Committee Against Torture’s Findings Highlight International Community’s Inaction in the Face of Israel’s Widespread and Systematic Violations of International Law
PCHR – Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
On 14 May, 2009, the United Nations Committee Against Torture published its concluding observations on Israel’s fourth periodic report. While the State of Israel was preparing its submission, other elements of the Occupying Power’s administration were, inter alia, reinforcing the siege on the Gaza Strip, solidifying the annexation of occupied East Jerusalem, expanding illegal settlement activities in the West Bank, and preparing for Operation ‘Cast Lead’, the 23 day military offensive on the Gaza Strip… PCHR note that the crimes documented in the Committee Against Torture’s report, and the countless other crimes committed by IOF, cannot be carried out without impunity. This impunity is granted on two levels: first, by the complicity of Israel’s judicial system, and second, by the silence and deference of the international community…
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McChrystal’s Rise: More Secrets, Less Daylight
Tom Hayden
All along there were two US wars in Iraq. There was the public war, in which the Pentagon tried to manipulate the mainstream media into being a “message amplifier,” while some intrepid reporters and bloggers fought back. Then there was the secret war carried out by the Special Operations forces, whose existence was denied even by the Pentagon. Now the secret operations threaten to completely compromise what remains of the public war in Afghanistan and Pakistan with the ascension of Gen. Stanley McChrystal to top commander from his classified role in running Special Ops in Iraq for five years. When questioned by the media or senators presiding at his confirmation hearing in a few weeks, Gen. McChrystal may have a simple answer to anything troubling: sorry, that is classified…
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Action, Cut!
by Eric Walberg
The centerpiece of United States President Barack Obama’s PR campaign to show the world the US is the nice cop was to end the military tribunals, which he called “an enormous failure” during last year’s presidential campaign, and close the infamous Guantanamo prison. This was Obama’s first major “achievement” upon assuming office. Rumblings about the impossibility of closing Guantanamo were being heard even as Obama took office. It appears there’s no place to send the prisoners, most of whom a re innocent of anything other than fighting invaders, if that. Congress does not want to allow them to come to stay in equally notorious US jails, where overcrowding, violence, drugs and AIDS are endemic. Nor is Congress willing to fork over any money to close Guantanamo. Of course this is nonsense. Venezuela’s president offered to take them all, but Obama dare not accept any favors from someone so principled, lest his house of cards come tumbling down…
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US President Gives Green Light for Israel to Continue Its Nuclear Arms Program
Sergio Yahni, Alternative Information Center (AIC)
According to the Israeli press, US President Barak Obama promised Prime Minister Netanyahu that he would maintain the current understandings between the two countries regarding Israel’s nuclear program. Before the Obama-Netanyahu summit, at an International Atomic Energy Agency meeting, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Rose Gottemoeller, declared that Israel, Pakistan, India, and North Korea should sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. These are the only four recognized sovereign states that are not parties to the treaty…
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An Interview with Khalida Jarrar of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
Enrico Bartolomei for the Alternative Information Center (AIC)
…We do not think individuals can do a lot for the policy of a country. I believe that Obama will not bring any substantial change, at least with regard to the American foreign policy. We are talking about institutional policies, not those of individuals. Of course, each President, each party has a different approach on how to implement foreign policy, and there will be no crazy policies anymore like Bush did, but Obama cannot change the system, and the contradictions are within the system itself: the capitalist economic system, the imperialist view that led to the military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Toward the Middle East and especially the Palestinian cause, they are still talking about the “peace process,” that does not mean anything for us, it is not a real peace process. And I think the priority for the US now will be the financial crisis and the economic problems inside the capitalistic system itself. Therefore, we are not optimistic, Obama will not alter the system and consequently for the Palestinians, the situation will not change a lot…
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American Death Squad
Obama inherits Cheney’s army of assassins – and promotes their commander
Justin Raimondo
…The dark side includes McChrystal’s overseeing of Camp Nama, a detainee center outside of Baghdad (since renamed and relocated) notorious for its brutality. The very same administration that is up on its high horse about forbidding torture has just elevated one of the chief torturers to direct Obama’s war in Afghanistan. It is hardly inconceivable that what we saw at Camp Nama – beatings, degradation of prisoners, and outright, cold-blooded murder – is going to be replicated on a nationwide scale. That’s what they call “fresh thinking” over at Obama’s Pentagon…
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PCHR Is Concerned over Measures Taken by Security Services in the Gaza Strip against Fatah Activists and Prominent Figures
