that israel girl

It’s staggering to me how easily Israel’s opponents can find a forum where they are allowed to disseminate untruths unchallenged.  The Los Angeles Times Book Festival was a fertile ground for (mis)truths about Israel and the Middle East.

Scene of the crime–LA Times Book Festival, “Shifting Sands: The Middle East in a Time of Change” discussion panel,

Laurie Brand, director of USC School of International Relations and 2008 Carnegie Scholar

April 25, 2009, 1100 hours.

Laurie Brand, director of USC School of International Relations and 2008 Carnegie Scholar, gives audience her own brand of Middle East insight–”[Iranian] Shi’ite’s are not trying to spread their influence…This is nothing more than Arab hysteria!”

Her recollection of events continues, “The Shia Crescent [Middle East's emerging Shia population with alleged nefarious intent] is a myth” propagated by Arab nations like Jordan and Egypt, and others, who want to detract from the reality their governments are unable to provide solutions for their countrymen’s economic woes.

Just the facts, Ma’am: 1) Hamas and Hezbollah are Iran’s terrorist proxies who surround Israel.  They receive Iran’s millions and rockets to destroy the Holy Land.  2) Iran refuses to “vacate the premises,” illegally occupying 3 United Arab Emirates islands.  3) Shi’ite Hezbollah recently planned terrorist attacks on tourists in Tel Aviv and Egypt.  (A fact Laurie Brand dismissed with the wave of her hand.)  4)  Hezbollah sleeper cells are all over the world, from Europe, to key areas of the Middle East, from Mexico to South America.

Another significant fact–Iranian Shia soldiers (Basij) and officials openly discuss plans to spread the Shi-ite Muslim faith globally.  Ms. Brand, please take the time to refute their testimony:

No surprise Laurie Brand and co-panelist, Gholam Reza Afkhami, Iran’s former deputy minister of state, stuck to the

Gholam Reza Afkhami, Iran's former deputy minister of state

same story–”Israel must deal with the Palestinian issue first, then Iran.”  Incidentally, that was proceeded by Afkhami’s defiant rant–”It is Iran’s nationalistic right to a nuclear program that could later be developed into a nuclear bomb…Iran would never use.  And if Iran develops a nuclear weapon, there is nothing anyone can do about it.”

The charade–just part of Brand and Afkhami’s self-promoting, PR book tours.  Needless to say, their books did not make my wish list–I refrain from filling the coffers of those who bear false witness.

Sources:
(1)  “Shifting Sands: The Middle East in a Time of Change” discussion panel, LA Times Book Festival, March 25, 2009
(2)  “Mubarak warns Iran of Cairo’s ‘fury,’” jpost.com, April 23, 2009
(3)  “UAE: Iran avoiding talks over return of 3 islands,” Associated Press, Taiwan News, April 7, 2009
(4)  “Hezbollah uses Mexican drug routes into U.S.,” by Sara A. Carter, Washington Times online, March 27, 2009
(5)  “Organized Crime and Terrorist Activity in Mexico, 1999-2002,” Report prepared by Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, under an Interagency Agreement with the United States government, February 2003

The GOOD (the West)

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly came out to play today at the United Nations Conference on Racism in Geneva, Switzerland.  Well technically, just the Bad & the Ugly, that is–the UN and Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad made a guest speaking appearance at the conference, otherwise known as Durban II, and immediately went to work with his standard operating procedure–espousing Holocaust denying, anti-West, anti-Semitic rhetoric.

The BAD (UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon)

But equally disturbing was United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s mere slap on Ahmadinejad’s wrist for the anti-West, anti-Semitic onslaught.  CNN reports that, “Ban said he had spoken to the Iranian president and asked him not to focus on ‘divisiveness’ in his address.”

The Iranian leader proceeded to openly defy the UN, acting up as usual, “[the West made] an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering…in order to establish a totally racist government in occupied Palestine…[the West] helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine,” Ahmadinejad accused.  (His “description” of the founding of Israel after WWII.)

He continues, “It is all the more regrettable that a number of Western governments and the United States have

& the UGLY (Iranian president, Ahmadinejad)

committed themselves to defend those racist perpetrators of genocide.”

What did Ahmadinejad get for his open defiance?  Ban Ki-moon chided Ahmadinejad for his apparent disobedience, “It is deeply regrettable that my plea to look to the future of unity was not heeded by the Iranian president,” offered the UN Secretary-General.

