WASHINGTON, April 30, 2010 (WAFA)- U.S. Congressional Candidate Dr. Jack Shepard urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to put the $300 millions the United State of America promised to help the innocent civilians of Gaza in to immediate action by spending the aid money on the people suffering in Gaza and provide them enough fuel to keep their electricity going on 24 hours a day.
In an open letter to Clinton, dated on April 25, Shepard said: Presently as of yesterday my friends in Gaza from both Fatah and Hamas are telling me they have only a maximum of 3-4 hours of electricity each day.
The end result is that over 3000 water wells cannot supply fresh water to the desperately needy people of Gaza because the pumps cannot supply enough water, and obviously the hospital generators are lacking fuel.
He said: 'Please Secretary Clinton put your words into action and direct the aid to Gaza by first giving these innocent civilians electricity 24 hours a day. By turning on the electricity and lights for the people of Gaza will be an act so well received in the world, that America will be seen having changed it's direction to becoming a real humanitarian giver by helping to end this manmade humanitarian disaster caused by the siege of Gaza.”
He added: I tell you Secretary Clinton, “Today; this act will be seen round the world as the first step by the Obama Administration of fair just kindness that will go a long way to warm our American not very cold relationship with the Arab World. It will be the first concrete step in the right direction of reaching out to the Arab World that President Obama promised in his historic Cairo speech.”
“So please Secretary Clinton put your money where your mouth said it should go and turn the lights on in Gaza.” Shepard, who visited the Gaza Strip Last March, said. “Secretary Clinton: please remember the whole world is in Shock that America the greatest power in the world just stands by watching and does nothing to end this manmade humanitarian disaster in Gaza.”
“What is worse, this inaction greatly harms America’s chances of future successes of our American hopes of ending conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and ultimately defeating the Al Qaeda worldwide,” he added. “Secretary Clinton please remember, “Al Qaeda and other terror organizations have intensified their efforts to recruit young Muslim men, tapping into rising anger about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict especially the siege of Gaza.”
“The terrorists use things like the Israel siege of Gaza as a recruiting tool to recruit young Muslim men to become 'foreign fighters' to travel to Iraqi and Afghanistan to fight our brave American troops, he added.
Shepard said: Secretary Clinton, “America must begin ACTIONS not just WORDS to start fulfilling President Obama’s promises that he spelled out in his Cairo speech! The most urgent and most highly visible AMERICAN ACTION would be spending America’s tax payers’ money to help Gaza on fuel crises so as to lighten the hopes of people in every home, every place of work, every school and every hospital.”
“Please remember turning on the lights in Gaza will be the first step in showing the world that the humanitarian suffering for the Palestinian people trapped in Gaza is an humanitarian issue not a political issue and America is finally taken the correct steps to end decades of non action by beginning to support and end the suffering of the Palestinian People of Gaza”, he said.
“I can give you an update from my visit to Gaza March 17-18, 2010. I saw Sewage has begun spilling into the streets; risk of more as sewage pools fill to maximum. No fuel for the water and sewage pumps - 800,000 people are deprived from water supply. Israel deliberately drained Gaza of the industrial diesel needed to generate electricity - and still won't permit sufficient supply. This has created a dangerous situation of spreading infectious diseases among civilians already suffering from the terrible effects of the military operation over one year ago,” he added.
“Secretary Clinton remember what General Petraeus has told the Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing on March 16, General Petraeus stated clearly that “the [Israeli-Palestinian] conflict foments anti-American sentiment due to a perception of US favoritism toward Israel.” America must begin with a courageous stance and do what many Israelis have been asking, save Israel from itself,” Shepard concluded his letter.
