Slaughter In Gaza? Or Operation Save Israel?

Last count there were at least 390 Palestinians dead. 220 of these are suspected members of Hamas, leaving 170 civilians, 60+ of which, according to the UN, are women and children. In addition, nearly 2,000 people have been injured so far in the Gaza conflict. But wait, 4 Israelis are dead. Best not be delving into kill ratios. This is all a part of the massive offensive being launched against the citizens of Gaza by the Israeli Defense Force in response to rocket fire from Hamas, "Operation Cast Lead." Or, as I like to refer to it, "Operation Fish in a Barrel."

While I understand the concept of massive retaliation, I do not understand how the government of Israel can say they are only targeting Hamas members. They point fingers at Hamas and say that all they do is target civilians, whereas the IDF is taking the high road and only targeting the militants. They're not doing a very good job of it as of yet.

A sample of targets:

- Graduation ceremony for young police officers

- A police station

- A mosque

- Student dormitories at a university

Those all seem like pretty standard targets in time of war. Can't have peace officers, religion or education muddling things on the ground.

My question is this: If Israel has US backing militarily, how is it that the Israeli forces are trying to kill a pesky mosquito with a shotgun? Could they not use something known as surgical strikes? The area isn't a large one, 41 km long, 6-12 km wide. It's not like the IDF is attempting to invade Siberia. Where are the commandos we hear so much about? The superior Israeli training should take effect now, not superior technology. Send in some of these troops, take out strongholds effectively, and avoid civilian casualties. Or, continue to bomb the crap out of the entire area thus suspending any possibility that the civilian population of Gaza will ever come to view the Israelis as neighbors, as opposed to their tiny version of the Great Satan.

Alas, the IDF is massing ground forces along the border in order to invade as step three, or is it four, of the "Operation Cast Lead." I doubt those forces will ever move. Israel learned its lesson long ago fighting Hizbollah, large groups of ground forces will inevitably fail against an insurgent opposition. Surprisingly, this lesson is still being learned by many governments, despite historical lessons to the contrary. It seems much more effective to send in elite strike forces to take out these targets. Maybe I'm wrong though. And yes, you've probably been wondering if I recognize that the strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. I do, and I understand that it has to be difficult for the IDF to avoid civilian casualties. I just don't think their doing everything they can.

Meanwhile, the people of Gaza are starving, dying from lack of medical care and experiencing a deepening of their hatred for Israel. Everyone knows starving an enemy makes them more placid. It's the same with dogs, you starve them and they become much more calm and relaxed.

Also, does anyone think that this has anything to do with upcoming elections in Israel?

Is this slaughter doing anything other than lending ammunition to those that would like to see Israel destroyed? Ahmadinejad's reaction

Oh, and while we're on the topic, Egypt shouldn't open their borders to the Gazans. This would go against everything Arab countries have practiced over the last sixty years. Let the Palestinians cram into tight places, little food, little medicine, little natural resources. That way the Arab countries have something to hold over Israel's head. Sort of their Sword of Damocles.

Gideon Levy article on pilots

More from Ha'aretz

Peace

It's the Oil Stupid!

I was reading through an article by Jan Oberg on the recent Nobel Prize ceremony for Matti Ahtisaari, and was enjoying the article's counter stance to Ahtisaari's work. I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, but I am a firm believer in looking at all sides to an issue. The article, posted at Serbianna, makes an argument that Ahtisaari was merely a pawn used by the US and NATO to secure Kosovo's independence. Apparently, he views the Balkan as the last vestige of the Cold War. Anyway, the article was interesting to read, and most of the arguments I would make against it are obvious when you read it.

http://www.serbianna.com/columns/oberg/001.shtml

My point is this I guess. He mentions that the only reason we care about Kosovo is the oil pipeline planned for the southern end of the peninsula. That's where he lost me. I know oil is important, I know the control of it is a very corruptive force in the world, this isn't news. However, every time I hear a well-reasoned argument slip into the "everything has to do with oil no matter what" mentality, I lose interest. Oberg is just one of many that undermines my beliefs. The claim that the only reason people are interested in Kosovo is that it somehow involves a pipeline is insulting to people like myself.

