Remember Bani Walid

For courageous Jamahiriya fighters, it's their finest hour. Despite overwhelming force, use of chemical and other illegal weapons, and US-sponsored mass murder, they hang on valiantly.

Western major scoundrels shamelessly ignore the slaughter or misreport it. More on that below.

A previous article called what's happening one of history's great crimes. It's a Nuremberg level one writ large. Libyans and people of conscience won't ever let it be forgotten. Mass killing and destruction continues. An entire city is being destroyed.

Western-sponsored death squads are murdering civilians in cold blood. NATO-supplied rockets, shells, chemical, and other illegal weapons target them. Inside the city, door-to-door murder threatens anyone remaining.

Last year, Sirte was terror bombed to rubble. US-led NATO forces terrorized a city of 100,000. Unknown numbers perished. Civilians suffered most.

In all US direct and proxy wars, Washington targets them. Mass casualties and punishment follow. It's done to break morale, cause panic, and weaken an enemy's will to resist.

International law strictly forbids it. Article 25 of the 1907 Hague Convention states:

"The attack or bombardment, by whatever means, of towns, villages, dwellings, or buildings which are undefended is prohibited."

Article 26 says:

"The officer in command of an attacking force must, before commencing a bombardment, except in cases of assault, do all in his power to warn the authorities."

Article 27 states: 

"In sieges and bombardments, all necessary steps must be taken to spare, as far as possible, buildings dedicated to religion, art, science, or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals, and places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not being used at the time for military purposes." 

Fourth Geneva protects civilians in time of war. Collective punishment is forbidden. So is violence of any type. Sick and wounded victims must be treated. 

In September 1938, the League of Nations prohibited the 

"bombardment of cities, towns, villages, dwellings or buildings not in the immediate neighborhood of the operations of land forces"

"In cases where (legitimate targets) are so situated, (aircraft) must abstain from bombardment" if doing so disproportionately harms civilians.

The 1945 Nuremberg Principles prohibit "crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity." 

These include "inhumane acts committed against any civilian populations, before or during the war." 

Indiscriminate killing and "wanton destruction of cities, towns, or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity" is strictly forbidden.

In 1968, a General Assembly Resolution on Human Rights prohibits attacks on civilian populations. Washington, key NATO partners, and Israel do it repeatedly. State terror is policy. Strategy prioritizes murdering defenseless people.

Lest we forget, remember Guernica 1937, the 1940-41 London blitz, Dresdan 1945, fire-bombing Toyko 1945, Hiroshima and Nagasaki 1945, North Korea 1950-53, Southeast Asia 1964-75, Iraq 1991 and 2003, Serbia/Kosovo 1999, Afghanistan 2001, decades of Israeli wars on Palestinians and other Arabs, Libya 2011, many other US-led Western crimes, and now Bani Walid.

Progressive News Hour regular James Petras said on air that most NGOs skim 90% of donations for themselves. They're predators, not humanitarians. They serve political agendas for profit.

ICRC is no exception. It profits handsomely from wars, disasters and human misery. "Non-profiteering" is big business.

ICRC's claimed humanitarian mission is cover. What's involved is money, special privileges gotten, and connections to people in high places.

Benefitting this way is loathsome and contemptible. Operations profiting from human misery have no place in civil society. With hundreds of millions of dollars in funding annually, ICRC benefits like for-profit businesses. 

In return, services in kind are provided. ICRC is on the wrong side of the Syrian conflict. It's much the same for Libya.

On October 26, its press release belied the gravity of Bani Walid conditions. It explained nothing about willful slaughter. It merely said:

"The humanitarian situation remains difficult for the people of Bani Walid in Libya."

"Many people have had to get out of Bani Walid since fighting resumed in the city almost a month ago."

"The ICRC continues to monitor the humanitarian situation in and around Bani Walid as the fighting continues…."

Help provided is modest at best. Included is much less than adequate amounts of food, water and medical supplies. Residents able to reach nearby areas receive what isn't enough to sustain them. Others trapped inside Bani Walid are largely on their own.

