Roman port on the Dead Sea near Jericho unearthed

Roman port on Dead Sea eastern shores unearthed

[31/01/2009 12:52]

Salt, Jan.31 (Petra)-A Roman port on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea was discovered through archaeological excavations in Al Zara area south of Sweimeh village, according to Saad Al Hadidi, director of the Department of Antiquities in Salt. Hadidi told Petra that the discovered port is linked with Rujm el-Bahr near Jericho on the western side of the Dead Sea. A number of walls for nearby buildings, believed to have been used for storing goods and repairing boats, were also discovered, he added. Another huge building which includes residential rooms and a rectangular pool were also digged out. It is believed that the pool was built during the Roman age, and remained in use until the Byzantine period, which means the area was prosperous during these two historical periods. Al Zara area is famous for its hot springs, which gave it a therapeutic reputation since ancient times. Al Zara appeared on the Madaba mosaic map in three pools surrounded by palm trees and it was called Al Zara which means beautiful springs, Hadidi said. //Petra//S. K / M. N .

Press briefing of the UNRWA on meeting with President Obama’s special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell: “A basis for Hope”

A basis for hope

Gaza, 30 January 2009

George Mitchell, President Obama’s special envoy to the Middle East, visited UNRWA’s West Bank Field Office on the 30^th of January. Mr. Mitchell was given a briefing of the humanitarian situation in Gaza by John Ging – Director of UNRWA Operations in Gaza, Robert Serry – United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, and Lana Abu Hijleh – CHF International country director.

Mr. Mitchell thanked humanitarian agencies, in particular UNRWA and CHF for the work that they had done to channel assistance to the people of Gaza, and praised the ‘dedication and commitment’ of their staff. He also spoke of President Obama’s ‘deep concern’ about the recent loss of life and substantial suffering in Gaza and announced the donation of another $20.3 million to provide emergency food and medical assistance to the wounded and displaced in Gaza.

Mr Mitchell stated that the United States would ‘continue our efforts, in cooperation with others in the region and elsewhere’, but also said that the tragic violence in recent weeks was a ‘sobering reminder of the challenges at hand and the setbacks that will inevitably come.’ He reiterated the need to consolidate a sustainable and durable ceasefire while addressing the most immediate humanitarian needs and ended by reaffirming the United States’ commitment to ‘actively and aggressively seeking a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as between Israel and its Arab neighbors.’ John Ging, following his briefing with Mr Mitchell, seemed optimistic ‘I now have a realistic basis for hope’ he said.

IINA: Thousands greet Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his return to Istanbul

Fri Jan 30, 9:58 AM ET Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, is seen with Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas during the inauguration of a subway station in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, Jan. 30, 2009. Thousands of jubilant Turks welcomed their prime minister home on Friday, thronging the airport and later chanting ‘Turkey is proud of you!’ after he publicly confronted the Israeli president over the Gaza war during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Later, Erdogan was applauded by a smaller crowd of about 1,500 people as he inaugurated a subway station in Istanbul.(AP Photo/Ibrahim Usta)   Erdogan gets hero’s welcome after blasting Peres

Istanbul – Safar 05/ January 31, 2009 – Thousands of jubilant Turks accorded a hero’s welcome to their Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday upon his return to Istanbul from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos after his public spat with Israeli President Shimon Peres over Israel’s Gaza offensive. Erdogan angrily left a debate at the WEF in Switzerland on Thursday after telling Peres, “You killed people.” Erdogan and Peres raised their voices and traded accusation, Today’s Zaman reported. Approximately 5,000 people gathered at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport around 2 a.m. yesterday to greet Erdogan when he returned from the gathering of business and political leaders, waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting “Turkey is proud of you.” Other banners said “Delegate of the oppressed” and “Let the world see a true prime minister.” Turkish TV stations broadcast the prime minister’s arrival and the crowd waiting for him. CNN Turk said extra buses were added to routes so more people could turn out to welcome him. “Our people would have expected the same reaction from any Turkish prime minister,” Erdogan said at a press conference at the airport on Friday morning after speaking to the crowd. “I did what I had to do,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters at the airport. “I cannot remain apathetic when it comes to these things, it’s just not in my nature. I am duty-bound to defend the honor of my country.” Erdogan said he was not “at heart a diplomat but a politician.” During the Davos panel debate, President Shimon Peres had launched a fiery defense of his country’s offensive in Gaza over the past month, and with a raised voice and pointed finger, questioned what Erdogan would do if rockets were fired at Istanbul every night. Erdogan, visibly angry, responded as he sat next to Peres at the debate, which also included United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Arab League chief Amr Moussa: “President Peres you are older than me and your voice is very loud,” Erdogan said. “The reason for you raising your voice is the psychology of guilt. I will not raise my voice that much, you should know that. When it comes to killing you know very well how to kill. I know very well how you hit and killed children on the beaches.” He then walked out of the room. The Turkish public continued its passionate support of Erdogan following Friday prayers in Istanbul. Prime Minister Erdogan was hailed with slogans of praise by thousands of people who were in and around the Büyük Piyalepaşa Mosque. The crowd waited for the prime minister to complete his prayers at noon and when Erdogan came out of the mosque, they shouted “Turkey is proud of you.” Erdogan also won praise from Gazans. In the Gazan refugee camp of Jebaliya, Turkish flags now decorate the ruins of a local mosque that was destroyed during Israel’s war against Gaza’s Hamas government. A preacher told worshippers at an outdoor service on Friday that Erdogan had “raised the head of the Islamic nation.” Jalal Bin Yousef al-Sharifi called on other Muslim leaders to do the same. Later on Friday, a smaller crowd of about 1,500 people applauded Erdogan as he inaugurated a subway station in Istanbul. They also chanted “Turkey is proud of you.”   There has been a feeling among Arabs and those in the Middle East that someone needs to speak out in this way against Israel. Erdogan did this,” Fuat Keyman, an international relations professor at Koç University, said in comments on NTV. Turkey harshly criticized Israel over its Gaza offensive in which Israeli forces killed more than 1,300 Palestinians. Israel lost 11 soldiers and three civilians. Erdogan’s stance shocked Israel and has been interpreted by some as an attempt to increase his support ahead of local elections in March with an electorate deeply sympathetic to the Palestinians.

Spain to amend law to avoid prosecuting Israeli officials for War Crimes

Spain to amend law to avoid trying Israeli war criminals

[ 31/01/2009 - 03:03 PM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)– The Spanish government has decided to amend the country’s law dealing with prosecuting military commanders involved in war crimes. Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni announced the news following a meeting with her Spanish counterpart Miguel Moratinos after a Spanish court accepted a lawsuit against former Israeli war ministry Benjamin Ben Eliezer and the then head of the air force Dan Halutz on charges against humanity. The Israeli 2nd TV channel quoted Livni as expressing satisfaction over Moratinos’s decision and informed both Israeli premier Ehud Olmert and justice minister Daniel Friedman on the latest developments in this regard. She stressed that Israel would continue in its efforts to settle such cases not only in Spain but in the whole world, the TV report said. Spanish judge Fernando Andreu agreed to look into the case against Ben Eliezer and Halutz along with five other former Israeli officials for ordering the assassination of Hamas commander Salah Shehade that also led to the killing of 14 innocent civilians mostly women and children. The judge said that the assault on the densely populated Gaza Strip was a “crime against humanity” and the lawsuit was in conformity with the international law that incriminates mass murder in any country. Shehade was killed in July 2002 in the Israeli air raid that bombed his home using a one ton bomb.

Fatah calls on Hamas to adhere to Palestinian National Agreement (PNA) signed by them affirming the legitimacy of the PLO as sole representative of the Palestinian people

Fatah statement slams Mash’al call to end the PLO; accuses Hamas of dividing Palestinians

Date: 31 / 01 / 2009  Time:  13:02

Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Palestinian blood shed in Gaza “must be our gate to unity,” read a statement of Fatah leaders calling themselves the “leaders of the first Palestinian uprising” released Saturday. The statement was a response to the call of Hamas leader in exile Khalid Mash’al for Palestinians to reject the PLO and demand the establishment of a new form of Palestinian leadership that represents all Palestinians around the globe. The Fatah statement called Palestinians and political factions to stick to the Palestinian National Agreement (PNA) Document signed by all factions in cluing Hamas. The signed statement reiterated the legitimacy of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the only representative of the Palestinian people, and Palestinian factions must work with the aim of coming together under the PLO umbrella. The statement accused Mash’al and others of using the Gaza war as an excuse to divide Palestinians rather than as one to unite them. “Nobody has the right” it said, “to maintain rivalry and legitimize in-fighting.” The “leaders of the first Palestinian uprising” further warned that Mash’al’s call was part of a larger project to ‘mix the cards’ in the Arab world and take advantage of the Palestinian situation to support a “certain country” in the region, likely referring to Iran. The statement warned that such actions would bring the war on Gaza to refugee camps in Lebanon, “in order to prove that a country or another is capable of shaking the region’s stability.” The statement called on the Palestinian people everywhere to readopt Yasser Arafat’s historic slogan, “No affiliation, no ownership, no external control, but an independent Palestinian national decision.” The slogan was described as the mantra that guided Palestinians past many obstacles and challenges. Further attacking the suggestion to replace the PLO, the statement likened the process to the Israeli strategy on the 1980s to organize “Village Councils” with Israel-friendly leaders to make local decisions and usurp Palestinian officials. Proving their commitment to the PLO the “leaders of the first Palestinian uprising” noted their own refusal to negotiate with former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin when they were in the Negev Desert detention center. We told Rabin to talk to the PLO, they noted.

