel full normalization with Arab countries....."

Video: Palestinians hail Ahmadinejad Durban Review speech


Israel and its Bodyguards, by Carlos Latuff


(Click on cartoon to enlarge)

Two-State Solution



Two-State Solution.....
By Naser Jafari

Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll


This poll asks:

To what do you ascribe the lack of progress in the discussions in Cairo, between the various Palestinian organizations, external pressures or sharp divisions among the organizations?

With about 1,000 responding so far, 83% said external pressures.

السلطة تعتقل المفكر الفلسطيني عبد الستار قاسم


[COMMENT: This is a very serious development and goes to show the extent to which the collaborating PA thugs will go to stifle any criticism of the stooge Abbas and his Dayton "Security" forces.

All Palestinians in the West Bank need to speak up against this quisling PA and such tactics of a police state, when a state does not even exist! The PA now clearly plays an important role in reinforcing the Israeli occupation, confiscation of Palestinian land and preparation for the liquidation of what is left of the cause.

My question to the Palestinians in the West Bank is this:
If you are not going to speak up now, when will you? Tomorrow might be too late!]

"اعتقل جهاز الأمن الوقائي التابع للسلطة الفلسطينية المفكر وأستاذ الدراسات الفلسطينية بجامعة النجاح الوطنية بنابلس عبد الستار قاسم بعد أن دهم منزله مساء أمس الاثنين.

وقالت عائلة الدكتور قاسم إن أفرادا من الأمن الوقائي حضروا مساء أمس إلى المنزل واخبروه بضرورة أن يحضر معهم خوفا على حياته، خاصة أن الدكتور قاسم كان قد تعرض قبل ذلك لتهديدات بالقتل من أشخاص مجهولين عبر اتصال هاتفي به.

وأشارت العائلة في حديثها للجزيرة نت إلى أن جهاز الأمن الوقائي أخبرهم أن الدكتور قاسم موجود لديه لأمر احترازي "لحمايته وخوفا على حياته" بعد تلقيه التهديد.

وفي اتصال مع الجزيرة نت وصف فيصل نجل الدكتور قاسم عملية الاعتقال بأنها مفبركة ومخطط لها منذ زمن، موضحا أن نفس الشخص الذي أطلق النار على الشيخ حامد البيتاوي رئيس رابطة علماء فلسطين عضو المجلس التشريعي عن حركة المقاومة الإسلامية (حماس) بالضفة، هدد والده بالقتل.

وأشار إلى أن الدكتور قاسم اتصل بالشرطة شاكيا فطلبت منه الحضور قبل أن يفاجئ بوصول سيارة الأمن الوقائي وعلى متنها أربعة أشخاص سلموه ورقة استدعاء للتحقيق، مؤكدا أنه ذهب للشرطة وتم احتجازه هناك.

وكشف فيصل أن الأمن الوقائي يزعم أن الدكتور قاسم يواجه قضية تشهير لتصريحات أدلى بها عبر محطات تلفزة فضائية وسيتم توجيه تهمة له بهذا الشأن.

ودعا فيصل -باسم أسرة الدكتور قاسم- المؤسسات الحقوقية الفلسطينية والعربية والدولية إلى العمل على إطلاق سراحه وضمان أمنه.

وكان الدكتور قاسم قد تحدث أمس إلى بعض وسائل الإعلام عن قيام أشخاص وصفهم بالمجهولين بتهديده عبر الاتصال به.

واعتقل الدكتور قاسم قبل عدة أشهر من قبل أجهزة السلطة الوطنية بمدينة نابلس لعدة أيام وأطلق سراحه بعد ذلك، كما تعرضت سيارته الخاصة قبل عدة أسابيع للحرق من قبل أشخاص مجهولين بينما كانت في منزله في منطقة الجبل الجنوبي بمدينة نابلس، ولم تعرف أسباب ذلك أو من يقف خلفها
....."

The Story of Mitchell Jessen & Associates: How a Team of Psychologists in Spokane, WA, Helped Develop the CIA’s Torture Techniques


Democracy Now!
With Amy Goodman

"We broadcast from Spokane, Washington, less than three miles from the headquarters of a secretive CIA contractor that played a key role in developing the Bush administration’s interrogation methods. The firm, Mitchell Jessen & Associates, is named after the two military psychologists who founded the company, James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen. Beginning in 2002, the CIA hired the psychologists to train interrogators in brutal techniques, including waterboarding, sleep deprivation and pain. We speak with three journalists who have closely followed the story...."

Gilad Atzmon – Ahmadinejad: “Read My Lips” plus Full Text of Speech


By Gilad Atzmon

Palestine Think Tank

"Once again I find myself saluting Iranian President Ahmadinejad, in full support of his words. No one could do better bringing to light European racial discriminatory sentiments.

