Good ol Cynthia McKenny

[Gaspar]

Waging war against Israel in her own special way.



Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said an Israeli navy ship intercepted the boat, which he said ignored an Israeli radio order to turn back as it approached Gaza early Tuesday.

Palmor saids the boat tried to outmaneuver an Israeli navy ship and crashed into it, lightly damaging both vessels. The navy then escorted the boat out into the territorial waters of Cyprus.

"We were prevented from entering Gaza ... by Israeli patrol boats that tracked us for about 30 minutes. They shone their spotlight on us and then all of a sudden they rammed us approximately three times, twice in the front and once in the side," said former U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney who was aboard the boat.

"Communications from the Israelis indicated that we were involved in terrorist activities ... I presume that's why they rammed our boat," she added.

Well I'm glad she wasn't hurt.  Now someone take her passport away!

[Red Arrow]

quote:Originally posted by Gaspar
They shone their spotlight on us and then all of a sudden they rammed us approximately three times, twice in the front and

Sounds a bit like "he hurt my fist by repeatedly hitting it with his nose".

What a spin.

[waterboy]

It always surprises me how much we demean and suspect our own news media and government press spokesmen yet, when an Israeli spokesman and press covers their behinds with boilerplate press releases, everyone thinks its the God's truth. As usual there is only one story line being reported as credible in the Gaza crisis and it is swallowed by everyone. Same thing with this wild eyed McKenny story.

I am no defender of Hamas but frankly, we are naive to believe that, considering the timing of this, that there isn't some credibility to the Hamas story. They have asserted that Israeli operatives may have fired the rockets in an effort to promulgate a crisis and take advantage of the dead time between US presidential leadership.  They insist that they have never proclaimed the cease fire to be ended. Knowing the past history of the region its not too far fetched. Israel can work with a government such as the west bank that doesn't espouse their annihilation, but the democratic election of Hamas for Gaza leadership cannot be tolerated.

However, you would have to work hard to find such reporting in US media. We should be skeptical of such scenarios even by our allies.

[Gaspar]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

It always surprises me how much we demean and suspect our own news media and government press spokesmen yet, when an Israeli spokesman and press covers their behinds with boilerplate press releases, everyone thinks its the God's truth. As usual there is only one story line being reported as credible in the Gaza crisis and it is swallowed by everyone. Same thing with this wild eyed McKenny story.

I am no defender of Hamas but frankly, we are naive to believe that, considering the timing of this, that there isn't some credibility to the Hamas story. They have asserted that Israeli operatives may have fired the rockets in an effort to promulgate a crisis and take advantage of the dead time between US presidential leadership.  They insist that they have never proclaimed the cease fire to be ended. Knowing the past history of the region its not too far fetched. Israel can work with a government such as the west bank that doesn't espouse their annihilation, but the democratic election of Hamas for Gaza leadership cannot be tolerated.

However, you would have to work hard to find such reporting in US media. We should be skeptical of such scenarios even by our allies.

I wholeheartedly agree, but I would add that all media poses strong bias today.  It's necessary to seek numerous sources, and then at best you still only get about 30% of the story.

She is admitting directly her intentions.  Involving herself in an international incident that is far above her station as a congress person.  She is a representative of the United States Government and she is taking ACTION that conflicts with US policy.  

It is one thing to speak out against US policy, that is her right and responsibility, but when you engage an ally foreign military and attempt to break a blockade as a United States Representative without the backing of your government. If we consider Hamas an enemy of the United States (as they espouse themselves) these actions could be considered as treason.

Article III Section 3 delineates treason as follows:

   Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.

I don't think she is a traitor, I just think she is a very very stupid person.  I think her fellow Representatives feel this way too, so as a service to her, and to the US, I think her passport should be revoked.  

As a US Representative she carries a passport with the subclass statement U.S. government employee, for travel on official business. This binds government officials to a specific code of ethics when abroad and entitles her to certain diplomatic privileges. It also constitutes her actions as "official business"; therefore, if she is engaging in political actions that refute US policy then she is not acting in accordance with the subclass of her passport and the Secretary of State has the responsibility to revoke it.

[guido911]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

It always surprises me how much we demean and suspect our own news media and government press spokesmen yet, when an Israeli spokesman and press covers their behinds with boilerplate press releases, everyone thinks its the God's truth. As usual there is only one story line being reported as credible in the Gaza crisis and it is swallowed by everyone. Same thing with this wild eyed McKenny story.

