Twitter

Follow palashbiswaskl on Twitter

Memories of Another day

Memories of Another day
While my Parents Pulin babu and Basanti devi were living

Friday, February 6, 2009

MAHARASHTRA! I Would RETURN to you as My MARATHA MANUSH Resmbles the TRAGEDY of INDIAN PREDESTINED Majority People and We Happen to be INDEBTETED to Y



MAHARASHTRA! I Would RETURN to you as My MARATHA MANUSH Resmbles the TRAGEDY of INDIAN PREDESTINED Majority People and We Happen to be INDEBTETED to YOUR LEGACY of ABORIGINAL INDIGENOUS Insurrections and LIBERATIONS!


Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams: Chapter 155

Palash Biswas

MAHARASHTRA! I Would RETURN to you as My MARATHA MANUSH Resmbles the TRAGEDY of INDIAN PREDESTINED Majority People and We Happen to be INDEBTETED to YOUR LEGACY of ABORIGINAL INDIGENOUS Insurrections and LIBERATIONS!

I have just returned from MAHARASHTRA. The brief TOUR had been MIND BLOWING!

I am LUCKY to address BIDARBHA as well as ABORIGINAL INDIGENOUS Mumbai thanks to the organisers of Lokshahi utsav, PONCHRA, JALGAON and specially MR SINDE. I am thankful to BHUSAWAL JUNCTION RLY officials who recieved ne with genuine warmth and helped me to travel forwaqrd in the heart of BIDARBHA. I am based in West Bengal where the Ruling Marxist hegemony prime Constituent CPIM boasts of THREE CORORE memebrship of KISAN SABHA and its political legacy of TEBHAGA, FOOD Movement and Land reforms. But in reality we have to face the tragic SOCIAL Realism of MARICHJHANPI, SINGUR, NANDIGRAM and LALGARH! Indiscriminate Land Acquisition is justified and HOT PURSUED on the HIGHWAY of MARXIST MANUSMRITI CAPITALISM! When we come to Maharashrta, we have to encounter the SAGA of CHITPAVAN BRAHAMINICAL hegemony based in MARATHAWADA and the infinite persecution of MARATHA MANUSH specially in BIDARBHA. Displacement and LPG Mafia and Destruction followed by EXODUS is as common as associated with JUDAISM with which IRONICALLY ANGL SAXON ZIONIS is related as we relate Brahaminical hegemony with Hindutva, the culture and legacy practiced by the indiegenous majority SOUTH ASIANs! Maharashtra may boast of the CONTINUOUS SUBALTERN leadership since CHHATRAPATI Shivaji Maharaj, Shambhaji Maharaj, Jyotiba PHULE, Savitri Bai PHULE, DR BR Ambedkar! Thus, Maharashtra being the LEADING LIGHT of Liberation for Aborignal Indigenous India is benig SEGREGATED by CORPORATE, CRIMINAL and COMMUNAL Political Economy. SHETKARI KAAMGAR UNION diluted and the leader crossing FENCE in favour of BJP, the RSS combine, the most EFFECTIVE DALIT poet NAMDEB DHASAL joined SHIVSENA and the Republican party launched by no one else than BR AMBEDKAR splintered portarys a different MAHARASHTRA replicating WEST BENGAL or GUJARAT which NEVER represents EITHER the MARATHA MANUSH or STARVING BIDARBH indulged in SUICIDE!

Now RSS, the fascist Imperialist, ZIONIST Post Modern strategic partner of US CORPORATE Imperialism and MOSSAD oriented CIA supported ZIONISM sponsered by WORLDBANK and PENTAGON, sheds CROCO TEARS sympathising with the PLIGHT of Indian farmers. They Call for CHANGE inspired by OBAMANIA depriving the masses the opportunities of AWAKENING, Education, organisation and EMPOEWRMENT. It is the RULING UPA, supported earlier for the HYPOCRITE Mraxists for full four years until Operationalisation of INDO US NUKE DEAL was finalised, plays the CHANGE GAME projecting an INDO ITALIAN face of YOUTH with Dalit ASFFINITY. While EX ally of the UPA, the MARXISTS do TOILET TRY to boost DALIT FRIENDLY Image projecting MAYAWTI, the Dalit QUEEN as Prime Minister face. All the ELEMNTS of HAZARDOUS Poisonous Chemicals vested in Indian REAL REALITY Politics create INFINITE KILLING FIELDS all over India! I was made to FEEL it in BIDARBHA!
It is once again BIDARBHA, Nagpur from where The BJP on Friday expressed concern over the "plight" of farmers and "agrarian crisis" in the country and accused the UPA Government of worsening the situation through "wrong" policies. Party President Rajnath Singh, in his inaugural address at the two-day national executive meeting, said development policies made by the UPA Government kept the villages and the poor farmers on the margins. BJP is holding its national council meeting here in Vidarbha region which has witnessed suicides by a large number of farmers over a period of time. "Today, the farmers are facing an agrarian crisis in which the cost of agriculture is on the rise while that of land is on the decline," he said.

Accusing the UPA of being "anti-farmer and anti-worker", he said, "I had told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that agriculture is the main basis of our economy and if we neglect it, the pace of development will automatically get arrested." Recalling that the BJP had demanded a special session of of Parliament to discuss issues pertaining to agriculture, Singh accused the Congress of not heeding to its demand. He complimented BJP-ruled states of Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh for reducing the interest rates on crop loan to less than four per cent.

Who needs all those REALITY SHOWS on Indian SCREEN as we enjoy it in day to day POLITICS and even in Parliamentary Session!


I visited Mumbai in 1981. I faced an INTERVIEW BOARD in the TIMES BUILDING just opposite to Victoria Turminous. All the editors of Times Group consisted the BOARD. The then EDITOR of ECONOMIC TIMES asked me straight,` what is your Ideology?’

I had just come from the Himalayas where whatever we say, we mean it. Our Hill People are very TRANSPARENT. Despite my migration to the Plains was just one or two year old, I had not been disassociated with the legacy.

I did answer without hesitation, `MARXISM!’

They assured me to reply sooner which I never got till today!

This was the end of the Great Mumbai Dream for me. I did knew no one in the Metro that time and stayed in a CP TANK Mess! I was stunned to see the adjoining Faulkland! I also came to know the SLUMS first time in my life. But I was spellbound with the SEA, Sky, landscape and Humanscape. I would use the train or the doubledecker BUS and roam around from gate Way of India to Chaupati, From Malabar Hills to Juhu beach, from dadar to churchgate, from kolaba to ELEPHANTA, Marine drive to Bandra, anywhere. I would see films anywhere! eat anywhere! I was ALONE in Mumbai!

These days, My FRIENDS in Mumbai and Maharashtra make longer list than my home ste Uttaranchal or New Delhi. I just did not carry my Mumbai Diary as I was afraid of Time Crunch! But everwhere whereever I visited, I was never ALONE. I was surrounded by my people! In Bidarbha as well as in Mumbai! I had no time to visit the tourist places in Mumbai this time and had to INTERACT round the clock and I never have to REPENT. It was quite HOMELY. The WARMTH was quite INTIMATE. When I ENTRAINED once again in Gitanjali Express, I felt my Heart was HEAVY with Passions aliegn! As if I were returning from my HOME in Basantipur.

This time I felt entire Maharashtra as my EXTENDED Villge BASANTIPUR!

Thank you Maharashtra for the TREAT and for the TIME!

I would like to return as soon as possible!

Returning from Mumbai, I had to go through two striking News Items. One Political and the second , ECONOMIC! The first news deals with MAOIST Violence and the SECOND with COTTON CRISIS. This is the rare kind of POLITICAL Economy! rather we may describe it as APPLIED ECONOMY which deals with the destiny of mARATHA MANUSH, absolutely an ECONOMIC ISSUE made political as well as COMMUNAL resultant in SEGREGATION of Maratha nationality with the rest of the Country and DELINKING the great Legacy of Mratha Insurrections and Liberations, the national leadership of the maratha nationality!

Returning from Mumbai, I have to see Three DAY BANDH in three TRIBAL populated districts of West Bengal WEST MIDNAPUR, PURULIA and Bankura. While I left Kolkata on 27th JAN, there had been a BANDH at the time as the Indigenous aboriginal people all over the country may not breathe a single moment of relief in an environment of continuous persecution, exploitation, repression, displacement and DEATH!

Returning from Mumbai I had to read that after environmental clearances, the chemical hub project at Nayachar will get going in some time - and could perhaps turn out to be the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government's biggest face saver, ahead of the general elections.For Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, grass is now literally greener on the other side of the river from Nandigram. The government is now only a step away from setting up the giant chemical hub project over 12,000 acres in this near barren island of Nayachar off the shores of Haldia.

I had to note that the HIGH Profile WEST Bengal MPs could not use RS One Hunderd Corore of their MP quota. Defaulters include all prominent CONG as well as Marxist MPs besides the leader of the popular Resistance Firebrand Ms Mamata Bannerjee! What a feeling!

Then the SURVEY report foloats about FIVE LAC JOB losses in India due to GLOBAL recession. GDP is projected to slump down to SIX percent only. Interestingly Disinvestment logic emphises on higher GROWTH RATE as one percent slump is associated with One Million Job Loss!

Just see the crying HEADLINEs flashed by MEDIA FDI fed!

India displaces Oz, becomes ICC's No 2 ODI team
India displaced Australia as the No 2 team in ICC's ODI rankings
after New Zealand defeated the world champions by six wickets...
Kingfisher cuts pilots' salaries by Rs 80,000
Moving quietly, Kingfisher Airlines, has effected a Rs 80,000 cut
in salaries of all its pilots.
Make your own film: Rahman tells 'Slumdog' critics
A.R Rahman has a polite suggestion for those in Bollywood who
complain about the hit film.
Atal's infection worsens, put on ventilator at AIIMS
Pak court frees disgraced N-scientist A Q Khan
'Facebook divorce': Man dumps wife with online posting
Priests overbooked for 3000 V-Day weddings in Lucknow

Kingfisher cuts pilots' salaries by Rs 80,000
Sensex up 210 pts on stimulus hopes
Murty sold Satyam shares before plunge
Satyam pledges land to secure Rs 600-cr loan
US estimated to have lost 5,25,000 jobs in Jan
H-1B hiring ban sought for US cos getting bailout
'IBM offers jobs in India to laid-off workers'

Shilpa to shoot new video to promote Rajasthan Royals
I am still waiting for my fantasy man: Raima Sen
Jimmy Sheirgill to play SRK's brother in 'My Name Is Khan'
Abhay Deol is a braveheart
Jaya Prada to play Shilpa Shetty's mother in 'The Desire'
Jennifer Aniston doesn't want to turn 40
Anil Ambani's 'BIG' Hollywood dream

Layoffs mount as recession drags on

WASHINGTON (AP): Worn down by a drawn-out recession, cost-cutting employers are laying off workers at an alarming clip and there's no end in sight.

The Labor Department releases a report Friday expected to show that January was another cruel month for workers and companies.

With employers in no mood to hire, the unemployment rate is expected to jump to 7.5 percent in January from 7.2 percent in December, according to economists' forecasts. If they are right, that would mark the highest jobless rate in 17 years.

And after suffering heavy job losses last year, the country probably lost another 524,000 jobs month, getting the new year off to a rotten start. Some think the number of jobs reductions in January will be higher _ 600,000 or 700,000.

Employers are slashing payrolls and turning to other ways to cut costs _ including trimming workers' hours, freezing wages or cutting pay _ to cope with shrinking appetites from customers in the United States and in other countries, which are struggling with their own economic troubles.

``It is as rocky as I've ever seen it. Businesses have seen such revenue shortfalls that they are really up against the wall and have no choice but to cut workers,'' said Mark Vitner, an economist at Wachovia Corp.

An avalanche of layoffs is slamming the nation from a wide swath of employers.

Caterpillar Inc., Pfizer Inc., Microsoft Corp., Estee Lauder Cos., Time Warner Cable Inc., and Sprint Nextel Corp. are among the companies slicing payrolls. Manufacturers _ especially car makers _ construction companies and retailers have been particularly hard hit by the recession. Talbots Inc., Liz Claiborne Inc., Macy's Inc. and Home Depot Inc. are all cutting jobs. So are Detroit's General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co.

Americans cut back sharply on spending at the end of last year, thrusting the economy into its worst backslide in a quarter-century. The tailspin could well accelerate in the current January-to-March quarter to a rate of 5 percent or more as the recession drags on into a second year and consumers and businesses burrow deeper under all the economy's negative forces.

Vanishing jobs and evaporating wealth from tanking home values, 401(k)s and other investments have forced consumers to retrench. And, in turn, companies are pulling back. It's a vicious cycle where all the economy's problems feed on each other, perpetuating a downward economic spiral.

Many economists predict the current quarter _ in terms of lost economic growth _ will be the worst of the recession.

With fallout from the housing, credit and financial crises _ the worst since the 1930s _ ripping through the economy, analysts predict up to 3 million jobs will vanish this year _ even if Congress quickly approves the stimulus measure.

President Barack Obama has been making repeated pleas to Congress to swiftly enact a multibillion-dollar package of increased government spending including big public works projects as well as tax cuts to revive the economy and create jobs. Obama says his plan will save or create more than 3 million jobs in the next two years.

The Senate is racing ahead to complete action on a $920 billion plan_ including more money for unemployment benefits _ that will have to be reconciled at some point with the $819 billion package passed by the House.

The economy's problems have proven stubborn. Despite record low interest rates ordered by the Federal Reserve and a raft of radical programs, including a $700 billion financial bailout, consumers and businesses face high hurdles to borrow money, foreclosures are skyrocketing, home prices are sinking and Wall Street remains on edge.



And so on..

Even after the BHOPA Chemical WARFAR Experiment resultant in Mass Destruction looming around the GLOBE, the RULING Marxists in west Bengal led by ANGLO SAXON KAYASTHA BRAHMINS, never do disconnect themselves with DOWS! Thus,the Nayachar project needs only a formal nod from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.It was originally planned for Nandigram and with the land acquisition fiasco there still fresh in memory, the government is treading cautiously.


"Nayachar, being a totally government owned island there is no land acquisition involved. Some fishing activity is going on there. We have already committed to rehabilitate all the fishing community. We will give them training and alternative livelihood. In fact, they are our first priority,” said Sabyasachi Sen, the Industries Secretary of West Bengal.


The Bengal government claims that the project would attract an overall investment of 100,000 crore rupees and generate 10 lakh direct and indirect employment. Trinamul Congress, which led the resistance in Nandigram, wants to wait and watch.


"Without consensus you should not proceed for any such major industry… and without taking the consent of the major opposition political parties and the consent of the farmers… So at this juncture if any such decision is taken, the Trinamul Congress will oppose it,” said Sudip Bandyopadhyay, a leader from the Trinamul Congress.


Crucially, however, the project would also require final clearances from environment and coastal security authorities. But since the Lok Sabha polls are only two to three months away, the Centre's nod has certainly provided the CPM something to parade before its voters.


I had a lengthy interaction with Phiroz Mithiwalah along with Major Burve and the Economist, SP Yadav who hosted an excellent Lunch for us in VORIVOLI! Only phiroz could make the difference between Anglo Saxon ZIONISM and Indigenous Judaism. As all of us are quite habitual to MIX up Brahaminicla hegemony and Manusmriti genocide Cultuer with Non ARYAN Majority Indigenous Aboriginal Minority Hindu masses!

Yes, My Maratha Manus belongs to the NORTH as wellas to the SOUTH and EAST, North East, Himalayas and the West! My BIDARBHA resembles with Central Asia, Middle East, Wset Asia and Africa, and latin America! We have to understand ZIONISM to understand Bengali Anglo saxon kayastha Brahmins as well as the Chettiyars of Tamilnadu and the Gaudas of Karnataka and the CHITPAVAN Brahmins of Maharashtra! We have to analyse the ZIONIST LINK with Brarrack Obama`s INCARNATION as Martin Luther King! We have to understand Gaza Strip and Palestine, the prophesies, the nature, Natural resources and the applied Economics to understand Bidarbha as well as Maharashtra! Let me elaborate thes points later. First I want to dioscuss the Maoist Violence and the Cotton Crisis leading to MASS SUICIDES!

Economic Times reports:

India’s cotton exports are likely to end up much below the estimated projections due to sluggish demand across global markets and a higher
minimum support price (MSP) for the crop.

Exports have been affected as major importers like China, Turkey, Peru and Egypt decided to slash their imports. And the effects are quite apparent. Contracts have been booked for only 9.5 lakh bales of cotton and just 5.3 lakh bales have been shipped offshore till January 31, 2009, according to trade circles. For the 2008-09 cotton year (October-September), the government’s export projection is estimated at 75 lakh bales.

With deepening economic recession, many countries, which accounted for a major share of India’s cotton and cotton yarn exports, have started downsizing contracts or introducing safeguard measures to protect their domestic producers, according to Siddhartha Rajagopal, executive director, Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil).
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Markets/Commodities/Weak_global_demand_may_hit_cotton_exporters/articleshow/4084135.cms

Here you are!

The COTTON CRISIS deepens! As we have already seen the DEATH PROCESSIONS in Indian Tea gardens and Jute MILLS, we have been HABITUAL to bear with the INFINITE SUICIDE SERIAL with Parliamentary Reality SHOW of SEXUALY Transitional People`s representatives all these years as more than Five HUNDRED Thousnad Peasants in Bidarbha have committed suicide in recent times. The ULTIMATE Destruction of basic industries is jsutified with Globalisation and neoliberaqlism, the POST MODERN MNUSMRITI Economics and political World ORDER ZIONIST run by ILLUMINITY Global and ILUUMINITI in making the INDIA INCs! The GLOBAL RECESSION is the crisis of the ZIONIST BRAHAMINICAL WHITE oredr of PHOENIX thrust upon us. National REVENUE is diverted to sustain the BASTARDUISED COLONIOAL Peripherry ECONOMY called so called RISILIENT indian Economy!

Privatisation is named SOFT to cross the CULTURAL barrier with descent Mind Control and brain Washing game and the ALTER of SACRIFICE is almost READY for MASS DESTRUCTION with DISINVESTMENT of all PUBLIC SECTOR UNITS including Railway, Post, LIC and SBI and ONGC! It is preplanned and SIXTH PAY COMMISSION is meant to PREMPT any RESISTANCE whatsoever as the MARXISTS and the Trade unions led by them, ally with the Ruling Brahaminical hegemony strategically realligned in US lead and Goverend by the WORLD Bank gangesters and the Anti National IMPOSTERS planted from WASHINGTON!

Whenever the Ruling Class speaks on Politics, it is always ECONOMICS they deal with and we never do understand the mechanism of Expolitation and Destruction. It is MONOPOLISTIC Aggression strikingly Angol Saxon and Zionist in Character! We never do understand. They DIVERT the genuine Issues like nationality, Identity and Employment and livelihood like MARATHA MANUSH politicalising and communalising and making way for ILLUMININITY Gloabal and ILLUMINITI making at home. NO one reached CST VT in MUMBAI where MARATHA MANUSH were killed ENMASSE. The focus was on TAZ, owned by Tatas never belonging to Maharashtra. They never oppose the ECONOMIC RULE and Ruling Class in Maharashtra. They never oppose the LPG MAFIA or Underground DONs. They never registered their opposition to SEZ and indiscrimininate Industrialisation and Urbanisation, retail chains, builders and promoters, MNCs and Corporates! But they happen to be the selfstyled spokespersons of MARATHAMANUSH and make every possible way for DE INDUSTRIALISATION, Displacement and EXODUS to accomodate MNCs, Builders, Promoters and Killers.

I saw NO GREEN all over entire BIDARBHA from Nagpur to Sevagram, to Burdha until I travelled accross AKOLA and BHUSAVAL! The TOPOGRAPHY happens to be BARREN with intense DEforestation everywhere changing the Weather Cycle and DRYING UP of water resources to IRRIGATE the COTTON FIELDS which cober ENTIRE BIDARBHA, Harvesting of Cash cotton never cease as it reminds me the NORTH INDIA where the peasants happen to die for SUGER CANE, SOYA BEEN and Sun Flower sacrificing CEREALs and creating intense FOOD INSECURITY. The COTTON Crisis is associated with GLOBAL RECESSION! How Funny. PSUs is related to INEFFICIENCY while PRIVATE SECTOR is BRANDED as EFFICIENT and MARKET VIABLE. Take the SATAYAM ASATAYAM phenomenon and the INFLATED freesenSEX Indian Economy! The KILLING INSTINCT needs no morality, no transparency!

The COTTON CRISIS is covered as the GOI has covered the DISINVESTMNET AGENDA with SIXTH pay commission with forged Statics on which the BASTARDISED ECONOMISTS and POLITICIANS may boast of EXPERIZE!The government's procurement agency Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has offloaded 12 lakh bales of the commodity in the domestic market and exported about 9,000 bales so far, mainly to Bangladesh. The CCI has also procured 67 lakh bales (one bale is equal to 170 kg) of cotton so far and expects to purchase about 90 lakh bales this season.

It was a pleasant scene soothing my eyes when I saw harvesting of BAZRA and ZWAR in Bhusawal, AKOLa and Jalgaon. Having addressed the LOKSAHI MAHOTSAV under open sky in village PACHORA near Jalgaon, I dined wih BAKHREE. I had to speak on almost three full hours. Even at midnight, I had to interact with the Audience coming form several districts as far from NASIK! In fact, I had to speak on almost full night until I got a train to Bhusawal where I had to catch the MAHANAGARI EXPRESS for Mumbai. I was very emotional as the MUSLIMS aging eigthy or ninety came over to me and blessed me as they agreed with my analysis of MARATHA MANUSH and the GLOBAL Economy and Politics, the subjects I dealt with.

it reminded me PL 480 days which changed the FOOD HABIT in entire India and WHEAT took over as main FOOD sidelining Indian Cereals. it was the preparation of GREEMN Revolution with Modfied SEEDS, Fertlisers and pesticides resultant in Akali Movement, Sikh Inmsurrection and operation Blue Star followed by SIKH GENOCIDE!

Maharashtra is now flooded with GM seeds and the whole package of CHEMICALS prohibited globaly as named as fertilisers and Pesticides! This created the VISCIOUS POLITICALLY APPLIED ECONOMY of SIUICIDES in Bidarbha!

"We have sold 12 lakh bales in the domestic market, while the export has been less so far at only 9,000 bales, especially to Bangladesh," CCI Chairman and Managing Director Subhash Grover told PTI.

Earlier, the industry had accused the CCI of creating an "artificial shortage" of cotton by not offloading the massive stocks it has created on behalf of the government.

It has also been seeking that the CCI sells the stocks at a subsidised rate so that domestic millers get some reprieve against the "sharp" hike in the minimum support prices of cotton this year.

The government yesterday allocated a supplementary non- plan budgetary grant of Rs 500 crore to the CCI to compensate against the losses incurred by purchasing raw cotton at MSP to provide remunerative prices to farmers.

The government has sharply increased the MSP of standard cotton (long staple) to Rs 3,000 per quintal for 2008-09 from Rs 2,030 in the previous year. The MSP of medium staple cotton has been raised to Rs 2,500 from Rs 1,800 per quintal.

The industry has since been protesting against the move, saying domestic prices would shoot up at a time when prices in global markets were moderating.

Since domestic traders resorted to only "need-based buying" due to high MSP, the CCI had to purchase in huge quantities this year to provide remunerative prices to farmers and avoid distress sales by them.

The corporation has so far purchased most from Andhra Pradesh at 25 lakh bales, followed by Maharashtra (15 lakh bales) and Punjab (10 lakh bales).



We fear nor the East neither the West.
But trembled are
By that petty fuzz
Wearing that khaki vest…
Bemoan we those slained
Seven Seas Afar
Grapple we not but
What We ought grapple with…
Injustice galores, cries muffled are
Saw who?! what happened! Happened when….?
Wail we here for those butchered in Iraq
Spare we not a few tears for those dying
Dying and never having had lived
Bemoaned before being sung…,
With dangling dignity we form the crust
We fear not the east, nor the West
Whisper I silently….lest be whacked!..
By the plump Lathis of growling CRPF men
Lest those Goblins trample me on,…
on the hard Road. Whispers travel louder and reach farther
Let me whisper then, We fear nor the West neither the East
We are the best,We are the Best….

(Jamsheed Rasool may be reached at jamyhere65 at yahoo dot com)

Maoist rebels kill 15 police in India:

Fifteen police officers were killed in the western
Indian state of Maharashtra in a shoot-out with Maoist Revolutionaries on Monday, 2nd February 2009.

They were ambushed Sunday in the jungle near a village in the east of the state, a stronghold of Maoists and other Marxist groups who represent oppressed, landless rural dwellers.

"The patrolling party was ambushed by the Maoists and 15 reactionaries died. The encounter went on for nearly one and a half to two hours," stated the regions Masses reports.

They say there were regular skirmishes between police and Maoists in
the area, which is close to the border with neighbouring Madhya Pradesh and some 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) by road from the Maharahstra state capital Mumbai.

Indian media on Monday said the Maoists fled with police weapons,
including automatic assault rifles and a mortar shell.

The Maoist peoples war, which grew out of a peasant uprising in 1967, has hit more than half of India's 29 states and the rebels use a heavily forested region in Chhattisgarh as their headquarters and base themselves and their social base on the masses.

Is Obama going to cover up Bush's crimes?

So far Obama is doing a good job of being silent and talking without saying anything.

Israel's slaughter of Palestinians? No comment.

Bush adminstration's crimes? No comment.

Details:

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/547.html

Weak global demand may hit cotton exporters


6 Feb 2009, 0228 hrs IST, Pradeep Pandey & Nidhi Sharma, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: India’s cotton exports are likely to end up much below the estimated projections due to sluggish demand across global markets and a higher
minimum support price (MSP) for the crop.

Exports have been affected as major importers like China, Turkey, Peru and Egypt decided to slash their imports. And the effects are quite apparent. Contracts have been booked for only 9.5 lakh bales of cotton and just 5.3 lakh bales have been shipped offshore till January 31, 2009, according to trade circles. For the 2008-09 cotton year (October-September), the government’s export projection is estimated at 75 lakh bales.

With deepening economic recession, many countries, which accounted for a major share of India’s cotton and cotton yarn exports, have started downsizing contracts or introducing safeguard measures to protect their domestic producers, according to Siddhartha Rajagopal, executive director, Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil).

In 2008, China bought about 60% of the total Indian cotton exports, but this year it has marginalised its contracts and is buying from internal traders due to higher prices in India, said a senior official of Cotton Association of India. Low quality and the higher MSP are affecting competitive sentiments in the international market, he said.

This view is echoed by Dhiren N Sheth, president of the Cotton Association of India, who said that the country may export a maximum of 50 to 55 lakh bales as against the earlier estimates of 75 lakh bales for the current cotton year. “Indian prices of cotton are high as compared to the international prices and it will be difficult to export more than 50 to 55 lakh bales this cotton year,” he said.

Recently, Turkey, Egypt and Peru have implemented preventive measures to reduce their imports. In addition, Egypt has also imposed measures on imports of cotton yarn, mixed yarns, cotton woven fabrics and mixed fabrics into Egypt. These are in the form of increased import fees amounting to 25% of the CIF value, subject to that the fees not being less than half a dollar (0.5 cents) per kg, said Mr Rajagopal. Peru accounts for 5% of total Indian cotton export, while in Turkey, India has the largest market share of about 50%. Trade with Pakistan is also in bad shape.

However, Bangladesh is the sole country to which exports are growing. India’s cotton export to it is expected to double to 3 lakh bales this year as against 1.45 lakh bales last year. Most of the export contracts registered with the Textile Commissioner are said to be for Bangladesh.

According to the Cotton Advisory Board (CAB), last year the total supply was about 315 lakh bales, of which 88 lakh bales were exported. For current year, total supply of cotton is projected at 370 lakh bales and exports at 75 lakh bales, the board said.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Markets/Commodities/Weak_global_demand_may_hit_cotton_exporters/articleshow/4084135.cms

Chemical hub sans land woes Centre
5 Feb 2009, 0056 hrs IST, Udit Prasanna Mukherji, TNN
KOLKATA: What is so significant about the Centre's clearing the proposed chemical hub project in Bengal? It means, among others, that the Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee government can now put to use a total of 250 sq km of land spread over Nayachar and Haldia, without taking the pains of land acquisition. What's more, the Centre will help build up infrastructure in the entire region. This is no mean opportunity for a less happening state, where getting a piece of land is a problem.

Upbeat with the clearance, the state government and the investors are wasting no time in obtaining the final notification for the Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) in East Midnapore.

Nandini Chakrabarty, nodal officer of the PCPIR and executive director of WBIDC, told TOI that Jurong Consultants of Singapore has already been engaged to prepare a masterplan of the project.

Jurong Consultants had earlier done a techno-feasibility study of the Nayachar area. "The consulting firm is now working on the masterplan that it is likely to submit within 10 months. The firm took up this work after it found in the earlier study that the project was feasible on the Nayachar island," Chakrabarty said. The masterplan will give details about processing area, logistics and utilities.
It would also devise a marketing strategy for the PCPIR in the global market. Universal Success of Singapore-based industrialist Prasoon Mukherjee will set up a 2,500-MW power plant at Nayachar for captive requirement of the processing area of Nayachar. Universal Success is a key partner of New Kolkata International Development (NKID), the biggest investor.

The PCPIR includes both Nayachar and the existing petrochemicals units under the Haldia Development Authority (HDA). The total area required for the project is 250 sq km, of which the minimum processing area is 100 sq km.

Nayachar's proximity to Haldia has been an added advantage for the project. "We have an advantage. The existing processing area for PCPIR is 9551 acre. It constitutes almost 40% of the area required for processing. The rest will come from Nayachar. The entire area under HDA will come under PCPIR," said Chakrabarty.

PCR Chemicals, a joint venture company to monitor infrastructure development in the region, will soon appoint a consultant for comprehensive environment assessment study.

When contacted, the head of the six-member expert committee on PCPIR, Subir Raha, said it would meet later in February to formulate strategy following the latest development. "We are trying to complete our final report by March," he said. Incidentally, the expert committee visited Nayachar in February 2008 to assess the geological aspect of the island. NKID director and chairman of Universal Success, Prasoon Mukherjee feels it would change the economy of the entire state.

"The investment in the project will be over Rs 4 lakh crore and the total employment will be 5 lakh over a period of 15 years," he said.

In a bid to bring in anchor investors, whose presence will attract downstream units, the state government has entered into an agreement with Indian Oil Corporation. According to the agreement, IOC will set up another oil refinery of 15 million tonne capacity, linked to the development of a deep sea port, a paraxylene plant and other units. The projected investments by IOC, once the chemical hub comes into being, is over Rs 10,000 crore.

More importantly, this is perhaps the only case where West Bengal could outmanoeuvre other states such as Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and other coastal areas such as Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, who were also keen on getting the PCPIR in their own place.

The experience is that chemical hubs spread over Asia, such as those in the Jurong Islands, Sanghai and Dahej in Gujarat have been instrumental in bringing about a socio-economic change in the area by the amount of investments they fetch and their huge employment potential.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata_/Chemical_hub_sans_land_woes_Centre/articleshow/4078122.cms



UN halts aid to Gaza, cites Hamas disruption
6 Feb 2009, 2110 hrs IST, AP

JERUSALEM: The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said on Friday that it has halted all aid shipments into the Gaza Strip due to interference by the
ruling Hamas militant group.

The UN Relief and Works agency said it made the decision after Hamas personnel intercepted an aid shipment for the second time this week.

In a statement, UNRWA said 10 truckloads of flour and rice that had been delivered into Gaza on Thursday were taken away by trucks affiliated with the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Affairs. Earlier this week, Hamas police took thousands of blankets and food parcels meant for needy residents.

UNRWA said the suspension would remain in effect until the aid is returned and the agency receives credible assurances from the Hamas government that such thefts will end.

UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said the agency would continue to distribute aid from its existing supplies in Gaza, but that stocks were running thin.

``There is enough aid for days, not weeks,'' he said. Complicating the situation, he said the agency has not been able to import plastic bags used for food distribution, and that existing supplies will run out early next week.

Some 80 percent of Gaza's 1.4 million people rely on the UN agency for food and other support, and UN officials say the need for aid has increased since Israel ended a military offensive in Gaza last month.

In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called UNRWA's decision ``unjustified.''

He said Hamas supports UNRWA's work, but believes that some of the agency's employees were giving aid to groups attached to rival political parties.

``We as Hamas refuse all use of the people's needs for political ends,'' he said. He called on UNRWA ``to put an end to using aid for political means, and to distribute it to all the needy equally.''

The offensive, meant to halt years of Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel, killed nearly 1,300 people and caused widespread destruction.

Also Friday, Israel deported 15 activists from an aid ship it intercepted en route from Lebanon to Gaza. The activists, all Lebanese and Syrian citizens, were deported overnight to their countries, the military said.

Mumbai attackers 'creations of ISI': Menon
6 Feb 2009, 0247 hrs IST, TNN

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday again came down heavily on Pakistan for the Mumbai attacks and the Indian embassy bombing in Kabul saying that the
perpetrators of these attacks were "clients and creations" of ISI. ( Watch )

In a speech at French Institute of Foreign Relations, Paris, foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon said arms sale to Pakistan unrelated to the fight against terrorism would make consolidation of democracy even more difficult in Pakistan.

"Among global issues, international terrorism remains a major threat to peace and stability. We in India are next to the epicenter of international terrorism in Pakistan. We have directly suffered the consequences of linkages and relationships among terrorist organisations, their support structures, official sponsors and funding mechanisms, which transcend national borders but operate within them," said Menon.

"For India, the most graphic recent instances were the bombing of our embassy in Kabul on July 7, 2008 and the Mumbai attacks of November 26, 2008. In each case, the perpetrators planned, trained and launched their attacks from Pakistan, and the organisers were and remain clients and creations of the ISI. Two months after the Mumbai attacks, and one month after we presented a dossier of evidence linking the attacks to elements in Pakistan, we still await a response from the Pakistani authorities, and prevarication continues," he added.

Saying that ceasefire violations, cross-border infiltration and terrorist attacks from Pakistan unfortunately came after a sustained effort by both the countries to improve relations, Menon called upon the international community to help improve the situation.

"Given the fragile and unfinished nature of the polity beside us, there is much that the international community can do to help. For instance, arms sales to Pakistan totally unrelated to the fight against terrorism or extremism are like whisky to an alcoholic, a drug reinforcing an addiction, skewing the internal political balance, and making the consolidation of democracy more difficult," said Menon.



