Sunday, 4 May 2014

Three Presidential Candidates accepted - Syrian Elections and the western lies الأكاذيب الغربية والانتخابات السورية

Syria’s Supreme Constitutional Court Accepts 3 Presidential Candidates
Syrian Supreme Constitutional Court Spokesperson, Majida Khadra, said on Sunday that the court accepted the presidential candidacy applications of Mr. Maher Abdul-Hafiz Hajjar, Mr. Hassan Abdullah al-Nouri and Mr. Bashar al-Assad. Supreme Court spokespersonThe spokesperson added that those who have got their candidacy applications rejected have the right to submit their complaints to the court within three days as of Monday May 5th until Wednesday May 7th, 2014, SANA reported. "The court calls on the supporters of any candidate of the three who were accepted not to practice any media or promotional activities before the final announcement of the accepted candidates is issued," he said. Candidates need to get written approvals from at least 35 MPs each, otherwise their applications would be dismissed. Speaker of the People's Assembly announced that Syrians living abroad can vote at the Syrian Embassies on May 28 and Syrians inside Syria can vote on June 3rd, 2014.
Source: Agencies
04-05-2014 - 15:59

الأكاذيب الغربية والانتخابات السورية

غالب قنديل تواصل الولايات المتحدة وحكومات الناتو قيادة حرب الاستنزاف ضد الدولة الوطنية السورية ويتركز الجهد السياسي لحلف العدوان بمكوناته الدولية والإقليمية على الطعن المسبق بالانتخابات الرئاسية المقرر إجراؤها في الثالث من حزيران والتي تتواصل التحضيرات الدستورية والميدانية لإجرائها بنجاح رغم الحملة السياسية والإعلامية الشرسة بقيادة أميركية.
اولا من ذرائع الحملة الغربية استمرار الحرب التي يعمل حلف العدوان على إدامتها بكل ما لديه من قدرات مالية وتسليحية تستخدم في دعم الجماعات المسلحة وفصائل التكفير متعددة الجنسيات وحيث تسقط في سوريا أكاذيب الغرب وحلفائه في حكومات تركيا وقطر والسعودية عن معاداة القاعدة التي تشغل موقع الشريك الرسمي في العدوان على سوريا وبعدما حظي جناحاها الرسمي أي جبهة النصرة والمتمرد أي داعش بالقسط الأوفر من حاصل التمويل والتسليح الذي خصصته دول الناتو وحلفاؤها لتدمير سوريا خلال العامين الأول والثاني من الحرب وحيث تمثل الجبهة الإسلامية رديفا تكفيريا نشطا نال قسطه من الدعم والاحتضان في العام الثالث بعد انهيار الدمية الغربية المسماة بالجيش السوري الحر والذي توزعت كتائبه الباقية بعد عودة من عادوا إلى صفوف القوات المسلحة في الأشهر القليلة الماضية على جماعات تضم خليطا من التكفيريين والمرتزقة تعاد هيكلتها في كل من تركيا والأردن وإسرائيل. يتضح بالوقائع أن التصميم الأميركي على إدامة العنف وتغذية الجماعات الإرهابية كان هدفه المحوري منع الحل السياسي الوطني عبر منع الدولة الوطنية السورية من تجديد مؤسساتها الدستورية وفقا لقواعد الديمقراطية التعددية التي أرسيت بدستور جديد أقر عبر الاستفتاء الشعبي العام الذي اعترفت جميع الدوائر الغربية بمصداقيته بعد إجرائه رغما عن محاولاتها المتكررة لتعطيله بحملات سياسية وإعلامية وعسكرية ادارتها غرف التخطيط والقيادة في الجوار السوري وخصوصا في لبنان وتركيا والأردن . ثانيا تبنى الاعتراضات الغربية على كمية كبيرة من الأكاذيب والتناقضات فالاعتراض على إجراء الانتخابات في ظل الحرب يخالف سوابق دولية وإقليمية جرت فيها انتخابات نالت الإشادة والتنويه الغربيين بل وصاحبها التباهي واعتبارها إنجازا رغم كثافة العمليات العسكرية والقتالية التي رافقتها وبالأمس كان اوباما يهنيء الحكومة العراقية على الانتخابات التشريعية التي نظمتها بينما البلاد تشهد حربا ضارية في مناطق الوسط لا تقل عنفا وخطورة عما يدور في سوريا هذا بينما الانتخابات التي نظمت غير مرة في العراق من قبل جرت تحت الاحتلال الأميركي وفي ظل معارك عنيفة بين الغزاة الأميركيين والمقاومة العراقية وقد اعتبرت إنجازا يستحق التباهي وفي أفغانستان نظمت الانتخابات الأخيرة وقبلها تحت احتلال الناتو بينما المعارك المستعرة دائرة ومستمرة بين جيوش الأطلسي وقوات طالبان ومن هنا فالحجة المتصلة بالمعارك وباحداث العنف ساقطة من أصلها . وجه الاعتراض الغربي الأصلي وغير المصرح عنه هو ان الانتخابات السورية تنظمها دولة وطنية مستقلة صمدت في وجه حرب كونية عاتية وليس الأمر في مبدأ تنظيم انتخابات خلال الحرب وفي ظل دورة عنف دامية يقودها الغرب وعملاؤه الإقليميون ووكلاؤه التكفيريون ولو أرادت دول العدوان فعلا مساعدة السوريين لوافقت في جنيف على وضع سلسلة الإجراءات والتدابير التي تقتضيها غاية وقف العنف وتجفيف موارد المال والسلاح عن الجماعات الإرهابية بدلا من مضاعفتها والتصريح بذلك على لسان جون كيري خلال انعقاد المؤتمر ورفض الأولوية الطبيعية التي نادى بها وفد الدولة الوطنية السورية. ثالثا الذريعة الغربية التي تكررت تزعم بان إجراء الانتخابات الرئاسية السورية يعرقل طريق الحل السياسي وهي كذبة تفضحها الوقائع نفسها فالانتخابات العراقية التي جرت تحت الاحتلال الأميركي سارت بالتوازي مع العملية السياسية والمفاوضات بين حكومة كابول وحركة طالبان مستمرة بالتزامن مع الانتخابات الأفغانية. عندما يتحدث الغرب عن الحل السياسي يقصد مخططه السياسي الخاص في سوريا والذي كان يقتضي فراغا رئاسيا يتيح فرض الوصاية على سوريا بقرار في مجلس الأمن الدولي يعين هيئة حكم انتقالية تضمن مواقع فاعلة في القرار السوري لعملاء الحلف الاستعماري من مرتزقة الناتو ولذلك فالصحيح ان التصميم السوري على إجراء الانتخابات الرئاسية في موعدها عطل المخطط السياسي الغربي وهو فعل الحل السياسي السوري وزاد من فرص نجاحه. اما حين يزعم الغرب ان نتيجة الانتخابات محسومة مسبقا لصالح الرئيس بشار الأسد فالتنبؤات بتلك النتيجة طرحها قادة المخابرات في الولايات المتحدة وبريطانيا وألمانيا وفرنسا الذين قدموا تقارير لسلطات بلادهم خلال العام الماضي وفي ذروة أوهام تغيير التوازنات في الميدان عن تخطي شعبية الرئيس الأسد لأكثر من نصف الناخبين في أي اقتراع حر بل إن التوقعات الخاصة بالمخابرات الأميركية تحدثت عن حصاده لثلاثة أرباع أصوات السوريين في أي انتخابات رئاسية تعددية نزيهة بينما الدولة الوطنية السورية عازمة على تنظيم انتخابات تنافسية وتترك العبرة لأرقام الصناديق من غير أي إيحاءات مسبقة وهي تستعد لتقديم نموذج جديد من الممارسة الديمقراطية التعددية في الحياة الوطنية. الشرق الجديد
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

