djxeno

I agree man, this shit is crazy. It's like a fuckin' X-files episode. I hope they catch this motherfucker. Peace, -XeNo-

Your maturity rivals none.

How can you refute first hand accounts? I know people personally who have visited Israel and told me of the war crimes they have witnessed over there. They have documented many cases of civilians being murdered. I never called the IDF nazis, and I agree with you that Israeli civilians are murdered as well by suicide bombers. But the IDF is no more civilized, destroying and bull dozing homes of suspected "terrorists." You being Jewish I can understand your sympathy for your beloved IDF, like i have sympathy for the Palestinians and for the Israeli civilians being killed. But at least I admit that the Palestinians are wrong for suicide bombings, but you can't even acknowledge the IDF's brutal targeting of civilians for some reason. Take for example, Adam Shapiro, a JEW, who has witnessed the IDF intentionally targeting civilians. It's a shame that he has been labeled the Jewish John Walker, only because he values Justice. -XeNo-

Like I said, I can't take you serious so don't reply to my posts anymore.

I can show you hundreds of dead pictures of Palestinian babies and kids with bullet holes through them, all courtesy of the IDF. I don't think their fake because the Palestinians don't have access to bootleg copies of Photoshop, let alone computers. And i guess you missed my humor, you're probably not a big Simpsons fan.... -XeNo- By the way I thought you didn't believe in God so you can't be Jewish...

How is it biased when you have the following line, ..."It was not clear whether the bullets were meant to cause injury and death..." Hmm....Maybe they were just trying to give the school bus speed holes so it could go faster.... -XeNo-

So what if it was? It's no different than the jew run media we have here...

the source is www.palestinechronicle.com Peace, -XeNo-

LOL

I really can't take you seriously anymore dogg, really I tried but I can't anymore LOL. Have a nice life. and just for the record yes the plane hit at 8:45 but the tape wasn't played till around 2, I guess they couldn't find any tapes in their archives soon enough. -XeNo-

Thank You, my fellow Faithless fan

By Baha Abushaqra For Palestine Chronicle A recent statistical assessment carried by the AP (1) determined that close to half of the victims of Israel's so-called "targeted killings," perpetrated by state of the art military, are bystanders. Referring to the so-called "targeted killings," the AP story put it as follows: "In two years of fighting, such attacks have killed 78 militants and 52 civilians." Who is a "militant" according to Israel? Who is a "terrorist" according to Israel? Apparently, they both deserve the same fate -- extra-judicial liquidation! 52 Palestinian civilians out of a total of 130 killed is 40%, notwithstanding the injured. Not very "targeted," wouldn't you agree? But, let's put things into perspective. IDF sources put the Israeli civilian causality rate, due to Palestinian attacks, at 436 out of 622 total deaths (Sept 29, 2000 - Sept 26, 2002) (2). This means that the Israeli civilian causality rate is at 70%. There is a catch though: Israel considers armed settlers as civilians [various UN resolutions have reaffirmed the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for liberation from colonial domination and alien subjection, "by all available means including armed struggle" (3)]. Though it is hard to obtain specific data, anyone who has been following the Intifada would agree that it would be reasonable to say that 50% of these so-called Israeli civilians were actually settlers. So, that puts the Israeli civilian causality rate closer to 35%. In other words, comparable to that of Israel's "targeted attacks." Settlers qualify as militants par excellence, not only because they live on confiscated land in apartheid ivory towers but also because they have been actively involved in the killing of Palestinian civilians. "Targeted killings" have killed 78 Palestinian "militants," the AP story said, and you get the impression it was ok! What about the worthiness of Israeli militants? What's good for the goose...? But wait! Out of 1,897 total Palestinian deaths (Sept 29, 2000 - Sept 22, 2002) (40,000 plus injured), about 85% are non-combatants (22% under 18) (4). That's a civilian causality rate of 3:1 (three times more Palestinian civilians killed than Israeli civilians killed). This is material for great embarrassment for Israel, for it proves that the Israeli forces are as every bit as sadistic as the suicide bombers, notwithstanding the age-old military occupation. Israel is the occupier, the overlord, yet it still claims moral superiority. How does that work? They kill, injure and maim a multitude more of civilians, notwithstanding the havoc, confiscate land, bulldoze homes, uproot orchids, shoot unarmed demonstrators, etc and still claim moral superiority?