Evidence United Nations’ efforts at “discipline” are appeasement in disguise, and do nothing but encourage defiance.  Just think, appeasement did such “wonders” for Hitler and the Nazi’s.

Sources:
(1)  “Envoys walk out of U.N. anti-racism conference,” cnn.com,  April 20, 2009
(2)  “Ahmadinejad attacks Israel, U.S. at U.N. Racism Conference,” foxnews.com, April 20, 2009

For everyone baffled about the origins of Iran’s drones–look to Russia.  This Israel Girl thinks model airplanes from

Ababil-3, Suspected Iranian Drone Shot Down by US in Iraq

the Soviet Union might have started it all.  What do childish toys have to do with drones?  Innocuous model airplanes are the building blocks of drones.

Drones are unmanned aircraft usually used for spying and/or military attacks.  They are either remote controlled or fly via pre-programmed aviation plans.  You know, kind of like deadly model airplanes.

The former Soviet Union cashed in on the model airplane market years ago–around the 1990’s.  Making them on the cheap, then selling these aerodynamic toys overseas.

Coincidentally, Iran allegedly began drone development sometime in the 1990’s.  Did Russia develop drones then sell them or the technology to Iran?

Well Iran and Russia have been chummy.  In fact, Russia has a proven track record of selling weaponry to Iran.  China’s another suspect in the caper.  Or perhaps Iran shot down an Israeli drone, then mimicked.  But our bets are on Russia.

Model Airplane

Tehran also hasn’t exactly demonstrated the aerodynamic engineering intuition that say, the Germans had leading up to WWII and beyond.  While the Germans were down and out, banned from developing fighter planes, they worked diligently on what they could do–gliders and mastery of aerodynamics.

Iran on the other hand, tends to mimic.  Or obtain deadly weaponry on the sly from bigger powers like say–Russia.

Now Iran has given drones to their “friends,” Hezbollah.  What a surprise.

And that’s not the only alarming news.  Pakistan’s President Zadari audaciously asked US negotiators, Holbrooke and Mullen, for our drones.  Because?  “We would appreciate it if the [drone] technology were transferred,” Zadari finagled, so that the Predators could become “our hammer against the [terrorist] menace.  Then we could justify it.”  Sounds suspect.

Urgent note to the US–don’t give ‘em the drones!  Unless you want our drone technology sold to Al Qaeda and the like.

Rogue nations giving sophisticated spy and combat weaponry to terrorists.  Did somebody say, “Houston–I think we have a problem”?

Sources:
(1)  “U.S. Says it Shot Down an Iranian Drone in Iraq,” by Rod Nordland and Alissa J. Rubin, The New York Times.com, March 16, 2009
(2)  Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC, March 12, 2009
(3)  ”A Short Fuse in Pakistan,” by David Ignatius, Washington Post.com, April 10, 2009

Susan Rice, US Ambassador to UN, Pushes for Re-Consideration of America's Entering Durban II

“Just when I thought I was out…they pull me back in,” says Michael Corleone in Godfather III.

If only the current US stance on Durban II were a Hollywood movie–but it’s all too real.  Susan Rice, US Ambassador to the United Nations wants America back in Durban II, otherwise known as the United Nations conference on racism.

Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, pulled out of the last notorious “rascism conference” held in Durban, South Africa, in 2001.  Participants held up signs that read, “Hitler should have

2001 Durban Conference Handout

finished the job,” and so on.

The Obama team decided against the next conference scheduled for this month in Geneva.  His negotiators apparently got nowhere with infamous Israel bashers and key players, Libya(conference Chair), Iran and Cuba (Co-Chairs).

Yet Susan Rice wants in.  ”We haven’t taken a decision about our participation or actual involvement in the negotiations at this stage,” she recently stated.

American involvement validates not only anti-Semitism, but the violence Iran and other conference participants instigate.

2001 Durban Conference

And may I point out the Durban II participants have Kassam rockets, and soon to come–nuclear weapons poised to annihilate the Jewish State. 

And what about the violence against other regions of the world such as Darfur?  Sudan’s a Durbanite too.  Indeed, many conference participants have a touch of genocidal mania.

(By the way, we’re also wondering why the Swiss agreed to have Durban II hosted in their country in the first place.)

Sources:
(1) “A U.N. Education: There’s No Reasoning with Racism,” opinion journal, wsj.com, March 2, 2009
(2) United Nations Dispatch.com
(3) ”Obama Era Goodwill for Rice at U.N.” by Ben Smith, Politico.com, April 4, 2009
(4) wiesenthal.com