President Obama pledges $20.3 million in additional aid to Gaza

Obama earmarks 20 million USD for Gaza aid

Date: 31 / 01 / 2009  Time:  12:25

Bethlehem – Ma’an – US President Barack Obama has designated 20.3 million US dollars for emergency food and medical aid for the Gaza Strip, Obama’s envoy to the Middle East announced on Friday. US Envoy George Mitchell made the announcement during a visit to the headquarters of UNRWA, the UN’s relief agency for Palestinian refugees, which serves hundreds of thousands in Gaza. “These funds are in addition to the nearly $40 million in ongoing U.S. support to the United Nations, ICRC, and non-governmental organizations for programs in Gaza since hostilities began in late December,” Mitchell said. “The tragic violence in Gaza and in southern Israel offers a sobering reminder of the very serious and difficult challenges and unfortunately the setbacks that will come,” he said. During his visit to the UN compound, Mitchell was briefed by UNRWA’s director of operations in Gaza, John Ging, the UN’s political envoy for middle east peace, , Robert Serry, and the country director for the development agency CHF International, Lana Abu Hijleh, about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Mitchell visited Egypt, Israel, and the West Bank this week on what was presented as a listening tour meant to demonstrate Obama’s early commitment to achieving peace in the region. Mitchell did not meet with the de facto government in Gaza.

Al-Masakin 2008 obit for George Habash: Palestinians around the world remember Dr. George Habash (PFLP)

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/01/29/18475613.php 

By Edward Campbell
MISSOULA, Jan. 29 (Al-Masakin)—Dr. George Habash (Al-Hakim) former Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) was mourned by Palestinian’s the world over after he was lain to rest after an open casket funeral at a Greek Orthodox Church in Amman, Jordan Jan. 28.

george.habash.29jan08.pdf
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Mr. Habash died of natural causes in the capitol, where he had been living since 1992, Jan. 27. He retired from the leadership of the PFLP in July 2000 after having led the leftist faction which is a key component of the Palestine Liberation Organization for more than 30 years. He was 80 years of age.

His successor Abu Ali Mustafa was assassinated by Israel in Ramallah one year later. Ahmed Saadat, the current PFLP secretary general, is held in Israeli prison on charges of planning the assassination of former tourism minister Rahba’am Ze’evi in retaliation to the murder of Abu Ali Mustafa.

Mr. Habash was a fierce opponent of the policy of compromise of PLO chief Arafat, ruling out a normalization of ties with the Jewish state and accusing him of making too many concessions. He opposed Arafat’s 1993 Oslo autonomy deal and refused to return to the Palestinian territories after the launch of autonomy in 1994, while insisting on the right of return of Palestinian refugees to their former homes in Israel.

His funeral was attended by prominent Palestinian leaders, friends, family, and comrades such as his daughters and his widow Hilda Habash, longtime friend and comrade Leila Khaled, DFLP leader Nayef Hawatmeh, PFLP politburo leader Maher Taher, Israeli Knesset member Ahmad Tibi, head of the Palestinian National Council Saleem al-Za’anoun and Fatah leader Faruq Qaddumi, inter alios.

Abu Mazen, lame duck Palestinian President, declared three days of mourning and the Palestinian flag lowered to half-mast in recognition of this great leader. Islamic Jihad organization expressed deep sorrow at the loss. The movement said losing Habash meant losing a major symbol of the Palestinian and Arab people.

Islamic Jihad praised Habash for a lifetime of resistance and struggle against the Israeli occupation, for rejecting American views towards the Palestinian question, and for his role in founding the Arab National Movement.

The Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, Mustafa Barghouthi, also the former Palestinian minister of information, traveled to Amman to attend the funeral. Barghouthi said Habash was a symbol of the Palestinian struggle and a tireless advocate of Palestinians’ rights.

There were several symbolic funerals in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in which mourners took to the streets carrying Habash posters. Speaking at a rally in Jenin in the northern West Bank, Jenin Governor Qaddora Mousa said that with the death of Habash, Palestinian national unity has lost one of its pillars. Also in Jenin, Amir As-Sa’di spoke on behalf of the Palestinian National and Islamic Forces by Amir As-Sa’di who promised that the Palestinian forces will follow in Habash’s steps until they achieve Palestinian national goals.

The political bureau of a PFLP offshoot, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) issued a statement expressing their sadness for the departure of Al-Hakim as well as pride for being under his command before they established the General Command as a separate faction. The Union of UNRWA employees in Lebanon also expressed sorrow for the loss of “a historic Palestinian leader” the Ma’an news agency reported on Monday.

With PFLP SG Ahmad Sadaat imprisoned, the prominence of Maher Taher at the funeral suggests that he will very likely be taking a greater role in the leadership of the party, not a leadership crisis as some may have anticipated. That the funeral of a recognized Marxist leader took place, however, in a Greek Orthodox Church flies in the face of ham-fisted pundits of atheism within the ICM underscores how that movement has persistently misunderstood the Palestinian cause and the critical nature of understanding the phrase “Holy Land” in relation to it. Who has not eulogized this great man with in the left have said as much as those who have.

