Week's Best Flashpoints Radio: reports from Jenin marketplace; Robert Fisk, more

KPFA Flashpoints News Radio

Congress charges FBI translations and agents obstructed by traitors working for the FBI; Did Israeli moles obstruct FBI pre-9/11 inquiries? (link1) (link2)

Friday, June 21, 2002 - Start Audio
-00:00 KPFA News Headlines
-03:00 Dennis Bernstein: introduction: US-made Israeli tanks fire on crowded Jenin marketplace, killing ten (BBC).. poet Aurora Levins Morales
-04:00 Dennis: Uniformed Israeli terrorists surprise unarmed Jenin shoppers with lethal tank and machine gun fire.. now w Rick Rawley of International Solidarity (ISM).. Rick: at 10AM the tanks rolled out, people poured out on the street to buy food, water, and diapers.. then the Israelis reentered without warning, opened fire with tanks, killed three children ages 6, 8, and 13.. I was near the market, we heard explosions, people running down alleys.. the city back under siege.. the last two nights, they've been doing house to house searches, blowing up houses.. a girl next door to a house blown up, was killed.. the attitude here strong and defiant, the kids still throw stones when they can.. we heard explosions before we saw tanks.. we could hear tanks rolling over cars, explosions, kids screaming, women screaming, a really terrifying scene.. I'm staying with a family, father killed resisting months ago.. the Unrealis said they were going to come back and blow up their home.. we didn't hear any fire returned.. resistance taking on a new form, just to stay in your home is resistance.. people are tense, people are afraid.. been a long long year.. a long long time.. no one has work, no one has food.. this is a refugee camp, the people run off their land in 1948, again in 1967.. they are determined not to get shoved off their land again.. the Israelis arrested all the men and older boys.. but the young kids out on the street again this evening throwing stones.. Rick: the Israelis can never hold this camp.. IMPORTANT TO NOTE WHEN THE ISRAELIS CAME IN WITH TANKS FIRING TONIGHT, THEY HAD ALREADY ARRESTED ALL THE MEN.. THEY KNEW THAT THERE WERE ONLY OLD PEOPLE, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN THEY WERE KILLING.. Everyone here.. braces themselves when a suicide bombing occurs.. there are no weapons in Palestine anywhere that can stop a tank, or an Apache homicide heliocopter.. everyone you talk to is against civilian casualties, Isreali or Palestinian.. Dennis: are people aware that the US supplies the weapons for the Israelis to attack them with?.. Rick: Yes, when I tell people I am American.. [sound of children in the background].. Rick: the amazing courage you see here.. kids five years old throwing stones at tanks.. they know what a tank can do to them.. they know a stone won't hurt a tank, too.. inspiring courage.. A HUMAN RESPONSE TO AN INHUMAN SYSTEM.. MAN AGAINST WAR MACHINE.. A NATION WITHOUT A TERRITORY.. I DON'T REGRET FOR AN INSTANT COMING HERE.. Rick: COME, YOU ARE NEEDED HERE, WELCOME HERE.. COME AND GIVE SOMETHING BACK.. YOU ARE NEEDED
-17:50 Dennis: now w Dr. Karem: (sp?).. they lift the curfew.. the women went to the market to buy food.. hundreds of children, persons in the street.. we send our housekeeper from the hospital to buy vegetables, and fruit from the market.. after one hour, two hour.. we hear the tanks start shooting everywhere in the town.. we hear explosions everywhere.. our hospital, something very strong.. we received nine wounded persons, one killed, a girl six years old.. she has very sad story, out from her house with father, brother, sister.. bought bread and vegetables, and milk.. father return to house.. unlucky girl.. one son and two daughters wounded.. I saw the sack of bread that the father bought, covered with the blood of his daughter.. and she died.. shot in the chest and left arm.. the muscle and the bone destroyed completely.. we treat her older sister shot in the abdomen stil in hospital, her sister 2 and half years old, shot in the thigh.. their father was lucky, not shot.. now I hear nothing.. for an hour.. about the other nine, ten wounded persons.. 2 in critical condition.. one a veternarian.. the soldiers said to me 'go home', we about ten fifteen persons dead.. I went to take my car, but car shot by tank.. Dennis: how do you feel about suicide bombers?.. Dr. Karen: We dislike any person to be killed regardless of origin, religion, nationality.. and (particularly) children should not be killed.. 4 children killed today in Jenin town.. we have no shortage now for medical supplies, drugs.. but if the seige continues long.. I like to tell you, two mothers called me today, and said before the curfew was lifted.. a new boy, six days old, has jaundice, asked me what to do.. I asked her what is her blood group, and there is a difference between her and the baby.. very dangerous.. she asked me send an ambulance.. I can not though.. It is a very sad day, If I saw four children killed anywhere, I feel very sad.. all children are innocent

Thursday, June 20, 2002 - Start Audio
-00:00 Dennis Bernstein: introduction: Jenin on the ground, and Robert Fisk in studio
-01:00 now with Robert Knight and the Knight Report.. Robert: Israeli army back in command of 6 West Bank cities: Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm, Hebron, Beit Jalla, Bethlehem .. following the second suicide bombing inside Israel in 2 days leaving 2 dozen dead.. Israel discussing options, including permanent occupation, more home demolitions, and exile of senior PLO officials.. also Palestinian gunmen kill 6 more Israelis inside an illegal settlement.. general labor strike in Spain.
-03:32 Dennis: w WBAI's Robert Knight in studio.. Robert: the Israelis given lemons, making lemonade.. Sharon says he will continue to take Palestinian territory until the attacks cease.. a strategy that might be self-defeating.. even more frustrating to the Palestinians, a further postponing of the Palestinian psuedo-state.. Dennis: GW on the phone today offering his condolences to Sharon.. Israeli in Jenin, arresting 2000 men and boys, beating up International Solidarity (ISM) workers..
-07:00 Dennis: now w Rebecca Murray (link1) of ISM in Jenin.. Rebecca: F16s flying over.. tanks, soldiers everywhere.. (sound of child crying in background).. all the men and boys have been taken, we are under complete military seige.. I'm in the home of a woman had her brother and mother shot to death in April.. the soldiers came into her house twice today, took her husband two brothers, she is very worried.. people are very fearful.. two tanks right outside the house.. snipers everywhere.. we hear lots of explosions.. Israel blowing up buildings.. today Irish ISM member Cleva Butterly beaten up badly by the soldiers.. [Cleva has been a frequent guest on Flashpoints].. she was going to stay with a frightened family.. she was standing next to the soldiers when they attacked her.. you can not walk on the street, soldiers will just shoot.. she was beaten.. Dennis: GW talking about the Israeli suffering, but not the Palestinian suffering.. Rebecca: Pals since 1967, living under the most oppressive occupation.. tanks, soldiers, barriers, roadblocks everywhere.. every man I've talked to has served time in an Israeli prison without charge.. THE ISRAELIS NEED TO REALIZE THEY CANNOT HAVE OCCUPATION AND SECURITY TOO.. THE SETTLEMENTS NEED TO BE DISMANTLED.. about UN resolution 242, the settlements are illegal.. many stories about ambulances needing special permits.. even with permits the soldiers stop the ambulances for hours.. many people have died.. all the men and boys arrested, held at a school near here.. WHAT IS REALLY TERRIFYING, F16S FLYING OVER.. THE CHILDREN ARE SO TRAUMATIZED.. AS A US CITIZEN I CAN NOT STAND ASIDE AND SEE MY TAX DOLLARS USED TO OPPRESS A CIVILIAN POPULATION.. I AM HERE TO REPRESENT THE US AND TELL COLIN POWELL AND GEORGE BUSH TO INTERVENE NOW..
-15:40 music break
-16:10 Dennis: now w Robert Fisk, leading British Middle Eastern Affairs journalist (London Independent) in studio.. about the situtaion in Israel and the West Bank.. Fisk: it is going to get worse.. I am very struck.. a right wing Israeli pundit recently said: 'we have watered the ground for suicide bombers to grow out of'.. Sharon's Operation Defensive Wall was a complete failure.. not much military policy left.. if the wall is built, if the sanctions are put in place and if the suicide bombings continue, then what?.. Sharon got elected because he promised security.. settlements seedbeds of violence, continue to be built.. more and more settlements being built on Palestinian land.. Bush demanded Israel stop its seige, and Israel (ignored him).. and the US did nothing.. Bush talked about his vision for a Palestinian state.. Cheney.. Bush and Powell having visions again.. after Sharon visits Washington, the vision changes to a vision of an 'interim state'.. now in the last 24 hours, it turns into a 'provisional state'.. about Madeline Albright.. if I were a Pal, I would be searching through my dictionary.. Bush today said, that because of Israeli suffering, no time to point in a new direction.. THE BOMBERS SENT ON THEIR WAY BY MEN WHO DO NOT WANT THE US TO STOP SUPPORTING ISRAEL.. Bush and Powell have just obliged them.. Arafat was a failure, long before Oslo.. in 1993 I remember telling friends in Jerusalem.. ARAFAT A SMALL CORRUPT, BRUTAL, TINPOT DICTATOR.. THE WEST WANTED HIM THAT WAY, NOT TO INTRODUCE DEMOCRACY.. THE WEST WANTED HIM TO CONTROL HIS PEOPLE, NOT LEAD THEM.. compared to bin Laden in the NY Times.. failed totally to provide leadership.. tortured Pals in his own prisons, without a bleep of protest from the CIA.. I've heard CIA agents calling him to chat..
-27:00 .. Fisk and Dennis continue their conversation.. about hate mail, and attacks on the media.. (no review available this segment)
-46:00 Fisk: (at least) Americans are now talking about how unfair the American policy is toward Palestine.. Dennis: I come from a long line of rabbis.. about the venem against Jews who do not support Israeli policy.. it never ceases.. Fisk: yes, the *anti-Semitic* slur.. about the letters I get now.. "you *may* not be an anti-Semite, but your reports are (causing anti-Semitism)".. THERE MUST BE A SERIOUS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MIDDLE EAST.. THE SIMPLICITIC ARGUMENTS BEING MADE TO SHUT PEOPLE UP.. HAVE GOT TO COME TO AN END.. Dennis: about ISM member Adam Shapiro, who spoke out on CNN.. villified, called a Jewish Taliban.. his family run out of Brooklyn, his father fired from his job.. Sharon's policies have brought more anti-Semitic sentiments to the world.. Fisk: I think it's a more serious matter.. in my country.. Jewish leaders identifying with Israel, making it look that all Jews support Sharon.. no argument anymore.. we're told, 'you're either on the side of terrorists or supporting Israel'.. that is causing problems.. I was talking to a Jewish friend in Britain, he does not support the Jewish leadership.. but the impression is all members of the Jewish community want to put on IDF uniforms and go thundering into Jenin.. totally untrue..