News – Palestine in Flux

Israel/Palestine

Interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas had a close brush with death Sunday when gunmen had a shootout with his bodyguards. I do think it underscores the need Palestine now has for aid to guide them through upcoming elections and toward stability that can lead to peace.

Bush has vowed to push for a Palestinian state in this term, but he said something like that before and his effort was, in my opinion, lackluster. Some share my uncertainty about Bush’s determination. Hopefully he’ll have more constitution in pushing this round. This will be the one that counts, I think.

An exclusive interview with Mordechai Vanunu, before he was placed under house arrest just recently.

Iraq

The deadline is passed for the believed end of the Falluja operation. Fighting persists, enough to require further bombing by warplanes and artillery. The US says it has control of the city, but I don’t think scattered pockets of resistance require even more artillery. But then, that’s just me I suppose. With, as reported, large portions of the city in ruins due to the US assault, one wonders just how the people of Falluja will view this event.

Consider. An aid convoy from the Red Crescent was turned away because US forces don’t think any civilians are trapped in the city? Unlikely.

Some residents still inside the city, contacted by Reuters yesterday, said their children were suffering from diarrhoea and had not eaten for days.

Asked what he would do about the families and other non-combatants in the city, Col Shupp said: “I haven’t heard that myself and the Iraqi soldiers didn’t tell me about that. We want to help them as much as we can. We are on the radio telling them how to come out and how to come up to coalition forces.”

And for those who don’t trust US forces? Hmmm.

As the militants in Falluja continue to fight, so to do the clashes in the rest of Iraq continue as well.

Bush uses his weekly radio address to purport a view that is hard to disprove, that while US and Iraqi forces are making progress, violence is likely to increase as elections draw near. That way, no matter the reason why an increase of violence comes, it won’t hurt him as much since it will be associated in the minds of many Americans to be ‘those desperate terrorists’. Thereby making bad into good. Sadly, he has some cunning speechwriters and the like.

Iraq’s deputy PM is hinting that elections might be delayed, which would be news since last I heard, Allawi was focused on meeting the deadline, no matter what.

NATO’s commanders are expressing concern as ten member states are refusing to send troops to Iraq, uncertain at the cohesion of the alliance over divisions with regard to the Iraq situation. I can understand the feelings of those who don’t want to send troops. They didn’t agree to start this effort in Iraq, but the US went off and started it anyway. Now they’re clamoring for aid and deriding anyone who won’t pony up. Last I heard, people don’t like being badgered into helping with the problems someone else gets themselves into. I look at it in the basic context of the terrorist kidnappers. If they give the US aid now, after their initiation of this conflict, then you just encourage them to do it again, knowing that they can start up some shit, then later pressure others into joining in by deriding them. Though that’s where the comparison ends.

Must Iraq break up to stay together? All I know is that it’s unlikely the Kurds will want to be rolled into a unified Iraq after they fought so much to remain autonomous. The Sunni and Shai could work together, but the Kurds won’t fit unless they get enough autonomy.

Iran

In a deal struck with European nations, Iran will cease its uranium enrichment on November 22nd. The UN still has no proof of Iran working on the bomb. Just judicious caution.

Afghanistan

Seems the kidnappers of UN workers still haven’t killed their hostages and now the Afghan government is considering paying ransom for them.

Korea

The influential International Crisis Group has put out a report in North Korea, stating the Bush administration needs to put more in the table when it comes to getting North Korea to give up nuke weapons. And that what is needed has likely risen in scope since the administration started.

Africa

The conflicts in Sudan aren’t just in the area of Darfur. More than anything else, conflict loves to spread.

US

So now Bush looks to fight on one of the first issues he’ll deal with this term. Immigration reform. I suppose it will be interesting to see if he can get what he wants passed, considering the legislation is views as anti-hispanic and anti-immigration by some.

A new study of car seats asserts that while US automakers are focusing nicely on the outside needs for safety, they’re not putting in seats that can protect passengers from whiplash.

Merck is likely in for a load of trouble in the future. Evidence has come out that they knew Vioxx was unsafe by 2000. There was an unpublished clinical trial from 1998 that showed patients who took the drug were six times more likely to have serious cardiovascular events — including heart attacks and strokes — than patients who took another arthritis drug or placebo. They may well be sued out of existence for that mistake.

Self destructing DVD s aren’t catching on, no matter what their proponents try. That’s a damn good thing. I won’t even spend $5 on a DVD that might last anywhere from 1 to 60 hours. I buy DVDs for life. And consider the waste if they caught on? Landfills would he filling up with scads of disposable DVDs, with people constantly buying them.

Forget the ones you assume, James Dobson seems to be the new ‘kingmaker’ for the religious right.

General

After being dropped by Reprise Records in 2001 over creative differences, Chicago based band Wilco made a bold move. They took their album, Yankee Foxtrot Hotel and streamed it online for free. Their subsequent release of the album was hogher than any prior album they released. Sort of punches a hole in the argument that giving a little for free online is a business killer, as the msuci industry seems to think.

We’ve got a Leonid meteor shower coming up, a modest peak expected around November 16-19. If you’re interested, get ready to take a peak.

Explainer details the differnce between flack jackets and bulletproof vests.

Life is rought for Arab/Muslims houshalds that have a dog. But there are definite advantages.

Today’s Papers has Arlen Specter still under heavy assault for his comments on Bush and Supreme Court nominees, musing over the number of wounded coming out of Iraq recently, Mosul becoming a new focus of conflict, with reports that Zarqawi may have relocated there and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Congressman mounting campaign to change Interstate 69 to a more moral number

Jimmy Buffett’s latest album has been slammed by a conservative Christian group because there’s not enough Jesus in it

Lawyer sues the producers of “Law & Order” for $15 million dollars, claiming they defamed him by portraying him as a crooked attorney

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop other Fark Easter Eggs in games

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this unemployment infographic

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this airplane interior