Olmert to Gaza: "Sorry!... We don't hate you!"

Olmert, in an apparent rebuttal to the Winograd conclusions, declares yet another "Victory" and declares that the Savagery of his Army will halt its fire from 2 A.M.... The decision would mean Israel has put an end to the three-week-long Operation Cast Lead without an agreement with Hamas, relying instead on the support of the United States and Egypt in "battling Arms smuggling" into Gaza. In Palestine, Olmert achieved much less that UN SC resolution 1701: NO foreign troops to protect his hides... As for battling the arms smuggling to Hamas, ... It cannot be done!

Gideon Levy on Al Jazeera, Israel's aims were "unclear from the beginning", therefore, people in Israel (supportive of the aggression in their vast majority) will "go to bed wondering" and time will tell what has and hasn't been achieved.The aggression on Gaza will not play a "decisive role in the upcoming Israeli elections..."

Colonel Lang, at SST says: "...The Israelis have failed to humble Hamas. Rockets still arrive in Israel. This failure in their self-declared war aim will cost them dearly in the strategic contest. They are going to halt their "offensive without any sort of concession from Hamas?" I suppose that they do not want the burden of this ongoing action to be carried forward into their relations with the Obama Administration. The futility of what they have done in Gaza will be burden enough.

It is claimed by the agitpropers that Hamas is a satellite organization of Iran. If that is so, then Iran has done a poor job of supplying their Palesinian subsidiary. Where are the Iranian product improved and manufactured weapons that Hizbullah possessed in numbers in '06? Where are they? Impossible to deliver? All of them?

It would seem that political support and encouragement is one thing. Supply is another.

This summons from Mubarak indicates a need to placate the Cairo mob. No foreign inspectors on Egyptian soil? That means that Egypt will not make a serious attempt to halt smuggling into Gaza.

Not a good outcome for Israel."

Azeri Intelligence foil Hezbollah attack!

I donno why, but I could not stop laughing. No offense to the Azeri Intelligence Apparatus! London Times, via Haaretz, here

"...Azeri intelligence authorities reportedly first caught wind of the plot weeks after Imad Mughniyah, Deputy Secretary General of the Lebanon-based guerilla group was killed...The report also stated that the Egyptian intelligence broke up a Sinai-based Hezbollah cell headed by Sami Shehab, a Lebanese citizen"

Courrier - Relations UE-Israël : Lettre ouverte à Karel De Gucht

Monsieur le Ministre des Affaires étrangères,

En tant que professeurs et juristes en droit international nous sommes consternés par la décision prise le 8 décembre par le Conseil affaires générales et relations extérieures, qui valide le principe du renforcement de la relation entre l'Union européenne et Israël.

En dépit de la diplomatie « positive » menée par l'Union européenne à son égard, Israël poursuit son occupation du territoire palestinien, renforce la colonisation de la Cisjordanie et de Jérusalem-Est, maintient le blocus de Gaza, continue l'édification du Mur dont l'illégalité a été proclamée par la Cour internationale de Justice et multiplie les atteintes aux droits de la population palestinienne.

Dans de telles conditions, octroyer de nouveaux avantages à Israël revient à lui reconnaître toute latitude pour violer impunément le droit international.

La décision du Conseil contredit ainsi les principes et les valeurs que l'Union européenne se donne pour mission de défendre (notamment « promouvoir le respect du droit humanitaire international » – Lignes directrices de l'Union européenne concernant la promotion du droit humanitaire international, Journal officiel, C 327 du 23.12.2005) et contrevient à ses obligations internationales consistant à faire respecter par Israël le droit international humanitaire (article 1er commun aux quatre Conventions de Genève de 1949, avis de la CIJ du 9 juillet 2004, § 159) et le droit du peuple palestinien à l'autodétermination (avis de la CIJ, § 156).

Il est paradoxal de constater que le Conseil a décidé, lors de la même réunion, de renforcer les sanctions de l'Union européenne à l'égard du Zimbabwe, ce qui atteste l'existence d'une politique de deux poids deux mesures, les violations du droit international appelant de la part de l'Union des réactions contrastées selon l'État qui en est l'auteur.

En conséquence, Monsieur le Ministre, nous demandons que la Belgique revoie sa position et exige que tout rehaussement des relations politiques et économiques de l'Union européenne avec Israël soit conditionné par le respect effectif du droit international par cet État.

Pierre Klein, Eric David, Jean Salmon, Olivier Corten, François Dubuisson, Anne Lagerwall, Vaios Koutroulis, Joanna Spanoudis, Edith Weemaels Professeurs et chercheurs au Centre de droit international de l'ULB

© Rossel & Cie S.A. - Le Soir, Bruxelles, 2008

Amon the Top 43 Appointees Who Helped Make Bush The Worst President Ever....

For a full list of the Criminals & dilettante go to ThinkProgress, here

1. Dick Cheney — Until he got the job, people used to actually think it was a bad thing that the vice presidency has historically been a do-nothing position. .

4. Donald Rumsfeld — grossly misjudged and mishandled its aftermath. Rumsfeld is also responsible for authorizing the use of torture against terror detainees in U.S. custody;

6. Paul Wolfowitz — one of the primary architects of the Iraq war, arguing for the invasion as early as Sept. 15, 2001

9. Douglas Feith — headed up the notorious Office of Special Plans, an in-house Pentagon
intelligence shop devised by Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz to produce intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq.

10. John Bolton — pushed for the U.S. to disengage from the International Criminal Court ....Today, he spends his time calling for war with Iran.

15. L. Paul Bremer — This Presidential Medal of Freedom winner ...overestimated the strength of the new U.S.-trained Iraqi army, disbanded the Iraqi army leaving thousands of Iraqi soldiers with no income and no occupation, and enacted a de-Baathification law

18. Condoleezza Rice — strong advocate for invading Iraq, once famously warning that the U.S. should attack Iraq and not wait for solid proof of its WMD because “we don’t want the smoking gun

19. Scooter Libby — ..outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame as part of the Bush administration’s quest to punish Plame’s husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, ... was ultimately convicted of perjury and obstructing justice commuted by Bush.

28. Tommy Franks — assumed that the U.S. would draw down to 25,000 troops by the end of 2004, and had American soldiers stand idly by as chaos and lawlessness took hold after the invasion.

34. William Luti —...underneath Feith .... support his boss’s belief in conspiracy theories
linking Saddam to al Qaeda. Luti was an integral component of Cheney’s campaign to pressure intelligence professionals to conform their judgments to administration policy rather than reality.

37. Elliott Abrams — An Iran-Contra convict pardoned by Bush 41,... founding Israel’s 2006 bombing of Lebanon into Syria and advocated a Fatah coup after Hamas won the February 2006 Palestinian elections.

39. Colin Powell — Powell placed an ugly “blot” on his record when he pushed the Bush administration’s faulty case for the Iraq war in a speech to the U.N. on Feb.5, 2003,

"How not to close the Gaza tunnels!"

FP-Pass, here

"...So, wise guy, you ask, how do you shut down the Gaza tunnels?

My answer: You don't. Or, at least, not until you permit free trade in and out of Gaza, end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, raise income levels in northern Sinai, and pay Egyptian officials high enough wages such that they don't feel the need to take bribes.

There is no technological solution, so best of luck with the rest of it..."

UNRWA spokesman: " Israel keeps giving that excuse. Their credibility hangs in rags.There has to be an investigation for possible war crimes."

Bloomberg, here

"...A spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency said two children died when the school in northern Gaza, which was being used as a shelter, was struck by an Israeli tank shell. ...“The Israeli army knew the coordinates of this installation,” UNRWA spokesman Christopher Gunness said in a telephone interview. “There has been a direct hit on a UN school sheltering hundreds of people. There has to be an investigation for possible war crimes.”

It was the first time a UN official has called for a war crimes investigation over Israeli attacks on its installations in Gaza since the military operation began.

There were no reports of Hamas fighters firing from the school, Gunness said. “Israel keeps giving that excuse. Their credibility hangs in rags,” he added.

An Israeli military spokesman said all alleged incidents of hits on such civilian installations are being investigated, and it will take time. The credibility of an investigation is more important than speed, he said."

Israel to cease fire & rely upon Mubarak's collaboration to bleed Hamas

Haaretz, here

"The deal would also call for cooperation between Israel and Egypt on matters relating to the Gaza Strip in which they have shared interests, without the interference of Hamas."

...and all the while, March 14 'hopes' to see the Bush in Obama!

"expert" Michael Young" in NowLebanon, here

"...Obama's first test will be Gaza. Does he allow Hamas to be beaten, and then cash in on the results? Or does he step in and demand an immediate ceasefire? My money is on Obama's George W. Bush reflex"

Mubarak in a 'Historic' speech: "I demand Israel today stop its military operations immediately"

The Egyptians are funny: Aboul Ghayt & his boss are telling us that the US-Israel 'MOU' is of "no concern" to Egypt, ..as if this is a story! The real story remains Egypt's role in snuffing the life out of the Palestinian resistance!

The funniest part though is when Aboul Ghayt talks of safeguarding Egypt's "National Security" ... I have news for you O pet rock of Mubarak: ONLY 3 nations in this Middle East have something that is or resembles a "National Security" strategy: ALL 3 are not Arab: Iran, Turkey and Israel! Feast on that Abou! ... brought tears to my eyes!... AP, here

"NATO, which is mentioned in the 'MOU', will not station forces in the Middle East"

... so, as Bergman says, it all depends on Hosni Mubarak! In the NYTimes, here

"....Only the Egyptians can cut it.....What will matter is Egypt’s conduct alone....

The memorandum of understanding signed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni this morning is of no real effect. It mentions international bodies that will act against the arms smuggling, but they are unlikely to intervene. For example, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, general secretary of NATO, which is mentioned in the memorandum, told me himself about a month ago that his forces will not be stationed in the Middle
East. Moreover, the U.N. observers stationed in Lebanon since 2006 prevent only some arms smuggling to Hezbollah, and, according to Israeli intelligence, Hezbollah is far better equipped than it was in 2006...."

"God ... this guy looks like Khaled Islambouli.."

Assad: "We are prepared for any form of cooperation... with Obama"

Spiegel-International, here

"...On Friday, Assad's positions at a special summit of the Arab League were largely hard-line, and he called on all Arab states to cut off ties with the Jewish state. But in an interview with SPIEGEL editors this week, he presented his own peace plan -- one that, in his opinion, could also be accepted by Hamas. Its central point would be a guaranteed withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, "within four days at the latest," as well as an end to the embargo. The Jewish state, he said, could only be provided with guarantees that the rocket attacks on Israel would be stopped..."

Hezbollah: “The account is known and it is a large one. Revenge is coming from us and from others,”

London Times, here

"...One option open to Hezbollah is to help to rebuild Hamas. “The symbol of Hamas as a resistance is now far greater in the Arab world than before,” said Mr Mussawi.

The military assistance to Hamas apparently continued after Mughniyeh’s assassination. A European intelligence source told The Times that two Iranian teams, including communications and rocket specialists, were working with Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza last summer.Hamas reportedly has constructed a network of war bunkers in Gaza similar to those built by Hezbollah in south Lebanon before the 2006 war..."

US DNI creates 'diversion' from Gaza: "Iran nukes threaten Europ"

AP, here

"The Islamist resistance has earned a place at the table with blood,"

Fawaz Gerges in the Nation, here, thanks to "MON".

"...Many professionals, both Christian and Muslim Arabs, previously critical of Hamas, are bitter about what they call Israel's "barbaric conduct" against Palestinian noncombatants, particularly women and children. No one I have encountered believes Israel's narrative that this is a war against Hamas, not the Palestinian people. A near consensus exists among Arabs and Muslims that Israel is battering the Palestinian population in an effort to force it to revolt against Hamas, just as it tried to force the Lebanese people to revolt against Hezbollah in the summer of 2006. But Hezbollah weathered that Israeli storm, acquired a sturdier immune system and became the most powerful institution in Lebanon. In so doing it shattered Israeli deterrence, delivered a blow to US Mideast policy and expanded the influence of Iran, Hezbollah's main supporter in the region.

In my recent travels I was struck by the widespread popular support for Hamas--from college students and street vendors to workers and intellectuals. Very few ventured criticism of Hamas, and many said they felt awed by the fierce resistance put forward by its fighters. Israel's onslaught on Gaza has effectively silenced critics of Hamas .....will likely emerge as a more powerful political force than before and will likely top Fatah, the ruling apparatus of President Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority.

"No one dares any longer to question Hamas's right to represent the Palestinian people,...The Islamist resistance has earned a place at the table with blood," he told me....More than the war against Hezbollah, Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza has already undermined the legitimacy and authority of pro-Western regimes like Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in the eyes of many of their citizens..."

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood: "Look Up to Qatar"

تصريح صحفى للمرشد العام للإخوان المسلمين بشأن دعوة قطر لمؤتمر القمة الطارئة

صرح فضيلة الأستاذ محمد مهدى عاكف المرشد العام للإخوان المسلمين بأنه يؤيد كل ما جاء
فى كلمة سمو الشيخ حمد بن خليفة آل ثانى أمير دولة قطر فى دعوته الأخيرة لعقد قمة
عربية طارئة فى الدوحة باعتبارها فريضة الوقت فى حق كل الحكام العرب من أجل وقف
شلال الدم لأنه لا يليق أن يكون نصيب جريمة بشعة بهذا الحجم ومصيبة جلل بهذا
القدر مجرد لقاء تشاورى على هامش مؤتمر اقتصادى ...كما ثمّن
فضيلته مقترحات الأمير بالدعوة لتعليق مبادرة السلام العربية ووقف التطبيع مع
الكيان الصهيونى والعمل على محاكمة مسئوليها أمام المحاكم الدولية على الجرائم التى
ترتكبها فى حق الشعب الفلسطينى .

وأكد فضيلته أنه رغم تأييده لهذه المطالب إلا أنه يعتبرها الحد الأدنى الذى يجب على
الحكام اتخاذه بصفة عاجلة، وأن تطلعات الشعوب تسمو على ذلك بكثير،...وإحياء روح الجهاد لدى الشباب وإعدادهم له لأن هذا العدو لن يكف عن عدوانه على البلاد العربية وتطلعه لإخضاعها والهيمنة عليها ما دمنا ضعفاء
.واستنكر فضيلته تقاعس بعض الدول العربية الكبيرة وعلى رأسها مصر والسعودية والمغرب عن
الاستجابة لدعوة قطر ورفضها حضور مؤتمر القمة، وأدان بشدة سعى الدول المتقاعسة
لإفشال انعقاده .......وتبنى مشروعات أعدائنا، لأن عاقبة ذلك وخيمة عليهم كحكام وعلينا وعلى أوطاننا وعلى أجيالنا كشعوب، إضافة إلى عاقبة السوء يوم القيامة....

Dahlan's 'entourage': "Israel destroyed "Iran Unit" inside Hamas"

Issacharof & Harel in Haaretz, here

YOU SHOULD'VE SAID SO EARLIER: "Most killed are ....Palestinians!" (Thank God for that)

Phew.. Thank God for that. According to a Savage-State spokesman, most of the UN workers killed in Gaza were "Palestinians" ... Now, that should make swallowing their premeditated slaughter much, much, much...easier! The number of savage soldiers killed appears to be DWINDLING! In the NYTimes, here (Thanks to AngryArab)

"...Yigal Palmor, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, went further, saying that most of the United Nations agency’s staff in Gaza were local Palestinians and alleging that a “large part are affiliated one way or another with Hamas.”

More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli campaign so far, .....Israel says only a quarter may be civilians. Three Israeli civilians have been killed in rocket attacks and 10 soldiers have died during the current campaign..."

Abbas to HBJ: "...if I attend Doha', they'll cut my jugular"

I guess Mario Abbas (as in Marionette) fears for that low thing that matters none to the People of Palestine: His life! Al Jazeera, here

German Media: "Hamas will come out of the violence with a stronger image on the Arab street... and unbroken!"

Spiegel, here

"German newspapers on Friday argue that the international pressure is mounting on Israel in the face of rising civilian casualties in Gaza. Most conclude that Hamas can claim a kind of victory just by holding out in the face of overwhelming Israeli firepower."

Erdogan: "Bar Israel from the UN"

From the AP, here

'How can a country that does not implement Security Council resolutions be allowed to enter through the gates of the UN headquarters,' Recep Tayyip Erdogan says

Absent ..... from a summit on Palestine!

As our friend JG said from Beirut: "...well 3 years Ago, it was syria and half of lebanon on one side ,the rest were b[owing to] bush ... 3 more years,. abdallah and mubarak will be gone" In the FT, here

( "OMG, Ehud my BFF: this guy is a clown")

Recession hangs over Gulf

In the FT, here

"...The tipping point, says Mr Williams, was the fall below $50 a barrel, which, if continued, would turn regional anxiety into distress. If oil prices decline further to $25 a barrel, the region would plunge into recession..."

US-Israel "MOU": "... one final poison chalice that the Bushies are bequeathing to 44..."

Daniel Levy, here

".. The memo of understanding, due to be signed by Israel and the US tomorrow, is one part of that. It seems to be a smart move by Condoleezza Rice to give this to the Israeli Foreign Minister in order to get her fully on board for ending the war. If it is indeed mostly political theater, an election campaign photo-op for Livni, then so be it. But if it amounts to more, then this might well be one final poison chalice that the Bushies are bequeathing to 44. If America is to play an active military role in the Sinai, then expect complications and a scenario with all the makings of nurturing over time another insurgency with possible blowback, and even with consequences for the shaky and unpopular regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak..."

"..Taking that 3:00AM call from ... Azrael!.."

Israeli Phosphorus denial outweighed by evidence!

LondonTimes, here

"...If it is launched as a deliberate incendiary weapon aimed at burning civilians and homes, a war crimes case can be made on the basis that its use violates Protocol 111 of the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Despite growing evidence, first revealed by The Times , that white phosphorus was being used by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) during attacks on Gaza, Israel’s military has denied firing shells with the chemical as a payload. Spokesmen for the IDF have repeatedly stated that Israel has used only weapons that meet international rules on warfare, and that it has not resorted to any system that other countries, including Nato members, have not deployed in past battles. The evidence that white phosphorus shells have been fired into a densely packed urban is so compelling that the denials have increasingly lacked credibility..."

