Deconstructing the Myths of “The First Thanksgiving” ( filed under : “The Conquest of the Americas”)

http://www.sott.net

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 00:00 CDT

Judy Dow and Beverly Slapin
Oyate

© Jean Louis Gerome Ferris
“The First Thanksgiving”

What is it about the story of “The First Thanksgiving” that makes it essential to be taught in virtually every grade from preschool through high school? What is it about the story that is so seductive? Why has it become an annual elementary school tradition to hold Thanksgiving pageants, with young children dressing up in paper-bag costumes and feather-duster headdresses and marching around the schoolyard? Why is it seen as necessary for fake “pilgrims” and fake “Indians” (portrayed by real children, many of whom are Indian) to sit down every year to a fake feast, acting out fake scenarios and reciting fake dialogue about friendship? And why do teachers all over the country continue (for the most part, unknowingly) to perpetuate this myth year after year after year?

Is it because as Americans we have a deep need to believe that the soil we live on and the country on which it is based was founded on integrity and cooperation? This belief would help contradict any feelings of guilt that could haunt us when we look at our role in more recent history in dealing with other indigenous peoples in other countries. If we dare to give up the “myth” we may have to take responsibility for our actions both concerning indigenous peoples of this land as well as those brought to this land in violation of everything that makes us human. The realization of these truths untold might crumble the foundation of what many believe is a true democracy. As good people, can we be strong enough to learn the truths of our collective past? Can we learn from our mistakes? This would be our hope.

We offer these myths and facts to assist students, parents and teachers in thinking critically about this holiday, and deconstructing what we have been taught about the history of this continent and the world. (Note: We have based our “fact” sections in large part on the research, both published and unpublished, that Abenaki scholar Margaret M. Bruchac developed in collaboration with the Wampanoag Indian Program at Plimoth Plantation. We thank Marge for her generosity. We thank Doris Seale and Lakota Harden for their support.)

MYTH #1: “The First Thanksgiving” occurred in 1621.

“Thanksgiving is a truly American holiday. Its traditions began in the New World with a feast shared by the Pilgrims and Native Americans….The Pilgrims decided to have a three-day celebration feast to give thanks for a good harvest. Thus began the first Thanksgiving.”

- Judith Stamper, Thanksgiving Fun Activity Book

“In New England the first traditional Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Plymouth colonists.”

- Kathy Ross, Crafts for Thanksgiving

“During the fall of 1621, he declared that there would be a feast to celebrate their first bountiful harvest…. Today, we think of that wonderful harvest feast…as the first American Thanksgiving. (Although for them Native Americans, it was actually their fifth thanksgiving feast of the year!)”

- Deborah Fink, It’s a Family Thanksgiving!

“The first Thanksgiving was a celebration of the Pilgrims’ very first harvest….[The cornucopia reminds] us of the first Thanksgiving when Pilgrims gave thanks for their first rich harvest in the New World.”

- Janice Kinnealy, Let’s Celebrate Thanksgiving, A Book of Drawing Fun

“The feast at Plymouth in 1621 is often called The First Thanksgiving.”

- Robert Merrill Bartlett, The Story of Thanksgiving

“The pilgrims wanted to give thanks for all the good food. That was the first Thanksgiving.”

- Karen Gray Ruelle, The Thanksgiving Beast Feast

Fact: No one knows when the “first” thanksgiving occurred. People have been giving thanks for as long as people have existed. Indigenous nations all over the world have celebrations of the harvest that come from very old traditions; for Native peoples, thanksgiving comes not once a year, but every day, for all the gifts of life. To refer to the harvest feast of 1621 as “The First Thanksgiving” disappears Indian peoples in the eyes of non-Native children.

MYTH #2: The people who came across the ocean on the Mayflower were called Pilgrims.

“The Pilgrims lived in England.”

- Robert Merrill Bartlett, The Story of Thanksgiving

“The first group of newcomers was called the Pilgrims.”

- David F. Marx, Thanksgiving

“Once upon a time in the land of England, there lived a small group of people called Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were unhappy, because…”

- Katherine Ross, The Story of the Pilgrims

“Many, many years ago some people who called themselves Pilgrims left England to find a new home.”

- Lou Rogers, The First Thanksgiving

“The people were called Pilgrims.”

- Ann McGovern, The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving

“The Pilgrims sailed on a ship called the Mayflower.”

- Judy Donnelly, The Pilgrims and Me

“Many years ago, the Pilgrims came to America.”

- Pat Whitehead, Best Thanksgiving Book, ABC Adventures

“These are the Pilgrims, who farmed the new land,…”

- Rhonda Gowler Greene, The Very First Thanksgiving Day

“Thanksgiving reminds people of the Pilgrims many years ago.”

- Gail Gibbons, Thanksgiving Day

“The Pilgrims!’ said Squanto. ‘Pilgrims?’ said Ocomo.”

- Clyde Robert Bulla, Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims

“1 little, 2 little, 3 little Pilgrims, 4 little, 5 little, 6 little Pilgrims,…

- B.G. Hennessy, One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims

Fact: The Plimoth settlers did not refer to themselves as “Pilgrims.” Pilgrims are people who travel for religious reasons, such as Muslims who make a pilgrimage to Mecca. Most of those who arrived here from England were religious dissidents who had broken away from the Church of England. They called themselves “Saints”; others called them “Separatists.” Some of the settlers were “Puritans,” dissidents but not separatists who wanted to “purify” the Church. It wasn’t until around the time of the American Revolution that the name “Pilgrims” came to be associated with the Plimoth settlers, and the “Pilgrims” became the symbol of American morality and Christian faith, fortitude, and family. (1)

MYTH #3: The colonists came seeking freedom of religion in a new land.

“The Pilgrims wanted their own religion….So the Pilgrims decided to leave England.”

- Linda Hayward, The First Thanksgiving

“The Pilgrims had left England because King James did not want them to practice their own religion. They were in search of a new home.”

- Garnet Jackson, The First Thanksgiving

“They left their old country because they could not pray the way they wanted.”

- Ann McGovern, The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving

“The Pilgrims wanted to worship God in their own way…”

- Gail Gibbons, Thanksgiving Day

“‘They are people who want to have their own church and be free,’ said Squanto. ‘I heard of them in London.’”

- Clyde Robert Bulla, Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims

Fact: The colonists were not just innocent refugees from religious persecution. By 1620, hundreds of Native people had already been to England and back, most as captives; so the Plimoth colonists knew full well that the land they were settling on was inhabited. Nevertheless, their belief system taught them that any land that was “unimproved” was “wild” and theirs for the taking; that the people who lived there were roving heathens with no right to the land. Both the Separatists and Puritans were rigid fundamentalists who came here fully intending to take the land away from its Native inhabitants and establish a new nation, their “Holy Kingdom.” The Plimoth colonists were never concerned with “freedom of religion” for anyone but themselves. (2)

MYTH #4: When the “Pilgrims” landed, they first stepped foot on “Plymouth Rock.”

“The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.”

- Kathy Ross, Crafts for Thanksgiving

“On December 11, 1620, the Pilgrim men landed on Plymouth Harbor beach, jumped into the icy waves and, fighting the sea and wind, secured the shallop to Plymouth Harbour’s glacial rock.”

- Jean Craighead George, The First Thanksgiving

“The old story says that when the Pilgrims first came ashore, they stepped on a big rock – Plymouth Rock.”

- Judy Donnelly, The Pilgrims and Me

“Sarah told how all the Pilgrims were thankful when they finally reached land. They named a big rock Plymouth Rock, after the place they came from in England.”

- Anne Rockwell, Thanksgiving Day

“Here a brook flows into the harbor. A big rock marks the landing. They will call this place New Plymouth.”

- Linda Hayward, The First Thanksgiving

“This is the harbor, marked by a huge stone where first steps were taken to chart the unknown,…”

- Rhonda Gowler Greene, The Very First Thanksgiving Day

“The Pilgrims came/To Plymouth Rock/One snowy, cold December…”

- Nan Roloff, The First American Thanksgiving

“On top of the gravel the glacier deposited huge boulders it had carried from distant places. One settled in Plymouth Harbor….A wandering pilgrim, it left its home in Africa two hundred million years ago….Eons later, battered by glaciers, all 200 tons of it came to rest in lonely splendor, on a sandy beach in a cove. This boulder is Plymouth Rock….Yet to Americans, Plymouth Rock is a symbol. It is larger than the mountains, wider than the prairies and stronger than all our rivers. It is the rock on which our nation began.”

- Jean Craighead George, The First Thanksgiving

“Whether the Pilgrims really stepped ashore onto this particular rock is open to question. But perhaps that is unimportant. Plymouth Rock is a symbol – a symbol of faith and hope and of something to be relied on. As such, it might be called a symbol of the Pilgrims themselves, the brave men, women, and children who worked together to found Plymouth.”

- Edna Barth, Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian Corn: A Story of the Thanksgiving Symbols

Fact: When the colonists landed, they sought out a sandy inlet in which to beach the little shallop that carried them from the Mayflower to the mainland. This shallop would have been smashed to smithereens had they docked at a rock, especially a Rock. Although the Plimoth settlers built their homes just up the hill from the Rock, William Bradford in Mourt’s Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, does not even mention the Rock; writing only that they “unshipped our shallop and drew her on land.” (3) The actual “rock” is a slab of Dedham granodiorite placed there by a receding glacier some 20,000 years ago. It was first referred to in a town surveying record in 1715, almost 100 years after the landing. Since then, the Rock has been moved, cracked in two, pasted together, carved up, chipped apart by tourists, cracked again, and now rests as a memorial to something that never happened. (4)

It’s quite possible that the myth about the “Pilgrims” landing on a “Rock” originated as a reference to the New Testament of the Christian bible, in which Jesus says to Peter, “And I say also unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18) The appeal to these scriptures gives credence to the sanctity of colonization and the divine destiny of the dominant culture. Although the colonists were not dominant then, they behaved as though they were.

MYTH #5: The Pilgrims found corn.

“During their first hard year in America, the Pilgrims found corn buried in the sand of Cape Cod. The corn had been stored there by Native Americans. This important find gave the Pilgrims seeds to plant – and these became the seeds for survival.”

- Judith Stamper, Thanksgiving Fun Activity Book

“On their way back they found Indian graves and some Indian corn.”

- Edna Barth, Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian Corn: The Story of the Thanksgiving Symbols

“The men dug down into [a hill of sand] and – there was a little old basket filled with corn! Now they had corn to plant. They found other baskets. These were big baskets, and it took two men to carry one. They filled their pockets with corn.

- Alice Dalgliesh, The Thanksgiving Story

“The men keep exploring. They find wonderful things – corn, baskets, a spring.”

- Linda Hayward, The First Thanksgiving

“Governor Carver meted out five kernels of Indian corn to each person once a day. The scouts had found the corn stored in reed baskets in the sand of Cape Cod.”

- Jean Craighead George, The First Thanksgiving

“The Pilgrims showed Massasoit some fine baskets they had found in the village. The baskets were full of seed corn.”

- Kate Jassem, Squanto: The Pilgrim Adventure, Troll Communications (1979)

Fact: Just a few days after landing, a party of about 16 settlers led by Captain Myles Standish followed a Nauset trail and came upon an iron kettle and a cache of Indian corn buried in the sand. They made off with the corn and returned a few days later with reinforcements. This larger group “found” a larger store of corn, about ten bushels, and took it. They also “found” several graves, and, according to Mourt’s Relation, “brought sundry of the prettiest things away” from a child’s grave and then covered up the corpse. They also “found” two Indian dwellings and “some of the best things we took away with us.” (5) There is no record that restitution was ever made for the stolen corn, and the Wampanoag did not soon forget the colonists’ ransacking of Indian graves. (6)

MYTH #6: Samoset appeared out of nowhere, and along with Squanto became friends with the Pilgrims. Squanto helped the Pilgrims survive and joined them at “The First Thanksgiving.”

