Dr. Nizam Mamode speaking in the British House of Commons, 11/20/24.

A couple days ago I watched a story on Al Jazeera English about how the Israeli military is using small drones mounted with machine guns to kill civilians in Gaza. These drones are 3-5 feet wide, with four or more propellers. They’re called quadcopters. They move like hummingbirds or bumblebees—hovering and darting. They can go inside buildings and tunnels, or chase someone down the street. Besides guns they carry cameras, loudspeakers and bombs. The Al Jazeera story claimed the Israelis are busy building new prototypes and testing them on the trapped civilians in Gaza.

I did a search under 'Israeli Quadcopters' and saw that NPR did a story on November 20th about a British doctor speaking in the House of Commons about operating on Palestinian children who had been shot by quadcopters in Gaza. So I went to the UK Parliament website and found the video of the doctor’s testimony, and I’m going to play the whole thing, because I think the whole thing needs to be heard. 

The doctor’s name is Nizam Mamode, 62 years old. In the video, he’s sitting in front of a microphone before 10 members of the Committee for International Development. All the members ask a question, so it’s long interview, over 40 minutes, and it’s not easy to listen to. I had to take breaks and come back to it. Some parts are rather horrifying. It begins with an introduction by committee chairman Sarah Champion.

Link to the video.

The Committee listening to Dr. Mamode.

A machine gun mounted on a quadcopter.

My take on what happened in the election.

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Militiaman outside the Republican Convention in Cleveland, 2016.

A short essay on what I know about fascism.

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I wrote this after I got back home the other night, but it took a few days to get it posted. I had a good trip, thanks very much for your support.

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Dr. Edward Alam, professor of philosophy and theology at Notre Dame University in Lebanon.

This interview with Dr. Alam gives a very good historical context for the war now going on in Lebanon. I feel lucky to have met him. Here are the links to the book he recommended for more in depth study:

The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi

The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World by Avi Shlaim

The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Ilan Pappe

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This is the monument in Martyr’s Square in Beirut.

Four more interviews with people on the street in Beirut.

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On the street in Beirut.

An interview with Yehya Youness, owner of Electrip, an electric scooter company in Beirut.

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I lifted this image from a L’Orient Today story.

I made a mistake about the date. I meant Friday, October 11th. This is a short piece recorded in my hotel room following last night’s bombing in Central Beirut.

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A family camping out along the beach in Beirut to avoid being bombed in their home.

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I’m going to take a break for a few months, or at least until the pandemic is over. Thank you very much for your support. This podcast has been the best thing in my life, professionally, and I couldn’t have done it without you. I hope to be back soon with more stories.

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