Letters to the Editor, August 12, 2003

This administration has been very unwise and has plopped us into a hornets nest.We can not morally or ethically, just pack our bags and go home. We made the mess and we have to fix it the best we can.

Giving control of the process to the UN is the only answer, for the Iraqis and us. The US is not impartial in this occupation and I believe the UN would be.

This is the only fair solution, for the Iraqis.

Thank you for your site,

Judith Mendoza

A response to Elaine Smith's letters (August 8 and August 9)

Dear Editor.

Your Website is really great.

I was not surprised by Elaine Smith's letter, with its total lack of understanding of the aspiration of peoples. She seems to be completely ignorant and unaware even of US History. She seems to completely unaware that no people, with any self-respect, will not accept a brutal US invasion and oppressive occupation. It certainly is not 'liberation'. She seems to be completely unaware that freedom and democracy cannot be imposed, and that the US is the last country on earth carrying out such an outrageous imposition of its idea of freedom. The arrogance is absolutely appalling.

She also claims that most Americans agree with her, which is really hogwash......millions of Americans are appalled and totally against this illegal, immoral war. Bush was not elected by the majority, and the counting circus surrounding the ballots underscored the deep malaise in American society. I would invite Elaine to refer to many other sources which have exposed the big lie of the Bush regime, and she will find those in the US. It is only time when that regime will come to an inglorious end.

I speak as a Canadian, and I am certainly not anti-American, but I am totally, unequivocally against US Foreign Policy, and definitely anti Bush regime! What the Bush Regime is doing in Iraq is not new, the US was doing the same thing in the Philippines in 1898! I would invite Elaine to read about the Filipino-American war, where thousands of Filipino were killed in the manner Iraqis are today!There are many other examples, including aggression against Canada in its early history! The sooner that Americans like Elaine divest themselves of the myth of their Foreign Policy with its manifest Destiny, then peace will be possible in the world. The US under Bush is behaving like a rogue state, so how can there be justice and peace?

Sincerely,

Jack Lakavich

Kelowna, BC Canada

I am embarrassed and saddened how my country has sided with Israel and given over $134 billion in aid to them over the years . I hate to say it, but it doesn`t look good for the Palestinians to build fancy homes on Arab lands plus one of the worlds most modern and powerful armies. When Mr. Abbas visited, Bush he thanked him for the measly $20 million received by Palestine! What an insult! This week

John Cummings.

Dear Editor,

I've learned with great concern about the decision of some European
governments to send troops to Iraq.

In the first place, the British-American attack on Iraq was illegal according to International Law [without approval of the UN-Security Council].

In the second place, the in the Iraqi war committed British-American
war-crimes [especially the use of internationally forbidden clusterbombs which have led to many civilian-deaths] have not yet been legally prosecuted.

Moreover, the sending of European [or other] troops means de facto
support for the occupation forces since the British and Americans have
announced a long-lasting continuation of their military presence.

According to International Law, that states the respect of the sovereignty of every country regardless of the reigning regime, the occupation of any country by another is illegal [especially without approval by the UN-Security Council with the attack that lead to this occupation].

This implies also that since every military Iraqi attack on the
British-American troops is legitimate according to International Law [that acknowledges the right of resistance against the army of any occupier], this also holds a risk for the sent troops, who support the
occupation-forces.

So the decision of some European countries to send troops is not only a violation of International Law, but also highly irresponsible.

Astrid Essed
Florijn, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The attack on the Jordanian embassy comes just 48 hours after the Jordanian judiciary demanded the handover of Ahmed Chalabi, as pointed out by Middle East TV news channel ADTV. Is that a coincidence or what?

Read this relevant article

Jordan being squeezed between Iraqi checkenhawk blackmail and Eretz Israel plans, By cecaust.com

Alvira A, USA

Although I'm interested in Central Asia few of my friends are. I'm interested in trying to help get the truth about what really happened in Iraq out for debate and, hopefully, change. The US as imperial power is scary to me and I'm trying to wake up appeasers.

Recently commentators who support the war but have given up on finding WMDs have taken the alternate line that even if Bush and Blair distorted the truth Saddam was a really bad guy and regime change was a good thing because he was terrorizing his people.
For only one example: http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/4024059.html

But of course this way of telling the story lets the US off the hook - they are still doing something good cause they have white hats. The problem of premeditated illegal aggression is still obfuscated.

Pointing out that the US is happy to do business, even increase support of a dictator who treats his people just as badly as Saddam - Karimov - is one way of questioning this good guy logic. But maybe a better writer could connect the dots more convincingly.

My interest is still trying to focus attention on illegal war and neo-con imperialism. Bad Guys in Black Hats is one part of a deconstruction of US rationale for what happened.

Bill Henderson

website: www.pacificfringe.net

Editor: You're welcome and waiting for your contributions.

What's in a name? A number?

Arnold said that most of all, California needs a fuhrer, oops, leader. There are no leaders in America except the President. But Germany also needed a leader and got one from Austria.

Arnold is a man of iron will. He remade his body (most men would like to be more muscular but we haven't got the will or work ethic). He became Mr. Universe as often as he liked. Then he went into acting without changing his name, with very little English and an accent that made him sound less than smart. He became a super-star. Mr. Universe. Super-star. It can get better because Arnold is a leader. He's smart, he's determined, he's ambitious and he's strong.

Arnold is one remarkable Republican to be able to marry into the Kennedy clan. He is one remarkable Republican to make it big in Hollywood. Much bigger than Ronald Reagan was. And he's a friend of the Bushes.

I have no doubt he will clean house in California. But what happens when he can't do so for the US which needs it just as badly? He's not a native but he's still ambitious, powerful. What if he gets a call to come home and clean the mess in Europe? 20 years ago my first wife said Arnold was going to be the Beast of Revelation. I laughed. Now I wonder.

Harold Reimann
Lucerne Valley, CA, USA

An excerpt from a story on US National Public Radio's
All Things Considered of August 10 may reveal
something about United States intelligence in more
than one sense:

In it, retired Lt. General Jay Garner, of "the Office
of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance in Iraq
(ORHA)," in apparent excuse for current turmoil in
Baghdad, says (somewhat incoherently):

"What do you expect at the end of a war? If...
Baghdad's the size of LA and if we today went into LA
and we turned off all the lights, we shut off all the
water, we got rid of the police, what do you think
would happen in LA?"

Those who cannot grasp how such a statement might
reflect on US intelligence might start by consulting a
map or atlas and also by considering possible
differences between "war" and "invasion."

Regards, Nelson Campbell (USA)

ps: Baghdad seems actually more like the size of
Washington DC.

Dear Friends,

OneVoice is an initiative of PeaceWorks Foundation created and directed in the United States by Mr. Daniel Lubetzky (www.silentnolonger.org).

The regional director of the initiative in the Middle East is Mr. Mohammad Darawshe.

OneVoice is a movement of Palestinians and Israelis joining forces to achieve a grassroots, tangible means towards working solutions in the Middle East.

OnVoice Palestine is founded recently in Palestine and directed by Dr. Fathi Darwish. We launched our website few days ago in Arabic:

www.onevoice-palestine.org

We have obtained your e-mail address from Mr. Mohammad Darawshe and we would appreciate it if you could go through our website and if you agree with our vision and initiative, please do not hesitate to sign the proclamation form available at our Arabic website (www.onevoice-palestine.org).

You can fill the Arabic form either in Arabic or English. Please help us circulate this proclamation form among your friends.

Best Regards

Fathi Darwish

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).