PCHR – Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) is concerned over a series of recent measures taken by security services against a number of Fatah activists and prominent figures in the Gaza Strip. Security services’ actions include detentions and restrictions on the freedom of movement and the right to peaceful assembly. PCHR calls upon the government in G aza to stop such measures. These actions violate the rights to freedom of movement and peaceful assembly as protected by the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights standards…
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Al-Aqsa Facing “Real, Immediate” Danger
Khaled Amayreh
Palestinians are sounding the alarm that Israel’s continuing excavation works beneath the Haram al-Sharif (Noble sanctuary) in Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) is posing a “real and immediate” danger to its Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest shrine. “Israeli excavations and continuing digging right beneath the Haram al Sharif’s esplanade have already caused irreparable damage to the stability of Al-Aqsa Mosque’s foundations,” Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic Movement, told IslamOnline.net. Salah, who has been closely monitoring Israeli excavations in the Old City of Al-Quds for over 25 years, says Israel is paying no attention to protests by Arab and Muslim countries over the perils its digging poses to Islamic holy places…
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The “war on terror”: creating refugees one village at a time
Marcy Newman, body on the line
…of course, i wrote the other day about the zionist entity providing Sri Lanka with its weapons in order to carry out this genocide. The genocide may be over in Sri Lanka, but the trauma will not be over for a long time. Nor will the refugees lead a normal life for some time to come either. And while this massive refugee crisis comes to a head the one in Pakistan just continues to worsen also because of a so-called “war on terror ” instigated by Americans…
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Stop the Press! This is what Israeli Democracy Looks Like
Nima Shirazi
Last Tuesday, prominent Israeli journalist Amira Hass was arrested by Israeli authorities upon entering Israel from Gaza. Hass, a correspondent for the daily Ha’aretz, had been living and working in Gaza for months, reporting on the lives of Palestinians and revealing many devastating truths about the brutalized and besieged community. Journalists are forbidden to enter Gaza, upon orders from the Israeli military. Clearly, where there are reporters, th ere may be reports. Where there are reports, there may be knowledge. And when there is knowledge, especially about the Israeli policy of constant aggressive oppression of the Palestinian people, there is sure to be outrage. Truth and dissent are the eternal enemies of history’s oppressors, therefore it is no surprise that Israel wishes to suppress knowledge and publicity of its own indefensible actions…
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At Tel Aviv airport, even the pope gets searched
Ma’an News
Despite the diplomatic immunity that Pope Benedict XVI enjoys throughout the world, Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport security officials insisted on inspecting all the pontiff’s luggage when he left the Holy Land last Friday, according to the Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv. According to Ma’ariv’s report, which appeared on Tuesday, the pope’s attendants were asked to put all the gifts he received during his weeklong visit through an X-ray machine. The aides were also questio ned at the airport…
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Obama gov’t restores visa to former spy, Netanhayu adviser
Jonathan Cook
As might be expected of a former senior official with Israel’s spy agency Mossad, Uzi Arad — the most trusted political adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister — has become used to being in the shadows as he exerts influence. But that is fast changing. Arad was prominent in preparing Netanyahu’s tough positions as he headed for Washington this week to meet Barack Obama, the US president, who is seeking to advance a Middle East peace plan…
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Hamas arrests a Fateh leader in Gaza after he returned from the West Bank
Saed Bannoura – IMEMC
The Internal Security Force, operating under the dissolved Ministry of Interior in Gaza, reported Wednesday that it arrested two days ago a Fateh leader, and detained a minister and a university teacher after they all crossed the Erez Crossing heading back to Gaza. The wife of Ahmad Nasr, a senior Fateh leader in Gaza, told the Al Hayat Newspaper, published in London, that members of Hamas’ security forces arrested her husband after he returned to Gaza following a visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah…
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Gaza fishermen protest Israeli harassment at sea
Ma’an News
Hundreds of Gazan fishermen launched their boats for a mass demonstration at sea Wednesday, in protest against the constant threat they are under when they sail into fishing waters. Dozens of fishermen have been attacked, boats damaged and hundreds scared off from entering the coastal waters to fish, said fishermen at a news conference directed at international human rights organizations. The protesters demanded they be guaranteed protection to go about their liv elihoods…
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PFLP refuses to participate in new government
IMEMC
The leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) stated that it would not participate in the new government, headed by Dr. Salaam Fayyad, in the West Bank. The PFLP said that it would not be part of a government that was not formed through unity talks. A PFLP spokesperson said that the front refused to participate in the government since it violates unity talks held in Cairo, and does not enjoy national consensus…
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