Right Truth

Top Syrian general assassinated, why?

Mohammed Sleiman, said to be "Syria's liaison officer with Lebanon's Hezbollah movement",  the head of security at the presidential palace in Damascus and President Bashar al-Assad's "right-hand man.", --  was killed [assassinated] by a sniper in the northwest Syrian town of Tartus.  (AFP)  hat tip Michael

What is REALLY interesting is that "Israeli media said Suleiman was a key figure in an alleged nuclear program that the United States accused Syria of pursuing after Israel raided a site in eastern Syria last year."  Of course, Syria denied it was building an illegal nuclear facility.  (Reuters)

DEBKAfile's intelligence sources report that Gen. Muhammad Suleiman, whom a sniper shot dead in the Syrian port town of Tartus early Saturday, Aug. 2, was a shadowy figure who acted for Bashar Assad in the regime's four most sensitive and confidential spheres:

1. He was the president's liaison man with the North Korean government. On his frequent trips to Pyongyang, Gen. Suleiman organized the consignment of components for the plutonium reactor in northern Syria, which Israeli demolished last September, and the security of the North Korean scientists and technicians who accompanied them.

A Syrian opposition Web site said Suleiman, a confidant of President Bashar al-Assad, had beenshot in the head in his seaside villa. Another site said the shots had been fired by a sniper from a boat. 

...  Suleiman was also involved in efforts to upgrade Syria's military readiness  (Reuters)

Other terror news:

Al-Qaeda Terror Cell Targets Prince Harry, National Terror Alert

Spanish Authorities On Alert For Significant Terror Attack, National Terror Alert

Global norms more important than sovereign nations???

The 2008 Presidential election may seem like it all about Barack Obama; however, he can't seem to close the deal.  With all his followers, with all his soring speeches, with all the hoopla surrounding his world trip -- he still can't break away from McCain.  Why?  Maybe it's because people are finally seeing him for who he really is -- just a politician.  Actually, he's a new politician, an inexperienced politician -- and it shows.

Barack Hussein Obama is "... the candidate of a transnational progressivism -- in which global norms are more important than sovereign nations.":

In Berlin, Obama called himself, unironically, a "citizen of the world." The world, however, issues no passports, nor does it have citizens. The world in the way Citizen Obama imagines it -- as a global community to which we all belong -- doesn't exist. Only backpacking hippies, devotees of the Davos World Economic Forum and U.N. bureaucrats speak this way.  (Rich Lowery, TownHall.com)

I don't think Americans are ready for transnational progressivism and they are certainly not ready for a global government, global leader, in lieu of a sovereign nation -- The United States of America!

I did not hear Obama mention anything about the IDF soldiers captured and killed, nor did I hear him mention anything about Gilad Shalit.   Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas over a prisoner swap that might free abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit are supposed to resume today, Tuesday, July 29, 2008.  We can only imagine how many hardened terrorists will be required to be released in order to free this one Israeli. 

Obama has, or at least had, the support of Arabs and specifically Palestinians and their supporters.  As Annie's Letters points out, Obama has acted like any other politician since being nominated for President of the United States -- a big change from his former self:

Palestinian-Americans first knew Barack Obama in Chicago in the 1990s, he grasped the oppression faced by Palestinians under Israeli occupation. He understood that an honest broker cannot simultaneously be the main cheerleader, financier and arms supplier for one side in a conflict. He often attended Palestinian-American community events and heard about the Palestinian experience from perspectives stifled in mainstream discussion. [snip]

 ...  Obama missed the opportunity to visit Palestinian refugee camps, schools and even shopping malls to witness first-hand the devastation caused by the Israeli army and settlers, or to see how Palestinians cope under what many call "apartheid." This year alone, almost 500 Palestinians, including over 70 children, have been killed by the Israeli army -- exceeding the total for 2007 and dwarfing the two-dozen Israelis killed in conflict-related violence.

Obama said nothing about Israel's relentless expansion of colonies on occupied land. Nor did he follow the courageous lead of former President Jimmy Carter and meet with the democratically elected Hamas leaders, even though Israel negotiated a ceasefire with them. That such steps are inconceivable shows how off-balance is the US debate on Palestine.  (The Electric Intifada)

HYPE: The Obama Effect  , by former Monicagate investigator David Bossi and award-winning documentary filmmaker Alan Peterson, examines the Junior Senator from Illinois and his record - or, more precisely, his lack of a record.

HYPE's cast includes former Illinois State Sens. Patrick O'Malley and Steve Rauschenberger, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, African-American commentators Shelby Steele and Armstrong Williams, political strategist Dick Morris, journalists Byron Yorke and Michael Barone, and many others who possess information necessary for voters to make an educated decision on whom should get their votes.  (byJim Kouri, CPP, at Family Security Matters)

Cal Thomas says, " It is a truism in politics that you are supposed to lower expectations in order to boost your political stock should you exceed them. Sen. Obama has done precisely the opposite. He has raised expectations so high there is only one way he can exceed them following his nomination in Denver.  That is to climb to the top of a mountain peak, there to be transfigured and ascend into Heaven.  "  A little tongue in cheek from Cal Thomas.  The truth is that Obama has raised the expectations so high, he has no places to go but DOWN.

