Guardian:"These stooge negotiators have acted as tools for the repression of their people. We in Hamas must seize back the initiative"

In the good old days LGF would refer to "Al Guardian." That sort of thing has always been a bit too crude to emulate in my own blogging, but maybe I should reconsider. The title of this little example of Guardian editorial choices is "The Palestinian cause has been betrayed. But no more":

The revelations about the conduct of the Middle East peace process made by al-Jazeera and the Guardian over the past few days have shocked people around the world, but they did not surprise the membership of Hamas. They simply confirm what many of us have been warning against for nearly two decades.

Negotiating peace on the basis of the Oslo accords was, right from the start, conducted by two unequal parties. The PLO representatives, the weaker of the two sides, had no real cards to bargain with and ended up offering concessions that gave away basic national Palestinian rights. Their main aim has been to remain in power, preserve their role in the process, and maintain the special status and privileges accorded to them as individuals in exchange for collaborating with the occupiers. Consequently they allowed the Israelis to use them as stooges and tools for the repression of the Palestinian people.

Not only do we know for sure that these documents are authentic, but their authenticity has been endorsed by a good number of officials from the PLO and Palestinian National Authority, including some former members of the negotiation team.

The Palestinian negotiators named and quoted in these documents have betrayed their people and the Palestinian cause. We are in no doubt that, as a result of these revelations, they have lost their credibility for good. It is unthinkable that the Palestinian people will ever approve any deal concluded with the Israelis by this team of negotiators, for they will always be suspected of selling out and of betraying the cause. The Palestinian people can never believe that what these individuals pledge in public reflects how they bargain or deal in private.

One cannot but conclude from this shameful episode in the history of our people that these negotiators were willing to make such unthinkable and unacceptable concessions because they simply lacked any genuine affiliation to the people they claimed to represent, or any belief in the cause on whose behalf they claimed to negotiate. In fact they were neither elected by the Palestinian people nor mandated by its elected representatives to engage in this process. The only mandate given them was the one emanating from the US-led world order that has always conspired against our people and sided with our oppressors. [...]

That's a little less than half of it.

PressTV: "The United States continues its presence in Afghanistan to pursue a regime change policy aimed at Iran, China and Russia"

You can't really know what's going on in the world without reading Iranian news sites:

The United States continues its presence in Afghanistan to pursue a regime change policy aimed at Iran, China and Russia, a US anti-war activist says.

"That is a strategy of regime change," going on in regard to Russia, China and Iran, Richard Becker from ANSWER Coalition said in an interview with Press TV on Wednesday.

"You can see that between those countries -- Russia, China and Iran -- is Afghanistan and its strategic importance is very great in what is the drive of the US foreign policy to bring about a regime change wherever a government is not compliant with the wishes of the US policy makers and leaders," he added.

He further argued, "The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has been, since its beginning in 1949, an instrument of the United States. So, you have to ask the question “what is NATO doing in Afghanistan?” to begin with."

"Afghanistan is quite far from the Atlantic Ocean and it is serving as an expansion of the projections of US military power," Becker pointed out. [...]

"Pointed out" refers just to the "far" part--or the "expansion" part also?

IRNA (Iran): "Nasrollah says Hezbollah is not after power in Lebanon"

That's reassuring:

Hezbollah Secretary General Seyed Hassan Nasrollah said resistance movement is not trying to gain power in Lebanon and warned rivals not to engage in intrigues against the movement.

He made the remarks in a gathering to commemorate Imam Hossein (the third Imam of Shia Muslims) in Baalbek on Tuesday.

Nasrollah said that Lebanon is going through a hard and sensitive stage, adding that 'in current situation, we need dialogue, responsible behavior, and cooperation'.

He strongly criticized those who claim Lebanon's appointed prime minister Najib Mikati is Hezbollah's candidate and said 'they are just carrying on a religious intrigue'.

Nasrollah urged all Lebanese to take advantage of the new political opportunity and said 'threat against Mikati has no benefit for anybody'.

He reiterated that Hezbollah is not seeking power and just wants to prevent conspiracies against resistance.

Resistance leader said he was confident that a big development was going to happen in the region and emphasized the danger of the Zionists in the Middle East.

Hezbollah secretary general said, 'We supported candidacy of prime minister Najib Mikati and we asked him to form a national unity government here.'

He rejected the claim by some people that premiership of Mikati means Hezbollah's dominance over the post and said Mikati is a moderate person and is not dependent on March 8th or 14th groups.

He underlined that if the opportunity is not given to Mikati to form his government, then nobody knows what will happen in Lebanon.

Also, at IRNA: "West has double-standards towards Israel, says British journalist." Guess who the "British journalist" is . . . that's right, Yvonne Ridley!

Maan: Ahmed Yousef makes every conceivable claim about the Hamas Charter

I don't think this extended attempt to present the "fact" of the Hamas charter addresses a single statement that the Charter actually contains and that the Israelis supposedly mistranslated. Instead we get every possible claim about why it doesn't really mean what it says and why we should ignore it anyway, although it "retains its authoritative value." Let's see, it was mistranslated, taken out of context, only one elder's opinions, created to give "broad strokes direction," ratified when there was "little time . . . to pore over the minutia of . . . its religious and political terminology," and "cannot be construed to demand literal interpretation":

The Israeli occupation has never missed an opportunity to brand Hamas a fundamentalist, terrorist, racist, anti-Semitic organization. True to the Mossad motto which states "By way of deception, thou shall do war," it has excelled at taking select articles from the Islamic party's charter and using them, out of context, to justify its claims.

The Israelis have, for example, translated the charter to several languages, English and French included, intentionally perverting the substance of its tenets to suit their purposes. Those aims were to market its fraudulent translation to as many Western politicians, academics and media channels as possible; and therefore make it easier to claim security concerns as the basis for their legal infractions.

Is it my imagination, or does the first sentence of the above paragraph use the expression "for example"? Is there an actual example hidden in there somewhere?

The fear-mongering is designed to horrify the West so much that it turns a blind eye to the crimes against humanity which contravene international law.

Throughout my tenure as an adviser to Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in the tenth and eleventh administrations (the unity government), and even after the events of June 2007 when I was assigned as a deputy minister to the Foreign Ministry, journalists and politicians consistently asked the same questions around the charter and the extent to which the government was beholden to it or intent on applying the articles within it.

Despite my consistent clarification that Hamas must be evaluated on its official actions and political positions, it is evident that the Israeli propaganda machine has over a two year period successfully brainwashed those it has targeted. Many observers have become incapable of making an impartial assessment of the significant transformations the movement has undergone; and instead have parroted the Israeli position, adopting the obstinacy of what a local colloquialism notes "is a goat, even if it has wings." [...]

The Islamic Resistance Movement, known by its Arabic acronym Hamas, was born in December 1987 with the first Intifada, or Uprising. Initially, the group mounted demonstrations against Israeli belligerence; and in order to maintain the momentum of the newly created protest culture, the group's leadership needed a platform to crystallize its views and give the "resistance generation" broad strokes direction on the principles and challenges within which they would operate against the occupation. Those early, revolutionary days represent the context within which the concept of a charter was formed.

That document was a practical response to an oppressive occupation. It reflected the views of one of the movement's elder leaders; and it was ratified during the unique circumstances of the Uprising in 1988 as a necessary framework for dealing with a relentless occupation. There was little opportunity, at that time, to pore over the minutia of either its religious and political terminology or the broader perspective of international law.

An internal committee reviewed the possibility of amending the charter during the nineties and ratifying it as a binding manifesto; yet the primary concern, that of being seen as following the Fatah route of offering up concessions on a silver platter, led the group's leadership to shelve such measures.

Instead, new ideas were proposed that reflected the movement's openness to the international community and its willingness to adopt a more realistic political view. This flexibility was evident in official speeches; and more recently in the election platform put forward by the Change & Reform Party (al-taghyeer wal islah).

Despite the group's evolution, it is an inescapable fact that the charter represents a milestone in the struggle against an occupation. At any rate, historical statements remain a testament to the past; and the charter, as a document written over two decades ago, retains its authoritative value. [...]

Got that? The supposedly "fraudulent" translation is here. Yousef's article ends with a list of statements that he wants us to take as Hamas's true principles, but no clarification or translation of any specific statement or passage in the charter.

Angry Arab addresses post to bi-gendered "fighters for justice"

Here is the text of his post:

Every fighter for justice in the world should ask himself/herself daily: what have I done against Israel today?

"Himself/herself" refers to a person who is both, right?

