Tag Archives: War

[People] The Loss of Life in a Twenty-Year War | by FR. Shay Cullen

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#HumanRights #Peace

The Loss of Life in a Twenty-Year War
by Fr. Shay Cullen

Life is precious and sacred. Many people believe in the sanctity of the human person with rights and dignity to be protected and preserved. This is not true for many more who kill and murder and execute their perceived enemies. Those that declare war and invade other nations are also guilty of bringing death and destruction. There is no “good” war. In the end, after millions are dead and wounded, peace is negotiated and made, and life returns to normal. Why then fight the war in the first place and not negotiate a settlement of differences before violence is inflicted? That is because war is very profitable for weapons manufacturers. A prolonged “endless” war is the best thing ever for the industrial military complex.

This industry dominates and greatly influences American politics and the US economy. It is what President Dwight Eisenhower warned the nation about in 1946. He called it a danger to the nation. The permanent armaments industry is today immensely greater and more powerful. It needs, and perhaps, promotes continuous wars to sell more arms to prosper and grow.

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[Blog] Obama and Netanhayu’s Israel in exterminating the Palestinian People is a Crime Against Humanity. By Jose Mario De Vega

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The Joint War Criminality of Obama and Netanhayu’s Israel in exterminating the Palestinian People is a Crime Against Humanity
By Jose Mario De Vega

I refer to “Obama is a ‘war criminal’ for supporting Israel’s treatment of Palestinians – Cornel West”, RT Question More, August 06 with regard to the public speech delivered by a world-renowned dissident professor.

Mario De Vega

I overwhelmingly concur with controversial professor and political activist Cornel West when he publicly declared President Barack Obama a “war criminal”! I am also in complete agreement with his argument that this is base on the indisputable fact that it was precisely Obama’s “support of Israel and his drone policy make him complicit in the deaths of innocent people.”

According to the said report:

“The controversial activist made the comments at a pro-Palestinian rally in Washington, DC on Saturday, according to Talking Points Memo. West began his speech by pointing to the deteriorating situation in Gaza, where more than 1,800 Palestinians and more than 60 Israelis have been killed, criticizing Israel’s offensive in the region in front of a “Free Palestine” banner.”

Here’s a portion of Dr. West’s speech:

“There’s an intimate connection between mendacity and criminality, between lies and crimes against humanity…

“And what I want to say to my Black brother in the White House: Barack Obama is a war criminal – not because he’s Black, or half-African and white – but because his drones have killed 233 innocent children, and because he facilitates the killing of innocent Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and it would be true anywhere else.”

Commentaries:

I applaud the courage and the guts of the said professor in saying openly to the public what the general public and the world as a whole needs to hear, no matter how sad and brutal the truth is: and that is the undeniable fact that Barrack Obama is nothing but a war criminal like his predecessor, the utterly stupid Dubya!

Nonetheless, Professor West is absolutely correct in saying Obama is a war criminal not because of the color of his skin or by virtue of his cultural heritage and his ethnicity but precisely because he is allowing the utilization of deadly force and sophisticated killing machines and lethal technology in confederation and connivance with the Israelis in facilitating the systemic and mass killing and mass murder of the Palestinian people!

In a word: Obama is also guilty of genocide which is a crime against humanity in his support and defense of the Zionist Israeli fake state!

Incontestably, Professor West is also correct in saying that “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the same category as his American counterpart”, because it is beyond dispute “that anyone who “chooses occupation and annihilation is a war criminal.””

Professor West categorically stated that:

“Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal — not because he’s Jewish, but because he has chosen to promote occupation and annihilation…”

“This is a human affair.”

I completely concur with Dr. West in his pronouncement with regard to the mass murderer Netanyahu that this freak is a war criminal, not because he is Jewish, but because he “has chosen to promote occupation and annihilation”.

In a word, Netanyahu is a war criminal, because of his acting worst than the Nazi and that he and his military are guilty of genocide, which are crimes against humanity.

