News – Post Vacation News

Yup, I was on vacation. Yup, I forgot to mention it and was too lazy to post about it during the trip. But I’m back now. So lets get down to business here.

Middle East

Yes, I have been, even while on vacation, observing reporting on the current disorder in Lebanon. I’ve heard Israel’s statements, Hiz’s actions and the response of the world, from various angles. All it continues to add up to is another disaster in the making with no one doing what is needed to stop it. I feel for the Lebanese. I’m sure most of them want to get rid of Hizbollah, but given the nature of their armed forces, don’t have the ability to force the issue. Of course, if they had the sort of help Iraq is getting, well, maybe then.. but the US took a hands off approach when it came to aiding the fledgling democracy, while demanding of them things that were simpler said than done. Here you have the result.

I don’t agree, however, that Lebanon will turn into an Iraq sort of situation. More likely Lebanon will come to resemble Gaza, only on a larger scale, if the conflict goes on too long.

Here is an interesting take on things that I’m currently musing. For the most part, the writer is pretty on target. If Israel doesn’t attack, Hizbollah will still be a problem. The problem is, when Israel does attack, not only does it raise Hizbollah’s prestige, it also ensures a fresh flood of recruits to undo any damage Israel does. As well, when Israel attacks, Israel’s standing goes down.

What I think Israel should be doing, should have been doing for years, is reaching past the militants to try and forge ties with governments like those in Lebanon, UAE and other Arab nations that are more on the right track. Working with them, rather than unilaterally trying to end things themselves. With Lebanon’s assistance, there would be a better chance of taking care of Hizbollah. But, as it stands now, Hizbollah will weather this storm, then reap the bonuses that are inherent in military action by Israel.

Sadly, Israel seems to think they are all on their own in this. Personally, I think they are by their own choice alone. Yes, previous diplomacy with Arafat was bad, but Arafat was an idiot. As far as I’ve seen, Israel hasn’t sought to extend any cordiality to the new administration in Lebanon since Syria got kicked out. That was their mistake, to have not even tried. Especially with Hizbollah lingering there.

There has to be a better way. And there have to be people willing to do the hard thing and seek it out. People willing to look at and understand the true nature of those who fight and why, rather than taking the easy path of painting ‘them’ with the broad brush of ‘evil’. Someone who will do the hard things, rather than the relative ease of military action first, questions later. No, I don’t think the ‘War on Terror’ is the hard way. It has been the easy way that is destined to fail. Easy solutions rarely solve hard problems.

Lebanon’s opposition to a resolution put forth by the US and France to end regional fighting leads to a further delay. Lebanon wants the resolution to get Israeli troops out of the country. Not surprising considering the damage that Israel is doing to the country’s infrastructure. Bush likes it, though. Mind you, Hizbollah has to actually adhere to it for it to work. Will they? Who can say.

Condi notes that a UN resolution won’t stop all of the fighting.

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Well hot damn, call the press. Condi is stating the bleeding obvious again! Oh wait, she did.. The only thing that will stop the fighting is peace. The only thing that will bring peace is diplomacy. As it stands, no one currently in charge has the diplomatic savvy required to pull that off. Thus there will, for the time being, constantly be fighting in the region.

More disturbing testimony in the case of four US soldiers charged with murder of an Iraqi family and rape of an Iraqi girl. These details gleaned from an interview with Specialist James Barker, one of the accused.

The military hopes the fresh show of US might in Baghdad will bolster Iraqi security operations, deter the death squads, and reassure frightened citizens that a semblance of normal life is possible. Unlikely.

Looks like the deaths squads in Iraq are homing in on gays now. Of course, that has lead to many Iraqi homosexuals looking to get out of the country.

Trophy videos from Iraq are the latest thing the Pentagon has to fear. Some are quite harmless, but others can be disturbing.

Africa

Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf has dissolved the country’s cabinet, calling it bloated and accusing it of having not delivered during its two year tenure.

Europe

US sanctions on two Russian arms exporters is the latest threat to US/Russian relations. They were two of seven firms sanctioned by the US for selling restricted items to Iran.

North America

Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel thinks it irresponsible to send more troops to Baghdad, showing no faith such a move would deter sectarian violence. After all, what are they going to do? Pick a side? That would be worse than doing nothing. US forces won’t curb the sectarian violence, only Iraq can cure this little illness.

In an amusing note, Cindy Sheehan has purchased some land nearby Bush’s Crawford ranch. Of course, she had to buy it from someone through a third party, because you can be sure the locals wouldn’t have wanted to escalate the drama already playing out in their little burg.

As should be expected, <A HREF="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-08-06T134719Z_01_N04465611_RTRUKOC_0_US-RIGHTS-MILITARY-GAYS.xml&archived=False”>there is some hostility within the military against gays who seek to serve their country. Some of this seems to be the fault of leadership who tolerate or even encourage this sort of conduct. Personally, I see such a thing as inexcusable in a professional force such as our military.

General

A German computer security consultant shows he can clone the electronic passports that the US and other countries are set to start using. Before it’s out, the tech has already been shown to be less than optimally secure. “The whole passport design is totally brain damaged,” Grunwald says. “From my point of view all of these RFID passports are a huge waste of money. They’re not increasing security at all.” And I’d even be willing to bet money that the US won’t try to address this concern either. Why? Cause they don’t really care about real security. One of the biggest problems is that the data on the passports is not even encrypted. Why? Because it would take a lot of infrastructure to back that up, it seems. In other words, it’s toooooo haaaard. Pathetic.

Grunwald says it took him only two weeks to figure out how to clone the passport chip. Most of that time he spent reading the standards for e-passports that are posted on a website for the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations body that developed the standard. He tested the attack on a new European Union German passport, but the method would work on any country’s e-passport, since all of them will be adhering to the same ICAO standard.

We need to go slowly into the realm of electronic passports with proven, secure technology. Not rush in half assed because our leaders aren’t patient enough to build the needed infrastructure to support secure electronic passports.

Explainer lets you know how to boycott Mel Gibson. He also explains how heat kills you. Very interesting and informative. Keep cool, the summer days are set to start winding down.

The Blogs look at the Bush administration’s proposed military tribunal system, yet another death knell for conservatism and a new study that proves the way to a man’s heart is indeed through his stomach.

Slate’s Fray debates the usefulness of economic sanctions.

Air conditioning a nightmare?

Today’s Papers has news that the Afghani secular government, under pressure from Islamist groups, is looking to repress its citizens’ access to “imported vices”, such as alcohol, or fun, a story examining Congress’ inadequacies in understanding and legislating high-tech issues, Al-Manar, Hezbollah’s underground broadcast news network, which, despite blatant propagandizing and a tendency to program numerous “videos set to martial music,” has scooped other media outlets on at least two key stories during the war and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Mark Fiore: Smarty Bombsalot

15-year-old cowgirl has been roping goats since she was six years old

India considers only allowing women to preside over rape trials. Lawyer: “Only a woman can understand a woman”

Sure, you can buy a flux capacitor for your car, but who the hell sells a car battery that can produce 1.21 jigawatts?

The ten “most harmful books” of the 19th and 20th century

The great black hill duck race

Hilarious advertisements from the 1950s

Sesame Street to introduce first female lead Muppet who will be “likeable” and talk about “differences” without being type-cast as the predictable “girly-girl”

A man has managed to be banned from every bar in his town, even the ones he hasn’t ever been in. That must have been one hell of a fart

DNA sampling reveals restaurant fish is a lot of things, but it’s usually not what the menu says

Traffic warden caught putting false ticket on his own car so he could park illegally

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this Idol

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this bearded turban-wearing guy

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these inflatable eggs