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Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines ~ |
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Land, property, resources theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Deportation / Restriction of Movement
Hebron road renamed "Apartheid Street"
HEBRON (Reuters) -- Palestinians changed the name of Hebron's Shuhada
street to Apartheid Street on Wednesday, to protest the prevailing
conditions in areas of the West Bank town which are controlled by
Israeli troops. Aide to Hebron's Governor, Rafiq al-Jabari, said the
name change would remain in effect until what he described as
apartheid-like conditions had been eradicated in Hebron.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=420542
Israel Plans to Demolish School, Houses in Hebron Area
HEBRON, September 14, 2011 (WAFA) – The Israeli military authorities
informed a number of Palestinians that it plans to demolish their houses
and a local school in Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, Wednesday
said security sources. They told WAFA that Israeli military raided
Arroub camp Tuesday night and handed number of residents notices to
demolish their houses and another notice to demolish Arroub camp
school. Israeli soldiers, meanwhile, raided Hebron and nearby Dora,
southwest of Hebron, erected two checkpoint and inspected vehicles and
passengers personal documents, said the sources.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/sep/15/palestinian-statehood-al-walaja-video
Wadi Fuqeen: Palestine’s Valley of Hope and Despair
The film
Valley of Hope and Despair, by Joshka Wessels, Jakob Schiller and Lubna
Sharief, illustrates how the Israeli occupation deprives Palestinians of
their water resources and how illegal settlements continue to pour raw
sewage into the many valleys of the occupied West Bank. Villages are
being imprisoned by an eight-metre-high wall, causing severe
environmental and human impact.
Israeli forces - checkpoints, raids, arrests
Israeli bulldozers are expanding the Hawara military base and are
apparently bracing for clashes as Palestinians plan on asking the United
Nations for statehood status this month.
Egypt approves entry of World Food Programme aid to Gaza
EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) -- Egyptian authorities on Wednesday approved
the entry of aid from the World Food Programme to Gaza, a PA crossing
official said. PA official Amr Hadhud told Ma'an that the WFP had
donated 55 tons of biscuits to Gaza. The aid was unloaded at al-Oja
crossing in Egypt and the goods will be allowed into the Gaza Strip via
the Kerem Shalom crossing.
EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) -- Egyptian authorities detained 19
Palestinians on Wednesday, security sources said. Five people were
detained at the entrance to El-Arish, north Sinai. They were reportedly
on route to Cairo, Egyptian security sources told Ma'an. Police also
arrested 12 Palestinians 100 kilometers from the city of El-Arish. Four
had expired visas.
A woman and her seven children were among the group. A Palestinian
man working for Hamas security forces in Gaza was also detained in
El-Arish for having an expired visa, and security forces arrested
another man who had entered Egypt via a Gaza tunnel, security forces
said.
Four Jordanians Arrested In Sinai
Egyptian security sources reported Wednesday that four Jordanians were
arrested in north Sinai for illegally entering the country, and
illegally entering the Gaza Strip, the Maan News Agency reported.
http://goo.gl/9Ntse
Detainees
The Israeli occupation authorities are planning on allowing the
criminal population of the Israeli prisons to serve their sentences in
their homes to make room for Palestinians..
Local youth, Ameer Qaraeen, targeted again by Israeli forces
Israeli
forces arrested local youth Ameer Qaraeen yesterday, Tuesday 13
September. Qaraeen, 15, was taken from Wadi Hilweh district of Silwan on
the pretext of being absent at a scheduled court appearance. Qaraeen
has been subject to an ongoing targeting by Israeli authorities,
including a series of arrests, interrogations and house arrest
sentences.
Exiled activist Adnan Ghiath returns to Silwan
Tuesday
13 September marked the final day of local activist Adnan Ghaith’s
four-month sentenced exile from his home village of Silwan. Ghaith,
secretary-general of Fatah in Jerusalem and local popular committee
member, spent the four-month sentence in Ramallah, separated from his
family. The sentence was imposed by the Israeli Ministry of Defence, who
based the decision on information it refused to release to the public
or Ghaith’s legal team. Yesterday saw Ghaith’s return to Silwan amidst a
large crowd of friends, family and supporters. Residents gathered at
the local protest tent for a series of celebrations and ceremonies to
welcome him home. The celebrations were overshadowed by a heavy presence
of Israeli forces and settler security squads, who spread throughout
the streets from Bir Ayyub district, harassing residents without reason.
