Turkish intelligence lose control of the ISIL on the Syrian border

المخابرات التركية تفقد سيطرتها على المجموعات المسلحة على الحدود السورية

 في الأخبار  

 

حسين مرتضى

لم يمض وقت طويل على تأسيس ما يسمى “تنظيم الدولة الاسلامية في العراق والشام” (داعش)، حتّى فقد ما يسمى بـ “الجيش الحر” سيطرته على العديد من المناطق، بعد ان بدأت “داعش” مؤخراً حملة ضد “ألوية الجيش الحر” في كافة المناطق السورية. هذا التنظيم الذي أصبح له نفوذ واسع في مناطق شمال سورية في حلب وادلب والرقة ودير الزور، وبالذات بعد سيطرته على مدينة أعزاز شمال حلب، والتي لا تبعد كثيراً عن الحدود التركية، أصبح يشكل هاجساً للجميع، كونه لا يفرق بين أحد فالكل عدو له.

هنا بدأت تتكشّف خيوط اللعبة، وبحسب المعلومات التي رشحت، فإن المخابرات التركية هي من تحرك عناصر “دولة العراق والشام” حالياً، وقد عقدت اتفاقاً معهم، لكي لا يقوموا بالاعتداء على حدودها، لأنه في حال تم أخذ اعزاز من “داعش” يصبح من السهل الدخول الى تركيا، والاعتداء على أمنها واستقرارها، وقد عانت الكثير من قبل في هذا السياق، وكما ان مجموعات “داعش” ليس لديها صديق، وبالتالي قد تقوم في أي وقت بالاعتداء على تركيا، لذلك سارعت المخابرات التركية لعقد صفقة معهم على حساب ما يسمى بـ “الجيش الحر”.

المخابرات التركية أوعزت الى قياديين في “داعش” وكلفتهم بالتخلص من كتائب وألوية ما يسمى بـ “الجيش الحر”، في المناطق التي يستطيعون بسط نفوذهم فيها، وضرب ألويته شريطة ان لا يقوم عناصرها بالاعتداء على أمن تركيا، كما يأتي ذلك نتيجة امتعاض تركي مما يسمى “الجيش الحر” الذي رفض قادته لاسباب مالية تنفيذ مهام أساسية أوكلت اليهم، كعمليات انتحارية وقصف مناطق حيوية في العاصمة بعد الحملة العسكرية الناجحة للجيش السوري في محيط دمشق.

هذا، ولم تغفل المخابرات التركية في اتفاقها مع “داعش” عن موضوع الاكراد، فهي مرّرت من خلال تفاهمها مع “داعش” أن الحكومة التركية لا تزال تدعم “تنظيم دولة العراق والشام” عبر حشد مقاتليها عند الحدود لاقتحام مدينة رأس العين، وفي محيط عفرين وفي مناطق تل ابيض في الرقة والقامشلي.
وبالفعل، بدأت تركيا وحتى هذه اللحظة بدعم “داعش” بالسلاح والعتاد وتنقل الجرحى إلى مستشفياتها بعد كل اشتباك في جيلان وبنر واورفا في الداخل التركي بشكل لا يخفى على احد.

بالتزامن مع ذلك، بدأ تنظيم “داعش” الحرب على الجميع في شمال سوريا، بضوء أخضر من تركيا، التي سمحت له بالسيطرة على منطقة أعزاز ودحر ما يمسى بـ “الجيش الحر” منها، كل ذلك من أجل حماية أرضها من أي اعتداء تقوم به “داعش”، التي لا ترحم أحداً حينما يمس الامر مصالحها.

إلى ذلك، ذكرت مصادر مطلعة أن المخابرات القطرية التي بدأت سحب نفوذها من كل تلك المناطق، عقدت اجتماعاً سريعاً مع ما تبقى من قيادات ما يسمى “الجيش الحر”، في تركيا، وبدأ التوجه نحو تعزيز قدرات “الجيش الحر” تسليحاً، ودفع المجتمع الدولي للنظر نحو ما يسمى “الجيش الحر”، على أنه ضحية للمتطرفين، لكسب أكبر نسبة تأييد دولي لزيادة نسبة تسليح مقاتليه. في المقابل، كان الانزعاج السعودي واضحا لجميع المراقبين، من خلال رفضها للقاء طلبه الاتراك بين بندر بن سلطان وأهم قادة المخابرات التركية في انقرة.

انقلب سحر “داعش” على الجميع، وبدأت بعد ان أصبح لها مناطق نفوذ وتسيطر على عمليات تهريب النفط السوري المسروق، بتهديد كل الأطراف بضرب أمنهم واستقرارهم، وأول هذه الانقلابات على تركيا.

بدء الانقلاب عندما طلبت “داعش” من المخابرات التركية، فتح حدودها أمام مسلحيها، كما طلبت بحسب ما تشير اليه مصادر مطلعة، بالسماح بإدخال السلاح ومساعدات غذائية، وتأمين مخيمات لعائلات مقاتليها، إلاّ أن المخابرات التركية رفضت ذلك، في محاولة منها للضغط على هذا التنظيم، لوقف تمدده السريع والمفاجئ، بعد أن سمحت له بذلك، ومحاولة منها لتضييق الخناق على مقاتلي التنظيم، من أجل إضعافه تدريجياً لإبعاد الخطر عن تركيا، إلاّ أن رد تنظيم “داعش” كان بأنه سيحرق تركيا اذا لم يتم فتح مخيمات لعائلاتهم، والسماح بادخال المواد الغذائية لها والسلاح والمسلحين.

وبالفعل، علمت المخابرات القطرية والتركية بحسب مصادر مطلعة، أن تنظيم “داعش” بدأ يعدّ العدة لتوجيه ضربات الى الحكومة التركية، عبر استهداف أمنها بتفجير سيارات مفخخة في العمق التركي، ومن ثم شن عمليات على الجيش التركي من أعزاز التي سيطر عليها التنظيم وطرد كل عناصر ما يسمى بـ “الجيش الحر” منها، ووفق المعلومات فإن خلافاً كبيراً نشب بين ضابط تنسيق تركي ومسؤول في “داعش”، تطور الى حد التهديد والوعيد من قبل التنظيم.
وقد سارع تنظيم “داعش” لنشر مقاتليه على الحدود مع تركيا في استعراض للقوة في مواجهة الجيش التركي، فيما بدأت حملة لوسائل الإعلام التركية بإطلاق النيران الكثيفة، على جمعية خيرية إسلامية موالية لـ “أردوغان”، هي جهاز المساعدات الإنسانية “IHH”، التي لها يد طولى في دعم التنظيمات المتطرفة في سورية، وخاصة تنظيمي “داعش” و”النصرة”. فيما كشفت مصادر أن لجمعية “IHH” دوراً هاماً في تجنيد المقاتلين في القفقاس ودول الاتحاد السوفيتي السابق وزجهم في تنظيمي “داعش” و”النصرة”. وهي قامت بجهود كثيرة للوصول إلى أبعد التجمعات الوهابية في دول مثل “أذربيجان” و”كازاخستان” و”الشيشان”، وتجنيد المتطوعين فيها، وإيصالهم إلى سورية.

وفي ظل هذا التخوف من التصعيد على الحدود التركية حاول الجانب التركي ايصال رسائل الى الجانب السوري طالباً المساعدة في القضاء على هذه المجموعات المتطرفة وهذا ما لم تجب عليه القوى الامنية السورية.
العهد

• أصدقاء “بن لادن” يتساقطون في سوريا

•  لوموند تكشف الطرق التي يسلكها مسلحو القوقاز إلى سوريا

• حرب الأعصاب: خسارة السعودية للحدود اللبنانيّة سيُخرجها من «المعادلة» بعد التحوُلات التركيّة 

• لهذا تفضل اسرائيل تنظيم ’القاعدة’ على الاسد

•  مرسي والظواهري وحكاية المكالمات الـ 6

• الأردنيّة

Team Palestina : Charity With Sectarian Teeth

 By Daniel Mabsout,

 

Everything looks so proper and neat . An aid convoy for the Syrian people , the funding : small contributions from Mosques all over UK ! The Work : volunteer , done by volunteer workers . How touching ! The objective : Help the Syrian people by treating and giving medical care to the Thugs of the Opposition who get wounded on the battle ground . Finan...cers : a dubious society called the “ UK Arab Society” not listed in the Arab Societies of Britain but associated to a sex scandal and headed by a certain Mohammad al Haddad who seems to have links with Libya . The donations -collected or bought by the team - were handed over to the IHH : Turkish so called NGO that takes orders of course from the Turkish government and organized the Freedom Flotilla movement and who seems to be somehow partly responsible for the killings that happened on board of the Mavi Marmara .

The Team specializes “in mobile charity work” - as they claim- that is why they are going to leave their four wheel drives -among them a police minivan- in Syria to facilitate the moves of the thugs of the opposition back and forth . Very charitable indeed ! And how they got to Syria is the wonder of most wonders , just by a tap on the shoulder on behalf of the Turkish frontier guards . Their papers were not complete , they had missing documents but they let them in alright- into Syria - by the Turkish guards who seem to be as charitable as them because they are carrying humanitarian aid. The covering story -on their page- for this “ charitable activity” is- of course - Palestine and Gaza and the love of Palestinians that is translated in effective aid for the terrorists who are destroying Syria by orders of the CIA and British and French Intelligence. Their page is not only full of talk about Palestine but about Christians as well and churches and priests with even a picture of a hug between Mahmoud Abbas and the Priest of the Latin church of Jerusalem . All this to hide that they are siding with the sectarian fanatic thugs of the opposition! You talk about charity? This is charity indeed!!

Huseyin Oruç talks to Silvia Cattori- Whenever the Palestinians need it, the Mavi Marmara will go

Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 11:30AM Gilad Atzmon

"The Turkish ship Mavi Marmara will continue to challenge the Gaza blockade
... Whenever the Palestinians need it, the Mavi Marmara will go..."

Erdogan under maintenance

In mid June, Bülent Yıldırım, chairman of the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, declared that the “Mavi Marmara” ship, which was hard hit in the Israeli raid, could not take part in the “Freedom flotilla II” but will “definitely set sail for Gaza when it completes repair and maintenance works.” Was it a realistic decision for the flotilla organizers to set sail without the “Mavi Marmara”? Huseyin Oruç, deputy of the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation explains his position in this interview.

Silvia Cattori: How many Turks are here in Athens waiting to sail with the “Freedom flotilla”?

Huseyin Oruç: We are about twenty people from Turkey ready to participate in the “Freedom flotilla II” in different ships. There are only a few places in the boats. In each boat there is a Turkish participant. We have people in the Canadian boat, the Spanish boat, the French boat, the Greek boat, the International boat.

Silvia Cattori: So, the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) has not withdrawn from the “Freedom flotilla II” as reported by many commentators? Is that correct?

Huseyin Oruç: We did not withdraw from the coalition. We are part of the coalition. We officially are continuing to support the “Freedom flotilla”. IHH is one of the members of the Steering Committee of the “Flotilla 2”. I am the deputy of IHH (Humanitarian Relief Foundation) and a coordinator of the “Freedom flotilla.” The only thing is that the “Mavi Marmara” ship could not join the vessels in this second mission of the “Freedom Flotilla” since repair and maintenance works on the ship have not been completed.

Silvia Cattori: I would like to make clear that the non-participation of the “Mavi Marmara” is it not a Turkish government decision?

Huseyin Oruç: It is not a government decision. It is an IHH decision. It is a decision of the registration of the “Mavi Marmara.” We have announced 20 days ago to our partners that, technically, we had difficulties in participating with “Mavi Marmara.” That for technical reasons we could not participate in this “Flotilla”. We wanted to allow all other organizers to prepare themselves accordingly. We announced that we were not cancelling but rather postponing the participation of the “Mavi Marmara”. We will continue our mission. You have seen the high commitment of IHH people in the coalition and you will continue to see it.

As we have declared it hundreds of times, the “Mavi Marmara” is not merely a Turkish ship. It is an international ship. It does not depend only upon the Turkish initiative. It is the symbol of the Palestinians; one of the symbols of all oppressed people in the world.

The “Mavi Marmara” became a very important figure. We are not cancelling our participation with the “Mavi Marmara”. Whenever the Palestinians need it, the “Mavi Marmara” will go. We cannot give you a time but we say that we will sail. In any case it will not be a Turkish ship but an international ship. The “Mavi Marmara” became the conscience of the world. There will be many nationalities on the “Mavi Marmara” when we will decide to go. There will be about 500 people from all over the world. And it will continue. It is not the end of the “Flotilla”. Until this illegal siege is lifted, this “Flotilla” will continue; with new perspectives, with new surprises, not to repeat itself; and it will continue to change the history.

Silvia Cattori: Because the “Mavi Marmara” represents a great and beautiful symbol it was a shock for the people in Gaza to learn that your ship could not be part of the “Flotilla II”. Was it a realistic decision for the flotilla organizers to set sail without the “Mavi Marmara”?

Huseyin Oruç: Of course the “Mavi Marmara” was one of the largest ships in the Flotilla that can carry about 500 passengers. The fact that it is not participating now in the “Flotilla” has a negative side and a positive side. We need to use whatever is happening to our advantage. The fact that we have deferred the participation of the “Mavi Marmara” puts us in a favourable position. We are maintaining the pressure on Israel. Anyway, we are still participating in the “Flotilla 2” and of course we are one of the supporters among the Committee members; we are one of the founders of this “Flotilla” organisation.

Remember what the Israelis have been saying throughout the last year. They have targeted Turkish people, they have targeted the Muslims, they have targeted IHH, and they have targeted the Turkish government who organized this Flotilla. But on the other side the Israelis have never done anything against our colleagues from the West. And now that the Turkish participation is les prominent, look what is happening.

Now that we are not participating with the “Mavi Marmara”, what is the reason to attack the boats? What is the reason to stop the boats? The main reasons are being removed from their agenda. Now the Israelis are showing their real face. They are not acting only against the Muslims, not only against the Turks; they are acting against everybody. And they want to control the West. They feel they oversee things at the highest level and that Westerners have their orders. It is the position now and European people need to understand that it is not related to religion. It is not related to beliefs, to nationality. It is completely related to the bad Zionist policy. And this policy is not only against the Muslims. They are not making any differentiation between religions. Whoever is against them, they are ready to kill them: Americans, Greeks, Germans and whatever they are.

Silvia Cattori: I entirely agree with your analysis. But the Turkish diplomacy regarding the Middle East seems to have changed. What is your interpretation about that?

Huseyin Oruç: Let me say first that Turkey did not change. And let me say that the decision of IHH is totally independent. One month ago, just five days before deciding not to participate in the Flotilla with the “Mavi Marmara”, we, the Steering Committee met here in this hotel ; we sat together and, very frankly, we explained the situation. Everybody knows us; knows who IHH is, how serious we are; how we are working, what we have done in the “Freedom flotilla I”. All members of the Steering Committee know that, if IHH takes a decision, it is not in favour of someone else, it is in favour of the Palestinians. This mission is totally related to the oppressed Palestinian people. And whatever we are planning, we are doing it for the benefit of the Palestinians.

