08/15/14

Permalink Irish Senator David Norris – Statement on the situations in Gaza

David Norris said that entire families had been “obliterated” and called for immediate lifting of the embargo on Gaza. And, calling for Ambassador Modai to be expelled, observed: “He has his fingers in his ears all the time, and he just repeats slogans from Jerusalem.”


Permalink Israel-US ties hit new low as White House halts missile shipment

In what The Wall Street Journal calls the "lowest point" in Israel-U.S. ties, White House reportedly puts military assistance to Israel under close scrutiny after learning that Israeli requests for munitions were approved in military-to-military channels. As further proof of the deteriorating relations between Israel and the U.S., the White House has instructed the Pentagon to hold a shipment of Hellfire missiles meant for the Israel Air Force, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, calling this the "lowest point" in Israel-U.S. relations since U.S. President Barack Obama took office. Signaling to Israel that U.S. military assistance is now under drastically closer scrutiny than in the past, White House and State Department approval is now required for every request made by Israel, the report said. According to The Wall Street Journal, the decision was spurred by the recent discovery that the Israel Defense Forces had secured American munitions transfers without the express approval of the White House, by way of military channels.

Jason Ditz Obama Was Unaware of Arms Transfers to Israel
The Wall Street Journal: Israel bypassing the White House, dealing directly with congress


Permalink ‘Finish the job!’ Thousands of Israelis rally in support of Gaza offensive

Thousands of people in Tel Aviv rallied to show support for the IDF's military campaign in Gaza, urging the government forces to stop Hamas rocket attacks on Israel once and for all. An estimated 10,000 Israelis gathered in Rabin Square for first major demonstration since Operation Protective Edge began on July 8, officially to protect Israeli civilians from the barrage of rockets launched from the militant organization on the Gaza strip. "Occupy Gaza now!" placards were seen in the crowd, as the IDF claims Hamas has launched more than 3,500 rockets since beginning of the Israeli campaign, killing three civilians.


Permalink Aid convoy to Ukraine faces disruption, may be attacked - Russia

Moscow has information that the convoy delivering humanitarian aid to eastern Ukraine may be attacked by Kiev’s forces, with the “punitive” Aidar Battalion planning to mine the road that the vehicles will use, the Russian Foreign Ministry says. On Friday, Moscow accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt the humanitarian aid convoy now that the preparations for its delivery have reached their final stages and all key issues have been agreed upon. “We draw attention to the sharp intensification of military actions by Ukrainian forces with the obvious goal to block the route, agreed upon with Kiev, of the humanitarian convoy from the Russia-Ukraine border to Lugansk,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. In Moscow’s view, all this gives the impression that there are people both in Ukraine and abroad who are willing to disrupt the humanitarian mission, even “at the cost of new casualties and destruction.” “Those nurturing such criminal plans are taking huge responsibility for their consequences,” the ministry said.

Itar-Tass: Captured Ukrainian team planned attack on Russian humanitarian aid convoy — militia
Itar-Tass: RF Defense Ministry denies “Russian military convoy destruction” by Ukraine’s army


Permalink ​US, EU now allowed to buy Ukraine’s gas pipelines

Ukraine’s parliament has passed a law that will allow foreign companies from the US and EU to co-manage Ukraine’s national gas transportation system (GTS) which has a value of around $25-35 billion, one of the largest in the world. The motion, proposed by PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk, was only supported by 228 parliament members, just two more than the required 226 to adopt the bill. The first reading of the bill was approved on July 4. Ukraine will control 51 percent and foreign partners will be offered 49 percent in the venture, which seeks to “strengthen” Ukraine’s position as a transit state, according to the bill’s advocates. Together with Western investors Ukraine is planning to create a new company that will control the country’s gas transit system. However, it could be hard to find investors willing to participate in the project, some analysts believe, as Russia is currently developing a transit system bypassing Ukraine’s territory, which has proved unreliable as a transit partner.

RIA Novosti: Russia Should Respond to West by Cutting All Energy Supplies to Europe – Law Professor


Permalink Amnesty slams Saudi Arabia over Shia cleric verdict

Amnesty International has criticized Saudi Arabia for handing down a harsh verdict to a leading Shia cleric. Amnesty International said on Thursday that the harsh sentence of Sheikh Tawfiq al-Amr shows the disturbing pattern of harassment against the Shia community in Saudi Arabia. A court in the Saudi kingdom has given the Shia cleric an eight-year jail term and a ten-year travel ban. He has also been barred from delivering religious sermons. “Sheikh Tawfiq al-Amr is the latest Shia cleric to pay a very high price for refusing to be silenced,” said Said Boumedouha, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa. The cleric has been charged with criticizing the country's ruling system and calling for political reform. “Daring to peacefully criticize Saudi Arabia’s rulers is no reason to end up behind bars. He must be released immediately in connection with these charges,” Boumedouha added.


Permalink Strelkov has resigned his position as Defense Minister

The Saker Very Bad News: Vzgliad is reporting that Igor Strelkov has resigned his position as Defense Minister. If confirmed - Vzgliad is usually well-informed - this is very bad news. Not that Novorussia lacks capable military leaders, but because Strelkov had managed to subordinate all the commanders of the Resistance - except Khodakovski - to is authority. As Strelkov mentioned it many times, it is very hard to turn several groups of volunteer guerrillas into a real army, and Strelkov pretty much succeeded in doing so. If his resignation is confirmed, I am very worried that infighting between the various rebel groups will resume and that the junta will use this political chaos to attack and beat back the Resistance.


Permalink Why I Quit the Democratic Party Yesterday

Eric Zuesse I draw the line at racist fascism, otherwise known as ‘nazism’. I left the Democratic Party yesterday, because I cannot support the first American President who ever installed anywhere in the world a nazi regime — it has never happened before, not even under a Republican President; and, until Obama, I had always assumed that if it ever would happen, it could come only under a Republican President, never under any Democratic one. But I was wrong — mortifyingly wrong — because Barack Obama did this in Ukraine; he is the first-ever U.S. President to install a nazi regime anywhere, and so I wrote to my Representative seeking Obama’s impeachment by the Democrats in Congress; and, yesterday, that person, a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, told me that, notwithstanding Barack Obama’s having unquestionably done this, this Democratic Representative will not introduce on the floor of the U.S. House a bill of impeachment against this — what is the appropriate term for such a person, if not a — nazi U.S. President. Simply because Obama calls himself a ‘Democrat,’ that Representative in the House will not introduce a bill to impeach him. There was no argument on the facts; the facts weren’t at issue here at all; it’s just that Obama calls himself a ‘Democrat.’ That’s all.


Permalink Russian military vehicles enter Ukraine as aid convoy stops short of border

Armoured personnel carriers and support vehicles cross the border, while the 280-truck convoy comes to a halt separately. The white trucks of humanitarian aid rumbled through Russia in a convoy stretching for miles, moving slowly southwards on the M4 highway, amid a landscape of fertile fields and Ladas stopped at the roadside – their boots overflowing with watermelons for sale. But, while the trucks came to a halt well short of Ukraine's border, a different Russian convoy did make the crossing into Ukrainian territory late on Thursday evening. The Guardian saw a column of 23 armoured personnel carriers, supported by fuel trucks and other logistics vehicles with official Russian military plates, travelling towards the border near the Russian town of Donetsk – about 200km away from Donetsk, Ukraine. After pausing by the side of the road until nightfall, the convoy crossed into Ukrainian territory, using a rough dirt track and clearly crossing through a gap in a barbed wire fence that demarcates the border. Armed men were visible in the gloom by the border fence as the column moved into Ukraine. Kiev has lost control of its side of the border in this area.

Itar-Tass: Russia calls for ceasefire in Ukraine to ensure security of aid convoy


Permalink Palestine 1896

First film footage taken in Palestine (Lumier Bros.) Extracted from "Palestine: Story of a Land", by Simone Bitton


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