Iranian Marines Set to Escort Flotilla 'To Teach Israel Lessons'

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Two Iranian ships intended to head for Hamas-controlled Gaza are waiting for their government's approval to challenge Israel on the high seas, escorted by "volunteer marines" that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to send "to teach Israelis a lesson."

An Iranian Red Crescent official said the two ships are waiting for the Iranian foreign ministry to give the green light for launching, according to the French news service AFP, quoting the Iranian Mehr news service. The Red Crescent said a third ship probably would join the fleet.

Red Crescent official Mojtaba Majd also claimed that more than 100,000 Iranians have signed up to board the ships, but only those with "expertise" would be accepted. Majd did not define the area of expertise required.

Ali Shirazi, the Revolutionary Guard's spokesman for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said it was "Iran's duty to defend the innocent people of Gaza."

A Red Crescent ship to Gaza was stopped by the Israeli Navy a year and a half ago, but the charged anti-Israeli atmosphere following the latest flotilla clash has encouraged Arab and left-wing colleagues to try to break Israel's blockade over free passage to the Gaza coast.

An Iranian maritime convoy to Israel could provoke a military clash on the high seas, but it also would highlight Israel's claim that lifting the blockade would allow Iran to directly send advanced arms, ammunition and terrorists for the de facto Hamas government in Gaza.

The Iranian Red Crescent ships were prepared with cooperation from the Turkish government, according to the London Express. Ahmadinejad reportedly told Turkish leaders in Istanbul last week that the vessels would be prepared for a direct clash with the Israeli Defense Forces.

Turkey was one of two countries that voted against new sanctions imposed on Iran last week by the United Nations Security Council. Once considered a friend of Israel and distant from Iran, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has totally reversed government policy over the past two years and has joined the Syrian-Iranian-Hizbullah axis while stating that it still wants goods relations with Israel. (IsraelNationalNews.com)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

France Bans Hamas TV

by Maayana Miskin
France's CSA Broadcast Authority has officially ordered French-based companies to ban the Al-Aksa television station of Hamas from broadcasting using their satellites. The order followed a warning from the European Commission, which told France to stop allowing the hateful broadcasts on its Eutelsat satellite.

The CSA has taken similar steps regarding other terrorist channels, and previously banned Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV and issued a warning to the Saudi channel Iqraa.

The European Foundation for Democracy and the Coalition Against Terrorist Media praised the European Union for pressuring France over the issue. "We welcome that the European Commission has taken a clear position against inflammatory broadcasts inciting hatred and promoting terrorism," said director Roberta Bonazzi.

Al-Aksa first gained international attention due to organizations such as Palestinian Media Watch and Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which followed the show and provided translations of its content. The station became notorious in 2007 when it used a character styled on the popular American cartoon Mickey Mouse to promote terrorism and anti-Semitism; the character, Farfur, was later depicted being beaten to death by Israelis.

France follows the U.S., which in March 2010 classified Al-Aksa TV as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Entity, due to its racist and hateful content and its attempts to target children and recruit them to terrorism.

The classification meant Al-Aksa assets in the U.S. are frozen, and U.S. citizens are prohibited from engaging in transactions with the organization. (IsraelNationalNews.com)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chain Reaction: Supermarkets Take Turkish Products Off Shelves

by Gil Ronen.
Rami Levy, owner of the Israeli discount supermarket chain that bears his name, has announced the chain will no longer stock items imported from Turkey. The decision is Levy's response to Turkish hostility toward Israel and the country's part in engineering the Gaza flotilla clash.

In an apparent response to Levy's initiative, Israel's second largest supermarket chain, Mega, has apparently decided to stop manufacturing flour and pasta for its house brand in Turkey. According to Channel 10 news, which reported the decision, the chain's move means that Turkey will lose about $93 million in annual sales.

Supersol, the largest chain in Israel, owner of Yesh and Supersol supermarkets, is now reportedly considering joining Rami Levy and Mega.

"We will finish off the stock and start importing from another country, one that is not hostile toward Israel like Turkey," Levy said. "Their products are indeed less expensive, but this is not question of money. The public will understand this and pay a few agorot [100 agorot = one shekel - ed.] more."

"When I see Turkey's behavior toward Israel," he said, "this makes me oppose them. I want to give them a taste of their own medicine."

"This is a matter of principle," he added. "I am not looking for publicity."

The Rami Levy / Hashikma Marketing chain has 16 branches located in Jerusalem, Mishor Adumim, Modiin, Ramat Gan, Haifa, Nesher, Zichron Yaakov and southern Israel. Besides being a businessman, Levy is also a member of the Jerusalem Municipality Council, for the list headed by Mayor Nir Barkat.