Here's an outline of where the suggested pipelines will be.

Note: that southern pipeline doesn't cut anywhere near Kosovo.

You can find maps:

Here

Here

and Here

I am largely interested in, and supportive of, the independence of Kosovo for reasons of my own. The Balkans in general have always intrigued me for their role in European history. They have been very influential, but almost no one in the US understands anything about them. Quiz your average college student on Europe, and you'll probably find out that Europe is made up of Spain, France, Germany and Russia. That's it. It is this ignorance that causes me to learn as much as I can of the region. It's the same reason I study Latin America, or the "Middle East."
But, do I study these regions because I want to be able to pump gas into my Volvo for the foreseeable future? No. I am one of the great number of people pushing for alternative fuels, renewable energy and so forth.

Granted, I doubt Oberg is speaking of me when he's talking about NATO and US action in the Balkans, but he doesn't do a very good job of phrasing it that way. I am as committed as one can be to Kosovo's independence coming from Iowa. It has little to do with oil, it has little to do with my feelings toward Russia, it has nothing to do with anything other than the fact that Kosovo deserves to be independent given it's background and cultural construct.
Feel free to disagree with me, I'm sure I'm off base. Can I just read one article that doesn't spout nonsense about how, "The US only cares about x because of an oil pipeline." Not everything has to do with oil pipelines. Luckily for these people though, oil can be found throughout the world either in a pipeline, the original source, stockpiles or in the tank of a UN truck, so they will never be without this call to arms.

US diplomacy: It's the oil stupid!

Greece is burning

Amnesty International Demands an Impartial Inquiry

Greek PM does his best to hold a ragged nation together

The BBC report on the region, what, it has a lot of links...

There are conflicting reports of incidents leading up to the shooting death of the fifteen year old. The police say it was an accident, a ricochet from a warning shot. They also say they were antagonized by a group of boys into action. Others say that the police officer shot the young man in cold blood, no attempt at a warning. One thing is for sure, now that Amnesty International is on the case, it should be solved in no time.

The reactions of political leaders vary. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis is attempting a feat more suited to an old Olympian than a distrusted leader. He is offering government loans for the shopkeepers, soft, low interest fifteen year loans. This is only part of the plan of action he has created. At a time of great national upheaval from groups with no real goal or agenda, Karamanlis is promoting a pragmatic, long-run approach to solving this problem.

His opponents are capitalizing on the opportunity in a despicable attempt to oust him from power. Leftist leaders are promoting the actions of these anarchist youths, who, oddly enough, would probably refuse the leftist leaders as government heads...anarchists. These leftist leaders refuse to see that the great tragedy is the loss of life of someone so young. Although he may not have been the brightest bulb, it's a life lost.

In the meantime, amidst the political turmoil, the true heroes continue their task. The firefighters, the rescue workers, and yes, even the police officers. While AI is claiming that police beat two of their workers with batons, most of the officers are only attempting to protect life and property in an unstable nation. The fire crews are out every night, dousing car and building fires. These people are working tirelessly for the betterment of their county.

And to make matters worse, many of the rioters are abusing the sanctuary of university soil to store bombs and other weapons. They become embroiled in running battles with police, then retreat to the safety of university grounds to regroup for their next attack. Meanwhile, the police have no such refuge, for while they respect the laws and traditions of Greece, their enemies are merely abusing them in a vain attempt to bring the laws themselves down.

Union leaders decided to call a strike during this period of duress. Nearly one half of Greece's workforce went on strike, disrupting the nation's economy further. It appears the left is in full swing against the PM's attempt to restore order in this ancient nation. A nation that once served as the foundation for our great republic.

