Wednesday, April 16, 2003

-Blix Enraged by U.S. and U.K. Fabrications and Advance War Plans

Published on Saturday, April 12, 2003 by the Guardian/UK
Blix: US Was Bent on War
by Nicholas Watt

War against Iraq was a foregone conclusion months before the first shot was fired, the chief weapons inspector Hans Blix has claimed.

In a scathing attack on Britain and the US, Mr Blix accused them of planning the war “well in advance” and of “fabricating” evidence against Iraq to justify their campaign.

Letting rip after months of frustration, he told the Spanish daily El Pais: “There is evidence that this war was planned well in advance. Sometimes this raises doubts about their attitude to the [weapons] inspections.”

Mr Blix said Iraq was paying a “a very high price in terms of human lives and the destruction of a country” when the threat of banned weapons could have been contained by UN inspections.

The 74-year Swedish diplomat made clear that he believes he was misled by President Bush. At a White House meeting last October Mr Bush backed the work of Unmovic, the UN inspection team.

But at the time Mr Blix knew “there were people within the Bush administration who were sceptical and who were working on engineering regime change”. By the start of March the hawks in Washington and London were growing impatient.

He said he believed that finding weapons of mass destruction had been relegated as an aim and the main objective had become the toppling of Saddam Hussein. 


Tuesday, April 15, 2003

-Japan and Japanese (also Asia)

May 21 2003

South and North korea and Human Rights
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P432_0_2_0_C

Introduction to Znet, particularly from Japan perspective
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P434_0_2_0_C

patriotism 1
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P459_0_2_0_C

patriotism 2
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P458_0_2_0_C

patriotism 3 (zinn/US case)
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P436_0_2_0_C

racism/law
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P457_0_2_0_C

East Timor
http://japan.indymedia.org/feature/display/383/index.php

?lŒ ’c‘Ì?A“ŒƒeƒBƒ‚?[ƒ‹?lŒ ?NŠQ?Ù?»‚ð—v?¿
http://japan.indymedia.org/feature/display/385/index.php

May 1

Japan’s Support for Bush’s War
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Henmi Yo: The Iraq war deeply invades our souls
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P422_0_2_0_C
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Bowling for Columbine Director
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Moore on Osaka’s Radio Lava Lamp Internet Radio
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P415_0_2_0_C
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Korea
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Korea, South and North, at Risk from U.S. Policy
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P393_0_2_0_C
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Refugees
--------------------------------------------------------------------
-“ú–{‚É‚¢‚é“ï–¯‚ð?•‚¯‚éˆ×‚É?AŽ^“¯?l‚ɂȂ?‚ĉº‚³‚¢?IPlease sign to support
refugees
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P409_0_2_0_C
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Environment
--------------------------------------------------------------------
International Green Network Japan
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P407_0_2_0_C
--------------------------------------------------------------------

April 24

Breaking News:

Russian official predicts ‘catastrophic’ events in N Korea within 24 hours
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P388_0_2_0_C

Rumsfeld Calls for Regime Change in North Korea
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P367_0_2_0_C

US Plan to Bomb North Korea
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P366_0_2_0_C

Introducing Brian Small: Activist from Miyazaki
(1) ‚Ñ‚©‚¯•¶?E•½˜a‚Æ?³‹`‚ð‹?‚ß‚Ä
(2) ƒs?[ƒX?EƒEƒH?[ƒNIN‹{?è‚Ì•ñ???iŽÊ?^?j
(3) Listen to Miyazaki voices for Peace ‰¹?ºƒtƒ@ƒCƒ‹
(4) ?e‘å‰ïŽÀ?sˆ?ˆõ‰ï??–¼Šˆ“®‚Ì—lŽq
(5) ‹}‚ȃ??[ƒJƒ‹–â‘è

More....
http://www.miyazaki-catv.ne.jp/~bysmall/

Also: WATER ?… Maude Barlowe ƒ‚?[ƒh?Eƒoƒ?ƒE
http://www.mnet.ne.jp/~bjsmall/sub1.htm

And: Water Article Links: Follow the links for important articles about water rights, commodification, media literacy and life
Maude Barlowe, Vandana Shiva, Jim Shultz
http://www.mnet.ne.jp/~bjsmall/sub2.htm

On Philippines, its language and culture, specifically the use of English
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P389_0_2_0_C

IGN ECOSTUDY GROUP (May 9): Ethnic Minorities in Japan”
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P363_0_2_0_C

FOE Japan--?‰‰Ä‚Ì“ìˆÉ“¤?E‹Œ?d’Y—тł̌¤?CƒcƒA?[‚Ì‚²ˆÄ“à
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P362_0_2_0_C

Sony to drop ‘Shock and Awe’ game (BOYCOTT U.S. and U.K. TOY COMPANIES)
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P360_0_2_0_C

Also:
Hasbro to Make “Family” War Game
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P361_0_2_0_C

See earlier story:
Sony to cash in on Iraq with ‘shock and awe’ game (BOYCOTT SONY)
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P354_0_2_0_C

April 15

-?ÕŒ‚‚ƈؕ|: Sony to cash in on Iraq with ‘shock and awe’ game (BOYCOTT SONY)
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P354_0_2_0_C

-ƒ}ƒ“ƒ`ƒFƒXƒ^?[?o?g‚̉p?‘?l?Aƒgƒ€?Eƒnƒ“ƒh?[ƒ‹‚³‚ñ‚ªƒCƒXƒ‰ƒGƒ‹ŒR‚ÉŒ‚‚½‚ê‚Ä?A?d‘Ì?B?iƒpƒŒƒXƒ`ƒi?AƒKƒU’n‹æ?j‚»‚Ì?󋵂ð’m‚点‚éISM?i?‘?Û˜A‘щ^“®?j‚̃Œƒ|?[ƒg
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P340_0_2_0_C

-[ZNet/Japan: 008] Zƒlƒbƒg?V’…?î•ñ | ZNet/Japan Newsletter
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P335_0_2_0_C

Streets of Tokyo Erupt in Antiwar Fervor
http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/tpnews_comments.php?id=P327_0_2_0_C


-New Political Video site: brightpathvideo.com

http://www.brightpathvideo.com/

The most precious thing we have next to our lives is the urge to know the truth, relative truth and universal truth. Bards, poets,philosophers, mystics and teachers have for long brought these things to us. The very foundation of our lives depends on the accurate discovery of the truth in all of its manifestations. Bright Path Video focuses on our need to know the truth in its political, social and cosmic contexts. There is unity among all layers of truth; it has to be so. We feel that our mission is to search out the gems of truth in the realms that lie hidden beneath
societal, political and even religious constrictions. To this end, the effort to protect and propagate free speech is vital to the democratic society and the enlightenment
of the populace. Through the medium of streamed video content and unique text we bring our discoveries to an audience hungry for depth, quality programming and the truth.


