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New Forensic Evidence Reveals that Megrahi Not Guilty After All
Posted on February 27, 2012 by Marivel Guzman
Convicted Lockerbie Bomber Probably Not Guilty—So Who Is the Real Criminal?
US and UK pushed the courts to release Megrahi on humanitarian grounds, rather that allow him to present his evidence in his appeal. At the Lockerbie trial so-called “key witness” Abdulmajid Gauci would identify Megrahi as the purchaser of certain items of clothing found at the crash site that Gauci claimed were purchased at his shop in Valetta, Malta. But on the witness stand Gauci proved to be a flop at identification. An FBI officer, Harold Hendershot, called to the witness stand to bolster Gauci’s testimony, also appeared to lack credibility.
Megrahi was released and received hero welcome in Libya by Col Muamar Gadhafee.
Gadhafee denied that he was pressure to give up his claim that Libya did not have anything to do with the Pam 103. The economical sanctions were lifted right after Gadhafee allowed the extradition of the two suspects. One of them was found innocent, only Megrahi was found guilty.
Lockerbie bombing: Forensic evidence ‘casts fresh doubt on Megrahi guilt’
The wreckage of Pan Am 103. Picture: AP
By TIM CORNWELL
Published on Monday 27 February 2012 00:00
NEW forensic evidence claiming to destroy key pillars of the case against the Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing will be revealed today.
Forensic examination of a small fragment of circuit board, cited as critical evidence linking Libya to the atrocity that claimed 270 lives on 21 December, 1988, does not originate from the source identified by prosecutors, it is claimed.
The new evidence is detailed in two documentaries on the case against Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, 59, screened today on BBC Scotland and the Al Jazeera network. They coincide with the launch of a book telling the story of Megrahi and featuring extensive interviews with him, released by the Scottish company Birlinn.
The book, too, is said to probe deeply into the forensic evidence in the case.
In the BBC Scotland documentary, Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence officer, says he “forgives” Maltese shopkeeper Tony Gauci, who identified him as purchasing clothes which were found packed around the bomb, on a day Megrahi admitted he was in Malta.
“Forgiving him, I am facing my God very soon,” Megrahi says. “I swear I have never been in his shop or buy any clothing from his shop. I swear with my God, which is my God and his God as well, I swear I have never been in his shop or buy any clothing from his shop.
“He has to believe this, because when we meet together before the God, I want him to know that before I die. This is the truth.”
The circuit board, found at the crash site, was linked to the bombing because the fragment, labelled PT35b by investigators, was identified as coming from an MST-13 timer made by the Swiss firm Mebo. Megrahi had regular dealings with the firm. The Crown also claimed the timers had only ever been supplied to Libya. Megrahi was described at his trial as a member of the Libyan intelligence services who worked in Malta at the Libyan Arab Airlines office. He was accused of helping to place the bomb on an Air Malta flight, from which it was transferred to the doomed Pan Am 103.
Megrahi’s defence team was not able to secure access to the fragment to conduct its own expert analysis before the trial, or his first unsuccessful appeal, the documentary is said to claim.
But in preparation for the second appeal, which Megrahi abandoned when he was released on compassionate grounds after a cancer diagnosis, his defence team was able to examine the fragment and other key pieces of evidence.
Their experts claimed it contained no trace of explosive residue. But, more importantly, defence experts also claimed it was made of a different combination of materials to the MST-13s, meaning it did not originate with the Mebo device.
The BBC confirmed yesterday that their documentary explored forensic evidence.
The two programmes feature an interview Megrahi gave in December to his friend George Thomson, a former police officer and criminal defence specialist who was part of his legal team for four years.
Today also sees the publication of John Ashton’s book, Megrahi: You Are My Jury – The Lockerbie Evidence, published by Birlinn. Mr Ashton, an investigative journalist, was also in Megrahi’s defence team and worked closely with him to produce the book.
BBC Scotland insisted last night that, while the interview in the documentary was conducted by Thomson, the programme itself “was produced in accordance with our guidelines on impartiality”.
The Rev John Mosey, a British parent who lost his daughter in the bombing, said he expected both the book and the documentaries to launch a major re-examination of the Lockerbie case.
For those sceptical of the trial and conviction, it “promises evidence of things that we have been saying for many years”, he added.
He had closely followed the circuit-board evidence at Megrahi’s lengthy trial, he said. “It was extremely, extremely dodgy. It was very, very suspicious.
“The way it suddenly appeared, embedded in a shirt collar, with the information on the page overwritten and changed, all police procedures were thrown out of the window.”
