A brilliant counter-point from the Jerusalem Post today:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1204127199289&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
DAVID FORMAN
I was standing in the security line at the airport in Atlanta. I removed my shoes and my belt, emptied the change from my pockets, discarded my water bottle and placed my tote bag on the belt that would carry it through the X-ray machine.
Suddenly, I was pulled aside. "Sir, do you know that you are not allowed to carry on board more than a 3.2 ounce tube of toothpaste?"
Asked to explain my blatant breach of security, I sheepishly responded that I had brushed my teeth a number of times with the toothpaste, and surely there must now be less than 3.2 ounces. At that very moment, the assistant head of security for the airport walked by and inquired what the problem was.
I protested that my toothpaste was being confiscated. He explained that the Transportation Security Administration bans passengers from taking aboard such a potentially deadly quantity of toothpaste. I muttered under my breath that we do not put people through such nonsense in Israel. Overhearing me, he became curious about how Israel's airports were secured; and ushered me into a private room for a discussion on airport security, as if I were an expert on such matters.
I asked him if anyone checks cars as they enter the airport. He was surprised that this was routine procedure in Israel and remarked what a brilliant idea it was. I then asked if there were plainclothesmen watching every door that leads into the terminals. I asked if the desk clerk thoroughly checks a traveler's passport to see the countries visited.
I asked my interrogator how many people he estimated were waiting in the security line. He ventured about 250. I pointed to a nervous-looking character who was about to place a heavy-looking bag on the security belt. I asked the TSA executive if it were possible the man could be concealing 20 pounds of explosives in the bag; he replied that it was entirely possible. When I asked him to approximate how many people might be killed if the man set off those explosives, he said virtually everyone standing in line; to which I exclaimed: "Aha - but, you have my Colgate!"
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS recently ran an article that airport security in America had not even marginally improved since 9/11. Given my experience, it is obvious why. But there is a deeper and more serious concern - the belief in the US intelligence community's ability to assess real threats around the world, which leads me to the US National Intelligence Estimate report which said that Iran ceased its nuclear weapons program in 2003.
Who could possibly believe the NIE after the total fiasco of its intelligence analysis about Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction? Or, more to the point, after the same NIE authoritatively stated in 2005 that Iran was an imminent nuclear threat? Under obvious political pressure from the Bush administration, US National Intelligence director Michael McConnell is now equivocating on the NIE findings on Iran, which further undermines its credibility.
If one really wants to know what some Arab nations are plotting, don't rely on American intelligence agencies, but on those Arab and Muslim leaders who boldly state what weapons their countries possess, do not possess or wish to possess, what they are capable of or will be capable of doing.
So - screw American intelligence. Let's listen to these Arabs nations.
After Iraq invaded Kuwait, Saddam Hussein said he would fire Scud missiles at Israel if America attacked his country. I still have my gas mask as a reminder of the days our family sat in our sealed room as Saddam fulfilled his pledge.
He later insisted he had no weapons of mass destruction. America refused to believe him, and the result is the disastrous war in Iraq that has not turned up the slightest trace of WMDs. One need not be a rocket scientist to know Saddam was telling the truth.
In 1981, Israel bombed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor, and, in the Gulf War, George Bush Sr. wiped out any possibility of Saddam jump-starting his nuclear program. If Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces he plans to destroy Israel, should he not be taken at his word? Common sense dictates that the only way Iran could turn Israel into a heap of ashes is by developing nuclear weapons.
Ahmadinejad has dropped sufficient hints that he would be willing to sacrifice millions of Iranians in a nuclear conflagration with Israel. Indeed, Iran has proven its intentions of striking Israel by arming its surrogate, Hizbullah, whose Katyusha rockets turned our lives into a living hell during the Second Lebanon War - exactly as Ahmadinejad promised.
The NIE assessment on Iran is not worth the paper it is written on. Given the US government's homeland security directives that warn the American people that flying with more than 3.2 ounces of Colgate, Crest or Aquafresh in a carry-on bag is a threat to American security, it should be abundantly clear that American military intelligence is an oxymoron. More frightening than farcical, it is completely unreliable.
