Uzi Arad, who is expected to serve as national security adviser in the next Israeli government, has been barred from entering the United States for nearly two years on the grounds that he is an intelligence risk.
Mr. Arad, a former member and director of intelligence for the Mossad, Israel's spy service, is mentioned in the indictment of Lawrence Franklin, a former Pentagon analyst who pleaded guilty in 2005 to providing classified information about Iran in a conversation with two employees of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). cont
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Obama and the Empire
Will He Sell Himself Into His Own Defeat?
By BILL and KATHLEEN CHRISTISON
CounterPunch
"Various people have asked recently, “What are the implications of the global economic crisis for US policies in the Middle East, and will Middle East countries lean more or less toward the US as they suffer their own economic crises?” Not simple questions, but here, presented very briefly, are our first shots at them......
So the conclusion that one comes to if this second scenario turns out to be true is that we are facing a very dangerous period in world history. There are indeed forces in both the United States and Israel that want a clash of civilizations and are definitely not against further wars, and these forces are powerful. Obviously, the first nation to be affected by implementation of this scenario would be Iran. At this point it is impossible to know whether Obama will want to, or be able to, prevent these forces from dominating future US policies throughout the Middle East."
By BILL and KATHLEEN CHRISTISON
CounterPunch
"Various people have asked recently, “What are the implications of the global economic crisis for US policies in the Middle East, and will Middle East countries lean more or less toward the US as they suffer their own economic crises?” Not simple questions, but here, presented very briefly, are our first shots at them......
So the conclusion that one comes to if this second scenario turns out to be true is that we are facing a very dangerous period in world history. There are indeed forces in both the United States and Israel that want a clash of civilizations and are definitely not against further wars, and these forces are powerful. Obviously, the first nation to be affected by implementation of this scenario would be Iran. At this point it is impossible to know whether Obama will want to, or be able to, prevent these forces from dominating future US policies throughout the Middle East."
Justice for Rachel, justice for the Palestinians
Cindy and Craig Corrie, The Electronic Intifada, 16 March 2009
(Cindy and Craig Corrie are the parents of Rachel Corrie, who was killed by the Israeli army while protecting a Palestinian doctor's home from being demolished on 16 March 2003.)
Rachel Corrie and another international activist defending a Palestinian home shortly before Corrie was killed by the Israeli army bulldozer. (International Solidarity Movement)
"We thank all who continue to remember Rachel and who, on this sixth anniversary of her stand in Gaza, renew their own commitments to human rights, justice and peace in the Middle East. The tributes and actions in her memory are a source of inspiration to us and to others.....
Despite the pain, we have once again felt privileged to enter briefly into the lives of Rachel's Palestinian friends in Gaza. We are moved by their resilience and heartened by their song, dance and laughter amidst the tears. Rachel wrote in 2003, "I am nevertheless amazed at their strength in being able to defend such a large degree of their humanity -- laughter, generosity, family time -- against the incredible horror occurring in their lives ... I am also discovering a degree of strength and the basic ability for humans to remain human in the direst of circumstances ... I think the word is dignity." On this sixth anniversary of Rachel's killing, we echo her sentiments. "
(Cindy and Craig Corrie are the parents of Rachel Corrie, who was killed by the Israeli army while protecting a Palestinian doctor's home from being demolished on 16 March 2003.)
Rachel Corrie and another international activist defending a Palestinian home shortly before Corrie was killed by the Israeli army bulldozer. (International Solidarity Movement)
"We thank all who continue to remember Rachel and who, on this sixth anniversary of her stand in Gaza, renew their own commitments to human rights, justice and peace in the Middle East. The tributes and actions in her memory are a source of inspiration to us and to others.....
Despite the pain, we have once again felt privileged to enter briefly into the lives of Rachel's Palestinian friends in Gaza. We are moved by their resilience and heartened by their song, dance and laughter amidst the tears. Rachel wrote in 2003, "I am nevertheless amazed at their strength in being able to defend such a large degree of their humanity -- laughter, generosity, family time -- against the incredible horror occurring in their lives ... I am also discovering a degree of strength and the basic ability for humans to remain human in the direst of circumstances ... I think the word is dignity." On this sixth anniversary of Rachel's killing, we echo her sentiments. "
Ensuring maximum casualties in Gaza
Eva Bartlett, The Electronic Intifada, 16 March 2009
".....The dart bomb attacks came the morning after invading Israeli soldiers killed 35-year-old paramedic Arafa Abd al-Dayem. Along with another medic and ambulance driver, Abd al-Dayem was targeted by the lethal darts just after 10:10am on 4 January while trying to aide civilians already attacked by Israeli forces in northern Gaza's Beit Lahia area. Within two hours of being shredded by multiple razor-sharp darts, Arafa Abd al-Dayem died as a result of slashes to his lungs, limbs and internal organs......."
".....The dart bomb attacks came the morning after invading Israeli soldiers killed 35-year-old paramedic Arafa Abd al-Dayem. Along with another medic and ambulance driver, Abd al-Dayem was targeted by the lethal darts just after 10:10am on 4 January while trying to aide civilians already attacked by Israeli forces in northern Gaza's Beit Lahia area. Within two hours of being shredded by multiple razor-sharp darts, Arafa Abd al-Dayem died as a result of slashes to his lungs, limbs and internal organs......."
Project Life: World Orphan Rehabilitation Program
Written by Janet Zimmerman
"The horrendous crimes that were perpetrated by Israel have left hundreds of families destitute. Many are faced with no other option but to live in one of the many tent camps scattered throughout the rubbles of Gaza. These tents offer only limited protection from the elements, and those who live in them are given nothing but blankets and an inadequate food supply. The children that live here suffer from malnutrition and trauma. Their childlike dreams have turned into nightmares......
Project Life is a non-profit organization, and therefore we need your help. Your contribution will help cover the children's expenses, so please donate today and help restore these children's lost lives. Your generous donation is a step towards aiding the children of Gaza whose childhoods were stolen for a reason they never committed. They were the only losers out of this fierce and deadly war, and our humanity urges us to intervene and bring them out of this mayhem. This is your opportunity to contribute in the efforts to help save the Palestinian children. It cannot be done without you.
For more information, please take a look at our website:
Web: http://www.worldlifeinstitute.org/projlife.htm
Donations: http://www.worldlifeinstitute.org/clickto_donations.html
Janet Zimmerman, Representative"
"The horrendous crimes that were perpetrated by Israel have left hundreds of families destitute. Many are faced with no other option but to live in one of the many tent camps scattered throughout the rubbles of Gaza. These tents offer only limited protection from the elements, and those who live in them are given nothing but blankets and an inadequate food supply. The children that live here suffer from malnutrition and trauma. Their childlike dreams have turned into nightmares......
Project Life is a non-profit organization, and therefore we need your help. Your contribution will help cover the children's expenses, so please donate today and help restore these children's lost lives. Your generous donation is a step towards aiding the children of Gaza whose childhoods were stolen for a reason they never committed. They were the only losers out of this fierce and deadly war, and our humanity urges us to intervene and bring them out of this mayhem. This is your opportunity to contribute in the efforts to help save the Palestinian children. It cannot be done without you.
For more information, please take a look at our website:
Web: http://www.worldlifeinstitute.org/projlife.htm
Donations: http://www.worldlifeinstitute.org/clickto_donations.html
Janet Zimmerman, Representative"
Gazans Struggle for Clean Drinking Water
By Mel Frykberg
"RAMALLAH, Mar 17 (IPS) - As environmental experts, NGOs and government officials gather in Istanbul this week to attend the Fifth World Water Forum, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has drawn attention to the critical water situation in Gaza.
"ICRC teams are repairing water and sewage systems in Gaza that were badly damaged during the three-week Israeli military operation in January," the ICRC says in a media release.
"According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, one-fifth of the population had no direct access to drinking water, and relied on water purchased from private suppliers. Today, thousands of people still have no access to running water."
Much of Gaza's infrastructure was destroyed during Israel's military assault on the coastal territory during Operation Cast Lead, which created a critical humanitarian situation on the ground....."
"RAMALLAH, Mar 17 (IPS) - As environmental experts, NGOs and government officials gather in Istanbul this week to attend the Fifth World Water Forum, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has drawn attention to the critical water situation in Gaza.
"ICRC teams are repairing water and sewage systems in Gaza that were badly damaged during the three-week Israeli military operation in January," the ICRC says in a media release.
"According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, one-fifth of the population had no direct access to drinking water, and relied on water purchased from private suppliers. Today, thousands of people still have no access to running water."
Much of Gaza's infrastructure was destroyed during Israel's military assault on the coastal territory during Operation Cast Lead, which created a critical humanitarian situation on the ground....."
A HERETIC IS PUNISHED IN WASHINGTON
By Eric Margolis
"The White House publicly humiliated US National Intelligence Director, Adm. Dennis Blair last week by forcing him to cancel appointing veteran diplomat Charles W. Freeman Jr. as the chairman of the National Intelligence Council, one of the nation’s most important national security posts.....
Now comes the humiliation of Freeman and Adm. Blair, and the State Department’s tilt towards Israel. All this adds up to a `new’ US Mideast policy that may be not so different from that of President Bush, except perhaps for less overt antagonism toward Iran – at least for a while- and occasional chirps about aiding `moderate’(read: obedient) Palestinians....
But, interestingly, Obama’s foreign policy has veered far to the right from his original anti-war, reformist image....
Obama promised 30,000 US troops would reach Afghanistan. Most alarmingly, after promising the US would get out of Iraq, President Obama now plans to keep some 50,000 American `training’ troops there and large numbers of mercenaries....
This sounds more like the Imperial-talking Bush than the so-called `anti-war’ Barack Obama. "
"The White House publicly humiliated US National Intelligence Director, Adm. Dennis Blair last week by forcing him to cancel appointing veteran diplomat Charles W. Freeman Jr. as the chairman of the National Intelligence Council, one of the nation’s most important national security posts.....
