Tuesday, May 17, 2011
A New Nonviolent Resistance Movement Grows as Palestinians Mark Nakba Day with Protests at Syria, Lebanon and Gaza Borders
"Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has declared three days of mourning for the 14 Palestinians killed when Israeli troops opened fire on massive protests at Israel’s multiple borders on Sunday. In an unprecedented action, Palestinian refugees from Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, as well as residents of Gaza, tried to enter Israel. In addition to those killed, hundreds of people were wounded. As many as 300 people from Syria overwhelmed border patrols and briefly entered Israel. The series of protests came on Nakba Day, when Palestinians mourn the 1948 establishment of Israel, which drove hundreds of thousands of Palestinians out of their homes. We’re joined by Fadi Quran, a youth leader in Ramallah who helped organize a protest at the Kalandia checkpoint on Sunday....."
"Violent Crackdown" on Pro-Palestinian Protesters in Cairo Leaves Over 350 Injured
"Egyptian police violently crushed a Sunday protest marking the anniversary of the 1948 establishment of Israel. At least 350 people were injured outside of the Israeli embassy in Cairo when police reportedly fired live ammunition, tear gas grenades and rubber bullets at the crowd. Meanwhile, former Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, is expected to plead for amnesty and apologize on state television for causing harm to the nation, saying he received faulty information from some of his advisers. We speak with Democracy Now! correspondent Sharif Abdel Kouddous who is reporting in Cairo...."
Opposition to Military Trials of Civilians in Egypt Gains Momentum
"Three months after the Egyptian military took the reins of power following the popular uprising that ousted former president, Hosni Mubarak, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces is coming under growing criticism for its widespread use of military trials against civilians. On May 9, a press conference was organized at the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate in downtown Cairo for people to speak out against the military court system, which has been used to convict and jail more than 5,000 civilians since January 25, the first day of massive protests at Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Democracy Now! correspondents Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar filed this video report from Cairo....."
Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll
This poll asks:
Do you support granting amnesty to former president Mubarak and his family in exchange for an apology and return of his properties?
With over 4,000 responding, 68% said no.
Do you support granting amnesty to former president Mubarak and his family in exchange for an apology and return of his properties?
With over 4,000 responding, 68% said no.
النكبة والاستبداد
النكبة والاستبداد
الياس خوري
"لم نكن في حاجة الى تصريحات السيد رامي مخلوف الى جريدة 'نيويورك تايمز'، كي نعرف ان الاستبداد هو الوجه الآخر للنكبة، وان أمن اسرائيل هو محصلة للتعفن الاستبدادي الذي ساد المشرق العربي، منذ اربعة عقود.
النكبة، بالنسبة الى الفلسطينيين، ليست ذاكرة، بل هي حاضر مأسوي مستمر منذ ثلاثة وستين عاما. من الخطأ ان ننسى ان الفلسطينيين لم يُتركوا لمصيرهم بعد نكبتهم، بل امعن النظام العربي في قمعهم، وضرب كل محاولاتهم لاستعادة قضيتهم، وصولاً الى المتاجرة بها، وتحويلها الى اداة يبرر فيها الاستبداد العربي انظمته المهترئة بالفساد، والمبنية على آليات تحكّم المافيا بالقرارين السياسي والاقتصادي.
لكن رامي مخلوف فضح اللعبة بأسرها، حين ازاح القناع الوطني المخادع، كاشفاً السر الذي يعرفه الجميع، حول الخدمات الكبيرة التي يقدمها الاستبداد لدولة الاحتلال. وعاد الى النغمة التي اطلقها بعض القادة الأمنيين السوريين عشية الانسحاب من لبنان، وهي نغمة تمزج الاستجداء بالوعيد.
في شباط(فبراير) حين تهاوى النظام الموميائي الفاسد لحسني مبارك، اصيبت اسرائيل بالهلع، ووجدت 'الديمقراطية الوحيدة في الشرق الأوسط'، نفسها في خندق واحد مع انظمة الاستبداد العربية.
مع ثورة مصر عادت اللغة الى المعنى، فأنكشف مستور العلاقة بين الاستبداد واسرائيل، فالاستبداد شرط لاستمرار الاحتلال، كما ان الهيمنة الاسرائيلية هي شرط لديمومة الاستبداد.
هذه هي المعادلة التي لجأ اليها مخلوف، في وصفها الحائط الأخير الذي يستطيع نظام الاستبداد العربي الاستناد اليه. غير ان ما فات الملياردير السوري وابن خال بشار الاسد ادراكه، هو ان اسرائيل لم تعد قادرة على انقاذ حلفائها المعلنين او المستترين، فذهبت دعوات قادتها للأمريكيين من اجل انقاذ نظام الديكتاتور المصري هباء. تماما مثل الموقف السعودي الذي قام بمحاولة شبيهة وفشل.
لم يكشف مخلوف سراً يعرفه الجميع. وانا هنا لا اريد ان اتحدث عن مجزرة تل الزعتر او عن فضيحة حرب المخيمات، والى آخره... بل اريد ان اشير الى ان من يراقب جبهة الجولان الهامدة منذ اربعة عقود، يفهم ان السيد مخلوف عبّر عن واقع الحال، لكنه وقع في خطأ فادح، عندما لم يفهم ان لا احد يستطيع انقاذ الاستبداد حين يقرر الشعب الثورة عليه.
وقع الكثيرون في خطأ تحليل الموقف الامريكي او الاوروبي من الثورات العربية. فالدول الغربية لم تدعم الثورات، بل اضطرت الى الانحناء مرغمة امام عصفها الذي لا يقاوم. واذا كانت هناك من ثورة مضادة، فيجب البحث عنها في مشروع توسيع مجلس التعاون الخليجي، وليس في امارات سلفية مزعومة فبركها الاعلام الغبي في سورية.
خطأ السيد مخلوف يشبه خطأ حيتان النهب في مصر، الذين بقوا حتى اللحظة الأخيرة يتمسكون بخيط الدعم الامريكي للنظام، غير مدركين انه لا توجد قوة عظمى في الأرض تستطيع انقاذ الديكتاتور في خريفه.
غير ان مخلوف ذكّرنا بما اُجبرنا على نسيانه. عشية ذكرى النكبة، اعادنا هذا الرجل الى اول الحكاية، والحكاية تبدأ من حقيقة ان الاستبداد يجد شرعيته في الخارج، وان اسرائيل كانت ولا تزال جزءا من هذه الشرعية رغم كل الكلامولوجيا الكاذبة عن الممانعة، التي لا تمانع سوى في حق الشعوب العربية في الحرية.
اعادت الثورات العربية قضية فلسطين الى مكانها الطبيعي على الخريطة العربية، لن يستطيع اي نظام ديمقراطي سوف يولد في سورية، وضع قضية الجولان في برّاد الممانعة، او الاستمرار في سحق فلسطينيي المخيمات، وخصوصاً في لبنان. ففي الديمقراطية هناك شعب يحاسب، لأن الشعب يمتلك الدولة وليس العكس، وهذا ما يعرفه السيد مخلوف جيداً، لذا استنجد باسرائيل، كي تنقذ 'ممانعته' الوهمية من الشعب السوري، لأن سقوط النظام سوف يترتب عليه فقدان الأمن في الاراضي السورية والفلسطينية المحتلة.
' ' '
في الذكرى الثالثة والستين للنكبة، تفتح الثورات الشعبية الأفق من جديد. فالتعفن السياسي الذي شهدته فلسطين، لم يكن ناجماً فقط عن انتهاء صلاحية القيادات الفلسطينية المختلفة، وذلك الانقسام الأحمق الذي فصل غزة عن الضفة، بل كان محصلة موت السياسة في المشرق العربي، حين صارت مصر رهينة التوريث، ونجحت الديكتاتورية في سورية في الاستفراد بالشعوب السورية واللبنانية والفلسطينية، بحيث تحولت السياسة العربية الى لعبة في ايدي قوى اقليمية لا وجود فيها لأية دولة عربية.
من هنا يحق للفلسطينيين اليوم، رغم العسف الاسرائيلي ووحشية الاحتلال، بأن يبدأوا في رؤية نهاية النفق المظلم الذي حاصر قضيتهم. فلسطين ستجد مرة اخرى في الشعوب العربية سندأ ودعماً، وستكون في قلب الهم العربي، لأن الشعوب العربية التي توحدت حول شعار اسقاط النظام، سوف تتوحد من جديد حول قضية العدالة والحرية في فلسطين.
لا يستطيع الفلسطينيون ان يكونوا خارج الثورات العربية، فالنكبة كما صاغها استاذنا قسطنطين زريق ليست نكبة فلسطين وحدها، بل هي نكبة المشرق العربي ايضاً.
اليوم يزيح العرب عن كاهلهم نكبتهم بالاستبداد، كي يبدأوا مسيرتهم نحو ايقاف النكبة المستمرة في ارض فلسطين، كمقدمة لأستعادة العرب حرياتهم وكراماتهم.
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فتحت ذكرى النكبة الأفق، في مارون الراس ومجدل شمس والقدس وغزة اعلن الفلسطينيون شكل علاقتهم بالثورات العربية، بأن رسموا لها افق الحرية الفلسطيني كنقطة تقاطع.
لم تكن المسيرات ممكنة لولا الثورة الشعبية العربية، ولا يستطيع اي نظام ان يقايض الحرية بفلسطين، ففلسطين هي اسم آخر للحرية، وانتفاضات شعبها هي جزء من انتفاضة المصريين والتونسيين والسوريين واليمنيين والليبيين من اجل تحررهم من الاستبداد.
"
الياس خوري
"لم نكن في حاجة الى تصريحات السيد رامي مخلوف الى جريدة 'نيويورك تايمز'، كي نعرف ان الاستبداد هو الوجه الآخر للنكبة، وان أمن اسرائيل هو محصلة للتعفن الاستبدادي الذي ساد المشرق العربي، منذ اربعة عقود.
النكبة، بالنسبة الى الفلسطينيين، ليست ذاكرة، بل هي حاضر مأسوي مستمر منذ ثلاثة وستين عاما. من الخطأ ان ننسى ان الفلسطينيين لم يُتركوا لمصيرهم بعد نكبتهم، بل امعن النظام العربي في قمعهم، وضرب كل محاولاتهم لاستعادة قضيتهم، وصولاً الى المتاجرة بها، وتحويلها الى اداة يبرر فيها الاستبداد العربي انظمته المهترئة بالفساد، والمبنية على آليات تحكّم المافيا بالقرارين السياسي والاقتصادي.
لكن رامي مخلوف فضح اللعبة بأسرها، حين ازاح القناع الوطني المخادع، كاشفاً السر الذي يعرفه الجميع، حول الخدمات الكبيرة التي يقدمها الاستبداد لدولة الاحتلال. وعاد الى النغمة التي اطلقها بعض القادة الأمنيين السوريين عشية الانسحاب من لبنان، وهي نغمة تمزج الاستجداء بالوعيد.
في شباط(فبراير) حين تهاوى النظام الموميائي الفاسد لحسني مبارك، اصيبت اسرائيل بالهلع، ووجدت 'الديمقراطية الوحيدة في الشرق الأوسط'، نفسها في خندق واحد مع انظمة الاستبداد العربية.
مع ثورة مصر عادت اللغة الى المعنى، فأنكشف مستور العلاقة بين الاستبداد واسرائيل، فالاستبداد شرط لاستمرار الاحتلال، كما ان الهيمنة الاسرائيلية هي شرط لديمومة الاستبداد.
هذه هي المعادلة التي لجأ اليها مخلوف، في وصفها الحائط الأخير الذي يستطيع نظام الاستبداد العربي الاستناد اليه. غير ان ما فات الملياردير السوري وابن خال بشار الاسد ادراكه، هو ان اسرائيل لم تعد قادرة على انقاذ حلفائها المعلنين او المستترين، فذهبت دعوات قادتها للأمريكيين من اجل انقاذ نظام الديكتاتور المصري هباء. تماما مثل الموقف السعودي الذي قام بمحاولة شبيهة وفشل.
