The trial against the Raytheon 9 is underway in Belfast. In this video, Eamonn McCann and others give background into the role that Raytheon played in the bunker buster bombs that were dropped on Qana in Lebanon. These bombs were the direct cause of the massacres in which large numbers of civiliansincluding infants, were slaughtered. Please watch the video, visit the site where you can read the day to day trial proceedings, and send a letter of solidarity and support to these brave people who decided to sabotage efforts to build weapons of mass destruction. If you are in the Belfast area, show your support by appearing outside the courthouse and asking media people to cover the trial.
Free Leonard Peltier

The government under pretext of security and progress, liberated us from our land, resources, culture, dignity and future. They violated every treaty they ever made with us. I use the word “liberated” loosely and sarcastically, in the same vein that I view the use of the words “collateral damage” when they kill innocent men, women and children. They describe people defending their homelands as terrorists, savages and hostiles . . . My words reach out to the non-Indian: Look now before it is too late—see what is being done to others in your name and see what destruction you sanction when you say nothing. --Leonard Peltier, Annual Message January 2004 (Leonard Peltier is now serving 31st year as an internationally recognized Political Prisoner of the United States Government)

Injustice Continues: Leonard Peltier Again Denied Parole


Gaza--War Crime: Collective Punishment of 1.5 Million Persons--Recognized as "The World's Largest Concentration Camp"

US & International Personnel losses in Iraq &Afghanistan; Costs of the 2 Wars to US
Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America's War On Iraq: 4,667
icasualties.org/oif/
Number Of International Occupation Force Troops Slaughtered In Afghanistan : 1,453
http://icasualties.org/oef/
=
Cost of War in Iraq
$691,188,637,164
Cost of War in Afghanistan
$229,137,844,021
The cost in your community
www.nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182

flickr: DEATH FROM THIS WINDOW/DOORS OF GUANTANAMO--Essays, Links, Video-- US use of Torture
flickr: DEATH FROM THIS WINDOW/DOORS OF GUANTANAMO
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VISUAL POETRY/MAIL ART CALL Cracking World’s Walls & Codes Concrete & Virtual

VISUAL POETRY/MAIL ART CALL
No Sieges, Tortures, Starvation & Surveillance
GAZA-GUANTANAMO-ABU GHRAIB—THE GLOBE
Deadline/Fecha Limite: SinsLimite/ongoing
Size: No limit/Sin Limite
No Limit on Number of Works sent
No Limit on Number of Times New Works Are Sent
Documentation: on my blog
http://davidbaptistechirot.blogspot.com
Addresses: david.chirot@gmail.com
David Baptiste Chirot
740 N 29 #108
Milwaukee, WI 53208
USA

Miss Universe Visits Guantanamo: 'A Loooot Of Fun!'

Miss Universe Visits Guantanamo: 'A Loooot Of Fun!'
The current 'Miss Universe' Dayana Mendoza (formerly Miss Venezuela) and 'Miss America' Crystal Stewart visited US troops stationed in Guantanamo Bay on March 20th, the New York Times reports. Here's Mendoza's account of the visit from her pageant blog last Friday. She says the trip "was a loooot of fun!"
This week, Guantánamo!!! It was an incredible experience...All the guys from the Army were amazing with us. We visited the Detainees camps and we saw the jails, where they shower, how the recreate themselves with movies, classes of art, books. It was very interesting. We took a ride with the Marines around the land to see the division of Gitmo and Cuba while they were informed us with a little bit of history.

The water in Guantánamo Bay is soooo beautiful! It was unbelievable, we were able to enjoy it for at least an hour. We went to the glass beach, and realized the name of it comes from the little pieces of broken glass from hundred of years ago. It is pretty to see all the colors shining with the sun. That day we met a beautiful lady named Rebeca who does wonders with the glasses from the beach. She creates jewelry with it and of course I bought a necklace from her that will remind me of Guantánamo Bay :)
I didn't want to leave, it was such a relaxing place, so calm and beautiful.

