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[Vexx]

Originally Posted by bladeofdarkness

its a legal commission composed of several judges and law professors (i actually studied under one of them)
the head of the commission was a former member of the supreme court.
and it supervised by two external observers.
1)Canada's former chief military prosecutor.
2)a noble prize winning professor and member of the house of lords.

the "fuss" isn't a factor.
and how the results make them look isn't a factor either.

I'm sorry but you've got a very rosy image of government... the pressure on *any* country's government to find everything was roses would be high. At the least there were a number of mistakes made as there always are in any operation with this kind of risk potential. The results may be correct but it will suffer from a credibility problem because it is basically the "government investigating itself".

[bladeofdarkness]

Originally Posted by Vexx

I'm sorry but you've got a very rosy image of government... the pressure on *any* country's government to find everything was roses would be high. At the least there were a number of mistakes made as there always are in any operation with this kind of risk potential. The results may be correct but it will suffer from a credibility problem because it is basically the "government investigating itself".

its not the "government" doing the investigation.
it may have been commissioned by the government, but its being carried out by a judiciary body, and personal who don't answer to the government or the military.
hell, the two external observes, by default don't answer to the government.

as for whether or not it would be accepted by external sources, i really couldn't care less.
you won't ever convince someone, if they already decided to convict you before the trial.

[cors8]

The Palestinian Papers

Pretty interesting.

Looking at it at face value, it certainly already lowers my low opinion of Israel's position in the negotiations.

[bladeofdarkness]

Originally Posted by cors8

The Palestinian Papers

Pretty interesting.

Looking at it at face value, it certainly already lowers my low opinion of Israel's position in the negotiations.

general advice.
nothing published by aljazeera, should EVER be taken at "face value"

also, the Palestinians themselves deny making such offers, stating:
"many parts of the documents were fabricated, as part of the incitement against the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian leadership."

[Ithekro]

It is difficult to negotiate when two factions of the same group (in different zones) don't agree on if they are going to negotiate or just fight.

[ganbaru]

Erupting volcanoes could have caused Earth's first major extinction:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1880351/

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by cors8

The Palestinian Papers

Pretty interesting.

Looking at it at face value, it certainly already lowers my low opinion of Israel's position in the negotiations.

It's quite understandable that it would do that. Aljazeera is very pro-islam (pro-islamic nations to be more precise), so if anything, it's a bad idea to take its word for it considering its bias.

[ZephyrLeanne]

Originally Posted by bladeofdarkness

general advice.
nothing published by aljazeera, should EVER be taken at "face value"
\

It has nothing on FOX.

Wait for the banking leaks from the former Swiss Banker. Then you'll see FOX hitting out. And MSNBC saying "I TOLD YOU SO".

[bladeofdarkness]

Originally Posted by Tsuyoshi

It's quite understandable that it would do that. Aljazeera is very pro-islam (pro-islamic nations to be more precise), so if anything, it's a bad idea to take its word for it considering its bias.

aljazeera always has an angle to play, and in this regard that angle seems pretty easy tp spot.
by publishing these "accounts" the way that they are, at the same time the world is still rilling from the whole Wikileaks thing, they get to
1)Making Israel look bad by painting it as a peace opposer.
2)Making the Palestinian authority look bad by painting them as weak and willing to sell out their principles.
3)draw massive rating and interest to aljazeera by out wikileaking wikileaks.

a triple victory for aljazeera.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by bladeofdarkness

aljazeera always has an angle to play

So does every media organisation. It's just that we only tend to notice when that angle contradicts our own prejudices instead of confirming them.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by bladeofdarkness

aljazeera always has an angle to play, and in this regard that angle seems pretty easy tp spot.
by publishing these "accounts" the way that they are, at the same time the world is still rilling from the whole Wikileaks thing, they get to
1)Making Israel look bad by painting it as a peace opposer.
2)Making the Palestinian authority look bad by painting them as weak and willing to sell out their principles.
3)draw massive rating and interest to aljazeera by out wikileaking wikileaks.

a triple victory for aljazeera.

In other words, it's trying to incite the people of Palestine to do something about Israel, right? Wouldn't be very surprising, and quite the paradox too considering it's making Israel look like the peace opposers when it wants Palestine to subdue them. Catches more viewers too.

Originally Posted by Simon

So does every media organisation. It's just that we only tend to notice when that angle contradicts our own prejudices instead of confirming them.

Very true, that's why people often follow one news source rather than another. It could go both ways however. People have their prejudices, but these prejudices were instilled into them by the mass media they eventually end up following, and the newslinks they follow serve to satisfy these prejudices more.

[bladeofdarkness]

Originally Posted by Tsuyoshi

In other words, it's trying to incite the people of Palestine to do something about Israel, right? Wouldn't be very surprising, and quite the paradox too considering it's making Israel look like the peace opposers when it wants Palestine to subdue them. Catches more viewers too.

more like it wants to make both parties look bad, because its the political angle aljazeera champions.
aljazeera has always been more in support of groups like Hamas who represent the idea of political Islam rather then groups like Fatah who represent Arab nationalism.
so this report both makes the Palestinian authority look weak (and, as a result, tries to raise Hamas's popularity), and promotes even farther the idea that peace with Israel is not possible (promoting the "struggle" angle that Islamic groups champion).
it kills two birds with one stone.

plus, it gives aljazeera better rating and more viewers as a result.

[ganbaru]

U.S. power unbeatable for decades: China policy planner
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNew...70N16K20110124

''BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States will retain unchallengeable global dominance for at least two decades, a top Chinese official has said in an essay urging his government to find a balance between assertion and restraint.'' ...

That might be a interesting reading.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

U.S. power unbeatable for decades: China policy planner
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNew...70N16K20110124

That might be a interesting reading.

The reason why China thinks like this is because they are starting to realise that people don't trust them, nor do the latter have permanent stakes in there. IMO, a number of investors in China are simply doing the same China is doing to Vietnam and Myanmar - SMFO (Strip Mine and F*** Off).

Sure we are thinking that US military intervenes all around the world like a nosy-parker, but that is simply "corporate tax protection" in their own right. It goes with the fundamentals of HR management - long term strategic investment in people rather than short term investment in non-human resources.

Hopefully the NAL of UN still stands by then. I don't like to take sides.

[ZephyrLeanne]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

U.S. power unbeatable for decades: China policy planner
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNew...70N16K20110124

That might be a interesting reading.

This could prove to be their most shrewd move yet. By feinting to one side and doing another.

The thing is that, their neighbours are pretty scared by the Chinese increasing their might over the last decade.
Thus, by telling people how "backwards" they are, they portray a slightly less aggressive look, and places the neighbours in a (false) sense of ease, and gets the US to look elsewhere.Like Russia. Too bad neither the French or Brits are fooled. They're just playing the defensive game and diversifying away from nukes to cyber and biological warfare.

Well played, China.

[yezhanquan]

It's a classic strategy in Chinese texts. Thing is, they should remember one maxim: Deeds, not words.

[MakubeX2]

Originally Posted by ZephyrLeanne

The thing is that, their neighbours are pretty scared by the Chinese increasing their might over the last decade.
Thus, by telling people how "backwards" they are, they portray a slightly less aggressive look, and places the neighbours in a (false) sense of ease, and gets the US to look elsewhere.Like Russia. Too bad neither the French or Brits are fooled. They're just playing the defensive game and diversifying away from nukes to cyber and biological warfare.

Well played, China.

I believe Western Powers are not that gullible. The World will not live to see the 21st century if they are so.

And it's true while China has the potential, the Chinese cannot claim their rights as Superpower yet. Not at least until they have something that is as prevalent and whilespread as Macdonald's, Hollywood, Microsoft and Apple to influence the world.

[Kamui4356]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_russia_airport_blast

Moscow airport terror attack kills 31, wounds 145

MOSCOW – An explosion ripped through the international arrivals hall at Moscow's busiest airport on Monday, killing at least 31 people and wounding up to 145 as it coated the terminal in blood. The Russian president called it a terror attack.

The mid-afternoon explosion at Domodedovo Airport may have been caused by a suicide bomber, the state RIA Novosti news agency reported. Other Russian media reports said the bomb was packed with shrapnel, screws and ball bearings.

The terminal at Domodedovo Airport was engulfed by smoke and splattered with body parts. Amateur video posted on YouTube showed a pile of bodies on the floor, and other bodies scattered around. Luggage lay strewn across the ground and several small fires burned. A dazed man in a suit pushed a baggage cart through the carnage.

"From the preliminary information we have, it was a terror attack," President Dmitry Medvedev told officials in a televised briefing, saying it was clear that security had been breached.

He immediately ordered authorities to beef up security at Moscow's two other commercial airports and other key transport facilities. Medvedev also postponed his own planned departure Tuesday for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he was to give the opening address on Wednesday.

In Washington, President Barack Obama condemned the `outrageous act of terrorism' in Moscow.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion. Chechen militants have claimed responsibility for previous terror attacks in Moscow, including a double suicide bombing on the subway in March 2010 that killed 40 people and wounded more than 100.

Most likely Chechen rebels were responsible for this attack too.

[ganbaru]

Iran hangs two for involvement in vote unrest
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNew...70N3CK20110124

[flying ^]

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

And it's true while China has the potential, the Chinese cannot claim their rights as Superpower yet. Not at least until they have something that is as prevalent and whilespread as Macdonald's, Hollywood, Microsoft and Apple to influence the world.

so your saying they need to have a powerful and globally recognized household name/brand before you recognize 'em as one of the superpowers?