Austin road sign warns motorists of zombies

BY DAN X. McGRAW / The Dallas Morning News
dmcgraw@dallasnews.com

An Austin road sign meant to warn motorists about road conditions instead read: "The end is near! Caution! Zombies ahead!"

Vandals broke off a lock on the sign in central Austin early Monday and then hacked into the computer to change the words, said Sara Hartley, a city spokeswoman.

When they were done, the sign read: “The end is near! Caution! Zombies ahead! Run for cold climate!”

Before leaving, the vandals reset the password so the city could not easily change the sign. The sign's humorous warning stayed up for several hours before the manufacturer of the computer could reset the password.

Austin officials aren’t taking the spoof lightly, noting it is a criminal act.

“The sign’s content was humorous, but the act of changing it wasn’t,” Hartley said.

Austin police are investigating the situation, and the vandals could face a Class C misdemeanor charge of tampering with a road sign, Hartley said.

It is the first time Hartley said she has had heard of the stunt.

Hope for Palestine

I received these from Jewish Voice for Peace along with a letter they plan to send to President Obama on February 23rd. I thought they were cool if not a little trite. But given that they are part of a campaign to press Obama to help negotiate a peace in Palestine I am going to stick with cool. If you would like information on JVP or access to the letter please see their website or just click on the poster.

http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/

Fate Of One Family Illustrates Gaza War's Ferocity

by Eric Westervelt

Morning Edition, January 27, 2009 · Senior U.N. officials and human rights activists are calling for an independent probe of alleged violations of the laws of warfare by Hamas militants and Israeli soldiers during the recent fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas is accused of using Palestinian civilians as human shields and indiscriminately targeting Israeli civilians. Israel is accused of using disproportionate force in civilian areas and failing to protect civilians — especially in the case of the Samouni family. At least 29 members of that extended family were killed by Israeli fire during the war.

Dazed and dirty, 9-year-old Abdullah Samouni walks around the ruined landscape of his Zeitoun neighborhood on the southern edge of Gaza City. Recorded readings of the Quran drift out from a makeshift mourning tent. Almost all of the homes and greenhouses that belonged to this large farming family have been flattened.

The piles of rubble evoke an earthquake — except for the thick tracks and tread marks in the dirt from Israeli tanks and armored bulldozers. Gaping holes scar the few Samouni homes that are still standing.

Abdullah says he and some 20 of his relatives hid in one bedroom of their house when Israeli ground forces swarmed into Zeitoun around 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 4. Abdullah says he remembers the red laser light from the soldiers' rifle sights darting around the dark room. One soldier, Abdullah says, asked his father to come forward.

"We were sitting in the bedroom, and the soldiers asked, 'Who is the owner of the house?' My dad went out with his hands up, and the Israeli soldier shot him immediately in the doorway," Abdullah recalls.

His father, 46-year-old Atiyeh, died instantly. One of Abdullah's brothers, 22-year-old Faraj Samouni, says he and others shouted "Children! Children!" in Hebrew as soldiers moved toward the bedroom, some firing their automatic rifles.

Witnesses say the survivors — some wounded — were eventually allowed to leave that house. Many fled to Wa'el al-Samouni's home nearby.

*******************

Medical Crews Unable To Reach Wounded

The Samounis' part of Zeitoun sits on slightly elevated farmland, key terrain for the Israeli army to control the southern approach to Gaza City. Witnesses say over the years militants have regularly launched rockets at Israel from the orange groves around the area.

But witnesses say there was little or no resistance here when the Israelis attacked. Evidence on the ground supports that: There are almost no casings from AK-47 rounds or remnants of rocket-propelled grenades — the main weapons of Hamas militants.

Witnesses in the area say Israeli soldiers knew there were wounded civilians in the Samouni houses but ignored pleas for help. Attempts to contact Palestinian emergency services proved fruitless.

*******************

Violations Of Rules Of War On Both Sides

Attorney Jonathan Drimmer is a war-crimes expert and former top prosecutor for special investigations and war crimes in the U.S. Justice Department.

"You must permit the treatment of civilians who are injured or even noncombatants who are injured. You must permit them medical care," he says.

Drimmer says information available so far suggests that serious violations of the rules of war were committed by both sides. The case against Hamas, Drimmer says, seems clear-cut.

"I think there is no question that Hamas did violate the rules of war by firing indiscriminately into civilian areas. They've done it over a substantial period of time, deliberately targeting civilian areas," he says.

Drimmer says the allegations against Israel — including charges the army used disproportionate force, failed to protect civilians and denied them medical care — all warrant further investigation.

"Anytime you have allegations of summary executions, of denial of medical care, of unnecessary deaths of civilians, it is greatly troubling; it is exactly what the laws of war are designed to prohibit," he says.

excerpted from NPR.org

Listen to the whole story here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99889479

I know we are tired of hearing about Gaza, but it seems pretty clear to me that Israeli troops have committed serious violations of the rules war and international laws protecting civilians in war. That Hamas did is obvious. There is no question that shooting rockets into civilians areas is a violation, a war crime. But when a state's forces shoot unarmed civilians at point blank range and deny medical crews access to injured civilians that too is a clear violation. War is messy, and security is hard to ensure in conflict zones. But this is appaling. We are not talking about just artillery shells falling in civilian areas. This is intentional deprivation of aid, and shooting unarmed people when there is no immediate risk to soldiers' lives. This is war crime, and it should be punished. Israeli military leaders should stand in an international court, as should Hamas militants.

Obama on the Economy

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

So far so good, on both rhetoric and actions. Could the steps be bolder? I would like to say yes, but so far in his executive orders from Gitmo to the environment, I think he is doing everything he can in a realistic sense. If the administration can keep this up, they just might be able to begin to steer this nation back on course as a leader in the world and being on the forefront of important issues. USA! USA! USA! :-)

Last Tamil Tiger bastion 'taken'

Sri Lankan troops have captured the last Tamil Tiger rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu in the north-east of the island, the country's army chief says.

On Sri Lankan TV, Lt Gen Sarath Fonsek said troops had "completely captured" Mullaitivu after a month of fighting.

There has been no comment from the Tamil Tigers, who have suffered a series of reverses in recent months.

The government has vowed to crush the rebels, who have been fighting for a separate homeland for 25 years.

At least 70,000 people have been killed during the insurgency.

Stall tactics

Announcing the capture of Mullaitivu, the general said victory in the area would render the conflict with the Tigers "95% over", the Associated Press reported.

"We have completely captured Mullaitivu," he said.

Earlier, a government spokesman said troops from the 59th division had entered Mullaitivu and that it was "a matter of time before they take full control of the area".

Tamil Tiger rebels blasted through the walls of a reservoir on Saturday in an attempt to stall the advancing troops, the military said.

There is no way of confirming any of the claims as independent journalists are barred from conflict zone.

The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan in Colombo says the fall of the last main town under the Tigers' control would deprive the group of a crucial military base.

The government has won a string of military victories in recent months, including the capture of the rebels' de facto capital of Kilinochchi, cornering the rebels into a tiny pocket of territory in the island's north-east.