Saturday, May 31, 2008
ilan pappe on mega prison sytem
This is the firt book to make a great use of previously unaobtainable military and political documents relating especially to the early years of the State of Israel.
On previous blogs, I've linked to or presented talks and interviews by/with him.
The mega prison of Palestine
Ilan Pappe, The Electronic Intifada, 5 March 2008 http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9370.shtml
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Mourners stand beside the body of Salsabeel Abu Jalhoumm, a 21-month-old girl who was killed early on Sunday when an Israeli air strike hit near her home in the northern Gaza Strip, 2 March 2008. (Wissam Nassar/MaanImages) |
In several articles published by The Electronic Intifada, I claimed that
However, in recent weeks a clearer Israeli strategy towards the Gaza Strip's future has emerged and it is part of the overall new thinking about the fate of the occupied territories in general. It is in essence, a refinement of the unilateralism adopted by
The wall thus is stretched and reincarnated in various forms all over the
They are different in shape: the West Bank is made of small ghettos and the one in
As far as the Israelis are concerned, the mega prison of the
This unwillingness, together with Hamas' insistence of resisting the mega prison system by a war of liberation, forced the Israelis to rethink their strategy towards the Gaza Strip. It transpires that not even the most cooperative members of the PA are willing to accept the mega prison reality as "peace" or even as a "two state settlement." And Hamas and Islamic Jihad even translate this unwillingness into Qassam attacks on
The Gaza Strip is now seen as the most dangerous ward in this complex and thus the one against which the most brutal punitive means have to be employed. Killing the "inmates" by aerial or artillery bombing, or by economic strangulation, are not just inevitable results of the punitive action chosen, but also desirable ones. The bombing of Sderot is also the inevitable and in a way desirable consequence of this strategy. Inevitable, as the punitive action cannot destroy the resistance and quite often generates a retaliation. The retaliation in its turn provides the logic and basis for the next punitive action, should someone in domestic public opinion doubt the wisdom of the new strategy.
In the near future, any similar resistance from parts of the
But there are wedges that prevent the destructive machine from rolling. It seems that a growing number of Jews in
As always it is important to be reminded that the west can put an end to this unprecedented inhumanity and criminality, tomorrow. But so far this is not happening. Although the efforts to make
Ilan Pappe is chair in the Department of History at the
Make every e-mail and IM count. Join the i'm Initiative from Microsoft.
Friday, May 30, 2008
The Institute for Palestine Studies (IPS) has created a special on-line resource to commemorate the Nakba (catastrophe) of 1948.
Announcement, Institute for Palestine Studies, 22 May 2008
The Institute for Palestine Studies (IPS) has created a special on-line resource to commemorate the Nakba (catastrophe) of 1948.
"1948: Sixty Years On ..." draws on the Institute's rich archives and its flagship Journal of Palestine Studies to provide wide public access to incisive articles, analyses, memoirs, detailed maps, and chronologies. These materials illuminate the events leading up to and culminating in the establishment of the state of Israel and the beginning of the Palestinian tragedy.
Readers can download PDF versions of landmark articles, such as Walid Khalidi's 1961 documentation of "Plan Dalet: the Master Plan for the Conquest of Palestine," and a rare memoir of Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser focusing on the cataclysmic events of 1948. Scholars, journalists, policy makers and educators will find this on-line resource timely and useful. The articles, essays, and debates are grouped in seven categories. Memoirs and reflections
In addition to the memories of 1948 by historical personages such as Gamal Abdel Nasser and Fauzi al-Qawuqji, the section includes eye-witness accounts of the fall of Lydda, the conquest of Nazareth and its aftermath, the Tantura massacre, among other tragic events.
Exodus and Refugees
The genesis of the Palestinian exodus is laid out with different emphases by a number of authors, including Ilan Pappe, Simha Flapan, Donald Neff, and Amnon Kapeliouk.
History and Analysis
Scholars address the historiography of 1948 and the crux of the conflict from different perspectives. Read articles by Walid Khalidi, Nur-eldeen Masalha, Tarif Khalidi, and Benny Morris.
Legal Dimensions
Thomas and Sally Mallison on the right or return; Henry Cattan on the status of Jerusalem and Michael Fischbach on refugee compensation.
Military Dimensions
Walid Khalidi's 1961 landmark piece on Plan Dalet was the first revelation to the broader public that there were Zionist plans to expel the non-Jewish population of Palestine. Other pieces include Benny Morris on Operation Hiram and Nafez Nazzal on the occupation of Western Galilee.
Diplomacy
The renowned Egyptian writer and journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal reflects on the impact of the Nakba on Egypt. This section also features Walid Khalidi's clear and comprehensive discussion of the UN partition plan, and broad analyses of the diplomatic background to the war by Sabri Jiryis and Michael Adams. Kathleen Christison and Avi Shlaim examine specific dimensions of the diplomacy after 1948.
Debates
Today's ongoing debates about the Palestinian tragedy began immediately after 1948 and picked up steam in the 1980s and 1990s with the advent of Israel's "new historians." Read Benny Morris' various restatements of his position and well-argued rejoinders by Ibrahim Abu Lughod, Norman Finkelstein, Walid Khalidi, and Nur-eldeen Masalha.
Related Links
* "1948: Sixty Years On ..."
RIP: : Bruce Duncan ( Utah) Phillips, 73, IWW Folk Singer (video link)-----Jimmy Griff Jazz Organist Obituary
Jimmy McGriff, Jazz and Blues Organist, Dies at 72 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com
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Utah Phillips--
Democracy Now had an inspiring tribute program yesterday , with Amy Goodman's interviews of Utah Phillips
saw him perform several times--
a great voice for Anarchism, Peace & the IWW
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Utah Phillips, the legendary folk musician and peace and labor activist, has died at the age of seventy-three. Over the span of nearly four decades, Utah Phillips worked in what he referred to as "the Trade," performing tirelessly throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. The son of labor organizers, Phillips was a lifelong member of the Industrial Workers of the World, known as the Wobblies. As a teenager, he ran away from home and started living as a hobo who rode the rails and wrote songs about his experiences. In 1956, he joined the Army and served in the Korean War, an experience he would later refer to as the turning point of his life. In 1968, he ran for the US Senate on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket. For the past twenty-one years he lived in Nevada City, where he started a nationally syndicated folk music radio show. He also helped found the Hospitality House homeless shelter and the Peace and Justice Center. We spend the hour with an interview with Phillips from January 2004. [includes rush transcript]
