tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37260452012-01-28T22:31:10.573+02:00Ribbity Blogbaqqa mqarqra
<br>A Frog's-eye view
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.comBlogger2611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1099308654191831382004-11-01T13:25:00.000+02:002004-11-01T13:30:54.190+02:00GREETINGS
If any of you readers happen to have been washed up on my lily-pad via a link from Tal G, welcome to my humble pond.
I apologise for the fact that blogging has been ultralite in the past years, owing to the pressures of tadpoles, work, moving pond, etc.
Just remember, don't believe a word you read in the press about the Middle East: go and learn Arabic and read it for yourself.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1092594754189688442004-08-15T21:26:00.000+03:002004-08-15T21:32:34.190+03:00THE HOLY CITY
Why do Western journalists insist upon adding the words "the Holy City" to the name of Najaf every time they mention it. To the best of my knowledge, none of the Western news services reported that a Palestinian tried to cut the throat of a Jewish policemen in the Holy City of Jerusalem; or that the Palestinian bomers who were intercepted a few days ago were attempting to carry outRibbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1088330362329638882004-06-27T12:53:00.000+03:002004-06-27T13:06:05.480+03:00QATAN `ALAV
Avraham "Son of-" Burg has decided to leave the Knesset. According to the Jerusalem Pest,
Officials close to Burg said he has accepted an offer from the London-based 3-i venture capital fund. His spokeswoman said the fund interested Burg because it would be investing in development areas.
That's right, Burg is leaving the Knesset to take up a very lucrative job in high finance notRibbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1088312398812330302004-06-27T07:55:00.000+03:002004-06-27T07:59:58.813+03:00BACK IN BUSINESS
After a lengthy period of radio silence, I have decided to revive the Ribbity Blog. Recent world developments have shocked, outraged, moved, entertained and otherwise emoved me, and I sense a need for catharsis. Further comments shall ensue shortly.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1075460732676838332004-01-30T13:05:00.000+02:002004-01-30T13:07:43.890+02:00ON DAYS LIKE THIS
On days like this I sit in front of the computer, surfing from news site to news site, hoping that something dramatic is going to happen. One of the most frustrating aspects of the terrorist war is that it is not fought in decisive battles. A massacre occurs in an Israeli residential neighbourhood but there is no full-scale mobilization, no declaration of war, no call up of theRibbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1072110167439433212003-12-22T18:22:00.000+02:002003-12-22T19:59:27.280+02:00BBC For Israeli Temple Mount
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher was attacked about an hour ago by a Muslim mob in the Al-Aqsa mosque. The BBC reports Egypt Minister Attacked in Israel.
Ah, so they admit that the Al-Aqsa mosque is a part of Israel!
UPDATE: The BBC have now changed the headline to read Egyptian Minister Attacked at Mosque.
For a really great and realistic account of the Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1072074369338642942003-12-22T08:26:00.000+02:002003-12-22T08:27:28.606+02:00One Big Happy March
Yesterday the Frog Family - Ribbity, the Ribbitzen and the Tadpoles - were approached on the street by a charming young lady - Japanese, I believe - who invited us to participate in a peace march that will take place in Jerusalem soon (I have mislaid the sheet she gave us). The interesting thing was that the information sheet was written in both Hebrew and Arabic, but the Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1069933314495620992003-11-27T13:41:00.000+02:002003-11-27T13:42:40.950+02:00New Tadpole
Dr. R. Frog and Mrs. R. Froglette are delighted to announce to arrival of a new Tadpollette this morning at 4.40 am. Tadpole and Froglette are well.
Dr. Frog will be taking the tads Rib and Rob to visit their new sister this afternoon.
Not much blogging going down these days, but a lot of ribbiting.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1066628566045671182003-10-20T08:42:00.000+03:002003-10-20T08:42:45.606+03:00Most back attack on Israeli outlet restaurant
reports the Gulf News.
Seventy-five per cent of Palestinians support the suicide bombing of an Israeli restaurant two weeks ago in which 21 people died, a survey showed yesterday.
[...]
In a question asking whether they supported or opposed the October 4 bombing in the northern city of Haifa, 75 per cent said they either supported the attack or Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1066244436664903662003-10-15T22:00:00.000+03:002003-10-15T22:00:36.806+03:00BEILIN - LEVY - BLAIR
Ha'aretz reports today that most of the drafting of the so-called Geneva proposals took place in London under the helpful eye of Tony Blair. According to Ha'aretz, "Palestinians sources said that the meeting was mediated by Lord Michael Levy, Blair's envoy to the Middle East".
What Ha'aretz fails to mention is that Lord Levy's son, Daniel (pictured here) has long been Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1066032572649388082003-10-13T11:09:00.000+03:002003-10-13T18:46:47.413+03:00ANTI-DEMOCRATIC
Congrats to the Jerusalem Post for being the only Israeli newspaper I have seen on-line to state clearly what everyone who has grown up in a democracy knows: that the elected government alone has the right to negotiate on behalf of the people.
Anything else is anti-democratic and should be illegal. It makes one all the more angry when the far left ran on this very platform at Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-106532989136507832003-10-05T07:58:00.000+03:002003-10-05T07:58:10.730+03:00BBC SPIN, AGAIN...