Syrian update prior to Presidential election

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May 3, 2014, Lilly Martin, OpEd News
Syria began a spiral of violence in March 2011. The leaders of the uprising in Deraa have long gone; some are found now living in Benghazi, Libya. The followers of the Syrian revolution have long since realized the freedom and democracy they thought they were fighting for, was never on the table for offer. The foreign countries and their Arab allies who funded and designed the revolution had never intended they realize any freedoms or democratic reforms. It was all about regime change, even from the very first day.
Now we fast-forward 3 years, and the violence continues with more than 150,000 people having been killed; more than 10 million internally displaced, with over 2 million having fled. Some media centers far removed from the Syrian battle-grounds have labeled the crisis a ‘civil war’. According to the Oxford English dictionary, this label is erroneous. When does a label pasted on in error become political propaganda? We certainly cannot explain the error of BBC and CNN on poor English skills.
The dictionary definition of the term ‘civil war’ states: a war between citizens of the same country. According to BBC, CNN, and others of the western media, we should be able to find Syrian citizens who are fighting other Syrian citizens. But, instead we find Syrian citizens fighting citizens from: UK, USA, Belgium, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tunisia, Morocco, and Turkey. Some of these fighters are Arabs, and some cannot speak even one word of Arabic. Some are fighting to rid Syria of all heathens, according to their definition of heathens, which includes all Jews, Christians, and Muslims who are not following their new brand of Islam, which was invented by Salafi, Wahabi, and Muslim Brotherhood followers. Some of the men are simply fighting for the $1,000.00 per month cash paid to them by Saudi Arabia. To those fighters, it is just a job. These fighters are armed terrorists, but the media calls them ‘rebels’. The word rebel, in the connotation of a war of rebellion, means someone who is rebelling against a government. Why would a man from Chechnya or Belgium think he has any right to rebel against the Syrian government, when the Syrian government has no effect on his life or rights? Has the Syrian government oppressed or harmed any American or British person?
The Free Syrian Army began as a group of local Syrian men organized and fighting the Syrian Arab Army, which is the national army of Syria. However, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which is the armed wing of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) located in Istanbul, Turkey, made strategic alliances and pledges to Al Qaeda (AQ), the radical Islamic terrorist group of global fame. The FSA felt they would benefit by the numbers, weapons, and training of the AQ fighters. It was a win-win deal, until AQ and their allies of Jibhat Al Nusra (JAN) and Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) began slaughtering the FSA. The decision to eliminate the FSA emanated from the fact that the FSA just wanted regime change, and ultimately greater freedom and democracy, but AQ, J AN, and ISIS didn’t have any goal in Syria short of establishing a caliphate, meaning to transform Syria into a Sunni Muslim state, without freedom and definitely without democracy, as those two concepts are in direct conflict with their ideology.
The two sides on the battle grounds in Syria today are foreign funded and supported non-Syrian terrorists, fighting against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) which is composed of Syrian males, over the age of 18 years, in good health, and not enrolled in a university in Syria or abroad. The SAA is totally Syrian and is secular. There are 18 sects in Syria and all are drafted; there are no religious quotas in the national conscription. When you read in western media that the SAA are “forces loyal to the Alowi government” this is pure rubbish, and more propaganda. Are the men and women in the armed forces of USA loyal to Obama’s regime? A member of any military of any country is loyal to that nation, which means all the citizens. A soldier is not in a political policy-making position. He is drafted, or enlists, and he serves to defend his county from domestic or foreign attack.
Some media have dropped the term civil war, and instead use the term ‘sectarian war’. They try to incorrectly compare the Sunni-Shia divisions we have seen in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq to Syria. Syria is not a Sunni-Shia clash. Syria is 18 different sects. The terrorists in Syria have burnt as many Sunni mosques as churches. The terrorists in Syria have burnt as many Korans as Bibles. It is true that the only sect that had a militia was the Sunni sect, that of the Free Syrian Army, but the men fighting the FSA daily were not exclusively Shites, and were not in a militia; they were Sunni members of the Syrian Arab Army, as well as their fellow soldiers from all 18 sects. The Syrian Arab Army has never been an Alowi army, and has never represented one of the 18 sects exclusively.
