Tag: Saudi Arabia

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Yves Engler, John Helmer October 18, 2023

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Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded October 18, 2023

Not content with just aiding and abetting the ruination of countries on the other side of the World, Canada has announced its intention of doing likewise in the western hemisphere’s most benighted nation, Haiti. In many ways, it’s really just more of the same for the Great White North, which has meddled in and actively undermined any and every prospect for independence and prosperity there.

The latest iteration of Canada’s determination to help Haiti was delivered by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly, who on top of sanctions already in place, and allocations of millions of dollars to the Haitian National Police, voiced her support for the United Nations decision to again intervene militarily in Haiti saying, “Canada has always been involved in issues related to Haiti. We will continue to be… We want to do more.” What “more” means may be revealed during this week’s Canada-CARICOM Summit, started in Ottawa this morning.

Yves Engler is an independent, Montreal-based journalist, activist, and author. He’s written twelve books on Canadian foreign policy, including ‘Canada in Haiti: Waging War on the Poor Majority’, co-authored with Anthony Fenton. Yves hosts the Canadian Foreign Policy Hour online every Monday at 6pm eastern time.

Yves Engler in the first half.

And; as the appalling situation in Palestine worsens, populations and countries around the World are demanding a stop to Israel’s grotesque violation of international human rights law. But where it counts, in the UN Security Council, there’s been no action since the bloody assault against Gaza’s captive population began. Yesterday, even Russia’s anodyne resolution to condemn the violence was vetoed by the council, with no other motions proposed.

John Helmer is a journalist and author who’s spent decades living in and reporting from Russia. Principle behind the web news site, Dances with Bears, Helmer has too been a professor of political science, sociology, and journalism, and served as advisor to governments at the highest levels.
Among his many book titles are: ‘Skripal in Prison,’ ‘The Man Who Knows Too Much About Russia,’ ‘The Jackals’ Wedding: American Power, Arab Revolt’, ‘The Lie That Shot Down MH-17’, and his latest, ‘SOVCOMPLOT: How Pirates Tried to Capture the Treasure of the Russian Seas, and Were Caught Out’. John’s latest article at Dances with Bears is, ‘WHITE FLAG IN A BLACK HOLE — IS RUSSIAN NEUTRALITY A FORCE OR A TRADE?’

John Helmer and Russia’s curiously sanguine Israel position in the second half.

But first, Yves Engler and are Canada’s Haiti aid policies paved with good intent?

Song: As the Bombs Rain Down

Artist: David Rovics

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

 

 

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, John Helmer Gaza Special October 8, 2023

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Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded October 8th, 2023.

Yesterday’s attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip against Israeli military installations and soldiers, and raids on the towns and citizens adjacent the separation wall and deeper into Israel is all that is news today. Already, mass casualty bombing raids have killed hundreds of civilians in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, in what can only be described as an announcement of war crimes to come, prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu said civilians in Gaza – widely acknowledged as less a place where people live than an “open air prison” – should “leave the Gaza Strip” where, he promises, terrible and widespread attacks will kill many more.

Netanyahu’s admission of intentions to commit mass atrocities accompanies his declaration of war, and the imposition of conditions of war within Israel. This is a God-sent distraction from the prime minister’s severe political troubles, seeing a full year of massive public protests against his constitutional changes to the country’s judiciary – amendments his critics charge undermine Israeli democracy.

A new foreign war must come as a welcome distraction for the Americans, who will use it to reset media messaging away from the Ukraine debacle, even as its EU ally hope to sweep under its collective carpet the problem of growingly restive home populations. Meanwhile, none could be happier for a change of media focus than Canada’s hapless Liberal party government, seeing its recent Parliamentary Nazi feting embarrassment overshadowed.