The BBC will always do whatever it can to dampen the impact of a murderous attack. Not only does the top picture in their Israel story today bear the legend "Yasser Arafat has condemned the latest suicide attack". Their site also reports:
The BBC's Orla Guerin in Jerusalem says the Haifa bombing is one of the deadliest attacks in the past three years, and it brings the Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1063961899533387222003-09-19T11:58:00.000+03:002003-09-19T12:09:06.646+03:00ARABIC BLOG
ana shuft elyom inno aja Hada lablogi uhuwe yefattish `a blog bil`arabi. wallahi ana mitassef ktir laaken maa `indi imkaaniyye aktob halblog bil`arabi. laaken iza biddak titkaateb, ahlan usahlan, `unwaani mitbayyen `aHashiyet ish-shaashe.
shuuf esh la'eet halla': blogi bilarabi!
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1063736234668263592003-09-16T21:17:00.000+03:002003-09-17T08:47:09.396+03:00KILL THE JEWS
Hey, I know it's just a gripe, but if I read one more report that the Arabs shout "itbah al-yahud" I'll just scream.
No Arab has ever shouted "itbah al-yahud" unless they were particularly hungry.
Because "itbah al-yahud" means "cook the Jews".
What the Arab rioters should it "idbach al-yahuud" or sometimes "idhbach al-yahuud". The first consonant is pronounced like English "d" Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1063646891250049132003-09-15T20:28:00.000+03:002003-09-19T14:18:54.156+03:00BAGHDAD MUSEUM LOOTING
The first official briefing on the investigation into the status of the Baghdad Archaeological Museum during and after the Iraqi conflict has now been published (here). It makes fascinating reading. The reports of widescale losses and destruction were exaggerated. The precious manuscripts were not all destroyed.
There was destruction and looting, but to was not as bad Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1063642643446122332003-09-15T19:17:00.000+03:002003-09-15T19:35:05.473+03:00PHENOMENAL
Well, I'm sorry to jump on the blogwagon, but thanks to Imshin, Solomonia, and most of all to Andrew Lipson for the magical highpoint of my day. You MUST see Lipson's work.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1063553954613129232003-09-14T18:39:00.000+03:002003-09-14T18:39:14.596+03:00RAGE
Powell says Israeli could set off rage among Muslims everywhere by eliminating Arafat , The Associated Press reports. Unlike the Israelis who are laughing and smiling at what Arafat's doing. Nor would America ever presume to do something so criminal as to attempt to expel or kill a brutal Middle-Eastern dictator.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1063479036538934302003-09-13T21:50:00.000+03:002003-09-13T21:50:36.400+03:00CRIMINAL OFFENSE, AND DOWN-RIGHT OFFENSIVE
In the weeks following Baruch Goldstein's murderous attack on Muslim worshipers in Hebron, several Israelis were arrested and charged with the criminal offense of "hizdahut im ma`ase plili", identifying with a criminal act. Those found guilty, such as Arye Bar-Yosef, whose appearance on Israeli television blowing a ram's horn and extolling Goldstein's Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1063372628408816872003-09-12T16:17:00.000+03:002003-09-12T16:17:08.400+03:00NONSENSE
Now I'm worried. When the best the Israeli government can come up with is a ludicrous statement like "We shall dispose of Arafat some time but don't ask us when" I know that the ra'iis is peeing himself laughing. You either just do it or don't. We don't need public statements; we need concrete (and cement) action.
I hope that the whole Arafat thing was just a diversion to take Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1063271622363317652003-09-11T12:13:00.000+03:002003-09-12T16:13:29.980+03:00ANNA LINDH, ShR"Y
I could find a no more fitting tribute to slain Swedish foreign minister than this historic report from Islam On Line.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1062531364018805342003-09-02T22:36:00.000+03:002003-09-02T22:36:03.950+03:00HARD AT WORK
Blogging is light, because having spent three and a half weeks out of the country I'm now catching up with all the things I should have done before I left. Did you know that in Biblical Hebrew you could fire arrows and send arrows, but only in the Hebrew of the apocryphal Book of Jubilees does one cast arrows? I bet you feel better for knowing that.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1062162761692482872003-08-29T16:12:00.000+03:002003-08-29T16:12:41.670+03:00NIGHTMARE
I had a terrible dream last night. I was standing in the middle of a busy street, with loads of people going back and forth, and I looked down, and I suddenly realised I didn't have my mobile phone! Ooh the shame!
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1062002029415193512003-08-27T19:33:00.000+03:002003-08-27T19:34:50.300+03:00CALLED TO ATTEST
It's true - I was called before the Hutton Enquiry. Lord Hutton was particulary interested in hearing the Froggy perspective on the whole darned Iraqi dossier business. I of course told him that frogs all around the world were concerned at the prospect of Saddam Hussein's getting hold of nuclear weapons, especially after seeing what he did to the marshes. That green and pleasantRibbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1061913454446628372003-08-26T18:57:00.000+03:002003-08-26T18:57:34.260+03:00FROGS BACK FROM HOLS
Ribbity is now back from his hols. Nice photographs of Frog in the appropriately named Greenwich will be posted as soon as I work out the techinical aspects.
Hope I didn't miss anything major. The situation seems pretty much the same as it was a month ago.
