[$tinkle]

nothing new here, except for this:

Hamas gunmen ambush Gaza convoy, four killed

of note:

Abbas's Fatah faction said the four-truck convoy, which crossed into Gaza from Israel, was carrying medical equipment and tents, and accused Hamas of plunging a 3-day-old ceasefire into grave danger.

Two presidential guard officers and two civilians were killed in a battle between Hamas gunmen and presidential guards accompanying the convoy, the residents said.

"A real war is taking place, gunmen are using the heaviest arms they have," said one witness, declining to be identified.

President Bush has committed $86 million to provide training and non-lethal equipment to forces loyal to Abbas, a moderate. Weapons are being supplied by key U.S. allies Jordan and Egypt, with Israeli approval, Israeli officials say.

and i take the following with a millstone of salt:

A senior Israeli official said she knew trucks had entered Gaza but did not know their contents.

yeah, & we all know israel has absolutely no interest in what's coming through their land & into gaza. nope, nothing to see here; move along.

so, it seems reasonable that although israel/u.s. aren't directly fomenting internal palestinian violence vis-a-vis iranian backed iraqi sectarian violence, they certainly seem to be turning a blind eye to it.

 

[$tinkle]

and now: Team Of Iranian Weapons Experts Found In Gaza

Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent

Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - A team of eight Iranian weapons experts was discovered during a raid by Palestinian Authority security forces affiliated with President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction on the Hamas-controlled Islamic University in Gaza City on Thursday.

Seven of the Iranians were taken into custody, while an eighth committed suicide, reported the AP. More than 1,000 lights arms and equipment for producing short-range rockets were confiscated in the raid.

Hamas, which maintains close ties to the current Iranian regime, denied the presence of any Iranians in its service in Gaza.

The action at the Islamic University followed the hijacking of a Fatah military supply convoy by Hamas gunmen earlier in the day.

so let's see...
fatah was elected by the palestinian people, and iran continues to meddle in their affairs and undermine fatah, and in effect, the palestinian people.

looks from way over here like iran is pretty serious at pushing israel into the sea by continuing to create all this instability.

and the UN on this topic? :crickets:

 

[blue]

Fatah did not win the last election and legally should no longer be in power. Hamas did.

The US and its allies are providing arms and equipment to Fatah.

Damn, where's my copy of Sandanista?

 

[$tinkle]

Fatah did not win the last election and legally should no longer be in power. Hamas did.

aww, crap! that's right. i forgot they flipped. well, i guess this is nothing more than "democracy in action"

The US and its allies are providing arms and equipment to Fatah.

might be a quibble here but: do you mean that b/c we sell arms to egypt & jordan, who in turn sell to fatah, we're therefore complicit? that's the only way i'm seeing it now.

it's all about plausible deniability

 

[fluff]

The US is complicit. The US no longer has any plausibility in denial.

 

[$tinkle]

The US is complicit. The US no longer has any plausibility in denial.

you know how absolutely evil we are:
a u.s. company will "set up shop" in another country for "last mile assembly" (i.e., strink-wrap skids), therefore the shipping manifest will read from a non-u.s. company.

viola!

 

[valve bouncer]

We've always known that as far as the West was concerned there was good dictatorships and bad dictatorships, should it come as any surprise that there good democracies and bad democracies. What a joke.

 

[DRB]

The US is complicit. The US no longer has any plausibility in denial.

Complicit in what?

 

[LordOpie]

The US no longer has any plausibility in denial.

Seems like this Admin is in complete denial.

 

[fluff]

Complicit in what?

Undermining the democratically elected representatives of the Palestinian people (Hamas).

 

[$tinkle]

Complicit in what?

supplying israel with the essential purim ingredient

 

[MMike]

viola!

French horn!!

 

[$tinkle]

no worries gents: Hamas spokesman: New cease-fire agreement reached

wow. 2nd one in a week. these guys must be serious.

 

[$tinkle]

i think this might properly sum it all up:
http://www.google.com/trends?q=britney+spears+marriage,+palestinian+cease+fire

 

[rockwool]

looks from way over here like iran is pretty serious at pushing israel into the sea by continuing to create all this instability.

Sure, Iran is backing Hamas, but mentioning that and not reflecting over who benefits the most from the Palestinians inability to unite is...
Iran has everything to lose with that inability.

"While money and assistance are withheld from the Palestinian people, these (deliveries) reach the presidential guard, in order to instigate sedition," he said.

Abbas is a traitor, and the supporters of Fatah with him. I can't view this in any other way.

Fatah soo much reminds me of the Social Democratic party of Sweden. They both have ruled for ages undisputed so the power for them has become a personal belonging. Both parties lost their last elections after becoming to arrogant towards the majority of their people..

 

[rockwool]

Fatah did not win the last election and legally should no longer be in power. Hamas did.

The US and its allies are providing arms and equipment to Fatah.

Damn, where's my copy of Sandanista?

Your album with The Clash?

Yeh, it's OK to provide arms but not to feed the same people..

might be a quibble here but: do you mean that b/c we sell arms to egypt & jordan, who in turn sell to fatah, we're therefore complicit? that's the only way i'm seeing it now.

it's all about plausible deniability

Umm, no! Sell weapons to a third party without the permission of the US? They would put the mack down on those governments faster than they can say babaghannouj.

 

[rockwool]

supplying israel with the essential purim ingredient

Yup, that's how you Jews are! To not bring that to the publics knowledge is an unchristian thing to do.

 

[rockwool]

i think this might properly sum it all up:
http://www.google.com/trends?q=britney+spears+marriage,+palestinian+cease+fire

So was it better or worse in 2004?

 

[$tinkle]

....and we're off again:

Gaza Gunmen Ignore Truce, Mediation Bid

By KARIN LAUB
The Associated Press
Saturday, February 3, 2007; 3:09 PM

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Ignoring a truce and Arab mediation offers, Hamas and Fatah fighters exchanged gunfire in upscale beachfront neighborhoods Saturday, and Hamas gunmen threatened to attack high-rise buildings unless residents force rival snipers off their rooftops.

plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose