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A Closer Look at the Chaos and Terror in Gaza

LibertySugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:45:13 -0800

The three-day death toll in Gaza rose to 315 today, including seven children under the age of 15 who were killed in two separate strikes Sunday and Monday. Israel began air strikes on Saturday in retaliation after rocket fire was aimed at civilians in southern Israeli towns. Here's a look at some of the news the mainstream media has received regarding the dispute and chaos.

Israel has launched more than 300 air strikes since midday Saturday. The bombings have "wreaked unprecedented destruction in Gaza, reducing buildings to rubble" and targeted symbols of Hamas rule. - Wall Street Journal
Thousands in the Arab world have attended rallies to express anger at Israel's air raids. Protesters burned Israeli and American flags in a string of Arab cities and demanded a stronger response from their leaders. - BBC News
Oil rose above $40 a barrel on Monday, in response to a weak dollar and Israeli attacks on Hamas that served as a reminder of tensions that could threaten Middle East crude oil supplies. - Reuters
Food and medical supplies are growing thin on the strip. One reporter noted "there is no food on the market" while humanitarian aid groups are reacting to the deteriorating medical situation and urging the opening of Gaza's borders to allow supplies to flow to hospitals. - Washington Post
What now for Obama's Mideast plan? Some experts say the Israel-Hamas violence could be a blow on peace-talk hopes. - Chicago Tribune

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Front Page: House Agrees on War Funding, Tibetans Missing, Israel and Hamas Start Ceasefire

CitizenSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:00:25 -0700

House Agrees on War Funding: Last night, House leaders arrived at a bipartisan solution on a major spending measure set to provide funding to the war in Iraq through the end of the current administration. Included in the agreement are significant new education benefits for veterans, and a concession to Democratic demands for added unemployment benefits. The bill could be voted on as early as today and would solve the two-year battle between President Bush and Congressional Democrats over war funding by allocating $163 billion for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan without imposing conditions like a withdrawal timetable.

Tibetans Missing: According to Amnesty International, more than 1,000 Tibetans detained during protests against the Chinese government in March still remain missing. The human rights group reports that detainees had been beaten and deprived of food and are asking China to "shine some light" on the missing Tibetans. The March anti-China protests led by Buddhist monks were the worst in the region in 20 years. China says protesters killed at least 19 people, and Tibetan exiles say security forces killed dozens of people. The Olympic torch is set to reach Tibet on Saturday.
Israel and Hamas Start Ceasefire: A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began this morning despite up to the wire outbreaks of cross-border attacks. The truce is supposed to both stop Israeli incursions into the Gaza Strip, and to quell missiles being fired from Gaza into southern Israel. The ceasefire is the first step, further talks about a prisoner exchange may follow, though the truce is fragile. The last ceasefire collapsed in April 2007. There were no reports of fire from either side on Thursday morning.

Under Gaza: Tunneling Through Sand for Food, Weapons, Oil

LibertySugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 03:00:46 -0700

Gaza residents are tunneling through sand, in their latest attempt to withstand the Israeli blockade of the region. Israel has shut off access to the Gaza strip, in response to attacks and in an attempt to put pressure on Hamas.

The tunnels bring electricity, phone lines, cigarettes, food, petrol, and weapons. The more secretly located Hamas-controlled tunnels carry weapons of unknown caliber. The tunnelers, or "snake heads," give the local authorities a cut of their contraband profits, to help them look the other way.

The intricate tunnel networks are no secret to Israeli officials, who have implored Egypt to do more to end their existence. But according to reports, Egypt does pump water or worse, poisonous gas, through discovered tunnels, with deadly results. Just last week one tunnel did collapse, perhaps due to Egyptians pumping in water to weaken it. A man died during the collapse and had to be dragged out of the tunnels by his feet, 24 hours later.

One of the "snake heads" says, "constructing them is the worst job in the world," but the money keeps many going until they perish. Do tunnelers dig and transport at their own risk, or does Israel's policy bear some responsibility for the deaths that result from trying to secure essentials like food and electricity?

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Front Page: Hillary To Drop Out, 9/11 Tribunal, Abbas to Meet With Hamas

CitizenSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:00:36 -0700

Hillary To Drop Out: Hillary Clinton will endorse Barack Obama on Saturday, ending her 17-month campaign for the White House, according to aides. Her decision was influenced by Democrats' urges to leave the race and allow the party to come together around Obama. She is going to express support for Obama and party unity at an event in Washington, June 7. One adviser hinted that Clinton would concede defeat, congratulate Obama, and proclaim him the party’s nominee- looking forward to do what was needed to assure his victory in November. Obama told reporters of his plans for Clinton, “we’re going to have a conversation in the coming weeks.”

9/11 Tribunal: Five top alleged al Qaeda prisoners, including September 11 mastermind suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, began appearances before a military commission this morning after extended time in CIA prisons and battles over the court itself. All the defendants were just arraigned before a military court at Guantanamo - all five are accused roles in the 9/11 attacks, responsible for the death of nearly 3,000 people. They all face potential death sentences if convicted. Mohammed has been forthright with his involvement - in a written statement read at a March 2007 hearing, at which he was present, he said he was responsible for the attacks "from A to Z."
Abbas to Meet With Hamas: Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president called late yesterday for a resumption of dialogue with the Islamic militant group Hamas. In a short address, Abbas, expressed the plan as part of his desire to restore national unity. Hamas took control of Gaza in June 2007. The move could halt peace talks with Israel, who only met with Abbas after he broke away from Hamas. Israel has refused to have direct contact with the group, considering it a terrorist organization, and has threatened to cut off talks with Mr. Abbas if he rejoins forces with Hamas.

Front Page: Jeremiah Wright Speaks, Train Collision in China, Children Dead in Gaza

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:58:18 -0700

Jeremiah Wright Speaks: Rev. Jeremiah Wright is speaking at the National Press Club this morning. Over the weekend, Wright spoke in Detroit making it clear that he was "running for Jesus," not public office. His message this weekend and this morning is that Americans should know by now that "different does not mean deficient" when it comes to the African-American church and that the controversy over his "God damn America" remarks stems from misunderstanding. He said yesterday, "I come from a religious tradition that does not divorce the world we are living in with the world we are headed to. The black religious tradition is different. We do it a different way."

Train Collision in China: A collision early this morning between two passenger trains traveling through rural Eastern China killed 66 people and injured 247, and 51 of the injured are in critical condition. The incident is one of the deadliest rail accidents in China in a decade. Officials said that at the moment of impact the trains were traveling at full speed and most of the passengers were asleep.
Children Dead in Gaza: In Northern Gaza, a mother and her four young children are among at least seven Palestinians killed during an Israeli raid. The children were between one and six years old. The family members were killed in their home from a missile strike aimed at an area often used by Palestinian militants to launch rockets at Israel. Last Friday, the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas, advocated for a six-month "period of quiet" in Gaza, offering to extend it to the West Bank. Israel dismissed the proposal as a ruse to allow Hamas to "re-arm and re-group".

Front Page: Indonesia Sentences Militant, PA Votes, Carter and Hamas

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:57:21 -0700

Indonesia Sentences Militant: An Indonesian court has sentenced Abu Dujana, a suspected military commander of an al Qaeda-linked terror network, to 15 years in prison. He is thought to be leader of the military wing of Jemaah Islamiyah, a group with ties to al Qaeda with an aim to turn Southeast Asia into a Muslim "superstate." The court found Dujana guilty today of illegally possessing firearms and explosives, and of harboring suspected terrorists. He's also thought to have had direct involvement in the Bali nightclub bombings of 2002 that killed more than 200, mostly Western, tourists. Dujana described Jemaah Islamiyah as "an underground organization," saying "it will continue to exist and continue to move on with its plans" to create an Islamic state under Sharia law despite his capture.

PA Votes: Pennsylvanians head to the polls tomorrow voting in their primary, and deciding who gets the bigger slice of the 158 delegate pie. Polls show Clinton with a small but not devastating lead, indicating that the race will continue on to Indiana and North Carolina.

Carter and Hamas: Former US President Jimmy Carter reports after meeting Hamas leaders in Syria, that Hamas is prepared to accept the right of Israel to "live as a neighbour next door in peace." Carter was troubled that the US and Israel would not meet the group. His visit with the group has caused controversy, which he defends by saying, "the problem is not that I met with Hamas in Syria. The problem is that Israel and the United States refuse to meet with someone who must be involved." Carter said Hamas had said that it would accept an Israeli state within its pre-1967 borders if such an agreement was approved by Palestinians.

Front Page: Pope Meets Victims, Brown in DC, Polygamy Hearing, Carter and Hamas

CitizenSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:01:34 -0700

Pope Meets Victims: Pope Benedict XVI came face to face yesterday with a scandal that haunts the American Catholic Church by holding an unannounced meeting with several victims of sexual abuse by priests. The cardinal who organized and attended the meeting, gave the pope a list of about 1,000 boys and girls who had been abused in the Boston Archdiocese in the past several decades. The Pope requested the meeting, praying and speaking personally with each person in attendance. The cardinal said afterward, “it was a moving experience. It was very positive and very prayerful.”

Brown in DC: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was in Washington DC yesterday to celebrate what he called the “special relationship” between his country and the United States. As a reminder of President Bush's waning time left, before Brown visited the White House, he met with all three candidates vying to succeed President Bush. After the meetings Brown said, “What I was convinced of, after talking to each of them and talking about the issues that concern them and concern the world, is that the relationship between America and Britain will remain strong, remain steadfast.” Not to leave Bush unrecognized, Brown said, “the world owes President George Bush a huge debt of gratitude for leading the world in our determination to root out terrorism.”
Polygamy Hearing: The judge in the largest child welfare case in US history, that of the children removed from the polygamy compound in Texas, struggled to retain order in chaotic hearings that began yesterday. The 416 children and their lawyers were crammed into a courtroom and additional rooms. The judge said of the task ahead of her, "the court is not in the position and certainly does not intend to rule about someone's religious practices and their freedom of religion."
Carter and Hamas: Former President Jimmy Carter met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad moments ago. The meeting comes ahead of planned talks with exiled leaders of Hamas, the Islamist group which Carter argues should be included in efforts for Israeli-Palestinian peace. According to a source, "Carter is very upbeat. The publicity put out by his detractors made him more determined to pursue a different way with Hamas."

Guess Who?

LibertySugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 03:00:19 -0700

Who told ABC News last night, that the US needs to talk to Hamas, a Palestinian group officially considered a terrorist organization?

I think there's no doubt in anyone's mind that, if Israel is ever going to find peace with justice concerning the relationship with their next-door neighbors, the Palestinians, that Hamas will have to be included in the process.

Israel and Hamas - A Wealth of News Out of Middle East

CitizenSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:15:46 -0700

The situation is admittedly complicated, and there's so much going on - here's a quick recap of the biggest and newest stories out of the region.

This morning, Israeli tanks and bulldozers with helicopters behind, crossed into Gaza after the Jewish state vowed retribution against Hamas for the dramatic ramp up of violence earlier this week.

Yesterday saw a Palestinian raid on the only fuel transfer point into Gaza that caused Israel to cut off fuel supplies for the 1.4-million Gaza citizens. What led Palestinians to attack the only source of fuel they have? A spokesman for Islamic Jihad said, “This fuel (from Israel) is dipped in humiliation. If their fuel means humiliation for us, we don’t want it.” The humiliation he is referring to is the result an Israeli-enforced blockade of Gaza in which Gazans must wait for hours for supplies controlled by Israel.

But this might just be a taste of tense events to come. To see why, read more. These clashes could be just the beginning. Syria and Iran are apparently supplying Hamas with weapons including antitank missiles, rockets with longer reach capability to strike at Israel population centers as well as training. Hamas says this is all in the name of self-defense in case Israel decides to invade. Israel on the other hand, is certain Hamas is planning an all-out assault.

Since President Bush classifies the Hamas government as a terrorist organization, the United States will not intervene to calm the situation. That won’t stop former President Jimmy Carter from meeting with Khaled Meshal, the head of Hamas next week, in an attempt to prevent another regional war from breaking out as it did in 2006.

Incredibly, the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said the events of the week would not disrupt peace talks, saying, "We decided that we will continue to talk and will not let terrorists have a veto voice on the talks with the pragmatic forces." The two sides hope to reach a final peace deal by the end of the year.

Do you think this is possible? What will have to happen to allow peace to reign?

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Front Page: Tibet Surrenders, Floods, McCain in Israel

CitizenSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:00:31 -0700

More than 100 people have surrendered to police following anti-China riots in Tibet's main city of Lhasa, according to Chinese media. China had issued a deadline of midnight on Monday for the protests to stop, though the Dalai Lama refused to issue the order. The authorities threatened great harm to anyone who ignored the deadline. Accounts of the outcomes of the violent protests differ wildly. The Tibetan government in exile in India says 99 people have now died in clashes with security forces. Chinese officials claim only 13 people have died, and that they were killed by mobs during riots by Dalai Lama supporters. Tibet's Communist Secretary said, "we are in the midst of a fierce struggle involving blood and fire, a life and death struggle with the Dalai clique."

Flood and flash-flood warnings from Texas to Ohio, combined with tornado watches in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, previewed harsh weather that has flooded homes and roads throughout the central United States. The storms have killed at least two in Missouri and swept a teen down a drainage pipe in Texas. Since Monday, states have seen between six and ten inches of rain. At the Dallas airport, they broke the previous one-day rain record by an inch, coupled with winds up to 100 mph. Hundreds have been evacuated from homes across the Midwest.
Senator John McCain is in Israel today as part of a tour of the Middle East and Europe. McCain met with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. In a joint news conference, McCain confirmed his commitment to Israel and attacked the Islamist militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah saying, "if Hamas and Hezbollah succeed here, they are going to succeed everywhere."