The Value of Arab Lives

The New York Post, which can be accurately defined as a 'rag' in the most pejorative sense of the word, is having a field day describing the factional conflict in Gaza and Iraq. Jubilantly crowing about the Arab 'culture of violence and suicide', writers repeatedly speak in terms of 'having given the Arabs a chance' to govern themselves that has been squandered. They then declare it now to be time for civilised nations like the 'U.S.' and 'Israel' to intervene as if the U.S. and Zionist entity had not been involved in the destruction of the Arab Nation from the start!

What makes this sort of journalism dangerous is the fact that most Americans do not care about Iraq or Gaza enough to learn the facts that underline the factional conflicts. What makes it utterly outrageous is knowledge of the negligible value that the so-called 'civilised nations' determined for Arab lives in the first place.

An 'official' American assessment of the value of an Arab life is given in the following exchange.

In 1996, U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright was interviewed by Leslie Stahl on '60 Minutes' on the subject of the U.S. sanctions against Iraq as follows:

Lesley Stahl: We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that's more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: I think this is a very hard choice, but the price--we think the price is worth it.'

Remember that these deaths were caused solely by the economic sanctions against Iraq BEFORE the U.S. invasion. The death toll since the invasion has been far higher.
A Lancet study in 2006 estimated 654,965 excess deaths related to the war, the bulk of which have been civilians.

As of November 2006, the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees estimated that 1.8 million Iraqis had been displaced to neighbouring countries. 1.6 million were displaced internally, with nearly 100,000 Iraqis fleeing to Syria and Jordan each month. As of 2007, over 3.9 million Iraqis, have lost their homes and become refugees. This price evidently is well 'worth it' in the general scheme of U.S. foreign policy.

'Legitimate targets' according both to the U.S. and Zionist military include 'dual use facilities'. A 'dual use facility' is defined as any structure that possibly could be used for 'military purposes' ranging from the storage of any inflammable substance to the temporary hiding place of a 'target', thus including every civilian home or place of business squarely within the definition. This is nothing new in war, however. Villages have been torched and razed to the ground by invading forces since the dawn of humanity. 'Civilised nations' evidently consider this practice to be justified even now, although bombs dropped by aircraft have taken the place of the hand-held wooden torch.

The low value placed on the lives of Arab children as well as the rest of the population has been demonstrated again and again in the continuing U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. 'Collateral damage' is the blanket term used to describe massacres of Iraqi civilians by the U.S. military machine. The U.S. Defence Minister stressed the importance of remembering that it was 'nearly impossible to eliminate collateral damage.' He cited weapons systems malfunctions, human error and the 'fog of war' as the culprits. The government surely could not be held accountable in such circumstances.

When it's a matter of killing 'insurgents', the term is 'mopping up' as if Arab patriots were nothing more than filth spilled on the floor of 'democracy'.

The Zionist perspective of the value of Arab lives:

In his eulogy for the American Zionist terrorist Baruch Goldstein, who murdered 27 unarmed worshippers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron in 1994, Rabbi Yaacov Perrin declared: 'The lives of 1 million Arabs are not worth a Jewish fingernail.'

As usual, the U.S. supported this assessment. On the official site of the JDL in Florida, the following declaration was published:

'How does JDL feel about Dr. Baruch Goldstein?...We feel that Goldstein took a preventative measure against yet another Arab attack. We understand his motivation, his grief and his actions. We are not ashamed to say that Goldstein was a charter member of the Jewish Defense League. We quote without comment the rabbi who conducted the services at Goldstein's funeral, "A MILLION ARABS ARE NOT WORTH ONE JEWISH FINGERNAIL."

These are the pronouncements of the 'civilised nations' so very superior in their 'values' to the Arab Nation, described as having 'dysfunctional values and antique social structures' that prevent them from governing 'themselves decently'.

Adding injury to insult, one reads views such as the following: 'We gave them a chance in Iraq. Israel 'gave back' the Gaza Strip to let the Palestinians build a model state. Arabs seized those opportunities to butcher each other.'

It is amazing that any one would take a pronoucement of this sort seriously but the abysmal degree of political ignorance combined with the incessant propaganda of the Zionists form an equation that almost guarantees that the circumstances that prevail both in Iraq and Gaza will continue.

The Arab government in Iraq BEFORE the U.S. and its allies imposed economic sanctions for over 13 years was a progressive and stable one. In terms of science, medicine, education, standard of living and rights for women, the government of Iraq could not be faulted.

The idea that the U.S. 'gave them a chance in Iraq' by destroying the entire infrastructure of the country first economically, then by military invasion, is absolutely outrageous.