The radical and prominent activist noted that the said rally’s main objective is to highlight the plight of the Palestinian people because their “humanity is rendered invisible in the corporate media.”

That is because the American media is controlled by the Zionist! Sad but true! Consider the argument of the stupid media in the US: If one will criticize the Israeli, they will immediately tag the said person of anti-semitism! That is not only an idiotic charge but a complete bullshit crap!

Do those bastards knew that the Palestinians and so as the Jews both came from the Semitic people?

According to Wikipedia:

“A Semite is a member of any of various ancient and modern Semitic-speaking peoples originating in the Near East, including; Akkadians (Assyrians/Syriacs and Babylonians), Ammonites, Amorites, Arameans, Chaldeans, Canaanites (including Hebrews/Israelites/Jews and Phoenicians/Carthaginians), Eblaites, Dilmunites, Edomites, Ethiopian Semites, Hyksos, Arabs, Nabateans, Maltese, Mandaeans, Mhallami, Moabites, Shebans and Ugarites.”

So, when those bloody bastard idiots talked about anti-semitism, what the fuck are they referring to?

Dr. West has shown his objectivity and further stressed that:

“I would be here if there were a Palestinian occupation of Jewish brothers and sisters, because it’s wrong, it’s unjust and we stand not with the level of skin pigmentation or ethnic identity; this is ethical, this is spiritual with political consequences…”

Hence, under the prevailing circumstances being face by Gaza “resistance under occupation” is justified!

This is not the first time that Dr. West has called Obama a war criminal. As the report clearly illustrated:

“Notably, West has called Obama a war criminal before. In May 2013, he told the Guardian that although he supported Obama during his initial bid for the presidency, he became disillusioned after seeing the policies put in place both domestically and overseas.”

Commentaries:

Same with the professor, I am also one of those millions of people around the globe who threw our support for Obama, yet after three years in office, I am also one of those who were disillusioned by his false promises and fake persona.

Instead of ending the so-called war on terror, he did not only continue the same, but worst further amplified it and made it more large scale and global. Though, he did not use ground troops, he maximize their technological warfare by using advanced planes and much sophisticated drones that killed a lot of civilians from Iraq to Pakistan to Yemen, and now to Palestine. Not included in the list is their covert war on Syria.

Same with his predecessor, Obama also did not give a damn to the Palestinian cause. In 2011, during his Address before the United Nations, he even hinted that he will veto the right of the Palestinian for an independent state.

While on the local front, he is powerless to control the corporations, the banks, the big business and all their cohorts to the prejudice of the American public, especially those who live at the edge of society.

Obama instead of realizing the American Dream has turn into the worst American Nightmare! Sad but true! The only difference between him and Dudya is that the latter is white while he is black, but on the level of political character and ideological persuasion — both are the same! Shame!!!

For in truth and in fact, Obama is nothing more than the protector of Wall Street and the genocidal illegitimate ‘state’ of Israel!

As Dr. West clearly pointed out:

“He’s just too tied to Wall Street… And at this point he is a war criminal. You can’t meet every Tuesday with a killer list and continually have drones drop bombs. You can do that once or twice and say: ‘I shouldn’t have done that, I’ve got to stop.’ But when you do it month in, month out, year in, year out – that’s a pattern of behavior.”

“I think there is a chance of a snowball in hell that he will ever be tried, but I think he should be tried and I said the same about George Bush. These are war crimes. We suffer in this age from an indifference toward criminality and a callousness to catastrophe when it comes to poor and working people.”

LET GAZA LIVE!

FREE PALESTINE!

FOR HUMANITY!

Jose Mario Dolor De Vega

Philosophy and Social Lecturer
Polytechnic University of the Philippines and Unibersidad de Manila

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[People] Pope Francis working for peace in Syria By Fr. Shay Cullen

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Pope Francis working for peace in Syria
By Fr. Shay Cullen

325-fr-shay-cullen

When Pope Francis called for a peaceful and prayerful response and a negotiated conclusion for the Syrian savage civil and sectarian religious war, he was speaking with deep concern, wisdom, and spiritual insight. Working for a non-violent solution is the greatest good. It seems his words have been heeded. Prayer works.

A missile strike by the United States and supporting countries against Syria has been averted for now. The threat was to stop more chemical attacks.

Over a 100,000 civilians have been killed in the past two years, mostly by the government forces and now more by the most deadly chemical poison gas attack last 21 August in Damascus, in a rebel held area, as confirmed by the UN chemical weapons investigators. The gas killed over 1,429 women and children (400 of them children) in the worst crime against humanity so far. Whole cities have been destroyed and deserted.

Russia is a long time ally of Syria and continues to supply the Assad regime with weapons and they set up Assad’s chemical warfare capabilities many years ago. The stockpiles are in about 42 locations all over the country. The media has shown that some of the precursor chemical ingredients for the deadly nerve poison gas Sarin was also supplied by Western countries including British companies.

The greatest fear by all is that some of the stockpiles could fall into the hands of Al-Qaeda terrorists to be used against their enemies including Israel and Western countries. The threat of imminent missile strikes by the United States and its supporters have now receded. It seems that Pope Francis’ call for non violent solutions was heard.

The American Secretary of State John Kerry mentioned in an otherwise belligerent speech a few weeks ago that the chemical weapons of President Assad must be put out of action and beyond use, one way or another.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin seized on that remark as a negotiating approach to head off an attack by the United States and developed it as a solution by putting the Syrian chemical weapons under international control. No easy task. This was welcomed by President Obama while leaving the threat of a US unilateral attack is still on the table. The agreement has been reached but giving until June 2014 for them all to be removed and destroyed is too long a time.

A US preemptive missile strike could cripple Assad’s war capabilities and also have far reaching unexpected and unseen consequences and ignite a regional war. It could lead to the fall of the Assad regime, then the Christian communities in Syria would be the target of massacres by the fanatical Islamic jihads or holy war warriors fighting to establish a Islamic state in Syria. They are committing war crimes themselves. The more moderate Muslim opponents of Assad have these radicals to cope with.

The Christians are unfortunately loosely identified as allied with Assad. The Alawites, the Muslin Sect founded in the 8th century to which Assad and his followers belong make up 12% of the Syrian population but have ruled with an iron fist for the past forty years. They face possible massacres too if Assad falls.

Why are the Russians so defensive of Syria and Assad, a war criminal, his regime and his cronies? One could be that corrupt Russian business cronies of Putin have billions of dollars and gold stashed away in secret accounts in Syria as a safe haven like they have in Cyprus. The Russians almost went berserk when the EU central bank demanded a big tax on those billions to pay Cyprus’s debts.

Another reason the Russian government opposes any US military action is because it has sold billions of dollars worth of alleged useless aerial defense systems to Assad and other countries. US advanced military technology will quickly overwhelm them showing they are antiquated and ineffective defense systems as was seen in Libya. An alleged massive fraud that will damage the Russian arms industry in the eyes of its many customers worldwide.

The complexity of the competing sectarian fractions in Syria each supported by different outside countries makes the conflict a proxy religious war. In Syria, the population is Shia’s 13%, Sunnis 72%, Alawites 12%, Christian and Druze 3%.

The only likely peaceful solution will have to be found by forming temporary self ruling regions with representatives in a coalition government in Damascus. That solution is not very successful in Iraq except for the Kurdish region in north Iraq but it could be better than continuous all-out war. Working for peace, a cease-fire, and negotiations has to be the way forward. [shaycullen@preda.org,www.preda.org]

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[Blog] Japan’s Historical Idiocy and Moral Depravity by Jose Mario De Vega

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Japan’s Historical Idiocy and Moral Depravity

by Jose Mario De Vega

Mario De Vega

I refer to the utterly controversial and extremely immoral remarks reportedly made by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto with regard to the comfort women.

