NOAM CHOMSKY AUDIO: MIDDLE EAST PEACE IN A 9/11 WORLD : Indybay

KPFA Flashpoints Radio
Friday, Mar 22, 2002 - Start Audio

-00:00 Dennis Bernstein: Last night "Noam

Noam Chomsky spoke in Berkeley to a sell-out crowd, introduced by Barbara Lubin of the Middle East Childrens Alliance.. Noam: I'll be talking about west Asia, overlapping the Middle East.. some of these remarks are going to be highly critical of.. Israel and Turkey.. charges are called unfair.. in part correct.. but for a different reason than given.. the threats against Israel and Turkey.. caused by their own barbarous behavior.. states in conflict and under threat will resort to anything they can get away with.. ie: war crimes, crimes against humanity.. but if the master (the US) says that's enough, they stop.. OUR CRITICISMS SHOULD BE DIRECTED AT OURSELVES.. LOOKING IN THE MIRROR IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT, MORE DIFFICULT.. support for crimes for decades.. media, schools, intellectual journals.. suspression of certain facts.. even enthusiam for atrocities.. change by public action.. this is the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the Vietnam War.. no one remembers.. in 1961 there were no protests here or elsewhere.. but eventually there was a great public outcry.. and as a result, the general population has changed.. it didn't happen by magic, but by dedicated public activism by millions and millions of people.. South Africa a similar case.. in 1978 the US condemned Nelson Mandela's African National Congress as the 'worst of terrorists'.. South Africa was a 'great US ally'.. this while South Africa had killed 1.5 million people in the countries surrounding, not even taking into account the atrocities inside South Africa itself.. that changed too, due to public activism.. there are choices.. WE NEED TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES, OR WE ARE COMPLICIT IN CRIME.. Policy-makers want us to focus on the "Axis of Evil".. I think we should, I think we should laugh at it.. about the so-called Israel- Palestine 'conflict'.. ('conflict' implies a kind of equality).. the media coverage always portrays Israel as the victim of mindless terrorism.. when the US recently ordered Israel to withdraw, they immediately obeyed.. shows where power lies, where responsibiliby lies.. IT'S NOT A 'CONFLICT', IT IS MILITARY OCCUPATION.. HARSH, BRUTAL, OPPRESSIVE.. IN GROSS VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW, AND HAS BEEN FROM THE OUTSET.. George H Bush, ambassador to the UN, in 1971, condemned Israel for "actions in violations of international law by an occupying power.. specifically the 4th Geneva Convention".. 1971 about the time of the beginning of divergence in US policy and practice.. in 1971, US already beginning to supply the means for the brutal occupation.. in 1971, Egypt offered a peace treaty to Israel.. Isreal considered accepting it, but decided against it.. Sharon was implementing some of the worst atrocities at the time.. Israel thought if it held out it 'could do better'.. the US deliberated.. and chose Kissinger's recommendation, to do nothing, to let Israel gradually take over Palestine.. this program of blocking diplomatic settlement, ie: the so-called 'Peace Process', ie: anything the United States happens to be doing (laughter).. over 30 years of extreme objectionism, and rejection of diplomacy by Israel and US.. slow integration of the territories.. THE PLANS FOR THE PALESTINIANS WERE ENNUNCIATED AT THE SAME TIME IN ISRAEL, INTERNALLY AT CABINET MEETINGS, *SECRETLY* IN HEBREW.. "WE SHOULD TELL THEM THEY WILL LIVE LIKE DOGS, AND WHOEVER WILL LEAVE, SHOULD LEAVE.. WE WILL ESTABLISH PERMANENT RULE OVER THE TERRITORIES.." THOSE POLICIES CONTINUE.. they go on right to today, through the Oslo phase.. Hebrew a 'secret language', trusting the western commentators not to report it.. the negoiators for dovish Barak.. one wrote a book in Hebrew, said the Oslo plan's goal was to establish neocolonial dependency, something like what South Africa established in 1962, the Bantustans.. (which were actually more viable that what has ever been offered the Palestinians, and better funded).. about Bill Clinton, helped establish ever more illegal settlements.. NOW 270 SEPARATE PALESTINIAN ENCLAVES IN THE WEST BANK, ALL CUT OFF FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM THE CENTER OF PALESTINIAN LIFE, IE EAST JERUSALEM.. LITTLE DUNGEONS.. about the 'magnanimous' offer of Camp David.. it was impossible to find a map of the offer published in the United States.. the reason was obvious, if you looked at a map, you would immediately see through the ploy.. in the press, the most extreme fanatacism.. Thomas Friedmann wrote, 'Clinton has spoken, the