Although clashes managed to be avoided, local youth Moayed Sulaiman
Froukh was arrested by Israeli forces as he awaited the arrival of
Ghaith.
The Israeli Authority calls for Adnan Ghaith after few hours of his return to Jerusalem
The Israeli security departments called for the secretary of Fateh
Party in Silwan Adnan Ghaith after few hours of his return to
Jerusalem from his eight months deportation in Ramallah This was due
to Israeli Military decision adopting the emergency law which has been
practiced since the British Mandate . According to Silwanic site phone
call with Adnan he said “ they threatened me of being dragged by
Israeli forces if I don’t go to the Interrogation center in Al
Masqobeia tomorrow morning “ worth mentioning that Adnan Ghaith suffers
severe pains and can’t move.
http://goo.gl/dZTMoIsraeli Regime Attacks on Palestinian ActivistsArmy Attacks Protest In Hebron, Injuries reported
Israeli soldiers attacked on Thursday a nonviolent protest in the Al
Arroub refugee camp, in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and
injured several residents, including one child.
http://www.imemc.org/article/62028
BDSGround rules went too far, free speech expert says at Irvine 11 trial
A UC Irvine professor overstepped his boundaries when he told students
no disruptions were allowed during the Israeli ambassador's visit to
campus last year, another professor testifies. A UC Irvine professor
overstepped his boundaries when he told students that no disruptions
were allowed during the Israeli ambassador's visit on campus last year,
according to testimony given Wednesday in the so-called Irvine 11 trial
in Santa Ana.
The IPO proudly celebrates its long-standing relationship with the
Israeli military and proclaims the fact that plays special concerts for
the army in the Occupied Palestinian Territories on its website. It
describes itself as Israel's "cultural ambassador". The protest inside
the hall started during the orchestra's first piece, when a choir,
seated behind the stage, stood up and displayed letters that spelt out
"Free Palestine". They then sang a version of "Ode to Joy" that started
with the words "Israel, end your Occupation". Before the second piece
began, and again after the interval, protesters waved Palestinian flags
and shouted slogans. This is the first time that a political protest has
halted the live broadcast of a BBC Prom.
TUC Votes For Palestine And Review Links With Organisations Complicit With Israel's Occupation
The Trades Union Congress, representing 6.5 million workers in the UK,
voted overwhelmingly today (14 September 2011) to deplore the
'anti-democratic law' passed by the Israeli Knesset banning individuals
and organisations in Israel from calling for the boycott of Israel. WE ARE NOT TIRED! WEEK AGAINST THE APARTHEID WALL, NOV 9 - 16
Sep 14, 2011-- Together we will tear down the Apartheid Wall!
-Join the 9th-annual International Week against the Apartheid Wall: November 9-16, 2011 -Stand with the Palestinian popular resistance. -Show Israel that no Walls can stop our pursuit of justice and self-determination.
-Pressure your governments, institutions, and corporations to stop their support of Israeli apartheid! -Mobilize and organize events in your community: -Awareness-raising campaigns on the Wall and settlements -Awareness-raising campaigns on Israel's repression of Palestinian popular resistance
-Boycott and divestment campaigns against companies building the Wall -Support the Palestinian call for a comprehensive and mandatory military embargo on Israel
Presbyterian Church committee recommends church divest from Caterpillar, HP and Motorola over Israeli human rights abuses
The Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Committee on Mission Responsibility
Through Investment has recommended that the church divest from
Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, and Motorola Solutions due to their
relationship to Israeli human rights abuses in the occupied territories.
This decision comes as the result of a corporate engagement process
which began in 2004 and sought to influence corporate policy vis-a-vis
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Where to begin with this confused statement?
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry, a key Zionist lobby group
who rather loves defending the war crimes of Israel, release this today
about BDS, Israel, Nazis, Palestine, Nazis, Jews, Nazis and you guessed
it, Nazis. You
can almost see feel the tension in the statement, essentially saying,
“we aren’t saying you BDS backers are anti-Semitic but really you are
actually anti-Semitic”. No mention of the occupation, of course. Nor why
BDS is thriving globally. BDS isn’t about Jewish businesses because
they’re Jewish, you dishonest Zionist lobby. It’s called targeting the
unaccountable Zionist state, an increasingly anti-democratic entity, and those associated with it.