I overwhelmingly concur with the statement of Attorney Harry L. Roque, Jr. that:

“The Philippine government should formally lodge a diplomatic protest with the Japanese government against the statement by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto that the so-called “comfort women” of WWII served a “necessary” role by keeping troops in check.
According to this obviously insane Mayor, “soldiers living with the daily threat of death needed some way to let off steam which was provided by the comfort women system”. There are at least 200,000 women who were made to serve in these comfort stations in Korea, China and the Philippines.”

I condemn to the highest degree possible the utterly barbaric and extreme inhumanity of that Osaka Mayor.
I do not know whether that bastard Mayor is a maniac or a pervert or a psychopath, but one thing is for sure, that creature has a tremendous mental disorder; albeit a mental disorder of the of the worst kind.

Since it when that sexual assault and battery has been a “necessary role” for women? Is he himself a sexual predator?
I’m inclined to ask: is that the same thing he is doing to his wife? Does his mother were also violated sexually and brutally by his father? Will he allow his son-in-law to degrade his own daughter?
Indeed, the “obviously insane” Mayor’s bastardized claim that the comfort women system which was institutionalized by the invading Japanese military is a necessary part of maintaining the well-being of Japanese soldiers is not only preposterous but undeniably the heights of both arrogance and inhumanity.

For the record, said brutal practice was also sanctioned by the leadership of the Japanese Imperial Army.

As one campaigner directly retorted: “How can you justify rape, molestation and sexual abuse as a necessary act? Rape and sexual slavery are heinous crimes.” Undoubtedly, what Japan did during World War II is a crime against humanity!

SHAME ON THEM!!!

It is on this great sense that I also agree with the Department of Foreign Affair’s (DFA) reminder to the Japanese officials “to be careful in commenting about comfort women as the issue of wartime sexual abuse continues to rankle in the Philippines.”

If I may just add, not only here that this sensitive, utterly hurtful and incontestably painful issue continues to rankle but also to China and South Korea. To cite just one specific example of Japan’s barbarity and monstrosity: Who would ever forget the 1937 Rape of Nanking?

DFA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez said that:

“The Philippine government has always urged Japanese authorities to be more circumspect in their public statements relating to this issue as they strike at the core of the feelings and sensitivities of those who experienced great suffering during World War 2…”

I also agree with the said spokesperson in reminding Japan to adhere to the “language and tone of apologies from Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono in 1993 and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi” in 2002.

Hence, base on these precedents, the statement of that sexist and barbaric Mayor is “a grave affront to the honor and dignity” of all those women in Asia that their military had abused physically and violated sexually.

Indeed, “the statement is crass, obscene, and is an attempt to justify a criminal act under international law. Specifically, rape and all forms of degrading and humiliating treatment committed in the context of an armed conflict -have always been illegal under oath customary international law and under the Geneva Conventions. Moreover, since it was publicly made by an elected agent of the Japanese state, the statement is an official pronouncement of the state Japan nonetheless, pursuant to the Articles of State responsibility. These articles codified in the form of a United Nation General Assembly resolutions; provides that all acts and /or statements by state organs may give rise to attribution to the state.”

I call upon Prime Minister Abe to castigate that stupid and criminal Mayor and denounce him in public.

I also call upon the Japanese people to publicly condemn that bastard Mayor and pressure their government (in order for their PM to act accordingly) to punish him!

If not, then the categorical denunciation of Professor Walden Bello against these two idiots and so as the Japanese people would be absolutely true.

Here’s what the good professor have stated:

Mayor Hashimoto of Osaka says it was necessary and fine for Japanese troops to have comfort women during the Second World War. This is what happens when you coddle fascists, do not internalize and institutionalize war guilt, and abort genuine democratic reform. Hashimoto and his fellow traveler Prime Minister Abe are a menace to the Asia Pacific region and should be denounced for what they are: people who believe Japan’s cause and atrocities during the Second World War were right and just. That the Japanese people elected these guys to power speaks volumes about where they are headed today.

