Twelfth Bough

i run my own damn think tank

Archive for April, 2008

Total Disconnect from Reality

Apr 22

Posted by Marlena in Bush/Cheney, Iran, Israel, Nuclear Weapons | No Comments

Here is a prime example of why I don’t waste my time paying attention to the presidential race. Watch this video of very important media personalities asking Clinton and Obama what they would do if Iran attacked Israel with nuclear weapons.

Notice that this entire kabuki display studiously avoids the Following Conspiracy Facts: Iran does not have nuclear weapons, but Israel does. Iran has not attacked another country in centuries, but Israel has attacked other countries repeatedly and as recently as last year.

The question that needs to be asked but of course will be avoided at all costs is this: What will you do as President if Israel attacks Iran with a nuclear weapon? Because if the stated response, obliteration, applies to Iran using nuclear weapons that don’t exist, what should the stated response be to Israel using nuclear weapons that do exist? That question is at least based in reality. Therefore, it won’t ever be asked. This entire ‘discussion’ is a pointless waste of time.

We already know that Bush promised Israel that we will immediately come to their defense with our blood and treasure should anything happen, giving the Israelis a free hand to conduct their false flag attacks against their neighbors. More than that, Bush and Netanyahu agree that a pre-emptive nuclear strike against Iran is justified as the only way to prevent Iran from having nuclear weapons. These remarks came in January 2008:

US President George W. Bush promised Israel’s opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu that the United States will join the Jewish state in a nuclear strike against Iran, Israel Radio reported today.

Former Prime Minister Netanyahu, opposition Likud party’s hardline chairman who opposes the US-backed Annapolis peace process, reiterated to President Bush his stance, that a pre-emptive nuclear strike against Iran’s nuclear installations was the only way to stop the Islamic nation’s nuclear weapons ambitions.

“I told him my position and Bush agreed,” Netanyahu told Israel Radio.

So here we have up top this dire, fake discussion with people who are merely presidential hopefuls about how horrible and stupid it would be for Iran to attack Israel with nuclear weapons, and how that would necessarily justify obliterating Iran. Meanwhile, our actual president, the despicable George W. Bush, makes actual agreements with Netanyahu, aired over the public airwaves in Israel, in which they agree that it’s necessary to pre-emptively strike Iran with nuclear weapons that Israel and the US actually possess, and nobody asks him about it.

I think the American people are brain-dead.

Taking One for the Team

Apr 21

Posted by Marlena in Citizenship, Israel | 1 Comment

Today I want to focus on Jews in Israel who oppose the Occupation and work to end it. A clearer eye you probably can’t find.

I could not stand aside. Sensing that the forcible removal of the family’s possessions (or most of them) was about to cease and the demolition begin, I seized the moment and rushed into the home, planting myself in a corner of what had been the kitchen before the surprised Border Police could react. The head of the police unit rushed up to me sitting on the floor and ordered me to leave.
My conscience as an Israeli, a Jew and a human being forbids me to permit this illegal and immoral act of demolition from taking place, I told him. In fact, I informed him, I am placing you under citizen’s arrest for violating the Fourth Geneva Convention (Article 53), which prohibits the demolishing of homes in occupied territories. I thereby asked the accompanying policemen to arrest him. Sputtering, furious, he placed plastic handcuffs on me and had me forcibly thrown out of the house.

Just before this happened, one of the soldiers had made the most appalling comment - a comment which reveals in all it’s ugliness the nature of the Occupation and the racist attitudes of those who support it.

Only one small but devastating incident distinguished the Hamdan demolition this past week from the normal routine. As Shaadi Hamdan and I were standing in front of the home, we were accosted by a slim, blond Border Policeman, probably of Russian origin.

“I was born to demolish Palestinian homes,” he informed us mockingly, a big smile on his face, a swagger in his movements.

“I love demolishing homes. I wake up in the morning hungry to demolish homes.”

With that he walked away. I can’t convey the mixture of anguish, anger, bewilderment and resignation that crossed Shaadi’s face at that moment. He simply stood aside as his home was demolished for the second time.

People like this soldier and the settlers who murdered this Palestinian teenager are simply full of hate. There’s no other explanation for the sadistic pleasure they take in bringing suffering to other human beings who have not harmed them.

As Jeff Halper accurately states, nothing will change until those of us who are not currently threatened will have the courage to stand up and be counted.

Nothing, of course, happened to me, besides a few bruises. The Border Policeman “born to demolish” paraded around me repeating his delight at the day’s events, all of which ICAHD activists recorded on film. But we Israeli Jews enjoy a privileged position. We know the police or soldiers will not shoot us, will not beat us, will not detain us for long, and so we exploit that privilege in ways that Palestinians can’t. Shaadi would have been shot for doing what I did. We also know another sad fact: that unless an Israeli like me performs such a dramatic act, no one will notice the demolitions that take place almost daily in Jerusalem, the West Bank and, yes, Gaza.