GAZA STRIP/WEST BANK (LAW) - Israeli forces kill 23 Palestinians; Children fired upon in Gaza; Three-day old baby dies after preventing from reaching hospital; Year-old baby girl dies after inhaling tear gas; Homes demolished as a form of collective punishment; Israeli forces kill Palestinian demonstrators. This week, September 19 - 25, saw the deaths of at least 22 Palestinians, including six children, two under a year old at the hands of Israeli forces. Three days old Rawan Hreizat died from an infection after being preventing from reaching hospital. Gharam Mana', less than a year old, died after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli troops. Nine were killed in one Israeli raid in Gaza. Another two bled to death as Israeli forces denied access to ambulances. At least eight homes were demolished this week as a form of collective punishment, leaving at least 66 people homeless, including 19 children. Meanwhile, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian protesters all over the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Four were killed, including a journalist. At least 30 Palestinians were detained this week. Killed Palestinians this week include Rawan Hreizat (three days old), Gharam Mana' (less than one year old), Abdullah al-Gharabli (14), Baha al-Bahsh (14), Walid al-Mughni (16), Haitham Natat (17), Ahmad Radwan (18), Issa Ismail (28), Riyad Hashash (19), Ihab al-Mughni (22), Mohammad Hamouda (26), Nidal al-Sarsak (26), Ashraf Zwaid (26), Issa Harish (28), Isam al-Talawi (30), Adel al-Deeb (32), Khaled al-Deeb (34), Samira al-Dahdar (33), Jaber Kishku (45), Mohammad Kishku (46), Ahmad Labad (49), Yassin Nassar (50), Nashat Abu Jabara. Killed Palestinians this week include: 1. Rawan Hreizat (three days old) 2. Gharam Mana' (less than one year old) 3. Abdullah al-Gharabli, 14 4. Baha al-Bahsh, 14 5. Walid al-Mughani, 16 6. Haitham Natat, 17 7. Ahmad Radwan, 18 8. Issa Ismail, 28 9. Riyad Hashash, 19 10. Ihab al-Mughni, 22 11. Mohammad Hamouda, 26 12. Nidal al-Sarsak, 26 13. Ashraf Zwaid, 26 14. Issa Harish, 28 15. Isam al-Talawi, 30 16. Adel al-Deeb, 32 17. Khaled al-Deeb, 34 18. Samira al-Dahdar, 33 19. Jaber Kishku, 45 20. Ahmad Labad, 49 21. Yassin Nassar, 50 22. Nashat Abu Jabara Excessive use of force Tuesday, September 24: Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinian school children in Beit Hanoun, Gaza, wounding eight. They included Raed Zakut (13), Mahmoud al Sabagh (15) and Mohammad Abu Mashi (13). Shelling Thursday, September 19: South Rafah came under Israeli fire early Thursday morning. Yusef Radwan (40) was wounded in the Israeli attack and several homes were destroyed. Israeli shelling of Rafah began again Thursday afternoon. Israeli shrapnel wounded another four Palestinians. Friday, September 20: Israeli helicopter gun ships and tanks shelled the Rafah refugee camp. Two children were killed: Abdullah al-Gharabli (14) and Haitham Natat (17). Thirteen others were wounded. Rafah also came under Israeli fire again on Friday. Three Palestinians were wounded, including Fatima Shakfa (60), seriously wounded in her left leg. Saturday, September 21: Israeli troops shelled Rafah again on Saturday, wounding three children and one adult: Dana Tamraz (5), Ahmad al-Sharkawi (12), Zuhair al-Mughayir (16), Ibrahim Musa (20). Israeli shelling continued Saturday evening in Khan Yunis. Several homes were devastated. Israeli troops' incursions into Palestinian autonomous areas Thursday, September 19: Israeli troops raided al-Muqata'a, the presidential compound in Ramallah, besieging the Palestinian Presidents headquarters. Israeli troops destroyed buildings surrounding the headquarters. According to information gathered by LAW, approximately 20 tanks, armored personnel carriers, military jeeps, bulldozers and helicopter gunships raided the compound, razing the buildings around the president's headquarters. Israeli forces shot Mohammad Hamouda (26), a presidential guard in the head, preventing ambulances from evacuating the injured man, who subsequently bled to death. Food storage facilities of the compound were destroyed by Israeli troops. The Ramallah governor's offices were also bulldozed to the ground by Israeli troops. Israeli forces raided Jenin and arrested a Palestinian police officer Hussein al-Ghizawi (25) and taking al-Ghizawi to unknown destination. Also on Thursday, Israeli troops and bulldozers entered Deir al-Balah, bulldozing approximately five acres of farmland and