Israel continues its merciless pounding of the defenceless.

[Rob W 0]

my god - what's next on the list?

 

not offering him decaf coffee??

[Park Life 71]

my god - what's next on the list?

 

not offering him decaf coffee??

 

 

Only ham on the menu apparently.

[Happy Face 29]

bit extreme - not posing for a picture - I mean - that's REALLY going to hurt the Zionists

 

In diplomatic circles it's quite the rebuke apparently.

 

Second only to turning up to dinner an hour late.

 

It's pathetuic really. They pull similar shit to avoid embarrassment all the time though.

 

"You can't actually meet with the president Mr Chinese ambassador, but should you happen to be leaving the Jefferson conference room when your meeting with our flunky is over, then the president might accidentally bump into you in the hallway and give you a minute on the way to his meeting"

[Happy Face 29]

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sets the tone for Israeli policy-- one that is earning him few friends in the West. Three embarrassments broke for him on Tuesday. First, yet another housing expansion in East Jerusalem was announced while he was meeting President Obama. Then, the cover story of Israeli troops accused of firing live ammunition at Palestinian protesters began to unravel. Then British Foreign Minister David Miliband unceremoniously tossed the Mossad London station chief out of the country for counterfeiting British passports, to be used in an Israeli assassination of a Palestinian in Dubai recently. Netanyahu personally ordered that hit, and is responsible for the forging of real peoples' passports and their use to commit a murder. Netanyahu is the one behind these acts of arrogance, and they are emblematic of his mean brand of politics.

 

The far rightwing government of Binyamin Netanyahu humiliates American officials every time it meets with them. Netanyahu met Obama in Washington on Tuesday, and like clockwork Israel embarrassed Obama by announcing that same day it was going ahead with a building project (funded by an American millionaire) in East Jerusalem that the Obama administration had strictly told the Israelis to halt. What I don't understand is why the Palestinians cannot sue over this issue in American courts. If the administration's stance is that East Jerusalem does not belong to Israel, and the US is signatory to the Fourth Geneva Convention, then why couldn't Palestinians with standing sue in the US when their property is usurped by an American millionaire?

 

Israel will investigate the shooting deaths of two Palestinian youth who were protesting (not rioting as AP puts it) against Israeli theft of water from the village well. Israeli troops claimed they were using rubber bullets, but Palestinians charge it was actually live ammunition.

 

Aljazeera English has the scoop, with live video of Israeli troops firing on the Palestinian youths, with what certainly sounds like live ammunition.

 

 

British Foreign Minister David Miliband said he had compelling evidence that Israel was responsible for forging British passports with respect to the recent assassination of an alleged Hamas figure in Dubai. Miliband expelled from London a senior Israeli 'diplomat' who was likely actually a Mossad or Israeli intelligence operative. In Israel, some parliamentarians responded by calling Miliband an 'anti-Semitic dog.' The Israeli use of passports of actual persons in the assassination put at risk not only those individuals but all persons from those countries in the Middle East. Miliband complained that the forgeries represented a profound disregard for the sovereignty of Britain. He might now commiserate a little with the Palestinians, whose sovereignty was robbed by the British with their Balfour Declaration and by the Israelis, to the point where they have been demoted from a Class A League of Nations Mandate declared almost ready for nationhood to stateless refugees.

 

ITN has video of Miliband's decision:

 

 

Tony Karon argues that Israel will not end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank until it has to pay a cost for maintaining the status quo.

 

Israel is in danger of using up its previous stock of good will in the West by these acts of hubris, initiated by the petulant policies of Netanyahu.

 

http://www.juancole.com/2010/03/netanyahu-...th-another.html

[Park Life 71]

It's a rogue state basically and doesn't give a rats arse about normal conventions that protect status and rights of the people it systematically opresses. But their day is approaching....

[Rob W 0]

aye - and then they'll want asylum ower here.......

[Park Life 71]

aye - and then they'll want asylum ower here.......

