InternetActivist.Org

MAY 17: Al Nakba Commemoration at the Capitol, Denver

2008-05-16T19:20:00.001-06:00

Remembering al-Nakba
(Israel's ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians in 1948)

May 17, 2008

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

State Capitol--Colfax and Lincoln/Broadway, Denver, Colorado

Sponsor(s): Friends of Sabeel-Colorado, Colorado Progressive Jewish News, Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center

Cultural Festival: 11:00 am-1:00 pm
Come celebrate Palestinian/Arab culture outdoors with delicious Middle Eastern food and festive music.

Participatory Remembrance Ceremony 1:00 pm
Commemorate the anniversary of the 1948 al-Nakba--the catastophe of the Palestinians’ homeland by the founding of Israel--by participating in a ceremonial creation of a giant map of Palestine.

Learn about the over 400 Palestinian villiages that were depopulated and bulldozed.

What is the continuing impact?
What can we do?

Onestate.Org (for & against one state for Palestine/Israel) has been updated

2008-05-09T22:32:00.001-06:00

The Online One State Bibliography in English website - http://www.onestate.org - that presents articles and essays discussing the idea of one state in Israel/Palestine (both for and against) has been updated with new material. New additions include:

I. Pro-Unity One State Articles (direct page: http://oss.internetactivist.org/PUOSA.html)

- Abunimah, Ali "Democracy: An existential threat?" Electronic Intifada
- Amayreh, Khaled "Embracing the one-state solution" Al Ahram
- Christison, Kathleen "One and Two State Solutions: The Myth of International Consensus" CounterPunch
- Cook, Jonathan "Two-State Dreamers" AntiWar.Com
- Hasan, Rumy "Just one state" Al Ahram
- Hishmeh, George S. "Back to square one" Gulf News
- Holachek, Alex "Author proposes one-state solution in Palestine" Wesleyan Argus
- Hull, Crispin "One-state solution to end Israel-Palestine conflict" Canberra Times
- Imadudeen, Ismail "Could One State Phenomenon be the Solution?" American Chronicle
- Khalidi, Ahmad Samih "Thanks, but no thanks" Guardian, 13 December 2007
- Khouri, Rami G. "Dissolve the Palestinian Authority" Daily Star (Lebanon)
- Klein, Shimon Z. "The Binational State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" Blogger News Network
- Lieberman, Dan "The Harsh Reality Of The Middle East Conflict" Counter Currents
- Mundow, Anna "Language and conflict: Interview With Saree Makdisi" Boston Globe
- Peled, Miko "Transforming Israel" Electronic Intifada, 25 March 2008
- Resmann, Nick and Santana, Maaika "Remembrance of the Naqba: Interview with Tal Dor and Nidal al-Azza" IndyMedia - Belgium
- Stern, Yoav "Adalah center says it may seek supranational regime in 'all historic Palestine'" Haaretz
- Walker, Terry "Wrestling with Jewishness" Tikkun
- Weekes, Anna "Interview with single-state activist Dr. Haider Eid" Electronic Intifada

II. Anti-Unity Ethnic Separatist Articles (direct page: http://oss.internetactivist.org/AUESA.html)

- Amdur, Reuel S. "Finklestein: Middle East powder keg ready to blow" Arab American News
- Chumbley, Lucy "Ecumenical conference in Washington D.C. seeks path to 'peace in Jerusalem'" Episcopal News Service
- Harris, Maurice "A place to call home" Register-Guard
- Isseroff, Ami "The rush to sell out Palestine and peace" MidEastWeb
- JPost Staff "Ben-Eliezer warns of bi-national state" Jerusalem Post
- Karsh, Efraim "1948, Israel, and the Palestinians: Annotated Text" Commentary Magazine
- Mendes, Philip "One State, No Solution" NewMatilda.Com
- Pinkas, Alon "Memo to the President - January 2009: Is there still a Two-State solution?" Jerusalem Post
- Rubin, Trudy "The looming threat to Israel lies within" Philadelphia Inquirer
- Warschawski, Michael "The One State Solution and Irreversibility" Alternative Information Center

III. Other Related Articles (direct page: http://oss.internetactivist.org/ORA.html)

- Abunimah, Ali "Anti-Arab racism and incitement in Israel" Electronic Intifada
- Boudreaux, Richard and Khalil, Ashraf "For some Palestinians, one state with Israel is better than none" Los Angeles Times
- Seale, Patrick "Death of the Two-State Solution" PatrickSeale.Com
- Slackman, Michael "Arab Leaders Say the Two-State Proposal Is in Peril" New York Times
- Susser, Leslie "One Land: How Many States?" The Jerusalem Report
- Whitbeck, John V. "If Kosovo, Why Not Palestine?" Media Monitors

If you know of other articles that should be included but are not, please feel free to forward them to us via http://books.dreambook.com/colsol/oss.sign.html or reply to this message.

In Memory of Riad Hamad, 1952-2008, Palestine Activist

2008-04-19T17:59:00.004-06:00

In Memory of Riad Hamad, 1952-2008

Father, teacher, and activist and friend

Through the Colorado Palestine Solidarity Campaign (http://colorado-palestine.blogspot.com) I have worked with Riad Hamad and the Palestine Children’s Welfare Fund (http://www.pcwf.org) since 2003. Despite talking via the phone and email, the first time we met face-to-face was at the Palestine Solidarity Conference (“Divestment Conference”) at Duke University in 2004 (http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/mmedia/features/psm/ )where we shared Eid dinner. After this, we often met at other national events, the last of which was the U.S. Campaign mobilization for Palestine in Washington D.C. (http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1281 )

Funny, charming, and clearly driven to help the children of Palestine despite years of harassment (none of which ever revealed any wrongdoing) by the government; the Palestine solidarity movement and society in general has lost a valued and dedicated contributor. Riad Hamad was truly one of the most valuable of activists in that he wasn’t interested in “playing politics” within the activist movement; but instead simply found ways he could make a difference and set out to do so with or without support and assistance from others. He lived very modestly and there has never been an accusation that even a single penny of the money he raised was misappropriated, everything went to help the cause. Further, he found and accepted allies of all stripes, working with Palestinians, other Arab groups, Israeli peace activists, Jewish-Americans (like myself), and anyone else willing to contribute to his various projects and initiatives.

Although the circumstances of his death strike me as being questionable (bound, gagged, and floating in a lake); both the police ([PDF] http://home.kxan.com/news_PDFs/4.17.08APD-hammad.pdf ) and the family ([PDF] http://home.kxan.com/news_PDFs/4.17.08hamad.pdf ) have made the case that due to unspecified “stressors” Riad had recently been suicidal and that the physical evidence supports the possibility that his death was self-inflicted.

He will be missed and should be remembered as he represented the very best in independent grass-roots activism.

From the media:

Teachers, Students Grieve over Loss of Teacher
http://www.590klbj.com/News/Story.aspx?ID=89235

EXCERPT: More than a thousand students and the teachers at a southwest Austin middle school where Riad Hamad, 55, taught a technology class are in silent reflection now. ... "Mr. Hamad is a loved teacher on this campus. He's been here since 1999 when we opened and in his capacity as a technology teacher, he works with about 90% of our students," Anderson says. ... "Our children gained and developed a sense of humor. Some of the things the kids talked about, it was just remarkable that they could mirror the sense of humor that this man had." "They love him. He has been remarkable in setting high standards and sharing. He has been a very generous, generous man."

Odd Twists to Case Surrounding Body in Lady Bird Lake
http://www.590klbj.com/News/Story.aspx?ID=89215

EXCERPT: Witnesses at the scene Wednesday afternoon say the body, now identified as Riad Hamad, 55, an Austin Independent School District teacher, washed up at Festival Beach Park sometime before 2:00 p.m., when one young woman says she called 9-1-1. She told News Radio 590 KLBJ the man's body had been "wrapped with duct tape". Austin Police Sergeant Joseph Chacon confirms the man was bound with duct tape. "The bindings, although I cannot go into them extensively, it's possible that he could have done them to himself," Chacon says. "We have not ruled out that foul play might be involved. However, we have no indication right now that that is the case." ... Investigators say it's not impossible that Hamad would have acted alone, although bizarre.

Family devastated by loss of AISD teacher
http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/austin/stories/041708kvueAISDteacher-cb.7215ba7a.html

EXCERPT: APD Sgt. Joseph Chacon said they have not ruled out foul play, but they believe that Hamad, who is a peaceful activist for Palestinian causes, may have committed suicide. They do not believe his activism was related to his death. Police say Hamad was seen walking from his car to the shoreline of Lady Bird Lake alone just before he was reported missing. Family members said Hamad was dealing with intense pressure and had been experiencing suicidal thoughts. … "There were extreme stressers in Mr. Hamad's life. We've spoken to several people who knew him including family and they expressed that he was feeling suicidal," Chacon said. APD also admits someone binding their own body parts is unusual, but they say it does happen. The official cause of Hamad's death has not been released.

Austin MS teacher identified as body found in Lady Bird Lake
http://www.keyetv.com/content/news/topnews/story.aspx?content_id=8803fbc6-561b-4587-8cdf-ee4933db44f3

EXCERPT: Austin detectives say Riad Hamad, a teacher at Clint Small Middle School, was discovered bound and gagged with duct tape. They say Hamad had told his family was under extreme stress and had thoughts of suicide. Investigators do not suspect foul play. "There were extreme stressors in his life," said Austin Police Department Sergeant Joseph Chacon. "We talked to several people, including his family, who knew him -- who expressed he was feeling suicidal."

Police: Man found in the lake was Austin teacher
http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=8176879&nav=menu73_2_10

A friend, brother, comrade has either committed suicide or was murdered
http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/voices.php/2008/04/18/a_friend_brother_comrade_has_either_comm

Riad Hamad: A Death in Austin
http://pacificfreepress.com/content/view/2509/1/

Man found in Lady Bird Lake was teacher, FBI target
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/04/18/0418body.html

Police search for answers in death of Austin teacher
http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/041708kvuebody2-bkm.745e13f5.html

Austin MS teacher identified as body found in Lady Bird Lake
http://www.keyetv.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=8803fbc6-561b-4587-8cdf-ee4933db44f3

Black Ribbon for Gaza

2008-03-02T11:58:00.002-07:00

Reproduced verbatim from: http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2008/03/02/black-ribbon-for-gaza/

When the Virginia Tech shooting happened in the united states about a year ago, many people posted black-ribbon-vt pictures on their facebook/myspace profiles which spread the word and caused more awareness of it. Similar black ribbons were used in other tragic incidents.

Thus, i made this simple gaza black ribbon for use on facebook, so that people with Western contacts could help raise awareness of this human massacre. What do you think of that idea? Can you please put it up on your blog and encourage readers to spread the word as well please?

It is really unfortunate because here in the United States, not a single word was mentioned about the situation in Gaza in any of the major news networks. Not a single word. Nothing!! None of my colleagues know that anything is happening in Gaza at all.

Best Regards,

–
Za3tar

Thank you, Za3tar!

Please use the “Black Ribbon for Gaza” in all your communication media (e.g. email, forums, flickr, facebook, blog, etc…). Spread the awareness about the atrocities and war crimes conducted by the Israel-Nazi.

To get the code go to: http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2008/03/02/black-ribbon-for-gaza/

Cynthia McKinney Announces Campaign for Presidency

2008-01-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release:
December 16, 2007

Contact: media-requests@runcynthiarun.org

Cynthia McKinney Announces Presidential Campaign
Video News Release Available Today at 6 PM

Cynthia McKinney, a former six-term Congresswoman and an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq, today officially launched her campaign as a Green Party candidate for President.

In a video news release, McKinney says "the Republicans have deceived us; the Democrats have failed us. It is time for a new beginning: A time for hope to rise from the ashes of despair."

McKinney, a former Democrat from Georgia, was one of only three members of Congress to vote "yes" on a House Resolution in 2005 calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. One of her last acts in office was introducing Articles of Impeachment naming George Bush, Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice.

According to McKinney: "It is time to break the vicious cycle where the poor go to war and veterans come home wounded and ignored."

McKinney supports universal, single-payer health care; fair trade; and has been an unrelenting advocate for Hurricane Katrina survivors. No stranger to controversy and unafraid of speaking truth to power, McKinney has demanded that the Bush Administration tell the American people what the Administration knew about the events leading up to 9/11 and when they knew it.

McKinney's announcement ends months of speculation about her plans. McKinney has been traveling constantly and meeting with Green Party members and other activists across the country who have been encouraging her to seek the Presidency.

More information about McKinney's campaign including a copy of her video statement, are available by linking to: www.runcynthiarun.org.

-30-

Members of the media are urged to request a copy of the high resolution version of this VNR, suitable for broadcast and cablecast at:
http://media.runcynthiarun.org/vnr_request.cgi

January 5, 2008 – Wyoming (Republicans only)

2008-01-06T09:13:00.000-07:00

Republican Top Three:

Mitt Romney: 8 delegates
Fred Thompson: 2 delegates
Duncan Hunter: 1 delegate

[SOURCE: http://axcessnews.com/index.php/articles/show/id/13614]

Analysis:

There is no real surprise that Romney won this one, making this Romney’s first state win after losing Iowa to Huckabee. In the West, Mormons are better known and accepted and the GOP voters tend to more centrists perspectives, therefore Romney only made sense. It is a bit surprising to see Duncan Hunter make an appearance here and it would be interesting to see who these voters consider their second choice as it seems unlikely that Hunter will last through the convention.

Next Event: January 8 – Democratic and Republican primaries in New Hampshire. Our predictions: Obama will when NH followed by Clinton on the Democratic side; McCain will win NH followed by Romney.

January 3, 2008 – Iowa (Republicans & Democrats)

2008-01-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

January 3, 2008 – Iowa (Republicans & Democrats)

Democratic Top Three:

Barak Obama: 38%
John Edwards: 30%
Hillary Clinton: 29%

Republican Top Three:

Mike Huckabee: 34%
Mitt Romney: 25%
Fred Thompson & John McCain: 13%

[Source: http://www.tv20detroit.com/news/13043362.html ]

Analysis:

The big news here was the Huckabee win among Republican voters. Appealing to the evangelical Christian base of the GOP – 60% of GOP Caucus-goers identified themselves as evangelical Christians – Huckabee has become a viable candidate for the Republican nomination. Specifically, the evangelical Christians are “values voters” for whom the social issues (state control of women’s bodies [a/k/a “Pro-Life”]; rabid homophobia; militant Islamophobia; anti-constitutionalism [a/k/a integrating Church & State]; and so on) are much more important than fiscal, defense/imperial, or immigration policy. Further, the evangelicals represent the only core Republican constituency with enormous numbers of actual voters (as opposed to money or vested interests) and Huckabee has tapped this constituency.

If one reads the Republican press today (January 4) it is readily apparent that the GOP leadership – the plutocrats and Neo-Conservatives - were hoping that Huckabee would be excluded thereby forcing the evangelicals to compromise on their social issues as a “lesser evil” than the Democrats. However, this has not turned out to be the case, and now Huckabee – especially if he is able to keep the evangelicals interested – is a very viable candidate for the nomination. By almost all accounts, most Republicans aren’t very enthusiastic about their field, meaning that many will stay home and this means as long as the evangelicals stay galvanized behind Huckabee he can easily win the nomination without compromising his hard line Christian views to placate the other elements of the Republican party. However, when it comes to the general election, Huckabee stands no chance whatsoever of winning.

So, our prediction is that either they will try to bribe Huckabee into dropping out and endorsing so-and-so in exchange for massive new concessions to the evangelicals; OR one is likely to see a very aggressive “Swift Boat” campaign to vilify him. The problem with the bribe idea is that the evangelicals feel that Bush has betrayed them, so they’re much less likely to trust a bribery arrangement, especially since it is entirely possible that they can take over the GOP this year and they have deluded themselves into believing that the vast majority – or silent majority – of Americans support their insane theological platform. As for the “Swift Boat” idea, the problem is that the evangelicals already believe many of the other elements of the GOP are out “to get them” and they have their own alternative media infrastructure that most of their supporters use as their primary sources of information, and thus they have the means of limiting the impact of such a campaign among their faithful.

Among the Democrats, though Hillary’s third place showing came as a surprise to some, those following the polls knew that all three leading candidates were in a statistical tie all along, so the outcome wasn’t that surprising. Nevertheless, Hillary is far from out of the race because her strong point – namely the money and corporate support she has received – won’t really be tested until February 5, when 22 states have their nominating events. It is here where the money will make all the difference since it is completely impossible for the candidates to be in all these states at the same time. However, if Hillary fails to sweep Feb. 5 (give or take a couple states), we believe that would be the end of her run. As a total whore to the corporate powers that be and a staunch Neo-Liberal imperialist Hillary cannot be discounted until the February 5, and then only if she fails to utterly dominate the day.

Although I’m wary of Obama & Edwards for various reasons (e.g. their views about the wars and US imperialist policy) I do believe I could give either of them the benefit of the doubt; especially a major economic downturn is virtually inevitable for most of the next President’s term. This economic downturn, coupled with the subsequent domestic pressures, will largely curtail any President’s ability to expand Bush’s War and is quite likely to result in a dramatic de-emphasis military and imperialist adventurism in favor of domestic issues. Therefore I suspect that whoever the next President is, he or she will be limited in how much imperialist aggression they’ll be able to inflict on the rest of the world, thus Obama & Edwards can be afforded more tolerance than would otherwise be acceptable had Bush not already run the country into the ground. Keep in mind most of the actual impact of Bush’s policies – his borrowing, his tax cuts for the uber-rich, his cuts to the social safety nets - will not take effect until the start of the next President’s term.

Next event: January 5 – the Republican Caucuses in Wyoming. Our prediction is a win for Mitt Romney.

Ron Paul and worker's rights

2007-12-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ron Paul and the Employer/Employee Relationship... including the words of the candidate by Richard Myers
[From the Front Range Coalition Email list, 14 December 2007]

Ron Paul defends the rights of the employer on principle. He calls it liberty; i call it privilege.

The boss has power over the employee, and may exert that power in illicit ways. Ron Paul considers the employment contract voluntary on both sides, and he therefore doesn't recognize the reality of that power relationship. While he won't defend a manager who actually uses force to coerce sex from a subordinate, his recommended solution to sexual harrassment by the boss is for the employee to quit her job.

This leads me to believe that Ron Paul hasn't a clue what it must mean to be a single mother, dependent upon a paycheck to feed her children. Anyone who would offer a sexually exploited employee some civil rights tools to defend herself is derided as a social do-gooder.

Ron Paul wants a woman in such a situation to stand on her own. She's signed that voluntary employment contract, she's free and capable of making other voluntary associations, so she must solve the problem herself, according to Ron Paul's libertarian philosophy.

In making such judgments, Ron Paul ignores centuries of history. We know that slavemasters took advantage of female slaves, and even prominent "founders" of the nation whom we might otherwise respect - Thomas Jefferson comes to mind - have mixed race offspring as a result. For centuries, male bosses of various stripes (whether capitalist, or slave-master) have taken advantage of women in their employ. The threat of dismissal or other punishment, coupled with the uncertainty of finding another job, has forced countless women into subservience and exploitation.

A Case History

Three decades ago I worked in a Denver factory in which women outnumbered men by five to one. There wasn't much manufacturing in the area, and we had jobs that paid comparatively well. Many of us saw the value in making this our career, and i stayed for 33 years. Some employees weren't allowed that opportunity.

Supervisors developed reputations for having numerous relationships with the women who worked for them. One supervisor routinely joked about rubbing up against women in his crew. Another was fired after multiple accusations of rape, and others were transferred for similar behavior. But it seemed that most such activity was either tolerated or ignored by upper management.

A pretty young woman walked by, and my boss blurted out in a very loud voice, "let's take her into the bathroom and rape her!" He emphasized the word "rape", and his words coincided with some animated body movement. The young woman managed an embarrassed smile and didn't say anything. Such harrassment of female employees was fairly routine in the factory, and to the extent that such behavior has been diminished, i expect that is primarily due to threat of a lawsuit.

However, Ron Paul considers such a solution unacceptable. Better for the employee to quit - just walk away, and let the managers continue their abusive games.

In fact this young woman did quit her job, and i surmise it was the taunt by my boss that caused her to leave. Was this a fair outcome? Ron Paul apparently believes so. In Freedom Under Siege, Paul has written:

"Today the lack of understanding and respect for voluntary contracts has totally confused the issue that in a free society an individual can own and control property and run his or her business as he or she chooses. The idea that the social do-gooder can legislate a system which forces industry to pay men and women by comparable worth standards boggles the mind and further destroys our competitiveness in a world economy.

Employee rights are said to be valid when employers pressure employees into sexual activity. Why don't they quit once the so-called harassment starts? Obviously the morals of the harasser cannot be defended, but how can the harassee escape some responsibility for the problem?
Seeking protection under civil rights legislation is hardly acceptable. If force was clearly used, that is another story, but pressure and submission is hardly an example of a violation of one's employment rights."

http://www.mises.org/books/freedomsiege.pdf, page 24

In my opinion, the young woman who quit her factory job because of a blatant sexual taunt was guilty of only one thing - being vulnerable. Yet Ron Paul wonders, "how can the harassee escape some responsibility for the problem? ...pressure and submission is hardly ... a violation of one's employment rights."

It appears that in President Paul's country, employers have the right to harrass. And, Paul himself has no concept of the difficulty of finding jobs, nor of the possible hardship when a job is lost.

Unemployment in our society is maintained at a certain level as a means of keeping down wages. The unemployment rate is based upon NAIRU, the Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment. If a person becomes the one out of twenty or twenty-five workers who are out of a job by design, then the penalty of losing a job may be severe.

Ron Paul's Rationale for Corporate Dominance

Ron Paul's website states that:

"Liberty means free-market capitalism, which rewards individual achievement and competence..."

What exactly does it mean, that "liberty means free-market capitalism"? Paul believes that "in a free society an individual can own and control property and run his or her business as he or she chooses." [page 24]. Paul's philosophy would set corporations free to do essentially whatever they wish.

Well, then, what rights will workers have? The freedom to seek a different employer.

But for working folk, "freedom" should mean more than the right to change bosses.

Under President Ron Paul, "do-gooding" is verboten. No one will have any right to balance the power relationship between employer and employee, by legislative or other means. Would that give us sweatshops, child labor, poorhouses, company towns? Would Ron Paul excuse and defend company unions, trusts, monopolies, cartels, blacklists, private goons, slumlords? These questions should be asked of the candidate.

Ron Paul Specifics

Under Ron Paul, an employer would be free to fire an employee "for any reason he chooses".

Paul doesn't believe that working people should have any right to "equal pay for equal work".

Under President Paul, if you're not physically attractive, you may not have a right to a job.

Ron Paul wrote in his book:

"The concept of equal pay for equal work is not only an impossible task, it can only be accomplished with the total rejection of the idea of the voluntary contract. By what right does the government assume the power to tell an airline it must hire unattractive women if it does not want to? The idea that a businessman must hire anyone and is prevented from firing anyone for any reason he chooses and in the name of rights is a clear indication that the basic concept of a free society has been lost."

http://www.mises.org/books/freedomsiege.pdf, page 24

Note the phraseology here. Paul doesn't qualify his statement to pertain to an employment position (such as stewardess?) that is socially anticipated to have a certain image to uphold. Paul's stated principle appears to allow an airline to make attractiveness (or anything else they may choose) a hiring issue across the board.

What's to prevent them from hiring only employees with blue eyes and blond hair? Might Aryan Airlines become a viable carrier under President Paul?

Granted, Paul is no national socialist. He probably would not support the incorporation of such ideologies into government. That's because all government is inherently evil, and only the market delivers righteousness and justice.

But with recent corporate license in the nature of Enron, Haliburton, Blackwater, and those responsible for the mortgage lending crisis, shouldn't this sort of "corporate freedom" also give us pause?

Some more Ron Paul specifics:

a. When it comes to illness (AIDS in particular), Paul is quick to assert the "rights of the insurance company owners" [page 30]. Well of course; he is the CEO's friend, too.

b. He would allow sweatshop labor - presumably, work such as sewing garments for long hours at low pay - in the home [page 28]. How many children would be forced to work in such an unregulated environment? Didn't we have congressional hearings nearly a century ago and conclude that such unregulated working conditions were an abomination?

c. Ron Paul has voted to zero-fund an OSHA intiative relating to ergonomics.

d. He is against the minimum wage, and has voted not to increase it. http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Ron_Paul_Jobs.htm

e. He crosses picket lines: http://www.laborradio.org/node/7423

What about Ron Paul's views on union rights? Ron Paul believes there should be:

"...no privileges, no special benefits legislated to benefit the unions, but you should never deny any working group to organize and negotiate for the best set of standards of working conditions."

http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Ron_Paul_Jobs.htm

Unions with no special privileges or benefits, with members who can be fired "for any reason". Consider what sort of emasculated organization that might be.

Ron Paul appears to believe that unlimited corporate power is just fine, so long as it is market-derived. Unions under Ron Paul would be less relevant than they already are. Workers will become low-paid wage-slaves with no rights on the job, with the exit door always held open for them.

The individual liberty of the Ron Paul variety is the freedom to nakedly exploit, without regulation or constraint. Seems clear enough that Ron Paul is no friend to working people who may wish to unite for their own protection.

best wishes,
Richard Myers

So much for the "Chavez as Dictator" libel

2007-12-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

As has always been the case, President Chavez has accepted the will of the people and conceded that his referendum has failed this time. While this will slow the Bolivarian Process, Chavez is still President for another five years and hopefully the people can be won over the next time around. To reproduce a good article from Huffington Post:

[Bold emphasis added here & there are a number of embedded links that are not reproduced here, go to the original for these]

"Dictator humbly accepts electoral defeat"
By Stan Goff, 3 December 2007

"With the vast majority of the media owned and operated by Venezuela's racist comprador bourgeoisie, a media that has never suffered a day of government control even approaching what is exercised against media in the United States, the Constitutional Referendum that had bundled 69 reforms failed by a hair. Feral Scholar's friend Rootless Cosmopolitan may have put his finger on one of the aspects of the referendum that made that margin. The entire package was bundled into a singular up-or-down vote.

"Rootless criticized this as undemocratic, and that is a fair reaction to this electoral tactic.
My own sense is that its deeper tactical failure was that one cannot compete against the capitalist media in the realm of ideas when one is trying to explain a list of 69 constitutional reform items -- written in legalese -- against the ability and willingness of that corporate media to simplify, spin, and often just lie... with incessant and coordinated repetition through the vast echo chamber of capitalist control over the entertainment media. This is a lesson we all need to internalize. The media's power in this regard cannot be overestimated; and it is a real thing that cannot be wished away in our own tactical considerations. Given the house of cards that international finance is, and the drip-drip hemorrhage of the myth of American military invincibility, this capacity to shape culture and ideas has become even more critical to the exercise of power.

"Before the vote began, Venezuela's government had agreed to randomly open 30% of the ballot boxes to monitors in order to assure a fair election. Upon receipt of the result, President Hugo Chavez -- the putative dictator in waiting for Venezuela -- announced simply, 'I congratulate my adversaries for this victory. For now, we could not do it.'

"The Venezuelan and American press -- both enormously and dishonestly hostile to Venezuela's Bolivarian transformation -- had spun the article dropping term limits as a bid to become 'President for Life,' though there was no provision to ever stop presidential elections that put that decision into the hands of Venezuelan voters. We shall now see if a single mea culpa is expressed by any of the media in the wake of the Chavez government's quick and gracious acceptance of the referendum result. I doubt it.

"In 2006, the vote to re-elect Chavez was more than 7 million to just over 4.5 million iirc. So this is not a wholesale rejection of the Bolivarian process, though I believe a win would have accelerated the process. Chavez is an old paratrooper -- like me, so I do overidentify with him sometimes -- and he takes risks. Hopefully, he will dust himself off and begin immediately pushing through the individual reforms that will strengthen Bolivarian democracy where it most requires further development. His government has many successes to build upon.

"In particular, the further development of the communal councils as independent and effective bodies of relocalized governance must have more time to mature... with more experience, these councils will deepen the cultural revolution that has lagged behind the policy changes of the Bolivarian government. I hope the workerist left in the Bolivarian government is outweighed in its influence on the emphases of future developments, because they are investing their hopes in the political party (PSUV) that was the vehicle to promote these reforms. I hope they are outweighed by those who argue that the PSUV must become the responsive and subordinate expression of popular political vitality, and not a kind of "democratic centralist" command general staff. Democracy can only become as direct as it is local; and this idea is anathema to many of the Old Left.

"I hope Chavez continues to develop the idea of arming, training, and supporting local militias as both an adjunct and counterbalance to the national armed forces. This will protect direct democracy, as well as make future schemes of invasion generated in the north more untenable.

"I hope Venezuela will place special emphasis on food security, sustainable agriculture, and permaculture design principles as a critical defense of the Bolivarian struggle against neoliberalism. These initiatives are already in place, but they can be expanded, and they are the practical basis of a combined social and cultural revolution. The additional constitutional definitions of property were paving the way for this; and re-asserting this reform as soon as possible, along with the reduced workweek, increased minimum wage, and expanded social security benefits, will materially strengthen the people against the oligarchy and begin the process of breaking dependence altogether with initiatives the reduce the essential dependence of more and more people from the monetized economy altogether.

"But Venezuela has made great strides, so with my distant hopes, I'll trust in the collective experience of the Bolivarians and re-commit to the struggle we have to wage inside the belly of the beast. That is where we can do the most to assist the rest of the world in breaking with neoliberalism.

"The one paradoxical victory here is that Chavez and his government have made the dictator narrative from a panicking corporate press a pretty tough sell. That is a breach we can go though to make an inch or two more progress in our general unmasking of what passes for journalism in the United States. This will also stand down contingency planning from Embajada Americana to foment a coup d'etat.... hopefully. (Old joke in Latin America: Why has there never been a coup in Washington DC? Answer: There is no US Embassy there.)

"Here is today's headline:

'Dictator humbly accepts electoral defeat'

"Don't hold your breath."

¡Sí a la reforma constitucional! - Venezuela Updates and ACTION ALERT

2007-12-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

Updated information in solidarity with the Constitutional Reform Referendum in Venezuela...

The International Hands Off venezuela Campaign has launched a special blog to follow developments in English:
http://hovreferendum.wordpress.com/

-----------------------------
Marea roja cubrió de punta a punta las calles de Caracas en apoyo a Chávez [Lots of photos and video of pro-Reform pro-Chávez rallies in Venezuela] - http://www.aporrea.org/actualidad/n105638.html

------------------------------
Radio Mission Statement - http://radiovenezuelaenvivo.blogspot.com/

Venezuela En Vivo is a live web-streaming internet radio based in Caracas, Venezuela, and broadcast in English, French and Portuguese (In English En Français Em Portugues) by a group of Venezuelan and international journalists, academics and activists living and working in Venezuela. The radio will report on the latest breaking news in and around the day of Venezuela..s December 2nd Constitutional Reform Referendum; cover the destabilization attempts against the democratic electoral process; put the events in to context with interviews and analytical content; and act as an alternative source of news to the mainstream media, which has proven time and again unable to report independently and unbiased on Venezuela.

The radio will begin periodic broadcast on Thursday, November 29th and will continue in to the following week. Special 24 hour coverage will
take place on December 2nd. See upcoming program schedule for more details.

-----------------------------------------

Key Online English Articles about the Reform Process can be found at: http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/constreform

-----------------------------------------

The US media has launched a major campaign against democracy in Venezuela: "The U.S. Media and Government Launch an All-Out Campaign Against the Venezuelan Revolution"

------------------------------------

The Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DC has issued a Communiqué regarding the lies being propagated by the US government:

United States Administration Lies about Venezuelan Electoral Process

The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Washington, DC, clarifies to the public opinion the reality of the process of the international observers of the constitutional referendum process in Venezuela as a consequence of the statements released by the United States Department of State on November 30, 2007, through its spokesperson, Sean McCormack, which are aimed at generating doubts regarding our electoral branch and asserting that there are no guarantees that the result of the elections expresses the will of the majority of the people in Venezuela.

The Department of State reveals its total lack of knowledge by assuring that there will be no international observers in the voting process to be held on December 2, 2007, in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and in which the people of Venezuela will exercise their right to decide whether they approve or reject a reform of 69 articles of our constitution.

The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Washington, DC, would like to remind the Department of State, as well as the public opinion in the United States, that 39 countries in the world will send their electoral international observers to see our democratic process of people's participation, including the United States, as well as more than 100 observers and specialists in electoral systems who belong to electoral bodies in Europe and the Americas.

