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War Must End or Humanity Will
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[03 Sep 2008|01:54am] |
SEAS THE DAY IN PALESTINE
Weirdest thing happened last Saturday - a rare glimmer of good cheer from Gaza. Two boats from the Free Gaza movement arrived at Gaza’s docks, having set off from Cyprus two days before.
The Israeli military had said that it was prepared to open fire on the unarmed civilian boats, the SS Free Gaza and the SS Liberty. This was not a threat to be taken lightly given Israel’s willingness to shoot internationals who come peacefully supporting Palestinian rights - both Rachel Corrie and Tom Hurndall were murdered by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip (See SchNEWS 405).
The last half century have been hard on Gaza. Since it was made the reluctant home of some 300,000 refugees from Palestine in 1948 (the bits now known as Israel), Gaza has always been at the forefront of Palestinian resistance. Gaza was where the First Intifada started, and it was in Gaza that the Palestinians’ urban guerilla war persuaded the Israelis to leave, dismantling their settlements and pulling their troops out. Ever the sore loser, Israel simply moved its forces to Gaza’s borders, ensuring that virtually nothing gets in or out of Gaza without their say so.
The noose around Gaza has been tightening year on year. Following the election of Hamas to government, the capture by Palestinian armed groups of an Israeli soldier, and then Hamas’ armed takeover of the Strip, the stranglehold on Gaza has gotten tighter and tighter until now only tiny number of certain types of goods are allowed through. Gazan hospitals are virtually empty of medicine - 107 classes of basic medicines are denied and there’s no fuel for vehicles (and barely enough for cooking). Malnutrition amongst children and adults is reaching shocking levels.
For what it’s worth the UN Palestinian refugees director John Ging has made some harsh comments (well, harsh for the UN), calling the siege ‘profoundly inhumane and counter-productive’ (you don’t say).
A group of dedicated internationals did what they could to send a lifeline and message of solidarity to Gaza. Forty four people (including activists, academics, holocaust survivors and, not to forget, Tony Blair’s sister in law) sailed with the two boats, arriving safely across the 200 miles that separates Cyprus from Gaza, despite having their communication and navigation gear jammed by an ‘outside party’. In the end though, the Israelis decided not to intervene and try to stop the two ships - no doubt in large part due to the seriously bad PR they’d get from attacking a humanitarian mission (again).
The ‘Free Gaza’ movement has scored a major victory in challenging the Occupation and Israel’s brutal siege of the Strip. It has shown that if the will and the creativity is there it’s possible to defy the Israeli brutality and get needed supplies through. Amongst the much-needed medical supplies they brought with them were hearing aids for children deafened by the constant explosions and sonic booms from Israeli warplanes.
The boat’s breaking of the blockade has put Israel on the back foot - either they try and stop the boats and look like bullies in front of the world’s press, or let the boats pass through and admit that international public opinion can have an effect on halting the Israeli state’s actions.
Huwaida Arraf, a longtime Palestine activist who joined the seaborne siege breakers said, “We recognize that we’re two humble boats, but what we’ve accomplished is to show that average people from around the world can mobilize to create change. We do not have to stay silent in the face of injustice. Reaching Gaza today, there is such a sense of hope, and hope is what mobilises people everywhere.”
www.freegaza.org www.palsolidarity.org www.electronicintifada.net
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[02 Sep 2008|05:13pm] |
I watched a show on Iraqi people, it was on LINKtv. A guy named Abu mentioned that he would leave Iraq if he only could get a passport. Didn't the American press make a big deal about freeing the Iraqi people from Saddam and allowing them to travel, which never was before? Yet now they have put in place the same type of Sadam era restrictions, or even worse? What is the deal with not letting Iraqi people leave, since we have "freed" them from Saddam? It appears that most of this is from the US government policy towards passports. What kind of hypocrisy is this?? Is this how we bring FREEDOM to iraq?
I LOVE MY COUNTRY BUT FEAR MY GOVERNMENT!
ABU HUSSEIN (Translation): But they told us Bremer’s law says, you can’t sue foreign companies for killing Iraqis. That’s the country for you and that is all I have to say. That’s the state of your country and government, you are Iraqi in name only. If they granted us approval now we would not stay in Iraq another single day, if they gave us passports and visas, we would go to another country.
http://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=59073&tmpl=transcript
Another example:
Amal al-Rubei, a retired Iraqi teacher, 56, has been living in Jordan since 2003, but she is unable to visit her son in Britain.