AP: "Leaked documents show Palestinian Jerusalem offer"

I see a Kos diary in my crystal ball, and its title is "The Myth of Palestinian Intransigence." The first two sentences, which somehow require a paragraph break between them, convey the essence of this little development:

Palestinians were prepared to compromise over two of the toughest issues, Jerusalem and refugees, during peace talks in 2008, the Al-Jazeera TV channel reported Sunday, quoting from documents it said came from the talks.

Palestinian negotiators quickly denied the reports, saying parts of the documents were fabricated. [...]

According to Ahmed Qureia, we learn, the fabrications are "part of the incitement against the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian leadership." That would do it, I guess.

The Jerusalem Post title for this story is "PA: Al-Jazeera has declared war on Palestinians." How is the PA going to respond?

Asked if the PA was now considering measures against Al-Jazeera, the official said he did not see how a TV station that "incites" against the Palestinians would be able to continue operating in the West Bank. However, he said that PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who is currently in Cairo, would decided on the PA's response to the exposure of the documents in the coming hours.

I wonder what this all means. The Palestinian position has hardened in the meantime? Palestinians tell the truth to Israelis and lie to other Arabs? Some well-meaning leftist thought he was being helpful and bent the truth a bit? This should prove interesting.

Update: The original Al-Jazeera article is worth quoting. Bad Israel!

Not only did the Israeli government offer no concessions in return, but – as The Palestine Papers now reveal – it responded with an even more aggressive land swap: Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert wanted to annex more than 10% of the West Bank (including the major settlements in Ma’ale Adumim, Ariel and elsewhere), in exchange for sparsely-populated farmland along the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Reuters gets one thing right

Drumroll:

Turkey, a predominantly Muslim former ally of the Jewish state . . .

Can I have some Shwarma McNuggets with that?

Here. (h/t: Israel Matzav)

I went on down to the Pyongang Zoo and they all axed fuh you

They rallied 'round the headquarters of the revolution fuh you, they even made a great leap forward fuh you:

General Secretary Kim Jong Il visited the Central Zoo in Pyongyang.

He looked round the monument to President Kim Il Sung's on-site guidance newly built at the entrance of the zoo.

Recalling the history of the zoo, he said that the zoo is a product of the President's warm love for the people. The undying feats of the President who devoted all his life to the people will shine long in the history of the country, he added.

Going round a veterinary hospital, an aquarium and other places of the zoo, leader Kim Jong Il learned in detail about its management and operation.

He expressed great satisfaction with the officials and employees of the zoo who have taken good care of animals and organized visits to the zoo in a meticulous way for the cultural and emotional education of the visitors. [...]

Fars:"MP Blames Zionist Lobbies for Ban on Hijab in Azerbaijan's Schools"

You can't be really informed about what is going on the world without reading Iranian news sites. In the following article, we learn that the reach of The Lobby is very long:

A prominent Iranian lawmaker blasts Azerbaijan's decision to ban the Islamic code of dressing for schoolgirls, saying that the move was made under the pressures of the Zionist lobbies.

Pointing to the influence of the Zionist lobbies on the US, and the US military presence in Azerbaijan, Rapporteur of the Islamic Revolution fraction at the Iranian parliament Hamid Rassayee said these lobbies had a hand in the approval of the ban on the observation of Islamic code of dressing, Hijab, in Azeri schools.

"Americans have a military buildup and base in Azerbaijan and they influence Baku's decisions," Rassayee stated, adding, "The ban on Hijab in education centers is a move based on the decision and will of the Zionist and American lobbies since the Islamic Hijab can endanger the interests of the US and Israel."

He criticized Baku's officials for obeying the Zionist lobbies, and noted, "Always, we have witnessed that the country's leaders and authorities act in accordance with the policies, aspirations and instructions of these lobbies."

Last month, Azerbaijan's government refused to lift a ban on Islamic veil or Hijab despite angry public protests against the controversial decision.

Azerbaijani officials have been preventing Muslim schoolgirls wearing headscarves from attending schools for a month since the ban was implemented.

Islamic groups and rights activists expected the government to end the ban in the New Year and hundreds of people staged a demonstration in Azerbaijan's second largest city of Ganja late in December and called on the government to overturn the decree. They also chanted slogans against the anti-Islamic law. [...]

That'll teach it. According to an IRIB headline: "'Iran to unveil new bio-implants.'" Read that one if you dare. Another IRIB article features some Ahmadineblab:

IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that the main problem of the human society today was the way a few governments manage the world.

President Ahmadinejad made the remark in a meeting with the visiting Uruguayan Parliament Speaker Ivonne Pasada.

“The era in the global management characterized by monopoly and expansionism has come to an end,' the President said.

Ahmadinejad noted that adhering to principles such as justice, freedom and mutual respect can bring nations closer to one another. [...]

According to ISNA: "Iran successfully test fires upgraded 'Hog' missile system":

Iran successfully test fired mid-range surface-to-air upgraded Hog missile system to protect its sensitive areas.

The operation was carried out near Khondab nuclear center in central Iran.

The missile system has reportedly received warm test and hit the objectives. [...]

It "received warm test"? My suspicions about where North Korean journalists moonlight are confirmed.

Hamas needs cars

And it knows where to get them:

Authorities in the Gaza Strip on Thursday confiscated cars belonging to the Central Elections Commission, voting officials said calling on Hamas to return them.

The commission said in a statement that it is independent, neutral and has nothing to do with the internal differences that have plagued the Palestinian territories since the 2006 elections.

Hamas closed CEC headquarters in November 2009, refusing to hold elections until it and Fatah reconciled in a unity agreement that Egypt has tried and failed to broker for years.

We might see some sort of token unity agreement eventually as long Hamas doesn't really have to give up any power. The CEC should kiss those cars goodbye.

The Mossad Vulture story and some other agendas

Last Friday a blogger named Marco Villa amplified an Angry Arab post about the Mossad Vulture. According to AA:

. . . the original reports from Saudi media says NOTHING about the bird being in the custody of the Saudi security forces nor that they suspect it of having been trained by Mossad. It was just some villagers who got scared by the big bird with the weird transmitter . . .

Villa frames AA's post with a whole discussion of how Israel's press has supposedly deteriorated:

The liberal press is Israel has become nothing more than a wraith of its former self. It is not a right-wing dominated press establishment. Israel may be the only nation where the media tilts to the right.

And part of this right-wing shift is that the new owners have political agendas and place less emphasize on journalistic integrity and professionalism. There has been a dumping-down. And the Israeli press is now filled with silly pieces about how Arabs are conspiracy minded . . .

This fits the racist and crude Israeli stereotypes of dump, hate-filled antisemitic Arabs and the Israeli press amps it up.

In this light, it is worth noting how Iran's PressTV reported the story. Persians are not Arabs, of course, but PressTV is one of the slicker and more widely disseminated news organizations in the Muslim world. I would venture to say that a significant block of Arabs takes it seriously. Here is their take on the Mossad Vulture. The sentence in bold is in bold in the original and set off somewhat from the main text:

A tagged Israeli bird found in Saudi Arabia has raised speculations that Israeli spy agency Mossad is training birds for espionage in the region.

The vulture, with the identification code of R65, was found in a rural area in Saudi Arabia, wearing a transmitter and a leg bracelet bearing the words "Tel Aviv University", Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported Tuesday.

It was captured near the home of a sheikh in the community of Hayel in Saudi Arabia.

The words "Tel Aviv University" etched in English on a ring clasped to the bird's leg, and especially the transmitter, raised suspicions among the finders who said it could be a Mossad agent.

According to the report, the tags indicate that the bird was part of a long-term research project into migration patterns.

Saudi residents and local reporters, however, say it seems to be a "Zionist plot."

The "plot" view gets the last word. "Related stories" you might also want to click on at the PressTV site have the following titles:

Lebanon indicts general over espionage
Mossad behind Egypt church blast
Israel wants press away from Dubai hit
Mossad on verge of collapse

Maan News: "research . . . revealed that Arafat was poisoned with Thallium"

EOZ posted about an Arabic version of this story on Sunday:

The special advisor to Yasser Arafat said Monday that he will soon release new information on the death of the late president.

In an interview with Ma'an Radio, Bassam Abu Shareef said research conducted by British forensic experts had revealed that Arafat was poisoned with Thallium. New information had also come to light, Abu Shareef said, adding that he would present it to an investigation committee.

Abu Shareef said he had warned the president to remain alert to Israeli assassination attempts.

In 2004, Arafat fell ill while besieged by the Israeli military in his Ramallah headquarters. He was flown to Paris for treatment and died at Percy Hospital on 11 November 2004.

