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Israel Further Defies U.N. and Arab League

ISRAELIS RAMPAGE REFUGEE CAMPS

Defying Security Council and Arab League to Dare to Act

MID-EAST REALITIES - www.MiddleEast.Org - Washington - 2/28/2002:

More Palestinians have died and been shot in the past weeks than in any other comparable period since the major wars in 1948 and 1967. Adjusted for the size of the U.S. population, about 100,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israelis, with continual American assistance, just since Intifada II began!

While the mythology of a "new Saudi Plan" continues to be played up by the Western media -- after all it is a diplomatic/media concoction primarily conceived in Washington for its own ends and launched by the New York Times for its -- the Israelis are showing their true intentions as usual "on the ground".

Preparing for the far greater war that is now planned to come in the region the Israelis are now sending their military machine even more mightily into refugee camps preparing for the day when they may do so on a massive scale, devastating the camps, and possibly "ethnically cleansing" the people. As a further show of utter defiance they are perpetrating these acts at the very time the U.N. Security Council is meeting about the MiddleEast, and just weeks before the miserably weak Arab League, 57 years old on 22 March, meets.

The Israelis are indeed throwing down the proverbial gauntlet. But don't expect anything real and serious and potent from either the U.N. or the Arab League. For the Americans will take care of protecting the Israelis one way or another, and Abdullah, the de facto King of Saudi Arabia, is actually playing Washington's game falling right into one more huge historic trap as is the sordid history of the "Royal" al-Saud family of Arabia

ISRAEL LAUNCHES ASSAULT ON REFUGEES

By Mohammed Daraghmeh

NABLUS, West Bank (AP - 2/28/2000) - Israeli troops launched a major assault on two West Bank refugee camps early Thursday, a first in 17 months of fighting. Eight Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were killed in heavy gun battles, and more than 90 Palestinians were wounded.

The military said the Balata and Jenin camps were strongholds of Palestinian militants, and that Thursday's operation was intended to show that ``there is no refuge for terror.'' A militia leader said his men would die rather than surrender.

The military strike came just hours after a Palestinian woman with an explosives belt strapped to her body blew herself up near an Israeli checkpoint late Wednesday.

The suicide bomber was identified as Dareen Abu Aisheh, a 21-year-old English literature student at An Najah University in the West Bank town of Nablus, adjacent to Balata. Abu Aisheh was the second woman to blow herself up since the fighting began in September 2000.

The fighting took to 1,005 the number of deaths on the Palestinian side since violence erupted on Sept. 28, 2000. On the Israeli side, 288 people have been killed.

In the past 17 months, Israeli troops have repeatedly entered Palestinian towns and villages, but have largely stayed out of the 27 refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, many of them strongholds of militants.

Tanks cannot enter the narrow alleys of the crowded camps, and the military has not sent in ground troops, apparently to avoid Israeli casualties. Referring to the gunmen's boasting that Israeli soldiers would not dare enter the camps, the army said in a statement that until Thursday's operation, ``the terror organizations saw these refugee camps as a safe haven from the Israeli security forces.''

Last week, after six Israeli soldiers were killed by gunmen from the Al Aqsa Brigades militia, the army took up positions around Balata, commandeering four apartment buildings overlooking the camp. A leader of the militia, Nasser Awais, and hundreds of his followers are holed up in Balata, home to 20,000 Palestinians.

Early Thursday, dozens of Israeli tanks surrounded the camp, and helicopter gunships flew overhead. Gunmen patrolling the outskirts of Balata alerted each other by mobile phones and began firing at the Israeli forces, said one of the militiamen, 23-year-old Mohannad Sharaya.

Israeli troops fired heavy machine guns from the tanks and helicopters, and at least two Israeli missiles hit Balata, plunging it into darkness. Sharaya said that at one point, he and six militiamen were seeking cover in an alley when Israeli troops from a hilltop post overlooking the camp aimed a laserbeam at the group to guide their fire. Militiamen set off dozens of homemade bombs during the fighting. Israeli troops also took up positions in an elementary school on the edges of the camp.

Speaking to The Associated Press by phone as the Israeli assault got under way, Awais, the militia leader, said that ``Israeli troops will not enter the camp except over our dead bodies.''

Fighting in Balata continued throughout the morning. Two Palestinians - a militiaman and a bystander - and an Israeli soldier were killed. Palestinians said more than 85 people were wounded in Balata, a majority of them gunmen.

Israeli tanks also entered the West Bank town of Jenin from three directions, Palestinians said, surrounding the refugee camp at the western edge of the town.

Palestinians said six Palestinian policemen were killed in exchanges of fire, and eight people were wounded, including several civilians.

Ahmed Abdel Rahman, an adviser to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, accused Israel of trying to destroy hopes for peace. Asked about Israel's charge that the camps are strongholds of militants, Abdel Rahman said: ``We cannot prevent the Palestinians from defending themselves and their land as long as there is occupation.''

