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Amerikans are getting what they believe is freedom and a way of life where they are not responsible for anything but they do not know the consequences of being the world's bully, of squeezing the world so as to maintain this way of life and to block every effort for justice in the U.S.The reality is a bigger bully will come along starting September and he is the anti-Christ and then you will see how quickly they become concerned about the michief of their government and their cousins the Israeli Jews in Palestine!!.........
MEMRI Latest News:
Posted: Sunday, March 31, 2002
Special Dispatch No. 361: Arab Television Channels Interview Arafat
Interview With Al-Jazeera(1)
Arafat: "They decided to take me as a prisoner, a deportee, or to kill me. No. I say to them [that I will be] a martyr, a martyr, a martyr, and a martyr. …'And they will be in the front line until Judgment Day'… and 'one of their martyrs [who falls in the battle for Jerusalem] is worth 40 martyrs'(2)... Allah, give me martyrdom in… [Jerusalem], the place from which the Prophet Muhammad ascended to the heavens, and the place our lord Jesus was born… I may be martyred, but certainly one of our boys or one of our girls will wave the flag of Palestine over the walls of Jerusalem, over the minarets of Jerusalem, and over the churches of Jerusalem. 'They think it is distant, but we know it is imminent, and we are right'… 'They will enter the mosque as they entered it for the first time'(3)... This is the path I have chosen… Allah, give me martyrdom..."
"We defend not only Palestine, the Arab nation, and not only the holy Islamic and Christian places – but also all men of freedom and honor in the world. This is our destiny. This is a divine decree..."
"Let those far and near understand: None, among the Palestinian people or the Arab nation, will be willing to bow and surrender. But we ask Allah to grant us martyrdom, to grant us martyrdom. To Jerusalem we march – martyrs by the millions. To Jerusalem we march – martyrs by the millions. To Jerusalem we march – martyrs by the millions. To Jerusalem we march – martyrs by the millions."
"This is a call to the Arab and Islamic nations and to all the Christians in the world. This is the sacred land called in the West 'Terra Sancta,' Holy Land. We defend these holy places..."
"We said to the Americans: You must act. Where are you going? Don’t you know this will shake the Middle East? I say to our Palestinian people: 'Oh mountain, the wind will not shake you.' I say to our Arab nation: 'To Jerusalem we march – martyrs by the millions.'"
Question: "Mr. President, Sharon said in his press conference that you have become an enemy, that you are not a partner for peace, and that Ramallah has become a den of terrorism. How do you respond to that?"
Arafat: "Isn’t he [Sharon] a den of terrorism? The occupation is not a den of terrorism? The F-15 and F-16 warplanes are not a den of terrorism? The tanks that place me under siege are not a den of terrorism? Bombing civilians is not a den of terrorism? Forty-seven thousand Palestinian martyrs and wounded in this Intifada are not a den of terrorism? Destroying the institutions of the Palestinian people is not a den of terrorism? Destroying all the farms of the Palestinian people is not a den of terrorism?..."
Question: "Is it possible that the Israeli forces will try to assassinate you?"
Arafat: "They are more than welcome. I seek martyrdom. Allah, grant it to me. Am I better than that heroic youth Fares Odeh? We are seekers of martyrdom. We are all seekers of martyrdom. The entire Palestinian people is a seeker of martyrdom..."
Question: "Mr. President, do you think that this extensive invasion by the occupation forces is in response to the Netanya operation,(4) or a response to the Arab initiative at the Arab summit?"
Arafat: "No. It is a response to the Arab summit in Beirut…to Crown Prince Abdullah’s initiative... This is an Israeli response to all the peace attempts because they do not want peace. They do not want peace!!! (sic) We must remember these things. These extremist elements murdered my partner Yitzhak Rabin. Why did they murder him? Because they do not want peace."
"Why do they distort Camp David? They ask why we did not accept Camp David. Should I surrender Jerusalem to them? Who can accept such a thing? Tell me, who can accept such a thing?... They are the plunderers, the murderers, the real terrorists in the entire world, in the entire world. We are the only people in the world under occupation. We put our hand in your [the Israelis'] hand... If this is the response to the Arab initiative, what does it mean? Who are the terrorists? The Palestinians? The Arabs? The Muslims? The Christians? Did we bomb the statue of the Virgin Mary [in Bethlehem]? The entire world turned upside-down because of the Taliban's attempt to destroy the statue of Buddha – is the statue of Mary not sacred? Is she not the only woman mentioned in the Koran? Is there not a Koranic chapter bearing her name?"
Question: "Sharon says that now there is a war without geographical borders. How do you assess the situation?"
Arafat: "By Allah, we consider all possibilities. Nobody is shaken, nobody is scared, nobody is retreating. To Jerusalem we march – martyrs by the millions."
Interview With Egyptian TV(5)
Arafat: “I want to tell you something: The world went wild because of what the Taliban did to the statue of Buddha. But when they destroyed the statue of the Virgin Mary, who is the only woman mentioned in the Koran, no one in the world says a word... We defend these holy places: To Jerusalem we march – martyrs by the millions."
Question: "...What do you plan to do while the tanks are two meters away..."
Arafat: "What two meters?!! They are bombing me. Can’t you hear the bombing?"
Question: "...Actually, we hear it from a distance..."
Arafat: "They attacked positions within the leadership compound."
Question: "...The question was, what will you do in this situation? How can the Palestinian leadership calm the situation?"
Arafat: "We are all seekers of martyrdom. We will not hesitate and will not retreat... As I told you: To Jerusalem we march – martyrs by the millions."
Question: "Is this a specific response to the Netanya operation?"
Arafat: "Great! All this in response to the Netanya operation?…"
Question: "It is obvious that the sympathy and enthusiasm of the Arab street is not enough. What do you demand now from the Arab leaders?"
Arafat: "To act in the international and global sphere with all the leaders in the world, in order to stop this international and global terrorism led by Sharon. Don't talk to me about terrorism in Kandahar, don't talk to me about Taliban terrorism, and don’t talk to me about terrorism anywhere. The most important and most dangerous terrorism is the terrorism going on in the sacred land..."
Question: "Mr. President, we are following [events] with you and we see the Israeli tanks approaching... We are with you in our hearts and souls and we pray for your safety and the safety of the Palestinian people."
Arafat: "Man, don’t wish me safety! Pray for me to attain martyrdom! Is there anything better than being martyred on this holy land? We are all seekers of martyrdom..."
Interview With Abu Dhabi TV(6)
Arafat: "Allah, grant us martyrdom in defense of the Christian and Muslim places holy to you... We are in the front line, and this people is defending these holy places…"
"True, he [Sharon] besieges us…True, he uses all the weapons prohibited by international law. True he uses depleted uranium, true he uses toxic gases…but we are steadfast… 'And they will be in the frontline until Judgment Day'…"
Endnotes:
(1) Al-Jazeera TV/Palestinian Authority TV, March 29, 2002.
(2) This is a reference to a Koranic verse.
(3) This is a reference to a Koranic verse.
(4) The March 27, 2002 bombing of a Passover Seder held at a Netanya hotel.
(5) Egyptian TV/Palestinian Authority TV, March 29, 2002.
(6) Abu Dhabi TV/Palestinian Authority TV, March 29, 2002.
Posted: Wednesday, March 27, 2002
Special Dispatch No. 360: Saudi Government Paper: 'Billions Spent by Saudi Royal Family to Spread Islam to Every Corner of the Earth'
The March 1, 2002 edition of the Saudi government English weekly Ain Al-Yaqeen, extensively detailed the Saudi Royal Family's efforts to spread (Wahhabi) Islam throughout the world.(1) To read about specific locations, names of institutions, and amounts of money spent in the U.S. and Europe, go to http://www.memri.org/sd/SP36002.html.
Efforts to Spread (Wahhabi) Islam (2)
"?The determination of the Kingdom to support Islam and Islamic institutions to the best of its ability was evident from the formation of the Kingdom by King Abdul Aziz but it was only when oil revenues began to generate real wealth that the Kingdom could fulfill its ambitions of spreading the word of Islam to every corner of the world, of assisting Muslim countries less well endowed economically and of alleviating the suffering of Muslim minorities wherever they might live."
"When King Fahd gave his support, either personally or through his government, to these institutions, it was also part of his purpose to challenge and expose the caricature of Islam, which is widely promoted by sections of the Western media?"
"The voice of Islam and Arab culture is stronger now than it has been for many decades and certainly far stronger than it would have been without King Fahd's contribution, but the bias against Islam, the tendency, in some quarters, to identify Islam with fanaticism or even terrorism persists and has not been completely erased from the popular mind in the West."
The Cost is Astronomical
"The cost of King Fahd's efforts in this field has been astronomical, amounting to many billions of Saudi Riyals. In terms of Islamic institutions, the result is some 210 Islamic centers wholly or partly financed by Saudi Arabia, more than 1,500 mosques and 202 colleges and almost 2,000 schools for educating Muslim children in non-Islamic countries in Europe, North and South America, Australia and Asia? All over the world the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has supported and contributed in the establishment of mosques and Islamic centers?"
(1) Ain Al-Yaqeen, March 1, 2002, www.ain-al-yaqeen.com.
(2) Subtitles by MEMRI.
Posted: Tuesday, March 26, 2002
Inquiry and Analysis No. 89: Iran's Armament - A Central Element in Establishing Itself as a Regional Superpower
Background: Iran's Strategic Considerations
Since the days of Muhammad Reza Shah, Iran has perceived itself as a regional superpower.(1) In accordance with this view, it aspires to arm itself with both conventional and non-conventional weapons (long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons), even though publicly Iran disavows its intention to acquire nuclear weapons. Iran's strategic goals in its effort to become a regional superpower are:
Firstly, to establish a superior regional position amongst states which neighbor it, such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, as well as the Muslim republics of Central Asia; amongst regional neighbors such as Turkey, Egypt, and Israel; and finally, to establish an equal status with the other regional nuclear superpowers Pakistan and India.
Secondly, to strengthen its position as an Asian-Islamic center of power recognized as such by the U.S. and Europe, and amongst the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
In addition, Iran desires to compete with Turkey and Russia for influence in Afghanistan and Central Asian countries and to influence the agenda of the Muslim world. Lastly, Iran strives to influence Palestinian strategy and policy.
Iranian – Russian Cooperation on Conventional Arms
Since the cutting off of American military supplies to Iran following the Islamic Revolution, and the sanctions posed by the U.S. on commerce with third party companies,(2) Iran began to rely primarily on Soviet and Russian made weaponry.(3) From the Russian point of view, its cooperation with Iran is helping rebuild the Russian military industry (including Research and Development of strategic weapons) which has faced financial difficulties emanating from the end of the Cold War. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed public satisfaction regarding the cooperation between the two countries on this issue.(4) During their separate visits to Moscow, both Iran's President Muhammad Khatami, in March 2001, and Minister of Defense Ali Shamkhani, in October 2001, signed military cooperation agreements and arms deals with Russia valued at billion dollars over the coming years.(5)
Iran and Russia have arms contracts dating back to the 1990s, when Iran received over one hundred T-72 tanks from Russia and even began indigenous manufacturing of tanks upon obtaining Russian license. Iran was also equipped with artillery, anti-aircraft and air-defense systems, armored vehicles, Mi-17 helicopters and other military supplies.(6)
In 2000, Iran made a strategic decision to modernize its military build-up in a twenty-five year program, relying on Russian technology and weaponry.(7) The program includes the following elements:
The creation of an integrated anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense system, including the anti-aircraft missile system S-300, and aerial defense system of medium and short-range missiles (SA-11, and SA-15 respectively); the creation of an aerial defense system for the defense of nuclear and military facilities; the licensed production of weapons – artillery, airplanes, and warships; modernization of aircraft and aviation equipment, and modernization of three Kilo-type submarines purchased from Russia. The plan also calls for the establishment of training, repair, and service centers for Iran's land, sea, and air forces; a space program with the goal of launching six satellites; and the training of hundreds of military and technical experts in Russian training facilities.(8)
A close examination of the program indicates that Iran aspires to establish a powerful industrial-military complex, which will also be used for manufacturing weapons for export.(9)
Nuclear Cooperation
In the mid 1990's, Iran signed an million contract with Russia to build a water-cooled nuclear reactor in Bushehr.(10) The framework agreement between the two nations mentions the possible construction of four nuclear reactors, two of the VVER-1000 type, similar to the one currently under construction in Bushehr, and two additional VVER–440 types amounting all together to billion.(11) Last November, Iran received the reactor's shell and other components of the first reactor. In February 2002, the Tehran-based Iran Daily reported that Russia's Ministry of Atomic Energy announced that the reactor would be inagurated in September 2002.(12) However, two high-ranking Russian officials stated that the date would be far later. Russian Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeny Reshetnikov stated that the first unit of the power plant would be activated by the end of 2003,(13) and Russian Deputy Nuclear Energy Minister Valerii Lebedev said Russia plans to complete construction by late 2004 or early 2005.(14) In addition, recent media reports claimed that Russia would build another nuclear reactor in Iran.(15)
In his visit to Moscow in March 2001, Khatami expressed concern with the mounting delays in the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant,(16) but Moscow recently announced that it fully intends to fulfill its side of the contract.(17) Member of the Majlis, Kazem Jalali, who belongs to the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said: "We [Iran] have nuclear cooperation with Russia and they have acted positively in this regard." He added that "the Russians want to work with us and we should encourage them."(18)
Both Russia and Iran repeatedly claimed that their nuclear cooperation is for peaceful purposes.(19) Iran has emphasized that it arms itself only for self-defense and that its nuclear program is designed for peaceful purposes, such as "energy, agriculture, and environment,"(20) and therefore, it is legitimate. In statements and in editorials in the Iranian media, high-level Iranian officials stressed that Iran's nuclear facilities are subject to regular inspection and monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.(21) The spokesmen further emphasized that Iran is a signatory to the various international arms control and disarmament conventions.(22)
Cooperation on Ballistic Missiles
Iran is also developing medium and long-range missiles, which are perceived as strategic weapons. In 1985, former Iranian president Hashemi Rafsanjani signed an agreement with North Korea for the delivery of North Korean missiles at a value of million. Iran is also engaged in indigenous development of engines and other components for the Shihab missile.(23) The Shihab missile is considered by Iran as a means of deterrence and defense primarily against Iraq. In an interview with the London Arabic Daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Iranian Defense Minister Rear-Admiral Ali Shamkhani, underlined that Iran is working on development of its ballistic capabilities, especially the Shihab 3, with an 800 mile range: "We focus now on making this missile extremely accurate and extremely fast from a tactical perspective, [we also try to] shorten its pre-launching time, [as well as] its destructive and explosive capability in accordance with the internationally accepted standard for defense weapons."(24)
According to reports from Russian scientists who worked in Iran, it seems that many of them were involved in assisting in the development of the Iranian ballistic missile deployment and the nuclear industry. Vadim Vorobei, a Russian missile scientist who worked in Iran for several years and helped in the build up of the Iranian missile deployment, admitted that the Iranians are "paranoid," and that "they wanted to receive information from us, but at the same time they were not willing to tell us everything they were doing. That made it difficult to help them."(25) Alexi Krasnov, Head of External Relations in the Russian Space Agency, disclosed in the PIR Institute's (The Center for Policy Studies in Russia) conference on security affairs, that several Russian companies (out of the 10 under U.S. sanctions) were "cover-up" companies, which were actually established to export sensitive technologies. He also called on the West to expand its cooperation with factories for missile production in Russia in order to distance the experts in these companies from "suspicious customers." He added, not allowing the Russian Space Industry legitimate cooperation abilities might lead to illegal contacts, which would be hard to monitor.(26) The German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer later warned Russia not to sell Iran long-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying chemical and biological warheads.(27)
Iran and International Conventions on Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)(28)
The Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Hassan Ruwhani, a senior official who is also a confidant of the 'Supreme Leader,' Ali Khamenei, explained in a rare statement, Iran's position regarding international arms control and armament conventions: "The reason that Iran becomes signatory to international conventions is to pave the way for access to modern technology which developed countries have made commitments to provide." On the issue of technology transfer, Ruwhani complained to the Chairman of German Parliamentary Commission on Foreign Affairs Hans Ulrich Klose that, "it is not comprehensible that Iran makes unilateral commitments by signing the international conventions while the developed nations including Germany, do not observe their commitment to supply modern technology."(29)
Iran is a party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT, 1970), the Geneva Protocol, which prohibits the use of chemical and biological weapons (1925), the Chemical Weapon Convention (CWC, 1993), the Biological Weapon Convention (BWC, 1975), and is a signatory to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which prohibits nuclear testing, although Iran did not ratify it.(30)
However, Iran did not accede to the 'Additional Protocol' (also known as '93+2') which was created following the Gulf War and constitutes additional safeguards for achieving the maximum degree of assurance of both the non-diversion of nuclear materials declared for peaceful purposes, and the absence of undeclared nuclear materials and activities.(31)
There is no international convention relating to ballistic missiles. However, during the 1980s, due to an American initiative, the export control regime on missiles, MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime) was established. This regime is enforced by 32 countries, including Russia and European countries, which accepted voluntarily limitations on the transfer of missiles technology and dual use components, for missiles with the range of over 170 miles and with 660 lbs. payload.