The news spread quickly throughout the world. I was interviewed that day, my hands still in handcuffs, by radio stations from South Africa to Norway. I tried, of course, to put my action in context, to stress that my experience paled next to the crime that had been perpetrated upon the Hamdan family by the Israeli authorities. But I knew the truth: only the arrest of an Israeli makes the news; Palestinian suffering, as their very claim for justice, is ignored. Still, resistance is necessary.

 

This man enjoys great moral clarity, and he uses that clarity to confront the evil of the Occupation. He puts it into words on the internet so that someone like me thousands of miles away can find it. It brings me hope, and I post it so that you, dear reader, might think to yourself, “Yes, maybe I can have a little more courage, too.” Though the house was still demolished, now at least a few people know that others tried to stop it. That knowledge alone, even though it doesn’t seem like much, is actually huge because it binds us with the invisible cords of love. We are on the same team - the human team.

I will leave you with words from the last page of People of the Lie by M. Scott Peck.

I cannot be any more specific about the methodology of love than to quote these words of an old priest who spent many years in the battle: “There are dozens of ways to deal with evil and several ways to conquer it. All of them are facets of the truth that the only ultimate way to conquer evil is to let it be smothered within a willing, living human being. When it is absorbed there like blood in a sponge or a spear into one’s heart, it loses its power and goes no further.”

Will you take one for the team?

Who does she work for?

Apr 18

Posted by Marlena in Bush/Cheney, Iran, Iraq | No Comments

Condi Rice proves once again her utter uselessness to the American people who pay her salary.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday she has no plans to meet Iran’s foreign minister at a conference of Iraq’s neighbors next week, amid increasing U.S. complaints about Iranian support for Iraqi insurgents.

Rice renewed U.S. calls for Iran to end its backing for Shia militias and said she would repeat that message at the neighbors’ meeting in Kuwait. But she said she would not press the point directly with her Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki, who is also expected to attend Tuesday’s conference.

“I don’t intend to meet the Iranians, that is not in the plan,” Rice told reporters in Washington. “The Iranians will be at the meeting … but, no, I don’t have any plans to meet them.”

No, no of course not. Because why would the US Secretary of State meet with her counterpart in Iran, a country deeply involved in Iraq and supposedly threatening western civilization? That would be silly. Talking to that loser could like, tewtally wreck the plans for WW III.

Killed for Paying Attention

Apr 17

Posted by Marlena in Injustice, Israel, Media, Military | 2 Comments

Yesterday the IDF murdered some people in Gaza. One of them was a journalist who happened to be holding his camera when an Israeli tank blew him away. Another person nearby filmed the rest. You can watch the video here.

These people killed posed no threat whatsoever to the tank parked far off in the distance. The IDF soldiers simply murdered them for no good reason. It’s inexplicable by any rational standards. How many Palestinians have been killed for no good reason?

In addition, the tank round used exploded with flechettes, or little darts, which fly out from the shell and into anyone nearby.

A medical examination showed on Thursday that metal darts from an Israeli tank shell that explodes in the air caused the death of a Reuters cameraman killed a day earlier in the Gaza Strip, doctors said.

X-rays displayed by physicians who examined the body of Fadel Shana in Gaza’s Shifa hospital showed several of the controversial weapons, known as flechettes, embedded in the 23-year-old Palestinian’s chest and legs.

Several of the 3 cm (1 inch)-long darts were also found in Shana’s flak jacket, emblazoned with a fluorescent “Press” sign, and in his vehicle, an unarmoured sport utility vehicle bearing “TV” and “Press” markings.

Back in 2001 there was some controversy in the IDF over whether or not to use these barbaric little darts. Some officers felt their use would cause an international backlash against Israel.

Although the IDF spokesman refused to comment on operational matters, other IDF sources told JDW that commanders are under orders to use the round sparingly and insist it has been employed on only a “handful” of occasions in Gaza. They said the round is used against targets such as mortar crews who cannot be engaged effectively by automatic fire.

“The Israeli military obtained these weapons from the USA after the 1973 war and we have thousands of old shells in warehouses,” said an Israeli defence source. “The weapon is not regarded as reliable or effective and gunners have a difficult time in aiming this properly.”

Hmm. It looks like any strict standards governing their use back in 2001 have clearly been relaxed, and the gunner in this case did not seem to have any trouble aiming the weapon. Nor do I hear any international backlash. You can see more pictures here.

Abu Mizyed said he and Shana were following ambulances that left the scene of an Israeli air strike, when the cameramen pulled over to take some wide shots of the area. An Israeli tank, Abu Mizyed said, was about a kilometre (half-mile) away.

“Fadel put his camera on a tripod and filmed for several minutes,” Abu Mizyed said.

