Middle East Crisis to Top Blair-Bush Summit Agenda

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Middle East Crisis to Top Blair-Bush Summit Agenda

British Troops Gear Up for Invasion of Iraq

Actions against Israeli Aggression

Diary from Bethlehem

Eyewitness Accounts From Ramallah

It is reported that the crisis in the Middle East is set to replace military intervention against Iraq as the dominant item on the agenda when Tony Blair flies to the US for his meeting with President George W Bush.

Arranged to discuss the next phase of the "war on terrorism", the weekend meeting in Texas is now expected to focus on the growing crisis provoked by Israel's military aggression and genocide against the Palestinian people.

Tony Blair has reported welcomed President Bush’s call, as Israeli forces took control of another West Bank town, to withdraw its troops and urge Palestinian leaders to work to put an end to the suicide attacks. Tony Blair was said to be "appalled" by the "most explosive" situation in the occupied territories for many years".

The Prime Minister said that the situation in the Middle East that was "a tragic situation that has the makings of a catastrophe", as though the US-backed Israeli aggression is not a calculated massacre of the Palestinian people.

Adopting the bankrupt stance that both sides must restrain their violence, he said that this violence would not stop unless a "proper political process" was in place, he said in an interview with NBC News. "President Bush is right to try and gauge the parties with that process. We need them to get into what are agreed plans that have already been worked out so that we can eventually come into a proper political process and resolve this issue. I think we've got to deepen that process. It's one of the things I will discuss with the President over the course of the next few days."

The "political process" required is the immediate end to the occupation of the Palestinian territories and support for the just struggle of national liberation of the Palestinian people. For Tony Blair to take any other stand is to confirm the British government’s backing for the butcher Sharon.

According to the Daily Telegraph of April 2, the Chief of the General Staff has ordered regimental commanders to quietly prepare for an invasion of Iraq, reports the Telegraph.

Gen. Michael Walker warned the senior officers earlier this month to prepare for a major offensive against Saddam Hussein later this year. All the officers are due to take command of armoured, infantry and artillery regiments in the next few weeks, units that would spearhead Britain’s contribution to a second Gulf War.

Britain has also deployed additional combat aircraft to Oman in the Persian Gulf in preparation for a possible attack on Iraq, the Middle East Newsline reports.

Defence sources in the region said Royal Air Force Jaguar attack jets arrived in Oman over the past few weeks for an exercise with Oman, but that they will stay when the exercise is concluded.

The United States has also been quietly increasing its military presence there, and the move by London was closely co-ordinated with Washington.

There will be a picket of the Israeli embassy, Kensington High Street this Saturday (6 April) from 3-5pm. (Nearest Tube: High Street Kensington - turn right a walk for a few minutes)

There is to be a Palestine Vigil, 4pm Thursday (4 April) at Downing Street.

Labour Against The War is organising a public meeting to bring Labour signatories of Alice Mahon’s Early Day Motion opposing military action against Iraq together with Labour Party activists. It will be on Wed 24th April, 7.30 - 9.30pm, the Boothroyd Room in Portcullis House, House of Commons, booked in the name of Alan Simpson. Speakers will be announced shortly.

On Sunday, 7th April, the Jonathan Dimbleby programme is discussing the Middle East:

"How did the Middle East descend into the appalling violence we have seen over the past month? Have Israeli actions inflamed or helped to tackle the threat of suicide bombers? Could Palestinians do more to crack down on terrorism? What are the competing grievances? And what can be done to stop the violence? How did we ever get to the current crisis in the Middle East? How can peace be achieved?"

The programme will be recorded at London Studios, Upper Ground, London SE1 9LT (5 minutes from Waterloo Station, on the South Bank) on Sunday 7 April. The audience is arriving 11:30am to 12:00 noon at the latest. The programme finishes by 2pm.

If you are interested in joining the studio audience, or for further information, please contact Roshan Muhammed Salih on 020 737 8544, or e-mail Roshan.Muhammed.Salih@granadamedia.com (Entry is by ticket only and audience members must be 16 years or over.)

Saturday, April 20, 2002, will be an International Day of Protest Against War and Racism, with demonstrations planned in a growing list of cities and countries around the world.

Friday 3rd May, Campaign Against Arms Trade. Protest at British Aerospace AGM. Info: 020 7281 0297

Saturday 18^th May, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign is holding a national demonstration ‘Justice for Palestine, End the Israeli Occupation’. Assemble 12 noon Hyde Park, Rally in Trafalgar Square.

