Chains of Solidarity Link Gaza And Derry

by redjade Mon Jan 12, 2009 15:37

Obama rolls out defense team

President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday rolled out his picks for top Pentagon posts [....]: William Lynn for deputy defense secretary [....]

In picking Lynn, who through early last year was a lobbyist for Raytheon, Obama butts up against his pledge to bar lobbyists from working on issues they had recently advocated for. So, the transition team is already working on special guidelines for their new pick.

“We are aware that Mr. Lynn lobbied for Raytheon and are working to craft a role with him that’s consistent with the president-elect’s high standards while balancing the need to fill this critical national security position,” said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor, who could not provide details.

[....]

“Bill Lynn is a distinguished public servant and a real expert on national security issues. He brings a great deal of wisdom and experience to the table,” Reed said. “He knows the intricacies of the Pentagon and is superbly prepared for this job.”

[....]

Before joining the defense industry, Lynn worked as the Pentagon’s comptroller and led the office analyzing military programs under President Bill Clinton. He joined the Defense Department after serving for years as an aide to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also worked at several military think tanks.

Raytheon Lobbyist William Lynn, Obama's new Deputy Defense Secretary

by redjade Mon Jan 12, 2009 15:46

Arms exports to Israel from EU worth €200m

European Union member states authorised the export of €200 million in arms exports to Israel in 2007, the latest figures from Brussels disclose, with France far and away the Jewish state's biggest European weapons supplier.

According to the EU's 2008 report on arms export licences, published in December for the 2007 calendar year and consolidating the accounts that member states must annually submit, 18 member states authorised a total of 1,018 such licences to Israel worth €199,409,348.

France, Germany and Romania were the top three exporters. France issued export licences worth €126 million, Germany authorised €28 million and Romania €17 million, the EUobserver can reveal.

In response to calls from opposition politicians that the UK government halt its arms exports to Israel and push all other EU member states to do the same, a British foreign office spokesperson said: "We do not approve any defence related exports if we judge that there is a risk that they will be used for external aggression or internal repression.

[....]

Sweden, another major European weapons producer, along with eight other EU member states, delivered nothing to the Jewish state. Across the EU, only 28 export licences were refused as a result of human rights, internal security or regional stability reasons.

by Mr.SelfDestruct Mon Jan 12, 2009 16:47

Does anyone know anything about the arrests made yet? It appears that the Police have "removed the protestors" and three were taken away in handcuffs. Any information would be appreciated.

by francis hughes Mon Jan 12, 2009 17:37

sounds like a brilliant action. tell me more please. whats the latest

by Tim Mon Jan 12, 2009 18:45

Police remove anti-war protesters
Women protesting inside Raytheon
Nine women chained themselves together inside Raytheon's premises.

The police have removed a number of anti-war protesters from outside the Londonderry offices of the US defence firm Raytheon.

The protest by the Derry Anti-War Coalition began at the Springtown plant at about 1430 GMT on Monday.

Nine women chained themselves together on the top floor of the building, in protest at the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Three people have been arrested by police.

by Mr.SelfDestruct Mon Jan 12, 2009 19:04

Five anti-war protesters have been arrested outside the Londonderry offices of the US defence firm Raytheon.

The protest by the Derry Anti-War Coalition began at the Springtown plant at about 1430 GMT on Monday.

Nine women chained themselves together on the top floor of the building, in protest at the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

They were later allowed to leave by police, and the protest has ended.

If anyone has more legitimate info, that'd be cool.

by shane - wsm Mon Jan 12, 2009 19:14

Firstly the arrests. I am unclear exactly how many but this;

- 2 fellows were arrested initially while trying to get into the building. One of them was one of the R9, i know.
Kieran and Conor.

- there were some more arrests 4 initially but one was then let go:

-one for alleged criminal damage - spray painting "raytheon kills" on the wall of the building, allegedly.

-There were some more arrests just before this, basically as a result of a tussle between G'd up cops and protesters. Cops went in heavy on a middle aged man, which sparked some in the crowd to come to his rescue and more DMSU boiler suited police piled in. They initially grabbed 3 people away. 2 men in their 50s and one in his 20s, but then later let their original "arrestee" go as they conceded it hadn't been necessary.