eight greenhouses. Israeli troops also invaded Asad Bashir's home, turning it into a military outpost. Israeli troops also made an incursion into Gaza on Thursday, indiscriminately firing upon civilians. According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), based in Gaza, a mentally disabled Palestinian man, Ahmad Labad (49) was killed, as was Samira al-Dahdar (33). Al-Dahdar was shot in the eye while inside her home. Three Palestinians were wounded. Israeli forces also destroyed more than a dozen car repair workshops, warehouses, and grocery stores belonging to local residents. Also on Thursday, Israeli special forces raided downtown Qalqilya, arrested Said Diab (27). Saturday, September 21: Israeli forces raided al-Far' a refugee camp near Jenin, arresting Firas Ali (22) and Shadi Omar (24). Sunday, September 22: Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians protesting against the siege of the Presidential compound in Ramallah. Four were killed, including a journalist. According to information gathered by LAW, around 1:00am, thousands of Palestinians went out in the streets in various cities in the occupied Palestinian territories. In Ramallah and El-Bireh, Palestinians headed towards the main square in the town's center. Israeli forces opened fire and killed Isam al-Talawi (30), a reporter with 'Voice of Palestine'. Israeli forces also killed Issa Ismail (28). 16 civilians were also wounded. In Nablus and surrounding refugee camps, hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated. Israeli forces opened fire and wounded Riyad al-Hashash (19), from the Balata refugee camp. Ambulances were prevented access to the Refugee camp. Al-Hashash bled to death. Muhammad al-Khatib (17) was hit with two bullets in his neck and shoulder. A Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance transporting al-Khatib was stopped by Israeli forces. Al-Khatib was taken away to an unknown destination. In Tulkarem, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians who were protesting on Yaffa Street. Israeli forces shot Ahmad Radwan (18) in the head. Upon transfer to a local hospital, he was pronounced clinically dead. Two others were injured from Israeli fire. Around 3:00am, Israeli forces made an incursion into Jenin, arresting Ribhi Abu Mweis. He was driven to the al-Basatin quarter, where Abu Mweis owned a home and storehouse, still under construction. Israeli forces forcibly took the keys to the storehouse and ordered him to go home. At around 6:00am, Israeli troops set explosives inside the storehouse and detonated them from a distance, causing total destruction. Also around 3:00am, Israeli forces made an incursion into the al-Far' a refugee camp, east of Jenin. Israeli forces broke into the home of Ahmad Sawalmeh and drove him to an unknown destination. At around 6:00am, Israeli troops reinforced with three heavy machinery and bulldozers made 300m-incursion north Kfar Darom settlement east of Deir al-Balah. An Israeli bulldozer razed ten dunums of agricultural lands belonging to Hamdi al-Azab, Suleiman Abu Jareer, Ali al-Azab, Jamal Abu Salim, Nura al-Fleit and Khalil al-Tawashi. In the old city of Nablus, Baha' al-Bahsh (14) was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier in the Old City of Nablus. Baha's father, Said, stated to LAW that at around 10:00am on Sunday, Baha' was at the Palestinian Medical Relief Committees office, where he worked as a volunteer. A doctor asked him to accompany a group of internationals visiting the Old City. When he reached Ras al-'Ein in the Old City, a tank and personnel carrier were present. A number of children were throwing stones at them. They were chased them and stood at the al-'Aishiyeh school junction. The children left. At that time, Baha' moved the delegation inside a nearby store and stood in the street. He saw a group of women walking down the street. He pushed them into the store and returned to his place when a soldier shot a bullet from approximately 220 meters. Monday, 23 September: Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians in Gaza, among them seven civilians and one child. Twenty people were wounded, two of them critically. According to the PCHR, around 11:00 pm Monday night, Israeli forces accompanied by ninety tanks, helicopter gun ships and armored vehicles, entered al-Shaja'iyya, a residential area east of Gaza city. Israeli forces pressed on, reaching the edge of al-Zaytoon, a residential area south of Gaza city. Israeli