Letters to the Editor, July 6, 2004

Al-Jazeerah, More Knowledge, Tolerance, and Justice

Dear Editor,

Thank you for a wonderful and informative web site. There can never be enough web sites such as yours that can enlighten the world of the atrocities that have been, and continue to be inflicted on the Arab world.

Words seem such a small tool to use in a fight against ignorance, intolerance, and injustice. But I believe sincerely that if just one mind can be changed, if one heart can be softened, and one pair of eyes can be open to what is happening in the Arab community, especially Palestine and Iraq, what an achievement this would be.

If there is anything I can do to be of service in any way, please let me know. Also, please let me know how I may contribute poems to your site if that is possible?

Sincerely, Regi

Regina Hill, USA

Editor: Thanks. For you and other readers asking the same questions, the best you can do is to be active for peace and justice. Join or establish organizations in your community to work for peace and justice. Vote only for pro-peace candidates. Politicians should know that people are against the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the US occupation of Iraq. You're welcome to submit your poems, letters to the editor, or opinion or news articles for publication at Al-Jazeerah.info.

"Fahrenheit 9/11 Likely to be Too Hot for George Bush" by Michael Saba (Al-Jazeerah, July 3, 2004).

I read the piece "Fahrenheit 9/11 Likely to be Too Hot for George Bush" by Michael Saba for Arab News and I must tell you that Mr. Saba has "missed the boat" on at least one aspect of the film. Mr. Saba says,

"As he lists countries that joined Bush’s Coalition (Palau, Costa Rica, Iceland, Romania and the Netherlands are a few mentioned), he accompanies his monologue with ludicrous stock footage of people in costumes of different lands, including people in jungle garb. Here Moore clearly lowers the bar as the audiences laugh at these “buffoons” from other countries...."

It is clear that he does not have a grasp of the tongue-in-cheeck humor employed by Moore, who is not belittling those citizens from the "Coalition" but rather is criticizing the loosely held coalition of relatively small countries which are not known for their military acumen and power. Palau, Costa Rica, Iceland, the Netherlands are not countries which immediately jump to one's mind when thinking of large, powerful and influential allies in making a war. His interpretation of the film, which I have viewed, left me confused as to whether he was in favor of the Bush administration and the war-mongering or is was merely against everyone who happens to have been born in the United States whether they are in favor or its policies or against them.

The road to peace begins with a single step. It appears that removing Bush from the White House is a pretty good first step. Then lets deal with the rich and the richer, the "haves and the have mores". We can't get it all in one instant we must begin at the beginning.

Thank you for your kind consideration.

Jesse Upchurch, USA

Saddam's trial unfair and a travesty

Where do I start? Well, there's the invasion of Iraq. Countless civilians killed and injured. GWB etc called it Collateral Damage and said things" like we only attack military installations" next thing on the news is a civilian part of Baghdad for example razed to ground, dead and injured people everywhere.

Then, there's the little boy Ali who lost his arms and most of his family due to an American missile attack on his house. He's one of thousands of Iraqi children who are without parents and disabled for life.

Then, there's the torture and humiliation of the prisoners at Abu Ghraib by US soldiers. GWB, Rumsfeld seemed more concerned that people found out than anything.

Then there's the other Gulf War, George HW Bush and the attack on the Al Amariyah shelter, civilians literally burned alive as a missile fell on them. George HW Bush used his son's familiar excuse about military targets. Like father like son.

Then, there is Depleted Uranium causing various types of cancer and horrific deformities in newborn infants. Remnants of the US administration's WMD.

So Iraq lost the war and now Saddam Hussain is in prison. He was right when he said GWB is a war criminal. However as America won GWB will not be called to account. That makes Saddam's trial unfair and a travesty. He's only there because he lost and America with the better artillery etc won.

Janice Keenan, Australia

The Saudis Did It a disinformation campaign aimed at deflecting attention from the fact that 9/11 was an InsideJob. It asserts that Saudi Arabia deserves a "very large part of the blame for 9/11" because of the funding by Saudi Arabia of fundamentalist Islamic groups, and points at the fact that most of the supposed HijackersPatsies were from Saudi Arabia. Read more about this disinformation campaign at:

http://www.911review.org/Wiki/TheSaudisDidIt.shtml

Secretary Powell's visit to Darfur, USA outrage or Hypocrisy Is Sudan Going to be Next By David Little

(Al-Jazeerah, July 2, 2004).

Secretary Powell's visit to Dafur was to bring attention to the slaughter and genocide being waged there by Arabs against their black Muslim brothers. The death count in Sudan exceeds by thousands the number who have died in Iraq and Palestine on both sides. And throughout this carnage the impotent UN does nothing, the "Arab Street" is curiously silent, and Arab governments look the other way. Of course, from Mr. Little's viewpoint the crisis in Sudan like all troubles and problems anywhere in the world must be blamed on the US.

G. Morris, Los Angeles

Editor: David Little did not blame problems of the world on the US. The article was limited to the Sudan.

Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby, Saddam Hussain...

If Saddam Hussain's defence becomes too embarrassing for his former ally, I expect the relative of one of his Iraqi victims to 'slip past' security and finish him off. George W will then regret this 'unfortunate' incident, piously noting that he may have escaped earthly but not divine justice.

Phil Hong

The Real Purpose of the Sharon Plan on Gaza: The Final Nuclear Solution

Sir

Has Sharon suddenly become a peace maker? Why would a man who has throughout his life killed and expelled arabs from Israel and occupied territories suddenly risk his entire political career to evacuate 7500 jewish settlers from Gazza and give this land back to the arabs?

This from a man who condoned experiements to try an establish a genetic difference between jews and arabs in order to develop germ based weapons of mass destruction which would prove harmless to jews. The nuclear weapons development of the Israeli state has been directed towards creating clean weapons that kill people and leave the land they occupied unharmed.

So Gaza ends up entirely occupied by arabs, and Sharon has nuclear weapons capable of killing them and no jews to prevent him doing that! Strikes me as a very dangerous place to live.

Regards

Keith Robinson

Editors: God exists. He is Greater and Mightier than Sharon, his supporters, and their weapons.