The charge of forgery refers to my homemade pdf replica of a UN News webpage containing the “official” transcript of the speech. To qualify as a forgery my webpage would have to be indistinguishable, or nearly indistinguish-able, from the real thing. As certain observant people noted:

• Ban Ki-Moon did not address the General Assembly on the day in question;
• None of the links worked; and
• My pdf did not appear on the official UN website or anywhere in the mainstream press.

There was no attempt to deceive, unlike the case of the infamous forged Niger documents that George W. Bush held up as “proof” that Saddam Hussein’s was buying uranium.

The fact that many readers pro and con were impressed by the seeming authenticity of my mock-up is nevertheless gratifying. After all, what’s the point of doing satire if it isn’t believable?

I think the most significant effect of my satire is how it generated its own reality, especially after some sites posted it, then took it down when they could not confirm its authenticity. The fact of my satire appearing and then disappearing spawned speculation that it was true and that it had been censored for political reasons.

According to a poster on abovetopsecret.com: “I gotta tell you, you found a gem, and they stole it back. I’m sure it will be redacted or cosmetically made more PC; and people will call you a liar for ever having relayed the find. Too bad really. Every now and again, I like to pretend there's hope. Then AIPAC strikes. And the dance begins all over again.”

The French site alterinfonet.org even translated my satire with the added heading “censored by the press,” but also with a read-at-you-own-risk caveat. The idea that AIPAC or other any other arm of Zionism Inc. could censor the media so easily clearly comes as no surprise, which made what “I” had to say that much more believable.

In response to the satire, and the climate of suspicion it engendered, one zionist “praised” it as a highly successful “false meme”—a form of disinformation as part of cognitive warfare against Israel. The irony, which is lost on this individual, is that the entire history of Israel is a false meme, and that my satire, for all of its inventiveness, was truthful.

Similarly Maurice Ostroff founding member of Hasbara, an organization dedicated to spewing apologetics for Israel, paid me the highest compliment by demanding the UN “clarify”(!) its position about Israel “to prevent the allegations contained in the SG’s alleged speech about Israel’s conditional membership from snow-balling.”

Not only does Ostroff recognize the power of the allegations, which are 100% true, but he also lends credence to those who charge that Jews control the media, or at least exercise an undue influence. He also shows just how easily the myth of Israel can be exploded. If one writer can do so much damage, just how sustainable is Israel’s position?!

All this backhanded praise does is show that the satire was a runaway success, and so the success had to be discredited.

The third reaction to the satire concerns the debate it engendered. Numerous blogs carried on prolonged discussions about UN General Assembly resolutions 194 and 273, complete with excerpts. This true, uncensored discussion about the history of zionist treachery and fraud reached thousands, if not millions, of people, if the Lobby’s latest screech owl Dr. Haim Katz is anything to go by.

If I had written this piece as a straight column, it would not have had nearly the same impact. It’s easy, and I suspect commonplace, to judge a story by its source, rather than its message.

We live in irrational times where truth is a commodity defined by the government and propagated by a compliant, corrupt media. Those who dissent from the prescribed verities are marginalized and persecuted, not because they are wrong but because they are right. In such a society, satire is the best source of truth, and the satirist is a dangerous man.

The Host and The Parasite— How Israel's Fifth Column Consumed America is a detailed study of how Israel exploited the U.S. economy, government and military to destroy the American republic. In North America, send C$35 + $10 S&H to Greg Felton Suite 406 104–1015 Columbia St. New Westminster B.C., Canada V3M 6V3 Order an e-book—CAN$ 18.95 PayPal: gregf@gregfelton.com

 - stop violence and unnecessary deaths now!

 

Honoring our fallen brothers and sisters victims of the Bagua massacre of June 5 and 6, 2009.

Our condolences go to the people of Peru, to the relatives, friends and communities of the Indigenous activists and the Police members who were killed in a tragic event that should have never occurred.
 

Emergency Demonstrations in the United States
of Protest and Solidarity
with the Amazon Indigenous Peoples of Peru

"Amazon Indigenous peoples are not first class citizens in Peru"
Peru's president Alan Garcia, justifying his attacks on civilians using snipers and bombs, which has caused between 35 to 85 deaths and hundred of injured people.
_______________

Protest in front of the Peruvian Embassy in Washington DC
1700 Massachusetts Ave., N.W
Washington D.C. 20036

Monday June 8, 2009
12:30 PM EST

_______________

Protest in front of the Consulate General of Peru in Los Angeles, CA
3450 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010

Monday June 8, 2009
3:30 PM PST

_______________

Protest in front of the Consulate General of Peru in New York, NY
241 East 49th Street
between 2nd and 3rd Aves, Manhattan, NYC.

Wed, June 10
12:00 noon EST
 

IF YOU LIVE IN THE U.S. PLEASE ORGANIZE A PROTEST AT A CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE, A FEDERAL BUILDING OR CONTACT THE CLOSEST PERUVIAN CONSULATE.
 

The message is simple: stop genocide, stop violence, respect human rights, avoid useless casualties, promote dialogue and respect of Indigenous peoples rights in Peru, stop using U.S. free trade policies to destroy the lives of millions of peoples in Peru, promote democracy and equality.

Contact the government of Peru

Demand to cease the State of Emergency and martial laws that are a threat to other communities that are still protesting. Demand the end of violence against Indigenous peoples of the Amazon and Andean regions, to restore peace and to restart dialogue so that Indigenous peoples can keep their lands and the environment can be protected.

Send a Message to the President of Peru:
http://www.amazonwatch.org/peru-action-alert.php

President of the Council of Ministers of Peru, Yehude Simon Munaro
ysimon@pcm.gob.pe / Fax +51 1- 716- 87-35

President of the Congress of Peru, Javier Velásquez-Quesquén
jvelasquezq@congreso.gob.pe

Embassy of Peru in Washington, DC:
Telephone: (202) 833-9860 to 9869 Fax: (202) 659-8124
Ambassador Luis Valdivieso Montano
Emails: lvaldivieso@embassyofperu.us
mtalavera@embassyofperu.us

Consulate General of Peru in Los Angeles
Telephone: (213) 252-5910
Emails: jsanchez@embassyofperu.us
conperla@mpowercom.net

Public Ombudsman Office of Peru
centrodeatencionvirtual@defensoria.gob.pe

Peruvian Embassies in your country
http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-of/Peru

List of Peruvian Consulates in the U.S.:
http://www.consuladoperu.com/

Contact the U.S. government

Request for the Obama administration to take a stand in defense of human rights in Peru and for the government of Peru to stop using the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement FTA as a legal tool to attack the Indigenous communities.

Tell president Barack Obama, Congress members and State Secretary Hillary Clinton, that this is not the way to promote trade and progress, and that Peru must comply with the labor and environmental rights regulations included in the Peru FTA, which president Obama praised during his campaign.

Contact president Barack Obama and vicepresident Joe Biden:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Contact U.S. Senators:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Contact U.S. House Representatives:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Contact the U.S. State Department
You can contact the U.S. Department of State in any of the following ways:

Main address:
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Main Switchboard:
202-647-4000
TTY:1-800-877-8339 (Federal Relay Service)

Public Communication Division:
PA/PL, Rm. 2206
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520
202-647-6575

To e-mail the U.S. Department of State, please visit the following website:
http://contact-us.state.gov/cgi-bin/state.

Contact the UN and OAS human rights organizations

UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
indigenous@ohchr.org

UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
wgeid@ohchr.org

UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom expression
freedex@ohchr.org

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
indigenous_un@un.org

IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
cidhoea@oas.org

ACHR Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Expression
cidh-expresion@oas.org

Talking points

Few minutes of your time can make a huge difference!

Indigenous peoples rights must be respected by Peru, included in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007.

The right of consultations with Indigenous peoples is included at the ILO 169 Convention. This must be done with respect and honest intention of defending the rights of all Peruvian citizens and not only the interests of multinational corporations.

This massacre is a direct result of an abusive implementation of policies included in the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement, by Peru’s president Alan Garcia who used it as an instrument of corporate corruption and collusion in the genocide of the Indigenous peoples.

The Peruvian government is presenting this tragedy as if it was caused by the Native peoples, which is not truth. Amazonian peoples protested without violence for almost 2 months, until the Police attacked them. All the casualties are unjustified and should have never happened.

