Major Wissam Eid – Bomb Kills Key ISF Terror Investigator – Bodyguard and three civilians also perish

Gleaned from: Lebanon vows to fight empire of terror after killings

AFP via the Daily Star Saturday 26^th January 2008

Previous posting: 118

Beirut: Senior Internal Security Forces chief, Brigadier General Ashraf Rifi, vowed to fight what he called the empire of terror as angry mourners vowed revenge at the funeral of a top intelligence officer killed in a car bombing.

Major Wissam Eid and his bodyguard, Osama Mereb, and three civilians were killed in a terrorist attack in the Beirut suburb of Hasmiyah on 25^th January 2008 which triggered local and international condemnation and were seen as one more attempt at maintaining instability, insecurity, fear, and anxiety in a country paralyzed by political crisis – and, above all, to spike or stop the UN’s Special Tribunal for Lebanon from being able to proceed…Such carnage! Such monstrosity! Such madness! Syria and Iran, and their Lebanese fiends, were not only desperate, they were hysterical!

Syria’s despot-dictator-tyrant, and his Regime of Terror and Horror will stop at nothing and stoop to anything to prevent the STL from finding out the truth about Rafiq Harriri’s murder and to maintain their influence in, and their strangle-hold on, Lebanon – whether directly, or indirectly through their proxies, moles, spies, puppets, pawns, toadies, tools, and fools

When will such attrition by Syria and her Lebanese fiends on the lives of Lebanese Leaders and Politicians, and High Ranking Officers and members of the Lebanese Armed Forces and its affiliates in particular, who die in retail, and the Lebanese people in general, who die in bulk (wholesale), in order to maintain instability, insecurity, fear, and anxiety; and prevent the election of a new president – at the time – and the formation of a government of the people, by the people, for the people and the country – a government comprising a majority of Patriotic Lebanese and a minority of Pathetic Leeches – treacherous and treasonous traitors to their country and betrayers of their people – that would thwart Syria’s and Iran’s interests, plans, purposes, aims, and goals in Lebanon and avoid retribution by the STL stop or end?

WHEN? BY GOD AND SATAN!

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The Assassination of Brigadier-General Francois Hajj – The Hero of Military Campaigns…

Gleaned from various sourcesArticle or report in green, highlights in red, Horse-shits in orange, Horse-farts in pink, good and true in blue, extra comments and sayings in brown, and my comments in black

On the morning of 12^th December 2007, Brigadier-General Francois Hajj was assassinated in Baabda – at least three others were killed in the brutal attack. Francois, one of Lebanon's top military generals and a top Maronite Christian in the command, was considered the leading candidate to succeed General Michael Suleiman, after Suleiman had been elected as the new president to replace Emile Lahhoud, whose term would expire on 23^rd November. The incident put even more pressure on the delicate political situation in the country.

After examining the explosion site, military prosecutor, Rashid Mezher, said that the car used in the bombing was an olive green BMW 1978 model and that the bomb was composed of 35kg of TNT. The incident also raised many questions. At first glance it appeared to be revenge by Fatah al-Islam; the Al Qaeda aided Moslem militia…

Brigadier-General Francois Hajj was hailed as the hero of military campaigns. He led the Lebanese Army in the confrontation against the fundamentalist groups of Dunniyeh in 2000. He had expressed, several times, his concern about the growing influence of fundamentalist groups in North, and suggested facilitating the joining of Northern youths to the Lebanese Army to keep them away from extremists’ influence.

Perhaps one of Hajj’s greatest achievements was defeating the Fatah al-Islam group who, according to several sources, aimed to demean, weaken, and lower the morale of the army. Hajj led the Lebanese Army to victory in that battle at the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp, despite many predictions of its defeat. Brigadier-General Francois Hajj managed to keep the civilian and military casualties to a minimum by his wise leadership and guidance. However, he insisted that investigations be instigated to unveil all the details about Fatah al-Islam: who facilitated their entrance to Lebanon; who was behind them; who armed them or allowed arms to reach, or be delivered to, them; what their plans were; who assisted them in Lebanon; and why some of them were able to – or were assisted – to escape after their defeat.

Here’s a summary of the theories making the rounds in Beirut concerning Brigadier-General François Hajj’s brutal murder:

He was murdered by Syria to keep the Lebanese executive authority paralyzed for trouble-free maneuvering and exploitation and they threatened General Michael Suleiman with a similar fate if he dared to challenge them – but more importantly because Hajj knew too much about and had evidence concerning Rafiq Harriri’s murder and the STL’s investigations into it.

It’s plausible because Syria’s Vice-President had said the day before that no country could beat Syria in Lebanon. Also, Syria had and still has a history of meddling in Lebanese affairs.

Who believed this theory? The 14^th March Football Team and…Why there could be in doubts: The victim was ideologically close to Syria’s allies – all the more reason to kill him since close meant he was in know

Secret American and Israeli agents killed him because they wanted to intervene in Lebanon through terrorism, as they usually did to save the 14^th March coalition from a politically weak position. They also wanted to rid the Army of a potential anti-Israeli leader. What Horse-shit!

Hezballah, Amal, and the Aounis actually claimed this theory because of the sophistication of the attack and the scale of the security breach which could only have been executed by resourceful agencies – that attack was half as sophisticated and the scale of the security breach was much less than the one that killed Rafiq Harriri and Basel Flayhan and their entourage back in February 2005.

Why the theory could be in doubt: such a move by the Americans is very risky to their March 14 allies and could cause an enormous backlash if uncovered.

Al-Quaeda Terrorists – Hardline Islamists – killed him to avenge Francois Hajj’s successful military campaigns against their diabolical schemes at the Naher Al Bared camp in the north.

Why it’s plausible: Only a suicidal freak could ram an explosive car in a General’s car in the heart of the Army’s security zone. Who believes this theory: Politicians might end up adopting this theory because it’s the most convenient and the most face-saving.

Why there could be doubts: One would think Al-Quaeda’s leadership would jump in to claim such a major success. That didn’t happen…Osama Bin Ladin and Ayman Zawahiri wouldn’t miss such an opportunity to declare such a vicious victory to the world!

The Evil Fouad Saniora killed him, either directly or through his negligence, to undermine the Christians and monopolize power. Why it’s plausible: It’s always Fouad Saniora’s fault. Who believes this theory: Michael Aoun. Who else? Why there could be no doubts: Michu Aouu sees all, hears all, and knows all, and Michu Aouu is always right. What else could one expect from a rabid and senile madman?

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Spiegel Breakthrough in Tribunal Investigation – Part IV – Lebanese leaders quiet on Spiegel bombshell report

Gleaned from: The Christian Science Monitor Monday 25^th May 2009

Two weeks before crucial the 7^th June elections, rival camps refused to react to the polarizing allegations that Hezballah was behind the Hariri assassination. Two prominent leaders in the ruling 14^th March coalition at the time – Walid Jumblatt and Saad Hariri – did not seek to exploit allegations that the UN tribunal had uncovered evidence implicating Hezballah in the assassination of Saad's father, Rafiq Harriri.

The bombshell revelation, tying Hezballah to the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafiq Harriri, had generated a rare consensus among rival political camps less than two weeks before the crucial parliamentary elections. The German news magazine, Der Spiegel, reported that week that the Netherlands-based international tribunal, established to discover and judge the killers of Rafiq Harriri, had uncovered evidence that Hezballah was responsible for the 14^th February 2005 truck-bomb brutal assassination.

