And we're surprised...why? The big surprise will come if the major media actually give this news story serious play.

This was the scholarship committee?

Arafat is responsible for everything that happens in Israel. Why is he still alive?

Perhaps a JDAM-delivered return message is in order...

Time to take the gloves off and give the IDF a free hand.

Why is that useless blob of sub-human protoplasm still wasting oxygen?

I saw this earlier. This is huge.

When Arafat is blown up in his compound, we can discuss the "root cause" that led to the "desperation" that caused his removal.

#2

Yes, the Fullbright Scholarship delegation.

Ah yes, Arafat avenging Rachael Corrie.

Would like nothing more than to hear of a massive strike on Ramallah, killing Arafat at the exact moment Bush and Sharon are standing before the press at the White House this week.

Does Middle East Newsline have bonafides.???

If this is true, it should be a USAF or USN F-16/F/A-18 dropping the 2000 lbs of vengeance on the world's oldest terrorist.

He should not be killed until he is tortured to reveal where he has hidden the $350million so it can be given to the Israeli victims of his terror campaign.

Which is better for the US ?

1) Take him out ourselves

2) Let Israel kill him

3) Let his cancer kill him

Ok, so I'm a comment whore, but there's way too many freakin' comments on the previous thread for me to be SEEN!!

Dubya hit it out of the park tonite, but in keeping with this thread's "threadiness"...

Who now doubts the wisdom of W's keeping that shriveled-up bastard outta the White House these last 3 years?!

I still say: if the Prez invites him, take him directly to Arlington for a wee chat whilst they stroll amongst the markers...

But Sharon is bad too!!!

/LLL

Why do we let that old fuck live?

If he visits the US he should be given a scenic tour of Lake Michigan and accidently fall into the waves. The water might warm up the blood in his veins before he drowns.

End the Tunisian Occupation!
(with extreme prejudice)

I'm still hopeful for my May 7th pick in the 'fish dead pool.

I guess he didn't want Palestinians getting Fulbright Scholarships from anti-American, anti-Israeli American unviersities and wanted them in sufficiently rabid Al-Quds or Gaza universities instead.

u.S. diplomatic sources said a U.S. investigation into the bombing of the embassy convoy in the Gaza Strip in October 2003 pointed to a clear role by Arafat. The sources said Arafat granted approval to a plan to strike U.S. interests in PA areas.

Of course he did. And we can now all watch this story die a quick and quiet death. Can't have any criticism of the teflon terrorist, now can we?

#19

Splodey U.

And why, in light of this (is this news, even?) does the US insist that Arafat remains unharmed? I often lament the double-standard applied to Israel with regards to fighting terror, but now I don't know -- after all, Americans being killed by Arafat are still not enough to convince the US that Arafat should be eliminated. What happened to this story? Are they still "investigating"? It's madness, Arafat should have been wiped out long ago. I've had enough of these terrorists and their bullshit. I want my life back, back to when my biggest issue was which pair of black shoes to wear.

L'Chaim Charles! Happy Birthday to you, may you live to be 120.

We've been reading things that suggested that PA security was involved in this attack, so I suspect this story is true, but just checking the MENL homepage, they aren't even in Debka territory.

Of course, since Arafat was Clinton's favorite pajama party guest, even if someone had video of Arafat signing the attack order, it'd never make CBS, home of Dan "DNC Fundraiser Rather or Peter "Hanan Ashwri's Bottom" Jennings' "ABC World News Tonight".

Surely there will be demands that he be brought to The Hague for war crimes, right? Right?

BTW, yes, Dan Rather was the featured speaker at a $1000 dollar per plate DNC fundraiser in 2001

Arafat should of been sent to his 72 virgins or rasins a long time ago.

Dirty little parasite, at least when he declared war last time the (fartwar) or what ever these animals call it.

#23 Ed Moran:abu Not Related to anyone named Terry

Peter "Hanan Ashwri's Bottom" Jennings' "ABC World News Tonight".

Gah! Horrible, horrible image!

I'll let someone else look for the Google link of Peter Jennings "shrimping" Hanan "Hairy" Ashwari.

#22, zulubaby:

We should certainly mention that the 'fish has had other Americans killed before, but they were Jews and "don't count"... *sigh*

Of course, this incident is different, if he said "Kill me some Americans" rather than just "go kill more Jews".

I'm still waiting for Dominique de Villepin to give the glowing eulogy at the fish's final flushing...

Arafat approves the killings, apoints the main suspect to investigate, reacts to our bounty offer by digging up 4 patsies and releases the patsies after we object to the closed "trial."

Sounds like typical Arafat BS to me. Now who's going kill him?

Ol Dan Rather helped turn our possible victory in VN into an ignomious defeat.

You never were as good as Roger Mudd and he had a funnier name!

As KOS says, screw em!

Dar ul Harb, those Americans weren't Jews and, if I remember correctly, they were there to offer Fulbright scholarships to Palestinians. That's their thanks ... death. I just can't wrap my head around this. Why are the Palestinians always given a free pass? Arafat signs off on all terrorist acts, it's not news, it's not a secret.

Sorry for the early OT:

Bush May Accept a Settlement Plan

President Bush is planning to issue a declaration on Wednesday that his aides say will recognize Israel's right to retain some Jewish settlements in the West Bank as part of any peace accord with the Palestinians.

I knew it! Nothing goes on in Gaza or the West Bank that he doesn't know about or approve. No Palestinian would dare have done that on their own in case it caused repercussions that blew back on Arafish so if it happened (and it did) he knew about it and I'd say if he didn't actually plan it, he ordered it.

He should be given a long slow painful end but, like most bloody tyrants, he'll probably die peacefully in bed. Baaah!

But he's a local problem and the War on Terror isn't about him!! He's a Nobel Prize Winner! He's the rightfully and democratically elected leader of the Palestinian people (just ask Nobel Prize winner Jimmy Carter). He's doing the best that he can in bad circumstances!! If you get rid of him, someone worse will take over!! We can't attack Arafat! We created him!!

/pre-emptive DUing

As ZB and others mentioned on another thread, it seems the PA/Hamas/Hezbollah, at least 2 of 3 are currently working to kill Americans, arrange a massive suicide bombing every time Sharon is due to visit GWB.

If it happens again, Sharon should not cancel, but should put Netanyahu in charge of domestic security while he is out of the country.

Ed Moran, you have no idea how nervous I am that something is going to happen while Sharon is here.

I doubt this story will get the mileage it deserves out of the press. I also know we'll never see the US take action against the bastard, it's just too politically charged a situation for that.

Now, a wink and a nod from Dubya to Arik when they get together tomorrow is another story entirely.

The question is, does Sharon have the testicular fortitude to finally consign that that piece of human excrement to the place reserved for him in hell-or not?

#13 Dar ul Harbarian: All of the above.

#13 Dar ul Harbarian 4/13/2004 07:40PM PST

all 3 plus more but first let him live to see the fence completed and no jordyptians allowed in israel no work no free medical they can go to jordan or egypt for work or medical care let him die knowing that he failed his people miserably

...“pass a message” to the United States.

Message received. But where is the reply?

#10 Rayra Johnson, #37 Ed Moran:

-Sharon announces Arafat not safe
-Arafat connected to American deaths
-Sharon visiting
-Jews getting blown up to coincide with the visit (likely)

Could finally be time to flush the fish. Sad it hasn't been done eons ago.

Heard one "nay," anyone want to vouch for Middle East Newsline?

#3   zulubaby -  Arafat is responsible for everything that happens in Israel. Why is he still alive?

Because he is under US protection... or else.

Bet on cynicism to win this hand. The press will largely blow the news off, making it easier for State and the rest of the Bush Administration to likewise ignore it and move on. Should be a murder investigation, but Ashcroft is too busy with the drug war and anti-smut to give a sh*t.

Speaking of which, pass me that funny stuff.

{somehalfwitnamedkathrynorkos

hey, come on,weren't the three killed evil mercenaries? Didn't they deserve to be killed?

/somehalfwitnamedkathrynorkos}

"...those killed Wednesday [10-15-03] were U.S. citizens working on contracts to provide security for the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.

The State Department identified the slain Americans as John Branchizio, 36; Mark T. Parson, 31; and John Martin Linde Jr., 30 - all employees of DynCorp, a Virginia-based security firm."