On the other hand, Arab and Muslim declarations of hostile intentions, especially toward us, have proven absolutely reliable. Consequently, if we Israelis want an accurate assessment of what lies in store for us, we damn well better pay attention to Ahmadinejad's almost daily admonitions. He, not the NIE, knows best; and, he is telling us that soon Iran will have nuclear weapons.
Let's hope that our government has a plan of action before they are deployed against us
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Finally
The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved a resolution calling for equal treatment of Jewish refugees in any peace deal.
"For any comprehensive Middle East peace agreement to be credible and enduring, the agreement must address and resolve all outstanding issues relating to the legitimate rights of all refugees in the Middle East, including Jews, Christians, and other populations displaced from countries in the region,"
Too many times have I heard the claim that Israel forcefully removed Palestinians from their homes to make way for Jews coming in. This is where the Jews were coming from. It's estimated that around 850,000 Jews were forcefully removed from their homes during the creation of the State of Israel yet these voices are forgotten in any debate about the Middle East. The reason they are forgotten is that they were absorbed by Israel whilst the Palestinians were rejected by their Arab brethren and since 1967 have been regarded as little more than pawns for the political purposes of those that wish to demonize the Jewish state. Hopefully now the Jewish refugee problem will be given more press than those of their Palestinian counterparts.
"For any comprehensive Middle East peace agreement to be credible and enduring, the agreement must address and resolve all outstanding issues relating to the legitimate rights of all refugees in the Middle East, including Jews, Christians, and other populations displaced from countries in the region,"
Too many times have I heard the claim that Israel forcefully removed Palestinians from their homes to make way for Jews coming in. This is where the Jews were coming from. It's estimated that around 850,000 Jews were forcefully removed from their homes during the creation of the State of Israel yet these voices are forgotten in any debate about the Middle East. The reason they are forgotten is that they were absorbed by Israel whilst the Palestinians were rejected by their Arab brethren and since 1967 have been regarded as little more than pawns for the political purposes of those that wish to demonize the Jewish state. Hopefully now the Jewish refugee problem will be given more press than those of their Palestinian counterparts.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The assassination of Imad Mughniyeh
It's been over a week since the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh, one of the leading Hezbollah terrorists, and Mossad has taken the blame. I have no information if it was the Israeli government who killed this man but it seems they have already been accused by the Hezbollah leadership. In a previous post i proclaimed my support for these assassinations and i reiterate that once again.
This man was evil; his deliberate attacks on civilians led to an enormous loss of life not only within the Middle East but he is also believed to be behind the 1994 bombing of the AMIA centre which killed 85 people.
Whilst it would have been preferable to have this man face justice in an Israeli courtroom he was notorious for his paranoia; often changing his clothes, sleeping in separate houses every night and strangely having no bodyguards. He did this in order to avoid any kind of information being leaked to the various intelligence agencies that were hunting him.
However whoever did assassinate him did an astounding job (it was believed that the small explosive was placed in the headrest of his car-seat) and whilst i'm sure Israel did have a hand in it, it could not have been done without the support of their Arab neighbors. Hezbollah is a threat to the entire region with its tentacles, funded by Iran, being able to reach into Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordann and various other countries. This way why three Arab states openly aligned against Hezbollah (and by default, allying with Israel) in the beginning of the 2006 war.
Many of them are afraid of what would happen should Hezbollah and Iran get too strong (they're also deeply concerned about an Iranian nuclear weapon) and topple their regimes. Many, like the Mubarak regime in Egypt, are far from perfect. The Egyptian dictatorship has oppressed citizens and media alike and routinely imprison political opponents who wish for democratic change. However they are also funded largely by the Americans who have given this dangerous regime a modern and very deadly army. Mubarak and many other Middle Eastern governments are fearful of Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood's influence in Egypt, for they could soon gain power, and so are hoping for their downfall.
