Growing Int. interest to free Gaza, the world's largest open air prison

3rd diary from the boat campaign
By Yvonne Ridley
4 August 2008

INTERNATIONAL interest is growing over daring plans by the Free Gaza campaigners to break the Israeli siege judging by yesterday's press conference in Cyprus.
The two-boat peace mission to sail into the waters off Gaza, the world's largest open air prison where 1.4 million Palestinians are fighting for survival against the medieval, Zionist blockade has really captured the imagination of others.
And now we are hopeful that a flotilla of ships will join us in our mission to highlight the Israeli-imposed injustices on the innocent people of Gaza.
The excitement has even spread to the Gaza Strip where we are told tens of thousands of people are expected on the beaches to greet the historic blockade-busting peace activists.
The only blot on the horizon is speculation over exactly what the Israeli military will do to scupper the historic, waterborne mission.
You see we, as in the peace activists, are bracing ourselves for the worst ... Israel has a history of using immense force to crush anyone offering the slightest goodwill gesture and hope to the Palestinians who are now the victims of a slow genocide.
The brutality of the Israeli military was recalled yesterday when organiser Greta Berlin revealed to the media the names of our two peace boats - Free Gaza and SS Liberty.
The latter is in memory of a war crime which happened on the fourth day of the 1967 Arab Israeli War when the intelligence ship 'USS Liberty' was steaming slowly in international waters, 14 miles off the Sinai Peninsula.
The Second World War freighter had been converted into an intelligence vessel by the top-secret US National Security Agency, and packed with the latest signals and electronic interception equipment.
At 1400 hrs, 8 June, 1967, a squadron of low-flying Israeli Mystere and Mirage-III fighter-bombers repeatedly attacked the American vessel with rockets, napalm, and cannon. The bombing lasted 20 minutes, concentrating on the ship's electronic antennas and dishes. The 'Liberty' was left afire, listing sharply. Eight of her crew lay dead, a hundred seriously wounded, including the captain, Commander William McGonagle.
At 1424 hrs, three Israeli torpedo boats attacked, raking the burning 'Liberty' with 20mm and 40mm shells. At 1431hrs an Israeli torpedo hit the 'Liberty' midship, precisely where the signals intelligence systems were located. Twenty-five more Americans died.
Israeli gunboats circled the wounded 'Liberty,' firing at crewmen trying to fight the fires. At 1515, the crew were ordered to abandon ship. The Israeli warships closed and poured machine gun fire into the crowded life rafts, sinking two. As American sailors were being massacred in cold blood, a rescue mission by US Sixth Fleet carrier aircraft was mysteriously aborted on orders from the White House.
The Israeli attacks killed 34 US seamen and wounded 171 out of a crew of 297, the worst loss of American naval personnel from hostile action since World War II.
Less than an hour after the attack, Israel told Washington its forces had committed a 'tragic error.'

So, it is with good reason that the Free Gaza Campaign organisers were reluctant to tell the media exactly when we are setting sail from Larnaca in Cyprus on a journey of 241 nautical miles.
We are still keeping the exact location of the boats a secret, but I can tell you that they are now on course for Larnaca.
And I can also tell you that myself and film-maker Aki Nawaz flew out of Cyprus last night for a secret destination to rendezvous with the two boats so our Press TV documentary will capture every moment for our viewers.
We should be re-united with our fellow passengers some time this week to break the siege of Gaza and raise international awareness.
So, if you have a boat in the region set your course for Larnaca and let's have a Dunkirk-style flotilla steaming for Gaza.
We can no longer rely on the weasel words and actions of Western politicians to rein in Israel from continuing its brutal policies towards the Palestinians.
Let's take on the Zionist State using nothing more than people power to show how much we really do care. The most powerful weapon to combat the violence of the Zionists will be the non-violent actions of peace activists.

We have spent the last week training in non-violent resistance techniques and while I will freely admit a few of us have fears and concerns, every one of us is determined not to be intimidated or bullied by Israel.

I've previously mentioned the amazing Holocaust-survivor Hedy Epstein, who could celebrate her 84th birthday at sea. She actually learnt to swim to qualify for this trip.

Once we reach Gaza, the plan is to return to Cyprus with Palestinian passengers and establish a ferry service, giving priority for people seeking medical treatment and students prevented by Israel from studying abroad.

If you, like us, believe might is not right then pray for us, support us and - if you have a boat - come sail with us.
See you on the beaches in Gaza ... insh'Allah.

More info @ The FreeGaza Movement

A message from Free Gaza boat: Let's create a flotilla of peace!