A number of the 200 international peace volunteers of the International Solidarity Movement were injured when Israeli soldiers shot at them. One was seriously injured with a stomach wound. We included three despatches from Aisa Kiyosue of the Department of Peace Studies at Bradford University, who was hot in the leg, in yesterday’s WDIE. There follows a further despatch from Aisa.

Despatch 4: April 4

Dear Friends,

Hello! This is Aisa. Thank you very much for emailing me! Your emails encouraged me a lot!! I am in East Jerusalem now. I came out from Bethlehem to here last night. Yes, as a lot of mass media reported, some of the ISM members including me got injured by the Israel Defence Force soldier while having a peaceful march on 1st April. When we were marching towards the refugee camp in Beit Jala which is located in the Northern part of Bethlehem, an IDF soldier on the tank approached us and shot towards the ground about 10 times to threaten us. About 7 people got injured by the shooting. All of the injured people were taken to the Beit Jala hospital immediately for treatment. A lady took an operation to take shrapnel in her stomach out. She is still in the hospital. About myself... After hearing shooting sounds twice or three times, sharp pain came to my right leg. At first, I did not understand what happened on me because I was in panic and very scared of the tank and shooting sounds. It was very painful. Then I realised bleeding from the right leg because of blooded socks. I did not expect that the solider shot us continuously... Two shrapnels are inside my leg now. According to the Palestinian doctor, it is better to take these shrapnels out from my leg in Japan or Britain because of the facility in the hospital. Don't worry! I am O.K although my leg is swollen. At least mentally I am still fine. I can continue with the ISM activities. Palestinians' situation is much worse than mine. Their situation is very, very critical. In Bethlehem where I stayed until yesterday, it seemed many Palestinians got killed and injured by the IDF. Bethlehem is totally occupied by the IDF. They destroyed water tanks and pipe, electricity and telephone line so that Palestinians could not survive. They are so horrible. Many tanks, APCs and soldiers were inside Bethlehem. I heard gunfire and bombing sounds many times (almost all the time). The IDF soldiers are inside high buildings in the town so that they can shoot Palestinians. No access to hospitals. One third of the ISM activists have been stuck in the hotel. Our foods and water are limited. Once electricity and telephone line went dead. When the telephone line went dead, I decided to ask the Japan Embassy for help (I asked one of the ISM member to lend me his mobile phone to ring the embassy). I was so scared that the batteries of the ISM activists' mobile phones would go off. Because if the batteries had gone, I had no way to contact people outside Bethlehem for help. It was a very difficult decision for me because I did not want to leave other ISM activists who were staying in the refugee camps and I did not want to give up some activities in Bethlehem. It was a very serious situation and condition. Please do remember that over 50 international activists are still staying in Bethlehem areas with Palestinians and that Palestinians' lives there are so horrible. I can leave Bethlehem if I ask the embassy for help, but Palestinians... they have no ways to leave there! They are under horrible terror. The IDF horribly terrorise people there. Bethlehem areas are totally surrounded by tanks now.

I will continue the ISM activities in Jerusalem such as media work and contact with ISM activists in Bethlehem, etc. I will be here until these activists come out from Bethlehem areas. The IDF will stay in the areas at least another week in order to investigate individual houses.

[…]

I write here again. Many Palestinians are under terror. They have been occupied by the state of Israel for a long time, and their situation has been ignored by the international society. Why do Palestinians have to suffer so much? Zionism... such a terrible racist idea. Zionist state Israel has to be questioned more and more. What the state of Israel has been doing has to be criticised more and more. At this moment, immediate protection for Palestinians is NEEDED!

Sharon, you will see that Palestine will be free. I want to believe that Palestine will be free.

I am OK. Please do think about immediate effective protection for Palestinians.

My friends! Take care a lot of love Aisa (Jerusalem)

Eyewitness accounts of the Israeli invasion are still pouring in from Ramallah and Bethlehem every day. The following are more reports and testimonies which are being circulated on listservs and indymedia sites.

April 3, 2002
From the Electronic Intifada.com

Reports on Demonstration at the Kalandia Checkpoint:

Posted by Diaa Hadid, Ittijah: Union of Arab Community Based Associations

Kalandia checkpoint – Today, between 5,000 and 6,000 people – Israeli peace activists, Palestinians in Israel and Palestinian MK's in the Israeli Knesset – marched to the Kalandia checkpoint, with several aims:

1. To ensure that urgently needed aid people here had collected – medicines and food – would enter Ramallah.

2. For the Palestinians, to try to enter Ramallah, breaking the military closure around the city and protesting against the curfew and occupation;

3. To protest America's open support for the clearly illegal occupation, and re-assault in the West Bank.

We marched to Kalandia with women leading, straight to the checkpoint, which is currently a big set of plastic and concrete blocks blocking off the main road into Ramallah, heavily guarded by armed Israeli soldiers and police.

