"...the former Palestinian foreign minister Nabil Shaath says Mr Bush told him and Mahmoud Abbas, former prime minister and now Palestinian President: "I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan.' And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George go and end the tyranny in Iraq,' and I did."

The Independent

Ohh the old they are all terroristsssss!!!

Up to 90% of Hamas's work and resources are spent on social, welfare, cultural, and educational activities. In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Hamas has established hospitals, schools, and libraries, and provided other social services.

Tell me when Fatah or PLO or PA have committed the same amount of resources to actually helping the Palestinians insides of asking the EU and US for more money to line their pockets?

What answer you want? You want me to say Hamas murders all its political opponents? Sorry mate.

Following the Battle of Gaza in June of 2007, elected Hamas officials were ousted from their positions in the Palestinian National Authority government in the West Bank and replaced by rival Fatah members and independents in an action that many political experts considered illegal. Hamas retained control of Gaza. On 18 June 2007, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah) issued a decree outlawing the Hamas militia and executive force (for his pals the Israelis and America). Israel immediately thereafter imposed an economic blockade on Gaza, cutting power, food and other essential supplies for the people in Gaza.

from yt: DAM (دام) is the first Palestinian rap group. The group, based in Palestine was founded in 1998, and is made up of three Palestinian men: Tamer Nafar, his brother Suhell, and their friend Mahmoud Jr. The group's name is the Arabic word for "blood",(دم) but can also be an acronym for "Da Arabic MCs."

DAM sings primarily in Arabic, but also in English and Hebrew to widen their audience appeal.

The group's lyrics often deal with the frustration at the feeling of being second class citizens in Israel, as well as other issues familiar to hip-hop fans around the world, including drug-related violence.

This isn't warfare. This is annihilation.

Nearly 1,000 Gazans have been killed, 4,400 have been injured, and an estimated 90,000 have fled their homes since Israel's offensive on Gaza began on 27 December, according to Palestinian figures.

Thirteen Israelis have died, three of them civilians, Israel says.

It is impossible to independently confirm casualty figures as Israel has refused to allow international journalists to enter Gaza.

A UN watchdog has accused Israel of showing a "manifest disrespect" for the protection of children in Gaza.

More than 40% of those killed in Gaza were women or children, said the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, even though Israel had signed a UN protocol condemning attacks on places where children were likely to be present.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has accused Israel of trying to "wipe out" his people.

>> ^Retroboy:
... and here's Godwin.


Lol, so it's okay to use "the Holocaust" and accusations of anti-semitism to shout down criticism of Israel, but not okay to liken them to a regime who's actions they seem determined to emulate?

Typical double standard. It's not okay when the German's did it, it's okay when Israel does.


I think it's important to point out here that we don't know the circumstances behind this location's attack. Was the Israeli soldier who pushed the button operating on his own judgement, or was it ordered by an Israeli commander who knew the nature of that location? Was it fog of war, or a known free ticket to kill third-party children?


Does it matter? The US has been lobbing rockets around Iraq (oh gee lookit, a foreign country) for a good long time now, if an Iraqi bombed a US school you guys would lose your fucking minds no matter what the "extenuating" circumstances were...


Yes, I am absolutely in agreement that it shouldn't have happened. But the majority of the reaction seems to be pointing the finger at the entirety of Israel. Their military is invading Palestine, but was it considered acceptable to incur third-party casualties such as this in the process as part of collateral damage? If so, they should be vilified for it, but if they took as many precautions as possible to avoid things like this happening, the reaction should be less.


No, it's not, it's pointed at the leadership of Israel. I think a lot of Israeli's will be disgusted by their government's actions but they can't effect change. I think this will be a national shame for Israel for a long time to come.

As bad as it is, the situation in Palestine is NOTHING compared to what Jews suffered during World War 2. This is not even a tiny fraction of the systematic extermination of millions that occurred in that event. Israel might want to remove all of Palestine, but they're not acting on it in the same way the Germans did.


You live in a dream world...

Norwegian People's Aid
http://www.npaid.org/?module=Articles;action=Article.publicShow;ID=7118

We can say the situation is extremely difficult but this is not the case; actually no one in the world could imagine how the current situation is and the depression people here are living in; we are now very close to re-experience the living of primitives in the Stone Age.

Talking about living under strict siege and deprivation from electricity, water, cooking gas, fuel, flour etc., which are the main essential materials for surviving, is common and occupying minds of several households. Some people are short of water for several days continuously.

What are we going to use for food next few days after gas or flour runs out and bakeries are closed. Are we going to continue to mill the animal fodder and make bread ; why not as we are forced to do so!

Since 5th November till this day 1st December the number of truckloads were less than 150 for the whole period compared to average of 123 truckloads/day during October 2008. International Agencies and diplomatic missions were denied entering the Gaza Strip as well as media including our Country Director Kirsten Belck-Olsen.

Our office in Gaza, staff and partners are facing serious challenges to implement activities as initially planned and they are moving around to find source of power to accomplish them in a different locations and different time, and this is the case for all in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians people are paying very high price due to factors beyond their control, but their first choice is to be one entity to be able to obtain, defend and protect their rights.

Despite the internal political dispute among the Palestinian factions, Israeli occupation is the main reason for the suffering of Palestinians by preventing humanitarian aid and blocking all crossings sending Gazans to their certain destiny in a modern way.

Mahmoud Hamada
NPA-Palestine
Written by candle light

Young Abdel Mahdi (Shahmay) was only 18 years old,
He was the youngest of nine children, never spent a night away from home.
And his mother held his photograph, opening the New York Times
To see the killing has intensified along the road to peace

There was a tall, thin boy with a whispy moustache disguised as an orthodox Jew
On a crowded bus in Jerusalem, some had survived World War Two
And the thunderous explosion blew out windows 200 yards away
With more retribution and seventeen dead along the road to peace

Now at King George Ave and Jaffa Road passengers boarded bus 14a
In the aisle next to the driver Abdel Mahdi (Shahmay)
And the last thing that he said on earth is "God is great and God is good"
And he blew them all to kingdom come upon the road to peace

Now in response to this another kiss of death was visited upon
Yasser Taha, Israel says is an Hamas senior militant
And Israel sent four choppers in, flames engulfed, tears wide open
And it killed his wife and his three year old child leaving only blackened skeletons

It's found his toddlers bottle and a pair of small shoes and they waved them in front of the cameras
But Israel says they did not know that his wife and child were in the car
There are roadblocks everywhere and only suffering on TV
Neither side will ever give up their smallest right along the road to peace

Israel launched it's latest campaign against Hamas on Tuesday
Two days later Hamas shot back and killed five Israeli soldiers
So thousands dead and wounded on both sides most of them middle eastern civilians
They fill the children full of hate to fight an old man's war and die upon the road to peace

"And this is our land we will fight with all our force" say the Palastinians and the Jews
Each side will cut off the hand of anyone who tries to stop the resistance
If the right eye offends thee then you must pluck it out
And Mahmoud Abbas said Sharon had been lost out along the road to peace

Once Kissinger said "we have no friends, America only has interests"
Now our president wants to be seen as a hero and he's hungry for re-election
But Bush is reluctant to risk his future in the fear of his political failures
So he plays chess at his desk and poses for the press 10,000 miles from the road to peace

In the video that they found at the home of Abdel Mahdi (Shahmay)
He held a Kalashnikov rifle and he spoke with a voice like a boy
He was an excellent student, he studied so hard, it was as if he had a future
He told his mother that he had a test that day out along the road to peace

The fundamentalist killing on both sides is standing in the path of peace
But tell me why are we arming the Israeli army with guns and tanks and bullets?
And if God is great and God is good why can't he change the hearts of men?
Well maybe God himself is lost and needs help
Maybe God himself he needs all of our help
Maybe God himself is lost and needs help
He's out upon the road to peace

Well maybe God himself is lost and needs help
Maybe God himself he needs all of our help
And he's lost upon the road to peace
And he's lost upon the road to peace
Out upon the road to peace.

I love my pink background! I can never be too sad about Obama and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the same picture when they're framed in pink happiness...

"All in all not ideal conditions for any presidency."

If he had answered the terrorist attacks the correct way, by going full force against bin Laden and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, I think he could have avoided most of those less-than-ideal conditions. He would have told the world that we were against the individuals who attacked us, and not starting a War on Terror in general. The world knows we can't stop everybody we hate all at once. And history shows the catastrophy that a two-front war yields.

If we had not invaded Iraq on the premise of a War on Terror, we would not have created more instability in the region and in the world, so the global market would not have seized the way it did. Higher gas prices are a direct result of our invasion and occupation, and in our attitude toward people like Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

If we had not invaded and occupied Iraq, and decided to speak to people we dislike, maybe we'd have bin Laden in the Hague right now. Or in a coffin. And the Taliban would not be resurgent in Afghanistan. Everybody says they want the troops to come home, but that won't happen, even if they leave Iraq. If they're shipped out of Iraq, it will only be to send them back to the place they should have been all along--Afghanistan.

So I understand Bush has had some trials occur during his Presidency, but most of them have occurred because he shot himself in the foot.

While the Miley jokes were mildly amusing, this gets the upvote for the final comment about Etchisketchistan. Oh and for the Crawl!

"Oral-B recalls combination toothbrush and razor following string of horrific injuries"

"Report: US Metabolism falls to 5 year low"

"New York Police Department reports supervillain who fell from building into river certainly dead"

"Sports Update: Michael Pelfrey throws 1000mph pitch thanks to performance enhancing typo"

"News from Montana: Newly discovered cluster of dinosaur bones suggest existence of a 200-million-year-old natural history museum"

" 'The idea of Portland' tops Time Magazine's list of "America's best cities" "

" McDonalds adds employee benefits to dollar menu"

"Plans for invasion of Iran canceled after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accidentally CC'ed on Pentagon E-mail"

"News from Uganda: Last Remaining Mountain Gorilla just wants to be left alone"

"Crayola Crayon Factory named nation's most miserable place to work"


Love the Onion...

I admittedly have not studied up on Ahmad... but I do understand the prejudice that exists in Iran.

In reply to this comment by deedub81:
You bring up some good points, but I learned about leaders in the Middle East denying the holocaust a long time ago. It wasn't propaganda, I heard it straight from the horses mouth in speeches and such.

My good friend Sadiq Husseinzada has text books from Pakistan and from Iran. He grew up in Pakistan. I don't read Farsi so I'm taking his word for it, but he told me that they teach that the Holocaust is a debatable event.

The fact that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an Anti-Semite is not in question, nor is the fact that he's kinda cooky. That being said, I don't think we should EVER go into a country to prevent something from happening. That's like arresting somebody that expresses hatred toward 7-11 because you thought they might someday rob one.

In reply to this comment by dystopianfuturetoday:
^Even if that were true, it wouldn't make the mass murder of Iranians any less of a holocaust.

The 'wipe Israel off the face of the map' canard this is pure propaganda.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=NOR20070120&articleId=4527

I'm going to check on the text book thing and get back to you. Just keep in mind that there is a major propaganda campaign underway to dehumanize Iran and justify an attack. I'd suggest you be more skeptical about government/corporate media claims about Iran.

Reality check. Did you fall for WMD's and yellow cake?

You bring up some good points, but I learned about leaders in the Middle East denying the holocaust a long time ago. It wasn't propaganda, I heard it straight from the horses mouth in speeches and such.

My good friend Sadiq Husseinzada has text books from Pakistan and from Iran. He grew up in Pakistan. I don't read Farsi so I'm taking his word for it, but he told me that they teach that the Holocaust is a debatable event.

The fact that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an Anti-Semite is not in question, nor is the fact that he's kinda cooky. That being said, I don't think we should EVER go into a country to prevent something from happening. That's like arresting somebody that expresses hatred toward 7-11 because you thought they might someday rob one.

In reply to this comment by dystopianfuturetoday:
^Even if that were true, it wouldn't make the mass murder of Iranians any less of a holocaust.

The 'wipe Israel off the face of the map' canard this is pure propaganda.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=NOR20070120&articleId=4527

I'm going to check on the text book thing and get back to you. Just keep in mind that there is a major propaganda campaign underway to dehumanize Iran and justify an attack. I'd suggest you be more skeptical about government/corporate media claims about Iran.

Reality check. Did you fall for WMD's and yellow cake?

Funny you should mention " holocaust " when speaking about Iran.

The Holocaust of the Jews during WWII is something that is omitted from Iranian text books. Leaders in Iran, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad say the fact that a Holocaust happened is debatable (or that it is a myth altogether) and that Jews are responsible for every major war in modern and ancient history.

What about THAT Iran?



Or THIS Iran?


...and it took you until this last month to lose your respect for the Clintons?
I lost all respect for Bill when he cheated on his wife, and then committed perjury.


In reply to this comment by dystopianfuturetoday:
^Hillary Clinton said she would 'TOTALLY OBLITERATE' Iran. Perhaps she meant that she would totally obliterate them with love and understanding, but somehow I don't think so. Hillary is part of the machine now and she proves it on a daily basis by attempting to tear down our Democratic nominee, while having zero chance of winning herself.

I used to have great respect for the Clintons, a respect that has been obliterated by the disgusting way in which they have behaved over the last month. Hillary's campaign is a sewer that rivals the Bush campaigns of 2000 and 2004. Her spoiled sense of entitlement and gleeful willingness to engage in all manner of deception in order to win lead me to believe that she is no better than McCain.

The backlash she has inspired here on the sift and throughout the nation is entirely of her own making.

Funny you should mention " holocaust " when speaking about Iran.

The Holocaust of the Jews during WWII is something that is omitted from Iranian text books. Leaders in Iran, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, say the fact that a Holocaust happened is debatable and that Jews are responsible for every major war in modern and ancient history.

What about THAT Iran?



Or THIS Iran?


I grew up with an Iranian family next door to us. They were very smart, friendly, loving people. I know that there are many, many good people in that part of the world and in that country. But, the fact of the matter is that the leaders in Iran are Bat Crazy!!! They just make it a little hard for some of us to ignore them.

...and forget about Obama. Ron Paul has more wisdom, courage, and plain 'ol common sense in his little finger than Sen Obama will ever have.

>> ^kronosposeidon:
Okay, so Young McDonald is a little piece of shit motherfucker. Big whoop. How many videos on the sift are there of George Bush, or Karl Rove, or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?

We need a new channel - *douchebags

Okay, so Young McDonald is a little piece of shit motherfucker. Big whoop. How many videos on the sift are there of George Bush, or Karl Rove, or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? So let it be with this little shit heel.

Let him join the rogues gallery of ignominious ignoramuses. This video has sifted, so it's pretty much a done deal anyway. Deal with it.