By Greg Miller
January 31, 2010
Reporting from Washington - The CIA sequence for a Predator strike ends with a missile but begins with a memo. Usually no more than two or three pages long, it bears the name of a suspected terrorist, the latest intelligence on his activities, and a case for why he should be added to a list of people the agency is trying to kill.
The list typically contains about two dozen names, a number that expands each time a new memo is signed by CIA executives on the seventh floor at agency headquarters, and contracts as targets thousands of miles away, in places including Pakistan and Yemen, seem to spontaneously explode.
No U.S. citizen has ever been on the CIA's target list, which mainly names Al Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin Laden, according to current and former U.S. officials. But that is expected to change as CIA analysts compile a case against a Muslim cleric who was born in New Mexico but now resides in Yemen.
Anwar al Awlaki poses a dilemma for U.S. counter-terrorism officials. He is a U.S. citizen and until recently was mainly known as a preacher espousing radical Islamic views. But Awlaki's ties to November's shootings at Ft. Hood and the failed Christmas Day airline plot have helped convince CIA analysts that his role has changed.
"Over the past several years, Awlaki has gone from propagandist to recruiter to operational player," said a U.S. counter-terrorism official.
Awlaki's status as a U.S. citizen requires special consideration, according to former officials familiar with the criteria for the CIA's targeted killing program. But while Awlaki has not yet been placed on the CIA list, the officials said it is all but certain that he will be added because of the threat he poses.
"If an American is stupid enough to make cause with terrorists abroad, to frequent their camps and take part in their plans, he or she can't expect their citizenship to work as a magic shield," said another U.S. official. "If you join the enemy, you join your fate to his."
The complications surrounding Awlaki's case provide a rare window into the highly secretive process by which the CIA selects targets.
CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano declined to comment, saying that it is "remarkably foolish in a war of this kind to discuss publicly procedures used to identify the enemy, an enemy who wears no uniform and relies heavily on stealth and deception."
Other current and former U.S. officials agreed to discuss the outlines of the CIA's target selection procedures on the condition of anonymity because of their sensitive nature. Some wanted to defend a program that critics have accused of causing unnecessary civilian casualties.
Decisions to add names to the CIA target list are "all reviewed carefully, not just by policy people but by attorneys," said the second U.S. official. "Principles like necessity, proportionality, and the minimization of collateral damage -- to persons and property -- always apply."
The U.S. military, which has expanded its presence in Yemen, keeps a separate list of individuals to capture or kill. Awlaki is already on the military's list, which is maintained by the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command. Awlaki apparently survived a Dec. 24 airstrike conducted jointly by U.S. and Yemeni forces.
The CIA has also deployed more operatives and analysts to Yemen. CIA Deputy Director Stephen Kappes was in the country last month, just weeks before a Nigerian accused of training with Al Qaeda in Yemen boarded a jetliner bound for Detroit on Christmas Day.
From beginning to end, the CIA's process for carrying out Predator strikes is remarkably self-contained. Almost every key step takes place within the Langley, Va., campus, from proposing targets to piloting the remotely controlled planes.
The memos proposing new targets are drafted by analysts in the CIA's Counter-Terrorism Center. Former officials said analysts typically submit several new names each month to high-level officials, including the CIA general counsel and sometimes Director Leon E. Panetta.
Former officials involved in the program said it was handled with sober awareness of the stakes. All memos are circulated on paper, so those granting approval would "have to write their names in ink," said one former official. "It was a jarring thing, to sign off on people getting killed."
The program is governed by extensive procedures and rules, but targeting decisions come down to a single criterion: whether the individual in question is "deemed to be a continuing threat to U.S. persons or interests."
Given that standard, the list mainly comprises Al Qaeda leaders and those seen as playing a direct role in devising or executing attacks. Espousing violence or providing financial support to Al Qaeda would not meet the threshold, officials said. But providing training to would-be terrorists or helping them get to Al Qaeda camps probably would.
The list is scrutinized every six months, officials said, and in some cases names are removed if the intelligence on them has grown stale.
"If someone hadn't popped on the screen for over a year, or there was no intelligence linking him to known terrorists or plans, we'd take him off," the former official said.
The National Security Council oversees the program, which is based on a legal finding signed after the Sept. 11 attacks by then-President George W. Bush. But the CIA is given extensive latitude to execute the program, and generally does not need White House approval when adding names to the target list.
The only exception, officials said, would be when the name is a U.S. citizen's.
The CIA has at times considered adding Americans' names to the target list. None were ever approved, the officials said, not because their citizenship protected them but because they didn't meet the "continuing threat" threshold.
Adam Gadahn, a California native now believed to be hiding in Pakistan, has been indicted on charges of treason and providing support to Al Qaeda. But Gadahn, former officials said, has mainly served in a propaganda role.
Officials said that whether Awlaki is added to the list hinges more on intelligence agencies' understanding of his role than any concern about his status as a U.S. citizen.
"If you are a legitimate military target abroad -- a part of an enemy force -- the fact that you're a U.S. citizen doesn't change that," said Michael Edney, who served as deputy legal advisor to the National Security Council from 2007 until 2009.
Awlaki, 38, was known for delivering fiery sermons at mosques in San Diego and suburban Virginia before moving to Yemen in 2004. Because of his radical online postings, he has been portrayed as a catalyst or motivator in nearly a dozen terrorism cases in the U.S. and abroad.
But it was his involvement in the two recent cases that triggered new alarms. U.S. officials uncovered as many as 18 e-mails between Awlaki and Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army major accused of killing 13 people at Ft. Hood, Texas. Awlaki also has been tied to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian accused of attempting to detonate a bomb on a Detroit-bound flight.
"Awlaki's interested in operations outside of Yemen, and he's trying to recruit more extremists, including Westerners," said the U.S. counter-terrorism official. "His knowledge of Western culture and language makes him valuable to [the offshoot] Al Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula.
"Taking him off the street," the official said of Awlaki, "would deal a blow to the group."
The CIA has carried out dozens of Predator strikes in Pakistan over the last year. The program is not foolproof, as drone strikes often kill multiple people even when the intended target escapes. The CIA has also made grievous mistakes in counter-terrorism operations, including capturing individuals misidentified as terrorism suspects. But the program remains valuable to U.S. officials.
President Obama alluded to the campaign in his State of the Union speech last week, saying that during his first year in office, "hundreds of Al Qaeda's fighters and affiliates, including many senior leaders, have been captured or killed -- far more than in 2008."
Many of those strikes were aimed at gatherings of militant groups or training complexes, current and former officials said. In such cases, the CIA is free to fire even if it does not have intelligence indicating the presence of anyone on its target list.
The CIA has carried out Predator attacks in Yemen since at least 2002, when a drone strike killed six suspected Al Qaeda operatives traveling in a vehicle across desert terrain.
The agency knew that one of the operatives was an American, Kamal Derwish, who was among those killed. Derwish was never on the CIA's target list, officials said, and the strike was aimed at a senior Al Qaeda operative, Qaed Sinan Harithi, accused of orchestrating the 2000 attack on the U.S. destroyer Cole.
greg.miller@latimes.com
Julian E. Barnes in the Washington bureau contributed to this report.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
What Women Want?
The Prophet and Women in Islam
Muhammad the Feminist
I wonder how many men and women nowadays can digest the idea of calling Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) a "feminist".
That is, a feminist in the sense of one who always stood for the rights of women. In fact, he was just that, though the term applied to the Prophet could sound a bit quaint or anachronistic.
In a cultural milieu where baby girls were buried alive and wives were treated no better than chattel, the Prophet courageously liberated them and raised their status to equal that of men.
Muslims see Muhammad as living up to his God-appointed mission as the final messenger of God, standing up like a titan towering above the barbaric influences of the time to become the spiritual leader of the whole Muslim nation in Arabia as well as everywhere else Islam reached.
"The most valuable thing in the world is a virtuous woman."
- Prophet Muhammad
Literally, he rose to the high standards of leadership set by his own tradition: He was humble enough to listen to the complaints of his people and always hastened to meet their needs.
To the weakest among the people, he was compassionate, and considering the condition of women in those days, he was very responsive to their thoughts, feelings, and needs. He was particularly gentle, kind, and considerate toward them.
In this respect, he was very much unlike some of his Companions.
Umar ibn Al-Khattab once said:
One day I went to the Prophet and saw him smiling. "May God make you smile forever, O Messenger of God," I said and asked why he was smiling. "I smile at those women. They were chatting in front of me before you came. When they heard your voice, they all vanished," he answered, still smiling. On hearing this answer, I raised my voice and told them, "O enemies of your own selves, you are scared of me, but you are not scared of the Messenger of God, and you do not show respect to him." On hearing that, the women said, "You [Umar] are hard-hearted and strict." (Al-Bukhari )
Twin Halves of Men
The Prophet always listened to women with consideration and compassion as he valued their views and opinions not only about affairs that specifically concerned them, but also about matters of wider significance.
It was because the Prophet gave such encouragement to women that there were well-known instances in early Muslim history of some of them freely speaking out for their rights.
Following the injunctions in the Qur'an, the Prophet gave women the right to education and freedom in matters related to marriage, divorce, and property rights.
"Women are your mothers, daughters, aunts."
- Prophet Muhammad
The Prophet described women as "the twin halves of men," which emphasized the idea that their role in society is complementary to that of men. He declared that "the most valuable thing in the world is a virtuous woman."
He taught his followers that it is God's commandment to treat women with gentleness and affection because, he said, "they are your mothers, daughters, aunts."
Women Are Not the Devil
One typical Western criticism of the Prophet is about his marriages. Compared to the Christian conception of Jesus as the "Son of God", Muhammad (peace be upon him) appears so down-to-earth and human.
If Christianity celebrates celibacy, Islam definitely celebrates marriage. And the final prophet, like the Old Testament prophets such as Abraham, Moses, and David, has proved through his own example that women do not defile men.
Indeed, Islamic spirituality is not weakened by the body, as it transcends far above the demands of the body. Also Islam, unlike Christianity, does not view the woman as the cause of the fall of man.
Respecting Mothers
The respect given to women as mothers is another aspect of "the Prophetic vision, in which kindness and loyalty to the mother, a rahmah (= mercy) to reciprocate the rahmah they themselves dispensed, is seen as an almost sacramental act" (Murad).
The Prophet said, "Paradise lies beneath the feet of mothers" (Ahmad).
"He always joined in household work and would at times mend his clothes, repair his shoes, and sweep the floor."
- Lady Aishah
Once a man came to Prophet Muhammad and asked, "O Messenger of God, which person of all the people is best entitled to kind treatment and good companionship from me?" He answered, "Your mother." The man asked, "And then?" He said, "Your mother."
The man asked again, "And after her?" He said, "Your mother." The man asked for a fourth time, "And after her?" The Prophet said, "Your father" (Al-Bukhari).
The Perfect Husband
The Prophet was a perfect model for humankind in every aspect of our life. He was the kindest husband and the most loving and caring partner to his wives.
"The best among you is the one who is best toward his wife"
- Prophet Muhammad
According to Aishah, the Prophet used to help his wives with domestic chores: "He always joined in household work and would at times mend his clothes, repair his shoes, and sweep the floor. He would milk, tether, and feed his animals and do the household shopping."
He taught his followers: "The best among you is the one who is best toward his wife" (At-Tirmidhi).
We should remember that those were the days when women were treated like slaves and were punished for the silliest mistakes. The Prophet stopped all that and gave women the rights equal to those of men.
For instance, Islam gave a wife the right to acquire and possess wealth and keep it for herself, and she had no responsibility to share the family expenses with her husband. And the husband had no legal right to any of her belongings.
The Plight of Women
In ancient times when a man died, his widow was often denied all rights to his property and she was subjected to terrible humiliation and maltreatment.
Islam believes that the one who works for widows and orphans is like one who strives in the way of God.
In certain societies, there was a tradition of immolation of the widow on the funeral pyre of her husband. Even if she was permitted to live, she was denied the right to remarry and lead a normal life.
But the Prophet himself set the example of marrying widows and divorcees; his first wife was Khadijah, a widow 15 years senior to him. And after her death, he married only widows and divorcees with the exception of Aishah.
Islam believes that the one who works for widows and orphans is like one who strives in the way of God. And we must remember that in those primitive times, a woman who did not have the support of a man was lost and ruined.
The Prophet's mercy toward women was not surprising, because Almighty God had appointed him as a mercy for the whole of creation.
A Revolutionary Man
In the Madinah society after the emigration of Muslims from Makkah established by the Prophet, women were guaranteed personal respect, the right to education, the right to enter into legal contracts, and the political right to express their views concerning public affairs.
They were also given the right to choose a husband of their liking and to reject a marriage they did not like. At the time of marriage, a woman is entitled to a suitable present (in Arabic: mahr) from her bridegroom, and she is declared free of all domestic financial responsibilities, which are the responsibility of the husband.
The husband is not to keep his wife in a state of suspense, whether at home or abroad, for a long period of time except with her consent.
It is the duty of the husband to provide his wife and children with food, clothes, a home, and medical treatment according to his financial position and income. Muslim scholars have said that if a man does not support his wife financially, then she is entitled to get a divorce.
The Prophet said that the best charity (in Arabic: sadaqah) is that spent on one's wife: forgiveness in the case of disagreement, good manners, sweet words, a smiling face, a pleasing playfulness, and an amusing mien are but some facets of this "charity."
The Prophet said, "The world is delightful, and its greatest treasure is a good woman" (Muslim).
The husband is not to stay away from his wife or keep his wife in a state of suspense, whether at home or abroad, for a long period of time except with her consent. Unreasonably long separation on the part of the husband without prior arrangement with the wife is sufficient grounds for her to obtain divorce through a judge.
Indeed, the Prophet allowed women to engage in suitable work for earning an income like men, so long as such jobs did not infringe on their dignity. He permitted them even to participate in battles: specifically to nurse the wounded soldiers and to fight alongside men.
All this was indeed revolutionary, considering the prevailing socio-cultural paradigms defining the Arabs of the time. So it was not surprising that so soon after the Prophet's time, the vestiges of the pre-Islamic era, traditions from pre-Islamic Arabia slowly returned and gained somewhat of a foothold among Muslims.
Consequently something of the misogyny that previously existed returned, which reminds us of the need for reaffirming the noble example of the Prophet, whose compassion to his wives, daughters, and women companions cannot be forgotten.
Read more: http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1195032747364&pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam/DIELayout#ixzz0eDGhF4Oo
Muhammad the Feminist
I wonder how many men and women nowadays can digest the idea of calling Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) a "feminist".
That is, a feminist in the sense of one who always stood for the rights of women. In fact, he was just that, though the term applied to the Prophet could sound a bit quaint or anachronistic.
In a cultural milieu where baby girls were buried alive and wives were treated no better than chattel, the Prophet courageously liberated them and raised their status to equal that of men.
Muslims see Muhammad as living up to his God-appointed mission as the final messenger of God, standing up like a titan towering above the barbaric influences of the time to become the spiritual leader of the whole Muslim nation in Arabia as well as everywhere else Islam reached.
"The most valuable thing in the world is a virtuous woman."
- Prophet Muhammad
Literally, he rose to the high standards of leadership set by his own tradition: He was humble enough to listen to the complaints of his people and always hastened to meet their needs.
To the weakest among the people, he was compassionate, and considering the condition of women in those days, he was very responsive to their thoughts, feelings, and needs. He was particularly gentle, kind, and considerate toward them.
In this respect, he was very much unlike some of his Companions.
Umar ibn Al-Khattab once said:
One day I went to the Prophet and saw him smiling. "May God make you smile forever, O Messenger of God," I said and asked why he was smiling. "I smile at those women. They were chatting in front of me before you came. When they heard your voice, they all vanished," he answered, still smiling. On hearing this answer, I raised my voice and told them, "O enemies of your own selves, you are scared of me, but you are not scared of the Messenger of God, and you do not show respect to him." On hearing that, the women said, "You [Umar] are hard-hearted and strict." (Al-Bukhari )
Twin Halves of Men
The Prophet always listened to women with consideration and compassion as he valued their views and opinions not only about affairs that specifically concerned them, but also about matters of wider significance.
It was because the Prophet gave such encouragement to women that there were well-known instances in early Muslim history of some of them freely speaking out for their rights.
Following the injunctions in the Qur'an, the Prophet gave women the right to education and freedom in matters related to marriage, divorce, and property rights.
"Women are your mothers, daughters, aunts."
- Prophet Muhammad
The Prophet described women as "the twin halves of men," which emphasized the idea that their role in society is complementary to that of men. He declared that "the most valuable thing in the world is a virtuous woman."
He taught his followers that it is God's commandment to treat women with gentleness and affection because, he said, "they are your mothers, daughters, aunts."
Women Are Not the Devil
One typical Western criticism of the Prophet is about his marriages. Compared to the Christian conception of Jesus as the "Son of God", Muhammad (peace be upon him) appears so down-to-earth and human.
If Christianity celebrates celibacy, Islam definitely celebrates marriage. And the final prophet, like the Old Testament prophets such as Abraham, Moses, and David, has proved through his own example that women do not defile men.
Indeed, Islamic spirituality is not weakened by the body, as it transcends far above the demands of the body. Also Islam, unlike Christianity, does not view the woman as the cause of the fall of man.
Respecting Mothers
The respect given to women as mothers is another aspect of "the Prophetic vision, in which kindness and loyalty to the mother, a rahmah (= mercy) to reciprocate the rahmah they themselves dispensed, is seen as an almost sacramental act" (Murad).