Hezballah described the allegations as evil fabrications aimed at influencing the election campaign and called on the international tribunal to refute the allegations – Nobody expected Hezballah to admit it and, so long as they’ve got the weapons, nothing will come of it all. It has now become clear why Hezballah is so bent on keeping and increasing their weapons.

A spokeswoman for the tribunal refused to discuss Der Spiegel's claims, saying that they did not know where Der Spiegel got the story from, and that the prosecutor’s office hadn't made and comments on any issues related to operational aspects of the investigation.

The revelations, coming just two weeks before the parliamentary elections, had the potential to ignite simmering Sunni-Shiite tensions. A Shiite supporter of the Hezballah-led opposition was killed during a clash with partisans of the Western-backed 14^th March coalition.

Was it a calculated leak against Hezballah? The opposition expected to win marginally more seats than its 14^th March adversary, allowing it to form the backbone of the next government, so the timing of Der Spiegel's report sparked speculations that it was a calculated leak to put Hezballah on the defensive, just as the Shiite group was hoping that an electoral victory would earn it some respite from international and domestic pressure to dismantle its military wing.

It would also sustain anti-Hezballah sentiment within the 14^th Mar. alliance, especially among Lebanese Sunnis who still smarted from their drubbing at the hands of Hezballah's fighters during street clashes in Beirut a year ago – 7^th May 2008 invasion of Beirut and the closing down of Beirut International Airport and all roads leading to it by Iran through Hezballah – read: 701 and the series: 702 to 710. The next time, Hezballah and Amal are not going to find Beirut so easy to invade and take over…or the airport so easy close down…the next time, it is going to be open-house and open-season for all, including all…Hassan Nesa-allah Nasrallah is Iran’s Puppet-Proxy and the leader of Hezballah, and that is not well or good, but to think that the leader of the other gang of riff-raff hooligans – Amal – is actually the Sneaker of the House of the Lebanese Parliament…Nabih Beriberi Berri…

Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, a Lebanese expert on Hezballah, said that her main worry or concern was that 14^th March would use the story against Hezballah and that would be tantamount to a declaration of war and a disaster for Lebanon. However, they seemed determined to ignore it.

Walid Jumblatt, chief of the Druze faction of the coalition and formerly an arch-critic of Hezballah who has softened his tone lately, likened Der Spiegel's revelations to the April 1975 shooting of bus-passengers in Ain Rummaneh in Beirut that triggered the civil war…and said: Beware of rumours and press leaks; they could damage the STL’s work of justice and provoke discord and sedition. Walid Hek is a jumping-frog-chamaeleon that jumps about and changes colour to fit wherever he lands. SHEESH!

The jumping-frog-chamaeleon, Walid Hek, has jumped about so many times he doesn't know where he is, or where to jump, any more. He now jumps about out of habit and to Horse-shit with wherever he lands…so long as he is safe…or so he thinks. He’s going to land somewhere where he never expected or wanted to…perhaps he already has…

A spokesman for Saad Hariri, Rafiq Harriri's son and political heir, also played down the story. He said that they would not comment on any information regarding the tribunal unless it is officially stated by the tribunal. Sad-Saad is nothing at all like his late father. In other words, he's not a chip off the old block. He thinks he's wise and playing it safe by playing Syria's and Iran's game through Beriberi-Berri and Nesa-allah Nasrallah…Better to be alive and Prime Moron-Minister than dead and buried. He’ll soon know what it’s all about. He will become one of their Proxies, Moles, and Fiends…They will manipulate and exploit him and they will boss and toss him around…and the moment they realise that he has begun to realise, they will kill him…like they did his Dad…What a round-about rigmarole way to end up dead!

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Spiegel Breakthrough in Tribunal Investigation – Part III – Revelations Could Harm…and before the 7^th June Parliamentary Elections…

Once again, Nasrallah would enter the election campaign in a dual role – as the secretary-general of Hezballah, represented in parliament since 1992, and as the head of Hezballah, a mini-state of Iran within the state of Lebanon…that makes and enforces its own laws.

Hezballah at the time held 14 of 128 seats in parliament, a number that was expected to rise. Some even believed that dramatic gains were possible for Hezballah, although landslide-like changes in Lebanon’s parliamentary system were unlikely. A Horse-shit-system of religious proportionality ensures, with list alliances arranged in advance, that about two-thirds of the seats in parliament are assigned before an election. In Lebanon, the prime minister’s post is reserved for a Sunni, while the speaker of the house of parliament’s post is reserved for a Shiite, and the office of the president is reserved for a Maronite Christian.

Hezballah has not been able to upset the decades-old system even though it objectively places Hezballah at a disadvantage. As a result of differences in birthrates, there are now far more Shiites than Sunnis or Christians in Lebanon – Let us not forget the influx of Iranians and other Shiites from other countries. Some said that Nasrallah wasn't interested in securing power through elections, and that Hezballah would be satisfied with a modest share of the government. By not taking on too much government responsibilities, Hezballah would not be forced to dissolve its militias or make significant changes to its ideology of resistance.

The revelations on the alleged orchestrators of the Hariri murder might harm Hezballah. Large segments of the population were weary of futile and farcical wars against Israel that served no purpose and only harmed the country and its people and internal conflicts; and were anxious for reconciliation and a return to normalcy. Despite its formal recognition of the democratic rules of the game, Hezballah remained on the US list of terrorist organisations and Nasrallah probably anticipated forthcoming problems with the UN Tribunal. In a speech in Beirut, he spoke of the tribunal's conspiratorial intentions.

The revelations were also likely to be just as unwelcome in Iran, which might be confronted once again with the charge of exporting terrorism. Damascus's view of the situation could be more mixed. Although the Syrian government had not been declared free of the suspicion of involvement, at least Bashar Assad was no longer in the line of fire. Hardly anything suggests that he was personally aware of the murder plot or even ordered the killing – Horse-shit! Read my comments at the end of this article or report…

One can only speculate over the reasons why the Tribunal is holding back its new information about the assassination. Perhaps the investigators in the Netherlands fear that it could stir up and worsen the situation in Lebanon. The press-office in Leidschendam responded tersely to a written inquiry from Spiegel, noting that it could not comment on operational details.

Detlev Mehlis, the German senior prosecutor and former UN chief investigator, had his own concerns. He performed his investigations to the best of his knowledge and belief, questioning more than 500 witnesses, and he must now put up with the accusation of having focused his attention too heavily on Syrian leads. The UN tribunal's order to release the generals who had been arrested at his specific orders was, at any rate, a serious blow to the German prosecutor.

One of the four, Jamal al-Sayyed, the former Lebanese general security director, has even filed a suit against Mehlis in France for manipulated investigations. In media interviews, such as an interview with the Al-Jazeera Arab television network, Sayyed even took his allegations a step further, accusing German police commissioner Gerhard Lehmann, Mehlis's assistant in the Beirut investigations, of blackmail.

Sayyed claimed that Lehmann, a member of Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office, had proposed a deal with president Assad. Under the alleged arrangement, Assad would identify the person responsible for the Hariri killing and convince him to commit suicide, and then the case would be closed. According to Sayyed, the authorities in Beirut had made unethical proposals as well as threats, and claimed he has recordings of the incriminating conversations.

Mehlis denied all the accusations and Lehmann, now working on a new assignment in Saudi Arabia, was unavailable for comment. But Jamal Al-Sayyed, who loves the spotlight, could soon be embarking on a new career. He is under consideration for the post of Lebanon's next justice minister – by Erich Follath – Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan.

Daniel: Now we know why although Emile Le-Hood Lahhoud was the president of Lebanon and Nabih Berberi-Berri was the speaker of the house, they both crossed the red-line of non-partisan and non-involvement to join and lead the opposition; and why the ministers resigned, deserted their posts, but still continued to receive their ridiculous salaries regularly. Hezballah – or a special commando unit of Hezballah – may have carried out the brutal attack but there is evidence that Bashar Al-ASS-ad and Emile Le-Hood were involved in and probably actually ordered the assassination of Rafiq Harriri…

Read: 573…

Then read the “Nabih Beriberi Berri” series: 746 / 747 / 748 / 749 / 750 / 751 / 752 / 753 / 754 and 755

And Emile Jamil Le-Hood Lahhoud, the Hermit-Baboon and Jinx: 756

Also, read “the Freed Four Foul Felons” series: 688 / 689 and 690

And finally, read: The Late Rafiq Harriri, Lamented and Beloved, A Salute to his Memory: 563

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Spiegel Breakthrough in Tribunal Investigation – Part II – The Second Circle of Hell

Gleaned from: Revelations Could Likely Harm or Expose Hezballah

Spiegel Online International 23^rd May 2009

The second circle of hell was a network of about 20 mobile-phones that had been identified as being in proximity to the first 8 mobile-phones – noticeably often. According to the Lebanese security forces, all the numbers involved apparently belonged to the operational arm of Hezballah, which maintains a militia in Lebanon that is more powerful than the regular Lebanese Army. While a small part of Hezballah acts as a normal political organisation – participating in democratic elections and appointing cabinet ministers – the other and larger part uses less savory tactics – abductions at the Israeli border and terrorist attacks committed against Jewish facilities in South America in 2002 and 2004.

The whereabouts of the two Beirut groups of mobile-phone users coincided again and again, and they were sometimes located near the site of the attack. The romantic attachment of one of the terrorists led the cyber-detectives directly to one of the main suspects. He committed the unbelievable indiscretion of calling his girlfriend from one of the hot mobile-phones. It only happened once, but it was enough to identify the man. He is believed to be Abd al-Majid Ghamlush, from the town of Rumin, a Hezballah member who had completed a training course in Iran. Ghamlush was also identified as the buyer of the mobile-phones. He has since disappeared, and perhaps is no longer alive – probably killed to cover tracks. He goofed once, he could goof again.

Hariri’s growing popularity could have been a thorn in Nasrallah’s side, just as Imad Fayez Moughniyeh was a thorn in his side and a threat to his status. In 2005, the billionaire began to outstrip Nasrallah in popularity. Besides, he stood for everything the fanatical Nasrallah hated: close ties to the West and a prominent position among moderate Arab heads of state, an opulent lifestyle, and he was a Sunni – the alternative to, and an adversary of, Nasrallah – Nasrallah hated and did only what he was ordered to hate and do by Iran and Syria.

Whether Lebanon developed in the direction the Hezballah leader apparently imagined or not seemed doubtful. Immediately after the spectacular and brutal terrorist attack on Valentine’s Day in 2005, a wave of sympathy for the murdered politician swept across the country, the Middle-East, and the West. The so-called cedar revolution brought a pro-Western government to power, and the son of the murdered man emerged as the most important party leader and strongest figure operating in the background. Saad Hariri could have become the prime minister of Lebanon long ago – if he had been willing to accept the risks and felt sufficiently qualified to hold office. After the Hariri murder, the Syrian occupation forces left the country in response to international and Lebanese – foreign and domestic – pressure.

Ghamlush's recklessness led investigators to the man they now suspect was the mastermind of the terrorist attack: Hajj Salim. A southern Lebanese from Nabatiyah, Salim is considered the commander of the military wing of Hezballah and lives in South Beirut, a Shiite stronghold. Salim's secret Special Operational Unit reports directly to Hezballah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

Imad Fayez Mughniyeh, one of the world's most wanted terrorists, ran the unit until 12^th Feb. 2008, when he was killed in an attack in Damascus, presumably by Israeli intelligence – Have you read: 135 / 138 / 147 / 150 / 226 / 371 / 372 / 540 / 541 Highly recommended –  Since then, Salim has largely assumed the duties of his notorious but highly courageous predecessor, with Mughniyeh's brother-in-law, Mustafa Badr al-Din, serving as his deputy. The two men report only to their superior, and to General Kassim Sulaimani, their contact in Iran, the principal financiers of the Lebanese Party of God – Hezballah – who have repressed Syria’s influence.

According to the Spiegel source, the deeper the investigators in Beirut penetrated into the case, the clearer the picture became. They have apparently discovered which Hezballah member obtained the small Mitsubishi truck used in the attack. They have also been able to trace the origins of the explosives, more than 1,000 kilograms of TNT, C4 and hexogen.

The true hero of the story, Captain Wissam Eid, was killed on 25^th January 2008.

Everything went wrong for Hassan Nasrallah and Hezballah. In July 2006, Hezballah crossed the border, attacked and killed seven Israeli soldiers, and kidnapped two – upon orders from their master, Iran, of course – and provoked Israel to launch a war against Lebanon that devastated the country, killed 1,200 Lebanese, wounded thousands, displaced and scattered hundreds of thousands all over Lebanon, and scattered hundreds of thousands more to the four winds…and almost crippled the country.

Hezballah defied Israel’s superior military power by hit-and-run-and-hide tactics – by firing rockets haphazardly at Israel, and running to hide in holes – but Nasrallah managed to twist the whole fallacy, fiasco, folly and madness into a divine victory by claiming that Israel had set out to destroy Hezballah but failed. Israel set out to prove to Lebanon and the world that it could make any number of incursions into the country and destroy any area or target it chose – and to solidify its image as a resistance movement in large parts of the Arab world – Read 681 / 682 / 683 / 684 and 685…especially 681…then read 542

If there had been democratic opinion polls in the Middle East, Nasrallah would probably have been voted the most popular leader of a murderous merciless mercenary mad-militia who obey orders from Iran blindly. The highly anticipated 7^th June elections would demonstrate whether the Lebanese people would allow Nasrallah to radicalize, terrorize and victimize them again.

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Spiegel Breakthrough in Harriri Tribunal Investigation – Part I – The First Circle of Hell

Gleaned from: New Evidence Points to Hezballah in Hariri Murder

Spiegel Online International 23^rd May 2009

Article or report in green, highlights in red, Horse-shits in orange, Horse-farts in pink, extra comments and speeches in brown, good and true in blue, and my comments in black…

According to information obtained by Spiegel, the UN Special Tribunal investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri had reached surprising new conclusions and it was keeping them secret – Investigators believed Hezballah was behind it.

It was an act of virtually Shakespearean dimensions, a family tragedy involving murder and suicide, and contrivance and real tears – and a good deal of big-time politics.

On 14^th February 2005, Valentine's Day, at 12:56 pm, a massive bomb exploded in front of St. George’s Hotel in Beirut, just as the motorcade of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri was passing by. The explosion ripped out a crater two meters deep in the street, and the blast destroyed the local branch of Britain's HSBC Bank. Body-parts were hurled as high as the roofs of surrounding buildings. 23 people died in the explosion and ensuing inferno, including Rafiq Hariri and Basel Flayhan, and their entourage – bodyguards – and passersby.

The shock waves quickly spread across the Middle East. Why did Rafiq Hariri have to die? Who carried out the attack, and who was behind it? What did they hope to achieve politically?