For all decisions taken by IHH, without any pressure from anyone, we have checked everything. And when you look at the problems of the “Freedom flotilla”, it is very important to know that it is not the problem of a single society, but it is because of the Israeli policies. What the Israelis have done in the last one year? They have been attacking the “Freedom flotilla; they target all civilians. On the one hand, you have a big government and one of the most effective diplomatic machines in the world using all their powers. On the other side, you have some civilians. This allows us to surprise them; the Israelis do not realize what they are doing. They are not targeting Turkey, they are not targeting America, they are not targeting Greece; but they have created big enemies for themselves with their own hands.

Silvia Cattori: The Israelis are trying to invent all sorts of scenarios to divide people as in the past; to make Christians more acceptable than Muslims. This is their policy. By the way, it sounds a bit strange that this time the “Freedom flotilla” sails under, respectively, the flag of France, the flag of the United States, the flag of Sweden, etc…Is this not a way to make it easier for the Israelis to divide you?

Huseyin Oruç: No, it would not be easy because, in this mission, everybody understands what is going on. Not only the Israelis but the Flotilla people have learned diplomacy. Everybody is aware of what is going on. Our cause is the same. We do not keep something silent. We do not hide anything. And whenever we are talking about something in the Steering Committee, it is very open. Even if the Israelis try to use their intelligence, if they want to act wisely, they could easily manage this crisis; in a very easy way. But they cannot, because they do not believe in rights, they believe in power. They believe that, when they slam someone they will win, when they kill someone they will win. But this does not agree with reality or history. With power you cannot be successful. I do not believe that they can understand it, but they will see it.

The motivation of the participants is very high. And it is a very flexible coalition. We have opened the way for all initiatives, for all countries to do something by themselves. All initiatives work independently. We came together but it is not a centrally organized “Flotilla”. Each one organized its own internal campaign; and the Steering Committee brings everyone together in the actions.

Silvia Cattori: Thank you very much

Interview done at Athens, July 3, 2011.

Source: http://www.silviacattori.net/article1753.html

Turkish FM warns Israel against repeating flotilla attack

[ 26/04/2011 - 04:08 PM ]

ISTANBUL, (PIC)-- Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned Israel against repeating the same mistake with the Gaza-bound flotilla scheduled to set sail next month, the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot has reported.

 In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Davutoglu added that it is Israel's responsibility not to implement the Gaza blockade. He added that a UN fact-finding mission has declared that the blockade is illegal.

The Turkish foreign minister further said: “'In the flotilla last year, people were killed 72 miles from the coast, so this was in international waters. The Mediterranean does not belong to any nation.”

Bulent Yildirim, who chairs the Turkish humanitarian relief fund (IHH) has confirmed that the Mavi Marmara, which was attacked in the first flotilla, will return to Gaza with a sequel international aid flotilla running under the same name set to sail late this May.

The move has caused Israel to ask the US and EU states to thwart the flotilla by discouraging their respective people from participation. Israel has also asked Turkey to stop it before some of the flotilla's ships leave its ports.

The Turkish FM said in the interview: ”Turkey will not stop the ships from setting sail from its ports, but it would continue to warn activists on board of the dangers they face.”

The Freedom Flotilla 2 coalition has announced the opening of registration to the siege-busting Gaza flotilla for Brits who desire to take part. The coalition said registration actually began two days ago on the group's website.

The Palestinian Forum in Britain has also added a feature on its website designed to inform about special arrangements made for the flotilla. The site also includes details how to sign up.

Preparations for the convoy are in full swing in participating ports in Europe, North America, North Africa, Asia, South America and Australia. About 15 ships loaded with humanitarian aid are expected to set sail simulateously by the end of May.

The convoy will carry more than a thousand passengers including reporters, human rights workers, technicians and activists.

BBC governing body hails “pretentious propaganda” documentary on Gaza aid ship massacre

Via Redress
By Richard Lightbown

21 April 2011
Richard Lightbown is surprised to learn from the BBC Trust - the governing body of Britain’s state broadcaster – that it considered Panorama’s “Death in the Med” documentary to have “performed a valuable public service”.

”Nothing of value will ever be served by distorting reality and no credit will come to the BBC for promoting or excusing such a travesty of the truth.” (Richard Lightbown)

The BBC Panorama programme, “Death in the Med” took as its subject the Israeli commando raid on the Mavi Marmara. Broadcast on 16 August 2010, the programme received both accolades and brickbats.

Pro-Zionist blogs expressed delight that the BBC had finally produced a “balanced” documentary, while Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs downloaded the whole programme onto its website. (The Goldstone Report was denied the same distinction.)

On the other hand, of the more than 2,000 respondents to the programme who expressed an opinion, 72 per cent were negatively inclined. The BBC considered about one quarter of these were more or less identical with the wording recommended by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. It is possible then that the programme generated about 1,000 original complaints.

Selective background

Because the programme length was limited to 29 minutes the subject had been confined to the raid on the Mavi Marmara. The report tells us on page 88 that the “story of the film was the organized resistance to Israeli commandos and the shocking consequences of the decisions taken by each side”. Interestingly, the programme itself had not made this claim, but had stated that it would “piece together the real story – for the first time” – of the raid on the Turkish ship.

As part of the background to these events, the firing of rockets from Gaza and the allegation of racist abuse over the marine radio band had been mentioned. Yet years of violent occupation, military attacks on the Gazan population, often with illegal weapons, and the condemnation of the blockade by the United Nations were all considered irrelevant to the story by first the programme makers and now the BBC Trust.

Complainants were first dealt with by the programme’s deputy editor, Daniel Pearl, and then passed on to the Editorial Complaints Unit (ECU) if they remained dissatisfied (or had the stamina to continue). The ECU rejected all of the complaints. The final stage of the process was handled by a committee of the BBC Trust, which met to consider the 19 remaining complaints in a consolidated appeal on 17 March. Its findings were published on 19 April, nine months after the programme was broadcast. This in part upheld three of the 51 points of complaint. Lest anyone should think this to be some kind of rebuke, the committee was at pains to commend the BBC for tackling this “most controversial of issues” and declared that the programme was “an original, illuminating and well-researched piece of journalism”. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will no doubt appreciate this extra copy.

Breaches of BBC guidelines on accuracy and impartiality

The points of complaint upheld were:

1. Material from the Turkish preliminary autopsy reports would have given some indication of the level of force employed by the commandos. (Viewers were given no indication that the nine dead had been shot 30 times in total. This included the fatal injury to Cevdet Kiliclar who was shot once in the centre of the forehead; the ECU had told one respondent: “No one except those directly involved is in a position to state as a fact that the victims were deliberately killed.” Instead viewers heard a commando tell the reporter that he had aimed at the legs.) This was considered to have breached Editorial Guidelines on accuracy, but not those on impartiality.

2. By mentioning that the Israelis evacuated the badly wounded to hospital without mentioning widespread allegations of mistreatment of some of the casualties, the programme makers were considered by the committee to have breached the guidelines on impartiality. Despite omitting all mention of claims that wounded passengers had died following denial of medical attention, the committee considered that there had been no breach of guidelines on accuracy.

3. The programme was also considered to have breached the guidelines on accuracy by mentioning (in a deprecating fashion) only a small part of the aid cargoes carried by the flotilla. However, the committee agreed with the programme that the purpose of the flotilla was not really about taking aid to Gaza.

(This curious opinion was also shared by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees mission. The flotilla had been carrying 10,000 tons of aid, the majority of which was construction materials and other items not allowed into Gaza. Just how much aid do private citizens have to organize for the beleaguered population in defiance of their indolent governments before the BBC and other spectators deign to take them seriously?)

