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September 2007

Hebron and Hell

I had heard that internationals were needed in the city of Hebron, so I decided to head out there. The journey took me through the town of Bethlehem. Somewhere you may well have heard of. However, it is far from the biblical idea of the place that springs to mind. The Israelis have walled off the town, sealing it off from the surrounding areas. This wall is over 8 metres tall and made of reinforced concrete. It is punctuated by colossal guard towers that would not look out of place in a prison or a concentration camp.

Humsa- Ethnic Cleansing in the Jordan Valley

How can I describe the experience of driving through the incredible countryside of the Jordan valley, only to have to stop the car to let a herd of gazelles pass? This was on the way to the village of Humsa, near Al Hadidya, that had had virtually every building destroyed by the Israelis, leaving them with nothing but a few canvas sheets to protect them from the sun.
Humsa TrashedHumsa Trashed
Humsa village: Humsa village

Prelude, Or Greetings from Occupied Jordan

You have to know where to look to see the signs of Empire here in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, but once you learn, they’re everywhere. The greeters at the airport holding up signs that read “Blackwater” are a bit of a giveaway. Blackwater, the world’s largest and most powerful mercenary army, use Jordan mainly as a transit point and R&R station whilst working for the American corporate/occupation authorities in Iraq.

The British are Crossing the Allenby Bridge (again)

The Allenby bridge- so named after the British general who did so much to make the Middle East what it is today. Exactly 90 years ago the bridge resounded with the sound of hooves and footsteps of the British empire crossing the Jordan river, marching to Jerusalem, bringing the British and the zionists to Palestine. General Allenby defeated the Ottomans and replaced their empire with a British one in 1917. The Allenby once again felt the footsteps of and witnessed the presence of the British, this time in a more humble fashion.

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