Whether or not Israel planned this assassination is irrelevant. There are plenty of Arab states who wanted Mughiniyeh dead and they could have taken care of this problem themselves.
This man was evil; his deliberate attacks on civilians led to an enormous loss of life not only within the Middle East but he is also believed to be behind the 1994 bombing of the AMIA centre which killed 85 people.
Whilst it would have been preferable to have this man face justice in an Israeli courtroom he was notorious for his paranoia; often changing his clothes, sleeping in separate houses every night and strangely having no bodyguards. He did this in order to avoid any kind of information being leaked to the various intelligence agencies that were hunting him.
However whoever did assassinate him did an astounding job (it was believed that the small explosive was placed in the headrest of his car-seat) and whilst i'm sure Israel did have a hand in it, it could not have been done without the support of their Arab neighbors. Hezbollah is a threat to the entire region with its tentacles, funded by Iran, being able to reach into Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordann and various other countries. This way why three Arab states openly aligned against Hezbollah (and by default, allying with Israel) in the beginning of the 2006 war.
Many of them are afraid of what would happen should Hezbollah and Iran get too strong (they're also deeply concerned about an Iranian nuclear weapon) and topple their regimes. Many, like the Mubarak regime in Egypt, are far from perfect. The Egyptian dictatorship has oppressed citizens and media alike and routinely imprison political opponents who wish for democratic change. However they are also funded largely by the Americans who have given this dangerous regime a modern and very deadly army. Mubarak and many other Middle Eastern governments are fearful of Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood's influence in Egypt, for they could soon gain power, and so are hoping for their downfall.
Whether or not Israel planned this assassination is irrelevant. There are plenty of Arab states who wanted Mughiniyeh dead and they could have taken care of this problem themselves.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Two very interesting news articles
Shin Bet data shows dramatic drop in 2007 terror fatalities
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
Thirteen Israelis were killed by Palestinians in 2007, the lowest number in years, according to data released yesterday by the Shin Bet security service.
The fatality figures for 2006 and 2005 were 24 and 50, respectively.
Moreover, there was only one successful suicide bombing last year, down from six in 2006 and 60 during the intifada's worst year, 2002. That bombing, in Eilat last January, killed three people.
According to the Shin Bet, the sharp decline in terror stemmed not from a drop in the terrorists' motivation, but from Israel's success in foiling attacks. This success is based on three elements: the separation fence, superb intelligence, and the Israel Defense Forces' almost complete freedom of action in the West Bank.
The data show "as close as possible to a victory over terror," a senior defense official told Haaretz. "The IDF and Shin Bet succeeded in thwarting suicide terror, reducing it to a tolerable level."
In contrast to the sharp decline in suicide bombings, however, rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza continued apace. In total, Palestinians fired 1,263 rockets and 1,511 mortar shells at southern Israel last year, compared with 1,722 rockets and 55 mortars in 2006. Rocket attacks accounted for two of last year's fatalities, both in Sderot.
The Shin Bet estimates that 80 tons of explosives have been smuggled into Gaza since Hamas ousted Fatah in the strip last June, and that Hezbollah funnels $10 million a year to Palestinian terror groups.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/940526.html
and
Study: Number of Palestinians killed by IDF dropped 43% in '07
By Avi Issacharoff
The number of Palestinians killed by the Israel Defense Forces in 2007 decreased by 43 percent since last year, to 373, but the total number of Palestinians killed this year reached a record high because of the 344 Palestinians killed in the internecine conflict, the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said in its year-end report.
The report also found a significant drop in the proportion of civilians killed, which decreased from 54 percent of the 657 Palestinians killed by IDF fire in 2006 to 35 percent of the 373 Palestinians killed between January 1 and December 29 of this year.
Fifty-three of the Palestinians were minors and the vast majority - 270 - were killed in the Gaza Strip.
In addition, seven Israeli civilians were killed by Palestinian fire in 2007 - the lowest number since the second intifada began.
