(North) Korean News: "Zionists' Survival Contrasts Human Dignity, Independence"

The actual article is devoted to Ahmadinejad pronouncements, but may we assume the North Korean regime agrees with the sentiments expressed in the title? (If their rallying around the headquarters of the revolution with the might of Songun leaves them time for agreeing with anything?)

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday that Zionist regime's establishment and survival are in contrast with human dignity and independence.

Delivering his Friday prayers congregation pre-sermon address, President Ahmadinejad said Zionist regime's existence is not merely a threat to the Palestinian and the entire regional nations, rather its establishment and continued survival contrast interests, independence and dignity of all regional nations.

He said the prelude to establishment of the regime was lies and deception.

Probably a reference to Holocaust denial. How Juche! According to another Korean News item, "Mugabe Urges Use of Green Technology to Boost Economy":

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Friday urged use of appropriate green technologies in order to put the country's economy on a sustainable growth path.

The president said focus should also be placed on environment conservation to mitigate effects of climate change and ensure agriculture, a major driver of the economy, grows on a sustainable basis.

Mugabe underscored the importance of greening the economy.

And then everyone will be green with envy . . .

Angry Arab: "A new Zionist trick in Western media"

I'm always happy to learn about a "new Zionist trick," but I am coming up a little short here trying to figure out how Zionism fits in:

There is a new Zionist media trick about the Middle East as of late. Zionists plant a story in the Saudi and Hariri press. And then they cite that planted story as fact and then it gets circulated. There was such a story weeks ago in the Saudi junk media about a supposed meeting between Iranian representatives and Syrian opposition figures. So now, the reliable recipient of Hariri propaganda, Georges Malbrunot, recycles the story. So now, the Hariri media are now re-publishing their own story but this time they are citing the authority of Le Figaro.

PS I just realized that I had written about this phenomenon before.

Ah, I see. The forgetfulness ray is only working intermittently. Sort of like Iron Dome.

LA Jewish Journal: "Whole Foods denies rumor of boycott of Israeli products"--ADL backs them up

This may not end up being the last word on this topic:

For about a week, a rumor that the Whole Foods Market chain is boycotting Israeli products has been circulating in emails and on the blogosphere. On Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for Whole Foods said that the rumor is completely false.

It’s “definitely not true,” company spokesperson Libba Letton said in a phone interview. “We have products from Israel; we have tons of kosher products.”
The company’s customer service team has received “at least a couple hundred” phone calls from people – many of them Jewish – asking whether the rumor is true, Letton said. [...]

Today, the Anti-Defamation League issued a statement in support of Whole Foods, adding that the company said some of its buyers were on a trip to Israel when the rumor about its supposed anti-Israel stance began circulating online. [...]

Fars (Iran): "Supreme Leader Calls on Nation to Safeguard Elections"

"Plots hatched by the enemies to misuse elections in Iran"? That would mean fielding candidates he doesn't like?

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei called on the Iranian nation to keep vigilant against the plots hatched by the enemies to misuse elections in Iran.

"Elections are the manifestation of religious democracy. However, enemies seek to misuse elections to harm the country," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing a large crowd of worshipers during the Eid al-Fitr prayers at Tehran University on Wednesday.

The Leader called on the Iranian nation to safeguard elections which are a "divine blessing".

The Leader further stressed the importance of strengthening unity among the Iranian officials and nation particularly as the country is gearing up for parliamentary elections in March.

Elsewhere, Ayatollah Khamenei warned against plots hatched by enemies to hijack the Muslim world's achievements.

Nations in Muslim countries must be vigilant and cautious not to permit enemies to hijack their victories, Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated.

Michael Moore invited to Khomeinist Entity

Wow, this is causing all world progressive peoples to be filled with boundless longing for Kim Jong Il:

Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Iran, Javad Shamaghdari invited American documentary maker Michael Moore to pay a visit to Iran.

The American documentary producer is invited to attend the International Cinema Haghighat Festival in Tehran. [...]

Any country with a Deputy Minister for Culture and Islamic guidance is his kind of place!

SANA (Syria): "National Activities Affirm That Syria Managed to Foil Conspiracy against It, Reject Suspicious Agendas"

Hmmm, the "Chairman of the General Sports Federation" is a General:

Damascus Sports and Social Club organized a gathering on Sunday during which participants affirmed that Syria managed to foil the conspiracy against it thanks to the awareness of its people and their adherence to national unity and independent decision-making and their rejection of foreign interference in Syria's internal affairs.

Head of the Journalists Syndicate Elias Murad said that the bond between the Syrian people and its leadership and their support of the Syrian army's mission had a decisive role in foiling the conspiracy, adding that the Syrian people's awareness and intellect foiled the media war waged by some Arab and foreign channels against Syria.

In turn, Chairman of the General Sports Federation Lt. Gen. Muaffaq Juma'a said that Syria is facing an attack targeting its national and pan-Arab stances, stressing the need to rally all the energies of society and adhere to national unity to foil all conspiracies and deal with coming challenges.

For her part, member of the al-Baath Party's Damascus Branch Leadership Amaal Ezzo said that the unity of the Syrian people will foil all plots aiming at destabilizing the country.

In turn, member of the Lebanese Marada Movement's politburo Vera Yamin denounced the conspiracy targeting Syria's stances, affirming that one of the reasons behind the vicious campaign against Syria is fear of carrying out reforms which is why they are being disrupted, adding that President Bashar al-Assad's credibility confounds those who are targeting Syria which is why they attempt to damage his credibility.

For her part, Lebanese journalist Ugarit Dandash said that the war against Syria is taking many forms including falsifying and inverting facts and fabricating news, with Arab and international satellite channels and newspapers dedicating themselves to attacking Syria and its stances, but the Syrian people understood the game and rallied behind its leadership, expressing great awareness of the risks and challenges facing it.

Syria's Kurds Affirm Commitment to Reform Process and Their Rejection of Suspicious Agendas

Participants in the "Syria is a Country for Everyone" seminar, held by the National Initiative of Syrian Kurds on Saturday evening in Aleppo, affirmed that Syria's Kurds are committed to their stance of supporting the comprehensive reform process under the leadership of President al-Assad, national unity, rejecting all suspicious agendas and plots against Syria.

In a statement, the participants said that these agendas and plots and their cheap tools in some opposition groups betting on foreign interference in Syria's affairs aim at inciting sedition and dividing Syria to undermine its stances that defend people's rights.

The statement lauded President al-Assad's statements regarding Syrian Kurds in his recent interview with the Syrian Seattleite Channel.

"Seattleite Channel"? I'm going to miss SANA. I believe its time ain't long.

Ahmadinejad: "One of the big lies is the Holocaust fable"

His public statements of this sort are endless:

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday that Zionist regime’s establishment and survival are in contrast with human dignity and independence.

Delivering his Friday prayers congregation pre-sermon address, President Ahmadinejad said Zionist regime’s existence is not merely a threat to the Palestinian and the entire regional nations, rather its establishment and continued survival contrast interests, independence and dignity of all regional nations.

He said the prelude to establishment of the regime was lies and deception. “One of the big lies is the Holocaust fable.” [...]

