COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Russians soldiers decide to go on vacation to attack Ukraine







U.S. official says 1,000 Russian troops enter Ukraine

By Victoria Butenko, Laura Smith-Spark and Diana Magnay, CNN
updated 10:17 AM EDT, Thu August 28, 2014

Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- A top Ukrainian army officer said a "full-scale invasion" of his country was under way Thursday, as a U.S. official said up to 1,000 Russian troops had crossed Ukraine's southern border to fight alongside pro-Russian rebels.

U.S. officials said Russian troops were directly involved in the latest fighting, despite Moscow's denials.

Rebels backed by Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers fought Ukrainian forces on two fronts Thursday: southeast of rebel-held Donetsk, and along the nation's southern coast in the town of Novoazovsk, about 12 miles (20 km) from the Russian border, according to Mykhailo Lysenko, the deputy commander of the Ukrainian Donbas battalion.
"This is a full-scale invasion," Lysenko said, referring to the fighting in the south.

Intelligence now indicates that up to 1,000 Russian troops have moved into southern Ukraine with heavy weapons and are fighting there, a U.S. official told CNN Thursday.

Ukraine's National Defense and Security Council said that Russian forces were in full control of Novoazovsk as of Wednesday afternoon.
Russia's military fired Grad rockets into the town and its suburbs before sending in two convoys of tanks and armored personnel carriers from Russia's Rostov region, it said in a statement

"Ukrainian troops were ordered to pull out to save their lives. By late afternoon both Russian convoys had entered the town. Ukraine is now fortifying nearby Mariupol to the west," the NDSC said.

A number of villages in the Novoazovsk, Starobeshiv and Amvrosiiv districts were also seized, it said.

The NDSC also warned that a rebel counterattack is expected in the area where Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down in July. Ukrainian and Western officials believe it was downed by rebels armed with Russian-made weapons.

Novoazovsk is strategically important because it lies on the main road leading from the Russian border to Ukraine's Crimea region, which Russia annexed in March. Separatist leaders in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions then declared independence from Kiev.

U.N. Security Council to meet

As international concern mounted over the apparent escalation in fighting, Lithuania requested an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

UK ambassador to the United Nations Mark Lyall Grant said Russia would be asked to explain why its soldiers are in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk had earlier called for the U.N. meeting, as well as action by Europe.

The latest flare-up comes despite a meeting between Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Belarus on Tuesday at which some progress appeared to have been made toward finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis.


Poroshenko canceled a planned trip to Turkey on Thursday "due to sharp aggravation of the situation in Donetsk region ... as Russian troops were brought into Ukraine," a statement from his office said.

In a Cabinet meeting, Yatsenyuk said Russia "has very much increased its military presence in Ukraine" and that tougher measures may be needed to curb Russia's support for the rebels.

"Unfortunately, the sanctions were unhelpful as to de-escalating the situation in Ukraine," he said, referring to the economic sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union against Russian individuals and companies.

Yatsenyuk suggested one way to halt "Russian aggression" could be to freeze all assets and ban all Russian bank transactions until Russia "pulls out all its military, equipment and agents" from Ukraine.

"Vladimir Putin has purposely started a war in Europe. It is impossible to hide from the fact," he said.

U.S. ambassador: Russia is directly involved

U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt also said Thursday that Russian soldiers were directly involved in the fighting, alongside the pro-Russia rebels.

"Russian-supplied tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and multiple rocket launchers have been insufficient to defeat Ukraine's armed forces, so now an increasing number of Russian troops are intervening directly in the fighting on Ukrainian territory," he said on Twitter.

"Russia has also sent its newest air defense systems including the SA-22 into eastern Ukraine and is now directly involved in the fighting.”

Moscow denies supporting and arming the pro-Russia rebels. It has also repeatedly denied allegations by Kiev that it has sent troops over the border.

A Russian senator and the deputy head of the Committee on Defense and Security in Russia's upper house of Parliament, Evgeny Serebrennikov, dismissed the latest reports of a Russian incursion as untrue.

"We've heard many statements from the government of Ukraine, which turned out to be a lie. What we can see now is just another lie," he said to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky also accused Kiev of lies, in comments to RIA Novosti.

"I can only say that there's no ground for claims like this, and the junta tries to lay its own fault at someone else's door," he said, referring to the Kiev government.

Moscow regards it as illegitimate because it took charge after Ukraine's pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February.

Rebel leader: 3,000 to 4,000 Russians in our ranks

However, the Prime Minister of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, acknowledged Thursday that there are current Russian servicemen fighting in the rebels' ranks in eastern Ukraine.
In his statement, televised on state-run Russia 24, Zakharchenko said the rebels have never concealed that many Russians are fighting with them. He said up until now there were 3,000 to 4,000 volunteers, some of whom are retired Russian servicemen.

Zakharchenko went on to reveal that the Russian servicemen currently fighting in their ranks are active, "as they came to us to struggle for our freedom instead of their vacations.”

On Tuesday, Ukraine's Security Service said it had detained 10 Russian soldiers in Ukraine.

Russian state media cited a source in the Russian Defense Ministry as saying the soldiers had been patrolling the border and "most likely crossed by accident" at an unmarked point.

The NDSC said Thursday that Ukraine's Security Service detained another Russian serviceman who testified that his unit was supplying heavy military equipment to militants.


Ukrainian volunteers retreat from Mariupol area

Pro-Kiev forces apparently already have engaged with rebel forces between Novoazovsk and Mariupol, the Sea of Azov port city 35 kilometers to the west that the country's security council said was being fortified.
A CNN crew north of Mariupol saw a ragged convoy of about 25 vehicles, some with their windows smashed out, belonging to pro-Kiev volunteer fighters heading away from the city Thursday afternoon.