Civilians killed
Three of the civilians were killed in a suicide bombing in Eilat, two by a Qassam rocket in Sderot and two in a shooting attack in the West Bank, while six Israeli security personnel were killed by Palestinian fire this year. In contrast, 17 Israeli civilians were killed in 2006, according to B'Tselem.
The organization also found that the settler population grew by 4.5 percent this year, far exceeding population growth but showing a lower rate of growth than last year, when the settler population increased by 5.8 percent.
There are 36 manned roadblocks in the West Bank that are along the Green Line, and another 66 that are not, B'Tselem found. It said the number of unmanned roadblocks, such as heaps of dirt or cement blocks blocking the entrance to villages, increased to 459 this year, compared to 445 in 2006 and 410 in 2005, but that the number of surprise IDF roadblocks decreased in the second half of 2007.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/940067.html
These reports indicate that the war on terror in Israel is being won with fewer civilian casualties on both sides. An aggressive military approach is halting terrorists before they have the chance to attack. Furthermore the army is adapting their methods to cope with urban warfare and using more non-lethal tactics. Hopefully within the next few years there will be results in single figures, and please god that figure will be 0.
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
Thirteen Israelis were killed by Palestinians in 2007, the lowest number in years, according to data released yesterday by the Shin Bet security service.
The fatality figures for 2006 and 2005 were 24 and 50, respectively.
Moreover, there was only one successful suicide bombing last year, down from six in 2006 and 60 during the intifada's worst year, 2002. That bombing, in Eilat last January, killed three people.
According to the Shin Bet, the sharp decline in terror stemmed not from a drop in the terrorists' motivation, but from Israel's success in foiling attacks. This success is based on three elements: the separation fence, superb intelligence, and the Israel Defense Forces' almost complete freedom of action in the West Bank.
The data show "as close as possible to a victory over terror," a senior defense official told Haaretz. "The IDF and Shin Bet succeeded in thwarting suicide terror, reducing it to a tolerable level."
In contrast to the sharp decline in suicide bombings, however, rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza continued apace. In total, Palestinians fired 1,263 rockets and 1,511 mortar shells at southern Israel last year, compared with 1,722 rockets and 55 mortars in 2006. Rocket attacks accounted for two of last year's fatalities, both in Sderot.
The Shin Bet estimates that 80 tons of explosives have been smuggled into Gaza since Hamas ousted Fatah in the strip last June, and that Hezbollah funnels $10 million a year to Palestinian terror groups.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/940526.html
and
Study: Number of Palestinians killed by IDF dropped 43% in '07
By Avi Issacharoff
The number of Palestinians killed by the Israel Defense Forces in 2007 decreased by 43 percent since last year, to 373, but the total number of Palestinians killed this year reached a record high because of the 344 Palestinians killed in the internecine conflict, the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said in its year-end report.
The report also found a significant drop in the proportion of civilians killed, which decreased from 54 percent of the 657 Palestinians killed by IDF fire in 2006 to 35 percent of the 373 Palestinians killed between January 1 and December 29 of this year.
Fifty-three of the Palestinians were minors and the vast majority - 270 - were killed in the Gaza Strip.
In addition, seven Israeli civilians were killed by Palestinian fire in 2007 - the lowest number since the second intifada began.
Civilians killed
Three of the civilians were killed in a suicide bombing in Eilat, two by a Qassam rocket in Sderot and two in a shooting attack in the West Bank, while six Israeli security personnel were killed by Palestinian fire this year. In contrast, 17 Israeli civilians were killed in 2006, according to B'Tselem.
The organization also found that the settler population grew by 4.5 percent this year, far exceeding population growth but showing a lower rate of growth than last year, when the settler population increased by 5.8 percent.
There are 36 manned roadblocks in the West Bank that are along the Green Line, and another 66 that are not, B'Tselem found. It said the number of unmanned roadblocks, such as heaps of dirt or cement blocks blocking the entrance to villages, increased to 459 this year, compared to 445 in 2006 and 410 in 2005, but that the number of surprise IDF roadblocks decreased in the second half of 2007.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/940067.html
These reports indicate that the war on terror in Israel is being won with fewer civilian casualties on both sides. An aggressive military approach is halting terrorists before they have the chance to attack. Furthermore the army is adapting their methods to cope with urban warfare and using more non-lethal tactics. Hopefully within the next few years there will be results in single figures, and please god that figure will be 0.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Coming Soon: A Palestinian State?