However, even with its strong advances, the rebels have shown on many occasions their capacity to fight a guerrilla war operating from secret jungle bases.

It is not clear what has happened to the residents of Mullaitivu.

Earlier this week the military said it had designated a safe zone for civilians as it pushed ahead with its offensive in the area.

But as the fighting intensifies, aid agencies have expressed growing concern for the safety of 250,000 civilians reportedly trapped inside the conflict zones.

Many Tamils warn that the capture of territory from the rebels alone will not end the ethnic conflict and that they need a political solution for a lasting peace, our correspondent says.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7849684.stm

UN 'shocked' by Gaza destruction

The UN has said at least 50,000 Gazans are now homeless

The UN's humanitarian chief has told the BBC the situation in Gaza after a three-week Israeli offensive against Hamas was worse than he anticipated.

Sir John Holmes, who visited Gaza on Thursday, said he was shocked by "the systematic nature of the destruction".

He said that the territory's economic activity had been set back by years.

Meanwhile, Israeli PM Ehud Olmert is reported to have placed his justice minister in charge of defending Israel against any accusations of war crimes.

Daniel Friedman will lead an inter-ministerial team to co-ordinate a legal defence for Israeli civilians and the military, a government source was quoted by AFP as saying.

Richard Falk - the UN special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories - has said there was "a prima facie case" that Israel gravely breached the Geneva Conventions during its 22-day campaign.

Israel responded by saying that Mr Falk's "bias against Israel was well known".

Future of Gaza

Mr Holmes, the top UN official responsible for emergency relief and humanitarian affairs, said the scale of destruction would have "disturbing" repercussions for the people of Gaza.

CONFLICT IN FIGURES More than 1,300 Palestinians killed Thirteen Israelis killed More than 4,000 buildings destroyed in Gaza, more than 20,000 severely damaged 50,000 Gazans homeless and 400,000 without running water Bowen diary: Rafah rebuilds Special report: Gaza conflict Who are Hamas? Middle East conflict: History in maps

In an interview with the BBC's Today Programme, he described an industrial area where every building within a square kilometre had been levelled, by bulldozers and shells.

He told of broken pipes pumping out raw sewage onto the streets.

"I'm sure the Israelis would say that's because there were people there firing shells and rockets from there, or perhaps manufacturing them.

"But the nature of that destruction means that any kind of private economic activity in Gaza is set back by years or decades," he said.

"That's very disturbing for the future of Gaza, for the future of the people of Gaza, who are forced to fall back on the public sector and indeed on Hamas, who control the public sector."

Israel said it launched its offensive to stop cross-border rocket attacks by militants in Gaza against its civilians.

The intense fighting ended on Sunday, with both sides declaring a ceasefire.

Palestinian medical officials said about 1,300 Palestinians were killed and thousands more were injured. Thirteen Israelis died during the conflict.

from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7846625.stm

If Israel wants to show the world that it is committed to a sustainable peace rather than to just pounding on the Palestinians, it needs to make immediate moves to help rebuild Gaza, support the PA, and compensate people whose homes have been destroyed and families killed by its incursion. If it neglects to make serious efforts to improve the conditions of Gazans, it will be right back here again and the whole scenario will be repeated. I hope that they will make that effort, but I fear that the same old politics will be in play. Israel is raising its hackles against international criticism and shifting blame. It has already started criticizing the UN Human Rights rapporteur as being biased against Israel, which seems to be in line with its typical defensive posture. Criticism against Israel, in its mind, seems to be not based on its actions but its identity, and I find that position counterproductive and sad. Ugh.

The Day I've Waited 8 Years for...

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Barack Obama was poised to make history on Tuesday as the first black U.S. president, riding a wave of public optimism he will need to tap to deal with the worst economic crisis in 70 years and two wars.

As dawn broke, thousands of people, bundled up against the cold, made their way through the city's darkened streets toward the national Mall, where they will watch Obama take the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol at noon.

Some estimates put the number of people expected to pack the Mall and inaugural parade route at more than 2 million after they clogged the city's metro rail system and thronged the security check-points in a mood of excitement.

Yes, I am happy and proud of my country that Barak Obama will be inaugurated as the 44th US president and the first black American to hold the office. It is truly a historic event, and one that the USPS will probably use as a holiday in the future.

But what I am celebrating today even more than Obama's inauguration is the end of the Bush administration. At noon today the gaggle of fucktards that have run this country for the last 8 years will formally give up their positions of power (I hope). And that is a cause to celebrate. It is certainly hard to know how Obama will fair as president, and I can understand to some degree the anxiety many hard core conservatives must have. He will probably make some good decisions as well as some serious errors. It will certainly be a daunting challenge for him to live up to the image and expectations that have been crafted. But at the very, very least we will finally have an administration that does not show contempt and disdain for the Constitution, the rule of law, and the American people and one that actually applies reason, logic, and inquiry to governance rather than strict ideology. Hurray for thinking! Hurray for science! Hurray to the end of the Bush administration!

Now, let's get on with the indictments! Cheney, you first.

Kucinich Introduce Ceasefire Resolution

On January 15th Dennis Kucinich (no surprise) introduced House Resolution 66 to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. I urge all of you to contact your representatives and senators to ask them to support the measure. It is certainly just a symbolic act, but I believe it is important to signal to world as well as to Israel that, while the US fully supports Israel's (or any country's) right to self defense, the incursion into Gaza has exceeded any legitimate self defense actions and has produced unacceptable civilian casualties. Notice that the resolution calls upon both Hamas and Israel to ceasefire.

The text of the resolution is included below.

Mr. KUCINICH (for himself, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. RAHALL, Ms. WATSON, and Ms. WOOLSEY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

---

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Whereas over 95 percent of the deaths incurred since the escalation of violence in Gaza beginning December 27, 2008, have been Palestinians;

Whereas over 50 percent of the population of Gaza is under the age of 14;

Whereas on January 7, 2009, the United Nations found that over one-third of the Palestinians killed in Gaza were civilians, while over 1,300 of the injured are children;

Whereas on January 6, 2009, 40 civilians were killed and 55 civilians were injured when the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) bombed two United Nations facilities, including a school, where Palestinians were seeking shelter;

Whereas nearly the entire population of Gaza has no access to potable water or functioning water systems, and sewage and wastewater systems have seized due to lack of water and electricity, causing sewage overflows in some residential neighborhoods, creating a public health crisis, according to the World Bank;

Whereas reports indicate that since the beginning of the Israeli imposed blockade in February 2006, approximately 200 Palestinians in Gaza have died due to lack of access to medical goods and aid;

Whereas on January 7 and 8, 2009, the International Committee of the Red Cross found a total of up to 65 bodies in two separate locations, both of which included a number of emaciated children, in houses bombed in the south of Gaza after four days of lack of ambulance access;

Whereas the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and the International Committee of the Red Cross were temporarily forced to halt all aid shipments, following the death of two United Nations aid truck drivers; and

Whereas Articles 55 and 56 of the 4th Geneva Convention require `ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population' and `ensuring and maintaining . . . the medical and hospital establishments and services, public health and hygiene': Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives calls on the Government of Israel and representatives of Hamas to implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and to allow unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza.

