Organizing for America | Posts with the tag United Nations

Posts with the tag United Nations

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By "Voice for Humanity" - Oct 22nd, 2009 at 10:00 pm EDT

By Padmini Arhant

As detailed in the blogpost titled ‘U.S. Dilemma on Afghanistan’ published on the website www.padminiarhant.com, September 1, 2009 – in the ‘International Politics’ category, the flawed Afghan election results in favor of the current President Hamid Karzai appropriately rejected by the U.N. backed investigators with the runoff election scheduled for November 7, 2009.

Afghanistan heading for yet another election within two weeks is a tall order given the recent turmoil in the electoral process that led to the annulment of the results. Modern democracy is not devoid of voter fraud, corruption and unscrupulous tactics by the respective campaigns representing the political candidates. However, the Afghan election is complex due to the extremism ranging from physical threats, ballots stuffing, violence that mars the democratic protocol and worsened now with the August election declared ‘flawed,’ by the United Nations panel and the other international authorities.

The remaining content available @http://www.padminiarhant.com

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

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The 64th Session of the UN General Assembly and G-20 Summit

By "Voice for Humanity" - Sep 25th, 2009 at 5:47 pm EDT

By Padmini Arhant

Welcome to the forum on the important global gathering of nations to discuss the issues confronting the international community at large.

A humble request to all visitors to the website http://www.padminiarhant.com to take a moment and view the featured videos that speaks volume of the serious humanitarian crisis in hand. As we all know that pictures are worth thousand words and a confirmation of the reality.

Again, the visuals may not be appropriate for all, given the graphic content. The dire situations in these parts of the world beckon the worldwide condemnation and put an end to these atrocities against humanity and bring the perpetrators irrespective of stature to justice as an evidence there is still hope for goodness to prevail in the ever deteriorating immoral world.

Please remember silence is the worst act of crime.

The general debate by the United Nations began early this week with President Barack Obama addressing the General Assembly for the first time since elected to the office of Presidency. The debate continued then onwards with the address by the undemocratically nominated authorities like the Islamic Republic of Iran and The Great Socialist People’s Libya…

The UN Security Council Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was the highlight of the UN session. The objective of this particular conference was aimed at bringing the States that have not yet agreed to or ratified the treaty for the Non-Proliferation Treaty to come into effect.

For the remaining content please refer to http://www.padminiarhant.com

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

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Reconfiguration of the U.N. Security Council

By "Voice for Humanity" - Aug 9th, 2009 at 12:16 pm EDT

By Padmini Arhant

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” – simple yet meaningful creation by the renowned American Poet – Robert Lee Frost.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Only if the authorities in power – the corporations and the governments alike, in the contemporary world honor the commitment to their people and prioritize the promise to the general population over personal quest for profit, privilege, prestige and politics,

Perhaps, it might be possible to wipe out the global problems such as poverty, disease and war polluting the planet and restore the deep, dark and lovely woods that once used to be the nature’s paradise.

The past week event involving the release of two American journalists – Laura Ling and Euna Lee through high profile diplomacy aided with the former President Bill Clinton’s visit is a confirmation that communication and dialogue can be effective in resolving international crisis.

For the remaining content, please visit http://www.padminiarhant.com

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

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Fair Trade -- Yeah!

By Dolores B - May 2nd, 2009 at 1:58 am EDT

Thank God Obama is supporting Fair Trade. It's about time someone in US in leadership position understands the false pretenses of Free Trade.

After living in a foreign country, talking to people around the world, and reading many articles about work conditions outside the US, I am a proponent of Fair Trade. Free trade is against the labor standards and laws we have established in the US. When we make agreements with countries to permit free trade we say it OK to violate human rights, fairness, ethics. I am talking about salary rates. I'm taking about no work day off; not paying earned wages for more than a month, sometimes as long as 3 months; of providing exceptionally poor living conditions; abusing authority; requiring employees to work in excess of 12 hours without extra compensation or on-going. I know there are more violations.

We have American companies who have companies around the globe. They do not instill our fair labor standards and laws in other parts of the world. I've heard that is the custom in that country. That does not make it right. And oftentimes, it is a practice but not the law,in fact, violates the law. Employees are so grateful to have a job, they do not report the employer. They do not complain, aloud. But, they have spoken to me.

I hope every American understands that Free Trade is inhumane. Free trade is outright wrong. Free trade needs to be abolished in our constitution, by the UN, and in our international policies, forever.

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A few points about the racist UN - Durban "anti-racism" conference

By Natalia from Acampo, CA - Apr 20th, 2009 at 3:38 am EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

A few points about the racist UN - Durban "anti-racism" conference

1) When will Arab racists & Islamic bigots let go of the UN and stop hijacking it with it's lobbies (silencing Arab racist genocide in Darfur, yet daming innocent Israelis who merely try to survive)?

2) Why is Arab terror singling out Jews not racist?

3) Why is the essence of the entire "conflict'" in the M.E. not a form of bigotry by Arab Muslims who can't "accept" the non Arab non Muslim pluralistic democratic Israel?

4) Are Jews living, or even allowed to live in racist "Palestinian" controlled territories (Judenrein - ethnic cleaning)?

5) When will lefty radicals (Meretz/B'Tzelem) talk about preferential treatments to Arabs OVER Jews inside Israel, like in Hebron and in other cases?

6) Why are (Arab Palestinian or Hezbollah) the ones using its own kids as cannon fodders considered "innocent victims"?

7) Is Israel battling just terrorism or an ARAB MUSLIM CAMPAIGN OF GENOCIDE since the 1920's?

8) Since Muslim nations (OIC & Iran) push to criminalize criticism of Islamists' bigotry, doesn't it mean that anything being said in that conference is the opposite of tolerance and of truth?

9) How can the UN avoid the largest practitioner of racism, which is Arabism (against: Kurds, Berbers, Africans, Jews, Assyrians, Asians, etc.), but focuses on the so called "anti-Arab racism"?
[ http://geocities.com/panarabism - Arabism is racism! ]

10) How more racist can the Durban-conference get, If the two oppressive regimes: Libya & Iran are the "stars"?
Libya - whose Muamar Qaddafi (besides his own persecution of non-Arabs, especially blacks in his country) the one of the champions in today's racist Arabization, and Arabist racism against Africa (whose "vision" has been compared to Hitler's "lebensraum"), in: Chad, Nigeria, etc., ultimately his crimes in the Sudan region helped in leading the current Al-Bashir's genocide on Millions of Africans (financed mainly by Libya and S. Arabia).
Iran, the regime of Islamic bigotry's oppression on its own population with an added special persecution on all on-Muslims: Christians, Baha'i, Jews, etc. or on non-"pure-Persians" like: Ahwazi - Arabs, Kurds, Azeris, Baluchis, etc. now under the leadership of: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [EichmannJihad - the Islamic Hitler] who plays as if he "denies" the holocaust only in order to prepare for (his wishful) the second, "wiping off Israel".
Thus, the shame of the UN, kidnapped by the epitome of intolerance today, the infamous twin fascism: Arab racism, as in Gadhafi, and Islamic bigotry as in Amadinejad, are going to be "preaching" (and determine) to the world on tolerance.

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The race card by Arab Muslim bigots at the UN (Durban II)

By Natalia from Acampo, CA - Apr 17th, 2009 at 2:26 am EDT

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The race card by Arab Muslim bigots at the UN (Durban II)

Even though it’s really Islamism that is the epitome of bigotry and it’s Arabism that Equals Racism against all non-Arabs, including: Kurds, Berbers, Jews (not only inside Israel), Persians, Africans (not only the millions of victims in Sudan), etc. and as an Arab admitted the true Nature of the Twin Fascisms of Islamism and Pan-Arabism’ that dominates the Arab Muslim world , yet the UN, in its Durban proclaiming to be an anti-racism forum, bows to the Arab Muslim lobby control to ignore the above but concentrate rather on anti-Arabism and Islamophobia, both terms which have been used as tools by Islamists to gage any criticism of intolerance in the Arab-Muslim world (and radicals have been politicizing genuine feelings, to call true fear of terror as “racism” ).

______________

Kicking Israel Around [Anne Bayefsky] April 07, 2009 What’s behind all this? The OIC countries are locked in a struggle with EU states over the ability to stifle free speech (such as “defaming” Islam) in the name of protecting religion. The Russian move helps the OIC nations by letting them use the anti-semitism clause as a bargaining chip, to be played in exchange for the EU’s allowing free-speech restrictions. In a related issue, the Danish are unhappy with the mention of something the U.N. invented called “anti-Arabism.” That phrase has been inserted in the paragraph about discrimination in the form of Islamophobia, Christianophobia and anti-semitism. But the rest of the EU has told the Danes to get lost, on the grounds that if the EU proposes deleting anti-Arabism, the OIC will insist on deleting anti-semitism. As EU officials explain to observers, “We want to show restraint.”

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=Mzk3YjI3NDQxNDMzYzE1ZTQ4NzY4ZjU4Y2VkNTE4ZTI=

Human Rights of Non-believers, Apostates and Free-thinkers “The terms belief and religion are to be broadly construed”. General Comment 22 on Article 18, United Nations Human Rights Committee, 1993. We find paragraph 10 of the draft outcome document to be deeply flawed in that it singles out only Christians, Jews and Muslims as named victims of “phobias”. Furthermore, while the term “Islamophobia”, for example, is undefined, it is used to falsely equate disdain for or opposition to Islam with intolerance of, or violence and hatred towards the believer. Secondly, no mention is made in paragraph 10 of discrimination, intolerance and violence towards non-believers, Polytheists, apostates, and free-thinkers. Yet the human rights of non-believers, free-thinkers and those of other faiths are systematically denied in many parts of the world, and many face discrimination, abuse and even death. We urge delegations to recognise that all are entitled to protection from discrimination, whatever their belief or lack of belief. We therefore respectfully suggest either that the list of specific types of discrimination be deleted from paragraph 10, or the list be expanded to include non-believers, polytheists, apostates and free-thinkers. We are equally concerned that anti-Arabism is included in the list, while no mention is made of the anti-Westernism endemic in many parts of the world. Again, we would respectfully suggest that either the reference to anti-Arabism be deleted or that the list should be extended to include anti-Westernism. Our preferred text, which we respectfully offer to delegations, then becomes: 10. Recognizes with deep concern the negative stereotyping of religions, beliefs and non-beliefs, and the global rise in the number of incidents of racial or religious intolerance and violence. With, as an alternative: 10. Recognizes with deep concern the negative stereotyping of religion, beliefs, and non-beliefs, and the global rise in the number of incidents of racial or religious intolerance and violence, including Judeophobia, Christianophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Arabism, anti-Westernism and intolerance and violence towards non-believers, polytheists, apostates and free-thinkers.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/025617.php

Islamic Agenda: “Defamation of Religion” The Islamic Group (Pakistan) stated, “Defamation is not about freedom of expression, but the abuse of this freedom.” Iran was very active throughout the week, taking the floor more than any other country on this issue. It consistently advocated “elaborating” legislation to fight racism, proposing further, “Model legislation on the necessity of upholding respect for…reputation, public morals as well as incitement to racial and religious hatred [code for defamation].” As the debate on defamation was getting underway, the chair asked two journalists to leave the room, explaining that members of two regional groups had requested that the cameras be removed from the room in that they have had adequate time for filming. The journalists were from the French-German cultural channel ARTE and were making a documentary about the human rights debate at the UN. Pakistan, South Africa, and Egypt expressed their concerns that these journalists would engage in “selective interpretation” of the discussion. Counter-terrorism, Islamophobia Pakistan wanted to include even more language to equate counter-terrorism with racism. Pakistan, Algeria, and Iran also wanted the words, “Islamophobia” and “anti-Arabism” to remain in the document.

http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1316871&ct=6645721&printmode=1

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GM's Chief Exec Fired! Good Move!

