#6
Except most of it comes out of Mexico across the border via Chinese owned operations. So... unless you want to blockade Mexico or interdict Chinese vessels in international waters, both an act of war by the way, using the Navy is pretty useless.
#7
Don, you're heading off into 'preposterous' here.
The navy can barely handle 'navy' stuff right now, without giving them a job they don't know how to do.
I am, however beginning to think drone strikes along the Mexico border is sounding better. It might even get the media interested in what happens down there.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/21/2023 13:20 Comments ||
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#8
Navy for the blockade, CG for the enforcement?
We could use this a little closer to home.
#9
Except most of it comes out of Mexico across the border via Chinese owned operations. So... unless you want to blockade Mexico or interdict Chinese vessels in international waters, both an act of war by the way, using the Navy is pretty useless.
I would advocate that we stop farting around in Ukraine. If we have to fight a war it should be against our real enemies, Mexico and China.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
09/21/2023 15:09 Comments ||
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[ToloNews] The United Nations ...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense... Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it has documented hundreds of cases of torture and other "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" committed by the current authorities in Afghanistan during the arrest and subsequent detention of individuals.
UNAMA said in a report on Wednesday that it had documented over 1,600 cases of human rights ...not to be confused with individual rights, mind you... violations -- nearly half of which comprised acts of "torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" -- committed by the current authorities in Afghanistan during arrests and detentions, and the deaths of 18 individuals while in jug.
The report covers the period from January 2022 until the end of July 2023, with cases found across 29 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.
"The personal accounts of beatings, electric shocks, water torture, and numerous other forms of cruel and degrading treatment, along with threats made against individuals and their families, are harrowing. Torture is forbidden in all circumstances," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement issued with the report.
The report acknowledges steps taken to ensure stronger oversight of places of detention, including the continued work of the MOI and GDI Human Rights Directorates, OPA’s monitoring committee, the Supreme Court’s committees, as well as the creation of a new High Directorate of Supervision and Prosecution of Decrees and Edicts mandated to monitor places of detention and investigate allegations of abuse.
"Although there have been some encouraging signs in terms of leadership directives as well as an openness among many de facto officials to engage constructively with UNAMA, and allow visits to prisons, these documented cases highlight the need for urgent, accelerated action by all," said Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of UNAMA.
"To resolve this issue, it is essential that the prisoners have access to a defence attorney, and international organizations like the Red Thingy and other human rights institutions should provide monitoring of the prisons in meetings with the prisoners," said Abdullah Ahmadi, expert in human rights issues.
Meanwhile, ...back at the wine tasting, Vince was about to start on his third quart... the Islamic Emirate said the UNAMA report on prisons in Afghanistan is "propaganda and far from reality."
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate's spokesperson, said in a statement: "UNAMA has stated in a report that prisoners are being mistreated in prisons and detention centers in Afghanistan. We strongly reject this propaganda. It is not permissible to beat, mistreat and or torture anyone in the Islamic Emirate's military and civil institutions, including prisons and detention centers."
Previously, some international organizations have criticized human rights violations and arbitrary arrests in Afghanistan, an issue that has always been denied by the Islamic Emirate.
[KhaamaPress] A remarkable 14,000 Afghan women are pursuing their dreams of education and empowerment through the Woman Online University. This institution provides a diverse array of courses spanning 14 faculties, all completely free of charge.
In a nation facing numerous societal challenges, this university stands as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path toward a brighter future for Afghan women.
With an impressive roster of 450 professors and lecturers from Afghanistan and various corners of the globe, the Woman Online University ensures that these Afghan women receive top-notch education.
These dedicated educators serve as bridges between continents, breaking down barriers and delivering knowledge to eager minds. Their unwavering commitment exemplifies the university’s mission to empower Afghan women through quality education, transcending geographical boundaries to create a brighter future.
"In 14 faculties, we have approximately 14,000 students from all corners of Afghanistan, including remote provinces. Despite persistent economic challenges, which include internet access issues, girls continue to enrol with us, determined not to miss out on the enriching academic environment," shared Adila Zamani, a dedicated professor at Woman Online University.
"We firmly hold that girls’ education is essential for societal advancement and, as such, it should remain uninterrupted," she emphasized.
The students at this university are calling upon the Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... administration to lift educational limitations. They believe that uninterrupted education for girls is vital for societal progress, emphasizing the importance of gender-inclusive learning opportunities to drive forward Afghanistan’s future.
[KhaamaPress] The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan has announced that 470 Afghan migrants colonists, including freed prisoners from Pak jails, have returned to the country. These migrants colonists entered the country through the Torkham border, according to the Ministry on Tuesday.
Among the returning migrants colonists, 85 were prisoners released from Pak custody and returned to Afghanistan through the Spin Boldak border. Additionally, the Ministry reported the return of 550 Afghan migrants colonists from Pakistain earlier.
The detention and expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistain have increased recently.
Earlier, the Ministry of Moslem colonists Migrants and Repatriates of the country had reported the return of 650 Afghan migrants colonists through the Spin Boldak border in Kandahar province.
In response to the detention of over 200 Afghan refugees in Islamabad, the Pashtun Protection Movement has sent a letter to the United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... , condemning Pakistain’s actions as "unethical" and "unprincipled," emphasizing that the movement will not remain silent in the face of the mistreatment of Afghan migrants colonists in Pakistain.
It is important to highlight that Pak authorities have consistently cited the absence of legal residency documents as the primary reason for detaining Afghan migrants colonists.
However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... it is essential to note that Afghan refugees have consistently denied that the lack of legal residency documents is the sole reason for their detention in Pakistain. According to numerous reports and statements from Afghan refugees and advocacy groups, even documented Afghan refugees have faced detention by Pak authorities. These detentions often lead to many challenges, including allegations of harassment and mistreatment by Pak officials.
Such claims raise significant human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. concerns and underscore the importance of addressing not only the issue of legal documentation but also the treatment and rights of Afghan refugees within Pakistain’s borders.
[8am] A group of former Afghan government soldiers currently residing in Pakistain have penned a letter describing their deeply concerning and distressing situation. The letter, dated Tuesday, September 19th, sheds light on their daily struggle for survival in challenging circumstances.
According to these former soldiers, they not only face difficulties within their homes but also lament that their children are unable to attend schools.
The letter strongly emphasizes the unmet commitments made by the world community, NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... , and the United States to assist and cooperate with the people of Afghanistan, particularly the soldiers, who now find themselves trapped in dire circumstances, enduring a life of misery day and night. They express disappointment that these commitments were not upheld, and instead, Afghanistan’s people and soldiers were referred to as friends and allies only when it suited the interests of those involved.
Furthermore, the letter highlights the daily killings of former soldiers by the Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... , which is a grim reality that they witness. Since the Taliban takeover, former government soldiers have been detained, imprisoned, and in some cases, brutally killed in various parts of the country.
One of the most recent incidents, occurring on September 11th of this year, involved the Taliban executing a member of the former government’s special forces in the Pul-e-Matak area of Parwan province.
The dire situation is underscored by the United Nations ...a formerly good idea gone bad... Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which reported documenting at least 218 cases of extrajudicial killings of officials and former security and defense forces by the Taliban. This troubling revelation has been confirmed by the Human Rights Watch, corroborating UNAMA’s findings of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture, and enforced disappearances of officials and former government soldiers.
[Garowe] President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has for the second time this year reshuffled top officers within the Somali National Army [SNA], in what comes amid an ongoing crackdown against al-Shabaab ...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... bandidossnuffies across the country, in the exercise of powers conferred on him as the Commander-in-Chief of the national army.
On Monday, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud conducted a mini-reshuffle which saw Brigadier General Madey Nurey Sheikh appointed Deputy Army Commander. The reshuffle comes weeks after a deadly al-Shabaab in Cawsweyne village, Galmudug ...a semiautonomous region in central Somalia, bordering Puntland on the north. Galmudug is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation, but rather considers itself autonomous within the larger Somali federalism, for what that's worth... state which left many soldiers dead.
The mini-reshuffle also saw Dayah Abdi Abdulle promoted to Colonel and he will be the new commander of Land Forces, replacing Brigadier General Ahmed Adan Ali who was only appointed to the post in June. The changes come as a shock given the military is actively engaged in the battlefields.