Links to NC senators and representatives sites can be found here:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NC
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Fault-line between Jews over Gaza

By Robert Pigott
BBC Religious Affairs Correspondent

As the bloodshed has continued in Gaza, public opinion in Israel has remained firmly supportive of the offensive against Hamas.

But the harrowing pictures of the aftermath of the conflict have raised a clamour of criticism elsewhere in the world and divided Jewish opinion overseas.

On Thursday, the Council of Jewish Communities in Morocco declared itself "in solidarity with the innocent victims who are suffering in Gaza".

It described the residents of Gaza as "sitting targets... suffering under the bombs, the widespread destruction, the lack of food and water..." and added: "The pictures of Palestinian children torn from life are unbearable."

The director of the Foundation of Judeo-Moroccan Cultural Heritage, Simon Levy, described the killing in Gaza as unjustified and "more than deplorable".

"It is not like that, that I see Judaism," he said.

'Exploiting guilt'

The idea that the assault in Gaza is tarnishing the image of Judaism internationally has been echoed by Jewish protesters in non-Arab countries.

Last week, a group of eight Canadian-Jewish women occupied the Israeli consulate in Toronto.

One of the organisers Judy Rebick, a lecturer at Ryerson University, said: "There are many Jews across the world who are ashamed and don't want this massacre to take place in our name."

My grandmother did not die to provide cover for Israeli soldiers murdering Palestinian grandmothers in Gaza Sir Gerald Kaufman

The following day there were similar protests by Jewish women in Montreal and Boston.

Some of the strongest language elsewhere has come from British Jews, notably Gerald Kaufman - a leading figure in the Labour Party.

He accused Israel of exploiting the guilt felt by non-Jews in order to continue its offensive in Gaza.

Sir Gerald, who has been a stern critic of Israel in recent years, said: "The present Israeli government ruthless and cynically exploits the continuing guilt from Gentiles over the slaughter of Jews in the Holocaust as justification for their murder of Palestinians."

In a speech in the House of Commons, Sir Gerald recalled how his grandmother was shot by invading German troops as she lay ill in bed.

In a stinging rebuke, he said: "My grandmother did not die to provide cover for Israeli soldiers murdering Palestinian grandmothers in Gaza."

'Inexcusable'

Sir Gerald's remarks have drawn a sharp response from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which insisted that while there was rightly a large spectrum of opinion within the British Jewish community, the "overwhelming majority" agreed that "Israel has been subjected to the most deplorable attacks from Hamas over the last eight years and that a response was necessary".

Mark Frazer, of the board's defence and group relations division, said: "The Holocaust reference is used because of the horrific images and experiences it conjures up for the Jewish community.

Protests backing Israel have also been held across the UK

"Jews such as Gerald Kaufman feel that because of their Jewish identity they have the right to berate Israel and her supporters with this comparison without any concern for the truth.

"It is quite simply inexcusable."

However, Sir Gerald is by no means alone in stern criticism of Israel's action.

In a letter to the Guardian last week, a group of 78 people describing themselves as being "of Jewish origin" spoke of "Israeli aggression," likening it to apartheid South Africa and calling for "a programme of boycott, disinvestment and sanctions".

Liberal synagogues

Something of a fault-line exists within the British Jewish population between "cultural" and "religiously observant" Jews.

Cultural Jews differ from others because they tend not to see religious observance, or even belief, as necessary to their status as Jews, or to the preservation of the Jewish community.

Critically, the two groups often disagree about Israel, and, moreover, how far loyalty towards Israel should prevent British Jews from criticising the country.

However, in this case, religious leaders - albeit of liberal synagogues - have joined the outcry.

In a letter to The Spectator magazine, Rabbi Tony Bayfield, head of the Movement for Reform Judaism, and Rabbi Danny Rich, chief executive of Liberal Judaism - and a group of other prominent Jews - called for an immediate ceasefire and the permanent lifting of the blockade of Gaza.

Sir Gerald Kaufman has been highly critical of Israel's actions

They expressed their "horror" at the loss of life on both sides, but said their intervention was based specifically on their concern for Israel's welfare.

They said "Israel had a right to respond" to the rocket attacks, but the "continued military offensive could strengthen extremists... exacerbate tensions inside Israel with its one million Arab citizens and... threaten to undermine international support for Israel".

As recent demonstrations in London and elsewhere have shown, what happens in the Middle East raises powerful emotions among ordinary people.

They are clearly matched by the passions aroused among Jews around the world.

I thought this was an interesting piece. It is important to remember that in any group there are a variety of opinions and perspectives. Jews are not a monolithic group and their opinions on the Gaza crisis and Israeli-Palestinian relations vary tremendously. One of my favorite human rights groups devoted to this issue is Jewish Voice for Peace, so I'll just give them a shout out here. Check their website for more info: http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/

Peru court backs drunken worker

By Dan Collyns
BBC News, Lima

Peru's highest court has ruled that employees cannot be fired for turning up to work drunk.

The Peruvian government has criticised the constitutional tribunal's ruling as setting a dangerous legal precedent.

According to the judgement, sacking a worker because he is drunk is disproportionate and unreasonable.

The court said a caretaker employed by a local authority in a suburb of Lima should be reinstated after being sacked for turning up to work drunk.

According to the seven judges who make up Peru's highest judicial authority, the sacking of Pablo Cayo was excessive because he had not been violent or rude and had carried out his work as usual.

The judgment, although non-binding, has prompted debate amongst lawyers and dismay for the government.

Peru's Labour Minister, Jorge Villasante, criticised the ruling saying it could set a bad example for other workers while some lawyers have pointed out it goes against a Peruvian law prohibiting drunkenness in the workplace.

But one of the judges in the case, Fernando Calle, said the court would not revise its decision and that the caretaker, who was sacked almost five years ago, had the right to due process.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7832388.stm

Miliband regrets 'war on terror'

The idea of a "war on terror" is a "mistake", putting too much emphasis on military force, Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said.

Writing in the Guardian, Mr Miliband said the idea had unified disparate "terrorist groups" against the West.

He said the right response to the threat was to champion law and human rights - not subordinate it.

Mr Miliband is due to repeat the views in a speech later in Mumbai, India, the scene of attacks by gunmen last year.

Mr Miliband's warning comes five days before the end of US President George Bush's administration, which has led the so-called "war on terror".

The foreign secretary wrote that since 9/11 the phrase "war on terror" had "defined the terrain" when it came to tackling terrorism and that although it had merit, "ultimately, the notion is misleading and mistaken".

The phrase was first used by President Bush in an address to a joint session of Congress on 20 September 2001, in the aftermath of the attacks on New York and Washington.

Mr Miliband wrote that the phrase was all-encompassing and "gave the impression of a unified, transnational enemy, embodied in the figure of Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda" when the situation was far more complex.

Calling for groups to be treated as separate entities with differing motivations, he wrote that it was not a "simple binary struggle between moderates and extremists, or good and evil" and treating them as such was a mistake.

"Historians will judge whether [the notion] has done more harm than good", he said.

The phrase, informally dropped from use by the UK government several years ago, "implied a belief that the correct response to the terrorist threat was primarily a military one - to track down and kill a hardcore of extremists", he wrote.

But the stance he now promoted was international "co-operation".

Highlighting US President-elect Barack Obama's commitment to close the Guantanamo Bay detention centre, Mr Miliband said it was time to ensure human rights and civil liberties were upheld.

He suggested that the different organisations took advantage of the belief that they had one common enemy and a key way to tackle them was to stop this.

"Terrorism is a deadly tactic, not an institution or an ideology."

He is due to repeat his words in a speech later at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, in Mumbai, India, the scene of attacks by gunmen last November.

He is in the country in an attempt to mediate tensions between India and Pakistan over the attacks which killed 179 people.

He urged Pakistan's government to take "urgent and effective action to break up terror networks on its soil" and called for a resolution over the disputed region of Kashmir.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7829946.stm

Politics Of Gaza Crisis May Undercut Abbas

Listen Here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99260606

Morning Edition, January 13, 2009 · Among the many losers in the war in Gaza may be Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement.

At the start of Israel's offensive, Abbas said that Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, was at least partly to blame for the conflict because it had provoked Israel with its rocket fire.

Abbas has since toughened his criticism of Israel. But he seems to have misread popular Palestinian sentiment on the war.

While there have been massive demonstrations against Israel's assault on Gaza across the globe, similar protests have been largely suppressed in the occupied West Bank, which is run by Abbas and Fatah.

When demonstrators left a mosque in downtown Ramallah on Jan. 9, parking attendant Abdul Hakim Nakhleh watched as helmeted Palestinian police beat the largely peaceful protesters.

"People were chanting, not knowing that they would be beaten and tear-gassed," he says. "Even women were beaten by women police."

The demonstration had started out in support of the people of Gaza but turned into a protest against Abbas. The 43-year-old Nahkleh says he once voted for Abbas but will vote for Hamas from now on.

After a year of failed peace talks, Abbas is hard-pressed to convince Palestinians in the West Bank that moderation pays.

Jeweler Murad Odeh says he thinks Abbas, who is also known as Abu Mazen, will be in trouble in the next elections.

"Abu Mazen keeps talking about peace, but we haven't seen anything," Odeh says. "Despite Israel's promises to withdraw, there are still more than 600 Israeli roadblocks. They continue expanding their settlements on our land. At any time, the Israeli army can come here and arrest people. People here do not feel secure."

Abbas has clamped down on Hamas in the West Bank as he pursued peace talks with Israel — but those negotiations have stalled.

And his legitimacy is in question for another reason: His four-year term as president ended Jan. 9. His aides say legislation gives him another year. Hamas rejects this. Bitter jokes now circulate — one text message calls Abbas a "U.S.-made product" whose date has expired.

Ayman Daraghmeh, a Hamas-affiliated member of Parliament, believes Abbas has made serious mistakes in recent weeks, reinforcing the growing perception that he is a pawn of Israel and the U.S.

But however much Hamas might have gained, Daraghmeh says, the continuing split between Palestinians must be resolved so there can be new elections.

"After this crisis ends, I think people will have to sit together to end this split between Gaza and the West Bank," he says.

Daraghmeh warns that if the two sides can't work together and there is no progress in real peace talks, there could be more violence.

"People will sometimes explode suddenly … without permission from the Palestinian leadership," he says.

Abdullah Abdullah, a senior Fatah official, also hopes that the crisis in Gaza will somehow force the Palestinians to resolve their differences. He says the international community is as much to blame for the split as the Palestinians themselves.

"If the peace process were progressing normally, Hamas wouldn't be there. Extremism comes to fill a vacuum that was created by those who are not serious about peace," he says.

While loath to acknowledge that Abbas has lost ground, Abdullah does say the security forces in the West Bank have gone too far to suppress Hamas supporters.

"We don't accept them arresting any demonstrator. … It has stopped. We intervened strongly, and it has stopped," he says.

This may be too little, too late. It remains to be seen Friday — when more demonstrations are expected — whether, indeed, the Fatah-led government will allow them.

(Because of intense interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, NPR makes available free transcripts of its coverage. View the free transcript of this story.)

by Anne Garrels

'More than 1,000 killed in Gaza'

Palestinian deaths in the Gaza Strip have passed 1,000, medical sources in Gaza say, as diplomatic efforts continue to reach a ceasefire.

Nearly a third of the dead are reported to be children and nearly 5,000 people have been injured.

*************************

Claims have been received by the BBC and an Israeli human rights group that Israeli troops have fired on Gaza residents trying to escape the conflict area. Israel has strongly denied the allegations.

BBC journalists in Gaza and Israel have compiled detailed accounts of the claims.

Some Palestinian civilians in Gaza say Israeli forces shot at them as they tried to leave their homes - in some cases bearing white flags.

One testimony heard by the BBC and human rights group B'tselem describes Israeli forces shooting a woman in the head after she stepped out of her house carrying a piece of white cloth, in response to an Israeli loudhailer announcement.

The Israeli military has dismissed the report as "without foundation".

The BBC has spoken to members of another family who say they are trapped in their home by fighting and have been shot at when they tried to leave to replenish dwindling water and food supplies, even during the three-hour humanitarian lull.

Israel is denying access to Gaza for international journalists and human rights monitors, so it is not possible to verify the accounts.

B'tselem said it had been unable to corroborate the testimony it had received, but felt it should be made public.

Both articles excerpted from BBC.co.uk.

That about sums it up. I asked two weeks ago at the beginning of the ivasion at what point the Palestinian death toll would outstrip Israel's justifications to prosecute a war in Gaza. So far we have no answer. 1000 Palestinians have died. Somewhere around 300 of those are children and some 500-600 are civilians. So I really wonder at what price to Palestinians Israel is willing to contibute the campaign. Hamas will fight to the end, they are plain and simple terrorists, so it is pretty obvious that they have little interest in stopping and exhibit little care for civilians. But what of Israel? It is a supposed to be a civilized, democratic, developed state. But so far it seems to be behaving with the same depraved indifference as its enemies. And that is what is really sad. Is the fight worth it if a state has to lower itself to the point of becoming a terrorist, to committing war crimes, and killing hundreds of children in order crush its enemies?

We all know Hamas is a terrorist organization. But how many civilian deaths have to occur as a direct result of Israel's counterinsurgency tactics before Israel becomes a terrorist state?

As a last note, everyone should always be suspicious when a government bans foreign journalists from reporting from the war zone. Journalists know the risks, so it is not really about their safety. At least from what I have read governments make those decisions when they are doing something untoward....or really bad.