So that's 5 : 2 trying to access the bdg, 1 "criminal damage" & 2 for being at the wrong end of police wrath - see photos

by Shane - wsm Mon Jan 12, 2009 19:41

After some negociation with police, the 9 women agreed to end the protest if the police agreed to;

Let them walk out the front door unhindered and not under arrest

The PSNI to meet with a delegation from the Derry Anti War Coalition (DAWC) over the next couple of days who would present them with evidence of Raytheon's complicity with the commission of war crimes, and that the PSNI would then investigate Raytheon.

We have the word of a senior PSNI man by the name of Yeats for this.

The 9 heroic women are;

Helen Deery, Sharon Meenan, Betty Doherty, Diana King, Goretti Horgan, Róisín Barton, Julia Tor Rojo, Jackie McKenna and Róisín Kelly

what a great victory for them, and for us all!

yer man mccann doing the press thing

by John Doherty - Derry Anti War Coalition Mon Jan 12, 2009 19:46

Background to today’s action:

Statement issued by the women as they entered the Raytheon premises:

DERRY ANTI WAR COALITION

FROM NINE WOMEN WHO HAVE CHAINED THEMSELVES INSIDE THE RAYTHEON BUILDING AT SPRINGTOWN TODAY (JANUARY 12th) AT 2.30PM

We have taken this action in an effort to prevent or delay war crimes being committed by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza with the use of Raytheon weapons and to try to force a criminal investigation into the activities of the Raytheon company in Derry and elsewhere which, we believe, amount to complicity in war crimes.

Like millions of others, we have watched television pictures of innocent people being slaughtered since the Israeli assault on Gaza began on December 27th, and have wanted it to stop. But nobody with the power to make it stop seems willing to intervene to do so.

Lawyers and international human rights organisations have declared that the Israeli bombing and shelling of Gaza involves war crimes. The bombing of a UN-sponsored school on January 6th, killing at least 40 civilians, including children, has merely been the worst of these war crimes.

Raytheon is one of Israel’s main suppliers of the weapons being used in the attacks on Gaza. The company is either aware or doesn’t care that its weapons are being used to commit war crimes.

Raytheon is aiding and abetting Israel in committing these war crimes against the people of Gaza. We are trying to stop them.

We hope that we encourage others to take similar action against other Raytheon plants and against arms companies generally.

We call for a criminal investigation into the activities of the Raytheon company in Ireland, Britain and elsewhere with a view to the prosecution of Raytheon executives for complicity in war crimes.

We call on all political parties, community groups, trades unions, churches and others in the Derry area to say clearly that we do not want a company involved in war crimes in our town and to declare that Raytheon should get out.

STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE WOMEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEAVING THE BUILDING AT SIX PM.

A deputation from the Derry Anti-War Coalition is to meet with senior PSNI officers this week to present evidence which, they say, warrants a criminal investigation into the Raytheon company.

The coalition says that an agreement by the PSNI to formally consider the evidence was one of the reasons for ending the protest at Raytheon in which nine women chained themselves together inside the building.

A spokeswoman for the nine said: "While inside the building, we had a series of discussions with the Foyle commander of the PSNI, Chris Yates. As a result of these discussions between ourselves and Chief Inspector Yates, it was agreed that he would accept delivery of our dossier of evidence and arrange that it be studied to determine whether a basis exists for criminal charges against Raytheon.

We thank all those who gathered outside Raytheon to support our action. The Derry Anti War Coalition again calls on the local political parties to join us in demanding that Raytheon get out of Derry

ends

by Shane - workers solidarity movement Mon Jan 12, 2009 19:49

Originally Published: Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:49:29

Breaking News: 9 Women have chained themselves to the inside of Raytheon in Derry
Derry plant of Arms manufacturer and Israel sponsor occupied for 3d time since 2003

News has just broken that 9 women have chained themselves to the inside of the doors into the Raytheon plant in Derry. They have called for a solidarity protest outside. I'm heading there now.

