“We Are Eager to Get to Gaza”: Democracy Now! Exclusive Report from Greece on U.S. Gaza Aid Flotilla

Up to 50 Americans are set to sail from a Greek port on a U.S.-flagged ship that is part of an international flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and letters of support for Gaza’s 1.5 million Palestinian residents. Its fate is now in limbo under the weight of U.S.-Israeli pressure and Greece’s economic turmoil. Israel insists it will enforce its blockade on Gaza, which it says is aimed at stopping weapons from reaching the Hamas government. “The Israelis do have a right to interdict arms traffic. We’re bearing letters,” says Ray McGovern, former senior CIA analyst and passenger on the U.S. aid ship. “How can these letters be considered a threat to the security of Israel?” Democracy Now! producer Aaron Maté is in Athens to cover the journey of The Audacity of Hope, named after President Obama’s bestselling book. He and fellow producer, Hany Massoud, are the only journalists with the U.S. delegation. They file this exclusive report. [includes rush transcript]

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/6/27/we_are_eager_to_get_to

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'IDF has no way of stopping mass non-violent protest in West Bank'

As September draws nearer, the Israel Defense Forces has been conducting drills in order to contend with the possibility of a mass civilian uprising in the West Bank in the wake of the Palestinian bid to seek unilateral recognition in the United Nations.

"A non-violent protest of 4,000 people or more, even if they only march to a checkpoint or a settlement, and especially if the Palestinian police does not deter them, will be unstoppable," one IDF officer claims. "Such a great number of determined people cannot be stopped by tear gas and rubber bullets."
A West Bank checkpoint near Nablus.

Another high ranking IDF official serving in the territories claimed that "if we are to face protests similar to those in Egypt or Tunisia, we will not be able to do a thing."

On Tuesday, the Central Command completed its General Staff workshop which included all company officers and higher-ranking officials in both regular and reserve service who are set to serve in the West Bank by the end of the year. The officers attended lectures on dealing effectively with disorderly conduct and viewed presentations on protest-dispersal methods by both IDF and border police.

"At the end of the day, the decision is in the hands of the political echelon," claims another commander, "it is fairly obvious that if there will be no progress on peace talks, the Palestinian police with whom we work very closely to prevent infiltrations will lose their patience."

Central Command officials said Tuesday that "the IDF does have ways of dealing with large-scale protests. First of all, we have intelligence, and obviously these protests take quite a while to organize. With intelligence and the proper preparation, it is possible to gather large forces against the protests in a way that will cause minimal damage.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-has-no-way-of-stopping-mass-non-violent-protest-in-west-bank-1.370322

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Most military families 'against wars in Iraq and Afghanistan'

The mother of a U.S. soldier who has served both in Iraq and Afghanistan says the ongoing wars there have "a lot to do with President Obama wanting to win an election" in 2012.

Pat Alviso told Press TV's U.S. Desk on Thursday that if there is an uprising after the U.S. completely "pulls out of those countries and if there is a lot of killing going on" after American forces leave, Obama's reelection bid could face some difficulties.

Alviso whose son has served two tours in Iraq and is currently in Afghanistan is a member of Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), a U.S. based anti-Iraq war group.

Alviso told the U.S. Desk that most military families are "against these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

She said, "it's been ten years now and it's taken a long time for the Americans to wake up and realize that this war should never have started in the first place." Alviso said it is to the advantage of the U.S. government "to keep people ignorant."

The member of Military Families Speak Out told the U.S. Desk that while an increasing number of "soldiers are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for no good reason," America is "making more enemies."

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