"As the Arabs see the Jews"

Written : His Majesty King Abdullah, The American Magazine November, 1947

In 1932, the year before Hitler came to power, only 9,500 Jews came to Palestine. We did not welcome them, but we were not afraid that, at that rate, our solid Arab majority would ever be in danger.

But the next year—the year of Hitler—it jumped to 30,000! In 1934 it was 42,000! In 1935 it reached 61,000!

It was no longer the orderly arrival of idealist Zionists. Rather, all Europe was pouring its frightened Jews upon us.

It is your press and political leadership, almost alone in the world, who press this demand. It is almost entirely American money which hires or buys the "refugee ships" that steam illegally toward Palestine: American money which pays their crews. The illegal immigration from Europe is arranged by the Jewish Agency, supported almost entirely by American funds. It is American dollars which support the terrorists, which buy the bullets and pistols that kill British soldiers—your allies—and Arab citizens—your friends.

read more from original

Israel attack Gaza, while American busy with the polls.

Published on Nov 12, 2012 by aston79suara : Another attack from the Zionist entity and it's escalating!

World must be responsible for Rohingyas.

Published on Nov 9, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : A political analyst tells Press TV that the responsibility of supporting the minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar has to be shared by the international community.

The comments come after Rohingya organizations and activists around the world declared Nov. 8 a global day of action to draw attention to the ongoing plight of Muslims in Myanmar.

My Visit to Gaza, the World's Largest Open-Air Prison

Friday, 09 November 2012 - By Noam Chomsky, Truthout | Op-Ed

Women sit in their makeshift home in the Forgotten Neighborhood in Gaza City, Gaza, September 6, 2012. A United Nations report cites shortages of food, water, electricity, jobs, hospital beds and classrooms amid an exploding population in what is already one of the most densely populated patches of the planet. (Photo: Ed Ou / The New York Times)

Even a single night in jail is enough to give a taste of what it means to be under the total control of some external force.

And it hardly takes more than a day in Gaza to appreciate what it must be like to try to survive in the world's largest open-air prison, where some 1.5 million people on a roughly 140-square-mile strip of land are subject to random terror and arbitrary punishment, with no purpose other than to humiliate and degrade.

Such cruelty is to ensure that Palestinian hopes for a decent future will be crushed, and that the overwhelming global support for a diplomatic settlement granting basic human rights will be nullified. The Israeli political leadership has dramatically illustrated this commitment in the past few days, warning that they will "go crazy" if Palestinian rights are given even limited recognition by the U.N.

This threat to "go crazy" ("nishtagea") – that is, launch a tough response – is deeply rooted, stretching back to the Labor governments of the 1950s, along with the related "Samson Complex": If crossed, we will bring down the Temple walls around us.

more >> here from original :

Thousands flee renewed Myanmar violence.

Published on Oct 27, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish : Thousands of displaced people have surged towards already overcrowded camps in western Myanmar and neighbouring Bangladesh, the UN has said, after new communal violence that has left dozens dead. Tens of thousands of mainly Muslim Rohingya are already crammed into squalid camps around the state capital Sittwe after deadly violence between Rohingya and Buddhists began in June.

Israeli navy seizes European Gaza aid ship.

Published on Oct 20, 2012 by Euronews : A pro-Palestinian ship loaded with humanitarian supplies has been seized by Israeli warships to prevent it docking in the Gaza Strip. The Estelle, registered in Finland, had on board around 30 activists from various countries including five members of the European Parliament and a former Canadian MP.

The vessel was escorted to the Israeli port of Ashdod.Israeli military spokeswoman Avital Liebovitch said: "Since we have a maritime security blockade according to international law, we had to intercept them in order for them not to break this blockade. The interception was done quietly, peacefully. No one was hurt."

It was the latest in a series of vain attempts to deliver supplies to Gaza.Amjad al-Shawa, a Palestinian activist from Gaza said: "We worry a lot about what will happen to those people as they were attacked by five Israeli military boats in international waters."

Israel says the blockade, imposed in 2006, is to prevent arms reaching Palestinian militants.The Estelle put into several European ports en route to its destination. A spokesman for the mission said the ship was carrying building materials, toys and educational items.

McKinnon Will Not Be Rendered To Torture But Five Others Already Have

16 October 2012 : CagePrisoners welcomes the Home Office’s decision to block the extradition of Gary McKinnon.  (pic with mum, left) It must come as a great relief to Gary and his family who have valiantly battled against the odds to secure this outcome for a decade.  There can be no doubt that this is the right decision. However, the timing of the announcement when it comes so soon after the extradition of five other men must call into question the consistency of the Governments application of human rights.