She said: "I have a family in London, I need to go the UK, my son is expecting his first baby, and I also need to do some medical check-ups.
"The British embassy does not recognise my S-type passport. They told me that they have nothing to do with it, it is the Iraqi authorities who told them not to acknowledge the S-type passport."
Some Iraqis are risking the dangerous journey to Baghdad simply to get a valid passport.
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[01 Sep 2008|07:15pm] |
STORMING THE BARACK AIDES
In America, Seattle helped spark the political will for a Neocon inspired clampdown on civil liberties to begin in earnest, culminating in a draconian new raft of measures brought in under the cloak of 9/11 and flag-waving patriotism. The War on Terror® masked a new wave of resistance-crushing. But is a new backlash against all this finally emerging back in the Homeland of the brave?
With Iraq smouldering away like a new Vietnam, over 9,000 anti-war protesters descended on Denver last week, marching to the gates of the Pepsi building – the un-ironical union-busting choice of venue for the Democratic Party convention being held to proclaim Barrack Obama as the latest saviour of the planet. OK, activists were helped with pulling in punters by a free Rage Against the Machine gig, but nonetheless this was one of the biggest such demonstrations seen in years.
And that was only the warm up. Even bigger things are planned for next week’s Republican National Convention (RNC) in city of St Paul, Minneapolis. A large mobilisation, self-styled as the ‘RNC Welcoming Committee’, is expected and a full support infrastructure is in place, including convergence centres, training, legal aid, free use of bikes and more. Repression has been extensive in the build up with raids on social centres, indymedia offices and private homes.
And the flip side of the rampant post 9/11 expansion of military-gear-being-flogged-to-paranoid-consumers means that this time the black bloc are expected to turn up in body armour and gas masks. It all looks set to kick off so watch this (convergence) space.
www.protestrnc2008.org www.NoRNC.org and http://twincities.indymedia.org
SCHQUIDS-IN
52 anti-war protesters, arrested in New York in April 2003 at the height of the Iraq Invasion, have won $2 million compensation. They were arrested outside offices of the Carlyle Group – the Bush-connected investment firm heavily involved in military contracts (See SchNEWS 380), but had criminal charges dismissed in the months that followed.
The four-year civil lawsuit which followed against the City of New York has resulted in this bumper pay-out. Police footage of the demonstration showed that the legal demonstration on the pavement gave ample room for other pedestrians, and that police arrested 94 without warning or giving the opportunity to leave. The lawsuit was focused on the police violating good ‘ol US constitutional rights.
* See www.ccrjustice.org
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| "9 arrested at Xcel in antiwar march" |
[31 Aug 2008|04:40pm] |
From the New York Times:
August 31, 2008
9 arrested at Xcel in antiwar march
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 4:21 p.m. ET
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Police arrested nine people taking part in an antiwar march at the Republican National Convention on Sunday after they crossed a security fence into a restricted area near Xcel Energy Center.
The nine were arrested for trespassing, said Doug Holtz, a St. Paul police commander.
The protesters, including two women in their 70s, were taken away in handcuffs. The protesters had planned ahead of time to cross the fence, and organizers had announced it ahead of the march, which drew about 250 people.
( Read more... )
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| "Thousands stage anti-war protest march" |
[27 Aug 2008|08:56pm] |
Is this protest in Denver rating any coverage on the TV networks? I admit I've been stuck on watching convention coverage on C-Span. I'm curious to know if it's simply getting ignored.
Thousands stage anti-war protest march
By CATHERINE TSAI and COLLEEN SLEVIN, Associated Press Writers1 hour, 8 minutes ago
A column of people three blocks long, led by members of the Iraq Veterans Against the War, streamed from the Denver Coliseum on Wednesday in an anti-war protest march to the Pepsi Center, where the Democratic National Convention is being staged.
As many as 50 soldiers wearing army fatigues led the noisy but peaceful protest into downtown and toward the Pepsi Center as police and bystanders watched.
"We are the veterans! The Iraq War veterans! The anti-war veterans!" they chanted. "We are soldiers! Anti-war soldiers!"
Crowd estimates, generally around 2,000, were fluid as the group lost and picked up people along the way.
A sit-in was planned at the convention site.
For the full article, click here.
