ISRAEL - IRAN - SYRIA - HAMAS - HEZBOLLAH - WWWIII?

Do you think maybe the world doesn't give a tinker's damn about the Middle East unless the U.S. or Israel is involved? A few Palestinians are killed by the IDF and it is front page news along with condemnation of Israel's crimes. But when Hamas or Fatah are killing each other and women and children get caught in the crossfire, the world yawns.

Israel is getting what I am sure is an appreciated reprieve from the volence while Hamas and Fatah have duked it out with each other for some days now.

Where's Jimmy Carter rushing to the front to broker a cease fire in this?

7 killed in Gaza infighting

Senior security officer, two of his subordinates and a bystander killed after shell fired at officer's house in northern Strip. Earlier Thursday two other people killed. Prime Minister Haniyeh arrives in Gaza, calls on factions to resolve conflict through dialogue

Ali Waked Latest Update: 01.04.07, 22:35

Tensions continue to run high between Fatah and Hamas: A senior Palestinian Preventive Security Service officer, Mohammed Ghayeb, was killed Thursday evening along after Hamas gunmen fired an RPG at his house in northern Gaza.

Two of Ghayeb's subordinates were also killed in the attack, as well as a bystander. The officer's wife was critically injured, and several other people were wounded as well.

Ghayeb was on the phone to Palestine TV just moments before his death and appealed for help as his house came under attack. ''They are killers,'' he said of the Hamas gunmen. ''They are targeting the house, children are dying, they are bleeding. For God's sake, send an ambulance, we want an ambulance, somebody move.''

Riots in Gaza (Photo: AP)

Amongst Fatah ranks there is much outrage over the siege which has had a devastating affect, especially due to the fact that Hamas groups prevented anyone who wasn't loyal to the organization to approach the area.

Hamas says however that they were forced to raid Ghayeb's house after he and the other gunmen on the premises refused to surrender several gunmen who had taken refuge in the house and opened fire at Hamas security forces earlier in the day, killing one.

Hamas denied the firing of shells towards the house, saying however that they were forced to raid the house and use force as those fortified inside were endangering their men and refused to turn themselves in.

Haniyeh: Massacre must stop

Earlier Palestinian sources reported that Ayman al-Subuh, 26, a member of Hamas' special security apparatus, was killed in a fire exchange between Hamas and Fatah in Jabalya. Three other Hamas members were injured, one of them seriously.

Wednesday's Clashes

Gaza infighting: 5 killed, 10 kidnapped / Ali Waked

Clashes between Hamas, Fatah result in abductions from both sides, including nephews of top PA security officer. Four Fatah loyalists, woman killed in gunbattles

Another Palestinian was killed in the gun battles in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian sources. According to the report, the fatality was a civilian who was caught in the crossfire.

Eye witnesses also reported that Hamas gunmen fired an RPG shell at the house of senior Fatah official, Sufian Abu-Zaida early Thursday evening. No injuries were reported.

Earlier, six people were injured by shots fired Thursday afternoon during the funeral of three Fatah officers who were killed Wednesday in a confrontation with Hamas in Khan Younis.

The six were apparently injured by shots that were fired into the air during the funeral. However, Fatah officials are claiming that Hamas members of the special security force of the Palestinian Authority shot at the people.

Fatah also accused Hamas of assassinating the three officers Wednesday. Hamas denied the allegations, saying that their organization has no connection to any of the events.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Thursday upon arriving in Gaza that everything must be done in order to calm the situation.

"Theses confrontations must stop, this massacre must come to an end. Let's love one another, let's resolve the conflict through dialogue, not weapons. The weapons must be pointed only at the Israeli occupation," he said.

Trading accusations

Fatah claimed that Hamas members also fired at mourners at a different funeral in Dir al-Balah, where one of the casualties of Wednesday fire exchange was buried. Sources in Fatah said that their organization will not accept the truce between Hamas and Fatah drawn up by a number of the Palestinian organizations.

According to them, Hamas' recent alleged behavior is testimony to the fact that dialogue with Hamas is not possible.

Fatah accused Hamas of not taking part in the upper committee of the Palestinian organizations because of intentions to investigate the recent incendiary events. Fatah claims that such behavior proves Hamas is interested in escalating violence.

Fatah's Gaza Strip Spokesman Maher Makdad expressed his amazement at Hamas' behavior, and said, "It is interesting how the Hamas members managed to preserve the life of Gilad Shalit for six months, but didn't managing to maintain the security of the officers they kidnapped and executed Wednesday."

Within the Palestinian Authority, there is concern that tensions between Fatah and Hamas will spill over into the West Bank.

A Hamas official, the director-general for prisoner affairs, was released by Fatah in Ramallah Thursday morning. The gunmen released the man, but warned that continuing to target Fatah members in the Gaza Strip will lead to more kidnappings and targeting Hamas officials in the West Bank.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is slated to meet Thursday evening with representatives of the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip in order to contain the situation there. However, at this stage, no meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh is scheduled.
SOURCE

Although Israel denies the report from today's Sunday Times, tomorrows paper will be full of it - here from today's/tomorrow's The Australian ("World News", page 9)



Original Sunday Times report: Israel plans nuclear strike

Jerusalem Post: Tehran: Israel will regret any attack

USA today: Israel rejects report it may attack Iran's nuclear program with nuclear weapons

I hope its an ugly rumor.

I hope so as well, but when you read the various comments now ...

Mr Blair has been trying to help for a long time

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugly_Rumours_(band)

The most direct and least life destroying method for Israel to defend itself against Iran, is for Israel to blow up the nuclear capabability that Iran threatens to evolve to destroy Israel.