Sad but true!

Below is an article that I’ve written with regard to the same subject, dated October 21st of last year:

“Japan’s Moral Responsibility with regard to their Extreme Heinous Historical crimes”

I refer to the international news which pertains to South Korea’s sharp demand to Japan to compensate their ‘comfort women’.

This concerns the unceasing plight and continuing fight of those sexually enslaved and sadistically abused women with regard to their persistent struggle for justice, acknowledgement and due compensation!

This piece is in solidarity to their worthy cause and legitimate
demand for apology!

I implore and beseech them to keep the flames of the crusade alive!

The struggle of these women does not simply entail financial or monetary compensation. That is just a tiny link in this whole series of chain of events.

To put this matter in its proper historical perspective, this continuing battle primordially centers on a demand for justice and due recognition.

Japan cannot evade historical responsibility neither can it deny complicity to all these horrible and supra horrendous dehumanization and blatant exploitation in such an organized, large-scale and systematic manner.

It is but just and moral for the Japanese government to accept the truth, admit the massive havoc that they wreaked and their incomparable barbarism, bear the responsibility, sincerely apologize to all those ‘comfort women’ and finally to pay for damages and/or allocate a corresponding compensation.

The Japanese people and its government cannot forever live in lies, denial, evasion and worst; historical falsification!

This is in-line with the precise analysis of the director of Asian studies at Temple University of Tokyo, Jeff Kingston:

“Historical grievances in Korea do not depend on who is in charge in Japan. They simmer on and on until every once in a while they boil over.

Tokyo is living in a dream world if it believes that these matters are resolved and not worth addressing.”

They must do the right thing and that is to sincerely apologize, openly confess and unequivocally admit all responsibility for their war time animality, barbarity, inhumanity and atrocity!

As lucidly reported by the Guardian, “Anger of wartime sex slaves haunts Japan and South Korea”, October 18th, by Justin McCurry:

Earlier this week, South Korea repeated its demand that Japan acknowledge its use of former sex slaves and compensate them.

“Japan’s legal responsibility has not been settled,” the country’s deputy chief envoy to the UN, Shin Dong-ik, told a UN committee.
“Those acts were a crime against humanity.”

Until such time that the Japanese government and so as its people is not doing the right thing, the just decision and the honorable thing to do — them they will never ever wash their historical crimes and they will forever be haunted and hounded by the dark ghosts of the bloody past!

Their future will never be glorious or triumphant!

To all ‘comfort women’ from Korea, China, the Philippines and other countries; I admonish you all to keep up the faith, continue the struggle and never ever give up for your heavenly cause to
exact justice and demand due recognition!

I applaud you all for your unwavering resolve!

Now, whether Japan admit its sins or not, issue the sincere and true apology or not is already beyond the domain of this historical case of exceptional importance.

For all intents and purposes, this quest has already assumed its central aim; because this struggle is a struggle for humanity and dignity. This is a noble crusade in reclaiming their honor.

May I remind the Japanese authorities that there is no Statute of Limitations for Crimes Against Humanity and that Command Responsibility is an accepted principle by international and local jurisprudence.

The Japanese government with a quiet acquiescence and partial conspiracy with its people may deny, even lie; but fear not, because history is neither blind nor myopic. There is no iota of doubt that the international community of nations, reason and history herself is on your side.

I am so certain about this and there is no doubt whatsoever in my mind.

We will win in the end, because the truth can never ever be defeated — even by a thousand lies…

In the immortal words of Emile Zola:

If you deny the truth and bury it underground; it will but grow and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it burst through, it will destroy everything on its way!

Japan and its people must do the right thing and that is admitting their grave sins and horrible crimes against Humanity, specifically the women of Asia, instead of justifying these war crimes, the
Japanese government publicly apologize for this systematic criminal act and pay reparations to their victims.”

