Everyone Knows Why Clinton Wouldn’t Put Her Promises in Writing

Commentary � Blog Archive � Everyone Knows Why Clinton Wouldn’t Put Her Promises in Writing: "But, as Landler notes in passing, Clinton wouldn’t put her promises in writing so as to allow Netanyahu to sell the deal to his cabinet.


Why were Obama and Clinton reluctant to do so? The reason ought to be obvious even to a child: they had no intention of keeping their promises and wanted to avoid producing a document that would enable the Israelis to cry foul. At the very least, there’s little doubt that once the freeze was put in place, Clinton would have reinterpreted the terms of the agreement to Israel’s disadvantage, if not to repudiate it altogether in the way they have reneged on previous U.S. commitments to Israel, such as George W. Bush’s 2004 letter to Ariel Sharon recognizing Israel’s claim to hold on to parts of the West Bank in a peace settlement. Regardless of whether the Obama peace initiative was a good idea in the first place, this episode provides yet another example of this administration’s inept diplomacy, which has made the already remote chances of achieving peace even more unlikely."

SpaceX Dragon is first privately funded spaceship launched into orbit | Mail Online

SpaceX Dragon is first privately funded spaceship launched into orbit | Mail Online: "The unmanned capsule, named Dragon, launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida, circled the Earth twice and the parachuted into the Pacific, roughly 500 miles off the Mexican coast, a few hours later."

Israel likely to offer heavy 'humanitarian' compensation over Turkey flotilla deaths - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

Israel likely to offer heavy 'humanitarian' compensation over Turkey flotilla deaths - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News: "Turkey and Israel near agreement on wording of memo aimed at ending crisis; Erdogan demands Israel say it 'apologizes,' while Israel prefers to use the word 'regrets'."

Cement From Thin Air | Popular Science

Cement From Thin Air | Popular Science: "In 2009 his latest company, Calera, started putting that insight into practice at a 1,000-megawatt power plant in Moss Landing, California. Engineers there spray mineral-rich seawater or brine water through flue gas captured from the plant’s smokestacks. The calcium in the water bonds with carbon in the would-be pollution to form cement. Constantz says the demonstration plant is capable of producing up to 1,100 tons of cement a day and, in doing so, sequestering 550 tons of carbon dioxide. Within three years, he says, Calera will be operating plants in Australia and Wyoming."

Video: A 3-D Tour of All the Known Galaxies, In 90 Seconds | Popular Science

Video: A 3-D Tour of All the Known Galaxies, In 90 Seconds | Popular Science: "This little video, brought to us by NASA Goddard, shows off all of the galaxies we're currently aware of, in one swirling, fluid shot." Basically, it's a 3-D video tour of the universe as we know it at the moment.

Conspiracy alert: Is Egypt's shark-attack crisis the work of Israel? - The Week

Conspiracy alert: Is Egypt's shark-attack crisis the work of Israel? - The Week: "Has the Mossad shifted its focus from disrupting Iran's nuclear program to dumping killer mako sharks in the Red Sea? Maybe, say some not-so-reliable sources"

U.S. scrambled to stop Israel-Syria flare-up over Scuds to Hezbollah - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

U.S. scrambled to stop Israel-Syria flare-up over Scuds to Hezbollah - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News: "In an article in the New York Times yesterday, a senior Defense Department official was quoted as saying that Syria had conveyed some Scud D missiles to Hezbollah, mostly in a storage facility under Hezbollah control in Syria. All told, Hezbollah has some 50,000 rockets and missiles of various types, the official said."

U.S. drops push for Israel settlement freeze | Reuters

U.S. drops push for Israel settlement freeze | Reuters: "The United States on Tuesday abandoned its effort to persuade Israel to freeze construction of Jewish settlements, officials said, dealing a blow to efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks."

Three Latin American nations -- Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay -- declared recognition of a Palestinian state at the weekend, drawing Israeli condemnation.

