“We do not yet understand the Logic of Lebanon . . . ,” ISIS spokesman Saaden Ibn-Jahshein hissed, scanning an organizational chart of the Lebanese state, prominent political parties, feudal families, local bosses, religious leaders, garden-variety thugs, ambassadors, other foreign participants, and pop-up nongovernmental organizations and consultancies. “Who the fuck do we overthrow around here?”
Thanks to Slate for providing us with this handy Middle East Friendship Chart:
A statement dated from last week and purportedly issued by the Islamic State jihadist group that took over the city and large swathes of Iraq during a sweeping offensive last month warned Mosul’s Christians they should convert, pay a special tax, leave or face death.
Louis Raphaël I Sako, Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylon, told Agence France-Presse. “For the first time in the history of Iraq, Mosul is now empty of Christians.”
‘Mosul is now empty of Christians’ after Islamic State jihadist give ultimatum.
Police officials say a proposed medical registry of 20,000 students with disabilities would be “an administrative nightmare” and would require resources the NYPD doesn’t have.
Deputy Chief Jeremiah Quinlan, the commanding officer of the NYPD’s special investigations division, said “One serious problem with registries is that they’re generally outdated by the time they’re created.”
I call “bullshit!” The NYPD no doubt has registries of supposed terrorists, bicycle riders, foreigners, and who-knows-what else. But no time to find Avonte Oquendo.
Yes, the New York Times columnist is losing it. On Meet the Press, he actually said the following:
“Basically since Yalta we’ve had an assumption that borders are basically going to be borders, and once that comes into question, if in Ukraine or in Crimea or anywhere else, then all over the world … all bets are off. And let’s face it, Obama, whether deservedly or not, does have a — I’ll say it crudely — but a manhood problem in the Middle East. Is he tough enough to stand up to somebody like Assad or somebody like Putin? I think a lot of the rap is unfair, but certainly in the Middle East there is an assumption that he’s not tough enough.”
Our sympathies go out to his friends and family.
David Brooks Actually Talked About Obama’s ‘Manhood Problem In The Middle East’.
Scarlett Johansson, the actress, model, singer and political activist, has served as a Global Ambassador for Oxfam International since 2007. In her role as an Oxfam ambassador, she raised funds, promoted awareness about global poverty, and traveled to India, Sri Lanka and Kenya to highlight the impact of traumatic disasters and chronic poverty.
Earlier this month, Johansson signed on as the first global brand ambassador of SodaStream International Ltd., an Israeli company that operates in the West Bank.
When the inevitable anti-Israel backlash began, Johansson stood firm, saying she was a “supporter of economic cooperation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine.” Good for her.
Oxfam, it turns out, has a strong policy on Israel: they oppose all trade from Israeli settlements, saying they are illegal and deny Palestinian rights. Oxfam declared that it was “considering the implications of her new statement and what it means for Ms. Johansson’s role as an Oxfam global ambassador.”
ScarJo responded that she has “respectfully decided to end her ambassador role with Oxfam after eight years . . . She and Oxfam have a fundamental difference of opinion in regards to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. She is very proud of her accomplishments and fundraising efforts during her tenure with Oxfam.”
I used to think that Oxfam was a politically neutral charity, just like I used to think that Susan G. Komen for the Cure was. I was so naive.
Scarlett Johansson Stepping Down As Oxfam Ambassador days after Super Bowl ad pulled – NY Daily News.
The Repubs, who are the biggest boosters of American exceptionalism, are on the road to permanently destroying America’s preeminent role in world affairs. Secretary of State Kerry says, “I believe that those standing in the way (of a resolution) need to think long and hard about the message that we send to the world when we can’t get our own act together.”
It looks like, if the Repubs don’t get their own way, they’ll fuck it up for everyone. And that’s why we say BITE ME!
In a genius PR move, the Israeli embassy has announced that “5 Broken Cameras, ” an Oscar-nominated documentary on Israel’s settlement expansion on the West Bank, is an Israeli film. In response, directors Emad Burnat (a Palestinian, whatever that means) and Guy Davidi (Israeli) claim “This is a Palestinian documentary” and that Israel is trying to use it “to show the good face of Israel.”
Those who demonize Israel can just Bite Me already.
‘5 Broken Cameras’ Directors: ‘This Is A Palestinian Film’ (VIDEO).
Mitt can Bite Me. He implies that the embassy attacks are the result of Obama’s weakness. But under Ronald Reagan, there were attacks on our embassies in Beirut, Kuwait, Jakarta, and Rome. I’m waiting to hear Mitt denounce Reagan for his weak leadership.
When rioters attacked the US embassy in Egypt, embassy officials said, “We like Islam and the Prophet. Really!” When Mitt Romney heard that, he went apeshit:
“I’m outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi, [Ed note: it wasn’t a consulate worker, but the Ambassador]” Romney said. “It’s disgraceful that the Obama Administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.”
Mitt Romney: the greatest danger to America’s security today.
via Romney calls Obama administration response to Libya attacks ‘disgraceful’.