لم يكشف مخلوف سراً يعرفه الجميع. وانا هنا لا اريد ان اتحدث عن مجزرة تل الزعتر او عن فضيحة حرب المخيمات، والى آخره... بل اريد ان اشير الى ان من يراقب جبهة الجولان الهامدة منذ اربعة عقود، يفهم ان السيد مخلوف عبّر عن واقع الحال، لكنه وقع في خطأ فادح، عندما لم يفهم ان لا احد يستطيع انقاذ الاستبداد حين يقرر الشعب الثورة عليه.
وقع الكثيرون في خطأ تحليل الموقف الامريكي او الاوروبي من الثورات العربية. فالدول الغربية لم تدعم الثورات، بل اضطرت الى الانحناء مرغمة امام عصفها الذي لا يقاوم. واذا كانت هناك من ثورة مضادة، فيجب البحث عنها في مشروع توسيع مجلس التعاون الخليجي، وليس في امارات سلفية مزعومة فبركها الاعلام الغبي في سورية.
خطأ السيد مخلوف يشبه خطأ حيتان النهب في مصر، الذين بقوا حتى اللحظة الأخيرة يتمسكون بخيط الدعم الامريكي للنظام، غير مدركين انه لا توجد قوة عظمى في الأرض تستطيع انقاذ الديكتاتور في خريفه.
غير ان مخلوف ذكّرنا بما اُجبرنا على نسيانه. عشية ذكرى النكبة، اعادنا هذا الرجل الى اول الحكاية، والحكاية تبدأ من حقيقة ان الاستبداد يجد شرعيته في الخارج، وان اسرائيل كانت ولا تزال جزءا من هذه الشرعية رغم كل الكلامولوجيا الكاذبة عن الممانعة، التي لا تمانع سوى في حق الشعوب العربية في الحرية.
اعادت الثورات العربية قضية فلسطين الى مكانها الطبيعي على الخريطة العربية، لن يستطيع اي نظام ديمقراطي سوف يولد في سورية، وضع قضية الجولان في برّاد الممانعة، او الاستمرار في سحق فلسطينيي المخيمات، وخصوصاً في لبنان. ففي الديمقراطية هناك شعب يحاسب، لأن الشعب يمتلك الدولة وليس العكس، وهذا ما يعرفه السيد مخلوف جيداً، لذا استنجد باسرائيل، كي تنقذ 'ممانعته' الوهمية من الشعب السوري، لأن سقوط النظام سوف يترتب عليه فقدان الأمن في الاراضي السورية والفلسطينية المحتلة.
' ' '
في الذكرى الثالثة والستين للنكبة، تفتح الثورات الشعبية الأفق من جديد. فالتعفن السياسي الذي شهدته فلسطين، لم يكن ناجماً فقط عن انتهاء صلاحية القيادات الفلسطينية المختلفة، وذلك الانقسام الأحمق الذي فصل غزة عن الضفة، بل كان محصلة موت السياسة في المشرق العربي، حين صارت مصر رهينة التوريث، ونجحت الديكتاتورية في سورية في الاستفراد بالشعوب السورية واللبنانية والفلسطينية، بحيث تحولت السياسة العربية الى لعبة في ايدي قوى اقليمية لا وجود فيها لأية دولة عربية.
من هنا يحق للفلسطينيين اليوم، رغم العسف الاسرائيلي ووحشية الاحتلال، بأن يبدأوا في رؤية نهاية النفق المظلم الذي حاصر قضيتهم. فلسطين ستجد مرة اخرى في الشعوب العربية سندأ ودعماً، وستكون في قلب الهم العربي، لأن الشعوب العربية التي توحدت حول شعار اسقاط النظام، سوف تتوحد من جديد حول قضية العدالة والحرية في فلسطين.
لا يستطيع الفلسطينيون ان يكونوا خارج الثورات العربية، فالنكبة كما صاغها استاذنا قسطنطين زريق ليست نكبة فلسطين وحدها، بل هي نكبة المشرق العربي ايضاً.
اليوم يزيح العرب عن كاهلهم نكبتهم بالاستبداد، كي يبدأوا مسيرتهم نحو ايقاف النكبة المستمرة في ارض فلسطين، كمقدمة لأستعادة العرب حرياتهم وكراماتهم.
' ' '
فتحت ذكرى النكبة الأفق، في مارون الراس ومجدل شمس والقدس وغزة اعلن الفلسطينيون شكل علاقتهم بالثورات العربية، بأن رسموا لها افق الحرية الفلسطيني كنقطة تقاطع.
لم تكن المسيرات ممكنة لولا الثورة الشعبية العربية، ولا يستطيع اي نظام ان يقايض الحرية بفلسطين، ففلسطين هي اسم آخر للحرية، وانتفاضات شعبها هي جزء من انتفاضة المصريين والتونسيين والسوريين واليمنيين والليبيين من اجل تحررهم من الاستبداد.
"
Today's Cartoon by the Syrian Cartoonist Ali Ferzat: Dialog of the Syrian Regime
(Click on cartoon to enlarge)
Real News Video: Syrian Ba'ath Party Members Quit in Protest of Killings
West Bank and Gaza protests join historic day of demonstrations along Israel's borders
Real News Video with Transcript: What's Next for the Egyptian Revolution
Samer Shehata: As September elections draw near a new phase of the struggle unfolds
Army and Police, two faces of the same coin
From Hossam El-Hamalawy
كلمة المشير طنطاوي - تخريج كلية الشرطة 2011
"I was pleased to see Field Marshall Tantawi speaking today. I had seriously started thinking he’s dead, and what we see on TV was some animation. Talking to fresh pigs graduating from the police academy (formerly known as Mubarak’s Security Academy): “We (the army) descended to the streets on 28 January to help the police.” He repeated that twice. The country’s military dictator also kept going back and forth to the issue of the economy, warning of labor strikes, and accusing “thugs” of infiltrating labor protests. "
كلمة المشير طنطاوي - تخريج كلية الشرطة 2011
"I was pleased to see Field Marshall Tantawi speaking today. I had seriously started thinking he’s dead, and what we see on TV was some animation. Talking to fresh pigs graduating from the police academy (formerly known as Mubarak’s Security Academy): “We (the army) descended to the streets on 28 January to help the police.” He repeated that twice. The country’s military dictator also kept going back and forth to the issue of the economy, warning of labor strikes, and accusing “thugs” of infiltrating labor protests. "
Al-Gaddafi arrest warrant ‘a step towards justice’
16 May 2011
"The International Criminal Court Prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant for Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi is a step towards justice for the victims of human rights violations in Libya, Amnesty International said today.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo said on Monday he was seeking warrants for Al-Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and military intelligence chief Abdallah al-Sanussi on two types of crimes against humanity – murder and persecution.
“The request for arrest warrants is a step forward for international justice and accountability in the region,” said Michael Bochenek, Amnesty International’s Director of Law and Policy.
“However, the international community that came together in such unprecedented agreement to refer Libya to the International Criminal Court, cannot allow justice to appear selective. By any standard, what is happening in Syria is just as bad as the situation was in Libya when the Security Council referred that country to the ICC.”
Amnesty International’s research in Libya since February points to the commission of possible crimes against humanity and war crimes....."
"The International Criminal Court Prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant for Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi is a step towards justice for the victims of human rights violations in Libya, Amnesty International said today.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo said on Monday he was seeking warrants for Al-Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and military intelligence chief Abdallah al-Sanussi on two types of crimes against humanity – murder and persecution.
“The request for arrest warrants is a step forward for international justice and accountability in the region,” said Michael Bochenek, Amnesty International’s Director of Law and Policy.
“However, the international community that came together in such unprecedented agreement to refer Libya to the International Criminal Court, cannot allow justice to appear selective. By any standard, what is happening in Syria is just as bad as the situation was in Libya when the Security Council referred that country to the ICC.”
Amnesty International’s research in Libya since February points to the commission of possible crimes against humanity and war crimes....."
The Body Snatchers: Al-Jazeera journalist has vanished
Al-Jazeera English journalist Dorothy Parvaz has been disappeared. Authorities in both Syria and Iran now deny that she is being held in their countries.
The Guardian
"It is known that Parvaz, pictured here, flew from Doha to Damascus on assignment for the network, landing on 29 April. Then she vanished.
Some days later, the Syrian embassy in Washington announced that she had been deported on 1 May to Iran (see here). Parvaz holds Iranian, US and Canadian nationality.
But on 14 May, the Iranian foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, told his country's news agency, IRNA, that Iran had "no information" about Parvaz. [Both the Syrian and Iranian governments are liars and now they contradict each other!]
According to the Syrian embassy statement, Parvaz tried to enter Syria with an expired Iranian passport and a tourist visa.
After finding transmitting equipment in her bags, the Damascus authorities assumed she had come to cover the anti-government demonstrations and then deported her to Iran.
Parvaz's brother told the Paris-based press watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, that the family had received no notification from the authorities in Tehran.
Al-Jazeera announced on 27 April that it was suspending all activities in Syria because of threats and acts of intimidation against its crews."
Source: Reporters Without Borders.
The Guardian
"It is known that Parvaz, pictured here, flew from Doha to Damascus on assignment for the network, landing on 29 April. Then she vanished.
Some days later, the Syrian embassy in Washington announced that she had been deported on 1 May to Iran (see here). Parvaz holds Iranian, US and Canadian nationality.
But on 14 May, the Iranian foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, told his country's news agency, IRNA, that Iran had "no information" about Parvaz. [Both the Syrian and Iranian governments are liars and now they contradict each other!]
According to the Syrian embassy statement, Parvaz tried to enter Syria with an expired Iranian passport and a tourist visa.
After finding transmitting equipment in her bags, the Damascus authorities assumed she had come to cover the anti-government demonstrations and then deported her to Iran.
Parvaz's brother told the Paris-based press watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, that the family had received no notification from the authorities in Tehran.
Al-Jazeera announced on 27 April that it was suspending all activities in Syria because of threats and acts of intimidation against its crews."
Source: Reporters Without Borders.
Syria denies 'mass grave' claims
Villagers say they have found 13 bodies buried on farmland near Deraa - but government says claim is "totally false".
Al-Jazeera
"....Deraa residents say hundreds of people have been missing since tanks and soldiers moved in last month to crush opposition to President Bashar al-Assad's 11-year rule.
They said villagers digging in farmland in the outskirts of the city uncovered the decomposed bodies of Abdullah Abdul Aziz Aba Zaid, 62, and four of his children.
The villagers also found the bodies of a woman, a child and six men, all unidentified, residents said on Monday.
It was not clear when they died, but Deraa residents said dozens of civilians were killed during the military assault on the city's old quarter.
"[The residents] discovered a mass grave in the old part of town but authorities immediately cordoned off the area to prevent residents from recovering the bodies, some of which they promised would be handed over later," a rights activist told the AFP news agency by phone on Monday.
Accounts of the mass grave could not be independently verified as Syrian authorities have all but sealed off the country to foreign journalists.
Syrian and international rights groups say Syrian forces have killed at least 700 civilians, including women and children, across the country since the protests broke out in Deraa on March 18.
Thousands march
In another development in Deraa and in other cities across Syria, thousands of protesters have begun demonstrating at night in order to avoid tough security measures that are in force during the day.
On Monday night, thousands of demonstrators marched through the Damascus suburb of Saqba at the funeral of Ahmad Ataya, who died of wounds inflicted when security forces fired at a pro-democracy rally in the capital last month.
It was the biggest protest in the Damascus outskirts since a security crackdown three weeks ago......"
Al-Jazeera
"....Deraa residents say hundreds of people have been missing since tanks and soldiers moved in last month to crush opposition to President Bashar al-Assad's 11-year rule.
They said villagers digging in farmland in the outskirts of the city uncovered the decomposed bodies of Abdullah Abdul Aziz Aba Zaid, 62, and four of his children.
The villagers also found the bodies of a woman, a child and six men, all unidentified, residents said on Monday.
It was not clear when they died, but Deraa residents said dozens of civilians were killed during the military assault on the city's old quarter.
