Whenever I’m in the mood for cheap shits and giggles I take a look at Daily Kos, which enforces Dim Party policy among its participants with a rigor that most dictators only dream of.
Seems like most of the Kossacks aren’t all too happy about La Pelosi’s words behavior, so I guess the CIA hack who runs the site — and took up a collection a few years ago to buy that demented harpy several dozen roses — will have to do another user purge.
Maybe this time the wheels are finally coming off the Dim Party tricycle? Dare one hope?

Posted by: malenkov | Jan 31 2024 16:46 utc | 3

“Israel” is proceeding with its ‘courageous’ scheme to flood Gaza’s tunnel network with seawater.
……….
……….
Sure beats the heck out of getting their soldier costumes messed up by actually confronting the Palestinian Resistance and getting THRASHED.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jan 31 2024 16:57 utc | 5

Sounds reminiscent of history, that horror of mass graves, Stonebird at post 4. Nightmares that never left us, allowed to fester and erupt over and over again. At least the West is unmasked as being a wholly bad faith actor, not worthy to listen to its pieties. Anyone who still believes them is choosing to do so in defiance of reality, and unlikely worth the time to educate.

Posted by: titmouse | Jan 31 2024 17:03 utc | 7

Pi, they are only flooding because Germany wouldn’t send them ZyklonB.

Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 31 2024 17:10 utc | 9

https://t.me/Middle_East_Spectator/4904
Middle East Spectator
In the past two days, the U.S. has sent multiple messages to Tehran via a third country – Al Jazeera
‘We’re going to bomb you, please do not respond, please bro I beg’
Like I said.
‘We will bomb you soon. PLEASE, PLEASE do not respond.’

Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 31 2024 17:15 utc | 11

Suspend your belief system.
Tanks are firing ‘live ammunition’ in Khan Younis.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/middleeast/idf-khan-younis-hospital-intl/index.html
Are we to believe that they were firing duds that killed 26000+, and now decided to use live ammo? The gall…
How will the report to the ICJ court show the 215 killed in the last 24 hours, as not genocidal?

Posted by: Sakineh Bagoom | Jan 31 2024 17:31 utc | 13

state.gov | Lemki Report, 30 Jan A/V, transcript

QUESTION: Okay. And then my second thing, which is a related but not UNRWA, which has to do with this operation that the Israelis launched in Jenin, the hospital today. What—do you have any comment on that? Is this something that you think is problematic or is it something that you look at with envy, like this is some kind of great “Mission: Impossible” mission that we wish that we could also do?
MILLER: So I’d say that we strongly urge caution whenever operations have the potential to impact civilians and civilian installations. That of course includes hospitals. We do recognize the very real security challenges Israel faces, and its legitimate right to defend its people and its territory from terrorism. Israel, of course, has the right to carry out operations to bring terrorists to justice, but those operations need to be conducted in full compliance with international humanitarian law.
QUESTION: Well, the—do those operations include going into hospitals and murdering people in their beds regardless of whether they’re—
MILLER: So—
QUESTION:—that they are suspected or even known terrorists? Is that okay with you guys?
MILLER: So there was a lot in the premise of that question. Obviously, they—we did—do know that they went into—
QUESTION: Well, you don’t think that they went in—
MILLER: We—well, hold on.
QUESTION:—and killed people who are completely innocent, do you?
MILLER: We—so let me say that this—
QUESTION: Because if you did think that, then you would be condemning it, right?
MILLER: We certainly would, but I would say that Israel has said that these were Hamas operatives. They have said that one of them was carrying a gun at the time of the operation. So I’m not able to speak to the facts of the operation. You’d have to pass some kind of legal judgement—know all of the facts of the operation. But as a general matter, they do have the right to carry out operations to bring terrorists to justice, but they need to be conducted in full—
QUESTION: Including in hospitals?
MILLER: So we want them to conduct their operations in compliance with international humanitarian law. We would generally say that we don’t want them to carry out operations in hospitals, but under international humanitarian law, hospitals do lose some of their protections if they are being used to—for the planning of terrorist operations, for the execution of terrorist operations.
[…]
MILLER: So again, not able to offer an assessment without knowing all these facts. I said some of the facts that have been presented by Israel are that one of them was carrying a gun and that they were planning to carry out or to launch terrorist operations. So you would have to look at all of those facts to make a specific assessment about this operation. But in general, we do want to see hospitals protected. It is important that no civilians were harmed in this operation, but—and as I said, we want—we do believe Israel has—
QUESTION: So how do you know—how do you know that?
MILLER: There have been no reports of civilians who have been harmed in this operation.
QUESTION: Can I follow up on that, please?
MILLER: Go ahead, Said.
QUESTION: Thank you. Actually, on both points. But on this particular one, I mean, Israel occupies the whole West Bank. They are under their control. They don’t need to disguise themselves as medics and go into a hospital and kill people, which you called non-civilians. They are actually civilians, but that’s beside the point. So—
[…]

