Israeli Air Strike

[Kuya]

Hamas launched rockets and Israel retaliated, which probably has something to do with the fact that Israel still doesn't want to end the blockade. Also, apparently the BBC refused to air a segment calling for aid for Gaza civilians.

[Olo401]

Sidenote: Is this White Phosphorus being used on civilians?

There are quite a few people, mostly people who are fans of Israel's murderous rampages, who argue that use of WP is legal because it is not being used on civilians and it is being used within acceptable military guidelines as a illuminant (it makes shit glow in the dark). I've also had one fucktard on Dailykos claim that pictures proving Israel is using WP, like this one, are deliberately staged and/or photoshopped.

You'll note in the picture above that not only are there civilians fleeing for their lives from the burning chemical wrath of this shit, but it's also broad daylight.

[Suited Aces]

acceptable military guidelines as a illuminant (it makes shit glow in the dark).

It's used as a smokescreen, not to "illuminate".

[archibaldcrane]

It's used as a smokescreen, not to "illuminate".

It's a smokescreen that just happens to leave horrific burns on the people they hit with it, if they manage to live. They're using it, it's hitting civilians. They're using it...on civilians.

[Suited Aces]

It's a smokescreen that just happens to leave horrific burns on the people they hit with it, if they manage to live. They're using it, it's hitting civilians. They're using it...on civilians.

I'm not defending their use of it. I was pointing out the flaw in the dudes above point that it was being used to make shit glow in THE BROAD DAYLIGHT. /cue scary music.

[0ni0n]

Is Peace Out Of Reach? Video - CBSNews.com



Very informative 60 Minutes piece on the settlements blocking peace in Israel-Palestine. Of course, I expect Abe Foxman and his army of chins (the ADL) to accuse CBS of antisemitism.

Saw the segment a couple days ago. The settlers are no less brainwashed than Hamas suicide bombers. The woman settler interviewed in the segment proclaims that it's her spiritual and religious obligations to continue occupying Palestinian land because it's a mission from God. She also swears that she and her fellow settlers, who illegally occupy Palestinian land according to both Palestinian and Israeli laws, will refuse to move out of the area no matter what the cause.

The only resolution I see from this quagmire is that the US withdraws its unconditional support of Israel and let it fend for itself. Surrounded by mostly Arab states, then and only then will Israel learn to play nice with its adjacent neighbors.

[Elvis]

Hamas launched rockets and Israel retaliated, which probably has something to do with the fact that Israel still doesn't want to end the blockade. Also, apparently the BBC refused to air a segment calling for aid for Gaza civilians.

YouTube - Tony Benn to BBC "If you wont broadcast the Gaza appeal then I will myself"

<3 Tony Benn.

I recall the BBC airing a similar segment for aide in the Sudan. Why not the same for Gaza? They say it's a matter of impartiality. The anchorwoman says it's out of fear that Hamas will confiscate the aide. Yea, that makes sense. In any case, in saying so, the BBC is taking an obvious stance on the massacre - not war, massacre.

[archibaldcrane]

Seeing the Israeli settlers riot because the army forced, what, 9 settlers out of their homes...man.

Saying "The U.S. should just withdraw all it's support" is one thing, but I think it would be much more effective if we just tied a ton of strings to that money and military aid.

Also, sort of related, Obama is pleasantly surprising me. His first interview since being elected president was for an Islamic television station, sending a message to the Muslim world.

Obama tells Arabic network US is 'not your enemy' - Yahoo! News
Excerpt:

CAIRO, Egypt – President Barack Obama chose an Arabic satellite TV network for his first formal television interview as president, part of a concerted effort to repair relations with the Muslim world that were damaged under the previous administration.
Obama cited his Muslim background and relatives, practically a taboo issue during the U.S. presidential campaign, and said in the interview, which aired Tuesday, that one of his main tasks was to communicate to Muslims "that the Americans are not your enemy."
The interview on the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel aired as Obama's new envoy to the region, former Sen. George J. Mitchell, arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for a visit that will also take him to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Obama said the U.S. had made mistakes in the past but "that the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there's no reason why we can't restore that."

[Olo401]

It's used as a smokescreen, not to "illuminate".

Actually both - one of the chemical properties of phosphorus is that it both somewhat visible in the dark AND is extremely visible in night vision equipment. In other words, it's illuminates objects.

[Elvis]

You know, Israeli apologists could say the IDF dropped leaflets in advance to warn the Palestinians they were about to incinerate them..

BUT

..the White Phosphorus probably incinerated the leaflets.

Z I N G

[archibaldcrane]

Nice new avatar.

[Elvis]

Thanks

[Kuya]

Two things would make the Middle East happy, the US holding Israel accountable for its actions, and the closing of military bases in the ME.

[Kiro]

There you have it, ladies & gentlemen. PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST FINALLY ATTAINED COURTESY OF KUYA.

[Kuya]

Sadly, Israel wants the Palestinians out and the US wants major influence in the region for decades to come.

[Kiro]

Well shit. False alarm, folks!

[Kuya]

Bump: Amnesty International confirms that Israel did in fact use White phosphorous rounds in civilian areas which is against humanitarian law and constitutes a war crime, as well Hamas smuggled foreign weaponry and used it on civilians in Israel. AI calls for an embargo on Israel and Hamas.

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Israel-Hamas arms embargo urged

Amnesty International has called for a freeze on arms sales to Israel and Palestinian groups such as Hamas following the recent Gaza conflict.
The human rights group said it had evidence both Israel and Hamas had used weapons sourced from overseas to carry out attacks on civilians.
It called for the UN Security Council to impose the embargo on all parties.
Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the conclusions of the report, in which Amnesty accuses each of war crimes.
In the report, Israel is accused of illegally using white phosphorus and other armaments supplied by the US in Gaza, while Hamas is condemned for launching unguided rockets into Israel.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told the BBC that Israel had used white phosphorus but not as an anti-personnel weapon.



The substance, which is used to lay smokescreens, is legal for use on open ground but its use in built-up areas where civilians are found is banned under international conventions.


"We tried to be as surgical as humanly possible in a difficult combat situation," he said.
Mr Regev criticised Amnesty's methodology, saying the report's authors used what he called "tainted" data provided by Hamas.
He said Israel was conducting its own investigation into whether any of its munitions were used outside international law.
Hamas also criticised the report's findings as "unjust and unfair".
"It [the report] equates between the criminal and the victim," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.
"There is not a single country in the world which exports weapons to the Hamas movement. At the same time main countries, big countries and superpowers are exporting nuclear and phosphorus weapons, as well as weapons of mass destruction, to the Zionist occupier [Israel]."

'War crimes'
Donatella Rovera, the head of an Amnesty fact-finding mission to southern Israel and Gaza, said: "Israeli forces used white phosphorus and other weapons supplied by the USA to carry out serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes.

"Their attacks resulted in the death of hundreds of children and other civilians and massive destruction of homes and infrastructure.

"At the same time, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups fired hundreds of rockets that had been smuggled in or made of components from abroad at civilian areas in Israel.

Though far less lethal than the weaponry used by Israel, such rocket firing also constitutes a war crime and caused several civilian deaths."

[Odon]

Saw that this morning on BBC while I was getting ready for class. Shame nothing is going to happen to Israel.

[guartz]

Since somebody is paying attention to ME news, whats the word on the new Israeli government Kuya?

[pohibaba]

Seems like Netanyahu is going to form a right wing coalition and take control.