| Video of civilian executed in Syria Posted: 07 Sep 2011 08:52 PM PDT From Al Arabiya: Some 30 people were killed in Syria on Wednesday. mostly residents of Homs. 
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| Ambassador Ford slams Syria - on Facebook Posted: 07 Sep 2011 04:39 PM PDT The US Embassy Damascus Facebook page has a note from the US Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford: This past weekend, as Eid al-Fitr was concluding, I read reports of peaceful protests yet again being met with security force gunfire in places like Basra ash-Sham, Telbissa and Jassem. International media reports already speak of dozens of civilians killed. This is yet another sad day to reflect on the courage of the tens of thousands of courageous Syrians who march peacefully.
Some of the people who write on this page complain that the U.S. is "helping terrorists" in Syria. We support the right of Syrians to protest peacefully. Peaceful protesters are not "terrorists," and after all the evidence accumulated over the past six months, no one except the Syrian government and its supporters believes that the peaceful protesters here are. Also, the United States is not providing any assistance to any armed group in Syria. If the Syrian government has evidence, let's see it. I've asked them and I've gotten nothing back from the officials. The United Nations, which was finally allowed to send an assessment team here, instead has directly assigned responsibility for the violence in Syria to the Syrian government. The Arab League has assigned responsibility for the violence to the Syrian government. The European Union and its member states have done so. The governments of Canada, Japan and Saudi Arabia have done so. The Turkish government has done so. Don't like or trust the United States – fine – look at what other organizations and countries are saying.
Some Syrian security service members have been killed. Some want the United States to acknowledge it; well, I'm the American ambassador, and I just did. But the number of security service members killed is far, far lower than the number of unarmed civilians killed. No one in the international community accepts the justification from the Syrian government that those security service members' deaths justify the daily killings, beatings, extrajudicial detentions, torture and harassment of unarmed civilian protesters. I entirely agree with the group of Muslim scholars in Aleppo who says that the Syrian government, which has a clear preponderance of arms and force, bears the responsibility for the violence. And given the extent of the government's brutality, neither the Syrian protest movement nor the international community will believe that this Syrian leadership desires or is capable of the deep, genuine and credible reforms that the Syrian people demand. This isn't about Western military intervention. This isn't about oil (many governments have banned its import). This isn't about Israel or the West wanting to dominate the Arab world (an old, discredited government line). This is about basic political freedoms from the United Nations' Human Rights Charter – signed by Syria, don't forget – which calls for freedom of speech and freedom of peaceful assembly. And the United States wholly supports Syrians' rights to exercise those freedoms. Better than nothing. 
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| Work accident(s)! Posted: 07 Sep 2011 03:26 PM PDT From Ma'an: A member of Hamas' armed wing died Wednesday during a "Jihad" mission near Ash-Shati refugee camp west of Gaza City, the Al-Qassam Brigades announced.
Muhammad Rushdi Aqbalan, 52, died after suffering an electric shock, the group said. This sounds like he was killed while in a weapons tunnel. That's the usual place that Gazans die from electric shock. 52 is a bit old for being a tunnel worker, though. An Islamic Jihad terrorist who was killed when his car exploded may have been the victim of another "work accident" as well, as Israel denied any airstrikes. It all points to a lack of quality control in Gaza's rocket industry. 
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| Tunisia synagogue looted Posted: 07 Sep 2011 01:54 PM PDT A few days ago I noted a Wikileaks cable talking about how Tunisian anti-semitism was well-hidden under the rule of Ben Ali, where he took special precautions to protect the Jewish community. I wondered whether that protection would continue after his fall. The JC provides the answer: A synagogue in the Tunisian city of Sfax has been vandalised.
According to CRIF, the representative body of French Jewry, Synagogue Beth-El was ransacked towards the end of last month while Tunisian Muslims were marking the month of Ramadan. It is believed the synagogue has not been guarded since the Arab Spring revolutionaries overthrew the government of President Zein el-Abbadin Bin Ali.
Witnesses told CRIF that windows were broken, marble plaques marking supporters of the synagogue were smashed and the contents of cabinets including collection boxes and silver Judaica items were stolen.
In addition, several household appliances including the air conditioner unit are missing from the apartment adjoining the synagogue. CRIF adds that there has been a shortage of police because of the chaotic security situation. However, the synagogue was looted on a Ramadan night opposite a popular coffee house, so it is unlikely that no one saw it. CRIF details the vandalism - marble plaques, stained glass windows, silver candlesticks. 
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| Captain Israel takes on the venomous BDS! Posted: 07 Sep 2011 12:49 PM PDT See entire comic book here. Hilariously, a Mondoweiss writer saw this cover and interpreted it as saying that the authors view all Palestinian Arabs and their allies as "vermin" and said this was " reminiscent of Nazi propaganda." Note especially how offended the Mondoweissers are that a pro-Israel organization "shamelessly appropriated Jewish religious symbols." Don't they know that Jewish symbols only exist for anti-Israel groups to use to prove their Jewish bona-fides? (Disclaimer: EoZ is a partner with StandWithUs, which produces this comic book.) (h/t Divest This!) 