 

The Israeli's? Nah mate they'll go to New Yoik.

[Rob W 0]

Just watch how fast they pull up the drawbridge when they realise they're no use to the US anymore.........................

[Happy Face 29]

Israel-US Row to Iran's benefit; Sanctions Regime Watered Down

 

The far rightwing government of Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu may have a choice between expanding settlements in the West Bank or achieving a global consensus on the need to sanction and coerce Iran into giving up its nuclear enrichment program. Netanyahu is so dedicated to the settler project that he cannot see the ways in which it forestalls other, broader Israeli objectives.

 

The serious policy differences between Binyamin Netanyahu and the Obama administration are helping Iran,and reducing pressure on that country.

 

The Times of London reports that Netanyahu was put firmly in his place by President Obama during his visit to Washington earlier this week. At one point Obama is said to have left Netanyahu for dinner with Michele and the girls after urging the prime minister to contact him if anything changed.

 

Obama is said to have still been bristling at the slight of VP Joe Biden when the latter was in Israel (Netanyahu insisted on supporting continued colonial settlements on theWest Bank.the form of an announcement of the building of more homes on occupied Palestinian land. The Palestine Authority leadership, including President Mahmoud Abbas, refuses to restart peace negotiations as long as Netanyahu refuses to commit to a freeze of Israeli colonization efforts. Abbas had been about to set aside his objections and begin proximity talks when Netanyahu's government announced a substantial settlement expansion. And they made the announcement on the very day of Joe Biden's arrival to kick off the talks with the Palestinians. Predictably, the Palestinians pulled out of the talks.

 

There may have been more to the policy differences than just the lack of a state dinner. A report at the Herald Scotland site that the US was moving bunker busting bombs to the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia set off a flurry of speculation that the US was getting ready to move against Iran.

 

But in reality, the US may well have been sequestering the bunker busters and denying them to Israel. Netanyahu came to Washington in part to ask for jets and other materiel, including the bunker busters.

 

Netanyahu has called for "crippling" sanctions to be applied to Iran if it does not dismantle its civilian nuclear enrichment program. Among the sanctions Netanyahu sought was probably a gasoline embargo.

 

The call was immediately rejected by the Russian Federation(and probably by China behind the scenes).

 

The sanctions resolution being prepared by the US on behalf of the United Nations was abruptly watered down to meet Russian and Chinese objections. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responded to the news, saying sanctions had no ability to harm or influence Iran. (He might have added, 'especially watered down ones'!)

 

That China and Russia know how tense US-Israeli ties are at the moment may also incline them to avoid the sanctions route.

 

Netanyahu is convinced that Iran is committed to acquiring a nuclear weapon (a proposition for which there is no firm evidence), and is further convinced that such a development would pose an existential threat to Israel. It is unclear why he reaches that conclusion, since Mutual Assured Destruction would operate to deter Iran from attacking Israel (which has 200 nuclear warheads), lest it be devastated itself. It is a ludicrous idea that the shrewd and pragmatic leadership in Tehran, which has launched no wars since coming to power and has dealt cannily with a multitude of challenges, consists of erratic madmen who would risk seeing their capital annihilated. Not to mention that there is no good evidence that they have a weapons program, and every reason to think that they are a decade or more away from a nuclear warhead even if they did. Some of the more hysterical pronouncements attributed to Netanyahu and to his foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, if true, would also raise questions about the safety of the nukes in Israel's arsenal.

 

The long and the short of it is that Israel and the US have poor relations for the moment, and that the rest of the world is aware of it, making it harder for the two of them to pressure the UNSC.

 

http://www.juancole.com/2010/03/israel-us-...ns-benefit.html

 

 

"sit there and think about what you've done, come and see me when you're ready to apologise."

[Park Life 71]

Well that is a little bit of good news.

 

Apparently Obama was watching telly and chatting to staffers while Netty ate with the kids.

 

Cut the fucking aid buget.

[Mr Lahey 0]

Cut the fuckers heed off!

