Readers’ Responses to Our Question (206)

A Victim of the Discrimination

Dear Sir / Madam

I am 46 years old, Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan (Muslim). I was an immigration consultant in Canada and as part of my business; I had an office in New York.
During 2001 immediately after the Sept 11, event the US govt arrested me on Oct 25, 2001 on anonymous call, as a material witness for the 9/11 world trade centre terrorist attack. A detail investigation by the FBI and USA Naval intelligence dept was conducted and I was cleared, but even then govt put me in front of Grand jury, and I was cleared and the case was dismissed by the Grand jury of the US Federal Court.
Approximately after 2 weeks , before I was released from custody the US Govt imposed a new charges of Fraud and money laundering , under the advice of my attorney , I pleaded guilty and I was sentenced to prison for five years (which was four years more, what I pleaded). In which I had already spent 3 years in Detention jail, during the case , I had about 14 months left to finishing my sentence ,(instead of appealing, I preferred to applied for Treaty Transfer to Canada, because if the case is in the appeal, defendant is not eligible for transfer back to his home country).
While at prison, I learned from the case manager Miss House, that my citizen was incorrect in the FBOP’s (Federal Bureau of Prison) computer system as Pakistani instead of Canadian.
Its important to note , that all of my Canadian identifications (passport , citizenship card , S.I.N , Health card , Driving license etc) were under FBI’s possession, with a great deal of concern, I wrote a letter to the Canadian Consulate in Buffalo, N.Y to notify such mistake and requested them to fix this problem. This is especially important for Treaty Transfer back to Canada.
The Canadian Consulate official sent a letter to the jail to correct my citizenship status, however FBOP ignored the request and the citizenship status in the FBOP computer still reflect Pakistani instead of Canadian (Note: - I would be required to obtain visa to visit Pakistan) .In contrast, the deportation letter received from US Immigration dept, Contained the correct citizenship status of Canada.
At the hindsight, I believe that the FBOP intentionally left the citizenship as Pakistani, so that they could retained me at their facility, while the govt is planning to file new charges against me 3rd time.
Approximately six weeks before my released date on Jan 30, 2006 I was notified by the FBOP that I was being transferred from Ellenwood, PA to MDC (Metropolitan Detention Centre) in Brooklyn N.Y, it was explained to me, that the purpose of this transfer was in preparation for deportation back to Canada, (after few days, I signed the immigration deportation papers, with my consular Miss Chen).
But immediately after my arriving to MDC Brooklyn, I discovered during a phone call with my family in Montreal, that RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) official had contacted my sister and brother-in-law regarding the whereabouts of my wife and my current situation, there was no explanation given by the RCMP official to the purpose of the call and he left his phone number and asked my wife to call him back immediately, my wife called the RCMP official and left messages in his voice mail. Then the official contacted my brother-in-law again and had asked him to tell my wife not to call again, because there is nothing good nor anything bad.
Meanwhile the AUSA (United States Attorney) office Investigator and FBI brought me to their office to be interrogated without an attorney present, even AUSA told in the court to the judge on March 16, 2006 that he arranged attorney for me before my arrival from Ellenwood PA to MDC Brooklyn, N.Y, on Transcript; page 11, Transcript line No: 14 to 23.

AUSA: - He (Khalid Awan) was writ in the cause of a grand jury investigation. He clearly had criminal exposure. So to protect his interest I made an application to the duty magistrate for counsel to be appointed.
THE COURT: - Initially he was brought here by a Court to testify before the grand jury?

AUSA: - That is correct, Your Honour.

THE COURT: - When he arrived here, you made arrangements for an attorney to be pointed to request him?

AUSA: - Yes, Your Honour.

This interrogation started with the AUSA office Investigator stating that my family will be arrested in Canada if I refused to answer their questions.
At this point I am certain that my family is in great danger for reasons that I am not aware of. I was scared that my family would be harassed by these people along with the Canadian RCMP official; I strongly believe that the RCMP is doing this intentionally in collaboration with FBI official to further harass me to admit charges that I never committed.
Without knowledge of the reasons why the Canadian RCMP agency was involved. I was surprised that RCMP official directly approached my family instead of me without proper explanation, and its also shocked for me, that how RCMP got the phone number of my family (because before my arrest, I don’t have any single record in any police dept, of any country).
I was intimated and pushed to the edge during this interrogation; I was determined to provide anything these USA officials wanted to make them happy even is the questions made no sense, because I want them to stop the harassment to my family.
On March 15, 2006 I completed the term of my imprisonment and was to be released from American Custody and deported back to Canada. Before that I was arrested again 3rd time, and charged with providing “material support to a foreign terrorist” and money laundering (to an organization and person, which are not designated by the USA govt and belongs to Sikh religion).
These charges emerged while I was still in prison and without the capability of providing any type of support. It was even difficult for me to get enough financial assistance to pay legal fees. I could not have provided any material support while I was in prison for five years and I could not launder any money because I did not have any.
AUSA filed three counts of indictment against me.

Conspiracy to provide material support.
Provide a material support to the foreign terrorist.
Money laundering to support terrorism.

(Please note, that in my previous case govt charged me for money laundering and fraud from Jan 1999 to 2002 and “its mentioned in the plea-agreement by the AUSA that no further money laundering charges will be brought against defendant from Jan 1999 to April 2002” even then govt indict me for money laundering from 1998 to Nov 2001 (Which is double Jeopardy and violation of 5th Amendment of U.S Constitution.)
In Oct 2006, during pre-trial hearing on the motions filed by my attorney the first two counts of my indictment were dismissed by the judge, stating that there is a lack of facts and figures.
After two weeks AUSA re-indicted me again. I believe this is a desperate act of the AUSA to cover up a huge embarrassment. Further this hastily drawn indictment was full of factual errors and creative legal theories.

