Sunday, January 11, 2009

Gaza's Eyes to Cry With



"Leave them nothing but their eyes to cry with."

-- Attributed to a Union colonel of the Civil War serving as an adviser to the Prussian General Staff during the Franco-Prussian War.

The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza strip. Pope Benedict XVI has also called for a ceasefire, and senior Vatican official Cardinal Renato Martino describes Gaza as "a big concentration camp."

The Senate and the House of Representatives have passed resolutions endorsing the assault on Gaza by what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi describes as our "friend and democratic ally."

There you have the difference between the U.N., the Catholic Church and the United States Congress; the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) doesn't own the U.N. or the Catholic Church.

And isn't it striking that there can be two presidents at a time when it comes to the economy but not when it comes to foreign policy? Barack Obama is hot to ram an economic recovery bill of uncertain merit past Congress's tonsils, but when asked at a recent press conference why he has remained silent about Israeli atrocities in Gaza, Obama explained that his "silence is not a consequence of lack of concern," giving the Palestinians in Gaza a bird's eye view of the veins between his wrist and knuckles.

Let's Play Hard Bull

Our Secretary of State Condi Rice told reporters on January 9 that "it's hard" for Israeli forces to avoid killing civilians in Gaza because Hamas is using them as human shields. Maybe that's why Israel didn't bother to even try to avoid killing civilians in Gaza, and went ahead and firebombed it.

I was hesitant to buy into the stories of Israeli forces using white phosphorus on civilians until I saw the AP picture of the incendiary airburst over Gaza City at the Voice of America website, and The Times confirmed that it had identified Israeli stockpiles of U.S. made white phosphorous rounds on the Israeli-Gaza border. White phosphorous and other incendiary munitions can create night illumination and smoke, but their main purpose is to burn things, like Tokyo and Dresden, and now Gaza City.

Condi also told reporters that she was "encouraged that Prime Minister (Ehud) Olmert, after an extensive conversation we had, agreed to open a new humanitarian corridor." Condi didn't mention if she encouraged Olmert to have his troops open fire on Red Cross trucks as they attempted to use the "humanitarian" corridor, a gambit that forced the Red Cross to suspend relief efforts. Nor did Condi offer a guess as to whether Israel forcing the Red Cross to cease operations had anything to do with its relief workers finding four starving children next to their mothers' corpses in a Gaza City neighborhood that Israel had denied the Red Cross access to for days.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel says the suffering in Gaza was "brought on by Hamas." Somebody needs to tell Scott that even if Hamas had incendiary bombs like those, they probably wouldn't explode them above Gaza City like the Israelis have. If they had artillery equipment like the Israelis have, Hamas also probably wouldn't herd 100 or so Palestinian civilians into a "shelter" and then shell them, like the Israelis did, and if Hamas had a tank, they most likely would not, like the Israelis did, use it to demolish a school that nobody was shooting at them from.

Stanzel also said the present troubles began because Hamas refused to extend the ceasefire. Thanks to historian and journalist Gareth Porter, we know that Hamas made an offer to renew the ceasefire in December, and Israel shunned it.

Those cabinet secretaries and White House spokesmodels really should get the facts straight before they make up new ones, shouldn't they?

And maybe creatures like Representative Gary Ackerman (D-NV) ought to get their ducks in a line before they call criticism of Israel "anti-Semitism."

Nothing but Their Eyes to Cry With

The purpose of strategy in war is to focus the violence on a tangible policy aim. Not surprisingly, Israel's Ambassador to the United States Sallai Meridor freely admitted in a recent lecture at George Washington University that, "we have no grand political scheme" in Gaza.

That means our "friend and democratic ally," with the endorsement of our executive and legislative branches of government and with the tacit approval of our president elect, are conducting slaughter for the sake of slaughter. This is also known as total war, and war of annihilation, and genocide.

What a crying shame it is that the land of the free and the home of the brave should sanction such monstrosity.

Commander Jeff Huber, U.S. Navy (Retired) writes at Pen and Sword. Jeff's novel Bathtub Admirals (Kunati Books), a lampoon on America's rise to global dominance, is on sale now.

34 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:49 PM

    How I wish Dennis Kucinich was being sworn in instead of Obomba.

    Buzz Meeks

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous6:28 PM

    US CAPITOL BUILDING:
    ISRAELI OCCUPIED TERRITORY

    ReplyDelete
  3. A couple of things Commander.

    "suffer the little children."

    We still have the best government that money can buy. AIPAC knows that.