The Home Office ought to have moved to block the extradition of the other five men, Talha Ahsan (who has also been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome), Babar Ahmad, Adel Abdul Bary, Khaled Al-Fawwaz, and Abu Hamza on human rights grounds.  Countless academics and experts in human rights, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Mendez, have stated that solitary confinement as practiced in American ‘supermax’ prisons constitutes torture.  As the Home Secretary well knows, these men  face potential lifetime sentences in brutal conditions of isolation in ADX Florence and elsewhere.

Board Member of CagePrisoners and former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, Omar Deghayes said: “Human rights are for everyone, regardless of their skin colour, faith or culture.  We are truly travelling down a frightening path in which certain individuals are seen as more ‘human’ than others.”

CagePrisoners would like to extend its warmest congratulations to Gary and his family. CagePrisoners have warned against the emergence of a two tier legal system where Muslims are afforded less protection and the rights ignored – the latest twist in the extradition cases appears to confirm that the government has no concern for such fears.

more here  >>

Western sanctions take toll on Iranian patients.

Published on Oct 15, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : Pharmacy shelves in Iran used to have different types of medicine from the European Union countries, but now they are virtually empty, thanks to the new anti-Iran sanctions imposed by the European Union, which won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for fostering peace and human rights.

US, allies wage economic war on Iran

The havoc hitting Iran’s national finances should leave no-one under any illusions. The country is facing economic warfare from the US and its European allies. In financial terms, it is equivalent to attacking the country with a weapon of mass destruction.

The disruption and hardship being inflicted on Iranian citizens is criminal and unspeakably callous. But let’s make no mistake: the suffering of Iranian people is the direct result of conscious decisions being made in Washington, London and Brussels. These sanctions on Iran’s oil and banking industries are outrageous acts of aggression based on specious and malicious claims about the country’s legally entitled civilian nuclear development. The sanctions are unwarranted, criminal acts of war and crimes against humanity, initiated by Washington and its Western lackey governments.

It is important to understand the source of aggression. Recently, some commentators and analysts have overplayed the rift between Washington and Israel with regard to Iran. Some have taken delight at the rebuffs issued to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the White House. When US President Barack Obama declined to grant Netanyahu a personal meeting at the White House during the UN summit last week, some commentators interpreted this as another slap from Washington to Israel over its belligerence towards Iran. There was even a hint of hope that the White House is as last coming to its senses about Netanyahu’s nuttiness.

Other commentators have lamented the supposed excessive influence of Tel Aviv on American government foreign policy. In this view, the reason why America is so hated around the world is because of Zionists hijacking Washington’s foreign policy in general and towards Iran in particular.

more from source  >>>

Last Western Detainee at Gitmo?

...Returns to Canada

Published on Sep 29, 2012 by AssociatedPress : The last Western detainee held at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay returned to Canada Saturday after a decade in custody following his capture in Afghanistan at age 15 after being wounded in a firefight with U.S. soldiers, officials said.

A British Guy still there : Who am I - Do You Know Me?

Published on Jul 29, 2012 by SaveShaker : Shaker Aamer, The Last Londoner in Guantanamo Bay Cuba. Cleared for release in 2007 but still held without trial.

Rumours of Aafia Siddiqui death unfounded

Rumours of the death of Aafia Siddiqui, for now, are not true but how long before rumours become reality?

Disturbing rumours circulated  recently suggesting that Dr Aafia Siddiqui (picture) has died are mercifully not true. However, the family are asking supporters of Aafia, despite the pain and relief they have felt over the past few days, to use this opportunity to remember their sister and daughter.

Aafia's sister Fawzia Siddiqui told CagePrisoners' Yvonne Ridley:

"The rumours have been very distressing and my mother heard about it before we could verify that Aafia was unharmed. She has been unwell but now that the prison has confirmed that she is alive we've asked for a direct telephone call to at least speak with her.

 "The rumours began in the UK and I would ask people not to spread anymore rumours about Aafia. If they hear something they should contact us through the family website first. But hopefully they will use this opportunity to download our Independence Day postcard and mail it to her now."

 * Details of the family's postcard campaign can be found here.

The address to write to Aafia is:

 

AAFIA SIDDIQUI # 90279-054

FMC CARSWELL

FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTER

P.O. BOX 27137

FORT WORTH, TX 76127

U.S.A

original source here  >>

Palestinian Loss of Land 1946 to 2011:

Legal expert counts 469 (illegal) settlements in occupied West Bank and Jerusalem

A Palestinian expert in international law has revealed that the number of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank is now 469, of which 29 are in Jerusalem. The settlements outside the Holy City house more than 500,000 Jewish settlers. All settlements in occupied territory are regarded as illegal under international law.