What we saw yesterday at the UN Anti Racism Forum was crude collective institutional Islamophobic racism in its making, a coordinated show of rabid western chauvinism. A bunch of European diplomats behaving as a herd of sheep, exhibiting complete denial of the notion of freedom of speech and the culture of debate.

Eloquently and profoundly, President Ahmadinejad was stating the full truth and expressing some universally acknowledged facts.

Israel is indeed a racist state!......"

VIDEO: Taxpayers, Where Is Your Money Going?

Tax dollars are allocated to financing the war and the "bank bailout"

by Michel Chossudovsky
Global Research, April 20, 2009


The writing on the wall spells "freedom"


Arjan El Fassed, The Electronic Intifada, 20 April 2009

""My dear Palestinian brothers and sisters, I have come to your land and I have recognized shades of my own." These are the first 20 words of an open letter written by Farid Esack, a South African scholar and political activist known for his role in the struggle against apartheid. The total length of his letter is 1,998 carefully chosen words in which he argues that the situation in Palestine is worse than it ever was in South Africa under apartheid rule. Esack, a black South African who worked closely with Nelson Mandela, is astonished at how ordinary people beat about the bush when it comes to Israel and the dispossession and suffering of the Palestinians. "Do 'objectivity,' 'moderation,' and seeing 'both sides' not have limits?" he asks. "Is moderation in matters of clear injustice really a virtue?......."

Al-Quds Al-Arabi: Ahmadinejad Only Told the Truth


Al-Manar

"21/04/2009 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has exposed the West’s double standards, the London-based Al-Quds al Arabi said.

The Iranian President stressed in his speech at the anti-racism conference in Durban on Monday that Israel was a racist Zionist entity and that the West was seeking to solve the “Jewish problem” at the expense of the Palestinian people.

According to the daily, European delegations that left the conference room have clearly expressed their support to Israel’s racism and to the massacres committed by this entity, the last of which was in Gaza a few months ago. These delegations, the daily adds, have established that they do not really believe in democracy and freedom of speech. “If they did, they would not have cut their participation and responded to the Iranian President with convincing proof, however they do not believe in democracy and freedom of speech when they expose the racist nature of a state they founded and are acquainted with its barbaric practices against innocent people,” the daily said......."
Original Editorial (in Arabic):

نجاد لم يقل غير الحقيقة
رأي القدس

POLITICS-US: Prominent Lawmaker Caught Up In AIPAC Scandal


By Daniel Luban

(Jane Harman, left)

"WASHINGTON, Apr 20 (IPS) - A U.S. government investigation of Israeli spying caught a prominent Democratic congresswoman discussing what is alleged to be a "quid pro quo" deal involving the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Washington’s powerful hawkish pro-Israel lobby.

Representative Jane Harman of California was recorded in 2005 on a National Security Administration (NSA) wiretap promising a suspected Israeli agent that she would intervene on behalf of two AIPAC staffers accused of passing classified information to the Israeli government, and her interlocutor responded by promising to help get Harman appointed to a top congressional intelligence post, according to an article published Sunday by Congressional Quarterly (CQ)........"

The Death of Bassem Abu Rahme


By Frank Barat
(Frank Barat is in the organizing committee of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine and a member of Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK.)

Palestine Chronicle

(Left: Bassem Abu Rahme. (Activestills.org))

"On April the 17th, like any Fridays afternoon for the last 4 years, the small village of Bil'in, north of Ramallah, was preparing for the usual demonstration against Israel's annexation wall (some people call it apartheid wall or separation wall. The Israeli government refers to it as the security fence).

The village of Bil'in has, since the mid eighties, lost more than 60% of its land for the purpose of Israeli growing settlements and the construction of the wall......

....As soon as prayer was over with, the demonstration started to move forward in direction of the wall, a few kilometers away.

You can be sure that Bassem (aka Phil) was right at the front of the march. He always was. I had met Bassem a few times while visiting Bil'in. He was a strong looking man, singing the loudest.....

....and Bassem too, screamed “We are in a non violent protest, there are kids and internationals...”. He was shot in the chest and never managed to finish his sentence. He fell on the floor, moved a little bit, fell again, and died......

The international community (for what it means) will not mention this “incident” (it is for them) and continue issuing calls for the Palestinians to renounce violence and resist peacefully while saying nothing about Israel's killings (since the start of the second Intifada, 87% of the dead have been Palestinians), violations of international law and oppression of the Palestinians......."

The lessons of Ireland

This riches-to-rags story is an example for Obama - and the world - of how not to run an economy

Paul Krugman
The Guardian, Tuesday 21 April 2009

"'What," asked my interlocutor, "is the worst-case outlook for the world economy?" It wasn't until the next day that I came up with the right answer: America could turn Irish.

