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Afghanistan: At Least 5 People, Including 3 UN Workers, Killed in Suicide Bombing Near UN Office

2011-10-31T16:29:00Z

A US soldier checks the damage at offices of the U.N.'s refugee agency, the UNHCR, caused by a suicide bomber, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Monday, Oct. 31, 2011. A suicide vehicle bomb struck a checkpoint in a neighborhood housing United Nations and international aid groups' offices in the southern city of Kandahar early Monday, killing four people and severely damaging a U.N. agency's building, Afghan officials said. (AP Photo)

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — Insurgents driving a suicide truck bomb and attacking on foot killed five people including three United Nations employees in a neighborhood housing U.N. and international aid group offices in the southern city of Kandahar on Monday, officials said.

One insurgent slammed an explosives-rigged pickup truck into a checkpoint and immediately afterward three insurgents rushed into the neighborhood, seizing control of at least one building and sparking a gunbattle with Afghan and NATO forces, Kandahar police chief Gen. Abdul Razzaq said. The firefight lasted more than two hours before the militants were shot dead.

The U.N. refugee agency, the UNHCR, whose office was located in the compound that came under attack, said three of its staff were killed and two wounded in the combined assault and bombing. It did not say if they were Afghans or foreigners.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, rather than condemn it as a terrorist act, calls it a tragedy:

"This is a tragedy for UNHCR and for the families of the dead and wounded," U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said in a statement. "It also underscores the great risks for humanitarian workers in Afghanistan."

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Abu Mazen says he'll never recognize a Jewish state, kidnapping Shalit a good thing

2011-10-31T16:50:00Z

Last week, our 'peace partner,' 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen told Dream2 TV that he will never recognize a Jewish state, that negotiations have to be accompanied by force, and that it was a good thing that Hamas kidnapped Gilad Shalit.Here's a transcript. Mahmoud Abbas: "First of all, let me make something clear about the story of the 'Jewish state.'"They started

Abbas: "I am against terror (wink, wink)"

2011-10-31T17:15:00Z

From MEMRI, from an interview with Mahmoud Abbas on Egypt's Dream TV:

Interviewer: "Don't you think that it was the resistance that managed to liberate a thousand prisoners?

"Negotiations must always be accompanied by a measure of force. There can be no negotiations without resistance. This has been shown by the experience of people – in Ireland and all countries."

Mahmoud Abbas: "That's true, but our circumstances are different. We are not able to wage military resistance.

"Hamas kidnapped – or rather, captured – a soldier, and managed to keep him for five years, and that is a good thing.

"We don't deny it. On the contrary, it’s a good thing that on a small strip of land, 40 × 7 kilometers, they were able to keep him and hide him." [...]

You see, the "moderate" Abbas that the West sees is against terrorism and "armed resistance." But he knows quite well that there is always the Al Aqsa Brigades, Al Quds Brigades or Al Qassam Brigades who are willing to do the dirty work of actually killing Jews, and he applauds them. The terror groups do what he wishes them to do, but he can claim that he is personally against such actions (at this time, of course.)

And the Western media swallows the myth of a moderate Palestinian Arab leader whole, mostly because they want to believe in it so darn much.

By the way, did you notice that Abbas never condemned the murder of Moshe Ami in Ashkelon, killed by a Grad rocket on Saturday?

(h/t CHA)

al-Manar announces worldwide march on Jerusalem

2011-10-31T17:27:00Z

Remember all those Syrians and Lebanese trying to jump the border last May? It may happen again, but this time it appears to be much better organized.Hezbullah's al-Manar reports on a planned 'worldwide march on Jerusalem' to take place on March 30 - which the Arabs here celebrate as Land Day. If you read the announcement, you will see that there is no pretense that this is about the 1967 borders

Contradicting Obama Advisers, Ex-Clinton, Bush Aides Say Israel Helps US Security

2011-10-31T17:36:00Z

Israel advances American national security interests, according to a report by former aides to presidents Clinton and Bush.

(INN) Israel advanced American national security interests, according to a report by former aides to presidents Clinton and Bush that contradicts Obama advisors who claim that Israel endangers U.S. soldiers.

Robert D. Blackwill, who was deputy national security advisor for strategic planning in the administration of George W. Bush, and Walter B. Slocombe, undersecretary of defense for policy in the Clinton administration, wrote a brief summary of their research in the Los Angeles Times Monday morning.

The full report is entitled "Israel: A Strategic Asset for the United States" and was written for The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

President Barack Obama has harped away at the theme that the United States and Israel share values of democracy and freedom, implying that the American government has a moral obligation to defend Israel. The theory has been the basis for the president and his advisors’ declarations that Israel must agree to demands of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in order not to endanger American security.

Blackwill and Slocombe pointed out what they said is an overlooked aspect of the American-Israeli alliance: The many ways in which Israel advances U.S. national interests.

“The United States has benefited in the areas of counterterrorism, intelligence and experience in urban warfare," they wrote. "Increasingly, U.S. homeland security and military agencies are turning to Israeli technology to solve some of their most vexing technical and strategic problems."

Israel's support includes airport security techniques, unmanned aerial systems (UAVs), defense against short-range rockets and armored vehicle protection.

“Israel's national missile defenses – which include the U.S. deployment in Israel of an advanced X-band radar system and the more than 100 American military personnel who man it – will be an integral part of a larger missile defense spanning Europe, the eastern Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf to help protect U.S. forces and allies,” they stated.

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American Carries Out Suicide Attack in Somalia, Urges Jihad in US

2011-10-31T17:42:31Z

Well, there's one less American born jihadist we have to worry about:A suicide bomber who carried out an attack in Somalia this weekend was an American citizen of Somali descent, a website associated with the Al-Shabaab Islamist movement claimed Sunday....

"Palestine" at UNESCO: The Poster

2011-10-31T18:14:00Z

Well, they didn't invent falafel...

UPDATE: If you want to see my exhaustive defense of why this poster is accurate, see this and this.

So Many Solyndras: Another DoE Loan Recipient Going Tits Up

2011-10-31T18:14:38Z

It's a mere $43 million this time, so, you know, don't sweat it. Obama wastes that much cash in about eight minutes. Massachusetts company that received a $43 million Energy Department loan guarantee last year filed for bankruptcy Sunday, a...

That was fast: US cuts off UNESCO funding

2011-10-31T18:50:00Z

That sure didn't take long. After a vote on Monday that made the non-existent state of 'Palestine' a member, the United States has announced that it has cut off funding to UNESCO (Hat Tip: Gershon D). The United States said on Monday it had stopped funding UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, following its vote to grant the Palestinians full membership.U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria

No Ceasefire: Rockets Land in Be'er Sheva, Ashkelon, W. Negev

2011-10-31T17:10:00Z

Another night, another barrage of mortars and missiles fired at Israel by PA terrorists from Gaza -- this time at Be'er Sheva and surrounds.

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Egypt: 'We Kept Israel Out of Gaza''

2011-10-31T17:14:00Z

Egypt's ambassador to the Palestinian Authority says Cairo stopped Israel from launching a major military incursion into Gaza amid attacks.

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Miracle in Ashdod: Missile Missed Populated Building

2011-10-31T01:13:11Z

Ashdod residents relieved after a missile lands near a building but does not hit it.

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The rapid unraveling of the Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-30T03:16:00Z

We've seen at various "Occupied" encampments rampant anti-Semitism, a case of sex with a minor, a felony prostitution case involving pimping a minor, public urination, public masturbation, sicking a dog on a reporter, multiple cases of theft, multiple cases of drug dealing, multiple cases of rape, not to mention Communists, Nazis, Anarchists, Black Panthers and extremist Muslim organizations joining in, etc.

And now this:

Occupy Wall Street Protester Threatens to Stab Reporter

Occupy Wall Street Threatens NYPD With Revenge Attacks

Occupy DC Declares Itself Sovereign Nation, Announces Secession Plan (Do they still get to vote for Obama next November?)

Member of Saudi royal family pledges $900,000 as contribution to bounty offered by Saudi cleric for kidnapping of IDF soldier

2011-10-30T04:00:00Z

(Ynet) Saudi Prince Khaled bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud declared Saturday he would give $900,000 to whoever abducts an Israeli soldier in order to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.

In an interview with Saudi TV, bin Talal stressed that his offer was in response to a similar offer made by a Saudi cleric who earlier this week said he would give $100,000 to anyone who would kidnap an Israeli soldier.

"Al-Qarni offered $100,000 to whoever abducts (an Israeli soldier) and I say to him – I sympathize with you and am offering $900,000 to put the figure at $1 million," he said.

Prince Khaled is the third son of Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz, the Saudi King's brother.

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Another week....another barrage of rockets.

2011-10-30T06:22:00Z

Since last Wednesday, Israel has been rocketed again and again by Gaza.

Shabbat was particularly bad, as GRAD rockets were fired at Ashdod, Asheklon,http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif Gan Yavneh, Beer Sheva...some direct hits took place as well. As of this morning, over 24 rockets have been launched at Israel from Gaza since Shabbat morning.

Ashkelon resident Moshe Ami, 56, died Saturday after sustaining serious shrapnel wounds by a rocket fired at Ashkelon as part of a relentless attack from Gaza. Another victim was lightly injured. Both were taken to the Barzilai Medical Center. (ynet)

The following picture (with rainbow in background) was taken this morning; you the vapor trail of an Iron Dome anti-missile rocket having successfully shot down a Gazan GRAD rocket this morning next to Ashdod. Photo Credit: Rotter

Going to be a long day...

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Mortar, Rocket Attacks Every Six Minutes

2011-10-30T05:32:00Z

Hamas and allied terrorists attacked southern Israel with rockets and mortar shells at the rate of one every six minutes at dawn.<br/>

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Contrary to interviewer's claims, Gilad Shalit was not examined by Red Cross doctors before interview on Egyptian TV

2011-10-30T07:05:37Z

For all of the things we already knew were wrong with that interview, here is another. It was bad enough that Shalit was held up from being reunited with his family, and it was bad enough that he was subject to one last round of psychological torment, surely wondering if...

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza to Widen Terror Axis

2011-10-30T07:26:22Z

The new Egyptian regime has allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to visit Gaza, a move that widens the Iranian-Hamas-Hizbullah terror Axis.<br/>

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Mofaz Urges Netanyahu to Let IDF 'Do What It Knows to Do'

2011-10-30T09:44:12Z

Former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz is urging the government to allow the IDF to silence the rocket fire being rained on southern Israel.

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Peres: Gaza Missiles on Israel a ‘Declaration of War’

2011-10-30T11:22:17Z

The latest round of missile attacks from Gaza on Israel is nothing less than a “declaration of war,” President Shimon Peres says.<br/>

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