Indeed on the level of metaphysical ontology, the persistent use of the word “Arab” by the PFLP, and others within the Arab Nationalist movement, particularly the PLO, signifies how that movement, and those on the left united with them, have sought to conceal much deeper and fundamental ties to Christianity and, moreover, with its principal architects of Communism having themselves been Christians, how Christianity has played a role in the ideological development of Socialism and indeed made the development of communist ideology even possible. Understanding the fundamentally religious nature of this land and this conflict is imperative for those who seek to unite with it.

God bless you Mr. Habash. Best wishes to the PFLP and the Palestinian people.
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Al-Masakin News Agency
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/

Commemoration of PFLP founder George Habash disrupted by Israeli police in Haifa

Israeli police close Haifa Theater; prevent events commemorating PFLP founder

Date: 31 / 01 / 2009  Time:  09:55

Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Al-Midan Theatre in Haifa was closed Friday in an effort to prevent an event commemorating the late George Habash, founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Though organized by both Arab and Jewish spiritual leaders, Israeli police claimed it was an event “in support of a terror organization,” and so they “decided to prohibit it.” Israeli sources said Inspector General of the Israeli police Dudi Cohen ordered the closure of the Theater.

CPJ: Kenyan journalist missing since Jan. 15 found decapitated

Journalist found decapitated in western Kenya

New York, January 30, 2009–Reporter Francis Nyaruri was found decapitated and with his hands bound on Thursday in a forest in western Kenya. Nyaruri, who wrote for the private Weekly Citizen under the pen name Mong’are Mokua, had been missing since January 15, according to local journalists and relatives.

“We send our deepest sympathies to Francis Nyaruri’s family and colleagues,” said CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, Tom Rhodes. “We call on the police to pursue all possible leads and ensure that the perpetrators of this hideous crime are brought to justice swiftly.”

Nyanza deputy police Chief Larry Kieng confirmed to reporters that Nyaruri’s body was found in a thicket in Kodera Forest, Nyanza Province, on Thursday, decapitated with hands tied behind his back and marks on his body. Nyaruri’s wife, Josephine Kwamboka, identified her husband at a Kisii hospital, according to local reports. Kieng said a team of senior officers had been dispatched to Nyamira to investigate the murder, the private daily The Standard reported.

Prior to his disappearance, Nyaruri had written a series of articles that exposed financial scams and other malpractice by the local police department, local journalists told CPJ. The journalists said Nyaruri had told them of unspecified threats by police officers in the area for articles he had written in the Weekly Citizen. 

Nyaruri left his residence in Nyamira at about 7:30 am on January 15 and traveled 19 miles (30 kilometers) to Kisii to purchase construction materials, local journalists reported. Kwamboka told reporters that she had spoken to him at 11 a.m. the same day but did not hear from him again.

Francis Nyaruri is the second journalist killed in Kenya in the past year. In May 2008, New Zealand photographer Trent Keegan was killed by unknown assailants in Nairobi.

Turkish PM gets hero’s welcome after telling Peres: ‘You kill children’

Turkish PM gets hero’s welcome after telling Peres: ‘You kill children’
Israeli president’s tone showed he feels guilty: Erdogan

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was given a hero’s welcome on his return to Istanbul on Friday after accusing Israel of “knowing very well how to kill” during a heated debate at the World Economic Forum.

Israel’s President Shimon Peres had launched a fiery defense of his country’s offensive in Gaza over the past month, and with a raised voice and pointed finger, questioned what Erdogan would do if rockets were fired at Istanbul every night.

“When it comes to killing, you know very well how to kill,” Erdogan, visibly angry, responded as he sat next to Peres at the debate, which also included United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Arab League chief Amr Moussa. He then walked out of the room.

Thousands of people gathered at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport to greet Erdogan when he returned from the gathering of business and political leaders, waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting “Turkey is proud of you.”

“Our people would have expected the same reaction from any Turkish prime minister,” he told a news conference at Ataturk airport on Friday morning after speaking to the crowd.

“This was a matter of the esteem and prestige of my country. Hence, my reaction had to be clear. I could not have allowed anyone to poison the prestige and in particular the honor of my country,” he said.

Several thousand supporters of Hamas, the Islamic resistance movement that governs Gaza and was targeted by Israel, rallied across the strip, many holding posters of Erdogan.

“Hamas praises the brave position by Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a statement.

Fuat Keyman, an international relations professor at Koc University, told Turkey’s NTV broadcaster: “There has been a feeling among Arabs and those in the Middle East that someone needs to speak out in this way against Israel. Erdogan did this.”

Peres had asked Erdogan directly at Davos: “What would you do if you were to have in Istanbul every night a hundred rockets?”

Erdogan had responded strongly to Peres’s repeated question to the panel of what they would do in Israel’s position.

“President Peres you are older than me and your voice is very loud. The reason for you raising your voice is the psychology of guilt. I will not raise my voice that much, you should know that. When it comes to killing you know very well how to kill. I know very well how you hit and killed children on the beaches,” he said during the panel discussion.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said: “Nobody should expect the Prime Minister of Turkey to swallow a disrespectful act. He gave the necessary response,” Gul said.

Iran more committed to non-proliferation than Israel: British journalist

Tehran Times Political Desk

The fact that Iran has signed the NPT shows it is more committed to non-proliferation than the three nuclear weapons states that have refused to sign the NPT, says British journalist Matt Kennard.

matt_kennard_30_jan_09.pdf
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In an exclusive interview with the Tehran Times, Mr. Kennard stated that it is sheer hypocrisy when sanctions are placed on Iran while the United States ignores the nuclear weapons programs of certain countries and has even recognized India as a legitimate nuclear power.

Following is an excerpt of the interview with Mr. Kennard, who also runs the global news and comment site The Comment Factory:

Q: The U.S. vetoed three rounds of UN Security Council resolutions against Israel but supported the imposition of UN economic sanctions on Iran for its peaceful nuclear energy program. What do you make of that?

A: Well your question really highlights the hypocrisy of the UN. It is basically a clearinghouse for U.S. foreign policy and when it shows any principled demurral, the U.S. goes forward anyway, like they did in Iraq and the war on Serbia in 1999, illegally both times.

So there should be no surprise that the UN is used to condemn Iran for their nuclear activities, while it stays silent on the 200-300 nuclear warheads Israel has and the thousands the U.S. and their allies have.

Q: Why is almost nothing being said about Israel’s nuclear arsenal?

A: I believe all nuclear warheads should be phased out everywhere, but the fact is that Iran is actually a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which is aimed at curtailing nuclear weapons, so it is therefore more committed to the scale-down than Israel, Pakistan, or India, all of whom have refused to sign up to the NPT, and all of whom have nuclear weapons, and all of whom are big allies of the U.S.

It shows that if you are an ally of the U.S. you don’t have to abide by international treaties because you just don’t sign up to them!

Of course, it is rank hypocrisy to put sanctions on Iran while supporting other states doing exactly the same thing. In fact, in October last year the U.S. recognized India’s legitimate place as a nuclear power. Why not Iran’s?

Q: How do you assess UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s response to the Gaza crisis?

A: When you talk about the UN you have to understand its power relations. It’s a fundamentally undemocratic institution. Five powers hold veto power over the Security Council and the U.S. inevitably vetoes any resolution critical of its client state, Israel, so the chances of getting a representative statement from the UN on anything is just institutionally impossible. The secretary general himself has to be proposed by the Security Council, so the candidate has to be sufficiently veto-proof, i.e. will not speak out too forcefully against any of the “Great Powers’” clients.

Add to that the fact that nearly a quarter of the UN’s budget comes from the U.S. and you start to understand why its employees find it so difficult to criticize Israel.

Having said this, Ban Ki-Moon did make the journey to Gaza, something which the “Peace Envoy” Tony Blair has never done, and did speak out at the devastation that Israel caused, which included the pounding of UN facilities and the destruction of aid, and said Israel should be held “accountable”.

But when you think about the level of the crimes committed in Gaza, and against the UN as well, these words seem completely insufficient. The whole world witnessed the massacre of 1,300 defenseless people over two weeks; is this all Ban Ki-Moon could come up with? It really goes to show that anyone fighting for justice and against war should not hold out hopes for the UN.

Q: Do you believe Arab states and the European Union are also partially responsible for the civilian deaths in Gaza?

A: Well, the performance of the Arab countries really showed them up for what they are: stooges of the U.S. just like Israel. Saudi Arabia, a monarchy, had its hands tied because it is allowed to carry on its ways for it is the biggest friend of the U.S. in the Middle East after Israel. So how can it speak out against its own friend?

Egypt is the same. The corrupt dictator Mubarak has helped the U.S. and Israel crush the Palestinians for years by refusing to let aid and commerce through the Rafah crossing and other points. Why does he do this? Because Egypt is the second largest recipient of aid from the U.S., after Israel, and you can’t upset your biggest backer!

In the case of Egypt, Mubarak has overseen the brutal suppression of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is intimately linked with Hamas, so Mubarak had another interest in seeing Hamas, and the Palestinian people who voted for them in a democratic election, smashed to pieces.

The only Arab leader that has consistently supported the Palestinian people is Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and whatever you think of Hezbollah, his commitment is unmatched by anyone else.

Q: Do you believe a tribunal should be established to investigate Israel’s war crimes in Gaza? And how would the international community have reacted if Syria, Lebanon, Venezuela, or Bolivia had committed such atrocities?

A: I think there should definitely be an investigation into the war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza. That’s without question, and it would be unthinkable not to have an investigation if this was any other state than Israel. Look at what happened in the aftermath of NATO’s attack on Serbia and the atrocities in Kosovo. The perpetrators of the attacks were hunted down and put on trial, and the search still continues for those responsible.

That should happen to Israel too. But it won’t because, like the UN, the international justice institutions are a function of power, and when they actually do take a stand they are dutifully ignored. Ehud Barak has already said that the Israeli government will help defend any of their soldiers who are tried for war crimes, because, of course, he is a criminal himself, and if they are found guilty, then so is he.

