Engdahl: Key objective is a permanent military presence in Asia
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Letter from a friend
Palestinian expatriate returns home
"....Things are very strange here in Lebanon Norm …Very strange indeed ….It seemed that I was living in a self-made bubble all these years and my short trips to my homeland were very alluding and misleading …
Most women here are into major plastic surgeries and most men are after power and women ….
Many political talk-shows have become sooo boring with people regurgitating the same all stories and others just talking as if they are on Lala land …
Many people have deserted their beliefs and convictions about freedom and dignity ….I don’t know how to express this but I can see greed in their eyes and their love for money …Rarely you can find some who are concerned about what is happening to the well-being of the unprivileged Lebanese or the oppressed Palestinians living in Lebanon …It is freaking cold here …I just can’t imagine how they are warming themselves with the price of fuel and gaz increasing as I write ….
When Sayed Hassan mentioned the rights of the Palestinians in Lebanon and their right to return back to their country ( Palestine) in the “Hizbollah Document” …you won’t believe the amount of cynics who came raging after him next day in the media ….it was pathetic …You won’t believe what happened when he nmentioned the right to resist the enemy ….hell broke out ….
Norman , the South is still pure …I still have contacts with some freedom fighters … their stories are so beautiful and my only source of warmth in this cold -hearted country …
Still have not got a job yet …received many promises …nothing is being realized yet …however , something might come up soon …when it happens I will tell u about it ….
The books that I told you about were confiscated by the UAE government …they claimed that they would not be released to “me” …a “potential terrorist” !!! But I am still going to work on my dream on creating a library for the public in my village whatever the price is …
Pls don’t misunderstand me Norm …I have not lost hope …I am just disappointed at people …. How difficult is it to recognize what is right and what is wrong ??? How difficult is it to acquire dignity and keep it ??? Or perhaps how naive am I ?
The Arabs are dead ….they have no history and no future …they are a bunch of savage tribes fighting each other for nothing …Look at what is happening in Yemen …It is unbelievable and monstreous …I suppose you heard what happened between Egypt and Algeria over a ball …. I am sleepless most of my nights ….I spend it reading books on philosophy …It is my only way to escape this world of hate …."
"....Things are very strange here in Lebanon Norm …Very strange indeed ….It seemed that I was living in a self-made bubble all these years and my short trips to my homeland were very alluding and misleading …
Most women here are into major plastic surgeries and most men are after power and women ….
Many political talk-shows have become sooo boring with people regurgitating the same all stories and others just talking as if they are on Lala land …
Many people have deserted their beliefs and convictions about freedom and dignity ….I don’t know how to express this but I can see greed in their eyes and their love for money …Rarely you can find some who are concerned about what is happening to the well-being of the unprivileged Lebanese or the oppressed Palestinians living in Lebanon …It is freaking cold here …I just can’t imagine how they are warming themselves with the price of fuel and gaz increasing as I write ….
When Sayed Hassan mentioned the rights of the Palestinians in Lebanon and their right to return back to their country ( Palestine) in the “Hizbollah Document” …you won’t believe the amount of cynics who came raging after him next day in the media ….it was pathetic …You won’t believe what happened when he nmentioned the right to resist the enemy ….hell broke out ….
Norman , the South is still pure …I still have contacts with some freedom fighters … their stories are so beautiful and my only source of warmth in this cold -hearted country …
Still have not got a job yet …received many promises …nothing is being realized yet …however , something might come up soon …when it happens I will tell u about it ….
The books that I told you about were confiscated by the UAE government …they claimed that they would not be released to “me” …a “potential terrorist” !!! But I am still going to work on my dream on creating a library for the public in my village whatever the price is …
Pls don’t misunderstand me Norm …I have not lost hope …I am just disappointed at people …. How difficult is it to recognize what is right and what is wrong ??? How difficult is it to acquire dignity and keep it ??? Or perhaps how naive am I ?
The Arabs are dead ….they have no history and no future …they are a bunch of savage tribes fighting each other for nothing …Look at what is happening in Yemen …It is unbelievable and monstreous …I suppose you heard what happened between Egypt and Algeria over a ball …. I am sleepless most of my nights ….I spend it reading books on philosophy …It is my only way to escape this world of hate …."
Chavez's Lines: December 6, 11 years later
By Hugo Chavez
Znet
"The publication of The Lines of Chávez N° 50 is no mean feat. It coincides with the tenth anniversary of the great popular victory of December 6th, 1998. On this luminous and transcendental date, the sovereign will of the majority definitively finished with the puntofijista [1] political model that misgoverned and looted Venezuela for forty years, opening wide the great doors of a new historical time. The time of revolution transformed into government.
The revolution that started with the popular rebellion of February 27th, 1989 and continued with the military rebellions of February 4th and November 27th, 1992, provoked a long and complex process of organization and accumulation of forces that made possible the splendid and beautiful synthesis of December 6th, 1998......"
"The publication of The Lines of Chávez N° 50 is no mean feat. It coincides with the tenth anniversary of the great popular victory of December 6th, 1998. On this luminous and transcendental date, the sovereign will of the majority definitively finished with the puntofijista [1] political model that misgoverned and looted Venezuela for forty years, opening wide the great doors of a new historical time. The time of revolution transformed into government.
The revolution that started with the popular rebellion of February 27th, 1989 and continued with the military rebellions of February 4th and November 27th, 1992, provoked a long and complex process of organization and accumulation of forces that made possible the splendid and beautiful synthesis of December 6th, 1998......"
Copenhagen's dirty secret
By Pepe Escobar
Asia Times
"As developing countries accuse the industrialized North of trying to side-step cuts in carbon emissions, the real winners of the Copenhagen climate summit are emerging: Wall Street and Big Oil. While Wall Street banks will probably turn climate change into a new commodities market, marketing it as an investment product, Big Oil is likely to make a killing from a global carbon tax.....