Raytheon, the world's third largest arms manufacturer and the largest manufacturer of missiles, is one of Israel's principle weapons suppliers and a staunchly outspoken advocate of Zionist expansionism. They make the hellfire missiles that are raining down on Gazans, the delivery systems for the white phosphorous and pretty much every nasty bit of weaponry you hear about being used in the Middle East, by Israel or the US.

last autumn a Belfast jury acquitted "the Raytheon 9" - 9 people who in 2006 had sabotaged the mainframe and other computers at the Raytheon plant. After hearing the evidence of Raytheon's supply of weapons to the IDF in its 2006 war on Lebanon, the jury accepted the defendants defence that they had done so in order to prevent more lives from being lost in Lebanon.

If you are near or in Derry, please come down and support the 9 women now inside the building. It's at the Ulster Science and Technology park on the Branch Road, just by Templemore Roundabout

Raytheon and Israel;
http://www.mediamonitors.net/joshruebner3.html

by lulu Mon Jan 12, 2009 23:14

Thanks & solidarity to the 9 women & their supporters.

by Gaelicguardian - Call centre Employee Mon Jan 12, 2009 23:55

Dear Eamon mc Cann,Disadent republicans,DAWC,Shin Fein

I can understand you have a right to protest but why not protest Du Pont who make kevlar or an Ambassey to make your point.

Raytheon employs 50 people but Stream & HML emply over 1000 people and bring much
need jobs to Derry.

Things are hard for people with the credit crunch althought not as hard for the people of palastine.

But International pressure Hama's and the Israelies are the only ones who can resolve the war.

Staff of Hml & Stream have had enough. What if Hml & stream pull out will any of the above organistions pay peoples mortgages or feed or clothe peoples children.

You do not speak for the people of Derry and you not speak for me.

Thanks for jeopardising peoples jobs I really think this is going to make difference in the middle east.

See what people think of youse

http://www.derryforums.com/general/viewtopic.php?t=1055...t=450

by Ciaran Gallagher - Member of Queens Socialist Society Tue Jan 13, 2009 00:01 ciaran036 at hotmail dot com

A clip BBC Newsline broadcast on Monday night showed a pregnant woman being slapped by a PSNI officer
It appears that the woman may have challenged the officer on the arrest of another man at the scene. She appears to have been slapped just off camera, and then twice on camera. She is also shoved by another officer, despite her shouts that "I'm pregnant you d*ckhead!"
What's even more shocking about this is that the BBC don't question why the police officer wasn't charged with assault for his disorderly conduct. The video is in slow-motion.
(I would have included the full news report but I had problems with my computer...)

Caption: Video Id: DZp1hHBJUzc Type: Youtube Video
Embedded video Youtube Video

by LP Tue Jan 13, 2009 00:22

Who are Stream and Hml? What have they got to do with Raytheon? To the nine women: you speak for me. Thank you.

by dissident Tue Jan 13, 2009 02:05

How was anyones job jeopardized? and what's an ambassey?

by Shane Tue Jan 13, 2009 02:27

Stream and HML workers were able to go to work unhindered, in fact it was a bit of craic for all. It's never a good time to tell a company that employs 40 to leave. But Raytheon aren't just a company, with a link to "security work" like DuPont; they are the world's largest missile manufacturer. It's like the difference between a brewery - we all know the hasards of alcohol and alcoholism - and a crack dealer. You have to draw the line somewhere. Check raytheons website.

No one threatened the security guards in any way, much less their jobs. However, one security guard was very hostile towards the women.

by Stephanie Mac Nulty - Derry Media Watch Tue Jan 13, 2009 15:02

The other Derry Raytheon story is the local media’s appalling coverage of the saga. Nine years of radio and print-media half-truths, ommissions, lies, mis-representations, mis-quotations, non-investigation, sheer lazyness, bad journalism, cut-and-paste page filling, conflicts of interests and sycophancy have combined to produce a local media version of the saga that must have the Raytheon PR team rubbing its hands in approval. It’s the kind of stuff that makes the shenanegans, manipulations, two-facedness, u-turns, opportunism and general slippyness of local politicians in this story look positively mild (and that’s another story). And it is delivered with the kind of sloppy nonchalance that betrays its contempt for the truth and the public alike.

