Ramzy Baroud

When one speaks of or advocates non-violence, does he promote such an idea because he believes that historically it has been a more effective means of liberation, or is it purely because he thinks that it is a more self-respecting means of struggle?

In recent history, many advocates of non-violence have been celebrated as modern day icons. From Ghandi to King, songs are written in their honor, their life stories fill the pages of our children’s history volumes as noble examples of which everyone must aspire to emulate. Holidays are instituted in their honor and around the world; streets and boulevards carry their namesake.

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Jan Hipple

The heaviness of rain falls upon the parched earth and deep in her soul a new life springs forward. It seeks the warmth of the sun, as it sprouts through the warm earth and smiles at a new day of freedom. Reaching up to taste the truth of liberty the new life sees in order to survive it must work hard in defending the principles entrusted to them. But, with life comes the darkness in the form of sharp tongues and bitter words. Shallow men find ways to obstruct the view of liberty and deny the rights of all, for themselves. Integrity and courage were abandoned for their lust for power and greed, and with no remorse they turned their heads to a people who shouted for their voices to be heard. Our voices in the media slowly backed and let biased commentary rule. My hero, Mr. Tim Russert would be ashamed of his peers for following one side of the story without a thought for the truth.

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Roland Michel Tremblay

I hate anyone who is not like me. I hate anyone who is not white, who is not a capitalist, who is not a Christian, who does not live in my country, who is not of the same social class as I am, who does not share exactly all my beliefs and ideologies, and who is not a homosexual man. I could not possibly love anyone, so, I hate you! Don’t despair, you’re just the same. You just won’t admit it. And now, let’s go to war!

Hate is such a satisfying emotion, it is even highly encouraged by just about everyone around you, your parents, teachers, friends, religious preachers, and government officials. Hating what goes against the party line, the main ideology of the country, is desirable. Hating that neighbour is as normal as enjoying the Sun in the summer sky. And hating those Muslims, those Chinese, those Russians, those Communists, those Africans, and just about everyone else in the world, is perfectly normal! Let’s face it, who could possibly love them? Not I! I have been taught better. I hate everyone, even myself!

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Stuart Littlewood

So they sent you to the Holy Land, Mr Mitchell, for talks. So many before you have gone to talk. They failed because polite talk isn’t enough.

What will you say about the subjugation of Palestine’s people and Israel’s defilement of this once-lovely place? How will you answer charges that your county, the USofA, is godfather, bankroller, arms supplier and good buddy to the racist thieves and colonizers that have turned it into a powder-keg?

Mr Mitchell, the people you are talking to in Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem are, in the words of a respected British Jewish MP, "a gang of amoral thugs". The stench of ethnic cleansing is everywhere.

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Stephen Lendman

Few people anywhere have suffered more for so long, yet endure and keep struggling for change. For brief periods under Jean-Bertand Aristide, they got it until a US-led February 29, 2004 coup d'etat forced him into exile where he remains Haiti's symbolic leader - for his supporters, still head of the Fanmi Lavalas (FL) party he founded in 1996 to reestablish links between local Lavalas branches and its parliamentary representatives.

From then to now, nothing has been the same. UN paramilitaries occupy the country. Washington effectively controls it. President Rene Preval got a choice - go along or pay the price. He submitted knowing what awaits him if he resists. Nonetheless, he's disappointed bitterly.

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Ramzy Baroud

Any variation of the words “Palestine” and “massacre” are sure to yield millions of results on major search engines on the World Wide Web. These results are largely in reference to hundreds of different dates and events in which numerous Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army or settlers. But references to massacres of similar nature precede the state of Israel itself, whose establishment was secured through the ever-expanding agenda of ethnically cleansing Palestinians. Throughout its history, this bloodletting project has been carried out for once specific purpose, that being the illegal acquirement of land and the suppression or extermination of those who dare to resist.

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Stephen Lendman

Independent investigations and convincing testimonies, on both sides, provide compelling evidence of Israeli war crimes in Gaza. It's time to hold the guilty accountable.

In February, the Adalah Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights showed conclusively how Israel violated core international law principles by indiscriminately attacking civilians in spite of IDF claims such instances were justified.

Amnesty International accused Israel of war crimes and called on the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo.

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Stuart Littlewood

So the Pope won’t be visiting Gaza on his trip to the Holy Land next month.

The Holy Father's spokesman has told the Israeli press that he’ll refrain from visiting Gaza regardless of attempts to persuade him otherwise. ‘Refrain’ is a telling choice of words: "the Pope will refrain from visiting Gaza...." It smacks of abstinence, as in abstaining from having sex. Setting foot in Gaza would be so sinful that it is forbidden.

Gaza's isolated and besieged Catholic community are none too happy judging by the reaction of their redoubtable priest Fr Manuel Mussallam, who feels the Holy Father’s trip is miss-timed. "We will ask him why he came, what he intends saying to the Christians, the Jews, the Muslims and why he isn't coming to Gaza," he said. "We'll tell him that this is not the right moment to come and visit the holy places, while Jerusalem is occupied."

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Khalid Amayreh in al-Khalil

The Beit Ayn settlement outpost near Hebron

Religious Jewish terrorists on Thursday attacked a small Arab village north of al Khalil (Hebron), shooting randomly on civilians and vandalizing homes and businesses.

Eyewitnesses said as many as a hundred settler terrorists descended on the small village of Safa, 10 kilometers north west of al-Khalil, with the purpose of carrying out a pogrom against local inhabitants.

The terrorists were escorted by several Israeli army soldiers who reportedly made no effort to stop the terrorists who were shouting “death to the Arabs.”The Palestinians, fearing for their lives, hurled stones at the rampaging settlers to prevent them from setting fire to Palestinian property, prompting Israeli soldiers to open fire at the Palestinians.

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by chycho

source

There has been a lot of talk lately about Somali pirates, so it’s probably a good time for a little summary.

In 2006 “the CIA propagated that Al-Qaeda had made its base in Somalia where three senior leaders were residing. CIA then encouraged Ethiopia to invade Somalia in support of weak TFG forces (Transitional Federal Government) against UIC fighters (Union of Islamic Courts) and promised to provide intelligence and air cover. Ethiopian troops backed by USA invaded Somalia on 28 December 2006. The UIC was quickly defeated in a sweeping offensive and the six-month peace period was shattered. It was believed that the UIC leadership fled into Kenya or to Yemen and the hard-line fighters cached their arms and melded back into their clans leaving the mostly untrained, new recruits to face the Ethiopian troops. Soon after the UIC rout, two US air strikes targeted alleged Al-Qaeda bases in southern Somalia on 13 January 2007 but only innocent civilians got killed.”

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