UN Investigator: Israel commits “massive violations of international law”

Richard Falk, U. N. Special Investigator for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, spells it out (h/t PeoplesGeography):

clipped from www.russiatoday.com The Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip represent severe and massive violations of international humanitarian law as defined in the Geneva Convention, both in regard to the obligations of an occupying power and in the requirements of the laws of war. Those violations include:Collective punishment – the entire 1.5 million people who live in the crowded Gaza Strip are being punished for the actions of a few militants. […] Targeting civilians – the air strikes were aimed at civilian areas in one of the most crowded stretches of land in the world […] Disproportionate military response – the air strikes have not only destroyed every police and security office of Gaza’s elected government, but have killed and injured hundreds of civilians […] Earlier Israeli actions, specifically the complete sealing off of entry and exit to and from the Gaza Strip, have led to severe shortages of medicine and fuel (as well as food), resulting in the inability of ambulances to respond to the injured, the inability of hospitals to adequately provide medicine or necessary equipment for the injured, and the inability of Gaza’s besieged doctors and other medical workers to sufficiently treat the victims. […] Certainly the rocket attacks against civilian targets in Israel are unlawful. But that illegality does not give Israel any right … to violate international humanitarian law and commit war crimes … in its response […] The one Israeli killed today … is the first in over a year. […] The Israeli air strikes today, and the catastrophic human toll that they have caused, challenge those countries that have been and remain complicit, either directly or indirectly, in Israel’s violations of international law. That complicity includes those countries knowingly providing the military equipment including warplanes and missiles used in these illegal attacks, as well as those countries which have supported and participated in the siege of Gaza, which itself has caused a humanitarian catastrophe

Since 2000, fewer than 20 Israelis have been killed by Hamas’ primitive rockets – and only one in the last 12 months. By contrast, 3,000 Palestinians have died, and 300 of them perished in the last few days.

Israel’s enabler is the USA, which provides American gunships, missiles, and bombs. Israel kills with impunity because the US vetoes near-unanimous UN rebukes.

Dispensationalism’s blind faith that Israel’s barbarous government is the Israel of prophecy demands re-evaluation. For the pogroms this outfit carries out make it more resemble the Third Reich than the children of Abraham.

And the USA—with the backing of the Christian conservative set—once again has blood on its hands.

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Tags: terrorism, crimes+against+humanity, Gaza, aid+to+Israel, UN, US+veto, dispensationalism, religious+right, religious+conservatism, Christians+Israel, Middle+East, Israel+bombs+Gaza, war+crimes, Zionism, Hamas, rockets, retaliation, Monte Asbury
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How to read an American newspaper

US good; foreigner bad: note this contrast between two rather similar economic stories told in two very different ways.

clipped from nielsenhayden.com America GOOD! Detroit Bailout May Bring On U.S. Oversight Congressional Democrats were weighing options for government control of the auto industry, including the possible creation of an oversight board. Foreigners SINISTER! In Hard Times, Russia Moves In to Reclaim Private Industries The Kremlin seems to be exploiting the economic crisis to establish more control over weakened industries. Yes, when we do it, we’re “weighing options” and possibly creating an “oversight board.” But when Russia—excuse me, I mean “THE KREMLIN”—does it, they’re “exploiting the economic crisis” in order to “establish more control.” You can hear their commissars cackling as far away as Sarah Palin’s house!

More on the arrest of Amy Goodman in St Paul

Goodman Arrested (photo: Democracy Now!)

I wrote of the outrageous arrest of veteran journalist Amy Goodman outside the Republican National Convention a few days ago.  Here’s her account, excerpted from the Pioneer Press’s Twin-Cities Online:

Goodman said she was on the convention floor, interviewing […], when she heard that her producers had been arrested and were bloodied. […] she immediately ran from the Xcel Energy Center to the site of the arrests, in a parking lot […]

“I went up the riot police line. […] I said, ‘I’d like to talk to a commanding officer.’ ”  She […] tried to ask why the producers were under arrest.

“They took me, handcuffed me immediately, said, ‘You’re under arrest,’ “ Goodman said. “They pushed me to the ground. I said, ‘You can clearly see I have all the proper credentials, I have my security clearance for the (convention) floor.’ ”

Amy Goodman (Democracy Now!) Arrested at RNC

Minneapolis and St Paul police are apparently on a rampage. Many houses and a theater were raided yesterday and today in advance of the Republican National Convention. Most of these appear to be places where independent journalists were housed. Many, including a lawyer representing them, handcuffed, some made to lie on the ground, their property searched, and then the police left – taking nothing, arresting no one.

One of my own heroes, Amy Goodman of DemocracyNow! was arrested today for “Conspiracy to Riot.” The arrest is documented in the video.  It is both sad and outrageous.

More on this tomorrow.

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Tags: Amy+Goodman, DemocracyNow, Minneapolis+police, StPaul+police, journalists+arrested, RNC, Republican+National+Convention, Monte Asbury

Oh, No! Ku Klux Klan Won’t Endorse Obama!

Huffpo’s Michael Gene Sullivan has spun the funniest satire I’ve seen in a long time. It’s a classic political humor piece at a moment in history that has us tearing out our hair in frustration at the bizarre nonsense that’s passed off with a straight face (eg., Bill Clinton claims the media have covered up the real chances Hillary has of winning).

Go check it out – save it for your grandkids. Here’s just a tiny bit:

In a surprising move, which some are calling a deathblow to his candidacy, the Ku Klux Klan today decided to not endorse Senator Barack Obama in his bid for the Presidency of the United States. […]

At his armed camp outside of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, Imperial Grand Wizard Gomer Bath explained […] “for myself it really came down to health care.” […]

From his National Headquarters/Mother’s Knitting Room in Kudzu, Alabama, Intergalactic Majestic Dragon, and two-time winner of the “Hit a Black Man with a Stick When He’s Not Looking and Run Away” Championship, Chester Podgorney agrees. “Obama’s rhetoric and speeches of Hope and Understanding have not won the hearts and minds of my vast Army of Fearless Race Warriors.” […]

“Senator Obama’s representation of armed, unemployed fanatically religious small town racists as bitter is exactly the sort of out of touch comment we’ve come to expect from his kind. Of politician.” […]

Noting her strength with the broad swaths of people who have no intention of actually voting for her, Senator Clinton also feels Obama’s weakness with people who hate both of them with a passion should give unpledged superdelegates pause. […]

Ah, what delight. Sink into my mind, O sensible Satire! Remind me again: foolishness looks like foolishness because it’s foolishness.

Cheers!

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Tags: Obama, satire, Ku+Klux+Klan, political+humor, racism, bitterness, Clinton, elections, primaries, race, Monte Asbury