Free Iraq

The full Fisk article referred to above can be accessed at this link:

http://www.counterpunch.org/fisk03092005.html
 

Thank you, Evelyn.
 

Wars and rumours of wars. Which country is next?

The United States, a diverse multi-cultural country, claims a Christian heritage. George Bush, one among many, claims to be Christian.

Another voice, however, can be found at http://www.johndear.org/ . John Dear's article HYPOCRITE NATION includes the following :

"We have become a culture of religious hypocrites. Instead of practicing an authentic spirituality of compassion, nonviolence, love and peace, we as a collective people have become self-righteous, arrogant, powerful, murderous hypocrites who dominate and kill others in the name of God. We have learned from religious officials like the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and high priests who supported the brutal Roman rulers and soldiers and lived off the comforts of the empire.

"Most North American Christians are now becoming more and more like these hypocritical religious officials. We side with the rulers, the bankers, and the corporate millionaires and billionaires. We run the Pentagon, bless the bombing raids, support executions, make nuclear weapons and seek global domination for America as if that was what the nonviolent Jesus wants. And we dismiss anyone who disagrees with us. . . .

"In the past, empires persecuted religious groups and threatened them into passivity and silence. Now these so-called Christians run the American empire, and teach a subtle spirituality of empire to back up their power in the name of God. This spirituality of empire insists that violence saves us, might makes right, war is justified, bombing raids are blessed, nuclear weapons offer the only true security from terrorism, and the good news is not love for our enemies, but the elimination of them. The empire is working hard these days to tell the nation--and the churches--what is moral and immoral, sinful and holy. It denounces certain personal behavior as immoral, in order to distract us from the blatant immorality and mortal sin of the US bombing raids which have left 100,000 Iraqis dead, or our ongoing development of thousands of weapons of mass destruction. Our so-called Christian rulers would have us believe that our wars and our weapons are holy and blessed by God. . . .

"The first thing we Christians have to do in this time is not to become good, devout hypocrites, like the religious officials of Jesus’ time. Instead, we have to try all over again to follow the dangerous, nonviolent, troublemaking Jesus. I believe war, weapons, corporate greed and systemic injustice are an abomination in the sight of God. They are the definition of mortal sin. They mock God and threaten to destroy God’s gift of creation. If you want to seek the living God, you have to pit your entire life against war, weapons, greed and injustice--and their perpetrators. It is as simple as that.

"Every religion, including Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism, is rooted in nonviolence, but I submit that the only thing we know for sure about Jesus is that he was nonviolent, and so nonviolence is the hallmark of Christianity and the measure of authentic Christian living. Jesus commands that we love one another, love our neighbors, seek justice, forgive those who hurt us, pray for our persecutors, and be as compassionate as God. But at the center of his teaching is the most radical declaration ever uttered: “love your enemies.”
 

Dr Imad,
This is a good post. Do you think that the removal of Syrian troops will make Syria more or less stable? Considering history, I have to say less. (Although I am never FOR any foriegn occupation, I am even more against our insessent meddling in other countries' affairs) Watch, though, how all these pro-war people are FOR U.S. occupation (because if we leave there will be a security vaccuum) but are AGAINST Syria's occpation even though them leaving will most probably - - leave a security vaccuum! (Of course, most of these pro-war people are for whatever their "leaders" tell them to be for.)

This is from a recent AP story:

Syria has long acted as a buffer, mediating political disputes and sending security forces to back Lebanese troops. They have also curbed Muslim militants as they did in Syria, a nation ruled by a secular Baath party that sees militant Islam as a threat. (AP)

SOunds like Fox News spinning the POSITIVES of the American presnce in Iraq, no?

I am not mad at Hezbollah, though, or anyone fighting Israel for that matter. Israel in my opinion is the bane of America's existence. It seems that our foreign policy is Israel's, and vice versa. And that, more than anything else, is why so many people in the Middle East hate us. What i don't think many people in America realize is that even if everything would work just as the American planners plan, and every country in the Middle East "grows" democracy - at the end of the day the Arabs will still hate Israel because of their aggression against so many in the region, and they will hate us because we support that. I ain't about death to Israel. But I am about cutting off ALL their aid until THEY, since they are supposedly so morally superior, bring about a peace process. It is bishops first step in his ROADMAP TO PEACE - FOR TERROR. Bishop contends that America didn't have to drop one bomb to encourage democracy in teh Middle East. All America had to do was help the Palestinians, who have begging them for help for decades. The rest of the region would have took notice, not only of democracy, but more importantly on AMERICA'S CHANGE IN POLICY. THAT could have affected some hearts and minds, no?
 

Recommend relevant Kurt Nimmo article:

Israel’s Master Plan: Stealing Water from Lebanon, Land from Palestine

http://kurtnimmo.com/blog/index.php?p=605
 

The protest organised by Hezb'allah actually comprised mostly of Syrians and Palestinians. I know, from reliable contacts, that the Syrian and Lebanese secret services worked consistently in areas where they are very influencial, and have been witnessed forcing people to participate.

It reminds me of Iraq in 1998. When Saddam's palaces were being bombed by the US, thousands of Iraqis "willingly" slept overnight in Saddam's palaces. They even took children and babies with them. They acted as "willing" human shields.

Remember how Saddam used to get 99.9% of the vote in Iraq? An overwhelming vote in his favour - on the surface that is. Underneath, one very frightened public.

The Syrian secret services are hated. They are responsible for torturing to death more than 17,000 people. Over 2000 are Lebanese people. They are responsible for mass executions, assassinations, mass graves, abduction and torture, car bombs and massacres of all descriptions.

As for Hariri's assassination???? Well, know this - the Syrian regime carried out the assassinations of several national Lebanese leaders whom they had problems with. Kamal Jumblat, Bashir Gemayel, Rene Mouawad, Mufti Hassan Khalid, Dani Chammoun, his wife and two children.

Syria’s war crimes against Lebanon are horrendous and action is required against the Syrian regime.

Bush is doing the right thing.
 

TELawrence -
You say "Bush is doing the right thing." Please will you identify what you mean, in this instance, by the "right thing".
 

TSHearn -
Thank you for clarifying for TELawrence. It seems that the 3 of us agree. No bombs, no threats of bombing, no soldiers sent: this I certainly support. And I TOTALLY support diplomatic efforts toward conflict resolution. What a happy surprise. Peace, my brothers.