What's so bad about that? Well, the Irish government now predicts that this year GDP will fall more than 10% from its peak, crossing the line that is sometimes used to distinguish between a recession and a depression......

That's one reason I'm so concerned about the Obama administration's bank plan. If, as some of us fear, taxpayer funds end up providing windfalls to financial operators instead of fixing what needs to be fixed, we might not have the money to go back and do it right.

And the lesson of Ireland is that you really, really don't want to put yourself in a position where you have to punish your economy in order to save your banks."

خلطة فاسدة.. سلطة وانتخابات ومعونات ومقاومة


ياسر الزعاترة

"الذين عارضوا مشاركة حركة المقاومة الإسلامية (حماس) في الانتخابات التشريعية مطلع العام 2006، ونحن منهم، لم يفعلوا ذلك إلا إدراكا لحقيقة أن هذه السلطة قد صممت لخدمة الاحتلال، ومعها ديمقراطيتها، والذين سهّلوا مشاركة الحركة فيها لم يكونوا يريدون الخير بها ولا بالقضية الفلسطينية (الكاتب الإسرائيلي المعروف (عكيفا الدار وصفها في أحد مقالاته بأنها "الاختراع العبقري المسمى سلطة فلسطينية"، فهل يعني ذلك شيئا بالنسبة للبعض؟).
.....
لو أعلنت حماس أنها أرادت نتيجة الانتخابات تأكيدا على انحياز الجماهير لخيار المقاومة، وأنها لا تقبل بواقع السلطة القائم ولا تشارك فيه، لوجهت صفعة تاريخية لخيار المفاوضات، ولتركت فتح تتفكك في صراع السلطة
ولكان بالإمكان الحديث عن حسم الخيار الإسلامي في القضية الفلسطينية بدل التنازع القائم
......
الاعتقالات التي جرت في الضفة ضد عدد من قادة ورموز حماس جاءت لتذكّر الغارقين في الوهم مرة أخرى بأن الديمقراطية تحت الاحتلال كذبة كبرى، وأن بقاءها رهن بخدمتها لبرنامج الاحتلال، أما إذا تمردت عليه فمصير رموزها السجون والمعتقلات
.....
واللافت بالطبع أن تأتي موجة الاعتقالات في وقت لم تتوقف فيه الاعتقالات من طرف السلطة، ولم يفرج عن المعتقلين من أجل إنجاح حوار القاهرة. وكما يريد الإسرائيليون هذه الاعتقالات وسيلة ابتزاز من أجل عيون الجندي شاليط، فضلا عن عدم السماح للحركة بترميم صفوفها، فإن الطرف الآخر يستخدمها لذات الغرض الأخير (تمهيدا للانتخابات)، فضلا عن الضغط من أجل فرض المصالحة ضمن الرؤية التي يتبناها.

نتذكر هنا أن مسألة الحفاظ على الأمن الإسرائيلي هي جزء أساسي من مهمات تلك السلطة، وإذا لم تقم بها على أكمل وجه، فإن لدى الطرف الآخر وسائله للضغط، المباشر
....
ليس ثمة في الأفق غير استمرار الانفصال بين الضفة وقطاع غزة في حال فشل الحوار في الوصول إلى الأهداف التي يريدها قادة السلطة، ومعهم مصر والأميركان والإسرائيليون، أما إذا نجح ووصلنا إلى محطة الانتخابات، فالمتاهة مؤكدة
بديل هذه المتاهة معروف وطرحناه من قبل، ونتمنى أن تطرحه حماس والجهاد على الجماهير في الداخل والخارج مهما كان موقف السلطة، ويتمثل في وحدة ميدانية على قاعدة المقاومة حتى دحر الاحتلال دون قيد أو شرط، وإدارة بالتوافق لقطاع غزة بوصفه قاعدة للمقاومة ومنطقة شبه محررة، مع تخلص من أسر المعونات وإعادة الإعمار عبر رمي الكرة في الملعب العربي الرسمي، فضلا عن إلقاء العبء على دولة الاحتلال المسؤولة عن حياة الناس تحت الاحتلال بحسب ميثاق جنيف
......"

Monday, April 20, 2009

PIRATES OF SOMALIA

By Eric Margolis
April 20, 2009

"....But the bitterly anti-Muslim Bush administration quickly engineered an invasion of Somalia by its old foe, Ethiopia, aided by US warplanes and special forces, and overthrew the Islamic-light government which was backed by Ethiopia’s blood enemy, Eritrea. . Ethiopia received generous cash rewards from Washington for its invasion.