Wildfire in Israel - The Big Picture - Boston.com

Wildfire in Israel - The Big Picture - Boston.com: "Wildfire in Israel"

SpaceX's Dragon capsule, first privately owned spaceship, set to attempt launch into orbit

SpaceX's Dragon capsule, first privately owned spaceship, set to attempt launch into orbit: "The future of the space travel will undergo a crucial test Tuesday when the first privately owned spaceship attempts a launch into orbit.

If it succeeds, SpaceX's Dragon capsule will then try to reenter the atmosphere - also a first for a nongovernment-owned spacecraft."

Haifa fire: Israel's top policewoman Ahuva Tomer killed trapped in forest fire | Mail Online

Haifa fire: Israel's top policewoman Ahuva Tomer killed trapped in forest fire | Mail Online: "The fire that killed the Soviet-born Tomer has generated much soul-searching in Israel about the state of the country's leadership, because firefighters had long warned that the neglected state of their operation was a recipe for disaster.

Hours after the blaze broke out on Thursday, firefighters ran out of flame-retardant chemicals. They also did not have a single firefighting plane in their possession."

High Speed Rail Goes Loco - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine

High Speed Rail Goes Loco - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine: "California's high speed rail project could be shaping up as the awesomest catastrogeddon of 2011.

The California High Speed Rail Authority is committed to breaking ground on a leg of the train that will serve passengers between the unincorporated town of Borden and the half-incarcerated town of Corcoran.

Whether you call it the train from nowhere or the train to nowhere, nobody will be riding it even when it’s done. That’s not libertarian cant: The actual plan for the $4.15 billion leg is that upon completion it will sit idle until other sections of track are completed."

Police Arrest 2 Teens On Suspicion of Causing Israeli Wildfires That Killed 41 People | The Gateway Pundit

Police Arrest 2 Teens On Suspicion of Causing Israeli Wildfires That Killed 41 People | The Gateway Pundit: "Israeli police arrested two teens from the Druze village of Usfiya on suspicion of causing the Israeli wildfires that killed 41 people. Police tracked the fire down to a single source in the forest. The teens were suspected of hurling burning waste products during a picnic."

First Foreign Planes Arrive in Israel to Help Put Out Fires That Killed 41 - Bloomberg

First Foreign Planes Arrive in Israel to Help Put Out Fires That Killed 41 - Bloomberg: "Aircraft from Europe arrived in Israel today to help combat a forest fire near the port city of Haifa that killed at least 41 people and forced 15,000 to flee their homes."

The fire, described by officials as the worst in the country’s history, forced Israel to call for assistance from Europe. Eight planes and three helicopters arrived from Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus and the U.K., an army spokeswoman said, speaking anonymously according to military regulation. Spain, Turkey, Croatia, France, Russia, Azerbaijan, Egypt and Romania have also pledged to send aircraft, Netanyahu’s office said.

Palestinians Enraged After Greek Orthodox Bishop Takes Part in Road Dedication to Monastery | The Gateway Pundit

Palestinians Enraged After Greek Orthodox Bishop Takes Part in Road Dedication to Monastery | The Gateway Pundit: "The Palestinian Authority blasted a Greek Orthodox Bishop in the West Bank for taking part in a road dedication to a 5th Century Monastery. The Israelis built the West Bank road recently to the monastery. The Palestinian Authority said that participating in the dedication gave people the wrong view- that the Israelis are civilized and generous or something."

Iranian Regime Furious After Finding Star of David On Roof at Airport | The Gateway Pundit

Iranian Regime Furious After Finding Star of David On Roof at Airport | The Gateway Pundit: "A satellite image of the headquarters of Iran’s national airline reveals a Star of David, and government officials in the Islamic Republic are calling for its immediate removal, according to reports."

Curiouser and Curiouser in Iran - By Daniel Foster - The Corner - National Review Online

Curiouser and Curiouser in Iran - By Daniel Foster - The Corner - National Review Online: "How do you stop Iran’s nuclear program when diplomacy has failed and the use conventional military force is, at the moment, unworkable? Sometimes you have to get creative. Enter Stuxnet — the little computer worm that has proven curiously effective at wreaking havoc on Iran’s centrifuges, as while Israel issues smirking denials and shoulder shrugs."