    And... Since when is a theocracy equated to a democracy. Do you think Speaker Pelosi knows the difference?

    Finally, don't open any e-mail that has in the subject line: "You have a post card greeting from Hallmark." Word to me is that it contains a virus that will wipe clean your hard drive.

    I usually sort of "yeah right" these kinds of warnings. However, I received three of these e-mail messages yesterday. All of which I deleted without opening.

    And, all of which have come since I have been posting on your blog, and others, some criticism of the State of Israel --- about their massacre of the Palestinians in Gaza.

    For what it's worth.

    I read in the Guardian about them forcing people into the buildings, that they then shelled.

    Damn. Commander. Aren't there some basic rules ---- even about war?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes, there are some rules. They're called the Law or Armed Conflict. But you don't have to follow them if the only nation that can enforce them has blessed your violation of them, as is the case here.

    J

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous1:43 PM

    Dear Jeff,

    Don't be so hesitant! Here is a link to Field Artillery magazine which describes tactics used in the battle of Fallujah. WP is described as a "psychological weapon." I also note the interesting reference to "shake and bake" tactics whereby WP is used to flush out entrenched insurgents who are then taken out by HE rounds. This would seem to be standard artillery/mortar doctrine for urban warfare.

    http://sillwww.army.mil/famag/2005/MAR_APR_2005/PAGE24-30.pdf

    GQ

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for the link, GQ.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous9:59 PM

    Jeff,

    If you read some of the non-political sites (with political forums) that I read, you'd realize this is spitting into the wind.

    Just saying. (sigh)

    ReplyDelete
  8. WK,

    I spit really, really hard.

    Jeff

    ReplyDelete
  9. Commander,

    Sam Smith at www.Prorev.org (Progressive Review) is posting this morning that the reason that Israel wants control of Gaza is to develop their offshore gas reserves.

    I didn't backtrack and check his sources. However, if there is that natural gas resource, and the royalties, etc., would go to Palestine -- the Palestinian people, in Gaza would be self sustaining.

    A country doesn't ususally start an all-out war over a few rockets landing in a tomato patch.

    But, they would start and all out war over millions of dollars in natural resources, and attempt to totally annihilate the people who control them.

    If Sam's information is accurate, our oil and gas bubbas in the White House, are having one last hurrah for their oil and gas buds.

    ReplyDelete
  10. sorry,

    here's the link. its a dotcom. not a dotorg.

    http://prorev.com/2009/01/hidden-reason-israel-wants-gaza-under.html

    ReplyDelete
  11. A passionate attachment of one nation for another ... gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens, who devote themselves to the favorite nation, facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country.

    George Washington


    Our citizens can love the advice of American Israel PAC, or our citizens can love the advice of George Washington, but we can't love both.

    I should prefer our own representatives, the senators and congresspeople, stand in George Washington's camp with us, but I have my doubts.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I don't think the preponderance our citizens realize they have a choice to make, G.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous1:10 AM

    I should prefer our own representatives, the senators and congresspeople, stand in George Washington's camp with us, but I have my doubts.

    If the US and Israel went to war, the US congress would side with Israel and we'd have to surrender immediately.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Excellent, Anon. Yeah, then they'd tell us we're not spending enough on defense, that we need to spend TWICE as much as the rest of the world combined.

    J

    ReplyDelete
  15. The Members of Hamas hide behind women's skirts and that violates the rules of war and the Geneva convention.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Members of Hamas are in their homes defending their women and children from the Israelis who are committing genocide that violates the rules of war while hiding behind the skirts of the American government.

    Jeff

    ReplyDelete
  17. Commander,
    I've sent a perfectly useless e-mail to my Congress Critter. All the while I was typing, I knew it would make no difference at all in his NEXT vote in support of Israel.

    However, I felt better after sending it.

    Congress usually is way behind public opinion. I read your blog, and others, and even that we are discussing this --- is a huge step forward. A year ago, it would not be possible. Somebody would throw out the "anti-semetic" label. Most of us would cringe at being called such a thing, and we would stop protesting against THE STATE OF ISRAEL.

    We might protest things done by the State of ______________ (fill in the blank.) But, never would we protest the actions of The State of Israel. Alan Dershowitz would be incensed. (Just ask Professor Finkelstien.)

    And, in most places, in America anyway, --- the discussion would never see the light of day. Not this time.

    Naomi Klein (who is a citizen of Canada) writing in "The Nation" has called for a boycott of all things made in Israel, and for investment divestment. That's the way apartheid in Africa was ended to the extent that it has been ended.