Iran advocates a legalistic approach, namely it presents itself as adhering to international law by becoming a signatory to international conventions. It perceives missile development as a part of conventional arms development and therefore a legitimate act. Iran's Defense Ministry Spokesman Keivan Khosravi said, "Iran's missile plans are … its natural right and in line with developing Iran's capabilities in the aerospace field."(32)
Iran generally objects to the 'Export Control Regimes' and in particular to the MTCR, claiming that these regimes discriminate developing countries and prevent them from acquiring relevant material and technology. Iran sees the 'Export Control Regimes' as an example of Western supremacy over developing countries, and is trying to advance a different approach: a UN resolution on missiles, which requests the UN Secretary General to establish a group of governmental experts.(33)
Despite the fact that long-range ballistic missiles are advocated by Iran as vital for defense and deterrence against Iraq, the range of missiles produced by Iran exceeds the range of defense and deterrence against Iraq and, in fact, reaches Israel and Europe ('Shihab 3' range of 800 miles; 'Shihab 4' range of 1200 miles).
Following consultations between President Khatami, Defense Minister Shamkhani, and Iran's military commanders, the London-based daily, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, reported that Iran recently decided to stop the development of the 'Shihab 4' missile so that it is not charged with threatening Europe or the U.S. The development of the 'Shihab 3,' however, continues.(34)
*Ayelet Savyon is Director of the Iranian Media Project.
Endnotes:
(1) With the British announcement in 1968 on its future withdrawal from the region in 1971, Iran demanded in return for conceding Bahrain, which was regarded by Iran as an Iranian territory, to be recognized by Britain as a regional superpower.
(2) The Iran Libya Sanction Act (ILSA) was renewed by the Bush Administration August, 2001.
(3) See Iranian and Russian statements regarding this issue: "In the last few years Russia has become Iran's primary arms supplier." Afarinsh, February 19, 2002; Norouz, February 20, 2001; Tehran Times, February 17, 2002.
(4) IRNA, October 17, 2001.
(5) IRNA, October 1 and 4, 2001; December 17, 2001.
(6) Jane's Defense Weekly, November 28, 2001; Ze'ev Wolfson, "The 'Russian Factor' in the Middle East Military Balance," Ariel Center for Policy Research, no. 133, pp. 19-20.
(7) The agreements signed in 2001 practically nullified ‘The Gore-Chernomyrdin Agreement' signed in 1995 between the U.S. and Russia aiming at limiting the sale of Russian conventional weapons to Iran. With the change of administrations in both the U.S. and Russia in November 2000, Moscow announced that it is no longer committed to this agreement. Shamkhani also said that the arms contracts, which were signed with Russia, are considered as "cancellation of the imposed Gore-Chernomyrdin pact" and "open a new chapter in the constant and long term cooperation between the two countries." IRNA, October 6, December 17, 2001.
(8) See reports about visits of high-ranking military navy and air-forces delegations, IRNA, October 4, 2001; Shamkhani announced that Iran is building double-deck warships and torpedo boats in addition to the development of a marine missile industry, IRNA, February 13, 2002; Rasalat, January 14, 2002; Tehran Times, February 17, 2002; Ze'ev Wolfson, "The "Russian Factor" in the Middle East Military Balance," Ariel Center for Policy Research, no. 133, pp. 20-21.
(9) Former Iranian president Hashemi Rafsanjani made conflicting statements in this regard: in the Tehran Times he said, "Iran today is one of the leading arms industry powers in the world," January 8, 2002, and in IRNA, he denied the fact that Iran "[sells] weapons and is not interested in arms sale," January 6, 2002.
(10) The reactor was ordered in the beginning of 1994 after the German constructor, Siemens withdrew, due to American pressure. Tehran Times, November 18, 2001.
(11) For more details see Brenda Shaffer, Partners in need: The Strategic Relationship of Russia and Iran, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, no. 57, p. 73.
(12) Iran Daily, February 17, 2002.
(13) IRNA, March 4, 2002.
(14) ITAR-TASS quotes RFL/RL, February 14, 2002.
(15) Jane's Defense Weekly, November 28, 2001; Norouz, February 20, and February 28, 2002; Entekhab, March 5, 2002, IRNA, March 8, 2001.
(16) Tehran Times, November 18, 2001. The Iranian Ambassador to Russia Gholam-Reza Shafei announced that the operation of the reactor will be delayed until late 2003 and that Iran is not happy about it. Norouz, February 28, 2002.
(17) RFE/ RL, February 14, 2002. Russian Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeny Reshetnikov stated that Russia is going ahead with completing the power plant. IRNA, March 4, 2002.
(18) IRNA, February 19, 2002. Just before Iranian Foreign Minister Kharrazi took off for a visit to Moscow, Russia announced that the visit scheduled for February 19,2002 was postponed. A few days later the Persian paper Bonyan reported that "Russian experts are leaving the nuclear reactor in Bushehr back home," following Russia's Energy Minister's statement on a change in the policy of cooperation between Tehran and Moscow, Bonyan as quoted by IRNA, February 25, 2002. In reaction, Iran denied any change in the Russian policy towards it and claimed that the 180 Russians who left the Bushehr plant did it as a regular shifts exchange upon Tehran's request. IRNA, February 26, Norouz, February 28, IRNA, March 4, 2002. Further more, Russia also denied the report about Russian experts leaving Bushehr, IRNA, March 4, 2002. Managing Director of the Russian Institute for Nuclear Equipment Export Victor Kouzlov vowed Russia would not stop its nuclear cooperation with Iran. IRNA, March 8, 2002.
(19) The Issue of Iran's armament, with an emphasis on nuclear weapons, made headlines especially following Rafsanjani's statement on "the elimination of the Israel problem with the use of one nuclear bomb": "If one day the Muslim world will be equipped with the weapons that Israel has now – that day, will bring the world's arrogance to a dead end. Since the use of one nuclear bomb against Israel will leave nothing on the face of the earth, however, to the Islamic world it will only inflict damage." Kayhan (Persian), Al-Wifak (Arabic); Iran News (English) December 15, 2001.
(20) Tehran Times, January 17, 2002.
(21) The Iranian Press dealt with this topic in detail following Rafsanjani's declaration on December 14, 2001. For instance: Tehran Times (affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs), December 11, 2001, January 8, 2002, and January 17, 2002.
(22) This position enables Iran to attack the U.S. since the U.S. hasn't ratified the CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits the use of nuclear testing) and since the U.S. applies a double standard with regard to Israel, allowing it to arm itself with WMD and not join different conventions. Tehran Times, January 8, February 6, 2002. In this connection, the Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov implied that Iran might withdraw unilaterally from the NPT, and promote independently its nuclear and missile projects; Interfax, December 18, 2001, Nezavisimaya Gazeta (Russian), December 19, 2001.
(23) Washington Post, January 13, 2002. ‘Shihab 3' missiles are manufactured according to the North Korean No Dong missile and are based on Soviet Scud technology.
(24) Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, February 5, 2002.
