Great powerful prosperous socialist rock inscriptions

Look at it this way: Nobody will get burnt trying to protect slogans carved in rock:

Monumental words are inscribed in the famous mountains of Korea to hand down the greatness and immortal feats of the Three Commanders of Mt. Paektu.

Incised on a natural rock of Sangwondong in Mt. Myohyang is a famous poem "Mt. Myohyang on an Autumn Day". The poem was recited by President Kim Il Sung on October 15, Juche 68 (1979) when he visited the International Friendship Exhibition House. It instills national pride into the minds of the army and people of the DPRK.

There are natural rocks of Mt. Myohyang on which the words "Iron-willed Brilliant Commander Kim Jong Il" and "Brilliant Commander of Songun General Kim Jong Il, February 16, Juche 96" are carved.

Extra-large sized words reading "Illustrious Commander General Kim Jong Il, February 16, Juche 91" are inscribed on a natural rock of Pari Peak in the Sujong Peak area of Mt. Kumgang.

Each letter of his august name is 34 meters in height, 25 meters in width and 1.5 meters in depth.

Seen in the mountain are natural rocks with such words as "Anti-Japanese Heroine Kim Jong Suk" and "Long Live the Great Songun Politics! December 24, Juche 89".

Natural rocks in Mt. Suyang in Haeju City of South Hwanghae Province are inscribed with the streamer "The Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung Will Always Be with Us. October 10, Juche 87", flanked by immortal revolutionary hymn "Song of General Kim Il Sung", and with words "Illustrious Commander General Kim Jong Il Inscribed on October 8, Juche 88" and "Long Live the Great Songun Politics! April 25, Juche 91".

Engraved on rocks in Mt. Kuwol, in Phyongji-ri of Maengsan County, South Phyongan Province and Pansok-ri of Cholwon County, Kangwon Province are words lauding Kim Jong Il as a legendary hero, peerlessly brilliant commander and the sun of the 21st century.

The words incised on natural rocks of famous mountains are the precious ideological and cultural treasures reflecting the unstinted praise of the army and people of Korea for the greatness and revolutionary exploits of the great men and woman of Mt. Paektu.

Such a rich culture!

"Solidarity with Korean People Expressed by Arabians"

Is the old ACSKPSRKJ one of Jordan's more prominent organizations?

The Arab Committee for Solidarity with the Korean People and Supporting the Reunification of Korea in Jordan issued a statement on Mar. 23 to mark the 15th anniversary of its formation.

The statement extended firm solidarity to all the Korean people in their struggle to put an end to the United States' political and military domination and rule over south Korea and reunify the country under the banner of the Juche idea.

It expressed the will to strive to strengthen the friendship and solidarity between the Arabian people and the Korean people in politics, culture and all other fields and deepen the mutual understanding by developing information services and humanitarian work.

President Kim Il Sung is the great leader of the world revolution and Kim Jong Il is the prominent leader who has developed and enriched the Juche idea founded by the President and is carrying forward to completion his cause while guiding the human cause of independence to victory, the statement stressed.

It affirmed that the Arabian people would always stand by the peerlessly great persons and regard the Juche idea as the steadfast guideline for their activities.

Somebody has to, I guess.

"Egypt . . . has been the foremost obstacle to the rush to normalisation with the Hebrew state"

In this Al-Ahram piece the author answers "six common accusations levelled at the peace treaty" with Israel, essentially laying to rest fears that the peace treaty led to any meaningful peace. Here are his answers to the last two accusations:

[...] According to the fifth charge, the peace agreement embodied a style of managing the conflict with Israel that conflicted with the duty of armed resistance. Now, the fact is that the proponents of peace and negotiations -- Egypt above all -- have never rejected the right to resist foreign aggression and occupation. From the purely historical standpoint, Egypt was not only the party that sacrificed most in the struggle against Israel, it was also the one that inflicted the greatest damage upon Israel. In the history of Arab resistance against Israel, whether by means of war, popular uprising, suicide bombings or terrorist acts, Israel sustained no losses as extensive as those incurred in the 1973 War or in any of its wars with Egypt before that. The issue, here, should not be resistance versus settlement, but rather how to best wield the arts of diplomacy, war, politics and propaganda towards the realisation of a specific aim, which is the liberation of occupied Arab territory. It has been proven without a shadow of a doubt that the Egyptian course of negotiation leading to a peace treaty was the most successful in this regard. More importantly, while Egypt has been freed from the shame of foreign occupation, the proponents of the other course remain without negotiations, without a settlement and, indeed, without resistance.

The last charge against the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty that I would like to address here is that which maintains that it turned Egypt into a US dependency. The contention could only come from someone who is not quite mentally stable, or that has never read history, or that does not know the true nature of Egypt, the Egyptian people and the Egyptian government. Clearly, no rational person would fail to take the world's sole superpower into account. But all that country's economic and political clout has not prevented Egypt from casting its vote contrary to that of the US in 83 per cent of issues that came to a vote in the UN (compare this to Israel's record of voting with the US in 87 per cent of the cases). History is full of instances of Egypt's ability to stand firm in the face of US demands. Cairo refused to cooperate with the American attack against Libya in the 1980s and it refused to exert pressure on the Palestinians during the negotiations that took place in the 1990s. Indeed, Egypt, which signed a peace agreement with Israel, has been the foremost obstacle to the rush to normalisation with the Hebrew state, keeping normalisation as a major card in the negotiating process between the Arabs and Israel, in perpetual defiance of Washington's wishes. Nor is it a secret that all the "advice" given by Washington regarding domestic change was not heeded. In fact, those who hold that Egypt is a US dependency would do well to study the entire chapter of the past eight years when Cairo was at constant loggerheads with the Bush administration. Moreover, even then Egypt remained the largest recipient of arms and money from Washington apart from Israel. This was the product of wisdom and skill, which would be useful topics for further discussion on another occasion.

That spells it out, doesn't it?

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Al-Ahram article blames Arab troubles on "demagoguery and totalitarianism"

The article even cites Holocaust-denial as an example. This is a refreshing change:

[...] In the cases of Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine, the process of militarisation permeates society from the political elites through the primary sectarian and ethnic bonds, with which it has become so interwoven as to create states within states, like cancerous cells poised to consume the whole. Can one credibly speak of a public sphere with a growing faith in human rights and an increasing willingness to embrace a culture of mutual acceptance and democracy at a time when political reality in the Arab world is best encapsulated in the image of the gun or the noose? The concept of citizenship has been voided of all true substance and the word has become the clichéd common currency of authoritarian elites and religious and sectarian cliques that have no esteem whatsoever for the humanity of the individual and the right to life. Can one really generalise about Arab culture's growing openness to democracy under such circumstances? [...]

The demagogic outlook has little patience for political and social subtleties, and it will readily sweep them aside in the name of ideological formulations, whether secular or religious. For example, following the wave of electoral victories of religious parties and forces many Arab leftists, Arab nationalists and even liberals shrugged off the phenomenon. With no small degree of oversimplification, they chalked it up variously to "a false mass consciousness", a transitory phase, or evidence of the political apathy of the "secular majority" which left the field open to well-mobilised Islamist forces. The anti-democratic demagogic bent here resides in the readiness to divorce facts from their social substance and bend them to ideas that suit the convictions of the speaker. The demagogic approach to history is evidenced in the crude handling of the Jewish Holocaust in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. The ongoing denial on the part of Arab intellectuals and opinion makers with religious leanings of the universally recognised and thoroughly documented horrific acts of genocide and crimes against humanity is a revolting example of a totalitarian interpretation of past events that flies in the face of the spirit of human rights. Indeed, we continue to see the same anti-humanitarian demagoguery in much of the discussion revolving around the crimes against humanity perpetrated in Darfur. [...]

Read the rest, as they say.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

IRIB Radio: "Zionists Plot to Assassinate Erdogan"

Foiled!

Turkish media sources have reported that the Israeli spying (intelligence) agency, Mossad is implicated in a plot to assassinate Turkey's Prime Minister, Rajab Tayyeb Erdogan. According to Press TV, an e-mail found on a personal computer belonging to one of the members of an underground group, Ergenekon, exposed Mossad's role in the failed assassination efforts against Erdogan.

The organization has been accused of orchestrating a coup plot against the current Turkish administration.

The indictment list tabled by Turkey's prosecutor general against the organization says that an Israeli journalist had sent the e-mail to a number of Ergenekon figures to inform them of Israeli readiness to assassinate the Turkish premier.

Turkish sources have indicated that Turkish Labor Party head, Dugo Prinitchek, is suspected of leading the secret organization.

The e-mail explained that the Mossad would wait for a green light from Dugo to carry on with the assassination plans.

Tensions between the Zionist regime of Israel and Turkey emerged in late January, when Erdogan stormed out of a Davos forum after a heated debate with Israeli President Shimon Peres on Israel's military aggression against Gaza.