Jose Mario Dolor De Vega

Philosophy lecturer
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Far Eastern University

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[In the news] Attack at MSU-Marawi: 3 soldiers killed, 10 hurt -RAPPLER.com

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Attack at MSU-Marawi: 3 soldiers killed, 10 hurt.

BY AMIR MAWALLIL
August 10, 2012

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – Alleged members of a criminal syndicate ambushed a group of Army soldiers patrolling in the vicinity of the Mindanao State University’s main campus (MSU) in Marawi City late Wednesday night, August 8, killing 3 troops and wounding 10 others.

At least 20 students were hurt in the crossfire, according to school authorities. Two soldiers in critical condition are now in Sanitarium Hospital in Iligan City, according to Capt Alberto Caber, spokesman of the 1st division.

Mindanews reported that two civilians also died, including a 10-year-old boy, when the same gang attacked another Army base guarding the Agus hydro dam in the city. We could not independently confirm this.

The university attack occurred while troops belonging to the 65th infantry battalion on board two military trucks were patrolling the 433-hectare MSU compound at about 9 pm Wednesday, according to the Army’s 1st infantry division.
Col Daniel Lucero, commander of the 103rd infantry brigade, said the soldiers were responding to indiscriminate shots at the MSU campus when “ambushed by members of the armed gang.”

Lucero identified the gang leader as Otik Gamal, who has about 20 followers, mostly relatives of Marawi City Mayor Fajad Salec, according to sources quoted by the Army officer.

“The university is closed right now; none can enter nor leave the campus. Students are scared; rifles are fired inside the campus,” Lucero said in Filipino early Thursday morning.

Read full article @ www.rappler.com

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[From the web] All-out war will divert attention from war on corruption – Akbayan

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Akbayan: All-out war will divert attention from war on corruption

Source: http://www.akbayan.org.ph/news/12-press-releases-press-releases/141-akbayan-all-out-war-will-divert-attention-from-war-on-corruption

Akbayan Party today branded the call for an all-out war in Mindanao as a distraction in the government’s “war against corruption”. The group made the statement even as it called on the public to exercise sobriety over the Basilan clash that resulted in the death of 19 soldiers.

According to Akbayan Spokesperson Risa Hontiveros, calls for an all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will only serve to divert attention from the Aquino government’s current war on corruption.

“An all-out war strategy in Mindanao will only distract the public from its current war on corruption, something which we cannot afford at this juncture. Such a strategy is the perfect excuse for corrupt officials and plunderers, particularly those of the previous administration to drape themselves in the mantle of fake patriotism and whitewash their crimes,” Hontiveros said.

“If there is a war that the people must resolutely wage, it must be a war against corruption. We must not lose focus,” Hontiveros added.

Hontiveros who is also a long-time peace advocate added that should peace talks be scrapped in favor of an all-out war, government spending would be diverted from more important social spending and services.

“We have to be mindful of the fact that during the Estrada presidency a similar all-out war strategy was implemented. However, peace was not realized. Millions of pesos were wasted, huge casualties on both sides, and thousands of civilians suffered. We’re still dealing with the same MILF the government unsuccessfully fought with an all-out war strategy more than ten years ago,” Hontiveros said.

Akbayan also urged the military to shy away from rumors of a coup plot against the Aquino government.

“It is obvious that some groups are agitating the military to take the path of war. These are the same groups trying to split the military by spreading rumors of a coup against President Aquino. It is understandable that many of our soldiers are emotional over the issue. However, our soldiers must see this obvious plot to derail the peace process and drive a wedge between the military and the Aquino government. They must not fall for this devious ploy,” according to Hontiveros.

Hontiveros also added that with the Basilan incident the necessity of the peace talks becomes more apparent.

According to Hontiveros, justice must be brought to those responsible for the deaths of 19 soldiers.  She said the peace process is one of the best avenues to bring justice to the victims of the Basilan incident.

“Hustisya para sa mga nasawi sa Basilan at kapayapaan sa buong Mindanao,” Hontiveros stressed. ###

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