What comes next in Lebanon?

  

Alastair Crooke on Netanyahu gambling on slaughter across the Middle East in its quest to create 'Greater Israel'.

What happens next?

In a televised address, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem extended heartfelt condolences to the Lebanese people and the broader Islamic and Arab communities on the martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, saying, "I am addressing you in the most painful and saddest moments of my life, having lost a brother, a beloved [comrade], and a man in the capacity of a father, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah."

He emphasized several key points, highlighting the unwavering commitment of the Resistance to its mission, which includes confronting the Israeli occupation and supporting Gaza, while also defending Lebanon and its citizens. Sheikh Qassem reaffirmed that despite ongoing Israeli attacks and assassinations, the Resistance remains steadfast in its resolve to continue the fight.

In his speech, Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary-General announced that the party would appoint a new Secretary-General as soon as possible, as per the established protocol, emphasizing that "the choices are easy and clear because we are united in purpose."

He explained that "within [Hezbollah's] structure, there are deputies for leaders and reserve alternatives ready [to assume positions]."

Sheikh Qassem emphasized that despite the loss of numerous leaders, attacks on civilians, and significant sacrifices, "we will not waver from our positions; the Resistance will continue to support Gaza and Palestine while defending Lebanon and its people."

All over the world we must repeatedly get out in the streets as the US-UK-Israel-NATO are playing with hot fire! 

PFAS contamination in Maine & globally at US bases

My latest podcast interview is with expert Pat Elder about PFAS contamination.

We recently had a massive spill of PFAS at the former naval air station here in Brunswick, Maine.

Pat has been helping us figure out the dangerous future we now face. The government (local, state, federal) generally does its best to minimize the problem. So far the locals here have been trying to make sure it does not happen again, the state is AWOL, and the navy who is still responsible for the closed base's multiple toxic contaminations is generally out of touch.

Pat travels across the US and around the world to active and closed US military bases and has found major PFAS contamination of water, land and fish at each location.

My advice to those living near a US military base - test your water. Test the fish in lakes, rivers, or ocean. 

Organize to close the bases!

Bruce

Sunday song

 

Four corners of freedom

 

Four Corners of Freedom, John St. & Crown St ., Kingston, NY

STREAMED LIVE - for those who can't be there in person! 

Saturday, September 28th, don’t miss a powerful gathering led by Gerald Celente, a razor-sharp political commentator with a global following. 

As the driving force behind the Occupy Peace & Freedom project, Celente is hosting this rally to reignite a cause that was once central to the left: ending U.S. involvement in foreign wars. With the devastating toll of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine surpassing one million casualties, Celente’s call for peace couldn’t be more urgent. 

The event will feature fiery speeches from leading voices in independent political thought, including Judge Andrew Napolitano, Scott Ritter, Max Blumenthal, and Anya Parampil. 

Roger Waters makes an appearance as well.

General Dynamics protest in Saco, Maine

 

 

Yesterday a dozen folks gathered in Saco, Maine for two hours as the 2nd shift of General Dynamics workers let out. GD is building bomb parts for Israeli via gifts from the Biden-Harris war team.

We got really good responses from the large amount of traffic on the two-lane road in front of the weapons plant.

Several new people showed up. One woman talked about how she can't stand anymore the 'polite dinner conversation' of her family and friends who avoid talking about the genocide now happening in Palestine and Lebanon by the zionist forces in US-Israel.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut yesterday by Israel, along with several other commanders.

This Israeli terrorism (with total support from Washington and NATO) is pushing the Middle East closer and closer to full-blown war.

After Israel's 'pager attack' on Lebanon I don't believe it is now so difficult for most Americans to wrap their head around calling Israel a terrorist state. Evidence was confirmed for me while holding my new sign 'Stop funding Israeli terrorism' yesterday in Saco and then later in the afternoon back in my hometown of Brunswick for our Friday weekly vigil.

I got many honks and waves about this sign and very, very few negatives. 

Israel's killing of Nasrallah likely indicates that Netanyahu will soon launch a ground invasion into southern Lebanon. Israel very badly wants control of the Litani River and to return their thousands of settlers who fled northern Palestine since the war began. Israel also wishes to drag the US into the war in hopes it will allow then to attack Iran as they are now doing in Syria, Palestine and Lebanon.

The zionists decision to code-name Friday’s attack on Nasrallah 'New Order' is an obvious reference to Israel’s goal of reshaping the political and security dynamics in Lebanon as another step toward the creation of 'Greater Israel'. This is a key to the western colonizers strategy of using Israel as the blunt force to combat the growing 'Global South' movement across the Middle East. Just as Ukraine serves a similar role for US-NATO in eastern Europe.

I will keep returning to the street as often as possible in order to help those who are emotionally shut down to come back alive and allow themselves to honor their real feelings about the US-Israeli genocide now happening before our eyes.

