No matter how you look at it, the Middle East is a mess. Gaza, Israel, Lebanon including Hamas and Hezbollah simply cannot get their acts together. Experts expect more violence in the near future while leaders like Syria's Bashar al-Asad and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are sharing their own visions for a new Middle East.
Asad described his own vision for a new Middle East, one with an empowered Arab resistance, a weakened Israel, and a renewed regional unity against Western interests. . . .In a grand departure from his previous public remarks, Asad attacked his Arab counterparts, past and present, assailing “supposed Arab sages” and “half-men” who brought nothing but defeat and humiliation to the region. . . .
Asad’s speech accomplished three goals: criticizing the anti-Damascus government in Beirut; reaffirming Syrian support of Hizballah; and reviving, at least rhetorically, pan-Arab themes that had been on the wane in recent years. source
You can read two differing views of Arab press articles here and here.
On Ahmadinejad, the ever wonderful Judi McLeod at Canada Free Press has this article, "Wanted: Exorcist for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad".
Pope Benedict XV1’s `caster out of demons’ meister, Father Gabriele Amorth should consider Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a candidate for exorcism.As the Vatican’s chief exorcist, Father Amorth recently identified Hitler and Stalin as demons possessed by the Devil.
Father Amorth confirmed that not only does Satan exist, but also he can possess a single person, groups and in fact entire populations.
"I am convinced that the Nazis were all possessed. All you have to do is think about what Hitler–and Stalin did. Almost certainly they were possessed by the Devil," (Daily Mail) (read it all)
As Ms. McLeod points out, the only difference between Hitler and Stalin is that Ahmadinejad is still alive. She also mentions the United Nations, which all rational people reject, "Thus, if Father Amorth ever steps foot into the United Nations, he likely won’t be back for a long time." He would be performing exorcisms for years, ha.
Kofi Annan confirms that he will support the unity Palestinian government, while Some 300 unemployed Palestinian laborers surrounded the parliament building Tuesday, demanding welfare payments, scuffling with police and waving empty plates in another challenge to the beleaguered Hamas-led government. (TRN)
Instead of staying in his office and taking care of his administrative duties, he is out traveling and smiling for the cameras. Perhaps he is afraid of those exorcisms, hum? His term is over in December . Tick tick tick,. . . his days are numbered.
Ahmadinejad rejects the United Nations along with the United States, while challenging 'President George Bush to a live uncensored televised debate on how the world is run'. I don't see that happening. At least Washington saw this for what is is, another "diversion".
DEBKAfile, via CrossFireWar, is expecting future conflict:
. . . that Israel’s intelligence chiefs are warning the Knesset that unless weapons trafficking is halted in the Sinai Peninsula then Israel will be confronted with another war, this time along its southern border with a re-armed Hamas in just six weeks, mid-October. The heads of the intelligence services: Yuval Diskin-Shin Bet, AMAN-Military Intelligence, Maj. General Amos Yadin and Mossad head Meir Dagan, are proposing Israel establish a one kilometer (half mile) security strip along Israel’s Gaza border, the Philadephi route, from Kerem Shalom to the Mediterranean, which would cut off Gaza from the Sinai. That would help prevent arms from entering the Gaza strip into the hands of Palestinian terrorist groups like Hamas. . . .The intelligence services have also discovered that Hezbollah agents have taken over the northern West Bank along with the Jihad Islami radical unit. It is highly unlikely that when Hamas sets off the next round in the south, targeting Israeli communities in the Negev, that Hezbollah will be idle up north. It was in the south, earlier this year, that Hamas began firing the dozens of Qassam rockets at the Israeli town Sederot which actually began the fighting. Sederot was hit by so many rockets that a lot of it had to be abandoned.
'A Hezbollah Cabinet minister said Wednesday that the guerrilla group will not release two captured Israeli soldiers unconditionally, and that they would only be freed in a prisoner exchange.'
On Gilad Shalit, Degree of Madness says thinks there is a connection between the Fox News Journalists and Shalit:
Gilead Shalit, the IDF soldier kidnapped on the eve of the IDF re-entry into Gaza, was the price for the release of two Fox News reporters, Time Magazine reported Monday. (note: I've seen two spellings for Shalit's first name, I hope this one is right)Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, basking in glory for getting the Fox reporters released, is not concerned about the fate of Gilead Shalit. He is at the mercy of Hamas. And for him to get any credit whatsoever for the release of the Fox News journalists is disgraceful. If the reports are true, he traded the life of Gilead Shalit and it's not his life to trade.
August 27 was Gilad Shalit's 20th birthday. Thanks to Girl on the Right for reminding us.
The Israel Defense Forces have found a tunnel, a secret 150-meter tunnel, in Gaza.
The tunnel was dug from the Gaza Strip in the direction of the Karni Crossing and was intended to be used to carry out a large-scale terror attack, possibly at the crossing, the army said. The entrance to the tunnel was found in a house in the Shaja’iyya neighborhood. source
Annan is calling on Israel to life the air and sea blockade of Lebanon and withdraw troops. Ehud Olmert says only 'after the full implementation of a U.N.-brokered cease-fire'.
Another candidate for exorcism, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said Tuesday that his government is united with Syria in strong opposition to the U.S. government's "imperialistic" aggression in the Middle East, saying, "These two countries are strongly united against the imperialistic aggression and hegemonic pretensions of the U.S. empire."
Call the priest and break out the holy water and Bible.... I feel some exorcisms are in order, QUICK!
On a lighter note, Barking MoonBat has a 'feature presentation' today which stars Kofi Annan and .... Well, just go see "The Three Stooges In Lebanon"
"Ostensible Allies" at Samson Blinded is worth the read.
Dry Bones Blog has excellent cartoons up every day and is having a blogiversary tomorrow. We wish the author, Yaakov Kirschen, many more.
Comments