The fifth diary from Free Gaza boats campaign
By Yvonne Ridley
Wednesday 6 August

THERE'S an idiom which says 'it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good'.
Frankly, I've never really understood it and so I checked out its origins this morning and to my surprise it is something people say which means most bad things that happen have a good result for someone.
Well, as you can guess, if I am using myday looking up the origins of old sayings then I must have a lot of time on my hands.
It's true. I am still a land lubber and a very frustrated one at that.
Basically the reason for my dry dock situation is that strong winds have scuppered the current schedule of the Free Gaza Campaign which plans to sail two boats into Gaza thus breaking Israel's medieval siege.
I'm stuck on an extremely picturesque Greek island with film-maker Aki Nawaz waiting for one of our boats to come in, and now we are becoming increasingly frustrated.
By joining the boat ahead of Cyprus we felt it would add to the content of the documentary we are hoping to shoot for Press TV.
Having written out our Next-Of-Kin forms, spent days training for all the "What If" scenarios in Cyprus then making a dash, at breakneck speed to the airport for our secret destination, I feel a bit deflated.
I can only imagine how my fellow travellers must feel in their steaming hot bunker in Cyprus which has all the charm of a cement factory.
Actually they had a break out yesterday and you can see from the attached pictures that Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein proved that she can swim as good as the rest of us at the grand old age of 83.
Meanwhile I am assured that the two boats Free Gaza and Liberty are in the water, making their way first to pick up Aki and myself and then full steam ahead to Cyprus.
From there we are going to be full throttle for Gaza, insh'Allah as we Muslims say.
So it seems we are behind schedule by a couple of days because of high winds - hence the ill wind idiom.
Actually, on reflection, I should be ashamed of myself for huffing and puffing about the delay ... after all, this is part and parcel of the daily lives of the good people of Gaza. Palestinians on the Strip as well as the West Bank have learned to be patient when it comes to going out and about doing things we often take for granted.

Holocaust-survivor Hedy Epstein among few other campaignersto the Free Gaza Movement boat

For instance, did you know that scores of Palestinian babies are born at Israeli checkpoints as those charmless individuals dressed in the Zionist Army uniform hold ambulances back in spite of sirens and flashing lights.
I know. I actually witnessed such an incident at a checkpoint near Nablus. I even tried to reason with a schmuck with the gun - an Argentinian (what the hell was he doing in an IDF uniform?) - who stood there totally oblivious to the fact a woman was about to give birth. What a heartless, nasty little piece of work he was.
I'm sure had his mother known what he was doing she would have given him a good slap ... he looked barely old enough to be out of nappies himself.
That checkpoint in the West Bank I remember very well because our delegation was kept waiting for more than two hours even though we had two British Lords and several MPs on board as well as a consular official from the British Embassy standing by.
As we eventually were allowed to continue our journey I noted the ambulance, lights still flashing, remained in a lay by and I often wondered what happened to mother and baby. Did they survive?
And then there's the Palestinian children - their school run is nothing like the one for our children in the free world. These kids are often held up at checkpoints all day and when they do move they run like hell because they have been used for target practice by the thugs who represent the fourth largest army in the world - an army which openly uses live rounds when firing upon women and children.
Shopping, going to work, socialising, visiting relatives - they are all simple acts taken for granted by those of us whose lands aren't occupied, but for Palestinians each day is a challenge.
So I am going to quit moaning and try and adopt the same patience that our brothers and sisters in Palestine have learned to live with every day of their lives.
Our peace boats were intended to sail on the 5th but they are still on their way.
Please keep monitoring this website which is carrying my daily blog - and there's also a Face Book group on the Free Gaza Campaign as well as a website.
Meanwhile I'm told the Zionist State is also cranking up its campaign to stop our boats sailing in to Gaza. They do not want it to happen at all which is why, if you have a boat in the region, jump in it now and head for Larnaca.
We can meet up in the next day or so and ALL sail in to Gaza ... the more the merrier. Let's create a flotilla of peace because if there's anything Israel can't handle it is PEACE.
God grant me the patience of a Palestinian.

More info @ The FreeGaza Movement

Israel put pressure on Cyprus to block Gaza Boat Campaign

A diary By Yvonne Ridley
05 August 2008

THE enormity of what the Save Gaza Campaign is about to do is now beginning to hit home, and home is a place which has been on my mind the last 24 hours.
Home is where my husband wants me to be "right now" as he said last night. Home is also another place, it's the family home where my mother lives and where she wants me to be "right now".
Home obviously means somewhere which is safe and secure and in the arms of your loved ones.
Well that's what it means to me and millions of others around the world. But just what does home mean if you live in the Gaza Strip?
Many of us are wearing Arabic t-short at the moment bearing the words: "Gaza on my mind" and Gaza is very much on my mind these days.
It is the place where I want to be. It is the place where I want the international headlines to be focussed for all the right reasons.
It is the place where I want us all to be in the next few days - in fact, I want us all to unite and be Gazans for the day.
Gaza is home to 1.4 million Palestinians and the sad thing is they don't feel safe. They are under siege, at the mercy of a brutal, hostile military from another land.
They are shot at, their homes demolished on a Zionist whim, and no mercy or respect is shown for age - if you have an olive skin, are a babe in arms or a pensioner you are "untermenschun" as far as the Israeli regime is concerned.
Yes, it is the Nazi word which was reserved for the Jews during the rise of Hitler - and now we have a classic case of the abused becoming the abuser.
Israel has the power to turn off their tap water - and often does. Israel has the power to switch off their lights, stop food and medical aid reaching them and often does.
The only thing Israel can not do is steal the oxygen of Gaza which fills the lungs of the old and young so they can wail, and cry and scream. Sadly no one hears because these people have been cut off from the rest of the world.
They live in the 360 square kilometres of the Gaza Strip, making it one of the most crowded places on earth. In 1948, just 80,000 people lived in the same area. Now, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), 993,818 of the residents of the strip are refugees and 75 per cent of them live in eight camps, where the population density can reach over 75,000 people per square kilometre.
Despite all of the power which Israel wields over this tiny piece of land, the government is still not happy. Now there are moves to try and stop our peace boats from sailing in to Gaza with some hearing aids for the children.
the Zionists are trying to put pressure on the Government of Cyprus to block our attempts to smash the siege of Gaza - but what they forget is that Cyprus knows only too well the cost of occupation.
Cyprus has been occupied for more than three decades following the Turkish invasion of the 70s.
There is only one way the Cypriot Government will fall - and that will be on the side of right and not might.
Come hell or high water, our boats The Liberty and Free Gaza will set sail any day now - we are doing it not for ourselves, but for humanity.
And when we land on the beaches, that is the day we will all become Gazans - armed with nothing more than messages of love and peace.
Is the Israeli war machine fuelled with so much hate there's not room for one ounce of humanity?
One of my fellow passengers Donna Wallach, a jewish lady who has lived in Israel and now resides in America, told me how, despite the hardships suffered under Israel, she is always greeted with love and affection from palestinian children when she visits the occupied lands.
"You know Yvonne, Palestinians don't bring their children up to hate Jews. Sadly the same can not be said in Israel where the children are indoctrinated against Palestinians. It is a tragedy."
Donna Wallach has so much love to give that I know she can't wait to be a Gazan for the day, and I also know that despite her nationality she will be loved just as much by those who she wants to support.
Because, at the end of the day, we are one big family - and families help each other out.

More info @ The Free Gaza Movement

Why the Free Gaza Campaigners don't want to sail in to an Israeli Port?

2nd day diary on boat trip to Gaza
03 August 2008 By Yvonne Ridley

I hate filling out forms at the best of times but the one I was given today really concentrated my mind about all the "what if" scenarios we have been trying to address during the intensive training sessions in our land-locked HQ in Cyprus.
The 'we' in question is an assortment of peace activists aged between 22 and 83 years drawn from nearly 15 countries across the world representing people of all faith and no faith ... although as I was once told: "There are no atheists aboard a sinking ship!" (Insh'Allah, there will be no need to verify of corroborate that statement at a later date).
In the next few days no less than TWO ships currently berthed in a top secret location, will come sailing in to the holiday resort of Larnaca to take us on our peace mission.
It is obvious from checking the Zionist websites and chatrooms, there are those who do not want to see our boats float, and the plan to sail a coupe of them in to Gaza, breaking the Israeli siege, has caused outrage among some hardliners in the Zionist State.
The obvious question to ask is: "Why?" After all, the Free Gaza Campaigners don't want to sail in to an Israeli Port. The mission is bound for Gaza which is in Palestinian waters according to any map of the region.
How can delivering a goodwill message and some hearing aids for kids deafened by bombs threaten Israel and the fourth largest army in the world?
But of course logic does not apply and even ordinary Israeli citizens are becoming embarrassed by the hysteria of some Zionists who continue to promote the ill-conceived and medieval siege of the Gaza Strip.
According to a recent poll the Jewish public there does not believe Israel's policy in Gaza is achieving its goals, and that most of the public even believe this policy is harming their interests.
In fact the survey revealed that 83 per cent felt the siege had made Hamas stronger than ever.
Now if the politicians do decide to pay attention to the people who voted them into power they should tell the Defence Minister to instruct the Navy to give us a wide berth and let our boats pass through so we can get on with our humanitarian mission.
Sadly commonsense does not prevail in the Knesset, and in fact some pretty nasty decisions have been taken by brutal, uncaring, emotionally damaged people who care not one jot for their fellow man. And it will be this mentality which will be the eventual undoing of the Zionist State.
Fellow traveller Mary Hughes reinforced this view as we sat and drank a strong cup of english tea in our communal kitchen today. You see Mary has witnessed firsthand the brutality of those who say the land of Palestine is theirs.
Mary, who is flying the flag for Canada, although she was born in Bolton, Lancashire, went on an olive-picking adventure Itamar near Nablus in october 2002 to try and persuade under-fire Palestinian farmers to remain on their land.
She and other peace activists headed to the village after they were told that a bunch of particularly nasty, violent settlers were trying to drive the Palestinians from the lands they and their ancestors had farmed for thousands of years.
And for those of you not familiar with the term settlers - it refers to a group of people who are illegally occupying Palestinian lands. Settlers are thieving, land grabbers and all of them without exception refuse to recognise the 1967 borders issued under international law.
Mary believed that if she helped the farmers pick their olives then no one would stop them. She was wrong. She was jumped on by eight young Israeli settlers who then kicked and punched her to the ground before robbing her. She received injuries that needed hospital treatment.
Mary was traumatised. Some of her fellow activists were also beaten up by the same gang and received broken ribs and fractured bones.
Did I tell you Mary was 67 years old when these thugs attacked her?
Well she's now older and wiser and 73 and undeterred by the proven brutality of some Israelis (not all, we have many supporters from Jewish peace groups within the Zionist state). She will be part of our peace mission and I, for one, salute her courage and bravery.
I hope the cowards from the illegal settlements near Nablus who kicked and punched Mary read this and hang their heads in shame. I doubt they will, but listening to people like Mary makes me more determined than ever to be proud of taking part in this amazing humanitarian project.
And one day, when my grandchildren ask me what I did to stop the genocide of the Palestinians I will be able to say I took part in the Free Gaza Campaign with some of the bravest people I have ever met.
Suddenly I feel a whole lot braver - now pass me that NOK form.
Tomorrow: Why Israel thinks the Free Gaza Campaigners are taking a liberty over the name of one of the boats.
More info @ The Free Gaza Movement