But Susan Cohen, an American whose daughter also died in the bombing, said: “None of this sounds any different from what I’ve heard before. With these documentaries, is there going to be a panel afterwards, someone who is representing someone who is not the voice for Megrahi propaganda?
“This is simply allowing this conspiracy theory to flourish. In all these years nothing has ever, ever come out that really shows any significance.”
Megrahi, the only man convicted in the Lockerbie bombing, was said to be three months from death when he was released from a Scottish prison in August 2009 following a decision by justice secretary Kenny MacAskill. He remains alive in Libya, but in the December interview clearly considers himself close to death.
The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC), which investigated Megrahi’s 2001 conviction, found six reasons why it may have been a miscarriage of justice and sent the case back to the Appeal Court. The appeal ended when he was released.
Among the SCCRC’s reasons were inconsistencies in Mr Gauci’s statements and controversy surrounding an identification parade in Kamp van Zeist at which he identified Megrahi. It is understood the documentary makers gained access to the SCCRC’s investigations into the case.
Megrahi was interviewed in his bed in his home in Tripoli. Looking frail and straining to make his words audible, Megrahi laments that he will die while still branded “the Lockerbie bomber”.
Asked by Mr Thomson what he would say to Mr Gauci if he were in the room, he says: “I’d say he dealt with me very wrongly. I have never seen him in my life before he came to the court. But I do forgive him.”
• Many believe convicted killer Mohammed Abu Talb is the real Lockerbie bomber.
Talb was freed from prison in Sweden in 2010. He was serving a life sentence for terrorist attacks in Copenhagen and Amsterdam using explosive devices.
He was the original suspect for the attack on Pan Am Flight 103 until 1990, when attention switched to Libya.
At the time of the Lockerbie trial, Talb admitted he and members of his family were involved in the fight to liberate Palestine. But he denied he was “a murderer and a liar”, and claimed he had given up the military struggle before the Lockerbie bombing.
The trial in Kamp van Zeist heard Talb had used many aliases as a member of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, including one that translated as “he who takes revenge”.
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Lockerbie bombing: New book claims Megrahi was ‘innocent victim of dirty politics and judicial folly’
Scottish publisher Birlinn launches into the Lockerbie controversy today with the publication of a book that promises the fullest account yet of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi’s story in his own words.
In the Mist of Deception The blind throw Punches to the Wind
Posted on July 13, 2011 by Marivel Guzman
Israel is finding enemies in every citizen of the world. The New Non-Violent Movement is causing a roar in Israel Intelligence and logistic centers, they do not know how to proceed with this “New Thread”. Peace Activists around the world are holding Israel by the horns.
Now finally the rest of the world is noticing the true colors of Israel, those hues of madness never seen before. For years Israel managed to escape the public opinion using all type of Propaganda money can buy.
Are they a thread for Israel? Millions of peace activists changing minds and hearts regarding Israel, for years even the activists were shy away from the Palestine-Israel conflict as the news coming from Israel were seldom and vague and the tourists from around the world only destination was Jerusalem and the Israel controlled side of Palestine. No one really could know what was really happening inside the military zone of Gaza.
For years Israel have controlled every bit of information and the minds were set for years against Palestinians. “Terrorists Militants” were the common terms used in the news, no one will wonder, now the perception have completely changed, now we know that close to 10 thousands Palestinians are inside Israel jails for opposing the occupation, more than 600 of those are children as young as 12. Now we know the nightly incursions inside the occupied territories, the IOF’s braking doors and arresting dissenters.
The panorama inside an occupied land is not easy to picture if you are not living in. But now with the internet, the cell phones, cameras and easy access to public forums and the social networks the obscurity of the oppression has been exposed. Now we see how ugly the mentality of the occupier really is, they can not deny their true colors.
The flotillas fiasco has giving the world the Truth.
The detention of more of 100 peace activists in the last couple days has shown the world the reach of the dirty hand of Israel.
The bending of the government of Greece to the wishes of Israel.
The theater can not be seen any other way.
Like the fronts used during the WWII for the Red Cross, where the occupier forces will presented a rosy picture for the cameras and they will leave behind the horror of the prisoners camps.
Well, Israel insists in showing the rosy pictures, but she can not control the flow of Real pictures coming out of Palestine. Now we all know and we are acting upon, and she can not stop us all.