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| Obama bubblegum spotted in Ramallah Posted: 07 Sep 2011 11:40 AM PDT Joseph Dana tweets that he saw Obama-branded bubblegum in Ramallah. I found a better photo of this product, though: No, the circle-K doesn't mean "kosher" - it stands for Kenafric Industries, a Kenyan company that makes fine confectioneries and footwear. This company also makes Magic Obama Special Edition Bubblegum and Obama Pop-Whistle Mouth Painting Lollipops. 
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| Eldertoons: Welcome to the UN, Palestine! Posted: 07 Sep 2011 10:15 AM PDT |
| PA whitewashed torture death of prisoner Posted: 07 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT From Ma'an: Palestinian security officials privately offered American diplomats candid details about the 2009 death of a detainee while they publicly refuted allegations of torture, according to a US diplomatic cable recently released by WikiLeaks.
Suspected Hamas member Haitham Amr, a nurse at a Hebron hospital, died less than a week after the PA's General Intelligence division arrested him in June 2009.
Security officials claimed publicly that Amr fell to his death trying to escape through a second-story window. But the recently released cable, part of a full batch posted online in late August, reveals that General Intelligence officials told the US Consulate in Jerusalem that their initial account was "simply wrong."
Corroborating allegations of torture from the victim's family and human rights groups, the cable says the PA's own investigation found evidence that Amr was abused before his death.
...The PA never retracted its initial account, although Interior Minister Said Abu Ali conceded in October 2009 that there had been a "violation of the rights" of Haitham Amr.
Rights campaigners say the new information casts doubt on the credibility of a special military court which acquitted five officers who were charged in connection with Amr's death.
No PA security official has ever been criminally convicted of abusing persons in custody "despite hundreds of documented complaints of torture and other abuse," [HRW's Bill Van] Esveld says. "Given these serious and widespread abuses, the US should stop funding PA security agencies until the PA ends this record of impunity."
In 2010, the US provided $350 million to the PA for its security forces in addition to $150 million in direct budgetary aid, according to Human Rights Watch.
US government officials have consistently denied that American funds support security agencies accused of torture; they say most aid goes to the PA's National Security Forces.
News reports suggest otherwise. In December 2009, The Guardian quoted Western officials saying that the CIA works so closely with the General Intelligence and the Preventive Security organization that the Americans seem to be supervising the Palestinians' work. 
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| PLO insults the US again Posted: 07 Sep 2011 08:30 AM PDT From Al Arabiya: Yasser Abd Rabbo, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said US policy now appeared confined to one point: stopping the Palestinians from embarking on their diplomatic initiative at the United Nations.
"The subject is not settlements, or Palestinian independence or the rights of the Palestinian people, or halting the criminal violations perpetrated by the settlers against the Palestinian people," he said.
"All this is being ignored and the only issue has become the issue of us not going to the United Nations," he told Voice of Palestine radio.
"This shows not only disdain for the Palestinian position, but also scorn for what is happening in the Arab region -- a state of revival seeking justice for the Arab peoples and justice for the whole region." The PLO feels free to insult the US anytime it pleases, without fear of any diplomatic backlash. Earlier this year the Palestinian Arab delegation walked out during a speech by Hillary Clinton. Also earlier this year, the PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the US was an " obstacle to peace" and "not an honest broker" These are all strong words in the diplomatic sphere, and the US would react harshly if any other entity would constantly insult it. As usual, though, the PLO will get a pass. 
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| Wikileaks: Hezbollah's intimidation of a Lebanese journalist Posted: 07 Sep 2011 07:38 AM PDT From a 2009 Wikileaks cable: On March 13, Embassy Public Diplomacy (PD) staff met with Beirut-based, Lebanese journalist Tha'ir Abbas of the Saudi-owned newspaper, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat. Abbas, who is Shi'a, has been a PD contact for several years and is well-known for his objective reporting. While he does not write anti-Hizballah reports, he is known for not being a Hizballah supporter. His residence is located in Dahiyeh in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hizballah stronghold.
Abbas went to the United States in November 2008 to cover the U.S. presidential elections. Following his return to Beirut, three members of Hizballah visited him at home, he reported. One member entered the house and the other two stayed on the stairs near his apartment: one on the stairs leading up and one on the stairs leading down. Abbas asked the one Hizballah member who entered his house to stay in the doorway. This person told him that he wanted to ask him some questions. Abbas told him that he would answer his questions only near the door.