"[The residents] discovered a mass grave in the old part of town but authorities immediately cordoned off the area to prevent residents from recovering the bodies, some of which they promised would be handed over later," a rights activist told the AFP news agency by phone on Monday.
Accounts of the mass grave could not be independently verified as Syrian authorities have all but sealed off the country to foreign journalists.
Syrian and international rights groups say Syrian forces have killed at least 700 civilians, including women and children, across the country since the protests broke out in Deraa on March 18.
Thousands march
In another development in Deraa and in other cities across Syria, thousands of protesters have begun demonstrating at night in order to avoid tough security measures that are in force during the day.
On Monday night, thousands of demonstrators marched through the Damascus suburb of Saqba at the funeral of Ahmad Ataya, who died of wounds inflicted when security forces fired at a pro-democracy rally in the capital last month.
It was the biggest protest in the Damascus outskirts since a security crackdown three weeks ago......"
Monday, May 16, 2011
السوري من أصول فلسطينية وصل إلى يافا بالحافلة ويقول أن له عائلة في يافا
سلم مواطن سوري من أصول فلسطينية قبل قليل نفسه إلى الشرطة وذلك بعد أن أجرى جولة في يافا التي وصل إليها الليلة الماضية بعد أن عبر الحدود مع سوريا مع المئات من المتظاهرين الذين تظاهروا بمناسبة الـذكرى الـ 63 للنكبة وعلم موقع يافا اليوم يومنت أن المواطن السوري تجول في يافا و يقول أن له عائلة فيها لكن من غير الواضح ما اذا التقى عائلته اليافاوية.
ومن المتوقع أن توضح الشرطة المسألة بعد قليل ومن غير الواضح حتى الآن إذا ما كان سيتم اعتقاله أم طرده وإعادته إلى سوريا.
وفي رده على سؤال موقع يافا اليوم يومنت قال حجازي "أنا اسمي حسن عبد المحسن حجازي وأنا من يافا ومن حي النزهة وأنا لست إرهابيا وأنا جئت لأعيش بسلام".
وقال "في مجدل شمس قام السكان بإعطائنا الشاي وحاولوا أن ينصحوني وزملائي بالعودة الى سوريا، لكنني في مجدل شمس شاهدت عدد من نشطاء السلام وقلت لهم (نفسي) ازور يافا التي يعيش فيها أقاربي و أجدادي وبالفعل وصل حسن مع هؤلاء الى يافا".
واعتبر حسن اجتياز الحدود نصر للاجئين على الجانب الفلسطيني ورد على سؤال ماذا تفكر عن إسرائيل أجاب "هذه ليست إسرائيل هذه فلسطين وهذه أرضي".
ومن المتوقع أن توضح الشرطة المسألة بعد قليل ومن غير الواضح حتى الآن إذا ما كان سيتم اعتقاله أم طرده وإعادته إلى سوريا.
وفي رده على سؤال موقع يافا اليوم يومنت قال حجازي "أنا اسمي حسن عبد المحسن حجازي وأنا من يافا ومن حي النزهة وأنا لست إرهابيا وأنا جئت لأعيش بسلام".
وقال "في مجدل شمس قام السكان بإعطائنا الشاي وحاولوا أن ينصحوني وزملائي بالعودة الى سوريا، لكنني في مجدل شمس شاهدت عدد من نشطاء السلام وقلت لهم (نفسي) ازور يافا التي يعيش فيها أقاربي و أجدادي وبالفعل وصل حسن مع هؤلاء الى يافا".
واعتبر حسن اجتياز الحدود نصر للاجئين على الجانب الفلسطيني ورد على سؤال ماذا تفكر عن إسرائيل أجاب "هذه ليست إسرائيل هذه فلسطين وهذه أرضي".
Libyan government asks why ICC isn't also seeking to prosecute Syria. A Valid Question; I Hope That The Rabbit of Syria is Next.
Request for arrest warrants against Gaddafi is irrelevant and reveals 'double standard', say officials
Martin Chulov in Tripoli
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 May 2011
"....Amnesty International described the move as a "step towards justice". The group's international director of law and policy, Michael Bochenek, said: "The request for arrest warrants is a step forward for international justice and accountability in the region.
"However, the international community that came together in such unprecedented agreement to refer Libya to the international criminal court, cannot allow justice to appear selective. By any standard, what is happening in Syria is just as bad as the situation was in Libya when the [UN] security council referred that country to the ICC.
"Real international justice has to be for everyone in the Middle East and North Africa."
The few Libyan officials authorised to speak in Tripoli regularly complain that leaders in Bahrain, Syria and Yemen are not held to the same standards as Gaddafi, a figure reviled by his neighbours, Europe and the United States over many years.
"Why is this not happening to Syria?" asked one official. "By any measure what they have been proven to have done is far worse than what Gaddafi is alleged to have done. There is a clear double standard. It is beyond a joke."....."
Martin Chulov in Tripoli
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 May 2011
"....Amnesty International described the move as a "step towards justice". The group's international director of law and policy, Michael Bochenek, said: "The request for arrest warrants is a step forward for international justice and accountability in the region.
"However, the international community that came together in such unprecedented agreement to refer Libya to the international criminal court, cannot allow justice to appear selective. By any standard, what is happening in Syria is just as bad as the situation was in Libya when the [UN] security council referred that country to the ICC.
"Real international justice has to be for everyone in the Middle East and North Africa."
The few Libyan officials authorised to speak in Tripoli regularly complain that leaders in Bahrain, Syria and Yemen are not held to the same standards as Gaddafi, a figure reviled by his neighbours, Europe and the United States over many years.
"Why is this not happening to Syria?" asked one official. "By any measure what they have been proven to have done is far worse than what Gaddafi is alleged to have done. There is a clear double standard. It is beyond a joke."....."
Syrian soldiers who defected to Lebanon are arrested
Three soldiers who defected after protecting refugees risk being returned to face summary justice in Syria, say activists
The Guardian
"Three Syrian soldiers who defected to Lebanon after protecting refugees from the regime's militia have been arrested by Lebanese authorities and risk being returned to face summary justice in Syria, say activists.
The soldiers were manning a border checkpoint on Sunday when a group of refugees seeking to escape the violence that has gripped the country for two months tried to cross into Lebanon. The refugees came under fire from an armed gang loyal to President Bashar al-Assad known as the Shabiha. The soldiers returned fire, and one was killed in a firefight. The other three escaped into Lebanon with the refugees.
Wissam Tarif, of human rights organisation Insan, told the Guardian: "The Lebanese military intelligence has detained those soldiers and they run the risk of being deported back to Syria.
"If those soldiers are deported to Syria then there is a serious risk of torture and execution," he said, adding that sending them back to Syria would send the wrong message to other soldiers who may be tempted to defect because they don't want to kill civilians. The human rights group Avaaz called on Lebanon to grant refugee status to the soldiers.
Tarif said that defections at the conscript level were not uncommon, but few higher level officers had shown signs of changing sides...."
The Guardian
"Three Syrian soldiers who defected to Lebanon after protecting refugees from the regime's militia have been arrested by Lebanese authorities and risk being returned to face summary justice in Syria, say activists.
The soldiers were manning a border checkpoint on Sunday when a group of refugees seeking to escape the violence that has gripped the country for two months tried to cross into Lebanon. The refugees came under fire from an armed gang loyal to President Bashar al-Assad known as the Shabiha. The soldiers returned fire, and one was killed in a firefight. The other three escaped into Lebanon with the refugees.
Wissam Tarif, of human rights organisation Insan, told the Guardian: "The Lebanese military intelligence has detained those soldiers and they run the risk of being deported back to Syria.
"If those soldiers are deported to Syria then there is a serious risk of torture and execution," he said, adding that sending them back to Syria would send the wrong message to other soldiers who may be tempted to defect because they don't want to kill civilians. The human rights group Avaaz called on Lebanon to grant refugee status to the soldiers.
Tarif said that defections at the conscript level were not uncommon, but few higher level officers had shown signs of changing sides...."
على خط النار
على خط النار
عبد الحليم قنديل
"قد تكون صفحات (الانتفاضة الثالثة) بداية لثورة سلمية فلسطينية على غرار الثورات العربية المعاصرة .
دعوات إثر دعوات توالت على شبكة الانترنت، وكلما أغلقوا صفحة على 'الفيس بوك'، أنشأ الشباب صفحة أخرى، وشارك مئات الآلاف من الشباب العربي في دعوة الزحف المقدس لإشعال الانتفاضة الثالثة، وأيا ما كان حظ تحركات الزحف الأول على حدود فلسطين المحتلة، فإن العجلة دارت، وبدأ العد التنازلي إلى ساعة صفر جديدة، تشتعل فيها ثورة سلمية جديدة على خط النار وجبهة الاحتلال الإسرائيلي .
التحرك التلقائي لشباب الثورات العربية أشبه بحاضنة جديدة لحلم الانتفاضة الفلسطينية الثالثة، ويثبت الطبيعة الوطنية الخالصة للثورات العربية المعاصرة، التي حملت الشعارات الديمقراطية إلى أقصى مداها، وأعادت تفجير الطاقات المختزنة، وأثبتت عمق العداء الشعبي للاستعمار الأمريكي وربيبته الصهيونية، التي تحالفت معها نظم عربية قاهرة وسارقة ومحتلة لشعوبها، ولعبت دور'أخوات إسرائيل' التي تتساقط تباعا .
نعم، الثورات العربية المعاصرة تخلق حاضنة لفلسطين، وليس العكس كما يشاع، والنظم العربية المتهاوية هي حائط الحماية لإسرائيل، وهي 22 إسرائيل في 22 عاصمة عربية، وكلما تهاوت إسرائيلهم في عاصمة عربية، عنى ذلك اقترابا من خط المواجهة مع إسرائيل الأصلية، وهو ما يفسر عملية اقتران الزحف الشعبي لخلع الحكام من القصور المغصوبة، وكسر القيود التي تكبل الأيادي، وكسر الأقفال على الأفواه، وتحطيم العجز الذي كتب علينا بدون وجه حق ولا استقامة منطق، وكان طبيعيا أن يحدث الاقتران، وأن تعيد شعوب الأمة العربية اكتشاف قوتها الكامنة، والقادرة على إعادة النجوم لمداراتها، وإعادة بناء طوق حركة شعبية تجعل تحرير فلسطين هدفا ممكن التحقيق في التاريخ الجاري، وليس مجرد حلم ساكن في الوجدان والمخيلة الشعبية المراوغة .
وبدلا من دعوى انصراف الشعوب العربية إلى أوجاع قطرية داخلية، وابتعادها بالتالي عن الهم الجامع على جبهات الاحتلال في فلسطين والعراق، فقد أثبت سير الحوادث أن القصة مختلفة تماما، وأن النظم الديناصورية العربية هي التي تلفت النظر عن الارتباط بفلسطين، بينما حركة الثورات العربية السلمية المعاصرة تلفت النظر إلى فلسطين، وتمد العمل الفلسطيني ذاته بطاقة خلق جديدة، وتثير فزع إسرائيل، وتهدد احتلالها بنهاية تشبه نهاية النظم الرديفة.
