Hello, 

Like yourself, I'm a big fan of Robert Fisk's reporting and writing, finding him one of the few 'Western' journalists who actually reports objectively and truthfully.

I am involved in a website with some friends, which is similar to yours, however we tend to upload articles from all sides and views on any issue regarding the Middle East and the surrounding region.

the url is: http://middleeastinfo.org

On another note, I would like to know who is the webmaster/creator.adminstrator of this Robert Fisk website, as I'd like to say congratulations on honouring a wonderful journalist.

To Everyone at Robert-Fisk.com:

Thank You , Thank You , Thank You. Thank You for working to put information out there that is NEVER covered in the mainstream American media. And thank you to Robert Fisk who works hard to explode those myths which are so pervasive in everyday American life. Seeing your hate mail section is a saddening reminder of the effects of a propaganda machine not quite as maniacal as the personality cult of Kim Jong Il in North Korea, but certainly much more expansive and detrimental to world affairs. Please keep up the good work. 

..if possible, could you help out here?

Mr. Fisk,

I heard on a local radio station this morning the first half of a talk you gave in California, I believe in June of this year.  The producer of the broadcast is TUC Radio.

You stated that Palestinian suicide bombers are horrific criminals and I agree with that appraisal.  You went on to state that the suicide bomber can, and presumably does, see the parents with children, grandparents, the Isreali citizens on the bus or at the pizza parlor as he commits his act of mass murder.  I believed that you were trying to illustrate just how psychologically damaged the suicide bomber must be to deliberately target the obviously innocent civilian.  Did I mis-read what you were trying to say?  I may be way off base here, but the simple presence of people living lives of approximate normalcy so close to the devistation of the occupied territories could well be a major consideration in selection of the target. At least that's what struck me when you spoke about the suicide bomber's actions.

Motivation is a difficult question for the U.S. press.  As Chomsky and others have documented, motivation in U.S. foreign policy is rarely discussed our press -- a sub-text for the powerful to create and the inconsequential to die for.

The Isreal/Palestine conflict forms part of U.S. support of its foreign policy objectives.  I make that statement on the assumption that the foreign policy objectives of the northern nations in the Middle East were fairly accurately stated 26 years ago on Saturday Night Live: "Kill all the Arabs and take their oil," (allegedly the translation of the Arabic on UNICEF Christmas cards).

We know, for example, that the Israel/Palestine conflict facilitates arms sales (U.S., and I assume, British and French) of phenominal scale to Saudi Arabia and other oil rich mid-east nations.  As a number of authors have documented, the arms sales recycle -- to the developed nations -- the profits from crude oil sales.  In the case of poor Arab nations, Egypt say, massive U.S. military "aid" is a poorly disguised redirection of U.S. taxes from social needs spending to the vast military industrial complex.  So one purpose for the conflict for the United States (and probably Britain, France and Germany to a lesser degree) is maintainance of a morally offensive, corrupt industrial base.

Though your comments directed my thoughts once again to the question of motivation in the Isreal/Palestine conflict, once again I'm left without an explanation for motivation for the conflict that could be used to actually diffuse the conflict.  The United States could easily force any settlement of the conflict it wanted through changes in its aid to Isreal.  Alledged motivating factors such as the occupation, the Isreali settlements, the second-class status of Isreali Arabs, the lack of right of return for the Palestinian refugees really don't mean much if the U.S., Great Britain, France, Japan, whoever, has decided that having a huge, unstable Arab refugee population serves their interests.

It may be that in the second half-hour of your discussion you address the purpose that is served by the conflict.  If not, would you consider writing a piece on the use of the conflict by the major powers? I look forward to reading more of your work,

From: Dave ..... <..........@hotmail.com>
To:<mail@robert-fisk.com>
Subject:No Subject
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 02 02:11:34 IST

From: M.... <......@yahoo.co.uk>
To:mail@robert-fisk.com
Subject: Lebanon and the middle east
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 02 01:41:02 IST

Dear Mr Fisk

I'm very thankful for your work which provides an insight into what is really going on in the middle east and in Lebanon. There is always questions racing in my head though on how we have failed to run our society in a 'proper' way from a political point of view, especially after we have been dubbed ignorant or incompetent in that manner. So I have two questions I would like to ask, hope you would be kind enough to answer:

From your own point of view, what first step(s) should be taken by the lebanese people in order to improve the political situation in lebanon?   i.e. when it comes down to the syrian presence and our government's corruption

And how could we come about solving the problem of the palestinian refugees in lebanon as well.

This might seem a bit out-dated, but I have also been reading a thriller by Ian St James which has apparently been written in 1982 on the middle east (and some on the IRA), however I'm not familiar with the author. If you're familiar with this book 'the balfour conspiracy', was it based on real life events whenever he describes the events of 1947 (I assumed that you might know about this because the author was praised in the independent in 1982 - as from what it says on the book).

Cheers

M. ...........(Lebanese)

From: D..... ...... <..........@bbc.co.uk>
To: mail@robert-fisk.com 
Subject: in support or robert fisk
Date: Tue, 09 Jul 02 18:12:00 IST

From: Boris ...... <......@earthlink.net>
To:<mail@robert-fisk.com>
Subject: Thank you
Date: Mon, 08 Jul 02 20:50:31 IST

From: Imran........ @aol.com

To: mail@robert-fisk.com
Subject: general
Date: Mon, 01 Jul 02 02:58:32 IST