Since I was first arrested by the American govt, I believe that I have been singled out, isolated and discriminated against primarily because of my race and religion, in addition to the fact that I don’t know any information that the American govt is trying to pressure out of me.

I do not understand the American laws and this is what led to my pleading guilty in the first case. I have difficulty understanding the new charges also.

I have been charged under, section 2339(a) of Title 18 of the United States code, which makes it illegal to provide material support to a foreign terrorist.

Please understand, I am not a terrorist, I do not know any terrorist and I have had no connections with or to any known or unknown terrorist. I have been incarcerated for last 5 years and I had no money to provide or launder.

The law enforcement have in America is pressuring me to provide information to them that I really do not have or know. I am a Canadian Citizen and nearly all of my family is in Canada, including my wife and kids. I don’t know any information to tell them to help their investigation.
Because of this, I am being treated unfairly and my rights under the American constitution are being violated. I am being held here in further detention against my will for crimes which I could have never committed, because I was in prison.

I believe that I am a victim of the discrimination that was outlined in the July 3, 2006 issue of Time magazine (Page 29, column 3). In this article section 2339(a) & (b) are discussed and criticized “as most suspects are charged under these two sections. However, the justice dept here in America admits that of the more than 218 guilty pleas that it has obtained, most are for minor investigation issues that are uncovered deeding the course of their terrorism investigation. This suggest, according to the article that the Attorney General’s office have is not concerned about the rights or fairness or the manner in which it achieves convictions for the people they arrest. Furthermore, criticizes have noted that one of the patterns to emerge from these domestic prosecutions is that suspect seen too incompetent to carry out the deeds they are accused of. The Deputy Attorney General acknowledges that the Dept of Justice’s goal is “preventions through prosecutions” and this is done with no regard for an individual’s rights.

I agree that these guilty of terrorism should be prosecuted. But as the above mentioned article suggest, innocent people should not be targeted because of their race or religion.
I am not a terrorist and I should not be targeted and treated unfairly and unjustly.
I need your assistance desperately in my case, as I believe that I am being treated unjustly here. I would like to send you my attorney’s contact information and provide you with legal documents related to my case, so that you may become more familiar with my situation.

Please also note, that I appeared in the court , for no guilty of my 2nd superseding indictment on Aug 02, 2006 and on Aug 03, 2006 FBOP officials placed me in the SHU (Segregation Housing Unit) out of these months, I placed in the SHU isolation from Aug 03, 2006 to March 6, 2007 for unknown “Pending Investigation” in these 215 days of my segregation and isolation, I don’t have a single phone call access to my family, no legal calls to my attorney and Canadian Council, my legal mail opened in my absence, no medical treatment for my injured shoulder (even I went for hunger strike for 3 and half day) I harassed by the various jail officials and lot of other problems too which already been submitted in the attention of the FBOP higher authorities, but no action taken on them, after writing the court, instead of receiving the response or any action on my complaints, jail officials removed /moved me from MDC federal facility to Nassau County Jail .
My suffering has gone on for far too long, and I need your help to bring my suffering to an end. I want to return home to my family, because my imprisonment was injustice and will remain a great injustice forever.

May God bless you and be with you in your efforts to champion the cause of human rights, and the suffering of innocent prisoners and restore hope, faith and love to peoples all over the world.

Sincerely,

KHALID AWAN
FBOP NO. 50959-054

i have two suggestions...1.disconnect the phone to London (translation stop emulating British imperialism) 2. study Pan_nationalism

Ms. Rice, You are doing a great job, following President's, and his special group's, like Israel Lobbiests',etc, orders.If you have good idea, keep it to your self untill you resign, then write a book about it; I will be the first one to buy it!Please don't make a mistake like Mr. Powel did at the UN then regret it later. If you think it's time to go, please do not hesitate, and resign on your own term! As long as you can sleep in peace, keep it up.

Two suggestions:

1. Resign.
2. Repent.

1. Get out of office
2. Get out of this country

1. Get out of office
2. Get out of this country

Get a handle on Iraq before sticking your big nose into Cuba!!!

When it comes to U.N resolutions, let us not pick and choose which ones to enforce in the Middle East. If Dr. Rice insists on applying all of the U.N resolutions that apply to the Middle-East, we'll have immediate and lasting peace.

Doctor Rice, here are my two suggestions:

1- Stop talking. Your feet don't fit in your mouth anymore.
2- Stay home and keep George W. locked in your closet.

My two suggestions:

You need to clearly understand that you have no credibilty and that you are just ridiculous. Going from disaster to disaster.

So:

1. QUIT NOW!!
2. Get a life: buy 12 new pairs of $5,000 shoes on Fifth Avenue while Lebanon is burning, get a pound of mushroom, go to Burning Man... Anything but GET OUT!!!

Dear Ms. Secretary Rice, In my posted suggestion an hour ago on Turkish regime's construction of ILSU Dam, on line 3, the number 7,000 Kurds, should be 7,000,000 Kurds. But again, as far as the DIOBOLIC Turkish regime's idelogy concerns; to them the 25,000,000 Kurds of North Kurdistan don't even exist!!!
Today this is the approximate figure of Kurdish population in North Kurdistan usurped by Turkey, and many anti-Kurd Commentators still use the pre WWII figure. The figure, which was only a necessity to count how many Kurds live there in pre 1920s, so that they speed up their acts of genocide, and change the demography of major Kurdish cities such as Kirkuk Kurdistan, and Mosul (Ninaveh) provinces, and enable themselves to control the Kurdish population and rob them of their natural resources or oil since 1920s, as well as Water rights to Tigris and Euphrates smack in the middle of North Kurdistan, with Kurds having the right to control their own land along with its natural resources of Water or oil. Are we going to let them to continue this robbery in our present 21st century, when every 22 ARAB State, 6 Turkick states, and 3 Persian states have enjoyed benefitting from their own revenues gained from their natural resources, and in case of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, steal that of 50 million Kurdish nation as well since 1920s?
I should hope not, and we must protect Kurdish rights to their land, and national integrity the same as we protected the tiny oil rich Kuwait's rights to theirs, and demolished Saddam's military aggression in 1990-91. Turkey should respect all Kurdish rights, which should not be negociable rather their absolute immediate duties, and lay off Kurdish territory in North Kurdistan for once and for all. Haven't we given away enough of free foreign aid to these Tyrannical regimes? Shouldn't they stay out of Kurdish land, and let them Rule their own nation?
Respectfully submitted, with Warm Regards, Steve Tataii.

Dear Ms. Rice, Please help to STOP Turkey's construction of ILSU Dam in North Kurdistan. This will drown more than 5 thousand most ancient Kurdish Villages dating back to 12,000 years discovered civilization. It will also displace or drown more than 7,000 Kurds. This project along with 22 other Dams' were put on a Moratorium since 1990 campaign to STOP this most uncivilized-Barbaric-Tyrinnical act by Turish Regime (or Military Regime to be correct), and the Resolutions authored by many like yours truly in WILD (an environmental not for profit organization from Canada) confrence with 20,000 members strong, held in University of Hawaii, was able to put a moratorium on the project, which even went beyond its 10 years expected, and the WORLD BANK pulled out of the project immediately, hence it came to STOP. This project is one of most devastating moves against North Kurdistan Kurds, which will cause another human catastrophe unprecedented, and much worse than the 1991 Kurdish exodus by 3 million in fear of Saddam's chemical attacks. Please issue an immediate warning to Turkish regime, and call to schedule an environmental Impact Study, which has never really been held, and obviously this project is clearly to destroy Kurdish nation's existence, while Turkish regime has always denied the very existence of North Kurdistan Kurds since 1920s. We must take an immediate action against this DIABOLIC and vicious sneak attack, and stop the project or projects, which has been proven it has no use for electricity, since its voltage will be impossible to transfer long distances to far reaching cities, and while the cities surrounding ILSU or HASANKEYEF Kurdish region has no shortage of electricty from the last report I recall. The one DAM buit around 1990 has already drowned 100 villages, and displaces hundreds of thousands of Kurds. Please act now. I will be available at 808 845 5716, and my email address is: tataii2003congress@msn.com Thanks with Warm Regards, Steve Tataii. Website: www.tataiiforcongress.com

I have a suggestion for her, get back to wearing those knee high boots and that skirt she wore at the beginning. Baby had me drooling.

I have a suggestion for her, get back to wearing those knee high boots and that skirt she wore at the beginning.Baby had me drooling.

The two things I would advise Ms. Rice to do are:

One - resign
and
Two - do it now.

Ms. Rice has been totally incompetent and should remove herself before she does any more damage. She should stick to her expertise, Soviet Politics. Opps I forgot, there is no Soviet Union anymore, too bad. A sure sign that Ms, Rice's talents are obsolete. Maybe she can be useful in our Russian embassy as a cultural attache', or do a piano tour with some philharmonic.

Middle East politics is certainly not here forte'. We should have someone who is a Middle East expert running this show. When my car breaks down I take it to my car mechanic to fix. I don't take it to the beauty parlor for a makeover.

Secretary Rice you have lost credibility, you don't answer question but have learned the President's way of hedging. President Bush should be answering the peoples questions not vacationing in Crawford.How ironic that people are asking for George Bush senior and President Clinton to step in to help. Where has this great Republican President Bush gone? he is responsible for so much world disaster. Now his father and President Clinton have to try to clean up the mess made by him,Rice, Rumsfield, and Cheney. What a Republican administration.

U.S. Secretary of State is unfortunately not involved nor has ever been able to act in Diplomatic Dialog , but rather a mouth piece for the Extreme Bush Regime which caters to Multinational Corporations.

Resignation would be a great place to start in order to begin a real peace process. The US Government is in dire need of Diplomacy, not self centered agenda pushing global chaos directed by the Bush Cheney Regime. The world has had enough of Bush Regime idea of spreading Democracy, because in reality, what is being spread is death and destruction. It's not Democracy. It's neoconservative ideals that serve only a few, while innocent people are being murdered all in the name of what Bush calls Democracy?

If Rice continues to be a puppet for the Bush-Cheney Regime, which she no doubt will, only serves to prove that their goal is to maintain destabalization in Middle Eastern countries , which serve their interests. How dare the Bush Adm. even try to justify their current position, as the rest of the world burns. They ought to all be charged with Crimes against Humanity! Enough is enough. Under the Sec of States watch, count the number of dead through out the world , the number of injured innocent displaced families.

Bush, Cheney Rumsfeld Rice Bolton, etc.. are all indeed , quite insane and this group of so called Government officials, scares me more than any other group in the world because they have the power to wreak havoc across the entire globe, while providing misinformation and lies , as their justifications for invading entire countries that have NOT done anything to threaten the US. Wake up peoples, it's the hostile agression of the right-wing ultra crazies in the White House that is causing global and domestic chaos .