Did somebody mention the word "ceasefire"? Sorry, I must have been on holiday at the time.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1059567590187212702003-07-30T15:19:00.000+03:002003-07-30T15:19:50.133+03:00HONEST JIHAD
The following from the great Israel-lovers, Reuters:
Islamic militants accused the United States and Israel Wednesday of trying to spark a Palestinian civil war by building a new "Berlin Wall" in the West Bank and threatened to reassess a shaky truce.
Well, at least their consistent. Unlike their Fatah counterparts, who complain about the fence but want to divide Jerusalem, the Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1059412580441592772003-07-28T20:16:00.000+03:002003-07-28T20:18:29.793+03:00GOD IS DEAD
Hot on the tail of the controversial James-the-brother-of-Jesus inscription, "authenticated" by French epigrapher Andre Lemaire, we now have the latest inscription story:
Luck reveals inscription on ancient tomb
Could it be the grave of John the Baptist's father?
JERUSALEM (AP) -- The discovery was a stroke of luck: the light of the setting sun hit an ancient tomb at just the Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1059049019625959222003-07-24T15:16:00.000+03:002003-07-24T15:16:59.953+03:00CALLED BY HA-KASSEFET AGAIN
Once again, the phone rang and the mysterious voice at the other end said "Hi, this is Ha-Kassefet, we have a few questions we'd like to ask you...". Once again, the road to millions is being paved by Frog. Once again, I don't get paid a bleeding penny for it.
So much for expert witness. It ain't worth the paper it's printed on.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1058933896007556132003-07-23T07:18:00.000+03:002003-07-23T07:18:15.983+03:00UNDER SIEGE
So, the Americans surrounded Uday and Qussay, besieged them and then ...
Where were the human shields? Where were the American peace protests running in front of the soldiers to protect them. Where were CNN and Al-Jazeera? Where was the slew of international phonecalls from world leaders urging President Bush not to harm them? Where was their visit from Javier Solana? Whatever Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1058762235570856652003-07-21T07:37:00.000+03:002003-07-21T07:47:11.033+03:00THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEEB
The life and death of Dr David Kelly, esrtwhile weapons inspector and not-so-very-deep throat, is proving to be one of the most gripping subjects on the web.
Kelly, it will be remembered, denied at the beginning of last week that he could have been the source for the BBC's story that Tony Blair's government "sexed up" its pre-war report on Iraq's chemical Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1058527468434740672003-07-18T14:24:00.000+03:002003-07-18T14:28:08.203+03:00GILGAMASH RISES ANEW
The world's oldest buddy-story has just been re-issued according to the following notice:
A. R. George, The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic. Introduction, Critical Edition and Cuneiform Texts. 2 vols. xxxv, 986 pp., 147 pls. Oxford: OUP, July 2003. ISBN 0-19-814922-0. GBP 175.00 (Hardback)
The Babylonian Gilgamesh epic is the oldest long poem in the world, with a history going Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-1058208768096111742003-07-14T21:52:00.000+03:002003-07-14T21:52:48.080+03:00SECRET REVEALED
Ok, I have to reveal my secret. For several months now I have been secretly advising the Channel Two quiz programme "HaKassefet". (Apparently in England this programme is called "The Bolt".) I won't reveal how this came about, but every now and then my mobile phone rings, and a young lady from the programme asks me to check that the answer to some question is correct. For this Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-105808487743704842003-07-13T11:27:00.000+03:002003-07-13T11:27:57.380+03:00RIBBITY LIVES
OK, I realise that blogging has been more than 'lite', it's been nonexistent; but the pond has been undergoing upgrading to XP, and we're now back with a vengeance. All our hardware and software is fully funcitonal. Normal service will be resumed shortly.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-955586522003-06-11T21:24:00.000+03:002003-06-11T21:24:41.370+03:00REUTERS, YET AGAIN
On Thursday 22nd May I reported on this site the following. I have reposted it again, changing only the URL of the Al-Jazeera article. All the rest remains the same. Give Reuters another call and remind them to act like human beings.
Well, Reuters press agency (Israel) continues to be the main source for supplying blood and gore pics to satisfy the blood-lust of the Arab Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-955156272003-06-10T21:14:00.000+03:002003-06-10T21:14:59.383+03:00RANTISI
How could they have missed?
