The Flashlight, June 14-22, 2007
THE FLASHLIGHT, June 14-22, 2007
Palestine/Israel
CNN 6-14, Hamas had taken over all of Gaza by force. There has been widespread killing and looting of Fatah property. Hamas has declared an Islamic government. Fatah, led by Mahmoud Abbas, has dissolved its coalition government with Hamas and replaced it with an all-Fatah emergency cabinet. Hamas leader Haniye has been dismissed as prime minister. 6-16. Fatah moved to strengthen its control of the West Bank, killing and looting.
NYTimes 6-18. Fatah outlawed Hamas in West Bank.
Guardian 6-18. US lifted its economic and political embargo on the Palestinian government, since Hamas was no longer part of it. The borders of Gaza with Egypt and Israel are closed. 6-19. US promised $40 million in direct aid to the new Palestinian government. Israel released millions in taxes belonging to the Palestinians which it had withheld in protest against the Hamas control over the government. Olmert and Bush push for a two-state solution.
Sen. George Mitchell pointed out that the Bush Administration had given the Palestinian government inadequate support and had insisted on elections when it had been warned that Hamas would probably win.
NYTimes 6-21. The Bush Administration, alarmed by the Hamas takeover in Gaza, but “limited” in its options [by the Israeli Lobby], has invited Tony Blair to strengthen the Fatah government and also work to resolve the “final issues” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the status of Jerusalem, borders, and the return of Palestinian refugees. Blair would work with the UN, the EU (European Unon) and the US. He is undecided about accepting the position.
The Israeli Economic Boom
Naomi Klein, The Nation, 2-7-07. The Israeli economy is booming because it is producing highly successful “defense” products. The Israelis exported $1.2 billion worth of these products in 2006, making them the fourth largest arms dealer in the world. The products include high tech fences, biometric ID systems, air passenger profiling systems, prisoner interrogation systems, and drones. Many were tested on the restive Palestinian population in Israeli-occupied territory. Naomi Klein concluded, “Fear is the ultimate renewable resource.”
Iraq
6-14. People’s Weekly World. A strike of Iraqi oil workers has succeeded in getting them better wages and working conditions and also the right to participated in talks on the new oil law.
6-16. Washington Post. Private security companies [read mercenaries], funded by billions in Defense and State Department contracts, are increasing the scale of their operations in Iraq. It is estimated that there are 20,000 to 30,000 men there now. They operate outside Iraqi law. Their casualties are concealed. [In the summer of 2006 an Air Force employee stationed in Kuwait told me that “most” of the coffins coming out of Iraq contained the remains of private contractors. MM]
The New Yorker, 6-25. In an interview with Seymour Hersh, Maj. Gen. Antonio Taquba, who made the revealing official report on the Abu Ghraib scandal and then was forced to retire, said that illegal prisoner abuse was systemic and that Sec. Rumsfeld knew about it five months before the scandal broke. Once it broke Rumsfeld expressed shock and surprise.
6-18, Gen. Petraeus said that it may take ten years to end the conflict in Iraq.
Lebanon
Max Rodenbeck, “Lebanon’s Agony,” New York Review of Books June 28, 2007. The leader of Fatah-al-Islam, the al-Qaeda oriented terrorist group in northern Lebanon, arrived in that country last year after being released from a Syrian prison. He was well supplied with cash. His fighters in Lebanon originated in Saudia, Algeria, Syria et al. and have experience fighting as insurgents in Iraq.The author concludes, “Lebanon remains hostage to the regional ur-conflict over Palestine.” [the word “ur” means “original” and refers to the city of Ur in ancient Mesopotamia where the Sumerians started the first civilization. MM]
Guardian 6-22. The Lebanese defense minister has claimed victory of the extremist sect Fatah al-Islam which emerged in a Palestinian refugee camp.
US Politics
CNN 6-14. Fred Thompson, although not an announced Republican candidate for President, is running second in the polls of Republicans. Giuliani and McCain are declining.
NYTimes 6-19. Major Michael Bloomberg of New York City dropped his Republican registration, enabling him to run for President as an Independent. 6-20 His issues are global warming, immigration, and crackdown on illegal guns. He is pro-choice and pro-gay rights. Thus he is more likely to take votes from the Democrats than from the Republicans.
Missing email. NYTimes 6-20. There are 88 White House staffers who email accounts at the Republican National Committee, but only 51 have email archives. [The remaining 37 did not save their emails. But they may be retrieved nevertheless.] The email archive of Karl Rove, containing 140,000 items, has been retrieved.
Science
The RNA Revolution
The Economist 6-16, pp. 87-89. Geneticists have discovered that RNA does not simply translated DNA instructions into proteins.
There are many and various RNA molecules giving orders to the body. The RNA operating system may be able to modify genes. Thus, Lamarck’s theory of the inheritance of acquired characteristics, which Darwin never discarded entirely, may have unexpected validity.
The Etruscans: Their Origin Determined
The Etruscans, who dominated central Italy [Tuscany and Umbria] before the Romans, originated in what is now called Turkey (previously, Anatolia). The evidence is genetic, based on studies of living inhabitants of central Italy and people in the vicinity of Izmir (formerly Smyrna) et al. This confirms the theory of Herodotus (Greek historian, sixth century b.c.e.) who said the Etruscans came from “Lydia.” The first trace of the Etruscans in Italy is 1200 b.c.e. They introduced the first alphabetic writing there. They also invented the fasces as a symbol of authority; it contained an ax surrounded by whipping rods tied by a red cord into a bundle. Mussolini and his Fascists adopted it as their emblem.
Literature – and Politics
Guardian 6-19. The British have knighted Salman Rushdie, novelist, who satirized Islam. Various Muslims in Pakistan et al. expressed outrage and Rushdie began to get death threats again.
Correction to the preceding issue:
A friend has informed me that Robert Mueller, Director of the FBI, is scrupulously honest in all his dealings and only uses the FBI airplane for official business. This includes making speeches about the FBI around the country.
Palestine/Israel
CNN 6-14, Hamas had taken over all of Gaza by force. There has been widespread killing and looting of Fatah property. Hamas has declared an Islamic government. Fatah, led by Mahmoud Abbas, has dissolved its coalition government with Hamas and replaced it with an all-Fatah emergency cabinet. Hamas leader Haniye has been dismissed as prime minister. 6-16. Fatah moved to strengthen its control of the West Bank, killing and looting.
NYTimes 6-18. Fatah outlawed Hamas in West Bank.
Guardian 6-18. US lifted its economic and political embargo on the Palestinian government, since Hamas was no longer part of it. The borders of Gaza with Egypt and Israel are closed. 6-19. US promised $40 million in direct aid to the new Palestinian government. Israel released millions in taxes belonging to the Palestinians which it had withheld in protest against the Hamas control over the government. Olmert and Bush push for a two-state solution.
Sen. George Mitchell pointed out that the Bush Administration had given the Palestinian government inadequate support and had insisted on elections when it had been warned that Hamas would probably win.
NYTimes 6-21. The Bush Administration, alarmed by the Hamas takeover in Gaza, but “limited” in its options [by the Israeli Lobby], has invited Tony Blair to strengthen the Fatah government and also work to resolve the “final issues” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the status of Jerusalem, borders, and the return of Palestinian refugees. Blair would work with the UN, the EU (European Unon) and the US. He is undecided about accepting the position.
The Israeli Economic Boom
Naomi Klein, The Nation, 2-7-07. The Israeli economy is booming because it is producing highly successful “defense” products. The Israelis exported $1.2 billion worth of these products in 2006, making them the fourth largest arms dealer in the world. The products include high tech fences, biometric ID systems, air passenger profiling systems, prisoner interrogation systems, and drones. Many were tested on the restive Palestinian population in Israeli-occupied territory. Naomi Klein concluded, “Fear is the ultimate renewable resource.”
Iraq
6-14. People’s Weekly World. A strike of Iraqi oil workers has succeeded in getting them better wages and working conditions and also the right to participated in talks on the new oil law.
6-16. Washington Post. Private security companies [read mercenaries], funded by billions in Defense and State Department contracts, are increasing the scale of their operations in Iraq. It is estimated that there are 20,000 to 30,000 men there now. They operate outside Iraqi law. Their casualties are concealed. [In the summer of 2006 an Air Force employee stationed in Kuwait told me that “most” of the coffins coming out of Iraq contained the remains of private contractors. MM]
The New Yorker, 6-25. In an interview with Seymour Hersh, Maj. Gen. Antonio Taquba, who made the revealing official report on the Abu Ghraib scandal and then was forced to retire, said that illegal prisoner abuse was systemic and that Sec. Rumsfeld knew about it five months before the scandal broke. Once it broke Rumsfeld expressed shock and surprise.
6-18, Gen. Petraeus said that it may take ten years to end the conflict in Iraq.
Lebanon
Max Rodenbeck, “Lebanon’s Agony,” New York Review of Books June 28, 2007. The leader of Fatah-al-Islam, the al-Qaeda oriented terrorist group in northern Lebanon, arrived in that country last year after being released from a Syrian prison. He was well supplied with cash. His fighters in Lebanon originated in Saudia, Algeria, Syria et al. and have experience fighting as insurgents in Iraq.The author concludes, “Lebanon remains hostage to the regional ur-conflict over Palestine.” [the word “ur” means “original” and refers to the city of Ur in ancient Mesopotamia where the Sumerians started the first civilization. MM]
Guardian 6-22. The Lebanese defense minister has claimed victory of the extremist sect Fatah al-Islam which emerged in a Palestinian refugee camp.
US Politics
CNN 6-14. Fred Thompson, although not an announced Republican candidate for President, is running second in the polls of Republicans. Giuliani and McCain are declining.
NYTimes 6-19. Major Michael Bloomberg of New York City dropped his Republican registration, enabling him to run for President as an Independent. 6-20 His issues are global warming, immigration, and crackdown on illegal guns. He is pro-choice and pro-gay rights. Thus he is more likely to take votes from the Democrats than from the Republicans.
Missing email. NYTimes 6-20. There are 88 White House staffers who email accounts at the Republican National Committee, but only 51 have email archives. [The remaining 37 did not save their emails. But they may be retrieved nevertheless.] The email archive of Karl Rove, containing 140,000 items, has been retrieved.
Science
The RNA Revolution
The Economist 6-16, pp. 87-89. Geneticists have discovered that RNA does not simply translated DNA instructions into proteins.
There are many and various RNA molecules giving orders to the body. The RNA operating system may be able to modify genes. Thus, Lamarck’s theory of the inheritance of acquired characteristics, which Darwin never discarded entirely, may have unexpected validity.
The Etruscans: Their Origin Determined
The Etruscans, who dominated central Italy [Tuscany and Umbria] before the Romans, originated in what is now called Turkey (previously, Anatolia). The evidence is genetic, based on studies of living inhabitants of central Italy and people in the vicinity of Izmir (formerly Smyrna) et al. This confirms the theory of Herodotus (Greek historian, sixth century b.c.e.) who said the Etruscans came from “Lydia.” The first trace of the Etruscans in Italy is 1200 b.c.e. They introduced the first alphabetic writing there. They also invented the fasces as a symbol of authority; it contained an ax surrounded by whipping rods tied by a red cord into a bundle. Mussolini and his Fascists adopted it as their emblem.
Literature – and Politics
Guardian 6-19. The British have knighted Salman Rushdie, novelist, who satirized Islam. Various Muslims in Pakistan et al. expressed outrage and Rushdie began to get death threats again.
Correction to the preceding issue:
A friend has informed me that Robert Mueller, Director of the FBI, is scrupulously honest in all his dealings and only uses the FBI airplane for official business. This includes making speeches about the FBI around the country.
posted by THE FLASHLIGHT at 6:53 AM
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