Foreign Bailouts

Many Americans are oblivious to the massive amounts of money given to foreign countries. Our tax dollars help contribute to this aid. Here is a quick rundown on some of those countries:

The U.S. will give an estimated $26 billion in foreign aid in 2008—70% more than when President George W. Bush took office (the figure doesn’t include funds related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan). More than 150 countries get financial assistance from the U.S. Here are the six that received the most this year.

COUNTRY	AID	PURPOSE
1. Israel	$2.4 billion	Virtually all of this money is used to buy weapons (up to 75% made in the U.S.). Beginning in 2009, the U.S. plans to give $30 billion over 10 years.
2. Egypt	$1.7 billion	$1.3 billion to buy weapons; $103 million for education; $74 million for health care; $45 million to promote civic participation and human rights.
3. Pakistan	$798 million	$330 million for security efforts, including military-equipment upgrades and border security; $20 million for infrastructure.
4. Jordan	$688 million	$326 million to fight terrorism and promote regional stability through equipment upgrades and training; $163 million cash payment to the Jordanian government.
5. Kenya	$586 million	$501 million to fight HIV/AIDS through drug treatment and abstinence education and to combat malaria; $15 million for agricultural development; $5.4 million for programs that promote government accountability.
6. South Africa	$574 million	$557 million to fight TB and HIV/AIDS; $3 million for education.

Another Day in Kuwait

It was pretty hot today in Kuwait. Usually after Friday prayer I go and have lunch at the Senegalese ambassadors' house for lunch and immerse myself in all that's Senegal. After that I plan to magically appear at some of my students house. I told them that I would be knocking on their doors just for fun.

I have been in Kuwait for six months now and I am really missing home. All of the things I cannot stand about America I would pay cash to see...funny huh?

Football at Kuwait University

I went to Kuwait University to watch a football game between Senegal and Ghana. I was impressed by the diversity at Kuwait University. There were students from all over Africa, Europe, and Asia. After watching the game, which Senegal won 2-1, I accompanied some of the players to the cafeteria for dinner. The food was not the best but it did not seem to bother the students. Aside from the food I really enjoyed myself and look forward to going again and watch some more football games.

Chagossians of Diego Garcia

I just learned about the about one of many horrific crimes committed by western powers. The following is an excerpt from the documentary film:

The Chagos Archipelago was once home to roughly 2,000 Chagossians, a Creole-speaking matrifocal society that had lived on the islands for six generations beginning in the late 18th Century. Descendants of slaves from Mozambique and Madagascar and indentured laborers from South Asia, Chagossians were primarily anglers and coconut farmers. The islands' location and natural resources determined its economy, and a distinctly Chagossian culture emerged during the nearly two centuries of settlement.After World War II, Chagos' isolation brought the United States government to conspire with their British counterparts to forcefully occupy Diego Garcia, the largest island in the group. Based on Cold War planning, the US Navy decided that a military presence was strategically necessary in the region and Diego Garcia was determined to be the island best suited for a base. That it had been home to the Chagossian people for almost 200 years did not alter their decision to depopulate the entire archipelago.Between 1967 and 1973, the Chagossians were systematically uprooted from their homes, jobs, native soil, and lives, only to be unceremoniously dropped on the shores of Mauritius. Suddenly, more than 1000 miles away in a foreign country and without provisions for their resettlement, the islanders found themselves in the strange and foreboding surroundings of the urban slums most have still yet to escape.

After reading up on this atrocity and watching the documentary I was in disbelief for a couple of days. Not that anything "the man" does surprises me anymore. Its just amazing that how little coverage this story has gotten. This military base established by U.S. there is known as "Fantasy Island." Its the largest base outside the U.S. and has played a major role as bombing of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and secret air strikes on Somalia. We all need to fight for the rights of the Chagossians because their struggle is our struggle.

You can watch the documentary here.

Failaka Island

My colleague, her son, and myself took a trip to Failaka Island, and small piece of land belonging to Kuwait. The trip was nice and a much needed getaway from Kuwait. The boat ride was pretty nice. The island is nothing spectacular mainly due to some of war ravaged houses from the Iraqi invasion. There is a zoo (like one block), camel rides, hotel, and atv's. The atv was by far the highlight of the trip. It was kind of cool when we went so we could not swim. I planned to go back when its warm to better experience the island.

Brother Malcolm's Words Still Ring True

The Zionist armies that now occupy Palestine claim their ancient Jewish prophets predicted that in the "la
Here is an excerpt of an article taken from the Egyptian Gazette in 1964. I go crazy wondering how great things would be on this earth if Malcolm were still alive.

Malcolm on Zionism: - st days of this world" their own God would raise them up a "messiah" who would lead them to their promised land, and they would set up their own "divine" government in this newly-gained land, this "divine" government would enable them to "rule all other nations with a rod of iron."

If the Israeli Zionists believe their present occupation of Arab Palestine is the fulfillment of predictions made by their Jewish prophets, then they also religiously believe that Israel must fulfill its "divine" mission to rule all other nations with a rod of irons, which only means a different form of iron-like rule, more firmly entrenched even, than that of the former European Colonial Powers.

These Israeli Zionists religiously believe their Jewish God has chosen them to replace the outdated European colonialism with a new form of colonialism, so well disguised that it will enable them to deceive the African masses into submitting willingly to their "divine" authority and guidance, without the African masses being aware that they are still colonized.

CAMOUFLAGE

The Israeli Zionists are convinced they have successfully camouflaged their new kind of colonialism. Their colonialism appears to be more "benevolent," more "philanthropic," a system with which they rule simply by getting their potential victims to accept their friendly offers of economic "aid," and other tempting gifts, that they dangle in front of the newly-independent African nations, whose economies are experiencing great difficulties. During the 19th century, when the masses here in Africa were largely illiterate it was easy for European imperialists to rule them with "force and fear," but in this present era of enlightenment the African masses are awakening, and it is impossible to hold them in check now with the antiquated methods of the 19th century.

The imperialists, therefore, have been compelled to devise new methods. Since they can no longer force or frighten the masses into submission, they must devise modern methods that will enable them to manouevre the African masses into willing submission.

The modern 20th century weapon of neo-imperialism is "dollarism." The Zionists have mastered the science of dollarism: the ability to come posing as a friend and benefactor, bearing gifts and all other forms of economic aid and offers of technical assistance. Thus, the power and influence of Zionist Israel in many of the newly "independent" African nations has fast-become even more unshakeable than that of the 18th century European colonialists... and this new kind of Zionist colonialism differs only in form and method, but never in motive or objective.

At the close of the 19th century when European imperialists wisely foresaw that the awakening masses of Africa would not submit to their old method of ruling through force and fears, these ever-scheming imperialists had to create a "new weapon," and to find a "new base" for that weapon.

DOLLARISM

The number one weapon of 20th century imperialism is zionist dollarism, and one of the main bases for this weapon is Zionist Israel. The ever-scheming European imperialists wisely placed Israel where she could geographically divide the Arab world, infiltrate and sow the seed of dissension among African leaders and also divide the Africans against the Asians.

Zionist Israel's occupation of Arab Palestine has forced the Arab world to waste billions of precious dollars on armaments, making it impossible for these newly independent Arab nations to concentrate on strengthening the economies of their countries and elevate the living standard of their people.

And the continued low standard of living in the Arab world has been skillfully used by the Zionist propagandists to make it appear to the Africans that the Arab leaders are not intellectually or technically qualified to lift the living standard of their people ... thus, indirectly "enducing" Africans to turn away from the Arabs and towards the Israelis for teachers and technical assistance.

"They cripple the bird's wing, and then condemn it for not flying as fast as they."

The imperialists always make themselves look good, but it is only because they are competing against economically crippled newly independent countries whose economies are actually crippled by the Zionist-capitalist conspiracy. They can't stand against fair competition, thus they dread Gamal Abdul Nasser's call for African-Arab Unity under Socialism.

MESSIAH?