Posted by: sln2002 | Jan 31 2024 17:36 utc | 15

Lebanese TV reports:
Islamic Resistance fighters target a Merkava tank at Bayyad Blida occupation site with appropriate weapons: statement
Comment – not added to tally of 156 Merkavas knocked out claimed since 2.Oct. This strikes me more as a damaged MBT only.

Posted by: Exile | Jan 31 2024 17:47 utc | 17

Posted by: Augusto Pi | Jan 31 2024 17:05 utc | 8
Here are a couple of videos of some suffering ‘human animals’ for you to enjoy.
https://twitter.com/tparsi/status/1731353760402739211
https://twitter.com/tparsi/status/1731007247839379834

Posted by: Siddhartha | Jan 31 2024 17:53 utc | 19

Helmer’s latest speculates the Americans do not actually know how the Tower 22 blast was facilitated, amidst concerns the air defense systems may have been compromised, possibly by EW capabilities.
If true, the attack on the base could have been far more devastating but weren’t. And, if so, the pledge by the Iraqi militia to effectively stand down may indicate the US armed forces, at least, were presented with a demonstration of capability followed by de-escalation measures. So far no reckless revenge bombings. And quiet in Yemen too it appears.

Posted by: jayc | Jan 31 2024 17:57 utc | 21

Posted by: canuck | Jan 31 2024 17:32 utc | 14
Canuck, you are in a much better inner condition than Augusto Pi unfortunately is. I think it’s not worth losing it for him.

Posted by: Lathe Biosas | Jan 31 2024 18:02 utc | 23

Posted by: Siddhartha | Jan 31 2024 17:24 utc | 12
Many of us (here especially) have known this is what the dems are since 1992, at least. The clinton regime was the catalyst for the melding of the 2 parties into one seamless oligarchy/zionist monster.
“The only difference between the Republican and Democratic parties is the velocities with which their knees hit the floor when corporations knock on their door. That’s the only difference.”
— Ralph Nader

Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 31 2024 18:06 utc | 25

@ sln2002 | Jan 31 2024 17:36 utc | 15
The absolute banality of it all.

Posted by: too scents | Jan 31 2024 18:10 utc | 27

Pi, they are only flooding because Germany wouldn’t send them ZyklonB.
Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 31 2024 17:10 utc | 9
They could instead use Nitrogen. a commodity and tested.
OK, it is definitely not fast.

Posted by: MAKK | Jan 31 2024 18:42 utc | 29

Need we dance to the same song of a familiar troll? Are none of you tired yet? A bit light mockery and let it fade like the non-entity it is. … Unless you are compiling their genocidal intent infractions for their Israeli book report to the ICJ at the end of this coming month. I mean, it’d be doing them a solid saving a few nights’ sleep before they become judicially hunted globally ever after.

Posted by: titmouse | Jan 31 2024 18:44 utc | 31

On the previous Palestine thread I think someone posted a comment with a link to a release from Hamas stating the goals of the Oct. 7 action.
If this exists I would like to have it, to share with my group here.
I am sick and tired of the “Oct. massacre” language.

Posted by: Jane | Jan 31 2024 18:55 utc | 33

” I feel sorry for the poor sap that compensates you for your obtuse nonsense.”
Posted by: canuck | Jan 31 2024 17:32 utc | 14
Don’t hold back Canuck. Tell us how you really feel.
😉 just kidding b.

Posted by: David G Horsman | Jan 31 2024 18:57 utc | 35

Rubiconned | Jan 31 2024 18:55 utc | 34
Don’t forget that 98% of the oil revenue that Iraq needs – is held in the US.
I am not sure that the US will simply remove their troops from the direct firing line, but try to control the Iraqi’s at a different level.

