Hostage taking in catholic church in Baghdad ends with 52 dead

A policeman stands guard in front of the Our Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad (Reuters, file photo).

Fifty-two hostages and police were killed on Sunday when security forces raided a Baghdad church to free more than 100 Iraqi Catholics held by al Qaeda-linked gunmen, a deputy interior minister said.
Lieutenant General Hussein Kamal said on Monday that 67 people were wounded during the raid of the church in central Baghdad by gunmen demanding the release of al Qaeda prisoners in Iraq and Egypt.
The toll only included hostages and police, not attackers.
The Our Lady of Salvation church in the Karrada neighbourhood of central Baghdad was attacked by gunmen on Sunday night, who took more than 100 people hostage. The standoff was ended after police stormed the church two hours later.
The Islamic State of Iraq, a group which is linked to al-Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Al-Baghdadiya television station said it had received a phone call from someone claiming to be one of the attackers, who demanded the release of all al-Qaeda prisoners in Iraq and Egypt.

Hanin Zoabi to Electronic Intifada: no chance for a two-state solution

There is now "no chance" for a two-state solution in Palestine. So said Haneen Zoabi, a Palestinian member of Israel's parliament, the Knesset, in an interview with The Electronic Intifada (EI) on 29 October in Chicago. "The reality goes more toward the one state solution," Zoabi said, "whether a democratic one-state solution, or a binational one-state solution."
Elected in 2009, Zoabi represents the National Democratic Alliance, and is the first woman to be elected on the list of an Arab party in Israel.
"We are struggling for a normal state," Zoabi explained, "which is a state for all of its citizens, [in] which the Palestinians and the Israeli Jews can have full equality. I recognize religious, cultural and national group rights for the Israelis, but inside a democratic and neutral state."

In May, Zoabi participated in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and was aboard the Mavi Marmara when the ship was attacked by Israeli commandos in international waters. Nine activists were killed and dozens injured in the Israeli attack. Zoabi strongly criticized Israel's official inquiry into the incident. Although a member of Israel's parliament and an eyewitness, Zoabi has not been asked to testify before the inquiry -- called the Turkel Committee -- but has attended its sessions with other witnesses. She told EI of the open bias and political statements of the committee members, stating "They do not look for the facts. They are just looking for a way to justify the Israeli attack."

Asked about the prospects for the current US-brokered "peace process," Zoabi said Israeli society and parliament "doesn't feel the need for peace. They don't perceive occupation as a problem. They don't perceive the siege as a problem. They don't perceive oppressing the Palestinians as a problem, and they don't pay the price of occupation or the price of [the] siege [of Gaza]."
While Palestinians suffer intensely, Israel, Zoabi said, viewed its relationship with the Palestinians primarily as a "security problem," which it has largely resolved through the siege of Gaza, the separation wall in the West Bank, and by "security coordination" with the Palestinian Authority.


For the full interview of  Zoabi with the Electronic Intifada´s Ali Abunimah (including a video), click here.

Caterpillar suspends shipment of D9 bulldozers to Israel

According to Sydney Levy of the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) the Israeli press is reporting that Caterpillar is withholding the delivery of tens of D9 bulldozers—valued at $50 million—to the Israeli military. The D9's are weaponized bulldozers that are used to destroy homes and orchards of Palestinian families. They are the same bulldozers as the one that killed Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American peace activist, seven years ago when she tried to protect the home of the Nasrallah family in Gaza.
That's why the next part of the story is even more amazing. The news reports say that the deliveries have been suspended  because Rachel's parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie, are bringing a civil suit against the government of Israel in a court in Tel Aviv. (for more reports on the trial click here). The deliveries are to stop during the length of the trial. JVP takes this as an indirect admission by the company that these bulldozers are being used to violate human rights and to violate the law. The Corrie story is just one of the stories.
A suspension of the sale of bulldozers is what JVP has been asking Caterpillar for over seven years now. Caterpillar and the U.S. government, however,  have neither confirmed nor denied the news. And news reports describe the company's move as a temporary decision only. 
According to the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions (ICAHD), since 1967 almost 25.000 houses have been demolished in the occupied territories, of which at least 11.795 houses in the last ten years. In most of these cases, if not all of them, D9 bulldozers have been used.. 