On October 28, Russia Today (rt.com) headlined "Siege of Bani Walid: Foreign fighters, phosphorous bombs and nerve gas - RT sources," saying:

Bloodbath conditions affect city residents. Western-sponsored death squads attack them with "banned weapons like white phosphorous."

Resistance fighters hold out valiantly. Bani Walid didn't fall. RT sources "denied reports of the last few days that (it) was retaken by the Libyan government."

Refugees who fled the city are prevented from returning. A man with trapped relatives in Bani Walid told RT:

"There is no food. There is nothing to support the life of people. And the militia does not allow anyone to come back to their homes."

ICRC claimed it entered the city twice during fighting and supplied aid. Residents, in fact, got little or nothing.

Mercenaries "are demolishing homes with machinery and tanks. There is no communication or internet so people are not able to connect with each other."

Western sources want information on what's ongoing suppressed.

RT's source said foreign fighters are involved. He's unidentified to protect himself and family members. Washington's dirty hands control everything. Puppet Libyan officials do what they're told. Qatar and other regional states are involved.

RT's source said:

"We ask the envoy (Special Representative) of the Secretary-General of the United Nations (for Libya), Mr. Tarik Mitri - where is he now?"

"Where is the United Nations? Where is the EU? Where is Human Rights Watch? We ask for an intervention now as soon as possible – please!"

Washington blocked Russia's draft statement. It called on Libyan authorities "to take urgent steps to resolve the conflict by peaceful means and to preserve the rights of all Libyan citizens."

It expressed grave concern for conditions in Bani Walid. RT said "witnesses claim" foreign fighters are using "internationally prohibited weapons." They include "phosphorous bombs and nerve gas."

Bani Walid activist/lawyer Afaf Yusef told RT:

"We have documented all this in videos. We recorded the missiles they used and the white phosphorus raining down from these missiles."

"Many people died without being wounded or shot. They died as a result of gases. The whole world needs to see who they are targeting. Are they really Gaddafi's men? Are the children, women and old men killed - Gaddafi's men?"

RT said foreign fighters were told to use "all means necessary" to control the city. Libyan activist Ali Altakasih told RT that Bani Walid residents say that "chemical weapons and airplanes" attack them.

He urged Russia, China, and other countries to intervene to help. Civilians are isolated on their own and dying.

"Any house that looks of great importance to the militias is either burnt or robbed," he added. "There are people who are trapped inside the city who cannot leave the city, either for fear of the militia or fear of leaving their belongings inside the city."

Obama bears full responsibility. Libya's war is his. So is ongoing Bani Walid slaughter and destruction. Major media scoundrels support what they should condemn. 

What's happening in Bani Walid is suppressed. On October 24, The New York Times headlined "Libyan Forces Now Control Restive Town, Officials Say."

What city residents say is ignored. Fighting continues. Unnamed "officials" lied. Times writer Kareem Fahim regurgitated false information instead of reporting accurately.

BBC was no better. On October 24, it headlined "Libyan forces 'capture ex-Gaddadi bastion Bani Walid,' " saying:

"Libyan authorities say they have seized control of" the city. "The government alleges that Bani Walid harbors a number of Gaddafi loyalists….Authorities say all military operations have been halted."

They claim "troops will provide security and aid in the town."

"Dozens of people are believed to have been killed, and some 200 injured in recent violence."

"Civilians escaping the clashes have found refuge in surrounding towns, where they are staying with families or in schools."

All of the above is false or distorted. BBC viewers and listeners were willfully lied to. What else could they expect from a government owned, operated and controlled propaganda service.

Al Jazeera functions the same way. Qatar's monarchy runs it. It long ago abandoned professionalism, objectivity, truth and full disclosure. Credibility isn't its long suit. Key members of its staff resigned in disgust. They're journalists, not propagandists.

On October 26, Al Jazeera headlined "Libya 'captures' former Gaddafi stronghold," saying:

"Celebratory gunfire" followed. Fighters called it "a triumph for the government that replaced Gaddafi's regime."

"Youssef al-Mankoush, the Libyan army chief of staff, said military operations in the city were terminated but that some forces were still chasing a few pockets of Gaddafi loyalists."

