AP details the atrocities September 17, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, World, US Congress, human rights , add a comment
Looks like the AP has had enough: one of their photographers has been held for 5 months for no apparent reason. They are very pissed off and taking aim. The language in this report is as accurate as it gets and puts the situation in its proper context. About time.
What is unclear about “cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment”? September 15, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, World, US Congress , add a comment
That folks are even having to discuss torture as if it were a reasonable topic for the US of all places has been nauseating enough. That Republican Senators are having to spell it out for everyone shows the kind of morals to which some policymakers - and the media that enable them - have descended. Say the Senators - according to WaPo:
[…] the United States should not try to limit its obligations under the Geneva Conventions. Instead, they want CIA officers to abide by the common understanding of the treaty’s meaning, including a ban on ‘outrages upon personal dignity.’
The dichotomy of So-Called Democrats August 14, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, Washington Consensus, So-called Democrats, US Congress , add a commentSo here you have this well respected (by the establishment) hawkish So-Called Democrat, J. Murtha (D-PA) who has been demanding a troop withdrawal from Iraq - after voting for it, of course, and - like most Americans - supporting a good long time ie as long as he thought the US could somehow “win” this one. Only when things went south did Murtha start screaming foul. Fine, be that as it may, at least, he is calling for withdrawal now.
So - today, he wants to draw a parallel between the US occupation of Iraq and the failed Israeli attempt at “dislodging” Hezbollah from Southern Lebanon or whatever the hell that criminal enterprise was. In so doing, Murtha only manages to point to the dichotomy and blind spot regarding Israel within the ranks of the So-Called Democrats.
Says Murtha:
The United States and virtually all other members of the United Nations Security Council continue to push for an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah. The lead taken by the United States to end the violence and to stop the loss of innocent lives has been applauded. The Bush Administration is moving with speed and deliberation to end the one war, but not the other. (emphasis mine)
See what I mean? Is this guy crazy or just another lying politician? On what planet does he live?
After watching the horrors imparted on Lebanon for the past month and the concerted obstruction to peace on the part of US so-called diplomats, how can anyone in their right frigging mind come to the throughly distorted conclusion that Murtha does? Who the hell is he trying to fool exactly?
Israel’s idiots, our “representatives” - sic July 25, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, Iraq, Islam/Arab Phobia, So-called Democrats, US Congress, Lebanon , add a comment
The So-called Democrats are having a hissy fit because the President of Iraq condemned the “criminal Israeli aggression in Lebanon” and failed to “condemn Hezbollah”. Meanwhile, we haven’t heard a word about the devastataion in Lebanon from the hordes of So-called Democrats lining up on cable news to “support Israel” - not a word. They are as cluelessly insular as their Israeli masters, continuously parrotting them.
Schumer sounded pathetic, haranguing the Iraqi President on c-span a moment ago: “Where do you stand on the war on terror?” still trying to sell us that old tired, ineffective line. Hey, Schumer and assorted Israeli tools, the game is up, you’re seen for what you are and you are being challenged on it. Deal with it or get out of the People’s House.
US Congress: bought and paid for July 21, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, Islam/Arab Phobia, So-called Democrats, US Congress, Lebanon , add a comment
(pic thanks to The Angry Arab who says her brother was killed by IDF)
Says WaPo:
Democratic and Republican congressional leaders are rushing to offer unalloyed support for Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah fighters, reflecting a bipartisan desire to not only defend a key U.S. ally but also solidify long-term backing of Jewish voters and political donors in the United States, according to officials and strategists in both parties.
With Israel intensifying its air and artillery attacks on Lebanon and warning of a protracted war, the Senate yesterday unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution endorsing Israel’s military campaign and condemning Hezbollah and its two backers, Iran and Syria. A few hours earlier, Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) delivered his most strident defense of Israel since the conflict erupted a week ago. The House is expected to pass a similarly pro-Israel resolution today.
What else is new? July 20, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, Islam/Arab Phobia, So-called Democrats, US Congress, Lebanon , add a comment
We’ve all been nauseated by the US press who, along with the “left” blogs and So-Called Democrats, is outdoing itself cheering on Israel’s latest series of unchecked crimes against humanity in Lebanon. Editor & Publisher’s Greg Mitchell aptly documents the atrocities:
Few Editorials Find Fault with the Bombing of Beirut
It’s one thing to endorse Israel’s right to defend itself and retaliate. It’s another to remain silent on the crime of causing mass destruction and civilian deaths in neutral areas of Lebanon.By Greg Mitchell
(July 18, 2006) — While it’s not surprising that nearly every editorial page in the U.S. has offered support for Israel’s right to retaliate against Hamas and Hezbollah, it’s a disgrace that few have expressed outrage, or at least condemnation, over the extent of death and destruction in and around Beirut — and the attacks on the country’s infrastructure, which harms most citizens of that country.
Our tax dollars at work… July 17, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, Political Islam, Iraq, Islam/Arab Phobia, US, World, So-called Democrats, Palestine, Iran, US Congress, Lebanon , add a comment
We, US tax payers, are paying for this Killing, maiming, devastating Arab people and lands, at will, with the tacit and overt support of the “civilized” (sic) world. The US media has been its usual self, blind to Arab suffering, supportive of the Israeli gratuitous onslaught on Lebanon and conducive of its sickening lies and propaganda.
I’ve been nauseated having to follow the news all week-end on CNN, the reporting is so incredibly distorted and ignorant. I remain particularly disgusted by the utter silence from US “lefty” blogs. Crimes against humanity are going on in Lebanon, and the American left tries to cover it up. As for the so-called Democrats in Congress, Barbara Boxer, Diane Feinstein, Joe Biden… outdid themselves on the network, lying for Israel, covering up crimes of a massive scale conducted against Lebanon and its people. John McCain, and a few other bush types were also on, doint Israel’s dirty work of deception and misinformation. (more…)
While Beirut burns July 13, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, Political Islam, US, Washington Consensus, World, Palestine, Maryland, US Congress , add a comment
(photo from Wash Post)
So, Israel is doing what it does best: bomb, kill and maim Arabs. It can’t help itself, it’s bent on making the same mistakes again, and again, and again - the very definition of insanity. Meanwhile, we, US taxpayers are paying for this continuous outrage to our conscience and humanity and our elected representatives - who were so eager to punish Palestinians for their election results - are silent, presumably in fear of the Israel lobby. Nor is the press or the so-called “liberal blogs” touching this. God forbid anyone should call Israel on its latest murderous rampage.
Meanwhile, Fromkin calls Bush the Bystander in this crisis - my feeling exactly.
Moroccan Americans: what are our responsibilities? June 30, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, Maroc, US, World, US Congress , add a commentAs I indicated earlier, although unacknowledged in the invites or the agenda, the issue of the Sahara was front and center throughout last week-end’s Moroccan Americans Convention - and although a formal denial was offered, visibly stage-managed by various officials of the Moroccan government. Ironically, when all the official speech-making was over and we were invited to break into discussion groups, the one dedicated to “territorial integrity” was, by far, the smallest and the networking group the biggest. Says it all, really: people aren’t interested in having issues forced down their throat.
Still, there was a definite attempt to convince the audience that the Sahara issue is the foremost issue for Moroccan Americans and that we should all mobilize around it to lobby Congress to - I suppose - support whatever position the Moroccan government holds at any given time. We were repeatedly told - not so much by the Moroccan Ambassador, but certainly by the paid PR/communication (sic) flacks - that the Sahara is our only, and most critical , issue to discuss with Congress. One of the flacks - the clownish, patronizing former US Amb. to Morocco - even went as far as acknowledging that the “POW issue is a clever way of bringing Congresspeople to our side”. He went ahead and even brought up Darfur as a “model” of effective mobilizing - as if we didn’t know the kind of manipulation that issue has been subjected to.
So - let’s see here, about these responsibilities of ours as Moroccan Americans: (more…)
When Moroccan Americans get together… June 28, 2006
Posted by Delilah in : General, Maroc, US, World, US Congress , add a commentLast Saturday, I attended a day-long gathering of Moroccan Americans advertized as focusing on “opportunities and responsibilities”. The email invite came from a former colleague that I respect and have known for a long time and I had time, so I went - if only to catch-up with old acquaintances and maybe meet new people. That, I did but the rest was pretty much old school, to say the least.
I got there mid-morning, just as the Ambassador of Morocco was wrapping-up his speech. I had no clue who he was, until I asked the guy sitting next to me, in the back of the room who turned out to be an official at the embassy too. Next to him, was another embassy official. This thing was starting to look “official” to me - which didn’t surprise me at all, although I wished the invite had mentioned it and saved me the trip. I turned my attention again to the Ambassador who was going on about “territorial integrity” (ie the Sahara issue). He even introduced a few former POWs.
Then the MC explained that we would hear from former US Amb. to Morocco, under Bill Clinton, Edward Gabriel whose exceedingly patronizing tone was matched by the hollowness of his presentation. He started off joking that he “knew he was at the right place when he saw signs for the conference room pointing in both directions” - which was a damn lie actually - basically telling the organizers to their face that they are incompetent by virtue of being Moroccan. And the room laughed along with him… He also interjected “couscous” numerous times, basically to indicate how Moroccans do business. And the Moroccans in the room laughed with him. (more…)
