Letters to the Editor, October 22, 2004

The Israeli military attacks on North-Gaza

Dear Editor,

I've learnt with great indignation about the recently-committed Israeli
military actions in the North of Gaza by which 115 Palestinians were killed
and more then 432 people were wounded.

The immediate cause of the military actions was lain in the launching of two Palestinian rocket-attacks on the Israeli city of Sderot by which two
Israeli children were killed, which is of course a serious violation of
International Law.

But however rejectionable, this is no justification whatsoever for a
large-scale Israeli military action by which no distinction is being made
between civilians and armed fighters, which is a grave violation of
International Law.

The recent military attacks on the refugee-camp of Jabaliya and two other
cities in North-Gaza, by which more than 200 tanks and armory-vehicles
were being used, have been characterized by the arbitrary shooting on
civilians, the bombings on civilian-targets and the demolishing of more than 70 houses with the consequence more than 600 people being made homeless.

Also on several occasions the Israeli army refused the entrance of ambulances or medical personnel to sick or wounded people, which is one of the gravest violations of international humanitarian law. Therefore it is of the greatest importance that the recent EU condemnation
of the Israeli military actions will result in sanctioning measures against
Israel.

Astrid Essed
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

"Communism is Dead, Long Live Islamism"

I read and enjoyed Mr. Weissman's essay at truthout.org (http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/102104A.shtml).

I suggest that Mr. Weissman think about who is behind this Islamic terrorism a little more deeply. It was started by using Islamic fundamentalism to fuel the proxy war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. It is possible that this entire "War on Terror" was "cooked up" in some secret military-intelligence "think tank" in the 1980's.

Why? To keep the military industrial complex going long after the Soviet/U.S. cold war ended. It was in the 1980's when it was becoming evident that the Cold War was about to come to an end.

Many of the actions of the Bush administration indicate, as you point out, that the result will be continued conflict for years to come. Who profits from such conflict? The Military-Industrial-political complex which keeps us in a steady state of war. It may even be necessary to keep the economic system going to have perpetual conflict. IN any case it keeps the people in line and allows unscrupulous politicians to manipulate the electorate with fear.

Sincerely,

Steve Moyer

Editor: I have demonstrated your conclusion in my book about the Gulf War, found at www.gulfwar1991.com. Many institutions have pushed hard to get the Cold War II started. I documented evidence from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy. They have targeted Iraq since 1988 and they were very clear at pointing to Islamic groups and nations as the replacement for the falling Communism. The title of that section in Chapter 11 of my book is "Communism is Dead, Long Live Islamism."