Wednesday's suicide bombing took place at an Israeli roadblock at the entrance to the West Bank on a road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Police stopped the assailant's car for a routine check. At one point, the woman got out of the car and blew herself up, police said. Two other Palestinians in the car were wounded by Israeli fire, and three Israeli policemen were lightly hurt.

The Al Aqsa Brigades claimed responsibility, and Abu Aisheh, the bomber, left behind a videotaped farewell message.

A woman suicide bomber is a rarity, though more than 30 Palestinian men have carried out such attacks. On Jan. 27, a woman blew herself up in downtown Jerusalem, killing herself and an Israeli, but it was unclear if she planned to commit suicide.

The violence persisted despite local efforts to calm the tensions and a Saudi proposal to end the decades-old Israel-Arab conflict.

Israeli and Palestinian security commanders were to meet later Thursday to consider the situation in the Gaza Strip, said Palestinian West Bank security commander Jibril Rajoub.

On Tuesday, the security chiefs had a stormy meeting, trading demands and charges. Rajoub said tempers flared several times. He said the Palestinians asked the Israelis for a timetable for lifting the many roadblocks in the West Bank and Gaza, imposed shortly after the violence began.

Israel told the Palestinians that they must dismantle the Fatah militias, said Israeli Defense Ministry spokesman Yarden Vatikay. He said Israel would ease restrictions in places where Palestinian security takes concrete action against militants.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia raised its Middle East peace initiative for the first time in a world forum Wednesday night, while accusing Israel of ``systematic terrorism'' and trying to expel the Palestinians.

Israel expressed disappointment, saying it had hoped for peaceful words - not confrontational language.

Saudi Arabia's U.N. Ambassador Fawzi Shobokshi was a late addition to speakers at a two-day open meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the Mideast, and his address was eagerly awaited because of the attention focused on Crown Prince Abdullah's proposal, floated in Saudi and American media this month.



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February 2002


Magazine






ISRAELI WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
(February 28, 2002)
The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, precisely what the U.S. now insists is the main reason for its expansion of its "war on terrorism" far beyond the what happened and who did it of 9/11, didn't begin with the Arab and Muslim countries, it actually began with American's main ally, Israel.

Thousands of Israeli Soldiers Attack Refugee Camps
(February 28, 2002)
Under cover of diplomatic deception the Israelis, and the Americans, are preparing the way not for a Middle East peace, but rather for a major Middle East war that will attempt to recast the politics and alliances of the region for some time to come.

Israel Further Defies U.N. and Arab League
(February 28, 2002)
More Palestinians have died and been shot in the past weeks than in any other comparable period since the major wars in 1948 and 1967. Adjusted for the size of the U.S. population, about 100,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israelis, with continual American assistance, just since Intifada II began!

Disappeared...in the Land of the Free
(February 27, 2002)
Since 11 September last year, up to 2,000 people in the U.S. have been detained without trial, or charge, or even legal rights. The fate of most is unknown. Andrew Gumbel investigates a scandal that shames the land of the free.

"Terrorism" For All Seasons and Reasons
(February 27, 2002)
While U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft is busy draping the statue of the Spirit of Justice, and while the White House is busy making excuses for getting rid of the Israeli-centric speechwriter, David Frum, the USG is using the "terrorism excuse" not only to get ready for "regime change" in Iraq but to keep "undesireables" from even speaking up through all kinds of new intimidation and repression techniques.

Diplomatic Deceptions Amidst War and Plunder Plans
(February 26, 2002)
There are so many things going on these days it's not easy to put all the pieces together. But among the things that should be causing people truly concerned about a just and viable Middle East much pause is this: ...

The Real George Bush Junior
(February 25, 2002)
The Bush White House is a little spooked, not quite sure what the public will make of all this For this "wholesome" President who has brought "dignity back to the White House", this video documentary about to debut could be the near-equivalent to Bill Clinton's public denials -- and all those senior officials he enlisted on his behalf -- followed by Monica Lewinsky's now-infamous semen-stained little "blue dress".

Blair and Bush to Plot War on Iraq at White House Summit
(February 25, 2002)
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Pearl Was Israeli
(February 23, 2002)
We now learn that Daniel Pearl, the kidnapped and killed Wall Street Journal reporter, was an Israeli citizen. What more may we learn next?

Sharon Up Against The Wall - Time of Greatest Danger
(February 23, 2002)
Bulls and Tyrants are most dangerous when wounded. And this is now the case with Ariel Sharon and the powerful Israeli military/intelligence/occupation authorities he now commands.

Uncle Sam, Uncle Tom, and Uncle Ben
(February 22, 2002)
We all know who Uncle Sam is. And there are many who think of Colin Powell as Uncle Tom, thought admittedly he usually plays his role so well in public. The Israelis and Sharon have Shimon Peres. And the Americans and Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld have Colin Powell. But...Uncle Ben?