وقد لا تكون مصالحات فتح وحماس مهمة في ذاتها، وإن كان حصولها في ذاته أثرا مهما للثورات العربية، وأثار ارتياحا شعبيا فلسطينيا عاما لا يفارقه القلق، ولا يصح أن يفارق، فالمصالحة باتجاه 'أوسلو'، وباتجاه بؤسها العظيم، ليست هي المطلوبة، ولا تعني سوى الدوران مجددا في حلقات اليأس المفرغة، بينما وقف صداع الانقسام يتيح فرصة التفكير المرتب والهادئ والمنطقي، الذي يذكر بأصل القصة لا بعوارضها، فالاحتلال هو أصل المأساة، وللشعب الفلسطيني مآثره وكفاحاته وانتفاضاته الملهمة، التي هي عناوين وجوده، وأدلة تصميمه على تحرير وطنه شبرا فشبر، وعبر انتفاضتين هما الأحدث، الأولى في 1987، والثانية في 2000، الأولى بالتحرك السلمي وما ملكت الأيدي من حجارة الأرض المقدسة، والثانية بانتفاضة الغضب وعمليات الاستشهاد والفداء النوعي، وكان الحصاد ظاهرا بالميزات والنواقص فيه، فقد ضاعت قوة دفع الانتفاضة الأولى في سراديب ومتاهات أوسلو، وانتهت الانتفاضة الثانية إلى تحرير غزة إلا قليلا، بينما ظلت الضفة والقدس تحت احتلال منخفض التكاليف بالنسبة لإسرائيل، ومتوحش الأثر بالنسبة للفلسطينيين، يغير خواص الجغرافيا والديموغرافيا، ويلتهم الأراضي بالاستيطان والتهويد، ويدمر تنظيمات وخلايا العمل الفدائي بتعاون ووكالة أمنية لسلطة رام الله، والمحصلة مجددا، غزة المحررة نسبيا مهددة، والقدس يجري ابتلاعها، والضفة مثقوبة بالمستوطنات، والجدار العازل يخنق الناس في قفص حديد، ثم أخيرا، مصالحة توحي بحكومة واحدة للبؤس، وبدلا من حكومتين، وكأن الأرض تحررت وتنعمت، ولم يبق سوى حسم صراعات سلطة يجري التصالح عليها، وربما الفناء فيها .
قراءة توحي بانسداد طريق، لكنها تفتح الباب لطريق آخر، يستعيد الألق لقضية فلسطين بحركة الناس، وليس بإعادة تنظيم صفوف الحراس، فحركة الناس وحدها هي التي تجعل المستحيل ممكنا جدا، وعلى غرار معجزات الثورات العربية المعاصرة، فقد كانت حركة الشعب الفلسطيني ملهمة لكل العرب، وآن للفلسطينيين الآن أن يتعلموا الدرس من إخوتهم العرب في أقطار الجغرافيا القريبة بالذات، وأن يشعلوا انتفاضة سلمية ثالثة على النسق نفسه، وبتطويع مفهوم باختلافات التفاصيل، وبوضع فصائل السياسة على أطراف المشهد، وليس في قلبه، وبهدف وجودي جامع هو إنهاء الاحتلال، وبضربة واحدة، جغرافيتها الأساسية في القدس والضفة الغربية، وبدعم مباشر من جماهير غزة قد ييسره شعور المصالحة، وفي صورة مطابقة لأصل الثورات العربية السلمية، اندفاع شبابي واسع بمئات الآلاف إلى الشوارع والساحات، وعند الحواجز والجدار العازل والمستوطنات، والاتصال في تحرك مستعد للاستدامة شهورا على طريقة ثورة اليمن الباسلة، وتقبل لتضحيات ومكاره وسقوط شهداء ومصابين بالآلاف، ورفع علم فلسطين وحده دون أعلام الفصائل، وعدم مبادلة السلاح الإسرائيلي بأي مقاومة بالسلاح خلال الانتفاضة السلمية، والاقتصار في الحد الأقصى على المقاومة بالحجارة، وعدم وقف الانتفاضة بغير تحقيق الهدف المرحلي المجمع عليه في تحرير غزة والقدس والضفة، والتركيز على تعظيم التحركات في أيام الجمع والآحاد بالذات، والجمع بين شعار إنهاء الاحتلال الجامع، وشعارات أخرى تندرج تحته، من نوع وقف التعامل مع البضائع والمستوطنات الإسرائيلية، ووقف التعامل مع أي طرف فلسطيني يتعاون مع سلطات الاحتلال، ثم المطالبة باستعادة الأسرى، وتجنب التورط في أي اتفاق متعجل ينطوي على وعود مؤجلة التنفيذ، وتخصيص أيام تضامن ودعم لمبادرة شباب وجماهير الضفة والقدس، وتنتظم فيها تحركات جامعة للفلسطينيين وراء الخط الأخضر، وفي أقطار الشتات، وفي العواصم العربية والإسلامية والعالمية، وتأجيل انتخابات الهيئات الفلسطينية الناظمة إلى ما بعد إنهاء الاحتلال .
وكاتب المقال لا يخاطب الفصائل الفلسطينية في الأساس، وإن كان لايستثنيها بالطبع، بل يخاطب ـ أولا ـ أربعة ملايين فلسطيني في الضفة والقدس وغزة، ويخاطب ما يقارب المليون ونصف المليون فلسطيني من عرب 1948، ويخاطب ما يزيد على الخمسة ملايين فلسطيني في المخيمات وعواصم الشتات، وملايين لا تحصى من شباب الزحف العربي المستعد لنصرة فلسطين ونصرة ثورتها السلمية المرشحة ـ بعونه تعالى ـ لتكون أم الانتفاضات.
"
عبد الحليم قنديل
"قد تكون صفحات (الانتفاضة الثالثة) بداية لثورة سلمية فلسطينية على غرار الثورات العربية المعاصرة .
دعوات إثر دعوات توالت على شبكة الانترنت، وكلما أغلقوا صفحة على 'الفيس بوك'، أنشأ الشباب صفحة أخرى، وشارك مئات الآلاف من الشباب العربي في دعوة الزحف المقدس لإشعال الانتفاضة الثالثة، وأيا ما كان حظ تحركات الزحف الأول على حدود فلسطين المحتلة، فإن العجلة دارت، وبدأ العد التنازلي إلى ساعة صفر جديدة، تشتعل فيها ثورة سلمية جديدة على خط النار وجبهة الاحتلال الإسرائيلي .
التحرك التلقائي لشباب الثورات العربية أشبه بحاضنة جديدة لحلم الانتفاضة الفلسطينية الثالثة، ويثبت الطبيعة الوطنية الخالصة للثورات العربية المعاصرة، التي حملت الشعارات الديمقراطية إلى أقصى مداها، وأعادت تفجير الطاقات المختزنة، وأثبتت عمق العداء الشعبي للاستعمار الأمريكي وربيبته الصهيونية، التي تحالفت معها نظم عربية قاهرة وسارقة ومحتلة لشعوبها، ولعبت دور'أخوات إسرائيل' التي تتساقط تباعا .
نعم، الثورات العربية المعاصرة تخلق حاضنة لفلسطين، وليس العكس كما يشاع، والنظم العربية المتهاوية هي حائط الحماية لإسرائيل، وهي 22 إسرائيل في 22 عاصمة عربية، وكلما تهاوت إسرائيلهم في عاصمة عربية، عنى ذلك اقترابا من خط المواجهة مع إسرائيل الأصلية، وهو ما يفسر عملية اقتران الزحف الشعبي لخلع الحكام من القصور المغصوبة، وكسر القيود التي تكبل الأيادي، وكسر الأقفال على الأفواه، وتحطيم العجز الذي كتب علينا بدون وجه حق ولا استقامة منطق، وكان طبيعيا أن يحدث الاقتران، وأن تعيد شعوب الأمة العربية اكتشاف قوتها الكامنة، والقادرة على إعادة النجوم لمداراتها، وإعادة بناء طوق حركة شعبية تجعل تحرير فلسطين هدفا ممكن التحقيق في التاريخ الجاري، وليس مجرد حلم ساكن في الوجدان والمخيلة الشعبية المراوغة .
وبدلا من دعوى انصراف الشعوب العربية إلى أوجاع قطرية داخلية، وابتعادها بالتالي عن الهم الجامع على جبهات الاحتلال في فلسطين والعراق، فقد أثبت سير الحوادث أن القصة مختلفة تماما، وأن النظم الديناصورية العربية هي التي تلفت النظر عن الارتباط بفلسطين، بينما حركة الثورات العربية السلمية المعاصرة تلفت النظر إلى فلسطين، وتمد العمل الفلسطيني ذاته بطاقة خلق جديدة، وتثير فزع إسرائيل، وتهدد احتلالها بنهاية تشبه نهاية النظم الرديفة.
وقد لا تكون مصالحات فتح وحماس مهمة في ذاتها، وإن كان حصولها في ذاته أثرا مهما للثورات العربية، وأثار ارتياحا شعبيا فلسطينيا عاما لا يفارقه القلق، ولا يصح أن يفارق، فالمصالحة باتجاه 'أوسلو'، وباتجاه بؤسها العظيم، ليست هي المطلوبة، ولا تعني سوى الدوران مجددا في حلقات اليأس المفرغة، بينما وقف صداع الانقسام يتيح فرصة التفكير المرتب والهادئ والمنطقي، الذي يذكر بأصل القصة لا بعوارضها، فالاحتلال هو أصل المأساة، وللشعب الفلسطيني مآثره وكفاحاته وانتفاضاته الملهمة، التي هي عناوين وجوده، وأدلة تصميمه على تحرير وطنه شبرا فشبر، وعبر انتفاضتين هما الأحدث، الأولى في 1987، والثانية في 2000، الأولى بالتحرك السلمي وما ملكت الأيدي من حجارة الأرض المقدسة، والثانية بانتفاضة الغضب وعمليات الاستشهاد والفداء النوعي، وكان الحصاد ظاهرا بالميزات والنواقص فيه، فقد ضاعت قوة دفع الانتفاضة الأولى في سراديب ومتاهات أوسلو، وانتهت الانتفاضة الثانية إلى تحرير غزة إلا قليلا، بينما ظلت الضفة والقدس تحت احتلال منخفض التكاليف بالنسبة لإسرائيل، ومتوحش الأثر بالنسبة للفلسطينيين، يغير خواص الجغرافيا والديموغرافيا، ويلتهم الأراضي بالاستيطان والتهويد، ويدمر تنظيمات وخلايا العمل الفدائي بتعاون ووكالة أمنية لسلطة رام الله، والمحصلة مجددا، غزة المحررة نسبيا مهددة، والقدس يجري ابتلاعها، والضفة مثقوبة بالمستوطنات، والجدار العازل يخنق الناس في قفص حديد، ثم أخيرا، مصالحة توحي بحكومة واحدة للبؤس، وبدلا من حكومتين، وكأن الأرض تحررت وتنعمت، ولم يبق سوى حسم صراعات سلطة يجري التصالح عليها، وربما الفناء فيها .
قراءة توحي بانسداد طريق، لكنها تفتح الباب لطريق آخر، يستعيد الألق لقضية فلسطين بحركة الناس، وليس بإعادة تنظيم صفوف الحراس، فحركة الناس وحدها هي التي تجعل المستحيل ممكنا جدا، وعلى غرار معجزات الثورات العربية المعاصرة، فقد كانت حركة الشعب الفلسطيني ملهمة لكل العرب، وآن للفلسطينيين الآن أن يتعلموا الدرس من إخوتهم العرب في أقطار الجغرافيا القريبة بالذات، وأن يشعلوا انتفاضة سلمية ثالثة على النسق نفسه، وبتطويع مفهوم باختلافات التفاصيل، وبوضع فصائل السياسة على أطراف المشهد، وليس في قلبه، وبهدف وجودي جامع هو إنهاء الاحتلال، وبضربة واحدة، جغرافيتها الأساسية في القدس والضفة الغربية، وبدعم مباشر من جماهير غزة قد ييسره شعور المصالحة، وفي صورة مطابقة لأصل الثورات العربية السلمية، اندفاع شبابي واسع بمئات الآلاف إلى الشوارع والساحات، وعند الحواجز والجدار العازل والمستوطنات، والاتصال في تحرك مستعد للاستدامة شهورا على طريقة ثورة اليمن الباسلة، وتقبل لتضحيات ومكاره وسقوط شهداء ومصابين بالآلاف، ورفع علم فلسطين وحده دون أعلام الفصائل، وعدم مبادلة السلاح الإسرائيلي بأي مقاومة بالسلاح خلال الانتفاضة السلمية، والاقتصار في الحد الأقصى على المقاومة بالحجارة، وعدم وقف الانتفاضة بغير تحقيق الهدف المرحلي المجمع عليه في تحرير غزة والقدس والضفة، والتركيز على تعظيم التحركات في أيام الجمع والآحاد بالذات، والجمع بين شعار إنهاء الاحتلال الجامع، وشعارات أخرى تندرج تحته، من نوع وقف التعامل مع البضائع والمستوطنات الإسرائيلية، ووقف التعامل مع أي طرف فلسطيني يتعاون مع سلطات الاحتلال، ثم المطالبة باستعادة الأسرى، وتجنب التورط في أي اتفاق متعجل ينطوي على وعود مؤجلة التنفيذ، وتخصيص أيام تضامن ودعم لمبادرة شباب وجماهير الضفة والقدس، وتنتظم فيها تحركات جامعة للفلسطينيين وراء الخط الأخضر، وفي أقطار الشتات، وفي العواصم العربية والإسلامية والعالمية، وتأجيل انتخابات الهيئات الفلسطينية الناظمة إلى ما بعد إنهاء الاحتلال .