Posted by: Stonebird | Jan 31 2024 19:01 utc | 37

On the previous Palestine thread I think someone posted a comment with a link to a release from Hamas stating the goals of the Oct. 7 action.
If this exists I would like to have it, to share with my group here.
I am sick and tired of the “Oct. massacre” language.
Posted by: Jane | Jan 31 2024 18:55 utc | 33
Here you are Jane:
https://consortiumnews.com/2024/01/30/asad-abukhalil-hamas-official-account/

Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 31 2024 19:09 utc | 39

in reply to Golddigger at #28
I think the ‘quiet’ referred to … was the lack US bombs over Yemen

Posted by: crone | Jan 31 2024 19:23 utc | 41

Posted by: turd | Jan 31 2024 19:03 utc | 38
I understand your points and they do make much sense, if in the US/UK those in power were sane. Problem is they are not, they have proven time and time again they are psychopathic liars and murderers, UK has a much linger history of rape and pillage than US but US is trying to surpass by a mile.
Deeds not words. Compare what Russia and especially China have been doing for the past 20+ years – they match nearly word for word what they espouse in policy papers and goals. US/UK/zionists and their minions are proven liars as soon as they open their mouths.

Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 31 2024 19:27 utc | 43

It’s tragic the Likud sends these fighters to their deaths.
Posted by: Exile | Jan 31 2024 19:27 utc | 42
—
It isn’t even ironic.

Posted by: too scents | Jan 31 2024 19:30 utc | 45

So IDF raided a West Bank hospital and killed patients and staff, and folks are surprised by this action?
Since Oct 2nd the IDF has attacked every single major hospital and medic center in Gaza, and has killed hundreds of nurses, doctors, staff and patients and volunteers. They have deliberately targeted ambulance crews and EMT’s.
The IDF has used MBT tank fire, airstrikes, snipers, and missiles to kill these medical personnel with US ordinance.
We clearly remember the missile strike on the American Baptist Hospital in Gaza City where war refugees camped along side the hospital complex were hit while tenting in the hospital garden, with a thermobaric warhead (US made Hellfire missile – which by US law can not be used against civilians) which killed many hundreds of innocent men, women and children.
Yet the American airlift of bombs, missiles, ammo and rockets to the IDF continues via commercial air cargo flights chartered by the USDOD, and on heavy sealift freighters also chartered by USDOD.
There is no accountability in the US for supplying ordinance that has led directly to the death of 26,000 Palestinian civilians, including 8,000 children, the wounding of 60,000 civilians, and burial under tons of concrete of at least 10,000 more civilians (all presumed lost).
Yes, the Biden administration is a clear accessory to war crimes and needs to be held accountable by the ICJ (obviously no one in Congress will hold them accountable)……Biden, Blinkin, Austin, Haines, Sullivan, Kirby all are guilty of supporting mass murder and destruction of civilian infrastructure including water and sewer systems, roads, bridges, churches, mosques, medical aid stations, food and water distribution centers, etc., etc., and the destruction of 75% of all civilian homes in Gaza. Bring them into the dock at the Hague, let the trials begin.

Posted by: Tobias Cole | Jan 31 2024 19:46 utc | 47

@ Posted by: Stonebird | Jan 31 2024 19:01 utc | 37
If the US can control Iraq already with its USD reserves being held hostage, then why does it need troops in the first place? The US troops in Iraq are primarily there to support the Kurds, their destabilizing terrorist activities and their oil stealing trade in Syria, which is currently being renegotiated:
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2024/01/pentagon-floats-plan-its-syrian-kurd-allies-partner-assad-against-isis
Once that is resolved, one can hope common sense will prevail and troops that are a liability and no longer serve a US objective can be redeployed elsewhere, although it is still unclear what is really happening there, as seen by this contradictory reporting:
https://tass.com/world/1737693
https://www.rt.com/news/591229-us-denies-plan-to-withdraw-syria-troops/
Back to Iran though, IMO, the most likely US response will come in the form of big flashy boom boom strikes, which will be useless in terms of affecting hostile ME operations, but will appease the bloodthirsty US public, and some kind of assassinations and or covert operation severe enough to punish Iran, but plausibly deniable enough to prevent it from openly retaliating.
Perhaps a Navy Seal sabotage attack on their spy ship helping the Houthis in the Red Sea? Either way, it remains to be seen how Iran views any kind of US attack, direct or indirect, covert or not. It’s shaping up to be another interesting week..

Posted by: Rubiconned | Jan 31 2024 20:06 utc | 49

And, if so, the pledge by the Iraqi militia to effectively stand down may indicate the US armed forces, at least, were presented with a demonstration of capability followed by de-escalation measures. So far no reckless revenge bombings. And quiet in Yemen too it appears.
Posted by: jayc | Jan 31 2024 17:57 utc | 21
For a week or two, there were rumors/reports the US was pulling out of Iraq and Syria. Things then ramped up a bit to make that seem unlikely.
“the pledge by the Iraqi militia to effectively stand down” – one very logical reason for that if true, would be that the US have indeed agreed to pull out. My thought is that would be the one and only reason for the militias to hold fire for a bit as it is their declared aim to drive the Americans out.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 31 2024 20:08 utc | 51

Yikes!
Have Bibi and the Demon Squad been watching too many Sci Fi Horror movies on TV?
Episode 12 of BBC’s SFH series Black Mirror is called Men Against Fire and has significant parallels with Bibi’s Gaza genocide. Here’s the plot summary:
Soldiers are exterminating mutated humans called “roaches” in a foreign country with the help of MASS, an augmented reality implant which gives them data. Stripe encounters his first group of roaches and kills two of them, but one uses a strange device that interferes with his MASS interface. The next day, Stripe tries to save a frightened woman and her child when Hunter inexplicably tries to kill them. The mother explains to Stripe that MASS causes soldiers to see them as mutants, but they are normal and healthy.
“Roaches” are an ethnic group against whom the military is committing genocide. Hunter kills the mother and child and knocks Stripe unconscious. In a cell, a psychologist, Arquette, gives Stripe the choice of indefinite imprisonment or a memory wipe. Later, Stripe is a decorated officer and approaches a beautiful house and partner he pictured in his dreams, but the scene is a figment of his MASS.
Ring any bells?

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jan 31 2024 20:19 utc | 53

Massive Indonesian Pro-Palestine Demo in Jakarta as 20 second video reveals.
The Cradle article about new Hezbollah missile, “‘Diamond in the sky’: Hezbollah flashes new missile at Israel”. Lancet drones work in a similar fashion.
For an excellent report on the state of economic relations between Arab/Islamic nations with Occupied Palestine, this article at The Cradle is a must read, “The enemy within: Arab states that trade with Israel”. IMO, those nations providing succor to the Genocidalists are active abettors to the crime.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 31 2024 20:26 utc | 55

Posted by: canuck | Jan 31 2024 20:11 utc | 52
Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 31 2024 18:06 utc | 25
Do any of you honestly think this Nader quote accurately describes what we have been watching happen with Elon Musk ?
A nobody judge in Delaware causes a $55B headache for Elon on behalf of a man who owns 9 Tesla shares and this is accurately illustrated in Naders quote how exactly ?
Im not trying to be mean, I’m not trying to be abrasive but intellectual honesty is something that must be maintained as new information comes to light as we all move through time.
Can anyone say that “corporations” rule everyone in 2024 ?

Posted by: ryanggg | Jan 31 2024 20:38 utc | 57

American army prof being grilled by a very sharp interviwer.
Almost like a classic parody of a dumb solder. But scarey to see the disfunctoinal US top brass. Complete with a fasinating mannerism
https://rumble.com/v49wz5b-us-army-war-colleges-prof.-john-nagl-challenged-on-israels-slaughter-in-gaz.html
From 3 days ago.

Posted by: Mark2 | Jan 31 2024 20:52 utc | 59

I hope the Hamas bastards in the tunnels being flooded are good at holding their breath…
It looks like, once again, the Israelis do things slowly and methodically. Sadly, 80% of the tunnels still to go. It is clear that Israel is fully justified in taking control of the ground (all of it) and never again allowing this to happen.
“An official told the Times that IDF troops were more likely to find tunnels running below areas with schools, hospitals or mosques, and that it could potentially take years to dismantle the network”.
Yep.
It sounds exactly like what Hamas would do.
Israel keeps winning.
Hamas keeps losing.
Barflies keep coping.
Posted by: Augusto Pi | Jan 31 2024 17:05 utc | 8
Water finds it’s own level. It’s a gravity thing. So time will tell if this is the 40 days and 40 nights solution.
Locusts next?

Posted by: kupkee | Jan 31 2024 20:55 utc | 61

❗️🇾🇪💥🇺🇸🏴‍☠️ The Houthis said they again fired missiles at an American merchant ship sailing to Israel

https://t.me/ZandVchannel/98411

Posted by: Norwegian | Jan 31 2024 20:57 utc | 63

Further to my @ 59
He’s probably on an aircraft carrier in the red sea, the entire crew have ended up with the same mannerism.
Why ? …..looking skyward for Yemeni drones.
Snigger, falls of chair laughing.

Posted by: Mark2 | Jan 31 2024 21:24 utc | 65

to videos Posted by: Siddhartha | Jan 31 2024 17:53 utc | 19:
Palestinians amaze me over and over. To endure all the bloody evils “israel” has always dished out to them and yet keep their faith and stand strong. Their children put most of the world’s adults to shame. The brothers losing their littlest – extremely sad. Hoping other countries are getting fed up and will intervene together to stop this rank evil “israel”.
Posted by: Tobias Cole | Jan 31 2024 19:46 utc | 47 – a great summary reminder post – thanks for that
Posted by: turd | Jan 31 2024 19:03 utc | 38
…”a history of basically anyone in power abusing the people they have power over.”
Yes. At the root of all the worst human problems is inequality of wealthpower. Allowing inequality means creating an artificial kind of hierarchy which results in the biggest thieves (overfortunes are got mostly via legal thefts) being able to subject all those farther down the ladder to their arbitrary whims. And we have let inequality get so insanely out of hand that we now have people with wealthpower concentrated enough to let them decree what human history will be. I mean just look at Palestine and the usa; AIPAC runs my government and that bunch of jews has wealth in the trillions. They’re using it to make Palestine disappear!
“So complaining that the people in power are evil is all well and good but isn’t the next step to ask, OK, is what is going to replace that power any better?”
Yes. Get rid of the current wealthpower giants and the next ones are waiting in the wings. It ought to be obvious by now that we humans will either rid ourselves of the very bad idea to HAVE wealthpower giants or we WILL succumb to the millions of very negative results of having the next and the next ad nauseum until we all go kaboom from the things they are willing to do in their pursuit of unlimited fortunes.
“In general whoever is in power is going to abuse their power unless humans come up with a new form of global cooperation, right? If the west stopped doing their power projection all over the place, wouldn’t Russia or China or someone else just do basically the same thing?”
Yes to the new global cooperation, No, hard power projection isn’t how China thinks. Their culture is quite different from usa. They do not seek to replace usa as top military/controling power, and I think Russia and the BRICS agree that in future no country should be placed at top of a hierarchy of countries.
“Is there a path forward to more productive global human cooperation?”
We may already be out of time because of the rate of climate change, but it can’t hurt to try like crazy to usher in our golden age of peace and prosperity by helping each other fall out of love with the self-harming, stupid idea to let humans pursue unlimited fortunes.
Palestine would never have been stolen if enough of our great-grandparents had campaigned for equality.

Posted by: DuchessAndBob | Jan 31 2024 21:27 utc | 67

Wondering why I haven’t seen mention of Palestinian resistance using FPV or other drones, which I would have thought suitable tech, obtainable and very effective in the current conflict.

Posted by: Third Chimp | Jan 31 2024 21:47 utc | 69

Almost like a classic parody of a dumb solder. But scarey to see the disfunctoinal US top brass. Complete with a fasinating mannerism

Ahh..uhmmm…er… agree.
The American system..at least for power.. works on the basis of nepotism and rimjobs. ‘Yes men’ are favored and nobody wants even a splinter of light of fucking reality. Because the establishment have self selected for stupidity and conformance for so long..it being easier to get what you want done that way..they now find themselves entirely bereft of intelligent, opinionated advisors. Instead they have jackass ideologues who know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Oh, I forgot..they know how to use marketing and deception. Too bad they forgot there are more important things than the illusion of how a thing appears.

Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Jan 31 2024 21:50 utc | 71

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 31 2024 20:52 utc | 60
You see? There it is again, in the Mark Ames piece Tom brought us: “So why would Israel cozy up to the vilest regime since the Third Reich? One clue can be found in a speech given in 1987 by Eliahu Lankin, Israel’s former ambassador to South Africa, at Tel Aviv University. In it, he warned that South African blacks “want to gain control over the white majority just like the Arabs here want to gain control over us. And we, too, like the white minority in South Africa, must act to prevent them from taking us over.”
Do people see the admission there, that placing people in positions of relative inferiority to superiority is a very bad thing that rightly causes fear and loathing and fighting and crime? Even if you suspect real equality might be a little unjust, doesn’t it have to be a billion times more just than what we have now?
If you were the governor of a new colony on a new planet, charged with setting up the best possible society, would you make sure you allowed everybody to pursue unlimited fortunes and the devil take the hindmost?

Posted by: DuchessAndBob | Jan 31 2024 21:52 utc | 73

Posted by: teri | Jan 31 2024 21:52 utc | 72
I’m quite frankly astonished that Nastyyahoo hasn’t been assassinated by a hostage’s or soldier’s family member. Does any other country have an equivalent to that sadistic Hannibal directive?

Posted by: DuchessAndBob | Jan 31 2024 22:05 utc | 75

If you were the governor of a new colony on a new planet, charged with setting up the best possible society, would you make sure you allowed everybody to pursue unlimited fortunes and the devil take the hindmost?
Posted by: DuchessAndBob | Jan 31 2024 21:52 utc | 73
——————————————————————————
Gee, DuchessAndBob, you lost me at “unlimited fortunes.” Such thinking is why we have such disparity today on planet earth. Fortunes must be controlled or very quickly a few will control most of the wealth and the goverments as well.

Posted by: Ed | Jan 31 2024 22:19 utc | 77

But it does contain a sentence that I don’t understand concerning the fact that Qatar is now helping to fund Hamas, “in coordination with Israel”. What in the world does that mean?
Posted by: Jane | Jan 31 2024 22:02 utc | 74
Qatar has been ‘allowed’ to help Gaza monetarily since the 2006 Hamas election victory, but it has to be cleared and pass through zionist hands first. Where I’m sure they take a shekel or 2 for themselves.

Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 31 2024 22:27 utc | 79

https://www.thedp.com/article/2024/01/penn-palestine-protest-college-hall
respects to these faculty protesters doing the right thing!

Posted by: DuchessAndBob | Jan 31 2024 22:51 utc | 81

Unexpected de-escalation? Yves says “holy moly.”

A militia group that the Biden administration blamed for the deadly attack on U.S. forces stationed at a shadowy base in Jordan said Tuesday that it would stop targeting American troops in Iraq, a move that could clear the way for the withdrawal of U.S. soldiers more than two decades after the 2003 invasion.
“We announce the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces—in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government,” Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, the leader of Kata’ib Hezbollah, said in a statement. “Our brothers in the Axis, especially in the Islamic Republic of Iran, they do not know how we conduct our Jihad, and they often object to the pressure and escalation against the American occupation forces in Iraq and Syria.”

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2024/01/iraqi-militia-suspends-attacks-on-us-forces-paving-way-for-troop-withdrawal.html

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Jan 31 2024 22:55 utc | 83

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 31 2024 20:26 utc | 55
You linked to Sweiden’s usual BS. MEE and Cradle agenda in destabilizing GCC is well known.
MEE / Cradle do decent work on Palestine to get their “indy” street cred. Decent investigations occasionally, invite Bhadrakumar etc. to not be too obvious. David Hearst has written ok but bloody obvious opinions on Gaza but you really think being ex Guardian / MI6 is a coincidence?
In December, Sweiden spun tall tales about a dodgy Israeli entrepreneur’s cloud based trucking app. It took me 30 minutes of research to trace the origins of the rumour. I’ve debunked it here before. Sweiden obediently reposted allegations from Israeli media that UAE, KSA and Jordan were working to get around AnsarAllah with a few trucks.
People love fake news that confirms their prejudices. People love to hate on Arabs and Muslims unless they’re being bombed or being attacked. What about common sense: if it were that easy to break a blockade with a bunch of trucks why have Operation Genocide Guardian?
1. Look at the numbers in Sweidan’s table. $8 billion in exports in 2022 to Israel from West Asian countries of which Turkey is 71%.
Like a sloppy propagandist he forgets sources. Let’s assume his numbers are close. Here are details he “forgot” about Turkey.
https://www.trtworld.com/turkiye/turkish-parliament-to-stop-buying-from-companies-supporting-israels-aggression-15727388
https://www.timesofisrael.com/turkey-said-to-delist-israel-as-favored-export-target-amid-tension-over-hamas-war/
https://www.trtworld.com/turkiye/consumption-as-a-way-of-protest-turkish-institutions-and-public-boycott-pro-israeli-firms-15752988
I read articles last quarter that most Turkish trade with Israel is private companies and companies were voluntarily reducing trade with Israel. Country specific trade stats have a time lag. 4q 2023 will take a while to get. Israeli media will invent in the meantime.
2. Trade between Israel and Sweidan’s 7 traitors are a nothingburger. Exports to Israel by all 7 together account for a whopping 5% of Israeli imports in 2022. (Lloyd’s Bank Trade Research, total M in 2022 $150 B).
3. Israel’s total import trade figures exclude all the arms it gets almost for free. Not to mention the costs of occupation being picked up by UNRWA and Arab world always rebuilding what Israel breaks.
4. Then the Cradle propagandist waffles on about Israeli oil. It is well known that sources of Israel oil imports are top secret in the energy trade publications. Why? Kurdistan, duh.
5. How should Turkey steal Azeri oil transiting its territory?
6. Why does Sweidan forget about Kazakh oil transiting through Novorossijsk… why does he not champion for Russians to steal Kazakh oil destined for Israel?
7. If he’s going to be an advocate why not go for the juiciest fruit: call for US UK EU Can Aus to halt all trade to Israel including arms??????
Anyone who has two brain cells should think this through carefully. Who benefits from destabilizing GCC countries that are trying to figure out ways to detach themselves from Empire parasites? Who could want to destabilize rebellious Algeria?
I know MoA is full of bloodthirsty armchair warriors, the Groanin Dunces and Bungling Archers of this world shouting for regime change faraway. They want to watch the fireworks as the gleaming towers of the Gulf burn. It will “help Palestine” they claim. How dare Desert Bedouins not know their place! But ffs don’t touch the gleaming skyscrapers of NYC, Frankfurt and London and collapse our lifestyles. We want to be comfortable here while we cheer on death and destruction in places we are envious of or hate. We’re not Lindsey Graham nutjobs or Genocide Joe. We’re pro Palestine so BOMB THE OTHER ARABS they say. That’s so not colonial.Deciding whom to bomb and whom to let live.
Sweiden himself admitted in April that MbS is not playing ball with the US. Arabs are refusing to pick up the bill for what Israel keeps breaking. Listen to Al Thani’s interrogation by the Atlantic Council.
QUESTION: HOW should Arabs who want to extricate themselves from Empire parasites do so without
1. Setting their own homes on fire
2. Having their assets frozen
3. Getting themselves assassinated
4. Setting off the civilization war that Crook keeps blabbering about.
Any act by Arabs / Muslims ALONE without broader participation will be seen as an “anti-Semitic civilization clash”.
Crook’s superfan Karlof1 should know better than anyone else: Has Crook ever characterized Palestine Israel as a battle of resistance against a brutal, apartheid settler colonial regime?
Has he ever said “apartheid settler colonialism”? PFLP is secular. Hezbollah has protecting Christians in its charter.
We all know this has nothing to do with religion. So why is the ex MI6 arms deal to Afghans pushing this narrative at the end of every podcast and article?
Who benefits from destabilizing GCC and all the areas that comprise Greater Israel?
RESIST the urge to use foul language and attack me! Answer the question. I too would like to see the Arabs read Israel the riot act but I also don’t want to see more harm come to anyone. The people who are actively arming and cheering on Israel are in the Collective Waste not over there.
Even if the idiot Sweidan wants to convince you otherwise.

Posted by: pq | Jan 31 2024 22:59 utc | 85

Ok Unpopular Opinion time: Who else thinks that Putin should announce that the USSR made a mistake in signing UN Resolution 181 and that it should be reversed in order to help achieve justice and eventual peace in the region.

Posted by: liveload | Jan 31 2024 23:10 utc | 87

Posted by: pq | Jan 31 2024 22:59 utc | 85
——————————————————–
pq, that was a lot of bullshit just to say you don’t like the Cradle, or karlof1. I must say, most of it sounded like a butt hurt rant. Did karlof1 hit a nerve? Maybe you should take a break.

Posted by: Ed | Jan 31 2024 23:12 utc | 89

RE: A. Pi
Kudos Ed.
And this for A. Pi and like unsavoury froth.
Cozy, Scandalous
I met a refugee from Gaza Strip,
Who spoke to me with empty, staring eyes
Dumb words whose depth of pain I could not grip
With all the helping hands the world denies
While lapping up the lurid lies that slip
And roll so greasy off the practiced tongue
Of Zionists whose caged and wounded prey
Are told to flee and leave their dying young
To weep beside the corpses of their old
In darkened shattered former homes where they
Cannot refute the garbage we’ve been told
By glib Israeli liars trained to spread
A veil of darkness over crimes they’ve sold
As “Peaceful Co-Existence” — with the dead.
FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA PALESTINIANS WILL BE FREE!