Erdogan had told Peres at the Forum, "When it comes to killing, you know very well how to kill," adding: "I know very well how you hit and killed children on beaches,"

Nobody talks to Peres like that and lives!

The criticism was leveled at the Israeli martyring of over 1,350 Gazans amid a crippling 20-month blockade on the densely-populated Palestinian territory. [...]

Most of those Gazans were trying to bring martyrdom to Israelis.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

"Hezbollah MP: Zionist too weak to attack Lebanon"

Is that an improper fraction?

Head of Hezbollah fraction in Lebanon parliament, Mohammad Raad, said on Saturday that the Zionist enemy was too weak to launch any attack against Lebanon.

Addressing a ceremony south of Lebanon, Raad added in the case of any aggression, Israel would pay heavy cost.

Enemy's threats had no effect on our goals, he said adding Hezbollah was carefully watching enemy's movements.

Raad described resistance as a power which create balance and ensure security in the region adding Resistance Movement prevents enemy form imposing its conditions.

Lunch with Joe and Barack

Obama is an in-charge kinda guy:

When President Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. meet for their standing Friday lunch engagement, Mr. Obama always picks the cuisine — a subtle break from previous administrations in which the president and the vice president typically ordered off a menu, and a reminder, if any was needed, about who is in charge.

"The dietary bar is set by the president," said Ron Klain, Mr. Biden’s chief of staff, who recently fielded a prelunch query from the White House kitchen about whether Mr. Biden wanted sour cream with his tacos (he did). "Biden eats anything. He’s a pretty easy guy that way." [...]

That was the most substantive part of the article for me. (h/t: memeorandum)

Kim shows more enthusiasm for Coal Miners

Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il has been giving invaluable Songun field-guidance, as usual. He did this at the "Anju Area Coal Mining Complex" and said the following:

He expressed expectation and conviction that the colliers of Anju would dash like the wind in the van of the drive for bringing about a new great revolutionary surge, keeping pace with the steel producers of Kangson, and thus exalt their honor of being builders of a great prosperous and powerful nation and perform exploits in the drive.

He also visited the "Kusong Machine-Tool Plant," where it was reported:

He expressed expectation and conviction that the workers of the plant would set a clear long-term goal to bring the machine-building industry to a higher stage and wage a strenuous drive to hit the goal and thus creditably perform their honorable mission as pioneers and vanguard in the scientific and technological development.

Is it just me, or is that a relatively lackluster "expectation and conviction" compared to the one the coal miners got? Anyway, the latest Haveil Havalim will dash like the wind in the van of the drive for bringing about a new great revolutionary surge.

Why some Jews should take it easy on the le'chaims?

Know anyone whose face turns red after drinking alcohol? According to one source, "Although most prominent in Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans, some people of Jewish descent reveal high levels of acetaldehyde and might experience the alcohol flush reaction as well." Now it appears that this condition is associated with a cancer risk.

People whose faces turn red when they drink alcohol may be facing more than embarrassment. The flushing may indicate an increased risk for a deadly throat cancer, researchers report.

The flushing response, which may be accompanied by nausea and a rapid heartbeat, is caused mainly by an inherited deficiency in an enzyme called ALDH2, a trait shared by more than a third of people of East Asian ancestry — Japanese, Chinese or Koreans. As little as half a bottle of beer can trigger the reaction.

The deficiency results in problems in metabolizing alcohol, leading to an accumulation in the body of a toxin called acetaldehyde. People with two copies of the gene responsible have such unpleasant reactions that they are unable to consume large amounts of alcohol. This aversion actually protects them against the increased risk for cancer. [...]

The malignancy, called squamous cell esophageal cancer, is also caused by smoking and can be treated with surgery, but survival rates are very low. Even moderate drinking increases the risk, but it rises sharply with heavier consumption. An ALDH2-deficient person who has two beers a day has six to 10 times the risk of developing esophageal cancer as a person not deficient in the enzyme.

Reducing drinking can significantly reduce the incidence of this cancer among Asian adults. The researchers calculate that if moderate- or heavy-drinking ALDH2-deficient Japanese men reduced their consumption to under 16 drinks a week, 53 percent of esophageal squamous cell cancers in that group could be prevented. [...]

Sounds like you're safe if you only drink to make kiddush, drink four cups at the seder, etc., but it's something to think about.

Fatwa tries to protect Al-Bashir

Not much separation of Mosque and state in Sudan, is there? From Paltoday:

Sudan's highest religious authority has issued a fatwa or ruling that President Omar al-Beshir, targeted by an international arrest warrant, should not attend an Arab summit in Qatar.

The fatwa, issued by the Committee of Muslim Scholars, said that despite Khartoum's insistence that Beshir would go to the March 29-30 Doha summit, he should not attend because "the enemies of the nation are creeping around."

"It is inadmissible for the president of the republic to take part in the Arab League summit in Qatar under current conditions while the enemies of God and of the nation are creeping around," local media quoted the text as saying.

The International Criminal Court on March 4 issued an arrest warrant against Beshir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur and there has been speculation about his possible arrest if he leaves Sudan.

"Because you are the symbol and the guardian of the nation... we think that the conditions are not right (to attend the summit) and that this task can be carried out by persons other than yourself," the fatwa said. [...]

"Iran, Syria say future belongs to freedom loving, resistant nations"

Things are looking up!

he Iranian and Syrian presidents said Thursday that future will be in favor of the freedom loving and resistant nations regarding the Zionist regime’s growing weaknesses.
In a phone conversation, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad said the ongoing events are in favor of regional nations.

They said the current capacities and opportunities should be well and prudently used.

President Ahmadinejad said enemies are getting weaker and weaker under God’s grace.

"The strong camp of the friendly countries like Iran and Syria is going to be triumphant," said the Iranian president.

Syrian President Assad for his part said Iran and Syria lie in a single bastion.

"Regional conditions are in favor of the Muslim states and against the Zionist regime and its allies," he added.

I hear Sudan is quite freedom-loving also.

Tree, stone pen editorials

Hard to tell these two apart. (h/t: discarded lies)

PCHR discovers Izzadin al Qassam Civilians Brigade

EOZ currently has an excellent post comparing IDF and PCHR claims about Gaza casualties. The specific identities of many of the genocide-ees are known and PCHR wants to classify Hamas "policeman," for instance, as civilians. An LA Times article from January, which was actually quite upbeat about the role of Hamas policemen ("We have to keep our people's lives safe," exclaims Officer Mohammed Abo Hwaishel), included the following two paragraphs:

Hamas, the militant group that has controlled Gaza since mid-2007, has an estimated 20,000-strong security force composed of police; Protection and Security, a unit similar to the U.S. Secret Service; and Internal Security, an intelligence and interrogation squad with a rising reputation for brutality.

Many security force members moonlight with the Izzidin al-Qassam Brigade, Hamas' military wing, which continues to launch dozens of rockets and mortar shells each day at southern Israeli towns.

Iran really impressed by itself

Heartwarming:

Secretary of Guardian Council Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati has considered elections in Iran as the healthiest vote across the globe. According to IRNA, speaking on Tuesday, Ayatollah Jannati referred to 10th presidential election, due on June 2009, and added that it has been proved within the past thirty years that elections in Iran are the healthiest across the world.

Ayatollah Jannati further considered 10th presidential election as one of the most sensitive votes, while emphasizing on the important role played by Guardian Council for maintenance of a healthy election.

"the dirty hands of criminal Zionists targeted leaders of Palestinian groups"

A predictable response to the assassination of "the PLO's number two in Lebanon." From IRNA, Iran's most official agency:

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hassan Qashqavi condemned the assassination of a top Fatah official, terming it as a suspicious and blind terrorist act.

Outlining the opportunistic nature of the Zionist regime which is always after highlighting differences, he said the dirty hands of criminal Zionists targeted leaders of Palestinian groups exactly at a time when all Palestinian groups are adhering to the strategy of unity among themselves and were focusing on the initial ideals of the nation.

Condemning the assassination of the Fatah deputy Kemal Medhat, he stressed the need for all Palestinian groups to maintain their vigilance.

The foreign ministry official also hoped that Palestinian leaders would focus efforts on the ways of safeguarding the achievements attained so far due to brave resistance of the nation.

A bomb killed Medhat, in the Palestinian Fatah faction and four other people in southern Lebanon on Monday.

Meanwhile, according to the Daily Star:

Lebanese newspapers on Tuesday described the assassination as a settling of scores between rival Palestinian factions.

"Mieh Mieh: a fratricide?" said the French language L'Orient-Le Jour newspaper.

The As-Safir newspaper echoed the view. "Although all Palestinian factions were quick to denounce the crime and blame Israel and its agents, security officials believe that Medhat was killed in a settling of scores," it said.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

MPAC-UK: "Zionists Force Government To Attack Muslim Council of Britain over Gaza"

Just thought you might enjoy the title. The post itself is just the text of the Guardian story.

