DISPARITIES and CRUSADES

Israelis get four-fifths of scarce West Bank water, says World Bank
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The region faces a fifth consecutive year of drought this summer, but the World Bank report found huge disparities in water use between Israelis and Palestinians, although both share the mountain aquifer that runs the length of the occupied West Bank. Palestinians have access to only a fifth of the water supply, while Israel, which controls the area, takes the rest, the bank said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/27/israel-palestinian-water-dispute


America still pursues military engagement over a peace strategy
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Some opponents of the Iraq War, including me, believe that a fundamental - and deeply misguided - objective of the war from the outset has been to create a long-term military base (or bases) in Iraq, ostensibly to protect oil routes and oil concessions.
The worries are even worse in Afghanistan. Among other problems, the US relies heavily on drones and bombers, leading to a high civilian death toll, which is inflaming public attitudes against the US. After one recent disaster, in which more than 100 civilians died, the Pentagon immediately insisted that such bombing operations would continue.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/22/content_11417757.htm


Secret Memos Reveal Bush Saw Iraq War as ‘Christian’ Crusade
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Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sent President George Bush top-secret wartime memos with cover sheets that mixed Scripture and battle photos to cast the Iraq invasion as a holy Christian crusade, the journal CQ reports.
“Rumsfeld, not known to be religious, appeared to be trying to manipulate the Bible-quoting Bush into believing that invading Iraq was God’s will. “Commit to the LORD, whatever you do, and your plans will succeed—Proverbs 16.3,” appeared on an April 1, 2003 report over a photo of a U.S. soldier near a highway sign pointing to Baghdad. The next day, U.S. troops reached the Iraqi capital.
“Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps the faith—Isaiah 26.2,” appeared on an April 3, 2003 memo over a photo of a U.S. tank entering Baghdad.
Four months later, during a summit in Egypt, the Palestinian foreign minister said Bush told him he was on “a mission from God” and was getting commands directly from the Lord.

http://americanfreepress.net/html/bush_crusade_179.html

REMEMBERING U.S. INVASIONS for memorial day

That Grenada invasion
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... the initial justifications proved to be demonstrably false. The major justification... was the protection of 800 American students at the US-run St George's University. US officials falsely claimed that the island's only airport was closed, offering the students no escape. In reality, scores of people left the island on charter flights the day before the invasion; scheduled flights had ceased as a direct result of pressure by US officials. After limiting the ability of Americans to depart, the US then used their presence as an excuse to invade.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20081024/cleisure/cleisure2.html



The Invasion of Haiti
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This is a context that a lot of people don't understand when looking at what's going on over there. None of this could have happened without the complicity of the United States, without the facilitation by the United States, without the funding and support of the United States, and the icing on the cake is the fact that at the last minute, American military personnel, with weapons, enter the Presidential residence and tell the President - the democratically elected President of Haiti, elected with 92% of the vote, that he has to leave. Not that 'we're here to protect you because there's paramilitaries marching here coming to get you right now', but that 'the paramilitaries are on their way: they're going to kill you and your family. Your option is to stay here and die, or to leave with us on an airplane, to god knows where'. For Colin Powell and some of the other Administration Servants to sit there and say that this constitutes a voluntary departure or, not coercion....it defies belief.

http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/8523


A LIST OF
USA Invasions, Bombings,
Military Aid, Political Interventions
and Sanctions
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The USA frequently interferes in nations' elections. At the same time it is against the law to interfere in USA elections. The USA often insists on countries having United Nations inspections for weapons programs while denying access for its own extensive chemical, nuclear and biological armoury. The USA will use the international legal system when it suits but ignore its resolutions if they go against the USA. This behaviour is reported around the world leading to much anger and resentment at the USA. Little of this gets reported to the USA public however.
The USA has, by far, bombed more countries than any other nation. Sometimes the United Nations approves. If it does not, the USA will bomb anyway. Many countries are subject to unilateral economic sanctions by the USA. Cuba is a good example. The USA will not only impose sanctions but often cajoles and bullies other countries to follow it. Again, the United Nations is used if possible, and ignored if not.

http://www.krysstal.com/democracy_whyusa02.html