Now, Ram Sena targets CPM MLA's daughter, friend
6 Feb 2009, 2200 hrs IST, TIMESOFINDIA.COM
NEW DELHI: Barely days after the Mangalore pub attack, Sri Ram Sena men reportedly assaulted daughter of a CPM MLA from Kerala, who was travelling
with her male friend.

C H Kunhambu, a CPM MLA from Kerala, told IANS that his daughter was held hostage by Sena activists near Mangalore. ( Watch )

She was returning from her home in Manjeswaram in the northern Kerala, bordering Karnataka, for her college hostel in Mangalore, when some people shouted abuses at her and a boy accompanying her, said Kunhambu.

"She is a Class XII student of the St Aloysius College in Mangalore. Since her exams start tomorrow, she boarded a bus to Mangalore from my home around 4.30 p.m. On the way, a boy, her classmate, also boarded the bus. As they were reaching Mangalore, she said a few men started shouting abuses at both of them," Kunhambu told IANS.

Later, these people were found to be activists of Sri Ram Sena, said the legislator from Manjeshwar in Kasargod district.

"She said she was held hostage for almost an hour. It was only after the bus conductor informed the police that things eased out and she was let off," said Kunhambu.

The girl's mother M. Sumathi said while she was not attacked, the boy was assaulted and abducted for a while.

Sumathi said she did not know the name of the boy.

The Mangalore police said they have not received any complaint so far about the incident.

IANS reported that Sri Ram Sena president Pramod Muthalik said in Bangalore his outfit was not involved in the incident.

Muthalik had on Thursday said dating couples in Karnataka would be forced to tie the knot on Valentine's Day.

“Love is an emotional and bonding issue. I am not against love. But it should not be confined to one particular day, rather it should be expressed all through the year,'' Muthalik had told reporters.

Activists of Sri Rama Sena barged into a Mangalore pub on January 24. They thrashed the young girls, dragged them by their hair and molested them for "violating traditional Indian norms".



Sonia favours Manmohan's continued services as PM
6 Feb 2009, 1858 hrs IST, PTI

NEW DELHI: Breaking her silence and scotching all speculation, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has virtually made it clear that Manmohan Singh would
continue to be the prime ministerial face of the party.

"He has led the UPA government with great distinction. He has many more years of service both to the party and to our country," she said in her 'Letter to Congresspersons' in the latest issue of the party mouthpiece 'Congress Sandesh'.

Gandhi said, "He (Singh) has always been known for his wisdom and sagacity, for his humility and simplicity, for his quiet but firm resolve and his sobriety and dignity".

Virtually endorsing Singh as the PM candidate in the Lok Sabha elections, she said, "We look forward to his continued leadership and his inspiration to the younger generation particularly".

Soon after reports of the 76-year old Prime Minister was admitted to the AIIMS late last month for a heart surgery, with elections round the corner there was speculation in media and political circles about who would be projected as the prime ministerial candidate of the party.

The Congress continued to maintain that Singh was the Prime Minister and there was no vacancy for the post and Gandhi's remarks has appeared to have sealed the debate.

Asked about the 'Sandesh' remarks of Gandhi, party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said "Manmohan Singh is the Prime Minister of the country and there is no vacancy for the post today".

Raju favourite A S Murty named Satyam CEO
6 Feb 2009, 0139 hrs IST, TNN

HYDERABAD: Ending weeks of search, suspense and speculation, A S Murty, a Satyam veteran of 15 years was named the new CEO of the beleagured A S Murty, the new CEO of Satyam. (TOI Photo)
More Pictures
company on Thursday. Homi Khusrokhan, former MD of Tata Chemicals and Partho Datta, former CFO of Murugappa Group, who were tipped to be the CEO and CFO respectively were simultaneously appointed as special advisors to the board to strengthen management and financial areas. This obviously means that they will not be members of the board.

Murty, who spent most part of his tenure in Satyam in the human resources function, is known to have been extremely close to Ramalinga Raju. But unlike many Raju favourites in the company, he is also much liked by the Satyam staff who welcomed his annointment. "

He is a consensus man. I am happy that he will be at the helm of affairs," a manager of the company said.

In a press release, the board also announced that it had received bank sanctions for Rs 600 crore (approximately $130 million) as a planned fund infusion towards its working capital requirements. It has also reaffirmed that salaries for January (globally) and the fortnightly salaries for February for its US-based associates have been met from internal accruals.

TOI's investigation reveals that the choice fell on an internal candidate after no external candidate wanted to join the company that would be possibly sold off in a few months time. "Though there were dozens of aspirants, none could be expected to take a plunge if not sure about their future," a source said.

A S Murty's name came up after the board had discussions with senior executives of the company . Asked for three names in order of preference, Murthy's name came up in most lists. " Based on this and other feedback, the board decided on Murty," an insider said.

Interestingly, even when the Satyam board had indicated that they would appoint a CEO from outside the company, company affairs minister P C Gupta had publicly said that the CEO should be an internal man. Murty, who has been chief delivery officer of the company is also a local. "

His appointment will also take care of the son of the soil sentiment witnessed in recent weeks," an insider conceded. In a press statement, board member Deepak Parekh said that Murty " is well respected for his ability to effectively integrate the team and enable a collective decision making- which will be critical as Satyam moves into its revival phase."

Sources however wondered how Murty's appointment would be explained to external clients most of whom were told that an outside CEO would be put in place to clean Satyam.

Satyam on Thursday also appointed New York-based legal firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katzin to address various class action suits — numbering about a dozen - filed against it in the US. However, Latham & Watkins, lawyers of Satyam for over eight years will continue to support it in its ongoing dialogue with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

BJP invokes Mahatma Gandhi, moots "indigenous" economic order
Nagpur (PTI): Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, BJP on Friday chose this land of its ideological moorings to moot a new "indigenous" economic order for the nation based on the principles espoused by him to deal with the slowdown.

"The fall of communism and now the crisis of capitalism in the entire world reminds us of what Bapu had said 100 years ago. Perhaps for India, the time has come to act in accordance with the ideas of Bapu," party chief Rajnath Singh said in his inaugural address at the party's national executive here.

Asserting that Gandhian values "are becoming more and more relevant today" at the social, diplomatic and economic levels, Rajnath said, "we will have to think of a new model for India which imitates neither the USSR nor the US.

"While India develops, it also has to show to the world the path of development- one which was thought by the thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya," he added.

Rajnath said the basic Indian model propounded by Gandhi and Upadhyaya "was based on decentralisation of industries and compatibility between capital and labour.

"It is based on local requirements and systems. Contrary to the marketing rules of today, it is based on controlled use and not on unbridled consumerism," Rajnath said in his address.

In an obvious criticism of western countries, the BJP chief said the model of maximum consumption of the resource can be profitable for a country but it cannot be good for the entire world.

The saffron party hailed the Gram Swaraj of Mahatma Gandhi and Gramodaya model of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya as a possible solution to the current economic recession.



Brasscheck TV
2380 California St.
San Francisco, CA 94115


Socialist Voice
Marxist Perspectives for the 21st Century

FEBRUARY 6, 2009
Web Edition: www.socialistvoice. ca

by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley
"Americans are losing their minds when they might alleviate their depression by taking to the streets."

The American economy continues its slide to new depths of brokenness and dysfunction. January 2009 was the worst January ever for the benchmark S&P 500 Index. In the last week of that same month, major corporations announced the layoffs of more than 100,000 workers. The state of New York is borrowing funds in order to pay benefits to an ever growing number of unemployed. The state of California can't pay anyone anything, sending IOUs in lieu of tax refund checks. The other 48 states are in similarly dire straits. The federal government is broke, yet the new president is about to turn over the next round of bailout money to the financial services industry without any demand that working Americans benefit from the continued public largesse.

While Americans focus on nonsense, the worldwide economic crisis strengthens its grip. Fortunately, citizens of other countries are not going quietly into the night. The usually peaceful people of Iceland threw out their government after international banksters destroyed their economy. The French, never shy about protesting, took to the streets to show their government that they wouldn't be silent as unemployment rises and wages fall. The rest of the world may make demands on their political leadership, but Americans are stuck in a morass of apathy and ignorance brought about by corporate media disinformation.

If the millions of Americans who voted for Barack Obama were to make demands on the system, there might be some hope for the nation. Unfortunately they are singularly unprepared to do anything they should do in order to save themselves. They ought to demand true health care reform. A system guaranteeing access for all would help individuals and also businesses such as the auto industry that are going bankrupt in part because of the cost of health care. Citizens ought to demand drastic cuts in military spending for the nation that spends more on defense than the rest of the world combined. Instead they are foolishly impressed when Obama puts on a show and pretends to be concerned about corporate jets and billion dollar bonuses on Wall Street.

"The federal government is broke, yet the new president is about to turn over the next round of bailout money to the financial services industry."

Obama could have had an anti bonus provision in the TARP bail out bill if he had wanted one. As his party's nominee for president, he gave TARP his full blessing. He said nothing that his banker backers didn't like and now pretends that he is shocked, shocked, to find out that his fund raisers like to make and take as much money as possible.

The much discussed stimulus bill is also a meaningless distraction. The "shovel ready" infrastructure projects do nothing to save homes or jobs or loosen credit. The stimulus bill is instructive only in that it demonstrates how two-faced Barack Obama has turned out to be. He added tax cut provisions to the legislation not because he thought he would get Republican support. He already knew he would not. He added those provisions because he wanted them all along, knowing full well that Democratic House members would look and feel like chumps in the deal making process. Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged as much but demurred when asked if the tax cuts provisions might be removed. "It's something that we can live with," said the House Speaker. Nancy should speak for herself.

Easily fooled Americans were glued to the television watching the Obama inauguration while simultaneously ignoring their own worsening financial situation. Who can bother to look at the fine print on multi-billion dollar deals when HISTORY is being made? Now the same zombified population ignores presidential inaction on bankruptcy "cramdown" legislation that could save their homes, explicit threats to Social Security, and back-tracking on employee free choice for labor unions.

"Obama added tax cut provisions because he wanted them all along."
In their delusion and despair, the only reaction left to non class conscious Americans is to turn on themselves. Murders and suicides are too often the reaction to financial disaster instead of righteous indignation directed towards a failed political and economic system. Americans are losing their minds when they might alleviate their depression by taking to the streets or at the very least giving their elected leaders a piece of their minds.

Americans never had the tools to fully understand the system that is failing them so terribly. Now they are enthralled by a man who explicitly instructs them not to confront the people and institutions that have brought them to the brink. The economic meltdown will continue for a long time and so will the individual meltdowns and disasters for millions of people who will literally not know what hit them or where they ought to turn after the crash.

Margaret Kimberley's Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR. Ms. Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgandaReport.Com. Ms. Kimberley maintains an edifying and frequently updated blog at freedomrider.blogspot.com. More of her work is also available at her Black Agenda Report archive page.

http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1005&Itemid=1

“The battle...has to begin here. In America. The only institution more powerful than the U.S. government is American civil society. The rest of us are subjects of slave nations. We are by no means powerless, but you have the power of proximity. You have access to the Imperial Palace and the Emperor’s chambers. Empire’s conquests are being carried out in your name.”
Arundhati Roy


Charles Darwin and Materialist Science
By Ian Angus
February 12, 2009 is Darwin day, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. His masterwork, On the Origin of Species, was published 150 years ago, in November 1859, initiating a revolution in science that continues to this day.
Although Darwin's political views were far from radical, his insights became the central weapons in the battle to establish materialist science as the basis for our understanding of the world, and contributed to the development of Marxism.
Charles Robert Darwin was, to say the least, an unlikely revolutionary. His father was a prominent physician and wealthy investor; his grandfather was Josiah Wedgwood, founder of one of the largest manufacturing companies in Europe. He could have lived a life of leisure — instead he devoted his life to science.
After graduating from Cambridge in 1831, 22-year-old Charles Darwin boarded the British survey ship HMS Beagle as an unpaid naturalist, subsidized by his doting father. When he returned after five years, he had thousands of pages of scientific observations, over 1,500 carefully preserved specimens — and growing doubts about the dominant scientific and religious ideas of his day.
A heretical conclusion
At that time, Darwin wrote in his 1861 introduction to Origin, "the great majority of naturalists believed that species were immutable productions, and had been separately created." Biblical literalists and deists alike agreed that species were fixed by divine law. Dogs might vary in appearance, but dogs don't give birth to cats.
After five years of travel and two years of study at home, Darwin came to a heretical conclusion: species were not immutable. All animals were descended from common ancestors, different species resulted from gradual changes over millions of years, and God had nothing to do with it.
It is difficult, today, to understand how shocking this idea would be to the middle and upper classes of Darwin's time. Religion wasn't just the "opium of the masses"— it gave the wealthy moral justification for their privileged lives in a world of constant change and gross inequality. The world was unfolding according to God's wishes, and anyone who questioned that endangered the very fragile social order.
Nevertheless, by the 1830s educated people knew that the Genesis creation story couldn't be literally true. The rise of capitalism in the 1700s had led to booms in mining and canal building: those works exposed geological layers and ancient fossils that clearly contradicted the idea of a recently-created earth.
In the same period, imperialism led to global exploration and the discovery of more varieties of plant and animal life than any European had ever imagined. Why had the Creator been so extravagant? And why, if each animal was created separately, were their underlying structures so similar — why do bats' wings, whales' flippers, lions' paws and human hands all contain the same bones?
Many attempts were made to preserve a central role for God and creation in the face of this evidence. Perhaps the most sophisticated was developed in the 1850s by Richard Owen, head of natural science at the British Museum and inventor of the word "dinosaur." He argued that all animals are variations on ideas — "archetypes" — in God's mind. God "foreknew all variations" on those archetypes, and made them real in forms that would suit various environments or situations over time.
At the opposite end of the philosophical spectrum, the great French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck offered a non-religious explanation. He proposed that there is a "chain of being," a ladder of life, with single-celled animals at the bottom and humans at the top. Nature constantly and spontaneously creates new creatures that have an innate drive to climb the ladder, becoming more complex, or perfect, over time.
As they climb, they also adapt to environmental changes: giraffes have long necks because their ancestors had to stretch to reach high leaves, while fish that live in caves are blind because their ancestors' vision declined as a result of disuse. This concept was not central to Lamarck's theory, but "inheritance of acquired characteristics" has since become inextricably connected to his name.
A materialist explanation
While Lamarck and others just speculated that species changed over time, Darwin provided convincing evidence. More important, he showed that it happened by natural processes, without any help from gods or mysterious progressive forces. That is, his explanation of evolution was materialist.
In Darwin's theory, three factors combine to create new species: variation, inheritance, and natural selection. There are many differences between the members of any species, and those differences will result in some individuals being more likely to survive environmental changes and so pass on their variations to the next generation. Over long periods of time, such variations will spread through the population, while any that reduce the possibility of reproduction will decline. Eventually the accumulation of new characteristics results in new species.
Darwin developed the key elements of his theory by 1838, but didn't publish it because he knew how hostile the scientific community of his day was to both materialism and evolution . Only after 20 years, when he had become one of the best-known and most respected naturalists in England, did he finally make his heresy public.
On the Origin of Species was an instant best-seller. The publisher printed 1,250 copies but received orders for 1,500 copies on the first day. A second edition of 3,000 copies followed in a few weeks, and some 110,000 copies were sold in England by the end of the century.
While Darwin's ideas were quickly accepted by many scientists, especially younger ones, they were roundly condemned by the scientific establishment and by religious leaders. Adam Sedgwick, Darwin's geology professor at Cambridge, called On the Origin of Species "utterly false and grievously mischievous" and declared his "detestation of the theory, because of its unflinching materialism, " while Richard Owen denounced it as an "abuse of science."
Marx and Engels and Darwin
Outside official scientific circles, Darwin's ideas found strong support in the workers movement. Friedrich Engels said Origin was "absolutely splendid," and Karl Marx called it "the book which contains the basis in natural history for our view."
Marx's friend Wilhelm Liebknecht later recalled that "when Darwin drew the conclusions from his research work and brought them to the knowledge of the public, we spoke of nothing else for months but Darwin and the enormous significance of his scientific discoveries. "
In Origin, Marx and Engels found a materialist explanation of nature's history to complement and strengthen their materialist explanation of human history. They particularly valued Darwin's demonstration that nature has a history that can be explained in materialist, natural terms. In Anti-Dühring, Engels wrote:
"Nature works dialectically and not metaphysically … she does not move in the eternal oneness of a perpetually recurring circle, but goes through a real historical evolution. In this connection, Darwin must be named before all others. He dealt the metaphysical conception of Nature the heaviest blow by his proof that all organic beings, plants, animals, and man himself, are the products of a process of evolution going on through millions of years."
A triumph for humanity
Darwin spent most of the rest of his life researching evolution and natural selection, while his supporters defended his ideas against the most influential opinion leaders of his day. By the time he died in 1882, few scientists still disputed the fact of evolution — but it took much longer for most to accept the materialist core of Darwin's work, that variation and natural selection are the processes that drive evolution. For decades scientists searched for an alternative to natural selection that would be compatible with the idealist conception that God, or some equivalent progressive tendency in nature, guided evolution upwards until humans emerged as the pinnacle of creation.
But twentieth century genetic research proved that Darwin was right all along: that variations occur naturally, and that natural selection is the main force determining which variations survive and spread.
Darwin's commitment to naturalist science has triumphed. No modern scientist, not even one with deep religious convictions, would today suggest that "then a miracle happened" is an acceptable explanation for anything in nature, including the origins, immense variety and constant changes in life on our planet.
This materialist victory in science is one of humanity's greatest achievements.. For that reason alone, no matter what his hesitations, delays or prejudices, Charles Darwin deserves to be remembered and honoured by everyone who looks forward to the ending of superstition and ignorance in all aspects of life.
The idea that nature has a history, that species come into existence, change and disappear through natural processes, is just as revolutionary, and just as important to socialist thought, as the idea that capitalism isn't eternal but came into being at a given time and will one day disappear from the earth.
Ian Angus is an associate editor of Socialist Voice, and editor of the online journal Climate and Capitalism. He is currently writing a book on Darwin and materialism.


LINK DOESN'T WORK? Some email programs block links to websites. If clicking on a link in Socialist Voice doesn't work, try holding down the CTRL key as you click, or copy the link address into your browser.

FEEDBACK: Socialist Voice welcomes questions, comments and debate on the articles we publish. Please use the "Feedback" box at the bottom of each article on our website.

SOCIALIST VOICE
Web: www.socialistvoice. ca
Email: socialistvoice@ sympatico. ca
Editors: Roger Annis, John Riddell
Associate Editors: Ian Angus, Mike Krebs
Production Coordinator: Ian Angus

Fatal Flaw in Holocaust Denial - Peter Myers, February 6, 2009

Over the years, I have put out material by Deniers from time to time, especially given the anti-Zionist position common to both Far Left and Far Right.

In balance, I put out large chunks of The Black Book of Communism, and the complete text of Otto Strasser's books exposing Hitler.

That does not mean that I support the status quo; far from it. It means that both of these two alternatives (Soviet & Nazi) were totalitarian.

The anti-Zionist movement seems to be drifting towards Holocaust-Denial, in the sense that I get quite a few emails from a Denialist perspective, and relatively few the other way. Barring the Zionists, of course (but they're not on my mailing list, and anyway I get few emails from them).

For years I was too busy, or perhaps just not interested enough, to tackle this issue. The constant media bombardment about "The Holocaust" bored me to tears; it would put anybody off the topic, just as one avoids nagging if one can.

Some Deniers had been urging me to get into it, but I kept postponing my reading of their material.

In the last month, that's all changed; I can hardly remember how I got started, but I've becpme an avid reader. However, I've spotted a fatal flaw in the Denier material; and since that realization, I've been tracking down quality material on the anti-Denier position.

In the next few weeks, I will make this a major theme of these bulletins.

The fatal flaw of the Deniers concerns the "Final Solution" to the Jewish Problem. The Deniers say that, instead of this meaning Extermination, it meant Resettlement in the East. That is, east of Poland. Not in the Ukraine, because that was for German settlement (and colonisation of the natives as peasant farmers). The main candidate was Belarus (White Russia, Ruthenia, White Ruthenia).

The Deniers have written reams on Gas Chambers - denying them - but next to nothing of where those millions of Jews evacuated from the West, actually went to.

At this point a distinction must be made. The Nazis imposed a Selection system, dividing Jews into those to be put to work as labourers, and the rest. Old men, old women, and children were routinely put into the second group. It's these people who were either killed or resettled.

Some German train schedules (timetables for the transposts to the concentration camps) still survive, and show that there were quite a lot of trains to Auschwitz, some from Western Europe, but especially from Poland.

There were far fewer trains to Minsk and other parts of Belarus, and they look like regular passenger trains.

Bialystok is in the north-east of Poland. Trainloads of Jews from Bialystok were sent to Auschwitz and Treblinka, both to the south-west. Yet Belarus is to the EAST of Bialystok. If you wanted to resettle these Jews in the East, you wouldn't send them West.

Witnesses say that at Auschwitz, Jews faced Selection - some as Labourers, the rest for Extermination. At Treblinka, there was no Selection because there were no Labour Camps there. It was just Extermination.

If you wanted to resettle Bialystok's Jews in the East, but first select some for labour at Auschwitz' work camps, you would do the selecting at Bialystok itself, sending some West (to work) and the others East (for resettlement). Yet we never hear of selections in that way. Instead, they are always reported at concentration camps.

To move millions of people from West to East, for peaceful resettlement, would entail the building of new cities, consuming scarce resources during wartime.

The clincher is the case of Hungary's Jews, which were not sent to Auschwitz until mid 1944, when the Russians were closing in.

Have a look at this map of the eastern front, noting the dates at which the Russians retook various lands:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eastern_Front_1943-08_to_1944-12.png



By mid 1944, there was no possibility of resettling Jews in Belarus (White Russia, Ruthenia, White Ruthenia).
Yet this is when Hungary's Jews were sent to Auschwitz.

The Deniers have no answer to this. This is End-Game for Holocaust Denial.

Over the following 2 weeks, I will put out substantial material on this topic. I invite Deniers to reply - but please stick to this topic. This particular topic is your weakness; I will not allow you to talk your way around it on this forum.

Does this mean that I'm becoming a stooge of the Zionists? No more than Norman Finkelstein - look at how they hate him. Less than Finkelstein, because I think that the Deniers have validly pointed out ways that Holocaust Orthodoxy has overstated its case, eg by not telling tourists at Auschwitz that Krema I is a Reconstruction, not Original.

So, the Deniers have performed a service. But it's wrong to make a religion out of Denial, just as it is to make a religion out of "The" Holocaust.

I will follow Finkelstein's use, in calling it "the Nazi Holocaust" (as it used to be called), not "The Holocaust".

I admire Bishop Williamson, and I would not like him to retract when he does not believe in the Extermination; but I think he's wrong, and I'd like to send him my material. If anyone knows an address I can send it to, please let me know.

There are few if any extremists on this mailing list, so I do not expect to lose many or any participants; but I'm prepared to lose them, if so they choose.

My new perspective enables me to better understand the "never again" siege mentality of Zionism. Yet, the Zionists are treating the Palestinians and Arabs in much the same way the Nazis treated Jews.

Peter Myers, February 6, 2009



Peter Myers, 381 Goodwood Rd, Childers 4660, Australia ph +61 7 41262296
http://mailstar.net/index.html

I use the old Mac OS; being incompatible, it cannot run Windows viruses or transmit them to you.

Never respond to emails offering pornography or sex; never click on links they provide. Intelligence agencies may be using them to lure and trap dissidents (e.g. on charges of "sex with a minor" or "being in possession of child pornography"). Mordecai Vanunu was lured by a "honey trap", after which he was jailed solitary for 18 years; and he never even got the honey. Don't try to fight the government with guns - that just gives them an excuse for getting rid of you. Your most potent weapon is information - that's what Big Brother is really scared of.

Various Filters (ostensibly to trap porn etc) may be used to censor this newsletter - check your Spam, Junk & Trash folders, and ask your Internet Provider if they block emails. If my mail does not arrive, or yours bounces, please ring me: this helps beat sabotage. To unsubscribe, reply with "unsubscribe" in the subject line; allow 1 day.


Hamas' popularity soaring following Israel's Gaza blitz
Khalid Amayreh in Ramallah
February 05, 2009
http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/TPV3/Voices.php/2009/02/05/hamas-popularity-soaring-following-israe


The latest public opinion survey in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has shown a dramatic rise in Hamas' popularity among Palestinians, with a significant decline in Fatah's public standing.
Moreover, the poll showed that a majority of Palestinians believed that the advent of the Obama administration in the U.S. wouldn't make a big difference with regard to American efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue.
According to the poll, Turkey, Venezuela and Iran as well as Hezbullah are the most popular regional forces among Palestinians.
The results of the latest poll, conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Center (JMCC) from 29-31 January, showed that nearly 48 % of respondents believed that Hamas came out of the Israeli blitz against Gaza victorious. Nearly 10 per cent opined that Israel won the war, while over a third of respondents, 37.4% said that neither side achieved victory.
The poll, surveying a random sample of 1,198 respondents, found a dramatic rise in the popularity of Hamas, especially in the West Bank.
In contrast, the popularity of the Fatah movement suffered a significant decline, especially in the West Bank.
When asked if general Palestinian elections were held today, 28.6% of respondents said they would vote for Hamas. Fatah's standing declined from 34% last April to 27.9 in this poll.
According to the latest poll, trust in Hamas rose from 16.6% last November to 27.7 % in this poll. In contrast, the percentage of those who said they trusted Fatah fell down from 31.3% to 26%.
According to a press release by the JMCC, the rise in Hamas' popularity occurred mainly in the West Bank, which is controlled by the Western Backed Palestinian Authority.
Similarly, the percentage of those who said they trusted Ismael Haniya, the Prime Minister of the Gaza-based Palestinian government, increased from 12.8% last October to 21.1 in this poll. Trust in PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas went down from 15.5% last October to 13.4 in this poll.
The poll showed that the percentage of those opining that the performance of the American-backed government of Salam Fayad is better than that of the Gaza-based government declined significantly from 36% last April to 26.9% in this poll.
However, those who believed that the performance of the Fayad government is worse than that of the Haniya's government rose substantially from 29.1 to 40% per cent.
The latest poll also found that support for military resistance against the Israeli occupation rose from 49.5% last April to 53.5% in this poll.
Moreover, the poll showed a rise in the percentage of Palestinians opposed to peace talks with Israel.
Turkey, Venezuela and several other political and other entities have also become more popular among Palestinians, according to the latest poll.
Turkey received the highest point of 89.6 %, followed by Venezuela (80.6 %) .
The International Committee of the Red Cross received a satisfaction mark of (79.8) followed by UNRWA (78.6 %).
Qatar received a satisfaction mark of 68.3%, Hezbullah 66.9 %, the Muslim Brotherhood movement 57.6 % and Iran 55.9%.
The US received the satisfaction of only 2.8 of respondents, Britain, 10.4%, Germany 14.4 % France was the western country that received the satisfaction of the highest percentage of respondents, at 21.5 per cent.
Egypt and Jordan received 35.1% and 41.7 % respectively.
Finally, when asked which entity you would prefer to assume the task of reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, respondents gave the following answers: A majority of 30.6% said they prefer an international mechanism under UN supervision to assume this task. The second choice was for a Palestinian national unity government to oversee the reconstruction. More than 23% said they preferred the government of Hamas to do the job, while a minority of 13.7 % said they prefer the Palestinian Authority to assume the task.
The decline in Fatah's popularity can be attributed to the widespread public dissatisfaction with the Ramallah regime's lukewarm stance during the war.
Many Palestinians had the impression that at least some of the PA and PLO leaders adopted a "conspiratorial stance" during the Israeli invasion of Gaza.
Some PA officials had reportedly made remarks voicing the hope that Israeli would destroy the Hamas government in Gaza.
Some PLO leaders, such as Yasser Abed Rabbo, reportedly criticized Israel for ending the war too soon without "finishing off Hamas."
Another important reason for Fatah's dwindling popularity seems to have to do with the widespread suppression by PA security forces of public descent during the war.
PA security agencies prevented and in many instances violently suppressed pro-Hamas protests during the war.
Dozens of Palestinians, mainly Hamas sympathizers, have also been arrested by the PA security apparatus in the West Bank.
The latest opinion poll is not going to be a good news for PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
From Khalid Amayreh in Ramallah
Abbas has been calling for early presidential and legislative elections in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in the hope of ending Hamas' government in the Gaza Strip.
**********


Turkey wades into Middle Eastern great game
M.K. Bhadrakumar
Friday, Feb 06, 2009
http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/06/stories/2009020654600800.htm

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ambitious policy in the Middle East should not be construed as abandoning the pursuit of European Union membership or alliance with Washington.

There are ways of looking at the Justice and Democratic Party or AKP, which rules Turkey. Militant secularists and Kemalists allege that it is a Trojan horse of Salafists whose members masquerade as democrats. Others say the AKP is so moderate that it might get ostracised as infidel if it were transplanted in Iran or Afghanistan.
But it appears there could be a third way — looking at the AKP as a progeny of Iran's 30-year-old Islamic revolution. At least, that is how Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri thinks. He is one of Iran's senior cleric-politicians, was a Speaker of the Majlis, and is now advisor to the Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mr. Nouri explained last Sunday: "When Iranians talked of 'exporting' their revolution, they did not mean manufacturing something and then exporting it to other countries by trucks or ships; rather, they meant transmitting the message of their revolution and conveying its doctrine."
As Mr. Nouri put it, "things have changed" in Turkey, which is what the avalanche of popular support for Hamas in its battle with Israel showed. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's public snub of Israeli President Shimon Peres last Thursday in a television chat show, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meet in the Swiss resort of Davos, has caught the imagination of the Islamic world and cut across the Shia-Sunni divide. All of a sudden, Mr. Erdogan takes the form of a latter-day Ottoman sultan with an empire that spreads across the fertile Mesopotamian planes, the Arabian desert, the Nile Valley, the Levant and the Maghreb, all the way into the heart of Africa.
Mr. Erdogan, a backstreet boy from the working class district of Kasimpasa in Istanbul, has come a long way in his tumultuous political career. He is undoubtedly one of Turkey's most charismatic and gifted politicians. All the same, he couldn't have fancied that one day he would be proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize — or that his sponsor would be a revered figure in the world of Shi'ism. Addressing theological students in the holy Iranian city of Qom on Sunday, Ayatollah Naser Makarem-Shirazi did precisely that. Mr. Erdogan's protest, the ayatollah said, had had a profound effect on regional security.
Mr. Erdogan's "claim" to a Nobel tenuously hangs on the 56 words he spoke at the Davos television show, in which he ticked off Mr. Peres, "You are older than me and your voice is very loud. The reason for your raising your voice is the psychology of guilt. I will not raise my voice that much. When it comes to killing, you know very well how to kill. I know very well how you hit and killed children on the beaches."
That the resonance of a mere 56 words spoken in anguish should so stubbornly refuse to die down speaks something of the profound alienation gripping the Middle East today. Mr. Erdogan overnight joins Lebanon's Hassan Nasrullah of Hezbollah and Iran's President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, who criss-cross with enviable abandon the historic sectarian divides in the Muslim world. Surely, here is some food for thought for U.S. President Barack Obama.
Mr. Erdogan returned from Davos to Istanbul to hero's welcome. Opinion polls show that over 80 per cent of Turks endorse his retort. In Gaza, Mr. Erdogan has overnight become an iconic figure, so much so that pro-West Arab rulers look embarrassed. Turkey's shadows are deepening on the Middle Eastern Sunni Muslim landscape. Iran is plainly delighted. The powerful head of Iran's Guardian Council, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, shot off a message to Mr. Erdogan saying, "Your epic stand has pleased Hamas and its supporters and humiliated the lackey leaders of several Arab states."
In Turkey itself, the ricochet has ripped open the country's split identity. The oligarchy of westernised elites based in Istanbul feels scandalised that Mr. Erdogan might have marred the cultivated image of the civilised Turk in Europe. On the other hand, the Anatolian Turk, with his seamless sense of history and culture, feels jubilant that Mr. Erdogan is reclaiming Turkey's habitation in its ancestral home in the Muslim Middle East.
Neo-Ottomanism
The AKP's agenda of "neo-Ottomanism" took a quantum leap last week. An engrossing phase is about to commence where the primacy may incrementally come to lie in the rediscovery of Turkey's imperial legacy while the country continues its tortuous search for an elusive national consensus that can reconcile the Turk's many identities. Under the seven-year AKP rule, Turkey began the painful process of coming to terms with its Muslim and Ottoman heritage. Contrary to general impressions, neo-Ottomanism is neither Islamist nor imperialistic. Arguably, it uses the common denominator of Islam to derive a less ethnic idea of "Turkishness" that is much more in harmony than militant secularism ever could be with the multiethnic character of the Turkish state.
But in foreign policy, "neo-Ottomanism" has a grandiose agenda. As prominent columnist Omer Taspinar wrote recently: "Neo-Ottomanism sees Turkey as a regional superpower. Its strategic vision and culture reflect the geographic reach of the Ottoman and Byzantine empires. Turkey, as a pivotal state, should thus play a very active political and diplomatic role in a wide region, of which it is the 'centre'."
Unsurprisingly, Mr. Erdogan's critics among the westernised elites in Istanbul and Ankara view any such pan-Turkic or Islamic openings in foreign policy as adventurous and ultimately harmful to Turkey's interests.
However, "neo-Ottomanism" does not mean Turkey turning its back on the West. As Taspinar pointed out, after all, the Ottoman Empire was known as the "sick man of Europe," and not of Asia or Arabia. Being open to the West and western influence was a constant feature of the Ottoman era. Mr. Erdogan's ambitious regional policy in the Middle East, therefore, should not be construed as abandoning the pursuit of European Union membership or alliance with Washington.
No doubt, Israel's Gaza offensive and Mr. Erdogan's Davos episode have created fractures in Turkish-Israeli ties. But with the cooling of tempers, the relationship will resume. The Turkish military has let it be known that military cooperation with all countries, including Israel, is based on the national interest. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said: "There is a rift in our relations. This cannot be hidden. But these relations are very important for both countries." She noted that Ankara was "drawing a distinction between bilateral ties and the censure they are levelling at us over the [Gaza] operation." Jewish groups based in the U.S. are also trying to calm the agitation.
Mr. Erdogan told the Washington Post that Turkish mediation had brought Israel and Syria "very close" to direct peace talks on the future of the Golan Heights. During his visit to Ankara on December 23, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert not only hid from Mr. Erdogan that Israel was planning to attack Gaza four days later but also assured the Turkish leader that as soon as he got back, he would consult his colleagues and come back on the talks with Syria. While Mr. Olmert was in Ankara, Mr. Erdogan telephoned Hamas leader Ismail Haniye in Gaza and consulted him on the issues to be discussed with the visiting Prime Minister. Evidently, Mr. Erdogan felt let down. "This operation [in Gaza] also shows disrespect to Turkey," he said. But then, Israel is used to acting solely in its self interest.
Anti-Israeli demonstrations
Meanwhile, Turkey erupted into massive anti-Israeli public demonstrations over reports of Israeli atrocities in Gaza. But Israel was probably lackadaisical. It said Mr. Erdogan was being "emotional." He shot back: "I am not emotional. I am speaking as a grandson of the Ottoman Empire, which welcomed your forefathers when they were exiled ... History will accuse them [Olmert and Livni] of putting a stain on humanity ... It is unforgivable that a people who in their history suffered so profoundly could do such a thing."
On balance, it hurts Israel more that a trust deficit has developed. Turkey has many friends in the region, whereas Israel has hardly any. Turkey is an irreplaceable ally for Israel in the Middle East. With the expected U.S.-Iranian engagement and the ensuing realignment in the region, Israel (and the pro-West Arab states) needs Turkey as a "balancer" more than ever before. Iraq can no longer play that role. The effusive Iranian salute to Mr. Erdogan shows Tehran is conscious of the new imperatives too.
Beyond all that, however, an ageless spectre may come to haunt Israel. For the first time in the rolling Anatolian heartlands, a surge of anti-Semitism is visible. If the Ottoman era's fabulous record of providing asylum to the wandering Jew is indeed becoming a relic of history, do not ask who is responsible. Israel's leaders must take the blame for it.
(The writer is a former Ambassador to Turkey.)
***************


S. African Dock Workers Won't Unload Israeli Goods
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 4, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/04/world/AP-AF-South-Africa-Israel.html?_r=4



JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- South African dock workers won't unload ships carrying goods from Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians, a union leader said Wednesday.
Randall Howard, general secretary of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union, said it appeared a ship carrying goods from Israel was nearing Durban's port. If once the ship docks its cargo is determined to be Israeli, he said, union workers won't unload it.
''We will make that contribution,'' he said. ''The historic and heroic struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination ... is a struggle that SATAWU supports.''
Last year, South African dock and freight workers refused to unload a ship carrying weapons for Zimbabwe to protest Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's rule of the neighboring country. In the case of Israeli goods, Howard said, it did not matter whether they were weapons of vegetables.
''If it's an Israeli product, we're going to boycott it, plain and simple,'' he said.
In Israel, Foreign Minister spokesman Yigal Palmor said: ''If these people think that by refusing to unload shipments from Israel they are promoting peace they should go back to school because they have misread the situation in the Middle East big time.''
Israel's three-week military offensive against Gaza, which killed hundreds of civilians before ending last month, sparked protests in South Africa. Israel says the operation was aimed at halting Hamas rocket fire from Gaza.
Howard, decrying Palestinian as well as Israeli violence, says Israeli attacks were ''extremely disproportionate.''
Strong South Africa-Israel ties cultivated by the white government in the apartheid era have been maintained since the onset of majority rule. South Africa also has a close relationship with Palestinians, thanks to long-standing connections between the governing African National Congress and the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
Associated Press Writer Aron Heller in Jerusalem contributed to this report.They fear nor the West neither the east

Jamsheed Rasool

The Chaks were a sturdy lot (though their Kashmiri ethnicity is much to say-“doubtful”). They were doubtlessly brave. Brave enough to have hounded away the armies of Akbar seventeen times. One of them is fabled to have carried a full-grown poplar on his shoulders. They carried further the traits of bravery, which had taken centuries of meticulous watering by the insatiable swords of Shihabbuddin and Lalitadatiya. The façade of bravery then being emasculated (forever it seems) by the Kangri and Pheran used as a mass weapon of sedation by Akbar to ward off the rebellions.

