>Even the New York Times, no friend of the Palestinians, >noted this determined response. "As this long period of >violence produces a mounting toll of death, injury and >property damage," the Times wrote Dec. 10, "the Palestinian >population grows steadily angrier and the voices of >moderation get even quieter...A fresh wave of rage is >breaking on the shores of accumulated humiliation and >resentment." > >"Three years of progress [in the Palestinian economy] have >been wiped out in two months of conflict," said Terje Rod >Larsen, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East, who >presented the UN report in Gaza on Dec. 4. > >PALESTINIANS LOSE $500 MILLION IN WAGES > >Israeli restrictions on Palestinian goods and workers have >cost the Palestinians more than $500 million in lost wages >and sales since the new uprising, the Al-Aqsa Intifada, >began Sept. 28. Unemployment has tripled. > >About 190,000 Palestinians have lost their jobs, and 760,500 >dependents no longer have regular household incomes. Close >to half of the population live on $2 a day or less, >according to the UN. > >Palestinian economic activity has been cut in half, with an >estimated $388 million drop in local economic output. > >Israel is barely transferring tax payments to the >Palestinians from custom duties and other taxes on goods >bought and sold in Palestinian territories. These payments, >which usually average more than $50 million a month, meet >the entire Palestinian government payroll, including >doctors, teachers and police. In the past seven weeks the >transfers came to no more than $8 million. > >Excluded from the UN's estimate of financial damage to the >Palestinian economy is the tens of millions of dollars in >damage to Palestinian "buildings, infrastructure and >vehicles, due mainly to the Israeli Army's use of heavy >weapons, including rockets, tank shells and high-caliber >automatic weapons," according to the report. > >In the first six weeks of the Palestinian uprising Israeli >attacks resulted in the partial or total destruction of 431 >private homes, 13 public buildings, 10 factories and 14 >religious buildings, the UN said. > >DESTROYING OFFICES AND TREES > >On Nov. 20, for example, Israeli missiles fired from >helicopters wrecked Gaza police stations, TV studios and >office suites. The Israeli Army bulldozed fields of >eucalyptus trees and fruit orchards. Barak called this "a >broad operation against Palestinian Authority infrastructure >in Gaza." (New York Times, Nov. 22) He visited Gaza the next >day to personally assess its results. > >According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, >Israeli bulldozers destroyed about 600 acres of agricultural >land in the Gaza Strip alone. But this Israeli "bomb and >destroy" campaign reaches beyond Gaza. When the West Bank >town of Beit Jala was bombed and strafed from U.S.-supplied >Cobra helicopters in mid-November, a factory was hardest >hit. > >Israeli rockets have also targeted greenhouses, under the >guise that these plastic-covered wooden frames provide >shelter for Palestinian snipers. Olive groves have been >destroyed with the same excuse. > >And Israeli settlers, acting as an unofficial arm of the >military, have been firing on Palestinians in the West Bank >trying to harvest their olive crops. (Wall Street Journal, >Nov. 7) > >This year saw a bumper crop of olives after two years of >drought. Many Palestinians who survived by selling their >olives were in serious debt and dependent on this crop to >remain solvent. For other Palestinians, olives are a >subsistence crop, one of the few things to be relied upon in >lean times. > >On Nov. 1, Israeli tanks fired more than a dozen rockets at >the Oasis Casino complex in Jericho, also hitting the new >Intercontinental Hotel there. Jericho, the crossroads >between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories, was >being developed as a tourist center. Two months ago, it had >2,500 visitors daily and its casino was thriving. Now this >has stopped. > >Additionally, the Palestinian Health Ministry reports that >out of the 10,000 Palestinians injured by Israeli soldiers, >more than 900 sustained serious physical or neurological >injuries requiring long-term health care. Many Palestinians >feel that this maiming is deliberate, and meant to place >lifetime burdens on the families of those who will care for >the seriously wounded. > >U.S. SUPPLIES ISRAELI WEAPONS > >The Israeli Army uses the U.S.-made M-16 rifle, which has a >range of more than a mile. According to Palestinian doctors, >a major source of the maiming injuries is using these high- >velocity bullets at close range. > >Washington not only supplies the weapons used to kill and >maim, U.S. aid of $10 million a day actually keeps the >Israeli state afloat. The U.S. views Israel as a battering >ram against the Arab revolution, securing Wall Street's grip >on Middle Eastern oil. > >Even now, while sponsoring a new commission to "establish >peace" in the Middle East, Washington is far from an "honest >broker" in the region. While providing the weapons used to >pummel the Palestinians, the U.S. government is seeking to >ease the burden that the two-month Palestinian uprising has >placed in the Israeli government. > >According to the UN report, Israeli "economists have lopped >a full percentage point off their growth estimates for the >country for the year, a billion-dollar correction. Tourism >vanished. Farmers and contractors who depend on Palestinian >workers are demanding bailout aid," and the high-tech sector >is scaling back spending. > >While no additional U.S. aid is planned for the >Palestinians, the Clinton administration is seeking to >cushion the effect of the Intifada on the Israeli economy >with an additional $450 million this year. > >In every way, this is a U.S.