Chris Hedges, author, spoke at a Revolution Books Town Hall Meeting at Ethical Culture Society January 13, 2009 condemning Israel and US complicity in Israel's murderous destruction of Gaza.
Gaza West Bank Palestine Gaza massacre war crimes occupation Zionism Israel Palestinian holocaust ethnic cleansing genocide
Subscribe to Mo5lim by Email
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
94.2 Billion bill, but only 8% of bill is towards none military operations. Fund Diplomacy, not War.
National Call-In Day:
The Obama Administration has asked Congress for another $83.4 billion in supplemental funding for ongoing military, diplomatic, and intelligence operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the bill’s voyage through the House Appropriations Committee, that amount has ballooned to $94.2 billion. Yet, only about 8% of the funding in this bill is for non-military activities. [1]
Members of Congress will vote on the supplemental as early as this week. Now is the time for constituents to voice their concern over an extension of the failed policy of subordinating diplomacy to military activities.
Today, May 12th, join the National Call-In Day and let your representative know that you support funding for diplomacy, development, humanitarian aid, and the safe withdrawal of troops, but that you oppose funding for extended military operations.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/call.html
While making your call, urge your representative to co-sponsor a bill by Congressman James McGovern that would require President Obama to provide an exit plan for Afghanistan no later than December 2009.
There is no military solution to the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Funding for these conflicts must reflect reality -- that only diplomacy and development will lead to a stable Middle East.
Calling your representative is easy - just follow the simple instructions below:
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/call.html
Thank you for all you do for a just foreign policy,
Megan Iorio, Chelsea Mozen, Sarah Burns and Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
Please support our work.
Your financial contribution helps us create opportunities for Americans to advocate for a just foreign policy. http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate.html
References:
1. See OMB analysis of War Supplemental:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/budget_amendments/supplemental_04_09_09.pdf
And the Center for Arms Control analysis of Supplemental:
http://www.armscontrolcenter.org/policy/iraq/articles/041309_c111_fy09_warsupp2
Subscribe to Mo5lim by Email
The Obama Administration has asked Congress for another $83.4 billion in supplemental funding for ongoing military, diplomatic, and intelligence operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the bill’s voyage through the House Appropriations Committee, that amount has ballooned to $94.2 billion. Yet, only about 8% of the funding in this bill is for non-military activities. [1]
Members of Congress will vote on the supplemental as early as this week. Now is the time for constituents to voice their concern over an extension of the failed policy of subordinating diplomacy to military activities.
Today, May 12th, join the National Call-In Day and let your representative know that you support funding for diplomacy, development, humanitarian aid, and the safe withdrawal of troops, but that you oppose funding for extended military operations.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/call.html
While making your call, urge your representative to co-sponsor a bill by Congressman James McGovern that would require President Obama to provide an exit plan for Afghanistan no later than December 2009.
There is no military solution to the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Funding for these conflicts must reflect reality -- that only diplomacy and development will lead to a stable Middle East.
Calling your representative is easy - just follow the simple instructions below:
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/call.html
Thank you for all you do for a just foreign policy,
Megan Iorio, Chelsea Mozen, Sarah Burns and Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
Please support our work.
Your financial contribution helps us create opportunities for Americans to advocate for a just foreign policy. http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate.html
References:
1. See OMB analysis of War Supplemental:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/budget_amendments/supplemental_04_09_09.pdf
And the Center for Arms Control analysis of Supplemental:
http://www.armscontrolcenter.org/policy/iraq/articles/041309_c111_fy09_warsupp2
Subscribe to Mo5lim by Email
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Israel admits using cluster bombs
The recent testimonies of IDF officials come as the Israeli Chief of Staff, General Halutz, recently initiated probes into the use of such weapons. After a year-long enquiry, the appointed Military Advocate General, Avihai Mandelbit, has now cleared the airforce of the charge but stated that the artillery and rocket batteries did deploy cluster bombs into populated areas. However, the probe concluded that such use in civilian areas was “as an immediate defense response to rocket attacks by Hizbullah,” and a “military necessity” and so did not constitute a criminal violation of international law. The IDF Spokesman’s Office stated that “International law does not include a sweeping prohibition of the use of cluster bombs. The convention on conventional weaponry does not declare a prohibition on [phosphorous weapons], rather, on principles regulating the use of such weapons.”
While International Law does not forbid the use of cluster bombs and phosphorous shells per se, many legal experts maintain that their usage is covered within prohibitions against targeting of civilian populations and causing “excessive injury and unnecessary suffering.” According to Amnesty International, cluster munitions may be classed as such because they “present a high risk of violating the prohibition of indiscriminate attack, because of the wide area covered by the numerous bomblets released and the danger posed to all those, including civilians, who come into contact with the unexploded bomblets.”
Both UN findings and IDF admissions reveal that, as the final wrinkles of ceasefire were being ironed out on the ground, built-up areas across southern Lebanon were decimated by cluster munitions. UN Relief Coordinator, Jan Egland, stated at war’s end that “it is an outrage that we have 100 000 bombs among where children, women, shopkeepers and farmers are now going to tread.”
General Mandelbit’s conclusions also admitted the IDF fired phosphorus shells but deemed this legal under international law. In 2006, Israeli Cabinet Minister, Jacob Edery, admitted that “the IDF made use of phosphorous shells during the war against Hezbollah in attacks against military targets in open ground.” While the location and type of targets were not specified, various hospital reports during the 2006 war indicated severe chemical burns from phosphorous shells suffered by civilians.
White phosphorous shells, often used to raze buildings, cause horrific burning when they come into contact with skin. Unless deprived of oxygen, the body will be in flames until the flesh is cremated to the bone. Prior to the 2006 war, it was most recently used in November 2004 by the US army in Fallujah, Iraq.
The International Red Cross considers both cluster munitions and phosphorus shells to be violations of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions and has called for their complete ban. General Mandelbit’s verdict however, will neither force lay-off nor any disciplinary charge on IDF personnel that ordered the use of either cluster bombs or phosphorus shells in residential areas.
Full Article here
While International Law does not forbid the use of cluster bombs and phosphorous shells per se, many legal experts maintain that their usage is covered within prohibitions against targeting of civilian populations and causing “excessive injury and unnecessary suffering.” According to Amnesty International, cluster munitions may be classed as such because they “present a high risk of violating the prohibition of indiscriminate attack, because of the wide area covered by the numerous bomblets released and the danger posed to all those, including civilians, who come into contact with the unexploded bomblets.”
Both UN findings and IDF admissions reveal that, as the final wrinkles of ceasefire were being ironed out on the ground, built-up areas across southern Lebanon were decimated by cluster munitions. UN Relief Coordinator, Jan Egland, stated at war’s end that “it is an outrage that we have 100 000 bombs among where children, women, shopkeepers and farmers are now going to tread.”
General Mandelbit’s conclusions also admitted the IDF fired phosphorus shells but deemed this legal under international law. In 2006, Israeli Cabinet Minister, Jacob Edery, admitted that “the IDF made use of phosphorous shells during the war against Hezbollah in attacks against military targets in open ground.” While the location and type of targets were not specified, various hospital reports during the 2006 war indicated severe chemical burns from phosphorous shells suffered by civilians.
White phosphorous shells, often used to raze buildings, cause horrific burning when they come into contact with skin. Unless deprived of oxygen, the body will be in flames until the flesh is cremated to the bone. Prior to the 2006 war, it was most recently used in November 2004 by the US army in Fallujah, Iraq.
The International Red Cross considers both cluster munitions and phosphorus shells to be violations of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions and has called for their complete ban. General Mandelbit’s verdict however, will neither force lay-off nor any disciplinary charge on IDF personnel that ordered the use of either cluster bombs or phosphorus shells in residential areas.
Full Article here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)