by Asaf Romirowsky
Tech Central Station*
August 18, 2006
http://www.meforum.org/article/990
* Cross-posted with permission

[N.B.: The following reflects what the author submitted, and not exactly what was published. To obtain the precise text of what was published, please check the original place of publication.]

Hezbollah has long used the satellite broadcaster Al-Manar as a medium for winning the hearts and minds of their supporters inside Lebanon and throughout the Muslim world. Al-Manar, literally “the beacon” in Arabic, is the official mouthpiece for Hezbollah — the “party of God”. This beacon is best known for airing propaganda against Israel, not least of which include reports of “heroic” and “successful” operations by Hezbollah fighters against the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

More significantly, Al-Manar programming consists of children’s shows that glorify homicide bombers. Anti-American and anti-Semitic material — including the infamous “blood libel” which fallaciously accuses Jews of slaughtering Christian children to make Matza for the Passover holiday — is the normal fare. Post 9/11, the station worked tirelessly to promote the perception that the Israeli Mossad was the one responsible for the attacks. And indeed, many Arabic speakers in London, Paris, Madrid, Brussels, Berlin absorb Hezbollah’s messages of hate and incitement via al Manar.

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by Daniel Pipes
Daniel Pipes’ Weblog*
August 15, 2006
http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/654
* Cross-posted with permission

Two years ago, when Islamist death squads searched out non-Muslim victims, it was sufficient to fake being a Muslim, as I pointed out in “[Khobar Rampage:] ‘Don’t Be Afraid, We Won’t Kill Muslims’,” where I even provided the two texts that need to be memorized. Though usually not successful, I documented one case, that of Scott Taylor, when this ruse did work and saved his life.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

This is a ceasefire? Iran is already helping to rearm Hezbollah. From Fox News:

Iran has been attempting to rearm the Lebanon-based terror network Hezbollah since the U.N.-backed cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel took hold earlier this week, two U.S. officials told FOX News on Thursday.

A U.S. arms control official said it appears that Iran is using Syrian channels in its effort to give Hezbollah weapons it has used in the past, including Chinese-built C-802 radar-guided anti-ship missiles. Military observers said a C-802 was used successfully on an Israeli naval vessel off the coast of Tyre on July 14. The arms control officer and a senior American counterterrorism officer both said the U.S. government is “very concerned” about the “ongoing” effort.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

The Bali bombing killed 202 people and injured 209, and Indonesia is celebrating this Islamist terrorist atrocity? What a complete disrespect for justice and human life. From Fox News:

An Islamic militant convicted in the 2002 Bali bombings was released from prison Thursday and 11 others jailed for minor roles had their sentences reduced to mark Indonesia’s independence day, officials said.

It is an Indonesian tradition to cut jail terms on holidays, but the decision was expected to anger countries that lost citizens in the twin nightclub attacks that killed 202 people, many of them foreign tourists.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

Joe Lieberman was a Democrat I could’ve voted for, but he’s an independent now, dumped by his own party. Was Lieberman’s loss to Ned Lamont in Connecticut’s Democratic primary evidence of discomfort with the Iraq war (a valid concern the way things are going there), confirmation that the party is moving even further left, or indication that Connecticut is a hopelessly “blue” state chock full o’ limousine liberal nuts? Maybe there’s still hope for Connecticut. From NewsMax.com:

Ned Lamont, whose anti-war campaign rattled the political landscape by toppling Sen. Joe Lieberman in Connecticut’s Democratic primary, is gaining support among voters - but Lieberman still has an edge, according to a poll released Thursday.

The Quinnipiac University poll has Lieberman leading Lamont among registered voters 49 percent to 38 percent. Republican Alan Schlesinger gets support from 4 percent. Among likely voters, Lieberman was supported by 53 percent, compared to Lamont’s 41 percent and Schlesinger’s 4 percent.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

Remember that “President Jacques Chirac of France called Israel’s acts [in Lebanon] ‘disproportionate.’” So… call for disarming Hezbollah, condemn Israel for trying to disarm Hezbollah, but when push comes to shove, let Israel disarm Hezbollah. Make sense?

Passing resolutions at the U.N. is one thing. Enforcing those resolutions is another. Remember Resolution 1559, co-authored by France, which “Call[ed] for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias?” This was adopted in 2004. What happened? Hezbollah was allowed to fester and build up an arsenal of 13,000 rockets.

France has now co-authored Resolution 1701, which calls for the “removal from southern Lebanon of Hezbollah as an armed force.” But will France enforce the new resolution? From the BBC:

French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie voiced concern about deploying troops without clearly defined goals.

“France wants the mission’s rules of engagement to be clear and it to have real means,” she told French TV.

“Sadly, all too often, the United Nations forces don’t have the power that they asked for.”

The main political parties share such reservations.

Jacques Myard, an MP in France’s governing UMP party and a member of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, told the BBC the last UN resolution did not make it clear how France can act.

“I know that a lot of military, high-ranking officials in France are reluctant if this mandate is not very precise,” he said.

The opposition socialists have also warned that “extreme vigilance” is needed, saying the UN resolution does nothing to address the conditions necessary for a political agreement that would guarantee the security of peacekeeping forces.

Above all, France wants to avoid a situation where its own soldiers find themselves having to disarm Hezbollah fighters.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

Why should Hezbollah act with anything but impunity while it is rewarded by the international community for killing Israeli civilians and is defended by the mainstream media? Notice the attempt by Washington Post writers to lend legitimacy to Hezbollah’s refusal to vacate southern Lebanon today:

Hezbollah’s reluctance to get its men and arms out of the border zone reflected nervousness over the continuing presence of Israeli soldiers on Lebanese soil.

Hezbollah started this fight, cynically hid behind civilians while launching attacks on Israeli civilians, defied UN resolution 1559, and now is painted as defending Lebanese sovereignty? With this kind of cheerleading or rationalization for terrorism, sometimes explicit, sometimes implicit, does the Western world stand a chance in fighting Islamism?

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

Watch as the professional Palestinian victims go into action smearing Israel — the “Green Helmet acting as cynical movie director in Qana,” on YouTube:

Note that LGF reports that, despite this obvious cynical media manipulation, “AP Stands Behind Green Helmet Guy.”

By Andrew L. Jaffee

MEMRI today posted an assessment of the extent to which Islamic extremism has made inroads into Turkey, and the conclusions are frightening. The war against Islamo-fascism has just begun. Here’s a snippet, but be sure to read the whole thing:

Hurriyet’s Ertugrul Ozkok warned in his column that Turkey was becoming the most fanatical and hostile country towards Christians in the Islamic world, pointed out that this anti-Western trend was evident among secular ultra-nationalists as much as among Islamists, and opined that Turkey was headed towards catastrophe. [2]
…
[2] Hurriyet (Turkey), July 7, 2006.

Also noted by Fox News — further evidence that a once secular Turkey is going coo-coo:

Also of concern is the prospect that Turkey, a Muslim ally in the War on Terror, is serving as or had been a point of access in the past for arms destined for Hezbollah. Pike said in recent days, Israelis have addressed their concerns directly to the Turks over the trans-shipment.

“They requested that Turkey detain a couple of airplanes coming into Lebanon from Iran. Turned out not to have weapons on them, but I don’t think this is the last of it,” Pike said. “Turkey has simply been looking the other way.”

Hat-tip to Barak on MEMRI article.

by Daniel Pipes
New York Sun*
August 15, 2006
http://www.danielpipes.org/article/3849
* Cross-posted with permission

As staff at some of the world’s most prestigious press organizations effectively take Hezbollah’s side in its war with Israel, they inadvertently expose a profound transformation in the logic of warfare.

Some examples of their actions:

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

Is there a difference between Hezbollah’s terrorists and the Lebanese government? Lebanon’s own defense minister doesn’t seem to think so. From the Khaleej Times Online:

The Lebanese army won’t disarm Hezbollah but expects the Shiite militia to leave south Lebanon once troops are deployed there, Defense Minister Elias Murr said on Monday.

“The army won’t be deployed to south Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, something which Israel wasn’t able to do itself,” the minister said on the private television station LBC.

“Its role is to ensure the security of the resistance and citizens, to protect the victory of the resistance,” Murr said referring to Islamic Resistance, the armed wing of Hezbollah.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

Lebanon: Another “partner” for peace with Israel? From the AFP:

“Lebanon will be, I think, the last state to sign a peace treaty with Israel,” UN ambassador Nouhad Mahmoud told CNN television’s “Late Edition” program, without explaining the remark. …

The diplomat added that the 15,000 Lebanese soldiers to be dispatched to south Lebanon to help keep the peace alongside a similarly-sized international UN force “are not going to use force” to disarm the Hezbollah militia which has been battling Israel.

“Hezbollah will just leave the area as armed elements as I understand it, and the Lebanese army will take over the whole region along with the United Nations forces,” he said.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

It seems that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s rhetoric is too much — even for Germany. From Deutsche Welle:

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has cancelled a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on short notice because of a speech the president gave blaming the US for ongoing tensions in the region. …

He said a speech given by Assad earlier on Tuesday was “a negative contribution that does not do justice to the present challenges and opportunities in the Middle East.” …

“But the basic prerequisite for this is a clear and unmistakable commitment to putting regional differences in interests aside,” Steinmeier said while at Amman’s airport. “President Assad’s speech today is a step in the opposing direction. That’s why I have decided not to travel to Damascus.” …

Assad also expressly praised Hezbollah militants whose resistance, he said, has given Israel cause to think about whether it will continue its “politics of terrorism” in the region.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

In the fantasy world of Arab/Muslim dictatorships, two of the key players who stoked Hezbollah’s war against Israel have become peacemakers. No really. They said so. All’s Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad want is peace. Never mind the fact that they are “the main outside sponsors of Hizballah.” Not only has Hezbollah been responsible for the deaths of 1,000 Lebanese and 157 Israelis in the current conflict, it has, among other things, killed 17 American citizens (1983), slaughtered 241 U.S. troops (1983), blown up a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, killing 86 and injuring over 200, etc. But these are minor details. Just this week, both Assad and Ahmadinejad claimed to be men of peace.

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by Andrew L. Jaffee

Harry Reid (D-Nev), has mouthed off about Republicans in general, and President Bush in specific, but skeletons are now creeping out of his closets. This is from the man who’s supposed to be the pillar of the Democratic Party (with Howling Dean backing him up). The pot calling the kettle black? From NewMax.com:

A seven-year-old political donation has proven costly for the Senate’s most senior Democrat.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., last year refunded a $3,000 check he got in 1999 from a Texas friend, Ben Barnes, after a public interest group revealed it was improper. Now he’s paid Barnes more than $1,600 in interest, according to recent filings with the Secretary of the Senate.

The filings were disclosed Monday by PoliticalMoneyLine, which tracks campaign spending.

Barnes, a lobbyist and former Texas lieutenant governor, made the donation in question to a legal defense fund Reid had established to cover costs of his 1998 Senate race recount, which he won by 428 votes over Republican John Ensign. …

Congressional ethics rules prohibit registered lobbyists from donating to lawmakers’ legal defense funds, which members of Congress are allowed to set up to pay for legal fights. Barnes had only recently registered as a lobbyist and said at the time that it was an innocent mistake.

Reid’s defense fund shut down in March 2001, and the donation went unnoticed until the Center for Public Integrity released a report in August 2005 about a handful of lawmakers, Reid among them, who’d accepted improper lobbyist donations into their legal defense funds.

Anyone care to add a few synonyms for “unnoticed?”