Killing Arafish would be too good for him. Nab him, stick him in a hole and make him wallow in his own filth. It never ceases to amaze me that Israel is prevented from decapatating him and the Fatah leadership. It realy doesn't matter who is in charge in the disputed terretories. They are all incorrigable hateful irridentists who dream of ethnic clensing Jews whereever they may be found. The Palestinains are unlikely to change their murerous blame everyone but them selves for their own self created misery ways. IE: different clowns same circus.

Teacake, ZB

GWB mentioned 1)Jerusalem bus bombings 2) Saddam paying for "suiciders" (GWB isn't the most eloquent speaker in the world) and 3) Daniel Pearl, "killed because he was a Jew".

Do you read anything into this? Do you think Arafat may not be as protected as he once was?

Although most of the media will ignore this story, at the very least it's out now. Loftus was talking about this months ago and yet the hands off of Arafish policy still seems to be the response.

What will it take? Arafish and Hamas are negotiating a power-sharing plan for the future. Maybe then, with two publicly acknowledged terrorist organizations in charge, Israel might be able to take the gloves off? Sheesh.

Bye Bye sonofabitch.

You know, it would be interesting if all I was mentioning is supposed to happen before the story breaks (if it's supposed to break). Then while the tools are mourning Arafat in America, the White House releases the info as "just now confirmed." Really makes the Arafat supporters look even worse, that alone is a great benefit. But it sends an even stronger message to the other despots: "All it takes is a little dirt on you, and we may just rub you out before you even hear wind of it. And you're all dirty. The only way you might be saved is if you make yourselves assets to us."

Mmmm, now we're cooking. Might as well get a lottery ticket while I'm dreaming though.

I can't stand the assholes who claim that he is untouchable because he was the elected leader. Fuck that, I hope his old sinkin' ass sucks on a hellfire come tomorrow.

47

Actually, to be fair, you'd just put Arafat in a little room made of security glass with his unit covered by a metal cup while nubile men danced around the room.

The desire to pleasure himself, unfulfilled would drive him mad. It'd be like putting Scott Ritter in a room full of 13 year old girls but crazy gluing his zipper.

In the meantime though, I'd be satisfied with the Yassin facial for him.

Model4 -

With great bitterness, I note that, should this scenario occur, all we'd hear is some yelling that it's all a fabrication, and Israel and the US are the terrorists.

Then the French would condemn the "extrajudicial murder" and all Europe would echo them.

We're never permitted to be right. Some obscenity wearing human skin orders murders and encourages people to blow themselves to kingdom come, and somehow, it's our fault.

I'm not holding my breath, though I'll cross my fingers on your lottery ticket purchase.

So, Yasser Arafat approved the killing of Americans who came to offer valuable, prestigious scholarships to Palestinians, and by killing these Americans made the generous offer of these scholarships impracticable. This episode is more evidence for my contention that most Israelis care more about the well-being of Palestinians, and especially of Palestinian children, than does the Palestinian leadership. The recent episodes with child suicide bombers is more evidence for this point. Even leaving aside the foul atrocities they wreak on the Israelis, I think that anyone who has compassion for the Palestinian people should be disgusted with Palestinian leaders such as Arafat.

Does anyone have a legitimate email address for Kathryn Cramer? I've scoured her "blog" for one, and cannot find it.

I wanted to drop her a note about those evil, money-grubbing "screw them" mercs:

Here's an evil, white-supremacist merc for ya

Okay, so outside of countless Jews—not to mention Palestinian "dissenters"—killed on Arafat's watch, outside of American diplomats killed at the Saudi embassy in Khartoum upon his orders, outside of all manner of state-sponsored crime, now we have THIS?

Is it really any surprise to anyone that terrorists are not only emboldened to perpetrate further terror, but do so with fearless impunity?

If this story turns out to be true, Bush had damn well better demand satisfaction, if you catch my meaning. Talk about "no blood for oil," it's time we were weaned off of the poisonous Saudi teat once and for all so we can disabuse ourselves of the servile fear of offending them when we hold their cousins accountable for inexcusable misdeeds.

Now that I've vented my frustration, would someone please inform a "loose cannon" at Mossad of this latest episode of As the Perfidious Fish Turns?

#54 Dianna: There's good news in your post, because all of that's already happening. Nothing to lose, and the lives of innocents to gain. And notice that Bush did go out of his way to name both Hamas and HizbAllah as terrorist groups tonight.

#48 Ed Moran:Abu not related to anyone named Terri

I have realized for quite some time that President Bush, bottom line, the best friend the Jews have ever had in the White House. He has never turned it into a B&B for arafart and his cronies.

Arafat back at the White House: President Clinton's Real Assault upon Law and Justice

That said, I will watch closely what happens when Arik Sharon meets with the President tomorrow.

I fear that Sharon will sell out Israel, and also go along with the Road Trap.

#49 paul

Well, I've submitted the story to both Drudge and WND. WND publishes stuff from Debka, so I can't see why they wouldn't put this up.

Hope we see it headlined in the morning :o)

Posted this hours ago in another thread - but hey.

I suspect that with all of the publicity focused on Iraq, the fish is gasping for a bit of air. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't launch something soon.

And Bush is about to support the traitorous left-winger Sharon in yet another concession to the Arab Nazi enemy, that of the insane and suicidal 'disengagement'. Every time Israel "takes chances for peace" it only leads to more blood, death, and terror. This is God's punishment for surrendering Jewish land to the Amalekite enemy. Take chances? Get the Arabs OUT OF ISRAEL!! TAKE A CHANCE ON THAT!!!

And start by killing the Arab Hitler, Arafat, with EXTREME PREJUDICE!!

I swear, sometimes I think if they caught Arafat on tape ordering the assassination of Bush he STILL wouldn't be touched!

The Islamo/Fascist world simply has to be Dresdenized, and soon. It's THEM OR US.

Yes, Model4, he did, and maybe, since we can't be right in the eyes of the press and Europe anyway, Israel will take the gloves off and finally bring that thug to justice. But I just feel this sick sense of gloom about it.

lazytart, just post it over at kos' site. If you try to post it, or try to write to Ms. Cramer, she'll get all testy. We wouldn't want that, now would we?

They'll try to paint him as a victim, never mind that he made a difficult choice for his family and future. They'll turn it into a rant about the lack of affordable health care. They'll talk about how the feds aren't doing enough to save the family farm.

They won't ever back away from calling men working to help Iraqis, even by just driving trucks, mercenaries.

God, I'm in a hopeless mood tonight. Sorry.

#60 Viper

Just a thought, but if a bunch of us submit the story to Drudge and WorldNetDaily, I wonder if that would make them more likly to link to it?

(Hope it would at least create enough public preasure to get the government to either confirm or deny the investigation.)

#48 Ed Moran

He also mentioned that the goal of the people holding this "ideology" is the "death of Jews."

Do you read anything into this?

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe he's been briefed on this (our guvmint gets this info way earlier than we do), and has had enough of the fish.

/dares to dream

Btw Charles, Happy Birthday! (I'm drinking a toast to you right now. Yummy.)

zulubaby:

Why are the Palestinians always given a free pass?

Jew-hatred and Jew-killing is a universal currency buying them that pass.

They allow the Jew-hating world to engage in Holocaust-by-proxy, thus making themselves into invaluable assets.

#60, #64 Viper

You've probably done enough. Maybe email Fox, too. It would be nice to see it aired, but I've been disappointed before on Arafat stories.

Like my email campaign about Arafat having AIDS. I thought it was a good story, anyway...

1 East Coast ELF/ALF Useful Idiot sentenced today

I agree that this is huge, but I doubt anything is going to happen.

Israel will still be considered the bad guy, everyone will buy the Palestinian "boo hoo" sob story, and things will proceed much as they have for the past decade.

Bummer.

#39 you're not Ted Nugent are you? (classical referrence)

Everyone here is thinking/hoping this is coming out in time to coincide with Sharon's visit to the white house.
And it's a good chance that there is some kind of correlation. We should all hope/pray that some of that "nodding" we all like goes on at the white house during this upcoming meeting between the President and Prime Minister.

Arafat, the current World Record for "Living on Borrowed Time" is about to see his loan called. The only question is how this individual, who is also a contender for the title, "Worlds Shittyist Person" managed to establish such a credit record. Being on a first name basis with the Devil must have something to do with it. Ma Salama Yasir.

