Evil Penevil

It's very hard to give a rational answer as to why Hamas doesn't release the hostages. Short answer: it doesn't make sense. Hamas took 251 hostages from Israel into Gaza. Where are they? A total of 251 people were taken in the attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. We’re tracking what happened to each of them. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/hamas-hostages-israel-war-gaza/ Hostage Forum publishes health report for 24 living hostages, warns ‘time is running out’ Based on testimonies from freed hostages and propaganda videos, medical report details dire conditions of captivity including isolation, severe malnutrition and untreated injuries https://www.timesofisrael.com/hostage-forum-publishes-health-report-for-24-living-hostages-warns-time-is-running-out/ The health report describes how hostages are undergoing “physical and mental torture."

Here are better pics of QueeQueg. I bet his tattoos cost more than 5,000 baht.

You need to read up on your history. The main Zionist organizations accepted a UN proposal in 1947 to partition Mandatory Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, but Arabs inside and outside Palestine rejected it, leading to armed conflict. When the State of Israel was proclaimed in 1948, the armies of five Arab countries invaded the territory given to Israel under the partition plan. Their goal was to crush Israel, with the territory of the former Palestinian mandate to be divided among Arab countries. The IDF's success on the battlefield has prevented that from happening, right up through 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/Arab-Israeli-wars It wasn't until the Oslo Accords of 1993 that the Palestinian Liberation Organization accepted the initial stages of what was intended to become a two-state solution. A two-state solution had been for years the backbone of U.S. government efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East. Pres. Clinton had pushed hard for a Palestinian state at the 2000 Camp David Summit. However, Hamas and some Arab and Muslim countries strongly opposed a two-state solution and sabotaged efforts in that direction. The constant terrorist attacks led many Israelis, including Netanyahu, to believe a two-state solution would never work. To suggest that U.S. politicians have been "bought and paid for" by Jewish interests is the height of antisemitism, playing unto one of the oldest anti-Jewish tropes. Most Jewish settlers are Israelis born in Israel. "Some 60,000 American Jews live in West Bank settlements, where they account for 15 percent of the settler population, according to a forthcoming book by Oxford University historian Sara Hirschhorn. " https://www.timesofisrael.com/world-series-ignites-old-passions-among-west-banks-american-jews/ The number of South Africans is insignificant in this context, as only "11,381 South Africans were recorded as living in Israel" in 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Jews_in_Israel Neither U.S. nor South African settlers are "nutters." American Jews return to Israel mostly for religious reasons, while South Africans feel safer there than in their home country and face less discrimination. @ronnie50 Your antisemitism is shining through very clearly. Are you a believer in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion? https://www.britannica.com/topic/Protocols-of-the-Elders-of-Zion

What nationality was the foreigner who punched the Thai driver? Has any news source disclosed that info?

Yes, it is disgusting the BBC does not refer to Hamas as terrorists. Senior editors are clearly catering to militant Muslims. The BBC's use of Hamas operatives as "journalists" in Gaza is also a telling signal. Anti9semitism now runs deep at the BBC. It's tragic to think of the BBC as a lost cause. It was once the shining beacon of classic Western journalistic values, a standard by which all news organizations could be compared, including those in the U.S. Now it's an example of what a news group SHOULDN'T be. Yes, it goes much deeper than mere left-leaning. The BCC management and most of its journalists have fallen under the dark shadow of what's called Critical Race Theory in the U.S. That's the belief that white people, and by extension the governments of white-majority countries, are inherently racist and supremacist. Western history and culture, especially the former British Empire, are rejected on that basis. CRT presents a convenient excuse for hatred of Jews and Israel as they are considered privileged and part of the "white" world. This isn't the right thread for a lengthy description, but plenty of info on CRT is available on the Internet.

