Reasons???

There could have been other reasons for the American/Anglo war waged against Iraq, excluding the falacy of WMD, the "Iraqi threat" to U.S. security...., such as oil and America's colonialist aim to comtrol the world, but the most important aim is the security of the Zionist entity... and the creation of Arab regimes friendly, or under Israeli/American control... ASK Iraq : A War For Israel ?

http://www.ihr.org/leaflets/iraqwar.shtml

By Mark Weber

Dec. 2004

"Jewish-Zionist plans for war against

Iraq had been in place for years."

"For some Jewish leaders, the Iraq war is part of a long-range effort to install Israel-friendly regimes across the Middle East ."

 "The regimes that richly deserve to be overthrown and replaced are not confined to the three singled-out members of the axis of evil [ Iraq , Iran , North Korea ]. At a minimum, the axis should extend to Syria and Lebanon and Libya , as well as 'friends' of America like the Saudi royal family and Egypt 's Hosni Mubarak, along with the Palestinian Authority, whether headed by Arafat or one of his henchmen."

"This is so widely understood in Washington that US Senator Ernest Hollings was moved in May 2004 to acknowledge that the US invaded Iraq

"to secure Israel ," and "everybody" knows it."

The United States Invasion of Iraq in March-April 2003, and the occupation of the country since then, has cost more than a thousand American lives and many tens of billions of dollars, and has brought death to many thousands of Iraqis.

Why did President Bush decide to go to war? In whose interests was it launched?

In the months leading up to the attack, President Bush and other high-ranking US officials repeatedly warned that the threat posed to the US and world by the Baghdad regime was so grave and imminent that the United States had to act quickly to bomb, invade and occupy Iraq.

On September 28, 2002, for example, he said: "The danger to our country is grave and it is growing. The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons, is rebuilding the facilities to make more and, according to the British government, could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes after the order is given... This regime is seeking a nuclear bomb, and with fissile material could build one within a year."

On March 6, 2003, President Bush declared: "Saddam Hussein and his weapons are a direct threat to this country, to our people, and to all free people... I believe Saddam Hussein is a threat to the American people. I believe he's a threat to the neighborhood in which he lives. And I've got good evidence to believe that. He has weapons of mass destruction... The American people know that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction."

These claims were untrue. As the world now knows, Iraq had no dangerous "weapons of mass destruction," and posed no threat to the US . Moreover, alarmist suggestions that the Baghdad regime was working with the al-Qaeda terror network likewise proved to be without foundation.

So if the official reasons given for the war were untrue, why did the United States attack?

Whatever the secondary reasons for the Iraq war, the crucial factor in President Bush's decision to attack was to help Israel . With support from Israel and America's Jewish-Zionist lobby, and prodded by Jewish "neo-conservatives" holding high-level positions in his administration, President Bush - who was already fervently committed to Israel - resolved to invade and subdue one of Israel's chief regional enemies.

This is so widely understood in Washington that US Senator Ernest Hollings was moved in May 2004 to acknowledge that the US invaded Iraq "to secure Israel ," and "everybody" knows it. He also identified three of the influential pro-Israel Jews in Washington who played an important role in prodding the US into war: Richard Perle, chair of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board; Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Defense Secretary; and Charles Krauthammer, columnist and author. [1]

Hollings referred to the cowardly reluctance of his Congressional colleagues to acknowledge this truth openly, saying that "nobody is willing to stand up and say what is going on." Due to "the pressures we get politically," he added, members of Congress uncritically support Israel and its policies.

Some months before the invasion, retired four-star US Army General and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark said in an interview:

"Those who favor this attack [by the US against Iraq ] now will tell you candidly, and privately, that it is probably true that Saddam Hussein is no threat to the United States . But they are afraid at some point he might decide if he had a nuclear weapon to use it against Israel ." [2]

Fervently Pro-Israel

President Bush's fervent support for Israel and its hardline premier is well known. He reaffirmed it, for example, in June 2002 in a major speech on the Middle East . In the view of "leading Israeli commentators," the London Times reported, the address was "so pro-Israel that it might have been written by Ariel Sharon ." [3]

Condoleeza Rice, Bush's National Security Advisor, echoed the President's outlook in a May 2003 interview, saying that the "security of Israel is the key to security of the world." [4]

In an address to pro-Israel activists at the 2004 convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Bush said: "The United States is strongly committed, and I am strongly committed, to the security of Israel as a vibrant Jewish state." He also told the gathering: "By defending the freedom and prosperity and security of Israel , you're also serving the cause of America ." [5]

Long Range Plans

Jewish-Zionist plans for war against Iraq had been in place for years.

