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Noam Chomsky lecture on Gaza, one year after the Israeli bombing.

Some more plain talking analysis by Chomsky on the situation - with some interesting facts eg:

- the campaign to split up the Palestinian territory and separate out Gaza from the West Bank (why etc)
- the on-going war crimes of Israel
- the American/Jordanian trained military force in the West Bank (aka 'Dayton's army') - it was news to me that the US has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on a force loyal to Fatah.
etc

http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2009/1 ... year_later
On December 27, 2008, Israel began one of the bloodiest attacks on Gaza Since 1948. The three week assault killed some 1400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis. One year later, little to no rebuilding has taken place and the siege in Gaza continues.

Speaking in Watertown, Massachusetts on December 6, 2009, linguist and social critic Noam Chomsky delivered a talk entitled “Gaza: One Year Later.”

Noam Chomsky and the people who accompanied him are nothing but courageous and nobles.

Arabs and particularly Egyptians and their dictator must feel ashamed and embarrass, because they’ve not only left Noam Chomsky and his convoy in a limbo, but also chattered their objectives and stopped them from showing to the world the misery and suffering of those Palestinians women and children who have been imprisoned in Gaza for no reason.

Egyptians government only allowed 100 people out of more than 1000 to enter Gaza after many days of waiting in the desert at the border. They also refused them to take all the aid that they’ve brought with them from a long journey.

Not to mention the wall that Egypt is also building now, which will only contributes to the inhumane blockade and the suffering to those poor Palestinians.

Shames on you Egyptians people if you don’t make a stand against your dictator’s treatment to the Palestinians.

"Egypt police clash with Gaza aid convoy activists" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8442758.stm

I agree with Chomsky a lot.

I remember writing to Chomsky during the time when shafique was justifying Muhammad's tactic of starving civilian populations and destroying their agriculture as punishment/forcing them to surrender.

I asked Chomsky if there was ever a reason to punish civilians as I described it to him in a scenario that was exactly the same as to how Muhammad had punished civilians. Chomsky unsurprisingly, but predictably, said he could not think of a reason to justify such an action.

I agree with Chomsky a lot.

It's interesting that shafique quotes from a man who would condemn Muhammad's actions and label such actions as war crimes and the perpetrator as a war criminal. I wonder, however, if Chomsky would still condemn such brutal actions against civilians (such as starvation) if I had told him that Muhammad was the person who carried out the actions in my 'scenario'.

I agree with Chomsky a lot.

Cool, so we agree with Chomsky on the 21st century war crimes and agree that he too would condemn your imagined 7th century war crimes too (as I do).

Cheers,
Shafique

shafique wrote:Cool, so we agree with Chomsky on the 21st century war crimes and agree that he too would condemn your imagined 7th century war crimes too (as I do).

Cheers,
Shafique

If by 'imagined' you meant those recorded by Muslim historians, then yes, they are 'imagined'.

I'm glad we agree with Chomsky on today's war crimes being committed by Israel. You may want to brush up on your arguments when FD weighs in and says Chomsky is wrong.

We'll gloss over what your 'I spy book on Orientalist Islam' quotes say about events from over a millenium ago - as this thread is about the current day war crimes in Gaza.

Cheers,
Shafique

Happy to condemn war crimes carried out by Hamas as they happen - such as Hamas' little shooting spree of injured combatants during their fire-fight with that Salafist group last year, Hamas' clamp down on the media, torture of political prisoners (mostly Fatah members), stealing from charities and even destruction of mosques in Gaza.

To be fair, Hamas seems to have taken a leaf from Muhammad's playbook when he set fire to a mosque after the campaign to Tabuk in which the worshipers were accused of 'mischief' making.

Hey, I think I'm going to like this new and improved 'eh' which agrees with Chomsky's quite rational views.

Chomsky and I also join you in condemning any war crimes that Hamas carries out. He, like me, makes no excuses for war crimes.

However, as he lectures above, it is Israel who is committing war crimes in Gaza - and I'm so glad that you agree with Chomsky.

Cheers,
Shafique

Here's a good report from 'The Real News Network' on the Goldstone report - the video is at the link, and there's a transcript there too.

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?opt ... mival=4810