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| Beltaines File--Liberty |
[24 Aug 2008|12:35pm] |
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mood |
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 Summer's Not Done Yet |
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music |
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"Together Again"--J. Jackson |
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What do you get when you mix Celtic with Hip-Hop and add a dash of anarchy. . .
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| The Israeli war continues and the world says hush |
[23 Aug 2008|10:44am] |
Those poor Israeli jews are having a hard time fighting off those invading Palestinians still and are having to resort to desparate measures desite the support it gets from the USA.
The UN has called the situation in Gaza a humanitarian disaster, but the inhumanity goes on. More than 200 civilians have died due to the refusal to let people leave Gaza to seek medical care. The United States, the country that assumes stewardship of the world and whose influence could change the situation, stands by. Worse still, it endorses absurd Israeli claims, such as the recent labelling of innocent Fulbright scholars as "potential security threats" to bar them from taking up their scholarships abroad.
On board the refurbished fishing boats, SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty, are more than 50 activists from 17 nations - Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, farmers, fishermen, officials, language teachers, piano technicians and one 85-year-old Holocaust survivor - all united in their determination to break the Israeli siege.
Being attacked this way really does upset the Israelis who know what suffering is as they tell us again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/23/israelandthepalestinians.middleeast
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| weapons maker in southern california, cia and iran contra |
[21 Aug 2008|09:31am] |
I can't believe the story made front page news today! Over twenty years old and the murder mystery is still making headlines.
It seems the murders have had chilling effects, that's what I would call it. I mean when you have the unlimited resources of the US government and the mafia, you begin to have a little fear for your life! When people get shot, drop dead, and their entire families get killed, you have a chilling effect. In this cold case, we have surreal deaths of people. No one wants to be found dead just for digging up the truth. . .yet people will not give up. Even police officers feel their lives are at risk looking into this case. But even with that, people close to the case, family members won't give up. I would hope I could be fearless in similiar circumstances. It's easy to say that ohh I am brave, but late at night when that dark vehicle is outside watching you, most peoples bravery slides away as we rationalize our fear.
Eventually more of the truth will be told, or will it?
Kudos for KESQ and the brave reporters for continuing the story!
http://www.kesq.com/global/story.asp?s=8874668
NLY ON 3: Chilling E-Mail Details 'Dangerous' Triple Murder Case
Posted: Aug 20, 2008 03:39 PM PDT
By Nathan Baca
News Channel 3
The Riverside County Sheriff's department is looking into possible connections between a triple murder in 1981 and murder-suicide in 2005 that claimed six lives.
A chilling email written by a detective shows just how dangerous this case was.
When this detective writes he "can't look his wife in the eyes" and risk his family's lives, you know it's a big case.
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[21 Aug 2008|12:42am] |
Anonymous comments have been blocked, so perhaps we can make this a useful community again. Everyone in?
GAME, OSSETIA, MATCH
AS CIVILIANS PAY THE PRICE FOR IMPERIAL RIVALRIES IN GEORGIA...
Despite the Olympics, you had probably noticed there’s another war on, this time in the mountainous region of the Caucuses, in a previously little mentioned place called South Ossetia.
...
Russia’s military has been growing and growing under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, but it’s not really this that the West is afraid of. It’s the Russian energy weapon that strikes fear into the hearts of US / EU capitalists. When Ukraine started kissing western backsides a few years ago, all Russia had to do was turn off the gas (in the wintertime-brrr!) and wait for an apology. And Russia could easily do the same to Europe.
...
What’s been most illuminating about this war is just how quickly and how far the US / West / NATO have distanced themselves from the Georgian president following his disastrous military ‘reintegration’ of South Ossetia.
Both America and their every willing allies, Israel, have been deeply involved in Georgian affairs for many years now. In fact, President Saakashvili owes his job to the USA, courtesy of the National Endowment for Democracy.
The NED, part of the US State Department, is the first choice for pro-American regime change around the world. All of the various ‘colour revolutions’ that have brought pro-US regimes to power (Rose Revolution in Georgia - see SchNEWS 433, Orange in Ukraine, Cedar in Lebanon, and Saffron in Burma) have the NED’s fingerprints all over them. They sent some thousand US special forces to train the Georgian military. In fact, the ‘Georgia-US Immediate Response Military Exercise 2008' had ended just one week before the Ossetia invasion. Since the rout of the Georgian army, those advisors and any hint of US military involvement have been nowhere to be seen. As the separatist leader of Abzkhazia put it, Georgian forces had received “American training in running away."
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| Everlasting pudding |
[19 Aug 2008|09:33pm] |
Not an entirely new concept that there is money to be made from war but can George Monbiots views be challenged?
US politics, because of the failure by both Republicans and Democrats to deal with the problems of campaign finance, is rotten from head to toe. But under Bush, the corruption has acquired Nigerian qualities. Federal government is a vast corporate welfare programme, rewarding the industries that give millions of dollars in political donations with contracts worth billions. Missile defence is the biggest pork barrel of all, the magic pudding that won't run out, however much you eat.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/19/usforeignpolicy.russia
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[16 Aug 2008|10:10pm] |
Prisoner of war camps in Iraq. . .with nine year old kids? This is sad.
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| american veteran & war resister ordered deported from canada |
[16 Aug 2008|07:43am] |
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An American veteran who spent time with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, and later decided to leave he army before his time was up has been ordered deported from Canada, where he moved in 2004. Democracy Now's Amy Goodman talked him. To read a transcript of that interview, click Democracy Now!.
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| killing methodically by remote control |
[12 Aug 2008|07:57am] |
The following Associated Press article by Scott Lindlaw has appeared in many newspapers. Worth a read:
Remote-control warriors suffer war stress too
By Scott Lindlaw
ASSOCIATED PRESS
2:40 p.m. August 7, 2008
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE – Working in an air-conditioned trailer nicknamed the Dumpster, Predator pilots peer into Iraq through a bank of computers, operating by remote-control the drone via keyboard and chat software – and occasionally unleashing missiles on enemy fighters.
When their eight-hour shifts are done, they merge onto the highway and blend into the Southern California suburbs.
For the growing number of air national guardsmen involved in unmanned combat missions, it can be a whiplashing daily transition, and one that is taking a toll on a few of them.
“When pilots finish their job sitting in the ground control station, they climb out of that thing, hop in their car and then they drive home, and they have just been basically at war,” said Col. Albert K. Aimar, commander of the 163rd Reconnaissance Wing here.
For the complete article, click here.
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| iran blockade. . .or something else? |
[10 Aug 2008|09:45pm] |
Oh how I wish this is not true. Someone tell me it's not true, please?
And my guess is, we get Britain to be part of the naval blockade, so that the Neocons can deny being part of it. . .and that they aren't actually starting a war. They can say "The US Navy is there just as a protection of forces" but not part of the naval blockade of Iran. Or maybe. . .maybe not official, but a blockade in force only, being that, what captain of a cargo ship would try to get through a group of US super carriers?
A naval blockade is an act of war and must be approved by the people.
I did some research, the warships going to the gulf seems to line up. . .which is downright scary. I found a list of the different ships, ran some checks and it seems about right. How many carriers do you need in the Persian gulf UNLESS you are going to have another war and blockade Iran?
This could get very ugly. . .and all during the olympic games, when we are supposed to come together as one planet, one people. Yikes. I remember that Iranian politician who spoke recently about the US covert forces inside Iran.
"We have lots of graves already dug, waiting for the country that attacks us." said the Iranian diplomat. I think he is right in that one way or the other, blood will be shed. So is the idea to strangle the life out of Iran with the blockade. . .so that there will never be such a battle? Meanwhile I see the blockade taking a heavy toll on the civilization of Iran. Any sanctions will pay a heavy price when it comes to the children and adults struggling to survive in Iran.
Since the neocons couldn't getHcon 362 passed, they will try to get Britain to do the blockade? What creative strategy does the whitehouse/UK have up their sleeves? Oh and this will be labeled the "coalition of the concerned world" when in reality it's 95% US and 5% UK-others.
http://mparent7777-1.livejournal.com/1218064.html
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Massive-US-Naval-Armada-He-by-Lord-Stirling-080808-541.html
From the website:
Operation Brimstone ended only one week ago. This was the joint US/UK/French naval war games in the Atlantic Ocean preparing for a naval blockade of Iran and the likely resulting war in the Persian Gulf area. The massive war games included a US Navy supercarrier battle group, an US Navy expeditionary carrier battle group, a Royal Navy carrier battle group, a French nuclear hunter-killer submarine plus a large number of US Navy cruisers, destroyers and frigates playing the "enemy force".
The lead American ship in these war games, the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71) and its Carrier Strike Group Two (CCSG-2) are now headed towards Iran along with the USS Ronald Reagon (CVN76) and its Carrier Strike Group Seven (CCSG-7) coming from Japan.
