Flashpoints Aug 5: home demolitions, CAT protest; Iraq update; Cheney SF protest

Monday, August 5, 2002 - Start Audio
-00:00 Yun Suh and Leslie Kean: introduction: A Palestinian man tries to rebuild his home for the fourth time.. a campaign against Caterpillar Corp for giving bulldozers to Israeli military.. a 40 day fast at the UN begins to protest the imminent attack on Iraq.. Cheney comes to SF Wednesday..
-00:50 Yun Suh's diary: One of the hallmarks of Israeli occupation is home demolitions.. systematic demolitions.. in areas where Israel wants to build or expand illegal settlements.. now w Salim Hassan Shawamreh.. whose family home has been destroyed three times by Israel.. Salim: we fled our village in 1948.. when they made the camp, they left 500 in camp.. (we) 6 children given one room in that camp.. I graduated Jerusalem University as a construction supervisor.. when I returned [in ten years] I saw my family living very overcrowded.. I'm the returning hero.. so I set out to build a home.. from 1990 to 1994 I applied to Israeli zoning, building department.. and paying $5,000 in taxes and stamps.. a 'zoning problem'.. they would not give us permit.. I went to the civil administration.. I knew I would not get that permit, but I didn't want to be outside the law.. they said, apply again.. so I applied a second time.. then they said.. no permit.. apply again, we'll give you a permit.. so I applied a third time.. then (after a year) they said, no permit.. then I built the house anyway.. Salim: I was having lunch with my family.. about 2PM.. I heard a loud voice outside.. I went out.. my house was surrounded.. they told me 'this is not your house anymore, get out in 15 minutes, we are going to destroy it'.. I started kicking.. the soldiers arrested me, my wife shut the door.. they broke the windows, threw teargas in the home, to get out my wife and 6 daughters.. neighbors and Jeff Halper of the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions (link2).. came to our aid.. Jeff kicked like me.. 7 injured that day, one, a 16 year old, lost his kidney.. we [had to] live in a tent behind the ruins of my home.. I worked in Saudi Arabia for ten years, put all my savings into that home.. destroyed in an instant.. my youngest I found asleep, hiding in the rocks.. my children's grades dropped.. my smallest two kids, when they want to go the bathroom, if my wife doesn't take them by the hand, they wet the bed.. my wife after the demoltion did not talk for three months.. all my neighbors and Jeff and some Israelis came and helped us rebuild on the same foundations.. took 20 days.. all of us dancing.. only one day after, at 4AM, we open our eyes in the tent, to see machine guns pointed in our faces.. the bulldozers came again and destroyed again.. two Christian Peacemakers (link2) slept with us.. three bombs broke on him that day.. imagine the children wake up to see the home destroyed again.. also destroyed 52 trees and took our tent.. CNN came.. in Hareetz, an article.. the army said well I needed two signatures.. Jeff Halper got a lawyer.. an Israeli lawyer.. put the list on the table.. the army then said, we lost the file, [a runaround].. "ISRAELIS AND NEIGHBORS CAME AGAIN, WE REBUILT AGAIN.. HAD A BIG PARTY.. HUNDREDS CAME TO THE PARTY.. I WAS FINISHING THE HOME, PLASTER, ELECTRICITY, PLUMBING.. PUT ALL MY FURNITURE IN THE HOME.. WE SLEPT ONE NIGHT IN THE HOME.. THEY CAME AND TOOK ALL THE FURNITURE, THREW IT OUT, DESTROYED THE HOME FOR THE THIRD TIME.. MORE THAN 10,000 HOMES DESTROYED SINCE 1967.." we are now living in an apartment.. my smallest two kids fall down, have pains in their stomaches.. they don't believe I can protect them.. my daughter doesn't believe her father can help her.. they are killing us from the inside.. my human rights are violated.. nobody can get out of their homes.. we are jailed in our homes.. I work as a driver now.. (more).. The House That Peace Built (link1) (link2) (link3) (link4) (link5)
-19:05 Leslis Kean: about the campaign to shame Caterpillar Corp into ending its relationship with the Israeli military.. now w Matt Boyles of organization, 'SUSTAIN'.. (Stop U.S. Taxpayer Assistance to Israel Now).. .. Matt: CAT the largest construction equipment company in the world.. 20 Billion dollars year.. Israel destroyed 8,000 homes in the West Bank and Gaza since 1967..
50,000 homeless.. most egregiously in Jenin.. a war crime.. US citizens should know most of this being funded with our tax dollars.. we have the responsibility to step up and demand they stop.. CAT literature: "..as a global company we.. protect society and the environment.. to improve the lives of our neighbors around the world".. based on the principles they espouse, we wrote them letters.. they have not responded.. so we launched a campaign.. 20 organizations have endorsed the campaign.. multi-press conferences this Wednesday.. EVENT: and a national day of action, Sept 14, 2002.. picketing, bannering, street theater.. at CAT locations around the world.. to get them to stop their dirty business with the Israeli military..
-26:23 Leslis Kean: now Rula Calafali (sp?), a former UN representative, now Palestinian Cordinator in SF for super-NGO, Global Exchange.. I just moved here [California] from Gaza City.. Rula: I have seen home demolitions on two levels.. as a Palestinian living in Gaza.. and as a UN representative.. the home demolitions intensified in the last few months.. such a horrible weapon.. in Rafah I have seen.. one of the largest actions.. hundreds of people made homeless.. on short notice.. demolished the homes.. BULLDOZERS USED AS A SILENT BOMB.. 2 to 4 bulldozers can level a neighborhood.. destruction by US weapons [provided by] US citizens.. about 'Sharon Boulevard' in Jenin, where the bulldozers knocked down houses to widen the road for tanks and APCs.. and about areas of Gaza [previously] full of orange groves and olive trees.. now flattened.. the familiar landscape.. greenery, farms.. the whole area completely destroyed.. heartbreaking.. such a horrible scene.. only the sea stays the same.. I asked my family, WHAT HAPPENED?.. you can't understand really unless you see it.. Why? THE IOF (ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCES).. SAYS FOR SECURITY REASONS.. BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT PROTECING THE ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS, AND FORWARDING THE OCCUPATION.. . ..WE NEED A INTERVENTION LED BY THE EUROPEANS TO STOP AID TO ISRAEL, AND END THE OCCUPATION.. about the UN report.. more than 52 civilians killed.. houses destroyed while people were still in them.. a very sad intervention.. Palestinians want to be able to trust the UN..
-39:55 music break
-40:18 Leslie Kean: The White House today rejected an offer from Iraq to let the Congress inspect suspected weapons of mass destructions.. press conferences tomorrow in NYC and DC.. now w Kathy Kelly of Voices in the Wilderness.. Kathy: 12 years of an abyssmally failed policy.. NOT ONE CONGRESSPERSON HAS BEEN SUPPORTED IN GOING TO IRAQ AND LOOK AT CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND.. only two, Jim McDermott, and Tony Hall, have gone at all.. efforts at negotiation and diplomacy being undermined all the way.. state department said a massive attack.. scuttled the talks.. this week, initiatives falling apart.. now the Iraqis say, send your congressmen.. the US administration saying we won't listen, we're going ahead with war.. the people of Iraq are exhausted, is there no mercy?.. the UN has been used as an instrument of warfare, harming children, throughout the sad history of sanctions.. about how sanctions were imposed.. in 1990.. Iraq should have been brought to task for invading Kuwait.. about Desert Storm.. by 1995 weapons inspectors were beginning to express agreement that Iraq was complying.. Scott Ritter.. ready to sign off.. in 1998, in December, the US told the UN to pull the weapons inspectors out and the US launched a huge bombing campaign.. because Iraq would not let the inspectors into a mosque on Friday.. massive bombardment.. US bombed places where the inspectors had been and had submitted detailed reports about.. Iraq said no more inspections.. now the US acting beligerantly.. says Iraq implicated in 9/11 and in weapons of mass destruction.. but no evidence.. where's the evidence?.. END THE SANCTIONS, STOP THE WAR!.. WE'RE STARTING A 40 DAY HUNGER FAST IN NY CITY FRONT OF THE UN, AND IN TIMES SQUARE, CALLED 'BREAK RANKS'.. KATHY: WE'RE URGING EVERYONE TO 'BREAK RANKS' WITH THE MARCH TO WAR.. about the history of weapons inspections in Iraq.. more info Iraq Peace Team; and Voices in the Wilderness.
-52:26 Leslie: URGENT ACTION/S: Wednesday, Aug 7, 2002: Demonstration to protest Dick Cheney's warmongering, and his administration's immoral and counter-productive march to war with Iraq. At the occasion of his visit to the Commonwealth Club.. assemble at the Fairmont Hotel, California and Mason Streets, SF 8AM curtain call.. more info: SF Action Center 415-821-6545.. Also the VP-select visits Fresno later in the day, check here tomorrow for details.
-53:22 Leslie: wrapup..
-53:59 End today's show. today's review by john lionheart

THE BIAS OF THE CORPORATE PRESS IN FAVOR OF ISRAEL IS RACIST AND CRIMINAL.. WHEN JEWS DIE IN A HORRIFIC SUICIDE BOMBING, AMERICANS ARE SHOWN EVERY GORY DETAIL.. WHEN PALESTINIANS ARE KILLED, THE MEDIA IS NON-EXISTENT.. SETTLERS RAMPAGE, THE MEDIA STAYS AWAY.. EXPANDING ILLEGAL SETTLER COLONIES NOT EVEN A STORY ANYMORE..

EXTREME PSHYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA.. MY NEIGHBOR'S CHILD SUFFERED FIVE DAYS UNABLE TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW.. [SENT STIR CRAZY, STARTED SCREAMING].. THEY STRIP SEARCHED THIS 8 YEAR OLD BOY.. EVERY CHILD IS A TARGET.. CHILDREN UNABLE TO ATTEND SCHOOL.. CURFEW FOR DAYS AT A TIME.. WHEN THE CURFEW IS LIFTED, A PANIC TO GET FOOD AND WATER.. THE UNIVERSITIES ARE CLOSED.. THE STUDENTS UNABLE TO GET TO SCHOOL.. THIS IS A CONFLICT IN WHICH CIVILIANS ARE BEING TARGETED..