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Friday, April 12, 2002
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Possible Motive for Jersey Cop's Shooting Rampage That Ended With Six Dead. A neighborhood feud caused by thrown-out criminal charges has emerged as a possible motive for a shooting spree in which a police officer shot five neighbors to death and wounded his boss, then committed suicide, Fox New has learned. [Fox News]
The article mentions that the cop used "a semiautomatic assault gun called an MP5." In fact an MP5 is a fully automatic submachine gun of the sort which us peasants are not allowed to own. They are ubiquitous among Police SWAT teams.
3:10:41 PM 
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Looking back, looking ahead.. Mackubin Thomas Owens writes an interesting article today in "The National Review". Including, among others: "Ultimately, the dilemma Israel faces... [The news, Uncensored.]
Then he goes on to propose his solution: a peace agreement backed actively by the US, having America physically protecting Israel. Personally, I do not like the idea of my country being dependent on another country's protection (and who will?), but as I have no better idea, I will shout up now.
Of course I'm opposed to the US sticking its nose into anyone else's business. But there's a more important flaw in this idea--it would require the Israelis to depend on the US for protection. As everyone from the King of France through the South Vietnamese have discovered, relying on the US is not a safe bet.
2:38:53 PM
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Israelis get guns for home. Yet Israel has long had strict gun laws and an aversion to a heavily armed civilian population. But the Palestinian uprising of the last 18 months, and particularly the recent series of deadly suicide bombings, have changed that. [FirearmNews.com]
This article begins with a story of how an armed civilian stopped a terrorist attack. It also mentions that an Israeli Arab policeman died fighting the terrorist--this is interesting because the very existence of Israeli Arabs is pretty much invisible in the major media sources.
Incidentally, this story is from a Florida paper and it reflects a Floridian viewpoint. Israeli civilians under those "strict gun laws" are actually much better armed than civilians in Los Angeles.
2:27:53 PM
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It turns out my entire PGP key (not just the encryption subkey) expired today. Oops! It seems I made a mistake when I created it in the first place. I've now created a new "PGP key" which will hopefully expire just the encryption subkey and not the whole thing.
2:06:03 PM
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GOP News & Views. Satire from GOP News & Views:
Sharon Orders Bush to Withdraw from Afghanistan
EAST JERUSALEM. Concluding his remarks at a Palestinian Chamber of Commerce
dinner, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon surprised the three-member
audience when he announced that Operation Enduring Freedom had run its
course, and therefore the United States, in the name of peace, must withdraw
its troops from Afghanistan.
"Israel recognizes the rights of sovereign states to defend themselves from
terror," Sharon said, "but the World Trade Center atrocity occurred nearly
seven months ago, there have been no further such incidents in the U.S., and
the American incursion into Afghanistan is no longer helpful. Meanwhile, as
a result of America's aggression, Afghani families have had their homes
destroyed and innocent Afghani civilians have lost their lives."
Asked whether the terrorist threat from the Taliban justified a continued
U.S. presence, Sharon responded that this cycle of violence was "unhelpful
to peace in that troubled land. It's time America recognized that it must
respect national borders and the legitimate aspirations of those with whom
it disagrees."
With spontaneous anti-American demonstrations breaking out in Islamic
capitals, Paris, France, and Berkeley, California, it's clear that world
opinion is confirming the Israelis' counsel to America: The cause of peace
is not being served by chasing down the last few members of the Taliban. In
a presentation on Egypt's government-sponsored television station,
al-Stabubak, a spokesman for Egyptian President Mubarak appealed to the
American people: "Can you not see that the Taliban has legitimate beefs . .
. while the exorbitant military spending habits of your own Congress reveal
fraudulent pork? The arrogance of your government is astounding. It acts as
though only Arabs engage in suicide attacks."
Interviewing Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, correspondent Leslie
Stahl asked whether the U.S. effort in Afghanistan had simply deteriorated
into a personal vendetta by George W. Bush against Osama Bin Laden. "I'm a
public servant, not a psychologist," Peres replied, "but my dear friend
George Bush, with whom I've shared many a falafel, is obviously obsessed
with the individual, and this vengeful obsession is now counter-productive
to the peace process. Mr. Bin Laden is a religious man, and used to work in
the American interest against the Soviets - he's obviously capable of peace.
And, as we all know, he wasn't even present in the U.S. on September 11. I'm
afraid the 'terrorist' label is blinding my dear friend George Bush to the
opportunities for peace in this region."
[In response, a Bush spokesperson issued the brief statement that the
President had indeed enjoyed sharing falafel with his dear friend Shimon
Peres, and that this obviously contradicted the latter's comment that the
President was blind to peas.]
After interceding in a food fight in the Knesset dining room between Arab
Members, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer was asked whether he
supported the Prime Minister's ministrations. "Listen," he said, wiping some
hummus from his brow, "I'm an old soldier, and recognize peaceful people
better than most. Despite what you see on the television, the Afghanis are a
peaceful people. So are the more moderate elements of the Taliban. After
all, 'Islam' means 'peace'. America's sending troops thousands of miles
simply to humiliate and inflict misery on these peaceful people is a
reckless military endeavor and, more important, does nothing to further the
cause of peace. Indeed, it is more likely to provoke the militants. Prime
Minister Sharon is correct - if America does not withdraw immediately, the
cycle of violence will continue to spiral out of control."
