Wikileaks (Stratfor) CIA alive and well in Lebanon?

February 29, 2012
Some of you may recall that back in November, it was reported that several CIA operatives in Lebanon were ‘outed,’ and that as a result it was reported that the crucial CIA listening post in Beirut was shut down. Stratfor documents released by Wikileaks on Wednesday report that the station is still alive and well, and that the claim that the CIA was shut down was one that was made to get Hezbullah off the CIA’s back.
Email-ID 5287911
Date 2011-11-21 16:10:50
From Anya.Alfano@stratfor.com
To burton@stratfor.com, alfano@stratfor.com, korena.zucha@stratfor.com
Some of this feels like disinfo. If the CIA lost a few people in Beirut,
it would be reasonable for them to send a few “current and former US
Officials” to the AP to “leak” a story that the all US coverage of Hez has
been “wiped out” — best way to stop the search for more informants.

On 11/21/11 10:03 AM, burton@stratfor.com wrote:

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

———————————————————————-

From: “Goldman, Adam”
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:56:44 -0600 (CST)
To: Fred Burton
Subject: RE: CIA spies outed in Lebanon

Thanks! Been working on this for a while. It’s bad. CIA’s Hezbollah
coverage has been wiped out.

From: Fred Burton [mailto:burton@stratfor.com]
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 8:05 AM
To: Goldman, Adam
Subject: Fwd: CIA spies outed in Lebanon

Great work Adam!

AP Exclusive: Spies Outed, CIA Suffers In Lebanon

http://www.salon.com/2011/11/21/ap_exclusive_spies_outed_cia_suffers_in_lebanon_2/

Monday, Nov 21, 2011 10:17 AM 11:15:26 GMT+0200

By Adam Goldman and Matt Apuzzo, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) – The CIA’s operations in Lebanon have been badly
damaged after Hezbollah identified and captured a number of U.S. spies
recently, current and former U.S. officials told The Associated Press.
The intelligence debacle is particularly troubling because the CIA saw
it coming.

The CIA may not have anyone on the ground in Beirut (or more likely they do), but you can bet that the Mossad does. Heh.

ok… so?


Netanyahu and others on PBS’ “The Advocates,” 1979

February 29, 2012
With host, Michael Dukakis!

The Netanyahu (Ben Nitay) part begins around the 15 minute mark:

I find it interesting that the pro-Palestinian Arab side is generally only talking about self-determination, not a state. By pretty much any definition, they have achieved that.

But every time they achieve something, the goalposts keep moving.

(h/t Hillel Neuer)

the so called Palestinian people did not own most of the land.


New $750 grand soccer field for Gitmo terrorists

February 29, 2012

They’re cutting military pensions and health benefits but the Pentagon found $750,000 for a new soccer field at Guantanamo for the terrorist detainees.

Fox News:

At a time of record deficits, a new soccer field for detainees at Camp 6 in Guantanamo Bay is just getting the finishing touches — at a cost of $750,000 to taxpayers.

The project was the highlight of a tour Tuesday of the detention camp for reporters at the facility covering the arraignment in a military court of Majid Khan, a former Baltimore resident and the the only legal U.S. resident on trial at Guantanamo.

The project began in April 2011 and is due to finish this spring. The detainees will now have three recreation facilities at Camp 6, which is home to “highly compliant” detainees who live in a communal setting.

In addition to an indoor recreation field and the existing outdoor recreation field, the new soccer field — selected because it is such a popular sport with detainees — is half the size of an American football field.    

The new field has been specially constructed so that the detainees “have maximum access” — about 20 hours a day. Special passageways allow the detainees to pass into the new recreation yard without being escorted by the military.

On the tour, a military police representative who asked not to be identified by name said allowing high levels of activity outdoors helped reduce behavioral problems at the camps, and it also limited the amount of interaction between detainees and the guards.

I am very happy for the terrorists. Have their ever been prisoners treated in such a grand manner? These guys were living in hovels and mud huts before their capture. Now they’ve got 3 squares and a bed, a soccer field, a big library — stuff they never dreamed of possessing back home. Not to mention a government lawyer provided free of charge.

Something is wrong with this picture.

sounds nice. do they offer soccer fields to Jewish terrorists?


