Flap Your Lips Friday
Posted by Michelle Moquin on November 23rd, 2012
Good morning!
Thanks for the Thanksgiving wishes. I HOPE everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving yesterday!
Now, thankfully, that a cease-fire has occurred between Gaza and Israel, we can all HOPE that stability and peace can be brought to that region that has been undergoing so much disruption and transformation. Big kudos goes to Hillary Clinton for making this happen. Clinton has been traveling a lot, building and solidifying her foreign relationships and this cease-fire proves her efforts have not been for naught. Her strong working relationships over the past few years with key players, has lead to the success of this cease-fire two days ago.
This girlz got it going. And although she has plans to leave the State Department soon, I sure wish she wouldn’t. Clinton herself, is a key player in this administration and she and her powerful work will be more than missed. In my mind she still holds title of a Wonderful Woman Of The World…and a helluva girlz.
Do I HOPE that she’ll stick around and run for president in 2016? You bet I’m encouraging her to stay – I’d like to see that. In the meantime, I want to congratulate her on a job well done.
Here’s a write that I found that also praises Clinton’s achievement:
Hillary Clinton scores Gaza cease fire success
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got a Gaza cease-fire right at the moment hope seemed dead for a rapid end to the violence — and next time, President Barack Obama will probably have to do it without her.
But Clinton won’t be around much longer to build on that progress. She’s made clear her intention to leave the State Department soon — and while that won’t leave Obama and his administration starting from scratch, it will mean they’ll have to continue without a woman who has built strong working relationships with many of the key players over years. And coming off of a salvaged truce at a critical moment, the impact of that looms large over the White House’s next four years of dealings with the Middle East.
That’s not just about the continuing reverberations from the Arab Spring and violence in Syria, Libya and beyond. The administration has also struggled in its relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, tangling over both the peace process and how to end Tehran’s nuclear program.
The first bus bombing in years struck Tel Aviv just as she arrived for a round of shuttle negotiations that helped produce the deal Wednesday. Clinton, along with White House press secretary Jay Carney, condemned the attack — withering the optimism for stopping the Hamas rocket attacks and the threat of an Israeli ground operation.
Her trip came after days of Obama’s calls with Netanyahu and the Egyptian government — which was negotiating on behalf of Hamas — that had not produced a speedy result. There’s still a long distance between the cease-fire and any kind of lasting peace, but Clinton scored a major victory in a difficult region — one where, despite the list of local Obama priorities, the administration hasn’t seen much progress.
It was a rare bright spot for the Obama administration in a region that is in the midst of a profound transformation from authoritarian rule to popular democracy — and where the United States is seen in a mostly unfavorable light. And it was done by finding the kind of workable ground with the Egyptian government that’s proven difficult for the administration since Hosni Mubarak was toppled and Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist, was elected the new president.
Clinton even announced the agreement standing next to Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr. She hailed the agreement as an important step to bringing stability and peace to a region that has seen major upheaval and transformation in the past two years.
“The people of this region deserve the chance to be free of fear and violence and today’s agreement is a step in the right direction that we should build on,” Clinton said.
The agreement, brokered by Clinton and top Egyptian officials, called for an end to the Hamas rocket attacks and expressed hope for a “broader calm.”
“Every step must move us toward a comprehensive peace for all the people of the region,” she said, calling on Arab and Israeli leaders to concentrate on the broader goal of lasting, permanent peace throughout the region. “There is no substitute for a just and lasting peace.”
They’ll have to continue that journey without her. Though Clinton might have one eye on her legacy as secretary of state with the latest agreement, she has also said publicly that she’s looking forward to spending more time with her television set, even as pundits scrutinize her every word for any clues about whether she plans another presidential run in 2016 — when she would be a favorite for the Democratic nomination.
Beltway speculation has already reached a fever pitch over whether U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice or Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) will replace her, and whether either can get through the Senate confirmation process. Neither would come into dealings with the region with the same background Clinton has.
And as the events of the past week showed, the situation remains difficult, with Hamas firing rockets into Israeli population centers and Israel firing back hard with air strikes and the threat of sending in ground forces.
Israeli leaders have viewed Egypt’s transition from authoritarian government to Islamist democracy warily — fearing renewed tensions or hostilities with a country they’ve been at peace with since 1979. But Egypt’s latest attempt to broker peace between the Palestinian militants and the Israeli government is evidence that the Muslim Brotherhood-led country is committed to preserving regional stability, Clinton said.
“Egypt’s new government is assuming the responsibility and leadership that has long made this country a cornerstone of regional stability,” Clinton said about the agreement.