The Peruvian media which is mostly biased and controlled by the government and corporate interests, is reporting that Police officers were kidnapped and massacred by the Indigenous peoples, but is not reporting about the abusive attack on civilians, and snipers and helicopters shooting at civilians including children. Witnesses have said that dead bodies were burned down and thrown to the rivers, and that police prevented civilians from rescuing injured protesters.

In the last 56 days, Amazonian Indigenous peoples of Peru are fighting to protect their territories, as the government of Lima has passed decrees that lease 73% of the Amazon forest and allow extractive industries corporations to take over their land, without previous consultation. The Amazonian peoples are requesting especifically for Lima to repeal those decrees.

Indigenous peoples do not oppose progress and private investment. They want to protect their land, their families and the environment, they want for corporations to respect their traditions and ways of living.

There have been years of protests since the signing of the Peru FTA by then presidents George W. Bush and Alejandro Toledo. Indigenous peoples have tried to dialogue, but the Lima government refused to listen and even prevented a national referendum in 2006.

As a way to protest and demand to be heard, the Amazon Indigenous peoples started popular strikes, oil facilities takeovers and road blockades in 8 regions of the country. This was replied by the Garcia administration by sending police and military forces to repress the protesters violently. People in Bagua responded burning down government buildings and lootings have also occurred.

Indigenous peoples value the land as a part of a our system of life, we don't own the land but we belong to it. There will not be a way for the government of Peru to impose its corporate benefiting laws because Indigenous people will defend their territories.

After the recent bloody attack, violence has slowed as today Sunday June 7. The military has taken over control of the region in conflict, but Lima has issued a warrant arrest for Alberto Pizango, the most prominent leader of the Amazon Indigenous peoples and his whereabouts are unknown at this moment.

Unfortunately, other leaders are also being prosecuted by the government and there is a possibility of future attacks of the military on other Indigenous communities. WE MUST ACT NOW!

Peru Emergency Fund

Please donate to Amazon Watch, a non profit that is working directly with the Indigenous peoples in strike. This fund will be used for medical relief for the wounded, media campaign led by indigenous organizations, and legal defense for those being charged.
http://www.amazonwatch.org/peru-protests.php

Nice song:

Just read this which is a fair little read:

"Abukar Arman, "Jihad against the Abuse of Jihad"

How come the robe-wearing extremists of the East and the suit-wearing extremists of the West are the ones who hold monopoly on the definition of jihad? In the past eight years of the ongoing global political discontent, one persistent warning has been systematically ignored: when militant politics takes over the stage, reason makes a run for the exit. This was a period when people were generally herded toward one side of the argument or the other. Two nihilistic manifestos dominated the political discourse and brought the world closer to a self-fulfilling prophecy known as the "clash of civilizations": the global war on terror and the global jihad.
 

In light of the rampant extremism and militarism around the world, nothing is more dangerous than the manipulative alteration of truth to reach certain political ends.  In the final analysis, it is this tactic that facilitates the demonization process that blurs ideologies and beliefs in the West and the Islamic world.  And no concept is more abused by both sides than the concept of jihad.

To the Muslim extremists and their cronies, jihad is a narrowly defined license to fight their perceived enemies (including Muslims, as is the case in Somalia) even if that leads to committing atrocities against innocent civilians.  And to the Western extremists and their cronies, jihad is a religiously sanctioned perpetual holy war led by irrational militant non-state actors sworn to destroy the Western values and civilization.

However, jihad is a complex concept deeply embedded in Islam.  It is an Islamic principle that all Muslims who adhere to the teachings of their religion embrace.  And, contrary to the prevalent post-9/11 perception, the concept does not connote senseless violence against innocents or suicide bombing.

While the concept projects different relevance to different people, the Arabic word means to strive or struggle toward achieving a higher aim, which includes the "struggle in the way of God."  It also means self-defense; and to strive against injustices; and to attain the ultimate goal of Tazkiyatul Nafs or purification of the soul -- morally, spiritually, and ethically.  Indeed it is this latter aspect, the jihad with oneself as one resists temptations and strives against his/her evil tendencies, which Prophet Muhammad referred to as "the Greater Jihad," because purification of the soul or simply self-purification is an around-the-clock process in which one engages in a steadfast introspection.

Despite great achievements in the fields of science and technology; in the compilation and standardization of knowledge; and, yes, in the art of its dissemination, humanity still remains in an embryonic if not an imbecilic stage when it comes to morality and ethics.

Human beings, though endowed by their Creator with profound faculty that renders them superior to other known creatures, they are given by that same Creator the capacity or the freewill to bring themselves to "the lowest of the low."  Needless to say it is this latter capacity that inspires human vices and wickedness -- extremism in all its forms and manifestations (socially, economically, politically, and religiously) and the ever-increasing appetite to exploit others, to kill and destroy.

The human being remains a profound enigma and a paradox of clashing potentialities.  As we surpass the animals in the realm of intellect and wisdom, we surpass them in savagery as well.  There is no animal group that plays "war games" and makes deliberate plans to oppress or annihilate others while they are bellyful -- all in the name of ideology, religion, economic exploitation, strategic opportunism, or simply racism.

So when the Prophet was referring to a particular aspect of jihad in such high regard he was not merely offering an opinion.  Rather, he was pointing to what the majority of the Muslim scholars consider the peak of piety: to a process that, according to the Qur'an, leads to the ultimate salvation.

As He does throughout the Qur'an in order to put emphasis on the message that follows, in the Al-Shams (The Sun) chapter God swears multiple times -- in fact, more than any other time: "(I swear) By the sun and its glorious splendor; and by the moon as it follows it; and by the day as it reveals it; and by the night as it conceals it; and by the sky and what built it;  and by the earth and what smoothes it out all over; and by the soul and who gave it balance and order, and inspired it with the capacity to turn to disobedience and the capacity to fear God; Verily, whosoever purifies the soul attains the highest of success, and verily whosoever corrupts it descends into utter failure!"  And the engine that drives this process is known as Taqwah (sincere fear and devotion to God).  It is through Taqwah that one attains profound God-consciousness which cultivates one's capacity to self-police against all evil.

So how could such a noble concept get so distorted?  How come the robe-wearing extremists of the East and the suit-wearing extremists of the West are the ones who hold monopoly on the definition of jihad?

In the past eight years of the ongoing global political discontent, one persistent warning has been systematically ignored: when militant politics takes over the stage, reason makes a run for the exit.  This was a period when people were generally herded toward one side of the argument or the other.  Two nihilistic manifestos dominated the political discourse and brought the world closer to a self-fulfilling prophecy known as the "clash of civilizations": the global war on terror and the global jihad.

The former was based on an erroneous premise that "political Islam" in all its manifestations is anti-democratic and anti-Western and, as such, should never be afforded a space in the market place of ideas.  They insisted that such movements were dangerous fronts for Muslim militants with a sinister transnational "jihadist ambition" who were set to destroy the West because they simply hated it for its freedom and economic success.  Therefore, they were to be met with "preemptive" force if they were based in foreign lands and by draconian policies if they were stationed in the West.

The proponents of this view work hard to conceal two particular facts that dismantle their claim: the success of the Turkish political system led by a democratically elected Islamist government, and the millions of Muslims who live peacefully in the US and various parts of Europe in spite of ever-growing Islamophobia.

The latter, on the other hand, was based on an opposite yet equally erroneous premise: that the West is collectively bent on destroying Islam . . . by occupying the Islamic world, exploiting its natural resources, oppressing its peoples, and Westernizing Islamic values.  And as such, jihad against the West is not only right, but the moral thing to do.

The proponents of this manifesto, such as Al Qaeda, selectively employ the confrontational rhetoric often used by their counterparts in the West -- secularist and evangelical Zionists -- to lend credence to their claim.  And they, too, work hard to conceal two particular realities: that Muslims are afforded more rights in the West than in most of the so-called Islamic countries when it comes to practicing their religion freely and establishing Islamic institutions; and also that the Obama administration is adamant about its desire to improve relations with the Muslim world.

Back to the abused concept: until jihad is openly discussed and deciphered both in the Islamic and the Western world, and its true nature is widely unveiled, the abuse of the concept for self-serving political ends will inevitably continue and so would its unjust violent expression.

But think the author would do well to watch this:

Our Own Private bin Laden:

"The concept of Jihad was born as a consequence of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan."
 

WHO SAID WE WONT GET FOOLED AGAIN?

Click the above link, you might like to have a listen while you read but the lyrics to that Who classic, very apt! ‘Meet the new boss, same as the old boss,’ oh yes but…

I really don’t get all this fuss about the BBC’s refusal to air the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Gaza Appeal, for one thing, the Director General could almost be considered ‘dual-nationality’ if this is anything to go by.

OK, it may have cost the appeal a million pound or so but it is debateable as to whether their refusal didn’t just gain the appeal more publicity anyway. But what’s really bugging me and it’s all very well and nice to hear that so many MP’s were falling over themselves to sign the proposed Early Day Motion in protest and while it’s gratifying to hear that the Palestine Solidarity Campaign have included an urging to end the UK’s arms trade with Israel as part of their March 11^th National Lobby of Parliament – I can only assume that their enthusiasm for the EDM was an attempt to mask their shame, to try and hide their guilt for the UK’s complicity, as the threatened ‘Shoah’ on Gaza was realized – let’s face it, someone in government must have known about this, the very likely fact that some of the weapons used by Israel passed through Britain some time between October and December of last year – something which the UK government is said to have no control over, you’d think there would be murmurings of discontent, a call for an inquiry perhaps, not a whisper!

Shocking! But then, I almost collapsed and died from hysterical laughter when I heard this, ‘Tony Blair wins a million-dollar prize for global leadership’ – for his determination to find solutions to areas in conflict, no less. Bush’s poodle - committed more UK troops to a battlefield than any other PM since WW2 – Iraq was hardly an act of leadership was it? Maybe he’d like to distribute the money amongst the families of the bereaved in Iraq but that wouldn’t even be a dollar each would it?

Maybe it was for his recent announcement in The Times that ‘Hamas must be brought into the peace process,’ that sounds like a promising initiative but this being Blair and come to think of it, he’s changed his tune and I’m not sure what instrument he plays but you can guarantee, there will be strings attached.

(Just remembered, he plays the guitar, doesn’t he?)

Actually, that Times article helps make my point, as I said, he’s changed his tune because at no point in the previous 18 months as ‘so-called’ Peace Envoy has he called for anything like talking to Hamas. Back in early December of last year he called for a ‘new strategy’ on Gaza but that had more to do with getting the ‘right measures’ in place to see that Hamas would be ousted in forthcoming elections. And then, after a barrage of threats of imminent military force, when asked if he was concerned about the possibility of an Israeli operation, just before Christmas, duly replies:

"All the options for Israel are difficult, but the present option is difficult too. I have already said enough." Gaza, he notes, "is not staying still, because there is no doubt that Hamas is strengthening its grip at the moment, and my own view is that if the people of Gaza thought that there is an alternative and that they could actually rejoin normality again, I think that they would opt for it, so the reason I am being coy about solutions and strategies is that I think that the time to discuss this publicly is not now.

Then he sets off on holiday, leaving Israel to implement his ‘right measures’ and drop the aforementioned weaponry amongst Gaza’s children, weaponry which, according to Baroness Tonge, in a UK parliamentary debate, included shells ‘that are able to do damage over a range of 300 metres. Then and only then, after some kind of vain, criminal even, attempt to bomb the people of Gaza into submission, does he come up with the bright idea of bringing Hamas into the peace process.

This man is not fit for the position of peace envoy but going back to that piece in the Times and just to show how far removed from reality Blair’s brain resides, it says he had appeared to be waiting for the change of government in the US before making any criticism of the Israeli blockade of Gaza and that under the stewardship of their new envoy, Mr Mitchell, Gaza was being offered the possibility of rejoining the West Bank. Rejoin the West Bank? Like it’s some kind of rose garden over there, that’s not what I’ve been hearing and ‘er, excuse me Mr Blair but there is a growing consensus of opinion that is still waiting for ‘the change’ in government, or policy at least, within the US.  H’mm, we wont get fooled again, will we?

Since I wrote the above Mr Blair has visited Gaza and this was Alex Thomson introducing his report that day. Why would he appear ‘nervous’ I wonder?

BLAIR CALLS FOR END TO ISRAELI BLOCKADE OF GAZA

First off to the Middle East. In his only major British TV interview Tony Blair talked to me about visiting Gaza today and he called on the Israelis to lift their blockade of the Strip. Further he outlined his three basic principles for the basis of a peace deal. Fascinating stuff on how near we are or should be to talking with Hamas – not least because of Blair’s unique Northern Ireland experience and he makes some telling comparisons.

Characteristically evasive and expansive by turns, looking remarkably well after the stresses of UK leadership (or was it a particularly good make-up job) and yet cautious in his demeanour – nervous, even? I don’t know. All I do know is that he wouldn’t come within miles of us when we were in the area during Israel’s bombardment but clearly feels the need to talk now. An interesting watch I promise you.

Tony Blair interview

Watch the report

Last Modified: 01 Mar 2009
 

After visiting Gaza, Tony Blair describes the devastation in the region as "shocking and enormous".

Watch Alex Thomson's interview with the Middle East envoy in full:

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_politics/tony+blair+interview/3006657

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM0WIP7eMYs&feature=related

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/w/who/wont+get+fooled+again_20146855.html

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=35919

http://www.dec.org.uk/item/200/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/pandora/bbc-chief-holds-peace-talks-in-jerusalem-with-ariel-sharon-517400.html

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/uk/mps+slam+bbc+and+sky+over+gaza+snub/2911762

http://www.palestinecampaign.org/index7b-2.asp?m_id=1&l1_id=6&l2_id=57&content_ID=346

http://www.counterpunch.org/cook03082008.html

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_politics/israeli+weapons+via+east+anglia+/2909027

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/feb/16/tony-blair-prize

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5621184.ece

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Action4Palestine/message/4057

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydt0SL5rYow&feature=channel_page

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_ID=10&article_ID=98245&categ_id=2

http://silvbird.livejournal.com/1929.html

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1048022.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1105250/As-Gaza-torn-apart-war-Middle-East-peace-envoy-Tony-Blair-Hes-HOLIDAY.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzIL2ikCuew

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/20/israelandthepalestinians-israeli-elections-2009

I received from a researcher a brief biography of my great grandfather Tannous Kawar that was published in the well known literary magazine, Al-Mouqtataf in Cairo after his death on November 27^th. 1888, which I would like to share a translation of it with our friends, and those who are interested in the honorable history of the Palestinian Arab people.

Tannous Kawar

1808 - 1888

Al-Muqtataf Magazine Cairo

By: Amin Aboud

Tannous Michael Kawar was Born in Nazareth – Palestine in 1808 and was raised in it. He then moved to Haifa city to establish a flourishing trading business, where besides showing good efforts and straightforwardness he earned a good fortune and reputaton, and became well known in the business circles. And when his brother died in 1845, who was the sheik of the Christian Orthodox community, Patriarch Kirilos noting his charitable qualities convinced him to return to Nazareth to replace his brother as sheikh of the community.

At the time conflict rose between the Palestinian Arab nationals and the Greek Orthodox monastery in Jerusalem.The mutasaref of  Jerusalem, Kamel Pasha Asadr Al-Azam, knowing Sheikh Tannous’ nobility and chivalry qualities he highly honored him. In 1868 he was elected deputy for the region in the general council held in Beirut headed by Rashed Pasha the walli of Syria. Rashed Pasha noticing his high determination and dedication, and patriotic fervor he fully relied on him in executing the responsibilities of his post, which increased his fervor and dedication.

Upon returning to Nazareth he worked on improving the agricultural conditions of the region, and noticing that the wheat crop was not of good enough quality, he imported a new quality of seeds from far away, which produced high quality crop, and the new imported seed became to be known, the Tannousi wheat up till this date.

With his and his brother’s efforts the first Nazareth municipal council was established, which he headed for eight years till he started suffering ill health that prevented him from performing his duties. During his presidency he introduced many improvements in and outside the city to become an actually a proper city by among other improvements that he introduced were tiling roads and building a new sewage system.

Noting his great interest in improving the standard of the youth especially their education, Patriarch Nichodimos appointed him in 1884  director general for all the community’s schools, which greatly raised their standard, and remained in that post till his death.

In 1885 he fell ill, which required a surgical operation that needed chloroform, and under its effect, I heard him saying, “Why do you treat the poor people unfairly, put the burden on the rich and be merciful with the unprivileged who doesn’t have enough to live on decently. Pay on my account, and I shall pay any amounts required.” The following day I reminded him of what I heard him saying the day before, he instantly replied, yes there are needy people, of whom we don’t know of. On the spot he summoned representatives of the various religious sects and asked them to give him a list of the names of needy people in their various communities, and gave them the required allowances to cover their needs, which amounted to big amounts of money. Nazareth city and its surrounding villages’ people benefitted from his allowances.

When Archduke Sergious visited Nazareth he personally decorated him with a medal of honor, which he deserves. as was expressed by a high official of the state. He was noted for being circled by noble people, honoring great personalities, and nicely treating the poor and comforted strangers, his house and dining table was always open for guests at all times.

He died on November 27^th. 1888, and when the news spread all arrived to pay condolences and express their sorrow for the loss that the country suffered, and telegraphic messages from all over the willayas of Syria and Beirut arrived, and many men of letters and poets elegized him.

Amin Aboud

November 27^th. 1888

جزء من مدينة الناصرة كما خطط لها مؤسس بلديتها، طنوس قعوار، كما كانت في نهاية القرن التاسع عشر

ولم تكن صحراء قبل غزوهم لفلسطين

A part of Nazareth as planned for by the founder of it municipality, Tannous Kawar, at the end of the 19th century

And it was not a desert before the Zionist invasion to Palestine

استلمت من باحث نبذة موجزة عن تاريخ حياة جد والدي، المرحوم الشيخ طنوس قعوار، والتي نشرت في مجلة المقتطف القاهرية اثر وفاته في 27 تشرين الثاني 1888، التي أرغب مشاركة الأصدقاء بها، خصوصاً من يهمهم الأطلاع على التاريخ المشرف للشعب العربي الفلسطيني.

مجلة المقطم القاهرية 1888

الشيخ طنوس قعوار*

ولد الفقيد في مدينة الناصرة سنة 1808 وتربى فيها ولما شب أقام في مدينة حيفا واتجر فيها وكان الاجتهاد شعاره والحق سيفه والاستقامة ترسه فربح ثروة وافرة واشتهر اسمه بين التجار. وسنة 1845 توفي أخوه وكان شيخاً على الطائفة الأورثودكسية فأقنعه غبطة البطريرك كيريلس بالعودة إلى الناصرة لما رآه من اكبابه على عمل الخير وجعله شيخاً على الطائفة المذكورة بدل أخيه.

وفي تلك الأثناء حدث الاختلاف بين الوطنيين ودير الروم في القدس الشريف فجعل وكيلاً عن الوطنيين وكان متصرف القدس يومئذ دولتلو كامل باشا الصدر الأعظم فكرم الفقيد غاية الاكرام لما رأى به النبل والشهامة. وسنة 1868 النتخب نائباً عن هذه الجهات في المجلس العمومي الذي عقد في مدينة بيروت تحت رآسة دولتلو راشد باشا والي سوريا، فلما رأى دولته ما عند الفقيد من علو الهمة وصدق العزيمة والغيرة الوطنية ألقى اعتماده عليه في أكثر الأمور فزادت غيرته غيرة. ولما عاد إلى وطنه اهتم باصلاح شأن الفلاحة فيه. ورأى أن الحنطة البلدية ليست على أجودها فجلب البزار من أماكن بعيدة فنجح نجاحاً تاماً ولقب بالطنوسي إلى يومنا هذا. وبسعيه وسعي أخيه المرحوم ميخائيل قعوار تشكل مجلس البلدية ورأسه ثماني سنوات إلى أن أضعفه الهرم عن القيام بواجبه. وقي مدة رآسته أنشأ اصلاحات كثيرة داخل المدينة وخارجها.

وكان مهتماً أشد الاهتمام بترقية شأن الشبان وتهذيبهم وعينه غبطة البطريرك نيقوديموس مديراً لجميع مدارس الطائفة الآورثوذكسية وكان ذلك سنة 1884 فارتقت المدارس بسعيه غاية الارتقاء وبقي مديرها إلى أن توفاه الله.

وسنة 1885 اشتد عليه المرض والألم واستدعت الحال إلى عملية جراحية فاعطي الكلوروفورم ولما كان تحت فعل الكلوروفورم سمعته بقول: "لمذا تظلمون الفقراء القوا الثقل على الأغنياء واشفقوا على المساكين الذين ليس لهم ما يقتاتون به. حولوا حسابهم علي وأنا أدفع كل ما يطلب منهم." وقي اليوم التالي ذكرته بما سمعته منه بالأمس فقال لي نعم وقد يوجد أناس يحتاجون المساعدة ولا علم لنا بهم فأرسل حالاً واستدعى أناساً من كل الطوائف وطلب منهم أسماء فقراء طوائفهم ورتب لهم ما يسد عوزهم وأرسل اموالاً طائلة إلى القرى المجاورة لتفرق على فقرائها.

ولما شرف الغراندوق سرجيوس مدينة الناصرة هذه السنة أكرم فقيدنا غاية الاكرام وأليسه نيشاناً بيده. وهو الجدير بذلك لآنه كان كما قال فيه أحد رجال دولتنا يرى فيه مجالساً للشرفاء مكرماً للعظماء مشيراً على الوجهاءىملاطفا للفقراء مواسياً للغرباء بيته لا يخلو من النزلاء ومائدته لا تخلو من الضيوف.

وكانت وفاته في السابع والعشرين من تشرين الثاني (نوفمبر) 1888 ولما انتشر نعيه ازدحمت أقدام المعزين والمتأسفين وحمل البرق تعازي الأصدقاء والمعروف من ولايتي سوريه وبيروت ورثاه الكثيرين من الشعراء والأدباء.

                                                                أمين عبود

By Khalid Amayreh

6 February, 2009

On 27^th December, Israel carried out a genocidal blitzkrieg against the estimated 1.5 million Palestinian inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, using state-of-the-art of the American technology of death.

This deadly weapons used against the imprisoned Gaza inhabitants include , inter alia, F-16 war planes, equipped with all sorts of lethal missiles including bunker buster bombs,  apache helicopters, white Phosphorous shells, flechette dart shells, as well as the  Dense Inert Metal Explosive (DIME), a deadly weapon recently developed by the United States army to create a powerful and lethal blast over a small area.

DIME is believed to still be in the experimental stage. However, it is widely believed that Israel had received a green light from the Pentagon to use Gaza as a testing ground.

In addition, Israel used all other conventional weapons, including tank and artillery shells against densely populated neighborhoods.

According to David Halpin, a retired British surgeon and trauma specialist, the Israeli army used Gaza as a “laboratory for testing what I call weapons from hell.”

“I fear the thinking in Israel is that it is in its interests to create as much mutilation as possible to terrorize the civilian population in the hope they will turn against Hamas.” (see, Is Gaza a Testing Ground For experimental Weapons, Jonathan Cook, The Electronic Intifada, 13 January).

By the 23rd day of the criminal onslaught , when Israel halted its blitz, Gaza looked very much like a real concentration camp, with over 10,000 Palestinians dead and mutilated, including more than 300 kids mercilessly  killed and five times as many kids  seriously injured or maimed.

 In addition, the civilian infrastructure all over the Gaza Strip was utterly destroyed. This includes apartment and public buildings, dozens of mosques, college and dorm buildings, businesses,  schools, hospitals, power plants, water supply treatment facilities, UN Shelter schools, civilian police stations, farmland, and thousands of homes. 

It was a no-holds-barred assault, and many older people who lived through the Second World War have  likened Gaza on 18 January with the bombed-out German City of Dresden before the end of the Second World War.

The massive killing of civilians  carried out by the Israeli army was done knowingly and deliberately, as Israeli soldiers were instructed not to show any mercy toward the civilian population. This explains the total annihilation of numerous entire families by bombing residential homes.

Israel claims that the offensive targeted Hamas, not the people of Gaza. However, Israeli political and military leaders as well as many  intellectuals  readily stretched  their concept of  “Hamas” to encompass virtually the entire Palestinian community in Gaza. 