forces took control of the densely populated area through indiscriminate fire from helicopter gun ships and tanks. Two shells were then fired in the direction of a two-story home, belonging to the family of Mohammad Farhat, killed by Israeli forces during a military operation on March 7, 2002. Several walls of homes were demolished as Israeli forces made their way to the Farhat home, through small side roads. In al-Zaytoon, Israeli forces planted and detonated explosives in an agricultural store, owned by Ahmad Muqat. A nearby car garage belonging to Mohy al-Deen al-Hantu and a shop belonging to 'Abdullah Daloul were also severely damaged. Palestinians killed include Walid al-Mughni (14) and his brother, Ihab al-Mughni (21), Nidal al-Sarsak (27), Ashraf Zwaid (25), Adel al-Deeb (32) and his brother, Khaled al-Deeb (34), Jaber Kishku (45) and Yassin Nassar (50). Tuesday, 24 September: At 1:30am, Israeli forces accompanied by eight jeeps besieged a home in Betunia, west of Ramallah. They broke into the home, arresting three of five family members, driving them away to an unknown destination. At 9:00am, Israeli forces inside tanks used tear gas and opened fire (live ammunition and rubber coated metal bullets) upon Palestinians demonstrating in al-Dora, west of Hebron. Ahmad al-Sharha (13) was wounded by live ammunition in his right thigh. Collective Punishment: Thursday, 19 September: At around 5:00am, Israeli forces attacked the Jenin refugee camp, imposing a curfew and invading a home belonging to Hussein Fayed. The second and third stories of the home had been demolished on the ninth of April this year. Israeli forces planted explosives inside the ground floor of the home and detonated it while watching from afar, reducing it to rubble. Eleven Palestinians lived in the home. Fayed had two sons killed on the third of April this year, during the Israeli invasion of the Refugee camp. In the evening, Israeli forces attacked the Tulkarem refugee camp, invading the home of Mahmoud 'Abed Rabbo. Two of his sons, 'Abd al-Rahman (29) and Ahmad (28), were taken hostage, driven away to an unknown destination. Israeli troops informed the family that they would keep the brothers under detention until 'Abed Rabbo's other son, Tareq, would surrender himself. Sunday, 21 September: Around 1:00am, Israeli forces, reinforced with tanks, personnel carriers and two bulldozers made incursion into Qalqilya, reaching the al-Naqqar quarter. Israeli forces besieged and bulldozed the family home of Anas Abu 'Ulbeh (deceased), destroying it completely. Two tanks then demolished the family home of Nasser Nazal (deceased), and two other flats owned by the family. Around 2:00am, Israeli forces reinforced with heavy machinery attacked Qabatiyya village southeast of Jenin, imposing a curfew. Israeli forces surrounded the home of Hamzeh Abu Al-Rub (35). Israeli forces only allowed 20 minutes for his wife and seven children to evacuate. Two Israeli bulldozers demolished the two-story home with all household belongings inside. Israel claims that Hamzeh is wanted. Wednesday, September 25: Israeli forces demolished three homes, leaving 36 people homeless, including seven children in Hebron. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli forces surrounded the home of Diab Shweiki in south Hebron at around five am Wednesday morning. Israel claims Shweiki is wanted. Israeli forces forcibly evicted members of his family, planted explosives inside the home and detonated it while watching from afar. Before retreating, the same Israeli forces arrested two brothers from the family, Usama Shweiki (24) and 'Imad (20), and took them away to an unknown destination. Ten people belonging to two families lived there. At around 6:00am the same day, Israeli forces surrounded the home of Mahmoud 'Amr in the village of al-Doura, in the Hebron region. Residents were forcibly evicted, forbidden from carrying household belongings with them. Israeli forces planted explosives inside the home and detonated it while watching from afar, reducing it to rubble. Israel claims that one of Mahmoud 'Amr's children, in Israeli custody without trial several months ago for resisting Israeli occupation. Twenty-five people lived in the three-story home, including seven children. Around 11:00am the same day, Israeli forces surrounded the home of 'Abd al-Khaliq al-Natsha, west Hebron, planted explosives inside the home and detonated it from afar. Israeli forces prevented neighbors from saving any