Up Next?… Rectum Scanners Started For UK Prisons | The Gateway Pundit

Up Next?… Rectum Scanners Started For UK Prisons | The Gateway Pundit: "So you think getting groped at the airport is uncomfortable now…"

George Jakubec of California Had Bomb Factory In His Home, Say Prosecutors - ABC News

George Jakubec of California Had Bomb Factory In His Home, Say Prosecutors - ABC News: "Prosecutors say that eight pounds of the homemade explosive HMTD was found after a gardener was seriously injured in an explosion on Jakubec's property near Escondido last week. Federal and local officials also say they found nine detonators and 13 unfilled homemade grenades with attached shrapnel." San Diego County Deputy D.A. Terri Perez called the discovery a "bomb factory" and said it was "the largest quantity of these types of homemade explosives at one place in the United States."

Commentary � Blog Archive � Israel’s Critics Are Afraid of Democracy

Commentary � Blog Archive � Israel’s Critics Are Afraid of Democracy: "Yesterday’s vote by Israel’s Knesset to require a referendum to ratify any peace deal that involved the surrender of Jerusalem or the Golan Heights is being slammed in the Arab world as well as by other foes of the Jewish state."

Will Obama Fund Hezbollah? - By Michael Rubin - The Corner - National Review Online

Will Obama Fund Hezbollah? - By Michael Rubin - The Corner - National Review Online: "The State Department wants to fund the Lebanese army in order to symbolize America’s commitment to Lebanese sovereignty and counter Lebanon’s temptation to turn elsewhere for its weaponry. But any funding for the Lebanese Armed Forces at this point in time would be akin to providing aid and assistance directly to Hezbollah, a terrorist group with American blood on its hands. (It is no wonder that, when I visited Mlitta, a museum in southern Lebanon commemorating Hezbollah military operations, my guide remarked that he wouldn’t be surprised if authorities erected a statue of President Obama, because his policies are interpreted in Lebanon as friendly to Hezbollah’s growth and dominance.)"

TSA airport screeners gone wild in San Diego- again - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com

TSA airport screeners gone wild in San Diego- again : "Once Harbor Police arrested Wolanyk, he was handcuffed and paraded through two separate airport terminals in his underwear to the Harbor Police office located inside a different terminal at the airport than Wolanyk had originally gone through during his TSA security process."

Critics Slam Obama Administration for 'Hiding' Massive Saudi Arms Deal - ABC News

Critics Slam Obama Administration for 'Hiding' Massive Saudi Arms Deal - ABC News: "The Obama administration has quietly forged ahead with its proposal to sell $60 billion worth of fighter jets and attack helicopters to Saudi Arabia unhampered by Congress, despite questions raised in legislative inquiries and in an internal congressional report about the wisdom of the deal.

The massive arms deal would be the single largest sale of weapons to a foreign nation in the history of the U.S., outfitting Saudi Arabia with a fully modernized, potent new air force."

Glenn Beck: They’re lying to us about the mystery contrail | The Right Scoop

Glenn Beck: They’re lying to us about the mystery contrail | The Right Scoop: "Glenn Beck says that he has spoken to military experts about the mystery contrail and he says it’s definitely not a plane, but rather a two stage missile. He just wants to know where it came from, and he has a theory. Beck postulates that this missile was possibly from a Chinese sub off the coast of California, perhaps as a show of force to the world, but even more so to President Obama:"

How the Israelis Keep Their Planes from Blowing Up - By Claire Berlinski - The Corner - National Review Online

How the Israelis Keep Their Planes from Blowing Up - By Claire Berlinski - The Corner - National Review Online: "I flew El Al once when I was about eighteen. They asked me whether I was carrying any lethal weapons. “My wit,” I said. They let me on the plane right away, no further questions. Yeah, sure, they profiled me: “Smartass teenage Jew off on her first big foreign adventure away from her family.”"

