Letter from Ramallah - "Israel is pounding us even as I write" Sept 16, 2001 - Ramallah I am writing to you now to the sound of Israel's "Defense Forces" pounding the living daylights out of my hometown Ramallah. As the whole world is too busy paying tributes to the victims of terror attacks in NYC and DC, Israel has had a field day in terror attacks of their own on us here. Since the attacks in the US, the Israelis have taken their assaults on Palestinians to new heights. Every day they have invaded a few cities using tanks, helicopters, and fighter jets. Since the beginning of the intifada, there has not been so much Israeli aggression like that witnessed since last Tuesday. No one could put this clearer than Shaul Mofaz, Israel's Chief of Staffs, who boasted that his forces have killed tens of Palestinians and no one in the world said anything. Indeed, since last Tuesday there have been unrelenting attacks on each Palestinian city for no reason. Since the beginning of the Intifada Israelis have carried out only 2 or 3 such attacks, while since Tuesday, there has been at least a dozen. Tens of Palestinian martyrs have fallen, and their cries have fallen on deaf ears in this world. Everyone seems to be more interested in backing that raging cowboy Bush as he declares his country going into war against a yet unidentified enemy. The attack on the WTC and Pentagon, is a clear act of terror that I, and millions of Palestinians, denounce. Yet it must be really painful to see how the whole world has had nothing to do in the last few days but mourn the victims, while more than a million and a half civilian Iraqis have died since the beginning of the US terror campaign on Iraq. Why did no one weep for them, why did no one weep for the hundreds of thousands in Rwanda, and why is my people's suffering under the illegal Israeli occupation no longer interesting to anyone? Excuse me if my thoughts are a bit incoherent, or if my sentences seem to make little sense, but it is really hard to concentrate with Apache choppers hovering a few hundred feet above your head, armored tanks unleashing their might on your neighborhood, all sorts of missiles flashing across your window, and a nearby building being obliterated to rubble. If you don't hear from me anymore, then know that one of those missiles has managed to find its way to my room, turning me into a meaningless number in a meaningless statistic that no one will pay attention to. For some inexplicable reason I felt like writing this here and now, and sharing it with you, I would really appreciate it if you could pass it on to as many people as possible. Israel must not be allowed to continue its attacks on Palestinians. If terror is to be fought in this world, state terror is the first terror that must be eradicated. American attacks on civilians in Iraq, Sudan, and Yugoslavia, and Israel's continued terror in Palestine are primary examples. Finally, my heart goes out to every victim of terror in the world, to the people of Hiroshima, Auschwitz, Rwanda, Baghdad, Belgrade, Vietnam, New York, and DC, it is at moments like this that I feel your suffering and pain. I can now honestly say that I know what it feels like to be a victim. Yours Saifedean Ammous 16/9/20001 Ramallah, Palestine Source (Islamic Association of Palestine) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> FREE COLLEGE MONEY CLICK HERE to search 600,000 scholarships! http://us.click.yahoo.com/47cccB/4m7CAA/ySSFAA/TySplB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> ============================================== SPY NEWS is OSINT newsletter and discussion list associated to Mario's Cyberspace Station http://mprofaca.cro.net/mainmenu.html ============================================== *** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to SPYNEWS eGroup members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ----------------------------------------------- SPY NEWS home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spynews To change your subscription mode to Daily Digest (one message a day) send a blank message: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe SPYNEWS send a blank message: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Mario Profaca, independent journalist, SPY NEWS eGroup list owner, editor & moderator, is a member of of the Committee of Concerned Journalists, an initiative administered through the offices of the Project for Excellence in Journalism in Washington, D.C. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/