-Israeli soldiers shoot another ISM

Organization: ISM Media Office
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 22:32:03 +0200
Subject: [palsolidarity] Israeli soldiers shoot another ISM
activist in the
head

Yebna, Rafah

Israeli soldiers shoot another ISM activist in the head

Between 4:30 and 5:00 PM today Israeli snipers shot
another ISM activist in the head. Tom Hundall from
Manchester Britain is currently in critical condition in a
helicopter on his way from Europa Hospital in Khan Younis
to a hospital in Bir Sheva. He is 22 years old.

According to Laura, the activists were being shot at while
protecting some children from Israeli gunfire. Tom was in
plain view of the sniper towers and was wearing a bright
orange fluorescent jacket with reflective stripes. The nine
ISM activists and many children were in the process of
leaving the area. Sniper fire from the tower was hitting
the wall close beside the children, who were afraid to move.
Tom was attempting to bring them to safety when he was shot.
There was no shooting or resistance coming from the
Palestinian side at all.

According to Laura, the plan had been to put up a tent where
a tank parks itself every night in front of a Mosque. The
soldiers in the tank shoot down the street, terrorizing
people who come to pray. The group had discovered earlier
that the tank was already in place and had begun firing into
the air. The Palestinian organizers felt the plan had become
unworkeable, and the action was abandoned.

Laura and two Palestinians decided to go assess the
situation. She soon realized that the tank had moved from
where it had been. It was now possible to set up the tent.
She spoke to Tom D by phone and they decided to meet at the
roadblock. The Israeli snipers in the eastern tower began
shooting in Laura?fs path.

When they arrived at the roadblock, the rest of the group
was already there. The snipers began firing again: this
time at the wall of the building next to the activists. As a
result, the group began the process of leaving.

Tom saw a little boy in an open space, clearly visible to
the tower. Tom went to get him out of the way. He looked
back and saw two more girls whom he also went to retrieve.
As he went to get them, he was shot in the back of the head.
He fell to the ground in a pool of blood. The ambulance
arrived quickly, after about two minutes.

For years the Israeli army has killed Palestinian civilians
with impunity. Now they are targeting unarmed international
peace activists and human rights workers. On March 16,
Rachel Corrie was run over and killed by a bulldozer
operator in Rafah while trying to prevent home demolitions.
On April 5, in Jenin, Brian Avery was shot in the face by an
APC in an unprovoked attack on a clearly unarmed group of
internationals. Six months ago in Jenin, Caoimhe Butterly
was shot in the leg and UN official Ian Hook was murdered.

We ask the world community to stand up and demand that
Israel honor international agreements protecting civilians,
whether they are internationals or Palestinians, and hold
Israel accountable for these crimes against humanity. And
we demand an end to the illegal and brutal occupation that
these murders defend.

For more information contact:
Allison 067 742 780
Raf 054 389 466
Nick 055 874 693
Alice 067 857 069

Tom
ISM Media Coordinator
Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestine
02-277-4602
067-862-439
052-360-241


-Wonderful site: [url=http://www.sniffylinings.com]www.sniffylinings.com[/url]

http://tokyoprogressive.org/news/comments.php?id=331_0_1_0_C

links to underground us media

collection of underground anti- [American Invasion] news sources updated several times daily

http://www.sniffylinings.com/sniffy/new.html

still compiling - direct video links, micro-radio links, links to online broadcasts, articles, photos and video, anti-invasion, mostly underground american, bridge to baghdad, realtime satellite snaps, all updated and added to daily


-Events in Iraq Do Not Change Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance to War and Occupation

Statement by Gordon Clark, National Coordinator

WASHINGTON - April 10 - In response to current events in Iraq suggesting a U.S. military victory over the regime of Saddam Hussein, Gordon Clark, the National Coordinator of the Iraq Pledge of Resistance, asserted that the campaign of nonviolent resistance to the war and subsequent military occupation of Iraq remains essentially unchanged.

“We are no more swayed by pictures of Iraqis cheering George Bush in the streets of Baghdad than we were swayed by pictures of Iraqis cheering Saddam Hussein in the streets of Baghdad, “ said Mr. Clark. He continued - “No one ever questioned that once the Bush Administration started this war, that the U.S. possessed the firepower to win a short term military victory. That does not change the fact that this war continues to be illegal, immoral and unjust, and that the planned U.S. military occupation of Iraq will be equally illegal, immoral and unjust - and that it will be equally bloody, if not much more so.”

Mr. Clark also questioned the support for the U.S. allegedly demonstrated by cheering crowds. “Many Iraqis hated Saddam Hussein for killing their friends and loved ones, but cheered him in the streets because they understood that he controlled the tanks and militias that ran Iraq. There is no doubt that many Iraqis now hate the U.S. for having killed their friends and loved ones, but cheer in the streets for the same reason - they know it is now the U.S. which controls the tanks, as well as the local militias that now rule the streets of Iraq. It is also likely that many among those cheering are the same opportunists who are now looting the city. None of this represents public sentiment within Iraq.”

“Regardless of when the war is declared officially over and regardless of what happens to Saddam Hussein, resentment and hatred can only continue to grow with each day of U.S. military occupation, and it will grow not only in Iraq but throughout the Arab and Muslim world. If terrorists were motivated by the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, how much more will they be motivated by U.S. troops occupying Iraq as well?”

“In this context, it seems that pictures of cheering crowds are more part of public relations campaign than they are a true measure of sentiment in Iraq or the Arab world. Why is the same U.S. media which now shows us these pictures so unable to show us the pictures of continuing protests and unrest in the Middle East? Why were they unable to show us the pictures of the civilian casualties of this war, pictures that the rest of the world saw?”

Far from being unsuccessful, Mr. Clark asserted that the anti-war movement was able to force President Bush to seek approval from the United Nations, to push him to seek consent from the U.S. Congress (neither of which he was initially willing to do), and to galvanize the greatest demonstration of global anti-war sentiment in the history of the planet. “All of this has combined to demonstrate the naked illegitimacy of this war to the world, and to create a large base from which we will continue to oppose the military occupation of Iraq, and the Bush Administration’s ongoing plans for military intervention in the Middle East and throughout the world.”

In the meantime, according to Mr. Clark, the campaigns will continue. “All campaigns for social change ebb and flow in relation to current events, and this one is no different. For a while the crowds may be smaller, or the actions less frequent. But the campaigns do not stop, and given the Bush Administrations plans it is clear that the mass numbers can and will be mobilized again… and probably sooner than we think.” Already, civil disobedience actions are planned for the week of April 14, with additional actions being planned for May.