The Hariri assassination has been the source of wild speculations and unanswered questions ever since. Was it the work of terrorist organisation al-Qaida, angered by Hariri's close ties to the Saudi Royal family; or of the Israelis, as part of their constant efforts to weaken Lebanon – This is Horse-shit without the Horse! Lebanon is not strong for Israel to attempt to weaken her. Lebanon is weak. In fact, Lebanon is the weakest country in the Middle-East – or of Iran, who hated the secularist Hariri, or of Syria?

At the time of the attack, it had been known that Hariri, a billionaire construction magnate, who had been responsible for the reconstruction of the Lebanese capital after decades of civil war, had wanted to re-enter politics. It was also known that he had had a fall-out with Syrian President Bashar Assad after demanding the withdrawal of Syrian occupation forces from his native Lebanon. As a result, the prime suspects were the powerful Syrian Military Intelligence Agency, and their Lebanese conspirators. The pressure on Damascus came at an opportune time for the US government. Then-President George W. Bush had previously placed Syria on the US list of rogue states and had wanted to isolate the regime internationally.

In late 2005, an investigation team, approved by the UN and headed by German prosecutor, Detlev Mehlis, found, after seven months of research, that Syrian security forces and high-ranking Lebanese officials were in fact responsible for the Hariri murder. Four suspects were arrested. But the smoking gun, the final piece of evidence, was not found. The pace of the investigation stalled under Mehlis's Belgian successor, Serge Brammertz.

The establishment of a UN Special Tribunal was intended to provide certainty. It began its work on 1^st March 2009. The Tribunal, headquartered in the town of Leidschendam in the Netherlands, had a budget of more than €40 million / $56 million for the first year alone, with the UN bearing 51% and Lebanon bearing 49% of the cost. It had an initial mandate for three years, and the most severe sentence it could impose was life in prison. Daniel Bellemare, a Canadian, was appointed to head the Tribunal. Four of the eleven judges are Lebanese – their identities have been kept secret, for security reasons.

As its first official act, the tribunal ordered the release, in early April, of the four men arrested upon orders from Mehlis. By then, they had already spent more than 3 years languishing in a Lebanese prison. Since then, it has been deathly quiet in Leidschendam, as if the investigation had just begun and there was nothing to say.

But there were signs that the investigation had yielded new and explosive results. Spiegel had learned from sources close to the tribunal, and verified by examining internal documents, that the Hariri case was about to take a sensational turn. Intensive investigations in Lebanon all pointed to a new conclusion: that it was not the Syrians, but instead special forces of the Lebanese Shiite organisation, Hezballah, that had planned and carried out the diabolical attack. The chief prosecutor of the tribunal and his judges apparently wanted to hold back the information, which they had been aware for about a month. What were they afraid of?

According to the detailed information provided by Spiegel, the fact that the case might have been cracked was the result of a mixture of serendipity à la Sherlock Holmes and the state-of-the-art technology used by cyber detectives. In months of painstaking hard-work, a secretly operating special unit of the Lebanese security forces, headed by intelligence expert Captain Wissam Eid, had filtered out the numbers of mobile-phones that could be pinpointed to the area surrounding Hariri on the days leading up to the attack, and on the date of the murder itself. The investigators referred to those mobile-phones as the first circle of hell.

Captain Wissam Eid's team eventually identified eight mobile-phones, all of which had been purchased on the same day in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. They were activated six weeks before the assassination, and they were used exclusively for communication among their owners and users and – with the exception of one case – were no longer used after the attack. They were apparently tools of the hit-team that carried out the terrorist attack.

The true hero of the story did not live to witness the recent progress in the investigation. Captain Wissam Eid was killed in a terrorist attack in the Beirut suburb of Hasmiyah on 25^th January 2008. The attack, in which three other people were also killed, was apparently intended to stop or slow down the investigation. And, once again, there was evidence of involvement by the Hezballah commando unit, just as there had been in each of more than a dozen attacks against prominent Lebanese in the past four years. This leaves the question of motive unanswered. Many had an interest in Hariri’s death. Why should Hezballah or its backers in Iran be responsible – since Hezballah never does anything without orders from Iran or Syria?

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Hezballah Again – Graduates to Future Success or Futile Suicide

Gleaned from: Time in Partnership with CNN Thursday 21^st May 2009

Article or report in green, highlights in red, Horse-shits in orange, Horse-farts in pink, extra comments and speeches in brown, good and true in blue, and my comments in black…

The young men in gold-collared gowns receiving their certificates as beaming parents looked on could have been at any graduation ceremony in the US, except perhaps for the fact that the commencement speaker spoke from behind a large slim-screen via a television-link from an undisclosed location – to avoid assassination. That, and the fact that most of the graduates were trained guerrilla-fighters, and that their job-prospects were assured and far better than those of their Western peers, made the whole show seem bizarre – future success or futile suicide. I wonder how many of the certificates were fakes or forged!

In a huge south Beirut auditorium built on the rubble of apartment buildings that had been destroyed by Israeli bombs in the July 2006 fallacy, fiasco, folly and madness-war, Hezballah honoured 2,883 young men and women who had graduated from Lebanese universities on scholarships provided by the movement. Beloved families; please don't rush to the front to take pictures of your dear children, the master of ceremonies intoned beneath a large slim-screen showing a video compilation of greatest hits from Hezballah's 18-year war to drive the Israelis out of Lebanon. Each of them will be photographed and the pictures will be delivered to you.

The highlight of the day was the appearance, behind a large slim- screen, of the movement's leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah – one of the most charismatic and wanted men in the Middle East. He had the audience on its feet and riveted, as he spoke for at least 45 minutes without notes – why, that is the easiest trick of all; the notes were displayed on another large slim-screen for him to read. Not all of us are – on the importance of education, which, along with asymmetrical warfare, had been among his top priorities since taking over the Shiite Islamist militia-movement in 1992. Sitting on a bench in a classroom is a jihad in our Islamic understanding, he told the students and their proud parents – educate them, exterminate them, so long as Hezballah obeys its masters, Syria and Iran

Nasrallah and his organisation, though, might be poised for a graduation of their own; they led an opposition political coalition that polls showed had a commanding lead in Lebanon's parliamentary elections to be held on 7^th June. If the polls were accurate, the elections could place the self-styled Party of God – considered a terrorist organisation by the US and other Western and Arab countries – often described as a state-within-a-state because of its shadow military infrastructure and vast social services network – in charge of the Lebanese state. That prospect had the then US backed coalition running scared, and warned that a victory by Iran-and-Syria-backed Hezballah and its allies could end Lebanon’s short-lived independence from Syria, and turn it into another Gaza, or a mini-Iran.

The parliamentary election campaign, however, appeared to have brought out a more mature and pragmatic side of Hezballah. The movement's electoral momentum was not the product of some surge in militancy among the general public; it was the result of a carefully constructed alliance with a Christian faction that had grown disenchanted with the US-backed Cedar Revolution that ousted the Syrians, and with their sect's traditional pro-Western leadership – and highly enchanted by the support in cash and kind from Iran and Syria. Hezballah’s Christian ally, which carried the support of roughly half of the country's Christians, was led by former general Michael Aoun, who decided that the best way to protect Lebanon's Christians, and perhaps the best way to promote his own career, was to join forces with the rising tide of Shiite Islam.