If the atrocities carried out by Israel were emulated by any of the states you mention, they would probably be bombed, arraigned before a court, and then the leaders put in jail for the rest of their lives.
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Al-Masakin News Agency
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/

PACE mum as the world stands agape over Israeli atrocities in Gaza

The Parliamentary Council of Europe (PACE) mum as the world stands agape over Israeli atrocities in Gaza

pace_mum_30_jan_09.pdf
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By Edward Campbell

MISSOULA, MT Jan. 30 (Al-Masakin)—The world is holding its breath awaiting comment by The Parliamentary Council of Europe (PACE) on the recent war crimes committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Though the Council placed Gaza on its Agenda to be debated Jan. 29, and acknowledged yesterday that such a debate had taken place, the official news center for the organization has not as yet disclosed the results of that discussion besides releasing a startlingly laconic statement on Thursday which said little more than:

“PACE can offer its political know-how to try to ease daily life for the populations of the two parties in conflict,” said Göran Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD) in Strasbourg today, opening a current affairs debate on the situation in Gaza. He highlighted the need for a change of attitude by the two parties to try to work out a just and lasting peace, including “recognition of secure borders”. As rapporteur, he said the Parliamentary Assembly’s Sub-Committee on the Middle East would pursue its efforts in support of the peace process.

Whereas PACE made it clear on Jan. 27 that it seeks expanded powers of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and resoundingly condemned the ‘climate of impunity’ surrounding murders of several members of the Press and human rights activists in the Russian Federation, including the Jan. 19 assassination of human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and Indy journalist for Novaya Gazeta Anastasiya Baburova, the body has remained silent on Israeli attacks on the media during the recent Gaza assault in which four journalist were murdered, two detained, and, among other things, the Reuters Bureau and the NBC headquarters were assaulted, all of which caused the International News Safety Institute (INSI) to publish a Jan. 15 ‘News Safety Alert for Gaza,’ and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) along with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to roundly declare that Israel was deliberately targeting the media.

This is of course to pass over the grim statistics of those killed and injured, the assaults on at least 27 Muslim houses of worship, and the use of banned weapons on civilians such as White Phosphorus, Dense Inert Metal Explosive (DIME), Depleted Uranium, dart weapons, and more.

Whereas PACE appears to be so committed to the theory of Universal Jurisdiction unto the prosecution of those who have targeted media personnel elsewhere, it stands to reason that the Council should now take the lead in demanding War Crimes trials for a number of Israeli officials.

EHC/EHC
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Al-Masakin News Agency
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/

Samir Quntar urges destruction of Zionist regime at award ceremony in Tehran yesterday

Quntar Urges Continued Resistance against US, Israel TEHRAN (FNA)- Samir Quntar, a Lebanese who served the longest term in Israeli prisons before he was released last year, underlined the need for resisting the US ruling system and destroying the Zionist regime of Israel.

“We must destroy the Zionist regime and to do so the resistance needs self-sacrifice,” said Quntar, who was freed after 27-year of imprisonment in Israeli jails last year. He arrived in Iran on Wednesday and expressed his gratitude to Tehran for its role in backing the Lebanese and Palestinian “resistance” against Israel. He pointed to the sufferings of Iranians during the Islamic Revolution in 1970s and the Lebanese in the 2006 war with Israel which both led to their victory, and expressed the hope that Gaza and Palestine would have the same destiny and see victory after hardships, the Iranian students news agency reported. “We must resist against the US ruling system, the US which is supporter of taghoot (tyrant) in the region and the world,” he asserted. “The path of resistance against cruelty and arrogance that is spread to Washington must be continued and Israel must be destroyed and that is the path that we step on in Lebanon’s Islamic resistance,” the former Lebanese prisoner added. Earlier Quntar told AFP that Iran “has played a crucial role in supporting the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance and I am here to express my deepest gratitude to this country.”

PFLP calls Hamas use of violence against fellow Palestinians during Gaza war “shameful”

PFLP condemns Hamas violence against Gazans, calls for strength and unity

Date: 30 / 01 / 2009  Time:  18:07

Bethlehem – Ma’an – The leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) condemned the violent tactics used by Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip against the Palestinian people during the Israeli war on the area. While Gazans themselves were united during the war, said a statement from the party, it is shameful for Hamas to use violence as they did. The comments came in response to recent and increasingly persuasive reports of Hamas-men using force and violence to detain, injure or execute Fatah officials, collaborators and petty criminals. The PFLP statement urged sides to work for a united government to rule the briefly united population of Gaza, rather than a government that rules by force. Palestinians in Gaza endured the Israeli aggression against them, said the statement, and that harmed the people and the land. Now that the Palestinian leadership is moving forward in planning a second chance for national dialogue, Hamas must stop “committing illegal actions by assaulting and harming people especially PFLP members who were kidnapped and tortured and killed.” These tactics do not assist in the steadfastness of the Palestinians, said the PFLP, and rather strengthens the internal divisions.

