Tag Archives: George Galloway

Execution of anti-Western al-Gaddafi suggests he wasn’t strongman enough

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Gaddafi, Qadhafi, Zenga Zenga, dead deadI know very little about the dark side of Colonel Gaddafi. I’ve never seen him outside the filter of Western media. For all I know he emptied baby incubators, hid WMDs and ran rape camps. He wasn’t responsible for Lockerbie, the CIA knows that much. The deposed leader’s execution yesterday was nothing to celebrate. It was sad, brutal and shrouded in mystery. Hugo Chavez hailed Gaddafi as a fallen hero, and I’ve never had occasion to disagree with Chavez. Nor have I ever taken issue with George Galloway and he hated Gaddafi. Probably the aging revolutionary was both heroic and corrupt, eccentric and lunatic. Gaddafi was the most powerful protector of Africa, and the only leader to have apologized for Arab role in African slave trade. Naturally he had to be booted from the club.

Is the US only ever up against evil strongmen? Isn’t it obvious that any leader who opposes US hegemony has to be a strongman? Putin is as formidable as any former Soviet foe, and by comparison, Gaddafi was fey. He let down his guard, thought he could sell out to the New World Order and keep his nationalized oil. But the Capitalist jackals do not respect ideologues and will exploit it as weakness.

Captured alive, Gaddafi was brutally mobbed, although the predominant Arabic voices urged keeping him alive. Multiple video angles contradict the official statement that Gaddafi succumbed to crossfire. Video images seem to show special uniformed soldiers heading against the flow of Libyan fighters converging on Gaddafi after the fatal shots.

Was this a Mussolini moment? Hardly. To the last moment Gaddafi seemed incredulous that his people would betray him. I’m not really sure they did. He railed against the CIA and al-Qaeda backed “rebels” who were tearing Libya asunder. NATO’s strength undoubtedly tipped the balance, and Gaddafi’s demilitarization of Libya left him with insufficient defenses.

Looking at a video still of the final moments of Libya’s deposed leader, I’m reminded of the picture we once posted of Silvio Berlusconi’s bloodied face. We took it down I believe because it celebrated violence I suppose. I regret caving to whatever bastards took offense. Their timid sensibilities keep fascists like Berlusconi in power. Since that one glorious grasp at justice populi the Italian despot has stayed out of the public grasp, the Prince of Wales nearly didn’t it.

The Western press is pitching Gaddafi’s undignified death as a warning to all leaders who challenge white rule. I think it’s significance reaches much further. Summary execution at the hands of a mob. Could happen to the highest of the well heeled.

Relief convoy to bring media Armada

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What this Freedom Flotilla has over previous relief efforts like the Viva Palestina caravans is a momentum building in the international press. It’s the big ship effect that works for gunship diplomacy, brought to bear this time to enforce social justice, too big to ignore.
(Update 5/24: Australia’s Sidney Morning Herald has three articles: 1. the Turkish sendoff 2. Elvis Costello honoring the BDS cultural boycott, and 3. an in-depth story featuring the trademarked media logo BUSTING THE BLOCKADE!)

Admittedly America’s is a Zionist media. That’s where I suppose the social media campaign must wag the Zionist dog, to mix pun with metaphor. It’s going to help no doubt that the Israeli press is already awash with anticipation.

Where the last Viva Palestina humanitarian convoy crossed continents before the BBC begrudged it coverage, the 2010 Freedom Flotilla, including ShiptoGaza and the Free Gaza Movement have already hit BBC radar. The IHH efforts are being joined by a cargo ship which just left Algiers.

Here are the latest photos from Turkey, a Convoy to Gaza blog being updated by UK activist Lorbital, and Tox’s notes about DAY ONE of relief convoy, day 1075 of Gaza Siege.

With Israel vowing to stop them, and the Freedom Flotilla determined to push through, the showdown will have Western media outlets unable to maintain their news blackout. This will be no USS Liberty pummeled by sneak attack with no witnesses permitted to break the story. The Gaza relief convoy numbers nine ships, with more adventurers joining the escort no doubt, a measure of supporters’ anticipation of an inevitable catharsis for the siege.