US and the Iranian terrorist MEK (MKO): Blurring friends and enemies

Fri, 01 Aug 2008

By Nina Hamedani, Press TV

The United States of America has consistently and historically championed itself as a preeminent nation in the world. However, since recent international and domestic events left the US in a more precarious position, they are desperately making friends with unlikely groups.

Post 9/11 US Befriending the MEK or MKO

President George W. Bush, his administration, and the mass media have carried the banner of an age-old mantra post-September 11, 2001: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Along with this mantra, the aforementioned have also propagated a polarizing theory with public statements declaring, “You're either with us, or against us.” However, political situations are not always so black and white - but neither are friends and enemies.

The relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the US has remained strained since the 1953 British and US Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) orchestrated coup d'état of Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq, who had aims of nationalizing Iran's oil. Along with the following 1979 Islamic Revolution and ensuing 444-day student takeover of the US embassy in Tehran, Iran and the US continued to grow apart and remain isolated from one another.

US-Iranian political atmosphere and dominant American philosophies have encouraged the US government to forge a friendship with an Iranian opposition group that is living in exile, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK, MKO or PMOI for the People's Mujahedin of Iran).

BBC's Newsnight on January 17, 2007 uncovered an offer that Tehran sent to Washington in 2003, stating Iran would abandon supporting Hamas and Hezbollah if the Western countries would ensure the MEK be disbanded. Many officials in the US government saw an enormous potential of working with Iran, but the offer was stopped in its tracks by Vice President Dick Cheney - and remained unsigned.

Instead of attempting to bridge the gaps between Iran and the US, the American government has been funding the MEK under a guise of 'democracy promotion' in Iran. Reported amounts of money differ, but consider the following:

See the rest of the article @ Press TV

ISRAELI LAWYERS ATTEMPT TO SCUPPER GAZA PEACE BOAT

By Yvonne Ridley

ORGANISERS who plan to break the siege of Gaza using a boat sailing from Cyprus are facing accusations their seaborne peace mission could be used as a front for a gun-running operation.
The astonishing claims were made yesterday by Israeli lawyers to the Attorney General of California where funding for the project originally began. It is clear from the letter the Zionist group is determined to stop the boat from sailing into Gaza with medical aid for Palestinian children.
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center also accuses the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), and others, of violating Israeli sovereignty and the U.S. Neutrality Act.
Darshan-Leitner wrote that based on prior experience there were "serious concerns that the boats will be carrying weapons, explosives and contraband".
She cited that the Zionist State had imposed a series of sanctions on the Gaza Strip including a coastal blockade to prevent "previous attempts by the Iranian Government to transfer weapons to Palestinian militants at sea."
Last night from their base in Cyprus, organisers of the Free Gaza project said they were bemused by the accusations adding: "Not bad for a group of peaceniks who want to deliver hearing aids for Palestinian kids."
The seaborne venture which sets sail in a few days time has been endorsed by politicians and humanitarians across the globe including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Nobel Peace prize winner Mairead Maquire.
This latest development seems to have had little impact on the internationals representing more than 12 different countries including America, Canada, Pakistan, Britain, Palestine and Israel.
They were joined yesterday by journalist Lauren Booth, sister-in-law of the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who ironically was forced to cancel his trip to Gaza a few weeks ago because of security concerns.
Last night the head of the Free Gaza campaign, Californian Greta Berlin said: "It is utter nonsense to sggest we carry anything except hearing aids. the only boats in that area of the Mediterranen that are carrying guns, munitions and rockets belong to israel.
"This is a human rights mission and one which we intend to run throughout the summer months and early Fall. This is not a one time operation. Our intent is to break the Israeli Siege of Gaza."

* Press TV will be following the progress of the peace activists and journalist Yvonne Ridley, who will be on board with Indy film-maker Aki Nawaz, will be sending a regular blog to Press TV's website.

See updates on boat campaign @ Press TV

New diplomatic moves between Iran and US for talks

19 July 2008
World Week Watch (WWW)
Press TV

Oscar Reyes

Negotiators from Iran, the United States, and five other countries will meet in Geneva later today on July the 19th for international talks over Iran’s nuclear programme.

The high level talks see the United States reverse its previous position, with Undersecretary of State William burns attending negotiations with Iran’s chief nuclear negotiatior Saed Jalili.

Jalili will discuss Iran’s response to a proposal that was delivered to Tehran in mid-June by EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana, who is negotiating on behalf of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

The US and its allies accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, but Iran insists that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

The US State Department's third-ranking diplomat, William Burns, will join talks with Iranian negotiator Saeed Jalili in Geneva this Saturday.
The meeting is the highest level contact between the two nations since the 1979 Iranian revolution – and marks a break with George Bush’s previous policy.
Burns will hear the Iranian response to a multinational proposal offering economic and technical cooperation in return for a suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment programme.
The six party talks – which involve Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - are being conducted by the European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana:

"I am going to meet with Iranian leaders on Saturday. I hope very much we will get a constructive positive answer to the documents which I presented to them in the middle of month of June. That means we are getting active in the short periods of time. Last time I met them it was in Iran on June 14. Before a month is gone we will meet again. Again, I hope the response will allow us to engage in constructive negotiations. I cannot guarantee success but can only say I will be accompanied by important people from six countries including the US."

Solana led a negotiating team to Iran last month to present a package of incentives, including help in establishing a civilian nuclear industry, in return for a suspension of nuclear enrichment and reprocessing.
Iran's adherence to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) entitles the country to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
Under the terms of the so-called ‘freeze for freeze’ proposal, Iran would not increase the level of its uranium enrichment efforts while negotiations continued, in return for a freeze in any moves towards further sanctions against Iran.

As part of this latest round of negotiations, European governments have been pushing for Washington to participate directly in preliminary talks with Iran.
US President George Bush had repeatedly ruled out such talks until Iran suspended its uranium enrichment process. But this demand now appears to have been dropped, as US diplomats look for a way out of the crisis that they have promoted.

The talks come against a backdrop of Israeli and Iranian missile tests, and repeated US threats. In a related development, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hinted on Tuesday that a request for installing a US diplomatic base in Iran could be reviewed.

The installation of a diplomatic outpost would mark a dramatic official US return to the country almost 30 years absence.

Iran already has its own interests section in Washington. If the US reciprocates, its interest section, a de facto embassy, would be run from the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.

to watch the programme go @ PressTV.com

US Training Jondollah and MKO terrorists for Bombing Iran

8 July 2008

CASMII reports

interview with Seymour Hersh

In an interview with NPR on his latest New Yorker Article, titled 'Preparing the battlefield', the renowned investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reveals more striking details of his findings on the aim of the $400 million budgeted US covert operations inside Iran. He provides valuable information on US military preparations to strike the country, on the total expansion of the Bush Administration's executive power, about the US recognition of Iran's overall positive role in Iraq and on the US support for the anti-Iran terrorist organisations Jondollah, PJAK and MEK.

Hersh explains that the aim of the US covert operations inside Iran is to create a pretext for attack with the goal of regime change. "The strategic thinking behind this covert operation is to provoke enough trouble and chaos so that the Iranian government makes the mistake of taking aggressive action which will give the impression of a country in acute turmoil", he said. "Then you have what the White House calls the 'casus belli', a reason to attack the country. That is the thinking and it is very crazy."

On Iran's role in Iraq, Hersh points out: "There is absolutely no clear evidence known to the American government that the Iranian leadership has any interest in provoking trouble with the United States in Iraq by sending in people to cause mayhem or kill Americans. There is just no evidence for it." He continues further on: "Frankly, the guys I know in the inside-- in the Special Forces, high up in DoD, high up in the intelligence community--if you push them hard enough, they tell you that Iran has been more of a force for stability in Iraq than negative".

Hersh comments that the decision to launch these covert operations was prompted by the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate's verdict that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons programme and that the approval by the US Congress leadership of the $400 million budget for the operations "is totally an expansion" of the executive powers of the Bush Administration.

He explains how the Bush Administration's policy of "my enemy's enemy is my friend" has led the US to support the Baluchi organisation Jondollah and the MEK (Mujahideen-e-Khalq a.k.a PMOI), both of which have clear track records of terrorist activities including against the US. He reiterates that the US has been giving arms and cash to the terrorists in the MEK for years and reveals that "most of the [MEK] leaders have been taking our money and cashing it in an awful lot of bank accounts in London." He also reveals for the first time that the US has trained MEK teams in the state of Nevada and that "they do a lot of crazy stuff inside Iran".

Hersh warns that "we have been moving cruise missiles there for a few months now", and that the US military is ready. "Our submarines are there, our destroyers are there with cruise missiles aboard, our aircrafts are there, our soldiers are there" to attack Iran within "10 to 12 hours" of the go-ahead order by President Bush, he says, stressing that troops have to go on the ground in Iran in order to destroy Iran's defensive systems.

He finally points out that Bush "is going to be a very active president, I am afraid, until 11:59:59 seconds on January 20, 2009" and raises the alarm about an "October surprise", a military attack on Iran, in particular if Obama continues to have a lead in the polls.


Listen to the whole interview @ here.

The article provided by CASMII. For more information or to contact CASMII please visit http://www.campaigniran.org

Israeli MP thanked France for nuclear weapons

Shraga Elam
Zurich/Switzerland
23 June 2008

No real media attention was given to a stunning declaration made yesterday by Dalia Itzik, the Knesset Speaker. Greeting the French president Nicola Sarkozy she said among other things:

„… we remember the beautiful days of political and mainly security cooperation [between our countries – s.e.] and will be forever thankful to you, the French, for giving us the main source of power and deterrence that was and will be in our possession.“

(Source: Knesset website in Hebrew /http://www.knesset.gov.il/vip/speaker/heb/SpSpeech230608.htm). The statement was quoted partially in the Hebrew Ha‘aretz edition, which added: „… as is known the nuclear plant in Dimona was erected with a French aid.” (http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/995439.html ) .

This official statement in the Knesset signals a real change in Israel's policy of nuclear opacity; i.e., Israel has refused to admit till now possessing nuclear weapons. This obvious lie was accepted by the US governments as the most convenient solution for the problem posed by the Israeli nukes. A talkbackist called Hass wrote correctly: „US law requires(d) the US to limit scientific/technical interactions with non-NPT nuclear armed states, and the “opacity” in question was specifically intended to allow Israel to circumvent these restrictions by agreeing to pretend that Israeli nukes don’t exist.“ ( http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/1321/israel-and-nuclear-opacity ).

The most plausible explanation for Itzik’s surprising statement is that Israel is preparing the ground for accepting Iranian nukes and institutionalizing a policy of „balance of terror“. The „balance of terror“ requires that both sides will possess weapons of mass destruction and the possession should be made known in order to deter the enemy from attacking.

Hebrew short version:
http://cafe.themarker.com/view.php?t=495545

IAEA on Iran's Nuclear Program: Reality vs. US media myth

Jeremy R. Hammond
June 5, 2008

This is a good investigative report that can rarely been found in US media. Jeremy starts his report with the following:

When the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sent its follow-up report on the implementation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement in Iran to the United Nations Security Council on May 26, the response from the U.S. media was pretty much along predictable lines.

The next day, The New York Times, under a headline that read "Atomic Monitor Signals Concern Over Iran's Work," called it an "unusually blunt and detailed report" and quoted the report as saying that Iran's alleged pursuit of a nuclear weapon remained "a matter of serious concern." The report "accused the Iranians of a willful lack of cooperation, particularly in answering allegations that its nuclear program may be intended more for military use than for energy generation." The case that Iran may be seeking a weapon consists in part on 18 documents indicating that "the Iranians have ventured into explosives, uranium processing and a missile warhead design."

Jeremy concludes in his investigative report:

Thus, out of the five remaining outstanding issues at the time of the February report, three were deemed then to be no longer outstanding. A fourth, regarding the "uranium metal document" was awaiting further corroboration from Pakistan of Iran's explanation for its possession of the document, which the IAEA has since received. The last remaining outstanding issue is with regard to the "alleged studies" purportedly shown in documents provided by other nations that Iran claims are forgeries. While these documents are indeed a "serious concern" when considering allegations of Iran's "cat-and-mouse" game with the IAEA, it must also be considered that Iran hasn't even been presented with some of these documents cited as evidence of its intention to build a bomb. The follow-up May report doesn't reiterate issues deemed no longer outstanding from the February report, giving cause for that context to be conveniently forgotten in US media reports.

The fact is that the IAEA has noted substantial progress in resolving outstanding issues that remain in the process of verifying the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. Iran's right to research and develop nuclear technology for energy is guaranteed under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Iran has allowed the IAEA access and oversight under the terms of its Safeguards Agreement, and the Agency has continued to successfully monitor Iran's program, detecting no proscribed activities indicating a parallel weapons program.

As the IAEA Secretary General Mohammed El Baradei noted at the World Economic Forum the week before the delivery of the May report to the UN, "We haven't seen indications or any concrete evidence that Iran is building a nuclear weapon and I've been saying that consistently for the last five years."[13]

One must be forgiven if one had arrived at a different conclusion based on contrary impressions delivered to the public by the US media.

the full report @ OpEdNews
more on: http://www.yirmeyahureview.com

Is the world running out of oil?

Press TV
World Week Watch (WWW) programme
Saturday 24 May 08

Oscar Reyes

This week, oil prices hit record highs of 135 dollars per barrel – which, even taking inflation into account, is higher than at the peak of the 1970s oil crisis.

Is the world running out of oil? Or are oil traders cashing in on temporary price hikes – creating a temporary bubble that will soon burst?

Let’s take a look at some of the factors behind this week’s record prices.


With oil prices reaching record highs, there is no shortage of explanations for the current boom.

The latest surge came after the US government reported that its supplies of crude oil and petrol fell unexpectedly in the last week.

Financial speculation was rife, with a $5 dollar price hike in a single day’s trading on Wednesday bearing all the hallmarks of a speculative bubble.

The weak US currency was also a factor, as it makes it cheaper for holders of other currencies to buy oil - which is traditionally priced in dollars.

In addition, many investors see commodities such as oil as a hedge against inflation and the falling dollar.

But while some analysts consider that, in the short term, this bubble could burst, the fundamentals of oil supply and global politics make it more likely that the price of a barrel of crude will continue its upward trend.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) last year reported that oil demand is likely to outpace rises in oil supply until at least 2012, generating significant shortfalls.

The economic and consumer boom in the world's largest developing countries, particularly China and India, are one key factor.
But this is accompanied by a pronounced slowdown in the expansion of global supply, due mainly to a dearth of new discoveries, which many analysts take a sign that the world is approaching peak oil - the moment in our history where supplies start to dwindle
This trend has been exacerbated by the unwillingness – and, to some extent, inability - of the oil cartel Opec to pump significantly more crude.

Recurrent political disorder in key oil fields already in production – including Iraq and Nigeria – is a further factor.
US aggression towards key oil producers, including Iraq, Venezuela and Iran – has made the markets nervous too, with the resulting spike in oil prices having a significant ‘blowback’ effect on the US economy itself.
But with US officials keen to pin the blame on OPEC, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez – whose country is a member of the organization – said on Thursday that the true culprit was America’s addiction to oil.

6. Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela:"They say we are to blame for the price of oil. They are the ones to blame in the first place, for their wastefulness, their consumption, the aggression against countries such as Iraq, a great oil-producing country, their threats to Iran and Venezuela, and many other factors. It's not OPEC. They want to demonise OPEC before the world. They want to pin the world against OPEC. Yesterday we were discussing this, how to stop the empire from succeeding with its great media machine from inverting reality, because sometimes they are successful."

So what is the effect of all this?
The environmental impact is ambiguous. A cut in flights, and a decline in sales of gas guzzling 4x4 vehicles in the United States is good news for the planet. But price alone will not change the oil addition of Western consumers. And while oil-dependent companies are reporting losses, oil companies themselves are doing well – with the high price making it viable to invest in new “unconventional” oil sources, such as tar sands and deep-offshore fields.

The impact on the US economy is more telling, however.
With oil prices now over twice what they were a year ago, they are fueling US inflation by making it more expensive to transport goods such as food.

This, in turn, is helping to weaken the value of the dollar on international currency markets – which then inflates the price of oil itself in international trading.

More fundamentally, though, the high oil price is weakening the US economy in the longer term by generating a huge balance-of-payments deficit.

As the United States continues to feed its oil addiction, wealth is being transferred at a rapid rate to the economies of oil-producing nations.

Your comments to this programme should be sent to: www@presstv.co.uk

View this show @ here

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Rep. Ron Paul Stands Alone in Senate against Powerfull Israel Lobby

CNI reports

Rep. Ron Paul Stands Alone (defying AIPAC) in Voting Against Gaza Bill (see the latest CNI send about Dr. Paul's courage below):

On Wednesday, March 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 951, which condemns the ongoing Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilians, holding both Iran and Syria responsible for "sponsoring terror attacks." Additionally, the resolution claims that "those responsible for launching rocket attacks against Israel routinely embed their production facilities and launch sites amongst the Palestinian civilian population, utilizing them as human shields …". For the full text of House Resolution 951, please click here.

This resolution problematically includes a strong defense of the recent Israeli incursions in Gaza. The following is one such exert: "Whereas the inadvertent inflicting of civilian casualties as a result of defensive military operations aimed at military targets, while deeply regrettable, is not at all morally equivalent to the deliberate targeting of civilian populations as practiced by Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist groups…"
The resolution passed the House with an unequivocal majority of 404 to 1 with four representatives voting present and nineteen abstaining. Who was the lone Member of Congress to stand up to the Israel Lobby? Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) not only voted against HR 951, but also made a very strong statement explaining why he opposed such a biased pro-Israel statement.

Below is Rep. Paul's statement he gave to the House before the vote:

Mr. Speaker I rise in opposition to H. Res. 951, a resolution to condemn Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. As one who is consistently against war and violence, I obviously do not support the firing of rockets indiscriminately into civilian populations. I believe it is appalling that Palestinians are firing rockets that harm innocent Israelis, just as I believe it is appalling that Israel fires missiles into Palestinian areas where children and other non-combatants are killed and injured.

Unfortunately, legislation such as this is more likely to perpetuate violence in the Middle East than contribute to its abatement. It is our continued involvement and intervention - particularly when it appears to be one-sided - that reduces the incentive for opposing sides to reach a lasting peace agreement.

Additionally, this bill will continue the march toward war with Iran and Syria, as it contains provocative language targeting these countries. The legislation oversimplifies the Israel/Palestine conflict and the larger unrest in the Middle East by simply pointing the finger at Iran and Syria. This is another piece in a steady series of legislation passed in the House that intensifies enmity between the United States and Iran and Syria. My colleagues will recall that we saw a similar steady stream of provocative legislation against Iraq in the years before the US attack on that country.

I strongly believe that we must cease making proclamations involving conflicts that have nothing to do with the United States. We incur the wrath of those who feel slighted while doing very little to slow or stop the violence.

The Council for the National Interest denounces H.R. 951 and encourages our members to call their Representative to let them know that this approval of Israeli aggression and flagrant human rights abuses is unacceptable. To find out how your Representative voted, please click here.

In addition, please thank Rep. Paul for his brave actions on Wednesday. Contact his office today and express your gratitude by calling (202) 225-2831.


Reported by CNI@ Council for the National Interest Foundation

Were the Archbishop's Comments on Sharia Law Justifiable?

A debate at Press TV london

Broadcast on 26 February 2008.

Watch @ PresTV, Forum

The Forum - Sharia controversy: justified fear or media circus?

Host: Phil Rees

Panelists:
The Reverend Stephen Coles, is a member of the General Synod of the Church of England and Vicar of St Thomas', Finsbury Park, London

Dr Daud Abdullah is deputy secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain

Alex Deane, member of Church of England. He is the author of 'The Great Abdication: Why Britain's Decline of the Middle Class' and is former Chief of Staff to leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron MP.

Mohammad Saeed Bahmanpour, raised in Iran, studied at Queen Mary College London, the London School of Economics and the Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran and most recently a lecturer at the Islamic College for Advanced Studies in London. His latest book, Muslim Identity in the 21st Century, was published in London in 2001.

Preview:
This week Forum was discussing sharia law in the UK. A lecture to lawyers by the chief religious leader of the Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, earlier this month, has sparked off serious attacks against him in the media with headlines including 'Bash the Bishop.' Commentators from both from the political right and left both criticised him, some calling for his resignation, whilst colleagues in his Church have questioned his judgement. The subject at the centre of the row is sharia law in the UK, with Williams questioning whether British law should legally recognise aspects of religious law.

Political leaders Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg all disagree fearing the universal value of equality before the law in the UK would be undermined by the introduction of parallel foreign laws. Fears also of the fragmenting of society have been stoked up by the recycling of an ICM poll in 2006 claiming 40% of Muslims would favour the introduction of sharia laws in the pre-dominantly Muslim areas. But few have asked exactly what is sharia and what parts of the legal system would be affected.

Can sharia like elements of other religious laws be formally practiced in the UK? Those sympathetic to sharia claim sharia courts have been operating in England for a number of years and Muslims are only seeking equality in the law with the likes of the Jewish and other communities.

Should we be more concerned with sharia or with the reporting behind it? And does this tell us about wider underlying attitudes towards Muslims behind the issue of the sharia law?

Watch @ PresTV, Forum