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-953297202003-06-05T18:11:00.000+03:002003-06-05T18:11:19.403+03:00BLASTED BLOGGER
At the request of Meryl Yourish I sat down today and translated the main article from today's Al-Ayyam, Arafat's rag published in Ramallah. However, Blogger didn't want to let me post it, and you can't fight blogger, so I sent her the transcription to do with it as she wishes. So if you want to know how the PNA reported yesterday's conference, pester her.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-952215422003-06-03T07:01:00.000+03:002003-06-03T07:01:57.440+03:00SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
Two newspaper reports on the bombing of Mike's Place, based on one report by the Israeli security services. Guess which is taken from Ha'aretz and which from the Jerusalem Pest:
1. The two entered the Gaza Strip via the Erez crossing together with the Italian journalist and a number of other Italian reporters which security officials said assisted the two in failing to Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-951841412003-06-02T12:16:00.000+03:002003-06-02T12:16:06.730+03:00FRESH MASSACRE IN CONGO
Did you know that 100 people, including 20 babies, were massacred in the Congo? Well, if you read the BBC, the answer is probably not, because the story was hidden away on its Africa page. It didn't even merit being the leading African headline. The Arabic-language Al-Jazeera at least had the decency (!) to list it as the top African story. The BBC have decided that the Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-951834602003-06-02T11:39:00.000+03:002003-06-02T11:39:47.063+03:00WHICH ISRAEL
Sometimes I wonder which Israeli I live in. The Israel reported by the Jerusalem Post, in which Palestinians place concrete blocks on the railway lines in order to cause a train-disaster, or the Israel reported by Ha'aretz, in which the story gets no mention whatsoever, but which does report the non-story "Source: no specific warnings of threat to PM`s life from Jewish extremists, Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-949056272003-05-26T21:38:00.000+03:002003-05-26T21:38:48.336+03:00NO BLOGGING
There has been a remarkable lack of comment about the Road Map from the Israeli Israbloggers - more from those living abroad. It think that most people here suspect the thing will never get off the ground. Attached to the Israeli government's approval was a proviso that the terror must first stop. Since it is unlikely that Abu Mazen will succeed in stopping it, it is unlikely that Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-948898642003-05-26T11:47:00.000+03:002003-05-26T11:47:50.260+03:00ARAB NEWSPAPERS ONLINE
The web-portal of Arabic Newspapers Online lists the English Ha'aretz under the heading of "Palestine". Here's why.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-948462872003-05-25T05:52:00.000+03:002003-05-25T05:52:47.356+03:00MORE FROM ALI -J
Today's Al-Jazeera poll reads: "Who is the greatest beneficiary from the lifting of economic sanctions on Iraq?" And the nominations are ...
... The American Occupation (86.9%)
... The Iraqi Peoople (11%)
... Don't Know (2.1%).
And the winner is ... The American Occupation, with an astounding 86.9% of the vote! An fantastic victory for anti-American propaganda and Al-Jazeera. Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-947479432003-05-22T21:20:00.000+03:002003-05-22T21:20:55.713+03:00DEALING WITH AL-QA'IDA
Al-Jazeera's website regularly carries "spot polls" of its readers' opinions. Today's asks the question, "What is the most suitable way of dealing with the Al-Qa'ida Organisation?". So far, 22953 people have responded, of which 17.9% support a "security response", 67.9% support "the opening of a dialogue", and 14.2% responded "don't know".
One wonders what kind of a Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-946314692003-05-20T16:21:00.000+03:002003-05-20T16:26:29.000+03:00GOOD NEWS FOR ARAFAT...
...from the BBC. He may finally be considered a part of the human race. But what are we to make of France's sending a reconnaisance team (i.e. a military force) to East Congo without a UN resolution? I think the US should immediately censure them for ignoring correct procedures.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-946209592003-05-20T09:34:00.000+03:002003-05-20T09:35:36.000+03:00MORE "REPORTAGE" FROM THE GUARDIAN
The Guardian runs a wonderful spin on missing murderer British bomber, Omar Khan Sharif, whose body was washed up recently on the Tel Aviv beach. Apart from casting doubt on what Israeli minister Mofaz says, and citing local nutters' views that Sharif was murdered by the Israeli intelligence services, the article also includes some wonderfully objective Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-946180452003-05-20T08:02:00.000+03:002003-05-20T08:02:56.000+03:00UPDATE
I have now read the entire article cited in my previous entry. It also includes the following statement:
"For his part, Musa considered the Israeli occupation to be responsible for the continuing violence, noting that it was illogical that it should continue its operations against the members of the Palestinian people and should expect that the Palestinian factions will stay still [or "Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-946154962003-05-20T06:55:00.000+03:002003-05-20T08:00:31.000+03:00REUTERS AGAIN
Well, Reuters press agency (Israel) continues to be the main source for supplying blood and gore pics to satisfy the blood-lust of the Arab world. Have a look at this page from Al-Jazeera's Arabic site. If you don't like what you see, call up the photographic department of Reuters Israel on (++ 972 2) 537 0502 and tell them.
Incidentally, the opening paragraph of the article Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-945936862003-05-19T22:06:00.000+03:002003-05-19T22:06:37.220+03:00DEPRESSING DAY
It's been another one of those days: one of those days when, as a simple citizen sitting at my table working, I feel totally powerless. I can imagine a sudden and massive strike, of perfectly accurate missiles flying through the windows of Gaza and knocking Rantisi between the eyes; of the F16 dropping its load on Arafat in his headquarters and finally putting an end to that Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-945835752003-05-19T18:09:00.000+03:002003-05-19T18:09:17.530+03:00MURDERING BASTARDS STRIKE AGAIN
This time in Afula. Israel TV reporting at this hour (6pm) four dead.
If the Palestinians think this will weaken Israel's resolve and help them gain a place amongst the nations of the world they've got another thing coming. It only makes them more hated, and makes their chances of being regarded as a part of civilisation more remote.
This time the Head MUST GO!
