Juan goes off the tracks a bit

Juan Cole's latest includes an obituary for the two-state solution. Netanyahu and Sharon "killed it," Hamas and Islamic Jihad merely offered "some help," and one is left wondering what Yassir Arafat did--struggle in vain to save it? Juan then waxes prophetic and predicts a "fifty-years war" in the Middle East. (When you're an Informed Commenter, you just know those things.) And then fasten your seatbelts for the next paragraph:

Hillary is right and wrong. A two-state solution is no longer feasible. It was the best hope for peace, but Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon killed it, with some help from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, etc. There will not be a positive outcome in the Mideast. We are in for a fifty-years war, which Israel is very likely to lose in the long run, and during the course of which there will be enormous violence and terrorism, including, probably, further attacks on the United States for its knee-jerk support of Israeli expansionism and aggressive total wars on Arab civilian populations.

Since, apparently, the US government is primed to let John Yoo rewrite the US constitution whenever a few bombs go off, so that freedom of speech and the press can be abolished and the right to be free of unreasonable search and seizure can be revoked, the Mideast 50-years-war very likely will lead to the destruction of American democracy. The blueprint for that demolition job has long existed and steps toward it were taken under Bush.

If I'm reading this correctly, current events in the Middle East are not necessarily part of a great plot to impose a dictatorship in the United States, but there is a "blueprint" to do that, and now, darn it, it will get implemented. Is that a fair restatement of what he is saying?

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Neturei Karta take stand against "the impaling of infants"

IRNA has a similar article, but this Mehr News one is more rancid:

Rabbi Ahron Cohen of the anti-Zionist Jewish group Neturei Karta here on Wednesday said, "We absolutely support the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Supreme Leader’s views on bringing to trial the political and military heads of the usurper regime.

On the sidelines of the Fourth International Conference for Support of Palestine, Cohen put stress on the contradiction between Judaism and Zionism.

Carrying a card featuring "A Jew not a Zionist", Cohen said that there is a big difference between the Judaism and the Zionist.

"Media play a key role in familiarizing the world with the difference," Cohen said, adding that Judaism "is a divine religion based on compassionate."

Absolutely condemning the genocide of civilians, the destruction of their homes, the impaling of infants, the bombing of schools and mosques, the use of phosphorous bombs and other outlawed weapons; and blockade on supplies of food, medicine, fuel, and other essentials of life, Cohen averred, "The Zionists’ actions are crimes and is absolutely apposed to the divine religion".

He also referred to his friendly talks with President Mahmud Ahmadinejad on the sideline of the conference and said, "We all believe that the Zionism is a clear manifestation of the oppression in the world".

Praising the Islamic Republic’s efforts on hosting a conference on support for Palestine, Cohen stressed the importance of Iran in establishing peace and security in the region. [...]

IRNA also has a charming headline which reads "Italian professor: Advocates of Israel exaggerated Holocaust":

Professor Claudio Moffa of Afro-Asian history and institutions at the Università degli Studi of Teramo, Italy, said on Wednesday that the Supreme Leader’s remarks on Israeli crimes set blueprint for peace and humanitarian values in the Middle East.

He told IRNA on the sidelines of ‘International Conference in Support of Palestine, the Symbol of Resistance, Gaza, the Victim of Crime’, that Israel is an occupying power and committed genocide by systematic massacre of Palestinians since 1948.

He said that advocates of Israeli regime have exaggerated extent of Holocaust to occupy the Palestinian territories. [...]

Another day, another example of Holocaust-denial in the Iranian press.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Tehran Times: "Iran missiles can reach Israel nuclear sites"

I've been noting examples of Iran's military bravado in the English material published by its press agencies for years now, and I can't remember seeing anything this specific before. Iran is getting more brazen, and something needs to be done soon:

IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari said on Wednesday that Zionists’ nuclear sites and facilities are within range of Iranian missiles.

He made the remarks in an address to the 4th International Conference for Support of Palestine, The Model of Resistance, and Gaza, the Victim of War Crimes in Tehran on Wednesday.

The combat readiness of the Iranian forces is very high, he said adding that Iran is now at its best military status to defend its territorial integrity.

