Category Archives: Hamas
Hamas and the Iron Dome
Hamas has fired over 1200 rockets claiming “every Israeli is a legitimate target”. So far only one “legitimate target” has been killed. That’s because of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense.
Israel doesn’t consider individual Palestinians “legitimate targets”. Before striking back at Hamas it warned civilians with pamphlets and phone calls. Hamas responded by telling them to stay in place as human shields.
Charles Krauthammer writes in the Washington Post, “Rarely does international politics present a moment of such moral clarity”:
“Here’s the difference between us,” explains the Israeli prime minister. “We’re using missile defense to protect our civilians, and they’re using their civilians to protect their missiles.”
Hamas and the Iron Dome
William Saletan in Slate says there’s plenty to argue about in Gaza, “But one thing should be clear to everyone: Hamas is insane. It’s destroying Gaza.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, is perplexed:
“What are you trying to achieve by sending rockets?” he asked rhetorically in a TV interview. In another appearance, he pleaded: “We are the losing side, and every minute there are more and more unnecessary deaths. … I don’t like trading in Palestinian blood.”
The Guardian disagrees. Seumas Milne says, “The idea of Israel defending itself from unprovoked attacks is absurd.”
Iran Sucker’s Deal
The U.S. negotiated a deal with Iran that would have eased sanctions without requiring them to stop moving toward an atomic bomb. Netanyahu freaked out and hit Kerry on the nose with a rolled up newspaper calling it a “very very bad deal“. The French went a step further calling it a sucker’s deal and killed it.
Egypt Arab Spring
Democracy in Egypt features checks and balances. The voters elected a Muslim Brotherhood majority parliament and a Brotherhood president. The military checked the new president by stripping his office of its powers. The judiciary balanced the parliament by dissolving it.
Furious
Operation Fast and Furious should make you furious. Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms ran a gun running program into Mexico. They expected the guns to lead them to Mexican drug kingpins. One of those guns was used to murder border agent Brian Terry in Arizona.
Ten million dollars for Project Gun Runner, the parent of Fast and Furious, was included in the stimulus bill. Guess you really do need to read the bill to find out what’s in it.
For an additional amount for ‘State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance’, $40,000,000, for competitive grants to provide assistance and equipment to local law enforcement along the Southern border and in High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas to combat criminal narcotics activity stemming from the Southern border, of which $10,000,000 shall be transferred to ‘Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Salaries and Expenses’ for the ATF Project Gunrunner.
Media Matters, which is to Fox News as Hamas is to Israel, disputes this. They claim the money wasn’t spent in Arizona so it’s all a Fox Fib.
First Amendment vs. First Amendment
Pelosi wants an investigation of first amendment stomping Ground Zero Mosque protesters. Nat Hentoff is investigating the man behind the mosque, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. Hentoff, a powerful defender of the first amendment, doesn’t care for the location of Cordoba House either. Here’s his column.
The New Republic’s Todd Gitlin thinks the mosque is swell. Both writers take a look at the Imam’s book, What’s Right with Islam is What’s Right with America, and his claim that Islamic law fits the U.S. Constitution. Here’s Gitlin’s column.