In mid-1996, a policy paper prepared for then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined a grand strategy for Israel in the Middle East . Entitled "A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm," it was written under the auspices of an Israeli think tank, the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies. Specifically, it called for an "effort [that] can focus on removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq , an important Israeli strategic objective in its own right..." [6]

The authors of "A Clean Break" included Richard Perle, Douglas Feith, and David Wurmser, three influential Jews who later held high-level positions in the Bush administration, 2001-2004: Perle as chair of the Defense Policy Board, Feith as Undersecretary of Defense, and Wurmser as special assistant to the Undersecretary of State for Arms Control.

The role played by Bush administration officials who are associated with two major pro-Zionist "neoconservative" research centers has come under scrutiny from The Nation, the influential public affairs weekly. [7]

The author, Jason Vest, examined the close links between the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) and the Center for Security Policy (CSP), detailing the ties between these groups and various politicians, arms merchants, military men, wealthy pro-Israel American Jews, and Republican presidential administrations.

JINSA and CSP members, notes Vest, "have ascended to powerful government posts, where... they've managed to weave a number of issues - support for national missile defense, opposition to arms control treaties, championing of wasteful weapons systems, arms aid to Turkey and American unilateralism in general - into a hard line, with support for the Israeli right at its core... On no issue is the JINSA/CSP hard line more evident than in its relentless campaign for war - not just with Iraq , but 'total war,' as Michael Ledeen, one of the most influential JINSAns in Washington , put it... For this crew, 'regime change' by any means necessary in Iraq , Iran , Syria , Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority is an urgent imperative."

Samuel Francis, author, editor and columnist, has also looked into the "neo-conservative" role in fomenting war. [8]

"My own answer," he wrote, "is that the lie [that a massively-armed Iraq posed a grave and imminent threat to the US ] was fabricated by neo-conservatives in the administration whose first loyalty is to Israel and its interests and who wanted the United States to smash Iraq because it was the biggest potential threat to Israel in the region. They are known to have been pushing for war with Iraq since at least 1996, but they could not make an effective case for it until after Sept. 11, 2001...

"What has been happening inside the Bush administration is no less a nest of treason than the Soviet spy rings of the New Deal era, and if political reality doesn't demand its exposure, simple loyalty to the United States does."

In the aftermath of the 2001 Nine-Eleven terror attacks, ardently pro-Zionist "neo-conservatives" in the Bush administration - who for years had sought a Middle East war to bolster Israel 's security in the region - exploited the tragedy to press their agenda. In this they were backed by the Israeli government, which also pressured the White House to strike Iraq .

The Jerusalem correspondent for the Guardian, the respected British daily, reported in August 2002: " Israel signalled its decision yesterday to put public pressure on President George Bush to go ahead with a military attack on Iraq , even though it believes Saddam Hussein may well retaliate by striking Israel ." [9]

Three months before the US invasion, the well-informed Washington journalist Robert Novak reported that Israeli prime minister Sharon was telling American political leaders that "the greatest US assistance to Israel would be to overthrow Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime." Moreover, added Novak, "that view is widely shared inside the Bush administration, and is a major reason why US forces today are assembling for war." [10]

Israel 's spy agencies were a "full partner" with the US and Britain in producing greatly exaggerated prewar assessments of Iraq 's ability to wage war, a former senior Israeli military intelligence official has acknowledged. Shlomo Bron, a brigadier general in the Israel army reserves, and a senior researcher at a major Israeli think tank, said that intelligence provided by Israel played a significant role in supporting the US and British case for making war. Israeli intelligence agencies, he said, "badly overestimated the Iraqi threat to Israel and reinforced the American and British belief that the weapons [of mass destruction] existed." [11]

For some Jewish leaders, the Iraq war is part of a long-range effort to install Israel-friendly regimes across the Middle East . Norman Podhoretz, a prominent Jewish writer and an ardent supporter of Israel, has been for years editor of Commentary, the influential Zionist monthly. In the Sept. 2002 issue he wrote: "The regimes that richly deserve to be overthrown and replaced are not confined to the three singled-out members of the axis of evil [ Iraq , Iran , North Korea ]. At a minimum, the axis should extend to Syria and Lebanon and Libya , as well as 'friends' of America like the Saudi royal family and Egypt 's Hosni Mubarak, along with the Palestinian Authority, whether headed by Arafat or one of his henchmen."