وكاتب المقال لا يخاطب الفصائل الفلسطينية في الأساس، وإن كان لايستثنيها بالطبع، بل يخاطب ـ أولا ـ أربعة ملايين فلسطيني في الضفة والقدس وغزة، ويخاطب ما يقارب المليون ونصف المليون فلسطيني من عرب 1948، ويخاطب ما يزيد على الخمسة ملايين فلسطيني في المخيمات وعواصم الشتات، وملايين لا تحصى من شباب الزحف العربي المستعد لنصرة فلسطين ونصرة ثورتها السلمية المرشحة ـ بعونه تعالى ـ لتكون أم الانتفاضات.
"
Real News Video: Israeli Soldiers Open Fire on Demonstrators
Israeli troops have fired on protesters at the country's borders with the Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Syria
Real News Video: Syrian Crackdown Reported in Border Town
Activists in Syria say violence by security forces against protesters is continuing despite a pledge to withdraw the army from some cities and begin talks.
Sunday, bloody Sunday
By Pepe Escobar
Asia Times
"The next United Nations General Assembly could be a game-changer for Israel's feeling of impunity as the new Egypt steps up to the podium. Yet Israel's killing of 21 people marching to its borders on Sunday shows that after 63 years of unconditional support from the United States, the "pathological state" has lost none of its penchant for killing Arabs with "maximum restraint"....
So in the Israeli narrative the Israel Defense Forces could have pulverized Gaza to dust - but it didn't, because it respects human life. Thus destroying "only" 15% of Gaza's buildings and killing "only" 300 of its children in late 2008, early 2009 could be sold - and accepted - by Israelis as a "humanitarian" act. As for East Jerusalem, it should be "purified". None of this, of course, ever arouses the ire of the UN Security Council.
The world knows that Israel has gotten away with killing and torturing tens of thousands of Palestinians over the past 63 years because of the unconditional support of Washington. Perhaps the next UN General Assembly in September will be a game-changer. A new, really representative, really sovereign Egyptian government will definitely be a game-changer, because - to Tel Aviv's horror - it will be the absolute opposite of Mubarak.
Yet what is already certain is that as long as the apartheid enshrined at the very core of Israel is not questioned by Israelis themselves, there is no evidence the "moral insanity" of the "pathological state" is abating. "
Asia Times
"The next United Nations General Assembly could be a game-changer for Israel's feeling of impunity as the new Egypt steps up to the podium. Yet Israel's killing of 21 people marching to its borders on Sunday shows that after 63 years of unconditional support from the United States, the "pathological state" has lost none of its penchant for killing Arabs with "maximum restraint"....
So in the Israeli narrative the Israel Defense Forces could have pulverized Gaza to dust - but it didn't, because it respects human life. Thus destroying "only" 15% of Gaza's buildings and killing "only" 300 of its children in late 2008, early 2009 could be sold - and accepted - by Israelis as a "humanitarian" act. As for East Jerusalem, it should be "purified". None of this, of course, ever arouses the ire of the UN Security Council.
The world knows that Israel has gotten away with killing and torturing tens of thousands of Palestinians over the past 63 years because of the unconditional support of Washington. Perhaps the next UN General Assembly in September will be a game-changer. A new, really representative, really sovereign Egyptian government will definitely be a game-changer, because - to Tel Aviv's horror - it will be the absolute opposite of Mubarak.
Yet what is already certain is that as long as the apartheid enshrined at the very core of Israel is not questioned by Israelis themselves, there is no evidence the "moral insanity" of the "pathological state" is abating. "
Blackwater founder 'setting up mercenary army for UAE'
By Kim Sengupta, Defence Correspondent
The Independent
"The founder of the controversial security company Blackwater – whose employees faced criminal charges over the killing of civilians in Iraq – is setting up a paramilitary force of foreign mercenaries in Abu Dhabi, it has been claimed.
Fighters from Colombia and South Africa have been flown into the Emirate, where the Sunni rulers are deeply apprehensive about the popular unrest of the "Arab Spring" as well as the perceived threat from Shia Iran.
Erik Prince, who sold his stake in Blackwater, had arranged a $529m deal to form an 800-strong battalion with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Sandhurst-trained Abu Dhabi Crown Prince who is the effective ruler of the United Arab Emirates, according to reports....."
Palestinians in Lebanon, at the lonely end of the Arab uprisings
Never is a refugee's right to return brought into question – except when that refugee is a Palestinian
AN EXCELLENT COMMENT
AN EXCELLENT COMMENT
Matthew Cassel
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 May 2011
"Climbing up the mountain to reach the Palestinian right-of-return protest in Maroun al-Ras in south Lebanon on Sunday felt a bit like being back in Tahrir Square.
The thousands of mostly Palestinian refugees were smiling as they joked about the strenuous climb, and helped each other up the mountain to reach the site where they were going to stage their demonstration. Some knew it could even be dangerous, but that didn't matter as much as the rare opportunity to join together and call for their rights.....
Israel is showing itself to be no different to the infamous despotic Arab regimes in its willingness to use brutal force against people demanding their rights. This was clear yesterday when more than a dozen were killed and hundreds injured in Lebanon, Syria's occupied Golan Heights, and in the occupied West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. In Lebanon, 10 were killed and more than 100 injured, including Lebanese soldiers, when Israel opened fire on protesters at the border fence.
The number of refugees at the fence would have been even greater had the Lebanese army not set up a blockade halfway down the mountain preventing thousands of others from joining the protesters below.
The role of the Lebanese army in preventing Palestinians from protesting against Israel represents what many refugees in Lebanon believe is a main hindrance in order for them to return. In Lebanon, refugees live with few civil rights, many in refugee camps enclosed by barbed-wire fencing and army checkpoints. Last year, thousands protested in Beirut calling for rights in order to return.....
Men and women, young and old, secular and religious, were all present. This was the first time in 63 years that Palestinian refugees would go to the border in their tens of thousands and call for their right to return home. For most, it was their first time even seeing the land that they've grown up hearing described in precise detail through the popular stories of elders old enough to remember life in what is today considered Israel.
The Israeli regime not only keeps under occupation more than 4 million people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and limits the rights of more than a million Palestinian citizens of Israel, it also denies more than 5 million refugees the fundamental right of return to the place they were forced to flee.....
Sunday's protest wasn't ended by Israel's force but by that of the Lebanese army. After hours at the fence, Lebanese soldiers moved in and began firing their M16s in the air non-stop, creating a stampede of frightened protesters who sprinted back up the incline. People fell on top of each other, some hurled themselves to the ground to seek cover. As the crowd continued rushing up the mountain, the army fired teargas until all were gone.
Taking a break near the top, I met two young men sitting side by side. They asked me to photograph them – one was Lebanese and the other a Palestinian refugee – to show that it wasn't only Palestinians protesting for the right of return.....
The fight with the Lebanese army highlights the complicated journey Palestinian refugees must take to achieve their rights. Not only this, but yesterday there were only a handful of international journalists covering the important demonstrations, and many commentators don't see the refugees' struggle as legitimate. Never is a refugee's right to return to the lands he/she was forced to flee brought into question, except when that refugee is a Palestinian....."
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 May 2011
"Climbing up the mountain to reach the Palestinian right-of-return protest in Maroun al-Ras in south Lebanon on Sunday felt a bit like being back in Tahrir Square.
The thousands of mostly Palestinian refugees were smiling as they joked about the strenuous climb, and helped each other up the mountain to reach the site where they were going to stage their demonstration. Some knew it could even be dangerous, but that didn't matter as much as the rare opportunity to join together and call for their rights.....
Israel is showing itself to be no different to the infamous despotic Arab regimes in its willingness to use brutal force against people demanding their rights. This was clear yesterday when more than a dozen were killed and hundreds injured in Lebanon, Syria's occupied Golan Heights, and in the occupied West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. In Lebanon, 10 were killed and more than 100 injured, including Lebanese soldiers, when Israel opened fire on protesters at the border fence.
The number of refugees at the fence would have been even greater had the Lebanese army not set up a blockade halfway down the mountain preventing thousands of others from joining the protesters below.
The role of the Lebanese army in preventing Palestinians from protesting against Israel represents what many refugees in Lebanon believe is a main hindrance in order for them to return. In Lebanon, refugees live with few civil rights, many in refugee camps enclosed by barbed-wire fencing and army checkpoints. Last year, thousands protested in Beirut calling for rights in order to return.....
Men and women, young and old, secular and religious, were all present. This was the first time in 63 years that Palestinian refugees would go to the border in their tens of thousands and call for their right to return home. For most, it was their first time even seeing the land that they've grown up hearing described in precise detail through the popular stories of elders old enough to remember life in what is today considered Israel.
The Israeli regime not only keeps under occupation more than 4 million people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and limits the rights of more than a million Palestinian citizens of Israel, it also denies more than 5 million refugees the fundamental right of return to the place they were forced to flee.....
Sunday's protest wasn't ended by Israel's force but by that of the Lebanese army. After hours at the fence, Lebanese soldiers moved in and began firing their M16s in the air non-stop, creating a stampede of frightened protesters who sprinted back up the incline. People fell on top of each other, some hurled themselves to the ground to seek cover. As the crowd continued rushing up the mountain, the army fired teargas until all were gone.
Taking a break near the top, I met two young men sitting side by side. They asked me to photograph them – one was Lebanese and the other a Palestinian refugee – to show that it wasn't only Palestinians protesting for the right of return.....
The fight with the Lebanese army highlights the complicated journey Palestinian refugees must take to achieve their rights. Not only this, but yesterday there were only a handful of international journalists covering the important demonstrations, and many commentators don't see the refugees' struggle as legitimate. Never is a refugee's right to return to the lands he/she was forced to flee brought into question, except when that refugee is a Palestinian....."
Video: Israeli embassy protesters clash with Cairo police
Egyptian police fire tear gas into crowd on day of pro-Palestinian protests
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 May 2011
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 May 2011
Video: Palestinians clash with Israeli troops at borders
Protests to commemorate Nakba, or the 'day of the catastrophe' 63 years ago, when Palestinians were displaced, turn violent as Israeli forces fire on protesters, killing at least 13
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 May 2011
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 May 2011
Video: Gaddafis named as war crimes suspects by international criminal court
Chief prosecutor requests arrest warrants for Libyan leader, his son Saif al-Islam and intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi
Julian Borger, diplomatic editor
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 May 2011
"Muammar Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and his brother-in-law and intelligence chief, Abdullah Senussi, have been named as war crimes suspects by the chief prosecutor for the international criminal court in The Hague.
Presenting his request for arrest warrants to the ICC, the chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said the men formed an inner circle who carried out the Libyan leader's orders to crush peaceful protests by ordering attacks with live ammunition and heavy weapons. [This applies equally to the Rabbit of Syria. We need the ICC to move next against the Assad Mafia in Syria, they are an exact replica of the Gaddafi Mafia.]
"His second eldest son Saif al-Islam is a de facto prime minister and Abdullah Senussi is his right-hand man, the executioner. [My] office documented how the three held meetings to plan and direct the operations," Moreno-Ocampo said. The prosecutor said he had "direct evidence" of the three men committing the crimes....."
Julian Borger, diplomatic editor
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 May 2011
"Muammar Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and his brother-in-law and intelligence chief, Abdullah Senussi, have been named as war crimes suspects by the chief prosecutor for the international criminal court in The Hague.
