Just a Simple Bomb

So what can a mere single one-megaton nuclear bomb do to a country? Well, it's indeed spine-chilling to think that an area of 10-miles radius would be devastated. In other words, from Piasau to our Miri City Centre-aye, that round-about with some plants and hornbill statures- and all the way to our airport, surrounding Senadin and outwards offshore will be hit.

Here are the other effects of such a device... Let me tell you the results are really ugly as hell.

* People can be killed by blast, heat or intense nuclear radiation from the initial explosion, by fires, or by radiation dose accumulated from radio-active fall-out dust over the next few weeks;

* The spread of radioactive fall-out is unpredicable but it is likely to kill more people than the combined effects of blast and fire;

* Radiation damages cells in the body, reduces the ability to fight infection and may lead to a lingering death. It also causes genetic damage and cancers which become apparent only in the long term;

* Many people will die of thirst due to the disruption of the water distribution and supply network;

* The food supply will be inadequate and worsen as time goes on. Those surviving the blast, fire and radiation may starve to death;

* Medical care will be hopelessly inadequate, leaving people to die a painfully lingering death from blast injuries, burns or radiation sickness;

* Owing to the breakdown of public hygiene, epidemics may spread through the surviving population;

* Cold will kill many people as they spend cold or winter days without adequate shelter;

* There would be a loss in civil liberties as some form of law and order has to be maintained;

* Delayed fall-out can be carried round the globe far from the war zone and

* The ozone layer in the atmosphere could be destroyed by a large-scale nuclear conflict so that ultr-violet radiation from the sun could kill many forms of life.

By the way, the above is a summary of what the experts believe will happen in a nuclear strike. There may be more info on the consequences on the net of playing with a toy like the nuclear bomb!

The Case for Action

Recently, I posted one of the views of an Israeli dove who felt Iran should be pressured by diplomatic means to stop its nuclear activities.

Here is one case for military action against Iran.

It's a very interesting analysis of the situation and so I feel it deserves to be aired in my blog as well.

The commentator wrote this entry in the Jerusalem Post.

Nov 20, 2007 20:47 | Updated Nov 21, 2007 9:44
Fundamentally Freund: Five reasons to bomb Iran now
By MICHAEL FREUND

Have America and Israel suddenly gone soft on Iran's nefarious nuclear-weapons program? Despite sanctions and UN Security Council resolutions, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is gleefully pressing forward with his efforts to build a bomb, which Israeli military intelligence now believes he will succeed in doing by 2009.

Indeed, just last Friday, the would-be Hitler of Persia boasted about how Teheran had "defied" Western opposition, and was now "moving toward the peaks of success step by step."

Yet even as Iran continues to progress down the dangerous road to an atomic arsenal, the tough talk emanating from Washington and Jerusalem in recent months has suddenly and inexplicably melted away.

And this should have us all very, very worried.

It was just last month that US President George W. Bush declared at an October 17 press conference that, "If you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them [Iran] from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."

Bush's statement was followed four days later by an equally emphatic Vice President Dick Cheney, who told the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, "We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Our country, and the entire international community, cannot stand by as a terror-supporting state fulfills its grandest ambitions."

Now, though, something appears to have changed. Various reports in recent days seem to indicate that US policy may have taken a sharp and terribly treacherous U-turn in the direction of acquiescence.

According to the Britain's Sunday Telegraph, the US Defense Department has begun updating its deterrence policy based on the assumption that Iran will obtain nuclear weapons.

The paper quoted a Pentagon adviser as saying that while "military strikes [against Iran's nuclear facilities] might set the program back a couple of years… current thinking is that it is just not worth the risks."

Similarly, Admiral William Fallon, head of US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, told the Financial Times last week (Nov. 12) that a preemptive attack against Iranian nuclear installations is not "in the offing."

And, as Reuters reported, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is said to have instructed cabinet officials to draft proposals for how to deal with "the day after" Iran obtains the bomb.

WHAT IS going on here? Are we really prepared to allow the tyrant of Teheran to threaten our very existence? It is possible, of course, that these reports are merely part of the overall game-plan, and that they are aimed at lulling the Iranians into a false sense of security prior to a surprise attack on their nuclear installations.

Alternatively, it might reflect the shifting political realities in the US, where public opinion, goaded on by the mainstream liberal media, has turned against the war in neighboring Iraq.

But whatever the reality of the situation is, one thing should be clear: Iran can not and must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.

This is not an issue with shades of grey - it is about as black and white as they come.

And here are five good reasons why:

1. An Iranian nuclear arsenal would transform the strategic dynamic of the entire Middle East, shifting the balance of power squarely in the direction of radical Shi'ite fundamentalism.

An atomic Iran will be able to threaten the region and the world with nuclear blackmail and destruction, and they will use that leverage to further their fanatical and revolutionary aims.

2. A nuclear-armed Iran will pose an existential threat to Israel, and ultimately to the West too. Iranian leaders have repeatedly and explicitly promised to wipe Israel off the map and to strike at the United States.

Teheran has been backing up its words with actions by steadily improving its ballistic missile capability. The Shihab-3 missile, with a range of 1,200 km, can hit all of Israel as well as US military targets in the Middle East. Iran is busy developing the Shihab-4, with a range of 2,000 km, that will put parts of Europe within striking distance. Teheran is also striving to build even longer-range intercontinental missiles that can hit the US as well. All of these weapons have the ability to deliver atomic warheads.

3. If Iran goes nuclear, it will inevitably tilt the neighboring Arab states further in the direction of extremism, as they seek to mollify the nuclear-armed ayatollahs. Whatever limited chances there might be of drawing at least some Arab states into the moderate camp are likely to be stymied rather quickly.

4. Failure to take action against Teheran will trigger a region-wide nuclear arms race, as countries throughout the Middle East will seek to achieve strategic and military parity.

A number of states, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, have already announced plans to build their own nuclear power plants, and others will undoubtedly do so as well out of fear of being left behind. Permitting Iran to go nuclear essentially paves the way to a Middle East that will be brimming with atomic weapons.

5. If Iran were to develop "the bomb," what is to stop them from putting it into the hands of one of the myriad anti-Israel and anti-American terrorist groups that they support, such as Hizbullah or Islamic Jihad? Do we really want to take a chance that terrorists might at last be able to get their hands on nuclear weapons? This is not some "neocon nightmare scenario" or "warmonger wishful-thinking."

It is the cold, hard reality staring us all squarely in the face, unless Washington or Jerusalem takes military action, and soon.

CRITICS ARGUE that an attack on Iran would be logistically difficult, politically dangerous, and would result in some very serious consequences.

But as former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton told the New York Times (November 9), "The choice is not between the world as it is today and the use of force. The choice is between the use of force and Iran with nuclear weapons." And when looked at in those terms, it becomes quite obvious that there really is no choice at all: the US and/or Israel must bomb Iran. They must act to remove the nuclear sword from the hand of the Persian executioner.

And they should do so now - before it is too late.

Israeli Judiciary Independence

From the people who gave the world Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Albert Einstein, George Soros, David Marshall, Karl Marx amongst many other Noble Prize winners and achievers, Malaysians can learn about judicial independence (as guaranteed by the Malaysian Constitution). No one is above the law in that democratic country.

Here is the latest hot news from Israel courtesy of YNet News.

Attorney general Mazuz orders criminal probe against Olmert

Attorney general orders criminal investigation against prime minister over suspicions he purchased Jerusalem flat for discount price in exchange for granting construction company illegal building permits. PM's Office: Police investigation unnecessary

Aviram Zino

Published:

09.24.07, 14:32 / Israel News

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ordered a criminal investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert over suspicions that a friend bribed him by selling a Jerusalem house for a discount price.

