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Flashpoints: Israeli soldiers eat family's food, urinate in their refridgerator

by Jaguar Johnny
KPFA Flashpoints Radio, Tuesday December 24, 2002
-About the horrendous effects of children trapped in war zones, specifically Palestine and Iraq
-Interviews with a spokeswoman for the Palestinians Counseling Center, with Barbara Lubin of the Middle East Childrens Alliance, and with Professor As'ad AbuKhalil
-Israel holds joint military operations with the US in preparation for an all out attack on Iraq.

"Pacifica


KPFA Flashpoints News Radio
click here for latest updated Flashpoints page

"Christmas

Tuesday, Dec 24, 2002 - Start Audio "for
-xx:xx Dennis Bernstein: "AUDIOintroduction: children in the war zone, Palestine and Iraq.. Israel holds joint military operations with the US in preparation for an all out attack on Iraq.
-00:00 Dennis: (joined in progress) about the horrible impact of war on children.. now w "AUDIOSaham Rashid (sp?) of the Palestinian Counseling Center (PCC) in East Jerusalem, and Barbara Lubin of the Middle East Children's Alliance, on her way to the Middle East.. Saham: a 14 year old killed in Gaza.. 21 more homes destroyed today, leaving 35 families homeless.."Palestinian a sad and lonely holiday season for children.. continuous Israeli occupation.. all this is affecting children.. many children suffer from emotional problems, bedwetting, tanks outside their homes, helicopters flying overhead.. a lot of regression, academically.. not doing their homework.. violence in school, bullying.. the presence of tanks make the children more aggressive.. Saham: about the 14 year killed today in Jabalya refugee camp (link2) (link2) (link3) (link4) (link5).. in illegally occupied Gaza.. his name was Mohammed Breek.. in the street, not throwing stones, just walking in the street.. had no weapons.. just being a 14 year old.. about the 21 homes demolished.. a refugee camp, densely populated, wall to wall.. the homes around those homes partially destroyed.. children just come home from school, to find their homes, clothes, books, toys gone.. their haven gone.. the long term effect, a lot of anger, hatred, terror.. huge families, a minimum of a hundred children made homeless today.. building anger and frustration.. their homes taken away for nothing.. Israeli claims the homes near an alledged bomb factory.. no reason would justify destroying homes just because they are near an alledged bomb factory.. the healing process, reconciliation, how will that ever happen.. we work with 200 children a day, and in a day Israel will create another 200.. two children came in with mutism.. internalized their anger, no longer speak.. more and more children suffering from this.. five and six year olds feeling they need to protect their families, and immensely frustrated.. homes demolished, parents beaten up in front of them.. Dennis: I can't imagine being five years old, having a tank show up in front of my house, see my parents beaten up, my home bulldozed.. "BarbaraBarbara: all of what Saham said, I have seen.. about the 14 year old murdered today.. in the most densely populated place on earth.. the Middle East Children's Alliance has a library in the center of Jabaya camp.. a wonderful project.. for the 15 years I have been going to Palestine.. hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in the most god-awful conditions.. the work of the PCC the most important.. if you're interested in supporting PCC, send a check to MECA, note the bottom for PCC... I'm leaving tomorrow, taking a family of Palestinians with me.. they haven't been in Israel since being thrown out 35 years ago.. the Halibi (sp?) family.. have been afraid to go back.. also going, several other people, teachers from Oakland.. in Dehaisha refugee camp, the Ibdaa Cultural Center we helped build.. houses a computer center, more.. all shut down, the tanks in the camp every night, pulling people out of their homes.. one child told me the soldiers came into his family home, helped themselves to the food in their refridgerator, and urinated on all the rest of the food in the refridgerator.. Saham: if the Israelis want the Palestinians to be able to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem they have to pull out more than one hundred yards.. the pre-Christmas march in Bethlehem usually thousands of people, choirs, boy scouts.. this year, four adults is all.. little celebration this year.. the answer is to end the occupation.. about the technique of letting children draw.. to express their feelings.. and we're using other art therapy.. to begin the healing process.. Barbara: I wish everybody here a happy new year.. (also see: US Army Brigadier General says 'It's Time To Get Tough With Israel')
-19:07 music break