"We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Brigadier Madey Nurey Sheikh, the newly appointed Deputy Commander of the Somali National Army and Lieutenant Colonel Dayah Abdi Abdulle, the new Commander of Land Forces. We hope they bring new experiences to the offensive against Khawarij," the Ministry of Defence announced.
In June, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed the decree appointing Brigadier General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhiyadin as the new army chief; and Brigadier General Ahmed Adan Ali as the new Land Forces commander. Muhiyadin is the former commander of the Presidential Guards and had studied army logistics at a Modena military college, in Italia.
Ali was one of the officers trained in Æthiopia during President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed’s time. Most recently he was the deputy commander of the 12th April Sector of the army. Muhiyadin replaced Brig. Gen. Odawaa Yusuf Rageh, while Ali replaced Brig. Gen. Mohammed Tahlil Bihi.
The troops are currently involved in active operations in central Somalia within HirShabelle and Galmadug states and in due course, most of them will be deployed to Jubaland and Southwest states for similar operations. They are working closely with US Africa Command and the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] troops.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/21/2023 13:09 Comments ||
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#3
The last guy who said something similar to UN died under mysterious circumstances* in International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia jail.
*Sure, sure it was a heart attack - but no Serb, or Russian, pathologists were allowed to examine the body.
#4
The animals all got together for a peace conference. One said "we must outlaw teeth". Another shouted, "claws must go". Finally the bear stood up. "Let us agree to ban all except the great universal embrace".
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Over two days, during the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, 200 people were killed and at least 400 were injured, the Karabakh ombudsman said. The condition of the majority of the wounded who are being treated at the Stepanakert Medical Center is assessed as serious or extremely serious, said the director of the center.
As the " Caucasian Knot " wrote, on September 19 Azerbaijan announced a counter-terrorist operation in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the Nagorno-Karabakh Ombudsman, by the morning of September 20, as a result of large-scale hostilities, seven civilians were killed and 36 were injured.
As a result of large-scale military actions of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh, as of 21.30 hours (20.30 Moscow time), there are at least 200 dead in Nagorno-Karabakh. Including the confirmed death of 10 civilians, five of whom are children, Nagorno-Karabakh Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan reported today in his microblog X.
Over 400 people were injured, including 40 civilians, 13 of whom were children. The Office of the Ombudsman of Nagorno-Karabakh is clarifying the fate of the missing, the message states.
Director of the Stepanakert Republican Medical Center Mher Musayelyan said that 197 wounded are being treated at the center. “About 45% are in serious condition, 15% are in extremely serious condition. 12 deaths were recorded due to injuries incompatible with life. More than 30% of the wounded were operated on, the rest are being treated at home,” News.Am quoted him as saying .
He added that the medical center lacks equipment. “There are wounded who need to be transported to Armenia,” Musayelyan added.
[KhaamaPress] The Australian government has announced that it has rejected the asylum requests of 50,000 Afghan citizens who had applied for a humanitarian visa in the country after the fall of the resurgence of the Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... regime in August 2021.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Tuesday, in its latest report, it stated that out of 208,000 asylum requests made by Afghan citizens from the beginning of 2021 until now, approximately 50,000 applicants have been rejected by the Australian government.
Following the fall of Kabul in August 2021, about 208,000 Afghans have applied for humanitarian and refugee visas in Australia to flee the Taliban regime.
However, the difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits... Australia has rejected over 50,000 visa applications for humanitarian reasons, leaving 144,000 others pending.
Between August 15, 2021, and August 31 of the current year, 13,612 humanitarian visas were issued to Afghan citizens as part of the offshore Humanitarian Program following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the report said.
These statements come at a time when members of the Afghan community in Australia and former colleagues of the Australian forces in Afghanistan have expressed concerns about the high rejection rate of humanitarian visa applications and have called for reversing this decision.
Members of the Afghan community and former Afghan Locally Engaged Employees (LEEs) express their disappointment at the substantial number of humanitarian visa rejections and call upon the government to reconsider these decisions and approve the visas.
It is worth noting that after the rise of the Taliban administration, many Afghan citizens sought asylum in various countries, including Australia, Canada, the United States, and Europe. While most of their asylum requests were accepted, some are still under review or rejected by these countries.