Suicide bomber kills 25 Shiites at cafe in Kurdistan

A suicide bomber has killed at least 25 people and injured dozens in a town north of Baghdad, Iraqi officials say.The attacker is believed to have detonated an explosives vest in a cafe in the town of Balad Ruz, in Diyala province.The AP news agency quotes the mayor as saying most of the victims were men playing dominos and drinking tea in the cafe when the explosion happened.
The area is said to be home to manyy Shias of Kurdish origin.
It is the first major bomb attack in Iraq in more than a month.

Yemen even more under scrutiny after discovery of 'ink-bombs' on their way to US-synagogues

It is clear that the traffic to and from Yemen will be even more under scrutiny and that the US and the West in general will be even more interfering in internal situation of the country after the interception in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates of  two small packages containing explosive material that were being shipped  from Yemen to synagogues in the Chicago area in the US.

The packages were discovered on Friday at East Midlands airport, in Nottingham, around two hours north of London, and in Dubai, a major Gulf business hub. Both contained toner cartridges for computer printers packed with powder and attached to wires.
Jane Harman, a Democratic congresswoman from California who ists on the Homeland Security Committee of the House of Representatives, said the packages contained the explosive substance PETN.  One used a mobile phone as a detonator, while the other had a timer.PETN is the same substance that was packed into the underwear of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man who attempted to ignite a bomb on board an airliner over the United States on December 25 last year.
President Barack Obama said in a press conference on Friday that it was sure that the packages originated in Yemen, "We also know that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a terrorist group based in Yemen, continues to plan attacks against our homeland, our citizens, and our friends and allies," he said.
The discoveries came after a tip from Saudi Arabia, the White House said, triggering a major security alert on three continents as officials scrambled to check other cargo bound for the United states from Yemen.

One package, found in the United Kingdom, was on board a UPS cargo plan, while the other, in Dubai, was found in a FedEx sorting facility.

The discovery will certainly have consequences for the relations of the West with Yemen. The USA is already active in Yemen. It provides assistance to the Yemeni military with attempts to locate and neutralize presumed Al-Qaeda units. In April president Obama took the unusual step to approve the targeted killing of imam Anwar al-Awlaki, who carries dual Yekeni and American citizenship. By so doing Al-Awlaki became the first U.S. citizen ever placed on the CIA-target list. Also US drones are used in attacks on presumed Al-Qaeda militants, which have also killed civilians  on severeal occasions and which have been criticized by Amnesty International. "The U.S. government has deployed drones in Yemen to kill those it describes as 'high value targets', a practice that has been increasingly criticised as involving unlawful killings," Amnesty said in August. Apart from the militarey involvement the West is also involved in attempts to bolster the government of Ali Abdullah Saleh. The question remains however to what extend such attempts will bear fruit as long as Saleh is in power, since the president has shown a remarkable inability of late to come to terms with the opposition in the north (th Houthi's with whom he concluded a cease fire, but stil not areal agreemnet), the south and even the important tribal federations in the centre of the country.

The BBC reminds us that Al-Qaeda, although certainly not aiming exclusively at Jewish targets, has more often choosen specific Jewish gatherings or buildings, probably because such targtes atre not only perceived to be connected with the hated Isarel,m but also as a kind of pars pro toto for attacks on Western values in general. The BBC gives the following list of  Al-Qaeda attacks on Jewish targets:

• April 2002: Suicide bombing at synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia kills 19. Al-Qaeda claims the attack
• Nov 2002: 16 people killed in suicide bombing al-Qaeda claims to have carried out of Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa, Kenya
• May 2003: 45 killed in bomb attacks in Casablanca, Morocco, on targets including Jewish cultural centre. Group linked to al-Qaeda blamed.
• Nov 2003: Two synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey, bombed, killing 23. Al-Qaeda claims responsibility
• Oct 2005: Germany sentences four Arab men accused of links to al-Qaeda of planning attacks on Jewish targets