Olmert is suspected of purchasing a Jerusalem flat from a friend for a price $320,000 cheaper than the property's market value in return for helping the construction firm that refurbished the apartment block gain illegal building permits.

Leumi Affair

Olmert aides: Probe will come up empty / Ronny Sofer Prime minister’s aides say he is proud of Bank Leumi privatization, process was supervised by top Finance Ministry officials; Meretz MK Cohen: This is the beginning of the end for Olmert Full story

The prime minister is also suspected of helping the company acquire a license to build on 750 square meters (8,073 square feet) as opposed to the original permit for 350 square meters (3,767.4 square feet) approved by the Jerusalem Municipality.

The Prime Minister's office said in a statement Monday that it was "confident in the steps taken by the Olmert family prior to purchasing the apartment on Jerusalem's Cremieux Street… We regret the decision to open what we are sure will prove to be an unnecessary police investigation."

The statement also said that the prime minister would cooperate with the investigation.

Olmert. Another investigation (Photo: Reuters)

The prime minister is already under criminal investigation in the matter of the privatization of Bank Leumi.

The allegations claim that during his tenure as minister of finance, Olmert broke the law for two of his friends – Daniel Abrams and Frank Lowy – with whom he conducted, directly and indirectly, a relationship plagued by bribes.

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The State Prosecution recommended on July 8 that Mazuz launch a criminal investigation against Olmert after State Comptroller Micha Lindstrauss pointed to irregularities in Olmert's purchase of the apartment.

The prime minister purchased the garden apartment on Cremieux Street for $1.2 million when the flat was estimated at over $1.6 million.

The flat was purchased in October 2004 from the Alumot real estate agency.

A Remarkable Coincidence?

What a remarkable coincidence! A flight intrusion into Syrian airspace and an accident at a deadly chemical-producing facility/military complex, leaving Syrian President Assad stunned and fuming...

An amazing coincidence

Proximity of explosion at Syrian plant to site of 'Israeli air strike' startling

Ronen Bergman

Published:

09.19.07, 22:00 /

In September 2002, a western intelligence source expressed great concern over a development which he warned could ultimately change the balance of terror in the Middle East.

This was when Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper first exposed the chemical missile facility in al-Safir, Syria, and reported that Iran is assisting Damascus in significantly upgrading its ground-to-ground missiles.

Chemical Connection

Report: Dozens dead in Syrian chemical weapons experiment / Ynet Jane's Magazine reports Syrian officers, Iranian engineers attempting to mount chemical warhead on Scud missile killed in accident which took place in secret location about two months ago Full story

Under Bashar Assad's regime, Syria's non-conventional armament effort was significantly boosted. Satellite images produced especially for Yedioth Ahronoth via the world's best commercial surveillance satellite company, Digital Globe, revealed the large-scale complex the Syrians have built for manufacturing chemical weapons: Sarin and VX nerve gases. The site also houses innovative Scud missiles types C and D that can reach any spot in Israel.

Compared to former satellite images, vast changes are evident at the site as well as a massive construction effort – particularly in areas related to the new Scud missile type D. The missile is manufactured elsewhere but is stored in underground tunnels in al-Safir. The giant site spans dozens of kilometers and comprises several sites surrounded by high fences and patrol roads.

The images reveal the vast chemical weapon manufacturing area, its storage area in reinforced concrete bunkers, the area where the missiles are stored, and ground-to-air missile batteries defending the site.

Latest in series of accidents

The satellite images detected four chemical weapon production sites: The first is located north of Damascus; the second is adjacent to the city of Humas, the third in Hama – and apparently manufactures VX, Sarin and Tabun gas, and the fourth in al-Safir. The images clearly identify the cooling towers typical of chemical weapons manufacturing facilities.

During the complex manufacturing process, highly toxic agents must be removed and the system cooled. The images reveal a powerful power plant that attests to massive industrial activity.