The volunteers, including two from the country of Georgia, said they'd been involved in fighting in the Mariupol area but didn't provide details.
Earlier Thursday and further north, the CNN crew was near Donetsk city, which Ukrainian forces have been trying to wrest from rebels for weeks. Heavy Ukrainian artillery fire targeted areas near Donetsk's southern suburbs amid a heavy downpour of rain.

The main highway 15 kilometers south of Donetsk was deserted. With return fire coming from Donetsk, villagers in the area said they'd been taking shelter indoors or underground, coming out only for an hour or two a day to get supplies.


'Russian-directed counteroffensive’

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Wednesday highlighted the latest reports of heavy fighting around Novoazovsk and Donetsk airport, as well as of "additional columns of Russian tanks, multiple rocket launchers and armored vehicles" heading for communities in southeastern Ukraine.

"These incursions indicate a Russian-directed counteroffensive is likely underway in Donetsk and Luhansk," she said. "Clearly that is of deep concern to us.”

She accused Moscow of not acting in a transparent manner when it came to the Russian people, as well as Ukraine and the rest of the world.
"We're also concerned by the Russian government's unwillingness to tell the truth even as its soldiers are found 30 miles inside Ukraine," she said. "Russia is sending its young men into Ukraine but are not telling them where they're going or telling their parents what they're doing.”

On Wednesday, NDSC also claimed that members of a Russian tactical battalion were present in the village of Pobeda, in Ukraine's Luhansk region.

"If these troops got lost and accidentally found themselves in Ukraine as well, they should go back East," the update said.

The city of Luhansk, a rebel stronghold, has been at the center of fighting for days, prompting a humanitarian crisis. The NDSC said it remained without water, power or phone connections Thursday.


104 comments:

  1. NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Russia is no longer leading the fighting in Ukraine "from behind," a senior military officer from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said Thursday. "It is more overt now," the official told Dow Jones Newswires. NATO says Russia has "well over" 1,000 troops operating in Ukraine now, and Ukraine on Thursday accused Russia of having seized a coastal town and several villages near the border with Russia. "It is clear that Russia is not willing to accept the defeat of the separatists," Dow Jones Newswires quoted the officer as saying. "It will most likely do anything it takes to prevent such a defeat." Russia has said any Russians fighting with the separatists are volunteers, but the officer said these are organized fighters. "You can have a rabble of people holding guns, or you can have an effective fighting force. And what we have here is the latter," the officer said. A U.S. diplomat on Thursday called Russian claims that it is not destabilizing Ukraine "absurd."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Russians, when they tell you an outrageous lie, do it with a certain smugness in their eyes, that says “eat shit and die.”

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pootie-Poot? Dubya looked into his soul, and said everything was "all good."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dubya will never live that one down.

      Delete
    2. Margaret Thatcher famously said she could 'do business' with Gorbachev, but that was a different time and place.

      Ronald Reagan had it right.

      "Trust, but verify."

      But, wait !

      Did not Quart's political heroine, Hillary, set the red reset button with the Roosians?

      What happened to that?

      We shall have to ask Quart.

      Delete
  4. In the early days out this way my grandfather used to raise a wheat from Ukraine/Russia called "Red Roosian" that got so high he could walk into it and disappear.

    The Washington State University Wheat Breeders bred it out of existence.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Idaho Bb maintains the ethic of lies and deciet that ALL the boobs are famous for.
      No one 'bred' Red Russian wheat out of existance.
      He if was a farmer, and wanted to grow Red Russian, he'd just have to buy the seed, and get to it.

      Red Russian was first used in the U.S. around 1890.

      It is thought to be a very old English variety.

      Just how old it is no one knows for sure.

      Typically grown on the West Coast, especially WA, ID and OR.

      Historic documents specifically mention Palouse, WA and the state of TN.

      Unawned.

      Seed Head length is 3"-4".

      Average of 7 seed heads per plant.

      Average plant height is 4'. As with many old heirloom wheats that are tall, lodging can occur in high wind areas or heavy rain storms.

      Very rich flavor, high amount of gluten as raw seeds form a ball like gum in your mouth when chewed.


      http://sustainableseedco.com/heirloom-grain-seed/wheat-seed/soft-red-winter-wheat/organic-red-russian-wheat.html

      Quit your lying ways, boobie.

      Delete
    2. The English got it from the Roossians or the Ukrainians, ass hole.

      Delete
  5. The US funded the coup in Kiev, and crossed a "Red Line" when succeeded.

    The Russian had drawn a line in the sand.

    Who you goin' to call, as the Ukraine disintegrates?

    ReplyDelete
  6. It’s always been a source of wonder to me that peoples on the receiving end of America’s foreign and war policies in these lands were not more radicalized as they have been as in the IS. Maybe this was simply a matter of time.

    The clock is ticking. America keeps adding fuel to the fires it has sparked.

    American leaders and Americans have to recognize their own guilt and part in causing something like the IS to form. They have to recognize that their interferences in the Middle East, Afghanistan and parts of Africa have been evil and a failure, and, if possible, they need to recognize the sources of that evil and root them out of their thinking.

    The same sources have brought America into Ukraine and that conflict.
    A kind of insanity, a kind of psychopathology, is prevalent. There is excessive fear of the foreign.

    Senators excite the population with images of members of IS flying into the U.S., ready to wreak havoc, just as earlier propaganda collated Saddam Hussein with mushroom clouds. Paranoid leaders hold the matches in their hands, ready to start more fires overseas.

    ReplyDelete
  7. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest referenced the assassination of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May 2011.

    “The President has already demonstrated a willingness, where necessary, to protect the American people, has demonstrated a willingness to use military force to protect the American people, regardless of borders,” Earnest said Monday.


    By exercising policy “regardless of borders,” the US has just hung itself politically in its efforts to protect the newly installed regime in Kiev, Ukraine, and prevent Russia from intervening against what are literally battalions of Neo-Nazi militants operating along Russia’s border with Ukraine.

    Citing the need to “protect the Russian people” resonates clearer in regards to legitimate concerns, considering Ukraine’s proximity to Russian territory, than America’s claims that a region on the other side of the planet, where one of its citizens voluntarily chose to put himself into harms way by covering an ongoing armed conflict, somehow now requires direct US military intervention.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What is "Occupation"Thu Aug 28, 09:33:00 AM EDT
    Rufus, you are the one who points to the dow and other exchanges as proof of Obamas bona fides as a capitalist and not a "socialist:.

    And yet you still fail to account for quatitiative easing's effect on the stock market, lower interest rates (returns) and the rising cost of dollar pegged commodities..

    Delete

    Rufus IIThu Aug 28, 09:47:00 AM EDT
    You sound like Doug. You can't bifurcate economic leanings that neatly. "Capitalist or Socialist" is way too simplistic. Everyone, and everything has to be looked at on a continuum. Obomb'em leans to the left, but he's hardly a full-fledged "Socialist."

    That said, those "worst socialist ever" comments are mostly tongue-in-cheek.








    And yet you still fail to account for quatitiative easing's effect on the stock market, lower interest rates (returns) and the rising cost of dollar pegged commodities..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "QE" is hard to quantify. QE is almost over, and the Stock Market continues to rise.

      Europe hasn't done QE, and their interest rates are lower than those in the U.S. (German 10yr. Bund is less than 1%.)

      Delete
    2. after 17 TRILLION in QE and an additional 55 BILLION a month it's almost over????

      LOL

      As for the other banks across the globe?

      Most people do not think that Europe engages in Quantitative Easing. They know that the United States engages in it, that Britain engages in it and now that Japan engages in it but they think that Europe has so far refused to be involved. They think this because this is what they have been told. Unfortunately this is inaccurate.

      The European Quantitative Easing takes place every day just not in the manner utilized by America and others. However, it takes place all the same and it is done in a manner to circumvent the rules of the European Union. This is also why the ECB has such a massive balance sheet.

      What Europe has done is gotten around their own regulations which forbid the ECB from lending money directly to nations. This is supposed to be handled by the ESM and approved by the various parliaments. Since this is either politically impossible in some countries or politically a nightmare in others the ECB has concocted a scheme to bypass the political rules with all of Europe’s politicians blinking and nodding in silent agreement.

      In Spain, as one example, the ECB lent the banks $172 billion. This was done by the country of Spain guaranteeing the debt of the banks and various bank securitizations and then the bank debt and the bank securitizations were pledged to the ECB who handed them back the cash. The money, in large part, has been used to buy the debt of Spain which, in fact, hands the sovereign back the cash. A good trick, an interesting ruse which is the major reason, perhaps the only reason, why the yield of Spain’s debt has declined.

      In Greece, as another example, the same game has gone on. Not only does the EU not count contingent liabilities as part of a country’s debt to GDP ratio, where Greece has guaranteed the debt of their banks, but no inclusion is made of the money handed to the sovereign as a result of assets pledged at the ECB and funneled back to the sovereign nation. One more good trick!

      Another ploy is what has happened in Belgium and various other countries. Dexia got into trouble and Belgium, France and Luxembourg had to step up and lend the bank money. However it was not called a loan or termed a loan and was marked on their balance sheet as an “investment” so it actually increased the assets of the various countries as any proper categorization, a “loan,” would have raised their debt to GDP ratios. Magic abounds in Europe.

      In fact all over Europe, in almost all of the countries, the ECB has accepted bank debt and corporate debt guaranteed by some nation and handed back cash to the banks that can either loan money to the sovereign or buy their debt in the open market when auctioned.

      There is much ballyhoo that sovereign yields have gone lower because of the better economics in Europe. Europe is in a major recession. Even an idiot savant would not take this notion at face value and yet that is what is contended. The truth is that yields have gone lower because the ECB hands the banks money which is utilized to force them lower. The banks are just a conduit in this scheme; nothing more.

      Now the ECB holds about 80% of their assets at face value declaring them “risk free.” This is another part of the farce because the banks get the money at the “risk free” rate of 100% of the loan or securitization. These securitizations include mortgages, commercial loans, construction loans, gyro stands in Athens and only God and perhaps Mr. Draghi and his band of merry men knowing what else is in them.

      Make no mistake; Europe is fully engaged in Quantitative Easing.

      http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-23/europes-quantitative-easing

      Delete
  9. Dollar pegged commodities ...

    What are those?

    Your very question confirms an ignorance of global economics.
    It implies that in those nations that do not 'peg' commodities to the dollar, there is no 'rising costs'.
    That is a fundamental lie. Proven by the BRIC countries, Iran and Russia, specifically. Even when the commodities are not 'pegged' to the dollar, the prices of those commodities fluctuate, upwards.
    The choice of what currency to use, in international trade, is a voluntary one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But the choice of currency is not the cause of global price inflation, dimwit.

      Inflation, such as it is, is global and not 'pegged' to the dollar.
      As illustrated by the BRIC reality.

      Delete
    2. And, the fact is Europe is teetering on Deflation, ditto Japan (as usual,) and Year over Year in the U.S. is around 1.6%.

      Inflation is the absolute least of our problems.

      Delete
    3. The price of 'oil' has risen dramatically, but not for monetary reasons.

      The US is doing everything it can to control and limit supply in the global marketplace.
      To the benefit of the Saudi and UAE, primarily.

      The US using a combination of military force and political posturing to limit oil exports from Iraq, Libya, Iran and now Russia.

      Delete
    4. Nothing that Farmer Rob is worthy of a reasoned reply.

      Have a nice day.

      Delete
    5. "O"rdure has never offered a reasonable reply, in the past.

      I always do !

      Delete
  10. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2736764/Marched-deaths-Sickening-ISIS-slaughter-continues-250-soldiers-captured-Syrian-airbase-stripped-led-desert-mass-execution.html
    Marched to their deaths: Sickening ISIS slaughter continues as 250 soldiers captured at Syrian airbase are stripped then led to the desert for mass execution

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We can’t kill those bastards fast enough.

      Delete
    2. No different that what Hezbollah and Hamas does Jews it kidnaps..

      Except that ISIS doesn't dismember them… Oh wait, my bad, they also dismember them, just like Hezbollah and Hamas

      Delete
  11. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/world/middleeast/golan-heights-al-qaeda-israel-syria.html?_r=0
    Syrian Rebels Take Control of Crossing in the Golan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yesterday's news. ...
      The Israeli preferred solution to the Syrian 'Challenge', it is one step closer to their goal

      Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren told the Jerusalem Post that Israel so wanted Assad out and his Iranian backers weakened, that Israel would accept al-Qaeda operatives taking power in Syria.

      “We always wanted Bashar Assad to go, we always preferred the bad guys who weren’t backed by Iran to the bad guys who were backed by Iran.”

      Even if the other “bad guys” were affiliated with al-Qaeda.
      “We understand that they are pretty bad guys,” Oren said in the interview.


      http://www.jpost.com/Syria-Crisis/Oren-Jerusalem-has-wanted-Assad-ousted-since-the-outbreak-of-the-Syrian-civil-war-326328

      Delete
    2. And we all ride together ...


      16 Jan 2009
      Memorandum of Understanding Between Israel and the United States Regarding
      Prevention of the Supply of Arms and Related Materiel to Terrorist Groups


      Israel and the United States (the “Parties”),

      Recalling the steadfast commitment of the United States to Israel's security, including secure, defensible borders, and to preserve and strengthen Israel's capability to deter and defend itself, by itself, against any threat or possible combination of threats;

      Reaffirming that such commitment is reflected in the security, military and intelligence cooperation between the United States and Israel, the Strategic Dialogue between them, and the level and kind of assistance provided by the United States to Israel;


      Just as the US has such agreements with Egypt and the UAE.
      All part of the posse.

      The opportunity for believable 'plausible deniability' is diminished by political reality.

      In broad daylight, a Saudi-Israeli alliance

      While the reality of the Saudi -Egyptian Alliance cannot be denied.

      Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, accompanied by an official Saudi delegation that included Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 20. The visit resulted in a declaration to establish a joint high committee for the two countries to manage their foreign policies and confront the challenges facing the region, according to a report by the Emirati WAM news agency.

      Read more:

      And the UAE and Egypt are bombing Libya, but the US is uninformed ....
      That is deniability, but it is not plausible.

      Delete
    3. You are just blabbing again.

      Why don't you go bowling, or go feed your cattle or something.

      Delete
    4. The Neo-Fascist from Idaho, Bob.

      har de har har.

      Delete
  12. Hamas is ISIS, ISIS is Hamas -


    August 28, 2014

    Al-Qaeda advances to Israel's northern border

    By Carol Brown

    Israelis are not happy with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And they shouldn’t be.
    The headline at Israel National News reads: “Majority of Israelis Think Israel Didn't Win Gaza Operation”




    Journalist Ari Yashar writes:


    Poll: 59% say op. not a success, as Netanyahu's approval rating nose-dives further to a paltry 32%; majority oppose ceasefire. snip

    Clearly the disappointment is not directed at the IDF, which 83% of the public said it was satisfied with - instead Israelis apparently are severely dissatisfied with the political echelon, and Netanyahu at its head. (snip)

    Criticism has been pouring in from all corners over Netanyahu's apparent unwillingness to take decisive action against Hamas and return security to residents of the south.

    Two Israelis in Kibbutz Nirim were killed by mortar fire an hour before the 7 p.m. Tuesday ceasefire, as Hamas terrorists launched a final barrage that lasted up till 15 minutes after the ceasefire went into effect.

    Former MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari picked apart Netanyahu's leadership of the operation on Tuesday night, slamming him for "holding negotiations under fire with a gang of terrorists" - something which Netanyahu swore he would not do a mere two weeks ago.

    Ben-Ari likewise quoted Netanyahu, who referenced the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terror group in Iraq and Syria saying "Hamas is ISIS, ISIS is Hamas." Following through on Netanyahu's comparison, Ben-Ari said "that means that Netanyahu held negotiations with ISIS."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Like the majority of Israelis, I’ve been scratching my head trying to figure out Netanyahu’s strategy. He has talked tough, but then he has seemed to back down from his own words.

      At the same time, world condemnation of Israel was ramping up to overflowing levels of hatred during this recent war with Hamas – a war one could argue Hamas won on several levels.

      On the other hand, the world condemns Israel not matter what she does, so it seems there is no winning. In which case, best to defend the nation in the strongest way possible. And from where I sit (as neither a politician nor a military strategist), it’s not clear Netanyahu has done that.

      And now, in addition to dealing with Hamas, their missiles, their lethal force, their psychological warfare, and successful PR campaign, al Qaeda is just over the Syrian border.

      Delete
    2. cannot afford to take our eyes off of Israel. She is on the bleeding edge of the fight against Islamic jihad. And while I have doubts about how Netanyahu has handled the threat from Hamas this summer, I agree with him that “Hamas is ISIS, ISIS is Hamas.”

      And al-Qaeda.

      And Hezb’allah.

      And Boko Haram.

      And al-Nusra.

      And all the rest.

      The advance against Israel is an ultimate advance against the United States. She is like the first wave of troops that get sent into battle. If she goes down, we’re up next.


      Israelis are not happy with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And they shouldn’t be.

      The headline at Israel National News reads: “Majority of Israelis Think Israel Didn't Win Gaza Operation”

      Journalist Ari Yashar writes:


      Poll: 59% say op. not a success, as Netanyahu's approval rating nose-dives further to a paltry 32%; majority oppose ceasefire. snip

      Clearly the disappointment is not directed at the IDF, which 83% of the public said it was satisfied with - instead Israelis apparently are severely dissatisfied with the political echelon, and Netanyahu at its head. (snip)

      Criticism has been pouring in from all corners over Netanyahu's apparent unwillingness to take decisive action against Hamas and return security to residents of the south.

      Two Israelis in Kibbutz Nirim were killed by mortar fire an hour before the 7 p.m. Tuesday ceasefire, as Hamas terrorists launched a final barrage that lasted up till 15 minutes after the ceasefire went into effect.

      Former MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari picked apart Netanyahu's leadership of the operation on Tuesday night, slamming him for "holding negotiations under fire with a gang of terrorists" - something which Netanyahu swore he would not do a mere two weeks ago.

      Ben-Ari likewise quoted Netanyahu, who referenced the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terror group in Iraq and Syria saying "Hamas is ISIS, ISIS is Hamas." Following through on Netanyahu's comparison, Ben-Ari said "that means that Netanyahu held negotiations with ISIS."

      Like the majority of Israelis, I’ve been scratching my head trying to figure out Netanyahu’s strategy. He has talked tough, but then he has seemed to back down from his own words.

      At the same time, world condemnation of Israel was ramping up to overflowing levels of hatred during this recent war with Hamas – a war one could argue Hamas won on several levels.

      On the other hand, the world condemns Israel not matter what she does, so it seems there is no winning. In which case, best to defend the nation in the strongest way possible. And from where I sit (as neither a politician nor a military strategist), it’s not clear Netanyahu has done that.

      And now, in addition to dealing with Hamas, their missiles, their lethal force, their psychological warfare, and successful PR campaign, al Qaeda is just over the Syrian border.

      We cannot afford to take our eyes off of Israel. She is on the bleeding edge of the fight against Islamic jihad. And while I have doubts about how Netanyahu has handled the threat from Hamas this summer, I agree with him that “Hamas is ISIS, ISIS is Hamas.”

      And al-Qaeda.

      And Hezb’allah.

      And Boko Haram.

      And al-Nusra.

      And all the rest.

      The advance against Israel is an ultimate advance against the United States. She is like the first wave of troops that get sent into battle. If she goes down, we’re up next.


      Read more: http://americanthinker.com/blog/2014/08/alqaeda_advances_to_israels_northern_border.html#ixzz3BiOefGeB
      Follow us: @AmericanThinker on Twitter | AmericanThinker on Facebook

      Delete
    3. Bob you are correct.

      Now the funny thing will be watching all the Jew hating, Israel lasters trying to explain that ISIS and others that hate Jews, Christians and the west are different than Hamas…

      Both killers of the infidel CHECK
      Both use executions of collaborators CHECK
      Undemocratic CHECK
      Both scream ALLAH AKBAR when killing CHECK
      Both cover their Faces with Scarves when in front of cameras to scream to high heaven CHECK
      Both will murder women and children in the name of allah CHECK

      Delete
    4. What do you intellectual wizards, masters of all things military, think that Israel can and should do to get rid of Hamas? Do you really think that the blood and treasure required to re-occupy Gaza and conduct house to house searches is worth it? Do you think that would actually solve the problem?

      Delete
    5. Actually Ash, Israel's strategy is to allow Hamas to continue to be in power. It's exactly the punishment the Palestinian people deserve…

      Just like in America we got the leadership we voted for, the Palestinians got theirs…

      Is that also why you fled to Canada? Most traitors to the USA have some reason, what is yours?

      Delete
    6. I agree with you Ash that I am an intellectual wizard but I have never claimed to be a master of all things military.

      Hence I leave it up to the IDF, and believe that the USA, and Canada, should support them in all things.

      By the way, you have a good Prime Minister there in Canada now.

      Thank you for voting him into office.

      Delete
    7. Canada, the United States, and the European Union have all declared Hamas to be a terrorist organization.

      Delete
    8. You guys are bitching about Bibi. What more would you have him do?

      Delete
    9. I'm not bitching about Bibi.

      It's a tough circumstance there.

      The Egyptian military doesn't seem to want anything to do with Gaza these days - who does? - but it would be nice if they'd take the responsibility to tame the apes.

      Delete
    10. you are the one who said:

      Idaho BobThu Aug 28, 03:13:00 PM EDT

      Like the majority of Israelis, I’ve been scratching my head trying to figure out Netanyahu’s strategy. He has talked tough, but then he has seemed to back down from his own words.

      Delete
    11. I didn't write the article. I just put it up.

      I am not an Israeli.

      Delete
  13. Yeah, let's help the Zionist steal more Palestinian land.

    That should fix it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You could offer the Hamas the Cherokee Reservation.

      That would make the news.

      And atone for your past sins of slaving......

      Delete
    2. Idaho Bob, cannot respond but with ad hominem.

      Delete
    3. Farmer RobThu Aug 28, 12:42:00 PM EDT
      Dollar pegged commodities ...
      Your very question confirms an ignorance of global economics.



      Farmer Rob, cannot respond but with ad hominem.

      Delete
    4. Farmer RobThu Aug 28, 03:59:00 PM EDT
      The Neo-Fascist from Idaho, Bob.
      har de har har.


      Farmer Rob, cannot respond but with ad hominem.

      Delete
    5. Rufus IIThu Aug 28, 03:52:00 PM EDT
      Yeah, let's help the Zionist steal more Palestinian land.
      That should fix it.

      Actually Rufus,

      If you looked at a map, you will find that Israel in fact has given for peace, the sinai, (twice), southern lebanon, the golan, the gaza strip and MOST of the west bank BACK to the arabs for peace.

      The "zionists" control 1/900th of the middle east. The arabs? Control 899/900th of the middle east.

      What lands are they "stealing"? You can't steal what is yours…. No matter when the arabs stole the Jewish lands, they were stolen.

      What is interesting is your lack of any support for a Jewish homeland.

      Why do you support the invading Arab masses right to total annexation of many folks lands and ZERO support for the jewish people's right to self determination…

      The natives of America were driven into a tiny % of their historic lands, just like the Jews. But you stand with the arabs. Very odd

      Delete
  14. Obama Pressured Israel to Stop Demanding Demilitarization of Hamas

    August 28, 2014 by Daniel Greenfield 0 Comments

    Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is a New York writer focusing on radical Islam. He is completing a book on the international challenges America faces in the 21st century.

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/dgreenfield/obama-pressured-israel-to-stop-demanding-demilitarization-of-hamas/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And what did the Israeli do?

      Bow to the 'Paper Tiger' or walk away from $3 billion per year?

      Delete
    2. The BEST thing for Israel to do? Keep Hamas in power…..

      What finer way to punish the palestinian people than to allow a jihadist, murderous, insane group in charge of 1.8 million people…

      3 Cheers for Hamas… They have executed in excess of 400 palestinian men, women and kids in the last 5 months alone!

      They steal most of the international aid that comes to the strip, lowers the standard of living and even drags those they disagree with by a chain on the back of a motorcycle…

      LOL

      Delete
    3. Yes, that does appear to be Israeli policy WiO - keep Hamas in power. Perverse but true.

      Delete
    4. Israel still seems to rely on some American munitions.

      I don't know, but Obbie probably threatened to cut these off, no resupply.

      Delete
    5. Obomb'em probably should, but you can bet he didn't.

      Not with close elections coming up in N. Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana, Colorado, Iowa, Georgia, Kentucky, Alaska, and Michigan.

      Delete
    6. Close elections ????


      ha ha ha

      Delete
    7. AshThu Aug 28, 04:19:00 PM EDT
      Yes, that does appear to be Israeli policy WiO - keep Hamas in power. Perverse but true.

      You said Hamas was undefeatable… So as they execute their own? You own it… They're your peeps...

      Delete
    8. That is petty screwy logic there WiO. I do not think Israel can defeat Hamas by bombing them. I don't think Hamas would cease to exist if Israel re-occupies the Gaza strip. How does that make them "my peeps"?

      Delete
    9. Idaho BobThu Aug 28, 03:58:00 PM EDT
      Obama Pressured Israel to Stop Demanding Demilitarization of Hamas


      Mr. Obama is not the prime minister of Israel. The Gaza cluster is solely Netanyahu's baby. If he were reading this, a word: Stop badmouthing your troops! "It's a poor workman who blames his tools."

      Delete
  15. Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Corbett has evidently decided to Expand Medicaid.

    Maybe, he shouldn't have waited till he was 25 Points Behind in the polls to do it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Obama looks a little dazed and sullen in his news conference, but I think he is hitting the right tone and is being cautious and realistic. He certainly has matured. He approached the ME with an admonition that the local players have a responsibility to work together to destroy ISIS with the US in a support capacity.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess I missed it. You gotta admit, he's got a spot of bother on his plate, right now. I think I'd be a little subdued, also.

      Delete
    2. Says he doesn't have a strategy yet.. After all, he just got off the golf course.

      OBAMA: 'WE DON'T HAVE A STRATEGY YET' TO FIGHT ISIS ........drudge

      He doesn't have a strategy for Ukraine either.

      Or Afghanistan.

      Or anywhere, really.

      Delete
    3. He was backing the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, who wanted to impose Sharia.

      But his boy Morsi ended up sitting in the same jail cell Mubarak had earlier occupied.

      So that didn't work out so well.

      Delete
    4. The US seems to be gaining its' objectives, all around.
      Iraqi oil production has been curtailed. Iran is no closer to reentering the oil market.
      Neither is Libya, and as for the Ukraine, on time, on target

      The EU will have the western portion of the old Ukraine, the Russians the east. Putin will be further demonized and all will be good in Peoria, IL.

      Delete
    5. Didn't work out so well for Obama.

      Was a great event for anyone sane.

      Delete
    6. "I don't know Bob" is upset that when Obama came to power, the Egyptian military was running the country.
      Then, the opposition to the Egyptian military was manipulated to come into the light, arressted and sentence to death or life in prison.
      The Egyptian military has regained the trappings of power, once more.

      "I don't know Bob" doesn't seem to comprehend what the US accomplished, with its allies in Egypt.

      He does not watch to see what has happened, he can not get beyond the edited sound bites.

      What is "Occupation"Mon Jul 21, 09:33:00 PM EDT

      If there is one Hamas member still alive and spitting? Israel lost…

      Delete
    7. You are rambling and blabbing again, and, again, making no sense at all.

      What the hell are you smoking?

      Delete
    8. So, you don't like democracy Bob?

      Delete
    9. I like liberty much better, Ash.

      Democracy, as Aristotle and Plato taught, often leads to awful results.

      Supposedly we don't have a democracy, we have a Republic.

      With separation of powers, etc.

      I like that better. Direct democracy too often sucks.

      What about you, son?

      Delete
    10. You don't make any sense. Maybe you should take some time to formulate your thoughts and then try to write a coherent statement.

      Delete
    11. Maybe you should read Aristotle and Plate, and consider some of the stellar folks who have been elected during our earth's lamentable history, and get back to me.

      Delete
    12. Plato.

      With Aristotle there really was no answer.

      Plato had an answer but it was worse than the disease.

      The human race is ungovernable.

      Best to move to the countryside, away from the mobs of Ferguson, and try to find a nice fishing stream and a wonderful Hindu niece, raise horses and wheat.......

      Delete
    13. Get an Amazon credit card, order books on line.......

      Delete
    14. I had recommended "HTML for Dummies", you obviously never ordered it, "I don't know Bob".

      Delete
    15. I've read both Aristotle and Plato. Please explain how their philosophy justifies Egyptian military dictatorship overthrowing a democratically elected government.

      Delete
    16. Because the 'democratically' elected government immediately set about imposing Sharia. Sharia is the antithesis of liberty.
      Plato would have had zero problem with this. Aristotle might have sighed and thought it just another event in the round robin cycle. The people of Egypt are better off, especially the women, for the actions of the Egyptian military.

      O think of the Germans, Ash. Germany and the whole world would have been a lot better off if the German military had immediately gotten rid of Hitler, as some wanted to do.

      Think Mugabe. Think of all the other one vote, one time disasters in history.....

      Liberty is a higher value than democracy.

      Our Republic is expressly designed to temper the passionate urges of the moment, but it is not working so well these days.

      Delete
    17. Putin was 'elected' in Russia, and he is these days quite popular in Russia.

      And just what is Pooty up to?

      Here at least we can still kick the bums out, and Congress can be a real counter to an out of control executive.

      Our divided powers are precious.

      I hope we last.

      Delete
  17. He might be just trying to trick the enemy by saying he has no strategy.

    He may have something up his sleeve........


    hahaha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Personally I think he's just clueless on everything, the result of being raised as he was by a bunch of nuts.

      Delete
  18. I think it's is simply amazing.

    Obama holds a presser to announce he has no idea what to do.

    ReplyDelete
  19. He has no policy concerning the Baltic states either.

    Or about Libya.

    We drift o'er the storm tossed sea........

    ReplyDelete
  20. Idaho BobThu Aug 28, 03:58:00 PM EDT
    Obama Pressured Israel to Stop Demanding Demilitarization of Hamas


    Mr. Obama is not the prime minister of Israel. The Gaza cluster is solely Netanyahu's baby. If he were reading this, a word: Stop badmouthing your troops! "It's a poor workman who blames his tools."

    ReplyDelete
  21. Idaho BobThu Aug 28, 04:59:00 PM EDT
    Says he doesn't have a strategy yet.. After all, he just got off the golf course.

    OBAMA: 'WE DON'T HAVE A STRATEGY YET' TO FIGHT ISIS ........drudge

    He doesn't have a strategy for Ukraine either.

    Or Afghanistan.

    Or anywhere, really.


    Bush had a strategy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bush gave the Iraqis a chance at another way of life.

      Obama threw it away when he prematurely withdrew all the troops.

      Obama always said Iraq wasn't important anyway, the important war was the one in Afghanistan, which we simply must win.

      So now, under Obama, the entire mid east is a disaster, touched off originally by that truly idiotic Cairo Speech.

      Delete
    2. I am heading to the CdA Casino.

      Cheers !!

      out for now

      Delete
  22. AshThu Aug 28, 06:26:00 PM EDT
    I've read both Aristotle and Plato. Please explain how their philosophy justifies Egyptian military dictatorship overthrowing a democratically elected government.

    Please explain why you are such a twit?

    Are you on crack?

    ReplyDelete
  23. AshThu Aug 28, 05:19:00 PM EDT
    So, you don't like democracy Bob?

    Actually no I don't.

    Democracy in it the purest sense is majority rule.

    SO no, I don't like democracy.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Great News

    Fifteen Gazans accused of spying for Israel were rounded up in an operation launched Wednesday morning by Hamas’s internal security win

    http://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-rounds-up-15-suspected-collaborators/#ixzz3BkBLTm7C


    Last week, Hamas gunmen executed 22 suspected collaborators in a string of bloody raids conducted all over the Strip, alleging that some were caught with weapons, cellphones and SIM cards from the Israeli cellular provider Orange.

    Over 50 alleged informants have been killed since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge last month.

    ISIS is Hamas, Hamas is ISIS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. add 4 more!!!


      Four Egyptian men were beheaded by a Sinai-based terror group for allegedly spying for Israel.

      Members of the Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis said in a video released Thursday that they killed the men because they had been spying for Israel’s Mossad agency.


      The headless bodies were found in the Sinai earlier this month, Reuters reported citing security sources.

      The video shows men in black masks beheading the accused collaborators as they kneeled on the ground, according to Reuters.

      The terror group said that the men provided intelligence to Israel used in a July airstrike on northern Sinai, in which three Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis fighters were killed. The Egyptian army said at the time of the strike that no Israeli aircraft had been in Egyptian airspace.

      Two of the executed men served time in Israeli jails for smuggling, and two had said the Mossad had paid them for information, the group asserted in the video.



      Delete
  25. Rufus IIThu Aug 28, 04:33:00 PM EDT

    Obomb'em probably should, but you can bet he didn't.

    Not with close elections coming up in N. Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana, Colorado, Iowa, Georgia, Kentucky, Alaska, and Michigan.
    Delete

    Idaho BobThu Aug 28, 04:55:00 PM EDT

    Close elections ????


    ha ha ha


    Actually, The Democrat is tied, or Leading in all of those races except Kentucky, and Alask - and, in those two states they are down by only 2.

    I would say that is pretty close.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Our government does have a clue. They are are thinking Egypt and U.A.E. were behind the recent 'secret' air strikes in Libya when it is manifest to me that it was Quart in his souped up ultra-light in action again. The M.O. has Quart written all over it. The early morning strike, coming in low with the sun behind.......the same tactic he used to penetrate Area 51 down Vegas way......one quick Quart strike, one pass, then escape off to the north......

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

    Collapsing Libya Sucks In Egypt With Gulf Ally in Islamist Fight


    By Tarek El-Tablawy and Mariam Fam Aug 28, 2014 3:04 AM PT

    The airstrikes in Libya targeted Islamists who were fighting an eventually successful... Read More

    Egypt has won the United Arab Emirates’ support for a crackdown on Islamists and there are signs the collaboration is extending beyond its borders.

    U.S. officials say the U.A.E. and Egypt were behind air strikes in the Libyan capital in the past week. Egypt has denied its forces were involved, while the U.A.E. said claims of its intervention were an attempt to divert attention from political reversals suffered by Libya’s Islamists.

    The Arab revolts that broke out three years ago have morphed into armed conflicts that mostly pit Islamists against more secular-minded forces. The involvement by a Gulf Cooperation Council member in the Libya strikes, if confirmed, would signal a transition from financier to active participant. For Egypt, preoccupied by internal turmoil since 2011, engagement in Libya would be a revival of the country’s regional role at a time when it helped broker a Gaza truce.

    “There’s a powder keg in Libya which has only partially ignited,” said Anthony Skinner, director for Middle East and North Africa at the U.K.-based consultancy Maplecroft. “Libya may witness a proxy war between an elected government, which is backed by Egypt and the Emirates, and the Islamists who are currently backed by Qatar.” Qatar has denied supporting any extremist groups.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-28/collapsing-libya-sucks-in-egypt-with-gulf-ally-in-islamist-fight.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our government does NOT have a clue.....

      Delete
    2. Quart taking me up for a trial run in his ultra light sea capable attack plane -

      http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ultralight+planes+pictures&qpvt=ultra+light+planes++pictures&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=E28646B2E13DEB1072F52F26C0150C1FF646873D&selectedIndex=138

      Delete
    3. Quart survives an unfortunate landing -

      http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ultralight+planes+pictures&qpvt=ultra+light+planes++pictures&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=FAC06EFD2E4903729E7645E3422DDC423A744C63&selectedIndex=91

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    5. That should read:

      Quart unfortunately survives an unfortunate landing.....

      Delete
    6. Or, landing while sober.

      "I fly better drunk than sober."

      Quart

      Delete
  27. ISIS has announced it is targeting Pope Francis.

    They are certainly brassy, to say the least.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Obama has a New Suit, No Strategy for ISIS or Russian Invasion

    August 28, 2014 by Daniel Greenfield 9 Comments

    Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is a New York writer focusing on radical Islam. He is completing a book on the international challenges America faces in the 21st century.

    It looks like the gimmick box is really running low. If Iran nukes Israel, expect Obama to come out wearing clown shoes in the hopes of distracting everyone from the mess. But that tan suit and lack of hair dye really sends the message, “I’m semi-retired now. Don’t bother me.”


    Obama’s pointless press conference made two things clear. Three things.

    1. He cares more about Chuck Todd taking over Meet the Press than about any of the world affairs he was talking about.

    2. There’s a strategy for ISIS, but no, there’s no strategy for ISIS except the same old “Iraqis have to get together” strategy he’s been talking about for the last 7 years. Considering that he’s done as good a job of bringing Americans together as Maliki has done of bringing Iraqis together…


    But I don’t want to put the cart before the horse. We don’t have a strategy yet. I think what I’ve seen in some of the news reports suggests that folks are getting a little further ahead of where we’re at than we currently are. And I think that’s not just my assessment, but the assessment of our military, as well. We need to make sure that we’ve got clear plans, that we’re developing them. At that point, I will consult with Congress and make sure that their voices are heard.

    Ladies and gentleman, your Constitutional scholar and expert on foreign policy. He even writes his own speeches, we’re told.

    3. Russia? Invasion, no invasion here, Comrade.


    QUESTION: Do you consider today’s escalation in Ukraine an invasion? And when you talk about additional costs to Russia, are you ready at this point to impose broader economic sanctions? Or are you considering other responses that go beyond sanctions?

    OBAMA: I consider the actions that we’ve seen in the last week a continuation of what’s been taking place for months now.

    This is more than that, but Obama has learned from Syria to set no Red Lines. This is officially not an invasion, even though it is.

    As usual, Obama just trots out the old failed solution. In this case, sanctions. Sure they haven’t worked. Sure they’ve never worked. But hey look, tan suit...............

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/dgreenfield/obama-has-a-new-suit-no-strategy-for-isis-or-russian-invasion/

    <><><><><>

    Is It any wonder Quart has decided to take direct action himself?

    Someone has to clean this mess up......

    ReplyDelete
  29. Reply button not working for me. (Probly Rusty)
    ...but good to still be remembered:

    "Rufus IIThu Aug 28, 09:47:00 AM EDT
    You sound like Doug. You can't bifurcate economic leanings that neatly. "Capitalist or Socialist" is way too simplistic. Everyone, and everything has to be looked at on a continuum. Obomb'em leans to the left, but he's hardly a full-fledged "Socialist.""
    ----

    I'm now convinced that BHO could offer every teenage boy and girl in America to the Muslims for servicing, and Rufus the Dufus will rationalize it for him.

    (While citing some ageless Bush Crime Against Humanity.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Swamp rat finally went round the bend for good at the time of the VA Hospital revelations.

      He will not be recovering.

      I have been tracking his progress daily and there isn't any.

      Delete
    2. "I da Ho Bob"

      Always thought you were a ho', Bob.

      Delete
    3. He da Ho Ho Ho

      Potato Bob is Santa Claus

      Delete