This type rubbish substitutes for hard truths. Other reports are no better. Similar information is discussed. What's most important is suppressed. Readers are willfully lied to. They're not told what they most need to know.

Bani Walid is an ongoing human catastrophe. It's also one of history's great crimes. Washington bears full responsibility. Its dirty hands are all over conflicts throughout the region. That's how fascist states operate.

Obama Rejects Palestinian Statehood

by Stephen Lendman

What do you call a Black man who rejects equal rights for his own people and others? A racist traitor.

What do you call a rejectionist leader? A criminal who should be impeached, removed and prosecuted.

Obama stands guilty on multiple counts. His rap sheet includes much more than spurning Palestinian rights. He's complicit in grand theft and war crimes multiple times over. He's unfit to serve. He should be in prison, not government. 

Throughout his tenure, he repeatedly violated international, constitutional, and US statute laws. He's contemptuous of fundamental rights and other democratic values. 

From his earliest Chicago political days, he supported ethnic cleansing gentrification. Real estate and other financial priorities trumped populism. They still do and much more.

Obama fronts for wealth and power interests. As a state senator, he did it for his district. As president, he does it globally. He's in lockstep with Israel on Palestine.

He supports occupation harshness. Palestinians are Muslims and don't matter. Denying them fundamental rights is policy. So is total evisceration of freedom and standing four-square against sovereign independence in any form. He also opposes full or limited UN membership.

Washington wages wars multiple ways. Its repertoire includes financial and political warfare. 

Last year, US Jerusalem Consul General, Daniel Rubenstein, told chief negotiator Saeb Erekat that Washington will veto a UN Security Council resolution on Palestinian sovereignty within June 1967 borders.

Doing so is illegal. It also carries no weight. The General Assembly alone affirms new member states by a two-thirds vote. The Security Council only recommends admissions. 

Palestinians can override Washington's veto by petitioning the General Assembly through the 1950 Uniting for Peace Resolution 377. Doing so renders America's veto null and void.

Washington pledged earlier not to oppose any state seeking UN membership. Of course, its promises aren't worth the paper they're written on. The same goes for Israel. Both nations are rogue states. They govern by we're boss and what we say goes rules. 

Rubenstein also threatened to cut off all aid and impose other unspecified punitive measures. In July 2012, PA official Khaled Mesmar said Washington repeated its threat. 

An unnamed US diplomat told Abbas in Ramallah. He, of course, only goes through the motions of seeking official statehood recognition and UN membership with enough rights to matter. Rhetoric substitutes for follow-through. 

If proper procedures are followed, both objectives are within easy reach. Abbas struck out repeatedly on both counts. Expect nothing from him ahead. He epitomizes betrayal and illegitimacy. He represents Israel and Washington, not Palestine. He's an unprincipled quisling head of state.

In June 2011, the Senate unanimously approved a measure to end funding if statehood is pursued. Weeks later, the House followed suit. It voted 407 - 6. Its resolution also called for suspending aid if Fatah/Hamas unity is consummated.

Both House and Senate resolutions are non-binding. Foreign policy is the purview of the Executive. Exceptions include the right to declare war. Congress alone may do so. It abdicated its authority over seven decades ago. It shows no signs of reclaiming it.

The State of Palestine, in fact, exists. It was proclaimed in Algiers on November 15, 1988. At the time, the PLO adopted the Palestinian Declaration of Independence. 

PLO legal advisor Francis Boyle drafted it. He included safeguards to assure all sovereign state rights. His document left no wiggle room loopholes. He also made sure UN membership won't comprise them. 

Palestine satisfies all essential criteria for sovereign independence and full de jure UN membership. 

All UN Charter states (including America and Israel) provisionally recognized Palestinian independence in accordance with UN Charter article 80(1) and League Covenant article 22(4). 

Further, as the League's successor, the General Assembly has exclusive legal authority to designate the PLO as the Palestinian peoples' legitimate representative. 

The Palestine National Council (PNC) is the PLO's legislative body. It's empowered to proclaim the existence of Palestine. According to the binding 1925 Palestine Citizenship Order in Council, Palestinians, their children and grandchildren automatically become citizens. 

So are diaspora Palestinians. Those living in Israel and Jordan have dual nationalities. Occupied Territory residents remain "protected persons" (under Fourth Geneva) until a final peace settlement is reached.

Rights are achievable under leaders who pursue them. Palestinian governance always fell short. Millions deserving better never got it. They remain occupied and oppressed in limbo. 

They're on their own to seek liberation PA leaders conspiratorially with Israel and Washington deny them. On September 27, Abbas addressed the General Assembly in New York. Once again he fell short.

His comments were watered down, weak-kneed, and duplicitous. He'll again seek UN non-member state status, he said. On the one hand, he promised before and backed down. 

On the other, why seek less than what's easily within reach and should have been gotten long ago. 

Last year, Francis Boyle emailed this writer as follows:

"I have advised the Palestinians to invoke the Uniting for Peace Resolution." Doing so overrides Washington's veto. "That get’s their Admission Application to the UN General Assembly." 

"It is the General Assembly that admits, not the Security Council. There they will need a 2/3ds vote of those states voting yes or no - abstentions, no votes, no shows do not count."

At the time, the Financial Times estimated they had 170 votes. They constitute 88% of UN member states. "If they get the 2/3ds vote in the General Assembly, Palestine" joins their ranks, "and you have Palestine and Israel, which everyone says they want but, of course, they do not mean it."

Boyle added that "Palestinians will always live to fight another day. And I will be there with them until my dying day. Or until Palestine is Free." For the record, this writer pledges the same thing without compromising what's right, fair, just, and long overdue.

On October 1, the London Guardian headlined "US warns European governments against supporting Palestinians at UN," saying:

It came in private memo form. Go along or else. Memo language said UN status in any form "would be extremely counterproductive." EU governments were told Palestinians will face "significant negative consequences." Financial sanctions were mentioned.

The memo said Palestinian statehood "can only be achieved via direct negotiations with the Israelis." Going that route, of course, assures permanent occupation, exploitation, persecution, and failure. 

European governments were urged to support US obstructionist efforts. General Assembly representatives in New York were given Washington's ultimatum. Do it our way or else.

Washington and Israel have serious concerns about rights UN member states are afforded. In another email, Boyle explained, saying:

Once Palestine "becomes a UN Member State, (it) can ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and then file a formal State to State Complaint against Israeli Officials, upgrading the lower level Complaint President Abbas filed at my advice." 

It can also "ratify the Genocide Convention and sue Israel for Genocide at the World Court, pursuant to the advice I had already given President Arafat and President Abbas, and get a temporary restraining Order against the Zionists, that would then go to the Security Council for enforcement, and if vetoed by the Americans, to the General Assembly for enforcement under the (1950) Uniting for Peace Resolution." 

"With these proceedings, (it may) be able to halt the Zionist settlement project of all Palestine in the immediate future." It will also lift Gaza's siege. Abbas refuses to do it. So did Arafat before him.

Decades of Palestinian leadership failure to do the right thing constitutes betrayal. Nothing ahead looks promising. A third Intifada is long overdue. 

Courageous independent leaders are needed to inspire, organize, and direct it. Hopefully enough of them are committed and ready. Liberation won't come any other way.

Parents lose son in their own apartment

A ten-year-old boy went missing in Russia's Omsk under strange circumstances. The family was at home; the child went to his room to do homework and then disappeared. The boy, Eugene Reznichenko, is currently being searched for across the 1.1-million-strong city.

According to the boy's parents, they noticed their son's absence when it was already late in the evening. The adults went to check the boy's room, but did not find him there. The parents added that Eugene has never escaped from the house before, Novaya Gazeta said.

On the evening of October 29^th - the day when the boy disappeared  - the police and volunteers searched every building nearby, all public transport stops, the railway station and the river embankment. The search for the boy continues.

Meanwhile, the police of Vladivostok, Russia's Far East, are searching for 10-year-old boy Vladislav Bolotov. On October 28^th the boy left his mother's work, but never came home.