>>>>>http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/01/20091111392884765.html
>>>>>http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/01/200911084430400848.html
>>>>>
>>>>>Silence is deafenning.
>>>>
>>>>Not much silence in the Middle East. Israel has stirred up an almost unprecedented level of anger throughout the Arab world.
>>>
>>>And unprecented ignorance by western governments.
>>>
>>>>
>>>>I don't know if you heard this or not, but the New York Times reported today that Israel asked the U.S. three times last year for its blessing and assistance in bombing the suspected nuclear development site in Iran. The U.S. refused.
>>>
>>>Never had impression that Israel would politely ask US if they can attack or not. Looks to me that they don't really care what anybody says. It was published few years back that US was covertly preparing for attack on Iran wasn't it ? (Saymon Herch)
>>>If Iraq war went any better, I believe that war would have been probably already started. So if you ask me, it is really hard to distinguish who is holding the stearing weel and who is pedalling here. All I can see is that entire ship (Bushites / Israely right wingers) completely lost their compas.
>>>
>>>What Israel did now, might have severe consequences;
>>>I hope I am wrong, but this might end up being kind of like mini 9/11, but only this time fire landing on the
>>>other side of the fence. And in these naturally flammable areas, this fire can burn for another 30 years.
>>>
>>>First victim of this new fire, could be that comprehensive Arab/Israely peace agreement (propposed long time ago),
>>>which might be now pushed way out of reach.
>>>Secondly, those kids burned by phosphorus bombs and/or watching their parents bleed to death under rubles (and many other atroccities), will eventually grow and seek some revenge. Many will devote their lifes to it.
>>>So second victim will be Israel own (and US!) security.
>>>
>>>Only one who will really benefit from all this will be - guess who! ;
>>>A) Hammas (Unless Israel reoccupy Gaza in full !)
>>>B) Al-Qaeda & Whole host of other radical miltant groups. (AQ win eighter way)
>>>
>>>Their HR departments will have much less trouble finding new recruits, that is for sure.
>>>And there we go again... :(
>>
>>Yes, Seymour Hersh did report that in The New Yorker a couple of years ago. AFAIK no one in the U.S. government even tried to refute it.
>>
>>Last night I read the last 100 pages or so of "The Looming Tower", the prize-winning book about the rise of militant Islam and Al-Qaeda. It gives a sense of the burning resentment in the Arab world that is probably still not fully understood in the west. Not that they are innocents, lord knows, but you can see how they came to regard jihad as the answer. The other main thing I got from the book was how truly appallingly the American intelligence and enforcement agencies -- CIA, FBI, NSA -- failed to defend us. From various intercepts and interrogations we had all the information we needed to know Al-Qauda had people in place in the U.S. and was planning a major operation. The problem was none of the agencies had the whole picture and they didn't share what they had. I had thought it was a matter of not communicating as optimally as they could have. The book lays out a much more sinister truth: the agencies, especially the CIA, had crucial information and actively refused to share it. For instance, they knew for a fact that one of the guys who was embedded in San Diego had met overseas with another Al-Qaeda cell. The CIA actually had a picture of him at the meeting and held the picture back while showing the FBI other pictures. The CIA didn't know he was already in the country and the FBI did. Stupid, stupid turf wars. If they had shared everything they had the 9/11 plot could well have been foiled.
>
>It must have been very upsetting read. I almost stopped reading that kind of stuff, because it simply makes me sick to my stomach.
>Unfortunately new mayhem keep on popping up and along that (who the heck invented darn internet!) you get to read all that.
>
>I saved that 'New Yorker' link from week or so (did not folow NY webpost before)
>Came uppon this blog;
>
>http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/stevecoll/?xrail
>It should be made part of Free Journalisam Bible. (If there is such thing)
>
>
>
>Hope you are doing well :)

Yes, I am doing OK. What a difference a day makes. Going to be logging off now to work on something more constructive I should be doing instead of chattering the morning away....