Letters to the editor, April 12, 2003

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More letters will be posted throughout the day

The Editor of Al-Jazeerah apologizes for not responding to all of the readers' letters because of shutting down of aljazeerah.info. He hopes to resume that next week when it migrates into a new server. Today's messages were received on April 10-11.

 

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a new web ( www.gernika.tk ) with a lot of resources on Iraq war, and links to your site
best regards

 


 

 

To Laila Yaghi,

In your article entitled The Sons and Daughters of Liberty, you state that you are neither of Palestinian origin nor Arab origin.  In your article entitled Creating a Negative Image of Muslims, you state you are half American and half Palestinian.  Which is it???  Seems like you engage in disinformation just like you accuse all the tv news media and the government of doing.  If you haven't already figured it out, I totally disagree with everything you have said in your articles.  I have no doubt you were probably one of the few Americans protesting the war against the Iraqi regime of Sadam Hussein in all your ... glory.  If you are SO dissatisfied with the American government and the American media, maybe you would be happier living in France or Germany.  I resent the fact you portrayed anyone who disagrees with your point of view as being misinformed and uneducated.  I am neither.  Your articles showed me NOTHING to change my mind.  All I saw were a total of your opinions.  You know what they say about opinions.  

 
Tish Robertson 

Editor: Laila Yaghi is a Palestinian American. Her father was a Palestinian and her mother, Edna, is an American who lives in Turkey. You didn't know Laila and Edna yet. Go to their poems. If you won't be moved still, at least you should recognize their right to freedom of expression. Many readers may benefit from this forum that has allowed this interaction to happen.

 

 


 

 

I wasn't referring to the TV site, al-Jazeerah.info is the organization asking for money and it was your opinion editorials I was referring to.  In fact, one of your pictures today  had to do with Russia referring to the Iraq "occupation" by the US.  Was that word offered by the Russians or was it yours.  In any event, what "occupation" is being referred to?  Certainly none by the coalition. 
 
Respectfully,
 
Bill Jorgensen

 

 


 

Mr Editor,
 
Please excuse my ignorance but I (& perhaps many other "westerners" as well?) would appreciate a definition of the word Zionist as it is used so often on this site.
 
Thank You
 
Delaino Tomlinson

Read El-Najjar's article: Zionism, the highest stage of imperialism.

 

 


 

 

reality of the March 09 "pro-war" rally in NYC

http://empirewatch.org/pages/proprietary/news/002.html

Eric



 

 

Thanks to the ever patronizing New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman  (He is not patronized by Al-Jazeerah) --he's the guy with the Saddamish moustache who writes innumerable columns for "the paper of record" lecturing Arabs and Arab governments on how to join the "civilized" world-- many U.S. journalists find themselves parroting the phrase "the Arab street."

For the most part uttering the phrase--which in reality is a subtle form of racism and translated means, "will the savages riot?"-- is for image purposes only.

Repeating the phrase gives readers the very false idea the writer/or speaker actually reads, say, fine informative journals such as "Middle East International."

The sad reality, however, is that far too many U.S. journalists rely on Friedman columns (or imperious lectures they see on C-Span where Thomas bares his soul and tells us how much it pains it to support the war) or his book "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" for their guide to the regions politics.

Truly, its quite startling the number of  journalists who routinely parrot Friedman’s often written and stated--and i might add patently false-- claim that Yasser Arafat turned down the deal of the century offered by Israel and which subsequently lead to the rise of Sharon.

This despite the fact that Friedman's own paper, The New York Times published an excellent story revealing that quite opposite was the case.

 (see my "Does Thomas Friedman Read the New York Times," in Alexander Cockburns online magazine, "Counterpunch.com)

That at best, no solid agreement was on the table and neither party was prepared for the hastily called conference called by Clinton and meant to salvage electoral prospects of the Labour govermnent.

But thanks to Friedman its now common belief in the U.S. press that Arafat's supposed intransigence--not Israel's refusal to implement the peace accord signed on the White House lawn with Mr Rabin and hosted by President Clinton-- is responsible for the present violence.