Human rights defender Singace, blogger Abdulemam + 23 others on trial in Bahrain

The trial of 25 Shia Muslim opposition activists has opened in Bahrain, five days after a tense general election.The activists have pleaded not guilty to charges of plotting to overthrow the Sunni-led government and to supporting "terror cells" in the Gulf kingdom.
Some of the accused have told the court that they were tortured. Rights groups have criticised the government for arresting dissidents and curtailing media freedoms in the run-up to last Saturday's poll. Amnesty Internationale reported that in the months preceding the election as much as 250 people have been arrested.

The original 23 suspects  were unexpectedly joined by two other defendants, including the well known blogger Ali Abdulemam (here on a picture taken after his arrest).  The men were charged with forming an illegal organisation, resorting to terrorism, financing terrorist activities and spreading false information, according to the indictment.

Among the accused coup plotters is prominent rights activist Abdul-Jalil Singace (picture left), who was taken into custody in August when he returned from London with his family. All suspects face possible life sentences if convicted.
In the kingdom Bahrain a Sunni minority rules over a Shia majority. This has been causing problems from time to time, as the Shias - who make up 70% of the country's 530,000 citizens - press for greater political power. Parliamentary elections give the Shias only a limited role, as all legislation has to pass a Shura (Senate) in which all members are appointed by the king and the ruling Al-Khalifa family. The Shias complain that they are excluded from any key policymaking roles or top posts in the security forces.

Hariri urges all Lebanese to stop cooperating with Special Hariri Tribunal

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday called on all Lebanese to boycott the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), which looks into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. “Whoever cooperates with the Special Tribunal is working against the Resistance,” he said in a televised speech, adding that the STL is sending all data gathered on Lebanon to Israel.The Hezbollah chief also said that investigators from the STL have threatened some people, including doctors.
“We have evidence to prove it.”
He addressed the issue of Wednesday’s incident in Dahiyeh, asking, “Why would the STL need the medical records of women affiliated with Hezbollah? Who of you would agree to allow someone to look at the medical records of your women?”
An STL team was attacked by a group of around 30 women at a gyneacology clinic in Hezbollah-controlled Dahiyeh, southern suburb of Beirut, snatching a briefcase but causing no injuries The investigators had scheduled a meeting with Dr. Iman Charara – who runs the clinic.The-Hague-based STL condemned the incident, saying no act of violence would prevent the probe from moving forward.
Nasrallah also said that the international tribunal was given access to all telecommunications information since 2003, files of students enrolled in Lebanese universities between 2003 and 2006 as well as the fingerprints of 893 Lebanese people.
 He added he received information that the US is pressuring STL Prosecutor General Daniel Bellemare to speed up the process of issuing the verdict, reiterating that members of his party will be indicted in the Rafik Hariri murder.“We have reached a very dangerous point where we can no longer remain silent…Our honor has been breached.”

Kahane' fascist Kach movement is still very much alive in Israel (1)

Arabs protesting against the demonstration of the 'Land of Israel Movement' demonstration are teargassed. (Picture Al-Jazeera)

Supporters of the late rabbi Meir Kahane, founder of the Jewish Defense Ligue in the US and of the fascist Kach movement in Israel, which in the 90-ties was forbidden by the Israeli high court, have shown - an not for thye first time - that Kahane's ideas and movement are still very much alive. A day after attending a memorial service at the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Kahane's death, dozens of his supporters traveled under the banner of the 'Land of Israel Movement' from Jerusalem to the northern Arab town of Umm al-Fahm on Wednesday to protest against the Islamic Movement under tight police security. They were faced by hundreds of residents of the town and surrounding communities. Massive police forces fired tear gas and stun grenades at dozens of Arab and left-wing protestors, some of whom began hurling stones. The rightists were returned to their buses following the protest, and police forces stormed the crowd and arrested nine of the stone throwers.
Knesset Member Afu Aghbaria (Hadash) was lightly injured in the leg, apparently by a stun grenade. Knesset member Hanin Zoabi (Balad) sustained light wounds as well and was treated in a local clinic. A soldier disguised as an Arab was also wounded and evacuated to a hospital. Protesters said afterwards that in all 15 people were wounded, most of them by tear gas inhalation.
 
