— Far-right illegal Israeli settlers in Palestinian lands may have finally shot their cause in the metaphorical foot with their “Price Tag” violence and attacks on the IDF. Other Israelis are getting sick of having to bail these people out of the messes they create — especially when many of the perps don’t pay taxes or serve in the military that is so often called on to save them from a fight they started. Even Bibi Netanyahu now calls for reining them in: “I support using an iron hand against those who disrupt law and order.”
— Meanwhile, a Washington, DC think tank says what we’ve all known, but which somehow doesn’t mentioned in the US’ traditional corporate press very much if at all: Bush’s invading and occupying Iraq has been a godsend for Iran. Of course, those of us who were paying attention to lead PNAC warmonger Ahmad Chalabi’s extensive ties to the Iranian leadership aren’t surprised by this at all. (By the way, he’s been working on Teheran’s behalf to scuttle the SOFA so US troops stay in Iraq and serve as a rallying point for anti-Western groups like Al-Qaeda.) Don’t expect to see this on the evening news tonight or any other night, for that matter.
— The Novak Rules: Valerie Plame loses her job and her Iraqi associates probably lost their lives, but she wasn’t hurt by being outed as a CIA operative. Meanwhile, Novak gets a few e-mails, so that qualifies as grievous injury to him. Ooookay then.
Mercury Rising 鳯女 