Since then, anarchy has reigned. Efforts by the US and Ethiopia to impose a puppet regime on Somalia failed miserably as Somalis, led by a militant Islamic youth group called Shebab, battled Ethiopian occupation forces and their local Somalia stooges. Ethiopia finally withdrew from Somalia, leaving a complete mess behind.

So the US bears a good deal of responsibility for Somalia’s current chaos. Putting this African Humpty-Dumpty back together will make reassembling Iraq look easy....."

If The Shoe Fits....Wear it!


Ahmadinejad Denounces Israeli Racism, Sparks UN Walkout

Al-Manar

"20/04/2009 Dozens of delegates have walked out of a United Nations conference on racism after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, described the Israeli cabinet as a "racist government".......

The Iranian President criticized the creation of a "totally racist government in occupied Palestine" in 1948, calling it "the most cruel and racist regime".

"Following World War II they resorted to military aggressions to make an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering," Ahmadinejad told the conference, on the day that Jewish communities commemorate the Holocaust. "And they sent migrants from Europe, the United States and mother parts of the world in order to establish a totally racist government in the occupied Palestine," he said, according to the official translation. "And in fact, in compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine." .........

Poland became the latest nation Monday to boycott the meeting after the United States, Israel, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and New Zealand. France decided to attend the event but warned that Europeans would walk out if Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was due to address the conference, made "anti-Semitic accusations" during the event.

Ahmadinejad launched a new broadside against Israel before heading to the meeting, saying "the Zionist ideology and regime are the flag bearers of racism."
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told France Info radio: "We will have to be very clear. We will not tolerate any slips." "If he utters racist or anti-Semitic accusations, we will leave the room immediately," Kouchner said......

The European Union's traditional show of unity on international human rights unraveled, as Britain, France and Ireland decided to attend......

Campaign group Human Rights Watch faulted boycotting states for "turning their backs" on victims of racism. Juliette de Rivero of Human Rights Watch said that without Washington there, the meeting could lack diplomatic gravitas. "For us it's extremely disappointing and it's a missed opportunity, really, for the United States," she said. "If the U.S. fails to participate, it will disappoint many who invested hope in the Obama administration's commitment to engage internationally to protect human rights.""

"Shut up" a Poem by Khamees Lutfi (dedicated to all Arab leaders)


 

شَتْ ابْ "

أنا السببْ .

في كل ما جرى لكم

يا أيها العربْ .

سلبتُكم أنهارَكم

والتينَ والزيتونَ والعنبْ .

أنا الذي اغتصبتُ أرضَكم

وعِرضَكم ، وكلَّ غالٍ عندكم

أنا الذي طردتُكم

من هضْبة الجولان والجليلِ والنقبْ .

والقدسُ ، في ضياعها ، كنتُ أنا السببْ .

نعم أنا .. أنا السببْ .

أنا الذي لمَّا أتيتُ : المسجدُ الأقصى ذهبْ .

أنا الذي أمرتُ جيشي ، في الحروب كلها

بالانسحاب فانسحبْ .

أنا الذي هزمتُكم

أنا الذي شردتُكم

وبعتكم في السوق مثل عيدان القصبْ .

أنا الذي كنتُ أقول للذي

يفتح منكم فمَهُ :

" شَتْ ابْ "

***

نعم أنا .. أنا السببْ .

في كل ما جرى لكم يا أيها العربْ .

وكلُّ من قال لكم ، غير الذي أقولهُ ،

فقد كَذَبْ .

فمن لأرضكم سلبْ .؟!

ومن لمالكم نَهبْ .؟!

ومن سوايَ مثلما اغتصبتكم قد اغتَصبْ ..؟!

أقولها صريحةً ،

بكل ما أوتيتُ من وقاحةٍ وجرأةٍ ،

وقلةٍ في الذوق والأدبْ .

أنا الذي أخذتُ منكم كل ما هبَّ ودبْ .

ولا أخاف أحداً ، ألستُ رغم أنفكم

أنا الزعيمُ المنتخَبْ .!؟

لم ينتخبني أحدٌ لكنني

إذا طلبتُ منكم

في ذات يوم ، طلباً

هل يستطيعٌ واحدٌ

أن يرفض الطلبْ .؟!

أشنقهُ ، أقتلهُ ،

أجعلهُ يغوص في دمائه حتى الرُّكبْ ..

فلتقبلوني ، هكذا كما أنا ، أو فاشربوا " بحر العربْ " ..

ما دام لم يعجبْكم العجبْ .

مني ، ولا الصيامُ في رجبْ .

ولتغضبوا ، إذا استطعتم ، بعدما

قتلتُ في نفوسكم روحَ التحدي والغضبْ .

وبعدما شجَّعتكم على الفسوق والمجون والطربْ .

