Israel’s Piracy 6-6-2010

6, June 2010                           Israel’s Piracy                                   

  

The brutal actions by Israel’s navy boarding the Freedom Flotilla was the latest chapter in Israel’s ongoing efforts to deny the Palestinians of Gaza adequate supplies of food, water and other essential provisions.  Israel’s massive spin operation to justify its piracy was an abject failure. The facts are clear – six ships carrying 10,000 tons of building materials, food, medical supplies and stationary for schools were confiscated by the Israeli navy. No firearms were found which speaks volumes of Israel’s alleged reasons for raiding the ships. All cameras, cell phones and other recording equipment were seized to prevent the world from witnessing details of Israel’s horrific actions. Live ammunition was used which resulted in a cold-blooded massacre of peace activists. Edward Peck, a former US ambassador who was on one of the ships, accused Israel of unnecessary brutality and mendaciousness.

Israel’s blockade restricting food, fuel and medical supplies to the Gaza Strip constitutes a form of collective punishment and is strictly forbidden by international law. We are paying a heavy price for coddling to Israel. Even General CENTCOM commander General David Petraeus, was highly critical of our unconditional support to Israel, stating “our actions are jeopardizing US standing in the region and eroding American security.” The head of Israel’s foreign intelligence service, Mossad, commented that “America has begun to see Israel as a burden rather than an asset.” 

It is time to jettison this burden which reeks of the repulsive policies of apartheid South Africa.

Israel – South Africa 5-29-2010

29, May 2010             Israel – South Africa

 A dark chapter in Israel’s short history has recently come to light.

The Guardian newspaper of London recently published extracts of top-secret South African documents providing details of a meeting that took place between South Africa’s former defense minister, P.W. Botha, and former Israeli defense minister, Shimon Peres. The secret documents revealed that Israel sold apartheid South Africa weapons and shared know-how helping to convert South Africa’s yellow cake uranium into plutonium for bomb making. This hitherto covert trade greatly assisted in prolonging South Africa’s apartheid policies of black oppression. Details of Israel’s trade with South Africa are meticulously documented by senior editor at Foreign Affairs, Sasha Polakow-Suransky, in his new book, The Unspoken Alliance: Israel’s Secret Relationship with Apartheid Africa. This exposes Israel’s continuous denial of possessing nuclear weapons.

It is high time that the US demands full accountability of Israel’s weaponry. Israel may indeed face a similar fate to former South Africa if it continues its policies of dispossession of Palestinian land and oppression of its people.

Palestine and Israel 5-27-14

Many letter writers have expressed outrage over the Palestinian Authority’s objection to Jews participating in Pat Farmers “peace run”. These writers may not be aware that the Palestinians are living in an extremely repressive military occupation in complete violation of international laws. Israel is a functioning democracy for Jews only but not for non-Jews. Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh of Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities exposes this myth in a recent letter to the Wall Street Journal (April 24, 2014). Qumsiyeh, a US citizen echoes much of what was stated by Professor George Bisharat, at a recent NPR forum broadcast. Both charge Israel with systematically destroying churches, mosques and Palestinian homes to construct illegal Jewish settlements. Israel has over 50 Jim Crow type laws that discriminate over non-Jews and hundreds more in the occupied territories. Nationality rights only apply to Jews; for example, American Jews can immigrate to Israel and are accorded all the rights of citizenship – a right denied to non-Jews. Jews have exclusive use of bypass roads, land, privileged access to private and public employment, special educational loans, home mortgages, preferences for admission to universities, and a host of other privileges. Finally, I urge readers to listen to a speech given by a notable Israeli, Mike Peled, a highly respected son of a former Israeli general -("https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixDLpLjCWpA").

Boko Haram 4-10-14

Boko Haram

May 10, 2010

The kidnapping of girls at a boarding school by Boko Haram in Nigeria has stirred the collective outrage of much of the world with the exception of Islamic counties who have remained conspicuously silent. Cries of Allahu Akbar (God is Great) followed by ungodly acts of kidnapping and enslaving girls is an affront to Islam. Is Boko Haram’s (meaning - opposition to western style of education) supported by Islamic religious orthodoxy? I urge local Muslims to clarify this issue. The imposition of Sariah law (favored by Boko Haram), which denigrates women and favors stoning and decapitation of limbs for relatively minor offenses - also needs vigorous debate.

The Nigerian Government and its military have rightly been castigated for their ineptness and incompetence. After a hiatus of 3 weeks of inaction the Nigerian military made the bogus claim that 107 girls had been freed. The news media was largely indifferent to the plight of the girls filling the airwaves with mindless theories on the missing MH370 airliner.

The wife of Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathon, showed great insensitivity to the plight of the missing girls by accusing local Nigerian women activists of adversely impacting her husband’s re-election prospects.

I implore local Muslims to raise your voices in support of girl’s education and revulsion of Boko Haram. The greatest threat to Islamic extremism is girl’s education. Please donate generously to any of the following organizations – Camfed.org, EdnaHospital.org, mothersdaymovement.org.

Arizona’s new law 5-10-2010

10, May 2010                         Arizona’s new law

           

The new Arizona law against illegal immigration is having unintended consequences. It has galvanized the Latino community throughout the nation. The Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP) is working feverishly to mobilize American Latinos into a political force. Its motto – ‘su voto es su voz’ – ‘your vote is your voice’ is finding considerable traction.

The poorly crafted law imposes an impossible burden on law enforcement. Failure to confront suspected illegal immigrants - predominantly brown skinned people - and demand ‘citizenship’ papers can result in an untenable situation for local law enforcement. Citizens can charge police officers for failure to uphold the law. Thus, they are damned if they uphold the law and damned if they to choose to ignore the law. The backlash against the legislation has already begun.

Hundreds of protestors are wearing T-shirts emblazoned with, ‘Todas somos Arizona, ‘we are all Arizona’, as a symbol of their opposition to Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his anti-Latino firebrands. The new law is reminiscent of Proposition 187 approved by a California ballot but blocked from enactment by the courts. It is likely that many Hispanics will opt out filling census forms out of fear that the information may be passed onto immigration officials. The new law will have little impact on much needed immigration reform but will most certainly sow the seeds of profound resentment.

Goldman Sachs 5-8-2010

8, May 2010                           Goldman Sachs

It is gratifying that the SEC and Congress are holding Goldman Sachs feet to the fire and have effectively downgraded its reputation to junk status. It is equal gratifying that the F-word – fraud - is being leveled at Goldman (and hopefully other financially institutions) for their outrageous behavior. The cesspool of complex sub-prime mortgage investments has sunk our nation and indeed the world into mountains of debt.

However, it is not enough for Congress to skewer Wall Street’s pre-eminent investment house, but to demand criminal indictments of its senior staff for bilking millions of Americans from their retirement funds and homes. Goldman’s own email aptly described one of its underwritten transactions as “one sh…ty  deal”.

It is frightening that the assets of the six largest banks earnings are a whopping 60% of our gross domestic product. Congress shares much of the blame for the free fall in the economy. The democratically led Congressional committees demanded that banks issue liar loans, loans that were unsupported by financial assets to advance their low-income housing objectives.. The rating agencies also deserve a failing grade for  granting AAA ratings for worthless bonds.

It is unsurprising that the approval rating for Congress is at an all-time low. No doubt Wall Street banks will be dolling out huge amounts of money to the outstretched palms of lawmakers to weaken or mute legislation to control their trading activities.

Indian Guest Workers 4-28-2010

28, April  2010                       Indian Guest Workers

Low income guest workers from India continue to be horribly abused by unscrupulous Indian recruiters and American corporations. The victims allege that Indian recruiters demand exorbitant up-front fees up to $20,000 for US jobs falsely promising lucrative US wages and green cards. Once these unsuspecting ‘bonded’ laborers arrive on US soil they become virtual corporate slaves. For example, Signal International, a marine fabrication company, hired 500 welders and pipe fitters from India, predominantly from Kerala. The workers complained of systematic harassment and mistreatment. Their living quarters - tightly packed decrepit trailers - resembled a transplanted ‘black hole of Calcutta.’

These workers often find themselves between a proverbial rock and a hard place, stirring up anger from Union workers who resent their presence and their employers who wish to exploit them for their low wages. They are completely at the mercy of their employers, strictly forbidden to seek employment with any other US employers. Ironically, many US corporations are being hard-hit by the absurdly low H-2B visas allotted. Only a paltry 66,000 a year are allowed – an exceedingly small number given the pent up demand from US corporations. Until recently, the workers remained silent out fear of having their wages garnished or summarily deported. Low wage worker from other nations have suffered similar abuse. Fortunately, there appears to be a glimmer of hope creeping through the dark cloud of corporate abuse. A class action suit has recently been filed to redress workers grievances.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit  civil rights law firm, deserves credit for its work representing H-2B plaintiffs.

The Indian community should vigorously support new legislation being crafted by Senator Bernie Sanders which would provide guest workers access to lawyers and tighten regulation of predatory recruiters.

WikiLeaks videotape shows slaughter of Iraqi civilians 4-9-2010

9, April  2010               WikiLeaks videotape shows slaughter of Iraqi civilians

The credibility of the US military has been severely tarnished by the release of a leaked videotape by the website, WikiLeaks, which showed a 2007 U.S. helicopter attack in Baghdad which resulted in the slaughter of Iraqi civilians. The victims included Reuter’s news agency, photographer Namir Noor-Eldeen and driver Saeed Chmagh. Several children were amongst the wounded. The videotape provides conclusive evidence of the culpability of the helicopter pilots who provided false data to the ground crew to justify their attacks. 

The footage, which includes audio of the helicopter pilots, showed the light-hearted banter that accompanied these brutal killings. The recordings are extremely disturbing and clearly show the video game mentality that has developed by many aerial pilots. Saeed, who was badly wounded by the initial attack, was seeking safety when he was fatally gunned down by one of the Apache’s gunners.

Tragically, the mayhem captured on the leaked videotape, was not an isolated incident, but a disturbing pattern of civilian deaths which have been ignored or quashed by the U.S. military. Glenn Greenwald, a constitutional lawyer and blogger for Salon.com, commented that the conduct of the pilots shown in the video was not an aberration but occurs virtually every day in Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas of conflict.


If the Pentagon continues to provide blanket immunity to the perpetrators of these war crimes, the rage against the US will only intensify. 

Patrick Buchanan “US interests colliding with Israel’s” 3-31-2010

31, March 2010          Patrick Buchanan “US interests colliding with Israel’s”        

Israel continues to defy US concerns over its belligerent settlement expansion policies. While prime minister, Netanyahu’s defiant speech at AIPAC (American Public Affairs Committee) was greeted with thunderous applause, syndicated broadcaster and columnist, Patrick J. Buchanan, described it as a ‘hollow victory” commenting “that the vital interests of Israel now collide with vital U.S. interests in the Middle East. America cannot back down without eviscerating her credibility in the Arab and Muslim world.” Buchanan further commented that the “West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is occupied territory.

Building there violates international law. Peace requires a sharing of Jerusalem, return of almost all of the West Bank and withdrawal of the Jewish settlers. Any land annexed by Israel must be compensated for with Israeli land ceded to the Palestinians.” In a heated exchange Vice-President Biden told Netanyahu. “What you’re doing undermines the security of our troops who are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.” It is disappointing that the Obama Administration continues to reward Israel for its ‘bad behavior.’ Israeli newspaper Haaretz recently reported the US will donate three new Hercules-J transport aircraft to Israel, at a cost of $250 million. Israel is also negotiating a possible $3 billion deal to purchase Lockheed F-35 war planes. Buchanan final comment “U.S.-Israeli relations are approaching a - whose side are you on?  Either Netanyahu backs down this time — or Obama loses his soldiers.”

The Maoist ‘threat’ in India 3-30-2010

30, March 2010                The Maoist ‘threat’ in India

While India is aggressively embracing capitalism with all its attendant benefits, it is simultaneously waging an unholy war against its poor, indigenous people in the country’s tribal belt. This large swath of land known as the Red Corridor, stretches from West Bengal, Jharkhand through Orissa to Chhattisgarh.

The land is coveted by local governments who have sold mineral mining rights for crores of rupees to corporations. The indigenous people are on an unholy collision course with paramilitary forces who have been given ‘007’ licenses to kill with complete impunity.

The local inhabitants, known as Maoist rebels, or Naxalites, are battling with government and paramilitary forces and have been castigated as India’s “gravest internal security threat.” In a staggering level of brutality over 640 villages have been burned and hundreds of villagers killed. This military action closely resembles the strategy of hamletting – forcing people to move off their ancestral lands for profit corporations – first devised by the British in Malaya. It was subsequently ‘refined’ by the US who forced Vietcom peasants off their land and burned their huts. It is unconscionable that India, which boasts to be a burgeoning democracy, should use such harsh, brutal measures to lay siege to a very vulnerable population. Once again corporate money interests triumph social justice.  

Banish Vulture Funds 3-10-2010

10, March 2010                     Banish Vulture Funds

In a world of sinking morality, a group of vulture funds have successfully diverted millions of dollars of write-off loans to third world countries, into their pockets. These funds purchase third world debt for pennies on the dollar and sue debtor countries for massive profits.

For example, an impoverished Liberia, where 80% of the people survive on an average of one dollar a day, recently lost over $20 million of aid money to two vulture funds. This outraged British lawmakers who have recently crafted a bill – the Debt Relief Bill – which would prohibit unscrupulous investors from robbing debtor countries. The US should follow Britain’s example by outlawing such funds. We should heed the words of the President of Liberia - the first woman president of Africa, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that vulture funds “are so unfair to poor countries, have a conscience, and give this country a break.” Please write to your lawmakers and urge them to support Representative Maxine Waters’s bill to outlaw these funds.

Afghanistan 2-25-2010

25, February 2010

                       

Dear Editor,            Afghanistan

The number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan continues to mount shattering any real hope of winning the ‘hearts and minds’ of the local people. There is little doubt that the raw emotions of the local people has intensified against the occupation of their country. Last year this ill-defined mission has claimed the lives of a record number of Afghani civilians and US soldiers. The conflict is fast becoming the longest war in US history.

President Obama has twice enhanced troop levels making it more and more difficult to extricate ourselves from this sinking morass. There are currently 100,000 US and allied troops occupying Afghanistan. These have been augmented by 104,000 US ‘hired guns’ or mercenaries.


The war has not enhanced democracy and security and is fraught with poor intelligence gathering. The Taliban are not foreign imports – they are a militant group of fighters drawn together by a common purpose, namely to expel all foreign troops from their country. Our continued presence is propping up President Hamid Karzai who was ushered in on charges of massive fraud. He has recently issued a decree granting him oversight of a key election body, Afghanistan Electoral Complaints Commission, which will grant him dictatorial powers. Why are we supporting this man who has repeatedly demonstrated his utter disdain for democracy and the rule of law?

US Supreme Court 2-15-2010

15, February 2010                 US Supreme Court

The recent Supreme Court decision in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, gave the green light to corporations and other special interests groups to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence election outcomes eviscerating longstanding rules limiting such contributions. In an unprecedented ruling, the Court equated money with free speech. The ‘free speech’ Amendment, a bastion of democracy, was carefully crafted to protect the rights of ordinary Americans. It is incomprehensible that the Supreme Court equated the right of corporate spending with ordinary Americans right to free speech. Corporations are state-created entities whose specific purpose is to turn a profit.

We hardly need to be reminded of the already corrosive impact of money in politics.

This decision will open the floodgates of money. Large corporate giants will continue to drown out dissenting voices and pass on their expenditures to consumers. Unprecedented amounts of money will be funneled through the large network of lobbyists to the eager outstretched hands of politicians who traditionally rubber stamp legislation favorable to their wealthy benefactors. This will heighten the cycle of corruption, trample our democracy and discourage the few ‘Mr. (and Mrs.) Smith’s’ ‘shallow pocketed’ candidates to go to Washington. It is unlikely that principled candidates can effectively challenge parochial deep pocketed corporate interests.

Obama, a Big Disappointment 2-6-2010

6, February 2010                  Obama, a Big Disappointment

It is extremely disappointing that presidential-candidate Obama, who galvanized the nation with his promises and soaring rhetoric, has been swallowed up by the beltway beast of special interests. Consider the following:

His 3.8 trillion budget boosts war spending while drastically cutting domestic programs.  The Pentagon budget would grow over three percent in addition to funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for a total of over $741 billion. This dwarfs all other spending programs.

By seeking an increase of $7 billion in nuclear spending he has reneged on his earlier pledge to cut the US nuclear arsenal and seek a nuclear weapons-free world.

Politico, a news website, has recently revealed that CIA operatives are now permitted to “moonlight”, sharing their privileged information with private for-profit companies having the dangerous potential for compromising national security.

Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair confirmed that government agencies may kill U.S. citizens abroad without formally charging them of a crime – a clear violation of  the Fifth Amendment's explicit guarantee—that no-one shall be deprived of life without due process.

Contrary to Obama’s ‘State of the Union’ address that ‘we don’t torture’, US special forces continues to torture and ‘rendition’ people to secret ‘black’ prisons (see Anand Gopal report, “Obama’s secret prisons, . . featured in the “huffingtonpost.com”).

Warrantless wiretaps are still permitted - - unchallenged by a comatose Congress.

Pat Robertson and Haiti 1-25-10

25, January 2010                   Pat Robertson and Haiti

It is a pity that Pat Robertson has chosen to sign a pact with the devil by continuing his diatribe on gays, women’s rights, the separation of church and state – and more recently  Haiti’s earthquake victims on its ‘un-Christian’ past. Even New York Times conservative columnist, David Brooks blamed Haitians for being “progress resistant.”

Brooks and Robertson would do well to reflect on France and the US’s sordid historical roles in Haiti. First the French ran Haiti as a slave colony robbing the land of its rich sources of coffee, sugar and tobacco. In an incredible cruel twist of colonial exploitation, the French demanded reparations from an impoverished ‘free’Haiti after its forces were expelled in 1804.

The US invaded Haiti in 1916 and continued the legacy of ‘colonial exploitation’ by appointing unpopular proxy dictators ‘president for life’ François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, followed by his son Jean-Claude Duvalier. Both rulers acquiesced to US demands to privatize its state run industries and establish sweat shops to provide US corporations with cheap imports.

It is puzzling why Obama appointed former President Clinton and President Bush to undertake the earthquake relief efforts when both were instrumental in undermining Haiti’s democracy. 

It now behooves us help Haitians rebuild their devastated nation. As a start, let us demand that the democratically elected exiled leader, President Aristide, be allowed to return to his country. Finally, Haiti’s long term debt of $880 million should be forgiven.

Blackwater (Soldiers for Hire) 1-16-10

16, January 2010                      Blackwater (Soldiers for Hire)

The ‘soldiers for hire’, military contractor, Blackwater is back in the news. Recently, two of  Blackwater’s former employees were arrested on murder charges involving the death of two Afghan civilians. In an earlier incident, dozens of eyewitnesses witnessed the brutal slaying of seventeen Iraqi civilians in the Nisoor massacre by five Blackwater employees. To compound the outrage, the company paid a miniscule compensation of $100,000 for each death and $20,000 to $30,000 to each Iraqi wounded. It is unconscionable that our tax money should be used to retain the services of Blackwater who is a repeat offender of the slaying and injury of innocent civilians. What is especially astounding and disturbing is the casual and nonchalant way our government is contracting out its mafia style assassination attempts. Blackwater’s ‘007’ antics have tarnished the image of the US and invoked seething anger in Iraq, Afghanistan and Germany (where one their citizens was ‘renditioned’ and tortured). It is encouraging that REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (leading member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations) is introducing legislation to stop outsourcing security by companies like Blackwater. She deserves our full support. The Pentagon should follow CIA’s decision by canceling their contract with Blackwater. 

Wall Street 1-7-10

 7, January 2010                     Wall Street

Last Christmas Eve, the Obama administration inexplicably removed the $400 billion cap on Freddie Mae and Freddie Mac allowing them to continue to gamble with the people’s money with complete abandon. The CEO’s were rewarded with bonuses of $6 million. Meanwhile real employment is approaching 18-20% and foreclosures are at a staggering 200,000 a month. The banks are making no effort to restructure mortgage loans because they receive 85% against foreclosure from private insurance companies.

In a further effort to prop up government-subsidized banks and allow them to jettison their toxic assets, the Treasury Department has granted massive tax exemptions amounting to billions of dollars. Coincidently, Citigroup announced $20 billion repayment of its toxic assets.

There has been no effort to resurrect the Glass-Steagall Act which separated high risk investment banking from consumer oriented commercial banking. Bernanke lauded as ‘Man of the year’ by TIME, former Treasury Hank Paulson and Geithner pillaged the Federal Reserve and converted it into a national hedge fund using shrinking tax dollars to back toxic assets.

Contrary to Obama’s repeated promises to hold the ‘fat cats’ of Wall Street accountable, the ‘cats’ are very much in control many choosing to ignore the White House summons for “very serious discussions” on December 13, 2009. Among the “no shows” were Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup.

Thus, its business as usual on Wall Street. Sadly, there is not much hope of any meaningful changes that would ease the burden for ‘real Americans.’