“When Spring came, two men named Squanto and Samoset appeared and made friends with the surviving Pilgrims.”

- Robert Merrill Bartlett, The Story of Thanksgiving

“One day, three Native Americans came to visit. One named Squanto stayed to help the Pilgrims.”

- Nancy J. Skarmeas, The Story of Thanksgiving

“Squanto liked the Pilgrims. He could see that they needed help. He helped the Pilgrims make friends with the other Indians.”

- Teresa Celsi, Squanto and the First Thanksgiving

“A tall Indian was walking into Plymouth. ‘Welcome, Englishmen,’ he said. …He carried a bow and two arrows. His black hair hung long in back. The Indian called himself Samoset….He was eager to talk to the Pilgrims….The Pilgrims were glad to have Samoset as a friend.”

- Judith Bauer Stamper, New Friends in a New Land

“Squanto was the Pilgrims’ teacher and friend. He helped save their lives and made sure their little settlement survived in the rocky New England soil. By saving the Pilgrims, Squanto became one of our first American heroes.”

- Deborah Fink, It’s a Family Thanksgiving!

“An Indian named Squanto turned out to be a special friend. He taught the Pilgrims many things…”

- Katherine Ross, The Story of the Pilgrims

“Then one day an Indian walks right into the settlement. The children are terrified. But the Indian smiles and says, ‘Welcome.’ His name is Samoset. He speaks English! He learned it from sea captains….Samoset comes back with an Indan named Squanto. Squanto speaks even better English! He likes the Pilgrims and he decides to live with them. He shows them how to survive in the wilderness…”

- Linda Hayward, The First Thanksgiving

“I must have been quite a shock one March day when all of a sudden a Native American walked right into the Pilgrims’ little village. The Pilgrims must have been even more amazed when he started speaking English! His name was Samoset and he was a member of the Wampanoag tribe.”

- Deborah Fink, It’s a Family Thanksgiving!

“Squanto spoke really good English. He had even been to England. Squanto had no family, so he acted as though the Pilgrims were his family. He liked them so much he came to live at Plymouth.”

- Judith Donnelly, The Pilgrims and Me

“Squanto had been to England with some sailors. He could talk English. Squanto lived with the Pilgrims. Squanto was a good friend. He showed the Pilgrims…”

- Lou Rogers, The First Thanksgiving

“One Indian decided to stay with the Pilgrims. He spoke English. His name was Squanto….The Pilgrims praised God for sending Squanto to them.”

- Elaine Raphael and Don Bolognese, The Story of the First Thanksgiving

“Squanto decided to stay in Plymouth and help the Pilgrims. He became their guide and translator, and he showed them how to catch fish and find food. The Pilgrims called their new friend ‘a special instrument sent of God.’”

- Anne Kamma, If you Were At… The First Thanksgiving

“One day, a kind Indian came to the Pilgrims’ village. He like the Pilgrims and wanted to help them. Soon, more Indians came. They were nice and showed the Pilgrims how to….”

- Pat Whitehead, Best Thanksgiving Book: ABC Adventures

“The Pilgrims made a good friend who helped them. His name was Squanto. Squanto was one of the people who had lived near Plymouth years before the white men came. He taught the Pilgrims everything about the land he knew so well.”

- Ann McGovern, The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving

“One day an Indian walked right into town and said, ‘Welcome.’…This Indian was friendly and he spoke English! The Pilgrims gave him presents, and he came back with more Indians. One was named Squanto.”

- Judy Donnelly, The Pilgrims and Me

“Later [Samoset] brought another Indian named Squanto, who spoke better English, because he had been taken to England on a ship.”

- Alice Dalgliesh, The Thanksgiving Story

“The sole survivor of the Pawtuxet tribe of the Plymouth area, Squanto had spent several years in England and could speak the language.”

- Edna Barth, Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian Corn: The Story of the Thanksgiving Symbols

“Squanto was their special friend. He taught the Pilgrims many useful things, like…”

- Janice Kinnealy, Let’s Celebrate Thanksgiving: A Book of Drawing Fun

Fact: Samoset, an eastern Abenaki chief, was the first to contact the Plimoth colonists. He was investigating the settlement to gather information and report to Massasoit, the head sachem in the Wampanoag territory. In his hand, Samoset carried two arrows: one blunt and one pointed. The question to the settlers was: are you friend or foe? Samoset brought Tisquantum (Squanto), one of the few survivors of the original Wampanoag village of Pawtuxet, to meet the English and keep an eye on them. Tisquantum had been taken captive by English captains several years earlier, and both he and Samoset spoke English. Tisquantum agreed to live among the colonists and serve as a translator. Massasoit also sent Hobbamock and his family to live near the colony to keep an eye on the settlement and also to watch Tisquantum, whom Massasoit did not trust. The Wampanoag oral tradition says that Massasoit ordered Tisquantum killed after he tried to stir up the English against the Wampanoag. Massasoit himself lost face after his years of dealing with the English only led to warfare and land grabs. Tisquantum is viewed by Wampanoag people as a traitor, for his scheming against other Native people for his own gain. Massasoit is viewed as a wise and generous leader whose affection for the English may have led him to be too tolerant of their ways. (7)

MYTH #7: The Pilgrims invited the Indians to celebrate the First Thanksgiving.

“A company of men had been sent to the Indian village with the invitation to the feast.”

- Cheryl Harness, Three Young Pilgrims

“The Pilgrims invited Native Americans to the first Thanksgiving.”

- David F. Marx, Thanksgiving

“The Pilgrims invited their Native American friends to a great feast.”

- Nancy J. Skarmeas, The Story of Thanksgiving

“The new governor, William Bradford, asked Squanto to invite Massasoit and a few friends to a feast.”

- Jean Craighead George, The First Thanksgiving

“There was a lot to be thankful for, so they decided to have a big feast and invite Massasoit. They asked him to bring some friends.”

- Judy Donnelly, The Pilgrims and Me

“‘Join us,’ they said to the Indians. Join us in a big feast of Thanksgiving. It will be a very special holiday.’”

- Pat Whitehead, Best Thanksgiving Book, ABC Adventures

“The harvest was/So plentiful/The Pilgrims were delighted – /They prepared to have/A giant feast,/And the Indians were invited.”

- Nan Roloff, The First American Thanksgiving

“The Pilgrims especially wanted to thank the Indians for the help they had given them. So they asked them to come to their Thanksgiving celebration.”

- Margot Parker, What Is Thanksgiving Day?

“The people said,… “We will have a feast and invite our Indian friends.”

- Lou Rogers, The First Thanksgiving

“The Pilgrims decided to have…a party. They invited the Wampanoag to join them.”

- Mir Tamim Ansary, Thanksgiving Day

“To celebrate, the Pilgrims decided to have a big party – a harvest festival. And they invited their new Indian friends to join them.”

- Anne Kamma, If You Were At…The First Thanksgiving

“They decided to have a Thanksgiving feast. The Pilgrims invited their Indian friends.”

- Gail Gibbons, Thanksgiving Day

“We invited the Indians to a Thanksgiving feast.”

- William Accorsi, Friendship’s First Thanksgiving

Fact: According to oral accounts from the Wampanoag people, when the Native people nearby first heard the gunshots of the hunting colonists, they thought that the colonists were preparing for war and that Massasoit needed to be informed. When Massasoit showed up with 90 men and no women or children, it can be assumed that he was being cautious. When he saw there was a party going on, his men then went out and brought back five deer and lots of turkeys. (8)

In addition, both the Wampanoag and the English settlers were long familiar with harvest celebrations. Long before the Europeans set foot on these shores, Native peoples gave thanks every day for all the gifts of life, and held thanksgiving celebrations and giveaways at certain times of the year. The Europeans also had days of thanksgiving, marked by religious services. So the coming together of two peoples to share food and company was not entirely a foreign thing for either. But the visit that by all accounts lasted three days was most likely one of a series of political meetings to discuss and secure a military alliance. Neither side totally trusted the other: The Europeans considered the Wampanoag soulless heathens and instruments of the devil, and the Wampanoag had seen the Europeans steal their seed corn and rob their graves. In any event, neither the Wampanoag nor the Europeans referred to this feast/meeting as “Thanksgiving.” (9)

MYTH #8: The Pilgrims provided the food for their Indian friends.

“The Wampanoag smoked their pipes, tasted English cooking, and presented a dance to the Pilgrims.”

- Judith Stamper, Thanksgiving Fun Activity Book

“The pilgrims hunted wild turkeys. They picked fruits and berries. When there was enough food, they all had a feast.”

- Karen Gray Ruelle, The Thanksgiving Beast Feast

“They knew they could never have survived without the Indians, so the Pilgrims invited the Indians to join them in a feast.”

- Katherine Ross, The Story of the Pilgrims

“The twelve women of New Plymouth began great preparations. From the kitchens came the savory smell of roasting geese and turkey. An abundance of corn bread and hasty pudding was being prepared. Stewed eels, boiled lobsters, and juicy clam stews simmered over the fires. Before the feast, Squanto was sent with an invitation to Massasoit and his chiefs….The Indians were in no hurry to go home as long as the food held out, and the holiday-making carried on for three days.”

- James Daugherty, The Landing of the Pilgrims

Fact: It is known that when Massasoit showed up with 90 men and saw there was a party going on, they then went out and brought back five deer and lots of turkeys. Though the details of this event have become clouded in secular mythology, judging by the inability of the settlers to provide for themselves at this time and Edward Winslow’s letter of 1622 (10), it is most likely that Massasoit and his people provided most of the food for this “historic” meal. (11)

MYTH #9: The Pilgrims and Indians feasted on turkey, potatoes, berries, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and popcorn.

“… [T]he corn and sweet berries, the wild turkey dressed….”

- Rhonda Gowler Greene, The Very First Thanksgiving Day

“Pilgrim women also invented many ways to sweeten the bitter berries for food. The most popular recipe passed down from them is cranberry sauce.”

- Judith Stamper, Thanksgiving Fun Activity Book

“[Squanto] even showed [the Pilgrims] how to make [corn] pop for a tasty treat called ‘popcorn.’…There were all kinds of wonderful foods to eat: turkey, squash, corn, clams, pumpkin, and more.”

- Janice Kinnealy, Let’s Celebrate Thanksgiving, A Book of Drawing Fun

“We do know the meal included deer, oysters, boiled pumpkin, corn, and cranberries.”

- David F. Marx, Thanksgiving

“There were meat pies, wheat breads, and corn puddings. There were berries, grapes, dried plums, and nuts.”

- Garnet Jackson, The First Thanksgiving

“There was also cod and bass. Lobsters boiled in big iron pots. Oysters and clams roasted in the coals. The women made cornmeal cakes and biscuits of course wheat flour. There were salads of watercress and leeks. And there were squash, pumpkins and dried berries.”

- Robert Merrill Bartlett, The Story of Thanksgiving

“The Pilgrims collected fish, lobsters, oysters, and clams from the shore. There were carrots, onions, beans, berries, and dried fruit.”