It's all about being human again....

Bruce 

Corporate dominated sports: Flag waving & war mongering

 

Acclaimed author Dave Zirin of The Nation magazine explores the hidden politics of manhood, militarism, nationalism, and race in the NFL, America's most profitable and influential sports league.

On trial in N.H. on October 1

 

I am one of the eight activists who go on trial in Merrimack District Court in New Hampshire on October 1.

We will not have a jury but will have to face a judge who will decide our guilt or innocence.

We are standing by the 'Necessity Defense' that says we have been doing everything possible to stop the genocide in Palestine.

• Written many letters to media and Washington
• Held street protests for years
• Educated others about the issue
• Recognize that US-Israel are as thick as thieves

Thus having no success halting Israeli war crimes we were morally compelled to go to Elbit Systems military production plant (owned by Israel) and successfully blocked the worker entrance early in the morning on March 22, 2024. The blockade was held for about five hours before everyone was arrested.

The state of New Hampshire claims that the blockers must pay restitution to police - a reimbursement for the more than 50 cops they had at the scene.

We will gather at 8:30 am on October 1 for a vigil before the trial begins at 9:00 am just outside the courthouse.

All interested folks are invited to join us at the trial. They are great learning experiences.

Bruce

European Union morphs into NATO’s fund raising apparatus

By Finian Cunningham

Two key posts – in foreign and defense policy – reveal the militarist and anti-Russia direction of the European Union.

Ursula Von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission – which works as the executive branch of the European Union – announced her new team of commissioners for the next five years.

Taking over as foreign affairs minister for the 27-nation bloc is Kaja Kallas who is a staunch Russophobe and vigorous supporter of Ukraine. Kallas has called for more EU and NATO military funding for Ukraine to “defeat Russia” and the break up of the Russian Federation.

The former Estonian prime minister has led the movement to destroy Soviet Red Army monuments across the Baltic states. (This is while her investor husband continues to profit from doing business with Russia.)

Working closely alongside Kallas will be another rabid Russophobe, the former Lithuanian prime minister Andrius Kubilius, who is taking up a newly created EU post as defense commissioner. The creation of that post is an alarming sign of how the EU bloc has transitioned from a trade and political union to a military organization.

But what’s even more alarming is the assigning of such an anti-Russia hawk as Kubilius to oversee military policy.

At a time when relations between the EU and Russia have become so fraught with tensions, the European bloc is giving politicians from hostile Baltic states a driving seat to push relations even further towards conflict.

Indeed, the first announcement Kubilius made as the prospective new defense commissioner was that the European Union would likely be at war with Russia in the next six to eight years. That assessment is shared by Kaja Kallas.

Kubilius said the sole focus during his tenure is ramping up military spending by the EU nations to boost NATO and aid Ukraine. He said that he will be working closely with foreign policy chief Kallas to tap funds. 

What this means is that the European Union is moving towards making it mandatory for national budgets to allocate more to military procurement. That’s a breakthrough for all the worst reasons.

Kubilius is reportedly aiming for a budget of €500 billion over the next five years to be spent on the military by the EU.

That increase would represent about half of the projected EU total budget.

His comments indicate the purpose of the massive redirection of finances – to boost NATO. Kubilius noted that “the European Union has instruments to get larger financing, which NATO doesn’t.”

That implies that under his formulation and compulsory directives from Brussels, the EU will make it mandatory for member states to spend more on the military.

NATO and the EU have overlapping membership with 23 members of the EU’s 27 also being part of the U.S.-led military alliance. Non-NATO members are Austria, Cyprus, Malta, and Ireland.

NATO states are expected to spend a minimum of 2 percent of their GDP  on military. That amounts to about $380 billion for European members of NATO in 2024. That is a huge increase compared with what was spent by these members only a few years ago. But what the NATO planners want is more and more going forward. The problem is locking that expenditure in.

The trouble for NATO planners is the 2 percent figure is not mandatory. It is subject to national policy. While most members of NATO are hitting that target currently, there is no guarantee it will continue. Changes in national governments might result in spending slipping back to former levels of 1-1.5 percent of GDP as was the case before the proxy war in Ukraine blew up in 2022.

What the NATO hawks in the EU desire most is to lock in military spending year-on-year. NATO does not have the legal means to enforce such a commitment as mandatory on its members. But the EU can do it through its supranational powers as served by centralized directives from Brussels. 

Uncle Sam is broke and needs the EU to collect more money so NATO can buy more American bombs. Europe is now an indentured servant in this neo-feudal system.

The Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia have upped their military spending to nearly 3 percent of GDP when Kallas and Kubilius were in office.

Moreover, Kubilius has previously proposed that all EU members devote an extraordinary, additional 0.25 percent of their GDP to make mandatory military donations to Ukraine to “ensure victory over Russia”, amounting to €100 billion a year.