words of the master'.. not since Stalin, such propoganda.. when the Palestinians refused, the media says, it shows how terrible they are.. just last week, the the two biggest human rights watchdogs, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, both issued elogent pleas.. for international monitors and more.. (details).. Jewish opponents of Israeli occupation will have an ad in the NY Times this Sunday, calling for a suspension of military aid to Israel.. addressed to the United States.. for international monitors.. last December the Security Council, debated the issue.. vetoed by the US.. not even reported here in the US.. in the General Assembly, virtually unanimous, vetoed by US and Israel.. not reported here.. and this was at an important moment.. during a 3 week ceasefire.. that opportunity is gone.. IN SWITZERLAND RECENTLY A CONFERENCE ON THE 4TH GENEVA CONVENTION.. 114 COUNTRIES ATTENDED.. AN OFFICIAL DECLARATION CONDEMNED THE SETTLEMENTS AS ILLEGAL, CALLED ON ISRAEL TO STOP TORTURE, STOP DEPORTATIONS, STOP APPROPRIATION OF PROPERTY, STOP GRAVE BREECHES OF THE GENEVA CONVENTION (IE WAR CRIMES).. US IS ONE THE HIGH COMMISSIONERS OF THE GENEVA CONVENTION.. OBLIGATED TO PROSECUTE BREECHES BY ANYONE, EVEN ITSELF.. WHAT HAPPENED? THE US BOYCOTTED THE MEETING.. WITH ISRAEL AND AUSTRALIA.. AND MORE SILENCE IN THE MEDIA.. about the Clinton administration which broke all records in supporting Israel.. ON OCTOBER 7, 2000.. A SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION, DEPLORING SHARON'S PROVOCATION AT THE DOME OF THE ROCK, AND THE ISRAELI VIOLENCE THERE THE NEXT DAY.. WHICH SET OFF THE CURRENT INTIFADA.. CALLED ON ISRAEL TO ABIDE BY THE 4TH GENEVA CONVENTION.. PASSED 14-0 WITH ONE ABSTENTION.. GUESS WHO? THE US.. THEN ISRAELI HELIPCOPTERS, WHICH MEANS US HELICOPTERS FLOWN BY ISRAELI PILOTS, STARTED ATTACKING CIVILIAN TARGETS, KILLING AND WOUNDING DOZENS OF PEOPLE.. CLINTON RESPONDED BY SENDING MORE BLACKHAWK HELICOPTERS, THE GREATEST DEAL IN A DECADE.. ONLY ONE MENTION IN THE US MEDIA, A LETTER TO THE EDITOR IN A NORTH CAROLINA NEWSPAPER.. TO THIS DAY, IT IS RARELY KNOWN.. PRESS SILENCE.. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, ISRAEL STARTED USING HELICOPTERS FOR 'TARGETED ASSASSINATIONS'.. THIS IS JUST MURDER, NO NEED TO MINCE WORDS.. in Israel, a plea to the high court, to ban the murder of people with helicopters.. rejected.. the US response?, to send even more F16s and helicopters.. the Wall Street Journal, the most honest of the US press, wrote that it was necessary to block the resolution that called Israel an 'occupying power', for it was an 'anti-Israel' position, it was therefore 'anti-Semitic'.. Israel, of course, *is* an occupying power, but don't let facts get in the way.. (worse than) South African racists in the darkest days of apartheid.. much discussion of a Saudi Arabian plan.. Friedmann really proud of himself.. the press reporting at last the Arabs recognizing Israel.. but the WSJ reports the Saudi plan not new, presented in 1981.. shot down by Syria, Iraq, and the PLO.. let's return to the real world.. the PLO approved the 1981 plan.. Syria objected to only one thing, that the Golan Heights were not mentioned.. the other Arab states ambivalent.. how about Israel's reaction?.. Perez condemned the proposal.. threatened to blow up the Saudi oilfields.. so irrational, a purposeful strategy.. called shocking, frightening.. about Resolution 242, the key resolution.. US vetoed it too.. reflects the hysterial among Israeli doves.. US made clear it would not accept the 1981 Saudi plan.. IN 1981 ISRAEL WAS PLANNING THE INVASION OF LEBANON.. ISRAEL COMMITTING PROVOCATIONS IN LEBANON, BOMBING, KILLING, TRYING TO GET THE PLO TO REACT NEGATIVELY.. THE PLO DIDN'T.. SO ISRAEL INVADED ANYWAY.. RESULT 20,000 CIVILIANS KILLED.. THE NY TIMES SAID THE GOAL OF THE INVASION, TO CONVINCE THE PALESTINIANS TO ACCEPT ISRAELI RULE IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA.. AND TWENTY YEARS LATER, ON JAN 4, 2002, THE NY TIMES FINALLY SAID.. THAT THE INVASION OF LEBANON, WAS A TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE OF 'TERRORISM'.. about Friedmann again.. denying what he knew to be a fact.. a headline in Israel, "Perez say no".. a couple days later, Friedmann wrote, "Perez said yes".. his advice to Israel, run the occupied territories the way they run southern Lebanon.. brutal attacks on civilians, committed by hired mercenaries.. "if you give Ahkmed a seat on the bus", he wrote, "he may lesson his demands".. in apartheid South Africa, you can imagine a journalist writing "if you give Sambo a seat on the bus".. but doubtful he would have gone on to win a Pulitzer Prize..
-58:42 End today's show.. today's non-review by john lionheart