- Robert Merrill Bartlett, The Story of Thanksgiving

“Many tables are filled with the same foods the Pilgrims and Indians shared. There is cranberry sauce and a big turkey stuffed with breadcrumbs, herbs, and nuts. Also there are sweet potatoes, beans, squash, and cornbread. Sometimes there is a tasty pumpkin pie for dessert.”

- Gail Gibbons, Thanksgiving Day

“He sent men out to shoot turkeys and ducks. The women baked. … Massasoit arrived the day of the feast with five deer and many turkeys. With him were not just a few guests, as expected, but ninety. For a moment the cooks were shocked. Then they recovered and quickly went to work. More bread was baked, more vegetables were cooked, more turkeys were stuffed with bread and cranberries.”

- Jean Craighead George, The First Thanksgiving

“They had prepared several kinds of meat and fish, corn and pumpkin dishes, cranberries, and more. Still, there was not going to be enough food for so many. When the chief saw that more food would be needed,,.he sent some of his men out. They returned with five deer, turkeys, corn, squash, beans and berries. It was a true potluck dinner!”

- Deborah Fink, It’s a Family Thanksgiving!

“Everyone eats so much – turkey, lobster, goose, deer meat, onions, pumpkin, corn bread, berries.”

- Linda Hayward, The First Thanksgiving

“Fat geese and wild turkeys roasted slowly over the fire. Pies and corn bread baked in the outdoor ovens.”

- Elaine Raphael and Don Bolognese, The Story of the First Thanksgiving

“Turkey, cornbread, cranberry stuffing,/Pumpkin, cider, Indian pudding./Clams and oysters – tummies growling.”

- B.G. Hennessy, One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims

“[American Indians] showed [the Pilgrims] how to make popcorn.”

- Karen Gray Ruelle, The Thanksgiving Beast Feast

“From the gardens they gathered cucumbers, carrots and cabbages, turnips and radishes, onions and beets. Corn was cooked in many ways. There was popcorn, too! There were wild fruits for dessert. Thanksgiving was a time for eating and for sharing.”

- Ann McGovern, The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving

“There was enough good food for everybody. They had deer, turkeys, geese, ducks, fish, and clams. They had corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, plums, grapes, nuts, cranberries, and corn cakes.”

- Lou Rogers, The First Thanksgiving

“The Pilgrims baked and baked. They made good things to eat. The Pilgrims went to the lake for fish and to the hills for turkeys. They all made food for the big feast.”

- Teresa Celsi, Squanto and the First Thanksgiving

“There was eel and cod and lobster and quahogs and mussels and wild turkey and cranberries and succotash and berry pies.”

- Eric Metaxas, Squanto and the First Thanksgiving

“They ate stewed eels. They ate cod and sea bass, their favorite fish.”

- Anne Kamma, If You Were At…The First Thanksgiving

Fact: Both written and oral evidence show that what was actually consumed at the harvest festival in 1621 included venison (since Massasoit and his people brought five deer), wild fowl, and quite possibly nasaump – dried corn pounded and boiled into a thick porridge, and pompion – cooked, mashed pumpkin. Among the other food that would have been available, fresh fruits such as plums, grapes, berries and melons would have been out of season. It would have been too cold to dig for clams or fish for eels or small fish. There were no boats to fish for lobsters in rough water that was about 60 fathoms deep. There was not enough of the barley crop to make a batch of beer, nor was there a wheat crop. Potatoes and sweet potatoes didn’t get from the south up to New England until the 18th century, nor did sweet corn. Cranberries would have been too tart to eat without sugar to sweeten them, and that’s probably why they wouldn’t have had pumpkin pie, either. Since the corn of the time could not be successfully popped, there was no popcorn. (12)

MYTH #10: The Pilgrims and Indians became great friends.

“The Indians and Pilgrims agreed to live in Peace. Together they hunted quail and turkey.”

- Pat Whitehead, Best Thanksgiving Book, ABC Adventures

“Then in friendship/And goodwill,/The braves and Pilgrims parted./And that’s how/The tradition/Of Thanksgiving Day got started!”

- Nan Roloff, The First American Thanksgiving

“The Pilgrims lived in peace with their Indian neighbors.”

- Janice Kinnealy, Let’s Celebrate Thanksgiving, A Book of Drawing Fun

“They had food and houses and warm fires. The Indians were their friends. They were free in this new land.”

- Alice Dalgliesh, The Thanksgiving Story

“How thankful they are! They have food, and shelter, and new friends, the Indians. The Pilgrims decide to invite the Indians to a thanksgiving feast.”

- Linda Hayward, The First Thanksgiving

“The Pilgrims knew it was time to give thanks to God and their Indian friends. They decided to have a harvest feast.”

- Judith Bauer Stamper, New Friends in a New Land

“All of the Pilgrims took part. So did their Indian friends.”

- Ann McGovern, The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving

“12 tables groaning/beneath a harvest spread – /Wampanoag and Pilgrim friends/together will break bread./Joined under one sky/with one prayer to say – /a prayer of thanks for all they have/this first Thanksgiving Day.”

- Laura Krauss Melmed, This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story

“Together the Pilgrims and Indians lived in peace and grew in friendship.”

- Elaine Raphael and Don Bolognese, The Story of the First Thanksgiving

Fact: A mere generation later, the balance of power had shifted so enormously and the theft of land by the European settlers had become so egregious that the Wampanoag were forced into battle. In 1637, English soldiers massacred some 700 Pequot men, women and children at Mystic Fort, burning many of them alive in their homes and shooting those who fled. The colony of Connecticut and Massachusetts Bay Colony observed a day of thanksgiving commemorating the massacre. By 1675, there were some 50,000 colonists in the place they had named “New England.” That year, Metacom, a son of Massasoit, one of the first whose generosity had saved the lives of the starving settlers, led a rebellion against them. By the end of the conflict known as “King Philip’s War,” most of the Indian peoples of the Northeast region had been either completely wiped out, sold into slavery, or had fled for safety into Canada. Shortly after Metacom’s death, Plimoth Colony declared a day of thanksgiving for the English victory over the Indians. (13)

MYTH #11: Thanksgiving is a happy time.

“Today, Thanksgiving is a happy time when families gather together.”

- Robert Merrill Bartlett, The Story of Thanksgiving

“It’s a time to remember the Pilgrims and their first Thanksgiving.”

- Janice Kinnealy, Let’s Celebrate Thanksgiving, A Book of Drawing Fun

“On Thanksgiving families are thankful for being together to share a special meal.”

- Robert Merrill Bartlett, The Story of Thanksgiving

“Thanksgiving is a special day. It’s a time for friends, family and lots of fun. It’s also a time for giving thanks – just as the Indians and Pilgrims did long ago on the first Thanksgiving.”

- Judith Conaway, Happy Thanksgiving! Things to Make and Do

“Thanksgiving has always been a holiday to share with those we love. We celebrate the joy of being together, and give thanks for our families and friends.”

- Ronne Randall, Thanksgiving Fun: Fun Things to Make and Do

“Thanksgiving reminds us of the little band of people who founded the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. Each November it reopens a favorite chapter in our nation’s history.”

- Edna Barth, Turkeys Pilgrims, and Indian Corn: The Story of the Thanksgiving Symbols

“Today, families and friends gather together to celebrate Thanksgiving….No matter how Thanksgiving is celebrated, it is a time for families to feast together and think about all of the reasons they have to give thanks.”

- Robert Merrill Bartlett, The Story of Thanksgiving

“On Thanksgiving Day, we join our families and friends for prayer, feasting, and fun.”

- Judith Bauer Stamper, New Friends in a New Land: A Thanksgiving Story

“All over the country, people gather their families together and have a feast. They thank God for the good things of the past year. They eat turkey. They remember the brave Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving Day.”

- Lou Rogers, The First Thanksgiving

“Today Thanksgiving is celebrated by families and friends enjoying a big Thanksgiving meal….Many families set aside some time to give thanks just as the Pilgrims and Native Americans did so many years ago.”

- Kathy Ross, Crafts for Thanksgiving

“Thanksgiving is about more than a big meal. It is a chance to think about what is good in our lives. These are the things we can be thankful for.”

- David F. Marx, Thanksgiving

“That was the first Thanksgiving! It’s a story we’ll never forget. It’s something we celebrate every year.”

- Anne Rockwell, Thanksgiving Day

Fact: For many Indian people, “Thanksgiving” is a time of mourning, of remembering how a gift of generosity was rewarded by theft of land and seed corn, extermination of many from disease and gun, and near total destruction of many more from forced assimilation. As currently celebrated in this country, “Thanksgiving” is a bitter reminder of 500 years of betrayal returned for friendship.

Notes:

1. Correspondence with Abenaki scholar Margaret M. Bruchac. See also Plimoth Plantation, “A Key to Historical and Museum Terms,” “Who Were the Pilgrims?”
2. See Note 1.
3. See William Bradford’s Mourt’s Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, p. 19.
4. Conversation with Douglas Frink, Archaeology Consulting Team, Inc. See also Plimoth Plantation, “The Adventures of Plimoth Rock.”
5. See William Bradford’s Mourt’s Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, p. 28.
6. See “The Saints Come Sailing In,” in Dorothy W. Davids and Ruth A. Gudinas, “Thanksgiving: A New Perspective (and its Implications in the Classroom)” in Thanksgiving: A Native Perspective, pp. 70-71.
7. Correspondence with Margaret M. Bruchac about the relationship Samoset, Tisquantum, Hobbamock, and Massasoit. See also Margaret M. Bruchac and Catherine O’Neill Grace, 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving.
8. See Margaret M. Bruchac and Catherine O’Neill Grace, ibid.
9. For a description of how the European settlers regarded the Wampanoag, as well as evidence of their theft of seed corn and funerary objects, see Mourt’s Relation. See also Margaret M. Bruchac and Catherine O’Neill Grace, ibid.
10. See Edward Winslow, Good Newes from New England: A True Relation of Things Very Remarkable at the Plantation of Plimoth in New England.
11. See Duane Champagne, Native America: Portrait of the Peoples. Detroit: Visible Ink (1994), pp. 81-82; and Chuck Larsen, op. cit., p. 51.
12. See Plimoth Plantation, “No Popcorn!,” and “A First Thanksgiving Dinner for Today,” See also Margaret M. Bruchac and Catherine O’Neill Grace, op. cit.
13. See “King Philip Cries Out for Revenge,” pp. 43-45; and “There Are Many Thanksgiving Stories to Tell,” pp. 49-52, in Thanksgiving: A Native Perspective. See also Margaret M. Bruchac and Catherine O’Neill Grace, op. cit.

References/Recommended Books:

• Bruchac, Margaret M. (Abenaki), and Catherine Grace O’Neill, 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2001, grades 4-up.
• Hunter, Sally M. (Ojibwe), Four Seasons of Corn: A Winnebago Tradition. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1997, grades 4-6.
• Peters, Russell M. (Wampanoag), Clambake: A Wampanoag Tradition. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1992, grades 4-6.
• Regguinti, Gordon (Ojibwe), The Sacred Harvest: Ojibway Wild Rice Gathering. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1992, grades 4-6.
• Seale, Doris (Santee/Cree), Beverly Slapin, and Carolyn Silverman (Cherokee), eds., Thanksgiving: A Native Perspective. Berkeley: Oyate, 1998, teacher resource.
• Swamp, Jake (Mohawk), Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message. New York: Lee & Low, 1995, all grades.
• Wittstock, Laura Waterman (Seneca), Ininatig’s Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1993, grades 4-6.

