Despite Gaza pullout, Israel cements control
GAZA — Many Palestinians are excited about the pullout of Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip. But according to human rights lawyer Raji Sourani, director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, the celebrations are premature.
Writing for electronicintifada.net, he reports that while Palestinians are holding nightly street celebrations, the Israeli military is redeploying troops to Gaza’s borders and cementing its control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. “Even though settlers are leaving Gaza, the occupation, arbitrary arrest, house demolitions and expanding settlements continue in the West Bank and Jerusalem,” he writes.
Despite claims of disengagement, “Israel remains in control of the land borders (including the only access point from Gaza to the outside world), the sea (preventing fishing, pleasure boating, or travel for work or holidays) and the air (ensuring that the airport runway remains bombed-out and inoperable),” he adds. “This ‘disengagement’ is not designed to bring peace, but rather to institutionalize the effects of war.”
Marines hunt down Vietnam deserters
TARPON SPRINGS, FL — Corp. Jerry Texiero served on active duty with the Marines from 1959-65. But 40 years ago he refused deployment to Vietnam because he was opposed to U.S. military action there. On Aug. 16, 2005, the Marines finally caught up with him.
According to Citizen Soldier, a GI/veterans rights advocacy group, Texiero’s arrest by local police was orchestrated by a special unit, the Marine Absentee Collection Center. Chief Warrent Officer James Averhart, the unit’s commander, told reporters in Florida that he was pushing the group to aggressively pursue some 1,200 deserters. Of 70 technically AWOL for decades, Averhart claims to have apprehended 27 since September 2004.
Citizen Soldier Legal Director Tod Ensign has two main criticisms of the new legal dragnet. “First, the Vietnam war ended 35 years ago and most Americans today accept that GIs had a right to resist this illegal war,” he said.
“Second, why are the Marines spending scarce public funds prosecuting this peaceful senior citizen while some of our troops in Iraq go without Kevlar vests or safe drinking water?”
Texiero, 64, is being held on desertion charges. He ill be transferred to Camp Lejeune, NC, for possible court martial action in the near future. If convicted, he could be imprisoned for five years and given a dishonorable discharge. Citizen Soldier is supporting his efforts to win a discharge without prosecution.
posted August 25, 2005
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