Now comes the humiliation of Freeman and Adm. Blair, and the State Department’s tilt towards Israel. All this adds up to a `new’ US Mideast policy that may be not so different from that of President Bush, except perhaps for less overt antagonism toward Iran – at least for a while- and occasional chirps about aiding `moderate’(read: obedient) Palestinians....
But, interestingly, Obama’s foreign policy has veered far to the right from his original anti-war, reformist image....
Obama promised 30,000 US troops would reach Afghanistan. Most alarmingly, after promising the US would get out of Iraq, President Obama now plans to keep some 50,000 American `training’ troops there and large numbers of mercenaries....
This sounds more like the Imperial-talking Bush than the so-called `anti-war’ Barack Obama. "
Washington Post Shows Its Hand
By Philip Giraldi
"The Washington Post is apparently losing lots of money and may close in the foreseeable future, barring a deus ex machina intervention by some foreign billionaire such as saved the New York Times. While the decline of newspapers worldwide is regrettable, the Post's troubles are really good news, and bankruptcy would be a richly deserved fate for a rag that has been an enabler of every neocon fantasy for the past 20 years. Imagine no longer having to enjoy Charles Krauthammer, Fred Kagan, John Bolton, Bill Kristol, and Robert Kaplan with your morning coffee.
The Post's particular veneration for all things Israeli goes back quite a ways. Long-time readers can well recall the odious Herblock cartoons depicting Arabs as Dracula clones dressed in bedsheets and carrying bloody knives, while Israelis were always depicted as pleasant-looking, peaceful chaps just like you and me. It was almost like having the movie Exodus on a printed page......"
"The Washington Post is apparently losing lots of money and may close in the foreseeable future, barring a deus ex machina intervention by some foreign billionaire such as saved the New York Times. While the decline of newspapers worldwide is regrettable, the Post's troubles are really good news, and bankruptcy would be a richly deserved fate for a rag that has been an enabler of every neocon fantasy for the past 20 years. Imagine no longer having to enjoy Charles Krauthammer, Fred Kagan, John Bolton, Bill Kristol, and Robert Kaplan with your morning coffee.
The Post's particular veneration for all things Israeli goes back quite a ways. Long-time readers can well recall the odious Herblock cartoons depicting Arabs as Dracula clones dressed in bedsheets and carrying bloody knives, while Israelis were always depicted as pleasant-looking, peaceful chaps just like you and me. It was almost like having the movie Exodus on a printed page......"
Plan to Split Taliban Lures Obama Deeper Into War
By Gareth Porter
".....News reports this past week have raised the possibility of negotiations by Afghan, Saudi, and Pakistani officials with the Taliban leadership that could result in an agreement not to allow an al-Qaeda presence on Afghan territory in return for U.S. and NATO withdrawal and assurances that they will not intervene in the country as long as al-Qaeda is kept out.
The strategy of splitting off "reconcilable" insurgents may make commitment to an indefinite continuation of the U.S. military effort more palatable to key U.S. officials, including Obama himself, who know that the war cannot be won through military efforts....."
".....News reports this past week have raised the possibility of negotiations by Afghan, Saudi, and Pakistani officials with the Taliban leadership that could result in an agreement not to allow an al-Qaeda presence on Afghan territory in return for U.S. and NATO withdrawal and assurances that they will not intervene in the country as long as al-Qaeda is kept out.
The strategy of splitting off "reconcilable" insurgents may make commitment to an indefinite continuation of the U.S. military effort more palatable to key U.S. officials, including Obama himself, who know that the war cannot be won through military efforts....."
Call for inquiry into Gaza war
By Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem
"The European Union has been urged to call for an independent inquiry into possible war crimes committed during Israel's 22-day military offensive in Gaza.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) wrote to EU foreign ministers to seek their backing for an inquiry into its "allegations of serious violations of international law [by Israel and Hamas]... which may constitute war crimes". The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights estimates that 1,434 Palestinians, including 960 civilians, were killed in the offensive.
Alleged violations by Israel include using 155mm artillery and white phosphorus in built-up areas.
HRW says it has documented six cases in which troops fired on groups of Palestinians holding white flags. And it claims Israel used an "unjustifiably expansive definition" of military targets to attack civilian facilities connected to Hamas......."
"The European Union has been urged to call for an independent inquiry into possible war crimes committed during Israel's 22-day military offensive in Gaza.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) wrote to EU foreign ministers to seek their backing for an inquiry into its "allegations of serious violations of international law [by Israel and Hamas]... which may constitute war crimes". The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights estimates that 1,434 Palestinians, including 960 civilians, were killed in the offensive.
Alleged violations by Israel include using 155mm artillery and white phosphorus in built-up areas.
HRW says it has documented six cases in which troops fired on groups of Palestinians holding white flags. And it claims Israel used an "unjustifiably expansive definition" of military targets to attack civilian facilities connected to Hamas......."
