Laos Maps Showing Sites of US Bombings Resurface: ‘Kissinger’s Legacy’

newsweek.com By Ellie Cook Security & Defense Reporter

Resurfaced maps showing the heavy Cold War bombardment of Laos have fed the controversial legacy of diplomatic giant Henry Kissinger following his death.

Kissinger, a former secretary of state and national security adviser who is credited with shaping decades of U.S. foreign policy, died at his Connecticut home aged 100 on Wednesday.

Kissinger “played central roles in the opening to China, negotiating the end of the Yom Kippur War in the Middle East, and helping to bring America’s role in the Vietnam War to a close,” the diplomat’s international geopolitical consulting firm said in a statement on his passing.

The influential diplomat won the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize along with Vietnamese diplomat Le Duc Tho “for jointly having negotiated a cease-fire in Vietnam in 1973.” The latter declined the prize.

But as tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers died in Vietnam, anger in the U.S. was also spurred on by the extensive bombing of neighboring countries Laos and Cambodia.

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on September 22, 1992 in Washington. Newly resurfaced maps showing the heavy Cold War bombardment of Laos feed the controversial legacy of diplomatic giant Henry Kissinger following his death on Wednesday.ROBERT GIROUX/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

The U.S. was attempting to disrupt a logistics chain — known as the Ho Chi Minh trail — running from Laos into Vietnam, which was used by North Vietnamese forces.

Laos is the most bombed country in the world. Between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. dropped more than 270 million bombs on the country, which had a population of around 3 million at the time.

U.S. aircraft dropped a new wave of bombs on Laos every eight minutes for nearly 10 years on average.

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International calls for cease-fire in Gaza grow louder

As calls grow louder for a Gaza ceasefire, Netanyahu is providing few clues about his strategy or post-war plans

11/12/2023 November 12, 2023

DW.com Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to oppose a cease-fire despite pleas from around the world. In the meantime, more than 200 hostages are still being held captive by Hamas, and civilian casualties in Gaza are growing amid Israel’s ongoing offensive.

theconversation.com

More than five weeks into Israel’s war with Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not outlined his future vision for Gaza.

He has said many times the war will continue until Hamas is eradicated. But his battle plan for achieving that objective is far from clear.

As calls grow louder around the world for a ceasefire, Israel is finding itself under increasing pressure to respond. This is placing more scrutiny on Netanyahu’s overall strategy for prosecuting the war – and what could happen after it’s over.

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What Is Peacekeeping?

cfr.org

In this free resource on the successes and failures of peacekeeping, learn about the UN missions tasked with transitioning countries out of war.

Peacekeeper troops deployed in the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei patrol Abeyi state, a disputed territory between Sudan and South Sudan.

Peacekeeper troops deployed in the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei patrol Abeyi state, a disputed territory between Sudan and South Sudan.

Source: Albert Gonzalez Farran/AFP via Getty Images.SHARE

Teaching Resources—Tools of Foreign Policy: Introduction (including lesson plan with slides)
Higher Education Discussion Guide 

The world lacks a global police force capable of stopping violence in its tracks. However, it does have UN peacekeepers, who can help wind down conflicts and prevent them from recurring.

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Jewish New Yorkers occupy Statue of Liberty to demand Israel-Gaza ceasefire

aljazeera.com

Activists from Jewish Voice for Peace group unfurl banners reading ‘Palestinians should be free’ at the base of New York landmark.

Activists from Jewish Voice for Peace occupy the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty
Activists from Jewish Voice for Peace occupy the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. [Stephanie Keith/Getty Images via AFP]

Published On 7 Nov 20237 Nov 2023

Hundreds of US Jewish activists have peacefully occupied New York’s Statue of Liberty to demand an end to Israel’s “genocidal bombardment” of civilians in Gaza and a ceasefire.

Dressed in black T-shirts emblazoned with the slogans “Jews demand ceasefire now” or “Not in our name”, the protesters from the Jewish Voice for Peace group on Monday unfurled banners reading “The whole world is watching” and “Palestinians should be free” at the base of New York’s landmark.

It was the latest pro-Palestinian protest to take place in the United States since the start of the war a month ago.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of demonstrators, gathered in Washington, DC to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and to denounce US policy of support for Israel.

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Doctor in Gaza’s Hospital Describes the Harrowing Scene

Dr. Mohammed Obeid, a surgeon with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) working inside Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, described the situation on November 11, 2023. “Since this morning, there is no electricity. There is no water. There is no food,” he said. The hospital and the areas outside the hospital where people are sheltering have been hit with bombs. A sniper has wounded patients inside the hospital. Premature babies have died because the incubator cannot function without electricity. “We need help,” he said. “No one hears us.”

Premature babies are dying at Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital

Workers’ movements around the world protest supply of arms to Israel

>> Belgian port workers refuse to load weapons bound for Israel

>> Pro-Palestine activists in Melbourne disrupt Israeli shipping company

>> Protesters Block Entrance to U.S. Port Over Weapons Transfers to Israel

peopledispatch.org

Trade unions, youth movements, and Palestine solidarity groups have organized protests and blockades across Europe, opposing the role of their governments in Israel’s genocidal war on PalestiniansNovember 03, 2023 by Peoples Dispatch

Trade unionists of PAME carry out flash protest inside Athens International Airport (Photo: PAME)

As Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza continues unabated for the fourth week straight, workers across Europe have stepped up their solidarity with Palestine and organized resistance to the supply of arms from various parts of the continent to Israel.

On Thursday, November 2, Greek trade unionists from the All Workers Militant Front (PAME) held a flash protest inside the Athens International Airport in solidarity with Palestine. The protest started in front of the offices of the Israeli airline El Al with protesters then marching inside the airport denouncing the genocidal war against Palestinians.

In their statement, PAME harshly criticized Israeli war crimes in Gaza. “No one can remain silent when the death toll from Israeli bombing in Gaza exceeds 8,000, including over 3000 children and over 1000 women,” PAME said.

“No one can remain silent when a child is killed in Gaza every 10 minutes. No one can remain silent when there are more than 15,000 wounded in Gaza without the necessary treatment because of the suffocating blockade by the murderer state of Israel.”

PAME has also demanded that the Greek government stop all economic, political, and military cooperation with Israel. The union called for an end to the facilitation of bases and other infrastructure by Greece to the US, NATO, and Israel.

PAME has also called for the immediate recognition of the Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Meanwhile, on October 31, transport unions in Belgium including the Belgian Union of Transport Workers (BTB), BBTK, ACV-Transcom, and ACV Puls issued a joint statement announcing their resolve to refuse loading or unloading weapons in transit to Israel, which are destined for the genocidal war against the Palestinians.

In their statement, the trade unions said that while genocide is taking place in Palestine, workers at various airports in Belgium note the arrival of arms shipments to the conflict zone. Workers’ participation in loading or unloading these weapons “means supporting regimes that kill innocent people,” the statement said.

In the UK, on October 31, activists from Palestine Action blockaded the road to the headquarters of Elbit Systems in Bristol, notorious for manufacturing parts for Israeli drones and other pilotless aircraft.

DKU activist blocading Terma A/S in Soborg (Photo: DKU)

On October 30, in Demark, activists from various anti-war groups including the Communist Youth of Denmark (DKU), blocked all entrances to the Søborg plant of the Danish arms company, Terma, in protest against its sale of weapons and equipment to the Israeli Defense Forces.

According to reports, the Aarhus-based defense contractor supplies Israel with equipment for F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, which Israel uses to bomb Gaza. Terma has also been accused of sending arms for the war in Yemen.

During the blockade at Terma, DKU members hung up blood-stained children’s clothes to symbolize the consequences of Terma’s bloody business for civilians in Palestine.

Dagbladet Arbejderen has reported that the protestors have demanded that authorities publish all information about Terma’s activities and disseminate that information in a way that allows the people of Denmark to understand exactly what the company is doing.

They also demanded and end to the manufacturing of weapons parts used by the Israeli military and the termination of their agreements with F35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin, which supplies the Israeli genocidal apparatus.

As of November 3, the ongoing genocidal war carried out by Israel in the Gaza Strip since October 7, has claimed the lives of more than 9,000 people, wounded more than 30,000 people, and displaced over 1.4 million.

This Gazan doctor won’t let himself feel hate – despite losing 25 members of his family in an Israeli airstrike last week, and the deaths of his daughters 14 years ago

https://fb.watch/oaX9ifCx3j/?mibextid=CYgPv5

Hospitals in Gaza

Two dozen aid workers from Doctors Without Borders made it out of Gaza Wednesday through the Rafah crossing. Andrea Mitchell is joined by Faris Al Jawad, Communications Manager for Doctors Without Borders in Jerusalem, to discuss the status of hospitals and medical experts in Gaza, the desperate need for fuel and the potential for more mass casualties. “Our international staff that have just recently got out are safely over the border. However, I think what we are far more concerned about now is the 300 or so Palestinian staff that we still have in Gaza, still working, many of them in some of the most dangerous areas that are being relentlessly struck,” Al Jawad says. “There are bombs going off very nearby. There are thousands of people taking shelter there, there’s no medication, there’s no anesthesia, we’re doing operations on the floor.”

Moment BBC reporter falls to his knees and weeps while reporting inside Gaza hospital

“Gaza has become a graveyard for children. It’s a living hell for everyone else.”

United Nations Geneva @UNGeneva

The Interdependence of Climate Security and Good Governance: A Case Study from Pakistan

Climateandsecurity.org

By Ameera Adil and Faraz Haider

Last year, Pakistan faced the most devastating floods in the history of the country, which is notable because the country lies on a geographical floodplain. The Indus is an ancient and powerful river. The floodplain of the river covers nearly half of Pakistan, where most of the country’s population resides. When the Indus breathes, as rivers do, the lives and livelihoods on the floodplains are quietly absorbed by the water. 

Climate change had a significant role to play in the 2022 floods. The affected areas received 900mm of rainfall between June to August, which is nearly 350 percent more than the long-term average. Tiếp tục đọc “The Interdependence of Climate Security and Good Governance: A Case Study from Pakistan”

This is the moment of Truth. History will judge us all.

U.N. secretary general: I repeat my call for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the delivery of life-saving supplies at the scale needed. Everyone must assume their responsibilities. This is a moment of truth. History will judge us all.