References/Primary Sources from a Colonialist Perspective:

• Bradford, William, Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647, originally published in 1856 under the title History of Plymouth Plantation. Introduction by Francis Murphy. New York: Random House, 1981.
• Bradford, William, Mourt’s Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, first published in 1622. Introduction by Dwight B. Heath. Bedford, Mass.: Applewood Books, 1963.
• Council on Interracial Books for Children, Chronicles of American Indian Protest. New York: CIBC, 1971.
• Winslow, Edward, Good Newes from New England: A True Relation of Things Very Remarkable at the Plantation of Plimoth in New England, first published in 1624. Bedford, Mass.: Applewood Books, n.d.

Bush, Blair are war criminals, court says …..

http://www.presstv.ir

source

A War Crimes Tribunal in Malaysia has found former US President George W. Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair guilty of war crimes for their roles in the Iraq war, Press TV reports.

The five-panel Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal decided that Bush and Blair committed genocide and crimes against humanity by leading the invasion of Iraq in 2003, a Press TV correspondent reported on Tuesday.

In 2003, the US and Britain invaded Iraq in blatant violation of international law and under the pretext of finding weapons of mass destruction allegedly stockpiled by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

The Malaysian tribunal judges ruled that the decision to wage war against Iraq by the two former heads of government was a flagrant abuse of law and an act of aggression that led to large-scale massacres of the Iraqi people.

Bombings and other forms of violence became commonplace in Iraq shortly after the US-led invasion of the country.

In their ruling, the tribunal judges also stated that the US, under the leadership of Bush, fabricated documents to make it appear that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.

However, the world later learned that the former Iraqi regime did not possess WMDs and that the US and British leaders knew this all along.

Over one million Iraqis were killed during the invasion, according to the California-based investigative organization Project Censored.

The judges also said the court findings should be provided to signatories to the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court, and added that the names of Bush and Blair should be listed on a war crimes register.

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A Native American (Hopi) “End of the World” View ! ( filed under “The Counquer of the Americas”)…..

with spanish subtitles….

Sirte a ghost town, Completely Ruined & Looted by NATO & its “rebels” …….

http://www.uruknet.info October 30, 2011 Libya Sirte Disaster [29-10-2011] Sirte genocide :: Article nr. 82719 sent on 31-oct-2011 06:36 ECT www.uruknet.info?p=82719 .

:: Article nr. 82719 sent on 31-oct-2011 06:36 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=82719

Who’s in charge in Libya ?

in this video you can see the Al Qaeda NATO rats escaping the libyan peoples wrath…..

……..go on green Libya, go on and defeat the NATO/AL Qaeda terror…

my prayers are with you …….

(NOTE: i’m an atheist,but i pray sometimes for a good reason) ..

Rebeldes de la OTAN huyen de manifestantes en Tripoli 14.10.11

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How Muammar Gaddafi Won the Title Lion of Africa …….

http://www.allvoices.com

Tripoli : Libya | Oct 29, 2011 at 10:37 PM PDT

By BrianClarkenuj

 

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi Lion Of Africa

The murder of Muammar Gaddafi violated international law, principally in relation to the Third Geneva Convention of1929 and in relation to the UN Security Council Resolution #1973 of 2011.The first violation of international law concerns the Third Geneva Convention in 1929, which offers rights of protection to prisoners of war or POWs. In compliance with international law of an armed conflict when a POW is captured as for example by Nazi’s during the world war 2, special procedure should be applied, including assistance, as well as a ban on the murder of such a prisoner. Muammar was brutally tortured live on camera, then murdered by an NTC fighter, named Sanad al-Sadek al-Ureibi and his dead body was then publicly displayed as a trophy in a freezer at a shopping centre for celebration.

This criminal act of NATO, by their mercenary so called NTC fighters was brutal and barbaric. This obvious violation of the Geneva Convention is a war crime. This criminal act by NATO and its NTC fighters is not just an isolated case of Gaddafi’s murder but extended to the murder of his son and many, many others. Gaddafi’s son, Mutassim Gaddafi, was also captured alive with his father and in a video, he was also shown to be alive in custody, in a room surrounded by NATO’s armed NTC fighters and a few moments later shown to be dead with wounds to his neck and stomach.

Who then should be responsible for these criminal acts. There are more than five legal combinations;

(1) the actual individuals who abused them and pulled the triggers like Sanad al-Sadek al-Ureibi and others to be identified, (2) the commander of the particular unit of NTC fighters involved in the capture of Gaddafi and his soldiers (3) the overall NTC command (4) NATO forces and their complicit participation in the attack which led to the murders. (5) leaders of Western powers who enabled and supported the NTC mercenaries from the very start.

The UN Human Rights Office and Amnesty International are now belatedly calling for an investigation into Muammar Gaddafi’s death and what they term the unlawful killing of a prisoner. U.N. human rights spokesperson Rupert Colville said he found it very disturbing when “you see someone who has been captured alive and then you see the same person dead….Summary executions are strictly illegal under any circumstances. It’s different if someone is killed in combat….But if something else has happened, if someone is captured and then deliberately killed, then that is a very serious matter,”

The second violation of international law involves the UN Security Council Resolution #1973 of 2011, which set up a “no-fly zone” above Libya but did not authorize NATO forces to carry out an attack on any group who were fleeing from being attacked. Indeed, it was a NATO jet which fired on Gaddafi’s convoy when it was trying to flee from the onslaught. Gaddafi and his few soldiers were under attack by NTC fighters as they were fleeing Sirte in a convoy but NATO working with the NTC fighters carried out an aerial attack on Gaddafi’s convoy which directly led to Gaddafi’s capture and murder.

This also violates international law, in regard to the UN Security Council Resolution #1973, since the attack on Gaddafi’s convoy directly opposed the agreed guarantee of a no-fly zone for the protection of civilians but in this specific instance, it was not protecting the lives of civilians, because the convoy did not attack anyone and was trying to escape from the aerial bombardment by NATO and NTC fighters. Neither was there any civilians around to protect. Russia’s envoy, Dmitry Rogozin accused NATO of being “directly involved in the operation to kill the former Libyan leader,” while “apparently there were orders that oriented the military servicemen who are in Libya and that directed them to ensure the physical elimination of Gaddafi.”

Many ignorant outsiders fed with western media propaganda, are not aware of the contributions of Muammar Gaddafi to his Libyan people and the African continent in general, despite his own personal defects. Here are just five of the many important contributions by Gaddafi to his country and Africa:

(1) He has vision and worked for a United States of Africa and the African Union is essentially the creation of Muammar Gaddafi.

(2) He held Libya together, which was previously fragmented by different tribes and ethnicities.

(3) He changed Libya into having one of the highest GDPs per capita in Africa and.provided a level of social security, particularly in the fields of housing and education, in a way that Africans, Europeans and Americans could only dream of, check on Libya by Wikipedia.

(4) He managed to avoid his people being used by either the Soviet Union or the U.S. without being a puppet of either until close to the end. After the collapse of the Soviet Union he continued to fight against Western domination in the region which ultimately led to the invasion by colonial NATO powers.

(5) He originally overthrew the Kingdom of Libya in a bloodless military coup against King Idris in 1969 and brought Libya into the modern era out of monarchial feudalism.

Many more of his achievements including helping Ireland’s liberation struggle against British colonialism, as a ruler of a small country with just a few million people, allowed Gaddafi to rule for 42 years with the respect of freedom loving people worldwide. Yes, he is accused of personal vanity, abuse of power and ruthlessness but such are the failures of the human condition of a man, whose historical status in the modern era are part of social evolution. The Western mainstream corporate media are not finished spinning their version to try to destroy his historical legacy of achievements and attempt to ensure his legacy is forgotten in accordance to Western powers in their corrupt corporate propaganda media.

History will have the final say on Muammar Gaddafi as a historical figure shaping the modern history of Africa and the Middle East, despite his personal shortcomings. Meantime the war crimes of NATO, the NTC and Western powers will most assuredly continue in theri attempt to perpetuate a vicious cycle of violence and suffering while Muammar Gadaffi will remain in the hearts and minds of people, struggling for liberation from places as far away as Ireland and all over the South African continent he worked ceaselessly to unite. That is his legacy and the manner of his martrydom and brutal murder captured live on historical video ensures it !

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Pic of the Day : “Libya & the beginning of a western style democracy” …………

Welcome to World War 3 ……..and Libya ………..?

pic from : http://libia-sos.blogspot.com

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….. an estimated 60.000 Libyans died in the name of  “Democracy” and “Protecting Civilians” until now.

The message of the NATO countries and their NWO masters is clear now i guess .

In the next Years or Decades  we will have Globaly more and more bloodshed,assassinations,crisis and wars in the Name of Freedom that will come our Way and this will definitely lead us to World War 3 . ( Greetings from *Albert Pike )

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P.S.

Hope you all have learned your Gadaffi lesson well by now :

“never trust Zionists bearing gifts” ……………………………………………….

S. Berlusconi greets M.Gadaffi time ago, when they were supposed friends and allies  …………………….

Sirte martyred by NATO …….

Voltaire Network | 15 October 2011

français

 

The religious leaders of Sirte (Libya) have issued a fatwa authorizing the surviving residents to eat dogs and cats.

About one month ago some 3 000 soldiers and 80 000 civilians were trapped in the city, besieged by the forces of the National Transitional Council, overseen by officers of the International Coalition, and bombed by NATO.

Sirte no longer receives food supplies. Electricity and water are cut off. Hospitals stopped functioning. The city is in ruins.

Only 10 000-20 000 people managed to get away during bombing lulls and escape death.

NATO claims that its intervention in Libya serves to protect the civilian population and that it will continue its work until the surrender or death of Muammar Gaddafi. And yet, NATO’s siege and bombardments constitute war crimes according to the standards and principles of international law, considering that the civilian population is the principal victim.

This drama is being ignored both by the media and the political leaders of the NATO zone, including the French who are too engrossed in their presidential election campaigns. A silence that makes them all accomplices.

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Libya, Green Flags, and The Heart of Darkness ……..

http://www.veteranstoday.com

Jim Fetzer

NATO bombing in Tripoli, Libya

One of the great virtues of Veterans Today appears to be that diverse opinions about the most important issues that confront us are welcomed with respect as long as they are well-reasoned and responsible.  I have been dismayed by the support for NATO’s intervention in Libya from some of our most significant contributors, which has led me to conduct interviews and additional research about what is going on there.  That the first act of this “rebel uprising” was to found a new central bank told me that something very strange was taking place.  That NATO, which was founded as a collective defensive alliance, has been involved in the bombing of civilians in a nation that has not attacked any other, has stunned me.

Ghadafi has brought Libya a national health care system, public education and funding for  attending college, sharing oil revenues with the Libyan people and the highest standard of living in Africa. Every Libyian has an inalienable right to have a home.  If appropriate training and eduction was not offered in Libya, stipends are granted for studying abroad.  Every newly wedded couple  receives up to $50,000US to start their own family.  Ghadafi promised that his own parents would not have their own home until the rest of the people had theirs–and he kept that promise.  The adult literacy rate in Lybia was on the order of 89% in 2009, 94% for males and 83%  for females.  99.9% of its youth are literate, according to the UN.  To the extent  to which he qualifies as a “dictator”, he appears to be an unusually benevolent one.

But he has also abandoned the petro-dollar and plans to place Libyan currency on a new gold standard, which the world’s banking cartel has opposed, which appears to be the real reason NATO has been bombing his nation and massacring tens of thousands of its citizens. From interviews I have done with Ellen Brown and others, I am convinced that the attack on Libya has nothing to do with freedom and democracy and everything to do with the independence of Libya from the international banking system, which is capped by the Bank of International Settlements as “to top of the pyramid” of the New World Order.  That is my take on this, where the parallels with Iraq are disturbing.