Also the most effective. And I can imagine that Israel has seriously considered it as a possible necessity. I can't imagine that they have seriously considered using nuclear weapons to do so as it would not be necessary and would be so socially unacceptable. Whatever somebody thinks about Israel, nobody suggests the Israelis are either crazy or stupid.

Make anyone fearful enough and you will make them both crazy and stupid. The Iranians and Hezbollah have much to fear from a fearful Israel.

Meanwhile as Carter ignored the children being killed in the skirmish between Fatah and Hamas, he continues to promote his book by apparently preaching mostly to the choir. All within his ranks are not happy campers about it however.

14 Carter Center advisers resign in protest over book
The Associated Press - ATLANTA

Fourteen members of an advisory board to Jimmy Carter's human rights organization resigned on Thursday to protest his new book, which criticizes Israeli policy in the Palestinian territories.

The resignations from The Carter Center board are the latest backlash against the former president's book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," which has drawn fire from Jewish groups, been attacked by fellow Democrats and led to the resignation last month of Kenneth Stein, a center fellow and a longtime Carter adviser.

"You have clearly abandoned your historic role of broker in favor of becoming an advocate for one side," the departing members of the Center's Board of Councilors told Carter in their letter of resignation.

The 200-member board is responsible for building public support for the Carter Center. It is not the organization's governing board.

The board's members "are not engaged in implementing work of the Center," Carter Center Executive Director John Hardman said Thursday in a news release.

Deanna Congileo, a spokeswoman for Carter and the center, issued Hardman's statement in response to The Associated Press' request for comment from Carter.

The book follows the Israeli-Palestinian peace process starting with Carter's 1977-1980 presidency and the peace accord he negotiated between Israel and Egypt. It doles out blame to Israel, the Palestinians, the United States and others, but it is most critical of Israeli policy.

Steve Berman, an Atlanta real estate developer among those who resigned, said members have "watched with great dismay" as Carter defended the book, especially as he implied that Americans might be afraid to discuss the conflict in fear of a powerful Jewish lobby.

Berman said the religious affiliation of the resigning members, which include some prominent Jewish leaders in the Atlanta area, didn't influence their decision.

The resignations came a day after Congileo and officials at Brandeis University said Carter will discuss the book at the Waltham, Mass., campus. The Nobel Peace Prize winner will not, however, debate the book with outspoken Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, as Brandeis originally proposed.
SOURCE

Monday New York Times: US opens front against Iran

RAW STORY
Published: Sunday January 14, 2007

In an article slated to run in Monday's New York Times reporter David Sanger it is revealed that during the past three weeks President Bush has issued orders opening a third front in the war to capture al-Qaida Iraqi insurgents, this one in Iraq.

DEVELOPING...

What were the first two fronts?

'Now Peretz and Olmert must go'
By SHEERA CLAIRE FRENKEL AND RUH EGLASH

Whether in anticipation or in fear, the words "domino effect" were on the lips of MKs Wednesday as they discussed the resignation of IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz.

There have been repeated calls for Halutz, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz to resign since last summer's war with Hizbullah. On Wednesday, many lawmakers said responsibility for the war's failures should be equally placed on all three leaders.

MK Zehava Gal-On, chairwoman of the Meretz faction, said "the political echelon" also bore responsibility for a war that she said had been wrong from the start.

While she welcomed Halutz's resignation, she added, "The political echelon, who accepted the irresponsible decision to go to war, must also go home."

On the opposite end of the political spectrum, MK Gideon Sa'ar (Likud) also called for others to follow Halutz's lead. "It doesn't make sense for the chief of General Staff to carry all the blame, while his supervisors at the political level - those responsible for the failures of the war - escape responsibility and continue in their positions," he said.

MK Arye Eldad (NU-NRP) said it was a "shame that [Halutz] wasted four precious months needed to rehabilitate the IDF" before quitting. "Now, Peretz and Ehud Olmert have to go, because the entire country, and not just the IDF, needs to be purified."

According to
link

blueflame, That was an unjustified war, and the leaders should pay, but I wonder more about our leaders and our unjusitified war in Iraq.

cicerone, I see the two wars as being part of the larger PNAC blueprint for world domination.

another test post

Israel planes dump "suspicious green balloons" on southern Lebanon


dpa German Press Agency
Published: Saturday January 27, 2007


Beirut- Israeli planes violated Lebanese airspace Saturday
and dumped green balloons over the southern port city of Tyre,
Lebanese security sources said.
Lebanese troops cordoned off the area around the coast of Tyre and
prevented people from touching the "suspicious balloons" after
reports indicated that some people were poisoned when they did.

According to a hospital source in Nabatiyeh, similar green
balloons were dropped over the market-town of Nabatiyeh, 54
kilometres south of Beirut.

Five people suffering from nausea and dizziness were brought into
hospital after they touched the "suspicious green balloons," the
source said.

Israel violates Lebanese airspace on a daily basis despite the
fact that the attacks on Israel from southern Lebanon by the radical
Hezbollah movement have stopped after a beefed-up UN force along with
the Lebanese Army were deployed to the area in accordance with a UN
resolution.

Do you have a link for that Blueflame?

Haaretz

Israel National News

... plus about 30 online from media outside Israel

Well that's a very different account than the one Blueflame posted which I have only found repeated from what apparently originated on an anti-Israel pro-Islam site. I think it is highly suspicious that the Israelis dropped poisoned balloons on Lebanon.