Jewish British MP: "...gentiles' guilt providing Israeli government with excuse to murder Palestinians.."

AP, here

"...Gerald Kaufman, a governing Labour Party legislator, sharply criticized Israel in a House of Commons debate on Gaza, arguing that the Jewish state has exploited guilt that much of the world feels for having ignored the slaughter of millions of Jews during World War II. "The present Israeli government ruthlessly and cynically exploits the continuing guilt from Gentiles over the slaughter of Jews in the Holocaust as justification for their murder of Palestinians," he said..."

"..Not out of any sympathy for Hamas, but simply because there is no one else resisting..."

Judah Grunstein in WPR, here

"......but I was talking with a friend the other day who, despite a lifetime of working towards and supporting moderate coalition building, bluntly said that the Gaza War leaves her convinced of Hamas' necessity. Not out of any sympathy for Hamas, but simply because there is no one else resisting. And if that is her reaction, I can only imagine it is even more widespread among people who don't have any predisposition to a negotiated settlement....

But even if it destroys Hamas, Israel will not destroy the will to resist, especially among that part of the Palestinian people willing to take up arms....By punishing both militants and moderates, Israel creates a no-win situation for the divided Palestinian leadership. And as long as the Palestinian leadership remains in a no-win siutation, Israel itself will remain in a no-win situation."

Re-Arming Iraq...

ThinkProgress, here

"...By the time these sales are complete (~2011), Iraq will on paper have an army quantitatively and qualitatively equivalent to those of its neighbors. Its 2,250+ U.S.-upgraded T-72 and M1A1M tanks will be quantitatively equal and qualitatively superior to the armor forces fielded by Iran. Its armor forces will be quantitatively superior to those of Saudi Arabia, while being qualitatively equivalent (if slightly smaller than those) of Turkey’s. The Iraqi Army’s biggest handicap in conventional warfare will be its lack of artillery.

By comparison, the Iraqi Air Force will be relatively small compared to those of its neighbors. While Iraq will have a greater number of modern combat aircraft than Iran (36 to 25), Iran will have a greater number of obsolete aircraft.

The Iraqi Navy will have a greater number of ships to patrol a shorter span of coast ...making it incapable of patrolling deeper into the Persian Gulf..."

Miliband: "War on terror a 'Mistake'"

In the WaPo, here

"Democracies must respond to terrorism by championing the rule of law, not subordinating it," he added.

... didn't 'they say "NEVER AGAIN"?

Engaging Syria? Lessons from the French Experience

An ICG Report, here

"However, President-elect Obama’s team can already garner important lessons from France’s always energetic, often impulsive and at times contradictory approach:

* To begin, in the wake of a long hiatus in bilateral relations – a feature of President Chirac’s and President Bush’s tenures – both sides likely will require a significant period of mutual observation and trust-building. Quick results, in other words, ought not to be anticipated. Next, any successful relationship must be based on clear and steady objectives rather than an endless list of demands.

* Patience during negotiations is as important as swiftness when opportunity strikes. Haste, when Sarkozy displayed overenthusiasm, at best was futile, at worst encouraged Damascus to harden its position and play for time. But by immediately welcoming and rewarding Syria’s first positive gestures, France bolstered its credibility while nudging Damascus to move. There should be no hesitation to halt dialogue if events warrant, while maintaining informal communication to allow quick reaction at the appropriate moment. For Washington’s new team, this entails immediately acknowledging and reciprocating positive steps and penalising negative ones.

*Finally, there are lessons for those in the U.S. who bank on a Syrian-Iranian split. This will not occur, at least under current circumstances. However, the willingness to normalise relations with France suggests the regime wishes to diversify its strategic alliances. Washington should promote such a trend, which inevitably would dilute Iran’s importance in Syria’s eyes and facilitate a gradual reconfiguration of its regional alliances..."

WINEP: "LEBANON: 'The answer isn't Islam or sharia banking; it's good policy"

SFM from Beirut: "The moron strikes again. Besides his remarkable ignorance of matters related to Lebanon, he is not shy of displaying his abysmal lack of understanding of anything economic. One should tell this great thinker that the central bank of Lebanon does not conduct 'fiscal' policy but monetary policy. The former is the domain of government and especially the Ministry of Finance. What the Central Bank did was to manage on behalf of the MoF the debt, which is not 'fiscal policy'!!!!"

... and Riad Salameh gets kudos from AIPAC! WINEP's Schenker in the CSM, here

"...Lebanon's economy is a remarkable story, particularly given the political upheaval the state has seen in recent years. Once known as the "Paris of the Middle East," the state's fortunes declined dramatically during 15 years of civil war and 30 years of Syrian occupation. Making matters worse, since 2005 Beirut experienced the murder of a former premier, a devastating war with Israel, an Islamist uprising in the North, periodic attacks -- probably perpetrated by Syria or by local Islamists (Which one is it O Schenker??) -- against the Army, and a military takeover of the capital this past May by the Shiite militia-cum-political party Hezbollah. Complicating matters, Lebanon's pro-West majority governs today in an uneasy coalition with Hezbollah and other local Iranian and Syrian-backed parties.

The key to Lebanon's success at insulating itself from the worst of the global financial meltdown has been sound fiscal policy from the Central Bank. Years ago, Riad Salameh issued a bank circular prohibiting Lebanese banks from subscribing to subprime mortgage products. This rule complemented already extant regulations, limiting banks' participation in other risky products like derivatives. While banks could directly petition Salameh for waivers, Central Bank sources confide that these requests almost universally received his pocket veto. In any event, given the high rate of return on government products and other local and regional investments, there was little need for Lebanese banks to gamble..."

The IDF has no mercy for the children in Gaza nursery schools

Gideon Levy, in Haaretz, here

"..The children of Gaza who survive this war will remember it. It is enough to watch Nazareth-born Juliano Mer Khamis' wonderful movie "Arna's Children" to understand what thrives amid the blood and ruin we are leaving behind. The film shows the children of Jenin - who have seen less horror than those of Gaza - growing up to be fighters and suicide bombers.
A child who has seen his house destroyed, his brother killed and his father humiliated will not forgive..."

Remember this!