belongings from the home before it was demolished. Israel claims that al-Natsha, in Israeli custody without trial since August 28 2002, is responsible for Hamas in the Hebron region. Al-Natsha's wife lived in the home. Settlers' Attacks: Thursday, September 19: According to information gathered by LAW, at around 3:50pm, Wasef Kataneh (30) from the village of al-Baqa al-Sharqiyya near Tulkarem was driving a taxi on the Ya'bad route southwest of Jenin. When he reached the eastern entrance of the village, a number of armed settlers opened fire at him from a distance of 150 meters, hitting him in the head. Medical resources state he is in a serious condition. Detention & Maltreatment: Thursday, September 19: In the early morning, Israeli forces made an incursion into the village of Usreen, southeast of Nablus, arresting Taha Qatnani and driving him to an unknown destination. Friday, September 20: At around 1:00pm, following Friday prayer, Israeli forces made an incursion into the village of Burqa, northwest of Nablus. Israeli forces assaulted two worshippers and arrested Samer Hijjeh (22), driving him to an unknown destination. Monday, September 23: Israeli forces made an incursion into the same village, arresting 13 Palestinians. They were driven to the Shafi Shomron settlement. Eight were released after interrogation, five are still detained. Tuesday, 24 September: At 4:00pm, Israeli forces broke into a jewelry store in al-Ram, north of Jerusalem. Ghassan al-Shweiki (28), from Jerusalem, and Ibrahim Barham (21), from Nablus were arrested by Israeli forces. They were driven to the Nevi Ya'qub detention center north of Jerusalem. Barham is still in custody. Three-day-old baby dies after Israeli forces block routes to hospital: Monday, September 23: Medical sources at al-Muhtaseb hospital in Hebron announced the death of 3-day-old Rawan Hreizat from Yatta after prevented by Israeli forces from reaching hospital on time. According to information gathered by LAW, on Sunday evening, Rawan was in pain. Her doctor ordered that she be taken immediately to al-Muhtaseb hospital in Hebron. The next morning, Rawan's parents attempted to drive her to hospital, reaching the Hebron city entrance. Israeli troops stationed at the Israeli checkpoint there would not allow them to cross. Rawan's parents were forced to take much longer distances on different roads. Again, Israeli troops stationed at Abu Sneineh did not allow them to pass. Rawan's parents turned back, using different routes again until they reached the hospital, but it was too late, Rawan had died. The hospital manager, Dr. 'Abd al-Razzaq Abu Mayyaleh, stated that Rawan reached hospital at 8:30am on Monday, 23 September, dead without any malformations or other marks. It seems she suffered from serious infection. The lengthy ride to the hospital prevented doctors treating her. Palestinian baby girl killed in Hebron after inhaling teargas Thursday, September 26: A baby girl, Gharam Mana', less than one year old, was killed after inhaling a quantity of tear gas while with her grandmother in the Bab al-Zawiyya area in Hebron. According to information gathered by LAW, around 10:00am, Gharam Mana's grandmother was carrying the baby while walking in the Bab al-Zawiyya area. Israeli forces, in an attempt to keep the Palestinian residents of Hebron under complete home-curfew, began shooting live fire and releasing large quantities of tear gas at Palestinians in the area. Gharam Mana' inhaled large quantities of the gas, and was rushed to the local government hospital. Gharam died soon after her arrival at the hospital. Tear gas may be lethal for the very young and old. Closing two organizations in Jerusalem: Friday, September 20: Israel closed two organizations dealing with Arab affairs in Jerusalem. The head of the Sports team union, Jawad Abu Gharbiyya, stated to LAW that at 3:00pm the union received an order signed by the Minister of Interior Security, Uzi Landau, to close the institution. The pretext offered was that it belonged to the Palestinian National Authority. Israeli soldiers confiscated computer systems and some files. Also on Friday, Israeli forces closed down the Jerusalem Society for Culture and Art. The society's lawyer, Muhammad Dahleh stated to LAW that the society has a legal office, which provides services to Jerusalemites. Soldiers confiscated computer systems and personal papers. Since August 10 this year, seven Arab organizations in Jerusalem have been closed down. -XeNo-