Presenting his request for arrest warrants to the ICC, the chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said the men formed an inner circle who carried out the Libyan leader's orders to crush peaceful protests by ordering attacks with live ammunition and heavy weapons. [This applies equally to the Rabbit of Syria. We need the ICC to move next against the Assad Mafia in Syria, they are an exact replica of the Gaddafi Mafia.]
"His second eldest son Saif al-Islam is a de facto prime minister and Abdullah Senussi is his right-hand man, the executioner. [My] office documented how the three held meetings to plan and direct the operations," Moreno-Ocampo said. The prosecutor said he had "direct evidence" of the three men committing the crimes....."
Nakba Anger Points to Third Intifadah
By Mel Frykberg
"QALANDIA, Occupied West Bank , May 16, 2011 (IPS) - Israeli confidence that Nakba day, marked by The Great March on May 15 in the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel and neighbouring Arab countries, would remain under control, has backfired badly....
Israeli military and domestic intelligence had predicted disturbances on Sunday but confidently stated they would be limited and not spiral out of control into anything larger.
They appear to be wrong on that account, with experts predicting the possible outbreak of a third Palestinian Intifadah, when the Palestinian Authority (PA) takes its case for statehood to the UN in September."
"QALANDIA, Occupied West Bank , May 16, 2011 (IPS) - Israeli confidence that Nakba day, marked by The Great March on May 15 in the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel and neighbouring Arab countries, would remain under control, has backfired badly....
Israeli military and domestic intelligence had predicted disturbances on Sunday but confidently stated they would be limited and not spiral out of control into anything larger.
They appear to be wrong on that account, with experts predicting the possible outbreak of a third Palestinian Intifadah, when the Palestinian Authority (PA) takes its case for statehood to the UN in September."
Syria: Targeted Arrests of Activists Across Country
Families, Neighbors of Protesters Detained to ‘Rebuild Wall of Fear'
May 15, 2011
"(New York) - Syria's security forces continue their nationwide campaign of arbitrary arrests and intimidation against political and human rights activists, holding them incommunicado, forcing them to sign undertakings to stop protesting, and in some cases torturing them, Human Rights Watch said today.
"Syria's leaders talk about a war against terrorists, but what we see on the ground is a war against ordinary Syrians - lawyers, human rights activists, and university students - who are calling for democratic changes in their country," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Syria's emergency law may have been lifted on paper, but repression is still the rule on Syria's streets."
Human Rights Watch urged Syria's authorities to immediately reveal the whereabouts of the targeted activists, to ensure that no harm is done to them in detention, and to release all those held for exercising their basic rights to free expression and association....."
May 15, 2011
"(New York) - Syria's security forces continue their nationwide campaign of arbitrary arrests and intimidation against political and human rights activists, holding them incommunicado, forcing them to sign undertakings to stop protesting, and in some cases torturing them, Human Rights Watch said today.
"Syria's leaders talk about a war against terrorists, but what we see on the ground is a war against ordinary Syrians - lawyers, human rights activists, and university students - who are calling for democratic changes in their country," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Syria's emergency law may have been lifted on paper, but repression is still the rule on Syria's streets."
Human Rights Watch urged Syria's authorities to immediately reveal the whereabouts of the targeted activists, to ensure that no harm is done to them in detention, and to release all those held for exercising their basic rights to free expression and association....."
Egyptian Intifada انتفاضة المصريين ضد الوجود الصهيوني
(Click on photo to enlarge)
From Hossam El-Hamalawy
"Protesters outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo, in running battles with the Central Security Forces, after a bloody crackdown…"
"Protesters outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo, in running battles with the Central Security Forces, after a bloody crackdown…"
Riders of the Storm
As rebellions sweep the Middle East, US rulers are desperate to preserve the empire
A GOOD PIECE
by Justin Raimondo, May 16, 2011
"The tides of history are moving fast, these days. It’s hard for the average human being – who, after all, has a life to live, filled with troubles that are small in scale but no less earthshaking to the individuals experiencing them – to make sense of it all. Indeed, even the so-called “experts” are baffled, at this point – with US policymakers among the most clueless, and the most resistant to the great sea change enveloping much of the world.
As Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad unleashes his security forces on youthful protesters, across the way the Israelis are doing the same as youthful Palestinians mark the “Nakba” by demonstrating – and being fired on for their trouble, with 20 killed as of this writing. In Yemen, the “President” declares he’s not going anywhere, as protesters demand his exit, and in Bahrain King Hamad – a key US ally – is defiantly holding on to his throne in spite of demands that he step down.
In short, all the old regimes are besieged by the same storm, clinging desperately to power like barnacles on a rock – but with none of the staying power of those indefatigable mollusks. Without falling into some determinist eschatology, it’s safe to say, I think, that all of these regimes are doomed: the Israelis by demography, the Arab monarchies by the very forces of modernity that ended the reign of kings in Europe (and America) long ago......
It could end in a new Arab Enlightenment, the restoration of a high civilization that fell into Ottomanized decay and eventual ruin, or it could climax in a orgy of self-immolation and a regional war that will plunge the Middle East back into the darkness. Yet it is possible to draw at least one conclusion from the current chaos, and it is this: the US must get out of the way....."
A GOOD PIECE
by Justin Raimondo, May 16, 2011
"The tides of history are moving fast, these days. It’s hard for the average human being – who, after all, has a life to live, filled with troubles that are small in scale but no less earthshaking to the individuals experiencing them – to make sense of it all. Indeed, even the so-called “experts” are baffled, at this point – with US policymakers among the most clueless, and the most resistant to the great sea change enveloping much of the world.
As Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad unleashes his security forces on youthful protesters, across the way the Israelis are doing the same as youthful Palestinians mark the “Nakba” by demonstrating – and being fired on for their trouble, with 20 killed as of this writing. In Yemen, the “President” declares he’s not going anywhere, as protesters demand his exit, and in Bahrain King Hamad – a key US ally – is defiantly holding on to his throne in spite of demands that he step down.
In short, all the old regimes are besieged by the same storm, clinging desperately to power like barnacles on a rock – but with none of the staying power of those indefatigable mollusks. Without falling into some determinist eschatology, it’s safe to say, I think, that all of these regimes are doomed: the Israelis by demography, the Arab monarchies by the very forces of modernity that ended the reign of kings in Europe (and America) long ago......
It could end in a new Arab Enlightenment, the restoration of a high civilization that fell into Ottomanized decay and eventual ruin, or it could climax in a orgy of self-immolation and a regional war that will plunge the Middle East back into the darkness. Yet it is possible to draw at least one conclusion from the current chaos, and it is this: the US must get out of the way....."
Twilight for Qaddafi?
By Stephen M. Walt
"....At the same time, the US and NATO had better be thinking long and hard about what they are going to do if and when Qaddafi falls. As we are now seeing in some other contexts (e.g., Egypt), revolutionary change is usually chaotic, unpredictable, and violent, and it creates opportunities for various forms of mischief. These dangers loom especially large in Libya, due in good part to the lack of effective political institutions and the likelihood that some of the people we are backing now will want to settle scores with loyalists. And that possibility means there's also a risk of the same sort of loyalist insurgency that sprang up in Iraq, possibly rooted in long-standing tribal divisions.
So if the liberal interventionists who got us into this war want to make their decisions look good in retrospect, they had better have a plan to ensure that political transition in Libya goes a lot more smoothly than it did in Iraq. And you know what that means, don't you? We'll be there for longer than you think, and at a higher cost than one might hope. But no worries; it's not as though we have any other problems to think about (or spend money on) these days."
"....At the same time, the US and NATO had better be thinking long and hard about what they are going to do if and when Qaddafi falls. As we are now seeing in some other contexts (e.g., Egypt), revolutionary change is usually chaotic, unpredictable, and violent, and it creates opportunities for various forms of mischief. These dangers loom especially large in Libya, due in good part to the lack of effective political institutions and the likelihood that some of the people we are backing now will want to settle scores with loyalists. And that possibility means there's also a risk of the same sort of loyalist insurgency that sprang up in Iraq, possibly rooted in long-standing tribal divisions.
So if the liberal interventionists who got us into this war want to make their decisions look good in retrospect, they had better have a plan to ensure that political transition in Libya goes a lot more smoothly than it did in Iraq. And you know what that means, don't you? We'll be there for longer than you think, and at a higher cost than one might hope. But no worries; it's not as though we have any other problems to think about (or spend money on) these days."
The Arab Spring's second wave
The current uprisings differ from their predecessors, marked by a series of more violent crackdowns.
Leila Hudson and Dylan Baun
Al-Jazeera
"....The chronic violence of Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria
In contrast, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria are characterised by heavy regime crackdowns featuring tanks, snipers, noxious gases and bulldozers, more effective coordination or co-option of the military and security forces and a chronic smouldering violence. In short, the fear factor (not acute and adrenaline fuelled, but chronic and deeply seated) has dulled the potency of the social media and the effectiveness of non-violent mobilisation. These regimes have not surrendered the streets to the people. When protest, fear and reprisal techniques develop simultaneously, sectarian ugliness could be just around the corner. This lethal combination threatens to derail the Spring in progress in ways that did not come to a head during the momentum of the first wave.
It is impossible to ignore the fact that the second wave protests tend to be male dominated affairs. Since the brutal Saudi and Bahraini take down of the Tahrir style protesters' camps in Manama's Lulu Roundabout, there are far fewer images of women and children protesting, the brave yet slightly off putting demonstrations of Yemen's niqab-clad ladies (who give a new meaning to "Women in Black") notwithstanding.
Another major theme in the second wave protests is that these unfolding cases have the ability to shake the geostrategic contours of the region. Whereas Egypt and Tunisia maintained US and French spheres of influence, the contests for Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria have revealed the complexity and contradictions of the international alliance system of the region. Questions about future access to cheap and abundant Libyan oil complicates the NATO intervention's goals and integrity. On the other hand, Yemen, a pliable US ally in the "war on terror", inspires US reticence to tip the balance while leaving a chaotic landscape full of toeholds for lesser interventions. Bahrain was an easy morsel for the US to toss to its Saudi and other GCC allies. And Assad's Syria, surprisingly, has been revealed as a lynchpin of Israeli stability....."
Leila Hudson and Dylan Baun
Al-Jazeera
"....The chronic violence of Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria
In contrast, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria are characterised by heavy regime crackdowns featuring tanks, snipers, noxious gases and bulldozers, more effective coordination or co-option of the military and security forces and a chronic smouldering violence. In short, the fear factor (not acute and adrenaline fuelled, but chronic and deeply seated) has dulled the potency of the social media and the effectiveness of non-violent mobilisation. These regimes have not surrendered the streets to the people. When protest, fear and reprisal techniques develop simultaneously, sectarian ugliness could be just around the corner. This lethal combination threatens to derail the Spring in progress in ways that did not come to a head during the momentum of the first wave.
It is impossible to ignore the fact that the second wave protests tend to be male dominated affairs. Since the brutal Saudi and Bahraini take down of the Tahrir style protesters' camps in Manama's Lulu Roundabout, there are far fewer images of women and children protesting, the brave yet slightly off putting demonstrations of Yemen's niqab-clad ladies (who give a new meaning to "Women in Black") notwithstanding.
Another major theme in the second wave protests is that these unfolding cases have the ability to shake the geostrategic contours of the region. Whereas Egypt and Tunisia maintained US and French spheres of influence, the contests for Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria have revealed the complexity and contradictions of the international alliance system of the region. Questions about future access to cheap and abundant Libyan oil complicates the NATO intervention's goals and integrity. On the other hand, Yemen, a pliable US ally in the "war on terror", inspires US reticence to tip the balance while leaving a chaotic landscape full of toeholds for lesser interventions. Bahrain was an easy morsel for the US to toss to its Saudi and other GCC allies. And Assad's Syria, surprisingly, has been revealed as a lynchpin of Israeli stability....."
War crimes prosecutor seeks Gaddafi warrant
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi targeted by ICC chief prosecutor, along with son, Saif al-Islam, and intelligence chief.