The BBC’s perverse reasoning

Among the points of complaint that were rejected were:

The programme did not mention that the blockade and siege are widely considered to be illegal.

Despite being condemned as collective punishment (and therefore illegal) by the UN, the BBC committee decided the information was not essential to understanding the story. Yet perversely the committee had endorsed the programme’s claim that the attempt to breach the blockade was political, i.e. it was defying the illegal imprisonment of a whole population.

2. The legality of the boarding and takeover did not need to be explored because the committee considered (without justification) the viewers’ perception of the issue was not altered by its exclusion.

3. Israeli attacks on Gaza were never referred to because they were not essential to understanding the situation whereas the rockets from Gaza were considered central to the circumstances of the conflict.

4. The reporter’s statement “Here in Gaza the problem’s not so much a lack of food or medicine” was described as correct even though it contradicted the statement by Dr Ahmed Yousef that “Many people have died because [of] the lack of medical supplies, or because there is no chance for having surgery here.”

5. Having observed that allegations of links to terrorism by the Turkish charity IHH needed to be well sourced and based on sound evidence, the BBC committee accepted that links to Hamas, which runs the government in Gaza constituted links with terrorism, along with totally unsubstantiated assertions from Judge Bruguiere made in 2010.

6. The allegations of the use of live fire by activists were not sufficiently tested for veracity.

The committee had noted that proving a negative – that the activists did not use live fire and did not possess live weapons – was not a reasonable expectation. However, it did not consider that proving a positive – that Israel had made allegations that it has never produced evidence to substantiate – is a very reasonable expectation that the programme and the BBC Trust should both have insisted on.

7. That live fire had commenced from the helicopters, before the commandos boarded.

The BBC committee ignored the fact that Israeli aerial infrared film of the raid has been withheld for the crucial period when this allegation is most likely to have occurred. They also ignored the fact that laser sights from a helicopter was shown scanning the deck in the Cultures of Resistance film thus disproving the assertion of the Israeli Turkel Commission, which the committee used here in assessing the evidence, that this equipment was not carried in the helicopters. And they have overlooked the fact that at least one of the activists who was shot from above was on the navigation deck at which location only a helicopter can fire from above. It is fair to say therefore that the BBC committee exhibited wilful ignorance on this point.

8. The commandos repeated use of the word terrorist was never countered.

The BBC committee apparently failed to understand that terrorism involves attacks on civilian targets, and that in describing the defence of a ship against armed military aggression this is not an accurate word to use. The committee should also not have naively regurgitated Israeli propaganda that 50 individuals on the ship had connections with “global jihad-affiliated terrorist organizations”. This is nothing less than a McCarthy-type slur intended for the gullible. The committee might also have recognized that the definition of a terrorist that they quote from the Turkel Commission – “…terrorists are an armed group dressed for battle - protective vests, masks and facial covers” – most accurately (and appropriately) describes the Israeli commandos.

9. The programme had not mentioned the abuse and humiliation of passengers when detained on the ship. While accepting that there were detailed allegations of ill-treatment, the BBC committee decided that the exclusion of this information was a legitimate editorial decision. Thus, having allowed the Israelis to call the passengers terrorists the programme then excluded any mention of the Israeli behaviour that the UNHRC has described as tantamount to torture. We are then told by the committee that this version of events is impartial.

It is unsurprising then that in its final paragraph the BBC committee should conclude: “…’Death in the Med’ was an original, illuminating and well researched piece of journalism. It had achieved exceptional access to key players from both the Israeli and the activists’ side. Voices were heard that had not previously spoken and in presenting their story Panorama performed a valuable public service.”

In truth the only public that was well served by this pretentious propaganda were the Israeli bigots who lined the hill overlooking Ashdod in order to jeer at the activists illegally abducted into the port. Nothing of value will ever be served by distorting reality and no credit will come to the BBC for promoting or excusing such a travesty of the truth.

IHH slams Israel's attempts to bar Freedom Flotilla 2 from heading to Gaza

[ 19/04/2011 - 10:54 AM ]

ISTANBUL, (PIC)-- The Turkish relief foundation IHH condemned Israel's attempts to prevent Freedom Flotilla 2 to sail for the besieged Gaza Strip next month to deliver humanitarian aid.

IHH in a press release said Israel does not want any international humanitarian efforts to break its land, sea and air blockade on Gaza, so it wants to thwart the launch of the second flotilla after it attacked the first one last year killing and wounding dozens of passengers.

It affirmed that Israel is working nowadays on influencing the international community and institutions in order to prevent Freedom Flotilla from heading to Gaza.

The Turkish foundation considered the assassination of Italian activist Vittorio Arrigoni an indicator for Israel's intention to use all means to obstruct the mission of the next international aid convoy.

For its part, the national consensus committee called on the international solidarity movement to intensify and continue its efforts to break the Israeli blockade imposed on the people of Gaza.

"The doors of our homes, cities, villages and refugee camps are open to embrace and defend them (anti-siege activists) with all precious things," the committee highlighted in a statement on Monday.

The committee strongly denounced the killing of Arrigoni by a suspicious deviant group and called for naming one of Gaza streets after the slain Italian activist.

MP Mansour: World should follow footsteps of foreign solidarity activists

Miles for Smiles 3 convoy geared to bring aid to Gaza
[ 19/04/2011 - 05:12 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- Several international human rights organizations coordinating with health and humanitarian institutions in the Palestinian territories are ”working togething to give Gaza children life”, as preparations are underway for the third Miles for Smiles convoy.

”After the first and second miles for smiles missions culminated in success and were able to breach the siege wrapped around the necks of Gaza's children, and despite the suffering and obstacles faced by the convoys and participants, we are happy once again to put smiles on the faces of the children of Gaza and give them some of the warmth and tenderness they've been denied,” the groups said in a fresh statement released Tuesday.

The convoy is running under the auspices of former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Al-Hoss, who also heads the international campaign to end the siege on Gaza, with organization by Partners for Peace and Development for Palestinians in Europe in cooperation with other rights groups, including the UN Relief Works Agency and the Red Cross.

It is expected to depart for the Gaza Strip between April 20-26, 2011, according to the responsible parties and specifically targets the medical needs of Gaza children, as that has been severely affected by the Israel siege on the tiny enclave for the past four years.

Organizers have been in close contact with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to arrange for the convoy's entry and avoid procedural obstacles.

They have also coordinated with the Gaza Ministry of Health to identify the specific needs of the Strip's residents.

Miles for Smiles 2, which included 45 activists from Europe, managed to enter the Strip in August 2010 and remained there for an entire year to survey the reality in Gaza. The first convoy carried out its mission in 2009.

Israel Targets Free Gaza Movement with Repulsive Propaganda

Israeli Propaganda aimed at human rights activists

Israel Targets Free Gaza Movement with Repulsive Propaganda

posted by Michael Leon

It is not enough that humanitarian activists on the Mavi Marmara were illegally boarded and attacked in international waters on a peace mission to Gaza. Nor is it sufficient that nine peace activists on the Mavi Marmara were assassinated in cold blood by Israeli terrorist forces—Furkan Doğan, Necdet Yıldırım, Cevdet Kılıçlar, Ali Haydar Bengi, Cengiz Akyür, Fahri Yaldız, Cengiz Songür, Çetin Topçuloğlu and İbrahim Bilgen.

By MAL
Now, Israel has launched a propaganda campaign targeting the return of the Mavi Marmara and Free Gaza Movement and is calling murdered victims: “Pirates”.

The Stand with Us propaganda site says the Israeli massacre on the Mediterranean Sea last May 31st was directed at “Pirates.” Incredible as it is revolting.

In the words of Dr. King: “I agree with Dante, that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality. There comes a time when silence becomes betrayal.”

Veterans Today stands with all the world-over who speak out against Israeli terror, human rights violations and vicious, utterly disingenuous propaganda. Long live Palestine. Long live the Free Gaza Momement.
Below are suggested propaganda posters from the Stand with Us propaganda site including calls to “investigate” freedom flotilla peace activists.

Filed under Government, News · Tagged with Free Gaza Movement, israel, Michael Leon, palestine, zionism

A Hero’s Welcome for Mavi Marmara in Turkey

26/12/2010 A Turkish ferry which was the target of a deadly raid by Israeli commandos when it tried to deliver aid to Gaza received a rapturous welcome from thousands on Sunday as it arrived back in Istanbul.

Crowds waving Turkish and Palestinian flags lined the quayside as the Mavi Marmara docked at Istanbul's Sarayburnu following a lengthy refit in a port along the Mediterranean.

They watched the ferry berth nearly seven months after the dramatic raid which left nine Turkish activists dead and triggered a major diplomatic crisis between Ankara and Tel Aviv.
The ferry had been trying to deliver aid supplies to Palestinians living in besieged Gaza.

According to the ferry's owner, a Turkish campaign group called IHH, the Mavi Marmara will be part of a new flotilla which will leave for Gaza on May 31, 2011, exactly one year on from the deadly raid.

Turkey's foreign minister said on Saturday that his country was still awaiting an Israeli apology for the assault, and that this was the only way to turn the page on a year of deteriorating relations with Israel.
Relations had been already strained before the raid because of Israel's devastating war on Gaza launched in December 2008.

Gaza and the Will to Change the World

Tim King Salem-News.com

Announcing Ken O'Keefe's upcoming mission to free Gaza that is certain to bring about change, one way or another.

(SALEM, Ore.) - I suspect this story may be the most important item I have ever written. I have been patiently waiting to release Ken O'Keefe's plans to bring relief to the people of Gaza by permanently breaking the illegal Israeli military blockade that has been in force for years.

This is an undertaking of epic proportions, but something has to happen. While there is likely to be a degree of dissension, as there always is, I suspect that most people in the world vested in freeing the Palestinian people of Gaza will be onboard one way or another.

Tim King, Ken O'Keefe and Bonnie King

The analogy for Americans seeking to understand the Palestine/Israel conflict, is the extinction of millions of Native Americans during the early years of the U.S. You would have to work very hard to find a person in any of the 50 states who believes genocide was the right plan. It was a tragedy, and almost identical to the plight of the Palestinians today.

Surely we are supposed to have moved past this point. With almost all of Palestine absorbed by Israel, the tiny remaining land that is Palestine is continually being confiscated by the Israeli government for the construction of illegal 'settlements' for religious extremists.

Today and throughout American history, even during the darkest years, Native American symbolism has maintained a certain undeniable appeal for those of white European descent. Perhaps that is one reason the serious prejudice of a hundred years ago is strictly illegal in this modern age.

It was a painful journey but one a nation called the United States nonetheless, completed.

Artwork by the amazing Carlos Latuff, friend of Salem-News.com located in Rio deJaneiro. To see more of his work, visit: Latuff Gallery

I question the safety of any person of any race in America who practices blatant racism toward the people we used to mistakenly call "Indians". It's just not accepted. I'm not saying there is no prejudice; we always have a long way to go in that area, but the systematic, legal oppression of Native Americans or people of any particular race, ended long ago in the U.S.

Of course it was a slow process. Acclaimed poet, national recording artist, actor and activist John Trudell, whose international following reflects the universal language of his words, work and message, (Santee Sioux) was a spokesperson for the Indian of All Tribes occupation of Alcatraz Island from 1969 to 1971. After that he worked with the American Indian Movement, becoming Chairman of AIM from 1973 to 1979, the year a fire of unknown origin killed Trudell’s wife, three children and mother-in-law. This horrific tragedy allowed Trudell to find his voice as an artist and poet.

In the early days of the U.S. there was always religious conflict. The Christians became adept at converting Native Americans to their faith. This is not a goal of the Israelis from what history tells us. Arab residents of Israel aren't even allowed to serve in the Israeli Defence Forces.

_____________________________________________________________________

Mavi Marmara Incident

Flash forward to May 2010, that is when Ken and hundreds of activists were aboard a Turkish flagged ship, the Mavi Marmara, in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Strictly loaded with unarmed peace activists, journalists and humanitarian aid cargo destined for Gaza; their goal of breaking the Gaza siege was clearly stated and their ships had been thoroughly inspected, though not by Israel itself.

Beautiful image of the Mavi Marmara Click to learn about IHH

The crew of this ship always said they would defend the Mavi Marmara if attacked; there was never a question about it. Before the flotilla had a chance to get anywhere close to Gaza, while traveling approximately 80 miles off the coastline, parallel to Gaza rather than approaching it, the ships would become the scene of a deadly Israeli commando attack. The Israeli guns killed nine activists, several execution style, and left more than 40 seriously injured. Of the nine dead, several could have been saved, but they were denied medical attention by Israel as they bled to death.

The incident that night changed many things, and would lead to strong condemnation from the United Nations and an endless list of countries, excluding the U.S. and Canada and a few others that always side with Israel in spite of the repeated, highly documented violations of international law that continuously take place.

The ending of this illegal siege and the Israeli occupation of Palestine must include the banning of apartheid laws that create endless checkpoints and unfair, contrasting rules and subsequent prison sentences for Jews and Arabs in Israel. Israel did not always conduct itself the way it currently does, and today even the most minimal peace gestures from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are met with grating resistance from hard liners.

Apparently the Israeli government only understands resistance, and there are few times that resistance does not become violent. The plans underway are long in the making, and will only involve those who are committed to ending this struggle of Biblical proportions, by placing their lives in harm's way.

Ken O'Keefe and his brother activists disarmed three Israeli commandos aboard the Mavi Marmara in May and they had every opportunity to harm or kill them. Instead the Israeli soldiers were given medical treatment and released. Again, this is while Israel chose to let activists who they shot bleed to death.

It is tragic that the lesson of this one aspect of the story is lost through Israeli lies and propaganda and the western media parrots who regurgitate the government press releases like the Gospel, when they could not be any more different. The press here portrayed the story as if the activists were the dangerous party. They reported that the IDF soldiers only used paintballs when that in fact was a bald faced lie.

______________________________________________________________

The Final Flotilla Mission

The next mission to break the Gaza siege will be of such a grand scale that change is guaranteed. Exactly what that change will amount to is yet to be seen, but the main ship in the flotilla being planned by Ken O'Keefe will have residents of every nation on the earth aboard.

The ship will have media accommodations that are unrivaled, and the backing of international governing bodies through the use of existing trade agreements that for a very long time, have been squashed in Gaza.

Israel has Gaza surrounded on all sides with a massive wall and guard towers replete with trigger happy snipers, and Israel's navy offshore.

Two days ago six Palestinians, including two children, were shot by Israeli snipers in Gaza. Ken O'Keefe reported this information as his own party came under Israeli fire in Gaza, as shown in the video on the left.
One person Ken seriously hopes to have aboard, is Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Like many nations in the world today, Venezuelan citizens largely say they stand behind the Palestinian cause.

The main ship described above, intended to carry 1000 passengers, is only one small aspect of the upcoming plans announced publicly today during a press conference in Gaza by O'Keefe. Again, the mission will be completely peaceful and activists will be unarmed with no exceptions.

However, as Ken and his fellow shipmates resisted the Israeli Commandos act of international piracy on 31 May, which is what the Israeli attack amounts to, the crew of this ship will also resist illegal boarding and piracy. There will be a large number of other vessels in the flotilla and they will be designated as resistance and non-resistance ships.

Those aboard the non-resistance ships will be able to quickly abort their mission if they decide to and surrender to the Israeli Navy. The resistance ships will reach Gaza and not be deterred as they seek only to fulfill a legal mission to establish free trade and business connections with the people of Gaza.

Ken talked privately with us about this mission during his recent NW International Speaking Tour. He says charity is needed in Gaza, but these are proud people perfectly capable of existing if they are simply provided the opportunity.

Israel keeps the Gaza population in an open air prison. Palestinian farmers feed their prize winning carnations to cows as their market remains mostly sealed. It rings of the old adage: 'You can give them a fish or you can teach them to fish.' The Palestinian people of Gaza need business revenue far more than charity.

Tim King, Ken O'Keefe and Bonnie King of Salem-News.com Photo by Dexter Phoenix

The residents of Gaza simply need to live without the constant threat of death.

They need freedom of movement, and to be afforded the rights guaranteed to them by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights .

Gazans need large numbers of world citizens to help.
For years now the Palestinian cause has been a peaceful one, and all this time Israel keeps brutalizing those who speak out. Some, like Salem-News.com Writer Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, are able to relate their experiences of Israeli brutality through journalism and academic tenure.

Most however remain silent; those who are able to post videos of the brutality on YouTube know Israel will block their residents from seeing the images.

It always seems important to point out that the real truth about the much touted 'rocket attacks' from Gaza. Mentioned continually in the news, these glorified fireworks have killed exactly 28 people since they began in 2001. Those are 28 tragedies, but is it worth Israel's jeopardizing the future of the whole world?
The western and Israeli news outlets also overlook the fact that Palestinians are no longer setting off suicide bombs; Hamas swore off the practice years ago.

______________________________________________________________

The Importance of Unity

Ken O'Keefe's actions aboard the Mavi Marmara and his ability to get airtime with channels like the BBC, has led to a needless and counterproductive divide in this movement. There are those who accuse Ken of showboating, but the public fallout from the attack in May led to the partial opening of Gaza's southern border at Rafah.
It has been suggested to me by someone I greatly respect in the movement, that I am too taken with Ken's persona, and I have to say with all respect, that the suggestion, however well-intended, is inaccurate. Ken and I were both U.S. Marines, we've both been in Kuwait and Iraq, and we are both surfers from Southern California who care greatly about a more peaceful future for this world.

We have a lot in common and it just so happens that he is the one pushing for change at a fast clip. His Direct Action approach has saved lives in the past and it will again in the future.

Peace is the goal, and reaching that takes strength, courage and sacrifice. Combining those elements has the potential to lead to Ken's vision of truth, justice and peace, TJP.

His project Aloha Palestine has a chance to really make an impact from what I see, and Ken's public strength has both legs and teeth. We need to get on with this and then sort out differences when it is over.

Obviously the flotilla will be the subject of a large amount of fundraising. At this point we are looking for a tour bus that can be used for a west coast fundraising tour featuring Ken and other speakers. The vehicle will be painted or wrapped to promote both the fundraising tour and the upcoming flotilla.

Please write if you or your organization are interested in providing this valuable tool.
Also, media agencies interested in being aboard the main ship during the flotilla, should write to me, Tim King, stating your interest in securing work and travel space aboard the ship. Please direct all media inquiries to mailto:newsroom@salem-news.com..

Once again in my life the lines between reporter and activist are slightly blurry and hard to define. I hope more former mainstream news reporters and those currently working for western media and press, experience the same thing. Of course if you judge from history, it is more important for Israel to maintain their stupid blockade by killing people, than by admitting that its position in the world is non-humanitarian and unacceptable under all conditions.

Perhaps this mission will end like the Mavi Marmara's, in blood soaked decks. But maybe, possibly, it will be the final proof to Israel that the world isn't going to stand for their oppressive behavior any longer.
More information including dates and additional contact information and tour dates will be forthcoming. Ken's press conference from 1 December is posted below:

Writer

Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines.
Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Tim has several years of experience in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and photographer at NBC, ABC and FOX stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. As News Editor, Tim among other things, is responsible for publishing the original content of 65 Salem-News.com writers. He reminds viewers that emails are easily missed and urges those trying to reach him, to please send a second email if the first goes unanswered. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

 

Can the BBC be trusted to handle its own complaints?

Redress

---

By Richard Lightbown 9 November 2010

Richard Lightbown describes how his complaint to the BBC about the Panorama documentary "Death on the Med" had been "fobbed off with a variety of excuses and imaginative distortions of the facts". He says the BBC can no longer be trusted to regulate itself and must be brought under the control of the UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom.

The BBC’s pro-Zionist bias is well known, especially since Director-General Mark Thompson’s refusal in January 2009 to allow a public charity appeal for the people of Gaza following Israel’s brutal assault during Operation Cast Lead. Mr Thompson had argued that airing the appeal could compromise BBC impartiality. It is a pity that the staff at Panorama, the BBC’s flagship current affairs programme, did not share their editor-in –chief’s concerns when they produced a documentary entitled “Death in the Med”, which was aired on 16 August this year. The programme, presented by reporter Jane Corbin, claimed to produce new evidence from both sides of Israel’s raid on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla “to piece together the real story for the first time”.

Omission and biased nuance

In order to fit into the short half-hour time slot, the documentary concentrated solely on the attack on the Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara. Thus, the assaults on the other five vessels were not even mentioned, along with the considerable gratuitous violence against non-violent activists on three of the ships. Nor was the illegal and sometimes sadistic detention of passengers and crew, which included further violence, maltreatment and humiliation. Nor the widespread theft of property and cash, along with looting of aid items and the fraudulent use of activists” credit cards. Nor the disposal of some of the aid in a landfill site in the Negev desert, and the months of delay for at least half of the total cargo in the port of Haifa. (I have still been unable to find confirmation that the 3,500 tons of cement have in fact been safely delivered to Gaza.)

Yet despite the time constraints and the proclaimed emphasis on the raid of the flotilla flagship, Ms Corbin did manage to find time to belittle the aid carried by the flotilla (of which only a small proportion was on the Mavi Marmara) and to question the true motives of the participants. There was also time to allude to terrorism by the Turkish charity and co-organizer of the flotilla, IHH, and to mention the rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel.

However, time constraints prevented any mention of Zionist terrorism from the Irgun bombs thrown from cars in Arab crowds in the 1930s through decades of international atrocities to the killing of Gazan fishermen and farmers in the present day. (The programme’s deputy editor, Daniel Pearl, told me it was necessary to mention the rockets to explain why Israel claims the blockade is in place.

Apparently, it was not necessary to inform or remind viewers that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has publicly stated that the blockade is a collective punishment that is illegal under international law, or to mention the United Nations Development Programme assessment of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This situation might help to explain why some Palestinians feel a need to fire rockets at southern Israel.

Did the editors of Panorama really expect their viewers to work this out for themselves?) This then was hardly the “real story” that was claimed, while the “new evidence” consisted of a few seconds of additional footage that the Israelis had released to the compliant documentary team. Everything else has been in the public domain for weeks. Yet the programme conveniently overlooked the fact that these same generous authorities had confiscated huge amounts of photographic evidence from the flotilla and also filmed the whole raid themselves.

Hundreds of hours of important evidence from these sources remain suppressed or possibly destroyed, yet no one would have learned this from Ms Corbin’s reportage. The extent of the bias exhibited by the programme can be gauged by the fact that Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) website provides a link to the entire half-hour programme. (The rest of the same page includes such gems as a press conference where Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, hardly a model of impartiality, stated that “The armada of hate and violence in support of the Hamas terror organization was a premeditated and outrageous provocation.” Panorama is in good company.) It was hardly surprising then that the Panorama programme generated a lot of criticism. Broadcasting complaints in the United Kingdom are normally dealt with by the independent regulator, Ofcom, which assesses them against the Broadcasting Code.

For reasons that are not made clear on the Ofcom website, the BBC is exempt from oversight on issues of impartiality and inaccuracy which it deals with in-house, claiming to “learn from them to improve our programmes and services”. Seeking just such an improvement on the standards of reporting at Panorama I prepared a fully referenced 14-page critique along with an annotated transcript of the entire programme. Because the BBC’s web page for complaints does not allow for attachments in the text box, I was obliged to send this by post to the complaints unit in Darlington, where it was received on 27 August. Ten weeks later I am still awaiting an adequate response.

”Bereft of integrity and a disgrace to the BBC”

It is true that Daniel Pearl, the deputy editor of “Panoroama”, responded to each individual point in an email on 3 September. However, I consider that response to have been inadequate on a number of points, the chief of which are:

1. Persistent use of the word “terrorist” by Israeli sources against members of the flotilla was never countered, nor was it ever suggested in the programme that under international law it was the Israeli raid that was an act of terrorism, and not the courageous defence which responded to that illegal act.
2. The Panorama claim that the Israeli commandos had never been filmed by the media in action before was blatantly false since the programme makers were using footage by Cultures of Resistance showing the commandos attacking the Mavi Marmara. This footage has previously been publicly screened.
3. The false assertion by a commando that “people” (i.e. commandos) were thrown overboard was never corrected.
4. Major-General Eiland’s claims that the results of the raid were “surprisingly low” and that the force was not excessive were not adequately challenged. The BBC’s Editorial Guidelines state: “We must rigorously test contributors expressing contentious views during an interview whilst giving them a fair chance to set out their full response to our questions” (BBC, Editorial Guidelines, June 2005, p.27). The nine passengers who were killed had been shot in total 30 times. A further 55 passengers (Israeli figures) were injured, mostly with gunshot wounds. The general was never pressed to justify his claim that the force used was not excessive in the light of these heavy casualties (which amounted to more than 10 per cent of the passengers).
5. Jane Corbin parroted the Israeli excuses for depriving Gaza of reconstruction materials. These claims are unrealistic since cement is an inappropriate material for making rockets (as has been claimed by Israeli Foreign Ministry legal expert Sarah Weiss Maudi on the legal aspects of Gaza aid)and the often cited “bunkers” would merely serve as a target for air strikes. Thus there is no security issue with construction materials which Gaza is deprived of for political reasons alone. 6. Jane Corbin’s allegation that “Western authorities” have accused one of the flotilla organizers, IHH, of links to terrorism was spurious. The “authorities” referred to basically amount to one man, the former head of the French judiciary’s counterterrorism unit, Jean-Louis Bruguière. Even this source was unable to indicate any current terror links to the charity (see Yassin Musharbash, “A closer look at Israel’s terror accusations"). M. Bruguière has been roundly criticized in the French press (Le Monde described him as a voyou judiciaire or judicial lout) for controversial investigations in Rwanda and the bombing of a UTA flight over the Sahara Desert.¹ Ms Corbin did not add that the US State Department has not designated the charity a “foreign terrorist organization” nor does it intend to do so.² Nor did the programme ever refer to more than 70 years of widespread Zionist international terrorism.
7. The programme described Israeli proposals to transfer the cargoes through the port of Ashdod, but never mentioned the counter proposals put forward by the flotilla organizers to undergo inspection by a neutral organization such as the UN or ICRC, before proceeding on to Gaza.
8. The programme featured part of a filmed Israeli interrogation of the ship’s chief engineer without mentioning that it had been secretly filmed or that the original 4.03 minute video has been edited at least five times.
9. The allegation that IHH had taken control of the ship (of which they were the legal owners) is false. There is no evidence to suggest that any passenger was ever denied legitimate access to any part of the ship or that any crew member was ever intimidated or prevented from carrying out his duties.
10. The programme said that commandos in the first helicopter were armed with “non-lethal weapons” when in fact they had opened fire from the helicopters with live ammunition.
11. Passengers’ and journalists’ testimonies describing live fire from the first helicopter before any commando descended were not considered or mentioned.
12. Israeli allegations of live fire from passengers are only supported by a solitary audio recording whose authenticity has been questioned. The BBC has never adequately addressed this issue, which is probably the most important source of contention. There is no solid evidence to back up this oft-repeated Israeli claim yet the BBC has treated the contention as quasi-fact not only in this programme but in a Hardtalk interview with Ken O’Keefe on 25 June 2010.
13. Claims by a commando that they tried to minimize the injuries by firing at the legs were never disputed or questioned by the programme despite the evidence that many of the injuries were to the head and upper body.
14. The programme implied that the Israeli military had acted with compassion by airlifting the injured to hospital but failed to mention the widespread ill-treatment of all detainees, including the injured, many of whom were deliberately laid on deck in the constant spray and downdraft from a helicopter. Nor was there any mention that three passengers died through being denied medical treatment, two by bleeding to death.

15. Ms Corbin’s assessment of the aid cargos mentioned only mobility scooters, beds and drugs, placing great emphasis on out-of-date medicines which were alleged to comprise two-thirds of the total. (No source was given for this information which smacks of Israeli connivance.) Nothing was said of the thousands of tons of construction materials or the impressive array of medical equipment, or the large sums of money carried by volunteers such as Dr Hasan Nowrah for the Gazan medical services. Hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash intended for Gazan charities has been stolen by the Israeli state or its operatives. The money has been callously described as money for terrorism by its larcenous recipients. Panorama viewers were never informed.

16. Having begged, borrowed, worked and pleaded for all this aid and cash the volunteers who risked so much to deliver it were cheaply written off by Ms Corbin as people primarily interested in a publicity stunt intended to pressurize Israel and the international community.

These are not details or nuances picked from a piece of honest reportage. They are the skeleton of a report that is bereft of integrity and a disgrace to the BBC. And what has the response been? Nothing; allowing a generous seven-week period the Editorial Complaints Unit set itself the deadline to respond by 2 November. To date it has failed to do so, and its director, Colin Tregear, has also failed to respond to my email reminding him of this negligence.

Whitewashing by devious means

Not that I am expecting any justice. Responses to other complainants have whitewashed the slate, often by devious means. Here are some examples from Mr Tregear (quotes or paraphrasing of Colin Tregear in blue):

To Complainant 1:

• On the legality of the blockade:

The United Nations issued a statement following the flotilla in which it referred to the blockade as “counterproductive and unacceptable” but is has never officially declared the blockade to be illegal…

The text of the paragraph actually reads:

He [Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs] pointed out that, in his view, today’s bloodshed would have been avoided if repeated calls on Israel to end the counter-productive and unacceptable blockade of Gaza had been heeded.

• On the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) audio recording whose authenticity is under dispute:

The programme-makers have assured me that they questioned senior Israeli military spokespeople about the recording and were assured on two separate occasions by different individuals (before and after the edited broadcast was published) that it was genuine and had not been faked or edited. I accept that this assurance has to be judged in the light of who gave it, but I think it is important to note that the programme-makers did not take the Israeli version of events at face value and questioned the IDF directly on the matter.

