Just Foreign Policy News
July 19, 2010

Iara Lee: Slandering the Good Guys: Some Basic Facts About IHH
Filmmaker Iara Lee, who was part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, responds to attacks on the Turkish humanitarian NGO IHH.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/iara-lee/slandering-the-good-guys_b_649604.html

WaPo: "A hidden world, growing beyond control"
A Washington Post investigation looks at the explosion of the "national security state" since September 11, 2001. An accompanying map documents "secret facilities" around the country.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/a-hidden-world-growing-beyond-control/

Vote: Dumbest Mistake in a "South of the Border" Review!
A host of reviews of "South of the Border" get countries and presidents mixed up with each other, confuse democratic elections with coups d'etat, and other errors. What do you think is the dumbest mistake in a "Border" review so far? Vote in the poll.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/7/13/154938/096

South of the Border, scheduled screenings:
http://southoftheborderdoc.com/in-theatres/

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Just Foreign Policy News
July 16, 2010

FAIR/CounterSpin: Mark Weisbrot on South of the Border
Oliver Stone's film South of the Border looks at the leftward shift in Latin America. The film attempts to correct for what it argues is a skewed presentation in the U.S. media of these developments. So what kind of reaction has the film received so far? CounterSpin talks to Mark Weisbrot, president of Just Foreign Policy and a co-writer of the film.
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4115

54% Want Afghan Exit, but Petraeus Could Nix Peace Talks with Terror Naming
54% of Americans want the U.S. to establish a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, CBS reports. But if General Petraeus has his way, the State Department will designate part of the Afghan Taliban a terrorist organization. That would undermine peace moves, the New York Times reports - peace moves the Administration says it supports. Petraeus' move would undermine not only a timetable for withdrawal, but the "serious drawdown" in July 2011 that Vice President Biden told Newsweek we can "bet on" and Speaker Pelosi told the Huffington Post she expects.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/54-want-afghan-exit-but-p_b_647626.html

Vote: Dumbest Mistake in a "South of the Border" Review!
A host of reviews of "South of the Border" get countries and presidents mixed up with each other, confuse democratic elections with coups d'etat, and other errors. What do you think is the dumbest mistake in a "Border" review so far? Vote in the poll!

Just Foreign Policy News
July 15, 2010

54% Want Afghan Exit, but Petraeus Could Nix Peace Talks with Terror Naming
The majority of Americans want the U.S. to establish a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, CBS News reports. But if General Petraeus has his way, the State Department will designate part of the Afghan Taliban as a terrorist organization. That would undermine peace moves in Afghanistan, the New York Times reports - peace moves that the Administration told Newsweek that it supports. Petraeus' move would undermine not only a timetable for withdrawal, but the "serious drawdown" in July 2011 that Vice President Biden told Newsweek we can "bet on" and Speaker Pelosi told the Huffington Post she expects.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/54-want-afghan-exit-but-p_b_647626.html

J Street Calls for Treasury Investigation Into Settlement Charities
J Street is calling on the U.S. Treasury Department to launch an investigation into whether American charities that fund Israeli settlement activity have broken the law. These tax-exempt organizations are working to undermine a two-state solution by deepening the occupation. Some even fund settlement outposts that the Israeli government considers illegal.
http://jstreet.org/campaigns/j-street-calls-treasury-investigation-into-settlement-charities

Vote: Dumbest Mistake in a "South of the Border" Review!

Just Foreign Policy News
July 14, 2010

Vote: Dumbest Mistake in a "South of the Border" Review!
The Oliver Stone documentary, "South of the Border" takes aim at the media for its misinformed and misleading coverage of Latin America. The film includes clips from CNN, network news programs, the New York Times, Fox News, and other media to demonstrate just how bad the coverage can be. But a host of reviews of "South of the Border" serve as additional examples, getting countries and presidents mixed up with each other, confusing democratic elections with coups d'etat, and other errors. What do you think is the dumbest mistake in a "Border" review so far? Vote in the poll!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/7/13/154938/096

New York Times Video: Growing Up in Gaza
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/07/14/world/middleeast/1247468440263/growing-up-in-gaza.html

South of the Border, scheduled screenings:
Oliver Stone's documentary shows you the South America the New York Times doesn't want you to see.
http://southoftheborderdoc.com/in-theatres/

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Your financial support allows us to educate Americans about U.S. foreign policy and to create opportunities for Americans to advocate for U.S. policies that are more just.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate.html

Summary:

Just Foreign Policy News
July 13, 2010

Vote for Dumbest Mistake in a "South of the Border" Review! 
The Oliver Stone documentary, "South of the Border" takes aim at the media for its misinformed and misleading coverage of Latin America. The film includes clips from CNN, network news programs, the New York Times, Fox News, and other media to demonstrate just how bad the coverage can be. But a host of reviews of "South of the Border" serve as additional examples, getting countries and presidents mixed up with each other, confusing democratic elections with coups d'etat, and other errors. What do you think is the dumbest mistake in a "Border" review so far? Vote in the poll!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/7/13/154938/096

Just Foreign Policy News
July 12, 2010

Could a "Great Negotiation" End the War in Afghanistan?
A key obstacle to moving the debate on negotiations to end the war in Afghanistan is that most Americans don't know much diplomatic history. This ignorance makes us vulnerable to facile slogans: for the neocons, it's a noun, a verb, and Neville Chamberlain. But Fredrik Stanton has published a corrective: "Great Negotiations: Agreements that Changed the Modern World" shows how U.S. leaders entered successful negotiations with realistic goals for their adversaries. If Obama engages Taliban leaders as Kennedy engaged Khrushchev, we could end the war.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/07/12-7