If the "religious" claim of the Zionists is true that they were to be led to the promised land by their messiah, and Israel's present occupation of Arab Palestine is the fulfillment of that prophesy: where is their messiah whom their prophets said would get the credit for leading them there? It was Ralph Bunche who "negotiated" the Zionists into possession of Occupied Palestine! Is Ralph Bunche the messiah of Zionism? If Ralph Bunche is not their messiah, and their messsiah has not yet come, then what are they doing in Palestine ahead of their messiah?

Did the Zionists have the legal or moral right to invade Arab Palestine, uproot its Arab citizens from their homes and seize all Arab property for themselves just based on the "religious" claim that their forefathers lived there thousands of years ago? Only a thousand years ago the Moors lived in Spain. Would this give the Moors of today the legal and moral right to invade the Iberian Peninsula, drive out its Spanish citizens, and then set up a new Moroccan nation ... where Spain used to be, as the European zionists have done to our Arab brothers and sisters in Palestine?...

In short the Zionist argument to justify Israel's present occupation of Arab Palestine has no intelligent or legal basis in history ... not even in their own religion. Where is their Messiah?

Sand Storm

Here are some pics from the first sandstorm in Kuwait. The windows in my house were closed but there was still sand all over the house. I was happy though because they let school out early!

War With Iran

Israel Launches Covert War Against Iran
Great Article!

Israel has launched a covert war against Iran as an alternative to direct military strikes against Tehran's nuclear programme, US intelligence sources have revealed.

By Philip Sherwell in New York

February 17, 2009 "The Telegraph" -- It is using hitmen, sabotage, front companies and double agents to disrupt the regime's illicit weapons project, the experts say.

The most dramatic element of the "decapitation" programme is the planned assassination of top figures involved in Iran's atomic operations.Despite fears in Israel and the US that Iran is approaching the point of no return in its ability to build atom bomb, Israeli officials are aware of the change in mood in Washington since President Barack Obama took office.

They privately acknowledge the new US administration is unlikely to sanction an air attack on Iran's nuclear installations and Mr Obama's offer to extend a hand of peace to Tehran puts any direct military action beyond reach for now.The aim is to slow down or interrupt Iran's research programme, without the gamble of a direct confrontation that could lead to a wider war.A former CIA officer on Iran told The Daily Telegraph: "Disruption is designed to slow progress on the programme, done in such a way that they don't realise what's happening. You are never going to stop it.

"The goal is delay, delay, delay until you can come up with some other solution or approach. We certainly don't want the current Iranian government to have those weapons. It's a good policy, short of taking them out militarily, which probably carries unacceptable risks."

Reva Bhalla, a senior analyst with Stratfor, the US private intelligence company with strong government security connections, said the strategy was to take out key people."With co-operation from the United States, Israeli covert operations have focused both on eliminating key human assets involved in the nuclear programme and in sabotaging the Iranian nuclear supply chain," she said.

"As US-Israeli relations are bound to come under strain over the Obama administration's outreach to Iran, and as the political atmosphere grows in complexity, an intensification of Israeli covert activity against Iran is likely to result."

Bailout for Who!

While the Obama's stimulus package has been passed by congress the question remains, Who is the bail out for? Former Wall Street Economist Michael Hudson puts things in perspective: The first question to ask about the Recovery Program is, “recovery for whom?”
The answer is, for the people who design the Recovery Program and their constituency, the bank lobby. The second question is, what is it they want to recover? The answer is, another Bubble economy, having seen the Greenspan Bubble make them so rich with his particular kind of “wealth creation”: wealth in the form of indebtedness of the “real” economy at large to the banking system, and unprecedented capital gains to be made by riding the wave of asset-price inflation.

While the Obama administration’s financial planners wring their hands in public and say “We feel your pain” to debtors at large, they also recognize that the past ten years have been a golden age for the banking system and Wall Street. The wealthiest 1 per cent of the population has raised its share of the returns to wealth – dividends, interest, rent and capital gains – from 37 per cent of the total ten years ago to 57 per cent five years ago, and an estimated 70 per cent today. Over two-thirds of the returns to wealth now go to the wealthiest 1 per cent of the population. This is the highest on record. We are approaching Russian kleptocratic levels.

I see a change is definitely coming and its not the one Sam Cooke sung about.