U.S. Secretary of State is unfortunately not involved nor has ever been able to act in Diplomatic Dialog , but rather a mouth piece for the Extreme Bush Regime which caters to Multinational Corporations.

Resignation would be a great place to start in order to begin a real peace process. The US Government is in dire need of Diplomacy, not self centered agenda pushing global chaos directed by the Bush Cheney Regime. The world has had enough of Bush Regime idea of spreading Democracy, because in reality, what is being spread is death and destruction. It's not Democracy. It's neoconservative ideals that serve only a few, while innocent people are being murdered all in the name of what Bush calls Democracy?

If Rice continues to be a puppet for the Bush-Cheney Regime, which she no doubt will, only serves to prove that their goal is to maintain destabalization in Middle Eastern countries , which serve their interests. How dare the Bush Adm. even try to justify their current position, as the rest of the world burns. They ought to all be charged with Crimes against Humanity! Enough is enough. Under the Sec of States watch, count the number of dead through out the world , the number of injured innocent displaced families.

Bush, Cheney Rumsfeld Rice Bolton, etc.. are all indeed , quite insane and this group of so called Government officials, scares me more than any other group in the world because they have the power to wreak havoc across the entire globe, while providing misinformation and lies , as their justifications for invading entire countries that have NOT done anything to threaten the US. Wake up peoples, it's the hostile agression of the right-wing ultra crazies in the White House that is causing global and domestic chaos .

U.S. Secretary of State is unfortunately not involved nor has ever been able to act in Diplomatic Dialog , but rather a mouth piece for the Extreme Bush Regime which caters to Multinational Corporations.

Resignation would be a great place to start in order to begin a real peace process. The US Government is in dire need of Diplomacy, not self centered agenda pushing global chaos directed by the Bush Cheney Regime. The world has had enough of Bush Regime idea of spreading Democracy, because in reality, what is being spread is death and destruction. It's not Democracy. It's neoconservative ideals that serve only a few, while innocent people are being murdered all in the name of what Bush calls Democracy?

If Rice continues to be a puppet for the Bush-Cheney Regime, which she no doubt will, only serves to prove that their goal is to maintain destabalization in Middle Eastern countries , which serve their interests. How dare the Bush Adm. even try to justify their current position, as the rest of the world burns. They ought to all be charged with Crimes against Humanity! Enough is enough. Under the Sec of States watch, count the number of dead through out the world , the number of injured innocent displaced families.

Bush, Cheney Rumsfeld Rice Bolton, etc.. are all indeed , quite insane and this group of so called Government officials, scares me more than any other group in the world because they have the power to wreak havoc across the entire globe, while providing misinformation and lies , as their justifications for invading entire countries that have NOT done anything to threaten the US. Wake up peoples, it's the hostile agression of the right-wing ultra crazies in the White House that is causing global and domestic chaos .

Learn the word respect, you'll get a lot farther in your negotiations

1) Resign - you're in over your head.
2) Resign - You're tainted and have no chance of being seen as an honest broker.

2 things:

1) Let the IDF kick the "Hizbulla terrorist" all the way- back to Syria & Iran- Iran is behind all this-that way the pressure for handling the nukes is off since the heat is somewhere in the ME. IDF is defending their people- I will do the same if someone start bombing our people from other country-that's war- but since a lot of people don't see that Hizbulla is a state army inside a state.......
Will be good to check that out that Hizbulla was operating on top of the UN HQ- and that's why they got blasted, that info came from a Canadian UN people at their site. UN is a joke.

2) Fold the tents and get out of Irak- that way Iran will have to face a lot of problems right next door- at the end this country-Irak will end up like former Yugoeslavia did in the past- breaking up in pieces- Irak will end up in 3 pieces-kurd-sunnies and chiitas each one in their own piece of land. Start paying attention elsewhere-in the world.

"Let me say this again: Yesterday dozens of innocent Lebanese civilians, half of them children, were murdered by Israel's bombs.

In my hometown, someone who does something like that is called a CRIMINAL."

Actually, such a criminal would be referred to, more specifically, as a terrorist. So, that makes whosoever collaborates with such a terrorist, himself or herself a terrorist.

Yesterday, dozens of Lebanese children were murdered by Israel's bombs. The UN laments it. The US laments it. Europeans lament it. Israel will investigate it. Nobody does anything to stop the carnage.

Let me say this again: Yesterday dozens of innocent Lebanese civilians, half of them children, were murdered by Israel's bombs.

In my hometown, someone who does something like that is called a CRIMINAL.

Question:

In recent days, at the time those criminals were killing hundreds of civilians and forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians out of their own country, a famous person paid those criminals a visit; this person shoke hands with them and smiled with them in front of the cameras. Who was this person?

a) Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez
b) Zimbabwe's strongman Robert Mugabe
c) U.S. Secretary of State Condolezza Rice
d) North Korean leader Kim Jong II
e) Al-Qaeda's leader Osama bin Laden

One, Personal - be unafraid. Think for yourself, drawing on your childhood experience when you stood on the verandah of your Home in the SOUTH of your own country. And remember your upbringing, there are indeed some values and some issues that follow that are stark. Yes, they are Black and White, with no shade in between.

Two, Political - carry your personal convictions with you, they are one and the same: - make no assumptions, question; do not take barbs personally; do your best, not only for yourself, but for your neighbour - she is you; be true with your words, they have meaning.

