February 26
posted in Saudi Arabia
 
 

Is Al Qaeda for real?

I just cannot imagine the same planners behind 9/11 and simple car bombings. Bin Laden must be mad to attack the Saudis, his only reliable base. And demanding what? Withdrawal of the infidels? Americans long ago agreed to withdrew its troops from Hijaz. Withdrawal of Western oil corporations? But Saudi oil is nominally handled by a state corporation. Cessation of oil sales to the West? Islamists are not silly; they surely realize that without oil Arab countries and welfare systems will collapse under the weight of an exploding population.

But sure enough, al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the Saudi bombing attempt, even named two bombers. On other hand, isn’t it odd that two of the most wanted militants took on such a lowly job?

Hasn’t al Qaeda threatened such attacks before? Certainly not in any clear way. Al Qaeda insisted that the USS Cole belonged to Christians.

The whole al Qaeda involvement seems odd to me.

 
 
 
 
Israel wants F-35 the US doesn’t want

Lockheed Martin developed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet so expensive that even the US Air Force slashed its initial order to a token quantity. The fighter jet is just too expensive to risk it in combat. Though Israel estimates the price around $80 million, the current cost of F-35 is close to $250 million.
F-35 lacks a combat opponent. Russian MIG jets don’t come close, but cost many times less than F-35 JSF.
It is not inconceivable that Lockheed Martin bribed Israel’s Minister of Defense Barak to purchase the aircraft which the USAF refused.
Israel’s enemies Syrian and Iran, in the meanwhile, buy very good Russian MIG fighter jets and S300 antiaircraft missiles for a fraction of cost of the American weapons.



Karni Corssing goes hot

Thousands of Arabs gathered at Karni Crossing, ready to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. IDF troops fired at the crowd, causing some casualties.
The policy of blockade has failed, it didn’t bring about Hamas downfall, but Israeli government clings to that useless strategy for lack of the political will to re-occupy Gaza and evict the terrorists.
Gazans rally behind Hamas and now seem ready to attempt breaking the border into Israel. Hamas successfully staged the broder breach with Egypt, and has no reason to refrain from a similar action regarding Israel.

Truck bomb intercepted at Eretz Crossing

with Gaza, laden with 4 tons of explosives, detonated on the Gazan side of the border. The Jewish state continues dutifully supplying Gaza with water, fuel, and electricity.

Knesset contemplates a most absurd law

The bill, passed in the first reading, requires a prime minister under criminal investigation to resign. Such a law makes leftist attorney general of Israel a kingmaker, able to remove any prime minister at whim.

Almost all Jews against giveaway of the Golan Heights

Polls show today 65-70% of Israel’s residents reject exchanging the Golan Heights for peace treaty with Syria. That’s about the entire Jewish population of Israel.

Homes for territories

Shas is prepared to stay in the government despite the talks on Judea, Samaria, and the Golan Heights. In exchange, Olmert approved another 288 housing units for Shas voters in Betar Illit township. Other settlements see no new construction.

 
 
 
 
Israek woos Syria away from Iran

Israel, Syria resumed negotiations through the good offices of Turkey. Syrians announced Israeli government accepted full withdrawal from the Golan Heights. Olmert’s office said essentially the same, but in weasel words: that it understands what should be done for peace with Syria.
Israel is represented by Olmert’s chief of staff, a decidedly unofficial position.
Just days ago, Turkey announced failure of the negotiations. The current spike of activity is probably an Israel’s attempt to neutralize Syria during the attack on Iran. Bound by the promising peace talks, Syria is not expected to unleash its hundreds of missiles on Israel as part of its mutual defense with Iran.
It remains unclear why do we need peace with Syria or expect normalization even if we have a peace treaty. Suppose Syria would promise to abandon Hamas and Hezbollah, sign a peace treaty with Israel, and then resume its support of terrorists. Israel won’t break the peace over this little issue, just as she now refrains from canceling peace treaty with Egypt over its support of Hamas. With Egypt and Jordan’s peace treaties, the US sort of guaranteed their relatively decent behavior. In the absence of such guarantor for Syria, peace is unlikely.



Demjanyuk will be extradited

Three decades ago, the mad Supreme Court of Israel acquitted Ivan Demjanyuk, ruling that he is not “Ivan the Terrible,” an infamous sadistic Ukrainian guard of Treblinka death camp. The acquittal hinged on earlier recollections by an escapee from Treblinka surmising that he had killed Ivan during the escape. The court took for testimony what was obviously wishful thinking, even though survivors recognized Ivan.
Since then, Demjanyuk returned to the US where the Supreme Court decided now to extradite him as war criminal.
It is a shame for all Jews that no one yet tortured that scum to death, but extradition to Poland or Ukraine might make the task of good Jews even easier.

Prosecution: Olmert is cheap

During today’s hearing on Olmert-Talansky affair, state attorney accused Olmert of accepting “envelops with cash” from Talansky. Therefore, only trivial amounts of money are in question. Never mind that every politician, in Israel and abroad, accepts unregistered donations; they are not elected to be saints.

Arab suicide bomber killed at road block

near Schem, one of those whose removal Condi Rice demands. The terrorist was betrayed by wires hanging from below his clothes.