The inertia looks good to me. Press releases are flying announcing who’s joining the convoy (now a USS Liberty survivor), and European diplomats are issuing statements that they expect Israel to give the convoy safe passage. Wait until the ships are making the final crossing from Cyprus for heavyweight supporters such as George Galloway or Hugo Chavez to weigh in.

Israeli welcome flotillaThe Israeli press is already running circles. A fleet of Israeli sailboats from the Herziliya Marina is preparing to greet the relief convoy with banners that say HAMAS SUCKS to counter whatever humanitarian message they worry the “peace activists” might score. There’s some speculation that Israel would fare better PR by letting the aid through.

A fortuitous coincidence places White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in Israel when the blockade-runners are due to arrive. By Israel, I actually mean the Occupied Territories. Emanuel was trying to book the Western Wall for his son’s barmitzvah. Plans were changed due either to threats from the ultra-right because of US criticisms of continuing settlement building, or because US officials are prohibited from conducting personal business outside of Israel’s Green Line.

Algerian relif convoy shipThe cargo ship which sailed from Algeria today is the al-Jazair. More info on this ship as we find it.

ShiptoGaza Sweden has uploaded more pictures of the loading of the charming Sofia in Athens.

Turkey’s third convoy vessel has been identified as the massive cargo ship Defne Y (IMO: 7725518), loading in Istanbul and due to join the Gazze and Mavi Marmara in Cyprus.

Where is humanitarian airlift for Gaza?

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The Berlin airlift siege C-47
When the Soviet Union laid siege to West Berlin in 1947, the Western powers mounted a famous airlift to supply the city’s inhabitants for ten months until the siege was broken. At its height, the Berlin Airlift hauled almost 9,000 tons per day. By contrast, the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip remain besieged for two and a half years now, where is the humanitarian effort to save them?

The West’s official abandonment of the Gazans is shameful.

Gaza today has a similar population in number and density, also living in post-war squalor. A chief difference is that instead of a conqueror trying to impose a common currency to force assimilation, Palestine’s occupier wants to purge the people of the lands it want to absorb. The siege of Gaza represents living conditions made so dire that its victims want only to leave.

The recent Viva Palestina aid convoy to Gaza was the third successful effort to supply the people of Gaza. Counting also the attempts to bring supplies by boat, how do these methods compare to the help mobilized for Berlin?

At the close of the latest effort, leader George Galloway was ceremoniously banned from returning to Egypt. Some of the convoy’s participants still await flights out of Cairo, all of them declared persona non grata. Although Venezuelan upstart Hugo Chavez will reportedly be supporting the next Viva Palestina convoy this summer, Egypt has now declared that no aid effort will be allowed through its border crossing to Gaza.

Why will no foreign government support an airlift to Gaza –even if it means parachuting supplies? Or why not a naval convoy to breach the barricade? Israel repeats that Gaza is not occupied. A challenge to Gaza’s maritime sovereignty could settle that matter.

Upon arrival in Gaza, a participant in the aid convoy summarized his motivation to bring relief supplies to the people of Gaza: “because they deserve it.”

Convoy given hero’s welcome in Gaza

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viva-palestina-george-galloway-rafahVIVA PALESTINA made it to Gaza! See the crush of media awaiting their arrival? None of them from the US or UK.

Though it took all night, the 200 vehicle convoy made the last leg from Al-Arish to Rafah safely. A compromise was reached with Egypt to redirect 59 vehicles to serve refugees in Lebanon, sooner than concede them to Israel. This is the third convoy of what organizers promise will be more until the illegal siege of Gaza is lifted.