Ma’an: Evidence of extrajudical executions by Hamas during Israeli offensive against Gaza is overwhelming

Evidence of extrajudicial executions, human rights violations by de facto government in Gaza overwhelming

Date: 30 / 01 / 2009  Time:  13:06

Bethlehem – Ma’an – The de facto government in Gaza “categorically rejects” the accusations that extrajudicial executions and human rights violations were practiced by Hamas and factional members in Gaza during the Israeli onslaught. Spokesperson of the de facto government Ihab Al-Ghusein responded to several reports and eyewitness accounts of uniformed and civilian-dressed men violating human rights in Gaza. Mentions of these incidents were made in the New York Times as early as a 29 December report that said at least five had been executed in Gaza City’s Ash-Shifa hospital by Hamas militants. The five were said to have been collaborating with Israel. At least some of the dead had escaped from the Hamas-run prison when it was bombed by Israeli warplanes, the report said. Another report by the Israeli journalist Amira Hass, noted that those being killed extrajudicially were collaborators, petty criminals and Fatah supporters. Following the unilateral ceasefires, Fatah spokesman Fahmi Az-Zareer confirmed the death of at least 16 Fatah-affiliates and the injury of dozens of others, several of which had been shot in the foot or leg as the fighting in the Gaza Strip began. The statement also included the names of those killed. On Wednesday Al-Ghusein called the reports “cover-ups” for the treatment of Hamas members in the West Bank. “All of these statements are not true,” Al-Ghusein said, and he called for “anyone who was attacked to file a complaint and if they are afraid as Fatah claims I call them to come to me in person to handle the issue.” On Saturday, however, Hamas leader in exile Mousa Abu Marzouq confirmed that Hamas did execute several collaborators during Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip, and that most of these collaborators were Fatah-affiliates. The Independent Commission on Human Rights in Gaza released a report on Monday confirming documentation of the close-range shooting of a “number” of individuals in the Gaza Strip during Israel’s war on the area. The ICHR report said the perpetrators of the shootings were often in official uniforms but sometimes masked, and “opened fire on people’s legs, severely beat others, imposed house arrests, and threatened to punish citizens along with their family members if they would not comply.” The committee called for a halt to such extra-judicial violence, and also noted that they feared retaliation acts in the West Bank for the harsh treatment of Fatah members in Gaza. The report said 20 were killed and 116 were shot in the lower limbs. At least 150 Fatah-affiliates were also put under house arrest by order of the de facto Ministry of the Interior. According to Fatah, a number of those killed had been political prisoners, and others were taken and interrogated on suspicion of collaboration with Israel. Documents from the de facto Government’s office were obtained by Ma’an, which cooberate reports of house arrest. The documents name Fatah-affiliates and contain orders not to leave the home except for Friday prayer. If the orders are disobeyed, the papers say, cases will be handled “in the field.” De facto government officials would neither confirm nor deny whether the papers were official.

Egyptian company supplied food to Israeli army while Rafah crossing was closed to Palestinian relief agencies

Egyptian company supplied IOF with food during war on Gaza

[ 30/01/2009 - 12:02 PM ]

CAIRO, (PIC)– An Egyptian newspaper revealed that an Egyptian company supplied IOF troops with food through the Owja crossing during the war on Gaza while the Rafah crossing was closed in the face of relief supplies to Palestinians. Al-Osbo’ weekly said that regular convoys of lorries carried the food supplies from the Sadat city to the Owja crossing to deliver the products of the “International Union of Wholesome Food Products” to the Israeli “Channel Foods” company which in turn supplies it to the IOF troops. The paper expressed horror at the thought of an Egyptian company supplied the IOF troops with foods labelled “Latha” which means “Delicious” at  the time the Egyptian people were expressing their rage at the sorry state of the people of Gaza under siege and under attack. The paper gave details of drivers, their licence numbers, their addresses, the amount of food they transported and the dates of their deliveries, especially during the war on Gaza and compared those figures with the figures of casualties in Gaza and the closure of the Rafah crossing. The paper also pointed out that some Egyptian advocates of normalisation with the Zionists have sided with the Egyptian official stand fearing deterioration in relations with their Zionist business partners. Businesses that had links with the Zionists were especially worried that their businesses would lose out because of the renewed calls for boycotting the Zionist state, and tried to keep their business under wraps.

Photos: Muslim men’s prayer during Bishwa Ijtema (World Congregation) Dhaka, Bangladesh

Fri Jan 30, 5:24 AM ET

Muslims perform Friday prayers on a boat during Bishwa Ijtema in Dhaka January 30, 2009. The three-day long Bishwa Ijtema, Islam’s second biggest pilgrimage, began on Friday.REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (BANGLADESH)

Fri Jan 30, 5:02 AM ET

Muslims gather for Friday prayers during Bishwa Ijtema in Dhaka January 30, 2009. The three-day long Bishwa Ijtema, Islam’s second biggest pilgrimage, began on Friday.REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (BANGLADESH)