Victory for the left in El Salvador
Mauricio Funes's election win means the rights of the country's indigenous people will at last be recognised and defended
Richard Gott
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 March 2009
"El Salvador is the most tragic and oppressed country in the Americas, yet today it wakes up to a new dawn of hope and anticipation, with the election victory of Mauricio Funes, the candidate of a historic leftwing party, the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). Funes himself is a journalist, a former television presenter and a moderate social democrat, but his party is the heir to the principal radical tradition in the country established over the past 80 years, years of extreme conservatism punctuated by periods of excruciating violence unleashed on the population by the most reactionary landed oligarchy in the Americas. The 500-year struggle in Latin America between indigenous peoples and white settlers from Europe is finally being won, and El Salvador will now take its place beside Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador as a country where the rights of the continent's indigenous peoples are recognised and defended......"
Richard Gott
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 March 2009
"El Salvador is the most tragic and oppressed country in the Americas, yet today it wakes up to a new dawn of hope and anticipation, with the election victory of Mauricio Funes, the candidate of a historic leftwing party, the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). Funes himself is a journalist, a former television presenter and a moderate social democrat, but his party is the heir to the principal radical tradition in the country established over the past 80 years, years of extreme conservatism punctuated by periods of excruciating violence unleashed on the population by the most reactionary landed oligarchy in the Americas. The 500-year struggle in Latin America between indigenous peoples and white settlers from Europe is finally being won, and El Salvador will now take its place beside Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador as a country where the rights of the continent's indigenous peoples are recognised and defended......"
غباء أميركي وإسرائيلي
عبد الستار قاسم
على المستوى العربيمأزق القضية الفلسطينيةعلى المستوى الفلسطينيعلى المستوى العراقيعلى المستوى الإسلاميحصاد خاسر
".....
أغلب الأنظمة إما منصّبة من الاستعمار الغربي وبرعاية أميركية الآن، أو محمية عسكريا من الأميركيين أو ممولة من أهل الغرب عموما. فقط أميركا وإسرائيل تسعيان بصورة واضحة إلى صناعة حالة عدم الاستقرار في قلة من الدول العربية تتمرد جزئيا على سياستيهما، وتحاول بصورة متواضعة تغيير الأوضاع في المنطقة
....
الدولتان تعملان عن سابق إصرار وتعمد على الإبقاء على الاستبداد العربي لأنه وحده الذي يطوع الأمة العربية ومقدراتها لهما. تتبادل الأنظمة العربية مع أميركا وإسرائيل المصالح: الأنظمة تريد البقاء في السلطة، وإسرائيل وأميركا تريدان السيطرة ونهب الثروات وإبقاء العرب ضعفاء متخلفين. في نفس الوقت يخدم التشهير بالأنظمة تلميع صورة إسرائيل على المستوى الشعبي الغربي، وإبقاء الأنظمة العربية تحت وطأة الشعور بالدونية
....
ربما يكون العرب أقل الناس احتراما في العالم، وأكثرهم عرضة للإهانات والهزائم. السبب هو أن أهل الغرب يصرون على إبقاء الأنظمة العربية ضعيفة حتى لا تفكر يوما بالحرية أو الثأر لشرف أهين أو أرض استبيحت أو كرامة انتهكت, ولا يتوانون في ضرب أي نظام عربي يجمع القوة ويبدأ يبشر بخلاص الأمة من نير المستعمرين
.....
هل مثل هذه الأنظمة قادرة في النهاية على الاستمرار في خدمة إسرائيل وأميركا بدون عراقيل؟ أغلب الأنظمة العربية مرتاحة للخدمات التي تقدمها، لكنها في كثير من الأحيان تجد نفسها في وضع صعب لأنها تواجه وعيا عربيا متزايدا.
صحيح أن الوعي العملي لم يتطور حتى الآن ليشكل خطورة على الأنظمة، لكن الوعي النظري بحقيقة الأنظمة يزداد يوما بعد يوم، وإسرائيل وأميركا تساعدان في ذلك عبر سياستيهما اللتين لا تعيران انتباها لأهمية الإبقاء على بعض الكرامة لمن يقدمون لهم الخدمات
....
حاولت هذه الأنظمة إنجاز شيء للفلسطينيين عبر السنوات وفشلت فشلا ذريعا من ناحية الحقوق ومن ناحية إيقاف إجراءات إسرائيل في تهويد الأرض المحتلة عام 1967. قدمت القمة عام 2002 مبادرة هزيلة متناسبة تماما مع هزال الأنظمة، لكن إسرائيل رفضت مجرد مناقشتها.
قدمت الأنظمة العربية تنازلات كبيرة جدا فيما يخص القضية، ومنها من اعترف بإسرائيل، ومنها من طبع العلاقات معها، ورغم ذلك رفضت إسرائيل وأميركا تقديم أي شيء لهذه الأنظمة من شأنه أن يبقي على بعض ماء الوجه لديها
.....
لم تحاول إسرائيل وأميركا بناء صورة جيدة لشركائهما، وارتاحت الدولتان لعملية الفساد والانفلات الأمني التي سادت الضفة الغربية وغزة، وكأنهما راهنتا على أن مطلب الشعب الفلسطيني سيصبح مستقبلا البحث عن حل لمشاكلهم لدى إسرائيل فقط.
كانت تدرك إسرائيل أن الاتفاق معها خاصة فيما يتعلق بالتنسيق الأمني لا يمكن أن ينفذه فلسطينيون محترمون، وإنما فلسطينيون ساقطون جاهزون لبيع أنفسهم مقابل الغنائم والمتع. ولهذا مدّت للسلطة الفلسطينية حبل الجبروت على الشعب لكي تنتفي الثقة الداخلية الفلسطينية، وتتحول إلى ثقة بالمحتل والمستعمر
.... لكنها فضلت أن تتعامل مع عراة غير قادرين على ستر أي جزء من عوراتهم. إسرائيل لم تكن تبحث عن استسلام جزئي، وإنما أرادت استسلاما مع انبطاح مهين.
.....
أما إسرائيل فأفشلت أصدقاءها من العرب وشركاءها من الفلسطينيين، وكان عليها أن تخوض حربين فاشلتين ضد المقاومتين اللبنانية والفلسطينية. المقاومة تكسب زخما وتأييدا على الساحة العربية وهي قوية وصلبة وتزداد قوة، أما الأنظمة العربية فتشعر بالأرض تهتز من تحتها لا تدري كيف تتدبر أمورها.
ميزان القوى التقليدي في المنطقة لم يعد قائما، واستطاعت إيران أن تهزه بقوة عبر تقدمها العلمي والتقني وعبر دعم المقاومة. لم تعد إسرائيل قادرة على القيام بما كانت تقوم به في السابق، ولا الولايات المتحدة.
زمجرت أميركا ضد إيران ولم تفلح، وإسرائيل توعدت المقاومة في غزة، لكنها فشلت في كسر ظهرها
....
لم يعد بإمكان قادة العرب تمرير ما كانوا قادرين على تمريره من تنازلات في السابق، وهم الآن منهمكون في البحث عن أساليب ووسائل تجنبهم الانهيار أمام زحف إستراتيجي جديد يجتاح المنطقة.
كان بالإمكان تقوية قادة عرب وفلسطينيين عبر إعطائهم بعض الشيء ليصبحوا به أكثر جرأة على قمع شعوبهم، لكن الحكمة لا تأتي الذين يطغون في الأرض ويفسدون فيها."
على المستوى العربيمأزق القضية الفلسطينيةعلى المستوى الفلسطينيعلى المستوى العراقيعلى المستوى الإسلاميحصاد خاسر
".....
أغلب الأنظمة إما منصّبة من الاستعمار الغربي وبرعاية أميركية الآن، أو محمية عسكريا من الأميركيين أو ممولة من أهل الغرب عموما. فقط أميركا وإسرائيل تسعيان بصورة واضحة إلى صناعة حالة عدم الاستقرار في قلة من الدول العربية تتمرد جزئيا على سياستيهما، وتحاول بصورة متواضعة تغيير الأوضاع في المنطقة
....
الدولتان تعملان عن سابق إصرار وتعمد على الإبقاء على الاستبداد العربي لأنه وحده الذي يطوع الأمة العربية ومقدراتها لهما. تتبادل الأنظمة العربية مع أميركا وإسرائيل المصالح: الأنظمة تريد البقاء في السلطة، وإسرائيل وأميركا تريدان السيطرة ونهب الثروات وإبقاء العرب ضعفاء متخلفين. في نفس الوقت يخدم التشهير بالأنظمة تلميع صورة إسرائيل على المستوى الشعبي الغربي، وإبقاء الأنظمة العربية تحت وطأة الشعور بالدونية
....
ربما يكون العرب أقل الناس احتراما في العالم، وأكثرهم عرضة للإهانات والهزائم. السبب هو أن أهل الغرب يصرون على إبقاء الأنظمة العربية ضعيفة حتى لا تفكر يوما بالحرية أو الثأر لشرف أهين أو أرض استبيحت أو كرامة انتهكت, ولا يتوانون في ضرب أي نظام عربي يجمع القوة ويبدأ يبشر بخلاص الأمة من نير المستعمرين
.....
هل مثل هذه الأنظمة قادرة في النهاية على الاستمرار في خدمة إسرائيل وأميركا بدون عراقيل؟ أغلب الأنظمة العربية مرتاحة للخدمات التي تقدمها، لكنها في كثير من الأحيان تجد نفسها في وضع صعب لأنها تواجه وعيا عربيا متزايدا.
صحيح أن الوعي العملي لم يتطور حتى الآن ليشكل خطورة على الأنظمة، لكن الوعي النظري بحقيقة الأنظمة يزداد يوما بعد يوم، وإسرائيل وأميركا تساعدان في ذلك عبر سياستيهما اللتين لا تعيران انتباها لأهمية الإبقاء على بعض الكرامة لمن يقدمون لهم الخدمات
....
حاولت هذه الأنظمة إنجاز شيء للفلسطينيين عبر السنوات وفشلت فشلا ذريعا من ناحية الحقوق ومن ناحية إيقاف إجراءات إسرائيل في تهويد الأرض المحتلة عام 1967. قدمت القمة عام 2002 مبادرة هزيلة متناسبة تماما مع هزال الأنظمة، لكن إسرائيل رفضت مجرد مناقشتها.
قدمت الأنظمة العربية تنازلات كبيرة جدا فيما يخص القضية، ومنها من اعترف بإسرائيل، ومنها من طبع العلاقات معها، ورغم ذلك رفضت إسرائيل وأميركا تقديم أي شيء لهذه الأنظمة من شأنه أن يبقي على بعض ماء الوجه لديها
.....
لم تحاول إسرائيل وأميركا بناء صورة جيدة لشركائهما، وارتاحت الدولتان لعملية الفساد والانفلات الأمني التي سادت الضفة الغربية وغزة، وكأنهما راهنتا على أن مطلب الشعب الفلسطيني سيصبح مستقبلا البحث عن حل لمشاكلهم لدى إسرائيل فقط.
كانت تدرك إسرائيل أن الاتفاق معها خاصة فيما يتعلق بالتنسيق الأمني لا يمكن أن ينفذه فلسطينيون محترمون، وإنما فلسطينيون ساقطون جاهزون لبيع أنفسهم مقابل الغنائم والمتع. ولهذا مدّت للسلطة الفلسطينية حبل الجبروت على الشعب لكي تنتفي الثقة الداخلية الفلسطينية، وتتحول إلى ثقة بالمحتل والمستعمر
.... لكنها فضلت أن تتعامل مع عراة غير قادرين على ستر أي جزء من عوراتهم. إسرائيل لم تكن تبحث عن استسلام جزئي، وإنما أرادت استسلاما مع انبطاح مهين.
.....
أما إسرائيل فأفشلت أصدقاءها من العرب وشركاءها من الفلسطينيين، وكان عليها أن تخوض حربين فاشلتين ضد المقاومتين اللبنانية والفلسطينية. المقاومة تكسب زخما وتأييدا على الساحة العربية وهي قوية وصلبة وتزداد قوة، أما الأنظمة العربية فتشعر بالأرض تهتز من تحتها لا تدري كيف تتدبر أمورها.
ميزان القوى التقليدي في المنطقة لم يعد قائما، واستطاعت إيران أن تهزه بقوة عبر تقدمها العلمي والتقني وعبر دعم المقاومة. لم تعد إسرائيل قادرة على القيام بما كانت تقوم به في السابق، ولا الولايات المتحدة.
زمجرت أميركا ضد إيران ولم تفلح، وإسرائيل توعدت المقاومة في غزة، لكنها فشلت في كسر ظهرها
....
لم يعد بإمكان قادة العرب تمرير ما كانوا قادرين على تمريره من تنازلات في السابق، وهم الآن منهمكون في البحث عن أساليب ووسائل تجنبهم الانهيار أمام زحف إستراتيجي جديد يجتاح المنطقة.
كان بالإمكان تقوية قادة عرب وفلسطينيين عبر إعطائهم بعض الشيء ليصبحوا به أكثر جرأة على قمع شعوبهم، لكن الحكمة لا تأتي الذين يطغون في الأرض ويفسدون فيها."
Monday, March 16, 2009
Gaza: World's leading investigators call for war crimes inquiry
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson and Justice Richard Goldstone among signatories 'shocked to core' by recent events
A 16-strong group of the world's most experienced investigators and judges have today (16 March) called for a full international investigation into alleged abuses of international law during the recent Gaza conflict.
The call, supported by Amnesty International, is made in an open letter (full text below) to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as well as all members of the UN Security Council. The letter comes at a time when a UN Board of Inquiry is expected to report to the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on its initial findings regarding attacks on UN facilities and personnel in the region.
The new letter stresses the need for an investigation into 'all serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by all parties to the conflict'. It argues that the UN investigation 'should not be limited only to attacks on UN facilities.'
The signatories - who have led investigations of crimes committed in former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Darfur, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, East Timor, Lebanon and Peru - say that they have been 'shocked to the core' by events in Gaza. The signatories argue that they 'have seen at first hand the importance of investigating the truth and delivering justice for the victims of conflict and believe it is a precondition to move forward and achieve peace in the Middle East.'
The letter's signatories - who include Antonio Cassese (First President and Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and Head of the UN Inquiry on Darfur) and Richard Goldstone (Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda and Chairman of the UN Inquiry on Kosovo) - urge world leaders 'to send an unfaltering signal that the targeting of civilians during conflict is unacceptable by any party on any count.'
The letter calls for the establishment of a United Nations commission of inquiry into the Gaza conflict that:
Has a mandate to carry out a prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation of all allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by all parties to the conflict
Acts in accordance with the strictest international standards governing such investigations
Can provide recommendations as to the appropriate prosecution of those responsible for gross violations of the law by the relevant authorities
Prof. William A. Schabas, former member of the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a signatory to the letter, said: 'The international community must apply the same standard to Gaza as it does to other conflicts and investigate all abuses of the laws of war and human rights. The current UN inquiry is no substitute for a full investigation. It is not only the UN personnel that deserve truth and justice, but Palestinians and Israelis themselves.'
The signatories conclude that: 'relief and reconstruction are desperately needed but, for the real wounds to heal, we must also establish the truth about crimes perpetuated against civilians on both sides.'
A 16-strong group of the world's most experienced investigators and judges have today (16 March) called for a full international investigation into alleged abuses of international law during the recent Gaza conflict.
