More money will soon be approved for spending on housing in an illegal occupation of a disputed area in Jerusalem. All the while, a cease fire continues to evade residents in the disputed areas.
This is according to a report in the New York Times published this Christmas Eve and written by Isabel Kershner entitled Israeli Housing Plan Casts Pall Over Peace Talks.
Image Source: JAI
By lying to the federal court (in the Mossaoui case) as well as to the the September 11 commission, the CIA effectively broke the law and obstructed justice. According to the New York Times (Dec. 6)
"The C.I.A. in 2005 destroyed at least two video tapes documenting the interrogation of two [alledged] Al Qaeda operatives [...] Current and former government officials said [the destruction of the tapes] had been approved at the highest levels of the agency. (NYT)
In 2003 and 2005, the C.I.A., then headed by Porter J. Goss
"told federal prosecutors in 2003 and 2005, who relayed the information to a federal court in the Moussaoui case, that the C.I.A. did not possess recordings of interrogations sought by the judge in the case (NYT)
The C.I.A. said [Dec 6, 2007] that the decision to destroy the tapes had been made “within the C.I.A. itself,” and they were destroyed to protect the safety of undercover officers and because they no longer had intelligence value.
Mr. Moussaoui’s lawyers had hoped that records of the interrogations might provide exculpatory evidence for Mr. Moussaoui — showing that the Al Qaeda detainees did not know Mr. Moussaoui and clearing him of involvement in the Sept. 11, 2001, plot.
Porter J. Goss, replying through a spokesperson, declined to comment.
What remains in question is, how is the term "safety of undercover officers" defined? Of course, the agency wished the public to understand this term in the sense that phantom operatives would use the tapes to identiffy then attack officers. In fact, the destruction of the tapes was to protect the officers from legal scrutiny. The decisioon to videotape the interrogations in the first place, was to prevent teh use of coercion and torture.
I am no legal expert, but it would seem that the agency can no longer be seen as reliable in any case. The claims that many defendants are using, that they are being coerced into illegal confessions, appears to be valid in at least some of the cases. If the Hollywood blockbusters are anything to go by, then any testimony or even involvement by the C.I.A. should cause the exoneration of any alledged "terrorists". This particularly when the agency beings to emply the secrecy clauses in its defense when placed under scrutiny or cross examination about people in their custody.
This is genuine madness. God forbid that any of the readers ever find themselves in an American court room. A house full of rats. A shameful abuse of power.
US Christians Apologise [read]
A Call to repentance and resistance (Feb. 2003) [read]
Warcast for Catholics [listen]
Pastor Steve Brown [read]
The war [..] is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit, and if we ignore this sobering reality we will find ourselves organising … committees [like this] for the next generation (Dr. King)
The featured address is based on the speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 4, 1967, at a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned about Vietnam, at Riverside Church in New York City. [read text]
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” (J.F.K., 1962)
Indonesia Emphasizes Justice as Pre-requisite to Peace
Speaking at the 2nd General Assembly of the Asian Parliament Assembly (APA)
November 19th, 2007
Tehran
The Indonesian Parliament Speaker welcomed the Iranian President's emphasis on justice in international affairs during his inaugural speech today morning in Tehran at the 2nd General Assembly of the Asian Parliament Assembly (APA), as the cornerstone of maintaining peace in the world. Agung Laksono said that like Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad he believed that without justice peace is impossible.
He
reiterated that in line with this viewpoint, Asian countries should
comply with their commitments to maintain peace in the world,
especially in the Middle East region by resolving the issues of
Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq.
The Indonesian parliament speaker
said traces of poverty are evident in Asia, similar to the experiences
of the African nations, which warrants Asian countries to come up with
due investment projects to tackle the social problems gripping this
resourceful continent.
The 2nd APA General Assembly began work in
Tehran with speeches by President, Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the
Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel.
MPs from 39 countries, including speakers, are attending the meeting to study ways of more convergence among Asian countries. [text source: irib]
Also in Tehran, Venezuelan President Chavez headed a five minister delegation to Iran. The Venezuelan president is to review the latest regional and
international developments as well as further expansion of economic and
political relations between the two countries with Ahmadinejad.
Both Chavez and Ahmadinejad had been attending the OPEC summit in
Riyadh, where Chavez warned oil could hit $200 a barrel if the US was
"mad enough to launch a military attack on Iran".
Iran has strongly been cultivating its ties with Non-Aligned allies like Belarus, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Syria and Venezuela. [text sources: irib & alalam]
Direction & Cinematography, Laura Poitras
Music title, OH MY COUNTRY composed & performed by Kadhum Al Sahir
Violin, Kais Salman.
Film - In Memoriam, Dr Riyadh's nephew assassinated january 12th 2006
Aluta continua. This movie is dedicated to Dr. Riyadh's nephew who was assassinated in January of 2006. I am always aware of our martyrs in Azania.. the lesser known ones, who died under a blaze of bullets, called terrorists then, forgotten today: Ashley Kriel, Anton Fransch, Hector Peterson, and on all the others in minor streets, and in fields of blood and grenades and bullets under Apartheid. The ones who noone remembers anymore.
We should never forget that a nation that is not vigilant, will pay the price. Perhaps Iraqi's are paying that price today. They allowed that bastard American agent Saddam to reign over them. Now the chickens have come home to roost. I mean no contempt for any nation. But this view is one I heard expressed by an Iraqi participant in this film. I pray each day that Americans stop paying the price as well, for their own sakes, and for their victims. Indeed, the ones who do not fear God, are the least vigilant. I was told this weekend, I am loosing my mind. Do I really think there is a fight on the internet? No way. The fight is on every street. It is in every heart and mind. Beginning with my own.
Related links:
- War After The War: What Washington doesn't see in Iraq by George Packer New Yorker, 2003 [Letter from Baghdad]
- My Country My Country [official site]
- Media brief concerning a film by Eugene Paramoer [UWC presentation]
My short answer is that, if someone embraces his illness, he has made the first step toward recovery.
The question of this post is easy to answer of course. If he knows he's insane, he is hardly insane. If he doesn't, well...
But who are the "enlightened few" to whom I refer?
Withholding medical treatment and preventing professionals from continuing to do research on such issues is a human rights issue. This is as true as the case of depriving the right of choice of "life" over "death" from the unborn child [Charter of the Rights of the Family]. To those who are searching for a way out of an affliction, there is medical help out there, though the current predominance of politics over science prevent you from easily accessing such help [treatment]. I pray that this post will be of some help to all who read it.
On the issue of the enlightened, the decrepit philosophical underpinnings of such word usage, faithful readers shall be rewarded in coming posts with further "enlightenment". Keep the faith. I'm on a role.
Related articles
If you have been isolated from world events due to media lock down and misinformation, you may still be unaware of the history and significance of International Qods day. You can read about events leading up to Friday's events at qodsna.com
The IPO announcement concerning this year's Qods Day appeared in Tehran Times:
The Coordination Council of the Islamic Propagation Organization (IPO) said in a statement that the International Qods Day will be held on the fourth Friday of the holy month.
The International Qods Day is observed in all Islamic nations to demonstrate the support of Muslims worldwide for the Palestinian people suffering from occupation and hardship.
Millions of people take to streets on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan calling for an end to occupation of Palestinian territories.
Continued occupation of the Palestinian territories sparked popular resistance to the occupation forces to the extent that with every day passing, the young Palestinian people are shot dead by Israeli troops.
The international community's call for Israeli immediate withdrawal from the Palestinian territories has fallen to deaf ears of the Zionist regime (Tehran Times)
Tehrani Jewish community (TJC) on Tuesday called for Iranians to take part massively in the International Qods Day rallies on October 5.
In a statement, a copy of which was made available to IRNA on Tuesday, TJC referred to the Qods Day as the day of solidarity of the world people and Muslims for the cause of defending Qods and rights of the oppressed Palestinian nation.
It said that Qods day is a sign of love and interest, of the followers of divine religions, in holy Qods, that is respected by all monotheists.
It added that on the day, nations show resentment to violence and suppression of the brave Palestinian nation [IRNA, Oct 2nd 2007].
Earlier this year, the Iranian Jewish community responded to zionist invitations in this manner:
Iranian Jews are of the oldest Iranians and love their pure culture and Iranian identity.
The western media had reported that Israel offered 60,000$ reward
for attracting Iranian Jewish families to the occupied lands of
Palestine.
But Iranian Jewish people do not show any interest in immigration to
the occupied territories of Palestine for the reason of enjoying full
religious freedom in Iran [Iranian Jewish Community, July 10th 2007].
Related Sites
- Christian Science Monitor - Jews in Tehran
- Iran: Life of Jews (NY based Foundation)
- Iranian Interior Minister , IRNA Oct 3rd 2007
- Why did the US media put you under so much pressure to prevent Mr. Ahmadinejad from delivering his speech at Columbia University? And why have American TV networks been broadcasting hours of news reports insulting our president while refusing to allow him the opportunity to respond? Is this not against the principle of freedom of speech?
- Why, in 1953, did the US administration overthrow the Iran’s national government under Dr Mohammad Mosaddegh and go on to support the Shah’s dictatorship?