As for the ludicrous statement that the Zionists 'gave back the Gaza strip to let the Palestinians build a model state', it is tragic that the degree of political ignorance in the States would allow any one to take this sort of nonsense seriously.

The generous act of 'giving back' the Gaza strip consists of the demolition of a few isolated illegal Zionist settlements that never should have been built in the first place. Illegal settlements in the West Bank have not only been sustained throughout but have been enlarged. Throughout the so-called Palestinian control of Gaza, the Zionists have continued to bomb and invade the area. Although many may not recognise the fact that the Zionist Occupation of the entire homeland of the Palestinian people is illicit, even the U.N. continues to maintain the illegality of the military Occupation of the lands seized in 1967. That territory includes not only Gaza, but the West Bank AND Jerusalem.

'Giving back' Gaza was a matter of the Zionists pulling down a few tiny settlements in Gaza while continuing to occupy the West Bank and Jerusalem and never ceasing to use military force in Gaza as well as throughout Palestine (and Lebanon when the mood takes them.) Of course, the Zionists have a god-given right to pre-emptively strike against any one or anything they may perceive to pose a possible threat to their interests at any point in time.

The only reason I quote the New York Post is that it represents an attitude that is far more widespread than the readership of that specific rag.

One therefore should take a moment to reflect upon the chances of the Palestinian people to create 'a model state' amidst the bombings by the Zionists, military incursions by the I.D.F. as well as economic and political interference and pressure by the U.S. and its European allies.

Notwithstanding attempts by foreign media to portray it otherwise, the P.L.O always has been a democratic organisation, with members from every political movement with very diverse ideological backgrounds and aims. The Palestinian Authority actually is less democratic in nature only because it was created pursuant to the Oslo Accords, making the Zionists a partner in its creation without any true autonomy. As such, it cannot represent a 'democratic ideal'. (I do not subscribe to the propaganda that insists 'democracy' to be the ultimate form of government in any case.) In point of fact, it is not a 'government' in the true sense of the world, as the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination was not met by the creation of a mere 'Authority' existing under the ultimate jurisdiction of the foreign Zionist entity. The P.L.O. remains the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

The organisation of the P.A. is based on the same model as that of the United States, with three separate branches, consisting of Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. Unfortunately, as the Zionists have not relinquished their Occupation and control of Palestine, the Judiciary has not been formalised. The President of the P.A. is supposed to be elected directly by the people, although historically, neither the U.S. nor the Zionists have recognised any result that did not correspond with their policy requirements. It is the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) that constitutes the parliament and the appointment of the Prime Minister by the President as well as any officials appointed by the Prime Minister must be approved by the Council.

The composition of the PLC is as follows: half of the 132 seats are filled pursuant to direct elections in 16 localities in which all political parties participate. (More than 15 different political parties and alliances were on the ballot in the 2006 elections.) The other half are elected in proportion to party votes from a national pool of candidates.


In 2006, Hamas won control of the Palestinian Authority in the most recent election but, rather than accepting the 'democratic process' they so loudly extolled as the ideal, the U.S. and Europe withheld aid from the Palestinian people as a result.

The U.S. has provided arms and training for groups with the ambition to overthrow the government of Hamas and indeed urged Mahmoud Abbas to stage a coup against Hamas. Abbas now unilaterally has 'dismissed' the elected Hamas government and has seized control.

Meanwhile, under the spurious 'independence' of Gaza from Zionist control, taxes and customs duties owed to the Palestinians are collected by Israeli officials. The Zionist refusal to transfer tax receipts, coupled with the cessation of foreign aid, has brought a failing economy to the point of utter desperation. So much for U.S./Zionist claims that they created a situation in which Palestinian aspirations could flourish!

In Iraq, the 'democratic' values that purportedly comprised the aim of the foreign invasion, from the very start excluded any possibility of true independence or freedom. While urging elections upon the Iraqis, the U.S. and its allies categorically declared that certain forms of government would be unacceptable. 'Democratic election' evidently should be translated as an election in which only candidates approved by the U.S. are allowed to enter.

Both in Iraq and in Gaza, living conditions resemble those found in the worst refugee camps. Electricity and water are in short supply. Food is at a premium. Foreign military attack never has ceased.

As far as Hamas and its capacity to create a 'model state' or even to participate in the creation of ANY real Palestinian State is concerned, that possibility never was tested. The world never gave Hamas a chance. Abbas, the puppet leader who earned the U.S./Zionist stamp of approval, rather than working with Hamas, allowed himself to become even less of a true representative of the Palestinian people or their legitimate aspirations. It should be said here that Abbas and his cronies do not even represent Fatah. They represent a corrupt, foreign-influenced element of Fatah.

The factional conflicts that plague both Iraq and Gaza are a minor issue compared to the ongoing devastation caused by American/Zionist policies. When foreign invasion and occupation destroys the foundation of Arab civilisation and then proceeds to strangle the hope of any true independence, what is left but desperation?

Noam Chomsky on Lebanon and Gaza:

Nahr al Bared: Choose your Side

This past week, the news has featured reports of fighting between the Lebanese army and 'militants' in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al Bared. The Lebanese army is depicted as the legitimate representative of 'law and order' while the 'militants' are described as 'terrorists'. Statements describing Fatah al Islam as a group that is purportedly 'linked to Al Qaida' only serve to further marginalise the situation, making it appear to be no more than one of those nebulous threats that need to be eliminated by the righteous in their 'war on terror'.

According to an Associated Press report: 'The army is seeking to uproot a militant group called Fatah Islam, which arose late last year in the camp, on the outskirts of the northern port city of Tripoli. The group touts itself as a Palestinian liberation movement, but many view it as a nascent branch of al-Qaida-style terrorism with ambitions of carrying out attacks around the region.'

Another article states that: 'The group’s leader has been identified as fugitive Shaker al-Absi, a Palestinian in his early 50s who has vilified America in media interviews and admitted he supports the ideology of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. He is believed to have fought in Afghanistan and Iraq.'

'Fugitive' at least is one step up from 'refugee'. 'Fugitive' describes a refugee who has taken the initiative to try to take steps that ultimately would lead him back to his homeland.

These articles do not describe the refugee camp or the situation that created it. They make no mention of the Zionist Occupation of Palestine. According to these reports, it is simply another group of 'terrorists' seeking to disrupt the harmony and order of the State.

In the tangled web of Arab politics, one will find groups like the pernicious Welch Club giving support to militias and resistance groups simply in order to weaken Hizb'allah, perceived by the U.S. as one of the greatest threats to its interests. The CIA and its equivalents from other nations always have used clandestine support of revolutionary and resistance groups on the basis of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. In this particular case, however, it could be no more than an allegation designed to foment more sectarian hostility between Shi'a and Sunni.

On the other hand, whatever the truth about this particular group and its affiliations, one fact is clear: Palestinian resistance to the status quo should be unqualified.

There can be no doubt whatsoever that Palestinian expectations of support from the Arab Nation through the years have been met with every degree of betrayal, from oblique political repudiations of the unconditional right of the Palestinian people to the Palestinian homeland to the savage slaughter of unarmed refugees in camps throughout the Arab Nation. To live in a refugee camp for generations without resisting would be tantamount to accepting the role of lambs docilely awaiting their slaughter.

On Sunday, Fatah al Islam’s spokesman in Nahr el-Bared, Abu Salim, stated that the aim of the organisation was 'to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, one of Islam’s holiest sites and to protect Sunnis.'

For those who fail to grasp an elementary principle, I should make it clear that the liberation of Al Aqsa Mosque must be an aim of EVERY Muslim and EVERY Arab. It is not an aim to which Al Qaida can lay any proprietary claim!

As far as protecting Sunnis is concerned, the entire sectarian conflict between Shi'a and Sunni was created and nurtured by the foreign invaders of Iraq to further their own goals and Muslims must repudiate any attempt to further divide the Ummah. Rather than 'protecting Sunnis' or 'protecting Shi'a', Muslims must renew a common faith. Islam neither is a 'Sunni' nor a 'Shi'a' religion.

From my point of view, the membership of Fatah al Islam or its motivations are not the primary considerations here. It is the entire infrastructure of a system that has allowed Palestinian refugees to exist in appalling conditions of limbo for over half a century.

One can understand the conflict that is occurring at Nahr al Bared only if one is aware of the status of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

The hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are not allowed to work in many professions or to claim social security. They do not have the right either to own or to inherit property. Most of them struggle to survive, without means to obtain the basic necessitiies of life. They are denied citizenship in Lebanon.

Palestinians who attempt to find work outside the camps are subject to laws of discrimination. Many professions are restricted to Lebanese nationals. A policy of reciprocity with respect to work permits guarantees that no Palestinian will be allowed a permit: the right to a permit for foreign nationals is judged by the extent to which the foreign state grants that right to Lebanese nationals. As the Palestinian State remains under foreign Zionist occupation, there is no basis for reciprocity. Unemployment rates are at least 80%. The professions that are subject to this include those of accountant, cook, medical doctor, hairdresser, pharmacist, engineer, concierge and lawyer. Unemployment rates in the camps have been noted to be as high as 80%.

Living conditions in many of the camps are abominable. Open sewage is commonplace. Overcrowding has resulted in the creation of new unofficial refugee camps lacking even the basic services provided to the official camps.
Lebanese law prohibits Palestinians from owning real estate and bar them from inheriting property or from registering any property previously purchased. Although the law does not mention Palestinians explicily by name, it prohibits those who are not 'bearers of nationality of a recognised State', a description that applies primarily to Palestinians living in refugee camps in Lebanon.

Lebanon's discriminatory practices against Palestinians violate international human rights law; they are in violation of its obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and Convention on the Rights of the Child. .

In many camps, new construction or redevelopment of any kind is prohibited. Cramped quarters and a lack of basic necessities, coupled with discriminatory practices that deny any hope of improvement to the Palestinian refugees, create a situation that is intolerable.

Lebanon claims that any offer of citizenship to Palestinian refugees would be a de facto admission of the Zionist pretensions to the Palestinian homeland. There is no excuse, however, for the legal discrimination being practiced by an Arab state against fellow Arabs.

Once again, instead of uniting against a common enemy, Arabs are determined to do the dirty work of their enemies for them. The Lebanese Army is involved in an operation against its own people rather than turning its guns and armaments against the Zionists who actually have invaded Lebanese territory more than once. Like the Lebanese murderers who participated with the Zionists in the terrible massacres of Palestinian refugees at Sabra, Shatila and Burj al Barajnah camps, the Lebanese Army now is operating to increase the 'security' of the Zionists against any threat to their continuing rape of Palestine.

From an eyewitness account of the situation in the camp: 'After three days of shelling and more than 100 dead and with no electricity or water, Nahr el-Baled reeks of burned and rotting flesh, charred houses with smoldering contents, raw sewage and the acrid smell of exploded mortars and tank rounds.

'Press figures of 30,000-32,000 are not accurate. 45,000 live in Bared! Contrary to some reports food and water still not being allowed in.

'15 to 70 percent of some areas destroyed. Some light shooting this morning and afternoon. Army shelling at rate of 10-18 shells per minute from 4:30 am to 10 am on Tuesday. Army will not allow Palestinian Red Crescent to move out civilians because they don't trust them. Only the Lebanese Red Cross is allowed. It is possible to enter Bared from the back (east side). The Army taking cameras of journalists they catch. The Lebanese government is controlling the information and don't want extent of damage known yet. Still unrecovered bodies. 40 per cent of the camp population have been evacuated. The rest don't want to leave out of fear of being shot or that they are losing their homes for the 5th time or more for some.'

Like the other Palestinian camps in Lebanon, Nahr al Bared is inhabited by Palestinians who were forced from their homes, land, and personal property in 1947-48 by the invading Jews.


Of the original 16 Refugee camps that were created to set up to house temporarily more than 100,000 refugees crossing the border into Lebanon from Palestine during the Nakba, 12 official ones remain. The camp at Tal El-Za`tar was ethnically cleansed by Christian Phalange forces at the beginning of the 1975-1990, Lebanese Civil War and the Nabatieh, Dikwaneh and Jisr el-Basha camps were destroyed by Zionist attacks and Lebanese militia and not rebuilt. Those remaining include the following which currently house more than half of Lebanon's 433,276 Palestinian refugees:

Al-Badawi, Burj El-Barajnah, Jal El-Bahr, Sabra and Shatilla, Ain El-Helwa, Nahr El-Bared, Rashidieh, Burj El Shemali, El-Buss, Wavel, Mieh Mieh and Mar Elias.

Again and again, rather than embracing their Palestinian brothers and sisters, factions in Lebanon have acquiesced or actively participated in the crimes committed against them, from ethnic cleansing to statutory descrimination.

Nahr al-Bared has the highest percentage of Palestinian refugees anywhere who are living in abject poverty and who are officially registered with the UN as 'special hardship' cases.

The general population of the refugee camp of Nahr al Baled ultimately will emerge as the worst victims in this 'clash' but they must recognise that the return to Palestine will not be accomplished by surrender to the dictates of the Lebanese Army or the U.S. It is only through resistance that hope will offer anything but a mirage.

When will the Arab Nation distinguish between shadows and substance, repudiate the temptation to embroil itself in sectarian clashes and embrace unity against a common foe?

When will the world reject the facile definitions of any resistance movement as a 'terrorist movement' and support the just aspirations of the dispossessed rather than acquiescing in campaigns of foreign occupation as it did in the war against Iraq?

When will the Arab Nation categorically repudiate the role of agent in the murky political battles fought for outside influences on Arab soil? It is time for the Arab people to refuse to act as pawns on the international chessboard. Arab fighting Arab... that is fantasy fulfillment for the Zionists and every one who desires an end to any possibility that a strong Arab Nation might emerge from the smouldering wreckage created by foreign invasions and occupations.