They are joining two existing USN battle groups in the Gulf area: the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) with its Carrier Strike Group Nine (CCSG-9); and the USS Peleliu (LHA-5) with its expeditionary strike group.
Likely also under way towards the Persian Gulf is the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) and its expeditionary strike group, the UK Royal Navy HMS Ark Royal (R07) carrier battle group, assorted French naval assets including the nuclear hunter-killer submarine Amethyste and French Naval Rafale fighter jets on-board the USS Theodore Roosevelt. These ships took part in the just completed Operation Brimstone.
The build up of naval forces in the Gulf will be one of the largest multi-national naval armadas since the First and Second Gulf Wars. The intent is to create a US/EU naval blockade (which is an Act of War under international law) around Iran (with supporting air and land elements) to prevent the shipment of benzene and certain other refined oil products headed to Iranian ports. Iran has limited domestic oil refining capacity and imports 40% of its benzene. Cutting off benzene and other key products would cripple the Iranian economy. The neo-cons are counting on such a blockade launching a war with Iran.
The US Naval forces being assembled include the following:
Carrier Strike Group Nine
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) nuclear powered supercarrier
with its Carrier Air Wing Two
Destroyer Squadron Nine:
USS Mobile Bay (CG53) guided missile cruiser
USS Russell (DDG59) guided missile destroyer
USS Momsen (DDG92) guided missile destroyer
USS Shoup (DDG86) guided missile destroyer
USS Ford (FFG54) guided missile frigate
USS Ingraham (FFG61) guided missile frigate
USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG60) guided missile frigate
USS Curts (FFG38) guided missile frigate
Plus one or more nuclear hunter-killer submarines
( Read more... )
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| Meanwhile on the other side of Georgia... |
[10 Aug 2008|04:01am] |
Georgian President: Abkhazia conduct operation for pushing out Georgian forces in Kodori defile
Sukhumi. Abkhazia has conducted an operation for pushing out Georgian forces in Kodori defile, Georgian President Sergei Bagapsh said before journalists...9 August 2008 | 15:48 | FOCUS News Agency
Sergei Bagapsh
Looks like Russia is just nibbling away.
The Internet. It's like TV only real.
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| Some things never change |
[10 Aug 2008|12:04am] |
It's always people like this...
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| 8/8/08 |
[08 Aug 2008|09:23am] |
On the very day the Olympics, dedicated to international cooperation, begin...
Russia invades Georgia...
[article]
Edit: Georgia's president, Mikhail Saakashvili, has officially asked the U.S. to intervene against Russia.
lovely.
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| Forgot about this |
[07 Aug 2008|09:13pm] |
In memory of Death and Destruction!
Seizo Yamada's ground level photo taken from approximately 7 km northeast of Hiroshima.
In the immediate aftermath of the bomb, the allied occupation authorities banned all mention of radiation poisoning and insisted that people had been killed or injured only by the bomb's blast. It was the first big lie. "No radioactivity in Hiroshima ruin" said the front page of the New York Times, a classic of disinformation and journalistic abdication, which the Australian reporter Wilfred Burchett put right with his scoop of the century. "I write this as a warning to the world," reported Burchett in the Daily Express, having reached Hiroshima after a perilous journey, the first correspondent to dare. He described hospital wards filled with people with no visible injuries but who were dying from what he called "an atomic plague." For telling this truth, his press accreditation was withdrawn, he
was pilloried and smeared – and vindicated.
The Lies of Hiroshima Live On...
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| Get Outraged And Get Active About Internet Censorship |
[05 Aug 2008|04:58pm] |
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In response to increasing flagrant attempts to censor political websites, including Infowars and Prison Planet, not in Communist China, but in the U.S. and the UK, we are running a special contest with a top prize of $5,000 in order to encourage people to get active and educate others about the growing threats to Internet freedom. As we reported yesterday, major transportation hubs like St. Pancras International, as well as libraries, big businesses, hospitals and other public outlets that offer wi-fi Internet, are blacklisting alternative news websites and making them completely inaccessible to their users. On weekly basis we receive e mails from across the US and the UK from people who have attempted to visit our websites yet found them to be blocked by filtration software that lists them as “hate” or “violence”. http://www.prisonplanet.com/get-outraged-and-get-active-about-internet-censorship.html
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