[PJMedia] High taxes and big government are the price the progressive rich happily pay to avoid competition from the rising middle class. The welfare crumbs thrown at the poor buy them the social harmony they require to keep winning elections and avoid being tarred and feathered.
[TRIBUNE.NG] This year alone, an estimated 1,500 Nigerians have been killed in separate attacks across the north eastern section of the country by the radical Islamist group, Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... . This astonishing figure does not include the victims of the dastardly bombings of Monday April 14th in Abuja which led to the untold deaths of scores of innocent citizens. Media accounts of the exact number of the dead vary, and although the group has not taken responsibility for the incident, all indications point to its involvement. Since the 2010 Independence Day attacks and the August 2011 kabooms at the United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... headquarters in which at least 18 people were killed, Boko Haram has repeatedly threatened another attack on Nigeria's capital city.
Over the past five years, Boko Haram has inaugurated a new era of everyday terror in the country. The group has attacked schools, hospitals, churches and other public spaces. In the process, it has killed and maimed thousands of men, women, and children' and its ultra-religious agenda notwithstanding, it has not been particularly rigorous in its choice of whom it puts to the sword. Nearly as many Christians have died as Moslems. Nor has it spared those who do not swear by any religious tenets. In short, the group's activities have been utterly disastrous for Nigeria as a country and Nigerians as a people.
We reiterate these simple facts as a way of underscoring the total absurdity of last week's statement by the umbrella group of Nigerian Moslems, Jamatu Nasril Islam (JNI). In the said statement, signed by its Secretary General Khalid Aliyu, the JNI condemned what it saw as the extrajudicial killing of Moslems by the Nigerian military "on a mere whim of unsubstantiated suspicion" (sic). Specifically alluding to a recent incident in which 15 Fulani herdsmen were reportedly killed, the Jamatu Nasril Islam lamented that 'These are people who have been exonerated by the State Governor as being peace loving people and law abiding. It is questionable that an operation of this magnitude would be carried out without the knowledge of the Chief Security Officer of the State, nor (sic) other relevant security bodies.' Pursuing the thesis of a specific vendetta against Moslems, the JNI also condemned as absurd the usage of the term 'Fulani herdsmen,' arguing that it is nothing but part of a scheme to use religious identity 'to wipe out Moslems in the guise (sic) of fighting terrorism.' 'Why is it,' the organization pursued, 'when a Christian commits a crime it is not called a Christian crime or terrorism? The fact remains, crime is crime, it is colourless, tribe less and religious less' (sic).
The JNI has every right to speak for the security and welfare of Nigerian Moslems. At the same time, the group is right to demand transparency and justice in the pursuit of Islamic faceless myrmidons who have left carnage in their wake and thrown the whole of the north eastern region into absolute anarchy. Surely, while action must be taken to root out the group and restore law and order, the military and the Joint Task Force (JTF) must be careful not to blur the line between those who spread terror, and agents of the law who are licensed to contain terror and pursue terrorists.
Nevertheless, it is one thing to demand that the military go about this with care, and another thing altogether to allege that any attempt to stamp out a campaign of terror by a radical Islamic group automatically becomes 'a grand agenda to destabilize the Moslem Ummah in Nigeria.'
We find both the timing and the content of the JNI's statement puzzling, especially coming as it is in the face of unrelenting attacks on innocent citizens by Boko Haram. Instead of joining well-meaning Nigerians across the religious divide in condemning Boko Haram's terror, JNI has managed to find religious discrimination where none exists.
The statement by the JNI is simply mind-boggling. Where exactly is the evidence of a grand agenda to destabilize the Moslem Ummah? Who put the agenda together, and when? Does the agenda involve the same military that comprises a great number of northern Moslems? Is JNI suggesting that Boko Haram members who attack cop shoppes, and kill and maim children in mosques, churches and schools be spared because they are Moslems? Does the religious affiliation of the Death Eaters trump their identity as Nigerians who are subject to the laws of the land?
These are some of the questions that we encourage the JNI to chew on. No doubt, there is a case to be made against excess and pure vengeance in the pursuit of Boko Haram. We have always backed that campaign. Rather than cry wolf when there is none, the JNI should join majority of Nigerians in denouncing religious terror and those who practice it.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/22/2014 00:00 ||
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[Ynet] Part 2/2 of special Ynet interview with the heads of the research and analysis divisions in the Military Intelligence's four 'theaters' about the challenges and threats facing Israel.
The second part of Ron Ben-Yishai's conversation with the four heads of Israeli Military Intelligence research and analysis division. Click here for the first part - in which two "theater" commanders discuss Egypt and Jordan, and the Paleostinians.
Here, Roi and Dudi discuss the challenges posed by Hezbollah and Leb, and the regional as a whole.
Roi - Hezbollah and Leb
Roi: There's no doubt that the most important event has been Hezbollah's involvement in Syria's civil war. This didn't begin last year, but it has grown. In the coming months or year, we'll look at the implications of this involvement on stability in Leb. This is important because the breakdown of order in Leb comes with the potential for very dramatic regional change, and this of course would be radiate outwards to us.
Already today a significant part of the Global Jihad that we see in Syria is spilling over to Leb. According to a UN report, there are hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees inside Leb today. I'd like to remind you that Leb is a country of four million and something residents, who have to live with close to one million Syrian refugees.
What could happen as a result of this?
Roi: A shift in the ethnic ratios in Leb between Sunni and Shia Mohammedans. But for the most part I'm mainly concerned about the phenomenon of the Jihadist fighter and the Salafist Jihadist entering Leb and taking part in unprecedented activities. Who would ever have imagined that a boom-mobile would explode next to the Iranian embassy in the heart of Beirut? Who would ever have thought to fire rockets at Shi'ite towns in the Bekaa Valley... who has ever dared do that to Hezbollah?
And the implications for us?
Roi: The trickle of Global Jihad along our borders may very well increase the threat level. This is relevant to our northern front in general, and most certainly the border with Leb, which has been stable up to this point. Now we are beginning to see attempts to engage forces on the northern front, the Golan Heights and of course Har Dov, and this will only expand.
Did support for Shi'ite Hezbollah diminish following the deaths of hundreds in Syria?
Roi: Our impression at least is that the relationship between the organization and the community from which it comes, on which it leans, is still tight and strong.
I understand that Hezbollah has financial issues.
Roi: Yes of course. Funding problems just like the rest of us. The sanctions against Iran, Iranian aid to Assad and the war in Syria affect Hezbollah's funds.
Dudi - regional theater
Dudi: I will try to connect the things that my colleagues have said here. Firstly, the problem of a lack of governance exists in the region in a very obvious way. This manifests itself in the low level of personal security for civilians, and also the fact that the government is incapable of meet economic needs, creating discontent and unrest that is pushed into violence. Countries are close to collapse. Whether it's Syria, Libya or Iraq, or whether they are areas inside countries, like Sinai, where there is a struggle for control. It's one, very clear breaking point.
Secondly is the Shiite-Sunni divide. This division has always existed, but at the moment it is very significant. It's not just of religious nature, but also strategic. Among the warring parties in Syria, for example, we can see major actors on both sides, such as Iran and Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... , trading blows.
The third issue is the rise and eventual weakening of political Islam. This phenomenon was very obvious in Egypt with the rise of the Moslem Brüderbund, which fell after a year. But there are other movements with a political agenda and an ideology of social religion. The trend for the rise of these movements has been growing weaker lately.
These three subjects bring an unprecedented spread and intensification of Global Jihad, which is a direct threat to Israel.
Dudi didn't say so in as many words, but Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, is part of the flow of political Islam, and in Israel there are fears that if the movement continues to weaken in Gazoo, there will be radicalization there too. In effect, this is already happening.
Dudi: There are some who would argue that the threat of Global Jihad will destroy itself as a result of conflicts and in-fighting such as can be found in Syria. But this approach underestimates the size of the threat. For them, we represent a common cause of war for which they could join forces again. So we will be the first to bleed as a result. Even when Jihadists fight Jihadists we can expect to find ourselves in the center of the equation.
Can you point to some direction in which the Middle East is headed as a result of "The Turbulence", which has now lasted for three years? In addition to the primary conflict between the Assad regime and the Sunnis, there are quite a few festivities between other forces which intersect and torpedo each other, not to mention the involvement of external powers... Can you make some kind of sense of this picture?
