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The political situation in Haiti is hotting up and could erupt at any moment. At the heart of the fire this time is President Martelly’s determination to again scapegoat Jean Bertrand Aristide, using charges of: “illicit drug trafficking, embezzlement of public funds, forfeiture and concussion, and money laundering.” to distract the public from his failures to address the many serious issues Haiti faces.
As it stands, an arrest warrant has been issued for Aristide’s failure to appear in court to answer charges on August 13th, and he is at home, surrounded by loyalists protecting the former president from the police.
Kevin Pina is an American filmmaker, journalist, educator, and broadcaster with Pacifica Radio’s public affairs program, Flashpoints.
Pina’s film credits include: ‘El Salvador: In the Name of Democracy,’ ‘Berkeley in the Sixties,’ ‘Amazonia: Voices from the Rainforest,’ ‘Haiti: Harvest of Hope,’ ‘Haiti: The UNtold Story,’ and ‘HAITI: We Must Kill the Bandits.’ Kevin has lived and reported from Haiti, and was arrested by the infamous Baby Doc Duvalier for reporting on the abuses of that regime.
Kevin Pina in the first half.
And; Israel’s bombardment of the captured population of the Gaza Strip continued this week with the Israel Defense Forces capping the seven weeks-long blitzkrieg by upping its game and targeting highrise apartment buildings. Predictably, the government of Canada remained mostly mute on the serial war crimes and crimes against humanity being conducted by its “good friend” Israel, throughout blaming Hamas, the governing body in Gaza, for Palestinians killed, maimed, and made homeless.
Late yesterday, (Aug. 26/’14) an “unlimited truce” was announced by Israel. Canada’s Foreign Affairs minister, John Baird welcomed the truce announcement, but cautioned; “Israel will be forced to continue defending itself as long as Hamas continues its rocket attacks against civilians, and Hamas will be solely to blame for any further loss of life.” Beyond raising questions about what sort of grip on reality minister Baird is capable of exerting, the Stephen Harper New Government’s behaviour begs investigation of the Canada/Israel relationship, and how that relationship abets the horrors repeatedly witnessed in Occupied Palestine.
Yves Engler is a Canadian activist, lecturer, journalist, and author. Some of Yves’ titles include; ‘The Black Book of Canadian Foreign Policy,’Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid,’ ‘Lester Pearson’s Peacekeeping The Truth May Hurt,’ and his latest, ‘The Ugly Canadian: Stephen Harper’s Foreign Policy.’
Yves Engler and Canada’s tax-deductible aid to Israel’s genocide in Gaza in the second half.
And; Victoria Street Newz publisher emeritus and CFUV Radio broadcaster, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour to bring us up to speed with some of what’s good to do in and around our city in the coming week, and beyond there too. But first, Kevin Pina and the ritual pre-election smearing of Haiti’s former president, Jean Bertrand Aristide.
Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Wednesday, 1-2pm Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/