John Helmer is a journalist and author who’s spent decades living in and reporting from Russia. Principle behind the web news site, Dances with Bears, Helmer has too been a professor of political science, sociology, and journalism, and served as advisor to governments at the highest levels.
Among his many book titles are: ‘Skripal in Prison,’ ‘The Man Who Knows Too Much About Russia,’ ‘The Jackals’ Wedding: American Power, Arab Revolt’, ‘The Lie That Shot Down MH-17’, ‘Australian Fascism: How It Destroyed the Courts’, and his latest, still steaming hot of the presses, ‘SOVCOMPLOT: How Pirates Tried to Capture the Treasure of the Russian Seas, and Were Caught Out’.

John’s latest articles at Dances with Bears, ‘NO THANKS FOR THE MEMORY – POLAND IS AFRAID TO UPSET THE NATO WAR AGAINST RUSSIA BY PROSECUTING YAROSLAV HUNKA’ and ‘CANADA AND THE NATO ALLIANCE HUNKER DOWN TO DEFEND RACE WAR AGAINST RUSSIA — THE NEW EVIDENCE’ highlight the historical horrors behind that Canadian embarrassment.

Today, John Helmer and racing to keep up with the West’s rehabilitation of Nazism, and the Hamas lightning war in Gaza.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Ramzy Baroud, Azza Rojbi April 16, 2022

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Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded March 16th, 2022.

Israeli forces stormed Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque during Friday prayers last week. It was the culmination of attacks against Palestinians in towns, villages, and cities across the West Bank during Ramadan. Palestinian attacks within Israel since the beginning of the holy fasting month have too increased. As of writing, thirty people are dead on both sides, and it’s feared this could be a prelude to a larger conflict. Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative says the confrontations over these two weeks “could become a wide-ranging Intifada.”

Last year, military raids against worshipers in Al-Aqsa escalated to an eleven day conflict that included Israel’s air force bombing Gaza killing hundreds, including at least sixty-five children.

Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author, and editor of The Palestine Chronicle at PalestineChroncile.com. His book titles include, ‘My Father Was a Freedom Fighter’, ‘The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story’, ‘These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons,’ and his latest, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, ‘Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out.’ Ramzy’s articles also appear across the internet and at his website, RamzyBaroud.net, where I found his recent piece, ‘Gaza’s Forthcoming Crisis Might Be Worse than Anything We Have Ever Seen.’

Ramzy Baroud in the first half.

And; April begins the eighth year of the World’s most dire humanitarian disaster, the asymmetrical conflict in Yemen. There, backed by western nations, Saudi Arabia has led a coalition of wealthy Arab states in a protracted war that has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians; and threatens millions more.

Azza Rojbi is a social justice and anti-racism activist, author, and secretary of Mobilization Against War & Occupation, Vancouver’s anti-war coalition. She’s also with the Canada-wide #CanadaStopArmingSaudi campaign against this country’s contribution to the suffering in Yemen, and works in solidarity with Latin America movements, including being a coordinator with Friends of Cuba Against the U.S. Blockade. Azza too serves on the Editorial Board of the Fire This Time Newspaper. Azza Rojbi’s 2019 book, ‘U.S. & Saudi War on the People of Yemen’ is published by Battle of Ideas Press.

Azza Rojbi and Canada feeding the fire of war in Yemen in the second half.

But first, Ramzy Baroud and Gaza without water.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio broadcast on CFUV.ca. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Colin Stuart, Glenn Michalchuk April 2, 2022

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Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded April 2nd, 2022

Mid-March marks the anniversary of what’s been called the World’s greatest humanitarian crisis. While that somber appellative may be moot, the war against Yemen continues into its eighth year with exactly the same horror and heartbreak you’ve seen amply depicted coming from Ukraine these past weeks – and rightly so – the difference though being the dearth of media coverage of Yemeni suffering. Pictures of schools and hospitals bombed, or the stories of parents and children maimed, killed, and rendered homeless still find little purchase in Canadian media.

But just because Canada’s business, government, and media elite ignore the suffering of those in that benighted place does not mean Canadians don’t care. Last week, members of the Victoria Peace Coalition took part in the Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network event, Canada Stop Arming Saudi Arabia. It’s an effort to end Canada’s role in “fueling the war in Yemen”, as the United Nations has repeatedly charged.