Palestinians, are dying because of Israel's occupation, aggression & premeditated savagery, ... same as Lebanese civilians died and the country's infrastructure was leveled, by a vindictive Savage-State.... period! PERIOD!

Lang: "IDF soldiers are deliberately shooting women and children in Gaza"

Pat Lang, in SST, here

"..IDF soldiers are deliberately shooting women and children in Gaza. Their TV reporting from the scene today interviewed doctors in hospitals who asked the obvious rhetorical question as to why they have children patients with multiple small arms wounds. One child had two bullets in the head. In the head, in the head, not fragments from large caliber weapons. These were small arms bullets. Israeli government spokesmen and demonstraters in New York are still "going on" about the peculiarly humane Israeli way of making war. The protestations are wearing thin. B'tselim, the Israeli human rights conscience is seeking to know whether or not these accusations of inhumanity are correct. I, for one, will accept their judgment.

I have been in savage combats, and have had a hand in many more but the deliberate killing of children and women is something I have rarely seen. I have seen the VC kill Montagnard women and kids. That was the product of racial hatred on the part of the Vietnamese for these "Moi." That was a personal exception for me. Generally, fighters will walk away from the dead bodies of male adult enemies and leave the women and children to grieve and starve.

If this is different, the Israeli people need to know and to put a stop to it." pl

Hezbollah Militants Chafe as Gaza Burns

Franklin Lamb, in Counterpunch, here

"...Once again the Hezbollah shop that took care of Silver did a great job. The mechanics, mainly Hezbollah reservists with 'day jobs,' apply the same work ethic of thoroughness and skill to their bike work as they do defending Lebanon against Israeli attacks....

While Hussein is "not in Beirut." it's likely no one among his family or friends will hear from him. He may spend days or weeks in a tree along the Blue Line electronically eavesdropping on Israeli soldiers or recording their movements and habits or any one of hundreds of preparatory tasks. Hussein will return as if he just completed his day off but will answer no questions that begin with where, what, why, who, when, are, can, do, etc.......

These days the Lebanese Resistance, led by Hezbollah is on Full Red Alert and there is a palpable sense of foreboding in many Hezbollah supporting neighborhoods.....

The "Varsity Squad" of Hezbollah has so trained the "Junior Varsity Squad" that there is no need to intervene unless Hamas is on the verge of total elimination which appears very unlikely.....

Yet Hajj Radwan is said to have helped revamp Hamas' military command and replaced certain elements. One subject Mughinyeh is said to have stressed to Hamas during such meetings was the importance of "the communications network as a strategic weapon," which included Hamas keeping in direct battlefield contact with other Resistance groups fighting Israel, and advising Hamas on ways of fighting Israel using a number of different tactics and bases in locations in Syria, Lebanon and Iran, according to the authoritative Beirut daily Al Akbar.

Other lessons Mughinyeh offered Hamas, based on the lessons from 2006, included that each Hamas small unit of approximately five fighters should be fully equipped and must have a clear plan to fight Israeli soldiers and to wage a long war of attrition until Israel withdraws. Another included instruction on ways to stockpile weapons that would allow Hamas to have quick access to them even if Israel occupied many areas in the Gaza Strip..."

Arafat Adviser: "Abbas moves from one failure to another to the advantage of Israel"

Interview of Hassan Balawi in Le Figaro, here

"...Les Palestiniens sont responsables de ce qui leur arrive. Ils n'ont pas de stratégie commune et se livrent à de petits calculs avec des ambitions de faction. Mahmoud Abbas conduit des négociations internationales qui ne mènent à rien. Le président palestinien va d'échec en échec pour le plus grand bien d'Israël. Il exprime des souhaits qui restent lettre morte. La résistance du Hamas n'est guère plus productive. Elle n'est pas liée à la recherche de véritables avancées politiques mais à des raisonnements qui visent uniquement à conforter sa propre assise. Le retour au dialogue interpalestinien est indispensable, mais plus le temps passe plus le Hamas va augmenter son niveau d'exigence. Un compromis a été raté en février 2007 lorsque le Hamas avait accepté une participation minoritaire au gouvernement. Il avait également reconnu les principes de la charte de l'OLP, une organisation qu'il pourrait bien au bout du compte intégrer...."

Israeli ambassador: "British public backs the 'underdog'..."

In YNETnews, here

"It's hard to explain with words the pictures emerging from Gaza. They transcend the screen and create empathy and sympathy for families, and the public here is unwilling to connect this with the residents of Sderot."

US-Israel 'MOU': "...to deal with the smuggling of arms from Iran to Hamas..."

Basically, building a network of informants ... Ravid, Harel & Issacharoff, in Haaretz-Reuters, here

Israel is asking for a number of guarantees from the Americans:
* A U.S. declaration calling on the international community to deal with the smuggling of arms from Iran to terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip.

*Intelligence cooperation between Israel and the U.S. for identifying thesources of weapons, with focus on the network linking Iran, the Persian Gulf and Sudan.

*An international maritime effort along the smuggling routes to find ships carrying weapons to the Gaza Strip, possibly with the involvement of NATO.

*An American and European commitment for the transfer of technologies to Egypt that will help it uncover tunnels.

*Plans for the economic development of Rafah, with particular emphasis on the Bedouin to undercut the financial motivation for building and operating tunnels.

"Is this the Atlantic Ocean?"

Ban: "Is it not the same Ocean I saw from my balcony in Beirut... the Atlantic?"

WINEP: "On Gaza, Cairo is the lone bridge to a solution"

WINEP's Schenker in the Boston Globe, here

"...Cairo has a clear interest in stopping the smuggling. By closing the tunnels, Egypt stands to temporarily stall if not reverse the regional trend toward "resistance" being promoted by Tehran..."

Hillary's IRAN 'experiment': " It's a mixture of incentives & disincentives.. "

In FP, here

"...So the goal, as I understand it, won't change from Bush: an Iranian nuke is unacceptable. And the contours of the strategy she described to pursue it are essentially none too different either. As we read over the weekend, the Bush administration was not hellbent on bombing Iran or having it done for them. Which should only reinforce what the second term policy really was: diplomacy. This is not a synonym for talking. It's a mixture of incentives (economic, technological, engagement, etc.) and disincentives (sanctions, pressure, isolation, etc.) to get Iran to change its behavior...."

