According to the Jerusalem Post, the US Department of Treasury's new Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI) unit is going after the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines.  TFI targeted the company and 18 affiliates for their alleged effort to "facilitate the transport of cargo for UN Designated proliferators.” TFI further charges it “falsifies documents and uses deceptive schemes to shroud its involvement in illicit commerce." Later in the same article, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) trumpets this as yet another victory in its drive to confront the Islamic Republic of Iran: "AIPAC strongly supports these steps which are part of a coordinated effort by the United States and the international community to ratchet up the pressure on Iran and convince it to suspend its illicit nuclear activities. These steps send an important signal that America continues to lead the effort to confront and stop Iran's nuclear pursuit." But is America actually in the driver's seat of this destabilizing brinksmanship?  History suggests that it is not.

AIPAC and its associated think tank, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), were instrumental in lobbying the president for the creation of the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence unit early in 2004. The Israel lobby also vetted Stuart Levey who President Bush approved to lead the new unit. TFI claims to be "safeguarding the financial system against illicit use and combating rogue nations, terrorist facilitators, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferators, money launderers, drug kingpins, and other national security threats." However its actions—and more important, inactions—reveal it to be a sharp-edged tool forged principally to serve the Israel lobby. 

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August 18, 2008
Categories: Diplomacy

Biden calls for $1 billion in emergency aid to Georgia

Fresh off a trip to the Republic of Georgia, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden said he will ask for $1 billion in emergency aid for the war torn country.

Biden, who is rumored to be very high on Sen. Barack Obama’s list of running mates, met with Georgia's president and prime minister on the trip, further burnishing his foreign policy credentials ahead of Obama’s decision.

“I left the country convinced that Russia's invasion of Georgia may be the one of the most significant event to occur in Europe since the end of communism,” said Biden.

“When Congress reconvenes, I intend to work with the administration to seek Congressional approval for $1 billion in emergency assistance for Georgia, with a substantial down payment on that aid to be included in the Congress' next supplemental spending bill.”

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Feds to Katrinians: Go Spork Yourselves 

Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 02:37:45 AM 

For those of you who missed the horrific blurb on CNN.com, it seems the government overestimated the amount of aid it has yet to get to Katrina victims.

Previously, The General Services Administration (GSA), which manages federal property, listed the government aid languishing in warehouses at $85,000,000.

Turns out they were wrong by a factor of four or so. In fact the victims of Hurricane Katrina have only been waiting in vain for EIGHTEEN (point five) million dollars, not eighty-five. And yet somehow it doesn't sting any less.

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Related
Entebbe II: Colombia hostage rescue - the Israeli angle (Updated)


July 7, 2008

Colombia Hostage Rescue Endangers Lives of Journalists and Aid Workers

by Garry Leech

Amidst all the joy and celebration resulting from the Colombian military’s successful rescue of 15 hostages last week, the fact that the tactics utilized in the mission will likely endanger the lives of journalists and aid workers in the future has been completely ignored. By having soldiers pose as journalists and aid workers in order to gain access to the hostages, the Colombian government has increased the already high risks faced by legitimate reporters and NGO workers. In a country that is already one of the most dangerous places in the world in which to work as a journalist or a defender of human rights, the armed actors will now be even more suspicious of anyone claiming to work in those fields.

Last week’s rescue mission—assuming it did occur as the Colombian government claims and that a ransom was not paid to secure the release of the hostages—was not the first time that the Uribe administration has used the strategy of disguising state security forces as journalists to gain access to hostages. Only last month, a grenade-toting former soldier took 19 people hostage in the government’s pension office in the Colombian capital, Bogotá. The hostage-taker allowed reporters and camera crews to enter the building so he could publicly state his demands that he be paid a pension for his two decades of military service. Undercover police officers posed as journalists in order to gain access to the building and then successfully subdued the man and freed the hostages.

The tactics used last week to rescue the 15 hostages—including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three US military contractors—held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) mimicked that earlier operation. The rescue mission also replicated many aspects of a humanitarian operation conducted by the Venezuelan government three months ago that secured the release of four hostages held by the FARC. Participants in that operation included legitimate journalists and NGO workers who arrived at the remote rendezvous point in an unmarked helicopter to receive the released hostages.

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Jeb getting a cut of the US miltary aid to Mexico?


Jeb Bush to Join McCain in Mexico City

July 03, 2008 9:10 AM

ABC News' Bret Hovell Reports: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will join presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain in Mexico City Thursday morning on the last day of McCain's three-day visit to Latin America.

Gov. Bush was in Mexico City on business and wanted to spend time with the candidate. He will not spend the day with Sen. McCain, R-Ariz., who has several other events today, including a media availability this afternoon.

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Alison Raphael, OneWorld USTue Jul 1, 3:34 PM ET

WASHINGTON, Jul 1 (OneWorld) - A $465-million aid package aimed at countering terrorism and crippling the drug trade in Mexico and Central America was signed into law yesterday by U.S President George W. Bush, but critics warn that the "Merida Initiative," also known as "Plan Mexico," will be ineffective and could result in more human rights abuses.

More than $116 million is for training and equipping Mexican military and police forces, and will go directly into the pockets of U.S. defense contractors and defense technology firms, charges Americas Policy Program director Laura Carlsen.

More importantly, "Plan Mexico extends into Mexico the Bush administration's failed 'war on terrorism' and 'drug war' models. These are policies that have militarized U.S. foreign policy, wasted taxpayers' money, and caused the United States to lose standing in the world -- notably in Latin America," Carlsen warned after the Senate approved the package Friday.

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Police 'torture' videos cause uproar in Mexico

* Story Highlights

* Many Mexicans see a sinister side to the videos at a time of alleged abuses
* Human rights investigators in Guanajuato state are looking into the tapes
* "They are teaching police ... to torture!" read one Mexico City newspaper headline

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- Videos showing Leon police practicing torture techniques on a fellow officer and dragging another through vomit at the instruction of a U.S. adviser created an uproar Tuesday in Mexico, which has struggled to eliminate torture in law enforcement.

Two of the videos -- broadcast by national television networks and displayed on newspaper Internet sites -- showed what Leon city Police Chief Carlos Tornero described as training for an elite unit that must face "real-life, high-stress situations," such as kidnapping and torture by organized crime groups.

But many Mexicans saw a sinister side, especially at a moment when police and soldiers across the country are struggling with scandals over alleged abuses.

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 Related
A Hidden Agenda: John McCain and the IRI and Haiti

1 month ago: A Haitian woman bakes clay 'biscuits' under the Sun May 9, 2008 in the Port-au-Prince slum of Cite Soleil. As the food crisis continues in Haiti, rice and bean prices have increased by some 100 percent according to officials, forcing many to turn to the clay 'biscuits' as a source of food. The clay is mixed with salt and vegetable fat and dried in the sun. AFFP PHOTO/Thony BELIZAIRE.

 

Bush Administration Accused of Withholding "Lifesaving" Aid to Haiti

Written by Cyril Mychalejko

Wednesday, 25 June 2008

The report, “Wòch nan Soley: The Denial of the Right to Water in Haiti,” also takes aim at the international community for its role in politicizing aid while standing idly by as people suffer and die. “The international community is able to turn a blind eye to the impact of its policies because it is not forced to confront the human faces of those who die or become ill through its action or inaction," said Loune Viaud, Director of Operations for Zanmi Lasante. "This report shows the devastating human rights impacts of its policies.” --MORE--   Children Collecting Water in Haiti Human rights groups released a report on June 23 accusing the Bush Administration of blocking "potentially lifesaving" aid to Haiti in order to meddle in the impoverished nation's political affairs.

An editorial — 6/16/2008 5:11 am

No one seriously debates anymore that President Bush plays politics with declarations of disaster areas.

Just as he neglected New Orleans, a Democratic city, while rushing to help Mississippi, a Republican-led state, after Hurricane Katrina struck, so the president has responded to the recent storms in the Midwest by first declaring federal disasters in Indiana, a state with a Republican governor.

Bush did that last week after severe storms and flooding ravaged states across the upper Midwest.

The president was not cautious about helping Hoosiers. Even before Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, a former Bush administration appointee, could dot every "i" and cross every "t" on requests for assistance, the president was scrambling to declare 29 Indiana counties -- a third of all those in the state that backed Bush in the 2000 and 2004 elections -- as eligible for federal aid.

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By Nathan Guttman

Thu. Jun 12, 2008

Washington - To the many challenges facing the fledgling Iraqi government, Congress may soon add this: Recognize the State of Israel and establish diplomatic ties with Jerusalem, or else risk losing some of the billions in aid that Baghdad receives from the United States.

A nonbinding resolution demanding Iraqi recognition of Israel was introduced June 5 in the House of Representatives and has already gained the support of more than 60 congressmen, including several leaders of the Foreign Relations Committee.

The resolution puts Congress far out in front of the Israeli government and the White House, both of which to date have refrained from raising the issue. An Israeli source said that while Jerusalem expects every United Nations member state to recognize Israel’s right to exist and would like to have full diplomatic ties with all Arab states, the issue of Iraq “was not on the agenda” at present.

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Related
US OKs more military aid to Israel

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:48:04

Israel has reportedly started to set up an 'Iran Command' within its air force as part of preparations for a possible war against Iran.

According to reports by unnamed Israeli military sources, the regime's air force has launched 'Iran Command' to coordinate operations to 'confront the growing threat from Tehran'.

The command's operations are aimed at improving coordination among Israeli ballistic missiles and air and missile brigades which deploy the Arrow and Patriot missile systems.

The report comes amid ramped up Israeli rhetoric against Tehran over the country's nuclear program.

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Over 300 US based organizations call for an end to military aid to Apartheid Israel
Worldwide Activism, Palestinian grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, April 29th, 2008

The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation delivered a letter signed by more than 300 US based organizations calling on the House Appropriations Subcommittee to cut off military aid to Israel on account of its repeated violations of the both the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act. The signatories came from 25 national organization as well as local organizations from 40 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. citizens living abroad and was delivered to the subcommittee one day prior to its hearing.

Bush’s FY2009 budget request includes $2.55 billion in military aid to Israel, a proposed 9% increase over actual spending in 2007. This is the proposed first installment of a ten-year Memorandum of Understanding to increase military aid to Israel by 25%, totalling $30 billion by FY2018.

For more information about the call and other actions in the United States, see: www.endtheoccupation.org

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