Boker tov, Boulder!

Darkness on the horizon - or - There goes the neighborhood

These people are not even vaguely civilized. They don't know how to conduct themselves on an individual basis, much less build a state and run it. The regional designation of "Palestine" has meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people over a very long period of time, but never has it denoted utter anarchy and barbarity like it does today. If these so-called "Palestinians" weren't armed to the teeth, they'd be laughable.

I cannot believe this is the Jerusalem Post, and not some bad comic book:

Gunmen belonging to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction shot and seriously wounded two Palestinians suspected of "collaboration" with Israel on Wednesday. The shootings took place in Nablus, where the two "collaborators" were dragged to the main square and shot in the legs.

Meanwhile, PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas announced that his movement wanted a cease-fire with Israel.

A spokesman for Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, said the two, whose identities were not revealed, had "confessed" during interrogation to working for the Israeli security forces. The spokesman did not elaborate, though he promised that the group would later release a videotape of the alleged confessions.

"We have shot these two traitors in the legs to punish them and deter others from helping the Israeli enemy," the Fatah spokesman said. "The Aksa Martyrs Brigades will strike against anyone who provides the occupation with information that helps in the assassination or capture of resistance activists."

Sources in the city said PA policemen who were at the scene did not make any effort to stop the gunmen. They pointed out that some of the gunmen were themselves members of the PA security forces.

A leaflet distributed in Nablus by the same group issued a 30-day ultimatum to Palestinian "collaborators" to hand themselves over to the Aksa Martyrs Briagdes or the PA security forces or the nearest mosque.

Was it just yesterday afternoon that I posted Condoleezza Rice says there is no substitute for creating a Palestinian state? And was it really only 12 hours ago that we were reading Israel may agree to release Palestinian funds? It's insane.

One good thing is that Fred Thompson gets it right. That makes two, but who's counting?

Anyway, Fred sez:

The irony is that Israel has the military might to easily win the war that is being waged against them today. They haven’t used that might, in the past, out of compassion for Palestinian civilians and because it could trigger a wider regional conflict.

That balance of power is about to change, though. If Iran develops nuclear weapons, the very existence of this tiny nation of Israel will be threatened....

Enough with the compassion already.

An Exploitable Weakness

Facinating report at the American Thinker:
The Jihad Fracture Widens by Ray Robison.

.... In the last few months independent war reporting from Iraq has discussed the "anbar awakening." The term refers to the move by Sunni tribal chieftains in the al Anbar province to reassert power by fighting al Qaeda, allying with the Coalition and somewhat with Iraqi government forces. Even the mainstream media has begun to catch up and has reported the new development.

Recent reporting from Pakistan shows a similar but not so friendly development. There is little question that the new power broker of the Taliban, Maulvi Nazir is outwardly anti-U.S. and pro-al Qaeda. Yet at the same time he has adopted a "not in my backyard" stance as his Pashtun forces have killed and run off "Uzbeks" a colloquialism for al Qaeda used to refer to Arab and other foreign fighters (Pashtun and Uzbek ancient rivalries contribute to this designation). It is the age old story of infighting for power but this time it benefits the U.S. by reducing al Qaeda support and capabilities. The Sydney Morning Herald, in a fascinating series of interviews with different elements involved in the saga, quotes a Pakistani Governor about the treatment of "foreigners" - Arab jihadists:

"Virtually all of the tribes are ready to fight the militants. Yesterday the southern tribes held a jurga [council] and decided that any foreigner was to be shot dead and any tribesman supporting the foreigners would be banished from the area or killed too. They have declared jihad and their plan is to annihilate any of the foreigners who refuse to leave."

As a matter of fact, this sounds a lot like what is happening in Iraq. While this certainly does not make the Taliban leader a friend, it is much better to have the enemies killing each other off. It provides solid evidence that al Qaeda is losing a foothold in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The earlier reporting from the region predicted bin Laden might leave the region and now we might have a better idea why.