(North) Korean News: "Kim Jong Il's Politics of Attaching Importance to Youth Appreciated by World Public"

North Korea just walks around with a sign on its back: "I'm a totalitarian hell-hole--kick me." The sign is called "Korean News":

World public is highly praising General Secretary Kim Jong Il for pursuing the politics of attaching importance to the youth and loving them with deep attention to the youth movement.

The Chinese People's Daily said that Kim Jong Il attached great importance to the youth movement, put forward the youth as the most viable combat unit and provided them with the slogan "Let Us Live to Glorify Youth!" and a view on life.

The Egyptian paper Al-Misaiya noted that the Korean youth are possessed of the revolutionary and sound ideological and moral traits as the politics of attaching importance to the youth is enforced in the DPRK.

The chairman of the Indian Youth Group for the Study of Works of Comrade Kim Il Sung said President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il regarded the issue of youth as a fundamental one related to the future destiny of the country, the nation and the revolution, put forward the original ideas and theories on the youth movement and worked heart and soul to intensify it.

The Nepali paper Arpan stressed that the Korean youth are growing to be successors to the revolutionary cause of Juche, heroes of the era and fighters of the Songun revolution, a proof of the validity and vitality of the idea of the Workers' Party of Korea on attaching importance to the youth.

The chief of a branch of the Ethiopian Youth Study Group of the Juche Idea noted that the Korean youth led by Kim Jong Il will certainly build a thriving socialist nation on their land in the near future.

Ynet: "Abbas: We won't recognize Israel as Jewish state"

I'm starting to see a pattern:

The Palestinian Authority will not be recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday, adopting a belligerent tone ahead of his planned statehood bid in September.

The Palestinian leader also criticized demands made by the International Quartet of his Authority, urging the international community to back off.

The Palestinian leader also criticized demands made by the International Quartet of his Authority, urging the international community to back off. "Don't order us to recognize a Jewish state," Abbas said. "We won't accept it." [...}

Ma'an News: "Haniyeh: We will not recognize Israel"

Hamas won the most recent Palestinian elections. I'd say the Palestinians have repudiated UN Resolution 242:

Prime Minister of the Hamas-run Gaza government Ismail Haniyeh restated Friday his party's position that they will not recognize Israel.

In an address to worshipers gathered at An-Nour mosque in Gaza City for the last Friday of Ramadan, Haniyeh said "we will not leave any centimeter of Palestine, and we will not recognize Israel and the occupation."

The Hamas chief called the revolutions sweeping the Arab world, "the introduction for Palestinian liberation."

Noting the occasion of Al-Quds Day, an event marked internationally by solidarity activists, Haniyeh lauded nations remembering Jerusalem, and slogans raised "to liberate the capital of Palestine."

Haniyeh welcomed in his address the 36 South African activists who arrived in Gaza Thursday evening.

Hamas won Palestinian national elections in 2006, and ousted rival faction Fatah from the coastal strip in 2007 after tensions exploded into near civil war. [...]

Fars (Iran): Ahmadinejad: "raising questions about the philosophy of Israel's creation carries a punishment of prison sentence in Europe"

Iranian news sites hardly seem to contain anything else currently besides articles on Quds Day. Here is some completely insane paranoid blather from the president of the future newest member (Ch"v) of the nuclear club:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in his address on the occasion of the International Quds Day, blasted the criminal nature of the Zionist regime, and stressed that the existence of the regime runs counter to the dignity of the world nations.

The existence of the Zionist regime runs counter to the dignity, independence and interests of all world nations, the Iranian president said on Friday.

Ahmadinejad stated that the Tel Aviv regime has been created all out of deceit and falsehood.

He added that this comes as raising questions about the philosophy of Israel's creation carries a punishment of prison sentence in Europe in order to silence the vocal opponents.

He stressed that Israel is the cornerstone of all imperialist and anti-human powers.

"The regime is the embodiment of all the characteristics of materialistic and capitalist powers in the West. It is the representation of all brutalities of the imperialist powers," Ahmadinejad underscored.

The Iranian president noted that Israel is tasked with continually keeping the Middle-East under threat, assassination, division and hypocrisy so that colonial powers can dominate the region.

He pointed out that among other missions of the Tel Aviv regime is to prevent the progress and sovereignty of the countries in the region. [...]

The "prison-sentence" sentence seems to be about Holocaust-denial. The article is nothing special, but here is the most charming Quds Day headline at Fars: "Minister: Int'l Quds Day Rallies Echo Crush of Zionists' Bones." If only Juan Cole were here to tell us what that means.

Fars (Iran): "MP: Collapse of Regional Dictators Heralds Annihilation of Zionist Regime"

This has to be the scariest stubbly beard guy yet--and Iran has a lot of them.

A senior Iranian legislator reiterated on Wednesday that the domino-like collapse of dictators in the regional countries indicates that the Zionist regime will soon be annihilated.

"With the collapse of every dictatorial regimes and freedom of each Muslim country from the domination of its bullying rulers, the Zionist regime comes one step closer to annihilation," First Vice-Speaker of the parliament Mohammad Reza Bahonar said.

He also urged the worldwide Muslim community as well as all freedom-seeking nations of the world to stage massive participation in the International Quds Day rallies on Friday in support for the Palestinian people and against the occupation and crimes of the Zionist regime.

Millions of people are expected to take part in the International Quds Day (Friday, August 26) rallies in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people and all oppressed nations around the world.

The International Quds Day was started by the late Founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, in 1979 as a way of expressing solidarity with the Palestinians and underscoring importance of the holy Quds to Muslims.

International Quds Day is an annual event opposing Israel's occupation of Beitul-Muqaddas. Anti-Zionist rallies and demonstrations are held on the last Friday of Ramadan in Muslim and Arab countries around the world, specially in Iran.

If the reasoning in the title and the first two paragraphs sounds odd to you, remember that in the world of Fars News Iran and Syria are democracies and Mubarak was Israel's best friend.

New book on Islamophobia! Preface by Mumia! Forward by Ward Churchill!

I'm just guessing, but this has to be the read of the year. And I learned about it from Iran's PressTV. According to Amazon "some featured Islamophobes" include Bernard Lewis, Fareed Zakaria, and Barack Obama! You know, the pervasive lack of social justice in this country has left me a little short of cash. If you're out there, Stephen Sheehi, please have the publisher send me a free review copy. You won't regret it.

Fars (Iran): "Commander Stresses Spread of Egyptian, Tunisian Revolutions to Europe"

When you want to know what's really going on in Europe and the US, ask Iranian Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff for Cultural Affairs and Defense Publicity Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri:

Iranian Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff for Cultural Affairs and Defense Publicity Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri underlined that the growing waves of popular uprisings and revolutions which have swept Egypt and Tunisia will soon overwhelm the European continent.

"The (impacts of) oppression which led to the collapse of Bin Ali and Mubarak in Tunisia and Egypt yesterday, will certainly leave its impacts in Europe and the US as well," Jazayeri said on Tuesday.

He also referred to the recent unrests in different British cities and in the US, and said despite strong censorship in the US, world nations are well informed that certain US states are now the scene of similar uprisings and protests in an irreversible trend.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei had stressed in May that the European continent would soon experience popular uprisings and revolutions sweeping the Middle-East and North of Africa at present.