It's hard to be astonished by the sight of Wall Street and Big Oil profiting handsomely from everything post-Copenhagen. Their proposed global carbon tax will hit everyone on the planet; but the beauty is that Wall Street and Big Oil won't have to pay for it. But, one might argue, why not, if the world's 1.5 billion cows will be taxed as well. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, cow "emissions" rank as a key cause of global warming. So despite all the white man's burden shenanigans, it seems that mammals may be finishing off the Mother Earth that humans had already practically destroyed - evolution theorist Charles Darwin would have loved it. "
Asia Times
"As developing countries accuse the industrialized North of trying to side-step cuts in carbon emissions, the real winners of the Copenhagen climate summit are emerging: Wall Street and Big Oil. While Wall Street banks will probably turn climate change into a new commodities market, marketing it as an investment product, Big Oil is likely to make a killing from a global carbon tax.....
It's hard to be astonished by the sight of Wall Street and Big Oil profiting handsomely from everything post-Copenhagen. Their proposed global carbon tax will hit everyone on the planet; but the beauty is that Wall Street and Big Oil won't have to pay for it. But, one might argue, why not, if the world's 1.5 billion cows will be taxed as well. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, cow "emissions" rank as a key cause of global warming. So despite all the white man's burden shenanigans, it seems that mammals may be finishing off the Mother Earth that humans had already practically destroyed - evolution theorist Charles Darwin would have loved it. "
Dear Barack, Spare Me Your E-Mails
By Robert Scheer
Truthdig
"Barack Obama’s faux populism is beginning to grate, and when yet another one of those “we the people” e-mails from the president landed on my screen as I was fishing around for a column subject, I came unglued. It is one thing to rob us blind by rewarding the power elite that created our problems but quite another to sugarcoat it in the rhetoric of a David taking on those Goliaths.
In each of the three most important areas of policy with which he has dealt, Obama speaks in the voice of the little people’s champion, but his actions cater fully to the demands of the most powerful economic interests......"
Truthdig
"Barack Obama’s faux populism is beginning to grate, and when yet another one of those “we the people” e-mails from the president landed on my screen as I was fishing around for a column subject, I came unglued. It is one thing to rob us blind by rewarding the power elite that created our problems but quite another to sugarcoat it in the rhetoric of a David taking on those Goliaths.
In each of the three most important areas of policy with which he has dealt, Obama speaks in the voice of the little people’s champion, but his actions cater fully to the demands of the most powerful economic interests......"
Hizballah's call for legitimacy
An Interesting Piece
Matthew Cassel, Electronic Lebanon, 8 December 2009
"....The new political document, however, contained few surprises for some observers like independent Lebanese journalist Bilal el-Amine. "It's not new for the people who have followed Hizballah over the past 20 years," he said. "The new document only formalizes Hizballah's process. [Unlike the 1985 letter] there is no call for an Islamic state which has been the de facto position for many years now; this shows their commitment to become an integral part of Lebanese society.".....
Today, Hassan Nasrallah is considered one of the most popular political figures among Arabs and Muslims around the world.....
"Hizballah reasserted its right as a resistance group but talked about it in the context of coordination between the state, the army and the resistance," el-Amine said. "The new document is a message to ease any worries internally in Lebanon about what Hizballah might be up to."
El-Amine added, "the document was heavy in its use of leftist terminology, much more than Islamist language and particularly in its strong rejection of neo-liberalism."
According to el-Amine, Nasrallah's references to Latin America -- where "Hizballah is heartened and inspired" by leftist leaders and movements that have taken strong positions against US dominance in the region -- "showed that Hizballah has much broader ideas."
Ghassan Makarem, a member of the Leftist Assembly for Change political movement in Lebanon, said the new document is representative of Hizballah's "political wing" because "their only other document is a call for arms. This is not a call for arms, this is a call for compromises.".....
Makarem criticized Hizballah, like most political groups in Lebanon, for paying "lip service" to initiatives aimed at eliminating political sectarianism, one of the most important issues for many Lebanese. However, few groups take practical steps to see that changes are implemented. "The document reflects a serious process of learning past lessons, but it also shows that it is more a program for [maintaining] the status quo," he said.
"All anti-imperialists say 'we support Hizballah when Hizballah is resisting,' but there is a big problem supporting the other policies," Makarem said. "They haven't really shown that they are willing to work on real economic reform, for example, and part of this is because they're still young politically," he said......"
Matthew Cassel, Electronic Lebanon, 8 December 2009
"....The new political document, however, contained few surprises for some observers like independent Lebanese journalist Bilal el-Amine. "It's not new for the people who have followed Hizballah over the past 20 years," he said. "The new document only formalizes Hizballah's process. [Unlike the 1985 letter] there is no call for an Islamic state which has been the de facto position for many years now; this shows their commitment to become an integral part of Lebanese society.".....
Today, Hassan Nasrallah is considered one of the most popular political figures among Arabs and Muslims around the world.....
"Hizballah reasserted its right as a resistance group but talked about it in the context of coordination between the state, the army and the resistance," el-Amine said. "The new document is a message to ease any worries internally in Lebanon about what Hizballah might be up to."
El-Amine added, "the document was heavy in its use of leftist terminology, much more than Islamist language and particularly in its strong rejection of neo-liberalism."
According to el-Amine, Nasrallah's references to Latin America -- where "Hizballah is heartened and inspired" by leftist leaders and movements that have taken strong positions against US dominance in the region -- "showed that Hizballah has much broader ideas."
