United Kingdom Culture

By Richard Lightbown

The British media was full of sound bites last weekend from politicians expressing outrage against Russia and China for blocking a UN Security Council resolution based on an Arab League proposal for the Syrian crisis. This is the same Arab League that called for the no-fly zone in Libya which precipitated events leading to a death toll five times higher than the current total in Syria. It is supported by the same United States administration which has ordered drone assassinations in Yemen and Pakistan, along with widespread human rights abuses around the world. Along with the same United Kingdom government whose shadowy spooks in MI6 helped to provoke the Libyan uprising, and train Palestinian security forces in the black arts of torture. It is the same French government which armed and trained Libyan rebels; acts which, in the opinion of the chair of the Security Council's Sanctions Committee, were in breach of UNSC resolutions 1970 and 1973.
 
NATO was not mandated to train or arm the Libyan rebels, or employ any forces on the ground, or bomb hospitals, schools and infrastructure; it was mandated to protect civilian life. With the death toll at more than 30,000 and counting, this cannot be considered a successful operation that fulfilled its mandated task.
 
After the recent Security Council result US Ambassador Susan Rice had the temerity to declare "The US is disgusted". So why was it not disgusted over Fallujah, or Kosovo, or direct US involvement in Afghanistan which began with the widespread use of cluster bombs? Because the United States if the world's greatest rogue state, the world's greatest perpetrator of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the world's greatest hypocrite.
 
Western media however is loathe the admit this. On Saturday, 4 February ITN was implying that Russia vetoed the proposal simply because Syria is a major buyer of Russian arms and provides the Russian Navy with a friendly port on the Mediterranean. The BBC was still leading with the story of Western outrage over the vetoes the following night. In the Independent on Sunday, Joan Smith called for the support, training and organization of the Syrian opposition along the lines of the deployment of NATO Special Forces in Libya. She should keep herself up to date. NATO already has training camps in Turkey for opponents of the Assad regime. According to Italian sources used by Pravda NATO snipers have been transferred from Libya to Syria; while MI6, probably in conjunction with the CIA, already has forces there.
 
Despite the involvement of Western military, David Hearst in the Guardian and Dr Alan George in the Independent on Sunday both asserted that military intervention is not on the agenda. Neither justified their assertion, which did not concur with the UN’s own report on the session which specifically mentioned Russian fears of such an event. Reuters reported that a vote was forced on the Council while Russian diplomats were still seeking alterations to the Anglo-French draft, while both Russian and Chinese representatives spoke of the need to seek peace between opposing factions. This important point was totally ignored in statements by American, British and French leaders who were more interested in apportioning blame than in seeking consensus.
 
The real reason for the Russian and Chinese vetoes is that they were duped by NATO’s involvement in Libya. What should have been the enforcement of a no-fly zone and a total embargo on military goods for the protection of civilian life was distorted beyond recognition by the alliance. Without Security Council authorization, rebels were armed and trained, a stable prosperous society was bombed into poverty and insecurity, atrocities were committed, much of the infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, the regime was overthrown and armed bands were left on the streets to fight among themselves and to kill and loot with impunity.
 
Having been fooled once, Russia and China cannot, and will not allow any authorization which could serve as an excuse for a US-led colonial project in Syria. In reality the Western politicians expressing outrage and crying crocodile tears for Syrians are intent on overthrowing the Assad regime in Damascus in total disregard to any suffering or harm that might cause. With a population more than tenfold that of Libya, a death toll in excess of 100,000 could result.
 
Those promoting a NATO intervention should look at the track record of American-led interventions: through Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya; the story is always the same. High-tech super weaponry is used to destroy, kill, maim and pollute the local people and their environment, with minimum losses to the assailants. There is no positive aspect to this story for the victims. Following in the wake of NATO forces there is only destruction and death: devastation far in excess of the violence used to justify the attack.
 
Those who propose a NATO ‘solution’ in Syria should be able to justify their case by answering two questions.
 
One: If Russia and China had vetoed UNSC resolution 1973 (and assuming NATO had respected this result), what damage and death toll do they think might have resulted?

[It should be remembered here that no evidence has been produced to support the original allegations of “genocide” by loyalist forces which provoked the call for intervention.]
 
Two: If NATO gets sufficient excuse to attack Syria and carry out a regime change what damage and death toll might result (and how will this compare with current estimates of 6000 dead)?
 
The fact that nobody from the US administration has so far provided data which might answer these simple questions suggests that the answers might be inconvenient and embarrassing to those proposing yet another war under the guise of a humanitarian intervention.
 
- Richard Lightbown is a writer and researcher. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.

The Sundance Film Festival prepared to come to a close for 2012 tonight as the festival held its some of its last screenings and mounted an awards ceremony to celebrate the best films of this year's festival. The biggest jury prizes went to Beasts of the Southern Wild (reviewed here [1]) and Eugene Jarecki's war on drugs documentary The House I Live In. The Surrogate (reviewed here [2]) took an Audience Award, as did the doc Searching for Sugar Man (reviewed here [3]) and the film Valley of Saints. The full list of awards is below. The 2012 Sundance Film Festival Awards presented this evening were: The Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Charles Ferguson to: The House I Live In / U.S.A. (Director: Eugene Jarecki) — For over 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world's largest jailer and damaged poor communities at home and abroad. Yet, drugs are cheaper, purer and more available today than ever. Where did we go wrong and what is the path toward healing? The Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Justin Lin to: Beasts of the Southern Wild / U.S.A. (Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) — Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry. The World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Nick Fraser to: The Law in These Parts / Israel (Director: Ra'anan Alexandrowicz) — Israel's 43-year military legal system in the Occupied Palestinian Territories unfolds through provocative interviews with the system’s architects and historical footage showing the enactment of these laws upon the Palestinian population. The World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Julia Ormond to: Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se Fue a Los Cielos) / Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain (Director: Andrés Wood, Screenwriters: Eliseo Altunaga, Rodrigo Bazaes, Guillermo Calderón, Andrés Wood) — A portrait of famed Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra filled with her musical work, her memories, her loves and her hopes. Cast: Francisca Gavilán, Thomas Durand, Luis Machín, Gabriela Aguilera, Roberto Farías. The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura, was presented by Mike Birbiglia to: The Invisible War / U.S.A. (Director: Kirby Dick) — An investigative and powerfully emotional examination of the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military, the institutions that cover up its existence and the profound personal and social consequences that arise from it. The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura, was presented by Mike Birbiglia to: The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben Lewin) — Mark O'Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist in an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy. The World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary was presented by Edward James Olmos to: SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN / Sweden, United Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) — Rodriguez was the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation he disappeared into oblivion – rising again from the ashes in a completely different context many miles away. The World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic was presented by Edward James Olmos to: Valley of Saints / India, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Musa Syeed) — Gulzar plans to run away from the war and poverty surrounding his village in Kashmir with his best friend, but a beautiful young woman researching the dying lake leads him to contemplate a different future Cast: Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Mohammed Afzal Sofi, Neelofar Hamid. The Best of NEXT Audience Award, Presented by Adobe Systems Incorporated, was presented by Tim Heidecker to: Sleepwalk With Me / U.S.A. (Director: Mike Birbiglia, Screenwriters: Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Joe Birbiglia, Seth Barrish) — Reluctant to confront his fears of love, honesty, and growing up, a budding standup comedian has both a hilarious and intense struggle with sleepwalking. Cast: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, Cristin Milioti. The U.S. Directing Award: Documentary was presented by Fenton Bailey to: The Queen of Versailles / U.S.A. (Director: Lauren Greenfield) — Jackie and David were triumphantly constructing the biggest house in America – a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot palace inspired by Versailles – when their timeshare empire falters due to the economic crisis. Their story reveals the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream. The U.S. Directing Award: Dramatic was presented by Lynn Shelton to: Middle Of Nowhere / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ava DuVernay) — When her husband is incarcerated, an African-American woman struggles to maintain her marriage and her identity. Cast: Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Touissaint, Edwina Findley. The World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary was presented by Jean-Marie Teno to: 5 Broken Cameras / Palestine, Israel, France (Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi) — A Palestinian journalist chronicles his village’s resistance to a separation barrier being erected on their land and in the process captures his young son’s lens on the world. The World Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic was presented by Alexei Popogrebsky to: Teddy Bear / Denmark (Director: Mads Matthiesen, Screenwriters: Mads Matthiesen, Martin Pieter Zandvliet) — Dennis, a painfully shy 38-year-old bodybuilder who lives with his mother, sets off to Thailand in search of love. Cast: Kim Kold, Elsebeth Steentoft, Lamaiporn Sangmanee Hougaard, David Winters, Allan Mogensen. The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award was presented by Anthony Mackie to: Safety Not Guaranteed / U.S.A. (Director: Colin Trevorrow, Screenwriter: Derek Connolly) — A trio of magazine employees investigate a classified ad seeking a partner for time travel. One employee develops feelings for the paranoid but compelling loner and seeks to discover what he’s really up to. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni. The World Cinema Screenwriting Award was presented by Richard Pena to: Young & Wild / Chile (Director: Marialy Rivas, Screenwriters: Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutiérrez, Pedro Peirano, Sebastián Sepúlveda) — 17-year-old Daniela, raised in the bosom of a strict Evangelical family and recently unmasked as a fornicator by her shocked parents, struggles to find her own path to spiritual harmony. Cast: Alicia Rodríguez, Aline Kuppenheim, María Gracia Omegna, Felipe Pinto. The U.S. Documentary Editing Award was presented by Kim Roberts to: DETROPIA / U.S.A. (Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) — The woes of Detroit are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base. This is the dramatic story of a city and its people who refuse to leave the building, even as the flames are rising. The World Cinema Documentary Editing Award was presented by Clara Kim to: Indie Game: The Movie / Canada (Directors: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky) — Follow the dramatic journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world. The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Tia Lessin to: Chasing Ice / U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Orlowski) — Science, spectacle and human passion mix in this stunningly cinematic portrait as National Geographic photographer James Balog captures time-lapse photography of glaciers over several years providing tangible visual evidence of climate change. The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Amy Vincent to: Beasts of the Southern Wild / U.S.A. (Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) — Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry. The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary was presented by Jean-Marie Teno to: Putin's Kiss / Denmark (Director: Lise Birk Pedersen) — 19-year-old Marsha is a model spokesperson in a strongly nationalistic Russian youth movement that aims to protect the country from its enemies. When she starts recognizing the organization’s flaws, she must take a stand for or against it. The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic was presented by Alexei Popogrebsky to: My Brother the Devil / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Sally El Hosaini) — A pair of British Arab brothers trying to get by in gangland London learn the extraordinary courage it takes to be yourself. Cast: James Floyd, Saïd Taghmaoui, Fady Elsayed. A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for an Agent of Change was presented by Heather Croall to: Love Free or Die / U.S.A. (Director: Macky Alston) — One man whose two defining passions are in conflict: An openly gay bishop refuses to leave the Church or the man he loves. A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance was presented by Heather Croall to: Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry / U.S.A., China (Director: Alison Klayman) — Renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has garnered international attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political provocations and increasingly public clashes with the Chinese government. A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing was presented by Cliff Martinez to: Andrea Sperling and Jonathan Schwartz for Smashed and Nobody Walks Smashed / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Susan Burke, James Ponsoldt) — Kate and Charlie are a young married couple whose bond is built on a mutual love of music, laughter and... drinking. When Kate decides to get sober, her new lifestyle brings troubling issues to the surface and calls into question her relationship with Charlie. Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally. Nobody Walks / U.S.A. (Director: Ry Russo-Young, Screenwriters: Lena Dunham, Ry Russo-Young) — Martine, a young artist from New York, is invited into the home of a hip, liberal LA family for a week. Her presence unravels the family’s carefully maintained status quo, and a mess of sexual and emotional entanglements ensues. Cast: John Krasinski, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, India Ennenga, Justin Kirk. A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting was presented by Cliff Martinez to: The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben Lewin) — Mark O'Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist in an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy. A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision was presented by Clara Kim to: Can / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Rasit Celikezer) — A young married couple live happily in Istanbul, but their decision to illegally procure a child threatens their future together. Cast: Selen Uçer, Serdar Orçin, Berkan Demirbag, Erkan Avci. A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Prize for its Celebration of the Artistic Spirit was presented by Richard Pena to: SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN / Sweden, United Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) — Rodriguez was the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation he disappeared into oblivion – rising again from the ashes in a completely different context many miles away. The inaugural Short Film Audience Award, Presented by Yahoo!, based on online voting for nine short films that premiered at the Festival and are currently featured on Yahoo! Screen [4], was presented to: The Debutante Hunters (Director: Maria White) — In the Lowcountry of South Carolina a group of true Southern belles reveal their more rugged side, providing a glimpse into what drives them to hunt in the wild. The following awards were presented at separate ceremonies at the Festival: The Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking was awarded to: FISHING WITHOUT NETS / U.S.A. (Director: Cutter Hodierne, Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey). The Jury Prize in Short Film, U.S. Fiction was presented to: The Black Balloon / U.S.A. (Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie). The Jury Prize in Short Film, International Fiction was presented to: The Return (Kthimi) / Kosovo (Director: Blerta Zeqiri, Screenwriter: Shefqet Gjocaj). The Jury Prize in Short Film, Non-Fiction was presented to: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom / U.S.A. (Director: Lucy Walker). The Jury Prize in Animated Short Film was presented to: A Morning Stroll / United Kingdom (Director: Grant Orchard). A Special Jury Award for Comedic Storytelling was presented to: The Arm / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos, Jessie Ennis). A Special Jury Award for Animation Direction was presented to: Robots of Brixton / United Kingdom (Director: Kibwe Tavares). The winning directors and projects of the Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world, are: Etienne Kallos / Vrystaat (Free State) (South Africa); Ariel Kleiman / Partisan (Australia); Dominga Sotomayor / Tarde Para Morir Joven (Late To Die Young) (Chile); and Shonali Bose / Margarita. With a Straw (India). The Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker Award, honoring and supporting emerging filmmakers, was presented to Jens Assur, director of the upcoming film Close Far Away. The inaugural Hilton Worldwide LightStay Sustainability Award for a completed feature film was presented to The Island President, directed by Jon Shenk. The in-process feature film award was presented to Solar Mamas, directed by Jehane Noujaim and Mona Eldaief. Each project received $25,000. The inaugural Sundance Institute Indian Paintbrush Producer’s Award and $10,000 grant was presented to Dan Janvey and Josh Penn for Beasts of the Southern Wild. The Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prizes, presented to outstanding feature films focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer, or mathematician as a major character, were presented to Robot & Frank, directed by Jake Schreier and written by Christopher Ford, and Valley of Saints, directed and written by Musa Syeed. The two films will split the $20,000 cash award by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. [1] http://www.slashfilm.com/beasts-southern-wild-sundances-buzzed-movie-creates-world-sundance-2012-video-blog/ [2] http://www.slashfilm.com/the-surrogate-2013-oscar-contender-john-hawkes-helen-hunt-william-macy-sundance-2012/ [3] http://www.slashfilm.com/searching-sugar-man-documentary-feels-musical-harry-potter-story-sundance-2012/ [4] https://uinta.sundance.org/emailmarketer/link.php?M%205909&N%201&LI5&F=H

By Nath Aldalala'a

This is the world of Afghanistan now, a world in which blood blends with urine; Afghanistan reached into this world through the falling of bodies coupled with a fallen dignity. On the morning of 9/11 the skies were clear as the crash of the second plane into the South Tower, signalled what Martin Amis described as a 'defining moment'. The 'second plane looked eagerly alive, and galvanised with malice, and wholly alien. For those thousands in the South Tower, the second plane meant the end of everything. For us, its glint was the worldflash of a coming future.' It was to be the coming future for the Afghani and Iraqi peoples, but what a future it turned out to be?

The recent release of the video of the U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters tells us much about the temporality of the War on Terror. The theory of Temporality, as J. P. Sartre maintains, is that it is an organised structure and the only possible method by which to study temporality is to approach it as a totality which dominates its secondary structures (the elements of time: past, present, future) and which confers on them their meaning.  Initially, the war on terror managed to create its own temporality, not only through its construction of a vague and undefined enemy, but also through its own rhetoric of justice versus terrorism. Yet, gradually, the war on terror has become clearer in the poverty of its mission, its endeavours, and its execution. 

The temporality of the war on terror is evident in its core actions; these, apart from the invasion and mass killings of civilians in both Afghanistan and Iraq, are illustrated by practices which have come to define the spirit of this war. For example, early in the war on terror were the images of Abu-Graib, and the use of various ‘Enhanced Interrogation Techniques’, the secret prisons that were established throughout the world, ‘The Rendition Programmes’, non-combatant enemy(s), Haditha, Mohammadia…all the way to these recent images of Marines urinating on corpses.

Barack Obama pledged to close Guantanamo, and yet its continued existence ten years on, reveals how profoundly Guantanamo and torture are entrenched in this American temporality.  The war on terror in effect exists deep inside America’s own borders. It is very much a part of the American Zeitgeist.  Salman Rushdie has said that the British do not understand their own history because much of it happened overseas. It was not possible in those days to upload Youtube videos to view the first concentration camps where 27,000 Afrikaners died in an effort to end the Boer insurgency, or the gassing of civilians in Iraq in the 1920s. Nevertheless, the British do currently have an understanding of their history while the debate is on-going with regard to the role of their “MI6” in renditions and torture of Libyans.

The Americans also have a full understanding of their recent history, as the waves of returning soldiers, whether dead or alive, make visible their domestic involvement in and understanding of this war.  In addition, the recurring images of abuses of occupied peoples by their Marines are a reminder of “other” engagements with the enemy. However, the conventional U.S. rhetoric in response to the release of such images and videos is that “it does not reflect” American values, or as in the case of this latest video of the urinating military personnel, the U.S. Marine Corpse said “this is not consistent with our core values”. 

At the end of the day, blame will inevitably be apportioned to a particular individual, as happened during the Mỹ Lai in March 1968, when 504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam were massacred. Most of the victims were women, children and babies, and elderly people. Many of the women were raped, victims were tortured, and some of the bodies were found to have been mutilated.  For that massacre, the American justice system convicted one single individual- Second Lieutenant William Calley. He was convicted and given a life sentence, but actually served only three and half years under house arrest!

First reactions to the video of the Marines urinating on the Afghan corpses resonate with the now customary response. James Sanborn from Marine Corps Times stated “one sentiment that we have heard in several remarks is things get pretty tense there, they are [the Marines] under a lot of strain, well you have to show some level of sympathy, may be you don’t know exactly what they were going through.”

Admittedly, any theatre of war is very stressful, but over the centuries civilised societies have created rules which differentiate, in the very minimum, between war and urinating on corpses.

What the Marines are going through is ‘the’ war on terror, and this is not the first incident of this kind. It is almost certainly true that while we become privy to such videos, there is likely to be a great number of others that do reach the public.  However, the regular supply of videos and images that exhibit the abuses by American troops remain inconsequential to the course of the war. I argue that the simple reason for this is because the war on terror is entrenched within the American Zeitgeist, and this Zeitgeist is located in the reconciliation of the American understanding of its power, and the ways in which it is executed. This has led to a skewed understanding of American values, if they have any left. Note the current election campaign how Republican candidates heavily rely on the strategy of negative ads. Note also the prevailing rhetoric on Iran, on American Aid to foreign countries, on Pakistan, on the Palestinians- the list goes on. It is a discourse that emphasises the rule of the jungle; there is no sense of the ‘civil’ when competing to be the president of the United States, thus, that tells much about the spirit of warring in the American psyche.

The war on terror, while being propped up by the logic of fear, is also sustained by an ideology of American-ness. American popular consciousness does not acknowledge guilt about the invasions of Afghanistan or Iraq. Consequently, their reduction of the enemy to a form of nothingness is merely the diktat of this war. Yet, while prisoners, “not corpses”, are tortured by the most inhumane methods, there remains no change to the American political or cultural calculations. So, how should urinating on the dead make any difference? In another recent video American Marines pulled a helpless sheep into a room and beat it with a baseball baton until it was dead. The question arises of whether there is any more degrading image than that of an elite soldier- a Marine, of the world’s superpower with its constant exclamations of  “God Bless America” -  killing a helpless sheep in a most brutal and barbaric way?

This war on terror represents its own temporality and conditionality. The urination by Marines on Afghan corpses shows how notions of revenge and brutality are integral to this war. The image of those marines, in their uniforms, standing over dead bodies and urinating, is not really dissimilar from killing a helpless sheep with a baseball baton. It is also not far removed from the scenes and torture and general degradation of Abu-Graib prisoners or the killing of innocent civilians by remote drones. All these point towards a loss of ethics, rather than the characterisation of the war itself.

American temporality confers meaning on the American present and a future that is contingent on this war. Guantanamo is no longer a prison; it is an institution, a civil one, wherein the practice of power is a manifestation of the American understanding of its mandate. The American Marines are operating within a system called the war on terror. The GULAG (Glavnoe upravlenie lagarei) was a system; the Concentration Camps were a system. However, the war on terror is different in that in addition to being a system, and an organised structure, it gradually becomes the war of urination.

- Dr. Nath Aldalala'a - School of English Literature, Newcastle University, United Kingdom – contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com. Contact him at: n.aldalalaa@newcastle.ac.uk.

By Dr. Ismail Salami - Tehran

'I saw a motorcycle. They were wearing ski masks - black ski masks. They were two people. I saw the motorcycle speed by. I saw them. It seemed as if they had something in their hands,' this is how a female witness described the scene of the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan.

As the blade of blame is being directed against the CIA and Mossad for orchestrating the brutal assassination of the 32-year-old Iranian scientist in broad daylight in Tehran on Wednesday morning, the duo have preferred to feign ignorance as to the identity of the main perpetrator of the crime.

"I want to categorically deny any United States involvement in any kind of act of violence inside Iran," US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told reporters on Thursday.

Also, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the US had nothing to do with the assassination.

"We were not involved in any way -- in any way -- with regards to the assassination that took place [in Iran]," he said. "I'm not sure of who was involved...But I can tell you one thing: the United States was not involved in that kind of effort. That's not what the United States does."

The US is not the only party which has chosen to be in denial.

Israeli President Shimon Peres also denied on Thursday that Israel was involved in the assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientist. In an interview with CNN, Peres was asked if Israel was involved in the nuclear assassination, to which he answered: "Not to the best of my knowledge."

"I know that it is fashionable that whatever wrong happens in Iran, it is the United States and Israel. There is nothing new in this approach," said Peres.

What kind of answer would the viewers expect from Peres to such a question? The question is indeed as unwise in substance as the answer given by Peres.

In order to find out who really killed the Iranian scientist, one needs to put together the factual pieces.

Just two days after Iran sentenced to death  a convicted CIA operative of Iranian descent Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, two unidentified men on a motorcycle attached a magnetic bomb onto the car of Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a senior official at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, and detonated it on Wednesday, killing the young scientist and his driver.

It does not seem unreasonable to say that there was a link between the two incidents.

And in comes a third party: Britain.  British Middle East minister Alistair Burt has recently visited Israel and demanded all nations intensify pressure on Tehran to stall its nuclear program. Proudly he announced that "a few weeks ago the British government imposed tough new financial restrictions against Iran. These new sanctions make it illegal for any financial institution in the United Kingdom to have any dealings with any institution in Iran. They are the toughest of their kind. And we will build on them, getting others to follow suit."

A close friend of Israel, Mr. Burt described the Iranian nuclear program as “the major issue at the top of our shared agenda," saying that Israel can serve as a partner in a common cause against a regime dangerously loose.”

Lavishing pearls of British wisdom on the audience while speaking at Bar-Ilan University's Feldman International Conference Center, Mr. Burt said Iran “does not just threaten Israel,” and described Israel as the “bastion for stability in the region.”

Also contributing to the shared agenda of Israel and Britain in nuclear assassinations and sabotage activities in Iran is the remark of the Israel Defense Forces' Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz who said on Tuesday in an address to a closed Knesset committee that Iran should expect more "unnatural" events in 2012.

While the hawks in Washington have already declared a nuclear war on Iran in a metaphoric sense i.e. the assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientists, some of them avail themselves of a kind of literature in their reference to the nuclear assassinations which indicates the abyss of human degeneration. An impetuous example of this was reflected in a video circulated on the internet in which Rick Santorum, a politically bankrupt White House aspirant, has unfeelingly described the assassination of Iranian scientists as “wonderful.”

"On occasion, scientists working on the nuclear program in Iran turn up dead. I think that's a wonderful thing, candidly," said Rick Santorum addressing an election campaign in Greenville, South Carolina.

He added that, "I think we should send a very clear message that if you are a scientist from Russia, North Korea, or from Iran and you are going to work on a nuclear program to develop a bomb for Iran, you are not safe.”

All these facts aside, examples for the animosity of the UK, US and Israel towards the Islamic Republic are legion. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg of the myriad crimes orchestrated, funded and carried out by the trio.

There is no doubt that the recent assassination has caused a lot of intellectual anguish, emotional pain and political wrath in Iran.

In a stern warning, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, lashed out at the United States and Israel for orchestrating the assassination of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan. In a message of condolence to his family, Ayatollah Khamenei said the assassination was carried out under the unholy auspices of the CIA and Mossad.

“This act of cowardice, whose perpetrators and architects will never dare to confess to their foul and appalling crime or assume responsibility for it, has been engineered and funded by the CIA and Mossad [spy] services,” he said, adding, “The assassination shows that the global arrogance spearheaded by the US and Zionism has arrived at an impasse in their encounter with the determined, devout, and progressive nation of Islamic Iran.”

Central to the circle of the prime suspects in the nuclear assassinations is the IAEA itself. About two weeks ago, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan had reportedly met the agency inspectors.

Isn't it strange that the nuclear scientist was killed only two weeks after his meeting with the IAEA inspectors?

Another point which actually strengthens the speculation is that the names and identities of Iranian nuclear scientists who have so far been assassinated have been published in the list of sanctions issued by the IAEA.

Israel Defense Forces' Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz has said, Iran should be expecting more "unnatural" events in 2012.

Iran is certainly prepared for the worst but its enemies too should for their part expect similar consequences if they wish to persevere in their path of mischief.

- Dr. Ismail Salami is an Iranian writer, Middle East expert, Iranologist and lexicographer. He writes extensively on the US and Middle East issues and his articles have been translated into a number of languages. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.

(This post is by Christine McCann)

Here’s the latest of our news bulletins from the ongoing crisis at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

State of Nuclear Politics in Japan

A Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) memo has revealed a 2002 secret meeting between METI officials and Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO)’s Chairman, President, and Vice President, in which participants discussed abandoning the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant in Aomori Prefecture. METI was concerned about several problems with the plant, including major budget issues. Costs for the project were originally estimated at 760 billion yen, but estimates bloomed to more than two trillion yen (25 billion USD), plus another trillion in demolition costs. A follow up meeting was scheduled but never took place, because TEPCO’s president and chairman resigned over a cover up regarding damaged equipment. The Rokkasho project - combined with similarly crippled Monju fast breeder reactor - played a central part in Japan’s nuclear fuel plan, and these revelations may influence the Japan Atomic Energy Commission as it establishes new nuclear policies this summer.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced last week that Japan will continue to export nuclear equipment and technology to those countries that want it, in spite of a lack of popular support for the idea in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Japan’s Diet is set to approve nuclear accords next week with Jordan, Russia, South Korea, and Vietnam. The country is also in discussions with Turkey, India, and Brazil.

TEPCO

TEPCO has released an interim report on the ongoing nuclear crisis at its Fukushima Daiichi plant. The report claims that TEPCO employees made no errors in the handling of the disaster and attributes the cause of the meltdowns to the tsunami, not the magnitude 9.0 earthquake. The utility said that such a large tsunami could not have been anticipated, in spite of the fact that it ignored its own research from 2008 showing that a tsunami exceeding 10 meters was possible.