Reflecting on the delays and difficulties posed by the Egyptians, George Galloway expressed his regret that attention was diverted from the anniversary of Israel’s criminal acts which began December 27, 2008. Instead Egypt drew the focus on its own complicity in the continued deprivation of the people of Palestine. Asked why the convoy didn’t ask to be let through Israel, if it wanted to confront what’s thought to be the principle villain behind the siege of Gaza. Galloway responded:

We will never set foot in Israel. We will never ask permission from Israel for anything. We will never recognize Israel as long as there is no Palestine. As long as the Palestinian people are scattered to the four corners of the earth as refugees; as long as Jerusalem is being monstrously, ethnically cleansed with settlements surrounding it, choking the very life and greatness out of it; as long as Gaza is under siege, as long a Palestinians are being assassinated and bombed from the air, as they have been over the last week or so –by the way from both of the main political factions within Palestine, so it’s not just Hamas people who are being murdered in front of their wives and children. We will never recognize Israel as long as such a situation exists for the Palestinians.

See the interview on this clip from Al Jazeera:

Galloway added his usual fighting words:

The Palestinians here will never be starved into surrender. Anyone who’s counting on that, whether Israel or anybody else, and I mean anybody else, who’s counting on that, is making a big mistake. They don’t know these people if they think they can starve them into surrender.

The clip below features brief interviews of several convoyers as they arrive. The briefest was a passenger on a Derry to Gaza ambulance. The Press TV correspondent greeted him with: “Hello. Welcome to Gaza. How do you feel?” To which he replied, as the vehicle kept moving:

Great. Great to be in Gaza.

But another from that crew, whom Irish4Palestine identifies as JJ, doubled back on foot to deliver a wonderfully cheerful message:

Just like to say hello to all the people of Derry.

Um, we’ve travelled 5,000 miles from Derry in Irelanda. And it’s great to finally be here and meet the people.

And we’ve come this far for a reason. Because they deserve it. And more people should do this definitely, because we have to break the siege.

And I’d like to thank all the people of Derry. Alright thanks. Good man.

All this and more on this clip from Press TV:

Viva Palestina convoy to arrive in Rafah NPR fails to name it, or mention the Gaza Freedom March

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viva palestina route el arishAfter endless impediment, not the least of which was a sudden Israeli naval exercise to block its path, the Viva Palestina aid convoy appears finally about to reach Gaza. Permission to enter has been granted, although last week Egypt reneged on the okay it had given to the 1,400 strong Gaza Freedom March. NPR had a reporter at the Rafah border crossing, but didn’t mention the aid convoy until 1/3 into the report, and then not by name, and never mentioned the New Year’s Eve march at all. As well, NPR referred to the besieged prison state as an “enclave” whose borders were forcibly closed, “understandably,” when Hamas “took over.”

Here’s the opening of this morning’s report. My favorite part? Two. First the interminable sportscast-lke intro, a beautiful day in Fenway Park, etc. Then, hesitation as the reporter explains that the border is opened to let Palestinians out, and um, sometimes back in.

Steve Inskeep: “This is a rare day in a Palestinian enclave known as the Gaza Strip. A border crossing opened today, which is rare because Gaza is surrounded by Israel and Egypt and both have kept the crossings closed for weeks at a time over the last couple years. Today people and supplies have been allowed to move and NPR’s Peter Kenyon is at the border crossing of Rafah on the Egyptian side, Hi Peter.”

Peter Kenyon: “Hi Steve, how are you?”

SI: “Okay thanks. What have you seen?”

PK: “Well it’s a beautiful sunny day here, a little bit windy but a bright blue sky, and I’m at the actual crossing point. The black iron gates are slowly swinging open and closed from time to time, letting Palestinians out into Egypt or uh, sometimes back in, people who need to get home. Now this is a very limited opening, not any kind of a max exodus.”

SI: “Is this an opportunity to move supplies in addition to people?”

PK: “It is. In fact there is an aid convoy that has endured quite a few setbacks that has now finally arrived in the port of El-Arish. That’s about twenty-five miles away and that is expected to come as early as today, possibly tonight, there’s some last minute logistical difficulties. It’s a British convoy led by the outspoken member of parliament George Galloway. And they have finally arrived and they do hope to get in.”