(25) Washington Post, January 13, 2002.
(26) AP, February 15, 2002.
(27) IRNA, February 20, 2002, quoting APF, February 19, 2002. The German Foreign Ministry's spokesperson later denied this report. IRNA, February 20, 2002.
(28) Besides international conventions on WMD, Iran is not a signatory to the CCW (Certain Conventional Weapons) Convention, which relates to certain conventional weapons, which may be deemed to be excessively injurious or to have indiscriminate effects. Iran hasn't signed the Ottawa Convention on landmines.
(29) IRNA, January 16, 2002.
(30) There are two stages for being a state party to an international convention: the first – signing and thus becoming politically committed to its objectives, and the second - ratification, meaning accession to the convention and fully incorporating its provisions to the domestic law. It is important to note that, if a nation is determined to develop/ acquire WMD, it will do that regardless of its status vis-à-vis the international convention. Iraq, for example, is a state party to the NPT, the Geneva Protocol and the BWC and was reluctant to fulfill its obligations under these conventions.
(31) United Nations Disarmament Yearbook, Vol. 25, 2000, pp. 51-54.
(32) Tehran Times, July 10, 2001.
(33) The Iranian initiative presented as UN General Assembly Resolution: A/RES/56/24, 68th plenary meeting, November 29, 2001. The group was in fact established in August 2001.
(34) The ‘Shihab 4' and ‘Shihab 5' models (with the range of 5000 kilometers – 2000 miles) were under development, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, February 22, 2002.
Posted: Sunday, March 24, 2002
Special Dispatch No. 359: Leader of 'Jihad Army' in Indonesia to 'Al-Hayat': We Plan to Target American Interests
The London Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat recently interviewed Ja’far Omar Taleb,(1) the leader of the Indonesian Lashkar Jihad (Jihad Army) organization.(2) Following are excerpts of the article:
On Targeting American Interests
Q: "In light of your [Lashkar Jihad's] enmity towards America, do you plan to target American interests in Indonesia?"
Taleb: "America operates in Indonesia through non-governmental organizations. The former American ambassador to Jakarta declared that the most dangerous movement in Indonesia is the Lashkar Jihad, although we haven't even participated in demonstrations because we believe they are pointless. We are not hostile to the American people, but to American policy in our country and in Muslim countries. They think that we are dangerous because we confront the non-governmental organizations that are acting to corrupt Indonesia."
Q: "Will you confront these organizations by combat or by preaching?"
Taleb: "We will confront them with all means of combat and preaching."
Bin Laden and Al-Qa’ida
Q: "…What is your position on Osama bin Laden and his organization Al-Qa’ida?"
Taleb: "We… do not agree with the ideas of Osama bin Laden and the members of his organization, because they accuse [others] of heresy. They are khawarij.(3) They accuse Muslim rulers and clerics of heresy. These are corrupt ideas."
Q: "Osama bin Laden did not accuse the clerics of heresy; he accused some [Muslim] rulers."
Taleb: "But he accused the clerics by implication, by saying that the clerics who accepted the rulers were heretics."
Q: "And what about his fighting America? Do you have reservations about that?"
Taleb: "Allah be praised, the Muslims continue their Jihad against America, and it is our obligation to support them as best we can."
Q: "But those fighting America in Afghanistan are Al-Qa’ida members. Do you support them in their fight against America?"
Taleb: "Of course, as they are Muslims and it is our duty to support Muslims and to wash our hands of the infidels. This is our principle. But at the same time we must publicly expose the errors of Osama bin Laden and his organization…"
Q: "Singapore claims that the organization called Al-Jama'ah Al-Islamiya has a presence in Indonesia, led by Abu Bakr Ba'ashir. Do you believe these claims?"
Taleb: "This is a fabrication. Singapore speaks according to America's dictates, so it can find a pretext to bring its forces into Indonesia. I do not think that Al-Jama’ah Al-Islamiya exists [in Indonesia], nor that it has plans to attack American embassies in the region…"
Muslim-Christian Relations in Indonesia
Q: "How was your organization established?"
Taleb: "The organization was founded on April 6, 2000… We founded this movement in order to support Muslims in eastern Indonesia. They were slaughtered by the thousands in Molucca. The government did nothing to defend the Muslims… Subsequent governments did not defend them from Christian attacks. In light of this situation, we had no choice but to found the Lashkar Jihad organization…to protect our Muslim brothers in eastern Indonesia… The movement in all districts of Indonesia is now 10,000 strong…"
Q: "What is your position on the peace agreement recently signed in Molucca to end three years of Christian-Muslim violence?"
Taleb: "We think that this agreement is a political conspiracy, concocted by the government and the Christians against the Muslims…"
Q: "Some newspapers quote Molucca residents, even Muslims, saying that they do not want foreigners, meaning the Lashkar Jihad. Have the residents asked you to leave their land and stop interfering in their affairs?"
Taleb: "No. The Muslims here cling to us, and want us to remain with them. In some cases, we had projects far from the cities. When our [Lashkar Jihad] young people left the populated areas, [the local residents] would begin to weep out of fear that we were abandoning them. Some do not remain in their homes if the Lashkar Jihad youth leave these areas for a few days, until we return. They only feel safe near us, even when the [government] army is nearby."
Endnotes:
(1) Taleb studied Islamic law in Pakistan and fought in Afghanistan against the Soviets. The interview, conducted in Arabic, took place in Jakarta, Indonesia.
(2)Al-Hayat (London), March 19, 2002.
(3) A rebel movement against Islam in its early formative era (7th century) primarily in Mesopotamia (southern Iraq of today).
Posted: Thursday, March 21, 2002
Special Dispatch No. 358: The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Presents New Suicide Bombers Unit at Al-Azhar University
The Lebanese daily Al-Mustaqbal, which is owned by Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri, recently published an exclusive on a Muslim Brotherhood demonstration at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, during which the new "Martyrdom Organization" (in Arabic, "Tanzim Al-Istishadiyun") was introduced.(1) Following are excerpts of the article:
"A group of members of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which is banned in Egypt, revealed for the first time… that it is secretly training some of its young people to carry out combat operations. The Muslim Brotherhood presented eight of them [March 18, 2002] to hundreds of demonstrators at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, and stressed that they were preparing for the 'struggle against Israel.'"
"The students who belong to the [Muslim] Brotherhood movement organized a demonstration at Al-Azhar University in support of the Palestinian Intifada, like those held at various Egyptian universities."
"The Muslim Brotherhood offered the Al-Mustaqbal daily exclusive coverage of the demonstration, saying it would be 'different than all previous demonstrations.'"
"Some 1,000 students heard a speech, via cellular phone, by Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, who congratulated the Egyptian students for their activities."
"Eight of the young students appeared with their faces covered by a black cloth, and on their heads were red bands upon which was written, 'Jihad is our way.'"
"The eight demonstrated martial arts… karate and judo and their ability to break boards, free hostages from their captors, and carry out surprise attacks against armed soldiers… The demonstration lasted for half an hour, and was accompanied by loudspeakers [broadcasting] a song praising Hamas, to the exultation of the students. Finally, after removing their face coverings and changing their clothes, the eight dissolved into the crowd."
"Al-Mustaqbal managed to interview one of the eight… who said that he was 'one of the first of the martyrs [suicide bombers] to choose to die in order to defend the Muslim Palestinian people.'"
"When asked whether this [the demonstration] was a provocation to the Egyptian authorities, and whether this implies that the Muslim Brotherhood is choosing a return to domestic violence, he answered: 'Our preparations are directed only against the Israeli enemy. We support Fatah, Hamas, [Islamic] Jihad, and the other factions of the Palestinian resistance. We want only to liberate Palestine. We do not permit the blood of Muslims, and therefore we will not carry out domestic violence…"
Endnote:
(1) Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), March 19, 2002.