A Brief, Sad news update from Gaza

From the AP:

Israeli ground troops battled Palestinian militants in the streets of a densely populated Gaza City neighborhood early Tuesday, destroying dozens of homes and sending terrified residents running for cover as gunfire and explosions echoed in the distance.

Israel's push into Tel Hawwa neighborhood was the farthest it has moved into Gaza City during its 18-day offensive against Hamas militants, and brought Israel's ground forces within a mile of the crowded city center. Palestinian hospital officials say more than 900 Palestinians, half of them civilians, have been killed.

By IBRAHIM BARZAK and JOSEF FEDERMAN


From the BBC:

Palestinian medical sources say 920 people have been killed in Gaza so far, of whom 292 were children and 75 were women. Israeli officials say 13 Israelis, including three civilians, have been killed.

Really, really sad. According to numbers from aid groups on the ground nearly 40% of the casualties in Gaza are women and children. Regardless of who is right or wrong in the larger sense, regardless of any personal biases, Israel and Hamas's actions BOTH violate international humanitarian law. BOTH sides are targeting civilian areas. International law and the laws of war as defined in the Geneva Convention (1949 and 1977) are quite clear that bombing heavily populated civilian areas is a war crime. Very sad.

To be fair, Israel is probably not directly targeting civilians the way Hamas is, but is depraved indifference or negligence much better? Especially when the civilian casualty ratio is so staggering. At best, just assuming children are verifiably civilians, 100 Palestinian children have died for every 1 Israeli civilian. Qs a contrast, during the US invasion of Baghdad the child casualty rate was less than 5%; in Israel it is currently 34%. That is fuckng staggering. And inexecusable.

Thousands Attend Pro-Israel Peace Rally

Thousands of pro-Israel supporters have gathered in London's Trafalgar Square to call for an end to the violence in the Middle East.

Organisers said they wanted people in Gaza and Israel to live in peace, but argued that Palestinians must accept some responsibility for the conflict.

Demonstrators told the BBC they felt the rocket hits and losses Israel had suffered had been downplayed.

Chief Rabbi Dr Sir Jonathan Sacks said he wanted Hamas to "say yes to peace".

About 850 Gazans and 13 Israelis have reportedly died in 16 days of fighting.

They said the number of Israeli deaths should not be considered disproportionate to the number of Palestinian deaths, because Israelis were lucky and escaped their houses before they were hit by Palestinian rockets.

The BBC's Raffi Berg, who was at the rally, said there was a festival atmosphere as people cheered and applauded a succession of speakers who called for peace for Israel and the Palestinians.

However, an address by Rabbi Sacks was briefly interrupted when a protester, yelling through a loud-hailer, jumped into a fountain and scuffled with security officials in the icy water before being dragged out.

Police said they estimated 4,000 people are at the event in central London. Organisers say 15,000 people have turned up.

It was the first major rally organised by the Jewish community in the UK over Israel's offensive against Palestinian militants in Gaza.

It comes after prominent British Jews wrote an open letter calling on Israel to halt operations in Gaza.

We look upon the increasing loss of life on both sides of the Gaza conflict with horror Letter by prominent British Jews

Rabbi Sacks told the crowd: "All it took to avoid this suffering was for Hamas to stop firing rockets on Israeli citizens.

"Let a voice go out today from here in Trafalgar Square, and other gatherings being held, that we want peace."

"We say to those who criticise Israel: You want Palestinian children to grow up with hope, so do we.

"You want Palestinians to be able to live with dignity, so do we."

He said the day would come when Israelis and Palestinians would live together in peace.

"It could be hundred years away, or it could be today, it is up to Hamas and the people that give them arms, for the sake of Israeli children and the Palestinian children, we say, let it be today."

'Human shields'

Henry Grunwald, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, addressed the crowd saying: "We are here because we believe in peace, because we believe in life, and because we want peace in life.

"The events of the past two weeks have not been a war on the people of Gaza but war on the people using them as human shields."

A small group of pro-Palestinian protesters - estimated by police to number between 80 and 100 - were being kept separate from the main body of the rally by mounted police.

Another pro-Israel peace rally is also being held in Manchester.

Meanwhile the letter, published in the Observer, warns the military action, far from improving security, will strengthen extremism and destabilise the region.

Prominent rabbis, academics and political figures supported the open letter.

Some pro-Palestinian protesters attended the mainly peaceful rally

They write: "We look upon the increasing loss of life on both sides of the Gaza conflict with horror.

"We have no doubt that rocket attacks into southern Israel, by Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups, are war crimes against Israel.

"No sovereign state should, or would, tolerate continued attacks and the deliberate targeting of civilians.

"Israel had a right to respond however, we believe that now only negotiations can secure long-term security for Israel and the region."

Confrontations

On Saturday thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through London to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The protest started peacefully but there were confrontations as police tried to move demonstrators away from the gates of the Israeli embassy.

Protests also took place in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Belfast, Newcastle and Southampton.

from:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7822656.stm

I was a little skeptical about this story at first, but in the end I appreciate the sentiment of the protesters. We should certainly not forget Hamas' role in all of this, and yes, Palestinians should accept some responsibility. So kudos to the group at least for its overall spirit and intent. That said, I do disagree with a couple of things.

The idea that Palestinian causalities should not be considered disproportionate because Israelis were lucky and escaped to bomb shelters really irks me. I have heard this argument from colleagues who took the "Birthright" trip to Israel. It seems like a common argument Israelis like to make. And there is some intuitive truth to it. I mean, if Hamas could they would kill many more Israelis, and it is only the combination of their poor weapons technology and the organization and capacity of the Israel government (in terms of bomb shelters and warning systems) that keep casualties low. Still, the argument is a bit spurious and misleading. Israel knows that Palestinians don't have access to bomb shelters. And the government of Gaza can hardly be expected to provide them when it can't even get basic medical supplies, food, or water to its people. The casualties are disproportionate because Israel is a much stronger nations with much greater firepower. And while they are typically not targeting civilians specifically the way Hamas does, their actions would be the legal equivalent to depraved indifference in most cases.

The second thing is that average Palestinians deserve any blame. Hamas militants and activists deserve blame, sure. But ordinary Palestinians? Not anymore than average Israelis deserve blame for the actions of their government, and maybe less so. Israel is a developed democracy, and if its people support the actions of hard line politicians by voting them into office it confers a degree of responsibility on the citizens. This argument was used against Palestinians by both the US and Israel when they voted Hamas into office. The argument was basically that by supporting Hamas Palestinians supported radicalism and should pay a price. And the US and Israel took measures to undermine the elected government, including a series of sanctions that led up to a nearly complete embargo of the Strip. But that was two years ago and Hamas has since lost much of its popular support. Recent public opinions polls show Hamas with declining popular support and it would have been unlikely to win any national election in the months before the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

So which group holds more sway over its government and thus their actions? Arguable neither in a lot of ways. It kind of depends on your belief in the ability of citizens in a democracy to influence policy. But if we have to compare, the nature of the systems suggests that Palestinians have much less sway over their leaders than do Israelis. So again, if blame should be conferred on the populations (and I am not saying it should), it would seem that Israelis should bear the brunt of it. Israelis can pressure their government to make concessions or to continue to bomb civilian areas. Palestinians can protest Hamas, and they sometimes do, but Hamas is more likely to quash dissent and excute "collaborators" than listen to protest. So, what say do average Gazans actually have? Israel wants the people to resist Hamas, but I don't see how they can.

