6, March 2013 IRAN
Haven’t we been snookered enough by bogus threats to our national security?
Author Nick Turse, “Kill Anything That Moves” reminds us that the sad saga of the Vietnam War was started on the false accusation that the North Vietnamese fired on our naval ship in the Gulf of Tonkin. He reports serious war crimes were committed in the killings of large number of civilians at the behest of the power elite in Washington who used body counts to measure progress.
Fast forward to 2003 when former President Bush- Cheney- Rumsfeld-Condoleezza Rice snookered us into another war based on the bogus testimony of a thoroughly unreliable ‘Alice in Wonderland’ fortune hunter called ‘Curveball.’ His doodling on a scrap piece of paper was the basis for General Powell’s proof that Saddam Hussein’s was manufacturing WMD’s.
And now, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has been vigorously denounced by six former leaders of his own security agency, the Shin Bet, (see the documentary, ‘The Gatekeepers”), is trying to goad us into another conflict with Iran based on bogus allegations of the impending Iranian nuclear bomb. Israel continues to act coyly on its own huge arsenal of nuclear weapons. It is time to stop threatening Iran with bombs and bombast and start a respectful dialog however distasteful the Iranian regime might be.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
John Brennan and Drone Warfare 2-19-13
19, February 2013
Dear Editor, John Brennan and drone warfare
The confirmation hearings of John Brennan to head the CIA were profoundly disappointing. There was no discussion of the so-called signature strikes which has resulted in the death of so many innocent victims. Jeremy Scahill, of the Nation magazine, recently returned from a visit to Yemen and reported the massacre of 40 villagers, including many women and children with U.S. cluster bombs. A US independent fact finding mission visiting Pakistan reported horrific killings by US drones. The study conducted by NYU and Stanford Law School, ‘Living Under Terror –Under Drones’, highlights the terror inflicted on entire populations being exposed to drones buzzing overhead 24 hours a day disrupting entire communities and according to General McCrystal” unleashing visceral hatred of the U.S.” The entire Senate Intelligence Committee has abdicated its responsibility by failing to demand an oversight role and has allowed the CIA to become a ‘007 license to kill’ death squad. The checks and balances of our government have been seriously eroded.
President Obama would do well to reflect on his earlier speech in 2000 – “the Bush policies failed to rely on our legal traditions and our time-tested institutions and have failed to use our values as a moral compass.” The White House should do some soul searching and re-calibrate its own moral compass. Contrary to Obama’s earlier promise to be ‘the most open administration in U.S. history’, the White House is shrouded with unprecedented secrecy which is the enemy of an open democratic society.
Dear Editor, John Brennan and drone warfare
The confirmation hearings of John Brennan to head the CIA were profoundly disappointing. There was no discussion of the so-called signature strikes which has resulted in the death of so many innocent victims. Jeremy Scahill, of the Nation magazine, recently returned from a visit to Yemen and reported the massacre of 40 villagers, including many women and children with U.S. cluster bombs. A US independent fact finding mission visiting Pakistan reported horrific killings by US drones. The study conducted by NYU and Stanford Law School, ‘Living Under Terror –Under Drones’, highlights the terror inflicted on entire populations being exposed to drones buzzing overhead 24 hours a day disrupting entire communities and according to General McCrystal” unleashing visceral hatred of the U.S.” The entire Senate Intelligence Committee has abdicated its responsibility by failing to demand an oversight role and has allowed the CIA to become a ‘007 license to kill’ death squad. The checks and balances of our government have been seriously eroded.
President Obama would do well to reflect on his earlier speech in 2000 – “the Bush policies failed to rely on our legal traditions and our time-tested institutions and have failed to use our values as a moral compass.” The White House should do some soul searching and re-calibrate its own moral compass. Contrary to Obama’s earlier promise to be ‘the most open administration in U.S. history’, the White House is shrouded with unprecedented secrecy which is the enemy of an open democratic society.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Israel-Palestinian Conflict 2-16-13
16, February 2013 Israel
Three great documentaries shed new light on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"The Gatekeepers" is a collective narrative of six former heads of Israel’s internal security who voice their frustration with successive Israeli government policies. All six heads are now critical of the methods they were assigned to use and they warned that successive governments have undermined Israel’s future by refusing to make peace. A former head, Carmi Gillon, admits that “We are making the lives of millions unbearable, into prolonged human suffering. Another - Avraham Shalom adds, “ we have become a brutal occupation force. “Five Broken Cameras” - tells the story of Emad Burnat, a Palestinian farmer, who partnered with an Israeli film maker Guy Emad to chronicle Emad’s life in his village, Bil’in. Israeli Defense Forces tried to halt the filming by breaking a number of cameras – hence the title. This is now available from Netflix. Finally, an American Jew, Anna Baltzer, the granddaughter of Holocaust refugees, and an award-winning lecturer and author (http://vimeo.com/6977999), traveled to Israel to capture the lives of ordinary Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. She has appeared on ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’, and lectured at more than 500 universities, schools, religious institutions, and policy institutes around the world with her acclaimed presentation, "Life in Occupied Palestine: Eyewitness Stories & Photos." I urge readers to see all three documentaries to broaden their understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Three great documentaries shed new light on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"The Gatekeepers" is a collective narrative of six former heads of Israel’s internal security who voice their frustration with successive Israeli government policies. All six heads are now critical of the methods they were assigned to use and they warned that successive governments have undermined Israel’s future by refusing to make peace. A former head, Carmi Gillon, admits that “We are making the lives of millions unbearable, into prolonged human suffering. Another - Avraham Shalom adds, “ we have become a brutal occupation force. “Five Broken Cameras” - tells the story of Emad Burnat, a Palestinian farmer, who partnered with an Israeli film maker Guy Emad to chronicle Emad’s life in his village, Bil’in. Israeli Defense Forces tried to halt the filming by breaking a number of cameras – hence the title. This is now available from Netflix. Finally, an American Jew, Anna Baltzer, the granddaughter of Holocaust refugees, and an award-winning lecturer and author (http://vimeo.com/6977999), traveled to Israel to capture the lives of ordinary Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. She has appeared on ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’, and lectured at more than 500 universities, schools, religious institutions, and policy institutes around the world with her acclaimed presentation, "Life in Occupied Palestine: Eyewitness Stories & Photos." I urge readers to see all three documentaries to broaden their understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Israel’s Military Speak Out 1-30-13
