The Politics of Freedom

Written by Kathy Simcox


Continued from page 1
repparttar war on terror not because I am a Republican or a conservative bigot, but because I am an American who holdsrepparttar 125971 value of freedom very near my heart; because I am an American who wants to live withinrepparttar 125972 protective walls of that freedom for as long as I can,repparttar 125973 very same protective walls so many young people have sacrificed their lives to keep standing; and because I want so very much forrepparttar 125974 rest ofrepparttar 125975 world to know how wonderful that freedom feels andrepparttar 125976 peace that freedom brings.

I support our President not because of any hidden agenda or foolish conspiracy, but because he is an American like me who despisesrepparttar 125977 enemy of freedom andrepparttar 125978 enemy of his faith; because he despisesrepparttar 125979 enemy of ALL faiths, including that of true Islam; and because he despisesrepparttar 125980 enemy of humanity. I am a free American, and I believe in all who fight for that freedom.

About the Author Kathy Simcox, Columbus, Ohio, United States hrdude28@hotmail.com

Kathy works as an Administrative Assistant in the College of the Arts at The Ohio State University. She holds a BA in Psychology and is currently working on a second BA in Religious Studies. In addition to writing, her passions include hiking, biking, kayaking, photography, and singing in her church choir. She is also known to read an occasional book.


The Apartheid Wall Saga Continues

Written by Aritro Ganguly


Continued from page 1

Howeverrepparttar judgment passed byrepparttar 125970 Israeli High Court on June 30, 2004, has orderedrepparttar 125971 government to re-route a 30 km section ofrepparttar 125972 wall as otherwise it will infringe onrepparttar 125973 rights of some 45,000 people of ten Palestine villages. The Justices Aharon Barak, Mishael Heshin and Eliyahu Matza read outrepparttar 125974 complex verdict- "The route thatrepparttar 125975 military commander established forrepparttar 125976 security fence....injuresrepparttar 125977 local inhabitants in a severe and acute way while violating their rights under humanitarian and international law." Howeverrepparttar 125978 court upheldrepparttar 125979 fact thatrepparttar 125980 government hadrepparttar 125981 right to buildrepparttar 125982 barrier and that construction was permissible on occupied land but that an alternative route was possible.

Then on July 9th, The International Court of justice at The Hague, ruled thatrepparttar 125983 wall was illegal. The non binding verdict said- "The court accordingly finds thatrepparttar 125984 construction ofrepparttar 125985 wall, and its associated regime, are contrary to international laws....... The court is ofrepparttar 125986 view thatrepparttar 125987 United Nations, and especiallyrepparttar 125988 General Assembly andrepparttar 125989 Security Council, should consider what further action is required to bring to an endrepparttar 125990 illegal situation resulting fromrepparttar 125991 construction ofrepparttar 125992 wall." It also orderedrepparttar 125993 Likud government to pay reparation torepparttar 125994 affected Palestinians.

The defiant Israel government refused to comply withrepparttar 125995 ruling. Deputy PM Yosef Lapid emphatically declared Israel's intention to continuerepparttar 125996 work onrepparttar 125997 wall. Ariel Sharon said that he wanted "to make clear,repparttar 125998 state of Israel absolutely rejectsrepparttar 125999 ruling ofrepparttar 126000 International Court of Justice in The Hague." Despite Palestinian PM Ahmed Qureia's hope thatrepparttar 126001 Americans wound "not sabotage"repparttar 126002 endeavor ofrepparttar 126003 international community to deconstructrepparttar 126004 "Apartheid wall",repparttar 126005 White House officials as well asrepparttar 126006 opposition inrepparttar 126007 US condemnedrepparttar 126008 ICJ ruling. In fact Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry as well as Senator Hilary Clinton stood staunchly byrepparttar 126009 Israeli decision. The support coming fromrepparttar 126010 US opposition must have surely emboldened Ariel Sharon.

The only threat to Israel's master plan of compartmentalization ofrepparttar 126011 West Bank to foilrepparttar 126012 peace plan comes fromrepparttar 126013 persistent EU. The EU Foreign policy Chief Javier Solana has pledged to be a part ofrepparttar 126014 peace negotiation despite repeated rebukes from Israel. The ICJ verdict has also galvanized many European Human Rights organizations to pressurize their respective national governments to impose economic sanctions against Israel becauserepparttar 126015 Article 2 ofrepparttar 126016 EU-Israeli association agreement states that trade restrictions can be enforced because of a country's poor Human Rights report.

All said and done,repparttar 126017 enforcement of embargo on Israel seems unlikely as it still has and will always haverepparttar 126018 US as its major backer. Till date US has donated Israel a record sum of $ 92 billion along with Apache helicopters and heavy and light artillery. Israel itself is now a major weapon supplier to many nations and withrepparttar 126019 rise of Islamic fundamentalism inrepparttar 126020 volatile middle east, Israel would be seen as a deterrent or a buffer state. After allrepparttar 126021 US would be quite happy to deflect some ofrepparttar 126022 Al Qaida and Mujahidin ire towards Israel. So Israel is completely at its freedom to continue their murderous occupation, ensuringrepparttar 126023 social and economic denigration ofrepparttar 126024 Palestinian society and trampling their dreams of a free Palestine underrepparttar 126025 crushing burden ofrepparttar 126026 Apartheid wall. The saga continues.

http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/article.cfm?articleid=31107

The author is a freelance journalist, volunteer social worker and web content developer who has written in four national and local dailies in India.


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