-Israeli war against the >Palestinian people. The working class and other concerned >people in the U.S. are in a unique position to give >solidarity to the Palestinian struggle by demanding that the >U.S. stop all aid to Israel. > >DAY OF RAGE > >Meanwhile, the Palestinian people remain defiant and >determined. Thousands participated in demonstrations in a >Dec. 8 "Day of Rage" marking the beginning of the first >Intifada 13 years ago. > >The killing of four Palestinian policeman, shelled by an >Israeli tank operator who saw them only as "Palestinians >with guns," set off a protest of thousands in Jenin. And >enraged youths responded to the murder of a 16-year old in >East Jerusalem by burning down an Israeli police station. >Funerals the next day erupted into angry mass demonstrations >in many locations. > >Far from defeating the people, the daily humiliations and >hardships are bringing new layers into the struggle. Take >Omar Dhuheir and Donya Dhuheir. Together they worked a two- >acre parcel of Gaza land and raised their nine children. >Their orchards, and especially their greenhouses of tomatoes >and cucumbers required 24-hour care. > >They were not involved in the Intifada. Their children did >not throw stones. They just wanted to be left alone. This >month, the Dhuheir family's property was razed to expand a >road for Israeli settlers. > >There was no warning. Israeli tractors, bulldozed the >fields, demolished the greenhouse, and tore into the seven- >room house as the Dhuheir family ran out the back door. All >the Dhuheirs have now is a tent in the sand. > >"Enough with the Intifada," said Donya Dhuheir. "I hope >there will be a war now." > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >Message-ID: <06b701c06785$42eccb60$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Taking credit for Yugoslav coup >Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2000 12:26:00 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Dec. 21, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >EDITORIAL: TAKING CREDIT FOR YUGOSLAV COUP > >Just before the Oct. 5 assault on the Yugoslav Parliament, >Workers World wrote that it would be a serious mistake "to >believe that an authentic, national popular movement >independent of the U.S. and NATO is rising up against the >Yugoslav government." > >That's because "Washington and its European allies have >subsidized this movement's leadership with huge sums of >money, bolstered them with enormous political support, >exhausted the Yugoslav population with war threats and >sanctions, demonized [former Yugoslav President Slobodan] >Milosevic by spreading lies and false charges, and goaded >the opposition to Milosevic to risk civil war." > >Only two months later, on Dec. 11, the Washington Post ran a >story confirming our analysis. It details just how U.S. >agencies carried out the electoral coup in Yugoslavia. > >The article has the look of a "leak" from the agencies >themselves--the Washington-based, Democratic Party-allied >National Democratic Institute and its Republican >counterpart, the International Republican Institute. >Displaying a cocky arrogance, the agents wanted to make sure >they got "credit" for the overthrow. > >The NDI held a strategy meeting in Budapest, Hungary, with >20 disloyal Yugoslav opposition parties a year before the >elections. It applied U.S. polling and advertising >techniques to the Yugoslav election, including twisting lots >of opposition leaders' arms to get them all behind Voyislav >Kostunica. Here's what the Post said: > >"In the 12 months following the strategy session, U.S.- >funded consultants played a crucial role behind the scenes >in virtually every facet of the anti-Milosevic drive, >running tracking polls, training thousands of opposition >activists and helping to organize a vitally important >parallel vote count. U.S. taxpayers paid for 5,000 cans of >spray paint used by student activists to scrawl anti- >Milosevic graffiti on walls across Serbia, and 2.5 million >stickers with the slogan 'He's Finished,' which became the >revolution's catchphrase." > >And: "While NDI worked closely with Serbian opposition >parties, IRI focused its attention on Otpor, which served as >the revolution's ideological and organizational backbone." >Otpor, or "Resist," is the counter-revolutionary student >organization that tried to mislead people with its leftist- >sounding name and clenched-fist symbol. > >"In March," the Post reported, "IRI paid for two dozen Otpor >leaders to attend a seminar on nonviolent resistance at the >Hilton Hotel in Budapest, a few hundreds yards along the >Danube from the NDI-favored Marriott." > >While the article referred to "nonviolence," it omitted >mention of U.S./NATO war maneuvers on election weekend. > >In this self-serving article, the agencies minimized the >CIA's role, describing it as ineffective. Don't be surprised >if another article--leaked by the CIA--credits the CIA with >organizing the attack on parliament and the television >station. > >Those around the world in solidarity with the Yugoslavs have >to believe this show of arrogance is "counting your puppets >before they're stabilized." May it pave the way to rapidly >discrediting the forces behind Kostunica and help those who >want to keep Yugoslavia independent throw the U.S.-backed >forces out. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >Message-ID: <06bf01c06785$5a229120$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Cuba set to cut phone service to U.S. >Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2000 12:26:40 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Dec. 21, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >AFTER PROVOCATIONS: CUBA SET TO CUT PHONE SERVICE TO U.S. > >By Gloria La Riva > >Cuba carried through on its promise. After warning >Washington for two months that plundering millions of >dollars in Cuban assets would have consequences, the Cuban >government will cut off direct telephone calls between the >U.S. and Cuba effective Dec. 15. > >For the time being, phone calls will still be possible >through third countries. > >Cuba will cut direct service until Washington allows U.S. >telephone companies to pay a 10-percent tax Cuba imposed in >late October on all future calls. The tax was aimed at >recovering up to $162 million in Cuban assets that >Washington has illegally confiscated over the years, and >that U.S. courts suddenly handed over to right-wing Cuban >exile forces in late October. > >On Oct. 16, U.S. Federal Judge James Lawrence King of >Florida awarded an initial $58 million from Cuba's assets to >the families of right-wingers who were shot down by a Cuban >plane in 1996. A law signed by President Clinton, >shamelessly called "Justice for Victims of Terrorism," made >this ruling possible. > >It was a scandalous decision since it rewards the Miami >group "Brothers to the Rescue" for its invasive flights into >Cuban territory in the 1990s. It also shows the ongoing >support by the U.S. government for the fascist forces >against Cuba. > >After warning "Brothers" that no more incursions would be >tolerated, on Feb. 24, 1996, a Cuban jet shot down two >planes that had twice deliberately invaded Cuban air space. >Four right-wing Cuban exiles were killed when the plane went >down. > >An editorial in Granma Dec. 11 described the judge's >financial reward to the terrorists: "In the height of >shamelessness, they [the Cuban right wing and U.S.] seek to >make Cuba pay for the terrorism that originates from that >country and of which our island is the victim." Granma is >the official organ of the Communist Party of Cuba and the >country's main newspaper. > >And more millions of dollars are earmarked for the CIA- >backed groups in Miami. Judge King granted $172.7 million in >punitive and other damages, also to come from Cuba's frozen >funds. This figure would exceed the $162 million frozen in >U.S. banks. Of that figure, $120 million comes from phone >calls, the rest from other Cuban properties. > >Responding to Cuba's cutting of phone service, a U.S. State >department official gave a statement that reeked of >hypocrisy. "It is unfortunate that while the world continues >to open up to the people of Cuba, the Cuban government is >threatening to deny Cuban citizens the ability to talk to >family members." > >It is the U.S., not Cuba that has brought suffering on the >Cuban people by imposing a devastating blockade for 40 >years. It is the U.S. that systematically withheld Cuba's >phone revenues from 1966 to 1994. > >Yet even while denied all its phone revenues, Cuba still >provided full phone service with the U.S. In all those >years, Cuba maintained telephone communications despite the >loss of millions of dollars per year, while AT&T reaped >major profits. > >Washington isn't crying about the cutting of phone service. >It's crying because Cuba held firm. > >According to Cuban Decree Law 213, the telephone tax will >continue until all confiscated monies are recovered. One >hundred percent of the funds will go towards medical >expenses for the Cuban people. > >Cuba says further steps may be taken to collect the taxes. >Granma's Dec. 11 declaration concluded, "We feel duty bound >to remind them that, beyond what is established in the >decree-law, we are able to adopt additional measures until >those funds are recovered. > >"What the Cuban-American Mafia needs to do is not to squeal >ridiculously, but assume full responsibility for the effects >that their cynical and repugnant actions have had on >communications between Cuba and the United States. They were >deluding themselves if they believed that there would not be >a response." > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for geopolitics. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