Israel is a Case of Political Failure, Predictable as its Tactics
Posted on July 16, 2011 by Marivel Guzman
Omar Karem
Palestinians survey a structure targeted by Israeli air strikes, that locals say is a car maintenance facility and the Israeli military says is a weapons manufacturing site in Gaza City July 13, 2011. [Photo/Agencies
When Palestinians Christians started showing support for the Palestinian cause, a number of Christian Churches were targeted around the world by “Muslim Mob”, when Ortodox Jews started supporting Palestine and speaking in that regard, Synagogues around the world were targeted by “Muslim Mobs”. It is obvious for us that have been following the conflict more closely that this “attacks” are purposely done by Israel or her supporters. And off course these attacks are never are claimed by Palestinians factions or Palestinians supporters.
We know that the resistance factions inside Palestine have their own agenda and work very much on their own. The elected government of Gaza, Hamas does not control those factions. The same way that the IOF forces can not control the radical actions of the settlers that continuously harass Palestinians inside the occupied territories.
There is something well known in the world of World News, when an attack is successfully or unsuccessfully done by any Palestinian Resistance Groups inside Israel or the Palestinian Occupied Territories, there is a sort of pride of telling the world who perpetrated the attack, even if they did not achieve their goal, which ever it could have been. They feel that standing against this powerful Entity and her army is a duty because they are fighting against an entity that have stolen their land and is continuously murdering their love ones. They tell the world that they did it, that they try. There has never been an attack from the Palestinian resistance that was not been claim, except if that attack was not from one of them.
There are rumors that some of the groups working inside Gaza and West Bank are undercover Israeli agents pretending to be Palestinians and they live inside Palestine and work against Palestine, those rumors can not be confirm, but who will say “Yes I m Spy”, Israel collaborators are usually put to death, so is unlike it that we will ever know if they really exist. But we know that some groups act against Palestine long term interest, even thought they think to serve a purpose.
The resistance groups inside Palestine usually do not agree with most of the agreements signed by their respective leaders, they feel betrayed by their leaders that most of the times end up being pressure by the US or the European Union to suppress their own people. Not that they have any other choice, their hands seems to be tied up most of the time.
An ordinary Palestinian sees the conflict with their simple mind and their struggles transpire in their everyday life. The people of Gaza are being targeted by missiles, sonar bombs, an strangulating economy that is asphyxiating them, a social infrastructure destroyed, Israel drones do not distinguish between a school, a mosque or a home, their drinking water is polluted, dirty waters running in front of their houses, high incidence of radiation from Israel bombs, cancer related to radiation, psychological trauma in most of the population, high unemployment rate, youth lost to uncertain future that engage in violent acts and drugs. I mean we can go on and on and lay out all the deficiencies of their everyday life and they see it as simple as ‘End Up the Occupation’, do not sign agreements with the enemy, because in their mind Israel is the enemy, they do not understand the Game of Politics that always goes against their simple well being, their future, their bare necessities never meet, their human rights violated, how could they understand or accept that their leader is not acting in Palestinians behalf? But who in their right mind will accept to be exiled, starved, make refugee, make homeless, murdered and not complain about it? Who Would?
Israel recent attacks in Gaza seems to follow the same pattern of the 2009-2010 massacre, where more than 1500 Palestinians got killed. The attacks never really ended since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 they only got more vicious. They have better war technology than they did in 2005, their experiments are being perfected. The damages are more lethal, and what the UN Club is doing? Nothing, absolutely nothing. What the US is doing? they are making more difficult for Palestine to survive another year, but even against all the odds, the international community of peace and social activists and Palestinians are getting ready for September, the big date for the drafted resolution to be presented In the UN, for Palestine to be finally recognized as a Free Nation.
Palestinian Flag Raised in the Spanish Embassy in Athens; Greek court releases American Gaza boat captain
Posted on July 05, 2011 by Marivel Guzman
John Klusmire, the captain of the Audacity of Hope, The US Boat, that had attempted to leave a port near Piraeus Friday in defiance of a Greek ban on the flotilla of boats leaving port.
He had been in custody since he was arrested, and appeared in court Tuesday handcuffed and under police escort. He still faces trial at a later date.
Greece has banned all boats participating in the Gaza flotilla from leaving port, citing security concerns. After Israel in her attempts to stop the Gaza Flotilla II from sailing to Gaza, visited all the European leaders warning their counterparts not to allow their citizens to participate in the coming flotilla. It’s like we say, Israel was caught up with her pants down when last years she killed in cold blood 9 peace activist aboard the Mavi Marmara. She did not wanted to lose face and accept her failure to stop the world for wanting to help Gaza.
According to the international media world that dozens of activists from Gaza Flotilla II, most of the campaigners are of Spanish nationality, they enter in the afternoon “Tuesday,” in the Spanish Embassy building asking Spanish ambassador to intervene in Greece to lift its ban on the vessels of the fleet anchored off the island of Crete and allow it to go to Gaza.
