Stop Ethnic Cleansing in the Mideast Before It Starts
By Helena Cobban, Palestine Chronicle, October 13, 2002
"Forced deportation of Palestinians from the occupied territories - "transfer," as it is widely described inside Israeli society - is the most horrifying possibility being discussed..": CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. - "No deportations of Palestinians!" "Get back to the negotiating table!" Should these things even need saying to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when he visits Washington Oct. 16? One would think not. But given President Bush's long record of negligence in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, they probably need restating to Mr. Sharon very loudly - and by the  president - right now. Most of the attention regarding how Israel might behave in the event of an American war against Iraq has thus far focused on whether Sharon's government would launch a military response against Iraq if Iraq should start aiming at Israel during the war. But there's another possibility, even more feared by members of the peace camps in Israel and Palestine. That's the prospect that - with or without receiving a prior hit from Iraq - Sharon might use the cover of a "big war" in the region to undertake new and serious escalations in his campaign against the Palestinians. Forced deportation of Palestinians from the occupied territories - "transfer," as it is widely described inside Israeli society - is the most horrifying possibility being discussed.

What does the assassination of Muhammad Ibiat mean? 
Monday, October 14th, 2002 
Farid Jabar/AIC 
Since the signing of the "Gaza & Bethlehem First " agreement two months ago until the assassination of Muhammad Shtaiwy Ibiat last night by the Israeli army, the Palestinians in the Bethlehem area were implementing the mentioned understanding and no shooting or clashes were taking place from the Bethlehem area. Within the parameters of the deal, Bethlehem and Gaza - from which the Israeli army withdrew - are a test tube for the establishment of ceasefire, while all other major cities in the West Bank are under curfew and tight siege. The assassination in Beit Jala of Ibiat, a low-ranking Tanzim officer from east Bethlehem, was the first breach of this ceasefire. This assassination is yet another crime among the systematic crimes carried out by the Sharon government in all areas of the West Bank and Gaza from Khan Yonis to Jenin. So why did the Israeli army commit this crime now?

America and Israel: You and Me Against the World
By Mohamed Khodr, Islam Online, September 12, 2000
09/12/2000
“You and Me Against the World” is the title of a wonderful romantic song by Gladys Knight and the Pips that I once enjoyed immensely. It’s a song of a love so strong that it can withstand all of the world’s pressures and disapproval. However, America (my country ‘tis of thee) and Israel’s faux paux love affair have now ruined the song for me. Tragically, hearing it now only conjures up images of hate, oppression, lies, weapons, hypocrisy, double standards, political intimidation, cowardice; the buying and selling of values, morals, and principles; a corrupt media, a naοve people being taken advantage of; and worst of all, the “ethnic cleansing” of a people from their land by an “ethnic race” that has been cleansed of all responsibility for its deliberate murder of both Christian and Muslim children in the Holy Land of Palestine.

Unless there is more justice in the world, Bali will be repeated
Editorial, The Independent, October 14, 2002
At the time of last month's anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Centre, an assessment of the state of the war against terrorism seemed horribly inconclusive. Now we know why. Now we can understand a little better that this is what the "war unlike any other war" is going to be like: long periods of relative quiet punctuated by the horror of the deaths of large numbers of unsuspecting people. In fact, there have been several attacks over the past year that have been attributed to al-Qa'ida or similar organisations, but they have not struck at targets so familiar to us as office workers in Manhattan. Now we have holidaymakers in Bali.

This crime proves none of us are safe - and Britons may well be the next targets
By Robert Fisk, The Independent, October 14, 2002
Why? Yesterday's crime against humanity in Bali provoked an almost identical reaction to the atrocities of 11 September 2001. Everyone wanted to know who had planted the bombs – almost certainly a satellite of al-Qa'ida – and everyone wanted to know how the killers planned their massacre. But no one – neither the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, nor Tony Blair nor Jack Straw – wanted to talk about motives. "Terrorism" was the all-important word (an accurate one too), which was used to smother any discussion about what lay behind the crime.