To keep its new Christian bedfellows in the opposition tent, Hezballah ran a low-key campaign aimed at reassuring non-Shiite voters that Sheikh Nasrallah's movement respected Lebanon's diverse, multi-ethnic and multi-religious character. Hezballah gave up some of its own safe-seats in parliament to its opposition allies in order to maintain a unified front. It might, in all probability, actually lose seats on 7^th June, in order to assume an even more powerful behind-the-scenes role in a new government. All it asked in return, Nasrallah said, was for the new government to formalize and protect the autonomy of the resistance – Hezballah's military infrastructure – which, it claimed, was necessary to deter Israeli aggression.

Even though Israeli and US officials were naturally apprehensive, even if the new government accepted its military role, it remained unlikely that Hezballah would launch another war against Israel. Although it managed to spin the disastrous stalemate of its 2006 war with Israel into a Divine Victory for all Arabs, Hezballah had yet to deliver on its promise to rebuild thousands of homes destroyed by Israeli bombs – and with the present situation in Iran, it seems they are never ever going to deliver. Even Hezballah's most ardent supporters were not prepared to lose their homes again in a new confrontation. And Hezballah's patrons – Iran and Syria – were waiting to see what new possibilities would emerge from an Obama administration determined to engage its adversaries in diplomacy.

Even if the responsibilities of government limited Hezballah's options, it wouldn't change the organisation's DNA: with its hundreds of schools teaching reading, writing, and resistance; its small arms training at scout-camps, and thousands of fighters and scholars, Hezballah has prepared a generation of Lebanese Shiites for struggle against Israel. The movement's leaders say its military capacity will only be used to defend Lebanon, but it defines the Sheba Farms still under Israeli occupation as Lebanese territory – UN maps indicate it to be part of Syria – and that's just one factor that could spark a new round of fighting. Another is that Hezballah blames last year's assassination of its security chief, Imad Fayez Mughniyeh, on Israel. And it's an open secret that Hezballah has acquired anti-aircraft technology in the hopes of bringing down one of the Israeli warplanes that constantly violate Lebanese airspace.

But the danger of confrontation is not related to the outcome of the elections. As long as the Arab-Israeli conflict continues and the US and Iran vie for supremacy in the Middle East, Lebanon will always be at risk of being turned into a battlefield again. The job-prospects for Hezballah's Class-of-2009 may be bright, but they could yet involve martyrdom – like I said: future success or futile suicide. Perhaps to Nasrallah, they are both linked; no future success without futile suicide and no futile suicide without future success – they were taught nothing, for nothing, to die for nothing…Read “Wake-up Calls” 693 – 710 and “Beware” 712 / 713 and 715…then “Origins of Hezballah” 589 and “Encouraging Hezballah” 591. Then read the Saga of Imad Fayez Mughniyeh: 135 / 138 / 147 / 150 / 226 / 371 / 372 / 540 and 541

P for Pests – P for Pray – P for Prey – Parasite Pastor Patriarch Patris Politician Pope Prick Priest Psychic or Punk – What’s the difference?

Can Psychics Call Up The Dead? And Do They? I ask you!

Horse-shit! Signed and sealed by the Horse himself who put his hoof-mark on it! By God and Satan!

As far as I am concerned – or like my late beloved Mama would say: “The only way a psychic could help a person to get in touch with, let alone talk to, a long dead or recently dead family member, or relative, or friend, or whoever, is to kill that person!” By God and Satan again!

If the first act we perform on the stage is ‘shoot all the lawyers’ then we need to rehearse by shooting all the clergy; starting from the Pope, cardinals, bishops, down to the lay priests and nuns; and from the ayatollahs, imams, muftis, down to the lay sheikhs and sheikhas; and from the top rabbi to the bottom rabbi; from the head-guru to the Ass-guru, Etc; then we polish our performance by shooting all the politicians – and I do mean all.

Parasite, pastor, patriarch, patris, politician, pope, prick, priest, psychic, punk, or people-in-frocks – male and female – whether Christian, Moslem, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu or whatever – what's the difference? That was in alphabetical order. Patris is Latin for father; and they all come under “P” for PESTS! They deal in, or sell, abstracts. In other words, nothing you can see or touch; only hear or read. You pay in good solid cold cash or in kind; they give you zilch – hot smelly air.

Like my late beloved Mama would say again: "Son! If psychics could really call up and talk to the dead, they wouldn't need just clients; they would need stadiums, because they would have awesome audiences who have literally paid through their noses to see and hear them!”

Me: JEEZ, Mama!

Mama: No, Son. Not JEEZ! Double JEEZ!

My Mama knew a thing or two, and she was nobody's fool.

Prophets! Not under “P” for Pests!? Well, we shall see; in any case…

If they had known how far these miserable swine would go to, and how much they would mess up, misinterpret, misuse, mutilate, and distort; and how many additions and subtractions they would make, and how much imagination they would add; to everything they'd done or hadn't done; and everything they'd said or hadn't said, in order to intimidate, manipulate, suppress, oppress, and exploit the Asses – that Masses without the “M” they would…Read: 680

It’s the simplest formula or equation in the history of Mankind-the-Apes: “P” for Pray, and “P” for Prey. Pray then prey, or prey then pray. Pray for others then prey on others; prey on others then pray for others; or pray for others to prey on; or prey on others you pray for.

Like my late beloved Mama would say again: “Son; this time, it’s my turn to say JEEZ!” By God and Satan, one more time!

Less than 2 out of every 1,000 men and women in frocks and/or robes – whether red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, black or white, are somewhat good; the rest, all 998 of them, are pests.

The Maronite Patriarch and his Council of Bishops, and Hasssan Nasrallah and the others, should have kept their noses and hands out of The Horse-shit of Politics and in The Horse-shit of Religion – and their views and ideas to themselves!

Read: 250 Who Made Whom? Highly recommended

Science and Technology – The Good, the Bad, the Pretty, the Ugly – Science and Technology have no moral dimensions…

Science and Technology have changed our lives considerably in a lot of ways; whether for the better or for the worse remains to be seen, and depends on one’s circumstances and location of birth and/or residence, and thereby point of view.

They have done a lot to make our lives much easier, safer, and far more comfortable than ever before in the history of Mankind-the-Apes; and, at the same time, they have also made our lives far more fragile and our situation far more critical than ever before – depending on one’s situation and/or where one lives. If we looked closely and carefully, we would find that in the richest or poorest countries on the planet, approximately 25% of the population live either on the fringes, within the perimeter, or in the center of opulence and gluttony, while the rest live on the fringes, within the perimeter, or in the center or bull’s-eye of poverty, squalor, misery, and starvation; but these are not the results of Science and Technology; they are the results of Religion and Politics – read: 680 – so much for that; now, on with the job at hand…

Because of Science and Technology, Mankind – Human-Apes – are caught between the most complicated enigma and the worst dilemma since the dawn of history. They have got to find the solution to the most difficult puzzle or problem and to make the most urgent and important choice or decision, ever to face Mankind-the-Apes – with the supposed gift of thought, reason, and speech – to continue to survive as a species, or to perish!

Science and Technology have no moral dimensions. They are like knives – or scalpels, if you like. Give a knife or a scalpel to a surgeon, and he/she will use it to cure people; give it to a criminal, and he/she will use it to kill people. Man-the-Ape has the goodness and the capacity to invent and create and discover; and Man-the-Ape has the evil and the tendency to abuse, misuse, mishandle, and destroy.