Space Shuttle Orbiters Full Size - Full Scale Replicas

Space Shuttle Orbiters Full Size - Full Scale Replicas: "These are incredible 1 to 1 Space Shuttle Orbiter replicas. These replicas are incredible. Made to close exact dimensions of the original Space Shuttle Orbiters. The price does not reflect an interior but a full interior is available. Please call for more information. This replica will not fly. Shipping will be the responsibility of the purchaser and setup of the replica is extra. Please call!!!!"

Price: $2200000.00

Drama in the cockpit: Qantas crew faced 54 alarms - Yahoo! News

Drama in the cockpit: Qantas crew faced 54 alarms - Yahoo! News

Engine pieces sliced electric cables and hydraulic lines in the wing. Would the pilots still be able to fly the seven-story-tall plane?

The wing's forward spar — one of the beams that attaches it to the plane — was damaged as well. And the wing's two fuel tanks were punctured. As fuel leaked out, a growing imbalance was created between the left and right sides of the plane, Woodward said.

The electrical power problems prevented the pilots from pumping fuel forward from tanks in the tail. The plane became tail heavy.

That may have posed the greatest risk, safety experts said. If the plane got too far out of balance, the Singapore-to-Sydney jetliner would lose lift, stall and crash.

And then there was that incredible stream of computer messages, 54 in all, alerting the pilots to system failures or warning of impending failures.

One warned that a ram air turbine — a backup power supply — was about to deploy, although that never did happen, Woodward said. The message was especially worrisome because the system deploys only when main power systems are lost. The smaller backup supply is able only to power vital aircraft systems.

That's "the last thing you need in that kind of situation," he said.

American Thinker: Barack Obama: the Most Anti-Israel President!

American Thinker: Barack Obama: the Most Anti-Israel President!: "He used his Jakarta platform to complain about Israel building apartments for her growing population. Where? In Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.

To make matters even worse, Jakarta is a city no Israeli is allowed to enter! The symbolism of saying what he said in the country and city where he said it is simply atrocious."

My Way News - Qantas: 40 engines on A380s need to be replaced

My Way News - Qantas: 40 engines on A380s need to be replaced: "As many as half of the 80 Rolls-Royce engines that power the world's largest jetliner may have faulty parts at risk of oil leaks like the one that caused the fire and partial disintegration of a motor on a Qantas flight this month, the Australian national airline's chief executive said Thursday.

The 40 potentially faulty engines on the Airbus A380 would need to be replaced with new engines while the fault is fixed, raising the spectre of engine shortages that could delay future deliveries of the 7-story-tall superjumbo."

FT.com / Media - Viewers pull plug on US cable television

FT.com / Media - Viewers pull plug on US cable television: "The number of people subscribing to US cable television services has suffered its biggest decline in 30 years as younger, tech-savvy viewers lead an exodus to web-based operations, such as Hulu and Netflix."

Engineered Bacteria Can Fill Cracks In Aging Concrete | Popular Science

Engineered Bacteria Can Fill Cracks In Aging Concrete | Popular Science: "Researchers at the University of Newcastle in the UK have created a new kind of concrete glue that can patch up the cracks in concrete structures, restoring buildings that have been damaged by seismic events or deteriorated over time. But the glue isn’t an adhesive or some kind of synthetic material; the researchers have custom-designed a bacteria to burrow deep into the cracks in concrete where they produce a mix of calcium carbonate and a special bacteria glue that hardens to the same strength of the surrounding concreate."

Israel offered Stealth fighters by US in Palestinian peace talk breakthrough attempt | Mail Online

Israel offered Stealth fighters by US in Palestinian peace talk breakthrough attempt | Mail Online: "The U.S. has offered Israel $3billion of military hardware including 20 Stealth fighters if it agrees to a 90-day halt on settlement building in the West Bank." Under the proposals, Israel would agree to a 90-day freeze on Jewish settlement building in the West Bank, but not in East Jerusalem.