There are, of course, individual journalists whose work is an exception in this regard, stubbornly shining a light into those murkiest of corners, even when the eds and sub-eds are busy cutting the power. Paddy McGuffin and Garbhan Downey, back when they were at the Derry News, are in this category, Eamonn McCann too, of course, and not forgetting Brendan McDaid, whose Belfast Telegraph exposés of Raytheon and its relationship to Derry and its political class is the kind of stuff that makes you want to believe in journalists all over again. The first two are now gone from the scene, presumably disillusioned, while the ubiquitous and steadfast McCann nailed his colours to the proverbial mast during the 2006 Raytheon action, thereby stripping himself of that dubious anglo-saxon requisite for “credible” journalism; that of formal objectivity, or rather, the kind of bogus neutrality that masks the truth. This leaves us with one sole “disinterested” journalist with an eagerness to unearth the truth, in a city of - how many dozens, if not scores, of people who adorn themselves with the title“journalist”?

Whatever happened to the noble Fourth Estate laboriously mining for nuggets of outrage for an interested public to debate, to journalists “monitoring the centres of power”, to paraphrase John Pilger, and interrogating the powerful? Whatever happened to the media doing right by its audience and finding out for them what is really going on?

Well may you ask, because you won’t find evidence of any of that kind of honourable stuff in today’s Derry Journal either. In todays Journal (the paper that hiked its price to cash in on the bumper sales on the Monday after Bloody Sunday) the victory that the nine women scored yesterday was turned into a defeat. I’ll say that again. Todays Derry Journal managed to turn yesterdays significant victory by the protesters into a defeat.

“Police remove Raytheon protesters” reads the header of the piece “Police removed anti-war protesters from outside the Derry offices of weapons giant Raytheon yesterday afternoon” it continues, beside a picture of the 9 women protesters inside the building, before a lengthy quote from a Raytheon spokesperson and some quotes from one of the women inside. The piece does say that the protest by the women “was still ongoing at the time of going to press” thereby excusing the lack of a complete picture, although the online version of the same article, which went up today, still gives an incomplete picture. Of course the overall effect of this ‘incomplete’ piece is to leave the reader with the impression that the cops finished the affair by removing nuisance protesters, rather than the truth, which is that at 5:51 pm yesterday the protesters left voluntarily after securing an assurance that the PSNI would investigate Raytheon for complicity in the commission of war crimes.
This type of coverage (which is mirrored in BBC TV’s and Radio Foyle’s coverage) leaves the following questions to be answered by the Journal;

- Had this mornings edition really “gone to press” at the time of the conclusion of the protest at 5:51 pm yesterday?

-Why had the Journal not sent any of its journalists to cover the story from the site of the protest, less than half a mile down the road from the Journal’s offices?

As usual, the "Derry Journal" performs alchemy for Raytheon

by Stephie Mac Nulty Tue Jan 13, 2009 15:09

Link to "Journal" article online here, which went up today, 13 Jan.

http://www.derryjournal.com/journal/Police-remove--Rayt...06.jp

by Diarmuid Tue Jan 13, 2009 15:14

Firstly, well done the women and their supporters!

Secondly, the short video which appears to show an assault on one of the protesters provides prima facie evidence for a charge of assault on the PSNI guy and, as the person providing it commented, shocking that the news reader did not comment on it.

Thirdly, one of the commentators likened the difference between two companies to that between a crack dealer and someone who sells alcohol (not an "alcohol dealer"?). There is certainly a degree of difference between a crack dealer and an alcolol seller -- according to all available data alcohol is responsible for more deaths, injuries, family breakups, damaged children etc. than all the illegal drugs put together and if you removed the consequences of illegality (variable quality, high cost, criminal activity, secrecy) the disparity would be even greater. Unpalatable fact for those of us who socialise in pubs, like a drink at home, etc -- but true nevertheless.

Fourthly, solidarity always has a price and the more effective it is the higher the price tends to be. Campaigning against companies that produce products that attack other people will, if effective, result in loss of jobs and serious difficulties with mortgages -- another unpalatable fact. That's inevitable. However, it's also right that we do so. Or are we to say: "In order that my family is well-fed and clothed and I have some spending money, I am prepared to see other families elsewhere in the world killed?"

by Maura Harrington - S2S; Davitt League Tue Jan 13, 2009 20:30

Well done to all involved in legitimate protest.