As a side note, I came across this article from the BBC from earlier this week. It discusses the issue of who is a civilian in Gaza what constitutes a violation of international law and the Geneva Convention (to which Israel is not a signatory but oddly the PLO executive committee is. Hamas, of course, is not.).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7811386.stm

The unmeasurable price of war

By Paul Martin
BBC News

My close friend Ashraf and I have worked, eaten, discussed... even disagreed, through so many broadcasting assignments - some under intense pressure as Palestinian gunmen in Gaza fight Israel, or each other.

The Israeli attack on Gaza began on 27 December 2008

On the sixth day of this current war I could not get hold of Ashraf on the mobile phone.

Later, in tears, he told me why. His youngest brother Mahmoud, aged 12, and his 14-year-old cousin, were told it was too dangerous outside Ashraf's family home in the deserted side streets. So the children played innocently on the family home's flat roof.

Then an unmanned Israeli aircraft fired two small rockets.

Ashraf rushed upstairs and took the boys to hospital, but it was hopeless. They were buried the same day.

I have also met killers - people who have destroyed innocents like Israeli Ella or Palestinian Mahmoud

Just the latest in a series of disasters for Mahmoud and Ashraf's very dignified father, a medical doctor. He had been turned into a refugee by the 1948 war.

A year ago he lost one son, my marvellous and irrepressible cameraman Ahmed, in a car crash. And now his youngest boy, Mahmoud.

Macabre scene

Was there any reason for the rocket strike?

Possibly. The Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle may have relayed back live pictures not showing children but just some fuzzy figures moving on a rooftop. How clear the aircraft's picture of Ashraf's rooftop was, is going to be the subject of an inquiry, the Israelis have promised.

Also, Ashraf's home was close to one of the city's security headquarters.

In June 2007 I had watched - sheltering under large slabs of meat dangling in a butcher's shop - as the building was seized by Hamas forces.

I have seen civilians on the Israeli side die too, blown to bits in suicide bombings. Eleven dead - including a whole family of six in a Jerusalem side street - bits of body splattered on the walls.

There was a macabre scene in 2001 at a beachside hotel in Netanya. Knives and forks hanging embedded in the high ceiling of a dining room, where 30 elderly men and women had gathered for a festival meal, all now dead.

I sometimes lie awake and wonder, when I saw our target was close to civilians, whether I was right not to fire. Maybe I let him live and tomorrow he will kill more of our civilians Uri, Israeli pilot

And in the Israeli town of Sderot over two years ago, I met an ambulance driver who had raced to the scene of a rocket attack that flattened a house near the Gaza border.

He found his own grandson, one-year-old Osher, lying with his left eye dangling out and his head split open. Doctors saved his life.

Then in a side street in Sderot there is a small bench, painted with red and blue flowers at the spot where 17-year-old Ella, a talented musician, was walking when a rocket hit and killed her.

Compulsion to kill

I have also met killers - people who have destroyed innocents like Israeli Ella or Palestinian Mahmoud. They have their explanations. Some months ago, I went with a Palestinian rocket-firing brigade keen to dispatch their weaponry into the heart of an Israeli town (Sderot itself actually).

Twenty-four-year-old Mohammed (on his first rocket-firing mission) said Israeli men, women and children would one day end up fighters. "So let's kill them first," he said.

Missiles have exploded near the homes of 90% of Sderot's residents

Months later I met him in a Gaza street. He had decided to retire from rocket-firing and return to computer programming.

Hamas's prime minister has an American-educated adviser, who once told me on camera: "Our rockets are not lethal enough yet but one day, God willing, they will be."

I also met two Israeli pilots from the Cobra brigade, their twisted snakes emblazoned on the sides of their one-man helicopters, each bristling with rocket launchers and a machine gun.

One pilot, Uri, pulled down his dark-glasses visor, then whipped out a Hebrew newspaper clipping with photos of a boy and his grandfather.

They died, he said, when this man was picking up this kid from the nursery school. Uri was taking off, aiming to kill what he defined as terrorists. "I always carry these photos with me on a mission," he explained, "to remind me that when I hunt down a terrorist I am protecting people like these."

Did he sleep easy at night? I asked him.

There was a long pause. "No," he said, "I sometimes lie awake and wonder, when I saw our target was close to civilians, whether I was right not to fire. Maybe I let him live and tomorrow he will kill more of our civilians."

From neither the Israeli nor the Palestinian fighting men could I detect much empathy for the innocent.

from BBC.co.uk

I posted this since Beck wanted a little more balance on the blog. I think the article sums up sentiment on both sides pretty well. Neither Hamas gunmen nor Israeli fighters have much "empathy for the Innocent", at least so this reported would seem to describe it. And that sounds about right. Both sides are sure that what they are doing serves some greater good, either protecting the people they love from terrorists or liberating people they love from oppression. The details and debates over ideology are pointless at this moment, however, when people on both sides are dying. Granted at the moment many, many times more Palestinians are dying than Israelis, and this is par for the course (B'tselem has great statistics in great detail for any one interested). But again, debating who is more guilty is probably not getting anyone any where. We have been at this impasse for 40 years. This situation is completely untenable and unsustainable, as it has been for years. If we want balance and any sort of justice the US must start playing an active and more objective role in peace making. It can't give Israel a blank pass and only attempt to temper its actions once hundred of people have died. Israel has to stop building settlements. Full stop. It has to reduce its checkpoints. And there has to be a legit plan and time line for a two state solution. PA leaders have to take a more active role (though this is contingent on how much the US and Israel work with them rather than undermine them). And they have to make tough concessions. The right of return, as much as I am for it, will not be a negotiating point because Israel will never give in. At best, Palestinians might get some manner of compensation. That might be negotiable. But return for 10000s of Palestinians who fled 60 or 40 years ago is not going to happen, and pressing for it unconditionally will only prevent any real settlement. Israel will have to absorb attacks and stay its hand rather than retaliate. Hamas, IJ, and other groups will try to derail any process, but smacking down the whole of the population for the actions of extremists will not produce any results. They hold most of the cards, so the onus is on them to make the peace. The average Israeli has much more input and sway in their government than does the average Palestinian, so it seem like there is where the peace has to originate.

Israel 'shelled civilian shelter'

Israeli forces shelled a house in the Gaza Strip which they had moved around 110 Palestinians into 24 hours earlier, the UN quotes witnesses as saying.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) called it "one of the gravest incidents" since the beginning of the offensive.

The shelling at Zeitoun, a south-east suburb of Gaza City, on 5 January killed some 30 people, the report said.

Israel says it has looked into the allegations and they are unfounded.

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said no Israeli soldiers had been in the area on the day the incident was supposed to have happened.