Thursday, Mar 21, 2002 - Start Audio

-00:00

Dennis Bernstein: introduction: GW starts a tour of Latin America, interview with Larry Birns of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs.. Texas-size toxic problems at Port Arthur refineries, with Hilton Kelly of CEDAR, Denny Larsen of SEED, and Port Arthur resident Darlene Ford.. talk by Father Roy Bourgeois of School of the Americas Watch on the buildup of US forces in Colombia and more
-00:45 KPFA News Headlines..
-04:40 Robert Knight and the Knight Report..

Robert: A car bomb kills 9 in front of the US Embassy in Peru.. US moves to defend an Occidental Petroleum pipeline in Colombia

-09:18 Dennis Bernstein interview with Larry Birns of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, background on Bush's trip starting today to Latin America..

Larry: the car bomb blamed on the Shining Path guerillas.. about their new leadership.. the bombing is no small matter, across the street from the US embassy, in front of a bank.. two people on a motorcycle came by.. and detonated a bomb.. and got away.. about the new leader of Peru, a self indulgent, lazy man.. a big disappointment.. but will do anything for Washington though (except release Lori Berensen).. Peru witnessing a resurgence of cocaine production.. Bush is going to promise that the Andean trade tax break will be renewed.. in El Salvador, Bush will meet with the regional presidents.. but El Salvador and Guatemala haven't upheld their promises to bring human rights abusers to trial.. Bush is going to praise these leaders, for bringing 'democracy' to their countries.. actually they are psuedo-democracies.. about the immigration situation vis-a-vis Mexico.. about the US alliance between conservative Republicans wanting cheap labor, trade unionists wanting more union members, and the Catholic Church wanting more souls to milk for tithes.. new Mexican president, Vicente Fox, hasn't produced the jobs he promised, is looked upon as a do-nothing president.. the average Mexican's standard of living the same or less than in 1981.. in Colombia, very very dangerous.. You're Going To Get To Know Colombia Very Well.. The US has chosen Colombia for its massive intervention.. declared FARC as a terrorist organization.. US 'Drug Czar' denounced the FARC role in drug smuggling.. Bush is going to ask Congress to permit US troops to attack the FARC.. remember, the FARC guerillas are a very sophisticated group.. spend hundreds of millions on arms every year.. have 'Stinger' missles.. its going to be a grim bloody struggle
-20:00 music break Lambayeque
-21:00 Dennis: Port Arthur, Texas, 90 miles from Houston,

on the Gulf Coast not a safe place to live.. home of three major refineries.. "refinery