Other reading:  Obama's Stagecraft Hits New Low, Purple People Vote

Sychophants, Democracy and You, Liberal Rapture

Should We Elect a “One-Week-Wonder” President?, Peace and Freedom II

Barackbook.com Highlights Obama’s ‘Friends’. Bob McCarty Writes

OBAMA CAMPAIGN COLLABORATED WITH ISRAEL MAARIV NEWSPAPER IN GETTING HIS “PRIVATE” PRAYER OUT TO THE PUBLIC,  here

REPORT FROM WASHINGTON: CUFI SUMMIT ATTRACTS RECORD NUMBERS

REPORT FROM WASHINGTON: CUFI SUMMIT ATTRACTS RECORD NUMBERS

Calls for unwavering support of Israel; condemns Iranian nuclear threat

 

BY: FERN SIDMAN

 

"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. (Isaiah 62:1)

 

The electricity in the air was palpable in the nation's capitol as these words from the prophet Isaiah served as the battle cry for a record number of over 7,000 Christian supporters of Israel who gathered on July 20-23 to attend the third annual Washington Summit of the Christians United For Israel organization at the Washington, DC Convention Center. Founded in February of 2006 by Pastor John Hagee, Senior Pastor of The Cornerstone Church of San Antonio, Texas and President and CEO of John Hagee Ministries, Christians United For Israel represents the premiere Christian evangelical national grassroots movement focused on the support of Israel. Having called upon Christian leaders from across America to join him in launching this new initiative, Pastor Hagee enlisted the help of over 400 Christian ministers, each representing a denomination, mega-church, media ministry, publishing company, or Christian university. Each one answered the call and Christians United for Israel was born. Today, CUFI boasts a membership of over 50 million Christian Zionists in America.

 

Unlike other Christian evangelical organizations whose raison d'etre is to persuade Jews to embrace the teachings of Jesus and to convert, CUFI lauds the Jewish faith and tradition and exhorts Jews to return to G-d and the timeless teachings of the Torah. As such, Pastor Hagee has created alliances with many Orthodox rabbis and organizations, including Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Grossman of Israel's Migdal Ohr. Quoting scripture to support his thesis that Christians are obligated to love Jews and lend their succor to Israel, Pastor Hagee said, "In the Bible, G-d says, "I will bless those that bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3) and we Christians must support Israel's right to the land because G-d commanded us to. In Genesis, (13:14-17), the Bible says: "The L-rd said unto Abram... 'Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art.. for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever..."

 

The main objective of the attendees, who hailed from every state in the nation as well as Canada, Europe, Israel, and Africa was to lobby their elected officials for their complete commitment to support the State of Israel in these most "trying times". Continual references to the growing threat of an Iranian nuclear attack on Israel and the proliferation of such well funded terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah captured center stage at the summit. In a forceful declaration, Pastor Hagee intoned, "There is a new Hitler in the Middle East; he is the President of Iran. He intends to build nuclear weapons and his brazen declarations to kill the Jews have been carried on the front pages of the world's press. In 1935, the Christians of the world were silent. In the 21st century, Christians are united in their support of Israel. We will not be silent. In our pulpits... on our global media networks... in our schools and universities and in the halls of Congress, we will not keep silent. The voice of evil will not go uncontested in our generation. Not on our watch !!"     

 

The summit included a veritable cornucopia of celebrated speakers, as participants attended two days of seminars that featured Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, Director of Shurat HaDin, the Israel Law Center, who spoke most eloquently on the subject of divestments, sanctions and boycotts of those US firms conducting fiduciary business with Iran, Syria and the terrorist organizations that they fund. Other speakers included

Daniel Pipes, Director of Middle East Forum, a Washington based think tank who addressed the overflowing audience on the burgeoning growth of radical Islam. Joining him on the podium was Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Dr. Walid Phares, Director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies' Future of Terrorism Project. Frank Gaffney, Founder and President of the Center for Security Policy presented facts on the nuclear buildup of the Iranian regime along with Clifford May, President of The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. David Brog, Executive Director of CUFI led a talking points seminar, advising attendees on the issues they should raise to their elected officials when visiting them on Capitol Hill. 

 

Congressman Elliot Engel (D-NY) joined Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) in the Middle East briefing seminar. Referring to the avalanche of liberal pressure being applied to Congressman Engel to cancel his appearance at the CUFI summit Congressman Pence said, "My colleague from New York, Congressman Engel and I agree on very little, except when it comes to our complete support for nation of Israel. My presence here today is certainly no surprise. I am a Christian evangelical and it was just a matter of scheduling but for Congressman Engel being here today was an act of moral courage." 

 

Dennis Prager, nationally syndicated radio host was the keynote speaker at the Chairman's Club Donor Banquet which concluded the first day's events on Monday, July 21. His speech was followed by a private concert given by famed country singer, Randy Travis.

 

The cornerstone of the three day conference was the elaborately produced "Night to Honor Israel" banquet which was broadcast live to both a national and international audience by the religious cable television network Day Star. Over 8000 people attending the dinner danced with joy and waved both Israeli and American flags while being entertained by the CUFI choir who sang uplifting Jewish and American folk songs. The evening's invocation was delivered by Rabbi Aryeh Scheinberg of Congregation Rodeph Shalom of San Antonio, Texas. He blessed Pastor Hagee for his "loyalty, leadership and devotion" to the Jewish people and the land of Israel and heaped accolades upon him for the millions of dollars he has raised for Torah institutions in Israel. "I have known and loved Pastor John Hagee for over 25 years. There can be no overstating the depth and sincerity of his devotion to Israel" said Rabbi Scheinberg.

 

A professionally produced short documentary on the history of modern Israel was shown which included footage on the birth of the political Zionist movement under Theodore Herzl, the contributions of the father of modern Hebrew, Eliezer Ben Yehuda, the history of anti-Semitism in Europe, the Czarist pogroms, the Holocaust and the emergence of the State of Israel in 1948.

 

Dan Gillerman, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations expressed his wholehearted appreciation to CUFI for their unabashed declarations of support for the "Jewish claim" to the land of Israel. He lamented the fact that the United Nations had devolved into a rogues gallery of nations seething with hatred towards Israel and said that the "glass building on 42nd Street and First Avenue in Manhattan had become a terrible place to work".

