To Media - Politicians and to Friends
CDSM-Ireland
Solidarity with people of palestine
John Kelly
International Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic (Irish Section)
E-mail: cdsmireland@eircom.net- Fax/phone - +044 45787 … 14.4.2002
Visit: http://www.icdsmireland.org
DISTURBING THE PEACE -
“The Israeli army could learn from the way the German troops operated in the Warsaw Ghetto.”
These are the words of an Israeli General Staff commander quoted in the Israeli press . Ha’aretz April 1 2002.
Here is acknowledgement of rampant militarism as essentially fascistic be it then as in the days of the second world war or now in the era of the New World Order.
The events of September 11 furnished an altogether too perfect rationale, some might say cover, for Israeli incursions into Palestinian territory and the subsequent slaughter or forcible expulsion of Palestinian people.
State terrorism by Israeli forces to effect the seizure of land with the obvious agenda being Israeli expansionism. A process aided and abetted hugely from Washington.
In recent years the Pentagon has shipped to Tel Aviv on behalf of its Israeli protectorate, strategically located to police the oil rich states of the Middle East, military hardware in the form of helicopters and assorted missiles capable of mass destruction amounting to an approximate value of at least three billion dollars.
Media coverage of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people consistently omits facts of this kind related to Israel’s tremendous preponderance of destructive weaponry contrasted with the slingshot like situation of the Palestinian respondents to Israeli onslaught.
Consider if you will the text of an interview conducted by David Hanly a presenter with Ireland’s national broadcasting service RTE’s Morning Ireland radio programme Friday April 12th 2002. Hanly is speaking to Mary Kelly a nurse from Cork in Ireland who is currently located in Nablus Palestine where she has placed her own life on the line as a peace activist and nurse amongst Palestinians in crisis.
Bias and lack of balance characterize this exceptionally patronizing supposed interview which by implication is supportive of the acts of State terrorism by Israel in contravention of mandated international laws and most especially in violation of the Geneva Convention.
Hanly is sycophantically adherent to the party line when he omits mention of Israeli military supremacy choosing instead to project into the public domain allegations as to Palestinians secreting arms in ambulances entering into Palestinian refugee camps.
Mary Kelly quite correctly calls on Hanly to provide the source of his information.
- TEXT OF INTERVIEW WITH MARY
KELLY BY RTE”S DAVID HANLY
- 12.4.2002 :
David Hanly (DH) We’ll go to the middle east now to the Middle East now … Specifically the town of Nablus, a town of 180 000 people which was invaded by Israeli forces a week ago. Mary Kelly is working with the Red Crescent in the town, Mary Kelly good morning to you …
Mary Kelly(MK) Good morning.
DH Tell us about your daily life.
MK I’ve been in Nablus here for three days. It was very difficult to get into the town because there was many checkpoints so we ended up coming over the mountains doing a journey of four hours. And the first place we came to was the hospital, Rafidia hospital and that’s the place I’ve been mostly based since I’ve been here. The first thing I want to say is that I want to appeal all the medical people in Ireland to please protest about the fact that we’re not allowed to bring medical aid to the people here. There is a complete crisis in this hospital. The Israeli government actually agreed that oxygen could be brought into the hospital for emergency surgery, but now they’ve reneged on that. The oxygen is being held up at the checkpoints. That’s the first appeal I want to make today because the situation is very serious. Also the fact that daily our ambulances are being shot at and this is totally in contravention of everything that medicine is upposed to be about. Ambulances are supposed to have safe passage. But I mean I’ve been out on the ambulance several times. We get constantly held up by tanks. Made get down from the ambulances. The drivers are forced to strip to show they’ve no weapons.
DH - There’s a reason for that Mary Kelly. The reason is that the ambulances have been cynically used by the Palestinians to carry arms …. In the past and that has been proved.
MK Right, I’m sorry I find that extremely hard to believe, given ….
DH Well it is true it is a fact ….
MK Where are you getting your information from?
DH The information is there. It is in the public domain.
MK I’m sorry that information is probably coming from Israeli sources. I think that’s the most evil thing that I’ve ever heard in my life. Ambulances I’ve been in them myself I do not believe that they are being used to carry bombs. I think that is the most evil propaganda that is being put out by Israel and I think it is outrageous ….
DH Well there’s propaganda being put out by both sides as ever in war.
MK Right, but I think that is completely evil. I can vouch that, I’m working for the Red Crescent and Red Cross.
DH Alright
MK I haven’t seen any fighters use ambulances there’s no bombs. I accompanied pregnant women. A man we tried go and to help yesterday was dead the time we got there.
DH Mmm ….
MK I mean the fact of the matter why are these tanks there in the first place …. Why are they occupying the town.
DH Because they want to find what they describe as terrorists and root them out. That’s why they’re there.
MK But excuse me, the main terrorists here are the Israelis they ‘re constantly terrorizing the population and being going on for years. I’ve experienced it myself for ten days.