This is an astounding transformation of the European Union. The organization has its roots in the 1950s as a loose trade federation of Western European nations – principally France and the Federal Republic of Germany – which proclaimed that lessons of the Second World War had been learned and would never be repeated because of commitments to good neighborliness and commercial partnership. In its earlier incarnations, the European bloc sought out friendly relations with the Soviet Union, primarily with energy trade being a cornerstone of cooperation.

Since the supposed end of the Cold War in 1991, the EU has expanded in line with the expansion of NATO. Its powers have become evermore centralized and usurping national policy. A striking feature of both NATO and the EU is the hardening of Russophobic policy that has come with the leveraging of anti-Russia Baltic states. Historically, these states were virulent collaborators with Nazi Germany in its genocidal war against the Soviet Union. The Baltic states still harbor fascists who venerate the Third Reich. Hence, the destruction of Soviet-era war monuments and the rehabilitation of public displays commemorating Nazi collaborators.

NATO’s proxy war in Ukraine against Russia is the continuation of Western imperialist designs on subjugating Russian territory that was previously pursued by Nazi Germany.

The European Union has subverted its earlier ideals of pacifism and cooperation to become part of NATO’s war machine. Crucially, what the EU brings to the war machine is legalized enforced funding, even for nations that are not part of NATO.

Added to that is the EU is being directed by people who drool about war with Russia: Von der Leyen, the former German defense minister and descendant of Nazi ideologues, is aided and abetted by Kaja Kallas and Andrius Kubilius who cannot think of Russia without fantasizing about its “defeat”.

The Nazi specter is resurrected in NATO and its EU financial wing. 

~ Finian Cunningham is a former editor and writer for major news media organizations. He has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages.

Starmer: 'Return the sausages'

 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has demanded that Hamas release all the “sausages” being held in Gaza.

Starmer made the gaffe as he was speaking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during an address at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Tuesday.

Starmer is an idiot and a fool. He supports US-UK-NATO-Israel endless war$ without hesitation.

Zionist agent Blinken gets exposed

 

 How Political Corruption Allows Antony Blinken To Break The Law

Moon of Alabama

ProPublica headline:

Israel Deliberately Blocked Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, Two Government Bodies Concluded. Antony Blinken Rejected Them.

The selected formulation is unfortunately not covering the real issue at hand.

U.S. law prohibits military aid to countries which are hindering U.S. humanitarian aid.

Two government entities subordinated to the State Department concluded, in writing, that Israel was blocking their humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

The Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, reported to Congress the opposite conclusion because he intended to deliver more military aid to Gaza.

By misleading Congress on humanitarian aid to Gaza Blinken deliberately broke the law.

That should have been the headline:

    The U.S. government’s two foremost authorities on humanitarian assistance concluded this spring that Israel had deliberately blocked deliveries of food and medicine into Gaza.

    The U.S. Agency for International Development delivered its assessment to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the State Department’s refugees bureau made its stance known to top diplomats in late April. Their conclusion was explosive because U.S. law requires the government to cut off weapons shipments to countries that prevent the delivery of U.S.-backed humanitarian aid. Israel has been largely dependent on American bombs and other weapons in Gaza since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks.

    But Blinken and the administration of President Joe Biden did not accept either finding. Days later, on May 10, Blinken delivered a carefully worded statement to Congress that said, “We do not currently assess that the Israeli government is prohibiting or otherwise restricting the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.”
 
This case should be sufficient for Congress to open an inquiry and to demand under oath witness statements from Blinken and others involved in the affair. It could be a great instrument during the current election campaign to damage the position of Democratic candidates.

However that is unlikely to happen.

Unfortunately Blinken lied to Congress about Israeli war crimes because he knew that he would get away with it.

The uni-state, the foreign policy conglomerate which resides in both parties and the bureaucracy, will not allow that U.S. war-crimes or those of its associated forces will ever be prosecuted. The Bush administration did get away with lying about weapons of mass destruction. The CIA and the Pentagon got away with torturing hundreds of innocent people.

Would the Republicans prosecuted Blinken as they should they would have to break with their own support and commitment to Zionist supremacy. With their own candidate's campaign depending on donations from Zionist billionaires there is no chance that the Republicans will break away from their previous policies.

The will of the people, as enacted in laws, gets ignored in favor of monies that allow established politicians to continue their games.

Military analysts: 'U.S. war strategy is nuts'

 

Daniel Davis (former Army officer) and Larry Johnson (former CIA) bring some rationality and realism to us as the US-Israel terrorism campaign in the Middle East is leading to a massive regional war.

Because they have military experience (something that Biden-Harris-Blinken-Sullivan don't have) they  make it clear that current events are based on bad assumptions, arrogance, and plain stupidity.

Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern says that the Pentagon is getting worried that Ukraine-Israel wars are meant to drag the US deeper into the fight as the 'savior'. Apparently the Pentagon is saying NO to allowing Zelensky to use long-range missiles to hit deep inside of Russia. The Pentagon appears to take seriously Moscow's 'red lines' that insist they will have to respond in kind to US-UK because these missiles would be provided and directed by London and Washington.

Pentagon knows that their own military bases throughout the world are vulnerable targets if Russia decided to respond to any attacks deep inside its nation. 

Also as winter approaches the flow of Ukrainian refugees into Poland, Germany and other EU nations will dramatically increase. This is already a major political problem throughout the EU and the immigration issue is severely destabilizing several EU governments - some of which have been helping to fund/arm Ukraine's nazi-led military.

It's good that we have some of these former US military members on our side helping to clarify things and critique the corrupt 'military experts' that we daily hear on CNN, MSNBC, Fox, ABC and NPR. 

Those paid operatives are essentially working for the military industrial complex - trying to increase the level of support of the American people for even more war. 

There is steadily new thinking about these wars amongst conservatives across the US. These retired US military analysts should get alot of credit for helping to change the thinking of many Americans. 

Take a listen and learn.

Bruce 

History lesson: Who blew up Nordstream pipeline?

 

Gee wiz, who blew up the pipelines transferring gas from Russia to Germany on September 26, 2022? As a result the German economy is collapsing.

Did Russia do it? Why would they?

Could it have been the US?

Award winning journalist Seymour Hersh wrote in early 2023 the following:

How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline

The New York Times called it a “mystery,” but the United States executed a covert sea operation that was kept secret—until now

 

How come the mainstream enviro groups across the west never said a mumbling word about the single largest discharge of methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas, in known history?

 

It's clear that the world knows who blew up Nordstream. Why didn't the UN do anything or the International Court of Justice prosecute this crime? It's clear that these 'leading' institutions are sadly under the control of the western corrupt genocidal nations that for the past 600 years have turned our Mother Earth into their playground and cash cow. 

 

Those days are now slipping away as the Global South through BRICS+ has given the long down-trodden nations the courage to stand up to their long time abusers. The world is changing and the western monsters either must accept their new role as 'one among many' or they will perish along with the rest of us in a desperate terrorist game of 'If we can't be King of the Hill then we are going to blow it all up'. A childish temper tantrum indeed!

 

The ball is now in the western oligarchs court. Either join the world with respect or begin digging a hole for your own family. Your day is over. 

 

Bruce

 

Lebanese fleeing Israeli air raids: 'We are scared, but we will stand together'

Israel attacks Lebanon - Israeli raids kill 569 (including 50 children), wound over 1,900

While the Lebanese government is "opening schools for displaced people to live in, to shelter in Beirut, in Saida, and the entire country," the people across Lebanon started spontaneously helping each other with many citizens “on the roads from south Lebanon, from Saida to Beirut… giving free water, they are asking if they need anything,” Gia, a 24-year-old woman from Tyre, tells the story.

Scared by Israeli attacks, local people are still feeling united with Gazans and willing to help them to stand "against one enemy".

"We are here supporting Gaza and the people of Palestine. Yes, we are living in horror. Yes, we are displaced. Yes, it's terrifying. Yes, our country and our city, our southern Lebanon are bombed. Yes, we are scared. But we will stand together all against our one enemy. We will stand together hand in hand… But I'm literally speechless because I have goosebumps all over my body. We have to live. We have to help the people of Gaza," Gia notes.

Lebanese flee north toward Beirut as Israel bombs the south of Lebanon

Speaking about the Israel Defense Forces’ raids on Lebanon, she highlights that “they are not targeting the things they said they are targeting," pointing out the huge number of civilians murdered in one day.

"In the safe places where the Israelis claim that someone form the Resistance were there, but they're not - because there are our friends, we know them. A lot of civilians are suffering. I witnessed also, while coming from Tyre, from south Lebanon, I was seeing the bombing of houses."

A man stands amidst the rubble after hit by an Israeli airstrike in southern village of Akbieh, Lebanon on Tuesday, September 2024

 

Hezbollah target Israeli naval base near Haifa

Hezbollah says in a statement that it unleashed a squadron of attack drones on the headquarters of the Israeli army’s Special Naval Task Force at the Alit Base.

The base is south of the major northern city of Haifa, the area of which was first targeted by Hezbollah over the weekend in response to an Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut that killed over 40 people.

Hezbollah said that this attack on the Alit base targeted “the locations of [Israeli] officers and soldiers” and achieved direct hits.

Zelensky comes back to US for more handouts

 

By Simplicius

Can you guess his very first stop in the country?

Scranton, PA [Joe Biden's home town] to beg directly for more shells in person at the General Dynamics 155mm shell factory.