 

Pastor John Hagee then ascended the podium, assuming his posture as pastor, delivered a passionate speech that was met with thunderous applause and several standing ovations. Referring to the recent controversy that swirled around him regarding Republican presidential hopeful, Sen John McCain's (R-AZ) repudiation of his endorsement, Pastor Hagee said, "The days of remaining silent in the face of Jew haters is over. We say 'Never Again' to the likes of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 'Never Again' to Hamas terrorists, 'Never Again to the United Nations, 'Never Again' to universities that espouse hatred for Israel and 'Never Again' to endorsements of presidential candidates."

 

He spoke of his own tribulations; saying that "the casualty of war is always truth". Having been labeled by the media as an anti-Semite (because of the premeditated twisting of his remarks concerning G-d bringing about the Holocaust so that the Jews would be forced to go to the land of Israel) and a Catholic basher, he countered these accusations by introducing three prominent members of the Catholic league in the audience and pledged his continued cooperation to work with any groups who support the historic and religious right of the Jewish people to their homeland. He expressed no apologies for the Biblical origins of CUFI and told the media in no uncertain terms that "CUFI is alive and well, stronger than ever and we are not leaving."

 

Alluding to the fact that the Jewish people were the first witnesses to G-d at Mount Sinai, Pastor Hagee concluded by saying, "Israel will be the praise of all the earth, the Jewish people have given us the Bible, the prophets and we cannot explain our existence as Christians without the Jews, but the Jews can explain their existence without us Christians. There would be no Christianity today without the Jews."

 

The evening built to a crescendo as keynote speaker, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) was introduced by Gary Bauer, President of American Values. In addition to Congressman Elliot Engel of New York, Sen. Lieberman was also subjected to vitriolic media attacks for addressing the CUFI summit. In a scathing condemnation in The Huffington Post on May 27, 2008, columnist Max Blumenthal wrote, "Why won't Lieberman, who is married to the daughter of Holocaust survivors, end his relationship with Hagee? Why, in apparent defiance of the McCain campaign, does he remain scheduled to headline Hagee's upcoming summit? If Lieberman plans to continue touting his moral fiber and independence as his greatest assets, he must renounce the hate-mongering Hagee." Yet Sen. Joseph Lieberman remained committed to his support of Pastor Hagee and CUFI. On May 13, Fox News' Megan Kelly asked Senator Lieberman to respond to the gathering criticism of Hagee's remarks. But instead of distancing himself from Hagee's views as McCain had, Lieberman launched into a spirited defense of the televangelist, describing him as someone who "represents a lot of people in this country, particularly Christians who care about the state of Israel."

 

Despite a petition that garnered 42,000 signatures circulated by 'J Street', a left wing pro-Palestinian lobbying movement exhorting Senator Lieberman to cancel his appearance at the 'Night to Honor Israel', the senator proudly took the rostrum and told the audience, "I am your brother Joseph", a clear reference to the Yosef HaTzaddik who revealed himself to his brothers in the Bible. Said Senator Lieberman, "As you may know - there has been an organized and aggressive campaign to convince me to cancel my speech this evening, following the political controversy that broke out over Pastor Hagee and some of the comments he made. But the bond I feel with Pastor John Hagee and each of you - including a significant delegation from Connecticut - is much stronger than that and so I am proud to stand with you here tonight."

 

Quoting the Bible on numerous occasions throughout his speech, Senator Lieberman said, "Throughout too much of the world, it seems that Israel is condemned for its every move, while excuses are invented for every indecency of its enemies. On its borders are terrorist enemies and nearby is Iran, whose fanatical president threatens Israel's very existence. But we do not fear because we know that it says in the Bible: "You name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with G-d and with men and you have prevailed."

 

Continuing on the issue of the Iranian nuclear capabilities, Senator Lieberman told the audience who sat in rapt attention, "The threat from Iran lies not just in their arming, training and funding terrorists throughout the Middle East and the world, but even more from the nuclear weapons development program they are clearly pursuing. History warns us what can happen when we don't take the threats of such tyrants and terrorists seriously. We must not repeat this mistake."

 

He urged the Christian lobbyists to persuade their elected officials to support the 'Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2008' which was recently approved by the Senate Banking Committee. He said, "Foreign banks and companies don't want to lose the ability to operate in the US and trade with us, and so the sanctions in this bill will help economically isolate the regime in Teheran."

 

Sen Lieberman lauded the commitment of the assemblage by saying, "People who move the world do not believe that it is inevitable they will sit atop the world. They lead not because they believe in their greatness, but because they believe in a cause that is greater than themselves. They see a mission to accomplish, a destiny to shape.. That is precisely what all of you here do. You see Israel and America under threat - and so you stand up for both. You stand for Israel not because it is easy or because it is popular - but because it is right. You stand up for Israel because you recognize that it is a cause that is just and honorable, because it is a cause greater than yourselves."

 

Also attending the "Night To Honor Israel" was a formidable contingent of Orthodox Jews from both the USA and Israel. The CUFI staff made arrangements with a local Washington, DC glatt kosher caterer, thus providing kosher meals of the highest standard for their Jewish supporters. Helen Freedman, member of the executive board of American For a Safe Israel said, "I am here tonight to show my support for an organization that courageously extols the 'Jewish right' to the land of Israel". Also present at the banquet were Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of the Israel Law Center, journalist and Bet El, Israel resident, Rabbi Yedidya Atlas, Mike Cohen, a Zionist educator from Israel, Roy S. Neuberger, author of the recently released novel by Feldheim Publishers entitled, "2020 Vision" and his wife Leah and Ariel Kotler of Teaneck, New Jersey representing One Family Fund, an organization that provides direct financial, legal, and emotional assistance to victims of terrorism in Israel.