"The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has sought arrest warrants for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his son, Saif al-Islam, and another Libyan official on war crimes charges.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo will hand a 74-page dossier of evidence to a three-judge panel at the court in the Hague, the Netherlands, on Monday.
They will decide whether the case is strong enough for them to confirm crimes against humanity charges, and issue international arrest warrants...."
"The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has sought arrest warrants for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his son, Saif al-Islam, and another Libyan official on war crimes charges.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo will hand a 74-page dossier of evidence to a three-judge panel at the court in the Hague, the Netherlands, on Monday.
They will decide whether the case is strong enough for them to confirm crimes against humanity charges, and issue international arrest warrants...."
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The Storming of Golan
A GREAT VIDEO; DON'T MISS IT!
Keep in Mind That This is the Golan, Which Israel Has Officially Annexed From Syria....
Where is the Syrian Army? It is Busy Killing Syrians Elsewhere in Syria! It Has Not Fired a Shot to Try to Recover the Golan Since 1974. The Regime, Having No Shame, Calls Itself "a Resistance" Regime! Resistance to What? Certainly Not Israeli Occupation.
Keep in Mind That This is the Golan, Which Israel Has Officially Annexed From Syria....
Where is the Syrian Army? It is Busy Killing Syrians Elsewhere in Syria! It Has Not Fired a Shot to Try to Recover the Golan Since 1974. The Regime, Having No Shame, Calls Itself "a Resistance" Regime! Resistance to What? Certainly Not Israeli Occupation.
VIDEO – SHUT DOWN THE ZIONIST EMBASSY NOW! شباب مصر يطالبون بغلق سفارة إسرائيل
From Hossam El-Hamalawy
شباب مصر يطالبون بغلق سفارة إسرائيل
"Protesters in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo on Sunday, chanting: “Bring down the (Israeli flag) or we will set it on fire.” This was an hour before the army and police cracked down on protesters Mubarak-style."
شباب مصر يطالبون بغلق سفارة إسرائيل
"Protesters in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo on Sunday, chanting: “Bring down the (Israeli flag) or we will set it on fire.” This was an hour before the army and police cracked down on protesters Mubarak-style."
Syrian thugs abuse civilans
Someone should tell that asshole Ghassan Ben Jiddo to take his resistance and stick it where you know where.
These thugs look and act like "Israelis" the difference the "Israeli" is a colonizer the Syrian is abusing hit own country men. Tfoo 'alik ya Ben Jiddo you hypocrite POC.
These thugs look and act like "Israelis" the difference the "Israeli" is a colonizer the Syrian is abusing hit own country men. Tfoo 'alik ya Ben Jiddo you hypocrite POC.
Nakba day protests – in pictures (19 photos)
Violence breaks out as Palestinians march on Israel's borders on Nakba day - which means 'catastrophe' and marks the day Israel came into being and thousands of Palestinians were displaced
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 15 May 2011
A hand reaches out to an injured man, one of a several wounded when the Israeli army opened fire at thousands of protesters crossing from Syria into the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, close to the Druze town of Majdal Shams
Hamas security officials confront protesters during a demonstration near the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip
The body of a Syrian protester is carried near the border fence between Syria and Israel, close to the northern Druze village of Majdal Shams, in the Golan Heights
Protesters climb the border fence between Syria and Israel during a demonstration marking Nakba day, near Majdal Shams
Israeli soldiers stand at the border fence between Israel and Syria as demonstrators approach the village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights
Palestinian protesters take cover after Israeli soldiers opened fire on them during a rally marking Nakba, or "catastrophe", the term used by Palestinians to describe the uprooting they suffered at the time of Israel's founding on 15 May 1948, in the southern border village of Maroun el-Rass, Lebanon
Palestinian police block the street as protesters try and reach two Jewish settlements in the Palestinian West Bank city of Hebron
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 15 May 2011
A hand reaches out to an injured man, one of a several wounded when the Israeli army opened fire at thousands of protesters crossing from Syria into the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, close to the Druze town of Majdal Shams
Hamas security officials confront protesters during a demonstration near the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip
The body of a Syrian protester is carried near the border fence between Syria and Israel, close to the northern Druze village of Majdal Shams, in the Golan Heights
Protesters climb the border fence between Syria and Israel during a demonstration marking Nakba day, near Majdal Shams
Israeli soldiers stand at the border fence between Israel and Syria as demonstrators approach the village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights
Palestinian protesters take cover after Israeli soldiers opened fire on them during a rally marking Nakba, or "catastrophe", the term used by Palestinians to describe the uprooting they suffered at the time of Israel's founding on 15 May 1948, in the southern border village of Maroun el-Rass, Lebanon
Palestinian police block the street as protesters try and reach two Jewish settlements in the Palestinian West Bank city of Hebron
Egypt police fire tear gas at Nakba rally
Security forces try to disperse "Nakba Day" demonstrators after a group attempts to "storm" Israeli embassy in Cairo.
"Egyptian police have fired tear gas at protesters outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo, after a group of demonstrators reportedly attempted to storm the building.
Thousands of protesters had massed outside of the embassy in the capital on Sunday to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the "Nakba" or "catastrophe" - the day Israel declared its independence and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes.
Witnesses said a group of demonstrators later tried to storm the entrance of the embassy. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Rob Gilles, who was at the scene, told Al Jazeera that some protesters responded by burning tires in the middle of the road and throwing stones.
"The security forces have made a charge outside the embassy to clear the street in front of it and most of the protesters are being forced back," he said.
'Determined protesters'
"They've sealed off the main area into it but there is still a determined presence here, they are determined not to move, spurred on by the images they've seen of the Nakba protests in other parts of the Middle East... "
"Egyptian police have fired tear gas at protesters outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo, after a group of demonstrators reportedly attempted to storm the building.
Thousands of protesters had massed outside of the embassy in the capital on Sunday to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the "Nakba" or "catastrophe" - the day Israel declared its independence and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes.
Witnesses said a group of demonstrators later tried to storm the entrance of the embassy. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Rob Gilles, who was at the scene, told Al Jazeera that some protesters responded by burning tires in the middle of the road and throwing stones.
"The security forces have made a charge outside the embassy to clear the street in front of it and most of the protesters are being forced back," he said.
'Determined protesters'
"They've sealed off the main area into it but there is still a determined presence here, they are determined not to move, spurred on by the images they've seen of the Nakba protests in other parts of the Middle East... "
Palestinians killed in 'Nakba' clashes
FUCK YOU AL-JAZEERA!
Who writes your dispatches now, the IOF??
"Several people have been killed and scores of others wounded in the Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, Ras Maroun in Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as Palestinians mark the "Nakba", or day of "catastrophe".
The "Nakba" is how Palestinians refer to the 1948 founding of the state of Israel, when an estimated 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled following Israel's declaration of statehood....."
Who writes your dispatches now, the IOF??
"Several people have been killed and scores of others wounded in the Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, Ras Maroun in Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as Palestinians mark the "Nakba", or day of "catastrophe".
The "Nakba" is how Palestinians refer to the 1948 founding of the state of Israel, when an estimated 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled following Israel's declaration of statehood....."
Since the Syrian Army is Too Busy Killing Syrians.......إسرائيل تسلم سوريا ١٠ جثث لشبان فلسطينيين
إسرائيل تسلم سوريا ١٠ جثث لشبان فلسطينيين
عرب ٤٨
The Arab Regime Armies Are Only For Suppressing Their Own People.....
Israel Can Occupy, Annex the Golan, and Kill Syrians and Palestinians.....
With Not a Whimper From the "Resistance" Regime in Damascus.
"ذكرت الإذاعة الإسرائيلية أن إسرائيل سلمت الطرف السوري اليوم 10 جثث لشبان أُستشهدوا بنيران جيش الإحتلال الإسرائيلي لدى محاولتهم عبور السياج الحدودي في الجولان المحتل.
وقالت الإذاعة إن 120 شاباً عادوا إلى الأراضي السورية في حين تواصل قوات من الشرطة أعمال التمشيط في مجدل شمس بحثاً عن شبان آخرين يرجح أن يكونوا قد بقوا هناك وذلك من أجل إعادتهم للطرف السوري.
وفي وقت سابق من اليوم، أفاد مراسل القناة الإسرائيلية العاشرة قبل قليل أن قوات الأمن الإسرائيلية تحتجز عدة شبان فلسطينيين أقتحموا السياج الحدودي في الجولان بهدف التحقيق معهم.
وأضاف المراسل أن الشبان المحتجزين سيتم نقلهم إلى سوريا بعد إنتهاء التحقيق معهم بعدما تم تشخيصهم بأنهم هم من "حرضوا" على إقتحام السياج الحدودي في الجولان
..."
عرب ٤٨
The Arab Regime Armies Are Only For Suppressing Their Own People.....
Israel Can Occupy, Annex the Golan, and Kill Syrians and Palestinians.....
With Not a Whimper From the "Resistance" Regime in Damascus.
"ذكرت الإذاعة الإسرائيلية أن إسرائيل سلمت الطرف السوري اليوم 10 جثث لشبان أُستشهدوا بنيران جيش الإحتلال الإسرائيلي لدى محاولتهم عبور السياج الحدودي في الجولان المحتل.
وقالت الإذاعة إن 120 شاباً عادوا إلى الأراضي السورية في حين تواصل قوات من الشرطة أعمال التمشيط في مجدل شمس بحثاً عن شبان آخرين يرجح أن يكونوا قد بقوا هناك وذلك من أجل إعادتهم للطرف السوري.
وفي وقت سابق من اليوم، أفاد مراسل القناة الإسرائيلية العاشرة قبل قليل أن قوات الأمن الإسرائيلية تحتجز عدة شبان فلسطينيين أقتحموا السياج الحدودي في الجولان بهدف التحقيق معهم.
وأضاف المراسل أن الشبان المحتجزين سيتم نقلهم إلى سوريا بعد إنتهاء التحقيق معهم بعدما تم تشخيصهم بأنهم هم من "حرضوا" على إقتحام السياج الحدودي في الجولان
..."
Al-Jazeera Video: Residents flee Syria border town
"As at least three people are reportedly killed by Syrian snipers in the border town of Talkalakh, as thousands of residents flee to neighbouring Lebanon.
The military crackdown in the town followed a protest held against the government of president Bashar al-Assad.
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, has more on the story."
Al-Jazeera Video: Shooting on Israel-Syria border
"Syria's state TV says four Syrian protesters were shot dead by Israeli troops during a demonstration on the Syrian side of the border with the occupied Golan Heights.
Dozens were injured by the shooting after hundreds walked across minefields, overwhelmed border guards and attempted to cross the border near the village of Majdal Shams.
Eyewtiness Salman Fakhreddin describes the scene to Al Jazeera."
Moussa: I will adopt Mubarak's foreign policy
Al-Masry Al-Youm
Via Angry Arab
"Secretary General of the Arab League and potential presidential candidate Amr Moussa said he will adopt the same approach to foreign policy as ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
In an interview with Deutsche Welle (German Radio), Moussa said that if he is elected his policies regarding the Middle East peace process and relations with Israel will be the same....."
Via Angry Arab
"Secretary General of the Arab League and potential presidential candidate Amr Moussa said he will adopt the same approach to foreign policy as ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
In an interview with Deutsche Welle (German Radio), Moussa said that if he is elected his policies regarding the Middle East peace process and relations with Israel will be the same....."
Assad's regime of torture
President Assad reaffirms his father's legacy by quelling dissent with brute force.
Hugh Macleod and a special correspondent
Al-Jazeera
""Bashar is God! Bashar is God!"
As the fists and boots and sticks pummelled his body and bloodied his face, the college student screamed out what he thought his interrogators wanted to hear: The name of Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad.
It worked. The secret policemen tired of beating him for the day and threw him back into the makeshift cell, a room inside the power station in Banias, where local prisons are full to bursting from a wave of arrests ahead of the military assault on the port city, which began earlier this month.
The respite was short-lived. Handcuffed by his wrists and ankles and blindfolded, the student, who gave testimony to a trusted local activist on condition of anonymity, was led to a car and driven to another torture cell.
"I was being beaten all over my body. I was bleeding and was saying the shahada to myself, ‘There is no God, but God,' because I thought I was going to die at that moment," he said....
