Israel Matzav

Deterring those who are already dead

Deterrence works because one is able credibly to threaten the center of gravity of the enemy: the threat of inflicting unacceptable losses upon him, whether in a bar brawl or in nuclear escalation. The calculus deterrence relies upon is: is it worth it? Is the Price/Earning Ratio of the contemplated action so hugely negative that it would wipe out the capital? Deterrence works if the price to be paid by the party to be deterred hugely exceeds his expected earnings. But deterrence only works if the enemy is able and willing to enter the same calculus. If the enemy plays by other rules and calculates by other means, he will not be deterred. There was nothing the Philistines could have done to deter Samson. If the calculus is: I exchange my worthless earthly life against the triumph of Allah on earth, and an eternity of bliss for me, if the enemy wishes to be dead, if to him the Apocalypse is desirable, he will not be deterred.

When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the Mayor of Tehran, he insistently proposed that the main thoroughfares of Tehran should be widened so that, he explained, on the day of his reappearance, the Hidden Imam, Mohamed ibn Hassan, who went into the great occultation in 941 AD could tread spacious avenues. More recently, he told the Indian Foreign Minister that “in two years, everything will be settled,” which the visiting dignitary at first mistook to mean that Iran expected to possess nuclear weapons in two years; he was later bemused to learn what Ahmadinejad had meant, to wit, that the Mahdi would appear in two years, at which points all worldly problems would disappear.

This attitude, truly, is not new, nor should it surprise us: religious notions and their estranged cousins, ideological representations, determine not only their believers’ beliefs but also their believers’ actions. Reality, as it were, is invaded by belief, and belief in turn shapes the believer’s reality. The difference between the religious and the ideologically religious is this: the religious believer accepts that reality is a given, whereas the fanatic gambles everything on a pseudo-reality of what ought to be. The religious believer accepts reality and works at improving it, the fanatic rejects reality, refuses to pass any compromise with it and tries to destroy it and replace it with his fantasy.

...

Contemporary jihad is not a matter of politics at all (of ‘occupation, of ‘grievances,’of colonialism, neocolonialism, imperialism and Zionism), but a matter of Gnostic faith. Consequently, attempts at dealing with the problem politically will not even touch it. Aspirin is good, and so is penicillin, but they are of little avail to counter maladies of the mind. I am emphatically not saying here that the jihadis are “crazy.” I am saying that they are possessed of a disease of the mind, and the disease is the political religion of modern Gnosticism in its Islamic version.

Let us flash back in time, if you will, to Sept. 28, 1971, in Cairo. The prime minister of Jordan Wasfi al-Tell, who had been threatened by the Palestinian movement in retaliation for the so-called Black September of 1970, walks into the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel. “Five shots, fired at point-blank range, hit [him]… He staggered… he fell dying among the shards of glass on the marble floor. As he lay dying, one of his killers bent over and lapped the blood that poured from his wounds.” The multiplicity of similar incidents tells us that they are neither some ‘collateral damage’ nor incidental occurrences. They do not belong in the sphere of traditional politics, they are instead located in an ‘elsewhere’ of geopolitics.

Soldiers kill. Terrorists kill. Modern Jihadis lap the blood.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:33 PM 0 comments

Hamas Enforcer's Temper Tantrum

Jamal Abu Samhadana, a 43-year-old explosives expert, is a key target for Israel and moves stealthily, switching cars and hideouts, despite his promotion to security chief by the Hamas-led government.

In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, Abu Samhadana called the U.S. and Israeli-led boycott of the Hamas-run Palestinian Authority "cheap extortion" and said it will only serve "to make our people more attached to the government."

"The American government and people will pay a dear price for this aggressive and criminal policy against the Arab and Muslim people," he said.

...

Still, he saved his harshest words for the U.S. and President Bush.

"We are happy when any American soldier is killed anywhere in the world, because the American Army is an aggressor against all the people in the world, particularly the Arab and Muslim worlds," he said. "The American people are known to be peaceful, so they are asked to move to bring down this terrorist government in Washington, so that the American people are safe from any attacks or retaliation."

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:17 PM 0 comments

Move the US Embassy to Jerusalem Now!

The excuses given for the use of the waiver, courtesy of the Arabists at the State department, are that moving the embassy will destabilize peace negotiations and anger the other Arab states. Today those excuses are weaker than ever. It’s hard to imagine how negotiations could be destabilized further. There are none. The Palestinian Arabs are now represented by terrorists committed to Israel’s destruction. What’s the worst that could happen if the embassy is moved? Hamas will reiterate for the hundred and first time that they want to wipe out the Jewish state? And what will those Arab states—the likes of Saudi Arabia and Syria—do? Will they still refuse to recognize Israel? More importantly why should other states, and undemocratic states at that, determine where America places its embassy in one of its closest allies? Israel is the only country in the world where the American president blocks the placing of America’s embassy in the nation’s capital.

Moreover, not moving the embassy is actually a barrier to peace. Not moving the embassy leaves the Palestinians Arabs with the hope that one day, as Hamas promises, Jerusalem will be theirs. But this is a false hope. The status of Jerusalem is non-negotiable to the Jewish people. King David's oath, "If I forget thee, O'Jerusalem, let my right hand turn lame," recited by Jews to this day, was made 700 years before the advent of Christianity and 1,200 years before Islam. But not only was Jerusalem the center of the ancient Jewish state, it’s also the center of the modern state: The parliament, the Supreme Court, and the central bank are all there. Leaving the Palestinian Arabs with any hope that one day they’ll be given Jerusalem is leaving them with a false dream. But by not moving the embassy, the American government is signaling that the dream isn’t so false. If the Jews are denied sovereignty over their capital city, even by their closest ally, it’s sending the message that everything is still to play for. And so while Hamas’s agenda seems extreme to most, the Palestinian Arab people see America legitimizing part of Hamas’s agenda—one reason for their electoral success.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:57 PM 0 comments

Hot night at the Security Council

DAN GILLERMAN ( Israel) said that terrorism was World War Three. No country was immune from international terrorism. It lurked in dark corners and struck with a blow of destruction, death, indiscrimination, and chaos. Terrorists had executed horrific attacks in Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Terror had struck in Jordan, Kenya, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Yemen. It had devastated Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Great Britain, Philippines, Spain and the United States. It continued to strike brutally, ruthlessly, and daily in Israel. Many, many more States were targeted, and yet foreigners, targeted in terrorist attacks, represented an even wider circle of victims. They were Australians. They were Dutch. They were from each and every corner of the globe. They were just unlucky to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. “We are all linked. We are all in this together.”

He said that the world was no longer divided between rich and poor, and North and South. It was divided between those who joined in that fight and those who did not. It was divided between those who spread evil and those who did good; between those who incited violence and those who preached tolerance. Those who stood idly and did not fight that plague were, in effect, joining in collaboration with it. Unfortunately, even in this Council, there were members who, despite being victims of terror themselves, did not always show the courage and determination to condemn terrorism strongly and unequivocally. He had called the Council to arms and sounded a wake-up call three months ago. Yet, progress had been too slow and too little. “We must join together and win this war. We must mobilize in a unified, concerted effort.”

There could never be any justification for terror, no matter the motive -- period, he said. He, therefore, supported the statement in the 2005 World Summit Outcome strongly condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes, as that constituted one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. The work of the Council’s counter-terrorism Committees was a welcome part of the international fight. Hopefully, their efforts would lead to a significant reduction of global terror. The people of Israel, unfortunately, had an intimate awareness of the need to fight international terrorism. The “axis of terror” represented an unholy alliance of Iran, the greatest State sponsor of terrorism and the largest threat to international peace and security; Syria, which hosted the headquarters of terrorist organizations that had decided to wreak havoc in the streets of Israel; and murdered as many individuals as possible; and the terror organizations themselves.

He said that a dark cloud was looming over the Middle East. Iran, Syria, and the terrorist organizations they financed, harboured, nurtured, and supported, did not discriminate between their victims, targeting innocents wherever they were. It was a sad reality that the Palestinians who went to the polls seeking a better life and an end to corruption found themselves in the grip of a terrorist organization that was turning their dreams into nightmares. Unfortunately, there were still elements that believed that terrorism was a tool to fulfil political aims. To that suggestion, the international community should respond with a resounding “no!”. That fanatic outlook was anathema to the principles of peace and human dignity, and all that the United Nations stood for. The “axis of terror” was alive and active. Leaders of Hamas met regularly with, and had been offered financial assistance by, the President of Iran -- the very same President who called for the annihilation of a United Nations Member State, denied the Holocaust, and was attempting to develop the nuclear capabilities to perpetrate the next holocaust. As a result of the active collaboration between Iran, Syria, and “their terrorist cronies”, thousands of innocent people had died and many more lives had been changed forever as a result of wounds sustained from terror attacks. More than 24,500 terrorist attacks had been perpetrated against the Israeli people during the current period. The terrorism threat was real and pressing, and the Israeli people felt it every day, in every community.

AHMAD ALHARIR ( Syria) stressed his condemnation of international terrorism, including State terrorism. Syria had been a victim of horrific acts of terrorism, and had been one of the first to warn of that looming danger. It had called for national and international strategies to combat terrorism, and it had shared its experience in that regard with many countries of the world, helping to save the lives of many and breaking up several global terror cells. Syria was implementing its commitments in terms of the Consolidated List. The relevant authorities had included the names on the list in Syria’s electronic entry control systems at its borders, in addition to distribution in hard copy. He appreciated the great efforts being made by the 1267 Committee to implement its mandate. Despite those endeavours, however, the Council had yet to take seriously the reference made in the September Summit outcome for the need for fairness in the process of listing and delisting, and amending the Consolidated List. In addition, there were numerous gaps in identifying the names on the list; many were similar, and the spelling was not standardized around the world.

He said that the time had come for a comprehensive review and update of the list, in order to eliminate all doubt about the information that contained. Syria noted the efforts being made by the CTED in dealing with the backlog of State reports and called for further efforts to reduce that. His country would soon present its fifth report to the Counter-Terrorism Committee, including its latest legislative developments aimed at combating terrorism and terrorist financing. The reporting burden faced by States, including his own, should also be addressed. Meanwhile, the work of the 1540 Committee was in no way a substitute for other disarmament mechanisms. He had presented his report under the resolution and had responded to requests made by the Committee for clarification. Syria was committed to cooperating with the various Council bodies on terrorism and was continuing its various efforts to update its national legislation. He, meanwhile, called on the Committees, while implementing their mandates, to avoid duplication and streamline the reporting requirements. He called on the Council, when dealing with global terrorism, to avoid intervening in matters that fell strictly under the Assembly’s jurisdiction.

The Arab region had suffered from terrorism, in general, and State terrorism, in particular, by Israel, which continued to occupy Arab lands and was perpetuating a never-ending practice of killing, property destruction, and construction of the separation wall, he said. Member States of the Council should avoid double standards when combating terrorism. Their efforts in that regard must be based on strict, legal criteria, and not on any “flimsy political” considerations. Israel was duty-bound to cease its “cheap blackmail” against the United Nations. It was well aware that the international community knew of the terrorist activities it had perpetrated in the region. Israeli gangs had also assassinated many international personalities, including some sent by the United Nations to investigate the situation in the region in the past. [This is unbelieveable! CiJ]

He said that everyone was aware that the source of terrorism in the region was the continued Israeli occupation of Arab lands, confiscation of that land, as well as continued Israeli aggression against Arabs and the denial of their fundamental rights. [Arabs have more rights in Israel than they do in Syria! CiJ] The representative of Israel had insisted on implementation of only a few Security Council resolutions, while it had failed to mention Israel’s huge nuclear arsenal. Perhaps he should read the United Nations Charter, which had been drafted to save generations from the scourge of war and foreign occupation. Perhaps those who were ignorant of such facts could not read, and perhaps they should not be here at the United Nations. Israeli terrorism was known; it was known to all. Israel could fool some of the people some of the time, but it could not fool all of the people all of the time.

MANSOUR SADEGHI ( Iran) said that, as a victim of terrorism, his country had always strongly condemned it in all its forms and manifestations. Iran had demonstrated its strong conviction in fighting terrorism by all means, including through the arrest of one of the greatest numbers of Al-Qaida members apprehended by any single State and handing them over to the authorities in their respective countries. In that context, Iran had intensified control over and security on its borders with a view to preventing entry into, or transit through, its territory by terrorists.

He said that, while the decisive stage in the war against terrorism was one of capturing hearts and minds, the abuse of that fight by some demagogues, in order to spread hatred and bigotry among various cultures and religions, and their efforts to demonize and define certain religions and cultures by unfair and unfounded attribution of terrorism, might prove to be no less serious than terrorism itself. In its endeavours to fight terrorism, the United Nations should also consider proper mechanisms to rescue the much-abused term “terrorism” from those countries that unfairly and baselessly used it as a pejorative term for any other country that dissented from their policies.

Emphasizing the need to recognize the application of double standards in dealing with terrorism and terrorist groups was yet another important matter of grave concern, which seriously undermined the international community’s collective campaign against terrorism. In the past 25 years, Iran had been the subject of different acts of terrorism by various terrorist groups. A particular reference should be made to a terrorist group that had long been stationed in Iraq and which planned, financed and supervised terrorist operations in Iran, resulting in the killing of many civilians and officials, as well as damaging private and government property. That terrorist group had long been supported and sheltered by the regime of Saddam Hussein and, ironically, continued to enjoy the protection of occupying forces in Iraq today. During that period, it had staged more than 612 terrorist operations in Iran or against Iranian interests outside the country, including hijackings, abductions, bombings and indiscriminate terrorist attacks against civilians.

Referring to the allegations raised by Israel’s representative, he said that ever since its inception, that country had been suffering from a lack of legitimacy. It was, therefore, not surprising that the representative of such a regime, ruled constantly by the perpetrators of various crimes against humanity and war crimes, would make such baseless and fabricated propaganda as a remedy for its own illegitimacy. It had been an open secret that the Israeli regime had continuously and purposely violated many international laws and norms, let alone dozens of United Nations resolutions about which the response of that irresponsible regime had been complete defiance.

In that context, a particular reference could be made to the mischievous Israeli policy on nuclear issues, which was a showcase of its concealment and unabated pursuit of a nuclear arsenal during the past decade, he said. [The funny thing is that Israel's alleged nuclear arsenal dates to the 1960's. But keep in mind here who has been threatening whom. CiJ] Indisputably, that ill-intentioned policy had been threatening the peace and security of the volatile Middle East region and beyond for years. In fact, Israeli’s missile capability, coupled with its wicked behaviour, presented a real threat not only to regional peace and security, but also to the whole world. The only obstacle to the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East was Israel’s non-adherence to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its continued clandestine operation of nuclear facilities with the help and technological assistance of a certain State. [Gee, I wonder who that could be. CiJ]

Here's where the 'fun' starts:

Statements in Right of Reply

The representative of Israel, speaking in exercise of the right of reply, said that the Syrian and Iranian delegates were not supposed to speak during today’s meeting. However, he thanked them for their “lectures” on international terrorism from “two of the world’s greatest experts”.

The representative of Syria said in response that by saying that he and the Iranian delegate were not supposed to have addressed the Council, he had shown his complete arrogance because they had spoken under Rule 37, which was clear to all. As for expertise in terrorism, everyone knows that Israel was the expert and that the country had been established on the very basis of terrorism.

The representative of Iran added that, while his initial statement had not been a response to Israel’s delegate, the second one was. The Israeli representative had uttered “a big lie” because the Security Council Secretariat had received Iran’s request to make a statement on Friday.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:01 PM 0 comments

Palestinian Civil War Watch - Shots Fired at 'Palestinian Stock Exchange'

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:16 PM 0 comments

What will they do with the oil?

But according to the Jerusalem Post, Iran's current small-scale enrichment used only 164 centrifuges, which spin uranium gas to increase its proportion of the isotope needed for the nuclear fission at the heart of a nuclear reactor or a bomb.

Iranian Deputy Nuclear Chief Mohammad Saeedi said Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it plans to install 3,000 centrifuges at its facility in the central town of Natanz by late 2006, and then expand to 54,000 centrifuges. He did not say when the expansion would take place.