Awful… 3 Year-Old Girl Gets A Pat-Down By TSA Airport Screeners (Video)

Awful… 3 Year-Old Girl Gets a Pat-Down By TSA Airport Screeners (Video)

TSA Airport Checkpoints:Full-Body Scanners & Pat-Downs (Video)

Have you been through one of these Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines, what most of us refer to as body scanners? It's pretty simple, actually -- put your arms up, wait 10 seconds and you're your good to go. Painless.

TSA Airport Checkpoints: Are Full-Body Scanners Dangerous? - ABC News

FAR LEFT IS FURIOUS That GOP Won’t Join in Team Obama’s Attacks on Israel

Gateway Pundit: "Politico’s Laura Rozen reports that in an “unusual, if not unheard of” move, Netanyahu also met Wednesday with Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA). Cantor’s office stated that the presumptive Majority Leader would fight the Obama administration on behalf of Israel:Regarding the midterms, Cantor may have given Netanyahu some reason to stand firm against the American administration. “Eric stressed that the new Republican majority will serve as a check on the Administration and what has been, up until this point, one party rule in Washington,” the readout continued. “He made clear that the Republican majority understands the special relationship between Israel and the United States, and that the security of each nation is reliant upon the other.”"

Ex-Israeli PM Ariel Sharon taken home as doctor admits 'there is only hope'

Israel's former prime minister Ariel Sharon, who has been in a coma for more than four years after suffering a series of strokes, was moved to his home today.
The 77-year-old was transferred by ambulance to the sheep ranch his family owns in southern Israel, accompanied by a full medical team.

A war hero and politician who was for decades one of Israel's most controversial figures, Mr Sharon found popularity as prime minister between 2001 and 2006, engineering Israel's Gaza pull-out in 2005.

He was kept in the long-term care unit at Tel Hashomer Hospital after suffering the strokes in January 2006.

There has been no improvement reported in his condition.

It’s How You Play the Game: The Fate of Western Civilization and Grade-School Soccer

It‘s something of a stretch to compare a soccer game among eleven-year-old boys with the fate of the democratic world, but I’ve always managed to see big issues in small things.

My son is playing on a local soccer team which has lost every one of its games, often by humiliating scores. The coach is a nice guy, but seems an archetype of contemporary thinking: he tells the kids not to care about whether they win, puts players at any positions they want, and doesn’t listen to their suggestions.

He never criticizes a player or suggests how a player could do better. My son, bless him, once remarked to me: “How are you going to play better if nobody tells you what you’re doing wrong?” The coach just tells them how well they are playing. Even after an 8-0 defeat, he told them they’d played a great game.

And of course, the league gives trophies to everyone, whether their team finishes in first or last place.

via Pajamas Media » It’s How You Play the Game: The Fate of Western Civilization and Grade-School Soccer.

American Airlines Pilots in Revolt Against the TSA

It is a source of continual astonishment to me that pilots -- many of whom, it should be pointed out, are military veterans who possess security clearances -- are not allowed to carry onboard their airplanes pocket knives and bottles of shampoo, but then they're allowed to fly enormous, fuel-laden, missile-like objects over American cities.

via American Airlines Pilots in Revolt Against the TSA - Jeffrey Goldberg - National - The Atlantic.

NORAD: Er, we’re still not sure what the mystery missile is; Update: Looks like a plane, say defense analysts « Hot Air

But to GlobalSecurity.org director John Pike, there’s an easy explanation: “It is obviously an airplane.”

“The aircraft is flying towards the observer; the air over the Pacific is clear, so the contrail is visible all the way to the horizon. This creates the optical illusion of a rocket flying up, rather than the actual situation of an airplane flying horizontally,” Pike tells Danger Room. “The object generating the contrail is moving too slowly to be a rocket; the contrail is not expanding as the ‘rocket’ gains ‘altitude’ — which would be the case as the exhaust plume expanding into less dense high altitude air.”

MIT astronomer Jonathan McDowell tells New Scientist pretty much the same thing. Although he does note that the Navy owns a missile target and launch facility at nearby San Nicolas Island.

via NORAD: Er, we’re still not sure what the mystery missile is; Update: Looks like a plane, say defense analysts « Hot Air.

Nazis paid for 30% of war with stolen Jewish cash

Christiane Kuller, of Munich University, who is working on the study, said tax offices built hierarchies of bureaucrats ‘who discovered dwellings and bank accounts and emptied them’.

via Nazis paid for 30% of war with stolen Jewish cash | Mail Online.

UNESCO declares that Rachel’s Tomb near Jerusalem is the Bilal ibn Rabah mosque

On October 21, UNESCO (the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) declared that Rachel’s Tomb near Jerusalem is the Bilal ibn Rabah mosque

Rachel’s Tomb is located on the northern outskirts of Bethlehem some 460 meters south of Jerusalem’s municipal boundary. The site has been identified for over 1,700 years as the grave of the Jewish matriarch Rachel. The copious literature of Jewish, Christian and Muslim pilgrims identifies and documents the spot as the place where Rachel is buried.

via Gateway Pundit.

Mystery missile launched off coast of California caught on tape near Los Angeles (video)

Mystery missile launched off coast of California caught on tape near Los Angeles (video). The most common speculation seems to be that it was a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test — perhaps part of the Big Stick to President Obama’s Soft-Walk Asia trip. Indeed, from the internet cloud we have an air-space alert issued by the Navy pre-launch.

Charm Offensive Ends as Obama Panders to Muslim World

But now that the election is over, Obama is back to his old tricks, seizing upon an announcement that can have no impact on any theoretical peace deal in order to pander to a Muslim world that seeks Israel’s destruction. By making a statement about Jerusalem while in Indonesia, Obama is signaling that the United States regards Jewish Jerusalem as being no different from the most remote settlement in the West Bank: an illegal outpost that must be destroyed and its inhabitants removed. Such a statement helps fuel the Arab irredentism that has been the primary obstacle to peace since Israel’s birth in 1948.

via Commentary » Blog Archive » Charm Offensive Ends as Obama Panders to Muslim World.

Power Line - Israel announces East Jerusalem building plans as Netanyahu visits U.S.

The timing of the latest announcement, which comes in advance of a meeting with Secretary of State Clinton, surely was premeditated. Presumably, the timing was intended, at least in part, to demonstrate that Israel is not concerned about the prospect of additional attempts at bullying by Obama administration.

via Power Line - Israel announces East Jerusalem building plans as Netanyahu visits U.S..

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham calls for pre-emptive strike to 'neuter' Iran | Mail Online

A Republican Senator has sparked outrage at an international security conference after saying the U.S. should be prepared to launch a military attack on Iran to 'neuter' its hard-line regime.Lindsey Graham, who represents South Carolina, told surprised attendees at the Halifax International Security Forum that an attack could cripple Iran's nuclear programme and armed forces.

via Republican Senator Lindsey Graham calls for pre-emptive strike to 'neuter' Iran | Mail Online.

YouTube - DARPA/Boeing DiscRotor

YouTube - DARPA/Boeing DiscRotor.

http://www.youtube.com/v/pg6LuwyNIxk&feature=player_embedded

Because It’s Friday - By Daniel Foster - The Corner - National Review Online

Because It’s Friday - By Daniel Foster - The Corner - National Review Online.

Follow these simple steps for a cheap laugh:

Step 1.       Go to http://maps.google.com

Step 2.       Click get directions

Step 3.       Type origin (A) as Japan

Step 4.       Type Destination (B) as China

Step 5.       Go to line 43

Qantas A380: Boss blames 'design issue' for engine failure | Mail Online

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Qantas A380: Boss blames 'design issue' for engine failure | Mail Online.

Qantas A380: Boss blames 'design issue' for engine failure | Mail Online

Qantas A380: Boss blames 'design issue' for engine failure | Mail Online.