by Daniel Pipes
[NY Sun title: "Time To Recognize Failure Of Israel-Egypt Treaty"]
Ninety-two percent of respondents in a recent poll of one thousand Egyptians over 18 years of age called Israel an enemy state. In contrast, a meager 2% saw Israel as "a friend to Egypt."
These hostile sentiments express themselves in many ways, including a popular song titled "I Hate Israel," venomously antisemitic political cartoons, bizarre conspiracy theories, and terrorist attacks against visiting Israelis. Egypt's leading democracy movement, Kifaya, recently launched an initiative to collect a million signatures on a petition demanding the annulment of the March 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty.
Also, the Egyptian government has permitted large quantities of weapons to be smuggled into Gaza to use against Israeli border towns. Yuval Steinitz, an Israeli legislator specializing in Egypt-Israel relations, estimates that fully 90% of PLO and Hamas explosives come from Egypt.
Continued on Page 49
#1
Egypt's equipment may now be on par with Israel's, but what about the operators? Arabs have not yet shown a lot of prowess in modern-style warfighting, and even less in modern equipment maintenance.
If Egypt had NOT signed the peace treaty they would not have US weapons, but they would still have weapons - French, Chinese, etc. Having them armed with US weapons means they have a spare parts vulnerability - ask Iran.
#2
I still think the Egyptians should have rolled over Libya long ago and taken their oil. Arabs can beat up other Arabs. After that they could save the people of the Sudan from poverty and misgovernment while claiming even more oil.
#4
Before judging this too quickly, consider the strategic implications of the maligned treaty --
-- it took Egypt off the board.
No Arab war against Israel is possible without Egypt. Simply can't work. By getting a peace treaty coupled with US arms support (and Glenmore is right, those weapons have some heavy strings attached), Egypt no longer threatens the peace.
Combine that with Israel's known but undeclared nuclear deterrent and you have the reasons why there has been no major state-to-state war since 1973.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/22/2006 12:05 Comments ||
Top||
#8
The treaty gave Arabs an entirely new way to persecute their Jihad against Israel.
It lost Israel the strategic depth (the thing that saved us in 1973) of Sinai.
It lost Israelis the elbow space (which every nation needs --- if only for psychological reasons).
The promises of democratic normalization made by the Council for Justice and Democracy during the Mauritanian elections are no longer mere assurances to win the masses and gain legitimacy. These promises, however, have become commitments that reflect the vision of change. Voters going to ballot boxes today will not be an ordinary process in terms of its nature and objectives. But it is a real test of the will for change that began with toppling the regime of President Maaouya Ould Taya.
Certainly, President Ely Ould Mohamed Vall did not wish to produce a political system in which he would have the strongest party and the broader control, as is the case with presidential parties that arise from within the authority. The Mauritanian Military Council scored a point when it decided to retreat after the legislative and presidential elections in a precedent that reflects the respect for the will of the voters. This marks a positive start that cuts the long way short and opens the door to the possibility of change without chaos. The President of the Military Council did not find difficulty in convincing his partners from neighboring countries, the EU, the AU, and the international monetary institutions that the price of change, if it had to be achieved through a 'coup d'etat', is not unaffordable. Actually, the intensity of electoral rivalries and the emergence of new political blocs and trends, rather reflect the desire of the Mauritanian masses for democratic normalization. The Military Council succeeded in every way to convince the masses to initiate change.
The brief transitional period was not sufficient to cause another coup in relations, the role of political parties, and the activation of civil society. The great question about the commitment of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy regarding its promises of handing over power to civilians has been a major concern. It seems that the Council itself has become a judge ruling among political factions, based on the fact that it does not want to stay in power. In one way or another, this situation may have affected the formulation of the new experience in a way that does not provoke the military or instigate a confrontation, and at the same time, that does not totally support or oppose it. The future is open to all options, but the least possible option is that the military will cling to authority for one reason or another. Perhaps accurate calculations in such a process have affected the course of electoral contests in a way that restricted disclosing all intentions at once. Although the military had expressed their intention to leave the government after finishing all transitional arrangements, civilians were not in a position to speak out about all their demands. This is due to the fact that today's elections, which may need a second session to be settled, are nothing but a rehearsal of what will be the situation in presidency, regulated by extremely influential internal, regional and international considerations.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
11/22/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
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#1
Okay we got the headline, Mauritanian Normalization.... and in the 2nd para we got..
Certainly, President Ely Ould Mohamed Vall did not wish to produce a political system in which he would have the strongest party and the broader control, as is the case with presidential parties that arise from within the authority
Lord no! That would be wrong!
I assume this story is thrown out for the Modi Lunch.
