Sunday, 12 June 2011

Today in Palestine! ~ Saturday, 11 June 2011

Land, property, resources theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Settlers
Israel bans exit of Jerusalem mufti to attend Jordan conference
AMMAN (PIC) 11 June -- Israeli authorities have prohibited Jerusalem's grand mufti Ikrima Sabri from going to the Jordanian capital Amman to take part in a conference that started Saturday on human rights in Jerusalem. It was announced during the conference titled "Jerusalem: the right of man, the responsibility of a nation" that Sh. Sabri would not be able to attend because he was barred from exiting the Palestinian territories. The conference was slated to shed light on the displacement of Palestinians and Judaization in Jerusalem.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bc

2 detained, blindfolded by Israeli military in illegal demolition near Al Hadidya
JVS 11 June -- At 3pm yesterday 2 army jeeps carrying 8 soldiers came to the home of the Oudeh family. They demanded that the family take down their tent house and their two animal shelters. The army did not present the family with a demolition order or any other documents requiring the family to leave their land. ... Talib Oudeh, the father of the household, refused to demolish his own home. He and his son Tariq were handcuffed, blindfolded and taken outside. Two of the women from the family were also detained. The soldiers spent over an hour taking down the family’s tent and animal shelters.
http://www.jordanvalleysolidarity.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=286:2-detained-blindfolded-by-israeli-military-in-illegal-demolition-near-al-hadidya&catid=15:2010&Itemid=21

B'Tselem: Map of area in the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea closed to Palestinians
http://www.btselem.org/sites/default/files/20110508_jordan_vally_blocked_land_map_eng.pdf

PA: Armed settlers raid Nablus village
NABLUS (Ma‘an) 11 June -- Dozens of armed Israeli settlers on Saturday attacked residents of Qusra village in the northern West Bank, Palestinian officials said. PA settlement affairs official Ghassan Doughlas said settlers beat several residents at the entrance of the village, south of Nablus, and smashed the windscreen of a truck belonging to Husni Abu Reeda. Doughlas said the settlers were from an illegal outpost Alei Ayin, which the Israeli army recently evacuated. Settlers from the outpost were suspected of torching and vandalizing a mosque near Ramallah on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, in the nearby village ‘Iraq Burin, Israeli forces sprayed tear gas and stun grenades at protesters in an weekly anti-settlement rally, residents said. Locals told Ma‘an that Israeli forces surrounded the village on Saturday morning to stop activists joining the protest.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=395788

Gaza

Gaza tunnel worker dies from electric shock
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 11 June -- A Palestinian died Saturday from an electric shock while working in a smuggling tunnel under the Gaza-Egypt border, medics said. Gaza medical services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya identified the victim as Mahmoud Abed, 23. Medics say over 160 Palestinians have died in the network of underground tunnels since Israel imposed a siege on the Gaza Strip in 2006.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=395797

Rafah crossing operates despite works [construction]
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 11 June -- Four busloads of passengers will leave Gaza to Egypt through the Rafah crossing on Saturday, Palestinian officials said. The terminal will then close for maintenance work, but will operate normally on Sunday. Travelers at the crossing said scaffolding was erected on the Egyptian side, but that buses could still pass.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=395592

Israeli occupation navy boats fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Raf
RAFAH (PIC) 10 June -- Israeli occupation naval boats opened fire on Thursday evening at Palestinian fishing boats off the southern Gaza Strip Rafah coast. Palestinian naval police in the Gaza Strip said that the Israeli boats opened machine gun fire at the fishing boats forcing the Palestinian fishermen to flee to the shores, no casualties among the fishermen were reported.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%

Minister: Gaza medical crisis 'unprecedented'
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 11 June -- Hospitals in the Gaza Strip are suffering a critical shortage of medicine and medical supplies, Hamas Health Minister Bassem Na‘em said Saturday.
The crisis was unprecedented even during Israel's massive offensive on Gaza in December 2008, Na‘em said, adding that the situation was worsening by the day.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=395768

Health minister says crisis worsened after unity deal
GAZA (PIC) 11 June -- Gaza health minister Bassem Na‘im said Saturday that the health crisis in Gaza has taken a turn for the worse following the unity deal signed by factions ruling the Palestinian territories in May. 'We have called on our brothers in Ramallah in order to solve the crisis and quickly send Gaza's share of medicine provided by the health ministry at the soonest time. But that hasn't happened so far, ' Na‘im said. "I want to emphasize here that we don't want to politicize the issue at all, but rather to end it for the benefit of the Palestinian citizen firstly, ' he added ... Na‘im said that the Palestinian government in Gaza is trying to resolve the crisis quickly by using a million dollars deducted from the salaries of the health ministry's staff in an emergency measure. But he said the move would not be enough to solve the entire problem.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bc

The sea
I was recently forwarded an email with numerous photos of Gaza, most of them old, pre-siege, late 90s even. A few photos included Palestinians at the sea, as if to say since they are under siege they should not take advantage of the one resource left to them, albeit massively polluted by their own sewage. The point of the photo email was to accuse Palestinians in Gaza of lying: "you are not under siege, you have 3, 4, even 10 storey buildings, there are hotels and nice cafes… how dare you lie to us and pretend you are suffering"... There is food in Gaza, therefore there is no siege. Wrong. There is food -- much of it smuggled through the tunnels from Egypt -- which that vast majority (80%) of severely impoverished food-aid dependent population could never afford.
http://ingaza.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/the-sea/


Video: Europe, Israel's biggest trading partner
PressTV 11 June -- A new report compiled by 80 international aid organizations sheds light on Israeli restrictions on the transfer of goods and aid to the West Bank and Gaza. The report reveals this is costing NGOs at least 4.5 million dollars every year. Press TV has conducted an interview with Andrea Becker, the head of advocacy for Medical Aid for Palestinians [MAP]. Following is a transcript of that interview.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/184259.html

Israeli army

A dozen Palestinians hurt in Israeli chase of their vehicle
HEBRON (WAFA) 11 June -- Twelve Palestinians were hurt, five seriously, after their cars crashed into a valley following an Israeli army chase east of Yatta, a village south of Hebron, according to medical sources. They told WAFA that two vehicles carrying 12 workers fell into a valley following a chase by Israeli army vehicles. Palestinian and Israeli ambulances helped evacuate the wounded to hospitals while an Israeli army helicopter moved the five seriously injured to hospitals in Israel, said the sources. No reason was given for the chase.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=16412

Activism / Solidarity

Video: Bil‘in protest 10 June 2011 - Haitham Khatib
Bilin-ffj 10 June -- In spite of the scalding heat, dozens of villagers from Bil‘in marched once again together with international and Israeli solidarity activists to the Apartheid Wall in protest to its illegal annexation of 60% of the village’s land for the construction of Jewish-only settlements.
http://www.bilin-ffj.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=363&Itemid=30