-20:53 Dennis: continuing discussion on the horrendous effects of war on children.. "AUDIO now w Sister Simone Campbell an attorney and Catholic nun with Jericho, a social service agency.. Sister: I'm just back from Iraq.. went with Voices in the Wilderness.. I was stunned at the warm reception we received from every Iraqi person we met.. I had feared they would be angry at Americans.. amazing.. we also met with UN representatives, they spoke of the devastation caused by sanctions.. family income dropped from $500 a month in 1990 to $4 a month now.. low birth weight of babies, high rate of anemia in mothers.. Iraqi officials spoke of their urgent desire to talk to the US government.. the US has not spoken to Irag in 13 years.. 8,000 pages pulled out of the Iraqi report by the US.. Dennis: how will people know whether to believe the US when they talk about 'material breech'.. what about the children?.. Sister: I'm going to cry.. children we met can't sleep at night.. a 400% increase in childhood cancer.. but a lot of joy in children too though, we brought little toys.. we taught them "I'm a little teapot".. and they go to bed hungry.. a doll made out of string and rubberbands.. another doll made out of a plastic bag.. their haunting eyes will be in my soul forever.. her heart so large and joyous.. the US has been bombing and starving them.. Dennis: US Congress opens with a prayer, and then vote 10 million more dollars for killing.. the UN says a half million children already dead.. Sister: god is the god of the poor and marginalized.. this coming war will be the death of our country.. the death of our moral fiber.. unless we stand up and say no.. this war is not inevitable.. we believe in self-determination, believe in eliminating weapons of mass destruction.. but the US believes it is the exception to its own rules.. Jesus was born on the margins of society and has never been accepted by the powerful.. about a prayer circle we had with the people of Irag.. Dennis: about the Church of the Nativity, bombed by Israel.. is the Iraqi religious community preparing for this next attack.. Sister: a great sin we are determined to commit.. Basra, once a bustling port, now 60% unemployed.. about a priest there.. has created a pharmacy.. an amazing work.. has maintained great Christian to Muslim cooperation.. only 1.2 million Christians out of 27 million population.. some few Muslims fearful of the Christians, but the vast majority.. we went to a mosque providing free food to Muslims and Christians, no matter.. amazing to see.. in this culture of relationship you can see children flourish.. we have a lot to learn from the Arab culture.. Dennis: about Indonesia, attempting to play Muslims off against Christians.. Saddam ever do that?.. Sister: clear he is a human rights violator.. Dennis: absolutely.. Sister: but we heard from the UN that there is evidence that some of the gas Saddam is accused of using was Iranian gas.. Dennis: many reports otherwise.. Sister: perhaps.. but in regards to using religion for control.. some new laws, a big change, to give Muslims preferential treatment.. mosques can be build anywhere in the country, and Imams have the power to annex land and buildings around them.. in Basra, a mosque built next to a Chaldean (Christian) cathedral, and concern that if tensions increase, the Muslims could try to annex it.. Dennis: about the US corporations that armed Iraq and supplied it with its weapons seed stock.. the media saying we have to get rid of Saddam because of these weapons.. Sister: both the US and Iraqi people share fear, and should realize violence just makes fear greater.. Iraq has militarists and internationalists in their government just like we do.. we really don't need to kill anybody off.. I wrote poetry while in Iraq.. Dennis: please share something.. Sister: (reads) Jesus Wept: behold before me.. I just want it over.. we are dying slowly.. I just want it over.. the day my father cried for his daughter's death.. one lone tear escaped control.. adrift in grief.. be assured that fathers weep for children lost.. while the world spins on.. stop this march to graves and grieving.. leave the tears unshed.. Amen.. Sister: it is critical that we feel at this time.. the only way we will have no war is move out of our fear and isolation.. and act not out of anger.. (also see: Israeli media condemns Sharon Over Lies about Iraq
-44:00 music break
-46:55 Dennis: the US and Israel holding joint exercises.. Israelis in pursuit of a 'greater Israel'.. "AUDIO now w As'ad AbuKhalil.. As'ad: Israel possesses chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.. but its propaganda is that it is a vulnerable state.. Israel has never been better protected than today, the propaganda is bogus.. unprecedented that US policy makers so reckless as to hold a joint exercise, feeding Arab dismay.. the US assumption is that Arabs are feeble minded and will eventually go along with the US.. the US openly saying they will bomb Iraq water treatment plants again.. Dennis: about the play, back for forth, between US and Israel.. now the US killing alledged terrorists, like Israel has been doing.. As'ad: the Israeli assassination efforts have also killed many innocent people.. about the London conference of the *Iraqi oppostion&* recently.. the coverage shocking in the US media.. the Arab media gives the real picture.. conference all men.. the Americans at the conference yelled at, one thrown out, called CIA.. the serious opposition to Saddam, not in the fancy hotels of London, but inside Iraq.. the opposition actually would have overthrown Saddam, except for the US giving Saddam permission to use US helicopter gunships.. in the book, Bush At War.. Powell told Bush the US must evacuate all US embassies in the Middle East if it goes to war on Iraq.. and not reported in the US media: a massive protest in Egypt at the Qatar embassy protesting its support for the US war on Iraq..
-53:55 Dennis: wrapup
-54:30 End today's show. today's review by john lionheart