Maybe it's the romantic in me, but I can't help shuddering every time I walk past the Lubyanka. For much of the Communist era, the forbidding walls of KGB headquarters cast a sinister pall across the Soviet Union.
From its windows, Russians used to joke, you could see Siberia the destination for tens of thousands once held in the Lubyanka's prison. When communism died, the KGB was quietly shelved. For a while, it seemed as though Russians could speak freely without the fear of who may be listening in.
But six years into the presidency of Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB officer, much of the democratic progress that Russia made in the early post-Soviet years has evaporated. Russians scurrying through the winter cold today could be forgiven for casting an apprehensive glance at the Lubyanka's grim façade, behind which lies the nerve centre of the KGB's successor, the Federal Security Service or FSB.
Continued on Page 49
#1
--Russia's Muslims, however, are bucking that trend. The fertility rate for Tatars living in Moscow is six children per woman, Mr. Goble said, while the Chechen and Ingush communities are averaging 10 children per woman. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of Muslims from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have been flocking to Russia in search of work. --
And how can they afford to feed this many????
Pooty and the Church better wake up and let the Mormons, etc. in to do they're work.
#2
I believe there will be a civil war in Russia and in Europe. The civil war will fix the demographic issues. The longer they wait the worse it will be but make no mistake, both groups are very good at the business of death when they finally set their minds to it.
I imagine a repeat of Stalin's tactics of isolating and starving regions with little media or public inspection to the crimes. This could occur in larger areas where troublemakers are sent or simply by shutting off the inner city ghettos that have gone beyond the point of no-return (harder to hide that though).
--CHECHEN BIRTHRATE HIGHEST IN RUSSIA
Novye izvestia reported on April 21 that a conference, "The Chechen Republic and Chechens: history and modernity," organized by the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology in conjunction with the Chechen Republics' Academy of Sciences, had noted that around half of Chechnya's gross domestic product remains in the "shadow economy" but that the republic has the highest birthrate in Russia. According to Aleksandr Granberg, chairman of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Council for the Study of Productive Forces, reported that despite all of Chechnya's "misfortunes" and economic "ruins," the republic's birthrate in 2003 was 24.9 per 1,000, compared with 10.2 per 1,000 for Russian as a whole.
1. Mother and Child Health (pdf)
The results of a WHO comparative analysis of
mother and child health situation in Chechnya,
Ingushetia and North Ossetia-Alania, based on
the official reports of the Ministries of Health,
show that in 2005 Chechnya retained the highest
birth rate (22.0), compared to Ingushetia
(14.2) and North Osseita (11.2) (average RF
10.3). In Ingushetia and North Ossetia birth
rates have been reducing since 2003. Infant
mortality remains highest in Ingushetia with
24.5 in 2005, though also reducing from 28.1 in
2003 and 24.8 in 2004. The lowest infant mortality
is reported in North Ossetia since 2003
(10.5) and 9.4 in 2005.
#7
Re-reading it : "The fertility rate for Tatars living in Moscow..."; in that context the 10 kiddies per wimman could be there too. 10 seems an awfully big lot of babies per capita, at least in modern times, but if birthrate is twice as high in war-torn chechnya than in RF (including non-slavic pop), then it might be higher in more secure and affluent Moscow.
#8
Good points, I wonder if during the next Flu pandemic the Muslims will share evenly in the vacinations. I'm pretty sure when the CDC is working the problem the US will be stretched trying to cover our own population. I think much of the middle east might have to trust to the Will of Allah.
#1
I had thought this incident would get more publicity than it has so far. Perhaps the general public is getting a wee bit tired of phoney "incidents."
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
11/22/2006 7:57 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Linky no workie:
Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80040e14'
[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]The log file for database 'cwsitedb' is full. Back up the transaction log for the database to free up some log space.
#3
Yep, even when selected from their own main page - sorry. It worked okee-fine at o'dark-thirty this AM. Try again later, when you need the adrenaline.
The assassination of anti-Syrian Lebanese leader Pierre Gemayel should put to rest fantasies about Syria and Iran being partners for peace. The problems in the Middle East aren't America's fault.
Unlike Iraq, Lebanon is no stranger to democracy. From its birth under French colonial rule in 1943, it has flourished as a multicultural democracy, with power shared among its Muslim, Christian and Druse residents. Today, Lebanese democracy, like the fledgling democracy in Iraq, is under siege by those who would subvert and destroy it, a casualty in the clash of civilizations that too few in the West are willing to recognize.
Gemayel is just the latest casualty in a war that's seen three prominent anti-Syrian politicians assassinated in two years. Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed in a massive car bombing in February 2005. Legislator and anti-Syrian newspaper publisher Gibran Tueni was killed by another car bomb in December.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
11/22/2006 13:14 ||
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Abdullah Iskandar, Al-Hayat
After the resignation of the Shiite ministers, something that may be held against the current Lebanese government is that it is now non-charter. Not that anyone has questioned its constitutionality; as long it enjoys the confidence of the majority of Parliament, and as long as the House and the President of the Republic retain their mandate. And the fact that the government has become non-charter due to the resignation of ministers of one sect and political creed is, moreover, a precedent that might be repeated in the future with other sects, regardless of their size and importance. This is bearing in mind that recognized sects are often only represented by one minister, and are sometimes not represented at all. A charter means equality, not the right to veto.
When Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah was explaining the reasons for the resignation of the Shiite representatives from Fouad Siniora's government, he stressed that their presence was no longer meaningful because any disagreement would be put to the vote, with results contrary to their convictions. He thus considers disagreements and division in this government to be the rule, and not government solidarity that is led by the spirit of the charter. Therefore, it is not hard to imagine that he will try, through dialogue and consultation, to make votes inside the government the rule, and not an exception, as it is now. In this way, he would retain the power to veto decisions. The rest is clear: confronting the majority with one of two options; either they grant him this power, and, with it, running the risk of making a precedent, or holding early elections, which would overturn the equation of majority-minority. Consequently, Nasrallah would take full control of the government's decision-making.
#4
We need to create an environment where the practice of Islam is made difficult. Muslim citizens should be forced to accept our secular ways or leave if they desire sharia. Much of this can be done in a non-discriminatory way, by simply refusing to allow special pleading to Muslims. Do not allow Islamic public calls to prayer as this is offensive to other faiths. Both boys and girls should take part in all sporting and social activities of the school and the community. The veil should be banned in public institutions, thus contributing to breaking the traditional subjugation of women. Companies and public buildings should not be forced to build prayer rooms for Muslims. Enact laws to eliminate the abuse of family reunification laws. Do not permit major investments by Muslims in Western media or universities.
#5
Thanks A5089. Right. Stop coddlings these f**kers. They comply with our societal norms or we kick their asses out. Now. That's why this US Airways hubbub is a really big deal. Glad all the columnists and radio shows have jumped in with both feet and come down squarely on the throats of these treacherous Muzzie bastards.
#6
Fjordman continues to post some of the most well thought out essays on dealing with the rise of Islam.
According to Srdja Trifkovic, the author of Defeating Jihad, The tangible cost of the presence of a Muslim man, woman and child to the American taxpayer is at least $100,000 each year. The cost of the general unpleasantness associated with the terrorist threat and its impact on the quality of our lives is, of course, incalculable. There is a direct, empirically verifiable correlation between the percentage of Muslims in a country and the increase of terrorist violence in that country (not to mention the general decline in the quality of life and civilized discourse).
Sooner or later, we have to deal with the implications of this fact. The best way to deal with the Islamic world is to have as little to do with it as possible. We should completely stop Muslim immigration. This could be done in indirect ways, such as banning immigration from nations known to be engaged in terrorism. All Muslim non-citizens in the West should be removed. We should also change our laws to ensure that Muslim citizens who advocate sharia, preach Jihad, the inequality of infidels etc should have their citizenship revoked and be deported back to their country of origin.
Regular contributor, A5089, recently posted a superb article by Amil Imani titled, Democracys Problems with Islam. It certainly merits reading for anyone who has not done so already. The writer casts Fjordmans own concerns in a new light as he details many serious issues confronting the West as it attempts to assimilate a subculture that steadfastly refuses to integrate. Imani puts it rather plainly:
The large number of Muslims arrival of recent years is posing a serious problem to this nation of all nations. Bluntly speaking, no one can be a Muslim and an American at the same time. Here are some of the reasons.
* A Muslim is, first and foremost, an Ummehista citizen of international Islam. So, when a Muslim takes the Pledge of Allegiance, he is either ignorant of the implication of his pledge or is lying willfully. Ignorance is never a valid reason in the court of law, and lying in the process of becoming citizen is a ground for denying the application and even deporting the violator. Sadly enough, tagyyehlying, or dissimulationis not only condoned, it is recommended to the Muslims in their scripture. Hence, a Muslim can and would lie without any compunctions, whenever it is expedient.
* Muslims, by belief and practice, are the most blatant violators of human rights. We hardly need to detail here Muslims systemic cruel treatment of the unbelievers, women of all persuasions, and any and all minorities across the board. To Muslims, human rights have a different meaning, and it protective provisions are reserved strictly for Muslimsprimarily for Muslim men.
