I'm taking a break from a weekend full of articling applications (ugh) to note a new development in Iran. There seems to have been a sea-change in the protests there. They have gone from being about an election result to about bringing down the government. This is a good thing. Iran's system of theocracy is deeply corrupt and needs to change. A revolution is the only true way to do that.
Persiankiwi (http://twitter.com/persiankiwi) has some very interesting tips on how to disable the Iranian government, which indicate this trend.
I promise I will try to get to something on domestic politics, but that might be a few days off. Suffice to say, Iggy = Stephane II.
Showing posts with label The Middle East. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Middle East. Show all posts
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Developments in Iran
The situation in Iran seems to continue to degenerate. I am getting worried for the tweeter at Change_for_Iran since he last tweeted that he was going to the Mousavi rally and hasn't tweeted since. I hope he is alright. Another excellent twitter is persiankiwi. He has been reporting increasing violence by both state police and civilian militias. It sounds like the opposition is not backing down. New marches are planned for tomorrow. This is beginning to resemble a revolutionary moment. This may be the chance that Iran needs to throw off the shackles of their reactionary theocracy.
My hope now is for a relatively peaceful revolution, but that is looking increasingly unlikely, as the state appears to be using steadily increasing violence as it attempts to maintain control. This uprising is driven by new media, and increasingly resembles the lead up to the massacre in Iiananmen Square in 1989. That uprising was driven by cellphones and faxes. This one appears to be driven by Twitter, as students share information and knowledge. I haven't heard anything more about the members of Ansar-e Hezbollah captured at Tehran University.
I'm doing my best to keep abreast of the situation.
Later tonight I will try to put together something on today's developments in federal politics.
My hope now is for a relatively peaceful revolution, but that is looking increasingly unlikely, as the state appears to be using steadily increasing violence as it attempts to maintain control. This uprising is driven by new media, and increasingly resembles the lead up to the massacre in Iiananmen Square in 1989. That uprising was driven by cellphones and faxes. This one appears to be driven by Twitter, as students share information and knowledge. I haven't heard anything more about the members of Ansar-e Hezbollah captured at Tehran University.
I'm doing my best to keep abreast of the situation.
Later tonight I will try to put together something on today's developments in federal politics.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
I'm Back
It's been far to long, but I'm back.
I stopped blogging for a while because of school and then got caught in the intertia. I've been dragged back in by the events in Iran.
I've been monitoring a twitter feed by a student in Tehran. It is something that could turn out to be to the stolen election what Riverbend's blog was to the occupation of Iraq. You can find it at twitter.com/change_for_iran
The latest tweets from him suggest that he is being attacked by pro-government militias:
This sounds like an increasingly brutal crackdown in progress.
As I've said elsewhere, I could see Ahmedinejad winning, but not with a ridiculous margin like that claimed. To suggest that he got 63% of the vote is absurd and smacks of vote rigging.
I'm going to keep following this. In the coming days I'll also blog about my response to the Nova Scotia election.
Update: Iranian Student is now reporting that two paramilitaries from Ansar-e Hezbollah (the group leading the siege of Tehran University) have been captured by students. Not sure what this will mean, but it's a big event.
I stopped blogging for a while because of school and then got caught in the intertia. I've been dragged back in by the events in Iran.
I've been monitoring a twitter feed by a student in Tehran. It is something that could turn out to be to the stolen election what Riverbend's blog was to the occupation of Iraq. You can find it at twitter.com/change_for_iran
The latest tweets from him suggest that he is being attacked by pro-government militias:
bastards just attacked us for no reason, I lost count of how much tear gas they launched at us!
my friend saying more than 100 students arrested, I can't confirm this but the numbers are high
to other sources: this isn't the police! police is still outside! we're under attack by Ansar-Hezbolah
unfortunately the entrance door is completely destroyed and there is no way of barricading it
typing as fastest as I can in both English & Farsi, Still we need outside help, I really don't want to be captured by Ansar
For some unknown reason there is still power in here and DSL line is working. but there is no dial tone
Stop burning tires & trash cans! come to our aid it's getting worse than 18tir already!
We're trying to stop Masood from going outside! there is no way they will listen to us right now.
the other buildings are now chanting "Ey Iran" song
This sounds like an increasingly brutal crackdown in progress.
As I've said elsewhere, I could see Ahmedinejad winning, but not with a ridiculous margin like that claimed. To suggest that he got 63% of the vote is absurd and smacks of vote rigging.
I'm going to keep following this. In the coming days I'll also blog about my response to the Nova Scotia election.
Update: Iranian Student is now reporting that two paramilitaries from Ansar-e Hezbollah (the group leading the siege of Tehran University) have been captured by students. Not sure what this will mean, but it's a big event.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Israel Declares Unilateral Ceasefire (Sort Of)
Today the Israelis finally called a halt to their offensive against the Palestinians in Gaza. The Israelis have said that they are ending offensive operations so long as their soldiers in Gaza don't come under attack. On the face of it, that sounds reasonable. But you have to dig a bit deeper to find the major problem with what is going on here.
Functionally, the Israelis have re-occupied Gaza. Their troops have taken up positions across the strip, and it has been declared that they are not leaving any time soon. The Israelis have regressed the situation to what it was prior to the evacuation of Gaza by Ariel Sharon, and that is not an acceptable state of affairs.
Hamas has vowed to keep fighting until Israeli soldiers leave, and the siege of the Gaza strip is lifted. They are entirely within their rights to resist an illegal occupation.
Israel has essentially made a play for the moral high ground through this action. Unfortunately, the brutality of the Israeli state has foreclosed on any such possibility. By killing 1200+ Palestinians in three weeks, the Israelis have forfeited any claim to moral superiority, especially when many of those killed, if not most were non-combatants/civilians and children. Neither side is morally perfect in this war, but at least the Palestinians are fighting for national liberation (the vast majority are not fighting to drive the Israelis into the sea). The Israelis are fighting for the right to subjugate millions of people for territorial aggrandizement and settlement lands, as well as for domestic political consumption for the coming elections. One is a rather more ethical struggle than the other.
We shall see if Israel successfully maintains this sham end to the war. Hamas may not let them.
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 2
[Update] Well, it looks like I spoke a little precipitously. Hamas has now declared a week long ceasefire and says that Israel should use the time to withdraw its soldiers and lift the siege.
Functionally, the Israelis have re-occupied Gaza. Their troops have taken up positions across the strip, and it has been declared that they are not leaving any time soon. The Israelis have regressed the situation to what it was prior to the evacuation of Gaza by Ariel Sharon, and that is not an acceptable state of affairs.
Hamas has vowed to keep fighting until Israeli soldiers leave, and the siege of the Gaza strip is lifted. They are entirely within their rights to resist an illegal occupation.
Israel has essentially made a play for the moral high ground through this action. Unfortunately, the brutality of the Israeli state has foreclosed on any such possibility. By killing 1200+ Palestinians in three weeks, the Israelis have forfeited any claim to moral superiority, especially when many of those killed, if not most were non-combatants/civilians and children. Neither side is morally perfect in this war, but at least the Palestinians are fighting for national liberation (the vast majority are not fighting to drive the Israelis into the sea). The Israelis are fighting for the right to subjugate millions of people for territorial aggrandizement and settlement lands, as well as for domestic political consumption for the coming elections. One is a rather more ethical struggle than the other.
We shall see if Israel successfully maintains this sham end to the war. Hamas may not let them.
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 2
[Update] Well, it looks like I spoke a little precipitously. Hamas has now declared a week long ceasefire and says that Israel should use the time to withdraw its soldiers and lift the siege.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Israeli War Crimes Confirmed in Gaza
Wide confirmation (see e.g. here) is beginning to come in that Israel has used, and is continuing to use white phosphorous (WP) against the civilian population of Gaza. Human Rights Watch observers in southern Israel (they are barred by Israeli forces from entering Gaza), saw shells fired over a Gazan refugee camp that left trails characteristic of WP shells, and exploded in a manner consistent with WP, which produces unique looking explosions.
WP is a weapon banned from use in civilian areas by the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Protocol III. Wikipedia lists the following as effects on humans of exposure to WP:
WP was used against the people of Fallujah by American occupation forces in Iraq during the 2004 massacre. That is one of the best documented uses of WP against a densely concentrated area of civilians. The USA violated the laws of war in Fallujah, and Israel is doing so now, using WP in a banned capacity. This is at least as terrorist as anything Hamas has done, including suicide bombings. This is a weapon used without fear of consequences designed to kill civilians and terrorize them into behaving in the desired manner. This is terrorism.
Israel claims to want peace, but with every action it takes, it undermines the chance for that peace, driving home the message to the Palestinians that they are not to be allowed to live in peace themselves. Israel's version of peace requires that the Palestinians be subjucated, racialized and imprisoned in an enormous open-air concentration camp called Gaza, in which they will be left to starve in the dark. If Israel is unwilling to live in true peace, how can it expects the colonized and brutalized people of the occupied territories to be willing to do the same?
There can be no peace without justice. Justice for Palestine!
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 8
[Update] White phosphorus shelling has been confirmed in the Israeli destruction of a United Nations compound in Gaza.
WP is a weapon banned from use in civilian areas by the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Protocol III. Wikipedia lists the following as effects on humans of exposure to WP:
Effects of Exposure to WP WeaponsAs you can see, this is a worse weapon than napalm in terms of damage to the human body. Once you are hit with it, you can't get it off. It literally burns its way into the skin. The fact that it reacts with oxygen means that it cannot be put out with water, and trying to do so only makes the problem worse.
Incandescent particles of WP cast off by a WP weapon's initial explosion can produce extensive, deep (second and third degree) burns. Phosphorus burns carry a greater risk of mortality than other forms of burns due to the absorption of phosphorus into the body through the burned area, resulting in liver, heart and kidney damage, and in some cases multi-organ failure. These weapons are particularly dangerous to exposed people because white phosphorus continues to burn unless deprived of oxygen or until completely consumed. In some cases burns are limited to exposed areas of skin because the smaller WP particles do not burn completely through personal clothing before being consumed...
Exposure and Inhalation of Smoke
Burning WP produces a hot, dense white smoke. Most forms of smoke are not hazardous in the kinds of concentrations produced by a battlefield smoke shell. Exposure to heavy smoke concentrations of any kind for an extended period (particularly if near the source of emission) does have the potential to cause illness and even death.
WP smoke irritates the eyes and nose in moderate concentrations. With intense exposures, a very explosive cough may occur. However, no recorded casualties from the effects of WP smoke alone have occurred in combat operations, and to date there are no confirmed deaths resulting from exposure to phosphorus smoke...
WP was used against the people of Fallujah by American occupation forces in Iraq during the 2004 massacre. That is one of the best documented uses of WP against a densely concentrated area of civilians. The USA violated the laws of war in Fallujah, and Israel is doing so now, using WP in a banned capacity. This is at least as terrorist as anything Hamas has done, including suicide bombings. This is a weapon used without fear of consequences designed to kill civilians and terrorize them into behaving in the desired manner. This is terrorism.
Israel claims to want peace, but with every action it takes, it undermines the chance for that peace, driving home the message to the Palestinians that they are not to be allowed to live in peace themselves. Israel's version of peace requires that the Palestinians be subjucated, racialized and imprisoned in an enormous open-air concentration camp called Gaza, in which they will be left to starve in the dark. If Israel is unwilling to live in true peace, how can it expects the colonized and brutalized people of the occupied territories to be willing to do the same?
There can be no peace without justice. Justice for Palestine!
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 8
[Update] White phosphorus shelling has been confirmed in the Israeli destruction of a United Nations compound in Gaza.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Israel, Gaza, Hamas and a Look at Causes
I think it's time I wrote something a bit more fleshed out about the situation of the Palestinians in Gaza. At the beginning, I should make my view of the entire Israeli-Palestinian history clear. I view it as an essentially colonialist enterprise after the point at which Zionist philosophy enters the picture. I don't pretend to a balanced point of view, or to neutrality. I am anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist, and this means that I am pro-Palestinian. I should also state that I think Israel is here to stay, and the people of Israel should have a state within their pre-1967 borders. There won't be any functional reversal of the expulsion of Palestinians in 1948, and Israel isn't going anywhere. I don't go to the extremes of some who believe that there is an organized campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinians, but I do believe that Israel's policies toward the Palestinians are not functionally different than those of the white government of Apartheid South Africa. I also don't believe that all Israeli citizens, or all of Israel's Jewish population, support the actions of their government with regard to the Palestinians. There is a peace movement within Israel with both Jewish and Arab members, and I wish them the very best with their work.
To find the beginning of the current fighting in Gaza is an exercise in nearly infinite chicken-and-egg reasoning. Causes and effects can be traced back before the founding of Israel, and I don't have the time or the inclination to go into that. To find the immediate cause, I look to the ceasefire deal negotiated indirectly about seven months ago between Israel and Hamas, the legally elected governing party of the Palestinians. In this deal, there were a couple of essential points for each side. Essentially, Israel wanted an end to rockets into the south of Israel. Essentially Hamas wanted an end to bombings/missile strikes, and the opening of the borders of the Gaza Strip. Neither side seemed to have been making unrealistic demands.
Beginning in early November of 2008, Israel killed eleven Hamas personnel (militants or security personnel depending on who you ask) over eleven days, leading Hamas to fire rockets into Israel once again. This is an undisputed fact, as reported by the International Herald Tribune. The Israeli response to these rockets was to tighten the economic blockade of Gaza, which had never really been lifted, despite the deal, essentially placing Gaza under siege and cutting supplies of food and fuel. These events set off a spiral of violence that, over about two months, developed into the brutalization now taking place in Gaza.
In the light of those facts, it is clear that the cease-fire was never properly implemented, as Israel did not fulfil it's side of the bargain. This means that it is Israeli bad-faith negotiation that is the intermediate cause of the current violence, and Israeli breaches of other terms of the cease fire that is the immediate cause. Increased rocketing by Hamas was certainly unhelpful, and likely provoked a more extreme Israeli response, but it is clear that Israel expected complete compliance with the terms of the cease fire deal from Hamas without delivering the same itself.
That is an unfortunate pattern in Israeli dealings with the Palestinians, that has been repeated time and again. As an example, the Oslo Accords agreed to a right of passage between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, but this was repeatedly infringed upon by Israel. The history of bad faith negotiation on the part of the Israelis makes it hard to believe that they will keep any new agreement that is reached to end this current attack on Gaza.
Israel's approach to Gaza in particular has been highly unethical and immoral. Beyond the bad faith negotiations, Israel has inflicted collective punishment on the people of Gaza both in the form of the blockade and in the form of bombing civilians. It has violated principles of international law protecting civilians. A civilian population does not lose its protected status at international law because an army's enemies are hiding amongst them, despite the claims of Israel, and of every other modern occupier from the United States in Iraq, Canada in Afghanistan, Russia in Chechnya and so forth. This is exemplified by the bombing yesterday of a United Nations school that was clearly marked as such, killing at least 39 people. Israel claimed that mortar shells were fired from that location, as if that excused knowingly killing civilians.
As Devin Johnston says, the only way to peace is for one side to let bumps in the road to peace pass, and not use them as an excuse for renewing or escalating the cycle of violence. As I see it, it must be Israel that does this. Israel is the occupier, and it faces no existential threat from the Palestinians. Israel has the capacity to destroy all society in the occupied territories. The Palestinians have no such capacity with regard to Israel. Despite the number of rockets fired into Israel in December (approximately 3,000) only five Israelis were killed. Contrast that with the first week of the Israeli bombing of Gaza in which 400+ people died, and that fact comes into focus. However, this is only one necessary condition. Israel must tear down the Apartheid walls it has built, and withdraw settlements from the West Bank. Israel is going to have to return East Jerusalem. Without these things, it is difficult to see how the Palestinians can consent to an agreement.
As an aside before I wrap up, Israel demands as a precondition of peace that Hamas recognize the right of Israel to exist. No state has the right to exist at international law. Israel is demanding something that no other state has, or can have at international law. What Israel can legitimately demand is that Hamas recognize the right of the people of Israel to live in peace - but Israel must recognize the same for the people of Palestine.
Ultimately, you cannot fight for peace. Peace must come through dialogue, and negotiation. Peace will not come from the barrel of a tank cannon or the explosion of a Quassam rocket. Peace will come when both sides are willing to make concessions, and to realize that each will have to give up some of what it wants in order to have peace. I believe it is possible and necessary. As John Lennon put it:
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 12
To find the beginning of the current fighting in Gaza is an exercise in nearly infinite chicken-and-egg reasoning. Causes and effects can be traced back before the founding of Israel, and I don't have the time or the inclination to go into that. To find the immediate cause, I look to the ceasefire deal negotiated indirectly about seven months ago between Israel and Hamas, the legally elected governing party of the Palestinians. In this deal, there were a couple of essential points for each side. Essentially, Israel wanted an end to rockets into the south of Israel. Essentially Hamas wanted an end to bombings/missile strikes, and the opening of the borders of the Gaza Strip. Neither side seemed to have been making unrealistic demands.
Beginning in early November of 2008, Israel killed eleven Hamas personnel (militants or security personnel depending on who you ask) over eleven days, leading Hamas to fire rockets into Israel once again. This is an undisputed fact, as reported by the International Herald Tribune. The Israeli response to these rockets was to tighten the economic blockade of Gaza, which had never really been lifted, despite the deal, essentially placing Gaza under siege and cutting supplies of food and fuel. These events set off a spiral of violence that, over about two months, developed into the brutalization now taking place in Gaza.
In the light of those facts, it is clear that the cease-fire was never properly implemented, as Israel did not fulfil it's side of the bargain. This means that it is Israeli bad-faith negotiation that is the intermediate cause of the current violence, and Israeli breaches of other terms of the cease fire that is the immediate cause. Increased rocketing by Hamas was certainly unhelpful, and likely provoked a more extreme Israeli response, but it is clear that Israel expected complete compliance with the terms of the cease fire deal from Hamas without delivering the same itself.
That is an unfortunate pattern in Israeli dealings with the Palestinians, that has been repeated time and again. As an example, the Oslo Accords agreed to a right of passage between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, but this was repeatedly infringed upon by Israel. The history of bad faith negotiation on the part of the Israelis makes it hard to believe that they will keep any new agreement that is reached to end this current attack on Gaza.
Israel's approach to Gaza in particular has been highly unethical and immoral. Beyond the bad faith negotiations, Israel has inflicted collective punishment on the people of Gaza both in the form of the blockade and in the form of bombing civilians. It has violated principles of international law protecting civilians. A civilian population does not lose its protected status at international law because an army's enemies are hiding amongst them, despite the claims of Israel, and of every other modern occupier from the United States in Iraq, Canada in Afghanistan, Russia in Chechnya and so forth. This is exemplified by the bombing yesterday of a United Nations school that was clearly marked as such, killing at least 39 people. Israel claimed that mortar shells were fired from that location, as if that excused knowingly killing civilians.
As Devin Johnston says, the only way to peace is for one side to let bumps in the road to peace pass, and not use them as an excuse for renewing or escalating the cycle of violence. As I see it, it must be Israel that does this. Israel is the occupier, and it faces no existential threat from the Palestinians. Israel has the capacity to destroy all society in the occupied territories. The Palestinians have no such capacity with regard to Israel. Despite the number of rockets fired into Israel in December (approximately 3,000) only five Israelis were killed. Contrast that with the first week of the Israeli bombing of Gaza in which 400+ people died, and that fact comes into focus. However, this is only one necessary condition. Israel must tear down the Apartheid walls it has built, and withdraw settlements from the West Bank. Israel is going to have to return East Jerusalem. Without these things, it is difficult to see how the Palestinians can consent to an agreement.
As an aside before I wrap up, Israel demands as a precondition of peace that Hamas recognize the right of Israel to exist. No state has the right to exist at international law. Israel is demanding something that no other state has, or can have at international law. What Israel can legitimately demand is that Hamas recognize the right of the people of Israel to live in peace - but Israel must recognize the same for the people of Palestine.
Ultimately, you cannot fight for peace. Peace must come through dialogue, and negotiation. Peace will not come from the barrel of a tank cannon or the explosion of a Quassam rocket. Peace will come when both sides are willing to make concessions, and to realize that each will have to give up some of what it wants in order to have peace. I believe it is possible and necessary. As John Lennon put it:
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 12
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Back to Blogging
Hi everyone. This is just a quick note to apologize for the long absence from the blog. When I was home over the holidays I didn't blog due to a combination of only sporadic Internet access and not having the inclination. But I'll be getting back to it now.