the residents repeatedly exposed to toxic releases linked to a variety of illnesses.. the children most vulnerable and they are suffering.. the communitry facing enormously high levels pollution problems, a failing economy, and rising health concerns.. on the phone, Hilton Kelly, CEO of the Community Empowerment Development Association (CEDAR).. Hilton: we've been devastated by the pollution, and health problems.. many people have died from cancer and liver problems.. on a daily basis you can smell hydrogen sulfide in the air, smells like rotten eggs.. people have learned to live with it.. at night a lot of smoke.. and flames from flares burning off excess toxins.. Dennis: about the children?.. Hilton: this young lady has to take 4 different drugs everyday.. the doctor told her the only cure is to move away.. but the parents have no money.. 11.4% unemployment in the area.. the second highest in Texas.. a lot of the people here are ill, from the different chemicals they have been exposed to here over the years.. biggest employers in our community, MacDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut.. now with Denny Larsen of the Texas Sustainable Energy and Economic Development Corporation (SEED) (link2).. Denny: power plants cause 30,000 preventable deaths a year.. chemical plants have power plants inside them.. understanding the extreme waste in these plants.. they process hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil a day.. byproducts leaking out all over the place.. I've been working with refinery communities for years.. this is my life's work.. started in the Bay Area.. Hilton was living in Oakland before moving back to Port Arthur.. we knew he was the future.. great communicator with the afflicted.. (think Erin Brokovich).. Hilton: we go out and take air samples.. send them to an independent lab in Calif.. back to us, and we let the residents know exactly what's up.. Dennis: the mayor of Port Arthur says the pollution is from people burning grass.. Hilton: very few people willing to speak up here.. won't speak up for the people here.. the mayor believes that the revenues from the refineries is what is keeping the community afloat.. but the people suffering from health problems and have no insurance.. I don't see the profit in that.. Denny: at the state-wide level, we're trying to force them to clean up the environment.. More information: www.RefineryReform.org; Code of Silence (pdf)
-39:00 music break Ben Harper
-39:45 Dennis: Father Roy Bourgeous of the "Father

Abraham Lincoln Brigade (link2) and

founder of the School of the Americas Watch.. Father Roy: I returned to Vietnam to apologize for what we did there.. something happened there and here.. the scales began to fall from our eyes.. to ask forgiveness for the suffering and death we caused there.. I met there, a long bus trip.. I met a Buddist monk, said our greatest enemy in life is ignorance.. about the racist system in Bolivia, Colombia, all of Latin America.. it was hard when I came back home.. so distant so hard.. then we found out about the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia.. started the School of the Americas Watch.. the graduates responsible for acts of terrorism against their own people.. they all trained here.. our goal, to break down the wall of silence about this so-called school.. the stories of the victims began to permiate society.. NOT IN OUR NAME WILL THIS TRAINING CONTINUE.. after 9/11 I got a call from the leader of Fort Benning, asking us not to return to protest.. we talked among ourselves.. everyone said the place to start is Fort Benning, Georgia.. Judge Faircloth in Georgia, at the end of the days testimony, said, THE MARCH GOES ON!!.. OUR GREATEST ENEMY IS IGNORANCE.. most of the soldiers today at this school are from Colombia, our new Vietnam in the making.. then we went to southern Colombia to talk to the villagers.. low-flying planes spraying chemicals on farmers.. killing banana plants, everything, children with skin rashes.. they asked how would you feel if we went to your country and dropped these chemicals on you?.. to protect the profits of the corporations.. THIS SCHOOL IN GEORGIA.. A TRAINING CAMP FOR TERRORISTS, AND WE'RE GONNA SHUT IT DOWN..

Unsorted Links:
Indmedia Israel: Sharon’s aim: to provoke retaliatory action and whip up anti-Palestinian xenophobia, to counter demands for negotiated settlement .. 10,000 Demonstrate in Tel Aviv .. Book: An Eye for An Eye, by John Sack
about the book; (Amazon) (Codys) .. Michael Moore threatened with arrest at book signing in San Diego .. Jeff Halper of Committee Against House Demolitions calls to End the Occupation NOW .. Bethlehem University attacked .. 500 attend vigil in solidarity with imprisoned refuseniks .. Israeli forces assault medical personnel .. Israeli peace group Yesh-Gulv .. IDF arrests over 1,000 Palestinians in Qalqilya, Deheisheh raids .. UNRWA: Israeli raids have damaged 1,620 refugee homes .. Book: The Life of an American Jew in Racist Marxist Israel (Amazon) (Codys) .. Israeli forces surround house of LAW's Director Khader Shkirat .. CPT Delegate Bret Davis detained by Israeli military at Balata .. TruthSeekers .. Israel Indymedia .. Zionism: False Messiah .. Israel: The U.S. Watchdog

-60:00 End today's show.. today's review by jane lionheart

NOAM CHOMSKY AUDIO: MIDDLE EAST PEACE IN A 9/11 WORLD

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