[OneIndia] A Sikh separatist group banned in India has threatened Hindus living in Canada, urging them to leave the country and accusing them of supporting India and promoting violence.
The threats were made by Gurpatwant Pannun,
...more fully Gurpatwant Singh Pannu. He’s apparently based in New York City nowadays, convenient when he wants to nip off to meetings with Sikh communities around the world...
the legal counsel for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and a designated terrorist in India, in a viral video. In the video, Pannun was heard saying,''Indo-Hindu leave Canada; go to India. You not only support India but you are also supporting the suppression of speech and expression of pro-Khalistan Sikhs", Hindustan Times reported.
The video emerged shortly after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ...hereditary prime minister of the Great White North... suggested a "potential link" between Indian government agents and the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, leading to diplomatic tensions between the two countries. However, some people cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go... India dismissed the Canadian government's accusations as 'absurd' and later asked a Canadian diplomat to exit the country within the next five days.
Pannun's threat has raised concerns among Hindu Canadians, who say it is a manifestation of "full-scale Hinduphobia." There have been incidents of temple desecration and anti-India propaganda by vandals associated with the Khalistan referendum in Canada.
Some commentators have questioned the lack of action in response to Pannun's threat, drawing attention to the disparity in reactions when compared to threats from white supremacists.
SFJ has claimed to feel "emboldened" by the Trudeau government's recent actions, further escalating tensions.
In an opinion piece, Andrew Coyne emphasized the need to maintain peace in Canada following Nijjar's killing, cautioning against the potential for ethnic and sectarian violence.
Responding to the threat video, Hindu Canadian minister Anita Anand appealed for calm. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the minister wrote, "South Asians and families who come from India, regardless of religion, will share the sentiment that it was difficult to hear the Prime Minister's statement yesterday. This is a time to let the legal process continue as it must. Let us all remain calm, unified, and empathetic."
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Joe Biden's pick for the new chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has been confirmed as Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, who will replace General Mark Miley.
General Brown will seize command after reaching the 51 vote threshold needed at a vote on Wednesday. Only Sen. Ron Johnson and Sen. J.D. Vance voted no.
It comes after President Biden in May said he could 'think of no one better suited or more qualified to lead our forces'.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reportedly also recommended him as the military's next top officer.
It is the first time in US history that both the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are African American.
General Brown replaces General Milley, who ran into controversy after he wore battle fatigues in a photo-op as he walked Donald Trump in front of St. John's Church amid a BLM protest in 2020.
The new chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff made headlines back in 2020 when he held the title of the commander of Pacific Air Forces, as he recorded an emotional video right after the police killing of George Floyd.
In full uniform, he got personal and was 'full of emotion' for 'the many African Americans that have suffered the same fate as George Floyd'.
Brown has always been transparent about where he views lie on racism in America and has always tried to keep a balanced and realistic approach to it all.
'I can't fix centuries of racism in our country, nor can I fix decades of discrimination that may have impacted members of our Air Force. I'm thinking about how I can make improvements personally, professionally, and institutionally, so that all Airmen, both today and tomorrow, appreciate the value of diversity and can serve in an environment where they can reach their full potential,' said Brown in a video.
Sounds like a misinterpretation of Boyd's OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act). Yes, changing faster than the other guy is a winning strategy, but you still have to make good changes. Quickly jinking left when you should have jinked right is still losing.
#7
Wasn't "hope and change" supposed to be the shining future of all of us? Well, hope is not a plan, and change for the sake of change is a distraction at best, a disaster at worst.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
09/21/2023 8:42 Comments ||
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#8
I've been trying to figure out why an Air Force guy who isn't manning the base perimeter even has battle fatigues. Is the camo gonna help you hide in the clouds?
Warrior chic, I guess.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/21/2023 9:21 Comments ||
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#10
'Fatigues' are great at camouflaging large objects. Besides it gives desk jockeys the feeling of actually being a 'warrior' without eating mud, bugs, dust or humping 100lbs+ of gear on a daily basis. Sort of like Chardonnay sipping suburban middle class women can get their solidarity with the 'in' victim groups.