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-945799162003-05-19T16:44:00.000+03:002003-05-19T16:44:28.670+03:00THE DAILY CORPSE
Al-Jazeera's lust for ratings seems to know no bounds. Today they have run another "corpse" photo, this time of Shadi An-Nabahin, the bicycle bomber who blew himself up in Gaza this morning. Not wishing to turn this site into a clone of Ali-J, I have refrained from reproducing the picture here. This time, the photograph was supplied by a company whom Al-Jazeera names "Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-945343402003-05-18T16:13:00.000+03:002003-05-18T16:17:17.000+03:00REUTERS
This morning Reuters Israel saw fit to release the following photograph for publication to Al-Jazeera:
I called up Reuters' Head Office on Jerusalem (++ 972 2) 537 0502, and spoke to the photographic department, presenting myself as university researcher on media and war. I asked the lady who answered (an Israeli) whether it was Reuters' policy to publish pictures of dead victims of Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-945322102003-05-18T14:25:00.000+03:002003-05-19T07:40:17.000+03:00BBC CONDONES TERROR
The BBC's website describes the scene of this morning's terrorist attack as follows:
The French Hill junction has been targeted by bombers before.
It is a busy intersection where many people board buses, including Jewish settlers moving in and out of the West Bank
What is the purpose of this reference to "settlers"? It can only be intended to allude to one thing: since Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-945211292003-05-18T06:13:00.000+03:002003-05-18T06:13:12.946+03:00TERROR ATTACK
On the number 6 bus in Jerusalem, travelling from Pisgat Ze'ev to the centre of the city. The attack was perpetrated by a Palestinian suicide killer under the North-Jerusalem bridge (Shuafat Junction). So far the news reports are talking of 15 injured, amongst them some 5 dead.
Froggy knows that area and that bus very very well. That same junction has been hit by Palestinian Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-944341372003-05-16T08:56:00.000+03:002003-05-16T08:56:33.783+03:00POLITICAL BREAKDOWN
The ridiculous "solution" to the problem of Palestinian reform, whereby Arafat remains ar-raiis (el Presidente) while Abu Mazen pretends to be PM, is already proving to be a non-starter. Israeli TV news reported last night that since Abu Mazen's inauguration, the level of violence in Gaza has risen, and all indications are that Arafat is inciting the violence.
The idea was Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-944060622003-05-15T22:24:00.000+03:002003-05-15T22:24:19.720+03:00CONSPIRACY THEORIES - AGAIN!
Catch this great article by Mark Steyn on the Iraqi conspiracy theories.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-944034132003-05-15T21:28:00.000+03:002003-05-15T21:28:06.470+03:00FROG BEATS BBC!
On 9th May, Frog wrote to the BBC:
Your site http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3013473.stm erroneously states that visitors to the Gaza Strip must declare that they are not peace activists.
This is not accurate.
They must state that they are not connected to the self-proclaimed "International Solidarity Movement", that has been connected in recent months to Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-939083532003-05-07T07:38:00.000+03:002003-05-07T07:38:58.926+03:00WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE
Disgraced British MP George "375,000 per annum" Galloway has found some unfortunate supporters to back his cause. According to this item in the strange journal, Inquisitor Online,
A political loner, Galloway has nevertheless received support form some credible sources. Tam Dalyell, the widely respected Father of Britain's House of Commons - the title conferred on the Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-938438792003-05-06T08:06:00.000+03:002003-05-06T08:06:22.823+03:00CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER
Thanks to Ha'aretz's Danny Rubinstein, we now learn that the racist Palestinian extremist cartoonist, Ummiya Joha, was married to Hamas military leader, Rami Hadar Sa'ad, who was killed in Gaza last week by Israeli forces.
The reason this is significant is that Joha and her work have been mentioned widely in the press as representing a free and critical view of the ArabRibbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-937974202003-05-05T16:05:00.000+03:002003-05-05T16:05:26.693+03:00ANOTHER STARVING NO-HOPER
Oh dear, what can the matter be? Bomb suspect 'from wealthy family', says the BBC. But I thought that the suicide bombers were desperate people, people with no hope, no future, nothing to do but to kill themselves, not murderous religious fanatics incided to random acts of genocide by a bunch of losers and cowards.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-937571792003-05-04T22:21:00.000+03:002003-05-04T22:21:46.100+03:00HE'S GONE!
During the last election campaign, there was quite an uproar when the Labour mayor of an Israeli town - I can't remember which - came to greet a Likud party meeting, and wished success to Ariel Sharon. "Treason!" cried Mitzna's followers.
Although I cannot at the moment recall the mayor's name or is city, I recall his face very well, particularly from an impassioned speech he made Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-935749432003-05-01T07:08:00.000+03:002003-05-01T07:08:15.650+03:00WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING...
Ok, so this Frog hasn't been blogging much recently. That doesn't mean that I haven't been reading. I missed blogging Al-Jazeera's wonderful report on the anti-aggression conference by Muslim leaders - it condemned Israel, America, Britain and all the usual suspects, but accidentally forgot to mention Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden and Yaser Arafat.
The US is Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-932278912003-04-25T10:27:00.000+03:002003-04-25T10:27:04.163+03:00A MARXIST VIEW
Unlike far-left British MP George Galloway, I'm a Marxist. I'm perfectly willing to believe that people's actions are governed by their own materialistic interests. OK, so sometimes it's hard to see the logic: for example, I still can't quite work out why Yaser Arafat chose to bankrupt the Palestinians when their economic success would have made him and his cronies rich men, afterRibbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-929002082003-04-19T22:38:00.000+03:002003-04-19T22:38:47.403+03:00READING ARABIC
I admit it - I've got battle fatigue. I'm just bored of reading Al-Jazeera's nonsense or Al-Bawaba's jokes. I decided to tackle something else.
