In Search of female prisoner 650 in the US custody

Press release:
Press TV Exclusive: First TV interview with Binyam Mohammed on The Agenda show, Thursday 2 April.

Torture victim, Binyam Mohammed has given his very first TV interview since his release from Guantanamo in February. In the interview with Press TV, he makes sensational claims about the plight of female detainees caught up in the war on terror.

His dramatic eyewitness account was aired this week on The Agenda, a lively political discussion show hosted by journalist Yvonne Ridley.

British Jewish MP denounces Israelis war criminals

Sir Gerald Kaufmann, a Jewish MP, denounces Israeli leaders as war criminals



In his speech at the British parliament recently, he said: "Israel was born out of Jewish Terrorism" Tzipi Livni's Father was a Terrorist. Astonishing claims in the House of Parliament. SIR Gerald Kaufman, the veteran Labour MP, yesterday compared the actions of Israeli troops in Gaza to the Nazis who forced his family to flee Poland.

Majority of Gazans are refugees of Israel occupation

Majority of the 1.5 million Gazans are refugees of Israel occupation

Rashid Khalidi
New York Times
7 January 2009,

NEARLY everything you’ve been led to believe about Gaza is wrong. Below are a few essential points that seem to be missing from the conversation, much of which has taken place in the press, about Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip.


Most of the people living in Gaza are not there by choice. The majority of the 1.5 million people crammed into the roughly 140 square miles of the Gaza Strip belong to families that came from towns and villages outside Gaza like Ashkelon and Beersheba. They were driven to Gaza by the Israeli Army in 1948.

US should normalise low-level diplomatic relations with Iran

CFR Experts argued
20 December 08

As the Obama administration prepares to confront the challenges presented by Iran’s nuclear program, a new report co-authored by Council on Foreign Relations scholar Ray Takeyh and Brookings’ Suzanne Maloney advocates setting a new course for U.S.-Iranian relations. The report, titled “A New U.S. Policy toward Iran,” argues:

“The Obama administration may be tempted to take the easy way out by offering merely new rhetoric and modest refinements to the carrot-and-stick approach that has failed its five predecessors. This would be a mistake. Today, to deal effectively with a rising Iran, the United States must embark on a far deeper reevaluation of its strategy and launch a comprehensive diplomatic initiative to attempt to engage its most enduring Middle Eastern foe.”

The authors recommend “normalizing low-level diplomatic relations so that the U.S. government can gain familiarity with Iranian officials and achieve a better understanding of Iranian political dynamics. American officials are currently forbidden from direct contact with their Iranian counterparts, a stipulation that further degrades the already limited capacity of the U.S. government to interpret Iran.”

This report is part of the recently-published Saban Center at Brookings and Council on Foreign Relations book titled Restoring the Balance: A Middle East Strategy for the Next President. More information about the book can be found here: www.cfr.org/restoring_the_balance.

view the full text @ CFR

US used Nuclear bomb in Iraq, veteran accused

Rai24 Italy TV
7 October 2008
di Maurizio Torrealta

THE THIRD NUCLEAR BOMB, THE VETERAN'S ACCUSATION
In the investigative report an American veteran who participated in “Desert Storm” accuses the Us Administration of having used a small nuclear penetration bomb with an energy of 5 kilotons between the Iraqi town of Basra and the border with Iran.

The beginning of smashing the medieval israeli-led siege

Diaries from Free Gaza Movement boats
Diary 26 (day 27)

By Yvonne Ridley
Thursday 28 August,

I hope you have enjoyed reading my Gaza blog as much as I have writing it and sharing with you the amazing experience of me and my fellow passengers who took part in the historic free Gaza Movement.
However, this is not the end but just a beginning of smashing the medieval israeli-led siege which has enveloped the good people of Gaza.

Gaza boats: Mr Hosni Mubarak - time to rip down the borders

Diaries from Free Gaza Movement boats
Diary 21 (day 24)

By Yvonne Ridley
Monday 25 August,

I still can not believe I am writing to you from Gaza. Since the Free Gaza Movement sailed its two boats into Palestinian waters the celebrations have not stopped and our groups have been very busy.
Today I joined some women whose husbands, fathers and brothers of the Israeli-held detainees in a protest rally as a sign of solidarity in the hope that the Zionist State might show a little bit of humanity and release these political prisoners.

Israel could NOT STOP the boats even if it tried

Diaries from Free Gaza Movement boats
Diary 20 (day 23)

By Yvonne Ridley
Sunday 24 August,

Well, you would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to know that I am writing to you today from Gaza.
I really was too overwhelmed yesterday to put pen to paper after the magnificent welcome I and my fellow peace activists from SS Liberty and SS Free Gaza received as we entered the port of Gaza ... the first ships to sail in since 1967.
But I really want to make one thing very clear to you here and now.
Israel did not give us permission to enter Gaza - the reality is they could NOT STOP us even if they tried.
And believe me some of the tactics to scupper our historic voyage were unbelievable.
Some of us, our family and friends have received death threats by telephone, text and emails while the whole Free Gaza Movement was targetted by Zionists lawyers who tried to sink our mission beofre it even began.
We were accused of being a front for a Hamas operarted gun-running venture and even iran was accused of being party by supplying weapons.
Then Israel Foreign Minister Zvipi Livni made a snide comment a few days ago saying she hoped we could all swim while the Naval Commander announced he was running military exercises off the coast of Gaza and had thrown a 35-mile wide exclusion zone around.
As you know we set off from Larnaca, determined but a little nervous on Friday and, in the dead of night, all of our communications when down ... satellite phones, radar etc. There we were sailing in rough seas, in the pitch black without any form of communication to the outside world.
It was psychological warfare but the Zionist scare tactics failed and driven by nothing more than people power and a couple of seaworthy engines the SS Free Gaza and the SS Liberty sailed into a tumultus welcome in Gaza.
It was one of those defining moments in history - a bit like the first brick of the Berlin Wall being dislodged by ordinary citizens sick of the injustices imposed in a world run by political bullies.
All I could hear ringing in my ears was "Free, Free, Free Gaza and Allahu Akbar".
The emotion was unbelievable and the joy swept us all along on the crest of a gigantic Palestinian wave of delight and disbelief.
We have now smashed the medieval siege imposed by Israel but we will not stop.
Now we need to tear down the checkpoint and crossing at Rafah where so much humanitarian aid has arrived only to be refused entry.
The Egyptian Government should hang its head in shame that a bunch of largely white, non-Muslim westerners smashed the brutal siege by sea to reach the Palestinians and now they must do the same.
There were a few weasel words from Abu Mazen on the day we arrived ... why did the Palestinian leader take so long to send us a goodwill message? Was he waiting for the greenlight by his political masters in washington and Tel Aviv? 'Fraid it was too little too late from a man who is doing his best to ignore the people of Gaza ... shame, shame, shame on you!
And as for the words of goodwill from the Arab League - back them up with hard cash to make this whole Free Gaza Movement permanent so we can open a ferry between Larnaca and Gaza which will run regularly.
Finally, a big thank you to all of you out there who have given us unstinting solidarity, support and encouragement.
It is time for the politicians to move aside and let the people take over - the people united will never be defeated.
Must dash - I'm about to get my passport stamped with Gaza, Gaza City.

* Yvonne Ridley was on board the SS LIberty with film-maker Aki Nawaz producing a documentary for Press TV which will be shown later this year.

More info @ The Free Gaza Movement

We will all be held to account over the biggest crime against humanity in Gaza

Diaries from Free Gaza Movement boats
Diary 19 (day 20)

By Yvonne Ridley
Thursday 21 August,


WHEN I was captured by the Taliban just after the horrific events of 9/11 my mother captivated the world's media for the entire 10 days I was held in Afghanistan.
She did better than any international diplomat as she briefed the press morning, noon and night and virtually became Britain's best known mum overnight.
Several days into my detention, the then Foreign Secretary Jack Straw called her to advise that her headline-grabbing over-the-garden-gate press conferences could jeopardise my life and so she should stop. Undeterred, she told the government minister to: "Get lost".

Yvonne: we are determined to smash the medieval siege of Gaza

Diaries from Free Gaza Movement boats
Diary 18 (day 19)

By Yvonne Ridley
Wednesday 20 August,

IT IS NOT every day a boat gets an official escort into port but the Free Gaza and the SS liberty were given the VIP treatment by the Cypriot Coast Guard during the early hours of this morning as we headed towards Larnaca.
By 8.30am we pulled into the commercial port and there we were finally re-united with the rest of the Free Gaza Movement activists.

ur mission: to smash the medieval siege of Gaza with boats

Diaries from Free Gaza Movement boats
Diary 16 (day 18)

By Yvonne Ridley
Tuesday 19 August,


I have been at sea now for more than 24 hours since the Free Gaza sailed from the last of the Greek island ports en route for Cyprus.
Life on board is beginning to test us all now but morale is still very high and our bonds as a team are growing stronger.
We probably all pong since there are no shower or bathing facilitities on board and I haven’t had a good scrub for three days at least.
There are a couple of toilets, but I’m feeling slightly queasy at the moment so we’ll skip those details.
Living conditions as you’ve probably gathered are very basic and below decks is so hot and humid that most of us prefer to sleep on deck.

Can Israel tolerate peaceful campaigners heading Gaza?

Diaries from Free Gaza Movement boats
Diary 15 (day 17)

By Yvonne Ridley
Monday 18 August,

Israel’s Foreign minister Tzipi Livni has warned the Free Gaza Movement that she will not tolerate plans by the international peace campaigners to sail in to Palestine.
In a long message sent to the peace activists yesterday, the foreign minister’s department was responding to an open invitation to Ms Livni to come on board either the SS Liberty or Free Gaza.
As you know, I am on board the Free Gaza which is presently heading for Cyprus where around 20 other international peace activists are waiting to join the floating peace mission.

Was neuroscientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui raped and tortured at US Bagram prison?

The mysterious case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui

Was neuroscientist raped and tortured at US Bagram prison in Afghanistan during a period of five years?

Ernesto Cienfuegos
La Voz de Aztlan

Alta California - August 14, 2008 - (ACN) It appear that the Bush Administration may have another "Abu Ghraib Prison" type torture scandal in its hands that it is desperately attempting to cover up. The disturbing human rights case involves a Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University educated Pakistani national that mysteriously disappeared, along with her three children, in Afghanistan in 2003. This past week the seriously injured, frail, traumatized and confused Dr. Siddiqui re-appeared in a wheel chair in a New York federal court accused of terrorism and to face charges that she attempted to kill FBI and US soldiers in Afghanistan.