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POPSSaudi Royal Air Force carries strikes against Yemeni rebels
The same dynamic has played out in various forms in Lebanon, where Iran supports the Shiite militant Hezbollah and Saudi Arabia favors a U.S.-backed faction, and in Iraq, where Saudi Arabia and Iran have thrown support to conflicting sides in the Sunni-Shiite struggle. A top Saudi government adviser confirmed "a large scale" military operation underway on the Saudi-Yemeni border with further reinforcements sent to the rugged, mountainous area. "It is a sustained operation which aims to finish this problem on our border," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. He said Saudi troops were coordinating with Yemen's army, but Yemen's defense ministry denied the Saudis were inside the country. The northern rebels, known as Hawthis, have been battling Yemeni government forces the past few months in the latest flare-up of a sporadic five-year conflict. They claim their needs are ignored by a Yemeni government that is increasingly allied wit
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POPSIsrael Says It Seized Iranian Arms Shipment for Hezbollah Israel says it seized Iranian arms shipment for Hezbollah November 4 By David Buimovitch (AFP) " 15 hours ago ASHDOD, Israel " Israel said on Wednesday that commandos had intercepted a ship carrying "hundreds of tonnes" of arms from Iran to Hezbollah in a raid dozens of miles off its coast but both Iran and Syria denied the cargo was headed to the Lebanese militia. "We found dozens of containers, with hundreds of tonnes of arms bound for Hezbollah from Iran," Israeli deputy naval commander Rani Ben Yehuda told reporters. The shipment was among the largest ever seized by Israel, dwarfing the 50 tonnes of weapons found aboard the Karine A seized in 2002 on its way to Gaza, which dealt a major blow to relations between the Palestinians and Washington. At the Mediterranean port of Ashdod, soldiers pulled hundreds of olive-green ammunition crates from shipping containers, many of them concealed by sacks of cement.
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POPSOct. 23,1983 Lebanese Terrorists Bomb the Marine Barracks in Beirut
. . with Syria. Although the United States had mounted two previous successful peacekeeping operations in Lebanon in 1958 and earlier in 1982 (to facilitate the evacuation of P.L.O. forces from Beirut that had been defeated by Israel), the ignominious end of the MNF intervention brought disastrous consequences. The failure of the peacekeeping mission led to renewed fighting between Lebanese factions and the ascendancy of Hezbollah, backed by Iran and Syria. Moreover, the Marine barracks bombing, which was the deadliest terrorist attack against Americans before the 9/11 attacks, later inspired Osama bin Laden, who viewed the United States as a “paper tiger” because of its rapid withdrawal of peacekeeping forces from Lebanon and Somalia after suffering casualties. Al Qaeda members were later dispatched to Hezbollah training camps in Lebanon, according to the 9/11 Commission Report (p. 68). Posted October 23rd, 2009 in American Leadership.
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POPSRights Watchdog, Lost in the Mideast The organization is expressly concerned mainly with how wars are fought, not with motivations. To be sure, even victims of aggression are bound by the laws of war and must do their utmost to minimize civilian casualties. Nevertheless, there is a difference between wrongs committed in self-defense (Israel) and those perpetrated intentionally (Hamas and Hezbollah).
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POPSStratfor: Hezbollah Gets Punk'd There were three men on board, one of whom said they represented EDL and that the purpose of their visit was to upgrade electricity meter switches in the neighborhood... The explosion occurred three hours after the presumably fake EDL van had left the building... ...Hezbollah uses numerous basements in the south Litani area as weapons depots in violation of U.N. Resolution 1701, which ended the 33-day military campaign by Israel against Hezbollah forces in Lebanon in July 2006 and called for Hezbollah’s disarmament. UNIFIL lacks the capability to enforce the resolution, and the Lebanese army lacks both the capability and the will to confront Hezbollah over this explosive issue... ...Hezbollah’s rearmament is naturally a concern for Israel, but the Israeli intelligence apparatus has ways to derail Hezbollah’s plans, and blowing up a munitions depot is not beyond its means.
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POPSWhen All Else Fails, Cry "Racism!" We are outraged because the Obama administration wants to utterly transform America by ripping the Constitution to shreds. We are outraged that he has nationalized the auto industry and financial institutions.We are outraged at the most despicable congress of all time and we don't see a lot of Blacks there. It's not race America is concerned about; it's radical leftism that has taken over Washington D.C. That's why America is outraged! Sorry, the racist charge is illegitimate. It doesn't hold water and only serves to prove the vacuity and fallacy of left-wing ideology.