By Gramma Willi - Mar 30th, 2009 at 6:37 pm EDT

I am proud of our Obama's announcement today.

It is wonderful to see a smart, strong young man stepping up to the plate and doing what needs to be done. It is wonderful to see one of my "Change This!" Wish List items getting attended to. (see earlier blog "Change This!")

We have a lot of housecleaning to do - at least it's springtime and time for it anyway. I can't wait to watch this Failed Lead Executive Extirpation Program (FLEE, for short ;) become common practice as we go about our economic recovery. I look forward to courageous, honest and deserving players taking the place of a too-long-entrenched uncaring régime - good thing you have a lot of résumes to choose from.

My prayers are with you folks and, for what it's worth, I'm around for ya.

All My Relations, Gramma Willi

P.S. Bringing the Indian Tribes into the UN is a sheer stroke of genius. Mad props to everyone who is behind it! Suggestion - put some of those savvy Native Elders at the helm of some of these organizations.

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Over-Population Time Bomb Exploding Now

By Rod - Feb 16th, 2009 at 12:18 am EST

Billy ... But can you now tell me something of which you had already mentioned early, namely concerning the bank crash in the USA. Is the roughest now past?

Ptaah No, because the whole thing expands itself even more and, firstly, in the middle of September, leads to the big bank collapse, respectively, to the financial crisis in the USA, with what this Crash then spreads itself worldwide to the financial world and on major parts to big insurances, from which specially Europe will be involved in great mass.

Billy. Yes, then something can be expected. Here, however, I have another question concerning the petroleum extraction: How long time can one still calculate until the petroleum extraction with respect to the worldwide reserves is exceeded?

Ptaah It has already been exceeded for quite a long time, which, however, is concealed by the petroleum producing states and by groups of companies.

Billy Is this also the case with Saudi Arabia?

Ptaah Yes.

Billy Yes, the petroleum producers pump water under the petroleum deposits in order to drive the petroleum up to the surface. In the course of time there it can happen that the water rises up to the top of the petroleum reservoir and then, at the end, only this water is extracted.

This would mean the end of the petroleum production. The whole thing would evoke a worldwide catastrophe, because the whole economy would collapse.

The petroleum would get still more expensive and just as prohibitively expensive for the private consumers and for the whole transport sector which is dependent on petrol and diesel oil as well as kerosene.

Through this the transport of food from foreign countries would be stopped the same way as also the transport of other economic goods of every type.

Also the mass tourism would collapse, and the people would go again in vacations in the own countries, if they are then still financially able at all to do it.

The cars, tractors, machines tools, ships, aircraft and motorcycles would become valueless scrap metal and the people would have to go again on foot or on bicycle and on horse carts etc..

Also many products, like every kind of artifacts and articles made of plastic would disappear or get prohibitively expensive. And food itself would be cultivated again in the countries which, however, would not bring much because of the overpopulation and consequently famine would arise everywhere.

In fact a deglobalization will occur in such a case - and which in reality threatens - as well as also an enormous unemployment which in the industrialized states alone could include up to 30 percent, while the criminality and the anarchism would assume uncontrollable proportions.

To cultivate food again for themselves in the own countries, for such a mass of overpopulation as it is given, this is as good as impossible in those individual countries, which would have to go again themselves in mass for the agriculture and the horticulture, because the country resources as well as also the existing farmers the horticulture and the smallholders plantations do not suffice for it, because already too much good cultivated land has disappeared, obstructed, concreted over and was exhausted.

A catastrophe is then unavoidable also with respect to the energy because residential buildings and other buildings cannot be heated anymore because of the lack of petroleum as also power stations cannot generate energy anymore, if these are operated with petrol.

Also the lubricants for the motors and generators, as well as for machines of all kinds will fail and will bring many things to a standstill. And an uncontrollable disaster would arise through which many people also would die in the hospitals with respect to medicines, as well as to the medical equipment, and so forth.

I see the whole like this, if within a shortest time other means of energy production and other materials which can replace petroleum as substitute for the everyday life articles and other goods.

However, to it belong also two materials tar and natural gas, which are not eternally-constant either. Also the biofuels are an enormous problem which can be only solved through the definitive abolition through a prohibition of it.

And, if radically measures for a worldwide birth control finally are not taken, then in fact the great disaster cannot be stopped. If all the evil happens in fact, a scenario turns out then on the whole earth, which can be gladly and well marked as the end of the world or as the Third World Fire.

Now only ask yourself whether the clever heads among the researchers and the scientists as well as the responsible ruling ones are clever enough to find possibilities and to take measures as quickly as possible to prevent this threatening catastrophe with security?

They can only do this, however, if they finally listen to the warning and by taking out their fingers from their mouths in order to create an effective and far reaching measures concerning a worldwide birth control as well as clean and petroleum-independent possibilities for the production of energy and hit the nail on the head.

It is also necessary that the people in general reflect and do the right thing in order to correct the criminal and senseless use of the fossil resources. It is also part of it that vehicles, ships, aircraft, motorcycles and cars etc. are not used anymore for spins and holydays trips and as well as also that no sports and race meetings etc, by which fossil and biofuel find application be allowed and increased and carried out anymore.

Also that vehicles with combustible engines are used in order to drive 100 or 200 metres far to the next shopping purchase or to go to the workplace is criminal and it supports the threatening disaster, for which also that must be forbidden.

Cars only should be allowed for absolutely necessary transportations and other important journeys, with which a vehicle with combustible engine only should be allowed to go for the shopping and for the reaching to the job; if the way to it is more than five kilometres.

Transportations of handicapped person, transportations of sick people, important goods and cargo transports as well as school transports for children should be taken into consideration on that occasion as a necessity, vehicles which are, however, only especially provided and marked for it.

And what will be unavoidable if the whole actually arrives is the fact that the whole of the problems becomes still greater and more extensive and not managed anymore in relation to the rapidly increasing overpopulation.

So the demand for energy and the need for vehicles of every kind, for accommodations and houses, for medicines and for the basic consumer articles of daily use will rise just as increasingly more rapidly as also the demand for foods. And exactly in relation to these enormous and irresponsible destructive exploitation practised in a crazy manner by those which keep various kinds of domestic animals which are fed with the best foods which would be the best meal for the people.

This both with regard to first-class meat, which is used for dogs and cats food as well as also respecting to the different grains, vegetables, fruits, poultry and fish and all sorts of other animals which would be the best food for the human beings.

So everything which is done against the evils becomes obsolete and completely worthless even before it is completed; be it through the nuclear or solar energy, be it through the power of wind or of the water or through the energy produced by the incineration power plants or through medications for the illnesses and epidemics, which more and more frequently and more dangerously appear as epidemics and pandemics.

But also the drinking water always becomes into the biggest problem through the rising overpopulation and in the end it becomes a rarity while the people flee from their native countries as gigantic streams of refugees or are expelled from it and penetrate in the industrialized countries, where they hope for a better life, causing through it, however, more and more refugee tragedies and catastrophes.

Also, as a result, illnesses, epidemics and parasites are taken and are disseminated into the host countries, as this happens also with the transportation of goods and products, consequently originating new problems and catastrophes through it in the host-countries for the refugees.

And further evil develops itself by the fact that more and more sexual intermixing of members of different people always take place, which also permanently leads to big problems and to new illnesses and inevitably leads also in fact to behavioral alterations etc. the more extensively these intermixings takes place.

However, from the whole of it arises hate because of other mentalities, religions and cultures, which leads to evil acts of violence which cannot be controlled anymore in a simple and peaceful way.

Ptaah You understood the thing here, which actually has hands and feet, as you have the habit of saying. The catastrophe mentioned by you already has begun to develop itself, even if the leaders of the earthly governments and the economy etc. do not see yet the whole of it, or simply do not want to admit it, as well as the scientists and the general people do not also.

And with it you say the truth that this global catastrophe actually threatens and closes in, if, as quickly as possible, the responsible ones of the governments and the scientist,s as well as the general people do not undertake the necessary action in order to stop this process already running and do the right thing.

Billy I myself also calculated this as a great probability accordingly to the law of causality, respectively, in terms of cause and effect of what has been for some time and also is presently occurring on the Earth, and what it is to be expected. One must only sum up one plus one, then, by itself, the result emerges as an irrefutable factor of reality.
http://www.figu.org/ch/files/downloads/buecher/Kelch-der-Wahrheit.pdf?download
Now...DO spread the word to the whole planet...!!!

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The 'Qassam Kindergarten' Jihad

By Natalia from Acampo, CA - Feb 12th, 2009 at 4:51 am EST

Also listed in: 10 groups

The 'Qassam Kindergarten' Jihad

'Palestinians' Islamic Hamas, "loves" children, well, in their special 'death cult' type of way anyway.You already know how they love their own children... to die for propaganda, and make every effort in succeeding in it - unfortunately.But there are also other children under the "wings of Jihadi love" of Hamas, the Israeli children in schools, in kindergartens, they are "favorites", favorites in Hamas' targets that is, planning the time/place when/where they go to school, thank God for so many miracles where children weren't harmed.Call it 'Qassam kindergarten', 'Kindergarten Jihad', or plain 'Jihad on kids' the broader reality.

---

Qassam Kindergarten
[Dec 2007]
http://www.solomonia.com/blog/archive/2007/12/qassam-kindergarten/index.shtml

May 15, 2007 ...Major Injuries In Sderot Rocket Barrage. Children Wounded As Rockets Score Direct Hits On School and Home.
http://www.mererhetoric.com/archives/11273760.html

The reality of Sderot, the city where I live
By Noam Bedein January 22, 2008
Barrage of rockets hits Sderot as kids go to school ... ...
http://web.israelinsider.com/views/12586.htm

Kassam alert- kindergarten http://sderotmedia.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFss6p5sTPE

SderotMedia - 'Kindergarten'
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1T4HPID_enCR310US204&q=site%3Asderotmedia.com+kindergarten

Qassam hits kindergarten; 2 children lightly wounded - [Jul 28, 2006] ... News: Rocket lands next to kindergarten in town south of Ashkelon; 2 children hurt, 8 suffer shock. Earlier a number of rockets hit central ...
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3282603,00.html

Qassam lands near Sderot kindergarten
Rocket hits neighborhood in southern town, causes damage to private house located near kindergarten; several people suffer from shock, one woman loses consciousness. Military sources say IDF policy in Gaza may change
[Published: 05.07.07]
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3396608,00.html

12 Sderot Children Hospitalized for Shock After Kassam Attacks ...Sep 3, 2007
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/123570

Two IDF soldiers, civilian lightly hurt as Gaza mortars hit Negev
Three rockets struck the Eshkol region, two of them landing in open fields and the third between two kindergartens. [01/02/2009]
http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/1060562.html

Rocket hits Ashdod kindergarten - "Thankfully, no children were in the kindergarten, and no one was badly hurt... [Jan 11, 2009 8:08 | Updated Jan 12, 2009 2:37]
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1231424913241

Pat Dollard | Hamas Violates Humanitarian Cease Fire, Shells Kindergarten ... hit a house next to a school in the Israeli southern city of Sderot, ... Children would also drill evacuating their class rooms...
http://patdollard.com/2009/01/hamas-violates-humanitarian-cease-fire-shells-kindergarten/

[January 6, 2009] a Hamas leader warned that the Islamists would kill Jewish children anywhere in the world
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5454204.ece?Submitted=true

STRATEGIC QASSAM vs. DIPLOMATIC BLITZ Harari, now an analyst at the Herzliya Center, warned that if a Qassam rocket hits a crowded synagogue or kindergarten it will trigger a massive IDF ...
http://www.isracast.com/article.aspx?ID=769

---

The "brave" masked "freedom fighters" Islamic butchers

The Israeli innocent Victims

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Disgraceful 'Jihad Appeaser' Jimmy Carter LIES openly on CNN's Larry King and no one refutes him?

By Unknown user - Feb 8th, 2009 at 1:43 am EST

Also listed in: 10 groups

Disgraceful 'Jihad Appeaser' Jimmy Carter LIES openly on CNN's Larry King and no one refutes him? Sat. (Feb. 7, 2009) night, Jimmy Carter said: ’Israel, it could have responded to the rocket attacks without firing on churches (excuse me, what churches in Islamic Gaza is he talking about???) and on Mosques’.

A short while after that Larry confronted the worst-ex-president “You said earlier that Israel fired on mosques and on schools, what was Israel supposed to do as they responded to where the FIRING CAME FROM”?

Jimmy, "I don’t known I wasn’t there, I only know that the UN said that Israel fired on them and there were only civilians there".

Hey, Jimmy, so what if we show you now the updated version by the UN where they retracted their false accusation on Israel will you have the guts and say the truth about humane Israel that Israel was (as always is) humane on targeting only Islamic terrorists but Palestinian (”legitimate voted govt in Gaza - Hamas”.) Muslims commit crimes against humanity - target civilians?

—

UN: IDF did not shell UNRWA school Feb. 4, 2009. A clerical error led the UN to falsely accuse Israel... http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304687916&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter

UN retracts claim strike hit Gaza school …The United Nations has retracted a claim that an Israeli strike which killed more than 40 people in northern Gaza city of Jabaliya last month hit a school … http://www.republicanoperative.com/forums/international-politics/17399-un-retracts-claim-strike-hit-gaza-school.html

Jimmy, "I don’t known I wasn’t there, I only know that the UN said that Israel fired on them and there were only civilians there".

—

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I am a Witness in the ICC War Crimes trials

By Jill Starr - Feb 1st, 2009 at 7:35 pm EST

Law Projects Center Int’l [Beograd / New York]
Miss Jill Louise Starr [Director of LPC New York]
138-A Hamburg Tpk.,
Bloomingdale, N.J.
07403 U.S.A.
Lpcyu@optonline.net

To: All Interested Parties
Date: March 11th 2001
Subject: Int’l Criminal Court Preparatory Commission Meeting Report [Draft Documents on

Establishing a Permanent ICC]
March 1st – March 9th 2001
United Nations, N.Y.C.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
In the true spirit of former United States President, Woodrow Wilson’s American Democratic

Ideals#, I hereby forward you draft documents from the recent United Nations meetings held

in New York City on establishing a permanent International Criminal Court.
I strongly believe, if all countries in our world will soon be submitting both themselves and

their citizenry to a new ICC establishment possessing exclusive international legal jurisdiction

over the entire world, that you should fully comprehend its meaning and raison d’etat.
Hence, I believe that all persons possessing a strong commitment to enhancing democracy,

internationally applying equitable social justice and peace for our perpetual human survival

and for our posterity [without prejudice], should read these documents.

Respectfully Yours,

Miss Jill Louse Starr

PS: I probably have other documetns I’ll have to check. Start reading these

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/icc1.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/icc2.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/icc3.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/icc4.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/icc5.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/icc6.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/icc7.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/icc8.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/icc9.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/iccanada1.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/iccanada2.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/iccanada3.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/icclast1.jpg

http://thaissa.tripod.com/ICCUSE/iccolumbia2.jpg

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The book I wrote entitled, “Chilling Out With Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic’ is far

from complete.

Why (?)

Because I’ll need my freiend Darko’s corroboration to complete the story in entirety. Could
Karadzic’s attorney’s have legal grounds to appeal his guilty verdict based upon Darko, my
own and the Law Project Center’s own new evidence (?) Perhaps, and this is why:
1) Last night after undertaking the extremely long arduous task of re-examining many
detailed maps of Bosnia & Hercegovnia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Kosovo, I became
immediately cognizant I seemingly traveled to more parts of the former Yugoslavia than
originally thought during my 2002 trip.

2) I have a 128 IQ as well as photographic memory. In fact, my father’s friend was a memory
expert. As such, he used to visit our townshouse in West Milford, N.J. when I was a young
girl training my memory. He taught me well, how human memory functions in conjunctions
with photographic associations.

3) Hence, when reviewing those detailed maps last night, I recognized visting seemingly
many more parts of the Balkans including Bosnia & Hercegovnia, Albania, Kosovo,
Montenegro and also Serbia in 2002; not merely the portions of those states’ Darko
specifically mentenioned, or Darko brushed off jokingly as he always did in saying “Oh, it is
too dangerous to go there, Jill,” while snickering to himself as he often did.
Darko always greatly enjoyed such personal private jokes as I surmise is a part of his Serbian
dry humor I also share as a Russian born American.

4) As a war crimes investigator, if Darko collaborates my visiting more places in the
aforementioned countries than I originally thought, and since I spent several weeks touring
these countries ranging in size to approximately Rhode Island in the United States, it is
obvious I would have plenty of time to traverse these geographical locations in discerning
detail; i did.

5) Derriving from my many associative memories of my 2002 trip, I recognized on these maps
last night, many street signs naming the individual places I visited with Darko in 2002. For
example, one day Darko drove about three hours south of Budva in Montenegro. That is 300
miles and falls within Kosovo and Albania. Moreover, my friend Arnold Stark, Columbia
University historian is looking fervently to find the Western Union receipt for the Western
Union money he wired to me while I was in a southern portion of Montenegro manifesting
once and for all which country and town I was in at that particular exchange.
I hope to have these and more answers/information shortly.

If it is true I investigated all parts of these countries as seemingly true after speaking with
Darko, it seems the Hague War Crimes Tribunals will have to answer to the many
discrepancies there are in the numbers and type of war crimes allegedly committed by both
Mladic and Karadzic in the Balkans; I may be one of the few pesons to genuinely be capable
of testifying to the truth as I witnessed it. As aforementioned in 2002 I saw neither evidence of

war crimes nor ethnic cleansing when visiting Serbia, Croatia, Albania, Kosovo, Montengrin

border areas as the American news media portrayed the Kosovo crisis falsely in 1999 during

former U.S. President, Bill Clinton’s administration.

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READ THE REST OF MY BOOK HERE & LOOK UNDER MY ARTICLES

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What It’s Like to Chill with the Most Ruthless Men in the World
Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic:
Confessions of a Female War Crimes Investigator

    Retrospectively, it was all so simple, natural and matter of fact being on a boat restaurant in Belgrade, sitting with, laughing, drinking a two hundred bottle of wine and chatting about war and peace while Ratko Mladic held my hand. Mladic, a man considered the world’s most ruthless war criminal since Adolf Hitler, still at large and currently having a five million dollar bounty on his head for genocide by the international community. Yet there I was with my two best friends at the time, a former Serbian diplomat, his wife, and Ratko Mladic just chilling. There was no security, nothing you’d ordinarily expect in such circumstances. Referring to himself merely as, Sharko; this is the story of it all came about.

    It all began as former United States President Bill Clinton spearheaded NATO’s war against Serbia, Montenegro and Slobodan Milosevic (March 1999). Thirty-five years old, conducting graduate study work at the New School for Social Research in New York City in political science, I planned graduating spring 1999 with an area study emphasis in international law and human rights. I was naïve then, still believing strongly in democratic liberal concepts such as freedom of academic thought. Hence, I never anticipated my political views would impede either my graduation or completing my master’s thesis work on whether NATO member states committed gross violations of customarily accepted international criminal law in launching military aggression against Serbia and Montenegro owing to not acquiring United Nations Security Counsel approval prior.

    Then as hit with the identical smart bomb dropped on Milosevic’s presidential palace in Serbia the night of April 22nd 1999, political science chairperson then at the New School, Professor David Plotke, summoned me into his office before class that evening and dismissed me from the master’s program at the New School owing to what he considered my possessing unsavory political science opinions.

    Only having to complete two more classes to graduate, I always thought my future in political sciences as wide open with innumerous possibilities; unfortunately this proved untrue. Plotke told me in no uncertain terms that I was not the type of person the New School wanted walking around with a degree stating the New School’s prestigious name on it.