Zelensky says: Scranton, Pennsylvania. I visited a plant that manufactures 155 mm artillery shells. Now, for our warriors who are defending not only our country, not only Ukraine, the plant will be ramping up production. I began my visit to the United States by expressing my gratitude to all the employees at the plant and by reaching agreements to expand cooperation between Pennsylvania and our Zaporizhzhia. It is in places like this where you can truly feel that the democratic world can prevail. Thanks to people like these—in Ukraine, in America, and in all partner countries—who work tirelessly to ensure that life is protected.

 

Zelensky shakes hands with General Dynamics workers in Scranton

We all know why he’s in the US, to present his grand ‘peace plan’ to his masters. Now, Bloomberg has allegedly learned of what the plan contains.

Apparently the plan hinges on Biden extending a NATO and EU invitation to Zelensky, not to mention commitments for endless arms supplies thereafter. I’ve no idea how that will create peace, but I suppose it would mean a ‘victory’ for Ukraine, were it to actually happen. Unfortunately the chances of Ukraine getting an invitation to either of those are below zero. Perhaps the real plan is to have the US threaten Russia with a NATO invitation as consequence of Russia not accepting an unfavorable peace deal. But that would be nonsensical, given that it would only cause Russia to fight harder in order to subjugate Ukraine and prevent it from ever threatening Russia as part of NATO. 

The latest WaPo piece describes a state of disarray in the West political class when it comes to a way forward against a clearly defiant and unbending Russia. You see, all the provocations, games, and peace ‘tricks’ were meant to bow Russia to the West’s leverage, but the Empire is finding that, after decades of dealing with shallow vassals, confronting one of the last remaining truly sovereign nations in the world is a glaringly different endeavour.

The article finishes on the grand vision of combating Putin, which is in effect, creating a supranational new totalitarian deep state order to rule over the West permanently, in order to Trump-proof and, in general, future-proof the West’s anti-Russian hostility, so no truly democratic force can amend it later on:

    Because Russia is a long-term threat, Hill said, the structures to address that threat must also be long-term or Putin will always claim the advantage. She urged a more consistent response, spanning administrations — creating “a kind of permanent secretariat” with allies to maintain a consistent Russia policy.

    Trump, meanwhile, has stirred uncertainty. He has boasted that his rapport with Putin, Xi and Kim would allow him to swiftly sort the world out on American terms. But the deepening ties between Moscow, Beijing and other adversaries complicate the picture. 

 A “permanent secretariat” to maintain a “consistent” policy in perpetuity. I’ll translate the Newspeak: create a permanent central authority which no “sovereign” nation can question to make sure populist leaders can never revolt against the globalist totalitarian dictatorship and its quest to enslave the planet under one hegemonic rule.  

Palestine solidarity protest in Unity, Maine during huge traffic jam

 

Our monthly statewide protest was held on September 21 (Saturday) in Unity, Maine as traffic was backed up for at least two miles on their way to the annual Common Ground Country Fair. 

We've been holding these regular protests in various communities across Maine since February of 2022. These events began with a message of 'No War with Russia or China' and after last October have morphed into 'Solidarity with Palestine'.

Nineteen of us from across the state gathered for two hours as the fair-goers crawled along in stop-and-go traffic. (On our way to the protest intersection spot it took us 30 minutes to go about two miles.) Since I had alot of time to visit with folks in their cars I urged them to honk their horns as they hung a left turn into the intersection. Many did. 

This photo is from last September at this same spot in Unity just to show the traffic.

Comparing this past Saturday to last year at the same spot it was quite easy to see that most of the people driving by were much more engaged this time around. Obviously the daily stories and images from Gaza (and now the 'pager terrorism' by Israel in Lebanon) have impacted the public in a big way.

Israel's current bombing attacks particularly on southern Lebanon are linked to the zionist effort to create 'Greater Israel'. They want control of the Latani River in southern Lebanon in order to provide water for the settler colonies that the zionists have created in northern Palestine.

Our usual habit is to end the vigils with a closing circle and this one was quite inspiring as several new people told their stories about what has brought them into the Palestine solidarity movement. One women reported on how she was attacked in Farmington while holding her flag. She was pushed to the ground and the young attacker wrestled her Palestinian flag from her hands before running off like the coward that he was.

On to Ellsworth

After the Unity event was over I drove friend Russell Wray back to his home in Hancock. I stayed the night and went with him to the Ellsworth Union River bridge for his weekly Sunday vigil. Eight people were there for the hour. Russell has been holding this peace vigil since 2001.

Many out-of-state license plates were visible as this part of Maine is a popular tourist destination because of nearby Acadia National Park - where soon rocket launches will occur just off the coastline on a big 'oil drilling rig' type of platform. .

I then made the two-hour drive home in time to take a walk thru the woods. At 6:00 pm I joined a conference call with fellow defendants who will be on trial in Merrimack, New Hampshire for our March 22 civil resistance action at Elbit Systems which is an Israeli-owned weapons facility. Our 'crime' last March was arriving early in the morning and blocking the entrance before the workers arrived. 