The Guardian newspaper quoted a medical report by French doctors identifying disseminated intravascular coagulation as the cause of the president's death.

DIC is a secondary condition however, and the ultimate cause of death was never revealed.

In the months preceding Arafat's death, Israeli officials had publicly contemplated assassinating the leader, fueling speculation that he was murdered.

The speculation then gave birth to an endlessly repeated factoid that Arafat was poisoned. Mahmoud Abbas was "revealed" to have been in on the plot. Now the exact poison has been identified. Science never stops advancing.

Two Naharnet stories about poison balloons

This isn't exactly new--some of my posts are things I might want to refer to in the future. The controversy about Jaher Abu Rahma reminds me of the poison balloon story from early 2007. (Yes, "reminds" is a vague word.) Here are the complete texts of two Naharnet articles that illustrate what the initial reports were like, and which document that the story was fairly quickly debunked. Notice all the specific details in the first article. The headline of the first article: "8 Hospitalized after Inhaling Toxic Gases from Israeli Balloons":

Eight people were hospitalized Saturday after inhaling toxic gases from poisonous balloons dropped by Israeli warplanes over Upper Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon, the National News Agency reported.

NNA said among those who were rushed to hospital suffering from nausea and fatigue were a Lebanese staff sergeant, a recruit and An Nahar reporter Rana Jouni.

The agency said Israeli warplanes dropped at least 10 poisonous balloons with Hebrew markings over Upper Nabatiyeh at about 9 am Saturday.

NNA said contacts have been made between the Lebanese army command and the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, which has instructed an Italian peacekeeping unit to take samples from the balloons for examination. The agency said the results are likely to come out on Sunday.

NNA had earlier said that the Lebanese army's engineering unit headed to the area and destroyed the balloons by explosives.

The army, in a communiqué issued Friday, warned civilians against messing with the balloons and urged them to report finding them to the closest army unit.

The second article's title: "Panic over Israeli Balloons in South Lebanon":

The issue of poisonous Israeli balloons that soared over southern Lebanon on Saturday and the ensuing admittance of eight people to hospital suffering from nausea remain vague.

Agence France Presse said Sunday the balloons were advertising an Israeli newspaper.

AFP cited witnesses and officials as saying the balloons drifted across the tense border into southern Lebanon, causing panic among locals and scrambling the Lebanese army.

The National News Agency said eight people were hospitalized Saturday after inhaling toxic gases from poisonous balloons dropped by Israeli warplanes over Upper Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon.

NNA on Saturday said contacts have been made between the Lebanese army command and the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, which has instructed an Italian peacekeeping unit to take samples from the balloons for examination. The agency said the results are likely to come out on Sunday.

The army, in a communiqué issued Friday, warned civilians against messing with the balloons and urged them to report finding them to the closest army unit.

AFP said the green and orange balloons -- branded with the Hebrew word Ha'ir (The City), the name of a Tel Aviv newspaper -- appeared Saturday in the southern cities of Nabatiyeh and Tyre.

Local health officials told AFP that five people were admitted to hospital in Nabatiyeh complaining of nausea and dizziness, as the army -- with help from UNIFIL -- rounded up the balloons for a controlled explosion in an open field.

"While our investigation and analysis are continuing, we have told local inhabitants not to touch such balloons in case they contain toxic gases," an army spokesman said.

An Israeli military spokeswoman in Jerusalem said the balloons had been filled with helium for distribution at "a kind of party" thrown by the Ha'ir newspaper.

"It was a public relations thing," she said. "They gave out balloons with helium in them and the balloons flew away and into Lebanon."(Naharnet-AFP)

"Helicopter Flies to Bring Drifters Home"

Some of these stories about Kim Jong Il's loving care are quite dull. This one reads like the story-line of Juche comic book:

There is one more touching story in socialist Korea where the people have become a big harmonious family with General Secretary Kim Jong Il as its father.

Some days ago, 10 inhabitants of Kwaksan County, North Phyongan Province went adrift due to violent sea waves while plucking shell fish. They had been rescued by lighthouse keepers and inhabitants from Rap Islet but could not come back as the iceberg more than a fathom deep blocked their way.

The officials of the county and the families of the drifters were at a loss, though they confirmed their whereabouts.

Informed of this, Kim Jong Il took a measure to bring them home. A helicopter of the air force of the Korean People's Army flew towards a remote lighthouse islet in the West Sea of Korea.

When the helicopter appeared in the air over the islet in the morning of Thursday, all the drifters and four inhabitants of Nampho City who found shelter on the islet and those on it were moved to tears by the loving care shown by Kim Jong Il. They shouted at the top of their voices "Long live respected General Kim Jong Il!"

He was, of course, personally piloting the helicopter. Another headline proclaims: "Joint New Year Editorial Hailed by Mexican Politician":

Cuautemoc Amezcua Dromundo, chairman of the C.C., Socialist Popular Party of Mexico, made public a statement on Jan. 2 in support of the joint New Year editorial of the DPRK.

The statement said that the joint editorial serves as a militant banner and an important work as it represents a grand plan and will of General Secretary Kim Jong Il to build a thriving nation without fail true to the last instructions of President Kim Il Sung and indicates the strategy and ways to do so.

The statement expressed belief that in order to successfully accelerate the advance for this year the Workers' Party of Korea would give fuller play to the spirit of its historic Conference, the spirit of single-minded unity, the indomitable spirit of forced march and the spirit of uninterrupted revolution. [...]

The latest Haveil Havalim gives fuller play to the spirit of single-minded unity, the indomitable spirit of forced march and the spirit of uninterrupted revolution

Two AFP Headlines: "Israel demolishing chance for peace: Palestinians" and "Israeli right rattle sabres over Gaza rockets"

The two headlines comment on the AFP itself and on each other in ways the AFP did not anticipate, don't you think? The articles that go with the headlines are here and here.

Angry Arab makes sure I am never without blog-fodder

The New York Times recently reported on a scientific discovery with a relationship-angle. Women's tears may contain chemically encoded messages--something like that--read the article if you're interested. It is the sort of story that has an obvious appeal for readers. The source of the discovery happened to be an Israeli University, but I doubt that most readers took more than momentary notice, except for one reader--Angry Arab!

If there is any news relating to Israel--especially if it seems to editors to be favorable to the PR interests of the Zionist usurping entity--it gets prominent coverage. I will never forget how once in the obituary section of the Times there was a long glowing obituary of a certain chef: and the headline said: "worked in Israel." I kid you not. So there is this article today and then this: "“Chemical signaling is a form of language,” said one of the researchers, Dr. Noam Sobel, a professor of neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute in Israel. “Basically what we’ve found is the chemo-signaling word for ‘no’ — or at least ‘not now.’ ”" I have no doubt that this prominent coverage was due to the involvement of an Israeli occupying scientist. [...]

One of these days I need to make a collection of the various "Goodman's laws" I have formulated. Here is one of them: Extreme animosity is the functional equivalent of stupidity.

A few thoughts on the Jawaher Abu Rahmah case

Factual clarity may never be achieved. The eyewitness accounts seem to be muddled and inconsistent, and certainly there is an anti-Israel agenda at work to some extent or another. The important thing is moral clarity. Is CS tear gas only used by rogue states or is it widely used by normal countries for riot control? If it is a legitimate tool for riot control, then I don't see why we should not accept the assertions that Abu Rahmah was at least peripherally present at the demonstration and that her final round of symptoms started with some kind of exposure to the gas. So what? A person who wants to live in maximum safety should not participate in weekly demonstrations that often turn violent.

Some explanation seems to be in order no matter who we believe in this case. Deaths from outdoor exposure to CS tear gas appear to range from extremely rare to unheard-of. There must be some reason that Abu Rahmah died when nobody else even needed gas-related medical treatment. We may never know what it was. Maybe the doctors were incompetent, maybe she was more sickly than her family is admitting, maybe she had some rare predisposition that decided to express itself just at that moment. A narrative which mostly consists of an IDF soldier firing something and a nonviolent protester dying is very exciting and useful to anti-Israel propagandists. However, a great many legitimate activities lead to an occasional death: skydiving, riot-control, marketing snacks containing peanuts. Let the would-be activist beware. He is not entitled to more than the proverbial buyer.

IRIB: Call to support Copts "improper interference in the Egypt's internal affairs"

More warm and fuzzy inter-religious feelings. I wonder when the Coptic refugee crisis starts:

Sheik of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, criticized Pope Benedict XVI for calling for the world's support for the Egyptian Copts and Christians.