We began to push against the blocks. I was in the front line. The soldiers and police reacted by letting off sound bombs over our heads, which caused people to panic. Tear gas bombs were thrown at us. "Tear gas" causes a temporary inability to breathe, then immense pain as the gas enters your lungs and eyes. With that, people dispersed, running for cover. From nowhere, onions were passed out. A few minutes later, people re-gathered. We marched to the checkpoint blocks again.

The truck passed through into Ramallah after much bargaining and pleading. By accident, one young Palestinian woman found herself on the other side of the checkpoint. She returned to us by climbing over the checkpoint. The soldiers and police began to argue with her (after she arrived to the other side of the checkpoint, our side). A policeman lost his temper and began to beat her, the green light for the police to throw more tear gas at the crowd, dispersing us again.

The police were indiscriminately beating people - friends running away were smashed with batons, the police pushed an old man before me. The press was affected by the tear gas. It seemed that they had been specifically targeted. They were clearly marked with "TV" - it's impossible that the police didn't see that.

We ran away and re-gathered. The police began to organise themselves. They pushed aside their plastic barriers and began to chase us, throwing tear gas into the crowds and beating us with batons. We kept regrouping, chanting, waving Palestinian flags, standing in groups with our hands linked, refusing to be beaten into submission, refusing to use force. Police would stand behind us, beating us with their batons, abusing us, especially the Druze police, who kept abusing us in Arabic. If we reacted, they would beat us. If we ran, they would chase after us, throwing tear gas and beating us.

One young man was caught. Around 5-6 policemen stood around him, beating him, kicking him, smashing their batons upon him. Then he was arrested.

Towards the end of the protest, we stood at traffic lights, closer to Beit Hanina. Again, chanting, grouping up, waving Palestinian flags. The police surrounded us, throwing more tear gas and beating who ever they could catch. We took refuge behind cars, in the grassy, muddy field below the road, anywhere we could. It was a war zone, but only one side was armed.

We kept searching for each other, seeking familiar faces, to reassure ourselves. In pauses between teargas, sound bombs and violent police, we were hugging, sometimes crying. As we walked back to our buses, we could count the toll: around 30 injured, including three Palestinian MK's in the Knesset - Issam Makhoul, Ahmad Tibi and Mohammad Barakeh. Two young men arrested. One young man has his finger torn off when a tear-gas bomb exploded next to his hand. A woman had her head stitched up after the police smashed her over the head with his baton.

On the bus, we received a phone call that the medicines and food convey reached the NGO's. Some of the older Palestinian women on the bus began to weep.

Posted by activist Arjan El Fassed:

Dahiya al-Barid, Occupied Palestine - I need water. I was just caught in teargas. We were at a demonstration before the checkpoint (the one that was previously known as the Ram-checkpoint). Thousands of protesters, Palestinians (a huge number from "inside"), Israeli's, Italians, French, Dutch, Belgians, Swiss, and other foreigners, and a lot of international media (probably because they are prevented from covering Israel's assaults on Palestinian cities) were present. The whole street was packed with people, calling for the end of occupation, international protection, freedom, justice, "libra Palestina" (the Italians wrote this on a former Israeli road sign warning people to "prepare documents for inspection"), and an immediate end to human rights violations. Among the protesters were many Palestinian and Israeli human rights and peace activists, members of the Knesset, student organisations and others. More and more busses arrived, I saw some friends from Haifa, and other friends I didn't see in a long time, due to the pressing situation.

Israeli Border Police, known for their brutal response to demonstrations, with clubs in their hands, and Israeli soldiers were preventing people from passing. The march was supposed to reach Qalandia checkpoint in the direction of Ramallah. Trucks of food and medical supplies destined for the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees and women's organisations were supposed to be reaching Ramallah.

Suddenly, we heard the sounds of blasts, white smoke, which made me conclude: "teargas!" People started running back, even while more protesters arrived.

We walked in a side road from where you could see the demonstration and the checkpoint clearly. Two armoured personnel carriers were blocking the road on the other side of the checkpoint. An Israeli soldier on one of the carriers, behind a 500mm heavy machinegun was following persons aiming his machinegun on them.

More blasts, more teargas, I hear Israeli women shouting: "fascists, fascists!" People start running, more blasts, white smoke and tears. I felt it in my throat, tears follow, I was afraid for my asthma. Annet and I walked up to the direction of the Ne've Yacov colony, which is next to Dahiya al-Barid, where we live. From there up the hill, you can walk pass the checkpoint and come down to the other side, which we did. More sounds of teargas, people running in various directions. Back at the office, I went on the roof, I could see the Israeli soldiers, hear the blasts and see white smoke up to Beit Hanina, people running in various directions.