Iran demands an explanation

February 29, 2012
Iran summoned the Azerbaijani ambassador to the Islamic Republic on Tuesday, asking him to explain reports (which are true) that Azerbaijan entered into an arms deal with Israel on Monday that is worth $1.5 billion.
According to the report of Foreign Ministry website on Tuesday, following news concerning arms deal between Azerbaijan Republic and the Zionist regime worth around one and half billion dollars, Javanshir Akhundov was invited by the deputy FM Seyed Abbas Araqchi to the ministry and Iran asked for official explanation about the news.

The ambassador said that purchased equipment from the Zionist regime are solely to free occupied territory of Azerbaijan Republic and that the government will not allow these arms be used against another country, especially Islamic Republic of Iran.

He repeated his country’s intention to develop relations with Iran and called for exchanging views to remove any kind of misunderstanding.

Considering declared policy by the Zionist regime on growing penetration in bordering countries with Iran and using these states’ territories against it, the Iran’s senior diplomat warned against any kind of use of Azerbaijan Republic territory by the Zionist regime for terrorist acts against Iran.

Heh.

Times of Israel adds:

The ambassador did not elaborate, but the “occupied territory” to which he was referring may be the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to Azerbaijan and the international community, the enclave is part of Azerbaijan. Since the end of the Azeri-Armenian war in 1994, however, the majority Armenian region has exerted de facto independence with Armenian military support.

Under the terms of the Israel Aerospace Industries deal, announced earlier this week, the Caucasus nation will receive planes, drones and an advanced missile defense system. The shipment of aerial drones will be accompanied by a large team of security and technology consultants, according to Maariv, which cited an Intelligence Online report.

I wonder which of Iran’s other immediate neighbors are working on arms deals with us.

ok… who is going to admit that they had no idea what in the hell Nagorno-Karabakh is…. and is learning something here? ‘i sure as hell just learned something.


Wikileaks (Stratfor): Israel traded Georgian UAV codes to Russia for Iranian Tor M-1 codes, Turkey gave Israel S-300 codes

February 28, 2012
Wikileaks’ Stratfor email dump is reporting that Israel gave Russia the codes for UAV’s that Israel sold to Georgia in exchange for the codes for the Tor M-1 anti-aircraft systems that Russia sold to Iran. Again, I am putting this in chronological order:
PUBLICATION: ask me first
ATTRIBUTION: N/A
SOURCE DESCRIPTION: MX301 – Former Mexican cop, Latam military analyst,
writes for Jane’s
SOURCE RELIABILITY: A
ITEM CREDIBILITY: 1
SUGGESTED DISTRIBUTION:
SPECIAL HANDLING: n/a

Ok, here’s the really juicy part:
There is a private Mexican company called Idra that the government funded
to make UAVs. They are actually pretty high standard according to him and
beat out the Israeli UAVs in testing. My friend was consulting Idra at the
time and so he was privy to a lot of deals that were on the table. This is
the story –

The Mexican government is now paying some $25m (? can get the #s later)
for UAVs from Israel. Idra is basically like WTF, but the reason is
basically corruption. There is a deal b/w the Mexican interior ministry
and the Israelis where they’re getting a hefty kickback.

This is the interesting part, though.

Idra had an offer to sell UAVs to Georgia (this was happening during and
after the war). The reason Georgia needed the UAVs is because the UAVs
they had bought from Israel had been compromised by the Russians. The
Russians got the data link for the UAV (there is some suspicion that the
Israelis after the war may have given this to them. Remember all the
intense mtgs b/w the Israelis and the Russians where the Russians got the
Israelis to back off of defense deals to Georgia in return for Russia
backing off Iran?). Anyway, the Georgians gave Idra a picture of one of
their crashed UAVs. The source explained though that if the UAV were
targeted, it would have been blown to pieces pretty much (it’s like the
size of a car basically). But the picture he saw showed the UAV intact. He
inquired and basically what happened was that the Russians acquired the
data link to hack into the system and force the UAV into the ground. I
think they may have crashed another one too.

So, since the Georgian UAVs were compromised, they then tried to sell them
to the Azerbaijanis. I dont know if that deal went through. Idra backed
off the deal to Georgia because they were advised that it would raise a
lot of political complications between Mexico and Russia.