"truthout Leaving the Truth Out? Alternative Online Publication Reiterates the Big Lie About Palestine by Jacob Levich for Counterpunch - "What we have here, in other words, is a prime specimen of The Big Lie. Does it matter? Hell, yes. A lie that remains unchallenged quickly acquires the status of a 'fact' which can be cited in service of further slaughter. Moreover, this... plays neatly into the hands of traditional media types, who are always looking for reasons to dismiss alternative news sources as rumormongers and conspiracy theorists." Truthout.org | Levich article | send us your feedback about Truthout

Monday, Dec 23, 2002 - Start Audio "for
-00:00 Dennis Bernstein: "AUDIOintroduction: "BlackNorth Korea reopens its nuclear program.. Venezuala coup makers getting more desperate.. US destabilizing Haiti even more.. North Carolina congressman says he can't help being a black lawn jockey flauntin' segregationist cause of that bitch Cynthia McKinney.
-00:50
Robert Knight and the Knight Report.. Robert: "AUDIO GOP gives old politics a new face.. Lott removed from leadership position.. replaced with William Frist.. Hillary Clinton sez.. new boss much like the old boss.. similar voting records.. NCAA gives Frist a meager 15% rating.. Hispanic Leadership Conference concurs.. AFL-CIO gives him only a 3% rating.. League of Conservation Voters gives him a environmental 0% (zero) rating.. Iraq downs an US drone over Southern Iraq.. UN inspectors look at a milk factory.. UNICEF preparing for a humanitarian disaster in February.. North Korea removes seals to its nuclear program.. wants US to sign a non-agression treaty.
-05:02 Dennis: drumbeat coverage of Venezuala.. "AUDIO now w Al Giordano of Narco News.. Dennis: reads an AP story.. says citizens resolved to spend Christmas in the streets.. Al: like a script written by the Grinch.. but all day Saturday, Sunday, today, no demonstrations.. a few protestors from the *elites*.. hope they don't forget their white sheets.. there has never been in December a 'general strike'.. the media doesn't understand what a strike is.. when workers stop working.. what you have here is a lockout.. in the higher management of the oil industry.. it keeps getting smaller and smaller and smaller.. only foreign restaurants like Wendy's and MacDonalds.. see Narco News item, Christmas Comes Early.. Dennis: about Carlos Ortega, head of the union.. Al: he got aid from the US Aid program.. a corrupt autocrat.. he has the $420,000 a year oil executives behind him.. control of the oil industry has been taken back.. the workers are back at work.. the OAS representing 34 governments.. has always been a rubber stamp for Washington.. for the first time, finally stood up, showed some backbone, said no to early elections, and backed the constitution.. a historic rebuke of US domination, showing how fast things are changing south of the border.. Dennis: NPR says the workers were striking to protest the growing disparity between rich and poor.. Al: (laughs).. hardly.. Chavez is trying to increase the income of the poor.. cumulatively this government has been far more tolerant to dissent than any other government in Latin America ever.. Dennis: where is this going?.. Al: the industry is 90% back to work.. it's a long pipeline.. what the US and British correspondents have dishonestly done is.. the *strike* leaders have said they have sabotaged the plants.. the government has had to bring in certified ecological inspectors.. Dennis: you were almost shut down, why?.. Al: (tells the story of how he won a lawsuit filed against him and Narco News and his journalists).. more info: www.eff.org..
-18:18 Dennis: now to Kevin Pina "AUDIO in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.. Kevin: US trying to squeeze the life out of.. Kevin: the petroleum industry here spread a rumor that the government had passed a law prohibiting buying gasoline in portable containers.. I can personally refute that.. but the industry has cut back deliveries.. and former members of the military have openly declared civil war from a hamlet on the border with the Dominican Republic.. a cat and mouse game.. US squeezing as hard it can.. Dennis: DR where the 1991 coup perpetrators, FRAPP, fled to.. Al: yes, now operating a mafia type operation.. fifty heavily armed soldiers raised a Duvalier flag, the same day Baby Doc got on TV in Miami and said he wanted to go back to Haiti.. Dennis: he was quoted saying a lot of negative things about Aristide.. what would happen if Baby Doc would try to return?.. Kevin: no way you could contain the whirlwind.. can only lead to bloodshed.. these is a united stratedy, the US in Haiti and Venezuala.. the US cannot allow popular democracy in Latin America.. the elites trained in SOA always been US allies.. now w Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, soon Peru going democratic, the US frantic.. using the media to make the popular democracies look weak.. to combat popular democracies.. Dennis: Lula has send envoys to Venezuala to see how he can help.. any link to Haiti?.. Al: yes, but very quietly.. I believe that they are forming a block.. a CARACOM conference in Cuba, to the ire of Otto Reich, Eliot Abrams.. CARACOM made a statement.. anathema to US foreign policy.. Kevin: the economic situation is dire, prices rising..
-29:45 music break
-30:38 Dennis: "AUDIO the North Koreans have got the attention of the US.. say they are pulling out the stops on their nuclear program.. now w Professor Michio Kaku.. Kaku: there are 8,000 spent fuel rods at their reactor.. the North saying they are going to unseal these rods and.. but what they want is negotiations.. but Bush saying he will not negotiate.. where did NK get the technology to extract uranium.. from Pakistan.. where did Pakistan get its technology?.. from Ronald Reagan.. to get Pakistan to aid Afghan rebels.. and Pakistan sold the technology to North Korea.. we should negotiate a new treaty to diffuse the crisis.. a real threat of war.. Bush has said we are going to threaten people overtly.. with nuclear weapons.. other nations are not stupid.. this policy will backfire.. the third generation of nuclear weapons.. designer weapons.. earth penetrators, bunker busters.. electomagnetic weapons.. neutron bombs.. earthquake simulator bombs.. China has stated it will go to war if Taiwan gets these weapons.. India and Pakistan.. the evil fruit of the cold war.. Kissinger said: if a nation is going to go nuclear anyway, why not give them the bomb if they promise to be our allies?.. Kaku: about the offensive nature of *defensive* star wars systems.. ships on the high seas will equiped with these weapons.. not what the Americans are being told.. not really for the preservation of mom and dad and the kids.. Dennis: about the defeat of the pro-star wars presidential condidate in South Korea.. Kaku: amazing that the stinger missiles given to the Afghan rebels coming back at us.. the CIA calls this 'blowback'... happening now in Korea and the Middle East..
-45:35 music break aboriginal sounds
-46:53 Dennis: a Charlotte, "AUDIO North Carolina newpaper reported US House rep Cass Ballenger said he 'had segregationist feelings', and called Cythinia McKinney a 'bitch'.. now w Monroe Gilmore of Citizens for the End of Institution Bigotry.. Dennis: he was forced to change something on his front lawn as a result of this report, what was that?.. Monroe: a stereotypical black lawn jockey.. people perceive it as saying 'what ever happens, we control you'.. on Saturday his aide came and painted the whole thing white.. Dennis: he explained his segregationist feelings by saying McKinney was such a bitch he couldn't control himself.. Monroe: he has dug a hole deeper than Lott.. when push comes to shove, he is a segregationist.. his core feelings are based on race.. we have had to deal with so many officials with this veneer of harmony and equality.. Dennis: like saying I had anti-Semitic feelings for Senator Joseph Loserman.. er, Lieberman because I didn't like the way he voted.. Monroe: I was just looking at his voting record.. fifty years ago there would have been a parade down the street for his saying this.. his lawn jockey used as a campaign issue in his last election, but he still got 60% of the vote.. about another candidate that wouldn't close his bank on MLK day.. whites used to feel that eating in the same restaurant with blacks was impossible, now most folks don't give it a thought.. about Kirk Lyons, chief counsel for the Southern Resource Council.. committed to providing legal assistance to 'right wing patriots'.. organized a demonstration at the opening of the Holocaust museum.. on the podium with David Duke..
-55:00 Dennis: wrapup
-55:44 End today's show. today's review by john lionheart



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