This Hizballah member asked Abbas about every member of his family, including his wife, Linda Ayyach, who is a journalist for Hiya Magazine, and his two children. Allegedly, the questions were: what type of cars Abbas and his wife drive; which school do the children attend (Note: They attend an evangelical school. End Note.); what are their political affiliation/s, even the political affiliation of his eight-year old daughter; whether Abbas supports Hizballah; and, what was the reason for his visit to the United States. One of the questions that caught Abbas' attention was whether he has access to the Internet in his house and the reason he does. Abbas said he answered all of the questions because, as he explained to PD, since he lives "in Hizballah's stronghold," he always tries to avoid problems and keeps a low profile.
Following that incident, Abbas learned through his contacts that the security wing of Hizballah has contacts with all the concierges in the area buildings who "spy" on residents and report back to Hizballah. After the visit, Abbas has noticed that he is often followed by another car. He told PD staff that his phone is tapped, that he has another phone which he uses for personal business, and he changes his personal telephone number constantly.
Abbas said he told his story to a person close to Sunni majority leader Saad Hariri, who in turn told Hariri. According to Abbas, Hariri, who sees Abbas on a routine basis and knows him well, allegedly called Hizballah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, but was referred to Nasrallah's political assistant, Hassan Khalil. Hariri told Khalil what happened, noting that Hizballah has no right to act in this manner, particularly with journalists "who work for Saudi-owned newspapers." Hariri warned that, by acting this way, Hizballah was damaging its relations with him.
After Hariri's phone call, Abbas claimed he received a phone call from Hizballah's media advisor at the time, Hussein Rahhal, who blamed Abbas for letting the story reach Hariri, and tried to belittle the incident. Since that phone call, Abbas has been harassed publicly several times by members of Hizballah. Once, he said, there was a hot exchange between him and a person who blocked his way while he was trying to leave the garage in his building. This person closed the garage for about two hours, making it impossible for Abbas to leave. On another occasion, Abbas was harassed by a Hizballah member who was about to hit him. Another time he received a phone call from a member of Hizballah when he published an interview with Ahmad Al-Asaad, an independent Shi'a figure who is critical of Hizballah.
Abbas said he lives in constant anxiety over the possibility of being harassed by Hizballah. He explained that he looked into the possibility of selling his house and moving away, but he ruled out the idea because of the high prices elsewhere. He characterized the atmosphere in the Dahiyeh as "extremely intimidating" following the July 2006 war between Israel and Hizballah, noting that Hizballah has its own police force now on every street in Beirut's southern suburb. He also said, "Hizballah members were extremely kind and open before July 2006, but now they are completely different." For them, he noted "everyone is an Israeli or an American agent until the contrary is proven." This fits in well with what Michael Totten described in his book "The Road to Fatima Gate." (h/t Yoel) 
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| Hamas denies permission to public rallies in support of UN stunt Posted: 07 Sep 2011 06:48 AM PDT Palestine Press Agency reports that Hamas has said that it will refuse to allow any public demonstrations in Gaza that support the PLO's attempt to have the UN recognize "Palestine" as a state. In general, Hamas has not rallied behind the UN stunt, although it has made some occasional noises that it will not publicly oppose the move. Hamas' opposition seems to stem from its reluctance to do anything to legitimize Israel's existence and to limit Palestinian Arab claims on all of Israel. 
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| Israel kills PRC terrorist firing mortars Posted: 07 Sep 2011 05:45 AM PDT From YNet: A commander in the Popular Resistance Committees' military arm was killed Tuesday evening in a fire exchange in the Gaza Strip.
According to Palestinian sources, the operative killed in Khan Younis was Khaled Sahmoud, 23, who was in charge of the the al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades' mortar unit. The PRC claimed that he managed to fire five mortar shells before being killed. If you want to read the combination of flowery eulogy for Sahmoud and insane condemnation of Israel along with the requisite gory photos of the dead terrorist, check out the autotranslated article from the PRC website. 
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| Morning links Posted: 07 Sep 2011 04:40 AM PDT |
| "Happy Holocaust" Posted: 07 Sep 2011 02:30 AM PDT From Der Spiegel: Much has been written about the village of Jamel near Wismar in the far northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Hitler salutes in the streets, firing practice in local forests and outsiders chased away. The small run-down settlement has become a dark symbol of the growing reach of neo-Nazi ideology.
In the run-up to Sunday's local ballot in the state, a journalist from the website VBS TV arrived in Jamel. Although she was familiar with the village's larger-than-life reputation, she was shocked to see a large rusty barbeque inscribed with the phrase "happy holocaust."  The grill was in the barbed-wire encircled garden of the office of the far-right extremist National Democratic Party (NPD). The backyard was overlooked by a watchtower and a red, black and white old German Reich flag of the type used by the far-right scene.
"I was shocked and I just couldn't believe what I saw. It felt really surreal," VBS TV journalist Barbara Dabrowska told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "It was like in a bad American movie that tries to come up with the most ridiculous idea for how to make Nazis look really terrible. ... They probably meant it as a joke, but I was annoyed by their either stupid or incredibly provocative approach." I briefly discussed the NPD here. (h/t a new blog, Onion Tears News) 
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