The call, supported by Amnesty International, is made in an open letter (full text below) to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as well as all members of the UN Security Council. The letter comes at a time when a UN Board of Inquiry is expected to report to the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on its initial findings regarding attacks on UN facilities and personnel in the region.
The new letter stresses the need for an investigation into 'all serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by all parties to the conflict'. It argues that the UN investigation 'should not be limited only to attacks on UN facilities.'
The signatories - who have led investigations of crimes committed in former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Darfur, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, East Timor, Lebanon and Peru - say that they have been 'shocked to the core' by events in Gaza. The signatories argue that they 'have seen at first hand the importance of investigating the truth and delivering justice for the victims of conflict and believe it is a precondition to move forward and achieve peace in the Middle East.'
The letter's signatories - who include Antonio Cassese (First President and Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and Head of the UN Inquiry on Darfur) and Richard Goldstone (Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda and Chairman of the UN Inquiry on Kosovo) - urge world leaders 'to send an unfaltering signal that the targeting of civilians during conflict is unacceptable by any party on any count.'
The letter calls for the establishment of a United Nations commission of inquiry into the Gaza conflict that:
Has a mandate to carry out a prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation of all allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by all parties to the conflict
Acts in accordance with the strictest international standards governing such investigations
Can provide recommendations as to the appropriate prosecution of those responsible for gross violations of the law by the relevant authorities
Prof. William A. Schabas, former member of the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a signatory to the letter, said: 'The international community must apply the same standard to Gaza as it does to other conflicts and investigate all abuses of the laws of war and human rights. The current UN inquiry is no substitute for a full investigation. It is not only the UN personnel that deserve truth and justice, but Palestinians and Israelis themselves.'
The signatories conclude that: 'relief and reconstruction are desperately needed but, for the real wounds to heal, we must also establish the truth about crimes perpetuated against civilians on both sides.'
No recognition of the evil State
By Khalid Amayreh
"...In any case, Palestinians, especially the dignified amongst them who I believe constitute the majority, are not going to commit moral suicide, so that they may be recognized as “rehabilitated” by America. Indeed, if our legitimacy as a people depends on recognizing the murderous Israel and subsequently obtaining from America a certificate of good conduct, we will then prefer to remain “terrorist.”!!!
This is because evil must never be accepted as legitimate, and Israel is an intrinsically evil entity.....
To Arab despots
And now, a few words to Arab tyrants from Bahrain to Morocco who are trying to tell us that our enemy is Iran not Israel.
Well, when will you ever understand? Are you drunk? Are you stupid? Are you blind? Can’t you realize that your disgraceful embrace of the false American Qibla (1) is causing irreparable damage to the cause of Sunni Islam. Don’t your advisors and intelligence apparatuses and think tanks tell you that your continued whoring subservience to the American hubal (2) will make more and more Muslims and Arabs shun “the corrupt religion of the Sultan” in favor of truly dignified symbols of resistance, such as Hamas, Hizbullah and Iran....
Have you lost all semblance of national pride? Is clinging to power so paramount that you are willing to sacrifice anything and everything for it?
Surely, history will not be kind to you. History can’t be kind to people who don’t respect themselves and their peoples and countries. A leader, let alone an unelected leader, who doesn’t respect his own people, will not be respected, neither by friend nor by foe......."
"...In any case, Palestinians, especially the dignified amongst them who I believe constitute the majority, are not going to commit moral suicide, so that they may be recognized as “rehabilitated” by America. Indeed, if our legitimacy as a people depends on recognizing the murderous Israel and subsequently obtaining from America a certificate of good conduct, we will then prefer to remain “terrorist.”!!!
This is because evil must never be accepted as legitimate, and Israel is an intrinsically evil entity.....
To Arab despots
And now, a few words to Arab tyrants from Bahrain to Morocco who are trying to tell us that our enemy is Iran not Israel.
Well, when will you ever understand? Are you drunk? Are you stupid? Are you blind? Can’t you realize that your disgraceful embrace of the false American Qibla (1) is causing irreparable damage to the cause of Sunni Islam. Don’t your advisors and intelligence apparatuses and think tanks tell you that your continued whoring subservience to the American hubal (2) will make more and more Muslims and Arabs shun “the corrupt religion of the Sultan” in favor of truly dignified symbols of resistance, such as Hamas, Hizbullah and Iran....
Have you lost all semblance of national pride? Is clinging to power so paramount that you are willing to sacrifice anything and everything for it?
Surely, history will not be kind to you. History can’t be kind to people who don’t respect themselves and their peoples and countries. A leader, let alone an unelected leader, who doesn’t respect his own people, will not be respected, neither by friend nor by foe......."
Intifada: A third chapter
By Ramzy Baroud
Asia Times
"Israel's attack on Gaza is still fresh in the minds of Palestinians, though rumors of a third uprising abound in the face of mass arrests, extrajudicial executions, house demolitions and - perhaps the most contentious of all - increased settlement construction in the Occupied Territories......
......As for two generations of Palestinians who lived through the first and second Intifadas, scribing rebellious graffiti, hurling stones at occupying soldiers and refusing to buy the Israeli products that were imposed on them (while impeding the growth of Palestinian local industry) may not have unshackled a hostage nation.
Indeed, it may not in the future, but a third Intifada, in the eyes of many, could accomplish one vital task. It could provide the platform for the Palestinians to reclaim their unity (despite the prevailing factionalism of today) and declare that they will struggle until the day when they finally embrace freedom. If this is all that a third Intifada accomplishes, in the eyes of many Palestinians, then it is certainly a necessary and worthy endeavor. "
Asia Times
"Israel's attack on Gaza is still fresh in the minds of Palestinians, though rumors of a third uprising abound in the face of mass arrests, extrajudicial executions, house demolitions and - perhaps the most contentious of all - increased settlement construction in the Occupied Territories......
......As for two generations of Palestinians who lived through the first and second Intifadas, scribing rebellious graffiti, hurling stones at occupying soldiers and refusing to buy the Israeli products that were imposed on them (while impeding the growth of Palestinian local industry) may not have unshackled a hostage nation.
Indeed, it may not in the future, but a third Intifada, in the eyes of many, could accomplish one vital task. It could provide the platform for the Palestinians to reclaim their unity (despite the prevailing factionalism of today) and declare that they will struggle until the day when they finally embrace freedom. If this is all that a third Intifada accomplishes, in the eyes of many Palestinians, then it is certainly a necessary and worthy endeavor. "
US Consul General Says Awaiting Israeli Report on IDF Shooting of American Citizen
Democracy Now!
With Amy Goodman
"An American activist from Oakland, California was critically injured Friday when Israeli soldiers fired a tear gas canister directly at his head at the close of a weekly nonviolent protest against the wall in the West Bank village of N’alin. Thirty-seven-year-old Tristan Anderson underwent brain surgery on Saturday, and parts of his right frontal lobe and shattered bone fragments were removed. He remains in critical condition. We go to the hospital in Tel Aviv to speak with Anderson’s partner, Gabrielle Silverman, and to Andrew Parker, the US Consul General in Tel Aviv....."
With Amy Goodman
"An American activist from Oakland, California was critically injured Friday when Israeli soldiers fired a tear gas canister directly at his head at the close of a weekly nonviolent protest against the wall in the West Bank village of N’alin. Thirty-seven-year-old Tristan Anderson underwent brain surgery on Saturday, and parts of his right frontal lobe and shattered bone fragments were removed. He remains in critical condition. We go to the hospital in Tel Aviv to speak with Anderson’s partner, Gabrielle Silverman, and to Andrew Parker, the US Consul General in Tel Aviv....."
On Trip to Gaza, Parents of Slain Peace Activist Rachel Corrie Remember Their Daughter Six Years After Her Death
Democracy Now!
With Amy Goodman
"Today marks the sixth anniversary of the killing of American peace activist Rachel Corrie by an Israeli military bulldozer in Rafah. She had been trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home near the border with Egypt when she was killed. Democracy Now! producer Anjali Kamat and Jacquie Soohen of Big Noise Films traveled to Gaza last week with a women’s peace delegation and Rachel’s parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie. They remember their daughter and talk about the plight of the Palestinian people.....
Democracy Now! producer Anjali Kamat and Jacquie Soohen of Big Noise Films traveled to Gaza last week with the Code Pink delegation and Rachel’s parents. They visited some of the families Rachel had stayed with and whose homes she had tried to protect. Most of those homes were destroyed by Israeli bulldozers in 2004 and some of the new homes people had moved into were attacked during and since Israel"s latest 22-day military operation.
Anjali Kamat and Jacquie Soohen caught up with Rachel’s parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie at the end of their trip last week, as they waited on the Rafah border for Egypt to open the crossing. They also speak with Rachel’s friends Naima Shayer and Abu Jameel about their memories of Rachel. Democracy now!"
With Amy Goodman
"Today marks the sixth anniversary of the killing of American peace activist Rachel Corrie by an Israeli military bulldozer in Rafah. She had been trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home near the border with Egypt when she was killed. Democracy Now! producer Anjali Kamat and Jacquie Soohen of Big Noise Films traveled to Gaza last week with a women’s peace delegation and Rachel’s parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie. They remember their daughter and talk about the plight of the Palestinian people.....
Democracy Now! producer Anjali Kamat and Jacquie Soohen of Big Noise Films traveled to Gaza last week with the Code Pink delegation and Rachel’s parents. They visited some of the families Rachel had stayed with and whose homes she had tried to protect. Most of those homes were destroyed by Israeli bulldozers in 2004 and some of the new homes people had moved into were attacked during and since Israel"s latest 22-day military operation.
Anjali Kamat and Jacquie Soohen caught up with Rachel’s parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie at the end of their trip last week, as they waited on the Rafah border for Egypt to open the crossing. They also speak with Rachel’s friends Naima Shayer and Abu Jameel about their memories of Rachel. Democracy now!"
Obama 'urged to engage Hamas'
Several ex-senior officials in the US government have written to Barack Obama, the president, urging him to seek dialogue with the Palestinian Hamas movement, a newspaper report says.
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