UK jails more Muslims for 2009 anti-Israeli rally

UK jails more Muslims for 2009 anti-Israeli rally

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:34:31 GMT

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The courtroom's entrance was packed with a crowd of demonstrators, chanting slogans in defense of the right to protest.

Five more British protestors have been sent to jail for taking part in anti-Gaza war protests rally in front of the Israeli Embassy in London last January.

The courtroom's entrance was packed with a crowd of demonstrators, chanting slogans in defense of the right to protest. Some believed this was an intent government crackdown on Muslim protesters.

A Press TV correspondent reported that Saturday's ruling came despite the presiding judge's admission that in some of the cases the unlawful behavior had only lasted several minutes.

In total, 78 people are facing law suits after being arrested in the hours-long rally against Israel's military assault on Gaza. The charges vary from clashing with the police to damaging public property.

Out of that number, 20 people have already been tried and handed sentences in a move which authorities say is aimed deterring others from the same offences.

The sentencing comes two weeks after the same court sent six British Muslim men, between 19 and 20 years old, to jailed for periods of between one and two years each in jail for violent conduct.

This is while a human rights organization's charges of police brutality have largely been dismissed.

The Islamic Human Rights Commission also said the police had failed to investigate up to 30 complaints against the Metropolitan police force.

Makarov predicts US collapse if Iran attacked

The Obama administration wants stricter sanctions on Iran, and the Sarah Palin/ Daniel Pipes lunatic fringe wants a military attack on Iran. But Russia's General of the Army Nikolay Makarov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, warned that an American attack on Iran now, when the US is bogged down in two wars, might well lead to the collapse of the United States. He said that such an attack would roil the region and have negative consequences for Russia (a neighbor of Iran via the Caspian Sea). And, he said, the Russian military is taking steps to forestall such an American strike on Iran. Makarov made the remarks in Vzglyad on Friday, February 19, 2010, and they were translated or paraphrased by the USG Open Source Center:

Makarov also commented on the recent rumors about the possibility of an attack upon Iran by the United States. In his opinion, this would be complete madness on the part of the American military. He said: "Admiral Michael McMullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently said that, in the United States, there is a plan for carrying out strikes against Iran but the United States clearly understands that now, when it is conducting two military campaigns, one in Iraq and the other in Afghanistan, a third campaign against Iran would simply lead to a collapse. It would not be able to withstand the strain."

Nevertheless, in proportion to the winding down of the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, (the plan for) a war with the Islamic Republic of Iran, in the opinion of General Makarov, may again come out to the foreground.

General Makarov, Chief of the General Staff, said: "The consequences of such an attack will be terrible not only for the region but also for us. Iran is our neighbor and we are very carefully following this situation. The leadership of our country is undertaking all measures in order not to allow such a (military) development of events."

We will no longer remain silent

We will no longer remain silent

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THE ISRAELI GUANTANAMO BAY DISAPPEARANCES, DETENTION WITHOUT TRIAL, BRAINWASHING, AND RECRUITMENT TO MOSSAD

THE ISRAELI GUANTANAMO BAY DISAPPEARANCES, DETENTION WITHOUT TRIAL, BRAINWASHING, AND RECRUITMENT TO MOSSAD

THE ISRAELI GUANTANAMO BAY DISAPPEARANCES, DETENTION WITHOUT TRIAL, BRAINWASHING, AND RECRUITMENT TO MOSSAD

THE ISRAELI GUANTANAMO BAY DISAPPEARANCES, DETENTION WITHOUT TRIAL, BRAINWASHING, AND RECRUITMENT TO MOSSAD

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Life in the Bubble: At Home in the Israeli Settler State

Life in the Bubble: At Home in the Israeli Settler State

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Viva Palestina Ireland to Gaza - a report

Viva Palestina Ireland to Gaza - a report
Well folks, the great news to report to you all is that the “Viva
Palestina” Humanitarian Aid Convoy safely reached Gaza and delivered
all their aid. On January 6 th , 517 humanitarians from 20 countries,
in close to 200 vehicles, crossed through the Rafah Border into Gaza .
The scenes greeting us as we made our way to Gaza city were
unbelievable. Over 100,000 lined the roads and streets as we took 3
hours to drive 20 kilometres. They had waited patiently on us for us
for weeks, and their outpouring of excitement and gratitude was the
most humbling experience in my life. They are the real heroes, not us.
[...]
Everyone was shocked, and totally dismayed by
Egypt 's new rules.

1. We were to hand over all our vehicles and aid to the United Nations
Relief Agency.

2. Drive back up to Syria , put all our vehicles on a boat and sail it
to El Arish Port. We were to take a ferry or fly.

3. We were to ask Israel for permission to cross from Egypt into Gaza .

[...]
Plus, 30 of us joined is a hunger strike along with many others in
Cairo who were part of a Gaza Freedom March that was banned from
entering Gaza . Over 1,300 people from all over the world had arrived
in Cairo only to be told they would not be allowed in. Among the
hunger strikers in Cairo , was Hedy Epstein, a 85 year old Holocaust
survivor.
[...]
Together we fasted for 40 hours until word came through that a deal
had been struck. Egypt was going to allow the whole convoy a safe
passage into Gaza if we travelled from Syria .
We would not have to hand it over to the UN, and we would not to ask
Israel for permission to cross. (Like we were going to…)
[...]

Having arrived at El Arish airport, a full scale commotion was going
on as the airport officials “lost” 5 passports. As our noise got
louder, 1 by 1 the passports mysteriously re appeared…… After 8 hours
in the airport, we were bussed to the compound at the port where all
our vehicles and all the convoy members were gathered.

Little did we all know what was in store for us later on that night.
During discussions with the head of the I.H.H. charity, a Turkish M.P.
representing the Government, and George Galloway, Egyptian officials
reneged on their previous deal, and where now denying entry to 59
vehicles. Then, they stood up and walked out to make a phone call. 15
minutes later they looked out the window and the compound was
surrounded by 2,000 riot police and soldiers. This was developing into
a very tense situation.

Hundreds of convoy members went to the main gates and staged a
peaceful protest. We all linked arms at the front, and at various
times, sat down for long spells. The Muslim men gathered in deep
prayer, and the atmosphere was very calm.
However, things changed for the worse after a few hours whenever we
were attacked by stone throwers from behind police lines. They fired
tear gas on us, water cannoned us, threw sand in our faces, and then
baton charged us. It was a very scary moment, and I was lucky enough
to escape any blows. As everyone was getting pushed back into the
compound, stones and bricks followed after them from the police lines.
A full scale riot raged for the next 10 minutes as stones and bricks
rained from both sides of the wall.
[...]
People were very frightened, and with just cause. The sight of people
injured was not a pretty one, believe me.
[...]

That evening, I went to the Gaza Sporting Club. This is the club I
presented jerseys to before, and this evening I was back with more!
This also marked the occasion where I formally established a Gaza GAA
club within their structures. I presented them with a set of jerseys
that had been donated by Peter Canavan's school, The Holy Trinity in
Cookstown.

It was a very proud moment, and one for the history books.
They presented me with a plaque, and 3 club jerseys. It was a fairly
emotional meeting for sure. Very soon, children in Gaza will be
playing Gaelic football, and will be kicking points like Peter!!

During our meeting, a loud explosion was heard in the distant.

The curtains in our room blew in and then out with the blast. At this
point, our evening was cut short and we returned to the safety of our
hotel. It was a very tense feeling, and word came through that it was
a F16 attack and that 1 man had been killed. In another attack near
the border, 2 more were killed in F16 attacks. This was a cold
reminder to all about the daily fear everyone lives with in Gaza .
These attacks are designed to keep on letting everyone in Gaza know
that they can be hit at anytime, for no reason at all. Just living in
Gaza makes you a target.

The following morning, we were all advised to head straight to the
border. Everyone packed up, and after many tearful farewells, 517
people made their way to the Rafah Border.
[...]
We were made to wait for 8 hours, and then when we had passed through
immigration, we were all loaded onto buses and taken directly to Cairo
Airport . Here, each and every one of us was “Deported” from Egypt .
This was our final thanks for having brought humanitarian aid to the
suffering people in Gaza . For all of us, it is a badge of honour.
Where else in the world would you be deported for having completed an
act of charity? The mind boggles……..
Egypt can hold their heads in shame for what they did to us. Making us
endure a 13 day detour, attacking us, and then deporting us, was some
reception from a supposed friend of the west. Then, they announce that
they will never allow another convoy of aid to pass through their land
for Gaza . They have a big heart, and their generosity knows no
bounds.
The British Embassy in Cairo did nothing for their citizens,
and the US did even less.
The Irish Embassy did more than every other Embassy put together. From the moment we landed in ElArish, they were making up to 5 calls a day to us to make sure we were all ok. They also made several calls for our safety to the Egyptian Government.

Michael Martin also called to offer his support. Once again, Ireland
stood up for its citizens and for the Palestinians. We were truly
grateful for this support and constant contact.

[...]
Together, we all made it happen, and the people in Gaza love and
respect everyone for having shown the courage to speak up for them.
They will never forget this convoy, that's for sure……

Tyrone To Gaza

John Hurson

Five NATO members want US nukes out of Europe

Five NATO members want US nukes out of Europe

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:36:55 GMT

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Former NATO chief Willy Claes also calls for new adaption of nuclear policy in Europe

Five NATO member states want the United States to remove all its nuclear weapons, mostly deployed during the Cold War, from Europe.

NATO members Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway are expected to make the request "in the coming weeks."

The five argue that the "nuclear arms on European soil belonging to other NATO member states are removed," said a spokesman for Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme.

Former NATO secretary general, Willy Claes, has also called for the withdrawal of US nukes from Europe. However, current NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen has cautioned European nations against rushing to clear themselves of US weapons, AFP reported.

Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands are believed to hold some of the roughly 200 US nuclear weapons that remain in Europe. However, most of the nukes are estimated to be in Italy and Turkey.

At the height of tension with the then-Soviet Union, the United States reportedly fielded thousands of such armaments throughout the continent.

Kuwaiti envoy: Persian Gulf name, irreversible

Kuwaiti envoy: Persian Gulf name, irreversible

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 07:37:02 GMT

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The false use of "Arabian Gulf" instead of "Persian Gulf" has developed the sensitivity of all Iranians across the world.

The Kuwaiti envoy to Tehran says the historical and geographical name of the Persian Gulf is irreversible and no body reserves the right to deny Iranians their right.

"History is clear and the name of this sea has been Persian Gulf since the old days. The name of Persian Gulf has been written down on various geographical maps and no body can change it," Kuwaiti Ambassador to Tehran, Majdi Ahmad Ebrahim al-Zafiri told reporters in Bushehr, according to Mehr.

"The distortion of Persian Gulf's name was conducted by a particular Egyptian tribe with political intentions; therefore such a historical issue does not require sensitivity and the Persian Gulf remains Persian Gulf for good," the Kuwaiti official asserted.

UK official: We knew about Mossad assassination plot

"There was no British involvement and they didn't know the name of the target. But they were told these people were traveling on UK passports," the Daily Mail quoted the British security source as saying.

U.S. Lawmakers Blast Boycott of J Street Delegation in Israel

by Barak Ravid and Natasha Mozgovaya

Five U.S. Congressmen on a visit here, which the left-wing American advocacy group J Street initiated, yesterday held a news conference in Tel Aviv to demand an official explanation for an apparent snub by Danny Ayalon, deputy foreign minister.

Congressman Bill Delahunt (D-MA), left, delivers a speech as Donald Payne (D-NJ), Bob Filner (D-CA), Lois Capps(D-CA), Mary Jo Kilroy(D-OH), Executive Director of J Street Jeremy Ben Ami, and Warren Clark of Churches for Middle East Peace listen during a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010. Delahunt is touring the region with a congressional delegation hosted by J Street, a liberal Jewish lobbying group that describes itself as pro-Israel and pro-peace. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Tension between the Foreign Ministry and J Street was believed to be behind the unprecedented diplomatic rift between Israel and the U.S. Congress.

"It was with real surprise and disappointment that we read a headline in this morning's newspaper saying 'Foreign Ministry boycotts members of Congress,'" said Rep. William Delahunt (D-Massachusetts), who heads the delegation.

Britain, Ireland presses Israel over Hamas murder row

LONDON (AFP) – Britain and Ireland called in Israel's envoys on Thursday amid a growing diplomatic furore over the use of fake passports by the killers of a Hamas chief.

Israel's ambassador to London, Ron Prosor, was asked to meet with a senior official at the Foreign Office, the day after Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for a "full investigation" into the passports row.

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin called in Israel's envoy for talks, saying he regarded the use of false Irish passports as "an extremely serious incident".

"We are putting pretty direct questions and seeking assistance and clarification. We want to get answers as quickly as we possibly can," added Martin.

Diplomatic tensions have mounted over the killing of Mahmud al-Mabhuh last month in a luxury Dubai hotel, ever since the emirate's police chief revealed that 11 European passport holders were allegedly involved. Austria is now investigating whether Austrian telephones were used to plan the killing

Britons had passport details stolen by ‘Mossad death squad’

British authorities are investigating how six British nationals apparently had their identities stolen by suspected Mossad agents on a mission to assassinate a Hamas leader in Dubai.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed that the identities used by six members of the 11-strong hit squad were those of real British passport holders living in Israel. “We believe the passports used were fraudulent, and have begun our own investigation,” a spokesman said.

Weaping for Palestine ; Why is israel called "The only democracy of mideast"

[...]

He told DCI: " .. I feel scared whenever I remember what happened to me ... it might happen to me again ... they threatened to kill me or lock me up."

Welcome to "the only democratic country in the Middle East."

"The holocaust promised by Vilnai was released on 27th December 2008 ... Military and some other Rabbis encouraged attacks on the civilian population", notes Halpin. Further, the assault began during Hannukkah, the eight day Jewish religious Feast of Dedication, or Festival of Lights. Named "Operation Cast Lead", this alluded to " a dreidel, a four sided spinning top, with a Hebrew letter on each side (a) game of chance played by families during the festival."

"Over two hundred people were killed in the first fifteen minutes of the bombardment." They included schoolchildren "as packed schools" were changing shifts; in the same time frame, all of the Civil Defence centres were destroyed, rendering ambulance co-ordination beyond challenging. Ambulances and medical personnel were challenged, breaching the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Nuremberg Principles, as a war of choice and aggression, the supreme war crime"from which all other crimes flow." Halpin includes here reports from journalist Eva Jasiewicz. ( www.tiny.cc/hauGI)

"Most of the five hundred pages of the Goldstone Report to the UN Human Rights Commission focus on Israeli actions." These "actions" include the fate of the Samouni family. Fleeing the bombardment: "They were ... herded in to a basement in their dozens. The building was then shelled. Ambulances were prevented from going to the dead and wounded for two days. A live child lay alongside a dead parent."

"Goldstone (states) in no uncertain terms that Gaza was not an aberration in Israel's treatment of the Palestinians", writes Halpin, adding that the former Judge Richard Goldstone's Report concludes that a "collective penalty" was inflicted upon Gaza's people, amounting to "intimidation and terror."

This from a man described by his daughter as: " A Zionist who loves Israel."

"Israel could and would not, have engaged in the level of wholesale destruction ... without the support of the outgoing Bush Administration and acquiescence of the incoming Obama" one, comments Halpin, adding "and not without full UK and EU support." (see www.tiny.cc/IHzUG)

[...]

VIVA Palestyna updates

News Update - 5 February 2010

Friends,

Events have been moving fast since the convoy's return from Gaza. In addition to the good news that the two convoy members who stayed behind in Gaza are now safely back following intensive efforts to secure their return, here are a couple of further updates.

Viva Palestina US held two very successful meetings in New York and in Boston last weekend, raising around $60,000. In addition, the American Friends of Palestine held a fundraising in New Jersey which raised over $100,000. It is particularly signficant that despite attempts in the US to whip up hostility against solidarity with the Palestinians and against Viva Palestina, on account of its high profile, that these events were packed out. There was great enthusiasm for two upcoming initiatives.

Dubai to issue arrest warrant for Netanyahu if Mossad behind Hamas killing

Dubai to issue arrest warrant for Netanyahu if Mossad behind Hamas killing

Dubai is to issue an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, if investigators conclude that the Mossad intelligence service was behind the killing of a senior Hamas official in the emirate last month.

Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai's police chief, claimed that the dead man was killed using methods known to be employed by Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence agency. He added that Mr Netanyahu would be held personally responsible if Mossad was identified as the culprit.

CODEPINK invites to march

JOIN US IN DC IN MARCH 2010!

March is an exciting time to take action for peace in Washington DC and we hope you will join us for all or part of the month!

We’ll kick off the month with a national training and lobby day for justice in Palestine and Israel and a celebration of International Women’s Day, and then add a powerful PINK presence at events occurring around the 7th Anniversary of the War in Iraq later in the month. We hope to have a great PINK showing across DC in March! Sign up below to join us in DC!

Bellow is a list of dates and actions/events. We encourage you to come to DC and stay for as many of these as possible. A red star denotes a required field.

Housing info: If you are from out of town, you are responsible for finding lodging while in DC. You can post your housing needs, look for available housing, or offer housing, by visiting our Housing Board (check back soon - will be updated by February 7). The Pink House will be closed on March 1, 2010. The Grassroots Advocacy Training will have a block of hotel rooms reserved, which you can find out more about once you register through Interfaith Peace Builders.

In order to plan ahead, please fill out the following form:

Poll of Republicans Met With Shock, Skepticism

(Feb. 3) -- Most Republicans think Barack Obama is a socialist and Sarah Palin is more qualified than him to be president. Most either think Obama wasn't born in the U.S. or aren't sure. Nearly 40 percent want him impeached. Those are a few of the results in a Daily Kos poll that's shaking up the blogosphere.

A few more nuggets from the poll:

• 21 percent believe the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) stole the 2008 election and 55 percent aren't sure.
• 31 percent believe Obama is a racist who hates white people and 33 percent aren't sure.
• 23 percent want their state to secede from the U.S. and 19 percent aren't sure.
• Only 26 percent favor letting openly gay Americans serve in the military.
• 67 percent believe the only way to get to heaven is through Jesus Christ.

israel's dreamed borders , israel is an illusion it is an empty dream