Steely Dan

It would appear that the Egyptians can hardly get the crossing open quick enough.

Allahu Akbar as they say in some parts.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/praveenswami/100081394/egypt-air-wipes-israel-off-the-map-a-sign-of-where-egypt-could-be-headed/

Anyway getting back on topic. With the Egypt Gaza border open, I hope now that oppressed will have the tools to unload their fury on the oppressors. Israel may very well get their just desserts.

So you are looking for a total war then, is that it? Lovely.

No I want peace for the Palestinians. Build a big wall around my house and see where it gets you.

If you have a predeliction for turning yourself into a walking bomb I would hope someone obliges you.

Midas just cited a user COMMENT on the Huffington website. Not the same thing as the site itself. As far as Redmatn, she is a woman, and I hope people aren't thinking that Redmatn and the man in the video are the same person. Does Redmatn exist? Not sure. Seems so, yes?

http://www.vancouverite.com/2011/04/21/red-cross-official-there-is-no-humanitarian-crisis-in-gaza/comment-page-1/

But that's what he does, selectively quotes and uses crackpot hate sites to slander Israel many being refuted as myths so it's a bit rich him questioning the source. Here is Fatah TV telling about Hamas murderers, perhaps Midas chooses to believe Hamas though as they are more anti-Israeli.

It's a great big lie, a fat lie indeed that Gaza is starving. Figures from the world health organizstion prove it, and was corroborated by a red cross spokesperson less than a week ago. Hamas do have a history of commendeering aid from NGO's which is also well documented.

And here is the one about Hamas stealing food aid from the normally anti-Israel guardian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/06/gaza-un-aid-hamas

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said today it has halted all aid shipments into the Gaza Strip after the Hamas government seized thousands of tonnes of food and other provisions.

The only liberation the people of Gaza need is from Hamas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLjwe2b40YA&playnext=1&list=PL68B88E3A520DD616

Incidentally did you know that only a few days ago the red cross observed that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza, indeed there was 'surprising normalcy' there. The main problem for Gaza, apart from Hamas is indeed obesity - so much for the so called blockade.

Bridge, you possibly may not be aware of the laws but from Israel side it is up to the country to close or open borders and up to that country to decide who enter and who does not.

As for the other side of Gaza, this was closed by the Egypt and rightfully so.

Let's see what you will say once "legal " Hamas starts to fire more "legal" rockets and "illegal" Israel responds to protect it's citizen's of course( illegally), who would be to blame then?

No need to answer, many of us already know it.

Kuffki,

At least there might be a level playing field now, and please don't give me that Israel protecting it's citizens dribble.

Bridge

Playing field! Is that what Hamas are doing when they regularly fire rockets at civilian targets? And yes Israel does indeed try to protect it's citizens, unlike Hamas who use them as human shields as a matter of policy.

Wonderful, 21st century weapons in the hands of cave dwelling theocrats.

As some members here have often stated, the entire world supports the Palestinians so with the border open there will be no excuse for poor living conditions in Gaza. Gaza will become the Dubai of the Mediterranean with all the investment being allowed to pour in from their supporters in the Arab world and elsewhere.

Wasn't Lebannon the crowning jewel of the Arab world, until the PLO set up residence there?

I can't wait for the paradox when 'free' Gaza slides down the obesity league table and into real hardship.

Ahram online reported that protesters marched in Cairo from a mosque to a Coptic cathedral calling for the freeing of Camilia Shehata and any other Copt whom, according to them, has converted to Islam and was locked in the monastery. Protesters held banners and chanted for the protection of any Muslim convert.

As oppose to chanting for the death of any Christian convert. This is no small fringe protest with 10,000 present. It serves to underline the human right disaster that is about to occur in Egypt should the Islamists get in. Here is the kind of treatment women will encounter if the Muslim brotherhood/Salafists takeover.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nina-burleigh/egypt-and-the-universal-r_b_819178.html

Though I doubt this even figures as a consideration in the minds of the Israel haters who welcome any regime hostile to her and dam_n the consequences for the resident population.

Kuffiki,

Straying briefly OT I judge that the U.S will soon need to stop racking up new debt and start paying down old debt or the dollar's position as world reserve currency will soon be history. Perhaps having seen this the U.S envisaged the foreign aid budget would be slashed and Egypt would likely become less of an ally in future anyway, hence cutting Mubarak loose when they did.

It is laughable the so called Arab unity in support of the Palestinians. They have been left in refugee camps because the Arab armies who invaded Israel refused to take them in even though they advised said Palestinians to leave prior to attacking Israel. The only Arab unity is the hatred of outsiders, even fellow Muslims of different sects. I think we do have a war coming, but this could be Saudi Arabia versus Iran instead of Israel/Egypt.

What really needs to happen imho is for Assad to fall as this will make it much harder for Iran to interfere in the region, which is conspicuously Ahmedinajad's game plan.

No surprise here considering where Hamas were spawned from. It makes any 'peace' flotila surplus to requirements as Hamas will be able to get their weapons and slimming pills over land. I hope the U.S doesn't delude itself into hoping the border crossing will be actually policed so they might as well quit sending aid to Egypt now.

I think you may be underestimate US administration. I have a feeling they have been looking for an excuse to cut the aid the moment so called revolution took place.

Now they have a perfect excuse, to cut back and should there be any incident because of that, i have no doubt US will cut all aid to Egypt.

In reality, US has lost a close ally(Mubareck) so why would they keep supporting it?!

The U.S was largely instrumental in 'losing' Mubarak seeing as they cut him loose instead of at least staying out of it and not calling for his removal. A lot more deaths have occurred in Syria than Egypt yet the U.S administration has not called for Assad to be removed. I don't claim to understand U.S foreign policy (nor would I suggest do some key members of Obama's own staff.), what is for certain is that by Mubarak falling a whole domino effect of political instability has developed in the middle east.

As for all those who think it's 'good news' for border crossings to be opened for terrorist organisations I would observe that any pretence you may have tried to keep of neutrality can be seen for what they are - Your sham condemnation of civilian casualties will ring pretty hollow in the light of the likely war that may ensue.

No surprise here considering where Hamas were spawned from. It makes any 'peace' flotila surplus to requirements as Hamas will be able to get their weapons and slimming pills over land. I hope the U.S doesn't delude itself into hoping the border crossing will be actually policed so they might as well quit sending aid to Egypt now.

While I think it unwise of the authorities to try and censor this matter I would observe that at least they seem to be embarassed at the antics of a follower of the state religion. There appears to be no such embarassment from various Countries where they stone adulterers to death and execute homosexuals and they actually advertise such activity rather than hush it up.

"We don't ask the court to open hearing again, but explain the court's verdict to Cambodia and Thailand," he said.

"If the court explains the disputed land belongs to Thailand, we will accept it, but if the court explains that the land belongs to Cambodia, Thailand should also agree too," he said.

This is a very shrewd move by Cambodia. They have from the start sought outside mediation and agreed to neutral observers. Whatever the truth behind who initiated hostilities it is imho Thailand who have come across as intransigent.

Should any clarification go in Thailand's favour then Cambodia have not lost control of the temple itself and the revenues that brings. Should the ruling go in Cambodia's favour then Thailand have lost everything including face.

I hope the ICJ can clarify matters quickly in order to stop people being killed because of politics.

Kasit said Indonesia will send its observation team to the Phreah Vihear Temple area as soon as Cambodia removes its troops.

... removes it's troops from the disputed area ?

Does Thailand have any troops in the disputed area and if so will these also be removed?

I guess the champagne is back on ice then, though it probably helped wash down a working lunch.

I take it as read that those who condemn two people being injured would have considerably greater condemnation for more violent occurences reported in the news on the same day such as the suicide bombing of a cafe in Morrocco or the secatarian bombing of a mosque in Iraq where the deaths were in double figures.

US to reconsider PA funding following unity deal

Palestinian gov't remains in place despite a reconciliation deal, State Department says; however US lawmakers say after meeting Netanyahu that "US funding can't flow to gov't with group still on foreign terrorist list."

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=218355

Perhaps Washington should also consider that Hamas was formed out of the Egyptian Muslim brotherhood, who are anything but secular contrary to the misguided comments from James Clapper, Obama's intelligence (ahem) chief. By the time the Muslim brotherhood are elected and show their true colours it will imho sadly be to late to avoid a major war.

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2011/02/obamas-intel-chief-muslim-brotherhood-non-violent-secular.html

The Palestinians are up to something big, that's for sure. Fareed Zakaria reckons the chances of Palestinian state within a year are 50/50. That's pretty incredible. While obviously I support the state of Israel, they really have to get their act together and fast as events are moving faster than it seems they have planned for.

Agreed. I think the plan is to give the pretence of Palestinian unity prior to September in the hope of getting a Palestinian state recognised before any Palestinian elections, the need for such elections will be used as the 'justification' for Hamas not recognising Israel's right to exist. Meanwhile the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt will cement power and try to throw open the Gaza border as soon as Palestine is recognised thus guaranteeing war - which is Hamas's objective.

Anyone hailing an agreement between Fatah and Hamas as anything more than a cynical tactic are sadly deluded. Hamas are Islamist and as such their core beliefs will not let then recognise a Jewish state on Arab land as they would regard it.

It's the old Trojan horse trick, which couldn't be much more obvious if it was wheeled up to a Gaza border crossing.

With nationalistic feelings running high, I think giving 'aid and comfort to the enemy' might be very much frowned on.

My guess is that they were probably making a little money selling things. Things like food, water, alcohol etc.

The other paper is reporting they were relaying Thai troop movements to the Cambodians with mobile phones.

Must have been high tech spies - I wonder if they took the precaution of using a Cambodian SIM card.

Incidentally due to Libya's flagrant human rights abuses they have been removed from the UNHRC to be replaced by....

Syria!

I must admit I feel slightly queasy seeing the generals sipping champagne when there are dead on both sides and I'm not even certain they have all had their funerals yet. At this stage a handshake would surely have sufficed.

Good news,

"in principle."

So motormouth Hun Sen has called for a cease fire and immediately used that ploy to send more troops to the border. Watch and wait - Thailand will not cop any crap from this rogue ex Rouge murderer. The Govt may not get involved due to possible elections but the army shire as hell will!

Good of you to spell it out, the Thai army has no clear chain of command from the democratically elected government. Perhaps Hun Sen should bare this in mind when negotiating with Abhisit, or any successor.

P.S Would it be too mischievous to suggest a third party should mediate between the Thai government and army so they can arrive at an agreed position before addressing more advanced stuff such as international relations.