Patrick J. Buchanan, the well-known writer and commentator, and former White House Communications director, has been blunt in identifying those who pushed for war: [12]

"We charge that a cabal of polemicists and public officials seek to ensnare our country in a series of wars that are not in America 's interests. We charge them with colluding with Israel to ignite those wars and destroy the Oslo Accords. We charge them with deliberately damaging US relations with every state in the Arab world that defies Israel or supports the Palestinian people's right to a homeland of their own. We charge that they have alienated friends and allies all over the Islamic and Western world through their arrogance, hubris, and bellicosity...

"Cui Bono? For whose benefit these endless wars in a region that holds nothing vital to America save oil, which the Arabs must sell us to survive? Who would benefit from a war of civilizations between the West and Islam?

"Answer: one nation, one leader, one party. Israel , Sharon , Likud."

Uri Avnery - an award-winning Israeli journalist and author, and a three-time member of Israel 's parliament - sees the Iraq war as an _expression of immense Jewish influence and power. In an essay written some weeks after the US invasion, he wrote: [13]

"Who are the winners? They are the so-called neo-cons, or neo-conservatives. A compact group, almost all of whose members are Jewish. They hold the key positions in the Bush administration, as well as in the think-tanks that play an important role in formulating American policy and the ed-op pages of the influential newspapers... The immense influence of this largely Jewish group stems from its close alliance with the extreme right-wing Christian fundamentalists, who nowadays control Bush's Republican party. ...Seemingly, all this is good for Israel . America controls the world, we control America . Never before have Jews exerted such an immense influence on the center of world power."

In Britain , a veteran member of Britain 's House of Commons bluntly declared in May 2003 that Jews had taken control of America 's foreign policy, and had succeeded in pushing the US into war. "A Jewish cabal have taken over the government in the United States and formed an unholy alliance with fundamentalist Christians," said Tam Dalyell, a Labour party deputy and the longest-serving House member. "There is far too much Jewish influence in the United States ," he added. [14]

Summary

For many years now, American presidents of both parties have been staunchly committed to Israel and its security. This entrenched policy is an _expression of the Jewish-Zionist grip on America 's political and cultural life. It was fervent support for Israel - shared by President Bush, high-ranking administration officials and nearly the entire US Congress - that proved crucial in the decision to invade and subdue one of Israel 's greatest regional enemies.

While the unprovoked US invasion of Iraq may have helped Israel , just as those who wanted and planned for the war had hoped, it has been a calamity for America and the world. It has cost tens of thousands of lives and many tens of billions of dollars. Around the world, it has generated unmatched distrust and hostility toward the US . In Arab and Muslim countries, it has fueled intense hatred of the United States , and has brought many new recruits to the ranks of anti-American terrorists.

Americans have already paid a high price for their nation's commitment to Israel . We will pay an ever higher price - not just in dollars or international prestige, but in the lives of young men squandered for the interests of a foreign state - until the Jewish-Zionist hold on US political life is finally broken.

Notes

1. Remarks by Ernest F. Hollings, May 20, 2004. Congressional Record - Senate, May 20, 2004, pages S5921-S5925.

2. The Guardian ( London ), August 20, 2002.

3. R. Dunn, " Sharon Could Have Written Speech," The Times ( London ), June 26, 2002.

4. A. S. Lewin, " Israel 's Security is Key to Security of Rest of World," Jewish Press ( Brooklyn , NY ), May 14, 2003. Rice's interview with the Israeli daily Yediot Aharnonot is quoted.

5. Bush address to AIPAC convention, Washington, DC, May 18, 2004.

6. Text posted at: www.israeleconomy.org/strat1.htm See also: B. Whitaker, "Playing Skittles with Saddam," The Guardian ( London ), Sept. 3, 2002.

7. J. Vest, "The Men From JINSA and CSP," The Nation, Sept. 2, 2002.

8. S. Francis, "Weapons of Mass Deception: Somebody Lied," column of Feb. 6, 2004.

9. Jonathan Steele, " Israel Puts Pressure on US to Strike Iraq ," The Guardian ( London ), August 17, 2002.

10. Robert Novak, " Sharon 's War?," column of Dec. 26, 2002.

11. L. King, "Ex-General Says Israel Inflated Iraqi Threat," Los Angeles Times , Dec. 5, 2003.

12. P. J. Buchanan, "Whose War?," The American Conservative, March 24, 2003.

13. Uri Avnery, "The Night After," CounterPunch, April 10, 2003.

14. F. Nelson, "Anger Over Dalyell's 'Jewish Cabal' Slur," The Scotsman (Edinburgh), May 5, 2003; M. White, "Dalyell Steps Up Attack On Levy," The Guardian ( London ), May 6, 2003. #2018 12/04

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About the author

Mark Weber is director of the Institute for Historical Review. He studied history at the University of Illinois ( Chicago ), the University of Munich , Portland State University and Indiana University (M.A., 1977). For nine years he served as editor of the IHR's Journal of Historical Review.

