Letters to the Editor, July 13, 2004

Bush and Blair - a lack of intelligence?

Bush and Blair are shameless. Either they blatantly lied about the intelligence on Iraq or they were utterly and completely incompetent in assessing it - or both! Whatever the case, they are a huge political liability, their zealous enthusiasm and lust for war a permanent stain on the Western conscience. They should go and go quick!

Phil Hong

Postponing the election - to save Bush´s re-election ?

Mr. Ridge (Minister for Homeland Security) is checking to see, if the election could be postponed, if a terror attack would happen before the election. (Claim Al-Quaida is planning a large scenario) Seems the government is getting nervous about the re-election ......

Angela Badelt, Germany

The Lantos Award

Dear Al-Jazeerah,

I am writing to inform you that the story you carried regarding the City College of San Francisco withdrawing an award from Congressman Tom Lantos is simply incorrect. It is either the product of sloppy journalism or a wilfull deception. Either way, get your facts in order. In light of the controversy surrounding Mr. Lantos' appearance, the congressman himself declined the award.

Sincerely,

Levi Tillemann, USA

Security Issue by the UN.

Dear Editor,

The proposal by US and Israel for Jordan to assume a security role in the West Bank may not be a wise move, particularly for Jordan. If Jordan were to fail in preventing bloodshed on the Israel population, Jordan would be made the scapegoat, and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians may extend beyond the border into Jordan.

To secure a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the world through the UN, have to contribute and take this responsibility, and not ask the neighboring countries to take a role in a situation where even Israel is not able to contain. The US and Israel should first allow the UN to create a state for the Palestinians and to send a multinational force endorsed by the UN into the country to secure peace.

For a neighboring country to be pressured to assume the security role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this will provide the opportunity to widen the basis for US and Israel to find excuses for any failures, and thus justifying further actions taken by Israel on the Palestinians. It seems to be the policy of both the US and Israel where peaceful initiatives failed, only the Palestinians are being blamed for such failures.

A third country involvement is thus a dangerous and risky proposition, and particularly so with the unclear policy of both the US and Israel in the Middle East.

Fauzi Shahab, Malaysia

Bush's refusal of an invitation to speak at NAACP convention in Philadelphia

As an African-American combat veteran of the Vietnam war (101st airborne unit), I'm completely appalled by Bush's refusal of an invitation to speak at NAACP convention in Philadelphia. This is the fourth consecutive year he has refused this important invitation. The NAACP represents the interest of the millions of people of color, particularly the African-American community. Bush's excuse for not attending, " they called me names." The sharpest criticism has come from the NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, who recently stated that " Bush and other republicans appeal to a racist dark underside of American culture."

Indeed Bush and the republicans do appeal to the racist amongst us. During Bush's campaign for the presidency he visited Bob Jones University, which banned interracial dating. Concerning the sensitive issue of the confederate flag flown in the state capital of South Carolina, Bush referred to this racist problem as a states' rights issue. He has appointed an Attorney General (Ashcroft) who is a great admirer of the Confederate cause. During the war in Iraq, Bush submitted a brief to the Supreme Court in support of the repeal of affirmative action college admissions for African-Americans and other peoples of colors. Yet, he has no problem sending our African-America youth to war, dying for an unjust cause while killing innocent Iraqis and their children.

The recently released US Senate intelligence report proves what people the world over knew, that the war in Iraq like the war waged in Vietnam is illegal, immoral, racist and genocidal.

The African-American community has been overwhelmingly against the war from the beginning. As a member of that community, I would like to apologize to the Iraqi people and ask for their forgiveness.

The African-American community does not support the incompetence, racist ignorance, and criminal behavior.

Kim Lewis, USA

Kerry/Edwards Support Apartheid Wall in Israel

DEMOCRATIC LEMMINGS FOLLOW ARIEL SHARON AND BUSH INTO HELL OVER APARTHEID WALL.

Senators John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Charles Schumer, and some 20 other Democrats joined with the Republican beast-men in condemning the International Court of Justice and the UN General Assembly for opposing the apartheid wall in the Palestinian occupied lands. Kerry's campaign immediately shot off a press release that said he is ``deeply disappointed'' by the International Court of Justice ruling that rules the Israeli wall to be illegal. He said that ``from the start,'' he has said that he doesn't believe that the ICJ has jurisdiction in the case. Kerry says, ``We were right to oppose the resolution in the General Assembly and to convey this opinion to the ICJ,'' and added that he and others, several months ago, sent a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, urging him to ``act so that the ICJ does not ... issue an advisory opinion on the legality of the security fence.''

The fact that 75 Senators are AGAIN backing Sharon's contention that anything goes in his fight against the Palestinians, shows that they still suffer from the disease of cowardice that made them approve the Iraq war without question

[source: Friends of Hillary, Kerry for President, July 9]

Glenn Mesaros

Possible Disruption of the November election By Siv O'Neall

"The European allies have an obligation to themselves, to the Muslim world and indeed to their ally the United States to stop the present slide toward what would amount to a war of societies. To do that it is essential that they do not give more support to current U.S. policies concerning Iraq and Israel-Palestine, and that they maintain an independent approach to the Islamic world. They must demonstrate that western political civilization is plural and open, not a monolith."

Obviously, it is in all our interests that the incredible tensions in the world of today should at least be eased instead of aggravated. In case you think that John Kerry wouldn't be more likely to find a peaceful solution than George Bush, I do think that even Pfaff is overly pessimistic on this point. George Bush and his cohorts are madmen, but John Kerry and John Edwards have every possible interest in working for a livable world, along with all the rest of us. Such a plan obviously has to begin with a clear and unambiguous move towards an Israeli / Palestinian peace as well as the existence of a truly independent Iraq which we all have to help rebuild after the infamous U.S. destruction.

The thought that scares me the most these days is exactly that the anti-U.S. forces in the Arab world might not see how a violent attack would most likely work against a globally acceptable solution of our problems. If there is an attack on U.S. soil or elsewhere in the world concerning U.S. interests, it might first of all make the American people close up around this incompetent "war president". Even if that is not very likely, given the lack of confidence in George Bush today, the present administration might still be capable of postponing the November election, which would in fact mean martial law and an indescribably horrible state of the world would follow. We must all work towards making the world a place where ALL PEOPLE will be respected by ALL PEOPLE. We all need personal and national dignity to live in peace with each other.

The huge problem with the present U.S. administration is exactly that they do not want to live in peace. They want eternal war and you must all help us stop them from being able to go on with this mad and thoughtless destruction as well as self destruction. We all of us have to work very hard on defeating the realization of the mad imperial dreams that have haunted the U.S. since WWII. We have to restore some equilibrium to the world and give dignity and the right to a decent life to all peoples on the earth. I want to express my deeply felt sorrow for the way the United States present administration has managed to ruin the lives of millions of people in the world, and most particularly in the once so highly civilized Arab world. Please accept my assurance of the deepest respect for all your peoples and my sincere apology in the name of the Western world for all the wrongdoings that you have been subjected to.

Siv O'Neall, Lyon, France