"Our military doctrine is defensive; he said, adding that if the enemies such as the Zionist regime dare targeting the country they will be given a crushing response with full force.

Iran has ample long-ranged missiles which can hit their targets over 2,000 kilometer away which means that all parts of the Zionist regime as well as its nuclear sites are within reach of Iranian missiles, pointed out the commander.

On recent threats made by Zionists officials, he said they have no resort but making such baseless allegations. The U.S. and the Zionist regime are not in a position to take military action against Iran, he underlined.

"I would like once again to repeat the historical comments made by the Late Imam Khomeini that the U.S. and the Zionist regime cannot do a damn thing," concluded the commander.

Also at Tehran Times currently, Ahmadinejad explains that "Zionists do not believe in Judaism":

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday noted that Basically, Zionists do not believe in Judaism, Christianity or any other religion.

Zionism is not a religion, but rather an ideology with evil objectives, he pointed out at the conference on supporting Palestinians which opened in Tehran on Wednesday.

"The Zionist front is a faction with at most 2000 personnel and a few thousands of agents who control financial, political and media centers and some sections of the U.S. and EU governments," he explained. [...]

Only until the upcoming retirement.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

PressTV (Iran): "Zion elders wanted Muslims 'under thumb'"---that's a real headline

Iran is having a conference on Palestine at the moment. Almost every headline at Fars News is about it, including the obligatory story about a "Jewish Rabbi," i.e. a Neturei Karta type, who agrees 100% with the Khomeinists. Ahmadinejad explains:

The Islamic republic news agency quoted him as saying the world looked at Zionism not as a religion but as a "manner" full of evil and satanic objectives and means and said the basic philosophy of the Zionist regime's existence was to scatter corruption, aggression and expansionism throughout the world.

The Supreme Leader weighs in:

Now 60 years have passed since the occupation of Palestine. During this period all material means of power have been in the service of the usurpers, including money, weapons and technology, as well as political and diplomatic initiatives and the giant empire of news media and networks. Yet despite these staggering and far-reaching satanic efforts, the usurpers and their supporters have not only failed to solve the problem of the Zionist regime's illegitimacy, but it has grown more complicated with time.

The intolerance shown by the Western and Zionist media and pro-Zionist governments toward even the mere posing of any question concerning the Holocaust-which served as an excuse for the usurpation of Palestine-and research on the topic, is one of the signs of this nervousness and uncertainty.

Besides all the usual swill, lo and behold, here is something I don't remember seeing before: an Iranian news article that actually refers to "Elders of Zion":

Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says that the creation of Israel was aimed at placing Islamic states under Zionist influence.

In a speech delivered at the international conference in support of Palestinians in Tehran on Wednesday, Larijani said frequent tensions in the Middle East clearly show that the elders of Zion planned to preoccupy Islamic countries with daily struggles.

The Majlis speaker criticized the US for its support of Israel and said making repeated visits to the region and holding conferences in support of Israel will not shake the will of the Palestinian resistance.

"Today the world awaits a change in domineering policies and strategies," he added.

"One look at these past adventurisms [by Israel and the US] shows that the vigilance of Palestinians has thwarted Israeli-US plots and that the Palestinian resistance is on an evolutionary path," the Iranian official continued.

Larijani told the participants of the conference titled 'Palestine: Manifestation of Resistance, Gaza: Victim of Crimes' that he hoped the summit would help the people of Palestine.

"The Palestinian crisis is a serious one with almost no precedent. Imprisoning millions of people in Israeli jails and turning millions of others into refugees over the past 60 years is but a portion of Israel's atrocities in Palestine," Larijani added.

Legal experts, politicians and religious figures have come together for the conference to discuss ways to bring Israel's top political and military leaders to trial over the crimes they committed during the war on Gaza. [...]

There's blog fodder at that there conference . . .

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Some choice sentences

Fars News:

Calling Zionists "irreligious people", the head of the PFLP General Command in Damascus underlines that if they were not pagans they didn't commit such crimes.

Korean News:

The day when Lee came to power was a day of disgrace as it witnessed the emergence of the murderous dictatorial regime, the statement said, deploring that since then south Korea has turned been into a land of darkness where coercion and tyranny, murder and confrontation with compatriots hold sway.