    Ironically, the New School was an institution I attended only owing to its’ placing great pride and emphasis on allowing students complete academic freedom of thought without dictating what is and what is not politically correct to discuss. Yet surprisingly, dismissal from the program and blow to my graduate work should not been completely unexpected since the semester immediately prior, the school refused allowing me to conduct my graduate thesis work on the subject of whether the NATO and Bill Clinton committed war crimes against the former Yugoslavia during the Kosovo war (1999) and internally suggested I write about infringement of Muslim human rights in France. I suppose with the likes of Hillary Clinton and Tony Blair hanging about the fourth floor of the school at the renown World Policy Institute in 1999, I should have expected the university would not take kindly to student‘s speaking out critically against Bill Clinton and the Kosovo war (1999) he went down in history for advocating. Then again, in 1999 I still believed in the school’s core ideals of academic freedom, especially since I was paying no less than one thousand United States dollars a credit to attend. My civil rights lawsuit against the college is another story in and of itself not deserving extended amounts of space here, except what I already mentioned.

    Dismissal from graduate school left me in a complete state of scholarly anomie seeking empathy and solace from my few friends and confidants at the time including many diplomats I studied with at the New School for several years. The list included but was not limited to ambassadors from Iran, Oman and a newly appointed First Secretary of the Bosnian Mission to the United Nations in New York, Darko Trifunovic.

    Noteworthy of mentioning, both the ambassadors from Iran and Oman both confided in me their own extreme dissatisfactions and the scholarly problems they themselves currently encountered at the New School for Social Research. On the last day attending the school, both aforementioned men explicitly complained to me the school was holding them back from graduating owing to their own so-called extremely unsavory political viewpoints. In particular the Iranian ambassador, Amir, was writing his master’s thesis on the Iranian contra affair and the man from Oman told me for years he was being held back from graduating because Greek Professor Addie Pollis strongly disdained his Islamic religious and cultural views insofar as human rights and multiple marriage partners by Muslim sultans in his country of origin. It was May (1999).

    Riddled with uncertainty about my future scholarly status, I immediately applied for graduate study at Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey where I studied an additional two years before encountering similar problems with the graduate school faculty there. Ironically it was only FDU professors whom formerly studied themselves at the New School still in touch with the faculty there, who were later responsible for my having to leave the graduate program at FDU in early 2002.

    Between the time of my dismissal from the New School and my dismissal from FDU the fall (2002), I stayed in touch with many scholars and other politically active persons sharing similar anti-war views as myself regarding NATO’s 1999 Kosovo war including: Professor Barry Lituchy (NYC), Ramsey Clark’s people at the International Action Center, and a couple of new acquaintances I’ve chanced meet online in Serbian political activist forums. One of those people was, Darko Trifunovic.

    Darko and I were e-mailing each other regularly by early spring (1999) at which time he informed me that he became the newly appointed First Secretary of the Bosnian Mission to the United Nations in New York City and wondered whether I would pick him up at JFK airport when he arrives in a few weeks; I acceded. Darko arrived first, his very beautiful wife, Bojana, arrived as expected about one month later after he was settled.
    Darko greatly impressed me at the time. Being a former political advisor to the to the former female President of the Republic of Srpska in Bosnia, he had a degree in international law, diplomatic immunity, was a writer, handsome, and fun to just hang-out with and work. The three of us became extremely close friends and confidants. I even became voted in as the executive director of the Law Projects Center Yugoslavia in New York . The Law Projects Center was a United Nations accredited NGO and offshoot of the Yugoslav Coalition to Establish and international criminal court. Darko and some political people originally founded the organization in Belgrade Serbia prior his arrival in New York City in diplomatic capacity. I worked fervently legally registering the organization in New Jersey as a legally filed non-profit successfully. The Law Projects Center and its activities demanded Darko, his wife and I often stayed the night over each others’ apartments often; many times working days at a time with very little sleep.

    From winter (1999) until fall (2002), Darko, his wife and I worked daily at the Bosnian Mission to the United Nations in New York City co-authoring two books: 1) The Bosnian Model of Al-Qaeda Terrorism and; 2) The Srebrenica Massacre. As a young student of war and peace in the former Yugoslavia, I was in scholarly heaven accessing the United Nations to work with Darko daily. This enabled my meeting many of the most fascinating people in the world. I vividly remember Senator Bill Richardson at the time giving nightly press interviews on television about meeting with OPEC members states, “setting them straight about lowering oil prices in 2000.” Yet when I’d chit-chat with the Iranian ambassador in the city before class asking him about it he would say to me something to the effect as,” We at OPEC are so angry about former colonialism by England and America, OPEC will continually attempt bringing both the United States and England to their financial knees on energy issues…And by the way Jill, Russia does not in any manner intend to halt weapon sales to Iran.”



    In fact Amir and I, notwithstanding our theological differences, got alone well. We’d often sit together before class acceding on a great many matters. In particular I remember us sitting one night and looking me square in the eye stating, “You know Jill, I will never believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” I replied, “And I Amir will never convert to Islam.” Now that we got that out of the way, we both smiled at one another getting down to discussing real issues.

    The Bosnian mission to the United Nations in New York City in 2001 was an extremely interesting place. Reflecting the rotating ethnic presidency existing in Bosnia unto present, Mission employees were comprised of people of completely bipolar ethnic, theological and politically ideological viewpoints. The Head Ambassador of the Mission post 9-11 was then combating rumors of his soon becoming persona non grata in the United States for allegedly giving Osama Bin Laden a visa to travel through Bosnia illegally when previously stationed in Italy in 1993. There were also rumors he confessed to the United States Department of State of running international arms trades in connection with Al-Qaeda. The number two man at the Bosnian mission, the First Ambassador was Serbian, Orthodox Christian and a doctor of medicine by university degree. The First Secretary of the Mission was my friend Darko, the Consulate department was headed by an ethnic Muslim lady from Bosnia, and there was an ethnic Croatian woman floating around with other various diplomats being of Roman Catholic Croatian descent.

    My time at the Mission was primarily spent fixing Darko’s laptop computer which became daily infected with computer viruses he continually claimed emanated from other employees at the Mission who were allegedly trying to sabotage him because of his ethnic Serbian background. I vividly recall the constant bickering between all the mission employees; always accusing each other of committing war crimes and giving each other computer viruses making it virtually impossible for any of them to get along. The Croatian diplomat usually stayed to herself with her office door shut while the others present usually just listened to Led Zeppelin rock music on their personal CD-ROM players. They told me repeatedly they had nothing else to do with their time at the United Nations beyond an occasional meeting except for listening to music and playing computer games.
    Sad and ironic was the few things I noticed all the Bosnian mission employees agreeing upon was their undying love for the rock band, Led Zeppelin.

    A year had come and gone while I totally immersed myself into political inquiry as to just who was guilty of committing war crimes in the former Yugoslavia. My favorite subjects of inquiry included: NATO, Kosovo & Metohia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and persons of interest such as Mladic and Hacim Thaci (Albanian Leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army). It was not enough for my merely taking in nightly news reports from CNN and other mainstream American media; to conduct an investigation for inquiry of social fact, I needed to go to Serbia and investigate for myself.

    Only after seeing firsthand the goings on in the Balkans could I make a discriminate determination of guilty parties insofar as genocide there.   After my fateful month long trip to Serbia and Montenegro in the fall 2002 I later concluded all warring parties involved had blood on their hands (Croats, Serbs, Muslims and the NATO); there are no innocents. But in 2001, neither my finances nor busy schedule allowed such a trip. Moreover, not speaking fluent Serbian coupled with the anti-American sentiment existing in Serbia then listed on the United States Department of State travel warning website caused going to there an unfeasible option. Hence, my life and studies went on as usual.

    Several seasons went by and now it was spring 2001. Darko and his wife Bojana had time off which they spent visiting friends and family in Serbia for about two weeks. Because of this Darko was unable to function in full diplomatic capacity. In spring 2001 there was a preparatory commission meeting of plenipotentiaries to establish an international criminal court at the United Nations in New York City. Topics of the meeting included but were not limited to defining interstate acts of aggression, court financing etc.. Darko asked me if I would sit in for him at the meeting taking as many notes possible owing to the Law Projects Center possessing United Nations accreditation as a NGO (non governmental organization) with full observer status at the United Nations; I acceded.


    Darko faxed me all necessary paperwork enabling my application attendance at this crucial meeting; I filled out the necessary forms and faxed them to the appropriate United Nations office for approval. It was an extremely exciting time for me. My close friend and colleague, Arnold Stark (History professor and Columbian University PhD) drove me into Manhattan walking me through the United Nations main entrance and security the day of attendance. Professor Stark himself was an old foreign service man from way back in the day and he told me I never looked as professionally sharp as I did on that day; I wore a navy blue pin striped suit. I must admit, I looked good.

    Only post attending that day did I truly understand the total lapse of security existing then at the United Nations in New York City. I say this owing to the social fact that the Law Projects Center was indeed registered as an United nations accredited NGO it is true. However, closed meetings of this sort meant attendance was strictly limited to head ambassadors of valid United Nations member state missions and non governmental organizations possessing observer status were not allowed.

    Unto present, I’ve yet understood whereby I gained entrance into this privy closed meeting consisting of only United Nations ambassadors, but I did. Walking to the basement floor of the United Nations building that day, I merely wore a visitors badge given to me at the front desk in no manner indicating that I was an ambassador of a United Nations mission; least of all the Bosnia mission as required for entrance. Totally unaware I didn’t possess necessary credentials to enter the meeting, I walked confidently towards the entrance door and past the guard stationed outside it. The guard never bothering to examine the type of badge I wore around my neck simply said “good day Madame” and urged me into the meeting; it was just about time to begin.

    I immediately sensed something wrong once through the door past the guard. First, I was uncertain where to sit. Everyone else had a sign in front of their seat stating their country of origin. The Israeli ambassador sat in front of the Israel sign, the Spanish lady sat in front of the seat indicating she represented, Spain etc..

    I looked fervently around the room seeing no seats indicating seats for United Nations observers anywhere. The last thing I wanted to do was to embarrass myself by taking the seat of an important ambassador; I noticed a couple of men seeming from some African state grabbing some meeting paperwork nearby so I inquired of them. I told them I was a newbie and inquired where to sit and what I should do. With heavy African accents one of them said, “just grab a bunch of these papers, sit there and look like you are busy,” so I did. In fact, I grabbed as many extra copies as I could without looking conspicuous when noticing another peculiarity.