Also, Greece is still in a row with FYROM, or Macedonia, over what it can be called. The strangest international argument I have seen in a while. But one that is culturally significant to both sides. Therefore it should be take seriously I suppose, but given current circumstances...

And to think, this morning I was psyched up about writing on the little Isle of Sark finally abolishing feudalism... Oh well, guess you'll have to look that up on Wikipedia, or check in tomorrow.

Peace.

Teddy-nauts? What next Britain?

In the mid-80s, Britain sidelined all manned missions into space. So what do they do? Send in the teddies!


Okay, so I heard about this the other day on NPR. But I had completely forgotten about it until recently. Apparently, Cambridge students got together with some children to launch teddy bears into space. Of course, this is all an effort to get children excited about science. I imagine the Cambridge students probably got just as big a kick out of this as the little kids though...

The kids, ages 11-12, didn't just lob the teddies into space. They had to design spacesuits for them to protect them from the cold. The tricky little devils used everything from hi-tech foam to old malt containers. They actually got pretty creative for 11 year olds, seriously. And what did we get to do? Drop eggs off a building? Makes us look pretty weak-sauce...

"The outside temperature got down to about -60C but some of the teddy bears were kept as warm as -35C thanks to their spacesuits. Apparently they're all in good health now," Mr Moore told the BBC.

"I really enjoyed launching the teddy bear into space and I also enjoyed designing and building the teddy bear suit," said 12-year-old Kane Robbins.

And yes, I struggled with this because I desperately wanted to write Tediz (thanks a lot Conkers.)

Also in the news:
-Athens erupts in rioting after an incident which a police officer shot a boy after being accosted by a group of teenagers. The PM has declared a state of emergency after days of rioting. News of these events are barely making headlines in US papers, in contrast to the rioting that occurred in France not too long ago, despite eerie similarities.

Ekonomist's view

-Hero dog pulls friend to safety on a Chilean highway. Sadly, the other dog was already dead. This has to be the most heartbreaking story I've seen in a while. I won't provide a link, but this dog was truly heroic, braving traffic to save his friend.

-Another corrupt politician discovered in Illinois... no surprises here.

-Israel looks forward to a hawkish future with appointments in Likud Party. This is great, they totally need a more militant outlook on the world, especially with all of the rhetoric about Iran plotting single-mindedly to destroy Israel.

-More than a thousand officials of the new EU-led mission in Kosovo, EULEX, took over responsibilities from UNMIK early on Tuesday (December 9th). Spokesman Victor Reuter says about 1,400 members of the mission are spreading throughout the province, and in a few months, when the mission becomes fully operational, it will include 1,900 international and 1,100 local staff. About 100 members of EULEX will deploy immediately in the Serb-dominated north.

So, the Balkans are still extremely shaky, even Greece. Israel is going to become more obsessed with Iran. The Brits are sending teddy bears into space. And a dog proves once again that canines are better than us. Interesting newsweek...

Another rant on Israel

http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4146&Itemid=31
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4101&Itemid=31
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4150&Itemid=31

With these three articles, I remembered why I am so concerned with the Israel/Palestine situation. The first point that can be dragged out of these examples is that the UN and the EU recognize that Israel is not existing in accordance with international law. In most circumstances, this would lead to sanctions. We slap sanctions on Cuba just for the hell of it nowadays. But Israel continues to occupy and settle territory that's not Israeli soil and what do we do? Cooperate with them militarily and continue to send them funds.

Ok, so maybe it would be largely impossible to withdraw to the pre-1967 borders. I don't like it, but it might have to be a concession. Given the time that has passed, it just might not be entirely possible. However, the Israeli government could at least attempt to treat their Palestinian neighbors with some semblance of decency. The blockade of the Gaza Strip for example. Letting people starve to death, and letting children die from lack of hospital care, these are actions for the likes of Kim Jong-Il or Saddam Hussein, not a dear friend of the United States like Ehud Barak.