For example, Yaron London, a “left-leaning” Israeli intellectual and  prominent media figure told reporters that  “The time has come to shock the Gaza population with actions that until now have nauseated us-actions such as killing the political leadership, causing hunger and thirst in Gaza, blocking off energy sources, causing widespread destruction, and being less discriminating in the killing of civilians. There is no other choice.”

He added : “I am referring to both the population and their leadership; they are the same, because the population voted for Hamas. I can’t separate between one who voted for Hamas and a Hamas leader.”

There are actually numerous other quotations by Israeli leaders condoning and even gloating over the crimes the Israeli army has committed in Gaza.

Pornographic war crimes

Israeli officials and spokespersons don’t really deny that war crimes have been committed in Gaza. However, they try desperately to extenuate the severity and seriousness of   these crimes by arguing that “things like that happen in war time,” and that “Hamas, too, committed war crimes.”

Non the less,  comparing Hamas’s crimes with the holocaust-like blitz in Gaza flies in the face of the dignity of language. It is a verbal promiscuity, a sort of fornication with words.

Indeed,  using Israeli crimes and Hamas’s “crimes” in the same breath would be as absurd and corrupt   as equating the Nazi atrocities with the resistance in Nazi-occupied Europe.

The crimes committed in Gaza by the Israeli Defense Forces are not questionable or controversial and don’t require  much efforts to ascertain them.

The factuality of these crimes, which transcend reality,  is not only established by the naked physical reality, but are also further ascertained  by Israel’s confused efforts to cover up these crimes.

Indeed, Israel has embarked on quiet but massive efforts to cover up the Gaza war crimes by falsifying the names the alleged war criminals who are numbered in the thousands.

On 5 February, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported that the Israeli army began removing the names and details of army officers involved in the Gaza blitz from legal documents.

“The censor’s office issued sweeping gag orders on the names of all officers who participated in the operation, fearing their identification would expose them to legal action abroad.”

This shows that Israel is trying to evade the consequences of its crimes against humanity by hiding the facts and preventing the relatives of Palestinian victims from knowing the names of the killers.

In light, it is imperative that a credible, honest, a non-political and non-governmental body is established to thoroughly  investigate these crimes and pursue the  war criminals wherever they may be.

Luckily, the names of many of these criminals are already known.

The criminals  include not only soldiers and officers taking part in the genocidal atrocities, but also political leaders who gave the orders and instructions.

It is true that there are no guarantees at the moment that the war criminals will be apprehended, and prosecuted, let alone punished for their crimes, given the international political environment and the  absence of the international will to challenge the quasi-Nazi state and her guardian-ally, the United States.

However, if actual prosecution proves difficult, and it undoubtedly is, it doesn’t mean that the war criminals should be allowed to get away with impunity.

Therefore,  a comprehensive,  professional and highly concentrated effort to amass, classify and  authenticate  all available evidences should get underway  immediately.

The souls of these Gaza children,  mercilessly killed and incinerated  by the hellish Israeli-American war machine are calling on us to pursue the murderers.

We must not let these vile murderers and child killers  sleep quietly.

Indeed, pursuing these human animals  will eventually prove instrumental in determining whether the future of our children will be governed by the laws of humanity or the rules of the jungle.

A response to the BBC's reply to my complaint,

Dear Mr BBC – You Just Don’t Get It, Do You?

Thank you for your response to my complaint. Just a couple of bones to pick, no, make that three:

So this is the crux of your argument:

“But there is a second more fundamental reason why we decided that we should not broadcast the appeal at present. This is because Gaza remains a major ongoing news story, in which humanitarian issues - the suffering and distress of civilians and combatants on both sides of the conflict, the debate about who is responsible for causing it and what should be done about it - are both at the heart of the story and contentious. - -

The danger for the BBC is that this could be interpreted as taking a political stance on an ongoing story. When we have turned down DEC appeals in the past on impartiality grounds it has been because of this risk of giving the public the impression that the BBC was taking sides in an ongoing conflict.“

Debate – what debate? You obviously didn’t click the link that read ‘truth’ – I implore you to spend the not-even-two-minutes watching Mark Regev of the Israeli government admitting that Hamas fired no rockets during the near five month ceasefire between June and November. The video also explains how the truce was ended on the eve of Obama’s election when Israel decided to bomb one of the tunnels and killed six Palestinians. I covered the event myself in this little blog entitled: ‘Big Brother Wasn’t Looking And Israel Strikes Again.’

As to what should be done about it, that is quite simple too. Going back to my complaint, I show quite clearly where you reported a mistruth and then invited comments:

“This is no excuse - the BBC is biased, as I made clear in the letter I recently wrote to the Foreign Office:

Dear Ministers,

Yesterday I sent this comment to the BBC’s ‘Have Your Say’ question of ‘ How Can A Truce Be Achieved In Gaza?’

“We’re not going to get anywhere without honest reporting. In your brief summary you said during the recent ceasefire that Israel had eased it’s blockade. That was a condition for truce but was never enacted.”

As far as I’m aware the gradual lifting of the embargo on Gaza was a condition of the ceasefire but was never put into effect, at all. And I mention that in the above blog piece, open some border crossings, simple really, that is what should be done about it.

Basically then, the BBC is failing to see the truth but to your second point, ‘the risk of giving the public the impression that the BBC is taking sides.’ This is absolute baloney. What I am getting at, is that by your not airing the DEC Appeal for Gaza, you are actually siding with the main offender. Considering all, and there are many, allegations of war crimes being committed, this will not do. Both of my grandfathers fought during WW2 against Nazism, I am English, surely I should take that stance but no, the BBC wants me to remain impartial about a regime that is being considered as such. Again, see complaint, the Gerald Kaufman video, or look at these stark comparisons. 

Now, to my third point of contention, this Mark Thomson fellow, are you sure that he is not of dual nationality? How can we as British citizens be sure that he is acting solely on our behalf? Here he is mixing it with another war criminal. Director General, are you sure he is the right man for the job?

Because let’s get this straight, Mr Benn is right when he says that people will die because of the BBC and Mark Thomson would quite happily refuse young Aymam here

any treatment at all for his wounds created by Israel’s use of white phosphorus.

This is worse than a case of SHAME ON YOU! It is an ABSOLUTE DISGRACE!

Yours truly,

A J Silvera

PS: Would you like to join this Facebook Event?

Donate Your TV License Fee to Gaza for a month

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=62434016046

Thank you for your complaint about the BBC’s decision not to grant a broadcast appeal to the Disasters Emergency Committee for Gaza . Your email has been formally recorded as a complaint by the BBC.

The decisions about DEC appeals are not directly a matter for BBC News. The BBC’s Director General Mark Thompson, writing in his capacity as editor-in-chief, has written on the BBC editors’ blog about the reasons for the decision. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/ You can read his comments there and you can contribute your own response, should you wish to do so. Mr Thompson’s comments are also pasted below.

A number of complainants have claimed that the BBC’s reporting of humanitarian suffering in Gaza has been inadequate. I believe that throughout the conflict that BBC News has done all it can to report on the consequences of the fighting. Here are just a few stories we have published in recent days:

“New evidence of Gaza child deaths” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7843307.stm

“Broken town shows Gaza destruction”  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7836541.stm

“Phosphorus wounds alarm Gazans” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7848768.stm

“A father’s loss” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7848127.stm

The BBC did a significant amount of eye-witness journalism from within Gaza during the conflict. And once it was possible for foreign journalists to enter Gaza the BBC has committed significant resources to reporting and investigating the aftermath, as the examples above demonstrate.

Peter Horrocks

Head of BBC newsroom

Article for BBC editors’ blog by BBC Director-General, Mark Thompson:

It's not often as editor-in-chief I use our 'editors' blog' to highlight a BBC issue, but with strong views about our decision not to broadcast a Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for Gaza, I wanted to write directly and explain our thinking.

When there is a major humanitarian crisis, the DEC - which is a group of major British charities - comes together and, if it believes various criteria are met and a major public appeal is justified, asks the BBC and other broadcasters to broadcast an appeal. We usually - though not always - accede to the DEC's request and as a result have broadcast many DEC appeals over the years.

A few days ago, the DEC approached us about an appeal for Gaza and, after very careful reflection and consultation inside and outside the BBC, we decided that in this case we should not broadcast the appeal. One reason was a concern about whether aid raised by the appeal could actually be delivered on the ground. You will understand that one of the factors we have to look at is the practicality of the aid, which the public are being asked to fund, getting through. In the case of the Burma cyclone, for instance, it was only when we judged that there was a good chance of the aid getting to the people who needed it most that we agreed to broadcast the appeal. Clearly, there have been considerable logistical difficulties in delivering aid into Gaza . However some progress has already been made and the situation could well improve in the coming days. If it does, this reason for declining to broadcast the appeal will no longer be relevant.

But there is a second more fundamental reason why we decided that we should not broadcast the appeal at present. This is because Gaza remains a major ongoing news story, in which humanitarian issues - the suffering and distress of civilians and combatants on both sides of the conflict, the debate about who is responsible for causing it and what should be done about it - are both at the heart of the story and contentious. We have and will continue to cover the human side of the conflict in Gaza extensively across our news services where we can place all of the issues in context in an objective and balanced way. After looking at all of the circumstances, and in particular after seeking advice from senior leaders in BBC Journalism, we concluded that we could not broadcast a free-standing appeal, no matter how carefully constructed, without running the risk of reducing public confidence in the BBC's impartiality in its wider coverage of the story. Inevitably an appeal would use pictures which are the same or similar to those we would be using in our news programmes but would do so with the objective of encouraging public donations. The danger for the BBC is that this could be interpreted as taking a political stance on an ongoing story. When we have turned down DEC appeals in the past on impartiality grounds it has been because of this risk of giving the public the impression that the BBC was taking sides in an ongoing conflict.

However, BBC News and the BBC as a whole takes its responsibility to report the human consequences of situations like Gaza very seriously and I believe our record in doing it with compassion as well as objectivity is unrivalled. Putting this decision aside, we also have a very strong track-record in supporting DEC appeals and more broadly, through BBC Children In Need, Comic Relief and our many other appeals, in using the BBC's airwaves to achieve positive humanitarian and charitable goals. This is an important part of what it is to be a public service broadcaster. It is sometimes not a comfortable place to be, but we have a duty to ensure that nothing risks undermining our impartiality. It is to protect that impartiality that we have made this difficult decision.

Finally, it is important to remember that our decision does not prevent the DEC continuing with their appeal for donations and people are able to contribute should they choose to.

 

Dear BBC,

Regarding the decision not to air the DEC Gaza Appeal:

The BBC says that they don't want to compromise their commitment to impartiality. This is no excuse - the BBC is biased, as I made clear in the letter I recently wrote to the Foreign Office:

Yesterday I sent this comment to the BBC’s ‘Have Your Say’ question of ‘ How Can A Truce Be Achieved In Gaza?’

“We’re not going to get anywhere without honest reporting. In your brief summary you said during the recent ceasefire that Israel had eased it’s blockade. That was a condition for truce but was never enacted. You also failed to mention that 49 Palestinians were killed during this period. The west has made out that Hamas is to blame for the breakdown but the truth is to the contrary. If George Bush had any morals he would rein-in Israel NOW!”

Only a few days ago the BBC reported Gaza as, ‘looks like an earthquake.’ I could go on here about the humanitarian crisis but I’ll just say this:

Didn’t they hear about Gerald Kaufman MP describing the Israelis as acting like Nazis in the House of Parliament?

Haven’t they heard that charges of War Crimes are being filed against 15 Israeli officials, including senior members of their government?

I’m struggling with belief now that they are resisting their own government's urgings to reconsider their decision – a government I am usually railing against but right now I agree with Douglas Alexander and seriously suggest that the BBC have a rethink!

[Yes, listen to the man, his interview on now – he might respect your impartiality but he’s right there! YOU’RE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE LINE!!]

The longer they continue refusal of airing the appeal, confidence in their impartiality within this member of the public at least is increasingly waning. I can’t believe that they’re wasting my time having to do this. I hope the protest this afternoon is massive. If there isn’t an imminent reversal, I’ll be switching to Channel 4 permanently!

Yours truly,
 

 Andrew J Silvera & The Latest

Snowmail: BBC and Gaza appeal row

 

I never thought I’d hear such a staunch Friend of Israel talk like this: UK Jewish MP: Israel acting like Nazis in Gaza - Link for video but did he say Nazis? Check this out. And as usual, in the same debate, I think, old GGG just about hits the nail on the head, when he said:

"We Are The Authors Of This Tragedy"

George Galloway's powerful speech in the House of Commons debate on Gaza, Thu 15 Jan 2009 (5.30pm), highlighting the hypocrisy and brazen double-standards of Western foreign policy towards Israel policies, including assassinations and other war crimes.

Talking of Britain and the Balfour Declaration, the longest serving Labour MP of the 20^th Century, Tony Benn (God Bless) went a step further at this weekend’s demo in London:

In London's Trafalgar Square, former cabinet minister Tony Benn told the crowd the Royal Navy should be used to break the blockade of Gaza and warships should accompany ships carrying food and medicine to the territory. He also called on the UK Government to withdraw its ambassador from Israel.

It was great to hear that:

Bolivian President Evo Morales announced yesterday that he was severing diplomatic ties with Israel and will ask the ICC to bring genocide charges against top Israeli officials. Morales called for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his cabinet to face criminal charges. Meanwhile, nine Israeli human rights groups warned on Wednesday that Israel is violating international law in Gaza.

So, how does one tie all that in with ‘Israel declaring Gaza a hostile entity?’ Déjà vu or something, we’ve been here before and then I recalled a little blog piece from some time back. If you do take the time to browse through this little lot, just think of the last three weeks, the carnage, the devastation, the grotesque pictures and horror movies that Israel (with our blessing) has given to the world – and that this was only 14 months ago but it seems like a bed of roses now…

Note: This was written or put together in November 2007 but scroll down for the topics – a developing humanitarian crisis in Gaza – Andrew Love MP’s EDM and his grave concern regards Israel declaring Gaza a hostile entity - UN rights expert compares Israeli occupation violations to apartheid - UN rights official condemns Israeli Gaza strikes as "war crimes" – Eva Morales & A Formal Summons to World States by Indigenous First Nations and Peoples [Do checkout No.12, a great idea!] – The added link to MY ENTRY for the FT’s 750 word, ‘What I Would Change’ essay competition - Palestine Should Sue Israel for Genocide before the International Court of Justice by Francis A. Boyle - All this and more: REMEMBER BALFOUR! WHAT FOR?


Links from top down:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qMGuYjt6CP8&eurl

http://silvbird.livejournal.com/5728.html

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IIpvrOJQ0J0

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090117/tuk-anti-war-protests-sweep-the-country-6323e80.html

http://news.findlaw.com/prnewswire/20090115/15jan20091512.html

http://boliviarising.blogspot.com/2009/01/bolivia-to-take-israel-to-hague.html

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I DID START PUTTING THIS TOGETHER YESTERDAY, NOV 2^ND, AS THERE WAS SOME INTERESTING STUFF IN FRIDAY'S UN NEWS DAILY:

LEBANON, MYANMAR, DARFUR AMONG HOTSPOTS ON SECURITY COUNCIL AGENDA – PRESIDENT

Lebanon, Myanmar and the situation in the war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan are among the top issues to be dealt with by the Security Council this month, its president said today.

Next week, the Council will consult on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's latest report on the implementation of resolution 1559 regarding Lebanon, which supports polling free from outside influence and calls for the withdrawal of all remaining foreign forces, the disbanding of all militias and the extension of Government control over the entire country.

http://www.friendsoflebanon.org/ 
 

ALTHOUGH, 'FREE FROM OUTSIDE INFLUENCE AND DISBANDING ALL MILITIAS,' SEEMS A BIT OPTMISTIC, CONSIDERING:


Robert Fisk: Secret armies pose sinister new threat to Lebanon
Published: 19 October 2007

Lebanon is peopled with ghosts. But the phantoms now returning to haunt this damaged country –the militias which tore it apart more than 30 years ago – are real. Guns are flooding back into the country – $800 for an AK-47, $3,700 for a brand-new French Famas – as Lebanon security apparatus hunt desperately for the leadership of the new and secret armies.