Itamar Ben Gvir, Baruch Marzel (second from right) and member of Knesset Michael Ben Ari (right). The picture was taken  a couple of months ago, after Ben Gvir was arrested for insulting Obama's (then) Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel during the latter's visit to Jerusalem.

Rightist Itamar Ben-Gvir said during the protest that "only in the State of Israel a faction can call for a third intifada, organize a flotilla and hurt IDF soldiers, while we're helpless." His protestors chanted, "Death to terrorists". Knesset Member Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) said the Islamic Movement (of sheikh Raed Salah) was part of the global al-Qaeda terror organization. "We are not afraid," he shouted. His colleague, Baruch Marzel, said that "if we concede Umm al-Fahm we’ll concede Tel Aviv too," while the protestors continued to chant, "Death to the Arabs" and "Umm al-Fahm is Jewish."
Umm al-Fahm mayor Sheikh Khaled Hamdan claimed that "this mess taking place here this morning is insane. It's not normal that 1,500 policemen have to be brought here because of one racist lunatic. We are not the one looking for a provocation. This visit is creating a provocation in the entire region.

Kahane's fascist Kach movement is still very much alive in Israel (2)

Hundreds of Land of Israel Movement activists and supporters of the radical movement Kach held a memorial service on Tuesday to mark 20 years since Rabbi Meir Kahane's assassination.

The assembly was held at the Ramada Renaissance Hotel in Jerusalem. During the meeting shirts, books and other Kahane items were sold. Speeches of the late Kahane were screened as well, while protestors went wild, clapping every time he said "Arabs out".
The founder of the Temple Institute, Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, said under cheers of the audience: "Leaders who have ruined our country always tell us that no one can teach them how to love Israel. But this love they are referring to makes them establish an Ishmael state in Israel. If, G-d forbid, an Ishmael state will be built, we will destroy it."
Knesset Member Michael Ben Ari (National Union) also spoke. He said that a picture of Kahane stands on his office desk and on his desk at the Knesset plenum, next to his book and that he sometimes tells the picture: 'It is not a simple task to represent you; you stand up to countless attacks and I must say that your truth isn't a popular one. But Rabbi Kahane taught us not to speak the truth in the morning according to last night's poll results, as the prime minister does."

MK Ben Ari went on to say that the radical right-wing groups have been going through two tough decades since Kahane's murder, but that he 'was given twice the amount of time for my speech honoring Rabbi Kahane at the Knesset today, the same speech I wasn't allowed to give a year ago."
Activist Baruch Marzel mentioned the memorials devoted to the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. "Fifteen years ago memorials began for this one man. The state wasted millions on his legacy. There are almost no cities without a street or a hospital named after him. But after all of this, less and less people participate in his memorial services, because the truth gets clearer and clearer as years go by."

 The head of Yeshiva of the Jewish Idea, Rabbi Yehuda Kroizer, said, "Rabbi Kahane became a symbol and as time passes, instead of his Torah disappearing we see how vital it really is. In his book, Rabbi Kahane wrote that we are living in times of redemption, which is why he viewed Israel as part of God's plan. We must proudly carry on this mission assigned to us, and not grovel before the world's nations or the enemies of Israel, but only stand firm and strong."
Kach activist Haim Pearlman (small picture), currently under house arrest after his suspected killing of four Arabs in the 1990s, was also among the participants. The wife of the 'Jewish terrorist,' Keren Pearlman, told Ynet: "Today everybody knows that 'Kahane' is not a dirty word."