* Respect for the rule of law, as it is understood and practiced by civilized people, is an instrument of convenience to be used to advantage and to be violated when it is not, for the Muslim. A Muslim believes in a different lawthe Shariah: a set of stone-age rules. Violation of the non-Muslim laws, therefore, is no violation at all to a Muslim.
As with Fjordmans concerns that Muslim citizens who advocate sharia, preach Jihad, the inequality of infidels etc should have their citizenship revoked and be deported back to their country of origin, this needs to be extended to Muslims who are Ummehists. If a Muslim is just that first and foremost, before all allegiance to country of residence, then they must automatically be viewed as a threat. One might argue how many Christians may well feel that their religious orientation precedes all other commitments to their country. However, there is one crucial difference.
Islam is one of the only, if not the only, globally significant belief structure that both seeks universal domination and simultaneously grants free license (if not directly compelling its members) to lie, cheat, steal, kill or dissemble in whatever way that proves necessary to achieve its ends. Given that fact, it may soon become necessary to subject all American Muslims to biometric examination regarding their putative allegiance to America's constitutional rule and democratic ideals. Islams granting of taqqiya as halal (permitted by Islam), makes it into an almost unique threat and one that may require singular measures to counteract.
Science is rapidly perfecting fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), PET (Proton Emission Tomography) and other electro-neurochemical brain-mapping technologies that may well deliver reliable indications of whether particular neural networks essential for dissimulation and deception are engaged while responding to temporal interrogation or certain other cognitive stimuli.
Continued terrorist atrocities along with non-participation by moderate Muslims in an active and very-much-needed radical reformation of Islamic doctrine all point toward a probability of alloyed allegiance regarding the rule of man as opposed to theocratic lawgiving. This sordid track record forms a dangerous combination with Islams aforementioned dispensation for abject deceit. Such detrimental potential creates for itself an almost unique category of scrutiny and investigation. Do other groups qualify for such preferential treatment? Generally speaking, not nearly as much. Even the recent historical artifacts of Nazism and communism nowhere near approach the lethal perfidy that is Islam.
Is this a slippery slope? Hell yes. Are we on one already? You bet! Are we in grave danger of becoming our enemy? Not in any way worth fretting over. The publics need for exhaustive and relatively conclusive indications regarding concrete individual allegiance or loyalty outweighs the privacy needs of those who preach or practice the very worst forms of deception.
Airport profiling is akin to biometric profiling like fingerprinting is to DNA analysis. There is little or no wiggle room in such advanced investigative methods. While such a genuine threat to secular Western progressive cultures exists in the form of Islams pursuit of global sharia law, it must be answered with all available tools. The West must deploy all non-lethal means solely for the sake of its own self-preservation.
Fjordman clearly understands how such vast numbers of Muslim immigrants pose a potential fifth column within a nations borders. The complete and total absence of any Islamic reformation makes good on that threat to the West. It may well prove that only those Muslims who can pass biometric confirmation of their support of America and for a reformed Islam should be allowed to remain in our country. In its current state, Islam bears many resemblances to a cult. American-born Muslim citizens who fail biometric assessment may need to be interred in deprogramming camps in order to defuse the possibility of espionage or domestic terrorism.
I fully comprehend the extraordinary measures being advocated here. I put them forth for examination and discussion. I make no claim of them being the only sure solution or even the most effective measures. My sole interest is in protecting America from the onslaught of Islams conscienceless assault upon the West.
#7
Left out of Fjordman's commendable essay is the fact that Islamic fascism is being financed by its target, the rest of the world, through massive purchases of oil, mostly controlled by Islamic dictatorships of one kind or another. When oil output from Islamic sources really starts to fall (and I believe it will, sometime in the next 50 years) the dar-al-Islam will be a lot poorer, and its overgrown population base will have trouble just feeding itself. The rest of the world will also have economic difficulties stemming from this, but non-Muslim technical and social advantages will work greatly in their favor. The only way Islam will survive this crisis is to subjugate a good portion of the current dar-al-Harb or somehow force tribute payments.
Even if severely restricting social interactions with the Islamic world does come to pass, their domination of the world oil supply will still be a problem, although a temporary one. Whether the world can get through this crisis (and it is not just the jihad) is another question.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Maybe it's the romantic in me, but I can't help shuddering every time I walk past the Lubyanka. For much of the Communist era, the forbidding walls of KGB headquarters cast a sinister pall across the Soviet Union.
The assassination of anti-Syrian Lebanese leader Pierre Gemayel should put to rest fantasies about Syria and Iran being partners for peace. The problems in the Middle East aren't America's fault.