1-30-13 Israel’s Military Speak Out
An Oscar-nominated documentary, "The Gatekeepers" provides a stark admission by six former heads of Israel’s internal security (akin to our FBI and CIA) of their agency’s methods of targeted killings of militants and civilians in the Occupied Territories, including torture and the suppression of mass protests during two intifadas. All six former heads are now critical of the methods they were assigned to use to subjugate the Palestinians and they warned that successive governments have undermined Israel’s future by refusing to make peace. A former head, Carmi Gillon, admits that “We are making the lives of millions unbearable, into prolonged human suffering. Another - Avraham Shalom adds, “ we have become a brutal occupation force similar to the Germans in World War II." Israeli forces have begun the year with a spate of killings of unarmed Palestinian civilians. A 21-year-old Palestinian woman was the latest victim – gunned down at a West Bank School. Israeli human rights group B’Tselem castigated Israeli Defense Forces accusing them of "extensively and systematically violating their own rules of engagement when suppressing protests in the West Bank.” Dror Moreh’s powerful documentary might jump start the moribund peace process aided by Israel’s recent election which tilted power from right wing extremists to the center. It is now up to President Obama to show leadership in brokering a lasting peace and usher in an independent Palestinian state. Failure to do so will surely lead to unending conflict.
An Oscar-nominated documentary, "The Gatekeepers" provides a stark admission by six former heads of Israel’s internal security (akin to our FBI and CIA) of their agency’s methods of targeted killings of militants and civilians in the Occupied Territories, including torture and the suppression of mass protests during two intifadas. All six former heads are now critical of the methods they were assigned to use to subjugate the Palestinians and they warned that successive governments have undermined Israel’s future by refusing to make peace. A former head, Carmi Gillon, admits that “We are making the lives of millions unbearable, into prolonged human suffering. Another - Avraham Shalom adds, “ we have become a brutal occupation force similar to the Germans in World War II." Israeli forces have begun the year with a spate of killings of unarmed Palestinian civilians. A 21-year-old Palestinian woman was the latest victim – gunned down at a West Bank School. Israeli human rights group B’Tselem castigated Israeli Defense Forces accusing them of "extensively and systematically violating their own rules of engagement when suppressing protests in the West Bank.” Dror Moreh’s powerful documentary might jump start the moribund peace process aided by Israel’s recent election which tilted power from right wing extremists to the center. It is now up to President Obama to show leadership in brokering a lasting peace and usher in an independent Palestinian state. Failure to do so will surely lead to unending conflict.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Obama’s Second Term – Drones 1-21-13
21, January 2013 Obama’s second term – drones
President Obama deserves credit for making strong statements against assault weapons which have aborted the lives of some many Americans. However, such statements and policies are incongruent with his policies to equally vulnerable and innocent people in far-away lands who fall victims to our remote weapons of mass destruction. General McChrystal, Ex-Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, became the highest-ranking military official to excoriate Obama’s Drone Warfare. He stated that "the resentment created by American use of unmanned strikes ... is much greater than the average American appreciates. They are hated on a visceral level, even by people who’ve never seen one or seen the effects of one." Michael Boyle, a former adviser to Obama on security issues, has forcefully come out against drone warfare, saying it is encouraging arms proliferation worldwide while causing unknown civilian casualties. He stated that “Obama has been just as ruthless and indifferent to the rule of law as his predecessor. ... The consequences can be seen in the targeting of mosques or funeral processions that kill non-combatants and tear at the social fabric of the regions where they occur.” These statements by high profile experts largely confirms the Stanford University/NYU study which estimated that 98% of the drones miss their intended targets and kill innocent men, women and children. President Obama has created a dangerous and an illegal precedent. He would be wise to heed his critics and call an immediate halt to these illegal and immoral weapons.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Zero Dark Thirty 1-18-13
18, January 2013 Zero Dark Thirty
The movie, Zero Dark Thirty, may be a blockbuster but sadly carries a dangerous message that torture elicited useful information that led to the capture of Osama bin Laden and may therefore be justified. Torture did not lead to the capture of bin Laden. This was stated unequivocally by the Senate Intelligence Committee which spent four years investigating the CIA's torture programs. Water-boarding, sleep deprivation, stress positions, savage beatings and humiliation, the U.S. government once euphuistically dubbed “enhanced interrogation,” is an affront to our claim to be a civilized nation. Human rights have been enshrined in our laws. We often waggle our fingers at other nations on the need to close gulags and free their dissidents. Leading senators stated, "The use of torture in the fight against terrorism did severe damage to America's values and standing that cannot be justified or expunged. It remains a stain on our national conscience." It is time for the Senate Intelligence Committee's findings — a 6,000-page factual report — be made public so that the practice of torture can be forever banished. We should also hold accountable all those government officials responsible for its barbaric practice.