'Rampant torture'
Where the torture cells of Tadmor, Syria's desert prison, once extracted confessions from individuals accused of standing against the Assads - Communists like Akram Bunni, left partially paralysed after his spine was stretched in a torture known as the German Chair; Muslim Brotherhood members whipped with cable and stunned with electric shock devices - today's torturers appear to be pursuing a policy of deterrence and collective punishment.....
Hundreds of disappearances
Across Syria a campaign of mass arrests since the uprising began in mid-March has seen more than 7,000 Syrians arbitrarily detained and thrown into prisons, according to a count by activists, contacting detainees' family and friends.
The detained include a wide cross section of society, mainly young men aged between 20 and 50, but including children and elderly, especially activists and those involved in protests or seen filming them, but also community leaders, imams and students.....
His father's footsteps
The uprising in Syria began with the torture of children: 15 boys, aged between 10 and 15, from Deraa, who were beaten and had their finger nails pulled out by men working for General Atef Najeeb, a cousin of President Assad.
Two months into the most serious threat to the decades-old dictatorship, the jails in some cities are already full. As well as holding prisoners in the power station in Banias, security forces have also begun using a local sports stadium to hold hundreds of detainees, according to eyewitness accounts gathered by activists....Like the father from whom he inherited power, President Assad has sought to crush the uprising against him with force and mass arrests...."
Hugh Macleod and a special correspondent
Al-Jazeera
""Bashar is God! Bashar is God!"
As the fists and boots and sticks pummelled his body and bloodied his face, the college student screamed out what he thought his interrogators wanted to hear: The name of Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad.
It worked. The secret policemen tired of beating him for the day and threw him back into the makeshift cell, a room inside the power station in Banias, where local prisons are full to bursting from a wave of arrests ahead of the military assault on the port city, which began earlier this month.
The respite was short-lived. Handcuffed by his wrists and ankles and blindfolded, the student, who gave testimony to a trusted local activist on condition of anonymity, was led to a car and driven to another torture cell.
"I was being beaten all over my body. I was bleeding and was saying the shahada to myself, ‘There is no God, but God,' because I thought I was going to die at that moment," he said....
'Rampant torture'
Where the torture cells of Tadmor, Syria's desert prison, once extracted confessions from individuals accused of standing against the Assads - Communists like Akram Bunni, left partially paralysed after his spine was stretched in a torture known as the German Chair; Muslim Brotherhood members whipped with cable and stunned with electric shock devices - today's torturers appear to be pursuing a policy of deterrence and collective punishment.....
Hundreds of disappearances
Across Syria a campaign of mass arrests since the uprising began in mid-March has seen more than 7,000 Syrians arbitrarily detained and thrown into prisons, according to a count by activists, contacting detainees' family and friends.
The detained include a wide cross section of society, mainly young men aged between 20 and 50, but including children and elderly, especially activists and those involved in protests or seen filming them, but also community leaders, imams and students.....
His father's footsteps
The uprising in Syria began with the torture of children: 15 boys, aged between 10 and 15, from Deraa, who were beaten and had their finger nails pulled out by men working for General Atef Najeeb, a cousin of President Assad.
Two months into the most serious threat to the decades-old dictatorship, the jails in some cities are already full. As well as holding prisoners in the power station in Banias, security forces have also begun using a local sports stadium to hold hundreds of detainees, according to eyewitness accounts gathered by activists....Like the father from whom he inherited power, President Assad has sought to crush the uprising against him with force and mass arrests...."
Thirteen killed as Israeli troops open fire on Nakba Day border protests
Many more wounded in clashes at Israel's borders with Syria, Gaza and Lebanon, as UN appeals for 'maximum restraint'
Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 15 May 2011
"....Thousands of Palestinian refugees in Syria marched towards the village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967. At least four people were killed by Israeli troops as they crossed the border, Israel Radio reported. Up to 20 were injured, according to the Israeli Magen David Adom ambulance service.
A statement from the Israeli military said: "Thousands of Syrian civilians breached the Israel-Syria border [Keep in mind that Israel has annexed the Golan Heights and the "Israel-Syria border" is the border of the Golan Heights!] near the Israeli village of Majdal Shams.
"IDF forces opened fire in order to prevent the violent rioters from illegally infiltrating Israeli territory [meaning the occupied Golan.]. A number of rioters have infiltrated and are violently rioting in the village. From initial reports there are dozens of injured that are receiving medical care in a nearby hospital."
Most of the inhabitants of Majdal Shams, a large village close to the border, hold Syrian citizenship and have family on the other side of the border, from whom they are cut off. The Israeli army declared the area, which is heavily mined, a closed military zone on Sunday.
Despite being occupied by Israel for 44 years, the Golan is usually calm. Syria has repeatedly demanded Israel hand back the area.
A similar Nakba Day protest on the Lebanon border led to four people being killed and around 15 wounded, according to Lebanese media reports. Dozens of protesters approached the border from the Lebanese town of Maroun a-Ras....."
Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 15 May 2011
"....Thousands of Palestinian refugees in Syria marched towards the village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967. At least four people were killed by Israeli troops as they crossed the border, Israel Radio reported. Up to 20 were injured, according to the Israeli Magen David Adom ambulance service.
A statement from the Israeli military said: "Thousands of Syrian civilians breached the Israel-Syria border [Keep in mind that Israel has annexed the Golan Heights and the "Israel-Syria border" is the border of the Golan Heights!] near the Israeli village of Majdal Shams.
"IDF forces opened fire in order to prevent the violent rioters from illegally infiltrating Israeli territory [meaning the occupied Golan.]. A number of rioters have infiltrated and are violently rioting in the village. From initial reports there are dozens of injured that are receiving medical care in a nearby hospital."
Most of the inhabitants of Majdal Shams, a large village close to the border, hold Syrian citizenship and have family on the other side of the border, from whom they are cut off. The Israeli army declared the area, which is heavily mined, a closed military zone on Sunday.
Despite being occupied by Israel for 44 years, the Golan is usually calm. Syria has repeatedly demanded Israel hand back the area.
A similar Nakba Day protest on the Lebanon border led to four people being killed and around 15 wounded, according to Lebanese media reports. Dozens of protesters approached the border from the Lebanese town of Maroun a-Ras....."
Nakba protests and Middle East unrest - live updates
The Guardian
COMMENT:
The Guardian's coverage has been more decent than that of Al-Jazeera. Scroll down a couple of posts to see this headline from Al-Jazeera:
"Palestinians wounded in 'Nakba' clashes."
Notice how Al-Jazeera put Nakba within quotation marks, while the Guardian did not. Al-Jazeera is not so sure that there is such a thing as Nakba.
Next, Al-Jazeera uses the word "Clashes" to describe Israel's firing on, wounding and killing of protesters, as if it is a "clash" between equals. The Guardian, correctly describes the situation as a protest.
Shame on Al-Jazeera and how low it has sunk to please the House of Saud and his Israeli protectors.
• Dozens of Palestinians wounded in Nakba protests
COMMENT:
The Guardian's coverage has been more decent than that of Al-Jazeera. Scroll down a couple of posts to see this headline from Al-Jazeera:
"Palestinians wounded in 'Nakba' clashes."
Notice how Al-Jazeera put Nakba within quotation marks, while the Guardian did not. Al-Jazeera is not so sure that there is such a thing as Nakba.
Next, Al-Jazeera uses the word "Clashes" to describe Israel's firing on, wounding and killing of protesters, as if it is a "clash" between equals. The Guardian, correctly describes the situation as a protest.
Shame on Al-Jazeera and how low it has sunk to please the House of Saud and his Israeli protectors.
• Dozens of Palestinians wounded in Nakba protests
• Four Syrians killed crossing the border into Golan Heights [The Rabbit and the IOF are now partners, killing Syrians on both sides of the occupied Golan!]
Palestinians wounded in 'Nakba' clashes
Dozens of Palestinians wounded in West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights as clashes break out amid 'Nakba Day' protests
Al-Jazeera
"Over 40 people were injured in the Gaza Strip on Sunday as thousands of Palestinians and activists marched to mark "Nakba Day" or Israel's 1948 founding, amid tight Israeli security.
A group of Palestinians, most of them children, were shot by the Israeli army after crossing a Hamas checkpoint and entering what Israel calls "buffer zone" - an empty area between the borders where Israeli soldiers generally shoot trespassers, Al Jazeera correspondent Nicole Johnston reported from Gaza City.
Johnston said tank shelling and artillery fire were also heard from the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip.
Reports said at least 45 Palestinians were wounded in northern Gaza as Israeli troops opened fire on a massive march of at least 1,000 people heading towards the Erez border crossing between the Gaza strip and Israel....
One of the biggest demonstrations [??] was held near Qalandiya refugee camp and checkpoint, the main secured entry point into the West Bank from Israel, where about 100 protesters marched, Al Jazeera correspondent Nisreen El Shmayleh reported from Ramallah.
Some injuries were reported from tear gas canisters fired at protesters there, El Shmayleh said...."
Al-Jazeera
"Over 40 people were injured in the Gaza Strip on Sunday as thousands of Palestinians and activists marched to mark "Nakba Day" or Israel's 1948 founding, amid tight Israeli security.
A group of Palestinians, most of them children, were shot by the Israeli army after crossing a Hamas checkpoint and entering what Israel calls "buffer zone" - an empty area between the borders where Israeli soldiers generally shoot trespassers, Al Jazeera correspondent Nicole Johnston reported from Gaza City.
Johnston said tank shelling and artillery fire were also heard from the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip.
Reports said at least 45 Palestinians were wounded in northern Gaza as Israeli troops opened fire on a massive march of at least 1,000 people heading towards the Erez border crossing between the Gaza strip and Israel....
One of the biggest demonstrations [??] was held near Qalandiya refugee camp and checkpoint, the main secured entry point into the West Bank from Israel, where about 100 protesters marched, Al Jazeera correspondent Nisreen El Shmayleh reported from Ramallah.
Some injuries were reported from tear gas canisters fired at protesters there, El Shmayleh said...."
Border fire at Syria-Lebanon frontier
Woman killed and Lebanese soldier among injured as thousands flee crackdown in nearby Syrian town of Talkalakh.
Al-Jazeera
"A woman has been killed and a Lebanese soldier among five injured following gunfire at a border crossing between Syria and northern Lebanon.
The incident occurred near the Lebanese town of Wadi Khaled on Sunday. Thousands of Syrians have arrived at the border, fleeing a crackdown in the neighbouring town of Talkalakh, around five kilometres away.
The Syrian army surrounded and attacked Talkalakh on Saturday after a protest there the day before against the government of president Bashar al-Assad. At least four people were killed in the Saturday incursion.
Witnesses said those killed on Saturday were among dozens attempting to leave Talkalakh and enter Lebanon.
"Over the past 48 hours, we've seen dozens of families escape the border town of Talkalakh," Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr said. "There [has] been unrest there, it's one of the protest hubs ... some say up to 2,000 [have fled] in the past 48 hours."
An eyewitness on the border told Al Jazeera that at least 19 people had been wounded when the military swooped into Talkalakh on Saturday....."
Al-Jazeera
"A woman has been killed and a Lebanese soldier among five injured following gunfire at a border crossing between Syria and northern Lebanon.
The incident occurred near the Lebanese town of Wadi Khaled on Sunday. Thousands of Syrians have arrived at the border, fleeing a crackdown in the neighbouring town of Talkalakh, around five kilometres away.
The Syrian army surrounded and attacked Talkalakh on Saturday after a protest there the day before against the government of president Bashar al-Assad. At least four people were killed in the Saturday incursion.
Witnesses said those killed on Saturday were among dozens attempting to leave Talkalakh and enter Lebanon.
"Over the past 48 hours, we've seen dozens of families escape the border town of Talkalakh," Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr said. "There [has] been unrest there, it's one of the protest hubs ... some say up to 2,000 [have fled] in the past 48 hours."
An eyewitness on the border told Al Jazeera that at least 19 people had been wounded when the military swooped into Talkalakh on Saturday....."
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