The sources said the activists spoke with Spanish ambassador and asked him to intervene with the Greek authorities and then went to the embassy to one of the balconies, located in downtown Athens and raised the Palestinian flag on them.
In the same context, said French activists were in one of the ships flotilla called “dignity” that has reached international waters, despite the ban, the Greek is on the way to Gaza, carrying eight activist and two crew members to be the first boat to succeed in penetrating the Greek ban and access to international waters.
Some of the activists told via Twitter that the ban violates the declaration of the French, where they returned the ship to the Greek port, to the unwillingness of passengers to sail alone.
Now more than ever we know how powerful the Non-Violent Movement have become, Israel does not understand the dynamics of non-violent combatants, she is just so used to kill at the sight of a rock, or to the fervent manifestation of in-conformity that now when she sees peace activists raising the Palestinian flag and the sign of peace she is disarmed in the eyes of the international community, and has no other choice but to invent blatant lies that will fly in the Media. But we know better not to listen to those old same lies.
Now she has resorted to other means of coercion, International bodies has to come to her aid, the Greek government as her last attempt to win the blessing of the IMF has been subject to be part of the game of deception. But the world is watching and we are not staying silence, those times are over, now Israel has to face the whole world, is not just Palestine standing alone, now we ALL Are Palestine.
The International community of peace activists are reinforcing their camps, the pressure to our embassies and central governments did not wait, their lines are busy, their mail boxes full, the protests around the world is growing in numbers and in force. I doubt that the support for Israel will last much longer.
We must make some memory to revise the old history books, remember the South African Apartheid State could not stand once the world outcry was heard.
To the leaders of the world watch the world moving, evolving away from injustice and inequality. Jasmine Revolution and Egyptian Revolution is a good lesson for you to learn. Wouldn’t you want to Rule a Peaceful Population? Wouldn’t you want to prosper and continue from the podium without being thrown out. You have the choice. Do your duty. Stand with the people.
Israel is lost, we win with Palestine. The chapter is closing for Israel and US is committing the mistake of being the vest of Israel in front of the cameras of the media that have dare to ask the right questions. In Democracy Now; State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland was asked the same question few times, about the legality of the Israel Blockade and she refused to answer, I wonder if these people do not feel stupid later on when they view themselves being the clowns in front of the crowd. And even Hilary Clinton repeating the same lies “Israel has the right to defend itself” and saying that the flotilla is provoking Israel attempting to enter “ISRAEL WATERS”, REALLY?. So now she is sending confusing statements to the press, officials of the white house saying that Gaza Waters belong to Israel!….I hope that she realized that she made a mistake when she said Israel Waters, because as far as the world concern Gaza waters and international waters do not belong to Israel. I wonder if this people is mentally remote controlled or they are warned before they go in front of the cameras, because it is unbelievable. Makes no sense. Why they are selling my country and putting us in danger?
With Great Shock and Sorrow,Italian Activist ‘Vittorio Arrigoni’
POSTED BY :OmarKarem
You came to Gaza as no one did,
You helped the poor and the hungry you fed,
Women were killed and children were dead,
So, you swore to free the country you loved!
…And since you’ve gone,
We’ll complete what you’d begun,
We will go on,
We will put our hands together,
And free Palestine forever 🙂
A sketch by: Claudia Ferrara
~Restiamo Umani~ Stay Human
KAREM SAY: “I SAW YOU ONLY FEW TIMES, BUT YOU FIGHT AS PALESTINIAN AND LIVED OUR SUFFERING AND YOU LEAVE THE NICE WORLD AND CAME TO BE ONE OF GREAT PEOPLE, LIKE RACHEL CORRIE. WE WILL NOT FORGET YOU BROTHER VIK” OMAR KAREM
With great shock and sorrow,
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the murder of Italian activist, Vittorio Arrigoni. On Friday afternoon, 15 April 2011, Vittorio’s body was found in an building complex in the north of the Gaza Strip, following his murder at the hands of kidnappers. According to Hamas security forces, that are seen storming the building trying to free Vittorio from the hands of the “kidnappers”.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), and its entire staff, gravely condemns this crime, which targets our inherent human dignity, and the values and traditions of the lawful struggle for freedom and justice. It is this human struggle which connects Gazan’s – locked behind the closed door of the Gaza Strip – with the outside world, and inspires countless individuals to stand as human rights defenders.