Just as the Iraqi Sunnis have decided to wrest control from al Qaeda, it would appear the tribal chieftains of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border are doing the same. Not quite an awakening but it appears al Qaeda has overstayed its' welcome again. Interestingly, a new study from the West Point Combating Terrorism Center identifies this same phenomenon in the horn of Africa among the regional tribes during the 90's and notes it as an exploitable weakness....

Hullo... Israel? Can you say, "exploitable weakness"?

See also Support for Fatah, Hamas erodes among Palestinians. No one can have less popular support than Olmert, but apparently the Palestinians don't think much of Fatah or Hamas, at least not when they're killing each other.

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UPDATE 11 pm: See LGF's AP Flying Pig Watch: Iraq residents rise up against al Qaeda.

Charles is very funny:

I did a classic double-take when I first read it. What the ... hey! It’s an anti-Al Qaeda intifada! And AP reported it! Good wire service. Here’s a treat.

Gevalt geshreeyeh

I don't understand why YahooNews would have this photo

accompany this article:

Israel may agree to release Palestinian funds

Are these two terrorist scum are not excited at the prospect of Olmert's government handing over millions of shekels? You would think they would be smiling...

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel is prepared to transfer withheld tax revenues to the Palestinians through a mechanism that guarantees none of the money will go to the Hamas-led government or militants, Israeli officials said on Thursday.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States and European Union have been discussing the issue and that Israel would be ready to release funds once a mechanism with sufficient safeguards were agreed upon and put in place.

Israel has long resisted European calls to transfer Palestinian tax revenues, now totaling some $700 million, to stave off collapse of the Palestinian Authority and bolster President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah faction has been locked in a power struggle with dominant Hamas Islamists.

But Israel finds itself increasingly isolated on the money issue. The United States joined the EU, U.N. and Russia in a statement on Wednesday encouraging Israel to consider freeing up the funds through a special European Union mechanism.

The Temporary International Mechanism provides direct payments to the Palestinian Authority's non-security work force, bypassing the Hamas-led government.

"We're not against releasing the funds. We're prepared to transfer them," an official in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office told Reuters. "But we need a mechanism to make sure the money doesn't go to the terrorist organizations and the government in which Hamas participates."

"Nobody is against giving funds to the Palestinian president for humanitarian purposes, such as paying doctors, nurses and teachers, whatever is needed on the humanitarian level," the official said. "But they haven't found the mechanism."

((( ISRAEL FEARS U.S. SHIFT )))

Some Israeli officials decried what they saw as a shift in U.S. policy that would reduce pressure on Hamas to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept interim peace deals.

But they said Olmert, who was expected to travel to Washington next month for talks with U.S. President George W. Bush, may have little choice but to go along.

Under U.S. pressure, Israel released $100 million in tax to Abbas earlier this year. But Israeli officials later complained that the Palestinians violated agreements on how the money was to be spent, casting doubt on future transfers.

Olmert will meet with Abbas next week.

Dear Gd in heaven, help us.

"Masters of the World" "Eager for Death"

There are so many Islamist threats against the U.S. and Israel that I simply can't keep track. I don't know if I posted this one before or not, but it's especially hideous. And since the online version may disappear, we'll post it for the archives, for posterity and for anyone who doesn't yet "get it" that they mean to kill us.

JPost - May 1, 2007

Sheik Ahmad Bahr, acting Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, declared during a Friday sermon at a Sudan mosque that America and Israel will be annihilated and called upon Allah to kill Jews and Americans "to the very Last One." Following are excerpts from the sermon that took place last month, courtesy of MEMRI.

Ahmad Bahr began: "'You will be victorious' on the face of this planet. You are the masters of the world on the face of this planet. Yes, [the Koran says that] 'you will be victorious,' but only 'if you are believers.' Allah willing, 'you will be victorious,' while America and Israel will be annihilated. I guarantee you that the power of belief and faith is greater than the power of America and Israel. They are cowards who are eager for life, while we are eager for death for the sake of Allah. That is why America's nose was rubbed in the mud in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Somalia, and everywhere."