Orthodox Jews against California liberalism

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America lambasted the landmark decision by California’s Supreme Court which declared legal restrictions on same-sex “marriage” unconstitutional. The court’s decision came out even though a majority of Californians voted against homosexual “marriage.” California is a national tend-setter in the US, and the court’s decision will trigger a wave of similar rulings in other states.
Judaism, which mandates execution or banishment of practicing homosexuals, would look very odd in the society where homosexual “marriage” is legal. Israel legalized homosexual unions long ago.

Abbas: Negotiations with Israel failed

Al Hayat reports the “president” of the Palestinian non-state prepares a formal announcement - which, presumably, would kick out the third intifada. Abbas is reportedly frustrated with the US abandoning its pressure on Israel in favor of the suicidal peace process. If so, well and good. We need the Arabs to revolt in order to expel them from Judea and Samaria into Jordan.

Sarkozy talks to Hamas

French FM confirmed informal talks with Hamas.

 
 
 
 
Oil price sets new record

of $129 per barrel. When Osama bin Laden announced a decade ago that Muslim terrorists would jack the oil price to $115, everyone derided him as madman.
Thanks to the US invasion of Iraq, the oil price predictably keeps rising. There is no economic reason for the oil price hike: Iraq’s official output is stable, black market shipments from Kurdistan are on the rise, and world’s demand is not soaring. The increase of oil price is entirely attributable to speculators who exploit popular uncertainty over Iraq and Iran.
America’s clients: Kuwait, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia do nothing to stem the skyrocketing oil price. Instead, they enjoy immense profits - and spend them for American weapons. US oil corporations - Bush’s greatest friends - also enjoy windfall profits. As long as rising oil price does not threaten recession in America, Republicans need not fear voters’ anger.
All of this makes the US attack on Iran still more likely, as it can easily double the oil price.



Saudi Arabia accuses US speculators of oil price hikes

The Saudi princeling refused Bush’s request to increase the oil production in order to stem the price hike. According to Saudi king, his country supplies all the oil the customers ask for and there is no unfulfilled demand. That statement is technically wrong, as oil demand might dwindle in response to rising prices, and so Saudi Arabia would always face the exact demand it is willing to supply.
Presently, however, there are no signs of dwindling demand. Modern economy is much more energy-efficient than in 1970s and weathers the rising oil prices well.
Russian oil supply increased considerably over the years. Iraq is nominally pumping approximately the pre-war volume, but really much more as black market supply goes out from Kurdistan. The oil hike price is entirely attributable to commodity speculators who profit from the irrelevant instability in Iraq.
In the crazy post-modern world, corporate fascism and liberalism work for the same goals: oil corporations profit immensely from the rising prices, and liberals protest imposition of the “colonial” supply requirements onto Iraq and Kuwait, ostensibly liberated and surely controlled by the US, and on Saudi Arabia which the US protects from Iran.

Bush goes to Riyadh

Israel’s best friend and a great peacemaker (just like Jimmy Carter was) finished celebrating Israel’s Independence Day and now flies to Saudi Arabia, the prime sponsor of Wahhabite Islam and terrorism worldwide, a sponsor for the Pakistani nuclear program. Bush will spend a day at the royal horse farm near Riyadh with the horse owner.

Good Muslims bomb Christian school in Gaza

early in the morning, with no children present. The school is messianic, caters to Muslims. Hamas vowed to investigate.

Barak: The time is not right for Sderot to live

The Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced he curtails his urge to attack Gaza and waits for the proper time to attack Hamas. It remains unclear why the time was not proper two years ago or now, or what Hamas has to do with PIJ and PRC attacks on Israel.
Ehud Barak promised the end to rocket attacks from Gaza within several months. It seems the army prepares for the confrontation with Iran, and don’t want to be bogged down in Gaza but relies on ending the Iranian support for the Palestinian guerrillas.

In fake video, Osama Bin Laden thrashes Israel

The tape sports a voice which doesn’t sound like Bin Laden’s old tapes, and a still picture dating back some years. Of course, if Al Qaeda wanted to post Osama’s speech, a normal video would have been prepared.
The fake Osama lashed at length at Israel for oppressing the poor Palestinian terrorists and vowed to defend every inch of the land the Palestinians consider theirs.

Peres, Jewish rich set to destroy the Dead Sea

Shimon Peres finally arranged private financing for his Red Sea - Dead Sea channel from Jewish billionaires. Ex-Soviet Jews readily recognize the communist mega-projects of turning the rivers backwards and connecting the seas.
A multibillion-dollar project spells ecological catastrophe for the Dead Sea and creates up to a million jobs primarily for Jordanians.

Blair: Ever better training for Palestinian guerrillas

The Quartet envoy praised the excellent skills of the Fatah “police” which they will unleash on Hamas - or on Israel.

100,000 Russian Israelis gather for abomination

of visiting Russian pop-singers in Tel Aviv. Sort of a Jewish identity.

 
 
February 25
posted in Saudi Arabia
 
 

Two very enthusiastic thumbs up for bin Laden!

I have been telling the Israelis for years to retaliate against Saudi oil facilities to block the financing for Wahhabism and Palestinian terrorists. The only one who listens is Osama. The oil corporations are greedy but cowardly. A gew attacks will send them looking for stabler sources—Russian, Central Asian, and American. Without Saudi money, Islamic clerics worldwide will abandon Wahhabism. That will not end terrorism but will dry its religious support base up. Beside, I believe in vengeance. So, hurrah for Osama! Go after the Saudi Islamists!

 
 
 
 
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