Peace and Justice Post

AFP, December 16, 2007

JERUSALEM (AFP) – One in four Israeli troops serving at the hundreds of checkpoints across the occupied West Bank has engaged in or witnessed abuse of Palestinians, an army-commissioned survey said on Sunday.

Twenty-five percent of respondents said they had either taken part in, seen or heard about from colleagues about acts that included either physical or verbal abuse at the more than 500 roadblocks dotting the territory, said the report quoted by army officials and media.

The abuse includes humilitations, gratuitous delays and bribe-taking. One soldier reported forcing a Palestinian truck driver to remain on his knees for four hours for lying that he had a permit to cross the roadblock.

Keep reading . . .

Antiwar.com, December 17, 2007

by Scott Ritter

I have for some time now publicly articulated my sympathy and support for the state of Israel, even while criticizing those cases that I believed constituted poor judgment and bad policy. My stance was based upon my past experiences with Israel, which began indirectly in 1990-1991 when I was involved in counter-SCUD activities during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and continued in a much more direct fashion as a weapons inspector with the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM), charged with disarming Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

As a weapons inspector I made numerous visits to Israel for the purpose of coordinating with the Israeli intelligence community on matters pertaining to Iraqi WMD. I was greatly impressed not only with the professionalism of the Israeli intelligence services, but also with the Israeli people and society. During my time in Israel, I was witness to numerous horrific events, including several terrorist bombings and the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The resilience of the people of Israel in absorbing these blows yet continuing to live life to its fullest was remarkable, and worthy of admiration.

Continued . . .

OpEdNews.com, December 16, 2007

By Dave Lindorff

It’s not being reported in the corporate media, which also refused to publish an opinion piece penned by six-term Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), and Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). But a whopping 50,000 people responded in just one day to Rep. Wexler’s call for people to sign his on-line petition supporting an immediate start to hearings on Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s Cheney Impeachment bill (H Res 799)

As of Sunday morning, 54,000 people had signed the petition at WexlerWantsHearings.com calling for action now. And names are being added at a rate of one every one or two seconds!

Wexler has said he wanted at least 50,000 signatures. But why stop there? If people get behind this, and if the impeachment movement spreads the word, he could easily get closer to 500,000 signatures over the next few days.

And if each of us were to send out a call to sign to ten of our friends, then we’d have half a million signatures, which would be hard for Conyers and the Democratic leadership, Speaker Nancy Pelosi included, to ignore.

So let’s do it!

Keep reading . . . 

New Statesman
By Mohammed Omer | published December 10, 2007

Mohammed Omer reports on shortages in Gaza from crucial medical supplies through children’s winter clothing to fuel

Traffic in the Gaza Strip slowed to a trickle last week, and this week medical centres have scaled back treatment in the medicines and sustenance-destitute Strip.

“Israel’s decision is a death penalty: our reserve of fuel is almost zero and it may very likely run out by the end of today,” said Khaled Radi, Ministry of Health spokesman for the dismissed Hamas government.

Radi spoke in reference to the 30 November Israeli Supreme Court decision to allow further fuel cutbacks, severe reductions which are crippling Gaza’s residents in all aspects of life. Prior to that ruling, as early as October Israel decided to begin limiting fuel, with Gaza soon after enduring serious cuts of over 50% of fuel needs, a dire statistic confirmed by the UN body OCHA.

Continued . . .

McClatchy Washington Bureau, December 14, 2007

By Carol Rosenberg | McClatchy Newspapers

In a filing made public Friday, lawyers for a Guantanamo detainee have asked a federal court to examine the way he was questioned while in secret CIA custody for three years and decide whether he was tortured. If the court takes up the request, it would shift from Congress to the courts the ongoing debate over whether so-called enhanced interrogation techniques authorized by President Bush against al Qaida suspects included illegal torture. Among those techniques was waterboarding, which simulates the sensation of drowning.

Justice Department spokesman Erik Ablin said Friday the Bush administration had no immediate comment, and would respond in a brief on Thursday.