Are you really that stupid to believe that the Palestinians were celebrating on Sept 11th. You ever heard of different time zones? They showed the Palestinians celebrating at 2pm Eastern Standard time, and they showed them celebrating in broad daylight. The time zone in Palestine is 7 hours ahead of hours, making it 9pm in Palestine. I don't know what world you live in but the sun sets at the latest at 8:30, not to mention this was in September. You are right that suicide bombers are wrong, but what really ticks me off is that you think the Israelis don't engage in terrorism cuz that is what you have been lead to believe by our precious media. I know people personally who went over there and wrote down what injustices they saw. IF you saw what was going on over there you would wake up as more and more of us have. And of course you can't attack my point of the Isrealis dropping a ONE TON bomb on a civilian neighborhood cuz u know that's fucked up but you can't admit it. -XeNo-

Dude I've never met somebody so brainwashed as you. The media really has taught you so well its scary. First of all, Sadaam cannot defend himself without WMD because that's what the U.S. will use against him. Second, even if they don't, they will take away as much weapons as they can find and Saddam won't have shit to fight back with. They'll take the oil and put a puppet government in there like they did in afghanistan and there will be many attempts to murder that governments' leaders. And you comments about the Palestinians really make me sick. Your blasphemous comment about "Allah" also dissed your own God, if you believe in one. But i doubt your smart enough to realize that. Did you forget that the Israeli's dropped a one-ton bomb on a civilian neighborhood, or was that just fighting "terrorism" cuz every palestinian must be a "terrorist" even if they are infants. You have condradicted yourself many times in your response, once saying that well the U.S. has to violate resolustions cuz sadaam isnt obeying them and thats why we must take him out of power. Are you aware that the same resolutions that were put on Iraq by the United States has crushed Iraq's economy and killed 5,000 innocent civilian infants every month? Of course not....all you do is watch the news. And let's not forget the same animal YOU defend can't put a grammatically correct sentence together and has named ariel sharon "a man of peace." I'm appalled with all the racism and double standards. Israel, the U.S. can all break U.N. resolutions but when somebody else does it everybody has a hissy fit. Get the FUCK out of here. Maybe if the Palestinians and Iraqi's were WHITE we would all live in peace and harmony.... -XeNo-

with all djs! Set in Ibiza! Who would you want to be in the cast? Imagine them documenting all of the dj's record shopping, production tips when they go into the studio, and gigs at all of Ibiza's mega clubs! Of course we would have to include Junior for the drama.... Did anybody see The Real World Vegas, is like a damn porno lol. Peace, -XeNo-

Ok, so if we dissarm Iraq how is he suppose to defend himself? It's funny, the U.S. wants to disarm them and bomb them on top of that, talk about a bully. Answer this question, how come Israel and the U.S. can defy U.N resolutions but Iraq can't?

Your right. The U.N has also been usless against Israel, for over 30 years, but we don't dare bomb them cuz then they'll be mad at us boo hoo. -XeNo-

An Open Letter to the Members of Congress by The Editors Soon, you will be asked to vote on a resolution authorizing the United States to overthrow the government of Iraq by military force. Its passage, we read on all sides, is a foregone conclusion, as if what the country now faces is not a decision but the disclosure of a fate. The nation marches as if in a trance to war. In the House, twenty of your number, led by Dennis Kucinich, have announced their opposition to the war. In the Senate, Robert Byrd has mounted a campaign against the version of the resolution already proposed by the Bush Administration. He has said that the resolution's unconstitutionality will prevent him from voting for it. "But I am finding," he adds, "that the Constitution is irrelevant to people of this Administration." The Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to the Washington Post, oppose the war. Telephone calls and the mail to your offices run strongly against it. Polls and news stories reveal a divided and uncertain public. Yet debate in your chambers is restricted to peripheral questions, such as the timing of the vote, or the resolution's precise scope. You are a deliberative body, but you do not deliberate. You are representatives, but you do not represent. The silence of those of you in the Democratic Party is especially troubling. You are the opposition party, but you do not oppose. Raising the subject of the war, your political advisers tell you, will distract from the domestic issues that favor the party's chances in the forthcoming Congressional election. In the face of the Administration's pre-emptive war, your leaders have resorted to pre-emptive surrender. For the sake of staying in power, you are told, you must not exercise the power you have in the matter of the war. What, then, is the purpose of your re-election? If you succeed, you will already have thrown away the power you supposedly have won. You will be members of Congress, but Congress will not be Congress. Even the fortunes of the domestic causes you favor will depend far more on the decision on the war than on the outcome of the election. On April 4, 1967, as the war in Vietnam was reaching its full fury, Martin Luther King Jr. said, "A time comes when silence is betrayal." And he said, "Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak." Now the time to speak has come again. We urge you to speak--and, when the time comes, to vote--against the war on Iraq. The case against the war is simple, clear and strong. The Administration calls it a chapter in the war on terror, but Iraq has no demonstrated ties either to the September 11 attack on the United States or to the Al Qaeda network that launched it. The aim of the war is to deprive President Saddam Hussein of weapons of mass destruction, but the extent of his program for building these weapons, if it still exists, is murky. Still less clear is any intention on his part to use such weapons. To do so would be suicide, as he well knows. Democratic Representative Anna Eshoo of California has reported that in closed session Administration officials have been asked several times whether they have evidence of an imminent threat from Saddam against the United States and have answered no. She elaborated, "Not 'no, but' or 'maybe,' but 'no.'" On the other hand, if he does have them, and faces his overthrow and possible death at the hands of US forces, he might well use them--or, more likely, give them to terrorist groups to use after his fall. He may be doing so even now. Some observers have likened the resolution under discussion to the Gulf of Tonkin resolution of 1964 authorizing President Johnson to use force in Vietnam. But that was passed only after a report was received of two attacks on US naval forces. (We now know that the first attack was provoked by a prior secret American attack and the second was nonexistent.) The new resolution, which alleges no attack, not even a fictional one, goes a step further. It is a Tonkin Gulf resolution without a Tonkin Gulf incident. Even if Saddam possesses weapons of mass destruction and wishes to use them, a policy of deterrence would appear perfectly adequate to stop him, just as it was adequate a half-century ago to stop a much more fearsome dictator, Joseph Stalin. It is not true that military force is the only means of preventing the proliferation of these weapons, whether to Iraq or other countries. An alternative path is clearly available. In the short run it passes through the United Nations and its system of inspections, now more promising than before because Iraq, responding to US pressure, has opened itself unconditionally to inspectors. At the very least, this path should be fully explored before military action--the traditional last resort--is even considered. Such a choice in favor of multilateralism, diplomacy and treaty agreements should be part of a much broader policy of nonproliferation and disarmament of the kind that has already enjoyed great success over the past several decades. Under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, for example, 182 nations have agreed to do without nuclear weapons. The larger issue is whether proliferation--not just to Iraq but to many other countries as well--is best addressed by military or political means. But the decision to go to war has a significance that goes far beyond the war. The war is the product of a broader policy that has been spelled out in the clearest possible terms by the Bush Administration. Two other countries with nuclear programs--Iran and North Korea--have already been identified by the President as potential targets for military attack. The Administration's recently published "National Security Strategy of the United States" sets forth even larger ambitions. It declares a policy of military supremacy over the entire earth--an objective never before attained by any power. Military programs are meanwhile forbidden to other countries, all of whom are to be prevented from "surpassing or equaling" the United States. China is singled out for a warning that by "pursuing advanced military capabilities," it is following an "outdated path" that "threaten its neighbors." The new policy reverses a long American tradition of contempt for unprovoked attacks. It gives the United States the unrestricted right to attack nations even when it has not been attacked by them and is not about to be attacked by them. It trades deterrence for pre-emption--in plain English, aggression. It accords the United States the right to overthrow any regime--like the one in Iraq--it decides should be overthrown. (The President would like international support and he would like Congressional support but asserts his right to wage war without either.) It declares that the defense of the United States and the world against nuclear proliferation is military force. It is an imperial policy--more ambitious than ancient Rome's, which, after all, extended only to the Mediterranean and European world. Nelson Mandela recently said of the Administration, "They think they're the only power in the world.... One country wants to bully the world." A vote for the war in Iraq is a vote for this policy. The most important of the questions raised by the war, however, is larger still. It is what sort of country the United States wants to be in the twenty-first century. The genius of the American form of government was the creation of a system of institutions to check and balance government power and so render it accountable to the people. Today that system is threatened by a monster of unbalanced and unaccountable power--a new Leviathan--that is taking shape among us in the executive branch of the government. This Leviathan--concealed in an ever-deepening, self-created secrecy and fed by streams of money from corporations that, as scandal after scandal has shown, have themselves broken free of elementary accountability--menaces civil liberties even as it threatens endless, unprovoked war. As disrespectful of the Constitution as it is of the UN Charter, the Administration has turned away from law in all its manifestations and placed its reliance on overwhelming force to achieve its ends. In pursuit of empire abroad, it endangers the Republic at home. The bully of the world threatens to become the bully of Americans, too. Already, the Justice Department claims the right to jail American citizens indefinitely on the sole ground that a bureaucrat in the Pentagon has labeled them something called an "enemy combatant." Even the domestic electoral system has been compromised by the debacle in Florida. Nor has the shadow cast on democracy by that election yet been lifted. Election reform has not occurred. Modest campaign reform designed to slow the flood of corporate cash into politics, even after passage in Congress, is being eviscerated by executive decisions. More important, this year's Congressional campaign, by shunning debate on the fundamental issue of war and peace, has signaled to the public that even in the most important matters facing the country neither it nor its representatives decide; only the executive does. Members of Congress! Be faithful to your oaths of office and to the traditions of your branch of government. Think of the country, not of your re-election. Assert your power. Stand up for the prerogatives of Congress. Defend the Constitution. Reject the arrogance--and the ignorance--of power. Show respect for your constituents--they require your honest judgment, not capitulation to the executive. Say no to empire. Affirm the Republic. Preserve the peace. Vote against war in Iraq. This article can be found on the web at: http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20021014&s=editors Visit The Nation http://www.thenation.com/ Subscribe to The Nation: https://ssl.thenation.com/

Oh ok i thought you meant something else, but I don't think you can really call that a cause though... -XeNo-

And what is the bullshit cause if you care to elaborate?

Good post!

Israeli Soldiers Fire at School Bus Thursday, September 26 2002 @ 03:36 PM GMT DURA, Hebron (IAP News) - Israeli soldiers rampaging in the town of Dura, 13 kilometers south-west of Hebron, on Thursday fired several shots at a clearly-painted school bus packed with children. No injuries were reported, but the children were reportedly thoroughly terrified. It was not clear though if the bullets were meant to cause injury and death to the estimated 50 children. According to the driver, Khaled Sweiti, the soldiers fired several shots at the bus and then stopped him at gun point, terrifying the children some of whom began crying. “They shot at the bus, this is what they did, its seems they just want to kill people.†Sweiti reported that one soldier boarded the bus, training his gun at the children and telling him in Arabic that “we will kill all of you.†Sweiti said the bus was kept stranded for sometime before another soldier signaled to him to proceed. Israeli soldiers have been rampaging through the town of Dura for the past five days. On Wednesday, they hoisted the Israeli flag atop the largest mosque in the town and reportedly urinated and defecated inside the Mosque. The vile behavior infuriated local Palestinians who compared the soldiers with the Nazi Wehrmacht and Gestapo. Also on Wednesday, Israeli troops dynamited the home of the former mayor of Hebron, Mahmoud Nammoura, whose two sons are detained in an Israeli detention camp on charges of shooting at an Israeli army jeep. When Nammoura confronted the commanding officer with the illegality and immorality of demolishing the demolition, the officer reportedly told him “I am the law.†-XeNo-

He said that the Democrats don't care about homeland security, they are more interested in issues like healthcare, the economy..etc. -XeNo- and now for some words of wisdom, courtesy of George Dubya. "There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again." -- Dubya attempting to co-opt Texas and Tennessee into his verbal wreckage. The saying he was trying to dredge up was "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Even better, Dubya was speaking at a literature magnet school. I'm sure it was a learning experience for the kids. East Literature Magnet School, Nashville, Tennessee, Sep. 17, 2002

I don't know about Blair anymore, something fishy's going on, just about two weeks ago, wasn't he opposed to the war in Iraq??? And know he's all for it?.......Sounds strange.... -XeNo-