Well it seems we are finally on our way to statehood for the Palestinians who left and were removed by Israeli forces in the wars of 1948 and 1967.
For those that don't know after Israel's declaration of Independence the surrounding Arab armies declared war on the new country. Fighting back, Israel managed to overcome the odds and proclaim victory, however there was a dark side to the celebrations. Confident of wiping out the new state the Arab governments convinced the Arabs that lived in Israel that they should evacuate and return to their homes once the fighting was over. Those that didn't choose to leave were incorporated into the new State of Israel as citizens.
In 1967, with another major war on the horizon, Israel launched preemptive strikes against it's enemy neighbors and claimed victory within 6 days. However, when they beat the odds they also became responsible for the welfare of over a million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza, territory captured by Israel.
Over the last 40 years this has caused significant headaches for the Israeli government as the Palestinians living an squalor blame Israel for their mess. They have, on hundreds of occasions, launched terror strikes against the Israeli populace leaving thousands upon thousands of civilians dead in their wake.
Their latest weapon of terror is constant barrage of missile attacks (there have been over 3000, with 700 in the last 12 months alone) that are leaving more and more people dead.
The recent peace conference in Annapolis has led to a very recent conference of world economic leaders who are raising money for Palestinian statehood. The world has so far pledged 7.4 billion dollars (with Australia pledging 45 million) to see the creation of infrastructure and to raise the standard of living for Palestinians.
I'm personally quite skeptical about this, the last Palestinian leader to be in control of the economy ended up on the Forbes Rich List.
However this could be a step forward for peace. Once the Palestinians living in Gaza see how good the West Bank-ians have it then they'll throw off the shackles of the oppressive HAMAS government.
Lets hope that in the next several years we will see a strong, stable Palestinian economy and an even stronger Palestinian state.
For those that don't know after Israel's declaration of Independence the surrounding Arab armies declared war on the new country. Fighting back, Israel managed to overcome the odds and proclaim victory, however there was a dark side to the celebrations. Confident of wiping out the new state the Arab governments convinced the Arabs that lived in Israel that they should evacuate and return to their homes once the fighting was over. Those that didn't choose to leave were incorporated into the new State of Israel as citizens.
In 1967, with another major war on the horizon, Israel launched preemptive strikes against it's enemy neighbors and claimed victory within 6 days. However, when they beat the odds they also became responsible for the welfare of over a million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza, territory captured by Israel.
Over the last 40 years this has caused significant headaches for the Israeli government as the Palestinians living an squalor blame Israel for their mess. They have, on hundreds of occasions, launched terror strikes against the Israeli populace leaving thousands upon thousands of civilians dead in their wake.
Their latest weapon of terror is constant barrage of missile attacks (there have been over 3000, with 700 in the last 12 months alone) that are leaving more and more people dead.
The recent peace conference in Annapolis has led to a very recent conference of world economic leaders who are raising money for Palestinian statehood. The world has so far pledged 7.4 billion dollars (with Australia pledging 45 million) to see the creation of infrastructure and to raise the standard of living for Palestinians.
I'm personally quite skeptical about this, the last Palestinian leader to be in control of the economy ended up on the Forbes Rich List.
However this could be a step forward for peace. Once the Palestinians living in Gaza see how good the West Bank-ians have it then they'll throw off the shackles of the oppressive HAMAS government.
Lets hope that in the next several years we will see a strong, stable Palestinian economy and an even stronger Palestinian state.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Still nothing official....but
Pretty much the first thing i do when i wake up in the morning is check all the various major national and international newspapers. Alot happens in the 8 or so hours that you sleep and because the internet is a 24 hour party much of the websites are updated and what you read last night isn't necessarily going to be front page news anymore.