Like Ghadafi, Saddam Hussein was also demonized. Iraq was the most modern and sophisticated Arab state, with national health care and public education systems, a reliable infrastructure producing water and electricity, as well as antiquities and artifacts dating back thousands of years.  But it was a political rival that offset the influence of Israel and had to be taken out.  I am therefore featuring the latest study by Dr. Christof Lehmann, a practicing clinical psychologist, a life time peace activist, political advisor, and advisor in behavior, finance, economics, conflict resolution and peace building. He has been and is active as political advisor, in work on human rights, international relations and peace, Palestinian issues, and other activities.  You can learn more about him and nsnbc in the closing note.

Libya, Green Flags, and The Heart of Darkness

Posted on October 9, 2011 by nsnbc

Reflections by Dr. Christof Lehmann

Dr. Christof Lehmann

After Muammar Ghadafi recently encouraged the Libyan People to peacefully protest NATO aggression and occupation, there are demonstrations throughout Libya. Both Russia and China have voiced gravest concerns about NATO´s abuse of U.N. Resolution 1973 on Libya and The African Union is following suit. Will any of the players that could be decisive put their money where their mouth is?  The truth embargo of Western Media on Libya is slowly being undermined by independent media, where the defeat of NATO forces and the TNC becomes increasingly difficult to mask.  The result so far have been an humanitarian disaster and the commission of overt NATO aggression on unprecedented scale.     

After Muammar Ghadafi addressed the Libyan Population and world political leaders on 6 October, there were careful but widespread demonstrations throughout Libya, calling for an immediate end of NATO´s bombing and ground campaign. With over 2,000 civilians killed in Sirte alone and one military defeat after the other, even Western Corporate media find it increasingly difficult to mask the bitter truth. All that NATO and its bitterly divided TNC proxy with their CIA imported “rebels” have achieved so far is the murder and massacre of tens of thousands of Libyans, an unprecedented ongoing humanitarian disaster, an unprecedented infamy in NATO’s history of aggression that is bound to have global consequences.

China and Russia’s recent veto on the U.N. Resolution on Syria was a long expected response to NATO’s aggression. Both China and Russia voiced that they would not allow any new UN resolutions that could possibly be abused like NATO`s abuse of U.N.-Resolution 1973 on Libya. An nsnbc source in Moscow reported from a meeting at the Russian State Duma on Friday that all political parties of Russia agree that Russia should vote against a prolongation of a U.N.-Mandate in Afghanistan; furthermore, that Russia should “demand” a significant reduction in the U.S. and NATO military presence in the former Soviet republics bordering Afghanistan, Pakistan and China. The question is, will this new found courage of the Russian Bear result in actions that stop NATO´s aggression in Libya before further tens of thousands have lost their lives?

Muammar Ghadafi

After Russia and China took a stronger position on NATO’s aggression in Libya, The African Union has followed suit, emphasizing that NATO has abused the African Unions support of Resolution 1973. The “protection of civilian lives” by NATO is daily killing unarmed civilians. As if to answer the question of the members of the African Union willingness to put their money where their mouth is, the answer is that “without Libya, many have no money, so they would be best served by backing their recent political grand standing before corporate media up with diplomatic as well as military action“.

According to a Libyan diplomat, Libya wis one of five African Countries, besides Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa, who have together stood for 75 % of the African Union’s Budget. Mali, Congo, Liberia, Niger, Chad, the central African Republic, Mauritania, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Gambia, which all receives substantial support that has secured these nations’ economic development and political stability, security and peace. The best advise any independent political advisor could give those nations, as the African Union is, would be that great challenges require great leadership and courageous decisions. Anything less than their unequivocal solidarity in demanding an immediate end to NATO´s aggression in Northern Africa and a new shift in foreign policy towards China and Russia will invariably consign Africa into a second ear of colonization. How would an Joseph Conrad write about Africa today? where is the heart of Darkness today?

While Western Corporate Media, including Al Jazeera, have increasing difficulties in maintaining the positive narrative of “singing tomorrows” and of “Arabian Spring Rebels” depicted as the worst case scenario of an Applied Orientalism, which would have been put to shame in an instant had the world not lost Edward Said, their narrative is increasingly being rejected by even the most misinformed. As a life long journalist and Middle East Expert Einar Schlerth observed in correspondence with nsnbc this morning, “The Alternative Media are slowly sticking holes into Mainstream medias Narratives“.

Edward Said (1935-2003)

The TNC (“Trust No Colleague”) has today been plagued by one more shootout among its top most representatives. Before a planned meeting between representatives of the TNC and the Italian Oil Firm ENI at the Riksos Hotel in Tripoli, a shootout broke out between the TNC representatives and their respective bodyguards after the delegation from ENI failed to show. Only a few days ago, the oil field installations at Babu Avel that produce oil for Italian ENI were destroyed by Libyan Forces. Yesterday the oil field should have come on line again, but installations were immediately destroyed again by Libyan Forces. An nsnbc source close to the TNC could yesterday evening informed nsnbc that representatives of the TNC had been approached by “a US-Intelligence Service”, who was suggesting a division of Libya into a Northern and a Southern State.

The military situation for NATO and the TNC has not changed significantly. The majority of NATO and the TNC´s casualties are those unlucky enough to be in the way for indiscriminate artillery fire and precision bombing. With today’s “smart bombs” , what excuse could there possibly be for yesterday’s bombing of the major hospital in Sirte? The Libyan Forces in Sirte are holding on. The fact that the city is still required to endure the thick of a full-scale, modern colonial war by NATO; the fact that neither China nor Russia, nor the African Union, nor any of its member states have yet to put their money where their mouth is with respect to the daily massacres and the rape of Libya; the fact that the U.N. is utterly discredited and impotent and nothing but an instrument designed to provide a veneer of legitimacy for the rape of sovereign nations; and the fact that leaders like Robert Mugabe are trembling from suppressed outrage when speaking “in the chambers of this most august organization” are all significant for one reason and one reason only.

Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe

 

Unless African nations rapidly change their foreign and establish security alliances with China and Russia, and unless African Nations and other nations that are at the receiving end of “Humanitarianism a la the U.N.” initiate urgent diplomatic initiatives to build an honest and true international community, unless there African Leaders will show a long awaited and long over due display of personal and political integrity and courage in leadership and defiance against the continuous colonization of their continent, there will be many a Joseph Conrad needed to point out where the Heart of Darkness is today! Sunday in Libya.

About nsnbc

nsnbc is a news-media, edited by Dr. Christof Lehmann. Born in Germany in 1958, Masters and Doctoral Degree in Psychology, 1982 and 1986, Dr. Christof Lehmann is a practicing clinical psychologist, a life time peace activist, political advisor, and advisor in behavior, finance, economics, conflict resolution and peace building. He has been and is active as political advisor, in work on human rights, international relations and peace, Palestinian issues, and other activities. Dr. Christof Lehmann founded nsnbc in August 2011 in indignation about the prevalent embargo on truth. nsnbc is bringing you No Spin News by Christof Lehmann, as well as a number of other independent experts, writers, journalists and activists from throughout the world.

View all posts by nsnbc →

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Qaddafi full Speech translation 06 October 2011 ……..

http://ozyism.blogspot.com

8:01 PM  ozyism

 

07/oct/11

Muammar Qaddafi

“4 tribes of Bani Walled, Surt, Warshfana tribe and Nawhi are well armed and they will never be defeated because honorable people can not be subjected.

All the people in LIBYA and true Libyans will not agree with the invasions and colonization.

We will fight for our freedom and we are ready for more sacrifices. The traitors, colonizers and as well as NATO are going to be defeated soon.

They all lost the confidence between each other and their masters, the traitors are unable to continue because they are basically vulnerable.

If the power of their fleets give legitimacy, then let the rulers in the Third World be ready.

To those who recognize this council, be ready for the creation of transitional councils imposed by the power of fleets to replace you one by one from now on.

I urge all Libyan people to go out and march in their millions in all the squares, in all the cities and villages and oases. Go peacefully … be courageous, rise up, go to the streets, raise our green flags to the skies.

How did it (NTC) get its legitimacy? Did the Libyan people elect them? Did the Libyan people appoint them?

If you did not hear my voice , do not stop fighting.”

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NATO ‘protection of civilians’ – propaganda and pretence to escape war crimes trials ………

http://humanrightsinvestigations.org

posted on October 4, 2011 by HRI Mark

As is now well documented, the rebellion in Libya began with violent attacks on police stations, such as this one in Al-Bayda where people locked inside were reportedly burnt to death:

An intensive propaganda campaign systematically distorted the facts on the ground, including in particular allegations that the Libyan airforce was bombing peaceful protestors and that Libyan soldiers were being massacred for not shooting on unarmed protestors (since proven to have been a false flag operation). This propaganada allowed a mobilisation of the international community and the passing of UN Resolution 1973 which imposed the No-Fly Zone.

It is UN Resolution 1973 which NATO argues provides the legal basis for the coalition operation in Libya as NATO makes clear in their Factsheet on Operation Unified Protector:

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 mandates “all necessary measures” to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under attack or threat of attack. In line with this authorisation, NATO conducts reconnaissance, surveillance and information-gathering operations to identify those forces which present a threat to civilians and civilian-populated areas.

Notwithstanding this NATO supported the rebels as they escalated the level of violence directed against those who opposed them, civilians and guest workers with attacks using Grad rockets, artillery, tanks and mortars - in fact any weapons that could be looted from arms dumps or supplied by NATO, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Here is an early example from Misrata of rebel forces nonchantly firing mortars, in between drinking cups of tea:

With the brutal assault on Sirte, which is facing a bombardment from the air, surpassing Guernica, the indiscriminate assaults on civilian areas are now being taken to a higher level:

As we have seen, NATO’s official justification for their operations includes a requirement “to identify those forces which present a threat to civilians or civilian-populated areas.”

Commander of Allied Air Command Izmir, Lieutenant General Ralph J. Jodice II (U.S. Air Force)

Furthermore the justification includes this:
Targeting depends on the decisions of operational commanders. Targets struck to date have included tanks, armoured personnel carriers, air-defence systems and artillery around and approaching key civilian areas including Misrata, Ajdabiyah and Zintan. [My emphasis]

Yet clearly NATO is supporting the rebel use of tanks and artillery around and approaching the key civilian area of Sirte; indeed NATO and its allies are almost certainly supplying the ammunition for these big guns.

Many journalists are having trouble processing this information, let alone communicating it to their readership, as it does not fit in with the overriding paradigm of an operation “intended to protect civilians.”

@Skytwitius
Tim Marshall

#Libya NTC fighters are shelling built up area of Sirte where there are civilians. Perhaps NATO will reread UN Res 1973 ‘protect civilians’.

September 28, 2011 14:50 via webReplyRetweetFavorite

It remains to be seen, which journalists have the intelligence to realise that the old paradigm is dead and the courage to communicate this fact to their readers. A new paradigm is required, a new framework to understand the NATO war on Libya, one which recognises that the mantra of “responsibity to protect civilians” which NATO repeats at every press conference and in every press release is nothing more than:

1) A propaganda device, aimed at the fooling the public into supporting a war of aggression.

2) A legal device whereby the NATO command seeks to escape responsibility for war crimes.

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NATO : “We Protect Civilians” Video : CHILDRENS KILLED BY NATO In Sirte ………

strong images ,viewer discretion advised!

Zero hour will inevitably come (M. Gaddafi’s speech 26/09/11) ……….

http://libyasos.blogspot.com

 

Leader of the Revolution held a speech broadcasted over the Bani Walid radio

To Libya and its free people

“Glory to you, greatest heroes of the Libyan people!

You carry a proud blood of your ancestors!
They  were telling lies that Gaddafi is in Venezuela , and than in Niger, but I’m here with you.
There are also servants of the colonialists among our people, which I’m ashamed of.
Hold on and be prepared on daily basis, I’m receiving calls from all the cities on Jamahiryan territory, and the zero hour will inevitably come.
People who were martyred are eternal, they fought and died for their country to be free of colonialism and chains. Just as their fathers wished for in 1969… Forward… Forward…

The most easiest solution was to say to the colonial powers in the begining to come and take the oil from our people and stop the agression. But the blood of my ancestors and my father and my children and my grandchildren and all the young children and Libyan women and Libyan men and Sheiks, blood of all who were martyred by the bombs in this agression, pushed us to the path of defiance and rejection of colonialism.

We have said and continue to say… This is the oil of the Libyan people, not French or British. This food belongs to people, it is not my property nor theirs, it belongs to the people!

The resistant and awaiting martyrdom of the heroes,martyrdom which is true to the verse. To some of you who are waiting- do not be sad cause you will become weak, be patient for victory. Libya is not the first country in the world to be attacked by the planes and fleets of the largest coalition in the history of the world, but they overlooked the fact that Libya has a history and that Libyans are the greatest nation on earth in their resistance, persistance and defiance of the agression! 

 Libya will never be for traitors, Libya will be a hell for them!

A hell for NATO, west and its agents!

لـيـبـيـا وشعبها الحر
عاجل:الاخ قائد الثورة يوجه خطابا مسموعا عبر اذاعة بني وليد لاسود ورفله:المجد لكم يا ورفله المجد لكم يا ليبيين المجد لكم يا ابطال الشعب الليبي العظيم ….انتم تعيدون سيرة اجدادكم بجهادكم هذا وانا معكم في الميدان يكذبون ويقولون القذافي في فنزويلا ومن ثم النيجر …لا يعلم هؤلاء

العملاء الشراذم انني بين ابناء شعبي وستصدمهم الايام بما لم يتوقعوا.اصمدوا قاموا استعدوا ….يوميا تردني اتصالات من كل المدن الليبية المحتله وستاتي ساعة الصفر لا محالة …فهذا الشعب يموت ويفنى عن بكرة ابيه ولا يحكمه استعمار بعد 1969م…الى الامام الى الامام
:لم يكن هناك اسهل من ان اقول لهذه القوى الاستعمارية منذ البداية تعالوا وخذوا بترول هذا الشعب وكان سيتوقف العدوان …..لكن دماء اجدادي وابي وابنائي واحفادي وكل شاب ليبي وطفل ليبي وامراه ليبية وشيخ ليبي استشهد بقصف العدوان كان يدفع بنا لطريق الممانعة والرفض للاستعمار …وقلنا ولا زلنا نقول ….هذا بترول الشعب الليبي وليس بترول فرنساا وبريطانيا هذا قوت يوم ابناء شعبي وليس ملكا لي…..وكان الصمود وكان الاستشهاد للابطال ونحن بانتظار الشهادة مصداقا لقوله تعالى (ومنهم من ينتظر) فلا تحزنوا ولا تهنوا انما النصر صبر ساعةقالوا ان ليبيا ستنصاع عند اول غارة تقوم بها طائرات واساطيل اكبر حلف في العالم والتاريخ ولكنهم غفلوا ان ليبيا هي التاريخ وان هذا الشعب هو اعظم شعوب الارض في تصديه وصموده وتحديه للعدوان ….وان ليبيا لن تكون للخونه بل ستكون محرقة لهم وستكون جحيما ووبالا على الغرب وعملاءه التافهيي

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A world that only understands the language of power ………………

http://www.voltairenet.org

by Wassim Raad

Partners | Beirut (Lebanon) | 27 September 2011

français

Westerners turning international law into a farce.

©UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

International affairs

Editorial : A world that only understands the language of power
The Western position in support of Israel in the face of the Palestinian request in form addressed to the United Nations, constituted yet another proof for the high level of international hypocrisy surrounding the Palestinian cause since 1948.
The recognition of a fictive state at the UN carries a moral and political character to immunize the Palestinian diplomatic position in the face of Israel, the violating state which has been protected by the American veto ever since its establishment, to the point of obstructing all the international resolutions against it and preventing any serious international investigation into the genocide crimes it perpetrated against the Palestinians.
For decades, this American-European protection has prevented any serious discussion at the UN of the racial segregation to which the Palestinians are being subjected in their own land by the last “state” in the world representing an occupation based on racial segregation and discrimination against the original citizens since the liberation of South Africa.
Nicolas Sarkozy spoke at the UN about the European role which was always humiliatingly affiliated with the American policy since the days of Charles de Gaulle. The hypocrite and impostor Sarkozy knows well that a state called Syria –against which he is currently conspiring to serve Israel – did not miss an opportunity to call on Europe to play a role that is independent from the American hegemony policy and the blunt bias in favor of Israel. He knows, like all the impostors among the Western European rulers, that Israel is committing hundreds of crimes against humanity every day, is responsible for the displacement of millions of Palestinians and the occupation of Lebanese and Syrian territories whose water wealth it is pillaging.
The West which is busy thinking of ways to protect Israel before the American fleeing from Iraq and to divide the control over the oil and water in the Arab countries, is conspiring day and night against the resistance’s fort that is supporting the Palestinians, i.e. Syria. This provides yet another proof for the fact that the so-called international community only recognizes the logic of power and that all which is called international law is nothing but a mere lie.

Arab Affairs

News analysis: Commotion, pressures and terrorism in Syria
The retreat is ongoing at the level of the response to the calls made by the Syrian opposition movements to demonstrate, after the unity of the opposition itself turned into a slogan during last Friday’s demonstrations. Its divisions and conflicts have reached the level of a major scandal in the opinion of the opposition’s partisans themselves, as most of them are recognizing that this rift is due to disloyal competition, and connections to the states sponsoring the plans to sabotage Syria.
 Firstly, the scandalous paradoxes in the course of the plan to sabotage Syria increased during this past week, the last of which was launched by Mr. Haitham al-Maleh who is claiming in some media outlets to be the most influential leader in the opposition and who was behind the call for one of the Istanbul meetings with the support of the Muslim Brotherhood Organization and the Turkish intelligence. Quite simply, Haitham al-Maleh demanded NATO’s military interference in Syria on one channel then appeared on another to recant his previous statement following the commotion and embarrassment it raised. This is one example of the political mentality prevailing over the leaders of the Syrian opposition movements and revealing their real intentions.
 Secondly, on the media scene, the oil channels that are targeting Syria resorted to the use of old and falsified tapes to give the impression there were massive and ongoing protests on the ground. Last Friday, Al-Jazeera channel thus aired pictures of a demonstration raising banners about the famine in Somalia, as the fabricators of the sounds that accompanied the footage did not pay attention to the fact that the banners called for donations to the Somali children and not for the toppling of the Syrian regime.
 Thirdly, in parallel to the media determination to give the impression that the protests are ongoing, the facts prove that the number of those responding to the calls has retreated below four thousand throughout Syria, and that the main facet of the opposition’s activities has become armed actions against the state and its institutions through terrorist attacks that targeted the army and the security forces in more than one area in the country and especially in the Homs province.
The remaining months until the end of the year, i.e. the date of the beginning of the American escape from Iraq, will witness numerous escalation campaigns and attempts to engage in negotiations because Syria and Iran are still rejecting any compromise that would grant the American occupation a price in exchange for its exit from Iraq, while the primary price demanded by the Americans at this level is securing Israel’s protection for which they moved the missiles shield inside the Turkish-Syrian border.

The Arab file

Libya
• The violent clashes between the Libyan revolutionaries and the forces loyal to Kaddafi proceeded in Bani Walid, Sert and some other regions in which Kaddafi’s loyalists are present throughout the week, while the fighters of the new regime in Libya were able to impose their control over the city of Sebha.
• The members of the national transitional council announced the postponement of the consensus over the formation of a new national government until further notice. As for the national transitional council, it announced it intended to lead the country for the next eight months until the election of a constituent assembly and the staging of general elections within a period not exceeding one year. But UN Envoy Ian Martin assured that the six-month deadline will not begin until the new authorities announce the full liberation of the country.
• Head of the national transitional council Mustafa Abdul Jalil thanked the international community for helping Libya, pledging that the forces loyal to Kaddafi will benefit from fair trials. In the meantime, Aisha Kaddafi, Colonel Muammar Kaddafi’s daughter, issued her first voice recording in which she assured that her father and brothers were leading the battles against “NATO and its agents”, and assured they will eventually prevail.

Yemen
• Since last Sunday, Yemen has been witnessing violent clashes between those loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the president’s oppositionists. The tribes participated in the clashes and the Yemeni capital Sana’a turned into a guerilla zone that witnessed the fall of a large number of dead and wounded. A ceasefire agreement was reached between Saleh’s forces and the ones supporting the opposition, but the accord soon collapsed.
• Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh returned to the country on Friday, calling a few hours after his arrival on all the political, military and security sides in the authority and the opposition to a full truce and a ceasefire that would allow the various parties to reach agreement and consensus.

Palestine
• The Israeli government mobilized its security apparatuses and proclaimed an emergency plan to face the repercussions of the Palestinian intention to head to the UN and see the proclamation of the state.
• American President Barack Obama announced on Wednesday in New York there were no shortcuts to end the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis, at a time when the US threatened to use the veto right at the Security Council to deter any request for the accession of the Palestinian state to the Security Council.
• In this context, the cities of the occupied West Bank and the city of Gaza, along with some Arab countries, witnessed marches and demonstrations in support of the Palestinian effort to earn a membership at the UN. A request for that purpose was presented by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Friday to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, saying in a speech: “No one with an ounce of conscience would reject the full membership of Palestine at the UN.”

Syria
• The dialogue sessions conducted in the provinces stressed the importance of dialogue to resolve the domestic issues and prevent the foreign interference attempts aiming at undermining Syria’s national unity and at dividing the region. They also stressed the necessity of upholding the resistance and rejectionism.
• And while the disputes escalated between the Syrian opposition forces despite the American, French, Turkish and Qatari efforts to unify them, Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined Barack Obama in calling for the increase of the sanctions.
• Once again it was proven on Friday that the number of people who responded to the demonstration calls has retreated, while the armed attacks against the army and the security forces mounted throughout the Syrian cities and especially in Homs.
• On the other hand, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad praised the “balanced Russian position toward the developments in Syria,” as he was receiving a delegation from the Russian Federation. Al-Assad also warned against the foreign interference attempts in Syrian domestic affairs and the attempts to undermine stability in the country.
• On the field, a number of security elements were killed while others were wounded in armed ambushes set up by terrorist groups.

Qatar
• At a time when the prince of Qatar Hamad Ben Khalifa al-Thani is said to be preparing his succession in light of his illness, director of Al-Jazeera network Wadah Khanfar was forced to present his resignation after eight years during which he managed the Qatari media institution. Khanfar, who was known for being close to the Muslim Brotherhood and even Al-Qaeda organization, had seen his position weakened following the emergence of the Wikileaks documents which revealed the details of meetings he held with CIA officials to tackle the direction of the channel’s coverage.
• It is worth mentioning that media reports had claimed that Khanfar’s ousting was due to his disputes with Azmi Bechara who is considered to be very close to the Emir. Consequently, the latter was forced to choose between the two and sacrificed Khanfar.

Israeli file

• “A dangerous historical moment” is how the ongoing drama at the UN was described by the Israeli papers, reaching its peak with the speeches delivered by Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The reactions to Abu Mazen’s speech were very harsh, as it was considered to be a speech of instigation violating all the Israeli-Palestinian pacts and agreements.
• The papers indicated that American President Barack Obama stressed that the positions of the Israeli and Palestinian sides were not that far apart, at a time when Europe has been exerting pressures on Abbas to get him to settle for a symbolic recognition.
• The papers indicated that the Israeli army and police raised their state of alertness to its highest levels in preparation for the eruption of any acts violating public order in the West Bank areas. The papers also shed light on Obama’s speech at the UN, in which he said that Israel was a small state surrounded by enemies.

Lebanese affairs

News analysis: Proportionality and the end of the monopolization of the representation
There is a political debate in Lebanon over the electoral law, ever since the government ratified in its ministerial statement the intention to work on a new law based on the principle of proportional parliamentary representation. We can notice at this level that many reactions and positions emerged in regard to this issue, all of which reflecting the electoral interests of the various powers composing the Lebanese political reality.
 Firstly, it is clear that the Future Movement assigned the Phalange Party and the Lebanese Forces to obstruct any consensus during the Bkerke meeting over the support of proportionality. This measure which was adopted by Saad al-Hariri with his two partners reflected the Future Movement’s fear of losing the monopolization of the Sunni sect’s political representation,, since Al-Hariri’s oppositionists in Beirut, West Bekaa, Sidon, Tripoli and Akkar will be able to get a number of parliamentary seats that could expand with the emergence of the centrist bloc headed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
 Secondly, it is clear that Deputy Walid Jumblatt who wishes to maintain his sectarian leadership, is afraid that proportionality would allow his political opponents and especially the Arslan wing to get parliamentary seats from outside his political cloak. There is another concern affecting Jumblatt at the level of the Christian political reality in the Mount Lebanon districts that are traditionally considered to be under his command. One of the reasons behind Jumblatt’s opposition is the creation of a climate allowing the launching of the negotiations over the electoral alliances, especially with the Free Patriotic Movement and its leader General Michel Aoun.
What the Lebanese people need is the expansion of the joint space to draft their national options instead of remaining limited to the specificities of the sects and the denominations.

The Lebanese file

• The electricity draft was ratified after three sessions held by the joint parliamentary committees. The deputies participating in these committees’ meetings listened to the explanations of Minister of Water and Energy Gibran Bassil in regard to the electricity plan presented to the council. The opposition deputies interrupted the minister more than once and inquired time and time again about the conditions book, the monitoring sides and the sources of funding. They also demanded the appointment of a regulating committee within three months and an administration board for EDL within two months. In the third session which was attended by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Speaker Nabih Berri started by summarizing what went on during the session, reaching the conclusion that everyone agreed over the core and the principles. Hence, he suggested the adoption of a Cabinet decision to be proposed for voting on Thursday and everyone agreed to that.
• On Thursday, parliament unanimously ratified the plan to reform the electricity sector. For his part, General Michel Aoun assured following the meeting of his bloc there was “no project rising up to the level of the electricity project presented to parliament.” He stressed that the electricity plan will be fully monitored, pointing to the fact that the projects carried out by the Council for Development and Reconstruction were never monitored, whether before or after their implementation.
• Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Kassem believed that the government was facing “a political side that is not opposing, rather trying to cause failure at any price.” He considered that this was due to the “frustration they endured in light of their repeated failures at the level of their political performance.” He added: “I do not wish to specify what the March 14 is doing in the context of the conspiracy, but I will settle for saying they are often acting in a way serving the Israeli-American project.”
• This week, developments were witnessed at the level of the kidnappers of the seven Estonians, knowing that kidnapping and release of the latter hostages were surrounded with utter secrecy. In this respect, the two most dangerous elements in the group that kidnapped the Estonians were killed following an ambush which was set up by the Information Branch that is affiliated with the Internal Security Forces. Questions emerged in regard to this development in light of suspicions that they might have been killed to conceal the details of the kidnapping operation. What was noticeable at this level was the position issued by General Michel Aoun who said there was no reason to congratulate the Information Branch on this operation, considering that the latter did not succeed in arresting the kidnappers and in uncovering who had ordered the kidnapping.

Positions of President Suleiman in New York
Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour indicated that Lebanon will deter any resolution condemning Syria, adding that Lebanon wanted Syria to exit its predicament, not see the issuance of resolutions condemning it.
President Michel Suleiman held a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, during which Suleiman stressed Lebanon’s rejection of naturalization and its support of the Palestinian state option.
President Suleiman then delivered Lebanon’s speech before the UN General Assembly, stressing Lebanon’s insistence on its maritime rights and its free exploitation of its resources. He also called for the condemnation of and exertion of pressures on Israel to get it to stop its violation of the Lebanese territories and airspace and implement the international resolutions. He also stressed Lebanon’s support of Palestine’s request to earn membership at the UN, reiterating the rejection of naturalization.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati left Beirut on Saturday on his way to New York while presiding over a prominent delegation. Mikati is expected to head the Lebanese mission at the UN Security Council since Lebanon will be chairing the Council during the month of September.

Wassim Raad

Source
New Orient News (Lebanon)

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Civilians accuse NATO of massacre in Sirte raids ……..

http://www.theaustralian.com.au

September 28, 2011 12:00AM

THE civilians pouring out of the besieged city of Sirte accused NATO of genocide yesterday as rebel forces called in reinforcements and prepared for a fresh assault on Muammar Gaddafi’s home town.

Long lines of civilian vehicles were leaving after a night of NATO air attacks on the town. Rebel forces fighting for the National Transitional Council added artillery and mortar fire.

The people leaving the town, many looking scared, said conditions inside Sirte were disastrous. They made claims which, if verified, are a challenge for NATO – which operates under a UN mandate to protect civilians – saying the NATO bombing raids hit homes, schools and hospitals.

“It was worse than awful,” said Riab Safran, 28, as his car was searched by rebel fighters outside Sirte. His family had slept on the beach because the houses were being bombed, he said. “They hit all kinds of buildings – schools, hospitals,” he said.

He could not distinguish between the NATO bombs and the rebels shells, he said, but believed it was a NATO bomb that destroyed his home on Saturday.

NATO said its warplanes bombed a number of military targets, including a rocket launcher, artillery and ammunition stores.

Some of those interviewed said the Gaddafi forces were making people stay in the city. Others said residents were frightened of the rebel fighters, who were reported to be abducting women from cars trying to leave Sirte. NTC fighters denied the charges.

Residents said power and water had run out and petrol was 88 Libyan dinars ($72) a litre. The water shortage has produced an epidemic of diseases, according to medical staff at a clinic in the town of Harawa, 40km east of Sirte.

But the Gaddafi forces had supplies of ammunition, pasta, oil, flour and food, residents said. They used an open radio channel to taunt the rebels, insisting the city would never be taken.

Meanwhile, Libya’s transitional justice minister said he had imposed a measure abolishing the country’s state security, prosecution and courts, which sentenced regime opponents to prison.

At a press conference in Tripoli, Mohammed al-Alagi said he had signed the order to disband the security agencies, but it still needed approval by the NTC.

He said the order included the abolition of a special court where many opposition members were sentenced to life in prisons such as Abu Salim in Tripoli, where inmates were reportedly massacred by the Gaddafi regime.

Rebel leaders are pressing ahead with efforts to do away with some of the hated remnants of the former regime even though fighting continues and Gaddafi’s whereabouts remain unknown.

In a boost to Libya’s economy, Italian and French energy companies have begun oil production in Libya after months of civil war, a potential economic lifeline for the new government.

Officials of the transitional administration are still awaiting international action to unfreeze billions of dollars in Libya’s assets. They say the funds unfrozen so far are not enough to rebuild the country after 42 years of the Gaddafi regime.

The de facto prime minister, Mahmoud Jibril, asked the UN Security Council to lift some of the economic sanctions on Libya, but said NATO should stay until civilians were no longer being killed.

Italian energy giant Eni said yesterday it had resumed oil production in Libya. By Monday, 15 major wells had been tapped, producing 31,900 barrels of oil a day.

French energy company Total said it also started oil production in Libya last week.

Additional reporting: AP

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ZIONISTS WON’T LET YOU SEE THIS ON YOUR TV ………

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Ban Ki-moon: A Record of Failure and Betrayal ……

Posted: 2011/09/25 From: Mathaba

Analyst Stephen Lendman joins in the world chorus highlighting the demise of the United Nations by Stephen Lendman The UN Charter’s Preamble states: “WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED – to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and – to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and – to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and – to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom….” The body affirms international support for tolerance, peace and security, and resolve to promote universal economic and social advancement. However, since its 1945 founding, it’s failed on all counts, even though some of its agencies (like UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR and UNESCO) at times provide aid in areas of health, education, food assistance, refugees, social development and more. It’s never enough though, timely, or with resolve to support troubled people adequately in times of need. Moreover, global wars raged every year post-WW II to the present. The UN’s been unable or disinterested in stopping them. One of its fatal flaws is structure, hamstrung by its dominant member, America. It can and does veto measures other member states support, notably when contrary to its imperial interests. As a result, no action was taken when Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975. Hundreds of thousands were slaughtered in a secretly US-authorized aggression. Its TNI forces were armed, funded and supported by Washington. In 1999, it was impotent again after East Timor voted for independence, after which TNI forces attacked and slaughtered thousands more. During South Africa’s border wars and invasion of Namibia in the 1960s and 70s, it was sidelined, as well as during a 36-year Guatemala state-sponsored genocide against its indigenous Mayan majority, following the CIA’s ouster of democratically elected Jacobo Arbenz Guzman. Dozens of other examples reveal a dismal record of failure and betrayal of its high-sounding principles and mandate to enforce them. It didn’t earlier or now, including by deploying Blue Helmets as peacekeepers. In fact, they’re hostile occupiers, serving imperial interests in Haiti, South Lebanon, Rwanda, Kosovo, Bosnia, DRC Congo, Sudan, Somalia, various other countries, and its initial UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) since 1948, failing to bring peace to Palestine. Yet it’s still there, performing no active role, opposing the interests of people they’re sworn to protect. During his tenure as Secretary-General, Kofi Annan (January 1, 1997 – December 31, 2006) was little more than an imperial tool, never achieving or working for peace anywhere. He never condemned or acted to end the devastating economic sanctions against Iraqis that killed up to 1.5 million defenseless men, women and children. He didn’t use his mandate to denounce Washington’s lawless 2003 war. No matter that it’s based on lies to permit slaughtering hundreds of thousands more and be able to plunder another occupied country. He was silent while war raged in Afghanistan and still does without end. He backed or failed to act against Israel’s illegal occupation, its worst crimes against Palestine, and its illegal 2006 Lebanon war. He took no action to denounce Washington’s failed attempts to oust Hugo Chavez, and showed a disturbing indifference to the pain and suffering of his own people throughout the continent of his birth. Instead, he dutifully served Washington, other dominant powers, and corporate predation of Africa’s riches and elsewhere. His entire tenure was a testimony to failure and betrayal. So is Ban Ki-moon’s since becoming Secretary-General on January 1, 2007. Ever since, he’s been a co-conspirator in war crimes and other abuses. In fact, one of his first acts was to reverse the UN’s longstanding opposition to capital punishment. It’s a barbaric practice often sentencing innocent people to death, notably in America. At the time, he dismissively said whether or not to enforce it “is for each and every member State to decide,” instead of forthrightly condemning it. Nor did his restructuring plan address the Security Council’s illegitimate veto power, giving one nation like America authority over all others. It’s abused the practice ever since. Instead, it’s high time the body reflected majority rule, giving all nations equal say on issues affecting everyone. Ban’s overall silence, inaction, and support for wrong over right speak volumes. In fact, despite its own often deplorable record, Human Rights Watch (HRW) acknowledged Ban’s shamelessness. Its “World Report 2011: A Facade of Action” included criticism of his “quiet diplomacy facade of (in)action” for not taking forceful steps when needed. HRW’s executive director Kenneth Roth criticized his “use of dialogue and cooperation in lieu of public pressure….on abusive governments,” notably America and its imperial partners. In fact, said Roth, “(f)ar from condemning repression, Ban sometimes (goes) out of his way to portray repressive governments in a positive light.” He meant third world despots, not the world’s leading human rights abuser, waging lawless imperial wars and engaging in other scandalous actions. In response, Ban’s office disagreed, despite clear evidence of his complicity in grievous crimes of war and against humanity by indifference, silence, and support for Western aggression. Putting lipstick on that pig doesn’t wash. Nor have his spineless measures protected whistleblowers or prevented peacekeeper killings, rape, sexual exploitation, corruption and other crimes. In addition, he hasn’t defended human rights or condemned violations against them, notably by Western countries. Nor has he denounced aggressive wars and other lawless acts. How can he when he supports them, including Washington’s ouster of democratically elected Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on June 28, 2009. Or the Obama administration’s militarization of Haiti and complicity in rigging the electoral process to install stealth Duvalierist Michel (“Sweet Micky) Martelly, an anti-populist former Kompa singer supporter of powerful corrupt corporatist interests. Moreover, Ban backed regime change in Ivory Coast. He authorized a lawless French-backed military operation against Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, killing hundreds of civilians. He also echoed Washington’s call for Gaddafi’s ouster, saying he lost all legitimacy. At the same time, he backs cutthroat rebel paramilitaries, and supports lawless air strikes. They’ve laid waste to large parts of Libya and still do, killing and injuring tens of thousands. They also transformed Libya into a charnel house human rights disaster. Instead of condemning, stopping, or preventing wars, he authorized and cheerled them, betraying his mandate to support peace and human rights. Shamelessly serving Israel, not Palestine, he caused great harm in the process, including besieged Gaza denied flotilla aid from arriving. He even petitioned world leaders to back Israel’s demand to direct what it permits “through legitimate crossings and established channels” to prevent vital aid getting through or enough of it. By appointing his own commission to investigate Israel’s May 2010 Mavi Marmara massacre, he tried to whitewash his own Human Rights Council’s condemnation, as well as independent ones denouncing Israel’s cold-blooded murder of nine civilians and injuring dozens more in international waters. These were high crimes – piracy he should have forthrightly condemned, but he didn’t. Instead, he dutifully paid homage to Israel as he always does. Despite representing 193 member states, Ban only serves Washington, Israel, and other dominant powers. He thumbs his nose at the rest, including majority General Assembly positions on numerous human rights and other vital issues. In other words, in derogation of his sworn mandate, he solely represents dominant interests. Notably they’re those of Washington, Israel, and their imperial partners, ravaging targeted countries to carve up their corpses for profit. As a result, he shares culpability with lawless predator states, harming billions worldwide by his contempt for human rights. In fact, the very notion’s not in his vocabulary, let alone concern for people in dire need. They’re on their own because Ban won’t observe his sworn mandate to help them. It’s a testimony to his deplorable record. It’s appalling enough to have earned him a second term last June, representing wealth and power for another five years at the expense of billions worldwide he scorns. It’s the mettle of a failed Secretary-General, a legacy history won’t let him forget or expunge. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/. # http://www.mathaba.net/news/libya .

Mousa Ibrahim Speech 18-09-2011 ArRai TV English …….

French lawyers to sue Sarkozy over Libya abuses, NATO Crimes In Libya ………

NATO air strikes kill 354 in Sirte: Gaddafi’s spokesman …….

http://www.reuters.com By Alexander Dziadosz

 

SIRTE, Libya | Sat Sep 17, 2011 11:40am EDT

(Reuters) – Muammar Gaddafi’s spokesman told Reuters on Saturday that NATO air strikes on the ousted leader’s home city of Sirte overnight had hit a residential building and a hotel, killing 354 people.

Fighters loyal to the interim government were fighting street to street, slowly advancing into the city, but have been unable to dislodged Gaddafi loyalists defending it, Reuters journalists embedded with the interim government force said.

The city echoed with the sound of heavy shelling and gunfire. National Transitional Council interim government fighters said they had seen NATO warplanes above the city on Friday but did not know if they had bombed.

“NATO attacked the city of Sirte last night with more than 30 rockets directed at the city’s main hotel and the Tamin building, which consists of more than 90 residential flats,” Gaddafi spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said in a call from a satellite phone to the Reuters office in Tunis.

“The result is more than 354 dead and 89 still missing and almost 700 injured in one night,” he added. The Tamin building is a landmark building in the center of Sirte, named after the Tamin insurance company.

Reuters was unable to verify Ibrahim’s account of the incident. Gaddafi-held areas have been cut off from communication since the fall of Tripoli.

“How can anyone justify NATO’s murderous acts in support of an armed group against whole cites and tribes in Libya?” Ibrahim said, adding there was no foreign media in the center of Sirte.

NATO spokesman Colonel Roland Levoie said: “We are aware of these allegations. It is not the first time such allegations have been made. Most often, they are revealed to be unfounded or inconclusive.”

GADDAFI “LEADING STRUGGLE”

Fighters pushing into the besieged town appeared to be making slow but steady progress.

Ibrahim said Gaddafi was personally directing loyalist fighters who are fending off provisional government forces at his remaining strongholds. Those include Sirte on the coast, Bani Walid southeast of Tripoli and Sabha in the deep Sahara.

“He is leading all aspects of this struggle. He is talking to the people, he is lecturing, he is discussing, he is looking after all matters of the resistance,” he said. “He is in Libya…he is very confident, his morale is high and he believes we will win this fight.”

Ibrahim said that pro-Gaddafi forces had been stockpiling weapons and planning for a drawn-out war.

“We will be able to continue this fight and we have enough arms for months and months to come,” he said.

Ibrahim would not comment on Gaddafi’s precise location but said he himself was now near Sirte and had been traveling between it and other towns still loyal to Gaddafi. Reuters was not able to confirm his location independently.

“In the last 17 days more than 2,000 residents of the city of Sirte were killed in NATO air strikes,” Ibrahim said.

NATO says its air strikes in Libya since March have not killed large numbers of civilians.

(Additional reporting and writing by Barry Malone in Tunis; Editing by Alistair Lyon and Peter Graff)

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Sirte inside ;

here are two videos i have found on the www regarding the Reuters Topic :

Part 1

Part 2

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NATO has destroyed Order and introduced Anarchy to Libya (Sept 7, 2011) ……..

Pentagon vs Cameron :Somebody lies here ! …….

first watch this :

David Cameron’s Libya statement in full

Monday, 5 September 2011 17:16 UK

and then read this :

R2P: “No Confirmation Whatsoever” according to the Pentagon that Gadhaffi “Fired on his Own People”

Read the Pentagon transcript
Global Research, June 3, 2011
Responsibility to Protect: The War on Libya was launched but there was “No Confirmation Whatsoever” according the Pentagon that Gadhaffi  “fired on his own people from the air”The war on Libya was launched on the pretext and justification that Gadaffi was killing civilians and that the US and NATO had a responsibility to come to the rescue of innocent civilians. Below is the transcript of a March 1st Press briefing at the Pentagon. On the very same day a UN no-fly-zone resolution was being discussed, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Michael Mullen, “admitted their utter ignorance as to what’s happening on the ground in Libya” (for further details see Eric Pottenger and Jeff Friesen, Victors’ Justice and the “Responsibility to Protect”: Who are the Real War Criminals? Global Research, June 3, 2011) Sec Gates and Adm. Mullen plead ignorance. Q. Do you see any evidence that [Gaddafi] actually has fired on his own people from the air? SEC. GATES: We’ve seen the press reports, but we have no confirmation of that. ADM. MULLEN: That’s correct. We’ve seen no confirmation whatsoever. PENTAGON BRIEFING WITH SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ROBERT GATES AND ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF MODERATOR: COLONEL DAVID LAPAN, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR MEDIA OPERATIONS LOCATION: PENTAGON, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA TIME: 2:44 P.M. EST DATE: TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2011 Federal News Service March 1, 2011 Tuesday Q: Mr. Secretary, Admiral Mullen just mentioned that in Libya Moammar Gadhafi is waging war on his own people, as you put it. What — is U.S. military intervention realistic? And what specific kinds of options are you considering? Could you describe, for example, the possibility of a no-fly zone or arming rebel forces? SEC. GATES: … I would — I would note that the U.N. Security Council resolution provides no authorization for the use of armed force. There is no unanimity within NATO for the use of armed force. And the kinds of options that have been talked about in the press and elsewhere also have their own consequences and second- and third-order effects. So they need to be considered very carefully. Our job is to give the president the broadest possible decision space and options, and to go into the things that we’re thinking about, the options that we’re providing, I think, have the potential to narrow his decision space. And I have no intention of doing that. Q: Do you see any evidence that [Gaddafi] actually has fired on his own people from the air? There were reports of it, but do you have independent confirmation? If so, to what extent? SEC. GATES: We’ve seen the press reports, but we have no confirmation of that. ADM. MULLEN: That’s correct. We’ve seen no confirmation whatsoever. Q: Mr. Secretary, could you give us your assessment of the situation on the ground? How bad is it? Can the rebels take Tripoli? Are thousands dying? SEC. GATES: Well, the — I think the honest answer, David, is that we don’t know in that respect, in terms of the number of casualties. In terms of the potential capabilities of the opposition, we’re in the same realm of speculation, pretty much, as everybody else. I haven’t seen anything that would give us a better read on the number of rebels that have been killed than you have. And I think it remains to be seen how effectively military leaders who have defected from Gaddhafi’s forces can organize the opposition in the country. And we are watching that unfold, as you are. Q: Do you have any requests from rebel leaders for air strikes — (inaudible) — have you heard of any of that? SEC. GATES: No. …. Q: Mr. Secretary and Admiral Mullen, based on what you’ve seen to date, do you have any reason to think that Gadhafi would be prepared to leave voluntarily, or do you think that some form of force, whether it is rebels, whether ultimately it’s U.N. sanctions, Western intervention, whether some form of force would be needed to push him out of power? SEC. GATES: Well, all I can say is that sometimes you actually have to listen to what people say. And he’s saying he’s not leaving. (Scattered laughter.) .

Thierry Meyssan on the Invasion of Tripoli – Critical Eyewitness account (English) (Sept 2, 2011) ……..

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Eyewitness from Libya: Italian Special forces allready on the Ground …..

source

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Libya: 10 Aug. 2011, Libyan TV, news in English ………

See for yourself how NATO is protecting civilians in Libya ;

Very ,very strong images ,Viewer discretion advised !

related Video :

Gaddafi’s “dead” Son shows up on TV…again , NATO War On Libya

related Video :

Libyan Gov. Spokesman Musa Ibrahim on the NATO massacre :

related Video

CNN fake video of front line in Libya:

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