Packed Calif. Prisons Must Dump 1/3 of Inmates: Judges

Looks like Cali is going to more dangerous than it already is:

l of federal judges ruled yesterday that overcrowding in California's 33 prisons—158,00 inmates in space meant for 84,000—poses a threat to inmate health. The court tentatively required the state to reduce the prison population by up to 57,000, the LA Times reports. The governor’s corrections secretary says the ruling “poses a significant threat to public safety.”



Newser

Can't Pass a Test? No Gun For You!

George Orwell is probably shaking is head at us now.  Scores ago, he warned us about the Big Brother System the US in implementing The final step to this is the removal of the right to bear arms. Once that happens, we will be force to comply with anything the government tells us.

Under HR (House Resolution) 45, if you can't pass a complex test written by the U.S. Attorney General, pay the tax, give up fingerprints and a biometric-capable photo of yourself(that will be turned into a digital facial-recognition number and used as a de facto national ID), every gun you own will become contraband and subject to confiscation, while you stand trial before imprisonment.

Source

Lil Dynamite and Pedro

These are the coolest outfits ever! Just hope the kids wanted to dress like that

Gettin Ripped Off

Corrupt Store

A friend and I were looking to get the internet and voice package on our phone. So we went to and authorized Zain dealer. They told us we had to pay 35kd for the everything and 15 the next month. Though we thought it was steep we still paid. So after we left we the web did not work on the phone and we could not make any calls. So we went to an actual Zain store and they told us we got had. It should of only been 15 kd per month.

So we went back to the store and the workers started disappearing like roaches. The workers who stayed kept lying and coughed up only half of our money. I thought a physical altercation eminent but they will do the same thing to the wrong one and will get what they desereved.

Noam Chomsky is the Man

Noam Chomsky, professor of Linguistics at MIT was interviewed by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now. I totally agree with Mr. Chomsky on his view of President Obama's Middle Eastern policy. I am very dissapointed in it thus far because its just like Bush's policy! Here is part of the interview. You watch the full episode here.

AMY GOODMAN: President Obama, speaking at the State Department yesterday. A Hamas spokesperson told Al Jazeera television Obama’s position toward the Palestinians doesn’t represent a change. Osama Hamdan said, “I think this is an unfortunate start for President Obama in the region and the Middle East issue. And it looks like the next four years, if it continues with the same tone, will be a total failure.”

Well, for more on this, we are joined by Noam Chomsky, professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for over half-a-century. He has written over a hundred books, including Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy.

Welcome to Democracy Now!, Noam.

NOAM CHOMSKY: Glad to be with you again.

AMY GOODMAN: It’s good to have you with us. Well, let’s start off by your response to President Obama’s statement and whether you think it represents a change.

NOAM CHOMSKY: It’s approximately the Bush position. He began by saying that Israel, like any democracy, has a right to defend itself. That’s true, but there’s a gap in the reasoning. It has a right to defend itself. It doesn’t follow that it has a right to defend itself by force. So we might agree, say, that, you know, the British army in the United States in the colonies in 1776 had a right to defend itself from the terror of George Washington’s armies, which was quite real, but it didn’t follow they had a right to defend themselves by force, because they had no right to be here. So, yes, they had a right to defend themselves, and they had a way to do it—namely, leave. Same with the Nazis defending themselves against the terror of the partisans. They have no right to do it by force. In the case of Israel, it’s exactly the same. They have a right to defend themselves, and they can easily do it. One, in a narrow sense, they could have done it by accepting the ceasefire that Hamas proposed right before the invasion—I won’t go through the details—a ceasefire that had been in place and that Israel violated and broke.

But in a broader sense—and this is a crucial omission in everything Obama said, and if you know who his advisers are, you understand why—Israel can defend itself by stopping its crimes. Gaza and the West Bank are a unit. Israel, with US backing, is carrying out constant crimes, not only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank, where it is moving systematically with US support to take over the parts of the West Bank that it wants and to leave Palestinians isolated in unviable cantons, Bantustans, as Sharon called them. Well, stop those crimes, and resistance to them will stop.

Now, Israel has been able pretty much to stop resistance in the Occupied Territories, thanks in large part to the training that Obama praised by Jordan, of course with US funding and monitoring control. So, yes, they’ve managed to. They, in fact, have been suppressing demonstrations, even demonstrations, peaceful demonstrations, that called for support for the people of Gaza. They have carried out lots of arrests. In fact, they’re a collaborationist force, which supports the US and Israel in their effort to take over the West Bank.

Now, that’s what Obama—if Israel—there’s no question that all of these acts are in total violation of the foundations of international humanitarian law. Israel knows it. Their own advisers have told each other—legal advisers have explained that to them back in ’67. The World Court ruled on it. So it’s all total criminality. But they want to be able to persist without any objection. And that’s the thrust of Obama’s remarks. Not a single word about US-backed Israeli crimes, settlement development, cantonization, a takeover in the West Bank. Rather, everyone should be quiet and let the United States and Israel continue with it.

He spoke about the constructive steps of the peace—of the Arab peace agreement very selectively. He said they should move forward towards normalization of relations with Israel. But that wasn’t the main theme of the Arab League peace proposal. It was that there should be a two-state settlement, which the US blocks. I mean, he said some words about a two-state settlement, but not where or when or how or anything else. He said nothing about the core of the problem: the US-backed criminal activities both in Gaza, which they attacked at will, and crucially in the West Bank. That’s the core of the problem.

And you can understand it when you look at his advisers. So, say, Dennis Ross wrote an 800-page book about—in which he blamed Arafat for everything that’s happening—barely mentions the word “settlement” over—which was increasing steadily during the period when he was Clinton’s adviser, in fact peaked, a sharp increase in Clinton’s last year, not a word about it.

So the thrust of his remarks, Obama’s remarks, is that Israel has a right to defend itself by force, even though it has peaceful means to defend itself, that the Arabs must—states must move constructively to normalize relations with Israel, but very carefully omitting the main part of their proposal was that Israel, which is Israel and the United States, should join the overwhelming international consensus for a two-state settlement. That’s missing.

1st 100 Days

As history unfolded under our eyes I began to think of what President Obama (love to say that will be doing). Its unfortunate that he as to deal with pile of violations and other atrocities left by Bush and company. It is my hope that he can deliver on "change" he has talked about. Personally, what he does in reference to occupied Gaza and terrorist extraordinaire Israel will determine is presidency for me. I know that the Gaza war was planned by the Bush cabinet and Israel to humiliate and create a humanitarian crisis in Gaza before Obama takes office.

President Obama: Bring Change!

Chilling Down By The Marina Mall

These are a couple of pics from the Arabian Gulf next to the Marina Mall. Yonas, Mr. Ahmed and I were hanging out by the beach. For some reason Yonas felt he could walk on the rocks leading to the Gulf and not slip. I don't know what he was thinking!

Continued Israeli Genocide Part 2

This is the best article on the Gaza atrocity I've read:

Has God Changed His Mind?"

Israel's Moral and Political Insanity

By MIKE WHITNEY

Apart from the slaughter of 900 Palestinians and the vast destruction from 14 days of aerial bombardment, the Israeli invasion of Gaza has failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives. The Palestinian resistance is still intact, the rocket-fire has continued, and Hamas is stronger than ever. So, what has been gained? Hamas has withstood the ferocious Israeli assault without knuckling under or making any concessions. They've proved that they are the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people and the standard bearers of the national liberation movement. Their place at the head of the government is now assured thanks to Israel's criminal blunder. In contrast, Mahmoud Abbas and the PA have ended up looking like cowards and quislings kowtowing to Tel Aviv.

For Israel, the military campaign has been a public relations disaster. Photos on the internet of bloodied and dismembered children rushed off to make-shift hospitals or wrapped in their funereal shrouds has generated unprecedented sympathy for the plight of Palestinians. Israel has come across as a bully. The establishment press has also suffered yet another blow to its credibility. This could be a tipping point for the corporate media. Arab news channels have come of age while more and more westerners are turning to independent media for their news.

Presently, Israel is looking for a way to wind down its rampage and withdraw its troops, but Hamas is not making that easy. On Saturday, Hamas chief Khalid Meshaal rejected UN Resolution 1860 which calls for a ceasefire and issued this statement:

INDENT

“We want the immediate and complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the lifting of the unjust siege on Gaza that has led to the current situation. Our other request is the opening of all border crossings including the Rafah border crossing. We, with an open mind, will deal with any initiatives and decisions based on these three requests. Therefore, we will not accept any negotiations for a truce in the light of and under the pressure of a military campaign and siege.

“Let the military campaign stop, let the Israelis withdraw, and let the rights of our people be admitted to, let them recognize our rights to live without a siege and closed border crossings, just like other humans, then we are ready to discuss a truce, just like we did before. We will not accept a permanent truce, because it will take the right of resistance from the Palestinian people. The resistance is against occupation and military campaigns and therefore as long as occupation exists, resistance will too... We will also not accept the interference of international forces because international forces will come only to protect Israel's security and any international force imposed will be considered as occupiers.

“We will not accept any talks about strengthening the 'choke hold' on the resistance concerning its weapons. Some are speaking about the tunnels as if Gaza is a super power with advanced weapons, while we are people with very limited capabilities to defend our territories and ourselves. No body has the right to take our legitimate right for defense and resistance. The US, as if the whole of the Israeli arsenal does not exists, sends hundreds of tons of explosives and artillery shells to Israel.

“Some express fear that after all the sacrifices, the leadership of the resistance may collapse or make a settlement for example. On the contrary, the blood of our women and children and people will increase our cohesion and determination to achieve our aims. It is unjust that after all these massacres to just go and say lets make a truce. On the contrary, the price of this bloodshed is freedom and to decide our own destiny and to end the occupation and siege." (Meshaal: Resistance is all we have in Gaza, Press TV)”

Meshaal knows that Israel doesn't want to reoccupy Gaza. He also knows that Defence Minister Ehud Barak doesn't want to be bogged down when elections roll around in 4 weeks. Israel was hoping to rout Hamas quickly and install Abbas's PA security guards at the Rafah crossing. But now they've hit a glitch and the battle is starting to look like a quagmire. As long as Hamas stands firm and refuses to cave in, it will be hard for Barak to withdraw.

The Olmert administration seems to have huddled with French President Nicholas Sarkozy and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to work out an exit strategy so Israel could get out of Gaza before the January 20 deadline. That's when Barak Obama is inaugurated as president. Sarkozy and Mubarak have been working the diplomatic channels for support for UN Resolution 1860. The Bush administration rejected the ceasefire twice, to give Israel more time to kill more Palestinians, but eventually relented and allowed the resolution to pass. No one anticipated that Meshaal would throw a spanner in Israel's plans. Now Olmert and Co. will either have to invent a pretext for leaving or declare "victory" and simply pull out. Either way, critics are likely to judge Olmert's decision harshly.

Already, Israel has begun to rattle off excuses so it can save face when it slinks back over the border. Yaakov Katz, military analyst for the Jerusalem Post, said in an interview with al Jazeera that, "Israel made very clear from the beginning of this operation that they may not be able to put an end to the rocket fire. I don't think we can measure the success of the operation from the number of rockets that are fired into Israel."

This is a lie. In fact, Israeli officials repeatedly said that the mission would continue until the rocket fire was ended. In fact, the stated purpose of the invasion was to stop the rocketfire. Israel is just moving the goalposts once again.

On a similar note, Ehud Olmert said on Sunday that Israel was "approaching the goals it set for itself" in Gaza." This is another lie. The rocketfire has not stopped and Israel has shown that it is incapable of stopping it. By their own standards, the mission was a failure.