I am no defender of Hamas but frankly, we are naive to believe that, considering the timing of this, that there isn't some credibility to the Hamas story. They have asserted that Israeli operatives may have fired the rockets in an effort to promulgate a crisis and take advantage of the dead time between US presidential leadership.  They insist that they have never proclaimed the cease fire to be ended. Knowing the past history of the region its not too far fetched. Israel can work with a government such as the west bank that doesn't espouse their annihilation, but the democratic election of Hamas for Gaza leadership cannot be tolerated.

However, you would have to work hard to find such reporting in US media. We should be skeptical of such scenarios even by our allies.

So the Hamas terrorists lobbing 200 plus missiles into Israeli civilian neighborhoods and hiding weapons caches in schools and hospitals are getting a bad rap?

[guido911]

quote:Originally posted by Gaspar

Waging war against Israel in her own special way.



Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said an Israeli navy ship intercepted the boat, which he said ignored an Israeli radio order to turn back as it approached Gaza early Tuesday.

Palmor saids the boat tried to outmaneuver an Israeli navy ship and crashed into it, lightly damaging both vessels. The navy then escorted the boat out into the territorial waters of Cyprus.

"We were prevented from entering Gaza ... by Israeli patrol boats that tracked us for about 30 minutes. They shone their spotlight on us and then all of a sudden they rammed us approximately three times, twice in the front and once in the side," said former U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney who was aboard the boat.

"Communications from the Israelis indicated that we were involved in terrorist activities ... I presume that's why they rammed our boat," she added.

Well I'm glad she wasn't hurt.  Now someone take her passport away!

Remember when this moonbat punched that D.C. cop about two years ago?

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by guido911

quote:Originally posted by Gaspar

Waging war against Israel in her own special way.



Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said an Israeli navy ship intercepted the boat, which he said ignored an Israeli radio order to turn back as it approached Gaza early Tuesday.

Palmor saids the boat tried to outmaneuver an Israeli navy ship and crashed into it, lightly damaging both vessels. The navy then escorted the boat out into the territorial waters of Cyprus.

"We were prevented from entering Gaza ... by Israeli patrol boats that tracked us for about 30 minutes. They shone their spotlight on us and then all of a sudden they rammed us approximately three times, twice in the front and once in the side," said former U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney who was aboard the boat.

"Communications from the Israelis indicated that we were involved in terrorist activities ... I presume that's why they rammed our boat," she added.

Well I'm glad she wasn't hurt.  Now someone take her passport away!

Remember when this moonbat punched that D.C. cop about two years ago?

Those eyes are just creepin' me out.

[cannon_fodder]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

They have asserted that Israeli operatives may have fired the rockets in an effort to promulgate a crisis and take advantage of the dead time between US presidential leadership.  They insist that they have never proclaimed the cease fire to be ended. Knowing the past history of the region its not too far fetched. Israel can work with a government such as the west bank that doesn't espouse their annihilation, but the democratic election of Hamas for Gaza leadership cannot be tolerated.

Step 1:  agree to peace and abandon settlements in Gaza.  Step 2: sneak in to Gaza and lobbed rockets at their civilians, then orchestrated rallies in Gaza, got the Egyptians and Saudi's to essentially abandon Hamas.  Step 3: profit.

I don't get it.  What have their gained from all this effort?  A few hundred dead Israeli's, dead Palestinians, financial cost, a destabilized region, and international hostility.  Doesn't sound like they are coming out ahead.

It seems MORE likely to me that the group whose state goal is the inhalation of the State of Israel has been lobbing rockets at their stated target.  Recall that the entire reason Hamas is labeled as a terrorist group by everyone (this includes Saudi Arabia and Egypt ffs) is because they are terrorists.  They basically invented the suicide bomber and pride themselves on the ability to kill hundreds of people on buses, pizza parlors, or market streets.  They hold rallies with wonderful chants and supply placards that read: DEATH TO ISRAEL.  Literally, the stated goal of their organization is to wipe Israel off the map.  Then they act SHOCKED when they get accused of launching rockets from territory they control into Israel (rocket trails are not hard to spot, FYI).

Frankly, I don't care if they declared the ceasefire over or not.  Every time you announce that you want to destroy a country, when rockets are consistently fired from territory you control at some other territory, you have ended the ceasefire.  Unless you have some support or reason for the notion that the Israeli's abandoned their settlements only to sneak in and rocket their population centers in order to (insert some goal here)... it sounds like BS.

And why is it so shocking that Israel has a problem working with a government that calls for their destruction?  Seems rational to me.  Why would I do anything to help a group that wants to destroy me?  Fatah is not a desirable group but has not called for nor attempted to destroy Israel for a decade and thus, is left alone.

Realistically, a brief period of extreme violence is what the region needs.  In the long run it will be much better for all than a prolonged conflict.  

- - -

And on the big picture:  no one in the Israeli situation is in the right.  No one.  Very few people have an exclusive claim to a "homeland."  Nearly every group killed or chased away the previous group, who usually now lives nearby.  

In this instance, the Israeli's were there first thousands of years before Islam was a religion (by killing off the previous men residing there, throwing children from the ramparts and enslaving women in the name of God, before being conquered themselves several times, then reclaiming the territory), they were then conquered by the Romans, who got beat out by several groups who then the Arabs conquered the territory in the name of God, who were beaten out by the Christians (in the name of God), reconquered by the Arabs (in the name of God), until the Ottoman's ultimately claimed control.  The British took the region over after WWI, who were taken by the Germans during WWII, only to return after WWI.  Israeli political pressure and terrorism eventually got them a "homeland" and the British et. al. gave them the territory they held.

Clearly this did not sit well with the conquered people.  Who attacked Israel as soon as they could (anyone know when the Arabs started hating the Jews?  Historically they got along OK), and lost.  Each time the Arabs attacked they lost and more land was taken by Israel.  Eventually land was traded back for peace... the latest deal being Gaza and the West bank for peace with Fatah and Hamas.  And that has worked out well.

Basically...  the native peoples got a raw deal.  But this is nothing new.  Currently the Israeli soldier bombing Gaza and the Palestinian about to the blow himself up are both born to parents who were both born there.  Hard to convince either one of them that they are not "native" to the region or have no claims to it.

Historically both groups can make a claim because they conquered the previous group.  Neither is leaving and neither is giving up.  So until they calm down and learn to deal with it there will be war.  And so long as there will be war Israel (the side at least making lip service to not intentionally blowing up school buses) may as well take it to them instead of waiting around for more rockets (the purpose of which is to terrorize and kill civilians, the rockets used lack accuracy enough to be of much military use).

Most Israeli's and most Palestinians want exactly what you and I want - a steady job, a nice family life, a few coins in our pocket, and some leisure time.  Unfortunately, there is a significant minority population among the Palestinians that want to KILL ALL Israeli's, which makes coexistence rather difficult in spite of whatever concessions Israel might make (like giving away 85% of the territory they once controlled).  

It is well worth noting that there is a minority in Israel who think they should reconquer all possible Arab lands - but I contend the land trades show that their influence is less effective than the "kill all Israelis" lobby on the opposing side.

- - -

More to the point, Gaza is under naval blockade.  Any vessel not authorized approaching the coast will be confronting and escorted away.  I do not see a conflict between the two stories:  she attempted to enter waters restricted by the Israeli Navy, the Israeli Navy stopped her.  Sounds like a coherent, and predictable result.

[mrburns918]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

They have asserted that Israeli operatives may have fired the rockets in an effort to promulgate a crisis and take advantage of the dead time between US presidential leadership.  They insist that they have never proclaimed the cease fire to be ended. Knowing the past history of the region its not too far fetched. Israel can work with a government such as the west bank that doesn't espouse their annihilation, but the democratic election of Hamas for Gaza leadership cannot be tolerated.

Step 1:  agree to peace and abandon settlements in Gaza.  Step 2: sneak in to Gaza and lobbed rockets at their civilians, then orchestrated rallies in Gaza, got the Egyptians and Saudi's to essentially abandon Hamas.  Step 3: profit.

I don't get it.  What have their gained from all this effort?  A few hundred dead Israeli's, dead Palestinians, financial cost, a destabilized region, and international hostility.  Doesn't sound like they are coming out ahead.

It seems MORE likely to me that the group whose state goal is the inhalation of the State of Israel has been lobbing rockets at their stated target.  Recall that the entire reason Hamas is labeled as a terrorist group by everyone (this includes Saudi Arabia and Egypt ffs) is because they are terrorists.  They basically invented the suicide bomber and pride themselves on the ability to kill hundreds of people on buses, pizza parlors, or market streets.  They hold rallies with wonderful chants and supply placards that read: DEATH TO ISRAEL.  Literally, the stated goal of their organization is to wipe Israel off the map.  Then they act SHOCKED when they get accused of launching rockets from territory they control into Israel (rocket trails are not hard to spot, FYI).

Frankly, I don't care if they declared the ceasefire over or not.  Every time you announce that you want to destroy a country, when rockets are consistently fired from territory you control at some other territory, you have ended the ceasefire.  Unless you have some support or reason for the notion that the Israeli's abandoned their settlements only to sneak in and rocket their population centers in order to (insert some goal here)... it sounds like BS.

And why is it so shocking that Israel has a problem working with a government that calls for their destruction?  Seems rational to me.  Why would I do anything to help a group that wants to destroy me?  Fatah is not a desirable group but has not called for nor attempted to destroy Israel for a decade and thus, is left alone.

Realistically, a brief period of extreme violence is what the region needs.  In the long run it will be much better for all than a prolonged conflict.  

- - -

And on the big picture:  no one in the Israeli situation is in the right.  No one.  Very few people have an exclusive claim to a "homeland."  Nearly every group killed or chased away the previous group, who usually now lives nearby.  

In this instance, the Israeli's were there first thousands of years before Islam was a religion (by killing off the previous men residing there, throwing children from the ramparts and enslaving women in the name of God, before being conquered themselves several times, then reclaiming the territory), they were then conquered by the Romans, who got beat out by several groups who then the Arabs conquered the territory in the name of God, who were beaten out by the Christians (in the name of God), reconquered by the Arabs (in the name of God), until the Ottoman's ultimately claimed control.  The British took the region over after WWI, who were taken by the Germans during WWII, only to return after WWI.  Israeli political pressure and terrorism eventually got them a "homeland" and the British et. al. gave them the territory they held.

Clearly this did not sit well with the conquered people.  Who attacked Israel as soon as they could (anyone know when the Arabs started hating the Jews?  Historically they got along OK), and lost.  Each time the Arabs attacked they lost and more land was taken by Israel.  Eventually land was traded back for peace... the latest deal being Gaza and the West bank for peace with Fatah and Hamas.  And that has worked out well.

Basically...  the native peoples got a raw deal.  But this is nothing new.  Currently the Israeli soldier bombing Gaza and the Palestinian about to the blow himself up are both born to parents who were both born there.  Hard to convince either one of them that they are not "native" to the region or have no claims to it.

Historically both groups can make a claim because they conquered the previous group.  Neither is leaving and neither is giving up.  So until they calm down and learn to deal with it there will be war.  And so long as there will be war Israel (the side at least making lip service to not intentionally blowing up school buses) may as well take it to them instead of waiting around for more rockets (the purpose of which is to terrorize and kill civilians, the rockets used lack accuracy enough to be of much military use).

Most Israeli's and most Palestinians want exactly what you and I want - a steady job, a nice family life, a few coins in our pocket, and some leisure time.  Unfortunately, there is a significant minority population among the Palestinians that want to KILL ALL Israeli's, which makes coexistence rather difficult in spite of whatever concessions Israel might make (like giving away 85% of the territory they once controlled).  

It is well worth noting that there is a minority in Israel who think they should reconquer all possible Arab lands - but I contend the land trades show that their influence is less effective than the "kill all Israelis" lobby on the opposing side.

- - -

More to the point, Gaza is under naval blockade.  Any vessel not authorized approaching the coast will be confronting and escorted away.  I do not see a conflict between the two stories:  she attempted to enter waters restricted by the Israeli Navy, the Israeli Navy stopped her.  Sounds like a coherent, and predictable result.

Excellent post. Especially about the commonality of what most Israeli and Palestinians want in life.

Anyone else find it ironic that most of your "if you aren't saved, you are going to hell" Christians support Israel's right to exist yet I can't walk through the parking lot at during the Fair without six fundamentalists asking me if I am saved and I am going to hell if I'm not?

Just always found it a bit ironic.

Mr. Burns - Lutherans love everyone as long as you have been baptized and believe in the Missouri Synod way. Just kiddin.

[Gaspar]

The new Palestinian leadership is passing some interesting new laws:

On Tuesday, Hamas legislators marked the Christmas season by passing a Shari'a criminal code for the Palestinian Authority. Among other things, it legalizes crucifixion.

Hamas's endorsement of nailing enemies of Islam to crosses came at the same time it renewed its jihad. Here, too, Hamas wanted to make sure that Christians didn't feel neglected as its fighters launched missiles at Jewish day care centers and schools. So on Wednesday, Hamas lobbed a mortar shell at the Erez crossing point into Israel just as a group of Gazan Christians were standing on line waiting to travel to Bethlehem for Christmas.
--Jerusalem Post

[cannon_fodder]

I read that too Gus, but was unable to verify it.  The original article comes from the Jerusalem Post - which is a reliable source in most matters.  However, in this instance a secondary source would be more useful IMHO.

Hamas denies they passed such a law.

[Breadburner]

She makes Oprah look ****able....

[guido911]

quote:Originally posted by Breadburner

She makes Oprah look ****able....

Well a big THANK YOU for that mental picture.

[guido911]

Here a funny (kinda) comedy riff by Israeli TV re: BBC Gaza's pro-Palistinean coverage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUzLyCN-MWw&eurl=http://hotair.com/archives/2009/01/14/video-israeli-tv-goofs-on-bbcs-gaza-bias/

[Breadburner]

Times they are a changin....!!!