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POPS“It’s Life Has Come To An End” Ahmadinejad Lays The Smack Talk On Israel Ahmadinejad’s fresh comments came ahead of his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly next week and before Tehran attends talks on Oct. 1 with major powers worried about the Islamic Republic’s nuclear strategy. NUCLEAR PROGRAMME Ahmadinejad repeated on Thursday that Iran would “never” abandon its disputed nuclear programme to appease critics. In an NBC-TV interview, he also offered no direct response when asked whether there were any conditions under which Iran would develop a nuclear weapon. “We don’t need nuclear weapons,” Ahmadinejad said, speaking through an interpreter. “We do not see any need for such weapons. And the conditions around the world are moving to favour our ideas,” he added. President Barack Obama, who came to office pledging to engage with Iran, has suggested Tehran may face harsher sanctions, possibly targeting its gasoline imports, if it does not accept good-faith talks by the end of September.
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POPSWall Street's Disaster Has Spawned Our Greatest Terrorist Threat It turns out that Wall Street, rather than Islamic jihad, has produced our most dangerous terrorists. We will see accelerated plant and retail closures, inflation, an epidemic of bankruptcies, new rounds of foreclosures, bread lines, unemployment surpassing the levels of the Great Depression and, as Blair fears, social upheaval.
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POPSHezbollah Readies for War as UN Can Only Observe Hezbollah, which has the backing of Iran and Syria, is rebuilding its force in the south, undaunted by its loss in Lebanon’s June elections, in which a pro-U.S. coalition won a parliamentary majority. The peacekeepers’ stay in south Lebanon expires on Aug. 31 and the UN Security Council must decide whether to extend it without change or authorize them to impose the weapons ban by force even without the support of the Lebanese army. Free of Hezbollah The 12,000 UN soldiers were sent to Lebanon after a 2006 war with Israel that began when Hezbollah, which the U.S. and Israel consider a terrorist organization, captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid. After the fighting ended, the Security Council passed a resolution prohibiting “weapons or authority in Lebanon other than that of the Lebanese state.” The peacekeepers were deployed to keep south Lebanon free of Hezbollah’s militia and arms, a role they have to perform with the cooperation of the Lebanese army.
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POPSSympathy For Devils Another episode in the “engagement” chronicles: “Since taking power nine years ago, Syrian strongman Bashar Assad has: turned his country into a safe haven and transit corridor for jihadists en route to Iraq; funneled sophisticated munitions to Hezbollah and probably Hamas; sought to build an illicit nuclear reactor with North Korean help; mostly failed to liberalize Syria’s economy and resisted liberalizing its politics; publicly declared that Israel would never ‘become a legitimate state even if the peace process is implemented’; and ruled while Syrians have been implicated by a U.N. investigator in the 2005 assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. So, naturally, President Obama has made Syria a prime target for diplomacy as part of his new Axis of Engagement.”
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POPS"ISNA Rejects All Expressions of Racism and Bigotry" Safi is coy about specifics, but here they are: the Investigative Project on Terrorism published a report yesterday, "'Mainstream' Islamist Convention Features Hate Speech and Hezbollah Defense" in which it broke the news that the conference "featured speakers spewing raw anti-Semitism, homophobic rhetoric and defense of the terrorist group Hezbollah." It then provides details on several speakers but zeroes in on Warith Deen Umar, the former head of the New York state prison chaplain program who lost his job after the Wall Street Journal exposed his pro-bin Ladin views in front-page story in February 2003. Umar appeared at ISNA on July 5 to promote a new book, Jews for Salaam: The Straight Path to Global Peace, in the context of a "Meet The Author" program. In the course of it, he attacked "unholy Jews" such as Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod, two of President Obama's top aides, by name as part of a conspiracy "to control the world."