PCHR calls upon the government in Gaza to prosecute the perpetrators. Furthermore, all necessary measures must be taken to secure the safety of international activists in the Gaza Strip, without limit their freedom to exercise their humanitarian duties.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on Thursday evening, 14 April 2011, a group named “Group of the Companion Mohammed Bin Maslamah” announced the kidnapping of the Italian journalist, Vittorio Arrigoni, 36, a prominent member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) and a human rights defender. In a video posted on the Youtube website, the group demanded the release of detained members of the group, affiliates of the so-called “Salafist Jihadist Group”. The kidnappers threatened to kill Arrigoni if the government in Gaza did not meet their demands within 30 hours.
In a grave development, contrary to fundamental values shared by all Palestinians, the group carried out their threat. On Friday afternoon, 15 April 2011, security forces of Hamas found the body of Arrigoni in a house located in the ‘Amer project area, west of al-Karamah building in the west of Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip. In his testimony, a PCHR staff-member reported signs of beating on the victim’s face, signs of handcuffs on his hands, and signs of strangulation around his neck.
The Ministry of Interior in Gaza issued a press release on Friday, condemning this heinous crime. It declared the arrest of two members of the group and the continued search for others.
Arrigoni had worked in Gaza since 2008, when he arrived on board the “Free Gaza” flotilla, organized to break the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip. He devoted himself to the defense of Palestinians’ rights, and participated in a number of activities against the closure, against violations committed by Israeli Forces against Palestinian civilians, particularly fishermen, and against the Israeli decision to impose a ‘buffer zone’ in the Gaza Strip. He was arrested by Israel forces on18 November 2008, while he was accompanying a number of fishermen off the shores of Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip. However, he returned to Gaza a few months later via Rafah International Crossing. Arrigoni was also in the West Bank for a few years before coming to Gaza. He has been known for his activity with the International Solidarity Movement.
PCHR reiterates its condemnation of this heinous crime, and:
1. Calls upon the government in Gaza to conduct an effective and prompt investigation to identify the circumstances of the crime, prosecute the perpetrators, and publish the investigations’ results;
2. Appreciates the role played by the International Solidarity Movement and other human rights defenders in the occupied Palestinian territory;
3. Calls upon the international community, political powers and Palestinian people to condemn this crime and organize peaceful activities against it.
The events have not been clear since the beginning, there is clouds on the way the situation was managed by the security forces of Gaza. The whole world was expecting the release of Vittorio Arrigoni alive, there were signs that he will be safe and sound. Some tweeters were circulating about some journalist in Gaza lending themselves as a shields to secure the safety of Vik. By 1:30 PM PST the tweets were suggesting that security forces declined the offer of help of the journalists and they (security forces) will be trying to free Vittorio from the hands of the “kidnappers”.
The video by aljazeera showing the storming of the building where Vik was found dead shows no time. Will be very important to shed light to Vik murders to put time on that video. And the security forces of Gaza need to be clear in the way the situation was handle since the knowledge of the kidnap.
We know that this horrendous crime is the exception and not the norm in Gaza Strip, and Palestinians and the activists community assure the world that we wont stop our activities in Palestine. The goal is liberate Palestine altogether. No fundamental groups, radical minds or threats from Israel will deter us from continue the activities inside and outside Palestine to stop this inhumane Occupation.
Resistance Is the Right to The People to Exist With Prospect For Peace
Posted on March 28, 2011 by Marivel Guzman
How to subsist without resistance, when the law of the jungle is enforced on the weak of the world?
We have the West with its mighty Army of paid soldiers and hungry mercenaries enforcing ‘Democracy’, planting death and destruction. Ravaging the land they chose to destroy. They bend the will of the people using the most horrifying methods men have invented in the last 100 years.
US and its Allies went to Iraq and have killed close to a million people, destroyed the infrastructure of one of the oldest and most advance societies of the World. Iraq with its glorious history, it wealth, pride and natural resources taken as a booty as ordinary theft. They invented all the preliminary excuses to corner the government of Sadam Hussein, they enforced a no fly Zone In the North and in the South of Iraq, destroyed all Military Power of Iraq, they got the UN to imposed terrible sanctions, the Oil was to be sold to the Agencies specified by the UN only, in a term of 10 years Iraq was economically destroyed, military destroyed so when US and Allies invaded it was easy pray.
Now we have the story repeating itself with another Oil Producer Country this time is Libya in the North of Africa and one of the 10 exporter of Oil, in this case as the African Oil Producer are in a specific situation they have this Light Oil Crude, cheap and easy to Refine. The US and Allies prepare the territory with a fake civil war, CIA style and once the situation is right, again they are using the UN to imposed a No Fly Zone, where the only missiles that kill will be that of US and Allies.