Hanan, one of our lawyers, just came back from the demonstration. With a tissue in her hand she tells me that she helped someone who was choking and entered a home, telling the residents that she escaped for the teargas. A number of protesters have been injured through teargas inhalation.

Later Safwat entered the office. "They beat the shit out of some protesters!" he says. He still catching some air, while talking about what he had seen. I saw an Israeli policeman pushing down an old woman who climbed up a hill. She fell a couple of meters down. I saw a member of an Israeli special unit dragging a guy out of the group and just start beating him. When other protesters started to interfere, more Israeli soldiers started to beat the crowd. Some Knesset members got injured and there have been several arrests of Palestinians.

From LAW

Israeli Crackdown on Media

Israel has started to expel several foreign correspondents and journalists from various Palestinian cities. In the past 18 months, and in the past week in particular, Israeli forces have attacked reporters, cameramen and photographers, press offices have been raided, journalists have been detained and are prevented from performing their jobs.

For example, on April 2, 2002, Andre Durand, a journalist who works for Agence France Press, together with 'Ata Awisat, who is a reporter for Gama News, were stopped by Israeli soldiers in Beitunia. After two hours, Durand was released, but Awisat was still being held. On April 1, 2002, Abas al-Moumani, a photojournalist, who also works for Agence France Presse, was driving his car, which has been clearly marked with "TV", at Manari, the main square in the centre of Ramallah. Israeli soldiers opened fire at his car and a live bullet hit the mirror inside the car. The driver was not hurt. The car was stopped and Israeli soldiers confiscated Moumani's camera. They forced him to put his hands behind his head and left him standing for three hours, after which they returned his camera and ordered him to leave the area.

That same day, April 1, 2002, Israeli forces, in Ramallah, fired on an armoured vehicle used by NBC. The car was clearly marked as a vehicle used by the foreign press. That same day, a BBC correspondent and her crew were shot at while covering a peaceful protest in Beit Jala.

In Bethlehem on April 2, an Israeli soldier fired one round toward the car of Reuters photographer Magnus Johansson, which was clearly identified as a press vehicle. Johansson heard soldiers shouting at him. When he got out of the car, he was ordered back in. The shot was fired as he attempted to drive away.

In Bethlehem on April 1, Palestinian militants threatened journalists working for The Associated Press, Reuters, and Palestine TV and forced them to hand over footage, shot the night before, of the body of an alleged Palestinian collaborator who had been shot in a parking lot.

The lack of coverage of Israeli actions in various Palestinian areas is very dangerous. In addition to difficulties faced by human rights monitors and defenders, Israel's restrictions on the press, is a dangerous escalation and should concern international bodies and governments.

Articles 50 and 51 of the 'Protocols Additional to the 1949 Geneva Convention' emphasise the protection of civilians in time of war including journalists, since they are part of the civilian population:

"The civilian population comprises all persons who are civilians."

"The civilian population and individual civilians shall enjoy general protection against dangers arising from military operations."

Article 79 of the 'Protocols Additional to the 1949 Geneva Convention' stipulates:

"Journalists engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict shall be considered as civilians within the meaning of Article 50, paragraph 1. They shall be protected as such under the Conventions and this Protocol, provided that they take no action adversely affecting their status as civilians."

LAW Society views the Israeli measures against journalists as a policy of silencing the press by attacking and harassing journalists in order to prevent them from documenting human rights violations and grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention, i.e. war crimes.

Israeli Forces Enter Jenin:

At 4.30 this morning, Israeli forces with tanks, armoured personnel carriers, entered the Palestinian town Jenin, firing indiscriminately with heavy ammunition at residential buildings, killing Fadwa al-Jamal (24), who was shot inside her home by an Israeli sniper; Hani Abu Irmali (16), also shot inside his home; Walid Masharka (24), killed during Israeli shelling of Jenin refugee camp. An Apache helicopter, hovering above Jenin refugee camp, fired heavy ammunition and hit and killed Ziad Zbeidi (23). Dozens of Palestinians have been injured.

According to field researchers from LAW, many of the injured have not been evacuated. Paramedics and ambulances are prevented from evacuating the wounded. Ambulances have been targeted by the Israeli forces and many residential buildings have been partly destroyed and some severely damaged, due to indiscriminately shelling with no military purpose.

Israeli forces have been reinforced and continue their military assault on Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour and the refugee camps of Dheishe, Aida and 'Azza, which were raided yesterday.

Yesterday morning, at 10 o'clock, 64-years old Sumaya Abed and her son Khaled Abed were killed inside their home in the old city of Bethlehem. Since yesterday (and until this moment), the bodies have not been evacuated. Ambulances and medical personnel, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have been prevented access by the Israeli forces, despite the desperate humanitarian situation. Nine children remain in the bathroom of the home as to not watch the horrible scene. These children are not allowed to leave the home or being evacuated. One hour ago, a local cameraman accompanied by a journalist have visited the home.

So far, ten Palestinians have been killed in Bethlehem, including two today. In Manger Square, Israeli forces have killed Omar Shehadeh Salahat (39) and Awad Musa al-Malhi (31). Both have been shot in the upper parts of their body. Eyewitnesses in Bethlehem have reported that no one has been immune from Israeli fire, including at places of worship, churches and mosques. Bodies of many injured residents are in the streets, waiting to be evacuated.

In view of the humanitarian crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Ramallah, Bethlehem, Qalqiliya, Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nablus, LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment urgently requests the intervention of the international community, in particular the member states of the European Union and the United States of America, in order to receive guarantees from Israel that access to medical treatment and humanitarian aid to all those who need it is not obstructed and that attacks on hospitals, ambulances and medical personnel cease immediately.

One of the most basic principles of international humanitarian law refers to the obligation of states to ensure access to medical treatment to any injured person, including evacuation if need be; protection of civilian hospitals and their staff; medical transportation and the consignment of medical supplies and equipment.

Moreover, LAW urges the international community to investigate and prosecute any instances of attacks on ambulances, medical staff and institutions, which have led to death or serious injury, in order to determine whether they were deliberate. Any such deliberate attacks amount to grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention and are thus war crimes.

From Palestinian Activist Sam Bahour:

I just got off the phone with my brother-in-law. This is what he said:

– Taken at 10:30 am Friday, after being told to exit his home. They were gathered at local school ground that Israeli army is using as military post.

– At around 11:30 am Friday, they were put in buses and taken on the Pesgot settlement by-pass road, via French Hill in Jerusalem to the Israeli military camp on the West side of Ramallah (Betouna).

– They were dropped off in a dried up human sewage hole adjacent to the military base. They remained there until the next morning in the outdoors with absolutely no shelter, food, etc. It was and still is very rainy and cold here.

– At around 11 am Saturday, they were taken into the military base, ten at a time, to be interviewed and pictured. Each were pictured (as they do in the movies) with their ID # on a carton under their chin.

– They were then distributed to 3 sections, each with 2 tents. He estimates that there are over 700 Palestinians being held. As the number of prisoners increased they added a tent to each section.

– Every 5 prisoners were given 380 x 180 cm sponges to sleep on the second night. With the rain these become soaked.

– Tents were dirty, leaking, and a mess. He said he would have preferred to stay outside.

– On the second night, each five prisoners were given a wooden pallet to put under the now soaked sponges.

– He says that people have not slept for days.

– Each tent was given one meal for 130-160 people which comprised of: 6 tomatoes, 15 apples, 15 cucumbers, bread (which he said was leftover from Passover), and uncooked frozen chicken snekzles. This was distributed to 150-160 people! As the prisoners complained, they started to bring two meals per day of the same.

– When the Israelis decided to release the Palestinian prisoners, 66 names were called. This was Tuesday night at 11 pm. They took two sets of 13 from the 66 and put them in a bus and sent them off. The rest returned handcuffed to the open dried-up sewer pit, not knowing their status at the time.

– Every section had access to three outdoor toilet units, like the ones used at construction sites. This was to be used by around 150 people.

– He says these toilets were a total mess when they arrived – overflowing and really bad sight.

– The prisoners requested to speak to a commander in charge to request a pipe or something to open the drains and when he came hours later he said the following and I quote: "You know the difference between me and you? I'm a human. Go open them with your hands."

– After staying outdoors all last night, handcuffed, they were blindfolded and loaded in buses at 11 am today, Wednesday morning, and dropped off at the Kalandia checkpoint, a closed military zone.

– Mohammad asked the soldier at the bus that his personal items were not returned (mobile, wallet, etc and most importantly his ID card, which if not on a person when stopped by an Israeli patrol means immediate going back to an Israeli jail).

– The soldier told him his question was a good one but he had no idea and Mohammad should go home.

– The 40 or so that were let off this bus had nowhere to go. They ran into the Kalandia refugee camp. We are trying to get the Red Cross and UNRWA to send them a bus to get home.

These are the first accounts of what is happening!!!!!!!!!!! Someone tell BUSH!