For several years now I have been making my way through Maimonides' Commentary on the Mishna in Arabic. I decided it was high time to have a look at his Guide of the Perplexed, of which a superb modern Hebrew translation was recently Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-928351232003-04-18T16:20:00.000+03:002003-04-18T16:29:10.000+03:00HELP NEEDED
I have become increasingly suspicious about the Arabic language abilities of Robert Fisk, The Independent's so-called "reporter" on Middle-Eastern Affairs. Recently, during a random sortie on Google, I came across the following comment:
The message to us – the West – is simple and repeated three times. If we want to back George Bush, the "pharaoh of the age" – and "pharaoh" is what Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-926630882003-04-15T20:57:00.000+03:002003-04-15T21:02:52.000+03:00PASSOVER SONGS
Various passover songs from Jewish communities around the world are available here. I would particularly recommend listening to this Yemenite rendition of Echad Mi Yodea.
A few notes on the pronunciation: the Het and Ayin are pronounced as pharyngeals (as in Arabic), and Sade as a pharyngealised S (note particularly the word /bo'oraS/, "on the earth"). The segol is pronounced Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-926399652003-04-15T12:27:00.000+03:002003-04-15T12:34:43.000+03:00NEO-ARAMAIC FROM KURDISTAN
In honour of the freeing of Iraqi Kurdistan from Saddam's tyranny, I promised that I would post something in Jewish neo-Aramaic. The following is a short piece from the Passover Haggada in the dialect of Zacho (Turkish-Iraqi border). A ribbit to the first person who can recognise it:
oha laxmet faqiratusa did xillu babawaseni b'ar'et miSSir. kud dile kfina ase axel. Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-925764942003-04-14T14:34:00.000+03:002003-04-14T14:36:13.000+03:00BBC'S KRAZY KAPTION KOMPETITION
The BBC's website gave me a great laugh today, after they posted this picture with the following caption:
Jack Straw will meet US interim administrator Jay Garner in Kuwait
For one fleeting moment I thought that Jay Garner was preparing for his role as Govenor of Iraq by dressing the part and participating in meetings of the Arab League. I thought, next he'll Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-925691722003-04-14T10:06:00.000+03:002003-04-14T10:06:55.810+03:00GEORGE MICHAEL: THE TRUTH
Serious questions are going to have to be asked about George Michael's anti-American and anti-war rhetoric following recent discoveries in the compound of an Iraqi secret police station, reported in today's Sydney Morning Herald:
"It was home to the secret police and Iraqi military intelligence and every time an Iraqi comes within distance they feel sick," said Adba Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-925684742003-04-14T09:46:00.000+03:002003-04-14T09:46:37.500+03:00MUHAMMED SA'IID AS-SAHAAF: THE MOVIE
The Iraqi Minister of Information is now an internet folk hero. Don't miss his fans' site, at www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com. Find out how As-Sahaaf reacted to major battles in history, and who is tipped to play him in the Hollywood version.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-925385042003-04-13T22:40:00.000+03:002003-04-13T22:40:59.513+03:00A CLARIFICATION
I have been asked to explain the meaning of the expression appearing above the words "A Frog's Eye View". Well, in honour of the liberation of Kurdistan from the oppressive rule of Saddam, I decided to post my name in Jewish Neo-Aramaic from Kurdistan. It's quite simple: baqqa is Neo-Aramaic for "frog" and "mqarqra" is Neo-Aramaic for "ribbity".
I will perhaps post some Jewish Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-925330702003-04-13T20:33:00.000+03:002003-04-13T20:33:06.700+03:00FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST!
This evening we finally unsealed our sealed room. No more lugging those gas-masks across the country, no more having to leave the tadpoles' door open at nights so they won't suffocate.
We're going to use the plastic to cover our tables and kitchentops for the Passover holiday. From slavery to freedom.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-924238552003-04-11T15:51:00.000+03:002003-04-11T16:26:17.000+03:00KOFI TO GO
I'm pleased to see that Pakistan's The Daily Times and I are in agreement about the disasterous behaviour of the UN during the entire Iraqi crisis, and particularly the role played in that crisis by Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Annan's embarrassing performances over the last few days have left him on a par only with Muhammed Said As-Sahaaf, former Iraqi Minister of Information, nowRibbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-923400662003-04-10T07:57:00.000+03:002003-04-10T07:59:58.000+03:00THE GAME IS BEGINNING
Muhammed Ad-Douri, Iraqi ambassador to the UN, declared yesterday "The game is over" and packed his bags to leave. "I hope the peace will prevail. I hope the Iraqi people will have a happy life", he reportedly said, before heading off to catch is plane to France. The radio reports this morning suggested that Ad-Douri had asked Kofi Annan to help him find a suitable escape Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-922622072003-04-09T05:37:00.000+03:002003-04-09T22:40:32.000+03:00PAWs
Thanks to the Command Post, I found this interest reference to PAW, Poets Against The War. (Not that they are not against all wars, just The War.) "Against the headlines of death and deception we read each day," - they are obviously reading the Arabic press again - "the anthology poses an alternative vision compassion and truth" - perhaps an alternative version of truth.
Ah yes, imagine Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-921421082003-04-07T14:19:00.000+03:002003-04-07T14:19:58.950+03:00ONE IRAQI'S TESTIMONY
This morning I had the happy opportunity to go to a family celebration, and to catch up with a Baghdadi family's views. My cousin's wife, who is in her late 30s, was born in Baghdad, and at such family events I usually end up discussing Arabic with her father, a kind and gentle man who was grew up in that city and left it as when already an adult.
The father told me he Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-921241682003-04-07T06:26:00.000+03:002003-04-07T06:26:26.013+03:001000 CIVILIANS MASSACRED
Did you know that last Thursday 1000 civilians were massacred? You might have thought that such a massacre would be front-page news, would have drawn the condemnation of the United Nations security council, and would have seen world-wide protests demanding an immediate commission of enquiry. But it seems that none of this happens when the perpetrators and victims are Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-920704742003-04-06T06:48:00.000+03:002003-04-06T06:48:50.216+03:00ONCE AGAIN, TWO VOICES
I have found yet another example of different reporting in Al-Bawaba's Arabic and English versions of the same issue. The article discusses Iraqi Opposition Leader Ahmed Chalabi's relationship with Jews and Israel. I read the piece a few days ago in Arabic, and have now found that it appears in a rather poor English translation. (It was clearly written in Arabic, and it isRibbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-919764752003-04-04T14:51:00.000+03:002003-04-04T14:51:40.280+03:00LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Baghdad plunged into sooty darkness proclaims the San Francisco Chronicle. Probably the first step in the allied plans to establish a puppet government.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-919078512003-04-03T14:43:00.000+03:002003-04-03T14:43:44.513+03:00MORE FROM THE BEEB
My thanks to reader Solomon for drawing my attention to the following article by Barbara Amiel on the BBC's Arabic reporting. I don't know whether Amiel knows Arabic, but from what I heard I would agree with her.
Out of interest, I decided to have a look at the BBC's Arabic website. The following article particularly attracted my attention: As-Sahaaf: The Invasion Forces Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-917237842003-03-31T21:57:00.000+03:002003-03-31T21:57:26.826+03:00THE BBC AND THE JEWISH CONSPIRACY (Yet again???)
I was walking to work this evening and thought it might be interesting to listen to some of the Arabic radio stations and hear what is being said about the war in Iraq. I eventually found a very interesting station that I thought might be Syrian. It was certainly broadcasting anti-war propaganda, including an interview with a man named Chalabi whoRibbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-917030352003-03-31T15:03:00.000+03:002003-03-31T15:03:14.950+03:00JEWISH CONSPIRACY (What, again??? Boooring!)
Congratulations to unknown journalist John Sutherland on becoming the latest proponent of the world Zionist conspiracy. When Rachel Corrie, who decided that her goal in life was to defend the property of murderers, was accidentally killed after falling or jumping in front of a tractor, she was hailed as a hero by her follow travellers. Unfortunately Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-916616312003-03-30T22:47:00.000+03:002003-03-30T22:47:37.700+03:00PS:
I see from my Blogometer that The Frog is once again returning to its natural level of readership. I would appreciate hearing some comments from readers. I realise that I ought to have installed "comments" windows, but that requires a level of computer knowledge and patience beyond my little froggy brain. Anyhow, drop a fly to a tired Froggy and let him know how you see things.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-916612242003-03-30T22:37:00.000+03:002003-03-30T22:37:18.326+03:00MOVIN' AROUND
Today I did my usual travelling around for work, passing through Israel's three largest cities in the process. In spite of today's terrorist attack in Netanya, things seemed reasonably calm. Of course, I am never sure whether my sense of the mood reflects anything more than how I'm feeling that day. If I'm feeling relaxed, I say that the mood of the city was calm. If I'm tense, I Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-916142522003-03-29T21:32:00.000+02:002003-03-29T21:32:25.873+02:00TOP STORY IN ISRAEL
The top story in Israel at the moment is the mistreatment of leading TV reporter Dan Scemama by the American forces in Iraq (report). The radio reports on this story are ending with a statement from Scemama that the US forces are trying to control the media reports emerging from Iraq, and are co-ordinating a widespread campaign on disinformation.
What is interesting is thatRibbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-914933962003-03-27T20:19:00.000+02:002003-03-27T20:22:36.000+02:00BASHAR AL-ASSAD ON IRAQ: ONE SPEECH, TWO VERSIONS
The Arabic web portal Albawaba contains a summary of an interview with Bashar al-Assad that appeared in this morning's As-Safir, a newspaper published in Lebanon. The summary appears in two versions, one in English, the other in Arabic. The two versions have both different headlines and different quotations from the original interview. The Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-913644342003-03-25T22:13:00.000+02:002003-03-25T22:13:05.110+02:00OVERKILL
The war in Iraq may well be the most important historical event in recent years, given the scale of the military operation and the geo-political significance of its build-up and its outcome. But after several days of intense channel-hopping, close scrutiny of the journalists' reports from several continents in several languages, the constant bombardment of information and images, the Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-913431682003-03-25T15:24:00.000+02:002003-03-25T19:22:58.000+02:00THE FUNNIEST JOKE OF THE WAR
Wars are bloody and horrible, so it's kind of Kofi Anan to provide some light entertainment, as reported in this piece, UN in charge of inspections, Annan insists. I'm glad to see that Annan is keeping up with the latest developments in world realpolitik.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912782522003-03-24T15:45:00.000+02:002003-03-24T15:45:50.700+02:00MORE FROM AL-JAZEERA
Al-Jazeera's lead story at the moment is the downing of an Apache helicopter. According to this report, it was shot down by an agricultural worker (pictured, along with his brothers, next to the interviewer) using a primitive rifle. The Iraqi TV report also showed two helmets (presumably belonging to the crew), and Al-Jazeera notes that the Apache helicopters normally have aRibbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912704642003-03-24T11:31:00.000+02:002003-03-24T11:31:07.373+02:00VICTIMS OF WAR
The Iraqis are boasting that they have killed 25 American servicemen and woman. Several more soldiers have been killed in military accidents and "friendly fire" incidents.