Posted: Wednesday, March 20, 2002
Special Dispatch No. 357: Editor of Saudi Government Daily Al-Riyadh: Statement on 'Purim' Blood Libel Articles
Following MEMRI's recent reports on antisemitism in the Saudi government daily Al-Riyadh (See MEMRI Special Dispatch 354 and MEMRI'S press release) – The Voice of America broadcast an official U.S. editorial calling upon Saudi Arabia and the Arab nations to "…stop newspapers and radio and television stations… from inciting hatred and violence against Jews."(1) On the same day, the editor of Al-Riyadh issued a statement, which was also sent to MEMRI, regarding the articles. Following is the Al-Riyadh editor's statement on the 'Purim' articles:
Al-Riyadh Editor-in-Chief Turki Al-Sudairi: 'News of Aggressive Incitement'
"I was out of Saudi Arabia when my colleague Hani Wafa called me and told me that an international news agency had picked up a news item about an article by an American journalist in the National Review publication that proposed dropping nuclear bombs on the city of Mecca, sacred to Muslims. Wafa asked me whether this news item was fit for publication. I asked him whether other agencies had picked up the same item, or [expressed] similar opinions, and he answered no. I was amazed that the next day all the Arab papers published this item, with no clarification that this was a private opinion…"
"I knew that publishing a hasty news item like this might lead to attacks on people, [although they] are not of the same opinion. Our role is not to distance others from us, but to reduce the distance from them – and arrive at mutual understanding, not shared hostility."
"Later I was surprised to receive a call from the manager of the Al-Riyadh office in New York, my colleague Ahmad Al-Yami, who asked me who this Umayma Al-Jalahma was, and what she had written on March 10."
"I said that I would give him an answer in a few hours, but what was the reason for all these questions? He said that some American authorities had called to verify whether Al-Riyadh had published an article stating that Jews drink human blood and mix it into their food on what Al-Jalahma called the holiday of 'Purim.'"
"I checked the article and found it not fit for publication because it was not based on scientific or historical facts, and it even contradicted the rituals of all the known religions in the world, including Hinduism and Buddhism."
"The information included in the article was no different from the nonsense always coming out in the 'yellow literature,' whose reliability is questionable."
"The understanding of this serious mistake escaped Ms. Al-Jalahma, as did the understanding that Jews everywhere in the world are one thing, while Jews belonging to the Zionist movement that acts to annihilate the Palestinians are something else, and completely different."
"In Israel itself there are moderate Jews such as Yisrael Shahak, who fought Zionist racism and exposed it in many of his studies. There are others like Shahak, and our dispute with phenomena such as Sharon must in no way cause us to generalize the emotions of hatred to all Jews."
"Furthermore, in principle, an idiotic and false news item regarding the use of human blood in the food of other human beings, whoever they may be, should not be published, since this does not exist in the world at all…"(2)
Another Article by Dr. Jalahma: 'The U.S. Should Expell The Jews'
Earlier this month, Dr. Umayma Jalahma wrote another article that appeared in Al-Riyadh. Following are excerpts:
"Perhaps my words will be presented as racist and antisemitic by some who forget that I myself am a Semite, a daughter of Arabia. Therefore, it would be prudent for me to intersperse in my column quotes from
Westerners regarding our neighbor – a neighbor who settled next to us against our will, plundering our land, murdering our youth, deporting our children, and burning our homes."
"I will quote men who have earned the esteem of their peoples, and indeed, the esteem of other peoples as well...:"
"First, George Washington, 'The Father of the Nation,' as the Americans call him. He said the following about the Jews: 'The destructive influence of the Jews over our lives and future is greater than the danger of all our enemies' armies combined. Indeed, this [Jewish danger is hundreds of times more serious and more destructive to our liberty and to the cause to which we are dedicated. What sorrows and pains [me] is that considerable time has passed, but our states, or at least each state on its own, have not attempted to fight and annihilate the Jews - even though [the Jews] have proven to be a group of lethal insects who [pose] the gravest of dangers to the U.S. and its security.'"
"This is frank and candid testimony that is not open to [different] interpretations. It was delivered by the first president of the U.S. I do not believe there is a single person in America who doubts the integrity of this man."
"Second, the statesman Benjamin Franklin.(3) What did Franklin have to say about the Jews? I submit to you some of the things he said during the 1789 [sic] convention for the declaration of the American constitution:"
"'I fully support the positions of General Washington, whose aim is to protect this young nation from all the treacherous conspiracies being plotted against it by its only enemy - and I mean, gentlemen, the Jew. In every country in which the Jews have settled, moral values have completely deteriorated, and anarchy, irresponsibility, and deceit in commercial transactions have become widespread. The Jews have mocked the values of our Christian religion, upon which our country was founded, while ignoring our rules altogether. This way, they have succeeded in creating a country of their own within our country. They are notorious for employing all financial measures necessary to strangle a country in which the first signs of resistance [to the Jews] appear. If you do not expel them from our country, in 200 years our grandchildren will become slaves in their fields, while they, the Jews, will remain in their homes, gleefully rubbing their hands, awaiting their payment. I warn you, gentlemen, that if you do not make haste and expel the Jews from our country today and forever, your children will curse you in your graves. The Jews are a danger to this country, and I stress the need to deport them and prevent them from entering or staying, through an explicit clause in this constitution.'"(4)
Endnotes:
(1) AFP, March 19, 2002.
(2) Al-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), March 19, 2002, http://server1.alriyadh.com.sa/leqa/leqa.asp.
(3) For more information on this topic see MEMRI Special Dispatch 339.
(4) Al-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), March 2, 2002.
Posted: Thursday, March 14, 2002
Special Dispatch No. 356: Egyptian Government Daily Praises the Martyrdom Attack on Jerusalem Cafe: 'A Heroic Operation'
A recent editorial in the Egyptian government-sponsored daily Al-Akhbar, titled "Advice to General Zinni on his New Mission,"(1) read:
"The heroic operation carried out by the military arm of the Hamas movement, the 'Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, in West Jerusalem is an important turning point in Palestinian resistance activities."
"This is because it was 50 meters away from the official residence of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in one of the most [heavily] defended areas in Israel. This means that the resistance movements have developed and are capable of striking painfully at Israel, even close to the homes of the leaders of the bloodthirsty Israeli regime."
"Maybe this operation did not [cause] the most bloodshed, but the important point here is the site where it was carried out. The target was a well-known café near Sharon's residence. This was a direct message to the Israeli leadership: The Palestinians, who have nothing to lose, are capable of making horror, the Israelis' daily bread."
"This message has two parts. The first part is that if Israel can get to Arafat and turn his Gaza headquarters to ruins, the resistance can reach the residence of the blood-shedder Sharon. The second part of the message is that there is no safe place left for Israelis…"
"Despite this picture, Sharon still, in his stupidity, persists with a military solution, continuing to attack while disregarding all international counsel. Thus, the region has entered an equation with only two solutions: Either Sharon succeeds in setting off the powder keg in the Middle East, or influential international bodies, led by the U.S., the E.U., and Russia, intervene to stop the insane Israeli war…"
"We hope that the Bush administration will translate [into practice] the positive declarations stating that Sharon's terrorist attacks on the Palestinian people will lead only to more bloodshed. Everyone understands that President Mubarak's efforts have made Bush aware of the failure of the [non-intervention] strategy he declared when he took office…"
"But the dangerous state the conflict has reached proves the justice of President Mubarak's approach: He warned of the possibility that the conflict could get out of control and threaten not only the Middle East but also international security and peace."
"We hope that Zinni…will keep this advice in mind."
Endnote:
(1) Al-Akhbar (Egypt), March 12, 2002.
Special Dispatch No. 355: Egyptian Government Weekly: The U.S., Israel, and Turkey "The True Axis of Evil"
In the Egyptian government weekly Al-Ahram of March 7-13, columnist Galal Nassar explains that the real 'axis of evil' is not Iran, Iraq, and North Korea, but the strategic relationship of the U.S., Israel, and Turkey. Following are excepts of the article:
The U.S. – Turkish Plans to Carve Up Iraq and Then Iran
"Standing at the doorsteps of the White House, following an audience with U.S. President George W. Bush last month, Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit proudly announced that Turkey is now a 'global' force. Turkey is now an established partner in the U.S. efforts to rearrange international politics, fight terror, and smother the evil threesome of Iraq, Iran and North Korea. But evil is in the eye of the beholder. For Arabs and Middle Easterners in general, the emerging security pact of the United States, Israel, and Turkey holds woeful consequences."