IRIB: "Egyptian consider 'Israel' as old enemy"

There's a lesson here somewhere:

Egyptian people consider the Zionist regime as their old enemy despite the pass of 30 years from the date of signinig of the Camp David peace agreement between Egypt and 'Israel'.

Egypt and the Zionist regime signed the agreement in 1979 while the Egyptian people regarded the regime as their enemy.

They regularly put the Israeli flag on fire and shout slogans such as death to Israel, al-Jazeera reported on Tuesday.

"Despite the agreement signed 30 years ago, the prominant leaders in Egypt shout against Israel and call for the Egyptian government to cut its diplomatic ties with the regime," al-Jazeera correspondant Lina al-Ghadban reported in Egypt. [...]

Yemen Times: "Jihad is a duty, not terrorism"

According to this, "the enemy succeeded to erase the very word of jihad from the Islamic dictionary, burying its corpse in a deep grave." Can't have that:

Massacres are being committed in different parts of Arab world amidst the complete silence and quiet absence of the brotherly soul of the Arab people. In the past, the enemies of Islam realized that their aims could not be fulfilled via military force because the Arab people have a strong faith in their religion that makes them sacrifice themselves for its defense. That is to say, events and life experiences made the enemies of Muslims realize that it is impossible to defeat those Muslims who have strong faith in the idea of the jihad.

Hence, the enemies of Islam sent missionaries to Arab world in order to kill the idea of the jihad inside every Muslim mind. Those missionaries had already tried to use their various weapons to change the beliefs of Muslims and kill the soul of jihad. In the past they failed to affect the conception of jihad among Muslims or force them to forget their duties toward their brothers. These days however, it seems that the enemy achieves whatever he failed to do in the past.

Under the umbrella of terrorism, the enemy succeeded to erase the very word of jihad from the Islamic dictionary, burying its corpse in a deep grave. If any Muslim who possesses the soul of jihad tries to take revenge on those who kill innocent children and elderly people, he will be accused of being a terrorist who disturbs the safety and stability of the world. Consequently, America and Israel are seizing this opportunity to accomplish their colonial aims by destroying the Islamic cities and by killing Muslims in different parts of the Arab world.

To prove this point, let us look at what is happening in Iraq and Palestine. Under the umbrella of emancipating the Iraqi people from Saddam’s dictatorial regime, the United States of America destroyed the great country of Iraq, killing its heroes, raping its virgin girls, absorbing its valuable wealth, and slaughtering its faithful leaders in the process. Likewise, Israel accused the poor people of Gaza of being terrorists who disturb the stability of both Israelis and Palestinians, ignoring the fact that it is the Israelis who are the savage criminals who spread corruption in Arabic Palestine. The Israelis killed innocent children and elderly people, burned the beautiful plants, and destroyed the sacred places in the virgin land of Palestine.

Perhaps most importantly, the Arab leaders who claim that they represent their people accused those mujahedeen fighters who defend their people and their land as aggressive jihadists. Thus they are participating with the enemies of Islam in changing the concept of jihad into another concept called ‘terrorism.’ This is why the Arab leaders looked silently at the savage massacres committed by Israel against our brothers in the Gaza strip.

Moreover, America and its daughter Israel describe the fighters of the Hamas movement who resist the invaders as being a terrorist group. Here is a question that poses itself to these aggressive countries: is the one who defends his homeland, fights the invaders, and protects his people a terrorist? That most certainly is not true. All the cultures of the world see that defending one’s homeland and fiercely fighting invaders is a duty on the shoulders of all people residing in the invaded land.

America and Israel claim that Hamas fighters are the real terrorists who are disturbing the stability of Israel, neglecting the fact that Israelis, represented by their cruel officials, are the real terrorists. They are the ones who killed the innocent children and slaughtered the elderly people, throwing all Security Council and United Nations resolutions to the wind. The real picture of Israel must be shown in an obvious fashion to all people all over the world. Israelis are the real terrorists who assault humanity and violate international laws. The unjust Israeli war against Gaza is a clear example of this cruel and savage country that disturbed the international stability and aroused chaos and horror in the world.

Dear readers, we ought to pay attention to the devilish aims of our enemy who desires to delete the duty of jihad from the Islamic dictionary. In this situation in which the enemy of Islam makes a lot of Muslims unable to distinguish between jihad and terrorism, we should consult our holy book, the Quran. God in the Holy Quran makes jihad a duty on the shoulders of every Muslim who is able to fight. Therefore, we should be rational and support the flag of jihad wherever we find it.

So go blow yourself up at a funeral today.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

"New Book on Songun Revolution of Kim Jong Il Off Press"

Great news! No library is going to be complete without this one:

The book "History of Songun Revolution of Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il" newly compiled by the History Institute of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was brought out by the Social Science Publishing House.

The book has six chapters and 39 sections.

The first chapter tells the story that General Secretary Kim Jong Il was born in the most stirring period of the Korean revolution and grew up to be an outstanding leader of the Songun revolution in the great revolutionary practice from February of Juche 31 (1942) to August of Juche 49 (1960).

The second and third chapters of the book deal with the facts that Kim Jong Il actively promoted the Songun revolutionary cause of President Kim Il Sung, tightly holding the baton of the Songun revolution in the historic period from August of Juche 49 (1960) to June of Juche 71 (1982).

The fourth chapter tells the story that Kim Jong Il further developed the Songun politics in depth, firmly defended Korean-style socialism with the invincible military power and gave full play to its advantages and vitality from June of Juche 71 (1982) to December of Juche 83 (1994).

The fifth chapter deals with facts that he enforced the Songun politics in all fields, thus overcoming grave difficulties facing the Korean revolution and further glorifying the new era of the Juche revolution and Songun era in the historic period from January of Juche 84 (1995) to December of Juche 87 (1998).

The sixth chapter covers the period from January of Juche 88 (1999) to the recent days during which he energetically pushed forward the cause of building a great prosperous and powerful socialist nation through the general advance of the Songun revolution.

If you need even more reading matter, the latest Haveil Havalim (and also KCC) energetically pushes forward the cause of buiding a great prosperous and powerful blog carnival.

MJ Rosenberg's "genius post"

According to Mondoweiss, "MJ Rosenberg has a genius post about Israeli President Shimon Peres sending his New Year's greeting to Iran right on the heels of Obama's greeting to Iran." Rosenberg asks:

Did [Israel] respond with a hasty and insulting message in order to kill the effect of President Obama's? If so, it was a serious breach. If the shoe was on the other foot, Jerusalem would go ballistic.

Some reporter needs to develop a tick-tock on this one. We need to know what happened. If it was an innocent coincidence, fine. If it wasn't, it bodes ill for any US attempt to mend relations with Iran (and prevent an Iranian bomb diplomatically rather than by attempting and failing through military means).

That's an interesting display of naive faith in Obama's ability to leap Iranian intransigence in a single conciliatory bound unless he's thwarted by Israeli kryptonite. And the attitude towards Iran is totally condescending. There is no sense at all of Iran as a country with its own agenda and interests. Iran is staking quite a bit on its nuclear program. It isn't just some momentary whim that is going to evaporate at the first sign of a U.S. change in tone. Iran has defined itself for decades by its anti-Americanism and it is reaffirming it now. They aren't going to change everything they stand for any time soon. The only thing that could conceivably open the door for diplomacy to accomplish something would be a convincing demonstration of willingness to use force if it doesn't. See here also. (h/t: memeorandum)

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

"Lee Myung Bak Group's 'Human Rights' Racket against DPRK Flayed"

This keeps talking about a "human rights racket" as something one "kicks up." Then it becomes a "human rights ruckus." It's funny. There is a whole vocabulary of English words and phrases used for just about nothing else except Communist vituperation.

A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea issued a statement on Friday denouncing the Lee Myung Bak group for more frantically kicking up a base "human rights" racket against the DPRK these days.

Citing facts to prove the ever-noisier anti-DPRK "human rights" racket kicked up by the Lee group of traitors, the statement branded it as a grave provocation to the DPRK and a treacherous act of driving the inter-Korean relations to such dangerous phase that a war may break out any moment.

It went on:

There can be no "human rights" issue in the DPRK in the light of the nature of its socialist system or its mission and aim as it is the most dignified socialist system centered on the popular masses which was chosen by the Korean people themselves and is being protected by them as their faith.

There is the human rights issue in south Korea where even the people's elementary right to existence, to say nothing of their political right, is being ruthlessly violated.

The Lee group dare not utter even a word about its U.S. master who is threatening the lives and security of south Koreans, lording it over south Korea. Nevertheless, the group is vociferating about the "human rights" issue in the north. This is, indeed, a shameless and ridiculous act.

The Lee group had better mind its own business before making much ado about nothing, while peddling the "human rights" issue of someone.

There can be neither dialogue nor the normalization of the inter-Korean relations as long as the Lee group kicks up the "human rights" ruckus against the DPRK.

The Lee group had better know that the above-said racket will get it nowhere and will only precipitate its destruction.

At the March for Hizbullah

Wash away my trouble, wash away my pain
With the “rain” of Hizbullah
Wash away my sorrow, bomb away my shame
With the “rain” of Hizbullah

Ah, ooh ooh oo oo ooh ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ah, ooh ooh oo oo ooh ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Everyone’s progressive, everyone is kind
We're on the march for Hizbullah
Everyone is speakin’ so much truth to power
On the march for Hizbullah

Ah, ooh ooh oo oo ooh ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ah, ooh ooh oo oo ooh ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

How is your pipeline for the funds of Hizbullah?
How is your pipeline for the funds of Hizbullah?

I can tell my sister by the niqab on her face
She's on the march for Hizbullah
I can tell my brother by his Che Guevara shirt
He's on the march for Hizbullah

Ah, ooh ooh oo oo ooh ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ah, ooh ooh oo oo ooh ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

(Tell me) How is your pipeline for the funds of Hizbullah?
(Tell me) How is your pipeline for the funds of Hizbullah?

Ah, ooh ooh oo oo ooh ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ah, ooh ooh oo oo ooh ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ah, ooh ooh oo oo ooh ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ah, ooh ooh oo oo ooh ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ah, ooh ooh oo oo ooh ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ah, ooh ooh oo oo ooh ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yea

(North) Korean News: "Punishment of War Maniacs by Arms Urged"

More hysteria suggesting that war is about to break out at any minute. It would be a bit alarming if the writing at Korean News was not so cartoonish anyway:

The United States and the south Korean puppet war-like forces are staging the madcap war exercises across south Korea to mount a surprise preemptive attack on the DPRK from land, air and seas.

Citing data to disclose such attempts, Minju Joson Wednesday in a signed commentary stresses that the war maniacs, the aggressors, should be punished with arms, not with words.

The ongoing joint military exercises of the U.S. are, in essence, little short of instigating the south Korean puppets to ignite a war of aggression on the DPRK through preemptive attack without worrying about full support from the U.S. in "contingency," the commentary points out, and says:

What is more intolerable is that the U.S. has talked nonsense that the DPRK is "excessively reacting" to the exercises and that it should "restrain" itself.

The historical facts show that there has been no use advising or warning the U.S. and its followers to drop their reckless hostile policy towards the DPRK, though it had done so frequently that they could understand.

The U.S. imperialists' moves for a war of aggression should be countered with merciless and resolute just war for reunification. This is the truth and lesson the DPRK drew from its anti-U.S. confrontation struggle of decades.

The arms of the DPRK built up with the inexhaustible mental power of the strong revolutionary armed forces of Mt. Paektu and Songun do not show mercy.

If the enemies intrude into the inviolable territory of the DPRK even 0.001mm, its army and people would wage the most powerful and scathing, anti-U.S. sacred war, the war for reunification to root out the sources of war and successfully accomplish the historic cause of national reunification, the cherished desire of the Koreans.

"Jewish Canadians": Criticism of Israeli Apartheid Week like McCarthyism!

Daily Muslims is undoubtedly delighted to print this:

Statement: Jewish Canadians Concerned about Suppression of Criticism of Israel

We are Jewish Canadians concerned about all expressions of racism, anti-Semitism, and social injustice. We believe that the Holocaust legacy "Never again" means never again for all peoples. It is a tragic turn of history that the State of Israel, with its ideals of democracy and its dream of being a safe haven for Jewish people, causes immeasurable suffering and injustice to the Palestinian people.

We are appalled by recent attempts of prominent Jewish organizations and leading Canadian politicians to silence protest against the State of Israel. We are alarmed by the escalation of fear tactics. Charges that those organizing Israel Apartheid Week or supporting an academic boycott of Israel are anti-Semites promoting hatred bring the anti-Communist terror of the 1950s vividly to mind. We believe this serves to deflect attention from Israel's flagrant violations of international humanitarian law.

B'nai Brith and the Canadian Jewish Congress have pressured university presidents and administrations to silence debate and discussion specifically regarding Palestine/Israel. In a full-page ad in a national newspaper, B'nai Brith urged donors to withhold funds from universities because "anti-Semitic hate fests" were being allowed on campuses. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff have echoed these arguments. While university administrators have resisted demands to shut down Israel Apartheid week, some Ontario university presidents have bowed to this disinformation campaign by suspending and fining students, confiscating posters, and infringing on free speech.

We do not believe that Israel acts in self-defense. Israel is the largest recipient of US foreign aid, receiving $3 million/day. It has the fourth strongest army in the world. Before the invasion of Gaza on 27 December 2008, Israel's siege had already created a humanitarian catastrophe there, with severe impoverishment, malnutrition, and destroyed infrastructure. It is crucial that forums for discussion of Israel's accountability to the international community for what many have called war crimes be allowed to proceed unrestricted by specious claims of anti-Semitism.

The claim that Israel has the "Fourth strongest army" is an urban legend, more often worded as the "fourth largest army." They should call themselves "Concerned Jewish Canadians who get all their Information from Yvonne Ridley."

We recognize that anti-Semitism is a reality in Canada as elsewhere, and we are fully committed to resisting any act of hatred against Jews. At the same time, we condemn false charges of anti-Semitism against student organizations, unions, and other groups and people exercising their democratic right to freedom of speech and association regarding legitimate criticism of the State of Israel.

And we uphold the right of all people to lie about the size of Israel's army.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Juan counsels "end run," blogger dismantled

Juan Cole is currently worrying that Khatami's withdrawal from the Iranian elections will "Spoil Obama's Iran Plans." There's hope (and change also), however:

Obama may make and end run around the uncertainties of the presidential election by writing directly to the supreme theocrat, Ali Khamenei, to whom Ahmadinejad reports. I think this move would be brilliant and would immediately give the Americans the upper hand in follow-up governmental contacts.

In the meantime, the Iranian press is happily reporting the latest crackdown on dissent:

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has dismantled specific internet networks and websites that were planning a soft coup in the country.

In a statement released on Wednesday night, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said its intelligence forces had identified and dismantled several internet networks.

They announced the networks had been involved in organized cyberspace offences which targeted the 'security and culture' of Iranian society.

The IRGC said the networks were set up and funded by intelligence services of foreign countries to create an anti-revolutionary wave in a bid to plan a soft coup in Iran, the Islamic republic news agency reported.

According to the statement, the key members of the networks identified active individuals, provided them with financial incentives and technical in a bid to channel their talent into counterproductive activities.

The networks were also involved in projects aimed at desecrating religious beliefs, insulting the Holy Quran and spreading anti-religious attitudes.

The ringleaders of the networks, some of whom live abroad, were also arrested by the IRGC.

One blogger was dismantled to death.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

" . . . to complete the huge technological updating of the complex in a brief span of time, he personally unraveled knotty problems on the spot"

You can just picture him saying "what is most important for rapidly increasing the motor production is to put the modernization and scientification of the complex on a high level." And then they all clap as furiously as their undernourished songun hands can manage--what a scene!

General Secretary Kim Jong Il gave on-the-spot guidance to the Sungri Motor Complex.

He first went round the monument to the on-the-spot guidance given by President Kim Il Sung standing in the compound of the complex and historical buildings.

Kim Il Sung visited the complex 14 times since the historic day he chose the site of the complex on October 20, 1950, foreseeing the future of the triumphant country. He clearly indicated the road to be followed by the complex and worked heart and soul for the development of the motor industry.

A new history of the motor industry began in the country and a powerful motor production base appeared at the foot of Mt. Sungri thanks to the clairvoyant wisdom and wise leadership of the President, he said, adding that the undying revolutionary exploits of the President will shine long in the history of the country.

He highly appreciated the feats performed by the complex, saying that its workers have produced a large number of trucks over the past more than half century since 1958 when they produced the first truck, thus making a great contribution to the economic development of the country.

Then he looked round newly made trucks and different places of the complex to acquaint himself in detail with the production, management and operation of the complex.

He set the goals to be attained by the complex and tasks and ways to do so.

He stressed that what is most important for rapidly increasing the motor production is to put the modernization and scientification of the complex on a high level.

He also emphasized that in order to put the complex on a modern and scientific basis it is necessary to effectively carry out the technological updating of the main processes according to a carefully worked out operation, to begin with, and the domains related to the complex should produce necessary equipment and supply them to it in time.

Underscoring the need to boost the state support to the complex so as to complete the huge technological updating of the complex in a brief span of time, he personally unraveled knotty problems on the spot.

Familiarizing himself with the brisk work to spruce up the complex, he called on the workers high in the level of revolutionary spirit and organization to take the lead in the cultured practices in production and life, too.

He said that in order to give full play to the revolutionary enthusiasm of the workers leading officials of the complex should meticulously conduct the organizational and political work and minutely organize economic affairs and pay deep attention to the supply service for the employees.

He noted that all the party members and other working people of the complex can creditably fulfill the tasks set forth this time if they work in the same spirit as displayed by them in the 1970s when they attained the goal of 10,000 trucks. [...]

You don't suppose that my blogging is displaying the might of single-minded unity a bit too much lately, do you?

Songun Pizza

Pizza is delicious, my favorite food in town
So I went into the Pizza store, my favorite one in town.
I went up to the counter and said "One Pizza, Please,"
He said, here is your "fleet steed for a great revolutionary surge provided in the crucible of the Songun drive and the indomitable mental power of all servicepersons"--with lots of extra cheese

--Beloved Imperialist Cultural Character Moishy

According to the Telegraph:

It has taken almost 10 years of work, but North Korea has acquired the technology to launch a project very dear to its leader's heart - the nation's first "authentic" Italian pizzeria.

The launch of Pyongyang's first Italian restaurant meanwhile brings to fruition a ten-year effort by Kim Jong-il - a renowned gourmand and lover of western food - to create the perfect pizza and pasta in his homeland.

Last year a delegation of local chefs was sent by Kim to Naples and Rome to learn the proper Italian techniques after their homegrown efforts to mimic Italian cuisine were found by Kim to contain "errors." [...]

Funny, I don't remember Korean News covering that particular field guidance, but the Brilliant Commander of Mt. Paeku, the Most Famous Person of World, undoubtedly has a talent for that sort of thing. (Hat Tip: Memeorandum)

Update: Jules Crittenden is rallying close around the headquarters of the revolution on this one.

Ed Driscoll works very hard, doesn't get it right

C'mon, the Velvets, like the Times, had a Maureen who was called "Moe." MoDo is Moe Tucker, obviously. Paul Krugman is Nico. (h/t: Instapundit)

Update: He's beginning to see the light.

"Ever-victorious DPRK Led by Great Brilliant Commander"

Did you know that at the beginning of the Korean War, "the U.S. imperialists . . . boasted of having emerged 'victorious' in more than 110 wars of aggression"? Read on:

The U.S. imperialists and the war-thirsty elements of the south Korean puppet military have been holding the aggressive Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises in south Korea, plunging the Korean Peninsula into a touch-me-not situation in which a war may break out any moment.

The People's Army and people of Korea, full of firm determination to return a just reunification war for the enemy's war of aggression, are looking back on the 1950s when they under the leadership of President Kim Il Sung won the victory in the Korean war against U.S. imperialism, putting the latter on the downgrade.

When the war broke out, the world people worried over whether the young DPRK, which was founded nearly two years ago, might beat down the U.S. imperialists who had boasted of having emerged "victorious" in more than 110 wars of aggression.

However, on the order of the President to mount instantly a counter-offensive against the surprise armed invasion of the U.S. imperialists and mercilessly wipe out the enemy, the heroic Korean People's Army achieved brilliant war results from the outset of the war beyond the war precedents and common knowledge.

In accordance with the operational plan of the President, the KPA units defeated the enemy's main units deployed in the area along the 38th parallel strong in density of fire and entered into Seoul, the bulwark of the enemy, to fly the flag of the DPRK over there within three days following the start of the war and liberated over 90 percent of territory and 92 percent of population of south Korea in a matter of one month.

And on the sea off Jumunjin the heroic Korean navy men sent to the bottom of the sea a heavy cruiser of the U.S. navy called "islet moving on the sea" and destroyed a light cruiser with only four torpedo boats by applying skillfully tactics of allurement, continuous and dispersive attack and other tactics advanced by the President.

The advance troops of the "victorious division" of the U.S. imperialists were swept away in a twinkle and the defence line along River Kumgang the enemy had built as "the line of no retreat" and "the final defence line" was also broken through within only two days by the powerful blow of the Korean People's Army.

As a result, the U.S. imperialists lost nearly 1,570,000 personnel including more than 405,000 American troops, a huge amount of military hardware including over 12,200 warplanes and war supplies and knelt before the Korean people during the three-year-long war.

The tradition of the victory in war of the DPRK is being carried forward brilliantly by General Secretary Kim Jong Il century after century.

The entire army and people of Korea who had won the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War under the leadership of President Kim Il Sung will display to the full the might of the powerful revolutionary army of Mt. Paektu, rallied single-mindedly around Kim Jong Il, if the enemy starts another war of aggression.

"Rallied as one in mind around the great Songun brilliant commander"

The actual title is "War Maniacs Warned Not to Run Amuck," just so you'll appreciate how blog-ready these things are to begin with. Those imperialists don't know what they're messing with. They're that close to receiving a "thousand-fold merciless and annihilating, retaliatory strike"!

Rodong Sinmun Sunday in a signed commentary points out that the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises under way in south Korea are a very adventurous war racket kicked up by the U.S. imperialists in collusion with the south Korean puppet military bellicose forces with an eye to mount a three-dimensional preemptive surprise strike at the DPRK from the ground, sea and air.

The commentary says:

The said largest-scale saber rattling kicked off by the U.S. imperialists against the DPRK at a time when their scenario for the second Korean war is at the final stage of completion is a very adventurous and dangerous military provocation that can be seen only on the eve of a war, and this is an undisguised military threat and a sort of declaration of war against the DPRK.

No one can vouch that the U.S. imperialist bellicose elements will not ignite a war against the DPRK by surprise while reinforcing armed forces and staging war maneuvers in south Korea and its vicinity as they did in Iraq.

The frantic joint military exercises being staged by the U.S. imperialist bellicose forces are an act of denying dialogue and disturbing peace.

The U.S. imperialists do not hesitate to commit any crimes in order to realize their aims. Such war maniacs should be dealt with arms, not with words.

If the U.S. imperialists unleash a war of aggression at last in league with the south Korean puppets, misjudging the mental power and disposition of the army and people of the DPRK rallied as one in mind around the great Songun brilliant commander, the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK will deal thousand-fold merciless and annihilating, retaliatory strike at the enemies and win the final victory by mobilizing all their military potentials built up for decades.

The U.S. imperialists and their followers would be well advised to stop running amuck, clearly understanding that the Songun arms of the DPRK shows no mercy to the aggressors.

I wouldn't sweat this. We're under Generalissimo Obama now. We have our own might of Songun!

Ahmadinejad: "if anyone talks about liberal democracy, capitalism economy and free market economy, the people would hate him"

This IRIB article is entitled "Era of materialistic views has ended." And remember, this is a man who once said that Iran and Venezuela were pursuing "divine goals" together.

"The world is changing and the era of economic, political and cultural systems which are based on a materialistic look has ended," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in the capital city of western Iranian province of Kurdestan on Monday.

Addressing the people of Sanandaj, President Ahmadinejad said, the only way for the human's salvation was to resort to the Noblest Messenger of Allah God, Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH).

He stated that today's problems were created for deviation from the way of divine Messengers of God, adding the problems of the Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan had been produced by a few people in capitalism system who were exploiting people of the countries for their own interests.

"Today's situation was the consequences of an economic, political and cultural system that some powers they had established in 200 years ago," he noted.

The system which was based on the belief that man was a hedonist creature and should take highly advantage of the world, made backwardness the people across the world, President said.

Ahmadinejad added, they invaded Asia, and took hundreds of millions of people in Africa as slaves, killed hundreds of millions native people in South America, looted mines and natural resources of the nations and destroyed valuable and traditional cultures of them.

The world has been changed, the President said, adding "And if anyone talks about liberal democracy, capitalism economy and free market economy, the people would hate him."

If you're a blogger, Ahmadinejad is the gift that keeps on giving.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

"Hamas: Zionists could not undermine Resistance"

As you read this Iranian press article, it becomes clear that the title refers to the Hamas arsenal of rockets:

Mushir al-Masry, a high-ranking official in the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas said Sunday that the Zionist regime's effort to undermine the presence and influence of the Resistance in Gaza and in world had been defeated.

"All efforts to undermine the Hamas' influences have been defeated. Many conferences were hold after Israeli invasion of Gaza, but none of them could undermine the Palestinian Resistance," al-Masry added.

He said that the Palestinian Resistance could be refreshed after the Zionist regime's invasion of the Gaza Strip.

"The Palestinian nation resistance for the first time after the past 60 years could bring more that one million Zionists under its fire," the Palestinian legislator added.

That is as clear a statement as you could wish of why the recent Gaza operation was vitally necessary and why it may not have gone far enough (and why what it did achieve may be evaporating).

Al-Masry criticized the Head of the West Bank ruling Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas saying," They tried to dominate the Gaza Strip by force in the Israeli war."

The Hamas official revealed that after Hamas victory in the Gaza war they (supporters of Abbas) got disappointed and tried to cut negotiations with Hamas.

Supreme Leader offers supreme denial

This IRNA article is titled "Supreme Leader says Muslims never falter in spotting their true enemies"--never, that is, except for a few nasty World Arrogance plots causing Arab Sunnis to be suspicious of Persian Shi'ites, which otherwise, of course, they would never, ever do because "Muslims never falter," etc:

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Sunday that Muslims would never falter in identifying the main causes of any disagreement among themselves.

The Supreme Leader made the remark this morning in an address to heads of the three branches of government, chief of the Expediency Council, guests participating in the 22nd International Conference on Islamic Unity and ambassadors of the Islamic states in Iran as well as a large crowd of people from different walks of life on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Muslim Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the sixth Shiite Imam, Jaafar Sadeq (AS).

Referring to the ceaseless efforts of the enemies of the Islamic Ummah to sow discord among Muslims, Ayatollah Khamenei said Muslims were vigilant enough to recognize the fact that any remark targeting the Islamic unity was the voice of the hegemonic powers.

Describing the birth of the Grand Prophet of Islam as a very critical and landmark event in the history of the mankind, the Supreme Leader said at present juncture, the true responsibility of the followers of Muslim Prophet, especially those who are categorized as politicians, scientists, intellectuals and influential figures, was to try to materialize the Islamic unity and fight the elements who are trying to sow discord among Muslims.

The Supreme Leader further urged Muslim Ummah to go beyond rhetorics and take practical measures to consolidate and safeguard unity among themselves as a sign of gratitude for the birth of Muslim prophet which has benefited the whole mankind.

Saying that Muslims should stay vigilant and alert in the face of consecutive plots of enemies and expansionist powers, the Ayatollah also expressed regret that, in very rare and odd occasions, Muslims or some Muslim states get trapped and act as tools in the hands of Muslims’ enemies in advancing their objective of sowing discord among Muslims.

Pointing to the glorious victory of Muslim Ummah during 33 days of resistance against the Zionist army in Lebanon and then for 22 days in Gaza, Ayatollah Khamenei said the two cases highlighted the fact that the enemies, in a bid to reduce the impact of such victories, tried to focus on differences between Shiite and Sunni Muslims and Arab and non-Arab nations. [...]

Another example of Muslim disunity results in the odd IRIB headline "Hamas: Fatah acts evasive during talks":

A Hamas official on Sunday criticized the Fatah Movement for bringing obstacles in reconciliation talks in Cairo.

Osama Hamdan in his meeting with a delegation from the European Parliament said that the Fatah Movement was putting obstacles to the reconciliation talks in Cairo, IRIB reported from Damascus.

He expressed regret about the detention of Reistance combatants in the West Bank by the security forces of Palestinian Authority, adding, "The simultaneous detention of Reistance fighters with the begining of reconciliation talks shows the ill thoughts of the opposite side."

He said that the Palestinian Authority and Mahmoud Abbass were not serious about reconciliation talks in Palestine.

He noted that Hamas and Fatah had different ideas. "A group is martyrdom-seeking and believes in resistance to reach its right and therefore it won the battle against Israel in Gaza while the other tries to recognize the Zionist regime."

"We want to solve all differences to unite all capacities against the Zionist regime."

And just be one big Iranian-backed, martyrdom-seeking family.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

The self-fulfilling conspiracy theory

This whole business with Chas Freeman reminds me of what I call the "self-fulfilling conspiracy theory." To illustrate:

1. Fred is alarmed that civilization is about to crumble at the hands of the nefarious Council on Foreign Relations.

2. He distributes leaflets at his place of employment alerting his co-workers to the danger.

3. His boss reads one of the leaflets and is alarmed to discover that his employee Fred is a nut.

4. Fred is fired.

5. Fred's worst suspicions are confirmed. His ex-Boss is part of the conspiracy!

6. Fred gets feverishly to work revising his leaflets.

Things assailed, flayed, and blasted

We'll do this round-up style today. I usually stick to posts about the up-lifted banner of Songun and other muck about how great their system is, but their bellicose mode is even shriller than usual. Maybe it signifies something:

"U.S. Frantic Efforts to Round Off MD Assailed":

The U.S. is making so great haste to finish the test of the efficiency of the anti-missile system and rectify its shortcomings after setting even the end of May as the deadline. This frenzy is prompted by the U.S. worry that its strategy for dominating the world backed by MD may prove unsuccessful . . .

The army and people of the DPRK will develop Korean type ultra-modern weapons and equip themselves with them to completely foil the U.S. strategy for military domination and world supremacy . . .

"U.S. and S. Korean Warmongers' Reckless War Maneuvers Flayed":

Mere warning is not enough to deal with the warmongers.

The war maniacs are apt to go more desperate and reckless when their rival looks weaker and lacks strong will.

These warmongers should be dealt with retaliatory blows.

The army and people of the DPRK have so far bolstered the capability for self-defense in every way under the uplifted banner of Songun in order to deal telling blows at the warmongers recklessly working to realize their ambition to invade it and defend the national sovereignty and dignity.

They love peace and do not want confrontation and a war, but they will wage a just war of retaliation against the warmongers should they dare impose a war upon the army and people of the DPRK.

The U.S. imperialists and the Lee war-thirty group had better properly know who their rival is and behave themselves not to meet the fate of forlorn wandering spirits.

That last one was almost poetic.

"Lee Myung Bak's Sinister Intention Blasted":

The puppet warmongers are frantically staging Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises across south Korea aimed at invading the DPRK in collusion with the U.S. This clearly reveals the treacherous and bellicose intention of the group of traitors to provoke a new war through cooperation with outside forces with an eye to realize its long-harbored ambition "to achieve unification by invading the north" at any cost.

A village can never be in peace as long as mad dogs run about.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula has reached an unpredictable phase of explosion due to the anti-DPRK and anti-reunification confrontational policy pursued by the group, kowtowing to foreign forces.

The latest edition of Haveil Havalim won't meet the fate of forlorn wandering spirits.

MPAC-UK: "The latest victim of this racist abuse by Zionists within the media is the pre-planned attack on Inayat Bunglawala"

There isn't much comment here on the actual case or any explanation of what they mean by a "pre-planned attack," just a tour of sorts through some of MPAC-UK's boilerplate rhetoric:

The Muslim community today is rallying around its leaders as never before, despite the Media seeking to demonise and attack them. The propaganda war against the few Muslim leaders who are standing up for the Muslim community has stepped up a gear. Key figures are being hounded and psychological intimidation tactics are being used against those who have stood up to the government's foreign policy agenda. Zionists within the government and the media are manipulating these great British institutions to ensure they are compliant with their new agenda of breaking the back of Muslim groups who have stood up against Israel.

The latest victim of this racist abuse by Zionists within the media is the pre-planned attack on Inayat Bunglawala by the well known Islamaphobes within the Mail today. Their aim is to silence key figures within the Muslim community, using their influence within the press to intimidate government from engaging with them, and then isolate them within the Muslim community by using propaganda labels of ‘extremist’, etc.

New self proclaimed ‘moderate’ Muslim groups are being set up with a pro Israel slant. Muslim groups who silently refuse to discuss the issue and keep their members busy on minor rituals are promised funding and are free from intimidation. The less any group stands up to the Zionist lobby, the more they are free from censure – for now.

It is classic divide and conquer rule. First intimidate and break the groups and individuals who stand up to them and are the most vocal in their opposition. Then pacify those who would stand with them, by engaging with them and showing them they are free to practice without fear. Once the vanguards of defenders of the Ummah are destroyed, these weaker more cowardly leaders can be dealt with as they will, for the braver element has been destroyed. Classic tactics used when they pacified the leaders of India and Africa. In those days they didn’t just use the media to intimidate - they killed the braver leaders who resisted them.

I wonder what that refers to. So now "they," who would be the "Zionists" I guess, "just use the media to intimidate"? Drat, someone's been cultivating our moderates again!

Sadly we have too many leaders who are weak and cowardly; too many scholars who are knowledgeable (in certain matters) but have no understanding of the trap they are in or the new challenges the Ummah is facing; and too many young people willing to follow these scholars and pacify their own minds into a state of inactivity. Thus leaders like Inayat are left isolated without organised resistance on his behalf.

We ask all Muslim groups to speak up against this demonisation of our leaders and say – ‘we stand firm against this witch hunt of our leaders, and we will not allow our community to be attacked by organised Zionists who have an agenda for a foreign government that we should all stand up and oppose.’ [...]

Predictable.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Nasrallah's cry for understanding

He's saying "Reach out to me":

Secretary-General of the Lebanese Islamic Resistance Movement Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Friday his movement would never recognize the Zionist regime, rejecting a US precondition for dialogue with the movement.

"To those who impose conditions on us, we say: We will never recognize Israel," he said in a speech during celebrations on the occasion of birth anniversary of the Noblest Messenger of Allah Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH) through a video conference.

He referred to America's new preconditions for both Palestinian and Lebanese Islamic Resistance Movements of Hamas and Hezbollah: to renounce violence and recognize Israel.

"We reject the American conditions today, tomorrow and after 1000 years and even until the end of time, as long as Hezbollah exists, it will never recognize Israel," Nasrallah said.

Nasrallah noted that White House's apparent openness for dialogue was rooted in the failure of its regional plans. [...]

All that hope and change isn't inspiring much respect, is it?

Ahmadinejad: "Had you not been bad-tempered and not blocked the way, the Iranian nation would not have been present in the space and not nuclearized"

Why would a peaceful nuclear program be a response to "bad temper"? There are other examples of statements like this from Ahmadinejad. He seems free to say indirectly or to strongly imply that Iran's nuclear program is military at the same time that other official pronouncements deny it in more explicit language:

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday that Iran's presence in the space and its progress in nuclear field are all because of the superpowers' bad temper.

"Had you not been bad-tempered and not blocked the way, the Iranian nation would not have been present in the space and not nuclearized," President Ahmadinejad was quoted by the Islamic republic news agency as saying in an address to a ceremony, held for inauguration of South Pars gas field's phases IX and X in Assalouyeh in southern Boushehr Province.

Calling inauguration of phases 9 and 10 of South Pars gas field "the national feast of self-confidence, innovation and flourish," the president said inauguration of the SP phases nine and 10 marks a rejoicing feast for the great Iranian nation.

"The happiness will double if you consider the fact that the huge task was done under conditions when certain people around the world refused to act on their duty and promises, showing bad-temperedness and misbehavior."

He said the people had promised to finance the project and even signed contract to supply parts and equipment but, as directors of the project say, returned some of the supplies back on ship.

He added that the idea of impeding Iran's progress through sanctions is a "childish thinking and a grave blunder." [...]

Right, the Big Satan is just ruining the cordial relations it has always had with the Khomeinists.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Reuters Headline: "Final Gaza toll shows 960 civilians killed in Israel's offensive: group"

The "final toll" referred to in this article comes courtesy of The Palestinian Center for Human Rights, which according to Camera, has recently listed people as civilians who were identified by Palestinian news agencies as members of terrorist groups (h/t: EOZ). The article presents the following, presumably as some sort of presentation of the Israeli side:

Israel says its forces never deliberately targeted civilians in Gaza and did their utmost to avoid civilian casualties. It says Hamas fighters used ordinary Palestinians as human shields.

Actually, the IDF has offered its own analysis of the identities of the people killed, but the article makes no mention of that. It is always useful to examine the number of women killed in these sorts of statistics since you can fudge the civilian status of a person, but not the person's gender. The article lists 121 women killed among the total number, 1,434. That's about 8.4 percent. On the face of it, that does not sound like the results of an attack that mostly kills civilians. Wouldn't women make up a much larger percentage of the victims? I'm just asking. We are now undoubtedly going to see this "960" number endlessly cited as simply a fact, which the Reuters headline encourages. Note: See this version of the article, for instance, which omits the final word from the Reuters title as it appears at the link I provide above.

Update: More here.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Supreme Leader on the Omid Satellite: "This great job burst like a bomb in the world"

He has a way with words:

Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei Thursday cautioned Islamic states about enemies' plots and efforts to create a rift among Muslims.

"During the 22-day long war on Gaza, enemies of Islam witnessed what a significant impact the Muslim nations' demonstration for expressing solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza and Palestine left on the scandalous and humiliating defeat of the Zionist army," Ayatollah Khamenei stated.

"They (enemies) will never give up their attempts to sow seeds of discord among Islamic countries and nations," the Iranian Leader reiterated.

Elsewhere, Ayatollah Khamenei reminded the helpless reaction shown by opponents vis-à-vis Iran's recent advancements in aerospace technology, specifically the successful launch of the Iranian-made Omid Satellite, and added, "This great job burst like a bomb in the world and informed the world's scientists about the stunning capabilities and advancements of Iranian scientists."

Update: Was the Supreme Leader's statement a "Bomb-like Declaration Showing Matchless Grit and Will"?

Embattled top Persian intel pick Haman withdraws

Breaking news:

Shushan Press: A veteran Perisan diplomat and outspoken Tzorer HaYehudim, Haman HaAgagi, has withdrawn from contention for a top Persian intelligence post, Persian intelligence director Carshena announced Tuesday.

Haman "has requested that his selection to be Chairman of the Yodei HaItim Council not proceed. Director Carshena accepted Ambassador Haman's decision with regret," Carshena's office said in a statement.

The decision came after Persian lawmakers raised concerns about Haman's financial links to Babylonia and Assyria and critics attacked past comments he made that they saw as overly critical of HaYehudim or too sympathetic to the Amelekites.

"This was a wise decision by Admiral Carshena," said Admasa, one of Haman's leading critics, who told SP that the controversy underscored the need for better vetting of appointees to sensitive positions.

David Duke on the murder of Haman

Don't worry, I'm not giving Duke a link, but I will quote some choice bits. He explains:

Purim is the Jewish celebration of the murder of the Persian Prime Minister, Haman for supposedly plotting a conspiracy against the Jews. Haman was hung along with all of his ten sons, and 75,000 hapless Persians were slaughtered.

As if it isn't bad enough to celebrate the murder of the righteous Haman:

Over the centuries, this Jewish celebration of the murderous punishment of Haman and the supposed anti-Semites at Purim has become like a Mardi Gras celebration, but one with a shocking orgy of hate and hateful symbols, and it even includes foods symbolic of revenge and gore.

In the synagogues Jewish children beat branches recreating the beating of Haman. They have skits where they symbolically hang children made up to look like him. They also scream and shout and curse his name in Synagogues during their reading of what they call the Megillah (the Jewish account of their massacre of Haman and the Persians).

Hamantashen and Kreplach--he's not making this up!

Even more disgusting than this display of hatred in a house of worship are the foods especially prepared for Purim, the two most famous are Hamantaschen, or "Haman’s ears," and Kreplach. Hamantaschen are triangular-shaped dough pockets meant to symbolize Haman’s ears and Kreplach are dough pockets filled with ground beef symbolizing the beaten flesh of Haman. Does this sound appetizing? I am not making this up.

Gimme some of that food symbolizing Haman's beaten flesh! Have a freilechen bloodthirsty hate-fest celebrating the murder of Haman!

(If you really must have a link, here is something only marginally less disgusting.)

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Iran's "international police" receive "detention verdict of 25 Zionist commanders and criminals"

The idea is that Iran has its own Interpol?

Tehran's attorney Saeed Mortazavi delivered the detention verdict of 25 Zionist commanders and criminals to IRI's international police on Sunday.

Due to Tehran attorney's request from international police to summon 25 Zionist commanders and criminals, this department started its measures to pursue these persons.

After receiving the verdict, the general office of international police requested the summons (Red Notice) of these persons from the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO) in official and international procedures. The issue has been put on ICPO's agenda.

Elsewhere in the Iranian press, Mehr News reveals that the West is "attempting to create rift between Iran and Arabs":

The U.S. along with Israel and many European states are attempting to "create a rift between Iran and Arab countries", Lebanon’s top Shia cleric Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlalah has stated.

The U.S. seeks to make the Arab countries in the Persian Gulf region afraid of Iran’s nuclear program, he told ISNA in an exclusive interview published on Sunday.

However, Iran has made "comprehensive efforts" to prove that U.S. policies are wrong, he added.

The cleric said former U.S. secretary of states Condoleezza Rice tried to make Iran look like Arabs’ number one enemy and Israel as their friend so that Arab states would form a coalition against Tehran.

But such actions have always failed as Iran’s policies towards the Persian Gulf countries are "open", he added.

For instance, he said, to clear up misunderstandings about former Iranian Parliament speaker Ali Akber Nateq Nouri’s recent remarks with regard to Bahrain, Iranian officials took immediate action to elaborate on remarks by Nateq Nouri to prevent any misinterpretation and this showed Iran’s "positive and open" policies towards Arab countries. [...]

Morocco was not convinced.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Convoy conveying Yvonne Ridley and George Galloway attacked

Iran's PressTV reports:

Gaza-bound aid convoy 'Viva Palestina' has been attacked in Egypt on its way to break a long imposed Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Several activists were injured after the attackers - claimed to be members of Palestinian Fatah faction - vandalized some of the cars in the convoy, Press TV reported Sunday.

British lawmaker, George Galloway, who is traveling with the convoy said that Egyptian authorities did not protect the convoy despite their promises. "They are blocking us inside, but they don't protect us."

The convoy of peace activists including Press TV presenter Yvonne Ridley and Film maker Hassan Ghani left London on February 14.

Having traveled thousands of kilometers (miles) through Europe and North Africa, the convoy arrived in Egypt on Saturday.

The convoy is scheduled to arrive in the besieged territory Monday morning. [...]

"This here's the Rubber Duck an' I'm about to put the hammer on down . . . "

Update: EOZ has several posts on this event.

Kim Jong Il sends Shalach Manos

Sort of:

Labor Hero and Dr. Jang Jong Su, manager of the Samhung Stock Farm, marked his 70th birthday and Labor Hero and Prof. Jong Jong Dae, a teacher at the 2nd Medical Faculty of Clinical Medicine of Pyongyang University of Medicine, his 80th birthday. [...]

Born in Japan in Juche 18 (1929), Jong Jong Dae joined the volunteers' corps and bravely fought to defend the DPRK government, a genuine motherland of the people, during the Fatherland Liberation War. [...]

Birthday spreads of benevolence sent by General Secretary Kim Jong Il were conveyed to them.

The latest Haveil Havalim is a blogging spread of benevolence.

Foreign policy disasters, substantial upsides, 00's and other progressive insights concerning the Zionist entity

We always try to do our bit to keep you updated on how the other side thinks. Let's begin with a blog called "Alterdestiny":

It's almost taboo to say this, but the establishment of Israel is one of the great foreign policy disasters of the 20th century. While one cannot question that Jews were not safe most anywhere in Europe, creating a state under constant siege that has to displace the people already living there and then oppressing them in occupied territories has not exactly been a huge success. The failure of the Jewish state to establish long-term stability in the face of low birthrates compared to the Islamic population suggests either it losing its Jewish identity or apartheid; either way, it's likely that we'll still be dealing with these same problems in another 60 years.

Are Israelis allowed to think of themselves as a nationality in their own right and not somebody else's foreign policy issue? Isn't this Erik Loomis fellow being a trifle Big-Satan-o-centric? To supply some context, he was observing that "Roosevelt's classic ambivalence shows up very strongly in figuring out what to do with Jews after the war." Of course, the Jews had their own ideas about their destiny and they found themselves considerably at odds in a number of respects with the Western colonial power that ruled Mandate Palestine. The Jews were kicked out of East Jerusalem, after all, by the British trained, supplied, and commanded Arab Legion. The passage quoted above is part of a 20-part (!) review (of From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776 by George Herring) undertaken as a joint project with another blog. The other blogger also essays some pronouncements about Israel:

. . . one of the things I learned from the latest chapter of Herring is that King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia proposed that the Allies carve a Jewish state out of Germany, rather than settle Holocaust survivors in British Palestine. Roosevelt and Churchill rejected this proposal out of hand. I'm thinking that there would have been substantial upside; it would have made the connection between the Holocaust and the Jewish state explicit rather than implicit, and would have had the merit of hurting the people who had actually caused the Holocaust rather than those who hadn't been involved. The German population could have been expelled from, say, Schleswig-Holstein, which is only a bit smaller that present-day Israel. Israel on the Baltic would control the Kiel Canal, and its security could eventually have been guaranteed by NATO. The Germans might complain, but they were enduring far more violent population expulsions in the East. Moreover, present-day Germans seem to have gotten over the loss of Danzig and Konigsberg. That said, the fact of strong Jewish immigration to Palestine in the 1930s and 1940s rendered this proposal dead on arrival.

Not to mention a million or so Jews in Muslim countries who would shortly require liberation. The big daddy of leftist pronouncements on Israel is, of course, Juan Cole. Here he notices that Zionism is a nationalist movement:

Zionism is a form of nationalism centered on the necessity of turning Judaism into a base for a nation-state. Probably a majority of Jews, and virtually all American Jews, were offended by this notion before WW II. And although Zionists think they were vindicated by the events of the 1930s and 1940s, it is not at all clear in the 21st century that having a state makes you safe (my state has nuclear missiles aimed at it), or, just as important, adds to your wellbeing. Moreover, having an ethnically-based state is invidious (Jim Crow in the US was a form of white Protestant ethnic nationalism).

It was, more precisely, a program of discrimination with racialist underpinnings, but it had something to do with nationalism. Which should remind us that besides the matter of the nuclear missiles aimed at Cole's state and the danger to Israel, there is also the matter of the civil liberties enjoyed by the citizens of some states. Does that figure in someplace?

But in any case, Zionist nationalism isn't any different from any other nationalism (all nationalisms fetishize some marker or markers of identity, whether language, religion, folkways, etc.) and it doesn't deserve to be privileged in any way. Nationalism where healthy can be a sane form of patriotism and pride in the achievements of a people,and many Zionists fit that description (though more Jewish Zionists than Christian Zionists are humane in my experience).

The history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been one of conflicting nationalist movements. Nationalist movements, for better or worse, were the form that opposition to colonialism took in the Middle East. I wonder what his chances were of noticing that half his blogging life is spent expressing solidarity with Palestinian nationalism.

But nationalism can also easily turn pathological. You saw the way Christian Zionism becomes pathological when John Hagee said God had been angry with the Jews for not forming a state or going to Palestine, and so sent Hitler as their divinely appointed hunter. When nationalism turns pathological, it becomes a 00, a license to kill. The pundits who tried to smear Freeman and then Walt think they are 00's.

And thus Cole's analysis of the role of nationalism in the Middle East arrives at anger at "pathological" "00" nationalists who criticize Chas Freeman and Stephen Walt. Meanwhile, a blogger at the Lancet discovered the new Zionist super-weapon until our operatives disappeared the offending post. Tim Blair reports.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

A post which accepts a certain amount of drinking, and even drunkenness, on Purim, but warns against overdoing it

Barf! huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Uh-huh
Barf! huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again, y'all

Barf! huh, Gevalt!
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

Ohhh, Barf, I reprove
Because it means destruction
Of innocent booze

Barf means tears
When mothers view the muddle
With their sons face down
In a single-malt puddle

I said, Barf! huh
Gevalt, y'all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again

Barf! Gevalt!
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

Barf! it ain't nothing
But a tragedy
Barf, friend only to the distillery
Ooooh, Barf
It's an enemy to all Yid-kind
The point of barf blows my mind
Barf has caused unrest
Within the younger generation
Engorgement then disgorgement
Who wants to barf
Aaaaah, barf-huh
Gevalt y'all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it, say it, say it
Barf! huh
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

Barf, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Uh-huh
Barf, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again y'all
Barf! huh, Gevalt
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

Barf, it ain't nothing but bad for Jewry
Barf, it's got one friend
That's the brewery
Ooooh, barf has shattered
Many a young man's seuda
Made him discolored, bitter and putrid
Purim is much too short and precious
To spend unconscious these days
Barf can't give simcha
It can only take it away

Ooooh, Barf! huh
Gevalt y'all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again

Barf, whoa, Gevalt
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

Barf, it ain't nothing but bad for Jewry
Barf, friend only to the brewery
Simcha, joy and moderation
Tell me, is there no place for them today
They say we must binge to have our simcha
Hashem knows there's got to be a better way

Ooooooh, Barf! huh
Gevalt y'all
What is it good for
You tell me
Say it, say it, say it, say it

Barf, huh
Gevalt y'all
What is it good for
Stand up and shout it
Nothing

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Iran concludes Palestine conference, pats itself on the back

This touches on a number of the current popular topics for Khomeinist pronouncements: Sudan, the Saudis, Iran's "centerpiece" role of the "world of Islam," but above all, the Zionist entity:

Tehran's provisional Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami lauded the positive results of an international conference held in the Iranian capital to support the Palestinians, and called it a successful move.

The international conference dubbed 'Palestine: Manifestation of Resistance, Gaza: Victim of Crimes', held 4-5 March in Tehran, brought together legal experts, politicians and religious leaders to Tehran to focus on Gaza's reconstruction and Israeli war crimes.

The Tehran conference showed that Iran is the centerpiece of the world of Islam and is passionately focusing on the world's oppressed people, Ayatollah Khatami reiterated, while addressing large and fervent congregation of worshipers on Tehran University Campus here on Friday.

Iran's way of "focusing" on Sudan's considerable share of "the world's oppressed people" is to express support for their oppressor. See below.

Ayatollah Khatami also praised the measures adopted by the Iranian judiciary system for prosecuting the Zionist regime of Israel for its crimes in the occupied territories and Gaza.

Iran said on Thursday that it would present the Interpol with a list of names of over 100 Israeli commanders and officials who had committed war crimes in the recent 22-day onslaught against Gaza.

"A fresh list of the Zionist criminals who played a role in the genocide of the Palestinian people has been compiled which will be gradually presented to the Interpol for legal action after each case is completed," Iranian Prosecutor General Saeed Mortazavi told reporters on Thursday on the sidelines of the 4th international conference on support for Palestine.

Elsewhere, Ayatollah Khatami condemned the arrest warrant issued by the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

"The ICC arrest warrant issued against the Sudanese president testifies the instrumental use of international bodies (by the western powers)," Ayatollah Khatami said.

He said the warrant is among the bizarre events of the present age.

Ayatollah Khatami also called on Saudi Arabia to mobilize the world of Islam against Israel instead of focusing on issues which would undermine Muslim solidarity.

Here is an account of what's bugging them about the Saudis.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad