Iraqi capital hit by three blasts

It may not be civil war just yet but it's getting closer.

• 23 dead 61 injured in a car bomb blast
• 10 dead more wounded in two other bombs
• 9 dead Iraqis found in Tarfaya
• US soldier killed in West Baghdad
• A mosque bombed in Tikrit

All this in 24 hours. Deep sigh.

Update:
2 British soldiers killed. A total of 75 Iraqi dead.

Kadima wins 36% of votes in closely watched mock election

Blich High School, in Ramat Gan has mock elections each time one comes around. The results are usually close hence the parties pay close attention although Aleh Yarok wasn't allowed to join in.

Kadima and Labour got 54% of the vote between them with Kadima at 36%. If you added Meretz , the three parties could form a long lasting stable coalition with 63% of the electorate behind them.

Work , work and work

A weekend spent building a new, ventilated compost bin with swing lids. Flushed with success I made on start on the big fencing project. The neighbours were inquisitive and wanted to know what we do with all the compost. I must write a fact sheet to hand out.

At main workplace , this will be a day to remember. We were told to bring in our ID cards today but not told why. Rumours abound.

London mayor (nazi jibe) guilty of bringing his office into disrepute…

…and suspended for four weeks.

Here is the decision in full.

All Our Ken had to do was apologise for an inappropriate remark made whilst tired and emotional. The jibe was inappropriate regardless of the ethnic identity of the recipient or the history of the newspaper for which the journalist worked. But nnnnnnooooooooo. Livingstone had to go the way of so many talented politicians corrupted (small c) by too many years in power. He spent huge amounts of time and money unsuccessfully pursuing arguments such as he made the remark in a private capacity (London Mayor is a 24-7-365 job) or has the right to uncontrolled free speech under Human Rights legislation.

It is sad to see the decline in quality of someone whom I previously strongly supported. Aside from power issues, Livingstone’s double-blindness has contributed to his situation.

Ken has a blind spot regarding Jews. His view seems to be that every other group of citizens in London (ethnic, religious, gender, sexuality…) has a right to an identity, to not be discriminated against, to have their culture validated …except Jews. Every other nation has the right to a liberation movement, a homeland and a sovereign state…except Jews. People should be sensitive to making inappropriate remarks to everyone…except Jews.

Ken also has a blind spot regarding democracy. He regularly acts against the wishes of the majority of Londoners, eg recently overturning vast majority democratic opposition to extending the congestion charge. He said he didn’t need to take into account the democratic views of residents because it was his decision.

Therefore it looks daft for Livingstone to say that it was wrong that a non-elected independent disciplinary panel passed judgement on his inappropriate conduct. This is the Adjudication Panel for England, the very disciplinary tribunal set up to regulate unacceptable conduct by elected local government officials. In order to take up the office of Mayor, Livingstone was required to state that he would abide by this system and its code of conduct

It is also silly for him to say the panel has taken away the democratic right of Londoners. Our system is representative democracy: we only have a say in removing such rogues once every 4-5 years at election time. Now if we were able to punish and censure each discrete inappropriate act by a politician no one would get any other work done.

Note to barbarians. Did British Jews and anti-racist bodies riot in the streets with placards inciting illegal activity, torch City Hall, threaten to behead the mayor or his sympathisers, burn UK embassies abroad, kill people in the street and foment terrorist attacks on the UK because they found that remark insulting? Certainly not. We went through proper legal, political, media and organisational channels of the sovereign state.

Will Ken be demented enough to appeal to the High Court? Watch this space.

Why I don’t live in the US no. 539…

Another muslim monument destroyed

Of course we did it. Feel any better now? Go ahead and not face up to your own problems by killing each other, see if I care.

Note to barbarians: civilised peoples and modern cultured societies have a well-developed sense of wordplay including but not limited to multiple meanings, layered ironies, self-parody and various other forms of humour. This is quite distinct from propaganda inciting hatred and murder.

Hanegbi, backed by Olmert, to resist AG's call that he resign

Looks like they've lost my vote even though Hanegbi won't be allowed to serve in the cabinet in the next Government. He's currently charged with

fraud, breach of trust, election bribery, perjury and false testimony in connection with the political appointments he made during a stint as environment minister

Israeli politics can be very dirty.

Academics fight rise of creationism at universities

Oh no. Please , not in the UK. If Cathy's post wasn't bad enough on the attitude of some UK Muslims, we now have left pondian irrationality spreading into universities.

Most of the next generation of medical and science students could well be creationists, according to a biology teacher at a leading London sixth-form college. "The vast majority of my students now believe in creationism," she said, "and these are thinking young people who are able and articulate and not at the dim end at all. They have extensive booklets on creationism which they put in my pigeon-hole ... it's a bit like the southern states of America." Many of them came from Muslim, Pentecostal or Baptist family backgrounds, she said, and were intending to become pharmacists, doctors, geneticists and neuro-scientists

Perhaps it's too late.

History On Trial

Deborah E. Lipstadt has a blog. It will join our blogroll shortly. Go read.

Irving gets three years in jail for Holocaust denial

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

Britain faces ‘alarming’ muslim fifth column

The latest ICM poll of British muslims makes even more disturbing reading than the survey out last week.

Although 90% of British muslims say they feel personally loyal to the UK, an alarmingly strong minority's definition of ‘the UK’ and ‘loyal’ does not seem to be civilised or modern:

· 40% want to see sharia law enforced in the UK. Unmodernised sharia law is barbaric and certainly illegal under existing law.

· 26% said Abu Hamza did not receive a fair trial. Wonder what kind of trial they are thinking of?

· 20% say they have sympathy with the London suicide bombers. These men butchered a diverse cross-section of Londoners and visitors including muslims.

· 7% are sufficiently extreme to say that western society is decadent and immoral and muslims should bring about its end if necessary by violent means.

Never mind incitement to murder or hatred, it is time to have a look at what the laws on treason say.

International Criminal Court : Iraq

I seem to recall, some years ago - gosh, how the time flies- that a large number of Left Pondians objected to the Internation Criminal Court horrified at the thought of USA personnel being hauled to the Haque and put on trial. As I pointed out at the time, this was very unlikely to happen.

The ICC has received some 240 communications on Iraq covering the whole gamut of charges, from genocide to torture. The prosector has rejected the lot and I will leave you with one quote from the dry legalese used in these documents.

The number of potential victims of crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court in this situation – 4 to 12 victims of wilful killing and a limited number of victims of inhuman treatment – was of a different order than the number of victims found in other situations under investigation or analysis by the Office. It is worth bearing in mind that the OTP is currently investigating three situations involving long-running conflicts in Northern Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Darfur. Each of the three situations under investigation involves thousands of wilful killings as well as intentional and large-scale sexual violence and abductions. Collectively, they have resulted in the displacement of more than 5 million people. Other situations under analysis also feature hundreds or thousands of such crimes. Taking into account all the considerations, the situation did not appear to meet the required
threshold of the Statute.

They've bigger things to deal with than Abu Graib.

List of wikis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There has been some well deserved criticism of the Wiki concept recently so I would like to offer this list of Wiki sites you might find useful. I find that the objections are more directed at errant humanity rather than the concept. Not exactly news of course.

You might like to start at Encyclopediadramatica which is a Wikepedia satire. Parental guidance suggested. Even if they're dead and buried.

Next a visit to WikiCommons might prove useful. It's a free collection of photographs, diagrams, animations, music, spoken text, video clips, and media of all sorts . Bill Gates does not own the media rights to the whole planet.

For news you might try WikiNews, which has a mission to ""create a diverse environment where citizen journalists can independently report the news on a wide variety of current events"."
There's also a Wiki Classified, the Reform Society, and if you need more, try the Wiki list of largest Wikis and then keep going. There's plenty of other languages, Hebrew , Serbo Croat, German to choose from. Try Massively distributed collaboration to explain how it all might work.
The Wiki idea seems to have spread. A number of newspapers allow comments on article, some tried and gave up due to repeated vandalism. That's like giving up public spaces because of excessive litter or graffiti. Nobody is going to stop me blogging or emailing bacause of spam. Plenty of communities have taken to the Wiki idea. Here's a few.

• re-enactors of the Middle Ages and Renaissance
• Jewpedia.
  
• The Reform Society.

There's a lot to choose from. The best of all is that you too can set up your own wiki. Makes sense even for a summer school or a business venture. Nearly as good as a Tony Blair focus group.
I should be with Mrs Egghead planting trees beyond the green line to show that not all Israelis cut down trees. Some plant them. Today, I'm having a me day.

Deadeye Dick’s gun club

In honour of Harry Whittington’s release from hospital this afternoon, here are some hints and tips on safety from the left pond’s sharp shootin’ veep. Full commentary, accoutrements and how to 'join' here.

1. Always keep your gun loaded.

2. Always keep your gun aimed at stuff.

3. Always keep your finger on the trigger.

4. Always bring doctors so you don't get charged with murder.

Hamasistan

Quote:

Dr. Abed al-Aziz Duaik,said Wednesday that once the new government was formed, Hamas would formulate its own peace plan, with a long-term truce with Israel at its center.

I can live with that. It really depends on what they do during the truce of course. It's interesting to note that Fatah won the popular vote in the recent elections but Hamas went ahead in seats due to Fatah fragmentation. There's hope yet.

Weather in israel

Yes, it is in Israel today.

Smoking banned in UK

MPs have just voted by a huge margin on a free vote for a total smoking ban in England, so soon there will be no smoking in public places throughout the UK full stop. No doubt many clubs, pubs, restaurants and caffs will ban smoking well before the law comes into effect.

The government bailed out of this one a few weeks back, having overwhelmingly being wrong-footed strategically and tactically. We were in danger of ending up in the ludicrous position of a full smoking ban in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales with a very unsatisfactory English-style compromise in England more suited to a comedy show: some smoking would have been banned in some pubs where what is served is not considered food after the hours of darkness in a built up area where laaaayyyddddeeeeesss are present…and so forth.

Interesting how common sense prevails when the whips disappear…

Omri Sharon gets nine months in prison for campaign funding violations

But not just yet in due to the condition of his Father. The last time I counted there were six Likudniks or ex Likudniks facing jail time ranging from bribery to drug smuggling. And they still have supporters. There's nowt so queer as folk.

ID cards in two years as rebellion fails

So the UK will have biometric ID cards at some point. I shall renew my passport next year and hope to avoid it.

Life in Israel

As a Brit I quite often get flak from Israelis when things happen in the UK. The recent call for an architect's boycott landed on me even though I think it's a storm in a teacup. The release and reporting of a paper by the Oxford Research Group claiming that a pre emptive attack on Iran would be undesireable.

A US military attack on Iranian nuclear infrastructure would be the start of a protracted military confrontation that would probably involve Iraq, Israel and Lebanon as well as the United States and Iran, with the possibility of west Gulf states being involved as well. An attack by Israel, although initially on a smaller scale, would almost certainly escalate to involve the United States, and would also mark the start of a protracted conflict.
Although an attack by either state could seriously damage Iran’s nuclear development potential, numerous responses would be possible making a protracted and highly unstable conflict virtually certain. Moreover, Iran would be expected to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty and engage in a nuclear weapons programme as rapidly as possible. This would lead to further military action against
Iran, establishing a highly dangerous cycle of violence.

So, 2006 looks to change from interesting to fully scary. Any military action will have to happen before Iran's first major reactor is fuelled. I shall prepare for this as best as I can.

Wikipedia grows up

Pity the naïve geeky idealists behind wikipedia. Their touching but as yet unachievable self-governing information utopia has been under sustained attack recently by sophisticated media manipulators, extremists and practical jokers who have been busy adding their own versions of objective reality, hate rants or satire to entries as diverse as US politicians and human rights leaders, scientific theories and philosophical beliefs.

The obvious solution is wikipedia will have to evolve from being a giant open-to-all-and-sundry anarchist wiki to become a proper grown-up information publishing operation complete with fact-checking editors, vetted contributors and even - shock - peer review for academic-level material.

Otherwise wikipedia’s credibility will continue to decline especially in those areas vulnerable to spin (which is nearly everything once you think about it). On the other hand it could be left completely open to develop further into a popular internet game played by millions…

Community fringe

So only about 6000 (out of over 1,000,000 total) British muslims turned up for the ‘we are civilised not barbarians’ demo in Trafalgar Square yesterday. It was a peaceful carefully stage-managed event with participants only allowed to hold pre-approved legal non-inciting placards.

Fine. Now go back to your communities and sort out the over 994,000 of your cohorts. Key priority: deal with the results of a new survey of British muslims in which:

• More than one third (37%) say Anglo-Jewry is “a legitimate target as part of the struggle for justice in the middle east”.
  
  
• More than half (57%) back a Muslim boycott of Holocaust Memorial Day, and say they believe British Jews exert too much influence over foreign policy.
  
  
• Nearly half (46%) say that “the Jewish community in Britain is in league with the freemasons to control the media and politics”.
  
  
• More than 25% of 18-24 year olds agree with the views of Abu Hamza, recently convicted of incitement to murder and fomenting terrorist acts.

Conservative from the U.S. heartland is a maverick

I first read this article in the dead tree IHT I get every morning together with the English edition of Ha'Aretz. In spite of 24/7 broadband internet, I still enjoy the newspaper.

In this article, a Republican Senator appears who I never heard of before. Chuck Hagel was questioning the Iraq war six months before the attack started.

What sounded then to the venture's true believers like the scolding of a Cassandra sounds fairly obvious three and a half years later, which is to say that Hagel's words can reasonably be read as prescient: 'How many of us really know and understand Iraq, its country, history, people and role in the Arab world? . . . The American people must be told of the long-term commitment, risk and cost of this undertaking. We should not be seduced by the expectations of dancing in the streets.'

As a Vietnam veteran with two purple hearts, nobody could possibly call him a 'bleeding heart liberal' which , by the way, is what Kennedy , a supposed Democrat used to call people who questioned his policies. No doubt , if he did try to run for President he would be 'Swifted'. He strikes me as a thoughtful person and as a Republican not afraid to question.

This party that sometimes I don't recognize anymore has presided over the largest growth of government in the history of this country and maybe even the history of man.

A man to watch.
As an aside, sometimes I get very tired of how easily the Muslim world blames the Jews for all that is evil. I'd forgotten that for a typical Iranian, the British fill that role.

Global warming: passing the 'tipping point'

No good news here. The CO2 equivalent concentration has probably passed the 400 mark which indictes that the change is unstoppable.

Some scientists have been reluctant to talk about the overall global warming effect of all the greenhouses gases taken together, because there is another consideration - the fact that the "aerosol", or band of dust in the atmosphere from industrial pollution, actually reduces the warming.

As Professor Shine stresses, there is enormous uncertainty about the degree to which this is happening, so making calculation of the overall warming effect problematic. However, as James Lovelock points out - and Professor Shine and other scientists accept - in the event of an industrial downturn, the aerosol could fall out of the atmosphere in a matter of weeks, and then the effect of all the greenhouse gases taken together would suddenly be fully felt.

Check your elevation everyone.

Rightist indicted over Nazi slur

Well. Talk about freedom of the press. Here we have Nadia Matar of the Women in Green movement getting charged for insulting a public official, after comparing Disengagement Authority Chief Yonatan Bassi to Jewish collaborators with the Nazis. She also said that:

...sold their souls to the devil and became the successors of the Nazis, the Arab terrorists, and PLO, Hamas, and Jihad activists."

Wow. I wish people would stop using the Nazis as a comparison point.

Why depict Israel as a chamber of horrors like no other in the world?

A superb article in the Guardian by Benjamin Pogrund who lived in South Africa and worked there as a journalist.

Yes, racism does exist in Israel - directed against Arabs, and also among Jews. Amir Peretz, new leader of the Labour party, is said to be having problems with western-born Ashkenazi voters because he is Moroccan-born and Sephardic. An explanation offered for the police violence in clearing the Amona outpost last week was the antagonism between the protesting young people, who were mainly religious Ashkenazi, and the police, who were a mixture of Moroccan and Russian immigrant stock, Bedouin and Druze.

He goes on.

I am also puzzled by the health ministry figures that McGreal has chosen to use about state spending on development of health facilities in Arab areas (the clear implication being that Arabs are starved of health care). Contrary to the picture painted, health is a visible indicator of the differences between apartheid South Africa and Israel. In South Africa, the infant mortality rate (IMR) in 1985 was 78 per 1,000 live births. Among colour groups: whites 12, Asians 20, coloureds 60, blacks 94 to 150. In Israel, in the 1950s, the IMR among Muslims was 60.6 and among Jews 38.8. Major improvements occurred in health care during the 1990s and by 2001 the IMR among Arabs was 7.6 (Muslims 8.2, Christians 2.6, Druze 4.7). Among Jews, 4.1. According to the health ministry, the higher Muslim figure was due mainly to genetic defects as a result of marriages between close relatives; poverty is also a factor. Other countries in 2000: Switzerland, 8.2, and 12.3 for Turks living there; United States, whites 8.5, blacks 21.3.

It is better to be an Israeli Arab than a black South African as far as infant mortality is concerned. Go read the whole article and the two part article that sparked it off.

Another Israeli blogger

Say hello to 'Little Miss Graham' who joins our blogroll today.

Civilisation vs barbarism

I keep hearing that this latest turn of events is or will herald a “clash of civilisations”. It is no such thing. It is a life-and-death struggle between civilisation and barbarism. Marauding hordes of hateful fanatical jihadists (regardless of religion) have, directly or used by the powers that be, been responsible for bringing down more than one advanced civilisation in the past and could well do so again. Seeing those mobs on London’s streets baying for blood and inciting murder did seem to help to bring the point home.

Police face criticism over Hamza

So Abu Hamza al-Masri in the UK gets seven years for hate crimes. A little on the late side though and now after a spell in an English maximum security prison he faces 'death by a thousand lawyers' in the USA when he's let out. I note with some amusement that apart from the normal Islamic list of enemies he added homosexual vicars, the royal family ,women in bikinis and the Teletubbies.

Ok, I made that last bit up.

Losing it...

The world is in a bit of a spat right now. Muslims around the world protest against the Danish cartoons, Egyptians smash up the local ferry company offices and here, on top of the odd Quassam rocket, Hezbollah jumping on IDF outposts we have a very, very violent clash between settlers and police. Australia has closed diplomatic missions in the West Bank and Gaza while Iran plans a 'Laugh at the Holocaust conference.'

Last week the Iranian Foreign Ministry invited Tony Blair to Tehran to take part in a planned conference on the Holocaust. Mr Blair said that such a conference was "shocking, ridiculous, stupid". The Prime Minister responded by inviting Mr Ahmadinejad to witness the evidence of the Holocaust in the countries of Europe.

I suppose I could violently protest outside the Iranian Embassy here and see if I could burn it down. I wonder where it is? Oh, look they don;t have one here. What a shame.

Waiting room of Covent Garden tube station to close

Conveniently situated just metres from the station, the Books etc shop was ideal for browsing whilst waiting for friends to emerge from Covent Garden tube station. Now it is to be closed by its US owners Borders. The next closest decent bookshops - Foyles and…Borders on Charing Cross Road are the waiting rooms for Tottenham Court Road tube station…

Q& A: Tzipi Livni, Israeli Foreign Minister

She's one of the reasons I considering voting for Kadima. Thoughtful, prepared to compromise, ready to step down to let Peres take the Number 2 slot (or he'd fall on the floor and bite the carpet) , she's an asset to the Party.

On the other hand we have Tzahi Hanegbi , an apparent crook and loud mouth, about to indicted for fraud who is also a prospective Kadima candidate. He's a good reason why I'm considering not voting for Kadima.

Not a Fish

Imshin at Not a Fish gets very hot under the collar about the recent riots in Amona. I saw some video on the net and it didn't look too bad to me but my comparision is with the Briston riots or the Derry boys having a go or my local football club when they lose. I am assured that this is the worst violence between Israel since 1948 so count yourself lucky.

You can't keep Israelis away from a normal life

Thousands of Israelis visited the Mount Hermon ski resort in northern Israel Saturday, one day after Hizbullah fired at IDF outposts on Israel's northern border. Of course, what else should we do? Stay at home for the rest of our lives? As for Hamas, I'm saying nothing until I see what they do. There is little profit in listening to empty words.

Night out

The Eggheads and friends went to see an Irish drumming group in the sin ridden city of Tel Aviv. An excellent band combining the two drumming traditions of Ireland with uilleann , bodhrán ,flute, guitar and various other instruments. It's the first time I have ever heard a Lambeg and I can confirm that it is the loudest drum played today. How the drummer picked the thing up and walked around with it is a mystery. It weighs 80 Kilos. The band is doing it's own bit to help improve life in the 'troubled' region.

Political cartoons or the Satanic Viruses

I’m just in the process of working this one through.

It’s ok to kill, kill and kill in the name of your god. It’s ok to blow people up whilst blowing yourself up, behead people with a sword or axe, in the name of your god. It’s ok to video yourself, for worldwide broadcast, talking about how you are doing this for your god. It’s ok to broadcast beheadings. It’s ok to spew hatred against others in violent street demonstrations. It’s ok to call for the destruction of a sovereign state in the name of your god. It’s ok to publish hateful words and cartoons in your media.

However.

It’s not ok to publish a cartoon of what you think may be an image of this god?

IDF stops securing Yitzhar after settlers attack soldiers multiple times

I have wondered a lot how so many 'illegal settlements' seem to manage to get hooked up to mains electricity, sewage and water witout anyone noticing. When I pose this question there are many answers which generally seem to say ' The left hand doesn't know the right'. A good Talmud expression when it comes to charity, it epitomises the state of Israel today. The soldiers that protect you today can turn around and make you move. If I ask, what is the difference between the Hilltop Youth and the early Zionists , people seem to mumble a lot, stare the their feet and say 'It's diffent now'. Please explain, especially Dave. Dave, if you're out there. I miss you.

Life In Israel -

I'm glad we don't have television. Just seeing pictures and reading the news reports is bad enough. Evacuating Amona was a difficult job for the police. The thought of years more of this is not cheering. Ha'Aretz notes:

The stunned settlers were subjected for the first time yesterday to the "Bil'in rules" the treatment the Palestinians have received from the IDF and police for the past 40 years.

I take no pleasure from this.

Labour government loses another crucial vote in the Commons

It’s one thing to be a government that starts losing crucial votes in the Commons. It’s quite another to not know privately that you are going to lose (whatever your public stance is prior to the vote).

The government in a misguided attempt to kowtow to muslims tried to pass a bill against incitement to religious hatred. Instead of moderninsing the legislation this would have been a clear step backward to the days of censorship. The government’s stated policy on this bill - to protect the believer not the belief - makes no sense. Why legislate against hatred of a religion when religion is about belief? Any cretin could claim their religion (an existing religion, a cult or anything made up), say, commands them to kill other people whose views they do not share. Under that bill if you pointed out that this is not an appropriate, civilised view, you could be prosecuted!

So now we have a law on the statute book which is virtually unusable. Thanks to the clever amendments the burden of proof is extremely high. Hopefully Sickbal and company will now go away and focus on taking responsibility for modernising their own communities, condemning violence and learning to participate in national events such as Holocaust Memorial Day (enthusiastically embraced by all other minority groups who get the point but boycotted by British muslims).

Re the existing race hatred laws, I’ve never been comfortable that the Jewish people were put in the “race” pigeonhole. I know Jews who look “pale European” (including converts), “black African”, “brown African”, “middle-Eastern” and “Indian”.

It would be much better reflection on 21st century realities if all existing discrimination and hate legislation be repealed and replaced by simple commandment-type laws: thou shall not hate and thou shall not discriminate.
That would clearly separate informed debate and freedom of expression from unacceptable expression and behaviour. Wouldn't it?

Majalli Wahabi

Majalli Wahabi, a Druze from Beit Jan is number 18 in the Kadima list. Rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and has served in a number of posts in government. Shimon Peres gets the number 2 slot... sigh.... with Tzipora number three. I'm very pleased with Tzipi, she's a good bloke even if she's a bit right of centre. Shaul Mofaz was very lucky to get number 8. If there were primaries he would be around number 121.

Enron Saga continues

For those who are interested in the rise and fall of Enron, may I recommend a blog? Ken Lay has a web site as well.