The Anth Zone

The Security Council of the Israeli Government has voted unanimously to increase the number of troops and armoured vehicles on the frontlines of the growing armed conflict in Southern Lebanon after resuming air raids after a few days. Earlier Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged Israeli against an extension of a cease fire that was created between Israel and Hezbollah armed forces. The Government of Israel has no interest in ending this engagement that has endangered thousands of Lebanese lives and are trying to flee the country.

Last week, Israelis bombed a U.N Observation Post that has left a Canadian soldier for dead. The Israeli Prime Minister pledged an investigation into the deaths of the U.N. workers and apologized for killing them. However, the Government of Israel has not apologized to the people of Canada for killing eight fellow nationals. When will the Conservative Government place political pressure on Israel’s wrongful doings? The Conservatives may not want to escalate this armed conflict, however the Government of Canada has done nothing to pursue justice.

I am going to make myself very clear at the beginning of this blog entry that I am one of the biggest fans of Louise Arbour and her overall performance as the world’s attack dog on human rights. I believe she is only person for the job as she has proven on multiple occasions to be an advocacy and bringing forth justice who have committed injustices to others.

Recently the Israeli Ambassador to Canada Alan Baker accused Louise who is the U.N.’s High Commissioner for Human Rights that she does not grasp the situation in the war torn region. This is a follow up, after Mrs. Arbour called for Israeli and Hezbollah Officials to be charged for war crimes if do not take measures to protect the lives of civilians both in Israel and Lebanon.

I believe she has clearly made the right choice. Israel has not released a public apology to the people of Canada for killing seven Canadian nationals.

Nor has our Conservative Government released any statements to condemn the Israeli attacks that left seven of our people for the body bags. Instead, they continue to be the world’s lap dog. The Conservatives made a campaign promise and proclaimed that they are electable to protect Canadians. They have done fuddle duddle.

I hate shit disturbers. Period. I have no support for any of them. Period. I may not support the leadership candidate that I am going to be discussing but he deserves the decency of respect. Period. His name is Michael Ignatieff. I may disagree with him on his stances on the Middle East and is academic intellectual attitude that could pressure him to trouble if he takes the leadership of our party on the fateful weekend at the end of November going into December. He does not demand of it from you. He deserves the respect.

Peter Wrightwater from Paper Dynamite Online has recently made speculations that Michael Ignatieff will be stepping out of the race due to health reasons and has been spending time with family. Let me make two things clear.

First of all, do not attack one’s health and two; do not attack one who wishes to spend time with his family. Michael Ignatieff has been on the leadership campaign non-stop therefore there is a possibility that he could be suffering from a serious case of fatigue and two, he has been across the entire country speaking on how he wants to lead our party to greatness in his perspective, now he wants to spend several days with his family. What is a big problem with that? Nothing.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter MacKay requested Lebanon and Israel to guarantee safe passage and protection for the six ships currently being leased to us by Cyprus to carry willing Canadians who want to escape the growing increase of violence between the warring factions. There are currently over 50,000 people who hold Canadian citizenship in Lebanon. There has already been seven Canadian nationals that have lost their lives in this armed conflict.

The Government under Conservative Leadership has already taken sides in this armed conflict which hurts our chances to send troops into the battling area to assist with peace-making operations. Interim Liberal Leader Bill Graham has stated:

“It’s a Canadian tradition to work in the Middle East for long-term peace by being able to work with all sides of the conflict.” - CBC News – PM’s rhetoric hurts Canada’s peacemaking chances: opposition (18 July 2006)

Harper’s Government continues to lead our country to an area where our country should have not taken. I personally believe that we should taken a neutral route in this conflict and promoted to put an end of the bloodshed. The Conservatives state that they want to do good in the world. They have failed, Canadians. If anymore Canadian’s blood is slain by Hezbollah or any other group in the Middle East. It will all be on Steve’s hands.

The Canadian colossal media company Bell Globemedia last week successfully bided for CHUM Ltd. for $1.7 billion dollars. This is disappointing and I believe that the federal government of Canada needs to take a more hands on approach in protecting the public domain of television and bring forth legislation against powerful companies to continue to buyout rivals. This is not good for Made-in-Canada programming. So far 281 employees have been canned. 281 more unemployed Canadians from across the country. Let’s make a stand and tell them, no.

The U.S. Congress has recently passed legislation 317 - 93 to prohibit online gambling that contributes $12 billion to the economy yearly more than have of their total earnings are from Americans. The United States’ Congress is overreaching government after passing this bill will allow authorities work with internet service providers to bar this from happening. State-run lotteries and betting on race horses are exempt from this legislation.

“The ease of internet gambling poses a very serious threat to our families and our society,” Rep. Tom Osborne, a Nebraska Republican who co-sponsored the bill, said in debate Tuesday.

The Republican Congressman Osborne from Nebraska makes a fair point unfortunately gambling is still legal for the most part across the United States at casinos, lottery centres and et cetera. The United States could establish a tax for American-based gambling sites to contribute to the large tumor of recession and economic failures of the Bush White House.

However, Canada has illegalized online gambling as well for the same reasons. Unfortunately since these businesses are foreign-based it is hard to prosecute. There are currently over two thousand online gambling websites.

Maher Arar is a Syrian-Canadian who has been quite popular among international media outlets after being racial profiled by U.S. Immigration Officials and they stated he was an associate of Abdullah Almalki who had given financial aid to the infamous terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda. This claim has been with drew since the United States could not back up their claim. Unfortunately the United States did not deport him back to the passport issued country, Canada but his motherland, Syria. He states that the United States knew that the Government of Syria does not have any laws on torturing another, using this as a ploy for interrogation. This has been another incident of American mistreatment of Middle Eastern peoples.

Arar tried to take a domestic flight from Montreal to Edmonton and was labeled as Selected for Secondary Security Screening (S-S-S-S). He waited for fifteen minutes for the Air Canada Agent to process him. The Government of Canada continues to use the United States’ No-Fly List database therefore Maher is unable to travel to visit relatives within Canada. However, there has not been any statements released from the Government at this time, and I don’t think this will occur anytime soon.

The North Korean nuclear missile Taepodong-2 launch test failed miserably. The North Korean Government has under minded international law in regulating the development of a nuclear arsenal and the testing of weapons.

North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty back effectively in April 10, 2003 after their announcement three months earlier. They withdrew their ratification and support from this treaty to go into pursuit of the technology of nuclear weaponry therefore they broke this international agreement.

Nor do their continuous threats against the world especially the United States makes everything nice, warm and cozy. We should take a stand for international cooperation and support a movement in the United Nations to expedite sanctions to be placed on North Korea. I do agree with the President of the United States for once:

“North Korea can join the community of nations and improve its lot by acting in concert with those of us who believe it shouldn’t possess nuclear weapon.”

Unfortunately, I made an appalling discovery that North Korea did not commit them selves to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty on nuclear weaponry. The Government of North Korea just recently has announced that they will be testing an additional three or four nuclear missiles, rumor has it that one will be a Taepodong-2.

I just want to wish everyone a safe Canada Day celebration. Please remember, to wear a lot of Canadian gear, and show your pride. Because at midnight, it’ll be all over until next year.