What now worries the Lebanese authorities, however, is the sheer scale of weaponry arriving in Lebanon. It appears to include new Glock pistols (asking price $1,000). There are growing fears, moreover, that many of these guns are from the vast stock of 190,000 rifles and pistols which the US military "lost" when they handed them out to Iraqi police officers without registering their numbers or destination.

http://news.independent.co.uk/fisk/article3075730.ece 

 

SURPRISING THOUGH, NO MENTION OF THE DEVELOPING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN PALESTINE, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING:

NEWS UPDATE 28 October 2007

Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel * Gisha - Legal Center for Freedom of Movement * HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual * Physicians for Human Rights-Israel * The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights * The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel * Gaza Community Mental Health Programme * B'Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories * Al-Haq *

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights

Human Rights Organizations Petition Supreme Court Demanding an Injunction against Israeli Government to Prevent Disruption to Supply of Electricity and Fuel to Gaza

The Government Openly Decides, Apparently for the First Time, to Impose Collective Punishment on 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip; Petitioners: The Decision is Illegal and will Damage the Health, Safety and Welfare of the Population of Gaza

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/PressR/English/2007/28-10-2007.html  

AND

*Hamas calls for a state of emergency in resistance of Israeli attacks on
Gaza <http://www.imemc.org/article/51244 >
The ruling Islamist group of Hamas in Gaza called on Thursday on all
Palestinian resistance factions to declare a high state of alert, in
preparation for an imminent Israeli massive offensive on the coastal region.

PS: Know any UK residents who can badger their MP's to sign these Early Day Motions?

EDM 2118
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN GAZA
15.10.2007
Love, Andrew

That this House expresses grave concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the decision by the State of Israel to declare it a hostile entity; notes that this included further isolating the 1.5 million Palestinian residents of this occupied territory, 1.1 million of whom have to survive on food handouts; also notes that future Israeli measures could involve cutting off crucial supplies including food, fuel, electricity and water in response to the firing of Kassams from Gaza; and therefore calls upon the UK Government to make the strongest possible representations to the Israeli government that such measures are wholly unacceptable and tantamount to collective punishment and a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention.


Meanwhile; Khaled, below, is just one of a number of students trapped in Gaza as:
Israel breaks promise to Gaza students
*
The army has broken a promise given to the High Court of Justice to renew
bus transportation for Gaza Strip students to Egypt so that they can pursue
their academic studies abroad, said Gisha - the Legal Center for Freedom of
Movement. 670 students with visas to study abroad cannot leave the Gaza
Strip because the Rafah border crossing is closed and there is no other way
for them to reach Egypt. Higher educational opportunities in the Gaza Strip
are extremely limited. Undergraduate and master's degrees are unavailable in
key subjects such as occupational therapy, medicine, speech therapy,
dentistry and physiotherapy, according to Gisha. There are no doctoral
programs in any subject. Furthermore, Israel bars Gaza Strip students from
studying in Israel or the West Bank. http://...com/34s5bm

EDM 2099
KHALED AL-MUDALLAL AND STUDY IN THE UK
11.10.2007
Abbott, Diane

That this House is concerned at the situation facing Bradford University student Khaled al-Mudallal, who is currently confined to Gaza as a result of restrictions on his movement imposed by Israeli authorities; recognises that Mr al-Mudallal has a British residency permit allowing him to stay in the UK to study until 2010; believes that Mr al-Mudallal should be allowed back to Bradford to complete his degree in business and management; and calls on the Government to take action to ensure Mr al-Mudallal's right to education is secured.

House of Commons
Westminster
London SW1A 0AA
Tel Switchboard: 0207 219 3000

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You can contact your MP by visiting http://www.writetothem.com/  

SO WHILE IT'S HEART RENDERING TO HEAR:

PRESIDENT OF UN COURT SAYS IT HAS CLEARED BACKLOG OF CASES

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, has essentially cleared its backlog of cases, the Court's President has told the General Assembly.

Presenting the ICJ's annual report to the Assembly yesterday in New York, Judge Rosalyn Higgins said that countries that were considering bringing cases before the Court could be confident that it would respond promptly.


I CAN'T HELP THINKING BUT THEY MUST HAVE MISSED SOMETHING; IT DON'T TAKE MUCH OF A GOOGLE TO COME UP WITH:


UN rights expert compares Israeli occupation violations to apartheid
February 24, 2007

[JURIST] An independent report [text, PDF] by UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories John Dugard [Wikipedia profile; JURIST news archive] to be presented to the 4th session of the UN Human Rights Council [official website; JURIST news archive] in Geneva next month.... [more]

Israel treatment of Palestinian prisoners defies international law: Israeli rights group
October 26, 2006

[JURIST] Israel is breaching international humanitarian law and is violating the rights of Palestinians by placing severe restrictions on family visits with Palestinian prisoners, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied.... [more]


THAT WAS LAST YEAR, THIS WAS THIS:


PPC to launch international campaign to prosecute Israeli officials
[ 30/10/2007 - 11:47 AM ]

RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- The Palestinian prisoners' club has announced that it intends to launch an international campaign aimed at prosecuting Israeli officials accused of committing "war crimes" against Palestinian prisoners.
This announcement came after the club held an emergency meeting to discuss the successive developments in Israeli prisons, especially the last Israeli aggressions against Palestinian prisoners in the Negev prison which resulted in the death of prisoner Mohamed Al-Ashqar and injury of 30 others.

http://...com/26amyx

Israel high court upholds West Bank barrier
September 15, 2005

[JURIST] The Israeli Supreme Court [official website] ruled Thursday that the country had a right to construct the West Bank barrier [Wikipedia backgrounder] across occupied land, once again opposing a World Court ruling [text; JURIST report] against.... [more]

UN rights official condemns Israeli Gaza strikes as "war crimes"
May 19, 2004

The UN special human rights envoy for the Occupied Territories called the ongoing Israeli military strikes against a Gaza refugee camp "war crimes" in an official statement Wednesday. Envoy John Dugard also labeled the actions "collective punishment" in.... [more] http://...com/36q9k9


BUT WHAT'S THIS? THE UN HQ GETTING A FACELIFT! - TO THE TUNE OF ALMOST ONE YEARS WORTH OF THE UN ANNUAL BUDGET.

EXPEDITING HEADQUARTERS RENOVATION IN BEST INTEREST OF UN, SAYS SENIOR OFFICIAL

A senior United Nations official tasked with overseeing the renovation of the world body's headquarters complex in New York has stressed that accelerating the project will ensure that it is done faster, within budget and with the least amount of disruption to the Organization.

The renovations under the current seven-year, $1.9 billion Capital Master Plan (CMP) are expected to make the main UN Headquarters buildings more energy efficient and eliminate safety and health risks.


I DUNNO, I'M NOT SURE BUT IF THEY WANT IT DONE QUICKER AND A LITTLE BIT CHEAPER, I QUITE LIKED ARTICLE 12 OF THIS LITTLE LOT:


A Formal Summons to World States by Indigenous First Nations and Peoples
Chimoré, Cochabamba, Bolivia, October 12, 2007

From the heart of South America, on this 12th day of October, 2007, the delegates of the indigenous first nations and peoples of the world, meeting in the World Encounter "For the Historic Victory of the Indigenous Peoples of the World", to celebrate the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, hereby declare:

10. To declare water to be a human right, a vital element and social property of humanity and not a source of profit. Likewise, to encourage the use of alternative energies that do not threaten the life of the planet, thereby guaranteeing access to all basic services.
11. To solve cases of migration between countries in a mutually responsible way, adopting policies of free circulations of persons in order to guarantee a world without borders in which there is no discrimination, marginalization and exclusion.
12. To decolonize the United Nations, and move its headquarters to a territory that dignifies and expresses the just aspirations of the Peoples, Nations and States of the world.
13. Not to criminalize the struggles of the indigenous peoples, or demonize or accuse us of terrorism when we reclaim our rights and advance our ideas on how to save life and humanity.
14. To release immediately the indigenous leaders imprisoned in various parts of the world, and in the first place Leonard Peltier in the United States. http://...com/2b3hqe

http://boliviarising.blogspot.com/2007/10/formal-summons-to-world-states-by.html 
 

Please sign the online petition US hands off Bolivia! Respect Bolivian sovereignty. http://...com/3xvk7c


AND WHEN YOU CONSIDER HOW EASY IT IS TO TRAVEL:


First Muslim minister in US airport search, Riazat Butt

"Britain's first Muslim minister Shahid Malik had his hand luggage analysed for traces of explosives as he was about to fly home from Washington DC after high level talks on tackling terrorism."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2201536,00.html 
 

AND REALISE THAT THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE EMERGING UNITING OF NATIONS:


New Cold War: Great Game for Supremacy in the New World Order?