Fri Jan 30, 10:34 AM ET

Muslims bow toward Mecca during the “Biswa Ijtema” or the World Islamic Congregation at Tongi, on the outskirts of Dhaka. At least two million worshippers gathered north of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka Friday for a three-day event billed as the largest annual Islamic event after the hajj.(AFP/Munir Uz Zaman)

Fri Jan 30, 4:58 AM ET

Muslims gather for Friday prayers during Bishwa Ijtema in Dhaka January 30, 2009. The three-day long Bishwa Ijtema, Islam’s second biggest pilgrimage, began on Friday.REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (BANGLADESH)

 

Fri Jan 30, 4:55 AM ET

Muslims gather for Friday prayers during Bishwa Ijtema in Dhaka January 30, 2009. The three-day long Bishwa Ijtema, Islam’s second biggest pilgrimage, began on Friday.REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (BANGLADESH)

 

Fri Jan 30, 4:52 AM ET

Muslims gather for Friday prayers during Bishwa Ijtema in Dhaka January 30, 2009. The three-day long Bishwa Ijtema, Islam’s second biggest pilgrimage, began on Friday.REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (BANGLADESH)

 

Fri Jan 30, 5:22 AM ET

Muslims perform Friday prayers on a boat during Bishwa Ijtema in Dhaka January 30, 2009. The three-day long Bishwa Ijtema, Islam’s second biggest pilgrimage, began on Friday.REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (BANGLADESH)

Photos: Men’s prayer Amman, Jordan

Fri Jan 30, 9:32 AM ET

Jordanian Muslims pray for rain during a mass congregation in drought-hit Amman January 30, 2009. Rainfall has been sharply down in many areas of the Middle East, cutting through already low reserves of water.REUTERS/Majed Jaber (JORDAN)

Fri Jan 30, 9:28 AM ET

Jordan’s King Abdullah (C) prays for rain during a mass congregation in drought-hit Amman January 30, 2009. Rainfall has been sharply down in many areas of the Middle East, cutting through already low reserves of water.REUTERS/Yousef Allan (JORDAN)

Photos: Women’s prayer Amman, Jordan

Fri Jan 30, 9:36 AM ET

Jordanian Muslim women pray for rain during a mass congregation in Amman January 30, 2009. Rainfall has been sharply down in many areas of the Middle East, cutting through already low reserves of water.REUTERS/Majed Jaber (JORDAN)

Fri Jan 30, 9:36 AM ET

Jordanian Muslim women pray for rain during a mass congregation in Amman January 30, 2009. Rainfall has been sharply down in many areas of the Middle East, cutting through already low reserves of water.REUTERS/Majed Jaber (JORDAN)

Fri Jan 30, 9:23 AM ET

Jordanian Muslim women pray for rain in drought-hit Amman January 30, 2009. Rainfall has been sharply down in many areas of the Middle East, cutting through already low reserves of water.REUTERS/Majed Jaber (JORDAN)

Photos: Friday prayer in the Holy Land

Fri Jan 30, 9:26 AM ET

Palestinians pray in the rubble of a mosque destroyed in the recent Israeli military offensive in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 30, 2009. Israel launched its 22-day offensive to try to halt Hamas rocket fire on southern Israel. The assault killed at least 1,285 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights counted. Thirteen Israelis, including three civilians, were also killed during the fighting, Israel said.(AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

Fri Jan 30, 9:49 AM ET

Palestinians pray near the rubble of a mosque, not seen, that was destroyed in the recent Israeli military offensive in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 30, 2009. Israel launched its 22-day offensive to try to halt Hamas rocket fire on southern Israel. The assault killed at least 1,285 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights counted. Thirteen Israelis, including three civilians, were also killed during the fighting, Israel said.(AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

Fri Jan 30, 10:41 AM ET

Palestinians pray outside the damaged Al Taqwa Mosque, which was hit in a missile strike during Israel’s last offensive, in Gaza City, Friday, Jan. 30, 2009. Israel launched its 22-day offensive to try to halt Hamas rocket fire on southern Israel. The assault killed at least 1,285 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights counted. Thirteen Israelis, including three civilians, were also killed during the fighting, Israel said.(AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

 

Fri Jan 30, 9:46 AM ET

Palestinians pray near the rubble of a mosque, not seen, that was destroyed in the recent Israeli military offensive in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 30, 2009. Israel launched its 22-day offensive to try to halt Hamas rocket fire on southern Israel. The assault killed at least 1,285 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights counted. Thirteen Israelis, including three civilians, were also killed during the fighting, Israel said.(AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

 

Fri Jan 30, 9:56 AM ET

Backdropped by the Dome of the Rock Mosque, Palestinian Muslim worshippers pray in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, also known to Jews as the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem’s Old City, Friday, Jan. 30, 2009.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

 

Fri Jan 30, 9:23 AM ET

Palestinians pray in the rubble of a mosque destroyed in the recent Israeli military offensive in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 30, 2009. Israel launched its 22-day offensive to try to halt Hamas rocket fire on southern Israel. The assault killed at least 1,285 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights counted. Thirteen Israelis, including three civilians, were also killed during the fighting, Israel said.(AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)