Syria is using its growing pharmaceutical industry in order to purchase materials related to its chemical warfare development, as this is a field where distinctions cannot be made between civilian and military projects.

The accident in al-Safir - as reported by Jane's Magazine – is the latest in a series of accidents: In 1991 the Syrian Health Ministry was forced to close down five pharmaceutical plants due to "complaints by civilians and doctors" that the products "did not meet the required regulations."

Nonetheless, the proximity of the explosion in al-Safir and the reports in the foreign media in recent weeks about an "Israeli strike" in a nearby arae is nothing short of amazing.

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Western intelligence is not entirely clear about how the line of command and control over the missile system works. It is known that there is a missile administration in Syria which is an autonomic, prestigious and independent body. An officer with the rank of general, subordinated to the chief of staff, heads the administration, but in fact will only launch missiles at the president's order.

The scientific arm responsible for Syria's knowledge and missile production is the Scientific Study Research Center (SSRC). They can be contacted at POB 4470, Damascus. They can also be reached by phone at: 963-11-772-603, or faxed at 963-11-2223771. Yet behind this seemingly innocent name hides the agency in charge of the manufacture of ballistic missiles. The center also handles a great part of the knowledge and acquisition of equipment worldwide.

Unpublished Newspaper News

This interesting excerpt, taken from a counter-terrorism blog is about the late notorious Malaysian terrorist, Dr. Azahari:


"Dr. Azahari, a 48-year old Malaysian , joined JI when the group was based out of southern Malaysia in the early 1990s. He had a secular upbringing and was a university lecturer at the University of Technology of Malaya. He received his education in Adelaide, Australia, the University of Technology of Malaya and completed his PhD at the University of Reading in the UK. After joining JI, he was trained by Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. He left his wife at her bedside when she was undergoing treatment for throat cancer to commit his life to the jihad in Indonesia".

As I said before, I used to have good Arab buddies overseas and I hold no grudges against any of this race. It is just that we need to know more about them as there is a growing influx of these tourists to Malaysia.

The Arab World

Rape on Arab primetime TV

Egyptian star places rape and sexual abuse on Arab world's agenda

Smadar Peri, Ynet News.

Published:

09.20.07, 16:12 /

Yousra, the queen of the silver screen in the Arab world, is not only a beauty but also a highly opinionated actress who views her status as a springboard for conveying social messages. Every year during the Ramadan fast, the peak season for TV viewing in the Arab world, Yousra pushes urgent social issues to the forefront.

This is what happened two years ago, with a reality show about a single mother's uncompromising struggle against a conservative and chauvinist society; the same goes for "The Yacoubian Building," which has its say about the polygamy prevalent in Arab high society.

The authorities have yet to decide how to deal with this new social phenomenon. A quick glance at the headlines of criminal law sections run stories from the global media (including ours,) to find solace in the fact that they are not alone.

Every such series, 30 consecutive episodes broadcasted nightly while families get together to break the fast, turns into a heated dispute. A year ago Yousra was appointed an ambassador of goodwill by UNESCO, which was a boost of encouragement for her persistence.

"A Case of Public Opinion," the latest Ramadan series, has become the talk of the town even before being aired in 22 Arab countries. Ratings are sky high; no one dares miss the show. This time the queen of the screen from Cairo chose to focus on a topic that Arab society has insisted on burying deep underground: Violent rape and sexual abuse.

The series recounts the story of three young female doctors who work in a respectable hospital in the heart of Cairo; the three are summoned in the middle of the night to treat an urgent case. As they race to the destination from a remote neighborhood, drugged thugs pounce on them from behind the shadows. They are attacked and raped, including the doctor whose pregnancy is very obvious. They weep, cut and bruised, while three knife cuts are evident on the cheek of the department head, portrayed by Yousra.