The role of satellite TV channels is immense. People everywhere are watching CNN and BBC and many others, and have come to trust their news coverage of events happening around the world. They have come to rely on the mainstream media to kept them informed on events in far-flung places they will never in their lifetimes visit. They will listen to the news, watch the accompanying videos, and form opinions based on the information presented. If the information is biased or downright lies, then we have entered the realm of propaganda. There are many satellite TV channels that are located in the Arab world, and broadcast in Arabic. Channels such as Wessal, Safa, and others. These are channels that feature an Islamic cleric who gives fiery lectures on the importance of killing certain sects in Syria, the importance of raping little girls in Syria, urges Muslim females to give their bodies freely in sex-jihad in Syria, and who gives the Islamic ideology to back up his urging of the wholesale killing of 20% of the civilian population of Syria, as long as it achieves the goal of regime change.
Furthermore, we must examine the role of internet social media. Facebook is full of pages and groups promoting the killing, rape and mutilation of unarmed Syrian civilians. YouTube is loaded with thousands of videos taken and uploaded by the terrorists themselves. They have hundreds of beheadings, live on camera, and in color. They have several videos of them barbecuing Syrians on grills. One of the most famous videos was of a Free Syrian Army soldier cutting open the dead body of a Syrian and eating his liver. That was so popular on YouTube that a British journalist was sent to Syria to personally interview the cannibal.
The airports, ports, and roads of Turkey are full of terrorists coming in from places around the globe. They are seen at the airport in Istanbul. They are seen at the airport in Adana. They are all over the port at Iskanderun, and they are sleeping, eating, and driving all over the Southern border of Turkey as it approaches Syria. They are found from Yalada to Reyhanli, and everywhere in between. I can’t imagine what fear is in the hearts and minds of decent Turkish citizens who are forced to accept these bloodthirsty foreign terrorists in their midst. One such innocent Turkish woman was attacked and abused by terrorists on a domestic Turkish Air flight from Istanbul to Adana. After reporting her abuse to airline authorities they apologized but said there was nothing they could do about the matter, as the policy of transporting terrorists in Turkey for the purpose of fighting in Syria was a national policy, and not private.
Syria has 23 million people and they are from 18 religious sects. The Sunni Muslim sect is the largest at about 60%. Most of the current Presidential cabinet of ministers is from the Sunni sect. The current Parliament, which was voted on by general election during this crisis, is a very mixed group, with the Sunni sect well represented. Syria is a secular government, and the only secular government in the Middle East. After 40 years of socialist and secular type of government, the topic and labels of sects is disgusting to most Syrians. To the broad and educated mind, those are trivial matters that are only focused on by foreign governments, who are secular as well, or monarchies. I can’t imagine the American public accepting the discussion of religious labels on each elected and appointed official in USA as of vital importance.
The Syrian opposition, SNC, located in Istanbul, Turkey, was founded by Muslim Brotherhood leaders for the purpose of regime change in Syria. The members are mainly followers of radical Islam, which is not a sect but is a political ideology, in direct opposition to both secular ideology and democratic ideology. To cover their true identity, the MB leadership of SNC threw in a handful of Communists, like George Sabra. Communism and radical Islam: the future of Syria? The Syrian citizens, who have not been living in Paris, Riyadh, and London for the last 30 years, find the SNC repugnant and out of touch with Syrian society or political views. This is why most of the Syrian public has never followed or supported the SNC. The SNC is supported and followed by western governments and their Arab allies who don’t care what the Syrian public wants. This is what has made the SNC divided and totally ineffective. The SNC are speaking to, and working for, foreign governments and their Arab allies. For most of the members of SNC it is all about their own paycheck. This is their chance to rake in a large monthly salary, travel expenses, and lavish 5-star hotel living. This is their chance to destroy Syria, which was the land of their birth decades ago, but a home they forgot and distanced themselves from, both physically and emotionally. They have not seen Syria in years; they have no ties there other than some shared dna, which they acquired without their own choice in the matter.
I am an American citizen, living permanently in Syria.

