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Very informative report with an excellent map showing who occupies where in Syria.
OT: brought a smile, though.
The Onion Predicts the Future With Satire on US Offer of Missiles to Israel
Satirical publication The Onion has, on occasion, fooled many into believing its headlines are true. But a joke from earlier this month about soothing the Israeli prime minister’s fears over the Iran nuclear deal was realistic enough that it ended up coming true.
“US Soothes Upset Netanyahu With Shipment of Ballistic Missiles” read a headline posted on the Onion last week. The article went on to describe Washington’s attempts to provide Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with assurances that the Iran deal would not result in a nuclear apocalypse.
“Bibi always gets a little cranky when he sees us talking to Iran, but a few dozen short-range surface-to-surface missiles usually cheer him right up,” the Onion wrote, quoting an imaginary State Department official.
“Of course, we try not to spoil him by giving him a new whole new tactical ballistics delivery system every single time he throws a fit,” the same supposed official continued.
This article was, of course, a joke. It’s what the Onion does best: writing satirical articles like “Study: Employees Happiest When Pretending to Work From Home” and “Idiot Zoo Animal With Zero Predators Still Protective of Young.”
But only one day later, in a rare case of art not only imitating, but predicting life, an article emerged from Israeli newspaper Haaretz, quoting actual US officials with an eerily similar plan.
“After Iran deal, Obama offers military upgrade to help Israel swallow bitter Iranian deal,” Haaretz’s June 15 headline read. That article cited a senior US official as saying that President Obama had offered Netanyahu major upgrades to Israel’s offensive and defensive capabilities.
“We’re still waiting for an Israeli answer. If Israel wants to wait until the Congressional debate on the nuclear accord that’s fine too,” the official told Haaretz.
The Onion didn’t predict the future perfectly. The Haaretz article says that Netanyahu declined the offer, reportedly to avoid admitting to himself that the nuclear deal had actually gone through. And for what it’s worth, the Pentagon has denied any claims that it’s considering missile shipments to Tel Aviv.
Still, did the Onion nail it or what?
This isn’t the first time the satirical site has found its way into actual headlines. In 2011, the New York Times fell for an Onion photograph that showed President Obama’s face on the cover of the teen magazine Tiger Beat. The US “newspaper of record” was forced to publish a retraction.
In 2012, Republican Congressman John Fleming angrily posted an article to his Facebook account, mistaking it for an actual story. That headline read “Planned Parenthood Opens $8 Billion Abortionplex.”
Back in 2000, before the site was widely recognized as a humor site, the headline “Harry Potter Books Spark Rise in Satanism Among Children” caused a mild panic among parents.
Referencing fictional claims by children and a made-up priest from the First Church of Satan, quotes from that article are still being circulated online by paranoid moms and dads who would rather have their kids chainwatch WWE wrestling than read a series of fantasy novels.
The photo of Netanyahu is an odd one. The inside of his mouth is dark red, like he had just been drinking blood…
“Rogue” elements within the EU being “naughty”?
EU Considers Sanctions Against Israeli Banks
As part of an international effort to discourage Israeli activity in the West Bank, a major European think-tank has proposed placing sanctions on Israeli financial institutions.
Earlier this week, the European Union pushed ahead with a controversial labelling law. Designed to clearly demarcate Israeli-manufactured imports from occupied Palestine, EU leaders hope the labels will discourage Israeli activity in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly criticized the plan.
To pressure Israel into those peace talks even sooner, the European Council on Foreign Relations, an influential think-tank, proposed on Wednesday that the EU take even more drastic steps: financial sanctions.
“Under its own regulations and principles, Europe cannot legally escape from its duty to differentiate between Israel and its activities in the occupied Palestinian territories,” the organization’s report, entitled “EU Differentiation and Israeli Settlements,” reads.
For one, the ECFR suggests that the EU take advantage of European Commission guidelines set up in 2013. While not legally binding, the guideline states that EU member states cannot provide lending to any Israeli institutions operating in occupied territories.
“Do day-to-day dealings between European and Israeli banks comply with the EU requirement not to provide material support to the occupation?” the report asks.
Given the large number of daily interactions between Israeli entities and European banks, enforcement of the guidelines could have a significant effect.
Enforcement could also be placed on regulations concerning individual mortgages. European banks could be barred from granting loans to Israeli citizens who list property within occupied territory as collateral. The ECFR argues such a practice should already be in place, since Israeli-issued deeds to property within those territories is not officially recognized by Europe.
The group also suggested that the European Union could be violating the guidelines in ways which extend beyond personal finance. Europe could apply pressure by refusing to supply funding to Israeli academic or medical institutions based within the West Bank.
The EU could also revoke the tax-exempt status of any European charities operating in or conducting business with the settlements.
The ECFR also suggested a severing of ties between the EU and any government agencies based in East Jerusalem. These would include the national police and the Israeli Ministry of Justice.
You beat me to it BT!
I am wondering what’s going on with this too.
The ECFR is not an institution, but it does have influence within the EU.
There are any number of stink tanks, and I am not sure if this one was set up by Soros – one of them (with screaming Russophobe Tim Garton Ash) definitely was.
If there is a Sorosian hidden agenda here, then it suggests a major shift in Rotschildean proxies. I wonder if Iran is going to be the ‘favoured’ one? Because there is a surprising amount of anti-Zionism being ‘allowed’ by the MSM.
If so, I hope the Revolutionary Guard are keeping a close eye on their machinations: they surely don’t want a Shah re-instated in the not-so-distant future..
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-23/turkey-permits-us-use-its-airbase-air-strikes-against-syria
Like in this case: the deal, agreed to by President Barack Obama and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will allow the U.S. to use Incirlik Air Base in eastern Turkey to send manned and unmanned planes to attack Islamic State fighters, the officials said. The two leaders spoke on Wednesday, the White House said.