Dr. Hanna Issa pointed out that about 9,500 Jews have settled in the Jordan Valley, putting pressure on the 65,000 Palestinians who are the rightful owners of the land. The valley represents 29 per cent of the West Bank, with an area of almost 6,000 square kilometres. “Israel is investing four and a half billion dollars a year in the occupied Jordan Valley,” he revealed.

The number of Israeli settlements in occupied Jerusalem is now 29, he added, which are inhabited by 350,000 illegal settlers. Sixteen of these settlements have been annexed unilaterally by Israel in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians Authority considers to be the capital of a future State of Palestine within the borders of June 1967.

“Settlements are spreading everywhere, threatening the Palestinian presence,” said Issa. “They split Palestinian territory into cantons.”

Ongoing settlement activity has accelerated under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Palestinian Authority insists on a total freeze of settlement building before peace negotiations can resume.

Original here  >>>

Gitmo : A Decade of Injustice - UK

Published on Sep 10, 2012 by journeymanpictures : Shaker Aamer has been held in Guantanamo Bay since 2002. He's a legal UK resident, married to a British national, with four children. He's also yet to face trial or be charged. So why is he still behind bars?

Through conversations with activists and former detainees, this film paints a picture of Aamer and his extraordinary situation; from the injustices he has endured to what his life has involved for the last decade. From Bagram to Guantanamo Bay, his story illustrates the "unlawful" measures that the US and UK governments continue to use to justify their War on Terror, "ignoring international law, Geneva conventions, and their own Constitution."

Guantanamo inmate dies at US-run military detention facility

File photo shows a detainee with guards at the US-run prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The US military has announced that a detainee at the Guantanamo Bay military prison has died over the weekend.

The US Southern Command, in a statement issued on Monday, said that the inmate was found "unconscious and unresponsive" by guards on Saturday during a routine check, AFP reported. 

It added, “After extensive lifesaving measures had been performed, the detainee was pronounced dead by a physician." 

The Southern Command, however, did not disclose the name and nationality of the prisoner. 

It noted that the detainee's remains will be brought home once an autopsy is complete. 

“As is standard procedure, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service has initiated an investigation of the incident to determine the cause and manner surrounding the death,” the command said. 

The US detainment facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was established in 2002 by the Bush administration. Almost 800 detainees have been brought to the prison camp since October 7, 2001, when Washington began the war on Afghanistan. 

A total of 1,100 US army and navy personnel are reportedly engaged in guarding the detainees held in nine separate camps at Guantanamo. 

International Red Cross inspectors and released detainees alike have described various acts of torture, including extensive use of waterboarding, sleep deprivation, beatings and confinement in small, cold cells. 

One of the allegations of abuse at the US camp is the abuse of the religion of the detainees. 

According to Amnesty International, of the 173 men held at Guantanamo Bay only three had been convicted under a military commission system, "which failed to meet international fair trial standards." 

"Military commission proceedings were conducted in a handful of cases, and the only Guantanamo detainee so far transferred to the US mainland for prosecution in a federal court was tried and convicted,” the international non-governmental organization pointed out. 

Upon taking office, Obama signed an executive order to stop military commissions in order to close down the facility by 2010. However, this has not happened yet. 

source   >>

Libya: Former intelligence chief must be surrendered immediately to ICC

Abdullah al-Senussi, military intelligence chief for Colonel Mu’ammar al-Gaddafi, should have been surrendered to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face charges of crimes against humanity, Amnesty International said today amid reports that Mauritanian authorities had extradited him to Libya. 

In June 2011, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for al-Senussi, as well as Colonel Mu’ammar al-Gaddafi and his son Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, on two counts of crimes against humanity – murder and persecution – allegedly committed in the eastern Libyan port city of Benghazi in February 2011.

Al-Senussi had been in Mauritanian custody since March 2012, when he was arrested at the airport in Mauritania’s capital Nouakchott.

In July, Mauritania’s Minister of Justice asserted to Amnesty International that al-Senussi had entered the country illegally and was being held in good conditions. He added that the Mauritanian government was considering extradition requests made by Libya and France and the surrender request by the ICC. It has not been possible to determine whether he has had access to a lawyer, an independent doctor of his own choice and ICC staff.

“Instead of extraditing Abdullah al-Senussi back to Libya, where he faces an unfair trial and the death penalty for ordinary crimes under national law, Mauritania should have given precedence to the ICC’s surrender request – he should face the charges of crimes against humanity against him in fair proceedings,” said Marek Marczyński, International Justice Research, Policy and Campaign Manager at Amnesty International.

“If the extradition reports are confirmed, the decision to send him to Libya – with its weak justice system and inadequate fair-trial guarantees – will inevitably delay justice for victims and could lead to violations of al-Senussi's rights to a fair trial.

“The ICC arrest warrant for al-Senussi remains in force and Libya has an obligation to surrender him without delay to The Hague.” 

more from source   >>