IOF cracks down on peaceful protests in West Bank
WEST BANK (PIC) 11 June -- Dozens suffered the effects of breathing tear gas after the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) cracked down Friday on a weekly rally in Bil‘in protesting Jewish settlement construction and the separation barrier erected there.
Elsewhere on Friday, the IOF used fists and rifle butts to hamper the progression of local and foreign activists during more marches in Al-Ma‘sara village in Bethlehem province.
More peaceful marches were launched in Shukba and nearby villages west of Ramallah to protest a crushing plant recently erected in the village. They marched toward the hundreds of dunums of land that Israel had confiscated to build the crusher a year ago. The IOF stopped them before they reached the crusher using tear gas and rubber bullets as several protesters sustained breathing difficulties. Explosions made by the crusher have caused heavy damage to nearby homes.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2

Israeli soldier to activists who were detained near Beit Ommar: 'I could kill you'
ISM 11 June -- On Saturday June 11 three ISM activists were stopped by the Israeli army when trying to enter the village of Beit Ommar in the southern West Bank. The activists were going to participate in a non-violent demonstration against the illegal settlements in the area. As the activists tried to enter the village Israeli soldiers stopped them and claimed that the area had been declared a closed military zone ... The activists then attempted to leave the village when the soldiers apparently changed their mind and dragged them from the bus they had boarded. No explanation was given when the activists asked why they were being detained. One of the soldiers had a more aggressive approach than the others, and was interested in discussing politics with the activists. He called them "leftist shits," and told them "I could kill you," before spitting at them and cursing them in Hebrew. He also told the activists that Palestinians were terrorists and that Beit Ommar was a dangerous village ... The demonstration in Beit Ommar went ahead as planned and protesters managed to successfully reach and work on the land belonging to the farmers of Beit Ommar.
http://palsolidarity.org/2011/06/18839/

From Palestine to Tucson, solidifying the bonds of solidarity
EI 11 June -- As youth activists organizing to defend and preserve Ethnic Studies in Arizona, we’d like to highlight some related, global issues in our struggle. Arizona residents alert to the history of these lands know very well the issues of human displacement, expulsion, transfer, ethnic cleansing and extermination. More importantly, they know of the historical consequences of equality denied and justice delayed. Speaking as Arizona youth intermingled with indigenous, white, Arab, Jewish and Chicana/Mexicana roots, Arizona’s history relates to us as descendants of both settler and indigenous peoples. This history can provide insight into the Israel-Palestine conflict and prospects for peace in those torn borderlands of 1948, 1967, and today. A review of the history of modern Palestine reflects a startling image of the conquest and colonization of traditional indigenous lands settled by the US.
http://electronicintifada.net/content/palestine-tucson-solidifying-bonds-solidarity/10072


Naksa Day

Families of Naksa Day martyrs deny ties with deadly Yarmouk clashes
DAMASCUS, (PIC) 11 June -- The families of those killed on Israeli borders during Naksa Day protests on June 5 have denied ties with the strife in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus that left some 14 dead. Palestinians angrily mourning the reported 23 who died while trying to make the Palestinian refugees' right of return a reality were said to have rushed the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine–General Command headquarters at the camp, blaming the leading faction for egging on the Naksa Day protests. The PFLP-GC security guards were forced to respond with fire as the protesters torched the headquarters building.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bc

Majdal Shams lawyer to sue gov't for Naksa Day violence
JPost 10 June -- "You don’t use a hammer to kill flies," says Rami Abu Gabel, stressing that protesters, both on the Syrian and Israeli sides were unarmed -- Rami Abu Gabel, a lawyer from Majdal Shams in the Golan, announced on Thursday that he would submit a petition to the High Court over the use of what he termed “excessive force” by security forces against demonstrators during the Naksa Day protests on the Syrian border.
http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=224408&R=R2

IDF not expecting additional border riots
Ynet 11 June -- IDF officials postulated Saturday that the violent protests that took place on 'Nakba Day' and 'Naksa Day' respectively are not likely to reoccur in the near future, though the army is maintaining a state of alert. The 'Naksa Day' protests, they add, were not a battle for Palestinian right of return but rather an organized attempt by the Syrian regime to deflect attention from its brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4080651,00.html

US media buys Israel's Naksa spin, ignoring contrary evidence / Alex Kane
7 June -- Variations on the line the Israeli government fed to Israeli media yesterday about the killings of demonstrators in the Golan Heights Sunday [5 June] have made its way to the U.S. media, despite there being little evidence produced to support their claims ... The Israeli disinformation about the Naksa Day killings are similar to what happened after the flotilla raid and the death of Jawaher Abu Rahmah. But the U.S. media continues to print Israeli spin without investigating what really happened.
http://alexbkane.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/u-s-media-buys-israels-naksa-spin-ignoring-contary-evidence/

Detention

Hunger strike by detainee with untreated brain tumor enters second week
IMEMC 10 June -- A Palestinian man being held in an Israeli prison has entered the second week of hunger strike after Israeli authorities refused to allow him to receive treatment for a recently diagnosed brain tumor ... In March he was rushed to Soroka hospital in Beersheva, south of Israel, where his brain tumor was diagnosed. Since that time, [Akram] Mansour has been requesting medical treatment for the tumor, which causes frequent fainting spells. Israeli authorities have denied his requests for medical care, and have denied requests by Mansour's family for his early released – he has served 33 years of his 35 year sentence. Other prisoners have also offered to join the hunger strike if Mansour is not provided with medical treatment.
http://www.imemc.org/article/61418

Report: Egypt takes lead on Shalit deal
Ynet 10 June -- Egyptian source tells London-based al-Hayat newspaper Cairo is currently studying Israel and Hamas' positions after which indirect negotiations will commence. Meanwhile, Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk says no chance German mediator would rejoin talks
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4080312,00.html

Political / Diplomatic / International news

White House waiting for Netanyahu to accept Obama's peace principles
Haaretz 11 June -- There is a chance to avert the UN General Assembly vote in September on the recognition of the Palestinian state, said the White House official in a conference call with U.S. Jewish leaders. The Palestinians have been “fairly forthcoming on this score,” he stressed, and now the ball is in Netanyahu’s court.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/white-house-waiting-for-netanyahu-to-accept-obama-s-peace-talk-principles-1.367071

Former diplomats: Recognize Palestine
Ynet 11 June -- Amid Jerusalem's efforts to block international recognition of a Palestinian state in September, former senior Israeli diplomats warned Saturday that Israel's current strategy might cause more harm than expected. In a conversation with Ynet, Prof. Ruby Seibel, the former legal adviser to the Foreign Ministry and an international law expert said, "We must say 'yes' to a Palestinian state, but set the conditions.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4080609,00.html

US congresswoman seeks to deny UN aid if Palestinian state recognized
PNN 9 June -- Leading Republican congresswoman, chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida [who else?], plans to introduce legislation which would prevent any US funding to any UN body that would recognize a Palestinian state or would change the status of the PLO observer mission. Any UN entity that would grant such recognition, either by passing a UN resolution or through granting membership to Palestine in any participating agencies, would then no longer receive US funding.According to Capitol Hill aides, the measure would be included in a comprehensive bill for reforming the UN which she expects to file in the next few weeks.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10206&Itemid=66

Hamas: European recommendation proves West's boycott 'mistake'
GAZA (PIC) 11 June -- Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Saturday that calls by former European officials to end the western boycott of Hamas shows that Europe has realized its mistake in cutting Hamas out of the regional arena. Abu Zuhri called on the EU to respond to the calls and honor the results of Palestinian elections of 2006 ... Twenty-four former European premiers and foreign ministers have called on the US and EU foreign policy chief Katherine Ashton to support the Palestinian unity deal and change foreign policy in the Mideast.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bc

Iran to host conference targeting Israel's nuclear program
dpa 11 June -- Iran will host a conference on nuclear disarmament that will target the international community's policy of overlooking Israel's nuclear programs, official media reported Saturday. Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Akhoundzadeh, who will chair the conference, said the focus would be on Israel's policy of nuclear ambiguity and its refusal to neither confirm nor deny its alleged possession of nuclear weapons.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/iran-to-host-conference-targeting-israel-s-nuclear-program-1.367093

Moussa committed to Palestinian-Israeli peace but not at any price
Haaretz 10 June -- Amr Moussa, the Arab League's outgoing chief and leading Egyptian presidential candidate told French television on Thursday that he is committed to working toward a Palestinian-Israeli peace, but not at any price, according to an AFP report. "Egypt's position will have to get back to a position of influence in the region and to follow the right policy, which is to establish peace, not at any price," he told France 24 during a visit to Paris.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/moussa-committed-to-palestinian-israeli-peace-but-not-at-any-price-1.366945

US arms deal with Egypt to continue
Reuters 11 June -- Pentagon official says upheavals and regime changes in Middle East will not affect U.S. military sales to Egypt.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/u-s-arms-deals-with-egypt-to-continue-1.367069

Jordan, Israel affirm resumption of Egyptian gas supply
AMMAN (PIC) 11 June-- Jordanian official sources and Hebrew media affirmed that the supply of Egyptian gas to both Jordan and Israel was renewed as of Friday night after one and half month of halt due to an explosion that targeted the pipeline in northern Sinai.[and the unfair price paid by Israel that was supposed to be adjusted?]
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2b

'Abbas shuts down web sites run by Dahlan supporters'
JPost 11 June -- Activists claim move is part of PA president's punitive measures against former Fatah security commander; five sites blocked in total.
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=224539


Other news

US Homeland Security asks Jewish groups to be vigilant for terrorists
Haaretz 11 June -- Jewish Federations are the first faith-based group to partner with the security agency in its campaign urging Americans to keep a watchful eye on others for potential involvement in terror crimes.
http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/u-s-homeland-security-asks-jewish-groups-to-be-vigilant-for-terrorists-1.367080

Anti-conversion group to soldiers: Don't convert
Ynet 11 June -- A group challenging the legitimacy of State-controlled conversions circulated thousands of flyers in synagogues across Israel this week, urging non-Jewish soldiers not to convert and to demand that military clergymen be installed according to their various denominations. The group -- "Jews against Conversion" -- stated that the State of Israel is virtually compelling hundreds of thousand of immigrants to convert to Judaism, thus infringing on their rights.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4080185,00.html

Suspected Arab hackers target right-wing MKs
JPost 9 June -- ..Cyber-vandals calling themselves “Team Kuwait Hackers” replaced the usual contents of Hotovely’s site with a picture of a man in a keffiyeh waving a Palestinian flag and holding a Koran ... Eldad’s site was apparently taken down by hackers from Syria.
"If Syrian hackers found time to break into my web site -- which explains that there is no need for another Palestinian state because there already is one in Jordan -- Assad will apparently have to kill thousands more in order for Syrians to understand what’s really important," he said..
http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=224356&R=R2

Palestinian artists unveils world's largest oil painting
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 11 June -- Ukraine-based Palestinian artist Dr Jamal Badwan on Wednesday unveiled the biggest oil painting in the world in a public park in Kiev. Palestinian Authority Minister of Tourism Khloud Daibes and hundreds of Ukrainians and Palestinians attended the show ... Badwan told Al-Jazeera's Arabic-language website that the painting was inspired by Noah's Ark.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=395560

Israeli and Palestinian students to study entrepreneurship and launch businesses at Babson College
Newswise 10 June -- 44 Israeli and Palestinian students (20 Palestinians, 17 Israeli Jews, and 7 Israeli Arabs) will learn entrepreneurship skills and establish businesses this summer at Babson College [Wellesley, Massachusetts], building a spirit of peace and understanding through entrepreneurship to bring back to their countries.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/577661/?sc=rsbn

Analysis / Opinion

End these settlers' attacks against our mosques and churches / Khalid Amayreh
9 June -- On Tuesday, 7 June, illegal Jewish settlers under the full protection of the Israeli army set fire to yet another mosque in the occupied West Bank, the fifth in less than two years. Responsibility for security in all of the villages where these attacks took place lies exclusively with the Israeli army... Not surprisingly, Muslims are not the only victims of Zionist Jewish terror and racism. In recent months, there have been several attempts by Jewish settlers to burn down churches in Jerusalem. The settlers' religious hostility towards Christians, Christianity and Jesus exceeds by far their hostility to Islam. Some settlers, for example, believe that Jesus is the most evil being ever created and upon uttering or hearing his name recite, "May his name be damned and memory erased." One settler leader, who is also a rabbi, once referred to Christ as "the Hitler of Bethlehem." Some people might think that words, even such emotionally charged words, are innocuous. But words can and do kill. The path to the Holocaust began with words, and we all know how that ended.
http://www.uruknet.info/?new=78484

A brown-haired young man / Uri Avnery
11 June -- MY HERO of the year (for now) is a young brown-haired Palestinian refugee living in Syria called Hassan Hijazi ... The border crossing of the refugees near Majdal Shams caused near panic in Israel. First there were the usual recriminations. Why was the army not prepared for this event? Who was to blame -- Northern Command or Army Intelligence? Behind all the excitement was the nightmare that has haunted Israel since 1948: that the 750,000 refugees and their descendants, some five million by now, will one day get up and march to the borders of Israel from North, East and South, breach the fences and flood the country. This nightmare is the mirror-image of the refugees’ dream.
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1307715843/

U.S.

Statement on Malek Jandali and ADC / Josh Ruebner
10 June -- For more than one decade, I have worked closely with the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) ... As the National Advocacy Director of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, I have worked with ADC - an important member of our coalition - on innumerable initiatives and campaigns to challenge U.S. support for Israeli occupation and apartheid ... It is within this context that I wish to express my deep disappointment that ADC asked Malek Jandali not to perform his song Watani Ana (I Am My Homeland) at this year’s convention. Jandali’s hauntingly beautiful composition is an anthem for the Arab Spring. ["I am my homeland, and my homeland is me. The fire in my heart burns with love for you! Oh my homeland, when will I see you free? ..."]
http://endtheoccupationblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/statement-on-malek-jandali-and-adc.html

'The War You Don't See' - Pilger film banned by Lannan Foundation
[with videos] An open letter to Noam Chomsky and the general public. Dear Noam - I am writing to you and a number of other friends mostly in the US to alert you to the extraordinary banning of my film on war and media, 'The War You Don't See', and the abrupt cancellation of a major event at the Lannan Foundation in Santa Fe in which David Barsamian and I were to discuss free speech, US foreign policy and censorship in the media.
http://www.uruknet.info/?new=78519

WikiLeaks: The unknown prisoners of Guantánamo (Part 4) / Andy Worthington
9 June ...In the years since the documents relating to the CSRTs were released (and information relating to their annual follow-ups, the Administrative Review Boards, or ARBs), I attempted to track down the stories of these 201 men, and managed ... to discover information about 112 of these prisoners, but nothing at all was known about 89 others (except for their names, and, in some cases, their date of birth and place of birth). With the release of the WikiLeaks files, all but three of these 89 stories have emerged for the very first time, and in this series of articles, I am transcribing and condensing these stories, and providing them with some necessary context. The first 51 stories were in Part One, Part Two, and Part Three, and the penultimate installment is below.
http://www.uruknet.info/?new=78482
--
www.TheHeadlines.org

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River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

America's Next War Theater: Syria and Lebanon?


Washington's War against the Resistance Bloc

by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya

Global Research, June 10, 2011

Washington and its allies, Israel and the Al-Sauds, are taking advantage of the upheavals in the Arab World. They are now working to dismantle the Resistance Bloc and weaken any drive for democracy in the Arab World. The geo-political chessboard is now being prepared for a broader confrontation that will target Tehran and include Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and the Palestinians.

Tying Hezbollah’s Hands through External and Internal Pressure

In Lebanon, there is a deadlock in regards to the formation of a Lebanese government. Michel Sleiman, who holds the presidency and the new Lebanese prime minister have been delaying the formation of the cabinet in a political row with Michel Aoun, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement.

It may be possible that the formation of a new Lebanese cabinet is being delayed to keep Lebanon neutralized on the foreign policy front.

The U.N. Security Council and several U.N. bodies are all being used by the U.S. and the E.U. to put pressure on Lebanon. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is taking his orders from Washington. He has contributed to providing legitimacy to the U.S. and NATO wars. Moscow has openly accused Ban Ki-moon of treachery for his 2008 secret dealings with NATO.

It is in this context that the U.N. is being used as a forum for insidious attempts to internationalize the issue of the weapons held by the Lebanese Resistance, with a view to disarming it. Despite the fact that U.N. Resolution 1559 is no longer relevant, the Special Representative for the Implementation of Resolution 1559, Terje Roed-Larsen, still remains active and issues reports against Hezbollah.

The envoys of the U.N. to Lebanon resemble colonial figures making uninvited edicts in Beirut and working as agents of Washington, Brussels, and Tel Aviv. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), which has an entire division in the U.S. State Department, is also a loaded political weapon that Washington is planning on using against Lebanon and Syria.

An international tribunal was formed pertaining to the circumstances of the the assassination of Rafic Al-Hariri. Hariri at the time of his murder had no official state position, but an international tribunal has been created for his case alone. On the other hand the so-called international community has taken no interest in forming any type of tribunals to investigate the assassination of thousands of people killed in Lebanon. What does this say about the STL and the justice being sought?

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has also been complicit in Israeli violations against Lebanon. Even the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRAW) has been infiltrated with officials that are supportive of Israeli crimes against Palestinians and Lebanese. This was demonstrated by Christopher Gunness, the spokesperson of UNRAW, in a May 15, 2011 interview with the Israeli military. While Israel’s IDF was firing on unarmed civilian protesters during Nakba Day 2011, Gunness reaffirmed that UNRAW was working in the interest of Israel’s national security, while also accusing the Palestinians of committing terrorist acts against Israel. Even the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip was whitewashed by the UNRAW spokesperson.

The absence of a new cabinet in Lebanon has also allowed Saad Hariri and the March 14 Alliance to continue having an ominous hand in managing Lebanon’s affairs. This also buys time for the STL, which can move forward without being challenged by a Lebanese government in Beirut that would be hostile to the STL. In this regard, a new government in Beirut would most certainly question to legitmacy of the STL.

Moreover, the Internal Security Forces (ISF) of Lebanon is also being used by Saad Hariri against Hezbollah and the political opponents of the Hariri family. The ISF may even have a hand in working against Damascus and helping promote violence in Syria.

The ISF takes its orders directly from the Hariri family.

Because of the free hand given to Saad Hariri and his cronies (largely due to the absence of a functioning cabinet in Beirut), Ziad Baroud, the acting interior minister of Lebanon, has refused to sign any more papers from his ministry. Baroud has taken this position, because he believes that the ISF is acting covertly and without his approval or supervision.

In this regard, the ISF has refused to follow the orders of Ziad Baroud to allow Charbel Al-Nahhas, the acting telecommunications minister of Lebanon, to enter ISF headquarters for a routine check.

 The ISF was clearly trying to hide its operations and was acting to prevent Al-Nahhas and his team from going to certain floors at ISF headquarters.

It is also no secret that Lebanon is a nest of intelligence agents and operatives from the U.S., the E.U., Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Their objective is to confront and dismantle Hezbollah and its coalition.
In 2006, during the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon the embassies of E.U. members were also collecting data against Hezbollah. The Al-Sauds have helped facilitate the links between Israel and the network of spies in Lebanon. This is demonstrated by the clear link between Sheikh Mohammed Ali Hussein, the Shiite cleric caught working for Israel, and the Al-Sauds.

In tune with all this, Hezbollah is constantly accused of being an instrument of Iran. Recently, Hezbollah was blamed alongside Iran for stirring protests in the Persian Gulf, specifically in Bahrain and the Shiite-dominated areas of Saudi Arabia. In this regard Lebanese citizens, regardless of their faith in many cases, have also been singled out by the Khaliji regimes and expelled from the Persian Gulf. This is part of a sectarian card to create regional divisions and hate. Within Lebanon it has been used by the Saad Hariri faction to target Hezbollah and its allies. Hariri has ironically accused Iran of interfering in Bahrain at the very moment the Saudi military invaded the island-state to keep the Al-Khalifas in power.

The petro-sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf are now systematically preventing Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, Iranian, and Pakistani citizens from entering their borders. Kuwait has justified this by saying that there could be trouble within Kuwait due to political instability in these countries.

Destabilizing Syria

Damascus has been under pressure to capitulate to the edicts of Washington and the European Union. This has been part of a longstanding project. Regime change or voluntary subordination by the Syrian regime are the goals. This includes subordinating Syrian foreign policy and de-linking Syrian from its strategic alliance with Iran and its membership within the Resistance Bloc.

Syria is run by an authoritarian oligarchy which has used brute force in dealing with its citizens. The riots in Syria, however, are complex. They cannot be viewed as a straighforward quest for liberty and democracy. There has been an attempt by the U.S. and the E.U. to use the riots in Syria to pressure and intimidate the Syrian leadership. Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, and the March 14 Alliance have all played a role in supporting an armed insurrection.

The Al-Sauds have also helped drown out any authentic calls for democratic reform and marginalized the democratic elements in the Syrian opposition during the protests and riots. In this regard the Al-Sauds have supported both sectarian factions as well as terrorist elements, which question the foundations of religious tolerance in Syria. These elements are mostly Salafist extremists, like Fatah Al-Islam and the new extremist political movements being organized in Egypt. They have also been rallying against the Alawites, the Druze, and Syrian Christians.

The violence in Syria has been supported from the outside with a view of taking advantage of the internal tensions and the anger in Syria. Aside from the violent reaction of the Syrian Army, media lies have been used and bogus footage has been aired. Money and weapons have also been funnelled to elements of the Syrian opposition by the U.S., the E.U., the March 14 Alliance, Jordan, and the Khalijis. Funding has also been provided to ominous and unpopular foreign-based Syrian opposition figures, while weapons caches were smuggled from Jordan and Lebanon into Syria.

The events in Syria are also tied to Iran, the longstanding strategic ally of Damascus. It is not by chance that Senator Lieberman was demanding publicly that the Obama Administration and NATO attack Syria and Iran like Libya. It is also not coincidental that Iran was included in the sanctions against Syria. The hands of the Syrian military and government have now been tied internally as a new and broader offensive is being prepared that will target both Syria and Iran.

Syria and the Levantine Gas Fields in the Eastern Mediterranean


Syria is the central piece of two important energy corridors. The first links Turkey and the Caspian to Israel and the Red Sea and the second links Iraq to the Mediterranean. The surrender of Syria would mean that Washington and its allies would control these energy routes. It would also mean that the large natural gas fields off the Lebanese and Syrian coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean would be out of reach for China and would instead go to the E.U., Israel, and the U.S.

The Eastern Mediterranean gas fields have been the subject of negotiations between the E.U., Turkey, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. Aside from the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Pipeline, the existence of the Levantine natural gas fields is also the reason why the Kremlin has created a military foothold in Syria for the Russian Federation. This has been done by upgrading Soviet-era naval facilities in Syria. Moreover, it has been Iran that has agreed to explore and help develop these natural gas fields off the Levantine coast for Beirut and Damascus.



Hamas-Fatah Rapprochement

There is a strong correlation between war in Southwest Asia and increased talk at the official level about Palestinian statehood. Hopes of Palestinian statehood have been used twice to discharge pressure in the Arab World built from rising tensions from war preparations against Iraq. The first time was by George H.W. Bush Sr. and the second time by George W. Bush Jr., who was praised for being the first U.S. president to seriously talk about a Palestinian state.

Even as he flip-flops on his position, Obama is also now talking about a Palestinian state. Moreover, rapprochement between Hamas and Fatah has taken place as the count-down towards international recognition of Palestinian statehood begins. The Israelis have also released frozen funds to the Palestinians, which they refused to do before due to Hamas.

The rapprochement between Fatah and Hamas has also served to tie the hands of Hamas. Hamas will have to be careful not to effectively become a junior partner in governing Palestine under Israeli occupation. Hamas must effectively now modify its stance in its partnership in a unity government with Fatah. In all likelihood Tel Aviv and Washington will seek to impose Fatah as the senior partner of the Palestinian Authority. In a manner of speaking, Hamas is being domesticated indirectly by Israel and Washington.


Instability in Pakistan

The announcement that Osama bin Laden has been killed by U.S. forces has contributed to a process of covert political destabilization within Pakistan. There has been a calculated effort to present Osama bin Laden as a popular and venerated figure for Muslims. This is with a view of supporting the so-called “Clash of Civilizations.”

At the same time the U.S. government is starting a media campaign against Pakistan. Islamabad has been portrayed as harbouring Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network. In reality any Pakistani involvement with terrorists has been ordered and directed by Washington. There is a much more complicated story to all this, but what is happening in reality is that Pakistan as a nation is being targeted for dismantlement.

The dismantlement and destabilization of Pakistan would serve three objectives:

1. Promoting a scenario of a war with Iran: Pakistan would not be under threat of a takeover by revolutionaries that would side with Iran and its allies.

2. The targetting of Chinese interests in Pakistan, including the energy corridor from Iran to China (and the Chinese port in Gwadar), which transits through Pakistan.

3. Regional destabilization in a key area of Eurasia where Southwest Asia, Central Asia and the Indian sub-continent meet. This area extends from Iran and Afghanistan to Pakistan, India, and Western China.
At the same time Washington also wants to neutralize the Pakistani nuclear program.

The U.S. has also announced that it has the right to violate the national boundaries of countries which harbour terrorists as well as send troops to these countries as part of the “war on terrorism.” Hillary Clinton has justified Washington’s stance by saying that U.S. forces would be assassinating terrorists. This is merely an opening door for creating a pretext for military intervention in countries such as Iran, where the Revolutionary Guards have been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., or Syria, where several exiled Palestinian groups have been designated as terrorist organizations by Washington.

Global Research Articles by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya



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IOF soldiers wound 12 Palestinians, round up Jerusalemites, 88 Palestinians injured in June 1-7

IOF soldiers wound 12 Palestinians, round up Jerusalemites
[ 11/06/2011 - 04:47 PM ]
AL-KHALIL, (PIC)-- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) shot at a Palestinian car while en route from Yatta, south of Al-Khalil, to Beer Sheba, in 1948 occupied Palestine, on Saturday wounding 12 citizens.
Medical sources said that a number of ambulance cars rushed to the scene and carried the victims to Al-Khalil hospitals. They said that some of the victims were in serious condition while the injuries of others were moderate.
IOF troops stormed earlier Saturday the village of Iraq Burin near Nablus and declared it a closed military zone.
Local sources said that the IOF soldiers installed a roadblock at the entrance to the village and scrutinized IDs of youths, adding that the soldiers detained five young men.
Other IOF units barged into another village near Nablus and attacked the home of Wael Daghles.
Reliable sources in Burqa village said that the soldiers asked for Daghles’s son Tarek, who was summoned to the intelligence office but did not show up.
Meanwhile, Israeli police in occupied Jerusalem detained three Palestinians for participating in a protest march in the Aqsa Mosque following the Friday prayers.
The Hebrew radio said that six were so far held in custody for taking part in the protest, adding that more would be detained.