The US needs to take a strong stance on Israel and human rights. Be they the leaders of a coalition, or just a member of a larger community. If we can get Israel back on the right track, it could lead to peaceful relations in the Middle East with a number of countries and groups. We shouldn't advocate the violence of terrorist groups such as Hamas or the PKK, but we should recognize their plights. Why do people turn to violence? Excluding al-Qaida, most "terrorist" organizations have serious political concerns. While their methods normally backfire, it does bring the information to a national stage, which is why it is often used as a last resort.

In the case of the Palestinians, most of them put their trust in Arab states that either they would be able to return to their homeland or incorporate into new ones. Neither of these promises were carried out by their brethren. While many point to this as a sign that we should not pity them, I ask you this: Do you not pity the child of an abusive parent? It's not their fault. They have been so tossed about and abused and neglected, it's no wonder that some of them have turned to violence, especially after the initial treatment at the hands of both Israelis and Arabs. The amount of violence and mistreatment at the hands of the Israelis far outweighs the destruction caused by the Palestinians. We should not condone the violence, but we should seek to end it, or at least give them no cause. If India can do it, Israel can do it. To me, Israel is just taking advantage of a group of individuals they can bully.

I just hope it doesn't end the same way as the US treatment of Native Americans. Israel should not be allowed to carry out military maneuvers in order to protect settlers who are breaking both Israeli and international law. Leave them to their own devices or prevent them from settling there. Stop mistreating innocent Palestinians. Step into line with international law. Or, face the consequences like everyone else. Face sanctions, trade blockades, possibly even direct UN intervention such as is happening in other areas of the world where one group of people is abusing another.

Israel could be a beautiful state. They just have to learn to be better neighbors. And people here in the US need to do more independent research. Basic research. Just look at something other than CNN or Fox every now and then. Get a different perspective. Just because a news network makes lots of money and has fascinating graphics does not make it accurate.

A bit out of the loop

I took a few days off from reading the news for Thanksgiving. When I came back, Pakistan and India are at each other's throats, Bangkok's airport is under siege and Venice is under water.

Hmmm...

I had a little catching up to do. The first thing I looked into was the Mumbai terrorist incidents. Such a sad event looks like it was caused by extremists that have no real connection to the Pakistani government. However, given the complexity of Pakistan's history, some of the terrorists were trained by the Pakistani military or intelligence services. India's government has handled this relatively well, applying pressure on Pakistan to crack down on terrorism within its borders, the US has been pushing them in this direction for a while. Although, if India followed the US-route of attacking within Pakistan's borders sans permission, I doubt it would have the same result. Also, several of India's high-ranking security officials have stepped down in disgrace. Groups in western Pakistan aim for a cease-fire in order to free up Paki troops to secure the border with India. Both sides say they aren't gearing up for a war though. It should be interesting to see how this develops. In the meantime, reasonable people are pointing out that the targets of the attack weren't Indians so much as Westerners.

Thailand, Thailand, Thailand... what are we going to do with you, Thailand? From what I understand, these people who want a change of the democratically elected government took over the airport in Bangkok, armed to the teeth and are now in a stand-off with police? I wonder if the Republicans could rally and take LAX...

What?

Venice is experiencing some pretty crazy floods. The kind that God would have given Noah the heads-up on. Still, it looks about as bad as what we experienced in eastern Iowa this year.
Then, the DJIA drops nearly 680 points amid news that we have been in a recession since last December. OPEC is planning to cut production and try to level out oil prices at between $70-90 a barrel. Where was the idea of a "reasonable price" a year ago? President Bush is criticized for not doing enough about the AIDS epidemic in America as opposed to overseas (even when he does something good, it's not good in the right way.)

And to top it all off? My girlfriend's car door was frozen shut this morning, so she took my Volvo and I drove to work in her Sunfire... That's cool, didn't need my penis anyway...

I miss Thanksgiving. I slept in. I ate a lot. I didn't have to go to work. I was pampered. I come back to Des Moines for snow, cold, bad headlines and the job of lifetime...