Dante's Inferno

Dante's Inferno
Translation by: John Ciardi with notes
Dante's Inferno, Circle 7 is where the warmongers reside after their life here on earth. Here is where those who commit the violence againt the neighbors, the great war-makers, cruel tyrants, all who shed the blood of their fellowmen. As they wallowed in blood during their lives, so they are immersed in the boiling blood forever, each according to the degree of his guilt, while fierce Centaurs patrol the banks, ready to shoot with thier arrows any sinner who raises himself out of the boiling blood beyond the limits permitted him.
Canto XII, Circle 7, Round 1 But turn your eyes to the valley; there we shall find (line46 The river of boiling blood in which are steeped All who struck down their fellow men. Oh blind!   …”Here they pay for their ferocity. (line 106 Here is Alexander. And Dionysius, Who brought long years of grief to Sicily .   That brow you see with the hair as black as night Is Azzolino; and that beside him, the blonde, Is Opizzo da Esti, who had his mortal light   Blown out by his own stepson.” I turned then to speak to the Poet but he raised a hand: “let him be the teacher now, and I will listen.”   Further on, the Centaur stopped beside A group of spirits steeped as far as the throat In the race of boiling blood, and there our guide   Pointed out a sinner who stood alone: “That one before God's altar pierced a heart still honored on the Thames .” And he passed on. (120)   We came in sight of some who were allowed To raise the head and all the chest from the river, And I recognized many there. Thus, as we followed   Along the stream of blood, its level fell Until it cooked no more than the feet of the dammed. And here we crossed the ford to deeper Hell.   “Just as you see the boiling stream grow shallow along this side,” the Centaur said to us when we stood on the other bank, “I would have you know   that on the other, the bottom sinks anew more and more, until it comes again full circle to the place where the tyrants stew.   It is there that Holy Justice spends its wrath On Sextus and Pyrrhus through eternity, And on Attila, who was a scourge on earth: (135)   And everlastingly milks out the tears Of Rinier da Corneto and Rinier Pazzo, those two assassins who for many years   stalked the highways, bloody and abhorred.” And with that he started back across the ford. 47. the river with flowing blood This is Phlegethon, the river that circules through the First Round of the Seventh Circle, then sluices through the wood of the suicides (the second round) and the burning sands (third round) to spew over the great Cliff into the Eight CIrcle, and so, eventually, to the bottom of Hell (Cocytus). The river is deepest at the point at which the Poets first approach it and grows shallower along both sides of the circle until it reaches the ford, which is at the opposite point of the First round. THe souls of the dammed are placed in deeper or shallower parts of the river according to the degree of their guilt. 55. The Centaurs: The Centaurs were creatures of classical mythology. half-horse, half-men. They were skilled and savage hunters, creatures of passion and violence. Like the Minotaur, they are symbols of the bestial-human, and as such, they are fittingly chosen as the tormentors of these sinners. 65. Chiron: The son of Saturn and of the nymph Philira. He was the wiest and most just of the Centaurs and reputedly was the teacher of Achilles and of other Greek heros to whom he imparted great skill in bearing arms, medicine, astronomy, music, and augury. Dante places him far down in Hell with the others of his kind, but through he draws Chiron's coarseness, he also grants him a kind of majestic understanding. 67. Nessus: Nessus carried travelers across the River Evenus for hire. He was hired to ferry Dejanira, the wife of Hercules, and tried to abduct her, but Hercules killed him with a poisened arrow. While Nessus was dying, he whispered to Dejanira that a shirt stained with his poisoned blood would act as a love charm should Hercules' affections stray. When Hercules fell in love with Iole, Dejanira sent him a shirt stained with the Centaur's blood. The shirt poisoned Hercules and he died in agony. Thus Nessus revenged himself with his own blood. 107. Alexander: Alexander the Great. Dionysius: Dionysius I (died 367B.C.) and his son, Dionysius II (died 343) were tyrants of Sicly. Both were infamous as prototypes of the bloodthirsty and exorbitant ruler. Dante may intend either or both. 110. Azzolino (or Ezzelino): Ezzelino da Romano, Count of Onora (1194-1259). The cruelest of the Ghibelline tyrants. In 1236 Frederick II appointed Ezzelino his vicar in Padua. Ezzelino became especially infamnous for his bloody treatment of the Paduans, whom he slaughtered in great numbers. 111. Opizzo da Esti: Marquis of Ferrara (1264-1293) The account of his life is confused. One must accept Dante's facts as given. 119-120. that one...a heart still hnored on the Thames: The sinner indicated is Guy de Montfort. His father, Simon de Montfort, was a leader of the barons who rebelled against Henry III and was killed at the battle of Evesham (1265) by Prince Edward (later Prince Edward I) In 1271, Guy (then Vicar General of Tuscany) avenged his fathers death by murdering Henery's nepher (who was also named Henry) The crime was openly committed in a church at Viterbo. The mudered Henry's heart was sealed in a casket and sent to London, where it was accorded various honors. 134. Sextus: Probably the younger son of Pompey the Great. His piracy is mentioned in Lucan (Pharsalia, VI, 420,422) Pyrrhus: Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles, was especially bloodthristy at the sack of Troy. Phrrhus, King of Epirus (319-371 BC) waged relentless and bloody war against the Greeks and Romans. Either may be intended. 135. Attila: King of the Huns from 433 to 453. He was called the Scourge of God. 137. Rinier da Corneto, Rinier Pazzo: Both were especially bloodthirsty robber-barons of the thirteenth century. The Inferno, Dante Alighieri, Translated by John Ciardi;1954