Who gives the right to the UN to sign death sentences of unarmed population,
Who say that they have the right to disposed of the Natural Resources of a Sovereign Country?
Israel The Other Bully in the Block, every year with made up excuses, force the US or the UN to brake up a government or two.
Israel has kept Palestine isolated from the world, has kept Palestine unable to defend herself, her society destroyed, her economy to receive crumbs from the International Community, her agricultural lands ravaged, her people terrorized, incarcerated and tortured, and as if all the horrors that Palestinians live every day are not enough Israel has made believe the world that they are the terrorist. So outrageous for the people that knows the truth, it is unbelievable that the West and its allies knowing the truth they have financed and armed Israel.
The UN Club of 5 knowing the truth, they have kept a blind eye on the massacres perpetrated by Israel, the murders of Palestinians citizens, the target assassinations of her leaders all being cover up and ignore by the international body that suppose to enforce human rights around the world, the International body that supposed to enforce peace.
You Are Missing the Point: IT’s not Religious Intolerance
Posted on November 12, 2011 by Marivel Guzman
Hello every one.
I think a lot of people seems to be missing the point.
Palestine is an occupied land. Occupied by Israel.
Does not matter which way you want to paint Israel, the people that live in Israel, at least the Europeans Jews that came after the partition of Palestine, are the reason that Palestinians homes are being demolished, they are the reason that there are 4.5 Palestinians Refugees in neighboring countries, they are the reason that settlements exist in Palestine.
There were Arab Jews before the partition of Palestine, and they were living just fine, the problems for them and Muslims started when Palestine was divided and stolen from native Palestinians. Please do not get me wrong, many Jews that have sympathized with the Palestinian’s struggles also have also lost their homes and some are being incarcerated, specially the most devoted Jews that do not accept the state of Israel to being forced upon the people.
There is a very true statement that said: “There can not be peace without justice” and as long as the land is not returned to Palestinians, there could be no Peace.
Resistance to the Occupation is a Crime, IOF does not need excuse to kidnapped Palestinians, if they are between 12 to 60 years old, that is a crime
We can sing along all we want trying to promote tolerance of religion, co-habitat between Jews, Christians and Muslim tolerance but again you are missing the point, this conflict it not about religion, that notion is the propaganda machine- sold-story for mass consumption, this is about land dispossession, cold murder, natural resources stolen, humiliation,marginalization, discrimination, the apartheid wall, impunity, and on top of all that settlements inside Palestine Land. What is left after the partition of 1948 , after the other annexation of the 1967 war, after the construction of illegal settlements in areas purely Palestinians being razed for settlement use.
Hamas the political party in Gaza, the legal representative of Gaza should be recognize as such, If I like it or not my opinion does not change the situation in Gaza. Hamas like any other political party have followers and detractors.
We can not change the fact that Hamas or any Palestinian to have a valid claim for not accepting Israel, after all Israel was an entity imposed to the Palestinians in 1948. So, why should they recognized the entity that came to take their land?
So people, the story does not end with the youth of Gaza being known around the world, the truth should be known complete: Palestine needs her land back for the Palestinians, for us, for the ones crowded in 40 kilometers of land (1.5 millions) Gaza, and for the ones expelled, exiled, refugees around the world. Omar Karem, Gaza, Palestine
And when they Tear the Wall Down it will be the beginning when they dismantle all the settlements inside West Banks, When they return Jerusalem then we will be talking of Peace Process, before all that take place, Israel is playing just a game to take more land and keep the world occupied with religious intolerance and TV made up Terrorists, Karem said.
Omar Karem is a Palestinian living in Gaza, Palestine and contributor for Akashma News.
Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza, surprise visit?!
Posted On March 17, 2011 by Akashma Online News
By Marivel Guzman in Collaboration with Omar Karem
The situation in Gaza is looking hazily, after the set back for the people on March 15 for Reconciliation, and the steeps attacks from Israel, and Hamas the poorly handling of the situation on the date of March 15 that ended with arrests, broken bones and anger between the people, the mood is between sadness and disappointment.
The March 15 Date was sought from the youth and the most actives Palestinians that were hoping to mend the differences between the two factions; Hamas in Gaza and Fatah in West Bank. Neither of them raised to the occasion.
There are reports that Mahoumud Abbas the representative of the PA in West Bank and Internationally recognized figure for Palestine, will be visiting the besieged Gaza Strip. This came as a surprise for some that heard the news with disbelieve, they are afraid that Mahoumud Abbas will bring too much of his security forces and they engage in a violent clashes as have been seen in the past with many casualties from both sides.