Colin Stuart is with the Victoria Peace Coalition, and is a supporter too of the Canadian Friends Service Committee, and a serving board member of World Beyond War.

Colin Stuart in the first half.

And; the wars in Yemen and Ukraine are not the only ways Canada’s new self-understanding as a ‘warrior nation’ manifest. Right here at home the militarization of the nation is moving forward on the double. Last week, the Trudeau government, newly reinforced by the party formerly known as the New Democratic Party, announced it would go ahead with its plan to spend billions on Lockheed Martin’s F-35 attack jet. The purchase guarantees monies needed for the health and well-being of Canadians will instead be devoted to enriching one of the World’s biggest purveyors of death and misery – for generations to come. And, it couldn’t come at a worse time.

Glenn Michalchuk is chair of Peace Alliance Winnipeg. He’s been active in the peace movement going all the way back to the era of Ronald Reagan’s Dirty Wars in Latin America.

Glenn Michalchuk and Canada becoming a force against the people internationally in the second half.

But first, Colin Stuart and Canada’s part in Yemen’s “forgotten war”.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio and serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, David Adler, Ken Stone February 11th, 2021

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Welcome to Gorilla Radio’s Home Edition recorded on the dates, February 4th and 9th, 2021.

Ecuador’s presidential election is scheduled for February 7th, just three days from now; but with contender, Andres Arauz forecast to win big, the government is claiming his party has contravened National Electoral Council rules and could be disqualified. Arauz has promised to continue the Citizen’s Revolution movement begun by his mentor, Raphael Correa and betrayed by Correa’s former vice-president, and current outgoing president, Lenin Moreno.

David Adler is a scholar, political economist, and first General Coordinator of Progressive International, a new organization saying, “It is time for progressives of the world to unite.” Adler is in Ecuador now with a Progressive International elections monitoring contingency.

David Adler in the first half.

And; March 1st, hearings will resume in the extradition trial of Meng Wanzhou, the Huawei executive arrested in Vancouver in December of 2018 and still held under house-arrest in that city. Meng is also daughter to the founder and CEO of the Chinese tech. giant whose company has been a focus of the growing trade war between the World’s two greatest economies. Meng’s arrest has thrust Canada into the middle of that global imbroglio, threatening trade relations and damaging the country’s reputation as a “rule of law” nation.

Ken Stone is a long-time antiwar activist, serving as an executive member of both the Syria Solidarity Movement and Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War. Ken and the Hamilton Coalition are joining forces with online investigative journalism site, The Canada Files to continue the Cross-Canada FREE MENG WANZOU campaign.

Ken Stone on “The arrest of Meng Wanzhou & the New Cold War on China” in the second half.

But first up, David Adler and Progressive International mobilizing its mission in Ecuador.

 

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: https://cfuv.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.com

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Yves Engler October 9, 2020

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Welcome to Gorilla Radio’s continuing ‘Home Edition’, not broadcast live, but recorded on this date, October 9th, 2020.

In reacting to times of extreme societal stress there are two options: People can come together; or things can be pulled apart. The latter is exemplified by Canadian writer, Naomi Klein’s seminal work, The Shock Doctrine, and by the ominously interpreted phrase, “never let a good crisis go to waste.”

Right now, as the global pandemic wrecks havoc on individual lives and economies, the Israeli lobby is clearly not using the opportunity to mend fences, but is instead taking advantage of the media cover the crisis affords to attack perceived foes and further silence critics of Israel’s egregious Palestine occupation.

Yves Engler is a Montréal-based activist, essayist, and author whose articles appear at Ricochet, The Palestine Chronicle, and at his site, YvesEngler.com among other places. The latest of his 11 published titles is, ‘House of Mirrors — Justin Trudeau’s Foreign Policy’.

Today, Yves Engler and the burgeoning blowback for the Israel Lobby coming.