blog comment o’ the day: A (suggested) Statement from David Cameron

Although it’s actually from Susan Thorpe, over in the BoJo Flamewar. Dream on, if you think any politician has what it takes to sign something like this, brilliant though it is.

“I am not the Prime Minister of Great Britain, but I have high hopes of one day achieving this exalted office. Until that time, whilst I may sway the incumbent government’s policies, I am only able to influence our government and not implement policies of my own. However, even though I do not enjoy governmental pre-eminence, I offer, on behalf of Britain, my deepest condolences and sympathies to the peoples of Lebanon and Palestine. I would like to add that I hope that we can work together in the future to rectify and repair relations between Britain and the Middle East.

Insofar as Britain was the last nation to govern the territory of Israel and Palestine prior to resolution 181 of the United Nations, I consider the difficulties in Israel and Lebanon to lie, to a certain extent, at our doorstep. As a consequence of this historical obligation I feel it behooves any British government to do its utmost to expedite peace in this region; even if such actions may strain our relationship with our allies, the United States and Israel.

To this end I call for impartial international re-assessment of the activities of Israel in the occupied territories of Palestine and a similar examination of its recent military activities in Lebanon. I also recommend that Britain withdraw diplomatic relations with Israel until the leaders of that country comply with all outstanding UN resolutions and rectify any officially recorded abuses of humanitarian rights in the occupied territories and Lebanon.

I recognize that this statement will cause anger and dissent in the ranks of the elected members of my party and those many members of the Conservative Party in the community. I further recognize that this standpoint may cost me the leadership of this party. Regardless of these dangers, I am no longer prepared to stand by and, through inaction, condone the chronic and intolerable abuses being perpetrated in this region. I can no longer, in all honour, sit in silence while such transgressions persist without any word of condemnation or action from the international community.

If this standpoint causes me to lose electoral votes, so be it. The votes it costs are well spent in raising public awareness of the gross violations of international law perpetrated by the Israeli government daily. In the event that sinister influence causes me to lose my leadership and perhaps my seat in the house, I trust that my replacement will take up this issue with the same desire for investigation, reconciliation and, ultimately peace.”

colossal loogey found on Chilean coast

Sperm Whale, RIP

From The Wetass Chronicles:

Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Annals of Oceanography–What The Hell Is This?!:

It was 40 feet long. It weighed 13 tons. And it washed up on a beach in Chile last July. And no one could figure out just what it was. For a while the scientific community got all excited because it was thought The Blob might be the remains of the intriguing, elusive and rarely seen Giant Squid. Or perhaps the world’s largest piece of bubble gum. But Skip Pierce, a biologist at the University of San Francisco, used electron microscopy to determine that The Blob is in fact the putrid, rotting, remains of a….sperm whale. Oh well. The hunt for the Giant, or Colossal, Squid continues…
Damn, it’s just a massive whale loogey…..
(Photo: The Oracle)

Israeli pilots deliberately ignoring orders to hit civilian targets

Lebanese flag, as redrawn lately 

Israeli pilots ‘deliberately miss’ targets. From the Observer.

Fliers admit aborting raids on civilian targets as concern grows over the reliability of intelligence

Inigo Gilmore at Hatzor Air Base, Israel
Sunday August 6, 2006
The Observer
At least two Israeli fighter pilots have deliberately missed civilian targets in Lebanon as disquiet grows in the military about flawed intelligence, The Observer has learnt. Sources say the pilots were worried that targets had been wrongly identified as Hizbollah facilities.

As international outrage over civilian deaths grows, the spotlight is increasingly turning on Israeli air operations. The Observer has learnt that one senior commander who has been involved in the air attacks in Lebanon has already raised concerns that some of the air force’s actions might be considered ‘war crimes’.

The tide is definitely turning. The BoJo flamewar is over, a ceasefire is on the table, France is ready to send in peacekeepers, and even Harper admits that Israel may have been a bit “extra-vigorous”.

Canada vs Coulter, age 45

Canada wins, with a smackdown. And don’t give me none o’ that “but there were Canadians there as observers, there were Canadians who left to join the US Army” shit. Yes indeed, but (once more, loudly, for the people drooling in the back row):

CANADA DID NOT SEND TROOPS TO VIETNAM

as Ann Coulter, 45, learns to her dismay, confusion and, of course, ongoing refusal to face facts.

from, of all places, Perez Hilton, who has always been good to Canuckistan.