As I was traveling in the bus from Kashmir University to Lal Chowk and the brief nap was, inevitable and justified (though the one Yousuf shah Chak used to fall in, in his seraglio at the fag of his tenure was sheer callousness and unjustified). The chilly breeze of Nigeen ceased to blow which meant that I could open the window now without being scorned at by the frowning brow of my fellow passenger. The dingy houses and the equally shabby shops what I could surmise were of car mechanics and scrap dealers at Saida Kadal area caught my redundant attention. Then something engraved (written actually but let us abide by historiography) on a hoarding which I thought was too small to hold the weight of the slogan it was advertising for made me strain all my neurons at. “We fear neither the east nor the west” flaunted the hoarding made honorable by a serious looking Imam Khomeni the forerunner of Islamic revolution in Iran.

I admire the courage and the willingness of the person who took hell lot of effort to nail the hoarding there. The picture was blunt and gallant. Pasted high on the dangling wall of the building it ought to be read, feared and admired. It projects a hero with a heroic line. A line that heralds the assertive resurgence of the nation renowned to form the battle lines between east and west even before Alexander vaguely tried to erase them. It is a land where fearless heroes were ready to gift away their lives. Heroes, who found life too heavy a commodity to hug unto themselves.

Blood has nourished its trees. War sirens have perennially echoed in its streets. Sacrificial stories have filtered down to the newer generation like the DNA and RNA. It is a land of heroes. Alexander was a hero. King Darius was a hero. Yaqoob chak was a hero. Yousuf shah Chak was a hero (though he spared himself of the nuances of warfare but it does not merit him being shelved of the title of a hero). Yaqoob Shah Chak was a hero. Imam Khomeni is a hero. Muqtada Al-Sadr is a Hero. Heroes ought to be admired. Heroes are to be feared ( only by treacherous opponents). Heroes ought to be painted on hoardings. Their lines ought to be emphasized so that we too could try to convey what the hero has so beautifully conveyed.

The otherwise scientifically infallible Doppler Effect ceases to hold water when the resonance of the slogan raised from the towns of Iran fails to be shielded by the majestically soundproof Hindukush Mountains. Even the frequency and beats of the slogan-which ought to have been depreciated owing to the distance covered by it-seems to have not been fiddled with. What eggs on this bunch of faint-goats to be in league with the world-shaking soldiers when it comes to yelling out highly-spirited oaths?

Pinpointing the seriousness of intentions of a decisive lock-horn with oppressors might merit lapping down the bashing for indulging in self-negation but bypassing the question would be the most naked proof of our idiocy anyway. The vocal chords of the people walking gingerly on the streets of its city for fear of a Paramilitary trooper gifting them with a generous kick(or an ungenerous plump Lathi depending on his mood) can ill-afford to resonate a world-conquering slogan. They with their deeds have substance to back their slogans up. We with our ever-changing loyalty will blur them to unrecognizable limits.

The juxtaposition of the roar of the hunter and the frantic calls of the hunted are beyond comprehension. Why have we always been limping our way to Punjab, Delhi or central Asia all the way through our history and when it is open fact that whoever has come to free us has flogged his way through the villages of this valley to fill the treasury of his capital? Even when one of our enterprising later Medieval Period Kings had brought the ruler of Delhi to his feet, a guest from Central Asia took hell lot of journey from central Asia to broker a matrimonial alliance between the two.

Kashmiris throughout the ages have dreamt of warrior princes galloping their way through the passes of Hindukush sloganeering to save Kashmir from oppressors. Even after being slain their passionate eyes remained glued to Pir Panjal, Karokaram or vasturvan depending on which direction they hoped the warriors would storm from. Their souls halted for a while mid-skywards and stared down intermittently if any marching army was roaring through Pir Panchal or Karokaram to save their kith and Kin. The dogra soldiers basking in the sun at Various Drang(watch Stations) is all their eyes could see. Those ill-fated Kashmiri Begaaris tied hand and foot on the bridle paths of Gilgit and Astar had had the occultist dreams of warriors from moon salvaging them from the whips of Dogra Soldiers and levitating them to the charming moon they so envyingly gazed at. Their frozen eye-lashes would see something and they mistook them for the winged soldiers. As the vultures (mistaking them for corpses) were about to claw back their eyes and other softly protected organs the shackled begaaris hooted them away with difficulty.

Plausible wait this is, certain to morph anyone into fairy tale ecstasy, but for one drop of optimism we have an ocean of Skepticism pecking at it and stripping the concept of even the germ of reliability that might have been able to linger on to the psychology of this gullible race. Ducking under the mountain of reality would be unmanly. So let us be men and analyze who ought to have been flown in from Persia. The ancient Persian King Jamshed would see us in his Jam-e-jamshed(elixir of immortality) and soon order his djinns to fly his throne to Kashmir. With him would be Cyrus the Great with his “Cyrus Cylinder” and preach the opressors the meaning of human rights. The Parthians, in case free from Romans, too would come with their Cataprhracts and mounted Archers.

They would be recruited from the Towns of Tibriz, Kerman, Zahedan, Darab and Sistan and march they would towards Khyber or towards Bandar Abbas in case they choose the Sea route. Their Armadas and Galleons would squall the Arabian Sea and reaching Land would trample anyone coming in the way. Riffle through the pages of history and see how many of them had come. Come they had, Kashmir would not have almost depopulated by heartless barbarians like Mihirakula, Dulchu, Afghans, Sikhs and Dogras. Reality chokes and taking refuge in History would not serve as a breather. Like an Anaconda it coils around your lungs. You expand them and it tightens its grip. It yields not its unforgiving clutch. Till your Diaphragm begins to give way.Untill you forget what expansion means. Swear by Lalitadatiya’s sword or by Shihabuddin’s march World would still see you as a third-rate pettifogger invocating to distant empires for help. Masked by vague slogans we are world-shaking heroes.

Unmasked we are not that bad a human beings. An Ocean of resilience lies in us.. What we have endured and come out of would be a dam good a story(read fact) to tell the world. Why fringe the masqeraders and the world-shaking military generals together. The bethrotal is prone to Divorce. The mix just does not “gel”. The gel just does not “mix”. Why then not to put that mask down. Why not abort the benignancy of empty-slogans and let the saplings of “concrete action” pop up from the soil of hopelessness. Surveying the odds and ends of past would not serve a beacon elucidating the track of future. Lalitadatiya, Shihabuddin, Shams Chak,and Yaqoob Chak ; haul them out one by one from the comfort of their graves and tell the World how brave your ancestors have been.

The World would not listen. The world buys action and you are lotus-eaters (read Lotus merchants). The currency of tales has been thrown out of circulation by the coinage of action ( apply Grisham’s Law). Let those sturdy grapplers grapple with their oppressors and let us apply our energy to disengage ourselves from the “Side-changing Lotus-Eater” tagging. Let us have actions to back up our yelling and stop clinging on to the rope of empty slogans prone to snapping and pushing us down to the hard, merciless ground of reality. I, by the way, salute the man who nailed the hoarding there. Let it be a full-fledged poem if the habbit of sloganeering has become too deeply embedded in our phycology to be dragged out by the pen of a third-rate columnist. Let it project reality at least. Let it be like this….,

We fear nor the East neither the West.
But trembled are
By that petty fuzz
Wearing that khaki vest…
Bemoan we those slained
Seven Seas Afar
Grapple we not but
What We ought grapple with…
Injustice galores, cries muffled are
Saw who?! what happened! Happened when….?
Wail we here for those butchered in Iraq
Spare we not a few tears for those dying
Dying and never having had lived
Bemoaned before being sung…,
With dangling dignity we form the crust
We fear not the east, nor the West
Whisper I silently….lest be whacked!..
By the plump Lathis of growling CRPF men
Lest those Goblins trample me on,…
on the hard Road. Whispers travel louder and reach farther
Let me whisper then, We fear nor the West neither the East
We are the best,We are the Best….

(Jamsheed Rasool may be reached at jamyhere65 at yahoo dot com)

TIME TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT ISRAEL ...

... WITHOUT FEAR OF THE MIND POLICE
The Thought Censors don't like it? Tough
By David Icke
Hello all ...
So yet again the people of the virtual-concentration camp, known officially as 'Gaza', are being bombarded from the sky and from the ground by the bully-boys of Tel Aviv. State-of-the art Israeli jets and tanks, paid for by the United States, strike civilian targets in this tragic, poverty-stricken wasteland which acts as a holding camp for the human beings the Israeli government would rather be dead.
The world watches as a nation of people, the Palestinians, is systematically crushed and destroyed by the tyrants who call the shots in Israel on behalf of that country's real power structure - the House of Rothschild. And, taxpayers of America (and elsewhere), you are paying for this calculated slaughter.




The Palestinian 'territories' of Gaza and the West Bank

American aid to Israel accounts for something like a third of all US overseas aid when Israel is home to just .001 per cent of the global population and has one of the highest incomes per head in the world. This is without all the 'private' donations from US corporations and individuals which are tax-deductible even when given to the Israeli military, unlike any other foreign power.
According to 2007 figures, the United States government gave more than $6.8 million to wealthy Israel every day while to the desperate and devastated Palestinians of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank they gave just $300,000.
US military 'aid' to Israel increased by more than a quarter to an average $3 billion a year in 2007 - a figure guaranteed for ten years. This and other support makes Israel the biggest recipient of United States foreign military funding since the Second World War.



The United States is also Israel's biggest supplier of fighter planes, weapons and other military technology. As a result, Israel has the world's largest F-16 fleet outside the US Air Force. In their book, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt write:
'Since the October War in 1973, Washington has provided Israel with a level of support dwarfing the amounts provided to any other state. It has been the largest annual recipient of direct U.S. economic and military assistance since 1976 and the largest total recipient since World War ll. Total direct U.S. aid to Israel amounts to well over $140 billion in 2003 dollars.
Israel receives about $3 billion in direct foreign assistance each year, which is roughly one-fifth of America's entire foreign aid budget. In per capita terms, the United States gives each Israeli a direct subsidy worth about $500 per year. This largesse is especially striking when one realizes that Israel is now a wealthy industrial state with a per capita income roughly equal to South Korea or Spain.'
Why do they do this? Because the House of Rothschild controls Israel and the House of Rothschild controls the political system of the United States. The network that links the two is called 'Zionism', a Rothschild creation - just like Israel itself.
The might of this Zionist cabal spanning Israel, the United States, Europe and beyond is yet again, like the playground bully that it is, attacking the little kid in the callipers - the people of Gaza.


At the time of writing the death toll is more than 800 Palestinian men, women and children with thousands injured, many disabled for life. They are bombing the unarmed innocent knowing there will be no credible response - the way all bullies operate. Oh, brave men of Israel; oh how Yahweh would be so proud:
'When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy.' Deuteronomy 7:1-4
What we are seeing in Gaza, and have seen so many times, both there and in the Lebanon, is merciless Old Testament slaughter: cold, calculated, heartless slaughter.


'So they sent twelve thousand warriors to Jabesh-gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children. "This is what you are to do," they said. "Completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin".'
Judges 21:10-24

'Then I heard the LORD say to the other men, "Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity! Kill them all - old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin your task right here at the Temple".'
Ezekiel 9:5-7
'So they began by killing the seventy leaders. "Defile the Temple!" the LORD commanded. "Fill its courtyards with the bodies of those you kill! Go!" So they went throughout the city and did as they were told.'
Ezekiel 9:5-7
The parallels are endless between the bloodthirsty 'God' of the Old Testament and the actions of the heartless, soulless, Artificial Intelligence that controls Israel, most notably the biological robots of the House of Rothschild who thus have no soul, no empathy, no more mercy for the consequences of their actions than a desktop computer.
Imagine if Iran or anyone else outside Israel and the United States (both Rothschild assets) was doing what the Israeli military is doing in Gaza. There would be global condemnation, not least from Israel and the United States, resolutions passed in the UN Security Council fiercely attacking the country involved and talk of the need for sanctions or military intervention to 'save the innocent'.
But when Israel does it we have vacuous calls for a truce, an end to the violence while 'understanding Israel's position', and, in terms of soon-to-be President 'Change' Obama, silence. It's all a fraction of what others would face because Israel is a wholly-owned asset of the Rothschilds and so is not subject to the same rules as anyone else. As former Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, said:
'Israel may have the right to put others on trial, but certainly no one has the right to put the Jewish people and the State of Israel on trial.'
And Prime Minister Golda Meir betrayed the same Zionist arrogance:
'This country exists as the fulfilment of a promise made by God Himself. It would be ridiculous to ask it to account for its legitimacy.'
Ah, it's all in the Old Testament? Gotcha, right, well do as you like then.
The 'Jewish homeland' was from the start a Rothschild fiefdom orchestrated through the global secret society network of interbreeding families known as the Illuminati.


During the Israeli military attacks on the Lebanon in 2006, the Israeli writer, Barry Chamish, told of a meeting with Evelyn Rothschild's grandson, who abandoned the family to be a Mormon (so actually he didn't, even if he thought he did).
Chamish said he learned that just seven families were enjoying the 'fruits of the war' with the Lebanon. The grandson had said of the Rothschilds: 'They created Israel as their personal toy. It makes them richer and gives them more control. It's not going to be destroyed.'
The Rothschilds funded the early European settlers in Israel, manipulated events in Germany that led to the horrific treatment of Jewish people and others, and then used that as the excuse to reach their long-term goal - a Rothschild-Illuminati stronghold in Palestine using the Jewish population as fodder to be used and abused as necessary.
They called their plan 'Zionism'. This term is often used as a synonym for Jewish people when it is actually a political movement devised and promoted through the House of Rothschild and opposed by many Jews.


Poster for the Irgun terrorist group
The Israeli bully-boys spend most of their time condemning the terrorism of others and yet their very State was created through terrorism of the most grotesque kind via groups like Irgun, Haganah and the Stern Gang, which bombed and terrorised Israel into being and from which came the Israel Defence Forces, the IDF, which is bombing Gaza today.
Among the leading lights in these and other terrorist groups were Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir and Ariel Sharon, butchers who became Israeli Prime Ministers and had the nerve to condemn Arab terrorism. And to this day the butchery goes on with the goal of destroying the Palestinian people.
After the Rothschild-controlled Zionist terrorists had bombed the State of Israel into existence in 1948, an estimated 800,000 Palestinians were made refugees and fled what had been their own country. Their descendents are said to number some four million.
And the world simply looked on - just as it does to this day - because Israel is a law unto itself and so terms like justice, fairness, decency and mercy do not apply.


Palestinian families fleeing the newly-imposed Israel after their country was occupied by Zionist terrorism in 1948.
The idea was always to destroy the Palestinian people step-by-step long before Israel was even created. The Balfour Declaration of 1917, in which the Rothschild-controlled British government supported the establishment of a 'Jewish' homeland in Palestine, said that 'nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine'.
But the Rothschild sidekick Chaim Weizmann would later say: 'With regard to the Arab question - the British told us that there are several hundred thousand Negroes there but this is a matter of no consequence'. Nor have they been ever since and the goal of destroying them is closer today than ever before.
The first Prime Minister of Israel, yet another terrorist called David Ben-Gurion, made no secret of this fact within his inner circle. Former Israel Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, said in an uncensored version of his memoirs, published in the New York Times on 23 October 23rd, 1979:
'We walked outside, Ben-Gurion accompanying us. Allon repeated his question - What is to be done with the Palestinian population?' Ben-Gurion waved his hand in a gesture which said "Drive them out!"'
The current bombing campaign against the Gaza Palestinians is just the latest step to that end. They have forced Palestinians into a Gaza Strip that is little more than a massive concentration camp in which they control all that goes in and out, people or supplies of food, medicines and other essentials.


When the Israelis close the border posts, that's it, the Palestinians are trapped and at the mercy of the soulless and heartless that control the Tel Aviv government and military under Rothschild direction.
One writer recently described conditions in Gaza:
' ... Israel nails shut the coffin that is Gaza under a siege that has lasted nearly three years, steadily intensifying so that malnutrition rates rival those of sub-Saharan Africa, sewage runs raw in the streets and pollutes the ocean, homes are still being bulldozed to super-add collective punishment upon collective punishment; men, women and children are still being sniped at and killed; children are deafened by continuing sonic booms, the vast majority of them suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome, and many of that majority have no ambition other than becoming "martyrs" ...'
And it's a whole lot worse now.
How can anyone inflict such a lack of mercy on an entire people? The question can only be answered when we understand that Zionist extremists really do believe they are God's Chosen People and that therefore the Palestinians are little more than cattle.
The Israel Prime Minister and terrorist, Menachem Begin, described the Palestinians in a speech to the Israeli parliament as 'beasts walking on two legs'. Another Prime Minister and terrorist, Yitzhak Shamir, told Jewish settlers in 1988 that the Palestinians 'would be crushed like grasshoppers ... heads smashed against the boulders and walls.'
Prime Minister and terrorist, Ariel Sharon, then Israeli Foreign Minister, confirmed in 1998 what the plan really was for the Palestinians:
'It is the duty of Israeli leaders to explain to public opinion, clearly and courageously, a certain number of facts that are forgotten with time. The first of these is that there is no Zionism, colonialisation, or Jewish State without the eviction of the Arabs and the expropriation of their lands.'
The plan is to kill or drive out the Palestinian people using poverty, hunger and war and so allow the Zionists to expand into 'Greater Israel'. That plan is now well advanced.
In early 2008, the United Nations' leading humanitarian affairs official said he was 'shocked' by the 'grim and miserable' conditions in Gaza. Undersecretary General John Holmes blamed this on Israel closing the border crossings and so limiting the supply of food and other materials - just as they are doing today.


He said: 'All this makes for a grim human and humanitarian situation here in Gaza, which means that people are not able to live with the basic dignity to which they are entitled'.
But they are just 'beasts walking on two legs', right?
Richard Falk, the UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on the occupied territories, has also condemned Israel for its actions in Gaza. He is Jewish and therefore much more dangerous to the Israel government because he can't be dismissed as the old favourite 'anti-Semitic'. Or maybe he is a 'self-hater', the tag given by these sick people to those Jews who speak out against Israel.
Falk's punishment for daring to criticise the Promised Land as a UN official was to be held for 20 hours and then denied entry to the country and so he is prevented from doing his job of reporting on conditions for the Palestinian people during the current air and ground attacks.
His entry was denied in mid-December - perfect timing not to be there for the latest bombing that they knew was coming. Click here for an interview with Richard Falk ...
The Bush administration for the last eight years has been dominated by the Neo-conservative, or 'Neocon', network which is, itself, dominated by US/Israeli duel citizens and/or Zionists like Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Pearle, Dov Zackheim, William Kristol, Robert Kagan, Elliot Abrams, Douglas Feith, John Bolton, Robert B Zoellick, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and others. The neo-con godfather is the late Leo Strauss, a German-born Jewish 'philosopher', who believed that people must be governed by a 'pious elite'.
But surely those days of Zionist dominance are over because 'Mr. Change' is coming to 'power' now. Er, if only. Barack Obama has packed his 'new' administration with Zionists like Rahm Emanuel, his White House Chief of Staff.
Emanuel's father, Benjamin, is a Zionist extremist who was a member of the Irgun terrorist group in Palestine that I mentioned earlier and we can clearly expect the Obama administration to be balanced and fair on its Israel/Palestinian policy. No wonder Obama has kept quiet on the Israeli bombing of Gaza.

Obama speaks out on Gaza crisis: 'Hey, I got nothin' to say, I got the chance of a par here ... ask my Chief of Staff, he's a rabid Zionist and his dad helped bomb Israel into existence. He'll know what's goin' on.'
The Obama government is going to be slavishly pro-Israel because he needed the sanction of the truly massive Zionist lobby in the United States to secure the presidency. His vice-president, Joe Biden, is a long-time bag-carrier for Israel. He said on Israeli television: 'I am a Zionist - you don't have to be a Jew to be a Zionist'. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is another Israel puppetess who pledged to 'obliterate' Iran if it launched a nuclear attack on God's chosen country.
Would she say she would obliterate Israel if it launched a nuclear attack on Iran? No way.
The Palestinians have never had a chance because the table is weighted, the game is rigged and it always has been. At the time of the First World War, the Rothschild-controlled British government told the Palestine Arabs that if they fought the Ottoman Turks and forced them to leave Palestine and other lands they would be rewarded with an independent Palestine.
The Palestinian Arabs agreed and with support from the British through Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence - 'Lawrence of Arabia' - the Ottoman Empire was defeated. But their reward was not independence. It was first rule by a British 'Mandate' and then occupation by Zionist Israel.
The Arabs were lied to, as Lawrence later admitted, and they have been lied to ever since. All these 'road maps' and 'peace processes' are always designed to lead nowhere. They are just holding positions to maintain the status quo until the Palestinians are basically no more.


The Israelis always say they are killing people in 'retaliation' for attacks by the Palestinian group, Hamas, which officially controls the Gaza 'authority', although control is hardly the word with Israel deciding what and who goes in and out.
Hamas operatives are firing seriously low-tech rockets that have so far killed four people. Terrible, yes, and it should not be happening. I have no brief for Hamas, which is another tyranny in its own way, but ask yourself this: What would you do if you were faced with the situation the Palestinians are in after sixty years of oppression and persecution while the world does nothing?
If you remove the injustice, you remove the motivation for a violent response to that injustice. Put people in a position where they either accept their pathetic plight or open fire and some are bound to choose the latter.
But instead of tackling the root cause, injustice, Israel responds with a state-of-the-art bombardment that kills more than 800 and injures thousands in a few days, at least 90% of which are men, women and children who have nothing whatsoever to do with the rocket attacks. In 2007, 25 Palestinians were killed for every Israeli. That's more than just 'protecting yourself'.


As Jewish UN representative, Richard Falk, said in the last two weeks even before the ground offensive:
'The Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip represent severe and massive violations of international humanitarian law as defined in the Geneva Conventions, both in regard to the obligations of an Occupying Power and in the requirements of the laws of war ...
Those violations include:

Collective punishment: The entire 1.5 million people who live in the crowded Gaza Strip are being punished for the actions of a few militants.
Targeting civilians: The airstrikes were aimed at civilian areas in one of the most crowded stretches of land in the world, certainly the most densely populated area of the Middle East.
Disproportionate military response: The airstrikes have not only destroyed every police and security office of Gaza's elected government, but have killed and injured hundreds of civilians; at least one strike reportedly hit groups of students attempting to find transportation home from the university.'
This savagery towards Palestinians has been going on since the Zionist terror groups began their campaign of violence to secure the State of Israel and the scale of this ongoing evil has often been suppressed by the fear of being called 'anti-Semitic'.
The Rothschild dynasty has created a highly-funded network of 'anti-hate' groups, like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and so many others, to label as 'anti-Semitic' or 'racist' anyone who dares to expose or condemn Israel or its networks of manipulation within the United States and elsewhere.
Politicians (though all but are a few are terrified or rewarded into silence), university professors, people like me, and anyone with any kind of public stage, are immediately condemned by the ADL and smeared as 'racist' with support from the Robot Radicals of the Robot 'Left' if they expose Israel or anyone who happens to be Jewish.
The irony of those claiming to be the chosen people and above all others accusing anyone else of racism boggles the bloody mind.



Jewish people who challenge the tyranny, like the superb Norman Finkelstein, are dubbed 'self-haters' and often lose their jobs and livelihoods as a result. The Rothschild 'anti-hate' groups put any Big Brother to shame.
But we can't - and MUST NOT - stay silent on the plight of the Palestinians because we fear the consequences for ourselves. What are we, mice??
This is not about racism; it is about fascism and the daily onslaught against a helpless and tragic people. I don't give a shit what the ADL thinks about what I say, nor those on the 'Left' who parrot its propaganda like the juveniles that they are.
It needs saying and therefore someone needs to say it.
And, by the way, those that are running the Zionist agenda, which is part of much bigger global agenda in league with the Illuminati families, don't give a damn for Jewish people in general. They, too, are just an expendable irrelevance to the greater goal.
As the first Israeli Prime Minister, the terrorist, David Ben-Gurion, said:
'If I knew that it was possible to save all the children of Germany by transporting them to England, and only half by transferring them to the Land of Israel, I would choose the latter, for before us lies not only the numbers of these children but the historical reckoning of the people of Israel.'
What kind of sick mind does it take to say that? The kind that has run Israel since 1948 would appear to be the answer.
We need to drop the ludicrous, childish, labels of Jew and Gentile and Muslim and all this illusory crap and come together in the name of peace and justice for all. There is not a Jewish injustice or a Palestinian injustice, there is simply injustice.
Justice for one and no justice for another is 'justice' for no-one. For justice has no meaning unless it applies to all, and it will never apply to the Palestinians while the world stays silent and looks the other way.


The Dangerous Terrorists In Gaza


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWXx2VYoqbU&feature=player_embedded


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibB-PBGaP2o&feature=player_embedded

Don’t know if anyone eats here but thought you should know.


Subject: Fw: Beef at Mc Donald
SUBJECT: S. AMERICAN BEEF AT MC DONALDS
THIS IS A GOOD MAN WHO TOOK THE TIME TO WRITE THIS AND EVEN SIGN HIS NAME AND CONTACT, SO PLEASE READ:

I'm sure those of you who aren't in the cattle business don't understand the issues here. But to those of us whose living depends on the cattle market, selling Cattle, raising the best beef possible... This is frustrating.

The original message is from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association
American cattle producers are very passionate about this.

McDonald's claims that there is not enough beef in the USA to support their restaurants. Well, we know that is not so. Our opinion is they are looking to save money at our expense. The sad thing of it is that the people of the USA are the ones who made McDonald's successful in the first place, but we are not good enough to provide beef. We personally are no longer eating at McDonald's, which I am sure does not impact them, but if we pass this around maybe there will be an impact felt.

All Americans that sell cows at a livestock auction barn had to sign a paper stating that we do NOT EVER feed our cows any part of another cow. South Americans are not required to do this as of yet. McDonald's has announced that they are going to start importing much of their beef from South America . The problem is that South Americans aren't under the same regulations as American beef producers, and the regulations they have are loosely controlled.

They can spray numerous pesticides on their pastures that have been banned here at home because of residues found in the beef. They can also use various hormones and growth regulators that we can't. The American public needs to be aware of this problem and that they may be putting themselves at risk now by eating at good old McDonald's.

American ranchers raise the highest quality beef in the world and this is what Americans deserve to eat. Not beef from countries where quality is loosely controlled. Therefore, I am proposing a boycott of McDonald's until they see the light.

I'm sorry but everything is not always about the bottom line, and when it comes to jeopardizing my family's health, that is where I draw the line.

I am sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ...and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) ... and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth level of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers!

I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you? Acting together we can make a big difference. If this makes sense to you, please pass
this message on.

David W. Forrest, Ph.D ., PAS, Dipl.
ACAP Department of Animal Science
Texas A&M University
Phone (979) 845-3560
Fax (979) 862-3399
2471 TAMU College Station , TX 77843-2471



Jack Otto of Forbidden Knowledge fame about the hidden story of Khazar Empire, Illuminati and New World Order
http://socioecohistory.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/khazar-empire-illuminati-and-new-world-order/
Brian Gerrish talks about Common Purpose, a semi-secret organisation operating within the UK and posing as a charity but operating to infiltrate and subvert all aspects of police, education, government, social services to set up a martial law government.
http://e.blip.tv/scripts/flash/showplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fblip.tv%2Frss%2Fflash%2F1731669%3Freferrer%3Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Frense.com%25252F%26source%3D3&showplayerpath=http%3A%2F%2Fblip.tv%2Fscripts%2Fflash%2Fshowplayer.swf&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftpucorg.blip.tv%2Frss%2Fflash&brandname=tpuc.org&brandlink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tpuc.org&enablejs=true&allowm4v=true
The Economic Agenda http://www.consciousmedianetwork.com/members/dicke5.htm
Send this newsletter to others. Unsubscribe type same into subject line:- grahamjukes@blueyonder.co.uk

Cynthia McKinney: Forum for Palestine, An Initial Report
Hello, as you know I am in Malaysia upon the invitation of former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir and his wife, Tun Dr. Siti. The information presented today in the Forum for Palestine was compelling, so much so that one of the doctors could not contain his sadness, anguish, and love. I say love, because anyone in the medical profession who would take the time to go to Gaza, in the middle of a war, and refuse to leave the Rafah checkpoint until the Egyptian authorities allowed them in demonstrates a pure love of mankind. I will make a more complete report later, after I have had the opportunity to completely digest what I saw today. I want to share just a bit of it with you now.

Tun Dr. Mahathir’s organization, “Criminalise War,” (criminalisewar.com) found two Jordanian volunteer doctors who were in Gaza at the time of the Israeli bombing. They made startling revelations today about the kinds of injuries that they witnessed; in short, never before had they seen these types of injuries. They conclude that Israel was using new and even more lethal weapons on the Palestinians trapped in Gaza. Here is an except of their report with all photos deleted:

Jordanian volunteer doctors to Gaza
From 10-January-2009 to 18-January-2009
Shifa Hospital in Gaza

We were witnesses to a crime against defenceless people, with limited resources. We feel it is our duty to tell the world about the brutality of what happened there. Maybe, we could help the world see for itself the need to bring back justice and peace to those who have been victimized, while the world was watching silently.

More than 5,000 people were receiving treatment for injuries that occurred during the attacks. The hospital could not accommodate them all
Jordanian doctors at Al Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza say they had to deal with burns and injuries they have never seen before

Injuries were strange; everything indicated the use of Internationally banned weapons.
Victims came with burns from white phosphorus. An element that keeps burning as long as oxygen is available, destroying the skin and deep tissues. It does not stop till it ruins the bones. Injuries did not heal, even after treatment.

But even stranger were the Dense Inert Metal Explosives (DIME) injuries. It is an experimental kind of explosive. DIME shrapnel penetrate the body and explode inside destroying all the tissues and organs in its way.

He was a man
He was brought to the emergency room with half a brain. The other half was scattered all over his clothing. He was dead. She stood there like a pillar of stone and asked about him. I could not bring myself to describe his condition to her, so I said he was a martyr. She cried… she said, they had been married only for 3 months and wished she was pregnant.