By Andrew G. Marshall

URL of this article:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?c..va&aid=7219

Global Research, October 31, 2007
Imperial Playground:

The Story of Iran in Recent History

There has been much talk in recent months of a return to the Cold War, as increasingly there is growing disparities and tensing relations between the West, namely the Anglo-Americans, and the Russian Federation, the former Soviet Union, as well as China. 'Is the Cold War Back?'

"Recent plans made public that the United States is building missile shields in Eastern European countries has sparked equal controversy over a revival of a Cold War. As the Austrian Defense Minister Norbert Darabos stated in late August of 2007, "That the United States are installing a defense shield in eastern Europe is a provocation in my view," and that, "The U.S. has chosen the wrong path in my opinion. There is no point in building up a missile defense shield in Europe. That only unnecessarily rekindles old Cold War debates."2 The article continued in saying, "The United States plans to deploy elements of its shield -- designed to intercept and destroy missiles from 'rogue states' like Iran and North Korea -- in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russia sees the initiative near its borders as a threat to its own security."

"Well, within ten years of writing his book, Brzezinski's predictions became quite true, as an alternative strategic bloc to the NATO countries has been set up, called the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO]. It was officially founded in 2001 [after initial agreements in 1996] by Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

"As the Guardian reported in 2006, "At the one day annual summit of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on June 15, more limelight fell on the leader of an observer country than on any of the main participants. That figure happened to be the controversial president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Despite the lowly observer status accorded to his country, Ahmadinejad went on to publicly invite the SCO members to a meeting in Tehran to discuss energy exploration and development in the region. And the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, proposed that the SCO should form an 'energy club'. While making a plea that his country should be accorded full membership of the SCO, the Pakistani president, Parvez Musharraf, highlighted the geo-strategic position of his country as an energy and trade corridor for SCO members. 'Pakistan provides a natural link between the SCO states to connect the Eurasian heartland with the Arabian Sea and South Asia,' he said."

BUT TALKING OF THE COLD WAR, THE ARMS RACE, THAT BALANCE OF POWER, YOU KNOW, INDIA'S GOT ONE, PAKISTAN'S GOT ONE AND WE ALL LIVE UNDER A NUCLEAR CLOUD AND IT WORKED SO WELL. OF COURSE ALL THIS IS INAPPLICABLE TO IRAN, RATHER THAN ASK ISRAEL TO DISARM (OR EVEN SIGN UP TO THE NPT etc), LET'S JUST BLOW 'EM OUT OF THE WATER FOR EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT! (Don't quote me on that.) AND WHILE NO DOUBT THEY'LL BE TELLING US HOW THE UN IS SO 'BANKRUPT' TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT (can't imagine why, see my blog below), WHY DON'T WE JUST PRE-EMPT THIS WAR THING, TAKE A LEAF OUT OF THE BOLIVIAN BOOK AND MOVE THE UN HQ TO EITHER COUNTRY THAT THE US WANTS TO PUT IT'S MISSILE DEFENCE SYSTEM?

http://www.dontattackiran.org  

AND ALTHOUGH THE UN CAN TALK A GOOD TALK, SOMETIMES:

GREATER GLOBAL PROTECTION NEEDED AGAINST 'PREDICTABLE' DISASTERS, SAYS UN AGENCY

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) today called on governments to better protect people against more "predictable" natural hazards, especially flooding, to reduce the risk and vulnerability of local populations.

After a week in which floods have brought death and destruction to the Caribbean region and to Mexico, the Director of the UN secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, Salvano Briceño, said the world needed to find better ways to reduce the impact of these recurrent disasters.

IT IS PRETTY MUCH SKINT, SO:

'What I would change'

We are all malcontents in one way or another – but what is it that fires your radicalism? The environment? Politics? People who push into queues? For eight weeks, leading FT writers will reveal what they would like to change. But we also want to hear what our readers have to say.

Enter the FT Magazine Essay Competition and tell us 'What I would change', and you will have the chance to see your work published in the newspaper. The winning entry will run in FT Weekend and on FT.com early in 2008 and the winning writer will receive a made-to-measure men's or women's suit courtesy of Huntsman, Savile Row.

How to Enter

All entries should be entitled 'What I would change' and should run to no more than 750 words. Entries should be sent by email to essay.competition@ft.com along with your full name, contact email address and phone number. The closing date for entries is Monday December 10, 2007. Please note this competition is valid for UK residents only.
Entries will be judged by a panel of Financial Times journalists headed by Andy Davis, editor of FT Weekend, and the winner will be notified by telephone or email.

The prize is for a made to measure suit only and is not transferable to Huntsman bespoke service. The prize is for a suit to the value of £2500. Any extra costs must be met by the winner.

Prize to be claimed by December 31 2008. No alternative or cash substitutes available. Order to be placed at Huntsman, 11 Savile Row, London W1S 3PS.

Full terms and conditions http://...com/2kneyd

I DUNNO BUT WHILE HAMAS ARE SITTING IT OUT AT ANNAPOLIS, I BET I COULD BANG OUT A FAIR SETTLEMNET IN 750 WORDS AND HAVE MY ENTRY IN, JUST IN TIME TO REMEMBER ANOTHER ANNIVERSARY. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT SAVILE ROW EITHER BUT ISN'T IT TIME THE WORLD'S POLICEMAN DONNED A LAWSUIT?

It is almost 10 years since this was published, is it not time it was enacted?

Palestine Should Sue Israel for Genocide before the International Court of Justice
by Francis A. Boyle

Author's Note: The viewpoints expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of anyone else (other than this postee!).

I would like to propose publicly here in Gaza, Palestine--where the Intifadah began ten years ago at this time--that the Provisional Government of the State of Palestine and its President institute legal proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague (the so-called World Court) for violating the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. I am sure we can all agree that Israel has indeed perpetrated the international crime of genocide against the Palestinian People. The purpose of this lawsuit would be to demonstrate that undeniable fact to the entire world. These World Court legal proceedings will prove to the entire world and to all of history that what the Nazis did to the Jews a generation ago is legally similar to what the Israelis are currently doing to the Palestinian People today: genocide.

There are three steps that should be taken for Palestine to sue Israel before the International Court of Justice for genocide. First, the President of the State of Palestine must deposit an Instrument of Accession to the 1948 Genocide Convention with the U.N. Secretary General, the depositary for the Convention. This Accession would become effective in ninety days.

More: http://www.mediamonitors.net/francis1.html

FAR BE IT FOR ME TO BE PUTTING IDEAS INTO PEOPLES' HEADS AND WHILE I CAN RECOGNISE THE UN DOING SOME VERY WORTHWHILE WORKS:

At UN, former female child soldiers call for action to address the scourge

2 November - Five female former child soldiers from Uganda came to the United Nations today to draw attention on the plight of the some 250,000 boys and girls who currently being used as child soldiers around the world.

Jennifer Achora, 22, Milly Auma, 29, Nighty Acheng, 28, Sarah Ayero, 28, and Maurine Akello, 18 were each kidnapped by Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Now they lead "Empowering Hands," a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Gulu, Uganda. They work to reintegrate escaped and freed abductees soldiers into their communities, and have helped at least 1,000 former child soldiers.

"I went to the Lord's Resistance Army and suffered there," Ms. Akello said today at a meeting with Rachel Mayanja, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women. "Then I came back home and, fortunately, Empowering Hands came. I got a lot from the group – counselling and friends to share experiences with." BACK TO THE TOP……

For all Fri's from the UN:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/latest-headlines.asp2

More info:
http://www.letkhaledstudy.co.uk/index.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Action4Palestine/  
http://www.action4palestine.blogspot.com [Not sure but I think became: http://gazatoday.blogspot.com/  

The new Global Peace Movement, Action4Palestine, now have their own Facebook Group.

Feel free to join & please, invite your friends:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5796102347

Thanks to "adib"