While of course every loss is a matter of tremendous grief, and will chance the lives of the victims families forever, we must keep these figures in some kind of perspective.
On September 11th a year and a Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912647822003-03-24T08:22:00.000+02:002003-03-24T08:22:01.123+02:00NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE FILTH
The decision by Al-Jazeera to post pictures of dead and captured American servicemen on its website seems to have had the desired effect. The site's ratings have shot up so much, that in trying to enter I received the "too many users" prompt.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912631062003-03-24T07:42:00.000+02:002003-03-24T07:42:32.716+02:00THREAT TO ISRAEL?
Guy Bachor, a Middle East expert, just appeared on Israeli television and described his concern at the latest Iraqi statements regarding Israel's involvement in the war. Bachor felt that Iraq was inventing reasons to attack Israel.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912609222003-03-24T06:58:00.000+02:002003-03-24T06:58:56.246+02:00AL-JAZEERA'S PICTURES
Al-Jazeera Net is still happily displaying pictures of the American servicement who were killed and captured around An-Nasariya. The headline reads simply "Pictures of the dead and captives from the American army in Iraq". The "story" reads:
Al-Jazeera presented photographs of bodies of American soldiers who met their deaths during the battles that broke out between the Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912379342003-03-23T22:38:00.000+02:002003-03-23T22:38:40.543+02:00IRAQ LASHES OUT AT ANNAN
In one of its "cleaner" articles (see previous blog entry), Al-Jazeera reports the searing comments made by Taha Yasir Ramadan, Iraqi deputy PM (who was reported dead by the Americans a few days ago), against Kofi Anan and the Arab leadership. Reading this blazing attack, you might thing that Iraq was the most law-abiding member of the UN and had fulfilled its Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912357672003-03-23T21:43:00.000+02:002003-03-23T21:51:47.000+02:00SICKOS
Al-Jazeera continues to display diskusting colour pictures of viktims of the allies' air-attacks on Iraq. I don't recall their posting similar pictures of the victims of Saddam's murderous regime, or of women publicly behedded by the Saudi regime, or of Jewish viktims of Muslim terror or the like.
[Please note that previous experience with similarly minded sickos seeking such pictures Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912349492003-03-23T21:23:00.000+02:002003-03-23T21:23:54.170+02:00CHEMICAL WEAPONS
Israeli television is reporting that information is now coming in from Romania that a supposedly innocent cement factory in Rashidiyya (25 kilometres North-East of Mosul) was in reality a factory for the production of chemical weapons. Presumably, the American army will go after this kind of thing.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912339992003-03-23T21:01:00.000+02:002003-03-23T21:01:54.576+02:00CONVERSATIONS WITH IRAQIS
Frog has finally returned home after a long day's work in the pond. Travelling home this evening across the country, the roads were remarkably empty, as was the public transport. People seem to be avoiding unnecessary journeys, preferring to stay at home where possible. Most people can be seen carrying out their gas masks in their cardboard boxes.
At work, I had the Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912184722003-03-23T10:56:00.000+02:002003-03-23T10:56:18.436+02:00WERE YOU WONDERING WHETHER IRAQ IS THE NEW BABYLON?
The Ribbitzen has just received a very useful e-mail offer to join the "Left Behind Prophecy Club," which will provide updates on such important issues as whether this war in Iraq is leading to Armageddon, whether the Antichrist is alive now (and if so how to spot him), and are ATMs predictive of the Mark of the Beast. If you respond fast you Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912121182003-03-23T07:28:00.000+02:002003-03-23T07:28:07.920+02:00WHO HELD UP THE TROOPS?
According to this report, the Iraqis are claiming that they have managed to stop the progress of the allied forces.
Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912098232003-03-23T06:28:00.000+02:002003-03-23T06:28:40.686+02:00OFF TO WORK
Today (Sunday) is a work day in Israel, and this Frog has to go off and work on the other side of the country. This means a two and a half hour drive (it's really not a very big country) in each direction.
The Home Front Command are insisting that we take our gas masks with us (try fitting a gas mask over those wide froggy-lips and bulging eyes), which of course makes it very hard Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912096512003-03-23T06:24:00.000+02:002003-03-23T06:24:00.590+02:00THE COMMAND POST
Frog has been asked to contribute to this important link site. Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726045.post-912093432003-03-23T06:16:00.000+02:002003-03-23T06:20:22.000+02:00THE HORRORS OF WAR II
Last night I reported that I didn't want to share the details of the awful images that appeared on Al-Jazeera's TV reports of yesterday. Well, it appears that Al-Jazeera's website didn't agree with me, because they chose the harshest of these images to accompany today's lead story. [The caption under the picture reads "One of the Victims of the British and American aerial Ribbityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930238497585799280noreply@blogger.com0