The simple answer is no. Some of the Gulf States reject the Iranian story, but also oppose the subject of the MB (Moslem Brüderbund), and then this leads to all of the conflicts that you mentioned. There is no one way to describe it, because if we try to grasp it from one point of view, then we are likely to misunderstand the complexity of the problem. The conclusion that we reach is that Israel functions in an environment of uncertainty and instability.
Again, there are some who will say that our level of security is actually on the rise thanks to the region's weak and conflict-torn establishments. But I think that in this situation, the more likely scenario is escalation and that's not good for us.
Do you think Assad will survive to next Passover?
Roi: That's not the right question when you're talking about a situation of complete uncertainty. We need to talk about a different issue: In a situation of complete uncertainty we need to build scenarios that will allow the decision-makers to understand and prepare for situations that may occur, instead of trying to direct what will happen. So we're not even trying to say if he will or won't survive.
Where is Iran going?
Dudi: In Iran there is currently a power struggle between President Rouhani and his camp, and the commanders of the Revolutionary Guards and the conservative Ayatollahs. The outcome of this struggle will have an effect not just on the nuclear issue, but also on the subversion and terror that Tehran exports.
Is there already a winner in this fight?
Dudi: It's a little early to judge. On the other hand, you can clearly see that something is very different in Iran and and its leadership strategy. Without going into details, we guess that this isn't just a cosmetic change, but an essential change. But the challenge they present us with is very real. We face, and I predict that the IDF will continue to face in the future, what is known as the "war between wars". The exposure of the Klos-C is just one example of the operations carried out in the "war between wars" - one among many. It's a threat that we are dealing with and we can't live in an illusion that Iran is now seeking peace.
An optimistic conclusion?
From my conversation with the four of you I get the impression that you can point out some kind of a shift in the coming year. Can we simply expect to see more of the same?
Michael: When talking about the Paleostinians, your definition isn't bad at all. I think that there is potential that current trends will hold, but I'm an intelligence officer so I have to say this - the potential to continue these trends or to change them, in the West Bank and in Gazoo, it depends also on us. The situation is very delicate. In both places by the way, the economic situation is a huge key for stability.
Dudi: There are four events that in certain ways have somewhat shaped and stabilized the very shaky situation we have had in the previous year: The return of the regime, we'll call it the "former" regime, to power in Egypt; the chemical disarmament agreement in Syria created a constellation of broad agreement among several parties; even the interim agreements between Iran and the West over nuclear issue, and also the continuation of the process with the Paleostinians.
All of these are very delicate processes. But it could very well be that they will continue in interim form, with necessarily becoming permanent agreements.
It could be that there will be changes such as those Revital mentioned. But in the end, they are currently producing some relative balance in the Middle Eastern mechanism... I would be very careful. Meaning, in the very, very short term I think that there is a slightly higher level of stability than if for example you look to the beginning of 2013 or the end of 2012.
But in the long run, the instability and uncertainty will continue. What this demands is that we be prepared 24/7/365. Our challenge will be the scenario of an escalation. I believe that we can't allow ourselves to look at this reality as one that will solve all our problems and think that the coming storm will pass us by.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
04/22/2014 00:00 ||
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[Ynet] Should Paleostinian self-rule end, hundreds of Paleostinians would lose their phony-baloney jobs, and Israel would have to enter the vacuum created as a result, offering Paleostinians security, education and welfare services at a cost Israel cannot afford.
Or Israel could walk away, leaving the Palestinians to freeze in the dark until they learn to create something of use to somebody other than producing and wearing suicide vests.
The UNHCR will step in, of course...
The Paleostinian threat to dissolve their self-rule and merge with the State of Israel has been thrown around for some time. Last Thursday night it landed full-force on the desk of the Israeli Prime Minister Benajmin Netanyahu.
The Paleostinians are drawing the last card they have to play: Dismantling the Paleostinian Authority and negating all of their accomplishments and all of the obligations they have taken upon themselves by the Oslo Accords. Suicide is on our doorstep.
The threat is a last-ditch effort to break the stagnation of peace talks, and force Netanyahu to make decisions that he has refused to accept until today.
The Paleostinians remember what Ehud Barak once said about Netanyahu: "He only takes action when he feels a knife pushed up against his throat."
If the Paleostinians actualize their threat there will be dramatic consequences. On the Paleostinian side, the PA will collapse and all security administration will disperse, resulting in 40 thousand people losing their paychecks.
The IDF will have to find a way to fill the shoes of the PA by creating or acting as a police force, providing education, health, water, and sanitation services to the Paleostinians.
The European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... and the US who currently support the PA with upwards of $2 billion yearly, will cut donations and Israel will have to make up the difference, but that will only be a fraction of the true costs required.
All this hand-wringing misses the fact that until the PA was formed, Israel did all these things as the occupying power. They managed before, they can manage again...
Careful calculations estimate that the first year of occupation of the territory will cost the State tens of billions of shekels. It's not easy to support 2.5 million people with no real industry or economic sectors.
The economic cost is the easy part. Collapse of the peace talks will likely lead to a new wave of violence led by Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason,, which will try to fill the vacuum created by the PA, while Israel will be forced to stand before a new international and legal situation.
Every house that will be built in eastern Jerusalem and the West Bank will be considered illegal according to the fourth Geneva Conventions.
Extensive boycotts against Israel can be expected and every Israeli official, minister or general, serving or retired, would be vulnerable to arrest at every airport in the West.
This is an extreme scenario. Several lighter scenarios could come to pass instead. Unfortunately, except for a few statements made by Tzipi Livni, no one in the government has bothered to tell the public what price they are likely to pay if the situation explodes.
The results are a suppression of the reality. Netanyahu's coalition is full of these types of suppressions. One of them is Orit Strook, a Knesset member from the right-wing Bayit Yehudi. On her Facebook she happily promotes the destruction of the PA. "It will be much cheaper and much easier for Israel without the PA," she writes. Netanyahu better hope so.
(UPDATE: Bayit Yeudai Chairman Bennett has also welcomed the collapse of the PA.)
Timing is critical: the central council of the PLO is set to meet in Ramallah next Saturday evening. The PA's potential plan to dissolve is on the discussion's agenda.
Three days after the end of the nine month timeframe for peace talks that the Americans appropriated. An Israeli source involved in the talks described Abbas as "desperate" and "determined".
A separate source described him as a man less busy with peace talks and more concerned with the legacy he will leave behind.
It is not coincidence that in an interview released Saturday by the Egyptian daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm, Abbas spoke about being 79-years-old, saying that it was time to pass leadership to Paleostinians younger than himself. Even that was a type of threat.
Contrary to the impression given by negotiators, the question of releasing prisoners with Israeli citizenship isn't the only road block currently preventing the extension of the peace talks.
There are two much more important Paleostinian demands which, like the prisoners, are unacceptable (for Israel) under any circumstance: A three month freeze on settlement building and a commitment by Israel to begin discussions on final border arraignments.
Sources in Israel suggest that Abbas would be willing to live with curbed construction - a freeze on private building, but building permits for public institutions of a certain scale would go through.
The Paleostinians are making it difficult to trust this assessment. In any case Netanyahu was only ready to promise a freeze in settlement building.
The despair and anger in the Paleostinian leadership stems from the disappointment of the failure in the current round of talks. In a meeting with an Israeli source, one of the heads of a Paleostinian security branch said: "We are tired of being your South Leb Army."
He also said that "twenty odd years after the Oslo Accords and we understand now that you never had any intention of abiding by it.
Golly, that's that projection thingy we learned about in Intro Psych.
You're making demands that contradict the spirit of the agreement - recognition of Israel as a Jewish State, leaving IDF troops in the Jordan Valley, expanding settlement blocs and more."
Betcha he said that in English. And something entirely else in Arabic, when he thought no outsiders understood.
#5
No more, No more, No more, No more, Hit the road Jack and doncha come back no more.
Well woman old woman, Doncha treat me this a way, cuz i'll be back on my feet one day.
Who cares if you do, Cause it's understood, You a'int got no money, You just a'int no good.
Well, I guess if you say so, "SO", I'll hafta pack my things and go.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
04/22/2014 10:58 Comments ||
Top||
#6
If they do Israel should put before the UN the proposition of Jordan and Egpyt taking over custodianship and responsibility for the Palestinians as they did pre-1967.
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.