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    The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

    Is Israel starting to lose its iron-clad grip on Congress?

    The crisis in Ukraine became dramatically worse with 42 people killed and 125 injured in a fire and clashes between pro- and anti-Russian groups in Odessa, leading the Ukrainian government to say the unrest has become “a war.” Read our latest: “Pro-Russian activists and Ukrainian police clash as Ukraine reinstates military conscription” and “Syrian chemical weapons attack allegations to be investigated by UN watchdog” On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the West and the interim government in Kiev for the violence in Odessa, including the horrific trade union building fire, NBC News reports. The trade union in Odessa was set on fire Friday, causing some 40 people to die from choking on smoke, burning or jumping from windows. “Kiev and its Western sponsors are practically provoking the bloodshed and bear direct responsibility for it,” Putin’s spokesman said to reporters, according to state news agency RIA Novosti. “Those who recognize this junta as legal power becomes an accomplice of this crime.” Petro Lutsiuk, the local police chief in Odessa, said that 130 people have been detained after the clashes. Charges range from premeditated murder to participating in riots, according to NBC. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government resumed a military offensive against pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country on Saturday. This comes immediately after the observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe were released by their pro-Russian captors. Many insurgents were killed or wounded in the Ukrainian military’s eastern offensive, according to acting president Oleksandr Turchynov. Two Ukrainian helicopters were reportedly shot down by insurgents near Slovyansk, a rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine. Two crew members and seven others died, including three separatist militants, two soldiers and two civilians, according to Fox News. The Ukrainian military has reportedly blocked off all major roads into Slovyansk, as they did last month. The Kremlin said that the Ukrainian offensive “destroyed” the agreement to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine that was signed two weeks ago, according to Haaretz. Fighting has also broken out in the astern town of Kramatorsk. “There is gunfire and clashes around Kramatorsk … What we are facing in the Donetsk region and in the eastern regions is not just some kind of short-lived uprising, it is in fact a war,” Vasyl Krutov, the head of the Ukrainian anti-terrorist center said at a news conference, according to The Independent. Later, Krutov stated that Ukrainian forces retook the security service headquarters from pro-Russian activists in Kramatorsk. Local Ukrainian television aired pictures of armored personnel carriers moving through Kramatorsk, according to The Independent. Kramatorsk is just 10 miles away from Slovyansk. Read more at http://endthelie.com/2014/05/03/dozens-killed-as-ukrainian-government-says-eastern-unrest-has-become-a-war/#xHQjsTHr72TuBriB.99
    Medea Benjamin: AIPAC Is Losing its Iron-Clad Grip on Congress