Reminder: CALL FOR WORK: REPUGNO SELECTS NO.1 opens June 1
CALL FOR WORK: REPUGNO SELECTS NO.1
http://repugnoselects.blogspot.com/
ATTENTION VISUAL POETS
* submission window opens on: June 1st, 2008 - i am out of town a lot between now and then, so hold off if you can please
* the few postings below and additional text on this page should give you ideas of what i like and want for this magazine. note; there is no magazine that i have found doing quite what i want to do, my hypothetical issue has much page-based stuff, but i really want something more...
* SO, i must stress that i favor above all else visual poetry placed in the world somehow, work that shows the effort of the hand more than the computer screen, poem objects and found work. (the images of my stuff in the right column give some indication)
* guidelines for what to send can be found to the right on this page under heading SENDING TO THIS MAG
* PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD - especially to any lists you know...
thank you,
REPUGNO
2008 Release of Poets For Palestine
from Remi Kanazi:
I wanted to let the listserv know about an anthology of poetry I've been working on for the last two years, Poets For Palestine.
This is the first anthology to bring together poetry, hip hop, spoken word, and art to pay tribute to Palestine; included are: Mahmoud Darwish, Amiri Baraka, Suheir Hammad, Patricia Smith, Naomi Shihab Nye, D. H. Melhem, Nathalie Handal, Lisa Suhair Majaj, E. Ethelbert Miller, Tahani Salah, Ragtop from the Philistines, the N.O.M.A.D.S., Fawzia Afzal Khan, Annemarie Jacir, Ibtisam Barakat, Kathy Engel, Junichi P. Semitsu, Melissa Hotchkiss, Alicia Ostriker, Marilyn Hacker and many more!
Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the dispossession of the Palestinian people, this collection presents 48 poems and includes 31 powerful images created by Palestinian artists. As important, this anthology features a array of ethnically diverse voices who use their words to elevate the consciousness of humanity.
All the proceeds from the book will go toward funding future cultural projects that highlight Arab artistry in the US.
Thanks!
Iqbal Tamimi---The Ministry of Prisoners
Posted: 30 May 2008 04:20 AM CDT
In the UK, where I am living, there is a Ministry of Justice, but in Palestine, where my home country is, there is a Ministry of Prisoners. Does this make any sense?
Well, it seems that it does, after all, states create Ministries to solve the problems affecting a large sector of their citizens. It is common sense to have a Ministry of Education because almost half of the country will be students at different levels, and many people work in the education system. This sector faces many obstacles that need to be resolved, and that’s why there is a ministry of Education in every country. But why is Palestine is the only country in the universe that has a Ministry of Prisoners?
When you read about a Ministry of Justice you will feel hope, it tells you that there is justice, and there are laws, and being requested to report there for any reason does not make you a criminal, it is just a system that investigates to find out the truth, there is even no indication of punishment when you read its name.
While when you see the Ministry of Prisoners, you will discover immediately that you are dealing with something totally different. You are starting at the other end of the system. You are starting from where other democracies end. You are at the punishment side without having to go through the fair proceedings. What is dealt with here is prisons and prisoners’ issues only, no mentioning of justice since justice is not the issue.
Becoming a prisoner in Palestine does not necessarily happen because you are found guilty. You might be there without a trial, you might end up in a cell when you are innocent, and this is why you need a Ministry at least to fight for your rights
A man might be imprisoned if his child throws a stone at an Israeli military vehicle. A woman might end up imprisoned to pressure her brother or husband to confess or to cooperate. A child can end up imprisoned for being mentally retarded, thus not obeying the curfew orders called upon by the occupation authorities.
The shocking fact that most Palestinians have been or are imprisoned by the Israeli occupation at one time or another, and here I am not talking about imprisoning one and a half million people in the Gaza Strip, or the people imprisoned behind the apartheid wall, what I am talking about is real prisons in which no one would argue about their definition. Twenty percent of the Palestinian people have been imprisoned in the last decade by the Israeli occupation, and this is the highest percentage of citizens worldwide. Palestinians are the only people where imprisonment is a word in every family’s vocabulary.
According to statistics of the Ministry of Prisoners, there are more than 11,000 Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli prisons, distributed over 23 Israeli prisons and detention centres. 1,705 are detained from the city of Nablus. This makes them 14.5% of the total percentage of detainees in the West Bank.
A report by The Public Committee against Torture in Israel reported six cases of Israeli forces threatening Palestinian prisoners through detaining their innocent family members this year (April 2008). There are documented reports of detaining members of families of Palestinian prisoners without any legal reason to do so. This report has been submitted to the Knesset itself. The president of the Israeli General security Service (Shin Bet) confirmed that one incident at least was proven by the Investigation Unit during the hearing of the case.
Such phenomenon might explain the need for a Ministry of Prisoners.
References
Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners
Director of Bureau of Statistics Awni Farawana
Public Committee against Torture in Israel
Reporter Ahmad Budairy BBC- Jerusalem
Arab Media Internet Network / Amin
"Los Desaparecidos" exhibition travels to Guatemala /"Aesthetics of Disappearance" of lands & people/Luc Fierens //Botero's Abu Ghraib
This is a blog entry that first appeared 10 June 2007--
when the exhibition, which first opened in North Dakota, was being shown at El Museo de Bario in NYC--
there's a poster/flyer here (not part of the exhibit--sent by an artist friend)-- calling for the prosecution of General Rios Mont, brother of Guatemalan President--who is wanted for Crimes Against Humanity
An excellent book on the recent history of Guatemala is Franceso Goldman's The Art of Political Murder--Rios Mont among many other murderers large and small scale, makes his bloody appearance in this book--

refugees in "Homeland" without "Security" for the poor who are ever more and more of its citizens--













Protest & house demolished in three minutes
disappearance and displacements of people--
American citizen political prisoners



"The Screaming Ones Vanish but the Screams Do Not"
d-b chirot












Now you see someone--
and then you don't--
you never did--



a homeless & stateless person--
disappearing from "counting"
("being counted")
as a person--
"There never was such a thing as a Palestinian."--
Golda Meier
BBC Interview 1969


since Bedouins are Nomads--
why do they need a village?
(actually this really is the reason given for Bedouin villages removals--
they're Nomads--they don't mind being homeless--they'll survive, "get by"--Somewhere Else)

Deniz Turcel, Turkey
"There is no 'Here' Anymore"
From the Exhibition LOS DESAPARECIDOS (The Disappeareds)
El Museo del Barrio
http://www.elmuseo.org
info@elmuseo.org
Heckscher Building
1230 Fifth Ave @104th Street
New York City, NY 10029
Open 11 a.m.--5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday
Exposition through 17 June 2007
This traveling Exhibition curated by Laurel Reuter and shown originally at North Dakota Museum of Art
I will be putting up more works from the Exhibition in next days--these today are only about half of the artists included in the show.



Luis Palma
B. Guatemala, lives Argentina
"Between Roots and Air" series
(A Mayan woman--Mayans never look at strangers directly--looks straight at the viewer--a confrontation--with next to her things which speak of the mass murders and disappearances of Mayans during Civil War)


Photos of Disappeared Persons under Dictatorship



"Breath"
a steel plate upon which the viewer breathes to see their own image appear and then disappear

Photo of Rendition Plane at British Airport on its way, taking American held/seized "suspects" to torture centers outside the USA


more from "LOS DESAPARECIDOS"

--Antonio Frasconi, Uruguay


--Antonio Frasconi


--Antonio Frasconi


born Germany, raised Uruguay, lives in NYC

--Luis Gonzalez Palma

Cilean flag made of 75 human femurs and screws

b. Argentina, lives NYC

Luc is a Visual Poet/Mail Artist/performer/activist who also works often with children
He lives in Belgium
his links are here at this site, to your left