وبعدما أقنعتكم أن المظاهراتِ فوضى ، ليس إلا ،

وشَغَبْ .

وبعدما علَّمتكم أن السكوتَ من ذهبْ .

وبعدما حوَّلتُكم إلى جليدٍ وحديدٍ وخشبْ .

وبعدما أرهقتُكم

وبعدما أتعبتُكم

حتى قضى عليكمُ الإرهاقُ والتعبْ .

***

يا من غدوتم في يديَّ كالدُّمى وكاللعبْ ..

نعم أنا .. أنا السببْ .

في كل ما جرى لكم

فلتشتموني في الفضائياتِ ، إن أردتم ،

والخطبْ .

وادعوا عليَّ في صلاتكم وردِّدوا :

" تبت يداهُ مثلما تبت يدا أبي لهبْ ".

قولوا بأني خائنٌ لكم ، وكلبٌ وابن كلبْ ..

ماذا يضيرني أنا ؟!

ما دام كل واحدٍ في بيتهِ ،

يريد أن يسقطني بصوتهِ ،

وبالضجيج والصَخبْ .؟!

أنا هنا ، ما زلتُ أحمل الألقاب كلها

وأحملُ الرتبْ .

أُطِلُّ ، كالثعبان ، من جحري عليكم فإذا

ما غاب رأسي لحظةً ، ظلَّ الذَنَبْ ..!

فلتشعلوا النيران حولي واملأوها بالحطبْ .

إذا أردتم أن أولِّيَ الفرارَ والهربْ .

وحينها ستعرفون ، ربما ،

مَن الذي ـ في كل ما جرى لكم ـ

كان السببْ .!؟

 

Chávez's perfect gift to Obama


Presenting Eduardo Galeano's book, Open Veins of Latin America, to Barack Obama was a brilliant idea

Richard Gott
guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 April 2009

"Some surprise has been expressed in the Anglo-Saxon world that Hugo Chávez should have presented a book to Barack Obama by Eduardo Galeano. Ignorance can be the only defence, the very fault that the Venezuelan president had earlier accused his US counterpart of suffering from. For Galeano is one of the most well-known and celebrated writers in Latin America, up there with Gabriel García Márquez, and his huge output of fact and fiction, as well as his journalism, has been published all over the continent. His books have been continuously in print since the 1960s, read voraciously by successive generations.

It was a brilliant idea of Chávez's to give Galeano's Open Veins of Latin America to Obama, since this book, first published in 1971, encapsulates a radical version of the history of Latin America with which most Latin Americans are familiar. Its subtitle, Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent, gives a flavour of its contents, which discuss the way in which Latin America has been dominated and exploited by its European invaders (and later by US corporations) for hundreds of years....."

More Countries Join US, Israel Boycott of UN Racism Conference


Democracy Now!
With Amy Goodman

"A growing number of Western countries are joining the United States and Israel in boycotting the United Nations World Conference on Racism, which opened today in Geneva, Switzerland. Australia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and New Zealand all announced they would boycott the conference soon after the US announced its formal decision not to attend Saturday. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the opening session he was “profoundly disappointed” at the boycotts. We go to Geneva to get the latest......"

UN: Germany joins boycotters of UN racism meeting

A U.N. official says Germany has decided to boycott this week's U.N. racism conference, joining the United States and five other countries who will not attend it.

The U.S., Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Israel and Italy are boycotting the conference out of concern that it could be used by Muslim countries to criticize Israel and limit free speech when it comes to criticizing their religion.[Comment: OK The US , Canada and Australia have a long history of racism and genocidal practices against their indigenous populations, Germany invented Nazism the worst form of modern racism , Italy invented Fascism and has a long history of colonial racist practices in Libya and Ethiopia, it makes total sense why they would boycott a conference on racism, I mean they know exactly what poor Israel is going through !!]

'It is strange that Hollywood Jews would make a film about Muslims'

The president of the European Jewish Congress on Monday waged a verbal attack against members of Hollywood, specifically the makers of Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. 

"I have seen two movies recently made by Jews in Hollywood," said Dr. Moshe Kantor. "One was Valkyrie, which is a pro-Nazi film. The other is Slumdog Millionaire, which deals with the Muslim population in India, and in which one of the characters says, 'Allahu Akhbar' before dying." 

Al-Jazeera Video: Arabs in Israel complain of discrimination - 20 Apr 09



"Israel's treatment of its Arab citizens has raised accusations of racism.

Most Palestinians living in East Jerusalem are not Israeli citizens, instead Israel issues identity cards permitting them to live there.

But now authorities are threatening to retrieve dozens of IDs.

Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland reports from East Jerusalem. "

Real News Video: Past is present in Latin America

At Summit Obama interested in looking forward, while many live the past every day - El Salvador report


More at The Real News


"In their first ever meeting, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gave US President Barack Obama a copy of Eduardo Galeano's classic historical essay, Open Veins of Latin America. Arguably the most complete history of imperialism in Latin America, a clear sign from Chavez that an understanding of the region's history is important to him. But when Obama got to the podium, he announced "I didn't come here to debate the past, I came here to deal with the future." The most recent country to join Latin America's leftist block is El Salvador, with the election of the FMLN's Mauricio Funes to the presidency. El Salvador's Ramon Rivas believes that the only way mutual understanding can be achieved is through a commitment to learning the history as the only path to understanding the present."

You Should Never Reconcile with the Thugs and Collaborators of the PA. You Deal with Them as Hizbullah did with Antoine Lahad.


Hamas legislator wounded by P.A. Security in West Bank

(Left: PA "Security" Thugs Confronting Palestinian Demonstrators in Al-Khalil)

"Hamid Al-Beitawi, a Palestinian Legislative Council member with the Hamas party, was injured Sunday in Nablus by shrapnel from a bullet fired by a Palestinian Authority security officer of the rival Fateh party......

Al-Beitawi told local reporters that he was confronted by a P.A. Security officer when he and his son were leaving the mosque in Nablus after morning prayers. The Palestinian Authority in Nablus said that they had not ordered the officer to carry out the action, and arrested the officer for misusing his authority.....

....The U.S. And Israel have encouraged factional fighting between Hamas and Fateh, and helped put into power the un-elected Fateh government currently ruling in the West Bank. Hamas continues to run the government in the Gaza Strip, and have suffered debilitating closure and a full blockade imposed by Israel and the U.S. As a result."

Where’s Rev. Wright When You Need Him?


By Chris Hedges

"Israel and the United States will together boycott the United Nations World Conference Against Racism in Geneva. Racism, an endemic feature of Israeli and American society, is not, we have decided, open for international inspection. It’s times like this President Obama would do well to heed the sermons of his former pastor......

There will be no delegation from the United States at the U.N. conference on racism. Not this year. Maybe not for several years. But the day will come, I hope, when justice will finally conquer hate, when the truth will allow us to speak as one nation. We can, on that day, send a delegation led by the Rev. Wright as part of reconciliation. "

Obama boycotts racism summit, by Carlos Latuff


(Click on cartoon to enlarge)

Bush’s Torturers

You didn't really expect them to be prosecuted, now did you?

By Justin Raimondo

"......What are Americans to make of all this Abu Ghraib-like chamber of horrors? I compare it to Abu Ghraib, because that is the level of horror we’re all inured to by now, but this is much worse in that it was the official policy of the U.S. government, approved at the highest levels, and not – as some characterized Abu Ghraib – a rogue operation carried out by low-level bad apples. The whole thing was hidden from the public – but not from congressional leaders, who were informed of the harsh interrogation methods and never objected or revealed what they knew. ......"

American Jewish groups must speak up over Gaza (for the benefit of Israel!)

It is a sensitive subject, but the movement for Gaza accountability needs full Jewish participation

Richard Silverstein
guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 April 2009

"When Israeli forces left Gaza in January, they left behind 1,400 Palestinian dead, 4,000 homes destroyed, universities and government buildings flattened, and tens of thousands homeless. The Israeli and world press documented IDF atrocities including the indiscriminate use of white phosphorus in densely populated urban areas, the assault on United Nations humanitarian facilities, the shelling of civilian homes, and the shooting in cold blood of unarmed civilians.

Israeli human rights groups have called for war crimes investigations of IDF actions. In the last few weeks, on-the-ground reports supported by eyewitness testimony have become available. They paint an even more damning picture. The attacks on UN facilities spurred the Palestinian Authority to call for a security council investigation.....

No major American-Jewish peace group has called for a Gaza war crimes investigation. It is a sensitive subject among diaspora Jews. But if Israeli human rights organisations can make such a call, there is no reason why Americans should be afraid to do so. The movement for Gaza accountability needs full Jewish participation.

My motivation in writing this is not to avenge the deaths of innocent Palestinians. Nor is it for pure justice. It is rather to bring Israel back from the brink. Like one of the slogans of the Israeli military during the Gaza war – "baal habayit hishtageya" ("the boss has lost it") – Israel's policy has verged on madness. Nor has it achieved its objective of pacifying Gaza or toppling Hamas. And isn't one of the definitions of madness to repeat a behaviour even after it has failed, with the conviction that it will succeed the next time? When you see a loved one or family member descending into self-destruction, you reach out and help. My goal is to turn Israel away from the path of madness."