[Billy Castell 0]

Hmmmm. Realpolitik types would now realise that Israel is a lame duck right now, and that the smart thing to do would be to side with Iran, and try to woo them into a similar relationship. Why?

 

1. They are the main regional power, and unlike Israel, they can influence Arab countries and don't have enemies on all sides.

2. They have lots of oil, and hold the key to whether or not the oil rich regions are also stable.

3. Dropping Israel for Iran would be a strike against the propaganda of Islamic terrorists.

4. Iran supply the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents with weapons. If they are our friends, then they would probably stop this.

5. Opium comes through Iran en route to Europe. If we worked together, the supply might be cut, and both Europe and Iran would benefit. It would also cut funds for the Taliban.

 

How we can get Iran to stop being so anti-Western and generally bombastic is the hard part. It has been difficult to deal with them since 1979. However, it would make sense to drop Israel, and court Iran right now. Or arm all those protesters who oppose the current President and create a civil war, which may sweep the whole Theocracy away.

[Park Life 71]

Hmmmm. Realpolitik types would now realise that Israel is a lame duck right now, and that the smart thing to do would be to side with Iran, and try to woo them into a similar relationship. Why?

 

1. They are the main regional power, and unlike Israel, they can influence Arab countries and don't have enemies on all sides.

2. They have lots of oil, and hold the key to whether or not the oil rich regions are also stable.

3. Dropping Israel for Iran would be a strike against the propaganda of Islamic terrorists.

4. Iran supply the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents with weapons. If they are our friends, then they would probably stop this.

5. Opium comes through Iran en route to Europe. If we worked together, the supply might be cut, and both Europe and Iran would benefit. It would also cut funds for the Taliban.

 

How we can get Iran to stop being so anti-Western and generally bombastic is the hard part. It has been difficult to deal with them since 1979. However, it would make sense to drop Israel, and court Iran right now. Or arm all those protesters who oppose the current President and create a civil war, which may sweep the whole Theocracy away.

 

Sounds lovely but what about all those Jewish run banks and Washington pressure groups and all those millions that go to both party funds?

[Rob W 0]

Iran will always see itself as a COMPETITOR to the other countries in the region - I can't see them siding with the Yanks or us unless the Russians or the CHinese come on hot and heavy TBH

 

Eventually I can see some serious trouble between the Indians and the Iranians - if the Yanks disappear and the Iranians start to come on hot & heavy ontheir neighbours itn eh Gulf I can see the Indians turning up - they are building up their navy very quickly and have just agreed to take the big Russian Aircraft Carrier

[Park Life 71]

Iran will always see itself as a COMPETITOR to the other countries in the region - I can't see them siding with the Yanks or us unless the Russians or the CHinese come on hot and heavy TBH

 

Eventually I can see some serious trouble between the Indians and the Iranians - if the Yanks disappear and the Iranians start to come on hot & heavy ontheir neighbours itn eh Gulf I can see the Indians turning up - they are building up their navy very quickly and have just agreed to take the big Russian Aircraft Carrier

 

What is the strategic importance here for the Indians??

[Billy Castell 0]

Oil to fuel their economic growth?

[Park Life 71]

Oil to fuel their economic growth?

 

Gotcha.

[Rob W 0]

shurely not - I'm sure it will be to "protect their expat workers"

 

Well that was the excuse we used to start the Boer War ... gold and diamonds weren't important at all......................

[Park Life 71]

shurely not - I'm sure it will be to "protect their expat workers"

 

Well that was the excuse we used to start the Boer War ... gold and diamonds weren't important at all......................

 

[Guest alex]

Iran will always see itself as a COMPETITOR to the other countries in the region - I can't see them siding with the Yanks or us unless the Russians or the CHinese come on hot and heavy TBH

 

Eventually I can see some serious trouble between the Indians and the Iranians - if the Yanks disappear and the Iranians start to come on hot & heavy ontheir neighbours itn eh Gulf I can see the Indians turning up - they are building up their navy very quickly and have just agreed to take the big Russian Aircraft Carrier

Three guesses as to the name of the website you've been perusing of late.