Before Britain, several other European countries, including Spain, Greece and France had witnessed similar massive protests against their governments' policies. [...]

It's not true. There is still oppress--I mean democracy!--in the World Arrogance . . . .

Korean News: "news of the Supreme Commander's unofficial visit to Russia filled the hearts of the servicepersons with boundless longing for him"

Gaddafi may be gone (or maybe not), but there is still one dictator left with a boundlessly sycophantic news agency to provide us un-Juche types with entertainment:

Officials in various fields and servicepersons of the DPRK are greatly excited to hear the news of leader Kim Jong Il's visit to Siberia and the Far East Region of the Russian Federation and filled with boundless longing and reverence for him as he has made endless journeys of forced march for great dedication to the country and the people.

Picturing to himself Kim Jong Il who is on a foreign trip without being relieved of the fatigue pent up while providing Songun revolutionary leadership day and night, Jo Pyong Ju, vice-premier of the Cabinet, had this to say:

The whole country is now swept by a hot wave of general offensive for flinging open the gate to a thriving nation in 2012 without fail.

It was against this backdrop that Kim Jong Il is paying his historic visit to the Russian Federation.

The officials of the Cabinet wholeheartedly hope for the good health of Kim Jong Il paying a visit to the Russian Federation, another brilliant chapter in the history of the DPRK-Russia friendship being given steady continuity generation after generation and are firmly determined to honor the sense of obligation as his soldiers and materialize with loyalty the grandiose plan of the Workers' Party of Korea for building an economic power.

General of the Korean People's Army Kim U Ho said that the news of the Supreme Commander's unofficial visit to Russia filled the hearts of the servicepersons with boundless longing for him.

Kim U Ho?

He is a kind-hearted father, indeed, as he regards it as his greatest pleasure to be among our soldiers and people, Kim U Ho noted, and continued:

Holding in high esteem the great Songun brilliant commander revered by the world people, we will defend the socialist country as firm as an iron wall and creditably discharge our mission as a driving force in the on-going great advance for building a prosperous and powerful country with the pride and self-esteem that they are led by him.

Ri Kyong Sik, minister of Agriculture, said that the ardent longing for Kim Jong Il is the source of the strength to bring about a fresh turn in grain production.

It wasn't easy breeding grain that would have ardent longing for the Leader.

An Jong Su, minister of Light Industry, said he would exert all efforts to make all light industry factories increase the production of quality consumer goods and thus contribute to powerfully demonstrating the might of the harmonious whole between the leader and the people during Kim Jong Il's visit to Russia.

He noted that the Korean people are eagerly waiting for Kim Jong Il's return home.

I bet they are--along with the grain . . .

Repost: "The Green Book Emancipates Humanity From its Bonds"

[Just a repost to mark the occasion of Gaddafi's downfall. The links have expired now, so this post is now a priceless historical archive. Original post here.]

That's the "theme" of "The First International Conference of the World Association of Supporters of the Green Book." The Green Book, you will recall, is just like Mao's Little Red Book except that it is green, written by Libya's Muammar al-Gaddafi, and easily five times as liberating. If humanity is going to get emancipated from its bonds, the least I can do is merge the first JANA article in this series with a few of its addenda and fix up the spacing a bit for your reading and emancipation pleasure:

The First International Conference of the World Association of Supporters of the Green Book kicked Off in Tripoli Sunday afternoon under the theme "The Green Book Emancipates Humanity From its Bonds".

The opening session was attended by a host of writers, professors and those interested in the thought of the Green Book from Libya and from Europe, Asia, North America, South America Australia and Africa.

***

The Secretary General of the Association saluted the Leader of the Revolution Muammar Gaddafi who initiated the world Third Universal Theory, the thought of the Green Book.

He said "in your name I salute the Leader of Gt al Fateh Revolution, the Philosopher, and the author of the Third Universal Theory whose thought ushered in the era of the peoples . . . the masses who have the power, wealth and arms.

"we have been honoured by his patronage of this event and call on him to participate in the proceedings of this conference.

***

The Secretary General of the Association expressed pride of the leader's speech before the UN General Assembly.

He pointed out that during this First International Conference a work plan will be set up for its members and branches worldwide and to get informed about its statute and the Green Charter which is the guideline of this Association in carrying out its functions.

He added: "During this conference, a future plan is to be worked out aiming at spreading the Third Universal Theory.

On the other hand, he underlined that this conference assumes the responsibility of establishing the most important scientific, intellectual and cultural association in modern time, namely International Association for the Supporters of the Green Book, in addition to establishing branches for this association in all continents and countries of the world.

Meaning that there will be continental branches in addition to the national ones, or that the continents will be included automatically once the national branches are all in place? No need to worry--we'll know soon enough (unless we're so busy being emancipated that we don't notice).

Ma'an: "Projectiles fired at Israel after Gaza ceasefire announced"

While one of the headlines at Iran's IRIB is "Zionists committing war crimes in Gaza," this report seems to bear some relation to the facts. Note PRC's position:

Four projectiles and several mortars have been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, an Israeli army spokeswoman said Sunday.

Two projectiles were launched at Ashkelon and two others landed in the Hof Ashkelon regional council.

No injuries were reported.

The latest escalation comes as Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported that a Hamas official had earlier announced an Egyptian brokered ceasefire between militant groups in the Gaza Strip.

The projectiles were reportedly fired at 8.30 p.m. winter saving time, but 9.30 p.m. Israeli time, Haaretz reported, noting that it is still unclear as to whether the ceasefire will be implemented.

The Hamas official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Egypt had helped mediate the cease fire after telling Gaza groups that Israel would halt airstrikes if militants stopped firing projectiles.

The official said that the ceasefire would begin Sunday evening and Hamas security would enforce the agreement, Haaretz said.

A spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committee [PRC] said, however, that they would not accept the ceasefire, Israeli news site Ynet reported.

"Our stance is clear. We have no connection to the ceasefire agreement with the Zionist enemy," Ynet quoted Abu Mujahed as telling a Palestinian news agency.

Israel must take responsibility for its actions, Abu Mujahed said, referring to the assassination of PRC leaders in the Gaza Strip.

The ceasefire is "cursed," he added.

Earlier, a senior Islamic Jihad leader told AFP that Egyptian officials had held talks with some of Gaza's military factions in order to secure a ceasefire agreement.

Although Gaza's Hamas leaders were not there in person, a senior official from the Islamist movement confirmed they were in touch with the Egyptians by phone.

Israel began bombarding the Gaza Strip after militants staged a series of bloody shooting attacks in the Negev desert on Thursday, killing eight Israelis and prompting a wave of bloody tit-for-tat exchanges. [...]

Other Pro-Israel bloggers have informative posts about current developments. EOZ, for instance, explains that "according to Arab sources" "10 of the 13 Gazans killed since Thursday were terrorists." The Muqata is live-blogging. Daled Amos has a post on the UN non-response.

Amir Taheri: Islamic Republic now "a one-man show"

Amir Taheri continues to cover the Supremacy enhancement activities of Iran's Supreme Leader. The present article begins with a discussion of Khamenei's acquisition of the title "Imam" and then proceeds to detail the whole power-consolidation process, leading up to recent moves:

[...] He started implementing his plan in June 2009 when he declared Ahmadinejad winner of the presidential election before the counting of the votes had been completed.