American torture on Foreign Soil

America kidnapped meBy Khaled El-Masri, KHALED EL-MASRI, a German citizen born in Lebanon, was a car salesman before he was detained in December 2003.

THE U.S. POLICY of "extraordinary rendition" has a human face, and it is mine.I am still recovering from an experience that was completely beyond the pale, outside the bounds of any legal framework and unacceptable in any civilized society. Because I believe in the American system of justice, I sued George Tenet, the former CIA director, last week. What happened to me should never be allowed to happen again.

I was born in Kuwait and raised in Lebanon. In 1985, when Lebanon was being torn apart by civil war, I fled to Germany in search of a better life. There I became a citizen and started my own family. I have five children.On Dec. 31, 2003, I took a bus from Germany to Macedonia. When we arrived, my nightmare began.

Macedonian agents confiscated my passport and detained me for 23 days. I was not allowed to contact anyone, including my wife.At the end of that time, I was forced to record a video saying I had been treated well. Then I was handcuffed, blindfolded and taken to a building where I was severely beaten. My clothes were sliced from my body with a knife or scissors, and my underwear was forcibly removed. I was thrown to the floor, my hands pulled behind me, a boot placed on my back. I was humiliated. Eventually my blindfold was removed, and I saw men dressed in black, wearing black ski masks. I did not know their nationality. I was put in a diaper, a belt with chains to my wrists and ankles, earmuffs, eye pads, a blindfold and a hood.

I was thrown into a plane, and my legs and arms were spread-eagled and secured to the floor. I felt two injections and became nearly unconscious. I felt the plane take off, land and take off. I learned later that I had been taken to Afghanistan.There, I was beaten again and left in a small, dirty, cold concrete cell. I was extremely thirsty, but there was only a bottle of putrid water in the cell. I was refused fresh water.That first night I was taken to an interrogation room where I saw men dressed in the same black clothing and ski masks as before. They stripped and photographed me, and took blood and urine samples. I was returned to the cell, where I would remain in solitary confinement for more than four months.

The following night my interrogations began. They asked me if I knew why I had been detained. I said I did not. They told me that I was now in a country with no laws, and did I understand what that meant? They asked me many times whether I knew the men who were responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks, if I had traveled to Afghanistan to train in camps and if I associated with certain people in my town of Ulm, Germany. I told the truth: that I had no connection to any terrorists, had never been in Afghanistan and had never been involved in any extremism.

I asked repeatedly to meet with a representative of the German government, or a lawyer, or to be brought before a court. Always, my requests were ignored.In desperation, I began a hunger strike. After 27 days without food, I was taken to meet with two Americans the prison director and another man, referred to as "the Boss." I pleaded with them to release me or bring me before a court, but the prison director replied that he could not release me without permission from Washington. He also said that he believed I should not be detained in the prison.

After 37 days without food, I was dragged to the interrogation room, where a feeding tube was forced through my nose into my stomach. I became extremely ill, suffering the worst pain of my life.After three months, I was taken to meet an American who said he had traveled from Washington, D.C., and who promised I would soon be released. I was also visited by a German-speaking man who explained that I would be allowed to return home but warned that I was never to mention what had happened because the Americans were determined to keep the affair a secret.

On May 28, 2004, almost five months after I was first kidnapped, I was blindfolded, handcuffed and chained to an airplane seat. I was told we would land in a country other than Germany, because the Americans did not want to leave traces of their involvement, but that I would eventually get to Germany.After we landed I was driven into the mountains, still blindfolded. My captors removed my handcuffs and blindfold and told me to walk down a dark, deserted path and not to look back. I was afraid I would be shot in the back.I turned a bend and encountered three men who asked why I was illegally in Albania.

They took me to the airport, where I bought a ticket home (my wallet had been returned to me). Only after the plane took off did I believe I was actually going home. I had long hair, a beard and had lost 60 pounds. My wife and children had gone to Lebanon, believing I had abandoned them.

Thankfully, now we are together again in Germany.I still do not know why this happened to me. I have been told that the American secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, confirmed in a meeting with the German chancellor that my case was a "mistake" and that American officials later denied that she said this. I was not present at this meeting. No one from the American government has ever contacted me or offered me any explanation or apology for the pain they caused me.

Secretary Rice has stated publicly, during a discussion of my case, that "any policy will sometimes result in errors." But that is exactly why extraordinary rendition is so dangerous. As my interrogators made clear when they told me I was being held in a country with no laws, the very purpose of extraordinary rendition is to deny a person the protection of the law. I

begged my captors many times to bring me before a court, where I could explain to a judge that a mistake had been made. Every time, they refused. In this way, a "mistake" that could have been quickly corrected led to several months of cruel treatment and meaningless suffering, for me and my entire family.My captors would not bring me to court, so last week I brought them to court.

Helped by the American Civil Liberties Union, I sued the U.S. government because I believe what happened to me was illegal and should not be done to others. And I believe the American people, when they hear my story, will agree.

The Pozzolatico Winery at the Castle of the local Prince.

There are a few things that the Italians cannot live without in their homes and one of those things is olive oil and wine. The Pozzolatico Castle store, that is owned by the renowned Count (I call him a Prince), is open on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Rumor says that the prince owns all the land in Pozzolatico and more! He has his own carpenter, farmers, olive trees, grape vines and store. He produces his own wine and olive oil.

Today, I went to the Castle to buy some of the famed olive oil and red wine. I walked from my humble abode up the road to the castle. The tall tale sign that visitors are welcome to the castle is when the large Iron Gate is open. As I walked through the gate on the road lined with rosemary, olive trees, random flowers and nicely pruned bushes, I felt like the lost girl searching for her prince. As I enter into the garden and down the nicely landscaped road, I see a few cars parked near a large antique wooden garage door. “This must be where the famed wine and olive oil is!” Grungy looking aged men are hanging around the parking lot smoking cigarettes and holding large various designed glass jars to hold the precious wine or olive oil.

trinkets 

waiting for the rain 

Florence wedding 

Michelangelo

I’ve been busy with my university, friends came to visit…so we went to the hill outside of Firenze, Piazza Michelangelo is a square with a beautiful overview of the city. Here are a few pics from there. Many foreigners come to Florence to get married, and they come up to the hill for photographs, on this day there were at least 5 couples getting their photographs taken.

Sick of the War?

Someone told me the other day is that everyone is sick of hearing about the Iraqi War.

This ignorance of reality made me really sad. Are we really too busy to be concerned
with our future welfare? Today the headlines read, “US Military Deaths Reach 2,000”.

Bush responded with a warning that many more sacrifices will happen as we fight against “as brutal of an enemy we have ever faced, unconstrained by any notion of common humanity and the rules of warfare.”

As brutal of an enemy we have ever faced? Unconstrained by any notion of common humanity and the rules of warfare? What planet is Bush on? Whose sacrifice? As of 11:56 European time we Americans

have spent a total of $203, 563,908.752 can you say that number? The rate is at $17,000 per minute, while our health system crashes, homelessness is on the rise in every city in American, not only men, but families without a roof over their heads. According to the latest report from the Bureau of Statistics, 12.4% of Americans live in poverty, a 0.3% increase in three years. 15.5% of the Americans are uninsured for medical purposes that are a 0.2% increase in the past three years.

This means that 36,335,418 Americans are in poverty over the age of 16 and 45,417,723 Americans are uninsured. The 2004 population estimate is 283,027,571.

In the meantime, our men are “sacrificing” their lives and we can't even put a definition as to why. For the cause of humanity and war crimes, and to trample down a man who murdered his own people in the name of democracy? Who is committing the war crimes here? The Iraqi Body Count website says that as of today a minimum of 26,690 and a maximum of 30,051 Iraqi civilians have been killed. Sanitation and health concerns run rampant in Iraq due to the war. Jobs are lost and poverty in Iraq in increasing. But this is not only occurring in Iraq , but also in America .

We all know that there were not any weapons of mass destruction and we all know about the oil scandals we all know about the torture crimes and the attempt to hide the truth. Who is going to benefit from this are certain corporations in America and the Shei who are most likely inherit a new country.

http://icasualties.org/oif/ Iraq collation casualty count

http://www.antiwar.com/ lists the vigils occurring around the county

Life Things

life things 

Budda 

Creating

I have not submitted my photo of the day for a few days. I was side tracked with emotionally created humm by my ex. (handling your divorce) Sad huh? I surely don’t understand why people just don’t let things be, why they feel that they need to be telling you what you should be doing with your life. Are they me? Are they you?

Isn’t one really free when they can live without the societal limits that are instilled upon our brains? In order to be “successful” (your brain has a bent - not a dent)must we really own our own home with the picket white fence and drive a Mercedes?

Freedom (emotional freedom) is creating the ability to live in a peaceful environment of encouragement in a circle of great friends, they are like diamonds.
Freedom is the ability to create in your own life what it is you do based on who you really are, not who they think that you should be.
Freedom is creating the ability to create. Leonardo De Vinci was a creator and in his creations he presented gifts and knowledge to the entire world that we still use today.
Freedom is creating the ability to create, that is: creating your own design (emotional design) of your own life, your breathe and your soul based on who you really are. (Nature and the Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness and community in a fragmented world)

Today is my birthday.

Denunciation

Denunciation

In The Name of God The Merciful , The Compassionate


Once more The American Occupation Forces are confirming their Violation of all Human Rights , International Laws & United Nations Charter . The Occupation Forces Conducted a Strike on the Districts of Albou-Fahd , Albou-Farraj & Al-Soufeya in Ramadi .

The Victims of the US Areial Bombings were 25 Child , it is to be Mentioned that the Reported Casualties are to be 70 Dead & more than a 100 Wounded .

We are Appealing all Establishments & Humanitarian Organizations & on Top of Them The UN , To Stop this Bloodshed & The Collective Extermination Operations Committed against the Iraqi People .We are Crying out for & Urging the Human Conscience to Save the Iraqi Man from all These Crimes Committed against him . The War Crimes against Humanity which are Rejected by all International Laws & Traditions.

Ezz-Al-Iraq Caring Establishment
For Motherhood , Childhood & Handicapeds
General Headquarters
Baghdad - Iraq
17 October 2005

THE AMERICAN PLANS TO EXHAUST IRAQ AND TO STEAL ITS RESOURCES: FACTS AND FIGURES

This is one of the best written articles I have read. This article is representing the Iraqi voice from someone who knows. Please read the article on the link below, it was too long for me to post it here.

Dear Friends ,
This is a highly important article about Iraq written by one of the Intellectual of this country . Every one must read it , to know what is really going on there.you'll find it on the following link.
Please Read it , then send it to the whole world . Help us spread it every where.
Thank you ,
Best Regards ,

http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_19358.shtml

The Olive Tree

The Olive Tree

The olive tree has is a symbol of freedom and peace. Its roots go deep into the ground and its branches reach up towards the sky. You have to prune the tree every year for it to produce its fruit. You can take a branch, and grow a new tree and plant a mountain of olive trees.
The tree is life giving.
It produces oil for cooking, your skin, for fire, and for food.
The olive tree dates back to the Egyptian time period, they used it for everything.
People have been killed over olives.
Families have broken up over olives.
When the killing stops
and the families come back together
then the olive tree will represent the peace that is so desires.

Book link:  The Olive Tree of Civilization, by John Train:
The ancients knew these virtues and olive oil became a key to their religious and political ceremonies, from the temples of Ra in Egypt where lamps burned olive oil, to the temple of Soloman, where kings were anointed with oil based ointments. Christ was offered a sip of oil on the cross; Hanukah is, at its origin...

Denunciation

Denunciation

In The Name of God The Merciful , The Compassionate


Once more The American Occupation Forces are confirming their Violation of all Human Rights , International Laws & United Nations Charter . The Occupation Forces Conducted a Strike on the Districts of Albou-Fahd , Albou-Farraj & Al-Soufeya in Ramadi .

The Victims of the US Areial Bombings were 25 Child , it is to be Mentioned that the Reported Casualties are to be 70 Dead & more than a 100 Wounded .

We are Appealing all Establishments & Humanitarian Organizations & on Top of Them The UN , To Stop this Bloodshed & The Collective Extermination Operations Committed against the Iraqi People .We are Crying out for & Urging the Human Conscience to Save the Iraqi Man from all These Crimes Committed against him . The War Crimes against Humanity which are Rejected by all International Laws & Traditions.

Ezz-Al-Iraq Caring Establishment
For Motherhood , Childhood & Handicapeds
General Headquarters
Baghdad - Iraq
17 October 2005

Bob Dylan Masters of War 1963

I am in Italy and last night I was invited over to some friends house for dinner. After dinner they proceeded to put on some music. The guy had an amazing collection! Here he is at 30 years old with Every single Bob Dylan, Donavan, Johnny Cash and more CD's. He had over 1000 CD's mostly 60's American Music.

This is music that I am not used to hearing, that I really know nothing about and the guys started talking about this and that, where the song was written, when and with whom. It took me to an American evening in the 60's while I was sitting in a living room in Italy .

This is a time in our history, where people stood up, I mean really stood up against WAR. What we did in America in the 60's took an effect on the world. The Italians know the songs, and they remember. Now, they wonder WHY aren't we doing it again?

I listened to the lyrics, all of love, peace and no war. I started to wonder on the same thing. I wonder what has happened to our country and our people. Our expenses greatly surpass our income to the point that we cannot take care of ourselves. Our children are without shelter and food, families are sleeping in the streets without the hope of finding a job because corporate America is taking the work to other countries and paying slave labor to cut down on expenses.

How long will we sit down and remain silent? What happened to our fighting spirit?s

I learned more about our past last night, than I have when I lived there! Here is a lyric from a Bob Dylan Song: Masters of

War 1963

Come you masters of war You that build all the guns You that build the death planes You that build the big bombs You that hide behind walls You that hide behind desks I just want you to know I can see through your masks   You that never done nothin' But build to destroy You play with my world Like it's your little toy You put a gun in my hand And you hide from my eyes And you turn and run farther When the fast bullets fly   Like Judas of old You lie and deceive A world war can be won You want me to believe But I see through your eyes And I see through your brain Like I see through the water That runs down my drain   You fasten the triggers For the others to fire Then you set back and watch When the death count gets higher You hide in your mansion As young people's blood Flows out of their bodies And is buried in the mud   You've thrown the worst fear That can ever be hurled Fear to bring children Into the world For threatening my baby Unborn and unnamed You ain't worth the blood That runs in your veins   How much do I know To talk out of turn You might say that I'm young You might say I'm unlearned But there's one thing I know Though I'm younger than you Even Jesus would never Forgive what you do   Let me ask you one question Is your money that good Will it buy you forgiveness Do you think that it could I think you will find When your death takes its toll All the money you made Will never buy back your soul   And I hope that you die And your death'll come soon I will follow your casket In the pale afternoon And I'll watch while you're lowered Down to your deathbed And I'll stand o'er your grave 'Til I'm sure that you're dead

The 1960's and Now: Bob Dylan: The Masters of War

I am in Italy and last night I was invited over to some friends house for dinner. After dinner they proceeded to put on some music. The guy had an amazing collection! Here he is at 30 years old with Every single Bob Dylan, Donavan, Johnny Cash and more CD’s. He had over 1000 CD’s mostly 60’s American Music.

This is music that I am not used to hearing, that I really know nothing about and the guys started talking about this and that, where the song was written, when and with whom. It took me to an American evening in the 60’s while I was sitting in a living room in Italy.

This is a time in our history, where people stood up, I mean really stood up against WAR. What we did in America in the 60’s took an effect on the world. The Italians know the songs, and they remember. Now, they wonder WHY aren’t we doing it again?

I listened to the lyrics, all of love, peace and no war. I started to wonder on the same thing. I wonder what has happened to our country and our people. Our expenses greatly surpass our income to the point that we cannot take care of ourselves. Our children are without shelter and food, families are sleeping in the streets without the hope of finding a job because corporate America is taking the work to other countries and paying slave labor to cut down on expenses.

How long will we sit down and remain silent? What happened to our fighting spirit?s

I learned more about our past last night, than I have when I lived there! Here is a lyric from a Bob Dylan Song: Masters of War 1963
Come you masters of warYou that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to knowI can see through your masks
You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my worldLike it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly Like Judas of oldY
ou lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain
You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's bloodFlows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud
You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring childrenInto the world
For threatening my babyUnborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins
How much do I knowTo talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do
Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul
And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead

comments wanted

Hi,

I would like your comments and input for my new site! What I want to know...is what is it that you want to know?
Do you want behind the scene stories from the ground?
one place where you can get your questions answered through links?

I will not have the time to update news, other sites do that., but I can link to them.

Your comments are welcome!