"We will expand uranium enrichment to industrial scale at Natanz," Deputy Nuclear Chief Mohammad Saeedi told state-run television.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:30 PM 0 comments

Hey Big Satan, Congratulations!

"The Palestinian nation and the Islamic Ummah are not enemies of the American people. They do not accept hegemony of the US and oppression," Haniyeh said.

Asked about probable escalation of civil war in Palestine, Haniyeh said that fighting between Palestinians is the red line for all and there is no place for such an event in Palestine.

"Palestinians are a nation who have made many sacrifices in resistance to the occupying forces and all share the commitment to safeguard national security. People have joined hands with institutes of Palestinian self-rule.

"All the nation know that there is a common enemy who are the occupying forces against whom we should stand," Haniyeh said.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:56 PM 0 comments

Four Kassams fired st Sderot - direct hit on Jewish home

In an interview with Israel Radio, Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal asserted that "Our luck is that the Palestinians don't know how to aim precisely. The solution to the Kassams is not occasional military activity, but rather "either decimating the area from which the launches take place, or controlling the area."

Moyal stated that "only war, face-to-face" will solve the problem, not security rooms or government funding. Would we need a war if we hadn't 'withdrawn' from Gaza? What did we gain by expelling all the Jews from Gaza and fleeing?

Citing the United States activity in Afghanistan, as well as French and British precedents, Moyal insisted that "No sane country would stand for its sovereignty being violated ten times a day, while it strikes against open areas." True. No sane country would give territory away to terrorists either. But we all know that Israel is not a sane country. We are a country afflicted by guilt over our existence. Our morality is misplaced. As the Rabbis tell us, one who has mercy for the cruel will end up being cruel to the merciful. That describes the actions of our governments over the last thirteen years, and especially over the last six years, to a tee.

The Jerusalem Post reports that a Southern Command senior officer said Wednesday that "new technology would soon be introduced to the IDF which will allow for a quicker and more accurate response against Kasssam rocket launching cells." In other words, we're going to hit the right spots in those open fields from now on, when what's needed is a Dresden-type bombing of places like Beit Lahiya, from which Kassams are constantly fired. That's what any normal country would do.

HaAretz reports that the Israel Defense Forces planned to step up ground operations by special forces in the northern Gaza Strip. In other words, we're going to send our soldiers to risk their lives to make sure that only the terrorists get killed, and not the 'civilian' population among whom they hide that shields them and approves of their actions, in violation of the Geneva Convention. And then we will be accused of a civilian massacre anyway, as we were in Jenin in 2002.

YNet has video from Sderot. YNet also interviewed the homeowner whose gas tank was hit:

“Luckily the rocket struck the concrete part of the roof, which slowed it down a bit,” Sderot homeowner Moti Ashkenazi said.

Ashkenazi, who was alone in his house during the attack, added that “I heard a blast and flew off the bed; part of the ceiling landed on me. A big miracle took place here because shrapnel from the rocket hit the gas tanks inside the house. I am still trying to fathom what happened to us this morning.

If I sound a bit disgusted, I am. I'm tired of the Kassams falling daily and empathize with those of our brethren who live in constant fear of a direct hit. I'm disgusted at the weak 'leaders' we elected. I'm disgusted at our misplaced 'humaneness' towards the 'Palestinians.' At some point, morality dictates that you defend yourself and don't wait for the other side to kill you. The Talmud says that if someone comes to kill you, you should rise up and kill him first. Unfortunately, our 'leaders' have long since abandoned God and His Torah, including the Talmud. We are all suffering the consequences.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:31 AM 1 comments

Ahmadinejad: Send The Jews Back

The interview reveals Ahmadinejad as a man obsessed with Jews, and one intent on provoking German resentment over its post-war humiliation to split the West on Israel:

Ahmadinejad: Look here, my views are quite clear. We are saying that if the Holocaust occurred, then Europe must draw the consequences and that it is not Palestine that should pay the price for it. If it did not occur, then the Jews have to go back to where they came from. I believe that the German people today are also prisoners of the Holocaust. Sixty million people died in the Second World War. World War II was a gigantic crime. We condemn it all. We are against bloodshed, regardless of whether a crime was committed against a Muslim or against a Christian or a Jew. But the question is: Why among these 60 million victims are only the Jews the center of attention?

...

Der Speigel notes in a separate piece that Ahmadinejad's remarks will give new energy to the anti-Semitic neo-Nazi groups currently on the fringe of German politics.

...

The prospects did not improve when DS changed the topic, with some resistance from Ahmadinejad, to nuclear weapons. When DS asked the Iranian president bluntly whether Iran desired nuclear weapons, he changed the subject:

SPIEGEL: The key question is: Do you want nuclear weapons for your country?

Ahmadinejad: Allow me to encourage a discussion on the following question: How long do you think the world can be governed by the rhetoric of a handful of Western powers? Whenever they hold something against someone, they start spreading propaganda and lies, defamation and blackmail. How much longer can that go on?

SPIEGEL: We're here to find out the truth. The head of state of a neighboring country, for example, told SPIEGEL: "They are very keen on building the bomb." Is that true?

Ahmadinejad: You see, we conduct our discussions with you and the European governments on an entirely different, higher level. In our view, the legal system whereby a handful of countries force their will on the rest of the world is discriminatory and unstable. One-hundred and thirty-nine countries, including us, are members of the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) in Vienna. Both the statutes of IAEA and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as well as all security agreements grant the member countries the right to produce nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes. That is the legitimate legal right of any people. Beyond this, however, IAEA was also established to promote the disarmament of those powers that already possessed nuclear weapons. And now look at what's happening today: Iran has had an excellent cooperation with IAEA. We have had more than 2,000 inspections of our plants, and the inspectors have obtained more than 1,000 pages of documentation from us. Their cameras are installed in our nuclear centers. IAEA has emphasized in all its reports that there are no indications of any irregularities in Iran. That is one side of this matter.

In fewer words, Ahmadinejad refuses to answer the question. One would think that he would take the opportunity to categorically deny his pursuit of nuclear weapons. Instead, he tries to launch into a debate on global politics and the tyranny of the Western democracies. The only topic he truly embraces with DS is Holocaust denial and the removal of Jews in Israel to Europe, towards which he manipulates the DS interviewer in the last third of the piece.

Ahmadinjad is obsessed with Israel and the Jews. Der Speigel does us a service in demonstrating this, and people had better start taking it seriously. He means to prepare the world for some kind of action against them, and this attempt at a charm offensive in Germany was no accident.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:25 AM 0 comments

Iraq Poised to Become Main Iranian Ally

But Iran and Iraq share a Shiite Muslim majority and deep cultural and historic ties, and Tehran's influence over its neighbor is growing. Iran will likely try to use Iraq as a battleground if the United States punishes Tehran economically or militarily, analysts say.

Many key positions in the Iraqi government now are occupied by men who took refuge in Iran to avoid oppression by the Saddam's former Sunni Muslim-dominated Baathist regime.

Iraq's powerful militias, meanwhile, have strong ties to Iran and have deeply infiltrated Iraqi security forces. They can be expected to side with Iran if the West should attack, said Paul Ingram of the British American Security Information Council.

Read the whole thing.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:48 PM 0 comments

UN faults Lebanon for rocket attack that set off border clash

"It is the responsibility of the Lebanese authorities to respect the (UN-demarcated) Blue Line and prevent any attacks across this blue line," Milos Strugar, the senior advisor to the UN commander of the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon, said on Monday.

...

Strugar said the situation in the South following a UN-brokered cease-fire Sunday evening was "quiet in general, but also fragile and cautious."

He added: "We are working with everyone to prevent escalation and confrontation in the area and to maintain calm."

...

Meanwhile, asked who was behind Sunday's initial rocket attack, Hizbullah's representative in the South, Sheikh Naim Qaouk, told LBCI that the government is responsible for monitoring any security breach in Lebanon.

"Hizbullah is not an alternative to the government," he said. "Knowing who launched those rockets is not our responsibility.

It is the responsibility of the Lebanese security, which has to conduct investigations. Hizbullah's weapons and mission is to stand in the face of Israeli threats."

The Star also has Hezbullah's response to the story I ran yesterday about their long-range rocket capabilities:

A Hizbullah official told The Daily Star that the "resistance will neither confirm not deny" the report.

"Let their own fear kill them. We will not comfort them," he added.

I would take that as a confirmation.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:33 PM 0 comments

Hiram Bingham IV

Sometime ago, then Secretary of State Colin Powell gave a posthumous award for "constructive dissent" to Hiram (or Harry) Bingham IV.

For over fifty years, the State Department resisted any attempt to honor Bingham. For them, he was an insubordinate member of the US diplomatic service, a dangerous maverick who was eventually demoted. Now, after his death, he has been officially recognized as a hero.

Bingham came from an illustrious family. His father (on whom the fictional character Indiana Jones was based) was the archeologist who unearthed the Inca City of Machu Picchu, Peru in 1911.

Hiram Bingham IV, of Salem, Connecticut (who is the son of Hiram Bingham III, the explorer who discovered Machu Picchu in Peru in 1911) died in 1988 at age 84. When he was the US vice consul in Marseilles, France from 1939 to 1941, he boldly defied State Department policy by writing visas for those fleeing the Holocaust, by hiding refugees in his diplomatic residence who were most wanted by Hitler, and by coordinating daring escapes to other countries from Southern France. Harry helped rescue renowned painter Marc Chagall, whose 'Glass Windows' are shown in this website (see DIRECTORY links below), anti-Nazi author Leon Feuchtwanger, Nobel Prize physicist Otto Meyerhoff, and ordinary refugees. This webpage attests to wide support for the HBIV stamp from distinguished citizens, newspapers, lawmakers, museums, national organizations, and ordinary Americans. Harry's story is continually retold by the History Channel (see "History Under Cover - Diplomats for the Damned"), and by a world-traveling "Visas for Life" exhibit, which features several WWII "righteous diplomats" and has been exhibited by the UNITED NATIONS at both New York and Geneva. Museums around the world have sponsored the exhibit. Not surprisingly, the stamp proposal has received broad BIPARTISAN SUPPORT in the Congress ("from Senator Kennedy to [then] Senator John Ashcroft"). On June 27, 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell praised Harry's actions and presented a posthumous "constructive dissent" award to Harry's children at an American Foreign Service Officers Association awards ceremony at the State Department Headquarters. This was a welcome FIRST TIME official U.S. recognition of Harry's life-saving activity, 62 years after his defiance of department policy.

Accordingly, the courageous stand taken by this UNITED STATES PUBLIC SERVANT during the nightmare of the Holocaust, who is now an international hero, justifies a commemorative stamp. Thank you for visiting this Hiram Bingham IV website (see ROUND-UP OF SELECTED QUOTES, followed by DIRECTORY links, below).

Sincerely,

Robert Kim Bingham, Esq., website administrator & stamp-drive coordinator

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:17 PM 0 comments

Spy agency warns'homegrown' extremists on the rise in Canada

About 90 per cent of immigration applicants from Pakistan and Afghanistan -- hotbeds for Islamic fundamentalism and countries central in the fight against terrorism -- haven't been adequately screened for security concerns over the past five years, Canada's spy agency said Monday.

The No. 2 man at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) said his organization simply doesn't have the resources necessary to do all the security checks it would like.

Jack Hooper, deputy director of operations for the service, told a Senate national security committee about 20,000 immigrants have come from the Afghanistan/Pakistan region to Canada since 2001. [That's 20,000 potential Islamic terrorists. CiJ]

"We're in a position to vet one-tenth of those," he said. "That may be inadequate." [This guy is the master of understatement. CiJ]

Asked if that meant CSIS wasn't completely satisfied about 90 per cent of the immigrants coming into the country from that region, Hooper responded "that's correct."

Read the whole thing.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:01 PM 0 comments

Suspected collaborators executed by Palestinians

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:01 PM 0 comments

'Amona' 2 in the making?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:16 PM 0 comments

If there hadn't been a surrender, there wouldn't have been a Hezbullah attack

But what do you know, Israel's withdrawal to the international border allowed the army to respond strongly when attacked. Syria's occupation of Lebanon lost its legitimacy.

From the international border, it turns out Israel has much greater justification for using force to defend itself, and for demanding the Lebanese government take responsibility for the goings-on in that country.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:01 PM 0 comments

A country named "Israel"

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:26 PM 0 comments

IDF ground troops in Gaza

Monday night's operation does not necessarily point to a close ground operation, but the combination of fighters from special combat units inside the Strip constitutes a new high in the IDF's operations against terrorists.

Up to now, the army only passed a few dozens of meters into the Palestinian territory with the aim of "opening a route" in incidents in which the army suspected explosive devices were placed along the border fence. This was conducted mainly in the past weeks following Hamas' rise to power.

Monday night's operation was not another passive defensive move, but rather an active move, in which a special military forces entered the Palestinian territories in order to hit Qassam launching groups.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:06 AM 0 comments

Abbas Names Wanted Murderer as Head of Force 17

Damra is a senior Fatah terrorist who led shooting and roadside bomb attacks against Israelis, including the killing of IDF soldiers near Neve Tzuf in 2000 and of an Israeli citizen near Tapuach, in Samaria, the following year. He served under Yasser Arafat in order to escape Israeli arrest.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:14 AM 1 comments

Our 'friends' the Saudis still boycott Israel

"We have raised this issue directly with senior Saudi officials on several occasions, both in Riyadh and in Washington....

"In all cases, we have received assurances that Saudi Arabia fully understands and remains committed to its WTO obligations, including the WTO obligation to treat all WTO members according to WTO rules," Schwab said.

…If Israel believes Saudi Arabia is boycotting its goods and services, it could bring a case against Riyadh at the WTO and "the United States could support such a case," Schwab said.

If Saudi Arabia boycotts U.S. companies doing business with Israel, U.S. trade officials will immediately raise the issue with Riyadh and could file a case at the WTO, she said.

A report issued by the Saudi Samba Financial Group entitled "Saudi Arabia and the WTO" notes the following (the link is to a summary - the full report is here):

To become a member, Saudi Arabia made major commitments to reduce tariffs, open services sectors of the economy to greater foreign participation, and to implement all WTO rules upon membership without recourse to transition periods. This means that when Saudi Arabia became a member, it was committed immediately to an intellectual property rights environment, a foreign investment environment, transparency in trade issues, legal recourse for trade partners, and elimination of technical barriers to trade, all in compliance with WTO requirements.

...

Equally important, however, is what the WTO agreement does not do. It does not require the importation of religiously banned products such as pork and alcohol, change Saudi Arabia’s trade stance toward Israel, address human rights issues, require changes to Saudization policies, weaken Saudi product standards or food safety standards, require the Kingdom to charge higher domestic prices for energy and petrochemical feedstocks, or leave Saudi Arabia exposed without recourse to dumping of inferior foreign products on the market—all concerns that we have heard expressed over the years of Saudi-WTO negotiations.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:49 AM 0 comments

Car Swarm Watch - 4 Palestinians killed in Gaza airstrike

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:33 AM 0 comments

Keeping Kosher in Saddam's Palace

Please don't misunderstand me. I am honored to serve our country, proud to wear the cloth of our nation, and mine is an exciting job. Once again, as in 2003, I am assigned to an Intelligence unit -- a unit that goes after truly evil people. I do feel like I'm doing good for God, especially since these same people we go after not only harbor a disdain for America and all she holds dear, but not surprisingly, they abhor Israel as well, and most especially the Jews.

I should feel good about that, right? And how about this: I'm able to serve in this war while keeping kosher, and as a side assignment working as an unofficial lay leader to Jews here at my FOB -- Forward Operating Base. I even organized a giant menorah lighting ceremony in Saddam's Palace and made 100% kosher latkes for everyone at the ceremony. Many Jews here are still stunned that we pulled that off.

Still think I should feel good? I would too if I were reading this about someone else. But I'm not. It's me, not someone I've never met that I've labeled "hero" in my mind.

The truth is that I always wanted...