- Why did the US support the blood-thirsty dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1980-88 Iraqi-imposed war on Iran, considering his reckless use of chemical weapons against Iranian soldiers defending their land and even against his own people?
- Why is the US putting pressure on the government elected by the majority of Palestinians in Gaza instead of officially recognizing it? And why does it oppose Iran ’s proposal to resolve the 60-year-old Palestinian issue through a general referendum?
- Why has the US military failed to find Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden even with all its advanced equipment? How do you justify the old friendship between the Bush and Bin Laden families and their cooperation on oil deals? How can you justify the Bush administration’s efforts to disrupt investigations concerning the September 11 attacks?
- Why does the US administration support the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) despite the fact that the group has officially and openly accepted the responsibility for numerous deadly bombings and massacres in Iran and Iraq? Why does the US refuse to allow Iran ’s current government to act against the MKO’s main base in Iraq?
- Was the US invasion of Iraq based on international consensus and did international institutions support it? What was the real purpose behind the invasion which has claimed hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives? Where are the weapons of mass destruction that the US claimed were being stockpiled in Iraq?
- Why do America’s closest allies in the Middle East come from extremely undemocratic governments with absolutist monarchical regimes?
- Why did the US oppose the plan for a Middle East free of unconventional weapons in the recent session of the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors despite the fact the move won the support of all members other than Israel?
- Why is the US displeased with Iran’s agreement with the IAEA and why does it openly oppose any progress in talks between Iran and the agency to resolve the nuclear issue under international law?
According to cognitive dissonance theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions (i.e., beliefs, opinions). When there is an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviors (dissonance), something must change to eliminate the dissonance. In the case of a discrepancy between attitudes and behavior, it is most likely that the attitude will change to accommodate the behavior.
Two factors affect the strength of the dissonance: the number of dissonant beliefs, and the importance attached to each belief. There are three ways to eliminate dissonance: (1) reduce the importance of the dissonant beliefs, (2) add more consonant beliefs that outweigh the dissonant beliefs, or (3) change the dissonant beliefs so that they are no longer inconsistent.
Dissonance occurs most often in situations where an individual must choose between two incompatible beliefs or actions. The greatest dissonance is created when the two alternatives are equally attractive. Furthermore, attitude change is more likely in the direction of less incentive since this results in lower dissonance. In this respect, dissonance theory is contradictory to most behavioral theories which would predict greater attitude change with increased incentive (i.e., reinforcement).
In reducing dissonance (mental discomfort), the easiest is to elliminate the proposal/attitude that has caused the dissonance (by simply removing it or by building a "case" to reduce its importance). The hardest is to change ones attitude/belief. Belief change is therefore the last resort. According to the theory, this is true even if there is more intrinsic reward (incentive) available to the subject if she changed her belief. In fact, the theory claims that IF attiitude change occurs, it is in the direction of LESS incentive, not more incentive. Trashing the "offending" proof to reduce dissonance, is in fact an attitudinal adjustment in the direction of less incentive (where proofs for one's belief equals "incentive") then this aspect of the theory comes into it's own.
This proposal goes some way in explaining the behaviour of a mob (example in the audience in the video above). A slightly different point worth making, is that social behaviourist regard the reward (cognitive incentive or reinforcement) of "social belonging" as more covert or more influential or powerful as incentives, and so cognitive dissonance theory (according to behaviour theory and social exchange theory) is less of a novel theory and merely a re-stating of classic behaviour theory. Whether cognitive or classic or social behaviourist, the conclusion of the arguments still explain the tendency in point, viz,
.. attitude change is the last resort, even in the face of the obvious i.e. that one's beliefs are erroneous and require adjustment.
When ones beliefs are tenuous: i.e. based on weak assumptions and backed by little evidence, and when ones very identity is built on such weak belief or world view, the individual sticks to his belief system, "come hell or high water". A kind of desperation, if you will. Stated differenty, seeing the shark infested water outside his tiny lifeboat, and a long distance to the shore, he chooses the boat. In such cases, re-adjusting ones beliefs would require so great a behaviour change, (involving also difficult shifts in social identity, alterations of group membership, etc.) that attitude change is only considered by the strongest most independent members of "the mob". The individual perceives that he will be ostracised and left alone, and so he just never considers a shift.
I will close this post with Dr. Ali Ettefagh's remarks in the Washington Post:
Related:Americans are resistant to acknowledge just how thick the self-isolation bubble that surrounds them has become.
- Iranian Chancellors ask Bollinger 10 Questions
- Selling homosexuality to America
- Social Behavior theory (Bandura)
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