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Tuesday 30 June 2009

Israel attacks justice boat, kidnaps human rights workers and confiscates cargo of medicine, toys and olive trees

 

Israeli Occupation Forces attacked and boarded the Free Gaza Movement boat, the Spirit of Humanity, abducting 21 human rights workers from 11 countries, including Noble laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. The passengers and crew are being forcibly dragged toward Israel. 

Machiavellian spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mark Regev, justified the seizing of the Spirit of Humanity saying “Israel every day is allowing humanitarian support to reach the people of Gaza, food stuffs, medicines, energy and so forth.  This boat was not about that, this boat was about political activists who have been apologists for the Hamas regime.”  Basically, then, if you oppose the Zionist regime, you don’t get to eat.

 

To follow this story see www.freegaza.org

 

Lebanese Army Restores Order to Beirut

 

On Sunday 28 June the Beirut neighbourhood of Aisha Bakkar saw armed clashes between supporters of the Amal and Future movements.  Despite recent conciliatory gestures on the parts of their leaders, the fervent supporters vented their frustrations with automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades.  At least a dozen people were wounded and one woman was killed by what was apparently a stray bullet as she checked on the commotion from her balcony.

 

By Monday 29 June, Caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud warned that the possession of arms must be restricted to “the Lebanese armed forces, the security forces and the resistance.”  Baroud said that other use of weapons was forbidden and that the issue would be tackled by the Lebanese Army, which promptly moved in with tanks and armoured personnel carriers.

 

But even as order has been enforced on the neighbourhood, the outburst stands as a stark reminder that heavy weaponry is held and used across the political spectrum.  It is high time the general public admits what a simple shop keeper on Rachidine Street observed: that he “saw both sides carrying guns” and that “they are prepared to make trouble.”  The challenge now lies with Speaker Berri, PM Hariri and Minister Baroud to inspire the people to believe that such trouble is better left to their grief-laden history.