OCHA report: IOF injured 88 Palestinians in June 1-7
[ 11/06/2011 - 06:53 PM ] 

RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- A report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territories says that Israeli occupation forces (IOF) injured 88 Palestinians during the first week of June 2011 most of them Naksa Day protesters.
The alarmingly high number brings the count to 787 injuries this year, the OCHA report says, a 17 percent increase from the equivalent period in 2010.
The majority of this week's injuries (76) took place during June 5 protests at the Qalandiya checkpoint in East Jerusalem as the IOF fired gas canisters and rubber-coated bullets at protesters.
The official report also marks an increase in violence by Jewish settlers that week, with 15 attacks that caused six injuries on Palestinians and the torching of a mosque in Al-Mughayyir village near Ramallah.
It expressed concern over the 40 percent decrease in truckloads entering the Gaza Strip when compared to the period before the Israeli blockade in 2007, with about half of the commodities being food products, which made up only 20 percent of imports before the blockade.
The Gaza Strip only received 43 percent of its required weekly amount of cooking gas, the report went on to say, and half of its 28 gas stations operate partially due to an enforced rationing system.
Medical patients are at high risk as the Gaza health ministry has announced a depletion of 178 essential drug items and 190 medical disposables, it also says. The shortage, due to infrequent imports of drugs from the ministry's counterpart in Ramallah, has caused a reduction in medical services and a five percent deduction in ministry staff salaries to be diverted to buying medical supplies.
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Gold, Oil, Africa and Why the West Wants Gadhafi Dead

2011/06/12
From: Mathaba   
 


Muammar Gadhafi's decision to pursue gold standard and reject dollars for oil payments may have sealed his fate

(FinalCall.com) - The war raging in Libya since February is getting progressively worse as NATO forces engage in regime change and worse, an objective to kill Muammar Gadhafi to eradicate his vision of a United Africa with a single currency backed by gold.

Observers say implementing that vision would change the world power equation and threaten Western hegemony. In response, the United States and its NATO partners have determined “Gadhafi must go,” and assumed the role of judge, jury and executioner.
“If they kill Brother Gadhafi, I submit to you that American interests in Africa will come under severe strain,” warned the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan on WPFW-FM's "Spectrum Today” program with Askia Muhammad.

“That man has invested in Africa more than any other leader in the recent history of Africa's coming into political independence,” he continued. The Muslim leader said America needs access to the mineral resources in Africa to be a viable power in the 21st century.

Minister Farrakhan further pointed out in the April 1 radio interview that the current plot to kill Col. Gadhafi comes at a time of great distress and decline for America. The fall of the dollar is a manifest loss of America's prestige and influence among the nations of the earth and an indicator of her end.
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Graphic: MGN Online
“How's America's wealth today? How is she doing financially? What is the deficit? Some say it's about $56 trillion counting Social Security and Medicare. That's a big number. She's printing money, but there's nothing backing it,” said Min. Farrakhan. In the book, “The Fall of America,” the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad wrote, “One of the greatest powers of America washer dollar. The loss of such power will bring any nation to weakness, for this is the media of exchange between nations.”

“The English pound and the American dollar have been the power and beckoning light of these two great powers. But when the world went off the gold and silver standard, the financial doom of England and America was sealed,” he explained. Mr. Muhammad said further that “the Fall of America is now visible and understandable.

“Long has Allah (God) been gradually removing the power of the great and mighty America while few have noticed it. This has been done by degrees, and they do not perceive it.”

Mr. Muhammad warned America's fall serves as a sign of fate for her European counterparts.

Analysts say introducing the gold dinar as the new medium of exchange would destroy dependence on the U.S. dollar, the French franc and the British pound and threaten the Western world. It would “finally swing the global economic pendulum” that would break Western domination over Africa and other developing economies.

Attacking Col. Gadhafi can be understood in the context of America and Europe fighting for their survival, which an independent Africa jeopardizes.
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“Gadhafi's creation of the African Investment Bank in Sirte (Libya) and the African Monetary Fund to be based in Cameroon will supplant the IMF and undermine Western economic hegemony in Africa.”
—Gerald Pereira, an executive board member of the former Tripoli-based World Mathaba


“Gadhafi's creation of the African Investment Bank in Sirte (Libya) and the African Monetary Fund to be based in Cameroon will supplant the IMF and undermine Western economic hegemony in Africa,” said Gerald Pereira, an executive board member of the former Tripoli-based World Mathaba.

The moves are also bad for France because when the African Monetary Fund and the African Central Bank in Nigeria starts printing gold-backed currency, it would “ring the death knell" for the CFA franc through which Paris was able to maintain its neocolonial grip on 14 former African colonies for the last 50 years.

“It is easy to understand the French wrath against Gaddafi,” said Prof. Jean-Paul Pougala of the Geneva School of Diplomacy.

“The idea, according to Gaddafi, was that African and Muslim nations would join together to create this new currency and would use it to purchase oil and other resources in exclusion of the dollar and other currencies,” said political analyst Anthony Wile in an editorial for The Daily Bell online.

According to the International Monetary Fund, Libya's Central Bank is 100 percent state-owned and estimates that the bank has nearly 144 tons of gold in its vaults. If Col. Gadhafi changed the purchasing terms of his oil and other Libyan commodities sold on the world market and only accepted gold as payment; a policy like that wouldn't be welcomed by the power elites who control the world's central banks.

“That would certainly be something that would cause his immediate dismissal,” said Mr.Wile.
Furthermore,
pricing oil in something other than the dollar would undercut the pedestal of U.S.. power in the world. Although in trouble, the dollar is the reserve currency based on a deal made with Saudi Arabia in 1971 in which the Saudis, as the world's largest oil producer, agreed to accept only dollars for oil, Mr. Wile observed. The Libyan affair has sparked a divide in the world community with the African Union and nations likeVenezuela, China and Cuba—and until recently Russia—on one side as voices of reason, caution and respect for international law and honoring the UN mandate which set the parameters for engagement in Libya.

On the other side are war hawkish America, France, Britain and Italy pursuing regime change and actively trying to assassinate Col. Gadhafi, though they deny that aim.

“Why all of a sudden, this rush to destroy Gadhafi?” asked Min. Farrakhan during his March 31 press conference on America's Middle East and Libya policy. “I know why you are angry with him; because he never agreed with your policies when it came to sucking the resources of Third World peoples, and putting in place dictators that would be amenable to America's policies.”

Other analysts concur that the control of Africa is front and center as the prize in the scramble to kill Col. Gadhafi and preserve Western domination on the world stage, making the African Union critical at this time.

The AU stood with Libya since NATO forces began their missile bombardment. The AU has also accused Western nations of marginalizing an African solution to an “African problem.”

The AU criticized NATO for bombing Tripoli, targeting Gadhafi family compounds and violating the stated UN mandate to uphold a no fly-zone and protect civilians.