Palestinian Authority is calling for September Elections, but being Gaza in a complete siege, the chances of wining any seats are slim, because Hamas is not allowed to travel to West Bank to make any kind of Political Campaign. We must wait to see what this visit will bring for Gaza. Besides being Hamas designated “Terrorist Organization” they will be no finance support for the campaign as it was in 2007, which Hamas run with the blessings of Israel and the US, no one understand why after winning the elections, US put Hamas in the “terrorist list”, worth to mention that the US has changed the definition of terrorism.
We hope that Israel does not use this encounter as a excuse to send its “Groups” to stir violence, it is known in Palestine that there are certain groups financed by Israel to send rockets to Israel and to charade violence acts, used them always very strategically to either get International support or to trash Hamas or PA.
The future of Gaza and West Bank is at Odds, after the first attempt of the people to bring their leaders to reconcile their differences and work as one force. The youth of Gaza and West Bank won’t lose the hope and still planing more marches to bring their leaders to work together for a United Palestine.
A question remain; Will Abbas be allowed to cross the Eretz Crossing, between West Bank and Gaza, but controlled by Israel, or he will be forced to travel out from Jordan and take a plane to Egypt? Lucky him, that Egyptian authorities just lift the ban for Palestinians to travel across their territory to cross to Gaza.
With all the turmoil in Gaza, the continuous attacks from Israel, and the sequels of the Egyptian Revolution where the basic products double in prices, the population is not in a position to prepare a welcome party.
30 Survivors of the Mavi Marmara made it to Gaza
Posted by Marivel Guzman
On Thursday, October 21, at 4pm local time, Viva Palestina – Lifeline to Gaza 5 Convoy passed the Rafah crossing, and entered the besieged Gaza Strip
Out of the 600 passengers of the Mavi Marmara, the Turkish ship that suffered the deadly attack in Internationals Waters by Israeli commandos killing 9 peace activists, 30 of those have risked their life again joining the land convoy from the UK based organization Viva Palestine.
Today October 22 marked a day in the calendar for the besieged Gaza whom has suffered a blockage of goods for more than 1300 days.
The highly publicized news from Israel of the ease of the blockage is nothing but propaganda aimed to calm the public opinion for its inhumane siege, that has been criticized by international organizations and heads of state.
The entrance of the convoy is just a bandage in the deep wound of Gaza, after being almost paralyzed for this siege.
This convoy and the previous can bring so little being the great necessity of Gaza after 5 years of Israel continuous attacks, and the blockade that Israel imposed under the indifference and almost official approval of the United Nations and its signatories countries.
The situation in Gaza is sad and deplorable after more than 5 years of assaults, destruction of her infrastructure and destruction of thousands of homes, added to the blockade imposed by Israel, with lame excuses, as the imports come to Gaza throughout the thousands of Tunnels between Gaza and Egypt. Illegal corridors that are more difficult to control than the established borders that count with military personal.
Palestinian Diaspora
The Palestinian Diaspora
Posted on 14. Sep, 2010 by by Marivel Guzman Original Posted by Raja Mujtaba in Gaza Today
Does It Care Enough To Become Engaged?
By Alan Hart
IDF doing ethnic cleansing
The real history of the making and sustaining of the conflict in and over Palestine that became Israel invites the conclusion that the Arab regimes – more by default than design in my view – betrayed the Palestinians. The question this article addresses is: Will future historians conclude that the Palestinian diaspora betrayed its occupied and oppressed brothers and sisters?
There’s no mystery about the Arab (regime) betrayal. When the Palestine file was closed by Israel’s 1948 victory on the battlefield and the armistice agreements, the divided and impotent Arab regimes secretly shared the same hope as the Zionists and the major powers. It was that the file would remain closed for ever. The Palestinians were supposed to accept their lot as the sacrificial lamb on the altar of political expediency.
Nor is there any mystery about why the Arab regimes were at one with the Zionists and the major powers in hoping that there would never be a regeneration of Palestinian nationalism. They all knew that if there was, there would one day have to be a confrontation with Zionism; and nobody wanted that.
When Yasser Arafat, Abu Jihad and a few others lit the slow burning fire of the regeneration, it was the security services of Eygpt, Jordan and Lebanon which took the lead in trying to put it out.
Fast forward to today.