The Prophet said, "Paradise lies beneath the feet of mothers" (Ahmad).
"He always joined in household work and would at times mend his clothes, repair his shoes, and sweep the floor."
- Lady Aishah
Once a man came to Prophet Muhammad and asked, "O Messenger of God, which person of all the people is best entitled to kind treatment and good companionship from me?" He answered, "Your mother." The man asked, "And then?" He said, "Your mother."
The man asked again, "And after her?" He said, "Your mother." The man asked for a fourth time, "And after her?" The Prophet said, "Your father" (Al-Bukhari).
The Perfect Husband
The Prophet was a perfect model for humankind in every aspect of our life. He was the kindest husband and the most loving and caring partner to his wives.
"The best among you is the one who is best toward his wife"
- Prophet Muhammad
According to Aishah, the Prophet used to help his wives with domestic chores: "He always joined in household work and would at times mend his clothes, repair his shoes, and sweep the floor. He would milk, tether, and feed his animals and do the household shopping."
He taught his followers: "The best among you is the one who is best toward his wife" (At-Tirmidhi).
We should remember that those were the days when women were treated like slaves and were punished for the silliest mistakes. The Prophet stopped all that and gave women the rights equal to those of men.
For instance, Islam gave a wife the right to acquire and possess wealth and keep it for herself, and she had no responsibility to share the family expenses with her husband. And the husband had no legal right to any of her belongings.
The Plight of Women
In ancient times when a man died, his widow was often denied all rights to his property and she was subjected to terrible humiliation and maltreatment.
Islam believes that the one who works for widows and orphans is like one who strives in the way of God.
In certain societies, there was a tradition of immolation of the widow on the funeral pyre of her husband. Even if she was permitted to live, she was denied the right to remarry and lead a normal life.
But the Prophet himself set the example of marrying widows and divorcees; his first wife was Khadijah, a widow 15 years senior to him. And after her death, he married only widows and divorcees with the exception of Aishah.
Islam believes that the one who works for widows and orphans is like one who strives in the way of God. And we must remember that in those primitive times, a woman who did not have the support of a man was lost and ruined.
The Prophet's mercy toward women was not surprising, because Almighty God had appointed him as a mercy for the whole of creation.
A Revolutionary Man
In the Madinah society after the emigration of Muslims from Makkah established by the Prophet, women were guaranteed personal respect, the right to education, the right to enter into legal contracts, and the political right to express their views concerning public affairs.
They were also given the right to choose a husband of their liking and to reject a marriage they did not like. At the time of marriage, a woman is entitled to a suitable present (in Arabic: mahr) from her bridegroom, and she is declared free of all domestic financial responsibilities, which are the responsibility of the husband.
The husband is not to keep his wife in a state of suspense, whether at home or abroad, for a long period of time except with her consent.
It is the duty of the husband to provide his wife and children with food, clothes, a home, and medical treatment according to his financial position and income. Muslim scholars have said that if a man does not support his wife financially, then she is entitled to get a divorce.
The Prophet said that the best charity (in Arabic: sadaqah) is that spent on one's wife: forgiveness in the case of disagreement, good manners, sweet words, a smiling face, a pleasing playfulness, and an amusing mien are but some facets of this "charity."
The Prophet said, "The world is delightful, and its greatest treasure is a good woman" (Muslim).
The husband is not to stay away from his wife or keep his wife in a state of suspense, whether at home or abroad, for a long period of time except with her consent. Unreasonably long separation on the part of the husband without prior arrangement with the wife is sufficient grounds for her to obtain divorce through a judge.
Indeed, the Prophet allowed women to engage in suitable work for earning an income like men, so long as such jobs did not infringe on their dignity. He permitted them even to participate in battles: specifically to nurse the wounded soldiers and to fight alongside men.
All this was indeed revolutionary, considering the prevailing socio-cultural paradigms defining the Arabs of the time. So it was not surprising that so soon after the Prophet's time, the vestiges of the pre-Islamic era, traditions from pre-Islamic Arabia slowly returned and gained somewhat of a foothold among Muslims.
Consequently something of the misogyny that previously existed returned, which reminds us of the need for reaffirming the noble example of the Prophet, whose compassion to his wives, daughters, and women companions cannot be forgotten.
Read more: http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1195032747364&pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam/DIELayout#ixzz0eDGhF4Oo
Female soldiers break their silence
Six years after first collection of Breaking the Silence testimonies, organization releases booklet of testimonies from female soldiers who served in territories. Stories include systematic humiliation of Palestinians, reckless and cruel violence, theft, killing of innocent people and cover-up. Here are only some of testimonies
Amir Shilo
Published: 01.29.10, 15:47 / Israel News
"A female combat soldier needs to prove more…a female soldier who beats up others is a serious fighter…when I arrived there was another female there with me, she was there before me…everyone spoke of how impressive she is because she humiliates Arabs without any problem. That was the indicator. You have to see her, the way she humiliates, the way she slaps them, wow, she really slapped that guy."
The Breaking the Silence organization on Friday released a booklet of testimonies by female soldiers recounting various abuse cases involving Palestinians in the West Bank.
In recent years, females have been increasingly involved in combat and field operations in the IDF and Border Guard. Among other things, these female soldiers engage in daily contact with the Palestinian population – at roadblocks and in Palestinian communities.
According to the latest testimonies, many of these young women have trouble coping with the violent reality they are exposed to and find themselves facing situations that contradict their values. Some of them end up engaging in acts, or turning a blind eye to acts, that will burden them years later. Like their male counterparts, some of these females have a need to speak about what they saw.
"The girls have greater difficulties in telling the story, because they're the minority to begin with" the organization's director Dana Golan says.
'Each soldier would give them a pet'
In the framework of the latest project, Breaking the Silence gathered the testimonies of more than 50 female soldiers who served in various posts in the territories. Ynet presents some of the highlights in this report.
Golan noted that female soldiers were not more sensitive to the Palestinians than their male comrades.
"We discovered that the girls try to be even more violent and brutal than the boys, just to become one of the guys," she said.
A female Seam Line Border Guard spoke of the chase after illegal aliens: "In half an hour you can catch 30 people without any effort." Then comes the question of what should be done with those who were caught – including women, children, and elderly. "They would have them stand, and there's the well-known Border Guard song (in Arabic): 'One hummus, one bean, I love the Border Guard' – they would make them sing this. Sing, and jump. Just like they do with recruits… The same thing only much worse. And if one of them would laugh, or if they would decide someone was laughing, they would punch him. Why did you laugh? Smack… It could go on for hours, depending on how bored they are. A shift is eight hours long, the times must be passed somehow."
Most of the female soldiers say that they sensed there was a problem during their service, but did nothing.
Another female soldier's testimony, who served at the Erez checkpoint, indicates how violence was deeply rooted in the daily routine: "There was a procedure in which before you release a Palestinian back into the Strip – you take him inside the tent and beat him."
That was a procedure?
"Yes, together with the commanders."
How long did it last?
"Not very long; within 20 minutes they would be back in the base, but the soldiers would stop at the post to drink coffee and smoke cigarettes while the guys from the command post would beat them up."
This happened with every illegal alien?
"There weren't that many...it's not something you do everyday, but sort of a procedure. I don't know if they strictly enforced it each and every time...it took me a while to realize that if I release an illegal alien on my end, by the time he gets back to Gaza he will go through hell... two or three hours can pass by the time he gets into the Strip. In the case of the kid, it was a whole night. That's insane, since it's a ten minute walk. They would stop them on their way; each soldier would give them a 'pet', including the commanders."
'Child's hand broken on the chair'
A female soldier in Sachlav Military Police unit, stationed in Hebron, recalled a Palestinian child that would systematically provoke the soldiers by hurling stones at them and other such actions. One time he even managed to scare a soldier who fell from his post and broke his leg.
Retaliation came soon after: "I don't know who or how, but I know that two of our soldiers put him in a jeep, and that two weeks later the kid was walking around with casts on both arms and legs…they talked about it in the unit quite a lot – about how they sat him down and put his hand on the chair and simply broke it right there on the chair."
Even small children did not escape arbitrary acts of violence, said a Border Guard female officer serving near the separation fence: "We caught a five-year-old…can't remember what he did…we were taking him back to the territories or something, and the officers just picked him up, slapped him around and put him in the jeep. The kid was crying and the officer next to me said 'don't cry' and started laughing at him. Finally the kid cracked a smile – and suddenly the officer gave him a punch in the stomach. Why? 'Don't laugh in my face' he said."
'Palestinian beaten before being released to Strip' (Photo: AFP)
Was there also abuse of women?
"Yes" the same soldier replied. "Slaps, that kind of thing. Mainly slaps."
From men?
"Also. From whoever. It was mainly the female combat soldiers who beat people. There were two who really liked to beat people up. But also men, they had no problem slapping a woman around. If she screamed, they'd say, 'Shut it,' with another slap. A routine of violence. There were also those who didn't take part, but everyone knew it happened."
Sometimes an entire "production" was necessary to satisfy the violent urges. "There's a sense of violence," a border policewoman in the Jenin area said. "And yes, it's boring, so we'd create some action. We'd get on the radio, and say they threw stones at us, then someone would be arrested, they'd start investigating him… There was a policewoman, she was bored, so okay, she said they threw stones at her. They asked her who threw them. 'I don't know, two in grey shirts, I didn't manage to see them.' They catch two guys with grey shirts… beat them. Is it them? 'No, I don't think so.' Okay, a whole incident, people get beaten up. Nothing happened that day."
An education noncommissioned officer from the Border Guard took her officers for a Sunday of culture – a show in Tel Aviv. When they got back to their base in the Gaza Strip, they were appalled by the dissonance – one moment they're clapping in a theater, the next moment they're acting like beasts.
"Crossing the checkpoint, it's like another world… Palestinians walk with trolleys on the side of the road, with wagons, donkeys… so the Border Guards take a truck with the remains of food and start throwing it at them… cottage cheese, rotten vegetables… it was the most appalling thing I experienced in the territories."
The soldier said she tried to protest, but was silenced by the commanding officers. When she tried to go around them to higher authorities, she found a solution. "Almost immediately I got into an officers' course."
'You don't know which side you're on'
Some of the testimonies document incidents of vandalism of Palestinian property, and even theft. The same female soldier who recounted her time at the Erez checkpoint said, "Many times the soldiers would open the Palestinians' food."
And would they take it as well?
"Yes. They take things all the time at checkpoints in the territories. You'll never see a soldier without musabaha (chickpea past similar to hummus). And that is something they give many times… They are so desperate to pass that they even sort of bribe the soldiers a little…"
A female Border Guard officer spoke of how Palestinian children would arrive at checkpoints with bags of toys for sale – and how the Border Guard would deal with them: "'Okay, throw the bag away. Oh, I need some batteries,', and they would take, they would take whatever they wanted."
What would they take?
"Toys, batteries, anything… cigarettes. I'm sure they took money as well, but I don't remember that specifically." She also spoke of one incident in which the looting was caught by a television camera, and the affair blew up. "Then, the company commander gathered us and reprimanded us: 'How did you not think they might see you?'" No one was punished: "Really, it was an atmosphere in which we were allowed to hit and humiliate."
Some of the gravest stories come from Hebron. A Sachlav female soldier spoke of one of the company's hobbies: Toy guns. "Those plastic pellets really hurt… we had a bunch of those… you're sitting on guard and 'tak' you fire at a kid, 'tak' – you fire at another kid."
She recounted an incident in which a Palestinian reporter took a picture of one of the soldiers aiming a gun at a boy's head. She said a "special patrol" went into Hebron, and came back with the pictures. The soldier said they either paid the reporter, or threatened her.
And the pictures were circulated in the company?
"No, they were destroyed the same day."
What did the company commander say about it?
"He said it's a good thing they didn't reach the IDF Spokesperson's Unit."
Company commander reprimands, but no one punished (Photo: Reuters)
Some of the testimonies from Hebron deal with the difficult position the soldiers find themselves in, between Palestinians and settlers – who they say are even harder to handle. Some of the female soldiers were shocked with the level of violence the settlers' children used against the Palestinians. "They would throw stones at them, the Jewish kids," a Nahal female soldier said, "and the parents would say anything… you see this every day in Tel Rumeida."
Doesn't it seem strange to you that one child throws a stone at another child?
"Because the one child is Jewish and the other is Palestinians, it's somehow okay… and it was obvious that there would be a mess afterwards. And you also don't really know which side you are on…I have to make a switch in my head and keep hating the Arabs and justify the Jews."
In her frustration, the same female soldier told of how she once spit on a Palestinian in the street: "I don't think he even did anything. But again, it was cool and it was the only thing I could do to… you know, I couldn't take brag that I caught a terrorists… But I could spit on them and degrade them and laugh at them."
Another female Sachlav soldier told the story of the time an eight-year-old settler girl in Hebron decided to bash a stone into the head of a Palestinian adult crossing her passing by her in the street. "Boom! She jumped on him, and gave it to him right here in the head… then she started screaming 'Yuck, yuck, his blood is on me'".
The soldier said the Palestinian then turned in the girl's direction – a move that was interpreted as a threat by one of the soldiers in the area, who added a punch of his own: "And I stood there horrified… an innocent little girl in her Shabbat dress… the Arab covered the wound with his hand and ran." She recalled another incident with the same child: "I remember she had her brother in the stroller, a baby. She was giving him stones and telling him: 'Throw them at the Arab'."
9-year-old shot to death
Other testimonies raise concerns as to the procedures of opening fire in the territories, particularly crowd control weapons. A female Border Guard detailed to protocol she called "dismantling rubber" – the dismantling of rubber bullets from clusters of three to single bullets, and peeling the rubber off of them. She also said that, despite the clear orders to fire in the air or at the demonstrators' feet, it was common procedure to fire at the abdomen.
A female Border Guard officer in Jenin spoke of an incident in which a nine-year-old Palestinian, who tried to climb the fence, failed, and fled – was shot to death: "They fired… when he was already in the territories and posed no danger. The hit was in the abdomen area, they claimed he was on a bicycle and so they were unable to hit him in the legs."
But the soldier was most bewildered by what happened next between the four soldiers present: "They immediately got their stories straight… An investigation was carried out, at first they said it was an unjustified killing… In the end they claimed that he was checking out escape routes for terrorists or something… and they closed the case."
A female intelligence soldier who served near Etzion recounted an incident in which snipers killed a boy suspected of throwing a Molotov cocktail. The soldiers coordinated their stories, and the female soldier was shocked, mainly by the happy atmosphere that surrounding the incident: "It was written in the situation evaluation after the incident that from now on there will be quiet… This is the best kind of deterrence."
'They don't know how to accept the women'
The female soldiers repeatedly mention the particular difficulties they had as women, who had to prove that to were "fighters" in the midst of the goading male soldiers on the one hand, and the Palestinians, who have a hard time handling women in uniform on the other hand. The following story of a female Border Guard officer sums the matter up.
When the interviewer asked her if the Palestinians "suffer even more from the women in the Border Guard", she said: "Yes. Yes. Because they don't know how to accept the women. The moment a girl slaps a man, he is so humiliated, he is so humiliated he doesn't know what to do with himself… I am a strong and well-built girl, and this is even harder for them to handle. So one of their ways of coping is to laugh. They really just started to laugh at me. The commander looks at me and tells me, 'What? Are you going to let that slide? Look how he's laughing at you'.
"And you, as someone who has to salvage your self-respect… I told them to sit down and I told him to come…I told him to come close, I really approached him, as if I was about to kiss him. I told him, 'Come, come, what are you afraid of? Come to me!' And I hit him in the balls. I told him, 'Why aren't you laughing?' He was in shock, and then he realized that… not to laugh. It shouldn't reach such a situation."
You hit him with your knee?
"I hit him in the balls. I took my foot, with my military show, and hit him in the balls. I don't know if you've ever been hit in the balls, but it looks like it hurts. He stopped laughing in my face because it hurt him. We then took him to a police station and I said to myself, 'Wow, I'm really going to get in trouble now.' He could complain about me and I could receive a complaint at the Military police's criminal investigation division.
"He didn’t say a word. I was afraid and I said. I was afraid about myself, not about him. But he didn't say a word. 'What should I say, that a girl hit me?' And he could have said, but thank God, three years later I didn’t get anything and no one knows about it."
What did it feel like that moment?
"Power, strength that I should not have achieved this way. But I didn't brag about it. That's why I did it that way, one on one. I told them to sit on the side, I saw that he wasn't looking. I said to myself that it doesn't make sense that as a girl who gives above and beyond and is worth more than some boys – they should laugh at me like that because I am a girl. Because you think I can't do it…"
Today, when you look at it three years later, would you have done things differently?
"I would change the system. It's seriously defective."
What does that mean?
"The system is deeply flawed. The entire administration, the way things are run, it's not right. I don't know how I would… I don't think I did the right thing in this incident but it was what I had to do. It's inevitable under these circumstances."
You're saying the small soldiers on the ground are not the problem, but the whole situation surrounding them?
"Yes, this entire situation is problematic."
The Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson's Office said in response to the publication: "These are anonymous testimonies, without any mention of a time or a place, and their reliability cannot be examined in any way. The IDF is a controlled state organization, which learns and draws lessons, and cooperates with any serious body with the shared goal of exhausting any inquiry when such an examination is inquired.
"The forces in the Central Command are engaged in a daily battle against the terror organizations. The soldiers undergo a professional training which includes a special reference to the contact with the Palestinian population, mental preparation led by professionals, a routine training by their commanders and ongoing control.
"Another aspect in the supervision over the IDF's activity is the investigative-legal aspect. The IDF includes a number of bodies whose job it is to probe incidents in which any activity against the orders is suspected. Appealing to these bodies is the right, but also the duty, of any soldier or commander, who feels that any activity is being done against orders. Female soldiers and commanders receive the same training given to the fighters."
Amir Shilo
Published: 01.29.10, 15:47 / Israel News
"A female combat soldier needs to prove more…a female soldier who beats up others is a serious fighter…when I arrived there was another female there with me, she was there before me…everyone spoke of how impressive she is because she humiliates Arabs without any problem. That was the indicator. You have to see her, the way she humiliates, the way she slaps them, wow, she really slapped that guy."
The Breaking the Silence organization on Friday released a booklet of testimonies by female soldiers recounting various abuse cases involving Palestinians in the West Bank.
In recent years, females have been increasingly involved in combat and field operations in the IDF and Border Guard. Among other things, these female soldiers engage in daily contact with the Palestinian population – at roadblocks and in Palestinian communities.
According to the latest testimonies, many of these young women have trouble coping with the violent reality they are exposed to and find themselves facing situations that contradict their values. Some of them end up engaging in acts, or turning a blind eye to acts, that will burden them years later. Like their male counterparts, some of these females have a need to speak about what they saw.
"The girls have greater difficulties in telling the story, because they're the minority to begin with" the organization's director Dana Golan says.
'Each soldier would give them a pet'
In the framework of the latest project, Breaking the Silence gathered the testimonies of more than 50 female soldiers who served in various posts in the territories. Ynet presents some of the highlights in this report.
Golan noted that female soldiers were not more sensitive to the Palestinians than their male comrades.
"We discovered that the girls try to be even more violent and brutal than the boys, just to become one of the guys," she said.
A female Seam Line Border Guard spoke of the chase after illegal aliens: "In half an hour you can catch 30 people without any effort." Then comes the question of what should be done with those who were caught – including women, children, and elderly. "They would have them stand, and there's the well-known Border Guard song (in Arabic): 'One hummus, one bean, I love the Border Guard' – they would make them sing this. Sing, and jump. Just like they do with recruits… The same thing only much worse. And if one of them would laugh, or if they would decide someone was laughing, they would punch him. Why did you laugh? Smack… It could go on for hours, depending on how bored they are. A shift is eight hours long, the times must be passed somehow."
Most of the female soldiers say that they sensed there was a problem during their service, but did nothing.
Another female soldier's testimony, who served at the Erez checkpoint, indicates how violence was deeply rooted in the daily routine: "There was a procedure in which before you release a Palestinian back into the Strip – you take him inside the tent and beat him."
That was a procedure?
"Yes, together with the commanders."
How long did it last?
"Not very long; within 20 minutes they would be back in the base, but the soldiers would stop at the post to drink coffee and smoke cigarettes while the guys from the command post would beat them up."
This happened with every illegal alien?
"There weren't that many...it's not something you do everyday, but sort of a procedure. I don't know if they strictly enforced it each and every time...it took me a while to realize that if I release an illegal alien on my end, by the time he gets back to Gaza he will go through hell... two or three hours can pass by the time he gets into the Strip. In the case of the kid, it was a whole night. That's insane, since it's a ten minute walk. They would stop them on their way; each soldier would give them a 'pet', including the commanders."
'Child's hand broken on the chair'
A female soldier in Sachlav Military Police unit, stationed in Hebron, recalled a Palestinian child that would systematically provoke the soldiers by hurling stones at them and other such actions. One time he even managed to scare a soldier who fell from his post and broke his leg.
Retaliation came soon after: "I don't know who or how, but I know that two of our soldiers put him in a jeep, and that two weeks later the kid was walking around with casts on both arms and legs…they talked about it in the unit quite a lot – about how they sat him down and put his hand on the chair and simply broke it right there on the chair."
Even small children did not escape arbitrary acts of violence, said a Border Guard female officer serving near the separation fence: "We caught a five-year-old…can't remember what he did…we were taking him back to the territories or something, and the officers just picked him up, slapped him around and put him in the jeep. The kid was crying and the officer next to me said 'don't cry' and started laughing at him. Finally the kid cracked a smile – and suddenly the officer gave him a punch in the stomach. Why? 'Don't laugh in my face' he said."
'Palestinian beaten before being released to Strip' (Photo: AFP)
Was there also abuse of women?
"Yes" the same soldier replied. "Slaps, that kind of thing. Mainly slaps."
From men?
"Also. From whoever. It was mainly the female combat soldiers who beat people. There were two who really liked to beat people up. But also men, they had no problem slapping a woman around. If she screamed, they'd say, 'Shut it,' with another slap. A routine of violence. There were also those who didn't take part, but everyone knew it happened."
Sometimes an entire "production" was necessary to satisfy the violent urges. "There's a sense of violence," a border policewoman in the Jenin area said. "And yes, it's boring, so we'd create some action. We'd get on the radio, and say they threw stones at us, then someone would be arrested, they'd start investigating him… There was a policewoman, she was bored, so okay, she said they threw stones at her. They asked her who threw them. 'I don't know, two in grey shirts, I didn't manage to see them.' They catch two guys with grey shirts… beat them. Is it them? 'No, I don't think so.' Okay, a whole incident, people get beaten up. Nothing happened that day."
An education noncommissioned officer from the Border Guard took her officers for a Sunday of culture – a show in Tel Aviv. When they got back to their base in the Gaza Strip, they were appalled by the dissonance – one moment they're clapping in a theater, the next moment they're acting like beasts.
"Crossing the checkpoint, it's like another world… Palestinians walk with trolleys on the side of the road, with wagons, donkeys… so the Border Guards take a truck with the remains of food and start throwing it at them… cottage cheese, rotten vegetables… it was the most appalling thing I experienced in the territories."
The soldier said she tried to protest, but was silenced by the commanding officers. When she tried to go around them to higher authorities, she found a solution. "Almost immediately I got into an officers' course."
'You don't know which side you're on'
Some of the testimonies document incidents of vandalism of Palestinian property, and even theft. The same female soldier who recounted her time at the Erez checkpoint said, "Many times the soldiers would open the Palestinians' food."
And would they take it as well?
"Yes. They take things all the time at checkpoints in the territories. You'll never see a soldier without musabaha (chickpea past similar to hummus). And that is something they give many times… They are so desperate to pass that they even sort of bribe the soldiers a little…"
A female Border Guard officer spoke of how Palestinian children would arrive at checkpoints with bags of toys for sale – and how the Border Guard would deal with them: "'Okay, throw the bag away. Oh, I need some batteries,', and they would take, they would take whatever they wanted."
What would they take?
"Toys, batteries, anything… cigarettes. I'm sure they took money as well, but I don't remember that specifically." She also spoke of one incident in which the looting was caught by a television camera, and the affair blew up. "Then, the company commander gathered us and reprimanded us: 'How did you not think they might see you?'" No one was punished: "Really, it was an atmosphere in which we were allowed to hit and humiliate."
Some of the gravest stories come from Hebron. A Sachlav female soldier spoke of one of the company's hobbies: Toy guns. "Those plastic pellets really hurt… we had a bunch of those… you're sitting on guard and 'tak' you fire at a kid, 'tak' – you fire at another kid."
She recounted an incident in which a Palestinian reporter took a picture of one of the soldiers aiming a gun at a boy's head. She said a "special patrol" went into Hebron, and came back with the pictures. The soldier said they either paid the reporter, or threatened her.
And the pictures were circulated in the company?
"No, they were destroyed the same day."
What did the company commander say about it?
"He said it's a good thing they didn't reach the IDF Spokesperson's Unit."
Company commander reprimands, but no one punished (Photo: Reuters)
Some of the testimonies from Hebron deal with the difficult position the soldiers find themselves in, between Palestinians and settlers – who they say are even harder to handle. Some of the female soldiers were shocked with the level of violence the settlers' children used against the Palestinians. "They would throw stones at them, the Jewish kids," a Nahal female soldier said, "and the parents would say anything… you see this every day in Tel Rumeida."
Doesn't it seem strange to you that one child throws a stone at another child?
"Because the one child is Jewish and the other is Palestinians, it's somehow okay… and it was obvious that there would be a mess afterwards. And you also don't really know which side you are on…I have to make a switch in my head and keep hating the Arabs and justify the Jews."
In her frustration, the same female soldier told of how she once spit on a Palestinian in the street: "I don't think he even did anything. But again, it was cool and it was the only thing I could do to… you know, I couldn't take brag that I caught a terrorists… But I could spit on them and degrade them and laugh at them."
Another female Sachlav soldier told the story of the time an eight-year-old settler girl in Hebron decided to bash a stone into the head of a Palestinian adult crossing her passing by her in the street. "Boom! She jumped on him, and gave it to him right here in the head… then she started screaming 'Yuck, yuck, his blood is on me'".
The soldier said the Palestinian then turned in the girl's direction – a move that was interpreted as a threat by one of the soldiers in the area, who added a punch of his own: "And I stood there horrified… an innocent little girl in her Shabbat dress… the Arab covered the wound with his hand and ran." She recalled another incident with the same child: "I remember she had her brother in the stroller, a baby. She was giving him stones and telling him: 'Throw them at the Arab'."
9-year-old shot to death
Other testimonies raise concerns as to the procedures of opening fire in the territories, particularly crowd control weapons. A female Border Guard detailed to protocol she called "dismantling rubber" – the dismantling of rubber bullets from clusters of three to single bullets, and peeling the rubber off of them. She also said that, despite the clear orders to fire in the air or at the demonstrators' feet, it was common procedure to fire at the abdomen.
A female Border Guard officer in Jenin spoke of an incident in which a nine-year-old Palestinian, who tried to climb the fence, failed, and fled – was shot to death: "They fired… when he was already in the territories and posed no danger. The hit was in the abdomen area, they claimed he was on a bicycle and so they were unable to hit him in the legs."
But the soldier was most bewildered by what happened next between the four soldiers present: "They immediately got their stories straight… An investigation was carried out, at first they said it was an unjustified killing… In the end they claimed that he was checking out escape routes for terrorists or something… and they closed the case."
A female intelligence soldier who served near Etzion recounted an incident in which snipers killed a boy suspected of throwing a Molotov cocktail. The soldiers coordinated their stories, and the female soldier was shocked, mainly by the happy atmosphere that surrounding the incident: "It was written in the situation evaluation after the incident that from now on there will be quiet… This is the best kind of deterrence."
'They don't know how to accept the women'
The female soldiers repeatedly mention the particular difficulties they had as women, who had to prove that to were "fighters" in the midst of the goading male soldiers on the one hand, and the Palestinians, who have a hard time handling women in uniform on the other hand. The following story of a female Border Guard officer sums the matter up.
When the interviewer asked her if the Palestinians "suffer even more from the women in the Border Guard", she said: "Yes. Yes. Because they don't know how to accept the women. The moment a girl slaps a man, he is so humiliated, he is so humiliated he doesn't know what to do with himself… I am a strong and well-built girl, and this is even harder for them to handle. So one of their ways of coping is to laugh. They really just started to laugh at me. The commander looks at me and tells me, 'What? Are you going to let that slide? Look how he's laughing at you'.
"And you, as someone who has to salvage your self-respect… I told them to sit down and I told him to come…I told him to come close, I really approached him, as if I was about to kiss him. I told him, 'Come, come, what are you afraid of? Come to me!' And I hit him in the balls. I told him, 'Why aren't you laughing?' He was in shock, and then he realized that… not to laugh. It shouldn't reach such a situation."
You hit him with your knee?
"I hit him in the balls. I took my foot, with my military show, and hit him in the balls. I don't know if you've ever been hit in the balls, but it looks like it hurts. He stopped laughing in my face because it hurt him. We then took him to a police station and I said to myself, 'Wow, I'm really going to get in trouble now.' He could complain about me and I could receive a complaint at the Military police's criminal investigation division.
"He didn’t say a word. I was afraid and I said. I was afraid about myself, not about him. But he didn't say a word. 'What should I say, that a girl hit me?' And he could have said, but thank God, three years later I didn’t get anything and no one knows about it."
What did it feel like that moment?
"Power, strength that I should not have achieved this way. But I didn't brag about it. That's why I did it that way, one on one. I told them to sit on the side, I saw that he wasn't looking. I said to myself that it doesn't make sense that as a girl who gives above and beyond and is worth more than some boys – they should laugh at me like that because I am a girl. Because you think I can't do it…"
Today, when you look at it three years later, would you have done things differently?
"I would change the system. It's seriously defective."
What does that mean?
"The system is deeply flawed. The entire administration, the way things are run, it's not right. I don't know how I would… I don't think I did the right thing in this incident but it was what I had to do. It's inevitable under these circumstances."
You're saying the small soldiers on the ground are not the problem, but the whole situation surrounding them?
"Yes, this entire situation is problematic."
The Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson's Office said in response to the publication: "These are anonymous testimonies, without any mention of a time or a place, and their reliability cannot be examined in any way. The IDF is a controlled state organization, which learns and draws lessons, and cooperates with any serious body with the shared goal of exhausting any inquiry when such an examination is inquired.
"The forces in the Central Command are engaged in a daily battle against the terror organizations. The soldiers undergo a professional training which includes a special reference to the contact with the Palestinian population, mental preparation led by professionals, a routine training by their commanders and ongoing control.
"Another aspect in the supervision over the IDF's activity is the investigative-legal aspect. The IDF includes a number of bodies whose job it is to probe incidents in which any activity against the orders is suspected. Appealing to these bodies is the right, but also the duty, of any soldier or commander, who feels that any activity is being done against orders. Female soldiers and commanders receive the same training given to the fighters."
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Hamas: Israel seeks International battlefields
Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:31:34 GMT
Following the assassination of a Hamas members in Dubai by Israeli agents, the Palestinian resistance movement warned that Tel Aviv seeks to take the conflict between the two sides to a new phase.
"We have maintained that the confrontation between us and the Israeli enemy be within the occupied land," Xinhua quoted Senior Hamas member Mahmoud al-Zahar as saying on Saturday said.
However, he added that "Israel wants to change the rules of the game and to open the international field for battles so it will be responsible for this, "
The comments came after the last week assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, the co-founder of Hamas' armed wing Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades in Dubai. The resistance movement said in a statement that "we hold Israel responsible for the assassination of our brother and leader."
Commenting on the incident, in remarks quoted by the Israeli news website Ynet, al-Zahar said that the perpetrators could have accompanied Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau's convoy into the United Arab Emirates.
He called on Arab states, which maintain diplomatic ties with Israel, to respond to the incident in order to keep "the region from becoming an assassination field," Ynet reported.
Al-Zahar warned such states to "assess and rearrange these relations over the crimes that Israel commits against the Palestinian people," Xinhua reported.
Following the assassination of a Hamas members in Dubai by Israeli agents, the Palestinian resistance movement warned that Tel Aviv seeks to take the conflict between the two sides to a new phase.
"We have maintained that the confrontation between us and the Israeli enemy be within the occupied land," Xinhua quoted Senior Hamas member Mahmoud al-Zahar as saying on Saturday said.
However, he added that "Israel wants to change the rules of the game and to open the international field for battles so it will be responsible for this, "
The comments came after the last week assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, the co-founder of Hamas' armed wing Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades in Dubai. The resistance movement said in a statement that "we hold Israel responsible for the assassination of our brother and leader."
Commenting on the incident, in remarks quoted by the Israeli news website Ynet, al-Zahar said that the perpetrators could have accompanied Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau's convoy into the United Arab Emirates.
He called on Arab states, which maintain diplomatic ties with Israel, to respond to the incident in order to keep "the region from becoming an assassination field," Ynet reported.
Al-Zahar warned such states to "assess and rearrange these relations over the crimes that Israel commits against the Palestinian people," Xinhua reported.
Israel spied on Iran, Syria from secret Turkish base
Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:06:54 GMT
Revelations of a secret Israeli spy base, which was allegedly set up in Ankara to gather classified information on Iran and Syria, has dragged Tel Aviv into a new spy scandal.
Sources in Turkey's ruling party told Russia's Mignews that Israeli spy agents ran an advanced electronic monitoring station from the Ankara military headquarters to keep tabs on communication networks in Iran and Syria.
According to the sources who were speaking on condition of anonymity, the Signals Intelligence station was solely managed by Israeli intelligence personnel and had become off-limits for members of the Turkish government.
Israeli military sources have refused to comment on the revelations, which are likely to spark an outcry in Turkey, now that they have been leaked to newspapers and media outlets.
This is not the first time Israel finds itself at the centre of a major spy scandal.
For years Israeli politicians have masterminded a wave of undercover operations and terror plots in numerous countries, including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Switzerland, and the US.
However, much of Israel's espionage operations are focused on the Tehran government, largely because of Iran's uranium enrichment activities, which is seen by Israel as a mortal threat.
Israel, which is reported to have an arsenal of 200 nuclear warheads itself, accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons and routinely threatens to reduce the country's enrichment sites to rubble.
This is while Iran, unlike Israel, is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has opened its enrichment facilities to UN inspection.
In mid-2009, Israeli President Shimon Peres paid a visit to Azerbaijan, one of Iran's northern neighbors, and reportedly managed to persuade the Baku government into signing an unspecified "document" on the construction of a plant in Azerbaijan to manufacture spyware, satellite projects and pilotless military vehicles.
Israeli daily Haaretz quoted former Israeli Ambassador to Baku Arthur Lenk as saying that the deal got through after four years of negotiations.
US analysts believe Israel, having failed to win US support for a military attack on Iran, is now seeking to derail Iran's uranium enrichment program by other means.
"With cooperation from the United States, Israeli covert operations have focused both on eliminating key assets involved in the nuclear program and the sabotaging of the Iranian nuclear supply chain," said Reva Bhalla, director of analysis with Strategic Forecasting also known as Stratfor, a Texas-based private intelligence company with close links to the US security establishment.
Bhalla claims that Israeli operatives target Iranian nuclear scientists as part of efforts to intimidate Iranians and prevent them from continuing enrichment work. She goes as far as saying that there was "strong intelligence" that one of Iran's leading nuclear physicists, Ardeshir Hassanpour, was killed by the Mossad in January 2007.
Dr. Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, another Iranian nuclear scientist, is also believed to be assassinated by Israel's Mossad spy agency in the Iranian capital, Tehran on January 12.
Revelations of a secret Israeli spy base, which was allegedly set up in Ankara to gather classified information on Iran and Syria, has dragged Tel Aviv into a new spy scandal.
Sources in Turkey's ruling party told Russia's Mignews that Israeli spy agents ran an advanced electronic monitoring station from the Ankara military headquarters to keep tabs on communication networks in Iran and Syria.
According to the sources who were speaking on condition of anonymity, the Signals Intelligence station was solely managed by Israeli intelligence personnel and had become off-limits for members of the Turkish government.
Israeli military sources have refused to comment on the revelations, which are likely to spark an outcry in Turkey, now that they have been leaked to newspapers and media outlets.
This is not the first time Israel finds itself at the centre of a major spy scandal.
For years Israeli politicians have masterminded a wave of undercover operations and terror plots in numerous countries, including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Switzerland, and the US.
However, much of Israel's espionage operations are focused on the Tehran government, largely because of Iran's uranium enrichment activities, which is seen by Israel as a mortal threat.
Israel, which is reported to have an arsenal of 200 nuclear warheads itself, accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons and routinely threatens to reduce the country's enrichment sites to rubble.
This is while Iran, unlike Israel, is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has opened its enrichment facilities to UN inspection.
In mid-2009, Israeli President Shimon Peres paid a visit to Azerbaijan, one of Iran's northern neighbors, and reportedly managed to persuade the Baku government into signing an unspecified "document" on the construction of a plant in Azerbaijan to manufacture spyware, satellite projects and pilotless military vehicles.
Israeli daily Haaretz quoted former Israeli Ambassador to Baku Arthur Lenk as saying that the deal got through after four years of negotiations.
US analysts believe Israel, having failed to win US support for a military attack on Iran, is now seeking to derail Iran's uranium enrichment program by other means.
"With cooperation from the United States, Israeli covert operations have focused both on eliminating key assets involved in the nuclear program and the sabotaging of the Iranian nuclear supply chain," said Reva Bhalla, director of analysis with Strategic Forecasting also known as Stratfor, a Texas-based private intelligence company with close links to the US security establishment.
Bhalla claims that Israeli operatives target Iranian nuclear scientists as part of efforts to intimidate Iranians and prevent them from continuing enrichment work. She goes as far as saying that there was "strong intelligence" that one of Iran's leading nuclear physicists, Ardeshir Hassanpour, was killed by the Mossad in January 2007.
Dr. Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, another Iranian nuclear scientist, is also believed to be assassinated by Israel's Mossad spy agency in the Iranian capital, Tehran on January 12.
CIA chief holds secret talks with Egypt, Israel
Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:15:29 GMT
The Director of the CIA, Leon Panetta, has held secret talks with Egyptian and Israeli officials over expanded US intervention in Yemen.
According to Debkafile, the CIA chief paid secret visits to the Egyptian capital Cairo and Jerusalem Al-Quds on Thursday.
Panetta met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, and intelligence minister, Gen. Omar Suleiman to ask them to dispatch forces to Yemen to help the US troops.
Meanwhile, Washington has asked the Egyptian government to let the US use Egyptian airports for ferrying military equipment and launching air raids.
Panetta also met with Israeli officials in Jerusalem Al-Quds on the same day to talk about the latest developments in Yemen.
A large US base is under construction near the Yemeni Red Sea port of Hodeira, according to the report.
Washington became involved in secret joint operations in Yemen after President Barack Obama approved US military and intelligence teams to be dispatched to the country.
According to the Washington Post, operations began six weeks ago, involving troops from the US military's clandestine Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), whose main mission is tracking and killing suspected “terrorists.”
The US agents are helping the Yemeni army develop tactics, while providing Sana'a forces with electronic and video surveillance, as well as three-dimensional terrain maps.
In addition to "highly sensitive intelligence," the United States is sending weapons and munitions to be used against what the White House describes as an al-Qaeda cell operating in the Arabian Peninsula, the article added.
Earlier in January, the White House pledged $121 million in aid to help the unpopular Yemeni government crush uprisings.
The Director of the CIA, Leon Panetta, has held secret talks with Egyptian and Israeli officials over expanded US intervention in Yemen.
According to Debkafile, the CIA chief paid secret visits to the Egyptian capital Cairo and Jerusalem Al-Quds on Thursday.
Panetta met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, and intelligence minister, Gen. Omar Suleiman to ask them to dispatch forces to Yemen to help the US troops.
Meanwhile, Washington has asked the Egyptian government to let the US use Egyptian airports for ferrying military equipment and launching air raids.
Panetta also met with Israeli officials in Jerusalem Al-Quds on the same day to talk about the latest developments in Yemen.
A large US base is under construction near the Yemeni Red Sea port of Hodeira, according to the report.
Washington became involved in secret joint operations in Yemen after President Barack Obama approved US military and intelligence teams to be dispatched to the country.
According to the Washington Post, operations began six weeks ago, involving troops from the US military's clandestine Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), whose main mission is tracking and killing suspected “terrorists.”
The US agents are helping the Yemeni army develop tactics, while providing Sana'a forces with electronic and video surveillance, as well as three-dimensional terrain maps.
In addition to "highly sensitive intelligence," the United States is sending weapons and munitions to be used against what the White House describes as an al-Qaeda cell operating in the Arabian Peninsula, the article added.
Earlier in January, the White House pledged $121 million in aid to help the unpopular Yemeni government crush uprisings.
Haiti PM slams US aid delays
Jean-Max Bellerive, the Haitian prime minister, has told Al Jazeera that he does not understand why so much water and food in storage facilities at the airport is not being distributed.
In an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Bellerive expressed his frustration with security decisions made by the US military that are hindering the earthquake relief effort.
"Haitians don't care about the security, they just want the water, food and medicine to get to them ... they don't feel that there is the need for so much security," he said.
Faultlines presenter Avi Lewis reports.
In an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Bellerive expressed his frustration with security decisions made by the US military that are hindering the earthquake relief effort.
"Haitians don't care about the security, they just want the water, food and medicine to get to them ... they don't feel that there is the need for so much security," he said.
Faultlines presenter Avi Lewis reports.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Potential False Flag Attack To Be Blamed On Muslims Foiled
Navy vet caught with grenade launcher, maps of military base and Arab headdress
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A possible false flag terror attack to be blamed on Muslims has been foiled after a Navy vet was busted with a grenade launcher, assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, as well as Arab headdress, in New Jersey yesterday. Initial media reports speculated that the man was planning a terrorist attack on a U.S. military base in the area.
“Lloyd Woodson, 43, whose last known address was Reston, Va., today faces multiple offenses, including second-degree unlawful weapons possession and fourth-degree possession of prohibited weapons, Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest said,” reports the New Jersey Star Ledger.
“Branchburg police confronted Woodson at 3:55 a.m. at the Quick Chek convenience store on Route 28 after receiving a call reporting a suspicious person. Branchburg Patrolman Steven Cronce noticed a large bulge beneath the green, military-style jacket that Woodson was wearing, which was later determined to be the assault rifle with a defaced serial number, Forrest said.”
After searching his hotel room, police found a grenade launcher, hundreds .50-caliber and .308-caliber rounds, a police scanner, as well as “Middle Eastern red and white traditional headdress”.
“The man may have had plans to attack a U.S. military base,” reported Fox New Jersey, adding that the amount of weapons he had led police to suspect he was a terrorist.
The FBI were remarkably swift in distancing the man from any link with terrorists, despite the fact that his deadly arsenal was accompanied by maps of a military facility.
“The FBI said a man charged with multiple weapons offenses after a cache of weapons and maps of a military facility were found in his New Jersey motel room has no known terrorism link,” reported the Associated Press this morning.
Imagine if a Muslim had been busted with grenade launchers, assault rifles, and maps of military facilities. Authorities and the media would instantly claim he was part of an Al-Qaeda conspiracy and launch all kinds of fearmongering about the inevitability of getting hit again by terrorists unless we give up our rights – just as they did in the aftermath of the failed underwear bombing incident.
Within days, the ghost of Osama Bin Laden would once again be manufactured to claim involvement and members of the military-industrial complex would be pimping their latest hi-tech tools of enslavement.
However, because this was probably a false flag operation gone awry, it will be buried and you’ll never hear anything of it again.
This is not the first time that military personnel have been apparently caught in the preparation of a terrorist attack to be blamed on Arabs as part of a false flag.
As we reported in September 2005, two individuals wearing Arab clothes, wigs and headdress shooting at police in Basra were later discovered to be British SAS soldiers. According to the Basra governor Mohammed al-Waili, one policeman was shot dead and another was injured during an attack that was patently a set up to be blamed on insurgents.
Early media reports about the incident also stated that the men were carrying explosives, but this detail vanished from subsequent coverage.
The soldiers were arrested and taken to a nearby jail where they were confronted and interrogated by an Iraqi judge.
The initial demand from the puppet authorities that the soldiers be released was rejected by the Basra government. At that point tanks were sent in to “rescue” the SAS men amidst chaos that resulted in around 150 prisoners escaping from the jail.
The only outlet to ask any serious questions was Australian TV news which according to one viewer gave, “credibility to the conspiracy theorists who have long claimed many terrorist acts in Iraq are, in fact, being initiated and carried out by US, British and Israeli forces.”
link:http://www.prisonplanet.com/potential-false-flag-attack-to-be-blamed-on-muslims-foiled.html
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A possible false flag terror attack to be blamed on Muslims has been foiled after a Navy vet was busted with a grenade launcher, assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, as well as Arab headdress, in New Jersey yesterday. Initial media reports speculated that the man was planning a terrorist attack on a U.S. military base in the area.
“Lloyd Woodson, 43, whose last known address was Reston, Va., today faces multiple offenses, including second-degree unlawful weapons possession and fourth-degree possession of prohibited weapons, Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest said,” reports the New Jersey Star Ledger.
“Branchburg police confronted Woodson at 3:55 a.m. at the Quick Chek convenience store on Route 28 after receiving a call reporting a suspicious person. Branchburg Patrolman Steven Cronce noticed a large bulge beneath the green, military-style jacket that Woodson was wearing, which was later determined to be the assault rifle with a defaced serial number, Forrest said.”
After searching his hotel room, police found a grenade launcher, hundreds .50-caliber and .308-caliber rounds, a police scanner, as well as “Middle Eastern red and white traditional headdress”.
“The man may have had plans to attack a U.S. military base,” reported Fox New Jersey, adding that the amount of weapons he had led police to suspect he was a terrorist.
The FBI were remarkably swift in distancing the man from any link with terrorists, despite the fact that his deadly arsenal was accompanied by maps of a military facility.
“The FBI said a man charged with multiple weapons offenses after a cache of weapons and maps of a military facility were found in his New Jersey motel room has no known terrorism link,” reported the Associated Press this morning.
Imagine if a Muslim had been busted with grenade launchers, assault rifles, and maps of military facilities. Authorities and the media would instantly claim he was part of an Al-Qaeda conspiracy and launch all kinds of fearmongering about the inevitability of getting hit again by terrorists unless we give up our rights – just as they did in the aftermath of the failed underwear bombing incident.
Within days, the ghost of Osama Bin Laden would once again be manufactured to claim involvement and members of the military-industrial complex would be pimping their latest hi-tech tools of enslavement.
However, because this was probably a false flag operation gone awry, it will be buried and you’ll never hear anything of it again.
This is not the first time that military personnel have been apparently caught in the preparation of a terrorist attack to be blamed on Arabs as part of a false flag.
As we reported in September 2005, two individuals wearing Arab clothes, wigs and headdress shooting at police in Basra were later discovered to be British SAS soldiers. According to the Basra governor Mohammed al-Waili, one policeman was shot dead and another was injured during an attack that was patently a set up to be blamed on insurgents.
Early media reports about the incident also stated that the men were carrying explosives, but this detail vanished from subsequent coverage.
The soldiers were arrested and taken to a nearby jail where they were confronted and interrogated by an Iraqi judge.
The initial demand from the puppet authorities that the soldiers be released was rejected by the Basra government. At that point tanks were sent in to “rescue” the SAS men amidst chaos that resulted in around 150 prisoners escaping from the jail.
The only outlet to ask any serious questions was Australian TV news which according to one viewer gave, “credibility to the conspiracy theorists who have long claimed many terrorist acts in Iraq are, in fact, being initiated and carried out by US, British and Israeli forces.”
link:http://www.prisonplanet.com/potential-false-flag-attack-to-be-blamed-on-muslims-foiled.html
Polish bishop accuses Jews of exploiting Holocaust
Tadeusz Pieronek says, 'Holocaust as such is a Jewish invention used to obtain advantages that are often unjustified,' claims Israel treating Palestinians 'like animals'
AFP and Ynetnews
Published: 01.25.10, 18:14 / Israel News
A retired Polish bishop accused Jews of exploiting the Holocaust for propaganda purposes in remarks that appeared Monday on a Rome-based traditionalist Roman Catholic website.
"While it is undeniable that most of those who died in the concentration camps were Jews, there were also gypsies, Poles, Italians and Catholics on the list," Tadeusz Pieronek wrote on the website pontifex.roma.it.
Int'l Holocaust Memorial Day
PM at Yad Vashem: Stop evil / Ronen Medzini
Prime minister says on eve of International Holocaust Memorial Day, 'There is evil that can spread, which threatens security of Jews.' While he did not mention Iran explicitly, Netanyahu noted: 'There are new haters of Judaism with new reasons to destroy Jewish state. This is our concern'
Full Story
"So it is not permissible to appropriate this tragedy for propaganda," he said in the posting, two days ahead of the 65th International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
"There were lots of Poles, but this truth is often ignored today," added Pieronek, 75.
"The Holocaust as such is a Jewish invention," said the former spokesman of Poland's Bishops Conference. The Shoah is "used as a propaganda weapon and to obtain advantages that are often unjustified," he charged.
Pieronek, who was a friend of the late Polish pope John Paul II, added: "You could speak just as forcefully and establish a day of remembrance for the many victims of communism, persecuted Catholics and Christians and so on."
Accusing Jews of "intolerable arrogance," he said they "enjoy good press because they are supported by powerful financial means, enormous power and the unconditional backing of the United States."
Pieronek also criticized Israel for building a separation wall between its territory and the West Bank, which he called "a colossal injustice against the Palestinians, who are treated like animals and whose (basic) rights are violated, to say the least."
Calling for a day honoring the Palestinians, Pieronek lamented that "with the connivance of international lobbies, we don't talk about these things much."
January 27 marks the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp in German-occupied Poland in 1945.
"Of course all this does not deny the shame of the concentration camps and the aberrations of Nazism," Pieronek said.
The European Jewish Congress said it was "shocked" by Bishop Pieronek's comments.
“We find it unacceptable that an important religious figure in Poland, only a few days away from International Holocaust Remembrance Day, is capable of making such inflammatory and false remarks” stated EJC President Dr. Moshe Kantor.
“The false accusations made by Bishop Pieronek once again show the underlying anti-Semitism that still lingers among some European clergymen in the Catholic Church – especially in regards to the Holocaust,” he said.
AFP and Ynetnews
Published: 01.25.10, 18:14 / Israel News
A retired Polish bishop accused Jews of exploiting the Holocaust for propaganda purposes in remarks that appeared Monday on a Rome-based traditionalist Roman Catholic website.
"While it is undeniable that most of those who died in the concentration camps were Jews, there were also gypsies, Poles, Italians and Catholics on the list," Tadeusz Pieronek wrote on the website pontifex.roma.it.
Int'l Holocaust Memorial Day
PM at Yad Vashem: Stop evil / Ronen Medzini
Prime minister says on eve of International Holocaust Memorial Day, 'There is evil that can spread, which threatens security of Jews.' While he did not mention Iran explicitly, Netanyahu noted: 'There are new haters of Judaism with new reasons to destroy Jewish state. This is our concern'
Full Story
"So it is not permissible to appropriate this tragedy for propaganda," he said in the posting, two days ahead of the 65th International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
"There were lots of Poles, but this truth is often ignored today," added Pieronek, 75.
"The Holocaust as such is a Jewish invention," said the former spokesman of Poland's Bishops Conference. The Shoah is "used as a propaganda weapon and to obtain advantages that are often unjustified," he charged.
Pieronek, who was a friend of the late Polish pope John Paul II, added: "You could speak just as forcefully and establish a day of remembrance for the many victims of communism, persecuted Catholics and Christians and so on."
Accusing Jews of "intolerable arrogance," he said they "enjoy good press because they are supported by powerful financial means, enormous power and the unconditional backing of the United States."
