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Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire

Anglosphere

Neil comments on the cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon/Hezbollah:

So it cheered me up quite a bit to see Erick Erickson's new piece on Red State saying that this could be a big PR boon for our side when (not if) Hezbollah violates the terms of the cease fire. Let's just hope Olmert doesn't hold back at that point!

PR boon? What makes you think the world won't just say "restraint Israel, restraint" again?

PHP turns ugly to anti-semite Jani Taskinen

Software

Jani Taskinen, one of the lead developers of the PHP project, and former UN peacekeeper, has announced to immediately quit the project:

Thank you all for the last 6 years or so. It has been fun (sometimes) and many times not so much fun. Unfortunately I have had enough and I don't want to be associated with this project anymore.

I'm sure most people (the ones who matter) can understand why. If someone doesn't, I could not care less. Take care.

Okay, shit happens. Software development sure can get tedious and we all need a break, or move on to other projects. So why did Jani snap? Rude co-workers? Slipping deadlines? Ever-growing bug lists? Insane development requests? No, none of that.

Four UN peacekeepers were killed by Israeli fire last week, including a Finnish co-worker or even friend of his, so Jani decided he hates Jews:

<_sniper_> hehehehe..
<_sniper_> all other members of the UN security council wanted to condemn Israel for attacking the UN post but USA (freedom and democracy) vetoed it....Israel says the resolution was fair.
<_sniper_> hell yeah..
<_sniper_> NUKE ISRAEL!
<_sniper_> I'm so full of that fucking country..
<Shai-Tan> indeed
<_sniper_> Eye for an eye..I'll kill one Israel officer for one of ours, is that fair?
<_sniper_> I bet I'll be hanged for that.
<_sniper_> They kill one of my brother-in-arms-for-peace..I think I'm entitled to kill one of their nazis.
<_sniper_> Hezbollah, where can I enlist?
<_sniper_> FYI: I don't care at all what anybody thinks about me. I'm going to be openly anti-Israel from now on. This was the last straw for me. Fuck you jews.
<_sniper_> I will also quit this project. As long as it's backed by some Israel company, I don't want to have anything to do with it.
<_sniper_> Good bye.
<-- _sniper_ (~jani@a88-112-115-63.elisa-laajakaista.fi) has left #php.pecl

If that IRC log is correct: what a loser.

First there is a claim that Israel said the resolution was fair. So then why hate the country when it was the US who vetoed? Whatever.

Secondly there is a call for nuclear destruction of Israel. Not cool.

Thirdly note that Hezbollah was very active near the UN positions, so there is ample reason to believe this was a mere accident on Israel's part, possibly unavoidable even.

Last but not least there is support for Hezbollah, more hatred of Jews and finally a decision that PHP has become tainted merely because it is backed by a company (Zend) having to do fuck all with all this yet happens to be Israeli. Obviously making the project as undesired on this planet as those Jews themselves?

Well, good riddance Jani. I know you couldn't care less about what people think of you now, but as long as you don't start to blow up civilians Hezbollah-style.. we couldn't care less.

World War III!

Anglosphere

Europe is chilling out in the heat, but the rest of the world is as lively as ever: Newt Gingrich says "it's World War III", referring to the war on terrorism in general. And Hezbollah would love World War III, said Iranian Hizbollah's spokesman Mojtaba Bigdeli:

"They have been trained and they can become fully armed. We are ready to dispatch them to every corner of the world to jeopardise Israel and America's interests. We are only waiting for the Supreme Leader's green light to take action. If America wants to ignite World War Three ... we welcome it," he said.

Hm.. was that just something about welcoming World War III? I couldn't exactly hear it with everbody screaming at Israel to show restraint. Hey Israel, once again they welcome total war and destruction, preferably yours.. show some restaint!

Anyway, people have long argued the war on terror is a World War. Not everyone fights everywhere and surely some spots in the world show weaknesses, but everyone's involved already. I wonder then why Israel and the US are singled out. Is it maybe because the US indeed stands by Israel, which has always been terrorists' favourite target.

Love you too

Anglosphere

Khameini is proud of Hezbollah:

'The Islamic world states are proud of the courageous resistance by Hezbollah against the Zionist (Israeli) aggressors,' Khamenei said in a speech carried by state television.

'Lebanon was supposed to be turned into a centre for Western culture but this country has instead turned into a centre for Jihad (holy war) and resistance and this is exactly the opposite of what the Western hegemonic powers wanted,' the Ayatollah added.

This is now a big test for the Arab countries,' said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Assefi. 'If they do not show full solidarity, they could be next on Israel's target list.'

The spokesman declared Iran's full solidarity with Palestinians and Lebanon and urged all Islamic and Arab states to do the same.

Well, at least it's charming to see Iran is being nice to those who do their dirty work. Kaching, Hezbollah!

Palestinian war crimes

Anglosphere

What is your first impression of Israel going to be from this headline? HUSBAND, HIS WIFE AND THEIR SEVEN CHILDREN KILLED BY ISRAELI SHELLS IN GAZA. Nasty Israel, right?

Dr. Al Saqqa identified the killed family members as Nabil Abu Salmiya, his wife Salwa, both 39, and their seven children were identified as Nasrallah, Basima, 16, Sumayya, 12, Huda, 8, Eman, 11, Aya, 7, and Yahia, 13.

Tragedy, I can't deny that.

None of the killed and injured residents is affiliated with any resistance group.

Army claimed targeting a senior leader of Hamas' armed wing, Mohammad Deif, and several leaders of the Al Qassam Brigades, several leaders of Hamas' armed wing were present at the targeted house, according to army sources.

The army added that Deif was at the house of Abu Salmiya, one of the leaders of the Hamas movement.

Meanwhile, Abu Obeida, media spokesperson of the brigades, said that Deif was unharmed in the attack.

Unharmed. Why did he not say he was not present?

Abu Obaida, spokesman of Al-Qassam brigade, said Deif and Al-Ghandour are safe and were not harmed and vowed a painful revenge.

Safe. Why even bother to mention that when they were not present, had been or were planning to?

The Israeli Air Force carried out a similar attack on a house in Gaza in June 2002, killing Hamas operative Salah Shihadeh and 17 other civilians including elders, women and children.

After bombarding the house, which was leveled to the ground, eyewitnesses said the same warplane fired a missile at a car in an attempt to kill Raed Sa'ad, another Qassam brigade operative.

Sa'ad managed to jump out of the car before it was hit by the missile, witnesses said.

Wow, these brigade operatives sure spend a lot of time in houses with elders, women and children. Not exactly recommended by the Fourth Geneva Convention:

The Fourth Geneva Convention forbids the use of any civilian as a shield: "The presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations." (Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, August 12, 1949, 6 U.S.T. 3516, 75 U.N.T.S. 287, art. 28)

Sure, one can put "Israel" in the headline, but wouldn't someone who actually understands the most significant facts from the article make one along the lines of "Hamas commits war crime"? Surely such meetings could take place without so many civilians? Even assuming all these leaders where buddies, it's hardly the time for a neighbourhood BBQ when you're job descriptions are "war and death to Israel". There is a defensive responsibility for preventing civilian harm as well, and it is clear Hamas does not care much about taking that responsibility.

Update: Hezbollah too uses human shields. Robert McClelland concludes Israel is terrorist, but in this case I clearly think the onus is on Hezbollah for failing to protect citizens by hiding amongst them, which is a war crime.

UNSC Idiocracy

Anglosphere

Wikipedia on Hezbollah:

Those who consider Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization consider its sponsors (in particular Iran, Syria, and Lebanon) to stand in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1373 and 1566. Further, UN Security Council Resolution 1559 calls for the dismantling of Hezbollah and all other militias.

So you think the UN would then praise Israel for beginning to dismantle this terrorist network? Think again, that's not the kind of world we live in. The UN was actually planning to condemn Israel's reaction, an effort killed by the sanity of John Bolton's veto for the US yesterday.

Meryl Yourish doesn't expect much form the UN either:

More than 700 katyusha rockets and mortars have landed in Israel since the beginning of hostilities. Imagine the "disproportionate" response of any other nation under these circumstances. Like, say, Russia. Or France, who threatened to nuke Iran only this past year, as I recall.

Still waiting for UN condemnation of Hezbullah rocket attacks on Israel. No, not really.

Syria and Iran behind Hezbollah kidnappings?

Anglosphere

It has been speculated before, but now Lebanon itself joins the ranks of those who hint Syria and Iran may have directed Hezbollah to attack Israel:

Jumblatt is the head of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party and is largely considered the most prominent anti-Syrian Lebanese politician.

He said he saw the fingerprints of Iran and Syria on Hezbollah's actions the past few days.

There is of course no significant news value in this statement. Hezbollah has obvious ties to Iran through the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and that Syria has been pulling strings in Lebanon is not exactly on the of the best kept secrets in the world either.

Stating the obvious

Anglosphere

Now, really?

Israel believes Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah did not intend to ignite such a dramatic escalation when his fighters kidnapped two Israel Defense Forces soldiers and killed eight others on Tuesday.

Blatently. Terrorists can only exist when they expect to be appeased to some extent. If terrorists would always be 100% convinced that their actions are followed by full-out retaliatio, they'd probably get smart and quit.

So basically it's a big confession to state that ordinarily people get away with this stuff without "dramatic escalation".

The war on terror accelerates

Anglosphere

Israel had enough of Hezbollah's support of terrorism and is now at a state of war with Lebanon. Beirut airport has been bombed, Long-range rockets have hit Haifa.. cucumber season is over early, folks.

Neil found out that Hezbollah may move the Israeli hostages to Iran and speculates this might all get very big. If Iran gets involved, possibly through Iraq, then surely the US and its allies could also get involved. Neil also already noted Syria should become involved and preferably because we decide so, not them.

There is less and less doubt the war on terror will now indeed go down in history not as a conflict, but another World War. And to be honest, considering I strongly support fighting terrorism, I can live with that thought.

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