Monthly Archive for February, 2008

Berri sees American hand in failure of Arab mediation

Published by Diane Warth on 29 February 2008 0 Comments

Daily Star staff
Saturday, March 01, 2008

BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri accused the United States on Friday of being against the recent Arab initiative to end Lebanon’s ongoing crisis. Speaking in an interview broadcast by ANB satellite television late Friday, Berri quoted a senior French official as having told Lebanon’s ambassador to Paris that the US was not in favor of implementing the Arab initiative, which calls for the election of a president, the formation of a unity government and agreement on a new electoral law.

Berri also accused the US of deploying the USS Cole and other warships to the Eastern Mediterranean to support and cover up Israel’s deadly attacks in the Gaza Strip.

[Read the report]

Take Action: Israel Kills 30 Palestinians

Published by Diane Warth on 29 February 2008 0 Comments

US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
29 February 2008

Since Wednesday, Israel has killed at least 30 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including five children under the age of 16 playing soccer and a six month-old child (Ha’aretz).

Israel’s Deputy Defense Minister threatened Palestinians with genocide, calling for an even “bigger holocaust” against residents of the Gaza Strip (Telegraph).

Israel killed almost all of these Palestinians in air strikes most likely with its arsenal of fighter jets-Boeing F-15′s and Lockheed F-16′s – and attack helicopters – Boeing Apaches and Cobra Bells – paid for by U.S. taxpayers through annual military aid to Israel. Almost all of Israel’s air-to-surface missiles, which would have been used in these attacks, are produced by U.S. corporations such as Hughes, Raytheon, General Dynamics, and Lockheed Martin and paid for by U.S. tax dollars. The US Campaign opposes all attacks on civilians.

Is this how you want your tax dollars spent – to kill children playing soccer and to carry out threats of genocide?

Continue reading ‘Take Action: Israel Kills 30 Palestinians’

American activist shot in the head in Bil’in

Published by Diane Warth on 26 February 2008 0 Comments

read the story – view more photos/video

Preparing for sniper duty

Published by Diane Warth on 26 February 2008 0 Comments

IDF soldiers paint their faces before going out on patrol along the border between Israel and Gaza Strip, Monday.

via Gaza human chain a few links short

Hands across Gaza

Published by Diane Warth on 24 February 2008 0 Comments

Israel, Palestinian Authority concerned Hamas may use human chain event to send masses marching towards border with Israel

Ali Waked, YNet, 24 February 2008

Thousands of Palestinians will join hands on Monday to form a human chain across the Gaza Strip in protest of the ongoing siege against the Hamas-ruled territory. At an expected 30 miles of length, the chain will stretch from Rafah in the south all the way to the northern town of Beit Hanun.

Israeli defense officials have emphasized that under no circumstances will security forces allow the Palestinians to sabotage or cross the fence along Gaza’s border.

[Read the report]

Israel raises security as Gazans plan mass protest

headline changed to:
“Israel: Hamas to blame if civilians hurt in Gaza border march”

Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz, 24 February 2008

The report’s original lead:

The Israel Police will heighten security across the country on Monday, as some 40,000 Palestinians prepare to march along the Gaza Strip’s border in protest of Israel’s economic embargo on the coastal territory.

Israeli intelligence officials warned on Sunday that tens of thousands of Gazans were planning to form a human chain from Rafah to the Erez border crossing as early as 10 A.M. on Monday.

Pre-empted by this lead:

Israel warned Hamas on Sunday evening that the organization would be responsible for any consequences of a planned march along the Gaza Strip’s border Monday, saying any harm to civilians would be Hamas’ fault.

Some 40,000 Palestinians are expected to march along the Gaza Strip’s border in protest of Israel’s economic embargo on the coastal territory.

In a statement sent to all Israeli embassies and missions, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Hamas is intentionally putting civilians in a battlefront.

According to the statement, while Israel does not interfere with internal Gaza affairs, it will defend its territory and prevent anyone from crossing the border. The statement added that Israel is trying to avoid escalation, but should civilians be hurt, it would be Hamas’ fault.

[Read the report]

International and Iraqi labor unions unite against Iraq’s draft oil law

Published by Diane Warth on 24 February 2008 0 Comments

Iraq Oil Report
24 February 2008

A coalition of U.S. veterans, unions and activists, who fear Iraq’s draft oil law is part of an orchestrated effort to turn Iraq’s oil reserves over to private international oil companies, said at a press conference in Washington Friday that such pressure should be kept up.

And they’re not alone. On Saturday there are similar actions to be taken around in England. Iraq’s tens of thousands strong oil unions, as well as other political parties and civil society organizations share their concern.

“Iraq oil is not war loot for the oil companies,” said Trina Zahller of Oil Change International. She said any oil law or long-term oil contracts made under occupation would be illegitimate.

“It seems like the oil industry is becoming ever more brazen” in entering the Iraq oil sector, she said, referring to statements made by top officials at Shell and ExxonMobil last week.

[Read the report]

IRAQ: In Tatters Beneath a Surge of Claims

Published by Diane Warth on 23 February 2008 0 Comments

Analysis by Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail*

BAGHDAD, Feb 22 (IPS) – What the U.S. has been calling the success of a “surge”, many Iraqis see as evidence of catastrophe. Where U.S. forces point to peace and calm, local Iraqis find an eerie silence.

And when U.S. forces speak of a reduction in violence, many Iraqis simply do not know what they are talking about.

Hundreds died in a series of explosions in Baghdad last month. This was despite the strongest ever security measures taken by the U.S. military, riding the “surge” in security forces and their activities.

The death toll is high, according to the website icasualties.org, which provides reliable numbers of Iraqi civilian and security deaths.

In January this year 485 civilians were killed, according to the website. It says the number is based on news reports, and that “actual totals for Iraqi deaths are higher than the numbers recorded on this site.”

The average month in 2005, before the “surge” was launched, saw 568 civilian deaths. In January 2006, the month before the “surge” began, 590 civilians died.

Many of the killings have taken place in the most well guarded areas of Baghdad. And they have continued this month.

[Read the report]

Cosmetic Changes: The Argentine Economy after the 2007 Elections

Published by Diane Warth on 23 February 2008 0 Comments

Alan B. Cibils | February 6, 2008
Americas Program, Center for International Policy (CIP)

Argentina’s stunning recovery from the economic crisis of 2001 dealt a blow to orthodox economic theories imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international institutions. Former president Néstor Kirchner and now his wife Cristina Fernández de Kirchner have consolidated political power on the basis of that success. But some serious problems loom on the horizon. This article argues that as Cristina takes over the nation, the lack of a real national development plan and the government’s growing disregard for democratic institutions hamper efforts to address challenges like rising inflation and a serious energy shortage.

On Dec. 10, 2007 Néstor Kirchner handed over the presidential baton to his wife, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in what was the first husband-wife handover in Argentine history. Cristina was appointed presidential candidate by her husband, with no internal party elections or debate, highlighting the crisis of the Argentine political party system. By passing presidential power between spouses, the Kirchners appear to have found a formula to perpetuate themselves in power indefinitely without the need for a constitutional reform.

[Read the report]

Bill O’Reilly would join a lynching party if Michelle Obama is not proud of America

Published by Diane Warth on 22 February 2008 0 Comments

The Boyce Blog: Bill O’Reilly Wants to Lynch Michelle Obama: How Nice

Dr. Boyce Watkins writes:

I am sure Bill doesn’t truly want to physically lynch Michelle Obama, but there are many ways he could have expressed his frustration. Mrs. Obama could have been challenged on her remarks, criticized for them, and even taken to task on O’Reilly’s show. But the fact that Bill O’Reilly, a man whose racism exceeds both Don Imus and David Duke, would choose the word “lynch” to describe Michelle Obama is not only disturbing, it’s downright revealing. What’s more revealing is the fact that Fox News has not felt the need to punish O’Reilly for his remarks, implying that it is ok to talk about lynching a woman who might be the First Lady of the United States. I am not sure he would have gotten away with offering to send a prominent Jewish woman to “the concentration camp”, no matter what she had to say.

Bill O’Reilly is not only racist, he is unpatriotic. How can you love your country when you want to have a “lynching party” against the wife of a Presidential candidate? While he is quick to jump on the anti-Muslim bandwagon in the War on Terror, O’Reilly is the first to use terroristic words to describe his reaction to the potential First Lady. This should alarm all of us, whether we agree with Michelle Obama or not.

[Read the article]