ayyadmed:

From the weekly Bil’in demo. This is how a soccer ‘match’ between real IOF soldiers and Palestinians really looks like

By Firoze Manji
2009-07-16, Issue 442

The internet and wires have been burning with anger and disappointment at the speech made by Obama this week at the start of his visit to Ghana. With several articles commenting on the speech in this issue, Firoze Manji provides a perspective on what Obama might have, or should have, said during his second visit to the continent in the space of a few weeks.

***

Good morning. It is an honour for me to be in Accra, and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I’ve received, as are Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama. Ghana’s history is rich, the ties between our two countries are strong, and I am proud that this is my second visit to Africa as president of the United States.

Let me begin my admitting that the history of my country’s relationship with Africa has not always been positive. The United States government and its agencies have on a number of occasions undermined the legitimate democratic aspirations of African people, either by sponsoring opposition, destablising governments, assisting coups d’etat and, God forgive us, assassinating your elected leaders.

During my visit to Egypt, I offered my apologies for the role played by the CIA in the overthrow of a legitimate and democratically elected government in Iran. The litany of such actions taken by successive US governments, either directly or indirectly, would be too long to recount here. Suffice, for the moment, to mention Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara and the events in countries such as Mozambique, Angola and others where we have supported the use of terror against the liberation movements and the people, just as our government has done in many countries in Latin America. I could not legitimately place my feet on this beautiful continent, this land of my father, without my apologies.

[Read the speech]

Posted to YouTube by pekoe67 on 17 December 2008

America, i’ve given you

all and now i’m nothing.

America, when will we end the Human War ?

America, i’ve given you

all and now i’m nothing.

America, why are your libraries full of tears ?

Continue reading →

* Gaza: 1.5 million people trapped in despair (PDF file/454 k)

h/t: Free Gaza Movement: Why we will not stop sending boats

See also: New ICRC film From the field series Gaza: paying the price (download and order online).

“I loved to play football with my friends. I told the doctors that I wanted to be able to walk again – they promised that I would.” – Ghassan, 14 years old, Gaza City. His older brother was killed and he himself was wounded during the military operation. He is waiting to be fitted with artificial limbs for both legs.

Related:
Dorothy Naor: A Political Cartoon’s response to the Cellcom ad

photo & caption posted by golconda2 in comment section of the following diary

What War Brings: imprisoning journalists without charges
by dancewater, dailykos.com, 16 July 2009

This blog post will cover some of the journalists who were detained by US authorities, that is, the US military.  I am not sure that the word ‘detained’ is the best word.  Since they are not charged, or granted the right to face those charges in a court of law, I think of them as “kidnapped”.

Right now, the US is still holding a Reuters journalist without charges in Iraq.  He was at his home in Mahmoudiya, Iraq, when the US troops showed up and broke down the front door.  They came with dogs, and frightened the hell out of the little children in the family.

[Read the diary]