 

Said one prominent Orthodox leader who chose not to reveal his name. "Coming here tonight and participating in this gathering is a Kiddush Hashem (a sanctification of G-d's name). Pastor Hagee is truly an 'Ish Elokim', a man of G-d, who has no nefarious agenda when it comes to Jews and Israel. We are most grateful for his sincere devotion to Eretz Yisroel (the land of Israel) and we obligated by Hashem (G-d) to show our Hakores HaTov (appreciation) to our friends."

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This article is posted at Real Clear Politics, your votes are appreciated.

Hamas and Fatah kill each other, while Arab nations look on

  "Hamas forces in Gaza are holding 160 supporters of the rival Fatah movement, after an explosion killed six people. Those being held are suspected of involvement in the blast.  ... one of three in Gaza in a period of 24 hours, which killed five Hamas militants and a young girl."  (MalaysiaNews)  Hamas and Fatah can't even get along, so I'm wondering how Barack Obama will spread his 'can't we all just get along' mantra in that region:

The Hamas government is one of the only employers in Gaza with a growing payroll, while poverty is pushing people into the Hamas Militia.  One might argue whether this is by design, but that's another story.  One might also argue that the fault is equally divided between Hamas and the Palestinian people themselves, for various reasons.  One might also ask where all the international money given to this group has gone?  Weapons perhaps???

This emerges from a new UN report showing that more than an unprecedented 52 per cent of Gaza households have now plunged below the internationally-designated poverty line despite continued humanitarian assistance, while unemployment has reached 45 per cent for the first time.  (continue reading)

Inquiring minds might also ask about all that Arab money that has been pledged to the suffering brothers and sisters?  Check this out:

In 2002, when oil prices were hovering around $21 a barrel, nearly two dozen Arab nations joined to pledge yearly contributions of $660 million to support the Palestinian Authority's annual budget. Now, even with oil prices more than six times higher and the Palestinian Authority bordering on financial ruin, only a handful of Arab countries are sending even a small portion of the money they promised, according to data examined by The Washington Post.

Out of 22 Arab nations that made pledges, only three -- Algeria, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- have contributed funds this year, while oil-rich countries such as Libya, Kuwait and Qatar have sent nothing and still owe the Palestinian government more than $700 million in past-due pledges.

The Palestinian Authority uses the contributions to help pay salaries for civil servants, health-care specialists and other workers in the Palestinian territories. European governments, the World Bank and the United States have provided more than three times as much money as Arab countries this year to keep the government afloat, but officials said the Europeans and the World Bank have virtually depleted their resources, leaving a funding gap of about $800 million for the rest of 2008.  (continue reading)

What would happen if the United States and European governments withheld all that money --three times as much money as Arab countries--???  So who is it that seems to care more for the plight of the Palestinian people???  That's right, the evil Christians and Jews in Western democratic nations.

Imagine that!

It's dangerous shipping arms to Hezbollah

Oops:  Iranian military convoy taking a consignment of military equipment to Hizbollah, was rocked by mystery explosion.

The explosion took place in the Tehran suburb of Khavarshahar as the military convoy left a munitions' warehouse controlled by the Revolutionary Guards. According to reports received by Western officials, the convoy was taking a consignment of military equipment to Hizbollah, the Shia Muslim militia Iran supports in southern Lebanon, when the explosion occurred.

Senior Revolutionary Guard commanders immediately imposed a news black-out following the explosion, even though it could be heard throughout the capital Tehran, and no details of the incident have so far appeared in the Iranian media.

But Western officials yesterday said they had received reports that the explosion took place in Tehran on July 19, and that the Revolutionary Guards had launched an investigation into the causes of the blast.

"This was a massive explosion that was heard throughout Tehran," one official told the Daily Telegraph. "Even though lots of people were killed the Revolutionary Guards are trying to conceal what really happened."

Iran is believed to have recently stepped up arms shipments to Hizbollah in preparation for any future armed confrontation with the West over its controversial nuclear enrichment programme.

Hurray for whoever launched this little explosion.  Perhaps Iranians stepping up?  Or maybe some Israeli or American special forces? 

Giving citizenship rights to terrorists in Israel

Not much in the news about the Israeli arrests of six Al Qaeda-linked Israeli Arabs charged with plotting to shoot down President Bush’s helicopter earlier this year.  The interesting thing about these arrests is that two of the terrorists were from the towns of Nazareth and Taibe—within pre-1967 Israel-- which means they are full Israeli citizens with voting rights and all other privileges citizenship brings.  From FrontPageMag:

Although full Israeli citizenship has also been available to East Jerusalem Arabs since Israel annexed East Jerusalem after the 1967 war, all but a few of them reject it. Instead they have a status as residents that entitles them to various state benefits.

 

The two citizens among the six were students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and one of them, Muhammad Naghem of Nazareth, lived on a campus that gave him a view of a helicopter landing pad where Bush’s helicopter landed and took off during his visit to Israel in January. 

 

Naghem is charged with photographing the landing and takeoff on his cellphone and then sending the photos to an Al Qaeda-linked website. The president also visited Israel in April this year.

 

The six suspects would meet regularly at the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Investigators for Israel’s General Security Service also found bomb-making instructions on some of the suspects’ personal computers.

 

Far from an isolated incident, it was part of a trend. Earlier this month two other Israeli Arabs—Bedouins living in southern Israel—were indicted for passing information to Al Qaeda on strategic sites such as army bases, skyscrapers, and Ben-Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

 

And both of the two largest terror attacks in Israel this year were perpetrated by East Jerusalem Arabs—the shooting rampage at a Jerusalem yeshiva on March 6 that killed eight teenage boys and young men and wounded eleven, and the bulldozer attack on a Jerusalem street on July 2 that killed three people and wounded over fifty. In both those cases the terrorist was killed in the course of the attack, but there is suspicion of links to foreign jihadists.

 

Also on Tuesday this week a copycat bulldozer terrorist—yet another East Jerusalem Arab—wounded twenty-four in Jerusalem before being shot.  

 

Implications:

 

1. In all these cases the terrorists or would-be terrorists took advantage of Israel’s adherence to the highest Western standards of individual freedom. East Jerusalem Arabs, even though they reject citizenship, have Israeli ID cards that allow them free movement in Israel, and both the yeshiva and bulldozer terrorists made full use of this privilege. Israel also grants full religious freedom, and the six Al Qaeda-linked plotters took advantage of this to hold their cell meetings on the Temple Mount, where Israel not only accords Muslims freedom of worship but allows the Muslim Wakf to administer the site and has only a limited security presence.  

Continue reading the article by P. David Hornik at FrontPageMagazine and check out his blog PDavidHornik.

Terror Attacks Near Where Obama Will Stay in Jerusalem

From the Israeli Proje: 

Second Bulldozer Terror Attack in Jerusalem, Yards from Hotel Where Obama is to Stay:

Obama to Visit Israel:

 

(Image via Sky News)

More than 16 Israelis were wounded, including children and an infant, after a terrorist deliberately plowed a bulldozer into vehicles, including a passenger bus, today (July 22) hours before presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama was scheduled to arrive in Israel. [1]

 

The attack took place just yards from the hotel where Sen. Obama is due to stay in Jerusalem.

 

It was an apparent copycat attack of the July 2 incident when when an East Jerusalem Palestinian man went on a rampage in downtown Jerusalem in a bulldozer, using the vehicle to crush cars and two buses. The man, Hossam Dawiath, 31, was killed after an off-duty Israel Defense Forces soldier climbed into the tractor and killed him in the midst of the attack.

Recent Terrorist Attacks in Jerusalem

June 2: Three Israelis were killed and 46 others were injured by an East Jerusalem Palestinian man who deliberately plowed his tractor into a crowd of pedestrians and overturned two busses in downtown Jerusalem.[2]

March 6: Eight students were killed and several wounded when an East Jerusalem Palestinian terrorist infiltrated a religious school in Jerusalem and opened fire throughout the complex.[3]

Footnotes

[1] Haaretz Service and News Agencies, “Bulldozer driver goes on rampage in Jerusalem, apparent copycat of recent deadly attack,” Haaretz, July 22, 2008, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1004437.html

[2] Hadi, Jonny, “Bulldozer driver shot dead after going on rampage in capital,” The Jerusalem Post, July 2, 2008, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1214726186987&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[3] Lis, Jonathan; Ettinger, Yair; and Harel, Amos, “Eight killed in terrorist attack at Jerusalem yeshiva,”Haaretz, March 6, 2008, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/961696.html

Maybe not all Middle Easterners like Omama.  Barack Obama continues on this hasty trek through the Middle East ... as Der Speigel puts it "hunting for votes in the Holy Land."

Barack Obama's visit to Israel on Wednesday will be filled with Kodak moments at the Weaping Wall and hundreds of reporters will meticulously detail his every gesture. Most of all, though, it will be a show for US voters.  [snip]

Jerusalem will be dark when Barack Obama arrives in the city that has already brought him so much trouble. He will touch down in a helicopter at around 11 p.m. on Tuesday night and reside in the King David Hotel.  [snip]

Obama will spend just 36 hours in Israel, the last stop on his Middle East tour before he heads to Europe.  ...   Maybe Obama would have been better advised to pencil in a little more time for the Holy Land.  ...  ...  Even though only four percent of Americans eligible to vote are of the Jewish faith, their vote has disproportionately large weight because Jewish Americans spend above-average amounts on campaign donations and pro-Israeli lobbies wield strong influence in Washington.  [snip]

A majority of Jewish voters in America traditionally vote for the Democratic Party. But Obama has suffered from a credibility problem with them ever since his "Jerusalem faux pas".

Obama is under the microscope on this trip, but when the majority of the media is in your back pocket, he may not be too worried:

 Tomorrow, Barack Obama will step off his plane into Israel and under a microscope. While he is there, American voters - Jews, Evangelical Christians and others - who factor a presidential candidate's policies toward Israel into their electoral choice, will watch Obama's every step and listen to his every word very, very closely.

In Jordan:  Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama is vowing to work for a breakthrough in Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations starting from the minute he's sworn into office. King Abdullah flew back early from a visit to the United States to meet with Obama.

Obama is trying to make people believe that there has been some kind of 'convergence' of the White House, Military, and Iraqi leaders strategy ... with Obama's own strategy.

Obama elegantly avoided an open boast when asked if he thought things were coming his way.

"Well, you know, it is not just a matter of coming my way. There is a reality there that has to be addressed.

"And if you clear the underbrush of ideology and people having different positions, and arguing from different perspectives, at some point, you have to land on reality in order to make sure that the American people are safe."

WHAT???

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This article is posted at Real Clear Politics, votes always appreciated.