Kahane' fascist Kach movement is still very much alive in Israel (3)

For the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the death Meir Kahane the following comic appeared last week on an Israeli website called the Israel News Network, which is associated with Arutz Sheva and the settler movement. The comic, which is also available in print, is apparently meant to make the children of the settlers acquainted with the racist and fascist heritage of Kahane who was a strong proponent of kicking all Arabs out of (the whole of) the Land of Israel. The comic has been translated by Dena Shunra.

 

Miracle Man. Writing: Naama Nieman Illustrations: Dikla Sagiv

[Top right panel]
[Blue shirt boy:] I’m so sad I didn’t get to meet him.
[Gray shirt man] At least you got to be named after him.
[White shirt man:] You can study his books and get to know his theory. Rabbi Kahane left many books behind, and many lessons that he gave were recorded and disseminated widely.
[Plaid shirt man:] While you did not know him personally, the stories let you know him.
[Green shirt boy:] True, I really feel as though I had seen him myself.

[top left panel]
[Green shirt boy:] We are apparently only at the beginning of the road…
[Blue shirt boy:] Thank you for everything you taught us.
[Plaid shirt man:] You’re welcome. My prayer for you is that you have the privilege to put into practice the things that you learned.

[Middle row, right panel]
[yellow caption:] At home…
[Man with moustache] Hello, Meir-David, you’ve finally gotten here. Come see what I found.
[Blue shirt boy:] A MOVIE?
[Man with moustache] A movie about a popular meeting

[Middle row, middle panel] [VCR, TV, Kahane speaking]
[Middle row, left panel]
[Man with moustache] Did you hear what Rabbi Kahane Said? It’s just incredible, the meeting was held in 5750 [1990], when the PLO and its leader, Arafat, were considered the greatest enemies of Israel. Anyone who dared meet with Arafat was considered a traitor and tossed into prison, and then Rabbi Kahane said in his speech that you only have two options: either Kahane or Arafat.
[Blue shirt boy:] I do not understand. What is so incredible? What exactly does he mean?

[Bottom row, right panel]
[Man with moustache] He means that if they don’t listen to him and don’t get the Arabs out of the country, the day will come that there will be no choice and we’ll bring into here our greatest enemy.
[Bottom row, middle panel] [probably moustache man again] What’s incredible is that to our great sorrow, years later that did indeed happen, and Arafat came into the country.
[Bottom row, left panel]
[Blue shirt boy:] How did he know that? Was he a prophet?
[Man with moustache] No, he just knew how to see reality as it was.


[Top right panel] After the holiday of sukkot 5751, Rabbi Kahane went abroad, to give lectures in the U.S. At a lecture in New York, in a big Jewish college.
[Top middle panel] An Arab approached the stage and shot him twice.
[Top left panel]
[Plaid shirt man] Rabbi Kahane fell dead, and had enough time to say “Shma Yisrael”.
[Blue shirt boy] That is so sad!
[Green shirt boy:] And the funeral?

[Middle row, Right panel] His remains were brought to Israel. The funeral came right out of here, out of the Yeshiva. Before the coffin arrived the area was full of masses of people, all the streets by the Yeshiva were filled with more than 150,000 people…
[Middle row, Middle panel]
[Green shirt boy:] Were there so many people who loved him?
[Plaid shirt man] Yes, apparently so. Rabbis and public leaders eulogized him, including the Rishon LeZion, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, may the memory of that sainted man be blessed. He said as follows:
[Middle row, Left panel] People were not sufficiently familiar with Rabbi Kahane, his righteousness and scholarship, his fear of God. Rabbi Kahane gave much money to families and helped the many people who turned to him.

[Bottom row, Left panel]
[Plaid shirt man] I will tell you another story: the Kabala expert Rabbi Meir Yehuda Katz, may the memory of that sainted man be blessed, the rabbi of the Wailing Wall, joined the funeral procession and said:
[Bottom row, Left panel]
I dreamt tonight that the Messiah, descendant of Joseph*, was murdered in the United States. I could not sleep well, and when I woke up I heard the news that Rabbi Kahane was murdered.
[Yellow panel] * Traditionally, the Messiah, descendant of Joseph, deals in the practical and material salvation of the People of Israel.