Ghassan Makarem, a member of the Leftist Assembly for Change political movement in Lebanon, said the new document is representative of Hizballah's "political wing" because "their only other document is a call for arms. This is not a call for arms, this is a call for compromises.".....
Makarem criticized Hizballah, like most political groups in Lebanon, for paying "lip service" to initiatives aimed at eliminating political sectarianism, one of the most important issues for many Lebanese. However, few groups take practical steps to see that changes are implemented. "The document reflects a serious process of learning past lessons, but it also shows that it is more a program for [maintaining] the status quo," he said.
"All anti-imperialists say 'we support Hizballah when Hizballah is resisting,' but there is a big problem supporting the other policies," Makarem said. "They haven't really shown that they are willing to work on real economic reform, for example, and part of this is because they're still young politically," he said......"
Gates Dissembles on Afghan History
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who last week was hailed in the Washington Post as someone “incapable of dissembling,” dissembled to a gullible press corps about the history of U.S. dealings with Afghanistan while en route to that country on Monday.
By Robert Parry
December 8, 2009
"....However, while that story of the 1989 abandonment may be a powerful conventional wisdom in Washington – popularized by the movie “Charlie Wilson’s War” – it is substantially untrue, and former CIA Director Gates knows it to be a myth.
What actually happened in 1989 was that President George H.W. Bush rebuffed overtures from Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for a negotiated settlement of the war that envisioned a coalition government involving Soviet-backed President Najibullah and the CIA-backed mujahedeen warlords.....
The reason for rebuffing Gorbachev and continuing the war was simple: Gates’s CIA analytical division – which he had packed with Cold War hardliners – was projecting a rapid collapse of Najibullah’s government. That would mean a complete humiliation of the Soviets and a total triumph for the United States and the CIA.
In 1989, I was a correspondent for Newsweek magazine covering intelligence issues. After the Soviets left Afghanistan, I asked CIA officials why they were continuing the bloodshed. Why not, I asked, just look for a way to bring the war to an end with some kind of national unity government? Hadn’t the U.S. national interest of driving out the Soviets been achieved?
One of the CIA hardliners responded to my question with disgust. “We want to see Najibullah strung up by a light pole,” he snapped......"
By Robert Parry
December 8, 2009
"....However, while that story of the 1989 abandonment may be a powerful conventional wisdom in Washington – popularized by the movie “Charlie Wilson’s War” – it is substantially untrue, and former CIA Director Gates knows it to be a myth.
What actually happened in 1989 was that President George H.W. Bush rebuffed overtures from Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for a negotiated settlement of the war that envisioned a coalition government involving Soviet-backed President Najibullah and the CIA-backed mujahedeen warlords.....
The reason for rebuffing Gorbachev and continuing the war was simple: Gates’s CIA analytical division – which he had packed with Cold War hardliners – was projecting a rapid collapse of Najibullah’s government. That would mean a complete humiliation of the Soviets and a total triumph for the United States and the CIA.
In 1989, I was a correspondent for Newsweek magazine covering intelligence issues. After the Soviets left Afghanistan, I asked CIA officials why they were continuing the bloodshed. Why not, I asked, just look for a way to bring the war to an end with some kind of national unity government? Hadn’t the U.S. national interest of driving out the Soviets been achieved?
One of the CIA hardliners responded to my question with disgust. “We want to see Najibullah strung up by a light pole,” he snapped......"
Safe Journey, Viva Palestina
By Stuart Littlewood – London
Palestine Chronicle
"The great Viva Palestina convoy is on its way. It left London on Sunday, with the media doing their best not to notice despite photo opportunities and a press event laid on in front of the Houses of Parliament.
The hundred or so vehicles, carrying humanitarian aid, are expected to arrive in Gaza on 27 December – the anniversary of the launch of Israel’s murderous blitzkrieg.....
This morning I read a Jerusalem Post report that the Israeli government operates a policy of not letting senior political figures, such as foreign ministers, enter the Gaza Strip from Israel. One reason is to deny Hamas the legitimacy that would come of such visits. Another of course is to hide the appalling situation Israel has created there. The wonder is that other nations meekly go along with this ban.
The convoy will avoid Israel altogether by taking a long detour south through Jordan, and across to Egypt, before heading north to enter Gaza through Rafah. Foreign ministers should do the same.
Safe journey, guys!"
Palestine Chronicle
"The great Viva Palestina convoy is on its way. It left London on Sunday, with the media doing their best not to notice despite photo opportunities and a press event laid on in front of the Houses of Parliament.
The hundred or so vehicles, carrying humanitarian aid, are expected to arrive in Gaza on 27 December – the anniversary of the launch of Israel’s murderous blitzkrieg.....
This morning I read a Jerusalem Post report that the Israeli government operates a policy of not letting senior political figures, such as foreign ministers, enter the Gaza Strip from Israel. One reason is to deny Hamas the legitimacy that would come of such visits. Another of course is to hide the appalling situation Israel has created there. The wonder is that other nations meekly go along with this ban.
The convoy will avoid Israel altogether by taking a long detour south through Jordan, and across to Egypt, before heading north to enter Gaza through Rafah. Foreign ministers should do the same.
Safe journey, guys!"
Who will save Gaza's children?
Never mind Copenhagen, an environmental catastrophe is going on right now – contaminated water is poisoning babies in Gaza
Victoria Brittain
(Victoria Brittain is a former associate foreign editor of the Guardian)
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 9 December 2009
"Among all the complex and long-term solutions being sought in Copenhagen for averting environmental catastrophe across the world, there is one place where the catastrophe has already happened, but could be immediately ameliorated with one simple political act.
Victoria Brittain
(Victoria Brittain is a former associate foreign editor of the Guardian)
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 9 December 2009
"Among all the complex and long-term solutions being sought in Copenhagen for averting environmental catastrophe across the world, there is one place where the catastrophe has already happened, but could be immediately ameliorated with one simple political act.
In Gaza there is now no uncontaminated water; of the 40,000 or so newborn babies, at least half are at immediate risk of nitrate poisoning – incidence of "blue baby syndrome", methaemoglobinaemia, is exceptionally high; an unprecedented number of people have been exposed to nitrate poisoning over 10 years; in some places the nitrate content in water is 300 times World Health Organisation standards; the agricultural economy is dying from the contamination and salinated water; the underground aquifer is stressed to the point of collapse; and sewage and waste water flows into public spaces and the aquifer.
The blockade of Gaza has gone on for nearly four years, and the vital water and sanitation infrastructure went past creaking to virtual collapse during the three-week assault on the territory almost a year ago.........
An international community that has accepted the "normalcy" of the degrading tunnel economy for Gaza, shames us all. Ending the water emergency should be the first step to breaking the blockade."
تهجير 21 لاجئا فلسطينيا الى فنلندا بعد رفض الدول العربية استقبالهم وتحذير من كارثة بحق لاجئين فلسطينيين في العراق
اكدت مصادر فلسطينية بأن 21 لاجئا فلسطينيا هجروا فجر الثلاثاء الى فنلندا بعد ان رفضت الدول العربية استقبالهم
"رام الله ـ 'القدس العربي' من وليد عوض:
اكدت مصادر فلسطينية بأن 21 لاجئا فلسطينيا هجروا فجر الثلاثاء الى فنلندا بعد ان رفضت الدول العربية استقبالهم بعد تهجيرهم من العراق ومكوثهم في الصحراء على الحدود العراقية السورية منذ عام 2006.
واوضحت المصادر بأن اللاجئين غادروا الى فنلندا من مطار دمشق الدولي، منوهة بفرحتهم بالخروج من الحياة المأسوية التي كانوا يعيشونها في الصحراء على الحدود السورية العراقية في ظل انعدام مقومات الحياة، وصعوبة العيش في بيئة صحراوية مقفرة وسط قلة المساعدات.
واشارت المصادر الى ان اللاجئين الذين غادروا الى فنلندا هم مجموعة من اللاجئين الفلسطينيين المقيمين في مخيم التنف الصحراوي بين الحدود السورية العراقية منذ شهر ايار (مايو) 2006.
واوضحت المصادر بأن المفوضية السامية لشؤون اللاجئين المشرفة على مخيم التنف ستنقل ما يقارب (80) فلسطينيا من المخيم الى مخيم الهول داخل سورية وهم ممن التحقوا بمخيم التنف بعد تاريخ 31/3/2009 ، ولم توافق اي دولة لغاية الان على استقبالهم.
وبدورها دعت رابطة فلسطينيي العراق الدول العربية الى ان تكون الحضن الدافئ الذي يضم من تبقى من هؤلاء اللاجئين الفلسطينيين في المخيمات الصحراوية الذين تم تهجيرهم من مناطق سكناهم في العراق على ايدي الميليشيات المسلحة.
وبدورها اكدت وكالة الانباء الفلسطينية 'وفا' بأن مجموعة من الاطباء الفلسطينيين حذروا من وقوع جريمة انسانية في مخيم اشرف للاجئين الفلسطينيين بالعراق جراء قطع الحكومة العراقية الادوية والوقود عن المخيم.
وحسب 'وفا' كتب الاطباء والكادر الصحي الاختصاصيون المقيمون في مخيم اشرف الفلسطيني بالعراق، رسالة الى الامين العام للامم المتحدة بان كي مون، يشكون فيها من قطع الدواء والوقود من قبل اللجنة التابعة لرئاسة الوزراء العراقية.
وناشد هؤلاء، الذي يعالجون منذ 23 عاما وحتى الوقت سكان المخيم، بمنع ارتكاب جريمة انسانية في المخيم نتيجة الايذاء وفرض القيود والمضايقات والتمهيد لقتل 3400 انسان اعزل في مخيم اشرف.
وشرحوا في هذه الرسالة ان اللجنة التابعة لرئاسة الوزراء العراقية 'واثر استلامها من القوات الامريكية في كانون الثاني (يناير) 2009 مسؤولية حماية مخيم اشرف، بدأت بفرض القيود والمضايقات على سكان المخيم. وفي الثالث من نيسان (ابريل) الماضي وبأمر من هذه اللجنة قامت القوات العراقية بمنع الاطباء الاختصاصيين من دخول اشرف لاجراء عملية جراحية على مريضة مصابة بالسرطان ومريضة اخرى مصابة بالتهاب الزائدة الدودية بشدة واجراء 4 عمليات جراحية اخرى'.
وطالبوا الامين العام للامم المتحدة بالزام الحكومة العراقية بمسؤولياتها وتعهداتها بالقوانين الدولية وضرورة رفع الحصار الجائر عن مخيم اشرف والذي فرضته عليه منذ سنة، وبوجه خاص ان يرفع حظر دخول الاطباء والادوية التي يتم تهيئتها على نفقة سكان مخيم اشرف.
"
"رام الله ـ 'القدس العربي' من وليد عوض:
اكدت مصادر فلسطينية بأن 21 لاجئا فلسطينيا هجروا فجر الثلاثاء الى فنلندا بعد ان رفضت الدول العربية استقبالهم بعد تهجيرهم من العراق ومكوثهم في الصحراء على الحدود العراقية السورية منذ عام 2006.
واوضحت المصادر بأن اللاجئين غادروا الى فنلندا من مطار دمشق الدولي، منوهة بفرحتهم بالخروج من الحياة المأسوية التي كانوا يعيشونها في الصحراء على الحدود السورية العراقية في ظل انعدام مقومات الحياة، وصعوبة العيش في بيئة صحراوية مقفرة وسط قلة المساعدات.
واشارت المصادر الى ان اللاجئين الذين غادروا الى فنلندا هم مجموعة من اللاجئين الفلسطينيين المقيمين في مخيم التنف الصحراوي بين الحدود السورية العراقية منذ شهر ايار (مايو) 2006.
واوضحت المصادر بأن المفوضية السامية لشؤون اللاجئين المشرفة على مخيم التنف ستنقل ما يقارب (80) فلسطينيا من المخيم الى مخيم الهول داخل سورية وهم ممن التحقوا بمخيم التنف بعد تاريخ 31/3/2009 ، ولم توافق اي دولة لغاية الان على استقبالهم.
وبدورها دعت رابطة فلسطينيي العراق الدول العربية الى ان تكون الحضن الدافئ الذي يضم من تبقى من هؤلاء اللاجئين الفلسطينيين في المخيمات الصحراوية الذين تم تهجيرهم من مناطق سكناهم في العراق على ايدي الميليشيات المسلحة.
وبدورها اكدت وكالة الانباء الفلسطينية 'وفا' بأن مجموعة من الاطباء الفلسطينيين حذروا من وقوع جريمة انسانية في مخيم اشرف للاجئين الفلسطينيين بالعراق جراء قطع الحكومة العراقية الادوية والوقود عن المخيم.
وحسب 'وفا' كتب الاطباء والكادر الصحي الاختصاصيون المقيمون في مخيم اشرف الفلسطيني بالعراق، رسالة الى الامين العام للامم المتحدة بان كي مون، يشكون فيها من قطع الدواء والوقود من قبل اللجنة التابعة لرئاسة الوزراء العراقية.
وناشد هؤلاء، الذي يعالجون منذ 23 عاما وحتى الوقت سكان المخيم، بمنع ارتكاب جريمة انسانية في المخيم نتيجة الايذاء وفرض القيود والمضايقات والتمهيد لقتل 3400 انسان اعزل في مخيم اشرف.
وشرحوا في هذه الرسالة ان اللجنة التابعة لرئاسة الوزراء العراقية 'واثر استلامها من القوات الامريكية في كانون الثاني (يناير) 2009 مسؤولية حماية مخيم اشرف، بدأت بفرض القيود والمضايقات على سكان المخيم. وفي الثالث من نيسان (ابريل) الماضي وبأمر من هذه اللجنة قامت القوات العراقية بمنع الاطباء الاختصاصيين من دخول اشرف لاجراء عملية جراحية على مريضة مصابة بالسرطان ومريضة اخرى مصابة بالتهاب الزائدة الدودية بشدة واجراء 4 عمليات جراحية اخرى'.
وطالبوا الامين العام للامم المتحدة بالزام الحكومة العراقية بمسؤولياتها وتعهداتها بالقوانين الدولية وضرورة رفع الحصار الجائر عن مخيم اشرف والذي فرضته عليه منذ سنة، وبوجه خاص ان يرفع حظر دخول الاطباء والادوية التي يتم تهيئتها على نفقة سكان مخيم اشرف.
"
Israeli Home Front Command Readying for Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan Missiles
Al-Manar
"09/12/2009 The Israeli occupation army Home Front Command is preparing for the possibility that Hamas will fire missiles up to a range of 80 kilometers from the Gaza Strip in the event of a future conflict with Israel, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
The preparations are being carried out on several different levels within the Israeli army, with a focus on preparing officials of regional councils and municipalities within the range - including Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan - for the possibility of missiles and rockets landing in their communities.
During Operation Cast Lead, which began December 27, 2008, Hamas fired rockets to a range of around 40 km., hitting Ashdod and Yavneh. In late September, Hamas fired a missile with a 60 km range from the Gaza Strip and into the Mediterranean Sea........."
"09/12/2009 The Israeli occupation army Home Front Command is preparing for the possibility that Hamas will fire missiles up to a range of 80 kilometers from the Gaza Strip in the event of a future conflict with Israel, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
The preparations are being carried out on several different levels within the Israeli army, with a focus on preparing officials of regional councils and municipalities within the range - including Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan - for the possibility of missiles and rockets landing in their communities.
During Operation Cast Lead, which began December 27, 2008, Hamas fired rockets to a range of around 40 km., hitting Ashdod and Yavneh. In late September, Hamas fired a missile with a 60 km range from the Gaza Strip and into the Mediterranean Sea........."
In the Service of Zion: Egypt's iron wall to block Gaza tunnels
Press TV
"Egypt is building a massive iron wall along its border with the Gaza Strip to disrupt the tunnels Palestinians use to transfer food and other basic needs into the blockaded territory.
The wall which will be 9 to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) long, and will go as deep as 20 to 30 meters into the ground, Haaretz reported.
The structure is made of huge slates of steel, and will be impossible to cut or melt, the daily quoted Egyptian sources as saying.
The barrier wall is the latest move by the Cairo government in assisting Israel with its crippling siege on the Hamas-run coastal enclave since the closure started in June 2007.
The Egyptian forces demolish tunnels or fill them with gas almost every week, often with people still inside them, resulting in Palestinian casualties in the tunnels which are also regularly pounded by Israeli planes.
Joint American-Egyptian patrols have been seen in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah as they try to detect tunnels using underground sensors.
Palestinians say the tunnels are the only resort to provide food and other basic needs for the starving population in the impoverished territory. "
"Egypt is building a massive iron wall along its border with the Gaza Strip to disrupt the tunnels Palestinians use to transfer food and other basic needs into the blockaded territory.
The wall which will be 9 to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) long, and will go as deep as 20 to 30 meters into the ground, Haaretz reported.
The structure is made of huge slates of steel, and will be impossible to cut or melt, the daily quoted Egyptian sources as saying.
The barrier wall is the latest move by the Cairo government in assisting Israel with its crippling siege on the Hamas-run coastal enclave since the closure started in June 2007.
The Egyptian forces demolish tunnels or fill them with gas almost every week, often with people still inside them, resulting in Palestinian casualties in the tunnels which are also regularly pounded by Israeli planes.
Joint American-Egyptian patrols have been seen in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah as they try to detect tunnels using underground sensors.
Palestinians say the tunnels are the only resort to provide food and other basic needs for the starving population in the impoverished territory. "
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Israeli justice minister: Jewish Law Must apply in Israeli courts
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel's justice minister called for Jewish law to become binding in Israel, causing a stir Tuesday that cut to the heart of the country's simmering secular-religious divide.
Yaakov Neeman's office tried to contain the uproar Tuesday by saying his words were taken out of context and that he had no intention of replacing Israel's current legal system. But his comments touched a raw nerve among secular Israelis wary of what they consider to be religious coercion by the Orthodox Jewish minority.
Neeman, an observant Jew, told a rabbinical conference on Monday that the Bible contains ''a complete solution to all the things we are dealing with.''
''Step by step we will bestow religious law upon the citizens of Israel and transform religious law into the binding law of the state,'' he said. Israeli newspapers said the rabbis attending the conference applauded him wildly, but some lawmakers later attacked his remarks as antidemocratic.
The New York Times
Yaakov Neeman's office tried to contain the uproar Tuesday by saying his words were taken out of context and that he had no intention of replacing Israel's current legal system. But his comments touched a raw nerve among secular Israelis wary of what they consider to be religious coercion by the Orthodox Jewish minority.
Neeman, an observant Jew, told a rabbinical conference on Monday that the Bible contains ''a complete solution to all the things we are dealing with.''
''Step by step we will bestow religious law upon the citizens of Israel and transform religious law into the binding law of the state,'' he said. Israeli newspapers said the rabbis attending the conference applauded him wildly, but some lawmakers later attacked his remarks as antidemocratic.
The New York Times
All I want for Christmas is an end to apartheid – Top ten brands to boycott
While there are many Israeli and multinational companies that benefit from apartheid, we put together this list to highlight ten specific companies to target. Many of these produce goods in such a way that directly harms Palestinians — exploiting labor, developing technology for military operations, or supplying equipment for illegal settlements. Many are also the targets of boycotts for other reasons, like harming the environment and labor violations.
The Interview Ha’aretz Doesn’t Want You To See
Tali Shapiro: "Rehaviya Berman conducted an interview with Ali Abunimah, for Ha’aretz, a few weeks ago. The Interview was never published. Berman decided to publish it on his blog [Hebrew] and I decided to translate it, for your reading pleasure".
“...There won’t be two states that live side by side in peace. I’ll tell you why: The Israelis will be so full of a feeling that “we gave up so much, we gave so much. And we’re still stuck with a million and a half Arabs that only want more and more”, until the nationalism, aggression and will, that’s hidden within most, to ethnically cleanse, will surface, so the evacuation of the West Bank won’t solve anything, and will only change the identity of the Palestinians that are Israel’s victims. I think Meron Benvenisti sees the situation clearer than most Israeli analysts. I often disagree with him about the conclusions, but hi- analysis of the situation is very correct, in my opinion. He calls this land, Palestine, the state of Israel, whatever you call it, “a de-facto bi-national state”, and I agree with this turn of phrase”.
“...There won’t be two states that live side by side in peace. I’ll tell you why: The Israelis will be so full of a feeling that “we gave up so much, we gave so much. And we’re still stuck with a million and a half Arabs that only want more and more”, until the nationalism, aggression and will, that’s hidden within most, to ethnically cleanse, will surface, so the evacuation of the West Bank won’t solve anything, and will only change the identity of the Palestinians that are Israel’s victims. I think Meron Benvenisti sees the situation clearer than most Israeli analysts. I often disagree with him about the conclusions, but hi- analysis of the situation is very correct, in my opinion. He calls this land, Palestine, the state of Israel, whatever you call it, “a de-facto bi-national state”, and I agree with this turn of phrase”.
Saudi Arabia Hands Missing Iran Nuclear Scientist to US
Al-Manar
"An Iranian nuclear scientist who went missing in Saudi Arabia has been "handed over by Riyadh to Washington," Mehr news agency reported on Tuesday, quoting Tehran's foreign ministry spokesman. "Shahram Amiri, Iran's nuclear scientist who had gone to hajj in Saudi Arabia, was handed over by Riyadh to Washington," Ramin Mehmanparast told Mehr, referring to the Umra.
The spokesman said Amiri was one of 11 Iranian detainees currently held in US jails. His statement was the first acknowledgement by Tehran that Amiri was a nuclear scientist. Iranian officials have previously said Amiri went missing in Saudi Arabia soon after he landed there as a pilgrim earlier this year."
"An Iranian nuclear scientist who went missing in Saudi Arabia has been "handed over by Riyadh to Washington," Mehr news agency reported on Tuesday, quoting Tehran's foreign ministry spokesman. "Shahram Amiri, Iran's nuclear scientist who had gone to hajj in Saudi Arabia, was handed over by Riyadh to Washington," Ramin Mehmanparast told Mehr, referring to the Umra.
The spokesman said Amiri was one of 11 Iranian detainees currently held in US jails. His statement was the first acknowledgement by Tehran that Amiri was a nuclear scientist. Iranian officials have previously said Amiri went missing in Saudi Arabia soon after he landed there as a pilgrim earlier this year."
سبع ملاحظات على صفقة التبادل بين حماس وتل أبيب
A Good Comment (Arabic)
"......
الصفقة هي بمثابة امتحان مهم للغاية لحركة حماس، لأنّ نتائجها ستلقي بظلالها على مصير الحركة في الشارع العربي الفلسطيني بجميع أطيافه وألوانه، وأيضا على حاضرها ومستقبلها وتأثيرها على الشارعين العربي والإسلامي،
.....
الجندي الإسرائيلي الأسير جلعاد شاليط، تمّ أسره خلال عملية عسكرية خطط لها وأشرف عليها شخصيًّا قائد كتائب الشهيد عز الدين القسّام، الجناح العسكري لحركة حماس، أحمد الجعبري، في الخامس والعشرين من شهر يونيو/حزيران من عام 2006، أي قبل ثلاث سنوات وخمسة أشهر.
.....
حماس تمكنت من إدارة الأزمة بطريقة ممتازة للغاية، ومنعت إسرائيل من معرفة مكان احتجاز شاليط، هذا من ناحية، ومن ناحية أخرى علينا أن نتذكر أنّه بعد سيطرة حماس على قطاع غزة، قامت الحركة بقطع دابر العملاء والخونة، الذين كانوا يزودون المخابرات الإسرائيلية بالمعلومات المهمة عن تحرك المقاومين والمجاهدين،
.....
علينا أن نأخذ بعين الاعتبار قضية مهمة للغاية بالنسبة لحماس تحديدًا وبالنسبة للشعب الفلسطيني برمته، فمنذ اتفاق أوسلو الذي تمّ توقيعه بين الحكومة الإسرائيلية ومنظمة التحرير الفلسطينية في سبتمبر/أيلول عام 1993، قامت إسرائيل بإطلاق سراح حوالي تسعة آلاف أسير فلسطيني من منطلق بوادر حسن النية للسلطة الفلسطينية وبهدف تشجيعها على المضي قدمًا في المفاوضات التي جلبت الويلات على الفلسطينيين، الدولة العبرية رفضت بشكل قاطعٍ إطلاق سراح أسرى من عرب الداخل، زاعمة بأنّ الحديث يجري عن مواطنين إسرائيليين خانوا دولتهم في زمن الحرب، وتمكنت من فرض هذه الأجندة على السلطة الفلسطينية، التي تنازلت عن هؤلاء الأسرى وحوّلتهم إلى أيتام على موائد اللئام.
......
وإطلاق أسرى من عرب الداخل في الصفقة الجديدة سيكون رسالة إلى محمود عبّاس وإلى زمرة المحيطين به مفادها أنّ محاولتهم لسلخ فلسطينيي الداخل عن شعبهم مصيرها مزبلة التاريخ، ولا ضير في هذا السياق في التذكير بأنّ السيد محمود عبّاس صرح في أكثر من مناسبة بأنّ فلسطينيي الداخل هم (عرب إسرائيل) ومواقفهم المتشنجة، على حد وصفه، تعود سلبًا على القضية الفلسطينية.
علاوة على ذلك، فإطلاق سراح أسرى من مناطق الـ48، سيكون صفعة أخرى تتلقاها إسرائيل من حماس، وسيكون رسالة أخرى إلى صنّاع القرار في تل أبيب بأنّ محاولات تقسيم العرب إلى عربين مصيرها الفشل الذريع
......
وهناك نقطة أخرى لا تقل أهمية عن الأمور التي تطرقنا إليها، ففي الماضي غير البعيد رُشّحت أنباء كثيرة عن أنّ رئيس سلطة رام الله المأزومة، محمود عبّاس، طلب من الإسرائيليين عدم الموافقة على شروط حماس بالنسبة لصفقة التبادل، ومع أننّا لا نستبعد البتة قيامه بهذه الفعلة المشينة والمخزية، فإننّا نريد أن نقول بفم مليء إنّ الدولة العبرية تخشى أيضا من أنّ إخراج الصفقة إلى حيّز التنفيذ سيرفع أسهم حركة حماس في الشارع الفلسطيني على مختلف أطيافه، على حساب حزب السلطة، أي حركة فتح، وهذا الأمر لا يصب في مصلحة الدولة العبرية وأميركا وأوروبا والعرب المتواطئين، الذين يعملون كل ما في وسعهم من أجل مراضاة محمود عبّاس وسلطته المنهارة
....."
"......
الصفقة هي بمثابة امتحان مهم للغاية لحركة حماس، لأنّ نتائجها ستلقي بظلالها على مصير الحركة في الشارع العربي الفلسطيني بجميع أطيافه وألوانه، وأيضا على حاضرها ومستقبلها وتأثيرها على الشارعين العربي والإسلامي،
.....
الجندي الإسرائيلي الأسير جلعاد شاليط، تمّ أسره خلال عملية عسكرية خطط لها وأشرف عليها شخصيًّا قائد كتائب الشهيد عز الدين القسّام، الجناح العسكري لحركة حماس، أحمد الجعبري، في الخامس والعشرين من شهر يونيو/حزيران من عام 2006، أي قبل ثلاث سنوات وخمسة أشهر.
.....
حماس تمكنت من إدارة الأزمة بطريقة ممتازة للغاية، ومنعت إسرائيل من معرفة مكان احتجاز شاليط، هذا من ناحية، ومن ناحية أخرى علينا أن نتذكر أنّه بعد سيطرة حماس على قطاع غزة، قامت الحركة بقطع دابر العملاء والخونة، الذين كانوا يزودون المخابرات الإسرائيلية بالمعلومات المهمة عن تحرك المقاومين والمجاهدين،
.....
علينا أن نأخذ بعين الاعتبار قضية مهمة للغاية بالنسبة لحماس تحديدًا وبالنسبة للشعب الفلسطيني برمته، فمنذ اتفاق أوسلو الذي تمّ توقيعه بين الحكومة الإسرائيلية ومنظمة التحرير الفلسطينية في سبتمبر/أيلول عام 1993، قامت إسرائيل بإطلاق سراح حوالي تسعة آلاف أسير فلسطيني من منطلق بوادر حسن النية للسلطة الفلسطينية وبهدف تشجيعها على المضي قدمًا في المفاوضات التي جلبت الويلات على الفلسطينيين، الدولة العبرية رفضت بشكل قاطعٍ إطلاق سراح أسرى من عرب الداخل، زاعمة بأنّ الحديث يجري عن مواطنين إسرائيليين خانوا دولتهم في زمن الحرب، وتمكنت من فرض هذه الأجندة على السلطة الفلسطينية، التي تنازلت عن هؤلاء الأسرى وحوّلتهم إلى أيتام على موائد اللئام.
......
وإطلاق أسرى من عرب الداخل في الصفقة الجديدة سيكون رسالة إلى محمود عبّاس وإلى زمرة المحيطين به مفادها أنّ محاولتهم لسلخ فلسطينيي الداخل عن شعبهم مصيرها مزبلة التاريخ، ولا ضير في هذا السياق في التذكير بأنّ السيد محمود عبّاس صرح في أكثر من مناسبة بأنّ فلسطينيي الداخل هم (عرب إسرائيل) ومواقفهم المتشنجة، على حد وصفه، تعود سلبًا على القضية الفلسطينية.
علاوة على ذلك، فإطلاق سراح أسرى من مناطق الـ48، سيكون صفعة أخرى تتلقاها إسرائيل من حماس، وسيكون رسالة أخرى إلى صنّاع القرار في تل أبيب بأنّ محاولات تقسيم العرب إلى عربين مصيرها الفشل الذريع
......
وهناك نقطة أخرى لا تقل أهمية عن الأمور التي تطرقنا إليها، ففي الماضي غير البعيد رُشّحت أنباء كثيرة عن أنّ رئيس سلطة رام الله المأزومة، محمود عبّاس، طلب من الإسرائيليين عدم الموافقة على شروط حماس بالنسبة لصفقة التبادل، ومع أننّا لا نستبعد البتة قيامه بهذه الفعلة المشينة والمخزية، فإننّا نريد أن نقول بفم مليء إنّ الدولة العبرية تخشى أيضا من أنّ إخراج الصفقة إلى حيّز التنفيذ سيرفع أسهم حركة حماس في الشارع الفلسطيني على مختلف أطيافه، على حساب حزب السلطة، أي حركة فتح، وهذا الأمر لا يصب في مصلحة الدولة العبرية وأميركا وأوروبا والعرب المتواطئين، الذين يعملون كل ما في وسعهم من أجل مراضاة محمود عبّاس وسلطته المنهارة
....."
The US cash behind extremist settlers
The Hebron Fund is raising vast sums for Israeli settlements that violate the Geneva convention, with little scrutiny
Andrew Kadi and Aaron Levitt
(Andrew Kadi is an IT professional and a member of the Middle East rights organisation, Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East. Aaron Levitt has volunteered as a human rights monitor in Hebron and is a member of Jews Against the Occupation-NYC)
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 8 December 2009
Contributed by Abed
"Last month, a Brooklyn-based non-profit organisation called the Hebron Fund, which supports Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied city of Hebron, held a fundraiser at the New York Mets' stadium, Citi Field.
The fundraiser went forward despite calls for its cancellation from grassroots human rights organisations from the US, Palestine and Israel. The fact that the Hebron Fund likely raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for extremist Israeli settlers at a major US venue with little public scrutiny is a troubling sign for those who hope that the US can play a constructive role in achieving a just peace in the Middle East......"
Andrew Kadi and Aaron Levitt
(Andrew Kadi is an IT professional and a member of the Middle East rights organisation, Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East. Aaron Levitt has volunteered as a human rights monitor in Hebron and is a member of Jews Against the Occupation-NYC)
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 8 December 2009
Contributed by Abed
"Last month, a Brooklyn-based non-profit organisation called the Hebron Fund, which supports Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied city of Hebron, held a fundraiser at the New York Mets' stadium, Citi Field.
The fundraiser went forward despite calls for its cancellation from grassroots human rights organisations from the US, Palestine and Israel. The fact that the Hebron Fund likely raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for extremist Israeli settlers at a major US venue with little public scrutiny is a troubling sign for those who hope that the US can play a constructive role in achieving a just peace in the Middle East......"
Obama's "We Got No Money" Rap
Why It Augers a Sinister Banksters End Game
By MIKE WHITNEY
CounterPunch
"......Obama is deliberately precipitating another crisis on the advise of his chief lieutenants. Summers and Geithner are steering the economy back into recession so they can implement the same austerity measures and "structural adjustment" programs which have been used throughout the developing world. It's "starve the beast" all over again. As the stimulus dries up, revenue-depleted states will be forced to auction off public lands, resources, parks and other assets to the highest bidder. The banksters and robber barons will feast on the country's treasures while the middle class is crushed by the freefalling dollar, lost home equity, and persistent high unemployment......"
By MIKE WHITNEY
CounterPunch
"......Obama is deliberately precipitating another crisis on the advise of his chief lieutenants. Summers and Geithner are steering the economy back into recession so they can implement the same austerity measures and "structural adjustment" programs which have been used throughout the developing world. It's "starve the beast" all over again. As the stimulus dries up, revenue-depleted states will be forced to auction off public lands, resources, parks and other assets to the highest bidder. The banksters and robber barons will feast on the country's treasures while the middle class is crushed by the freefalling dollar, lost home equity, and persistent high unemployment......"
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