The Iraq Pledge of Resistance is a campaign of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience to war on and occupation of Iraq. The campaign was launched in October of 2002, and is responsible for coordinating nonviolent CD actions in over 50 cities. More information can be found at [url=http://www.peacepledge.org/resist]http://www.peacepledge.org/resist[/url]

Also visit:
http://www.voice4change.org/stories/


-Howard Zinn: A Kindler, Gentler Patriotism (from Newsweek)

Also visit
http://www.howardzinn.org/

At some point soon the United States will declare a military victory in Iraq. As a patriot, I will not celebrate. I will mourn the dead - the American GIs, and also the Iraqi dead, of which there will be many, many more. I will mourn the Iraqi children who may not die, but who will be blinded, crippled, disfigured, or traumatized, like the bombed children of Afghanistan who, as reported by American visitors, lost their power of speech.

We will get precise figures for the American dead, but not for the Iraqis. Recall Colin Powell after the first Gulf War, when he reported the “small” number of U.S. dead, and when asked about the Iraqi dead, Powell replied: “That is really not a matter I am terribly interested in.”

As a patriot, contemplating the dead GI’s, should I comfort myself (as, understandably, their families do) with the thought: “They died for their country?” But I would be lying to myself. Those who die in this war will not die for their country. They will die for their government.

The distinction between dying for our country and dying for your government is crucial in understanding what I believe to be the definition of patriotism in a democracy. According to the Declaration of Independence - the fundamental document of democracy - governments are artificial creations, established by the people, “deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”, and charged by the people to ensure the equal right of all to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Furthermore, as the Declaration says, “Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it.”

When a government recklessly expends the lives of its young for crass motives of profit and power (always claiming that its motives are pure and moral ("Operation Just Cause” was the invasion of Panama and “Operation Iraqi Freedom” in the present instance) it is violating its promise to the country. It is the country that is primary - the people, the ideals of the sanctity of human life and the promotion of liberty. War is almost always (one might find rare instances of true self defense) a breaking of those promises. It does not enable the pursuit of happiness but brings despair and grief.

Mark Twain, having been called a “traitor” for criticizing the U.S. invasion of the Philippines, derided what he called “monarchical patriotism.” He said: “The gospel of the monarchical patriotism is: ‘The King can do no wrong.’ We have adopted it with all its servility, with an unimportant change in the wording: ‘Our country, right or wrong!’ We have thrown away the most valuable asset we had: the individual’s right to oppose both flag and country when he believed them to be in the wrong. We have thrown it away; and with it all that was really respectable about that grotesque and laughable word, Patriotism.”

If patriotism in the best sense (not in the monarchical sense) is loyalty to the principles of democracy, then who was the true patriot, Theodore Roosevelt, who applauded a massacre by American soldiers of 600 Filipino men, women and children on a remote Philippine island, or Mark Twain, who denounced it?

With the war in Iraq won, shall we revel in American military power and - against the history of modern empires - insist that the American empire will be beneficent?

Our own history shows something different. It begins with what was called, in our high school history classes, “westward expansion” - a euphemism for the annihilation or expulsion of the Indian tribes inhabiting the continent - all in the name of “progress” and “civilization.” It continues with the expansion of American power into the Caribbean at the turn of the century, then into the Philippines, and then repeated marine invasions of Central America and long military occupations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

After World War II, Henry Luce, owner of Time, Life and Fortune, spoke of “the American Century”, in which this country would organize the world “as we see fit.” Indeed, the expansion of American power continued, too often supporting military dictatorships in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, because they were friendly to American corporations and the American government.

The American record does not justify confidence in its boast that it will bring democracy to Iraq. It will be painful to acknowledge that our GIs in Iraq were fighting not for democracy but for the expansion of the American empire, for the greed of the oil cartels, for the political ambitions of the president. And when they come home, they will find that their veterans’ benefits have been cut to pay for the machines of war. They will find the military budget growing at the expense of health, education and the needs of children. The Bush budget even proposes cutting the number of free school lunches.

I suggest that patriotic Americans who care for their country might act on behalf of a different vision. Do we want to be feared for our military might or respected for our dedication to human rights? With the war in Iraq over, if indeed it is really over, we need to ask what kind of a country will we be. Is it important that we be a military superpower? Is it not exactly that that makes us a target for terrorism? Perhaps we could become instead a humanitarian superpower.

Should we not begin to redefine patriotism? We need to expand it beyond that narrow nationalism which has caused so much death and suffering. If national boundaries should not be obstacles to trade - we call it globalization - should they also not be obstacles to compassion and generosity?

Should we not begin to consider all children, everywhere, as our own? In that case, war, which in our time is always an assault on children, would be unacceptable as a solution to the problems of the world. Human ingenuity would have to search for other ways.

Tom Paine used the word “patriot” to describe the rebels resisting imperial rule. He also enlarged the idea of patriotism when he said: “My country is the world. My countrymen are mankind.”

Howard Zinn is a professor emeritus at Boston University and author of “The People’s History of the United States.”


-More Israeli War Resisters in Prison

[CO-alert: War Resisters’ International’s mailing list]
[ on conscientious objectors facing repression ]

ISR13225-13226-13227-140403
14 April 2003

War Resisters’ International learned about three more conscientious
objectors who have been imprisoned in Israel recently, on top of those who
were included in the last co-alert emails
(http://wri-irg.org/news/htdocs/07042003b.html and
http://wri-irg.org/news/htdocs/20030407a.html)

Yoel Perlman (ISR13225) is a pacifist. He sent an open letter to Shaul
Mofaz, the Israeli Minister for Defence on April 3, 2003, declaring his
conscientious objection. On 6 April, he went to the induction base and was
sentenced to 28 days in Military Prison No 4. He is due out on 4 May 2003.

Yaron Beeri (ISR13226) was sentenced to 28 days in Military Prison No 4 on
7 April 2003, for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories. He is due
out on 5 May.

Rotem Ronen (ISR13227) was sentenced to 13 days in Military Prison No 4 on
5 April 2003. He is due out on 18 April.

War Resisters’ International calls for letters of support to these
conscientious objectors, and to all others listed in earlier co-alerts:
Yoel Perlman (Mil ID 039777354)
Yaron Beeri
Rotem Ronen
Military Prison No. 4
Military Postal Code 02507
IDF, Israel

War Resisters’ International calls for protest letters to the Israeli
authorities, and Israeli embassies abroad. A protest email to Shaul Mofaz
(Minister of Defence) can be sent at
http://www.wri-irg.org/co/alerts/20030414a.html .

War Resisters’ International calls for the immediate release of Yoel
Perlman, Yaron Beeri, Rotem Ronen, and all other imprisoned conscientious
objectors.

