Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 59

Sunday Updates (from the top) on Gaza-Israel Tragedy

10:30 a.m. ET Jon Voight naturally accuses fellow actors who signed letter hitting Israel's civilian massacres of "fanning anti-Semitism" around the world.  Says they should hide their heads in shame.

10:00 a.m. ET Israel's official (for now) account of the death of soldier Goldin is rather confusing--and needs careful study as it was so important, in that it led to massive bombing of civilians and end of ceasefire. It seems the claim is that he and two others found tunnel but came under heavy fire, seemingly above ground.  When things died down, comrades found two soldiers dead, and body of militant who "apparently" detonated suicide belt (if true, this didn't seem to utterly destroy his body or the two soldiers, however).  Then soldiers noted that Goldin was missing.  They searched in a nearby building and tunnel and found...something.  From other accounts it seemed they were suggesting that Goldin, too, was hits by suicide vest but that doesn't seem possible if he was in building or in tunnel in building.  Surely, in any case, they suspected he might be dead, but Israel immediately claimed he had been captured and launched bombing assault. And use of the word "later" found raises question of how much later--is it possible he was killed in Israeli bombing of building?

Also: IDF spokesman Lerner tells NYT today, “We can’t determine if he was killed on the ground or from the blast. The indications on the ground are that he was killed in the initial attack.”  Since the initial attack was by gunfire only, surely his body would have been identified early on.  Yet they claimed he was "abducted."

9:30 a.m. ET See my important update this morning on NYT admitting it allowed censors to cut reference to captured/dead soldier being a cousin of Israel's defense chief. 

Another massacre at or near UN school, at least ten dead--the were waiting in line for food.  Video:


IDF spokesman, who had lied from the beginning about certain Hamas capture of soldier (and much else), now suggests they may have taken body parts.

Jodi Rudoren home movie--made by husband of the NYT bureau chief, and co-starring Abraham Foxman--must be seen to be believed.  And maybe not even then.  

@AymanM of NBC:  Fighters resisting Israel popular, Hamas leaders not. 

Apparently Israel has no shame.  Here a spokesman trumpets fact that their analysis shows that only 53% of the 1700 dead in Gaza are non-combatants.  This is well below all other estimates but even so--to seemingly take pride that you've almost killed as many alleged bad guys as innocents...

NYT:  Israeli spokeswoman refuses to say how soldier died:  On Sunday, a military spokeswoman declined to say whether Lieutenant Goldin had been killed along with two comrades by a suicide bomb one of the militants exploded, or later by Israel’s assault on the area to hunt for him; she also refused to answer whether remains had been recovered.  Hamas: "Israel tricked and deceived the world when it claimed Friday that a soldier had been abducted and then admitted that he had actually been killed in battle in Rafah. It did this only in order to breach the 72-hour cease-fire agreed upon with the UN and the U.S., in order to commit massacre in Rafah."

Cooke's Choice

Amazing--debut album from my man Sam Cooke's brother L.C. just released--after sitting in the can for 50 years, since Sam's tragic shooting death in 1964.  Sounds like Sam for sure, though not on his level.  Good background and stories here.

Lightnin' Strikes

One of most common cliches is "they don't make them like this anymore."  Usually slightly or far off.  But not in this case, with Lightnin' Hopkins.

Wholly Toledo!

Amazing:  400,000 can't drink water in northwest Ohio after nasty toxins  found in water from treatment plant.  Panic sets in as people flood markets.  Full report here but does not include cause.  In some parts of Ohio I would guess fracking but not sure about that area.

Countdown to Hiroshima: X-Minus 4 Days

Each summer I count down the days to the atomic bombing of Japan (August 6 and August 9, 1945),  marking events from the same day in 1945.  I've been doing it here for more than two weeks now.  Here's yesterday's report.  I've written  three books on the subject:  Hiroshima in America (with Robert Jay Lifton),  Atomic Cover-Up (on the decades-long suppression of shocking film shot in the atomic cities by the U.S. military),  and Hollywood Bomb   (the wild story of how an MGM 1947 drama was censored by the military and Truman himself).

August 2, 1945

—Early today, Paul Tibbets, pilot of the lead plane, the Enola Gay (named after his mom) on the first mission, reported to Gen. Curtis LeMay’s Air Force headquartters on Guam. LeMay told him the “primary” was still Hiroshima. Bombardier Thomas Ferebee pointed on a map what the aiming point for the bomb would be—a distinctive T-shaped bride in the center of the city, not the local army base. “It’s the most perfect aiming I’ve seen in the whole damned war,” Tibbets said. But the main idea was to set the bomb off over the center of the city, which rests in kind of a bowl, so that the surrounding hills would supply a “focusing effect” that would lead to added destruction and loss of life in city mainly filled by women and children.

—By 3 p.m., top secret orders were being circulated for Special Bombing Mission #13, now set for August 6, when the weather would clear. The first alternate to Hiroshima was Kokura. The second, Nagasaki. The order called for only “visual bombing,” not radar, so the weather had to be okay. Six planes would take part. Two would escort the Enola Gay, one would take photos, the other would be a kind of mobile lab, dropping canisters to send back scientific information.

—Meanwhile, three B-29s arrived at Tinian carrying from Los Alamos the bomb assemblies for the second Fat Man device (which would use plutonium, the substance of choice for the future, unlike the uranium bomb meant for Hiroshima). 

 —Japanese cables and other message intercepted by the United States showed that they were still trying to enlist the Soviets' help in presenting surrender terms--they would even send an envoy--but were undecided on just what to propose. The Russians, meanwhile, were just five days from declaring war on Japan.

--Top U.S. officials on now centering on allowing the Japanese to keep their emperor when they give up.  In his diary Secretary of War Stimson endorses a key report which concludes: "The retention of the Emperor will probably insure the immediate surrender of all Japanese Forces outside the home islands."  Would offering that win a swift Japanese surrender--without the need to use the bomb?  Not considered.

—Six years ago earlier on this day, August 2, 1939, Albert Einstein sent a letter to President Roosevelt stating the Germans were trying to enrich uranium 235—and that this process would allow them to build an atomic bomb. This helped spark FDR’s decision to create the Manhattan Project. 

Saturday Updates (From the Top) on Gaza-Israel Tragedy

The great Amos Oz cops out: Massive Israeli attacks "justified...but excessive." Can't really be both. 

Took them many hours, but NYT finally covers Hamas claim they do not have captured soldier and that he may have died in Israeli bombing or in ambush. Also: The Associated Press reported that Mr. Netanyahu had expressed frustration with Washington’s diplomatic efforts in a Friday phone call to Dan Shapiro, the United States ambassador to Israel. Mr. Netanyahu told Mr. Shapiro he “expected” the Obama administration to back Israel’s Gaza offensive and “not to ever second-guess me again” regarding Hamas, The A.P. said, citing “people familiar with the conversation.”

Death toll in Gaza now placed at 1624 with dozens added from Najaf overnight, and so the 10,000 casualty mark has been passed (including injured).

Max Blumenthal in article claims Hamas did not break truce, citing tweets from key period. Who knows, but the point is: Obama and media (especially NYT) fully accepted the Israeli version, which could only have been based on IDF narrative and nothing else.

@AymanM of NBC posted this El Pais photo (above) with tweet, "Unexploded bomb dropped on Deir el Balah reveals the size of munitions Israel using."  The Hamas rockets are only about 1/4 length and half of girth.

Bill Maher again backs Israel, says of civilian carnage "people die in wars," and battles with guest Reza Aslan over it.   Glad to see point that it's with American weapons is raised. This is Amnesty report that backs Aslan on Hamas not using "human shields."

NBC:  Hamas claims Israeli soldier, if captured, probably killed in Israeli bombing--or ambush, the stories vary (see Reuters).   Who knows but it did seem bizarre to me that Israeli unleashed massive bombing in the very area the soldier was captured.

Video is said to capture final moments of Palestinian journalist Sameh Al Aryan  as he filmed air raid.  Ambulance pulls up about the 5:00 mark and then it gets blasted with another explosion and camera falls to ground and keeps shooting in dense haze but he is gone.  Friends say he is indeed dead. Committee to Protect Journalists confirms.

Israel's New 'Censorship' Demand to Media

UPDATE #2  NYT publishes first story since the "censorship" order and complies by reading section of it over the phone to Israel official.   No need--the story is straight stenography anyway from the two reporters in Jerusalem.  The Times' public editor, just hours before, had written, "the very idea of censorship or gag orders by a foreign government is a disturbing one, not only for journalists but for all who value the free flow of information. It’s heartening to hear that The Times has not submitted any articles for review, and I hope that that will remain the case as this situation develops."

Note complete acceptance of story from IDF, including timeline.  And more. Count all the absurdities in this one line:  "Israel sent text messages to area residents to remain in their homes as forces rushed farther into Rafah, bombarding it from the ground and air to block the captors’ escape."  

UPDATE #1   NYT spokeswoman says they'll go along with it, telling Huff Post: “We adhere to the laws of the countries in which we report, including this one.   We aren't going into details beyond that at the moment.”  You have to wonder: If media hadn't gone along with similar blackout after the three Israeli teens were kidnapped back in June--setting this tragedy in motion--would they have uncovered evidence, only lately emerging, that Hamas may not have been involved, thus short-circuiting crisis?

I still haven't see any other media outlet mention the above.  See AP story from just minutes ago.  And Wash Post story.  Was NYT singled out for this (despite very favorable coverage from Jerusalem bureau in past?) because of its importance?  Or did compliant Times reporters just mention it as explanation to the Israelis that this story had already appeared before the censorship demand?

Earlier:  Important note on "censorship notification" in just-revised NYT article on end of ceasefire in Gaza and Israel.

After the initial publication of this article, the military’s censor informed The New York Times that further information related to the apparently abducted soldier would have to be submitted for prior review. Journalists for foreign news organizations must agree in writing to the military censorship system to work in Israel. This was the first censorship notification The Times had received in more than two years.

Note that the Times has been criticized in the past for agreeing to what they call "gag orders," including by its public editor, when it revealed that it had buckled under to Israeli censorship in the past.  Jerusalem bureau chief Jodi Rudoren defended that when it was exposed.  "The Times is 'indeed, bound by gag orders,' Ms. Rudoren said. She said that the situation is analogous to abiding by traffic rules or any other laws of the land."

Countdown to Hiroshima, X-Minus 5 Days

Each summer I count down the days to the atomic bombing of Japan (August 6 and August 9, 1945),  marking events from the same day in 1945.    I've written  three books on the subject:  Hiroshima in America (with Robert Jay Lifton),  Atomic Cover-Up (on the decades-long suppression of shocking film shot in the atomic cities by the U.S. military),  and Hollywood Bomb   (the wild story of how an MGM 1947 drama was censored by the military and Truman himself).

—Truman wrote a letter to his wife Bess last night talking about the atomic bomb (but without revealing it): “He [Stalin] doesn’t know it but I have an ace in the hole and another one showing—so unless he has threes or two pair (and I know he has not) we are sitting all right.”

And today he gives a letter to Stalin, which confounds him. Earlier, Stalin had promised to declare war on Japan around August 7. Now Truman writes that more consultation is needed. Truman had earlier pushed for the quick entry, writing in his diary "fini Japs" when that occurred, even without use of The Bomb. Now that he has the bomb in his "pocket" he apparently hopes to stall the Soviets.

 --Truman has also approved statement on the use of the bomb, brought to him last night in Germany by a courier, drafted by Secretary of War Stimson and others, and ordered it released after the bomb drop. A line near the start has been added explicitly depicting the vast city of Hiroshima (occupied mainly by women and children)as nothing but a “military base.” The president, and the drafters of the statement, knew was false. An earlier draft described the city of Nagasaki as a “naval base” and nothing more. There would be no reference to radiation effects whatsoever in the statement—it was just a vastly bigger bomb.

—The Potsdam conference ended early this morning, with Truman expected to head back to the US by sea tomorrow.

—The “Little Boy” atomic bomb is now ready for use on the island of Tinian. Under the direction of the lead pilot, Paul Tibbetts, practice runs have been completed, near Iwo Jima, and fake payloads dropped, with success. Truman’s order had given the okay for the first mission later this day and it might have happened if a typhoon was not approaching Japan.

—Stimson writes in his diary about decision today to release to the press, with Truman’s coming statement after  the use of the bomb, a 200-page report on the building of the bomb, revised to not give too much away. Here he explains why they will release it at all: “The aim of the paper is to backfire reckless statements by independent scientists after the demonstration of the bomb. If we could be sure that these could be controlled and avoided, all of us would much prefer not to issue such a paper. But under the circumstances of the entire independence of action of scientists and the certainty that there would be a tremendous amount of excitement and reckless statement, [Gen. Leslie] Groves, who is a very conservative man, had reached the conclusion that the lesser evil would be for us to make a statement carefully prepared so as not to give away anything vital and thus try to take the stage away from the others.”

Friday Updates (From the Top) on Gaza-Israel Tragedy

11:30  Watch, Bill Maher again backs Israel, says of civilian carnage "people die in wars," and battles with guest Reza Aslan over it.   Glad to see point that it's with American weapons is raised. This is Amnesty report that backs Aslan on Hamas not using "human shields."

9:30  NBC:  Hamas claims Israeli soldier, if captured, probably killed in Israeli bombing--or ambush, the stories vary (see Reuters).   Who knows but it did seem bizarre to me that Israeli unleashed massive bombing in the very area the soldier was captured.


9:15  Video is said to capture final moments of Palestinian journalist Sameh Al Aryan (left)   as he filmed air raid.  Ambulance pulls up about the 5:00 mark and then it gets blasted with another explosion and camera falls to ground and keeps shooting in dense haze but he is gone.  Friends say he is indeed dead. Committee to Protect Journalists confirms.

4:50  @Mogaza, who has tweeted credible eyewitness accounts of bombings, now says Rafah again under constant barrage now, ambulances unable to reach victims and "UN office burning....homes in Saudi neighborhood, built by UN, is under constant bombings."

3:40 p.m. ET  Daily Beast reporter just posted piece on uncovering what seems to him to be a "mass execution" by Israelis at close range in Khuzaa.  But he adds, who knows, might have been Hamas murdering Israeli collaborators.  But finds Israeli shells right there.

Revealing--C-span cuts from covering remarks by the Palestinian beaten by Israeli police, Tariq Abu Khdeir, to Barbara Boxer making her umpteen speech backing Israel to an empty U.S. Senate chamber.  Boxer revealed more than she realized when she boasted that her latest pro-Israel measure got 79 or 83 (can't recall) co-sponsors which you can't even get for something backing Mother's Day, she proclaimed.

VICE reports: "Racists Are Rampaging Through Streets of Israel."  Story is maybe better than headline.

The usual Israeli equation:  You capture one soldier on the battlefield, we kill 62 and injure 250 (overwhelmingly civilians) in city.  And that's Rafah alone.

1:00  p.m. ET  A new low?  Column in Times of Israel (based in U.S.)with headline:  "When Genocide Is Permissible." Concludes: "If political leaders and military experts determine that the only way to achieve its goal of sustaining quiet is through genocide is it then permissible to achieve those responsible goals?" UPDATE:  They've just removed the post--but stench remains.  Imagine this: Editor there apparently felt this reflect enough of the (largely private) mood in Israel and/or U.S. to find it worthy of posting.  You can read pulled op-ed here.

The usual: David "Fake Photos" Frum on MSNBC discussing Gaza. Never any penalty for such folks.

NYT reveals Israel just told all media Israel must review all stories that cover capture of soldier.

Takedown at Mediate on weak Gaza-Israel coverage at MSNBC (except for Hayes) with particular hit on Rachel Maddow as missing in action. 

Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford from Khuzaa (new AP photo left) in the south: "The town has been utterly flattened and looks like a painting from World War One, the smell of death is overpowering."  Reports of Israeli tanks firing on medics and ambulances and people attempting to aid loved ones.

Captured soldier said to be second or third cousin of Israeli defense minister and possibly dual British citizenship.   

I expressed doubt last night that the 72-hour "humanitarian ceasefire" would last the day.  Israel insists on taking "defensive" actions against tunnels, I noted, which they could interpret rather broadly.  And Hamas always on edge. Now in response to capture of Israeli soldier in the south their forces entered the city, Hamas fired, Israel bombed and many dead (50 more more) and wounded (200 or so). And the White House, which never used this word to describe 1000 dead civilians in Gaza, calls the capture of one soldier "barbaric."  John Kerry said "rather barbaric." Two other Israeli soldiers possibly died.  And the usual equation plays out:  Israel then unleashed massive bombing that kills three dozen, no doubt vast majority civilians, and U.S. gets to blame Hamas and perhaps wash hands of the whole tragedy.

The Guardian editorializes on attacks on kids.

James Fallows is too kind to his Atlantic colleague David Frum here in his post --no, his apology was not that "sincere" since he framed it with many more sentences on why his labeling of the NYT/Reuters photo as fake was so understandable (for him) plus linked to same type of source that got him nailed the first time (see my critique)--but the larger issues he raises are fine.  Note that he originally said that Frum had "promptly" apologized, then corrected when readers pointed out it took six days.

Jay Rosen on AP deleting and changing that tweet the other day--you know the one that first claimed members of Congress were "falling over each other" to back Israel (too true), then simply said "many" backed Israel.  Analyzes why AP did it.

Countdown to Hiroshima: X-Minus 6 Days

Each summer I count down the days to the atomic bombing of Japan (August 6 and August 9, 1945),  marking events from the same day in 1945.  I've written  three books on the subject:  Hiroshima in America (with Robert Jay Lifton),  Atomic Cover-Up (on the decades-long suppression of shocking film shot in the atomic cities by the U.S. military),  and Hollywood Bomb   (the wild story of how an MGM 1947 drama was censored by the military and Truman himself).

July 31, 1945:

The assembly of Little Boy is completed. It is ready for use the next day.  But a  typhoon approaching Japan will likely prevent launching an attack. Several days might be  required for weather to clear.

--In Germany, Admiral William D. Leahy, chief of staff to Truman--and the highest-ranking U.S. military officer during the war--continues to privately express doubts about the bomb, that it may not work and is not needed,  in any case. (Gen. Eisenhower had just come out against using the Bomb.)  He would later write in his memoirs: 

"It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender because of the effective sea blockade and the successful bombing with conventional weapons.

"The lethal possibilities of atomic warfare in the future are frightening. My own feeling was that in being the first to use it, we had adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages. I was not taught to make war in that fashion, and wars cannot be won by destroying women and children."

--Secretary of War Stimson sends semi-final draft of statement for Truman to read when first bomb used and he has to explain its use, and the entire bomb project, to the U.S. and the world, with this cover note: "Attached are two copies of the revised statement which has been prepared for release by you as soon as the new weapon is used. This is the statement about which I cabled you last night.  The reason for the haste is that I was informed only yesterday that, weather permitting, it is likely that the weapon will be used as early as August 1st, Pacific Ocean Time, which as you know is a good many hours ahead of Washington time."

It is an atomic bomb. It is a harnessing of the basic power of the universe. The force from which the sun draws its power has been loosed against those who brought war to the Far East.