However, experts are criticizing the report and the company’s lack of transparency. They say the report fails to address questions about why workers shut down a cooling system that could have prevented meltdowns at the reactors, as well as why the utility has been unable to discover the source of continuing water leaks at the plant. Moreover, TEPCO was not able to explain the large spike in radiation levels on March 15, nor does it know why hydrogen explosions occurred at the plant. Tetsuo Sewada, an assistant professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, said, “TEPCO should not have had a system that doesn’t work in an actual emergency.”

Significantly, a majority of members of a government panel investigating the nuclear crisis doubt TEPCO’s claims that the tsunami caused the disaster, instead believing that the 9.0 magnitude earthquake contributed to the problems at the Fukushima plant, including damaging the piping responsible for cooling the reactors. This could have crucial impact on the decision to restart other reactors around the country, most of which are currently idled.

Japan’s central government and TEPCO could jointly announce that the utility has achieved cold shutdown status at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant as early as 16 December. Some experts have questioned the validity of that assessment, when the internal condition of the reactors is still unknown and the company is struggling to keep the situation at the plant under control. The plant has suffered numerous issues in the past month, including a large leak of radioactive water.

Reactor Status

TEPCO revealed this week that at least 45 tons of radioactive water have leaked from the Fukushima Daiichi plant, and may have flowed into the ocean, which is only 500-600 meters from the site of the incident. It took workers 21 hours to identify the issue, which occurred after water flooded a purification device and then poured through a cracked wall. The water was used to cool the plant’s reactors. TEPCO officials estimate that the contaminated water contained one million times the legal limit of strontium (100 million becquerels per liter) and 300 times the legal limit of cesium (45,000 becquerels per liter). Both substances can be absorbed by humans and are cancer causing.

The new admission means that up to 220 tons of contaminated water have reached the sea since March. The fisheries cooperative association in Fukushima Prefecture has filed a complaint against TEPCO, citing concerns about the effect on sea life and demanded details on which areas of the ocean were affected. Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) has ordered TEPCO to determine the cause of the leak and outline how it will prevent it from recurring. In the meantime, the utility insists that the incident will not affect efforts to establish cold-shutdown status at the plant. 

TEPCO said that it will replace part of the water decontamination system at the Fukushima plant this week, a move that it hopes will improve decontamination efforts and reduce waste generated by the process. US based Kurion built the current system; previously, it was used in conjunction with a system made by Areva. However, the Areva system has been plagued with problems and is no longer working.

Contamination (Includes Human Exposure)

The Japan Chemical Analysis Center said that the Fukushima nuclear disaster resulted in a release of xenon-133 that exceeded normal levels in Chiba Prefecture by 400,000 times. However, researchers said that the excessive measurements—which took three months to return to normal—did not pose a risk to humans. The Center revealed the new data at a meeting sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT).

Japan plans to establish three zones around the Fukushima Daiichi plant, signifying different contamination levels. In the zone with the highest radiation readings, the government may purchase land from evacuees. In other areas, decontamination and reconstruction plans will be implemented.

Rice Crisis

New bans were placed on rice shipments from Fukushima’s Watari District, 60 km from the Fukushima Daiichi plant, after officials discovered rice containing 590 Bq/kg of cesium. Japan’s legal limit is 500 Bq/kg. The move follows bans on rice shipments from the Onami District and Date City, and will affect 406 farms. Previously, Fukushima prefectural officials had said that all rice from the prefecture was safe to consume.

Decontamination Efforts and Waste Disposal

A scientist from Osaka University and a former professor at the Tokyo University of Science are calling for radioactive soil, contaminated as a result of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis, to be dumped into the sea. The researchers, who were speaking at a study meeting at Osaka University, said they would submit a proposal to do so to the central government. Experts say that the proposal would violate the London Convention, which prohibits dumping of waste into the ocean. In addition, the move is expected to spark criticism from the international community.

Fukushima Prefectural officials have unveiled a white paper outlining decontamination plans for farms and forests in the prefecture. Officials plan to spray decontamination agents; remove topsoil, tree bark, and leaves; and employ water jet cleaners, in order to reduce contamination levels within two years. The prefecture will also assist local municipalities in drawing up contamination plans.

Compensation

TEPCO’s compensation office in Tokyo began accepting applications this week for a second round of compensation, covering September through November. The center, which employs 5,000 workers, receives approximately 700 applications each day, but already has a daily backlog of about 100 applications. Takashi Nakamura, who heads the center, apologized for the delay and said that TEPCO did not expect to receive so many applications. In addition, he said, the company is not accustomed to such work.

Other Nuclear News

The United Kingdom is planning to become the first county to bury plutonium stores in Cumbria, in an effort to reduce terrorist threats and reduce maintenance costs. Officials said they will encase the plutonium in concrete and bury it hundreds of meters underground. Disposal is scheduled to begin in 2040. By that time, the country expects to have over 130 tons of plutonium--enough to construct over 10,000 nuclear weapons should it reach the wrong hands. Each weapon requires only 8 kg of high-grade plutonium.

As potentially exciting as the in competition [1] and out of competition [2] films that will play the 2012 Sundance Film Festival are, the fact is most people haven't heard of them yet. The Premiere category, though, that's where the big movies are. Or, at least, the movies with the big names. This year's line up with is no exception with stand-outs including Spike Lee's latest Red Hook Summer, Stephen Frears' gambling film Lay the Favorite with Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Rebecca Hall, Josh Radnor's sophomore effort, Liberal Arts with Elizabeth Olson and Joe Berlinger's latest documentary focusing on Paul Simon. Plus there are films with Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Parker Posey, Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Read about them all below. Here's the full list of feature and documentary premieres at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival: PREMIERES A showcase of some of the most highly anticipated dramatic films of the coming year from new and established directors. Presented by Entertainment Weekly. Each is a world premiere. 2 Days in New York / France (Director: Julie Delpy, Screenwriters: Julie Delpy, Alexia Landeau) — Marion has broken up with Jack and now lives in New York with their child. A visit from her family, the different cultural background of her new boyfriend, her sister’s ex-boyfriend, and her upcoming photo exhibition make for an explosive mix. Cast: Julie Delpy, Chris Rock, Albert Delpy, Alexia Landeau, Alex Nahon. Arbitrage / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nicholas Jarecki) — A hedge-fund magnate is in over his head, desperately trying to complete the sale of his trading empire before the depths of his fraud are revealed. An unexpected, bloody error forces him to turn to the most unlikely corner for help. Cast: Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Brit Marling, Nate Parker. Bachelorette / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Leslye Headland) — Unresolved issues between four high school friends come roaring back to life when the least popular of them gets engaged to one of the most eligible bachelors in New York City and asks the others to be bridesmaids in her wedding. Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, James Marsden, Adam Scott, Kyle Bornheimer. California Solo / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marshall Lewy) — A former Britpop rocker has long settled for an unfettered life working on a farm outside of L.A. When he’s caught driving drunk and faces deportation, he must confront past and current demons in his life to stay in the country. Cast: Robert Carlyle, Alexia Rasmussen, Kathleen Wilhoite, A Martinez, Danny Masterson. Celeste and Jesse Forever / U.S.A. (Director: Lee Toland Krieger, Screenwriters: Rashida Jones, Will McCormack) — Celeste and Jesse met in high school, married young, and at 30, decide to get divorced but remain best friends while pursuing other relationships. Cast: Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Ari Graynor, Chris Messina, Elijah Wood, Emma Roberts. For A Good Time, Call... / U.S.A. (Director: Jamie Travis, Screenwriters: Katie Anne Naylon & Lauren Anne Miller) — Lauren and Katie move in together after a loss of a relationship and a loss of a rent controlled home, respectively. When Lauren learns what Katie does for a living the two enter into a wildly unconventional business venture. Cast: Ari Graynor, Lauren Anne Miller, Justin Long, Mark Webber, James Wolk. GOATS / U.S.A. (Director: Christopher Neil, Screenwriter: Mark Jude Poirier) — Ellis leaves his unconventional desert home to attend the disciplined and structured Gates Academy. There, he re-connects with his estranged father and for the first time questions the family dynamics. Cast: David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Graham Phillips, Justin Kirk, Ty Burrell. LAY THE FAVORITE / U.S.A. (Director: Stephen Frears, Screenwriter: D.V. Devincintis) — An adventurous young woman gets involved with a group of geeky older men who have found a way to work the sportsbook system in Las Vegas to their advantage. Cast: Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rebecca Hall. Liberal Arts / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Josh Radnor) — When 30-something Jesse is invited back to his alma mater, he falls for a 19-year-old college student and is faced with the powerful attraction that springs up between them. Cast: Josh Radnor, Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins, Allison Janney, John Magaro, Elizabeth Reaser. Price Check / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Walker) — Pete is having trouble resolving a happy marriage and family life with rising debt and a job he hates. When his new boss pulls him into the maelstrom that is her life, money and opportunities come his way, but at what price? Cast: Parker Posey, Eric Mabius, Annie Parisse, Josh Pais, Cheyenne Jackson. Red Hook Summer / U.S.A. (Director: Spike Lee, Screenwriters: James McBride, Spike Lee) — A young Atlanta boy spends his summer in Brooklyn with his grandfather, who he's never seen before. Cast: Clark Peters, Jules Brown, Toni Lysaith, James Ransone, Thomas Jefferson Byrd. Red Lights / U.S.A., Spain (Director and screenwriter: Rodrigo Cortés) — Psychologist Margaret Matheson and her assistant study paranormal activity, which leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic. Cast: Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Elizabeth Olsen, Toby Jones. Robot and Frank / U.S.A. (Director: Jake Schreier, Screenwriter: Christopher Ford) — A curmudgeonly older dad’s grown kids install a robot as his caretaker. Cast: Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, Liv Tyler. SALT LAKE CITY GALA FILM Shadow Dancer / United Kingdom (Director: James Marsh, Screenwriter: Tom Brady) — When a widowed mother is arrested in an aborted bomb plot she must make hard choices to protect her son in this heart-wrenching thriller. Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Aiden Gillen, Domhnall Gleeson, with Gillian Anderson and Clive Owen. The Words / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal) — Aspiring writer Rory Jansen finds another man's haunting memories in a collection of lost stories and claims them as his own, propelling him to literary stardom. Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde with Zoe Saldana. CLOSING NIGHT FILM Special event: Hit RECord at the Movies with Joseph Gordon-Levitt — Be a part of the process by joining Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the global hitRECord community for a special one-time-only interactive exploration of the power of making things together. Gordon-Levitt will showcase works that have been created from the collaborative hitRECord production company and invite the audience to engage, interact and contribute to the event using their digital devices. The event will be recorded, with footage posted on their website for all to enjoy and be inspired by. hitRECord, which launched with an installation in the New Frontier section of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, returns to the Festival to showcase the project’s evolution and potential for creative experimentation. DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES Created to highlight the growing impact and popularity of documentaries in our world today, Documentary Premieres presents eight moving new films about big subjects or by master filmmakers that showcase the power of the form. Each is a world premiere. About Face / U.S.A. (Director: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders) — An exploration of beauty and aging through the stories of the original supermodels. Participants including Isabella Rossellini, Christie Brinkley, Beverly Johnson, Carmen Dell'Orefice, Paulina Porizkova, Jerry Hall and Christy Turlington weigh in on the fashion industry and how they reassess and redefine their own sense of beauty as their careers progress. BONES BRIGADE: An Autobiography / U.S.A. (Director: Stacy Peralta) — When six teenage boys came together as a skateboarding team in the 1980s, they reinvented not only their chosen sport but themselves too – as they evolved from insecure outsiders to the most influential athletes in the field. The D Word: Understanding Dyslexia / U.S.A. (Director: James Redford) — While following a Dyslexic high school senior struggling to achieve his dream of getting into a competitive college, The D Word exposes myths about Dyslexia and reveals cutting edge research to elucidate this widely misunderstood condition. ETHEL / U.S.A. (Director: Rory Kennedy) — This intimate, surprising portrait of Ethel Kennedy provides an insider's view of a political dynasty, including Ethel’s life with Robert F. Kennedy and the years following his death when she raised their eleven children on her own. A Fierce Green Fire / U.S.A. (Director: Mark Kitchell) — A definitive history of one of the most important movements of the 20th century, A Fierce Green Fire chronicles the environmental movement’s fascinating evolution from the 1960s to the present. SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP / United Kingdom (Director: Ice-T, Co-Director: Andy Baybutt) — Through conversations with Rap’s most influential artists – among them Chuck D, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, MC Lyte, Mos Def, and Kanye West – Ice-T explores the roots and history of Rap and reveals the creative process behind this now dominant art form. Untitled Paul Simon Project / U.S.A. (Director: Joe Berlinger) — Paul Simon returns to South Africa to explore the incredible journey of his historic Graceland album, including the political backlash he sparked for allegedly breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa, designed to end Apartheid. West of Memphis / U.S.A. (Director: Amy Berg) — Three teenage boys are incarcerated for the murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. 19 years later, new evidence calls into question the convictions and raises issues of judicial, prosecutorial and jury misconduct – showing that the first casualty of a corrupt justice system is the truth. [1] http://www.slashfilm.com/competition-films-2012-sundance-film-festival-announced/ [2] http://www.slashfilm.com/sundance-2012-competition-films-announced/

Yesterday the Sundance Film Festival announced the core lineup of films [1] that will be spotlit in the Competition slates at the 2012 festival. Now we've got a lineup of films that will play out of competition in the Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, NEXT and New Frontier schedules. There are a few films in here with which you might be nominally familiar, like The Raid, Grabbers and Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie, not to mention Andrea Arnold's new version of Wuthering Heights. But many are new announcements. While the competition lineups are always a good place to look for some of the films that will be the most talked-about in the year following each Sundance fest, these schedules are where some of the more unique and provocative films live. There are still some big premieres to be announced next week, but if I was making a big Sundance wishlist, these 30 movies would be among the ones I'd consider most highly. SPOTLIGHT Corpo Celeste / Italy (Director and screenwriter: Alice Rohrwacher) — After moving back to southern Italy with her mother and older sister, 13-year-old Marta struggles to find her place, restlessly testing the boundaries of an unfamiliar city and the catechism of the Catholic church.Cast: Yle Vianello, Salvatore Cantalupo, Anita Caprioli, Renato Carpentiere. Declaration Of War / Belgium (Director: Valérie Donzelli, Screenwriters: Jérémie Elkaïm, Valérie Donzelli) — A young couple embark upon a painful, enlightening journey when they discover that their newborn child is very ill. Cast: Valérie Donzelli, Jérémie Elkaïm, César Desseix. North American Premiere Elena / Russia (Director: Andrei Zvyagintsev, Screenwriter: Oleg Negin) — A meditative, modern-noir tale about an older woman, Elena, who marries the wealthy business man for whom she worked and, when his health fails, is forced to deal with his estranged daughter who threatens her inheritance. Cast: Andrey Smirnov, Nadezhda Markina, Elena Lyadova, Alexey Rozin. Monsieur Lazhar / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Philippe Falardeau) — An elegant reflection on loss and death focused on an Algerian immigrant teacher who brings emotional stability to a Montreal middle school class shaken by the suicide of their well-liked teacher. Cast: Fellag, Sophie Nélisse, Émilien Néron, Danielle Proulx, Brigitte Poupart. The Orator (O le Tulafale) / New Zealand (Director and screenwriter: Tusi Tamasese) — A Samoan villager must defend his land and family when they are threatened by powerful adversaries. Cast: Fa’afiaula Sagote, Tausili Pushparaj, Salamasina Mataia, Ioata Tanielu. The Raid / Indonesia (Director and screenwriter: Gareth Evans) — All hell breaks loose when an elite SWAT team, given orders to raid a run-down Jakarta apartment building that houses the city’s most notorious crime boss, is forced to fight their way to freedom or die trying. Cast: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Joe Taslim, Doni Alamsyah. U.S. Premiere Where Do We Go Now? / France, Lebanon, Italy, Egypt (Director: Nadine Labaki, Screenwriters: Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Rodney Al Haddad, with the collaboration of Thomas Bidegain) — A group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village. Cast: Claude Baz Moussawbaa, Layla Hakim, Nadine Labaki, Yvonne Maalouf, Antoinette Noufaily. U.S. Premiere Wuthering Heights / United Kingdom (Director: Andrea Arnold, Screenwriters: Andrea Arnold, Olivia Hetreed) — A freshly conceived retelling of Emily Bronte’s classic novel about Heathcliff and Cathy, two teenagers whose passionate love for each other creates a storm of vengeance.Cast: Kaya Scodelario, James Howson, Solomon Glave, Shannon Beer, Steve Evets. U.S. Premiere Your Sister's Sister / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lynn Shelton) — While still mourning the recent death of his brother, a bereft and confused man finds love and direction in a most unexpected place. Cast: Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mark Duplass. U.S. Premiere PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake. Each is a world premiere. Black Rock / U.S.A. (Director: Katie Aselton, Screenwriter: Mark Duplass) — Three childhood friends set aside their personal issues and reunite for a girls' weekend on a remote island off the coast of Maine. One wrong move turns their weekend getaway into a deadly fight for survival.Cast: Katie Aselton, Lake Bell, Kate Bosworth. Excision / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Richard Bates, Jr.) — A disturbed and delusional high school student with aspirations of a career in medicine goes to extremes to earn the approval of her controlling mother. Cast: AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords, Ariel Winter, Roger Bart, John Waters. Grabbers / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Jon Wright, Screenwriter: Kevin Lehane) — When the residents of an idyllic Irish fishing village are attacked by mysterious, blood-sucking sea creatures, a high blood alcohol content could be the only thing that gets them through the night. Cast: Richard Coyle, Ruth Bradley, Russell Tovey, Bronagh Gallagher. The Pact / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nicholas McCarthy) — As a woman struggles to come to grips with her past in the wake of her mother's death, an unsettling presence emerges in her childhood home. Cast: Caity Lotz, Casper Van Dien. SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS / United Kingdom (Directors: Dylan Southern, Will Lovelace) — A documentary that follows LCD Soundsystem front man James Murphy over a crucial 48-hour period, from the day of their final gig at Madison Square Garden to the morning after, the official end of one of the best live bands in the world. Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim) — After two guys are given a billion dollars to make a movie, their Hollywood dreams run off course and they decide to rehabilitate a run-down shopping mall in an attempt to make the money back. Cast: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim. V/H/S / U.S.A. (Directors: Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Radio Silence, Screenwriters: Simon Barrett, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence) — When a group of misfits is hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house and acquire a rare VHS tape, they discover more found footage than they bargained for. Cast: Joe Swanberg, Calvin Reeder, Adam Wingard, Sophia Takal, Kate Lyn Sheil. NEXT NEXT encompasses a selection of pure, bold works by promising filmmakers distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling. Presented by Adobe Systems Incorporated. Each is a world premiere. COMPLIANCE / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Craig Zobel) — When a prank caller convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, no one is left unscathed. Based on true events. Cast: Ann Dowd, Pat Healy, Dreama Walker, Bill Camp, Philip Ettinger. I AM NOT A HIPSTER / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Destin Daniel Cretton) — Set in the indie music and art scene, this is a character-driven story exploring themes of love, loss and what it means to be creative in the face of tragedy. Cast: Dominic Bogart, Alvaro Orlando, Brad William Henke, Tammy Minoff, Kandis Erickson, Lauren Coleman. KID-THING / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Zellner) — A rebellious girl whose existence is devoid of parental guidance, spends her time roaming the land, shoplifting, and vandalizing. Her routine is broken one day while playing in the woods when she hears a woman calling from a mysterious hole in the ground, asking for help. Cast: Sydney Aguirre, Susan Tyrrell, Nathan Zellner, David Zellner. Mosquita y Mari / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Aurora Guerrero) — A friendship between two 15-year-old Latinas becomes complex as they struggle to recognize the sexual undercurrent in their relationship. Cast: Fenessa Pineda, Venecia Troncoso, Joaquín Garrido, Laura Patalano, Dulce Maria Solis. My Best Day / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Erin Greenwell) — Karen’s life as a small-town receptionist is turned upside down when the father she never knew calls for a refrigerator repair. That day she encounters a sister addicted to off track betting, a brother struggling with grade school heartache and bullies, and a load of fireworks. Cast: Rachel Style, Ashlie Atkinson, Raúl Castillo, Jo Armeniox, Robert Salerno, Harris Doran. Pursuit of Loneliness / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Laurence Thrush) — An elderly patient dies in a county hospital leaving no known next of kin. Over the next 24 hours, four central characters try to find a family member to contact regarding the death of this anonymous individual. Cast: Joy Hille, Sandra Escalante, Sharon Munfus, Kirsi Toivanen, Natalie Fouron. Sleepwalk With Me / U.S.A. (Co-directors: Mike Birbiglia and Seth Barrish, Screenwriters: Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Joe Birbiglia, Seth Barrish) — Reluctant to confront his fears of love, honesty, and growing up, a budding standup comedian has both a hilarious and intense struggle with sleepwalking. Cast: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, Cristin Milioti. That's What She Said / U.S.A. (Director: Carrie Preston, Screenwriter: Kellie Overbey) — Armed with nothing but their addictions and lots of personal baggage, two best friends and a mysterious young interloper battle a series of misadventures on their quest for love in New York City.Cast: Anne Heche, Marcia DeBonis, Alia Shawkat. TWENTY-EIGHT HOTEL ROOMS / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Ross) — Seen only as fragments in the secret world of hotel rooms, a long-term affair becomes perhaps the most significant relationship of a couple’s lives. Cast: Chris Messina, Marin Ireland. NEW FRONTIER With media installations, multimedia performances, transmedia experiences, panels, film screenings, and more, New Frontier highlights work that celebrates experimentation and the expansion of cinema culture through the convergence of film, art, and new media technology. These films complement the previously announced installations and performances in the New Frontier venue at the Festival. Bestiaire / Canada, France (Director: Denis Côté) — The boundaries we place around animals are provocatively and formally explored in this meditation on the relationship between nature and humanity. World Premiere An Oversimplification of Her Beauty / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Terence Nance) — A quixotic young man humorously courses live action and various animated landscapes as he tries to understand himself after a mystery girl stands him up. Cast: Terence Nance, Namik Minter, Chanelle Pearson. World Premiere THE PERCEPTION OF MOVING TARGETS / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Weston Currie) — A segmenting journey into the dreams of four neighbors. Cast: Brighid Thomas, Cherie Blackfeather, Gerald Casey, Tom Wood, Jin Camou. Room 237 / U.S.A. (Director: Rodney Ascher) — This experimental documentary explores the numerous theories about the real meaning of Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining. World Premiere whiteonwhite:algorithmicnoir / U.S.A., Kazakhstan (Directors: Eve Sussman | Rufus Corporation, Screenwriters: Eve Sussman, Kevin Messman, Jeff Wood) — A computer program assembles raw elements of music, dialogue, sound and footage shot in Kazakhstan into a generative noir mystery film in this live algorithmic performance. Cast: Jeff Wood, Marina Fedorenko. [1] http://www.slashfilm.com/competition-films-2012-sundance-film-festival-announced/

How many IMAX theaters will be showing The Dark Knight Rises prologue in the United Kingdom? Has The Wolverine been delayed after all? What comic book did an Illinois man find in his attic? Does Jeremy Renner think a Hawkeye solo movie is possible? How would Chloe Moretz change Hit Girl for Kick Ass 2? Read about all of this and more in today's Superhero Bits. In 1966, a newspaper writer predicted a rise in the importance of Batman. Comics Alliance [1] has much, much more on this. If you live in the UK, I have some bad news. There are only four IMAX theaters in your country that use 70mm IMAX so there are only four places you can see The Dark Knight Rises prologue in a few weeks according to What Culture [2]. The characters of Batman: Arkham City get a Simpsons makeover by Dean Fraser over at Springfield Punx [3]. Head there, or Geek Tyrant [4], for a better look at each one. JoBlo [5] reports The Wolverine has NOT been delayed. /Film reader Gabriel V alerted us to this Watchmen trailer by dracudelishio [6] made with Little Big Planet 2. It's pretty phenomenal. Marvel [7] picks their top five moments from the DVD release Iron Man: Extremis. They'll be featuring moments from other movies in the new in stores Marvel Knights Animation Collection [8] all week. A man in Illinois had the best day ever when he was looking in his attic and found a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15, the first appearance of Spider-Man. Read more at the LaGrange Patch [9] (via THR [10]). Continue Reading Superhero Bits >> [11] Due to the amount of graphics and images included in Superhero Bits, we have to split this post over TWO pages. Click the link above to continue to the second page of Superhero Bits. [1] http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/11/28/batman-sociology/ [2] http://whatculture.com/film/the-dark-knight-rises-prologue-only-screened-at-5-imax-cinemas-in-the-uk.php [3] http://springfieldpunx.blogspot.com/ [4] http://geektyrant.com/news/2011/11/29/batman-arkham-city-characters-get-a-cool-simpsons-makeover.html [5] http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/has-the-wolverine-been-delayed-again [6] http://lbp.me/u/dracudelishio [7] http://marvel.com/news/story/17122/the_5_coolest_moments_from_iron_man_extremis [8] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FWO34M/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=marvelcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005FWO34M [9] http://lagrange.patch.com/articles/comic-found-in-attic-worth-over-10-000 [10] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/man-finds-amazing-fantasy-15-attic-267165 [11] http://www.slashfilm.com/superhero-bits-131/2/

Sienna Miller arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice in London to give a testimony in the Leveson inquiry held on Thursday (November 24). The inquiry is being led by Lord Justice Leveson, who is looking into the culture, practice and ethics of the press in the United Kingdom. The inquiry comes in the wake of [...]

Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs yesterday unveiled a new website which will help showcase Sierra Leone's cultural heritage to the outside world. The website, www.sierraleoneheritage.org, will provide digital access to Sierra Leonean collections housed in the National Museum and the United Kingdom's partner museums as well as a host of additional resources relating to the country's culture and heritage.

With British directing talent like Duncan Jones (Source Code) and Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) crossing the pond to take on big sci-fi films in Hollywood, it seems like we're experiencing yet another British invasion, this time in the cinema world. Now another director from the United Kingdom is making the leap as Empire reports A Lonely Place to Die director Julian Gilbey is set to helm Offworld, an original sci-fi film with a whole slew of dangerous creatures on an alien planet. Gibney says, "It's a kind of an intergalactic Naked Prey, a pedal-to-the-metal safari movie set on an alien planet." Read on! However, rather than following in the footsteps of films like Alien, Gilbey says, "There's lots of nasty creatures - some even on the good guys' side." So rather than having our protagonists partaking in another battle of humans against aliens, it ...

By Nath Aldalala'a

What was built on feeble foundations is feeble. The Egypt-Israeli Peace Treaty (EIPT) was signed at a time characterised by a very different domestic and regional political climate.  The most notable aspect of that period was the lack of voice from within the ranks of the Egyptian people.  Commonly, legitimate governments act on behalf of their citizens to produce rightful, and thus, enduring agreements.  Yet this has not been the case with the EIPT.  It was signed during a period of acute tension and latent aggression in the region, and this overshadowed any desires for peace. That is, simply, why both the treaty itself and the peace it imposed remained fragile and vulnerable.  After the treaty was signed, the Arab world placed a boycott on Egypt and a particularly punitive decision was taken to move the headquarters of the Arab League from Cairo to Tunis. This measure was taken to strip Egypt of its leading role in regional politics and its leadership in Arab policy.

This move had a grave impact on the effect of peace and how it was interpreted across the Middle East. First of all Egypt’s role, as a state, was marginalised over the following decade, and the country was stripped of its strategic importance, and with that the chance for regional peace was substantially diminished.  A second factor was that the Egyptian people were put in a Catch 22 situation:  an absolute majority of Egyptians did not approve of the treaty, but simultaneously they found themselves excluded from participating in the affairs of their fellow Arabs, which helped Mubarak in particular to capitalise on the situation. He maintained, as had President Anwar Al-Sadat before him, that Egypt’s ‘interest’ could be prioritised or substantially progressed through this peace accord with Israel.  From this point of departure, support for the treaty was couched in nationalistic rhetoric, which in effect did not last long. Support for the peace agreement waned simply because it did not seem to serve the national interest of Egypt as much as it upheld that of Israel.

Over the last decade signs of the failed peace between the two sides became more salient.  On domestic level, Mubarak’s brutal grip over his people rendered his persona of a tyrant. Consequently, they lost faith in his vision and his approach to peace. Furthermore, the deterioration of living standards compelled Egyptians to question the very legitimacy of their leader. The consequent overthrow of Mubarak was an apt conclusion to his years in power, and one which offers an insight into the nature of his rule in Egypt.  At the regional level, owing to their geographical proximity, the Egyptians were witness to the treatment of the Palestinians by Israel. The Israeli occupation became increasingly a colonization and form of punishment. Egyptians observed the expansionist policies of Israel, the inhuman brutal treatment of the Palestinians by Israeli occupying forces, they also watched over massacres at Jenin in 2002 and Gaza in 2009. Most importantly Egyptians were well aware of the impact the Gaza blockade had on the Palestinians. Gradually, the treaty became a burden on the consciousness of ordinary Egyptians as news of Palestinians resorting to the smuggling of food through underground tunnels to sustain their lives brought a feeling of damnation in Egypt, and also throughout the Arab world. These circumstances underlined the degree to which their regional significance had been eroded, and confirmed their perception of Israel’s exploitation of the peace agreement.

Indeed, voices in Egypt began to re-affirm that the peace treaty secured Israeli interests far more than it instigated and sustained peace between the two countries.  For most of the 1980s and the early 1990s Egyptians, while sceptic about the treaty, remained largely neutral towards it in general. That means they were not passionate in either their condemnation or their praise for it. Nevertheless, Israel continued to make demands for its legitimacy and “Annerkennung” in the region is accompanied by the logic of force and power rather than that of peace. Israeli reasoning further marginalised the very notion of peace.  However, as the protests in Egypt began, and Mubarak started losing his grip, frequent statements emanated from both the Israeli leadership, and America, expressing concerns about the redundancy of the treaty. Anxious voices about the future of peace between Egypt and Israel became increasingly resonant.

From the concerns expressed by Israel and America one may elicit the following:  first, an implicit recognition of the fragility of the peace-treaty, and the knowledge that it lacks credibility. The Israelis and Americans were well aware that their ‘Man on the Nile’- Mubarak - had long been the custodian of a treaty, not an actual peace. Second, these interventions by Israel and the U.S. demonstrated that the meaning of peace is contingent on personal affiliations rather than on the wider political will of the region. Third, the Americans recognised that they had not done enough groundwork to enable a lasting peace.  While advocating that democracy is essential to the future of the Arab world, the Americans continue to deny sovereignty to the Palestinians. Should they be instrumental in conceding this, it would be an illustration of the egalitarian principles on which they pride themselves.

One further point to be made here is that Israel’s fears about the future of the peace-treaty actually suggest a feeling of vulnerability about its position. This is consequent to the changes in the world- or precisely, the Arab world.  The experience of peace in 2011 differs from that of 1979 because the hopes and beliefs in peace have diminished, if not altogether vanished.  The two erroneously-described ‘historical’ handshakes of 1979 and 1993, both at the White House, between the Israelis and Arabs were simply a gesture; they did not precipitate lasting peace.

The recent anger expressed in Egypt about the killing of five of their border guards at the hands of Israeli forces, and the recent storming of the Israeli embassy in Cairo by protestors, does not only bring the EIPT into question, it also puts the concept of peace into question.  If peace is achievable, is it manageable?  The answer is rather easier than the question itself. Peace is achievable when it is just, and is manageable when it is comprehensive. So far none of these conditions for peace have existed. One would assume here that the impulse is to blame Israel. Yet my point is that the embedded structures of the Middle East favour antagonism rather than peace. There has been the ‘process’ in the ME, but there was no peace. The process itself was overshadowed by occupation and violence, which in turn undermined its own ethics. Meanwhile the Egyptian-Israeli relations are in a process rather than an effective peace, and this course lacks both justice and management. Einstein and Erasmus pointed out that peace is separate and preferable to war. It is separate because it exists either to shun war or in consequence to it. It is preferable, in human nature, only when it provides grounds that allow an avoidance of the logic of Bellum omnium contra omnes.

In real terms, the storming of the Israeli embassy in Cairo is not necessarily an act of war. It is a manifestation of the frustration and anger felt by Egyptians after their soldiers were killed. The sense of humiliation and dissent is charged by the fact that their current governing body is not a civil government, but consists of veteran army generals, and this compounds resentment over the deaths of the Egyptian soldiers. Furthermore, Egyptians are more frustrated when they see how Turkey reacted to the killing of its citizens, by Israeli forces, in the flotilla raid. The Turkish action of expelling the Israeli ambassador, suspending military relations, and downgrading diplomatic ties with Israel did not go unnoticed. Turkey had peace accords with Israel since 1949, yet this did not prevent it from acting to preserve its pride and sovereignty.

This accumulation of detail directs Egyptians to the view that their relationship with Israel specifically dented by the peace agreement. For the current and/or future Egyptian government, to accommodate the changes prevailing in Egypt and in the region, it should request certain amendments to the peace-treaty.  One of the most significant of these revisions would be with regard to the conditions related to diplomatic ties between Egypt and Israel, and in turn the resolution of  the core conflict in the region which is bound up with the Palestinian problem.
 
The question remains that of how fair is peace, not only between the Egyptians and Israelis, but also how far it might consider the situation of the Palestinians.  Thus far, Israel does not wish to have the Palestinian problem tied up with other regional matters, whether these are bilateral or multilateral.  Israel has always sought to isolate the Palestinian cause from the wider Arab political calculations, primarily so that it would feel free to pursue the course that best suits its expansionist policies, and without substantial protest from other Arab states. 

With regard to this, I emphasise the concept of the ‘state’ because the masses were marginalised and had no voice. Now they do have a voice, and the scene has changed somewhat, so, the future of peace between Egypt and Israel is a test not only for peace itself, but a test of how progress in the Middle East is taking place. I explain: the Egyptian youths paid a heavy price in terms of their blood and their lives over the last six months of uprising.  Should they be marginalised again owing to a peace which continued to underpin Israeli interests, this would certainly indicate that the current Military generals, or any future governments, remain as guardians of the peace treaty, and in the shadow of Mubarak.

It is ironic that the peace between these two countries was associated with a particular man, Mubarak, who turned out to be a tyrant. The same evaluation applies to Israel. Does peace or the peace of the Middle East prevail only if we have tyrants in power? It seems to be the case:  peace sustained by the power of the gun. This is a mode of peace the Americans are also happy to support. A peace that keeps heads down and ensures that, what the Americans would call the fundamentalists, remain in their caves.

If the end of tyranny means the end of peace between Egypt and Israel, it is a price the Egyptians would be willing to pay. As William Allen White puts it: “peace without justice is tyranny” The Palestinians so far had tyranny without the peace, and the Egyptians had the Tyranny of peace, other peoples in the Arab world had peaceful tyrannies.

- Dr. Nath Aldalala'a - School of English Literature, Newcastle University, United Kingdom – contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com. Contact him at: n.aldalalaa@newcastle.ac.uk.

Reuters - The art world shook last February when a report by The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) revealed that China had overtaken the United Kingdom to become the world's second largest art market.

As parts of its determination to entrench discipline in Lagos roads, and to inculcate on the school children the culture of being good road users, the Lagos State government has concluded plans to take some students on transport education tour to the United Kingdom.

By Nath Aldalala'a

The fall of Ghaddafi is both a solution and a problem for Libya.

United Nations resolution number 1973 granted NATO intervention in Libya to protect civilians from Ghaddafi’s alleged brutal fist. A consequence of the NATO campaign in Libya is that his regime fell, but he is still on the run. The coming weeks will determine the nature of Libya’s immediate future.

The situation will be influenced by a number of possible scenarios, that is, whether Ghaddafi is captured and handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, or is killed during the remaining battles, or he remains on the run.  The calls for the capture of Ghaddafi or for him to be killed have grown louder during the frenzy which accompanies the attempts to invent a new Libya. Yet, it is my contention that the killing or capturing of Ghaddafi and his son and their subsequent appearance at the ICC might indeed serve justice for some, but it will not sustain peace in the country. On the contrary, amongst a good proportion of the Libyan population it will actually create a deep sense of ill feeling towards the National Transitional Government (NTC) and interviewing Western countries in the conflict.  My argument is based on the premise that in Libya and in the wider Arab world there is little respect for and acknowledgement of the ICC: for example, no one was brought to ‘justice’ after the Jenin massacre in 2002 or the Gaza massacre in 2009. 

Resolution number 1973 was granted in order to create a no-fly zone, that is, to enforce peace rather than trigger war. The effectiveness of the NATO intervention so far may be seen as satisfactory, especially if the intervening powers, along with the National Transitional Government (NTC), provide a solution that dignifies all parties involved, including that of any transitional government itself.

When Prophet Mohammed entered Mecca in the year 630 with his army of 10,000, Quraysh was defeated and the walls of Mecca were ready either for carnage or for lasting peace. Mohammed enquired: “O Quraysh, what do you think I am going to do to you?” His message to the people then was: “God forgives you and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful. Go- you are free.” The generosity shown by the prophet changed the history of Islam, and stands as a hallmark of the munificence which has become a lasting signature of Arab society.

This example should be followed in a nation that pride itself of being based on Islamic values.

In March it was reported that Ghaddafi made a proposal to the NTC seeking an agreement which would allow him to step down. He wanted guarantees of personal safety for himself and his family, with further assurances that they would not be put on trial. According to Aljazeera’s sources, the Council told its correspondent in Benghazi that the offer had been rejected because it would have amounted to an “honourable” exit for Gaddafi, and this would be offensive to his victims. Yet questions of honour are not easily reconciled. Many Arabs, while denouncing Ghaddafi, and passionate in their desire for his demise, perceive the action taken by the rebels as a response to the dictates of Western governments. Thus an honourable act by the NTC would be to preserve the dignity, not of Ghaddafi himself, but of the tribe from which he descends.  This in turn would spare Libya years of vengeance and future fissures amongst its people. 

What Libya needs at this stage is a restoration of national unity, which will certainly be jeopardized by the consequences emanating from either Ghaddafi being killed, or his being handed over to the ICC. The scenario in which Ghaddafi is allowed go would not have any severe effect on national security, but it would demonstrate that the NTC is not concerned with seeking revenge. Besides that, it could demonstrate its independence from Western powers who are basically engaged in a witch-hunt for Ghaddafi. A sense of betrayal already dominates the mood in Libya. The rebels are not called ‘rebels’ across all pockets of the country.

Now, after the fall of Tripoli there seems to be new calls from Ghaddafi to negotiate the transfer of power. This is, as William Hague put it, “delusional”, but it does present a golden opportunity for restoring peace and calm to the country. 

Ghaddafi, as I argue, most fears being sent to the ICC. That would reduce his legacy to that of a criminal and he would wish to avoid that at all costs. So, while his offer might seem delusional, it actually demonstrates that he retains a sense of his own dignified survival. Having ruled Libya for such long time, then he must have a ‘grain of brain’; to think otherwise would reflect badly on the people he governed.

It is impressive that after all years of being identified by the world as a terrorist, Ghaddafi managed to host Nicolas Sarkozy on a visit to Tripoli in 2007. In 2008 the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi signed a landmark cooperation treaty with Ghaddafi in Benghazi. In the same year a meeting with Condoleezza Rice took place which was followed by President Bush signing the Executive Order 13477, which restored the Libyan government’s immunity from terrorism-related lawsuits and dismissed all the pending compensation cases in the United States. Also in 2009 Ghaddafi visited Rome for a meeting with Berlusconi and the Italian president Giorgio Napolitano. He participated in the G8 Summit, and during that visit was seated next to Berlusconi at a dinner hosted by the Italian president. Notably Barack Obama shook hands with Ghaddafi during that visit. He then went on to meet Senator John McCain and Joe Lieberman in 2009.  He had received Vladimir Putin in Tripoli in April 2008, and in October of the same year he was a guest of the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev. This list of receptions and invitations indeed testifies that Ghaddafi was able to manoeuvre a significant position for himself in international affairs, one far beyond that of a man who had taken leave of his senses. At this juncture, his humiliating defeat has been brought about, but any further humiliation would be a dishonour to his tribe, and all his supporters, the likes of whom are certainly going to surface soon after the current storm has died down. The NTC should work to avoid this situation if they are serious about the harmony of a future Libya. 

Therefore, while recognising that there is an urgent need to restore normality in the capital and the other cities throughout the country, it is also imperative to establish the spirit of clemency and moderation amongst the people. This might sound wishful thinking in the current situation, especially when one hears the sentiments being projected by the NTC and Western diplomats. 

In a recent interview William Hague, the British Foreign Secretary, stated that “A transition of power is already taking place. The NTC ministers are in Tripoli and in increasing control of the situation. What is needed from the remnants of the Gaddafi regime is the fighting to stop.” Hague repeatedly stressed the fate of Ghaddafi is a matter that should be left to the Libyan people. 

Guma el-Gamaty, the UK co-ordinator of the NTC, confirmed that “The only negotiation is how to apprehend Ghaddafi, to tell us where he is and what conditions he wants for his apprehension: whether he wants to be kept in a single cell or shared cell or whether he wants to have his own shower or not, you know. These are the kind of negotiations we are willing to talk about.” Such pronouncements do not show necessary sensitivity or measured response to an already irritated situation. It is a sarcastic aggressive tone not much different from Ghaddafi’s tone when he called the protestors “rats and drug addicts”.

The heroic rebels of the moment could possibly splinter into factions of the future, and these groups will be fighting for a slice of the pie. Most of the armed-rebels are former revolutionary committee members who switched sides and are likely to change again. The main Islamists Brigade refused to fight under the banner of the ‘infidels’, a group amongst many, which will certainly demand its autonomous voice. 

The endorsement of the TNC of a reward by an alleged Libyan businessman put the very nature of TNC at stake. This slowly becomes a ‘cowboy’ government. But the TNC still has a golden opportunity to grant an expedient amnesty to Ghaddafi and his followers, while at the same time consolidating the rule of law. This will not however guarantee a smooth transitional period for Libya, but it is the only path that can alleviate future hostilities and minimise the damage already created. 

- Dr. Nath Aldalala'a - School of English Literature, Newcastle University, United Kingdom – contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.

The Nigeria Council of Elders in the United Kingdom is organizing a project to impart Nigerian culture to the Nigerian children there, President of the Council Mrs Gladys Olowu has said.

By Nath Aldalala'a

The Trial of the 'Pharaoh on the Nile' captured the imagination of the street in Egypt and beyond. For the second time the ousted leader Hosni Mubarak appeared in court on Monday 15th August and this seemed for many to symbolise the successful conclusion to the popular protests that lasted over the last six months. However, the point I would raise is that the trial does not serve the cause of justice and furthermore, it will have a negative impact on the immediate political future of Egypt. The slogans of “down-down with regime” voiced during early stages of the protests remained collective and adamant only until the overthrow of Mubarak. The fall of the regime meant that the core demand of the protestors has been met. This should have been followed with a second phase focusing on political, economic and social issues and thus begin the process of restoring dignity to the Egyptian citizen and that of Egypt itself.

Besides interrupting, and possibly impeding, the restoration of stability and consequent progress at both a domestic and international levels, the trial will have an immediate effect on the voting in the looming elections in the country. There are several considerations I would like to air in support of my contention. Factor one: the image of Mubarak’s appearance before the court as an ailing man. Factor two: the fact that the Military remain in power. Factor three: the Muslim Brotherhood policy of “wait and see” is likely to benefit from a rift amongst the ranks of the protestors.

To expand on the first of these factors, is to examine Mubarak’s appearances in court and their effect. On both occasions when he appeared before the court, wheeled in on his hospital bed, he looked frail and humiliated. This helped to elevate the degree of sympathy towards him. His image as a dictator, a corrupt and tyrannical leader, begins to lose currency, as a wave of sympathy on the street started perceiving him as merely “the poor old ill man”. As time passes his image will, to some extent, transforms into that of a victimised old man of 83 years.  This in itself is not detrimental until it brings discord amongst the people. Indeed, his second appearance in the courtroom triggered clashes between his supporters and those who were advocates of his trial. A number of his supporters chanted: “Mubarak is not Saddam” and “He is Egyptian until death”.  Again, this alone will not be tantamount to a major rift, and it will not unduly affect the outcome of the trial, but it will impinge upon the universality of the spirit of the protests that initially prevailed. It will also have an impact on the long term Zeitgeist in the Egyptian political landscape. The success of the pending elections in Egypt is not dependent simply on the number of voters, but also on a politically acute and enlightened mentality in order to lay the foundations for a new system. It is only through an informed electorate that the best results for the country can be achieved. Yet such a position may be undermined by the rift emerging around Mubarak’s trial and the flourishing of latent, ambivalent prejudices.  It would be naïve to assume, despite the sheer size of protests in the country, that Mubarak lacks supporters. The few voices reverberating the ousted leader is “Egyptian until death and that he is not Saddam” may gather momentum, especially when people start to associate the dignity of Mubarak with that of Egypt. 

The haste in which Mubarak has been brought to court is certainly on social grounds rather than in the service of justice. If so, the concept of justice loses its essence as it hangs in the balance between the authority of the military and the demands of the protestors.  This point becomes more marked when considered alongside the second of the three factors identified here.

While the Military forms the transitional government, composed of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), effectively the governing body, then a state of “civil mentality” will not dominate the streets of Egypt.  By civil mentality I mean the focus on post Mubarak period to which the masses have aspired. Even if protestors go home, collective consciousness will remain charged with anxiety and uncertainty. Obviously, this has an effect on the country’s move towards a stable and long-lasting democratic form of governance.  I should mention at this point, that the top generals in the Army, who monitor and govern, are old brothers-in-arms with the ousted leader.  Their political influence has only increased over the last six months, and it will do so further while there is no civil government in power which could help minimise their role.  It is notable that to date, the Military have not brought to trial any further elements of the old regime. And while their grip on power continues, their economic privileges stay intact. Their popularity has so far resided in the fact that it is a draft military made up of the people. But the SCAF has come to resemble a political body which takes on many of the characteristics of the old regime. The military became notorious for its trials of activists and journalists. Journalists Hossam El-Hamalawy and Rasha Azab were summoned by prosecution, Asmaa Mahfouz, who was accused of inciting violence against the military and insulting members of SCAF was referred to a military court and later released on bail. The presidential candidate Mohammed El-Baradei wrote on his twitter account “Military trials for young activists, while Mubarak & Co. stand before civilian courts, is a legal farce. Don’t abort the revolution”. The recent clashes between the protestors and military supporters are evidence of this.  On Saturday 23rd July protestors moved from Tahrir Square towards the Defence Ministry, the headquarters of SCAF, in order to voice their demands for more freedom for the civilian government of Prime Minister, Essam Sharif, and also to condemn the military trials. More than 250 people were hurt in the clashes. Interestingly, the slogans during that protest were “down with the military” and branded the leader of SCAF Marshal Hussein Tantawi, as being “an agent of America.” It is inevitable that while the Military are part of the political machinery this will influence the outcomes of the future civil governance in the country. It is already the case that disagreement is rife between different groups while preparing for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

While these elections are regulated and administered by the Army, the political environment is emphatically militaristic and confrontational. The government of Essam Sharaf exits in the shadow of a military presence, and hence the climate is not dissimilar to the days of Mubarak. This point alone suggests there has been little progress in civil society.

I expand on my third factor with the contention that the Muslim Brotherhood or any other religiously oriented group in the Arab world always profit from any vacuum created in the social and political landscape.  While the Muslim Brotherhood played no major role in the instigation or the process of the protests, they are likely to harvest the fruits of this unrest. Their overall policy is based on a ‘wait and see’ principle. They have heavily remained on the side of the military with the understanding that this will please the masses.  However, the Brotherhood stance towards Mubarak’s trial is straightforward. They were keen for it, actively requested it, and they got it.  That straightforward narrative was interrupted though, when at the second hearing of Mubarak’s trial, Judge Ahmed Rifaat announced that “In the public interest, the court had decided to stop the television broadcast of the court sessions beginning on 5th  September 2011 until the announcement of the sentences".  Voices on the street were denouncing the removal of the camera from the courtroom. It was seen to be a preposterous betrayal of the protestors who were killed and a disloyalty to their families. Further accusations were made that there is a deal between the military and Mubarak. Such a charged atmosphere extends the potential rift between the people and the military. It is easy to see how the Muslim Brotherhood will benefit from such circumstances. In the case of political parties, although there are over 20 registered parties in the country, they remain politically un-organised. Apart from their support to the encompassing cause of the protesting masses, these parties pursue their own agendas and are factional in nature.

Moreover, the government of Essam Sahraf, as mentioned above, has been overshadowed by the SCAF, and this curtails the performativity of civil institution. The clashes between opponents and supporters of Mubarak in front of the court testify to the critical point that has been reached in relation to this. The Muslim Brotherhood is established and well organised and they are poised to take up the role of “rescuer”. Their tactics include cunningly keeping a low profile while at the same time waiting for gaps to fill in the structure of ongoing debate and protests. They established the Muslim Brotherhood Political Party to run in the next parliamentary elections, scheduled this fall, appointing a Coptic Christian as its vice president.  This is an obvious gesture to quell any fears they will use religion as a tool in their domestic political agenda. However, in their rhetoric on foreign policy and the future of Egypt’s relationship to its neighbours, they shall beat their rivals in election in an easy fashion.  When asked, in a recent interview about Egypt’s treaty with Israel, Youssef Nada, a long time strategist for the Muslim Brotherhood, stated that the “treaty should be rewritten- to be fair to everyone.”  Such statements are welcomed in Egypt as the treaty has long been viewed as an alliance between Mubarak and Israel rather than between the two countries. The Treaty was signed in 1979; Mubarak came to power in 1981 and became its de facto guardian. For many Egyptians it is a treaty very much identified with Mubarak’s strong ties with Israel. Therefore, when the Muslim Brotherhood plays popular tones and these will find wider audience on the street.

So far, the spirit of protest was subject to reason: “down-down with the regime for dignity and justice”. The reasoning underpinning this is the exchange of a regime that hindered justice for a new system which could restore it. Nonetheless, the courtroom in the case of Mubarak does not necessarily symbolise justice and seems more a vengeful form of catharsis for the people. Justice is known as the “first virtue of social institutions.” While the SCAF still holds ‘the’ momentary authority, one would assume that the spirit of wider social institutions lacks virtue.

Rational political protest must be guarded from becoming merely an instrument of revenge. That is, objectivity ought to prevail rather than the satisfaction of the deeply entrenched cultural and religious ethics of the Arab world. The true spirit of the early protest must remain authoritative and not be subjugated to over-hastiness and popular appeasement.  I say that because these protests have not yet become fully incorporated into a body juridiques, and cannot be so while the military is still the governing body. Thus, the trial of Mubarak could remain of an ailing old man.

- Dr. Nath Aldalala'a - School of English Literature, Newcastle University, United Kingdom – contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.

By Jamil Toubbeh

In his review of Margaret MacMillan’s book, Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History (2009), David Kennedy writes: humans live in history, a few write it, others read it; some are made or broken by it, most try to make use of it, “usually by ransacking the past for analogies to explain the present and to predict the future,” but most routinely botch it.

The late distinguished scholar, Ben E. Perry (1915-1970), had a passion for history, cultures, languages and a penchant for detail. In his excavation of cultures and languages he had the discipline of a humanist, perhaps matching that of Ibn Khaldun or Ibn al-Muqaffa. If the three were living today, they would  conclude that the Arab Spring represents a prelude to democracy and human  rights in the 21st century—the value in history to advance rather than destroy humankind.  

I met Perry in a small Spartan office in one of the old University of Illinois (Urbana) buildings, he and I separated by years of maturity, experience, wisdom and renown. I was a graduate student needing part-time employment and he, a world-renowned Professor of Classics, in need of someone versed in the Arabic language, culture and calligraphy. It was a good match and for me, a rare opportunity to access the mind and talent of someone who could become a mentor in a field as esoteric as Classics, though in my Arab veins Aesop’s fables, Bach’s lute music and Obama’s didactic orations intersect—a mindset not unique among Arabs in general.  Arab history lies between China and Spain (al-Andalus) and beyond.  Perry’s academic pursuits fell within the range and scope of that history, but he was also a model of the American I came to know during my years of acculturation and before America closed its book on international law and succumbed to corporate single-issue lobbies—creating an environment for nurturing institutional and human dinosaurs.

In 1955, Perry was working on his book, Secundus the Silent Philosopher (Cornel University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1964) and other texts that included Sindbad and Luqman, each with Arabic Christian or Muslim traditions. Perry was, by any measure of humanity, a cultured and civilized being whose greatest asset was his astute ability to differentiate between those who benefited from human history and those who trashed it—the human and institutional dinosaurs. He and I lived through those dinosaur periods. The secret Protocols of Sèvres that precipitated the Suez Crisis of October 29, 1956, was one such period

During this short historical period a herd of old and young dinosaurs congregated on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean to topple Gamal Abdul Nasser of Egypt and to reclaim Suez and beyond. The flags of Israel, France and the United Kingdom were hoisted over Egyptian sovereign land.  Apologists in the West--and there were many--welcomed the event: Nasser was selling body and soul to communism, ergo, he was viewed as a threat to world security.  (In 1956, the phrase “take’im out” and its variant “regime change”, were  not in the lingo yet).The crisis, a euphemism for aggression, was short-lived, Nasser was not toppled and Egypt survived as a nation. One of the few professors who had not supported the attack, Perry would not live to know that Eisenhower would be the only US president ever to order the aggressors, US allies, to retreat--and to survive the presidency. 

Perry was aware of his counterparts in history, one, a Muslim, Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406).  Ibn Khaldun is known to European scholars as one of the forerunners of modern history (especially political history), sociology, economics and jurisprudence. He and Ibn Khaldun shared a critical vision of human history and creativity, as well as the value of scientifically-driven inquiry. Ironically, Ibn Khaldun lived during the dawn of Western global colonization, especially of the Americas, while Perry, during the waning years of modern colonialism and the rise of US global neo-colonialism and hegemony, to wit, the Korean and Vietnamese wars, as well as the US involvement in Israel’s 1967 preemptive attacks on Egypt, Jordan and Syria. These attacks altered Arab perception of and trust in US foreign policies). Ben Perry died at a time when US-Arab and US-Muslim relationships were just a snowball rolling down the steep slopes of Mount Washington on its way to Israel River.  He died before the Stars and Stripes acquired a different shade of blue and long before the US Congress and the White House embraced virtual reality, the reality that neither he nor Ibn Khaldun would or could ever have entertained.  [Mount Washington and Israel River are located in the State of New Hampshire where the first primary elections for nominees for presidential elections are held].

Virtual reality informs of an artificial environment that is created with software and presented to the user/observer in such a way that he/she suspends belief and accepts it as a real environment. Throughout millennia, virtual realities have been created for deceased emperors, pharaohs or loved ones with elegant and costly hardware to ease their passage to the afterworld.  Egyptians sailed their unloved King Farouk to his virtual reality in Italy within, what Egyptian humorists would describe as “a decent trek for weight loss to the Riviera”. There are however, inherent dangers in virtual realities of past and present.  In Egypt some of the pharaohs lost some of their accoutrements before sailing into the sunlight of their respective hereafters. Today, creators of virtual realities would add heavenly-charged navigators to guide the human brain, soul and conscience to money and fame—all for the asking, with a commitment and a yea or a nay vote as ordered. 

To the unenlightened or to those who fear reality, virtual reality is the comfort zone of existence or even survival. This is true in charged political environments that create unlikely political allies to oppose a political system or policies. Before the advent of software, a large chunk of our lives was (and still is) a kind of virtual reality.  Televangelists use myths, legends and fables to create virtual realities for their faithful.  The Christian Right and Zionism with diametrically opposed agendas become allies on Jewish settlement in Palestine. Historic US policy opposes the settlements.  Obama’s eloquent Cairo address to the Arab and Muslim worlds was a virtual reality for US citizens. To his intended listeners, it was a Washington-made violin that lacked the timber of a finely crafted ‘oud (lute); his next stop, an extension of that virtual reality, proved it.  

Virtual reality induces euphoria, sometimes pathological, in exaggerated states as in the disorderly and uncivil execution of Saddam Hussein before the condemned was allowed to utter words of atonement, or his final wish. In a charged political arena where morality and money are currencies of exchange, a master of the virtual reality art can create an environment in which even the most enlightened are forced to toe the line.  In this regard, AIPAC is in step with the tobacco and oil industries, with one exception: drugs and oil don’t mix as well as religion or belief--in politics.  In the West, AIPAC has thrived on fundamental beliefs: America is the most religious country in the world.

On May 24, 2011 a human dinosaur, known for periodic hibernation in New York and Washington, DC, descended upon Capitol Hill to address the most prestigious body of legislators in the world, the US Congress. He was backed by AIPAC’s army of publicists and apologists trained in virtual reality, especially in the art of rewriting history, creating historical, cultural, or political parallels where there are none. The ears of his audience had already been fine-tuned to the nuances of his vocal cords.  He was a Menachem Begin lecturing President Jimmy Cater, a devout Christian and humanitarian, on the content of The Book.  AIPAC’s annual gathering had preceded Netanyahu’s well-crafted message lacking speakers’ occasional stammers. The PM was writing the history of Zionism and Israel and reciting it to an audience generally insular in and ignorant of world history and affairs but religiously inclined to accept myth in a virtual reality context.  AIPAC, Netanyahu’s home-away-from-home, is no longer an acronym for a goodwill organization: it is Washington’s giant Israeli baseball bat. And the PM was holding it in full view of his audience and the millions of listeners beyond awaiting visas to Heaven. Constructed on principles of virtual reality in days preceding the establishment of the Jewish state, AIPAC’s agendas are Israel’s, but the organization also serves as a beacon for the states on matters that affect Israel, regionally and globally.  Although originally registered as an organization that represents other than US direct interests, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has all the rights and privileges of any other single-issue organization, e.g. the American Federation of the Blind or the Susan G. Komen organization.  In terms of punch, its accessibility to power in Washington and big voter states competes with the best in the lobby industry.  AIPAC’s site home page defines chutzpah: it displays the Stars and Stripes and the Star of David side by side over Capitol Hill.

In addition to being a symbol of AIPAC’s power, Netanyahu’s message to the Congress echoed the somber tenor of a medieval Miracle Play and the exuberance of a Brazilian Carnival in Washington’s conservative attire, both of which combined to make myths reality and history a trash bin of human intellectual endeavors.  Each of the 29 standing ovations represented a “Hail Mary” (in American football) that bounced off the goal posts of the world and landed in the Field of Apartheid on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean.  The incongruous is an important element in comedy, but when the surreal displaces the incongruous, the comedy loses its intrinsic value, the moral. In Netanyahu’s virtual reality, America’s democratic ideals are Israel’s ideals; in fact those ideals are anachronistic. A more appropriate analogy would be the ideals of an Arab demonstrator in any capital of the Arab world. Israel’s racism is an institutional dinosaur trapped in a time warp.   

Some 1200 years ago, Abdullah Ibn Al-Muqaffa’s constructed and reconstructed fables from the past in his famous Kalila wa [and] Dimna, a book that inspired, 800 years later, Jean de La Fontaine’s fable, ands perhaps still l later, George Orwell’s Animal Farm.  The authors had a sense for humanity that could capture the interest of a Ben Perry or an Ibn Khaldun. The animals in Kalila wa Dimna and Animal Farm are terrestrial creatures with human traits. The fables are a record of sorts of human history with a moral, a value.  Although these elements may comprise a virtual reality, the underlying purpose of the former is clearly to educate and present reality in a context that is easier to understand and use, especially in one’s formative years.  One can understand the irony in Netanyahu’s address when he uttered the virtual reality myth that a return to the 1967 borders would jeopardize the state’s security at a time when the state has state-of-art weapons of mass destruction.  The statement is not only a myth, it is botched history of UN resolutions and stated policies of the US—Israel’s “sugar daddy”.  The myth, unfortunately, drew the longest standing ovation, underscoring the US Congress’ irreverence of the UN and Geneva Protocols.   

Although human dinosaurs have common traits, a few are trapped in unusual time warps where their virtuosity as dinosaurs surpasses all other like dinosaurs.  The 20th and 21st centuries had witnessed a few. In less than 50 years Mao Tse-Tung, Stalin, Hitler etal caused, directly or indirectly, the death of an estimated 100 million people. Mao topped the list with 25 million.  Estimating correlate human miseries, including disinheritance, would only place the dead at risk of being insignificant.  Nearly all Israeli leaders have been and still are, caught in unusual time warps. The Zionist slogan, used also by Christian Zionists, “a land without a people for a people without a land” inspired Jabotinsky’s call to ethnic cleanse Palestine because he, and other Zionists before and after him, knew that 95 percent of the land of Palestine was owned and inhabited by Palestinians, whether under Ottoman or British rule.  The violence associated with ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, past and ongoing, has been overlooked by Western governments and societies either because of historic treatment of Jews in the West (and in the Soviet Union/Russia) or because of religious beliefs. This cultural-political phenomenon has become one of the accepted anachronisms in modern democracy, especially in the US.  The cultural-political element was apparent in the US Congress’ response to Netanyahu’s message (he received four more standing ovations than President Obama) and the White House’ rejection of the Goldstone report on the consequences of Israel’s latest attack on Gaza as well as the author’s subsequent reconsideration of his own facts and findings. A corollary of this cultural-political phenomenon is the tendency among some Western leaders to displace Israel’s violence (or political aims) on victims of the state’s violence, using presumed surrogates of these victims, Lebanese/Hezbollah, Palestinians/PLO-Hamas, Iraqi/Hussein, Muslims/bin Laden-Taliban, etc.   

The Arab Spring has been successful in ridding the Arab world of at least two human dinosaurs nurtured for decades by the West.  Syria’s human dinosaur, Assad, is demonstrating his virtuosity as a dinosaur equal to that of the best modern dinosaurs.  His brutality against his own unarmed countrymen is now proverbial.  While he may not wish to be associated with his neighbor to the south, he is nonetheless contributing to his rival’s hegemony in the Arab world.  As a resident of one of the oldest extant cities in human history, he continues to write his own vacuous history in blood while botching Syria’s contributions to modern history. Assad’s personal history, by contrast, gives deeper meaning to freedom, democracy and human rights, and underscores the relevance and significance of the Arab Spring.  Assad’s center of power, Damascus (the City of Jasmine”, carbon 14 dating to 6300 BC and evidence of existence dating to 9000 BC) has a reputation for being a center of learning matching that of Baghdad, Alexandria and Cairo, Kairawan (Tunisia) and Cordoba (Andalusia, Spain).  That history runs deep in the veins and sinews of Syria’s and Arab demonstrators elsewhere in the Arab world.

The Arab Spring will outlast institutional and human dinosaurs. Because humans live in history, there will always be a Ben Perry to explore and document it, an Ibn Khaldun to expound on it, and an ibn al-Muqaffa to humanize it and draw moral examples from it.  To date, the Arab Spring has shown that institutional and human dinosaurs are self-destructive.

- Jamil Toubbeh is author of Day of the Long Night, (McFarland & Co. Publishers), a Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the Eagle Feather for work on Native American disability policy. He is currently Senior Researcher in cancer health disparities at Center for Asian Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.

Something for everyone as love stories, psychological chillers, political thrillers, comedies and more join the festival's line-up. The Toronto International Film Festival has announced another huge batch of titles for TIFF 2011 this year, putting their total well over 100. While there was plenty in the original line-ups announced, there's even more in these selections of films that I'm very excited to see this year, including Nacho Vigalondo's new sci-fi film Extraterrestrial, which we've teased before (though I'm surprised it's not a Midnight Madness film). You can check out a full list of the latest TIFF films announced just below. For more information and a closer look at the schedule and line-up, visit the official TIFF website: tiff.net New Galas: Page Eight (Closing Night Film) (dir. David Hare, United Kingdom) Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) is a long-serving M15 officer. His boss and best friend Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon) dies suddenly, leaving behind him an inexplicable ...

Paul McCartney took time out from his current North American tour to fly back to the United Kingdom to participate in the Liverpool Institute of the Performing Arts graduation ceremonies on Friday.

Want to hear some details on the Hulk's look in The Avengers? What would happen if Nick Fury showed up in non-Marvel movies? Did Hugh Jackman have nice things to say about The Wolverine director James Mangold? Where can you see The Avengers earlier than the United States?  Is there going to be a better way than just normal 3D to see The Amazing Spider-Man? Read about all this and more in today's Superhero Bits. Hugh Jackman made a surprise appearance at Comic-Con promoting Real Steel and MTV News [1] caught up with him to talk about The Wolverine and new director James Mangold. Kevin Feige spoke to the Los Angeles Times [2] about the Hulk's look in The Avengers, which was revealed in a concept drawing at Comic Con. Here's a sample: He’ll be about the same size he was in “The Incredible Hulk” [which was about 9 feet tall] or maybe a little bit smaller. His muscles won’t be quite as cut. We figure he’s been the Hulk now for a few years and [his physique is changing]. He’s not as cut or as ripped as he was in “The Incredible Hulk.” The most important thing is that face. As you can already see in that concept painting, it is — more than any Hulk that’s ever been done in live action — a Hulk that let’s you see the actor in there. You will be able to see Ruffalo in there. That was a big revelation for us. It’s just a concept painting, but in that you can see the [influence of Marvel Comics pioneer and original Hulk artist Jack] Kirby, as people have already pointed out, but also, and equally important in this case, Ruffalo’s eyes and his cheek structure. It is him. Rooster Teeth [3] created this parody trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger, having a little fun with the whole muscle enhancement thing. The IMAX company has announced that The Amazing Spider-Man will be released in IMAX 3D come next summer. Head over to Coming Soon [4] for the full press release. SuperPunch [5] has posted this really incredible Lady Two Face cosplay photo of frequent cosplayer Meagan Marie [6]. Pretty insane. We ran this before, but just as a reminder, fans can have a chance to be in The Dark Knight Rises if you live in Los Angeles this weekend. All the details are at On Location Vacations [7]. Now this is clever. College Humor [8] has surmised what would happen if Nick Fury showed up in other movies, non-Marvel movies? Well, pretty much, supreme awkwardness. Comic Book Movie [9] is reporting that The Avengers will open in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2012, a week in advance of its United States release date. Marvel did the same thing with Thor so it makes sense. Hot Toys is making another set of incredible toys based on a recent comic book movie hit. Batman Demon, along with Scarecrow, from Batman Begins are two of the latest. Check out more photos over on What Culture [10]. Captain America: The First Avenger is going to FX. Years and years from now. Thanks to Deadline [11]. More The Amazing Spider-Man Videos [12] One of my favorite video features on the web is when IGN does their Rewind Theater [13] where they take a hot, new, trailer and dissect it. They've now done it with The Amazing Spider-Man. Check it out above. Continue Reading Superhero Bits >> [14] Due to the amount of graphics and images included in Superhero Bits, we have to split this post over TWO pages. Click the link above to continue to the second page of Superhero Bits. [1] http://splashpage.mtv.com/2011/07/26/wolverine-hugh-jackman-james-mangold-director [2] http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/07/27/the-avengers-and-the-hulk-kevin-feige-explains-a-new-approach [3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLLKMiVL3O8&feature=channel_video_title [4] http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=80325 [5] http://superpunch.blogspot.com/2011/07/lady-two-face.html [6] http://meagan-marie.tumblr.com/ [7] http://www.onlocationvacations.com/2011/07/26/the-dark-knight-rises-open-casting-call-announced-in-l-a-for-this-weekend [8] http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6570614/nick-fury-in-other-movies [9] http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/joshw24/news/?a=42907&t=iThe_Avengersi_To_Assemble_On_The_Big_Screen_A_Little_Earlier_In_The_UK [10] http://whatculture.com/film/cool-stuff-hot-toys-demon-batman-and-scarecrow-figure-set.php [11] http://www.deadline.com/2011/07/fx-picks-up-3-movies-captain-america-friends-with-benefits-horrible-bosses/ [12] http://uk.ign.com/videos/2011/07/26/ign-rewind-theater-the-amazing-spider-man-first-trailer [13] http://uk.ign.com/videos/2011/07/26/ign-rewind-theater-the-amazing-spider-man-first-trailer [14] http://www.slashfilm.com/superhero-bits-47/2/

When the war ended in Gulu, there were many issues to tackle. The arts were not a priority. But when David Odwar returned from the United Kingdom where by 2001 he had lived for 20 years, he decided he would use his acquired skills in the arts to quicken the healing process in the region. And that is how Taks Centre (Through Art Keep Smiling) was born.

by Radar Staff

The Royals have arrived!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge landed Friday afternoon at the Los Angeles International Airport, after wrapping up their nine-day whirlwind tour of Canada.

California Gov. Jerry Brown is welcoming the royal couple upon their arrival at LAX Airport. From there, the Royals will go immediately to the Beverly Hills Hilton where they'll meet with a group of venture capitalists, business leaders and philanthropists before heading to a Consular-General Reception held by the United Kingdom Trade and Investment.

PHOTOS: Kate Makes A Little Girl’s Dreams Come True

British consul-general reception Barbara Hay will host the event at her home in Hancock Park -- a posh neighborhood in L.A. -- where Prince William and Kate will be staying while in town.

According to St. James Palace, Prince William and Kate’s objective while in the Golden State will be "supporting British interest in California through the prism of their own interests," on the trip which marks the first time Kate has visited the United States.

PHOTOS: William & Kate Attend A Rodeo In Calgary

Officials issued a preemptive statement putting the city's numerous paparazzi cameramen on alert, as Los Angeles police Deputy Chief Michael Downing said Thursday, "We ask that the paparazzi be respectful and dignified. And we will be respectful and dignified to the paparazzi.

"It is a very important event for Los Angeles," Downing said, noting the security measures taken will be a tick under the usual protocol when the president's in town. "It is really an honor to have the royal couple in Los Angeles, and we want to make sure they have a good impression."

PHOTOS: Prince William & Kate Hug After Boat Race

On Saturday afternoon, Prince William -- an avid polo player -- is slated to lead a team at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, for a charity match to benefit the American Friends of the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry. Kate is scheduled to present the winners with a trophy.

Tickets for the event were going for $4,000 for a meet-and-greet with the royals; and $400 for general admission to watch the match in the grandstand, with a box lunch and a souvenir program included into the cost of the ticket.

On Saturday night, the second-to-the-throne will join his lovely wife in downtown Los Angeles for a dinner at the 1926 Belasco Theatre put on by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. There, they will be the guests of honor at a reception to pay tribute to 42 of the U.K.’s top young filmmakers. Oprah Winfrey and Tom Hanks are among those on the guests lists.

PHOTOS: William & Kate Cook In Montreal

On Sunday, they'll check out the Inner-City Arts School, an establishment that's in the dreary Skid Row section, to watch a dance recital featuring kids from a nonprofit academy in the area. After that, they'll pay a visit to Culver City's Sony Studios to attend the Service Nation: Mission Serve job fair.

From there it's back to LAX Airport, where around afternoon, the beautiful young couple will head back to the motherland after the jam-packed Hollywood weekend.

Keep checking back with RadarOnline.com all weekend long for the very latest Royal news!

 

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By Joe Catron

On a warm, sunny afternoon, I met Eman Sourani and Rana Baker in an airy outdoor café several blocks from the port of Gaza. Both are members of the Palestinian Students' Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel (PSCABI). Sourani, a 22-year-old English literature student at Al-Aqsa University, cofounded the group after Operation Cast Lead in January 2009, while Baker, a 19-year-old blogger and a business administration student at the Islamic University of Gaza, joined it during Israeli Apartheid Week, a global event in March 2011.

PSCABI is the student arm of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), itself part of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) National Committee. Since its July 2005 founding by Palestinian organizations from Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, and the diaspora, BDS has grown into a formidable global movement with an impressive record of victories.

In the last month alone, the University and College Union (UCU) and the University of London Union (ULU), respectively the largest academic labor union in the United Kingdom and the largest student union in Europe, voted to support it and sever their ties with Israeli institutions;  UK Prime Minister David Cameron quietly resigned his post as Honorary Chairman of the Jewish National Fund, implicated in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian lands; students at the United States’ DePaul University voted by a nearly 80% margin (although without reaching the necessary quorum) to remove Sabra hummus, linked to the Israeli military, from their campus; the French-Belgian bank Dexia announced the impending sale of its Israeli subsidiary, “even at a loss;” and musicians Andy McKee and Marc Almond cancelled appearances in Israel.

Although not all acknowledged the role of the campaign in their decisions, each was a target of it. Meanwhile, battles rage against the US pension fund TIAA-CREF; Israeli national institutions like the Histadrut and State of Israel Bonds; the Israeli produce exporter Carmel Agrexco; the French construction firms Alstom and Derail Veolia; the beauty suppliers Ahava, Estee Lauder, L'Oréal, and Seacret Dead Sea; and dozens of other institutions complicit in Israeli crimes, as well as performers like Paul Simon  and Jello Biafra, who plan to violate the cultural boycott by playing Tel Aviv.

“Even some South Africans like Desmond Tutu have said that what they did in thirty years, the Palestinians did in three,” Sourani told me over tea. “The boycott is a lesson of the success of the South Africans. And why not? Nothing is imposible. When people hear that Palestinians are doing something like this, that we are taking action, they believe in the idea and the issue much more.”

Baker agreed with her about the importance of South Africa. “We like to address apartheid,” she said. “We like to use this word, because it really emphasizes what is happening. Of course we have the apartheid wall. We have the checkpoints like they had in South Africa. What does an apartheid wall represent but apartheid? What else do checkpoints represent?”

“We think that BDS is a very effective way to resist Israel,” Baker continued. “Why? Because the pillars of BDS represents all Palestinians. The core issues of the Palestinian cause are the right to return, the ending of the occupation, and equality between Palestinians and Jews within the Israeli state or borders. So we think that being a real Palestinian-led movement that represents all Palestinians is very important. And this makes it able to grow, makes it able to expand within each and every cause. It represents every Palestinian in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Israel, and in the diáspora. BDS is established on those pillars. And the most important pillar, in my opinion, is the right to return. This movement, the march of return, is also a powerful campaign to make people understand that we have not forgotten our right to return. When Ben-Gurion said that old would die and the young forget, he was totally mistaken! Of course the old will die, but they have children, they have grandchildren, and we will never forget. We are Palestinian.”

”We have Palestinian identity, and Palestinian identity is a great responsibility,” Sourani added. “So we have to act. We have to fight Zionism. We have to be aware of what is going on, because being aware means that we are alive. It gives meaning to our lives. I myself give the definition that life is politics here in Gaza. It is all of what we live.”

How does PSCABI fight Zionism, I asked? “We as youth and students address youth and students about the academic boycott, and connect it with the cultural boycott,” Sourani answered. “We make videos to send to universities and have video conferences with them. We just tell people that we are here. You should know about Gaza, and you should know about Israel and the reality of its apartheid. Some of our biggest successes are the University of Johannesburg boycotting Ben Gurion University, or the biggest student union in London refusing to deal with Israel.”

“We also write letters to celebrities who are going to perform in Israel, asking them not to entertain apartheid, and we are actually succeeding in this,” said Baker. “Many, many of them have been stopped from performing in Israel, and some actually became BDS advocates.”

How do they work with BDS activists elsewhere? “I think is important that we talk with them, that we have a discussion about BDS here and BDS there,” said Baker.” We want to see what they do there and learn from them, and they might also see what we do and learn from us. So we can share our experiences in BDS, our stories, and they can use our stories and spread them out to gain more support for BDS.”

“The young Palestinians nowadays are very creative, in writing, blogging, video making; many, many things,” said Sourani. “I am very proud of my generation. They are so creative, really. I meet and talk to anyone who does anything: maybe blogging, a site, a Facebook account, a Twitter. Youth everywhere are doing fantastic things. They just need to be linked with Palestinians ourselves.”

“We want more links with people outside,” said Baker. “We want more actions and more communication. The more you communicate with people, the more the idea becomes big and it grows. And BDS is growing. Citizens, and students, and young, and old, are engaging themselves in BDS, outside and inside and everywhere. It is actually, in its core, a popular struggle, and it is civil resistance.”

What do they ask of outsiders? “The important thing is that they take action,” Sourani replied. “This is what we are looking for. We don’t look for passion, we don’t look for tears, we don’t look for romantic speech. We just look for actions. Whatever small action you can take is something beautiful. This is the basis of BDS, that we don’t wait for talk.”

“Let’s mention here the the recent action taken by people in the United States diring the AIPAC speech,” said Baker. “I think this was really effective, when young students stood up and spoke out for Palestine, students who had no relation to Palestinian identity, except that they understood the issue, they understood what is right and what is wrong, and they took action. Even if they knew that they might be harmed, or might get fired from somewhere. We think that this is really important, and this is a success for BDS.”

“An important thing we do at the end of every video conference is to give them a request: Come to Gaza,” said Sourani. “People will not act before understanding. You can come, live with us, and see how students can’t get get books, how students can’t get scholarships abroad, how students would die to go, but have nightmares about Rafah Border before going to London, for example. We can’t go to places in our own country! We can’t study, for example, in Bethlehem, in Ramallah, in Najah University. I actually was planning for that, but of course it is imposible.

“This is about human rights and international law, how the world Works,” she added. “As you live there peacefully, Palestinians have the right to live. The rights your students have to move, to learn, to travel everywhere, to get scholarships, we also need. So we need people to understand, to study the issue, and to act. This is what we are doing.”

And other Palestinians? “I want all Palestinians, not only us in BDS, to engage in boycotting Israel,” Baker replied. “I want all of them to become politically aware. And this is also something we work on in BDS. We don’t just discuss BDS in the meetings of our core group. We talk about it in our universities. We invite people to our events. In the future, we really hope that each and every Palestinian becomes aware of BDS, and implements BDS so that it becomes a part of his or her life.

“We also like to participate in events that are held worldwide, like Israeli Apartheid Week,” she said. “We had one here this year, and it was really successful. We try talk to many academics and important activists, like Ilan Pappé and Ramzy Baroud. It’s really good how many people here want to know about BDS. They really want to listen.”

“The amazing thing about PSCABI is that all the political blocs here support it and agree on the academic boycott,” added Sourani.

What else, I asked in closing? “We want people to know that we’re not dying of hunger,” said Baker. “We’re not begging. We’re not shedding tears. We’re taking action on our own behalf. We’re trying to raise awareness, to link people, to make them understand and make them more involved in independent political groups that are peacefully resisting Israel and the occupation.”

“BDS is a Palestinian voice,” said Sourani. “This is what people need to hear, to listen to everywhere. We refuse occupation. I’m proud of doing this work. I’m a Palestinian; I’m not silent. That is the idea.

“I don’t want peace before justice. I’m looking for justice. And justice means the end of apartheid, the end of racism, and the end of occupation. So I need justice first, and then, when we are all equal people, we will look for peace.”

- Joe Catron is a resident of Brooklyn, New York and a current member of the International Solidarity Movement – Gaza Strip. He writes in a personal capacity. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.

According to all the popular culture gurus, pop-up retailing, also known as pop-up stores or flash retailing, is a trend of opening short-term sales spaces in the United States and the United Kingdom.

A visitor looks at the photograph "Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, 1995" by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei at the photo museum in Winterthur, Switzerland.

Paris, May 27th, 2011 – Today, the G8 released its final communiqué, which fails to offer balanced and concrete proposals regarding Internet policy. After convening an illegitimate eG8 during which special interests and governments came closer than ever, it is now clear that the G8 focus on Internet wanted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy comes down to a dangerous takeover of Internet governance.

The most detailed part of the communiqué1 is that on copyright. It calls for an increased private censorship to prevent the sharing of culture online2, like the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), just after the EU Commission announced its strategy to take on infringements "at the source" and after the U.S Protect IP Act was passed unanimously a committee vote in the Senate.

The communiqué does not include any substantial proposal about the importance of Net neutrality, the silencing or jailing of bloggers in many authoritarian countries, the dangers of private censorship by online actors, or of other burning issues. It only addresses in very vague and general terms the need to foster human rights and and democratic participation online.

After a disastrous eG8 forum where the most powerful businesses and control-oriented governments shared views on how to tailor the Internet to their needs, the G8 communiqué falls short of establishing a democratic Internet policy. It strongly contrasts with the just-released report3 of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion regarding the Internet. In this report, Rapporteur Franck La Rue underlines the fantastic opportunities embedded in the advent of the Internet and depicts in detail the various threats on freedom of expression or privacy, such as the dangers of relying on private actors to regulate online communications4 or the ruthless enforcement of copyright5. In the face of these threats, the report also makes a number of suggestions to protect the openness and the universality of the Internet.  

“This whole episode has shown that there is not much to expect from these few governments who lend their ears to special interests. G8 governments shun the historic responsibility of recognizing the necessary conditions for the Internet to be truly open. They fail to even consider proposing a reform of copyright, abstain from committing to Net neutrality or from protecting users of the malpractices of online businesses." says Philippe Aigrain, co-founder for La Quadrature du Net.

“After convening the biggest businesses of the Internet to a ridiculous public relations exercise, G8 leaders are now relaying their demands. This communiqué confirms that this unholy alliance between governments and big businesses is something Internet users should be worried about, and something against which they must mobilize. The Internet is ours!” concludes Zimmermann.

1. 1. http://www.g20-g8.com/g8-g20/g8/francais/en-direct/actualites/un-nouvel-...
2. 2. The communiqué mentions "procedures to prevent current and future infringements". According to the G8, the enforcement of copyright calls for "an appropriate international cooperation between stakeholders, along with the private sector". Our translation.
3. 3. http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/17session/A.HRC.17.2...
4. 4. The report says that “holding intermediaries liable for the content disseminated or created by their users severely undermines the enjoyment of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, because it leads to self-protective and over-broad private censorship, often without transparency and the due process of the law.”
5. 5. "[The Rapporteur] is alarmed by proposals to disconnect users from Internet access if they violate intellectual property rights. This also includes legislation based on the concept of “graduated response”, which imposes a series of penalties on copyright infringers that could lead to suspension of Internet service, such as the so-called “three-strikes-law” in France and the Digital Economy Act 2010 of the United Kingdom.

As Easter comes round again, I am, as ever, both moved and grateful that Malta respects this incomparable event and marks it appropriately with both silence and celebration. I say, and pray, “Malta, don’t change!” Looking at the virtual landslide decline in the practice of the Christian faith among our northern neighbours (including my own country, the United Kingdom) it could be argued that Malta is the last remaining bastion of the faith in Europe; but the question is frequently asked: for how long? We live in a culture where many rival “gods” compete for the single-minded devotion that Jesus asks of His disciples. Even church-going people, while subscribing to Christian values officially, find it difficult not to embrace, at least partly, the “creeds” of relativism and consumerism to which they are being continually exposed through a host of advertising and media channels. The situation is not new. There has scarcely been a time in history when the Christian faith has not been proclaimed against a background of opposition – even martyrdom – in one form or another. The temptation to hibernate within the comfort zone of nominal religion has always been strong.