Likewise, Venezuelan organizations such as Asamblea de Educación, Ojo Electoral and Universitarios por la Equidad, will be part of the observing process and will be able to accredit approximately 500 observers for each organization. Unlike elections in the United States, we have had a broad auditing system in Venezuela and the immediate verification after voting by a paper trail has guaranteed the trustworthiness of the results every voting process we have undertaken.

The opportunity is propitious to alert the international community about actions that some undemocratic sectors could undertake by failing to concede the final results of the referendum process, abetting on opinion tendencies whose only interest is to destabilize the correct performance and democratic character of the elections in our country, such as the ones asserted today by the Department of State.

It is our duty to appeal to the sense of responsibility of the spokespeople of the administration of the United States regarding the attempts of not legitimizing and conceding our democratic and sovereign processes.

- Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the United States of America 01/12/07

--------------------------------

***ACTION ALERT: PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY***

AN URGENT CALL TO ACTION FROM THE VENEZUELA SOLIDARITY NETWORK
(www.vensolidarity.net Email us at vsn@afgj.org. Call us at 202-544-9355 or 520-243-0381)

SHOUT OUT FOR VENEZUELA: NOVEMBER 30TH THROUGH DECEMBER 7TH

TELL CONGRESS: NO US SPONSORED COUP ATTEMPT IN VENEZUELA
(Congressional contact info provided below)

Venezuela is under direct threat!!! New evidence has been uncovered about plans to overthrow the democratically elected government of Venezuela, and even to assassinate its president, Hugo Chávez. The time for American citizens who favor justice and non-intervention to spring into
action is not the day after a coup, but the days before!

The Venezuela Solidarity Network is calling on Solidarity and pro-Democracy activists to participate in the NOV. 30 THROUGH DEC. 7TH SHOUT OUT FOR VENEZUELA!

DEMAND THAT CONGRESS:

1) Intervene to stop US violations of Venezuelan sovereignty by the State Department and the CIA;

2) Respect the electoral decisions of the Venezuelan people;

3) Investigate recent evidence of a US sponsored and directed plot to overthrow the democratically elected government of Venezuela;

We are urging solidarity and pro-Democracy activists everywhere to call, email, and/or visit your members of the House and Senate and the US State Department and demand that there be NO US SPONSORED AND FUNDED, CIA DIRECTED, COUP ATTEMPT AGAINST THE PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT OF VENEZUELA. We are urging non-US citizens to also contact US Embassies and Consulates. Please email AND call Congress. While emails alone are less effective, emails combined with phone calls and/or visits to Congressional and other government offices are a powerful strategy to get the word out.

SAMPLE EMAIL TO CONGRESS (CUT, PASTE, AND SEND!):

The Honorable (full name)
United States House of Representatives/United States Senate
Washington DC 20515

Dear Representative/Senator (last name)

I am writing you to express my urgent concern about plots already underway to overthrow the democratically elected government of Venezuela - plots which are being coordinated with sectors of the US government. Most distressing is the recent uncovering of a memo from CIA Officer Michael Middleton Steer to the CIA Director General Michael Hayden outlining details of "Operation Pliers", an effort to interfere in the Dec. 2nd vote on constitutional reforms in Venezuela, and to encourage a coup against the Venezuelan government. The memo indicates that as much as $8 million dollars, funneled through USAID, have been given by the US government to finance the opposition's campaign against the reforms. The memo details strategies for interfering with and discrediting the vote, and calls for steps to be taken that would lead to an overthrow of the Venezuelan government, including support provided from US military bases in Curacao and Colombia.

This is just one piece of evidence recently uncovered indicating preparation for a US sponsored coup. Others include CNN briefly showing a picture of President Chavez with a caption that read, "Who killed him?" Supposedly it was a technical error. There have also been reports that at a recent rally a laser pointer appeared on Chávez' chest and head, and recently a cache of weapons and US military uniforms were found at a private residence in Caracas.

There is one fact that every Congress person and every citizen in the United States of America needs to know: democracy is alive and well in Venezuela. Whether we like it or not, the current government of Venezuela is an elected and popular government. Its elections have been certified by a number of international bodies, including the Carter Center, the Organization of American States, the European Union, and the NAACP. Any attempt by the US to support an overthrow of the Venezuelan government would be interpreted by the world as an assault against democracy and an abandonment of democratic principles.

I am writing to demand that you, as a representative of the people, take action NOW to contact the CIA, the State Department, USAID, and the Bush administration and let them know that another US sponsored coup attempt in Venezuela is unacceptable. Furthermore, I am writing to demand that
a Congressional investigation be undertaken regarding this memo and other violations of Venezuela's sovereignty.

Here are some informative links that will help you better understand the current situation in Venezuela.

Regarding the current US sponsored threats to Venezuelan democracy:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stan-goff/the-cia-plan-to-destabili_b_74557.html

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?c..va&aid=7475

For accurate information about the Constitutional Reforms:

Democracy Still Alive and Well in Venezuela,
http://www.cepr.net/content/view/1366/45/

What is Venezuela's Constitutional Reform Really About,
http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2890

Venezuela's Constitutional Reform: An Article by Article Summary
http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2890

Sincerely,

(Your name and address)

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR SENATOR, REPRESENTATIVE, AND THE WHITE HOUSE

CALL THE CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD TOLL FREE AT:
1-800-828-0498
1-877-210-5351
1-800-614-2803
1-866-340-9281

TO EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE, FOLLOW THIS LINK:
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

TO EMAIL YOUR SENATOR, FOLLOW THIS LINK:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

FOR DETAILED CONTACT INFO FOR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS, INCLUDING INFO ON LOCAL OFFICES:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

TO CONTACT THE STATE DEPARTMENT:
202-647-4000

TO CONTACT THE WHITE HOUSE:
202-456-1111
202-456-6213

Or email President Bush at
president@whitehouse.gov

Ten Reasons Why "Save Darfur" is a PR Scam to Justify the Next US Oil and Resource Wars in Africa

2007-11-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

[The following is reproduced verbatim from http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=453&Itemid=1 if you find something questionable, please visit the original article as there are many integrated links in the story that have not been reproduced here.]

Ten Reasons Why "Save Darfur" is a PR Scam to Justify the Next US Oil and Resource Wars in Africa - by BAR managing editor Bruce Dixon

The star-studded hue and cry to "Save Darfur" and "stop the genocide" has gained enormous traction in U.S. media along with bipartisan support in Congress and the White House. But the Congo, with ten to twenty times as many African dead over the same period is not called a "genocide" and passes almost unnoticed. Sudan sits atop lakes of oil. It has large supplies of uranium, and other minerals, significant water resources, and a strategic location near still more African oil and resources. The unasked question is whether the nation's Republican and Democratic foreign policy elite are using claims of genocide, and appeals for "humanitarian intervention" to grease the way for the next oil and resource wars on the African continent.

Top Ten Reasons to Suspect "Save Darfur" is a PR Scam to Justify US Military Intervention in African by BAR MAnaging Editor Bruce Dixon

The regular manufacture and the constant maintenance of false realities in the service of American empire is a core function of the public relations profession and the corporate news media. Whether it's fake news stories about wonder drugs and how toxic chemicals are good for you, bribed commentators and journalists discoursing on the benefits of No Child Left Behind, Hollywood stars advocating military intervention to save African orphans, or slick propaganda campaigns employing viral marketing techniques to reach out to college students, bloggers, churches and ordinary citizens, it pays to take a close look behind the facade.

Among the latest false realities being pushed upon the American people are the simplistic pictures of Black vs. Arab genocide in Darfur, and the proposed solution: a robust US-backed or US-led military intervention in Western Sudan. Increasing scrutiny is being focused upon the “Save Darfur” lobby and the Save Darfur Coalition; upon its founders, its finances, its methods and motivations and its truthfulness. In the spirit of furthering that examination we here present ten reasons to suspect that the "Save Darfur" campaign is a PR scam to justify US intervention in Africa.

1. It wouldn't be the first Big Lie our government and media elite told us to justify a war.

Elders among us can recall the Tonkin Gulf Incident, which the US government deliberately provoked to justify initiation of the war in Vietnam. This rationale was quickly succeeded by the need to help the struggling infant "democracy" in South Vietnam, and the still useful "fight 'em over there so we don't have to fight 'em over here" nonsense. More recently the bombings, invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq have been variously explained by people on the public payroll as necessary to "get Bin Laden" as revenge for 9-11, as measures to take "the world's most dangerous weapons" from the hands of "the world's most dangerous regimes", as measures to enable the struggling Iraqi "democracy" stand on its own two feet, and necessary because it's still better to "fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here".

2. It wouldn't even be the first time the U.S. government and media elite employed "genocide prevention" as a rationale for military intervention in an oil-rich region.

The 1995 US and NATO military intervention in Kosovo was supposedly a "peacekeeping" operation to stop a genocide. The lasting result of that campaign is Camp Bondsteel, one of the largest military bases on the planet. The U.S. is practically the only country in the world that maintains military bases outside its own borders. At just under a thousand acres, Camp Bondsteel offers the US military the ability to pre-position large quantities of equipment and supplies within striking distance of Caspian oil fields, pipeline routes and relevant sea lanes. It is also widely believed to be the site of one of the US's secret prison and torture facilities.

3. If stopping genocide in Africa really was on the agenda, why the focus on Sudan with 200,000 to 400,000 dead rather than Congo with five million dead?

“The notion that a quarter million Darfuri dead are a genocide and five million dead Congolese are not is vicious and absurd," according to Congolese activist Nita Evele. "What's happened and what is still happening in Congo is not a tribal conflict and it's not a civil war. It is an invasion. It is a genocide with a death toll of five million, twenty times that of Darfur, conducted for the purpose of plundering Congolese mineral and natural resources."

More than anything else, the selective and cynical application of the term "genocide" to Sudan, rather than to the Congo where ten to twenty times as many Africans have been murdered reveals the depth of hypocrisy around the "Save Darfur" movement. In the Congo, where local gangsters, mercenaries and warlords along with invading armies from Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola engage in slaughter, mass rape and regional depopulation on a scale that dwarfs anything happening in Sudan, all the players eagerly compete to guarantee that the extraction of vital coltan for Western computers and cell phones, the export of uranium for Western reactors and nukes, along with diamonds, gold, copper, timber and other Congolese resources continue undisturbed.

Former UN Ambassador Andrew Young and George H.W. Bush both serve on the board of Barrcik Gold, one of the largest and most active mining concerns in war-torn Congo. Evidently, with profits from the brutal extraction of Congolese wealth flowing to the West, there can be no Congolese "genocide" worth noting, much less interfering with. For their purposes, U.S. strategic planners may regard their Congolese model as the ideal means of capturing African wealth at minimal cost without the bother of official U.S. boots on the ground.

4. It's all about Sudanese oil.

Sudan, and the Darfur region in particular, sit atop a lake of oil. But Sudanese oil fields are not being developed and drilled by Exxon or Chevron or British Petroleum. Chinese banks, oil and construction firms are making the loans, drilling the wells, laying the pipelines to take Sudanese oil where they intend it to go, calling far too many shots for a twenty-first century in which the U.S. aspires to control the planet's energy supplies. A U.S. and NATO military intervention will solve that problem for U.S. planners.

5. It's all about Sudanese uranium, gum arabic and other natural resources.

Uranium is vital to the nuclear weapons industry and an essential fuel for nuclear reactors. Sudan possesses high quality deposits of uranium. Gum arabic is an essential ingredient in pharmaceuticals, candies and beverages like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and Sudanese exports of this commodity are 80% of the world's supply. When comprehensive U.S. sanctions against the Sudanese regime were being considered in 1997, industry lobbyists stepped up and secured an exemption in the sanctions bill to guarantee their supplies of this valuable Sudanese commodity. But an in-country U.S. and NATO military presence is a more secure guarantee that the extraction of Sudanese resources, like those of the Congo, flow westward to the U.S. and the European Union.

6. It's all about Sudan's strategic location

Sudan sits opposite Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, where a large fraction of the world's easily extracted oil will be for a few more years. Darfur borders on Libya and Chad, with their own vast oil resources, is within striking distance of West and Central Africa, and is a likely pipeline route. The Nile River flows through Sudan before reaching Egypt, and Southern Sudan water resources of regional significance too. With the creation of AFRICOM, the new Pentagon command for the African continent, the U.S. has made open and explicit its intention to plant a strategic footprint on the African continent. From permanent Sudanese bases, the U.S. military could influence the politics and ecocomies of Africa for a generation to come.

7. The backers and founders of the "Save Darfur" movement are the well-connected and well-funded U.S. foreign policy elite.

According to a copyrighted Washington Post story this summer:

"The “Save Darfur (Coalition) was created in 2005 by two groups concerned about genocide in the African country – the American Jewish World Service and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum...

“The coalition has a staff of 30 with expertise in policy and public relations. Its budget was about $15 million in the most recent fiscal year...

“Save Darfur will not say exactly how much it has spent on its ads, which this week have attempted to shame China, host of the 2008 Olympics, into easing its support for Sudan. But a coalition spokeswoman said the amount is in the millions of dollars.”

Though the "Save Darfur" PR campaign employs viral marketing techniques, reaching out to college students, even to black bloggers, it is not a grassroots affair, as were the movement against apartheid and in support of African liberation movements in South Africa, Namibia, Angola and Mozambique a generation ago. Top heavy with evangelical Christians who preach the coming war for the end of the world, and with elements known for their uncritical support of Israeli rejectionism in the Middle East, the Save Darfur movement is clearly an establishment affair, a propaganda campaign that spends millions of dollars each month to manfacture consent for US military intervention in Africa under the cloak of stopping or preventing genocide.

8. None of the funds raised by the "Save Darfur Coalition", the flagship of the "Save Darfur Movement" go to help needy Africans on the ground in Darfur, according to stories in both the Washington Post and the New York Times.

“None of the money collected by Save Darfur goes to help the victims and their families. Instead, the coalition pours its proceeds into advocacy efforts that are primarily designed to persuade governments to act.”

9. "Save Darfur" partisans in the U.S. are not interested in political negotiations to end the conflict in Darfur

President Bush has openly and repeatedly attempted to throw monkey wrenches at peace negotiations to end the war in Darfur. Even pro-intervention scholars and humanitarian organizations active on the ground have criticized the U.S. for endangering humanitarian relief workers, and for effectively urging rebel parties in Darfur to refuse peace talks and hold out for U.S. and NATO intervention on their behalf.

The PR campaign which depicts the conflict as strictly a racial affair, in which Arabs, who are generally despised in the US media anyway, are exterminating the black population of Sudan, is slick, seamless and attractive, and seems to leave no room for negotiation. But in fact, many of Sudan's 'Arabs", even the Janjiweed, are also black. In any case, they were armed and unleashed by a government which has the power to disarm them if it chooses, and refusing to talk to that government's negotiators is a sure way to avoid any settlement.

10. Blackwater and other U.S. mercenary contractors, the unofficial armed wings of the Republican party and the Pentagon are eagerly pitching their services as part of the solution to the Darfur crisis.

"Chris Taylor, head of strategy for Blackwater, says his company has a database of thousands of former police and military officers for security assignments. He says Blackwater personnel could set up perimeters and guard Darfurian villages and refugee camp in support of the U.N. Blackwater officials say it would not take many men to fend off the Janjaweed, a militia that is supported by the Sudanese government and attacks villages on camelback."

Apparently Blackwater doesn't need to come to the Congo, where hunger and malnutrition, depopulation, mass rape and the disappearance of schools, hospitals and civil society into vast law free zones ruled by an ever-changing cast of African proxies (like the son of the late and unlamented Idi Amin), all under a veil of complicit media silence already constitute the perfect business-friendly environment for siphoning off the vast wealth of that country at minimal cost.

Look for the adoption of the Congolese model across the wide areas of Africa that U.S. strategic planners call "ungoverned spaces". Just don't look expect to see details on the evening news, or hear about them from Oprah, George Clooney or Angelina Jolie.

Online One State (Israel/Palestine) Bibliography Updated

2007-11-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

The Online One State Bibliography Project - http://www.onestate.org or http://oss.internetactivist.org/ - has been updated. New additions include:

New Book Recommendations:

Where Now For Palestine: The Demise of the Two-State Solution
Edited by Jamil Hilal, http://www.zedbooks.co.uk/book.asp?bookdetail=4110

Blood and Religion: The Unmasking of the Jewish and Democratic State
Jonathan Cook, http://www.plutobooks.com/cgi-local/nplutobrows.pl?chkisbn=9780745325552

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Philosophical Essays on Self-Determination, Terrorism and the One-State Solution
Raja Halwani and Tomis Kapitan, http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?PID=280823

Holy Land Mosaic: Stories of Cooperation and Coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians
By Daniel Gavron, http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com/Catalog/SingleBook.shtml?command=Search&db=^DB/CATALOG.db&eqSKUdata=074254012X&thepassedurl=[thepassedurl]

Pro-Unity One State Articles:

Ben-Dor, Oren "Overcoming Zionism" ZNet, 20 November 2007, http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=107&ItemID=14334

Brooke, Peter "The One State Solution as a Jewish Liberation Struggle" self-published, undated, http://web.ukonline.co.uk/pbrooke/bptdg/programmes/0601-/onestate/jewishliberation

Brooke, Peter "Israel-Palestine: Bankruptcy of the two-state solution" Talk to the Brecon Political and Theological Discussion Group, 4 April 2006, http://web.ukonline.co.uk/pbrooke/bptdg/programmes/0601-/onestate/talk

Halfdram, Ernie "How many States?" The Bureau of Counterpropaganda (blog), 19 June 2007, http://bureauofcounterpropaganda.blogspot.com/2007/06/how-many-states.html

Karkar, Sonja "Peace without justice is no peace at all" The Age, 23 October 2007, http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/peace-without-justice-is-no-peace-at-all/2007/10/22/1192940983493.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Karmi, Ghada "Israel the roadblock to peace in Middle East" The Age, 11 October 2007, http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/israel-the-roadblock-to-peace-in-middle-east/2007/10/10/1191695988161.html

Maunder, Jonathan "Return of the one-state solution" International Socialism, 1 October 2007, http://www.isj.org.uk/index.php4?id=383&issue=116

Miles, Jim "Uncertain Outcomes: The Israeli-Palestine Question" Palestine Chronicle (blog), 29 October 2007, http://www.palestinechronicle.com/story-10290743937.htm

Qumsiyeh, Mazin "From Nakba to Gaza" Qumsiyeh: A Human Rights Web, Undated 2007, http://www.qumsiyeh.org/fromnakbatogaza/

Satin, Mark, Ed. "The one-state solution is the most visionary AND the most sensible" Radical Middle Newsletter, April 2007, http://www.radicalmiddle.com/x_onestate.htm

Sigler, John "Benjamin Pogrund: Blinded to Reality by Zionist Ideology" One Democratic Secular State for Israel/Palestine, 6 August 2007, http://one-israel-palestine.blogspot.com/2007/08/benjamin-pogrund-blinded-to-reality-by.html

Sparks, Allister "Israel's hopes of a two-state solution is a fantasy" Pretoria News, 13 June 2007, http://www.pretorianews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3880638

White, Ben "The one-state reality" The Electronic Intifada, 13 November 2007, http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9097.shtml

Anti-Unity Ethnic Separatist Articles:

Avnery, Uri "Omelettes into Eggs" Media Monitors Network 24 November 2007, http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/47769

Dershowitz, Alan "Q&A with Alan Dershowitz" Jerusalem Post 20 November 2005, http://info.jpost.com/C004/QandA/qa.dershowitz.html

Freedman, Seth "The best deal on offer" The Guardian 23 November 2007, http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2007/11/the_best_deal_on_offer.html

Honest Reporting "A One-State Solution: Advocating Israel's Destruction" HonestReporting. com 24 October 2007, http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/critiques/new/A_One-State_Solution_Advocating_Israels_Destruction_.asp

Isseroff, Ami "Israel and Palestinians: The crucial issue" MideastWeb Middle East Web Log 13 November 2007, http://www.mideastweb.org/log/archives/00000646.htm

Rubenstein, Colin "That road does not lead to peace" The Age 17 October 2007, http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/that-road-does-not-lead-to-peace/2007/10/16/1192300766277.html

Wallerstein, Immanuel "Last Call for a Two State Solution" ZNet 11 November 2007, http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=107&ItemID=14259

Other Related Articles:

Bahour, Sam "Hamas' Shock and Awe" Media Monitors, 18 June 2007, http://world.mediamonitors.net/headlines/hamas_shock_and_awe

Benvenisti, Eyal & Shaham, Dahlia "Facially Neutral Discrimination and the Israeli Supreme Court" 36 N.Y.U. J. INT’L L. & POL. 677 (2004), 2 June 2005, http://www.law.nyu.edu/journals/jilp/issues/36/36_4_Benvenisti-Shaham.pdf

Cohen-Eliya, Moshe "Discrimination against Arabs in Israel in Public Accommodations" 36 N.Y.U. J. INT’L L. & POL. 717 (2004), 2 June 2005, http://www.law.nyu.edu/journals/jilp/issues/36/36_4_Cohen-Eliya.pdf

Coursen-Neff, Zama "Discrimination against Palestinian Arab Children in the Israeli Educational System" 36 N.Y.U. J. INT’L L. & POL. 749 (2004), 2 June 2005, http://www.law.nyu.edu/journals/jilp/issues/36/36_4_Coursen-Neff.pdf

Estreicher, Samuel "Arab Citizens of Israel: The Challenge for Israel and Its Critics" 36 N.Y.U. J. INT’L L. & POL. 673 (2004), 2 June 2005, http://www.law.nyu.edu/journals/jilp/issues/36/36_4_Estreicher.pdf

Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain "Palestine - Why only a One State Solution will Work" (Islamist Caliphate argument) Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, Undated 2007, http://www.hizb.org.uk/hizb/resources/issues-explained/palestine---why-only-a-one-state-solution-will-work.html

Margalioth, Sharon Rabin "Labor Market Discrimination Against Arab Israeli Citizens: Can Something Be Done?" 36 N.Y.U. J. INT’L L. & POL. 845 (2004), 2 June 2005, http://www.law.nyu.edu/journals/jilp/issues/36/36_4_SR-Margalioth.pdf

Margalioth, Yoram "Demographics and Other Culture-Based Preferences Versus Discrimination" 36 N.Y.U. J. INT’L L. & POL. 817 (2004), 2 June 2005, http://www.law.nyu.edu/journals/jilp/issues/36/36_4_Y-Margalioth.pdf

Saban, Ilan "Minority Rights in Deeply Divided Societies: A Framework for Analysis and the Case of Arab-Palestinian Minority in Israel" 36 N.Y.U. J. INT’L L. & POL. 885 (2004), 2 June 2005, http://www.law.nyu.edu/journals/jilp/issues/36/36_4_Saban.pdf

Twair, Pat & Samir "Israeli-Palestinian Confederation Debated" Washington Report of Middle Eastern Affairs, Vol. XXV, No. 4, p.54, May/June 2006, http://www.wrmea.com/archives/May-June_2006/0605053.html

Zakheim, Roger I. "Israel in the Human Rights Era: Finding a Moral Justification for the Jewish State" 36 N.Y.U. J. INT’L L. & POL. 1005 (2004), 2 June 2005, http://www.law.nyu.edu/journals/jilp/issues/36/36_4_Zakheim.pdf

Online Discussion Fora:

One State Forum: Promoting the Vision of One Democratic State in Israel/Palestine, http://www.onestate.net/forum/index.php

Organizations With Pro-Unity Positions:

AJRAS: Towards a Unitary Democratic State [Progressive] http://palfirst.org/co/ and/or أجراس العودة- http://www.ajras.org/

Challenging the Boundaries: A Single State in Palestine/Israel (Conference) [Progressive] http://www.onestate.net/

Palestine/Israel: One Country, One State / Palestina/Israel: un país, un Estado (Conference) [Progressive] http://www.universidadnomada.net/spip.php?article147 and/or http://www.universidadnomada.net/IMG/pdf/PROGRAMMEPALESTINEISRAELONECOUNTRYONESTATE.pdf

Americans for Chavez News Scroller Updated

2007-11-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

The News Scroller on the Americans for Chavez website, a project of Bolivarian Circle 'Chief Tierra Blanca' (for more see: http://www.americans-for-chavez.com ) has now been updated. New articles include:

"Massive Student Demonstration In Support Of Constitutional Reforms"

"Venezuela's President Chávez offers George W. Bush to seek help in asylum"

"James Jordan: Q&A to USA ...What in the world is 'wrong' with Venezuela?"

"Counterrevolution raises its head; Heinz Dieterich and General Baduel"

"Day in Solidarity with Venezuela 12/2/07"

"Venezuela and Iran Strengthen 'Anti-Imperialist' Alliance"

"The Struggle for a United Socialist Party of Venezuela"

"Venezuela: OPEC Should Become a Political Actor against Imperialism"

"States of Emergency: Contrasting examples in Pakistan, Venezuela and USA"

"Venezuela's indigenous tribes support Chávez' constitutional reform proposal"

"Venezuela reduced poverty and indigence levels by 18.4% and 12.3% in 2006"

"'We're Number 2!' And Other Stories You'll Never Read About Venezuela"

"Venezuelan Legislator: Opposition Distributes Lies about Constitutional Reform"

"Momentum Builds in Support of Venezuela's Constitutional Reform"

"US Media Bias and Recent Student Violence in Venezuela"

"Spain's United Left admits Chávez' right to reject Aznar's pro-coup attitude"

"Venezuela will start developing a nuclear power sector for peaceful purposes"

"Venezuela becomes China's most important Latin American business partner"

"Chávez: Reform strengthens Venezuelan State in fight against Neo-Liberalism"

"Venezuela to Inaugurate II Cultural Festival with the People of Africa"

"Venezuela at loggerheads with USA's bullying tactics against smaller countries"

"North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) had plan to invade Venezuela"

"Chávez proposes OPEC sell oil cheaper to poor countries"

"Dual Power in the Venezuelan Revolution"

¡Viva la Revolución Bolivariana!
¡Viva El Processo!
¡Viva Chavez!

Los amigos americanos de Presidente Chavez y la Revolución en inglés...
----
Americans for Chavez
http://www.americans-for-chavez.com
Bolivarian Circle 'Chief Tierra Blanca'

Response to the anti-Chávez article in Adbusters #74

2007-11-13T10:01:00.001-07:00

I’ve been a regular reader of Adbusters for quite a while now and more often than not there is always at least one article per issue that I strongly agree with and at least one that I strongly disagree with. That being said, I’m taking the atypical measure of writing to take exception to Sean Condon’s “turning tyrant” in Issue #74 regarding President Chávez of Venezuela. [URL: http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/74/Turning_Tyrant.html ]

Like any modern government, there are certainly fair grounds to be critical of the Bolivarian regime in Venezuela, for example its relations with the counter-progressive regime of Iran and its growing militarism. Nevertheless, when subjected to a basic realpolitik “cost/benefit analysis,” I believe the Bolivarian regime remains one of the most progressive governments in the world and still deserves the support and solidarity it has received from progressive elements elsewhere. However, to substantiate my point, some of Mr. Condon’s primary contentions do deserve a bit of comment.

First, with respect to RCTV, this particular private media outlet actively aided and abetted in the 2002 coup attempt and the effort to illegally overthrow the government of Venezuela. No state can realistically be expected to actively license and authorize the operation of a media outlet that has moved beyond criticism to active – and utterly undeniable – sedition against the state, its people, and its legal representative government. Most of Venezuela’s media remains privately owned and operated and remains actively critical of the Chávez government and its initiatives – all of which is to be expected in any free state – however, RCTV in particular crossed the line between exercising freedom of speech and complicity in an armed insurrection against the state in the interests of a foreign power (the U.S., the only government to immediately recognize the coup). Rest assured that if Adbusters were to move beyond active criticism (freedom of speech) and into direct mobilization and support of an armed insurrection against the Canadian government and the abduction of the prime minister, it too would be shut down and few would fault the Canadian government for doing so.

Secondly, regarding the current proposal to end presidential term limits and some of the related constitutional reforms, I agree that this is certainly somewhat less than encouraging, but again, it is not being done without the active consent and endorsement of the Venezuelan people. Specifically, on December 2 of this year the Venezuelan people – not the legislature – will have the direct ability to approve or deny the proposed constitutional reforms in a national referendum. The idea that great leaders with great ideas might be allowed to continue in their positions longer than normal – with the consent of the people – is hardly unique to Venezuela; remember even in the U.S. we chose to elect FDR for four successive terms (1932, 1936, 1940, & 1944) without lapsing into an authoritarian dictatorship.

The question of the autonomy of Venezuela’s central bank - Banco Central de Venezuela – is another of the constitutional reforms suggested by the President Chávez as part of the Bolivarian Process and is of vital import if the Process is to advance. Essentially, Article 318 of the reforms brings the central bank under control of the elected government of the people so that its policies – specifically in relation to monetary policy - support the interests of the people over the interests of the international markets. That is, contrary to the neo-liberal “Washington Consensus” in which the well being of people is secondary to the well being of international markets and the plutocratic elites, this proposed reform will allow the government and central bank to more effectively coordinate economic policies in support of the Bolivarian Process for the benefit of the Venezuelan people. To quote the Embassy of Venezuela fact sheet: “As Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz has argued, the many tradeoffs involved in crafting monetary policy and promoting economic growth in developing countries ‘cannot be relegated to technocrats, particularly when those technocrats place the interests of one segment of society above others.’”

Finally, regarding the notion of expelling foreigners that criticize the government, this presentation by Mr. Condon is somewhat misleading. While Chávez did indeed make this statement, there has been no real change in policy and one must also keep such comments in the context of a myriad of foreign enterprises openly working in Venezuela to undermine the regime. Specifically, these foreign subversives include USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Conservative Party (UK), American Security Council Foundation, assorted Latin American Rightists, and so on. Chávez has very real and legitimate reasons to be wary of foreign critics entering his country and agitating against freedom and democracy in favor of free markets and plutocratic exploitation.

Anyway, make no mistake about it, a number of decisions by the Chávez government do in fact provide reason to worry, but to date there is nothing that should result in “dread and disappointment.”

John Sigler
Bolivarian Circle ‘Chief Tierra Blanca’
a/k/a “Americans for Chavez”
http://www.americans-for-chavez.com

Notes, which can be included or excluded as you will:

“…actively aided and abetted in the 2002 coup attempt…” – Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, "Coup Co-Conspirators as Free-Speech Martyrs: Distorting the Venezuelan media story," FAIR Media Advisory, 25 May 2007, http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3107

“Most of Venezuela’s media remains private owned and operated…” - Stuart Munckton, "Corporate media outraged: Venezuela expands free speech," Green Left Weekly, 6 June 2007, http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/712/36966

“…end presidential term limits and some of the related constitutional reforms…” - Gregory Wilpert, "Referendum for Venezuelan Constitutional Reform to be in 2 Parts," Venezuelanalysis.com, 2 November 2007, http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/2798

“… approve or deny the proposed constitutional reforms in a national referendum.” - Venezuel Analysis, "Over Hundred Thousand Venezuelans March in Support of Constitutional Reform," Venezuelanalysis.com, 5 November 2007, http://64.191.57.43/news/2804

“ - Banco Central de Venezuela – “ - Banco Central de Venezuela, http://www.bcv.org.ve/

“To quote the Embassy of Venezuela fact sheet …” – Embassy of Venezuela, “"Constitutional Reform of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," Embassy of Venezuela Website, undated, http://www.embavenez-us.org/news.php?nid=3791

“…Chávez did indeed make this statement…” - Rory Carroll, "Chávez to expel foreign dissenters," The Guardian, 23 July 2007, http://www.guardian.co.uk/venezuela/story/0,,2133102,00.html

“…USAID …” - Eva Golinger, "USAID in Bolivia and Venezuela: The Silent Subversion," Bolivia Rising, 12 September 2007, http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2600

“…National Endowment for Democracy…” - Michael Barker, "Washington Promotes 'Independent' Media in Venezuela," Upside Down World , 20 September 2007, http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2624

“…Conservative Party (UK)…” - Calvin Tucker, "Conservative Party’s Venezuelan Friends in Low Places," The Guardian, 2 September 2007, http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2579

“…American Security Council Foundation …” - Michael Fox, "'Crisis in the Americas' – A Page Out of Washington’s Propaganda Playbook on Venezuela," Venezuelanalysis.com, 29 October 2007, http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2771

“…assorted Latin American Rightists…” - John Pilger, "The Old Iran-Contra Death Squad Gang is Desperate to Discredit Chavez," The Guardian, 17 August 2007, http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2552

Saturday, Oct 27: Denver Anti-War March & Rally!