Aside from the fact that only one individual had been asked before publication, the naivety here is staggering. The IDF had issued the recording so they were certain to swear by its authenticity. (What else did the BBC expect?) The Free Gaza Movement was contesting the authenticity but the BBC had not seen fit to ask them. This is negligent. Huwaida Arraf, whose voice appears on the audio, had this to say on the authenticity:

...on the Challenger we recorded the communication but of course the Israeli soldiers took all our recording devices from us. So if they have nothing to hide, give us back our recording equipment. We documented all of the communications but we don’t have any of it. The Free Gaza Movement maintains that it definitely was tampered with, and I can tell you that one of the voices on there that they claim was saying “remember 9/11” – this sounds like an American voice with some kind of faked southern accent . None of the captains that we had, no captain was American. We had one British, which was Denis Healy, two Greek captains, two Turkish captains and one Algerian captain and I was there listening to the captains respond to the Israeli questions in a very professional manner. So that’s definitely tampered with.

• On the IHH:

Firstly, I think it was legitimate for the programme-makers to draw attention to concerns which have been expressed by Western authorities about the charity’s links to organizations such as Hamas and the Union of Good, which have been designated as terrorist organizations.

It is pertinent that no “Western authorities” have been identified in this comment. The more so since, in answer to Professor Miguel Deutch’s question on 11 August 2010 – “Did you view at this stage the IHH as an actual terror organization? As a terror-supporting organization?” – IDF Chief of General Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi replied “No, no.”³ It should also be recognized that as a major donor charity to the Gaza Strip, IHH inevitably must have links with the government of that territory, which is run by Hamas.

• On the allegation of live fire from passengers made by Gen Eiland:

I therefore think that the programme presented both the claim by the Israelis and the denial by the activists and so I cannot conclude that the programme gave the misleading impression it was a fact that the activists used live ammunition.

Immediately following the activists’ testimony referred to here (by Ken O”Keefe), Jane Corbin herself said: “The question of who shot first remains disputed and unresolved.” This clearly implies the use of live fire by passengers.

• On there being no mention of “lethal fire” from the helicopters:

...I do not believe it was the case that the programme did not mention claims that the commandos opened fire from the helicopters. There were two separate contributions from Bulent Yildirim in which he made it clear that he believed the Israelis opened fire from the start of their operation. There was a clip of him which was filmed on deck at the time of the attack:

Jane Corbin: “The IHH claim they were acting in self-defence. They say the Israelis started using live fire right from the start of the operation.”

Bulent Yildirim: “At this moment they’re firing non-stop. And every time one of our friends is being injured. They’re firing at us, they’re throwing bombs.”

He also responded to questions from Ms Corbin by saying: “At this point it had gone beyond passive resistance because the Israelis had been firing from the start. These people are defending themselves while being fired at.” I therefore cannot conclude that the programme did not refer to the claims made about live fire from the helicopters.

Nowhere in any of these quotes above, nor in any part of the programme, was there a specific reference to live fire from helicopters. The specific claim by several activists that the IDF commenced live fire (several attest to deadly live fire) was accepted by the United Nations Human Rights Council fact-finding mission which said in its report (para.114, p.26): However, it has concluded that live ammunition was used from the helicopter onto the top deck prior to the descent of the soldiers."

• On the editing of IDF film of the chief engineer (which was secretly filmed, but not declared as such by the BBC): I have watched the version of the interview which is available online and although it does seem as if it has been edited, the questions and answers used in the programme appear to be contemporaneous, and so I don’t believe it is possible to conclude that the editing has been carried out in such a way as to alter the meaning of what the officer said in regard to the IHH activists.

The film in question is 4.03 minutes long, and from the unassisted appearance and disappearance of various objects it is clear that the film has been cut at least five times. Mr Tregear himself is not absolutely certain that the material used is contemporaneous. In the sequence he cites, it is unclear whether the beaker by the engineer contains water throughout the interview (although it is never touched by anyone in this time). The doubts must remain. The BBC’s Editorial Guidelines state (p.22):

We should only broadcast material from third parties who may have a personal or professional interest in its subject matter if there is a clear editorial justification. The material should be labelled.

And:

We should be very reluctant to use video and audio news releases or other material. We do not normally use any extracts from such releases if we are capable of gathering the material ourselves. If it is editorially justified to use it then we must explain the circumstances and clearly label the material on air.

Panorama is on very thin ice here.

• On the counter-proposal made by the flotilla:

I am unaware that the flotilla organizers made any counter-proposal.

Huwaida Arraf told Democracy Now! the following:

We told them also that we would be willing to admit to additional tests by a neutral body whether they be UN or the ICRC. We weren’t hiding anything at all.

This conversation took place on the high sea. This point needs to be reconsidered in the light of this truth of which Mr Tregear was so dismissive.

• On the conduct of the IDF:

The programme reported serious failings on the part of the Israeli military:

- Poor military intelligence about the nature of the flotilla and those on board. - A consequent failure to deal appropriately with the resistance faced. - No attempt to rethink the operation once an initial attempt to board the Mavi Marmara was resisted. - Continuing with the military operation with fatal consequences.

In contrast, the UNHRC mission, which included a retired international judge and a senior lawyer with experience in international law, was scathing and uncompromising (para.264, p.53):

The conduct of the Israeli military and other personnel towards the flotilla passengers was not only disproportionate to the occasion but demonstrated levels of totally unnecessary and incredible violence. It betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality. Such conduct cannot be justified or condoned on security or any other grounds. It constituted a grave violation of human rights law and international humanitarian law.

The two assessments are hardly on the same planet.

To Complainant 2:

• On the failure to challenge General Eiland effectively:

This complaint effectively goes unanswered since Mr Tregear deals only with comments made by the general on Israel’s bad publicity. Later in the programme General Eiland makes the following highly contentious remark:

We have very clear evidence that at least in four cases the other side did use live fire […] but at least in one case they used their weapon, because we found bullets and shells that is not in use in the Israeli forces.

Ms Corbin made no attempt to question this at all. As mentioned above under point 4, the BBC Editorial Guidelines require contentious views to be rigorously tested in interview. Mr Tregear makes no attempt to uphold these guidelines here. In a long answer attempting to justify loose accusations of terrorism against activists in various parts of the programme, Mr Tregear winds up with the following:

I also think it is worth pointing out that Ms Corbin questioned one commando’s description of the activists as terrorists:

JC: “They were civilians” Sergeant Y: “They were not. They may be civilian Turkish people but they were terrorists plain and simple.”

I therefore cannot agree that viewers would have been misled; it was clear that the Israelis were accusing some activists of being terrorists. Ms Corbin challenged one commando on this point. Viewers would have been able to draw their own conclusions as to the veracity of the Israeli claim.

This short sequence here is actually the entire interview with Sergeant Y at this point. It is therefore incorrect to say that Ms Corbin challenged the commando. In fact, the reverse happened: he challenged her and, contrary to BBC guidelines requiring her to rigorously test this contentious view, she lamely let the matter rest. Again, Mr Tregear also fails in his task by not upholding the guidelines. Panorama has presented a regurgitated version of Israeli propaganda on an international outrage, which it has had the temerity to label “the real story”. In doing so it has defied the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines. Complaints to the BBC’s Editorial Complaints Unit have been fobbed of with a variety of excuses and imaginative distortions of the facts. The victims of this travesty are journalistic integrity and the tattered remnants of the BBC’s credibility which survived the editor-in-chief’s bias against the Palestinian victims of aggression nearly two years ago. Clearly, the BBC can no longer be trusted to put its own house in order and to learn from its failures in order to improve its programmes. As such it would be to the great benefit of British broadcasting if this recalcitrant body was treated the same as other broadcasting bodies and brought under the control of Ofcom.

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Notes

1. François Schlosser, "Rwanda: les oeillères du juge Bruguière", le nouvel Observateur, 1 February 2007. Extract from “Manipulations Africaines” by Pierre Péan, published in Le Monde diplomatique, March 2001. 2. Roger Cohen, “The forgotten American”, New York Times, 26 July 2010.3. Chief of staff’s testimony protocol, Turkel Committee, 8 August 2010.

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River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian