Tag: middle east

Mursi and MB continue moving to consolidate power and insulate themselves as the leadership in Egypt. O’s victor has given himself more powers and squelched secularists in the country.

From Reuters:

“As well as ordering retrials for Mubarak-era officials responsible for violence during the uprising against his rule, the decree shielded from legal challenge an Islamist-dominated assembly writing Egypt’s new constitution.

It gave the same protection to the upper house of parliament, dominated by Islamists allied to Mursi, and assigned the president new powers that allowed him to sack the Mubarak-era prosecutor general and appoint a new one.

It stated that all decisions taken by Mursi until the election of a new parliament were exempt from legal challenge.

Presented as a move to “protect the revolution”, the decree won immediate praise from Mursi’s allies but stoked fears among secular-minded Egyptians that the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies aim to dominate the new Egypt. It seemed likely to deepen the divisions that have plagued the post-Mubarak era.”

icubudLeave a comment

Hamas started firing missiles into Israel. After about three days of this Israel was able to target and kill the Hamas so called military leader. Hundreds of missiles are fired on Israel each day for the past week. Israel has slowly begun calculated strikes at areas where they have determined missiles are being fired from. Of course the Hamas being the cowards and murders that they are – place their missile and troops housing in the subdivisions (so to speak) of Hamas as protection via human shields. So daycare, schools and hospitals are the shields for these cowards.

Note in the article that MB leader of Egypt calls Israel “occupiers”.

Note that Hamas and Egypt position Israel as the aggressor in this past week’s activity.

There will be no peace in Israel as long as Hamas, MB and Hezbollah are allowed to exist in the region.

icubudLeave a comment

Hamas aims Grad at Dimona reactor

From Debka this morning:

Less than 24 hours after Sudanese President Omar Bashir pledged “decisive steps against Israeli interests which are now legitimate targets,” for the destruction of the Iranian missile plant in Khartoum, Palestinian rocket teams early Sunday, Oct. 28, fired Grad missiles as target finders against Israel’s nuclear reactor in Dimona. This is reported exclusively by DEBKAfile. They exploded on open ground in the Ramat Negev district southwest of the town of Dimona.  
The nuclear plant is only 42.5 kilometers as the crow flies from the southern Gaza Strip.  Saturday night, the Israeli Air Force struck a Palestinian rocket team in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younes, killing one Hamas operative and injuring a second critically.
The Palestinian Hamas has evidently launched a new and expanded targeting-policy marking two developments of grave import: One: Its rulers have submitted the Gaza Strip to Tehran for use as its southern operational arm against Israel, complementing Hizballah’s pivotal role to the north of Israel; and two, having acquired improved surface missiles, Hamas is setting its sights firmly on the most sensitive locations within their reach, e.g., Israel’s nuclear reactor and air force bases and the American X-band radar station in the Negev.
The Islamist rulers of Gaza are expected to keep on trying to perfect their aim.
Israel’s defense ministry and high IDF command sounded at sea Sunday over this dangerous new departure. The IDF spokesperson started out by disclosing that one Grad rocket from Gaza had been aimed at the city of Beersheba, later raising the number to two, both of which exploded outside the city.
But the Grad launched against the nuclear reactor at 07:44 was followed by hours of official silence. Even then, the army spokesperson reported a missile fired against Ramat Hanegev in general terms, without mentioning the reactor’s location in that district at its northernmost point.
It was the second time in three weeks that Tehran was seen to be focusing on Israel’s nuclear plant, DEBKAfile’s military sources note. On Oct. 6, an Iranian stealth drone which flew over Israel managed to photograph the reactor building and its air defense system’s radar. The data gathered was given to Hamas to help guide its first rocket attack on Dimona.

2 cents: Israel will now have to decide how to best react to these new attacks that are attempting to harm the nuclear plant in Dimona. Iran is foolishly helping the re-election of Netanyahu by the continuous attacks on the small nation. Of course being the Islamists that they are they have cornered themselves into never using compromise in order to have peace. Peace with Israel is impossible for an Islamist and don’t let the MB fool you. With the new targets determined in Israel, the actions should also force some reaction by the US, especially if the American X-band radar station in the Negev is attacked. It will be interesting to see just how much change will occur if their is a change in US leadership.

icubudLeave a comment

Ayman al-Zawahri has called on Muslims

(Reuters) – Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri has called on Muslims to kidnap Westerners, join Syria’s rebellion and to ensure Egypt implements sharia law.

2 cents: note the Islamist desire for sharia law in Egypt which is a MB unstated goal. He wants Syria to fall and be an Islamist nation which I’m sure is another MB goal.

icubudLeave a comment

Petraeus Throws Obama Under the Bus

Over at the Weekly Standard William Kristol blogged the following:

Breaking news on Benghazi: the CIA spokesman, presumably at the direction of CIA director David Petraeus, has put out this statement: “No one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate. ”

So who in the government did tell “anybody” not to help those in need? Someone decided not to send in military assets to help those Agency operators. Would the secretary of defense make such a decision on his own? No.

It would have been a presidential decision. There was presumably a rationale for such a decision. What was it? When and why—and based on whose counsel obtained in what meetings or conversations—did President Obama decide against sending in military assets to help the Americans in need?

This was blogged yesterday and I am curious if this will gain any traction. This information would once again point to the absence of leadership in the executive branch of our government.  The fact that a spokesman was used for the comment/update makes me think it is positioned for retraction if the story does gain traction.

2 cents: No startling revelations in the statement. Note its carefully crafted wording.

icubudLeave a comment

Politicizing Iran nuclear aspirations

New York Times

Debka

Jerusalem Post

With Monday’s final debate scheduled on the subject of foreign policy it is little surprise that conflicting messages are coming out of the WH. (The 3 sites give 3 different messages.)

Late last night I received the news alert email that the NYT is reporting the WH and Iran has agreed to 1:1 discussions following the election. I rolled my eyes and went to bed.

This morning the WH is denying that this is true. Israel is on record as saying “news to us”. Of course the attempt is to pose O as on the cusp of a vital diplomatic coup JUST BEFORE THE ELECTION. Coincidence? Why of course (eyes rolling again). Mind you that the talks won’t occur until AFTER the election  because Iran wants to know which administration it will actually be dealing with (wink, wink). We are suppose to then reasonably excuse another month of Iranian progress on nuclear technology based on this promise of talks in general. I can  see the posturing on Monday by the CES as he firmly explains Romney is a detriment to the peace process and he would most likely send our young men and women to another war. And with that comment the shenanigans of the leaked story (wink, wink) will be realized.

Question: Do we really see the Iranian regime sitting down with the “Great Satan” to discuss their nation’s programs and plans ethically? Do we see a nation that will cooperate fully “in deed” to inspections and controls by IAEA to ensure solely civil work and use of nuclear technology?

icubudLeave a comment