Outrage over Israeli It Ain't Half Hot Mum-style show


Critics condemn London show featuring Israeli Defence Force dance troupe as 'ghoulish and retrograde'

Haroon Siddique
guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 April 2009

"An Israeli Defence Force song-and-dance troupe is to perform in London at a show to commemorate the founding of Israel, provoking anger among groups that campaign for the rights of Palestinians.

The IDF group was likened by the event organisers, the Zionist Federation, to the troupe portrayed in the 1970s BBC comedy It Ain't Half Hot Mum – but not everyone sees the funny side.

Human rights groups accused the IDF of committing war crimes during the three-week invasion of the Gaza Strip, which began in December – allegations denied by the Israeli government – and the army is the subject of a UN investigation.

"This is akin to singing and dancing on the graves of the 400 Palestinian children that the IDF was responsible for killing in January," said Chris Doyle, chair of the Council for Arab-British Understanding......"

Sunday, April 19, 2009

المقاومة لا تنتقص من السيادة


A Great Editorial in Arabic

المقاومة لا تنتقص من السيادة

عبد الباري عطوان

".......

فمن يتابع بعض المقالات في صحف 'دول الاعتدال' يجد تركيزاً مكثفاً على نقطتين اساسيتين، الاولى تجريم 'حزب الله' وفعلته، ونزع صفة الوطنية عنها، والثانية 'تقديس' مفهوم الدولة القومية والتشديد على ضرورة الحفاظ على سيادتها وحدودها في مواجهة محاولات الالغاء التي تعتمدها قوى وتجمعات معارضة او متشددة تؤمن بمفهوم الأمة والخلافة الاسلامية العابرة لحدود الدولة مثل 'حزب الله'، وتعمل انطلاقاً من هذه المفاهيم على تقويض مفهوم الدولة، مما سيؤدي الى خلق حالة من الفوضى.
الحفاظ على مفهوم الدولة، وتكريس مبدأ السيادة الوطنية، وإحكام اغلاق الحدود في وجه اي اختراقات من الأمور المسلم بها، والتي لا خلاف عليها، شريطة ان تكون هذه الدولة تدار من قبل حكومة راشدة، تلتزم بشروط العقدين السياسي والاجتماعي، وتلبي حاجات وتطلعات شعوبها الوطنية والقومية.
ولا نبالغ اذا قلنا ان الغالبية الساحقة من الأنظمة والحكومات العربية لا تتوفر فيها هذه الشروط، ولهذا تعتبر في حكم الدول الفاشلة، او تلك التي تتجه بسرعة او ببطء الى هذه النتيجة المحتومة
....
أولو الامر، قادة الدول القومية، منشغلون حالياً في 'استجداء' السلام من خلال تقديم مبادرات وفق الشروط الامريكية، ويوظفون كل اراضي البلاد وثرواتها في خدمة مشاريع الهيمنة الامريكية. فلم يحدث في التاريخ، القديم منه والحديث، ان هبطت ثروة على امة، مثل التي هبطت على الامة العربية. ولم يحدث في التاريخ ان اهدرت هذه الثروات وتبددت بالطريقة التي نراها حالياً، حيث تذهب هذه الثروات في اتجاه واحد الى البنوك وفرص الاستثمارات الغربية، ولا تعود مطلقاً الى اصحابها، ولهذا تستفحل البطالة والامية والامراض، وتتراجع الخدمات الاساسية.