More sad evidence the BBC has fallen far from its former status. Prior to the new millennium, a strong case could be made for the BBC as the world's leading news organization, but not any longer. In the past 25 years, the BBC's standards regarding objectivity, factuality and neutrality in news coverage have slipped considerably. "Revert" is not a widely used term in mainstream Islam, which still favors "convert." https://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/living-islam/convert-or-revert-how-does-it-matter/ In fact, revert is almost exclusively used by politicized Islamist groups. It's on the same narrow level as calling a suicide bomber a "martyr." For the BBC to use revert in an article aimed at a broad audience is disturbing to say the least. The senior leadership of the BBC is in need of major shakeup to stop the downward slide.

Exactly right. The Rome Statute, which created the ICC and serves as its charter, has no enforcement mechanism regarding nations which have signed or ratified the treaty but refuse to honor ICC arrest warrants. If any of the 125 nations which are part of the ICC ignores a warrant on an individual wanted by the ICC, nothing happens to that country. In September, 2024, Putin visited Mongolia, despite the ICC warrant for his arrest. ICC member Mongolia ignored its obligation to arrest and hand over Putin, giving the Russian leader a red-carpet welcome instead. Mongolia has only 3.5 million people and no economic clout. If such a weak nation can't be persuaded or forced to follow ICC obligations, no country can. https://apnews.com/article/mongolia-russia-putin-international-criminal-court-warrant-4c79850ecf409287924e3d96218abc78 That's a flaw even the most enthusiastic ICC supporter has to concede: compliance with ICC warrants and other directives depends entirely on the WILLINGNESS of member nations to obey. It's the height of irony that South Africa, which has hounded Netanyahu with an intensity not seen since the 1940s, had a high-profile refusal to honor an ICC warrant and even took steps to withdraw from the ICC to avoid having to arrest Putin. I wrote about it earlier in this thread.

I haven't missed anything. Your underlying (and unstated) assumption that many of the people who ICE has deported have legal status to be in the U.S. is simply wrong. No one, in Thailand or the U.S., who does not have appropriate permission from the host government to remain in country has no reason to complain about being apprehended and deported. End of story.

If they had entered Thailand illegally, they would have no valid reason to squeal about getting picked up and deported to another country.

William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President, had only 31 days in office before dying of what was most likely pneumonia. Abraham Lincoln had one full term and was assassinated one month and 11 days into his second term. List of presidents of the United States by time in office - Wikipedia

I agree , it is indeed a great start. The increased vetting of applicants for U.S. student visas rams home the point that no foreigner has a right to attend a U.S. educational institution. If a foreign student disagrees with Israeli, U.S. government or university policies to the extent he or she is willing to take part in violent demonstrations that go way beyond free speech, then they should apply to a university in South Africa, Ireland, Spain or any other country whose governmental and university policies align more closely with the applicant's. On a separate note, here's another brief update on some of the actions taken against pro-Hamas supporters and others on U.S. university campuses. Keep in mind failure to disclose previous arrests and other relevant information on visa applications or renewals is grounds for deportation in itself. That's been a rule for over 100 years. Also, visa revocations are nothing new. I couldn't find more up-to-date info, but between 2001 and 2015, "a State Department official says the U.S. has revoked more than 122,000 visas since 2001, including 9,500 because of the threat of terrorism." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-revokes-visas-based-on-threats-of-terrorism-official-says/ Finally, the U.S. government is not required to publicly reveal the grounds for each and every visa revocation or removal. Sometimes the information may have come from a confidential informant or foreign intelligence service. Mahmoud Khalil- Algerian citizen, Columbia student. Faces immigration court and judge on April 8 in Louisiana Momodou Taal- Dual citizen of U.K. and Gambia, student at Cornell U. Has self-deported after visa revoked Badar Khan Suri- Republic of India citizen married to a Hamas supporter whose father was a senior member of Hamas. Badar Khan Suri is under detention in Louisiana for spreading Hamas propaganda and having close connections to Hamas. Visa revoked, faces removal. Georgetown U. scholar Dr. Rasha Alawieh- Lebanese physician denied re-entry to U.S. after attending funeral of Hezbollah leader in Lebanon. Brown U. Rumeysa Ozturk- Turkish citizen, student Tufts U. Visa revoked, detained and facing deportation. Basis for visa revocation has not been revealed. Alireza Doroudi- Iranian citizen, U. of Alabama, visa revoked and detained for national security reasons, perhaps not related to Gaza war Ranjani Srinivasan- Republic of India citizen, Columbia student, self-deported to Canada after visa revoked. Had been arrested earlier for participation in illegal protests and failed to disclose arrest on application to renew student visa. Yunseo Chung- South Korean citizen, Columbia U., had green card revoked and ICE is seeking to arrest her. Has not been found yet. Was arrested during violent occupation at Barnard College. Doğukan Günaydın- Turkish citizen, U. of Minnesota. Visa revoked, detained, removal sought after conviction for drunk driving at more than twice the legal blood alcohol level. May be routine case not related to Gaza war protests. Leqaa Kordia- Palestinian citizen, former Columbia student. Least controversial case. Detained after dropping out of Columbia in 2022, followed by three-year visa overstay. Had been arrested in connection with Columbia protests. Lnks to sources: https://apnews.com/article/immigration-detainees-students-ozturk-khalil-78f544fb2c8b593c88a0c1f0e0ad9c5f https://www.al.com/politics/2025/03/tuberville-backs-detaining-of-alabama-doctoral-student-government-says-posed-security-concerns.html https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/21/us/bahar-khan-suri-deportation-what-we-know-hnk/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/02/us/university-of-minnesota-graduate-student-detained-ice-lawsuit/index.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/nyregion/columbia-university-protester-chung-deportation.html

No such confusion on my part or that of the U.S. government. Unfortunately some groups and individuals express their disagreement with Israeli policies through terrorism. Hamas is one of them. @stevenl almost never clarifies his sometimes cryptic comments. I guessing that he's referring to the old chestnut that support of the Palestinian people does not necessarily translate to support for Hamas and other terror groups, i.e., students can be pro-Palestinian without being pro-Hamas. He's reacting to the words "terrorist activity" in the headline of the article I quoted as well as what he perceives as the tone, if not the exact wording, of the questions I suggested. I never directly mentioned Israeli policy. In @stevenl's mind, I have confused terrorism with opposition to Israeli policies in earlier posts, but that only happened in his imagination.

This is what was really needed. It's a hell of a lot easier to deny pro-Hamas and antisemitic students a visa before they enter the U.S. that to revoke visas and remove students from the U.S. US issues broad order to consulates to vet student visas over ‘terrorist activity’ State department shares new standard for denials based on social media posts, financial donations and memberships ... The directive states that “evidence that an applicant advocates for terrorist activity, or otherwise demonstrates a degree of public approval or public advocacy for terrorist activity or a terrorist organization” can be grounds for visa rejection. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/28/student-visa-applications-denials I'm going to suggest to the State Department a list of questions that are absolutely foolproof in detecting pro-Hamas and other pro-terrorist students. "Yes" or "No" are the only answers allowed; no lengthy explanations are acceptable. 1) Is Hamas a terrorist group? 2) Does Israel have the right to exist behind secure borders as a sovereign state and homeland of the world's Jews? 3) Do you unreservedly condemn the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as terrorist actions and war crimes without provocation or justification? 4) Should U.S. institutions of higher learning support boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel? And because it is necessary to deny entry to the U.S. to other violent Islamists and jihadis besides Hamas, consular officers should ask these questions as well: 5) Is violent jihad ever justified against U.S. citizens, including those with dual citizenship in Israel and U.S. military serving abroad? 6) Should Salman Rushdie be allowed to lecture about or read from The Satanic Verses at U.S. institutions? 7) Should U.S. universities and other institutions, public or private, be allowed to hold exhibits of the Danish Muhammad cartoons? 8) Does Sharia law based on the Quran supersede secular law for Muslims in the U.S.? 9) Do Jews as a group have disproportionate or unfair influence over the economy, politics and other aspects of public life in the U.S.? 10) Do you have any qualms about attending class or taking part in campus activities with Israeli and other Jewish students? Of course, these questions would be asked in addition to the normal pre-visa vetting process, which includes questions about membership in terrorist groups, previous criminal activity, etc.

No such law exists or has ever existed in Thailand. That's an urban myth which pre-dates the Internet. The Thai Criminal Code, under Petty Offenses, states in Section 388: Whoever, doing any shameful act in public by indecently exposing oneself’s person, or by committing any other act of obscenity shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred Baht. https://www.legal.co.th/resources/thailand-criminal-code/book3/thailand-criminal-code-page-70-book-iii-petty-offences-section-376-385/ It's a real stretch to think that makes illegal the failure to wear underclothing beneath outer clothing. The "commando connection" supposedly came when a female farang tourist wasn't wearing a bra beneath a sheer blouse in public. An unconfirmed story I heard back in the 1980s said she was arrested for indecent exposure, hence the notion it's illegal not to wear underwear. That story has been repeatedly numerous times on the Internet, sometimes sarcastically, sometimes as fact. But it has never been true.

What does the above quote have in common with the pic below?

More background on the reasons for the removal of pro-Hamas supporters from the U.S. When Charities Betray America: How “Pro-Palestinian” Protest Groups Promote Anti-Americanism Data analysis warns of escalating terrorism threat A study of the online rhetoric from major “pro-Palestinian” groups and activists in the United States before and after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, concludes that the activists’ protests have morphed into an anti-American and anti-police movement with sharply radicalizing rhetoric that advocates terrorism and sedition on U.S. soil. An analysis of thousands of social media posts by 496 of the most active “pro-Palestinian” groups and activists, many of them connected to “charities” and nonprofits, found a 3,000 percent surge in calls for violence and a 186 percent increase in the use of anti-American and anti-police keywords and phrases since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023. https://capitalresearch.org/article/when-charities-betray-america-1/

A bit of an update: Cornell University student activist whose visa was revoked announces departure from the U.S. A Cornell University graduate student whose visa was revoked after he was involved in a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its actions against pro-Palestinian student protesters announced Monday that he will be leaving the United States voluntarily. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cornell-momodou-taal-visa-left-us-rcna199088 At the time of this update (1233 GMT April 2), it has been confirmed by the Dept. of Homeland Secuiorty that Taal has left the U.S. but there is no info on where he has gone. You can read more on his "credentials" as a pro-Hamas supporter at https://canarymission.org/individual/Momodou_Taal

I feel sorry for him. He's in Pattaya, 54 years old, and he decided to spray paint electrical boxes. With all the options available to him, he made a very strange choice.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio would appear to differ with you and he's the man who decides. Further indication of how protesters at Columbia supported Hamas.

This is part of the oath every foreign student who applies for an F-1 visa is required to affirm to a consular officer before the visa is granted. It specifies the terms under which a student is admitted to the U.S. Violation of those terms is grounds for revocation of the visa and removal from the U.S. You can read the full oath in the Foreign Affairs Manual of the U.S. Department of State. Follow this link: https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM050407.html Does everyone now understand why chants of "Death to America" during a violent protest and disruption of campus classes or other normal activities are violations of the oath the student took? It seems a very easy solution would be to ask all student visa applicants during the interview if they will take part in any pro-Hamas demonstrations while a student in the U.S. If they say "yes," well, they don't get a visa. If they say "no" but lie about it and do demonstrate illegally, they have violated the terms of the visa and can be removed from the U.S.

The removal of pro-Hamas students is NOT a free speech issue. Can any pro-Palestinian BM claim blocking students from attending class is protected by the First Amendment? An update in this video: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/jewish-ucla-student-only-way-to-stop-antisemitic-protests-is-to-make-arrests-deport-students-with-visas/vi-AA1BLEiU?ocid=socialshare

xxx Hassan Diab was never found not guilty in a French court. On the contrary, he has been convicted of murder in France. He was extradited to France to stand trial for the synagogue bombing but the charges were dropped and Diab was allowed to return to Canada. Dropping charges has nothing to do with guilty or innocent. It only means there wasn't enough evidence for the case to proceed at that point. Later the charges were reinstated and Diab was tried and convicted of murder in abstentia. Yes, indeed, a murderer is living freely in Canada despite his conviction for a heinous crime in a French court. Could you give an example of a convicted criminal "living happily" in Israel after the Israeli government refused extradition? Since you say there are thousands, it shouldn't be hard for you to find one example. Antisemitism runs thick in this thread. The bombing of a synagogue in Paris in 1980 has no direct connection to Israel or the war against Hamas 45 years later. Three of the four people killed in the synagogue bombing weren't Jewish, although all of the 46 injured victims were. How can a demand for justice for these victims be outweighed or offset by the number of dead in Gaza? They are two totally separate cases. Only in the eyes of an antisemite is it possible to dismiss the outrage of Canadian Jews over the lack of punishment for a terrorist attack in France in 1980 with reference to the Gaza war. This goes to the heart of historical antisemitism, that all Jews are responsible for the action of some Jews, namely those who had Jesus crucified. That has been the basis for hatred of Jews for more than 2,000 years. In recent times, the religious aspect has faded and been replaced by blaming Jews for various injustices and crimes. It's especially monstruous to insinuate Jews outside Israel somehow share responsibility for the actions of the Israeli government or that crimes against Jews are mitigated by those actions, To claim Jews control the U.S. government is the most ignorant form of antisemitism.

Some of the posters on AN need an introductory course in First Amendment 101, a refresher course at the very least. Among its other provisions, the amendment states (my bold text) "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." PEACEFUL protest is protected, not the extreme disruption seen during the campus protests, encampments and building occupations by pro-Palestinian groups. Nor is harassment of Jewish students an exercise in free speech. It is a violation of both university policy and U.S. law. Mahmoud Khalil and all other foreign students who have lost their permission to remain in the U.S. have violated the terms under which their visas were granted. Khalil failed to disclose relevant information on his application for permanent resident status, which is obvious grounds for revocation. In 2024, the U,S. allowed 1.1 million foreign students to study in U.S. institutions of higher education, an all-time high. https://www.iie.org/news/us-hosts-more-than-1-1-million-intl-students-at-higher-education-institutions-all-time-high/ About 300 are facing removal for various violations that go way beyond protected speech and protest. It's hardly a move that will "chill" freedom of speech.

It's a sad fact that Jews are hated by both the political right and left, especially at the extreme ends of the left-right scale. In the U.S., Black Lives Matter, Antifa and the Nation of Islam share their hatred of Jews with the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis. Antisemitism and persecution of Jews predates left-right politics by at least 1,700 years, but religious antisemitism who morphed into societal antisemitism in which Jews are hated for reasons beyond religion. But in 2025 C.E., just like in 25 C.E., hatred of Jews is indefensible. The fears and misunderstanding of much larger groups, whether Christian or Muslim, have been projected on a tiny group of people who make up only 0.2% of the world population. And antisemitism has kept up with the times. In medieval Europe, Jews were accused of murdering Christian children and using their blood to make matzahs. Today Jews are accused of murdering Muslim children in Gaza through military action. Different times, same story grounded in baseless antisemitism.

I don't feel any guilt whatsoever over the bombing the U.S. has done to defend freedom and democracy on 0ne hand and suppress terrorism on the other. I feel happiest over the U.S.-supplied bombs dropped by Israel on Gaza. That's the best possible use of my tax-payer dollars.