[IsraelTimes] Judge says Erika López Prater can file suit against Hamline University for religious discrimination, after she was fired in wake of student’s complaint over display of art
A former Hamline University adjunct art professor can proceed with her lawsuit against the private Minnesota school but only on the basis of religious discrimination, a federal judge has ruled.
Erika López Prater sued Hamline University earlier this year after she was dismissed following a complaint from a Moslem student that she showed ancient images of the Prophet Muhammad in a global art course last year.
US District Judge Katherine Menendez on Friday dismissed several other claims in López Prater’s lawsuit, including those claiming reprisal, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and retaliation, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported. López Prater’s attorney has argued that the school would have treated her differently if she were Moslem.
The judge noted that López Prater’s religious discrimination argument is novel and that it will likely be hard to show that the university would have treated her differently if she were Moslem. Nevertheless, she rejected Hamline University’s request to dismiss the claim entirely.
The controversy began in October when López Prater showed a 14th-century painting depicting the Prophet Muhammad to her students as part of a lesson on Islamic art. She had warned them beforehand in the class syllabus, giving them an opportunity to opt out. She also reportedly gave a trigger warning before the lesson in which the image was shown. A student who attended the class — who was president of Hamline’s Moslem Student Association
...yet another tentacle of the Muslim Brotherhood in America, working to make the country safe for the caliphate...
— complained to the university, saying the trigger warning didn’t define what image would be shown. In Islam, portraying the Prophet Muhammad has long been taboo for many.
The university later decided not to renew López Prater’s contract.
The fallout was far-reaching, leading the school’s faculty to overwhelmingly call for university President Fayneese Miller to resign. Miller announced in April that she will retire next year. That announcement came three months after she conceded that she mishandled the situation, particularly in calling López Prater’s showing of the image "Islamophobic."
An attorney for the university, Mark Berhow, said he and the school’s legal team are encouraged by the judge’s decision to dismiss most claims and "look forward to demonstrating that the sole remaining claim is also without merit."
[GEO.TV] In the latest development to the probe into the May 9 riots, Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan ...aka The Great Khan, who is the lightweight's lightweight... and all others nominated as suspects have been charged with "criminal conspiracy" under additional charges included to the related cases, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Investigation Anoosh Masood said on Wednesday.
While addressing a presser in Lahore, she said that nine additional sections pertaining to treason have been included in the challans for the cases of vandalism and violence that erupted after the deposed prime minister's arrest in the infamous £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) UK settlement case on May 9, against all the suspects including Khan.
The investigation official said evidence of inciting mutiny and planning vandalism have been found against the PTI chief.
"Section 120(B) [pertaining to punishment of criminal conspiracy] of the Pakistain Penal Code (PPC) has been added to all the cases related to the May 9 incidents," Masood said.
She further added that all the objections raised by the prosecution have been removed before the submission of the case challans in the court.
The former premier, who was removed via a parliamentary vote in April last year, has been grilled by a special Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the May 9 rampage almost across the country after permission granted by an anti-terrorism court (ATC).
Khan, who remains behind bars in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Attock jail, and several others including some PTI leaders are facing various allegations in the cases related to the violence following his arrest on May 9.
The riots also led to the deaths of at least eight people and injured several others, prompting the authorities to arrest thousands of PTI workers and followers. Hundreds of party workers and big shots were put behind bars for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations.
During the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military termed May 9 "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.
To probe Khan for the violence that ensued, the police had added incitement to mutiny and an attempt to wage war among other provisions provisions on August 18 as per the case diary, after which they contacted the anti-terrorism court seeking permission to investigate the PTI chief.
The court's Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar, consequently, issued an order at the request of the police.
The other offences include 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups, etc), 153-B (Inducing students, etc, take part in political activity), 146 (Rioting), 131 (Abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 121 (Waging or attempting to wage war or abetting the waging of war against Pakistain), 121-A (Conspiracy to commit offences punishable by Section 121), 120-A (Definition of criminal conspiracy), 120-B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) and 107 (Abetment of a thing).