Levy is known for aggressive marketing techniques and an affinity for low pricing, which has placed him on a collision course with suppliers. The owner of the Coca Cola franchise in Israel refused to sell the chain its products until it was forced to resume supply after a government regulator intervened. (IsraelNationalNews.com)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gaza flotilla deaths can be blamed on Obama

According to a report by World Tribune, the nine deaths that occurred when Israeli commandos stormed the Free Gaza "aid" flotilla that tried to break Israel's maritime blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory last week can be largely blamed on US President Barack Obama.

The paper cited diplomatic sources that revealed Obama had demanded Israel "exercise extreme caution and restraint" and not use traditional non-lethal riot gear against the passengers, even after Israel shared intelligence showing the passenger of the Mavi Marmara were affiliated with a Turkish terror group and likely to offer violent resistance.

Had the Israelis boarded the Mavi Marmara with tear gas and rubber bullets, it is very likely there would have been no fatalities in the confrontation.

Instead, the Israeli commandos carried only paintball guns and pistols. They were quickly overwhelmed by dozens of "peace" activists wielding knives and clubs, and several of the Israelis were taken hostage. The second wave of commandos, understandably fearful that their captured comrades were being lynched or may end up like other abducted Israeli soldiers, quickly requested and received permission to use their sidearms.

In a misguided effort to prevent a violent clash by putting the Israeli commandos and the activists on equal footing, the White House actually set the stage for a far more deadly situation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Afghan War nears end with Pakistan-aided Taliban victory
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis June 13, 2010, 9:33 PM (GMT+02:00)

Taliban fighters with ISI-supplied weapons

After eight years and four months, America's longest war is about to end, debkafile's military and intelligence report - although not in victory for the US-led NATO forces but at best in a draw, or at worst, in a win for the Taliban, al Qaeda's extremist partner. The repercussions of the US exit in these circumstances will impinge on American influence worldwide including the Middle East.
The allies owe their reverses to five factors: Postponement of the Kandahar offensive, Taliban's acquisition of anti-air missiles and ability to strike anywhere in Kabul, the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence Agency's extensive support for the Taliban, and a UN proposal to "de-list" some key Taliban and al Qaeda figures designated as terrorists. debkafile elaborates on these factors:

1. The big Kandahar offensive in southern Afghanistan this month, the centerpiece of the new strategy President Barack Obama approved last December along with a 40,000-troop surge, has been postponed until the fall - at the earliest. With the participation of American, British, Canadian and Afghan forces, this offensive was billed as the operation for turning the tide of the Afghanistan war.

Washington was understandably reluctant to announce the postponement although, according to debkafile's military analysts, it was unavoidable after the disappointment of Operation Mushtarak in Marjah, which was to have been a dress rehearsal in another part of the South, Helmand Province, for the big show in Kandahar.
In Marjah, the combined US-UK force and the Afghan army, which most of the time refused to fight, were unable to loosen the Taliban's grip on the town or prevent the insurgents from using it as a springboard for grabbing the whole of southern Afghanistan.
Sunday, June 13, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and US commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal paid a visit to Kandahar to assure the local tribes they had not been abandoned. Karzai spoke with gusto about the coming offensive; he only "forgot" to mention a date.
With the Kandahar delay, the bottom is about to drop out of Obama's overall war strategy.
2. Another deadly turning-point in the conflict was marked last week with the discovery that Taliban had acquired the missiles for downing Western helicopters and low-flying aircraft.
The British Prime Minister David Cameron had to cancel his helicopter flight to the main British base of Camp Bastion on June 12 after receiving intelligence that the Taliban was preparing to shoot it down.
Three days earlier, on June 9, an American Chinook crashed near Sangin in the Helmand Province killing all four US servicemen aboard. It was then that US and NATO commanders first realized that an unknown party had given the Taliban those anti-air missiles and instructed them in their use.
This means that US helicopters can no longer provide ground forces with close air support and must fly at higher altitudes out of missile range.
3. In their White House talks of May 10-14,Karzai and Obama glossed over their differences by agreeing that the Afghan president would convene a "peace jirga" (a conference of tribal leaders) that would include chieftains and commanders associated with the Taliban as the first step toward national reconciliation.
The conference did take off in Kabul on June 2, attended by 1,400 heads of tribes and factions. But when President Karzai's speech was in full flow, Taliban suicide bombers and gunmen burst in, hurling rockets and grenades. The President just managed to finish his speech before being whisked off the platform by security guards and driven away in a convoy of armored cars.
The tribal chiefs saw for themselves that neither Afghan nor American forces were capable of promising security for any peace conference, whereas the Taliban were clearly able to operate freely in the Afghan capital and any other part of the country.
4. At the same time, Staffan de Mistura, the top U.N. representative in Afghanistan, put in a good word for the Taliban when he told reporters Saturday, June 12. "The U.N. is listening to what the peace jirga is saying. Some of the people in the list may not be alive anymore. The list may be completely outdated."

Fueling momentum for a political solution to the nearly nine-year-old Afghan war, a U.N. committee is reviewing whether certain people could be removed from blacklist that freezes assets and limits travel of key Taliban and al-Qaida figures, the top U.N. representative said Saturday.
5. On Sunday, June 13, The Sunday Times of London ran a long article under the heading: Pakistan puppet masters guide the Taliban killers. It was based on a new report by the London School of Economics according to which Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency is providing extensive funding, training and sanctuary to the Taliban in Afghanistan. The report cites concrete evidence suggesting that support for the Taliban is the "official policy" of the ISI, which not only trains and funds the Afghan insurgents, but is officially represented on the their leadership council.

Washington was shocked by this evidence so soon after President Asif Ali Zardar assured President Obama when they met in Washington last month that he could count on the commitment of the Pakistani government and intelligence resources to fight Taliban and al Qaeda, as a solid prop of US strategy for the Afghan war.
But all the time, it transpired, behind their false face to US military and intelligence chiefs, the ISI has been collaborating with Taliban commanders in their operational planning and selection of targets, supplying them with weapons, explosives and roadside bombs and making grants to the bereaved families of suicide killers who murdered American and British troops.

According to the LSE report, half at least of the 15 members of the Taliban's Quetta Shura (the council which runs the war from its seat in Quetta, the capital of Pakistani Baluchistan) are active officers of Pakistani military intelligence.
"It is impossible to be a member of the Quetta Shura without membership of the ISI," said a high-ranking Taliban fighter.
Given the depth of the ISI's integration in the Afghanistan Taliban's war effort against NATO, the US military might as well drop their efforts to cut the Afghan Taliban's weapons supply route from Pakistan.
The revelations of the LSE are not new, debkafile reports, except for the fact that a prominent Western publication was willing to print them.
They were covered fairly exhaustively in previous issues of DEBKA-Net-Weekly in the past two years.
Most recently, on February 28, 2010, DNW 434 exposed a shady Pakistan intrigue behind the handover to the Americans of Abdul Ghani Baradar, whom they represented as Mullah Omar's first lieutenant the lost of whom would seriously impair Taliban's fighting ability - so they claimed
It was in fact an ISI trick. Baradar was no longer important to the Taliban and his handover no great loss because he had turned coat and was looking for an opening for peace talks with the Americans. The ISI needed to get rid of him before he succeeded to keep the Afghan War on the boil, because as long as it lasts, both the Taliban and the Americans will be dependent on Islamabad and the Pakistanis will carry on pulling wires and playing one side against the other.

The longer the Obama administration clings to the assumption that cooperation with Pakistan and its intelligence agency is the only course for beating the Taliban and al Qaeda, the more elusive an Afghanistan triumph will be for the US and its allies.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'US, Israel would harm all ME states"
By JPOST.COM STAFF
06/13/2010 17:48

Ahmadinejad accuses West of cultivating strife between Iran, Saudis.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that Israel and the US are trying to drive a wedge between Iran and Saudi Arabia, following a London Times report that Saudi Arabia will allow Israeli jets to use its airspace to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities.

Ahamadinejad said "there is no doubt that America and the Zionist regime are enemies of Iran and Saudi Arabia," in a meeting with the new Saudi ambassador to Iran.

RELATED:
'Saudi airspace open for Iran attack'
Russia: Sanctions ban S-300 missiles
Ahmadinejad: Obama made a big mistake
Unrepentant Iran derides sanctions

"Should have the opportunity," Ahmadinejad said, "they would harm all the states in the region. If Iran and Saudi Arabia will be united on regional matters, our enemies will not have the courage to invade Muslim land."

The Times cited a US defense source as saying the Saudis had conducted exercises to ensure Israeli jets are not shot down going through Saudi airspace in the event of an attack against Iran. The source added that the US State Department is aware of the agreement.

Sources in Saudi Arabia told The Times that it is common knowledge within defense circles in the kingdom that an arrangement is in place if Israel decides to launch the raid. Despite the tension between the two countries, they said, their governments share a mutual loathing of the regime in Teheran and a common fear of Iran's nuclear ambitions. However, Riyadh has publicly denied the report.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Watch: Of Mosques and Men
Video Ground Zero
http://bokertov.typepad.com/btb/2010/06/watch-of-mosques-and-men.html
"When you Islamize the most important places of your enemy,
you destabilize your enemy, you make them weaker,
and you show them that Muslims are in control."

"What did Muslims do when they conqered Mecca?
They went to the Kaaba, the center of pagan worship,
and they claimed it for Islam.

What did Muslims do when they took Jerusalem?
Where did they build their mosque?
They built it on the Temple Mount.

The Muslims conquered Damascus.
Where did they build their mosque?
They demolished the Church of St. John the Baptist
and replaced it with a mosque."

Why?
Posted by Yael at 02:04 PM | Permalink

TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451bc4a69e201348413ae99970c

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Watch: Of Mosques and Men:

Comments