Brutal Amputations
He is 17 years old, he came into the hospital at 180 Cms in height and left at only 80…(bilateral Amputation above the knees)

Phosphorus
She was a mother… we will never be able to tell her age, she had been turned to a block of carbon, along with her four children.

Brutal Amputations
She was 7 month pregnant, her right leg had been shattered. The baby was distressed. We amputated the leg above the knee. The baby is a girl… she is beautiful…her name is hope.

Tens of similar stories repeating themselves again and again.

The following slides, include highly disturbing pictures. Viewer discretion is advised
“There’s a very strong suspicion that Gaza is now being used as a test laboratory for new weapons” Norwegian doctors in Gaza

This has been a cruel war, it left a lot of destruction and death

The Palestinians have evolved through 60 years of oppression into survivors. They have been deprived of even the basic needs. The only thing left to them is hope
They need your support in keeping their cause alive and help rebuild the destroyed infrastructure especially hospitals and orthopedic prostheses.

Please keep that hope alive



Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
Mr. President: Give Us a Clean Break from War
Gaza doctors struggle to treat victims
Jordanian doctors returning from Gaza say 90% of injuries treated were for …
New weapons in Gaza

Black, Jewish Vote for Obama May Signal a Renewed Tie
But the Historic Allies Still Disagree on Many Issues

By Marissa Brostoff and Rebecca Spence

Thu. Nov 13, 2008

After months of predictions to the contrary, American Jews voted for president-elect Barack Obama in higher proportion than any demographic group besides African Americans. For many Jewish liberals, this was a watershed moment, marking a return to the days when blacks and Jews were thought to have a special relationship founded on a shared language of suffering and joint efforts to promote civil rights.

Indeed, the numbers — 78% of Jewish voters went for Obama, as did 96% of blacks — suggest that the fabled political alliance between the two groups is in some respects alive and well. But voting for the same candidate doesn’t mean thoroughgoing political alignment. On many issues, public opinion and exit polls suggest, blacks and Jews occupy different corners of the Democratic Party’s big tent — and so, going forward, there remains the question of whether the issues most important to each group will be those that bind them together or those that drive them apart.

“Liberalism is not of one piece,” said Steven M. Cohen, a sociologist of American Jewry at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. “Blacks are far more liberal in economic matters than are Jews. Jews are far more liberal on social issues.”

On Election Day, nowhere were those ideological discrepancies more noticeable than in California, where it appears that blacks and Jews voted very differently on an initiative to ban gay and lesbian marriage.

Statewide, about 70% of African Americans voted to ban gay marriage, according to exit polls. No statewide figures are available on Jewish voting patterns on the initiative, but in Los Angeles, only 16% of Jewish voters (versus 45% of black voters) supported the ban, according to a research group at the city’s Loyola Marymount University. Last year, a study conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 79% of Jews believed “homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society,” compared with 39% of members of historically black churches.

“Partly it has to do with religious commitments in the African-American community, and I say this as an Orthodox Jew,” said Mark Mellman, CEO of the polling firm The Mellman Group. “Every community is more religious than the Jewish community, by and large.”

The discrepancy between blacks and Jews on gay marriage fits into a larger picture in which these groups, like others within the Democratic Party, may be Democrats for very different reasons. Indeed, the party’s triumph this year was rooted in its ability to form a coalition of groups as ideologically different as black and Jewish communities frequently are.

“There’s an assumption that we’re all in this together,” said Ta-Nehisi Coates, a blogger for The Atlantic who has written extensively on race politics during this election season. “Were it so. I wish it were!”

In reality, Coates said, African Americans’ loyalty to the Democratic Party is founded largely on the idea “that the Republican Party hates black people. It’s not really a disdain for Republican policies.”

The Pew study found that 48% of members of historically black churches surveyed believed that the government should “get more involved in issues of morality,” while only 22% of Jews agreed with that statement. On the other hand, 53% of the Jews surveyed believed that the United States should actively participate in world affairs, while 64% of members of black churches felt that it was more important to focus on issues at home.

Despite these differences, some Jewish liberals are trumpeting the results of Obama’s election as evidence of a renaissance of the black-Jewish political alliance that reached a high point during the 1960s.

“I believe that the generation of Barack Obama is very connected to the Jewish legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Rabbi Marc Schneier, who heads an interethnic dialogue group called the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. “It took a generation to reconnect with the legacy of the black-Jewish alliance.”

The divergence on the gay marriage vote is indicative of a different trend in black-Jewish relations: On many issues, the communities disagree but are not in conflict. Because gay marriage isn’t of primary importance to most members of either group, it reveals differences between the two communities without being a source of tension between them.

“In the larger scheme of issues that will influence either black or Jewish voters, gay marriage is not going to be high up,” said researcher David Bositis of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tank that studies black communal issues.

On issues that had been sources of tension between blacks and Jews, the groups have not necessarily converged on their opinions, but conflicts over them are less intense and frequent than in the past, observers say. In the late 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, as relations between black and Jewish communities in some cities faltered over control of local institutions, such as school boards, national and even international political issues fanned the flames of unrest. Affirmative action and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict frequently became the loci of tensions between the two communities.

Differences on those issues remain: In 2005, a study conducted by the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding found that 70% of blacks supported affirmative action, compared with 46% of Jews. And a 2002 study conducted by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies found that 40% of black respondents had an unfavorable opinion of Israel.

But, members of both demographics say, these issues no longer create a rift between the communities the way they once did.

“It’s not like there’s aggressive Jewish opposition to affirmative action. And blacks haven’t made Israel a real cause célèbre in their community,” said Steve Rabinowitz, a Democratic strategist. “It’s not in the face of the other community like it used to be.”

That may become even truer with the advent of an Obama presidency. Black support for the Palestinian cause comes not only from a sense of identification with an oppressed group, but also from the belief that Jews have too much power in America, said Juan Williams, a National Public Radio correspondent and Fox News contributor who writes about the black community.

Williams said that now, “black people are in the game. They’re not standing on the outside, saying, ‘Why are you giving so much money to Israel?’”
Regardless of whether blacks or Jews shift on the issues, even some of the most detail oriented of pollsters believe that shared enthusiasm about an Obama presidency could “reinvigorate a black-Jewish alliance,” as Mellman put it.

“There are three groups that gave over 70% to Obama: blacks, Jews, and gays,” Mellman added. “I think that’s a chance to rebuild what’s frayed.”

http://www.forward.com/articles/14569/



Israeli Spokesman Says We Control Stupid Americans
Written by www.daily.pk
Sunday, 01 February 2009 01:09
"Another Israeli spokeswoman, Tzipora Menache, stated that she was not worried about negative ramifications the Israeli onslaught on Gaza might have on the way the Obama administration would view Israel. She said 'You know very well, and the stupid Americans know equally well, that we control their government, irrespective of who sits in the White House. You see, I know it and you know it that no American president can be in a position to challenge us even if we do the unthinkable. What can they (Americans) do to us? We control congress, we control the media, we control show biz, and we control everything in America. In America you can criticize God, but you can't criticize Israel."

Commenting on the latest Israeli one-directional onslaught against the Palestinians of Gaza Strip, the Israeli 10th TV channel has disclosed that the Israeli genocidal forces had used half of its air force and had launched at least 2500 air raids against Gaza Strip.

The television military correspondent stated that the Israeli warplanes had dropped more than a thousand tons of explosives, including white phosphorous and DIME (Dense Inert Metal Explosive) bombs, during three weeks on the virtually unarmed densely populated 360 square Kilometers Strip.

He added that the shells fired by tanks, artillery, gunboats, and infantry were not included in those fired by the air force.

After a whole week of continuous air bombardments Israel sent in its elite foot soldiers; 30,000 of them, and called in 10,000 of its reservists. Armed with the latest weapons of mass murder, covered with an umbrella of free reigning air force, and accompanied with raining shells of heavy artilleries, they drove their tanks into the civilian towns murdering civilians and destroying every structure in their path.

Living outside of Gaza one cannot fully understand the barbarity of this genocide especially when the Western media had barely covered any of its atrocity. To gain a slight idea of its enormity one should remember that, during the 6-days war of 1967, this same Israeli army was distributed on four fronts; Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian, and Lebanese, and it was fighting regular armies. Now the whole brunt of this army is concentrated on a small strip against unarmed and untrained civilian population.

Latest official count was 1350 murdered, 40% of them were children, and 5300 were injured; mutilated and amputated. It was reported that 80% of the injured were the victims of burning phosphorous bombs. More dead are being discovered under the rebels, and many seriously injured are expected later on to die.

Israeli tanks had left several city blocks completely destroyed without any homes or structure standing. The tanks shelled homes and apartment towers. Due to the small size of Gaza Strip Palestinians had to build vertically. Many apartment towers went up 15-20 stories high with each story containing 6-8 apartments.

A total of 20,000 buildings were completely or partially burnt and damaged. The UN has reported that more than 50,000 Palestinians are left homeless and are now crowded into 50 emergency shelters.

An estimated of 50,000 more are living with relatives and in tents they erected on the ruins of their homes.

The Israeli bombardment targeted everything in Gaza including government buildings, police headquarters, banks and business offices, the main university, 67 schools sheltering civilians, shopping centers and market places, factories, water, sewer, and electricity infrastructures, private homes and apartment towers and charity organizations.

Farms, including their animals, were also targeted and hundreds of acres of crops and fruit groves were incinerated. Religious buildings, where civilians usually seek shelter, were specifically targeted. Israeli fighter planes had completely destroyed 41 mosques, and partially damaged 51 others. One church was also targeted. Even cemeteries were not spared; 5 of them were bombed.

Although the Israeli army was given the exact GPS co-ordinates of every UN structure, as asserted by Christopher Gunness, the UNRWA spokesman, Israeli F-16 planes had repeatedly dropped phosphorous bombed on UN schools knowing very well that hundreds of civilians had taken shelter there. At least 45 children and women were burnt and murdered there.

The UN headquarters in Gaza City was also hit with three, not just one, phosphorous bombs burning tons of humanitarian aid and food stuff. The fire kept on burning for three days. UN-flagged humanitarian convoy was also shelled killing one driver.

Medical centers and paramedics were not spared. The Red Crescent Al-Quds hospital in Tal el-Hawa neighborhood was hit by Israeli shells and caught on fire. Other two hospitals; Al-Wafa and Al-Fata hospitals, were also shelled, leading the World Health Organization to express its deep concern about the serious implications of such bombardments. 16 other smaller health clinics and 16 ambulances were also damaged. Medics were targeted and prevented from helping the injured. Ten of them, including two doctors, were murdered.

Media centers were particularly targeted. Local and international news reporters were prevented from entering Gaza. Those, who were able to enter, were directly targeted. The Al-Shuruq office tower housing several international and Arab media outlets was directly hit. Two cameramen working for Abu Dhabi TV were injured, while the offices of Reuters News Agency, Fox TV, Sky, and Al-Arabiya TV offices were damaged. Another raid had damaged the headquarter offices of Al-Resala newspaper.

Similar to all their previous wars the Israeli soldiers had committed massacres against Palestinian unarmed civilians. They have used internationally banned weapons such as phosphorous bombs, DIME, and depleted uranium, as reported by international physicians, eyewitnesses, and military experts. Israeli soldiers had mutilated the bodies of their victims to instill terror in the hearts of people hoping they will leave Gaza. Israeli soldiers herded many families in one building using them as human shield, and then later on bombed the building on top of them. They shot civilians, mainly children, directly and at point blank. The bodies of some children were found shot several times; as many as 18 bullets in the body of a 12 years old girl, and 12 bullets in the body of her 2 years old sister.

Israeli soldiers had wiped off whole Palestinian families. Al-Samuni family lost 11 members, Abu Aisha family lost 6, Batran family lost 6, al-Rayyan family lost 15 and al-Balousha family lost 5 sisters. Other families, too many to mention here, were either murdered or incinerated by the phosphorous bombs. The Israeli army has been carrying out a deliberate indiscriminate mass murder. During the first Intifada, 1987 – 1993, they murdered 1162 Palestinians. During the second Intifada, 2001- 2006, they murdered 5500 Palestinians. Now, in a short period of three weeks, they murdered 1350 Palestinians.

This onslaught is a holocaust since the many tons of phosphorous bombs, dropped on Gaza cities, had burnt civilians to the bones, burnt their homes and buildings, and burnt their fields and crops. This is the holocaust that the Israeli Deputy Defense Minister, Matan Vilnai, had threatened Palestinians with when he stated: "the more Qassam fire intensifies and the rockets reach a longer range, they will bring upon themselves a bigger shoah (holocaust) because we will use all our might to defend ourselves."

One cannot help but wonder how could a group of people, who claim to be the victims of a holocaust, commit another holocaust against another nation. What is it that feeds, perpetuates and intensifies this Judaic genocidal spirit although all Arabs, including Palestinians, had offered these Zionist Jews many agreements of coexistence, peace and security? The answer comes through their media outlets, through the words of their scholarly educators, and through the teachings of their Rabbis.

"All of the Palestinians must be killed; men, women, infants, and even their beasts" cries the religious opinion of Rabbi Yisrael Rosen, the director of the long-established Tsomet Religious Institute. He wrote that Palestinians are like the nation of Amalekites, who attacked the Israelite tribes led by Moses on their way to Jerusalem. He stated that the Lord sent down in the Torah a ruling that allowed the Jews to kill the Amalekites, and that this ruling is known in Jewish jurisprudence.

The Torah states: "Annihilate the Amalekites from the beginning to the end. Kill them and wrest them from their possessions. Show them no mercy. Kill continuously, one after the other. Leave no child, plant, or tree. Kill their beasts, from camels to donkeys." Rosen stated that Amalekites are not a particular race, but rather all those who hate and oppose the Jews; Christians and Muslims.

Many leading Israeli Rabbis support Rosen's views. Israel's former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu advocated carpet bombing of Gaza stating that "there is absolutely no moral prohibition against the indiscriminate killing of civilians during massive military offensive on Gaza" (The Jerusalem Post, 30 May, 2007). His son Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu amplified his father's genocidal call stating: "if they don't stop after we kill 100, then we must kill a thousand, then we must kill 10,000 and even a million"

Many Rabbis had argued that Palestinians in Gaza are not innocent civilians and that during war time it is not individuals but nations the Israelis are fighting. (It seems that Hitler had adopted this Telmudic teaching when he persecuted all European Jews)

Israeli educators, scholars, and politicians, openly, advocate the annihilation of all Palestinians. Dr. Nachum Rakover, a legal scholar, opined "They voted for killers and sent them to kill us. To call them (civilians) innocent is a tragic comedy… civilians are partners of the killers" Eli Yeshai, Israeli official in the Orthodox Shas party argued that "extermination of the enemy is sanctioned by the Torah" Many other politicians called for the need for "wiping off Gaza from the face of earth", and "annihilating of every moving thing there." The right-wing Israeli politician Avigdor Lieberman proposed nuking Gaza following the US example when it dropped the atomic bomb on Japan during WWII.

This "ideology of annihilation" is by no means a minority opinion in Israel, but represents a mainstream in the Jews of Israel as well as Jews in the West (US). The popular attitude is "if it was right by God to order us to commit genocide during Biblical time, why can't it be right to commit genocide now. Has God changed his mind?" Indeed Judaic god is a racist genocidal god.

Watch and listen here to an example of how Israeli Jews are brainwashed and indoctrinated into the ideology of annihilation by their rabbis and scholars through Israeli media. Watch Max Blumenthal's videotape of a group of messianic Orthodox Jewish Chabad-Lubavitch exhibit this ideology in NYC in January 11, 2009.

The Israeli spokesman, Nachman Abramovic demonized Palestinian children stating "They may look young to you, but these people are terrorists at heart. Don't look at their deceptively innocent faces, try to think of the demons inside each of them … I am absolutely certain these people would grow to be evil terrorists if we allowed them to grow… would you allow them to grow to kill your children or finish them off right now? … honost and moral people ought to differentiate between true humans and human animals. We do kill human animals and we do so unapologetically. Besides who in the West is in a position to lecture us on killing human animals. After all, whose hands are clean?"

Human animal mentioned by Abramovic refers to the Judaic religious belief that Jews are Gods chosen people; the elite and the pure-blooded, while all others (non-Jews, Goyims, gentiles) are animal souls incarnated into human bodies to serve the Jews. Killing a human animal is just a sport like hunting deer or birds.

Homeless Palestinians squeeze into tents in Gaza

By Andrew Hammond
Reuters
Thu Feb 5, 2009

Hay Al-Salam, Gaza Strip - Thousands of Palestinians are living in tented
camps after Israel's three-week assault on the Gaza Strip, hoping for a
swift end to Israel's blockade so they can rebuild their homes.

Aid workers said on Thursday at least 16,000 people have found temporary
accommodation in 10 camps set up in districts laid to waste in a war that
local medical officials said left around 1,300 Palestinians dead and more
than 5,000 wounded.

But conditions are cramped, with several thousands of tents held up at
border crossings from Israel into the Gaza Strip.

Israel has limited supplies into the coastal enclave since Hamas Islamists
took control in fighting with the Fatah group of U.S.-backed Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas.

"I worked for 28 years as a teacher in the United Arab Emirates and I put it
all into this house," said Yousef Abu Eida, pointing to a collapsed concrete
mass behind the tents in the Hay al-Salam district of Jabalya refugee camp.

"I lost everything."

Aid agencies have handed out blankets for the cold nights, when the camp
residents gather around log fires. So far, latrines have only been installed
in some of them.

But with no formal ceasefire in place between Israel and Hamas, they say
they don't feel safe. The Israeli border is visible only a short distance
away.

"We can't sleep at night. We're afraid the tanks will come back. They
(Israelis) say they want this area as a 'safe zone'. People are frightened,"
said Bashir Khidr, who shares a tent with 20 other people.

COLLAPSED HOMES

As he talks, children navigate the concrete slabs and twisted iron and steel
of collapsed homes.

Building materials are banned because Israel says they could be used for
making rockets fired into its south.

"We ask European and Arab countries to open the crossings to allow building
materials in and humanitarian needs to give shelter to thousands," said Diab
Dhumeida, a charity volunteer.

He said 450 families lost homes in the Salam district and another 340 tents
are needed to give each a space of their own.

Aid pledged by countries around the world has only trickled in pending a
deal between Israel, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and Egypt, which
borders Gaza on the south.

Khalil Abufoul, head of disaster management unit at the Palestinian Red
Crescent Society, said that 800 to 1,000 trucks used to enter the territory
daily before the 2007 Israeli blockade.

"During the war it fell to 50 to 60 trucks a day -- now it's about 100 to
120 for different organizations and companies," Abufoul said. "For me this
is not humanitarian access, you need more flow than before but the flow is
very little."

(Editing by Samia Nakhoul)

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE51441E20090205

The War on Terror is a Hoax
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
According to US government propaganda, terrorist cells are spread throughout America, making it necessary for the government to spy on all Americans and violate most other constitutional protections. Among President Bush’s last words as he left office was the warning that America would soon be struck again by Muslim terrorists.

If America were infected with terrorists, we would not need the government to tell us. We would know it from events. As there are no events, the US government substitutes warnings in order to keep alive the fear that causes the public to accept pointless wars, the infringement of civil liberty, national ID cards, and inconveniences and harassments when they fly.
The most obvious indication that there are no terrorist cells is that not a single neocon has been assassinated.

I do not approve of assassinations, and am ashamed of my country’s government for engaging in political assassination. The US and Israel have set a very bad example for al Qaeda to follow. The US deals with al Qaeda and Taliban by assassinating their leaders, and Israel deals with Hamas by assassinating its leaders. It is reasonable to assume that al Qaeda would deal with the instigators and leaders of America’s wars in the Middle East in the same way.

Today every al Qaeda member is aware of the complicity of neoconservatives in the death and devastation inflicted on Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Gaza. Moreover, neocons are highly visible and are soft targets compared to Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. Neocons have been identified in the media for years, and as everyone knows, multiple listings of their names are available online.

Neocons do not have Secret Service protection. Dreadful to contemplate, but it would be child’s play for al Qaeda to assassinate any and every neocon.. Yet, neocons move around freely, a good indication that the US does not have a terrorist problem.

If, as neocons constantly allege, terrorists can smuggle nuclear weapons or dirty bombs into the US with which to wreak havoc upon our cities, terrorists can acquire weapons with which to assassinate any neocon or former government official.

Yet, the neocons, who are the Americans most hated by Muslims, remain unscathed. The “war on terror” is a hoax that fronts for American control of oil pipelines, the profits of the military-security complex, the assault on civil liberty by fomenters of a police state, and Israel’s territorial expansion.
There were no al Qaeda in Iraq until the Americans brought them there by invading and overthrowing Saddam Hussein, who kept al Qaeda out of Iraq. The Taliban is not a terrorist organization, but a movement attempting to unify Afghanistan under Muslim law. The only Americans threatened by the Taliban are the Americans Bush sent to Afghanistan to kill Taliban and to impose a puppet state on the Afghan people.

Hamas is the democratically elected government of Palestine, or what little remains of Palestine after Israel’s illegal annexations. Hamas is a terrorist organization in the same sense that the Israeli government and the US government are terrorist organizations. In an effort to bring Hamas under Israeli hegemony, Israel employs terror bombing and assassinations against Palestinians. Hamas replies to the Israeli terror with homemade and ineffectual rockets.

Hezbollah represents the Shi’ites of southern Lebanon, another area in the Middle East that Israel seeks for its territorial expansion. The US brands Hamas and Hezbollah “terrorist organizations” for no other reason than the US is on Israel’s side of the conflict. There is no objective basis for the US Department of State’s “finding” that Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist organizations. It is merely a propagandistic declaration.

Americans and Israelis do not call their bombings of civilians terror. What Americans and Israelis call terror is the response of oppressed people who are stateless because their countries are ruled by puppets loyal to the oppressors. These people, dispossessed of their own countries, have no State Departments, Defense Departments, seats in the United Nations, or voices in the mainstream media. They can submit to foreign hegemony or resist by the limited means available to them.

The fact that Israel and the United States carry on endless propaganda to prevent this fundamental truth from being realized indicates that it is Israel and the US that are in the wrong and the Palestinians, Lebanese, Iraqis, and Afghans who are being wronged.

The retired American generals who serve as war propagandists for Fox “News” are forever claiming that Iran arms the Iraqi and Afghan insurgents and Hamas.. But where are the arms? To deal with American tanks, insurgents have to construct homemade explosive devices out of artillery shells. After six years of conflict the insurgents still have no weapon against the American helicopter gunships. Contrast this “arming” with the weaponry the US supplied to the Afghans three decades ago when they were fighting to drive out the Soviets.

The films of Israel’s murderous assault on Gaza show large numbers of Gazans fleeing from Israeli bombs or digging out the dead and maimed, and none of these people is armed. A person would think that by now every Palestinian would be armed, every man, woman, and child. Yet, all the films of the Israeli attack show an unarmed population. Hamas has to construct homemade rockets that are little more than a sign of defiance. If Hamas were armed by Iran, Israel’s assault on Gaza would have cost Israel its helicopter gunships, its tanks, and hundreds of lives of its soldiers.

Hamas is a small organization armed with small caliber rifles incapable of penetrating body armor. Hamas is unable to stop small bands of Israeli settlers from descending on West Bank Palestinian villages, driving out the Palestinians, and appropriating their land. The great mystery is: why after 60 years of oppression are the Palestinians still an unarmed people? Clearly, the Muslim countries are complicit with Israel and the US in keeping the Palestinians unarmed.

The unsupported assertion that Iran supplies sophisticated arms to the Palestinians is like the unsupported assertion that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. These assertions are propagandistic justifications for killing Arab civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure in order to secure US and Israeli hegemony in the Middle East.

Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.He can be reached at: PaulCraigRoberts@yahoo.com

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts02042009.html

What is Terrorism and who are the terrorists?

By Dr. Perwazekhudi

Dispute on this issue has been going on throughout the world, especially since 9/11. The world’s leading Scholars, thinkers and politicians, have not yet; come up with a one Single most definition of terrorism or terrorist which will be acceptable to all. So far, whoever has defined terrorism; it is either politically motivated or religiously biased. Therefore we are not able to develop common consciences over this crucial issue. The matter even gets more complex when each country, state, Nation or a group of Individuals, start creating their own definition according to their need. If this latest trend, continues and the world peace loving majority did not come to a common ground on this issue, than those people who are charged with political & religious zealous will keep their tunnel vision, focused only on very few terrorist organizations namely Al-Qaeda & few alike, while hundreds of other terrorist groups (including few States & nations) will continue their barbaric activities under our noses, in the name of survival, self-defense, law and order, civil disobedience etc etc. Therefore, we the common people, of this planet have the responsibility to identify and fight against all & every evil, without any discrimination or personnel biased. Having said that, I would like to present you, with my understanding of this menace:

“Any one, who deliberately, in his right state of mind, causes harm to another, life or lives (Human and or Animal) and property(s) without any legal & or Moral Justification, supported by the local (country, state) and or international law, in my humble opinion, is a terrorist and whatever, comes out, as a result, of his action, is Terrorism”. By, “anyone” I mean, single or a group of individuals, country, State or Nation and when I say “harm”, it could be anything from a simple injury, harassment and vandalism to a killing, massacre and mass destruction as well as psychological, social and financial trauma to others.

After this explanation, it is not so hard to figure out that Terrorism is not a new invention of 21st century, but existed throughout human history. However, most of us start hearing about this, only after the unfortunate incident of 9/11. Even though, in the late 20th century we would hear sporadically, about terrorist activities but with the growth of electronic media, especially the Internet, news are spreading in the world within matter of seconds, compare to days & even months in the past. Here are few examples, of past, recent past and present, terrorists & terrorism:

1. Long before Islam & Christianity, Egyptian pharaoh expelled thousands of Jewish, Children, women, Elderly to Sinai dessert where they lived for forty years. Even though considering the nature of Jews (not Jewish or Israelis), who might have created some problem for the King but no matter what, punishing the entire Nation for the mistake of only few, is not an excuse.

2. Destruction (1st) of the Salomon’s temple, a national heritage of Jewish, by Nebuchadnezzar and subsequent exile of Israelites, from their homeland, is another example of an act of terrorism. However keep in mind, none of these people, mentioned in 1 & 2 were Muslims or Christians, but rather worshipers of kings, Queens or multiple other gods like today’s Hindus in India.

3. Similarly, second & third time destruction, of the Salomon’s temple by the Greeks & Romans respectively, who were either Zoroastrians or some other types of Polytheists.

4. The entire world especially, Muslim & Christian, cannot forget the atrocity of the “crusaders” who slaughtered hundreds of thousand, Muslims, their children, females & elderly in a cold blood. These people, just like Yazeed, were the followers of a Peaceful religion but this time, it was Christianity.

5. Who can ever forget the world’s most infamous terrorists namely Hitler & Stalin, who killed millions of innocent people elsewhere, including in their respective countries. Interestingly, both were born Christian; however Stalin, in his adulthood became a communist.

6. Who is the inventor of Atomic bomb? Of course a JEW, Albert Einstein, who used his God given brain and knowledge to produce an evil, for the destruction of his own race and Civilization?

7. Now, who were those, who bombed the Hiroshima & Nagasaki with the Atom bomb, killing thousands of innocent Japanese, destroying their, buildings, livestock, plantations and the rest is well known to all of us? These were some of the top decision makers, in the American government and establishment, who were, also supposedly Christians but not by their action.

8. Similarly the Kamikaze suicide air attacker, who bombed the Pearl Harbor, killing thousands American soldiers plus injured several thousand other without any mercy. They were from Japan, which is predominantly Buddhist country.

9. The most recent, massacre in “Gaza” is a painful reminder, to the whole world, specifically Muslim, of the Jews and their State sponsored terrorism which has constantly, in the past sixty years, killed, humiliate and demoralized, people of Palestine, both Muslims & Christians, as well as barricading them, from all 3 sides, in a one large prison. In this very recent war crime of Gaza, alone, Jews killed and injured, several thousand innocent Palestinians including four hundreds children & babies. Not to mention, the shameless destruction of schools, houses, mosques, hotels even UN building.

10. This article will be not complete, if I do not mention, about the “Hindu terrorism & terrorists” which is widely ignored or unknown to the west. There are over 144 different terrorist organizations in India, belonging to Hindus. Most of them are well known to us in Asia because they have not yet crossed the border of our continent. Furthermore, India’s famous intelligence agency RAW as well as at a time the government itself has participated in terrorist activities such as the killing of 90,000 plus Kashmiri, who are resisting the Indian occupation since 1947. Furthermore, a massive gang of Hindu terrorists made of ordinary Hindus, from India who burned & killed alive, over 4000 Muslims from Gujarat (one of the Indian state), with the consent of the State prime minister Mr. Modi, who himself is a well known terrorist even recognized as such, by the USA, where he is not allowed to visit. Furthermore, not too long ago, in the Malegaon massacre as well as in the bombing of a passenger bus, killing sixty two Pakistani citizens, the Indian law enforcement agencies arrested several Hindu terrorists, who were involved in these terrorist acts including the infamous colonel of Indian army “MR. Purohit’, while he was still on an active duty. Similarly these Hindu terrorists have killed over 30,000 Sikh and several thousand innocent Christians of Indian nationality. Just because they were asking for their right of freedom (in case of Sikh) or they were teaching the Hindus about Jesus & his holy message.

Having said, that I do not believe all Hindus are terrorist. Just like I stated above, regarding other religions and non religious terrorism. In fact terrorists, have no religion, culture or race, rather they are, a group of deviants, from the human’s Norm.

Unfortunately, we are the one, who link them to a particular race, nation or a religion because of our personnel biased, lack of knowledge or political gain & or prejudice. And by doing so we provide these handful criminals, with a larger platform as well as hideout among millions of good, law abiding, peace loving and God fearing people rather than identifying them, according to their deeds. Which will not only put them into an isolation but also we will be not alienating so many good people who might look like or share with them some cultural or religious commonalities.

What I wrote in this brief article is no more than a drop in the bucket for this topic. However, it is good starter to provide some for food for thought, especially for those, who think that they or their predecessors were angels.

http://pakalert.wordpress.com/2009/01/31/what-is-terrorism-and-who-are-the-terrorists/

Israel Asserting Middle East Supremacy: From Gaza to Tehran
Professor James Petras
January 20, 2009

Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany bombed, invaded and annexed countries and territories as a prelude to their quest for World Empire. Israel’s drive for regional dominance has followed in their footsteps, imitating their style: Indiscriminate aerial bombings of civilian and military facilities, a savage blitzkrieg led by armored vehicles, disdain and repudiation of all criticism from international agencies was accompanied by an open, military buildup for a new and bigger war against Iran. Like the Nazi leadership, who played on the ‘Bolshevik threat’, the Israeli high command has set in motion a vast world-wide propaganda campaign led by its world Zionist network, raising the specter of ‘Islamic terror’ to justify its preparations for a military assault on seventy-four million Iranians. Just as Nazi Germany interpreted the passivity, sympathy and impotence of the West when confronted by ‘facts on the ground’ as license for aggression, the Israeli military machine receives a powerful impetus for new wars by the Western governments’ inaction and flaccid response to its invasion of Lebanon, the bombing of Syria and now its Nazi style blitz and conquest of Gaza. For the Israeli high command, the impotence and complicity of the Western states, marks the way to bigger and bloodier wars to establish Israel’s supremacy and dominance of the Middle East, from the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf.`

Gaza Blitz: Dress Rehearsal for an Assault on Iran


Israel’s military victory in Gaza is a dress rehearsal for a full-scale military assault on Iran. In the course of their Gaza extermination campaign, Israeli political and military strategists gained a great deal of vital information about: (1) the levels of complicity and impotence of European, North American and Arab states; (2) the high degree and depth of material and political support obtainable from the United States government in pulverizing adversaries; (3) the high degree of internal support among the Jewish electorate for even the most brutal killing fields; (4) the massive unquestioning backing of an offensive war from all the biggest and most politically influential and wealthiest Jewish-Zionist organizations in the US and Western Europe; (5) the weakness and ineffectiveness of the United Nations and the incapacity of the entire range of humanitarian organizations to limit Israel’s extermination campaign directed at destroying the very existence of an entire people; (6) the unconditional backing of the entire mass media and news agencies in the US and most of the mass media in Europe and the rest of the world; (7) the willingness of the liberal critics to equally blame the victims of extermination and the exterminators for the ‘violence’, thus neutralizing any effective consequential condemnation of the Israeli state; and (8) the adaptation of practically all the journalists, writers, academics and politicians to the entire euphemistic vocabulary of the Israeli propaganda office.

For example, sustained total war is called an ‘incursion’. Ten thousand aerial assaults by hundreds of Israeli helicopters and fighter-bombers are equated with sporadic harmless homemade rocket attacks as ‘violence’. Israeli targeting of thousands of civilian homes, hospitals and basic infrastructure are labeled ‘terrorist’ targets. Resistance fighters are labeled ‘Hamas terrorists’. The bombing of the Red Cross, the United Nations relief facilities, hospitals, mosques are called ‘mistakes’ or justified as ‘launching sites for Hamas terrorists.

Israeli political leaders have drawn the lesson from their dirty little ‘war’ that they can totally destroy a nation, decimate a society and murder and maim 7000 civilians with impunity Israeli leaders learned they can carry out an offensive genocidal war without suffering breaks in diplomatic relations (except Mauritania, Qatar, Bolivia and Venezuela). The Israelis have successfully tested the loyalty and submissiveness of the major Arab regimes in the region and secured cooperation and acquiescence from Egypt, the ‘Palestinian Authority’, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Israeli civilian-military leaders calculate that with this high degree of governmental complicity, combined with support from all the major Zionist leaders and mass media moguls, they can dismiss even large-scale street protests, repeated calls for boycotts and United Nations denunciations. Israeli leaders know that the criticism of major religious leaders and the growing number of Jewish dissidents, critical intellectuals and activists will have no consequential impact on Western governments nor lessen the fervor and loyalty of the major Jewish organizations.

Invisible Threats and Visible Impunity

The two potential threats to Israel’s genocidal offensive wars, namely, economic boycotts by important trading and investing countries and a cut-off of military aid, did not materialize. In North American the leading Zionist organizations ensured that the issue of a boycott was never even raised in the legislature and executive branches. In the US, AIPAC wrote resolutions and secured near unanimous passage (100% in the Senate, 90% in the Congress) of an AIPAC dictated resolution endorsing Israel’s invasion and slaughter. Moreover, the Zionist colonized Pentagon authorized massive new shipments of missiles and 1000 pound bombs to re-supply Israel in the midst of its massacres of the Palestinians. Israel’s leaders gloated over the fact that Jewish Zionist Lobbies control over US policy went un-contested by the anti-war protestors. Few, if any, of the demonstrators around the world identified and denounced the role of the Zionist organizations in their own countries in making US, Canadian and European policy toward the Middle East.

Nothing exemplifies the total and blind subordination of the 51 Major American Jewish Organizations (see appendix #1) to Israeli foreign policy goals as two incidents during the Gaza Genocide. When the ‘51’ got wind that Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice was working to come up with a Security Council resolution calling for a cease fire in Gaza, to stop Israeli genocide, every major Jewish organization mobilized their entire membership to oppose her. As the Jewish weekly magazine, Forward, reports: “During a January 5 (2009) conference call with Jewish activists, Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of President of Major American Jewish Organizations, gave special priority to blocking the international body from taking a stand on the Gaza issue. ‘We need to work hard to ensure the Security Council doesn’t pass the resolution, Hoenlein said.’” (ForwardJanuary 15, 2009)

The second example of Zionist belief in Israeli supremacy over US Middle East policy and Presidential servility came in response to Israeli Prime Minister Olmert’s boast that he successfully dictated and imposed White House policy in the United Nation. According to the Forward: “Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert didn’t do anything wrong but he should have kept his mouth shut. That was the reaction of several Jewish leaders…’I have no problem with what Olmert did’, said Abraham Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League.” (Forward, January 15, 2009) Former AIPAC chief lobbyist Douglas Bloomfield, stated that he (an American citizen) had no problem with Israel dictating US policies but ‘it is a mistake to talk about it.’ (Forward, January 15, 2009). By talking about Israel’s power in Washington, it exposes the role of the Zionist Power Configuration in deciding US policies.

These examples demonstrate once again the indivisible links between Israel and its US-Zionist Fifth Column and their power to make US policy – even when it is a question of supporting genocide. These cases also illustrate the fact that the major American Jewish organizations will not tolerate the smallest White House deviation from any Israeli policy, even if it involves mass murder. It wasn’t enough that for 8 years, President Bush slavishly followed and funded Israel’s war machine: For US Jewish leaders it is 100% subservience up to and including his last day in office. As the Forward writes, “That tough words from Israel and the Jewish groups…serve as a message to the incoming (Obama) administrations…” (ibid).

In addition to capturing positions of political power, one of the highest priorities of all the major Zionist Jewish organizations in the US is to propagandize, apologize and fabricate stories on behalf of Israel. Even in the face of Israel’s most blatant violent crimes against Palestinians, condemned by the UN General Assembly, the International Red Cross and every humanitarian group, the principle American Jewish religious institutions and lobbies have demonstrated their loyalty to the state of Israel. The modus operendi as documented by their internal memos is to dominate the mass media through ‘plants’ – pro-Zionist journalist, academics, ‘experts’ and editors – who write and broadcast justifications and apologies for Israeli war crimes (parroting the line of the Israeli state) in the mass media. The Zionist propagandists then circulate the planted articles by their colleagues, giving the impression of broad public support when in fact they are reproducing prepared Israeli-Zionist propaganda. The style and substance of the Zionist propaganda operation is evident in its defense of Israel’s Gaza bloodbath. The style is the Big Lie, reminiscent of totalitarian regimes. It is worthwhile to sample a few examples from the main mouthpiece of the 51 Presidents of the Major American Jewish Organizations (PMAJO):

Denying Israeli war crimes and fabricating accounts minimizing the Jewish State’s killings. The Daily Alert (January 22, 2009) claimed that Israel killed only 600 Palestinians and “most were fighters.”The Daily Alert denied on site reports by major human rights workers, Red Cross officials, Palestinian and international doctors and medical workers and journalists, who risked their lives (and some died) documenting the nearly 1,400 deaths, over 2/3 of which were children, women and non-combatants.

Repeating Israeli propaganda justifying the bombing of the United Nations-run schools by claiming the schools were ‘infiltrated by Palestinian terrorists’ among the thousands of refugees (The Daily Alert, January 22, 2009). There was not a single armed resistance fighter found among the 40 bodies recovered from the rubble by the United Nations workers, International Red Cross and Palestinian medical crews at the girls’ elementary school; all were children, teachers and refugees. Every organization and individual eyewitness refutes the Zionist-American apology of the Israeli bombing of the school, including the entire European Union. The most bizarre fabrication printed in the Daily Alert is a headline, which read: “Hamas Shot from Civilian Neighborhoods” over an article by Rod Nordland (Newsweek), which, in fact, reports the opposite, “Everyone of the residents interviewed in eastern Jabeliya insisted that there had been no provocation from the area, no resistance fighters and no rocket launchings.”


The third lie is a whopper: “Israel Doing its Best to Help Gazans”, (Daily Alert, January 16, 2009). In fact, Israel blocked all medicine and medical equipment from entering Gaza, bombed hospitals, shot up ambulances, murdered doctors and medical aid workers and blocked all shipment of water, food and fuel. The Israelis bombed the main United Nations food and medical supply warehouse, destroying its entire contents. The US Zionists defended this bombing by citing Olmert’s blood libel that the destruction of thousands of tons of food was a “response to fire coming from the building.” The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon was outraged by this barefaced lie as he visited the still smoldering UN warehouse to view the destruction while the US Secretary of State Rice crawled before the Israelis, begging them to “avoid (a repeat of) such incidents.” (Daily Alert, January 16, 2009)



Saving Gaza by Destroying the Heart of Terror” (Daily Alert, January 16, 2009). The Jewish propaganda sheet reproduces an article by the ultra-nationalist Natan Sharansky, who advocates expelling all Palestinian Arabs from ‘Greater Israel’. In an article published in Bloomberg, Sharansky defended the destruction of over 10,000 houses, damaging over 40,000 homes, roads, hospitals, power installations, water and sewage installations, 121 industries and commercial workshops, 30 mosques, 29 educational institutions, farms, poultries, dairies, small fishing vessels and the fishing port (according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights and cited in Stephen Lendman’s essay, “Israel Killed Everything but the Will to Resist”, January 25, 2009).


The Fifth Big Lie: “Israeli Pilot Tries to Avoid Hitting Civilians”, (Daily Alert, January 14, 2009). Photos published in all the international mass media refute this Zionist propaganda claim. The ghostly rubble of whole apartment blocks resembles a nuclear strike or an earthquake, according to the BBC reporters who finally made it into Gaza. Numerous European Parliamentary representatives and other on site visitors from throughout the world were shocked by the devastation. Not only did Israeli pilots target all civilian targets, but their ground troops assassinated unarmed civilians holding white flags and in some cases even small children attempting to flee. Surviving Palestinian children tell of their fathers executed in front of their families.

The Big Lie promoted by the leading Zionist organizations resonates from the Rabbinical pulpits, to their members and beyond: Informal phone surveys with rank and file members of local Zionists groups echoes the same lies and apologies, almost verbatim. In a word, neither facts, nor reports, nor universal condemnation, nor challenges by dissident rabbis, Jewish notables, writers and activists have made a dent on the major Jewish organizations and their agents in influential positions in the new Obama administration. They are the willing accomplices to mass murder in Gaza. They are active promoters of a pre-emptive aerial assault on Iran. They will unconditionally apologize for any crime against humanity that Israel perpetrates. Their academic apologists at Harvard defend Israeli Genocide as part of a ‘Just War’. In the face of universal condemnation they continue to cite the Holocaust and claim that they and their State are the only Moral People entitled to decide and judge, what is just and what is sacred Truth.

The Israeli leaders are perfectly aware of the ‘free hand’ with which their ‘Fifth Column’ operates, up to and including their prominent role in defense of genocide. Israeli leaders are assured that even when they launch a bigger, bolder and more destructive war (including the possibility of pre-emptive nuclear strike) against Iran or Syria/Lebanon, they can count on the million-member US Zionist lobby securing White House and US Congressional support. Israeli leaders now know for a fact that the anti-war movement will once again engage in inconsequential protests against the ‘shadows of power’ and not the real power wielders embedded in the Zionist Power Configuration.

Gaza: Testing the Subservience of the US Congress and the White House

By savaging Gaza with extreme brutality, Israel is testing the waters of US support for more offensive wars. Gaza allowed the Jewish leaders to measure the depth and scope of US Zionist political influence and their willingness to ‘go all the way’ when Israel decides to bomb 74 million Iranians in to the stone age. Or as the famous Israeli Zionist historian, Benny Morris, suggested in the New York Times July 18,2008, turn Iran “into a nuclear wasteland”.

Prime Minister Olmert’s public boasting that he pulled President Bush off the stage from an official public appearance and successfully ordered him to instruct the Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice to abstain from voting on her own authored resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza before the Security Council has many profound meanings. On the most obvious level Olmert’s revelation confirms the power of Israeli leaders over the White House. Secondly, the public nature of the exercise of power, tells the world that Israel can openly flaunt its capacity to humiliate and ridicule the President of the United States and later brag before Israeli officials with no adverse consequences. Thirdly it tells us that Israel has a greater say in US foreign policy than the American Secretary of State (or Foreign Minister). Fourthly it tells us that Israel decides how the US behaves, votes, vetoes and abstains in the Security Council, subject to Israeli approval.

Israel, the Zionist Fifth Column and Iran

Israel exercises power in the Middle East through its military weaponry. Its repeated threats and aerial and ground assaults on neighboring countries is a deliberate strategy to assert its regional supremacy. In recent years, Israel’s regional power has been enhanced by the Zionist Power Configuration in the US and Canada, who use the armed forces in their own countries to destroy any country that contests Israeli military supremacy. The classic case was the run-up to the US invasion of Iraq and the follow-up occupation, in which long-term Israel Firsters in the US Government played a deadly role in promoting the war.

From the late 1980’s to the present, the US Zionist Power Configuration has been in the forefront of a campaign to promote a US military confrontation with Iran in collaboration with Israel. The Zionist military proposals gained tremendous momentum during the 8 years of the Bush Administration. The ZPC mounted an unrelenting mass media propaganda campaign demonizing Iran, fabricating and disseminating falsified accounts of its nuclear programs, infiltrating and occupying key positions in the US Treasury Department (led by Stuart Levey) aggressively bludgeoning other governments, industries, banks and investors to boycott Iran. Zionist Treasury Department officials hope to strangle and weaken Iran’s economy in order to soften it up for a military strike. No other single or combined force in North America, or, for that matter, any place in the world (except Israel) has played as big a role in promoting an offensive war against Iran as the Zionist politicians and officials in the US government. They were aided and abetted by Jewish lobbies, Zionist propaganda centers, multi-billionaires and hundreds of Jewish community organizations.

Major Jewish religious organizations play a very influential role as conduits of Israeli propaganda and are an important force within the principle Zionist umbrella organizations (e.g. Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations or CPMAJO). Fully one-fifth of the Conference (see appendix for a full list)1 is made up of clerical-Zionist organizations, whose principle function is promoting Israeli goals through direct intervention in US politics at all levels. A memo from one group, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, issued on January 3, 2009, outlines their detailed strategy in defense of Israel’s Gaza massacre: “Every congregation should issue a statement supporting Israel. Solicit statements from elected officials at the city, state or provincial, or federal levels.. Solicit statements from local religious, ethnic and other prominent personalities. Monitor and respond to media coverage. Whenever possible, enlist non-Jews as well as public officials and prominent spokespeople to demonstrate their support for Israel.” The memo then proposes a series of “talking points on the situation in the Gaza Strip” that repeats verbatim the identical propaganda fabrications of the Israeli political-military high command: Affirming Israel’s peaceful intentions, blaming Hamas as the aggressor and claiming that “Israel, as always, is doing everything within its powers to limit non-combatant casualties in Gaza.” The Jewish clerics in the United Synagogues tell their faithful congregants to ignore the more than 5000 civilian casualties and the 1,300 deaths, of which three quarters are women, children and unarmed civilians, the sixty schools and the tens of thousands of homes and the dozen mosques demolished, the condemnations of war crimes by the United Nations, Red Cross and every Israeli and Palestinian human rights group.

The strategy paper issued by the religious Conservative Jews is very similar to that followed by the entire network of 51 religious and secular groups affiliated with the ‘Presidents’. This highlights the way in which a highly disciplined, well-financed minority captures and multiplies its power far beyond its own membership, ‘leveraging’ influential Gentiles, the mass media at all levels and public figures into a powerful juggernaut in defense of Israeli genocide in Gaza today and for war against Iran tomorrow.

Israel’s Military Threat to Iran

Israel, contrary to some leftist skeptics, had advanced operational plans to launch a massive aerial assault on Iran. On several occasions in the recent past, Israel has planned several aerial attacks on Iran, only to be thwarted by the Bush White House. The Jewish state has publicly announced that it will unilaterally strike Iran if it continues its legal, internationally recognized, right to enrich uranium. The most likely winner in this February’s national elections, Binyamin Netanyahu, has publicly stated that a military attack on Iran is at the top of his agenda – a message which has activated all the major Zionist-Jewish organizations in the US to redouble their efforts to secure US compliance, support and active collaboration. On January 7, 2009 The London Sunday Times, quoting several high level Israeli military sources, reported that, “Israel has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons. Two Israeli Air Force squadrons are training to blow up an Iranian facility using low-yield nuclear ‘bunker-buster’…Robert Gates, the new (sic) US Defense Secretary, has described military action against Iran as a ‘last resort’ leading Israeli officials to conclude that it will be left to them to strike. The preparations have been overseen by Major General Eliezar Shkedi, Commander of the Israeli Air Force.” (Times on Line, January 7, 2009). A subsequent article in the pro-Israel New York Times (January 11, 2009) by David Sanger, a prominent Zionist sympathizer, reported that “President Bush deflected a secret request by Israel last year (2008) for specialized bunker-busting bombs it wanted for an attack on Iran’s main nuclear complex…the Bush administration was particularly alarmed by an Israeli request to fly over Iraq to reach Iran’s major nuclear complex… The White House denied that request outright.” Sanger goes on to claim that the Israelis were furious at a detailed report by 16 US intelligence agencies (The National Intelligence Estimate) which demonstrated that Iran had halted development of a nuclear warhead in 2003 because it undermined Israeli efforts to secure US collaborations for a military attack on Iran. Sanger spends several paragraphs trying to bolster the Israeli unsubstantiated claims regarding Iran’s nuclear program framing the case for a unilateral Israeli attack…which he dates began “early 2008” but was stalled by opposition from the US military.

The forthcoming Israeli national elections (February 10, 2009) promise to accelerate Israeli plans for a massive military assault on Iran, as the polls indicate that the majority of Jewish voters will elect the ultra-militarist Zionist Binyamin Netanyahu, a favorite of the most influential Zionist-American organizations. In a very recent interview with the Wall Street Journal (January 24, 2009), Netanyahu speaks of Iran as the ‘terrorist mother base” and “that Israel cannot accept an Iranian terror base (Gaza) next to its major cities.” He then goes on to justify the Israeli murder of civilians because, he claims, the Palestinian resistance (“terrorists”) “hide behind civilians”. The Wall Street journalist, one Brett Stephens, in complete awe and wonder at the feet of the Israeli leader, writes approvingly of Netanyahu’s justifications for an attack on Iran, “the threat of a nuclear Iran poses a much greater danger to the world than the economic crises… this poses an existential threat to Israel directly…” Stephens goes on to sum up Netanyahu’s position toward Obama: “If diplomacy fails and the US does not resort to military force, Israel will decide to go it alone…”

Israeli leaders have temporarily backed off attacking Iran – launching, instead, the Gaza assault to weaken any possible resistance among Palestinians to an Israeli war against their Muslim ally in Teheran. The Israeli war plans toward Iran will be reinforced with the new Obama Presidency. With the rise to power of the ultra-Zionist Dennis Ross as Chief Adviser on to President Obama on Iran and Hillary (“We will obliterate Iran”) Clinton as Secretary of State, the question of a US backed Israeli preemptive attack on Iran looms closer to becoming a reality. As late as two months ago Ross signed on to a document, which provided a ‘roadmap’ to war with Iran. Zionist infestation of the entire policy-making apparatus of the Obama regime means that any official military or intelligence opposition to an Israeli attack on Iran will be blunted and their spokespersons marginalized.

The Obama Regime and Israel

The Obama regime is, if anything, even more penetrated from the top to bottom and from Executive offices to Congress with Zionists in positions to influence every strategic decision having any relation to Middle East policy.

The Jewish Telegraph Agency (January 20, 2009), the principle news agency of American Jewish-Zionist publications, provides a detailed list of the ‘pro-Israel’ Zionists in strategic Middle East positions in the Obama regime. The evidence of Zionist control is overwhelming and the consequences are deadly to any ‘balanced’ peace negotiations and extremely promising for Israel’s war ambitions in the regions:


Dennis Ross will be an influential adviser on Iran policy. Ross is an advocate of intensifying sanctions to undermine negotiations and force the military option.


Richard Holbrooke, appointed as Obama’s envoy to Afghanistan, is a prominent Zionist who served as UN envoy under Clinton. He has recently headed an ad hoc group called United Against a Nuclear Iran, which advocates military action against Iran if it does not submit to an Israeli-dictated cessation of its legal nuclear energy program.


George Mitchell, Obama’s envoy to the Palestine-Israel conflict, is one of the four co-chairs of the Zionist front group, Bipartisan Policy Center, which propose a step by step approach, from sanctions to embargo to naval blockade to a military strike on Iran.


Dan Shapiro and Puneet Talwar will collaborate on Middle East policy at the National Security Council. Shapiro, in consultation with Israel, was “key in shepherding the Syrian Accountability Act through the Senate (a measure that imposed tough sanctions on Syria). Shapiro drafted Obama’s cringing, belly crawling speech to the AIPAC conference in Washington on May 2008. Puneet Talwar will handle Persian Gulf issues – including Iran. He was a staffer of former Senator and current Vice President Joe Biden and was a close collaborator and conduit for AIPAC.


Eric Lynn is heading for a White House Middle East policy job. He started his career as an AIPAC intern in 1998 and continued as a staff person for Congressman Peter Deutsch, “one of the most committed pro-Israel figures in Congress.” Lynn spent a year in Israel, imbibing Zionist military culture and learning Hebrew.


James Steinberg and Jacob ‘Jack’ Lew have been named as Clinton’s deputies at the State Department. Steinberg has been in a ‘strong relation with the pro-Israel community’ and was a conduit for Israeli pressure on Arafat to capitulate to Israeli demands. Jack Law will direct economic stimulus overseas. He is an orthodox-Zionist, who will use American economic resources to back Israeli militarism and reward or punish its adversaries. A former head of a Citigroup investment unit, he holds between $50,000 to $100,000 in Israel State Bonds.


Samantha Power, once a critic of Israeli war crimes in 2002 for which the Zionist Power Configuration had her removed from the Obama campaign in March 2008. She was ‘rehabilitated’ and re-incorporated as a member of the Clinton transition team after an ‘abject apology’ to Israel.


Cass Sunstein, a lifetime Zion-Lib, is head of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs – a key propaganda arm of the Obama regime.


Rand Beers was lead national security adviser to Senator Kerry during his presidential campaign of 2004 and ‘built close relations’ with the pro-Israel political apparatus. As adviser to Homeland Security, he will ‘likely be a linchpin as Israel and the US forge a closer alliance’ (Jewish Telegraph Agency January 20, 2009).


Lee Feinstein and Mara Rudman are Zionist veterans from the Clinton Administrations. Feinstein is a lead adviser of Secretary of State Clinton and Rudman is Senior Foreign Policy Adviser of President Obama.


Susan Rice, UN Ambassador appointed by Obama, signed on to a Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) paper last summer calling for greater Israeli-US coordination for an embargo and military attack on Iran. WINEP is a well-known propaganda mill for Israel’s most fanatical, bellicose and unconditional supporters. In her Senate testimony, Rice denounced the United Nation General Assembly’s criticism of Israel’s Gaza bloodbath.

At the head of Obama’s foreign policy regime, Vice Presiden Biden (“I am a Zionist”), Secretary of State Clinton (“demolish Iran”) and Secretary of Defense Gates (a holdover from the Israeli-dominated Bush Administration) have put in place the most Zionist-infested Middle East policy regime in US history. This regime is neither by background, loyalties or commitments prepared to open serious negotiations with Iran, or to ‘broker’ an end of Israeli occupation of Palestine. On the contrary, their close ties with the Zionist Power Configuration and long-term commitment to Israeli militarism and expansionist policies ensure that the Obama regime will proceed toward collaboration with the Jewish State in a military confrontation with Iran. Everyone on Obama’s team supported the Israeli carnage in Gaza and endorsed Israel’s efforts to destroy the democratically elected Hamas government and prop up the discredited and corrupt quisling clique headed by Abbas.


The Obama Presidency has achieved what many observers thought impossible: It has placed more Zionist in more strategic power positions with a greater commitment to war with Iran than even the Bush Administration. Given Obama’s appointments and his own personal subservience to Israeli leaders it is difficult to imagine the 16 major intelligence services issuing a report refuting Israel’s fabrications about Iran’s nuclear program, as happened under Bush. Even more egregious, given the Zionist stranglehold on the White House, it is unlikely that Obama would block a proposed Israeli air assault on Iran as Bush is reputed to have done.


The Israeli war strategy toward Iran follows the ‘salami tactics’ of its Nazi forerunner: Attacks are designed for maximum destructiveness against civilian infrastructure, against countries and leaders opposed to any Israeli aggression toward Iran. Israel bombed and invaded Lebanon. It bombed Syria. Israel savaged Gaza. Its ‘lobby’ has extended and enforced global economic sanctions through the forceful intervention of a Zionist infested Treasury Department. Obama’s top economic adviser, the ultra-Zionist Lawrence Summers, promotes tighter sanctions, boycotts and embargoes against the designated enemies of Israel: policies pointing toward war.


‘Peace’ Negotiations Geared Toward War


The likelihood that the Obama regime will move the world closer to an offensive war with Iran is not based on idle speculation or selected quotes from his presidential campaign. No one can take serious President Obama or his Secretary of State Clinton’s advocacy of ‘negotiations with Iran’, when they are accompanied by conditions unacceptable to Iran’s sovereignty or national interests. The Obama regime openly threatens war if Iran does not accept unilateral disarmament with intrusive inspection of its strategic defense installations, allowing Israel and the US a unique opportunity for pinpointing vital targets for their first wave of attack.


What conclusively demonstrates Obama’s drive to war with Iran is his appointment of the most zealous Zionist militarist, Dennis Ross, to the key strategic position dealing with Iran.


Obama appointed Ross to the post of ‘Special Envoy to Iran’. He will act as Czar of Middle East policy. George Mitchell is his envoy on Israel-Palestine negotiations, a typical ‘good cop’ (Mitchell) strategy to counter the ‘bad cop’ (Ross). Ross, who is often called ‘Israel’s Lawyer’, is the ultimate Zionist, a crown prince of the US Zionist Jewish Lobby in all of its major undertakings regarding Iran. Ross is a founding leader of AIPAC, the principle and most powerful Israel First Lobby in Washington. He has been a lifelong and influential ZionCon ideologue, who successfully led the campaign in favor of the invasion of Iraq. He is among the most prolific and influential writers and propagandists at the Zionist-financed propaganda mill, WINEP (Washington Institute for Near East Policy), which has produced the most bellicose position papers pushing US military intervention in favor of Israel’s expansionist ambitions. During the Clinton years, Ross was appointed head of the US ‘mediation’ committee during the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations (1999-2000). In that position, he acted as ‘Israel’s lawyer’ according to a fellow US Zionist diplomat. He scuttled all possibility of any acceptable compromise by “following Israel’s lead.” He set up the conditions, which made Palestinian rejection inevitable while placing the blame on that embittered people. Ross has a profound influence on Obama’s politics to Israel.


Ross is a leader in a relatively new Zionist front group, known as the ‘Bipartisan Policy Center. The ‘Center’ recently published a report entitled, “Meeting the Challenge: US Policy Toward Iranian Nuclear Development.” This roadmap for war with Iran was produced by a task force, which included Ross and two other extremist Zioncons, the dual-Israel-US citizen Michal Makovsky and Michael Rubin. Ross’ endorsement of the ‘Report’ reflects his rejection of any possibility of a negotiated agreement with Iran, which would accept Iran’s legal right to a uranium enrichment program as recognized by international treaty.


A recently reported wrinkle in Dennis Ross’ appointment to the Obama Cabinet is his role as current Chairman of the Jerusalem-based Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, under the Jewish Agency, which is an official part of the Israeli Government. His current work for an Israeli government agency could place Ross at odds with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a Federal statute that requires individuals working on behalf of a foreign government to register as such - something Ross has never done.


The ‘Report’ advocates a preemptive Israeli aerial bombing and missile campaign against Iran should the US and Europe fail to strike first. This Dennis Ross-endorsed ‘Report‘ proposes a total naval and air blockade and embargo of Iran as a prelude to a US attack on Iran’s vital infrastructure. This document called on Obama to ‘bring in troops and material to the region under the cover of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, thus maintaining a degree of strategic and tactical surprise.’ In other words, Obama’s forthcoming appointment of Ross to head his regime’s Middle East Policy Advisory Group places an unconditional advocate and promoter of genocidal war with Iran in a key strategic foreign policy position.


Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Dennis Ross will do everything in their power to promote and justify a US-Israeli joint attack on Iran. Ross and Clinton will begin with phony negotiations based on unacceptable ultimatums. This will be followed by acts of war in the form of Gaza style embargos designed to starve and impoverish the people of Iran, and conclude with a Gaza-style aerial blitzkrieg. Given the extraordinary number of Zionists appointed by Obama in every key level of his government, the possibility of any internal debate or dissent over the Ross roadmap for war in Israel’s interest is minimal. Obama has put together a policy-making elite so closely linked and loyal to the Israeli military that it precludes any type of meaningful negotiations with Iran.

Possible External Constraints on Zionist-Israeli-US War on Iran

The only effective deterrent to a Gaza style Israeli assault on Iran is Teheran’s capacity for military retaliation, especially accurate long-range missiles capable of reaching Israel’s principle military sites, infrastructure and related support systems. Given the Israeli leaders lack of any moral constraints and their immersion in a militarist ideology, in which brutal force and widespread violence are the primary means of projecting power and securing Israeli public support, a costly massive military counter-attack is probably the most effective deterrent to force its leaders to reconsider Israel’s military-driven foreign policy.

While Israeli militarists adopt a ‘defensive’ rhetoric, their strategy is to weaken Iran’s defense capability and make it more vulnerable to military threats and diplomatic pressure in a lead-up to a pre-emptive aerial assault. International inspections by United Nation agencies are only carried out of Iranian sites but not of US regional military instillations, including their nuclear-armed war ships and submarines, or of Israel’s nuclear weapons sites and nuclear weapon laboratories. The one-sided inspections provide a wealth of information on Iranian military capacity and defense locations and of advanced strategic research laboratories. UN inspections prior to the US invasion of Iraq identified key defense installations and Iraqi scientists, their places of work and homes, which were used in bombing missions and the subsequent assassination campaign against top Iraqi scientists. This kind of information was crucial in guiding Israel’s bombing and missile assaults and assassination of leaders and their families during its invasions of Lebanon and Gaza.

The Israeli dictated and US Zionist implemented economic boycott of Iran is clearly directed toward undermining both Iranian living standards and the performance of their economy, similar to what the Jewish state imposed on Gaza. It is part of the ‘softening up’ campaign prior to its all out attack.

To day however, despite a sustained effort by all top Zionist functionaries in the US government and the intense pressures of its lobbies on US pension fund managers, the embargo has not crippled the Iranian economy. Especially with the onset of the recession, the decline of world markets and the growing energy demands of China, there are numerous Western and Asian multinationals eager to trade with Iran and to ignore Israeli and US Zionist pressures.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has finally forced important cracks in the overseas Zionist monopoly over Jewish opinion. The leading Jewish communal organizations and their spiritual spokespeople continue to support each and every crime from the bombing of Red Cross ambulances and clinic to United Nations schools, food and medical supplies warehouses and refugee centers. This has finally provoked vigorous opposition among leading Jewish intellectuals, writers and other professionals.

New organizations and personalities have emerged within the Jewish community, which have forcibly repudiated Israel’s genocide. Some Jewish activists have taken bold direct actions, occupying Israeli consular offices in a few major cities and calling for a total boycott of Israeli goods and academic exchanges. Others have confronted Zionist apologists in public forums and press conferences. While the number and influence of Jewish critics of Zionist war crimes is small, their importance is found in giving legitimacy and encouraging millions of otherwise intimidated and silent Gentiles to ‘come out’. As a result, an unprecedented number of people in the West have voiced their horror and opposition to the Zionist military juggernaut and expressed their support for economic boycotts against Israel. While Jewish and Gentile mass opposition neither stopped or weakened Israel’s massacre of Gazan civilians, it has laid the political and organizational basis to launch a massive campaign against the US Zionist war plans against Iran.

Israel’s military successes have created an irrational triumphalist war fever among all of its leaders and their enthusiastic supporters in the million member Jewish-Zionist organizations in the US. This has led them to underestimate the catastrophic costs of a war with Iran. An Israeli-US sneak attack on Iran will unleash major military and political retaliatory action throughout the Middle East. This will certainly inflict major human, military, political and economic losses on many US military installations in the Gulf region.. This is especially the case in Iraq and the adjoining client Gulf States, where US military forces are highly vulnerable. An Israeli assault might lead to the destabilization or overthrow of Arab client states. Moreover, Iran may retaliate by successfully launching accurate long-range missiles, which will target major Israeli military complexes and adjoining population centers.

Given the enormous worldwide disgust and horror at Israel’s war crimes in Gaza and the hatred evoked by the prospect of new aerial assaults on millions of Iranians, Tehran’s reprisals against Israel and the US are not likely to raise much condemnation. More likely, most people will feel a sense of righteous vindication, that the arrogant bully is finally getting paid back for its assaults on unarmed, imprisoned civilians in Gaza. Just as the British survivors of Nazi V-2 rocket attacks on English population centers cheered the firebombing of Dresden, vast sections of public opinion may greet an Iranian retaliatory strike on Israel as a valid deterrent for its serial atrocities against humanity.

One of the most effective threats to Israel’s genocidal war drive is the launching of investigations into Israeli war crimes, the establishment of tribunals to try Israeli military and political leaders for their crimes against humanity (Financial Times, January 16, 2009 page 5). Israeli leaders have advised their soldier-criminals they will be provided with legal protection. The leaders have expressed concern that they themselves may be subject to citizen arrests and tried by overseas courts. Several governments are filing war crimes charges before the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The problem with laying charges on Israeli war criminals is where to draw the line between military-political leaders who directed the war crimes and the field officers, who implemented the policies violating the Geneva Conventions. For example, identifying the officials who specifically barred medical and emergency workers for over four days from evacuating wounded and starving civilians, including small children, from the site of a horrific Israeli massacre of Gazan civilians. What about the great masses of Israeli Jewish citizens who were so elated by the bombing of whole civilian neighborhoods that some Israelis set up observation posts with picnic baskets to survey the ongoing carnage? The same Israelis “delighted in the images, splashed across the front pages, of smiling Israeli soldiers riding homes on tanks in victory post.” (Financial Times, January 26, 2009). Mass Israeli elation, political intoxication and embrace of the perpetrators of the killing of unarmed people may be repugnant to world opinion, but it is nor a sufficient offense to merit an international tribunal. However it is subject to the same moral repudiation, which many of us felt toward the German people who celebrated Hitler’s savage bombing of Soviet, Polish and Balkan cities. Even if the Zionist-controlled White House succeeds in using its veto on the United Nations Security Council to prevent a war crimes investigation of Israeli leaders, the presentation of charges and possible arrests in several European countries will force the Israeli leaders to reflect on their pariah status and might inhibit their push for a murderous war with Iran. We have included a list (see Appendix #2) of the names of Israeli military leaders, their rank and operational role and responsibility for war crimes in Gaza.


Israelis currently dismiss out of hand the opprobrium of world opinion as irrelevant to its ongoing military offensive. This causes the Jewish state to overlook the importance of world opinion in eroding strategic political support in the future. Many observers believe hundreds of millions of Arab citizens and multitudes of non-Arabs and non-Muslims are coming to believe that Israel and its overseas Zionist Fifth column will only understand the language of force since they routinely practice state terrorism to impose their interests on captive, impoverished people. As a result, many analysts argue that it is understandable that the weapons of choice for the victims of Israel will inevitably rely on sustained, organized and militarized people’s resistance. In these circumstances the current crop of anemic, impotent, collaborationist Arab leaders and regimes may be overthrown and a new combative and consequential leadership could emerge, one which consults and draws its mass support from the deepest feelings of national dignity and profound hatred of Zionist imposed humiliations.

Conclusions

Israel’s Gaza war is leading its leaders and its strategically placed overseas agents in the US political system to overreach and to pursue a new war with Iran, as part of a regional strategy to secure imperial power. The Obama Administration and the newly elected Israeli prime minister share more than overlapping policy-makers and long-term commitments to military-driven empire building. They have made it clear that they will proceed in setting in motion a series of diplomatic and economic moves destined to prepare the stage for launching a genocidal war against Iran. This will be in line with Obama’s rhetoric of recreating a Jewish-Afro-American alliance, one based on Israeli interests and American lives! The only deterrent to new wars of extermination is mass action, which increases the political, economic and military costs for Israeli aggression. Only when Israeli casualties mount, when Zionist exploiters and bankers suffer losses, when its academics and tourist sites are boycotted, then and only then will the Israelis and their US acolytes begin to rethink their blind adherence to militarist policies. It is only then that they will rethink their irrational Judeo-centric vision of a world made by and for the one Chosen People living in the Only Moral State in the world.

Unfortunately it may take some military shocks to dispel these tribal fantasies. History teaches us that there is nothing like a bloody defeat to end the Superman Complex.

—-
Appendix #1
51 Member Organizations of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations:
Ameinu
American Friends of Likud
American Gathering/Federation of Jewish Holocaust Survivors
American-Israel Friendship League
American Israel Public Affairs Committee
American Jewish Committee
American Jewish Congress
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
American Sephardi Federation
American Zionist Movement
Americans for Peace Now
AMIT
Anti-Defamation League
Association of Reform Zionist of America
B’nai B’rith International
Bnai Zion
Central Committee of American Rabbis
Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America
Development Corporation for Israel/State of Israel Bonds
Emunah of America
Friends of Israel Defense Forces
Hadassah, Women’s Zionist Organization of America
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
Hillel: The Foundation of Jewish Campus Life
Jewish Community Centers Association
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs
Jewish Labor Committee
Jewish National Fund
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Jewish War Veterans of the USA
Jewish Women International
MERCAZ USA, Zionist Organization of the Conservative Movement
NA’AMAT USA
NCSJ: Advocates on behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States and Eurasia
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Young Israel
ORT America
Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbinical Council of America
Religious Zionist of America
Union for Reform Judaism
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
United Jewish Communities
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
WIZO
Women’s League for Conservative Judaism
Women of Reform Judaism
Workmen’s Circle
World Zionist Executive, US
Zionist Organization of America
—-
Appendix #2
List of Israeli Officials involved in War Crimes during the Gaza Invasion:
This is a partial and growing list of potential war criminals compiled by a group of Israeli activists, despite Israeli government censorship, and as a challenge to the Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz and his military counterpart, Judge Advocate General Brigadier General Avihai Mandelblit.
Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minster
Ehud Barak, Israeli War Minister
Tzipi Livni, Foreign Minister of Israel
Yuval Diskin, Shin Bet security service chief
Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi, IOF Chief of Staff
Colonel Hartzi Halevi, Paratroops Brigade Commander
Brig Gen Jonathan Locker, head of Israeli air forces
Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan, Israeli air forces
Colonel Ron Ashrov, Commander of the Northern Gaza
Brigadier-General Eyal Eisenberg - Commander of all the IOF
Colonel Yigal Slovik, commander of 401st Armored Corps Brigade convoy
Sho’alay Marom, Brigadier (res.)
Lt. Col. Yoav Mordechai, Golani infantry brigade’s 13th Battalion in Gaza
Lt. Col. Oren Cohen, Battalion 13 in the Golani Brigade
Lt. Col. Avi Blot 101st Battalion Paratrooper Brigade
Lieutenant-Colonel Yehuda Cohen, Givati infantry Brigade’s Rotem Regiment
Lieutenant-Colonel Ronen Dagmi, deputy commander of the 401st Armored Brigade
Col. Avi Peled, commander brigade in Battalion 51
Brig.-Gen.( res.) Zvika Fogel former deputy OC Southern Command
Brigadier-General Yuval Halamish, Chief IOF Intelligence Officer
Paratrooper Brigade commander, Hartzi Halevi
Col. Hertzi Halevy, brigade commander
Col. Tomer Tsiter, participated in the massacre in Gaza during “Operation Cast Lead”, and previously he participated in the massacre “Operation Defensive Shield” in the Jeninrefugee camp in 2002
Gur Rosenblatt, infantry reserve officer
Guy Ohaion, infantry reserve officer
Lt. Col. Erez
Maj. Nimrod Aloni
Lieutenant Colonel (res.) Shlomo Saban
Capt. Ron Vardi
Col. Pnina Sharvit-Baruch, head of the International Law Department, Military Advocate General’s Office
Major-General Yoav Galant, southern command chief
Richard Awizrat, Senior Warrant Officer
Major General Amos Yadlin, Military Intelligence chief
—-
Author: Prof. James Petras
Note: James Petras’ latest book, Zionism, Militarism and the Decline of US Power (2008, Clarity Press, Inc.) is available through Amazon.com..
—-
Source: GlobalResearch


URL-http://truthisbeauty.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/the-holocaust-is-now-catholic-dogma/

The Holocaust is Now Catholic Dogma
The last time a Pope of the Catholic Church defined an infallible dogma was in the year 1950. Pope Pius XII used this power reserved for the Vicar of Christ when speaking ex cathedra to define the Dogma of the Assumption of Mary. It was an extraordinary event because a pope using the power of infallibly to define a dogma is done so rarely, and most popes have never used this power. Before Pius XII, the last pope to invoke papal infallibly to define a dogma was Pius IX in 1854, when he defined the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Both of these dogmas referred to events that had occurred 19 centuries before , and that had been studied by the best minds of the Church for almost as long. That’s because when making an infallible statement - it goes without saying - it can’t contain any errors! Fast forward to 2009 and Pope Benedict XVI has just defined a new dogma regarding a secular event that has nothing to do with the Faith. Moreover, this ‘dogmatic event’ only occurred in the middle of the 20th Century- and no one is allowed to investigate to see if it contains any errors!
A dogma is an infallible teaching of the Catholic Church that must be believed by every Catholic or they’re not in communion with the Church. In the past, a dogma referred only to a matter of Christian faith, and Catholics could believe whatever they wanted about historical events. But today’s remarks from the Vatican make it clear that the Jewish version of the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were killed in gas chambers, must be believed by every Catholic or they’re not in communion with the Church. That makes the Holocaust an official ‘dogma’ of the Catholic Faith (*sarcasm*). Here’s the news out of the Vatican.
On Jan. 28, the pope said he felt â€Å“full and indisputable solidarity†with Jews, and warned against any denial of the full horror of the Nazi genocide.
Bishop Williamson, in order to be admitted to episcopal functions within the church, will have to take his distance, in an absolutely unequivocal and public fashion, from his position on the Shoah, which the Holy Father was not aware of when the excommunication was lifted,†the statement said. The Shoah is the Hebrew term for the Holocaust.
Jewish groups welcomed the Vatican statement, saying it satisfied their key demand.
â€Å“This was the sign the Jewish world has been waiting for,†said Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress.
Yes, this is the sign the Jewish world has been waiting for, but what exactly does this â€Å“sign†really mean? It means that in the post-Vatican II Church, the â€Å“Shoah†has replaced the Crucifixion as the central event in history. And do you notice the subtle switcheroo here? Now, instead of the central tenet of the Christian faith pertaining to the murder of the Christ by Jews, the new central tenet refers to the murder of Jews by Christians! This should come as no surprise to those who understand what really lies at the heart of the problem. At its core, this is a spiritual battle that’s being waged above our heads. It’s Christ vs. anti-Christ, and each of us must choose a side.
Lucifer wanted to be equal to God and out of pride refused to accept being a servant. When he uttered his famous â€Å“non servium†he took a third of the angels with him and set about waging war against God. When God sent His Son to redeem the world, Lucifer tried to prevent it. He took Jesus to the mountain top and tempted Him, saying â€Å“if you just bow down and worship me, I will give you all these things.†Jesus told the devil to buzz off. The Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah did so out of racial pride and ambition. They wanted an earthly kingdom where they would always be the ‘Chosen Ones’ and did not want to share a kingdom with the gentiles. But Jesus emphatically said that His kingdom was not of this world and to share the good news with the gentiles. The Jews who accepted the Messiah became the first Christians, and those who rejected Him fell into spiritual blindness. Satan takes advantage of Jewish hatred of Jesus and uses them to battle against the Church of Christ. The Jews continue to wait for a wordly Messiah, but the Messiah they await is known to us as the anti-Christ. Therefore, all Christians must love and pray for the Jewish people to accept Christ as the Messiah, thereby snatching them from the jaws of Satan, whom they don’t realize they are serving.
This battle between Christ and anti-Christ is 2,000 years old and all popes throughout history have waged it (at least until 1958). That’s what makes the Church’s post-Vatican II attitude toward the Jews so perplexing, since it enables them to continue in spiritual blindness and sets the stage for the coming of the anti-Christ. Pope Leo XIII had a vision at the end of the 19th Century in which he forsaw that the devil had been given extra powers for 100 years to try to destroy the Church. This seems to coincide with the shift in power that took place in the 20th Century when after two world wars, the Jews took Palestine and solidified their control over the West. This was also the century in which the Jews unleashed their most deadly weapon, Communism, which caused the deaths of millions of people. But these people’s genocides go unnoticed and certainly have not been declared †dogma†by a pope of the Catholic Church. Another clue that something is amiss inside the Church is that the Second Vatican Council refused to condemn Communism, but declared that anti-Semitism was a sin (without defining what constitutes anti-Semitism).
Enter Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), and the man who̢۪s currently being crucified, Bishop Richard Williamson. Archbishop Lefebvre himself had fought inside the Second Vatican Council to prevent the coup of the liberals. He also stated that the mere fact that the Council refused to condemn Communism was enough to call the Council into question. The Archbishop knew that something nefarious had happened inside the Church and sensed that he was waging a battle against powers and principalities. In terms of his plans to restore Tradition, in the Biography of Marcel Lefebvre by Bishop Tissier de Mallerais, he quotes the Archbishop as saying (pp. 500-501):
The Council is a non-infallible act of the Magisterium and, therefore, it is open to being influenced by a bad spirit … Therefore, we need to apply the criterion of Tradition to the various Council documents to see what we can keep, what needs clarifying, and what should be rejected.
And that’s exactly the whole point of the negotiations between the SSPX and the Vatican that have been going on for almost 40 years. After the release of the Latin Mass and the lifting of the excommunications, the next phase is doctrinal discussions. But somebody doesn’t want that to happen. Archbishop Lefebvre founded the SSPX in 1970 in order to train priests in Tradition and not in the confusing, untraditional, Judeo-Masonic manner of the post-Conciliar era. The greatest threat to Revolutionaries is those who are not afraid to resist them to the face, i.e., the Counter-Revolutionaries. That is why Pope John Paul II would not allow Archbishop Lefebvre to consecrecate bishops, something that is usually rubber-stamped for every other order. John Paul II wanted the SSPX to go extinct after the death of its founder and put a stop to the Counter-Revolution. And if the Council really was influenced by a â€Å“bad spirit†as the Archbishop said, then certainly any attempt to exorcise this bad spirit would be met with the fiercest resistance by those who work for the anti-Christ.
This is where the controversy over Bishop Williamson’s remarks about the actual number of Jews killed in the Holocaust comes into the scenario. If the Jews are (wittingly or unwittingly) working to bring about the reign of the anti-Christ, then part of their strategy has to be to neutralize the Church. In their effort to overturn the crucifixion and replace it with the â€Å“Shoah,†they’re trying to utilize the Church to bring this about. And any force that appears to provide resistance to this switcheroo will be seen as the gravest possible threat. Because truly, it wouldn’t have mattered if Bishop Williamson had not said a word about the Shoah, they would have found something else to try to impede the Church’s return to Tradition. Because Christ and anti-Christ cannot co-exist on equal terms - one must naturally dominate the other. And the Church returning to Tradition and her normal role as the Church Militant is the one monkey wrench that could be thrown into the plans of the anti-Christ. No other challenger intimidates them, absolutely no one else causes them to tremble. But a fully traditional Church Militant with a billion souls in her army is the one thing that could defeat their plans. And that’s what this is really all about.
Bishop Williamson now finds himself in the center of a controvery that has been coming to a head for a very long time. In perusing the Catholic blogosphere, it appears that most Catholics (even trads) wish that he had just kept his mouth shut. But they would probably have said the same thing to Jesus, so as not to annoy the Pharisees. But I’m convinced Our Lord Jesus Christ knows what he is doing. Because it is time to confront the truth, as the the hour glass of time winds down, and get ready for the final conflagration. But it appears most Christians would rather retreat to the hills, rather than risk not being popular with the world. Thankfully, for the sake of our salvation, Jesus Himself was not so pusillanimous. And hopefully Bishop Williamson won’t be so pusillanimous either, since his founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, most assuredly was not. The Archbishop personally chose Richard Williamson to carry on his work after his death, to be a successor to the apostles. The only question that remains is: will he be like St. John or like the others who abandoned Jesus †for fear of the Jews.’
The Church and the Jews have been locked in this battle for 2,000 years, so this latest controversy is nothing to be surprised about. Satan uses the poor, blinded Jews to attack the Lord’s Church because he doesn’t want us or them to be saved. But at least in the past, it used to be clear which side the popes were on! The Pope and SSPX bishops need all our prayers and support right now, because they are going through a trial by fire. And, at least in this early stage, it appears Bishop Fellay is starting to get cold feet. Every day for the past several days he has issued a denunciation of his colleague, Bishop Williamson, each one more hysterical than the last. He even went so far as to refer to the Jews as our â€Å“elder brothers in the faith,†as though the Talmud has anything to do with our Faith. When I said last week that I wished Bishop Fellay would one day be pope, I didn’t mean in the mold of John Paul II!
Let us pray especially for Pope Benedict XVI, the keeper of the keys to heaven, that he prove himself a worthy successor of St. Peter, and that he not imitate Peter in his denial of Jesus Christ. Archbishop Lefebvre recognized that the day would come when the SSPX would be called on to save the Church. And judging by the howls and screams from the satanic press, that day might be just around the corner. Let us hope that we also have the courage to stand beside them, no matter how much the media attack and lambaste us. It̢۪s for the Jews̢۪ own good after all, for they know not whom they are serving. As the Archbishop wrote in 1966 (ibid, pp. 382-83):
When the Holy Father realizes that those whom he trusted are leading the Church to her ruin, he will find himself a group of bishops … who are ready to rebuild. Unfortunately, the time has not yet come, because the Holy Father himself must change what he is doing, and that conversion will be painful.
Let us hope that the time has come and that Pope Benedict will accept the help of the SSPX. It is time for the Holy Father to stop taking sides with the enemies of the Church and stop defining secular events as â€Å“dogma,†especially ones so riddled through with holes. May God save the Church through His servant, Pope Benedict, although the Pope’s conversion will be painful.



Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
â€Å“The Holocaustâ€
The Jews, the church and antisemitism
Jews and the Vatican: A New Clash
Was Saint Augustine Good for the Jews?
This entry was posted on February 4, 2009 at 7:06 pm and is filed under Bishop Williamson, Catholic Church and SSPX. You can feed this entry. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
17 Responses
[...] The Holocaust is Now Catholic Dogma « Truth is Beauty Share and [...]
The Holocaust is Now Catholic Dogma « Truth is Beauty | www.christianevents.ca - February 4, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Apparently, you are not aware of the official conditions required for a teaching to become an official dogma of the Church, as promulagated by the first Vatican Council. Assuming an open mind on your end, I will educate you.
First, the teaching in question has to be a matter of faith and Morals, and does not encompass secular teachings.
Second, the Dogmas of the Church must be in accordance to what has always been taught. There can never be a time when a Pope would define a teaching as dogma if the teaching was not passed down through tradition.
Thirdly, the Pope must make it clear that he is pronouncing a dogma of the Faith. Implications do not count. Neither do direct statements, unless the Pope is making it clear that he is defining a dogma.
Fouthly, the Pope must attach an anathema to the proclamation, making it clear that the teaching must be believed by all the faithful, or they will be damned.
As you can see, your referring to a secular historical event, the Holocaust, as now being â€Å“Catholic Dogma†is erroneous and misleading. It cannot be true on several points. I’m sure if you research the documents of Vatican Council I, you will find my arguments hold ground.
God bless!
From the author: Hi. I guess you missed that I was being sarcastic about â€Å“secular dogma.†I inserted the *sarcasm* in order to make it clearer. Thanks.
David - February 4, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Let us discuss the actual GAS CHAMBER REPORT mentioned by the brave and courageous Bishop Williamson. Let us not discuss religion or politics or get emotional. Let us look at the facts!
http://www.ihr.org/books/leuchter/leuchter.toc.html
Truth or fiction? The holocaust industry is over if this report is true? Is it?
From the author: I’ve included a link over the word â€Å“Holocaust†that discusses the â€Å“facts†of the case. But my thesis is that underlying all of the â€Å“facts†and â€Å“politics†surrounding the Holocaust is a violent spiritual battle. I write from a Catholic perspective. After all, Bishop Williamson, who started this whole brouhaha, is Catholic, no?
Mickey Armstrong - February 5, 2009 at 12:22 am
â€Å“The Jews and their Lies†an humane solution at confronting the Jewish question written by, with the guidance of our Lord and Saviour, Martin Luther
â€Å“What then shall we Christians do with this damned, rejected race of Jews? Since they live among us, we dare not tolerate their conduct, now that we are aware of their lying and reviling and blaspheming. If we do, we become sharers in their lies, cursing and blasphemy. Thus we cannot extinguish the unquenchable fire of divine wrath, of which the prophets speak, nor can we convert the Jews. With prayer and the fear of God we must pratice a sharp mercy to see whether we might save at least a few from the glowing flames. We dare not avenge ourselves. Vengenance a thousand times worse than we could wish them already has them by the throat. I shall give you my sincere advice:
First to set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them. This is to be done in honor of our Lord and of Christendom, so that God might see that we are Christians, and do not condone or knowingly tolerate such public lying, cursing, and blaspheming of his Son and of his Christians. For whatever we tolerated in the past unknowingly â€" and I myself was unaware of it â€" will be pardoned by God. But if we, now that we are informed, were to protect and shield such a house for the Jews, existing right before our very nose, in which they lie about, blaspheme, curse, vilify, and defame Christ and us (as was heard above), it would be the same as if we were doing all this and even worse ourselves, as we very well know.
Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed. For they pursue in them the same aims as in their synagogues. Instead they might be lodged under a roof or in a barn, like the gypsies. This will bring home to them that they are not masters in our country, as they boast, but that they are living in exile and in captivity, as they incessantly wail and lament about us before God.
Third, I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings, in which such idolatry, lies, cursing and blasphemy are taught, be taken from them. . . .
Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb. For they have justly forfeited the right to such an office by holding the poor Jews captive with the saying of Moses (Deuternomy 17 [:10 ff.]) in which he commands them to obey their teachers on penalty of death, although Moses clearly adds: â€Å“what they teach you in accord with the Law of the Lord.†Those villains ignore that. They wantonly employ the poor people’s obedience contrary to the law of the Lord and infuse them with this poison, cursing, and blasphemy. In the same way the pope also held us captive with the declaration in Matthew 16 {:18], â€Å“You are Peter,†etc, inducing us to believe all the lies and deceptions that issued from his devilish mind. He did not teach in accord with the Word of God, and therefore he forfeited the right to teach.
Fifth, I advise that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews. For they have no business in the countryside, since they are not lords, officials, tradesmen, or the like. Let they stay at home. . . If you princes and nobles do not close the road legally to such exploiters, then some troop ought to ride against them, for they will learn from this pamphlet what the Jews are and how to handle them and that they ought not to be protected. You ought not, you cannot protect them, unless in the eyes of God you want to share all their abomination.
Sixth, I advise that usury be prohibited to them, and that all cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them and put aside for safekeeping. The reason for such a measure is that, as said above, they have no other means of earning a livelihood than usury, and by it they have stolen and robbed from us all they possess. Such money should now be used in no other way than the following: Whenever a Jew is sincerely converted, he should be handed one hundred, two hundred, or three hundred florins, as personal circumstances may suggest. With this he could set himself up in some occupation for the support of his poor wife and children, and the maintenance of the old or feeble. For such evil gains are cursed if they are not put to use with God̢۪s blessing in a good and worthy cause.
Seventh, I commend putting a flail, an ax, a hoe, a spade, a distaff, or a spindle into the hands of young, strong Jews and Jewesses and letting them earn their bread in the sweat of their brow, as was imposed on the children of Adam (Gen 3[:19]). For it is not fitting that they should let us accursed Goyim toil in the sweat of our faces while they, the holy people, idle away their time behind the stove, feasting and farting, and on top of all, boasting blasphemously of their lordship over the Christians by means of our sweat. No, one should toss out these lazy rogues by the seat of their pants.â€
Thanks for sharing this. Now maybe the media will go after the Lutherans!
Edward Allen - February 5, 2009 at 1:18 am
â€"
Debating the Holocaust: A New Look At Both Sides by Thomas Dalton, PhD
Publisher̢۪s Note: This is a non-Revisionist title for Theses & Dissertations Press. It will be the first book on the Holocaust, in publishing history, that will not take a Traditionalist or a Revisionist point of view. When you purchase this book, one-third of the proceeds will go to Germar Rudolf and his family.
http://www.amazon.com/Debating-Holocaust-Look-Both-Sides/dp/1591480051/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233219533&sr=1-1
Founded in 2000 the publishing company Theses & Dissertations Press is at the center of a worldwide network of scholars and activists who are working â€" often at great personal sacrifice â€" to separate historical fact from propaganda fiction. The founder of Theses & Dissertations Press is Germar Rudolf. Who is currently serving prison time for his published works and will be released on July 4, 2009.
As the new director of Germar Rudolf̢۪s American publishing division, I wish to express my outrage that the Holocaust, unlike any other historical event, is not subject to critical revisionist investigation. Furthermore I deplore the fact that many so-called democratic states have laws that criminalize public doubting of the Holocaust. It is my position that the veracity of Holocaust assertions should be determined in the marketplace of scholarly discourse and not in our legislatures bodies and courthouses.
Peace.
Michael Santomauro
Editorial Director
Call: 917-974-6367
ReporterNotebook@Gmail.com
Michael Santomauro - February 5, 2009 at 1:20 am
JERUSALEM- Far fewer people died at the Auschwitz death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland than is commonly believed, a report by Polish researchers released Tuesday says.
A research team at Poland̢۪s Auschwitz museum concluded that 1.5 million to two million people died in the camp during the Second World War.
Shmuel Krakowski, head of the archives at Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust research centre, said the new study does not alter the six-million figure widely used as the total count of Jewish Holocaust victims. Vancouver Sun 25/7/90.
(4 - 1 1/2) + 2 =6 ???? Glad Schmuel is not my banker !!!
Reparations payments will be adjusted ???
George - February 5, 2009 at 1:30 am
[...] The Holocaust is Now Catholic Dogma [...]
The Holocaust is Now Catholic Dogma « Muslim in Suffer - February 5, 2009 at 2:16 am
This is deplorable.
The Pope can only be a sayanim if he continues with this train of non-thought. This is the absolute antithesis of Catholicism.
The head of the WJC says this is the â€Å“sign†? Expect flaming red skies when you wake up tomorrow, because LUCIFER and all of his dark minions are on their way - all of the signs portend that EVIL has been made ascendant upon our Earth.
hANOVER fIST - February 5, 2009 at 2:30 am
Interesting take, and your right we need to pray. We should barrage the Pope with emails and letters in defense of Bishop Williamson. benedictxvi@vatican.va
Theroseofsharon - February 5, 2009 at 3:04 am
There are several reasons as to why I renounced my Roman Catholic upbringing over two decades ago, the main one being my rejection of the notion that the Pope is infallible. Without exception, there exists no human being who is incapable of error, and Pope Benedict has certainly confirmed this by the stand he has taken vis a vis Bishop Williamson and his interpretation of the modern fairy-tale commonly referred to as the ‘holocaust’.
By siding with the Jews, his holiness has made a huge mistake and has made himself complicit in perpetuating one of the biggest lies, if not THE biggest lie, that the synagogue of Satan has ever concocted, and had I not already renounced my Roman Catholic upbringing in the early 1980s, the digust that I feel at the moment in time would surely lead to me renouncing it now.
Bishop Williamson’s beliefs are borne out by the evidence produced by Frederick A. Leuchter whose research shows it would have been impossible for the places alleged to have been used as ‘execution gas chambers’ to have actually been used for that purpose.
http://www.ihr.org/books/leuchter/leuchter.toc.html
Although I am no longer a Catholic, that does not mean that I do not believe in God Almighty. I do, and I pray that Bishop Williamson sticks to his guns and does not recant under pressure like Father Charles Coughlin and David Cole did. I hope the bishop does not â€Å“unequivocally distance himself from his statements†as commanded by the Vatican, for we need good men like Bishop Richard Williamson to speak the truth so that this holocaust myth can be further exposed. If this means resigning him from the Roman Catholic church then so be it.
http://www.fathercoughlin.com
http://www.geniebusters.org/915/04h_Cole.html

Bishop Williamson apparently believes that the Vatican is controlled by Satan and that the Jews are bent on world domination. While I cannot comment on the veracity of the former of the bishop’s claims- although I would not be at all surprised if this claim were true - I do, however, share the same belief as Bishop Williamson with regard to the latter. We are not alone in our beliefs…
â€Å“The real forces behind Bolshevism is Russia are Jewish forces, and Bolshevism is really an instrument in the hands of the Jews for the establishment of their future Messianic kingdom.â€
Father Denis Fahey - ‘The Rulers of Russia’ - Page 25
â€Å“The great ideal of Judaism is that the whole world shall be imbued with Jewish teachings, and that in a Universal Brotherhood of Nations - a greater Judaism, in fact - All the separate races and religions shall disappear.â€
Jewish World - 9th February 1883
â€Å“We will have a world government whether you like it or not. The only question is whether that government will be achieved by conquest or consent.â€
Paul Warburg (Jewish Banker) - 17th February 1950 (As testified before the US Senate)
Jim Kerr - February 5, 2009 at 3:14 am
I notice a few oddities.
I have just read the New York Times February 5, 2009 story, â€Å“Vatican Demands Holocaust Denier Recant.â€
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/world/europe/05pope.html?_r=2
My impression is that Ratzinger has not actually declared belief in the â€Å“Gas Chamber Holocaust†to be an article of faith. On the subject of the Gas Chamber Holocaust, Ratzinger has not declared he is speaking ex-cathedra.
So what the heck is he doing? It seems he is perverting the ex-cathedra doctrine â€" which, to my understanding, does not grant any pope the right to act like a freakin’ dictator.
Next Ratzinger will be telling us what to believe about the Kennedy assassination or 911. Maybe he̢۪ll tell the faithful they must believe Oswald did it; or that a Boeing passenger jet really crashed into the Pentagon but miraculously left no Boeing passenger jet debris on the Pentagon lawn. Or that jet fuel really can melt steel.
I say the faithful should use the controversy to advantage. Catholics still within the fold should say:
â€Å“Gee whiz, Your Holiness, could you please tell us exactly which version of the Holocaust story we are to believe? How many were gassed, and at which camps? How were the bodies disposed of? Why did no one know of the event while it was taking place? Since believing an incorrect version of the event will bring about excommunication and eternal damnation, we want to get it right.â€
Ratzinger would be obliged to tell us â€" from the Chair of Peter â€" which Holocaust story is the correct one.
After that, he can move on to the Kennedy assassination and 911 . . . it would make life simpler for the rest of us.
I might even consider becoming a Catholic again.
Hi, Carol. Judging from a couple of comments I’ve received, I can see that I didn’t make it clear enough that I was being sarcastic about it being a defined â€Å“dogma.†Or else people are just not used to my style! But when the Pope makes belief in the Holocaust a prerequisite for Bp. Williamson to have episcopal duties while pro-abortion politicians (†baby holocaust†deniers) are in full communion with the Church - and even take Communion in the Church - well, it’s almost up there with a dogma. It seems it’s the only â€Å“dogma†that’s enforced these days!
Carol A. Valentine - February 5, 2009 at 3:23 am
For those who would like to see the whole scheming Swedish television program, whose obvious purpose was to undermine the Church̢۪s reconciliation with the more traditional SSPX, the entire video with English subtitles is at http://svtplay.se/v/1426080/uppdrag_granskning/sspx_-_english_version?cb,a1364145,1,f,103536/pb,a1364142,1,f,103536/pl,v,,1414020/sb,p103536,1,f,103536
As for the current position of the Church toward Bishop Williamson and his honest remarks, I knew that there were many powerful people within the ranks of Roman Catholicism who are little better than subversive infiltrators (See http://www.dcdave.com/article3/000330.html), but I didn̢۪t realize that it went so high.
David Martin - February 5, 2009 at 3:24 am
Sad sad days when the Pope backs complete utter BULLXXXX as the truth.
No wonder why so many see the church as the GREAT WHORE in the end days.
This is yet another but HUGE example of its whoring with mammon/zionist JEWS
From the author: I â€Å“x†ed out your expletive, but don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of my own x’ed out expletives.
mike knapp - February 5, 2009 at 3:25 am
PROTOCOL No. 17
WE SHALL DESTROY THE CLERGY
2. WE HAVE LONG PAST TAKEN CARE TO DISCREDIT THE PRIESTHOOD OF THE â€Å“GOYIM,†and thereby to ruin their mission on earth which in these days might still be a great hindrance to us. Day by day its influence on the peoples of the world is falling lower. FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE HAS BEEN DECLARED EVERYWHERE, SO THAT NOW ONLY YEARS DIVIDE US FROM THE MOMENT OF THE COMPLETE WRECKING OF THAT CHRISTIAN RELIGION: as to other religions we shall have still less difficulty in dealing with them, but it would be premature to speak of this now. We shall set clericalism and clericals into such narrow frames as to make their influence move in retrogressive proportion to its former progress.
3. When the time comes finally to destroy the papal court the finger of an invisible hand will point the nations towards this court. When, however, the nations fling themselves upon it, we shall come forward in the guise of its defenders as if to save excessive bloodshed. By this diversion we shall penetrate to its very bowels and be sure we shall never come out again until we have gnawed through the entire strength of this place.
4. THE KING OF THE JEWS WILL BE THE REAL POPE OF THE UNIVERSE, THE PATRIARCH OF THE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH
5. But, IN THE MEANTIME, while we are re-educating youth in new traditional religions and afterwards in ours, WE SHALL NOT OVERTLY LAY A FINGER ON EXISTING CHURCHES, BUT WE SHALL FIGHT AGAINST THEM BY CRITICISM CALCULATED TO PRODUCE SCHISM . . .
6. In general, then, our contemporary press will continue to CONVICT State affairs, religions, incapacities of the GOYIM, always using the most unprincipled expressions in order by every means to lower their prestige in the manner which can only be practiced by the genius of our gifted tribe….
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/przion6.htm#Protocol%20%20No.%2017
â€Å“The last place the uninstructed observer would look for traces of Jewish influence is in the Christian Church, yet if he fails to look there he will miss much….. The Jew has got hold of the Church in doctrine, in liberalism, so-called, and in the feverish and feeble sociological diversions of many classes. If there is any place where a straight study of the Jewish Question should be made it is in the modern Church which is unconsciously giving allegiance to a mass of Jewish propaganda.â€
â€"Henry Ford, 1921
CDM - February 5, 2009 at 3:45 am
First the satanists hijacked judaism and subverted their religion to the point that the rabbi was considered above God. Jesus̢۪s main mission was to free the jewish people from the clutches of these satanists. Then these people -for whom lies and deception means nothing as their allegiance to Lucifer gives them the right to do anything required to mislead and control people-started taking over christianity, slowly and silently-like a cancer spreading- they have invaded christianity over the centuries-changing the face of christianity.
Look at the tele-evangelists, look at how they dress with jet-set lives who can̢۪t be trusted with your kids or with your money.and have scandals upon scandals hounding them-are these christians? Where are the real teachers, the humble, austere men who spread the word of God around the world, the people who could be trusted not only with your money, your children but your very lives.
These are all fakes. These are not men of God but perverted hypocrites whose only aim is to control Christians and a good job they have done. They have taught us tolerance-to everything that Jesus forbid. Tolerance to Greed, excesses, sexual freeedom, usury, murder asnd other sins. These fake priests make everything acceptable except where their own agenda is concerned-presently that is Israel and the jews-the people who betrayed Jesus. The people whom he wanted to save and they by orders of their masters the priests betrayed him.
And now these fakes-by the power of their hold on the media-are trying to convince us-No they have already convinced us that those are blessed who bless Israel!!! There is no charity to the poor only more charity for Israel. Prayers mostly concern prayers for Israel̢۪s safety and destruction of its enemies.
We have been reduced to slave labor, men and women toiling and then most of the fruit taken back as tax and then most of it given to nations like Israel who owe the Americans nothing but the preists in America will never tell you that. Our men and women are pawns that they use to further their greed for power. They kill torture and massacre unrelentlessly because they know they will not suffer the consequences as they are doing it in the name of christianity and judaism and those are the people who will be punished in the end. Not these nefarious associats ofsatan. Unless we see them for what they are and root them out of our society.
These are the people who on the one hand used religion-have used for centuries to fight wars and commit genocide and on the other hand they will point out that all religions are the source of wars.
danoj - February 5, 2009 at 4:06 am
Jewish professor Norman Finkelstein writes in his best selling book, The Holocaust Industry:
â€Å“Invoking the holocaust is a ploy to delegitimise all criticism of Jews†, he adds, â€Å“By conferring total blamelessness on Jews the holocaust dogma immunizes Israel and American Jewry from legitimate censure.â€
This â€Å“holocaust dogma†is just that; a religious belief based upon the atheistic /Kabbalic numerical system that first â€Å“derived at the figure of 6,000,000 (alleged Jewish victims of the â€Å“holocaust†) decades before the alleged â€Å“holocaust†occurred.
To clarify what â€Å“atheism†actually it is imperative that you disregard any notions and/or beliefs of what it means in the popular mind-set and fully be aware that â€Å“atheism†is the religion of the Jewish Mystics of both ancient and today. It is an â€Å“affirmed†dogma which requires no actual ‘belief’ or ‘faith’ either in or of God for they are of the unshakable, if not organically ingrained, absolute belief that they, themselves, are God, period.
This Kabbalistic constitution that dwells within the mind of both the mystic and those in high office within the Catholic Church thus binds them together with shared views, ideals and outlooks on the world, indeed the universe, that they wish to impose on the rest of us mere mortal’s simply on the basis that we don’t know what’s best for ourselves for we are simple and ignorant of things pertaining to the â€Å“hidden secrets†, secrets that are only revealed to the high priests and the highest of initiates and , as a consequence, it is fully justified that we should accept lies as truth in order â€Å“that all things work to the good of Godâ€
In other words, not merely content with the knowledge of both good and evil, they see themselves fully qualified to practice both ‘good’ and evil whenever the occasion arises to suit their own agenda; which is a â€Å“big idea†, to use the words of George W. H. Bush in his 1991 speech in which the words â€Å“a New World Order†were first uttered in public by a prominent politician; a pastime enjoyed by many of these self-proclaimed and deluded ‘Gods’.
Michael Fugazi - February 5, 2009 at 4:41 am
Let̢۪s say a twisted sort brings in a dog to church and says it is God. Surely the faithful will know what it is when it licks itself and eats its own feces? So it is with the Holocaust and its stories. It is God̢۪s will that the Gaza children murderers trot out what they say forgives them of this sin and urge others to fall down and worship it.
Eric Vaughan - February 5, 2009 at 5:02 am

The angelization of Israel
by Ibrahim Ibn Yusuf
http://thehasbarabuster.blogspot.com/2009/02/angelization-of-
israel.html
I don't think I'll ever be able to understand why Zionists insist on
singling out Israel for angelization. They have nothing to win and a
lot to lose.

By angelizing Israel, its apologists oblige themselves to prove not
only that its actions are justified (already a daunting task), but
also that the country's behavior is superior to that of "any other
country in its position." This is due to a number of extraordinary
claims the Zionists make: most notably, that Israel holds the moral
high ground not only in relation to its Muslim neighbors, but also as
compared to other developed democracies where its leftwing critics
live.

A key ingredient of the angelization is the claim that the Israeli
Defense Forces are the most moral army in the world, which is
regularly repeated, most recently in relation to the Gaza op.

A case in point is the ineffable Alan Dershowitz. A writer notable
not for the depth of his ideas, but for the influence (itself
telling) he exerts on the lower echelons of the Hasbara troupe,
a.k.a. Zionism's useful idiots. In his book The Case for Israel
Dershowitz describes Israel's doctrine of "purity of arms,"
which "requires that soldiers put their own lives at stake in order
to avoid harming non-combatants" (p. 145). He gives an example:

Recall that when Israel sought to protect itself against Beirut-based
terrorism in 1982, it sent a team of soldiers --led by then Major
General Ehud Barak, dressed as a woman-- to target the terrorists
themselves in a building then being used as their base, instead of
bombing the building from the air, which would have resulted in many
more casualties. This is typical of the Israeli "retail," rather
than "wholesale," approach to targetting terrorism (p. 151).

This is a puzzling example. I thought dressing like women was a very
wrong thing for soldiers to do, and the only reason why so many
Palestinian women died in Israeli attacks. Now it turns out it's
commendable, if done by Jewish soldiers.

More importantly, the incident Dershowitz refers to is not
illustrative that Israel does not perform wholesale murder; it only
means that in some cases pinpoint operations may be more effective.
It did not take place during the 1982 war, as Dershowitz suggests,
but as part of Operation Springtime of Youth, carried out in 1973 to
wipe out three PLO members alleged to have played a part in the
Munich massacre. It was not a time of war and a discreet operation by
a handful of men had a greater chance of success.

The doctrine of "purity of arms" must be tested in war conditions.
And in the recent war on Gaza, I can't think of a single instance of
an Israeli soldier's life being risked so that civilians won't die.
In fact, only about 3 Israeli soldiers died from enemy fire, against
at least 400 Palestinian women and children. I haven't seen any
comment on this imbalance from Israel's angelizers.

So why insist on the "most moral" thing? Why bring up a nonexistent
spirit of self-sacrifice on the Israeli soldiers' part? Such
preposterous claims only invite scrutiny -- and exposure when proved
false.

But of course, the Zionists respond to this by playing the "double
standards" card. "We say that we're morally superior, but if you try
to check out if we're morally superior, then you're judging us by
standards you don't expect any comparable country to meet." Why, of
course, but that's because you claimed to meet higher standards in
the first place. What you're doing is something only bad-behaved
children do, and the name for it is having the cake and eating it too.

The prospect of the United States defaulting on its debt is not just likely. It's inevitable, and imminent.
The Economic Agenda http://www.consciousmedianetwork.com/members/dicke5.htm Please pass this newsletter onto others- Thankyou.
David Icke has been telling the world that nationalized banking was part of the New World Order agenda for many years. Today, the United States is undergoing a major shift in this direction, a shift of historic and unprecendented proportions.
David explains why this is important to the Illuminati and in addition to connecting the dots on our financial crisis, he discusses what he learned during his recent "campaign" for a seat in the British Parliament based on a platfrom of "Vote for the other guy"!.
if you haven't already seen David's previous 4 interviews with us, please select them from the menu and watch them in order.
To learn more David's work, go to www.davidicke.com/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So you think David Icke is on the level?

I think he is not only on the level, he is on the square ALSO, as the Masons say!!

As Icke is speaking to the woman interviewing him, the camera VERY occasionally moves over to the right and sometimes he also moves his
head to the left of the frame. To the right of his head (as you view him) when this happens, a wooden triangle of some sort (is it the
note-stand for a piano?) appears, with suspiciously precisely-centred candles for the camera's perspective, whose wicks are in the right place
for the seeing-eye-in-the-pyramid symbol. You may have to watch a while to see this happen, but it is there.

Good Cop, Bad Cop, but ALL Cops ... lalalaaaaaaaaa .......
George
George Paxinos




Khazar Empire, Illuminati and New World Order
http://socioecohistory.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/khazar-empire-illuminati-and-new-world-order/

This is a video lecture by Jack Otto of Forbidden Knowledge fame. He gives his understanding on the hidden history of the Khazar empire, the Illuminati, banking cartel and their links to the New World Order.



The Whole World Is Rioting as the Economic Crisis Worsens -- Why Aren't We?
http://www.alternet.org/workplace/124836

By Joshua Holland, AlterNet. Posted February 3, 2009.
Americans are rightfully angry about the economic decline, but with a few small exceptions, quietly so. Why? It depends on whom you ask.
Explosive anger is spilling out onto the streets of Europe. The meltdown of the global economy is igniting massive social unrest in a region that has long been a symbol of political stability and social cohesion.
It's not a new trend: A wave of upheaval is spreading from the poorer countries on the periphery of the global economy to the prosperous core.
Over the past few years, a series of riots spread across what is patronizingly known as the Third World. Furious mobs have raged against skyrocketing food and energy prices, stagnating wages and unemployment in India, Senegal, Yemen, Indonesia, Morocco, Cameroon, Brazil, Panama, the Philippines, Egypt, Mexico and elsewhere.
For the most part, those living in wealthier countries took little notice. But now, with the global economy crashing down around us, people in even the wealthiest nations are mad as hell and reacting violently to what they view as an inadequate response to their tumbling economies.
The Telegraph (UK) warned last month that protests over governments' handling of the crisis "are widespread and gathering pace," and "may spark a new revolution":
A depression triggered in America is being played out in Europe with increasing violence, and other forms of social unrest are spreading. In Iceland, a government has fallen. Workers have marched in Zaragoza, as Spanish unemployment heads towards 20 percent. There have been riots and bloodshed in Greece, protests in Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary and Bulgaria. The police have suppressed public discontent in Russia and will be challenged again at large gatherings this weekend.
Consider a snapshot of a single week of unrest, courtesy of the Guardian:
Greece: "There are many wellsprings of the serial protests rolling across Europe. In Athens, it was students and young people who suddenly mobilized to turn parts of the city into no-go areas. They were sick of the lack of jobs and prospects, the failings of the education system and seized with pessimism over their future.
"This week it was the farmers' turn, rolling their tractors out to block the motorways, main road and border crossings across the Balkans to try to obtain better procurement prices for their produce."
Latvia: "The old Baltic trading city had seen nothing like it since the happy days of kicking out the Russians and overthrowing communism two decades ago. More than 10,000 people converged on the 13th century cathedral to show the Latvian government what they thought of its efforts at containing the economic crisis. The peaceful protest morphed into a late-night rampage as a minority headed for the parliament, battled with riot police and trashed parts of the old city. The following day, there were similar scenes in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital next door."
France: "Burned-out cars, masked youths, smashed shop windows and more than a million striking workers. The scenes from France are familiar, but not so familiar to President Nicolas Sarkozy, confronting the first big wave of industrial unrest of his time in the Elysée Palace.
"France, meanwhile, is moving into recession, and unemployment is going up. The latest jobless figures were to have been released yesterday, but were held back, apparently for fear of inflaming the protests."
Iceland: "Proud of its status as one of the world's most developed, most productive and most equal societies, Iceland is in the throes of what is, by its staid standards, a revolution.
"Riot police in Reykjavik, the coolest of capitals. Building bonfires in front of the world's oldest parliament. The yogurt flying at the free market men who have run the country for decades and brought it to its knees."
Britain (via the Times of London): "Wildcat strikes flared at more than 19 sites across the country in response to claims that British tradesmen were being barred from construction jobs by contractors using cheaper foreign workers."
Russia (via Al-Jazeera): "Thousands of protesters have rallied across Russia to criticize the government's economic policies and its response to the global financial crisis.
"Russian police forcefully broke up many of the anti-government protests on Saturday, arresting dozens of demonstrators."
At least in Western Europe, cries of "burn the shit down!" are being heard in countries with some of the highest standards of living in the world -- states with adequate social safety nets; countries where all citizens have access to decent health care and heavily subsidized educations. Places where minimum wages are also living wages, and a dignified retirement is in large part guaranteed.
The far ends of the ideological spectrum appear to be gaining currency as the crisis develops, and people grow increasingly hostile toward the politics of the status quo.
The Financial Times quotes Olivier Besancenot, a young leader of "France's extreme left," promising "to reinvent and re-establish the anti-capitalist project." "We want the established powers to be blown apart," Besancenot said. Europe's far right is gaining momentum, too, using the economy and populist outrage over immigration to gain a legitimacy it hasn't enjoyed in some time.
Notably absent from the list of countries where the economic crunch is rending the social fabric is the good ole US of A, a state with the greatest level of economic inequality in the wealthy world.
Outside of a few scattered and quickly contained protests, the citizens of the U.S. -- a country born of revolution, but with an elite that's been terrified of that legacy since immediately after its founding -- have been calm, despite opinion polls showing that Americans are more dissatisfied with the direction in which the country has been headed since they began measuring such things.
It's a baffling disconnect, considering that real wages for all but the top 10 percent of the economic pile haven't increased in 35 years.
It's more bizarre still when you consider that while European governments have handled their own bailouts relatively transparently, the U.S. government has doled out close to $10 trillion in bailouts, loan guarantees and fiscal stimulus -- if there were a million-dollar bill, that would be a stack of 10 million of them -- with a stunning lack of oversight or accountability.
Even the congressional commission charged with overseeing key parts of the banking bailout can't get answers to basic questions like "who's getting what?"
Americans are rightfully angry about that state of affairs, but with a few small exceptions, quietly so. Why? It depends on whom you ask.
In a 2006 interview with Harper's, Barack Obama shared a subtle, but rather fundamental observation about America's political culture: "Since the founding," he said, "the American political tradition has been reformist, not revolutionary." If there is to be positive change, Obama has argued, it must be gradual; "brick by brick," as he put it in one of his final campaign speeches.
Mark Ames, author of Going Postal: Rage, Murder, and Rebellion -- From Reagan's Workplaces to Clinton's Columbine and Beyond, argues that Americans have been beaten down to a degree that they're now a pacified population, largely willing to accept any economic outrage its elites impose on them.
In a 2005 interview with AlterNet, Ames said the "slave mentality" is stronger in the U.S. than elsewhere, "in part because no other country on earth has so successfully crushed every internal rebellion."
Slaves in the Caribbean for example rebelled a lot more because their oppressors weren't as good at oppressing as Americans were. America has put down every rebellion, brutally, from the Whiskey Rebellion to the Confederate rebellion to the proletarian rebellions, Black Panthers, white militias ... you name it. This creates a powerful slave mentality, a sense that it's pointless to rebel.
Anyone who has witnessed the brutal police riots that have become so common since the infamous "Battle in Seattle" protests against the World Trade Organization in 1999 can tell you there's some merit to the argument.
It's also the case that European societies tend to be more homogenous than the mishmash of tribes we call the United States. Whereas Americans are divided by religion, region, ethnicity, urban-rural tensions and all the other trappings of the "culture wars," the primary split in most European countries is class.
Thomas Frank argued eloquently in What's the Matter With Kansas that those wedge social issues that the American right nurtures with such care obscure the fundamental differences between the rich and poor, the powerful and the disenfranchised.
Indeed, any hint of discussion of economic inequality in the U.S. is shot down with cries of "class warfare" -- exactly what is playing out in the streets of much of the world today.
As the crisis deepens, as virtually every analyst predicts it will, that may well change. As The Nation's Bill Greider told Democracy Now's Amy Goodman, "you can't do this to people year after year -- that is, upturn their lives, take away what they thought they had earned, and so forth and so on, without provoking rather intense political reactions. ... We're just, just beginning to see a few bubbles like that around this country. I don't say we're going to have riots, but I think ... people, out of their own distress and anger, will organize their own politics, and they will make themselves seen and heard around this country."
Stay tuned.
http://www.alternet.org/workplace/124836


U.S. Debt Default, Dollar Collapse Altogether Likely

The prospect of the United States defaulting on its debt is not just likely. It's inevitable, and imminent.
The regulatory black holes into which sanity and reason disappear on a daily basis are soon to collapse under the mass of their sheer size. The circle jerk going on among G7 governments has to end – the steady advance of gold, even in the face of a managed price, exposes the real value of the U.S. dollar, as opposed to its apparent value expressed in the dollar index.
Is 2009 the year that the United States formally defaults? And with that, will the dollar collapse be rolled back ten for one or more?
There are a lot of reasons to support that theory........................

http://seekingalpha.com/article/118103-u-s-debt-default-dollar-collapse-altogether-likely?source=email
It’s Not Going to Be OK

By Chris Hedges
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21889.htm


February 02, 2009 "TruthDig" -- The daily bleeding of thousands of jobs will soon turn our economic crisis into a political crisis. The street protests, strikes and riots that have rattled France, Turkey, Greece, Ukraine, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Iceland will descend on us. It is only a matter of time. And not much time. When things start to go sour, when Barack Obama is exposed as a mortal waving a sword at a tidal wave, the United States could plunge into a long period of precarious social instability.

At no period in American history has our democracy been in such peril or has the possibility of totalitarianism been as real. Our way of life is over. Our profligate consumption is finished. Our children will never have the standard of living we had. And poverty and despair will sweep across the landscape like a plague. This is the bleak future. There is nothing President Obama can do to stop it. It has been decades in the making. It cannot be undone with a trillion or two trillion dollars in bailout money. Our empire is dying. Our economy has collapsed.

How will we cope with our decline? Will we cling to the absurd dreams of a superpower and a glorious tomorrow or will we responsibly face our stark new limitations? Will we heed those who are sober and rational, those who speak of a new simplicity and humility, or will we follow the demagogues and charlatans who rise up out of the slime in moments of crisis to offer fantastic visions? Will we radically transform our system to one that protects the ordinary citizen and fosters the common good, that defies the corporate state, or will we employ the brutality and technology of our internal security and surveillance apparatus to crush all dissent? We won't have to wait long to find out.

There are a few isolated individuals who saw it coming. The political philosophers Sheldon S. Wolin, John Ralston Saul and Andrew Bacevich, as well as writers such as Noam Chomsky, Chalmers Johnson, David Korten and Naomi Klein, along with activists such as Bill McKibben and Ralph Nader, rang the alarm bells. They were largely ignored or ridiculed. Our corporate media and corporate universities proved, when we needed them most, intellectually and morally useless.

Wolin, who taught political philosophy at the University of California in Berkeley and at Princeton, in his book "Democracy Incorporated" uses the phrase inverted totalitarianism to describe our system of power. Inverted totalitarianism, unlike classical totalitarianism, does not revolve around a demagogue or charismatic leader. It finds its expression in the anonymity of the corporate state. It purports to cherish democracy, patriotism and the Constitution while cynically manipulating internal levers to subvert and thwart democratic institutions. Political candidates are elected in popular votes by citizens, but they must raise staggering amounts of corporate funds to compete. They are beholden to armies of corporate lobbyists in Washington or state capitals who write the legislation. A corporate media controls nearly everything we read, watch or hear and imposes a bland uniformity of opinion or diverts us with trivia and celebrity gossip. In classical totalitarian regimes, such as Nazi fascism or Soviet communism, economics was subordinate to politics. "Under inverted totalitarianism the reverse is true," Wolin writes. "Economics dominates politics-and with that domination comes different forms of ruthlessness."

I reached Wolin, 86, by phone at his home about 25 miles north of San Francisco. He was a bombardier in the South Pacific during World War II and went to Harvard after the war to get his doctorate. Wolin has written classics such as "Politics and Vision" and "Tocqueville Between Two Worlds." His newest book is one of the most important and prescient critiques to date of the American political system. He is also the author of a series of remarkable essays on Augustine of Hippo, Richard Hooker, David Hume, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Max Weber, Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx and John Dewey. His voice, however, has faded from public awareness because, as he told me, "it is harder and harder for people like me to get a public hearing." He said that publications, such as The New York Review of Books, which often published his work a couple of decades ago, lost interest in his critiques of American capitalism, his warnings about the subversion of democratic institutions and the emergence of the corporate state. He does not hold out much hope for Obama.

"The basic systems are going to stay in place; they are too powerful to be challenged," Wolin told me when I asked him about the new Obama administration. "This is shown by the financial bailout. It does not bother with the structure at all. I don't think Obama can take on the kind of military establishment we have developed. This is not to say that I do not admire him. He is probably the most intelligent president we have had in decades. I think he is well meaning, but he inherits a system of constraints that make it very difficult to take on these major power configurations. I do not think he has the appetite for it in any ideological sense. The corporate structure is not going to be challenged. There has not been a word from him that would suggest an attempt to rethink the American imperium."

Wolin argues that a failure to dismantle our vast and overextended imperial projects, coupled with the economic collapse, is likely to result in inverted totalitarianism. He said that without "radical and drastic remedies" the response to mounting discontent and social unrest will probably lead to greater state control and repression. There will be, he warned, a huge "expansion of government power."

"Our political culture has remained unhelpful in fostering a democratic consciousness," he said. "The political system and its operatives will not be constrained by popular discontent or uprisings."

Wolin writes that in inverted totalitarianism consumer goods and a comfortable standard of living, along with a vast entertainment industry that provides spectacles and diversions, keep the citizenry politically passive. I asked if the economic collapse and the steady decline in our standard of living might not, in fact, trigger classical totalitarianism. Could widespread frustration and poverty lead the working and middle classes to place their faith in demagogues, especially those from the Christian right?

"I think that's perfectly possible," he answered. "That was the experience of the 1930s. There wasn't just FDR. There was Huey Long and Father Coughlin. There were even more extreme movements including the Klan. The extent to which those forces can be fed by the downturn and bleakness is a very real danger. It could become classical totalitarianism."

He said the widespread political passivity is dangerous. It is often exploited by demagogues who pose as saviors and offer dreams of glory and salvation. He warned that "the apoliticalness, even anti-politicalness, will be very powerful elements in taking us towards a radically dictatorial direction. It testifies to how thin the commitment to democracy is in the present circumstances. Democracy is not ascendant. It is not dominant. It is beleaguered. The extent to which young people have been drawn away from public concerns and given this extraordinary range of diversions makes it very likely they could then rally to a demagogue."

Wolin lamented that the corporate state has successfully blocked any real debate about alternative forms of power. Corporations determine who gets heard and who does not, he said. And those who critique corporate power are given no place in the national dialogue.

"In the 1930s there were all kinds of alternative understandings, from socialism to more extensive governmental involvement," he said. "There was a range of different approaches. But what I am struck by now is the narrow range within which palliatives are being modeled. We are supposed to work with the financial system. So the people who helped create this system are put in charge of the solution. There has to be some major effort to think outside the box."

"The puzzle to me is the lack of social unrest," Wolin said when I asked why we have not yet seen rioting or protests. He said he worried that popular protests will be dismissed and ignored by the corporate media. This, he said, is what happened when tens of thousands protested the war in Iraq. This will permit the state to ruthlessly suppress local protests, as happened during the Democratic and Republic conventions. Anti-war protests in the 1960s gained momentum from their ability to spread across the country, he noted. This, he said, may not happen this time. "The ways they can isolate protests and prevent it from [becoming] a contagion are formidable," he said.

"My greatest fear is that the Obama administration will achieve relatively little in terms of structural change," he added. "They may at best keep the system going. But there is a growing pessimism. Every day we hear how much longer the recession will continue. They are already talking about beyond next year. The economic difficulties are more profound than we had guessed and because of globalization more difficult to deal with. I wish the political establishment, the parties and leadership, would become more aware of the depths of the problem. They can't keep throwing money at this. They have to begin structural changes that involve a very different approach from a market economy. I don't think this will happen."

"I keep asking why and how and when this country became so conservative," he went on. "This country once prided itself on its experimentation and flexibility. It has become rigid. It is probably the most conservative of all the advanced countries."

The American left, he said, has crumbled. It sold out to a bankrupt Democratic Party, abandoned the working class and has no ability to organize. Unions are a spent force. The universities are mills for corporate employees. The press churns out info-entertainment or fatuous pundits. The left, he said, no longer has the capacity to be a counterweight to the corporate state. He said that if an extreme right gains momentum there will probably be very little organized resistance.

"The left is amorphous," he said. "I despair over the left. Left parties may be small in number in Europe but they are a coherent organization that keeps going. Here, except for Nader's efforts, we don't have that. We have a few voices here, a magazine there, and that's about it. It goes nowhere."



What remains overlooked here; is that the public has lost all representation on any level of 'government.' Moreover the
enemy is in-charge of every portal, every opening to change or to rebellion. So the only thing that can happen here & now
will be a far more deadly surpression of any effort to alter course, along with more extreme measures to SILENCE any real disagreement long before such subjects can even reach the public.

kirwan


Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government
03 Feb 2009
http://www.legitgov.org/
All items are here:
http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news


Air Force fails new nuclear reviews --Nuclear units failed 2 inspections in 3 months 04 Feb 2009 Air Force nuclear units have failed two inspections in the past three months, providing fresh evidence that the military service that jarred the world in 2007 by mistakenly transporting live nuclear weapons across the United States continues to suffer lapses in its management of intercontinental ballistic missiles. In all, three Air Force nuclear-missile units and two strategic-bomber units failed such inspections in 2008.
Cause unclear in death of Minot crew commander 03 Feb 2009 Minot police say they have found no sign of a crime in the death of a Minot Air Force Base missile crew commander, but area waiting more test results. The body of Capt. Jonathan Bayless was found late Friday in a field north of Minot. Police Lt. Dan Strandberg says authorities were called after a resident spotted something in the field near his home. Police Capt. Al Hanson said an autopsy was performed Monday in Bismarck.
Gaza war crimes probe mulled 03 Feb 2009 The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor in The Hague has launched a "preliminary analysis" to establish whether Israel committed war crimes in its offensive in the Gaza Strip, the prosecutor said on Tuesday. Documents also showed that the Palestinian National Authority has recognised the jurisdiction of the ICC, in a move designed to allow investigations of alleged crimes in the Palestinian territories. The ICC prosecutor's office said it had received 210 communications from individuals and non-governmental organisations regarding events in Gaza.
Gaza desperately short of food after Israel destroys farmland --Officials warn of 'destruction of all means of life' after the three-week conflict leaves agriculture in the region in ruins 01 Feb 2009 Gaza's 1.5 million people are facing a food crisis as a result of the destruction of great areas of farmland during the Israeli invasion. According to the World Food Programme, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation and Palestinian officials, between 35% and 60% of the agriculture industry has been wrecked by the three-week Israeli attack, which followed two years of economic siege.
Trial set in Ind. soldiers' KBR toxic exposure suit 03 Feb 2009 A federal judge has set a trial date for a lawsuit by 16 Indiana National Guard soldiers who claim they were exposed to a toxic chemical in Iraq. Judge Richard L. Young has set 10 days for the trial beginning May 3, 2010, in U.S. District Court in Evansville. He also scheduled a settlement conference for Aug. 17. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 152nd Infantry filed a federal lawsuit in December against defense contractor KBR Inc., saying its employees knowingly allowed them to be exposed to sodium dichromate, a known carcinogen, while guarding a water plant in Iraq in 2003.
Third US Soldier Electocuted By KBR In Iraq --Death initially considered accidental but now classified by Army investigators as "negligent homicide" caused by Houston-based contractor KBR Inc. 02 Feb 2009 A third U.S. service member has been determined to have been electrocuted in a shower in Iraq, and Navy criminal investigators are investigating, The Associated Press has learned. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class David A. Cedergren, 25, of South St. Paul, Minn., died Sept. 11, 2004, while showering. His family was told he died of natural causes... The Naval Criminal Investigative Service has reopened an investigation into his death, Ed Buice, a NCIS spokesman, said Monday. Cedergren's death is among 18 electrocution deaths under review as part of a Department of Defense Inspector General inquiry. [See: KBR to continue work at Camp Adder 30 Jan 2009.]
Woman accused of recruiting female suicide bombers held in Iraq --U.S. and Iraqi forces also detained more than 100 people considered a threat to recent provincial 'elections' 04 Feb 2009 In the 72 hours before last week's provincial elections, U.S. and Iraqi forces targeted more than 100 people considered threats to peaceful balloting in the capital, the top American military commander in Baghdad said Tuesday. Iraqi officials also announced Tuesday the arrest of a woman they said was responsible for recruiting dozens of female suicide bombers.
Generals Seek to Reverse Obama Withdrawal Decision By Gareth Porter 02 Feb 2009 CENTCOM commander Gen. David Petraeus, supported by Defence Secretary Robert Gates, tried to convince President Barack Obama that he had to back down from his campaign pledge to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 18 months at an Oval Office meeting Jan. 21. But Obama informed Gates, Petraeus and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen that he wasn't convinced and that he wanted Gates and the military leaders to come back quickly with a detailed 16-month plan, according to two sources who have talked with participants in the meeting.
Obama Administration Faces Grim Specifics on Afghan Policy 03 Feb 2009 As President Obama [insanely] prepares to formally authorize the April deployment of two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan, perhaps as early as this week, no issue other than the U.S. economy appears as bleak to his administration as the seven-year Afghan war and the regional challenges that surround it.
Secret report urges new Afghan plan 03 Feb 2009 The Pentagon’s top military officers are recommending to President Barack Obama that he shift U.S. strategy in Afghanistan -- to focus on ensuring regional stability and eliminating Taliban and Al Qaida [al-CIAduh] safe havens in Pakistan, rather than on achieving lasting 'democracy' and a thriving Afghan economy, officials said.
Nato supplies cut as key bridge blown up in Khyber Agency 04 Feb 2009 Suspected Taliban on Tuesday blew up a British-era iron bridge near Ali Masjid in Khyber Agency, leading to the suspension of traffic between Landi Kotal and Torkham border and suspending supplies for NATO and US forces in Afghanistan, officials said. Following the blast, the Pak-Afghan Highway was closed to all traffic.
Iran satellite launch raises tension, says Miliband 04 Feb 2009 The foreign secretary, David Miliband, expressed concern in Washington yesterday over Iran's claim to have broken into the global space race by launching its first home produced satellite into orbit. Miliband, speaking after a meeting with the new US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said the launch could increase tension between Iran and the west.
Smith faces questions on MI5 torture collusion 04 Feb 2009 Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, is to be questioned over allegations that British security services colluded in the torture of terrorism suspects and operated under a "James Bond-style get-out clause". The allegations, first reported in the Guardian last year, relate to a number of suspects arrested in Pakistan at the request of British authorities between 2003 and 2007. The men say they were repeatedly tortured by agents of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI) before being questioned by MI5.
Guantanamo inmate control warning 03 Feb 2009 Placing any inmates of Guantanamo Bay who may come to the UK under control orders may be both illegal and unacceptable, it has been claimed. Lord Carlile, the Lib Dem peer who scrtunises anti-terror laws, said it was "over-simplistic" to assume such measures could be used in such cases.
15 terror suspects under house arrest in U.K. --They're planning to carry out attacks, government official says 03 Feb 2009 Terrorism suspects being held under Britain's house arrest-style detention program are in contact with extremists and plan to carry out attacks in future, the lawyer responsible for overseeing the country's terrorism laws said Tuesday. Britain's Home Office said 15 terrorism suspects are being held under the regime, which monitors suspects who are considered a risk to national security but have not been charged with a criminal offense.
Lawmaker Wants Inaugural Events' Security Checked 04 Feb 2009 The chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security has requested an independent audit of security surrounding Barack Obama's inauguration after several top donors said they were not screened for firearms or explosives between the time they left a public street and entered areas near the president.
Penn State University Plans New Biolab 02 Feb 2009 Pennsylvania State University plans to build a higher-security disease research laboratory, the Centre Daily Times reported Saturday. The 15,000-square-foot, Biosafety Level 3 facility would dedicate roughly one-third of its space to laboratory research potentially involving agricultural diseases, including a melioidosis-causing agent that [US] terrorists could tap as a biological weapon, said Mary Kennett, head of the university's Animal Resource Program.
Migratory birds suspected in B.C. avian flu cases 02 Feb 2009 Three of four of the latest avian-flu outbreaks in Canada have been in the Fraser Valley, possibly because of the region's popularity with migratory waterfowl, experts say. In the latest outbreak, that H5 strain of the virus was detected in some turkeys on a property owned by two brothers in January, and 60,000 turkeys were culled on an Abbotsford farm last week.
Three dozen farms now under quarantine for flu 02 Feb 2009 The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has put 36 Fraser Valley farms under quarantine as it tries to prevent avian flu spreading. The CFIA is testing commercial flocks within a three-kilometre radius of the infected farm, as well as other farms with links to the infected farm.
Gregg Voted to Kill Commerce Before He Agreed to Lead It 02 Feb 2009 President Obama’s new candidate to run the Commerce Department voted in favor of abolishing the agency as a member of the Budget Committee and on the Senate floor in 1995. Sen. Judd Gregg , R-N.H., whose nomination was expected to be announced Tuesday, also worked in the Senate to trim the department’s budget as head of the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee. [If this nutjob committed *murder,* Obama the conciliator wouldn't pull his nomination. -LRP]
Daschle Withdraws Name for HHS Secretary 03 Feb 2009 Thomas A. Daschle, President Obama's choice to be secretary of health and human services, withdrew his nomination today, citing the distractions that followed his failure to pay $146,000 in taxes in recent years.
Obama performance chief Killefer out, citing taxes 03 Feb 2009 Nancy Killefer withdrew her candidacy to be the first chief performance officer for the federal government on Tuesday, saying she didn't want her bungling of payroll taxes on her household help to become a distraction for the Obama administration.
Bailed out Wells Fargo reconsiders holding Las Vegas event 04 Feb 2009 Wells Fargo & Co, which received $25 billion from the government's bank bailout program four months ago, said it was reconsidering holding an employee event planned for Las Vegas later this month. The move came after the Associated Press said the bank had booked 12 nights at the Wynn Las Vegas and the Encore Las Vegas, two of that city's more expensive hotels, as part of a conference for top mortgage officials.
U.S. Plans to Curb Executive Pay for Bailout Recipients 04 Feb 2009 The Obama administration is expected to impose a cap of $500,000 on the compensation of top executives at companies that receive large amounts of federal bailout money, according to people familiar with the plan. Under new rules to be announced by the Treasury Department as early as Wednesday, executives would also be prohibited from receiving any bonuses above their base pay, except for normal stock dividends.
Senate approves tax breaks for new car buyers 03 Feb 2009 The Senate has voted to give a tax break to new car buyers, setting aside bipartisan concern over the size of an economic stimulus bill costing nearly $900 billion. The vote was 71-26 to allow many car buyers to claim an income tax deduction for the cost of automobile sales taxes and interest payments on car loans.
Bank Rescue Would Entail Triage for Troubled Assets 04 Feb 2009 The Obama administration's emerging rescue plan for the banking system would amount to financial triage, with the Treasury Department playing the delicate role of deciding which of the trillions of dollars in troubled assets plaguing the economy to buy, guarantee or leave in the hands of banks, sources said. The high-stakes approach would dramatically increase the investment of taxpayer money in the financial industry, and the potential losses.
Obama prepares another trillion-dollar bank bailout By Jerry White 03 Feb 2009 While most media attention is focused this week on the Senate debate on the economic stimulus package, the Obama administration is preparing to roll out a new plan to bail out the banks, involving a trillion dollars or more in public assets... Indeed, one of the purposes of the stimulus package is to provide political cover, in the form of aid to "Main Street," for the offloading of Wall Street's losses onto the American people.
School can expel lesbian students, court rules 28 Jan 2009 After a Lutheran school expelled two 16-year-old girls for having "a bond of intimacy" that was "characteristic of a lesbian relationship," the girls sued, contending the school had violated a state anti-discrimination law. In response to that suit, an appeals court decided this week that the private religious school was not a business and therefore did not have to comply with a state law that prohibits businesses from discriminating.
CLG needs your support.
http://www.legitgov.org/#contribute
Or, please mail a check or money order to CLG:
Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG)
P.O. Box 1142
Bristol, CT 06011-1142
Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible
Previous lead stories: Let banks fail, says Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz 02 Jan 2009 The Government should allow every distressed bank to go bankrupt and set up a fresh banking system under temporary state control rather than cripple the country by propping up a corrupt edifice, according to Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize-winning economist. Professor Stiglitz, the former chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, told The Daily Telegraph that Britain should let the banks default on their vast foreign operations and start afresh with new set of healthy banks. "The UK has been hit hard because the banks took on enormously large liabilities in foreign currencies. Should the British taxpayers have to lower their standard of living for 20 years to pay off mistakes that benefited a small elite?" he said. [*No.*]
Bailed Out Bank of America Sponsors Super Bowl Fun Fest --Morgan Stanley Hosts Conference at 5-Star Resort in Palm Beach 02 Feb 2009 Despite a near collapse that required $45 billion in federal taxpayer bailout funds, Bank of America sponsored a five day carnival-like affair just outside the Super Bowl stadium this past week as President Obama decried wasteful spending on Wall St. The event – known as the NFL Experience – was 850,000 square feet of sports games and interactive entertainment attractions for football fans and was blanketed in Bank of America logos and marketing calls to sign up for football-themed banking products.
Waste, fraud in Iraq being repeated in Afghanistan --Pentagon, State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development have paid contractors more than $100 billion since 2003 to support war operations and rebuilding projects in Iraq and Afghanistan 02 Feb 2009 Waste and corruption that marred Iraq's reconstruction will be repeated in Afghanistan unless the U.S. transforms the unwieldy bureaucracy managing tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure projects, government watchdogs warned Monday. The U.S. has devoted more than $30 billion to 'rebuilding' Afghanistan. Yet despite the hard lessons learned in Iraq, where the U.S. has spent nearly $51 billion on reconstruction, the effort in Afghanistan is headed down the same path, the watchdogs told a new panel investigating wartime contracts.
Those who wish to be added to the list can go here: http://www.legitgov.org/#subscribe_clg and add your name. Those who wish to unsubscribe can go here: http://lists.people-link.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/legitgov. If your email provider has marked this newsletter as spam, please mark it as 'not spam' and do not delete from a spam or 'junk' folder, as such actions trigger false spam complaints against the CLG. If you have any inquiries/issues with your subscription, please write: signup at legitgov dot org.
CLG Managing Editor: Lori Price. CLG Founder and Chair: Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D. Copyright © 2009, Citizens For Legitimate Government ® All rights reserved.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Information Clearing House Newsletter
News You Won't Find On CNN
February 03, 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Justice is as strictly due between neighbor nations as between neighbor citizens. A highwayman is as much a robber when he plunders in a gang as when single; and a nation that makes an unjust war is only a great gang": Benjamin Franklin to Benjamin Vaughan, 14 March 1785 (B 11:16-7)

=
If... the machine of government... is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law: Henry David Thoreau, On the Duty of Civil Disobediance, 1849

=
Each man must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, which course is patriotic and which isn't. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide
against your conviction is to be an unqualified and excusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country, let men label you as they may: Mark Twain

=
We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." ~Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Why We Can't Wait, 1963

=
Write on my gravestone: "Infidel, Traitor." --infidel to every church that compromises with wrong; traitor to every government that oppresses the people.: Wendell
Phillips


===

Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered Since The U.S. Invaded Iraq "1,307,319"
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html

===

Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America'sWar On Iraq 4,237
http://icasualties.org/oif/

The War And Occupation Of Iraq Costs
$593,837,887,888

See the cost in your community
http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182

===

Emerging Threats

By ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE

Obama's two principal foreign policy initiatives -- a win in Afghanistan for a democratic government and a final peace treaty between Israel and a Palestinian state -- are will-o'-the-wisp..
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21894.htm

===

"Why the Only Solution for Jews and Palestinians is a One State Solution"

By Elie Elhadj

For a durable solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Bible and the Quran must be de-politicized. In political terms, de-politicization means a single secular democratic state for Jews and Palestinians.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21893.htm

===

The US Is No Longer a Global Hegemon

By Leon T. Hadar

In 2000, the United States was at the apex of international power in a unipolar world, and the Israelis and the Palestinians were led by strong and more moderate leaderships than today. Even at that time, Washington could not significantly advance an Israeli-Palestinian peace process. There is little reason to expect that Obama will be an exception, and an effective Holy Land peacemaker, in 2009.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21899.htm

PetraeusVersus the President?