AU negotiations to end the conflict were brokered by South African President Jacob Zuma, which the Libyan government accepted, but were discarded by the rebels who set preconditions—in conjunction with NATO—that demanded Col. Gadhafi's removal.
libya_un300x225.jpg
Graphic: MGN Online
The AU is the framework the Libyan leader was using to establish African self determination and economic self-sufficiency. Col. Gadhafi financed the restructuring of the former Organization of African Unity—formed by African leaders Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Sekou Toure of Guinea, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and others—into the AU and revived the concept of a United States of Africa with one continental army and a single currency backed by gold. However critics of U.S. foreign policy objectives in Africa say efforts toward the continent becoming a unified bloc have been consistently weakened for fear that Africa will leverage more equity and control in the arena of global economics.

But the plan for an independent African currency backed by gold appears to be the real reason behind the frenzied attack on Col. Gadhafi.
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“The US, the other G-8 countries, the World Bank, IMF, BIS (Bank for International Settlements), and multinational corporations do not look kindly on leaders who threaten their dominance over world currency markets.”
—John Perkins, author of “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man"


Whenever a government and leader arose that desired to use the resources of that nation for its people, America—through the CIA—would plan insurrections, coups, terrorist activities and even assassination of good leaders, observed Min. Farrakhan.

Despite the ire of Western foes, Muammar Gadhafi gained the clout to lead creation of a single currency because of strong oil profits versus a small population.

“The US, the other G-8 countries, the World Bank, IMF, BIS (Bank for International Settlements), and multinational corporations do not look kindly on leaders who threaten their dominance over world currency markets,” wrote John Perkins, author of “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man,” on Johnperkins.com. It is redolent of Saddam Hussein advocating similar policies shortly before the U.S. invaded Iraq, he said.

“Gadhafi knew how to play the West at their own game. He dared to wield real economic power in the name of Africa and anyone who dares to do so will feel the full wrath of Empire,” remarked. Perrier.

With the hopes of breaking Col. Gadhafi, foreign governments froze nearly $70 billion of Libyan assets belonging to the Libyan Investment Authority, the 13th largest international investment fund in the world. Although designed to hurt Col. Gadhafi, it injures Africa, because Libya assists with development projects throughout Africa.

An example of such projects was installing independent satellite communications across Africa, cutting off an expensive dependency on Europe for the same services. Col. Gadhafi infused $300 million into the project after the IMF, America and Europe broke repeated promises of finance.

In the 1990s forty-five African governments started RASCOM—Regional African Satellite Communication Organization—so Africa would have its own satellite and control communication costs on the continent.

Before RASCOM, costs for telephone calls to and from Africa were the highest worldwide and the continent was burdened with an annual $500 million fee paid to Europe for satellite usage. African satellites cost a onetime payment of $400 million and no annual fee—a move for self determination led by Col. Gadhafi that agitated Europe.

The rebels and collaborators

Since the beginning of the hostilities, the 69-year-old Gadhafi has consistently called for ceasefires and a political solution only to be rebuffed and have NATO missiles aimed at him and his family. However, with the stakes so high, what kind of Libya will emerge if Col. Gadhafi is killed?

“It will not be the rebels and the transitional council who will take power in Libya—it will be the imperialist powers who take over and the implications for Libya will be a complete re-colonization,” said Mr. Pereira.

Some nations officially recognized the NTC as the new legitimate government; however the NTC will face severe challenges as a government post Gadhafi. The NTC and other rebel groups lack cohesive unity, strengthening possibilities for ongoing civil strife.

Furthermore, the insurgency has become a nightmare wrought with hard financial and military questions. Xinhua News-English reported the group is cash poor and has difficulty raising money; while the only commodity available to them is oil, which still belongs the Gadhafi government and is embroiled in UN sanctions.

“I don't have any resources. Not a single dinar came in to the treasury,” lamented NTC oil and finance head Ali Tarhouni during a May 29 press conference. “We only exported one shipment (of oil) and got $150 million for that. So far we've spent $408 million on fuel. It's not a good number.”

The Benghazi-based rebels include remnants of the monarchy deposed by the 1969 Al-Fateh revolution. Several times over the years, the royalists attempted assassination of Col. Gadhafi and destabilization of the revolution, but lacked military ability and popular support.

On May 24, U.S. assistant secretary of state Jeffery Feltman announced the NTC will establish an office in Washington at the invitation of President Barrack Obama. Comparable arrangements exist with France and Britain.
For now, after several months of military intervention, betrayal by former comrades of the revolution and continued assassination attempts by NATO, Muammar Gadhafi is still standing. For the imperialists however, his elimination means the future of their power in Africa.

“Make no mistake, if NATO succeeds in Libya it will be a massive setback for the entire continent,” said Mr. Pereira.

Aoun Vows: We Will Twist Arm of US Intelligence in Lebanon

Local Editor
The head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in Lebanon MP Michel Aoun warned on Saturday the US not to interfere in Lebanon’s affairs, and stressed that the country is strong enough to prevent the outbreak of a sectarian civil war.

“We will twist the arm of US Intelligence in Lebanon like we twisted that of Israel,” Aoun vowed during his visit to the Resistance touristic site in Mlita, south Lebanon, accompanied by the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Mohammad Raad and other officials.

Aoun ruled out the eruption of a civil or sectarian war or Sunni-Shiite conflict in the country. “We are today very strong and there won't be a civil or a sectarian war in Lebanon since we can overcome our political rivalry. There won't be a Sunni-Shiite war in Lebanon even if others want to see this happening so that they can gain power,” Aoun said, adding that those that sought civil strife were in a minority.

The Free Patriotic Movement leader turned the museum in Mlita, which showcases weaponry and equipment belonging to the Resistance and used during the 2006 Israeli war against Lebanon. Aoun also toured displays of Israeli tanks obtained by Hezbollah. Despite appearing fatigued toward the end of his trip, Aoun insisted on entering the 200 meter underground tunnel designed by the Resistance.

Aoun refused to answer questions regarding the formation of the new Cabinet, saying: “We are here to remember the resistance; we do not want to spoil this idea by talking about the Cabinet.”
On Friday, Aoun hoped to Syria’s al-Dunia television that a new Lebanese government would be formed soon, adding that Syrian President Bashar Assad also hopes the same thing. “He however cannot replace the Lebanese people’s role as he has his own problems to contend with,” he continued. “Assad encourages the Lebanese to solve their own problems,” the MP stressed.

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Iran and the Issue of Nuclear Weapons

Lawrence Davidson considers the roles of Israel, the Israeli lobby in the USA and the conservative Arab Gulf rulers in creating and sustaining the fantasy of an Iranian nuclear threat, and highlights the failure – through cowardice, expediency and duplicity – of politicians who know better and the media to challenge this fantasy.

by Dr. Lawrence Davidson
10. Jun, 2011
Part I – Is there an Iranian Nuclear Weapons Program?

On Friday 3 June 2011 the investigative reporter Seymour Hersh gave an interview to Amy Goodman for the radio program Democracy Now! The topic was Iran and whether or not it is developing nuclear weapons. Hersh answered this question definitively for Goodman as he did shortly thereafter in an comprehensive piece for the New Yorker magazine (6 June 2011 ) entitled “Iran and the Bomb: How Real is the Threat? His answer: there is no Iranian nuclear weapons program. There is no threat.

