Letters to the Editor, February 27, 2004

Please demand the release of American citizen Huwaida Arraf. Ms. Arraf was arrested this afternoon for trying to prevent Israeli soldiers from destroying olive groves in the village of Beit Surik. She is not a criminal nor was she involved in any criminal act. Her presence in the territories is for humanitarian purposes and, as an American citizen, I demand that this administration work hard for her release today. The recent U.S. Report on Human Rights states that Israel's human rights record in the West Bank and Gaza includes the use of excessive force by security forces, raiding Palestinian civilian areas and demolishing homes. Will you speak up against these crimes or continue to allow Israel to use my tax money to torture and murder innocent civilians.

Stop sending my tax dollars to Israel. Ariel Sharon's government has shown an utter lack of respect for the rights of US citizens. I will follow her arrest very closely. Even if she is released, I demand that you speak up against her arrest and ask for a complete investigation in to the treatment of American citizens who live under occupation in Palestine.

Sincerely,

Selma Hermez

Israel Banks Palestinian Money

By Genevieve Cora Fraser

Israel robbed the banks today

Storm trooped into Branches

Incased them in razor wire

Confined bank staff and customers

Blocked security cams in sacks

Like common thieves

Stashed millions

In cash and absconded

An anti-terror raid

Humanitarian aid

Loudspeakers declared

The curfew

Army vehicles rolled on

Tear gassed and shot

Up the streets and down

With steal in rubber bullets

Into the crowd

Only 42 wounded

In the raid today

By Israel’s mafia soldiers

A Wild West show

In the West Bank

Raided not by investors

But Robin Hood

For the common good

At your service

As you bury

Your dead

Hand written orders

Were delivered today

Seizing land for the military

As the World Court hearing ended

American candidates sang

The praises of Israel

Groveling

Solidarity and best wishes to Armand Delaurell

I want to express my solidarity and best wishes to Armand Delaurell. The exact same threat I got from the same source twice....but none since....

I wonder who else they have threatened, and for me that means strengthening resolve to continue on and not be cowed by stupid ...

JacK Lakavich, Kelowna, BC. Canada

Thanks for the article by Rami G. Khouri, The Rule of Law , lawlessnes and terror

It is so clear that lawlessness and terror very aptly characterizes American power. It has been that way for a very long while. What I find so galling is the US criticizing other countries for violations of human rights, and yet it is alright for it to violate human rights. The unfortunate detainees in Guantanamo are the glaring example of US lawlessness. In what sense are they 'enemy combatants', when they did not declare a war. It was the US that declared the war in Afghanistan and Iraq!

And of course the most glaring example of impunity is how the US supports Israeli policies in the guise of 'security', flouting all international law and United Nations resolutions. Its alright for the US and Israel to do this, but not others. This is so outrageous. Today the US made noises to North Korea to get rid of its so-called nuclear program! What about Israel? What about the US, the main culprit creating the nuclear menace, which it now wants to expand to space. Colin Powell is exhorting Haiti to find peace, and that is laughable, because most of that present terrible situation has US connections. Just another example of meddling. Jesse Helms convinced the Congress a few years ago to suspend US aid to Haiti because Aristide 'is like a little Castro'.

When ever the US makes any noise about the varied violations by other countries and counsels them to change their ways, I find it laughable. The credibility of the US in the world is below zero. And if Democrat Kerry should become the next President, it will be just a more 'gentler' kind of lawlessness and terror. He has already pronounced his support for Israel. So nothing will really change until the good American people force a radical shift of American ways.

Jack Lakavich Kelowna, BC Canada

Morocco Earthquake

A tragedy even has befallen the Kingdom of my good friend King Mohammed VI, who was directing the rescue efforts for his shocked people-Well done good King and this heart to those that were affected.

I'm no earthquake scientist, but since our world has tectonic plates ( we build our houses above ) kept shifting below, and when those are stressed too far they broke or shifted very fast. We cannot avoid it entirely but we can do preventive measures, by strict building codes.

ps. Before, we thought that God has punished us for our sins, how wrong we were

Lower Boner

Have courage, vote for Kucinich!

As the Democrats get closer to nominating John Kerry or John Edwards, I am hoping that voters will write their elected representatives and ask them to review the well-thought out issues and solutions proposed by Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich. He is united with 55 Congressmen/women to make Health Care a right for all Americans. We are paying enough money in taxes to provide for better health and preventative care, but we’re not getting it under the present system.

Employ the Jobless to Rebuild America’s Decaying Infrastructure, Refurbishing environmental projects, High Quality Public Education and The Department of Peace and a plan for implementation and financing all of these essentials are not just catch phrases used to capture the attention of potential voters. Congressman Kucinich has a life-long dedication to international peace and making life better for all Americans.

Poverty is a weapon of mass destruction in the United States. We spend billions of dollars on the Pentagon budget while some people have to live in the street because they can’t afford to buy or rent a home. Racism is a weapon of mass destruction. Censorship, the delays on the Grammies and Oscars, is a weapon of mass destruction. I am sorry that the mainstream press has not given Kucinich and his vision for peace and prosperity adequate coverage.

Have courage, vote for Kucinich! Let us include these uplifting Kucinich proposals into the general election discussion.

Linda Zoblotsky

JAPAN WOULD BRING NEEDED SANITY TO UN SECURITY COUNSEL

"Citizens Who Care" must be a front organization -- what a propaganda-op neutral persuasion name!!! -- and "Humanity 11" -- well, the "11" speaks for itself.

Japan is the most peaceful and civilized and pro-humanity nation in the world -- and the only industrialized nation not yet under the thumb of the globalist elites who are ruining the planet to build their static slave empire, the global plantation.

Japan outlaws war and believes that government must serve the common ood -- i.e., is not at war with indpendent self-supporting and self-respecting middle classes.

No nation is ruled by more intelligent and honest men, although international finance has been pushing them around since the engineered collapse of the Japanese economy in the 90's -- and yes, Koizumi is globalism infiltrated hired man -- however Japan still rules by consensus government -- Koizumi is not the head of a smooth machine running the show as Cheney-Rumsfeld-Wolfowitz-Perle are running the United States for Bush.

Senhor San

Babri Masjid

If BJP is planning to break the insistence of Muslims over the rebuilding of demolished Babri Masjid on its original site and had gone ahead in sponsoring a toady organisation, Ayodhya Jama Masjid Trust, to build another mosque either at government expense or from ‘donations’, ‘magnanimously’ to be provided by the Sangh Parivar, they should take some lessons how poor village people in Afghanistan have spurned the aggressor US’s help and boycotted a ‘Masjid’ destroyed by US bombing in Khost area, where 34 people lost their lives.

Thousands of Muslim died in the aftermath of demolition of Babri Masjid. It will be in the fitness of the tragedy, that a Shaheed Qabrastan should be built within the Babri Masjid title area, where a Qabarastan already exists and let it be a monument to the thousands massacred by the Sangh Parivar’s storm troopers, both within Ayodhya and all across the length and breadth of India. Let remains of all Shaheeds struck down in all communal riots henceforth be interned in this national Mazar Sharif.

Ghulam Muhammed, India.

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).

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah's.

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