2007-10-24T10:19:00.000-06:00

… I’ll be the only guy flying the Iraqi flag, since no one else around here appears to have one…

OCTOBER 27 DENVER COLORADO -OCT 27 Protest https://oct27.0war.org/denver.html
12 NOON The rally will be at Lincoln Park/Veterans Park(on Lincoln between 14th and E. Colfax in Denver, across from the Capitol) For more info, call 303-444-6981 or visit https://oct27.0war.org/www.rmpjc.org

Against the War? March and Rally in Denver http://colorado.indymedia.org/node/215
On Saturday, October 27, there will be an anti-war march and rally in Denver at Lincoln Park/Veterans Park at 12 noon. The parks are located just west of the Capitol Building.

We hope to make this the largest rally yet in Denver. The supplemental funding bill for the war most likely will not be voted on until after the rally (maybe as late as January), so this is an important opportunity to show our opposition to the funding for the war. Please help get out as many people as possible to show own resistance to the continued killing of thousands of Iraqis every month in order to seize their oil & gas resources.

This rally is held in conjunction with rallies in about a dozen other cities across the country (http://www.unitedforpeace.org/). Please forward this out to all of your lists and ask people to put the date on their calendar. More info will be forthcoming. http://www.rmpjc.org/

OCT 27: Denver Anti-War March & Rally
http://colorado-palestine.blogspot.com/2007/10/oct-27-denver-anti-war-march-rally.html
As part of the U.S. "National Day of Action" against the war, Denver will be having a march & rally on October 27: Saturday, October 27 DENVER Peace Rally and March against the war on Iraq and a possible war against Iran. Part of a National Day of Action.12 Noon at Lincoln Park just west of the Capitol Building (on Lincoln between 14th and E. Colfax). Music at 11:30 a.m. Please tell everyone you know to come! Let us show our opposition to all of our public officials about their support for a war that has killed 1.2 million Iraqis. Carpool from Boulder Table Mesa Park and Ride at 11 a.m.

Don't forget Palestine! The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation has endorsed and is actively encouraging its member groups to participate in this mobilization.

While the U.S. October 27 mobilization is focused on the war in Iraq and against the potential for war on Iran; other national mobilizations are also happening in other countries on the same date. For example, in Canada it will be a National Day of Action on Afghanistan & no war on Iran

Right-Wing Idiot Alert: For the record, right-wing idiots all excited to have OTHER people go die for Bush's oil scheme are planning on counter-protesting in Denver, See: "Eagles Needed: Evergreen and Denver, CO"
http://gatheringofeagles.org/2007/10/23/eagles-needed-evergreen-and-denver-co/

Other Blog Notices:

Regional Anti-War Protest Scheduled for Denver
http://www.newspeakblog.com/the_blog/2007/10/regional-anti-w.html
"Join peace activists from Colorado Springs who will be traveling to Denver on Saturday, October 27th to join the nationwide action calling for an end to the Iraq war."

This Saturday protest the Iraq War in Denver
http://www.notmytribe.com/2007/politics/anti-war/this-saturday-protest-the-iraq-war-in-denver.html
"It’s just a short trip up to Denver and back, so combine the demo with some other activities and protest the continued occupation of Iraq by American troops."

For Peace! Denver Rally This Saturday
http://www.metrodenvergreens.org/2007/10/for-peace-denve.html
"Metro Denver Greens encourages all Coloradoans seeking an end to the U.S. military occupation of Iraq to attend this rally."

American Hypocrisy on Burma, Darfur

2007-10-05T07:08:00.000-06:00

American Hypocrisy on

Burma

, Darfur
John Sigler,* 28 September 2007

The news has recently been dominated by the brutal human rights abuses underway presently in Burma (officially Myanmar, but this name change is not recognized by the U.S.) and before this it was dominated by the catastrophe in Darfur. By any stretch of the imagination the actions of these governments against their own people are obscene and criminal and certainly deserve the outcry, the protests, and the demands for cessation that they have received from around the world.

Despite the radically different situations in Myanmar and Sudan, they do have at least one thing in common, namely that the governments committing these outrages are not doing so with the active aid and support of the United States. The United States began seriously sanctioning Burma in 1990 and though some minor relations remain, the government of Burma is not dependent on the U.S., supported by the U.S., or diplomatically protected by the U.S. Similarly, since 1997 the U.S. has imposed strict sanctions on Sudan over the Darfur issue and no one can legitimately claim that the Sudanese government is dependent on the U.S., supported by the U.S., or diplomatically protected by the U.S.

However, as egregious as the situations in Burma and Darfur are, there is another situation that is just as egregious that differs significantly, primarily because it is dependent on the U.S., supported by the U.S., or diplomatically protected by the U.S. Specifically; this regards the situation in Israel/Palestine. Israeli actions against the Palestinian people are easily comparable with Darfur or Burma at least in some respects, but many of the same Americans screaming about Darfur and Burma ignore it as our government continues to provide Israel with billions in direct aid, billions more in privately contributed aid as well as nearly absolute diplomatic protection from the United Nations and the world community.

As of August 2007 it was reported that much of violence in Darfur has ended although roughly 2.5 million people remain displaced refugees. In Israel/Palestine, although the level of absolute violence has declined when compared to earlier periods, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) still has more than 4.4 million Palestinian refugees registered as of the end of 2006. According to Human Rights Watch, “Palestinians are the world's oldest and largest refugee population, and make up more than one fourth of all refugees.”

In Burma, at the time of this article being written, the official death toll from the recent protests is ten though some dissident groups largely outside the country have claimed that “at least 200” Burmese have been killed. In Israel/Palestine Gideon Levy just reported on the Palestinian death toll for the year 5767 on the Hebraic calendar that just ended, in which 457 Palestinians were killed by Israel, 92 of whom were children, including at least a couple of incidents where more than ten Palestinians were killed at once. In comparison to previous years the number of Palestinians killed is lower, but just in case anyone thinks this is the result of an equal contest, the ratio of Palestinians to Israelis for this period is 45.7 Palestinians per Israeli (ten Israelis were killed, including those killed by the much publicized home made “Qassam rockets” coming from Gaza).

While it is commendable that Americans concerned with human rights have spoken out so loudly on the issues of Darfur and Burma; shouldn’t Americans first concern themselves with human rights abuses that depend on, are supported by, and are diplomatically protected by our own country? Of course in the wake of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, the worsening disaster in Iraq (whose refugee population is approximating that of Darfur), and other abuses, one might be forgiven for shrugging off the crocodile tears of the Bush administration for the people of Burma and Darfur. However, this does not hold true for real human rights advocates in the United States. Frankly, as long as Israel is denying virtually all human rights to the Palestinians with U.S. arms, bought with U.S. money, and with U.S. diplomatic protection; it is nothing less than sheer hypocrisy for American human rights advocates to decry the evils of the Sudanese and Burmese governments while ignoring Israel. Let’s work on the human rights disasters and atrocities that our country is actively supporting before we move on to those where we have less direct influence and culpability.

*John Sigler is a writer and activist based in Denver, Colorado. Various groups he is involved with include the Jewish Friends of Palestine – http://www.jewishfriendspalestine.org – and the Colorado Palestine Solidarity Campaign – http://colorado-palestine.blogspot.com

Notes:

“The United States began seriously sanctioning Burma in 1990” see: Leon T. Hadar, “U.S. SANCTIONS AGAINST BURMA: A Failure on All Fronts,” Cato Institute Center for Trade Policy Studies, Trade Policy Analysis No. 1 March 26, 1998, http://www.cato.org/pubs/trade/tpa-001.html

“since 1997 the U.S. has imposed strict sanctions on the Sudan” see: “What You Need To Know About U.S. Sanctions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control, 27 April 2006, http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/sudan/sudan.pdf

“primarily because it is dependent on the U.S., supported by the U.S., or diplomatically protected by the U.S.” see: John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt, The Israel Lobby, pages 23-48

“As of August 2007 it was reported that much of violence in Darfur has ended” see: Edmund Sanders, “Death rate declines in Darfur,” Los Angeles Times, 26 August 2007, http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-darfur26aug26,1,4364749.story?coll=la-headlines-world

“more than 4.4 million Palestinian refugees registered: see: UNRWA Website, “Statistics” http://www.un.org/unrwa/publications/index.html

“According to Human Rights Watch” see: Human Rights Watch Website: http://hrw.org/doc/?t=refugees&document_limit=0,2

“official death toll from the recent protests is ten” see: “'At least 200' killed in Burmese crackdown,” Irish Independent, 29 September 2007, http://www.independent.ie/world-news/at-least-200-killed-in-burmese-crackdown-1092247.html

“Gideon Levy reported on the Palestinian death toll for the year 5767” see: Gideon Levy, “Twilight Zone / The children of 5767,” Ha’aretz, 28 September 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/907708.html

Americans for Chavez News Updated

2007-10-02T21:30:00.000-06:00

The news scroller on the Americans for Chavez website, a project of Bolivarian Circle 'Chief Tierra Blanca' (for more see: http://www.americans-for-chavez.com/about.html ) has now been updated. New articles include:

"Chávez: 'Galbraithiano'"

"Universities get Science & Technology funds for more than US$50 million"

"What is Venezuela all about? And where is it going?"

"United Socialist Party of Venezuela Prepares for National Conference"

"Chávez sees massive social gains for Venezuela's poor and working people"

"Israel considering downgrading its diplomatic relations with Venezuela"

"Venezuela: 'The Jewish community has never enjoyed such wealth before'"

"Venezuela and Brazil said to be readying multiple cooperation agreements"

"Venezuela: Constitutional reform, ideology and private property"

"Finance Minister: Demand for 'Bonds of the South' surpassed expectations"

"South American and African nations plan to strengthen common bonds"

"President of Iran Visits Venezuela and Signs Economic Agreements"

"A Revolution is Just Below the Surface"

"President Chávez Inaugurates New Initiatives in Housing and Education"

"Venezuelan Anti-Domestic Violence Campaign Targets Men"

"Venezuela Membership in Mercosur and CAN Still in Doubt"

"Noam Chomsky on Venezuela"

"Venezuela gets award for working in favor of peaceful use of atomic energy"

"President Chávez Stresses Will to Achieve Humanitarian Agreement"

"Venezuela's Chávez Skips This Year's UN Opening"

"Arias Cardenas leads Venezuela's defense of environment at UN general assembly"

"Chávez: Venezuela will set up atomic energy commission one day"

"President Hugo Chávez calls on Europe to defeat obstacles against integration"

"Mission Sports Barrio Adentro Aims at Social Balance"

"4,739,000 lamps changed in private business and 1,659 state-run facilities"

"Official confirms talks with Venezuela on setting up an oil refinery in Fiji"

¡Viva la Revolución Bolivariana!
¡Viva El Processo!
¡Viva Chavez!

Los amigos americanos de Presidente Chavez y la Revolución en inglés...
----
Americans for Chavez
http://www.americans-for-chavez.com
Bolivarian Circle 'Chief Tierra Blanca'

So how have the US/Israeli efforts to isolate Iran fared around the world?

2007-09-27T19:50:00.000-06:00

“I think it's very important for the world to unite with one common voice, to say to the Iranians that, 'if you choose to continue forward, you'll be isolated,' … Let's work in concert to convince the government that it's not just the Israeli voices speaking or the United States voices speaking, but there's a lot of other voices saying the exact same thing, …” – President Bush [1]

Although the US imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran after the Iranian people ousted the US puppet dictator, Shah Pahlavi [2], these sanctions have never really been taken overly seriously. Within a couple years of the Islamic Revolution, Washington was already in business with the Islamic Republic selling weapons in what later became known as the “Iran-Contra Affair” [3] and this trend continued up until just a couple years ago, with Vice President Cheney’s Halliburton firm dealing with Iran [4].

Despite the rather tongue-in-cheek nature – especially among Republicans - of the US sanctions, efforts to isolate Iran have been seriously ramped up over the last couple of years. This is part of the campaign to keep the Iranians dependent by denying them their completely legal right to develop nuclear energy [5] on the grounds that at some point in the future Iran may opt to create a nuclear weapons program [6]. Luckily, most of the interests that rallied behind the invasion and occupation of Iraq are either doing fine as it is (e.g. oil companies, defense contractors) or are currently stretched (e.g. the US military, the “Coalition of the Willing”) and only one major interest is pressing for war on Iran today. In that this sole faction is pressing for war and has not succeeded in this goal, the alternative position that has been accepted by the United States government as a whole has been an effort to impose tighter sanctions and internationally isolate Iran.

This campaign for sanctions and isolation has been in full swing for about two years now, coupled with a constant barrage of patently false reports [7] attempting to portray Iran as a threat to global security. So the question is how has this campaign been going? How successful have efforts to isolate Iran been to date? Does the rest of the world take US/Israeli propaganda seriously?

To find an answer to this question, below is a list of all current member states of the United Nations. Using the Google News search engine, I coupled each country with Iran to pull up recent news stories regarding Iranian relations with these countries. Below are the results, the countries highlighted in Blue are friendly with Iran and/or expanding cooperation whereas those highlighted in Red are hostile to the Islamic Republic.

Notes:

[1] Greg Kelly and The Associated Press, “Bush Urges Isolation of Iran Until It Gives Up Nuclear Ambitions,” FOX News, 13 November 2006

[2] Tom Ricks, “Iranian People Challenge Pahlavi Arms and American Support,” MERIP Reports, No. 68 (Jun., 1978), pp. 18-19

[3] Lawrence E. Walsh, Independent Counsel, “FINAL REPORT OF THE
INDEPENDENT COUNSEL FOR IRAN/CONTRA MATTERS”, UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT, 4 August 1993, Presented online by the Federation of American Scientists at: http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/walsh/

[4] Jefferson Morley, "Halliburton Doing Business With the 'Axis of Evil'," Washington Post, 3 February 2005

[5] "The Legality of the UN Security Council demands on Iran," Iran Affairs, 6 August 2007

[6] AFP, "CIA analysis finds no Iranian nuclear weapons drive: report," Agence France-Presse, 19 November 2006

[7] BBC Staff, "US Iran report branded dishonest," BBC News, 14 September 2007

Afghanistan: Afghanistan is currently under NATO occupation and despite the fact that the NATO-installed Quisling-like puppet government is represented in the United Nations, as a de facto non-sovereign occupation zone it should not be. Therefore Afghanistan is excluded.

Albania: "Iran, Albania discuss mutual ties," PRESS TV, 26 September 2007
"The envoy expressed the readiness of Iranian organizations and private companies to promote bilateral ties in various fields, particularly in scientific and economic areas. Oteka mentioned that Albania is finished with the era of communist rule and currently has resolved to expand ties with different countries. Pointing out Albania's atmosphere for economic cooperation, attraction of foreign investment and providing facilities to investors of other countries, he added that preparations are being made for economic cooperation between Tehran and Tirana regarding cultural bonds and capabilities of Iranian companies."

Algeria: "Export Development Bank of Iran in Algeria," ISNA, 15 September 2007
"The Export Development Bank of Iran will soon start its work in Algeria. This branch would be established in Algeria so to decrease the two countries' problems on the way of trade and banking connections, said Iran's ambassador to Algeria, Hussein Abdi Abiane. ... Algeria with 80 billion dollars foreign exchange reserves, no foreign loans and a 150 billion dollar budget for reconstruction was in great need of technical and engineering services and also various sorts of goods, Abiane added. ... Iran is recently after allocating a bigger share of the Algerians' market to itself through expansion of economic ties. In this regard Iran's president in his recent trip to Algeria has signed economic agreements with Algerian officials including air transportation."

Andorra: No news about Iranian-Andorran relations.

Angola: No news about Iranian-Andorran relations outside of activity related to OPEC, to which both countries belong.

Antigua & Barbuda: No news about Iranian-Antiguan/Barbudan relations.

Argentina: "Argentina seeks help on AMIA probe," PRESS TV, 27 September 2007
"Argentina's president, Nestor Kirchner, has asked for Iran's cooperation in probing into the bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires. Kirchner's accusation of former Iranian officials comes while Iran has firmly and repeatedly denied any involvement in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA headquarters, which killed 85 people."

Armenia: "Iran, Armenia to broaden mutual cooperation," IranMania, 26 September 2007
"Armenian Ambassador to Tehran Karen Nazarian conferred with the Head of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi on expansion of cooperation between the two countries, IRNA reported. ... Expressing satisfaction with the current level of mutual relations, he said there are huge untapped potentials which should be explored for broadening of economic, cultural and political ties between the two countries."

Australia: "Downer slams Iran over weapons supplies," ABC News, 26 September 2007
"Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer has called on Iran to stop supplying weapons to militias in Iraq. Mr. Downer says he made Australia's position plain during a recent bilateral meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister."

Austria: "OMV: US Iran sanctions pose no risk," PRESS TV, 26 September 2007
"The Chief Executive of the Austrian oil and gas group OMV says US possible sanctions pose no risk to the firm's investments in Iran. Wolfgang Ruttenstorfer said the company conforms to UN regulations and all European and Austrian rules about investments in Iran. ... Experts believe OMV, the biggest oil and gas group in Central Europe, may face sanctions like the lack of financial support from the US and being blacklisted by US stock markets. OMV Spokesman, Thomas Huemer had earlier said OMV was continuing talks with Iran and the two sides would finalize a cooperation agreement by the end of 2007."

Azerbaijan: "Tehran-Baku ties upset ill-wishers," PRESS TV, 26 September 2007
"Iran's ambassador to Azerbaijan says the positive developing relationship between Iran and Azerbaijan has disappointed ill-wishers. ... A number of Azeri press officials underlined their interest in expansion of reciprocal ties, saying the removal of visa restrictions and streamlining travel can prepare the way for an extension of relations."

Bahamas: No news about Iranian-Bahaman relations.

Bahrain: "Iran to export gas to Bahrain in 2012," PRESS TV, 24 September 2007
"Iran will start exporting natural gas to Bahrain in 2012, Bahraini Minister of Oil and Gas Affairs Abdul-Hussain Mirza has said. The joint technical committee of Iran and Bahrain will hold their second round of talks in Tehran next month on the issue of natural gas export, ISNA quoted the minister as saying. He added that in the current round of talks, the final draft of an agreement on Iran-Bahrain gas trade will be prepared. Mirza noted that negotiations on Iran's gas export to Bahrain will end in one year."

Bangladesh: "Iran, Bangladesh plan to set up a joint chamber," IranMania, 3 September 2007
"Iran and Bangladesh plan to set up a joint chamber of commerce. According to IRNA, the presidents of Iran and Bangladesh have agreed to establish the commerce chamber within the framework of past commercial agreements between the two countries. The plan aims to encourage investment and boost economic transactions between the two nations. A working group comprising representatives from the two sides will be set up to discuss various aspects of the plan and remove probable problems. Iran and Bangladesh have agreed to provide facilities to investors from each other's countries."

Barbados: No news about Iranian-Barbadan relations.

Belarus: "Iran, Belarus in deal to develop oil field," Agence France-Presse, 5 September 2007
"Iran and Belarus Wednesday signed a deal worth an initial 250 million dollars to develop an oil field in southwest Iran, the latest sign of the expanding relationship between the two US foes. The deal to develop the Jofeir oil field was signed in Tehran by Iranian officials and the president of the Belarusneft oil company, Alexander Lyakov. Naji Saadoni, the head of Iranian oil projects in the region, told reporters the deal was worth 250 million dollars and then up to another 250 million dollars if Iran's national oil company agreed to go ahead with a second phase. The field, which lies in an oil-rich region of Ilam province close to the border with Iraq, will supply 15,000 barrels of oil a day in the first phase and then 25,000 barrels should the second phase go ahead, he added. ... 'We are extremely pleased with the results of this negotiation and it is a pillar of the burgeoning ties between the two countries,' he added. Lukashenko has also visited Tehran and the two countries are seeking to forge an increasingly close relationship based on a shared distrust of the United States, which accuses both nations of rights violations."

Belgium: "Belgium to enter Iran's housing sector," PRESS TV, 24 September 2007
"Belgian construction firms have announced readiness to construct 1m housing units in Iran within 5-7 years and will soon submit a proposal. ... Apart from submitting its proposal on housing cooperation to Iran's Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the Belgian Housing Industry is also intent on entering into talks with the country's private sector, he said. Meanwhile, a diplomat from the economic section of the Belgian Embassy in Tehran said that his country was seeking long-term cooperation with Iran's economic sector in a variety of fields."

Belize: No news about Iranian-Belize relations.

Benin: "Iran looks to Africa," United Press International, 6 September 2007
"Iranian government and business has been reaching out to Africa. In August, a 30-person Iranian business delegation met with officials in Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Cameroon and Liberia, and went away with promises to increase trade and development, according to Iran`s PressTV. Iran is interested in construction, banking, pharmaceuticals, and auto manufacturing in these West African countries."

Bhutan: No news about Iran-Bhutan relations.

Bolivia: "Bolivia's president defends relationship with Iran," People's Daily Online, 26 September 2007
"Bolivia's President Evo Morales on Tuesday defended collaboration with Iran on the sidelines of the 62nd United Nations General Assembly, according to news reaching here. ... Iran's President Mahmud Ahmadineyad will arrive in Bolivia on Thursday to sign aid agreements as well as deals on technology transfer and construction of industrial plants. 'We decided to begin this agreement and open diplomatic relations with Iran to complement and improve the nation's economic situation, not to damage or offend anyone,' he said."

Bosnia: No news about recent Iran-Bosnia relations.

Botswana: No news about recent Iran-Botswana relations.

Brazil: "Brazil's Lula defends Iran's nuclear rights," Reuters, 26 September 2007
"Iran has the right to proceed with peaceful nuclear research and should not be punished just because of Western suspicions it wants to make an atomic bomb, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday. 'So far, Iran has committed no crime regarding the U.N. guidelines on nuclear weapons,' Lula told reporters as he prepared to return to Brazil after delivering a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. 'Nobody should be punished in advance,' said Lula, whose country started enriching uranium for its nuclear power plants last year, causing only limited international attention."

Brunei Darussalam: "Darussalam Holdings spreads wings to Iran," Brunei Press, 17 September 2007
"Darussalam Holdings added another destination to its list of tour packages focusing on Islam; this time around it is Iran. The government-owned company has spread its wings from managing a range of Hajj and Umrah packages to organising tour packages to international destinations. ... A group of Islamic travel and tour agencies from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore went on a seven-day familiarisation trip to the Islamic Republic of Iran from August 1-8, 2007. Brunei Darussalam was represented by Haji Mahmud bin Haji Mohamed, the Managing Director of Darussalam Holdings Sendirian Berhad."

Bulgaria: "Iran, Bulgaria to boost culture ties," PRESS TV, 7 September 2007
"Iran and Bulgaria have agreed on a two-year cooperation program in the fields of culture, science, education, sport and tourism. Bulgaria's Deputy Foreign Minister, Feim Chaushev, and the Iranian envoy to Bulgaria, Habibollah Biazar have signed an exchange program for the years 2007 to 2009. 'Cultural cooperation can lay the ground for further developments of dialogue between the two civilizations,' he added. 'The new agreement expands Iran-Bulgaria relations', said Habibollah Biazar, adding that 'bilateral co operations between the two countries are not only limited to this program and we are about to witness expansions of relations in other fields too.'"

Burkina Faso: No news about recent Iran-Burkino Faso relations.

Burundi: No news about recent Iran-Burundi Faso relations.

Cambodia: No news about recent Iran-Cambodia relations.

Cameroon: "Iran looks to Africa," United Press International, 6 September 2007
"Iranian government and business has been reaching out to Africa. In August, a 30-person Iranian business delegation met with officials in Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Cameroon and Liberia, and went away with promises to increase trade and development, according to Iran`s PressTV. Iran is interested in construction, banking, pharmaceuticals, and auto manufacturing in these West African countries."

Canada: "Canada could add Iran's Guard to terror list," National Post, 25 September2007
"Canada is 'very concerned' about Tehran's intervention outside its borders and has not ruled out banning the Iranian Revolutionary Guard under the Anti-Terrorism Act, says Stockwell Day, the Minister of Public Safety."

Cape Verde: No news about recent Iran-Cape Verde relations.

Central African Republic: No news about recent Iran-Central African Republic relations.

Chad: No news about recent Iran-Chad relations.

Chile: No news about recent Iran-Chile relations.

China: "Prospects very bright for Iran-China ties: ambassador," Tehran Times, 18 September 2007
"Mr. Liu said Iran and China enjoy 'complementary' relations and called the outlook for relations between the two Asian nations 'very promising.' The ambassador added that China recognizes Iran’s legitimate right to produce nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and confirms the statement by Iranian officials that Tehran 'is not seeking nuclear arms.' ... It was over 36 years ago that Iran and China established political relations and since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the political ties between the two countries have been expanding and the two countries have enjoyed mutual understanding. ... In 2006 China was Iran’s biggest trade partner and the trade ties between the two countries reached $14.5 billion and it is forecast to reach $20 billion in the current year. If the trade ties reach this rate it would show that trade ties between the two countries has expanded 200 times since the Iranian revolution. Importing oil from Iran constitutes about two-thirds of China’s trade with Iran. China exports machinery to Iran; for example most of the machinery used in the Tehran metro, such as rail and electricity facilities have been provided by China. Many of the machinery used in power plants such as the ones in Arak and Karun have been bought from China. ..."

Colombia: No news about recent Iran-Colombia relations.

Comoros: No news about recent Iran-Comoros relations.

Congo: No news about recent Iran-Republic of Congo relations.

Costa Rica: No news about recent Iran-Costa Rica relations.

Côte d'Ivoire: No news about recent Iran-Côte d'Ivoire relations.

Croatia: "Iran, Croatia stress expansion of bilateral ties," IRNA, 26 September 2007
"President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and his Croatian counterpart Stjepan Mesic here on Tuesday reviewed avenues to bolster all-out bilateral relations, particularly in the area of economy. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly. ... For his part, President Mesic regretted that as a result of the hegemonistic policies of certain powers, injustice is predominant in the world. Lauding Iran's independent stands regarding various world developments, he said part of Tehran's policies are misinterpreted by international community. The Croatian president further underscored the need for promotion of all-out ties with Iran."

Cuba: "Children of Che Guevara meet Iran’s culture minister," Tehran Times, 27 September 2007
"Two children of Ernesto Che Guevara met Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi here on Tuesday. Aleida and Camilo Guevara are currently visiting Iran and are scheduled to meet with high-ranking Iranian officials. The culture minister paid tribute to Che Guevara and said Iran and Cuba have one point in common, which is the fact that both have experienced U.S. hostility. ... He went on to say that Cuba’s independence has been the main factor driving its development and expressed hope that Cubans’ resistance would always be inspired by Che. Aleida Guevara said she was glad to be able to visit Iran, adding, 'We are here as representatives of Cuba to announce the solidarity of the Cuban nation with the people of Iran.'"

Cyprus: "Iran: Cyprus a bridge of communication between EU and Middle East region," Financial Mirror, 20 September 2007
"Cyprus, as a member of the European Union, plays an important role as a bridge of communication between the EU and countries of the wider region, said here Tuesday Iranian Ambassador to Cyprus Alireza Bigdeli. ... A statement issued by the House after the meeting said Christofias praised the level of traditionally very good relations between the two countries and expressed the wish that these relations are further developed to benefit the people. On his part, Bigdeli expressed appreciation for the friendly relations between Cyprus and the Iranian Republic, noting that Cyprus, as a member of the European Union, plays an important role as a bridge of communication between the EU and countries of the wider region."

Czech Republic: "Czech Ready to Expand Relations with Iran," Fars News Agency, 25 September 2007
"Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Karel Schwarzenberg voiced his country's preparedness to develop ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Schwarzenberg made the remarks in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in a meeting on the sidelines of the 62nd annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During the meeting, the Czech official said that his country's ambassador to Tehran is seriously pursuing the expansion of the two states' bilateral relations, and called for continued exchange of views by the two countries to solve partial problems and remove possible impediments to the two nations' relations. The Iranian minister, for his part, voiced Tehran's readiness to use the two countries' potentials to further expand ties, and described regional and international cooperation as a back-up for the expansion of mutual relations."

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea): "Iran, North Korea to defend independent states at int'l arena," IRNA, 3 September 2007
"President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that Tehran and Pyongyang can defend rights of independent states at international bodies including the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). He made the remarks in a meeting with the foreign minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Pak Ui Chun. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the NAM Ministerial Meeting on Human Rights and Cultural Diversity which is underway in Tehran on September 3-4. President Ahmadinejad also welcomed promotion of Iran-DPRK ties in all fields. Meanwhile, the North Korean minister appreciated hospitality of Iranian government and its nation and conveyed Pyongyang's warm greetings to Iranian officials. 'Pyongyang supports Iran's stand on peaceful nuclear program,' Pak Ui Chun said. He said Iran is playing key role for strengthening regional peace and stability. The minister called for further promotion of Tehran-pyongyang relations."

Democratic Republic of the Congo: No news about recent Iran-DRC relations.

Denmark: No news about recent Iran-Denmark relations.

Djibouti: No news about recent Iran-Djibouti relations.

Dominica: No news about recent Iran-Dominica relations.

Dominican Republic: No news about recent Iran-Dominican Republic relations.

Ecuador: No news about recent Iran-Ecuador Republic relations.

Egypt: "Egypt seeks to restore ties with Iran," Xinhua News Agency, 19 September 2007
"Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said Wednesday that his country sought to normalize diplomatic relations with Iran through 'constructive consultations,' the official MENA news agency reported. ... On Tuesday, visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with senior Egyptian foreign ministry officials on boosting bilateral ties. The two sides agreed on resuming dialogue, especially in terms of bilateral relations on the level of senior officials and then foreign ministers of the two countries, the foreign ministry said in a press release following the meeting. ... As for Iran's disputed nuclear issue, Abul Gheit said Egypt supports a peaceful settlement, expressing Egypt's full rejection of any military action against Iran. 'Egypt supports a peaceful settlement to Iran's nuclear file through negotiations that would allow Iran to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes in accordance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,' he said. Bilateral relations between Egypt and Iran, which were frozen after the Iranian revolution in 1979, have witnessed a gradual resumption in recent years."

El Salvador: No news about recent Iran-El Salavador relations.

Equatorial Guinea: No news about recent Iran-Equatorial Guinea relations.

Eritrea: "Mottaki: Iran seeks friendly ties with Eritrea," IRNA, 27 September 2007
"Eritrea's Foreign Minister Osman Saleh conferred on Wednesday with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on expansion of cooperation between the two countries. Describing the two sides' relations as friendly, Mottaki said Iran has always sought an amicable ties with Eritrea. ... Eritrea's foreign minister was in Tehran to attend a NAM ministerial meeting on Human Rights and Cultural Diversity which ended on Tuesday. Expressing satisfaction with his participation in the NAM ministerial meeting, he said 'We appreciate Tehran for holding such an significant meeting.' Highlighting regional developments, he called on the Islamic Republic of Iran to play a more active role in bolstering the country's economic infrastructure. The Eritrean foreign minister called on Iran to hold a trade exhibition in his country. He called for expansion of political ties between the two countries."

Estonia: "Estonia lauds Iran-IAEA cooperation," PRESS TV, 13 September 2007
"The Estonian Foreign Minister has stressed the importance of Iran's role in the Middle East, calling Iran-IAEA cooperation 'significant'. In a meeting with Reza Nazar-Ahari, Iran's accredited representative to Tallinn, Urmas Paet said that he looked forward to a lasting cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, adding that the recent agreements were crucial in resolving the issue. With over 120 Estonian peace keepers in Iraq, Paet acknowledged Iran's key position in the Middle East and praised its effective role in establishing stability in Iraq and Afghanistan. Noting the recent Iran-IAEA progress, Nazar-Ahari expressed hope that the meeting of the Board of Governors this week, would support Iran's peaceful nuclear activities. The two sides also called for the expansion of bilateral ties."

Ethiopia: "Iran, Ethiopia to boost economic ties," PRESS TV, 4 September 2007
"Visiting Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin has called for the expansion of economic, agricultural and industrial ties with Iran. In a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministerial Meeting in Tehran, Mesfin voiced the African country's interest in Iranian investment in Ethiopia's agricultural sector. Mesfin said that Addis Abba would send a delegation to Tehran in the near future to discuss the purchase of oil from Iran. He emphasized the necessity of establishing a permanent center for future NAM meetings, adding, 'Developing countries should use the center to make their voices heard in the international community.' Mottaki, for his part, said Iran is ready to construct power plants, dams, and buildings in Ethiopia and to invest in the country's agricultural and industrial sectors."

Fiji: No news about recent Iran-Fiji relations.