Hersh set this issue against the background of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In that case there was no credible evidence for weapons of mass destruction yet we had high government officials going around talking about the next world war and mushroom clouds over American cities. Both the U.S. Congress and the general population bought into this warmongering. Hersh is obviously worried about a replay of that scenario. Thus, in his interview, he said “you could argue its 2003 all over again….There’s just no serious evidence inside that Iran is actually doing anything to make nuclear weapons….So, the fact is…that we have a sanctions program that’s designed to prevent the Iranians from building weapons they’re not building.”

In 2003 those kind of sanctions, applied to Iraq, along with the accompanying misinformation campaign, led to a tragic and unnecessary war. Are we now doing it all over again? As Amy Goodman pointed out, “the Obama White House…has repeatedly cited Iran’s nuclear program as a threat to the world. President Obama raised the issue…during his speech before AIPAC (22 May 2011)….” Obama told his audience, “So let me be absolutely clear: we remain committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.” Obama went on to characterize Iran’s civilian nuclear energy program, which is its only program and perfectly legal, as “its illicit nuclear program.”

Finally, Hersh pointed out that there have already been two National Intelligence Estimates (NIEs) on the question of Iran and nuclear weapons. These express the collective opinion of 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. Their unanimous conclusion has been that “there is no evidence of any weaponization.”
If this is the case, what in the world was President Barack Obama talking about when addressing AIPAC? What in the world was Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talking about when (18 December 2010), during a visit to Gulf Sheikdom of Bahrain, he announced that “from my perspective I see Iran continuing on this path to develop nuclear weapons….”? And what are the members of Congress talking about when they address this question? The vast majority of them take the same line as the president and Admiral Mullen. In addition, this assumption about Iran’s nuclear ambitions has crept into the mainstream press. Amy Goodman asked Hersh about a New York Times report (24 May 2011) stating “the world’s global nuclear inspection agency [IAEA]…revealed for the first time…that it possesses evidence that Tehran has conducted work on a highly sophisticated nuclear triggering technology that experts said could be used for only one purpose: setting off a nuclear weapon.” Hersh quickly pointed out the that the word “evidence” never appeared in the IAEA report and, it turns out, the type of nuclear trigger the New York Times was referring to is so fraught with technical problems that, according to Hersh, “there is no evidence that anybody in their right mind would want to use that kind of a trigger.” So, what in the world is the New York Times telling us?

Part II – What is Real?

Questions One and Two: The questions about Iran’s nuclear development are not open ended. They have real answers. First, is Iran developing nuclear energy? The answer to this is a definitive yes. No one, Iranian or otherwise, denies this. Their aim here is energy production and medical applications. This is all legal. Second, is it developing nuclear weapons? According to every reliable expert within the intelligence agencies of both the United States and Europe, the answer is a no. These answers describe reality in relation to Iran and its nuclear activities.

Question Three: The really important question is why do American politicians and military leaders refuse to accept reality as regards this issue? That too must have an answer. And intelligent people who investigate these matters should be able to figure it out. I consider myself in this crowd, and so I am going to venture forth with my answer.

Answer to question three: Its Politics. However, it is not just U.S. politics. Others have helped write the script. These others can be identified by asking to whom are American officials pledging to pursue the Iranian nuclear weapons fantasy? The president pledged to AIPAC, the Israeli lobby, that the United States will “prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.” And Admiral Mullen assured the Gulf Arabs that he, as the head of the U.S. military, takes seriously the notion that “Iran [is] continuing on this path to develop nuclear weapons.”

Part III – Other People’s Fears and Fantasies Become America’s

Israeli politicians are addicted to the Iran threat. Iran serves, alongside the Palestinians, as the latter day ruthless anti-Semite who would destroy the Jews. Zionists seem to need this kind of “existentialist” enemy. This is the equivalent of the Islamic fundamentalist taking the place of the hateful communist as the great enemy that the United States also seems to need. The Israeli lobby is more influential in formulating U.S. foreign policy toward Iran than all of the nation’s intelligence services put together. Hence our politicians from the president on down, chase shadows. Not just verbally, mind you, but in terms of definable policy (like sanctions against Iran).

The Gulf Arab leaders are also addicted to the Iran threat. While Israel’s addiction comes from centuries of conditioning based on anti-Semitism, the fear in the minds of the oil sheiks comes from centuries of conditioning based on Sunni-Shiite competition. The Gulf Arabs are all Sunnis and they have been raised to dislike Shiites. Iran is an up and coming Shiite power and its people have been raised to dislike Sunnis. For the oil sheiks even the rumor, just mere gossip, about a nuclear armed Iran sends them into a panic. And it is these Arabs who supply the West with a big percentage of its oil. So, their fantasies have to be taken seriously. Not just verbally, mind you, but in terms of definable policy (like naval fleets shadowing the Iranian coastline).

U.S. politicians and military leaders can not talk like this and create policy like this without the mainstream press following along. Where there is smoke, there must be fire. Plus, ever since the Iranian hostage crisis (1979-1981), Americans have been told that the Iranians hate us. So be it Fox TV, whose fanatical conservative backers have always lived in a bi-polar fantasy world of good and evil, or the New York Times, whose quasi-liberal backers empathize with Israel just enough to buy into that country’s paranoia, the message is that the Iranians are crazy people out to destroy the West. And the evidence? Who needs it?

Part IV- The Real Danger is Acting on False Assumptions

What happens when a well armed individual can not tell the difference between reality and unreality? What happens when a well armed individual just knows, in his gut, that the other guy is plotting to destroy him? Chances are good that something horrible will happen. And, the American public ought to know that this is so, because collectively we have already lived out this tragedy in 2003. In that year we had leadership who were much more influenced by their guts, by religious imagery, by duplicitous Iraqi con men, by scheming Zionists and ideologically driven neo-cons, than anything vaguely resembling hard evidence. That “something horrible” cost the lives of over a million human beings.
But, your might argue, Barack Obama is not George Bush. There is a high likelihood that Obama and his military people actually take seriously the intelligence reports (those NIEs) that tell the truth about Iran. Alas, they do not appear to be able to tell this truth publically – to you and me or the media. If they did that the Israeli lobby would get mad, the Gulf Arabs would get mad, and the Republican opportunists would scheme to say they were weak and naive come the next election.

So let us get this straight. It seems there are two worlds. The real world of facts and evidence and the unreal world of political fantasy. Our political leaders and their advisers are, apparently, stuck in the unreal one. Their words, and their policies, are built on the assumptions of this fantasy world. They go to war and kill people based on beliefs that are demonstrably false. And the rest of us? Most of us are stuck in our own local niches and beyond them we do not know what is real or unreal. So we rely on others to tell us what is allegedly real beyond our local sphere. Who are the others? They just happen to be our political leaders and their advisers. Well, that makes a nice little circle. And, a predictably fatal one at that.

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