This interesting exchange between the proprietor of a Palestinian blog, Haitham Sabbah, who runs Sabbah’s Blog, and a member of the US Department of State implicates our foreign services in surveillance activity on Palestinian advocacy groups and information sources such as pro-Palestinian blogs around the world. Sabbah’s Blog is based in the Middle East. Since State’s representative had no qualms about identifying him self as being from the US State Department, openly using a State Department email address, it is hard not to argue that that the State representative was acting in an official capacity.
Haitham Sabbah relates this encounter with this State Department representative in a recent report on his blog.
Following my previous post today, I was expecting to get some rants and hate emails from Zionists and pro-Zionists, as always. However, this time the surprise came from U.S. Department of State.
The following email is self-explanatory:From: Blaschke, Brent E [BlaschkeBE@state.gov]
To: [haitham .sabbah@gmail.com]
Date: Thursday, February 1, 2007, 8:34:18 PM
Subject: allegation
You state that the pictures you posted February 1 depict victims of terrorism by the United States. The U.S. does not use terror. You have no evidence to support your claim and are intellectually dishonest in doing so. If you are truly concerned about the plight of the Palestinian people you will lend your support to the “Roadmap” – which represents the fastest path to an independent Palestine – rather than making baseless and inflammatory charges.
Brent Blaschke
U.S. Department of StateMy reply was the following:
No I’m not!
If you read well, you can see that text below the photo album posted there is of “Beit Hanoun” massacre, committed by Zionist of Israel.
As for evidences of U.S. terror acts, I’m not going to argue with you about this. Just watch your Fox or CNN and you will get the details of latest war crimes committed by your country soldiers in Iraq. And if you missed the news, here are some links to refresh your memory:Unless you call the above a “bachelor party”, I find no name other than terror acts by U.S. Army!
Last but not least, you ask me to support the legend “Roadmap”, I ask you first to stop your government support to the “terror state” called Israel, then only peace will be reached by default.
PS. Your email and my reply will be published in my blog.
Haitham Sabbah
An Uprooted Palestinian Blogger!
http://sabbah.biz/
http://palestineblogs.org/This is what we call “ignorance and denial!”
Anyway, at least now I can confirm that Sabbah’s Blog is in the watch-list (black-list) of the U.S. Department of State, which proves the power of blogging and Graphic images!!!
Update 1: A friend of mine send me more info about Brent Blaschke. According to U.S. Department of State records, Blaschke, Brent E. (202) 647-5267, SCA/AR – Office of Afghanistan Affairs, United States Department of State. Go ahead… give him a call.
Update 2: Confirmed from the RFC-822 headers of the original email that it came from vance.state.gov. I hold the full details in safe!
Update 3: Ok, this is going to be interesting. Part two – A follow up email from the same person:
From: Blaschke, Brent E [BlaschkeBE@state.gov]
To: [haitham.sabbah@gmail.com]
Date: Thursday, February 1, 2007, 11:41:17 PMSubject: allegation – part two
Sir: you are quick to use terms like ignorance and denial but let us review your own words.
“Graphic images of crimes present disturbing, yet factual documentation of what terrorism is, and here, I’m not talking about Al Qaeda terrorist acts only, but terrorist acts such as those committed by Zionists in Palestine and US and its allies in Iraq.” Any reasonable reader of that passage would believe that at least some of pictures relate to the United States.
The links you offer refer to cases in which individual U.S. soldiers were charged with crimes. An important point to note is that these soldiers were held accountable by U.S. authorities and were punished for their reprehensible acts. If any thing, it proves the opposite of what you allege.
And you failed to truly address my point on the “Roadmap”. It is the best option available to achieve a permanent state of peace and the creation of a Palestine state. Do you favor a two-state solution or permanent conflict?
Brent Blaschke
U.S. Department of StateSir: Terrorism is a crime. Any crime against humanity is a form of terrorism. Occupation is terrorism. Torture is terrorism. Sanctions against civilians is terrorism. Boycotting a democratically elected government is a terrorism.
Haitham Sabbah’s response goes on to quote various definitions of terrorism, which were reviewed in his report (link above).
What is perhaps the most significant thing about the State Department’s role on behalf of Israel in defining terrorism for Americans is that it has taken to broadening the concept enough to bring Palestinian organizations like Hamas and possibly the militant wings of Fatah and other groups under the concept of terrorism, UNLIKE EVERY OTHER COUNTRY WESTERN COUNTRY WHICH VIEWS THESE GROUPS AS MILITANTS FIGHTING A MILITARY OCCUPATION.
The State Department has also been complicit in cooperating with Israel’s foreign and official hasbara (propaganda) services to push the meme of terrorism onto Hamas, in particular. This is how the distortion and reframing of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict goes: Israel occupies the Palestinian territories, not because it is using the military occupation to colonize or steal Palestinian lands, but rather to fight terrorism, of which Israel is now the victim. Remember the suicide bombings after the start of the second Intifada.
The sad detail left out of the State Department collusion is the obvious facts that 1) West Bank and Gaza have been under military occupation for 40 years (by siege in the latter case) and 2) Hamas developed in response to the First Intifada in the late 1980s in order to fight the occupation. That any reasonable person could buy this propaganda, in spite of its coming in the wake of 9/11, is unbelievable, but Israel, in conjunction with State, are making quite a success story out of it.
If you have not seen Peace, Propaganda, & The Promised Land, you may have been taken in by this propaganda effort. This documentary, because it can be verified by the personal experience of any individual American with a TV tuned into mainstream media, should not be missed.
Haitham Sabbah ends his report with his position on the settlement of the conflict:
So, here you go. Call them whatever you want. Crimes, War Crimes, whatever… equal to terrorism! How can this be denied now?
As for your question about two states solutions, the answer is, NO! I don’t believe that two states solution will ever solve the conflict. Only one state for all will be the solutions. Other than that, Roadmaps are just a waste of time, especially that you are asking only Palestinians to implement their part.
On the other hand, can you please explain the roadmap, and what it means in terms of the ending of the occupation, leaving the settlements (ALL the settlements), the borders of 1967, the right of return, etc. U.S. is the superpower and is asking us, the Palestinians, to implement the Roadmap while the U.S. can’t convince Israel to even stop the Wall, or building new settlements on new stolen lands!!!
The link to Haitham Sabbah blog is: http://www.sabbah.biz/mt/
I thank Haitham Sabbah for his permission to crosspost his article here.