The trial in Merrimack begins on Tuesday, October 1 at 9:00 am at the 9th Circuit Courthouse. We'll hold a vigil there at 8:30 am.

Elbit Systems of America and its subsidiaries have operational facilities in Fort Worth, Texas, San Antonio, Texas, Merrimack, New Hampshire, Talladega, Alabama, Roanoke, Virginia, Boca Raton, Florida and De Leon Springs, Florida. They also have operations in dozens of nations around the world.

The company has been divested from by international investment firms due to its involvement in the genocide in Gaza.

Bruce

Stop using Space for War & Genocide

 

On Saturday, October 5th, which would have been Philip Berrigan's 101st birthday, please join a Vigil for Disarmament at Bath Iron Works from 11:30 till 12:30 as part of the International Week of Protest to Stop the Militarization of Space. 

We will gather on Washington Street by the Administration building in Bath, Maine and walk up the street to leaflet the workers at noon. 

General Dynamics is continuing to build Aegis guided missile Destroyers in the BIW shipyard with contracts into the 2030s. 

We are in a permanent war economy, and war is madness. As we have seen in Gaza and other wars raging around the world, it is the children and other innocents who are the victims. The building of warships prevents us from using the Earth's resources to heal the many needs that are crying out to be addressed around the world. 

Instead we need to work to create a disarmed world through love and nonviolence by using our resources to heal our beloved Mother Earth and to address the true causes of climate change. It is time to convert BIW so to build something that promotes life so this endless war economy will stop
preventing us from keeping Space for Peace. 

Love is the measure.

~ Smilin' Trees Disarmament Farm, 207-763-4062  

Watch for the Global Network's Space issues webinar to conclude Keep Space for Peace Week that will be held on October 13 at 3:00 pm EST

 

German cops arrest Palestinian kid

 

Middle East Eye

Social media users circulated a video of German police chasing a child carrying a Palestinian flag during a pro-Palestinian protest in Berlin. 

Activists stated that the child was 10 years old and had been detained. 

Middle East Eye could not independently confirm the child's fate or whether he had been released.

What crime did he commit?  

Creating 'Greater Israel': Stealing Palestine

 

TRT World’s investigative documentary, Holy Redemption, unveils violent fanaticism of armed illegal Jewish settlers who aim to uproot Palestinians from the occupied West Bank. 

The documentary was made as our team infiltrated “Israel’s Daesh” who are “ready for the big slaughter” of Palestinians.

Sunday song

Lithuania preparing for war with Russia

 

By Erkin Oncan

The biggest promise of the Vilnius government to its people is war and destruction.

A leaflet titled “What to Do in the Event of a Crisis or War?” will be distributed to the public in Lithuania.

This leaflet, which is set to be delivered to approximately one million households this fall, will inform Lithuanian citizens about what they should do in times of crisis.

Laurynas Kasčiūnas, a member of the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) and a representative of the Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), explained the purpose of the leaflet at a press conference: “The goal is for this publication to be present in every household. It’s necessary to provide a foundation for planning the safety of your loved ones in potential scenarios.”

Deputy Minister of Defense Kamile Gogelienė added: “All households will find this publication in their mailboxes. A total of 900,000 copies are to be distributed in September and October, with the rest to be delivered at the beginning of next year.”

Not only Lithuania, but other Northern European and Baltic countries are also preparing for the ‘anticipated war’ with Russia.

Recently, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics announced that a Russian drone had crashed into Latvian territory, calling on the alliance to discuss responses, including the ability to shoot down such drones.

In other words, Rinkevics called on NATO to shoot down Russian drones.

The expansion of NATO, increased defense spending by Russia’s neighboring countries, and the militarization of the region are often seen as developments that occurred after Russia’s 2022 Donbass operation. This is also the general stance of Western media.

However, NATO had already expanded, and continues to do so, especially during and after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Lithuania is one of the most ‘anti-Russian’ countries in the region. Wars with Russia play a significant role in Lithuania’s history.

The history of wars between Lithuania and Russia dates back to the 1700s. During World War II, the Soviet Union (considered an occupation by Lithuanian nationalists) began in 1944 and ended in 1990 with Lithuania becoming the first Baltic state to declare independence from the Soviet Union, spurred by the Sajudis movement founded in 1988 and accompanied by slogans like “Red Army Go Home.”

The ‘January Events,’ which followed Soviet intervention and resulted in 14 deaths and 702 injuries, did not stop nationalist forces, and Lithuania eventually gained its independence.

Since then, Lithuania has shaped its entire security strategy and political orientation around opposition to Russia. This led to the emergence of a new country, entirely controlled by the West, right on Russia’s doorstep.

By the 2000s, Lithuania had already become an important base for the U.S. in its opposition to Russia. In 2004, just 18 years before Russia launched its operation in Ukraine, Lithuania joined NATO, becoming a key part of the alliance’s expansion strategy during the year of Ukraine’s first ‘color revolution’ (the Orange Revolution).

In recent years, Lithuania has continued to carry out this mission.

Lithuania’s last 5 years:

• Played a significant role in strengthening ‘security guarantees’ for the Baltic countries during the NATO summit in December 2019,
• Hosted the large-scale U.S.-led ‘Saber Strike’ military exercise in the Baltic region,
• Played a key role in NATO’s largest exercise, ‘Defender Europe 2020,’ held in 2020,
• Actively participated in NATO Air Policing missions to ‘protect’ Baltic airspace, with various NATO allies deployed in Lithuania,
• Hosted the Saber Strike exercise again in 2021,
• Deepened security cooperation with Poland for cross-border exercises and defense system integration within NATO,
• Provided military aid within the NATO framework when the Russia-Ukraine crisis broke out,
• Strengthened NATO forces’ presence in Baltic airspace as one of the main countries involved in the Baltic Air Policing mission,
• Hosted the 2023 NATO summit and the ‘Iron Wolf’ exercise aimed at increasing the readiness of NATO forces for war.

Lithuania’s close relationship with NATO, while developed as a response to the ‘Russian threat,’ has, in essence, disrupted the security balance in the Baltic region and escalated the conflict between Russia and the West.

The ongoing expansion of NATO and the increasing frequency of military exercises have gone beyond Lithuania’s goal of providing security, making it a part of NATO’s aggressive policies.

These leaflets, to be handed to the public in Lithuania, are not merely emergency instructions but an important symbol showing that the biggest promise of the Vilnius government to its people is war and destruction.

This call for citizens to be prepared for war reflects the natural outcome of Lithuania’s integration with NATO, its anti-communism, and its right-wing orientation. This strategy, which fuels constant militarization under the guise of defense, provokes crises and ignores the real demands of the people. It does not promise peace to the Lithuanian people, but only the uncertainty and destruction that war brings.

~ Erkin Öncan, Turkish journalist focusing on war zones and social movements around the world.

Latest on Israel's pager terror origins

A man holds a Hezbollah flag during the funeral for victims of the deadly wave of pager explosions that swept across Lebanon, in a southern Beirut district, on 18 September 2024

PepeEscobar – Telegram

The pagers that blew up or blinded 3,200 people – including Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon – were manufactured in the Czech Republic.

The shipment was purchased in early March by a Qatari – with delivery to Beirut.

The manufacturing company, operating under license from the Taiwanese parent company, Golden Apollo, is owned by a – surprise! – Jewish American.

The explosive device and the printed circuit board with the malicious code were installed still at the factory in the Czech Republic.

The batch was shipped by sea from Hamburg to Lebanon.

The pagers were equipped with tracking sensors. Mossad could detect where Hezbollah operatives as well as civilians were gathering and where were they going.

Forty seconds before detonation, the pagers sounded a high-pitched alarm – and self-destructed.

The pagers started to get very hot an hour before the explosion. A significant number of potential victims moved them away from themselves. But the 3,200 victims did not.

Morocco, a retreat for Israeli soldiers leaving Gaza

 

As Israeli war crimes in Gaza, the West Bank, and now Lebanon draw international censure, will Morocco continue offering a luxurious retreat for occupation soldiers, or will mounting public outrage and legal action force the kingdom to confront its controversial alliance with Tel Aviv?

By Anis Raiss

Now, outside of Gaza, the cries of children and the echoes of shattered lives linger in Israeli soldier Moshe Avichzer’s mind. Blood splatters, refusing to fade, stain his occupational army uniform, and the dust of leveled neighborhoods clings to his skin. 

The mission is complete: Gaza is left in ruins, its people without water, electricity, or hope. Now, the need to decompress calls for a new task. 

But where does an Israeli soldier like Avichzer unwind after committing such atrocities? The answer is Morocco – Marrakesh, to be exact.

Morocco’s so-called ‘solidarity’ with Palestine 

For years, Morocco, under King Mohammed VI and the Makhzen elite, has publicly positioned itself as a supporter of Palestine. As head of the Al-Quds Committee, the king frequently issues symbolic statements, projecting an image of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

However, as Machiavelli’s “Effectual Truth” theory suggests, real intentions are revealed not through words but actions. Morocco’s stance is no exception. While outwardly championing Palestine, and before resuming relations with Tel Aviv in 2020, the kingdom quietly forged covert military and intelligence ties with the occupation state for decades. 

This includes arms deals, the acquisition of Israeli weaponry like kamikaze drones, and the use of Pegasus spyware – tools of war that contradict the kingdom’s supposed ideals of justice and solidarity. Last year, this relationship was highlighted when André Azoulay, King Mohammed’s long-time advisor, was awarded Israel’s highest non-citizen honor.

Trade with Tel Aviv has only become more pronounced and overt since signing the Abraham Accords; according to a report by The Cradle earlier this year, Morocco was among the top Muslim-majority countries that do business with Israel, with exports to Israel amounting to $17.92 million in 2022. 

‘We are all Israelis’ 

Adding another layer to this contradiction is Moroccan media mogul Ahmed Charai. On 7 October 2023, following the launch of the Palestinian resistance operation Al-Asqa Flood, Charai penned an article titled “We Are All Israelis” in the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, a piece that left many Moroccans stunned. 

His words felt like a betrayal, aligning Morocco with the very forces destroying Palestinian lives. Public outrage was swift, with many Moroccans denouncing his article as ‘simping’ – a desperate bid for Israeli approval. 

Charai’s attempt to reshape Moroccan identity to align with the Zionist cause stretched credulity, leaving many citizens questioning why their national identity was being hijacked for political gain.

Yet while Avichzer lounged in Marrakesh’s luxury, enjoying its opulence, the facade of Morocco’s solidarity with Palestine began to peel away. It becomes apparent that Morocco, despite its public posturing, has become a haven for occupation soldiers with blood on their hands.

Legal repercussions and public outrage

However, Avichzer’s Moroccan getaway has not gone unnoticed. 

In May, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan declared, “There is a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes have been committed in Gaza,” directly implicating occupation soldiers, including Avichzer, in violations of international law. Despite this, Avichzer flaunted his involvement on social media, posting images of burned homes and devastated Palestinian neighborhoods with little fear of consequence.

On 14 September, Moroccan lawyers Bouchra al-Asmi, Salwa al-Majadli, and Abdelssamad Taârji filed a legal complaint against Avichzer, accusing him of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and torture in Gaza. 

The complaint cites Article 711-1 of the Moroccan Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows prosecution of Moroccans or foreigners for terrorist crimes committed abroad if they are apprehended in the country. It also cites the anti-terrorism law’s Article 218-1 of the Penal Code.

“The group’s pursuit of this criminal falls within the framework of defending Palestinian human rights,” stated lawyer Najia al-Hadaji, emphasizing the moral basis of their complaint. Asimi called Avichzer’s visit a “provocation to the feelings of Moroccans.” The lawyers backed their case with images from Avichzer’s Instagram profile depicting “killing, burning, and torture against Palestinians.”

Public outrage grew in Marrakesh, with activist Imad al-Diouri remarking, “The Israeli soldier ... will think a thousand times before returning.” Youssef Abu al-Hassan of the Moroccan Front to Support Palestine rallied for protests, underscoring the people’s solidarity with Palestine.

Decades of covert collaboration and diplomatic facades

The Avichzer case has cast fresh light on Morocco’s long-standing relationship with Israel – a history far more complex than it appears. Decades ago, Israel’s Mossad facilitated the emigration of Moroccan Jews in an operation known as “Yachin.”

While this may have seemed to be a humanitarian effort, it was rooted in profit: King Hassan II imposed steep fees for each emigrant, prioritizing financial gain over the well-being of his citizens.

This relationship grew stronger in the 1960s as Morocco began relying heavily on Israeli intelligence. The Mossad trained Morocco’s security services and even helped surveil political opponents. Perhaps most telling, King Hassan II went so far as to allow the Mossad to bug an Arab League summit in Casablanca, providing Israel with crucial intelligence that contributed to its victory in the Six-Day War.

Doubling down on betrayal 

The depth of these ties is commemorated in Israel, where streets and monuments bear King Hassan II’s name, symbolizing a connection that transcends mere diplomacy. This raises a critical question: is Morocco’s professed solidarity with Palestine merely a diplomatic facade to maintain public opinion while deepening ties with Israel?

A more recent and disturbing revelation comes from Moroccan academic Mohamed al-Batawi, who alleges that Moroccan soldiers are currently assisting Israeli forces in Gaza, infiltrating Hamas tunnels as “tunnel rats.” If true, this implicates Morocco directly in the very violations of humanitarian law that the ICC has condemned.

With the court now deliberating Avichzer’s case, all eyes turn to King Mohammed VI. Will he stand by the principles of justice his kingdom claims to champion, or will this moment further expose Morocco’s true alliances? 

Under the monarch’s watch, Morocco faces a defining choice – one that could either shatter the illusion or strengthen the image of a nation that stands for justice. The Moroccan public waits, hoping for a decision rooted in integrity, not power.  

~  Anis Raiss is an independent geopolitical analyst specializing in the Middle East and the emerging multipolar world. Born in The Netherlands to Berber immigrants, Raiss's work is published in the so called modern day of Dutch samizdats. His motto for geopolitical analysis is "omnibus dubitandum." which means to start by doubting everything.