"Hezbollah seeking to change the rules of the game"

In Haaretz, here

"...This should not be taken to mean that Hezbollah is interested in opening a new front, at least not at this stage. Lebanese commentators assert that the scenario in which a Palestinian group, probably Ahmed Jibril's Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, does the dirty work for Hezbollah, is the one that we are seeing now and are likely to see more of in the coming days, although not a confrontation of a greater magnitude...Hezbollah only would consider military intervention against Israel if it believes Hamas is about to be crushed either militarily or politically..."

Iraq .... lest we forget ...

Strategic Affairs Minister Lieberman: "We must do to Hamas what the US did to Japan"

In the JPOst, here

Clinton to Engage Iran and Syria Soon

In the WSJ, here

"...Sen. Clinton said she would oversee a newly empowered State Department that would play a larger role in projecting U.S. influence overseas. Many U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, have voiced concerns that the military has been drawn into too many aspects of foreign affairs, including diplomacy and economic development. ...

President-elect Barack Obama's pledge to directly engage U.S. adversaries, such as Iran and Syria, was a hot-button issue during last year's presidential campaign. Sen. Clinton at one stage called Mr. Obama "naive" for thinking diplomacy alone could change the practices of despotic governments in Tehran, Damascus and Pyongyang.Tuesday, however, Sen. Clinton indicated that, as Washington's top diplomat, she would quickly push ahead with Mr. Obama's engagement strategy.....

Some Iran experts have suggested the new U.S. administration should refrain from reaching out to Tehran until after June presidential elections, fearing it could bolster hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But Sen. Clinton said in written testimony that Washington might not have the luxury to wait that long, given Iran's rapid expansion of its nuclear program......"I believe that engaging directly with Syria increases the possibility of making progress in changing Syrian behavior," Sen. Clinton said in her written testimony, noting Washington would directly support Syrian-Israeli peace talks..."

Facing huge losses ... the Saudis cut oil output beyond OPEC limit

In the FT, here

"..It also puts Riyadh in the spotlight politically just as a Barack Obama takes over the White House as US president and the Senate again considers a bill that would allow the Department of Justice to prosecute Opec for price-fixing..."

Mubarak Juggles & Struggles ....on Gaza

In the WSJ, here

"...The diplomatic wrangling in Cairo is proving to be a major test for Mr. Mubarak, 80 years old, who has ruled Egypt for nearly 30 years. Resentment is growing in Egypt and across the Arab world at Mr. Mubarak's decision to keep Egypt's only border crossing with Gaza largely closed, rather than give Hamas a way around Israeli blockades....Since Israel began its Gaza offensive on Dec. 27, Egyptian authorities have dramatically increased security on the streets of Cairo. During recent demonstrations, dozens of the Muslim Brotherhood's members were arrested by Egyptian security forces..."

War and Natural Gas: The Israeli Invasion and Gaza's Offshore Gas Fields

Michel Chossudovsky in Global Research, here

"...This is a war of conquest. Discovered in 2000, there are extensive gas reserves off the Gaza coastline. British Gas (BG Group) and its partner, the Athens based Consolidated Contractors International Company (CCC) owned by Lebanon's Sabbagh and Koury families, (?) were granted oil and gas exploration rights in a 25 year agreement signed in November 1999 with the Palestinian
Authority.

The rights to the offshore gas field are respectively British Gas (60 percent); Consolidated Contractors (CCC) (30 percent); and the Investment Fund of the Palestinian Authority (10 percent). (Haaretz, October 21, 2007).
The PA-BG-CCC agreement includes field development and the construction of a gas pipeline.(Middle East Economic Digest, Jan 5, 2001). The BG licence covers the entire Gazan
offshore marine area, which is contiguous to several Israeli offshore gas facilities. (See Map below). It should be noted that 60 percent of the gas reserves along the Gaza-Israel coastline belong to Palestine.

The BG Group drilled two wells in 2000: Gaza Marine-1 and Gaza Marine-2. Reserves are estimated by British Gas to be of the order of 1.4 trillion cubic feet, valued at approximately 4 billion dollars. These are the figures made public by British Gas. The size of Palestine's gas reserves could be much larger..."

State Department: "Olmert is a 'misquoted' Liar"... and we're a bunch of yoyos!

"Israel: The Ally that knows how to be a Liability" ... SO ACCORDING TO McCORMACK, IT COULD BE A PROBLEM OF 'MISQUOTES'....McCormack leaves it at: If Israel chooses, it will clarify the matter! (sigh, sigh).... US-DOS, here

QUESTION: Yeah. Given Prime Minister Olmert’s comments yesterday, why should – why should anyone still – or why should anyone not believe that Israel is controlling U.S. foreign policy as it relates to the Middle East?

MR. MCCORMACK: I did see the reports of his comments, and let me just start off by saying I don’t know the context of the comments. I don’t know if they are reported accurately. I don’t know if the Israeli Government would say, yes, that is an accurate quote.

What I can tell you is that the quotes as reported are wholly inaccurate as to describing the situation – just 100 percent, totally, completely not true. And I can – you know, I can vouch for that, having been up there at the United Nations the entire time, witnessed Secretary Rice’s deliberations with her advisors. I knew about the phone calls that she was doing and I can tell you a couple things....

QUESTION: How could the prime minister of Israel get such a – you know, how – he certainly is under the impression that he singlehandedly prevented the United States from voting for this resolution. Why would he – why would –

MR. MCCORMACK: Matt – Matt, I –

QUESTION: How could he –

MR. MCCORMACK: You would have – you’d – Matt, I can’t tell you. You would have to –

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MR. MCCORMACK: And again, I can’t – you know, I can’t posit and vouch for the – whether those remarks are accurate.

QUESTION: Did the Secretary speak with the President before – just before the vote on – on the resolution?

MR. MCCORMACK: She spoke with him a couple times, a couple of times. One – I think once prior to the President speaking with Prime Minister Olmert, and then once afterwards, as well. But again, I can tell you 100 percent – with 100 percent assurance that her intention, again, going into the conversation with the President, was that she was going to abstain.

QUESTION: Well, what does this say about Prime Minister Olmert, then?