Pieronek also criticized Israel for building a separation wall between its territory and the West Bank, which he called "a colossal injustice against the Palestinians, who are treated like animals and whose (basic) rights are violated, to say the least."
Calling for a day honoring the Palestinians, Pieronek lamented that "with the connivance of international lobbies, we don't talk about these things much."
January 27 marks the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp in German-occupied Poland in 1945.
"Of course all this does not deny the shame of the concentration camps and the aberrations of Nazism," Pieronek said.
The European Jewish Congress said it was "shocked" by Bishop Pieronek's comments.
“We find it unacceptable that an important religious figure in Poland, only a few days away from International Holocaust Remembrance Day, is capable of making such inflammatory and false remarks” stated EJC President Dr. Moshe Kantor.
“The false accusations made by Bishop Pieronek once again show the underlying anti-Semitism that still lingers among some European clergymen in the Catholic Church – especially in regards to the Holocaust,” he said.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Turkey says Israel threatening global peace
Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:05:11 GMT
urkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lashed out at Israel over the violation of Lebanese airspace through which it threatens peace in the region.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Saad Hariri, Erdogan said Israel has to stop violating Lebanon's airspace and its territorial waters, the Associated Press reported on Monday.
"We can never remain silent in the face of Israel's attitude. ... It has disproportionate power and it is using that at will while refusing to abide by UN resolutions. We can never accept this picture,” Erdogan said.
“These steps threaten global peace," he warned.
Hariri also described Israel as an enemy that threatens his country's security through "its violation of our airspace and waters.”
Lebanese army said earlier in the day that its anti-aircraft artillery fired at Israeli fighter jets flying over the country's southern airspace.
The Lebanese army reports almost every day violations of its airspace by Israeli warplanes.
SB/HGH/MMN
Related Stories:
* Lebanon fires at Israeli jets violating its airspace
* Lebanese PM heading to Turkey
* UNIFIL soldier killed in car crash in Lebanon
* Israel luring teenage students to join army
urkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lashed out at Israel over the violation of Lebanese airspace through which it threatens peace in the region.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Saad Hariri, Erdogan said Israel has to stop violating Lebanon's airspace and its territorial waters, the Associated Press reported on Monday.
"We can never remain silent in the face of Israel's attitude. ... It has disproportionate power and it is using that at will while refusing to abide by UN resolutions. We can never accept this picture,” Erdogan said.
“These steps threaten global peace," he warned.
Hariri also described Israel as an enemy that threatens his country's security through "its violation of our airspace and waters.”
Lebanese army said earlier in the day that its anti-aircraft artillery fired at Israeli fighter jets flying over the country's southern airspace.
The Lebanese army reports almost every day violations of its airspace by Israeli warplanes.
SB/HGH/MMN
Related Stories:
* Lebanon fires at Israeli jets violating its airspace
* Lebanese PM heading to Turkey
* UNIFIL soldier killed in car crash in Lebanon
* Israel luring teenage students to join army
Israel accuses Turkish PM of anti Semitism
Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:51:23 GMT
Israel has accused Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of inciting "anti-Semitism" by making remarks on the war crimes committed against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
A new report prepared by the foreign ministry in Tel Aviv charges that although Erdogan has stresses that anti-Semitism is "a crime against humanity," he "indirectly incites and encourages" it in Turkey, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
"In our estimate, ever since his party took power, Erdogan has conducted an ongoing process of ... fashioning a negative view of Israel in Turkish public opinion," through endless talks of Palestinian suffering, repeatedly accusing Israel of war crimes and even "anti-Semitic expressions and incitement," read the report.
The seven-page report written by the Center for Political Research has already been distributed to Israeli embassies and consulates abroad.
"For Erdogan and some of those around him," the report claimed, "there is no distinction between 'Israeli' and 'Jewish,' and therefore, [their] anti-Israel fervor and criticism become anti-Jewish."
"Turkey today, under the leadership of the AKP [Erdogan's Justice and Development Party], is different from the Turkey with which Israel forged a strategic relationship in the early 1990s," the report concluded.
Relations between Israel and Turkey began to deteriorate after Erdogan publicly slammed Israel over its late 2008 incursion into Gaza and charged the regime with committing "barbarian" acts against the Palestinian civilians.
Israel has accused Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of inciting "anti-Semitism" by making remarks on the war crimes committed against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
A new report prepared by the foreign ministry in Tel Aviv charges that although Erdogan has stresses that anti-Semitism is "a crime against humanity," he "indirectly incites and encourages" it in Turkey, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
"In our estimate, ever since his party took power, Erdogan has conducted an ongoing process of ... fashioning a negative view of Israel in Turkish public opinion," through endless talks of Palestinian suffering, repeatedly accusing Israel of war crimes and even "anti-Semitic expressions and incitement," read the report.
The seven-page report written by the Center for Political Research has already been distributed to Israeli embassies and consulates abroad.
"For Erdogan and some of those around him," the report claimed, "there is no distinction between 'Israeli' and 'Jewish,' and therefore, [their] anti-Israel fervor and criticism become anti-Jewish."
"Turkey today, under the leadership of the AKP [Erdogan's Justice and Development Party], is different from the Turkey with which Israel forged a strategic relationship in the early 1990s," the report concluded.
Relations between Israel and Turkey began to deteriorate after Erdogan publicly slammed Israel over its late 2008 incursion into Gaza and charged the regime with committing "barbarian" acts against the Palestinian civilians.
Exxon, Shell sign deal for Iraq's W.Qurna Phase One
BAGHDAD, Jan 25 (Reuters) - U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) signed a final contract on Monday for the development of Iraq's 8.7-billion-barrel West Qurna Phase One oilfield.
Stocks
The partners, who will work with an Iraqi state-run oil company, won the right to develop the supergiant field in negotiations with the Oil Ministry last year following Iraq's June oilfield auction, the first since the 2003 U.S. invasion. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed, editing by Michael Christie and Amanda Cooper)
Stocks
The partners, who will work with an Iraqi state-run oil company, won the right to develop the supergiant field in negotiations with the Oil Ministry last year following Iraq's June oilfield auction, the first since the 2003 U.S. invasion. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed, editing by Michael Christie and Amanda Cooper)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
“WAITING FOR ARMAGEDDON” a Film Review by Fern Sidman
A Film By: Franco Sacchi, Kate Davis and David Heilbroner
Reviewed by: Fern Sidman
In an hour and a quarter, filmmakers Franco Sacchi, Kate Davis and David Heilbroner take us through a tumultuous journey to the final scenario of the world as we know it, as they present the religious prophecies of the 50 million strong American Evangelical Christian movement in a new and powerful documentary entitled, “Waiting For Armageddon.” Riding the wave of the all pervasive eschatological (or End Times) phenomenon that has, in recent years, been highly touted in the media and in literary circles; the filmmakers provide an in depth view of what some interpret to be the Biblically mandated perspective on the final days of our universe. Told in the first person voices of mainstream Christians who subscribe to the beliefs of the evangelical church, they inform us that the end of days will occur in the Land of Israel, with the Jewish people figuring prominently in this venue.
“The Jewish people are G-d’s chosen people” says one American Christian, “and as such they are a light unto the nations. Whoever blesses the Jews will be blessed and whoever curses them will be cursed”, he continues. Providing historical proof of the downfall of the nations that have attempted to eradicate the Jewish nation such as the Babylonians, the Assyrian-Greeks, the Romans, as well as the Nazis, the Christian spokesperson lauds the Jewish people as G-d’s treasured, cherished nation, not to be fooled with. The predicate for their belief emanates from the Book of Revelations and is outlined in four stages – The Rapture, The Tribulation, The Apocalypse and The Millennium.
The film incorporates multiple interviews with everyday, lay people such as James and Laura Bagg, a Connecticut couple who are employed as jet propulsion engineers, Tony and Devonna Edwards of McAlester, Oklahoma and Dr. H. Wayne House of Salem, Oregon who explain in chilling detail the catastrophic and violent events that will unfold in the end of days. We also hear from an Orthodox Jewish scholar who casts aspersions on the ominous prognostications of the evangelicals as well as professors of religious studies and an evangelical tour guide that leads a group to Israel so that they may visit the Temple Mount and other sites such as Meggido.
Clearly, the foundation of their belief rests upon their interpretation of the second coming of Jesus, and they promulgate that notion as a potential, “World War III” in which they will be “raptured” or lifted into the skies to join their perceived messiah while the remainder of humanity suffers for seven years during “The Tribulation”. During this time, they assert with great assuredness that an anti-Christ will emerge and the nations of the world will coalesce to attack Israel and the Jewish people. While they proclaim the immense and pivotal role of Israel will play; it is because of their belief that the battle of Armageddon will take place there and they further claim that the battle will leave the earth ravaged and that their purported messiah will create a new and perfect world. The Jews they say, will eventually abrogate their belief in a monotheistic G-d and embrace the teachings of their deity. “The blood from this battle will be as high as a horse’s bridle. It’s just something mankind has never witnessed before” says Laura Bagg.
As to their take on the Muslims and Islam in the Middle East, the Christian tour guide states that in order for the future biblical prophecies to unfold, “the Dome of the Rock, the Al Aqsa mosque must be removed” and as such shows a photo of his group in Jerusalem with an image of the Beit HaMikdash (the Second Temple) superimposed over the golden dome symbolizing the Al Aqsa mosque. While the filmmakers probe the politically powerful and potentially explosive alliance between evangelical Christians and Israel by clarifying this elusive relationship in the hopes of fostering dialogue among dissenting groups, many questions remain about the dubious agenda they have foisted upon the Jewish people and the ultimate goal of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of international holy war.
Right now however, it appears that Christian evangelicals and the Jewish people share a common threat arising from the spread of radical Islam. Pastor John Hagee, a fervent Christian Zionist leader, and an enormously influential minister of an 18,000 member mega-church in Texas, declares in this film, “There is a war between Islamofascism and freedom. There is a war between the culture of death (the Muslims) and those who love life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (Christians and Jews). It is a war we must win.” Something to ruminate upon as madmen, such as Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continue to pursue their global nuclear ambitions.
———————————————-
Fern Sidman holds a B.A, in political science from Brooklyn College. She was the educational coordinator for the Betar Youth Movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She was national director of the Jewish Defense League from 1983-1985. She was a researcher for several books written by Rabbi Meir Kahane, ZTK”L. She was the managing editor of the publication entitled, The Voice of Judea, and is a regular contributor to its web site. She is currently a writer and journalist living in New York City. Her articles have appeared in The Jewish Press, The Jewish Advocate, The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, and numerous Jewish and general web sites including, Front Page Magazine, Daniel Pipes and Michael Freund.
We are delighted to have Ms. Sidman as a regular contributor to the Jesus is Lord, A Worshipping Christian’s Blog.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at 8:24 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Reviewed by: Fern Sidman
In an hour and a quarter, filmmakers Franco Sacchi, Kate Davis and David Heilbroner take us through a tumultuous journey to the final scenario of the world as we know it, as they present the religious prophecies of the 50 million strong American Evangelical Christian movement in a new and powerful documentary entitled, “Waiting For Armageddon.” Riding the wave of the all pervasive eschatological (or End Times) phenomenon that has, in recent years, been highly touted in the media and in literary circles; the filmmakers provide an in depth view of what some interpret to be the Biblically mandated perspective on the final days of our universe. Told in the first person voices of mainstream Christians who subscribe to the beliefs of the evangelical church, they inform us that the end of days will occur in the Land of Israel, with the Jewish people figuring prominently in this venue.
“The Jewish people are G-d’s chosen people” says one American Christian, “and as such they are a light unto the nations. Whoever blesses the Jews will be blessed and whoever curses them will be cursed”, he continues. Providing historical proof of the downfall of the nations that have attempted to eradicate the Jewish nation such as the Babylonians, the Assyrian-Greeks, the Romans, as well as the Nazis, the Christian spokesperson lauds the Jewish people as G-d’s treasured, cherished nation, not to be fooled with. The predicate for their belief emanates from the Book of Revelations and is outlined in four stages – The Rapture, The Tribulation, The Apocalypse and The Millennium.
The film incorporates multiple interviews with everyday, lay people such as James and Laura Bagg, a Connecticut couple who are employed as jet propulsion engineers, Tony and Devonna Edwards of McAlester, Oklahoma and Dr. H. Wayne House of Salem, Oregon who explain in chilling detail the catastrophic and violent events that will unfold in the end of days. We also hear from an Orthodox Jewish scholar who casts aspersions on the ominous prognostications of the evangelicals as well as professors of religious studies and an evangelical tour guide that leads a group to Israel so that they may visit the Temple Mount and other sites such as Meggido.
Clearly, the foundation of their belief rests upon their interpretation of the second coming of Jesus, and they promulgate that notion as a potential, “World War III” in which they will be “raptured” or lifted into the skies to join their perceived messiah while the remainder of humanity suffers for seven years during “The Tribulation”. During this time, they assert with great assuredness that an anti-Christ will emerge and the nations of the world will coalesce to attack Israel and the Jewish people. While they proclaim the immense and pivotal role of Israel will play; it is because of their belief that the battle of Armageddon will take place there and they further claim that the battle will leave the earth ravaged and that their purported messiah will create a new and perfect world. The Jews they say, will eventually abrogate their belief in a monotheistic G-d and embrace the teachings of their deity. “The blood from this battle will be as high as a horse’s bridle. It’s just something mankind has never witnessed before” says Laura Bagg.
As to their take on the Muslims and Islam in the Middle East, the Christian tour guide states that in order for the future biblical prophecies to unfold, “the Dome of the Rock, the Al Aqsa mosque must be removed” and as such shows a photo of his group in Jerusalem with an image of the Beit HaMikdash (the Second Temple) superimposed over the golden dome symbolizing the Al Aqsa mosque. While the filmmakers probe the politically powerful and potentially explosive alliance between evangelical Christians and Israel by clarifying this elusive relationship in the hopes of fostering dialogue among dissenting groups, many questions remain about the dubious agenda they have foisted upon the Jewish people and the ultimate goal of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of international holy war.
Right now however, it appears that Christian evangelicals and the Jewish people share a common threat arising from the spread of radical Islam. Pastor John Hagee, a fervent Christian Zionist leader, and an enormously influential minister of an 18,000 member mega-church in Texas, declares in this film, “There is a war between Islamofascism and freedom. There is a war between the culture of death (the Muslims) and those who love life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (Christians and Jews). It is a war we must win.” Something to ruminate upon as madmen, such as Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continue to pursue their global nuclear ambitions.
———————————————-
Fern Sidman holds a B.A, in political science from Brooklyn College. She was the educational coordinator for the Betar Youth Movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She was national director of the Jewish Defense League from 1983-1985. She was a researcher for several books written by Rabbi Meir Kahane, ZTK”L. She was the managing editor of the publication entitled, The Voice of Judea, and is a regular contributor to its web site. She is currently a writer and journalist living in New York City. Her articles have appeared in The Jewish Press, The Jewish Advocate, The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, and numerous Jewish and general web sites including, Front Page Magazine, Daniel Pipes and Michael Freund.
We are delighted to have Ms. Sidman as a regular contributor to the Jesus is Lord, A Worshipping Christian’s Blog.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at 8:24 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
...al aqsa di palestin...
Al-Aqsa ....
Since the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967 the Zionist fundamentalists have staged over a hundred attacks on Masjid al Aqsa Haram Shareef. Until recently attacks on Masjid al Aqsa were in principle discouraged by the successive Israeli government.
However, the Zionists policy to remove all sites of religious significance belonging to the other faiths from Jerusalem has grown in momentum and the desire to build the Third Temple on the site of Masjid al Aqsa is becoming real. However, according to the Halachah, the Jewish code of law and doctrine, the most critical requirement for rebuilding the Temple, the coming of Messiah, has to be fulfilled. Hence the construction of the Temple until then would actually be in violation of Jewish beliefs. But, the Zionists and their parallel friends in the Christian Zionism have their enthusiasm outstripped by knowledge and from the time of occupation in 1967 Jews began their prayers in the area of Masjid al Aqsa Haram Shareef. Below is a brief list of attacks on Masjid al Aqsa since the illegal Zionist occupation of Jerusalem:
1967 Jewish zealots begin prayers within the Masjid al Aqsa sanctuary, despite the prohibition by the chief Rabbanate of Jews of even setting a foot in it (for fear of violating its sanctity according to Judaic law).
1969 Masjid al Aqsa set on fire. Entire south wing burnt down including the precious Mimbar (pulpit) of Nuradeen commissioned 700 years ago and installed by the great Muslim hero Salahuddin al Ayubi. The man found guilty had sought refuge in a kibbutz and was set free after receiving psychiatric counselling.
1970 Members of the Temple Mount Faithful group, dedicated to demolishing Masjid al Aqsa forcibly entered the Masjid al Aqsa. They were repulsed by the Muslims who suffered casualties from Israeli troop gunfire.
1976 Israeli Courts passed a law permitting Jews to pray in Masjid al Aqsa After much rioting, later to be revoked.
Sept 1979 Jewish extremists blocked one of the entrances to Masjid al Aqsa on Friday, pointing guns to worshippers.
May 1981 The adhan (call to Muslim prayer) was prohibited from the minaret overlooking the Western Wall because of Jewish celebration.
From 1980s Harassment and acts of sabotage escalated. In August of 1981 an Israeli helicopter hovered at low altitude over Masjid al Aqsa preventing worshippers inside from hearing the Khutba.
1981 Tunnels discovered under the Masjid al Aqsa sanctuary. World condemnation followed.
April 1982 A parcel with a fake bomb and threat signed by Jewish extremists was discovered at one of the gates.
April 1982 An ex Israeli army officer opened fire, killing two Muslims and filling the interior and exterior of the Dome of the Rock with bullet marks.
June 1982 An Israeli was arrested and then released for trying to blow up Masjid al Aqsa.
Summer 1982 Jewish fundamentalists attempted to enter Masjid al Aqsa with leaflets inciting Jews to take over the Haram Shareef.
Jan 1983 The Temple Mount Fund was established in Israel, Europe and America to raise funds for rebuilding the Jewish Temple on the site of Masjid al Aqsa.
March 1983 Explosives discovered at an entrance gate and four armed Israelis were discovered attempting to enter the Masjid al Aqsa. Six months later they were acquitted in Israeli courts.
Jan 1984 Jews attempted to climb the walls of Masjid al Aqsa with ladders in the middle of the night armed with ammunition.
1984 Armed Israeli guards start patrolling the Masjid al Aqsa. Their behaviour and presence inimical to the sanctity of Muslim holy site.
15 June 1988 Israeli troops stormed Masjid al Aqsa, firing tear gas into groups of worshippers
July 1988 Further tunnels discovered which sparked further unrest.
6 Oct 1990 Israeli troops opened fire on worshippers murdering 22 and wounding hundreds.
March 1996 Israelis re-opened a tunnel under the Masjid al Aqsa, resulting in confrontations, which resulted in the death of more than 70 Palestinians.
Tunnelling - The excavations under the Masjid al Aqsa are leading to dangerous cracks in buildings adjoining the Western Wall. Archaeologists believe that the tunnels have weakened the building structures within the Haram Shareef. It is believed that a slight tremor, which this area is prone to, will cause the Masjid al Aqsa to collapse. Many are of the opinion this is one of the main reasons for digging tunnels under the Masjid al Aqsa by the Zionists.
March 1997 Birth of a red heifer celebrated by Israelis as a sign from God to destroy the Masjid al Aqsa. This is to be accomplished when the heifer is 3 years old, coinciding with
March 2000.
Oct 1997 Zionist attempted to lay a 4.5 ton rock as a cornerstone for the foundation of their Temple but were repulsed.
May 1999 A recent book published is claiming that the Ark of the Covenant (a box containing the scrolls of Jewish Law from the time of Prophet Musa) is buried under the Masjid al Aqsa and should be retrieved. Although this theory is contrary to all modern scholarly research.
The Jewish fundamentalist aspiration to build a Jewish Temple has become more open. They openly declare their aims and objectives and are seeking financial and political backing from Europe and USA without any hindrance. Their architectural plans of the Temple are distributed throughout Jerusalem. The scale model together with various other aspects of the proposed Temple are placed in the lobby of Land Hotel, Jerusalem.
Recently around a dozen Jewish fundamentalist groups joined together to form an umbrella organisation called the United Association of Movement for the Holy Temple (UAMHT). Another staunch extremist group is of Gershom Solomon's, the Temple Mount Faithful. These groups are gripped in a frenzy of hate and ardent desire to blow up the Masjid al Aqsa
The UN Security Council has passed more than 20 resolutions condemning Israels annexation of East Jerusalem and its military occupation of the West Bank.
If the Israeli enthusiasm for moving Palestinians out of their houses is anything to go by, not to mention their history of blowing them up, then all concerned individuals had better keep an eye on Masjid al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock. Because every day that passes the pressure is increasing. The Jewish extremists historically and theologically challenged viewpoint is working its way into the mainstream and is actively being taken up by parallel groups of Zionist Christian extremists who believe that the construction of the Temple would herald the End Times and the return of Jesus, peace be upon him. It is up to the honourable members of the International community to check their advance.
We at, Friends of Al Aqsa are trying to increase awareness to the dangers faced by Masjid al Aqsa and lobby appropriate departments to insure its safety.
_________________
Since the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967 the Zionist fundamentalists have staged over a hundred attacks on Masjid al Aqsa Haram Shareef. Until recently attacks on Masjid al Aqsa were in principle discouraged by the successive Israeli government.
However, the Zionists policy to remove all sites of religious significance belonging to the other faiths from Jerusalem has grown in momentum and the desire to build the Third Temple on the site of Masjid al Aqsa is becoming real. However, according to the Halachah, the Jewish code of law and doctrine, the most critical requirement for rebuilding the Temple, the coming of Messiah, has to be fulfilled. Hence the construction of the Temple until then would actually be in violation of Jewish beliefs. But, the Zionists and their parallel friends in the Christian Zionism have their enthusiasm outstripped by knowledge and from the time of occupation in 1967 Jews began their prayers in the area of Masjid al Aqsa Haram Shareef. Below is a brief list of attacks on Masjid al Aqsa since the illegal Zionist occupation of Jerusalem:
1967 Jewish zealots begin prayers within the Masjid al Aqsa sanctuary, despite the prohibition by the chief Rabbanate of Jews of even setting a foot in it (for fear of violating its sanctity according to Judaic law).
1969 Masjid al Aqsa set on fire. Entire south wing burnt down including the precious Mimbar (pulpit) of Nuradeen commissioned 700 years ago and installed by the great Muslim hero Salahuddin al Ayubi. The man found guilty had sought refuge in a kibbutz and was set free after receiving psychiatric counselling.
1970 Members of the Temple Mount Faithful group, dedicated to demolishing Masjid al Aqsa forcibly entered the Masjid al Aqsa. They were repulsed by the Muslims who suffered casualties from Israeli troop gunfire.
1976 Israeli Courts passed a law permitting Jews to pray in Masjid al Aqsa After much rioting, later to be revoked.
Sept 1979 Jewish extremists blocked one of the entrances to Masjid al Aqsa on Friday, pointing guns to worshippers.
May 1981 The adhan (call to Muslim prayer) was prohibited from the minaret overlooking the Western Wall because of Jewish celebration.
From 1980s Harassment and acts of sabotage escalated. In August of 1981 an Israeli helicopter hovered at low altitude over Masjid al Aqsa preventing worshippers inside from hearing the Khutba.
1981 Tunnels discovered under the Masjid al Aqsa sanctuary. World condemnation followed.
April 1982 A parcel with a fake bomb and threat signed by Jewish extremists was discovered at one of the gates.
April 1982 An ex Israeli army officer opened fire, killing two Muslims and filling the interior and exterior of the Dome of the Rock with bullet marks.
June 1982 An Israeli was arrested and then released for trying to blow up Masjid al Aqsa.
Summer 1982 Jewish fundamentalists attempted to enter Masjid al Aqsa with leaflets inciting Jews to take over the Haram Shareef.
Jan 1983 The Temple Mount Fund was established in Israel, Europe and America to raise funds for rebuilding the Jewish Temple on the site of Masjid al Aqsa.
March 1983 Explosives discovered at an entrance gate and four armed Israelis were discovered attempting to enter the Masjid al Aqsa. Six months later they were acquitted in Israeli courts.
Jan 1984 Jews attempted to climb the walls of Masjid al Aqsa with ladders in the middle of the night armed with ammunition.
1984 Armed Israeli guards start patrolling the Masjid al Aqsa. Their behaviour and presence inimical to the sanctity of Muslim holy site.
15 June 1988 Israeli troops stormed Masjid al Aqsa, firing tear gas into groups of worshippers
July 1988 Further tunnels discovered which sparked further unrest.
6 Oct 1990 Israeli troops opened fire on worshippers murdering 22 and wounding hundreds.
March 1996 Israelis re-opened a tunnel under the Masjid al Aqsa, resulting in confrontations, which resulted in the death of more than 70 Palestinians.
Tunnelling - The excavations under the Masjid al Aqsa are leading to dangerous cracks in buildings adjoining the Western Wall. Archaeologists believe that the tunnels have weakened the building structures within the Haram Shareef. It is believed that a slight tremor, which this area is prone to, will cause the Masjid al Aqsa to collapse. Many are of the opinion this is one of the main reasons for digging tunnels under the Masjid al Aqsa by the Zionists.
March 1997 Birth of a red heifer celebrated by Israelis as a sign from God to destroy the Masjid al Aqsa. This is to be accomplished when the heifer is 3 years old, coinciding with
March 2000.
Oct 1997 Zionist attempted to lay a 4.5 ton rock as a cornerstone for the foundation of their Temple but were repulsed.
May 1999 A recent book published is claiming that the Ark of the Covenant (a box containing the scrolls of Jewish Law from the time of Prophet Musa) is buried under the Masjid al Aqsa and should be retrieved. Although this theory is contrary to all modern scholarly research.
The Jewish fundamentalist aspiration to build a Jewish Temple has become more open. They openly declare their aims and objectives and are seeking financial and political backing from Europe and USA without any hindrance. Their architectural plans of the Temple are distributed throughout Jerusalem. The scale model together with various other aspects of the proposed Temple are placed in the lobby of Land Hotel, Jerusalem.
Recently around a dozen Jewish fundamentalist groups joined together to form an umbrella organisation called the United Association of Movement for the Holy Temple (UAMHT). Another staunch extremist group is of Gershom Solomon's, the Temple Mount Faithful. These groups are gripped in a frenzy of hate and ardent desire to blow up the Masjid al Aqsa
The UN Security Council has passed more than 20 resolutions condemning Israels annexation of East Jerusalem and its military occupation of the West Bank.
If the Israeli enthusiasm for moving Palestinians out of their houses is anything to go by, not to mention their history of blowing them up, then all concerned individuals had better keep an eye on Masjid al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock. Because every day that passes the pressure is increasing. The Jewish extremists historically and theologically challenged viewpoint is working its way into the mainstream and is actively being taken up by parallel groups of Zionist Christian extremists who believe that the construction of the Temple would herald the End Times and the return of Jesus, peace be upon him. It is up to the honourable members of the International community to check their advance.
We at, Friends of Al Aqsa are trying to increase awareness to the dangers faced by Masjid al Aqsa and lobby appropriate departments to insure its safety.
_________________
Sheikh Tamimi warns of Al-Aqsa mosque collapsing
Jerusalem – Ma’an – Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi, chief Islamic judge for the Palestinian Authority, warned that the Al-Aqsa Mosque suffers from cracks and fissures in the walls, a sign of its impending collapse, as a result of Israeli excavations below it, he said on Monday.
Sheikh Tamimi further warned that houses in the surround neighborhood are at risk resulting from the Israeli Antiquities Authority working a night and removing dozens of bags with stones from the excavation site south of the mosque.
He further spoke of the rise in extremist Jewish, as well as military intrusion into the compound, including the entry of 50 students from various departments of archeology in Israeli universities to undertake research and of settlers while women prayed, he said.
The Sheikh held the Israeli government responsible for the collapses and deterioration around the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surrounding environs and cautioned that Islamic and Christian sites are in jeopardy.
Sheikh Tamimi further called on Arabs and Muslims throughout the world to assist in halting the on-going Israeli excavations near the holy site.
His comments follow the another collapse in the Silwan neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem on Monday, creating a 12 meter square hole in the middle of Wadi Hilwah street.
Sheikh Tamimi further warned that houses in the surround neighborhood are at risk resulting from the Israeli Antiquities Authority working a night and removing dozens of bags with stones from the excavation site south of the mosque.
He further spoke of the rise in extremist Jewish, as well as military intrusion into the compound, including the entry of 50 students from various departments of archeology in Israeli universities to undertake research and of settlers while women prayed, he said.
The Sheikh held the Israeli government responsible for the collapses and deterioration around the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surrounding environs and cautioned that Islamic and Christian sites are in jeopardy.
Sheikh Tamimi further called on Arabs and Muslims throughout the world to assist in halting the on-going Israeli excavations near the holy site.
His comments follow the another collapse in the Silwan neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem on Monday, creating a 12 meter square hole in the middle of Wadi Hilwah street.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Silwan Street Collapse Increases, Meters Away From Al Aqsa Mosque Wall
Tuesday January 19, 2010 10:38
by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News Report post
The Committee for Defending the Lands and Structures in Silwan town, in East Jerusalem, reported that the land slide and collapse that took place on Monday morning in the main road of Wadi Hilwa in Silwan had significantly increase due to the rain.
The first collapse took place due to the ongoing underground constructions and excavations carried out by Israeli near the Al Aqsa Mosque.
Local residents warned that the collapse could increase and reach the southern wall of the Al Aqsa Mosque as it is currently a few meters away from it. It could also lead to the collapse of several buildings and homes in the area, already fragile due to the ongoing illegal Israeli excavations.
Israel is constructing a network of tunnels that lead to the southern wall of the Al Aqsa mosque and underneath the mosque itself.
The Arabs48 news website reported that the Israeli police had to seal off the main road that links the town with its neighborhoods, and with Al Thoury area, Al Sawahra town, Jabal Al Mokabbir and Wadi Qaddoum.
He added that dozens of residents saw huge gaps under the road after Israel removed the rubble from the tunnels, and that the slides would continue to occur as the excavations are ongoing.
On Monday morning, a 3 X 4 meters slide took place in the center of Wadi Hilwa Street leading to structural damage, and injuries among the residents.
Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, the Mufti of Jerusalem and the Imam of the Al Aqsa Mosque, called on the International Community and Human Rights groups to intervene and stop the ongoing Israeli excavations under the Al Aqsa Mosque and in different areas in East Jerusalem.
Jawad Siyam, head of the Wadi Hilwa Information Center, said that the new collapse, 10 meters deep, is only a few meters away from a collapse that took place in the same area last week.
He added that a small truck that was parked in the area fell in the hole that resulted from the collapse, and that a child was wounded later on.
Also, rain waters flooded into the El Ein nearby mosque, the center point of illegal Israeli excavations.
category jerusalem | holy sites | news report author email saed at imemc dot org
by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News Report post
The Committee for Defending the Lands and Structures in Silwan town, in East Jerusalem, reported that the land slide and collapse that took place on Monday morning in the main road of Wadi Hilwa in Silwan had significantly increase due to the rain.
The first collapse took place due to the ongoing underground constructions and excavations carried out by Israeli near the Al Aqsa Mosque.
Local residents warned that the collapse could increase and reach the southern wall of the Al Aqsa Mosque as it is currently a few meters away from it. It could also lead to the collapse of several buildings and homes in the area, already fragile due to the ongoing illegal Israeli excavations.
Israel is constructing a network of tunnels that lead to the southern wall of the Al Aqsa mosque and underneath the mosque itself.
The Arabs48 news website reported that the Israeli police had to seal off the main road that links the town with its neighborhoods, and with Al Thoury area, Al Sawahra town, Jabal Al Mokabbir and Wadi Qaddoum.
He added that dozens of residents saw huge gaps under the road after Israel removed the rubble from the tunnels, and that the slides would continue to occur as the excavations are ongoing.
On Monday morning, a 3 X 4 meters slide took place in the center of Wadi Hilwa Street leading to structural damage, and injuries among the residents.
Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, the Mufti of Jerusalem and the Imam of the Al Aqsa Mosque, called on the International Community and Human Rights groups to intervene and stop the ongoing Israeli excavations under the Al Aqsa Mosque and in different areas in East Jerusalem.
Jawad Siyam, head of the Wadi Hilwa Information Center, said that the new collapse, 10 meters deep, is only a few meters away from a collapse that took place in the same area last week.
He added that a small truck that was parked in the area fell in the hole that resulted from the collapse, and that a child was wounded later on.
Also, rain waters flooded into the El Ein nearby mosque, the center point of illegal Israeli excavations.
category jerusalem | holy sites | news report author email saed at imemc dot org
Was swine flu threat exaggerated?
The Irish Times - Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The World Health Organisation stands accused of being unduly influenced by pharmaceutical companies, writes RONAN McGREEVY
WHEN IS A pandemic not a pandemic? That critical question will be debated next week by the Council of Europe in an investigation that is likely to have worldwide implications.
To date, the swine flu pandemic has killed more than 13,500 people worldwide. It is a significant number, but nowhere near some of the more ghastly estimates which surfaced when the H1N1 virus began in Mexico last June.
The figure contrasts with the 35,000 people who die in the US alone from common influenza every year.
There is now a growing feeling that the threat from swine flu was grossly exaggerated and billions were spent worldwide by governments stockpiling vaccines. There was talk of hundreds of thousands of deaths this winter, but, as the threat has receded, so has demand for the vaccine. To date in Ireland, almost 700,000 (one in six) of the population has been vaccinated even though the Government bought enough vaccines last summer to immunise 3.85 million people.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Pace) represents 47 countries throughout Europe.
Unlike the European Parliament, it has no decision-making powers, but, as was demonstrated by its report into extraordinary rendition, it does have the power to make life uncomfortable for the powers that be.
The impetus for a public inquiry has come from the president of the Health Committee of the Council of Europe Dr Wolfgang Wodarg, a German doctor and epidemiologist. Dr Wodarg’s charges against the WHO could hardly be more serious. He has accused it of changing the definition of a pandemic from one that breaks out in several continents at once and has above-average morbidity to one where the spread of the disease is constant.
Dr Wodarg says that the WHO is unduly influenced by pharmaceutical companies and that the declaration of a pandemic hugely enriched the industry at the expense of taxpayers and governments.
He also said it was strange that two vaccines were initially needed, not one, and that the swine flu epidemic could have been tackled using modifications of existing viruses. “There are systematic questions to be put so that we don’t get cheated by those who make us panic,” he said.
The WHO said it will vigorously defend itself and is conducting its own inquiry. Keiji Fukuda, special adviser to the WHO director-general on pandemic influenza, has said that “the world is going through a real pandemic” and “the description of it as a fake is both wrong and irresponsible”.
The pharmaceutical industry has also issued statements defending its position, but the public appears to believe that the threat was exaggerated given the huge stockpiles of unused vaccines – even allowing for the fact that only one vaccine is needed instead of two.
The Government ordered 7.7 million vaccines last summer, enough for two doses for each of the population. This was compromised of equal batches of Pandemrix, a vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline, and Celvapan, made by Baxter.
It has now emerged that a shot of Pandemrix is sufficient for both children and adults, except those with weakened immune systems. As a result the Government has renegotiated its contract with Baxter and will not be taking up 3.7 million doses of the Celvapan vaccine as had been originally ordered, resulting in a saving of between €25 million and €35 million from an original vaccine budget of €88 million.
The pattern is being repeated across Europe as countries scale back their vaccination plans. France wants to cancel 50 million of the 94 million doses it ordered. Switzerland is giving away more than half its store of vaccines to the WHO for distribution in other countries, as is the Netherlands. Germany and Spain are renegotiating their contracts with the pharmaceutical companies.
In the UK, Labour MP Paul Flynn, a member of the Council of Europe, is trying to find out how much money Britain spent on vaccines. “What we want to find out is whether this was decided on proper scientific basis or the pressure from pharmaceutical companies to make bigger profits. How powerful are the pharmaceutical companies in influencing the World Health Organisation?” he said.
Prof Patrick Wall, associate professor of public health at UCD, said the WHO had been “damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t” in declaring a pandemic and the fact that the swine flu outbreak was never as bad as predicted may be testament to the success of the vaccine programme that it encouraged states to implement.
Prof Wall recounted that the chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, had advised, even at the height of the swine flu scare, that the flu itself was relatively mild though there was no grounds for complacency. “I thought it was a good mantra,” Prof Wall added.
He also says that the H1N1 virus is no ordinary flu virus and it was necessary to develop a new vaccine.
“When this first happened, I said this virus would be the same as the other flu viruses, but I was wrong about that. It did not behave the same as a conventional flu virus. We needed to get the vaccine to vaccinate the vulnerable subset. There was no vaccine at the time, so we had to negotiate with the vaccine makers to make it. That was a legitimate approach.”
Prof Wall said the allegations against the WHO were serious and needed to be addressed if only to allay concerns in people’s minds about the objectivity of the organisation, which is the most important health body in the world. “His (Dr Wodarg’s) worries need to be banged on the head and sorted out, and an inquiry might help us learn lessons from this,” he said.
To date, GPs have administered 250,000 H1N1 jabs. A further 356,000 people were vaccinated in HSE clinics, 46,000 through schools and 45,000 health care workers were vaccinated.
Chairman of the Irish College of General Practitioners Dr Mark Walsh said the vaccination campaign was successful in targeting vulnerable groups. He said it was important to bear in mind that 22 people have died from the disease here and there have been nearly 1,800 confirmed cases. He believes things have not been as bad as feared because people took precautions in washing their hands regularly and there was also an element of good fortune, but the main reason was the vaccination programme.
“As the level of vaccination increased, the incidence of the disease decreased and there may be a relation between the two. We as GPs just have to take advice from public health experts. I’ve heard the arguments about whether that it is really a pandemic, but in pandemics, mutations can occur, so it might be too early to say it is an over-reaction.”
The World Health Organisation stands accused of being unduly influenced by pharmaceutical companies, writes RONAN McGREEVY
WHEN IS A pandemic not a pandemic? That critical question will be debated next week by the Council of Europe in an investigation that is likely to have worldwide implications.
To date, the swine flu pandemic has killed more than 13,500 people worldwide. It is a significant number, but nowhere near some of the more ghastly estimates which surfaced when the H1N1 virus began in Mexico last June.
The figure contrasts with the 35,000 people who die in the US alone from common influenza every year.
There is now a growing feeling that the threat from swine flu was grossly exaggerated and billions were spent worldwide by governments stockpiling vaccines. There was talk of hundreds of thousands of deaths this winter, but, as the threat has receded, so has demand for the vaccine. To date in Ireland, almost 700,000 (one in six) of the population has been vaccinated even though the Government bought enough vaccines last summer to immunise 3.85 million people.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Pace) represents 47 countries throughout Europe.
Unlike the European Parliament, it has no decision-making powers, but, as was demonstrated by its report into extraordinary rendition, it does have the power to make life uncomfortable for the powers that be.
The impetus for a public inquiry has come from the president of the Health Committee of the Council of Europe Dr Wolfgang Wodarg, a German doctor and epidemiologist. Dr Wodarg’s charges against the WHO could hardly be more serious. He has accused it of changing the definition of a pandemic from one that breaks out in several continents at once and has above-average morbidity to one where the spread of the disease is constant.
Dr Wodarg says that the WHO is unduly influenced by pharmaceutical companies and that the declaration of a pandemic hugely enriched the industry at the expense of taxpayers and governments.
He also said it was strange that two vaccines were initially needed, not one, and that the swine flu epidemic could have been tackled using modifications of existing viruses. “There are systematic questions to be put so that we don’t get cheated by those who make us panic,” he said.
The WHO said it will vigorously defend itself and is conducting its own inquiry. Keiji Fukuda, special adviser to the WHO director-general on pandemic influenza, has said that “the world is going through a real pandemic” and “the description of it as a fake is both wrong and irresponsible”.
The pharmaceutical industry has also issued statements defending its position, but the public appears to believe that the threat was exaggerated given the huge stockpiles of unused vaccines – even allowing for the fact that only one vaccine is needed instead of two.
The Government ordered 7.7 million vaccines last summer, enough for two doses for each of the population. This was compromised of equal batches of Pandemrix, a vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline, and Celvapan, made by Baxter.
It has now emerged that a shot of Pandemrix is sufficient for both children and adults, except those with weakened immune systems. As a result the Government has renegotiated its contract with Baxter and will not be taking up 3.7 million doses of the Celvapan vaccine as had been originally ordered, resulting in a saving of between €25 million and €35 million from an original vaccine budget of €88 million.
The pattern is being repeated across Europe as countries scale back their vaccination plans. France wants to cancel 50 million of the 94 million doses it ordered. Switzerland is giving away more than half its store of vaccines to the WHO for distribution in other countries, as is the Netherlands. Germany and Spain are renegotiating their contracts with the pharmaceutical companies.
In the UK, Labour MP Paul Flynn, a member of the Council of Europe, is trying to find out how much money Britain spent on vaccines. “What we want to find out is whether this was decided on proper scientific basis or the pressure from pharmaceutical companies to make bigger profits. How powerful are the pharmaceutical companies in influencing the World Health Organisation?” he said.
Prof Patrick Wall, associate professor of public health at UCD, said the WHO had been “damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t” in declaring a pandemic and the fact that the swine flu outbreak was never as bad as predicted may be testament to the success of the vaccine programme that it encouraged states to implement.
Prof Wall recounted that the chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, had advised, even at the height of the swine flu scare, that the flu itself was relatively mild though there was no grounds for complacency. “I thought it was a good mantra,” Prof Wall added.
He also says that the H1N1 virus is no ordinary flu virus and it was necessary to develop a new vaccine.
“When this first happened, I said this virus would be the same as the other flu viruses, but I was wrong about that. It did not behave the same as a conventional flu virus. We needed to get the vaccine to vaccinate the vulnerable subset. There was no vaccine at the time, so we had to negotiate with the vaccine makers to make it. That was a legitimate approach.”
Prof Wall said the allegations against the WHO were serious and needed to be addressed if only to allay concerns in people’s minds about the objectivity of the organisation, which is the most important health body in the world. “His (Dr Wodarg’s) worries need to be banged on the head and sorted out, and an inquiry might help us learn lessons from this,” he said.
To date, GPs have administered 250,000 H1N1 jabs. A further 356,000 people were vaccinated in HSE clinics, 46,000 through schools and 45,000 health care workers were vaccinated.
Chairman of the Irish College of General Practitioners Dr Mark Walsh said the vaccination campaign was successful in targeting vulnerable groups. He said it was important to bear in mind that 22 people have died from the disease here and there have been nearly 1,800 confirmed cases. He believes things have not been as bad as feared because people took precautions in washing their hands regularly and there was also an element of good fortune, but the main reason was the vaccination programme.
“As the level of vaccination increased, the incidence of the disease decreased and there may be a relation between the two. We as GPs just have to take advice from public health experts. I’ve heard the arguments about whether that it is really a pandemic, but in pandemics, mutations can occur, so it might be too early to say it is an over-reaction.”
Monday, January 18, 2010
German protesters decry Israeli atrocities
Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:49:48 GMT
German supporters of the Palestinian cause are holding a demonstration against a joint German-Israeli cabinet meeting in Berlin.
A crowd of demonstrators gathered on Monday to expressed anger at Israel's ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip and the ongoing expulsion of Palestinians from East Jerusalem Al-Quds.
They have also vowed to expose Israel's indiscriminate and targeted killings of the Palestinians, which was highlighted in Israel's relentless three-week blitz on the tiny enclave in December 2008-January 2009.
More than 1,400 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in the onslaught during which Israeli soldiers committed war crimes by using human shields, targeting schools and UN buildings that were hosting civilians.
Meanwhile other activists held a protest to decry Germany's potential sale of military equipment, stressing that the country's constitution did not allow the sale of arms to any sides of an ongoing conflict.
The protests come amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Germany for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The meeting is aimed at boosting security cooperation and bilateral relations, but German media have also speculated it may entail a fresh Israeli requests for more free or half-priced German arms.
Ahead of the joint cabinet meeting, media reports said Israel intends to station one of its German-made Dolphin submarines in the Persian Gulf.
Since 1998, Germany has spent EUR 900 million in providing Israel with five Dolphin class submarines.
German supporters of the Palestinian cause are holding a demonstration against a joint German-Israeli cabinet meeting in Berlin.
A crowd of demonstrators gathered on Monday to expressed anger at Israel's ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip and the ongoing expulsion of Palestinians from East Jerusalem Al-Quds.
They have also vowed to expose Israel's indiscriminate and targeted killings of the Palestinians, which was highlighted in Israel's relentless three-week blitz on the tiny enclave in December 2008-January 2009.
More than 1,400 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in the onslaught during which Israeli soldiers committed war crimes by using human shields, targeting schools and UN buildings that were hosting civilians.
Meanwhile other activists held a protest to decry Germany's potential sale of military equipment, stressing that the country's constitution did not allow the sale of arms to any sides of an ongoing conflict.
The protests come amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Germany for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The meeting is aimed at boosting security cooperation and bilateral relations, but German media have also speculated it may entail a fresh Israeli requests for more free or half-priced German arms.
Ahead of the joint cabinet meeting, media reports said Israel intends to station one of its German-made Dolphin submarines in the Persian Gulf.
Since 1998, Germany has spent EUR 900 million in providing Israel with five Dolphin class submarines.
German protesters decry Israeli atrocities
Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:49:48 GMT
German supporters of the Palestinian cause are holding a demonstration against a joint German-Israeli cabinet meeting in Berlin.
A crowd of demonstrators gathered on Monday to expressed anger at Israel's ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip and the ongoing expulsion of Palestinians from East Jerusalem Al-Quds.
They have also vowed to expose Israel's indiscriminate and targeted killings of the Palestinians, which was highlighted in Israel's relentless three-week blitz on the tiny enclave in December 2008-January 2009.
More than 1,400 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in the onslaught during which Israeli soldiers committed war crimes by using human shields, targeting schools and UN buildings that were hosting civilians.
Meanwhile other activists held a protest to decry Germany's potential sale of military equipment, stressing that the country's constitution did not allow the sale of arms to any sides of an ongoing conflict.
The protests come amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Germany for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The meeting is aimed at boosting security cooperation and bilateral relations, but German media have also speculated it may entail a fresh Israeli requests for more free or half-priced German arms.
Ahead of the joint cabinet meeting, media reports said Israel intends to station one of its German-made Dolphin submarines in the Persian Gulf.
Since 1998, Germany has spent EUR 900 million in providing Israel with five Dolphin class submarines.
German supporters of the Palestinian cause are holding a demonstration against a joint German-Israeli cabinet meeting in Berlin.
A crowd of demonstrators gathered on Monday to expressed anger at Israel's ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip and the ongoing expulsion of Palestinians from East Jerusalem Al-Quds.
They have also vowed to expose Israel's indiscriminate and targeted killings of the Palestinians, which was highlighted in Israel's relentless three-week blitz on the tiny enclave in December 2008-January 2009.
More than 1,400 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in the onslaught during which Israeli soldiers committed war crimes by using human shields, targeting schools and UN buildings that were hosting civilians.
Meanwhile other activists held a protest to decry Germany's potential sale of military equipment, stressing that the country's constitution did not allow the sale of arms to any sides of an ongoing conflict.
The protests come amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Germany for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The meeting is aimed at boosting security cooperation and bilateral relations, but German media have also speculated it may entail a fresh Israeli requests for more free or half-priced German arms.
Ahead of the joint cabinet meeting, media reports said Israel intends to station one of its German-made Dolphin submarines in the Persian Gulf.
Since 1998, Germany has spent EUR 900 million in providing Israel with five Dolphin class submarines.
Chavez: US uses earthquake to occupy Haiti
Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:46:25 GMT
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused the United States of taking advantage of the deadly earthquake in Haiti to occupy the Caribbean country.
Chavez on Sunday scoffed Washington's move to send thousands of American soldiers to Haiti, describing them as "Marines armed as if they were going to war."
"There is not a shortage of guns there, my God. Doctors, medicine, fuel, field hospitals, that's what the United States should send," Chavez said on his weekly television show.
"They are occupying Haiti undercover," he warned.
The Pentagon says it has deployed more than 10,000 soldiers in Haiti to help victims of Tuesday's earthquake. This comes as US paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division took control of the main airport in the capital Port-au-Prince on Friday.
"On top of that, you don't see them in the streets. Are they picking up bodies? ... Are they looking for the injured? You don't see them. I haven't seen them. Where are they?" Chavez went on to ask.
Chavez's remarks echo those earlier made by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega who on Saturday expressed "deep concern" over the US deployment of troops in Haiti.
The US has been accused of interfering in Haitian internal affairs in the past. The US military played a role in the departure of the former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide before his second term was over in early 2004. Aristide has described his departure as a kidnapping.
Despite the sharp criticism, Chavez said he did not mean to diminish the humanitarian effort made by the United States and was only questioning the need for so many troops.
The Venezuelan president promised his nation would send as much gasoline as needed for transport and producing electricity in Haiti.
Caracas has sent several planes with doctors, aid and some soldiers to the island state and a Russia-Venezuela mission is due to leave for the stricken country on Monday.
Last week's 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti is estimated to have left some 200,000 people killed and more than 1.5 million others homeless, with at least 70,000 bodies collected from the rubbles so far.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused the United States of taking advantage of the deadly earthquake in Haiti to occupy the Caribbean country.
Chavez on Sunday scoffed Washington's move to send thousands of American soldiers to Haiti, describing them as "Marines armed as if they were going to war."
"There is not a shortage of guns there, my God. Doctors, medicine, fuel, field hospitals, that's what the United States should send," Chavez said on his weekly television show.
"They are occupying Haiti undercover," he warned.
The Pentagon says it has deployed more than 10,000 soldiers in Haiti to help victims of Tuesday's earthquake. This comes as US paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division took control of the main airport in the capital Port-au-Prince on Friday.
"On top of that, you don't see them in the streets. Are they picking up bodies? ... Are they looking for the injured? You don't see them. I haven't seen them. Where are they?" Chavez went on to ask.
Chavez's remarks echo those earlier made by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega who on Saturday expressed "deep concern" over the US deployment of troops in Haiti.
The US has been accused of interfering in Haitian internal affairs in the past. The US military played a role in the departure of the former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide before his second term was over in early 2004. Aristide has described his departure as a kidnapping.
Despite the sharp criticism, Chavez said he did not mean to diminish the humanitarian effort made by the United States and was only questioning the need for so many troops.
The Venezuelan president promised his nation would send as much gasoline as needed for transport and producing electricity in Haiti.
Caracas has sent several planes with doctors, aid and some soldiers to the island state and a Russia-Venezuela mission is due to leave for the stricken country on Monday.
Last week's 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti is estimated to have left some 200,000 people killed and more than 1.5 million others homeless, with at least 70,000 bodies collected from the rubbles so far.
Big Brother: Obama Calls for the Integration of State and Federal Military Forces
Global Research, January 17, 2010
Executive Order Seeks to "Synchronize and Integrate"
In the wake of the Flight 253 provocation, over-hyped terrorism panics, and last year's Big Pharma and media-engineered hysteria over the H1N1 flu pandemic, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13528 on January 11.
Among other things, the Executive Order (EO) established a Council of Governors, an "advisory panel" chosen by the President that will rubber-stamp long-sought-after Pentagon contingency plans to seize control of state National Guard forces in the event of a "national emergency."
According to the White House press release, the ten member, bipartisan Council was created "to strengthen further the partnership between the Federal Government and State Governments to protect our Nation against all types of hazards."
"When appointed" the announcement continues, "the Council will be reviewing such matters as involving the National Guard of the various States; homeland defense; civil support; synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities."
Clearly designed to weaken the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 which bars the use of the military for civilian law enforcement, EO 13528 is the latest in a series of maneuvers by previous administrations to wrest control of armed forces historically under the democratic control of elected state officials, and a modicum of public accountability.
One consequence of moves to "synchronize and integrate" state National Guard units with those of the Armed Forces would be to place them under the effective control of United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), created in 2002 by Bushist legislators in both capitalist parties under the pretext of imperialism's endless "War on Terror." At the time, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called USNORTHCOM's launch "the most sweeping set of changes since the unified command system was set up in 1946."
The real-world consequences of those changes weren't long in coming.
Following their criminal inaction during 2005's Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, the Bush regime sought, but failed, to seize control of depleted Gulf Coast National Guard units, the bulk of which had been sent to Iraq along with equipment that might have aided the recovery. Bush demanded that then Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco sign over control of the Guard as well as state and local police units as the blood price for federal assistance.
At the height of the crisis, Bush cited presidential prerogatives for doing so under the Insurrection Act, a repressive statute which authorizes the President to federalize National Guard units when state governments fail to "suppress rebellion." How the plight of citizens engulfed by Katrina's flood waters could be twisted into an act of "rebellion" was achieved when Orwellian spin doctors, aided and abetted by a compliant media, invented a new criminal category to cover traumatized New Orleans residents: "Drowning while Black."
Fast forward five years. Given the serious implications such proposals would have for a functioning democracy, the media's deafening silence on Obama's Executive Order is hardly surprising. Like their role as cheerleaders in the escalating wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, media self-censorship tell us much about the state of affairs in "new normal" America.
Like his predecessors in the Oval Office, stretching back to the 1960s with Pentagon "civil disturbance" plans such as Cable Splicer and Garden Plot, both of which are continuously updated, our "change" President will forge ahead and invest the permanent National Security bureaucracy with unprecedented power.
Under color of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, an unsavory piece of Bushist legislative detritus, "The President shall establish a bipartisan Council of Governors to advise the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the White House Homeland Security Council on matters related to the National Guard and civil support missions."
The toothless Council, whose Executive Director will be designated by the Secretary of Defense no less, "shall meet at the call of the Secretary of Defense or the Co-Chairs of the Council."
Will such a Council have veto power over administration deliberations? Hardly. They are relegated "to exchange views, information, or advice with the Secretary of Defense; the Secretary of Homeland Security" and "the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism."
Additional entities covered by the EO with whom the Governors Council will "exchange views" include, "the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement; the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs; the Commander, United States Northern Command; the Chief, National Guard Bureau; the Commandant of the Coast Guard; and other appropriate officials of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, and appropriate officials of other executive departments or agencies as may be designated by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Homeland Security."
In other words, right from the get-go, the Council will serve as civilian cover for political decisions made by the Executive Branch and the security apparat. EO 13528 continues, "Such views, information, or advice shall concern: (a) matters involving the National Guard of the various States; (b) homeland defense; (c) civil support; (d) synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and (e) other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities."
When news first broke last summer of Obama's proposal to expand the military's authority to respond to domestic disasters, it was opposed by the National Governors Association (NGA).
Congressional Quarterly reported that a letter sent on behalf of the NGA opposed creation of the Council on grounds that it "would invite confusion on critical command and control issues, complicate interagency planning, establish stove-piped response efforts, and interfere with governors' constitutional responsibilities to ensure the safety and security of their citizens," Govs. Jim Douglas, R-Vt., and Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., wrote.
According to their August letter to Paul N. Stockton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs, Douglas and Manchin III argued that "without assigning a governor tactical control" of military forces during a natural disaster such as a flood or earthquake, or an unnatural disaster such as a terrorist attack or other mass casualty event, the "strong potential exists for confusion in mission, execution and the dilution of governors' control over situations with which they are more familiar and better capable of handling than a federal military commander."
With slim prospects of congressional authorization for the scheme, in fact the 2008 language was removed from subsequent Defense spending legislation, other means were required. Playing bureaucratic hardball with the governors, this has now been accomplished by presidential fiat, further eroding clear constitutional limits on Executive Branch power.
These maneuvers as I have previously written, have very little to do with responding to a catastrophic emergency. Indeed, EO 13528 is only the latest iteration of plans to expand the National Security State's writ and as such, have everything to do with decades-old Continuity of Government (COG) programs kept secret from Congress and the American people.
Derided by neocons, neoliberals and other corporatists as a quaint backwater for "conspiracy theorists" railing against "FEMA concentration camps," Continuity of Government, and the nexus of "civil support" programs that have proliferated like noxious weeds are no laughing matter.
Indeed, even members of Congress are considered "unauthorized parties" denied access "to information on COG plans, procedures, capabilities and facilities," according to a Pentagon document published by the whistleblowing web site Wikileaks, as are the classified annexes of National Security Presidential Directive 51 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20 (NSPD 51/HSPD 20). In a new twist on administration promises of transparency and open government, even the redacted version of these documents have been removed from the White House web site.
As Antifascist Calling previously reported (see: "Vigilant Shield 09: A Cover for Illegal Domestic Operations?"), the Congressional Research Service issued a 46-page report in 2008 that provided details on the COG-related National Exercise Program, a "civil support" operation that war games various disaster scenarios.
Among other things, the document outlines the serious domestic implications of military participation in national emergency preparedness drills. CRS researchers pointed to the Reagan-era Executive Order 12656 (EO 12656) that "directs FEMA to coordinate the planning, conduct, and evaluation of national security emergency exercises." EO 12656 defines a national security emergency as "as any occurrence, including natural disaster, military attack, technological emergency, or other emergency that seriously degrades or seriously threatens the national security of the United States."
Such programs, greatly expanded by the Bush-era Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 (HSPD-8), also removed from the White House web site, established "a national program and a multi-year planning system to conduct homeland security preparedness-related exercises." CRS avers, "The program is to be carried out in collaboration with state and local governments and private sector entities."
The Defense Department's role during such emergencies were intended to focus "principally on domestic incident management, either for terrorism or non terrorist catastrophic events." DoD would play a "significant role" in the overall response. Such murky definitions cover a lot of ground and are ripe with a potential for abuse by unscrupulous securocrats and their corporate partners.
The primary DoD entity responsible for "civil support," a focus of Obama's EO is USNORTHCOM and its active combat component, U.S. Army North. However, as with almost everything relating to COG and current plans under EO 13528 that propose to "synchronize and integrate State and Federal military activities," USNORTHCOM's role is shrouded in secrecy.
As researcher Peter Dale Scott revealed in 2008, when Congressman Peter DeFazio, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Christopher Carney sought access to classified COG annexes, their request was denied by the White House. Scott wrote: "DeFazio's inability to get access to the NSPD Annexes is less than reassuring. If members of the Homeland Security Committee cannot enforce their right to read secret plans of the Executive Branch, then the systems of checks and balances established by the U.S. Constitution would seem to be failing."
One hammer blow followed another. In 2008, Army Times reported, that the "3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team [BCT] has spent 35 of the last 60 months in Iraq patrolling in full battle rattle, helping restore essential services and escorting supply convoys. Now they're training for the same mission--with a twist--at home."
Analyst Michel Chossudovsky commented, "What is significant in this redeployment of a US infantry unit is the presumption that North America could, in the case of a national emergency, constitute a 'war theater' thereby justifying the deployment of combat units." According to Chossudovsky, "The new skills to be imparted consist in training 1st BCT in repressing civil unrest, a task normally assumed by civilian law enforcement."
"It is noteworthy, the World Socialist Web Site commented, "that the deployment of US combat troops 'as an on-call federal response force for natural or manmade emergencies and disasters' ... coincides with the eruption of the greatest economic emergency and financial disaster since the Great Depression of the 1930s."
"Justified as a response to terrorist threats," socialist critic Bill Van Auken averred, "the real source of the growing preparations for the use of US military force within America's borders lies not in the events of September 11, 2001 or the danger that they will be repeated. Rather, the domestic mobilization of the armed forces is a response by the US ruling establishment to the growing threat to political stability."
Since USNORTHCOM's deployment of a combat brigade on U.S. soil, the capitalist crisis has deepened and intensified. With unemployment at a post-war high and the perilous economic and social conditions of the working class growing grimmer by the day, EO 13258 is a practical demonstration of ruling class consensus when it comes to undermining the democratic rights of the American people.
After all, where the defense of wealth and privileges are concerned corporate thugs and war criminals have no friends, only interests...
Global Research Articles by Tom Burghardt
Executive Order Seeks to "Synchronize and Integrate"
In the wake of the Flight 253 provocation, over-hyped terrorism panics, and last year's Big Pharma and media-engineered hysteria over the H1N1 flu pandemic, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13528 on January 11.
Among other things, the Executive Order (EO) established a Council of Governors, an "advisory panel" chosen by the President that will rubber-stamp long-sought-after Pentagon contingency plans to seize control of state National Guard forces in the event of a "national emergency."
According to the White House press release, the ten member, bipartisan Council was created "to strengthen further the partnership between the Federal Government and State Governments to protect our Nation against all types of hazards."
"When appointed" the announcement continues, "the Council will be reviewing such matters as involving the National Guard of the various States; homeland defense; civil support; synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities."
Clearly designed to weaken the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 which bars the use of the military for civilian law enforcement, EO 13528 is the latest in a series of maneuvers by previous administrations to wrest control of armed forces historically under the democratic control of elected state officials, and a modicum of public accountability.
One consequence of moves to "synchronize and integrate" state National Guard units with those of the Armed Forces would be to place them under the effective control of United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), created in 2002 by Bushist legislators in both capitalist parties under the pretext of imperialism's endless "War on Terror." At the time, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called USNORTHCOM's launch "the most sweeping set of changes since the unified command system was set up in 1946."
The real-world consequences of those changes weren't long in coming.
Following their criminal inaction during 2005's Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, the Bush regime sought, but failed, to seize control of depleted Gulf Coast National Guard units, the bulk of which had been sent to Iraq along with equipment that might have aided the recovery. Bush demanded that then Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco sign over control of the Guard as well as state and local police units as the blood price for federal assistance.
At the height of the crisis, Bush cited presidential prerogatives for doing so under the Insurrection Act, a repressive statute which authorizes the President to federalize National Guard units when state governments fail to "suppress rebellion." How the plight of citizens engulfed by Katrina's flood waters could be twisted into an act of "rebellion" was achieved when Orwellian spin doctors, aided and abetted by a compliant media, invented a new criminal category to cover traumatized New Orleans residents: "Drowning while Black."
Fast forward five years. Given the serious implications such proposals would have for a functioning democracy, the media's deafening silence on Obama's Executive Order is hardly surprising. Like their role as cheerleaders in the escalating wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, media self-censorship tell us much about the state of affairs in "new normal" America.
Like his predecessors in the Oval Office, stretching back to the 1960s with Pentagon "civil disturbance" plans such as Cable Splicer and Garden Plot, both of which are continuously updated, our "change" President will forge ahead and invest the permanent National Security bureaucracy with unprecedented power.
Under color of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, an unsavory piece of Bushist legislative detritus, "The President shall establish a bipartisan Council of Governors to advise the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the White House Homeland Security Council on matters related to the National Guard and civil support missions."
The toothless Council, whose Executive Director will be designated by the Secretary of Defense no less, "shall meet at the call of the Secretary of Defense or the Co-Chairs of the Council."
Will such a Council have veto power over administration deliberations? Hardly. They are relegated "to exchange views, information, or advice with the Secretary of Defense; the Secretary of Homeland Security" and "the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism."
Additional entities covered by the EO with whom the Governors Council will "exchange views" include, "the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement; the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs; the Commander, United States Northern Command; the Chief, National Guard Bureau; the Commandant of the Coast Guard; and other appropriate officials of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, and appropriate officials of other executive departments or agencies as may be designated by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Homeland Security."
In other words, right from the get-go, the Council will serve as civilian cover for political decisions made by the Executive Branch and the security apparat. EO 13528 continues, "Such views, information, or advice shall concern: (a) matters involving the National Guard of the various States; (b) homeland defense; (c) civil support; (d) synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and (e) other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities."
When news first broke last summer of Obama's proposal to expand the military's authority to respond to domestic disasters, it was opposed by the National Governors Association (NGA).
Congressional Quarterly reported that a letter sent on behalf of the NGA opposed creation of the Council on grounds that it "would invite confusion on critical command and control issues, complicate interagency planning, establish stove-piped response efforts, and interfere with governors' constitutional responsibilities to ensure the safety and security of their citizens," Govs. Jim Douglas, R-Vt., and Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., wrote.
According to their August letter to Paul N. Stockton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs, Douglas and Manchin III argued that "without assigning a governor tactical control" of military forces during a natural disaster such as a flood or earthquake, or an unnatural disaster such as a terrorist attack or other mass casualty event, the "strong potential exists for confusion in mission, execution and the dilution of governors' control over situations with which they are more familiar and better capable of handling than a federal military commander."
With slim prospects of congressional authorization for the scheme, in fact the 2008 language was removed from subsequent Defense spending legislation, other means were required. Playing bureaucratic hardball with the governors, this has now been accomplished by presidential fiat, further eroding clear constitutional limits on Executive Branch power.
These maneuvers as I have previously written, have very little to do with responding to a catastrophic emergency. Indeed, EO 13528 is only the latest iteration of plans to expand the National Security State's writ and as such, have everything to do with decades-old Continuity of Government (COG) programs kept secret from Congress and the American people.
Derided by neocons, neoliberals and other corporatists as a quaint backwater for "conspiracy theorists" railing against "FEMA concentration camps," Continuity of Government, and the nexus of "civil support" programs that have proliferated like noxious weeds are no laughing matter.
Indeed, even members of Congress are considered "unauthorized parties" denied access "to information on COG plans, procedures, capabilities and facilities," according to a Pentagon document published by the whistleblowing web site Wikileaks, as are the classified annexes of National Security Presidential Directive 51 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20 (NSPD 51/HSPD 20). In a new twist on administration promises of transparency and open government, even the redacted version of these documents have been removed from the White House web site.
As Antifascist Calling previously reported (see: "Vigilant Shield 09: A Cover for Illegal Domestic Operations?"), the Congressional Research Service issued a 46-page report in 2008 that provided details on the COG-related National Exercise Program, a "civil support" operation that war games various disaster scenarios.
Among other things, the document outlines the serious domestic implications of military participation in national emergency preparedness drills. CRS researchers pointed to the Reagan-era Executive Order 12656 (EO 12656) that "directs FEMA to coordinate the planning, conduct, and evaluation of national security emergency exercises." EO 12656 defines a national security emergency as "as any occurrence, including natural disaster, military attack, technological emergency, or other emergency that seriously degrades or seriously threatens the national security of the United States."
Such programs, greatly expanded by the Bush-era Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 (HSPD-8), also removed from the White House web site, established "a national program and a multi-year planning system to conduct homeland security preparedness-related exercises." CRS avers, "The program is to be carried out in collaboration with state and local governments and private sector entities."
The Defense Department's role during such emergencies were intended to focus "principally on domestic incident management, either for terrorism or non terrorist catastrophic events." DoD would play a "significant role" in the overall response. Such murky definitions cover a lot of ground and are ripe with a potential for abuse by unscrupulous securocrats and their corporate partners.
The primary DoD entity responsible for "civil support," a focus of Obama's EO is USNORTHCOM and its active combat component, U.S. Army North. However, as with almost everything relating to COG and current plans under EO 13528 that propose to "synchronize and integrate State and Federal military activities," USNORTHCOM's role is shrouded in secrecy.
As researcher Peter Dale Scott revealed in 2008, when Congressman Peter DeFazio, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Christopher Carney sought access to classified COG annexes, their request was denied by the White House. Scott wrote: "DeFazio's inability to get access to the NSPD Annexes is less than reassuring. If members of the Homeland Security Committee cannot enforce their right to read secret plans of the Executive Branch, then the systems of checks and balances established by the U.S. Constitution would seem to be failing."
One hammer blow followed another. In 2008, Army Times reported, that the "3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team [BCT] has spent 35 of the last 60 months in Iraq patrolling in full battle rattle, helping restore essential services and escorting supply convoys. Now they're training for the same mission--with a twist--at home."
Analyst Michel Chossudovsky commented, "What is significant in this redeployment of a US infantry unit is the presumption that North America could, in the case of a national emergency, constitute a 'war theater' thereby justifying the deployment of combat units." According to Chossudovsky, "The new skills to be imparted consist in training 1st BCT in repressing civil unrest, a task normally assumed by civilian law enforcement."
"It is noteworthy, the World Socialist Web Site commented, "that the deployment of US combat troops 'as an on-call federal response force for natural or manmade emergencies and disasters' ... coincides with the eruption of the greatest economic emergency and financial disaster since the Great Depression of the 1930s."
"Justified as a response to terrorist threats," socialist critic Bill Van Auken averred, "the real source of the growing preparations for the use of US military force within America's borders lies not in the events of September 11, 2001 or the danger that they will be repeated. Rather, the domestic mobilization of the armed forces is a response by the US ruling establishment to the growing threat to political stability."
Since USNORTHCOM's deployment of a combat brigade on U.S. soil, the capitalist crisis has deepened and intensified. With unemployment at a post-war high and the perilous economic and social conditions of the working class growing grimmer by the day, EO 13258 is a practical demonstration of ruling class consensus when it comes to undermining the democratic rights of the American people.
After all, where the defense of wealth and privileges are concerned corporate thugs and war criminals have no friends, only interests...
Global Research Articles by Tom Burghardt
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