MPAC-UK:

The extreme [American] foreign policy is leading to a backlash where many Muslims are now taking up extreme measures themselves, the latest of which is the attack against the Sri Lankan team playing in Pakistan.

Maan News:

Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum asserted on Tuesday that comments by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton represented an obvious call for the continuation of violence against the Palestinian people.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Clinton Asks Israel to Help Palestinians Seek ‘Viable’ Failed State

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed sympathy today for Israel’s need to respond to the new "fortification-buster" grad rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, while urging Israeli officials to help the Palestinians better foster the culture of resistance.

Israel should help its "marginally non-genocidal" Palestinian partners "strengthen their capacity to loot the Palestinian people and move toward a viable failed state," Clinton told reporters in Egypt today after a money-raising conference for Iran-annexed Gaza.

Clinton said she is "troubled" by the continued rocket attacks from the coastal proto-Caliphate, which is ruled by the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades, rivals of the U.S.-backed Al-Aqsa Martyrs brigades in the West Bank. Hamas, a Khomeinist-funded martyrdom-fetish, is destined to liquidate the hated Zionist entity according to the U.S. and the EU.

The division among the Palestinians is one of the problems standing in the way of the vigilance against World Arrogance plots that Clinton’s trip is meant to promote. She travels next to the Zionist entity.

Clinton, wearing a fashionable keffiyeh-pattern hijab, sought to assure the conference that President Barack Obama will pursue a peace deal between Israel and the Ummah with "vigor and intensity." Citing the appointment of a special envoy for Middle East peace, Matthew Yglesias, Clinton also pledged $900 million in aid for the Palestinians to lard the kleptocracy of Mahmoud Abbas.

Source: Bloomberg. Additional reporting by Yitzchak.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

War criminal tally up to 149

Iran's PressTV, along with a number of Western news sources, reports that Interpol has begun "studying Iran's request for the arrest of 15 senior Israeli officials over war crimes committed during the Gaza offensive." There is always something a little edgier about Fars News compared to the other Iranian news agencies. Fars, if you will recall, broke the story about the human litigation wave of 5700 lawyers. Accordingly, Fars reports that Iran has presented a "List of 149 Israeli War Criminals to Interpol":

Iran released a list of 149 Israeli war criminals including 34 political leaders and 115 other Israelis involved in the recent war against Gaza people, Iranian Prosecutor General Qorban Ali Dorri Najafabadi announced.

Noting that the group is charged with committing war crimes and violating the Geneva Conventions and war laws, Najafabadi stressed on Sunday that the Israeli leaders have breached the human rights and committed genocide.

Iran wants Interpol to issue arrest warrants for these criminals because of their crimes against humanity, occupation, aggression, threatening regional and international peace and security, he reiterated.

There are the names of some top Israeli leaders in Iran's presented list to the Interpol, including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. [...]

Wanna hire Palestinians to spray-paint graffiti on the separation wall?

Tim Blair explains.

Today's great leaps forward

Something called the "4th National Meeting of Agitators" came to a close in North Korea. We only tend to think of an "agitator" as something good if it is part of a washing machine. In Juche-land, however, they see political agitation as something positive:

The speakers said that brisk activities to inform the people of the policies of the Workers' Party of Korea and agitation work now under way in every work site of socialist construction are the fruition of the experienced and tested leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Il who put forward original theories and policies of information service and has energetically led the struggle to implement them.

They referred to the fact that they have educated the masses by conducting effective political work and setting examples in the van of the struggle and advance and thus powerfully encouraged them in the general march of the Songun revolution.

They underscored the need to dynamically conduct a political and ideological offensive to give full play to the might of ideology and inexhaustible mental power of all the servicepersons and people in hearty response to the militant tasks laid down in the congratulatory message of the WPK Central Committee and thus make a positive contribution to consolidating the single-minded unity of the whole society and cementing the politico-ideological position of Korean-style socialism. [...]

Elsewhere in the news, a Rodong Sinmun editorial called for "Adherence to Anti-imperialist Independent Stand." Why is this necessary?

The imperialists are increasing their political, economic and military pressure upon the anti-imperialist independent countries while staging large-scale smear campaigns against those countries in a bid to realize their wild ambition for domination and instigating anti-government forces to create and stoke the socio-political confusion . . .