[Top right panel]
[Green shirt] So what was the activity in the Kach Movement?
[Moustache man] It was very important to Rabbi Kahane to spread the truth and bring redemption closer. Every day he would go from place to place, throughout the country, and call on Jews to wake up.
[Beard man] He had conferences, took part in events, visited towns, villages, and markets and initiated meetings at homes. It was very important for him to connect with the people.
[Top left panel] At least three times a week the Rabbi would go to a popular meeting, and each such day he would hold at least three popular meetings in different places.
[Middle row, Middle panel] What were the main messages he gave in those talks?
[Middle row, Left panel] He called for the removal of the goyim from the land of Israel.
[bottom row, right to left]
[1] for retuning the Temple Mount to Jewish control
[2] for establishing Jewish sovereignty over all parts of the land of Israel
[3] and for restoration of Jewish honor.
[4] [Moustache man] I also remember that he also talked a lot about the social problems:


Top panel, clockwise, starting from the fist in the star]
Never again
Never again humiliation of Jews!
Never again Jews being slaughtered!
Never again desecration of God
Instead, Jews standing erect.
With no fear of the goyim.
[lower right panel]
[Blue shirt] I’m so glad you named me for him. I did not know how fortunate I was. When will I be able to meet Baruch Marzel already?
[Moustache man] I’ll call and coordinate a meeting with him. You know that it’s [very cold?] in Hebron. Maybe we’ll combine the meeting with him with a Vatikin prayer at the Patriarchs’ Burial Grave.
[Lower left panel] How nice! I haven’t been at the Patriarchs’ Burial Grave for a long time. I’m sure Elkana and his father will be glad to join.

[Top row, Right]
[Moustache man] I can also tell you an interesting story that I just read in a new book by Rabbi Shlomo Zalamn Auerbach, who was one of the greatest rabbis in our generation and lived next door to the Jewish Defense League offices.
[Blue shirt] Which would later be called the Kach movement…
[Top row, Left] Moshe Nieman, who was Rabbi Kahane’s right-hand man, says that when Rabbi Shlomo Zalamn Auerbach used to pass by the Kach Movement offices…
[Middle row, Right] He used to punch a fist, with a big smile on his face, and say “right on!” to the activists.
[Middle row, Left]
[Blue shirt] A fist?! Why a fist?
[Moustache man] The symbol of the Jewish Defense League was a star of David with a clenched fist inside it.
[Bottom row, Right] And that symbol is also a story in its own right. After the liberation of the German death camps, in WWII, a picture was found on one of the walls, showing a star of David with a fist inside, and the Yiddish words: “Jews! Revenge!”
[graffiti:] Yiddalach! Nekama!
[Bottom row, Middle] The picture was drawn by a Jew before he was murdered in the Holocaust.
[Bottom row, Left] Rabbi Kahane adopted the symbol, but added to it the words: “Never again!”

[Top panel, Top segment then clockwise]
He brought up the subject at demonstrations, everywhere possible;
Dance troupes that came to the U.S. from the Soviet Union were showered with boos from the Jewish Defense League Members;
Russian diplomats were afraid to walk free, lest they be hurt.
[sign] Let my people go.
Demonstrations were held in front of every Soviet embassy around the world.
And that was how the problem of the Jews in the Soviet Union came into international consciousness.
[Lower right panel]
[Blond, blue-eyed man] Excuse me for jumping in. My name is Dmitry. I heard that you’re talking about Rabbi Kahane.
[Green shirt] Ha! There’s another person who knows him…
[Lower left panel] No, no, I’m sorry to say that I did not have the privilege of getting to know him, although I did get to see him once!