PUBLICATION: No, but ask first
ATTRIBUTION: N/A
SOURCE DESCRIPTION: MX301 – Former Mexican cop, Latam military analyst,
writes for Jane’s
SOURCE RELIABILITY: A
ITEM CREDIBILITY: 1
SUGGESTED DISTRIBUTION:
SPECIAL HANDLING: n/a

Met with my Mexican source/friend again today and dude is getting shadier
by the day. We followed up on our past discussion on Russia compromising
the Israeli-made Georgian UAVs prior to the August war.

Here is what else I learned

One of the source’s friends/colleagues — formerly military i think but
now does private defense deals on the side (it’s Mexico) contacted him in
July (prior to the Georgia war). Apparently the Georgians had contacted
this guy because they were frantically looking for a replacement for the
Israeli UAVs that were compromised….

Here is the most interesting part:

I inquired more about the compromised Israeli UAVs. What he explained was
that Israel and Russia made a swap — Israel gave Russia the ‘data link’
code for those specific UAVs; in return, Russia gave Israel the codes for
Iran’s Tor-M1s.

I asked about the S-300 (source tracks a lot of defense deals for Jane’s).
He doesn’t think the Russians will give it to the Iranians. Besides, he
said… Israel and Turkey have been collaborating very closely on the
S-300s. He explain how about 8 years ago when Russia sold S-300s to Greece
to base in Crete (which were supposed to protect Cyprus), Russia delivered
those with a carrier so that Turkey wouldn’t try to sink them. (things got
a bit noisy so i may have misheard some of this). The gist of what he said
is that Turkey has been cracking the S-300 since the Crete sale and has
been sharing intel on the S-300 with the Israelis to ensure that they
retain an advantage over Iran should Iran get them from the Russians.

as far as the Georgian UAVs go, they were interested in the Mexican ones
because the Mexican UAVs had something (forget the name. it was
auto-something’ that basically backs up teh UAV system in case someone
hacks into it and immediately returns the UAV to base.

Hmmm.

By the way, that’s a Tor M-1 at the top.

Not sure how reliable a Mexican police officer is….but the US gov was ready to believe anything… which actually shows how little credibility the Obama administration has regarding their so called friend Israel. It should also be of note that while some of these cables are helpful to the Israelis… (Assange obviously released the less controversial of these cables first), a lot of the cables that are now trickling out are quite damaging. The real problem is that they show the United States government’s real feelings towards Israel… much less the damage Israel’s rep. It is a reflection of Obama’s true aliance.


Koran PROVES Jerusalem is Jewish?

February 28, 2012
(Yid With Lid)(Koran, Sura 2:145, “The Cow”)
“…They would not follow thy direction of prayer (qiblah), nor art thou to follow their direction of prayer; nor indeed will they follow each other’s direction of prayer…”  

Commentators explain that “thy qiblah” (direction of prayer for Muslims) clearly refers the Ka’bah of Mecca, while “their qiblah” (direction of prayer for Jews) refers to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

This Koranic passage appears to show that the holiness of Jerusalem a Jewish concept, and should not be confused with an Islamic concept.
The 13th-century Arab biographer and geographer Yakut noted: “Mecca is holy to Muslims, and Jerusalem to the Jews.”

(Read further for an overview of early Anti-Semitism from Egyptian, Greek and Roman sources.)

Islam understands that Jerusalem is the central location of Israel, and the Temple Mount is the epicenter of Jerusalem. This is why the Muslm Waqf and Abu Mazen AKA Abbas is destroying it. The do not want it… they want to destroy another faith.


Brooks says: First They Went After the Rockefeller Republicans (but he seems to be fine with going after Neo Cons)

February 28, 2012
(MRC)First they went after the Rockefeller Republicans, but I was not a Rockefeller Republican. Then they went after the compassionate conservatives, but I was not a compassionate conservative. Then they went after the mainstream conservatives, and there was no one left to speak for me.