*****

An estimated 770 Palestinians and 14 Israelis have died in nearly two weeks of Israel's air and ground offensive against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

excerpted from the BBC.

I hate to beat a dead horse so to speak, but regardless of one's ideological position on this issue or distaste for Hamas, this constitutes a war crime. Come on! This is disgusting. Blame Hamas all you like but when Israel, or any country or non-state actor, shells UN positions, kills aid workers, and then shells a civilian shelter THAT THEY PUT PEOPLE INTO it is an unconcionable act that defies international law and basic respect for human life. How can this go on? How can the US not put pressure on Israel to stop the killing? This depresses to me to no end. And it depresses me how many people, especially policy makers in this country, can keep beating the same tired drum that "the fault lies with Hamas" when Israel is carrying out specifc attacks on civilians again and again. At best Israel as just as guilty as Hamas at this point.

"Like A Toyota-thon of Human carnage"

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

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Barack Obama Interview
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Obama to star in Spider-Man comic

Warning: This story contains plot spoilers

The Spider-Man edition is likely to become a collectors' item Enlarge Image

US President-elect Barack Obama is to appear on the cover of a special edition of a Spider-Man comic.

A six-page story, with the superhero saving the day when an imposter tries to take Mr Obama's place as president, will hit shelves next Wednesday.

Marvel Comics editor Joe Quesada said the idea for edition came after Mr Obama admitted he was a Spider-Man fan.

"How great is that? The commander-in-chief to be is actually a nerd-in-chief," Mr Quesada said.

Mr Obama's fan status was revealed by his campaign team, who released 10 little-known facts about the Democrat.

"Right at the top of that list was he collected Spider-Man comics," Mr Quesada said.

"I was inundated with tons of fan mail saying, 'Have you read this?'

"I was just floored, absolutely floored."

IDF Attacks UN Aid Wokers

The UN has said it is suspending aid operations in Gaza because its staff have been hit by Israeli attacks.

'Great regret'

Responding to the suspension of UN aid efforts, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said Israel fully supported the work of the UN and other humanitarian agencies in Gaza.

"We will do what needs to be done to facilitate this vital work," he said. "In these difficult days we must work together to meet the humanitarian needs of the population."

Our installations have been hit, our workers have been killed in spite of the fact that the Israeli authorities have the co-ordinates of our facilities Chris Gunness Unwra spokesman Gaza 'human shields' criticised In pictures: Gaza conflict Israelis back Gaza action - for now Points of view on Gaza

The UN's move came shortly after it said one person had been killed and two hurt when a fork-lift truck on a UN aid mission came under Israeli tank fire at Gaza's Erez crossing.

The UN's relief agency Unwra said it was "with great regret" that it had been forced to make a difficult decision.

"We have suspended our operations in Gaza until the Israeli authorities can guarantee our safety and security," said Unwra spokesman Chris Gunness.

"Our installations have been hit, our workers have been killed in spite of the fact that the Israeli authorities have the co-ordinates of our facilities and that all our movements are co-ordinated with the Israeli army."

The UN said the movements of the truck hit at the Erez crossing had been co-ordinated and cleared with the Israeli military.

The Israeli army has not commented on that claim but has said it is looking into the matter.

In a statement, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the Israeli military's action.

John Ging, director of operations in Gaza for Unwra, said a convoy of two UN vehicles and an ambulance had also been fired at - although it was not clear by whom - despite having clearance for its movements from Israel.

GAZA CRISIS BACKGROUND Profile: Gaza Strip Q&A: Gaza conflict Who are Hamas? Middle East conflict: History in maps

The incident occurred as Israel for a second day suspended its military operation for three hours to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, he said.

Mr Ging said the Israeli military had to give his staff a credible guarantee of safety.

"If they give us clearance to move then it is wholly and totally unacceptable that their soldiers on the ground are firing on our aid workers," he said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has also accused Israel of failing to fulfil its duty to help wounded civilians in Gaza.

The ICRC said its staff had found four weak and scared children beside their mothers' bodies in houses hit by shelling in Zeitoun.

excerpted from the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7818577.stm

Oh for Christ's sake! Come on. This does look just like Lebanon. Does anyone remember when Israeli missles hit a UN observer post in Southern Lebanon in 2006? The IDF has the precise positions and movements of UN workers in Gaza yet the workers are being attacked by Israeli troops on the ground? Israel is a first world military, they can coordinate this stuff well enough. If this were any other nation the US would be talking about applying economic and diplomatic sanctions. At least it finally dropped it opposition to the UN proposal. Ugh....how much collateral damage and "error" is needed before it becomes a war crime?

The 'misunderestimated' president? : A Retrospective

All politicians are prone to make slips of the tongue in the heat of the moment - and President George W Bush has made more than most.

The word "Bushism" has been coined to label his occasional verbal lapses during eight years in office, which come to an end on 20 January.

Here are some of his most memorable pronouncements.

ON HIMSELF

"They misunderestimated me."
Bentonville, Arkansas, 6 November, 2000

''I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe - I believe what I believe is right." Rome, 22 July, 2001

"There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again."
Nashville, Tennessee, 17 September, 2002

"There's no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead."
Washington DC, 11 May, 2001

"I want to thank my friend, Senator Bill Frist, for joining us today. He married a Texas girl, I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me."
Nashville, Tennessee, 27 May, 2004

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

"For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times."
Tokyo, 18 February, 2002

"The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorise himself."
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 29 January, 2003

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." Washington DC, 5 August, 2004

"I think war is a dangerous place."
Washington DC, 7 May, 2003

"The ambassador and the general were briefing me on the - the vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice."
Washington DC, 27 October, 2003

"Free societies are hopeful societies. And free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat."
Washington DC, 17 September, 2004

"You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror."
CBS News, Washington DC, 6 September, 2006

EDUCATION

"Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"
Florence, South Carolina, 11 January, 2000

"Reading is the basics for all learning."
Reston, Virginia, 28 March, 2000

"As governor of Texas, I have set high standards for our public schools, and I have met those standards."
CNN, 30 August, 2000

"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.''
Townsend, Tennessee, 21 February, 2001

ECONOMICS

"I understand small business growth. I was one."
New York Daily News, 19 February, 2000

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it."
Reuters, 5 May, 2000

"I do remain confident in Linda. She'll make a fine Labour Secretary. From what I've read in the press accounts, she's perfectly qualified."
Austin, Texas, 8 January, 2001

"First, let me make it very clear, poor people aren't necessarily killers. Just because you happen to be not rich doesn't mean you're willing to kill."
Washington DC, 19 May, 2003

HEALTHCARE

"I don't think we need to be subliminable about the differences between our views on prescription drugs."
Orlando, Florida, 12 September, 2000

"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYN's aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country."
Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 6 September, 2004

TECHNOLOGY

"Will the highways on the internet become more few?"
Concord, New Hampshire, 29 January, 2000

"It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber."
Washington DC, 10 April, 2002

"Information is moving. You know, nightly news is one way, of course, but it's also moving through the blogosphere and through the Internets."
Washington DC, 2 May, 2007