Disturbed by a group of children, Shana asked Abu Mizyed to move them away. As he did so, Abu Mizyed heard an explosion behind him. Turning around, he saw Shana and two children — who also died — lying in pools of blood.

What were they doing wrong? Looking? Using their eyes? Being in Gaza? Does their very existence threaten the IDF? What other conclusion can one possibly draw?

On top of it all, the comments by Reuters’ editor-in-chief, David Schlesinger, strike me as completely inadequate.

“The evidence from the medical examination underlines the importance of a swift, honest and impartial investigation by the Israel Defense Forces and by the government,” said David Schlesinger, editor-in-chief of Reuters News.

“The markings on Fadel Shana’s vehicle showed clearly and unambiguously that he was a professional journalist doing his duty. We and the military must work together urgently to understand why this tragedy took place and how similar incidents can be avoided in the future,” Schlesinger added.

He made some other remarks about how journalists should be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives. That’s all well and good, but there’s no mention of all the other people killed in Gaza every day by the IDF. When a journalist dies, people notice, but why don’t people notice when innocent civilians die? This strike killed several people and was a blatant murder, caught on film. Is this all Schlesinger can muster when one of his employees and some nearby kids get pierced to death by darts?

Not that I’m surprised, but it still bears pointing out because I’m sick and tired of people shrugging off all sorts of barbaric behavior. Where’s the outrage? Where’s the accountability? This has been going on for a long time, so what good is a measured demand for a ’swift, honest and impartial investigation’? Has anything like that ever been forthcoming in all these years? No. The IDF will blow this off just like they surely blow off any complaints about people getting killed in the occupied territories. They don’t care. These soldiers have been given carte blanche to do whatever they want. Maybe the guy in the tank woke up on the wrong side of bed, so he decided to kill some people yesterday. He knows there will be no negative consequences for him, so what’s to stop him? Apparently nothing.

Every person killed is somebody’s son or daughter, brother or sister, mother or father.

The US as Doormat

Apr 17

Posted by Marlena in Iraq, Israel, Military | No Comments

Apparently there’s no end to how much we owe Israel. Now we will pay for their unequivocal support in the ill-advised Iraq War, a war that has bankrupt the United States both morally and financially.

The United States has asked Israel to check the possibility of pumping oil from Iraq to the oil refineries in Haifa. The request came in a telegram last week from a senior Pentagon official to a top Foreign Ministry official in Jerusalem.

The Prime Minister’s Office, which views the pipeline to Haifa as a “bonus” the U.S. could give to Israel in return for its unequivocal support for the American-led campaign in Iraq, had asked the Americans for the official telegram.

The new pipeline would take oil from the Kirkuk area, where some 40 percent of Iraqi oil is produced, and transport it via Mosul, and then across Jordan to Israel. The U.S. telegram included a request for a cost estimate for repairing the Mosul-Haifa pipeline that was in use prior to 1948. During the War of Independence, the Iraqis stopped the flow of oil to Haifa and the pipeline fell into disrepair over the years.

Let’s review. The neocons, a bunch of people with dual Israeli-US citizenship at the highest levels of our government, got us into this disastrous war with Iraq. Now the Israeli Prime Minister’s office has asked us to send an ‘official telegram’ asking them (Israel) to check up on the possibility of us sending Iraq’s oil to Haifa as a thank you bonus prize for unequivocally supporting the war undertaken on their behalf. And the Pentagon did it! And by the way, guess who will pay to rebuild the pipeline that has fallen into disrepair? The United States will pay, at $400K per kilometer.

The Haughty Condi Rice is a Liar

Apr 16

Posted by Marlena in Bush/Cheney, Corruption & Crime, Injustice, Military | No Comments

Just in case there are still people around who think this woman has any credibility or character, this video should put that delusion to rest. She has lied in our faces about more things, and so many people have died because of her lies. She belongs in prison along with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the rest. What a pack of murderous thieves. Condi Rice particularly bothers me since so many have considered her someone special, someone acquainted with the downtrodden (at least theoretically), and so they have put more hope in her. Therefore she has abused people’s trust more than the old white men ever could, and that’s a pretty amazing feat.

The Power of One Person

Apr 16

Posted by Marlena in Citizenship, Iraq | No Comments

Just when you think nothing you do could possibly matter anymore, some one person reaches out and reminds you not to give up.

“While leaving Iraq before the war, our convoy broke down on the desert highway. We got out and Marla suddenly darted across the camera lens, while a voice in the background says “bye bye.” Moments later Marla was just a dot running into the desert, the last shot I have of her. Marla dodged the camera. Yet, in this glimpse she reveals herself, utterly and completely - her passion, her intelligence, her tenderness, and her bold love. The facts of Marla’s life have spread across the media, but the mystery of who Marla was seems more accurately conveyed by something more than fact or word. By chance, or fate the song “Lost Unto this World,” by Emmylou Harris, sing the details of Marla’s story - “I was murdered by the highway, and my cries went out in vain.” It also asks us, “O you among the living, will you remember me at all?” Marla Ruzicka gave her life to a question “How many Iraqi’s died? Her story should capture the imagination of this country and penetrate the halls of power with a simple question, “How many?” Marla should be remembered with an answer. The piece closes with the sun through the clouds of the Iraqi/Jordanian border, credited “to Marla.” For in Marla’s lifetime, I did not give her the credit she was due. Please visit Marla’s Website: CivicWorldwide.org“

Go here and watch the video. This was an American woman who cared.

Quote of the Week

Apr 16

Posted by Marlena in Bush/Cheney, Israel | No Comments

“We are benefiting from one thing, and that is the attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon, and the American struggle in Iraq…[and these events] swung American public opinion in our favor.” - Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to an audience at Bar Ilan University on 4/16/08. Via Haaretz.

And that, my friends, is a Conspiracy Fact. What comes at a grave cost to the United States and the rest of the world benefits Israel. Netanyahu admits it without fanfare. It’s simply a fact, and a pretty obvious one at that if you have eyes to see.

Look again at the list of people with dual Israeli-US citizenship ensconced in positions at the top of our government and ask yourself, why is our government being run by Israeli Citizens? And why do supposedly powerful American Citizens in Washington profess undying loyalty to Israel? At what cost do we continue on this path of subverting our own national interest to the State of Israel?

Representative Press

Apr 15

Posted by Marlena in Bush/Cheney, Iran, Media, Military, UK | No Comments

What if?

Apr 15

Posted by Marlena in Bush/Cheney, Economy, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Military | No Comments

What if the Zionists want to wait until after the big birthday party to pick a fight with Iran? That gets us to May.

What if they want to wait until the Summer Olympics to start the war? That gets us to August.

If you have read any of my previous essays, you already know that I believe we are headed to war this summer during the Beijing Olympics. Between now and August Israel will invade Lebanon. It is currently training for a wider war that could involve Syria. As I have said elsewhere, the real fun of World War III begins when Israel attacks Iran using American supplied nuclear bunker buster bombs. Iran has said they will respond by launching 11,000 missiles and artillery shells against Israel and the United States forces in the Mideast in the first 60 seconds. We have 17,500 sailors and marines in the Persian Gulf whose ships will be sunk by Iran’s Russian made Yakhonts and Sunburn anti-ship missiles which have ranges of 180 and 120 miles respectively. They also have rocket artillery with ranges up to 150 kilometers. Iran also has 1,000 fast rubber boats and thousands of suicide volunteers to capture our surviving sailors and marines after their ships are sunk.

Iran also controls the militias in southern Iraq and much of the Iraqi police force and military. They would be in an excellent position to cut off supplies entering Iraq from Kuwait. Of course they would also cut off all oil flowing out of the Persian Gulf and military supplies flowing in. Oil could easily hit $300 to $400. Our friends in China and Japan, could pay cash for several years in advance with the more than 2 trillion surplus dollars they are currently unable to spend. On the other hand America’s balance of trade deficit could balloon by several hundred billion dollars to more than a trillion dollars a year. The dollar would become worthless. Our pensions and our pay checks wouldn’t be able yo buy anything. Unemployment could easily reach the Great Depression levels of 25%.

What if the economy totally collapses first?

The Bush administration has decided to pursue a strategy that is unprecedented in US history. It has decided to continue to prosecute a war that has already been lost morally, strategically, and militarily. But fighting a losing war has its costs. America is much weaker now than it was when Bush first took office in 2000; politically, economically and militarily. US power and prestige around the world will continue to deteriorate until the troops are withdrawn from Iraq. But that’s unlikely to happen until all other options have been exhausted. Deteriorating economic conditions in the financial markets are putting enormous downward pressure on the dollar. The corporate bond and equities markets are in disarray; the banking system is collapsing, consumer spending is down, tax revenues are falling, and the country is headed into a painful and protracted recession. The US will leave Iraq sooner than many pundits believe, but it will not be at a time of our choosing. Rather, the conflict will end when the United States no longer has the capacity to wage war. That time is not far off.

Theoretically, our own economic demise would end the Iraq Occupation and prevent the US from jumping into another elective war with Iran. At the same time, a war with Iran would cause our economic demise, so we’re screwed either way. This puts a moral person in the twisted position of hoping that our economic system collapses before our insane leaders have the chance to start another war that would kill many innocent people along with our own soldiers.

It’s important to note that if our leaders didn’t constantly talk about and threaten war, and didn’t continually display utter disregard for people’s lives, one might in good conscience hope for something less than economic collapse. But as you know, you go to war with the Army leaders you have. They’re not the Army leaders you might want or wish to have at a later time.