RAYS OF HOPE
Israel
Must End its Immoral Colonial
Occupation
and
JUST GET OUT!
Visit the Emergency Campaign on Iraq
|
|
Israel
Must End its Immoral Colonial
Occupation
and
JUST GET OUT!
|
 One of MANY eerie similarities between the
practices of the Israeli army and the US occupation of Iraq has to do with
the destruction of civil infrastructure and attempted erasure of a
people's history.
When Israel attacked the Palestinian Authority and cities like Jenin, it systematically destroyed such civil institutions like the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Planning, and many others (all well documented). What of the destruction of Iraq's history as in the burning of the Museum of Archeology and the National Archives and other institutions? The only ministries that were guarded by the US marines were the Ministry of Oil and the Ministry of Interior! The total destruction and burning of Baghdad in February 1258 by Hulagu and the Mongols, is in the memory of every Arab. The 13th century was the time of the dark ages in Europe while Baghdad was leading the world in Medicine, Arts, Mathematics and Commerce. Hulagu slaughtered 200,000 and threw all books in the river which turned black from the ink, while rivers of blood ran in the city. The US could have captured the respect and admiration of many in the Arab world if it had moved quickly to preserve the history of Iraq which went up in smoke. There is a lot of suspicion also on whether the destruction was just the work of looters or if there was a systematic and deliberate effort behind it. The resentment and hate against the 21st century Hulagu is just beginning! |
The plan was put together in the early 90s.
Israel's Likud party, spearheaded by Benjamin Netanyahu embarked on a
public relations campaign primarily focused on the US congress, and
especially the media to align (much more so) US foreign policy with
Israel's' strategic interests in the Middle East. Israel's
objectives were clear:
Right-wing Jews within the US administration, and sympathizers (many bought by $$ from AIPAC) worked with the Likud to produce strategic plans. The main ones were Richard Perle's "Clean Break" and the now infamous on The Project for a New American Century by Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and many others. The Iraq objective is now done. Saddam is gone and the country is in chaos. Already we are hearing on almost daily basis threats to Syria that it will be next.
|
 Click
on the image to see the large (!) crowds at Firdos square in
Baghdad (a city of 5 million inhabitants) where Saddam's statue was toppled. It is interesting to note
that this "media event" happened -by chance- to be located directly in
front of the hotel where all news reporters stay.
More
A tale
of two photosThe Big Loot: We've seen
people looting TVs, VCRs, Furniture etc... This will soon come to end end,
but what is being quietly planned is a much larger looting of Iraq's
heritage dating back thousands of years.
US lobby could threaten Iraqi heritage |
 On March
19th 2003, the US threatened "non-embedded" journalists by saying they
would be targeted
during the invasion of Iraq. On March 24th,
Terry Lloyd from ITN was killed when US forces opened fire on a convoy
he was in.
Two missiles hit the office of Aljazeera killing correspondent Tareq Ayoub. It is worth remembering that the US had also destroyed Al-Jazeera's offices in Afghanistan during the war there. The US said it was a mistake! The Abu-Dhabi TV station said its Baghdad bureau was also hit within an hour of the strike on Aljazeera. The Abu-Dhabi TV camera was itself an apparent target: It was running and caught a hail of bullets around it until the camera was struck and fell sideways still running. Robert Fisk: Is there some element in the US military that wants to take out journalists? The US said they do not target reporters and any strike was accidental. It is hard to believe that 2 missiles on Aljazeera, a strike on Abu Dhabi TV, bullets on it camera, tank fire on a hotel housing reporters can all be explained away as "accidental". This is not believable - The US deliberately targeted 3 different news agencies in the same morning and an independent investigation must be conducted. It looks like that Bush's vision of this
century: "You're either with us, or you're against us" also applies to
journalists! In other words: Dissent will not be tolerated -
neither from "Old Europe" nor from news reporters. |
 4 April: Geoff
Hoon, the UK Defence Secretary, suggested yesterday that
mothers of Iraqi children killed by cluster bombs would
"one day" thank Britain for their use.
It seems Mr. Hoon has been spending a
little too much time at the feet of Donald Rumsfeld of whom he is in such
"awe"! Shame on the UK for
voting such a pathetic character into office! |
 The Whitehouse, Pentagon, and compliant media
try on daily basis to use cheap propaganda to win support for their war on
Iraq. This includes using the word "Terror" whenever possible in
regards to Iraqis fighting back. They never acknowledge openly that
they realize now that they are facing a patriotic national resistance
against an invading army.
Suicide bombing by an Iraqi soldier is not terrorism! |
  7
April:
Red
Cross: Iraqi Civilian Casualties Too High to Count!Civilian Toll Mounts as U.S. Forces Near Baghdad Children killed and maimed in bomb attack on town 2 April: US Bombs Maternity Hospital 1 April: 15 family members killed. Civilian Killings: "Absolutely...the right thing" says senior US military officer! 30March: Seven Iraqi women, children killed at U.S. checkpoint Updated figures: 10 Killed including 5 children! 'You didn't fire a warning shot soon enough!'
This is one example of
many. On a bridge at Nasiriya,
US Marines shot and killed at least 12 Iraqi civilians including
children. Prior to that, an entire
family was killed in their car except for a baby girl. How many
others have we NOT heard about? |
 The
Propaganda War of DisinformationSeeing no popular uprisings, no welcome parades, but rather fierce resistance to an occupying army that has no legal basis, the US and British governments have stepped up their propaganda war by deliberately planting disinformation and outright lies in order to keep popular opinion at home on the side of the war. We keep hearing about "reliable sources" claims that are presented in much of the mainstream media as facts. The proclaimed goal of the war is also changing, again. First it was Dis-armament, then Regime Change, and then seemed to settle on WMDs. Now that no WMDs have been found, nor used by Iraq, and seeing Iraq fight back, the US government is shifting gears again and saying that the Iraqis are not fighting according to the "rules" of war, and are using "terrorist" tactics. This is coupled with more disinformation about Al-Qaeda presence in Iraq.
"Breaking News": The Uprising that Wasn't, Mythical WMDs |
|
29 March:
So far, at least 8 cruise missiles have not just missed their
target, they missed the intended
COUNTRY! Is the US Arms industry using this war to test new weapons? Or was there too much hype in selling the war?
Three Tomahawk
cruise missiles ended up in Turkey!
(That should teach them to say No to
the US) |
|
Grieving Parents Curse Bush After Baghdad Blast 30 March: "...I am sad that I am alive" |
|
Bush's military
victory will be paved by the bodies of not only Iraqi & American military,
but of many Iraqi civilians whom Bush intends to "Liberate" from this
life! This war and misguided foreign policy
serves Israel's regional
interests in the middle east, while ensuring more resentment against the
US in yet another generation! |
   Donald
Rumsfeld is whining about how Iraq put the American POWs on TV. He
now believes in the Geneva conventions. As Hypocrite-in-Chief
for the US administration, Rumsfeld believes in the Geneva conventions as
long it protects American POWs. Other nationals, especially
Iraqi, Afghan, and Muslim ones, do not qualify! What about the
Guantanamo prisoners who died under "interrogation"??
Note the white flag
in the photo: The 2 Iraqi soldiers tried to surrender, but were
instead shot dead. War crime? No, they were not born in
the USA!See One rule for them International Law a la Carte ‘Apply Geneva Conventions to Guantanamo Inmates’ |
|
|
|
|
 The US claims it has "credible evidence"
that Russia has sold weapons to Iraq!World reaction: First: So Fu**ing What? Second: We suppose this "credible evidence" has the same authenticity as the fabricated evidence presented by Powell at the UN, and like the fabricated dossier presented by Blair! And probably as much truth as the recent fake story on the chemical plant - a story that originated in the Israeli newspaper "The Jerusalem Post" and carried by the ultra-right-wing joke of a TV station: Fox! Many CIA analysts are complaining of the pressure on them to write reports that conform to the Bush administration policy on Iraq, and the truth be damned! On the other hand, the World has undisputed evidence, supported by hundreds of hours of video and thousands of witnesses, that the US has sold very advanced weapons to Israel which are used daily against Palestinian civilian camps. Using F16s and Apache Gunships against civilians is a war crime. Even using them against lightly armed freedom fighters is a gross disproportionate use of power. Those who think Might Is Right are foolish students of history. The US administration and media like Fox,
must think their population to be stupid to accept their propaganda at
face value. More and more Americans are getting more and more
skeptical with what they hear especially with the easy access to multiple
sources of news from around the world. |
|
The US war against Iraq is simply
illegal! It goes against international law AND against UN charter.
Further, the US decision to
"seize" Iraq's assets amounts to nothing less than
theft!
Thus we see the beginning of the decline of the empire. When the US has to break international law, occupy other countries, suppress freedoms, and even steal money and oil, we are indeed witnessing a New American Century. |
|
 A Man For All
SeasonsRobin Cook has proven himself to be a man of principle. He resigned his post (to an unprecedented standing ovation) in the House of Commons when he could no longer stand the immoral and illegal march towards war that the Bush regime has championed. Among the points Mr. Cook stressed in his speech were:
|
|
Israeli Statement of Support For
the Palestinian Emergency Appeal: As Israelis, we strongly support the "Appeal to World Opinion" published by the Palestinian Emergency Committee. We call on all people of goodwill to set up urgently an International Committee for the Protection of the Palestinian People. The dangers posed to the Palestinian population in case of an American attack on Iraq are real and severe. Extreme right-wing elements in our political and military leadership may try to exploit the war situation in order to commit acts of "transfer". Such acts violate Israeli and international law and endanger the future of Israel. Peace between the peoples of Israel and Palestine is the only solid basis for the security and well-being of our state. ISRAELI EMERGENCY COMMITTEE info@gush-shalom.org |
|
PBS Frontline VIDEO:
See "The
War Behind Closed Doors"
The people, the clashes, and ultimately, the "grand strategy" behind Bush's determination to go to war with iraq.
How a few well placed and influential
individuals (like Wolfowitz, Perle, Rumsfeld and others) pushed the agenda
of "the project for
a new american century" |
|
There is only ONE nuclear power in
the Middle East (with over 400 nuclear weapons) which refuses to sign the
nuclear non-proliferation treaty, refuses inspections, and defies more
than 60 UN resolutions: ISRAEL!
But Israel gets away with it! The men around Bush (Wolfowitz, Perle, Feith, Libby, and many others) make sure that Israel remains shielded, as does the lobby groups and "thinktanks" (AIPAC, JINSA, AEI, others) who flex their dollars and clout. Much of the US media is so patronizing of Israel because their reporters know that their job and career is on the line. (How the Right-Wing Thinktanks Dominate Discourse) Can the US ever offer a real policy for peace? Not while the Gangs of D.C. remain in power! |
 The
latest Richard Perle outrage: The Bush foreign policy adviser
should resign for calling a journalist a "terrorist" -- and the Senate
should investigate his
fishy business deal which would reap profits
in case of war with Iraq.An FBI wiretap in 1970 caught Perle discussing secrets with the Israeli embassy. In 1983 he was paid to represent an Israeli weapons firm (Soltam). In the early 90's he worked with Benjamin Netanyahu to write the "Clean Break" document that became a part of US policy in the Middle East today. Perle is also an advisor to Global Crossing! Investigation Sought Is Richard Perle still passing US secrets to Israel? Is the FBI watching him, or is his buddy Wolfowitz protecting him?
Since Perle has dedicated his
career in the service of Israel, he should be
expatriated there! |
|
VETO Power Abuse:
The U.S. has used it's veto power 36 times
from 1972-2002 on middle east resolutions ALONE. In ALL the cases
the U.S. was the LONE dissenting vote.
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/UN/usvetoes.html and 76 times
since 1945. The following is a typical one: US Security Council Veto Condemns more to death. The United States today vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning "acts of terror" against Israelis and Palestinians."
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/data/vetotab.htm |
|
The Bush Regime: "All We Are Saying, is
Give WAR a Chance"! The America of today is a far cry from the idealistic beacon of so many decades ago. Today's "Land of the Free" is certainly not the "Home of the Brave" anymore... Not with Rumsfeld, Ridge & Ashcroft in power. These Gestapo-minded characters are moving the USA into a quasi-police state which does not tolerate dissenting views and are enacting so called "Patriot" laws that allows the government to arrest and detain anyone without being charged and deny that person the right to call family or a lawyer. The USA is turning Orweilian as Big Brother looks over our shoulders when we call home or email our friends. Read how US citizen Stephen Downs was arrested for wearing a shirt that said "Give Peace a Chance"! McCarthy's ghost |
|
5 March 2003: Suicide bombing in Haifa. There goes CNN again giving it extensive coverage while only minimal sanitized reports were heard in the last few weeks about the 50 Palestinians that were killed by Tanks, Apache helicopters, and even with Axes. CNN said today that the Israeli army is in Palestinian camps to stop the bombers, but "somehow, one of them slipped through"! The usual hypocrisy and double standards of the western media just keeps contributing to the problem by constantly portraying one side as inherently terrorists and the other side as innocent victims. Those who control CNN and other biased media conglomerates (Rupert Murdoch: please take a bow), may be winning a myopic media war, but are actually hurting Israel in the long term by fostering the injustice & brutal occupation which in turn breed resentment and resistance against occupation.
3 March 2003: Israel is taking full advantage of the
world's preoccup |
|
It is extremely troubling for many
Americans and many others around the world, to see that the current
superpower is lead by a regime whose policies are set by
ultra-right wing "think-tanks" (whatever that means) such as the
American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Project for a New
American Century (PNAC). (Not to mention AIPAC,
JINSA, and others). If one were to correlate the intellectual capabilities of US presidents against the influence of political lobbying and right-wing institutes, one would easily see that the lower the IQ of the president (=Bush), the higher the influence and even dependence on such institutes to write the policy that the US should follow! By contrast, when one looks at the eras of ex-presidents such as Clinton and Carter (both of whom are very intellectual and intelligent), the influence of such external institutes was far weaker then. A regime change in Washington is overdue! |
 Ari
Fleisher, one of the most ridiculous liars in the current US
regime (next to Donald Rumsfeld), was laughed out of a CPAC press
conference when
 no reporter could take Ari's ridiculous lies anymore. The
laughter continued long after Ari left the room in a hurry with his tail
between his legs.
See Ari Lie:
VIDEO
By the way Ari, where does your
TRUE loyalty lie? (pun intended) To your US citizenship or perhaps
to your Israeli one? Don't lie now...you're on camera! |
|
Bush says that the UN should go along with what the US says otherwise the UN becomes non-relevant! In other words, George is saying to the UN: "You're either with us, or you're against us!". George is democratic enough to wait while the UN debates the war issue and votes on it - as long as that vote is in line with what he wants. That's democracy! The "Coalition of the Allies" has given way to the "Coalition of the Willing" (yawn), and now we see the buildup of the "Coalition of the $Bribed$ and Coerced"! (Read US Bullying African States To Support War)
The
CIA and MI6 are angry that their work is being politicized and only
small portions are used to support the war. Both have in fact have
confirmed that there are no links between Iraq and Al-Qaeda! (Except
for the letter "Q"). Read also
Blair's Hypocricy
Ex-CIA Officers Questioning Iraq Data |
|
|
 The US administration's Iraqi-Fixation and
insistence that it obeys all UN resolutions might come back to haunt the
very country that the US is conducting this war-by-proxy for:
Israel!
|
|
The Incredible Non-Credibility of a
Neo-Conservative Super Power!
The US administration tries to sway the UN
by telling them that their credibility as an organization is on the line
if they do not support the US war on Iraq! Now the US tells NATO that it too has a credibility problem since France, Germany and Belgium have opposed military "aid" to Turkey which feels "threatened" by Iraq! (The fact that Iraq is far weaker militarily than Turkey is not mentioned. Iraq has also NEVER threatened Turkey nor any of its neighbors since the end of the Gulf war 12 years ago!) The US is more and more acting with the arrogance of a big bully who tries to whitewash his dark hostility by accusing his intended victims of being the cause of their own misery - as well as accusing his friends of cowardice when they oppose him. Since this neo-conservative administration stole the elections in Florida, its own credibility has been declining day by day on the international arena. South Koreans see Bush as more dangerous than Kim Jong-Il. Public opinion in most of Europe and the world is overwhelmingly against the US policies especially on going to war in Iraq. The US quest for imperialism has been exposed for all to see and anything that Bush, Rumsfeld, Rice, Powell and the rest of the gang might say, is examined with deep suspicion by the international court of public opinion. What is needed is a REGIME CHANGE IN WASHINGTON! The US should fix its own credibility
before accusing the rest of the world of lacking it! The US is also
ignoring an important lesson from history - that an empire cannot survive
on brute force alone. Read
Beginning of the end
CIA 'sabotaged inspections and hid weapons details' |
Bush, Rumsfeld & Co., along with obliging right-wing media,
have gotten into the name calling game like little children. Not a
single speech, article or interview
 about the crisis with Iraq is devoid
of calling President Saddam Hussein all sort of names: "Evil",
"Despot", and the most favourite "Liar".Liar! Hmmm... Let's see now - Would the "civilized" western leaders such as Bush & Blair (who uses plagiarized outdated material as "evidence") lie to us about the true intentions of war with Iraq! Have we been lied to before? The US initiated military action against Vietnam based on a manufactured LIE (in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964) by then President Johnson. Millions of Vietnamese died before the US cut its losses (58,000 dead) and withdrew. (Read "Don't Let The Facts Get in the Way!" Rumsfeld & The Liar's Club Rumsfeld: Liar-In-Chief ) In the run up to the 1991 Gulf war, a young Kuwaiti girl was brought to testify before congress. She recalled seeing "Iraqi soldiers throwing babies out of their incubators on the cold floor!" Her performance so moved congress that it sealed approval for war. What the world did not discover till much later is that the girl was never in Kuwait but rather in her family's luxury house in the US, and that she was in fact the daughter of the Kuwaiti ambassador to the US, and had been coached for her performance by Public Relations firm Hill & Knowlton (who were paid at least US$20M) by the Kuwaiti government with support from the US administration (George Bush senior!). A fantastic LIE that was cooked by certain branches of the US government! (See also Incubators How PR Sold the War in the Persian Gulf How To Build Support for War) |
ation with Iraq to
intensify its assault on Palestinians while expanding its settlements.
Just today, 8 Palestinians were killed including a 13 year old boy and a
9-month