OUT OF LEFT FIELD

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
Saginaw, Michigan, 29 September, 2000

"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, 18 October, 2000

"Those who enter the country illegally violate the law."
Tucson, Arizona, 28 November, 2005

"That's George Washington, the first president, of course. The interesting thing about him is that I read three - three or four books about him last year. Isn't that interesting?"
Speaking to reporter Kai Diekmann, Washington DC, 5 May, 2006

ON GOVERNING

"I have a different vision of leadership. A leadership is someone who brings people together."
Bartlett, Tennessee, 18 August, 2000

"I'm the decider, and I decide what is best."
Washington DC, 18 April, 2006

"And truth of the matter is, a lot of reports in Washington are never read by anybody. To show you how important this one is, I read it, and [Tony Blair] read it."
On the publication of the Baker-Hamilton Report, Washington DC, 7 December, 2006

"All I can tell you is when the governor calls, I answer his phone."
San Diego, California, 25 October, 2007

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."
Washington DC, 12 May, 2008

from our friends at the BBC.

Man, it would be funny if it weren't the last eight years of reality. Let's take a look back at all of the president's achievements...on second thought let's just laugh, and cry, and the move the f*&% on in a big hurry.

Public Opinion and Gaza

Israelis back Gaza action - for now

By Heather Sharp
BBC News, Jerusalem

Rachel Schwartz, 48, cannot keep away from the television, and jumps whenever the phone rings.

Yoni is not allowed to say where he is now

Her son Yoni, 21, is a paramedic in an elite unit in the Israeli military. His usual daily phone calls stopped the day after the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza began.

All she has heard from him since is an SMS message, on Tuesday, that read: "Don't worry, I'm fine. I love you." He is not allowed to say where he is. She assumes he is in Gaza.

Yoni is not allowed to say where he is. She assumes he is in Gaza.

Her other son, Michael, 24, was called up as a reservist at 2330 on Saturday night, and gone by 0500 the next morning.

"I'm not doing so well," she says, when asked how she is coping. "As a mother I wish it stopped yesterday, but I know that there's a job that needs to be done."

'Heavily-supported war'

Like the majority of Israelis, according to opinion polls, Ms Schwartz fully supports Israel's operation in Gaza.

Rachel says support for the war is "unanimous" in Israel

Six Israeli soldiers and, according to Palestinian medics, more than 650 Palestinians, have died in the fighting, in which Israel is attempting to vastly reduce the Palestinian militant group's capacity to fire rockets into southern Israel.

"This is one of the few wars that I think is unanimous - I've never seen the people come together, the right-wing and the left, in this way and agree that this had to be done," she says.

Professor Asher Arian, a veteran Israeli pollster, says it is a "text book case" of a "heavily-supported war".

But, he points out, support was also soaring at the start of the 2006 war in Lebanon, which ended with intense recriminations and plummeting poll ratings for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

A few days before Israeli tanks moved into Gaza, 52% of people asked backed the air offensive, and another 19% wanted to see it expanded with ground forces.

I think the war's stupid, it's useless - there would have been a better way Meytal Pessing

But the transition to a ground war is a critical moment, in a country where most young people serve in the military and empathy for mothers like Ms Schwartz runs deep.

"With a ground war, everybody knows a neighbour or a cousin or a son of a friend who's involved, and that gives it a much more far reaching effect," says Prof Arian.

Time to 'get out'

In one of Jerusalem's largest malls, the view among people sipping coffee in cafes and popping in and out of shops is generally consistent.

Hava Elemelech says the war must continue until Hamas' rockets stop

Salesman Moti Bohm, 30, backs the operation completely.

"No country can allow itself to be under attack without responding. Hamas is not a country, it's just a mob of bandits," he says.

"We must continue, until the rockets stop," says Hava Elemelech, 45, a kindergarten teacher from Beersheva, one of the towns recently reached for the first time by Palestinian rockets.

"Even if Israelis have to die," she says. "You can't make an omelette without breaking an egg."

But there are those, like housewife Galit Yeshyhu, 35, who echo concerns in Israel's left-leaning media that the troops will become bogged down, casualties will rise, and the rockets will keep coming.

"I think now is the time to get out. We have done enough. The longer we stay, the more lives will be lost."

A minority oppose the war outright. Some of those are left-wingers who have held demonstrations under slogans such as "Stop the Massacre in Gaza! Stop the bloodshed and destruction!"

But there are others too, like Meytal Pessing, 25, who describes herself as "in the centre" politically. "I think the war's stupid, it's useless - there would have been a better way."

Ratings 'war'

With the operation coming just over a month before elections scheduled for 10 February, domestic politics also plays a part.

When casualties start rising, there could be an erosion of public support

The Israeli operation was launched by the government of scandal-hit Mr Olmert's centre-right Kadima party, now led by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and Defence Minister Ehud Barak, head of Kadima's largest coalition party, Labour.

Kadima has been struggling to hold onto voters disillusioned with its founding agenda of unilateral withdrawals from occupied Palestinian areas, and particularly with the ascendance of Hamas in Gaza after the withdrawal of Israeli settlers and soldiers in 2005.

Avraham Diskin, professor of political science at Jerusalem's Hebrew University says that the operation in Gaza has boosted Mr Barak's previously languishing poll ratings at the expense of centre-right opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu.

But it has not, most pollsters say, completely wiped out the lead Mr Netanyahu has held over Ms Livni in recent months.

However, to some voters, Labour and Kadima now do not seem "as impotent as they looked before," says Prof Diskin says.

For example, prison warder Sivan Abuhatzira, 24, says "maybe" she will switch her allegiance from Mr Netanyahu to Ms Livni or Mr Barak in February.

"I didn't like them before, but they made a good decision," she says.

From BBC.co.uk

I think this is telling. And it is the same sort of argument that Israel uses to support violence against Gaza. The notion is that Palestinians supoprt Hamas, as at least implicitly and therefore have themselves to blame for Israeli attacks. This was particularly true when Hamas won elections a few years ago, but is probably less true now. But if blogs and opinion polls in Israel are accurate, Israelis broadly support the attacks on Gaza, even if it does cost innocent lives--that "omlette" quote above is disgusting. The point is, this is the sort of thing that Hamas uses to support its attacks on Israeli civilians. Their logic--deplorable as it may be--is that average Israelis support the violent actions of the government and generally approve of the killing of Palestinian civilians so they are complicit and therefore justifiable targets.

There are clearly moderate voices, particularly from the Israeli left and the Peace Now movement (you should listen to a recent interview from NPR with Israeli author Amos Oz, excellent perspective), but these groups are often marginalized in Israeli just as moderates are often supressed by Hamas in Gaza. The point being, I understand how average Israelis facing incoming Hamas rockets support the government's efforts to protect them by "going after Hamas." But do they not see that this position just lends additional support to Hamas to send those rockets, especially when that response kills so many Palestinians? Is it just that people are so focused on their immediate position that they can't see the larger picture?