Holly is a symbol of goodwill and joy. In the Victorian language of flowers, holly means foresight. Holly is seen as a symbol of good luck in both Christianity and Islam. But most importantly for me, it is said that disputes are often solved "under the holly tree"
How does one even begin to explain Yemen's president's statement concerning Mahmud Abbas's visit there today? Searching for answers, knowing that certainly there are newspapers and Satellite television in Yemen, I can only come up with one possibility. It's the full moon today! How can anyone in their right mind congratulate Abbas's efforts in achieving Palestinian unity after the PA acquiesced on defering the vote on the Goldstone report? Has Yemen's president been holed up somewhere and is unaware? God, I hope so, because this statement is something out of the Twilight Zone:
"He congratulated efforts exerted to bring together Fatah and Hamas, noting that this move serves the Palestinians issue and their legitimate struggle to gain their rights".
In more full moon news, the National is reporting that Egypt is hoping to schedule Palestinian national unity talks for later this month.
And the beat goes on as Abbas peddles his wares to willing hosts as all hell breaks loose just as Israel desires.
Palestinian fury as Abbas stalls Israeli war crimes vote
Published Date: 05 October 2009 By Ben Lynfield in Jerusalem PALESTINIAN president Mahmoud Abbas is facing a wave of anger from his own people after foiling a United Nations resolution that would have brought Israeli officials closer to prosecution for alleged crimes during last winter's Gaza war. Critics say it is one of the worst blunders Mr Abbas has made during his four-year term.
"Many people here believe it's treason," said Iyad Sarraj, director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme in Gaza City. Gaza is still reeling from
Israel's Operation Cast Lead last winter that left almost 1,400 Palestinians dead, most of them civilians.
We've all read it, the shocking yet not to be unexpected news that the Palestinian Authority supported the delaying of the vote in the UN Human Rights Council on passing the Goldstone Report to the UN General Assembly for further action which could have resulted in Israel being tried for war crimes for it's massacre of Gaza in their actions in Dec. 2008-January 2009.
Now YNet is reporting that Abbas is calling for an investigation of who was behind supporting the deferral. I've heard it all now. First, is Abbas trying to say that the PA's left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing? Is he suggesting that the PA didn't support the deferral? Is he looking for a scapegoat to defray blame from himself where the buck is SUPPOSED to stop? What sort of masqerade "investigation" by the PA is YNet reporting here?
Send in the clowns. Better yet, since Abbas has made nicey nice with Bibi, let's just do this all in cordial manner, in fact, I suggest they sit down around the campfire, roast some samores and sing a song to get to the bottom of this. Yes Abu Mazen, how are you going to explain your way out of this one? Absolutely pathetic.
Here goes Abu Mazen, let's sing this song and play the game. You need to take it outside around the campfire. Let's get to the bottom of this because you, the complete and utter sell out to your people, need to be picked up and hosed down so that you can continue this sham of "peace negotiations" you have been engaging in so that Israel can continue occupying, imprisoning, murdering, starving and humiliating your people, all with YOUR cooperation.
Get down to it Abu Mazen, if you need the recipe for samores it is HERE
Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? Abu Mazen stole the cookies from the cookie jar. Who me? NOT ME, couldn't be! YES YOU!
"Damascus is lately occupied with a long list of activities, which may not give birth to such a visit." You bet they are occupied. On the very same page of the website quoted, champress.net, another article is about the visit to Syria this week by Angelie Jolie and Brad Pitt and their meeting with President Assad two days ago on Friday! )
Ramallah AP is reporting: "In an attempt at damage control, Abbas says he'll have a low-level committee look into the decision-making process". Shhhhhh, sing softly, "who stole the cookie from the cookie jar........shhhhhh"
Do I have some sort of dylexia or possibly am I hallucinating what I am reading HERE
Saudi Arabia is the most religiously strict country in the Middle East, with total segregation of the sexes, and it practices Wahhabi Islam, a byword for conservatism around the region. But the university will not require women to wear veils or cover their faces, and they will be able to mix freely with men.
They will also be allowed to drive, a taboo in a country where women must literally take a back seat to their male drivers.
OMG NO WAY!! Please do not think I am making a values judgment, I lived in KSA when the Kingdom didn't even have fresh milk! (1975-1980)
HONOLULU -- The Army is allowing the first commissioned officer to be court-martialed for refusing to go to Iraq to resign from the service, his attorney said late Friday.
First Lt. Ehren Watada will be granted a discharge Oct. 2, "under other than honorable conditions," attorney Kenneth Kagan said.
Watada told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin he was happy the matter has finally been closed.
As those who have followed Ehren's case would know, the army tried to retry Ehren but FAILED due to Ehren's Constitutional protection against double jeopardy.
Edit to add (9-26) Gregg Kaseoka of the Honolulu Star has also written an article which can be found HERE. However, I feel I need to add to a portion of the information he wrote in order for people to understand. It concerns this paragraph:
"The Army had been contemplating prosecuting Watada for his anti-war sentiments, citing statements against the war and Bush that were not part of the original court-martial. Watada could have been court-martialed for conduct unbecoming an officer for making those statements.
However, Piek said yesterday, the last two remaining specifications under Article 133, conduct unbecoming an officer, have been dismissed".
The first time Ehren was court martialed, these two charges were originally brought against him (explanation below) They concerned an interview he gave to Sarah Olson (HERE) and the speech he gave at a Veterans for Peace rally which Dahr Jamail, (co-winner with Mohammed Omer last year of the Martha Gellhorn Prize), had transcribed (HERE). The army subpoenaed both Sarah Olson and Dahr Jamail. In an article which can be read in it's entirityHERE, Sarah Olson states:
"Every journalist wants to stand by their reporting," Olson told me. "I am no exception. I am proud of the work I did on the Lt. Watada story." But Olson says the Army's request cuts to the heart of the First Amendment. "The Army is attempting to use me - a journalist -- to build its case against personal political speech. That's something I don't think any journalist can do." And she's not the only one who believes this. The Society of Professional Journalists, the Editorial Staff at the LA Times and PEN American Center have issued statements in support of her position.......
When I asked Olson her greatest concern regarding this subpoena, aside from the possibility of a six month jail term, she recounted her dismay in even getting the story out. "For most people," Olson contended, "if you don't see it in the nightly news on television, how do you know it's happening? You don't." Olson also spoke quite fervently about the invasion of journalist's rights, saying, "If you can't report on controversial subjects for fear of being dragged into court - that threatens our Democracy."
In order to save them from having to testify and to lift their subpoenas or face jail time (first court martial), Ehren stipulated to having made those statements. The army then set those two charges aside "without prejudice" which in legal terms means a "dismissal "without prejudice" allows a new suit to be brought on the same cause of action". So even though he was not charged with these two charges the first time, the military could have do so later. So Ehren did this out of courage to save these two journalists from being drug into court or face jail times themselves. At the time he did this, he knew that these charges could be brought later even if he won in his first trial. This is not the act of a coward as many have called him, this was an act of HONOR and COURAGE.
You did it Ehren, hold your head HIGH. THANK YOU FIRST LT. EHREN WATADA!