DH Alright. There we
must leave it. Mary Kelly in Nablus thank you for taking our call.
(END OF RTE INTERVIEW - 12.4.2002)
Morning Ireland presenters consistently convey an impression of bias against anyone perceived to be of a dissident or questioning disposition and this inevitably casts into doubt any sometime professed concern voiced by broadcasters in this programme in so far as this concern is so transparently of a selective kind. Concern for some groups of people and callous indifference shown to others. The perceptive listener will comprehend that concern for human rights is fraudulent in this sphere.
This is a programme in essence
in the service of corporate Profits. What else?
David Hanly himself made this clear in one programme after an interview
in which the speaker had voiced outrage at some form of gross irregularity.
Well said Hanly …. That’s Capitalism.
Given that war is the most
profitable capitalist pursuit Morning Ireland presenters’ function
periodically will be naturally enough linked to a self justifying process
supportive of imperialist venture.
Governments. The Military and Industrial complex. The Media.
A coalescence in effect.
The media being a vital component to promoting warfare and international
intervention for multi national profit.
It would be infinitely preferable
if programmes such as Morning Ireland made this clear finally and definitively
and abandoned all pretence as to objectivity or balance.
The dreadful predictability of the very next interview by David Hanly
is currently enough to induce a sense of ennui bordering on catatonia.
Inevitably and prior to his leading question projected with a sense of
deep melancholy in the style of a Chandleresque character contemplating
the fact that once again “down these mean streets a man must go”
there will be the inevitable Hanly interpolations of his trademark Mm..Mm..Mm.
Indicating deep scepticism about the nature of the interviewee or victims
comments.
Following upon the loaded leading question which anyone in his or her
right mind should ignore there may well be from Hanly the stereotypically
outraged response to a speaker along the lines of (horror of horrors)
you are not suggesting that and so on and so forth.
Should Hanly have someone like
Gerry Kelly or Billy Hutchinson to contend with, it being common knowledge
that both men share a common abhorrence of the media and its apparatchiks
and often persist in making their points, there is always the coup de
grace available to the presenter of some experience and this is simply
to throw in a sceptical and final Mm followed by an almost somnambulistic
Alright then Alright … And … I’m afraid that is all
we have time for ..
Game set and match but a very dreary match indeed since about as predictable
as night following day.
David Hanly and his fellow
Morning Ireland presenters should be acquainted with the fact, to coin
a word, that an allegation of the kind projected in the interview with
Mary Kelly related to arms being transported by ambulance to Palestinians
is allegation and nothing else unless verification is obtained and most
importantly the source of the allegation or information provided and broadcast.
David Hanly in his interview with Mary Kelly said that the allegation
was “in the public domain”.
That is quite definitely unacceptable. We all know how much there is “in
the public domain” which bears no relationship to the truth whatsoever.
The prolonged anti Serb campaign for example was redolent of little else but lies calculated to bring about the destruction of Yugoslavia consequent to NATO attack itself paving the way for NATO occupation and Western corporate take over of the Balkans.
David Hanly with the allegation
related to ambulances carrying weapons has himself put the allegation
into the public domain and that is the vital point here.
Hanly’s treatment of Mary Kelly was despicable.
This is a very brave woman prepared to put her life on the line for her
principles.
We salute Mary Kelly and her colleagues in the Middle East for their exemplary selflessness and courage as we salute in retrospect those thousands of Yugoslav civilians and international peace activists who joined them in the face of horrendous and cowardly aerial bombardments by NATO aircraft of Yugoslavia’s infrastructure as in the country’s basic and essential facilities.
We recall how the Yugoslav civilians and those aligned with them positioned themselves on bridges along the Sava and Danube rivers specifically targeted by NATO pilots during the bombing campaign in 1999 which lasted for 78 days and 78 nights.
In giving tribute to these heroic people we recall the words of the poet Ramon Guthrie from his book titled Maximum Security Ward …
Some might not believe it
but
There are hearts that beat for Liberty
Crush them in the most savage ways you can devise
And they will still outlive you.
These hearts that “beat for Liberty
To the very rhythm of the seasons and the tides
Of day and night cannot be stilled.”
To contact RTE Telephone + 01 2083111 or Morning Ireland direct
on +01 2082232
Fax +01 2083086 E-mail: morningireland@rte.ie
STOP THE GENOCIDE AGAINST PEOPLE OF IRAQ - Article compiled by Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic-Ireland - Contact: cdsmireland@eircom.net
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Milosevic
ICDSM)
http://www.wpc-in.org/ (World Peace Council)
http://www.free-slobo.de/ (German Section of ICDSM)
http://www.icdsmireland.org/ (Irish Section of ICDSM)
http://www.icdsm-us.org/ (U.S. Section of the ICDSM)
http://www.geocities.com/b_antinato/ (Balkan antiNATO Center)
Also visit: www.iacenter.org (International Action Center U.S.A.)