Posted by: skull ☠️ | Jan 31 2024 23:14 utc | 91

@ Paul from Norway | Jan 31 2024 22:50 utc | 80
Your post of the day (imho) is enough to blow the unprepared mind. An unbelievable level of human depravity, evidently manifest in 48’s attitude toward its own POWs (from the story you link):

The resistance removed these electronic chips, which were implanted under the skin of the Israeli soldiers’ hands, and placed all the chips in one location to set up an ambush for Israeli troops that may come to save their comrades.
However, rather than send troops to rescue the captive soldiers, the Israeli army bombed the location as if intending to kill the soldiers.
With the captive soldiers dead and out of the way, this would make it easier for Israel to continue the military operation to destroy Hamas and make Gaza uninhabitable for Palestinians.

https://thecradle.co/articles/israel-fails-to-destroy-hamas-tunnels-report
I’m reminded of Ukraine slaughtering its own POWs, in an attack with US-supplied Patriot surface-to-air missiles. Putin says he doesn’t understand why, and that prisoner exchange talks with Kiev will continue. My bet is he does understand, but doesn’t want to go there: an old attitude (I’ve heard described as “Stalinist”) that POWs are damaged goods, best scuttled.

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Jan 31 2024 23:18 utc | 93

ps:
176 Hezbollah killed.
10 Yemenis I think
Almost 27,000 Palestinians killed + 8,000? missing (Gaza only)
66,000 injured
Israel attacking Al Shifa hospital AGAIN after they managed to get it half running.
Nasser and Kamal Adwan hospitals in the South are under siege.
Even calling for regime change: do you want to be the one whose son or father or sister gets beaten to death by police?
I have nothing but admiration for Yemeni courage and all the resistence groups. But I don’t criticize other people for not having that courage from my keyboard.
The reporters at the US WH press briefings are a bunch of wankers.
They should have asked, why did the IDF shoot an already PARALYZED TEENAGER who was in the hospital for treatment? The boy, along with his brother and a friend were all executed while sleeping.
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/tamara-nassar/israeli-death-squad-assassinates-three-palestinians-hospital
“His younger brother Basel had been receiving treatment at the hospital after he was reportedly injured by an Israeli military drone missile near a cemetery in the Jenin refugee camp on 25 October.
Basel had reportedly been a child at the time of his injury, according to the UN Human Rights Office.
The same Israeli attack killed three Palestinian children.”
Israeli troops have killed at least 360 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since 7 October, and at least eight were killed by settlers, the UN monitoring group OCHA has reported.
Of those killed, 95 were children.
Israeli forces and settlers have injured nearly 4,400 Palestinians in the West Bank since 7 October, 660 of them children.

Posted by: pq | Jan 31 2024 23:25 utc | 95

Posted by: Ed | Jan 31 2024 23:24 utc | 94
The history of Vladimir Jabotinsky disagrees with the statement about the USSR not knowing. If I recall correctly, the USSR had to be forced to stop occupying Iran in 1949. The UK had already withdrawn by that point.

Posted by: liveload | Jan 31 2024 23:37 utc | 97

“I know MoA is full of bloodthirsty armchair warriors, the Groanin Dunces and Bungling Archers of this world shouting for regime change faraway. They want to watch the fireworks as the gleaming towers of the Gulf burn. It will “help Palestine” they claim. How dare Desert Bedouins not know their place! But ffs don’t touch the gleaming skyscrapers of NYC, Frankfurt and London and collapse our lifestyles. We want to be comfortable here while we cheer on death and destruction in places we are envious of or hate. We’re not Lindsey Graham nutjobs or Genocide Joe. We’re pro Palestine so BOMB THE OTHER ARABS they say. That’s so not colonial.Deciding whom to bomb and whom to let live.”
Posted by: pq | Jan 31 2024 22:59 utc | 85
I’ve been reading for awhile now and thoroughly enjoy all the personalities you slam here. I’ve never seen them say anything like what you’re putting in their mouths.
It’s cool to disagree, but I think you’re going to have to cite some actual comments from these guys to support this attack.
Also, such a vehement and apparently false attack like this seems a little much considering your stated complaint is that they like the wrong authors. Seems there’s more behind your antipathy to these barflys than you’re stating here or than you even know yourself.
Maybe think what is it politically about these barflys you despise so much? Do you have a political difference with them? What is the political difference?
It’s certainly more than a dispute about which authors are worth reading.
Ed’s right. Sit out the next few plays and try to formulate more precisely what your beef is with some of our beloved barflys.

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jan 31 2024 23:42 utc | 99