Can't have that. The article explains:

The completely different fate of the peoples of Cuba and Iraq teaches a lesson that if people of a country lack a transparent anti-imperialist independent stand, they are bound to become slaves of imperialism and can neither expect the independent development of their country and nation nor survive.

So Cuba had a "a transparent anti-imperialist independent stand" and Iraq didn't? It's hard to believe Saddam Hussein had any shortcomings in the dictator business. In any event, the latest edition of Haveil Havalim at The Israel Situation is educating the masses by conducting effective political work and setting examples in the van of the struggle and advance.

Let's not get small

In a Newsweek article entitled "Learning to Live With Radical Islam," Fareed Zakaria sees the recent capitulation to the Taliban in Pakistan's Swat Valley as a nuance opportunity:

The Pakistani government is hoping that this agreement will isolate the jihadists and win the public back to its side. This may not work, but at least it represents an effort to divide the camps of the Islamists between those who are violent and those who are merely extreme.

A writer at Al Ahram, in an article with the amusing title "Honey, I shrunk Pakistan!" sees it differently:

Successive Pakistani governments are making a habit of surrendering territory and sovereignty to the Taliban in exchange for nothing. General Pervez Musharraf lost North and South Waziristan in a similar deal a few years ago and now President Asif Ali Zardari has provided the Taliban with a foothold within striking distance of Islamabad. Pakistan is slowly shriveling up. I guess the next time Benazir Bhutto's ghost visits her dear husband President Zardari, his one line report will say, "Honey, I shrunk Pakistan!"

Deals such as this one that the Pakistani government made with the Taliban are comprehensive strategic victories for the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

One, they ensure that the over 100,000 Pakistani troops in the region are no more a threat to them or to their goals. By securing their eastern front through peace deals with Pakistan, the Taliban and Al-Qaeda are free to focus their entire firepower on American and NATO forces.

Two, the deals give the Taliban and Al-Qaeda safe havens where they can train, recruit and fundraise. These provinces give them a strategic depth against Western forces. Now they have safe homes in Pakistan to retreat and resuscitate in and return to fight another day in Afghanistan.

But the most dangerous consequence is the loss of land. The Taliban now control vast territories in the southeast of Afghanistan and north and west of Pakistan. They are steadily carving out a Talibanistan -- a state perpetually at war -- that will nestle between Afghanistan and Pakistan and prey on both of them for territory, for fighters and for resources.

This has some relevance, of course, to the undesirable prospect of shrinking Israel and expanding Hamas-stan, otherwise known as the "two-state solution."

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Ezzedeen Al Qassam Brigades Information Office: "some analysts say that this necklaces has big evidences"

Hamas claims to have the "dog tags" (to use the American term) of Israeli soldiers. The shaky English skills of this writer actually enhance his talent for sounding thuggish:

Ezzedeen Al Qassam Brigades revealed four Zionist soldiers' names, the Brigades had their necklaces during the Zionist war on Gaza. Al Qassam Brigades published on the electronic site a video revealed how Al Qassam men took over these necklaces.

The video offered by the Information Office appeared the Qassam men sniping some of the Zionist soldiers.

Names of the soldiers:

The necklaces showed several names belong to the Zionist soldiers as Kuhain Avi-Khar, Offer Eran, Maryus Andre and Klanar Soron. The Brigades announced that those soldiers may be killed in the War on Gaza.

It should be mentioned that every soldier has a necklace hanging it on his nick, the necklace has his name and his secret number, some analysts say that this necklaces has big evidences.

The analysts say that this video has two options, the first is that the Brigade's men killed those Zionist soldiers and took their necklaces, the second option that those soldiers were became fragments during the clashes.

"Informed Observer" speculates on Israeli "Wannsee Protokol"

Click image to enlarge
A writer of a "guest op-ed" at Juan Cole's blog, identified only as an "Informed Observer," is indignant that someone actually, horrors, defended Israel in the pages of the sacred Guardian. That would be worth a post in itself. In addition, however, we get speculation that "something similar to a Wannsee Protocol may exist somewhere in Tel Aviv." That refers to a famous document planning the Nazi "final solution" to the Jewish problem. Did he really write that?