He described the demand as an improper interference in the Egypt's internal affairs.

In an address on the occasion of the new Christian year in Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI condemned the bomb attack outside a church in Egypt and called on the world leaders to defend the Christians. [...]

PFLP founder dies, AP gives some background

That's Abu Maher Yamani and here's the background:

The PFLP is a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization. It gained notoriety for the 1970 hijackings of four Western airliners over the United States, Europe, the Far East and the Persian Gulf. The aircraft were blown up in the Middle East after passengers and crews disembarked.

So nobody died, isn't that nice? Not like the Lod Airport massacre.

Debate goes on about Jawaher Abu Rahmah's death

The opening sentence of a post by Anarchist Against the Wall Jonathan Pollack at Mondoweiss:

The evidence surrounding the events leading to the death of Bil’in resident Jawaher Abu Rahmah disproves completely the army spokesperson’s version, to the point of putting the army in a ridiculous light.

Meanwhile, EOZ reports that "Physicians for Human Rights can't figure how tear gas could kill people outdoors." The Mondoweiss post has a link to "the hospital’s official medical report," which states "Pt. presented with H/O drowsenes change level of consciousness-salivation." Why does that sound like Irangrish? I'm just asking, I have no idea what Palestinian medical-ese looks like. See your favorite Israel-advocacy blog (or your favorite truth-to-power-speaking progressive blog that wants to end war and racism NOW!) for more developments.

Ben Cohen writes that "no outcome, farcical or otherwise, is preordained" for Angry Arab's chums, gets called "Zionist hoodlum" for his trouble

It all started with a fairly upbeat NY Times article about a paper whose "editorial chairman" has a picture of Imad Mughniyeh on the wall of his office. Angry Arab comments in his first reaction to the article "the publicity for Al-Akhbar is not bad these days: not that it needs it." One of said chairman's statements reported in the article, however, appears to require damage control:

This sentence in the article got my attention; it said that Ibrahim Al-Amin wants to: "remove Israel from the map and send the Jews back to Europe." I asked Ibrahim and he tells me that he did not say that sentence that was falsely attributed to him. He said that the interview that was conducted by Robert Worth through an interpretor was not accurate in transcript perhaps because the interpreter who came with Worth was so "weak" that he and Mansour (a colleague at the paper who runs the website) had to correct her. He explained that he was talking about the future demise of Israel and that he added that in such eventuality many Israeli Jews may immigrate to Europe and the US.

Angy Arab wants us to take this as just a neutral prediction, not something to be wished for? He certainly has an ample store of credibility to make this sort of assertion, after yearning in print and in English for more catastrophic fires to hit Israel and after being "bothered" in print and in English that Hizbullah does not have bigger missiles. In the meantime Ben Cohen, of Z-Word Blog fame, has offered some observations on Al Akhbar's brand of Leftism, assuming that the details reported in the Times are highly telling, which seems reasonable enough. AA takes him to task for daring to make such observations without knowing how to read Arabic, but if AA's own opinions are any indication, and he has published vast quantities of them in English by way of his blog, Cohen's observations are fairly astute. After a reply by Cohen, AA writes in a further installment:

he states categorically that Al-Akhbar is "viciously antisemitic" when in reality Al-Akhbar is the only Arabic newspaper to ever publish articles (by me and others) condemning Arabic anti-Semitism.

I do see AA pointing out anti-Semitism from time to time on his blog, but only in ways that suit his agenda. Here is an example:

As you all know, I have written before about the alliance over the years and decades between Zionism (and the state of Israel officially) with anti-Semites around the world. We know that Israel did not have better allies in the Arab world than Anwar Sadat (an unrepentant Nazi with a history of anti-Semitism), Abu Mazen (a holocaust denier), Muhammad Dahlan (who curses Jews in every meeting as a friend of his recently told me), and the Maronite church . . . It is cute (not really) how Zionists protect anti-Semites if they don't bother Israel.

The man's a regular crusader against anti-Semitism. Did he really never notice that Abu Mazen's Holocaust denial has been pointed out countless times by "Zionist hoodlums"? If you are wondering what sort of mind can turn Abu Mazen's Holocaust denial into a reproach against Israel, it gets worse. He observes in another post: "Some people in the East and West often observe that Arabs have a tendency to blame too many of their problems on Israel. I say: we should blame Israel far more than we do." Is the output of Al Akhbar's other writers any better than this? For now I'll just have to be guardedly doubtful. We Arabic-challenged Zionist hoodlums will just have to wait for the English version to become available.

Great News! Iranian Prosecutor: "Major seditionists to be tried for sure"

Good to hear they are doing something about their sedition problem:

Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jaafari Dowlatabadi said on Friday that main seditionists will be tried definitely on repeated calls of officials and the public.

Addressing this week's Friday prayers congregation as pre-sermon lecturer, Jaafari said, As Judiciary Chief (Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani) and other Judiciary officials have been stressing, their (main seditionists') trial will be definite.

He said People should know that the American officials and the Zionists regime are behind the big plot. We should act in a way to foil any conspiracy.

"Iranian clerics: Gaza-based aid flotilla, factor of Zionist regime's collapse"

Khomeinist journalism is one of the factors of collapse of English language:

An Iranian clerics Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi said Asian aid convoy's movement towards Gaza Strip is one of the factors of collapse of Zionist regime.

The flotilla carrying 130 people from India, Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Bahrain and Azerbaijan as well as Kuwait, Lebanon and Jordan is to reach Gaza Strip.

The convoy originating from India has also reached Iran and is now in Syria to arrive in Gaza Strip.

Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi in his message to the people onboard of the ship said, "your move will be recorded in the history forever."

"Once the issue of Israel was an Arab-Islamic matter, but then it has turned into a global subjects," he added. [...]

"Officials enjoy concert"

Let's see, exactly how would a concert "reflect" "revolutionary stamina"?

Officials enjoyed "Concert Celebrating December Holiday" given by the State Merited Chorus at the Mansudae Art Theatre on Dec. 26 and 27.

Audience included senior state officials, the chairperson of a friendly party and officials of the party, working people's organizations and ministries and servicepersons of the Korean People's Army. Creators, artistes and journalists in the fields of culture, arts and media also enjoyed the concert.

Colorful performance included numbers like "Comrade Kim Jong Il Is Our Supreme Commander," "Forest Is Swaying" and "Where Are You, Dear General?".

The performers loudly sang of the undying feats of General Secretary Kim Jong Il who strengthened the Korean People's Army into strong revolutionary army, defending the dignity of Songun Korea and laying a solid foundation for the prosperity of the country.

The concert mesmerized the audience as it reflected the tremendous mental power and the revolutionary stamina of the army and people of the DPRK.

I hear it went on for ten hours.

Update: The latest Haveil Havalim reflected tremendous mental power and revolutionary stamina.

Maan: Hamas "scheduled to meet with Palestinian factions in Gaza"

This sheds some light, perhaps, on the relationship between Hamas and the other "factions." Western news agencies keep referring to Hamas efforts to limit rocket fire from Gaza:

Hamas is scheduled to meet with Palestinian factions in Gaza Tuesday to discuss the recent escalation in attacks by Israel, senior Hamas leader Ayman Taha said.

Taha told Ma’an the factions would discuss how to respond to the increased violence against Gaza, and said Hamas would commit to whatever decision was reached. The meeting was not necessarily to discuss the ceasefire, but to evaluate the whole situation, he said.

"Other factions might suggest other tactics which Hamas might accept and commit to."

The Palestinian Popular Struggle Front confirmed receiving an invitation from Hamas to attend a meeting in Gaza City to discuss how to confront the increased tension.

"The real response to Israeli crimes is by ending rivalry and closing the ranks to restore national unity," spokesman of the Popular Struggle Front Anwar Jum'a said in a statement.

Juche Train in Vain

The little train that couldn't, even though it was giving even greater play to the might of Songun?

A train carrying birthday presents for Kim Jong-un, chosen successor to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, was derailed, a radio station that broadcasts into North Korea said yesterday.

“A cargo train that left Sinuiju for Pyongyang on Dec. 11 was derailed somewhere between Yomju Station and Tongnim Station,” a source within North Korea’s National Security Agency was quoted as saying by Open Radio for North Korea. Sinuiju, a port city on the Chinese border, and Yomju and Tongnim are in North Pyongan Province, northwest of the North Korean capital city of Pyongyang.

“That incident put the North’s National Security Agency on emergency alert,” the source told Open Radio for North Korea.

Open Radio is an American nongovernmental organization based in Washington.

The train was comprised of more than 40 train coaches, and eight of them were derailed, the radio station reported. The train was filled with presents for Jong-un’s upcoming birthday, which falls on Jan. 8, including luxury goods such as wristwatches and televisions in bulk, it said.

I guess that clears up the mystery as to whether the presidential quarters have AC outlets.

The National Security Agency is pointing to the possibility that it was committed by “a group of people opposed to the succession scheme for Kim Jong-un,” Open Radio for North Korea quoted the source as saying.

“The damage of the section of the railway this time was so huge that it appears that somebody intentionally caused it at the time when the train passed by,” the source told Open Radio for North Korea.

The report came as the North is preparing a succession process amid speculation of the dwindling health of Kim Jong-il.

Although rare, antigovernment activities in the North have been reported or suspected previously, including a railway explosion in the town of Ryongchon April 22, 2004, that may have been a plot to assassinate Kim Jong-il. A train carrying Kim passed through the town hours earlier.

According to defectors, some in North Korea are unhappy with Kim Jong-un’s status as successor because of his youth and inexperience.

Right, who wants an inexperienced dictator? (h/t: Soccer Dad)

Update: The latest Haveil Havalim arrived with its cargo intact.

IRIB: "US, Israel conspiring to disintegrate Sudan"

I hope the ZOG R & D department is taking notes:

Sudanese Ambassador to Tehran Sulayman Abdut-Tawwab Az-Zain said on Tuesday that the US and Zionists are conspiring to disintegrate Sudan.

The Sudanese ambassador revealed the conspiracy in an interview with IRNA.

He said that the West is seeking to disintegrate Sudan as a prelude to implement the strategy to damage territorial integrity of the other Arab and Islamic states worldwide.

The Zionists along with some western states and the US in particular are determined to set up permanent base for themselves in South of Sudan, he underlined.

The ambassador said that the Zionists are endeavoring to find access to the Nile to exert pressures on Egypt.

He called on the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference to render political, military and economic support to the Khartoum government.

Sheep flames smothered

You may remember a pretty hokey-sounding story that first appeared at Maan News about mean settlers torching sheep:

A farmer said he watched a group of settlers in the northern West Bank gather his sheep and set them on fire Saturday afternoon.

Now it turns out, according to Arutz 7, that the shepherd admits he was lying:

Fadel finally admitted to police the whole story was a lie and that he was responsible for the fire, which he set to burn thorns before it spread beyond control. Blaming Jews not only would have saved him from the embarrassment of having burned his own sheep, it also would allow him to claim damages from the government while being hailed as a hero among Palestinian Authority Arabs and left-wing anti-Zionists.

EOZ has a longer discussion of the incident and its denouement and a good list of links to anti-Zionist entities who helped disseminate the false story. A lot of the more skillfully-told lies undoubtedly never get exposed.

Abbas: "If there is an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, we won’t agree to the presence of one Israeli in it"

A companion to the previous post:

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Saturday that when a Palestinian state is established, it will have no Israelis in it.

“We have frankly said, and always will say: If there is an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, we won’t agree to the presence of one Israeli in it,” Abbas told reporters in Ramallah.

Abbas: We reached deal with Olmert on security
Washington Watch: Settlements are excuse, not obstacle

He was commenting on unconfirmed reports suggesting that the PA leadership might agree to the presence of the IDF in the West Bank after the establishment of a Palestinian state.

“We are ready to have peace on the basis of international legitimacy and the road map, which we have accepted, as well as the Arab Peace Initiative,” Abbas said. “But when a Palestinian state is established, it would have no Israeli presence in it.” [...]

Fars News: "Hamas to Israeli Leaders: Die or Leave Palestine"

The Asharq Alawsat caption for this photo is "Members of Al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, take part in a news conference in Gaza City December 25, 2010."

The Fars headline does a good job of boiling the story down to its essence. Hamas, you will recall, beat Fatah in the most recent Palestinian election.

A senior leader of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, warned the Zionist regime to give up imaginations about triumph over Palestinian resistance, stressing that dying or leaving the Palestinian territories are the only two options that Zionists have.

"As long as Zionists occupy Palestinian territories, they have no other option but dying or leaving Palestine," Head of the military wing of Hamas Ahmad Jaberi said on Saturday.

Jaberi also reiterated that the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, has kept all options on the table in the war against the Zionist regime, and has always made its best efforts to activate resistance, release captives from Israeli jails and annihilate the criminal and usurper Zionist regime.

Stressing that resistance is not limited to the Gaza region, he said that the plan of resistance belongs to all the occupied Palestinian territories.

Earlier this month, the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades in a statement had also underlined resistance against the Zionist regime until complete freedom of the Palestinian territories from Israeli occupation.

In a statement issued on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the group underscored that resistance is a reaction to occupation, meaning that the Zionist regime merely understands the language of force and that it is stopped only by resistance. [...]

Israel should get on with winning the conflict.

Fars: "Hezbollah Hails 'Courageous Positions' of Iran's Supreme Leader on Lebanon"

In which we learn that "Ayatollah Khamenei's positions are legitimate and based on political principles":

The Lebanese resistance group, Hezbollah, appreciated the "courageous positions" taken by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Lebanon, stressing that such stances will seriously challenge enemies' plots in the region.

Ayatollah Khamenei's positions on the court investigating Hariri's assassination "are courageous", Hezbollah said in a statement on Wednesday, and added anyone willing to defuse the US and Israeli plots in the region would take a similar stance and would emphasize the regional nations' right of confrontation against the Zionist enemy's oppressive plots.

Underlining that Ayatollah Khamenei's positions are legitimate and based on political principles, the statement said that such stances reflect the real thoughts of the regional nations.

Meantime, the statement also underscored that the comments of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution on Hariri court do not run counter to the efforts made by Saudi Arabia and Syria to improve the internal situation in Lebanon.

"Rather, in his remarks Ayatollah Khamenei underscored the necessity for insightful public interaction to confront conspiracies so that such issues would not lead to the creation of rift and crisis among the Lebanese nation," it added.

Iran's Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Monday rejected as "unacceptable" any decree by the special international tribunal investigating the assassination of Late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri.

"The tribunal is a puppet court and any decree issued by it is unacceptable," Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with visiting Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani here in Tehran on Monday.

"We hope that influential and relevant sides in Lebanon act on the basis of wisdom and rationality in order to avoid this issue turning into a problem," he added.

Ayatollah Khamenei further stressed that enemies' plots against Lebanon would not yield fruit, and said, "We are highly optimistic that the region's conditions will improve."

Divinely inspired, Big Guy!

Bad Bad Leroy 'Jad: "actually feminism is the cry of protest of crushed women in capitalism system"

The cry of protest of crushed English language in Khomeinism system?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called feminism “cry of protest of crushed women in capitalism system.”

Speaking in the third meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) female ministers opened in Tehran on Sunday, Ahmadinejad criticized countries which have banned women from education and send them away in far areas for tough and hard military operations.

"Women are main victims of the ruling bullying policies, actually feminism is the cry of protest of crushed women in capitalism system," Ahmadinejad said in the first day of the three-day conference.

He called for drawing up a charter on the role of women and family in survival of human being.

Iranian President then asked for arranging a roadmap to launch a global movement to secure rights of human being and women.

Representatives of 37 member states of the OIC took part in the session joined also by the wife of Ahmadinejad. [...]

What capitalism does to women is so depressing. Here is a liberating image to cheer you up:

PressTV: PA Foreign Minister condemns killing of Salafist terrorists

The PA can't abide the killing of Al-Qaeda types in pre-launch mode when even Hamas claims it is holding-fire? How moderate!

A large number of Palestinian people have participated in the funeral of five Palestinians who were killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip.

Hundreds of people attended the funeral in Deir-al Balah in central Gaza Strip on Sunday, chanting slogans against Israel.

Mourners carried the bodies of Ahmed al-Assar, Abdullah al-Shirehi and three others through the streets of Gaza, condemning the overnight attack, Palestinian sources said.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority (PA) Foreign Minister Riad al-Maleki denounced the Israeli airstrike, which was one of the deadliest strikes since the 22-day Gaza incursion.

Israel's attack against the coastal enclave, which began in December 2008, killed more than 1,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

The PA protests and condemns each Israeli attack against our people, Maleki said in a Sunday address broadcast by the Voice of Palestine radio station in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

"But despite the crimes of the occupation, we maintain the will to continue the process of construction and preparation for the proclamation of the Palestinian state regardless of the Israeli actions," he said.

Maleki also lauded the Palestinians' recent success in gaining independent statehood recognition from over 130 nations, including several South American countries, based on the 1967 borders -- the boundaries that existed before Israel captured East al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the West Bank.

"Palestinian efforts are currently focusing on rallying recognition of their state from the largest number possible of states across the globe, in preparation for seeking recognition from the United Nations," Maleki said.

Will recognition be forthcoming from the Hamas half of the Palestinians?

Dear Leader gives field guidance to Eels

They are making a great slither forward:

General Secretary Kim Jong Il gave field guidance to the Taedonggang Eel Breeding Farm of KPA Unit 522.

After being briefed on the farm before a huge map showing its panoramic view, he looked round various places of the farm including a combined control room, an analysis and experiment room and indoor fish ponds to learn in detail about its technical equipment and eel breeding and management.

The farm has put all its production processes on a high level of scientific and modern basis, thus getting the examination of water temperature and its quality and all other processes computerized, he said, adding that the farm is capable of substantially benefiting people as it is fitted with cutting-edge equipment and was built on the principle of profitability.

Noting that the KPA steering the era of Songun is playing a pace-setter's role in carrying out the Party's policy of fish breeding, too, he said with pride that it is none other than the servicepersons of the KPA who are pace-setters in breeding rare fishes including sturgeon and eel in a cutting-edge manner.

He advanced the important tasks to be carried out by the farm.

They don't call him Kim Jong Eel for nothing!

He said that the farm can turn into a leading eel production center in a short span of time if it designs its work under a long-term plan and minutely organizes it as the farm has laid a solid scientific and technological foundation and accumulated a wealth of experience.

In the spirit of Kim Eel Sung!

What is most important for boosting the production of eel is to establish a scientific system for breeding and management, he noted, adding that to this end it is necessary to intensify the researches and steadily raise the level of technical skills of technicians and breeders.

He underscored the need to put fish breeding on a scientific and intensive basis by steadily deepening the researches into fishes of other species now making successful progress on the farm in order to dynamically push forward the work for massively breeding not only eel but rare fishes by an industrial method.

He earnestly called on the farm to steadily boost the productivity at the existing fish breeding centers and build more modern fish farms to rapidly increase the production of freshwater fishes so that the people in the era of the Workers' Party may be provided with greater quantities of high quality fishes including tasty and nutritious eel.

He expressed expectation and conviction that the officials, workers and technicians of the farm would devote themselves to the building of a rich and powerful country and thus creditably perform their honorable mission and duty as true servants for the people. [...]

The latest Haveil Havalim has laid a solid scientific and technological foundation and accumulated a wealth of experience.

Salafist Qassam Squad killed, martyred, whatever

Here is the AFP version. Notice that the rocket-squad part is first presented as an IDF claim, although "witnesses contacted by AFP" seem to be saying substantially the same thing. And then, of course, there are the misleading statistics (see this) on Operation Cast Lead:

Five Palestinian militants were killed as Israeli warplanes struck the Gaza Strip late on Saturday, Israel's military and Palestinian sources said.

Warplanes hit central Gaza to take out a squad of militants about to fire rockets at Israel, the military said.

The strike was one of the most deadly since Israel's 22-day war against Gaza's Hamas rulers, dubbed Operation Cast Lead, which began at the end of December 2008 and cost the lives of 1,400 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and 13 Israelis, 10 of them soldiers.

Witnesses contacted by AFP said armed men preparing an attack on Israel were killed in the raid, while medics gave a death toll of five "martyrs". The raid targeted Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, they said. [...]

We learn their identities in paragraph 6:

The witnesses said the dead militants, former members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad or the Committees of Popular Resistance, belonged to one of the radical Salafist groups in Gaza that have recently stepped up attacks against Israel. [...]

The IRIB Radio version ("Israeli airstrike martyrs five in Gaza") is appropriately slanted, of course, for Khomeinists and their sympathizers, although there are interesting parallels with the AFP article:

At least five Palestinians have been martyred as a result of the Zionist regime airstrike on a town in the central Gaza Strip.

According to Press TV, witnesses said, the attack, the deadliest to hit the Gaza Strip in months, happened near the central town of Deir al-Balah late on Saturday night.

They added that the Zionist rgime drones flew over the Gaza Strip following the strike.

The Zionist regime waged a war against the coastal enclave from December 27, 2008 to January 18, 2009.

More than 1,400 Gazans, mostly women and children, were martyred in 22 days of Israel's devastating air, land, and sea attacks, which also left thousands of people, injured and reduced dozens of buildings to debris.

That 1400 figure for the total casualties of Cast Lead is disputed by the side that has been vindicated in its statements about the number of militants killed.

Two Current Headlines

AP: "Palestinians still hope for state by summer"

AFP: "Palestinian negotiator says peace process in 'deep coma'"

Many narratives are possible . . .

Ahmadinejad: "the Zionist regime's main mission is to destroy the genuine cultures of nations"

Nazoid drool is what every humanitarian activist wants to hear:

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the arrogant powers established the Zionist regime to extend domination over the Middle East and the world.

Addressing a ceremony to welcome the Asian Gaza Convoy, he further noted that settling the issue of Palestine and expelling the Zionist regime from the occupied lands is a universal and humane issue.

Members of Asian Gaza Convoy arrived in Tehran Sunday and paid tribute to martyrs in Behesht Zahra cemetery.

'Palestine fully reflects the situation facing the world,' he said.

Ahmadinejad also added that humiliation of humanity and depriving them of their basic rights are among the crimes committed by the Zionist regime.

Today all know that the Zionists are not Jews; rather they do not follow any divine religion, he said.

Ahmadinejad also said that the Zionist regime's main mission is to destroy the genuine cultures of nations. [...]

The Iran part of the project is going swimmingly.

Kim enjoys some Juche tunes

Not as funky as the Hungnam Fertilizer Complex Art Squad, but pretty Songun:

General Secretary Kim Jong Il enjoyed a performance given by company servicepersons of 586, 287, 604, 572, 529, 534 and 324 units of the KPA who proved successful at the 34th art festival of KPA servicepersons.

Put on the stage were such colorful numbers of diverse genres as narration and chorus "Glory to Our Great Party", female solo "Song of the Sea of Blood", narration and song "Where Are You, Dear General?" and chorus "The Victorious Parade."

The performers enthusiastically sang of the undying Songun leadership feats performed by Kim Jong Il and their happiness under his loving care. They powerfully demonstrated the iron faith and will of all the servicepersons of the KPA to devotedly defend the WPK Central Committee as a fortress and shield and accomplish the sacred revolutionary cause of Juche with arms.

After the performance was over, he waved back to the enthusiastically cheering performers and audience and congratulated the performers on their successful presentation.

Expressing great satisfaction over the fact that the company servicepersons presented a splendid performance rich in ideological contents and high in artistry with numbers of great cognitional and instructive value fully reflecting the WPK's idea, he highly estimated their success in the performance and extended thanks to them in the name of the Supreme Commander.

The soldier culture created by the KPA is replete with the spirit of the times, militant optimism and rich emotion and this has become typical of the socialist cultural life in the era of Songun, he said, underlining the need to continue making steady efforts to popularize the revolutionary soldier culture throughout the society.

Noting that the glorious history of the Korean revolution which started and advanced with songs represents a great victory of the music politics which strikingly demonstrated the might of arts, he set forth the tasks which would serve as guidelines for further developing mass performing activities. [...]

It is a pity that Eric Clapton ended up not performing in Pyongyang. The servicepersons and party officials would have highly appreciated his stretching out in a bluesy rendition of "Where Are You, Dear General?"

Monotheistic solidarity from Iran: Threat to destroy Queen Esther's tomb

Iranian officials are always proclaiming that Iran "respects all Divine religions." The claim is, of course, Khomeinist crap:

A group of Islamists demonstrated on Sunday at the tomb of biblical Jewish queen Esther in western Iran and threatened to destroy it if Israel damages Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, Mehr news agency reported.

The agency identified the demonstrators at one of the most revered sites for Iranian Jews as members of the student basij, or hardline Islamist militia, at Bu-Ali-Sina university of Hamedan.

"Muslims beware that they have started the destruction of Al-Aqsa mosque while their second sacred site in Iran, the Esther and Mordecai tomb is at peace and no Muslims make a sound," the protesters said in a statement.

"We, the student basijis... warn Zionist regime leaders if they assault the Al-Aqsa mosque in any way we will destroy the tomb of these lowly murderers," they said. [...]

Dear Leader gives field guidance at "women's hosiery shop," department store and "Sanitary Goods Branch Factory"

What do you think those "sanitary goods" are?

After being briefed on the technical specification of the branch factory, he went round production processes furnished with cutting-edge equipment to learn in detail about its construction and production there.

Watching the work sites where cultured practices are ensured in production and hygiene on a high level and the compound of the factory that looks like a park, he highly praised its employees for having spruced up well the inside and outside of the factory. He said that the socialist homeland is turning into a land of bliss for people as the days go by as the soldier culture created in the era of Songun is kept in fuller bloom.

The officials, workers and technicians of the branch factory with a high capacity have been able to bring about a fresh boost in the production of sanitary goods by keeping production going at a high rate because they have waged a dynamic drive for introducing new technology true to the Party's idea of pushing back the frontiers of the latest science and technology while planting one's foot on one's ground and looking at the world, he noted, adding that this signal success clearly demonstrates the validity and vitality of the Party's policy of regarding science and technology as the lifeline for building an economic power.

He advanced the tasks to be carried out by the factory.

He underlined the need for the branch factory to properly work out management and business strategies and put production on a scientific basis as required by the principle of profitability so as to systematically cut down the norm of materials consumption per unit and increase the supply of quality sanitary goods to the people.

The second leg of his guidance was the Women's Hosiery Shop newly built at the Pyongyang Hosiery Factory.

After being briefed on the history of the factory in the room devoted to its history, he went round the weaving site, the processing site and the goods sample room to acquaint himself in detail with the construction and technological equipment and the production there.

He set forth the tasks facing the factory. [...]

The next leg of his guidance was the newly built Pothonggang Department Store.

He went round the inside and outside of the store for hours to acquaint himself in detail with its construction and goods on display there. [...]

He likes shopping, I guess. You'll want to explore the latest Haveil Havalim for hours to acquaint yourself in detail with its contents.

AP Headline: "Israel's leader does not want to share Jerusalem"

The headline concerns something that Netanyahu said, right? So why doesn't the story quote his statement?

Israel's leader on Sunday dismissed a call from a key government partner to share the holy city of Jerusalem with the Palestinians, a reminder of the obstacles facing already troubled peacemaking efforts.

Conflicting claims to east Jerusalem lie at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The dispute over the area, home to sensitive Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, has derailed past peace talks and spilled into violence. Palestinians claim the sector as the capital of their future state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reaffirmation of his intention to hold on to east Jerusalem drew criticism from the Palestinians and was likely to increase friction with the Americans. The White House Mideast envoy is scheduled to arrive this week in another attempt to push peace efforts forward. [...]

Palestinians blasted Israel's rejection of their claim to east Jerusalem.

"Mr. Netanyahu is distancing himself not from Barak, he is distancing himself from international consensus, he's distancing himself from international resolutions and distancing himself from international law," said Palestinian spokesman Husam Zomlot. "And most importantly, he's distancing himself from any possible negotiated settlement based on the two-state solution." [...]

I understand that Barak is the one, presumably, causing this to be framed as whether or not Israel will "share" Jerusalem. Notice, however, that "sharing" doesn't refer to Jews and Arabs living in the same city. It means slicing off part of Jerusalem for the express purpose of creating a zone which is uncontaminated by any Jewish presence.

Happy Eighth Night of Chanukah!

Happy Seventh Night of Chanukah!

Source of Image: Shturem.org

Juche sentence of the day

Giving even greater play to the might of Juche sentences:

Noting that the heroic workers of the complex brilliantly decorated this significant year by building a great structure in the era of Songun, he said that the laudable exploits performed by them, the devoted workers capable of flattening even a high mountain at one go in response to the decision and instruction of the party, will be recorded with brilliance in a page of the history of building a thriving nation.

Colonialist Zio-Settlers appropriate indigenous culture

First it was felafel, then the kefiyyeh and now this. They have even extended their hands to profane the sacred symbol of resistance. If Nasrallah were in a grave he would be turning over in it:Qassam Menorahs are easy to make at home. We suggest using a scud or a grad as the Shamash. (Hat Tip: Israel Matzav, Atlas Shrugs)

And now for some real news: Booze with a hechsher

Ever notice that your ultra-Orthodox shul serves almost any vodka, scotch, or bourbon in existence? Those days may be drawing to a close. Don't get me wrong, it will be good to know that the stuff you are drinking really is kosher to high standards, but expect a few whistful looks as people remember the old days:

Kosher drinkers have more to cheer about this holiday season as a growing number spirits producers seek — and receive — the seal of approval from Jewish dietary authorities.

“It’s an additional process and expense that raises the bar on quality,” said Ralph Mizraji, a Miami-based branding specialist who this year brought out a new vodka that is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, the largest certifying body in the world.

Called L’Chaim — Hebrew for “To life!” — Mizraji’s vodka is a corn-based product imported from Israel and made according to a generations-old Russian recipe brought to that country by Jewish immigrants. [...]

Among those appreciatively watching the trend is Joshua Hatton, president and founder of the Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society. He was pleased to see single malt whiskeys from producers Ardbeg and Glenmorangie recently achieve kosher certification.

“You’re seeing it more and more,” he said, noting that there are two trends intersecting. More producers are discovering that there’s a market for kosher liquors. Meanwhile, more Jews are becoming interested in keeping kosher, something that seems to be related to the general increased interest among Americans in what they’re eating and drinking.

Hatton recently helped pour Glenmorangie at the Kosher Fest event in Secaucus, N.J. The tastings were popular, “not just because they were pouring booze, but some of the comments I heard were, ‘It’s so nice to see that this is certified kosher. It’s nice to know that someone’s watching my back.’”

At the New York-based Orthodox Union, Rabbi Moshe Elefant is seeing strong interest in kosher spirits, with certified alcoholic products growing by about 10 percent a year.

Unlike wine, which has to pass a number of regulatory requirements before being certified, liquor made from grain or sugar starts out relatively close to kosher.

For certification, the equipment must be inspected to make sure it meets standards — for instance if a tank held a product containing dairy ingredients for more than 24 hours, it would have to be sterilized — and there are business procedures which must be followed.

Flavored liquors require more scrutiny, since the ingredients may not be kosher. With whiskeys, the aging process has to be reviewed since use of nonkosher sherry, port or wine casks would be a problem.

Elefant finds that people are more interested in keeping kosher these days. But unlike earlier generations they’re not willing to sacrifice premium products. “They want the scotch and they want the liquor and they want the highest level of kosher,” he said. [...]

The Fifth Night of Chanukah

There is a Chassidic custom to regard the fifth night of Chanukah as special. It is the first night when most of the lights are lit. A more technical version of this point is that it is the first night when following the opinion of Beis Hillel to start with one candle and add one every night results in more flames than following the opinion of Beis Shammai (to light all the flames on the first night and take one away each day). The fifth night of Chanukah can never fall on Shabbos, which might be regarded as something negative, but one way of looking at it is this: The light of Chanukah can even overcome the darkness of never falling on Shabbos. One of my favorite stories about the Lubavitcher Rebbe includes this thought. Read it here. Another story about the fifth night is here.

Iran wants what?

Very strange story. Can you imagine the US complying with the request? The President affirmed today that the controversial Wikileaks documents appear to be genuine, but advised Iran "not to freak out or anything."

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki asked the White House leaders to make an explicit and official announcement on the authenticity of the documents released by the WikiLeaks website and openly declare if they approve the genuineness of these reports.

"Americans should explicitly declare whether they accept (authenticity) of these documents or not," Mottaki told FNA on Sunday.

Meantime, the Iranian minister reiterated that if authenticated, the revelations of the WikiLeaks should be viewed as a great scandal for the United States' diplomacy.

Many world countries have rejected WikiLeaks revelations about their states, saying that the site makes such claims in pursuit of politically-driven objectives desired by certain parties.

There are numerous ambiguities about the WikiLeaks and some analysts believe that the US deliberately publishes the reports in pursuit of suspicious goals.

Iranian officials and politicians have also warned of the so-called information released by the site and the hidden objectives behind the move.

So a statement from the US would be really useful in helping them calm down . . .

Angry Arab "can't wait"

He quotes this:

"Yesterday's catastrophe is just an example of the powerlessness that Israel's emergency services suffer from," said top-selling Israeli daily, Yedioth Ahronoth. "What would we have done if faced with dozens and hundreds of missiles that might have ignited fires in several areas, including urban areas with multi-story buildings?"

And his post title is "I can't wait."

On the majorness and minorhood of Chanukah

Aren't you tired of people who explain that Chanukah is a "minor holiday"? According to a no-doubt well-meaning fellow at Slate, "as any rabbi will tell you . . . Hanukkah has traditionally been a minor Jewish festival." And then there are the not so well-meaning. In the charmingly titled post "Notes on Hanukkah: The Maccabees and Zionism’s ‘invented traditions’" a Mondoweissnik explains to us that "Hanukkah is a very minor Jewish holiday." What do they want from Chanukah's life? Do they want melacha to be an issur kareis? Do they want to eat potato-starch sufganiyot because of the prohibition of chametz? Do they want to build another sukkah?

Chanukah is one of the two major Rabbinic holidays (the other one is Purim). The Synagogue service actually makes a big deal about it: Al Hanisim, Whole-Hallel every day, a special Torah-reading every day. Then there is the "ascending in holiness" Menorah-lighting itself with all its regulations about when and where and how to kindle the lights. If you are a Jew, your major spiritual preoccupation for the next 8 days is going to be Chanukah. Shabbos is going to coincide with Chanukah for 24 hours in an incredibly potent combination called Shabbos Chanukah. Here is a picture of a 32-foot tall Menorah:



Actually, nothing is "minor" in Judaism. I'd say that is one of the many themes of the holiday.

Iran particularly stung by assassination of nuclear scientist?

A Fars article compares the assassination of Majid Shahriari to that of arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyeh.

Iranian university professor Majid Shahriari, who was killed in Tehran yesterday, was assassinated through the very same method used for the assassination of Hezbollah's slain commander Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus two years ago, a senior Iranian lawmaker said on Tuesday.

"Based on investigations, the method used for the assassination of martyr Shahriari was the same method used for the assassination of martyr Mughniyeh," Head of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi told reporters.

Mughniyeh was killed on February 12, 2008 by a car bomb in the Kfar Suseh neighborhood of Damascus, the capital city of Syria. Hezbollah blamed Tel Aviv for assassinating the commander.

Lebanese political analysts believe that the terrorist blast had been arranged by the Israeli intelligence squad, Mossad.

Boroujerdi further underlined the terrorist nature of the Zionist regime of Israel, and accused the regime of assassinating Iranian lecturers and scientists.

Meantime, the lawmaker said that his commission has held a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Intelligence, the Iranian Law Enforcement Police and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) to study the recent terrorist attacks in Tehran. [...]

A current headline at PressTV proclaims "Iran will bring UNSC members to trial":

A day after the terrorist attacks against two Iranian scientists, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warns of bringing permanent members of UN Security Council (UNSC) to trial.

"By God, if such an incident takes place one more time, we will bring each permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to trial," said President Ahmadinejad in northern Iranian province of Mazandaran on Tuesday, IRNA reported.

"If the terror attack against Iranian scientists is repeated once more, we will pursue all cases before the Islamic Revolution, [in addition to] 160,000 martyrs of the Sacred Defense [in the Iraqi imposed war in the 1980's] and 40,000 martyrs in different parts of the country," he said.

"They think by taking away our nuclear scientists or scientists, our nation's momentum towards progress will stop,” he emphasized. “This time too, they committed a mistake."

The Iranian chief executive cautioned enemies of the Islamic Revolution and said, "You are mistaken. We hold those who imposed the resolutions accountable for such crimes because in [one] resolution, they mentioned the names of our scientists as subject of the sanction."

"It is obvious that the United Nations is in cahoots with Zionists (Israelis)," President Ahmadinejad underlined. [...]

Wikipedia mentions reports that Shahriari taught at something called Supreme National Defense University. I wonder if he possessed some big fishiness that has not come to light yet. (FWIW, some bloggers are pointing to this Debka item.)

IRIB Radio: "Iran slams Wiki-release as US psywar"

Ahmadinejad sees through the World Arrogance plot to make it seem that Sunni Arab oil sheikdoms are not thrilled by the prospect of Nuclear Mullahs:

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has questioned the recent 'leaked' documents published by Wikileaks website, describing them as part of a US "psychological warfare."

In response to a question by Press TV on Monday over the whistleblower website's "leaks," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said "Let me first correct you. The material was not leaked, but rather released in an organized effort."

President Ahmadinejad told reporters on Monday "The US administration releases documents and makes a judgment based on them. They are mostly like a psychological warfare and lack legal basis."

The Iranian chief executive added at the press briefing in Tehran "The documents will certainly have no political effects. Nations are vigilant today and such moves will have no impact on international relations."

President Ahmadinejad stressed that the Wikileaks "game" is "not even worth a discussion and that no one would waste their time analyzing them."

Of course, if you just insist on wasting your time on Hegemonic Zio-Psy-Ops, you could do worse than reading this.

"Kibbutzim" is a "Yiddish language word"

Asharq Alawsat frequently features sensible writing . . . and just about as frequently doesn't:

Ever since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, its media has been trying to sell the idea that Israel is a secular state that brought together its children from the Diaspora, returning them to the Promised Land, as was promised in their scriptures and religious teachings where they can live their lives according to socialist principles in collective communities called Kibbutzim [or a Kibbutz]. This is a Yiddish language word which was spoken predominately by Jews in Eastern Europe. [...]

I guess Saudis don't have a feel for Semitic languages.

Cue up the Wikileaks conspiracy theories

Angry Arab comes in handy sometimes:

Many Arabs on Twitter and Facebook are raising questions about the Wikileaks: that the revelations on the Middle East are largely either known or expected. Some are noticing that nothing damaging to Israel--even diplomatically--has been released. Some are suggesting that the US government is behind Wikileaks. Personally, I discount those conspiracy theories although conspiracy theories can be helpful.

He's really conflicted.

Another North Korean medical breakthrough

They'll never top "Curative plastic sheets Nos. 1 and 2," but this is also very impressive:

A multi-purpose light therapy device developed in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is gaining popularity in the country.

The device, based on the polarized light effect of calcite abundant in the country, promotes blood circulation and metabolism and prevents thrombus, raising immunity in human body.

It has a special virtue for various diseases, mental and physical fatigue, headache caused by a long-time use of computer, and insomnia.

Used like a wristwatch during sleep, it helps prevent heart failure and cerebral haemorrhage and thrombosis.

It won a gold prize at an international patent exposition held in China.

I don't doubt it. The latest Haveil Havalim is also deserving of a gold prize.

Finkelstein evidently views the Western World as a giant conspiracy against Hizbullah

This is brought to us from the good folks at IRNA, Iran's main news agency. We learn that "the United Nations Security Council . . . has become the main instrument for death and destruction":

Talking in Berlin Saturday evening on the occasion of the International Solidarity Day with the Palestinian Nation, Norman Finkelstein stressed there had been some 'very ominous developments' pointing to a new war in Lebanon.

'There does seem to be coordinated efforts now by the western powers using the United Security Council in order to soften up the target, weaken the target by creating discord and tension and friction inside Lebanon to pave the way at the
end for an Israeli assault on Lebanon,' the US political scientist said.

'As Israel prepares the ground for an attack, it's very interesting to watch how all the western powers synchronize to prepare, to lay the groundwork for an attack and how the United Nations Security Council which has become the main instrument for death and destruction, is preparing the groundwork,' Finkelstein added.

He accused the western powers of 'working up a (anti-Hizbollah) hysteria' in the media aimed at preparing an assault on Lebanon by the Zionist regime.

Finkelstein said the US, France and Britain were initially hoping to isolate Hizbollah by a combination of sanctions, arms embargo, UN resolution and whipping up media campaign.

The Mideast expert emphasized the West did not like Hizbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah because he was 'smart, confident and incorruptible' unlike the pro-western leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

He warned the western-backed Special Tribunal on Lebanon which is to announce an indictment blaming elements of Hizbollah for the murder of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was geared at 'dividing Shiites and Sunnis' in Lebanon and reigniting political violence in that country, setting the stage for a Zionist military assault.

In case you are wondering if the above includes some Iranian embellishments, which is always possible, at Finkelstein's own website an Asia Times article is introduced with the following:

The endgame is approaching in Lebanon. The US, UK and France will use the UN to soften the target, and then Israel will go in for the kill.

So he's certainly in that paranoid Khomeinist groove.

Angry Arab becomes full-time Hummus-blogger

He has a number of other recent posts, which I won't bother to link to, devoted to his latest cause. Here is a current one:

I have obtained the real (not the advertised) expiration dates for Sabra Hummus sold in your stores. For all those Sabra Hummus containers, the real expiration date is in fact January 1983. Make sure you note that. And for your own health: boycott Sabra Hummus.

Not less truthful than the rest of what he posts.