The rest is beyond you, so take it personally. Best

Ms Rice

DIDN'T THEY TELL YOU? A BIG Israli war had to BEGIN NOW. BEFORE American elecions in November. BEFORE Americans oust the Senate and House BOUGHT AND PAID FOR BY THE JEWS AT AIRPAC. Before their servant Presdient has any credibility at all. Before the American people wretch and revolt about the billions in arms and money going for savage Israeli agression. Their Wolfowitz/Perle/Libby/ etc plan to take over through Iraq was going bad.

2) Are you smart enough to see the blood dripping from your "no cease fire" hands? Have you figured out anything yet? Are you for real?

who presumes like the neo conartists that he supports, use your brain for something besides a waystation for illogic and hatred...

if anyone needed a reason to hate someone, you provide ample opportunity with your impugnment.

.

A-Terrorist have weapons.Civilian don't.
B-Most likely, the terrorist is shooting at you.Civilian will either cower down or run away.
C-There are three basic methods for hunting terrorists hiding among civilians:
1-Negotiate.
2-If 1 fails, get the SWAT: the IDEA is to kill the terrorist, without harming the civilian
3-If you opt out of steps one and two, bomb the crap out of both the civilian and terrorist;express sorrow at the loss of life and "collateral damage";bomb the nearest UN observation post;re-express your deepest sorrow;appoint an investigating team made of:the pilot who dropped the bombs, the operations officer who assigned the targets and the commander who gave the orders.Get your friend to ship you more "smart bombs";
Please note that, if the civilian attempt to flee away from the terrorist, bomb the minivan heading away from the battle zone with a white flag on the top; blame the terrorist ;and then blame CNN for broadcasting the images of dead civilians.Enlist AIPAC.
Read more of Krauthammer,Kristol and other armchair warriors;do not worry if your next IQ test is below one.

JUST A FOOTNOTE:
THE "ISLAMIC FASCISTS", LIKE HEZBOLLAH AND HAMAS DID NOT EXIST 40 YRS AGO.THE PLO DID,AND IT'S A SECULAR ORGANISATION.

Dear Ms Rice,
Item No. 1
Relax and enjoy the show. It is all about oil. The proper route is really straightforward. Withdraw our troops in Iraq to a few secure military locations, encourage civil war so that our problems of domination becomes smaller.
Item No. 2
Encourage and supply Israel and henceforth think of our military as a business that must make a profit. Our current course is equivalent to trying to shovel the beach back into the ocean It is just stupid to exhaust the US resource base when your opponent (Islam since the 7th century) gains strength.

To Rick Geiger from daniel. You say the U.S. has actually been preventing Israel from attacking the Islamic fascists that have been attacking it for over forty years. If you will forgive me I believe much more than the U.S. has been preventing this. If Israel had had a free hand doing so that would have added up to much more than a question of Israel's right to return to Palestine. It would have amounted to ethnic cleansing on a horrific scale. I do see what you mean though. We have a strange triangle whereby the U.S. is hungry for oil and is eager to please the muslim peoples but then again asks that they leave the Israelis alone and then asks the Israelis to behave in order to keep in the good graces of the Islamic people. There really is no simple way to get to the bottom of it. And yes, Mr. Rick, I am afraid of listing my full name, but not because I am afraid of facing you. I am afraid of being unduly annoyed by people who freak out on such matters and cannot take a bit of criticism. In other words I am not afraid of meeting you if you will leave an address, I am afraid of a bunch of fools torching my car or something simply because I did a bit of thinking. I am not the most courageous person in the world but neither am I a coward. Nor am I a fool. No baiting please, try to keep the conversation to logic and insight if that is at all possible on your side. As if listing my full name is proof I have said something essential...Or is that the requirement for me to be prevented from saying anything at all? You imply I am a Jew hater (from your last comment) but I recall in the Wash. Post magazine article a couple weeks ago about the Israel lobby that the reporter who wrote the article was threatened by the lobby—that a letter would be written to the paper in complaint of his pryings. I have no desire to have my life ruined for simply speculating. But then again I have sent many pieces to the Post on a multitude of subjects (many perhaps more controversial than this) and I have given my full name, address, etc. You wound me Mr. Geiger, a truly cheap shot. Perhaps I will give you my name soon. Apparently we all must become martyrs in the coming world.

It is indeed time for Arab nations disgusted by U.S. suppport for Israel's war crimes in Lebanon to impose an oil embargo on the United States.
Perhaps that will persuade America to stop arming — and egging on — the Israelis as they murder innocent men, women and children, destroy entire villages and decimate an entire country.
What the Israelis are doing right now clearly and unambiguously fits the legal definition of crimes against humanity.
Israel and its patron, America, must be held accountable for these crimes.

To Secretary of State Rice

WHY SILENCE from you on the capture of 12or 13 DUELY ELECTED Palestinians by Israel and the bombing of the Palestininan FOreign Ministry...

And since we are now hearing about the "punishment" of Palestininan citizens, the latest the shooting on a rooftop of a 12 year old boy near Jablaya, (his siblings murdered yesterday) DURING YOUR PERIOD OF INSISTANCE ON NO CEASE FIRE— are you a war criminal?

Rice's policies are playing right into the hands of al-Qaeda and other extremist groups, providing them with powerful arguments that the U.S. is eagerly supporting a country (Israel) that is committing war crimes against Arab civilians in Lebanon. For the U.S. to be thwarting the rest of the world's efforts to achieve an immediate ceaseful, and for Israelis to be openly claiming that this U.S. obstructionism gives them the green light to continue their indiscriminate bombing campaign, their destruction of Lebanon, their killing of more than 10 times as many people as Hezbollah have killed, only sends the Arab world the message that the U.S. does not give a damn about the lives of innocent Arabs, and will support Israel no matter how heinous its crimes against civilians, no matter how barbaric its destruction of an entire country. And, as a backdrop to all of this, for the U.S. to continue giving its approval for Israel's cynical land grab, using the so-called 'security wall' to make permanent its seizure of the most valuable parts of the West Bank (and effectively reduce Palestinian lands to chopped-up bantustans), all in violation of international law... this too will only help al-Qaeda and other extremist groups to recruit more members.
Let's face it: what Israel is doing is not much different from what the Serbs did to the Bosnians, right down to the contorted rationalizations about 'terrorists' hiding among civilians.
If I were a young Arab man looking at what America is sanctioning right now, I would, without hesitation, conclude that America is an enemy of the Arab world that must be fought and resisted in every possible way.
Expect more extremist and radical regimes, more implacable foes of America, to take power throughout the Middle East.
Expect fragile pro-U.S. regimes in places like Saudi Arabia and Egypt to fall.
Expect America to emerge from this even more isolated and despised than it already is.
Unless America reverses course and puts pressure on BOTH sides in this vicious conflict, instead of arming and lending the full weight of its diplomatic efforts to the country doing the vast majority of the killing, our government will be sowing the seeds of its own isolation, and will be undermining prospects for peace as well as the security of our nation.
We need war-crimes trials now both for Hezbollah and for the leaders of the Israeli Defense Forces and government who sanctioned the ongoing terror campaign against Lebanon and its people.

1) Why should Israel be moved back to the l967 borders? UN REsolution 242 says nations cannot keep their war gains. If not dispesed, Israel should be moved back to what the (patently illegal) Balfour papers gave them at least. That Israel has
talked "pushing Palestinians back" etc., and ravaged the the whole area constantly at anyh pretext since the first day doesn't change anything.
2. Israel is bleating that the UN Resolution 1559 shud be obeyed!!!
But not UN RESOLUTION 242, hmmm?

Krauthammer's illogic is now legendary. Last week, he argued, characteristically porously, that UN resolutions 1553 (I think) from 2 years ago should be implemented. Yet, he carefully failed to ask for implementation of the nearly 50 year old resolution 242. As to why his omission? Well, 242 calls for the untihinkable (in Krauthammer's biased eyes) — Israeli disorgement of occupied Arab land.

Before that, Krauthammer compared Palestinian actions in Gaza to Mexicans lobbing rockets at san Diego, and asked if the U.S. would fail to strike back in that case. Yet, Krauthammer meticulously failed to assert the true analogy: What would Americans do if Mexico invaded San Diego, drove al,. Americans from their homes, installed Mexicans in the American's homes, and built a massive concrete wall to keep the Americans from returning to their homes? And why did Krauthammer fail to ask that more relevant question? Clearly because he knew that Israel did exactly to the Palestinians, and that the Americans in the hypothetical example would have reacted exactly as the real Palestinians are doing against the real Israeli occupiers whop have illegally settled on their land since 1967.

So, only one who is not familiar with Krauthammer's chronic habit of making illogical statements in porous defense of Israel's illegal activities in the Middle-east would be surprised at his latest display — comparing Japan's attack against another country — the U.S., with a non-state, Hezballah's kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers, and moving from that illogical assertion to a futile attempt to justify's Israel's plainly immoral killing of non-Hexballah civilians and the destruction of non-Hezbollah civillian infrastructure in Lebanon.

Advice to US Secretary of State:

One: Hold Israel accountable for all damage caused to the infrastructure of the democratic state of Lebanon and to the environment of the Mediterranian Sea by bombing oil tanks of two power stations located directly on the Mediterranian Sea. All these damages described are crimes and violate international law.

Two: The same refers to USA who supplied war material and bombs for those crimes.

There is no reason to believe that the ruling Zionist-Neocon axis USA/Israel actually wants peace. Facts tell you a very different story.
So how can you expect Rice to honestly work for a peace deal?
Suggestions to Rice:
1 - clear the White House
2 - push Israel back into the boundaries of 1967

Agreed, it won't work. With Rice. Or any other American. But how about Putin? He needs a new job, very soon.

speak less about terrorisme and condemn every form of terrorisme..including own domestic terrorisme...the USA lost every credibility condemning the "other's"terrorisme and absolving the Usa and israeli terrorisme ,calling own terrorisme "autodefense"....terrorisme is and stay terrorisme... no matter from where is coming..
oblige Israel in the 67 borders for a peace agrement with Syria and Palestina...dont support more the assassinations and apprehending of zionisme opposants..that will be a good beginning..and the end of the proliferation of islamicterrorisme's supporters

First, excellent posts by Richard Rockville.

Second to "daniel"(afraid of listing your name) we do not prop up Israel. In fact what the US has done is require that Iraeli soldiers be killed disproportionately to what is necessary because the US will not allow Israel to defeat the Islamic fascists that have been attacking it for over 40 years.