Solidarity.

by redjade Tue Jan 13, 2009 20:55

Olmert: "It transpired all of a sudden that a vote would be held in 10 minutes' time. I tried to find President Bush, and I was told he was attending an event in Philadelphia. I know that if somebody tried to find me on the phone right now, it would have to be something unusual and extraordinary for them to say: Leave it all and go to some room to talk to me. In this case, I said: I don't care, I have to talk to him right now. He was taken off the podium and brought to a side room.

I spoke with him; I told him: You can't vote for this proposal. He said: Listen, I don't know, I didn't see, don't know what it says. I told him: I know, and you can't vote for it! He then instructed the secretary of state, and she did not vote for it.

It was a proposal she had put together, one she formulated, one she organized, one she maneuvered. It left her rather embarrassed, abstaining in the vote on a proposal she herself had put together. That was why the French and the Brits said she had pulled a fast one on them, she having been the one to spur them to submit the proposals."

• read everything at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/world/middleeast/22ol....html

by Cathy Tue Jan 13, 2009 23:04

"Who are Stream and Hml? What have they got to do with Raytheon?"

Nothing, but Stream by chance share a building with Raytheon and have another one across the road. HML is in the building next door. Every time these protests happen work is disrupted.. Not much good when bosses are trying to attract as many jobs as possible to Derry. What if there had been clients on site on Monday? For all ye know maybe there were. What kind of impression will they have left with? The site manager of Stream was on the radio this morning saying that it makes his job that much harder, trying to attract new business.

Stream is one of Derry's largest employers, if it had to close down contracts and lay people off because of the protests it would be a spectacular "own goal" for the Derry anti war group especially in the current economic climate.

No doubt the anti war group would just describe it as "collateral damage"!

by Republican Socialist Tue Jan 13, 2009 23:32

There are more photos and details of the day's events on the link below:

by Shane - wsm Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:28

I got this email from a friend. I intend to do as requested;

Subject: Fwd: Phone your protest to Israel: EL +972-2-5839749

Apologies for cross posting- but please pass this on if you can

>
> This is a rough translation from the Spanish (below):
>
>
> Israeli war planes have been dropping leaflets alongside their bombs, inviting the Palestinians to phone a number with information about Hamas.
>
> We have started a campaign to phone from all over the world to ask them to stop massacring innocent people in Gaza, including children, and that the only solution is a political solution....
>
> ...Phone them soon because my guess is that they will change the number soon.
from the UK / Ireland the number is 00 972-2-583-9749

from the US it's 011-972-2-5839749

I've just had a 10 minute conversation with an Israeli when I called this number- he spoke good English and argued hard trying to justify what they are doing. He asked where I was calling from.
I don't know if it will make any difference but i thought it was worth a try.

Also If you want to support a Save the Children / Guardian petition text 'ceasefire' to 81819 see savethechildren.org.uk

also, if you want some anti-raytheon posters/ pictures, follow link below;

by lo-call number. Thu Jan 15, 2009 08:31

Do you know if that's an Israeli landline or mobile or what?

they give local numbers to ring Israel, then it won't cost so much to communicate with the IDF guy.

for an Israeli landline, first dial 0818 99 81 81 and then the number you want, followed by the # key. (got the number from one of those lo-cost call providers.

by james Thu Jan 15, 2009 13:05

Just rang this number. I asked the guy who answered if he was a representative of the IDF. He said yes, I then said that I wanted to demand and end to the IDFs slaughtering of innocents in Gaza. He just asked me where I was calling from so I told him.
He then said 'ask Hamas' when I demanded to know when the sluaghter would stop. He then hung up.

His english was a bit dodgy.
Maybe if enough people ring this number it might have a small but significant psycological effect on these murderers. At least they cant say no one in 'the west' is against them.
Slan

by DAWC member Thu Jan 15, 2009 23:00

The next protest if tomorrow (Friday) morning outside Raytheon.
If you can attend then please come along.
We need to keep up the momentum.

by Justin Morahan Fri Jan 16, 2009 02:01

Early on January 14, about 50 Jewish activists shut down the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles.
"We sent a clear message to the world that LA Jews are part of the global majority in opposition to the Israeli siege of Gaza," said Lenny Potash a 72-year old protester who was cuffed to eight other activists, blocking the driveway to the consulate.

And on January 15, Jewish, Palestinian, immigrant rights and prison abolitionists chained themselves to the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco to protest Israeli apartheid and its current attacks on Gaza.

by Kelly O'Neill Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:17

"Palestine" was historically part of the Turkish Ottomon Empire.
After the Ottomon Empire fell apart in 1922, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq were created. There was no distinctive Lebanese, Syrian or Iraqi culture - they were all Arabs. Palestine was divided into the region into the Kingdom of Jordan and what is now Israel and Palestine. The majority of Jordanians are in fact Arabs and are ethnically, linguistically and religiously the same as what are today called "Palestinians" "Lebanese" "Iraqis" and "Syrians." Palestine which was mostly desolate desert until the 19th century was populated by Jews continuously since Biblical times and it was the arrival of Zionist Jews from Europe, Russia and elsewhere in Arabia where there were substantial Jewish communities in particular in Baghdad, in the late 19th century and early 20th century that the Palestine region began to bloom through irrigation and farming by the industrious settlers which also attracted Arab Muslims to work side by side with the Jews in the new agricultural industries.
Following the Holocaust, Jews could no longer trust Western Europeans to protect them from anti-semitism and in the Soviet occupied Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union itself the persecution by the Nazis continued under the new Soviet masters who sent many Jews to die in the Gulag. This led to the great movement of Jews from Europe and Russia after the war who arrived in British administered Palestine. The Jews demanded and end to British rule and the establishment of a Jewish State and they finally won their independence in 1948.
Arab nations immediately launched a war to destroy Israel and destroy the Jewish people.
Arab nationalists and Muslim leaders have during World War 2 supported Hitler and refused to take Jews fleeing from the Holocaust while many Arabs actually joined the Nazi Waffen SS and fought in Europe during the war.
Before the Holocaust, Jews living in Palestine endured pogroms organised by the local Muslim Arabs.
The result of the 1948 war was the defeat of the Arabs and victory for Israel.
The ceasefire lines became the borders of Israel until 1967. The Arabs encouraged hundreds of thousands of Arab Muslims to leave Israel and corralled them into refugee camps refusing to integrate them into their societies meanwhile expelling almost 1 million Jews who had lived in Arab countries for thousands of years. Jews refugees were housed and integrated into the Israeli society.
Gaza became part of Egypt while the West Bank became part of Jordan which now became Trans-Jordan.
No notion of Palestinian nationality or the concept of a Palestinian state ever existed until the Soviets in collaboration with Arab nationalist dictators in Syria and Egypt began to sponsor an Egyptian named Yasser Arafat who created the Palestinian Liberation Organisation apeing African liberation movements in former European colonies in order to fool leftist sympathisers to confuse the genocidal goal of destroying Israel and exterminating the Jews with a struggle for liberation by "Palestinians."
The PLO began their war of terrorism against Israel and made no secret of their desire to murder the Jews.
In 1967 the Arabs massed in Syria, Egypt and Jordan to invade Israel with a vast army armed with modern Soviet weapons and trained and led by Soviet advisors. The Egyptian dictator General Nasser tried to strangle Israel by closing the Gulf of Aqaba.
Israel struck first, knocking out the Egyptian airforce and swept through Sinai smashing and routing the Egyptian army before they captured the Golan Heights and advanced to the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus.
Gaza was surrounded and captured and the West Bank was captured as far as the Jordan river and Israeli set out for Amman.
Following their spectacular defeat the Arabs still refused to recognise Israel and continued to fund "Palestinian" terrorists called "freedom fighters" by pro-Soviet left wingers in Europe and America who also spawned the Provisional IRA, Baader-Meinhof, Action Directe, the Red Brigades and other Soviet backed, Soviet financed and Soviet trained guerilla terrorist groups on the 1960's and 1970's. Leftist German terrorists collaborated with Palestinians in the hijackings of passenger airliners most famously at Entebbe when an Israeli airliner was flown to Uganda where the Muslim dictator Idi Amin gave them sancturary before an Israeli raid rescued the hostages.
In 1972 Black September a group of Palestinian terrorists given sanctuary by German leftists stormed the Munich Olympic village and held Israeli athletes hostage an incident that led to the deaths of both the terrorists and athletes.
The PLO began making trouble for the Arab regimes that gave them sanctuary with the result that Jordan purge them from its territory.
The PLO took refuge in Lebanon and their presence there along with Syrian intervention led to the long Lebanese Civil War.
In the 1980's the PLO and Hezbollah co-operated in attacks on Israel. Israel occupied Southern Israel and unleashed Christian militias on the Palestinian refugee camps where the PLO held sway and broke their power in Lebanon.
In the late 1980's Yasser Arafat authorised a major uprising in the occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank backed by the Soviets once again. The end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union left the PLO twisting in the wind without support as Egypt and Jordan had since the 1970's and 1980's made peace with Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process began.
Arafat and Rabin shook hands on the lawn of the White Hosue in the presence of Bill Clinton.
Israel and America had collobarating to create counter force to the PLO and Soviet power in the Middle East.
Islamic organisations seeking reform of corrupt dictatorships sprang up across the middle east.
The Mujihadeen backed America and supplied with stocks of captured Egyptian Soviet weapons from the 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel fought the Red Army in Afghanistan and eventually forced them to withdraw.
Hamas was group sponsored by Israel which sought to displace the PLO.
However with the begining of the peace process and the kow-towing of Chairman Arafat, the Islamic fundamentalists turned on the Israelis while Bin Laden turned on America after US bases were established in Saudi Arabia following the Gulf War in 1991.
in 2000 Arafat rejected the offer by Ehud Barack of almost all the territory of the West Bank and Gaza and Jersusalem as the capital of a new "Palestinian" state and launched the Second Intifada in competition with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the PFLP who fought for control of the "Palestinian" uprising.
Hamas eventually dominated Gaza while Fatah under the new Chairman Abbas dominated the West Bank partitioning "Palestinians" into their pre-1967 Egyptian and Jordanian sectors.
The current conflict is in order to crush Hamas who are now backed by Iran which also support Hezbollah while it plans to build a nuclear arsenal to confront nuclear armed Israel and threatens spark a regional nuclear arms race with Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia.
Israel with the co-operation of Egypt and Jordan and Saudi Araba are crushing Hamas in order that Fatah will take control of the territory and a final settlement with the establishment of "Palestine" encompassing the former Jordanian territory of the West Bank and the former Egyptian territory of Gaza.
A final settlement will not of course quench the Arab desire to smash Israel and wipe out the Jews.
This will be merely a temporary lull before the next round of warfare.

by redjade Fri Jan 16, 2009 17:26

from Glenn Greenwald...

According to The Jerusalem Post, Israeli President Shimon Peres
spoke to an AIPAC mission in Israel on Wednesday and said that

"Israel's aim [in attacking Gaza] was to provide
a strong blow to the people of Gaza
so that they would lose their appetite
for shooting at Israel."
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/01/16/noor/....html

by Cathy eile - DAWC Fri Jan 16, 2009 17:59

As Cathy says, they have nothing to do with Raytheon yet, curiously, the bosses of both call centres blame the protesters rather than Raytheon's presence for the disruption caused by the protests. It might make more sense to ask how come a company like Raytheon is able to house itself in a normal office building alongside ordinary workers? Maybe the workers in Stream could put a petition together asking the building owner to evict Raytheon - as the owner of the Business Park in Bristol has done with the Raytheon plant there?

In any event, most protests at Raytheon are at the weekend when there is no one in the offices. It was only at the start of the Iraq war, during the onslaught on Lebanon in 2006 and now since the Gaza slaughter began that DAWC has had protests during working hours - two so far in 2009. This is hardly going to chase business away from Stream or HML. However, HML workers did phone Radio Foyle after the blockade on Friday last and told the radio station that they felt their jobs had been under threat for some time because of the economic downturn and that their boss was complaining about the anti-war protests now so he could blame us when redundancies start. Could it be that the Stream bosses are doing the same?

As for the 'collateral damage' comment - this is a phrase that DAWC spokespeople were using about the possiblity of some Stream workers not being able to get into work through the blockade. The phrase was actually suggested by a Stream worker who is in the DAWC because, as he pointed out, the massacre of innocent civilians by Raytheon weaponry is usually excused by the US or Israel as 'collateral damage' and, he suggested, this term might help his fellow Stream workers to see whatever disruption was caused to their day as the minor inconvenience it is - compared to the kind of 'collateral damage' done by Raytheon, which includes the deaths of hundreds of children in Gaza over the last 3 weeks.

by Denito Sat Jan 17, 2009 02:48

Am I the only one on here who sees the pregnant woman in the video above move her right hand to strike the PSNI officer before he slaps her back?

by Justin Morahan Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:32

Denito, I think you are the only one. Clearly, a policeman on the right has his hand on the right arm of the woman protestor and the slap on her face comes as he is releasing that hold.