Obama called Netanyahu on Wednesday to commend him for agreeing to the Egyptian proposal and reiterated the administration’s long-held talking point that Israel had a right to defend itself against rocket and mortar attacks.
“The president expressed his appreciation for the prime minister’s efforts to work with the new Egyptian government to achieve a sustainable cease-fire and a more durable solution to this problem,” the White House said in a readout of the conversation.
Obama “made clear that no country can be expected to tolerate rocket attacks against civilians,” the White House said in a readout.
The White House also made clear that Obama had strongly encouraged Netanyahu to accept the cease-fire proposal, commending him for taking the advice.
Obama also spoke with Morsi to thank him for his work toward a “sustainable cease-fire,” according to the White House readout of the call.
“President Obama reaffirmed the close partnership between the United States and Egypt, and welcomed President Morsi’s commitment to regional security,” the readout said.
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Readers: If you are out there in the midst of Black Friday, be safe in all the craziness of the sales, and have some fun too. :)
Howie: I am sure the readers are going to be asking you about what was discovered on Mars. I HOPE that you will be careful in what you tell them.
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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November 23rd, 2012 at 11:50 am
Nno79B23f
I have been made aware of the change. I am in SF until 22:00 if anyone is up for a rendezvous this evening.
Ethel
November 24th, 2012 at 8:02 am
Sorry, I missed you.
November 24th, 2012 at 8:16 am
Howie, This comes to mind when I think of you.
——————————————
Howie
Your article about Henritta Lacks brings back to mind the loss of my brother to a heart transplant. He was a forced volunteer. The doctor that removed his heart said that he died in a car accident.
My brother was 17 at the time and could not drive. We were too poor to have a car. Many young men and women began to have suspicious accidents that spared their hearts. All seemed to have pre-signed papers donating their body parts to science.
Earlier disappearances that began some twenty years back had alerted most African moms to advise their children not to sign any such documents to prevent them from being murdered for their body parts.
Often employers would trick the illiterate into signing such documents along with other papers that allowed blacks to travel through white only neighborhoods on their way to work.
Every country that was under white dictatorship used black children’s body’s at will to gain experience in various transplant operations. White doctors would fly in from all over the world to participate and learn how to do the different kinds of transplants.
We were treated no different than the Jews were by the Nazis doctors. The only difference is there are no records that show their cruelty to our people. The rest of the white world has a vested interest in helping the murders to keep their secrets.
The only record that remains is the grief of the living for the loved ones lost to white indifference to the lives of OTWS.
Shanira
================================
I hope you will remain on this blog.
Lorrie
November 24th, 2012 at 8:30 am
Finally a woman judge does what her male counterparts have failed to do time and time again. She has served notice to the GPD that their shit does stink and she will not tolerate it.
================================
Judge Anita Sukola yesterday denied requests to modify bail for the three Guam police officers charged in the Blue House case.
The Superior Court of Guam judge cited a potential risk to the community and the officers’ alleged victims as reasons for disallowing the officers to be released on personal bonds.
Bail for Officers David Manila, Mario Laxamana and Anthony Quenga currently is set at $250,000, $100,000 and $250,000, respectively.
Attorneys for the officers initially filed their motions for bail changes earlier this week following the announcement of charges in the Blue House case.
The officers are charged with 14 crimes, including promoting prostitution, compelling prostitution and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Two officers, David Manila and Anthony Quenga, also are charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and attempted first-degree criminal sexual conduct, respectively. The Blue House karaoke lounge actually was a brothel, where women — mostly immigrants from Chuuk state in the Federated States of Micronesia — were forced into prostitution. It was closed in 2008.
At a hearing for the officers on Wednesday, attorneys argued the officers weren’t a flight risk or a risk to the community. They argued that, as a result, assigning such a high bail only served punitive purposes and was intended to keep the officers behind bars.
However, the prosecutors for the case argued that, while the officers might not pose a flight risk, letting them out on a personal bond could put the alleged victims at risk.
FBI task force
To prove that point, prosecutors put an officer assigned to an FBI task force on the stand to testify about his encounters with the alleged victims.
Officer Tracey Volta testified that the women he had spoken to were afraid of the police as recently as last month.
Yesterday, Sukola announced that she wouldn’t be modifying bail for the officers.
“The court notes the defendant is a veteran police officer and has significant familial ties to Guam,” Sukola said to Manila. “However . . . the court is extremely concerned that the safety of the community is at risk.”
=============================
These men used their badges to abuse women. Now a woman says enough.
Hafa Adai
Anna
November 24th, 2012 at 8:59 am
I like Howie too. But I am more interested in his knowledge of All Things Alien.
So What’s up Howie?
Scott
November 24th, 2012 at 9:01 am
Interesting and truthful article. Hamas is a racist, terrorist, and Nazi organization. Article 7 of the Hamas Charter calls for the killing (extermination) of ALL Jews.
Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. Israel is the only country in that area of the world that provides for freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom from fear.
November 24th, 2012 at 9:01 am
Dear Ambassador – what do you thtink of Morsi’s announcement today that he is the supreme Egyptian dictator, removing the ability of the courts to revoke any of the provisions of the “Constitutional” committee or to prosecute him or “Constitutional” committee members for any document they craft that marginalizes women and minorities? Doesn’t that just sound peachy and democratic to you?
November 24th, 2012 at 9:03 am
That was addressed to the former US Ambassador to Morocco, Marc. Ginsberg.
November 24th, 2012 at 9:06 am
For those of you who are unaware, especially the anonymous idiot who for obvious reasons couldn’t think up an alias so others could respond to his idiotic rant, here are some actual facts:
Israel FORCIBLY removed thousands of Israelis from Gaza, turning over the entire region to the so called Palestinians in 2006 (most of those Israelis who lost their homes still do not have permanent residences).
There is no “confiscation” of property other than the property that was confiscated by Israel FROM Israelis and given to the Gazans. Who, btw, responded by burning the farms, that had been operated so uniquely successfully by the Israelis for years, to the ground, thus destroying a chance at a viable self sustaining economy.
November 24th, 2012 at 9:08 am
We should not pressure Israel to talk directly to Hamas how about Us doing it. This will not be precedent when you know history of US led NATO invasion of Serbia where US not only negotiated with “Kosovo Liberation Army” (listed by State Department as terrorist group) but supported it and gave them their own country by carving out Serbian ancestors lands.
So applying same criteria there will be nothing wrong to talk to Hamas, give Hamas their own country and give ultimatum to Natanyahu to either accept terms of the agreement or risk NATO intervention. For you who do not know history of the WWII Serbia was the only small country fighting on the side of Allies.
November 24th, 2012 at 9:09 am
When Hamas won the 2006 election-they did float the offer of a Unity Government with the PA, but the self-imposed Quartet and Israel said NO.
The only way to END the conflict that began in 1948 when ‘civilized men’ of the UN partitioned the so called holy land and gave away land they had NO legal right to and particular people grabbed more than was even allotted them-is to END the 45 yrs. of military occupation and honor equal human rights for ALL.
When President Truman was cabled The Declaration of the Establishment of Israel, he crossed out “Jewish State” and wrote State of Israel and he agreed that states establishment was contingent upon upholding the UN UNIVERSAL DECLARATION of HUMAN RIGHTS:
http://wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=1
And Israel’s own promise, “On the day of the termination of the British mandate and on the strength of the United Nations General Assembly declare The State of Israel will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel: it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion it will guarantee freedom of religion [and] conscience and will be faithful to the Charter of the United Nations.” – May 14, 1948
November 24th, 2012 at 9:10 am
Hamas violated the truce yesterday… in just over 24 hours…and they once again show they can not be trusted to keep anything they have agreed to honor.
November 24th, 2012 at 9:11 am
NW Coast: Military terrorists in the Armored Car Business: You never know when they’ll carry their thefts to fruition, and how many tellers, civilians, and bank managers they’ll kill in the process; already found the link to Millar, and the old Irish mafia.
Middle East males driving vehicles with Washington plates, likely returned from Middle East Wars as CIA operatives, and have now been given a field day with marijuana laws in Washington State; will use their security clearances to make the U.S./ Canada border look like a drug sieve.
Oh, but you want to look at Stephen Harper’s Muslim Brotherhood terrorist friend as the leader of Egypt, and staged troubles in Israel, as the diversion; okay, that’s your prerogative.
November 24th, 2012 at 9:12 am
Eileen, “How about pressuring Hamas to first negotiate a viable accommodation with its Palestinian Authority and Fatah brethren first.”
The ambassador has suggested a 180 degree turnaround in US policy in favor of the Palestinians. He should be congratulated, even if he has done so seemingly without realizing it. Don’t be so hard on him.
November 24th, 2012 at 9:48 am
Luc, hello.
I was led to believe you were out of range accompanying the 11U7t3 on its departure.
Ethel
November 24th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
[...] I go, WELCOME to my world Nno79B23f. I saw Ethel‘s comment on the other blog, but as of this writing, did not see that you had responded. Therefore, I wish [...]