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2023 00:00 ||
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Link ||
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#1
Yet another way the corrupt Pak government is like our own.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/21/2023 13:12 Comments ||
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[IsraelTimes] The meeting between US President Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. S I'm not working for you. Don't be such a horse's ass.... and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wraps up after 61 minutes.
The two met in private after delivering opening remarks to the press.
At the end of the open meeting, Biden ignored shouted questions about whether he feared for the future of democracy in Israel and what the Paleostinians would need to achieve in a normalization deal.
[IsraelTimes] US President Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. We hold these truths to be self-evident. All men and women created ... by the — you know — you know, the thing... has invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington for a follow-up meeting before the end of the year, the White House says in its readout after the two leaders met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Wednesday’s meeting was the first between the two leaders since Netanyahu returned to power last December. No newly elected prime minister had waited longer for a meeting with a US president since Levi Eshkol in 1964.
During their meeting, Biden reiterated "his concern about any fundamental changes to Israel’s democratic system, absent the broadest possible consensus," the White House says.
Netanyahu assured Biden in comments to news hounds before the sit-down that Israel will remain a vibrant democracy, even as he seeks to continue advancing his government’s judicial overhaul.
A senior Israeli official tells news hounds that Netanyahu privately assured Biden that he wants to secure consensus support either in the Knesset or among the public. However, the way to a man's heart remains through his stomach... Netanyahu offered the US such assurances before his government went on to pass the first piece of overhaul legislation without any support from the opposition. Kinda like the Dems here
"With regard to ongoing tension and violence in the West Bank, [Biden] emphasized the need to take immediate measures to improve the security and economic situation, maintain the viability of a two-state solution, and promote a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Paleostinians," the US readout says.
The White House says Biden urged Israel and the Paleostinians to adhere to their commitments made at a pair of regional summits earlier this year in Egypt and Jordan where they agreed not to advance any unilateral measures that exacerbate tensions.
Israel also made commitments there not to approve new settlement construction but that was only for a temporary period, and the hardline government made sure to advance record numbers of settler homes both before and after the agreed-upon period.
Biden and Netanyahu agreed to work toward convening a third summit between Israel, the Paleostinian Authority, the US, Egypt and Jordan in the near future, the White House says.
Oh joy.
The US readout says the two leaders also welcomed "the likely convening soon of a ministerial meeting" of the Negev Forum, which Israeli officials have said will be held in Morocco next month. However, the way to a man's heart remains through his stomach... the earthquake that recently hit the country may again cause a delay of the gathering.
Biden and Netanyahu also welcomed the recent announcement made at the G20 to develop the India Middle East Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... Economic Corridor (IMEC) through the UAE, Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... , Jordan and Israel and "discussed how the project can benefit the entire Middle East region with investment and new forms of collaboration across two continents," the White House says.
The rest of the readout highlights the usual Biden talking points about the countries’ close bilateral ties "based on the bedrock of shared democratic values," the US’s "ironclad" commitment to Israel’s security, its commitment to ensuring Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... never obtains a nuclear weapon and its desire to advance Israel’s integration in the region.
It notably does not specify Saudi Arabia in that context, though Biden made a point of discussing a potential Israel-Saudi deal during his opening remarks to news hounds ahead of the meeting.
#5
Respectively, TW, your relationship with g(r)om is odd.
He is a hater of many things, petty as they may be.
Just because he (may) be Jewish doesn't make his opinions factual.
It takes little review of Rantburg archives to determine he leans toward American Democrats and away from American conservatives. I know you are aware of his opinions. The fact you ask actually surprises me. As to why he favours Biden is a mystery to me. I suggest you review his comments for the last 10 years.
I remember you issued warnings to me and him about our comments to each other. So... I know you are aware...
#7
Grom, got a story for ya...
About 20 years ago, we were at Ft Leonard Wood in Missouri, visit eldest son coming out of sapper school. Wood is a combined base, everybody's combat engineers and chem people train there. You see the total variety of uniforms, it's how you can tell who's from where.
Anyhoo, we had gone in base exchange, and were coming out, when I met a guy in marine camo coming in through the exit line.
He says, "Oh, is this the exit?" I point up at the sign overhead and reply "That's how they spell it." He grabs the handrail with one hand, bends at the knees, puts the other hand over his heart, and goes "Oh, I Am Wounded! Corpsman!"
The most dangerous thing in the world is a jarhead with a sense of humor.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/21/2023 13:33 Comments ||
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#8
The most dangerous thing in the world is a jarhead with a sense of humor.
#9
I would love to be a fly on the wall to listen to how Bibi describes his conversations with POTATUS, the Imperious Vegetable. It must have been shocking to him to see what a once mighty nation had done to itself, and how the enemies of Israel flourish in this administration.
[IsraelTimes] Security agency says 2 former West Bank residents, expelled to enclave as part of prisoner swap, are behind the recently foiled effort
The Shin Bet security agency on Wednesday accused the Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamaswith about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... -ruling Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth", terror group of directing a recent attempt to smuggle kaboom out of the coastal enclave.
The Defense Ministry announced earlier this month that guards at the Kerem Shalom Crossing found several kilograms of "high-quality" kaboom hidden in a shipment of clothes being exported from the Gaza Strip to Israel. Citing initial assessments, the ministry at the time said the explosives were intended to be used for terror activity in the West Bank.
The September 4 incident led the military to order a halt to commercial deliveries from Gaza to Israel, before resuming nearly a week later.
The Shin Bet blamed the smuggling attempt on Arafat Natash and Muhammad Abu Awwad, both of whom originally hail from the West Bank but were expelled to Gaza as part of a prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas. Citing their pasts, the security service asserted their alleged involvement was an effective "fingerprint" indicating the "West Bank headquarters" of Hamas was behind the effort.
According to the Shin Bet, the explosives would have "allowed the elements that hold it to carry out mass terror attacks" if it had reached its destination.
The agency also said the shipment was sent by a Gaza-based transport company that regularly sends goods through the crossing and arranged with the help of a woman named May Mansour. A statement from the Shin Bet did not specify if the firm or Mansour were aware of the seized shipment’s contents.
"The cynical exploitation by Hamas elements of the route for transporting goods from the Gaza Strip directly harms the regular fabric of life for residents of the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria," a security source said, using the West Bank’s biblical names.
"These same citizens pay the heavy and immediate cost of the crossing’s closure, the economic harm that comes with it and the [increased] rigorousness of issuing permits for future goods," the source added.
The Shin Bet announcement came amid rising tensions along the Gaza border, with Paleostinians staging riots along the security fence the past three days.
The riots, according to military assessments, come as Hamas seeks to resolve a dispute it has with Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... over monthly funding the Gulf nation provides to Gaza.
Hamas apparently launched the riots on the Gaza border to pressure Israel, which would in turn pressure Qatar to solve the issue.
[IsraelTimes] In video, Tanzim militia accuses factions of seditious ties to Iran; PA officials accuse Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth", of working with Salafi-jihadist forces in Leb ...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... camp.
In a video circulating on social media since Tuesday, a dozen turbans of the pro-Fatah Tanzim militia accused a rival Islamist gang of turning the West Bank into "Syria, Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... and Iraq" — three Middle East countries wracked by civil wars over the past decade, with the involvement of Tehran.
In their video statement, the Tanzim members accused the Jenin Battalion — a local wing of the Paleostinian Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... terror group — of conspiring with "Persian Shi’ite Iran" against Fatah, the "only Sunni weapon in the Arab homeland," in a bid to sow strife and chaos among the Paleostinian people.
The Tanzim militia is an armed offshoot of Fatah founded in 1995 by Yasser Arafat to counter rival Paleostinian Islamist groups. The militia, officially headed by Marwan Barghouti who is imprisoned in Israel for deadly terror attacks, has sought to siphon support from Islamist groups towards the PA leadership.
The Tanzim message introduced an atypical anti-Shiite element in Fatah’s rhetoric against opposing factions, evoking common anti-Shiite canards such as their "insulting the Companions of the Prophet [Muhammad]" — a reference to a theological dispute between Sunnis and Shiites on the legitimate successors to the Prophet.
Both the PIJ and Hamas, Fatah’s most prominent Islamist rivals, have made no secret of their close collaboration with Tehran, which supplies them with money and weaponry. Leaders of the two groups met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Damascus in May and again with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in early September in Beirut. Last year, PIJ chief Ziad Nakhaleh said his organization took "direct orders" from the Quds Force’s late commander Qassem Soleimani and that rockets it used to attack Israel were provided by Iran.
The video statement came amid escalating tensions between the PA’s security services and terror groups in the northern West Bank. The Jenin Battalion is suspected of being behind recent attacks against PA security forces, which included shooting toward their headquarters in Jenin and a shooting against a patrol car of the customs police on September 18, in which four agents were maimed.
In response, the PA announced it had compiled a list of 30 Jenin Battalion members it is about to arrest, including some who are on Israel’s top wanted list, continuing an ongoing crackdown on the terror group.
The Jenin Battalion is also responsible for Tuesday’s festivities with the IDF in the Jenin refugee camp, in which four operatives were killed.
The Tanzim video came one day after the Fatah branch in Jenin issued a statement accusing its internal enemies of collaboration with an "Iranian-Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... " axis (a contradiction, as Islamic State was born out of antagonism to Shiites and has carried out terror attacks inside Iran).
The allegation indicated an attempt by PA officials to group together radical Islamist rivals on multiple fronts. For nearly two months, Fatah forces have been engaged in another armed confrontation outside the West Bank, in the Ein el-Hilweh Paleostinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, which erupted when a Fatah general was killed in late July.
Whee. A war of all against all.
Analysts on the PA’s Awda TV channel have claimed that the festivities between Fatah security forces and Islamist groups have been fueled by terrorist Salafi-jihadi elements infiltrating into Lebanon from Syria, with links to Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Such radical groups are referred to in Arabic as takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed... , for their practice of excommunicating (takfir) any Moslem who does not subjugate themselves to their turban interpretation of religion.
The presence of such turban groups is an established fact in Ein el-Hilweh, for instance, the camp was the birthplace of a radical Salafi group called Osbat al-Ansar, which was declared a terror organization after 9/11 for its ties to al-Qaeda, and bombed nightclubs and liquor stores in an attempt to establish an Islamic state in Lebanon.
Various PA sources have accused Hamas members in the Lebanese camp of having entered into a collaboration with jihadist groups. In an editorial in the PA’s official newspaper al-Hayat al-Jadida, Fatah Revolutionary Council member Muwaffaq Matar accused the "Islamic State-like" Hamas of using the support of other more radical terror groups in Ein el-Hilweh to advance its plans to control the Paleostinian political and security leadership, at the expense of the real goal — the struggle for Paleostinian "liberation."
[IsraelTimes] Another 4 in 10 describe Israel as partner with which US should cooperate; more support for Israel ties among Republicans, amid Biden-Netanyahu friction and US criticism of overhaul.
Not bad, given all the Sturm und Drang about the increase of Jew hate popping up everywhere.
Republicans (44%) are more likely than Democrats (25%) to call Israel an ally with shared values. About 2 in 10 Americans described Israel as either a US rival or an adversary.
Overall, 61% of Americans disapprove of how Biden is handling the Israeli-Paleostinian conflict, with only 35% approving. That number was slightly lower than Biden’s overall approval rating.
Many Americans don’t see a need for the US to change its position in the Israeli-Paleostinian conflict. About 4 in 10 Americans, or 44%, said the US gives about the right amount of support to Israel in the conflict, while 27% said it’s too supportive of Israel and 23% not supportive enough.
About the same percentage, 42%, say the correct amount of support is given to the Paleostinians, with 30% saying they want more support and 21% wanting less.
#4
The problem is the use of the word "ally" rather than 'someone who we happen to share similar goals'.
Alliances are creatures of need, and can be dissolved if goals shift. What we're seeing is someone has been shifting the goals.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/21/2023 9:16 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Posted by: ACA JOE ||
09/21/2023 12:26 Comments ||
Top||
#6
Back in the 90s and 2000s, I would agree. However, the Anti-American, anti-Jew attitude waned, the US is only in the Middle East in small numbers and the Abraham accords are bearing fruit. Israel doesn't need us and we don't need them like we did before.
So Ally? No. Friendly nation along with others in the region? Yes.
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...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
...hereditary prime minister of the Great White North...
...aka 
...46th president of the U.S. S 
...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed...