http://antonyloewenstein.com/2011/09/15/zionist-
lobby-says-nazi-comparisons-wrong-and-yet-rather-loves-calling-enemies-anti-semitic/
Global 'boycott Israel' campaign grows"Despite
widespread condemnation of Israeli policies by the United Nations,
other international bodies, human rights organisations and
internationally respected lawyers Israel continues to deprive
Palestinians of their rights of freedom, equality, and
self-determination. Israel’s ethnic cleansing, racial discrimination and aggressive expansion through colonisation are well documented. As
the global community has repAeatedly failed to hold Israel accountable
for its actions, on July 9, 2005, a large section of Palestinian civil
society called upon their counterparts and people of conscience the
world over to launch a campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions
(BDS) against the Israeli state until it adheres to international law
and the universal principles of human rights."
http://youthanormalization.blogspot.com/2011/09/bds-global-boycott-israel-campaign.html
“A world party and we are all invited”: #BDS by Omar BarghoutiAmong
the books we read, some go farther than others toward informing our
thinking, opinions and actions in the world. These invariably become the
books we read and refer to over and over again, the pages dog-eared,
passages underlined, margins filled with notes.
http://youthanormalization.blogspot.com/2011/09/world-party-and-we-are-all-invited-bds.html
Statehood Bid (TIP coverage of statehood bid should not be viewed as endorsement)
Move comes as leftist pro-Israel lobby recently announces its opposition
to Palestinian UN bid. After J Street announced its opposition to the
Palestinian statehood bid at the United Nations, the leaders of the
leftist pro-Israel group recently launched a new campaign lobbying
members of Congress to support a new Congressional letter urging
President Barack Obama to ensure that the U.S. will not cut off aid to
the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli
Committee Against House Demolitions, "Salvaging September: An ICAHD
Statement regarding the Palestinian Statehood Initiative at the UN"
Now, just two or three weeks before the approach to the UN, a fierce
debate has erupted within the Palestinian community around a number of
key questions: Will the September initiative be based on the recognition
of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders? If so, then what does
Abbas want to negotiate with Israel? Minor territorial adjustments or a
return to the fruitless trap of negotiations of the past 20 years which
render the 1967 borders irrelevant? Who, in the absence of elections to
the PNC or a referendum, has authorized Abbas to pursue a two-state
solution? Even if he does approach the UN in his capacity as the head of
the PLO and with the backing of its Executive Committee, will the
Palestinian Authority, on becoming the recognized Government of the
State of Palestine, replace the PLO and thus disenfranchise half the
Palestinian people? In particular, would the establishment of a
Palestinian state within the 1967 borders compromise the refugees' right
of return and the national rights of Palestinians within Israel? Does
recognition of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders foreclose
forever the emergence of a single state in historic Palestine, be it
democratic or bi-national, or will it permit further political efforts
and evolution in that direction? Until these questions are answered, it
would be difficult for ICAHD to support the September initiative.
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian leadership will not discuss
any last-minute proposals from the US or Europe until after the upcoming
bid for full UN membership, senior Fatah official Mohammad Shtayyeh
said Tuesday. Shtayyeh told Ma'an the Palestinian Authority expected the
US and Europe to put forward a proposal to try and convince the
Palestinians to stop their UN bid for statehood.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is behind a bill that would cut U.S. funding
for UN organizations who support recognition of Palestine as state.
WASHINGTON,
Sept 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on
Tuesday that the path to a two-state solution creating a Palestinian
state beside Israel runs through Jerusalem and Ramallah, not through New
York. Speaking at a news conference, Clinton repeated the U.S. view
that the Palestinians should not seek full membership in the United
Nations later this month and instead should resume direct talks with the
Israelis. She said she is sending two U.S. envoys, David Hale and
Dennis Ross, to Israel and the Palestinian territories to try to find a
way to revive talks.
WASHINGTON
(AFP) -- The United States has decided to fight to the bitter end to
convince the Palestinians to abandon their bid for UN membership,
despite the rather small chance that the battle will succeed. "We want
to leave no stone unturned in our effort to get these parties back to
the table," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday as
two US envoys headed to the Middle East for talks with Israel and the
Palestinians.
JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Hardline Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor
Lieberman warned Wednesday there will be "harsh and grave consequences"
if the Palestinians persist with their plan to seek UN membership as a
state. Speaking shortly before a scheduled meeting with EU foreign
policy chief Catherine Ashton, Lieberman did not elaborate on the
possible consequences.