Barak is finding that it's difficult to control events once the war-genie is out of the bottle. What better reminder of America's failed Middle East policy than to have the fighting in Gaza overshadow the festivities in Washington on Jan 20. It might have a positive effect though, by shedding some light on the minuscule difference between Bush and Obama. As stated on ABC News on Sunday:

"Comparing his approach to the Middle East to that of previous administrations, Obama suggested that he will not be making a clean break from the Bush policy. "I think that if you look not just at the Bush administration, but also what happened under the Clinton administration, you are seeing the general outlines of an approach."...When asked if he would say the same in Israel today, Obama said, "I think that's a basic principle of any country is that they've got to protect their citizens." (Obama: Gitmo Likely Won't Close in First 100 Days ABC News)

Indeed; Israel must "protect their citizens". Will Obama rubber stamp the brutal siege of the world's most densely populated area, giving a green light to the bombing of ambulances, cultural centers, mosques, apartments, medical clinics and hundreds of civilians? We'll see. Over 1,400 targets have been destroyed in Gaza already; none of them with any military value. There are no military bases in Gaza despite the claims of the New York Times. These were all civilian buildings, which posed no threat to Israeli security. Let Obama state his position when he is sworn in so his supporters know where he stands from Day 1.

A report in the International Herald Tribune says that the people who are most likely to play significant roles on the Middle East in the Obama administration are "Dennis Ross (the veteran Clinton administration Mideast peace envoy who may now extend his brief to Iran); Jim Steinberg (as deputy secretary of state); Dan Kurtzer (the former U.S. ambassador to Israel); Dan Shapiro (a longtime aide to Obama); and Martin Indyk (another former ambassador to Israel who is close to the incoming secretary of state, Hillary Clinton.) (Roger Cohen, International Herald tribune, "Mideast Dream Team? Not quite")

The only difference between this gaggle of pro-Israel hawks and the Bush claque is that they are more adept at creating the illusion of a "peace process" to conceal the theft of Palestinian land. Other than that, the differences are negligible. These are hardline Zionists whose aims are the same as the Haganah in 1948 whose task it was "to uproot the villagers, expel them and destroy the villages themselves." The basic job description hasn't changed in 60 years.

Israel has been sharply criticized for its disproportionate use of force in Gaza. But there are some Israeli fanatics who believe that Israel should use even greater force--widespread lethal force. The Jerusalem Post reports on that Sephardi chief rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu has written a letter to Prime Minsiter Ehud Olmert informing him that "all civilians living in Gaza are collectively guilty for Kassam attacks on Sderot....Eliyahu ruled that there was absolutely no moral prohibition against the indiscriminate killing of civilians during a potential massive military offensive on Gaza aimed at stopping the rocket launchings."

"No moral prohibition against the indiscriminate killing of civilians"

Isn't this the definition of terrorism?

One Israeli settler leader recently argued during a conversation with a visiting American peace activist that 'if it was right to commit genocide during Biblical time, why can’t it be right to commit genocide now. Has God changed his mind,' the settler wondered sarcastically."

Israeli peace activist and author Uri Avnery has an expression for this type of thinking. He calls it "moral insanity", a sociopathic disorder.

Mike Whitney lives in Washington state and can be reached at fergiewhitey@msn.com

Is it the NBA or NFL?

Got in this in an email. Its really telling.

Is It NBA Or NFL?




36
Have been accused of spousal abuse


7
Have been arrested for fraud


19
Have been accused of writing bad checks



117
Have directly or indirectly
Bankrupted at least 2 businesses



3
Have done time for assault



71,
Repeat...
71,
Cannot
Get a credit card due to bad credit


14
Have been arrested on drug-related charges


8
Have been arrested for shoplifting


21
Currently
Are defendants in lawsuits, and

84
Have been arrested for drunk driving
In
The last year


Can
You guess which organization this is?

Give up yet?... Scroll down,

Neither,
it's the 435 members of the
United States Congress


The
Same group of Idiots that crank out
Hundreds of new laws each year
Designed to keep the rest of us in line.

Israel The Occupier

(Newser) – Israel pushed ahead with its military operation in Gaza today, despite a unanimous Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. On the 14th day of the offensive, warplanes bombed the outskirts of Gaza City and tanks shelled a house in the north of the Strip, killing six Palestinians from the same family. Israel may call in reservists for a new, third phase of the operation that would target Hamas guerrillas in urban areas.

Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, indicated that she would not heed the UN measure, saying, "Israel has acted, is acting and will act only according to its considerations." The UN continued today to suspend its humanitarian activities in Gaza, after one of its drivers was killed in an Israeli attack. Hamas claims that the Palestinian death toll has reached 783, of whom more than a third are children, while Israel said militants fired four rockets into the country today.