Science and Technology can only give us, or provide us with, the products, materials, and inventions, and the results of researches and experiments – not to mention the time and toil, or the dangers and risks involved – what we do with them is for us to choose or decide, because every single one of these was made and created or invented for a good reason or purpose – from the club to the spear to the bow and arrows: all were invented to help Mankind provide themselves with food and animal hides, Etc. The fact that Man used them to fight and kill his Fellow-Man is not the fault of Science or Technology, but due to Mankind’s greedy, selfish, vain, vicious, vindictive, cruel, malicious, and mischievous nature; in other words, their tendency and inclination to revert to their origins: Apes, or large monkeys; and the worst kind or species of Apes, too, since they went on to invent guns, on the pretext of using them for hunting purposes only, but used them also to kill each other in greater numbers, and quicker, too; and they have now taken the matter across and far beyond the boundaries of necessity, reason, and/or logic; and plunged it into the bottomless abyss of madness, maliciousness, and obsession – the will to kill and the mad-dash to mass-suicide and extermination!

Today, because of Science and Technology, we live in far greater ease, health, safety, and comfort than our fore-fathers did or even dreamt of; and yet, in the midst of all these, we are on the verge of destruction and extinction.

Almost all the diseases and pestilences that plagued, killed, crippled, and maimed Mankind have either been totally conquered and eliminated or subdued and controlled because of the various chemicals, products, inventions, and machinery that have been discovered or invented through Science and Technology, BUT! Simultaneously, new and far more terrible, horrible, contagious, and (almost) incurable diseases and pestilences have raised their ugly heads and sprouted like mushrooms and snails after the rains because of their exploitation and misuse through egotism, greed, envy, jealousy, and vanity; and Mankind's cruel, vicious, malicious, mischievous, and vindictive nature.

These same inventions and discoveries cure us of diseases, rid us of pestilences, protect us from the elements, and provide us with ease, safety, health, and comfort. They keep us warm or cool in extreme weather – as the case may be – and enable us to move quickly, easily, safely, and comfortably, from place to place. Journeys that took weeks or months, if not years, are made within days, hours, or minutes. They provide us with knowledge of, information on, and instructions in, any and all situations, accidents, incidents, events, and subjects, topics, and methods. They enable us to obtain, sort out, assimilate, store, and retrieve such knowledge, information, or instructions, quickly, clearly, and easily – at our fingertips, or the touch of a button or key, in fact; and messages that took weeks to arrive now take minutes or seconds.

In the middle of the worst storms or blizzards, in areas that most vehicles or other means of transportation cannot reach; people live in reasonable safety and comfort. Most victims of catastrophes, accidents, wars, and disasters are rescued; and Mankind is able to produce more food – let us stop here for a moment to spare a thought for the tens of thousands, especially children, that die of the lack of food: starvation – better clothes, more potent medicines, high-precision machines, better materials and other essentials; and to build more houses – another moment, another thought, for the homeless and destitute – schools, universities – one more moment and  thought for the illiterate and ignorant who are manipulated and exploited, and the children, especially girls, who are deprived of, or forbidden from, education – hospitals, places of worship, and other buildings and structures; faster and better than ever before. BUT! Let us not forget that Mankind are also able to destroy the world – this fragile coloured marble in the vastness and awesomeness of the universe – in which we live, and to exterminate all the life-forms, including our own; and all this through Science and Technology. The choice, and the decision, is ours to make.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking away, slowly but surely, and time marches on, steadily, ruthlessly, and relentlessly; and dragging us, not closer to the brink – we are already there – but pushing us over it.   In fact, in view of the depletion of the protective Ozone layer, and the high increase in Global Warming – not to mention air-pollution: (chemical and exhaust fumes), and environmental pollution: garbage and sewerage disposals, the depletion of rain and other forests, and the excavation of protective mountains and hills, that is going on 24/7 days a week; and is increasing, not yearly, or monthly, or weekly, or even daily, but hourly, if not by the minute; due to Mankind’s tendency to fornicate, and the love of fornication, and having babies like rabbits – it seems we have already begun the task and are already more than half-way gone – and because of Mankind’s nature, and their exploitation, mishandling, and misuse of  the products of Science and Technology!

I believe Mankind ought to hang a picture of the earth – as it appears in space – on the walls in our homes: sitting rooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and above our beds; places of work: the walls above our desks or bureaus and in our supermarkets, shops, and other business establishments; in all our churches, mosques, synagogues, temples or whatever prayer-halls; on walls in all our hospitals, clinics, schools, colleges, and universities – from the play-grounds, the dining halls, the classrooms, the prayer and lecture halls, the laboratories, the teachers’ lounges, to the principals’ and headmasters’ offices; on the walls facing the audience in theatres; on walls in all our Royal or Presidential Palaces or Residences, Houses of Commons or Parliaments – facing the political Apes wherever they look – Ministries; all government agencies: armed forces, law enforcement, and other; on bill-boards in all our sports stadiums, our airports, sea-ports, train and bus stations, and in all the streets in all our cities, towns, and villages, and on all our roads; in fact, everywhere: to remind us all of where we live and how delicate and fragile this coloured marble – planet earth – really is.

Like my late beloved Mama would say: “A word to the wise is enough, and a thousand words to the obtuse ought to be enough; BY GOD AND SATAN!”

Man and Machines – Monster and Monster and Monster versus Monster

This is by I, myself, and me. Colours for additional comments, differentiation, and emphasis

Ever since Man-the-Ape first stood up on his hind legs and opened his eyes – so to speak – and looked around him, and began to realise that the cards were all stacked against him; he began to think, and to reason – first by himself, then with his fellow-Man-the-Ape or fellow-Men-the-Apes – over and about his surroundings and environment. And later, by adding thought to reason, he began to calculate and to work out how to protect himself from the elements and the forces of nature; and the other animals, most of which were constantly trying to kill and eat him; and how to provide himself with shelter, comfort, safety, and the bare necessities of life. He realised that he had to depend only on himself, mostly, and on his fellow-Men-the-Apes, if they were to survive as a species; and, as a result, he began to invent crude and very simple tools, implements, and weapons; and to forage and hunt, sometimes by himself, but mostly in groups. It was: You watch and scratch my back; I'll watch and scratch yours.

First, he made a thick wooden club, which he used to kill some of the animals for food and skins, and to defend himself. Then he made a long wooden pole, which he later sharpened at one end with a knife made of flint or stone. Then he discovered that by making the pole thinner and lighter, and by adding a piece of sharpened flint, or stone, to one end as a head, he could hunt and kill by throwing or hurling it from a distance without the risk or danger of confrontation. Then, somewhat later, he discovered that by inventing a device, the bow, that could propel a shaft, the arrow, he could hunt and kill from a greater distance. He realised that although, compared to the other animals, he was weak and helpless, he could think and reason. In other words, he had a well-developed brain, and he could use his hands. This tipped the scales substantially, if not completely, in his favour. Thus, these ancient or pre-historic, primitive, and crude tools, implements, and weapons, became the first and the most basic class of machines ever made or invented by Man-the-Ape.

Much later on, he discovered fire through the effect of lightning striking dry brush, wood and leaves, and by using his brain, aided by his hands, he multiplied thought by reason, and divided the results by hard-work, and invented the wheel, which led to the development of several more useful and effective tools, implements, and weapons – machines.

He had no choice. Picture the first Man-the-Ape. Look at him well with your mind’s eye. No fur to keep him warm, no hooves to protect his feet, and no horns or claws or fangs to hunt or fight or defend himself with; only a well-developed brain, plus the fact that he could stand and move – walk or run in an upright position – and he could use his hands. Time would show and tell that these were far better and much more formidable advantages; and that, because of them, he became the lord and master of all life–forms.

Eventually, he began to invent crude machines, which are devices – each having a unique and specific purpose that augments or replaces human or animal effort for the accomplishment of specific physical tasks. And since then, Man-the-Ape has been able to invent and build bigger, better, and faster Machines, with awesome powers and incredible precision that can do things, and perform tasks that Man-the-Ape could never do. In fact, today, in almost all the factories, plants, firms, companies, schools, offices, and anywhere and everywhere people live, work, do business, or play, or indulge in any form of activities – or in-activities, for that matter – there are Man-the-Ape-made Machines roaring, screeching, clattering, or humming away at their various tasks. Man-the-Ape, because of his primordial fears, anxieties, angst, and needs, and through the development of modern science and technology, has been able to create machines that can do the work of thousands of people, faster, better, and much more accurately – or kill thousands of people within minutes, or seconds. In truth, it boggles the mind to think, that this fragile and susceptible coloured marble in space, this smaller-than-the-smallest micro-dot in the awesomeness of the universe, and that took more than 4.5 billion years to form, could be destroyed completely within weeks, or days, or even hours, by Man-the-Ape and his Machines.

Because of these Machines, there is more leisure time, more entertainment, amusement, and diversity; much more knowledge; better education; faster transportation; instant information; much more safety, security, and comfort; better food; much more potent medication, improved treatments, and better health; better houses, buildings, and other structures.

Also, there is much more adversity, enmity, perversity, pestilence, immorality, strife, disease, wars, poverty, squalor, and starvation; more crime, sex, violence, drug and alchohol abuse and addiction, more corruption of values, more erosion and disruption of family and society, and more distortion – if not destruction – of marriage and family ties and social fabrics.

Machines have given Man-the-Ape everything he has ever wanted or needed, but, at the same time they have created more difficult and horrifying problems for him to solve. After hundreds of millions of years, Man-the-Ape realises that he is still in the same race against time, or back to square one, so to speak; but this time against a far more potent, much more formidable, much more powerful, and much more ruthless, relentless, and resilient, yet most indispensable enemy: The Machine! Who will win in the end, Man-the-Ape, or Machine?

Inventions and creations are the offspring of want and need, fostered by anxiety, and boosted by angst and fear. In other words, necessity, anxiety, angst, and fear are the reasons for and the cause of inventions, innovations, and creations! Man-the-Ape invents and creates because he wants to survive as a species and, most important, he is very much afraid and anxious.

Man-the-Ape’s capacity for good prompts him to invent and create Machines to improve his chances and lot, but simultaneously, it is Man-the-Ape’s inclination to evil that eventually turns these same Machines against him. From his earliest beginnings, when he foraged, hunted, fought, and defended himself with a club, then the spear, then the bow and arrow, then on, and on, and on, to the present; each and every tool, implement, and Machine that he invents or creates has been used against him. And now he waits for the time, the day, the hour, the minute, or the moment, when his most formidable, most powerful, most important, most dangerous, and most indispensable inventions or creations – Machines: The Computer and The Robot – will be used against him…or will turn against him.

And now, dear readers and fellow-Apes; on, on to 841…Science and Technology

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived – How are we to measure the greatness of a man?

Previous: 236

How are we to measure the greatness of a man; is it by ‘what he created’ or by what ‘what he created’ did, or has done, for Mankind-the-Apes or Human-Apes?

If Jesus is called “The Greatest Man who ever lived” today because a widespread Religion, Christianity, was founded in his name centuries after his death, then Mohammed is also “The Greatest Man who ever lived” since a widespread Religion, Islam, was also founded in his name long after his death. And Buddha is also “The Greatest Man who ever lived” since he created a widespread Religion, Buddhism, or it was created in his name, centuries before these two supposedly great men arrived on the scene. And long before these, there was Hinduism, and Joshua, who created Judaism. So who is “The Greatest Man who ever lived” now?

If we are to measure the greatness of the man by the Religion he created only then we need to count the followers of each Religion to decide who the greatest is. However, I wouldn’t advise or recommend that since my late beloved Mama, who is I, myself, and me, once told me: “Son! Never follow the herd or the pack; and never trust the majority much, because most of the time the majority simply means that all the fools are on the same side! The majority is composed of those that obey the herd or pack instinct and follow the herds of cattle or packs of monkeys! And son! People do not choose their Religion; it is forced upon them by the circumstances and the geographical location of their births!”

I wouldn’t argue with my late beloved Mama if I were you because my Mama knew a thing or two and she was nobody’s fool!

If we are to measure the greatness of the man by the geographical location and population of where he created his Religion, then Jesus is disqualified and out of the game or competition or tournament because he created his Religion among people who were well-educated and who already believed in One God, Jehovah. Joshua is also out of the game since the Israelites believed in Jehovah, albeit they strayed from time to time. Buddha loses the first round because the people he had to contend with and convince were not as backward and barbaric as the Arab tribes that lived on the Arabian Peninsula. Therefore, Mohammed is “The Greatest Man who ever lived” because he had to contend with and convince the most backward, idolatrous, brutal, and barbaric people who were constantly feuding, fighting, stealing from, robbing, and murdering each other; with violence as their code of conduct and vengeance as their code of honour; and 366 idols, icons, and images as their Gods.

However, and but! If we are to measure the greatness of a man, not by the faith or Religion or whatever it was he created, but by what “what he created” or “what he did” has done for Human-Apes in general then, in my not-so-humble opinion, all of the above are out of the game since, from what I have seen and heard and read so far, Religion has done more harm to Human-Apes than all the inventions, machines and weapons, and all the diseases that have plagued or haunted Human-Apes since the dawn of History.

There are those of you out there who might want to ask me: “So who, in your opinion, is the Greatest Man who ever lived, Daniel?”

And I would reply: “To me, the Greatest Man who ever lived was the first primitive Man, or Ape, who stood up and moved on his hind legs, looked around him, and realised that the cards were all stacked against him, and thumped his chest, and raised his arms high, and screamed in protest and rebellion at it all and…decided to do something about it; because if that Man, or Ape, had depended on the moon, or the sky, or the mountains or rivers or seas or trees, or on the sun or the rain; or on imaginary but so-called and supposedly very powerful beings or deities or forces – to his well-developed brain in comparison to the other creatures, but not-so-well-developed mind – for his self-preservation, survival, and progress; none of all of you out here and all of us in here would be here today!

Read: 840

BY GOD AND SATAN COMBINED x 2!

The Television – Advantages and Disadvantages – It’s like too many people sitting around a huge camp-fire…

Previous: 213

The Television is an instrument of the Media, like the radio and the newspaper; but the difference between the television and the others is vast, very important, and highly significant.

The Media depend on two very essential senses: sight and sound; and one very important factor: time. The newspaper prints the news, events, incidents, articles, reports, facts, and information – good or bad – with pictures, when available, after it has already happened, or before it happens. Via the radio, we can only hear about what happened, has happened, is happening, or is going to happen. One depends on sight, and the other depends on sound. In very remote or isolated areas, the radio can be very useful; but the people who live and work in these areas usually do not care much about what is happening or taking place elsewhere. Also, they cannot see what they hear, and people should believe only half of what they see, and nothing of what they hear. Only the Television can do the job perfectly and completely, if used properly and correctly, because it can be either a very useful and beneficial tool or a highly dangerous and corruptive weapon.

The advantages of the Television are: it provides us with instant information about and scenes of events, incidents, accidents, and natural phenomena: earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, Tsunamis, and disasters or catastrophes; and man-made Horse-shits: wars, epidemics, and predicaments; that happen almost anywhere in the world – or in space, for that matter.

Through the TV, people can be entertained, enlightened, amused, informed, taught, guided, instructed, and educated. It can be used to provide accurate information about the news, or the weather – whether local or worldwide – and other useful and valuable knowledge and facts. It can be used to educate and advise the public on matters that concern their health, security, comfort, safety, and well-being; and teach preventive methods and measures against over-population, through birth-control and awareness, and highly dangerous and contagious diseases like HIV/AIDS, cancer, Encephalitis, Leishmaniasis, the Ebola virus, bird and swine flu, and other several new, terrifying, and horrible – and almost incurable – diseases that are sprouting and popping up all over the world like mushrooms and snails after rain; and terrible incurable and irreversible social diseases like drugs and alchohol abuse and addiction, sex, violence, crime, molestations, gambling, and prostitution in all its forms and guises; not to mention child-abuse and molestation, child-exploitation/trafficking/prostitution, wife-beating, and adultery and divorce – including human and human body-parts trafficking.

Read: 823 / 824 / 825

It can  be  used  to  entertain the public through programmes, films, shows, documentaries and serials that are well-made, informative, instructive, enlightening, amusing, and exciting; and do not contain misdemeanors, atrocities, and other disgusting immoral and harmful scenes, language, and activities. Also, the TV can be used to divert attention and sway the public from one position, or opinion, or point of view, to another. In this case, if it is right, it is an advantage; if it is wrong, a disadvantage; which brings us to the disadvantages of the TV.

We cannot; in fact, we dare not fail to mention the fact that the TV can be used to misguide, misinform, and mislead the public. It can be used to misinterpret and distort facts, events, and incidents; and thereby dupe, incite, or coerce the public or the people to look at an issue or a matter incorrectly, and see things differently; and, as a result, to misunderstand the situation, arrive at the wrong conclusion, make the wrong decision, adopt the wrong attitude, and do the wrong thing.

A lot of people, especially children, spend a lot of time – too much, if you ask me – watching television, or playing games on computer-screens that are miniature televisions, instead of studying, reading, or doing other useful and helpful activities. Because of the television there is no more quality-time between parents and children, no more being together as a family, or as relatives, neighbours, friends, or a community; and social fabrics and family ties have been disrupted, if not actually (almost) destroyed.

Gone forever are the times, the days and nights, or evenings of sitting on the porch, or in the garden, or in front of the house, or at the community centre, or standing at the gate or fence, or in the street, or anywhere else – conversing, exchanging views, news, and gossips; advice and complaints; comments and remarks; and sometimes discussing, or arguing about, matters that concern or involve certain individuals, or the community as a whole; and often engaging in amusing, interesting, entertaining, enlightening, and yet harmless, activities and games – if not completely gone, they're rarely seen and seldom done; and all because everybody is either at work or asleep, or glued to the television or computer screen.

Also, to top it all off, some channels, if not all, broadcast programmes, films, shows, and serials that contain ugly, horrible, terrible, dangerous, disgusting, and highly contagious post-hypnotic or post-impressive scenes, activities, and language; messages that are abnormal, immoral, disruptive, and harmful – to society in general, and to children in particular.

So, to sum it all up, if used correctly and properly, “The Television” can be a very useful, helpful, and beneficial tool or instrument; if used incorrectly and improperly, it can be a very harmful and highly dangerous weapon.

However, and but! We must not forget that governments or companies, corporations, and agencies that establish Television Channels, do so for money; in other words, it’s business; and business means/involves management, staff, employees, and workers; and these have to be, or need to be paid; also, television channels require a lot of equipment, fittings, tools, and accessories; and these require servicing, maintenance, and replacement; and the only way for a business to operate, and remain in operation, is to be lucrative, and that is to make money; and the only way or means for TV Companies to make money is through advertisements; and advertisers want only one thing, and that  is to reach, and convince the public – the consumers, patrons, and customers – to buy their products, dine in their restaurants, or go to see their shows or films, Etc; and the public, Etc, are made up of different people from different Religious and Ethnic backgrounds and environments; who live in different areas and under different situations and circumstances; with different ideas, different thoughts, and different ways of looking at things; with different wants and needs; and with different incomes.

Advertisers must reach, or want to reach, and convince all of these people – or as many of them as possible – by doing their best to give each of them what they want or need; show them what they want to see; tell them what they want to hear; and print what they want to read; and this makes it impossible to remain within certain rules, ethics, or principles; and governments or agencies Etc, cannot go into each and every community or home to supervise and/or control the viewers – whether children, adolescents, or adults – as to who should watch what. This must be done within each home, or school, or club, or camp, or wherever, by parents or guardians, or whoever is in charge, or is responsible. And this, too, is almost, if not absolutely, impossible.

So there you have it!

It’s like too many people sitting around a huge camp-fire: some are almost roasted alive – those too close to the fire – some are comfortably warm – those a reasonable distance away from it – and the rest are almost frozen to death – those too far away from it.

Tattoos are permanent reminders of temporary insanities – Part IV – Signs on soles of feet, and face to face with the past in the present…

Dear readers and fellow-Apes: It is written in the antiquity of time that the Prophet Mohammed uttered the book that carried the language, and he gathered the feuding and warring tribes and formed the army that carried the book. His disciples and successors were not mad fanatics but resolute and sagacious men who believed, and who formed shrewd friendships with the then malcontent Christians among the Greeks and the persecuted Jews in Spain and, in a few years, created an empire that extended from the Pyrenees to the Hindu Kush.

That empire was soon divided and became weak. The Arabs could conquer, but they could not govern. Separate Caliphates were established in Babylonia, Egypt, and Spain. The Caliphs, at first, were commanders and protectors of the faithful, but they were soon degraded to the position of the Pope in Rome today. The Government in Baghdad was seized by the Praetorian Guards who were descendants of Turkish prisoners and Negroes from Zanzibar; all of whom had tattoo marks made on their bodies to identify them.  In Egypt, the Government was seized by the Mamelukes or European slaves who had been captured and brought in their boyhoods from the countries surrounding the Black Sea; and trained from tender ages in the use of arms and warfare. They were the sons of Christian parents, all of whom had a cross tattooed on the soles of their feet so that they might never cease to tread upon the emblem or sign of their faith or religion.

Tattoos are permanent reminders of temporary banalities, inanities, stupidities, foolishness, naivety, and insanities.

The following is a true story:

After the wedding ceremony and the cocktail party and reception, the newly-wed couple went up and entered their honeymoon suite and began to get ready for the task at hand. The bride-groom finished first and was lying in bed waiting for his bride-in-white. After a while, she came out in a gossamer night-gown and switched off the lights; the husband asked her to kindly switch them on again since he wanted to see her and enjoy the sight of her…Etc, and so forth and so on. After an exchange of not a few words and the lapse of not a few minutes, she finally switched them on, and as soon as she had taken off the gown, he noticed a not-very-normal or decent tattoo mark on a very private part of her anatomy and asked her about it.

She said: “Oh that? Well, you’re the first man ever to see that.”

And he said: “No, that’s not true, my dear. I’m not even the second man ever to see that. The first man was the guy who made it.”

Well, what can I tell you, dear readers and fellow-Apes, except that, that marriage ended on the rocks that very night; another marriage down the drain of divorce before it’s even begun, and all because of…end of story.

Kings, chiefs, and commoners, sailors and prisoners, tribesmen and sweethearts, high and low posts, have all shared one thing: the art of tattoo – or the Fart of Tattoo.