    It might be a start, if we all just started looking at the labels of the stuff we buy, and be a little more discerning about how we spend our money. Actually, I think I read in Walt and Mearsheimer's book, that calling for a boycott of Israeli goods, was against the law, in the United States. So, I won't do that.

    Meanwhile, Congress is for the time being hopeless.

    But, it never hurts to spit in the wind.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks for writing your creature. I'm sure he or she has a staffer who can read.

    FWIW, I'll have more on the subject later in the week.

    Jeff

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous3:17 PM

    "Condi Rice told reporters on January 9 that "it's hard" for Israeli forces to avoid killing civilians in Gaza" Oh yeah, that Condi is all heart.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous3:50 PM

    http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/12/joe-the-plumber-ban-media-from-war/#more-35293

    Wow. Talk about your daily dose of crazy....Joe doesn't think the "media" should cover war at all. He's a joke...but it's not funny that he is an icon to a large segment of our population.

    SON

    ReplyDelete
  21. Condi's an abomination. Joe doesn't think, he has opinions.

    Jeff

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous4:15 PM

    "Joe doesn't think, he has opinions. "

    Thats his "truthiness".

    SON

    ReplyDelete
  23. Heh. Yeah, he doesn't have a clue what he's talking about, but he's "sincere."

    j

    ReplyDelete
  24. I thought about writing my own congresscritters about this, but then I remembered that they're all country club Republicans, at least one of whom believes in the Rapture. F***ing Texas.

    How big an anti-Semite would I be if I suggested that the solution to all of this is for the Israelis to pull up stakes and move to a more hospitable neighborhood? You could plant the state of Israel practically anywhere, it seems to me (with probably 90% of prospective locations being more valuable land than the dust pile they're sitting on now). We have lots of room here in East Texas, for instance. And I expect the Israelis would get along famously with the current inhabitants, seeing as how they have so much in common (religious fanaticism, anti-Arab bloodlust, blind faith in the wisdom of their rulers, etc.). The only hitch I can see is that they might not like the barbecue too much.

    I do love that picture of Condi, by the way. She looks like she's auditioning for a part in the next Wes Craven movie.

    ReplyDelete
  25. JP,

    I've suggested half of Utah would be suitable for the Israelis. They could bring all the artifacts with them, like how that town in Missouri brought over the London Bridge.

    J

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous10:52 AM

    Hehe. I bet this variety of bloodlust wouldn't go down well in Texas. Allah-hu-Akbar, mate.

    www.weaselzippers.net/blog/2009/01/video-british-police-run-away-from-allah-akhbar-screaming-muslim-protesters.html


    GQ

    ReplyDelete
  27. White phosphorus and DIME weapons acquired from the US and used by IDF?

    Not exactly good PR for an already in PR trouble in the middle east.

    Hey Jeff, you ever meet any US sailors resenful of the behavior of Israeli officers on their ship?

    I have.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Crap, I meant a US that is already in major PR trouble in the Middle East.

    And don't answer that question.

    ReplyDelete
  29. No experience with Israeli naval officers, Nunya.

    J

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous1:53 PM

    Jeff/Nunya,

    I had a personal friendship with a USS Liberty survivor. They believe to a man that the Israelis tried to murder them. Many of them also believe that US officials at various high levels were complicit in the attack and subsequent cover up.

    The Israeli's are an unsavory lot for sure. They understand that war is won by slaughtering the enemy, seizing his land, then slaughtering and scattering the survivors into diaspora.

    Rules of Engagement, International Law, UN Resolutions, Just War theory, the Marquess of Queensbury, et al, are vanities that cause the natural-born man o'war, who is an utter beast, to snigger.

    Jeff, your blog title alludes to the paradox, perhaps intentionally. Pen and Sword....the natural man of letters may dally in war, but he will never cheerfully change his pen for a spiked mace in order to bash in the brains of his enemies' babies. Conversely, the natural-born man o' war may project a sophisticated, cultivated veneer, but if given the opportunity, he will descend to the most primitive levels of violence, and do so cheerfully.

    As I see it, the fundamental question posed by this blog is this: Can men of letters, using their methods restrain the men o' war from using theirs?

    GQ

    ReplyDelete
  31. Yes, that is the question.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Yeah...Mormons, Israelis, Utah. I can see that. With any luck they'll get the half that has Orrin hatch in it. Serve 'em right.

    ReplyDelete