Clipmarks | masbury's 'israel' clips

Iran Literacy Quiz: A Decent Respect for the Opinions of Mankind

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:36:57 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: See the answers to these and other questions, as well as supporting material at the link. Those without answers listed are true-false questions.

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Iran Conflict Literacy Quiz

1. Iran's leaders have declared their intention to acquire nuclear weapons.

2. Iran is training, arming, financing, and politically supporting Al Qaeda in Iraq

3. Iran's leaders have declared that the acquisition of nuclear weapons would be contrary to Islam

about what proportion of Iranians believe that it is "very important" that Iran master the nuclear fuel cycle?

a) 1%
b) 2%
c) 3%
d) 81%

what proportion of the Iranian population think that Iran should pursue the acquisition of nuclear weapons?
a) 100%
b) 99%
c) 98%
d) 20%

8. Iran's leaders have pledged to destroy Israel.

9. In Iran's government system, the Leader with Supreme authority over the government, especially foreign and military affairs and the country's nuclear program, is
a) Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
b) President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad

10. In 1953, the democratic government of Iran was overthrown in a coup organized by the US Central Intelligence Agency

Tags: iran, foreign policy

Pentagon: Wait ten yrs, we'll give you "safer" cluster bombs

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:55:26 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: A hundred nations have banned them; Clinton admin had similar policy with 2005 deadline; Bushies postpone till 2018.

Clip Source: www.democracynow.org

Pentagon Vows to Build “Safer” Cluster Bombs by 2018

In May, more than 100 countries agreed to ban cluster bombs. But the United States, Russia, China, Israel, India and Pakistan have refused to agree to the ban.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has signed a memo requiring that the US build so-called safer cluster bombs—but the rule won’t go into effect until 2018.

In 2001 a defense policy issued by then-Defense Secretary William Cohen called for a similar reduction in submunitions from cluster bombs by 2005. Leahy said, “Now the Bush administration’s ‘new’ policy is to wait another ten years.”

Tags: war

Jt Chiefs Chairman warns against striking Iran

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:20:10 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Scholar adds that such a strike "could be a political bonanza for Iran" "Just as Hezbollah became so popular [in the aftermath of the war between Hezbollah and Israel in the summer of 2006], Iran could gain credibility in the Arab street."

Clip Source: www.chicagotribune.com

WASHINGTON — The words Wednesday from Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were notable for their blunt pragmatism: An Israeli airstrike on Iran would be high-risk and could further destabilize the region, leading to political and economic chaos.

Mullen's words of caution underscored the Pentagon's belief that a move against Iran—by the U.S. or one of its allies—would have an undeniable effect on the ongoing U.S. missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Opening up a third front right now would be extremely stressful on us,"

An Israeli airstrike on its nuclear reactor sites might not be as damaging for Iran as it would be to the United States and Israel, said Vali Nasr, a professor of international politics at Tufts University.

"The upside could be a political bonanza for Iran," Nasr said. "Just as Hezbollah became so popular [in the aftermath of the war between Hezbollah and Israel in the summer of 2006], Iran could gain credibility in the Arab street."

Tags: iran

Another $170 million for poor Israel

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:37:57 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: And another reason I'll be changing from "D" to "I"

Clip Source: www.democracynow.org

Congress Approves Additional $170M For Israel

In news from Capitol Hill, Congress has approved giving Israel an additional $170 million in aid next fiscal year. This means the U.S. will give Israel a total of more than $2.5 billion next year. Israel remains the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid. The U.S. is planning to give Israel $30 billion over the next 10 years.

Tags: israel

Sen. Obama, please don't be McCain on Iran!

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 01:55:17 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Face the absence of evidence of nuclear weapons, and call out McCain on following the WMD-scare George Bush followed with Iraq.

Clip Source: www.lonestaricon.com

Iran stopped researching nuclear weapons in 2003.

The U.S. intelligence community knows this.

The U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency knows this.

The international community knows this.

If Iran researched nuclear weapons in secret until March 2004 as documents allege, the IAEA will investigate the matter with due diligence.

And if Iran is caught red-handed, she will comply with the IAEA processes accordingly.

In the meantime, as the Democratic nominee for U.S. president, Obama must change his tune from that of his Republican adversary Sen. John McCain on this issue.

Obama must say that McCain is lying about Iran just like the Bush administration lied about Iraq.

Neither Republican has any proof either Middle Eastern country has nuclear weapons.

Iran is smarter than to launch a nuclear strike on Israel anyway because the Jewish state would retaliate with her own secret nuclear arsenal.

Tags: obama, mccain

Palestinian Loss of Land 1946-2005

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:51:22 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Remarkable maps

Clip Source: attendingtheworld.wordpress.com

Palestinian Loss of Land 1946-2005

Joseph Weitz, Director of the Land Department of the Jewish National Fund, 1940:

“It must be clear that there is no room in the country for both peoples… The only solution is a Land of Israel, at least a western land of Israel, without Arabs… There is no way but to transfer the Arabs from here to the neighboring countries, to transfer all of them, save perhaps for Bethlehem, Nazareth, and the old Jerusalem. Not one village must be left, not one tribe… There is no other solution.”

Dr. Salman Abu-Sitta, Author of Palestine Right Of Return, Sacred, Legal, and Possible, 1999:

“The Palestinian Holocaust is unsurpassed in history. For a country to be occupied, emptied of its people, its physical and cultural landmarks obliterated, its destruction hailed as a miraculous act of God, all done according to a premeditated plan, meticulously executed, internationally supported, and still maintained today…”

Tags: israel, palestine

Germany's First Neo-Con Conference Pushes for War on Iran

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:42:48 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Likening Iran to Nazi Germany, they debate whether strikes on Iran should be nuclear or conventional

Clip Source: www.payvand.com

Germany's First Neo-Con Conference Pushes for War on Iran

"Bash these Islam-Nazis, put them in jail and kill them: That is anti-fascism!"

Anti-War Intellectuals as "Purchased Vassals" of the "Iranian Theocracy"?

Israel To Carry Out a Preventive Strike Against Iran

Following the so-called Begin Doctrine – named after a former Israeli Prime Minister and used as basis for the 1981 bombardment of the Iraqi nuclear plant »Osiraq« – his country would act preventively within one or two years from now: "I believe Israel will have to do it," Melman concluded. Not sharing Morris' suggestion of a nuclear attack on Iran, he stressed that conventional tools might be sufficient.

continued stressing that it was not the Iranian nuclear program that posed problem, but the very existence of the regime.

the "two fascisms" – Nazi-Germany and Iran – were the same and also equally dangerous

"bash these Islam-Nazis, put them in jail, and kill them" – a statement which was accompanied by large applause

Tags: iran, foreign policy

Tutu: Gaza blockade "abominable"

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:44:05 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: "All we had heard about conditions in Gaza – deprivation, a sense of despair, the lack of economic activity – had not prepared us for the stark reality which we saw"

Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

Tutu: Silence on Gaza blockade shames us all

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has denounced the international community for its "silence and complicity" on what he called Israel's "abominable" 11-month blockade of Gaza.

"All we had heard about conditions in Gaza – deprivation, a sense of despair, the lack of economic activity – had not prepared us for the stark reality which we saw."

He added: "The entire situation is abominable. I believe the ordinary Israeli citizens would not support this blockade if they knew what it really meant to ordinary people like themselves... My message to the international community is that our silence and complicity, especially on the situation in Gaza, shames us all. It is almost like the behaviour of the military junta in Burma."

But he said that events in both South Africa and Northern Ireland had shown that peace would come through negotiations "not with your friends. Peace can only come when enemies sit down and talk".

Tags: tutu, israel, palestine

Israel announces new expansion into West Bank

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:10:03 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Despite US and UN pleas to stop

Clip Source: www.rawstory.com

Israel to build new homes in occupied West Bank

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel announced plans on Sunday to build hundreds of new homes in an area of the occupied West Bank the Israeli government considers part of Jerusalem, despite U.S. and Palestinian calls to halt settlement expansion.

The 2003 peace "road map," reaffirmed by Israeli and Palestinian leaders at a conference hosted by Bush in November, requires a halt to all settlement activity on occupied land where Palestinians seek statehood.

Housing Minister Zeev Boim instructed his office to publish a tender to build an additional 763 housing units in Pisgat Zeev and 121 housing units at Har Homa, an area Palestinians refer to as Jabal Abu Ghneim.

Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said Olmert's government "talks about peace while at the same time works on undermining the basis of peace by increasing settlement activity in Jerusalem and around it."

Tags: israel, palestine, foreign policy

Carter: Gaza Blockade a Human Rights Crime

Mon, 26 May 2008 20:09:32 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: "one of the greatest ... on Earth."

Clip Source: www.payvand.com

Jimmy Carter: Gaza Blockade One of Greatest Human Rights Crimes

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has described Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip as "one of the greatest human rights crimes on Earth."

Mr. Carter was speaking Sunday at a literary festival in Wales. He told The Guardian newspaper that the Israeli blockade has led to what he calls the "imprisonment" of Gaza's 1.6 million Palestinians.

Mr. Carter said the European Union's lack of criticism of the Gaza blockade is "embarrassing." He said the EU should establish relations with Hamas if the group agrees to a cease-fire in Gaza.

Tags: carter, palestine, israel, foreign policy

Carter: Israel has 150 nukes

Mon, 26 May 2008 19:58:01 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Given Israel's habit of invading others, is it any wonder other nations want to protect themselves? They are responsible to their people for national security, and see Israel (and the USA) as likely aggressors. And why shouldn't they, given recent history?

Clip Source: rawstory.com

Jimmy Carter says Israel has 150 nuclear weapons

Asked at a news conference at Wales's Hay literary festival on Sunday how a future U.S. president should deal with the Iranian nuclear threat, Carter put the risk in context by listing atomic weapons held globally.

"The U.S. has more than 12,000 nuclear weapons, the Soviet Union (Russia) has about the same, Great Britain and France have several hundred, and Israel has 150 or more. We have a phalanx of enormous weaponry ... not only of enormous weaponry but of rockets to deliver those missiles on a pinpoint accuracy target," he said, according to a transcript of his remarks.

While experts have long maintained Israel has a nuclear arsenal, the Jewish state has refused to confirm or deny it. The Times of London reported Carter's estimate earlier Monday.

Tags: israel, carter, nuclear weapons, foreign policy

Israel deports US academic for criticizing gov't

Mon, 26 May 2008 16:30:30 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Ah, the model democracy; deports son of holocaust survivor for talking naughty. Freedom is a myth in Israel.

Clip Source: www.commondreams.org

US Academic Deported and Banned for Criticising Israel

JERUSALEM - Norman Finkelstein, the controversial Jewish American academic and fierce critic of Israel, has been deported from the country and banned from the Jewish state for 10 years, it emerged yesterday.Finkelstein, the son of a Holocaust survivor who has accused Israel of using the genocidal Nazi campaign against Jews to justify its actions against the Palestinians, was detained by the Israeli security service, Shin Bet, when he landed at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport on Friday.

“I am confident that I have nothing to hide. Apart from my political views, and the supporting scholarship, there isn’t much more to say for myself: alas, no suicide missions or secret rendezvous with terrorist organisations. I’ve always supported a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. I’m not an enemy of Israel.”

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said the deportation of Finkelstein was an assault on free speech.

Tags: israel, democracy, palestinians, freedom

Hamas Condemns the Holocaust

Sat, 24 May 2008 01:10:07 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: The Holocaust was not only a crime against humanity but one of the most abhorrent crimes in modern history. We condemn it as we condemn every abuse of humanity and all forms of discrimination on the basis of religion, race, gender or nationality.

Clip Source: www.zcommunications.org

Hamas Condemns the Holocaust

But it should be made clear that neither Hamas nor the Palestinian government in Gaza denies the Nazi Holocaust. The Holocaust was not only a crime against humanity but one of the most abhorrent crimes in modern history. We condemn it as we condemn every abuse of humanity and all forms of discrimination on the basis of religion, race, gender or nationality.

And at the same time as we unreservedly condemn the crimes perpetrated by the Nazis against the Jews of Europe, we categorically reject the exploitation of the Holocaust by the Zionists to justify their crimes and harness international acceptance of the campaign of ethnic cleansing and subjection they have been waging against us - to the point where in February the Israeli deputy defence minister Matan Vilnai threatened the people of Gaza with a "

The conflict is of a purely political nature: it is between a people who have come under occupation and an oppressive occupying power.

Tags: palestinians, holocaust, israel

32 critical-care Palestinians die; waiting permits to enter Israel

Sat, 24 May 2008 00:26:25 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Some offered care in exchange for security information

Clip Source: www.irinnews.org

Photo: Tom Spender/IRIN

A Palestinian man lies in hospital. Thirteen Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have filed separate petitions to the Israeli High Court asking that they be allowed to leave the enclave and go to relevant hospitals

JERUSALEM, 22 May 2008 (IRIN) - Ahmed al-Baghdadi's doctors said he must leave the Gaza Strip and travel to Israel to receive urgent life-saving medical care if he hopes to fight the tumours in his body. Rada al-Khadir, aged 22, needs to get treatment immediately, her Israeli doctor said, or her liver disease could prove fatal.

Both patients have been denied permission to leave by the Israeli military. On 20 May - along with 11 other Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in need of immediate medical care in Israel, the West Bank and Jordan - they filed separate petitions to the Israeli High Court, asking that they be allowed to leave the enclave and go to the relevant hospitals.

World Health Organization

saying 32 Gazans had died while awaiting a permit to leave

Tags: israel, palestine

Israel for Dummies

Mon, 19 May 2008 05:34:30 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Nakba at 60

Clip Source: ressentiment.blogspot.com

Israel's founders didn't simply plant flags in an empty country. Instead, they coveted a state where close to a million Palestinians outnumbered Jews two to one and where Jews owned only 6% of the land. A Jewish state could not be established in this milieu. Exploiting Palestinian opposition to the United Nations partition plan, Zionist militias, and later Israeli troops, forcibly exiled about 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and homeland, or terrorized them into flight. Israeli historian Benny Morris documented twenty four massacres of unarmed Palestinian civilians in this period. —— Nakba at 60 George Bisharat

Tags: israel, nakba