Israelis Proceed With Long-Term Plans
(February 22, 2002)
The current Israeli Prime Minister probably had plans to do just what he is now doing long ago. Since become PM he's just been manuevering to get things in place to do so. Even at the Wye River talks after he became Israeli Foreign Minister Sharon refused to even shake Yasser Arafat's hand.

Palestinians Under Occupation Fight Bravely While Those in Exile Fail Miserably
(February 21, 2002)
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"Where Is The World?" "A Future Not Worth Living"
(February 20, 2002)
The following eye-witness news comes from Dr. Mona El-Farra of the Union of Health Work Committees in Gaza.

More Strikes Ahead; Or More Justification For the New Crusades?
(February 20, 2002)
In a predawn raid Wednesday, Israeli army F-16 warplanes, Apache helicopters and naval boats attacked Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's beachside Gaza City headquarters, killing at least five Palestinians and wounding 10, Palestinian witnesses said.

The New Pentagon "Office of Strategic Influence" - Media Missiles Ahead
(February 19, 2002)
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Modern-Day Saudi Arabia - Crimes, Lashes, and Cover-ups
(February 18, 2002)
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U.S. Truly Becoming the Star Wars Empire
(February 18, 2002)
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Saudis To Propose Deal With Israel
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are many ways to do things; and the Saudis have specialized in doing things in the wrong ways for the wrong reasons for a very long time now.

King Bandar of Saudi Arabia
(February 17, 2002)
Is it cowardice or ignorance that lies behind the rule of Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia -- the man effectively in charge of the oil and petrodollar "Kingdom" at this crucial historic time?

To Damn or to Applaud "Speaker Burg"
(February 15, 2002)
The very notion these days of simply "trusting" anyone associated with the Israeli political establishment or more specifically in this case Israel's Labor Party is pretty difficult -- there's such a long history of deceit and mistrust, and such good reasons.

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(February 14, 2002)
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(February 13, 2002)
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Musharraf Panders; Arafat Crippled
(February 13, 2002)
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Arafat Slaps and Whips Out His Gun
(February 13, 2002)
The new Intifada, and then the events of 911, have spawned a variety of new press and Internet outlets of various kinds. The aim of many is to try to maintain some control of the information flow to certain constituencies, to "spin" the news in the direction of their sponsors, and to push their own analysts and "experts" onto radio and TV programs.

TV Arabs: Fouad, James, and Clovis - MER FlashBack
(February 12, 2002)
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911 Was Really 'Massive Blown Back'
(February 11, 2002)
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Standing Ovation for Mark Bruzonsky at University of Chicago
(February 9, 2002)
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Jordanian King Takes Desperate Gamble To Retain Power
(February 8, 2002)
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Washington Scene - Arab and Muslim "Client Orgs" Totally Lacking in Credibility
(February 8, 2002)
Ariel Sharon is on his fourth visit to Washington since both he and George Bush II took power. It is a War Council, coming at a time of unprecedented danger (Sharon clearly sees opportunity), coming at a time when he finally has Yasser Arafat, now the titular figurehead of the Palestinian people, under a newfangled form of town arrest in Ramallah with tanks pointing in his direction just a stone throw away.

"Transfer" the Palestinians Say Many Israelis
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Triumphant Sharon
(February 7, 2002)
Ariel Sharon has arrived in Washington triumphant as many never believed could or would happen in their worst political nightmares. He may well be the single man who has had more influence on the Arab-Israeli conflict, and on the history of the entire region, than any other.

King Prostrates Jordan for More U.S. Money and "Support"
(February 6, 2002)
King Abdullah II, born of a British mother, Anglo-American educated including at the Jesuit Center of Georgetown University, and essentially enthroned with the help of the CIA (aided by Princeton grad daughter of the former head of Pan American Airlines, Lisa Halaby, reincarnated as Queen Noor), has been ever so helpful to the Americans as now since he was enthrowed as the former long-time Crown Prince was overthrown.

"I ACCUSE"
(February 6, 2002)


Lie To Them And They Will Come
(February 5, 2002)
For the holidaymaker in search of a sun-soaked Mediterranean beach away from the crowds, Gush Katif sounds ideal. Or so thinks Israel's hardline tourism minister, Binyamin Elon.

Killing and Refusing
(February 5, 2002)
There is a great deal of moral twisting and turning and cover-up going on among the Israelis; and oh so necessary however late in the day. This article in today's Ha'aretz gives the impression that torturing and shooting to death many Palestinians in cold-blood is something new or rare.

King Bandar of Arabia
(February 16, 2002)


Israel sets up Iran as next target for the US
(February 8, 2002)


"Americans Can Be A BloodThirsty Lot"
(February 4, 2002)





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