The Taliban remnant in Afghanistan seems to be paying attention to Sharon.
There has not been a single shot fired against American troops - who
continued their assault on suspected Taliban positions - in the twelve hours
since the Prime Minister's directive.
But there is far from unanimity on Sharon's position within Israel. Prime
Minister-wannabe Benjamin Netanyahu issued a counter-statement that Israel
should continue to give America the green light to rout terrorism "by
whatever means necessary." The reactionary hard-line right-wing former PM
warned that "terror is an evil that knows not negotiation" and urged "my
good friend, President Bush, to stay the course."
Reached at his ranch in the Negev, Prime Minister Sharon was asked today
whether he stands by his remarks of the previous night. "The situation
speaks for itself. Aside from the incidents on September 11, there has been
no terrorist activity in the U.S. And yet America seems intent on stirring
up the pot in a very dangerous part of the world. Not only are innocent
lives being lost because of America's actions, but what if Pakistan, Iraq,
Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Kuwait, or
Berkeley, California get involved - it's a powder keg."
When challenged by what authority he would presume to order the U.S. to do
anything, Sharon said that he answers to "a higher authority."
God?
"Well, Him, too, but I was referring to the Arab 'street', and, boy, are
they meshugge!"
[End the War on Freedom]
I had commented last week on the hypocrisy of Bush's demands, and apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed. This is much more funny than what I had to say, though.
2:04:13 PM
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Suicide bomb attack in Jerusalem. Sixty eight people are injured and at least five are dead after a Suicide bombing at a bus stop near the Haba bakery in Jerusalem.
The woman who commited the attack apparently wanted to detonate herself inside the crowded Mahane Yehuda market, but was deterred by the police and soldiers in the area. the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Ha'aretz has the story, as does The Jerusalem Post and CNN.
In related news, a senior IDF official has admitted that Operation Defensive Sheild won't stop all terrorist attacks:
"However, the officer said, a drop in the extent of terror attacks can be expected thanks to the success of the IDF in arresting or killing many known terrorists. Nonetheless, he admitted, the terror infrastructure can be expected to grow again."
"The IDF was surprised by the extent of the terror networks they discovered during the campaign. The documents uncovered by the army provide proof of the direct link between the Palestinian Authority and the terrorists, said the senior source, noting there was systematic, institutional funding of the different organizations." [Michael Bernstein's Weblog]
A quote from the CNN story:
The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a military wing of Arafat's Fatah movement, claimed responsibility for Friday's bombing in telephone calls to news organizations.
I've seen lines like this present, without any particular comment, in many stories of terrorist attacks. How can anyone pretend that Arafat is not a terrorist when after a terrorist attack his own subordinates say "we did it?"
11:47:48 AM
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The Ambulance, take II. In the New York Times of today, in a long article about Israel's withdrawal, you can find the following text:... [The news, Uncensored.]
I'm glad to see this mentioned (finally) in the US media. Even if it is buried in the middle of the story.
10:46:55 AM
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Suicide bomber disguised as a pregnant woman. A would-be female suicide bomber was apprehended in Tulkarm, with the bomb disguised as her fetus.
(a coworker said)"now foreign journalists will be criticizing the IDF for slowing down pregnant women at checkpoints." [via Tal G.]
The Jerusalem Post has the story. It's unlikely that any non-Israeli media will ever pick this story up, since the woman was arrested before she could accomplish her attack. [Michael Bernstein's Weblog]
I certainly haven't seen it in the US media. For that matter, the Jerusalem Post doesn't have much detail either. This deserves more coverage, I think.
10:08:53 AM
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Israel Will Bury Palestinian Dead. Israel will bury Palestinian gunmen killed in the Jenin refugee camp during a hunt for militants in the West Bank, the army said Friday, prompting fresh Palestinian allegations that Israel killed hundreds of civilians and was trying to hide the bodies. [AP World News]
Here we see the propaganda referred to in the previous link.
9:48:27 AM
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The next burial. We can see now where the Palestinian propaganda machine will strike next: The IDF buried the bodies of dozens of... [The news, Uncensored.]
Sure enough, see the AP story I link to next.
9:46:13 AM
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We thought the Mideast was a quagmire. Were we too optimistic? [OpinionJournal]
And the Washington Post yesterday caught White House frustration by reporting a deliberate leak "that Sharon's intransigence in the face of Bush's repeated demands over the past week for an end to the Israeli attacks could make the President appear ineffective and erode his standing in the world."
Indeed. This may come as a shock to the White House, but I really don't think helping an American politician save face is Sharon's greatest concern just now.
9:40:49 AM
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US to drop out of International Crimes Court?. Even though the current affairs in the Middle East take a lot of attention away from what is happening in the US right now, some people still seem to watch political decisions made in USA pretty closely. [kuro5hin.org]
The US never "dropped in." Clinton signed the treaty before he left office, but it was never ratified by the Senate.
9:24:16 AM
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© Copyright
2006
Ken Hagler.
Last update:
2/14/2006; 6:49:39 PM.
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