By doing so, he also destroyed the authority of the Council of the Guardians of the Constitution, a body that has the authority to approve election results.

The message was clear: It was Khamenei and not the voters who would decide who becomes president. Ahmadinejad became the first President of the Islamic Republic to start a term not as the choice of the people but as someone appointed by the “Supreme Guide”.

Even that was not enough for Khamenei. Last spring he destroyed what was left of the president’s authority by vetoing Ahmadinejad’s decision to sack the Minister of Intelligence and Security. Again, the message was clear: It is the “Supreme Guide” not the president who hires and fires ministers.

Legally, the Islamic Majlis, Iran’s ersatz parliament, should approve ministerial appointments. However, in this case, the Majlis was scripted out and the sacked minister returned to his post without going through the parliamentary procedure.

Earlier this month, Khamenei hammered the nail further in by ordering Ahmadinejad to scrap his plan for abolishing the Oil Ministry and reviving the National Iranian Oil Company. Ahmadinejad was then forced to appoint a general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as the new Oil Minister.

Next, Khamenei turned his attention to the Majlis. In public statements, he made it clear that the Majlis was to obey his orders. Earlier this month, Ali Ardeshir Larijani, the Speaker of the Majlis, spelled out the new situation thus: “It is the sacred duty of the Majlis to absolutely obey the instructions of the Supreme Guide.”

The Majlis, supposed to be the legislature under the Islamic Republic Constitution, was transformed into a consultative organ for the self-styled “Imam.”

Ali Motahari, a brother-in-law of Ali Ardeshir and a member of the Majlis, put it this way: “The parliament has been reduced to an appendage of the Supreme Guide’s office.”

Khamenei’s next move was to destroy the Expediency Council, another constitutional organ, by appointing a new committee to assume its tasks.

The judiciary, supposed to be independent under the constitution, has also been destroyed. [...]

Taheri concludes that Mr. Supreme has now taken the "high-risk" path of exposing "the truth of the system." If there was any risk involved in doing that, it should evaporate quickly.

IRIB (Iran): US seeks to "steal Muslim countries' resources and gain world dominance for Israel's benefit"

Iranian news agencies are the only ones that reveal the conspiracy. Good thing Al-Jazeera works for us!

An American Islamic activist charges that the US dispatches its agents to Muslim nations to stir trouble and set the ground for military invasion of these countries in the interest of the Zionist regime.

"They [the US government] see how easy it is to provoke protests in Arab countries, sending mercenaries to kill the people, blaming the killings on the Arab leaders and then bomb those countries,” Nashid Abdul Khaaliq told Press TV in an interview.

"Their goals are always the same: steal Muslim countries' resources and gain world dominance for Israel's benefit,” said Abdul Khaaliq, a graduate of the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who also works in Saudi Arabia as a system analyst.

The activist also said Washington's next target is Syria and is now planning to de-stabilize the government there. [...]

It's certainly working.

Guardian: "reducing our emissions might just save humanity from a pre-emptive alien attack"

Here is the reasoning:

It may not rank as the most compelling reason to curb greenhouse gases, but reducing our emissions might just save humanity from a pre-emptive alien attack, scientists claim.

Watching from afar, extraterrestrial beings might view changes in Earth's atmosphere as symptomatic of a civilisation growing out of control – and take drastic action to keep us from becoming a more serious threat, the researchers explain. [...]

I thought that global warming itself is a threat to humanity. Wouldn't it be possible that global warming could save us from pre-emptive attack? The aliens might be worried about our eventual technological capability, but they might conclude, "Fortunately, it is unnecessary to take any action--they aren't going to survive the global warming hurdle." The best survival strategy might be to wait as long as possible before acting on global warming. If we can veer into safety at the last moment, by that time we might be advanced enough to deal with a bunch of Gore-brained Science-wimp aliens and their puny sustainable plug-in hybrid Prius star-fleet. It is evidently very important not to build any new bicycle lanes. (h/t: memeorandum)

(North) Korean News: "Zimbabwean President Vows to Continue Fight against Western Imperialism"

We haven't thought about Mugabe for some time, maybe not since we discovered that he "boundlessly reveres President Kim Il Sung." Anyway, he's still fighting against imperialism:

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe vowed on Monday to continue fighting against Western imperialism. He said this in a speech to mark the Heroes' Day Holiday.

Mugabe said the former colonial master is defiantly refusing to accept that Zimbabwe is now a sovereign country and so the struggle is on.

The present international situation served as a reminder and lesson for Zimbabwe and other African countries to guard against neocolonialism by the West, he said, urging Zimbabweans to remain vigilant and united in safeguarding the country's political independence and heritage.

Just "vigilant"? Not "vigilant against imperialist plots" or something like that? He's not helping much in the fight against boredom, but I'll try to be vigilant myself.

Fars (Iran): Western (or "Zionist") Press "Censoring Reality" in Britain, "Resorting to Fabricated Stories about Syria"

If you want to know what is really going on in England, ask "Commander of Iran's Basij (volunteer) forces Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi":

Commander of Iran's Basij (volunteer) forces Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi deplored vast and strong censorship in the mainstream media in the West, and said what is reported from unrests in Britain is just tip of the iceberg.

"We should not assume that we are aware of the different aspects of the violation of human rights in Britain because many humanitarian disasters in Britain have not been disclosed to the public due to strict news censorship," Naqdi said on Monday.

He underscored that the Zionist media have resorted to massive propaganda campaign to hide the deep crises in the arrogant countries.

"The Zionist mass media are seeking to divert the public opinion from the great developments in the world through massive propaganda campaign," Naqdi reiterated. [...]

And, of course, the inside scoop on Syria requires a "senior Lebanese analyst":

A senior Lebanese analyst warned that the western media are resorting to fabricated stories to spark further tensions in Syria to wage a psychological war against the Damascus government.

"Since several months ago, satellite channels, internet websites, TV and radio channels, newspapers and media in and outside the region have embarked on waging intensive media attacks against Syria," Head of the National Council of Audio-Visual Media Qaleb Qandil told FNA on Monday.

He added that these fabricated stories aim to distort the truth in Syria, create a series of demands and attribute them to the people of Syria in a bid to bring them (people of Syria) into confrontation with the Syrian government.

Qandil cautioned that enemies have used videos of protests held in Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan in the past and mixed them with fabricated voices in a bid to falsify facts and portray them as new anti-government demonstrations in Syria.

Meantime, he stressed ineffectiveness of such acts and stated that Syrian citizens are well familiar with such plots and conspiracies. [...]

And thanks to Fars, we are, too.

Whacked Out Iranian Press Article of the Week

Here.

Mehr (Iran): "Enemy is seeking to infiltrate into system: Ayatollah Yazdi"

Two intriguing paragraphs. What is that "Iranian school of thought (first introduced by deviationists)"?

Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, a senior member of the Assembly of Experts, has warned that the enemy is seeking to take advantage of internal dissensions within the principlist camp to penetrate the government.

He added, “The enemy is trying to infiltrate (into the government) through the city council, the Majlis, and the Presidential Office and by raising issues such as Iranian school of thought (first introduced by deviationists), democracy, and human rights to overshadow our (Islamic) values.”

Also at Mehr, Ahmadinejad strikes a new variation of the don't-worry-'bout-the-nukes pose: "Nuclear weapons not a determining force in 21st century":

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that the 21st century is about knowledge, while nukes are the means of the past and are not going to be a determining force in the world in future.

Ahmadinejad made the remarks during an interview with Russia Today (RT) on August 13. His comments were later translated into English by this television network.

Commenting on the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program, Ahmadinejad said, “We do not want nuclear weapons for a few reasons… This weapon is inhumane. Because of our faith, we are against it. Our religion says it is prohibited, and we are religious people.”

“Nuclear weapons have no capabilities today. If any country tries to build a nuclear bomb, in fact, they waste their money on resources and, secondly, they create a big danger to themselves,” he stated.

No country possessing nuclear weapons has benefited from it, Ahmadinejad said, adding, “The Americans have nuclear bombs and nuclear weapons. Could they win in Iraq or in Afghanistan? Could nuclear weapons help the Zionist regime win in Lebanon and Gaza? Could nuclear weapons help the former Soviet Union avoid collapse?”

He added, “Nuclear weapons are the means of the previous century. This century is the century of knowledge and thinking. It is the century of human beings. It is the century of culture and knowledge.”

Ahmadinejad pointed out that nuclear weapons are not going to be the determining force in the world in future, saying, “It is about the power of people, not nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, I should say that, our goal in the country and the goal of our people, our slogan is ‘Peace for all!’ Nuclear energy for all, nuclear weapons for none! This is our goal.” [...]

The endless stream of nuke-denial speeches alone should arouse suspicion of Iran's nuclear intentions.

Fars (Iran): "MP Condemns Brutal Massacre of British Youth as Blatant Violation of Human Rights"

Meanwhile on the Planet Khomeini:

A senior Iranian legislator condemned the continued and severe violation of human rights by the British police, and urged London to stop massacre of the youth during unrests in the British capital and other cities.

"The current situation in Britain fully demonstrates the violation of human rights and nullifies all the claims Britain and the European and American countries have made (on advocating human rights)," Head of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi told reporters on Sunday.

He added that Britons and Europeans who have always claimed to be a supporter of the minorities' rights, civil rights and freedom of the people could not even tolerate people's protests and brutally attacked, killed and imprisoned their people. [...]

Maan: "'UNRWA Watch' looks to improve refugee agency"

New horizons in entitlements:

Palestinian academics and others have announced the establishment of a watchdog group to observe UNRWA’s performance in the Gaza Strip, the head of the body said Saturday.

At a news conference in Gaza City, Hossam Adwan said "UNRWA Watch" would prioritize observing the performance of the Palestine refugee agency with the hope of guaranteeing refugee rights.

The committees are specializing in education, healthcare, the environment, housing, projects, emergency operations, relief projects, and works, Adwan explained. They will staff six offices throughout the enclave.

One of the group's tasks will be to issue a biannual report locally and internationally. UNRWA Watch calls on Palestinian refugees in the diaspora to cooperate by sending updates about the agency's performance.

UNRWA has defended itself against a series of complaints and accusations in recent months, as staff joined strikes and the heads of the West Bank and Gaza Strip divisions resigned early this year.

On Friday, the Jenin branch came under criticism by the local popular committee, a day after the agency suspended services indefinitely in response to unspecified "threats" against staff.

UNRWA said it could not offer services to refugees amidst an atmosphere of "violence and threats," adding that UNRWA employees and its facilities became unsafe in light of these threats. It did not elaborate.

The controversy in Jenin follows recent protests in Gaza City over issues like the agency's failure to rebuild homes of refugees destroyed during Israel's Operation Cast Lead.

It sounds as if this little conflict is escalating. Stay tuned . . .

(North) Korean News: "Iran to Counter U.S., Israeli Cyber Attacks"--No, not the precise stance!

Continuing our exploration of North Korean press items taking the point of view of Iran and other allies of the DPRK:

Avaz Heidarpour, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's Majlis (parliament), clarified the stand of the country to counter the U.S. and Israeli cyber attacks. He said this in an interview with a TV radio on August 8.

He noted that the country's security and intelligence bodies have "very strong capabilities" to counter the enemies' cyber attacks.

If the U.S. and Israel seek to draw up a new plan to wage cyber attacks, Iran's security and intelligence bodies will immediately adopt an "appropriate and precise" stance, he warned.

The latest Haveil Havalim adopts an appropriate and precise stance.

Great news! Flow of US money to Hamas saved

We can all breathe a sigh of relief. Hamas won't have to spend any of its Qassam-rocket money on bothersome medical care or anything like that. From Maan News:

Hamas and the US Agency for International Development have reached a compromise to maintain the flow of aid, a senior Hamas official said Saturday.

"We've reached a compromise with USAID through the United Nations" to allow the continuation of aid, which was suspended by Washington on Friday, the official of the Islamist movement controlling the Palestinian enclave told AFP.

Hamas, as a result of the agreement, renounces for a "three-month period" its demand to verify the accounts of NGOs financed by the US Agency for International Development in the Palestinian territories, he said.

"We are keen on the continuation of the international institutions' work and their services to our people," he said.

The Hamas official, who participated in the mediated talks, said the sides were now working towards an agreement on mechanisms that ensure "transparency and internal accountability of these international organizations."

There will be "no control over their work," he added.

A UN official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said the United Nations had "made major efforts to end this crisis and reach a good agreement."

A US official on Friday said USAID was halting humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip over alleged meddling by Hamas, which Washington and Israel designate as a terrorist organization.

"We deeply regret that USAID-funded partner organizations operating in Gaza are forced by Hamas's actions to suspend their assistance work," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"USAID assistance programs were put on hold effective August 12," he added.

"Hamas, through a series of measures it has imposed over the past months, has created an environment which jeopardizes the ability of non-governmental organizations to provide assistance to Gaza's most vulnerable residents," the official said.

He said all US partner organizations would suspend their activities funded by the United States until these are able "to operate without interference or harassment from Hamas."

An official in Washington said he understood that Hamas has been demanding access to physically search files and records of NGOs, which would be unprecedented.

Referring to NGO the International Medical Corps, the first official said that when "the organization objected to the unwarranted audits, Hamas responded by closing down the organization's office in Gaza.

"These types of physical searches of NGO offices and records are unprecedented and represent a significant increase in the harassment of humanitarian relief and development organizations operating in Gaza."

Hamas insisted on Friday that it should be able to verify the accounts of NGOs financed by USAID in the Palestinian territories.

The movement's spokesman Taher Al-Nunu complained that "USAID refuses to recognize the government in Gaza," adding that anyone who "wishes to work in Palestinian territory must obey its laws." [...]

And how will they know if they are disobeying any laws if they can't ransack all the records? Shame on the NGOs for not allowing it! I think this calls for a flotilla . . .

Various Iranian officials continue to project Iran's sins onto Great Britain

The drum-beat goes on against that evil human rights predator, the middle-sized Satan, otherwise known as Great Britain. According to an IRIB Radio headline, "Britain lacks democracy":

A senior Iranian lawmaker says the recent violent crackdown by the British government on popular protests across the UK shows the "lack of democracy in Britain."

Chairman of Iran's Majlis (parliament) Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Alaeddin Boroujerdi criticized the British police for the brutal treatment of protesters, saying there is no respect for human rights in the UK. [...]

Meanwhile at Fars:

"The unrests are the result of years of (Britain's) discrimination, undesirable living conditions and chronic and long-term injustice," Head of the parliament's Human Rights Commission Zohreh Elahian told FNA on Saturday.

She predicted that unrests and uprisings in the European country will continue in future despite the British police's brutal suppression of protestors, and said the British government should account for its crimes against its people at international human rights organizations.[...]

Another Fars article featuring a female official is still promoting the Iranian peace-keeper idea:

[...] "Today, the British police have embarked on brutal suppression of the people and created an atmosphere of panic and intimidation all throughout the country…in fact at present the conditions are intolerable in Britain, a country which claims to be advocate of human rights," member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Fatemeh Alia told FNA on Saturday.

She lashed out at the international community for keeping mum about the violent suppression of the people by the London regime, and said the issue unveils the double-standard policy of the international community towards human rights.

Alia also called on the UN Human Rights Council to break silence about the events in Britain, and called on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to condemn violence in Britain.

The lawmaker also asked for deployment of impartial peacekeeping forces in Britain to end violence, and added that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to dispatch peacekeepers to the crisis-hit country through international human rights bodies.

On Thursday, Commander of Iran's Basij (volunteer) forces Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi said that Tehran is prepared to dispatch peacekeepers to London to help restore calm in the city. [...]

This could go on for some time, as long as there as any hint at all of unrest in England. There are three or four other articles on this theme at the moment just at Fars News.

Pals in PA-controlled area arrested for eating during Ramadan

This is a nice catch from EOZ. Here is what Google translate makes of the Arabic Palestine Press article (rendering the headline as "Three people arrested for voicing breakfast in Nablus"):

Police on Saturday arrested three persons for violating the sanctity of Ramadan and breakfast openly downtown Nablus.

According to a media and public relations in the police, he was arrested three people red-handed, was arrested on charges of publicly reversed fast, based on a connection from a citizen about a group of people eating and drinking cigarettes behind the vegetable market downtown.

For his part, warned the director of the police report Nablus Omar seeds of violating the sanctity of Ramadan, the profession, whether breakfast or other, pointing to the tightening of instructions on this issue, and anyone who violates the will of the same prison.

It seems obvious that enthusiasm for publicly enforcing Muslim observance is increasing among the Palestinians and in the Arab and Muslim world more generally. One-state solution proponents should take note in the unlikely event any of them think of Israeli Jews as having rights and legitimate interests.

PressTV: "Iran ready to send HR examiners to UK"

Another one of these! I should just append this to the previous post, but the picture is priceless:

A senior Iranian lawmaker says Iran's Majlis (parliament) is ready to send a group of human rights rapporteurs to the UK to investigate human rights violations in the country.

Deputy head of Iran's Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Hossein Ebrahimi made the comment in an interview with Fars news agency on Tuesday.

He referred to the large arrests of British protesters angry over the killing of a black man by the police and said, Iran's Majlis urges the British government and the UK embassy in Tehran to facilitate the visit without making false excuses.

Ebrahimi said that the group of rapporteurs intend to interview political detainees and to give a report to international bodies on the treatment received by the protesters. [...]

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast also called on the British police to exercise restraint against protesters.

Mehmanparast asked the British government to start dialogue with the protesters and to listen to their demands in order to calm the situation down.

He also asked independent human rights organizations to investigate the killing in order to protect the civil rights and civil liberties.

They'll hop to it right away! And in the meantime the world waits breathlessly to see if rioters will soon have the protection of Khomeinist peace-keepers as they loot liquor stores.

"Iran ready to send peacekeepers to UK"

The Iranian press produces a constant stream of headlines which begin with the words "Iran ready." For instance, "Iran ready to help Lebanon explore oil in Mediterranean Sea" and "Iran Ready to Send Dentists to Regional Countries." They are usually silly, but this is the best one in a long time. Notice that the Medium-sized Satan's crimes include "the fall of the Ottoman Empire":

Commander of Iran's Basij Force says it is ready to deploy peacekeeper forces in London as the unrest in the British capital drags on despite tightened security measures.

“The Ashura brigades of Basij forces are ready to be deployed to London as peacekeeping forces,” Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Naqdi said on Thursday, Fars news agency reported.

Naqdi criticized the British authorities for their harsh crackdown of protesters and describing them as rioters and hooligans.

“Unfortunately the crimes and violence of the autocratic British kingdom continues against the country's deprived [population] and not only the advice of well-wishers has no effect on the conduct of the regime's repressive police force but we witness the deprived people of this country are being called a bunch of thieves and looters,” he regretted.

Naqdi expressed disappointment with the UN Security Council as invariably supporting oppressors.

“If the UN General Assembly approves, the Basij Organization is ready to send a number of Ashura and al-Zahra brigades to Liverpool and Birmingham as peacekeepers to monitor observation of human rights laws and deter use of force,” he added.

Naqdi referred to UK Prince Williams' lavish wedding and the high cost of its live coverage and described the recent uprisings in Britain as the result of “big mistakes” by British officials and warned them of even more severe consequences.

“This is the beginning if the road and the UK regime has to pay the price for the massacres in Africa, wars and bloodshed in the Indian peninsula, crimes in China, the fall of the Ottoman Empire and bloody conflicts among Muslims and followers of other faiths,” the brigadier noted.

He said the uprising in Britain even if oppressed at this stage is far deeper than a political unrest or factional conflict to be resolved easily.

“This wound will come to a head elsewhere…The people of Britain have awakened and will definitely take their rights back,” he stated. [...]

A related story begins "A political analyst says the British government should accept Iran's offer to send a group of rapporteurs to investigate human rights violations in Britain." There's a new age dawning . . .

Tehran Times: "Iran warns against travel to Britain"

The Iranian Press is playing this to the hilt:

The Foreign Ministry advised Iranian citizens on Wednesday to defer nonessential travel to Britain, citing intensifying unrest in the northwestern European country. In the travel alert, the ministry also recommended that Iranian nationals residing in Britain not attend the scenes of unrest. Violence, which erupted in Tottenham district on Saturday, has spread across some other parts of Britain.

Find a more suitable travel destination, such as Syria . . .

Update: Here is the Fars version:

The Iranian foreign ministry in a statement warned the country's nationals against visiting Britain under the current conditions, reminding the European country's bad entanglement with street unrests and its brutal crackdown on protestors.

On Wednesday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on its website, cautioning Iranians against visiting the UK under the current circumstances and to avoid restive places if they must make the trip due to its urgent character.

In the message, the ministry also called on the Iranian expatriates to similarly stay away from riot-ridden spots to avoid injury and harm.

The unrest in Britain began on August 6 in the north London suburb of Tottenham after a few hundred people gathered outside a police station to protest the fatal police shooting of a black man Mark Duggan.

The country's worst unrests since the 1980s has now spilled over into major cities like Birmingham, Liverpool, and Bristol.

Four people have reportedly died and hundreds of others have been arrested so far.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad strongly condemned the violent attacks, saying, "The true opposition in Britain is the people that are pushed to the ground and beaten on London streets and slain and yet no one hears their voice."

Except for Khomeinists . . .

Fars (Iran): "President Ahmadinejad Deplores Suppression of Protesters in Britain"

If only Britain were a democracy like Iran:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad strongly criticized London for its brutal suppression of protesters, specially in recent days, and called on the British authorities to correct their attitude towards people's demands.

"I advise them (British authorities) to correct their brutal behavior since such a brutal attitude is totally unacceptable," President Ahmadinejad told reporters at the end of a cabinet meeting here in Tehran on Wednesday.

Britain's politicians should give the people the freedom and chance to participate in their society's affairs, the Iranian president went on saying, and added that Britain should deal with the problems of its own people instead of launching military attacks on other states like Afghanistan and Libya.

He also asked all European leaders to listen to their people's demands, and stated, "I'm concerned about a social outburst in the West and I am concerned that the outburst happens so badly that no one can control it." [...]

Such touching concern. The article goes on for several more paragraphs, making all the looting and criminality sound like protests.

Fars (Iran): Basij Commander: "we advise them (Zionists) to return to the countries of their origin soon to save their lives"

Sounds genocidal. If only Juan Cole were here to explain what it means:

Commander of Iran's Basij (volunteer) forces Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi stressed the Zionist regime's weak and poor conditions in the confrontation against Islamic resistance in the region, and said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should prepare for a trial in cage like the former Egyptian dictator, Hosni Mubarak.

"Today Zionists are completely surrounded by the Mujahedin of Islam and we advise them (Zionists) to return to the countries of their origin soon to save their lives," Naqdi said on Wednesday.

He referred to the recent threats posed by the Zionist regime to the Muslim nations, and said, "Zionist leaders and Mr. Netanyahu should prepare themselves for the cage (to be tried in), and this is our response to such threats."

Naqdi's warning came after Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi spoke of new wars against the regional countries. Ashkenazi said that in a future war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip or Hezbollah in Lebanon, the IDF will have to simultaneously use ground forces and standoff firepower.

"It would be nice if we could stop rocket and missile fire with just standoff firepower," he said. "But it is not possible. We will need to combine our capabilities and also to maneuver on the ground."

To anticipate, Ashkenazi told the audience that the IDF has already been working on creating target banks for future conflicts with Hezbollah and Hamas.

Ashkenazi also said that the IDF was looking into procuring new accurate rockets to increase the ground forces' capability to independently destroy targets with great precision and without needing to rely on air support.

After Ashkenazi's remarks, Spokesman of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades Abu Ahmad warned the Zionist regime against a new assault on Gaza, stressing that Palestinian resistance groups would not hesitate to give a crushing response to any Israeli invasion.

"The Zionist enemy will receive a crushing response from the resistance in case it embarks on any stupid act," Abu Ahmad told FNA on Tuesday. [...]

Another day in the Iranian press.

Juan Cole helpfully explains "African-Carribeans are Christians and are not pushing for a Talmud or a sharia."

For context fans, here is the paragraph containing that immortal sentence and the one that preceded it:

When riots broke out in Paris in 2005, the Muslim-haters, such as Fox Cable News, blamed Islam. But there too, the issue was not religion, as almost all French recognized immediately. The issue was youth unemployment.

Likewise, the Tottenham riot was not about culture. African-Carribeans are Christians and are not pushing for a Talmud or a sharia. (Some Muslim communities may get caught up in the wave of rioting, but as I will argue, it will be because of issues other than their religion).

Exactly what does Juan think the Talmud is and how did it get into the middle of this discussion?

Team Obama to attack Romney for making a profit?

From Politico:

The second aspect of the campaign to define Romney is his record as CEO of Bain Capital, a venture capital firm that was responsible for both creating and eliminating jobs. Obama officials intend to frame Romney as the very picture of greed in the great recession — a sort of political Gordon Gekko.

“He was very, very good at making a profit for himself and his partners but not nearly as good [at] saving jobs for communities,” said David Axelrod, the president’s chief strategist. [...]

I'd say things are looking up for Romney.

IRNA (Iran): "UK must stop demonising its rioters, says IHCR"

The voice of deep moral authority speaks, and Iran's IRNA is such a fitting forum:

The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHCR) Tuesday expressed its deep concern about the level of demonisation in media and governmental discourse regarding the worst riots and disturbances seen in Britain in living memory.

“IHRC is alarmed that discussion and debate has targeted and criminalised youth in general and black youth in particular, as well as dismissing key issues of poverty and social and economic marginalisation, police violence, profiling and racism,” the London-based organisation said.

IHRC chair, Massoud Shadjareh told IRNA that there is clearly a discussion to be had over “the loss of values that has seen violence and looting overshadow demonstrations and the real issues of grievance.”

“However, there is a deep hypocrisy in this when just recently British politicians were embroiled in expenses scandals that focussed on the acquiring of luxuries from flat screen TVs to holidays at public expense,” Shadjareh said.

“This, and the continued violence of British foreign policy for oil and gain, are the examples that have been set by the leaders of this country, and any discussion of morality and values must focus on and deal with the entirety of the problem, not just scapegoat those already marginalised,” he said.

Prime Minister David Cameron said that the riots, which started on Saturday night in London and spread across the capital into other major cities, were “criminality pure and simple and it has to be confronted and defeated.”

“These are sickening scenes – scenes of people looting, vandalising, thieving, robbing, scenes of people attacking police officers and even attacking fire crews as they’re trying to put out fires,” Cameron said.

He made no mention of police working with community leaders as called for by the chair of the Home Affairs Committee Keith Vaz, but warned that those responsible will feel “the full force of the law and if you are old enough to commit these crimes you are old enough to face the punishment.”

I'm with Cameron here. I'm quite to content to ignore what one Guardian writer calls "context."

Ahmadinejad: "Hidden Hands Directing Economic Crisis in West"

A touch of conspiracism:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stressed on Tuesday that the economic crisis which has ravaged most western countries is directed by some hidden hands.

"The economic crisis, of course, exists in the West but I think that a part of the economic crisis in the West is directed," Ahmadinejad said here in Tehran today.

"The moneys that exist in their (the western countries') bourses do not belong to themselves, but belong to those who are under their colonialism," he added. [...]

In another story we learn that Ahamadinejad "blasted the US and Zionists' dominance over global financial and oil markets and flow of money in the world." And there's more blog-worthy stuff, as always, from the Iranian Press.

A story for Tisha B'Av

The Chassidic approach:

The Holy Ruzhiner (Chassidic master Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin, 1797-1851) rejected all feelings of sadness, even of bitterness.1 So his chassidim would engage in all sorts of practical jokes on the Ninth of Av (in order to mitigate the sadness of the day). They would throw burrs at each other. Then they conceived of the following prank: they opened a skylight in the roof of the study hall and dropped a snare; when someone walked into the study hall, they would yank on the rope so that the snare fastened itself around him, and pull him up to the roof.

It happened that the Ruzhiner himself walked in to the study hall. Those who were up on the roof could not see clearly who was coming in, so they pulled him up. To their dismay, they saw that they had pulled up their rebbe! As soon as they recognized who it was, they let him down.

Cried out the Ruzhiner: "Master of the Universe! If Your children are not properly observing Your 'festival,' take it away from them!"

More here.

Iran's Oil Minister: Revolutionary Guard Corps "should replace major foreign firms"

Very suggestive about where the power lies in Iran (and featuring a great picture of one of Iran's many stubbly beard guys!):

IRI's Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi says Khatam-ol-Anbiya headquarters, which belongs to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), should replace major foreign firms.

"This base (Khatam-ol-Anbiya) should become the replacement for big foreign companies," stated Qasemi, former commander of the base, on Sunday.

He urged the base to expand its role in Iran's economy sector and said it should prepare the ground for the country's private sector on a stage-by-stage process, IRNA reported.

The Oil Minister emphasized that the IRGC's Khatam-ol-Anbiya should give up small and medium works due to the involvement of the private sector in such activities.

The base has gone through a lot of ups and downs but has capable and proficient forces and proper facilities, he opined.

On Wednesday, Qasemi was approved by an overwhelming majority in Iran's Majlis (parliament) as the country's new Oil Minister.

Iran, where majorities are always overwhelming . . .

(North) Korean News: "Songun Policy Praised by Mexican Personages"

(North) Korean News has a slew of interesting headlines at the moment, many of them espousing the point of view of other oppressive regimes and also the Palestinians (Funny how that works, isn't it?). One excerpt from the list of headlines looks like this:

Raul Castro Refers to Economic Development
Hezbollah Slams Israel's Attack on Lebanese Army
Israel Condemned for Killing Palestinians
PNA Condemns Israeli Killings
Iran Criticizes West's Attitude toward Terrorism

I am not going to post any of that stuff, however. I like articles with maximum Juche-content:

A lecture was given in Mexico on July 29 to mark the 51st anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's start of Songun revolutionary leadership.

The coordinator of San Luis Potosi State Committee of the Workers' Party of Mexico and the chairman of the Mexican Committee for the Study of Kimilsungism said in their speeches that General Secretary Kim Jong Il developed in depth the Songun idea founded by President Kim Il Sung and enforced the Songun policy, the original political mode, the first of its kind in history.

They profoundly explained the essence, validity and vitality of the Songun policy in combination with the reality of the DPRK, adding that the Songun policy is just and the most effective political mode and an all-powerful treasured sword defending the sovereignty of the country and nation and guaranteeing the victorious advance of the human cause of independence.

They praised the army and people of the DPRK for having achieved miraculous successes and progress in all fields including politics, military affairs, economy and culture by resolutely foiling the imperialists' moves to stifle the DPRK under the Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il for more than half a century. They also lauded them for dynamically speeding up the on-going all-out offensive to bring about a decisive turn in the building of a thriving nation.

They renewed their resolution to intensify their activities for studying and disseminating the Juche idea, the Songun idea in order to commemorate the centenary of birth of the President as a great jubilee in human history.

Angry Arab on "Zionist hoodlums in the New York Times"

He links to a NY Times editorial which calls for confiscating the building that used to be the Iranian embassy in the US and seems to be imagining some sort of Iranian-style embassy take-over with hostages:

So this Zionist propagandist is calling for the takeover of the Iranian embassy in the US. He was given space in the New York Times to make his case. Can you in a million year imagine that I would get space in the New York Times to argue for a takeover of the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC? Hell, if I write that in any small town paper in the US, I would face prosecution and hearings in Congress would describe my piece as a call for terrorism on US territory, and there would be call for my transfer to Guantanamo.

Did he actually read the article his post is about?

ISNA (Iran): PIJ: "1967 borders will not fulfill the nation’s demand"

Iran's favorite Sunnis weigh in on the 1967 borders:

Representative of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement in Tehran Nasser Abu Sharif said Islamic awakening should be used to liberate Palestine.

He emphasized, "Zionist occupiers and their sponsors are the only impediment to establishment of independent state of Palestine."

"There are some countries supporting the occupier regime and have paved the way for it to establish such a state," Abu Sharif told ISNA.

He continued, “all efforts made by Palestinian Authority for formation of independent state are wrong and will not lead to the establishment of independent country of Palestine. Israel will not leave Palestinian lands except by battling and conflict. Submitting recognition plan to the UN Security Council is not logical, since the international community has not pressed Israel for execution of numerous resolutions adopted by the council against the regime. All the resolutions have been left unpracticed and there is no sign of establishment of independent Palestinian state."

Abu Sharif continued, “we believe establishment of Palestinian state based on 1967 borders will not fulfill the nation’s demand. Zionist regime has occupied the whole Palestinian land and the whole Palestine belongs to the people not only Gaza Strip and lands divided based on 1967 borders."

He turned to the issue of Palestinian resistance group and rejected reports that Palestinian resistance groups were transferred from Syria to Egypt and reiterated, "resistance groups are still in Syria."

Where they belong . . .

(North) Korean News: "Venezuelan President Proposes New Slogan"

Great news!

Hugo Chavez Frias, president of Venezuela, set a new revolutionary slogan.

Addressing a mass meeting on July 28, he suggested changing the traditional slogan "Socialist motherland or death" into "Socialist motherland, victory, let's remain alive and emerge victorious!"

I don't know about that new slogan. Something's missing . . .

How do Palestinian intellectuals feel about the two-state solution?

When discussing Palestinian support or non-support for the two-state solution, the discussion tends to focus on people responding to opinion polls and the pronouncements of officials. A current EOZ post presents an attack (from a Electronic Intifada piece called "The sham solidarity of Israel’s Zionist left") on, among other things, the two-state solution, an attack which includes the following sentence:

The whole idea of two states for two peoples as the only solution to the Palestinian-Israeli impasse — extremely popular among liberal Zionists — is predicated upon isolationism, exceptionalism and Zionists’ sense of moral righteousness and superiority to Palestinians which grants them the legitimacy to determine the problem, the solution and the means by which this solution shall be achieved.

Besides the fact that the quote makes you wonder what the author thinks "isolationism" and other words mean, the sentence suggests that there is no advocate of the two-state solution that the author would ever care to try to convince of anything. How typical is this fellow of the Palestinian intellectual where the two-state solution is concerned? Is it possible to generalize about such things? It would be an interesting avenue of investigation. I don't know exactly where it would lead, but it might make an interesting series of posts.

Fars (Iran): "Venezuelan Speaker Hails Iran's Resistance against Arrogant Powers"

It's a wonderful day in the axis-hood:

Venezuela's National Assembly Speaker Fernando Soto Rojas praised Iran's resistance against the world arrogant powers, and said Tehran sets a role model for other independent states.

Rojas made the remarks in a meeting with member of the Iranian parliament's Presiding Board Hassan Sobhaninia.

At the meeting, Rojas stressed that he attaches much importance to the revolutionary campaign and efforts of the Iranian people against the arrogant powers.

He also underlined the importance of cooperation between the two countries, specially between the Iranian and Venezuelan parliaments, and announced his readiness to travel to Tehran to meet with the Iranian officials and attend the 'International Conference on Supporting the Intifada in Palestine' in Tehran on October 1-2. [...]