The movie, Zero Dark Thirty, may be a blockbuster but sadly carries a dangerous message that torture elicited useful information that led to the capture of Osama bin Laden and may therefore be justified. Torture did not lead to the capture of bin Laden. This was stated unequivocally by the Senate Intelligence Committee which spent four years investigating the CIA's torture programs. Water-boarding, sleep deprivation, stress positions, savage beatings and humiliation, the U.S. government once euphuistically dubbed “enhanced interrogation,” is an affront to our claim to be a civilized nation. Human rights have been enshrined in our laws. We often waggle our fingers at other nations on the need to close gulags and free their dissidents. Leading senators stated, "The use of torture in the fight against terrorism did severe damage to America's values and standing that cannot be justified or expunged. It remains a stain on our national conscience." It is time for the Senate Intelligence Committee's findings — a 6,000-page factual report — be made public so that the practice of torture can be forever banished. We should also hold accountable all those government officials responsible for its barbaric practice.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Gang Rape in India 1-4-13
4, January 2013 Gang Rape
The gang rape of the unnamed victim in Delhi has focused much needed attention into the epidemic of sexual violence. According to the Indian National Crime Registry, one woman is raped every 20 minutes. The actual numbers may be significantly higher as most victims are too humiliated and fearful to report the crimes. Out of the 24,206 rape cases reported in 2011, three-fourth of the perpetrators have not been arrested and the conviction rate is a pitiful 26%. Many cases linger on indefinitely which underscores ineptness and rampant corruption in law enforcement and the judiciary emblematic of the general malaise gripping Indian society. Currently, there are 100,000 pending cases. Delhi has now become the rape capital of the country exceeding the combined rape in all other cities. According to the London Guardian 260 men have been appointed to political office despite serious charges of crimes against women. Women activists were incensed with the careless, insensitive comments of the President’s son, who is also member of the ruling Congress Party. He mocked the demonstrators as ‘painted women who should not be taken seriously’. Women activists are calling for a standard set of laws or protocols for investigating all acts of violence including “honor crimes” and domestic violence. Women also need to take a pledge against female fetal abortions. This repugnant practice is creating an alarming gender imbalance leading to the growing practice of bride ‘snatching’. On the home front there is no room for complacency; American women suffer a major sexual assault every 2 minutes. Regrettably, the House Republican leaders have stalled the 2012 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Finally, the US has yet to ratify the U.N. Bill of Rights for Women; only eight countries have failed to ratify the convention, leaving the U.S. in the company of Iran, Somalia and Sudan.
The gang rape of the unnamed victim in Delhi has focused much needed attention into the epidemic of sexual violence. According to the Indian National Crime Registry, one woman is raped every 20 minutes. The actual numbers may be significantly higher as most victims are too humiliated and fearful to report the crimes. Out of the 24,206 rape cases reported in 2011, three-fourth of the perpetrators have not been arrested and the conviction rate is a pitiful 26%. Many cases linger on indefinitely which underscores ineptness and rampant corruption in law enforcement and the judiciary emblematic of the general malaise gripping Indian society. Currently, there are 100,000 pending cases. Delhi has now become the rape capital of the country exceeding the combined rape in all other cities. According to the London Guardian 260 men have been appointed to political office despite serious charges of crimes against women. Women activists were incensed with the careless, insensitive comments of the President’s son, who is also member of the ruling Congress Party. He mocked the demonstrators as ‘painted women who should not be taken seriously’. Women activists are calling for a standard set of laws or protocols for investigating all acts of violence including “honor crimes” and domestic violence. Women also need to take a pledge against female fetal abortions. This repugnant practice is creating an alarming gender imbalance leading to the growing practice of bride ‘snatching’. On the home front there is no room for complacency; American women suffer a major sexual assault every 2 minutes. Regrettably, the House Republican leaders have stalled the 2012 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Finally, the US has yet to ratify the U.N. Bill of Rights for Women; only eight countries have failed to ratify the convention, leaving the U.S. in the company of Iran, Somalia and Sudan.
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