Letters to the Editor, October 17, 2003

I am an enthusiastic reader of Al-Jazeerah and particularly interested in the series of Al-Sahaf Interviews. If possible, please ask Mr. Al-Sahaf.

Question: In the article of New York Times on-line published on September 7, 2003, Iraq Bombings Pose a Mystery U.S. Must Solve, by ERIC SCHMITT, Mr. Schmitt wrote about bombing attacks in Iraq, “The nature of their resistance is clouded by the presence of hundreds of criminals freed from Iraqi jails just before the war,……."

Why did President Saddam Hussein free them from jails? What kind of criminals were they? Political prisoners?
Thank you.

Takashi Hirose (Mr.),

a Japanese writer

Editor: Al-Jazeerah has published a summary translation of Al-Sahaf's interviews. But it's Abu Dhabi TV which conducted the interviews in Arabic. So, we are not the ones who ask the questions. Moreover, Al-Sahaf gave his fifth and last interview yesterday (October 15), which will be published at Al-Jazeerah soon. However, I'll attempt to answer your questions on basis of what has been published earlier.

First, President Saddam Hussain released both political and criminal prisoners after realizing that the US and the UK were going to launch the war and invade Iraq. He didn't leave them in prison because they may die during bombing and missile attacks.

Second, it is less likely that these released prisoners are the ones who conduct the resistance to the US-UK occupation. There is no incentive for them to do so.

With tears in my eyes, I learned about California election fraud. 9% of Los Angeles ballots abnormal, Diebold statistics mysteriously skewed, millions of absentee ballots not counted, voting machines that don't work, polls that open too late and close too early, Arnie's back room deals with Enron never mentioned in his cynical, man-of-the-people TV commercials. "Now we get to laugh at California," wrote my friend from Florida.

Bush sent our soldiers to their deaths for a lie, Limbaugh does drugs, Schwartzenegger is a sexual predator, Ashcroft covers up possible acts of treason, Cheney is happily raping our pocketbooks. America should be crying.

We Americans now have something in common with Afghanistan, Iraq and Israel/Palestine. We all know what it is like to have neo-cons occupy our countries! It's time to jail Bush, close the gaping hole in our pocketbooks and bring our troops home.

BartCop election facts, including the Tulare County statistical miracle: The election results Diebold brought us are as probably as having your car get struck by meteors twice in one week!

Americans are prone to judge others. I hear it all the time as I travel abroad frequently and bump into my compatriots in almost every corner of the globe. But the more I see the more I wonder why we don't look in the mirror more often.

Our leaders can't understand the most basic international laws prohibiting the use of force against other countries, while almost every other country seems to understand this rule. American is the only country that voluntarily supported the Iraqi war, even allies like Britain and Spain were behind us only because they leaders ignored the overwhelming democratic voice of their people. In most countries high school students can understand the Charter of the United Nations, in America even our leaders can't read that well.

Moreover, in America we have a bureaucracy full of soldiers, defense department personnel, state department personnel, not to mention who-knows-how-many people who we have no idea to whom they answer. All of these people can not determine whether or not Iraq had nuclear or biological weapons. Would you trust these people to do your laundry, much less than with your security? With competence like this we might as well surrender to Osama Bin Laden today, from what we are told about him, he could run this country more competently than our current bureaucrats and their leaders.

But it isn't just above us, it is among us. Look around. California, once our most astute state, just voted to make a movie actor a Governor. He is someone without one iota of political experience and from initial impression not much common sense. Moreover Bush continues to enjoy great ratings despite his continued and increasing incompetence.

Everywhere I go in the world the rest of the word laughs at Americans. They think we are fools for allowing such fools to run our country. I now wonder if it is even possible for us to do any better.

Several months ago, a 21-year old International Solidarity Movement member from England, was shot by the IDF and lies comatose - near death. International requests for a proper investigation into this shooting go unheeded by Israel, as do most of the actions 'sincerely regretted' by the world's most humane army (at least, to hear them tell it). Their usual, 'it was an accident' does not explain why an unarmed, nonviolent activist, wearing a bright orange vest to identify him as such, was shot in the head, as he attempted to pull little children out of harm's way during an Israeli 'operation.' Are Israeli soldiers who are blind permitted to serve? That this was at least the second such incident against an ISM member is doubly horrific, a reminder to the international community that that Israel lives and outsiders die by Israeli rules.

Most of the world is aware of and remain silent about the attacks on international peace volunteers. Even less notice is taken of the murders of Palestinian children. They are included in the numbers (Seven Palestinians died today - film at 11) but generally no specifics are given. The notion that Palestinian children are targeted, however, is not preposterously evil?

Not according to retired Israeli Brigadier General Yiftah Spector, who tells us in this Israeli air force career, he received orders from the General command of the Israeli army to kill Palestinian children. This is not unbelievable as we recall the statement by Israelis that Palestinians are 'cockroaches on two legs.' The (legendary) general has been removed as an air force trainer. Besides his sin of speaking publicly of these orders, he refused to participate in deliberate, targeted murders: the number of which Israel has completed in the last three years exceeds 75, and these do not include the raids on Jenin, Rafah, etc., where the civilians, young, old, children, who were NOT targeted, according to Israel, are dead, nevertheless...

The General opined that the occupation and the 'iron fist' over the Palestinians which he states is the cause of most of Israel's 'security' problems, also jeopardizes the Israel population, although, he says, not as much as it harms the Palestinians.

It is clear that no matter how widely General Spector's remarks are spread, the spin-meisters of Israel will find him a malcontent who fooled them all for his at least 30 years of loyal service to Israel.

Those who would poo-poo such accusations against Israel would be wise to recall reports by reporter Chris Hedges who told us in 2002, at a certain refugee camp in the occupied west bank, IDF soldiers would gather to taunt Palestinian children with ugly remarks until the children allowed themselves to be provoked into rock-throwing, at which point the IDF felt justified in shooting them - guns in self-defense against a stone-throwing child.

Step by step, Israel destroys its credibility and integrity. Each dirty little secret that comes out of Israel reminds us that the Rose of Sharon is not a rose, and that murder by any other name is still - murder.

Such crimes should not be permitted to go unchallenged. Illegal and immoral actions should be acknowledged, and circulated, widely, and responsibility taken. It is unconscionable that Israel runs rampant over life, property and all laws of decency, and we sit silently, without comment.

Israeli spokespersons say, "the world should not judge those who had the responsibility for taking weighty decisions in the fight against terrorism." Perhaps the international community would not judge, if the decisions taken were weighed heavily, if Israel would consider itself a part of the civilized world which honors it commitments to the United Nations and the Geneva conventions, or if there would be some slight recognition that long-term killing has not led Israel to peace and security, and it never will.

From what I hear 'cockroaches' can survive almost anything.

Lane Pope
Miami FL 33173