لا بد من التفريق بين أمرين أساسيين، وهما تهريب الأسلحة الى المحاصرين المجوّعين المحتلين، سواء داخل قطاع غزة او أي ارض فلسطينية أخرى، وسواء عبر الحدود المصرية او أي حدود عربية أخرى، وبين الاقدام على هجمات تستهدف اهدافاً ومصالح داخل مصر، فالأول يبدو مشروعاً حسب القوانين والأعراف الدولية، وجرى فرضه من الجانب المصري باغلاق الحدود، وتفجير الانفاق. اما الثاني فيشكل تهديداً مرفوضاً لأمن مصر، ويقدم ذريعة للذين يريدون خلق فتنة بين مصر وأشقائها العرب.
الفوضى السياسية، وما قد يتبعها من فوضى امنية، هي افراز طبيعي متوقع لسياسات رسمية قصيرة النظر لا ترى ابعد من مصالح الحاكم الشخصية، وبطانته الفاسدة. فالمنطقة العربية بركان يغلي من شدة الحيف والقهر، بسبب سلسلة الاهانات المتواصلة على ايدي الاسرائيليين والقوى الاستعمارية.
جميع الانظمة في العالم مستعدة للحرب دفاعاً عن كرامتها، وسيادتها، وقضاياها الوطنية، الا الانظمة العربية الحالية، فالتلفظ، مجرد التلفظ بمفردة 'الحرب' جريمة يعاقب عليها صاحبها بالاتهام بالكفر والزندقة التي تستحق اقامة 'حد الحرابة' اي دق العنق.
امريكا ترسل قوات الى افغانستان والعراق اللذين يبعدان عنها اكثر من عشرة آلاف ميل على الأقل، للدفاع عن مصالحها، واسرائيل الدولة التي لا يزيد عدد سكانها على خمسة ملايين نسمة خاضت حربين في اقل من عامين، واحدة في جنوب لبنان، والثانية في قطاع غزة، وتستعد لخوض حرب ثالثة ضد ايران، وترسل طائراتها لقصف قوافل تنقل اسلحة شرق السودان، بينما الحكومات العربية، ترتعد خوفاً من جماعة متشددة، رغم انها تكرّس نصف ميزانياتها لشراء الاسلحة و'علف' جيوش جرارة تكرّش قادتها من البطالة وقلة الحركة.
بعض الكتاب العرب يدافع عن سيادة وهمية، موجودة فقط في اذهان حكام لا يفهمون معناها، واذا فهموه فإنهم غير مستعدين للدفاع عنها، لانهم رهنوها منذ زمن مقابل حفنة من الفضة.
ما قام به 'حزب الله' من محاولة لتهريب اسلحة هو 'وسام شرف' فعلاً، وليس جريمة، والمجرم الحقيقي هو من يهادن الاعداء ويشارك في حصار وتجويع الاشقاء في الدم والعقيدة، ويطلق العنان لأقلامه المسعورة لنهش اعراض الشرفاء الذين هزموا اعداء الامة واذلوهم، وغيّروا جميع الموازين والمعادلات والنظريات العسكرية بانتصاراتهم غير المسبوقة عربياً.
"

Al-Jazeera Video: Palestinians mourn demonstrator's death - 18 Apr 09



"Hundreds of Palestinians have marched through the West bank town of Bilin to mourn the death of a Palestinian man killed by Israeli troops during a peaceful protest.

Al Jazeera's Clayton Swisher reports on what some observers say is an increase in the level of force Israel uses against unarmed activists. "

ISM Video: Demonstrator killed in Bilin by Israeli forces



"Friday, 17 April 2009: A resident has been killed by Israeli forces during a demonstration. Basem Abu Rahme, 29 years of age, was shot in the stomach with a high-velocity tear gas projectile. The tear-gas projectile, labeled 40 mm bullet, special/long range in Hebrew has also critically injured American national, Tristan Anderson at a demonstration in Nilin on 13 March 2009 when he was shot in the head from 60 meters."

Economy in Jeopardy. Barack Obama: "Financial Crime Boss"

by Stephen Lendman
Global Research, April 18, 2009

"Since taking office, Obama, wittingly or otherwise, has headed the largest criminal enterprise in history - the mass looting of national wealth to enrich his Wall Street benefactors. He assembled a rogue economic team of Clinton/Robert Rubin retreads - to fix the current crisis they engineered.

In a March 13 article, (author and former Republican strategist) Kevin Phillips called them "recycled senior (Clinton administration) Democrats (responsible for the) tech mania, deregulation binge and (1997 - 2000) stock market bubble and crash. (Obama) extend(ed) the (disastrous) mismanagement and pro-Wall Street bias of the 2008 Bush regime bailout."......

In an April 12 commentary, longtime, well-respected Chicago financial journalist Terry Savage headlined "Social Security Myth" in reporting on some of the fallout. Someone has to pay for "fixes" and militarism, that someone is us, and target one is Social Security. According to Savage.....

It's now in jeopardy, so here's what Savage advises. Prepare. "Save more money, (and) start from an honest assessment" of what's coming. What FDR gave will be taken away. "And that's The Savage Truth." A disturbing and outrageous one as well as all the other ways we've been betrayed."

Hoss to Al-Manar: Egyptian Accusations Are Badge of Honor


Al-Manar

"19/04/2009 Lebanon's former Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss criticized on Sunday the Egyptian claims against Hezbollah over backing its Palestinian brothers, recalling of the national role the Resistance party has played, since its creation, in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Speaking to Al-Manar, Hoss noted that the Egyptian accusations should be considered as a "badge of honor" not only by Hezbollah but also by all Arab citizens who consider the Zionist entity their enemy.

"Providing our brothers in Palestine with assistance and support is not a charge but rather a badge of honor and glory for Hezbollah," Hoss said. "Instead of assaulting the Resistance, Arabs should praise Hezbollah and Sami Chehab for their achievement," he emphasized......."

(Click on cartoon to enlarge)

Arab Puppets of the U.S. and Paid Mouthpieces Accuse Hizbullah and Hamas of Being "Iranian Tools"

By Emad Hajjaj