Beverly Bell: There is No Plan For Permanently Housing the 1.9 Million Haitians Who Lost Their Homes in the Quake
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/7/12/beverly_bell_there_is_no_plan

Dean Baker: The IMF Is Coming for Your Social Security
Last week, the IMF told the United States that it needs to start getting its budget deficit down. It put cutting Social Security at the top of the steps that the country should take to achieve deficit reduction.
http://www.truth-out.org/the-attack-real-black-helicopter-gang-the-imf-is-coming-your-social-security61291

South of the Border, scheduled screenings:
Oliver Stone's documentary shows you the South America the New York Times doesn't want you to see.
http://southoftheborderdoc.com/in-theatres/

Just Foreign Policy News
July 9, 2010

On Afghanistan, Michael Steele Speaks for Me
When DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse accused RNC chair Michael Steele of "betting against our troops and rooting for failure in Afghanistan" after Steele criticized the Afghanistan war, Woodhouse was attacking every American who is against the war. Enforcing Republican Party discipline on Republicans to support the war in Afghanistan is not in the interest of the majority of Americans and the super-majority of Democrats who oppose the war. If a third, instead of 5%, of the Republicans in the House had supported the McGovern-Obey-Jones amendment, reflecting the third of Republicans in the country at large who do not support the war, the McGovern-Obey-Jones amendment requiring a timetable for withdrawal would have passed the House. With his attack on Steele, Woodhouse made it less likely that House Republicans will join House Democrats in trying to end the war sooner rather than later.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/on-afghanistan-michael-st_b_640976.html

This afternoon, leaders of several peace groups wrote to the DNC, protesting the attack on Steele, and urging the DNC not to engage in such attacks in the future, nor to present support of the war as the position of Democrats:
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/643

FAIR/Peter Hart: What Gets You Fired From CNN

Just Foreign Policy News
July 8, 2010

Tom Hayden: Oliver Stone's Latin America
Did Obama promise Chavez that the U.S. would not try to destabilize Venezuela?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-hayden/oliver-stones-latin-ameri_b_635848.html

South of the Border, scheduled screenings:
Oliver Stone's documentary shows you the South America the New York Times doesn't want you to see.
http://southoftheborderdoc.com/in-theatres/

Hamas Lawmaker: Gaza Flotilla Did More Than 10,000 Rockets
Who now doubts that strategic nonviolent action can transform the politics of the Israel/Palestine conflict? Not Hamas parliamentarian Aziz Dweik, the Wall Street Journal reports: "When we use violence, we help Israel win international support," said Aziz Dweik, a leading Hamas lawmaker in the West Bank. "The Gaza flotilla has done more for Gaza than 10,000 rockets." What might happen if Muslim-majority nations demanded that the US stop subsidizing Israeli settlements in the West Bank that even the Israeli government says are illegal? What might happen if they backed the boycott of corporations explicitly linked to the Israeli occupation?
http://www.truth-out.org/hamas-lawmaker-gaza-flotilla-did-more-than-10000-rockets61136

Beverly Bell: "A Second Slave Rebellion in Haiti"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/beverly-bell/a-second-slave-rebellion_b_639363.html

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Just Foreign Policy News
July 7, 2010

Hamas Lawmaker: Gaza Flotilla Did More Than 10,000 Rockets
Who now doubts that strategic nonviolent action can transform the politics of the Israel/Palestine conflict? Not Hamas parliamentarian Aziz Dweik, the Wall Street Journal reports: "When we use violence, we help Israel win international support," said Aziz Dweik, a leading Hamas lawmaker in the West Bank. "The Gaza flotilla has done more for Gaza than 10,000 rockets." What might happen if Muslim-majority nations demanded that the US stop subsidizing Israeli settlements in the West Bank that even the Israeli government says are illegal? What might happen if they backed the boycott of corporations explicitly linked to the Israeli occupation?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/hamas-lawmaker-gaza-floti_b_637791.html

Viral IDF dancing video unwittingly reveals reality of occupation in Hebron
Adam Horowitz notes at Mondoweiss that this video of Israeli soldiers dancing in Hebron - which has been viewed on youtube more than a million times - unintentionally reveals a picture of the Israeli occupation that most Americans don't know about. Why is the street deserted? Because Palestinians are forbidden to use it; though it was formerly a major Palestinian commercial street; though the Israeli government agreed to re-open the street under the Oslo accords.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIehtCNgvrQ
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/07/viral-idf-dancing-video-unwittingly-reveals-reality-in-hebron.html

South of the Border, scheduled screenings:

Who now doubts that strategic nonviolent action can transform the politics of the Israel/Palestine conflict?

Not Hamas parliamentarian Aziz Dweik, the Wall Street Journal reports:

"When we use violence, we help Israel win international support," said Aziz Dweik, a leading Hamas lawmaker in the West Bank. "The Gaza flotilla has done more for Gaza than 10,000 rockets."

A few months ago, the Israeli government's blockade of Gaza was not a prominent issue on the world's agenda. Now, the Israeli government is being politically compelled to "ease" the blockade. Not end it: still, materials for reconstruction are not yet being let it in; still, exports from Gaza are not yet being allowed out; still, inputs for Gaza's factories are not yet being allowed in. But even the measures to "ease" the blockade which have now been announced, such as replacing the list of allowed items with a list of prohibited items, are demands which prior to the Gaza Freedom Flotilla the Israeli government summarily rejected.

And this story is far from over: international press are reporting on the blockade as they did not do before, scrutinizing Israeli government claims as they did not do before, citing the counter-claims of Israeli, Palestinian, and international human rights groups as they did not do before. And more boats are on the way.

What else could be accomplished if governments and mass movements that oppose Israeli government policies towards the Palestinians threw their weight behind other strategic and morally irrefutable demands?