Finland: "Finland backs Iran's nuclear rights," PRESS TV, 8 September 2007
"An Iranian official has met and conferred with Finnish officials on the latest constructive developments on Iran's peaceful nuclear case. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International affairs, Seyyed Abbas Araqchi met separately with Under-Secretary of State, Markus Lyra, and Under-Secretary for External Affairs, Esko Hamilo on Friday. By expressing hope to overcome the problems in Iran's peaceful nuclear activities, the former Iranian Ambassador to Helsinki, highlighted recent agreement with the IAEA, as a 'significant step forward,' as called by the IAEA Chief, ElBaradei. Finnish officials, for their part, by stressing on Iran's right to the peaceful use of nuclear technology, hailed Iran's on-going cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. ... Both countries' officials voiced their willingness to further develop the bilateral economic, political, and cultural relations between Tehran and Helsinki."

France: "France says nuclear weapons in Iran's hands 'unacceptable'," Agence France-Presse, 25 September 2007
"French President Nicolas Sarkozy piled pressure on Iran at the United Nations Tuesday, saying it would be unacceptable for the Islamic republic to get hold of nuclear weapons. ... 'Iran has the right to nuclear energy,' Sarkozy told world leaders at the General Assembly's 62nd session here. 'But allowing Iran to have nuclear weapons would mean an unacceptable risk for regional and world stability.' Sarkozy added there would be no world peace if the international community 'shows weakness in the face of the proliferation of nuclear weapons,' in a speech received with loud applause from the rest of the assembly."

Gabon: "Iran, Gabon study expansion of mutual ties," IRNA, 27 September 2007
"Gabon's Foreign Minister Jean Ping who is attending Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) ministerial meeting, exchanged views with his Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of the meeting here Tuesday. According to Information and Press Bureau of Foreign Ministry, at the meeting, Mottaki highlighted good ties between the two countries and said there are good potentials for expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries mainly in the oil industry. The Islamic Republic of Iran can play a much active role in Gabon's developments, he said adding that opening of Gabon's embassy in Tehran would prepare a suitable opportunity for expansion of mutual ties. Mottaki also voiced the readiness of Iranian oil companies to exploit and excavate oil in Gabon and said, 'We are ready to dispatch an economic delegation to study grounds for expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries.' Gabon's foreign minister, for his part, underlined that his country attaches importance to the Tehran meeting and said the two sides are now experiencing good ties and Gabon's president personally likes Iran. Gabon has removed many red-tapes and limits in customs formalities and welcomes investment of Iranian oil companies in Gabon, he said."

Gambia: "'Iran Trip, Very Fruitful'... Nyimassata Sanneh-Bojang," AllAfrica.Com, 5 September 2007
"Ajaratou Nyimasatta Sanneh-Bojang, Administrative Secretary of the Alliance for Patriotic Re-orientation and Construction (APRC), has described her trip to Teheran as very fruitful and informative. ... During her stay in Teheran ,she had the opportunity to meet Iranian women from different institutions. Very impressed by her trip, she indicated that the stereo typical picture portrayed in the Western media about Iran is unfair and untrue. 'In spite of their different engagements, Iranian women participate actively in the development process of their country,' she said. ... She also disclosed that the most interesting moment of her trip in Tehran was marked by her meeting with female soldiers at one of their numerous military camps. According to her, the peculiarity of this camp lies on the fact that it only comprises of female soldiers. Women in Iran are always in the forefront when it comes to defending their country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. She further called on Gambian women to emulate their Iranian counterparts, noting that they are always remembering the beliefs of Imam Khomeyni, founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Georgia: "Iran, Georgia to boost customs ties," PRESS TV, 16 September 2007
"Iranian and Georgian officials have arrived at an agreement on mutual cooperation to enhance customs efficiency. The cooperation, between Iran and Georgia, is placed to avert customs offenses at the border crossings between the two countries. In accordance with the agreement, customs officials of both countries will inform one another of customs violations that take place within each country."

Germany: "Germany says burden of nuclear proof on Iran," Reuters, 26 September 2007
"German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that Iran had to convince the world it was not working on a nuclear weapon or she would support stiffer sanctions against Tehran. 'Let us not fool ourselves,' Merkel told the U.N. General Assembly. 'If Iran were to acquire the nuclear bomb, the consequences would be disastrous -- first and foremost for the existence of Israel, secondly for the entire region and ultimately for all of us in Europe and the world. 'Therefore we have to prevent Iran ever coming into possession of one,' she said. 'Germany will firmly advocate additional harsher sanctions -- if Iran does not comply,' Merkel said."

Ghana: "Iran, friend of all African states including Ghana," IranMania, 4 September 2007
"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran is a friend of all African states including Ghana and there is no obstacle to expansion of mutual ties, IRNA reported. According to the Information Bureau of Presidential Office, Ahmadinejad made the remark in a meeting with the visiting Ghanaian Foreign Minister Akwasi Osei Adjei on the sidelines of a Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meeting in Tehran. The president added that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to put its constructive experiences at the disposal of Ghana. The Iranian and Ghanaian nations enjoy brotherly relations, and both countries cooperate with each other in international fora, he said, noting that big powers are opposed to cooperation among independent countries, but Tehran is determined to expand ties with other states. The Ghanaian foreign minister, for his part, appreciated the Iranian government and people for their hospitality, and called for expansion of all-out relations between the two countries."

Greece: No news about recent Iran-Greece relations.

Grenada: No news about recent Iran-Grenada relations.

Guatemala: No news about recent Iran-Guatemala relations.

Guinea: No news about recent Iran-Guinea relations.

Guinea-Bissau: No news about recent Iran-Guinea-Bissau relations.

Guyana: No news about recent Iran-Guyana relations.

Haiti: No news about recent Iran-Haiti relations.

Honduras: No news about recent Iran-Honduras relations.

Hungary: No news about recent Iran-Hungary relations.

Iceland: No news about recent Iran-Iceland relations.

India: "India opposed to military strike on Iran," PRESS TV, 14 September 2007
"Indian Foreign Minister says India strongly supports Iran-IAEA working plan and is vehemently opposed to any armed intervention in Iran. 'India favors a non-interventionist policy in Iran. India is against armed intervention in another country,' Indian External Affaires Minister Pranab Mukherjee told journalists and academicians in Bangkok on Friday. The Indian official noted, 'Iran has sought to promote a peaceful civil nuclear program for its own purposes. As a signatory to the NPT, Iran has its own commitments and all the contentious issues should be resolved amicably.'"

Indonesia: "Iran, Indonesia to Implement Mutual Cooperation Agreement," Fars News Agency, 8 September 2007
"Iran and Indonesia are to implement an agreement they concluded last year for cooperating in the establishment of small and medium industries and construction of industrial townships, an Iranian official said Saturday. Managing Director of the Industrial Townships of Iran's Khorassan Razavi province, Ali Soleymani, made the remarks during a visit to Iran's northeastern Food Industries Technology and Biotechnology Township by a delegation of Indonesian traders and food industries specialists. During the visit, Soleymani described the township as a center with national and trans-national functioning, which bridges the gap between Iranian and foreign traders. 'The technology townships are required to promote the technological level of the food processing and producing units which are plentiful in Khorassan province,' he added."

Iraq: Iraq is currently under US military occupation and despite the fact that the US-installed Quisling-like puppet government is represented in the United Nations, as a de facto non-sovereign occupation zone it should not be. Therefore Iraq is excluded, see the US instead.

Ireland: No news about recent Iran-Ireland relations.

Israel: "Iran, Israel ratchet up tensions," Asia Times, 25 September 2007
"What is remarkable about this issue is the depth, extensiveness and consistent recycling of military threats against Iran, both veiled and unveiled, by the Israelis. Having convinced themselves, and a good part of the Western world, that Iran is about to reach the "point of no return" in its nuclear program, Israeli civilian and military leaders and their allies in the Israeli and US media have ratcheted up the threat of a military strike on Iran as a rational and feasible option. This is in complete disregard for international law and the principles of the UN Charter, which forbids member states "from using the threat or use of force" against each other."

Italy: "Iran, Italy review mutual, regional developments," Tehran Times, 20 September 2007
"The visiting political advisor to Italy's prime minister conferred on Wednesday with Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki on issues of mutual interests. ... Highlighting the current 'good and constructive' relations between Iran and Italy, Mottaki said the visit of the Italian envoy to Iran indicates the firm determination of the country for playing a positive role in the region. The Islamic Republic of Iran always tries to find a way out of regional crises, he said, adding that Iran is ready to help implement the initiatives of the Italian government. The Italian envoy, for his part, referred to existing commonalties between the two countries and their potentials and called for expansion of ties between the two countries. Elaborating on the policies of the Italian government to play a positive role in the region, he underlined the significant role of Iran in regional developments."

Jamaica: No news about recent Iran-Jamaica relations.

Japan: "Iran’s Japanese oil clients told to replace dollar with yen," Tehran Times, 26 September 2007
"Marketing manager of National Iranian Oil Co. here Tuesday said the NIOC told all oil purchasers in Japan to replace dollar with yen in their deals. Mohammad-Ali Khatibi told PIN that some Japanese had followed the policy, adding Nippon Oil was not the sole refinery that was paying yen instead of dollar for importing Iran’s oil as other refineries of Japan were buying the commodity in yen. ... Khatibi said over 70 percent of Iran’s crude oil was now sold in euro and yen instead of dollar. Given the fluctuation and weakening trend of dollar in the recent years, Iran decided to receive the least amount of dollar as revenue in its international deals, asking its customers to change their currency policy. Iran is Japan’s third biggest oil supplier, standing after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Iran has been increasingly selling oil in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, which has fallen in value."

Jordan: No news about recent Iran-Jordan relations.

Kazakhstan: "Iran, Kazakhstan willing to boost ties," KazInform, 28 August 2007
"Kazakhstan has expressed its readiness to expand bilateral relations with Iran, which is seen as a key player in the Middle East region. In a meeting on Monday between the Vice-Speaker of Iran's Parliament (Majlis) and Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Tehran the two sides expressed readiness for expanding bilateral relations. Mohammad-Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard said Iranian officials have a positive attitude to boosting parliamentary, economic and cultural relations with Kazakhstan, adding that further efforts should be made in this regard."

Kenya: "Iran, Kenya sign housing MoU," PRESS TV, 5 September 2007
"Iran and Kenya have signed a memorandum of understanding on expansion of cooperation in the fields of housing and urban development. ... According to the MoU, Iran and Kenya vowed to help each other in establishing direct contact between the two countries' various companies, organizations and investing foundations engaged in activities relating to housing and urban development. It also stressed that Kenya would make use of Iran's experience in reconstructing rundown buildings in Kenya and the two countries would provide the necessary facilities for holding specialized exhibitions. Saeedi-Kia expressed hope that the MoU would pave the way for the two sides to benefit from each other's experiences, capabilities and potentialities in the housing and urban development sector. For his part, the Kenyan minister said that his country hoped to use Iran's experience in the fields of urban development and housing construction."

Kiribati: No news about recent Iran-Kiribati relations.

Kuwait: "Kuwait rallies to defence of Iran," Agence France-Presse, 26 September 2007
"US ally Kuwait yesterday rallied to the defence of neighbouring Iran, which is coming under increasing international pressure to reveal more details about its controversial nuclear programme, the official KUNA news agency reported. 'Iran is a friendly neighbouring state and we cannot accept seeing it in an embarrassing situation,' KUNA reported Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah, the oil-rich state’s first deputy premier, defence and interior minister, as saying. ... Kuwait has called on Iran to show full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency over its nuclear programme. Kuwait has said it opposes any military strike against Tehran, and has called for a negotiated settlement of the standoff over the nuclear programme."

Kyrgyzstan: No news about recent Iran-Kyrgyzstan relations.

Lao People's Democratic Republic: No news about recent Iran-Laos relations.

Latvia: No news about recent Iran-Latvia relations.

Lebanon: "Lahoud thanks Iran for supporting Lebanon in 33-day Israeli war," Tehran Times, 25 September 2007
"Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on Tuesday thanked Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenii, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and the Iranian nation for their unsparing support for Lebanon in Israel's 33-day war with Lebanon. In a meeting with Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of the 62nd UN General Assembly session, Lahoud also appreciated Iran for its contribution to Lebanon's reconstruction. He also stressed the need for expansion of mutual relations. Ahmadinejad, for his part, hoped that internal problems in Lebanon would be settled in line with the country's interests. He said that the 33-day war and Zionist regime's merciless invasion of Lebanon showed that despite being a small country, Lebanon managed to break invincibility myth of the Zionist entity."

Lesotho: "Iran, Lesotho favor expanding ties," PRESS TV, 4 September 2007
"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has underscored Tehran's willingness to develop bilateral relations with independent countries. In a meeting held on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement's ministerial conference in Tehran, President Ahmadinejad conferred with Lesotho's Foreign Affairs Minister, Mohlabi Kenneth Tsekoa, on expanding bilateral ties with Maseru. Ahmadinejad also stressed that boosting ties with African nations is a fundamental part of Iran's foreign policies, clarifying that Tehran does not allow the size or population of a country to influence its approach towards the state. 'We respect all people around the world not because of their origin, but because of their human dignity,' he said. Tsekoa, for his part, hailed Tehran and Leader of the Islamic Revolution Seyyed Ali Khamenei as advocates of oppressed African nations. Lesotho supports Iran's peaceful nuclear activities and Tehran's efforts in establishing peace and security in various countries, the minister added."

Liberia: "Iran looks to Africa," United Press International, 6 September 2007
"Iranian government and business has been reaching out to Africa. In August, a 30-person Iranian business delegation met with officials in Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Cameroon and Liberia, and went away with promises to increase trade and development, according to Iran`s PressTV. Iran is interested in construction, banking, pharmaceuticals, and auto manufacturing in these West African countries."

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya: No news about recent Iran-Libya relations.

Liechtenstein: No news about recent Iran-Liechtenstein relations.

Lithuania: No news about recent Iran-Lithuania relations.

Luxembourg: No news about recent Iran-Luxembourg relations.

Madagascar: No recent news about Iran-Madagascar relations.

Malawi: No recent news about Iran-Malawi relations.

Malaysia: "Mottaki meets Malaysia, Belgium FMs," PRESS TV, 27 September 2007
"The Iranian Foreign Minister has met his Malaysian and Belgian counterparts on the sidelines of the 62nd UN General Assembly in New York. Iran's Manouchehr Mottaki and Malaysia's Hamid Jaafar Albar discussed the next ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), due to be held in New York next Friday. They also called for the expansion of economic ties between Iran and Malaysia."

Maldives: No recent news about Iran-Maldives relations.

Mali: "Iran looks to Africa," United Press International, 6 September 2007
"In August, a 30-person Iranian business delegation met with officials in Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Cameroon and Liberia, and went away with promises to increase trade and development, according to Iran..s PressTV. Iran is interested in construction, banking, pharmaceuticals, and auto manufacturing in these West African countries."

Malta: No recent news about Iran-Malta relations.

Marshall Islands: No recent news about Iran-Marshall Islands relations, but they are usually pro-US.

Mauritania: "Iran, Mauritania stress expansion of all-out ties," IRNA, 4 September 2007
"Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and the Mauritanian Secretary of State in charge of Union of Arab Maghreb Affairs Al-Hafiz Walid Ismail here Tuesday underlined the need for expansion of mutual ties in all fields. At the meeting on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit on the Human Rights and Human Diversity, Mottaki said that Iran would spare no efforts to expand relations with Mauritania. Pointing to the abundant commonalties between Iran and Mauritania, he added that the two Muslim nations are interested in having relations based on respect for mutual interests. He hoped that with the opening of embassies of the two countries, the wish to expand ties will be materialized. Turning to Iran's potentials in different economic sectors, particularly in oil and gas, crude exploration, car manufacturing, agriculture machinery, and medicine and health care, he said that Tehran is ready to put its experiences at the disposal of Mauritania. The Mauritanian minister, for his part, expressed satisfaction over his participation in the Tehran summit, and underlined the need for expansion of bilateral ties. He also invited Iranian investors to cooperate in Mauritanian economic projects."

Mauritius: "Indian Ocean Rim countries to discuss trade protocol," Times of Oman, 7 September 2007
"A meeting of experts representing six of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IORARC) countries will be held at Al Falaj Hotel today and tomorrow. These countries are the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kenya, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Tanzania besides the Sultanate of Oman, ... The importance of IORARC stems from the fact that the Indian Ocean region includes countries in Asia, Africa as well as Australia, which include almost one-third of the world population and many varied resource such as oil, uranium, gold, etc. The potentials of these countries will pave their way to further economic integration between them."

Mexico: No recent news about Iran-Mexico relations.

Federated States of Micronesia: No recent news about Iran-Micronesia relations, but usually pro-US.

Moldova: No recent news about Iran-Moldova relations.

Monaco: No recent news about Iran-Monaco relations.

Mongolia: No recent news about Iran-Mongolia relations.

Montenegro: No recent news about Iran-Montenegro relations.

Morocco: "Iran, Morocco to boost energy cooperation," Tehran Times, 22 September 2007
"TEHRAN (PIN) -- Iranian and Moroccan energy ministers will discuss ways to promote bilateral cooperation in energy, electricity, and related industrial fields. The decision was made at a meeting between Iran’s Minister of Energy Parviz Fattah and the visiting Moroccan Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Boutaleb. The bilateral talks are aimed at taking a closer look at the potentialities of the two countries in electricity and energy sectors, the Iranian minister said, according to presstv.com. ... For his part, Boutaleb said that he was carrying a written message from the Moroccan King Mohamed VI to the Iranian president. He said that the message included a proposal by the Moroccan leader to expand ties between the two Muslim countries."

Mozambique: No recent news about Iran-Mozambique relations.

Myanmar: No recent news about Iran-Myanmar relations.

Namibia: "Iran looks to Africa," United Press International, 6 September 2007
"The Iranian government owns a 15 percent share in Namibia..s Rossing uranium mine, the world..s largest open-pit uranium mine, although the uranium produced is not sold to Iran, according to the company..s Web site. In 2006 the mine produced 12 million tons of uranium ore, according to the company."

Nauru: No recent news about Iran-Nauru relations.

Nepal: No recent news about Iran-Nepal relations.

Netherlands: "Netherlands would back European sanctions on Iran," Agence France-Presse, 17 September 2007
"The Netherlands would support European Union sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme if the UN Security Council fails to agree on new measures, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said Monday. 'The first effort should be to convince the Security Council to apply more sanctions,' he said after talks with his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner in Paris. 'But when the Security Council doesn't agree, I am prepared, I am willing, to apply European Union sanctions in combination with the United States sanctions.'"

New Zealand: "New Zealand at peace with Iran," Dominion Post, 22 September 2007
"... Mr. MacMaster keeps a supportive eye on the 20 to 30 New Zealanders living in Iran, as well as building trade and political ties. 'We are well regarded,' he says. 'We have had a good relationship with Iran over the past 30 years. It is our longest relationship with any Middle Eastern country in terms of a presence. We're seen as an independent country. We don't have the same sort of historical baggage as other countries.' ... The policy remains one of constructive engagement, rather than destructive isolationism. ... Frozen lamb exports boomed in the mid 1980s and the 149,000-tonne total in 1984, worth nearly half a billion dollars, was more than that exported to Britain. That trade has since virtually disappeared, and butter, milk and wool made up most of the exports worth $130 million in the year to June 2007. In turn, we imported Iranian petroleum and dates and figs to a near similar value. Personal links are strong. An estimated 7000 to 10,000 Iranian nationals live here. Iran is also drawing on New Zealand expertise in gas projects, earthquake strengthening and airways management."

Nicaragua: "Iran's Romance of Nicaragua," Time, 10 September 2007
"Nicaragua, the Central American nation noted for its connection to Iran during a political scandal two decades ago, is coming under fresh scrutiny for its ties to Tehran. ... The Nicaragua-Iran embrace includes four significant events since Ortega took office as the democratically elected leader of his country last January. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to the Nicaraguan capital, Managua, to personally congratulate Ortega days after his Jan. 10 inauguration. Then Ortega borrowed a jet from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to visit Iran in June. Two months later, Iran and Venezuela pledged $350 million to build a seaport near Monkey Point on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast. (Tehran has also been cultivating an alliance with oil-rich Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez.) And last Wednesday, the Nicaraguan foreign minister returned from Tehran, where he met with the foreign ministers of Syria, Cuba and Iran. There is now speculation that Nicaragua may support Tehran's bid for a seat in the U.N. Security council."

Niger: No recent news about Iran-Niger relations.

Nigeria: No recent news about Iran-Nigeria relations outside of their common membership in OPEC.

Norway: "FM: No limit to Tehran-Oslo cooperation," PRESS TV, 11 September 2007
"Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki sees no limitation on expanding cooperation with Norway given the 'realistic' stance of the country. ... Iran and Norway have great potential for promoting bilateral cooperation, Mottaki added. The Norwegian ambassador, for his part, termed his mission in Iran as important, stressing that both countries have a lot of potential to bolster their bilateral ties."

Oman: "Iran sends 1st wheat cargo to Oman," PRESS TV, 17 September 2007
"After joining the wheat exporting countries Iran is now preparing to send its first cargo of the important crop to the Sultanate of Oman. The 40,000-ton shipment of wheat will be sent from the port city of Mahshahr in southwestern Iran. Oman had ordered the purchase of 160,000 tons of wheat to Iran's Commerce Ministry, which will be implemented in four stages. Iran's State Commerce Company, a subsidiary of Iran's Commerce Ministry, has so far contracted $ 170 million for a total of 500,000 tons of wheat with a number of countries. Iran which was one of the world's major wheat importers till three years ago, has become self-sufficient in the production of the important crop."

Pakistan: "Iran, Pakistan discuss Peace Pipeline," PRESS TV, 24 September 2007
"The second round of expert-level negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan about the Peace Pipeline project has started. During their talks, which commenced in Tehran Monday, Iranian and Pakistani expert delegations are supposed to finalize an agreement on exporting Iran's gas to India and Pakistan and work out a draft to be signed by the presidents of the three countries. At the end of the expert talks on Thursday, deputy oil ministers of the two countries will continue to discuss the project."

Palau: No recent news about Iran-Palau relations.

Panama: No recent news about Iran-Panama relations.

Papua New Guinea: No recent news about Iran-Papua New Guinea relations.

Paraguay: No recent news about Iran-Paraguay relations.

Peru: No recent news about Iran-Peru relations.

Philippines: "Iran, Philippines ties lasting, friendly: president," IRNA, 10 September 2007
"President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a meeting with the Philippines' new ambassador to Tehran, Alaeddin Vilacorte, here on Monday said the two capitals enjoyed lasting and cordial relations. The president appreciated the government and nation of the Philippines for their support for Iran's peaceful nuclear program. 'Every independent nation has the right to make use of peaceful nuclear technology,' stressed President Ahmadinejad. The president expressed hope that all nations including that of the Philippines would reach prosperity and progress. For his part, Vilacorte hailed Tehran's efforts to help establish regional and international peace and stability. He expressed hope that Tehran-Manila bilateral relations would further boost in all areas."

Poland: "Iran, Poland to boost bilateral trade ties," IranMania, 8 September 2007
"Iran and Poland called for expansion of bilateral trade ties, MNA reported. Sakaravad Hunto, Polish deputy culture and national heritage minister, has expressed his government's readiness to invest in different sectors of Iran's economy. Attending a meet with Iran's Deputy Commerce Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari, he said that a delegation from Poland's Chamber of Commerce, accompanied with private sector, would pay a visit to Iran by the end of year to discuss trade and economic ties reinforcement. Referring to Iran's rich culture and cultural heritage, the Polish official said that the country is willing to facilitate bilateral trade relations. He obliged the countries' officials to do their best for paving the way for the promotion of imports, exports, and joint ventures. Calling for Iran's information and knowledge about agriculture, industry, and technical and engineering services, he announced that holding exhibitions of sides? common market products and activating the private sector and the countries' trade delegation would boost bilateral trade ties. Ghazanfari, also the head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI), said that Polish investors could take part in Iran's economic projects in line with enforcement of Article 44 of the Constitution."

Portugal: "EU ready with sanctions if Iran breaks nuclear rules: Portuguese PM," People's Daily Online, 20 September 2007
"Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates said on Wednesday that the European Union is ready to apply all the sanctions in its power against Iran if it breaks international laws on nuclear power. 'Europe is prepared to do all in its power so that international laws be upheld. Naturally, we will use all the sanctions available to us if Iran breaks the laws,' said Socrates, whose country holds the EU's presidency until the end of the year. 'We hope Iran will keep to the law and negotiations will go ahead on this matter, ensuring that nuclear energy is not used for military ends in that nation. However, if this does not happen we are willing to back the use of pressure,' he said."

Qatar: "Qatar, Iran officials meet in NY," PRESS TV, 27 September 2007
"Qatari emir describes Iran's presence at the UN General Assembly Summit in New York as a success, despite US stonewalling efforts. ... 'People all across the world including the Americans have heard your speech at the Columbia University and confirmed your righteousness,' said the emir who called on the Iranian president to establish more relationship with the US public opinion and the Iranian community and express his ideas openly in public. For his turn, President Ahmadinejad appreciated the stance taken by Qatar towards Iran and said that the relations between the two sides are improving. The Iranian president also called for the enhancement of fraternal ties and cooperation between the two nations."

Republic of Korea (South Korea): "President endorses Iran-South Korea agreement," IRNA, 27 September 2007
"President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday endorsed Iran-South Korea agreement on expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries. The agreement, which consists of one introduction and 14 articles, was passed by Majlis and endorsed by the Guardian Council. The parliament authorized the government to exchange relative documents on the agreement. The agreement covers taxation on income as well as movable and immovable properties, import and export regulations, clearance of goods from custom houses, transportation and preserving the goods on domestic markets of both countries."

Romania: No recent news about Iran-Romania relations.

Russian Federation: "Russia's Putin due in Iran in Oct.," PRESS TV, 12 September 2007
"Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to visit Tehran in October. Mottaki made the remark upon his arrival in Moscow Tuesday night at the head of a delegation of experts on the Iran-Russia Joint Economic Commission. ... In meetings to be held between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Russian counterpart in Tehran, new ground will be broken that will lead to an expansion of cooperation, Mottaki promised. The minister noted that his goal in Moscow was to hold talks with the Head of the Russian Federation's Atomic Energy Agency and the Russian head of the two countries' joint economic commission, Sergei Kiriyenko. Their talks will center on bolstering economic cooperation. He stated that the current volume of trade and economic exchange between Tehran and Moscow is not in line with the potential of the two countries, stressing that both sides enjoy the capability of promoting cooperation in all fields."

Rwanda: No recent news about Iran-Rwanda relations.

Saint Kitts and Nevis: No recent news about Iran-St. Kitts & Nevis relations.

Saint Lucia: No recent news about Iran-Saint Lucia relations.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: No recent news about Iran-Saint Vincent & Grenadines relations.

Samoa: No recent news about Iran-Samoa relations.

San Marino: No recent news about Iran-San Marino relations.

Sao Tome and Principe: No recent news about Iran-Sao Tome & Principe relations.

Saudi Arabia: "Saudis worried Iran row headed to confrontation," IranMania, 27 September 2007
"'Definitely what we are seeing is a confrontation in the making,' the prince said. 'And we have pressed in our mutual discussions with the Iranians the question on them: 'Why such a precipitous move toward confrontation, what is your intent in this?' And their answer was that they are not looking for confrontation or building nuclear weapons.' He said Saudi Arabia is 'very concerned' about Iran's nuclear program, which Western powers charge is a cover for building an atomic bomb. Tehran rejects the charge, saying it only seeks to produce energy. Prince Saud said Tehran must prove its program is peaceful."

Senegal: "Iran, Senegal call for judicial cooperation," IRNA, 19 September 2007
"Iran's Ambassador to Dakar Jahanbakhsh Hassanzadeh in a meeting with Senegalese Justice Minister Sheikh Tidiane Sy on Wednesday called for expansion of judicial cooperation between the two countries. The ambassador submitted Iran's Judiciary chief invitation letter to the Senegalese minister to visit Iran. Senegal's justice minister thanked for the invitation and by referring to the latest visit of Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi to Senegal said, 'We had very fruitful discussion here.' He called Shahroudi's visit to Senegal as a turning point in developing judicial ties between the two countries."

Serbia: "Iran customs deal with Balkan states," PRESS TV, 1 September 2007
"The bill on cooperation between Iran, Serbia and Montenegro on customs affairs has been ratified by the Majlis and the Guardian Council. The president will forward the bill for implementation to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance. Ratification of the agreement between the three countries, which contains a preamble, 24 articles and an annex, authorizes the government to proceed with the exchange of the relevant documents with Serbia and Montenegro. According to the bill, in addition to cooperating in customs affairs, the governments of Iran, Serbia and Montenegro will make joint efforts toward countering any violation of the relevant laws and regulations with regard to such issues as drug trafficking in accordance with relevant international conventions."

Seychelles: No recent news about Iran-Seychelles relations.

Sierra Leone: "Sierra Leone envoy discusses issues of mutual interest with Iranian official," IRNS, 27 september 2007
"Sierra Leone Ambassador to Tehran Alari Kole, in a meeting with the Head of Organization of Culture and Islamic Communication, Mahmoud Mohammadi Araqi discussed with him issues of mutual interest. In the meeting, the ambassador said, 'Relations between the two countries have been excellent and the level of ties, especially in the fields of medical, educational and cultural services has been good.' Referring to Iran's assistance on building and renovating schools, mosques and libraries in Sierra Leone, the ambassador called Iran's cooperation with Sierra Leone universities desirable and expressed hope that the relations expand more and more."

Singapore: "Iran, Singapore to adopt strategies for trade ties expansion," Mehr News Agency, 7 September 2007
"Iran and Singapore underlined here on Friday the reinforcement of communication infrastructures and other effective factors for the growth of bilateral trade ties. In a meeting with Singapore’s Ambassador to Tehran Gopinath Pillai, Iran’s Commerce Minister Massud Mirkazemi said that the necessary conditions for bilateral investments are available. He announced that the sides have relations in fields of banking, customs, and standard institutes, adding since a proper act is governing on foreign investment, the Singaporean investors will benefit from the projects of country they invest in. Referring to Iran’s foreign investment attraction that has doubled in the past two years, Mirkazemi added that the country has satisfactory trade ties with more than 175 countries. Shifting to a 48 percent rise in country’s non-oil exports, he announced that Iran produces 60 million tons of agricultural products per annum. Calling for Iran’s more cognition over bilateral private trade sectors, Gopinath Pillai said that the sides have to apply the potentials to boost the trade ties."

Slovakia: No recent news about Iran-Slovakia relations, but the Slovak leadership has condemned the US "missile shield" scheme that is ostensibly related to a threat from Iran.

Slovenia: "Iranian, Slovenian FMs meet in New York," IRNA, 25 september 2007
"Iran's Foreign Minister who is here to attend the 62nd UN General Assembly met and conferred with his Slovenian counterpart on bilateral, and Iran-EU relations. Manouchehr Mottaki referred to Slovenia's initiative of establishing a special group to pursue the dialogue among civilizations issue, emphasizing, 'Slovenia's move in that respect is a step towards strengthening the foundations of sustainable peace and security at international scene.' ... During the meeting the Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country would be the rotating head of the EU as of January, 2008, said, 'The EU is after solving Iran's nuclear problem through diplomacy, and would not change its stand in that respect.' Rupel added, 'The world needs no more crises, we would pursue diplomatic talks with Iran, and that is EU's stand.' ... Touching on bilateral ties, too, the Slovenian top diplomat said, 'We favor further expansion of relations with Iran and back the establishment of a joint economic commissions.'"

Solomon Islands: No recent news about Iran-Solomon relations, but the Solomon Islands are usually pro-US.

Somalia: Somalia is currently under Ethiopian military occupation with US backing and though the Ethiopian-imposed Quisling-style puppet regime is represented in the UN, as a non-sovereign occupied territory it should not be. To see the "Somali" stance, see Ethiopia.

South Africa: "South Africa concerned about France stance toward Iran," Tehran Times, 20 September 2007
"South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahd here Wednesday expressed his country's concern about recent remarks of France Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on possible military operation against Iran. Pahd made the remark in a press conference in Pretoria in which he also warned that such irresponsible remarks will have dangerous consequences for regional and global peace and stability. ... He underlined the importance of respecting indisputable right of all countries to make use of nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes, adding that Pretoria is of the opinion that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the best body to deal with the nuclear dossier of Iran. The official further noted that the report of IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei for Iran indicates that Tehran makes efforts to move forward in the process of confidence-building and solving the remaining issues. ... Elsewhere in his remarks, he referred to the existing crises in Iraq and Afghanistan, underlining that all countries should avoid being used as a new front against Iran, otherwise, the status of the region and world will become 'complicated and dangerous'"

Spain: "Iran, Spain discuss Iran's N-case," PRESS TV, 26 September 2007
"Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos, in his meeting with Mottaki, has urged to resolve Tehran's nuclear standoff through dialogue. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Spanish counterpart, Miguel Angel Moratinos, who met on the sidelines of UN General Assembly, expressed willingness to expand bilateral ties between Tehran and Madrid. Both officials also discussed the latest developments in Iran's civilian nuclear program as well as Tehran's ongoing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Moratinos, for his part, expressed his country's appreciation for the developing relations between Iran and Spain. He also stressed the Spanish government supported the firms doing business with the Islamic Republic. By rejecting any undiplomatic action towards Iran's nuclear case, the Spanish minister emphasized the necessity of dialogue in resolving Iran's nuclear standoff with the West."