The incredible almost superhuman steadfastness of the occupied and oppressed Palestinians is the reason why Zionism will never be able to close the re-opened Palestine file again unless it resorts to a final round of ethnic cleansing, to drive the Palestinians off the West Bank and into Jordan or wherever. In my analysis it is more likely than not that Zionism’s in-Israel leaders will create a pretext to do just that at a point in the foreseeable future
What point?
When it becomes apparent even to them that with bombs and bullets and brutal repressive measures of all kinds they can’t break the will of the occupied and oppressed Palestinians to continue the struggle for their rights and compel them to accept crumbs from Zionism’s table.
As things are I think it is unrealistic to expect the governments of the major powers either to use the leverage they have to call and hold the Zionist state to account for its past crimes, or to intervene to prevent the crimes it will commit in a foreseeable future.
And it can be taken as read that the Arab regimes will not lift a finger to prevent a final Zionist solution to the Palestine
problem. (Before Sharon sent the IDF all the way to Beirut to exterminate the PLO’s leadership and destroy its infrastructure, Gulf Arab leaders met in secret, without advisers present, in order to agree a message to the Reagan administration. The message was to the effect that they would not intervene in any way when Sharon made his move. After that message was sent, one of the Arab leaders present, Oman’s Sultan Qaboos, said to Arafat: “Be careful. You are going to ask for our help and it will not come.” Last year I had a private conversation in London with a major royal from the Arab world. I said to him, “Nothing is going to change in the Arab world until your regimes are more frightened of their own masses than they are of offending Zionism and America”. He replied, “You’re right.” I also said to him, “If the Zionists do resort to a final round of ethnic cleaning to close the Palestine file, Arab leaders, behind closed doors, will give thanks and celebrate.” His reply was the same, “You’re right.”)
Question: What can the Palestinians do to help themselves?
My view is that they should wind-up (close down) the discredited Palestine National Authority (PNA), and put policymaking and implementation back into the hands of the Palestine National Council (PNC), which is supposed to be (it once was) the highest and most supreme Palestinian decision-making body. To become relevant again it would have to be reconstructed and re-invigorated by elections in every place where there are Palestinians – the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem, the Gaza concentration camp and the diaspora.
The fact that the PNA is corrupt, impotent and discredited is reason enough for it to be put out of its misery, but there’s more to it.
In their claim for justice, the Palestinians have 100% of right, legal and moral, on their side (whereas the Israelis have 99% of the might, conventional and nuclear, on their side). If this claim was properly presented and pressed by a credible Palestinian leadership, by definition a democratically elected leadership duly authorized to represent the views of all Palestinians, it would be more difficult for the governments of the major powers, the one in Washington DC especially, to go on refusing to use the leverage they have to end Israel’s occupation of Arab land grabbed in the Zionist state’s 1967 war of aggression. (Not self defense as Zionism asserts).
Because Israel and the major powers won’t talk to Hamas (despite the fact that its leaders have signalled their willingness to live in peace with an Israel inside its pre-1967 borders), and because the Fatah-dominated PNA is so discredited (I imagine Arafat is revolving with anger in his grave), the occupied and oppressed Palestinians are effectively leaderless in the sense that they are without an institution to represent them in the corridors of power.
It follows, or so I believe, that a demand for putting policy making and implementation back into the hands of a reconstructed and re-invigorated PNC must come from the Palestinian diaspora – from Palestinian communities in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Eygpt, Kuwait, Iraq, Yemen, Western Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, Chile, Honduras, Brazil, Columbia and Guatemala.
The question arising is the one of the headline for this article: Does the Palestinian diaspora care enough to become engaged?
I have long been of the view that the major difference between Jews and Arabs is that Jews know how to play the game of international politics and Arabs don’t. The Palestinians could prove me wrong. The world, not just the occupied and oppressed Palestinians, needs them to do so.
Alan Hart has been engaged with events in the Middle East and their global consequences and terrifying implications – the possibility of a Clash of Civilisations, Judeo-Christian v Islamic, and, along the way, another great turning against the Jews – for nearly 40 years…
He’s been to war with the Israelis and the Arabs, but the learning experience he values most, and which he believes gave him rare insight, came from his one-to-one private conversations over the years with many leaders on both sides of the conflict. With, for example, Golda Meir, Mother Israel, and Yasser Arafat, Father Palestine. The significance of these private conversations was that they enabled him to be aware of the truth of what leaders really believed and feared as opposed to what they said in public for propaganda and myth-sustaining purposes.
It was because of his special relationships with leaders on both sides that, in 1980, he found himself sucked into the covert diplomacy of conflict resolution…Now Alan is an Institution in himself. Now, Alan is a regular contributor to Opinion Maker.
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