#12 Paladin:

The 350 million should not be too hard to track. Remember the story about Arafat sending his little woman millions of Euros so she could rent out an entire floor of a Parisian hotel. Bet you if you had someone with very basic banking skills talk to the accounts receivable person at the hotel the banking person could start figuring out where all the cash is in a matter of days (I assume that he had the money wired to the hotel...still, even if not to the hotel, the hotel is a great place to start).

The Ramallah Compound ought to be in low earth orbit soon, if American blood has any claim on our nation anymore.

Arafat should have been capped when his band killed those American hostages in Uganda. You know, in 1976, in that famous IDF rescue mission at Entebbe.

OT: I finally went to the Kos site this afternoon to see what it looked like. I don't know about others but the logo at the top left hand corner of the page where a guy is holding what looks like an American flag seems to show a guy holding the U.S. flag with a badly shapen crescent moon instead of stars. The true fifth column.

OT

John F'ing Kerry's response to the press conference tonight:

OMG if I have to listen to this asshole lecture me for four years I'll just die...

#72 here piggy

Yeah, what is this, that all that stolen cash never gets tracked down? What are we waiting for? After all, everyone gets their knickers in a twist over money that should have been used for the children, and clinics, and family planning.

zulubaby #3 -

You took the words right out of my mouth. It pisses me off that this piece of dreck is still breathing my air.

What I would like to see happen is for the U.S. to ask Israel to hand him over to the U.S. to stand trial for murder. Too bad it won't happen.

Will this make it to the "mainstream" press?
If it's not on the nightly TV news there is no pressure on our government to act - it might as well have never happened.

#25 Ed Moran:Abu not related to anyone named Terri

Speaking of the pompous ass, Rather, I posted this weeks ago, and would take weeks more to find it. My bookmarked stuff will 'splode one day soon! I just got lucky, I guess.

Here is who I would rather never watch again. He and Cronkite are both LLL, but at leat Uncle Walter waited til he left CBS to come out of the LLL closet.

Rather's Selective Skepticism Strikes Again

Just as I was a Dhummicrat for years, I also watched CBS. Sad to see it go down the tubes. long before you were born, it really was the Platinum network. Now? Fool's Gold.

I changed my party, and long ago, I changed the channel.

#75 - Aw c'mon, he ain't so bad... ;^)

(Too late to customize my own "Kerry Core" web page, but I saved the text anyway...)

I am supporting John Kerry because America needs a president who learns from his mistakes. I met John back in my home country of Vietnam. We didn't get along at first- in fact he tried to kill me. Now I'm not saying he's some kind of head case- it was, in retrospect, an honest misunderstanding. You see, I was poking around in the reeds along the lower Mekong, looking for a place to set up my duck blind (love that Peking Duck). I had a rocket launcher with me, but hey- it was Vietnam in the 60's. *Everyone* had a rocket launcher. Mostly for protection- those Cong bastards were everywhere. Anyhoo- John comes riding up in his little speedboat, and asks me where I got the piece. So I told him. How was I supposed to know that the name of my town has some other meaning in English? When I was at Phuc Yueu HS, the only foreign language courses were French and Russian!

Well, he seemed a little put off, but the guy up front with the .50 cal was really pissed. Fortunately, he was also a little stoned, so he didn't hit more than some of the trees up the bank. I dove into the scrub waiting for him to use up the whole belt, thinking I could make a run for it when he stopped to reload, but then John comes splashing over, making like Mitchum in The Longest Day. I put my hands up and all, telling him my English wasn't too good, I didn't mean any insult- anything to get him to calm down. We were finally able to strike up a deal where I'd give him the launcher as a trophy, then play 'possum til they motored off, so his trigger-happy friend didn't start up again. No big deal for me- I could get another one from the hardware store. Not like I was about to use it on the ducks...

But the point is- he realized that it was just a big mistake, and we shook hands and went our separate ways (well, I waited until they were out of range, but you know what I mean). He even apologized! Sorta. Once he was back stateside. He wrote me a letter- one of those "mistakes were made" jobs. I still call and razz him about it every now and then, but in the end, we both know that he and his crew overreacted, he was wrong, and he wouldn't do it again. Most folks wouldn't be big enough to admit that, so sure- I'd vote for him if I was an American.

Now who knows what the endorsement of a foreign official will do for his campaign, but hey- it might impress a few of the red-staters. ;^)

H. Nguyen
Director
Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Charles,
Happy B-Day.

Thanks for posting this...I had pointed it out earlier.

I think this could be BIG news of one of the networks picks it up..but I doubt it will happen.

Funny how LGF bloggers already KNEW Arafart gave the orders..we knew by using simple INSTICT...

If we have proof...we need to execute the arafish!

AS TO YOUR B-DAY, CHARELS, KEEP THIS IN MIND:

When my Father turned 70 years old a friend asked him how he felt. My father answered: BETTER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE!

Happy b day!

#81 H. Nguyen - aka -

Phuc Yueu HS

LOL!

Arafat: The other white meat.

Happy Birthday, Charles!

Well, it's nighty-night time for me.

Take care, all, and we'll hope for better news in the morning.

The fish should be taken out by the US,...NOW... however , I think Sharon will do him and head of Hezbollah in if and when next homicide attack occurs[god forbid]...Rantisi too,..I truly believe the inaction of the paleozoids is due to 1] Peace Walls increasing growth crippling paleos ability to strike...2 Arafat,Rantisi,Nasrallah etc ,increasingly aware any further homicide bombings will mean THEIR numbers will be up 3]Isreal keeps up relentless pressure arresting and killing all members of paleo terrorist groups 4]Killing of Sheik revealed how pathetically impotent and cowardly paleoworms are

#77 pat

The only thing Muslims understand is death. So kill them.

Rrrriiight.

You want to kill 1,000,000,000 people? All of them?

Really?

You don't find that shockingly repulsive, let alone ridiculous and stupid?

Do you want to kill the Iraqi bloggers too ---Ala'a, Mohammed, Omar, Ali, Zeyad (and others) --- them too?

I understand the desire to reform or do away with Islam, but kill all the Muslims?

Jeebus H. Christos.

It wouldn't be the first time. Arafat also ordered the murder of two US diplomats taken hostage back in the 70's. The fact that Arafat was never punished for this crime gave future terrorists confidence that they could strike at America with impunity.

[Link: www.findarticles.com...]

# 76 Diana: Well Arafat does use the money for children, clinics, and family planning...just not in the way you think of.

Children: He teaches them the fine art of the personal transportation of bombs.

Clinics: These are where he teaches children the fine are of personal transportation of bombs.

Family Planning: Through the clinics many people have had to do a lot less family planning.

#75 Lazytart

I hate to even post this, but I noticed that it is hilarious. For instance, the photo shop job of the NY license plate is of one that is no longer in use. We have had new plates since last year, and as of about a year ago, the Lady Liberty ones are illegal.

Just reading the site is almost as funny as the Onion. On the serious side there is not one single word re the disgraceful situation in Florida re the intimation that Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld should be assassinated. See the "Breaking News" forum. Not one single word.

Hanoi john for Flip Flopping, lying, self-absorbed S.O.B. of the ages

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's called poetic license!

It is truly indicative of the lack of character and decency that Hanoi john has. President Bush is a real man, and someone I would love to invite to dinner. I have a feeling that sharing a family meal on Shabbat with the Bushes would be a truly wonderful experience.

Charles: I am not expert, but posts 62 and 77 seem to have a distinctly trollish tinge; like someone trying to post something outrageous to see if we would approve of it. Your call. Happy Birthday

#88

You want to kill 1,000,000,000 people? All of them?

Really?

You don't find that shockingly repulsive, let alone ridiculous and stupid?

Well, by "kill them," Pat (#77) just means line 'em up against a wall and tell them that it's one of our bad days, and we're really upset. You know- like "pull the trigger."

It's a nuance thing. You really have to be a St. Petersburg Democrat to understand...

;^)

#93 McBain

Pat (#77) just means line 'em up against a wall and tell them that it's one of our bad days, and we're really upset.

LOL

You really have to be a St. Petersburg Democrat to understand...

I know. Where is my nuance? Where has it gone? I must have left it in my last newspaper ad...

10 Rayra Johnson (Hey Cuz!)

Would like nothing more than to hear of a massive strike on Ramallah, killing Arafat at the exact moment Bush and Sharon are standing before the press at the White House this week.

My fondest wish too.

May zulubaby be able to go back to black shoe indecision some time very soon!

Happy Birthday Charles. Please know that you are a very admired person.

All this means nothing if the US doesn't acknowledge this and either get rid of him or explicitly permit his destruction.

With the current state department, I can almost guarantee you that they will cover for him

#77 [deleted] 4/13/2004 09:05PM PST
[deleted]

Thanks Charles. :)

is this story for real? if so, it should dominate all future middle east policy.

Remembet Klinghoffer !!!

Having been developing skepticism of Bush lately, he gets high marks from me on his presentation. His honesty and
focus were the most important things he communicated across television land. The more he is NOT like Clinton in his speechifying the more I am in his corner in this war effort.
I will be voting for Bush, with no regrets.

Well, ol' Yasser that's my baby has bought himself an Israeli missile across the top of his head. Say hi to Yassin, Yasser. Sho nuf, he will.

Reason #1,459,613 why I hate academia:

Sign posted outside history prof's office:

End the US Occupation of Iraq
and
Palestine (of Israel)
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
England
and the United States!

Arafat has authorized the killing of 1000's of innocents or has killed innocents himself; it is morally corrupt not to put put an end to Arafat's life of terror. I vote to kill him now.

(#102) Alexis Z

The professor wants to end the Palestinian occupation of Israel?

Sounds good to me.

# 104 SoCal

He demonstrates no capability for logical thinking. He is a threat to this country, and could probably be tried for treason on multiple accounts.

I hate very few people, but I LOATHE this man.

And I was quoting the sign from meory, most likely read 'from' not 'of'.

Some relevant background to the Middle East Newsline article:

First, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher's October 15, 2003 press briefing stated the obvious regarding the likelihood of Palestinian culpability in the terrorist attack which had resulted in the murder of three three US embassy guards in Gaza earlier that day:

[Link: usinfo.state.gov...]

Mr. Boucher: I have no reason to believe it was any particular group at this moment. As you point out, these kinds of attacks have been carried out in Israel, in the Gaza Strip, in the West bank, and in other countries in the region by various groups who are opposed to the peace process; who have made it harder for the Palestinians to achieve a state; and who, unfortunately, have killed many, many civilians of a lot of different nationalities.

Question: But what --

Mr. Boucher: But no, I don't have any indication of which particular group might have carried this out.

Question: Right. But I guess you are saying that the continuation of violence, such as this, is the fault of the Palestinian Authority for not cracking down on it. And yet, you know, you had people linked to al-Qaida who were operating next door in Jordan planning to blow up hotels and buildings, and you don't say that that's -- that their operations there are -- have any -- are the responsibility or the fault of the Jordanian Government. In fact, you have high praise for their government. So I guess I'm just wondering --

Mr. Boucher: Well, we have high praise for governments that take action against terrorists.

Question: Exactly.

Mr. Boucher: Whether they're 100 percent successful or not, governments that take action against terrorism; that eliminate the infrastructure; that eliminate the bomb factories; that eliminate the contractors or whatever or who the people are that support this mess -- we have praise for governments who do that.

The failure of the Palestinians to take action against terrorism in general, and specifically the groups that have perpetrated terrorism, leads to a climate in this area where these kinds of acts can be carried out, whether by those groups themselves, or perhaps in conjunction with others.

Question: Okay. I mean, these kinds of acts happened other places. I guess, if you -- I am just curious as to say -- as to why you point to the Palestinian Authority in this case specifically absent the fact that you don't know who did it?

Mr. Boucher: Because we don't make the assumption that somebody could parachute in without any support, without any contacts locally, and blow up an armored vehicle on a major thoroughfare. I suppose it's possible, but I would say that's probably down at the lower end of the possibilities. And one has to start with the assumption that somebody that knew about this area, and that was operating in this area was involved in this.

Second, as noted by Charles in December 2003, the Director of the Israel Law Center warned US Attorney General John Ashcroft that the PA officer assigned to investigate the murder of the three US Embassy guards is himself a suspect in numerous terrorist attacks, including similar attacks and attacks against Americans:

[Link: www.littlegreenfootballs.com...]

"... It is a disgraceful that the individual assigned by the Palestinian Authority to investigate the murders of Branchizio, Linde and Parsons is himself a leading terrorist suspected of numerous other roadside bombings in Gaza. If the United States is sincere about making arrests then it must not tolerate Rashid Abu Shabak heading up this crucial inquiry. The similarities between the October 15th roadside bombing and the roadside bombing of the Kfar Darom school bus in November 2000 cannot be ignored. We urge the Department of Justice to initiate its own investigation of Abu Shabak and his role in prior Gaza terror attacks, some of which have seriously injured American citizens. ..."

Finally, a bit off-topic, both the US Embassy in Israel and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs have online tributes to John Branchizio, John Linde, Jr., and Mark Parson, the three Embassy guards who were murdered in Gaza in October 2003.:

[Link: www.usembassy-israel.org.il...]

[Link: www.mfa.gov.il...]

OT:

Did anyone catch the CBN report that aired either yesterday or the day before about how Mr. Islamic Bomb, the infamous Pakistani nuclear scientist who set non-proliferation back 100 years if not more, recently stated that he KNOWS North Korea has at least three functioning nuclear bombs? I've been surfing all the Internet news sites and have yet to see a confirmation of this. Has anyone seen or heard anything at all about this?

(#105) Alexis Z

I don't blame you.

I'm so happy my undergrad experience was 10 years ago on a relatively moderate campus - with Poli Sci professors who were still in Cold War mode.

Those were the days.

But I went back to school from '99 to '02, and the opinion page of the school newspaper was a battleground - but most people were just worried about tests, papers and getting jobs, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

#109 SoCal

It is definitely the faculty that is the problem, not the students. The problem with this is that the left-wing fringe of the student body feels it has a pass to spout anti-Bush propaganda in all classes, on any subject, whether relevant or not, and the silent majority of good kids with rational, thinking minds do not feel they have that same freedom.

Freedom of speech, unless you're conservative is, indeed, the unspoken mantra of academia.

#198 Jetstorm

I don't know if this will help:

Pak nuclear confession a big lie: N Korea

Seoul, February 10: A Pakistani scientist's confession that he sold nuclear weapons technology to North Korea was a "sheer lie" cooked up by the United States to justify an invasion, North Korea said on Tuesday.

The father of Pakistan's nuclear arms programme, Abdul Qadeer Khan, said last week he had sold nuclear secrets to Libya and two countries that President George W. Bush has labelled part of an "axis of evil", North Korea and Iran.

Khan's confession came three weeks before North Korea was scheduled to join the United States, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea for a second round of talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons programme.

North Korea has long denied US assertions that it had been pursuing an atomic weapons programme using highly enriched uranium

I weep for the future...unless it is populated by right-minded conservatives!!! F**k the Palestinians!!!

#108

See:

[Link: www.reuters.com...]

[Link: www.guardian.co.uk...]

Of course, the day this makes a headline on Yahoo!'s home page is the day I vote for John Effin Kerry as the leader of the free world.

Just to clarify in my own mind, to be a neocon today means you are not an isolationist, right? Because the LLL control over education seems to always teach American isolationism was the cause of the massive casualties of WWI and WWII...

My bad, I am trying to make sense of the illogical left. Won't happen again.

OT, but wonderful news...arafart can eat his gym shorts! (yuck!)

Historic win for Hapoel Jerusalem

Erez Katz joined Nadav Henefeld, Mickey Berkovic, and Tal Brody in Israeli and European basketball history on Tuesday night. The 24-year-old Jerusalemite and Hapoel Jerusalem captain was joined by Doron Sheffer to raise the ULEB Cup trophy after an 83-72 win over Real Madrid in the final in Charleroi, Belgium.

When Hapoel Jerusalem needed him most, Will Solomon was on the bench with foul trouble. But Kelly McCarty, Tunji Awojobi, Ido Kozikaro, and Sheffer got the job done. Every player on the Hapoel roster was instrumental in the win, including Moshe Mizrahi, Amir Muchtary, Raviv Limonad, and Katz, who all made contributions from the bench.

McCarty scored 15 points as Jerusalem pulled away during a 31-20 third quarter, and the reds from the capital never looked back.

Madrid made a threatening fourth quarter run, led by rugged center Kaspars Kambala, but when the big Latvian fouled out with four minutes remaining, Real started to run out of steam.

The win, Israel's first European title from a team other than Maccabi Tel Aviv, also guarantees Hapoel a spot in the continent's top club competition next season, the Euroleague.