Iranians -- in their own words

From The Israeli Project, where they have an excellent article, "A History of Iran's Defiance of Nuclear Negotiations -- Geneva Talks on Iranian Nuclear Standoff to be Held July 19, 2009"

In a speech on July 8, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, “They know the Iranian nation and are aware that they cannot talk to us with the language of force and threats. They must give in to the will of the Iranian nation.”[1]

A month earlier, Ahmadinejad said, “Our enemies used every opportunity to pressurize us in the political and nuclear fields, and threatened us with the use of force. However, they have lost and they have no room for maneuver.”[2]

Other recent statements from Iranian leaders include:

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, April 30, 2008:

“Arrogant powers have been threatening the Iranians with economic sanctions over the past two years. The capitalist powers resorted to their political and economic might to exert pressure on the Iranian people and make them relinquish their rights.”[3]

Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Feb. 8, 2008:

“At a time when Gaza burns in fire and blood, and (at a time when) the US presidents tour of the region has ended up in disaster, any talks between regional states and the US and the usurper Zionist regime will be futile.”[4]

Majlis Speaker and former chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, Jan. 1, 2008:

“Iran must not allow the U.S. and others to undermine its relations and cooperation [with other Middle East countries}...The dominant countries in the region will have more freedom, and more room to advance towards the future, once America’s exclusive [hegemony] collapses and it suffers a defeat.” [5]

Representative of Supreme Leader Khamenei to the elite Revolutionary Guards, Mojtaba Zolnour, July 15, 2008: 

“When Iranian divers courageously carve the Iranian emblem on [the sides of] the American warships, it is a message to the Americans, [namely] that we can just as easily bomb and destroy [these warships]p…When Iranian UAVs hover for hours over the American aircraft carriers, sending back images and footage, with the Americans trying to hit them [but failing] due to the compactness and maneuverability [of the UAVs], this [also] sends a message [to the Americans]-namely, that these UAVs can be loaded with explosives and [used] to destroy [the carriers].”[6]

Representative of Supreme Leader Khamenei to the elite Revolutionary Guards, Mojtaba Zolnour, July 13, 2008

“If Israel and the US fire a bullet or a missile at Iran, it's forces will attack the heart of Israel  and and 32 American bases in theh region before the dust from such an attack has settled. [7] 

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, Chairman of the Iranian Guardian Council, April 13, 2008:

"Yes, I must tell you that the time for America's death has come.  You cried:  Death to the Shah", and indeed, he died.  You cried:  "Death to Israel," and it is now on it's deathbed.  You cry, "Death to America," and before long, Allah willing, the prayer for the dead will be recited over it."  [8]

_______________________________________________________________________

Footnotes

[1] President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Lumpur, Kuala, “President Ahmadinejad: US, Israel not dare attack Iran,” July 8, 2008, IRNA

[2] President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [2] “West has lost nuclear standoff with Iran - Ahmadinejad – ,” June 11, 2008, RIA Novosti, retrieved on July 8, 2008

[3] “Iranian nation ready for sacrifice,’ April 30, 2008, Wilayah Network, retrieved on July 7,2008

[4] “Muslim Leaders Should Help Break Gaza Siege,” February 8, 2008, Iran Daily

[5] Savyon, A. and Mansharof Y. and Azuri L., “Iran’s Attempts to Renews Relations with Egypt,” March 12, 2008, MEMRI, retrieved July 13, 2008

[6] Mansharof, Y. AND Savyon, A., “Iranian Threats in Anticipation of Western Attack,” July 15, 2008, MEMRI, retrieved on July 17, 2008

[7] “Bush gave Israel amber light to attack Iran if diplomacy fails,” July 13, 2008, The Jerusalem Post

[8] “Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, Chairman of the Iranian Guardian Council: The Time for America's Death Has Come,” April 18, 2008, MEMRI, retrieved on July 13, 2008

---

The face of evil

One picture says it all. Quntar after being freed and in Lebanon




One picture says it all. Steeped in Nazi heritage and Islamic hatred dating back 1400 years (hat tip Dr History)   Hat tip Michael.

But have no fear, Israel is not forgetting about this evil man.  He is in their cross-hairs:

ISRAELI security officials have said that Samir Quntar, the Lebanese murderer freed in a prisoner exchange after nearly three decades behind bars, should now fear for his life.

"Every terrorist who committed an act of terror against Israel, especially someone like Quntar, who killed a little child and two other people, is a target," an official said.

Another security official told the Yediot Aharonot newspaper: "Now that he is out of jail, we have no obligation towards Quntar, a loathsome murderer whose accounts will be settled in the end."

Quntar, who will be 46 next week, was 17 when he was sentenced to five life terms for one of the most notorious attacks in Israeli history. He was convicted of killing a police officer, a civilian and a four-year-old girl, whose skull he was accused of crushing with his rifle butt, in a raid in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya. (The Age)

From a reader at Right Truth:

I think the cartoon makes a great point.  We will watch Barack Hussein Obama as he makes his world campaign tour, seeking praise and adulation from other countries, while his position here in the US seems to be falling.  It could be that people are seeing him for what he is, nothing new ... a false prophet.

On Iran, from Fox News, via Lukmuntr Bizzarre:

Last week the ayatollahs’ capacity to stow death and destruction beyond Iran’s borders was on full display, when a barrage of Shahab missiles was test fired. Also last week, the French energy company, Total, pulled out of a huge investment in Iran's gas sector, citing "political risks."

Meanwhile, back in Iran, the gallows were busy. On July 10, Khalij Fars news agency reported four men were publicly hanged in the southern city of Borazjan. On Sunday, two men were hanged in the central city of Isfahan. A day before, Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for three Kurdish political activists.

The common thread here is that Tehran faces mounting political and social dissent, aggravated by factional infighting, at home, and growing international isolation abroad. Belligerence looks to Tehran like a way out of this impasse.

Dismissing the missile test as a mere bluster is very dangerous.

Don't miss Atlas Shrugs article "Bin Laden's Nuclear Strategy",

British Relations With Iran

Thanks to:   Insights Into Today's Middle East:

Britain and Iran have historically had a turbulent relationship, characterized by confusion and conflicting signals. [1] "There are just too many sore spots in our relations with the United Kingdom," remarked a Tehran-based analyst, asking not to be named. [2] At the beginning of World War II, Germany, Turkey, Great Britain, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) attempted to form alliances with Iran but were not successful. [3] Up to today, ties between the two countries remain unstable.

Historic and diplomatic relations

Throughout the 19th century, and right up to World War II, Britain and Russia were the dominant powers in Iran. In 1941 both Great Britain and the USSR occupied areas of the country to protect the oil fields from possible German seizure. The relationship between London and Tehran has remained complex. Britain and Iran have had enjoyed a long and close relationship in which there has been much mutual affection, respect - but also a fair degree of justifiable suspicion on the Iranian side. [4] Ultimately, the real limitations on Iran's sovereignty were exposed during the World War II when British and Allied forces intervened to establish a supply route across its territory to Iran’s former rival, the Soviet Union. [5]

The United Kingdom, together with the United States, sponsored a coup in 1953, overthrowing the nationalist government of Mohammed Mossadeq, who served as prime minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953, and restoring the Shah to power. After the Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini took power, Iran’s policy became more introspective, its prosperity declined, and its relations with the United Kingdom and other Western countries became strained. [6] 

When Labour came to power in 1997, Britain adopted a policy of "critical engagement" with countries such as Iran and Libya. Iran's relations with most countries improved following the election of reformist President Mohammad Khatami in 1997. The UK and Iran exchanged ambassadors in 1999. [7] Relations improved considerably a year later when the Iranian government signalled that it would not actively pursue the fatwa issued by the late Ayatollah Khomeini against Salman Rushdie, the British novelist whose book, “Satanic Verses”, aroused great controversy in the Muslim world. [8]

Relations have also soured between Iran and the UK over the arrest of a former Iranian ambassador to Buenos Aires, Hade Soleimanpur, who is wanted in Argentina for the July 1994 car bombing of a Jewish community center that killed 85 in the Argentine capital. [9]
"Tehran has a very ambivalent relation with the United Kingdom," says Gary Saymore, director of studies at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. "On the one hand, they hope that their relationship with the UK will help reduce American hostility", he said. "On the other hand, the UK is a 'little Satan,' seen as a potentially hostile ally of the United States.” [10] 

Britain's relations with Iran took a sharp turn for the worse in February 2002 when the British Foreign Office announced that Tehran had "conclusively rejected" the appointment of a new ambassador, David Reddaway. Iran's objections to Reddaway first emerged in January 2002 in an Iranian newspaper, “Jomhuri Islami”, which described him as "a Jew who is an MI6 agent." [11]

The events of Sept. 11, 2001, created opportunities that must be grasped to forge better relations with such countries as Iran, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in November 2001 during his annual speech on foreign policy. [12]

Iran has claimed that Britain interferes in its internal affairs and is the mastermind behind Arab separatism in its south-western province of Khuzestan. [13]

Britain and Iran were at a standoff over 15 seized sailors and marines after Iranian naval units detained eight British sailors and seven marines March 23, 2007. At the time, the British were on the lookout for smugglers near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab, a waterway that has long been a disputed dividing line between Iraq and Iran. Britain said they were in Iraqi waters when detained, but Iran has contended the Britons entered its waters illegally. [14] After 12 days of being detained, Iran’s Ahmadinejad announced that he would release the British hostages. Tony Blair, Prime Minister at that time, welcomed the news, calling the crew's imminent freedom "a profound relief not just to them but to their families that have endured such distress and anxiety over these past 12 days." [15] The incident came at a time of renewed tensions with Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme. 

Iran’s relations with Britain have since become much more strained. British commanders in southern Iraq have openly accused Iran of arming, training and funding Shia militias responsible for attacks on British forces. [16]

Economic relations

In 2007, direct UK exports of goods to Iran were valued at £400,3m (Euro 405,3m) (2006: £431m, Euro 543,2m). Iran is ranked as the UK’s seventh largest export market in the Middle East and North Africa region. [17]

Investigators have identified several British arms dealers trading with Tehran triggering alarm among government officials who fear Iran's nuclear programme may be receiving significant support from UK sources. The probe by customs officers suggests that at least seven Britons have been defying sanctions by doing trading with the Iranian air force, its Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and are even aiding the country's controversial nuclear programme. [18]

Royal Dutch Shell

On Jan. 29, 2007, Iran signed a preliminary agreement with Royal Dutch Shell and Spain´s Repsol to produce liquefied natural gas from its South Pars field in a deal worth some £5.1 bn. (Euro 6.3bn) [19]

Shell had planned to develop multi-billion dollar facilities to produce liquefied natural gas from the South Pars gas field so that it could be easily transported on ships for export. [20]
The oil company backtracked on the project in May 2008, but later voiced interest in exchanging its stakes in different Phases of the offshore gas field. [21]

Shell "will take political considerations into account" when it comes to make a final decision on Iran, but the company said it sees no reason to terminate discussions with Tehran, Chief executive of Shell, Jeroen van der Veer said. [22]

Shell, as with some other energy companies, faces a long-term struggle to replace oil reserves. Two years ago, in 2006, the company extracted almost twice as much oil as it found. Gas projects such as those on offer in Iran may therefore become increasingly important to the company. [23]

Britain on Iran's nuclear programme

On June 27, 2008, Britain’s Treasury warned businesses in the country that trade with companies in Iran or Pakistan could assist money laundering or terrorist financing. Treasury Minister Kitty Ussher said that British companies have been warned about the risks of business dealings with a host of countries, particularly in transactions with Iran. Ussher announced that Britain’s Financial Action Task Force has issued advice on states such as Iran and Pakistan and explained that those nations lack sufficient safeguards against terrorist financing and money laundering. [24]

The EU and the US have threatened Iran with further sanctions unless it verifiably suspends nuclear enrichment. The 5,000-word statement urged Tehran not to continue defying a demand from the UN Security Council to stop the enrichment of uranium as part of its nuclear programme. The UN Security Council has approved three rounds of sanctions against Iran. These include asset restrictions and travel bans on Iranian individuals and companies said to be involved in nuclear work. The sanctions also ban the sale to Iran of so-called dual-use items, materials and technologies that can have either a military or civilian purpose. [25]

The UK-based Barclay’s Bank has already responded to the pressure coming from the EU and the US and has ended all dealings with Iran's Saderat Bank and Bank Melli. [26]
In April 2008, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, "Iran continues to defy the will of the international community. And we are agreed on the need to strengthen the sanctions regime and ensure that these sanctions are effectively implemented." [27]

Britain will push for a worldwide ban on foreign investment in Iran's oil and gas industry and other financial sanctions unless two reports due this month show that it is ready to abandon efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, according to Brown. In a speech outlining his government's foreign policy agenda, Brown said on Nov. 12, 2007, that Iran posed "the greatest immediate challenge" to the effort to curb the spread of nuclear weapons. He warned Iran that "it has a choice: confrontation with the international community leading to a tightening of sanctions, or, if it changes its approach and ends its support for terrorism, a transformed relationship with the world." [28]

Britain has been at the forefront of calls by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for Iran to fully respond to concerns about its nuclear programme. [29]

The United State’s recent National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran played down any early threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon. It assessed "with high confidence" that Iran did have a nuclear weapons programme until 2003, which has since been discovered and halted. On March 5, 2008, a senior British diplomat said: "Many of us were surprised by how emphatic the writers [of the NIE] were... I haven't seen any intelligence that gives me even medium confidence that these programmes haven't resumed." [30]

On March 5, 2008, the British government said Tehran could still be developing a nuclear weapon. [31]

References:

[1]  „Downturn in British-Iran relations is par fort he course,“ Agence France Presse, September 16, 2003, http://www.spacewar.com/2003/030916170041.c4l7g0h6.html  

[2] Sanati, Kimia: „Iran-UK relations benighted, again,“ Asia Times Online, June 26, 2007, http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/IF26Ak01.html  

[3] http://www.emayzine.com/lectures/Iran20Century.html

[4] Blow, David: „Iran´s love-hate relationship with the UK,“ BBC Online, September 29, 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/1567302.stm

[5] http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmfaff/80/8005.htm#note14

[6] Ibid.

[7] Foreign and Commonwealth Office: https://fco-stage.fco.gov.uk/content/en/country-profile/middle-east-north-africa/fco_cp_iran?profile=intRelations&pg=4 (last reviewed May 7, 2008)

[8] Whitaker, Brian: „Iran rejects ambassador as ´M16 agent´,“ The Guardian, February 8, 2002, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/feb/08/iran.politics

[9] „Downturn in British-Iran relations is par fort he course,“ Agence France Presse, September 16, 2003, http://www.spacewar.com/2003/030916170041.c4l7g0h6.html

[10] Ibid.

[11] Whitaker, Brian: „Iran rejects ambassador as ´M16 agent´,“ The Guardian, February 8, 2002, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/feb/08/iran.politics

[12] „Year of conflicting signals in UK-Iran relations,“ Payvand News, March 16, 2002, http://www.payvand.com/news/02/mar/1055.html

[13] Sanati, Kimia: „Iran-UK relations benighted, again,“ Asia Times Online, June 26, 2007, http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/IF26Ak01.html

[14] „Iran protest targets Brit Embassy,“ Associated Press, April 1, 2007, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2007-04/01/content_841136.htm  

[15] Beeston, Richard; Bone, James: “Hostage fears over troops seized by Iran,” Times Online, March 24, 2007, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1560788.ece

[16] Ibid.

[17] UK Trade and Investment: https://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk/ukti/appmanager/ukti/countries?_nfls=false&_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=CountryType1&navigationPageId=/iran

[18] Townsend, Mark: „British dealers supply arms to Iran,“ The Observer, April 20, 2008, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/20/armstrade.iran

[19] Hotten, Russel: „Shell deal in Iran faces US sanctions,“ The Telegraph, January 30, 2007, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/01/30/cnshell30.xml

[20] „Royal Dutch Shell: Iran´s Pars Gas Likely for Domestic Use,“ PressTV, May 20, 2008, http://memrieconomicblog.org/bin/content.cgi?news=2314

[21] Ibid.

[22] Hotten, Russel: „Shell risks Iran backlash,“ The Telegraph, April 6, 2007, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/04/06/cnshell06.xml

[23] Ibid.

[24] „Britain`s Treasury warns companies on Iran trade,“ Associated Press, June 27, 2008, http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2008/06/27/britains_treasury_warns_companies_on_iran_trade/

[25] „US and Europe issue new Iran warning,“ BBC Online, June 1, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7445370.stm

[26] Ibid.

[27] „Brown seeks to tighten sanctions on Iran,“ Reuters, April 18, 2008, http://www.france24.com/en/20080418-brown-seeks-tighten-sanctions-iran-united-kingdom-usa

[28] Burns, John F.: „Britain ´will lead´against Iran, Brown says,“ International Herald Tribune, November 13, 2007, http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/13/africa/britain.php?WT.mc_id=rssfrontpage

[29] „Downturn in British-Iran relations is par fort he course,“ Agence France Presse, September 16, 2003, http://www.spacewar.com/2003/030916170041.c4l7g0h6.html   

[30] „Q&A: Iran and the nuclear issue,“ BBC Online, June 10, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4031603.stm

[31] Borger, Julian: „UK fears Iran still working on nuclear weapon,“ The Guardian, March 6, 2008, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/06/iran.foreignpolicy