US military leaders are pressuring Obama to cancel his Iraq withdrawal promise

By Real News

An interview with Gareth Porter, Porter explains his discovery that Gen. David Petraeus, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and other US military leaders have been applying pressure on Obama to change his plan for US withdrawal from Iraq. - According to Porter, the military has already begun its public relations campaign to paint recent events in Iraq in their favor, meanwhile setting Obama up for the fall in the future.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21900.htm

===

The Bogus 'War on Terror'

Glasnost In London - War Fever In Washington

By Eric Margolis

Two senior British officials have created a sensation by finally speaking some hard truths that contradict all the lies spewed out by Washington and London about the bogus "war on terror."
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21895.htm

===

Economic Death Spiral at the Pentagon

By Tom Engelhardt & Chalmers Johnson

It is hard to imagine any sector of the American economy more driven by ideology, delusion, and propaganda than the armed services. Many people believe that our military is the largest, best equipped, and most invincible among the world's armed forces. None of these things is true, but our military is, without a doubt, the most expensive to maintain.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21897.htm

===

California Goes Broke, Halts $3.5 Billion in Payments

By Stephen C. Webster

California, the eighth largest economy in the world, is broke. "People are going to be hurt starting today," said Hallye Jordan, speaking on behalf of the state Controller. "There's no money."
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21898.htm

===

The Perfect Storm

By Vladimir Putin

I just want to remind you that, just a year ago, American delegates speaking from this rostrum emphasised the US economy's fundamental stability and its cloudless prospects. Today, investment banks, the pride of Wall Street, have virtually ceased to exist. In just 12 months, they have posted losses exceeding the profits they made in the last 25 years. This example alone reflects the real situation better than any criticism.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21896.htm

===

Up to 40 militants, five policemen killed in Pakistan:

Up to 40 Islamic militants and five security personnel were killed in overnight clashes between the rebels and government forces in Pakistan's restive Swat valley, officials and media reports said on Tuesday.
http://tinyurl.com/d7zkdt

===

Couple among 9 killed at wedding firing in SW Pakistan:

They said that the incident created tension in the area and police had faced difficulties to collect the bodies and to shift the injured to hospitals.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-02/03/content_10757660.htm

===

Pakistan militants sever U.S., NATO supply line:

Militants blew up a bridge in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, cutting a major supply line for Western troops in Afghanistan in the latest in a series of attacks on the Khyber Pass by insurgents seeking to hamper the U.S.-led mission against the Taliban.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28995545/

===

Kyrgyzstan to close U.S. base used to supply Afghanistan:

In a setback to the escalating U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan , the president of Kyrgyzstan said Tuesday that his government will shut down the American air base in his country.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20090203/wl_mcclatchy/3159738_1

===

Secret report urges new Afganistan plan:

The Pentagon's top military officers are recommending to President Barack Obama that he shift U.S. strategy in Afghanistan - to focus on ensuring regional stability and eliminating Taliban and al-Qaida safe havens in Pakistan, rather than on achieving lasting democracy and a thriving Afghan economy, officials said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090203/pl_politico/18337

===

India warns Obama over Kashmir:

India has warned US President Barack Obama that he risks "barking up the wrong tree" if he seeks to broker a settlement between Pakistan and India over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
http://tinyurl.com/ct2fkm

===

Anbar under curfew after reports of election fraud:

Tribal shieks claim Sunni rivals stole votes: Iraq's military clamped a vehicle ban Monday on the Sunni-dominated province of Anbar until dawn today after tribal sheiks sent gunmen into the streets claiming Sunni rivals linked to the Shiite-led government stole votes in the weekend's elections.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/6243451.html

===

Iraq tribes threaten to take up arms over poll:

Tribal sheikhs who helped drive al Qaeda militants out of Western Iraq threatened on Monday to take up arms against the provincial government because of what they said was fraud in Saturday's provincial polls.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090202/wl_nm/us_iraq_anbar

===

Top US diplomat to Iraq 'named':

The former US chief negotiator with North Korea, Christopher Hill, is to be the next American ambassador to Iraq, according to US media reports.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7867124.stm

===

Israel continues pounding Gaza:

Israeli warplanes attacked the city hours after striking Rafah border region in southern Gaza Strip, according to a Press TV correspondent in the area.
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=84531§ionid=351020202

===

Israel warns Lebanon, Hezbollah of war:

Israel has threatened Lebanon with a crushing military invasion amid concerns over Hezbollah's retaliation for Imad Mugniyah's murder.
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=84523§ionid=351020203

===

Change? What Change?

Clinton: Hamas must abide by preconditions to be included in talks:

According to preconditions set by international powers, Hamas must renounce violence, recognize Israel and respect past peace agreements before being included in negotiations.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1061190.html

===

Carter says Hamas must be included:

The former US leader said there was "no way to have a permanent peace in the Middle East without the inclusion of Hamas".
http://tinyurl.com/atjbcj

===

Gazans say Israeli troops forced them into battle zones:

Abed Rabbo wasn't alone. Eight other residents in this northern Gaza Strip neighborhood told McClatchy in separate interviews that Israeli soldiers had conscripted them to check homes for booby traps, to smash holes in the walls of houses so that soldiers could use them as escape routes or to try to pull dead Palestinian militants from the rubble.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/61329.html

===

ICC examines Gaza crimes:

THE prosecutor of the International Criminal Court was conducting a "preliminary analysis" of alleged crimes committed by Israelis during the recent offensive in the Gaza Strip, his office said today.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25000972-5005961,00.html

===

IDF colonel leaves speaking tour of UK for fear of arrest:

An Israeli colonel involved in Operation Cast Lead returned to Israel in haste on Friday, fearing arrest on charges of war crimes during a visit to the UK.
http://tinyurl.com/cly8o2

===

U.S. Sold Phosphorus Shells Used in Gaza to Israel:

The United States sold phosphorus artillery shells made at the Pine Bluff Arsenal to Israel - the same kind of rounds allegedly used against civilians during the recent fighting in Gaza.
http://bellaciao.org/en/spip.php?article18326

===

Gaza Reemerging From the Ashes:

The United Nations is urgently appealing for 613 million dollars to aid more than a million desperate civilians in the ruins of Gaza, where schools, hospitals, houses, factories and even farmland were obliterated during the three-week assault by Israeli air and ground forces.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45659

===

Workers to boycott Israeli ship: -

Durban dock workers are expected to refuse to off-load an Israeli ship as part of a week of action against "apartheid" Israel, Cosatu and the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) said on Tuesday.
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Politics/0,,2-7-12_


Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government
02 Feb 2009
http://www.legitgov.org/
All items are here:
http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news


Let banks fail, says Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz 02 Jan 2009 The Government should allow every distressed bank to go bankrupt and set up a fresh banking system under temporary state control rather than cripple the country by propping up a corrupt edifice, according to Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize-winning economist. Professor Stiglitz, the former chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, told The Daily Telegraph that Britain should let the banks default on their vast foreign operations and start afresh with new set of healthy banks. "The UK has been hit hard because the banks took on enormously large liabilities in foreign currencies. Should the British taxpayers have to lower their standard of living for 20 years to pay off mistakes that benefited a small elite?" he said. [*No.*]
Bailed Out Bank of America Sponsors Super Bowl Fun Fest --Morgan Stanley Hosts Conference at 5-Star Resort in Palm Beach 02 Feb 2009 Despite a near collapse that required $45 billion in federal taxpayer bailout funds, Bank of America sponsored a five day carnival-like affair just outside the Super Bowl stadium this past week as President Obama decried wasteful spending on Wall St. The event – known as the NFL Experience – was 850,000 square feet of sports games and interactive entertainment attractions for football fans and was blanketed in Bank of America logos and marketing calls to sign up for football-themed banking products.
Levin livid over reported Citigroup jet purchase 26 Jan 2009 Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan (D) is beside himself over a report that Citigroup is buying a $50-million corporate jet considering that when the heads of Detroit's automakers came to Washington in private jets to ask for aid they got blasted for it. The federal government, after all, is into Citigroup for $50 billion under its package to rescue financial firms.
Homebuilder under investigation seeks stimulus tax break 02 Feb 2009 One homebuilder that's under federal investigation and has left starter home communities in Charlotte, N.C., struggling with foreclosures is vying for a tax break in the almost $900 billion stimulus bill being considered by Congress. Beazer Homes USA is one of 37 companies that signed on to a letter last week urging senators to give businesses a waiver on income taxes they'd owe on canceled debt.
Nuclear power workers join wildcat strike action over foreign labour --Contractors at Sellafield and Heysham stage unofficial walkout 02 Feb 2009 The wave of wildcat strike action that has swept across the UK escalated today as hundreds more workers walked out in the protest against foreign labour. Contract workers from the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria, the Heysham nuclear power station in Lancashire and a site at Staythorpe, in Nottinghamshire, joined the unofficial action over the hiring of Italian and Portuguese workers on a Lincolnshire power station project...
Greek riot police fire tear gas at farmers 02 Feb 2009 Greek riot police have fired tear gas at farmers to prevent them from driving their tractors to Athens to stage a demonstration. At least two people, including an opposition politician, were injured in scuffles between police and the protesters at the port of Piraeus outside the Greek capital. The farmers are demanding financial help from the government and the tense stand off at Piraeus is the latest twist in nearly two weeks of protests.
Iraq tribes threaten to take up arms over poll 02 Feb 2009 Tribal sheikhs who helped drive al Qaeda [al-CIAduh] militants out of Western Iraq threatened on Monday to take up arms against the provincial government because of what they said was fraud in Saturday's provincial polls.
'US wasted billions in Iraq, Afghanistan': Congressional report 03 Feb 2009 The United States has wasted billions of dollars in Iraq and is making the same mistakes in Afghanistan, warns a Congress-mandated report released on Monday. The report by a Congress-auditor, known as Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, blames both fraud and lack of planning for the waste. The report, titled "Hard Lessons", points out that the US was "unprepared and ill-equipped to deal" with post-Saddam Iraq.
Waste, fraud in Iraq being repeated in Afghanistan --Pentagon, State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development have paid contractors more than $100 billion since 2003 to support war operations and rebuilding projects in Iraq and Afghanistan 02 Feb 2009 Waste and corruption that marred Iraq's reconstruction will be repeated in Afghanistan unless the U.S. transforms the unwieldy bureaucracy managing tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure projects, government watchdogs warned Monday. The U.S. has devoted more than $30 billion to 'rebuilding' Afghanistan. Yet despite the hard lessons learned in Iraq, where the U.S. has spent nearly $51 billion on reconstruction, the effort in Afghanistan is headed down the same path, the watchdogs told a new panel investigating wartime contracts.
KBR to continue work at Camp Adder 30 Jan 2009 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded KBR a follow-on contract for continued work on a convoy support center in Iraq. Texas-based KBR was awarded a phase II contract from the Army Corps of Engineers, Transatlantic Programs Center, based in Virginia. Under the $35.4 million deal, KBR will be expected to continue work on the Camp Adder convoy support center in Iraq.
KBR's killing spree continues: Minn. sailor electrocuted while showering in Iraq 02 Feb 2009 When a Navy medic from Zimmerman, Minn., nearing the end of his tour of duty in Iraq died on Sept. 11, 2004, family members were told he died of natural causes. They now know that Petty Officer 3rd Class David A. Cedergren, 25, was electrocuted while showering, the third U.S. service member to suffer that fate in Iraq.
Report: U.S. troops exposed to 231 [KBR] shock incidents 29 Jan 2009 U.S. troops in Iraq suffered electrical shocks about every three days in a two-year period surrounding the electrocution death of a Shaler Green Beret, according to an internal Defense Contract Management Agency report obtained by the Tribune-Review. The 45-page document -- a high-level request for corrective action generated last fall -- found that Texas-based military contractor KBR Inc. failed to properly ground and bond its electrical systems, which contributed to soldiers "receiving shocks in KBR-maintained facilities on average once every three days since data was available in Sept. 2006."
Obama orders additional troops for Afghanistan 03 Feb 2009 US President Barack Obama on Monday ordered three more brigade combat teams for Afghanistan. The decision was announced after a meeting of America's three most powerful men -- President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Defence Secretary Robert Gates -- met at the White House earlier on Monday.
Obama Call for More NATO Troops in Afghanistan May Go Unheeded [What a shame!] 02 Feb 2009 President Barack Obama has made clear he is counting on America's NATO allies for greater military contributions in Afghanistan. He may be in for a disappointment. Most European leaders have either ruled out sending more troops to buttress the fight against a resurgent Taliban, or talked about increases that number only in the hundreds.
Police seek seized American UN worker in Pakistan 02 Feb 2009 Gunmen seized an American U.N. worker as he rode to work Monday, shooting and killing his driver, U.N. and Pakistani authorities said. His Land Cruiser was found rammed against a wall, punctured by at least one bullet hole.
American U.N. official kidnapped in Pakistan 02 Feb 2009 Pakistani militants on Monday kidnapped John Solecki, a senior U.N. official, in a brazen daylight attack that killed his driver, the United Nations said. The U.N. conveyed its "extreme shock and dismay" over the attack, and said in a statement that it is "taking all possible measures to secure (Solecki's) release." [See: US provided $105 million to Pakistan for 'war on terror' 25 Jan 2009.]
Israeli aircraft attack Gaza, killing one 02 Feb 2009 Israel's Air Force has attacked southern Gaza in response to mortar fire by a group of militants, an Israeli army spokeswoman said on Monday. Local media cited Palestinian health officials as saying that the attack killed one Palestinian and wounded another three, including two passers-by.
86 Israeli war criminals are now wanted by international courts, says Raji Al-Sourani 01 Feb 2009 Palestinian human rights activist Raji Al-Sourani has disclosed Wednesday that at least 86 Israeli military officers were now wanted by a number western courts for their role in the holocaust in the Gaza Strip.
Police 'ran away' from jeering Gaza demonstrators 01 Feb 2009 Video footage posted on a website shows police officers running way from chanting demonstrators who took part in a violent protest in London against Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip. The ten-minute amateur film shows 30 officers being chased by a crowd of up to 3,000 people who broke away from an official protest march last month.
Minot base crew commander found dead --Cause of death unclear 02 Feb 2009 The body of a missile combat crew commander from the Minot Air Force Base was found by police, and the cause of his death is under investigation, the Air Force says. A statement issued by the base Sunday said the body of Capt. Jonathan Bayless, 28, was found Friday night. Police did not give details and they are awaiting autopsy results. Col. Christopher Ayres, the base's 91st Missile Wing commander, said Bayless was a training chief with the 91st Operations Support Squadron. [See: Minot AFB Clandestine Nukes 'Oddities'.]
Barack Obama grants CIA permission to retain right to carry out renditions 02 Feb 2009 The banner headlines greeting President Obama's decision to close the detention centre at Guantánamo Bay and secret CIA prisons may have concealed how he has retained one of the most controversial weapons in the War on of Terror. Under executive orders signed on January 22, the CIA appears to have preserved its authority to carry out renditions – by which hundreds of terrorist suspects have been abducted and transferred to prisons in countries with questionable human rights records.
Church Organization Refuses to Divulge If Pastors Are On FEMA Payroll By Paul Joseph Watson 02 Feb 2009 A large church organization has refused to divulge how many of its pastors are on the FEMA payroll, after a member expressed concerns about religious leaders being used to condition their congregation to accept the declaration of martial law... A KSLA news report confirmed that Clergy Response Teams are being trained by the federal government to "quell dissent" and pacify citizens to obey the government in the event of a declaration of martial law.
Senate confirms Holder as attorney general 03 Feb 2009 The Senate confirmed Eric Holder as U.S. attorney general on Monday, putting him in position to oversee President Barack Obama's plans to overhaul U.S. legal policy in the war on of terrorism. The Senate voted 75-21 to approve Holder, a deputy attorney general under former President Bill Clinton. Aides said he would be sworn in on Tuesday as the first black U.S. attorney general.
Mega barf alert! Obama picks Republican senator for commerce job 02 Feb 2009 President Barack Obama will name a third prominent Republican to his cabinet on Tuesday, nominating Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire as commerce secretary, a White House official said on Monday.
Obama Alters Labor Policies 31 Jan 2009 President Obama signed a series of executive orders yesterday that he said should "level the playing field" for labor unions in their struggles with management. Union officials say the new orders by Obama will undo Bush administration policies that favored employers over workers.
Closing Dealers Stun Buyers With Liens On Trade-In 01 Feb 2009 The national wave of auto dealership closures has come crashing down on thousands of people who are on the hook for used-car loans that dealers were supposed to absolve. When a car buyer still owes money on a vehicle he is trading in, the dealer promises to pay off the outstanding loan, then resells the vehicle. But as more dealers go out of business, some are sticking consumers with the bill. Lenders can then go after the previous owner who thought the debt was paid, or repossess the car from the new owner who assumed it came with clear title.
Chinese earthquake may have been man-made, say scientists 03 Feb 2009 An earthquake that killed at least 80,000 people in Sichuan last year may have been triggered by an enormous dam just miles from the epicentre. The 511ft-high Zipingpu dam holds 315 million tonnes of water and lies just 550 yards from the fault line, and three miles from the epicentre, of the Sichuan earthquake. Now scientists in China and the United States believe the weight of water, and the effect of it penetrating into the rock, could have affected the pressure on the fault line underneath, possibly unleashing a chain of ruptures that led to the quake.
CLG needs your support.
http://www.legitgov.org/#contribute
Or, please mail a check or money order to CLG:
Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG)

P.O. Box 1142
Bristol, CT 06011-1142
Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible
Previous lead stories: Proposed legislation in Congress would set up camps for US citizens By mcarl 31 Jan 2009 A bill proposed by Florida Democrat Alcee Hastings would set up a series of emergency centres on U. S. military installations. House Resolution 645 provides that no fewer than six such centres will be built and would give emergency aid, housing and relief services for citizens during a time of disaster or national emergency... Writing on this legislation, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) says that the bill would supplement other 'emergency powers' granted to the federal government since 9/11 and be the mechanism for imposing martial law.
AP: Bailed out banks sought foreign workers for high-paying jobs 01 Feb 2009 An Associated Press review of visa applications shows banks collecting billions of dollars in federal bailout money asked for permission to bring thousands of foreign workers to the U.S. for high-paying jobs. The dozen banks have received the biggest rescue packages, worth more than $150 billion. They tried to bring in almost 21,800 foreign workers over the past six years to fill openings that paid an average salary of nearly $91,000.
Rockets hit Israel, Prime Minister Olmert vows 'disproportionate' response 01 Feb 2009 Israel has vowed a 'disproportionate' response after Palestinian militants fired up to four Qassam rockets from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel... Israeli Prime Minister [war criminal] Ehud Olmert on Sunday vowed a "disproportionate" response to the rocket fire from the Hamas-run enclave. "We've said that if there is rocket fire against the south of the country, there will be a disproportionate Israeli response to the fire on the citizens of Israel and its security forces," he said at the weekly cabinet meeting.
Those who wish to be added to the list can go here: http://www.legitgov.org/#subscribe_clg and add your name. Those who wish to unsubscribe can go here: http://lists.people-link.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/legitgov. If your email provider has marked this newsletter as spam, please mark it as 'not spam' and do not delete from a spam or 'junk' folder, as such actions trigger false spam complaints against the CLG. If you have any inquiries/issues with your subscription, please write: signup at legitgov dot org.
CLG Managing Editor: Lori Price. CLG Founder and Chair: Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D. Copyright © 2009, Citizens For Legitimate Government ® All rights reserved.

“Change” Afghans Should Look Upon with Skepticism

Simple arithmetic reveals that the eleven days under the Obama clock were 18-50% more deadly for Afghan civilians than the twenty days under the Bush regime

By Marc W. Herold.

February, 02, 2009 --- "RAWA" -- The New Year’s first Afghan civilian killed by U.S/NATO action was a boy named Marjan (tr. Coral), killed on January 2nd. (1)The boy had allegedly wandered into a prohibited area in the Deh-Sabz district of Kabul. Marjan was walking home with friends when “international forces” gunned him down. The occupation soldiers got out of a white vehicle, shot Coral and sped away. Marjan is only one of 73-88 civilian Afghans or tribal Pashtuns killed by the U.S/NATO occupation forces during January 2009. Three days later, eight Afghan women, two children and two civilian men were killed by Australian forces in the Chora district of Uruzgan Province.
Much official ado has been made in Washington D.C. and in the U.S. corporate press about how the new Administration will be taking far greater care as regards Afghan civilians. Data analyzed below for January 2009 suggests that the deadliness of the Afghan war for civilians under the Obama clock significantly exceeds that registered under the outgoing Bush regime. Boys, women, girls, tribal leaders all have perished at the hands of the foreign occupiers.
During January 2009, twelve U.S/NATO forces’ actions (including one road accident where a MRAP military armored vehicle crushed an Afghan civilian car) resulted in 73-88 dead Afghan civilians (including five Pashtun tribes people in North Waziristan killed in a U.S. drone strike). The following table presents details:
Incident dateLocation (Province)Civilian deaths
January 2Kabul city1
January 5Uruzgan11
January 6Laghman17
January 19Kapisa15-19
January 21/22Helmand3
January 23North Waziristan5
January 23/24Laghman11-22
January 29Kandahar4
January 29Herat1
January 31Paktika1
January 31/February 1Ghazni2
February 1Helmand2


Source: The Afghan Victim Memorial Project at http://pubpages.unh.edu/~mwherold/
Simple arithmetic reveals that the eleven days under the Obama clock were 18-50% more deadly for Afghan civilians than the twenty days under the Bush regime.Analysis by type of incident indicates the following:
Ground attack Air strikeCombined air & groundTraffic
8 for 54-583 for 18-26none1 for 1
Per attack: 6.8-7.3Per attack: 6-8.7-Per attack: 1

Whereas 7-8 civilians are killed per ground attack, air strikes kill between 6-9 civilians. (2) In other words, air strikes are not necessarily more deadly to civilians than ground attacks. Air strikes are proving less effective too as Afghan resistance fighters shift tactics to dodge the airstrikes. (3)


A civilian who was killed during a US-led coalition forces operation in Masmo village of Ali-shing district of eastern Laghman province.


Dozens of residents of Masmo village are busy digging and arranging graveyard for burial of the victims of US offensive. (Photos: PAN/Najibulrahman Enqalabi)
Data for January 2009 conforms to early civilian casualty data for 2001 insofar as relatively few civilians die per attack. (4) Of the twelve incidents during January, only three resulted in more than ten deaths.
Discussion
The centrality of the long-standing information war over what is really happening in Afghanistan takes on heightened importance with the election of Barack Obama. Each side in the conflict – the Taliban and their allies and the United States with its NATO allies – has a direct interest in spinning the news to its own advantage. Both sides do this on a daily basis. On January 27, 2009 CBS News admitted such in a piece titled: “U.S. Fights Information War with Taliban.” (5) The concluding sentence read, “U.S. success in this complex war depends as much on controlling the message as deploying the guns.” For now over three years, the United States has been devoting considerable resources to its information war. (6)
The center-piece to this information war has become the extent of civilian casualties in Afghanistan. Recognizing that the U.S/NATO and the Taliban each have a direct interest in spinning the message as to the extent, the gender and age of civilian casualties to its own advantage, necessitates having a healthy skepticism of claims coming from either side. Greater credence can be given to sources which are more independent, e.g., Pahjwok Afghan News, Agence France Presse, the Afghan Human Rights Commission, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) and the like rather than the more tainted ones like Associated Press, Human Rights Watch, UNAMA, Jihad Unspun, etc. The Afghan Victim Memorial data base attempts to navigate safely (as accurately as possible) in this sea of conflicting assertions.


Afghan villagers shout slogans against the U.S. and Afghan governments during a demonstration following a U.S. operation in their village, in Mehterlam, capital of Laghman province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009. (AP Photo by Rahmat Gul)

The number of airstrikes has been decreasing since the last third of 2008. (7) On the other hand, recent deadly night-time raids by U.S. Special Forces (which President Obama has stated he will rely more upon (8)) have angered Afghans. Even the Associated Press admitted that “three recent U.S. Special Forces operations killed 50 people – the vast majority civilians.” (9) In December 2008, U.S. Special Forces killed at least six Afghan policemen and injured another thirteen. (10) A report published by the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission castigated foreign forces’ ground attacks in Kandahar Province. (11) The report noted
The combination of abusive behavior and violent breaking and entry into civilians’ homes in the middle of the night stokes almost as much anger and resentment toward pro-government forces as the more lethal air strikes.
Afghan villagers’ reactions to U.S/NATO strikes may be viewed on a rare video put out by Al Jazeera.



Market
NSE|BSE








More Indices|Mkt. Statistics|Closing Bell

Forex Converter
Convert
Rs.ToUS Dollar CAN Dollar Chinese Yuan Euro HK Dollar Indonesian Rupiah Japanese Yen Korean Won Kuwaiti Dinar Malaysian Ringgit Russian Rouble Sing Dollar Swiss Franc UAE Dirham UK Pound



My Watchlist
My Portfolio

Listed below are top 10 NSE Gainers. Create your watchlist if you don't have one. Sign in if you have one.
Scrip CMP(Rs.) Chg%
orbcor 55.90 + 40.10
kermic 61.45 + 20.01
purpro 43.25 + 19.97
ivrpri 33.25 + 16.87
mothes 64.50 + 14.56
marove 5.20 + 14.28
dskuld 17.90 + 13.29
kalrai 127.05 + 13.28
enkcas 13.00 + 13.04
brient 39.10 + 13.00


Stocks in News
SRF promoters pledge stake with lenders
Satyam shares up as new CEO named
Sundaram to raise funds from rights issue
More >>


NRI Solutions New
Money Transfers
Property
Health Care



IPL auction: Pietersen, Flintoff stole the show, while some remained unsold.
Day in Pics | More Pics | Photogallery
CEOtoons | Feb 5 | In Pics: Electric cars

Videos More Videos >>

The big IPL auction

Satyam gets new CEO

Inflation dips to 5.07 %







ET Cetera
Rel Big Ent signs deal with Julia Roberts
Kellogg drops Olympian Phelps
Slumdog Millionaire: Best British film
More >>


Interviews
Hasit Joshipura, MD, GSK Pharma India



Subrata Ghoshroy, director, MIT global security working group



More >>



Earth
US climate bill sooner

Not all green jobs pay well
9/11 lawyer in Bhopal case

Warming dries Oz rivers to historic lows
Argentine glacier thrives despite warming
Rapid decline of vultures in Bikaner

More >>



Quickies
Investors give thumbs down to FMPs
FMPs are debt mutual fund schemes which usually offer definite returns to investors.
Global fin crisis sparks unrest in Europe
Here are some details of protests in Europe linked to the global financial crisis:
Home loan for the self-employed
The self-employed loan applicant, sans the proof of fixed income, may face difficulties.
More >>



ET Headline
SFIO to probe 325 firms, 25 individuals

6 Feb 2009, 2037 hrs IST, ET Bureau





SFIO will look into linkages of all aspects covering siphoning of funds and diversion of resources. Gainers: BSE ( A, B ) | NSE | Losers: BSE ( A, B ) | NSE | Satyam board


Karnik appointed chairman of Satyam Board
Exit point imperative in 'buy and hold' strategy
Market Review: RIL, ICICI Bank give Sensex leg up

NRI Corner
2222 hrs IST
Recession jolts Gulf, Indians head home
0816 hrs IST
Invest C$400,000 for 5 years & be a permanent Canadian resident
0535 hrs IST
How NRIs can invest here
0126 hrs IST
RBI counts on NRIs to help meet redemption call
2136 hrs IST
Realty Bite: NRIs in wait-n-watch mode
2047 hrs IST
Foreign banks team up with NRIs for debt MF play
2230 hrs IST
US slowdown influencing NRIs investment in India
0000 hrs IST
Investment opportunities for NRIs
0300 hrs IST
Cap on foreign holding in Indian shares restricts NRIs' equity play
US Senators seek to bar firms from hiring H-1B holders
7 Feb 2009, 0014 hrs IST, IANS


Two US Senators have sought an amendment to bar bailed-out from hiring H-1B visa holders, a bulk of which are cornered by Indians. NRI Taxation | NRI investor norms



US government may hike H-1B Visa cap
Downturn may trigger reverse migration
6 Feb 2009, 2100 hrs IST, SANJEEV CHOUDHARY & SHREYA BISWAS,ET Bureau


The crisis is slowly turning into a migration crisis with thousands of expat Indians likely to return home from developed & emerging geographies. Forex Converter



Newly wed? Here is a guide for American visa seekers


All headlines >>News on your MobileLog on to m.economictimes.com

Financial Crisis Worsening

US January job losses worst in 34 years
Last month's job reductions were largest since 602,000 in Dec 1974, while jobless rate reached its highest level in over 16 years.
Most exposed Madoff investors | Job Gloom in Europe
Job Gloom in Asia | Wal Mart bucks retail downturn
More >>





News by Industry
UT, Apollo's Reddy in JV talks
Ambuja Cements profit declines 25%
Voda Essar CEO Ghosh to retire
Tata Steel sales up 26% in Jan
Sectors: InfoTech| Telecom | Auto | Transport | Energy| Jobs | More >>
Personal Finance
Tips on how to choose your bank a/c
Cheaper homes come at a price!
Motor cover convertibles on the way
Investors give thumbs down to FMPs
IIM-L students' MF beats meltdown
More >>




Markets News
Gold falls to session lows
US stocks soar on stimulus hope
Jubilant Organosys buybacks FCCBs
Rupee ended at 48.70 against dollar
Nifty upside restricted
Economy
Govt to back labour intensive sectors
Oil slips to $ 40 on US demand
OECD indicators fall to 1970s levels
Credit for productive sectors: RBI
RBI eases access of forex by exporters

More >>
More >>


Infotech
Dell faces identity crisis
MindTree to spin off separate unit
Watch out: Spam mail in your inbox
BlackBerry bosses fined $77 mn
Short-term tech experts on firing line
International Business
Volvo Group reports big loss
Canada lost 129,000 jobs last month
US economy will not recover soon
Mercedes puts 7,000 on forced leave
AIG, Citi deals gave US least value

More >>
More >>


Market Analysis
Stocks
Mutual Funds
Bullion
Real Estate

Where are the foreign investors? Not in Asia
List of promoters with pledged equity longer than you thought
SEBI to amend open offer rules
Short build up in Nifty Feb, long unwinding in NTPC, L&T
Don't diversify beyond 40 stocks
More >>

Stocks to watch: IDBI Bank,Eicher Motors,Indian Rayon,PTC
PTC India turns negative after sharp early rise
Henkel shares up 5% on report of likely brand sale
Max India board approved Rs 650 cr rights issue
Bilpower shrugs off news of pledged shares
More >>

Mutual Fund industry assets up by 9.5%
Open-ended mutual funds offer better returns
Reliance MF named India's best fund house
Reliance MF, HDFC MF assets rise Rs 10,000 cr in January
Why did fixed maturity plans fail?
More >>

Gold slips, but the buyers are missing
Gold remains down in futures trade on weak global cues
RBI yet to renew silver import licence
Gold futures fall on profit-booking
Gold glitters, gives 26% return in 100 days
More >>

Property prices may come down by another 20%
Realty sector in death spiral, BSE Realty down 86% y-o-y
'Property rates to fall by 15-20% more'
IL&FS fund buys 15% in Akruti SPV for Rs 200 cr
Parsvnath pledges 10% shares
More >>



Politics / Nation
Home min to review security situation
Chidambaram will inaugurate a Coastal Police Station near Kollam.
Pak court declares A Q Khan free
A Pak court declared N-scientist A Q Khan a free man, his lawyer said.
LeT an ISI client for terror: Menon
India has said LeT, which carried out Mumbai invasion, was a “client” of ISI.
Opinion
Unleash internet telephony
Trai’s frustration with internet telephony delay is justified.
Riches to ‘rags’ story
US CEOs get 44 times the average company wage. But not any more.
The morality play
The Great Indian Political Show: How bad turns good.

More >>
More >>



ET Debates
Letters to the Editor

Was the oil price cut hasty?
Is CEC’s move to oust Chawla right?
Does protectionism add to exporter woes?
Relax open offer rules for Satyam?
Can Left and Congress align again?
More >>




We wait Feedback from you. Please write to:
bangasanskriti.sahityasammilani@gmail.com
Please forwrd the LINK to all friends and aquaintances

No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...