Ex-Shin Bet head and ex-minister Dichter cancels visit to Spain out of fear for arrest

MK Avi Dichter (Kadima) was planning on taking part in an international peace summit in Spain over the weekend, but was forced to cancel over fears he would be arrested, and possibly imprisoned, by Madrid authorities, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday. According to report several days ago, a Spanish organization called The Madrid Coalition, invited Israeli and Palestinian representatives to take part in a summit focusing on the peace process and the Saudi initiative.

The Madrid Coalition works in cooperation with the former Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos. The summit organizers decided to invite a small group of MKs from Israel to take part in the summit. Former Shin Bet Chief MK Avi Dichter was set to lead the delegation.
Earlier this week, Dichter requested to look into the possibility that he may face legal action in Spain over complaints against him for his involvement in the Salah Shehade assassination, which took place when Dichter was head of Shin Bet) and for his involvement in Operation Cast Lead, Dichter was Ministerof Public Security at the time). After looking into the legal aspects of the situation,
Madrid officials told Dichter that Spain did not intend to offer him immunity from arrest or interrogation, after which he cancelled his participation in the event. 
Dichter is not the frst to get in trouble in this way. Former Foreign minister Tizipi Livni (Kadima) and former Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon had to cancel visits to London in 2009 for similar reasons. A warrant was also issued in Britain for Ehud Barak, but as an acting member of government the case did not have a chance in court.  (more about that here, in Dutch)  

Tareq Aziz, Saddam's hypocritical defender, sentenced to death

Saddam Hussein's longtime foreign minister Tariq Aziz was sentenced to death by hanging Tuesday for persecuting members of Shiite religious parties under the former regime. Iraq's high criminal court spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Sahib did not say when Aziz, 74, would be put to death. The death sentence followed his conviction of taking part in a Saddam-led campaign that hunted and executed members of the Shiite Dawa Party, of which current Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a member. Aziz, a Christian who became the international face of Saddam's regime, can appeal the sentence. He has already been convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in the 1992 execution of 42 merchants found guilty of profiteering. He also received a seven-year prison sentence for a case involving the forced displacement of Kurds in northern Iraq. Aziz's son, Ziad, said that the death sentence was "unfair" and "illogical", because his father was the victim, not the criminal, since Dawa Party members tried to assassinate him in 1980. "This is an illogical and an unfair sentence that is serving political goals of the Iraqi government.Tariq Aziz himself was the victim of the religious parties that tried to kill him in 1980, but now he is turned to a criminal," AP quoted Aziz' son  as saying. However, calling Tareq Aziz 'a victim' sounds somewhat ridiculous to my ears. Tareq Aziz, whose real name is Mikhail Yuhanna, was long one of the people who belonged to the inner crowd of Saddam Hussein. Originally editor in chef of the party newspaper, Saddam made him his foreign minister and later his vice-prime minister. As such he must not only have been aware of,  but in fact have been partaking in most decisions and have been an accomplice to the acts of genocide against the Kurds in the eighties, and against the Shiites in 1991, apart from the war crimes against Iran en all other atrocities committed by this exceptionally cruel regime.  In 1980 he escaped a bomb attack by members of al-Da'awa, after wich an unknown  number of people (among them prisoners) were executed by way of reprisal.  I met Aziz at a reception in Baghdad in October of that year and he was joking about the whole event which left him as good as unhurt. It may be true that Aziz personnally did not kill people and that the gun which he carried when I met him, was only ceremonial and part of the Ba'ath uniform that people of his rank used to wear. However, as a member of the small bunch of decision makers he was undoubtely aware of all that happened. As far as I know, it was Aziz who first hinted that Iraq was going to use poison gas against the Iranian troops (in een interview with Le Monde, in the early eighties he made a remark that they were goingt to be killed in the way one kills insects). So his son's reaction to the conviction is typical of the hypocrisy  of the Ba'athists who always used to argue that they had to be tough because the were dealing with separatists (Kurds), religious fanatics (Shiites), criminals (people critical of their regime) and - last but not least - bloodthirsty Iranians, while forgetting that it was they who had started the war in the first place.