MR. MCCORMACK: Matt, look, I can only –

QUESTION: – (Inaudible) this Administration’s last week in office –

MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah.

QUESTION: – and dealing with someone who has – you know, is the leader until February of your closest ally in the Middle East –

MR. MCCORMACK: Matt, look, I can only say – I can only –

QUESTION: Have you –

MR. MCCORMACK: Matt, I can only account for –

QUESTION: Have you asked for clarification from the Israelis about these comments?

MR. MCCORMACK: I’m not – I don’t think so. I don’t think that we have.

QUESTION: So you’ve just – just – you’re just dismissing them? I mean, you’ve just decided that they’re not worthy of –

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, the facts – it’s the facts – I mean –

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MR. MCCORMACK: – all I’m doing is –

QUESTION: (Inaudible) any kind of a response?

MR. MCCORMACK: You know, look, I – again, Matt, you know, I’m – if the Israeli Government – if they, you know, feel it necessary, they will clarify, correct the record, whatever. I don’t know. All I can do is offer the facts as they are from the American side.

Demonstrators close Starbucks branch in Lebanon

AP/ MSNBC, here

Azmi Bechara: "Put an end to the diatribe that says "Civilians pay for the Resistance's actions"

Gazawis, are dying because of Israel's occupation, aggression & savagery, ... same as Lebanese civilians died and the country's infrastructure was leveled, by a vindictive Savage-State.... period! PERIOD!

"From Israel to the Children of Gaza with Love"

Palestine & Lebanon: ""everything" must be done either to lever "moderates" into power, or prevent them from losing power.."

Alastair Crooke, in AsiaTimes, here

"...It is a narrative that has served Israel's wider interests in garnering legitimacy for the Israeli campaign against Iran, and in dichotomizing the region into Westernized "moderates" and Islamist "extremists"....

At one level, Europeans may say they have been working diligently to pursue an Israeli-Palestinian solution, but their actions suggest the opposite - that they have been more concerned to deliver a knock-out blow to the camp of global "extremism". Pursuing such irreconcilable ends has only succeeded both in stripping their protege Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of any popular legitimacy and in closing the path of political participation to Hamas....

Stage one was to weaken Hamas; stage two to insert an armed international force into Gaza; and stage three was for Abbas' British and United States-trained special forces to return to Gaza and resume control of the Gaza Strip. It is standard colonial technique..."

Israel denies Syria claim it left traces of uranium at site bombed by IAF

Reuters, here

"...He (El Baradei) also said at the time it was "regrettable, indeed baffling" why there was no high-resolution satellite imagery of the site available for the period right after the bombing..."

Obama's Mideast "Dream Team"? Not Quite

In the NYTimes, here

"..I have nothing against smart, driven, liberal, Jewish (or half-Jewish) males; I’ve looked in the mirror. I know or have talked to all these guys, except Shapiro. They’re knowledgeable, broad-minded and determined. Still, on the diversity front they fall short. On the change-you-can-believe-in front, they also leave something to be desired.

In an adulatory piece in Newsweek, Michael Hirsh wrote: “Ross’s previous experience as the indefatigable point man during the failed Oslo process, as well as the main negotiator with Syria, make him uniquely suited for a major renewal of U.S. policy on nearly every front.”

Really? I wonder about the capacity for “major renewal” of someone who has failed for so long.."

Adm. Mike Mullen: "..must work to prevent the militarization of American foreign policy.."

In the NYTimes, here

"...The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday that senior officers must work to prevent the militarization of American foreign policy, and he urged generals and admirals to tell civilian leaders when they believed the armed forces should not take the lead in carrying out policies overseas..."

As pressure on Arab regimes mount, "Egypt wants Hamas to sign up to truce deal 'now'"

A NO-GO! AFP, here

"...The diplomat said that Israel "appears now to agree" with the truce plan launched by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak a week ago, but Hamas is having difficulty signing up to it..."

Israel; A beacon onto Humanity, .. and White Phosphorus bombs!

"..Akram Abu Roka was treated for burns at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The hospital’s chief doctor said the injuries may have been caused by munitions containing white phosphorus. Human Rights Watch claimed that Israel’s military has fired the illegal substance into populated areas of Gaza.."

Hamas speaks

Mussa Abou Marzook writes from Damascus in the LATimes, here

"...amid Israel's latest attack on our people, as the death toll rises in the hundreds, with thousands wounded -- all victims of American taxpayers' largesse -- Palestinians wonder how Obama will react to the escalating crisis. They demand of the next White House a new paradigm of respect and accountability, because when Palestinians see an F-16 with the Star of David painted on its tail, they see America.Palestinians are understandably guarded about the coming administration, noting its appointments with trepidation. The soon-to-be secretary of State is unforgettable for urging years ago U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided" capital, while the administration's chief of staff bears the stain of his father's service in the banned terrorist Irgun paramilitary, a Zionist group responsible for numerous atrocities...."

Olmert: "'get me President Bush on the phone'... Condi was left shamed..."

AFP, here

"In the night between Thursday and Friday, when the secretary of state wanted to lead the vote on a ceasefire at the Security Council, we did not want her to vote in favour," Olmert said..."I said 'get me President Bush on the phone'. They said he was in the middle of giving a speech in Philadelphia. I said I didn't care. 'I need to talk to him now'. He got off the podium and spoke to me."I told him the United States could not vote in favour. It cannot vote in favour of such a resolution. He immediately called the secretary of state and told her not to vote in favour."

Joe the plum in Israel: "Media should not be allowed to cover a war!"

Words from a .... wise man! In Think Progress, here

"I’ll be honest with you. I don’t think journalists should be anywhere allowed war. I mean, you guys report where our troops are at. You report what’s happening day to day. You make a big deal out of it. I think it’s asinine (ooo look at you). You know, I liked back in World War I and World War II when you’d go to the theater and you’d see your troops on, you know, the screen and everyone would be real excited and happy for’em. Now everyone’s got an opinion and wants to downer–and down soldiers. You know, American soldiers or Israeli soldiers. I think media should be abolished from, uh, you know, reporting. You know, war is hell. And if you’re gonna sit there and say, “Well look at this atrocity,” well you don’t know the whole story behind it half the time, so I think the media should have no business in it."

