Holocaust II

How are the human rights violations being committed by "Israel" in "Gaza" , really much different than the first holocaust? Civilians , women and especially children are being starved, maimed & killed in mass numbers. At this point in time 1,193 people have been killed, including 410 children and 108 women since the conflict began on 27 December. There were 5,300 people wounded, including 1,600 children. True these numbers pale in comparison to the six + million Jew's exterminated in the first Holocaust. But murder is murder! Israel says it is operating totally within humanitarian law? International law’s rules on keeping civilian casualties to a minimum are based on the distinction between "combatants" and "non-combatants". As Israel launched the first air strikes, outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said: "You - the citizens of Gaza - are not our enemies. Hamas, Jihad and the other terrorist organisations are your enemies, as they are our enemies."

The International Committee of the Red Cross - guardian of the Geneva Conventions on which international humanitarian law is based - defines a combatant as a person "directly engaged in hostilities".

But Israeli Defence Forces spokesman Captain Benjamin Rutland said: "Our definition is that anyone who is involved with terrorism within Hamas is a valid target. This ranges from the strictly military institutions and includes the political institutions that provide the logistical funding and human resources for the terrorist arm."

Now paramedics are struggling to secure safe access to the wounded. Hospitals are short of medical supplies and intensive care patients' lives are dependent on ageing back-up generators.

Much of the population is without electricity, about half are without running water, and food deliveries to 750,000 have been seriously disrupted.

But the UN said a daily three-hour window would make "no difference" to its operations, because of the scale of the needs.

Some 750,000 people - half Gaza's population - are dependent on food hand-outs from the UN relief agency, Unrwa.

Distribution has been hampered by security problems and was suspended for a day on Friday 9 January after a truck driver for the UN was killed. The UN blamed Israeli fire, which the Israeli military later denied.

Save the Children says it fears newborn and sick babies may be dying because their parents are unable to reach hospitals.

Palestinian medical officials said they had treated large numbers of casualties with unusual burns that were extremely painful to treat and could be consistent with exposure to white phosphorus (WP).

White phosphorus sticks to human skin and will burn right through to the bone, causing death or leaving survivors with painful wounds which are slow to heal.

The international convention on the use of incendiary weapons says it should not be used where there is a possibility of hitting civilians. An Israeli military spokesman said it was investigating the reports, but reiterated earlier assurances about the legality of its weaponry.

White phosphorus is permitted on the battlefield to make smoke screens to allow troops to move undetected, and also to impede infrared anti-tank weapons.

But its use in the densely populated areas of central Gaza City would be "unlawful", as it dispersal would be indiscriminate and could put civilians at risk, says Human Rights Watch military analyst Marc Garlasco.

"The Israeli military may be using legal weapons, but it is using the weapons in an illegal manner," says Mr Garlasco .

He said he had observed dozens and dozens WP shells used by the Israeli army over Gaza since 27 December, both ground-burst shells and air-burst, scattering distinctive burning lumps of phosphorus which left white smoke trails.

"We are absolutely certain this is white phosphorus, this is the singular, unique visual signature of white phosphorus on the battlefield. Not only have I seen it for myself but I have checked with US artillery," Mr Garlasco added.

So tell me how are Israels war crimes any less offensive than the "Nazi's" ?? Are we seeing the second Holocaust delivered by the victims of the first one?

And why??

"The question that has to be asked is for all those children and all those innocent people who have been killed in this conflict. Were they war crimes? Were they war crimes that resulted in the deaths of the innocents during this conflict? That question has to be answered." We as Americans should also be asking " Why are we supplying the weapons to Israel that are causing all these casualties? Why are we backing mass murder by Israel?" Is it not "enough" we sat by and let our own leaders commit international crimes torturing combatants ?

Heads in the sand

Utah is the only state in the country that requires patrons to fill out an application and pay a fee to enter a bar that serves liquor. Newly-voiced concern over alcohol in restaurants comes as Governor Huntsman proposes to do away with the state law which requires joining private clubs, to get certain drinks out on the town. “It’s ridiculous,” while dining at a restaurant. “The liquor laws here, as an outsider, you don’t really know what to do, how to order, what applies, what doesn’t apply." But Huntsman, a Republican, has run into opposition from some legislative leaders in his own party who contend that the fee and paperwork associated with memberships discourage minors from illegally drinking and are partly responsible for Utah having the lowest DUI fatality rate in the country. "That's the part of the dialogue I need better explained to me. I'm very proud of our low DUI rates — that saves lives. It's hugely important. However, I have not heard a great explanation of how our private club laws lead to that low DUI rate and I definitely haven't heard an argument of why there shouldn't be conversation about improving our existing laws," said Sen. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George. " The real advantage to the state's private club system is that the state can track where someone is drinking and how much they consumed." However, contrary to this statement, private clubs do not keep a log of who enters a bar each day, whether they had anything to drink or what guests they brought in. Club members must only sign a piece of paper once a year and there is no record beyond that. In theory, bar owners should be able to remember who was there each night and how much they had to drink because they are private social clubs and know their customers. "This is what they think happens because they don't frequent private clubs and really don't understand the day-to-day operations and how they relate to the statutes," said Lisa Marcy, a lawyer and spokeswoman for the bar industry's Utah Hospitality Association. Some clubs, which are all open to the public, have upward of 1,000 people who enter each night, many of whom pay with cash. Utah is unique in that about 60 percent of the state's residents are members of the Mormon church, which tells its members not to drink alcohol. Even more of the state's lawmakers — between 80 percent and 90 percent — are Mormon. Who generally hide their heads in the sand when it comes to the way the real world works. Many tourists complain about filling out applications with their birthdates on them because they're worried about identity theft. Others complain about having to fill out a form and pay a fee for every bar they go into. The Utah Hospitality Association forced the issue of eliminating private clubs last year by filing a petition to put the issue on the 2010 ballot. It agreed to put that effort on hold when Huntsman — said he would take the lead on the issue. Huntsman's spokeswoman, Lisa Roskelley, said the governor is open to advancing the association's proposal when the Legislature convenes Jan. 26. "I think that, certainly, using technological approaches to ensure that people are of age is something that the governor is interested in," she said. "The governor is certainly interested in looking at some of those offsetting compromises, like proper ID methods as well as looking at greater liability requirements. We have a long way to go, but he's hopeful there will be significant alcohol reform."

A new direction

We Americans are headed a new direction. One without a dictatorship, fueled by lawless , bigoted , homophobia. One with the promise of no more torture, instead of justice and retribution for actual crimes committed. A new direction from just making the rich and greedy more so. We finally have a chance at a leadership that will help the majority survive, instead of trying to force the masses under to their will...it wont be long !!