"Turkey is still facing a grinding economic crisis. Still, the Ecevit-Bush talks were only marginally concerned with such minor bilateral issues. Rather, the two men focused on momentous international tasks, on regions where the United States intends to make a move or two, get the global chessboard sorted out, and generally make life easier for itself and those ready to play along."
"Turkey is more than ready. Ankara will lead the international forces after the end of the UK command mandate in Afghanistan. It has a finger in other global pies: Central Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Cyprus, the Aegean Sea, the Caucasus plateau, the oil of the Caspian Sea. And just out of the oven, the main course in this sumptuous global banquet is the joint offensive against Iraq."
"Plans for an imminent offensive against Saddam Hussein's regime are afoot. Ecevit reviewed these plans during his Washington visit. Military planners envisage supplying the 70,000 Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq, and the smaller force of irregular fighters in southern Iraq, with weapons and money and sending them against Saddam Hussein, with aerial U.S. support. In a later stage, U.S. Special Forces and columns of Turkish tanks would march on Baghdad…"
"Bush and Ecevit seem to have finalized plans for a joint offensive against Baghdad. They are likely to have discussed ways of imposing a strategic military, economic, and political blockade on Tehran. That is two-thirds of the axis of evil taken care of. North Korea can be left to the devices of closer neighbors in the Asia-Pacific Rim."
An Axis of Evil in the Making: U.S. - Turkey - Israel
"What we have here is not an axis of evil under attack; rather, what we have is an axis of evil in the making. Cooperation among the United States, Israel and Turkey has been sharpened through successive security and military agreements. Turkey's role is central to the plans of this axis. It is the thin end of the wedge that can take the axis to places it could not have gone, at least not so easily. Turkey, with its Islamic creed, secular constitution, imperial history and European location, can act as a primary scalpel in the reconstructive surgery the United States envisages for the Middle East. It is a role Turkey has been auditioning for for some time through its previous cooperation agreements with Israel. The distinctive feature of Turkish foreign policy right now is its desire to promote its national interests, even at the expense of its traditional loyalties and historic commitments."
"The conflict between secularism and fundamentalism within Turkey has made it a model for historic contradictions. The rivalry between secularists and traditionalists, between state institutions and conventional loyalties, is not new to the region. But it has assumed a heightened urgency in Turkey, where the Islamist Refah Party has once made a successful bid for the country's government…"
Turkey's Campaign Against Syria, Iran, & Iraq Alarms the Arabs
"Turkey, situated at the edge of the world's arguably most industrialized continent on earth, seems ready to sacrifice its entire Islamic and Arab links for a geopolitical/military threesome with the United States and Israel. The army, patron of the Turkish constitution, is an active supporter of these new strategic bonds. Turkey's military institution played a key role in consolidating ties with Israel. Senior military commanders have actively sponsored training and cooperation programs with Israel. These same commanders are now spearheading the campaign against Syria, Iran, and Iraq; their pretext being that all of these countries support the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and its perceived 'terror.'"
"The implications of the Turkish-Israeli-U.S. axis are alarming for the Arabs. Turkey is the wild card that can effectively upset the regional odds. Let us look at the agreements, security arrangements and plans that have so far been forged by the United States, Turkey and Israel. The essence of the security cooperation agreement between the United States and Israel, and the earlier military cooperation agreement between Turkey and Israel, reflect changes in the U.S. strategy in the Middle East... Israel, Turkey and the United States are holding periodic naval drills in the Mediterranean, the latest of which was a few days ago, following Ecevit's visit to Washington. Arab countries, while monitoring such actions closely, are making little secret of their displeasure."
The Arab and Iranian Position
"From the Arab and Iranian point of view, this is the new 'axis of evil,' for it presents a direct threat to Arab and Iranian national security. The threat could not have been worse-timed, for it comes at one of the lowest points of the Middle East peace process. The Turkish-Israeli-U.S. axis opens the Turkish aerial space to the Israeli air force. It can thus provide Israel with a chance to attack any country in the Arab region, particularly next-door Syria and Iraq. Iran, mindful of the Israeli attack on the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981, cannot miss the significance of such arrangement for the safety of its own nuclear installations and arms industry."
"The new axis aims to encircle the Middle East from the north. Israel has been making parallel efforts to encircle the region from the south, through cooperation with Eritrea, Ethiopia and other African states. This sits well with the new Israeli security doctrine. It also interlocks nicely with other security pacts being forged in Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, and the Indian subcontinent, in which other regional players, such as India, the interim government in Kabul, and a number of Central Asian countries, are involved…"
Arab – Iranian Ties Must Be Bolstered
"How would the Arabs, and Iran, get out of this fix? There is a number of ways. One is to bolster Arab-Iranian ties. There are signs that closer ties are developing between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Syria on one hand, and the Iranians on the other. An Egyptian-Syrian-Iranian-Gulf axis may emerge to confront the Israeli-Turkish-U.S. one. Egypt and other Arab countries have agreed to attend the Islamic summit in Tehran. Iranian officials are regularly exchanging visits with officials of several Arab countries, particularly Abu Dhabi."
"A second line of defense is to appeal to Turkey's cultural heritage; that is, to persuade it that its historic bonds and traditional loyalties matter. Arab pressures may range from moral persuasion to a collective boycott of Turkish goods and economic interests."
"The Arabs and Iran may also be tempted to play the Kurdish card. Syria, Iraq, and Iran all have leverage in the Kurdish question and can use it to reach some understanding with Turkey. This prospect is perhaps the reason why Turkish military commanders are so eager to get into Iraq and eliminate this bargaining chip for good. There is more to the prospective invasion of Iraq than meets the eye." (1)
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In the Name of Allah - the Most Beneficent - the Most Merciful
- Understanding Palestinian Terror
By Dr. Eyad Sarraj
A few weeks ago I said that the struggle of Palestinians today is how not to become a bomb and that the amazing thing is not the occurrence of the suicide bombing, rather the rarity of them.
The BBC interviewer appeared to understand. I was shocked because it is our understanding that the world out there will never understand. And who on earth in their right mind would understand terror and the killing of innocent people? Why do Palestinians kill themselves and Israelis in such an horrific way at the bus stop or in a crowded market? Do you really care to know? Well, let me try and explain.
I believe it is an act of absolute despair and a very serious stage of the seemingly perpetual conflict. Since the uprooting of the Palestinians in 1948 triggered by Irgun Jewish terror under the leadership of Yitzak Shamir and Menachem Begin, we have tried everything. We have tried Nasser and Arab Nationalism, only to be invaded in 1956 in our second homes in the refugee camps. It was only because of the Russian threat to bomb London and Paris, and the resolve of American president Eisenhower that ended the Israeli occupation.
We have tried the United Nations and its Security Council, which by the way have made excellent resolutions on our behalf. For example Resolution 194 calling on Israel to allow us to return to our homeland, but to no avail. So we kept wandering around, between airports and refugee camps, waiting for a hero or an earthquake. All we wanted was to go home. But our story was getting worse and we grew bitter as we heard that a Jew from Poland would be declared a citizen of our country - a country now called Israel. We were told that officially we were stateless with undefined nationality. So we went to universities. We believed then that Jews were so clever because they were educated. We were told that Jews controlled the world with their education. They are doctors, lawyers and scientists, never beggars or boxers. In twenty years many of us became university graduates and we were in every university. We had some pride. Some of our educated people formed the resistance movement. They believed that the Arab countries would never fight Israel, and that we had to force them to fight. Fatah with Yasser Arafat was born. They forced the Arabs to fight by inviting Israel to attack Egypt in 1967. In the course of six days the Arabs were defeated again but worse. This time we lost Gaza and the West Bank, Egypt lost Sinai, and Syria lost the Golan. In a sudden stroke our fate was sealed and we had to live under Israeli military occupation for thirty years. Do you know what does it mean to live under Israeli military occupation? Do you really care to know? Let me tell you a few things.
You are given an identity number and a permit to reside. If you leave the country for more that three years in succession, you lose that right to residence.
When you leave the country on a trip, you are given a laissez passez, a travelling document, valid for one year and it tells you in its recording of your particulars that you are of undefined nationality.