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POPSLive-Tweeting The Revolution: Day 18 29 Jun 2009 Tonight, people shouted AllahAkbar much louder and stronger than prev nights in objection to GC's certification People in Melat Park, Valiasr Sq., Vanak and sidewalks of Vailasr St. are holding hands and are trying to form a human chain. But reports of sporadic clashes indicate that the armed forces are trying to prevent the formation of the human chain. Reports: About 3000 Protesters clashing with Hezbollah at Vali Aasr Sq. (not conf) Larijani (head of Par):CNN has given money&cellphones 2 protesters 2 portray a wrong image of Iran
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POPSCriticism of Regime May Spark New Terror Wave "Hezbollah is capable of striking in Germany or, more likely, planning an incident like the Al Qaida cell in Hamburg that planned the attack on New York," said Alexander Ritzmann, a fellow at the European Centre for Democracy. "Hezbollah operatives can be activated from Beirut or Tehran." Ahmadinejad: U.S. Has 'Made a Mistake' http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529246,00.html
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POPSIran Crisis 25 June 2009 Youtube commentors offer these translations: Basically: last night several man in military uniforms with arabic accents attacked this building and several others in the same street. They broke the door, and made their way into the building all the way to the rooftop, and broke the a/c units, throwing some of them to the street. They also broke the cars in the street. 6.18pm: A reliable twitterer says that a group of mourners went to Neda Agha-Soltan's grave today but were turned back by security forces, who consisted of the usual mix of riot police, plain clothes cops and basiji militiamen. The twitter says they detained people who were carrying green signs or refused an order to disperse. 6.12pm: Our video production team knit together this montage of amateur footage from yesterday's protests. Amateur videos of clashes between protesters and the authorities in Tehran continue to be posted online
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POPSLive-Tweeting The Revolution: Day 12 continued Rajanews exhibited its insurmountable malice again claiming #Neda was murdered by MKO not Basij Mousavi calling for supporters to meet outside parliament at 4pm local, that's 3hrs from now. Big test for opp There is talk, unconfirmed, that Mousavi will speak There are protests planned for 4pm today in Baharestan Sq. in Tehran Wednesday 4pm Baharestan Sq, Tehran - Sea of Green MOUSAVi - on his wesite - Wed Sea of Green is 100% confirmed - no cancellation will be made #Iranelection RT RT RT Larijani pressing for Mousavi to be given airtime on IRIB to discuss elections Mousavi has stated 'If I am arrested or killed - strike until the Gov falls' Reports: Gunshot being heard at Baharestan Sq. All shops and Passages are closed at Baharestan SQ, Gunshot being heard from Jomhori St. Clashes at Baharestan SQ, Jomhori and Vanak SQ. Metro at Baharestan Sq is closed, Army Helicopters flying over,about 1000 ppl gathering at Vanak Sq. The streets
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POPSThe Latest From Iran What should President Obama do about Iran? He can do what he does best: Talk. He should roll out the TOTUS and give the Iranian mullahs and moguls an old-fashioned spanking. Complete with direct quotes from the Koran. Alas, this will not happen. Dr. Charles Krauthammer this week said of President Obama: “All hangs in the balance. The Khamenei regime is deciding whether to do a Tiananmen. And what side is the Obama administration taking? None.” Ouch. I feel the pain not for the target of Dr. Krauthammer’s words, but for the rest of us. 53% of the nation gave 100% of the world a leader of the free world someone who, when danger comes, dares to vote " present. Such a timorous approach to adversity is decidedly James Buchanan-like, as opposed to Harry Trumanesque or John Kennedyesque. There is much intelligence in not taking unnecessary risks. There is greater ignorance in trying to avoid all risks at all times.
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POPSPalestinian Extremists are Out Beating Iranians in the Streets… Another protester, who spoke as he carried a kitchen knife in one hand and a stone in the other, also cited the presence of Hamas in Teheran. On Monday, he said, "my brother had his ribs beaten in by those Palestinian animals. Taking our people's money is not enough, they are thirsty for our blood too." It was ironic, this man said, that the victorious Ahmadinejad "tells us to pray for the young Palestinians, suffering at the hands of Israel." His hope, he added, was that Israel would "come to its senses" and ruthlessly deal with the Palestinians. When asked if these militia fighters could have been mistaken for Lebanese Shi'ites, sent by Hizbullah, he rejected the idea. "Ask anyone, they will tell you the same thing. They are out beating Iranians in the streets… The more we gave this arrogant race, the more they want… we will not let them push us around in our own country." http://www.weaselzippers.net/blog/
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POPSA Revolutionary Mass in the Streets of Tehran What’s going to happen?, you ask. Nobody knows, even the major actors. The regime has the guns, and the opposition has the numbers. The question is whether the numbers can be successfully organized into a disciplined force that demands the downfall of the regime. Yes, I know that there have been calls for a new election, or a runoff between Mousavi and Ahmadinezhad. But I don’t think that’s very likely now. The tens of millions of Iranians whose pent-up rage has driven them to risk life and limb against their oppressors are not likely to settle for a mere change in personnel at this point. And the mullahs surely know that if they lose, many of them will face a very nasty and very brief future. If the disciplined force comes into being, the regime will fall. Michael J. Totten - 06.16.2009
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POPS “The Great Satan is Fomenting Revolt” media is, as expected, already playing the “outside interference” card. While I understand (though disagree) with those who advocate a restrained verbal response from the administration, the argument that finger-wagging rhetoric will only serve to antagonize the regime misses the point. The “great Satan is fomenting revolt” nonsense is, quite simply, unavoidable (as it is to be expected from Chavistas, who pin inclement weather, food shortages, and poor baseball results on the golpistas up north). To crib from Jerry Rubin, if there isn’t Western involvement, if there isn’t American meddling, they’ll simply invent it. Michael J. Totten - 06.16.2009
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POPSIranian Citizen Journalism Most of the police empathize with their own; the government knows this, and thus they’ve brought in foreigners (as they have for past protests) to take care of the dirty work. The shooting earlier today was an example of this. I asked him how social life in Iran is right now, ie if people are going to work, etc. He said that probably half the stores are closed, but that unemployment is 40% anyway, so its not like protestors have anything better to do. These people are mostly young, unemployed, have poor access to higher education, and no foreseeable future prospects. All they had was their perceived voice in government, and since that has been so blatantly taken away, the situation is ready to explode. He’s also heard that in smaller cities around the country, the protests have become much more violent with a lot of skirmishes between the Basij and protestors. The focus right now seems to be in trying to channel all this frustration and anger into something positive and co
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POPSLive-Tweeting The Revolution Just heard from an eye witness in Tehran: last night 12 people shot to death had been brought to Rasul_Akram hospital, with dozens wounded. i used to use twitter to follow my favorite tech bloggers... good old days :( EVERYONE everywhere set yourLOCATION to TEHRAN! Confuse them.They can't follow everyone! We gather to stand in and in solidarity with the people of Iran. No political factions!!! No flags!! (from any country) TELL YOUR FRIENDS!! I was proud to cast my 1st vote as a US citizen this year, but I am dissapointed at how other govs are acting it was heart warming to see protestors helping iranian police that were injured and hurt. never lose your true cause, integrity,principle! people saying that army is split. people talking of coup. unconfirmed. we need army on our side. ppl (protesters against coup) are on strike, with black clothes today. mourning for what is happening in Iran. Photos by Flickr users iran09 and Hamed Saber
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POPSFascism at Home Means Fascism Abroad Shame on all those media outlets that have been complicit in this dirty lie all last week. And shame also on our pathetic secretary of state, who said that she hoped that “the genuine will and desire” of the people of Iran would be reflected in the outcome. Surely she knows that any such contingency was deliberately forestalled to begin with. Earlier this year, I spent a week with Hitchens in Lebanon, and at one point he wandered off to attend a Hezbollah rally in the suburbs south of Beirut. I thought I had seen enough Hezbollah rallies over the last couple of years and could hardly stand the thought of sitting through yet another one of those bigoted scream fests. I wish now that I had gone, though, because Hitchens witnessed an alarming escalation.
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POPSTehran's Answer to Obama "In return for Obama agreeing to deal from a position of weakness, Iran will now deal with the United States from a position of strength" full read @ source---worth it.
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POPS Insurrection; Day Two Defrauded opposition candidate Mir Hussein Mousavi belongs to the establishment. The regime is coming apart and turning on itself. Even clerics are turning against the “Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenei. Grand Ayatollah Sanei in Iran has declared Ahmadinejad's presidency illegitimate and cooperating with his government against Islam. There are strong rumors that his house and office are surrounded by the police and his website is filtered. He had previously issued a fatwa, against rigging of the elections in any form or shape, calling it a mortal sin. Kevin Sullivan at RealClearWorld: What's emerging here could be interesting. Iran hawks prefer to label the Iranian police state as simply "The Mullahs," but the legitimate clerics in this dispute are the ones standing with Mir-Hossein Mousavi against ONE Mullah and his secular police apparatus. . . .
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POPS Do The Thought Experiment Merely to pose the question reveals its absurdity. The Arabs have demanded since 1948 that the Middle East be free of the taint of the Jew. The Arabs continue to boycott Israel despite agreements to do otherwise; the boycott has persisted despite the ups and downs of the "Peace Process." Despite President Obama's kind words and his adoption of the Arab perspective on the Middle East, the Saudis, our good friends, refuse to even consider opening an interest section in Tel Aviv. The more honest among the Arab or Muslim World, such as Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, proudly announce their genocidal intention to destroy Israel and kill Jews, quoting approvingly from the Koranic verses purporting to prove that Allah hates the Jews and that even the trees and stones will turn on the Jews come the end times. Judenrein German: free of Jews was a Nazi term - Judenfrei
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