Opening up the New York Times, this was the most updated story:
Israel’s air attack on Syria last month was directed against a site that Israeli and American intelligence analysts judged was a partly constructed nuclear reactor, apparently modeled on one North Korea has used to create its stockpile of nuclear weapons fuel, according to American and foreign officials with access to the intelligence reports.
You may remember that in early September I noted the attack by Israel on Syria was extraordinarily suspicious due to the silence from all sides of the equation. The Israeli's had a media blackout, the Syrians were making a very quiet protest, the Americans were keeping mum and there was absolutely no condemnation from any Arab state even Iran. Obviously not everyone is happy about a nuclear Syria (ditto with a nuclear Iran).
It seems that Israel is recovering it's deterrent powers since the war against Hezbollah last year. I imagine that this sort of story is one that i'll be reporting on for years to come.
What a great time to start a blog :-)
Opening up the New York Times, this was the most updated story:
Israel’s air attack on Syria last month was directed against a site that Israeli and American intelligence analysts judged was a partly constructed nuclear reactor, apparently modeled on one North Korea has used to create its stockpile of nuclear weapons fuel, according to American and foreign officials with access to the intelligence reports.
You may remember that in early September I noted the attack by Israel on Syria was extraordinarily suspicious due to the silence from all sides of the equation. The Israeli's had a media blackout, the Syrians were making a very quiet protest, the Americans were keeping mum and there was absolutely no condemnation from any Arab state even Iran. Obviously not everyone is happy about a nuclear Syria (ditto with a nuclear Iran).
It seems that Israel is recovering it's deterrent powers since the war against Hezbollah last year. I imagine that this sort of story is one that i'll be reporting on for years to come.
What a great time to start a blog :-)
Monday, August 13, 2007
Shooting in East-Jerusalem....on youtube.
Following an earlier post regarding the emergence of the internet and its effect on society here's another example of how times they are a'changin. It seems that police shootouts are put on the internet 3 days after they happen. This was done to quell any rumors of impropriety by the Israeli police.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22235073-401,00.html
Israeli police have released video footage showing a fierce firefight between a Palestinian man and an Israeli security guard in the Old City of occupied east Jerusalem which left the Palestinian dead.
Once the article explains the shooting it then mentions at the very end :
Ateret Cohanim, founded in 1978, is one of several ultra-nationalist organisations that have bought land and homes from Palestinians through various means in order to place Jews in the Arab neighbourhoods of Jerusalem, including the Old City.
What did that have to do with anything at all? It seems that it was placed at the end of the article by a journalist for no reason. The article didn't talk about occupation or Palestinian rights, just that a Palestinian had grabbed a gun, shot a soldier and ten bystanders and then been shot by police....fairly simple story. If they had mentioned Ateret Cohanim why didn't they talk about HAMAS, Islamic Jihad or any of the other ultra-nationalist Palestinian terror groups. I've never heard of Ateret Cohanim before but according to news.com.au they buy houses and put other people in them.
It seems that the papers seem to be having a go at Israel again.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22235073-401,00.html
Israeli police have released video footage showing a fierce firefight between a Palestinian man and an Israeli security guard in the Old City of occupied east Jerusalem which left the Palestinian dead.
Once the article explains the shooting it then mentions at the very end :
Ateret Cohanim, founded in 1978, is one of several ultra-nationalist organisations that have bought land and homes from Palestinians through various means in order to place Jews in the Arab neighbourhoods of Jerusalem, including the Old City.
What did that have to do with anything at all? It seems that it was placed at the end of the article by a journalist for no reason. The article didn't talk about occupation or Palestinian rights, just that a Palestinian had grabbed a gun, shot a soldier and ten bystanders and then been shot by police....fairly simple story. If they had mentioned Ateret Cohanim why didn't they talk about HAMAS, Islamic Jihad or any of the other ultra-nationalist Palestinian terror groups. I've never heard of Ateret Cohanim before but according to news.com.au they buy houses and put other people in them.
It seems that the papers seem to be having a go at Israel again.
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