Lawyers for Majid Khan, 27, filed the motion Dec. 6 with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the only civilian court authorized under the Military Commissions Act to hear matters involving detainees at Guantanamo.

Keep reading . . .

Press TV, December 15, 2007

Presidential hopeful Ron Paul

Presidential hopeful Ron Paul says President Bush has started empire-building by invading Iraq and Afghanistan and beating the drums of war with Iran.

The decision to invade Iraq in 2003 without a declaration of war by Congress was the most egregious violation of the Constitution in the last 20 years, Paul told Lahontan Valley News (LVN) prior to a campaign speech in Fallon.

He also rejected that there is any military threat to the US and said “to try to propose that the Iraqis were trying to attack us was ridiculous. Now they are doing it with the Iranians and they have proven wrong again.”

During his campaign speech the Republican presidential candidate affirmed that no country has the power to control the world.

“There’s no constitutional authority to rule the world,” he said.

Regarding the threats the US is facing the Texas congressman said that the Chinese could bring the US to their knees with or without any other nation by just rejecting our dollar.

Paul believes financial problems, Washington’s invasion of the US citizens’ privacy and taxation are the major threats to the US.

MT/AA/MG

 RINF.COM 

tagged Warfare

1. Attacks may be made solely against military targets. Parties to a conflict must distinguish between civilians and combatants, and civilians may not be attacked.

2. Persons who do not or can no longer take part in the hostilities are entitled to respect for their life and for their physical and mental integrity.

3. It is forbidden to kill or wound an adversary who has surrendered or who can no longer take part in the fighting.

4. The wounded and sick must be cared for by the party that holds them. Medical personnel and facilities, identified by the Red Cross or Red Crescent symbol, must not be attacked.

5. Prisoners are entitled to respect for their life, their dignity, their personal rights, and their beliefs.

6. Torture, cruel or degrading corporal and other punishment is forbidden.

7. Weapons and methods of warfare likely to cause unnecessary losses or excessive suffering, or severe or long-term damage to the environment, may not be used.

By Deb Reichmann, Associated Press Writer | December 16, 2007

President Bush appealed to Congress on Saturday to give him real cash for the war, not just a pledge to fund the troops.

“A congressional promise — even if enacted — does not pay the bills,” Bush said in his weekly radio address. “It is time for Congress to provide our troops with actual funding.”

The broadcast is the president’s latest shot in a battle the White House is having with Congress over spending bills.

The Senate on Friday passed a defense policy bill for the 2008 budget year. It authorizes $696 billion in military spending, including $189 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But it does not actually send any money to the Pentagon.

Keep reading . . .

The Nation, December 14, 2007

By John Nochols 

Three senior members of the House Judiciary Committee have called for the immediate opening of impeachment hearings for Vice President Richard Cheney.

Democrats Robert Wexler of Florida, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin on Friday distributed a statement, “A Case for Hearings,” that declares, “The issues at hand are too serious to ignore, including credible allegations of abuse of power that if proven may well constitute high crimes and misdemeanors under our constitution. The charges against Vice President Cheney relate to his deceptive actions leading up to the Iraq war, the revelation of the identity of a covert agent for political retaliation, and the illegal wiretapping of American citizens.”

Keep reading . . .

Counterpunch, December 14, 2007

By John Ross

With the first presidential primaries on the U.S. doorstep January 3rd, the usual unholy alliance of Bushites, Democrats, and Big Media are doing their damndest to skam a skeptical electorate into swallowing the lie that the surge has worked, the drawdown has begun, and the war in Iraq is just about over. Security is so improved in Baghdad thanks to the Bush-Petraeus putsch that New York Times reporters can walk certain streets without armed escort. Even the refugees, driven off by unspeakable violence, are returning to Baghdad in droves.

This myth is being perpetrated by the likes of Fox News and CNN. A four-column full-color photo on the front page of the New York Times November 20th of a gala Baghdad wedding party was accompanied inside by a shot of smiling adolescents playing fussball and a banner headline “BAGHDAD EXHALES AS SECURITY IMPROVES.”

Keep reading . . .