AUTHOR:G.
DATE:3/01/2003 07:38:00 PM
-----
BODY:
Looks like poor Yasser isn’t so poor after all
A
s Euro-leftists are screaming on Israel to spare on poor Arafat, it looks like the man is a doing great making millions of dollars. Arafat made it to Forbes’ world's top 500 billionaires with a personal fortune of at least $300 million stashed away in Swiss banks. He is ranked number 6 on a list of world leaders in the "kings, queens, and despots" category.
The good news is that the Palestinian Authority new Finance Minister Salam Fayyad is cleaning up the P.A.'s finances, cutting off much of Arafat's cash flow.
By the way, the salary of Prime Minister in Israel is less than 7,000 US$ per month.
--------
AUTHOR:G.
DATE:3/01/2003 05:49:00 PM
-----
BODY:
Al Qaeda terrorist blown up in Lebanon
H
a’aretz: ”EIN EL-HILWEH, Lebanon - A car bomb exploded inside Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp Saturday, killing an Egyptian Islamist who was heading to a mosque to pray, camp security sources said.
The sources said the man identified as Abu Mohammad al-Masri, an Afghan war veteran who came to Ein el-Hilweh six years ago and has never left, was killed as he left his bean shop to walk to the mosque to pray.
The mosque was frequented by members of Osbat al-Ansar, a militant group on Washington's list of "terrorist" organisations suspected of links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.” (continued…)
The blame of course has already been tossed on Israel. Well it could be Israeli job and it could also be someone else's. In a place without law like Ein el Hilweh where there is an exceptional concentration of all different kinds of terrorists (that not all of them like each other) anything ac happen.
The result anyway is blessed.
Update: It looks like a shitty day for al-Qaeda. Except for a man down in Lebanon, 3 of their operatives, one of them is on the FBI most-wanted list, were arrested in Pakistan.
--------
AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/28/2003 03:23:00 PM
-----
BODY:
30 years ago - Arafat brings to the murder of 2 American diplomats
O
n March 2, 1973, thirty years ago, the US diplomats Cleo Noel and George Curtis Moore were murdered by terrorists in Khartoum, Sudan. Allegedly, Arafat was personally implicated.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the tragedy, Joseph Alexander Norland has posted an interview with James J Welsh, the US National Security Agency (NSA) analyst who covered this case. The question of Arafat’s involvement is elucidated in the interview in detail.
--------
AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/28/2003 01:22:00 PM
-----
BODY:
Now you can all try to join the Mossad
I
was browsing in this blog's archives and saw the post I wrote about the Mossad recruiting people for the first time via the Internet. Back when they started with it the forms were only in Hebrew. I took a look today and so they’ve added an English form as well, oriented for non-Israelis. So all those of you that were disappointed back then because you couldn’t apply – now you have a chance if you fit these initial requirements: maturity, diverse life experience, ability to work alone and as part of a team in conditions of uncertainty, acting ability, flexible and creative thinking, integrity, curiosityand high interpersonal abilities. Here is the enrolling site, go for it!
--------
AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/26/2003 07:52:00 PM
-----
BODY:
Only in Israel
T
oday there was a big traffic jam in highway number one from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Not because the snow blocked the road, but because drivers stopped their cars on the sideways to play in the snow.
A poor police officer described in Kol Israel radio what would have been a weird situation anywhere else in the world but not here in Israel. A lot of families went to see the snow in Jerusalem but they couldn’t wait and wherever they saw bits of snow on the sideways they pulled over and started playing in the snow just along the highway.
The natives are out of control #$%! (-;
--------
AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/26/2003 12:02:00 AM
-----
BODY:
Shas is freakin out
A
s you probably already know Shas was left out of the new government. Shas Knesset members are in total shock. They where sure that Sharon will prefer them and Yahdut Hatora to ultra secular Shinui, but, surprise surprise! Shas If I recall right Shas was never in the opposition since its establishment in 1984. Avodah or Likud it doesn’t matter money is money in left or right wing government.
Shas deepened the gap between their supporters to the real world, instead of promoting the poor to modernize to get educated they formed their own schools which teach nothing that can help you in real life, they focus in religious study.
Now when they were cut of from the state treasury the confusion is obvious. They’ve never been in that position. The wining already began. The first to get trashed was the religious party MAFDAL (NRP) who joined the government that includes Sinui “the Jews haters”. The next one that they trashed was Sharon. Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadya said to his believers that he reminded in a quote from the bible saying: “In a short while there will be no evil man”. He didn’t have to say who the evil man is, everybody knows he is talking about Sharon.
Shas main slogan now is that Sharon didn’t take them in because they are Sephardim. Come on! Give me a break will ya! Enough with this Ashkenazim Sephardim business. I’m half Ashkenazi half Sepharadic and I don’t buy this discrimination thing today. Yes Sephardim where discriminated in the past but things are different today – get real.
--------
AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/25/2003 07:40:00 PM
-----
BODY:
Real winter!
T
here is a lot of stuff going on in Israel in recent days, but before I take a dive into more nasty business I want to enjoy the unusual winter we’re going through.
Okay it doesn’t get as cold as it did in North America’s east coast, but it rains a lot all over the country snows frequently in mount Hermon and the Golan heights, today it is snowing in Jerusalem and maybe tomorrow it will snow in Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev. In some areas the accumulated rainfall till today has already passed the average amount for the whole winter. Streams in the north are becoming rivers, the Kinneret is filling in and that generally makes everybody happy. This is the rainiest winter in the last 11 years.
And I can’t leave the Iraqi issue aside even in this post. Amir Anavy is “reading the clouds” – He reminds us that 1991 winter was exceptional rainy just like this year, 1992 winter that followed was even rainier, something really extraordinary. So according to the clouds we are bound to get Golf War the sequel this year and have another exceptional rainy winter next year.
And if it’s Iraq we’re discussing – Rains are excellent in neutralizing chemical agents! (I don’t know what’s the effect for biological weapons)
You can take a look at this satellite image of Israel and see the snow on mount Hermon. And Check these photos, taken during this weekend in Naharayim in Northern Israel, a bit south of the Kinneret where the Yarmuch River joins the Jordan River. It’s the first time since 1992 that they opened the old dam because the water flow was so strong. The water isn’t going to the Kinneret but to the Dead Sea, which is excellent news since the Dead Sea is shrinking rapidly due to various reasons, one of them is that only a small amount of water is usually released from the Kinneret down south because of the constant water shortage in this country.
So here are the magnificent photos taken by Skito that posts more photos over here.
--------
AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/25/2003 12:34:00 PM
-----
BODY:
Okay now it is time to panic!
Iraq shmiraq, terror attacks shmaterror attacks – BLOGGER HAS GONE MAD!!! I CAN POST ONLY LIGHT POSTS WITH NO LINKS.
If anyone faced this trouble before or know what to do about it I’ll appreciate if you could help me.
Update: After almost 24 hours it looks like Blogger is functioning well once again.
--------
AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/25/2003 12:16:00 PM
-----
BODY:
Damn you Blogger
Blogger is giving me immense trouble, I can’t upload my winter post. Meanwhile check out Harry’s photos of the snow, and Imshin stormy weather post.
--------