Israel the occupier continues its onslaught of the innocent while the world does nothing. What's interesting is that Bush has barely said a word on the crisis. Almost makes me thinks it was planned....

Top 7 Reggae Artist

Been listening to a lot of reggae recently and I come up with my top five:

1. Bob Marley
2. Jimmy Cliff
3. Supercat
4. Shabba!
5. Barrington Levy
6.Ziggy
7. Luciano

No Words

(Newser) – A young father has been charged with murdering his toddler son to avoid paying child support., reports the New Orleans Times-Picayune. The dad, 22, confessed to killing his son, stuffing the child's body in a bag and dumping it in a playground. He originally claimed the child was abducted. The murder was triggered by a dispute with the toddler's mom over $4,000 in child support, police said.

I truly have no words.

700 Million in Iraq

The new U.S. Embassy in Iraq

Oh, and just a mile away.

(AP) – The United States inaugurated its largest embassy yet in the heart of the Green Zone today, officially opening the fortress-like compound that was intended to stand as a testament to America's commitment to Iraq. Addressing an inauguration ceremony under tight security, Ambassador Ryan Crocker said the $700 million embassy was testimony to America's long-term friendship with Iraq.

"From this embassy in the years to come, we look forward to building our partnership and contributing to the future," Crocker said. TRANSLATION: We will stay here forever and reap the benefits of your oil reserves.

$700 million? Did they build a football stadium? I am quite sure there is more in that building then some office supplies.

Whatever Man

The way Chris Paul (#3) is looking at David West transcends basketball and relates to everyday life. Its is a look that many black men give when we are disappointed in one another. West has that "man whatever" look. It is that whatever mentality that facilitates that type of look. Damn Shame.

Continued Israeli Genocide

Israel continues its illegal offensive on the Palestinian people. Many countries in the world have remained silent. When Russia attacked Georgia early this year the whole world cried foul and acted swiftly. Not for Palestine though. Israel continues to lie about their real intentions behind the offensive-continually saying they are targeting Hamas. However Israeli Prime Minister Tzipi and her party are gearing up for election votes and the killing in Palestine has seen a an increase in votes for her party. The US, Israel's favorite ally continues to aid in the massacre. Check out the following article:

The UN Security Council has been unable to force an end to Israeli attacks against Gaza due to the intervention of the United States.Washington once again used its veto powers on Sunday to block a resolution calling for an end to the massive ongoing Israeli attacks against the Gaza Strip.

The council has only been able to issue a 'non-binding' statement that calls on Israel to voluntarily bring all its military activities in the besieged region to an immediate end.The statement comes as Israel has begun a fresh wave of air strikes on Gaza on Sunday, killing at least six people. At least 230 people were killed and 800 wounded in similar attacks on Saturday. The number of Palestinians deaths has so far risen to 271.The council called on the parties to address the humanitarian crisis in the territory but has not criticized the Israeli air attacks.

Croatian UN Ambassador Neven Jurica read out the non-binding statement on behalf of the 15-member body that "called for an immediate halt to all violence" and on the parties "to stop immediately all military activities.""The members of the Security Council expressed serious concern at the escalation of the situation in Gaza," he said, as the president of the council.

The council also requested the opening of border crossings into Gaza to address the serious humanitarian and economic needs in Gaza and to ensure medical treatment and a continuous supply of food and fuel.US representative to the UNSC, Zalmay Khalilzad, defended the Israeli move, saying Tel Aviv has the right to self-defense.

"I regret the loss of any of all innocent life," he said, adding that Hamas rockets precipitated this situation.Palestinian fighters in the Gaza Strip say they fire rockets into Israel in retaliation for the daily Israeli attacks against them. Unlike the state-of-the-art Israeli weapons and ammunition, the home-made Qassam rockets rarely cause casualties.The US, a staunch ally to Israel, has so far vetoed over 40 anti-Israeli resolutions sought by the council since 1972.

Since 2004, Washington has prevented the adoption of four other resolutions that called for Tel Aviv to halt its operations in the Gaza Strip.