Sri Lanka: "Iran to set up petroleum refinery in Sri Lanka," Colombo Page, 26 September 2007
"Iran has expressed its wish to set up a petroleum refinery in Sri Lanka at the discussions Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa had with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday, government sources said. Both Heads of State who are now in New York to participate in the 62nd UN General Assembly had cordial bilateral talks yesterday. Several Sri Lankan Ministers and officials including the Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga participated in the talks."

Sudan: "President enacts Iran, Sudan agreement," IRNA, 11 September 2007
"President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday enacted Iran-Sudan agreement on avoiding double tax system. He forwarded executive order to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs to that effect. The agreement, which consists of one introduction and 28 articles, was passed by Majlis okayed by the Guardian Council. The Legislature authorized the government to exchange relative documents on the agreement. The agreement covers taxation on income and movable and immovable properties."

Suriname: No recent news about Iran-Suriname relations.

Swaziland: No recent news about Iran-Swaziland relations.

Sweden: "Sweden backs Iran's nuclear stance," ISNA, 7 September 2007
"Sweden's secretary of state for foreign affairs, Frank Belfrage backed Tehran's right to pursue peaceful nuclear technology. Belfrage expressed hope that through negotiations with the IAEA Iran's nuclear issue would soon come to an end. Iran's deputy foreign minister for international and legal affairs, Abbas Araghchi also in his meeting with Belfrage asserted that the 'only qualified authority' to review Iran's nuclear project was the IAEA. ... In this regard Belfrage highlighted Iran's significant role in establishing stability in the region by referring to Sweden's foreign minister recent statements after his trip to Iraq who had said Iraq's stability relied on Iran."

Switzerland: "Iran ready to help Switzerland in oil, gas sectors," Tehran Times, 14 September 2007
"Iran is prepared to cooperate with Switzerland in oil and gas industries, voiced the acting petroleum minister here on Friday. Gholamhossein Nozari made the statement in a meet with the Swiss head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy, and Communications. ... Elaborating on fruitful negotiations between Iran and the Swiss company EGL, the top official said that talks will boost the sides’ cooperation in the two fields. Accentuating Switzerland’s desperate need in Iran’s energy, Moritz Leuenberger expressed hope bilateral cooperation will meet it in the near future. ... Leuenberger also underlined that all countries reserved the right to do research and to use nuclear energy for peaceful objectives, ruling out any limitations in this field. ... Much to Washington’s dismay, European firms are attracted by Iran’s energy potentials as a secure source for their long-term energy needs especially when they seek to diversify their imported energy."

Syrian Arab Republic: "Iran to invest $10b in Syria by 2012," Tehran Times, 15 September 2007
"Iran will make $10 billion investments in Syria within the next five years, the acting industries and mines minister announced here on Friday. In his return from Syria, Ali-Akbar Mehrabian expounded the results of his trip, saying Iran-Syria relations are strategic. He added that the sides are currently cooperating in 16 projects valued at some $1 billion, predicting that the figure will reach $10 billion by 2012. The official said that six working groups were formed in cement, glass, rubber, auto, food, and other industries. Referring to the financing of joint ventures, the caretaker added that a joint investment fund with a $200 million capital was established. Pointing to two Iranian carmaking projects in Syria, Mehrabian added that the first phase of Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) will be put into operation in the near future and the factory of SAIPA’s Pride sedan production will go on stream after the holy month of Ramadan with a production capacity of 10,000 cars. He predicted the figure will hit 40 thousand sedans, noting that an automaking project in an Arab country like Syria will facilitate the sedan’s export to other Arab states. Alluding to the establishment of an Iranian auto parts manufacturer’s industrial park in Syria, he declared that the glass manufacturing plant will become operational on Oct. 12. Mehrabian said that the parties reached an agreement on construction of a bus and truck manufacturing plant in Syria, announcing three contracts were signed by parts producers."

Tajikistan: "Tajikistan serious about expansion of ties with Iran," IRNA, 5 September 2007
"Speaker of the National Assembly of Representatives (Lower legislative chamber) of Tajikistan Mohammed Sayed Ubaydulloyev said here Wednesday that his country is serious about bolstering ties with Iran. Ubaydulloyev told Iran-Tajikistan Interparliamentary Friendship Group members that there are positive grounds for expansion of relations between the two countries given their cultural and lingual commonalty. He said his country is willing to contribute to development projects in Iran. Head of the Iran-Tajikistan Interparliamentary Friendship Group Hossein Nejabat said for his part that Iran expects Tajikistan to provide more facilities for Iranian entrepreneurs active in Tajikistan."

Thailand: "Iran-Thailand LNG Cooperation Continues Unabated," Fars News Agency, 15 September 2007
"Iran's ambassador to Bangkok Mohsen Pak Ayeen dismissed reports about a delay in LNG negotiations between Iran and Thailand. Speaking in an interview in Bangkok, the envoy told reporters that he has not received any reliable report that the gas supply negotiations between Thailand's PTT and his country are facing any obstacle. ... Underlining that the project would serve the interests of both countries in the long run, he stressed that negotiations would continue unimpeded due to mutual goodwill. ... 'On the other hand, Thailand needs gas to maintain its sustainable growth and this tangible fact leads both sides to a promising future for energy cooperation,' the Iranian ambassador to Bangkok reiterated."

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: No recent news about Iran-Macedonia relations.

Timor-Leste: No recent news about Iran-East Timor relations.

Togo: No recent news about Iran-Togo relations.

Tonga: No recent news about Iran-Tonga relations.

Trinidad and Tobago: No recent news about Iran-Trinidad-Tobago relations.

Tunisia: "Iran, Tunisia ink MoU on fishery cooperation," IRNA, 27 September 2007
"The Iranian and Tunisian deputy agriculture ministers signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on fishery cooperation between the two countries. Deputy Agriculture Minister and Head of Fishery Organization of Iran Sha'ban-Ali Nezami is currently in Tunisia to hold talks with officials of the African country on mutual agricultural relations. The two deputy ministers inked the MoU in the presence of Tunisian Agriculture Minister Mohammad Habib Haddad. Haddad called for active cooperation between the two friendly states in fishery sector, expressing his country's readiness to expand all-out cooperation with Iran. According to the MoU, consisting of six articles, both countries are obliged to expand cooperation in fishery sector, exchange experts and implement joint scientific, experimental and research projects."

Turkey: "Turkey defends energy ties with Iran despite U.S. opposition," Tehran Times, 25 September 2007
"Turkey once again defended energy ties with Iran and Russia, despite U.S. official calls on Turkey to seek alternatives such as agreeing with other regional suppliers including Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. The U.S. opposition to Iran-Turkey gas deal was once again voiced during the recent visit of U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns to Ankara. ... Furthermore, Burns pointed out that an energy deal signed between Iran and Turkey in July was not helpful. The preliminary deal foresees the construction of two separate pipelines to ship natural gas from the fields in Iran and neighboring Turkmenistan via Turkish territory. 'We don't think that it makes sense to announce long-term oil and gas deals with Iran,' he said. 'But again we are not singling out Turkey for criticism or attention, this is general U.S. and West European message to many other countries.' However, responding Burns, Erdogan said, 'Russia and Iran are Turkey’s most important sources in terms of natural gas. Currently, our people consume natural gas in 47 out of 81 provinces. We aim at making use of natural gas nationwide.' ... Following Erdogan’s remarks, Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said he would meet his Iranian counterpart next month to sign a major energy deal. ... Iran is Turkey’s second biggest supplier of natural gas after Russia. Turkey and Iran signed a preliminary agreement on July 24, which revolved around the construction of two pipelines. Turkey plans to invest 3.5 billion dollars in Iran for gas production. The first pipeline would originate from Iran’s South Pars gas field and second from Turkmenistan, Iran’s Central Asian neighbor. Analysts say Turkey can use part of this gas for its own consumption. The rest can be transferred further into Europe along the upcoming Nabucco pipeline. From the first day the United States has opposed the agreement. Some media circles even claim that the growth in bilateral trade between Turkey and Iran appears to be part of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party’s strategy of trying to strengthen economic ties with other Muslim countries."

Turkmenistan: "GWP hails Iran-Turkmen interaction," PRESS TV, 22 September 2007
"Experts say other countries should learn from the interaction between Iran and Turkmenistan in the field of regional water cooperation. Experts attending a three-day seminar titled 'Global Water Partnership (GWP) in Central Asia and Caucuses' said Iran and Turkmenistan have constructively collaborated in the field of water resources. During the seminar, in which experts from eight regional countries are attending, mechanisms for resolving possible disputes and conflicts on the use of interstate water sources will be discussed. Some other issues pertaining to water management will also be taken into consideration. They will also prepare joint documents to be presented to some of the biggest international forums in the world."

Tuvalu: No recent news about Iran-Tuvalu relations.

Uganda: "Uganda: Country, Iran Trade Gets Boost," AllAfrica.Com, 4 September 2007
"UGANDANS importing from Iran will not have to worry about following the signing of Shs1.77 billion credit between Front Page Microfinance and an Iranian bank to facilitate imports. In a deal signed last week, the Export Development Bank of Iran (EDBI) will provide a two-year insurance cover to Front Page for any credit given to those who will import goods from the Middle East country. Front Page Micro Finance is to manage a line of credit worth $1m (Shs1.77 billion) under the Iran Export Guarantee Fund to help importers pay for goods and transport them back to Uganda. ... The development is a follow up on a promise made in 1996 by the former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Mr Rafsanjani had expressed interest in the development of Iran-Uganda economic relations. At the time however, the promise could not be activated for lack of a guarantee by the government of Uganda and the high interest rates. But all that changed in February this year when Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa visited Iran to discuss bilateral trade and other relations. ... Once it picks up, the deal is expected to boost trade between the two countries and increase Uganda's diversity of trade partners, away from the traditional European Union market, the East African market and the U.S."

Ukraine: No recent news about Iran-Ukraine relations.

United Arab Emirates: "Iran and UAE call for developing medical cooperation," Tehran Times, 26 September 2007
"Iranian Ambassador to United Arab Emirates (UAE) Hamid-Reza Asefi and the UAE Health Minister Humaid Mohammed Obeid Al Qattami discussed developing medical and health cooperation between the two countries on Monday. Pointing to the successful visit of the Iranian president to UAE in May, Asefi called for strengthened relations between Iran and the UAE, especially in health and medical spheres. The Iranians’ hospital in Dubai has a significant role in fulfilling the United Arab Emirates’ medical needs, he said. Asefi also underlined the need for drawing up a plan for exchange of specialized physicians between the two states. Al Qattami said Iran’s progresses in medical science and pharmaceutics are the best incentives for his country to develop ties with Iran. Al Qattami added the UAE Health Ministry is ready to devise long-term plans for further medical and health cooperation with Iran, including the use of the Iranian specialists."

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: "Britain warns Iran of new UN resolution," Agence France-Presse, 4 September 2007
"British Prime Minister Gordon Brown reiterated Tuesday that London will support a new UN resolution against Iran if Tehran does not curb its nuclear programme. Speaking two days after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran had achieved a key target in its atomic drive, Brown said there was evidence that international pressure was working. 'It is still my belief that the process we have started...which could of course lead to a third UN resolution...is the right process,' he told his monthly press conference in London. ... And he added: "We should focus on how the process can continue to move forward, but if necessary we will support a third UN resolution on this matter."

United Republic of Tanzania: No recent news about Iran-Tanzania relations.

United States of America: "US frets at Iran's 'strategic dominance'" Asia Times, 28 September 2007
"The Bush administration now believes that Iran's 'larger strategic aim' in allegedly providing modern weapons such as 240mm rockets to Shi'ite militias targeting US and coalition forces in Iraq is 'to attempt to establish escalation dominance in Iraq and strategic dominance outside', according to the official. The official said, 'Escalation dominance means you can control the pace of escalation.' That term has always been used to refer to the ability of the US to threaten another state with overwhelming retaliation to deter it from responding to US force. The official defined "strategic dominance" as meaning that "you are perceived as the dominant center in the region. ... That conclusion about "strategic dominance" thus implies that destroying what is perceived to be the political-military bases of Iranian influence in Iraq has become the key US war aim."

Uruguay: No recent news about Iran-Uruguay relations.

Uzbekistan: No recent news about Iran-Uzbek relations.

Vanuatu: No recent news about Iran-Vanuatu relations.

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela: "Iran, Venezuela Underline Consolidation of Ties," Fars News Agency, 28 September 2007
"Iranian and Venezuelan presidents in a phone conversation Monday night stressed the need for the consolidation of ties and increase of cooperation between the two countries. During the phone talk, Hugo Chavez congratulated his Iranian counterpart for his honorable stand in global issues and extended an invitation to Ahmadinejad to pay a visit to Caracas on the way back to Iran from New York. The Iranian president, for his part, said he and Chavez are two brothers seeking to bring peace, glory and grandeur for human beings, and accepted to pay a short visit to Venezuela following his stay in Bolivia. According to the phone conversation, the Iranian president will have a few-hour-long sojourn in Caracas Thursday afternoon."

Viet Nam: "Vietnam Highlights Iran's Significant Role in Region" Fars News Agency, 27 September 2007
"Vietnam's Foreign Minister Pham Gia Kheim described Iran as a large country with a significant role in the region, and called for the boosting of his country's trade ties and exchanges with the Islamic Republic. Kheim made the remarks in a meeting Thursday with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki in New York on the sidelines of the 62nd annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. In the meeting, the two ministers discussed economic relations and explored avenues to use the two countries' potentials to further expand ties. Exchange of economic delegations to identify the existing potentials was among the main topics of talks, a statement released by the Foreign Ministry's Information and Press Bureau said."

Yemen: "Iran, Yemen call for expansion of cooperation," IranMania, 16 September 2007
"Yemeni Ambassador to Tehran Jamal Abdullah al-Solal conferred with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and submitted him a written message from Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, IRNA reported. ... Referring to friendly ties between Iran and Yemen, Mottaki called for continued expansion of ties between the two countries. He expressed the hope that the Yemeni nation and its government would go ahead with development programs and helping stabilize and bolster mutual ties. Exchange of visits and messages between the two sides' high anking officials as well as media persons would lead to expansion of ties between the two countries. The Yemeni ambassador, for his part, called the two sides' relations as deeply-rooted and said the Yemeni president along with other officials of the country believe in expansion of all-out ties between the two countries. He thanked Mottaki for his support during his tenure in the Islamic Republic of Iran for further bolstering and broadening of ties between the two nations."

Zambia: No recent news about Iran-Zambia relations.

Zimbabwe: "Iran, Zimbabwe to form peace coalition," Tehran Times, 27 September 2007
"Zimbabwean officials said on Wednesday that Tehran and Harare are ready to set up a 'coalition for peace ' to counter the aggressive policies of the West. Following a meeting between President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and his Zimbabwean counterpart Robert Mugabe, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the two sides have agreed to form a coalition for peace in response to ' the aggressive policies of ' the world's powers. In a harshly-worded speech at the UN General Assembly, U.S. President, George W. Bush, accused a number of countries, including Iran and Zimbabwe, of violating human rights. However, Zimbabwean Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga said Washington and its allies are responsible for conflicts around the world, calling them 'bloodthirsty.'"

Meron Benvenisti: "Son of the Cypresses"

2007-09-22T22:54:00.000-06:00

I have just finished reading Meron Benvenisti’s new book, “Son of the Cypresses” which I would like to recommend to interested readers. However, at this time I really don’t have the time to write a comprehensive review or critique of the book (I’ve already hopped into the Mearsheimer & Walt book), so instead I thought I’d share a few quotes.

I am an inveterate abuser of books, one who underlines things of interest, scribbles notes and thoughts in the margins, and so on and so forth. Once finished, it is patently obvious that I’ve read the book and thought about it. So this posting is just providing many – though not all - those quotes from the work that I ended up underlining on the assumption that others may find these quotes interesting as well. In our market driven economy, to buy a book is vote in support of producing more books on the topic and I hope the following quotes convinces you to go out and vote for this book as well. Also, apparently this book received relatively wide distribution as I purchased my copy off the shelf at a local Barnes & Noble. – Shalom/Salaam, John Sigler, http://www.onestate.org & http://one-israel-palestine.blogspot.com

“This [the economic decline of the city of Suwalk in Poland after WWI] precipitated an acceleration in the rate of emigration from the city, partly to Eretz Israel to join the Zionist pioneering effort and partly to the United States. This emigration did not include the more comfortably established of the city’s Jews, despite the fact that many of them were active Zionists. Even to leaders of the Zionist parties made no effort to immigrate to Eretz Israel. They were supportive of their children who did so, but they themselves continued to believe that no evil would ever befall them in their home.” – p.12

“Nathan Shalem [a pioneer of the Zionist doctrine of ‘Knowing the Land’ in Palestine and a co-founder of the ‘Rambler’s Society’ that led walking groups across the Palestinian landscape to indoctrinate Zionist youth with love of the land] had studied at an Italian university and had been influenced in his thinking by the Italian nationalist movement and its hero, Gabriele D’Anunzzio.” – p.20

“In early 2000, I [Meron Benvenisti] published a book entitled Sacred Landscape, in which I describe the fate of the Arab-Palestinian landscape that was destroyed in 1948, its remnants having been covered over by the present-day Israeli landscape.” – p.31

“The torching of forests by Arab Israelis following the killing of a number of Arab citizens by the police during demonstrations in the Galilee and central Israel around the beginning of the al-Aqsa Intifada (October 2000) provides a convenient proof of Arab insensitivity to nature. … Indeed, many of the forests that were set ablaze had been purposely planted to conceal any evidence of Arab habitation – villages, cultivated fields, orchards, and cemeteries – their planting intended to bury that stratum of the country’s history, without trace and without memorial.” - Pp. 33, 34

“With the permission and financial backing of the government, they [Israeli settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories] expanded the built-up areas of the settlements, planting house trailers on every hilltop and issuing permits for cemeteries for the burial of jews whose bodies are flown in from abroad.” – p.36

“But this line, [The “Green Line” dividing Israel Proper and the Occupied Palestinian Territories] which just may have geopolitical significance, is a fiction when it comes to environmental considerations. Anyone involved with land use or environmental planning knows that the territories on either side of the Green Line comprise a single bioregion.” – p.39

“In the fall of 1993, prior to Israel’s withdrawal from the Jericho region, the Israeli Antiquities Authority embarked upon a wide-ranging archaeological excavations with the purpose of ensuring that no relics of the Jewish past would fall into the hands of the PA, especially not ancient scrolls like those that had been found hidden in caves near the Dead Sea decades before. The initiators of 'Operation Scroll' did not disguise their intention to conduct salvage excavations prior to the handover of the area to PA control, and their action was interpreted as an act of illegal seizure in contravention to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.” – p.41

“Israelis were not convicts transported to a distant colony, as were the first white Tasmanian settlers, and the Palestinians are not hunter-gatherers without previous contact with the West, but the syndrome is familiar. Jewish settlers who moved into the territory of the indigenous Arabs encountered violent opposition from the latter and reacted as if they (the settlers) were the aggrieved party and the ‘natives’ were the aggressors; and thus there evolved a cycle of mutual violence that has yet to end.” – p.49

“One way or another, I [Meron Benvenisti] found myself inclined toward defining my my [sic] worldview as ‘native,’ or ‘neo-Canaanite.’ It is an attempt to transcend nationalism and construct an identity based on a ‘native’ affinity for the land. Admittedly, it is a romantic and artificial concept, but it is posed against the current national extremism.” – p.51

“The supreme expression of the Jewish-Israeli claim to proprietorship over these areas was the wholesale renaming of all of the geographical locations and topographical features throughout the Negev and Arava. A National Naming Committee was appointed by Ben-Gurion, who set out its objectives: ‘We are obliged to remove the Arabic names for reasons of state. Just as we do not recognize the Arabs’ political proprietorship over the country, so also do we not recognize their spiritual proprietorship and their place-names’” – p.72

“How symbolic it is that a few weeks before the Jerusalem Day celebrations on 2005, it was revealed that the famous song ‘Jerusalem of Gold’ by Naomi Shemer, which had become the city’s unofficial anthem, is derived from a Basque folk tune.” – p.92

“The distinction between Israeli and Palestinian violence has no analytical significance, but it bespeaks a value judgment: war, and particularly defensive war, is a legitimate form of violence, whereas terrorism is a criminal act with illegitimate objectives. By defining the violence that they initiate as ‘war,’ the Israelis are striving to retain their monopoly on legitimate violence, since to their way of thinking, only their national objectives are just; they are the only ones that should be using force and the only ones to which the imperative of ‘self-defense’ applies. Palestinian violence, on the other hand, is a ‘terrorist crime,’ since its aim is the achievement of criminal objectives such as the destruction of the Zionist enterprise or murder for its own sake.” – p.110

“The initiators of ‘preventative measures,’ ‘fitting responses,’ and ‘maintenance of deterrence’ know they are violating the laws of war, but choose to apply them to suit their own convenience. This is the real reason for Israel’s opposition to the stationing of international observers in Palestinian areas. The last thing Israel wants to see happen is the establishment of a foreign body charged with examining its ‘military actions’ according to accepted standards.” – p.111

“’There is no partner for peace,’ proclaimed those who had hoped for a low-cost ‘end to the conflict,’ only to discover that that sort of peace was perceived by the other side as perpetuation of the injustice.” – p.124

“However, having become a unifying myth, the narrative suggesting that Barak offered Arafat the moon at Camp David, and that Arafat turned it down and then ‘pushed the button’ and ‘chose the path of violence,’ is immune to all contrary facts and evidence; and like all myths, from the moment it was embraced by society, it became ‘truer’ than reality. This myth plays a vital function in Israeli society, uniting all its factions and justifying all its deeds, cleansing its conscience, and, by defining the enemy as bloodthirsty, making it possible to deal with a difficult situation perceived as leaving ‘no alternative’ to violence.” – p.125

“A decade ago, I [Meron Benvenisti] dealt elsewhere at length with the different forms of separation – spatial, functional, economic, legal, conceptual, horizontal, and vertical – a veritable galaxy of measures, generally radical and involving the employment of force, which are supposedly meant to bring an end to intercommunal strife once and for all. It is the weaker, ‘separated’ side that always bears the whole cost, while the stronger placates its conscience by fooling itself into thinking it is creating ‘separate but equal’ conditions – something that has never really existed.” – p.157

“’Knowledgeable people’ were optimistically noting that an estimated 150,000 had abandoned their besieged and starving towns and villages during the Intifada and had, as in 1948 and 1967, pulled up stakes and crossed the Jordan River. The intensification of Israeli punitive measures did not lead to a decisive military victory for Israel but encouraged some Israelis to believe that ‘voluntary transfer’ of Palestinians was indeed taking place. The Jordanians had gone and spoiled this illusion; they would no longer tolerate the export of the Israel-Palestinian conflict to their country and the resulting amplification of its prevailing instability.” – p.158

“Those who abhor the idea of such a brutal ‘solution,’ on the other hand, point out that there is not – and never was – such as thing as voluntary transfer, and that population relocation has always been accomplished by force and accompanied by extreme violence. Even the 1923 exchange of populations between Turkey and Greece by mutual agreement (trotted out by the transferists as the ultimate pro-transfer argument) was nothing more than a fig leaf concealing a great humanitarian tragedy – one that fueled hatreds that endured for generations. … Some suspect that the Israeli army’s brutal behavior and the human suffering caused thereby are purposely aimed at making life in the occupied territories unbearable and creating conditions that promote ‘voluntary’ transfer.” – pp. 159-160

“In fact, the option of expelling a large portion of the Palestinian population from Israel/Palestine does not exist: the Palestinians will not leave their homes, no matter how unbearable the living conditions; more to the point, the neighboring states will not permit large-scale population movement into their jurisdictions.” – p. 160

“The Palestinian Israelis’ journey back to their roots symbolized by Nakba Day is actually a typical expression of their Israeliness and not of their Palestinian nationalism. It is no coincidence that it was the Israeli Arabs who taught the residents of the territories to commemorate Nakba Day. Palestinian heritage (even in the form of negative Jewish reaction and hostility) will remain a permanent feature of the mosaic of traditions and ethnicities that is Israeli society, and there must be a way to live with it in peace.” – pp.164-165

[I underlined much of page 170 and wrote extensive notes in the margins as it deals with one of my favorite topics, namely the making of comparisons between the current situation in Israel/Palestine with Apartheid South Africa. For the most part, Benvenisti argues against such comparisons, a perspective with which I take strong exception.]

“The ‘state’ that he [Sharon] envisaged will be of a totally new sort: its ‘sovereignty’ will be scattered, lacking any physical infrastructure, without direct connection to the outside world, and restricted in the height of its residential buildings and the depth of its graves: the airspace and the water resources will remain under Israeli control. Helicopter patrols, the airwaves, the hands on the water pumps and the electrical switches, the registration of residents and issuing of identity cards, as well as passes to enter and leave, will all be controlled (directly or indirectly) by the Israelis, with American approval.” – p.177

“The first partition of Palestine, in 1948, created the community of the ‘1948 Arabs,’ citizens of Israel, who during the course of more than fifty years have developed an identity, a political, economic, and social agenda, and even a unique dialect and culture different from those of the territories and the Palestinian diaspora. … The first [Palestinian division] will consist of Palestinians holding Israeli citizenship (‘Israeli Arabs’), who define their political objective in terms of ‘Israel as a state of all its citizens, not a Jewish state,’ and who do not wish to be part of a Palestinian state.” – pp. 178, 179

“To top it off, to underscore the symbolism of the Jewish home, the houses [of the Gaza settlements] were demolished, because, although Jews may boast of living in an Arab house, an Arab must not inhabit a house infused with a Jewish soul.” – p.181

“Sharon was now seeking to turn the clock back a generation and to determine the Palestinians’ future for them without taking into consideration their desires and aspirations. ‘My plan is hard for the Palestinians,’ he declared, ‘a mortal blow. With unilateral disengagement there is no Palestinian state.’ Weisglass had revealed the prime minister’s true intentions when he stated: ‘The significance of our [unilateral] disengagement plan is the freezing of the peace process…. When you freeze the process, you prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.’” – p.187

“Unilateralism has, of course, been a sham, because it could be presented as such only with the cooperation of third parties. It was impossible to enforce it without the vital involvement of additional parties – the United States, in particular, but also the Egyptians, who would accept some responsibility for security. The UN, aid organizations, and institutions of the European Community [sic] would have to pay to maintain an impoverished populace lacking means of livelihood.” – p.187

“This is the role that Israel envisages for the Palestinian Authority, and the reason why the PA is being portrayed as a sovereign state electing a parliament and a government. It is common knowledge that the PA is a community council devoid of governmental powers, managing an area devoid of sovereignty; but it is useful to hint that this is only a preliminary stage before Israel, out of the goodness of its heart, unilaterally disengages from areas in which it has no interest.” – p.191

“Were Israel required to live up to its obligations as an occupying power, it would have to cough up approximately U.S.$1 billion a year just to maintain services to the West Bank population.” – p.191

“The problem has been that there was no Palestinian ready to pick the leftovers that Israel was ready to discard, and there could therefore be no further unilateral disengagement. The de facto binational state is, by default, approaching its penultimate stage, despite misleading signs that provide a false sense that its creation has been successfully prevented.
"The factors laying the foundations for a binational reality and destroying the option of ‘two states for two peoples’ are in fact precisely the measures aimed at furthering unilateral disengagement, partitioning Israel/Palestine, and warding off the Israeli nightmare of a binational state: withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the barrier wall, and the separate road system, as well as the aftermath of the second Lebanon war of 2006. The acceptance by countries and organizations throughout the world (with the United States in the lead) of the legitimacy of unilateral moves being made by Israel without regard to Palestinian interests, U.S. positions supportive of the fragmentation strategy being pursued by Israel, the deterioration in the functioning of the Palestine Authority, and the victory of Hamas – all of these combined have intensified the perception, shared by many Palestinians, that there is no longer any chance of establishing a viable independent Palestinian state, and that it is therefore necessary to return to a ‘one state’ stratagem and to rely on their growing demographic advantage to achieve this.” – pp. 197-198

“And, indeed, voices calling for abandonment of the ‘two states for two peoples’ option and its replacement by efforts to achieve a unitary state in Israel/Palestine are increasingly being heard in Palestinian circles. Of course, all of those who make their living within the institutional framework of the Palestinian Authority, not to mention those employed in its ramified apparatus, reject such talk, since the establishment of a Palestinian state is, after all, their raison d’etre. It is also true that the PA, even in its wretched condition, symbolizes the demand of self-determination, and its activity in civil matters, no matter how limited, is important to the process of building the Palestinian nation.” – p. 206

“At the same time, the ‘one state’ slogan makes a handy threat for Palestinians to hold over the Israelis; and that is how most Israelis, in fact, relate to it. Spokespersons from both the Right and Left and, notably, even Jewish intellectuals abroad, view the binational state as a real danger, ‘which inherently threatens to bring an end to the Jewish state.’ Palestinians take this so seriously that some threaten to trade their struggle for national independence for a struggle for civil rights in a binational state, provoking Israeli diplomats to respond angrily that this is further proof of the Palestinians’ unwillingness to reach a peace agreement, since a binational state means the destruction of the state of Israel.” – p. 206

“My [Meron Benvenisti] position has always been that binationalism is an unintended and lamentable consequence. My preference, as a Zionist, is for a Jewish nation-state, but I fear that the historical process that began in the aftermath of the 1967 war has brought about a gradual abrogation of this option. Hence, binationalism is not a political or ideological program so much as a de facto reality masquerading as a temporary state of affairs. It is a description of the current condition, not a prescription.” – p.209

“And thus, a fluid, violent status quo persists – itself, as previously mentioned, a kind of undeclared de facto binationalism – where an Israeli government effectively controls the whole of what used to be Mandatory Palestine, either by sovereign rule within the boundaries of the state of Israel, through its military regime in the occupied territories, or indirectly through military and economic control of the boundaries. The Palestinian Authority, the establishment of which was mandated by the Oslo Accords, theoretically continues to function, but lacks the means to enforce its rule; and without massive monetary aid from the ‘donor nations,’ it would not be capable of carrying out even the limited civil functions (provision of education, health, municipal services) that it does. This de facto binational condition has endured in its present form for over twenty years. It became quasi-permanent in the wake of the signing of the peace agreement with Jordan (in 1994), which completed the final demarcation of the external perimeter of Eretz Israel / Palestine, following the international boundaries (excepting that of Syria) of Mandatory Palestine. This put the kibosh on the ‘Jordanian option,’ ending attempts to turn the occupied territories into a border area that could be annexed to a foreign country and thereby be prevented from becoming a national entity able to stand on its own feet.” – pp. 211-212

“Israelis have therefore simply continued the practice of not collecting official data on the total number of non-Jewish inhabitants in the occupied territories, even while the numbers of Jews in Israel and the settlements of the occupied territories are minutely monitored and presented together as belonging to ‘the population of the state of Israel.’ As in Lebanon, manipulation of population statistics can conveniently be used to show whatever demographic ‘balance’ suits the ethnic group in power. It is precisely to ‘prove’ that the demographic threat is indeed a bogey that frightens only the gullible that the [sic] some right-wing Israelis claim the statistics showing an Arab majority are fabricated by the Palestinian Statistics Bureau, which purportedly publishes tendentious data.” – p.212

“During the Mandate, the leaders of the Yishuv were not bothered by the fact that they represented a minority – some one-third of the population – in their demand for independence and self-determination. Nor did they see it as a slap in the face of democratic values when they rejected the demand of the majority – the Arab majority – for the establishment of a state that would accurately reflect demographic-ethnic ratios.” – p.213

“…it should be pointed out that nearly all the intercommunal peace processes launched between 1989 and 2004 were based upon binational or multinational models. This fact flies in the face of the conventional wisdom that the binational model has failed everywhere in the world with the exception of Switzerland, Belgium, and Canada.” – p.214

“The Oslo Accords, too, can be thought of as de facto binational arrangements, since the Palestinian Authority’s areas of jurisdiction – both geographical and legal – were deliberately left unclear, and the outer perimeter (the borders of Mandatory Palestine) remained in Israel’s hands, as did control of the economy. Moreover, the whole series of convoluted agreements that came out of Oslo required tight coordination with the Israeli government; and considering the vast imbalance in Israel’s favor, it was clear that the Palestinian Authority would be granted inferior powers – essentially giving it the status of a glorified provincial, or even municipal, ruling body.” - p. 221

“Paradoxically, the peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan only exacerbated the situation, because they determined the outer limit of the borders of western Palestine. They sealed us into the binational reality of a territory that cannot be divided. The result is that now Zionism has become the victim of its victories, the victim of a terrible history of missed opportunities.” – p.232

Remember How Iran Responded to the 9/11 Attacks?