Israeli occupation means that you are called twice a year by the intelligence for routine interrogation and persuasion to work as an informer on your brothers and sisters. No one is spared. If you are to be a member of a political organisation you will be sentenced for ten years. For a military action you will be sentenced to life.
To survive under the Israeli occupation you are given the chance to work in the jobs that Israelis do not like, sweeping the streets, building houses, collecting fruit or harvesting. You will have to leave your home in the refugee camp in Gaza at 3 am, go through the road blocks and check posts, spend your day under the sun and surveillance returning home in the evening to collapse in bed for a few hours before the following day.
We simply became the slaves of our enemy. We are building their homes on our villages, and we clean their streets. Do you know what does it do to you when you have to be the slave of your enemy in order to survive. No you will never know how painful it is unless your country is occupied by another force. Only then will you learn how to watch in silence pretending not to see the torture of your friends and the humiliation of your father.
Do you know what it means for a child to see his father spat at and beaten before his eyes by an Israeli soldier? Nobody knows what happened to our children. We don't know ourselves except we observe that they lose respect for their fathers. So they, our children, the children of the stone as they became known, tried the Intifada - the Uprising. Seven long years our children were throwing stones and being killed daily. Nearly all our young men were arrested, the majority were tortured. All had to confess. The result was every one suspected that all people were spies. So, we were exhausted, tormented and brutalised. What else could we do to return to our home? We had almost forgotten that and all what we wanted was to be left alone.
What else could we try? Oh yes, peace. When the news came that Arafat had signed a peace treaty in Washington we were jubilant. At last we thought we were to get rid of that miserable life of military occupation, at last. So we had hope.
We could not believe our eyes when there were no more curfews and we could actually spend our evening on the beach or wander in streets which were now ours after eight o'clock at night. We were ecstatic. We even had elections and we had a parliament, so we were told.
Then came Binyamin Netanyahu.
He refused to meet Arafat and was clearly forced to shake hands in obvious disgust. He refused to free our prisoners, to have a safe passage for us to move between the West Bank and Gaza. He even surrounded our towns and villages with his tanks and arrested our policemen. Then he went after our holy places and opened a tunnel under our holiest Mosque. Tens of our children and also Israeli soldiers were killed because of that tunnel, but he went on insulting us and driving out our sanity.
Arafat called for patience and we were patient, then Netanyahu started to build settlements in Jerusalem and drive the remaining Palestinians out. Settlers in Hebron spat on our Prophet and called him a pig. All in the name of peace we were humiliated, even arrested and tortured by Palestinian forces to protect the peace. Our Authority was turning against us to please Netanyahu. Our officials were driving in big cars and building big villas. They have VIP cards and cross the check posts like human beings while we are left to rot.
I've told you a few things. Now do you understand why we have turned into suicide killers?
Dr. Eyad Sarraj is a Palestinian Psychiatrist, Commissioner of Citizens Rights, and an Awardee of Physicians for Human Rights. He was detained three times by Arafat's forces during 1996
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Famous Quotes
"Israel should have exploited the repression of the demonstrations in China, when world attention focused on that country, to carry out mass expulsions among the Arabs of the territories." Benyamin Netanyahu, then Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister, former Prime Minister of Israel, tells students at Bar Ilan University, From the Israeli journal Hotam, November 24, 1989.
David Ben-Gurion, one of the father founders of Israel, described Zionist aims in 1948 thus: "A Christian state should be established [in Lebanon], with its southern border on the Litani river. We will make an alliance with it. When we smash the Arab Legion's strength and bomb Amman, we will eliminate Transjordan too, and then Syria will fall. If Egypt still dares to fight on, we shall bomb Port Said, Alexandria and Cairo... And in this fashion, we will end the war and settle our forefathers' account with Egypt, Assyria, and Aram"
"Zionist colonization must either be terminated or carried out against the wishes of the native population. This colonization can, therefore, be continued and make progress only under the protection of a power independent of the native population - an iron wall, which will be in a position to resist the pressure to the native population. This is, in toto, our policy towards the Arabs..." Vladimir Jabotinsky, The Iron Wall, 1923.
"If we are going to admit claims on conquest thousands of years ago, the whole world will have to be turned upside down." Lord Sydenham, Hansard, House of Lords, 21 June 1922.
"[The Palestinians are] beasts walking on two legs." Menahim Begin, speech to the Knesset, quoted in Amnon Kapeliouk, 'Begin and the "Beasts"', New Statesman, 25 June 1982.
"When we have settled the land, all the Arabs will be able to do about it will be to scurry around like drugged cockroaches in a bottle." Raphael Eitan, Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defence Forces, New York Times, 14 April 1983.
"How can we return the occupied territories? There is nobody to return them to."Golda Meir, March 8, 1969.
"If it is proper to 'reconstitute' a Jewish state which has not existed for two thousand years, why not go back another thousand years and reconstitute the Canaanite state? The Canaanites, unlike the Jews, are still there."H.G. Wells, quoted in Palestine Dilemma: Arab Rights Versus Zionist Aspirations, by Frank C. Sakran, Public Affairs Press, 1948, p. 204.
"We must expel Arabs and take their places." David Ben Gurion, future Prime Minister of Israel, 1937, Ben Gurion and the Palestine Arabs, Oxford University Press, 1985.
"A voluntary reconciliation with the Arabs is out of the question either now or in the future. If you wish to colonize a land in which people are already living, you must provide a garrison for the land, or find some rich man or benefactor who will provide a garrison on your behalf. Or else-or else, give up your colonization, for without an armed force which will render physically impossible any attempt to destroy or prevent this colonization, colonization is impossible, not difficult, not dangerous, but IMPOSSIBLE!... Zionism is a colonization adventure and therefore it stands or falls by the question of armed force. It is important... to speak Hebrew, but, unfortunately, it is even more important to be able to shoot - or else I am through with playing at colonizing."Vladimir Jabotinsky, founder of Revisionist Zionism (precursor of Likud), The Iron Wall, 1923.
"Between ourselves it must be clear that there is no room for both peoples together in this country. We shall not achieve our goal if the Arabs are in this small country. There is no other way than to transfer the Arabs from here to neighboring countries - all of them. Not one village, not one tribe should be left." Joseph Weitz, head of the Jewish Agency's Colonization Department in 1940. From "A Solution to the Refugee Problem" Joseph Weitz, Davar, September 29, 1967, cited in Uri Davis and Norton Mevinsky, eds., Documents from Israel, 1967-1973, p.21.
"The thesis that the danger of genocide was hanging over us in June 1967 and that Israel was fighting for its physical existence is only bluff, which was born and developed after the war." Israeli General Matityahu Peled, Ha'aretz, 19 March 1972.
"We shall reduce the Arab population to a community of woodcutters and waiters" Uri Lubrani, PM Ben-Gurion's special adviser on Arab Affairs, 1960. From "The Arabs in Israel" by Sabri Jiryas.
"...if people become accustomed to the large figure and we are actually obliged to accept the return of the refugees, we may find it difficult, when faced with hordes of claimants, to convince the world that not all of these formerly lived in Israeli territory. It would, in any event, seem desirable to minimize the numbers...than otherwise." Israeli official Arthur Lourie in a letter to Walter Eytan, director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry (ISA FM 2564/22). From Benny Morris, "The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem 1947-49", p. 297.
"If we thought that instead of 200 Palestinian fatalities, 2,000 dead would put an end to the fighting at a stroke, we would use much more force...." Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, quoted in Associated Press, November 16, 2000.
One of the most enduring and deceptive slogans of Zionism was coined by Israel Zangwill almost 100 years ago: Palestine was a "land without people for a people without land."
After paying a visit to Palestine in 1891, the Hebrew essayist Achad Ha-Am commented:
" Abroad we are accustomed to believe that Israel is almost empty; nothing is grown here and that whoever wishes to buy land could come here and buy what his heart desires. In reality, the situation is not like this. Throughout the country it is difficult to find cultivable land which is not already cultivated."
The removal of Arabs bodily from Palestine is part of the Zionist plan to "spirit the penniless population across the frontier by denying it employment...Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried away discreetly and circumspectly." Theodore Herzl, founder of the World Zionist Organization Complete Diaries, June 12, 1895 entry.