    The meeting papers indicated they were for restricted for the eyes of state mission heads’ only (chief ambassadors of countries) and allowing other persons and/or United Nations employees to view them was a punishable offense. Uncertain what to do, and with the meeting beginning, I merely sat there stunned. My seat and the one the African gentleman next to me took seemed extras because they neglected having any indication regarding country origin in front of them on the table; I felt safe.

    As totally immersed and interesting as I found the topics, the African ambassador seated found boring. I say this owing to noticing during the entire meeting he was merely doodling nonsensical pictures on some legal pad. I think that no one took more notes that day than me. I was especially interested in the interstate bickering about financing the international criminal court should and when it came about. Spain was particularly forceful in vocalizing its opinion that the countries giving the most monetary contributions to the court itself ought have more power over both its staffing and its innocent and guilty verdicts as well as judges appointed. My suspicions’ equally shared by scholars such as Noam Chomsky and former attorney general, Ramsey Clark were now fully justifiably confirmed. The court itself was a great travesty of justice and I was actually witnessing quarrels between countries insofar as controlling the courts judges and verdicts based on financial contributions rather than on law and true international justice.

    The most shocking point of the meeting for me was when the Israeli ambassador admitted openly to the other attendees that Israel was indifferent to war crimes, crimes against humanity and would in no manner support any international structure limiting its’ ability for practicing war and peace against any other state and/or party it considered a threat to its national interest. The ambassador representing the United States that day strongly and equally explicitly backed the Israeli position making clear American attendance was more for information gathering purposes and show than true concern for international law, world peace and social justice. When the meeting ended I slipped quickly out the front entrance of the United Nations; notes and papers in hand; I would read them in detail later that evening.

    It must have amazed Darko upon returning from Serbia I actually gained entrance to the ICC preparatory closed meeting because within a week he invited me to the city to attend another important meeting at the United Nations comprised of diplomats from some very selective and prestigious NATO member states. I don’t recall the date but by his return fully I understood the definition of a closed meeting. Upon approaching the meeting door I became at once cognizant the meeting stated “closed meeting,” on the door. I did my best to point this fact out to Darko who told me to go in with him anyway; we did. Darko obviously thought because I gained entrance to the ICC meeting I ought not have in his absence, perhaps if I were with him, he covertly could gain access this closed NATO meeting; no dice. Upon entering the room, immediately some important looking man called him over and diplomatically informed him that “Serbia was not invited.” Darko pointed to me explaining that he was with the American lady but he was asked politely to leave; I followed him out the door embarrassed.

    The following year was mundane. Filled with activities like shuttling back and forth to FDU for graduate school, fund raising for the Law Projects Center and co-authoring two book with Darko. The fateful day of 9/11 and the attacks by Al-Qaeda on the World Trade Center Towers in New York City changed my venue forever. Post 9/11 Darko became a man on a personal mission seemingly unrelated to the Bosnian mission itself.
    He told me it was the utmost importance to publicize the alleged fact that the head ambassador of the Bosnian mission was in his estimation involved with Al-Qaeda. Darko had a seemingly ton of secret documentary evidence emanating from the ministry of internal affairs in Belgrade and Bosnia seeming true bolstering his allegations in my eyes then.

    Asking me to fervently work on editing a book on which topic was meant for exposing the head ambassador of the Bosnian mission at that time; I acceded. The publication was later published by the Repubika Srpska information agency in Bosnia. The Serbian government in the Republika Srpska in Bosnia then was seriously pressing Darko for a fast publication so we stayed up many nights over his apartment in Forest Hills, New York working to do so. The book was entitled, ”The Bosnia Model of Al-Qaeda Terrorism. It can probably still be found and read online. Last time I checked it was posted on the website: http://www.analyst-network.com/profile.php?user_id=240.

        Darko always told me I possessed full rights to this and other publications we worked on together. Although I edited and co-authoring the Al-Qaeda work, a few years back I noticed Darko removed my name on the inner front cover page as editor replacing it with the name of a Serbian editor. When questioned about it Darko told me he kept my name from being published because of the death threats and dangers to my life that he himself encountered because of its publication. I do vividly remember Darko receiving a great many death threats and threats towards his wife at the time, Bojana, so it is possible he was telling me the truth.

    Even prior completing our work on the Al-Qaeda book together Darko was obsessed with manifesting the Bosnian Chief ambassador at the time as a terrorist. At the time I had no reason to doubt Darko’s word and assisted him in rabidly writing an open letter to all the United Nations member state missions exposing him as such. I surmise this is when Darko’s job at the United Nations as First Secretary of the Bosnian mission became jeopardized.



    Today I surmise Darko’s employment at the United Nations genuinely became compromised owing not only to the inter-ethnic conflicts existing between him and the head ambassador then, a proud Muslim man, but also owing to the fact he forged birth certificates to acquire his position in the first place later becoming a social fact from the interior ministry in Bosnia. It was an emotional shock when Darko informed me a by summer 2001 that he lost his job and he and Bojana had to immediately return to Belgrade to work out the matter in court. This was also a great emotional blow to me also owing to the fact that I always possessed a crush on Darko and he knew it. This was a social fact I never publicly admitted previously to writing this book. I once even asked Darko if he wanted to have an affair with me but he declined stating he would never be unfaithful to his beautiful wife, Bojana. This left me in an extreme morally uncomfortable position because Bojana was my best friend. I continually told myself being attracted to her husband Darko was a non-option. Working so closely with him on an almost daily basis however made my attraction to him difficult to overcome.

    I was also engaged to Professor Arnold Stark at the time and wore the ten thousand diamond ring he bought me on my finger. Arnold became increasingly jealous of Darko in time and eventually forbid me to work with him altogether. Notwithstanding, I continued working with Darko against Arnold’s wishes. This coupled with my trip to Serbia and Montenegro in 2002 eventually led to my breakup with Professor Stark and after almost an entire decade, my relationship with Arnold never fully recovered.

    Darko tried keeping his job in diplomatic capacity at he UN as long as possible but the bipolar friction and hate existing between himself and the chief ambassador at the mission proved too much. The chief ambassador in contact with the Bosnian government at the time in Sarajevo eventually had Darko dismissed as first secretary of the mission. To the best of my recollection Darko was no longer receiving a monthly salary from Sarajevo by spring or summer 2002 (approximately).

    I often came visiting Darko and Bojana’s apartment in Manhattan then situated on a side street within walking distance from the UN to help them out financially by buying them inexpensive dinners and such in Manhattan and chauffeuring them around (they did not own a car for the majority of their stay in the States).

    In July 2002 as I remember the three of us spent many memorable moments going to the beaches outside the city and just spending time talking etc.. At the time and owing to my being in graduate school at FDU, I had plenty of extra money to burn owing my taking the maximum GSL student loans totaling about twenty thousand dollars a semester. Then one day that summer Darko informed me he and Bojana were only awaiting the Bosnian government to wire them a sum of five thousand dollars to pay off their American bills, last month rent and they would make a hasty exit back to Belgrade permanently. I was emotionally crushed.

    Desperate not to lose contact with Darko because of my personal feelings towards him, I told him my summer classes at FDU were about to end August 2002 and although the fall semester was about to begin, I wanted to visit him in Serbia as soon as possible. Soon for me meant as soon as I received a check from the United States government for the total of that semesters’ student loan money in the amount of about ten thousand dollars.

    Darko, hesitant at first soon gave in to my constant petitions to visit him. The day I brought them both to JFK to return to Serbia permanently, Bojana whispered something in Darko’s ear as we hugged saying our goodbyes all three of trying to hold back tears of parting and Darko looking me in the eye said something to the effect, “Jill, don’t worry as soon as you can afford it call me and we’ll arrange your visit.” Darko never could stand to see me cry which on many occasion I did owing to the loss of my two children and other personal challenges in my life. They turned and boarded their plane to Belgrade as I drove back to New Jersey. Driving home I felt an odd combination of extreme sadness at the loss of my two best friends mixed with the cheerful prospect I would shortly be boarding a plane myself destined for Serbia and Montenegro by mid August 2002 when my student loan check arrived.
    Upon arriving home I immediately began making all necessary arrangements for my forthcoming trip.

    The day following Darko ‘s departure, I bought a great many prepaid phone cards for the purpose of calling him owing to both my missing him and also my primarily wanting to began making all necessary arrangements facilitating my forthcoming visit from JFK to Beograd. I had countless questions such as: how much money will I need, how will I obtain a VISA being an American citizen with all the US State Department warnings against US citizenry traveling to the region, etc., etc., etc.. I had already obtained a valid United States passport many years ago which I always carried with me. I’ve always held the strong opinion that having a valid passport with you at all times is just a good idea. It enables one the necessary freedom to go to the airport and catch a plane going anywhere at anytime.

        Darko told me that I need not worry about all the complicated VISA requirements listed on Serbian government website required of other Americans that he would handle everything. I was told merely to bring with me about five thousand United States dollars in cash spending money and it was a done deal. I went to buy some new suitcases and clothes for my trip in Wayne, New Jersey during the first two weeks in August 2002 in preparation. Packing was always a problem for me as Darko can attest to owing to my medically diagnosed attention deficit disorder. I had a difficult time deciding what to bring, so I tried to bring everything I thought I needed. The day of my departure my suitcases weighed way over the weight limit restrictions indicated by the airline.

    Getting to JFK for departure in mid August 2002 proved to be an almost insurmountable task in and of itself owing to my heavy luggage and everyone I asked to drop me at the airport that day had strongly held views against my going. Arnold Stark declined to bring me owing to his personal jealousies insofar as Darko and everyone else had one or another excuse rooted in the anti-American sentiment in Serbia at that time and danger involved.

    Undeterred, I finally convinced Archbishop John LoBue, my priest and confessor at the Holy Name Orthodox Christian Church in West Milford, New Jersey to take me as far as the Port Authority in Manhattan; from there I took a bus to JFK managing myself.

    Post 9/11, JFK was supposedly safe beyond reproach insofar as security; this proved untrue. I had not traveled outside America in many years so I was unfamiliar with the new travel restrictions on such items as nail scissors etc., being illegal to bring onboard flights and carried several very sharp ones right passed JFK security inspection inside my purse on board out of my own ignorance of new flight rules. It was not until I arrived on my stopover in Paris, France that I was boarding onto a JAT (Yugoslav Air Travel) flight for Belgrade that the security officer of JAT told me that he had to confiscate the aforementioned items owing to new security precautions implemented post 9/11.

    I informed him upon boarding my initial flight at JFK in New York, the security guards at the gate allowed me to board my flight to Paris carrying them in my purse. The JAT security employee merely shook his head in amazement mentioning something insofar as his seriously questioning American security in general stating that Jugosalv Air Travel obviously took airline and passenger security much more seriously.

    I loved flying JAT! Not only was I completely satisfied the flight from Paris to Belgrade was many times more secure since JAT searched boarding passengers more thoroughly than JFK, the hospitality, food and drink was excellent. I say this owing to my being a well seasoned traveler having previously visited places such as Indonesia, Thailand and Hong Kong, etc.. It was extremely laid back on the flight. People moved around switching seats and chatting with good friends and the food was the best! My favorite Serbian food and drink were served and all airline employees shoed me the highest level of hospitality. I was extremely pleased with the professionalism and service on JAT I later began an online blog about it on Yahoo360.



    Upon my flight arriving in Beograd, all passengers left the plane in the usual manner except Serbian citizens were shuffled through customs quickly merely showing their passport. All others including myself were asked to relinquish their passports and told to wait an unspecified amount of time in a holding area at the airport. An airport security officer went around confiscating our passports afterward leaving us merely standing there not knowing what to expect next. No other announcements were made; I did the only thing possible I relinquished my passport to the Serbian custom official along with the other western Europeans and/or Americans (if there were any) which I surmised like myself were attempting to enter Serbia from countries that were NATO allies in the Kosovo war against Slobodan Milosevic in 1999. There must have been about twenty persons with me just waiting.

    All types of nagging thoughts plagued me such as “perhaps my friends were correct that I ought not have taken this trip…was it really too dangerous to travel to Serbia with all the anti-American sentiment and what would happen if Serbian customs decided I was an American spy, kept my passport and I ended in some unknown jail and/or murdered….who would find me…what could I do about it etc., etc., etc..”

    It seemed nearly an hour passed; me and the others were still standing there waiting. I didn’t want to seem scared or overly curious by asking either Serbian custom officials or anyone else waiting with me anything as to not cause unnecessary attention to myself. I also kept checking my watch wondering if Darko knew I was here waiting. I had hoped with his government connections he would at least inquire about my arrival since he told me he would pick me up. I drew comfort from the fact Darko was always very punctual picking up and bringing himself and others to airports. On numerous occasions I gave him and others rides to and from them. These and other thoughts plagued me when suddenly I heard a voice on the loud speaker call my name, Jill Starr, asking me to go to a customs area to claim my passport. I was the first person called so I don’t know what happened to the others standing there still waiting. I hurriedly went to obtain my passport and was told that I cleared; the guard pointed the direction for me to go claim my luggage. You have no idea what a relief that was!

    I took in my new surroundings pleased that I made it into the country successfully. As a young child my father took me with him traveling the world when he was an active nuclear engineering consultant for Chas T Main, USAID and the IMF. I had been in Indonesia during the turmoil in East Timor so I was used to being in war zones surrounded by soldiers with guns. I was presently older, but still I found such travel extremely exciting more than dangerous and looked forward to enjoying the rest of my vacation with Darko and Bojana.

    Making it to the baggage claim area successfully I was relieved seeing Darko standing their waiting for me. I was not fluent in Serbian and didn‘t want to publicize it by asking people questions in English manifesting I was American. I hurried to him giving him a large hug.

    I was so glad to see Darko. I noticed upon my arrival at the Belgrade airport that there were many female police officers equipped with guns wearing short mini skirts and extremely high heels. I asked Darko how they apprehended criminals in such high heels and he replied smirking that they don’t have to run, they merely shot those not halting in the back and that stopped them.

    Like a dream come true, there I was in Beograd Serbia against all odds and complaints from my friends. Darko helped me get my luggage to his friend’s vehicle telling me we could talk about everything I had to say later because we had to hurry. Darko‘s friend, a German man living in Serbia for years and an important military employee of the Serbian government in a grayish older large SUV vehicle with what seemed a special license plate was impatiently waiting at the front gate of the airport for us. Darko’s friend did not speak fluent English but he did speak fluent German and Serbian. Darko told him to help lift my luggage into the trunk in Serbian and he did. Darko always liked to brag and as usual he introduced me to his friend giving me the details of his being an important man in the Serbian military etc.. We went straight from the Beograd airport to the home of Bojana’s family in the suburbs of Belgrade and all became reacquainted.

    Bojana and I hugged; she introduced me to her family (father, mother and brother who was a high school student in Beograd).
    Afterward, Darko showed me the room upstairs where I would sleep which was actually Bojana’s room also informing me of our three week itinerary; he had it all planned out. Darko told me we would all spend the night over Bojana’s house, the next day sleep at his apartment outside Beograd and later explained the next day we would stop at his father’s family’s house for dinner and leave from there making our way into Montenegro for a ten day vacation staying at his friend’s resort on Budva’s seaside coast. Along the way Darko told me he would give me the best tour I could ask for and he did. He showed me military installations and one of my favorite stops was the NATO bombed Chinese embassy which I stood in front of only several yards from.

    My night at Bojana’s residence was wonderful. I was never showed as much love and hospitality as I did from her family. Although it was late in the evening (about 11pm Serbian time) when we arrived, Bojana’s mother, a wonderful woman, treated me as her own daughter. She insisted that Darko, Bojana and I enjoy what seemed a 10 course home cooked meal. She was still cooking while she served us a variety of cooked steaks, vegetables and pastries. And like many Italian families she insisted I tried and ate everything. To top the night off before bed Bojana and her father performed an accordion duet live in the kitchen for me. Apparently, Bojana and her father were professional accordion players and Bojana explained that her father’s employment consisted of playing nightly in a local bar. Thereafter, we went to bed with full stomachs.

    The next morning we all enjoyed an equally exquisite breakfast. Bojana’s family had livestock in the backyard and her mother cooked us a fresh eggs and steak for breakfast like never before experienced. We said our parting goodbyes and left for Darko’s apartment in the hills of Beograd. We brought my suitcases in and upon entering I noticed there were lots of stray dogs around the apartment entrance. One in particular was very cute and Darko explained that the various residents fed it because it was so adorable. I found it interesting that so many old men were just hanging about the entrance to the apartment building drinking and just sitting there with seemingly nothing to do. They remained there throughout my entire trip.

    Even when Ratko Mladic came to see me on my final day in Serbia in full military regalia giving me a parting gift (a book he inscribed to me entitled Serbija) while Darko took pictures of Mladic with his arm around me, the men remained there merely looking like old bums. Retrospectively, I wonder if they weren’t some watchmen and/or guards. Unto this day I always wondered what Darko did with those photos.

    I was surprised what a very large apartment Darko owned. He showed me into his guest room and I unpacked my suitcases in just enough time to inform me I was to consolidate all my truly necessary items for Montenegro into one small bag that would reasonably fit into his trunk in the morning because he needed enough room for his and Bojana’s luggage also. He laughed at all the things I brought with me to Beograd telling me that I had no idea how to pack.

    By the time I was done with that task Darko told me it was time to go meet some friends at a local café for coffee. It was late summer and the outside café’s in Beograd were the best ! We met up with a few friends in some restaurant in Beograd; there was about five of us sitting there just chatting and drinking coffee when I noticed an older gentleman sitting a few seats down with feathered salt and pepper colored hair not saying much except for an occasional laugh and nod at us. I wondered wherefore Darko a man about thirty would associate with such an older person, as for me being several years older than Darko, I thought to myself, what a cute guy. Then upon closer inspection, I realized it was doctor Radovan Karadzic. I knew he was a psychiatrist. By no means was this to be our last meeting. Throughout the time I spent in Serbia Darko met with Karadzic on many occasions in Beograd. The meetings were usually brief; only to exchange oral information and/or a few papers with Darko and whisper something or other in Darko‘s ear.   He looks as the news media portrays him dressed in his gray wrinkled suit and tie and salt and pepper colored hair. He was a perfect gentleman all times I met him with Darko. After finishing our coffee, Darko said we ought leave and get a good nights rest because we had to leave early the next day for Montenegro.



    The next morning we all got into Darko’s blue Audi (car) and left for his Father’s house. I remember arguing with Darko about wanting to bring lots of luggage with me and he replied I didn’t need all that stuff and I could only bring one normal sized bag with me and I had to leave the rest of my things at his apartment; I did. On the way to his father’s, Darko made a few important stops for the purpose of giving me the grand tour. We only stopped briefly at some military installations; we didn’t get out of the car. We drove up to the gates and Darko pointed out, “look Jill, this is an important military facility.” Darko always sarcastically smirked as he pointed out these places to me. The only place we got out was in front of the bombed out Chinese embassy in Beograd. There were Serbian military officers in front of the embassy. I was amazed owing to I always had thought bombed out buildings were totally demolished. But standing in front of the Chinese embassy that was bombed by the NATO in 1999 taught me the definition of a “smart bomb.”

    Only the portion of the building hosting the embassy employees on the upper level of the building itself was demolished and in particular the window where the Chinese embassy officials worked. I could see in the window and I even got a sad glimpse of the Victorian styled chair sitting there empty in the bombed out window. I wondered who used to sit there and if they were dead or alive. No other parts of the building was seriously damaged. There were even flowers and trees still growing untouched in front of the building. I strongly believe that NATO knew exactly what they aimed at when they bombed the building.

    I brought a digital camera with me on my trip but upon returning to the United States, all the film Darko claimed to snap for me was returned by my local film developer as blank. I wondered if Darko told me the truth about snapping photos for me at all. Throughout my trip he insisted on taking all the photos I wanted claiming I take poor pictures. It since crossed my mind he may have removed the film from my camera prior my departing Serbia so I could not take it back with me. One thing I am sure of is both Darko and Bojana refused having any photos taken of them throughout my entire stay.

    After leaving the scene at the Chinese embassy, we made our way to the home of Darko’s father driving through a beautiful park not dissimilar to Central Park in Manhattan along the way. I can’t be certain what park it was because I didn’t know the geographical area; we soon arrived at our destination. Darko’s father lived in the most incredibly beautiful green hills in an area of Serbia existing somewhere between Beograd and Montenegro. Immediately upon entering and meeting his father, stepmother and grandmother who recently passed away, I felt part of the family. Although his family did not speak English, Darko and Bojana translated for me.

    Darko’s grandmother was an extraordinarily warm and wise woman in whose presence I felt comfortable and happy the entire time. Before dinner there was the customary libation of grappa (a Serbian hard liquor of incredible potency). If only I could find grappa here in America. After another dinner that would give Manhattan’s top chefs a run for their money, Darko brought me upstairs into a guest room to take a nap.

    I told him I was not tired but he insisted I nap saying we would be driving all night before reaching Montenegro and I need my rest. I must have slept an hour before he awakened me to say our parting goodbyes and begin our journey. I was extremely excited; Darko promised me a three week Adriatic holiday allowing me swimming privileges at every beach from Hercegovni to an area he said was only ten meters from Kosovo’s border. We couldn’t go into Kosovo Darko said because it was too dangerous. I knew Darko had been shot several times and almost killed in Kosovo previously so I didn’t push the issue. As a former lifeguard and avid swimmer, I couldn‘t wait for my vacation to start and Darko delivered it to me as promised.

    The onset of our journey began at sunset; still adjusting to the time zone differential I dozed off in Darko’s backseat; for how long I’m uncertain. I dozed on and off until sunrise when we reached the Montenegrin border. I mean, there wasn’t much to see driving in the dark cover of night. The wider well lit highway we initially set out upon gradually narrowed as the highway lights became fewer. Eventually there were no highway lights at all. My body continuously shifted from one side of Darko’s backseat to the other making sleep difficult.
    It was obvious the road we traversed was analogous to Pacific Coast Highway in California driving through Big Sur. It was mountainous, dangerously ridden with hairpin turns and no guardrails. In Montenegro, inexperienced travelers could almost mistake the scenery for Big Sur with the beautiful blue Adriatic sea hugging the bottoms of the cliffs we not so cautiously traveled. I asked Darko to slow down because he was driving like speed racer. He replied not to worry explaining he could drive these roads blindfolded he knew them well. I thought to myself, better safe than sorry buddy. It is a good thing I had some prescription Xanax with me, I popped one, maybe two just to relax while simultaneously trying to hide this act from Darko since he hated drugs in general. He especially hated my taking the prescription medications my doctor gave me saying I didn’t need them, they were addicting and poison. He also strongly disdained cigarettes; Bojana smoked covertly.

    The sun was just rising when Darko awakened me excitedly pointing out the tunnel we were driving through. I think he said at the other end we’d be entering Montenegro. Driving to the Budva Riviera in Montenegro we drove through some similar tunnels; the scenery was unbelievably breathtaking. There is no other place in the world I’d rather be than in Budva Montenegro and I recommend everyone vacation there. We were making our way to a seaside resort a friend of Darko owned. Still driving like speed racer around the hairpin turns and mountainous cliffs compromising the road, we finally arrived at our destination safely. I admit Darko is an excellent driver; his driving is reminiscent of agent 007 in James Bond movies.

        Because of the Kosovo war, there was not one functional ATM in either in Serbia and Montenegro. To be safe I split the five thousand dollars we had between Darko and I. I held onto half and he the other. One of my favorite stories I tell people of my trip is how I swam with my money throughout the trip; it made me feel secure always keeping some cash on me at all times; even when I was swimming a quarter mile out in the Adriatic sea. Darko told me not to; I did anyway.

    Owing to that, the cash I held was often wet. One particular time we went to a bank in Montenegro. The banks there are so remarkably careful of counterfeiting, they refused exchanging my United States dollars for Euros because my money was wet; the three of us returned to the hotel using my blow dryer to evaporate the dollar bills until dried. The three of us henceforth joked about this saying we laundered the money.

    Upon arriving at the resort, Darko introduced me to his friend and we worked out the financial gratuities for our stay. We paid him eight hundred United States dollars for ten days; meals included. Unlike hotels in America, meals meant an extremely large home cooked breakfast consisting of large varieties of meat, coffee and juice. Lunch and dinner consisted of many course meals where main dishes consisted of either freshly caught seafood or meat. Our accommodation consisted of two medium sized rooms with separate entrances; one for myself and another for Darko and Bojana. To reach the beach we only needed to walk across the street and down a small path; one could see Italy at the other end of the horizon on a clear day. I was ecstatic loving to swim. Since Bojana didn’t swim, Darko couldn’t always accompany me to the beach so I‘d just walk to it myself for periodic swims throughout the day; August was a very hot month. Of any country I’ve visited, Serbia and Montenegro wins my top prize for fun, food, beauty and hospitality. Everyone is friendly, warm, the atmosphere is relaxed and laid back and most persons speak some English owing to children learning English as a second language in school at a young age. Unfortunately, American school children do not grow up learning another language other than native English which leaves them I feel at an intellectual disadvantage.

            Each day Darko took us to another beach for a day enjoying food, drink, music, perhaps some shopping and primarily, swimming. As long as I could swim for hours each day I was happy. By the time nighttime rolled in all of us were so tired each day we usually had dinner and retired early, except for one night. This just happened to be the one night of my entire vacation I was overly exhausted wanting to retire early at any cost. Inversely, this was the one evening both Darko and Bojana incredibly excited informed me to take a shower, dress and get ready for a big surprise.

    When I asked Darko what this surprise was and its great importance being I was so tired; he merely insisted I go get ready for it. Darko was always very bossy in my estimation constantly telling us when to sleep, awakening Bojana and I up early, limiting our time before breakfast for dressing, blow drying our hair etc. which the two of us always complained about privately to each other. I always accepted this as part of his personality but this night it annoyed me to no end; I simply wanted sleep, surprise or not. As usual I gave into to Darko’s demands by hurrying to my room, showering, changing, and preparing myself for a night out. If you’re a woman, you understand when you have a crush on someone as I did Darko, you usually give into his demands easily; so I did.

    Upon changing, Dark and Bojana were waving me to hurry to the car; exhausted I got in and slammed the door. Less than ten minutes up the pitch black road Darko pulled the car over and we got out. Darko and Bojana said, “Hurry Jill look down there.” At the bottom of the cliffs was the most beautiful city of lights I’ve ever seen. Darko said proudly, “this is Budva Jill, that‘s where we are going.” It was many times more beautiful that Paris or Manhattan at night and situated in a valley about a mile and a half wide forcing the Montenegrin peninsula farther out. It was a remarkably amazing sight, Budva itself being lit up with a wide variety of bright lights surrounded by an aura of pitch black. By this time Bojana started complaining to Darko to move his car in more because someone may come around the sharp turn in the darkness sideswiping it. Darko never worried much about illegal parking or his speed limit owing to whenever getting pulled over, he just made manifest to the officer his huge governmental badge and they let him go; the badge was at least three times larger than the usual American police officer badge and was gold in color.

    Darko became annoyed with Bojana’s complaints so we returned to the car, got in and descended about five minutes down the treacherously dark road into Budva and parked. I couldn’t believe it! It was like a dream, We walked down around Budva, Darko pointing out everything.

    We stopped to have a drink at one of the many outdoor bar/café’s and listened to the live entertainment while we sipped our drinks.    Then I went to buy another bathing suit at a small shop when Darko told me to follow him and Bojana into the most amazing bar I’ve ever seen, anywhere in the world.

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Has Israel Abandoned Its Ideals?

By Ricardo - Jan 23rd, 2009 at 10:12 pm EST

Also listed in: 4 groups

Israel is being condemned by all and sundry for its latest incursion or as some would define it, invasion of Gaza. The shelling of UN compounds sheltering innocent civilians, the bombing of a UN school, the destruction of UN facilities storing much needed and scarce supplies and the use of phosphorous shells proscribed for use in civilian and populated theatres make some of us wonder what happened to Israel, the land we used defend till blue in the face?

I am saddened especially by the latest debacle and I seem to have the most peace when Israel is not in the news, because it would appear that the last decade or so has only brought about negativity for that young state.

A sad testament to what happens when a nation abandon its ideals under the ubiquitous guise of security.

If there ever was a nation on God's Earth, which should be very sensitive to attacks on civilians, women and children that state ought to be Israel. A just cause must carry world opinion. And yes, world opinion does matter, especially to places like Israel!

But then again, when you can get away with impunity time and again it becomes habitual. "The Palestinians started it", I can hear the apologists say. But what makes a nation civilized, is that it maintains its human decency especially in the face of unwarranted provocation.

When we stoop to the same levels of barbarity as those we seem to chastise, we reduce ourselves to a level even lower than that of which we chastise others and with that comes the erosion of our moral authority. Being the most powerful state or nation does not necessarily engender respect. Ask George W Bush.

The World is changing and Israel will do very well to change with it! And if anything Israel ought to listen to its friends and note that as others are already tagging this latest adventure as genocide or extermination demonstrates one thing; This world, our world, would not sit idly by and witness the wiping out of the Palestinians as an entity or as a people, only for a car or an aircraft to be named after them, generations down the line. No mas!
This is a very sad period in Israel's current state that the only way a once beacon of hope, excellence and freedom, in an otherwise pitiful ocean of despotism can maintain political cohesion is in a bogus and fatuous adventurism not borne out of necessity but expedience. Now that is not growing out of childish things and it is very dangerous!

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Partnering with The World Flag Project:

By John - Dec 13th, 2008 at 1:53 pm EST

-Understanding Our World-   www.theworldflag.org While The World Flag aims to inspire unity in matters of global concern, The Flag and related products make excellent tools for basic lessons in geography, world history, and international studies. Flashcards, apparel, flags and the web site make teaching and learning about each other interactive and fun. The World Flag works with organizations focused on global education efforts and outreach. Let us know if your organization needs assistance.
-Events / Fundraising- Flying The World Flag at events exposes your local population to your groups message alongside the message of world unity. The Flags celebration of all cultures makes it a natural flag to fly for global warming, the environment, world healthcare, and other universal interests. Raise The World Flag at your event and spread the word!
-Fundraise for Global Causes-The World Flag provides a great way to engage a wide array of people. As a vehicle in fundraising it complements a myriad of causes while teaching cooperation and cultural diversity. Whether you are raising funds for medical groups or saving for a relief trip, The World Flag’s message applies. The World Flag Project will work with you on a fundraising kit for the non– profit cause of your choice.
-Carry The Flag with You- The world Flag is an amazing conversation piece and makes a great gift for your favorite classroom, world traveler, international group, student, venue, or business. The Project can customize packages for your event, organization, cause or company upon request. Bring the World Flag into your community!
   Read More »

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Plea from Zimbabwe

By Brice from Fort Lauderdale, FL - Dec 8th, 2008 at 6:53 pm EST

This is a letter from a dear friend's friend who lives in Zimbabwe...--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Letter from Zimbabwe sent in by John Winter:
I reckon that these are the last days of TKM and ZPF. The darkest hour is always before dawn. We are
all terrified at what they are going to destroy next........I mean they are actually ploughing down brick and mortar houses and one family with twin boys of 10 had no chance of salvaging anything when 100 riot police came in with AK47's and bulldozers and demolished their beautiful house - 5 bedrooms and pine ceilings - because it was 'too close to the airport', so we are feeling extremely insecure right now. You know - I am aware that this does not help you sleep at night, but if you do not know - how can you help? Even if you put us in your own mental ring of light and send your guardian angels to be with us - that is a help -but I feel so cut off from you all knowing I cannot tell you what's going on here simply because you will feeluncomfortable.