2007-09-21T13:55:00.000-06:00

Remember How Iran Responded to the 9/11 Attacks?

With all the ruckus over the request of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's request to visit “Ground Zero” during his visit to New York to lay a wreath [1], it is somewhat worth remembering how Iran responded to the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

Knowing how short American memories are and knowing how many Americans share President Bush’s habit of conflating all U.S. opponents and enemies into some sort of utterly fictional “united front,” like the now famous “Axis of Evil” (none of whom had anything whatsoever to do with the 9/11 attacks); I began preparing in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. It was fully predictable that there would be an Islamaphobic backlash in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and that people with a vested interest in promoting anti-Muslim hatred would later try to equate the entire Islamic world with the attacks in New York and Washington DC. So, beginning on September 12, 2001, I began compiling the actual responses to the attacks by all the countries of the world with a Muslim majority regardless of their political standing or relationship with the United States. Visiting and saving snippets from official government outlets for these states (embassy websites, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, &c.) as well as searching the media for relevant articles discussing the reactions of these states, I saved all this data for the fifty-two states in question and put it online in the “International Islamic Response” website. After several moves to different hosts, I kept all this data and it can now be found online at: http://iir.internetactivist.org/

So what was Iran’s reaction to the 9/11 attacks?

"On behalf of the Iranian government and the nation, I condemn the hijacking attempts and terrorist attacks on public centers in American cities which have killed a large number of innocent people," President Khatami said in reaction to the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor. ... "My deep sympathy goes out to the American nation, particularly those who have suffered from the attacks and also the families of the victims," he said, noting, "terrorism is doomed and the international community should stem it and take effective measures in a bid to eradicate it." Khatami added that the Islamic Republic of Iran is treading a road to uproot terrorism and to this end, he noted, it will spare no efforts.

And related news stories included:

“Iranians Honor U.S. with Moment of Silence” (NY Post)

“Khatami Condemns ‘Terrorist’ Attacks on U.S. Targets (People’s Daily, Iran)

“US calls Iran’s response ‘positive’” (Economic Times)

“Terror attacks transform U.S. image in Iran’s media” (Gulf News)

“Powell sees hope in Iran, Syria response to attack” (Reuters)

“'Iran News’ deplores attacks on major US landmarks” (Iran News)

“Iran expresses rare sympathy for U.S. over attacks” (Reuters)

“Iran ayatollah says he is heart-broke over U.S. attack” (Gulf News)

“Iran seals Afghanistan border” (AP)

All of this was saved in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 at http://iir.internetactivist.org/020.html though of course many of the links are no longer valid, being six years old.

The point was – and remains – to show that contrary to whatever the Islamaphobic hate-mongers might say today, the vast majority of the Islamic world, even including states that the US has had difficult relations with, were sympathetic and supportive in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The whole supposition that there should be any problem with President Ahmadinejad laying a wreath at “Ground Zero” is just a statement of American ignorance, bigotry, and hated completely unjustified by anything Iran has done.

Anyway, to learn more about the response of the world’s majority Muslim countries in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, visit the International Islamic Response website at: http://iir.internetactivist.org/ Just click on any of the countries listed on the left to see how they responded. Just to save you some time, the ONLY majority Muslim states that were not sympathetic was Iraq (at the time under Saddam Hussein and suffering from US imposed sanctions that resulted in the death of over a million Iraqis [2]) and Afghanistan (then under the Taliban).

John S.

Notes:

[1] Pat Milton, "New York bans 'photo op' visit to Ground Zero by Iran's president," The Scotsman, 21 September 2007, http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1509712007

[2] Peace Action, “End Sanctions on Iraq,” Peace Action Education Fund, undated, http://www.peace-action.org/camp/justice/iraqfs.pdf

“Why Would the U.S. Attack Iran?”

2007-09-18T19:58:00.000-06:00

The “Why Would the U.S. Attack Iran” website - http://www.whyattackiran.com/ - has been updated to represent the current government.

There is not the slightest actual evidence that the Iranian nuclear program has anything to do with creating nuclear weapons [1] and even if it did have a weapons program it would pose no threat to the United States [2]. Nevertheless, the United States has been constantly and deliberately misrepresenting these realities [3] in order to create the false impression that there is some valid reason for us to attack Iran.

So why is the political leadership of the United States falsifying evidence to justify a war against Iran, a war that would make the current war in Iraq look like a cakewalk [4]?

… it's the threat against Israel,[5]

Although the vast majority of Americans are opposed to a U.S. attack on Iran [6] – a fact that has been a problem for many leaders of the Israel Lobby [7] – roughly 71% of Israelis actively support the idea of the U.S. attacking Iran [8]. The “Why Would the U.S. Attack Iran?” website - http://www.whyattackiran.com/ - shows this in detail, illustrating the current leadership (President, Vice-President, Secretary of State, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader, Speaker of the House, House Majority Leader, and House Minority Leader) standing before AIPAC [9] declaring their willingness to go to war against Iran on behalf of Israel. Further, recent news stories – primarily from pro-Israel sources – are listed on the left side of the site clearly illustrating the issue. There is no mystery or conspiracy about the fact that the pro-Israel lobby is leading the charge for war on Iran, it is all quite out in the open and freely admitted.

To learn more about the push for war against Iran and why, please visit the “Why Would the U.S. Attack Iran?” website at: http://www.whyattackiran.com/ If you find it useful, please be sure to pass it along to others.

Notes:

[1] Mark Heinrich, "Western talk of Iran war premature 'hype': IAEA head," Reuters, 17 September 2007, http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-09-17T151816Z_01_L17903337_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-NUCLEAR-IAEA-COL.XML

[2] Robert Burns, "Abizaid: World could abide nuclear Iran," Associated Press, 17 September 2007, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070918/ap_on_go_ot/abizaid_iran;_ylt=AoPcm9.sCbgOW.nDG7s0XqQDW7oF

[3] BBC Staff, "US Iran report branded dishonest," BBC News, 14 September 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5346524.stm

[4] Paul Rogers, "Iran: Consequences of a War," Oxford Research Group, February 2006, http://www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk/publications/briefing_papers/iranconsequences.php

[5] Quote given in context of Iraq, not Iran, but holds true in both cases. Philip Zelikow, former member of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and executive director of the 9/11 Commission. Statement made at the University of Virginia on Sep. 10, 2002 http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=23083

[6] For a collection of recent polls, see: PollingReport.Com http://www.pollingreport.com/iran.htm

[7] James D. Besser, "Jewish Leaders Caught In Iran Bind," The Jewish Week, 31 August 2007, http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=14460

[8] Aluf Benn, "Poll: 71% of Israelis want the U.S. to strike Iran if talks fail," Ha'aretz, 18 May 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/860903.html

[9] AIPAC, The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, http://www.aipac.org/

The Great Game of the North: As the Arctic melts, Capitalists pick over the Earth's corpse

2007-09-07T11:29:00.000-06:00

A few years ago, Michael Klare made a lot of news with his book "Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict." Much of what is happening in the world today, when placed within Klare's paradigm, make much more sense than they do when one tries to frame them within more traditional rationales for various conflicts. However, when he wrote the book (2001) it was still assumed that the Arctic would remain too frozen for resource exploitation for at least another hundred years or so. Therefore he didn't bother to discuss the Arctic in the book. However, now that global warming has radically increased and estimates of an ice-free Arctic are now down to 20 or 30 years, the region has become a new arena for resource competition.

First, the current environmental situation:

Ice-free Arctic could be here in 23 years
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/sep/05/climatechange.sciencenews

Excerpts:

The Arctic ice cap has collapsed at an unprecedented rate this summer and levels of sea ice in the region now stand at a record low, scientists said last night. Experts said they were "stunned" by the loss of ice, with an area almost twice as big as Britain disappearing in the last week alone. So much ice has melted this summer that the north-west passage across the top of Canada is fully navigable, and observers say the north-east passage along Russia's Arctic coast could open later this month. If the increased rate of melting continues, the summertime Arctic could be totally free of ice by 2030.

Mark Serreze, an Arctic specialist at the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre at Colorado University in Denver which released the figures, said: "It's amazing. It's simply fallen off a cliff and we're still losing ice." The Arctic has now lost about a third of its ice since satellite measurements began 30 years ago, and the rate of loss has accelerated sharply since 2002.

Dr Serreze said: "If you asked me a couple of years ago when the Arctic could lose all of its ice, then I would have said 2100, or 2070 maybe. But now I think that 2030 is a reasonable estimate. It seems that the Arctic is going to be a very different place within our lifetimes, and
certainly within our children's lifetimes."

Islands emerge as Arctic ice shrinks to record low
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL2069726720070820

Excerpts:

NY ALESUND, Norway (Reuters) - Previously unknown islands are appearing as Arctic summer sea ice shrinks to record lows, raising questions about whether global warming is outpacing U.N. projections, experts said. ...

The thaw of glaciers that stretch out to sea around Svalbard has revealed several islands that are not on any maps.

"Islands are appearing just over the fjord here" as glaciers recede, said Kim Holmen, research Director at the Norwegian Polar Institute, gesturing out across the bay. "We're already seeing adverse effects on polar bears and other species." ...

"I know of two islands that appeared in the north of Svalbard this summer. They haven't been claimed yet," said Rune Bergstrom, environmental expert with the Norwegian governor's office on Svalbard.

He said he had seen one of the islands, roughly the size of a basketball court. Islands have also appeared in recent years off Greenland and Canada.

Now that the Arctic is accessible, the powers are moving in, especially the United States, Canada, and Russia...

U.S. Draws Map Of Rich Arctic Floor Ahead of Big Melt
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118848493718613526-CXPsMw2jeBCFZEGnVkViSYqvvaA_20070929.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top

Excerpts:

In the Arctic this week, researchers aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy are mapping claims to the spoils of global warming.

North of Alaska, the 23 scientists of the Healy are gathering the data legally required to extend national territories across vast reaches of the mineral-rich seafloor usually blocked by Arctic ice. Fathom by fathom, multibeam sonar sensors mounted on the Healy's hull chart a submerged plateau called the Chukchi Cap, in a region that may contain 25% of the world's reserves of oil and natural gas.

In an era of climate change, these frozen assets are up for grabs, as melting ice allows detailed mapping and, one day perhaps, drilling. ...

The $1 million Healy expedition is the third U.S. seafloor-mapping venture into the Arctic since 2003, prompted by provisions of the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. The U.S. has never ratified the treaty but commissioned new seabed maps in case it ever is adopted. The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has set a hearing on the treaty next month.

Framed decades before the politics of the greenhouse effect permeated international relations, the U.N. treaty is taking on added importance in the Arctic as an arbiter for countries determined to come out ahead in a world transformed by rising temperatures. No country actually owns the North Pole. But with growing boldness this past summer, Russia, Denmark, Norway and Canada jockeyed for control of the Arctic seabed, galvanized by the prospect of open waterways there.

The U.N. treaty allows countries to extend their coastal economic zone up to 350 nautical miles offshore, depending on detailed technical evidence of undersea geology and topography. Under this provision, all four countries claim an underwater mountain called the Lomonosov Ridge that runs underneath the North Pole. They are depending on seafloor data to bolster their cases before the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, meeting this week in closed session to consider claims.

The Healy's voyage is part of a broader U.S. effort to extend its undersea zone of military and economic authority should it adopt the 25-year-old U.N. accord.

Canada must lead by example in claiming Arctic
http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/252842

Excerpts:

The immediate source of our own new interest in the Arctic is that of sovereignty. We own the Arctic islands beyond any question. Under the rules of the Law of the Sea Treaty's 200-mile limit, we also almost certainly own all the waters in between them.

On the sound principle of "use it or lose it," Prime Minister Stephen Harper this summer flew north to announce a new army base would be established at Resolute Bay and an unused port at Nanisivik would be refurbished for the new fleet of six ice-breaking patrol boats.

There are two soft spots to our claim. One, insisted upon by the U.S., is that a "free passage" for the ships of all nations exists in between these islands, like it does between Gibraltar and North Africa.

The other, espoused most strongly by Russia, is that, under the Law of the Sea rules, the sub-sea Lomonosov Ridge extending out from its northern coast gives it a legitimate claim to Arctic territory all the way up to the North Pole. Competing claims for much of this territory are being made by Canada and Norway and Denmark. ...

It's generally assumed that one-quarter of the world's undiscovered oil and gas lies waiting beneath Arctic ice and rock.

In fact, while this estimate is usually attributed to the US Geological Survey, the United States has done no systematic study of the region. The actual extent of the potential reserves will be clarified by surveys now under way.

As significant is the likelihood that all this oil and gas may actually be usable in the sense that it can be extracted at an acceptable cost.

The change agent is global warming. No part of the globe is warming faster than the Arctic. While average global temperatures have increased by 0.6C since 1900, those in the Arctic have risen by more than 2C. ...

Harper has enunciated his "use it or lose it" principle just in time. We need to be there. We need even more to lay down strict rules, with severe penalties, for exploratory drilling, and for potential extraction and transportation.

We also need to set our own global warming house in order. Before we preach what others should practise, we must do a lot better than the world's second-worst (after Spain) record of a 25 per cent increase in greenhouse gases.

Russian bombers launch missiles over Arctic
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/03/warctic103.xml

Excerpts:

The Russian air force spokesman did not specify the exact location of the exercises but confirmed that the TU-95MC bombers would take off from five air bases stretching from the Volga River city of Engels to Anadyr on the Chukotka Peninsula overlooking the United States. ...

President Vladimir Putin announced last month that Russia has resumed long-range patrols by its bomber planes for the first time since the end of the Cold War. Mr Putin said the resumption of patrols was needed to guarantee national security. In August RAF fighter jets were sent to intercepts a Russian bomber which was heading towards British air space over the North Atlantic.

The Arctic exercises follow a widely advertised scientific expedition to the North Pole last month with the task of finding justification for Russia's claims for a bigger slice of the Arctic zone, believed to have rich mineral resources.

Relations with both Europe and the United States have been deteriorating as Russia, buoyed by booming energy prices, has shaken off the post-Soviet malaise of the 1990s.

... and though oil & natural gas resources are driving all of this, these are not the sole advantages to global capitalism from destroying the Arctic...

Shippers chart polar bypass for clogged global trade routes
http://www.ftd.de/karriere_management/business_english/:Business%20English%20Shippers/248560.html

Excerpts:

The emergence of a northern passage across the Arctic connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans could not be happening at a more propitious time.

The Arctic is not just about oil and gas. A ship travelling at 21 knots between Rotterdam and Yokohama takes 29 days if it goes via the Cape of Good Hope, 22 days via the Suez Canal and just 15 days if it goes across the Arctic Ocean. In coming years the Arctic will dramatically alter the dynamics of global trade.

A combination of global warming melting the ice and new shipping technology means polar shipping routes will open up in the next few years, drastically reducing the time it takes for container traffic to travel from Asia's booming manufacturing centres to the west's consumer
markets.

While it is possible for container ships to travel across the Arctic now, the amount of ice in winter makes travel extremely difficult, or too slow and expensive if the ships are accompanied by ice breakers. But this will all change as the ice disappears in coming years.

The emergence of a northern passage across the Arctic connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans could not be happening at a more propitious time as far as global trade routes are concerned. It is estimated that 90 per cent of all the goods in the world, measured in tonnes, are transported by sea, and rapid global economic growth, fuelled by China and India, means existing routes are becoming clogged.

Container shipments on international routes have increased annually by between 5 and 7 per cent in recent years, in line with world trade, meaning the volume of shipments approximately doubles every 10 to 15 years. ...

Canada's last igloo to be flattened amid Arctic boom
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5grjddB-sFlRtm2n9qeEejERv8KPA

Excerpts:

IQALUIT, Canada (AFP) - The last igloo in Canada's far north, which housed a family restaurant for 27 years, is set to be demolished to make room for offices, amid a flurry of economic activity in the remote Arctic.

Purchased in May by an Edmonton-based hotel operator, the Kamotiq Inn restaurant is to be replaced in the coming months by a 4,645 square-meter (50,000 square-foot) office building. ...

But restaurant manager Brian Czar, who will soon be out of a job, told AFP: "Times are changing. The North is opening up, the city is growing and there's a growing demand for real estate in Iqaluit."

Indeed, an international rivalry has heated up as global warming opens up the vast Arctic to economic activity.

Scientists predict the famed Northwest Passage could be ice-free for shipping year-round by mid-century, cutting sea travel from London to Tokyo by 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles).

Canada is at odds, however, with the United States, Russia, Denmark and Norway over it and parts of the Arctic seabed believed to hold 25 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and gas reserves.

To bolster its claim, Canada has beefed up its military presence here, announcing last week its first Arctic deep sea port in Nanisivik and military base in Resolute, as well as six to eight new Navy ice-breakers.

Oil and mining companies, meanwhile, are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on Arctic exploration. Soon, forestry companies are expected to follow the Boreal Forest creeping north. Cruise ships are multiplying, allowing tourists to see polar bears and the spectacular break-up of Arctic ice each spring.

As well, the establishment of Canada's Nunavut territory in April 1999, splitting lands from the Northwest Territories to settle an aboriginal land claim, created thousands of government jobs in its new capital, Iqaluit, doubling its population to 7,000.

For the first time, the North's population has topped 100,000, according to the latest census in 2006.

Outside the Kamotiq Inn, newer Suzuki Vitaras, Ford F150s and Honda Civics zip along pot-hole peppered roads. Cars are relatively new to Iqaluit. A decade ago, there were only a handful of taxi cabs here, ferrying visitors. But the influx of people has driven new vehicle sales, to replace dog sleds and snowmobiles. Now, for five minutes every morning and evening, gridlock slows traffic on the only two paved roads in town, and dozens of gravel lanes, as workers drive from home to work and back. The town council is considering erecting the first traffic lights in Nunvavut, at the "Four Corners" intersection to ease drivers' rage.

On the outskirts, meanwhile, tents have been erected to house newcomers in summer, amid a housing shortage. New home construction has been unable to keep up with demand because there are too few sealifts to bring in building materials in warmer months, when Frobisher Bay is clear of ice.

ADL launches Campaign to promote US war on Iran

2007-09-05T18:18:00.000-06:00

ADL launches Campaign to promote US war on Iran

One of the primary points of the recent Mearsheimer-Walt book "The Israel Lobby" [1] is that the lobby frequently pushes for policies and actions that not only are not in the best interests of the United States, but often not really in the long term interests of Israel either. As though on a mission to prove the point, the Anti-Defamation League – an integral component of the Mearsheimer/Walt defined Israel Lobby – has announced a public relations campaign to promote a U.S. attack on Iran.

Although the vast majority of Americans are opposed to a U.S. attack on Iran [2] – a fact that has been a problem for many leaders of the Israel Lobby [3] – roughly 71% of Israelis actively support the idea of the U.S. attacking Iran [4]. This fact, coupled with the fact that a "nuclear Iran" has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the ADL ostensible mission of fighting anti-Semitism in the United States, completely reaffirms the Mearsheimer/Walt contention that the ADL is part and parcel of the Israel lobby and all its proclamations should be viewed in that context.

Today's press release by the ADL says in part:

"Over the next few weeks and months, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) will roll out a public awareness and advocacy campaign aimed at focusing attention on the gathering threat of a nuclear-armed Iran to Israel, the Middle East and the world. With the slogan, 'No Nuclear Iran,' the campaign focuses on Iran's clear and present threat to Israel, America and the global community through high-profile eye-catching posters, advertisements in national and community newspapers, and other awareness initiatives using e-mail and the Internet to spread the word." [5]

Although the press release, and thus presumably the campaign itself, does not explicitly call for a U.S. attack on Iran, Abraham Foxman and the ADL are already on record calling for "a military response" to Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program. [6] Despite the fact that there remains absolutely no tangible evidence that Iran's nuclear program is military in nature [7], Israel simply won't accept the facts of the situation or the complete lack of evidence as a counter-point to its unfounded assumptions. [8] The entire case for an Iranian nuclear weapons program is based on the "common sense" argument; namely with Iran being almost completely surrounded by nuclear powers (U.S. in Iraq & Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Russia, and Israel) they would be foolish not to develop their own nuclear weapons program. That is the extent of the case.

Nevertheless, the ADL campaign: "has three key objectives:

>Moving the Iranian issue to the top of the agenda for the Jewish community as both a political and social justice issue of the utmost urgency;
>Making the broader public aware of what a nuclear-armed Iran will mean for all of us and why its drive toward a nuclear weapon capability must be stopped;
>Alerting and educating the U.S. and international communities to specific actions, including stronger sanctions, that may be taken to deter Iranian nuclear proliferation." [9]

Such a campaign cannot possibly have any other purpose than to mislead the American public into thinking that there is some purpose or justification for a U.S. attack on Iran. The Oxford Research Group, which correctly predicted the outcome of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, has issued a comprehensive briefing that concludes:

"An attack on Iranian nuclear infrastructure would signal the start of a protracted military confrontation that would probably grow to involve Iraq, Israel and Lebanon, as well as the USA and Iran. The report concludes that a military response to the current crisis in relations with Iran is a particularly dangerous option and should not be considered further. Alternative approaches must be sought, however difficult these may be." [10]

In fact, just as Mearsheimer and Walt suggest, an attack on Iran may very well not prove to be in Israel's best interest either, despite Israeli public opinion. Even discarding the supposed nuclear threat, Iran has other means of striking Israel:

"The Qatari newspaper Al Watan on Sunday quoted diplomatic sources in Damascus as saying that Iran has marked 600 targets in Israel for missile strikes in case it is attacked. The report said the targets are within reach of Iranian missiles and would be completely destroyed if Israel should attack Iran or participate in an American attack on the country. Iran's warning refers to talk in Israel and the United States of a possible military strike to prevent the Islamic republic from attaining nuclear capability." [11]

The new ADL campaign must be seen as a validation of the Mearsheimer/Walt contention that the Israel lobby is dominated by extreme right-wing ideologues that do not represent the best interests of Americans in general – obviously including the majority of Jewish-Americans – and probably doesn't represent Israel's best interest either.

Just say "No!" to a U.S. attack on Iran – and American groups like the ADL that are ADL actively promoting one.

Admin of "Why Would the U.S. Attack Iran?"
http://www.whyattackiran.com/

Notes:

[1] John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt, "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy," 2007, Farrar, Straus and Giroux http://www.israellobbybook.com/

[2] For a collection of recent polls, see: PollingReport.Com http://www.pollingreport.com/iran.htm

[3] James D. Besser, "Jewish Leaders Caught In Iran Bind," The Jewish Week, 31 August 2007, http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=14460

[4] Aluf Benn, "Poll: 71% of Israelis want the U.S. to strike Iran if talks fail," Ha'aretz, 18 May 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/860903.html

[5] ADL Press Release, "ADL Campaign Says 'No' to Nuclear Iran," Anti-Defamation League Website, 5 September 2007, http://www.adl.org/PresRele/Mise_00/5124_00.htm

[6] "Declarations by the international community that Iran cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons must be made credible by action. Pressure must be brought to bear on Iran in every way possible in order to convince Tehran to give up on its nuclear program — and if all else fails, a military response must remain an option."
Abraham Foxman, "Take Tehran at Its Word," The Forward, 4 November 2005, reproduced online by the ADL at: http://www.adl.org/ADL_Opinions/Anti_Semitism_Arab/Forward_110405.htm

[7] Atul Aneja, "IAEA says no evidence of Iranian Nuclear Weapons plan," The Hindu, 2 March 2006, Reproduced online by Global Research at http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?c..viewArticle&code=ANE20060302&articleId=2055

[8] AFP/Reuters, "Israel 'not fooled' by Iranian nuclear assurances," ABC News, 27 August 2006, http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2006/08/27/1725073.htm

[9] ADL Press Release, "ADL Campaign Says 'No' to Nuclear Iran," Anti-Defamation League Website, 5 September 2007, http://www.adl.org/PresRele/Mise_00/5124_00.htm

[10] Paul Rogers, "Iran: Consequences of a War," February 2006, Oxford Research Group,
http://www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk/publications/briefing_papers/iranconsequences.php

[11] Yoev Stern, barak Ravid, and Yossi Melman, "Report: Iran has 600 targets for missile strike in Israel if attacked," Ha'aretz, 15 July 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/881985.html

Turks, Kurds, and the US Occupation of Iraq

2007-06-05T19:59:00.000-06:00

Well things are really heating up in the northern portion of US occupied Iraq with respect to US-backed Kurdish terrorists and our ostensible NATO ally, Turkey...

First we have the Turkish elections coming up:

Turkey's previous military buildups on the Iraqi border were mostly viewed as saber rattling, but analysts see something different and more worrisome this time. As PKK attacks against security forces inside Turkey continue unabated, the military leadership in Ankara has in recent weeks forcefully stated its desire to go after the guerilla group's operational bases in Iraq. Meanwhile, a May 22 suicide bombing in Ankara -- in which six people died and that has been linked to the PKK -- has turned public opinion in favor of an Iraq invasion.

Domestic political considerations are also having an impact. With Turkey's July 22 parliamentary elections fast approaching, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) -- already under pressure from the military for being seen as overly Islamist -- does not want to appear as being soft on terrorism and national security issues.

Put all together, observers here see all the ingredients for a dangerous political and military crisis that could lead to wider regional instability and might put a serious strain on Ankara's relations with both Baghdad and Washington.
[FROM: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav060507a.shtml ]

At the same time you have the US-protected PKK launching both terror attacks:

Officials - PKK suicide bomber responsible for Ankara blast
http://jurnalo.com/jurnalo/storyPage.do?story_id=37081
Turkish officials on Wednesday announced that a suicide bomber with connections to the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) was responsible for a blast in the capital Ankara on Tuesday night that left six dead and more than 100 injured.

Three killed in suicide attack in Tunceli
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=74980
Three soldiers were killed in a suicide bomb attack on a police station in the eastern Turkish province of Tunceli on Monday, security sources said. ... Ten people were injured in the attack.

As well as more conventional military attacks all over Turkish Kurdistan:

8 Turkish soldiers killed in PKK attack
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2007/June/theworld_June135.xml§ion=theworld
ANKARA - Eight Turkish soldiers were killed and six wounded Monday in an attack by Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) militants on a military post in the eastern Turkish province of Tunceli, the Dogan news agency reported. Dogan reported that the two PKK militants had gained entrance to the Kocatepe village military post when guards recognised the jeep they were travelling in. The jeep was later found to have been stolen. One of the militants threw hand grenades once inside the compound's garden while the other fired on troops with an automatic weapon.

PKK kills four workers, wounds four others in eastern Turkey
http://english.people.com.cn/200706/01/eng20070601_379834.html
Four workers were killed and four others wounded in an armed attack staged by the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in eastern Turkey; on Thursday, said Bingol Governor Vehbi Avuc. Avuc said in a statement that a group of the PKK militants attacked the workers who were cutting trees in forest between villages of Cicekdere and Kartal in Bingol province, leaving four workers dead and four others wounded,

So not the surprisingly the Turks are pissed and threatening to invade the PKK base of operations in US-protected northern Iraq:

Buyukanit: Turkey is Ready for PKK Strike in Iraq
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=45417
ANKARA - Turkey's top general said Thursday the military was ready to stage a cross-border offensive to fight PKK terrorists in Iraq and that he already had sought government approval to mount military action. Yasar Buyukanit said he had asked for approval during a news conference on April 12, when he said "an operation into Iraq is necessary."

... the US, as normal, is trying to play a double game, telling the Turks "were working on it"...

Wilson says US working on measures against PKK
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=112948
Calling Baghdad "a center of gravity" for the US forces in Iraq, US Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson has said that the US priority in Iraq was encouraging and supporting an Iraqi government that can stand on its own two feet, in remarks aimed to explain the reason for US inaction against outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) bases in northern Iraq.

...while at the same time entering into a solid public alliance with the PKK front groups in northern Iraq...

U.S. signs security pact with Kurdistan, warns Turkey not to invade
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2007/me_turkey_06_04.asp
WASHINGTON - The United States has issued its highest-level warning against a Turkish military invasion of neighboring Iraq. Meanwhile, on May 30, the autonomous northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan signed a security cooperation accord with the U.S.-led coalition. The accord was signed by Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani and U.S. commanders in Irbil. The accord stipulated the handover of coalition security responsibility to the Kurdish regional government in the provinces of Dohuk, Irbil and Suleimaniya, Middle East Newsline reported.

... So, in view of the US's open support for terrorists attacking our ostensible NATO ally Turkey, the Turks have started taking matters into their own hands...

Turks shell rebels in northern Iraq again, says Kurdish report
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2007/06/05/2003363872
Turkish troops shelled a border area in northern Iraq for a second day early yesterday in an attack on Kurdish rebels based there, a pro-Kurdish news agency reported. The report could not be confirmed immediately. The leader of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, Massoud Barzani, confirmed shelling by Turkish troops in Kurdish areas on Sunday but said there was no Turkish incursion.

...and is also following the US lead in opting to get "authority" to defend itself from alternate authorities since the US is obviously unwilling to to stop supporting these "friendly" terrorists...

Turkey seeks UN OK for cross-border action
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=d84cd731-3d23-469f-98fe-1c34a524aa05
UNITED NATIONS - The prospect that Turkish troops will invade northern Iraq to attack Kurdish rebels rose yesterday as Turkey reportedly asked to meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to reaffirm its right to self-defence. The move comes as the latest Kurdish rebel attack inside Turkey killed at least seven Turkish soldiers and injured seven more at a military outpost near the Iraqi border. Turkey has been massing troops on the border, and reminding the UN of its rights under the body's charter would signal the government is preparing the legal and diplomatic ground for military action.

As we get closer to the Turkish elections, this situation is only likely to grow worse. I don't think the US would destroy NATO by openly defending our pet terrorists against a Turkish invasion; as a US dominated NATO is still a useful tool for US imperialism (e.g. NATO fighting for us in Afghanistan, Kosovo, &c.) However, leaving the Kurds to their own devices would see the end of the ONLY Iraqi element that is pro-US occupation and pro-Corporate oil theft...

Jewish Friends of Palestine Website Updated

2007-05-27T16:58:00.000-06:00

27 May 2007: Here are our newest additions...

Jewish Websites:

Hagada Hasmalit - "Hagada Hasmalit (The Left Bank, Hebrew הגדה השמאלית) is an Israeli radical left wing website. First published in Hebrew in Spring 2002, it is one of the most widely read websites among the radical left in Israel. An English version began in March 2007. Hagada Hasmalit features articles and commentary by Jewish-Israeli and Palestinian writers from an anti-Zionist, Marxist or anarchist perspective. All oppose the 1967 Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and critique social and economic issues inside Israel. Hagada Hasmalit supported various campaigns over the years including the campaign to free Mordechai Vanunu, the struggle against the Israeli West Bank barrier in Bil'in, Tali Fahima and the refuseniks."

International Jewish Solidarity Network - "The International Jewish Solidarity Network is a growing international network of Jews whose Jewish identities are not based on nationalism but on a plurality of histories and experiences. We are committed to the struggle against the colonization of Palestine and the building of a Zionist Jewish state that began in 1948. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people because Israel and the Zionist ideology propelling it a) endanger all inhabitants of the region, b) will lead to further ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people, c) encourage the demonization of Arabs and Muslims everywhere, d) result in the racist repression and invisibility of Jews of Arab descent and from Muslim countries, e) distort and debase Jewish cultures, whether religious or secular, f) implicate us in the oppression of others by conflating Judaism and Jewish identities with Zionist principles and practices. Zionism has exploited the history of Jewish suffering as a justification for colonial expropriation and dispossession. We denounce this exploitation and violence to claim a role in the global struggles for racial, economic and gender justice."