[...] I find Amnesty’s report provides enough evidence to convince me that something similar to a Wannsee Protokol may exist somewhere in Tel Aviv and that Senior Israeli officers and politicians have a case to answer at the International Criminal Court. Doubtless I will be accused of anti-semitism for saying it, but I find myself in the company of Sir Gerald Kaufman, Mary Robinson and a glittering array of QCs and eminent jurists in doing so.

I find the Guardian giving this piece of Newspeak a platform without identifying at the end of the piece that the author [Uri Dromi] is closely linked to the Israeli forces worrying.

His name at the beginning of the piece links to a description of his Israeli government and IDF credentials. Perhaps it's a bit much to expect a Guardian reader to navigate a link.

The Guardian used to be a newspaper that could be relied on to present a point of view that was an antidote to the authoritarian and right wing point of view expressed in newspapers like Daily Telegraph, Times, Jerusalem Post. It is unsettling to find them giving a platform to someone who Professor Avi Schlaim denounces as a propagandist.

If the Independent, whose editorial independence is vouched for by the integrity of Robert Fisk as a correspondent, were to succumb to its financial problems, along with Channel 4 TV-- and The Guardian were to have been subverted we would be left with a biased set of mass media that channel to us Israeli propaganda.

The horror! But Fisk would still find somewhere to publish, wouldn't he?

Perhaps the Editor of the Guardian might need to examine his conscience.

Thinking that there might be something to be said for the Israeli side of things--that has to bother the Guardianista conscience indeed! In the comments section, "Georgina Henry Executive editor, comment, The Guardian" explains:

It appeared in the Comment Is Free section of our website (not the print edition) where writers express a wide range of opinions which are exposed to scrutiny by readers who can then comment on them.

See there? There had to be an explanation!

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Update: Yaacov Lozowick answers some of the "Informed Observer's" points about specific uses of weapons and also makes a great point about logic and reality.

"Immortal Feats in Modeling Whole Society on Juche Idea"

We're miserable stunted wretches living in a giant concentration camp and forced to pretend to be happy about the stupid Juche idea:

The army and people of Korea are recollecting with deep emotion the imperishable feats performed by General Secretary Kim Jong Il who has led the Korean revolution along the one road of victory under the banner of transforming the whole society after the Juche idea.

He, who had put forward many original thoughts and theories long ago, was engaged in indefatigable study for formulating anew the revolutionary idea of President Kim Il Sung.

Busy as he was with many state affairs, he energetically studied and analyzed the preceding theories while dealing with important issues of the revolution and construction.

He, basing himself on this, found that the new guiding idea of the times was only the revolutionary idea of the President and proclaimed the programme for modeling the whole society on the Juche idea in February Juche 63 (1974).

In order to put this programme into practice, he, with a tight grasp on idea and theory, has dynamically conducted the work of transforming man, nature and society as required by Juche.

So what happened to "nature"? Better not to know.

As a result, a great turning-point was marked in remoulding and changing all the fields of the revolution and construction in accordance with the requirements of modeling the whole society on the Juche idea.

The Wangjaesan Revolutionary Site and the Samjiyon Grand Monument, centers for the education in the revolutionary traditions, were built and the schoolchildren's marches began along the courses of the 1,000-ri journey for learning and the 1,000-ri journey for national liberation.

The work for training people of Juche-type and remoulding man has been vigorously promoted by the mighty slogans full of Juche spirit advanced by him such as "Let us meet the requirements of Juche in ideology, technology and culture!", "Let us produce, study and live like the anti-Japanese guerrillas!" and "Let us live our own way!" and mass movements including the Three-Revolution Red Flag Movement.

The slogan of faith "Let us fight devotedly for the great leader!" has implanted in the minds of the servicepersons the spirit of devotedly defending the leader and brought them up to be a-match-for-a-hundred revolutionary army, thus decisively smashing the reckless war provocation moves of the enemy in each step and defending the motherland and people with credit.

Amid the seething revolutionary enthusiasm, a large-size long-distance belt conveyer transportation line stretched out to the rough west sea, making a proud history of great creation and construction.

Is that a metaphor?

The five revolutionary operas and "A Mountain Shrine"-type revolutionary drama were created and revolutionary films and revolutionary novels were produced with the result that a fresh heyday was brought about in literature and art as a whole. All this is a precious fruition of the might of ideology under the banner of modeling the whole society on the Juche idea.

All the army and people of Korea victoriously concluded the "Arduous March" and the forced march which were difficult beyond the imagination and ushered in the dawn of building a great, prosperous and powerful socialist country.

The idea of the bit about the "dawn" of a "great, prosperous" etc. country is that the sun hasn't come up yet.

The grand monumental edifices constructed in different parts of the country in the Songun era -- large-sized fields which was rezoned as befits the land of a socialist state, modern industrial establishments, poultry farms, the UHP electric arc furnace which is acme of the steel industry, the Wonsan Youth Power Station and other power stations -- are the precious wealth made by indomitable spirit.

The army and people of Korea are forging ahead dynamically for the thriving of the socialist country and the accomplishment of the Juche revolutionary cause with the undying feats performed by Kim Jong Il under the banner of modeling the whole society on the Juche idea as lasting treasure.

And they'd probably trade it all for a potato.

Canadian Jewish News: "Aboriginal leader acquitted of Jew hatred"

Only in Canada, I guess. I don't agree with putting people on trial for bigoted remarks, but exactly what could he have done to earn a conviction?

A judge has acquitted a former aboriginal leader of willfully promoting hatred against Jews.

It was the second trial for David Ahenakew, who was found guilty in 2005 of promoting hatred against Jews and fined $1,000. But the conviction was overturned on appeal and a new trial was ordered.

Ahenakew, the former head of Canada's Assembly of First Nations, was charged after a controversial speech and subsequent interview with a reporter in 2002. In the interview he called Jews a "disease ... that's going to take over."

He went on to say that "The Jews damn near owned all of Germany prior to the war. That's how Hitler came in. He was going to make damn sure that the Jews didn't take over Germany or Europe.

"That's why he fried six million of those guys, you know. Jews would have owned the God-damned world."

On Monday, Judge Wilfred Tucker of Saskatoon said the comments were "disgusting" but acquitted Ahenakew, saying he didn't believe the accused intended to promote hatred.
Ahenakew, 75, testified at his second trial that he doesn't hate Jews, but "I hate what they do to people." He said he still believes Jews caused World War II.

Commenting on the trial's outcome, Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), co-president Sylvain Abitbol said, "While the court has determined that Mr. Ahenakew's statements were revolting, disgusting and untrue, he did not demonstrate the required intent to meet the rightfully high threshold required for a guilty verdict in hate crimes cases under s. 319 of the Criminal Code, and we respect the court's decision.

"While Mr. Ahenakew has not been convicted, there is no doubt that his words and actions were anti-Semitic and we hope Mr. Ahenakew has come to understand the pain he has caused. We urge Mr. Ahenakew to make amends so he can be remembered for healing rather than for hurting," said Abitbol. [...]

CJC CEO Bernie M. Farber commented on the importance of s. 319. "This section of the Criminal Code is an important element of the fence of protection around vulnerable minorities in Canada. Today's decision should not be extrapolated to conclude that s. 319 of the Criminal Code cannot work," said Farber.

"We commend the Crown and the court for the seriousness and diligence with which they proceeded on this case, and appreciate their efforts to bring about a resolution. We continue to urge law enforcement officials and provincial attorneys-general to enforce the law going forward."

Glad he's happy.

PressTV (Iran): "Hollywood to make 30 anti-Iranian movies"

The only source for this information given in the article is "Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Hassan Qashqavi."

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Hassan Qashqavi, has said that Hollywood film makers have thirty anti-Iranian movies in the offing.

"Hollywood has thirty anti-Iranian movies in the offing with the subject of hostility towards Iran's historical and Islamic identity," Qashqavi told reporters at a weekly news conference in Tehran on Monday.

"The subject of making various movies has directly targeted not only Iran's religious and historical identity but also the country's social values including hospitality in an attempt to show hostility towards the Islamic Republic," he added.

"There are certain political objectives behind a number of movies under the pretext of creating art," he explained.