In 1899, Davis Triestsch wrote to Herzl: " I would suggest to you to come round in time to the "Greater Palestine" program before it is too late... the Basle program must contain the words "Great Palestine" or "Palestine and its neighbouring lands" otherwise it's nonsense. You do not get ten million Jews into a land of 25,000 Km2".
Vladimir Jabotinsky (the founder and advocate of the Zionist terrorist organizations): "Has any People ever been seen to give up their territory of their own free will? In the same way, the Arabs of Palestine will not renounce their sovereignty without violence." Quoted by Maxime Rodinson in Peuple Juif ou Problem Juif. (Jewish People or Jewish Problem).
David Ben Gurion (the first Israeli Prime Minister): " If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel. It is normal; we have taken their country. It is true God promised it to us, but how could that interest them? Our God is not theirs. There has been Anti-Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They see but one thing: we have come and we have stolen their country. Why would they accept that?" Quoted by Nahum Goldmann in Le Paraddoxe Juif (The Jewish Paradox), pp. 121-122.
Ben Gurion also warned in 1948 "We must do everything to insure they (the Palestinians) never do return." Assuring his fellow Zionists that Palestinians will never come back to their homes, "The old will die and the young will forget."
Also Ben Gurion stated " The present map of Palestine was drawn by the British mandate. The Jewish people have another map which our youth and adults should strive to fulfill -- From the Nile to the Euphrates."
"Among the most disturbing political phenomena of our time is the emergence in the newly created State of Israel of the Freedom Party (Herut), a political party closely akin in its organization, method, political philosophy and social appeal to the Nazi and Fascist parties." [Begin, and Yitzhak Shamir who were members of the party became Prime Ministers.] Albert Einstein, Hanna Arendt and other prominent Jewish Americans, writing in The New York Times, protest the visit to America of Menachem Begin, December 1948.
Martin Buber, Jewish Philosopher, addressed Prime Minister Ben Gurion on the moral character of the state of Israel with reference to the Arab refugees in March 1949: "We will have to face the reality that Israel is neither innocent, nor redemptive. And that in its creation, and expansion; we as Jews, have caused what we historically have suffered; a refugee population in Diaspora."
" It lies upon the people's shoulders to prepare for the war, but it lies upon the Israeli army to carry out the fight with the ultimate object of erecting the Israeli Empire." Moshe Dayan (Israel Defense and Foreign Minister), on February 12 1952. Radio "Israel."
"When we [followers of the prophetic Judaism] returned to Palestine...the majority of Jewish people preferred to learn from Hitler rather than from us." Martin Buber, to a New York audience, Jewish Newsletter, June 2, 1958.
Aba Eban (the Israeli Foreign Minister) stated arrogantly: " If the General Assembly were to vote by 121 votes to 1 in favor of "Israel" returning to the armistice lines-- (pre June 1967 borders) "Israel" would refuse to comply with the decision." New York Times June 19, 1967.
"Jewish villages were built in the place of Arab villages. You do not even know the names of these Arab villages, and I don't blame you because geography books no longer exist, not only do the books not exist, .The Arab villages are not there either. Nahal arose in the place of Mahlul; Kibbutz Gvat in the place of Jibat; Kibbutz Sarid in the place of Huneifis; and Kfar Yehushu'a in the place of Tal al Shuman. There is not one single place that did not have a former Arab population." Moshe Dayan's address to the Technion, Haifa (as Quoted in Ha'aretz, April 4, 1969).
"There was no such thing as Palestinians, they never existed." Golda Maier Israeli Prime Minister June 15, 1969.
"The only solution is Eretz Israel [Greater Israel], or at least Western Eretz Israel [all the land west of Jordan River], without Arabs. There is no room compromise on this point ... We must not leave a single village, not a single tribe." Joseph Weitz, Director of the Jewish National Fund, the Zionist agency charged with acquiring Palestinian land, Circa 194. Machover Israca, January 5, 1973 p.2.
"Hitler's legal power was based upon the 'Enabling Act', which was passed quite legally by the Reichstag and which allowed the Fuehrer and his representatives, in plain language, to be what they wanted, or in legal language, to issue regulations having the force of law. Exactly the same type of act was passed by the Knesset [Israeli's Parliament] immediately after the 1067 conquest granting the Israeli governor and his representatives the power of Hitler, which they use in Hitlerian manner." Dr. Israel Shahak, Chairperson of the Israeli League for Human and Civil Rights, and a survivor of the Bergen Belsen concentration camp, Commenting on the Israeli military's Emergency Regulations following the 1967 War. Palestine, vol. 12, December 1983.
I see "many similarities in the oppression of Blacks in South Africa and of Palestinians." Dennis Goldberg, a Jewish South African sentenced to life imprisonment for "conspiring to overthrow the apartheid regime," is released through the intercession of Israeli officials, states on arrival in Israel, March 1985. He called for a total economic boycott of South Africa, singling out Israel as a major ally of the apartheid regime. Pledging never to stay in Israel, Goldberg moves to London.
"It is forbidden to sell apartments in the Land of Israel to Gentiles." Mordecai Eliayaho, the Israeli Chief Rabbi commenting on an attempt by a Palestinian to buy an apartment owned by the Jewish National Fund in East Jerusalem. Ha'aretz January 17, 1986. The same situation was repeated many times, and that decision is legalized now by the Israeli Supreme Court.
"Jewish blood and a goy's [gentile's] blood are not the same." Israeli Rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg, Inferring that killing isn't murder if the victim is Gentile. Jerusalem Post, June 19,1989.
"I am a black South African, and if I were to change the names, a description of what is happening in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank could describe events in South Africa." Archbishop Desmond Tuto, observes during Christmas visit to Jerusalem, December 25, 1989. From Israeli daily Ha'aretz, cited in Palestine Perspectives, January/February 1990.
"The past leaders of our movement left us a clear message to keep Eretz Israel from the Sea to the River Jordan for future generations, for the mass aliya [immigration], and for the Jewish people, all of whom will be gathered into this country." Former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir declares at a Tel Aviv memorial service for former Likud leaders, November 1990. Jerusalem Domestic Radio Service.
The Balfour Declaration to Baron Rothchild, on the 2nd of November, 1917 "His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."
"In Palestine we do not propose even to go through the form of consulting the wishes of the present inhabitants of the country"Lord Balfour in private memorandum to Lord Curzon, 11 August 1919.
"We walked outside, Ben-Gurion accompanying us. Allon repeated his question, 'What is to be done with the Palestinian population?' Ben-Gurion waved his hand in a gesture which said 'Drive them out!'” Yitzhak Rabin, leaked censored version of Rabin memoirs, published in the New York Times, 23 October 1979; Rabin's description of the conquest of Lydda, after the completion of Plan Dalet.
"We have to kill all the Palestinians unless they are resigned to live here as slaves." Chairman Heilbrun of the Committee for the Re-election of General Shlomo Lahat, the mayor of Tel Aviv, October 1983.
"There is no other way than to transfer the Arabs from here [Palestine] to the neighboring countries, to transfer all of them; not one village, not one tribe should be left." Jospeh Weitz, Davar, 29 September 1967 from "My Diary and Letters to the Children", Massada, 1965, III, p. 293.
"When we have settled the land, all the Arabs will be able to do about it will be to scurry around like drugged cockroaches in a bottle." Raphael Eitan, Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defence Forces, New York Times, 14 April 1983.
"Israel should have exploited the repression of the demonstrations in China, when world attention focused on that country, to carry out mass explosions among the Arabs of the territories." Benyamin Netanyahu, then Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister, former Prime Minister of Israel, tells students at Bar Ilan University, From the Israeli journal Hotam, November 24, 1989.
About My Travels
Here's a log of my travels to date. If you'd like to see my pictures of any of these places, please check out my Photo pages. July-August 1994: Prince Edward Island; September 1995: Southern Utah national parks; May-June 1996: southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland; April 1997: Grand Canyon; May-June 1998: Africa and Israel; May 2000: Venice.
THE CIA-FBI-MOSSAD are the REAL Terrorists,here is the proof:click below and see,read and free your mind:......
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