jad@whutt.att.com (John A Dinardo) (06/19/91)
The following excerpts are from the June 12, 1991 edition of
the UNDERCURRENTS program, broadcast daily over Pacifica Radio
Network affiliate WBAI-FM 99.5 in New York City, which I
transcribed from a tape recording:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
(continuation)
PHYLLIS BENNIS:
The attacks on Palestinians: particularly individual attacks on
specific people who are wanted by the authorities because (in most
cases) of their leadership roles, in a particular village or a
particular camp, of mobilizing the Intifada; or, in a dangerously
escalating practice that seems to be going on, attacks on groups of
masked men -- because of course Israeli regulations allow for anyone
in the West Bank or Gaza whose face is covered to be shot on sight --
and these groups of masked men, who can be engaged in anything from
painting graffiti on a fence to throwing stones at soldiers, are now
subject to being shot on sight by snipers all throughout the hills.
JD:
[These snipers are Israeli soldiers carrying out orders, and they
are also Israeli civilian vigilantes packing U.S.-made, U.S.-paid
M-16 combat rifles -- civilians who are not satisfied with
confiscating the land and the houses that have belonged to their
victims' ancestors for two thousand years, and then vanquishing
their victims like dust to the four winds. These Israeli invaders
have the compulsive desire to liquidate unsuspecting members of
the occupied populace for one reason only: Their victims have
committed the capital crime of being born Arabic. This OFFICIALLY-
CONDONED HISTORICAL CUSTOM of exterminating "inferior human beings"
is called "CLEANSING THE LAND OF UNCLEAN PEOPLE".]
PHYLLIS BENNIS (continuing):
And a number of incidents are beginning to occur where these groups
of masked men have been attacked by disguised groups of soldiers
coming in in plain clothes and attacking them right in their villages.
LAURA FLANDERS:
I wanted to ask you about whether the Baker initiative was seen
as a significant development.
PHYLLIS BENNIS:
Well, it's funny. In a certain way, people have not completely
given up hope that there could be some results from this new
Baker-led initiative on a peace process, even though there is
absolutely no indication yet that the Israelis are willing to say
anything but NO to even his very modest compromise proposals.
On a broader level, people understand that they cannot rely on
the United States to deliver Israel. Many people once thought they
could. No one seems to hope that anymore. .....
LAURA FLANDERS:
That was Phyllis Bennis reporting live from Jerusalem yesterday.
And, while we're listening to her report about the presence of
masked men and how they are targets of a shoot-to-kill policy on
behalf of the Israeli security forces, clearly, articles in today's
New York Times are preparing the ground for making killings of
such people acceptable -- articles that depict those masked
[Palestinian] men [and boys] as assassins of Palestinians.
(to be continued)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The criminals against humanity who perpetrate these atrocities
derive their political power and financing from you and me!
I hope you will save the installments of this ongoing series and
disseminate them to anyone whom you think might care enough
(e.g. leaders of religious congregations of all faiths, senior
citizens groups, compassionate members of your community, etc.)
to contact their Congressperson and insist that the leaders
responsible for these crimes against humanity be charged with
violations of the Nuremburg Principles, the Fourth Geneva
Convention, and the International Treaty Against Genocide
(signed by President Reagan in 1988).
John DiNardo