There is no ways we can leave here so that is not an option. I ask that you all pray for us in the way that you know how, and let me knowt hat you are thinking of us and sending out positive vibes... that's all. You
can't just be in denial and pretend/believe it's not going on. To be frank with you, it's genocide in the making and if you do not believe me, read the Genocide Report by Amnesty International which says we are - IN level 7 - (level 8 is after it's happened and everyone is in denial). If you don't want me to tell you these things-how bad it is-then it means you have not dealt with your own fear, but it does not help me to think you are turning your back on our situation. We need you, please, to get thenews OUT that we are all in a fearfully dangerous situation here. Too many people turn their backs and say - oh well, that's what happens in Africa This Government has GONE MAD and you need to help us publicize our plight---or how can we be rescued? It's a reality! The petrol queues are a reality, the pall of smoke all around our city is a reality, the thousands of homeless people sleeping outside in 0 Celsius with no food, water,shelter and bedding are a reality. Today a family approached me, brother of the gardener's wife with two small children. Their home was trashed and they will have to sleep outside. We already support 8 adult people and a child on this property, and electricity is going up next month by 250% as is water. How can I take on another family of 4 -----and yet how can I turn them away to sleep out in the open? I am not asking you for money or a ticket out of here - I am asking you to FACE the fact that we are in deep and terrible danger and want you please to pass on our news and pictures. So PLEASE don't just press the delete button! Help best in the way that you know how. Do face the reality of what is going on here and help us SEND OUT THE WORD. The more people who know about it, the more chance we
have of the United Nations coming to our aid. Please don't ignore or deny what's happening. Some would like to be protected from the truth BUT then, if we are eliminated, how would you feel? 'If only we knew how bad it really was we could have helped in some way'. [I know we chose to stay here and that some feel we deserve what's coming to us] For now,--- we ourselves have food, shelter, a little fuel and a bit of money for the next meal - but what is going to happen next? Will they start on our houses? All property is going to belong to the State now. I want to send out my Title Deeds to one of you because if they get a hold of those, I can't fight for my rights.

Censorship!----We no longer have SW radio [which told us everything that was happening]because the Government jammed it out of existence - we don't have any reporters, and no one is allowed to photograph. If we had reporters here, they would have an absolute field day. Even the pro-Government Herald has written that people are shocked, stunned, bewildered and blown mindless by the wanton
destruction of many folks homes, which are supposed to be 'illegal' but for which a huge percentage actually do have licenses. Please! - do have some compassion and HELP by sending out the articles and personal reports so
that something can/may be done. 'I am one. I cannot do everything, ---but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I should do, by the grace of God, I will do.' --Edward Everett Hale Please send this on to everyone in your address book. We send jokes out without blinking an eyelid. We don't get told this on the news in South Africa , we only get told what they want us to hear. We all have a chance to do something, even though the something is by pressing forward to as many people as possible. Let's stop talking and let's start doing! There is power in prayer, there is also power in more people knowing about this than you in my address book.
This is going to America , Dubai , Australia ,France , South Africans all over South Africa , the UK . By forwarding this to all in my address book I have done something. The world needs to know what is going on.e quality.

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Social issues are an international problem

By Nervie - Dec 8th, 2008 at 12:40 pm EST

Also listed in: 8 groups

BLOG December 8, 2008

Just opened a communiqué from Keri Anne, an acquaintance in Canada, which says that in her part of the world they are reviewing international Social Watch reports published by the United Nations and a pattern is increasing exponentially, they are finding:

“The Government of Canada must ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable citizens don’t lose their right to shelter, food, health and education in order to balance the books,” said Nancy Baroni, Gender Budget Coordinator with the Feminist Alliance for International Affairs.

Consequently, the US citizens aren’t the only people on the planet highly concerned over the global financial situation effecting their daily existence. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The North South Institute, and the Feminist Alliance for International Affairs are reporting similar points of view when they speak to heads of state. “The poorest are the most vulnerable” during such recessionary economic times and this goes even beyond Canadian borders and is a great concern in 59 nations. When the economy drops “shelter, food, health and education” needs which are needed considerably in all nations diminish. Those individuals and programs that were sharing and donating become more protectorate of their own home front hence, the charity slows down and those programs dependent on assistance start scrambling for other means of sustenance or disappear. And though the services may disappear the people in need aren’t. Isn’t it interesting that the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights will occur on December 10th., that international budgets are being cut for social services so do we really have much to celebrate? As we wait on January 20th getting here, which isn’t getting here fast enough for some of us, President elect Barack Obama will undoubtedly come into office with the highest need of mounting human services responsibilities in the world, and we don’t see human social needs decreasing anytime soon.

Todd and Minerva Hoover, Santa Clarita Valley

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Wouldn't it be more humane to just 'gas' the Gazans? (2)

By John Lewis-Dickerson, Atlanta - Nov 27th, 2008 at 5:53 pm EST

Also listed in: 10 groups

This is Gaza
By Amira Hass @ haaretz.com

If it's not the power getting cut, leaving entire neighborhoods in darkness, then it's the water not reaching the top floors or the cooking gas running out. If you have an electric generator, some small part of it is bound to be broken and unfixable, because even before the hermetic three-week siege, Israel prohibited bringing in any spare parts for cars, machines and household electric appliances.

And if you somehow manage to find the money for a generator that was smuggled through the tunnels (its price has doubled or tripled since last month), it's at the expense of buying a heater (not electric, of course), English lessons, clothes for the children and visits to the doctor...........

ENTIRE ARTICLE - http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1041345.html

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The Need for an Effective UN

By John Lewis-Dickerson, Atlanta - Nov 15th, 2008 at 10:46 pm EST

Also listed in: 10 groups

Burma, Iraq, and the Need for an Effective UN
by Sherwood Ross @ smirkingchimp.com

Besides wrecking Iraq and killing a million people, President Bush's illegal invasion has given a boost to military dictators around the world.
"The idea, popular in the nineteen-nineties, that the world may intervene in countries whose governments show no regard for human life is now seen as reflecting Western arrogance," writes George Packer in The New Yorker magazine. Packer refers specifically to Burma but militarists globally have followed the U.S. assault on Iraq closely. Many dictators consider George Bush to be a man after their own heart---and he proves it by showering them with weapons.
According to Rachel Stohl, a senior analyst at the Center for Defense Information(CDI), "the U.S. is sending unprecedented levels of military assistance to countries that it simultaneously criticizes for lack of respect for human rights and, in some cases, for questionable democratic processes."
ENTIRE ARTCLE - http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/18690

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The Case for Colin Powell

By Pam Hayes - Nov 15th, 2008 at 12:45 pm EST

Barack Obama is my hero as of some time in 2008. Before him, I considered Colin Powell to be a hero – a Republican four-star general with integrity.    Read More »

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Advisors

By Wes - Nov 6th, 2008 at 4:19 am EST

Look for intelligence first.
Careful of those associated to groups, look for independents or moderates.
To build a good staff of advisors, pick 3...2 subordinates, one liberal, one conservative and a moderate open mind above the two.
Investigate backgrounds.
Do not surround yourself with too many of any one group. This leads to "group think" and leaves the voice of reason unheard.
Consider UNations opinions, for they represent the world, and as such what is best or the world, is best for everyone.
Careful not to look to liberal. You want a second term in office. If you take decisive action, with good delivery of "why". Then you present your case to the American people clearly and can easily get public support.
Remember that groups that support growth, also support expansionism. Last I checked there was no new places to go, and in the end someone will suffer.
As for special positions like military buiness etc...experience is key. Do not take on people who are appointees, or place holders. Look for people who worked from the ground up and understand the entire process. Education is important but not as important as experience. Education does not replace experience, it is only additional experience.
Take your time. No job done well is done in a rush. You can rush after you have learned to do the job.

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United Nations Day – who cares?

By Emma - Oct 24th, 2008 at 5:54 pm EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

On the 24th of October 1945, after six horrible years of hell; decimated cities, some 50 million people dead, shattered nations, destroyed hope and one giant mushroom cloud, 51 countries sat down and created the United Nations.
Mankind now have the ability to cause what only God was suppose to be able to cause; Judgment Day. This realization hit during those tormented years of World War two and 51 world leaders came together to help each other protect and empower our humanity, humility and sanity in order to survive as a race. They created rules, guidelines and restrictions and 51 countries have today become 192.
“The purposes of the United Nations, as set forth in the Charter, are to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these ends.”
But who cares!?
Today we’re broke. That's what matters.
In Sweden there’s currently a right wing coalition in charge.
Every time I hear Americans referring to socialists as the devils offspring I want to stand up and scream, “Hey, I’m a socialists and I live in a socialist nation. And guess what? We’re a wealthy, stable, industrious nation. What’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with caring about others, sharing your wealth with those who need it more than you?” Then I stop myself and with a severe pain in my heart, I have to accept we are no longer that nation.
The right wingers here have the same arguments they have in America. “Why should I have to share my hard earned money with some mindless slacker who can’t be bothered to work?”
When I hear that argument I think about Hitler’s concentration camps, hollow-eyed skeletons, too weak to stand, begging for someone to help. Why did we help them? They clearly didn’t do much to help themselves? They were loaded into train carts like animals, hunted, terrorized, and they never fought back, never mounted a decent defense. So why should we care?!
I’ve never understood how right wingers decide who to care for, who to help and who to ignore. How do you make that decision? How do the wealthy in America decide which charity to endorse and which to ignore? Is a child with cancer more worth than a single mother of three who can’t afford decent food for her children? Is the extinction of Polar bears more important than an afterschool project in some impoverished district that keeps kids away from gangs, drugs and crime?
The basic thought behind socialism as an ideology, and the UN as an organization, is simple; we are stronger, smarter and better together than we can ever be apart.
I wish I understood why so many disagree…

I’m sure Obama is too busy fighting McCain to bother much about this extraordinary organization created by remarkable people, an organization that has slowly been reduced to a shadow of what it once was meant to be.
But if you have a moment, please read the charter below and try to remember the times they were written in. How sure are you that nightmares of decades past will never happen again?
WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED
to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
AND FOR THESE ENDS
to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and
to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and
to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and
to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples,
HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS
Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.



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