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Elders group says it warmly welcomes
Palestinian efforts to seek support for statehood by the UN and believes
such a move is capable of changing the dynamics in the peace
process. In a statement Tuesday, the group of world leaders said they
wrote to the foreign ministers of the 27 member states of the EU urging
them to adopt a strong common position on the initiative. Such a move
would be in line with European Council conclusions of December 2009
which called for a two-state solution with Israel and Palestine living
site by side in peace, the Elders statement pointed out.
State-building efforts could be undone by continued occupation,
peace process stall, says Robert Seryy; IMF: Palestinian Authority may
suffer blow from lack of donor money.
Amid Palestinian statehood push, a grim World Bank report on the West Bank, Gaza
The World Bank report underscores the extreme dependence of the
Palestinian Authority on foreign aid. It is now facing a fiscal crisis
due to unmet aid promises.
RAMALLAH
(Ma'an) -- Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said
Wednesday that the PA is succeeding in reducing its dependency on
foreign aid, the official news agency in Ramallah reported. In his
weekly radio address, Fayyad said the PA is formulating measures to
overcome the financial deficit by 2012. The process will not affect
essential services, and measures should be approved within the next few
weeks, he was quoted as saying by WAFA.
Hamas: “Abbas’ U.N Move, Uncalculated Leap”
Dr. Salah Bardaweel, one of the senior political leaders of the Hamas
movement, warned of what he called “the dangers of the Palestinian-UN
bid” asking the UN to recognize a Palestinian State in the 1967 border,
adding that this move is an “uncalculated leap into the air”, and a
“move that leads to recognizing the Zionist entity”.
Palestinian villagers sceptical about bid for UN statehood – in pictures
Perched between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the village of al-Walaja has
long found itself caught between the two sides of the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and residents are sceptical that the bid
for statehood at the UN will improve their lives.
Noam Chomsky: U.S. to Veto Palestinian Statehood Bid Despite "Overwhelming International Consensus"
President Obama publicly confirmed Monday that the United States will
oppose any attempt by the Palestinians to achieve statehood at the
United Nations, but Palestinians leaders are still vowing to move ahead
with their bid for statehood this week. What will the ramifications of a
U.S. veto be? For more, we speak with Massachusetts Institute of
Technology Professor Emeritus Noam Chomsky. "If the Palestinians do
bring the issue to the Security Council and the U.S. vetoes it, it will
be just another indication of the real unwillingness to permit a
settlement of this issue, in terms of what has been for a long time an
overwhelming international consensus," Chomsky says. [includes rush
transcript]
Media Bias / Incitement
RAMALLAH, September 14, 2011(WAFA) - Palestine News and Information
Agency (WAFA) Wednesday monitored incitement and racism against the
Palestinians and Arabs published by the Israeli media between August 28
and September 9. Host of “the Last Word” show on Gale Tsahal Israeli
radio station, Avery Gilad, who’s known for his racist opinions, called
to withdraw Israeli citizenship from Arabs living in the Triangle,
saying “we don’t have to ask Palestinians to recognize Israel as a
Jewish state, because there will come a day when we’ll draw completely
different borders that will change Israel into a Jewish state, as much
as possible.”
Turkey / Israel
Israel decides not to respond to Erdogan rhetoric
Having discussed Turkey crisis Turkey, eight-minister forum decides to
let PM Erdogan 'to continue to lash out.' Meanwhile, Turkish leader
meets PA's Mahmoud Abbas, representatives of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.
The prime minister wants to calm the situation as much as possible
but also to make preparations in case the situation deteriorates.
Turkish PM throws weight behind Arab causeReuters
- Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told Arab states on Tuesday it
was time to raise the Palestinian flag at the United Nations and accused
Israel of obstructing peace in the Middle East. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110913/wl_nm/us_egypt_turkey
The real reason why Erdogan did not go ahead with Gaza visit
Egyptians amassed outside the Cairo Opera House on Tuesday calling on
visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to show support for
the besieged Gaza Strip.
Almost
all the factual findings, as well as the legal analysis and conclusions
of the recently leaked UN Secretary General’s Panel of Inquiry into the
“Flotilla Incident” on May 31, 2010 (Palmer/Uribe Panel) directly
contradict those of an earlier UN report of the Human Rights Council
Fact-Finding Mission (FFM, whose conclusion that Israel’s blockade of
Gaza, including the naval blockade is illegal, was just reaffirmed on
September 13, 2011 by five independent UN rights Special Rapporteurs. In
line with all statements Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon has made about
Gaza, the Goldstone report, and statements by other international
agencies, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),
these UN international law experts rejected the Palmer/Uribe
conclusions and demanded that “[t]he Israeli blockade of Gaza must end
immediately and the people of Gaza must be afforded protection in line
with international law.”
Egypt / Israel
With six Israeli security guards fending off an angry mob rampaging
through the mission, Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, tried for
two hours to get hold of Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Egypt's de facto
head of state, to demand an immediate rescue operation. Aides told Mr
Panetta that the general could not be found, Israeli officials were
quoted as saying. The response prompted fury in Washington, and threats
of US retribution. Field Marshal Tantawi's mysterious disappearance
intensified speculation that Egypt's generals had deliberately failed to
protect the embassy for political gain.
There are many attitudes and ideologies which divide the
Egyptians; nationals, leftists, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafis,
Muslims and Copts, moderate and extreme. However, the common uniting
factor is an absolute hatred of Israel. This suggests a sense of
nationalism and nobility, because Israel - with all of its crimes
against Egypt, the Arabs and the Muslims has not left them with any
option other than hatred for being the main source of wrongdoing in the
region.
Israel: using Egyptians as human shield, As'ad AbuKhalilThink
about it: the Israeli occupation embassy in Cairo deliberately chose to
have its embassy (on three floors) in a residential apartment building.
It is very clear what they did. The residents of the building were
pressured by the government to accept the new "tenants" without
complaint. The Israeli occupiers basically wanted to keep the embassy
in a residential building to hold the Egyptian residents as human shield
in case someone considered bombing the Israeli occupation embassy. The
embassy, of course, should be closed for good but the least that people
can ask, is that it should be relocated somewhere else, just in case
someone thought about...protesting the embassy. Egyptians should not be
held as human shields by Israeli terrorists. Not only are Israeli
years numbered, but their best days are long behind it.
Other News
Report Of Palestinian State Free of Jews Was Misinterpretation, Official SaysA
firestorm over remarks by a senior Palestinian diplomat about the
future Palestinian state was the result of misquoting and
misinterpretation, the diplomat told The Huffington Post Wednesday
night. Maen Rashid Areikat, the Palestine Liberation Organization's ambassador to the U.S., was described in a USA Today report early in the day as saying that the future Palestine should be free of Jews.
In a shocking statement, Maen Areikat, the “ambassador” of the
unelected, unrepresentative Palestinian Authority/PLO leadership, has
reportedly espoused Israel’s brutal vision of apartheid and racial
segregation. Even worse, his comments provide support for Israeli
leaders who advocate expulsion of Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Statement released on 18th anniversary of the signing of the
accords, Islamist movement says Palestinians should 'build up a unified
Palestinian front.'
A Republican victory in the special elections to replace disgraced
Rep. Anthony Weiner has caused some to ponder whether or not American
Jews are deserting Obama and the Democratic party over its Israeli
policy.
Move comes as Yuli Ofer, Israel's richest man, is laid to rest;
company was cleared of selling Iran a tanker for millions of dollars.
Lebanese security source says Israel Defense Forces soldiers seen
installing surveillance camera near Fatima Gate, along Israel border in
southern Lebanon.
Bloody Day For Iraq As 33 Are KilledA
series of bombings mostly in and around Baghdad left dozens dead or
wounded. The most significant of the blasts occurred at a busy
restaurant near Hilla. To the north, Iranian artillery attacks
continued. One civilian was injured in them. Overall, at least 33 Iraqis
were killed and 64 more were wounded in those attacks.
The United States is "very close" to sealing a deal to sell 18 F-16
fighter jets to Iraq, a top Pentagon official announced Wednesday. Iraq
had frozen the $4.2 billion deal earlier this year amid the Arab Spring
pro-democracy uprisings, but the prospects were "promising" for the
contract to now move ahead, said General Russ Handy, head of the US air
forces in Iraq.
Analysis / Op-ed
How do the ongoing protests in Tel Aviv relate to the larger
regional turmoil? What do the protests say about the current state of
Zionism, and what do they mean for the occupation of Palestine?
This
post originally appeared on Notes from a Medinah. According to Benny
Morris, Israel is under internal and external existential threats. From
the inside, Israel is facing the growth of religious and nationalist
settlers and ultra orthodox conservatism combined with an
ever-increasing polarization in wealth distribution and a troublesome
Arab minority that wants silly things like minority rights. Externally,
Morris sees a region that is collapsing in on Israel. Resurgent
political Islam in Turkey and Egypt has resulted in clear anti-Zionist
rhetoric and the continued occupation of Palestine is threatening
Israel’s democratic character. Israel is clearly facing a troubling
time, but are these really the reasons for the Israeli malaise?
While many Americans may believe that US policies are designed to
address American needs, America’s new Ambassador to Israel explains that
this is far from the case. http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/09/14/the-israeli-litmus-test/
Can you imagine if a US ambassador is caught paying tributes to Nasser or Habash?, As'ad AbuKhalil
US Ambassador in Israel: "And my profound respect for the State of
Israel and its remarkable achievements stems from a lifetime of exposure
to the extraordinary people who brought Theodore Herzl’s Zionist dream
to life...But it’s not just Jewish Americans who care deeply about
Israel, of course. It’s Americans across the board. That is why
President Truman is roundly praised for making the United States the
first nation to recognize the Jewish State 11 minutes after the
proclamation. And it’s also why when Soviet Premier Kosygin asked
President Johnson why the United States supports Israel, when there are
80 million Arabs and only three million Israelis, President Johnson
replied simply: "Because it is right." Americans look at Israel and see
a country much like their own, which struggled to survive from its very
founding, and not only succeeded against all odds, but thrived.
America and Israel are unique in the world, in that our founding fathers
and mothers made a conscious decision to leave their place of birth in
search of a better future, in the case of Israel, to rebuild the ancient
homeland of their ancestors."
Steven Salaita, Israel’s Dead Soul. Philadelphia: Temple University
Press, 2011. Jadaliyya: What made you write this book? Steven Salaita:
I'd been wanting for a long time to systematically explore the idea of
Israel's soul being in some sort of crisis. The decline of Israel's soul
is a notion much ridiculed by those opposed to Zionism, and I thought
it would be fun and illuminating to articulate why such ridicule
exists—and why it is completely justified.
Hadi al-Mahdi: Under the Tombstone of Freedom
On the eve of the ‘Friday of Rage’ last week, another Iraqi intellectual
was killed by a silenced gun at his home in central Baghdad. An
organizer of the Friday event, Hadi al-Mahdi fell to the same savagery
that took Kamil Shiya three years before. The notorious cycle of
violence, produced by a rotting political structure in a wounded Iraq,
has left the country torn apart and ruled by mini-tyrants and
collaborators backed by over-provoked groups, sectarian gangs, and
mafias. These players have skillfully presided over the game of
violence, corruption, repression, and ignorance.
Bahrain and Libya expose the two faces of Britain's foreign policyWe
bombed Gaddafi, but now we court Bahrain. Is our foreign policy based
on ethics, or commerce? The air in Tripoli is heady with optimism. After
42 years of repressive and rapacious rule by Muammar Gaddafi, there is a
mood of exhilaration despite the water shortages and power cuts that
have plagued the city since the collapse of the dictator's regime.
Why many Syrians still support Assad
The Arab League yesterday called on Syria's Assad to stop his 'killing
machine' as the uprising enters its seventh month. But Assad, still
backed by key groups, is unlikely to bow to such calls.
KPOO's "Arab Talk" Interview with Jadaliyya Co-Editor on Bagram, Obama's Other Gitmo, and US Detention Policy
This interview was conducted with Jadaliyya Co-EditorLisa Hajjar during
the week marking the ten year anniversary of the September 11 attack in
the United States. Conducted by Jess Ghannam, of KPOO's "Arab Talk,"
the interview begins with a survey of the landscape of US detention
policy of the last ten years. While some aspects of torture and abuse
have changed under the Obama Administration, more has stayed the same,
including indefinite detention, denial of habeas, use of military
commissions, and the fact that there has not yet been a definitive end
to US torture. Following this is a more in depth discussion of Bagram
and detention operations in Afghanistan. The interview ends with a
sociological reflection on why the US public has failed to demand legal
accountability for those responsible for torture and other crimes of
state in the context of the war on terror.
http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/2635/kpoos-arab-talk-interview-with-jadaliyya-co-editor
Statesman, As'ad AbuKhalilDo
you notice that all US puppets are referred to by US media and
government officials as "statesmen"? King Husayn (or Khoooseeen, as
Shimon Peres pronounces it)? Statesman. Fu'ad Sanyurah? Statesman.
Hamid Karzai? Statesman. Iyad `Allawi? Statesman. Usamah bin Laden
in the 1980s? Statesman. Illiterate Saudi King? Statesman. Mustafa
Abd-un-NATO? Stateman. It is a trend. You serve the US obediently, and
you watch your status shoot up from thug or nobody to "statesman". |
| For further information contact Shadi Fadda |
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