Third, to Jew haters that populate this board, I suggest you move to Syria and join their army. They will need you soon.

from daniel to NIE concerning the removal of Israel from the Middle East. You say that if it ever looked like this would be the international communities view of the world there would be a mass exodus of Jews from the U.S. to Israel and the U.S. would lose 10% of its economy. You should be careful NIE, if I understand you correctly you are saying Israel is more important to all Jews than any other country—in other words if Jews reside in countries other than Israel still Israel is more important—in other words you are essentially saying Jews have dual loyalty and cannot be trusted in countries other than Israel for their true allegiance is to Israel. But perhaps you misunderstand when I call for the removal of Israel. I do not mean the destruction of Jews but a call for them to move to especially the U.S. In fact I could care a less if we have a string of Jewish presidents. What bothers me is trying to continually prop up Israel in a mind-bogglingly hostile area. No hard feelings I hope. I should be more careful. In extremely sensitive matters such as these obviously one cannot be too clear—one must explain everything minutely.

from daniel to NIE concerning the removal of Israel from the Middle East. You say that if it ever looked like this would be the international communities view of the world there would be a mass exodus of Jews from the U.S. to Israel and the U.S. would lose 10% of its economy. You should be careful NIE, if I understand you correctly you are saying Israel is more important to all Jews than any other country—in other words if Jews reside in countries other than Israel still Israel is more important—in other words you are essentially saying Jews have dual loyalty and cannot be trusted in countries other than Israel for their true allegiance is to Israel. But perhaps you misunderstand when I call for the removal of Israel. I do not mean the destruction of Jews but a call for them to move to especially the U.S. In fact I could care a less if we have a string of Jewish presidents. What bothers me is trying to continually prop up Israel in a mind-bogglingly hostile area. No hard feelings I hope. I should be more careful. In extremely sensitive matters such as these obviously one cannot be too clear—one must explain everything minutely.

Ir-rev - right on!

My two comments:
1. Just as your design for dealing with Iran and N. Korea—insisting on 6 nation framework for N.Korea, and a united front with Iran is sound so may your task of bringing a settlement for peace in Lebanon will be insightful geopolitically.
2. Your principled and firm stand on fundamentals—imposing U.N. mandates—is to be lauded notwithstanding calls for softening principial matters for a quick fix.

Advice 1: Tell your boss to free Iraq and stop torturing and killing foreigners and citizens for want of something better to do!
Advice 2. Try to find the actual meaning for the term "democracy" and start introducing democracy in in your own country; after all charity ought to begin in one's own home.If you are successful in executing these two plans, the rest of the world can take of its own business without anybody any uncalled interference in its affairs!

Captain Condi, FDUSA - Yes Mr. Lebanon, we want very much to put out the fire at your house. But first we want to make sure it will be a lasting sustainable put-out. We want to address the root cause of the fire. We don't want to have to come back and fight the fire again later on, to return your property to its status quo ante. What good would that be? Those antes are not kosher so to speak. So be patient. You will thank us later on when absolutely no more fire is possible on your property. We promise.

Mr. Lebanon - Allo, Hezbollah fire department? Help! What? The Al Queda fire deparment is also coming? Quick, hurry!

Captain Condi, FDUSA: Yes Mr. Lebanon, we want very much to put out the fire at your house. But first we want to make sure it will be a lasting sustainable put-out. We want to address the root cause of the fire. We don't want to have to come back and fight the fire again later on, to return your property to its status quo ante. What good would that be? Those antes are not kosher so to speak. So be patient. You will thank us later on when absolutely no more fire is possible on your property. We promise.

Mr. Lebanon: Allo, Hezbollah fire department? Help! What? The Al Queda fire deparment is also coming? Quick, hurry!

Captain Condi, FDUSA: Yes Mr. Lebanon, we want very much to put out the fire at your house. But first we want to make sure it will be a lasting sustainable put-out. We want to address the root cause of the fire. We don't want to have to come back and fight the fire again later on, to return your property to its status quo ante. What good would that be? Those antes are not kosher so to speak. So be patient. You will thank us later on when absolutely no more fire is possible on your property. We promise.

Mr. Lebanon: Allo, Hezbollah fire department? Help! What? The Al Queda fire deparment is also coming? Quick, hurry!

Two suggestions to end the comflict. One, tell Israel that the United States Government is prepared to end all support if cease fire is not immediate. Two, if that doesn't work, Saudi Arabia and other Oil exporters in the region should impose a oil embargo on the U.S., when gas shortages occur, similar to the ones during President Carters administration, our government will feel the wrath of the people and force our government into seek a true cease fire.

Two suggestions to end the comflict. One, tell Israel that the United States Government is prepared to end all support if cease fire is not immediate. Two, if that doesn't work, Saudi Arabia and other Oil exporters in the region should impose a oil embargo on the U.S., when gas shortages occur, similar to the ones during President Carters administration, our government will feel the wrath of the people and force our government into seek a true cease fire.

Two suggestions to end the comflict. One, tell Israel that the United States Government is prepared to end all support if cease fire is not immediate. Two, if that doesn't work, Saudi Arabia and other Oil exporters in the region should impose a oil embargo on the U.S., when gas shortages occur, similar to the ones during President Carters administration, our government will feel the wrath of the people and force our government into seek a true cease fire.

Two suggestions to end the comflict. One, tell Israel that the United States Government is prepared to end all support if cease fire is not immediate. Two, if that doesn't work, Saudi Arabia and other Oil exporters in the region should impose a oil embargo on the U.S., when gas shortages occur, similar to the ones during President Carters administration, our government will feel the wrath of the people and force our government into seek a true cease fire.

Humbly, let me ask a question rather than advise:

UNDER WHAT DEFINITION ARE THE ISRAELIS NOT TERRORISTS? NOW AND FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS.

DON'T YOU KNOW YOU'RE A JOKE, ALBIET A DETESTED ONE AMONG YOUR INTERNATIONAL PEERS? DON'T YOU LOVE YOUR COUNTRY ENOUGH TO GET HELP?