And that’s the extent of the coverage of the aid convoy that has been winding its way toward Gaza for the last month. No mention of “Viva Palestina” or organizations behind the effort, or even what their difficulties have been. The final “logistical difficulties” to which the reporter alludes concern Egypt’s sudden stipulation that aid consist only of medical supplies. Check with York to Gaza, the Reading Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, the Sitch, among others, for the final updates.

Meanwhile the BBC has pictures of conditions in Gaza.

While the Gaza Freedom March was kept contained in Cairo, Egypt was simultaneously stopping the Viva Palestina aid convoy from entering through Aqaba. Ultimately the convoy was forced to circle Israel and return to Syria, where it had to ferry its vehicles on the Ulusoy-6 from Lattakia to the Egyptian Port of El-Arish to reach the Rafah border crossing into Gaza.

Canada welcomes Bush, bars Galloway

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Canada refused to bar entry to Ex-president George Bush, then declined calls for his arrest for war crimes and prevented attempts by others to make citizen’s arrests. But in the same breath, Canada denied entry to a prominent antiwar voice, British MP George Galloway, because HE was infandous. Clearly they have no standard at all.

The Canadian minister had to conjure an Old English word behind which to hide. And where hider handicap seekers with a countdown from an agreeable number, the Canadian obstructionist had to consult an Oxford Dictionary circa 1708, declaring Galloway to be persona-non-grata for unspeakably, unreference-able dastardliness. The trouble is, too many of us have seen Galloway’s un-despicableness on Youtube.

Galloway famously gave the Bush warmongers a dressing down rarely seen in the orchestrated political theater of today. Not only did Galloway show the emperor to have no clothes, he laughed at his teeny willy.

Galloway’s participation in RESIST WAR FROM GAZA TO KANDAHAR, seems most opposed by the Zionists. Here’s the letter which purportedly influenced the Canadians in their decision:

An Open Letter to the Government of Canada
Keep George Galloway out of Canada

It has come to the attention of the Jewish Defence League that a UK MP George Galloway, will be speaking in Toronto. As you are aware, anti Jewish attacks are on the rise across the world. Some of our campuses have given platforms to proxies from Radical Iran. It is our hope that the Government of Canada will not permit George Galloway entry into Canada. I have enclosed some information about George Galloway below;

“I don’t think Hamas is a terrorist organization” — Galloway

“Hezb’allah has never been a terrorist organization” –Galloway

“there’s no compulsion in Islam” — Galloway

George Galloway has spoken in Canada before, in 2006, at Carleton University and Concordia University. Here is a link exposing the fact that his visit was partly financed by the Syrian Social Nationalist Movement: splatto.net

I remember seeing an on-line poster of this outfit, advertising Galloway’s visit, on the now defunct Judeoscope Blog. The poster had neo-Nazi trappings, in bright red and black.
Blog describing the Galloway visit, the poster, and the SNNN: splatto.net

Mr. George Galloway, what is your connection with the organization “Toronto Coalition to Stop the War” ?

“Toronto Coalition to Stop the War” is organizing this Galloway event and they are one of the groups which attended the conferences organized by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

“Canadian antiwar activists sat down with terror groups”
Hamas, Hezbollah delegates among those at Cairo Conference
Don Butler, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Tuesday, May 08, 2007

“… Canadian activists were out in force at a recent conference in Cairo that sought to … Many of the Canadian delegates were from the Canadian Peace Alliance, … banned Muslim Brotherhood and Egyptian opposition parties,”

It is my hope that the Government of Canada will do everything possible to keep this hater away from Canada.

Thank You,

Meir Weinstein, National Director
Jewish Defence League of Canada

British activists bring aid convoy to Gaza

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Aid to Gaza
Yes, the aid convoy to Gaza has been scrutinized by UK authorities, and three members have been detained as terror suspects. But the 110-vehicle relief effort left London yesterday, due to arrive at Gaza’s border in 20 days. Hopefully the caravan will receive enough visibility that Israel will feel compelled to grant them access to the Gazans in desperate need of the supplies.

Huge British demo against Iraq War- ‘War, What Is It Good For?’

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It happened, though today’s Gazette and yesterdays TV news didn’t mention it no doubt. One hundred thousand demonstrated in London against the Iraq War yesterday. See the demo and hear George Galloway’s speech. See and hear the song , ‘War, What Is It Good For?‘ -the special Tony Blair issue.

I don’t understand all this talk about impeachment?

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I don’t understand why liberals obsess about impeaching Bush? Just the word ‘impeach’ is something that has strong negative connotations like with the phrase, ‘they tried to impeach his credibility.’ In fact, isn’t that what the Republicans and Kenneth Starr did exactly when they tried to impeach Clinton? They tried to impeach Slick Willy’s credibility, besmirch it. Fancy that from such scoundrels as the Republicans? Besmirching someone’s character rather than honestly challenging their politics is certainly what they do best.

Let’s look at what’s wrong with the impeachment process. When Nixon was impeached, he was removed from the office of the Presidency, and then promptly pardoned for his actual crime of committing burglary! Wouldn’t due process be to actually have given him a criminal trial, convict him of what he did, and only then, remove him from office?

Imagine if other criminals were treated as Nixon was? Imagine if somebody burglarized your house and stole and otherwise trashed all your precious possessions inside. The police get the guy, but the District Attorney and the men in blue, before a criminal trial of any sort, have the guy fired from his job (assuming he has one other than fencing and burglary?). Then, the District Attorney informs you that this criminal who ransacked your castle has been given a pardon, and that there will never be any trial regarding his criminal act! Then the criminal burglar goes and opens up a big library (something presidential) with his name on it, and retires in bliss. While you, the victim, sit in wonder at the whole damn charade of process!

America, supposedly has one set of laws for all. We all know by now that is a total crock of shit, but still? Shouldn’t the public demand enforcement of laws on the books, even when the president, the vice-president, and his high officials break them? Torture, assassination, and robbery are a few of the crimes committed by Bush and his Klan. Shouldn’t we demand that they be criminally prosecuted rather than just timidly asking that Bush be quietly removed from office?

The most popular sign I ever use protesting against the illegal invasion of Iraq and looting of that country states, JAIL BUSH, FREE IRAQ. Can you get any simpler than that?

Does anybody really think that criminals are really afraid of ‘impeachment’? They make jokes about it down in Florence no doubt. ‘Hey, Guards, let me go. Impeach me instead.’ Why such a blatantly double standard of legal process when it comes to high officials?

Impeachment works this way. You first try to smear the character of a person you can’t get to totally go along with your corruption. The impeachment of the character, Slick, began way before the proceedings in the House and Senate. ‘His wife is a lesbian, you know? Slick sells used cars, etc, etc.’ And then came that magic moment! ‘Slick gets blow jobs! Under the table when his lesbian wife is out shopping.’ That’s what an impeachment proceeding is all about.

Any crimes no longer matter. Was it that Dick burglarized the Democratic Party HQ and slaughtered a few million or so? Or was it that he used foul language on tapes that allowed the character of this criminal to be impeached, even as his crimes went none prosecuted? Slick almost fell for ‘lying’ and getting a blow job without permission form the Senate and House, not for his invasion of Yugoslavia. Why are liberals trying to use such a travesty of character assassination against Dubya? Revenge? Because the guy sure has plenty criminal abuses against the People that he needs ot be prosecuted for instead. Impeachment is a shameful avoidance of what really should be done.

Let’s begin to demand that Bush, Cheney, Alberto Gonzalez, Rumsfield, and Rice be investigated for their criminal acts, and convicted of them. Just one example. Authorizing kidnappings and ‘renditions’ is a criminal act. If you are I were to grab somebody off the street, carry him to a basement, and then torture him as the Bush Klan have done with people, we would maybe even get the death penalty. Saddam Hussein certainly did. Shouldn’t we being asking at least for life imprisonment for our own officials that commit these exact same crimes. Aw heck, I’m even going to ask that Rumsfield be hanged by his neck, after the due process of convicting this mass murderer and master thief for his thousand and one crimes.

Asking for impeachment to be applied, and only alone to Bush, is a totally wimpy thing. A cheap revenge for those the liberal community oppose. Why not ask for the full extent of the law to be applied? Last, I am going to link with a speech that George Galloway just gave in Great Britain, and this great statesman does not call for impeachment of Tony Blair, British arch criminal. He calls for prosecution instead. That’s what we need to be doing here in America, too, when our corporate government creeps (pardon me, Tricky Dick) break the law. It’s due process.

George Galloway speech

The other George

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After going over all the official Democratic Party web sites what comes to mind, is how much America needs the other George. I’m talking about the George of RESPECT, not the George of MURDER INC. on this side of the Atlantic. Contrast the best known member of RESPECT, George Galloway, with all the US politicians of the party I will call LACK OF RESPECT though they are better known as the Democratic Party.

If George Galloway’s site above is down, then see Galloway’s Israel’s Lebanon invasion interview at youtube, where he gives the Murdoch media a whipping.

About the only DP presidential contender site I could even begin to stomach, was that of Dennis Kucinich, though what’s he doing in the DP instead of bolting it, anyway? And you certainly won’t hear a peep out of him on his website about the need to get out of Afghanistan or Colombia, say. Still, he’s a saint compared to Hillary, Obama, or Edwards.

If you are sick of all the mealy mouthed, slimy rhetoric from all the officially announced DP presidential candidates, then check out the video section of George Galloway’s web site! You certainly won’t see the likes of Dennis Kucinich denouncing Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, like George does in the lead video there on his site. Or could one imagine Kucinich, or any of the Democrat Party politician slimeballs, standing up like George Galloway did to the US Senate, when a Senate Committee tried to make him out as tied to Saddam Hussein’s regime? This appearance before the Senate can be seen in 5 parts on the website.

Why was Galloway testifying there? Simply because he had opposed the Clinton sanctions against Iraq, that through 8 years murdered about a million Iraqis, mainly children. I am talking about the Democratic Party sponsored sanctions that paved the way to Bush’s invasion, and continued occupation of that country. He had been the most vocal critic for years of Blair and Bush in both the US and Britain, and has always been an outstanding opponent of Israeli Apartheid where all others had feared to speak out. For this, they were trying to besmirch him and his reputation for integrity.

Democrats, you vote for the PARTY OF DISRESPECT, disrespect for you, the liberal. We need an organization like RESPECT here in the US, and if George Galloway ever tries to set up an American branch of the Respect Unity Coalition, then I’d be the first to join. The other George…. We could use some of that spunk here in the US.

Watch parts 2-5 here.

Where have we heard that before?

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pictureWhen Israel initiated its new incursion into Lebanon, it was deja vu at first sight and just hasn’t let up. But it’s not so much to do with Israel’s previous invasion of Lebanon, actually.
 
When Israeli troops prepared their offensive into Lebanon, in self-defense, they had embedded reporters with them. The media didn’t appear to be interested in covering Hizb’Allah or the Lebanese army.

When Beirut awaited Israeli air strikes, a solitary camera fed American networks a view of the Beirut skyline in anticipation of far off explosions and fires.
 
(Do you wonder -with webcams and surveillance cameras literally available at the Dollar Store- why wouldn’t they want to put cameras close in to the action?)
 
When casualty reports came in about military skirmishes, every Israeli soldier’s death was reported. Hizb’Allah casualties were unknown. Sound familiar?

Now Israel is complaining about having to overcome a problem of foreign fighters among the Hizb’Allah ranks. Iranian they were, too, apparently.

Remember how many foreign fighters we found in Iraq?

pictureRupert Murdock’s British SKY NEWS made the mistake of interviewing George Galloway about the notion of foreign fighters in Lebanon.