It could be the first of three European titles for Israel this month. Next week, Hapoel Tel Aviv will take part in the FIBA Champions Cup Final Four in Kazan, Russia. Maccabi Tel Aviv will host the Euroleague Final Four starting April 29.

The article is much longer. Go,Israel!!!

Clean up in aisle 112. What's with the spate of fake Michael Savage clones lately?

NY nana,

That is wonderful news. :-)

Almost as delightful as when my beloved Yankees win.

GO ISRAEL! GO YANKEES!

Back on topic:

Arafat approved the attack? Guess that makes him a SPIRITUAL leader.

#116   merav

Arafat approved the attack? Guess that makes him a SPIRITUAL leader.

He is, indeed, the spiritual leader of all indigenous, eastern Mediterranean fish (a Charles Johnson creation, but I linked here because of the sweet gif animation that accompanies).

Alexis,

I went back to school during the time of the first Gulf War, when Israel was getting hit by Iraqui scuds.

To express their indignance, my fellow students started wearing Palestinian kaffiyas.

Large classes, held in auditoriums, even those whose subjects had nothing to do with the war, would turn into screaming antiwar rallies, with shouts of "No Blood for Israel," "Free the Palestinians," and supportive "Hear, hear's." Meanwhile, no one in my NYC campus was getting shelled, but my family in Israel was.

The school "newspaper," published with our required fees, would feature anti-Semitic Nazi cartoons, and when they'd get criticized (which they did, thank goodness), the "newspaper" would respond with entire centerfolds explaining why the cartoons were so "apt."

Then, after the war, a notorious anti-Semitic professor from CCNY was invited to speak on our campus. What got me was not his hateful, blatantly racist statements. Nor was I particularly surprised by his brigade of militarily-clad students who "guarded" him (although I did wonder how many of those combat-dressed wannabes had screamed against the war).

What got me was the series of standing ovations this hate-monger received after badmouthing the Talmud & the Midrashim, and after claiming Jewish control of the mafia, the slave trade, the media, etc.

I finished my undergraduate studies at that "multicultural" institution where MY culture was so desecrated, and vowed never to attend such a pit of hatred again. I attended graduate school at Yeshiva U, which DID have multicultural students, but was politically correct and respectful to everyone.

Now, patrickafir, that wasn't politically correct.

Arafat can't be held responsible for all the suicide bombings committed by every fish east of the Mediterranean.

And how do we know that AraFISH isn't actually a Mossad agent trying to cover up Israel's involvement in 9/11?

Besides, I said he must be a SPIRITUAL leader, not a terroris... oh wait. My bad. I almost forgot my synonyms.

#119   merav

And how do we know that AraFISH isn't actually a Mossad agent trying to cover up Israel's involvement in 9/11?

That's easy, silly! Because the Jews control the media, they'd never let on that Terrorfat was actually a nice boy named Baruch carrying a Glock for Yisroel!

On a serious note, I found your school story to be painful, but also inspiring.

patrickafir,

You know, I'm waiting for the day when revisionists will deny that 9/11 ever happened. Can't you just hear it?

-- But what about the documentation?

Revisionist answer: Pure fabrication. Advanced technology existed as far back as 2001, at least advanced enough to "document" an attack that never happened.

-- But what about the 3000 dead victims?

RA: Exactly. Interesting how their bodies were never found.

-- But what about all the witnesses?

RA: Well, some were actors hired by the Mossad. The others were just duped.

-- But if it didn't happen, why did the US go to war over it?

RA: Ah-HAH! My point exactly!

-- Do you realize how ludicrous you sound?

RA: Whistle-blowers of Zionist conspiracies are always called ludicrous. It's actually the proof that we're correct.

Doesn't this sound familiar? And then wait about a century, after all the witnesses and survivors have passed on...

There'll be History courses at City University of New York: "History 201: 9/11: Fact or Legend?"

#121   merav

You know, I'm waiting for the day when revisionists will deny that 9/11 ever happened.

Ah, but denial would be too easy. Too simple. Not quite insidious enough. Why not just blame it on the Jews?

Charles posted this the other day.

And on the topic of revisionism, make sure you check out this book if you haven't yet.

OT

good article

Israeli army summarizes intifada lessons

Point to remember as it applies to Iraq.

There is no sense in occupying an area unless you hit the militants.

Meryl makes a good point about Bush's speech.

#123   Kragar (proud to be kafir)

Thanks, that was a good article. The Israelis know how to do the job right, pulling no punches, while still taking great pains to ensure the safety of Palestinian civilians. And the world hates them for having the audacity to effectively defend their citizenry after having been assailed in the most horrendous way possible.

Can we prove it? and if so, can we take care of Arafat at last?

patrickafir,

yeah, I read that link the other day. Ridiculous.

I pointed out on a Russian anti-Semitic website once, the fact that had Israel wanted to plan a piguah while sparing any Jewish casualties, they simply could have made it a 9/18. Tuesday, 9/18/01 was Rosh Hashana, and virtually no Jews would have been at work, as even NYC public schools are closed on the "Jewish holidays."

And recently a friend pointed out to me another interesting thought: 9/11/01 occurred during Selichot (forgiveness prayers), recited by many Jews during the 30 days preceding Rosh Hashana. Since these prayers are recited at morning prayers (or even earlier), many Jews who otherwise would have been at work already that morning, were elsewhere, praying.

But, you know, that too could be used by conspiracy-theorists to prove that the Zionists really were behind 9/11. Because it certainly did benefit us, didn't it? I mean, terrorist attacks here in Israel decreased (NOT), the global economy suffered (TRUE), the world finally recognized extremist Islamic terrorism for what it is (YEAH RIGHT).

I hope this isn't true, that something else was meant by "passing a message", like, actually talking. I doubt the big media will report on it, because it's something that many people will find difficult to believe to be true.

I wonder how many people will protest this "targetted killing".

#127   merav & #128   Andjam

The bottom line is that people will all too often a.) believe a falsehood and/or b.) reject a truth. There's such a pronounced lack of logic and skepticism in mankind in general. I wish that critical thinking was part of the public school curriculum.

OT:

Here is a brief and scary piece.

Fighting the con game

Quoting:

THE BROADER point is to explain why so many Western and Israeli schemes to fix the Middle East fail and even make things worse. These may include the Oslo peace process, withdrawal from south Lebanon, promoting democracy, regime change in Iraq, paying off Iran not to build nuclear weapons, stopping international terrorism by solving the Arab-Israeli conflict, and many other ideas produced daily in op-ed pieces.

Here's what they have in common:

They make concessions to prove that the West or Israel want to alleviate Arab or Muslim grievances. But this effort is misinterpreted as weakness (inviting more militancy), foolishness (encouraging trickery), or an evil plot (fostering additional antagonism).

They create a process which provides benefits, thus encouraging the other side to fulfill its commitments and see the outcome as attractive. But this produces a period in which the militants can complain that they have not yet gotten the desired outcome, while ridiculing the benefits as nonexistent. By turning to violence (or breaking their promises) they can subvert the benefits and extend the timetable, thus having a cause for carrying on their battle under better conditions for themselves.

They overestimate moderates and the appeal of material benefits. The peacemakers believe that those who want to end the conflict – a "silent minority" – can restrain the militants. Yet perhaps this "silent minority" is unarmed.

Using religious, nationalist, and xenophobic appeals, activists can stir up the people against their own material interests. Moreover, leaders care nothing about the material well-being of their people, worrying that in a post-conflict situation they will either lose power or never gain it. They subvert the process – and who is going to stop them?

They use appeasement and self-blame to keep the process going. Since would-be peacemaking politicians have a greater political stake in the process than their opponents, as the situation deteriorates they (or their successors) are tempted to offer more concessions and blame victims instead of the perpetrators. If extremists resort to terrorism this "proves" that the American, Spanish, or Israeli government is following wrong policies, and should be replaced.

patrickafir, that's not scary, it's horrifying. What could anyone want with poison gas? I doubt it's for birthday balloons. (Although I wouldn't put anything past these "religious believers" who think an AIDS-bomb would make a benevolent G-d happy).

I live pretty close to the Lachish junction.

I don't want to be a drama queen, but I wonder if I should call my kids' school?

So, its the death penalty, skip the trial then?

Or perhaps an arrest?

#133, johnx,

?

#131   Kragar (proud to be kafir)

A very large and fundamental part of the problem, as Alan Dershowitz illustrates in Why Terrorism Works is how terrorists are at once rewarded for their despicable actions while those rewarding them convince themselves that they haven't, or that they're only being humane and trying to understand the "root causes."

#132   merav

heh Sounds like my Mom. I hope you're all well.

#133 johnx

Did these people get trials before Arafat and his mafia organized their deaths, either by acts of commission or omission?

American victims

Israeli victims

patrickafir,

Yeah, I tend to overeact a bit. I figure if we ain't a-hearing sirens, and the phone ain't a-ringin', and there ain't no one a-knocking on the door, everything's hunky-dory.

OK! Time to go to work!

Have a wonderful day and thanks for the warm wishes.

:-)

Palestinians warn that U.S. commitments could be 'dangerous'

"We hope the U.S. administration, which isn't the main partner of the road map, will remain committed to its responsibilities ... and not give any language that is considered a reward for a party or a side at the expense of the other party. Otherwise, there will be no peace," he (Qureia) said.

OT

Student on trial for alleged terror promotion

BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- A University of Idaho graduate student went on trial Tuesday on charges he supported terrorism by running Web sites that recruited militants and raised money for groups promoting violence against the United States.

Sami Omar Al-Hussayen, a Saudi national working on his computer science doctoral degree, is charged with three counts of aiding terrorism and additional counts of visa fraud and making false statements.

#133 johnx - Did these people get trials before Arafat and his mafia organized their deaths, either by acts of commission or omission?

Hell no. Lets be like him! Works for him.

Kragar (#139)

Otherwise, there will be no peace," he (Qureia) said.

Because we all know that the Palestinians otherwise have every intention of working toward peace, right? It's amazing to me that anyone takes the Palestinians seriously. If they wanted peace they could have had it years ago.

#140 johnx

If we were like him, the questions about Palestine would have disappeared years ago, along with the vast majority of Palestinians.

Ahhh... with this out of the way, all Israel have to do is do a suprise arrest on Arafat (after aborogating the Oslo Accords), wait for the DOj to hand out a arrest warrant, extradite Arafat and wait till he receives what he deserves - the death penalty.

OT (again)

Iraq Rebel Cleric Proposes Deal to U.S.- Envoy

Hopeful outcome:

SADR: Ok. you've got me outgunned and surrounded. I'm willing to negotiate terms.

US COMMANDER: Flex cuffs, hand cuffs or body bag. That's the only way you're getting out of this.

ot - Kofi is right on queue as the beacon of failure and corruption stumbles on, Iraq too violent for U.N. role

i'm shocked! what do we do? crisis and chaos will prevail. Dear...dear...dear...

(honey, please change the channel, they play this one at least once a week.)

addendum to #144

Al-jazeera's report

Occupation prepares siege on holy city

#145 aboo-hoo-hoo

No suprise there, after all the UN HQ is too violent for the UN.

Shams, scams and Kofi Annan

Almost a year ago, when kitchen workers at United Nations headquarters walked off the job in a dispute over holiday pay, the cream of the world's diplomats knew just what to do. They thronged to the site's five unattended restaurants and stole everything that wasn't nailed down.

Right after the bombing, a message from Arafish. Brutal:

US Asks for PNA Cooperation in Apprehending Bombers of 3 Americans

Palestinian leadership, President Yasser Arafat, PM Ahmad Qurei, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, condemned the Gaza bomb blast that killed three US nationals on Wednesday.

In a strongly - worded statement on Wednesday president Arafat condemned “the crime of targeting US monitors who are doing their mission of security and peace.”

President Arafat ordered the formation of “a joint investigation committee with the American side and the Quartet” of international Middle East mediators.

President Arafat also paid his attributes and heartfelt condolences to the American President Bush and the bereaved families.

Earlier the Palestinian leadership in a statement condemned the “criminal explosion” in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahya, which on Wednesday claimed the lives of three US nationals.

The leadership conveyed its condolences to US President George W. Bush, his administration and the families of the innocent victims, while noting at the same time that the place of the crime has seen several Israeli reoccupation operations, which included the planting of land mines by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).

Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei (Abu Ala) on Wednesday telephoned US Secretary of State Colin Powell and conveyed his condolences in the name of President Arafat, the Cabinet, the Palestine National Authority (PNA), and the Palestinian people.

Similarly all Palestinian factions that are struggling against the Israeli 36-year old occupation condemned the crime and denied their involvement in it.

"The Popular Resistance Committees in Palestine deny any involvement in this incident. We consider our fight to be solely with the Zionist enemy and we do not want to be involved in controversial secondary issues," the group said Wednesday in a statement sent to AFP in Gaza City.

In a phone interview with Al Jazeera TV, Dr. Sa’b Erakat, cabinet minister, called the bombing a ”devastating act“ that dealt a blow to the efforts of bringing international observers to the region.

“Such attack would be exploited by many parties as an attempt to wipe out the provision outlined in the "Road Map" peace plan to bring international observers to the Palestinian territories by the Quartet committee, but we will offer the establishment of a joint US-Palestinian probing committee.” Erakat told Al Jazeera TV.

He went onto saying “not a single Palestinian is willing to harm the American observers whom came to put in motion the Road Map peace plan. This is a devastating act not merely for the peace process but also for the possibility to have international peacekeeping forces aiming to protect the Palestinian people.”

Kragar

I guess we'll continue showing up there but I think the u.n.'s already been well diagnosed as terminal.

If rumor spells true, today's meeting between Sharon and Bush may cast its concluding notes.

Really OT, but heartening: Iraqi polls bring secular success. From the Guardian of all places.

[Link: www.guardian.co.uk...]

Opinion Journal carries a response from Rachel Corrie's cousin to James Taranto and another writer.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110004941

Though mislead, at least she isn't vitriolic.

I'm curious to see whether Taranto responds.

It seems to me that we have the right formula for dealing with murdering muslims like this. See Fallujah. Isolate the murderer, move in to kill or capture. Kill everyone that confronts you on the way. If we did this all over the Islamist world, the war would be over shortly. Only, no surrender from the LLL's. Only cries of WIN NOW.

Sav (#151)

Though mislead, at least she isn't vitriolic.

It's he, not she.

Mr. Patnaik is a junior at Grinnell College in Iowa.

And he may not be vitriolic but he's not opposed to perpetuating lies, apparently:

Rachel was killed by an Israeli bulldozer which intended to destroy the home of a Palestinian civilian, an action outlawed under the Fourth Geneva Convention. There were no tunnels under the house, nor any reason to expect there would be.

At least he didn't say that she was killed by the wall, which is their latest trick.

#151 Sav

Sounds like an idiot to me:

This kind of response too often demonstrates a deceitful willingness to wield terms like "terror," "realism" and "Islamic militancy" as if these words could be used as evidence to justify occupation of territory and violence toward people.

OT: however, you knew it couldn't last long...

[Link: www.guardian.co.uk...]

#153 zulubaby

Go to sleep :-)

How many Americans have died under Arafat's directions?

#157 Jed

Check the link in this post for starters. I'm sure there are plenty more as well.

Cox and Forkum have nailed it again.

OT

KOFI ANNAN'S CORRUPT ENTERPRISE

zulubaby #153

It's he, not she.

Oops. I don't know why I thought it was a woman. I'm gonna use the early hours as my excuse. :)

Colt #154

Sounds like an idiot to me:

An idiot perhaps. Hopefully just a misinformed one and not a willfully blind one. Maybe my expectations are so low that something other than raving death-to-the-Jews rhetoric struck me as civil.

I really hope Taranto corrects his fallacies.

Didn't happen - Charles is just inciting more hate.

/channel

Sorry if this has been said before, but NOW is it ok to flush the Fish?

#164 Bigel

I always knew I liked NJ. Don't suppose you know Rockaway at all? Good buddy of mine lived up there.

Good morning, all. No blood-infused matzah today-- back to my usual bagels. OT: Looks like al-Sadr want to talk terms:
[Link: news.myway.com...]

#13 Dar Ul Harb -

3) Let his cancer kill him

The revenge strikes that this would spawn would give a whole new meaning to "The War On Cancer".

Bigel -

Wow, that's good news...maybe next New Jersey will become a "right-to-work" state - now THAT would be something...

"He realizes that an armed confrontation is not in anybody's interest"

Translation: al Sadr is scared sh^&less.

Jeffrey Heller pens an editorial under the guise of a news story:

But with Palestinians crying foul over Sharon's pledge this week to couple a Gaza pullback with strengthening major Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the United States must navigate its latest Middle East minefield carefully. Any perceived U.S. endorsement of a cementing of Israel's hold on land Palestinians want for a state would inflame the Arab world and further complicate efforts to stabilize Iraq, where U.S. forces are under daily attack from Muslim fighters.

And Camel Prophet...sadly, you're a prophet.

Sorry for the double post, but I dropped this in last night in The Arab Way of War thread just in time for that thread to get killed by the Prez's speech.

I think you guys would appreciate it.
---
Here's a great tidbit posted by one of the readers at Jerry Pournelle's Chaos Manor website. If you don't know of him, he's the famed military SF author, with a deep knowledge of history, who is also a longtime computer industry columnist (remember Byte magazine?)

The Surafend Affair

my paraphrase -- NZ and Aussie troops dispense some rough justice to an Arab town in Palestine at the end of WWI after their Brit commanders kept turning a blind eye to Arab crimes.

Long story but worth it
---

The Australians and New Zealanders in Gallipoli were shortly withdrawn. In their camps at Tripoli and on the Philistine plain the light horsemen waited, eager in the prospect of early return to Australia. But an unfortunate incident was destined to throw a shadow over the last days in Palestine of Anzac Mounted Division. Close to the camps of the three brigades in December was the native village of Surafend. All the Arabs of western Palestine were thieves by instinct, and those who dwelt close to the Jewish settlements were especially practised and daring. Throughout the campaign the British policy, as already noticed, was to treat these debased people west of the Jordan as devout Moslems, kin not only to the Arabs of the Hejaz but to the Mohammedans of India. And the Arabs, a crafty race, quick to discern British unwillingness to punish their misdeeds, exploited their licence to extreme limits.

...

The natives of Surafend were notorious for their petty thieving. Prompted, perhaps, by the knowledge that the Anzac camps would soon pass for ever from their midst, and emboldened by the immunity they enjoyed, they grew audacious in their pilfering. They were reinforced, too, by a body of nomad Bedouins camped close to their village. The Australians and New Zealanders, sleeping soundly, were a simple prey to the cunning, barefooted robbers, and night after night men lost property from their tents. One night a New Zealander of the machine-gun squadron was disturbed by an Arab pulling at a bag which served him as a pillow. Springing up in his shirt, he chased the native through the camp and out on to the sand-hills, shouting to the picquets on the horselines as he ran. As he overtook the native, the man turned, shot him with a revolver through the body, and escaped. The New Zealander died as the picquets reached him. The camp was immediately aroused, and the New Zealanders, working with ominous deliberation, followed the footsteps of the Arab over the loose sand to Surafend. They then threw a strong cordon round the village and waited for morning, when the head men were summoned and ordered to surrender the murderer. The sheikhs were evasive, and pleaded ignorance. During the day the matter was taken up by the staff of the division, but at nightfall the demand of the men for justice was still unsatisfied.

Meanwhile they had resolutely maintained their guard about the village, and no Arab was allowed to leave. That which followed cannot be justified; but in fairness to the New Zealanders, who were the chief actors, and to the Australians who gave them hearty support, the spirit of the men at that time must be considered. They were the pioneers and the leaders in a long campaign. Theirs been the heaviest sacrifice. The three brigades of Anzac Mounted Division had been for almost three years comrades in arms, and rarely had a body of men been bound together by such ties of common heroic endeavour and affection. From the Canal onward men had again and again proudly thrown away their lives to save their wounded from the enemy. Not once in the long advance had a hard-pressed, isolated body ever signalled in vain for support. The war task was now completed and they, a band of sworn brothers tested in a hundred fights, were going home. To them the loss of a veteran comrade by foul murder, at the hands of a race they despised, was a crime which called for instant justice. They were in no mood for delay. In their movement against Surafend, therefore, they felt that, while wreaking vengeance on the Arabs, they would at the same time work off their old feeling against the bias of the disciplinary branch of General Headquarters, and its studied omission to punish Arabs for crime. They were angry and bitter beyond sound reasoning. All day the New Zealanders quietly organised for their work in Surafend, and early in the night marched out many hundreds strong and surrounded the village. In close support and full sympathy were large bodies of Australians. Good or bad, the cause of the New Zealanders was theirs. Entering the village, the New Zealanders grimly passed out all the women and children, and then, armed chiefly with heavy sticks, fell upon the men and at the same time fired the houses. Many Arabs were killed, few escaped without injury; the village was demolished. The flames from the wretched houses lit up the countryside, and Allenby and his staff could not fail to see the conflagration and hear the shouts of the troops and the cries of their victims.

The Anzacs, having finished with Surafend, raided and burned the neighbouring nomad camp, and then went quietly back to their lines. In the morning all the disciplinary machinery of the army was as active as hitherto it had been tardy. General Headquarters demanded the men who had led the attack and had been guilty of the killing. The Anzacs stood firm; not a single individual could definitely be charged. Allenby wasted no time in expressing his mind to the division The brigades were assembled on foot in hollow square, and the Commander-in-Chief addressed them in strong, and even, one might say, ill-considered language. He used terms which became his high position as little as the business at Surafend had been worthy of the great soldiers before him.

OT - CNN has an interesting article on why Thomas Hamill, the KBR truck driver taken hostage, was working in Iraq. Apparantly, he was there to pay for his wife's heart surgery.

<Kos>Screw Him.</Kos>

OT - New seething threats expected from the Palistinian Terrortories™: Gaza - the British are Coming - Co-Opting Terrorists

Arafat is trying to get Hamas and Islamic Jihad to join his "government". He is finally trying to make arrangements for what will happen when he dies: the Islamists will of course take over. They will do it even if they are not in his "government", but Arafat is easing the way for them.

The exact date it will happen is not known, but sooner or later there will be a 23rd Arab state, and it will be an Islamist-dominated, terrorist, irredentist state.

The road map calls for a Pali state in 2005. That's less than a year away. When 2005 comes, the Euros will press for a Pali state -- the 23rd Arab state -- and they will press for a Pali right of return into Israel to be acknowledged, and for maximum Israeli territorial concessions, retrogressing to the 1949 Armistice Line (the "green" line). They will demand international pressure be placed on Israel. They will demand that Israel's fence that is being built to protect Israeli children from Islamikazis be removed. They will ignore the road map requirement for "dismantlement of terrorist capabilities and infrastructure". They will be eager to sell arms to the new sovereign Pali state. The new terrorist state will import arms and soldiers from Iran.

The only thing that can prevent this nightmare scenario is US influence. That's why Sharon is in the US with his disengagement plan: to win points from the US, so Israel can hope that the coming Euro effort to toss Israel to the Islamist crocodile will not come to pass.

Anybody got a second link. I might be able to get this on the radar. No joke.

If true this is huge. His hideout should be a gaping 150 foot wide crater.

# 130 Patrickafir

How the hell does someone steal six TONS of poison gas without anyone catching him?

Happy Birthday Charles!

OT - I got a letter into today's Jerusalem Post

Arafat Warns U.S. Could Kill Middle East Peace

"The Palestinian leadership warns of the dangers of reaching such an agreement because it is clear proof that it will completely put an end to the peace process," said a statement from Arafat's office.

And the Palis have been so good about adhereing to the current process? Fuck them.

#170 Newscaper: Interesting bit of history. Thanks for the link.

I wonder what the State Department has to say about the "Road Map" now. Ahh, I see, no change.

Looks like Visa Express has been closed, but Arafat Express continues unabated.

OT but funny: Maybe Bush does know how to speak english, and it's really his speech writer's fault. The written version of his last speech had grammar errors.

[Link: www.whitehouse.gov...]

Yasser Arafat personally authorized the terror attack that killed three Americans in a diplomatic convoy.

Well he's dead.

nevermind - it was post hoc transcript.

OT

(Off of Glenn's) - The Jamie Gorelick story is being completely covered up by the mainstream liberal press.

breathtaking!

[Link: www.captainsquartersblog.com...]

OK, I know I'm going to get angry email from Gabriel B, but here goes. D'yall remember last year was the first year in recorded history that the North Atlantic produced tropical cyclones before and after the official June 1 to November 30 season. Last April was Tropical Storm Ana in late April, that formed as an extratropical cyclone that slowly took on tropical characteritsics. Tropical Storm Ana

I'm a paid subscriber to Joe Bastardi's Long Range forecast discussions at AccuWeather.com He mentioned that modelling showed a bit of the current East Coast storm pinching off near the Bahamas, and developing low pressure. Well, I had to find which model. Wasn't the US AVN model showing that, but the 138 Hour Forecast from the Environment Canada model that shows this. As you can see, sea surface temperatures are at or slightly below the magic 26.5C required for tropical cyclone genesis. Between that, and April not at all being a climatologically favored month, it is likely nothing happens.

But just in case you're planning a Bahamas vacation next Tuesday.

This article is awefully vague on details. Why would this announcement come from MENL and not from a US organization? What legitimacy do they have? This sounds a lot like propaganda to me.

I call bullshiat.

#183 Big Ern

MENL has been pretty reliable, though many of their stories can't easily be verified. I guess we'll see how this plays out. Debka carried a similar story, and their reliability is improving steadily.

Why would this announcement come from MENL and not from a US organization?

Well, the media breaks stories. That's their job. And they can usually do that because members of the govt/orgs/etc talk to the media. This may well be one of those times.

#171 Abu El Anon - The LLL will use that to promote socialised healthcare.

#153 -

Are you suggesting that if it isn't reported on ABC/NBC/CBS/CNN/AP, it doesn't exist?

Stories with political significance typically break "away from home" before they break "close to home".

For example, during the Beltway Sniper attacks, the Baltimore Sun's coverage of the investigation was consistently better than any of the Washington DC metro area media.

And following the death of ex-CIA chief Colby back in 1997, the coverage was much better in the Australian media than in the American media.

Sorry, I meant #183, not #153.

OT- HI Ed. Well Gabe or no Gabe I LIKE your forecasts.

Right now CBC Radio AM "The Current" is doing a special on the Kahdrs. They opened with the tune "Welcome Back." from the old welcome back Cotter TV show with some approrpiate changes to make note of dead daddy, son in prison, other son in wheelchair ect. It was hilarious and very cuttingly cruel in a way they deserve.

Now speaking to Muslims from the Mosque they were a part of for their reaction, including some heads of important Muslim organisations.

"We are very shocked by them."

"The father made this decision for them and look what it has led to. Especially the son, 14 and in a wheel chair."

"They should be banned from Canada or jailed as soon as they do one bad thing."

"I am voicing my concern and disquiet about this family. They showed utter disrespect for other Muslims in Canada."

Person who knew Daddy Sahdr and supported his denials about being involved in Al Qaeda-"He told me he was not working for them. He was executed by Pakistani forces without a trial. I think the son [Abdulrachman] is lying for money. I still can't believe they did this"

-Interjection from another woman at this-

"They said it [support for Bin Laden] on television and I think all Muslims need to state this is wrong. They have damaged all Muslims. We have to struggle against 3 things, prejudice against us here, dictators who violate human rights in Muslim countries, and this distorted violent murdering version of Islam they embraced."

"They should apologise to Muslims in Canada for the agony they have caused and to the whole world for what they have."

"If they want to embrace Canada as a whole they should embrace Canada in totality [repudiate this violent form of Islam]."

"Canadians are softhearted people and will try to help this kid [14 year old in wheelchair] who got no cultural education, no real education. Now he has to focus on how he can't walk, he can't go to the bathroom and he has no education. He had no choice in this. He is a victim of his father."

"We have to have critical self examination of Muslims. We live in a very hostile world towards Muslims but the things they [Kahdrs] adopted are not the answer."

CBC anouncer reminds listeners that CBC did not pay the Abdulrachman Kahdr.

As I expected, this family is apparently standing as an example of how horribly wrong the OBL approach to Islam is and the terrible consequences embracing it brings.

-Caveat-I was typing as I listened so some quotes be not be exactly verbatum although I have tried.-

UPI/Washington Times has now picked up this story.

#189 Carl in Jerusalem

RAMALLAH, Fla., April 13 (UPI)

Very strange dateline to this story. I did a search and didn't come up with a Ramallah in Florida.

Maybe Florida is occupied Arab land and they just haven't gotten around to voicing their claims yet?

Judith touched on this before, but here's more barf-inducing stuff on the Khadrs:

Khadrs entitled to all social benefits: Ontario premier says

My taxes are supporting Al Queida. What a way to start the day! Apparently, there is an online petition to get their citizenship revoked. So far-about 3,000 hits have been registered. Lizzaroid attention would be a goood thing.

Petition against Khadr family getting benefits/retaining citizenship.

Anyone write about the (Palestinian) Hungarian dentist yet? Linky here.

Busy morning. Hope everyone had a nice Easter/Pesach/weekend.

I missed the whole thread.
Has Arafat declared "Palestinian Children's Month" yet?
Opened a nursing home/animal shelter/neonatal unit in his compound next to his bunker office?

My one question is why is he still breathing.

If upi confirmed it I tend to believe it. Now that it is on the wire it will be picked up. Amazing.

Now we need to send a message back.

186 Frank IBC:

Are you suggesting that if it isn't reported on ABC/NBC/CBS/CNN/AP, it doesn't exist?

These organizations try to promote a "consensus reality" that busy news consumers will accept and not question. It is amazing when you hear it regurgitated.

At Easter Brunch, my aunt and uncle started in with "can you believe what is happening in Iraq?, what a mess!", right on cue. At the press conference last night there were a lot of references to "now that your poll numbers on the Iraq war are sliding..." or "given that the people think Iraq is a mess..."

Run that through the truth meter and you get:

"our relentless barrage of biased, factually distorted and defeatist news coverage, and carefully engineered poll questions following in its wake have apparently damaged the credibilty of your war effort. How ya like me now, biyotch!"

He did fine. The story behind the story is that the bad guys made a big power play and got heartily smacked, and now we are in a better posture.

However, the semi-covert media organs of the DNC posing as media are in the unfortunate position of having root for things to go badly in the war and with the economy, so they can get their boy in office.

Can't we poison this guy? I mean perhaps lace his baby wipes with a highly toxic poison that could kill him in 24 hours and leave no trace. The guy is in his seventies after all. People that age die suddenly.

BIG, #190

Yeah, I thought the dateline was strange, too. I did find it, though, during a search on Google News using "Arafat Approved Convoy."

Kragar #176, "Arafat: US Assurances to Israel will End Peace Process."

Yeah, I thought that was ridiculous, too. Because obviously he was funding all those bus bombings on Israeli children to FURTHER the peace process.

Oh, and all those incendiary speeches about flowers and cubs and children of rocks redeeming Jerusalem with their blood, and delighting Allah with mass murders - and no compromise, etc. - all that was also to further the peace process.

In fact, we've all been totally confused: the entire Intifada, and Arafat's al-Aksa Martyr's Brigade, AND his coddling of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, were all OVERTURES OF PEACE.

How could we have misunderstood him so?

Further to #169...

Proof (as if more was needed) that al-Reuters is simply an assembly line for Arab propaganda, here is an "article" by a different writer which regurgitates verbatim, the veiled threat suggestion of violence appearing in Heller's "article".

Any perceived U.S. endorsement of a cementing of Israel's hold on land Palestinians want for a state would inflame the Arab world and further complicate efforts to stabilize Iraq, where U.S. forces are under daily attack from Muslim fighters.

#186

Not at all. MENL is being pretty bold with the assertion that the US has determined Arafat authorized the attack. If this were true don't you think, even a little bit, that this would be big news? Something worthy of more exposure than MENL? What advantage does the US gain in leaking this to MENL over a US organization? That's why I think the vagueness of details is suspicious.

debka news is saying that if sharon gets nothing from Bush, they will court Kerry. Bush could possibly get the Jewish vote if he gives Israel something--like a consolidation of the big settlements, prosecution of those (arafat) behind the killing of the us reps. in gaza.

If true, kill the ugly fish

We should tread lightly on "eggshell Arafat". We wouldn't want to "upset" the peace process.

/kill the bas-tid

Find the tunnel under the "fish's" current tank, pour in 50 gallons of oil, put a charge in and collapse Ramallah (sp) in on the effing b@$+@rd, torching what's left so they can't parade his parts through the streets.

#202 squeak51

Any method that ensures that there is nothing left of the Fish to bury in the Temple Mount is OK with me.

If this checks out Arafat should be targeted with a JDAM, ASAP!