Bahr continued and said that America will be annihilated, while Islam will remain. The Muslims "'will be victorious, if you are believers.' Oh Muslims, I guarantee you that the power of Allah is greater than America, by whom many are blinded today. Some people are blinded by the power of America. We say to them that with the might of Allah, with the might of His Messenger, and with the power of Allah, we are stronger than America and Israel."

The Hamas spokesperson concluded with a prayer, saying: "Oh Allah, vanquish the Jews and their supporters. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them all, down to the very last one. Oh Allah, show them a day of darkness. Oh Allah, who sent down His Book, the mover of the clouds, who defeated the enemies of the Prophet, defeat the Jews and the Americans, and bring us victory over them."

As regular readers of BtB are well aware, I'm not usually very optimistic. For some reason, though, I want to pair this genocidal rant with this other article I found at JPost:

For Zion's Sake

If what is described here can happen in post-Holocaust Germany, maybe there's hope for the Arab Middle East. I wouldn't hold your breath, but do read this for a little general encouragement.

Tubingen /photo by roboraptor via webshots travel

The small university town of Tubingen in Baden-Wrttemberg, Germany first expelled all of its Jewish residents in 1477. Since then it has historically also been the origin of various church doctrines directed against the Jews.

Sorry, but I have to interrupt here and tell you that if you Google {expulsion Jews 1477} you get over 12,000 results ... ugh ...

In the 1930s the town was among the first to again expel all of its Jewish residents, prompting the mayor to write a letter to Hitler proclaiming this news and asking him to become an honorary citizen of Tubingen, which he gladly accepted. Now, in addition to a tiny Jewish community that has returned to the town, the T bingen Offensive Stadtmission church, commonly known as TOS, has grown over the last 20 years to some 250 members who all have a special love for Israel and the Jewish people.

Most of the churches in Germany are either Protestant or Catholic and are managed by the state, so for an independent, Israel-loving church to survive and flourish is indeed something special. The TOS is a large tent built on top of railroad tracks that once deported Jews from the town to camps throughout Germany and Poland, but the spirit of the church is founded on acknowledgment and repentance for the sins of their forefathers.

Part of that repentance was the March of Life organized by the TOS last month around Holocaust Remembrance Day. The march by these German Christians was aimed at healing the wounds of the past in order to build relationships that will last into the future. The route followed that of a death march that took place in early 1945 just months before the end of World War II and covered some 350 kilometers from Bisingen to Dachau.

.... A group of more than 50 American Christians joined the more than 300 Germans in their march to proclaim healing and solidarity among the different groups - German, Christian and Jewish.

One of the march organizers, Heinz Reuss, was very pleased with the turnout and said, "We expected 150 people to be on the march, but it turned out to be more than double." He also said that for him the purpose of the march was to "make a stand for Israel, for Jewish life and for the God of Israel here in southern Germany."

Kol hakavod to these good souls. Chazak amenu.

Wed-Thurs Kassams

Wednesday

... Wednesday evening, a Qassam hit a power-line and an apartment building in [Sderot].

The rocket hit the roof of Dan and Osnat Ben Haim's house. The couple and their children were in the fortified room during the attack, but upon seeing the damage caused to the house by the Qassam they suffered shock and were treated by Magen David Adom paramedics. The family was later taken to the municipal trauma center for further treatment.

"It's very hard for me to talk about what happened, it was a great miracle," Dan Ben Haim said about two hours after the attack.

"The damage caused to the house is very big, but we were lucky that the damage was only to property and that we weren't hurt. This could have ended in a disaster."

Earlier Wednesday saw five Qassam rockets fired at Sderot and the western Negev. One of the rockets hit a flat, causing six people to suffer shock. The apartment hit was empty at the time, but adjoining flats sustained heavy damages.

Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for the attack.

Thursday:

Of two Kassam rockets fired [so far] from Gaza at Israel Thursday morning, one landed at the entrance to a kibbutz in the western Negev. No one was hurt, but a wheat field was set on fire.

Meanwhile, from the UFB Department: the government hasn't yet decided whether or not to recognize 13-year-old Chaim Shalom as an official terror victim.

... the father of a boy who died last week is saying his son was a Kassam rocket victim - who has not been recognized as such. Israel Radio's southern region correspondent Nissim Keinan reported Thursday morning that a 13-year-old boy, Chai Shalom, died last week in Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva after being wounded in a Kassam attack several days before. Deaf, mute, and suffering from cerebral palsy, Chai and three other children were wounded when a rocket exploded near their bus;

the woman bus driver was able only to open the door and cry out for help before fainting.

Though the boy has not, as of yet, been governmentally recognized as a terror victim, Welfare Minister Yitzchak Herzog said that now that he has been informed of the matter, he would look into it.

More news from Norway

Reading The Norway Post this morning (how did I get here?),
this catches my eye: Increasing fear of forced marriages.

What?! In the most peaceful country of the world, there is "increasing fear"? Whatever could be the trouble?

Since the article is not long, I'll reproduce it here in its entirety:

There is an alarming number of girls with immigrant background who fear forced marriages. Red Cross Norway alone have so far this year had contact from 200 girls.

The organization Self Help for Immigrants and Refugees (SEIF) has also been inundated by phone calls. SEIF leader Gerd Fleischer fears the approaching holiday season, when many girls are taken on vacation to the homeland.

Government Minister Karita Bekkemellem hopes the new law, which forbids persons below the age of 18 to get married abroad, will be of help.

If you are an immigrant girl in Norway, in fear of being "taken on vacation to the homeland," you're in luck. The most peaceful country of the world has many organizations that want to help:

Antirasistisk senter - The Anti Racism Centre in Norway is a free and independent centre collecting and documenting information about racism and the status of immigrants in Norway.

Bazar - Bazar is a tailor made service for linguistic minorities. You find information about Norwegian society and culture, how to learn Norwegian, newspapers from 60 different countries, organizations, etc.

BIP - Immigration portal for children and young adults giving information about immigration and asylum politics.

IMDI - Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi). IMDi's goal is to contribute to equality in living conditions and diversity through employment, integration and participation.

KIM - Committee to facilitate contact betweeen the immigrant population and the authorities.

LEXIN - Dictionaries for immigrants. Some 2.700 words are illustrated through over 33 picture-pages with topics like Famile og slekt "Family", Tid "Time" etc.

Mirasenteret - The MIRA Resource Centre aims at promoting equality for black, immigrant and refugee women

Ny i Norge - Information for immigrants. These pages will help you find out about your rights, opportunities and responsibilities in Norway. [Note especially the following:]

In Norway, the law takes precedence over religion or tradition. This means that you must obey Norwegian law even if it goes against a tradition that you are accustomed to. You cannot justify an unlawful act by calling it tradition or a religious act.

Female circumcision is strictly forbidden in Norway. All forms of female circumcision, including "sunna", are regarded as genital mutilation. It is illegal to force someone into, agree to or participate in the genital mutilation of girls or women. Genital mutilation carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison.

Forced marriage: Everyone has the right to choose who they want to marry, and it is illegal to force someone to marry. It is a punishable offence to force someone to marry, and a forced marriage can be annulled.

SEIF - Self-help for immigrants and refugees: Information, advice and guidance, referral to the correct authorities, interpretating, the completion of forms, support in the following: Employment, schools, housing, social security, legal aid, tax authorities, public health services, etc.

UDI - Norwegian Directorate of Immigration is the central administration for foreigners.

UTROP - Utrop – Outcry – is a portal and an online newspaper adressing itself to all ethnic minority groups, giving information, entertainment and news about multicultural Norway

----------------------

See also The Brussels Journal, especially this post from last July: Jews Under Attack in Norway.

Keep in mind, this post was written after Norway apologized for the Mohammed cartoons, but before the gunfire attack on Oslo's largest synagogue.

Only about 1,300 Jews live in Norway, but because of the tensions and the current events in the Middle East, they are at risk of being attacked. The Norwegian newspaper Vårt Land reports that a Jew was assaulted by Arabs in the streets of Oslo last Saturday. In response, The Mosaic Community in Oslo has sent out a recommendation to its members to leave the kippah at home, or cover it under a cap. It is also warning its members against speaking Hebrew in public. During the past few days the Community has received several threats and other unpleasant messages.

"Most peaceful country" fails in bid to harm Israel

Norway: One year after the Socialist Left Party (SV) launched its boycott of goods from Israel, the import of Israeli goods has increased by 15 per cent.

In 2006, Norwegian firms imported Israeli goods worth NOK 650 million. This is an increase by NOK 80 million, or 15 per cent from the year before, the strongest increase in many years.

This is shown by figures from Statistics Norway (SSB).

SV party secretary Edle Daasvand, who has led the campaign, says to the newspaper Vaart Land that it is not pleasant for the party to note that the import from Israel is increasing.

In other news, Norway is the most peaceful country in the world. Based on The Global Peace Index, this information is "intended to contribute significantly to the public debate on peace."

There's a debate? I didn't know.

Too Little Too Late

Yoel Marcus, left-wing commentator for Haaretz and ardent Disengagement supporter:

To my great sorrow, it now seems that the extremist and pessimistic settlers were those who were right.

Israeli Public Figures Express Regret For Disengagement.
Too late.

Maj.-Gen (ret.) Yiftah Ron-Tal, IDF ground forces commander at the time of the Disengagement:

In the year preceding the Disengagement, the army trained mostly for dismantling communities, and that prevented it from preparedness for the war in Lebanon. The training for the Disengagement not only prevented preparedness for such a war, but dragged it away from the consensus as a people’s army.

It is nearly certain that the excitement of those who led the decision and implementation of this is directly tied to the big failure in Lebanon… I still cannot understand how Israel gave up parts of its land willingly and with abandon, and how the residents connected to that land were turned into criminals, instead of raising their dedication as a banner of preserving the Jewish identity of the state of Israel.

Lies are the new truth

from LGF:

A Muslim professor at Nova Scotia’s St. Francis Xavier University was criticized for attending Iran’s disgusting Holocaust denial “conference” in Tehran, featuring all the superstars of the international antisemitic blight.

In response, Professor Shiraz Dossa says the critics are “illiterate Islamophobes.”

Because if you don’t hate Jews with a blind unreasoning passion, you must be Islamophobic. And if you criticize someone who does hate Jews, and doesn’t even try to hide it, you’re just like Joseph McCarthy.

Sun setting on Condi's political horizon?

DEBKA: Condoleezza Rice says there is no substitute for creating a Palestinian state.

Excuse me?

Her efforts to create a political horizon to this end have been stalled at every hand, because many observers say her goal is unrealistic at this time.

She is discussing the stalled peace process with *Group of Eight* foreign ministers in Berlin Wednesday, as well as the dispute with Iran over its nuclear program.

DEBKAfile reports: Washington has bolstered Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, but he is a fading force on the Palestinian scene and has little clout to follow through on peace talks with Israel. After he opted for a power-sharing deal between his Fatah and Hamas in Mecca in January, the two Palestinian groups embarked on a factional war and Hamas launched a missile offensive against Israel.

Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert’s popularity ratings are at rock bottom for his mismanagement of last year’s Lebanon War and his failure to put a stop to the missile barrage from Gaza. Concessions to the Palestinian leader amid uncontrollable Hamas violence would be politically suicidal. His innate indecisiveness, which the US secretary of state finds so frustrating, is exacerbated by opposing pressures from Washington for concessions to Abbas countered by domestic demands for stronger punitive action against the Palestinian missile launchers.

Outside experts are quoted by the WP as criticizing Rice for spending so much time on a diplomatic long shot, rather than seeking to quickly end the violence. On Rice's last trip to Israel more than two months ago, she announced that Olmert and Abbas had agreed to meet every two weeks. But only one such session has been held since then. The two leaders have arranged to meet next week.