Did you notice he doesn’t care about Neo Conservatives? Yeah… you know them? They have a lot of Jews in their ranks. This guy has been using code for the longest time. You want to really know what the opinion is of the New York Times and PBS and what type of thread is woven between the two publications concerning Jewish autonomy and security from terrorism? Again… note he’s quite happy for the gestapo to come for the Neo-Cons


Jewish Viewpoint on Premarital Sex | Devorah

February 28, 2012

Generally, Judaism has a liberal viewpoint about premarital sex and human sexuality. This liberalism however does not condone nor approve of premarital or extramarital sex but provides the proper guidelines and conditions on when it should be done by a man and a woman.

From Judaism’s point of view, sex is a natural act between a man and a woman and is almost similar to eating and drinking. However, they also hold the opinion that anything natural if done improperly, can become a harmful, offensive and shameful. If done in the proper context, eating and drinking can be satisfying and if done according to God’s commandments, it even becomes a holy act.

Similarly, Judaism sees premarital sex as being against the religious law and is immoral but proper sex is a sacred and blessed act.

The Torah states that it is not good for man to be alone. Judaism views the sacrament of marriage as the fundamental means to legitimize the companionship, intimacy and sexual relationship and love between a man and a woman.

Since marriage is meant to sanctify the union of a man and a woman, Judaism values sex and physical intimacy as a means of strengthening vitally significant marital bonds and as a way of obeying the commandments of procreation.

In as much as the Torah also states for mankind to be fruitful and multiply, the commandment therefore elevates sex within marriage to a holy and sanctified act as it is performed in accordance with the commandments.

Generally, the Torah does not approve nor condone premarital sex. The stand is such that some Rabbis go as far as proclaiming that even if an individual sins with his eyes, he or she can be deemed guilty of adultery. Judaism’s zealous viewpoint has led to the segregation between men and women during festive occasions, in public and even having separate days for visiting and paying homage to the departed.

The only time that premarital sex is sanctioned is when the act of sexual intimacy is intended as a mode of lawful betrothal. Between engaged couples who may want to live in together prior to marriage, the relationship is prohibited by tradition.

All told, Jewish Law strictly prohibits sexual relations outside of marriage or before marriage even between two consenting adults. The religious pronouncements on sexuality are very clear and strict that even sexual relations between a man and wife in the context of marriage are covered by certain provisions. Jewish Family Purity Laws specifically forbids sexual relations when the wife is ritually impure (niddah) and declares that couples have to firmly refrain from sexual relations during the wife’s menstrual cycle. The strict ruling even goes as far as declaring that physical closeness between the wife and husband should be avoided as well during the wife’s menstrual period. Sexual relations can only be acceptable approximately 12 or 13 days after the first day of the menstrual cycle but not until after the wife has performed the necessary ritual of purification, mikvah.

Judaism does not look upon sexuality as essentially dirty or evil as some religions do. In fact, they have a very liberal viewpoint about sex and the physical intimacy of a man and a woman if it is done with love, and within the vows of a marriage.

Source: http://www.devorah.us

in a world where the progressive left see marriage as a more and more a professional business arrangement for those involved in family making… it has become very expensive to be married. It also is involved in all kinds of red tape and bureaucracy involved in associating government in your interactions. I consider myself a social conservative, but I can not see consummating a marriage without killing the natural attraction to a girl. While my intent is to be married… If I were to really love a person I would not want to involve society in what I do. Further I would not want to be associated with gay marriage… which obviously would categorize my attraction in a similar way. I can most certainly see why so called legal marriage today would not be necessary for religious reasons in a Jewish community that has a perspective that is hostile to heterosexuality and it’s inherent exclusive nature.


Before 1948 the Arabs and Jews got along? 1936 Arab Riots Researched by @ElderofZiyon

February 28, 2012
Media_httpwwwhistoryc_lfcql

(Elder of Ziyon: The beginning of the deadly 1936 riots (US State Dept)) We sometimes see Arab propagandists mention that the 1936 Arab riots that started in April were “non-violent.”

I once went through Palestine Post archives to show the violence done by Arabs in the first days of the Arab strike, but there were some incidents that happened beforehand.

Here is a narrative of what happened then, from the US consul’s perspective.

Of the incidents mentioned here, only one was against Arabs by Jews.

From the United States Department of State / Foreign relations of the United States diplomatic papers, 1936. The Near East and Africa:

 As reported by telegram on April 18, the first factor contributing to the occurrence of the disturbances was the recrudescence of political high-way robbery by bands of Arabs. Although Sheikh Izz-ed-Din [al Qassam] had been captured and executed by the police, his spirit was reinvoked to inspire the Arabs to begin again their annoying practices on the highways. There was, however, a difference in the modus operandi of these bands as compared with those which operated under Sheikh Izz-ed-Din. The latter worked merely to annoy the Government, whereas the former operate on what can only be described as anti-Jewish lines. On one occasion busses were stopped on the Tulkarm—Nablus Road and all the passengers were forced to alight. The only three Jews in the busses were then segregated from their fellow pas-sengers and placed in the cab of a truck at the head of the stopped column of cars. The door of the cab was closed and the Jews were fired upon at point-blank range. Of the three, one was killed out-right, one died later of wounds, and the third was severely wounded. This incident was followed the next night by a revenge killing of two Arabs by Jews in a small hut on the Petah Tikva,—Ranaana Road. It is reported by the police in this respect that at 10 p.m. on April 16 a car stopped before the hut and one of its occupants knocked on the door. In response to the knock the door was opened and two persons believed by the police to be Jews entered and, finding two Arabs within, shot them both dead on sight. One was shot six times with a Browning automatic and the other five with a Parabellum. The car with its occupants then disappeared.

When these facts became known the following morning tension between Arabs and Jews reached a crucial point. The situation was rendered acute later in the morning when the Jew who had been murdered by the “terrorists” two days before was buried as a martyr in the cemetery on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. The cortege following the body worked itself into a frenzy of righteous indignation and became disorderly. The efforts of the Jewish police of Tel Aviv to restore order and control the course of the procession were unavailing.

A clash ensued and the Jewish police were routed. Reserves of British police were immediately called and likewise were attacked. By this time the excitement had spread to the occupants of nearby houses who joined the fray by throwing flower pots, cement building blocks and even iron bedsteads upon the heads of the police below. At one moment it seemed as though the British police would likewise be routed and troops were ordered to stand by from the encampment at Sarafand. Fortunately, however, order was at length restored, but not until after the police had been forced to fire into the crowd and many casualties had occurred both among the police and the rioters. The authorities were particularly apprehensive during the course of these disturbances because at Ramleh, no more than ten miles away, crowds of excited Arabs were celebrating the local feast of Nebi Saleh, and had word of the riots in Tel Aviv reached them a most serious situation would almost certainly have developed.

The following day, Saturday, passed without incident, but in an atmosphere of extreme tension. The police and the military authorities prepared for serious trouble.

On Sunday their fears were justified. A large crowd of Arabs gathered in the morning before the offices of the District Commissioner in Jaffa to protest against the murder of the two Arabs killed on the 16th, and as they were milling about in the square and working themselves into a condition of frenzy two Jews appeared and were immediately set upon. The crowd of Arabs then went berserk and pursued every Jew they saw. Fortunately, not many were at hand. The crowd then turned its attention to the main Jaffa—Jerusalem highway, stopping all cars and inspecting them for Jewish passengers. Many cars were wrecked and many casualties took place, among them an official of the Public Works Department, the son of the honorary Swedish Consul, the son of a well-known British contractor and a member of the Royal Air Force. When order was finally restored at 3:30 in the afternoon total casualties amounted to

7 Jews killed ;
2 Arabs killed;
15 Arabs wounded;
39 Jews wounded.

Monday morning dawned on a Palestine prepared for disturbances of the most serious sort. All shops were closed and traffic was at a minimum on the roads. At about 9 a. m. the police received word of fresh outbreaks in Jaffa and, as a result traffic ceased on the Jerusalem—Jaffa road and was convoyed on the Jerusalem—Nazareth road. The disturbances remained localized in the no-man’s-land between Jaffa and Tel Aviv, where a platoon of the Cameron Highlanders had been stationed the day before, but a few minor incidents of stoning automobiles occurred in the Northern District near Jenin. To combat this development the Air Officer Commanding despatched detachments of armored cars to Nablus, Tulkarm and Jenin and likewise ordered detachments of troops to support the police at Tulkarm in case of a clash between the Arabs of that district and the Jews of the neighboring colonies. Casualties in Jaffa on April 20 were as follows : 5 Jews killed and 26 wounded; 2 Arabs killed and 32 wounded; on that day also 2 Jews died of injuries received on the previous day. Outside of the fracas in Jaffa the only important items to note on April 20 are two incidents which occurred on the Jerusalem–Nazareth road: a convoy of cars carrying visiting French officers back to Syria was stoned near Jenin and windshields and windows were broken ; the French Consul General abandoned his car near Nablus because of a demonstration then in progress and returned to Jerusalem by train. Also on that day Consuls Lynch and Scott journeyed to Tel Aviv and back to Jerusalem after learning that no American individuals or property had been involved in the disturbances, and Consul Brent returned from Haifa—all without incident.

On April 21 the situation was reported as being “easier”. Nineteen persons were wounded, 14 Arabs and 5 Jews, in “isolated assaults”; a Jewish lumber yard and other buildings were fired in Jaffa; traffic was resumed under convoy on the Jerusalem–Jaffa road ; a crowd of Arabs bent on invading an outlying quarter of Tel Aviv were repulsed by the police; a general strike, which in effect has been only partial, was begun by Arab shopkeepers and still continues on April 25. This strike, which is supposed to have been inspired by that of the Damascene merchants some weeks ago and which is scheduled to last “until Arab demands are met”, is a most half-hearted affair unsupported by the Nashashibi element. (As far as can be determined the Arab “demands” are the traditional ones : cessation of Jewish immigration and termination of land sales to Jews.)

Foreign Relations of the United States is a great resource, but before World War II they are only available as non-searchable PDFs. I converted the one here to text using an online OCR program.

fascinating


Israel looking at connecting its power grid to Europe

February 27, 2012
As Israel-haters pretend that they can hurt the Jewish state by threatening tiny stores in the Pacific Northwest and insecure second-tier performing artists, Israel is making billion-dollar deals with Europe aimed at maintaining energy independence.

From Engineering News-Record:

Israeli Energy and Water Minister Uzi Landau has instructed the Israel Electric Corp. to advance a project that would connect the country to the European power grid by way of Cyprus and Greece. Officials of the state-owned power company are set to sign an agreement soon with DEI-Quantum Energy—an entity owned by Greece’s largest utility, a Cypriot bank and private investors—for a feasibiilty study of the first 270-kilometer segment to connect with the Cyprus power network.

If the proposed EuroAsia Interconnector project is fully realized, it would be, at 998 km, one of the world’s longest underwater power cables. According to the Israeli utility, it would have a capacity of up to 2000 MW.

The proposed line would extend from the Israeli city of Haifa on the Mediterranean coast to the southeastern coast of Cyprus, then to the northwestern coast of Crete and on to the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece.

Landau said the project would give Israel a much-needed power-source backup and connect the country’s stand-alone network with Europe, significantly boosting its future energy security. “The project could have a tremendous positive impact on the Israeli economy,” he said.

The overall cost of the project is estimated at 1.5 billion euros, with the Israel-Cyprus segment put at 500 million euros. Israel Electric officials said the investment would pay for itself within four years.

Other project components to be managed by DEI-Quantum Energy include construction of powerplants in Cyprus, Crete and the Peloponnese peninsula, with the cost to be covered by the firm, its partners and various Israeli investors.

“Considering Israel’s and Cyprus’ natural-gas discoveries, Greece’s energy shortage and the massive demand for energy within Europe, for Cyprus, the sky is the limit,” said Nasos Ktorides, DEI-Quantum Energy chairman. He said Israel is expected to exploit its natural-gas discoveries much sooner than Cyprus and that it would be prudent for Cyprus to find “decisive and productive ways to export the excess energy to an already established electricity grid.”

The feasibility study is expected to be completed in 2012. DEI-Quantum said the project could be started in 2013 and completed within 36 months.

The proposed power cable and related projects were among “energy cooperation” issues dicussed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month during a one-day visit to Cyprus—the first such trip by any prime minister of the country.

(h/t Rachelle)

the best way to fix the Euro is through energy. Energy is what decides industrial production. Europe could fix itself if it moved from tourism to industry. An expensive Euro and an unstable populace of Muslims makes for deterring potential tourists looking to get away.


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