I also want to take a moment to unequivocally condemn the bombardment and now invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israel. Israel is exacting vastly disproportionate revenge through collective punishment. It claims that this most recent brutalization of the Palestinians is a necessary response to the rockets launched from Gaza over the last eight years, some thousands of them. Sure, when you give the number of rockets, it sounds bad, but then think about the number of deaths. From eight years from 2000 to 2008, rockets fired from Gaza killed 21 Israelis. In the eight days this offensive has lasted, more than 440 Palestinians have been killed. In the month of December, rockets killed four Israelis. This means that in December, Israel killed 110 Palestinians (including at least 100 people with no connection to Hamas) for every Israeli killed. How that is defensible to anyone is beyond my understanding. Israel is engaging in an Orwellian effort to brutalize the people of Palestine into turning against Hamas. They tried that in Lebanon in 2006 vis-a-vis Hezbollah. Anyone want to remind me how that turned out? If Israel wants peace, they must also create the conditions for Palestinians to live in peace, and this includes withdrawing from occupied territories, tearing down the apartheid wall and lifting the seige of Gaza.
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 16
I also want to take a moment to unequivocally condemn the bombardment and now invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israel. Israel is exacting vastly disproportionate revenge through collective punishment. It claims that this most recent brutalization of the Palestinians is a necessary response to the rockets launched from Gaza over the last eight years, some thousands of them. Sure, when you give the number of rockets, it sounds bad, but then think about the number of deaths. From eight years from 2000 to 2008, rockets fired from Gaza killed 21 Israelis. In the eight days this offensive has lasted, more than 440 Palestinians have been killed. In the month of December, rockets killed four Israelis. This means that in December, Israel killed 110 Palestinians (including at least 100 people with no connection to Hamas) for every Israeli killed. How that is defensible to anyone is beyond my understanding. Israel is engaging in an Orwellian effort to brutalize the people of Palestine into turning against Hamas. They tried that in Lebanon in 2006 vis-a-vis Hezbollah. Anyone want to remind me how that turned out? If Israel wants peace, they must also create the conditions for Palestinians to live in peace, and this includes withdrawing from occupied territories, tearing down the apartheid wall and lifting the seige of Gaza.
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 16
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Israel to Continue Air and Sea Blockade
Ehud Olmert has rejected the appeal of Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the U.N., to lift the air and sea blockade of Lebanon. This is a direct violation of Security Council Resolution 1701. This is a crime against humanity. Aid must be allowed to arrive in Lebanon so that the Lebanese people may survive. Israel claims that Hezbollah is out to destroy Israel and the Israeli people, but it seems that Israel is the one out to destroy a country and a people. Israel is the one that has killed a massive number of civilians. Israel is the one that has used illegal weapons against civilian populations.
The Security Council ought to pass a resolution condemning Israel's actions and impose economic sanctions. But that will not happen because the United States is committed to using the Israeli forces as proxies to bring a "new Middle East" into being. Security Council resolutions against Israel over the past fifty years have been ignored by Israel with impunity, yet when Iran ignores a resolution, the U.S. leads the pack in saying that states cannot be allowed to get away with thumbing their nose at the United Nations. The same U.N. that the U.S., U.K. and Israel thumb their noses at. For shame.
Cheers,
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 884
The Security Council ought to pass a resolution condemning Israel's actions and impose economic sanctions. But that will not happen because the United States is committed to using the Israeli forces as proxies to bring a "new Middle East" into being. Security Council resolutions against Israel over the past fifty years have been ignored by Israel with impunity, yet when Iran ignores a resolution, the U.S. leads the pack in saying that states cannot be allowed to get away with thumbing their nose at the United Nations. The same U.N. that the U.S., U.K. and Israel thumb their noses at. For shame.
Cheers,
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 884
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Iran to Fire Up Heavy Water Plant
So, Iran has started up a heavy water plant. Heavy water is a necessary supply for many nuclear reactors. This in itself should not be alarming, but the U.S. in particular seems intent on painting this as the next step along the road to nuclear weapons. Let me just say first of all that I am against any use of nuclear fission. It is unreliable, creates wastes that will remain radioactive longer than there has been human civilization on this planet and is hugely expensive. For all of these reasons, no country should be using nuclear power. I might make an exception for fusion to generate power, but that is a different and longer discussion. All of this said, however, if Iran is hell-bent for leather on acquiring nuclear power, there is a solution staring everyone in the face that seems to have been missed.
One of the big issues the U.S. claims to have with the Iranian use of nuclear reactors is that they could be used to produce plutonium that could then be used to create nuclear weapons. The solution to this is to give the Iranian government access to nuclear power designs that do not generate plutonium as a by product of the reaction. CANDU reactors can do this. They do not produce plutonium, but do produce considerable amounts of energy (along with the usual other radioactive wastes that usually go with nuclear power). This really ought to satisfy the issues that the U.S. government claims to have, as well as suiting the claimed aims of the government of Iran. This should make everyone happy. If any party to the dispute were to take issue with such a settlement, it would reveal that the motives that were claimed were not the true forces behind the actions being taken. I am not an expert on nuclear technology, and if someone who reads this can show me a place where this suggestion goes wrong, I would be delighted to hear it. After all, we don't learn except by making mistakes.
Cheers,
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 878
One of the big issues the U.S. claims to have with the Iranian use of nuclear reactors is that they could be used to produce plutonium that could then be used to create nuclear weapons. The solution to this is to give the Iranian government access to nuclear power designs that do not generate plutonium as a by product of the reaction. CANDU reactors can do this. They do not produce plutonium, but do produce considerable amounts of energy (along with the usual other radioactive wastes that usually go with nuclear power). This really ought to satisfy the issues that the U.S. government claims to have, as well as suiting the claimed aims of the government of Iran. This should make everyone happy. If any party to the dispute were to take issue with such a settlement, it would reveal that the motives that were claimed were not the true forces behind the actions being taken. I am not an expert on nuclear technology, and if someone who reads this can show me a place where this suggestion goes wrong, I would be delighted to hear it. After all, we don't learn except by making mistakes.
Cheers,
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 878
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Boris Wrzesnewskyj Chased from Critic Portfolio
Liberal MP Boris Wrzesnewskyj, until recently the party's foreign affairs critic, has been chased from his portfolio by Scott Brison and Carolyn Bennet, as well as the other eight candidates for the Liberal leadership, after stating that he thought the Hezbollah should not be on the list of terrorist organizations that Canada maintains. This is a shame because he was absolutely correct.
Some parts of Hezbollah use terrorism to achieve their end, and that is not acceptable. But many parts of Hezbollah are devoted to social and humanitarian ends, to helping the victims of war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli army. Canada's list of terrorist organizations lacks the complexity to recognize this distinction. So really, if the standard that was applied to Hezbollah was applied to every organization and actor in the world, we would have a very different list. To start with, Canada would have to list its own government as a terrorist organization. Our government sends our soldiers to Afghanistan to occupy it against the will of its population, many of whom now clearly resent the presence of the Canadian Armed Forces. If we applied the "Hezbollah Standard" equally, we would have to place the governments of the U.S.A., the U.K. and Israel on the list, along with many other governments.
This list is clearly a double standard. It is simply creating a list of "bad" groups that is really unnecessary. While there are some organizations that do not seem to have any object outside of terrorism, for example the Irish Republican Army or Al Qaeda, there are many organizations which are not as clear cut. I congratulate Mr. Wrzesnewskyj on having the courage to speak the truth (courage and principles being a rare sight among Liberals these days), though he began to back off the comments after being chastised. The candidates for the Liberal leadership, particularly Brison and Bennet ought to be ashamed of themselves for removing an MP from his position for speaking the truth. It is not as though he something anti-semitic, or called for the killing of Israelis. He simply spoke the truth. Just goes to show, principles and the Liberal Party of Canada don't mix.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 881
Some parts of Hezbollah use terrorism to achieve their end, and that is not acceptable. But many parts of Hezbollah are devoted to social and humanitarian ends, to helping the victims of war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli army. Canada's list of terrorist organizations lacks the complexity to recognize this distinction. So really, if the standard that was applied to Hezbollah was applied to every organization and actor in the world, we would have a very different list. To start with, Canada would have to list its own government as a terrorist organization. Our government sends our soldiers to Afghanistan to occupy it against the will of its population, many of whom now clearly resent the presence of the Canadian Armed Forces. If we applied the "Hezbollah Standard" equally, we would have to place the governments of the U.S.A., the U.K. and Israel on the list, along with many other governments.
This list is clearly a double standard. It is simply creating a list of "bad" groups that is really unnecessary. While there are some organizations that do not seem to have any object outside of terrorism, for example the Irish Republican Army or Al Qaeda, there are many organizations which are not as clear cut. I congratulate Mr. Wrzesnewskyj on having the courage to speak the truth (courage and principles being a rare sight among Liberals these days), though he began to back off the comments after being chastised. The candidates for the Liberal leadership, particularly Brison and Bennet ought to be ashamed of themselves for removing an MP from his position for speaking the truth. It is not as though he something anti-semitic, or called for the killing of Israelis. He simply spoke the truth. Just goes to show, principles and the Liberal Party of Canada don't mix.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 881
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
The Cost of War
The numbers are in for the fighting in Lebanon.
Source: http://www.dawn.com/2006/08/16/int13.htm
Israel claims that it desires to live in peace with the peoples of neighbouring states. To do that, it must realize that it cannot continue to destory the infrastructure of its neighbours and embitter their populace. Israel ought to make a gesture of good faith towards the people of Lebanon by paying most or all of the costs of rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure. Israel must also stop occupying the lands of Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. Only then can everyone in the region live in the peace that they all claim to want so much.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 888
- Lebanese Dead: ca. 1 100
- Lebanese Wounded: ca. 3 700
- Lebanese Displaced: ca. 900 000
- Israeli Dead: 40 civilians, 117 soldiers
- Israeli Wounded: ca. 1 000 civilians, ca. 450 soldiers
- Israeli Displace: not available
Source: http://www.dawn.com/2006/08/16/int13.htm
Israel claims that it desires to live in peace with the peoples of neighbouring states. To do that, it must realize that it cannot continue to destory the infrastructure of its neighbours and embitter their populace. Israel ought to make a gesture of good faith towards the people of Lebanon by paying most or all of the costs of rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure. Israel must also stop occupying the lands of Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. Only then can everyone in the region live in the peace that they all claim to want so much.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 888
Sunday, August 13, 2006
The U.N. Resolution
Good news. At last. The U.N. Security Council has finally passed a ceasefire resolution. This resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire (well, not really immediate, effective on Monday), and then a phased withdrawl of Israeli troops from Lebanon. This would be accompanied by a deployment of the Lebanese army to the south of Lebanon, and the strengthening of UNIFIL, the U.N. force in the region, to 15 000 soldiers to enforce a buffer zone. This deal is not perfect, in that it does not call for the immediate withdrawl of the 30 000 Israeli soldiers now occupying southern Lebanon, and that it does not condemn the murder of over 1 000 Lebanese civilians by the IDF. But this deal is better than nothing.
Or would be if Israel was actually going to honour it. The chief of the Israeli army said yesterday that Israel has tripled the number of soldiers it has on the ground in Lebanon to 30 000, and that they expect to continue fighting for another week. This is to clear as much area as possible of Hezbollah fighters to supposedly "make things easier for the international force." And how many more Lebanese civilians are going to have to die to make things easier? The Israeli PM Ehud Olmert claims to have accepted this deal, but in reality is sabotaging it by pouring more troops into Lebanon and surging to, and beyond, the Litani river. This type of duplicity is not acceptable. Either Israel will abide by the decision of the Security Council, or it will not.
As well, the U.S.A. effectively gave Israel a veto at the Security Council during negotiations. The U.S.A. said that it would veto any resolution of the Council that the government of Israel did not accept. This is not appropriate. Israel does not sit as a member of the Security Council and thus does not have a vote, but the United States is prepared to hold the rest of the Council hostage to the opinions of the Israeli government? How much more disdain for the U.N. and the international community can the U.S. government show? It has to stop.
Hopefully Israel will reverse its decision to continue to fight and kill for another week. Israel must realize that to so openly flout the U.N. resolution, over which it held a veto and which its political leaders have openly accepted, will bring nothing but ill will from the international community. Israel makes no friends for itself by proving that it holds itself to be better and more rational than the other 190 countries of the U.N. As well, the U.S.A. has the power to stop Israel from doing this. The U.S. could make this stop now. But the U.S. government seeks the birth of a new Middle East, and if that means the blood of 1 000 innocent Lebanese and 40 000 innocent Iraqis then so be it. What bullshit.
Thanks to Tehanu at EnMasse for the tip on the Israeli flouting of the ceasefire.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 891
Or would be if Israel was actually going to honour it. The chief of the Israeli army said yesterday that Israel has tripled the number of soldiers it has on the ground in Lebanon to 30 000, and that they expect to continue fighting for another week. This is to clear as much area as possible of Hezbollah fighters to supposedly "make things easier for the international force." And how many more Lebanese civilians are going to have to die to make things easier? The Israeli PM Ehud Olmert claims to have accepted this deal, but in reality is sabotaging it by pouring more troops into Lebanon and surging to, and beyond, the Litani river. This type of duplicity is not acceptable. Either Israel will abide by the decision of the Security Council, or it will not.
As well, the U.S.A. effectively gave Israel a veto at the Security Council during negotiations. The U.S.A. said that it would veto any resolution of the Council that the government of Israel did not accept. This is not appropriate. Israel does not sit as a member of the Security Council and thus does not have a vote, but the United States is prepared to hold the rest of the Council hostage to the opinions of the Israeli government? How much more disdain for the U.N. and the international community can the U.S. government show? It has to stop.
Hopefully Israel will reverse its decision to continue to fight and kill for another week. Israel must realize that to so openly flout the U.N. resolution, over which it held a veto and which its political leaders have openly accepted, will bring nothing but ill will from the international community. Israel makes no friends for itself by proving that it holds itself to be better and more rational than the other 190 countries of the U.N. As well, the U.S.A. has the power to stop Israel from doing this. The U.S. could make this stop now. But the U.S. government seeks the birth of a new Middle East, and if that means the blood of 1 000 innocent Lebanese and 40 000 innocent Iraqis then so be it. What bullshit.
Thanks to Tehanu at EnMasse for the tip on the Israeli flouting of the ceasefire.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 891
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Isreal Expands Lebanon Invasion. Again.
Isreal has decided to send yet more soldiers into Lebanon and to occupy the country up to Lahani river. And surpise, surprise, the Bush Administration has nothing to say on the matter. This plan would see the Israeli army occupy a massive swath of southern Lebanon, including the city of Tyre. This is unnacceptable. How can Israel possibly justify this? How can the United States sit by and not even comment on the aggression of Isreal?
Because these are the "birth pangs" of the "new Middle East" according to a U.S. government statement issued at the beginning of invasion. Even CNN has been reporting that this new influx of troops means at least a month more heavy fighting in Lebanon. This is illegal aggression. This is the Israel making territorial aggrandizement under the guise of defeating Hezbollah. But Hezbollah was already joining the political process in Lebanon. It was a part of the legitimately elected government of Lebanon. Hezbollah was less of a threat to Israel than it had ever been. And yet there is this invasion. The citizens of Lebanon, close to a thousand of them, are paying the price for the territorial expansion of Israel.
The citizens of the world must continue to stand up and say "NO! THIS IS NOT RIGHT!" The people of Lebanon must know that we stand with them against illegal Israeli aggression; against illegal Israeli occupation and against the illegal Israeli closure of southern Lebanon to humanitarian aid. There was a reason that Israel deliberately destroyed the U.N. observer force. It is because they do not want to be observed! We must say no! This cannot go on. Violence breeds hate, which breeds more violence. But peace breeds understanding and reconciliation. Peace brings the chance for everyone to live a normal life. I am sure that most of the citizens of Lebanon want peace, just as I am sure that most of the citizens of Israel want peace. But you cannot bring peace through war. It does not work like that.
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 895
Because these are the "birth pangs" of the "new Middle East" according to a U.S. government statement issued at the beginning of invasion. Even CNN has been reporting that this new influx of troops means at least a month more heavy fighting in Lebanon. This is illegal aggression. This is the Israel making territorial aggrandizement under the guise of defeating Hezbollah. But Hezbollah was already joining the political process in Lebanon. It was a part of the legitimately elected government of Lebanon. Hezbollah was less of a threat to Israel than it had ever been. And yet there is this invasion. The citizens of Lebanon, close to a thousand of them, are paying the price for the territorial expansion of Israel.
The citizens of the world must continue to stand up and say "NO! THIS IS NOT RIGHT!" The people of Lebanon must know that we stand with them against illegal Israeli aggression; against illegal Israeli occupation and against the illegal Israeli closure of southern Lebanon to humanitarian aid. There was a reason that Israel deliberately destroyed the U.N. observer force. It is because they do not want to be observed! We must say no! This cannot go on. Violence breeds hate, which breeds more violence. But peace breeds understanding and reconciliation. Peace brings the chance for everyone to live a normal life. I am sure that most of the citizens of Lebanon want peace, just as I am sure that most of the citizens of Israel want peace. But you cannot bring peace through war. It does not work like that.
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 895
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Lebanon's Proposal
A new proposal was advanced at the U.N. Security Council today. The Lebanese government, and the Arab League as a whole, proposed that Lebanese national army would deploy fifteen thousand soldiers into the south of Lebanon, and the Israelis would withdraw. This is, if not the best thing, then almost as good. This proposal would allow the Lebanese government to reassert its authority over the entire country, it would end the needless slaughter of Lebanese civilians by the IDF, and it would stand a decent chance of ending the launching of rockets into northern Israel. It is important that the Lebanese government unanimously agreed to this proposal, including the two Hezbollah members of the cabinet.
Also important to this proposal is that the Israeli government has announced that the proposal will be seriously considered. The Israeli government must agree to withdraw its soldiers. It is unnacceptable that Israel should remain in Lebanon's land. Israel should never have invaded, it should never have bombed the civilians of Lebanon. Israel has committed illegal aggression, and that must be recognized. But unfortunately, the assent of the government of Israel is needed to put this proposal into effect.
As well, the permanent members of the Security Council must recognize that this is the proposal that will end the fighting for the near and medium term in Lebanon. Aid organizations must be allowed to bring aid to the citizens in the south of Lebanon. The killing of Lebanese civilians must be stopped. And the Lebanese/Arab League proposal is the way to do that. The U.N. Security Council and the government of Israel must recognize this, and the agreement must be implemented.
Cheers,
Days Remaining in Bust Presidency: 896
Also important to this proposal is that the Israeli government has announced that the proposal will be seriously considered. The Israeli government must agree to withdraw its soldiers. It is unnacceptable that Israel should remain in Lebanon's land. Israel should never have invaded, it should never have bombed the civilians of Lebanon. Israel has committed illegal aggression, and that must be recognized. But unfortunately, the assent of the government of Israel is needed to put this proposal into effect.
As well, the permanent members of the Security Council must recognize that this is the proposal that will end the fighting for the near and medium term in Lebanon. Aid organizations must be allowed to bring aid to the citizens in the south of Lebanon. The killing of Lebanese civilians must be stopped. And the Lebanese/Arab League proposal is the way to do that. The U.N. Security Council and the government of Israel must recognize this, and the agreement must be implemented.
Cheers,
Days Remaining in Bust Presidency: 896
Sunday, August 06, 2006
The Cost of War
As of two days ago, the count of Lebanese dead was at 900. Nine hundred! How Israel can do this anyone is beyond my comprehension. The murder of innocent civilians must stop.
And now, the U.S. and France have reached a compromise on a Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire, but again it contains the American language about a "sustainable peace." What is needed is a stop to the fighting now! Once the fighting stops negotiations can proceed. But the demand that a ceasefire can only occur when there can be a sustainable peace is simply a means to make sure that there is not peace. The conditions for a future, long term peace, can not be created when there is fighting going on. That should be obvious to everyone.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 899
And now, the U.S. and France have reached a compromise on a Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire, but again it contains the American language about a "sustainable peace." What is needed is a stop to the fighting now! Once the fighting stops negotiations can proceed. But the demand that a ceasefire can only occur when there can be a sustainable peace is simply a means to make sure that there is not peace. The conditions for a future, long term peace, can not be created when there is fighting going on. That should be obvious to everyone.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 899
Monday, July 31, 2006
Lebanon Situation Goes From Bad to Worse
On Sunday the Israeli air force bombed a building in Qana and killed 57 people, mostly women and children. These people were sheltering in the basement of the building so that they would not face death at the hands of Israeli bombs. The fact that the Israeli armed forces would blatantly drop a bomb on a building full of women and children on the excuse that there might have been a few Hezbollah fighters in the building is absolutely unconscionable. Once again, the government of claims that the strike was not deliberate and that it feels "deep regret" but if they really felt any remorse for what they did, all bombing of Lebanon would cease forever, not just the forty-eight hours promised by Israel. Killing the civilians of Lebanon is not the way to disarm Hezbollah; it is not a good way to ensure the security of the people of Israel. All that killing innocent people in Lebanon will do is provide more recruits for Hezbollah and build more antipathy towards Israel among the people of the Middle East.
And yet the U.N. Security Council, stuck firmly in the pocket of the Bush Administration, refuses to condemn the crimes that Israel is committing in Lebanon. All they do is call for a ceasefire that will create the conditions for a lasting peace. What that means is that Israel gets everything it wants: Hezbollah disarmed, soldiers returned and part of Lebanon occupied while Lebanon gets nothing, just the hope that Israel might one day withdraw. While a lasting peace in the region is of course desirable, the people of Lebanon need a cease fire now. The United States wishes to buy more time for Israel to reshape the Middle East in an image pleasing to Washington. Well guess what, that isn't going to happen. Resistance to the aggression of Israel and the U.S.A. will strengthen and yet more people, on both sides, will die. It is not acceptable that this should continue.
Every government in the world should denounce the aggression of Israel in Lebanon for what it is, blatant expansionism and imperialism. The capturing of two Israeli soldiers, who may or may not have been inside Lebanese territory, is not grounds for the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands of Lebanese civilians.
How can the death of children ever be justified? How can the capturing of soldiers justify the deaths of innocent people? How would we feel if we saw our children dead in the rubble every day?
Days Remaining In Bush Presidency: 904
And yet the U.N. Security Council, stuck firmly in the pocket of the Bush Administration, refuses to condemn the crimes that Israel is committing in Lebanon. All they do is call for a ceasefire that will create the conditions for a lasting peace. What that means is that Israel gets everything it wants: Hezbollah disarmed, soldiers returned and part of Lebanon occupied while Lebanon gets nothing, just the hope that Israel might one day withdraw. While a lasting peace in the region is of course desirable, the people of Lebanon need a cease fire now. The United States wishes to buy more time for Israel to reshape the Middle East in an image pleasing to Washington. Well guess what, that isn't going to happen. Resistance to the aggression of Israel and the U.S.A. will strengthen and yet more people, on both sides, will die. It is not acceptable that this should continue.
Every government in the world should denounce the aggression of Israel in Lebanon for what it is, blatant expansionism and imperialism. The capturing of two Israeli soldiers, who may or may not have been inside Lebanese territory, is not grounds for the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands of Lebanese civilians.
How can the death of children ever be justified? How can the capturing of soldiers justify the deaths of innocent people? How would we feel if we saw our children dead in the rubble every day?
STOP AGGRESSION NOW!
JUSTICE FOR LEBANON!
Days Remaining In Bush Presidency: 904
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Harper's Crackpot Response
Just a quick post since I am on break at work (yes, I work evenings). I heard that Harper was on record today questioning why the U.N. observers that Israel blew up on Tuesday were still in South Lebanon, which is (to put it mildly) a war zone. Well, Mr. Harper, it is because they are U.N. observers. They are there to observe and that is why they are staying. Honestly, the Prime Minister needs to pull his head out of his ass in short order.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 908
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 908
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
U.N. Observation Post Destroyed
So, Israel is now bombing the United Nations personnel in southern Lebanon. An Israeli air strike on a UN observer post killed four unarmed UN personnel, including a Canadian, Major Paeta Derek Hess-von Kruedener. This is absolutely unacceptable. There is no reason for Israel to bomb the U.N. observers, unless they don't want their invasion and bombardment to be observed. The Israeli government is actively denying that they had any role to play in the murder of the observers, claiming that the post was hit by accident. But I prefer to take the word of the Secretary General of the United Nations over that of the Israeli government thank you very much. Kofi Annan stated that numerous calls had been made from the observation post to the Israeli government saying that the bombardment had come much to close, until, at about 7:30 pm local time the U.N. lost contact with the post. I find it very difficult to believe that such a thing could have happened by accident after so many warnings.
Of course, Canada's boot-licker of a Prime Minister has decided that Israel can't have possibly targeted the U.N. post for bombing. All he had to say on the matter when asked about Mr. Annan's statement was "I certainly doubt that to be the case." What a fatuous jackass we have in charge of our country. First, Israel's slaughter of the Lebanese is "measured" and second that Israel could not possibly have deliberately bombed the U.N. post. This is a perfect example of the binary thinking that I mentioned in a previous post. Israel can do no wrong, so obviously it could not have possibly even conceived of deliberately bombing the U.N. observers. How disgusting.
And now the Prime Minister of Israel cries crocodile tears for the people killed, expressing "deep regret" over the deaths of the observers. Oh well, at least its better than the treatment that the dead Lebanese civilians get out of the Israeli government, the line that, well, if they were near a site that we wanted to bomb 'cause we think it might possibly, maybe, have had something to do with Hezbollah so they deserved to be bombed into oblivion. This all makes me so sick.
Days remaining in Bush presidency: 909
Of course, Canada's boot-licker of a Prime Minister has decided that Israel can't have possibly targeted the U.N. post for bombing. All he had to say on the matter when asked about Mr. Annan's statement was "I certainly doubt that to be the case." What a fatuous jackass we have in charge of our country. First, Israel's slaughter of the Lebanese is "measured" and second that Israel could not possibly have deliberately bombed the U.N. post. This is a perfect example of the binary thinking that I mentioned in a previous post. Israel can do no wrong, so obviously it could not have possibly even conceived of deliberately bombing the U.N. observers. How disgusting.
And now the Prime Minister of Israel cries crocodile tears for the people killed, expressing "deep regret" over the deaths of the observers. Oh well, at least its better than the treatment that the dead Lebanese civilians get out of the Israeli government, the line that, well, if they were near a site that we wanted to bomb 'cause we think it might possibly, maybe, have had something to do with Hezbollah so they deserved to be bombed into oblivion. This all makes me so sick.
Days remaining in Bush presidency: 909
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Harper's Photo Op
Well, it has just been brought to my attention that when Harper flew to the Middle East for his dramatic rescue of stranded Canadians, he flew home on his plane with only sixty-three evacuees when he could have carried over one hundred. (See the story at this page from CBC.ca.) This seems to demonstrate that Harper was only interested in the need to have enough people for a photo op. The illustrious Prime Minister seems to have felt the need to "prove" that he is doing something to help the thirty to fifty thousand Canadians stranded in Lebanon. It has also emerged that Mr. Harper brought along three members of his communications staff on his little jaunt. What possible purpose could their being there serve except to show the Canadian public what a great and magnanimous man our Prime Minister is. HAH!
This whole exercise has been to try to divert attention from the fact that the evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon has been a day late and a dollar short. The fact that the first ship to leave Beirut was fifty people under capacity should show that the evacuation has been badly organized and managed. The government also did nothing until people began to shout and make noise about the situation. It is a travesty that the first ship to carry more than one thousand Canadians out of Lebanon just left TODAY. The Canadian government ought to be embarassed of its handling of the evacuation and of the whole current situation in the Middle East.
Thanks to West Coast Tiger at EnMasse.ca for bringing this story to my attention.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 912
This whole exercise has been to try to divert attention from the fact that the evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon has been a day late and a dollar short. The fact that the first ship to leave Beirut was fifty people under capacity should show that the evacuation has been badly organized and managed. The government also did nothing until people began to shout and make noise about the situation. It is a travesty that the first ship to carry more than one thousand Canadians out of Lebanon just left TODAY. The Canadian government ought to be embarassed of its handling of the evacuation and of the whole current situation in the Middle East.
Thanks to West Coast Tiger at EnMasse.ca for bringing this story to my attention.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 912
Saturday, July 22, 2006
The Israeli Army Moves In
So, the Israeli army has decided to launch a ground invasion of Lebanon. This is a depressing and disturbing development. When Israel pulled out six years ago I thought that things might finally be on the right path. But as I watched developments unfold over the last couple of weeks, I have become very depressed about the situation. It is not fair that Israel punishes the entire nation of Lebanon for the actions of a few in Hezbollah. I don't see why so many people are locked into an immovable and binary view on the issues of the Middle East suggesting that one side or the other can do no wrong, and that the other side can do no right.
Personally, I believe that there is wrong enough to go around on both sides. It is wrong for Israel to occupy to the lands of other nations, be it Palestine, Lebanon, Syria or whatever nation. It is wrong that Israel causes the deaths of over 300 (as of Saturday, July 22) civilians in Lebanon to achieve the return of two prisoners taken by Hezbollah or one prisoner taken by Hamas fighters in Gaza. It is wrong to blow up the infrasructure that citizens need to carry on their lives, for example water treatment plants, generating stations and bridges to try to pressure for the return of prisoners.
It is also wrong that those fighting for the liberation of Palestine target the civilians of Israel. When fighting an occupation, one must fight the soldiers of the occupation, not kill citizens of the occupying power who might be opponents of their country's occupation. There is a significant peace movement in Israel, and the indiscriminate killing of civilians sets back the cause of this peace movement by years.
Ultimately, the right of Palestine's people to a state and to the right to live in peace without occupation must be respected. The right of Israel to exist and for its citizens to live in peace within their own borders must be recognized as well. I can't comprehend why the majority of the people in either country backs the continued fighting. The violence has accomplishing nothing. Occupation begets violence, which begets more violence, which begets further violence. And the fighting is not confined to Israel and Palestine. Now Lebanon, and Lebanon's four million innocent citizens have been drawn into the conflict and more people are being killed.
The role of the United States and the West in general is also fair game for consideration here. The headline in the Globe and Mail newspaper on Saturday, July 22 included the phrase "US revs up diplomacy" and yet part way through the article it was mentioned that the US is rush delivering precision guided weapons to the Israeli armed forces. How the Americans can believe they have a right to intervene here is beyond me. That is like asking the best friend of one party to a fight to decide who is in the right and what steps should be taken to resolve the fight. The fact that the Americans have said that Israel should be given a free hand to do what it likes to Lebanon is appalling. And the responses of other heads of state and government have been equally appalling. Stephen Harper, prime minister of Canada said that Israel's response is "measured." In what way is the killing of over three hundred people proportionate to the capture of two soldiers? In what way is it measured Mr. Harper?
A way must be found to move forward recognizing that continued fighting gets nowhere. The end to this dispute will not be found through one side blowing the other side into smithereens. Peace can only come when the leadership of this region realizes that there is more to be gained from peaceful cooexistance then there is from continued bloodshed and violence. I realize this sounds like a pipe dream, but only by dreaming of a better future can a better future be realized.
I have edited this post to reflect spending some more thought on the issue.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 913
Personally, I believe that there is wrong enough to go around on both sides. It is wrong for Israel to occupy to the lands of other nations, be it Palestine, Lebanon, Syria or whatever nation. It is wrong that Israel causes the deaths of over 300 (as of Saturday, July 22) civilians in Lebanon to achieve the return of two prisoners taken by Hezbollah or one prisoner taken by Hamas fighters in Gaza. It is wrong to blow up the infrasructure that citizens need to carry on their lives, for example water treatment plants, generating stations and bridges to try to pressure for the return of prisoners.
It is also wrong that those fighting for the liberation of Palestine target the civilians of Israel. When fighting an occupation, one must fight the soldiers of the occupation, not kill citizens of the occupying power who might be opponents of their country's occupation. There is a significant peace movement in Israel, and the indiscriminate killing of civilians sets back the cause of this peace movement by years.
Ultimately, the right of Palestine's people to a state and to the right to live in peace without occupation must be respected. The right of Israel to exist and for its citizens to live in peace within their own borders must be recognized as well. I can't comprehend why the majority of the people in either country backs the continued fighting. The violence has accomplishing nothing. Occupation begets violence, which begets more violence, which begets further violence. And the fighting is not confined to Israel and Palestine. Now Lebanon, and Lebanon's four million innocent citizens have been drawn into the conflict and more people are being killed.
The role of the United States and the West in general is also fair game for consideration here. The headline in the Globe and Mail newspaper on Saturday, July 22 included the phrase "US revs up diplomacy" and yet part way through the article it was mentioned that the US is rush delivering precision guided weapons to the Israeli armed forces. How the Americans can believe they have a right to intervene here is beyond me. That is like asking the best friend of one party to a fight to decide who is in the right and what steps should be taken to resolve the fight. The fact that the Americans have said that Israel should be given a free hand to do what it likes to Lebanon is appalling. And the responses of other heads of state and government have been equally appalling. Stephen Harper, prime minister of Canada said that Israel's response is "measured." In what way is the killing of over three hundred people proportionate to the capture of two soldiers? In what way is it measured Mr. Harper?
A way must be found to move forward recognizing that continued fighting gets nowhere. The end to this dispute will not be found through one side blowing the other side into smithereens. Peace can only come when the leadership of this region realizes that there is more to be gained from peaceful cooexistance then there is from continued bloodshed and violence. I realize this sounds like a pipe dream, but only by dreaming of a better future can a better future be realized.
I have edited this post to reflect spending some more thought on the issue.
Cheers
Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 913
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