(this cartoon is from the biggest Finn newspaper, VG, via MOA)

Bush: "compassion is good" .. (launching an unprovoked war not withstanding!)

... Matt Yglesias, here

Endgame? Not likely anytime soon ..

In the CSM, here

"...For Hamas, there appears to be an ideal by which – as part of a cease-fire – the Palestinian militant group will be able to declare itself victorious in reaching all of its demands, including an opening of all crossings into Gaza and an end to the economic blockade enforced by Israel and others in the international community.

But Hamas continued launching rockets (17 at last count Sunday) at various cities in southern Israel on Sunday, hitting Beersheba, Sderot, and other small communities.Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, ....."Hamas is no longer in the same position to launch rockets at Israel," Ms. Livni said. In one of the fiercest ground battles so far, Israeli troops battled Palestinian gunmen in a suburb of Gaza City Sunday, the Associated Press reported. In the fighting in the Sheikh Ajleen neighborhood, Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they had ambushed Israeli soldiers..."

Saudi Court Appointed Mufti-Jester: "pro-Gaza protests are 'corrupting nonsense'"

In Al Arabiya (God Bless them too), here

Saudi tabloid 'wonders' if Gaza dead are civilians at all..

God bless the Saudi & Saudi controlled media! God bless that moron who wrote this piece.... In the Saudi Tabloid, here

"..The structure of Palestinian leadership [is] ripe to major re-structuring.. as the resistance is perceived by Palestinians to acquit itself well.."

Alastair Crooke in "Conflicts Forum", here

"...Security officials have made clear that Israel will not permit fresh elections in Palestine — for fear that Hamas will win; and whereas the West probably will continue to bestow Mahmoud Abbas with the trappings of legitimacy after his term in office expires on 9 January 2009, he will enjoy no such legitimacy amongst Palestinians. Indeed the very effort to leverage such spurious legitimacy will discredit him further...These are all big and significant ‘ifs’. But Hamas’ decision should be placed against this backdrop — rather than be painted as the callous disregard of Palestinian lives"

Mubarak allows Israel to use Egypt's airspace for bombing sorties!

The laughing cow of Egypt's support of the Palestinians continues! Reuters, here

The Gaza Blog

The Gaza Blog is a weekly dispatch from the Gaza Strip. Louisa Waugh’s blogs focus on the ups and downs of everyday life, whether in times of bombardment or ceasefire. When the war reporters leave, life goes on – and this blog puts us in amongst it.

RPG 29 ... major source of Israeli forces casualties

RPG-29 were said to have been passed on from Syria to Hezbollah and were reportedly a major source of IDF casualties in the 2006 Lebanon War ...

We presume that a very large stock of these are available to the sentinel guards in Gaza!

Ross as "Super-Envoy": NOT A DONE DEAL YET!

Jim Lobe, here

In any event, it appears that the leak provoked some influential Democratic donors to protest the idea of Ross’ reported pre-eminent status to the transition team and that they, in turn, were assured that the deal was not yet sealed. (There was already a lot of pre-existing resentment directed at Ross on the team because, unlike other prospective high-level foreign-policy officials, Ross has not been shy about speaking and commenting publicly about his policy preferences during the transition period. The assumption is also that it was Ross himself who informed WINEP, which then produced its triumphant memo — a version of events which, if true, suggests that the presumptive super-envoy may lack the kind of discretion and discipline that would normally be expected in a job of such potentially enormous import.)

From what I’ve been able to find out, Ross has been offered a new State Department position designed to effectively manage the relationship with Iran in all its various forms, from nuclear proliferation, to support for non-state actors like Hamas and Hezbollah, to Iraq, and the Gulf, etc. (although at least one anti-Ross source told me that even that much has not been nailed down completely). But what has almost certainly not yet been agreed is that Ross will enjoy some kind of pre-eminent status as was suggested in my and other reporting and in the WINEP memo. In other words, instead of effectively managing the work of other special envoys — or, for that matter, the work of the new Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs (Beth Jones?) — as it pertains to Iran, Ross will be expected to co-ordinate his work with theirs as one member of a team of equals.

Given Ross’ lack of experience with and knowledge about Iran — not to mention his long-standing ties to WINEP and other key components of the “Israel Lobby,” or his participation in and his endorsement of that dreadful Bipartisan Policy Center report by Michael Rubin and Michael Makovsky — the notion that he will have any major role on U.S. Iran policy under Obama is still alarming to those who hope for a fresh, less antagonistic approach toward Tehran. But the apparent likelihood that he will not be given the authority to effectively oversee all of Middle East policy from the “seventh-floor office …designed especially for him,” as the WINEP memo put it, offers at least some consolation. And, given WINEP’s boastfulness and indiscretion — as well as enough protests by major donors and Democratic activists to the transition team in the coming days, and particularly in advance of Clinton’s confirmation hearings next week — he may not even get that seventh-floor office, at least not one “designed especially for him.”

Israeli shells on the Egyptian side ... Golan skirmishes?

Israel's plate is getting real busy ... here and here

"..Bush never instructed the Pentagon to move beyond contingency planning on Iran.."

In the NYTimes, here

"But the Bush administration was particularly alarmed by an Israeli request to fly over Iraq to reach Iran’s major nuclear complex at Natanz,...The White House denied that request outright, American officials said, and the Israelis backed off their plans, at least temporarily. But the tense exchanges also prompted the White House to step up intelligence-sharing with Israel and brief Israeli officials on new American efforts to subtly sabotage Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, a major covert program that Mr. Bush is about to hand off to President-elect Barack Obama...

The interviews also suggest that while Mr. Bush was extensively briefed on options for an overt American attack on Iran’s facilities, he never instructed the Pentagon to move beyond contingency planning, even during the final year of his presidency, contrary to what some critics have suggested. ....

Knowledge of the program has been closely held, yet inside the Bush administration some officials are skeptical about its chances of success, arguing that past efforts to undermine Iran’s nuclear program have been detected by the Iranians and have only delayed, not derailed, their drive...."

American technology going to Iran via front companies..

WaPo, here

"...Despite multiple attempts by the Bush administration to halt illegal imports -- including sanctions against several Dubai-based Iranian front companies in 2006 -- the technology pipeline to Tehran is flowing at an even faster pace..."