Incidentally, How do you make out what is in her mind?

by Joe Sat Jan 17, 2009 15:24

"It might make more sense to ask how come a company like Raytheon is able to house itself in a normal office building"
Probably because they do normal office work to support other Raytheon sites, as opposed to actually producing the weapons or writing missile guidance software. A great many people see that as being fine. Its only evil if the "bad" work is actually done there. Sure if it isn't than what the hell.
If the Shinners jumped on board and got a bit more involved then I dare say we could drum up a lot more support. But after their recent, pathetic attempt to pay lip-service to what's happened in Gaza, I wouldn't hold my breath.
I'm afraid the concerned few will remain just that - the few. People are too selfish, too self concerned and too busy buying up all the cheap, glitzy crap in the sales to care about Gaza, Raytheon or and of the other evils of the world.

by DAWC Sat Jan 17, 2009 18:03

One of the things that was proved at the trial of the Raytheon 9 is that Raytheon in Derry IS involved in military related software work, specifically ASTOR and JETTS projects for the British MOD. The defence in the trial even produced a copy of a Raytheon in-house magazine that had a photo of one of the Derry employees with a bunch of British army officers at the MoD's Warminster facility.

Yes, they also do Raytheon 'back office' work in Derry, but don't for a moment think that that is all they do.

by Kael Sat Jan 17, 2009 18:21

Sorry for my ignorance.

But what exactly are ASTOR and JETTS?
And what does back office involve exactly?

Thanks!

by Oscar Sat Jan 17, 2009 18:47

A great action. One thing struck me. The number 9. There were 9 women. Was this a coincidence or was it symbolic to celebrate the actions Raytheon 9?

by Shane Sat Jan 17, 2009 22:43

The 9 women was unplanned. Divine coincidence, the gods rolling their dice! It was a nice touch!

ASTOR= "Airborne STand Off Radar" - an intelligent radar for targeting.

http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/astor/

JETTS= "Joint Effects Tactical Targeting System" - integrates weapons targeting systems with intelligence databases and ASTOR

http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/jetts/

Raytheons blurbs about these products makes for interesting reading.

Both are part of what Raytheon calls the "Digital Battlefield"

by shane Sat Jan 17, 2009 22:50

The videos on the ASTOR Raytheon webpage I have link to above are pretty far-out.

by John Doherty - DAWC Sun Jan 18, 2009 12:59

The fact that it was nine women who occupied Raytheon last week was not a coincidence. The number was chosen to complement or match or equal - whatever way you want to put it - the nine men who occupied in 2006.

The best source of information about ASTOR and JETTS and the role of Nationalist and Unionist political parties in these two systems being partly manufactured in Derry is still the DAWC pamphlet, The Raytheon 9, which can be downloaded from the DAWC website.

About 200 people joined the latest DAWC action, a march through the city centre, in desperate weather yesterday afternoon. It was announced at the end of the march in Guildhall Square that a mass petition will be taken up over the next fortnight calling on Raytheon to get out. The intention is to show the city council that there's solid support for getting Raytheon out. Surprisingly, this has never been done on any serious scale.

John Doherty

by shane Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:30

I was unaware that the 9 women had chosen their number deliberately. I was under the impression from conversations with the women that, because there had been an attempt moments before by some men to get in, that the form of the womens protest was the result of some spontaneity. If this is not the case, I stand corrected.

by GH - DAWC Mon Jan 19, 2009 13:25

No, Shane, the women had gone in first as planned (before anyone else arrived).....we had hoped to replicate the Raytheon 9's actions. The couple of men who came in after us were trying to see if they could help but were arrested. Interestingly, although the women got a lot further and caused a lot of disruption, the men were arrested and charged but the women did not even have their names taken!

by Shane Wed Jan 21, 2009 22:07

Thanks for the clarification. I'm glad no charges have been brought. If that is the result of police sexism, then you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth!