Target Centermass

Category: General

  • Sharon Urges Jews in France to Leave as Anti-Semitism Grows

    The French may not disagree, but Ariel Sharon is urging Jews to leave France.

    The Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday urged Jews to flee France to escape a rising tide of anti-Semitism. While acknowledging that the French government was fighting racial violence, Mr Sharon warned of “the spread of the wildest anti-Semitism” in France.

    Speaking to visiting American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, Mr Sharon said: “If I have to advocate to our brothers in France, I will tell them one thing – ‘Move to Israel, as early as possible’. I say that to Jews all around the world, but there [in France] I think it’s a must and they have to move immediately.” He added: “In France today, about 10 per cent of the population are Muslims … that gets a different kind of anti-Semitism, based on anti-Israeli feelings and propaganda.”

    France is home to Western Europe’s biggest Jewish and Muslim communities with 600,000 Jews and five million Muslims. But it has been troubled by attacks on Jewish people and property in recent years, some of it blamed on youths of North African origin angered by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    The latest French Interior Ministry figures show 510 anti-Jewish acts or threats in the first six months of 2004 – compared to 593 for all of last year.

    Yes, it may seem silly to urge Jews out of France to the safety of Israel. However, urging Jews to leave France, ever growing more hostile for them, is not a bad idea and, if current trends continue, may increasingly become a very good idea. At least in Israel, they would have a home that would fight for their protection.

  • How a Serial Liar Suckered Dems and the Media

    Doffing the CVC to little green footballs for finding this column about the lies of Joe Wilson and lgf’s possibly intriguing look at his supporters.

    The story of ex-ambassador Joe Wilson, who deliberately “sexed down” Iraq’s attempts to purchase yellowcake uranium from Niger, continues to be utterly ignored by mainstream media even as source after source proves that he lied about a very serious threat to US security. Mark Steyn has the goods

  • Arafat’s Panel Declares State of Emergency

    Is the Palestinian Authority in a more dire position than I thought?

    A security panel headed by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (news – web sites) declared a state of emergency in the Gaza Strip (news – web sites) early Saturday after a wave of kidnappings involving a Palestinian police chief, a security official and four French citizens.

    Although most of the hostages were later freed, the crisis raised questions about the future of Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia’s government, which will meet Saturday in a session that could determine its future, a Palestinian official said on condition of anonymity.

    The declaration by the Palestinian security council called for increased protection around government facilities and canceled all leave for security officials.

    The deteriorating situation reflected the growing disagreements among militant groups and individuals trying to strengthen their positions before Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news – web sites) fulfills his pledge to withdraw Israeli forces and some 7,500 settlers from Gaza late next year.

    You can dance with the Devil but, sometimes, he wants to lead.

  • Passengers’ Good Will Turned Soldiers’ Trip Home into a Flight of Fancy

    The Dallas Morning News is reporting a surprising display of respect for American soldiers.

    It all began with a chance encounter at an airport, a glance, an offer, a quiet chat.

    What’s your seat number, soldier?

    It’s 23-B, sir, the soldier told the businessman.

    No, son, that’s my seat. Yours is in first class.

    As more soldiers boarded, similar offers quickly came from the other first-class passengers.

    And eight soldiers heading home from Iraq for two weeks of R&R found themselves with their officers in the big seats up front instead of the center seats in coach.

    That spontaneous act of good will transformed American Airlines Flight 866, from Atlanta to Chicago, on June 29.

    “The soldiers were very, very happy, and the whole aircraft had a different feeling,” said Lorrie Gammon, one of the Dallas-based flight attendants working the trip.

    “There were 14 seats in first class, and there were 12 soldiers there. The other two first-class passengers wanted to give up their seats, too, but they couldn’t find any more soldiers.”

    Flight attendant Candi Spradlin of Conway, Ark., said she was impressed with how passengers treated the soldiers.

    “If nothing else, those soldiers got a great homecoming,” she said.

    The soldiers were so surprised they barely knew what to do, said Ms. Gammon, who lives in Frisco.

    “They were so humble and thankful – they spent the whole flight saying thank you,” she said.

    “But we should have been saying thank you to them for what they’re doing for us.”

    Almost sounds like an urban legend but, if true, this is very cool.

  • US Mounts New Military Offensive Ahead of Afghan Elections

    The U.S. is going back on the attack to help ensure Afghan elections.

    Major Jon Siepmann, a U.S. spokesman, says the new countrywide operation, dubbed “Lightning Resolve,” aims to protect civilians against militants opposed to the coming elections.

    Afghanistan is due to vote for president on October 9 and for a parliament next spring, replacing the transitional government that has ruled since a U.S.-Afghan alliance ousted the former hard-line Taleban regime in 2001.

    Remnants of the Taleban have been waging an armed struggle against the current government. They want to block the elections, which they say are meant to ensure U.S. domination over Afghanistan.

    Be democratic or die. Not quite “Don’t tread on me” but it’ll do.

  • Slim-Fast Trims Whoopi From Ads

    Following her recent allegedly bawdy performance at a Kerry fundraiser, Whoopi Goldberg has been dropped as a spokesperson for Slim-Fast.

    “I only wish that the Republican re-election committee would spend as much time working on the economy as they seem to be spending trying to harm my pocketbook.”

    Whoopi, check the economy. It’s strong. Oh, and welcome to a world where actions have consequences.

  • Envoy: Palestinian Authority May Collapse

    The AP is reporting that the U.N envoy for the Middle East is questioning the stability of the Palestinian Authority.

    Roed-Larsen painted a grim picture of lawlessness in the Palestinian Authority, its failure to institute critical reforms, and he blamed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (news – web sites).

    He lamented that there was “no sign” of the bold leadership needed to tackle Palestinian reform and move toward peace.

    “The Palestinian Authority, despite consistent promises by its leadership, has made no progress on its core obligation to take immediate action on the ground to end violence and combat terror, and to reform and reorganize the Palestinian Authority,” he said.

    Roed-Larsen said the only explanation is “the lack of political will” to advance toward reform, which is critically needed in the security services.

    “Despite a well-intended prime minister, the paralysis of the Palestinian Authority has become abundantly clear,” he said.

    “Clashes and showdowns between branches of Palestinian security forces are now common in the Gaza Strip (news – web sites), where Palestinian Authority legal authority is receding fast in the face of the mounting power of arms, money and intimidation,” Roed-Larsen said.

    “The perceived Palestinian Authority abdication of responsibility” has led many residents of Rafah in southern Gaza to take matters into their own hands, including establishing a checkpoint to prevent Palestinian officials from entering the city or crossing into Egypt, he said.

    The PA lasts as long as Arafat wants it to last. Arafat lasts as long as the Palestinians allow him to last (or the Israelis tolerate him to last).

  • Blogging From My First Hometown

    With my father in the highly-regarded Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, I have taken this opportunity of my visit to get a hotel room in St. Charles, just across the Missouri River and about fifteen minutes from the hospital. Why did I do this instead of getting a hotel closer to Dad? Well, in a way, I’Â’m closer to Dad here.

    I lived in St. Charles from the age of six months to seventh grade, when I finally moved to Texas. I played little league baseball and BoysÂ’’ Club football here. I learned to ride a bike and make a paper airplane here. I read The Lord of the Rings and watched Star Wars here. I attended elementary school, back when we still played bombardment (dodgeball) in P.E., and suffered through wearing a blazer and tie in the stupid sixth-grade choir here. I watched Reagan get elected President here, moving to Texas the very next day.

    And my father, of course, had a role in all of these memories, especially the baseball and learning to ride a bike. Dad took the time to manage my first four baseball teams, and I am just loaded with memories of those years.

    I sat at my father’Â’s bedside today (well, technically yesterday as itÂ’s now past midnight). He’Â’s been moved from the ICU, and I think he’Â’ll live through this visit. That’Â’s the good part; the bad part is that it wasn’Â’t really my dad there today. Just a drugged, beaten, tired shell of a man. There were flashes of his old self, but not much. I hope there’Â’s more of that old self before I leave here. If not, I don’Â’t think he has the fight to hold on ‘‘til my next visit. His muscles have melted away, he struggled to adjust his pillow an inch, he stumbled on remembering words, he rarely breathed easily.

    I treasure these moments with Dad, but I doubt these will be the memories that IÂ’’ll later look back on and smile. Those will be the times much like my little league baseball days. After my visit today, instead of driving straight to the hotel, I wandered over to Blanchette Park. I looked at the hill where Dad used to take me sledding in the winter and the pool where he took me for swimming lessons. Then I watched a couple of innings of kids playing baseball. Moments in games I’Â’d played on those very same fields flashed from the old movie projector in my mind. Dad was there, at least in my heart.

    Field of Dreams said it best: “Hey, Dad, you want to have a catch?”

  • Knowing the Days Were Numbered

    What would you ask your father?

    As much as I’m trying to get this blog off the ground, I cannot guaranty a lot of posting over the next week, as I’m going to hit the road to St. Louis. My dad is there in ICU with multiple complications. I’ll post as I can; maybe a lot as I’ll be away from the office, maybe a little or none with questionable access. I’m playing it by ear.

    Soon, I’ll post more about him, but he was a great baseball coach.

  • New British Inquiry Is Showing That Saddam Did Seek Uranium in Africa

    Jack Kelly, writing for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, decisively argues against the idea that Bush lied about Iraqi attempts to purchase yellowcake in Africa.

    Britain’s Financial Times reported Wednesday that an official British government inquiry into the intelligence used to justify the war in Iraq has concluded that Britain’s MI-6 was correct to conclude that Saddam Hussein’s regime had sought to buy uranium ore from Niger.

    If so, this gives the lie to the charge that “Bush lied!” when he said in his 2003 State of the Union address: “The British government has learned that Saddam recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.”

    I like how Mr. Kelly quickly gets to the key point: the keystone of the “Bush lied” campaign is gone. It didn’t vanish — it never existed.

    The “Bush lied!” charge hung on two slender reeds. The first is that the only “evidence” the CIA had at the time of an Iraq-Niger-yellowcake connection was a fairly obvious forgery obtained through Italian sources. The second was the “investigation” conducted in early 2002 by former Ambassador Joseph Wilson on behalf of the CIA.

    Wilson spent less than two weeks in Niger. In his July 2003 New York Times op-ed about the investigation, in which he described his methodology as “drinking sweet mint tea and meeting with dozens of people: current government officials, former government officials, people associated with the country’s uranium business.” The people he talked to told him that Niger hadn’t sold uranium to Iraq. Wilson’s op-ed accused the Bush administration of manipulating intelligence — and ignoring his report on Niger — to justify a war on Iraq.

    There were two problems with Wilson’s investigation. The first is that the people to whom Wilson was talking might not have been telling him the truth. The second is that to say that Niger did not sell uranium to Iraq is not the same as saying Iraq did not try to buy yellowcake ore from Niger.

    In fact, Wilson himself has confirmed that Iraq did indeed try to buy uranium from Niger.

    Game, set, match.