The controversial anti-Iranian Hollywood film '300', made by Zack Snyder, is an example of such films.[...]

So Hollywood is making 30 more? Seems hard to believe, unless you're MPAC-UK.

What's the latest from "the most independent country in the world"?

They are the champions, my friend:

Head of Expediency Council and provisional Friday Prayers leader of Tehran said here Friday Iran is the most independent country in the world today, obeying orders of no foreign power, no country dictating it what to do.

According to IRNA Political Desk reporter, addressing thousands of Tehrani worshipers at central campus of Tehran University, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani added in his second sermon, "The victory of the Islamic Revolution rid Iran from the reign of the global oppression and granted the Iranians freedom, that is materialized at election scenes."

He took his lucky break and broke it in two:

US President Barack Obama's distortion of the name of Persian Gulf while issuing appointment decree of Dennis Ross is considered inattention to valid international historical documents which can mark the start of the non-confidence of the Iranians in him . . .

Obama who was elected with the motto of change, has pursued a line which can lead to Iran's growing mistrust in him by electing Ross as a senior advisor for Persian Gulf affairs.

The dream police they live inside of his head:

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has accused Israel of masterminding the Darfur crisis, urging the ICC to drop charges against Sudan's president.

Gaddafi called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to immediately halt proceedings against Omar al-Bashir over alleged war crimes in Darfur, adding that "foreign forces" including Israel were behind the region's crisis.

"Why do we have to hold President Bashir or the Sudanese government responsible when the Darfur problem was caused by outside parties, and Tel Aviv, for example, is behind the Darfur crisis," the current African Union president said on Tuesday.

It's getting better all the time:

Following Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's decision to appoint the controversial Middle East negotiator as her special advisor on the Persian Gulf and southwest Asia, lawmaker Kazem Jalali cast doubt on the new administration's intention to bring political change.

"Ross' appointment shows that [Barack] Obama's offer of change is not real ... the Israeli president would have been a far better candidate than Denis Ross," Jalali told IRNA on Thursday.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Song for the New Orleans Intifada

Went down to Nawlins for the Intifada
And they all axed for you
They all axed for you
They even inquired for you
Took the St. Claude bus to the Intifada
And they all axed for you
Farfur axed, Nahool axed,
They all axed for you

I'm on Canal Street for the 10 minutes' hate
And they all axed for you
They all axed for you
They even inquired for you
Mister, I can tell you where you got that Keffiyeh
And they all axed for you
Robert Axed, Ismail axed
They all axed for you

I went on down to Apartheid Week
And they all axed for you
They all axed for you
They even inquired for you
I went on down to Apartheid Week
And they all axed for you
The PFLP and the DFLP
They all axed for you

The Maoists axed, Hugo axed
They all axed for you
Hassan axed, Samir axed
They all axed for you
Juan axed, Roseanne axed
They all axed for you
Ilan axed, Yvonne axed,
They all axed for you

UNO got a sister school
It's called Al-Aqsa U.
Even Tulane got a sister school
It's called Al-Aqsa U . . .

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

"IAEA's repetitious reports should be stopped : Iranian envoy"

Iran is usually more upbeat about its relationship with the IAEA, so this is a significant development:

Iran's Ambassador to International Atomic Energy Agency Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh said the IAEA's repetitious reports on Iran which have nothing new should be stopped.

Talking to IRNA, Soltaniyeh said he told IAEA's Board of Governors that after several years of repetitive reports on Iran's peaceful nuclear program, it should be stopped.

Members of IAEA Board of Governors in a five-hour explanation meeting on Tuesday, discussed IAEA chief ElBaradei's new reports on Syria and Iran.

After the meeting, Soltaniyeh said it was repeatedly underlined that the impressions from ElBaradei new report about Iran are totally baseless.

He added that Herman Nagat, responsible for the IAEA's regional safeguards clearly underscored the incorrect impressions of the report and said that all nuclear issues related to Iran's enrichment activities are precise and under IAEA's control .

According to Soltaniyeh, the official underlined three times that the incorrect information and conjectures by the media are completely wrong and there is no ambiguity concerning enrichment activities in Natanz.

Referring to the IAEA former reports about Iran, Soltanieh criticized ways of writing the reports which clearly cause misunderstanding in public opinion.

He continued that the reports should be prepared in two sections; whether Iran has fulfilled its commitment upon Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or not, and whether the request from Iran like fulfillment of Additional Protocol or sub-arrangements 1 and 3 are beyond the commitment or not.

He asked how such voluntary measure could be accepted while the UN Security Council issues resolutions and the issue is still considered in the IAEA Board of Governors.

The ambassador said he told the meeting that the director general and the IAEA had no alternative except announcing that inspection in Iran has been carried out in a normal way and the issue should be removed from IAEA's special agenda.

Referring to the new report of ElBaradei on Syria, Soltanyieh said the report, without condemning Israeli bombardment in Syria, asks that country to prove that the demolished building was not a nuclear installation which is against logic and common sense.

Soltanyieh said this is the same scenario which was repeated again and agaain for Iran and must be stopped forever.

You don't suppose they have something to hide, do you?

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Ahmadinejad: Iran and Venezuela pursuing "divine goals"

He appreciates Imam Chavez:

Iran's President, Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a farewell meeting with the outgoing Venezuelan Ambassador to Tehran, Arturo Anibal Gallegos, said in Tehran on Monday that Iran and Venezuela are moving in the direction of a unified route in the way of divine goals and humanitarian objectives. According to ISNA, he said that the Islamic Republic of Iran and Venezuela's cooperation should encompass regional boundaries in South America, and they should adopt a unified stand in dealing with ongoing developments in South America, Africa and Asia.

President Dr. Ahmadinejad reiterated that though once Cuba and Venezuela were the only active states in the direction of revolutionary goals in the fight against the global arrogance, today, all nations in South America have bastioned against the fronts of enemies strongly.

The outgoing Venezuelan ambassador, for his part, called for active involvement of Iran in his country, stressing that strengthening the monetary fund and establishing a joint national bank could help Tehran and Caracas to deal properly with global economic crises.

Elsewhere in the Iranian news, Prosecutor-General Najafabadi, declares that Iran has always "showed great kindness to the Bahai":

[...] The top Iranian judiciary official made the remarks in response to Western claims that the Islamic Republic has violated the rights of Bahais in Iran.

According to the Iranian cleric, there is irrefutable evidence that many adherents of the Bahai sect are in close contact with the enemies of the Iranian nation and have strong links to the Zionist regime.

"We have always showed great kindness to the Bahai citizens in Iran. We just oppose such relations," he explained.

Although members of the Bahai sect have admitted their charges in various cases, the West, especially the United States, claims that Iran has violated their human rights by making attempts to suppress the cult.

"We (as the state) offer a variety of services to the Bahai sect in Iran and respect them as human beings, but not as insiders, spies, or a political grouplet supported by Britain and Israel to cause disturbance in Iran," Najafabadi went on to say. [...]

And in other news undoubtedly related to smashing the plots of the World Arrogance, New Orleans now has its own intifada.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Kim views art squad maneuvers

Everything is military in North Korea:

General Secretary Kim Jong Il enjoyed an art performance given by the art squad of Large Combined Unit 264 of the KPA.

It put on the stage female solo and pangchang "Arirang of Army-People Unity", female solo "We Started from Scratch", chorus "We Will Defend the Headquarters of the Revolution at the Cost of Our Lives" and other colorful numbers.

Through the performance the art squad truthfully represented the invincible might of the KPA and the steadfast faith and will of its servicepersons to devotedly defend the headquarters of the revolution and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche with arms under the guidance of Kim Jong Il.

It also strikingly demonstrated the might of the KPA artistes who are creditably performing their sacred mission as buglers in the era of Songun by instilling the ardent love for the Party, the leader, the country and the people into the soldiers.

He expressed great satisfaction over the fact that the members of the art squad not only created successful art pieces vividly reflecting the inexhaustible mental power of the servicepersons but gave a truthful and militant performance.

He extended thanks to the art squad, highly appreciating its presentation, noting that it was the best of the recent performances given by the art squads of the KPA units as it was of high artistic and educational value.

He set forth tasks which would serve as guidelines for intensifying the revolutionary and militant performing activities. [...]

The latest edition of Haveil Havalim vividly reflects inexhaustible mental power.