Andreas Speck
War Resisters’ International

Addresses
Shaul Mofaz
Minister of Defence,
Ministry of Defence,
37 Kaplan st.,
Tel-Aviv 61909,
Israel.
e-mail: mailto:sar@mod.gov.il or mailto:pniot@mod.gov Fax: +972-3-696-27-57
/ +972-3-691-69-40 / +972-3-691-79-15
(to send a protest email, go to
http://www.wri-irg.org/co/alerts/20030414a.html)

Commander of Military Prison No. 4,
Military Postal Code 02507
IDF, Israel
Fax: +972-3-957-52-76

Commander of Military Prison No 6
Military Prison No 6
Military postal number 01860,
IDF, Israel.
FAX: +972-4-869-28-84

Addresses of Israeli embassies can be found at
http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm

Addresses of Israeli media:
Ma’ariv:
2 Karlibach st.
Tel-Aviv 67132
Israel
Fax: +972-3-561-06-14
e-mail:

Yedioth Aharonoth:
2 Moses st.
Tel-Aviv
Israel
Fax: +972-3-608-25-46

Ha’aretz (Hebrew):
21 Schocken st.
Tel-Aviv, 61001
Israel
Fax: +972-3-681-00-12

Ha’aretz (English edition):
21 Schocken st.
Tel-Aviv, 61001
Israel
Fax: +972-3-512-11-56
e-mail:

Jerusalem Post:
P.O. Box 81
Jerusalem 91000
Israel
Fax: +972-2-538-95-27
e-mail: or

Jerusalem Report:
Fax: +972-2-537-94-89

Radio (fax numbers):
Kol-Israel +972-2-531-33-15 and +972-3-694-47-09 Galei Tzahal +972-3-512-67-20

Television (fax numbers):
Channel 1 +972-2-530-15-36
Channel 2 +972-2-533-98-09

War Resisters’ International
Conscientious Objection and Conscription Documentation Centre
5 Caledonian Road * London N1 9DY * Britain
Tel.: +44 20 7278 4040 * Fax: +44 20 7278 0444
Email: * http://wri-irg.org


-[ZNet/Japan: 008] Zƒlƒbƒg?V’…?î•ñ | ZNet/Japan Newsletter

Zƒlƒbƒg?V’…?î•ñ [15.Apr.2003]

-----------------------------
‚²‚ ‚¢‚³‚Â?F

‚¨‘Ò‚½‚¹‚µ‚Ü‚µ‚½. Šù‚É‚²‘¶’m‚©‚ÆŽv‚¢‚Ü‚·‚ª, ƒ?ƒfƒBƒA
ƒCƒ?ƒFƒ“ƒg‚ƂȂ?‚½ƒtƒZƒCƒ“(?) “º‘œˆø‚«“|‚µ‚ÌŒ»?ê,
?­‚µ‰“–Ú‚É‚?‚邯, ?L?ê‚?‚±‚¤‚¢‚¤?󋵂¾‚?‚½‚悤‚Å‚·:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2842.htm

•ñ“¹‚ª‰º‰Î‚ɂȂéˆê•û‚Å, ƒAƒtƒKƒ“‚Å‚à, ƒRƒ?ƒ“ƒrƒA‚Å‚à,
ƒpƒŒƒXƒ`ƒi‚Å‚à, ƒ`ƒFƒ`ƒFƒ“‚Å‚à, ŽE?C‚?‘±‚¢‚Ä‚¢‚Ü‚·.

?ð?¡‚Ì?[??‚ÈŽ–‘Ԃɉž‚¶‚Ä, Zmag.org ‚Å‚?, ŽOŒŽ––‚æ‚è
We Stand for Peace & Justice ‚Æ‚¢‚¤?º–¾•¶‚Æ
We Work for Peace & Justice ‚Æ‚¢‚¤ŒÄ‚Ñ‚©‚¯•¶‚ð—pˆÓ,
Ž^“¯ŽÒ‚Ì??–¼‚ð‹?‚߂Ă¢‚Ü‚·.

ŒöŽ®‚É Zmag.org ‚Å‚à“ú–{Œê?Å‚ª‚Å‚«‚é—’è‚Å‚·‚ª,
nofrills ‚³‚ñ‚ª?ñŒöŽ®“ú–{Œê?Å‚ð—pˆÓ‚µ‚ĉº‚³‚¢‚Ü‚µ‚½.
??–¼‚ÌŽd•û‚à“ú–{Œê‚ʼnð?à‚µ‚ĉº‚³‚?‚Ä‚¢‚é‚Ì‚Å,
?¥?ñŽQ?l‚É‚µ‚Ä‚­‚¾‚³‚¢.

--> •½˜a‚Æ?³‹`‚Ì‚½‚ß‚É[??–¼?{?º–¾]
http://www.geocities.co.jp/SilkRoad/2838/translation/we_work.html

-----------------------------
?V’…?E?X?V?î•ñ?F

Zƒlƒbƒg?•ƒ`ƒ‡ƒ€ƒXƒL?[?EƒA?[ƒJƒCƒ?“ú–{Œê?Å‚Ì?V’…?î•ñ

----
ƒ`ƒ‡ƒ€ƒXƒL?[ /Chomsky
[ƒCƒ‰ƒN‚ƃgƒ‹ƒR /Iraq & Turky]
http://rootless.org/chomsky/#kurd

* ƒ`ƒ‡ƒ€ƒXƒL?[?EƒCƒ“ƒ^ƒrƒ…?[, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 15.Apr.2003
“Noam Chomsky Interviewed”, ZNet, 13.Apr.2003

* ƒCƒ‰ƒN?N—ª‚?ŽŽ‘–, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 03.Apr.2003
“Iraq is a trial run”, ZNet, 02.Apr.2003

* ?푈‚ɂ‚¢‚Ä, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 01.Apr.2003
“Chomsky on War”, ZNet, 31.Mar.2003

* ?[‚¢—J—¶, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 22.Mar.2003
“ Deep Concerns “, ZNet, 20.Mar.2003

* ƒCƒ‰ƒN‚É‚¨‚¯‚é•Ä?‘‚Ì–`Œ¯Žå‹`‚É?½‘΂·‚é’Â?q, Ž›“‡—²‹g?{‹L?†Œ¤, 22.Mar.2003
“The case against U.S. adventurism in Iraq”, StarTribune, 13.Mar.2003

----
[ƒCƒ‰ƒN?UŒ‚ /Iraq]
http://rootless.org/z/#powell

*?uƒCƒ‰ƒN•œ‹»?ÄŒš?v‚?Ž„‰c‰»‚̉B‚ê–ª‚Å‚ ‚é, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 14.Apr.2003
“Rebuilding Iraq? It’s privatization in disguise”, Naomi Klein, 13.Apr.2003

* ƒoƒOƒ_ƒbƒh‚Ì?í‚¢, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 12.Apr.2003
“The Battle of Baghdad”, Stephen Shalom, 11.Apr.2003

* ƒCƒ‰ƒN?UŒ‚‚ÉŽg‚í‚ꂽ?ñ’Ê?핺Ší, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 11.Apr.2003
“Irregular Weapons Used Against Iraq”, Simon Helweg-Larsen, 07.Apr.2003

* ?½?í‚ð?l‚¦‚é, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 09.Apr.2003
“Anti-War Thinking”, Desmond Tutu and Ian Urbina, 07.Apr.2003

* •½˜a‚ðŽx?z‚·‚é‚Ì‚?’N‚©, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 05.Apr.2003
“Who Rules The Peace”, Phyllis Bennis, 03.Apr.2003

* –l‚?ƒ??[ƒ}–@‰¤‚ÉŠ´ŽÓ‚µ‚½‚¢, Ž›“‡—²‹g?{‹L?†Œ¤, 04.Apr.2003
“I’d Like to Thank the Vatican...”, Michael Moore, 01.Apr.2003
# ?푈‘O–é‚̃}ƒCƒPƒ‹?Eƒ€?[ƒA‚©‚çƒWƒ‡?[ƒW?EW?EƒuƒbƒVƒ…‚ւ̎莆 ‚à‚Ç‚¤‚¼

* ƒCƒ‰ƒN•º–ð‚ð‹‘?Û‚µ‚½ŠC•º‘àˆõ, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 03.Apr.2003
“Marine Says No: Fighting Not To Fight”, Duncan Campbell, 02.Apr.2003

----
[ƒsƒ‹ƒWƒƒ?[ /Pilger]
http://rootless.org/z/#pilger

* ?l“¹‚ɑ΂·‚é?ß, nofrills, 12.Apr.2003
“Crime Against Humanity”, 10.Apr.2003

* ?^ŽÀ‚Ì‚½‚ß‚Ì?í‚¢, nofrills, 08.Apr.2003
?^ŽÀ‚ð?„‚é?푈, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 08.Apr.2003
“The War For Truth”, 07.Apr.2003

* ƒuƒŒƒA‚̉R, nofrills, 08.Apr.2003
“Blair’s Lies”, 14.Mar.2003

* ‰ä?X‚?Œ©‰ß‚¬?A’m‚è‰ß‚¬‚½, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 08.Apr.2003
“We See Too Much, We Know Too Much”, 05.Apr.2003

* ’p‚Ì‚U“úŠÔ, nofrills, 27.Mar.2003
“Six Days Of Shame”, 26.Mar.2003

----
[ƒtƒBƒXƒN /Fisk]
http://rootless.org/z/#fisk

* ƒAƒ?ƒŠƒJŒR‚?ƒWƒƒ?[ƒiƒŠƒXƒg‚ðŽE‚µ‚½‚ª‚?‚Ä‚¢‚é‚Ì‚©, Love Morgue + apo, 11.Apr.2003
“Does The US Military Want To Kill Journalists”, 09.Apr.2003

* Šõ‚܂킵‚«–‹“, ?Î?©?O, 29.Mar.2003
“It Was An Outrage An Obscenity”, 26.Mar.2003

* ƒoƒXƒ‰‚Ì?^ŽÀ‚ð–˜I‚·‚é ‘åŽSŽ–‚Ì?¶ƒe?[ƒv, apo, 28.Mar.2003
“Raw, Devastating Realities That Expose The Truth About Basra”, 27.Mar.2003

----
[ƒTƒC?[ƒh /Said]
http://rootless.org/z/#said

* ‚à‚¤ˆê‚‚̃Aƒ?ƒŠƒJ, RUR-55, 31.Mar.2003
“Global Crisis” (the Other America), 17.Mar.2003

* ?Ó?CŽÒ‚?’N‚¾, RUR-55, 12.Mar.2003
“Who is in charge?”, 08.Mar.2003

* ‹U‘P‚Ì‹àŽš“ƒ, RUR-55, 18.Feb.2003
“A monument to hypocrisy”, 14.Feb.2003

* ‚ä‚邵‚ª‚½‚¢–³—?, RUR-55, 19.Jan.2003
“An Unacecceptable Helplessness”, 17.Jan.2003

----
[ƒRƒ?ƒ“ƒrƒA /Colombia]
http://rootless.org/z/#colombia

* ƒRƒ?ƒ“ƒrƒAŒR‚?ƒxƒlƒXƒGƒ‰?UŒ‚‚É‚æ‚艽‚ð‚µ‚æ‚¤‚Æ‚µ‚Ä‚¢‚é‚©, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 05.Apr.2003
“What is the Colombian Army doing Attacking Venezuela?”, Justin Podur, 03.Apr.2003

* ƒ?ƒfƒWƒ“?F?è—̉º‚Ì?¶Šˆ, ‰v‰ªŒ«, 31.Mar.2003
“Medellin: Life Under Occupation”, Forrest Hylton, 23.Mar.2003

----
[ƒuƒ‹ƒ€ /Blum]
http://rootless.org/z/#blum

?‡?O?‘‚É‚æ‚é?‘?Û–@ˆá?½‚ð’W?X‚Æ‹L‚µ‚½Ž‘—¿?W,
“Rogue State” ‚Ì–|–ó‚ª?o?Å‚³‚ê‚Ü‚µ‚½.
‰v‰ªŒ«–ó?uƒAƒ?ƒŠƒJ‚Ì?‘‰Æ?Æ?ß‘S?‘?v
http://www.bk1.co.jp/cgi-bin/srch/srch_detail.cgi/?aid=p-akubi0034&bibid=02305152&volno=0000

# ‚¢‚­‚‚©‚Ì??‚ðŽQ?Æ‚·‚邱‚Æ‚ª‚Å‚«‚Ü‚·
http://www.jca.apc.org/~kmasuoka/books/roguestate.html

-----------------------------
‚ ‚Æ‚ª‚«?F

—ÕŽžŒfަ?‚?•Â?½‚µ‚Ü‚µ‚½, “––Ê?ÄŠJ‚Ì—’è‚?‚ ‚è‚Ü‚¹‚ñ.

?¡‰ñ‚?, ‚½‚­‚³‚ñ‚Ì‹LŽ–‚ð‚½‚ß‚±‚?‚·‚¬‚Ä‚µ‚Ü‚¢‚Ü‚µ‚½.
?X?V‚ª’x‚­‚È‚è, ‚½‚¢‚Ö‚ñ?‚µ–󂲂´‚¢‚Ü‚¹‚ñ.

Iraq –â‘èˆÈŠO‚É‚à, RUR-55 ‚³‚ñ‚É‚æ‚éƒTƒC?[ƒh‚Ì–|–ó‚â,
ƒRƒ?ƒ“ƒrƒAŠÖŒW‚Ì–|–ó‚à?®—?‚µ‚Ü‚µ‚½‚Ì‚Å, ‚Ç‚¤‚¼.

----
ŠÇ—??l ‚ ‚­‚Ñ

--
‚±‚̃??[ƒ‹’Ê’m‚??Aƒ`ƒ‡ƒ€ƒXƒL?[?EƒA?[ƒJƒCƒ?“ú–{Œê?Å‚ð‚Ó‚­‚Þ
Zƒlƒbƒg“ú–{Œê?Å‚Å11ŒŽ30“ú‚É‚¨’m‚点‚µ‚½?V’…?E?X?V?î•ñƒ??[ƒ‹
’Ê’mƒT?[ƒrƒX(ŽŽ‰^“])‚É“o˜^‚¢‚½‚¾‚¢‚½‚?‚È‚³‚ñ‚Æ?A‚±‚ê‚܂łÉ
‚È‚ñ‚ç‚©‚̘A—?‚ð‚¢‚½‚¾‚¢‚½‚?‚È‚³‚ñ‚ÉBCC‚Å‘—?M‚µ‚Ä‚¢‚Ü‚·?B
(ƒŠƒ“ƒN?E??‰î‚µ‚Ä‚¢‚½‚¾‚¢‚½•û‚ðˆê•?ŠÜ‚Þ)

–œ‚ªˆê?AŽèŒ³‚É2’ʈÈ?ã“?‚¢‚Ä‚µ‚Ü‚?‚½‚肵‚½‚炨’m‚点‰º‚³‚¢?B
‚Ü‚½?Aƒ??[ƒ‹’Ê’m‚?•s—v‚Æ‚¢‚¤•û?A“o˜^‚ð‰ð?œ‚µ‚Ăقµ‚¢•û‚à?A
˜A—?‚¢‚½‚¾‚¯‚ê‚Î?¡Œã‘—?M‚µ‚È‚¢‚悤‚É‚µ‚Ü‚·?B‚¢‚¸‚ê‚Ì?ê?‡‚à?A
—pŒ?‚𖾋L‚Ì‚¤‚¦’¼?Ú‚±‚̃??[ƒ‹‚É•Ô?M‚µ‚ĉº‚³‚¢?B
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


-Thousands Engage in Nonviolent Civil Disobedience

Interview with Gordon Clark,
coordinator of the Iraq Pledge of Resistance,
conducted by Scott Harris

Listen in RealAudio:
http://www.btlonline.org/clark041803.ram
AOL users: [url=http://www.btlonline.org/clark041803.ram]Click
here![/url]

Interview with Gordon Clark,
coordinator of the Iraq Pledge of Resistance,
conducted by Scott Harris

With U.S. and British troops now battling for control of Baghdad and
occupying many of Iraq’s other major cities, the discussion in American
media has largely turned to the issue of post-war occupation. Although
it is uncertain how and when this illegal war might end, it is clear
that much of the international community, particularly the Arab and
Islamic world, is viewing the thousands of civilian casualties and
widespread destruction of Iraq with horror and outrage.

Here in the U.S., tens of thousands of opponents of the Bush
administration’s war continue their campaign of street protests and
increasingly, since the war began
-- employed in the tactic of nonviolent civil disobedience. In major
cities and towns around the U.S., police have arrested thousands of
protesters who have engaged in blockades and sit-ins at various symbolic
targets including federal buildings and busy intersections. Some
protests have targeted major U.S. media outlets for their bias in
covering the war, while others have aimed their demonstrations at
companies like the Carlyle Group, a Republican Party-connected
investment firm and military contractor.

One of the most recent violent confrontations between law enforcement
and anti-war protesters took place on April 7th, when Oakland,
California police shot wooden dowel bullets, sting balls and beanbag
rounds at several hundred picketers outside a shipping company handling
U.S. military cargo. Some 20 protesters were injured and 30 arrested in
what demonstration organizers described as an unprovoked attack --
denying charges that rock throwing by their members set off police
violence.

Between The Lines’ Scott Harris spoke with Gordon Clark, coordinator of
the Iraq Pledge of Resistance, who discusses the tactic of nonviolent
civil disobedience now being practiced by thousands of opponents of the
U.S. war on Iraq.

Gordon Clark: The Iraq Pledge of Resistance is a campaign—it’s not an
organization—but a campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience to
oppose war in Iraq. Nationally coordinated, but locally organized, we
now have groups in 55 cities across the country who have been organizing
nonviolent CD actions to oppose the war. It is very much based on
nonviolence—the nonviolence of Gandhi, the nonviolence of King and
also takes very much from the Central America Pledge of Resistance,
which was a similar group in the 1980s which was organizing nonviolent
CD to oppose a U.S. invasion of Central America at the time. But as I
say, we are operating in 55 cities and literally dozens and dozens of
actions have been happening across the country. Some of them that you
hear about are obviously the very big ones in San Francisco and Chicago.
But also, actions are taking place in places like Athens, Ohio and
Lexington, Ky. and Wichita, Kansas and places that people would consider
to be the heartland and not places you would expect to have antiwar
protests, let alone acts of nonviolent civil disobedience.

Between The Lines: Gordon, if you could, summarize for us the depth and
breadth of the individuals and groups that are engaging currently in
nonviolent civil disobedience against the Bush administration’s war in
Iraq.

Gordon Clark: Sure. Well, in terms of the groups that are leading it,
some of them are affiliates of, or offices of some of the national
groups that sponsor the Iraq Pledge of Resistance. So that for instance,
American Friends Service Committee offices are very influential in the
leadership in the CD actions in Springfield, Mass., Austin, Texas and
Los Angeles, Calif. There are other places where, for instance, it’s a
local Peace Action chapter or affiliate that’s sort of leading the work
on nonviolent CD. Sometimes it’s unaffiliated peace groups and what
we’re finding actually quite often is a lot of the folks now that are
coming forward are sort of ad hoc groups, new people, folks who hadn’t
formally been organized but who are so deeply concerned about what’s
going on in Iraq and so committed to opposing it in nonviolent ways that
they’re forming groups and stepping forward and saying you know, we’d
like to be part of this network. So right now, for instance, I’m getting
calls from groups in Omaha, Neb. and Honolulu, Hawaii, who I have never
talked with before, but they found out about our network and saying we
want to be part of it.

In terms of the depth of it, what we are seeing (is) a lot of the people
who are doing the nonviolent CD now are folks who have never done it
before and that is, I think, very significant. It’s not only some of the
veterans from the Central America stuff or some Quakers who obviously
have been involved in this type of antiwar activity and CD for many
decades, but folks who have never done this before and whether they are
students, or housekeepers or other professionals—or, as in the case
recently out in San Francisco, a former Marine commander and former
president of the Pacific Stock Exchange—did civil disobedience out in
San Francisco. A lot of vets, right now, U.S. veterans of the military
forces are involved in civil disobedience. So I think that demonstrates
the breadth of the movement. And the depth of it is the fact that
already there are over, I think its something like 6,000* people
nationwide, who have been arrested in acts of nonviolent civil
disobedience, and folks continue to step forward. Both people who have
already done it, who are volunteering to do it again and folks who have
seen the example set by their colleagues and are now stepping forward to
do it. It is going on, it wasn’t just a one-week or a two-week thing
that’s now gone away. This type of action is going on in cities all
across the country. So this is going on and on and it’s not something
that we’re going to see go away simply because the war has gone on
longer than anyone expected.

Between The Lines: Why engage in nonviolent civil disobedience? What
does sitting down in the middle of the street, or blocking a doorway --
what does that accomplish?

Gordon Clark: I think we engage in nonviolent civil disobedience for a
couple of reasons. One of them is to raise the level of our protest to
the highest possible level. For a lot of people, they engage in this
because they’ve done everything else they can. They’ve used all their
words, they’ve spoken to their legislators, they’ve written, they’ve
talked to people and all of this has been ignored. So now they are
taking the next step and literally putting their body on the line, or
crossing the line and willing to sacrifice some small part of their
liberty or freedom to try and prevent or stop this war now at the
earliest possible moment. So I think that’s a big part of it, to raise
our protest to the highest possible level, for both personal reasons as
well as to attract attention to the issue through the media. Obviously,
nonviolent civil disobedience are actions which are or can be very
attractive to the media and I would argue, can in fact be attractive to
the mainstream public when they see them through the media and to
encourage the practice of nonviolent resistance.

You know, a lot of people unfortunately in the contemporary peace
movement don’t realize there’s a big difference between simply being
peaceful and following nonviolent resistance. You know, obviously, we
always want people to be peaceful, we’re not looking for violent
incidents, we’re not looking for destruction of property or anything
like that. But nonviolent resistance is a specific theory of resistance
to war that’s based on what Gandhi taught that’s based on what Martin
Luther King Jr. taught and it’s based on love and compassion and
specifically the willingness of people to take on personal risks and to
endure personal suffering in an attempt to prevent the suffering of
other people. We are really looking to promote the practice of
nonviolent resistance, as I would argue ultimately, the only thing that
is going to be able to stop a government which is quite openly committed
to global military hegemony—empire, if you will.

As A.J. Muste said, a very famous nonviolent activist, “Only nonviolence
can apply therapy to violence.” So, I think that that’s over the longer
term what we’re trying to do with these actions.

*Figure quoted on civil disobedience arrestees were current on date of
interview 3/31/03.

Contact the Iraq Pledge of Resistance by calling (301) 608-2450 or visit
their Web site at
[url=http://www.peacepledge.org]http://www.peacepledge.org[/url]

Other related links on our website at http://www.btlonline.org for the
week ending 4/18/03

=============================
Scott Harris is the executive producer of Between The Lines. This
interview excerpt was featured on the award-winning, nationally
syndicated weekly radio newsmagazine, Between The Lines
(http://www.btlonline.org), for the week ending April 18, 2003.
AOL users: Click here!

PRINT INFORMATION:
For reprint permission, please email

To subscribe to Between The Lines Q&A, e-mail

To unsubscribe, email

If you are interested in Between The Lines Summary, a summary of the week’s interviews with RealAudio link, email

To subscribe to Between The Lines Q&A, email
To unsubscribe, email )


-Chomsky on Weapons Inspections and U.S. Role

This Q&A is from ZNet
From: “Eli Gothill”

Dear Professor Chomsky,

In your ZNet interview dated April 13th, your dismantling of U.S. war
rhetoric was partly based on the assertion that UNMOVIC “was doing a
good job in virtually disarming Iraq, and could have continued, if that
were the goal.”

My concern here is that UNMOVIC would not have been inside Iraq
disarming Saddam’s regime had there not been 300,000 American and
British troops stationed on its borders. It is quite clear that Saddam
Hussein conceded new inspections only in the face of the imminent
military attack; an attack which was opposed widely by those who
advocate inspections.

In this light, the anti-war movement’s proposition:
to inspect and disarm Iraq peacefully, seem at best wishful thinking;
and realistically somewhat erroneous. Even though little attention
should be paid to the flimsy “single question”; pragmatically,
opposition to war had to address mainstream rhetoric forthrightly to win
public opinion.

So, how should the anti-war movement have gone about this honestly and
realistically?

I await your comments with interest.

Best,

Eli Gothill

Whether UNMOVIC or its predecessor UNSCOM could have continued its work without a huge build-up of troops is unclear. You could be right, but I don’t see the basis for your certainty.

What we do know is that UNSCOM had largely disarmed Iraq by 1998, to the point where it was the weakest state in the region, by a good margin. It might have continued its work after 1998 had it not been for US moves to undermine it. One reason goes back to the earliest stages of inspection: the US repeatedly insisted that it would not live up to the requirement that sanctions would end if Iraq was disarmed, which removed the motivation for compliance. That persisted to the end. A narrower reason was Washington’s use of UNSCOM for spying on Iraq, which had become pretty clear by 1996, and was not in question by 1998. That again undermined inspections, obviously. It was followed by the Clinton bombing in defiance of the UN (in fact, in a calculated insult to the UN, if you look at the timing). That ended UNSCOM for the time being.

However, there were possibilities for renewing the inspections in following years, prior to the US troop build-up. In July 2002, Iraq sought assurances that if inspections were renewed, they would not “just come to update the information [on Iraqi targets] and provide it to the US military and intelligence bodies to use in bombing Iraq,” as part of Washington’s plans to overthrow the government. They received no assurances from the US, and the Security Council was in no position to give assurances about US policy. Nonetheless, on Sept. 16, Iraq announced its acceptance of a return of inspectors “without conditions.” That’s all before the troop build-up. At that time, the government-media propaganda campaign [on] Iraq’s threat to US security and terrorist connections was just beginning.

A few days ago, chief inspector Hans Blix delivered a scathing attack on Britain and the US,?Eaccusing them of planning the war `well in advance?Eand of `fabricating?Eevidence against Iraq to justify their campaign,and also saying that Iraq was paying `a very high price’—in terms of human lives and the destruction of a country. Reported in England (Guardian), though I haven’t seen it here.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0412-05.htm

So you might be right, but I think your confidence is misplaced. Another possibility is that if the US had accepted the original UN resolutions instead of flatly rejecting them, and had allowed inspections without undermining them, they might have proceeded from virtually disarming Iraq to completely disarming it.

Which immediately raises another question, namely the crucial paragraph in the main resolution (687) which calls for elimination of WMD and delivery systems throughout the region—a code word for the offshore US military base in Israel, which has 100s of nuclear weapons, probably chemical and biological weapons, and air and armored forces that are larger and technologically more advanced than any NATO power (let alone any regional power), according to IDF analysts.

And then in the background remains the solemn commitment of all the official nuclear powers, including the US, to make “good faith” efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons.

I don’t know who you have in mind in referring to the anti-war movement, but the parts I know about (e.g., the parts that appear here) should have gone about all of this “honestly and realistically” in about the way they did. By repeatedly making these points in talks, interviews, etc.

Noam Chomsky


-We refuse to serve the Occupation (Jewish Peace News)

[The following is a report sent out on the “The Other Israel” newsletter, gives a detailed description of the demonstration held Friday April 11 in support of the growing number of refusers, both men and women, who resist going to the military in the service of the occupation. The demonstration was initiated and led by a coalition of refuser-related organizations: Shministim (High School Seniors), New Profile, Yesh Gvul, Courage to Refuse, Druze Initiative Committee, Refusers’ Parents’ Forum. This first jointly conducted event precedes tomorrow’s (Tuesday, April 15) significant session of the court-martial of five young men who refuse to enlist in an occupying army and claim the right to do alternative, community service. Represented by Attorney Dov Khenin of the well known Zichroni firm, the five will assert their right to exemptions from the military on grounds of conscience. Their stand, among an unprecedented number of young draft resisters, as well as their court-martia!
l, are significant milestones in the anti-occupation movement in Israel. Leading up to the demonstration, hundreds of “Refusing the Occupation” posters were hung in Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv and Haifa and activists distributed 5,000 fliers. Repeated ads were published in Hebrew and Arabic newspapers in Israel. The demonstration was covered on two newscasts on Israeli radio, on the internet news service Ynet affiliated with “Yediot Acharonot,” on a BBC station in the UK, on KPFA in the Bay Area and previewed on WBAI in New York. RM]

“We Refuse The Occupation” demo of Friday—a healing experience followed by traumatic news from the ISM

Refusniks and CO’s of all hues and members of many groups in solidarity with their ongoing struggle, many activists of the Women’s Coalition, of Ta’ayush and of Gush Shalom - among them Uri Avnery - and the gays and lesbians of Kvisa Sh’hora - all together walked in procession around a park, caught up between major highways opposite Tel-Aviv’s Arlozorov Street Railway Station.

“Lo namit velo namut/Besherut Hahitnachlut!” they chanted ("neither kill nor die/in the service of the settlements"). Colourful banners were unfurled and waved at the goggle-eyed stalled motorists: “Occupation is terror - the refuser is the true hero”; “The Army puts conscience behind bars”; “I refuse to serve in the occupation army and to buy settlement products”.

In the park, all of the 1500-strong crowd got together; young refusniks who just embarked upon their struggle with the military authorities; reservists who had been at it since the 1982 Lebanon War and earlier; veteran Israelis and immigrants from the former Soviet Union (imprisoned refusniks had recently discovered among their fellow prisoners several Russians who had been struggling all by themselves, unaware of the existence of support organizations). Then there was the distinctive group of Druze from the Galilee, parents of imprisoned refusers, with their signs in Hebrew and Arabic “My son will not serve in an army of occupation!”. (Druze are the only part of Israel’s Arab cititizens subject to conscription - and many of them resent it). And there were the girl refusers, often ignored because unlike boys they don’t get into prison - but they are going through a hell of humiliation and verbal abuse by officers and officials before getting their discharge.

All were enjoying being together and feeling that “the refuser community” is growing..

Those who climbed the podium were different kind of refusers, Ishai Shagi of the Officers Letter ("Refusal that is Zionism"), Noa Kaufman of the Highschool Letter group “refusal to take part in occupation as a way of life”, the Yesh Gvul veteran Peretz Kidron who let Itai Rib speak to the crowd - from prison through the cellular phone: “The State of Israel has made the whole West Bank into one big prison; the choice before us: to go there, or to the military prison instead.

>From the podium a call was made of solidarity with the 3 UK soldiers and 1 US marine, imprisoned for their refusal to join the War Against Iraq.

Two outside personalities gave the happening exra flavor: Grand Lady of the left, Shulamit Aloni who fulminated against the lawlessness of imprisoning conscript COs again and again for the same thing; popular singer Aviv Gefen who sang the song which he wrote himself: “Let’s march into the dream/Where there are no races and nations/Let’s try/Until things get better. Let’s bury the guns/And not the children/Let’s try/Until things get better.Let’s conquer peace/And not the territories/Let’s try/Until things get better.”

Veteran refuser and poet Yitzchak Laor, very calm this time, made sure that nobody could become too self-satisfied: “It’s not enough to refuse military service! Our friends of the International Solidarity Movement remind us that we have to be THERE, protecting the Palestinians with our bodies.” When he said it, some of us felt a bit annoyed: isn’t our task as Israelis in the first place to erode the “occupation concensus”? But retroactively, he spoke those words at the very moment that in Rafah a 21-year old Briton was shot in the head while trying to be the human shield to two Palestinian children.

“After coming home from a good demonstration in support of the increasing number of refusers of military service in Israel, we found the terrible news on the Ha’aretz site. Another ISM activist shot at and in extreme condition. Tom Hurndall from the UK is in the Jarusi hospital in Khan Younes."(*) [Gush Shalom message, Friday, April 11.]

The words of Laor were resounding, “Not Enough!”

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

____________________________________________________________________

Jewish Peace News (JPN) is an edited news-clipping and commentary service provided by A Jewish Voice for Peace. JPN’s editors are Adam Gutride, Amichai Kronfeld, Rela Mazali, Sarah Anne Minkin, Judith Norman, Mitchell Plitnick, Lincoln Shlensky, and Alistair Welchman. The opinions expressed by the editors and presented in the articles sent to this list are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of A Jewish Voice for Peace.

A Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) is a San Francisco Bay Area grassroots
organization dedicated to the human, civil and economic rights of Jews, Palestinians, and all peoples in the Middle East.

Donating to A Jewish Voice for Peace is easy. Just go to our website at [url=http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org]http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org[/url] There, you can either donate online using your credit card or you can find our mailing address to send us a check. All contributions are tax-deductible. Your support is greatly appreciated.

For more information about JVP, please visit our web site at
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org

To SUBSCRIBE to Jewish Peace News, our daily news and information service, please send an email message to:

To JOIN the Jewish Voice for Peace community mailing list (no more than one message per week), which features Middle East peace information and local Jewish community activist updates, please send an email message to:


Page 5 of 8 pages « First  <  3 4 5 6 7 >  Last »
Last 20 Media Entries: Democracy Now, Video, MP3

Last 20 News Articles: Japan, World and 日本語
Podcast RSS

View calendar

Add an event



Copyleft 1997-2007
tokyoprogressive dot org
All opinons are those of the original authors

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for by copyright law in several countries.  The material on this site is distributed without profit