[Rob W 0]

Iran will always see itself as a COMPETITOR to the other countries in the region - I can't see them siding with the Yanks or us unless the Russians or the CHinese come on hot and heavy TBH

 

Eventually I can see some serious trouble between the Indians and the Iranians - if the Yanks disappear and the Iranians start to come on hot & heavy ontheir neighbours itn eh Gulf I can see the Indians turning up - they are building up their navy very quickly and have just agreed to take the big Russian Aircraft Carrier

Three guesses as to the name of the website you've been perusing of late.

 

 

which one? tell me

 

the theory in my email came from people I know in Dubai..................

[Guest alex]

Iran will always see itself as a COMPETITOR to the other countries in the region - I can't see them siding with the Yanks or us unless the Russians or the CHinese come on hot and heavy TBH

 

Eventually I can see some serious trouble between the Indians and the Iranians - if the Yanks disappear and the Iranians start to come on hot & heavy ontheir neighbours itn eh Gulf I can see the Indians turning up - they are building up their navy very quickly and have just agreed to take the big Russian Aircraft Carrier

Three guesses as to the name of the website you've been perusing of late.

 

 

which one? tell me

 

the theory in my email came from people I know in Dubai..................

"Hot and Heavy"

[Rob W 0]

Iran will always see itself as a COMPETITOR to the other countries in the region - I can't see them siding with the Yanks or us unless the Russians or the CHinese come on hot and heavy TBH

 

Eventually I can see some serious trouble between the Indians and the Iranians - if the Yanks disappear and the Iranians start to come on hot & heavy ontheir neighbours itn eh Gulf I can see the Indians turning up - they are building up their navy very quickly and have just agreed to take the big Russian Aircraft Carrier

Three guesses as to the name of the website you've been perusing of late.

 

 

which one? tell me

 

the theory in my email came from people I know in Dubai..................

"Hot and Heavy"

 

 

Lay off my personal attributes will you??

[Happy Face 29]

New Israeli regulations allow authorities potentially to imprison or expel from the West Bank tens of thousands of Palestinians.

 

The Israeli right has long favored “transfer” (i.e. ethnic cleansing) as a means of dealing both with Palestinian-Israelis and with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Given the extreme-right character of the government of Binyamin Netanyahu, it is no cause for wonder that practical steps are now being taken toward expulsions and deportations of anyone who even peacefully opposes the government’s systematic colonization of the West Bank.

 

The Guardian summarizes objections of Israeli peace groups who complain that “Palestinians, and any foreigners living in the West Bank” would be liable to deportation within 72 hours if they lack the right permit. “Valid permit” is not defined by the Israelis.

 

Rory McCarthy writes, “The orders … are worded so broadly such as theoretically allowing the military to empty the West Bank of almost all its Palestinian inhabitants,” said the 10 rights groups, which include Ha-Moked, B’Tselem, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, and Rabbis for Human Rights. Until now the vast majority of Palestinians in the West Bank have not been required to hold a permit just to be present in their homes, the groups say.”

 

The Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 requires two things of Israel, the Occupying Power in the Palestinian West Bank:

 

“Art. 49. Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are prohibited, regardless of their motive . . . The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.”

 

 

Meanwhile, Palestinians have begun a petition drive to collect a million signatures asking President Obama to end their Occupation. There is an increasing push among Palestinians to simply declare statehood within the next year or two, in hopes of forestalling the complete destruction by the Israelis of Palestinian nationhood.

 

http://www.juancole.com/2010/04/israelis-c...-palestine.html

 

[Dr Gloom 21847]

It's a rogue state basically and doesn't give a rats arse about normal conventions that protect status and rights of the people it systematically opresses. But their day is approaching....

 

it's a democracy man. if you want to talk about rogue states, you should start first with iran