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Zionism – Israeli Aggression

Dehumanising metaphors in war on terror

By Iqbal Jassat

In the light of fresh debates centered on Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly within the United States whose armed forces are deeply entrenched in the military conquest of the region under the guise of the ‘war on terror’, many fraudulent theories are advanced to justify hostilities against largely unarmed and defenseless populations.

The same can be said about the Horn of Africa and the US-sponsored war of aggression against Somalia.

One of the concepts used to perpetrate these military adventures is that of  ‘failed states’. The argument used is that the all-knowing West has to ‘remake the world’ in order to pave the way for democracy to flourish.  

Millions of people have been displaced as a consequence of these military adventures while the American presidential candidates bicker over their potential moves in this game of chess, which is what the terrible results of the Bush administration’s war games have seemingly reduced these tragedies to.

This cesspool of greed by captains of multinational corporations alongside the insatiable hunger of the West’s military industrial complex is ignored or at best glossed over by their media institutions. This explains the phenomena of ‘embedded journalism’, increasingly contributing to securing public approval for illegitimate conduct by America and many of its allies.

Metaphorically speaking then, ‘failed states’ invite invasions and occupations. And those resisting such aggression in defense of their precious lives and properties can be eliminated through bombing campaigns – after all, the prevalent wisdom propagated by their spin doctors who have sprung up all over the world as ‘terror experts’, is that resistance is terrorism.

The war of metaphors has become an indispensable tool in the armoury of perpetrators, for it allows perverted language to conceal the human faces of victims.

Only the equally repugnant process of curtailing civil liberties matches the process of dehumanisation. Hand-in-hand these methodical operations have resulted in a breed of lexicons, which are used to hide gross human rights violations:

  • Renditions;
  • Guantanamo;
  • Secret evidence;
  • Targeted killings;
  • Collateral damage;
  • Precision bombings;
  • Remaking the world.

As the Bush term nears its end, it remains clear that the ‘war on terror’ – though discredited and acknowledged as illegitimate – will be pursued under the watch of either Obama or McCain. Neither of them has given any clue that they are aware of the nightmare of Bush’s legacy from which people are struggling to awake. 

Indeed the latest account of the devastation caused in Somalia by Ethiopian forces under American orders reveals the extent of mindless destruction characterizing the dehumanization of the so-called ‘war on terror’. A report by Human Rights Watch records the terrible ordeal suffered by Somalis as a direct result of misguided policies emanating from the Pentagon.

No matter how the architects of this ill-conceived warfare package their propaganda, it is clear that in the court of public opinion their efforts to strip the human dimension will not succeed.

Iqbal Jassat

Chairman: Media Review Network

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United against peace

Only by vigorously subduing the US and Israel to the authority of the world community will it be possible to end the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict

By William Cook

(source: Al Ahram Weekly Online)

A confluence of news stories emerged this past week that, if related, shed unusual light on the deteriorating crisis in the Middle East, most especially on Palestine and Iran. On 27 June, Haaretz made this observation about discussions at the G8 meeting in Ontario: "World leaders ‘believe absolutely’ that Israel may decide to take military action against Iran to prevent the latter from acquiring nuclear weapons," citing a statement made by Italy’s prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi.

Indeed, Berlusconi continued that, "Israel will probably act pre-emptively." So engaged were the representatives of the G8 that they issued a statement "calling on Iran to ‘respect the rule of law’ and to ‘hold a transparent dialogue’ over its nuclear ambitions." Their statement went on to say that Iran should show a "commitment to international law".

On 7 July, Newsmax, in an article entitled "Lieberman: US Prepared to Strike Iran to Stop Nuclear Weapons" states: "The United States may be forced to launch an attack on Iran’s nuclear weapons facilities if diplomatic efforts and economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic fail, Senator Joseph Lieberman said Wednesday after a meeting with Israeli officials in Jerusalem."

On 11 July, Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh told Press TV that "over 100 countries in the general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] have condemned Israel for not cooperating with the IAEA. The Zionist regime has refused to sign the [Nuclear] Non-Proliferation Treaty and it is believed that the regime has about 200 nuclear warheads capable of being mounted on long-range missiles and a stockpile of chemical and biological weapons."

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Demascas international declaration right to return

 

DAMASCUS, (SANA)-Participants in the International-Arab Forum on the Right to Return Monday underlined that the Palestinian right to return home comes in the core and essence of the Palestinian issue and a firm right to all Palestinian refugees.

"The right to return home is a natural and legitimate, single and collective right guaranteed by religions, conventions and international laws… it’s a firm and absolute right that no one or side has the right to abandon it," Damascus International Declaration on the right to return announced in a final statement, concluding two-day meetings.

The declaration showed support to the Palestinian people in their permanent assertion on commitment to their land, civilized heritage, Arab and Islamic identity and adherence to unity.

 

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Statement of he father miguel dâ´escoto

STATEMENT OF H.E. FATHER MIGUEL D´ESCOTO
BROCKMANN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED NATIONS
GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY
OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINAN PEOPLE

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK
24 NOVEMBER 2008

Mr. Chairman,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Excellencies,
Brothers and Sisters,

1. It is with mixed emotions that I join you today to observe the
International Day of
Solidarity with the Palestinian People at this event organized by the
Committee on the
Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. As you know,
Solidarity is a
concept that is central to my work as the Assembly President. I want to
thank the Committee
for its dedicated efforts to rally our solidarity with the Palestinian
people, pursuing the
mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly.

2. Today we recall that, 61 years ago this month, the General Assembly
adopted the historic
resolution 181, calling for the creation of a Jewish State and an Arab
State. The State of
Israel, founded a year later in 1948, now celebrates 60 years of its
existence. Shamefully,
there is still no Palestinian State to celebrate.

 

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