Israel Versus Judaism - "This website was created to expose the violence and oppression perpetrated by the Zionists and their State of "Israel" against the Jewish people who remain true to the Almighty, Judaism and the Torah. Judaism does not condone violence. Judaism demands that Jews be good citizens of the countries in which they reside and that they live peacefully with respect for and subservience to the ruling powers. Judaism teaches us, that the right for the Jewish people to have self rule in the Holy Land is not unconditional. Since the destruction of our Holy Temple over two thousand years ago, the Jewish people have been exiled from this land by Divine decree. The Talmud tells us that G-d obligated us not to rebel against the ruling bodies, and not to take the land of Israel by force (see Babylonian Talmud tractate Kesubos 111A)."

Israeli Regional Peace Movement - "In March 2002 in Beirut the Arab League put forward a proposal calling for peace in the Middle East and normalization of relations with Israel on the basis of an Israeli withdrawal from all Arab territories occupied in 1967; a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem; and the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. ... We believe that if more Israelis knew about the Initiative and had the opportunity to discuss and explore its implications public pressure on the government would build rapidly and lead to measurable progress towards regional peace." Listed in Organizations under "Peace Organizations," in Country under "Israel"

Jewish EGroups, Lists & Petitions

Jewish Anti-Zionist Discussion - "There's not many forums where it's easy to talk about being an anti-zionist Jew. Even among our most progressive Jewish friends, it's hard to raise the subject. And in anti-zionist forums I've visited online or in person it can be hard to talk about a Jewish perspective. And yet it's something I'd like to talk more about. Unfortunately, I don't have a ton to say. I'm still working it all out, and it's not something I have ever directed a whole lot of brain power to, and I don't feel terribly educated about it. So I quite enjoy reading others' thoughts on it."

Notable Individuals

David Theo Goldberg - I have long worried that Israel has claimed to speak for all Jews, that a state founded upon the necessarily racial makings and markings of modernity refuses any resistance from kin. ... If Israel can claim to speak for all Jews, then critical Jewish voices are impelled to speak to Israel. Perhaps it is only in owning up to the relational possibility of a fair, just and equitable existence for all living in the cauldron of so heterogeneous a social setting that peace and safety for any would be more or less guaranteed. That, after all, has always been the promise of Jerusalem. So perhaps too it is now, above all, in these most acutely anxious and anguished of moments that we - and perhaps above all we Jews - must embrace the history too of having been a Palestinian."

Hilton Obenzinger - "As an American Jew who has spoken out against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza for many years, I have been regularly smeared as a "self-hating Jew" and worse. ... f you wonder why so many people in the Middle East hate American foreign policy, just look at the "special relationship" between Israel and the U.S. government and American business. People in the Middle East know that Israel's human rights abuses--including land seizures, home demolition and segregation of non-Jews in the occupied territories--would not be possible without unconditional support from the United States."

Shmuel Yerushalmi - Wiki: "Shmuel Yerushalmi is a consistent anti-Zionist and Communist, and an outspoken advocate of an International Marxist-Leninist revolution. He is an active member in various leftist movements, such as the Israeli Communist Forum ... the "Civil Forum" of Hadash, aimed at fostering a non-Zionist Israeli civic identity. Yerushalmi began writing poetry in earnest in 1998 - in Hebrew rather than his native Russian, and his works were published in different literary and political sites, both in Hebrew and in translation to various foreign languages. Yerushalmi's poems, many of them outspokenly political, touch on a variety of subjects, such as Marxism-Leninism, social justice, ecology, the great victory over Nazism in the Second World War; and opposition to Zionism. One of the main themes which Yerushalmi tries to express in his poetry is the struggle for letting the Israeli society and policy-makers give account for aggressive policies."

New Articles:

June 2007: "Forty Years of Occupation", Colorado Progressive Jewish News, by Colorado Jews for a Just Peace

7/8 April 2007: "How Can Children of the Holocaust Do Such Things?", CounterPunch, by Sara Roy

5 April 2007: "When an anti-semite is not an anti-semite", The Guardian, by Arthur Neslen

1 April 2007: "Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods - A Spearheading New Initiative", Media Monitors, by Ruth Tenne

Personal Jewish Websites:

Children of Abraham: Initiative by Shlomi Sendak - "Shlomi Sendak devoted more than 20 years to the new-age spiritual field and was one of the founders of Ale Yarok (the green leaf party). Lately he devoted himself to his dream, moved to the Negev desert in the South of Israel, founded "Khan Eden" and started his way to end the oldest conflict on earth. ... After more than 20 years in the new-age spiritual field, Sendak decided at the age of 47 to follow his dream, move to the South of Israel, to the place where the Jews made their first steps as a nation and try to settle the bitter disagreement who started about 5000 years ago in Abraham's tent."

Ecce Homo: A Diary of a Jewish Revolutionary - "I must admit of have been relishing rather severe Anti-Zionist sentiments for quite a long while. In the course of one's life I came to regard our venerable Rabbis of old with the highest possible esteem. I used to consider Rabbi Yolish of Satmar as my paramount spiritual mentor, and hailed the eminent Rabbi Amram Blau, the august institutor of Neturei Karta, as well as Rabbi Aaron Katzenellenbogen, his rival withal the acclaimed disassociation among the Guardians of the City, as the greatest revisionists of their times. It goes without saying that religious and ideological belligerencies have never motivated me to violate any state, public, criminal, civil or foreign law, by any means whatsoever. There should be no contrariety at all between religious and ideological antagonism, and civilian loyalty as well as observance of the law, that, in my opinion, would be the cornerstone of a democracy. I never thought I would live to experience myself so bitterly persecuted in Eretz Ysroel, it would appear, however, that some things would never change, videlicet: Zionism and it's heretic adherents."

Omnicrisis - "Omnicrisis.com is the personal blog of Mike Medow. Based in Detroit, Mike is an editor of Critical Moment magazine, a staff organizer of the Allied Media Conference, and treasurer for the Detroit Summer Collective. Mike is also a member of the Culture and Education Work Group of the International Jewish Solidarity Network, a newly emerging network of anti-Zionist Jews. Mike also has an interest in extreme and avant garde music and will use this blog to talk about that stuff too."

Realistic Dove - "Since the mid-1980s. I have spent much of my spare time and some of professional life trying to convince American Jews to support Israel’s peace camp. One of the challenges I’ve tried to address is figuring out how to criticise Israeli policy and the conventional Israel lobby without bolstering the arguments of those who reject the legitimacy of a Jewish state. I have fought this fight as a board member of Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now and the Givat Haviva Education Fund, as well as a member of B’rit Tzedek v’Shalom, four groups on the American Zionist left."

Other Websites:

Jews Against The War - "America’s reputation in the region has been significantly compromised, seriously affecting its ability to have a positive influence in the future. There is no escaping the hard fact that the American military presence in Iraq is causing far more harm than good. We the undersigned implore our elected officials to act according to the will of the people of this great country and end this war! We ask that Congress set hard and fast limits on the ability of the President to expand this war or to extend it further in a military action against Iran."

Zionism in the Age of the Dictators - "The history of Zionist/Nazi collaboration has, for obvious reasons, been downplayed to the extent that many people do not know of it or flatly deny it. Nevertheless it did happen and Lenni Brenner's "Zionism in the Age of the Dictators" is by far the most comprehensive study of the topic publicly available. --- For the record, this collaboration pre-dated the Holocaust and was based on a logical premise: the Nazis wanted the Jews out of Germany and the Zionists wanted the Jews in Palestine. The Zionist movement could not have seen what would come, but the Nazi view of Jewish people was known and the Zionists chose to collaborate anyway. A dramatic example of "the end justifies the means." --- Despite the fact that Mr. Brenner's work has been exploited by Neo-Nazis and Holocaust Deniers, neither this work nor anything else he has written has ever sought to deny or minimize the Holocaust or deny its significance. As a long time anti-racist activist - one of the original "freedom riders" of the civil rights era – Mr. Brenner has publicly condemned them for exploiting his work to advance their aims."

Dan Fleshler’s “Realistic Dove” – Zionist discussion goes too far

2007-05-02T13:51:00.000-06:00

So it is beginning to look like I might have somewhat jumped the gun with this original posting. As noted in Dan’s comment, he did indeed send me an email:

“Hello, John. I just learned of your post on Internet Activist that complained that I had blocked your comment (s). In fact, the comment (3 versions) was just caught in my mysterious Web Press spam filter for some reason, and I didn’t discover that until just now. So I have tried my best of “unblock” hit and hope that it appears on the blog. I also did no receive any email from you, as far as I can tell. Please don’t give up on this dialogue. …”

As for why postings would have been caught in the spam filter - esp. since the same message was sent from different computers & connections and all of them had the “Realistic Dove” cookie installed (illustrated by the fact that going to the page the name/email/website data was saved) – I have no idea. However we all know that sometimes the Internet behaves in strange and mysterious ways. Also, I did send an email, but it was to the email address provided on the contact page of the “Realistic Dove” blog, which is different than the email he used to send me the above message, so presumably he just didn’t or doesn’t check the other email account.

So, though I did put forth a good faith effort to clarify the situation before reaching the conclusion that was subject of this original post, it would appear to have been a matter of a strange spam filter and a less commonly used contact email. That is, a combination of technical glitches and miscommunication. Therefore, I apologize for the apparently mistaken accusation that was the gist of the original posting. Having engaged in many of these discussions and knowing how acrimonious they frequently become, I admit a bit of prejudice in that after my good faith effort to clarify the situation failed, it was a quick transition to assuming the worst case scenario. So again, sorry about jumping the gun.

-- John S

======= Original ========

Dan Fleshler’s “Realistic Dove” – Zionist discussion goes too far
John Sigler, 2 May 2007

Despite the fact that an ever increasing number of people of conscience are beginning to the question the viability of a two-state solution for the Israeli/Palestinian conflict as well as the ethnocentric political ideology of Zionism, in general passionate supporters of Zionism are having none of it. The two most common Zionist responses to any criticism is to either flatly ignore it, burying their head and sand and pretending that there is no critical perspective; or just hurl the tried and tired “Anti-Semitism!” libel at any and all comers. The standard line is that anyone is allowed to question or criticize any particular policy or practice, but to question the underlying ethnocentric and exclusivist ideology that spawns these policies and practices – Zionism – is completely unacceptable under any circumstance. That is, anyone may diagnose and try to remedy any of the particular symptoms, but to recognize the disease that causes the symptoms is forbidden.

There is nothing particular new about this flat refusal to even discuss the root of the problem, nevertheless the times and circumstances have changed. Specifically, those of us in the anti- / non- / post-Zionist camp have found our voice and reframed our arguments for one-state advocacy in terms that resonate well. This new reality has led to a crisis for Zionist/Israel advocacy as their old strategies, mentioned before, are no longer effective. The old “ultimate weapon” of silencing all debate by using the Anti-Semitism canard has fallen flat since it has been thrown about all willy-nilly at anyone – regardless of their actual track record of interaction with Jewish people – and has turned the entire charge into a nonsensical insult that no rational person could take seriously. Surely if people as diverse and progressive as Noam Chomsky, Jimmy Carter, Ilan Pappe, Desmond Tutu, Norman Finkelstein and John Dugard are “anti-Semites” what person of conscience wouldn’t want to join such august company?

Obviously the old tactics of protecting Zionist ideology from scrutiny and questioning are failing across the board and around the world. Therefore it can come as no surprise that Zionists of different stripes are experimenting with new methods of defending their political ideology. Among these, the notion of actually holding rational discussions with the opposing camp – a method that both allows the Zionists to make their case and to familiarize themselves with opposing arguments – appears perfectly reasonable and even useful. Thus we have the emergence of new projects like Dan Fleshler’s “Realistic Dove” blog website.

Upon visiting the “Realistic Dove” website (http://www.realisticdove.org/ ) it is immediately apparent that it represents the more-or-less standard perspective of the dwindling Zionist Left. People of the Zionist Left tend to be sincerely opposed to the worst extremes of the Israeli occupation and tend to view the continuing occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs, as distinct from the Occupied Syrian Golan) as the fundamental obstacle to peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people. This view holds that if only the occupation could be ended and a Palestinian state could be set up in the 22% of Palestine that constitutes the OPTs, the worst of the conflict would be resolved and the other issues could eventually be worked out.

At the same time however, the Zionist Left maintains that the fundamental concept of the ethnocentric and exclusionary “Jewish State” and the ideology that guides this principle – Zionism – remains a just, fair, reasonable, a noble idea, and (in some mysterious way) even compatible with secular Left-leaning humanism. The Zionist Left is a logical outgrowth of Labour Zionism’s concept of “constructive socialism,” a notion that truly supported basic socialist principles but only within the larger framework of Zionism. In the same way that Afrikaner socialists in the 1920’s framed their socialism within the context of white supremacy (“Workers of the World Unite for a White South Africa!”) so too did “constructive socialism” pervert socialist principles within the Zionist context (“Avoda Ivrit!” or “Hebrew Labour!”).

The Zionist Left is today primarily represented by groups like Meretz, Peace Now, and the supporters of the Geneva Initiative. In general, they mean well, really are concerned by the brutality of the Israeli occupation and basic human rights; but at the same time staunchly refuse to question the validity of the notion of an ethnocentric exclusionary “Jewish State” and its supporting ideology – Zionism.

Despite the fact that the “Realistic Dove” site makes it clear from the outset that it represents a Zionist Left perspective, it also gives the impression that it is open to discussion and debate of the issues it raises. In fact, at first glance, the description given by Cicilie Surasky over at MuzzleWatch (http://www.muzzlewatch.com/?p=172 ) looks quite justified: “a thoughtful, respectful, and interesting dialogue about Israeli policies and lately, Zionism, where people across the ideological spectrum can talk in a respectful and searching tone.” However, as it turns out, this is not really the case.

Being an avid and passionate anti-Zionist and one-state supporter ( http://www.onestate.org/ ), I decided to give Fleshler’s discussion a try. Hopping into the comment thread of what was then the most recent post, between April 26 and April 30 I posted some 23 comments (View comment thread: http://www.realisticdove.org/archives/102#comments ) Primarily debating with Richard Witty and Dan Fleshler, though a couple others participated at points as well, I tried to reasonably and comprehensively address all the relevant issues raised, the counter-points and objections, as well as relevant general inquiries. I like to think that I presented a fairly decent case and maintained a generally respectful tone throughout and in fact Dan appears to agree, later writing: “John is one of the more articulate defenders of the 1-state idea that I have encountered, and the fact that he insisted that his position is an extension of his Jewish identity is worth noting.”

To be honest, I rather enjoyed the exchanges and couldn’t help but be a bit impressed with an obviously proud Zionist who would actually listen to someone who was arguing against his ideology, quite the rarity. In fact, I even went out of my way to say as much in a comment over at MondoWeiss (http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2007/04/realistic_dove_.html ) whose owner had earlier been embroiled in an argument with Dan Fleshler. Further, though I hold no illusions about “winning anyone over,” I did have the impression that at least Dan and Richard found some redeeming value in our exchanges by their decision to keep the discussion going.

In view of this seemingly amicable exchange of views and ideas, it came as a bit of a surprise and disappointment to find myself blocked from further participation.

After the aforementioned discussion wound down, Dan created a new post entitled “More conversations about one state vs. two states” (http://www.realisticdove.org/archives/103 ). This new post specifically cited me and my earlier comments and also laid out a clear cut challenge: “So what do you want to do? ... So, how do you get there [to a one-state option], my lefty friends? What would it look like?”

Having given such matters a not inconsiderable amount of thought, I immediately composed an opening response to this new post and tried to add it, but it was blocked. Had I not been blocked it would have been the second response on the thread and did raise new aspects of the question that had not been discussed previously. Affording Dan and the “Realistic Dove” the benefit of the doubt that perhaps there was a technical issue or the like, I tried to post my response sporadically through the day, on different computers and through different connections. Failing in all attempts, though in some attempts WordPress indicated that the previous attempt had been received, I opted at last to just send Dan an email asking whether this was deliberate or not. He chose not to respond at all.

So given that I have been blocked, though no one else apparently has (there have been five new comments on the thread) and Dan has refused to say why either publicly or privately (he has had my email from the outset), I can only draw my own conclusions. At no point was I just rude or obnoxious – even by the standard set by fellow participant Bill Pearlman – so I must assume that the issue wasn’t one of tone. So absent any other sound reason, I can only assume that I argued my case too well or that it was too reasonable to be allowed to continue. Of course this sounds absurdly arrogant, but I really can’t come up with any other reason why I would be banned except that Dan felt the pro-Zionist side of the debate was unable to effectively counter my case. When you encounter people that hold opinions you don’t like, you can either discuss them or silence them; in general Zionists prefer the latter and apparently “Realistic Dove” is no exception despite the initial impression to the contrary.

Of course “Realistic Dove” is Dan Fleshler’s project and he has every right to ban whomever he wants for whatever reason he wants. However, I do believe the case should lay to rest any pretense that “Realistic Dove” is in anyway interested in any real discussion or debate about Zionism or the one-state/two-state issue. If you can actually articulate a cohesive argument against the continuation of political Zionism and the ethnocentric exclusionary “Jewish State” – or in favor of one state for both peoples – do not expect to be welcome at the “Realistic Dove,” at least not for very long. The whole notion of a “Zionist Left” is really something of an oxymoron and cannot withstand serious scrutiny from a Left advocate, you become EITHER a Left-leaning progressive humanist OR a Zionist, but you can’t be both without basing it upon an easily exposed hypocrisy. In view of this, it can come as no surprise that “Realistic Dove” chose to emulate their Rightist-wing fellows and just stop the debate as opposed to eventually being forced to confront the inherent hypocrisy of their own Zionist Left stance.

Abusing the Holocaust: Taking Chutzpah to an Entirely New Level

2007-04-17T18:58:00.000-06:00

Abusing the Holocaust: Taking Chutzpah to an Entirely New Level
John Sigler*, 15 April 2007

“We will not let anything or anybody endanger the full and complete moral victory of the ghetto fighters and Holocaust survivors, the survivors of the extermination camps, who have decreed to us by their exemplary lives the double mission: To guarantee the construction, prosperity, security and peace of the State of Israel, the state of the Jewish people - and to concurrently guarantee to deepen the awareness of the Holocaust and disseminate its lessons.” – Prime Minister Ehud Barak [1]

“Finally, by challenging the ingathering into Auschwitz with the ingathering into Zion, Israel salvaged the credibility of Judaism. For many Jews, Israel's existence restored faith in the God of Israel. For if Jews could see the Holocaust as proof that God had abandoned his people, then the sudden restoration of Jewish power meant that he had returned to them.” - Yossi Klein Halevi [2]

“I, Danny Gillerman, born in Israel to parents who fled the Nazis, but whose grandparents and family perished, stand before you today, as an Israeli, a Jew, and a citizen of the world - moved and filled with pride as the world embarks on a journey beyond remembrance. I stand here as a representative of the Jewish state that arose out of the ashes of the Holocaust. A Jewish state whose cabinet yesterday convened a special session at the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem. A Jewish state that has become, against all odds, a beacon of beauty, excellence, creativity, and justice for the whole world.” – Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Danny Gillerman [3]

Anyone that has dared to be critical of Israel or the nationalist ideology of Zionism knows that it is well nigh impossible to do so without the Hasbaraniks (Israeli propagandists) raising the issue of the Holocaust as some sort of all encompassing defense for Israel, its ethnocentric [4] definition as an exclusively “Jewish State” and by extension virtually any Israeli policy or practice. The utterly ubiquitous exploitation of the Holocaust by the Zionist movement is nothing new and has been explored and discussed in Jewish circles for a long time. By far one of the most well known and aggressive critiques of this reality is “The Holocaust Industry” by Professor Norman Finkelstein, himself the child of Holocaust survivors.[5] Finkelstein writes:

“Indeed, The Holocaust has proven to be an indispensable ideological weapon. Through its deployment, one of the world’s most formidable military powers, with a horrendous human rights record, has cast itself as a ‘victim’ state, and the most successful ethnic group in the United States has likewise acquired victim status. Considerable dividends accrue from this specious victimhood – in particular, immunity from criticism, however justified.” [6]

Despite the harm that this exploitation does to the Holocaust’s value as a universal lesson against racism, it is still a mainstream tactic used to defend the ethnocentric ideology of Zionism and is often accepted as legitimate by many non-Jewish observers. It is pretty much a given that if one criticizes Zionism one will be confronted with some argument alluding to the Holocaust, thus the notable increase in Holocaust denial among some anti-Zionist elements looking for an “easy way” to derail this standard Zionist defense.

Another technique for confronting this tactic used by some Jewish activists supporting justice for the Palestinian people is to “hop on the bandwagon” and cite the Holocaust – and their own personal connections to it – as a justification for opposing any ethnocentric ideology or practice, including that of Israel against the indigenous Palestinians. That is, following the Zionist example, they simply cite the Holocaust as an argument against Israel’s policies and practices toward the Palestinians and other Arabs.

These activists, that openly follow the Israeli lead in using the Holocaust for ideological purposes and do so against Israel’s ethnocentric ideology and practices, recently came under attack in the Jerusalem Post in an article entitled “Abusing the Holocaust” by Gerald Steinberg [7]. What makes the article so incredibly audacious is that it attacks several activists that have been critical of Israel for citing their own personal connections to the Holocaust while completely ignoring how constantly and shamelessly Israel-supporters exploit the Holocaust to defend Israel and the Zionist ideology.

Steinberg’s article specifically attacks Kenneth Roth, the current head of Human Rights Watch for his reporting on Israeli war crimes during the Summer War of July 2006; Reed Brody, who was actively involved in the effort to have Ariel Sharon charged as a war criminal in Belgium [8], and of course Israel’s favorite bogey, Professor Finkelstein. What these three activists have in common beyond being Jewish, supporting justice for the Palestinians, and a willingness to criticize Israel is that all three are the children of Holocaust survivors and have publicly mentioned this. The entire premise of the article, coming from a defender of Israel and Zionism, is so brazenly hypocritical that it really does take the notion of “chutzpah” to an entirely different level. A couple quotes with juxtaposition:

[Gerald Steinberg] “Roth's (and Brody's) frequent use of this issue suggest that their parents' relationship to the Holocaust gives them special standing and immunity to criticism.”

Speaking of using Holocaust rhetoric to obtain immunity to criticism:

“The Commission provides a platform for unending speeches and resolutions criminalizing the State of Israel. ... By doing all this, the Commission permits the criminalization of the Jewish people world wide as actual or perceived supporters of the State of Israel. Yesterday the perceived criminality of the Jewish people as killers of Christ led to the Holocaust. Today the perceived criminality of the Jewish people as supporters of Israel threatens another Holocaust. ... The Jewish community world wide is today suffering from an upsurge of antisemitism we have not seen since the days preceding the Holocaust. That antisemitism, wherever Jews are found, is directly connected to anti-Zionism. And the headquarters of that anti-Zionism is right here, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. … The exaggerated anti-Israel rhetoric at this Commission is not mere criticism about the behaviour of the State of Israel; it is directed against Israel’s existence.” [9]

[Gerald Steinberg] “In this situation, the constant invocation of the Holocaust by Roth and his defenders is unconvincing and odious.”

On the topic of constant invocation of the Holocaust for odious purposes:

“There is a problem today, and I am very sensitive to it. The Holocaust should guide us in many matters. It should guide us by showing us how to value the fact that the Jews have a state. It should guide us as human beings in rejecting racism and in avoiding humiliation and brutalization of others, coercing of minorities, and so on. However, some consider the Holocaust a secret weapon to brandish in political negotiations and an accusation against the entire world. Today the Holocaust is starting to look like a tool of sorts that gives us a preferred status and lets us demand and obtain things that others, who did not experience the Holocaust, cannot obtain. Matters are not as unequivocal as that, to be sure, but there is such a trend.” [10]

After the above, Steinberg moves on to attack all criticism of Israel by Human Rights Watch, to flatly deny Israel’s indiscriminate strikes on civilians, collective punishment, and war crimes as exercised on a daily basis against the Palestinians and to argue that essentially any criticism of Israel undermines the very notion of human rights in general. Not surprisingly, Steinberg exclusively cites the “NGO Monitor” project – which he serves as the editor of [11] – to substantiate his all-encompassing attack on Human Rights Watch. None of this is particularly surprising considering the source [12], however he does go a bit further than one would expect when he presumes to speak on behalf of “vast majority of Jews who escaped or survived the Nazis.”

To quote an actual Holocaust survivor that might take exception to Steinberg’s presumption:

“So I went to Palestine as a member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) to observe the difficult conditions of daily life under military occupation. It would have been enough to reach out and touch just one Palestinian and place my hand on her shoulder and tell her that I was with her in her pain. But I saw and did much more. … At the end of the journey I had a shocking experience. … So I did not imagine that the Israeli security force that guards Ben-Gurion Airport would abuse a 79-year-old Holocaust survivor, holding me for five hours and performing a completely unnecessary strip search of every part of my naked body. The only conceivable purpose for this gross violation of my bodily integrity was to humiliate and terrify me. … It is a cruel illusion that brute force of this sort provides security to Israel. Degrading me cannot silence my small voice. Similarly, humiliating Palestinians cannot extinguish their hopes for a homeland. Only ending this utterly unnecessary occupation will bring peace to the region.” [13]

However, despite the ritualized denial of all wrong doing by Israel and the normal ad hominem attacks against Roth and Brody, in the end the key sentence of the entire article was clearly this one: “If a Jew and son of a Nazi victim can use such terms, then others who follow are immune to accusations of anti-Semitism.” This is what Steinberg and his fellow Hasbaraniks most fear, Jews that put human rights and justice above the Zionist conception of proper tribal/ethnic/national loyalty. The writing is on the wall today and everyone knows that Israel – and its ethnocentric ideological basis – is fighting a losing battle to maintain its oppressive stranglehold over the Palestinian people, thus internal Jewish dissent is utterly anathema and deserving of all scorn. The very universalism of the Jewish tradition is one of exclusivist Zionism’s worst enemies.

------------------------------

* John Sigler is a writer and activist based in Denver, Colorado. His current projects include the Jewish Friends of Palestine website http://www.jewishfriendspalestine.org and the Online One State Bibliography Project http://www.onestate.org He is currently working with the Colorado-Palestine Solidarity Campaign http://colorado-palestine.blogspot.com and supporting the June 10-11 mobilization in Washington DC marking the 40^th year of Israeli occupation in the Palestinian Territories: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?list=type&type=162

[1] Ehud Barak, “Prime Minister Barak’s Speech Concluding Holocaust Remembrance Day,” [Israeli] Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2000, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Speeches%20by%20Israeli%20leaders/2000/Prime%20Minister%20Barak-s%20Speech%20Concluding%20Holocaust

[2] Yossi Klein Halevi, “An Israeli Perspective: Israel at 50,” 1998 Americans Jewish Yearbook (American Jewish Committee), 1998, Reproduced online by the World Zionist Organization: http://www.hagshama.org.il/en/resources/view.asp?id=1275

[3] Danny Gillerman, “Statement by Amb Gillerman at UN memorial ceremony, International Holocaust Remembrance Day,” [Israeli] Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 27 January 2006, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Anti-Semitism+and+the+Holocaust/Documents+and+communiques/Statement+by+Amb+Gillerman+at+UN+Holocaust+memorial+ceremony+27-Jan-2006.htm

[4] According to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to which Israel is a signatory, “racial discrimination” is defined as “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.” (Article 1.1; bold emphasis added).

Since the legal definition of “racial discrimination”, and by extension “racism” as popularly used, includes “descent, or national or ethnic origin” it would be perfectly reasonable to use these terms in discussing Zionism. Nevertheless, in popular usage, such terms tend to be used almost exclusively to denote discrimination based on skin color and this is not applicable to the situation in Israel/Palestine. Though there has been discrimination based, at least in part, on skin color in Israel, in general both the Israeli Jewish population and the Palestinian Arab population includes people that could be northern European, sub-Saharan African, and everything in between. Therefore, in order to avoid confusion this article uses the term ethnocentrism, or ethnocentric, as a substitution.

[5] Norman G. Finkelstein, The Holocaust Industry, (2000, Verso Books), http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/content.php?pg=3

[6] Finkelstein, The Holocaust Industry, ibid. p. 3

[7] Gerald Steinberg, “Abusing the Holocaust”, Jerusalem Post, 14 April 2007, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1176152793901&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter

[8] This author was also involved in the effort to have Sharon indicted as a war criminal in Belgium, see for example: Frederick Bowie, "Untried, Untested," Al-Ahram, 11-17 July 2002, http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2002/594/re51.htm

[9] Statement by the Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations Statement on Israel delivered to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights by David Matas, B’nai Brith Canada’s Senior Honourary Legal Counsel. Representing Canada, he was part of the B’nai Brith International delegation to the 2004 session of the Commission in Geneva. This statement was presented to the Commission on behalf of the Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations under Agenda Item 8. Reproduced online by B'nai Brith Canada: http://www.bnaibrith.ca/briefs/matas/matas040325.html

[10] Prof. Yisrael Gutman, Yad Vashem Chief Historian, "An Interview With Prof. Yisrael Gutman," Interviewed by Amos Goldberg, 28 October 1998, Yad Vashem Shoah Resource Center, http://www1.yadvashem.org.il/odot_pdf/Microsoft%20Word%20-%203846.pdf

[11] Yacoub Kahlen and Robert E. Foxsohn, "NGO Monitor should not be taken seriously," The Electronic Intifada, 18 October 2005, http://electronicintifada.net/v2/printer4255.shtml

[12] To learn more about Gerald Steinberg, visit his website: http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~steing/index.shtml

[13] Hedy Epstein, "Holocaust survivor protests wall," The Stanford Daily, 20 October 2004, http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2004/10/20/holocaustSurvivorProtestsWall

June Mobilization for the 40th year of Israel Occupation

2007-04-15T09:55:00.000-06:00

On the 40th anniversary of Israel's illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, join the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and United for Peace and Justice in Washington, DC, June 10-11, 2007 for a protest, teach-in, and lobby day. Click Here for Details

The Left, Conspiracy Theory & 9/11

2007-04-15T09:53:00.000-06:00

“The Left, Conspiracy Theory & 9/11”
John Sigler, April 14, 2007

In conventional wisdom it is usually the political Right that is associated with conspiracy theories and in some cases such notions serve as a fundamental pillar of their ideology. These begin with the “traditional” conspiracy theories, such as: the “Elders of Zion” Jewish conspiracy, the “Papist/Vatican/Jesuit” Catholic conspiracy, the “Masonic/Illuminati” anti-Christian conspiracy, and so on. These constructs have evolved over time and are still in circulation various modern guises: the “War on Christianity, ” the “New World Order,” “One World Government,” the “Gay Agenda,” and everyone’s favorite, the “Islamo-Fascist” and/or “Anti-Globalist Left /Radical Islamic” conspiracy.

Nevertheless, conspiracy theory is not the exclusive domain of the Right-wing; the political Left has its fair share too. These would include the conspiracy theories involving the assassination of President Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King and of course Sen. Clinton’s aptly named “vast right-wing conspiracy.” Interestingly, from the left leaning “conspiracy theorists” that argued that Capt. Alfred Dreyfus had been framed to those that argued that the Gulf of Tonkin incident had been grossly misrepresented to the U.S. to those that argued that Detroit had developed and then suppressed a fully viable electric car in many cases alleged “conspiracy theories” held by the Left later turned out to be fully validated and vindicated.

Today, after years of the Bush administration and the Neo-Conservative (Neo-Con) agenda, critics and opponents from both the Left and Right have entered into an uneasy alliance apparently based upon the notion that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Thus you can find people of the Left reproducing the works of stalwart Rightists like Pat Buchanan and offering impassioned defenses for radical Rightist leaders like President Ahmadinejad of Iran. Similarly you see Right-wing libertarians and traditional Conservatives reproducing Left-wing articles and analysis and defending the views of Leftist dissidents like Noam Chomsky or William Blum. This ad hoc alliance of interests has also had the effect of reinvigorating the conspiracy theory tendency in the political Left: enter the 9/11 Truth Movement.

It is completely beyond the scope of this little article to explore or discuss the various polemics used by the 9/11 Truth Movement because realistically it makes no difference whatsoever. As noted in the now infamous “Rebuilding America's Defenses” (September 2000) by the Project for a New American Century think tank, the Neo-Cons needed “a new Pearl Harbor” to advance their agenda and 9/11 served this function, the damage is now done. As was the case with the Gulf of Tonkin incident, once the excuse was effectively utilized, the incident itself became little more than a historical footnote. Once the extreme misrepresentation of the Tonkin incident had been exposed, the exposure was utterly inconsequential. Quite simply, those inclined to believe that our government was either complicit or at least misrepresenting the incident believed this long before solid evidence was provided; those that flatly rejected that the U.S. could be responsible continued to hold these beliefs long after solid evidence to the contrary was provided; and the vast majority in between looked at the incident with the exact same cynical indifference both before and after evidence was presented showing that the U.S. had grossly misrepresented the incident to radically escalate our role in Vietnam. The 9/11 attacks and its “truth” is exactly the same and – evidence notwithstanding – has elicited the exact same response.

Despite the fact that any possible result of all this conspiracy theory research will result in the same outcome, the exercise is not completely benign. In an excellent recent article by Paul Street* it is clearly documented that the firm contracted to release classified government documents has a deliberate policy of releasing “good faith distraction” material with the clearly stated goal of diverting attention away from substantive issues in favor of utterly meaningless conspiracy theory. Documents related to the Kennedy assassination are specifically cited as a prime example of this “good faith distraction” under the description “diversion.” To quote the author: “It's hard not to think that the same sort of reflection has already occurred to U.S. intelligence managers in relation to the 9/11 conspiracy industry. Every minute spent trying to fruitlessly connect the scattered and deceptive dots of fantastic 9/11 conspiracies is not spent looking into monumentally more relevant issues.”

Without creating yet another conspiracy theory by suggesting that that 9/11 Truth Movement is a construct of the Neo-Cons to divert the time and energies of many decent well-meaning people, it really cannot be denied that the movement has been quite useful – much more so than Anna Nicole Smith or Don Imus – in diverting activists of the political Left into completely wasting their time. Whether or not the 9/11 attacks were an “inside job”, the product of government complicity or merely incompetence, it really makes no difference at all because the excuse has already been successfully utilized and the situation today is much worse. People will continue to believe what they will – as was the case with the Tonkin incident – with or without evidence, so ultimately no new revelations are going to make any meaningful change. In the meantime many good people are wasting time and energy that could be used much more productively by addressing current issues that their activism can actually affect. People are dying around the world because we have failed to rein in our government and wasting time and energy on historical footnotes like the 9/11 attacks only encourages more of the same. There are more important things to be doing.

* Paul Street, "'Diversion' and 'Good Faith Distraction': On the Use Value of Conspiracy Data for the Power Elite," ZNet Daily Commentary, 28 March 2007, http://www.zmag.org/Sustainers/Content/2007-03/28street.cfm

______

John Sigler is a writer and activist based in Denver, Colorado. A couple of his current projects include the Online One State Bibliography Project – http://www.onestate.org – and the Jewish Friends of Palestine website: http://www.jewishfriendspalestine.org

Condi and the “two state solution”

2007-04-15T09:49:00.000-06:00

Condi and the “two state solution”
John Sigler*, February 19, 2007

On February 19, Condoleezza Rice met in Al Quds with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Before the meeting, the State Department was careful to downplay the meeting suggesting – accurately – that nothing much was really expected to come from the event. After the meeting, Rice appeared alone and issued a brief statement about this “useful and productive meeting.”

There was one interesting thing about Rice’s extremely brief – 223 words – statement about the meeting. Specifically, it was that she used the term “two state solution” twice. First she specified that all parties “affirmed our commitment to a two-state solution,” and then she mentioned “the two state vision of President Bush.” On the surface, there is nothing particularly odd about this in the wake of President Bush’s June 24, 2003 speech in which he called for an independent Palestinian state. Nevertheless it is a bit odd in that the “conventional wisdom” since the start of the Oslo process was that the ultimate goal was a two state solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. For such a brief – and basically empty – statement, Rice’s repeated citation of the “two state solution” phrase is somewhat interesting as unlike President Bush, she is generally a very professional and deliberate speaker. So why the emphasis on the “two state solution”?

Perhaps this emphasis is in reaction to a recent poll conducted by Near East Consulting (NEC) during February 12-15, 2007 as described by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) press release of February 16 entitled “New Poll: 75% of Palestinians Believe Israel Should Not Exist.” The gist of the release and the primary finding of the poll was “that 70% of Palestinian Arabs support a one-state solution in which Jews would be a minority, not a two-state solution with a Palestinian Arab state living peacefully alongside Israel, as many claim Palestinian Arabs actually want.”

Since the collapse of the Oslo peace process, the number of people on all sides that have turned their backs on the ethnic separatist “two state solution” has been gradually increasing in favor of the idea of one democratic secular state based on the premise of equality and democracy; A Jewish and Palestinian state in all the territory controlled by Israel since 1967. The most recent major contribution to this movement is Ali Abunimah’s recent book “One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse,” that has – building upon earlier work in the same vein – rejuvenated the debate. While, for obvious reasons, the notion of equality for all people has been much slower to catch on among Israelis, to date there are a number of prominent Israelis that have adopted this position, including Meron Benvenisti, Uri Davis, Amos Elon, Daniel Gavron, Ilan Pappe and others.

The conventional wisdom, substantiated by regular polls by Birzeit University’s Development Studies Program and the Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre, tends to be that the one state option is a minority position having the support of some 20 to 30 percent of the Palestinian population. This certainly calls the findings of Near East Consulting, the pollsters that provided the information for the ZOA, into question. By no stretch of the imagination can the ZOA be considered impartial; reflecting the Rightist Likud perspective on most issues. Therefore, it is possible that this NEC poll was specifically designed to substantiate the Israeli Right’s anti-two state position. Otherwise, one would have to assume that the recent inter-Palestinian violence along with the continued Israeli expansion into the Occupied Territories has finally lain to rest the idea of ethnic separatism among a majority of Palestinians.

In either case, the number of people that believe a two state separatist option is realistic is steadily declining. In reality, since 1967 – forty years in June – Israel/Palestine has been a de facto one state under Israeli control and the level of interdependence between the two peoples reflects this. Any two state solutions even under consideration today would at best be a South African “Bantustan” scheme or at worst imitative of the East European ghetto system, neither of which will bring about a sustainable peace nor will they ultimately prove viable. Thus, if one rules out ethnic cleansing as an option, then the reality on the ground is inexorably heading toward a de jure state for everyone regardless of ethnicity or religion.

Regardless of what one thinks of Ms. Rice, few will deny that she is an articulate and deliberate speaker, therefore her repeated reiterations of the “two state solution” phrase must be viewed as intentional. In that the two state solution represents the “conventional wisdom” answer to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, her decision to reiterate this phrase certainly suggests that she included this press releases from the Zionist Organization of America among her background reading for the conference. If this supposition is correct, she is finally beginning to realize that the possibility of a two state solution is fading into history of previous, and now defunct, peace plans for Israel and Palestine.

*John Sigler is a writer and activist based in Denver, Colorado. Among the projects he is involved with is the One State Online Bibliography project at http://www.onestate.org or http://oss.internetactivist.org.

Note:

Zionist Organization of America, “New Poll: 75% of Palestinians Believe Israel Should Not Exist”, 16 February 2006, http://www.zoa.org/2007/02/new_poll_75_of.htm

OLD: “The Missing Ingredient”

2007-04-15T09:41:00.000-06:00

“The Missing Ingredient”
John Sigler*, 23 January 2007

Over the last few years the world has witnessed a series of popular risings commonly referred to as the “color revolutions.” Ostensibly these have been large-scale popular protests meant to bring down unpopular governments through peaceful civil disobedience. These “color revolutions” have been hailed by the United States and others as evidence of “freedom and democracy in action and an inspiration to those aspiring for freedom.” [1]

The ongoing popular protests in Lebanon against the current U.S. backed government are clearly modeled on the same methodology employed in the other “color revolutions” including Lebanon’s own “Cedar Revolution” in 2005. In fact, if one uses the ratio of protesters versus the overall population, the current Lebanese effort is completely on par with these other efforts to peacefully oust unpopular governments. Specifically, in Georgia the ratio was 1:49+ [2]; in the Ukraine it was 1:47+ [3]; in the Kyrgyz Republic it was 1:255 [4] and in the Lebanese “Cedar Revolution” it was roughly 1:4 [5]. The current protests in Lebanon have a similar ratio, 1:4 [6].

So why were these previous efforts so dramatically successful while the current one in Lebanon as lingered along for almost two months without success? A number of potential factors may be cited in this respect: the relative strengths of the challenged governments; the relative popularity of the movements themselves; the popularity of the desired alternatives that the movements seek to realize; and so on.

However, there is one very important tangible element that clearly differentiates the current Lebanese effort from the others and also significantly dampens the view that these movements are truly native and represent the best interests of the countries in question. This element is the interference and manipulation of such efforts by the United States. In the successful “color revolutions” the U.S. played both direct and indirect roles in the process, whereas in the ongoing Lebanese situation, the U.S. role is in support of the government.

In Georgia’s “Rose Revolution” of 2003, the United States played a direct role in forcing Shevardnadze to step aside through the application of pressure upon the Georgian government [7]. Further, operating through various front groups, the U.S. played a direct role in organizing and coordinating the opposition forces [8].

In the exact same vein, the Ukraine’s “Orange Revolution” in 2004 that resulted in the removal of Viktor Yanukovych, also involved direct U.S. political pressure on the existing government [9]. In this case too, the opposition was largely organized, financed, and coordinated by the United States by means of various proxies [10].

Not surprisingly, the Kyrgyz Republic’s “Tulip Revolution” that saw President Askar Akayev ousted followed the same model. Specifically, the U.S. applied both direct pressure of the existing regime [11] while simultaneously organizing and funding the opposition [12]. It was especially telling in this instance because the “mass demonstrations” were much smaller than those in similar “regime change” operations conducted by the United States.

Lebanon’s “Cedar Revolution” of 2005 was a bit different in that one of the primary goals was the removal of Syrian troops from Lebanon, but it also resulted in the resignation of the government of Omar Karami. Exactly as was the case in the other “color revolutions”, the United States applied direct political pressure on the Lebanese government [13] while also enabling and supporting the opposition [14].

The current Lebanese campaign against the sitting pro-U.S. government, despite using the same fundamental tactics, is not moving forward with the same momentum that characterized the other “color revolutions.” As was the case with the other uprisings, the government is under siege and the million people that supported the “Cedar Revolution” have not come forward to lift that siege. For this, Israel’s summer onslaught can be thanked as it proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that alliance with the United States offered no protection whatsoever to Lebanon from its only regional military threat, Israel.

However, what is really different between the ongoing effort in Lebanon and other recent efforts using the same tactics on the ground is the role being played by the United States. In this instance, not only is the U.S. not actively financing, coordinating, and mobilizing the opposition, but it is actively opposing it [15]. Further, not only is the U.S. not asserting political pressure on the sitting government in the name of “democracy” as was the case in the other “color revolutions,” but it is actively aiding it politically [16] and even militarily [17].

While other factors may indeed play a role, it would be absurd to pretend as though the role of U.S. intervention is not a key determining factor in popular, peaceful uprisings against unpopular and unrepresentative governments. U.S. support is most assuredly the missing ingredient in the Lebanese people’s effort to oust the Siniora regime. The efforts currently underway in Lebanon are something of a test determining whether non-violent protest is truly a viable means of ousting unpopular governments or whether it is really nothing more than a propaganda myth devised by the United States government to oust governments that do not serve its interests.

Notes:

**John Sigler is a writer and activist based in Denver, Colorado, and active with both the Colorado Palestine Solidarity Campaign (http://colorado-palestine.blogspot.com) and the Jewish Friends of Palestine initiative (http://www.jewishfriendspalestine.org) and the “Why Would the U.S. Attack Iran?” website: http://www.whyattackiran.com

[1] George W. Bush, “Presidential Message: First Anniversary of the Orange Revolution,” 22 November 2005, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051122.html

[2] Largest number of protesters: 100,000+ on 21 November 2003 (United States Institute for Peace, Georgia’s Rose Revolution: A Participant’s Perspective, Special Report 167, July 2006, http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/sr167.pdf). Total population as per the CIA World Handbook, July 2003 estimate: 4,934,413 (2003 entry reproduced online at: http://www.hauntedink.com/almaty/photos3a.html). Ratio: 1:49.34

[3] Estimates of the number of protesters vary widely, between 500,000 to 1.2 million. However, the most common estimate is about one million protesters (Andrew Wright, “Yushchenko's Orange Revolution,” The Stanford Review, Volume XXXIV, Number 1, 25 February 2005, http://www.stanfordreview.org/Archive/Volume_XXXIV/Issue_1/Foreign_Affairs/Foreign1.shtml). Total 2004 population: 47.3 million (U.S. Department of State, International Religious Freedom Report 2004, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35491.htm) Ratio: 1:47.3

[4] The largest number of protesters was on March 24, 2005 and numbered about 20,000+ (Ben Paarmann, “A Kyrgyz Déjà Vu,” SOAS Spirit Magazine, Issue 4, 2005, http://www.paarmann.info/blog/archives/KyrgyzDejaVu.pdf). The total 2004 population was some 5.1 million (U.S. Department of State, International Religious Freedom Report 2004, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35464.htm). Ratio: 1:255

[5] The largest number of protesters was roughly one million on March 14, 2005 according to participants and supporters and has not been seriously contested (Nadim Ladki, “Anti-Syrian protesters flood Lebanese capital,” Reuters World Report, 14 March 2005). The total population in 2005 was roughly one million (U.S. Department of State, International Religious Freedom Report 2005, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51604.htm). Ratio: 1:4

[6] As the protests in Lebanon are ongoing (there are no estimates of the number out the day this was written, 23 January 2007 when protesters brought much of the country to a halt), the largest protest cannot be determined. To date the largest protest has been some 0.8 to one million protesters on December 1, 2006. (“Hundreds of thousands protest in Beirut” MSNBC, 1 December 20056, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15981439/. Ratio: 1:4+/-

[7] Giorgi Kandelaki, “US Pressure Helps Achieve Breakthrough in Georgian Domestic Political Dispute,” EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight, 18 July 2003, http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav071803.shtml

[8] “Georgia Train and Equip program (GTEP)” GlobalSecurity.Org, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/gtep.htm “Georgia's "Rose Revolution" was planned and centrally coordinated by the US government. The 24 November 2003 Wall Street Journal credited the fall of Eduard Shevardnadze's regime to the operations of "a raft of non-governmental organizations . . . supported by American and other Western foundations." According to the Journal, the NGOs had "spawned a class of young, English-speaking intellectuals hungry for pro-Western reforms" who laid the groundwork for a bloodless coup. Shevardnadze had switched sides, and was backed by the Russians.” See also: Barry Grey and Vladimir Volkov, “Georgia’s 'rose revolution': a made-in-America coup,” World Socialist Web Site, 5 December 2003, http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/dec2003/geor-d05.shtml

[9] William Branigin, “U.S. Rejects Tally, Warns Ukraine,” Washington Post, 25 November 2004, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10212-2004Nov24.html

[10] Matt Kelley, “U.S. money has helped opposition in Ukraine,” Associated Press, 11 December 2004, http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041211/news_1n11usaid.html “The Bush administration has spent more than $65 million in the past two years to aid political organizations in Ukraine, paying to bring opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko to meet U.S. leaders and helping to underwrite an exit poll indicating he won last month's disputed runoff election.” See also: Justus Leicht, “The creation of the Ukraine 'democratic' opposition,” World Socialist Web Site, 2 December 2004, http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/dec2004/ukra-d02.shtml

[11] “US Envoy Offers Critical Assessment of Kyrgyzstan’s Parlimentary Election,” EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight, 16 March 2005, http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav031605.shtml

[12] Richard Spencer, “Quiet American behind tulip revolution,” The Telegraph (London), 2 April 2005, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/02/wstone02.xml “Nevertheless, Washington is keen to describe recent events in Kyrgyzstan as part of a wave of democratisation - and it is happy to take some of the credit. .... US involvement in the small, mountainous country is higher proportionally than it was for Georgia's ‘rose’ revolution or Ukraine's ‘orange’ uprising.” See also: Andrea Peters, “US money and personnel behind Kyrgyzstan’s 'Tulip Revolution',” World Socialist Web Site, 28 March 2005, http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/tulp-m28.shtml

[13] “Lebanon govt. quits, pressure mounts on Syria,” China Daily, 1 March 2005, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/01/content_420459.htm

[14] Bassem Chit, “Lebanon: Some Things That Money Can't Buy,” Socialist Review, May 2006, http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=9747 “The New York Post reported how, at the height of last year's protests, "the CIA and European intelligence services were quietly giving money and logistical support to organisers of the anti-Syrian protests to ramp up pressure on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad... The secret program is similar to previous support of pro-democracy movements in Georgia and Ukraine, which also led to peaceful demonstrations.” See also: Joseph Kay, “US engineers provocation following assassination in Lebanon,” World Socialist Web Site, 16 February 2005, http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/feb2005/syri-f16.shtml

[15] Toby Harnden, “CIA gets the go-ahead to take on Hizbollah,” The Telegraph (London), 10 January 2007, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/10/wleb10.xml

[16] Stephen Kaufman, “U.S. Will Not Allow Syria To Reassert Authority over Lebanon,” Daily Washington File, 12 December 2006, http://bucharest.usembassy.gov/Washington_File/200/06-12-12/eur205.html

[17] Joseph S. Mayton, “U.S. Armored Humvees Begin Arriving In Lebanon,” All Headline News, 14 January 2007, http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006134868

Jewish Friends of Palestine website updated

2007-04-02T20:04:00.000-06:00

Our Jewish Friends of Palestine website has been updated as of yesterday. New entries include:

In Memoriam: Professor Tanya Reinhardt, linguist, writer, activist.

"Linguist and left-wing activist Professor Tanya Reinhardt died in New York on Saturday at age 63. Reinhardt, one of the most outspoken representatives of the radical Israeli left, was a fierce critic of the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, saying they represented a perpetuation of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. She was also a proponent of an academic boycott of Israeli universities to protest the occupation. - Ha'aretz

"Tanya's passing is a terrible loss, not only to her family and those fortunate enough to come to know her personally, and to those she defended and protected with such dedication and courage, but to everyone concerned with freedom, justice, and an honorable peace." - Noam Chomsky

Jewish Individuals:

In that this directory is only for living people, Professor Reinhardt was removed.

Rutie Adler: Lecturer and Coodinator of the Hebrew Program at UC Berkeley. She is a dialogue group participant and supporter of both the peace and divestment movements. She has played a prominent role supporting the divestment movement at Berkeley.

Gadi Algazi: Professor of medieval history at Tel Aviv University and co-founder of the Ta'ayush - Arab Jewish Partnership - activist group. He has been repeatedly arrested for participating in Ta'ayush actions in suport of the Palestinian people inside the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Daniel J Amit: An Israeli physicist with Hebrew University and the University of Rome (Italy). He has been an outspoken critic of Israel's occupation of the OPTs and of the U.S. occupation of Iraq and created a significant stir by refusing to review material by American scientists because of their support for U.S. militarism. "After 36 years of occupation it should be totally clear that the Middle East needs a just peace, or there will be no peace. The combination of the people in power in Israel (my country) and the US have no such values to contribute. The requirement that cessation of violence must be a precondition for political progress is a sure formula for no progress."

Uri Bar-Joseph: Senior lecturer on international relations at Haifu University, author, and historian. He is frequently considered one of the "revisionist" historians because of his The Best of Enemies: Israel and Transjordan in the War of 1948 (London: Frank Cass, 1987) and other works.

Joel Beinin: Since 1983 he has taught Middle East history at Stanford University. His research and writing focuses on workers, peasants, and minorities in the modern Middle East and on Israel, Palestine, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. "Where, then, is the hope for a peaceful solution to the conflict? I believe that it lies in the young Palestinians, Jewish Israelis and internationals who have been fighting shoulder to shoulder in weekly battles against the Israeli security forces since late 2003 to halt the construction of the separation wall. ... Although their successes have so far been minor, these actions have demonstrated that trust is built through joint political action and that whether there will eventually be two states or one, coexistence, not separation, is the foundation for peace."

Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi: Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi received a PhD in clinical psychology from Michigan State University in 1970, and since then has held clinical, research, and teaching positions in academic institutions in the United States, Europe, and Israel. He is currently professor of psychology at the University of Haifa. He is the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of 17 books and monographs and some 120 articles and book chapters on the psychology of religion, social identity and personality development. He has also written books that deal specifically with the history and politics of the state of Israel and Zionism from a critical perspective.

Allan C. Brownfeld: Allan C. Brownfeld is editor of Issues of The American Council For Judaism quarterly newsletter and of the Special Interest Report, both published by the American Council for Judaism, an organization of secular anti-Zionist American Jews. He also covers Israel and Judaism for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. "Now, as celebrations commemorate Zionism's 100th anniversary, what has been largely forgotten is the fact that it was at its beginning a minority view among Jews and that at the present time it still remains a minority view. Most Jews believe that their Jewish identity rests on their religious faith, not any "national" identification. Jews in the United States, England, France, Canada, Australia, Italy and other countries do not view themselves as living in "exile," as Zionist philosophy holds. Instead, they believe that their religion and nationality are separate and distinct. The God they believe in is a universal one, not tied to a particular geographic site in the Middle East."

Elias Davidsson: "Elias Davidsson was born in Palestine in 1941. His parents were born in Germany but had to emigrate to Palestine due to the Nazi persecution of Jews. Elias lived his first years Baq'aa, a neighborhood of Jerusalem, where Jews, Christians and Muslims lived in peace side by side. These early years left a deep mark on him. ... In parallel to his professional occupations, Elias has for many years been involved in activism and research regarding social and global justice, peace, anti-racism and human rights. He is co-founder of the Association Iceland-Palestine and a supporter of a democratic State in the whole of historic Palestine for Muslims, Christians and Jews. He regards himself as an anti-Zionist and rejects the existence of a Jewish state as incompatible with human rights norms. His writings include articles on multinational corporations, the IMF and the World Bank, the Palestine question, Zionism, economic sanctions and international law. Elias Davidsson lives in Reykjavik, Iceland"

Shraga Elam: Shraga Elam is an Israeli journalist based in Zurich, Switzerland and winner of the Australian Gold Walkley Award for excellent journalism 2004 and noted anti-Zionist activist. he is author of a highly-praised book in German on the collaboration of the Zionist leadership with the Nazis: Hitlers Faelscher: wie juedische amerikanische und Schweizer Agenten der SS beim Falschgeldwaschen halfen [Hitler's Forgers: How Jewish, American and Swiss agents helped the SS with laundering faked money], is published by Uberreuter Verlag. He also originated the "Yellow stars of David against Israeli genocidal politics" campaign in 2002.

Neve Gordon: Neve Gordon teaches in the Department of Politics and Government at Ben-Gurion University in Israel. He is an activist in Ta'ayush, Arab-Jewish Partnership. His articles have appeared in several academic journals, including Political Studies, Democratization, Polity, and Jewish Social Studies. He is also a regular contributor to many progressive publications, including The Nation, In These Times, Counterpunch, Z Magazine, and others. Further he was a contributor to The Other Israel: Voices of Refusal and Dissent (New Press, 2002).

Tamar Gozansky: "Gozansky was born in the Israeli city of Petakh Tikva. From a Russian family, she studied in Russia, gaining an MSc in Economics from Leningrad State University. She later wrote two books on economics;Economic Independence - How? (1969) and The Development of Capitalism in Palestine (1988). Gozansky joined Maki (the Israeli Communist Party), the major part of the Hadash alliance. She entered the Knesset in July 1990 as a replacement for veteran Hadash MK Tawfik Toubi. She retained her seat in the 1992, 1996 and 1999 elections. However, she lost her place in the Knesset in the 2003 election when the party was reduced to two seats."

Lev Grinberg: Dr. Lev Grinberg is a political sociologist and Director of the Humphrey Institute for Social Research at Ben Gurion University. "Suicide bombs killing innocent citizens must be unequivocally condemned; they are immoral acts, and their perpetrators should be sent to jail. But they cannot be compared to State terrorism carried out by the Israeli Government. The former are individual acts of despair of a people that sees no future, vastly ignored by an unfair and distorted international public opinion. The latter are cold and "rational" decisions of a State and a military apparatus of occupation, well equipped, financed and backed by the only superpower in the world. Yet in the public debate, State terrorism and individual suicide bombs are not even considered as comparable cases of terrorism. The State terror and war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli Government are legitimized as "self-defense", while Arafat, even under siege, is demanded to arrest 'terrorists'."

Jeff Halper: "Jeff Halper is the Coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House demolitions (ICAHD) and a Professor of Anthropology at Ben Gurion University. He has lived in Israel since 1973. Jeff has researched and written extensively on Israeli society and is the author of the book Between Redemption and Revival: the Jewish Yishuv in Jerusalem in the nineteenth century (Westview, 1991). Jeff founded and directed IsraelÍs Committee to Save the Ethiopian Jews. He has been active in the Israeli peace movement for many years. As the Coordinator of ICAHD, he has forged a new mode of Israeli peace activity based on non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to the Israeli Occupation authorities and in close cooperation with Palestinian organizations."

Hans Lebrecht: An anti-fascist resistance fighter in World War II, today he is a noted Communist activist and supporter of Gush Shalom residing at Kibbutz Beit-Oren, Israel. "I am sorry and upset that now, as an active member of the CP and the progressive peace camp in Israel, I still have to fight fascism. I am currently a member of the leading bureau of the International Federation of Resistance Fighters. The fight against neofascism in Europe and throughout the capitalist world continues. This includes against the fascist hoodlums in Israel who attempt to torpedo the peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians."

Alfred M. Lilienthal: As an American of Jewish faith, he first became interested in the Middle East while in the U.S. military and stationed in Egypt during World War II. He later served with the Department of State and as a consultant to the American delegation at the organizing meeting of the United Nations in San Francisco. In 1949, his article, "Israel's Flag Is Not Mine," published in the Reader's Digest, caused great controversy because of its anti-Zionist position. Despite condemnation from many influential quarters, Lilienthal has remained in the forefront of the struggle for a balanced U.S. policy not dictated by favoritism toward Israel. He traveled over 25 times to the Middle East for firsthand investigation of events and authored several books including The Zionist Connection that was described by Foreign Affairs journal as "his culminating masterwork." He continues today, after over a half century of effort, to defend the Palestinian people and to call repeatedly for an independent State of Palestine."

Gabriel Piterberg: "Gabi Piterberg was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and grew up in Israel. He graduated at Tel Aviv University, where he majored in Middle East history and political science (BA), and Middle East and European history (MA). His D.Phil. in the history of the Ottoman Empire is from the University of Oxford. He taught at the University of Durham, England, and Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. Piterberg has three main fields of interest: the cultural and intellectual history of the Ottoman Empire and its Mediterranean environment in the early modern period; the critique of Orientalism, nationalism, and Zionism; the theoretical literature on what history is."

Eyal Weizman: "Eyal Weizman is an Architect based in London. He is the director of the Centre for Research Architecture at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Weizman works with a variety of NGOs and Human right groups in Israel/Palestine. He co-curated the exhibition A Civilian Occupation, The Politics of Israeli Architecture, and co-edited the publication of the same title. These projects were based on his human-rights research, and were banned by the Israeli Association of Architects. They were later shown in the exhibition Terriories in New York, Berlin, Rotterdam, San Francisco, Malmoe, Tel Aviv and Ramallah. His books include Hollow Land (forthcoming with Verso Books), A Civilian Occupation (Verso Books, 2003), the series Territories 1, 2 and 3, Yellow Rhythms and many articles in journals, magazines and edited books. Weizman is a regular contributors to many journals and magazines and is an editor at large for Cabinet Magazine (New York). Weizman is the recipient of the James Stirling Memorial Lecture Prize for 2006-2007"

Tim Wise: One of the leading anti-racist activists in the United States, he has taught at Smith College, the Poyter Institute, and the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (Patrick Air Force base). He gained international recognition for his efforts against South African Apartheid and also gained attention for his efforts against David Duke in Louisiana. "Although one can argue with the claim made by some that Zionism and racism are synonymous -- especially given the amorphous definition of "race" which makes such a position forever and always a matter of semantics -- it is difficult to deny that Zionism, in practice if not theory, amounts to ethnic chauvinism, colonial ethnocentrism, and national oppression."

Nurit Peled-Elhanan: "Nurit Peled-Elhanan is an Israeli peace activist. She is a lecturer in language and education at Hebrew University. Her daughter was killed in a suicide bombing on 4 September 1997. She is the daughter of the late Maj. Gen. Mattityahu ("Matti") Peled, a military commander and politician who quit the Israel Defense Forces two years after the 1967 Six-Day War because he felt the conflict should have been used to start a peace process. In the 1970s, he was one of the first to advocate making peace with the Palestinians by giving them a state alongside Israel. Lecturer in Language Education at the Hebrew University, Tel-Aviv University and the David Yellin Teachers College Laureate of the Sakharov prize (2001) for Human Rights and the Freedon of Speech, awarded by the European Parliament. Member of the Parents-Circle, the Israeli-Palestinians forum of Bereaved Parents for peace."

Jewish Websites:

Muzzlewatch: "MuzzleWatch is a project of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). Founded in 1996, Jewish Voice for Peace is a national grassroots peace organization dedicated to promoting a US foreign policy in the Middle East based on peace, democracy, human rights and respect for international law. With over 20,000 supporters and members, JVP’s board of Jewish American and Israeli advisors includes Pulitzer and Tony award winner Tony Kushner, actor Ed Asner, poet Adrienne Rich as well as other respected rabbis, artists, scholars and activists. MuzzleWatch is dedicated to creating an open atmosphere for debate about US-Israeli foreign policy by: a) shining a light on incidents that involve pressure, intimidation, and outright censorship of critics of US- Israeli policy; b) showing that there is a real environment of intimidation that keeps people from speaking honestly and openly making groups that use silencing tactics accountable; c) While the site encourages people from across the political spectrum to debate freely and vigorously, personal or excessively abusive attacks will not be tolerated. Repeat offenders may be banned from the board."

Jewish Left-Wing Community Website: "This website and group is not made up of one single political idea but instead it is created by individuals with a variety of Left-Wing beliefs (Marxist, Anarchist, Social Democratic, Animal Rights, and Environmentalist) working together to support exiting Jewish and Non-Jewish Political Organisations. ... Our website works in general for five different goals: 1) To support and build support for the Peace movement in Israel; 2) To campaign against the Neo-Con and Free-Market policies of all governments; 3) To raise support for Left-Wing politics within the Diaspora Jewish Communities; 4) To defend Jewish Communities from Anti-Semitism and to defend Muslim, Gypsy and other groups against racism; 5) To inform the Jewish Communities (whom are largely unaware of what has been occurring) about the brutality of the Occupation against the Palestinians."

Online One State Bibliography in English: "In the case of Israel/Palestine, the simple truth is that it has been a de facto one state since 1967. Today, the only realistic path forward is to come to grips with this reality and begin working toward peace by making this de facto reality a de jure one. Israel, having an absolute monopoly on power since 1967, has made this inevitable today. Even if some sort of “two-state” Bantustan or ghetto scheme were to be implemented today, it will not result in peace but be little more than a temporary stalling tactic as the demographic balance continues to shift in favor of the Palestinians. The one state idea is an idea whose time has come."

The links to the Israeli "Anarchists Against the Wall" organization were updated to their new URL: http://www.awalls.org/

The Bundist Voice: "Zionism has, strangely enough, both combined and separated the two notions of Judaism as a nationality and Judaism as a religion. It has also befuddled the boundaries between national-self identification and nationalism. In response to these notions, some Israeli Leftists have been examining an alternative. At a gathering this month in Bund House in Tel Aviv, they tried to sort out the mess of the concepts of Leftism, Jewishness, Israeliness and socialism. The Bund was a socialist labourers’ (actually workers’) movement that was active in pre-revolutionary Poland and Russia. Yitzhak Luden, who together with a few of his comrades has been keeping the flame burning, spoke at the gathering and simply but clearly sketched out the combined message of the Bund’s banner: A socialist Jewish movement. When workers are being discriminated against, he said, the Bund struggles alongside them. If Jews are in danger in any country, the Bund joins their struggle. Herein lies the fundamental difference between Zionism and Bundism: not all Jews are expected to pack their belongings and make Aliya to Israel. On the contrary, says Luden: A Jew’s homeland is his or her country of residence."

Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends: "Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends have organized weekly vigils on Saturday morning at Beth Israel Congregation, a Conservative synagogue in Ann Arbor, since September, 2003. ... The organized Jewish community has declared war on the vigils. City Council passed a resolution against the vigils, ... This follows public threats against council by a member of Beth Israel, who posted an "open letter" on the so-called AASPURN web site, which seeks to raise money for Israel against the vigilers. The Councilmember who drafted the resolution claims absurdly that the vigils violate a state law against disrupting religious services (among other falsehoods in the resolution) and decries the "enormous pain" caused by the vigils, and the impotence of the people targeted---including the local movers and shakers of organized Jewry, who raise funds and organize events and dominate opinion on Israel's behalf."