    Medea Benjamin: AIPAC Is Losing its Iron-Clad Grip on Congress

    TEHRAN (FNA)- A prominent American peace activist says that although the Israeli lobby has enormous influence over the major political decision-making centers in the United States, it is starting to lose its iron-clad grip on the Congress.

    According to Medea Benjamin, more American people are waking up to the atrocities committed by Israel and its inhumane siege of the Gaza Strip, and that is why the Boycott/Divestment/Sanctions movement has gained momentum as a worldwide effort to protest at the racist policies and practices of the Israeli regime.

    “I think that the tide is turning. Israel is turning to more and more desperate measures as more people around the world call for justice for Palestinians. The movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) is picking up around the world and Israel is attempting to get laws in place that punish people for boycotting Israel. It is absurd because boycotting is a peaceful form of protest. It shows we’re getting under their skin,” said Medea Benjamin in an exclusive interview with Fars News Agency.

    Benjamin is the co-founder of Code Pink: Women for Peace NGO. Code Pink describes itself as a “grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end US-funded wars and occupations, to challenge militarism globally, and to redirect our resources into health care, education, green jobs and other life-affirming activities.”

    Ms. Benjamin has authored 10 books the latest of which is titled “Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control” released by OR Books in 2012. She is a vocal critic of the US foreign policy, both under President Bush and President Obama, especially for their use of UAVs to purportedly target the Al-Qaeda bases. On May 23, 2013, she interrupted a speech by President Barack Obama several times and was finally taken out of the hall by the security forces. Obama said at the end of his speech that “the voice of that woman is worth paying attention to.”
    On March 3, 2014, Medea Benjamin was arrested and publicly tortured in the Cairo International Airport while she was heading to the beleaguered Gaza Strip along with a team of peace activists to show solidarity with the women of Gaza on the occasion of March 8, the International Women’s Day.

    FNA spoke to Medea Benjamin about the US government’s recent campaign against the whistleblowers Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, the torturing of the Guantanamo bay detention facility prisoners by the CIA agents, the use of unmanned drones in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen and the disappearance of democratic values in the American society. What follows is the text of the interview.

    Q: Ms. Benjamin; what is your viewpoint regarding the US government’s campaign against whistleblowers such as Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, Jeremy Hammond and John Kiriakou? Is the persecution of these people constitutional and lawful? Can the US government silence them by resorting to the argument that they endanger national security and reveal classified information?

    A: It is disappointing that the government seeks to punish these heroes for speaking the truth. They have dug up the Espionage Act from 1917, an outdated act from World War I, to justify targeting both Manning and Snowden. Under the Obama administration, more people have been charged using the Espionage Act than under any previous administration.

    The US has and will attempt to silence these men because of “national security,” but their bravery in releasing the information anyway shows that whistleblowers will not be silenced.

    Q: We know that during the George W. Bush’s administration, different types of torture, including waterboarding and other types of corporal punishment were prescribed for the prisoners arrested on charges of terrorism and kept in such places as the Guantanamo bay detention facility. Has this practice changed under President Obama? Again, is it legal according to the US Constitution to torture the prisoners to get confession from them?

    A: President Obama criticized the use of torture under the Bush Administration and said his administration would not sanction the use of torture. But prisoners in Guantanamo are force-fed through tubes stuck up their noses, which is considered torture. Torture is illegal under US law and international law.

    Q: Do you think that the US government has been militarizing the American society and the public sphere following the 9/11 attacks? The establishment of the Department of Homeland Security is what many critics of the US government refer to as the White House’s effort to make the United States a police state. What’s your take on that?

    A: The US certainly had to push a culture of militarization in order for its citizens to accept and support the actions it has taken following 9/11. Without that, they wouldn’t have been able to get people to give up their rights as easily. But Americans should remember the words of Benjamin Franklin: “Those who are willing to sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.” We are seeing more and more that the United States is turning into a police state along with profit incentives to keep it moving in that direction. Security is a big industry now, and it wasn’t before 9/11.

    Q: You’ve written and spoken out about the US drone attacks against the civilian populations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen extensively. Do you agree that using unmanned aircrafts to bomb the people of other countries is a violation of international law and many conventions that the United States is a member of? If so, then why don’t the international rights organizations respond to this violation and hold the United States accountable?

    A: Using drones to kill people is not acceptable and it is a violation of international law and conventions the US is a part of, specifically the Geneva Conventions. People have the right to surrender under international law and drones take away that right. Many human rights organizations are responding to this violation and are demanding accountability, including CODEPINK. It is clear that the US is not interested in listening. They recently boycotted the UN Human Rights Council meeting at which a resolution was passed that will investigate US drone strikes and their compliance with international law. By boycotting the meeting, the US was sending a clear message they are not interested in international regulations for the use of drones.

    Q: I read the whole story of your ordeal in the Cairo airport while trying to travel to the Gaza Strip on the occasion of March 8, the International Women’s Day to show solidarity with the women of Gaza. You were brutally tortured and then deported to Turkey, and even the US Embassy in Cairo failed to provide consular assistance to you, while the Department of State claimed otherwise. Would you please tell our readers in brief what had happened to you? Why do you think they prevented you from traveling to the Gaza Strip and didn’t allow the members of your delegation to arrive there? Do you consider the coup-installed government of Egypt responsible for that cruel maltreatment?

    A: When I arrived at the Cairo airport, I was detained in a jail cell and given dirty bread and water. When they finally came to my cell to deport me, they pushed me to the ground and twisted my arms behind my back, dislocating my shoulder. Even though I was in great pain, they forced me to get on a plane to Turkey. I think they likely received outside pressure from Israel, with whom they have a relationship, to not allow us to go to Gaza. The government in Egypt is full of thugs, just like the men who beat me up.

    Q: You’ve referred to the Gaza Strip as the world’s largest open-air prison. As you know, the citizens of Gaza are denied access to fuel, electricity, foodstuff, medicine and other goods as imports and exports to and from the coastal enclave take place with great difficulty. However, the international community has so far failed to appease the pains of the people of Gaza and help them fulfill their basic human rights. Is it that Israel, by virtue of the US support, has become so lawless that it’s impossible to bring it to justice and compel it to ease the siege of the Gaza and allow a normal situation to rule the region?

    A: I think that the tide is turning. Israel is turning to more and more desperate measures as more people around the world call for justice for Palestinians. The movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) is picking up around the world and Israel is attempting to get laws in place that punish people for boycotting Israel. It is absurd because boycotting is a peaceful form of protest. It shows we’re getting under their skin. Netanyahu recently threatened to charge Palestinian President Abbas with war crimes, which is ironic and I think it is a desperate move on his part.
    Q: One of your recent articles was about the influence of the Israeli lobby and AIPAC on the US government and that AIPAC’s power has begun to decline smoothly, although it still has its sway. Do you think that AIPAC will be able to drag the United States into a new war in the Middle East or undermine the diplomatic opening between Iran and the West and the negotiations underway for a peaceful settlement of the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program?
    A: It is obvious that AIPAC is finally starting to lose its iron-clad grip on Congress. The Iran sanctions bill (S. 1881) failed to come up for a vote despite AIPAC’s lobbying attempts to get it passed. We delivered petitions on behalf of over 60 coalitions to senators and many people called in expressing that they did not want the bill to pass because it was an obvious march to war. I think that the American people are tired of war.

    The American people are stronger than AIPAC and it is their voices that will win out against any attempt to drag them into another war.

    Q: Is it really fair and logical to silence any criticism of Israel by resorting to the pretext of anti-Semitism and accuse the critics of the policies and actions of Tel Aviv as anti-Semites? Many of the firms and companies that have joined the Boycott/Divestment/Sanctions Movement to force Israel end its occupation of the Palestinian territories and illegal settlement constructions are based in European countries, Australia, Canada and the United States, and they can’t be surely anti-Semite. What’s your take on that?

    A: I believe calling people “anti-Semitic” when they criticize Israel is just another example of desperation as Israel realizes people are waking up and calling for justice. I am Jewish, yet I criticize Israel. How can I be anti-Semitic? Some people even use the term “self-hating Jew,” which to me just doesn’t even make sense.

    Most people realize the difference between being Jewish and the state of Israel. Criticizing Israel based on its actions as a nation, just like criticizing any other country, does not mean you hate the people.

    People are joining the BDS movement because they realize Israel as a nation is committing crimes against the Palestinian people.

    Q: The image that successive US governments have created of the nation is the image of a superpower that wages wars in an aggressive manner whenever and wherever it deems suitable.. How is it possible for the United States to change this image and become a normal state like every other country that adheres to the international law, abides by its obligations and refrains from taking the lives of innocent, unarmed civilians?

    A: I think that it is up to the citizens of the United States to tell their government what they want and control how they want to be viewed by the rest of the world. I think most Americans are peace-loving people. More of us need to stand up together and demand that our interests are represented in diplomacy and more concerted efforts towards peace instead of continuous marches to war.

    Foreign policy does not change quickly, but it can change. We must keep pushing for changes in US policy so it reflects the will of the people.

    Q: What do you think about the chances of reconciliation and rapprochement between Iran and the United States in the future? Many Americans don’t know too much about Iran, its rich history and culture, its sophisticated civilization and the modern lifestyle of its people. Have you personally studied about Iran and its glorious, ancient past? How do you think it’s possible to acquaint the American people with the realities of Iran in order to give them a clear and realistic view of Iran and improve the chances of a thaw in the Iran-US relations?

    A: I think the Iranian people and culture are wonderful, and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to visit Iran and get a taste of its rich heritage. In terms of reconciliation with the US, it will be a difficult road. Just recently, President Obama denied the visa for the Iranian Ambassador to the UN to come to the US because he was involved in the hostage crisis. But I am hopeful that we can reconcile and move forward with Iran. It will be a long, bumpy process as we can see from AIPAC and Congress having tried to interrupt the nuclear negotiations, but it will happen.

    River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
    The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

    ISRAHELL ON EARTH (VIDEO)

    THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014 AT 2:26PM
    GILAD ATZMON

     
    River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
    The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

    Engineering Chaos: Mother Agnes Lectures Neocons on their Bad Behavior

     photo agnesmariam_zpsad85e9d3.jpg

    I just went to hear Mother Agnes-Mariam, a Syrian nun dressed in a serious nun outfit, give a talk on the horrible situation that her country finds itself in today — and I ended up with ten pages of notes on the shocking details of what she said.  However, the main gist of her talk can be summed up in just a few words.  “[Western neo-colonial] powers have been engineering chaos in Syria — and they need to stop this disruptive behavior right now so that peace and reconciliation can safely proceed.”
    According to Mother Agnes-Mariam, these Western powers-that-be have been “engineering chaos” in Syria quite successfully over the last three years.   But I would also like to add that Western neo-cons haven’t just been engineering chaos in Syria — oh no.  They’ve also been doing it everywhere that they can, all across the Middle East.  And then it also suddenly dawned on me that said neo-cons have been following a similar step-by-step pattern all over the world, not just in the Middle East:
    Step 1:  Find yourself a resource-rich country where a percentage of the population is unhappy — for whatever reason (and if you can’t find any unhappy people there, then just make some up).
    Step 2:  Begin to foment revolution in the name of “Freedom and Democracy”.  Make F&D sound really really good!
    Step 3:  Start the killing — or “Shock and Awe” or whatever you want to call it.  Use terms like “freedom fighters” and “rebels” and “no-fly zones” and “humanitarian relief”.  And also be sure to throw in scare-words like “WMDs” and “Chemical Weapons” and “Nuclear Proliferation” whenever humanly possible.  But it doesn’t really matter what you call anything as long as chaos results.  Or another Benghazi.  Or another Maiden Square.
    Step 4:  The most imperative goal in Step 4 is to make sure that an impressive number of civilians are killed (See Step 3)
    Step 5:  Disassemble the mechanisms of state.  Bomb the hospitals.  Bump off the water supply.  Destroy the infrastructure.  Blow up city hall.  Replace the strong-arm guy who is holding the country together with a thousand factional groups who all hate each other and everyone else — and are willing to kill to prove it too.  Think Iraq.  Think Libya.  Think Yugoslavia.
    Step 6:  Move into the void that’s created and steal land and resources to your heart’s content.  “Good job, Brownie!”
    But enough of this.  Let’s get back to Mother Agnes-Mariam’s talk.  She spoke for over an hour on peace and reconciliation in Syria — by and for Syrians.  It was a hopeful speech; sadly informative but also rational and inspiring.
    And then suddenly five or six people popped up from the audience as if on cue and started shouting at Mother Agnes.  “What about the use of chemical weapons!  What about that dictator Assad!”
    I at first thought that the ushers at the venue had over-reacted a bit by telling those guys to either be quiet or leave.  But later I learned that these same guys have been following Mother Agnes-Mariam all around America and trying to disrupt all of her talks.
    And at another one of her talks, I later found out, Mother Agnes had welcomed their participation and attempted to answer their questions — only to discover that they had no valid evidence, no real POV and nothing really to say.
    These guys were simply trying to “engineer chaos” too!
    And afterwards, outside on the front steps, one of these guys (wearing a really expensive-looking suit) handed me his card.  He was from Washington DC, of course.  That figures.
    And who else can you think of who’s now happily busy trying to “engineer chaos” right here in our very own United States?  Rush Limbaugh come to mind immediately.  And Cliven Bundy and Karl Rove and the Koch brothers.  And of course Fox News.
    For those of you who still want to soldier on and read more about what Mother Agnes-Mariam had to say, here are some of the quotes that I wrote down.  I think I copied most of them correctly, but I was writing pretty fast:
    “In Syria today, the horrendous reality is of thousands and thousands of mercenaries who enter historic city complexes to turn them into battlefields.  They are terrorists and bandits who spread agony among the residents.
    “Sponsored by foreign powers, these ‘Tafiri’ [self-appointed inquisitionists] ‘liberate’ towns by forcing the residents out of them.  The majority of Islamic clerics throughout the world denounce the Tafiri, however.
    “Syria is a cauldron of chaos — designed to dismantle a country.  It is engineered by neo-colonials to divide and reign — and to dismantle and gain.
    “All of Syria used to be middle-class.  No homeless people in Syria.  And now they are obliged to beg; living in slums where the violence has followed them.  Mosques, churches and synagogues are also being systematically destroyed.  Factories, hospitals, residences.  Homs now looks like Stalingrad.  Apocalyptic.  The economic and production heart of Syria has also been destroyed.  The engineers of chaos destroyed it.
    “A young woman wakes up with no legs.  And her friend is now blind.  In some places, only 3% of the population remain — and the Takfiri ‘rebels’ still shell them.  We are living among vampires — where beheading is getting very normal.  We are seeing heads everywhere.  They play football with them.  One Takfiri leader is said to have beheaded 350 people.
    “What happened to the Arab Spring?  That striving for freedom and democracy has been hijacked by the engineers of chaos.  The Free Syrian Army lacks money, its members are starving.  But the Takfiri faction is receiving all kinds of money and weapons.  The Takfiri are in direct opposition to reconciliation.  They come from 80 countries — and Syrians are their victims.
    “There are seven million refugees inside of Syria and two more million outside of the country.  They are starving.  Out of a population of just 22 million, each day 9,500 more civilians are forced to leave their homes.  Soon all 22 million will be displaced.  We are back to the barbarian era.
    “When you see something like this in your city — thousands beheaded, children pushed off roofs, people roasted in ovens — there will be more and more violence.  But there is a third way.  We have to build bridges.  That is the challenge of reconciliation among Syrians.  We have to develop trust.  We have a lot of martyrs [to the non-violent cause], but we will not stop because the bloodshed must stop!
    “Saddam was killed.  Gaddafi was killed.  Has it gotten any better?  If Assad is gone, who will take his place?  The 2000 factions?  No.  How can I reconcile with a group who wants to behead me?  We are now talking to former [FSA] fighters who go back to protect their neighborhoods from the Takfiris.  The FSA is willing to talk.  Even Syria’s Al Qaeda is upset that ISIS Takfiri are killing everyone and burning factories.
    “We are accused continuously, especially by people in the US, of being political.  This is preposterous.  We are talking only out of a position to stop the bloodshed.  Alternative media can now go deeper and not just repeat mainstream media [brainwashing] ad nauseam.  Go and hear everyone.  I am not an oracle — but do not put me to death if I disagree.  This is not the way to truth.
    “If a solution to Syria’s problems is imposed from outside, we will be worse off than before.  We must be free from foreign intervention.  Change will not come from violence.  Violence has just strengthened [Assad's] regime.  All the Takfiris have done is to get rid of the infrastructure of the state instead.  The state itself is the sole hope for Syria.  That, and a dialogue of symbiosis and reconciliation among Syrians themselves.”

    River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
    The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!