 But what about the American street? What do the american people think of this war, of the middle east conflict in general?

Unfortunately, the Thomas Friedman's of the U.S. journalism world could care less.

Few of those U.S. journalists who feign to care about the reaction on the "arab street" give  a moments thought to what the average american thinks either.

They write primarily for U.S. political, economic and military elites. The role of the average american is to send their sons to fight the empire's wars.

The reality is that the average American if they had to vote on it probably would have opposed this war.

Most of the anti-war sentiment is based on gut instinct. They know that the white house is run by a couple of oil guys and that more likely than not this is more about raw new-world-order politics than "terrorism."

Few americans have been informed by the mass media that much touted "weapons of mass destruction" including antrax and west nile virus, were sent to Iraq by the two countries most eager for the war, the U.S. and Britain.

Few know that after the alleged "gassing of his own people," ie,  the Kurds, Don Rumsfeld, representing the Reagan administration hustled off to Iraq to cut a deal with Iraq.

But most americans suspect that this war is about anything other than "democracy."

This is especially true for millions of young americans, particularly college students. Tens of thousands of students across the country walked out of classes to protest the start of the war.

Here at Florida State University in Tallahassee Florida, approximately 500 students hit the streets to protest the war.

Not surprisingly some in the Florida press corps wondered aloud why so few, unlike during the Vietnam war years. What they should be asking is why so many at such an early stage of this imperial adventure. During Vietnam many students and youth were subject to the draft. There is no draft today.

Perhaps what the Florida press corps should be asking is why neither of Florida Governor Jeb Bush's fighting age sons have signed up to fight this glorious, patriotic cause.

Indeed, Washington Post writer Mark Shields surveyed the U.S. Congress and found that only one congressman had a son in the fight.

And so it goes on the "deeply divided"... "american street."

 

Jack McCarthy

Tallahassee Florida

 

Note: THE WRITER IS A CORRESPONDENT FOR "COUNTERPUNCH.COM" AND CONTRIBUTING EDITOR TO ONLINE JOURNAL.COM

 

 


 

 

For those who are not familiar with the background of Daniel Pipes, he is

well known (perhaps infamous is more appropriate), for his open assaults on

Muslims, Islam and Arabs in general. Yet, this current administration

refers to him as being an "expert" on middle eastern affairs. Considering

the current political climate of hostility toward us (Muslims), I am

disappointed, but not surprised.

The following link provides views of this war that U.S viewers, have not had access to.
 
Tim Stinson
 
 

 

 


 

To those of you at Aljazeerah I wish to personally thank you for getting the truth out there to a concerned and anxious world, no matter how ugly or unfortunate it is. I am an American citizen myself and I am deeply disturbed and saddened by what my country's current administration here is doing. I Love my own country very much, but I feel a duty to speak out when something is not right morally, or those who are in power abuse that power. I only want to see an end to fighting, Saddam gone, and Iraqi leaders leading the Iraqi people.
 
I am not alone in my views. Many Americans are heartsick over this war. (Myself included) I have dealt with clinical depression in my own life in the past. The anger, frustration, helplessness and anxiety over what is going on has made me go back into my depression.
 
Please don't confuse the basic good will of the American people for the imperialistic actions of our current Presidential Administration. We can always vote him out!
 
signed, An American for peace 
 
R. M. C., USA
 
(If this is published in any way please withhold my name. For the first time in my life I am very nervous about speaking opinions freely)

 

 


 

 

Dear Readers:

The Zionist groups and their supporters in North America (in US and

Canada) are very scared that TRUTH will finally be revealed. And if

happens, it means that decades of brainwashing, of airing junk programs,

and of spreading lies, which benefit only the agendas of the Zionist

groups, the Zionist state of Israel and their supports, will finally

be ended.

Read below about the dirty games of the Zionists in Canada and how

they are working very hard to prevent any effort that aims to educate the

public in N. America about facts and realities, parallel to the

N. American one-sided media, which is mostly owned, funded and controlled

by the Zionist groups. Those groups are sick and have been making other

people sick, by using the slogan of what is called "anti-Semitism" - a

propaganda invented by the Zionist International Movement, and

unfortunately that propaganda is still doing its job very well, especially

in a very intoxicated environment and ill-informed audiences as in North

America.

As a matter of fact, many people (and probably the majority of them) in

North America do NOT know the very basics about the conflict in the Middle

East. All what they know, thanks to the media in N. America!!, that this

is a conflict between the "poor, victimized" Jews and the "rich terrorist"

Arabs and Muslims, and "Israel" - the land of Jews - is given to them by

God.*

Imagine, a bloody conflict that has been going on for the last 55 years

and counting, between the Arab natives of Palestine and the colonialist

Zionists, is simplified in such an ill understanding. No woder, the

Zionist groups have been trying their very best to prevent TRUTH from

being revealed.

Read below.

Hilmi Salem, PhD

* Editor: God gave it to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These are the Palestinian people, not those who converted to Judaism in other continents. Read El-Najjar's article about the Promised Land.

 

 


 

 

I would like to point you to some information about the toppling of the

Hussein statue in Baghdad I found at

"http://www.irakwar.ru/iraq-read_article.php?articleId=2561&lang=en", which

seems to set the welcome to the invasion troups into the right perspective.

If the site is down, you can get the contents from the attached picture.

Sincerely,

Markus Landgraf

 

 


 

 

See the video shocking the nation, "Zionist War Crimes: The Case for the Prosecution." Read about it:

http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=308008&group=webcast

Online video, 56K modem: http://www.indymedia.org/local/webcast/uploads/zwcesad.wmv

Mark Franklin



 

 

My apologies for intruding but thought this info important.

Out of curiosity I emailed an Australian host (the one in the list I sent

you) when I was doing the host search for your site. The reply indicated

that their servers were within the U.S. and that they would not host an

anti-war site (this was very surprising) due to some terms of service they

had.

This is a Canadian company and its servers (at least some of them) are in

Canada

http://www.superb.net/

If you decide to go for another host, I would suggest to ask outright if

the content of your site will be a problem (no matter whether the servers

are int he U.S. or elsewhere). This may help avoid any surprises.

T.Takemoto 

 

 


 

 

I have posted Al-Jazeerah's plight on MoveOn's media campaign discussion board. Can you please advise how supporters may make a contribution?
 
Thanks,
Lisa E-C


Send contributions by checks or money order to Al-Jazeerah, P. O. Box 724, Dalton, GA 30722-0724. I'll try to offer a paypal function.

 

 


 

 

Check this:

http://www.jihadunspun.net/intheatre_external.php?article=51231&list=/home.php&

This site is quite good, included many Russian Intel. Info about the war.

 

Juan Bertucci

 

 


 

 

Many Canadian are as upset about the war in Iraq as the constant flow of
pictures of Iraq's being maimed ,blinded and burned by heartless pilots from 40,000 feet. I have called many business in USA and ask  workers if they are even aware of such atrocities and  they seem to deny as if its even happening.
Can there ever be any peace in the world as long as the only law  in the world at the end of a Abrams tank or  B1 bomber.
Please continue your coverage
 
jforest
Canada

 


 

 

Pro war letter

Where are the blue-helmeted divisions of the glorious French army (to say nothing of the out-of work German youths and the ragazzi inutili e incapaci d'Italia) drawn up awaiting transport to be taken to serve as civil police to manage the liberated of Baghdad and elsewhere?
 
Who are the United Nations Organisation officials named and appointed by Kofi ("Whiner") Annan to oversee this operation?
 
When has Annan ever mentioned the problem and what did he say (beyond quoting what he can remember of international law on the matter)?
 
Surely he is paid to ACT?
 
Any twerp can exhort.
 
John Gibson
 
P.S. Don't send the Dutch: remember the Srebrenica massacre!

 

 


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