Johnathan Weisman sayz:

"
...The Republicans want the discussion to revolve around efforts to combat terrorism....
"

I reiterate, the United States is involved in using terrorism as a tool almost since it's inception.

it is disingenuous of the United States to claim the highground when it has been using terrorism as _the_tool_ in it's vast tool box.

you want the world to be a better place to live in? call them on it

make them own it

say, "you're saying one thing and doing another."

say, "you're a bunch of lying sociopaths that don't give a hang about the rest of us, or the people whose lives you directly destroy"

say Colombia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico, Iran, Vietnam, Hondureas/Negroponte, Iraq, Afghaninstan/AlQueada, and so on

heck you could even say Israel, but it wouldn't be totally true

get them to tell the truth.....using the word "terrorism" is simple, "appeal to emotion," it's asking you to not think but to give them what they want,

don't

DO look, DO ask questions, DO think....carefully, you have time, they don't they want a "reaction" not a measured response.

.

curtis glenn sayz:

"
It reminds me of her pre-Iraq war statement that appeared to credit Saddam Hussein with the capability of atomic warfare! Ms. Rice is overtaxed and underexperienced. Our country deserves better than that.
"

I wonder

what if she is not deluded but simply insisting on putting the Executive Branches spin on it as if that is enough? can you say "willfully neglectfull?" can you say, "don't bother me we're busy stealing oil from Iraq?" can you say, "what hurricane, what middle class, you mean the National Guard _needs_ combat training?" can you say "record gass profits, halliburton worth ten times what is was 5 years ago?"

let's just hope that she's naive, instead of the carny shark that she appears to be...........

like I said earlier, "what is she on" Faux Newz?

news story, "and today the Administration scored another big one! Condi was in Lebanon and looked so good, those pictures are worth a thousand words of genuine-ness (we hope)"

Most of the good ideas have been proposed by the various contributers. I would simply like to add that Sec. Rice is not equipped/qualified to play the role needed at this time. Wer need someone like former Senator George Mitchell who has a fine track record in shuttle diplomacy. When I read Sec Rice's recent remark the current crisis is indeed "the birth pangs of a budding democracy" I couldn't believe that she would have the audacity/poor judgment to make such a remark. Such childish comments are reserved for classrooms and are inappropriate in diplomacy. I womder whether Ms. Rice isn't day dreaming . It reminds me of her pre-Iraq war statement that appeared to credit Saddam Hussein with the capability of atomic warfare! Ms. Rice is overtaxed and underexperienced. Our country deserves better than that.

is that the Executive branch is pretending to mind the store while doing something else, and that even their pretending is not going so well....wha tdo you think it is that they are good at?

bait and switch? rovian diplomacy? selling you their plan to make themselves riech as democracy? ye ssssssssssssss

sukumar: Right on. Why is this so hard to get?

"
You should read a bit more of krauthammer.
"

right next thing you'll be telling me that Jesse Helms is the only "whiteman" that should be head of foreign relations.....

Krauthammer is an embarassedment to the word truth, pandering to the a failed dream where every "war" is a good war, he's this administrations' favorite sheild from the truth...

he's as dependable as old glory when it comes to masking hatred under the guise of loyalty....no wonder he's confine d to a wheel chair, he couldn't walk with that much hatred....

how's that for some seeinrg truth?

.

Dear Mr Richard Rockville

Please do not even begin to attempt to show Hezbollah's weaponry is more formidable than Israel's. Israel is armed to the teeth by America and Britain, making it the 4th largest army in the world. They have been dropping 1000 pound bombs indiscriminately and the these Katyusha rockets contain only 50 lb explosives-20X smaller. 13,000 such rockets equal 650 thousand pound bombs—I bet the IAF is pretty close to this count. So,which one do you think is more dangerous. You seen to be talking like the extremist Israel PM Netanyahu, who characterized randomly thrown stones by the Palestinians as deadly killer missiles.

1. Ms. Rice—since Israel is the real terrorist state—terrorizing Palestinians civilians for over 50 years, and now the Lebanese civilians—and your administration is supporting them with bombs, arms and weapons that is killing more civilians—women and children, then your administration is also a terrorist administration by definition of the word in Websters dictionary. Not all Americans, like me, share your view of perpetrating such unparalleled carnage by a proxy Army with a country(Israel).

2. To encourage the Israelis to continue this carnage makes you irrefutably complicit of mass killings. Perhaps you can color your beige suits with the blood of the dead Lebanese children as a memento of you "success". Attagirl, Blame the victims for the violence.

Appoint a special envoy to the region, someone who is independent of Bush and members of his admistration. They have lost all credibility with leaders in the region and other nations at large. As far as I'm concerned, nothing will improve (it will get worse) in the region until this current administration dissapear.

1) Stop calling people terrorists. Stop calling nations 'evil'. Remember Dick Cheney called Nelson Mandela and the ANC terrorists back in 1986. Remember there are at least 3 Nobel Peace Prize winners who were 'terrorists' (Mandela, Begin, Arafat).
2) Call for an immediate ceasefire. Condemn Israeli and Lebanese killings of civilians.
3) Have a peace conference with Israel, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Hamas, PLO, Syria, Iran...not with France and Germany and Italy.
4) Aims of the conference? Israel moves back to 1967 borders. Hamas and PLO form a legitimate Palestinian army to enforce Israel-Palestine borders. Hezbollah militia merges with Lebanese army.
5) Promise real economic assistance for Palestinians and the Shia of Lebanon.

to Jvd70 from daniel concerning my suggestion that Israel be removed from the Middle East. I will