Ahead of the broadcasts, one of the human rights organizations in Egypt held a referendum among tens of thousands of women. The findings were shocking: 40 percent of respondents admitted that they had been raped and forced to remain silent. An additional 10 percent revealed that they are forced to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace. If they open their mouths, they will lose their jobs.

In a "Case of Public Opinion", the marriage of the star doctor is falling apart. Her husband insists on ignoring the facts, and the legal authorities remove the complaint against one of the rapists, the son of a senior government minister. Even the fate of her two colleagues plays against them, when the hospital director hints that "if they don't shut up, they will be fired."

The rape scene was not aired in full on Egyptian TV. The censorship left just subtle hints, arguing that the harsh images may shock young viewers. On the other hand, Dubai TV went for lock, stock and barrel; 15 minutes that left no room for imagination. As expected a dispute was immediately aroused: Was it appropriate to share the experiences of the group rape with viewers?

Shaking up traditional family structure

This is undoubtedly a "women's year" throughout the Arab world. In Saudi Arabia they are finally being allowed to drive, with the blessing of the royal family. In Morocco and Tunisia women are now permitted to file for divorce. In the oil Emirates women's organizations are calling for equal rights, and the regime is expanding employment opportunities. In Jordan murders committed in the name of "family honor" are treated harshly.

Yet throughout this entire voyage, which is shaking up the traditional family structure, the issue of sexual harassment and rape remains within the realm of a "red rag." Women who find the courage to complain are accused of "starting it" or told they "should not have been walking around alone." Also, "those who don't wear a veil are entitled to be defiled."

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Decorated with a host of international awards as well as an impressive screen, theater and TV career behind her, Yousra pledges to keep going. Female attorneys have been hired in recent days to file cases of harassment, and internet blogs reveal chilling accounts by women who have been raped.

Death Wish 5

<--Jewish defense Force female sniper Back in the good old days, I always enjoyed watching one of my many favorite 'tough guy' actors, the late Charles Bronson in his famous 'Death Wish' movie and its many subsequent sequels. The simple storyline goes like this: some bad guys with a death wish do some bad things and then an avenging vigilante, played by Charles Bronson, courageously gets rid of them all once and for all. The sequels had the avenging angel getting rid of more and more bad dudes....

It looks like we have a new sequel called "Death Wish 5" starring the Persians as the bad dudes with the death wish of course, in their self-suicidal confrontation with the free world. Their abominable evil deeds are aplenty: they have clandestinely aided those who sowed death and destruction in a free Afghanistan and Iraq. They have also been held accountable in an American court of law in the terrorist bombing of the legitimate UN-sanctioned peace-keeping American military base in Lebanon, resulting in numerous deaths.

If these Iranian fanatics are so bold as to set a deadline, does it mean they truly have a major surprise in store for everyone? What do they intend to do? Just a usual big rally with banners, hysterical screaming and shouting and the all too familiar flag-burning.... or will they perform an unlikely magical Houdini act (Perhaps, just perhaps, the evil diabolical hydra network has succeeded in smuggling the necessary nuclear components out of Pakistan or North Korea into their fanatic country) and unveil the mother of all bombs? Will the nation of Israel and its people which fears annihilation be expected to sit and wait ....

Well, my visiting blog buddies, the oil-rich Malaysian government has assured its citizens the price of petrol will not go up this year, even if the world market price shoots up to US100 a barrel.... I hope the promise will be kept.

Here is the latest news from Iran's official Iranian News Agency:

Zionist regime's allies to receive response on World Qods Day

Tehran, Sept 19, IRNA

Iran-US-Spokesman
Supporters of the Zionist regime will receive their response during the world Qods Day's rallies, government spokesman, Gholam-Hossein Elham, said Wednesday.

The spokesman made the remarks during his weekly press conference while commenting on the current visit to the occupied Palestine of the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Qods Day is held each year on the last Friday of Muslims fasting month of Ramadan after it was nominated by the late Founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, as a day to voice the protest of the Islamic Ummah against the Zionists.

The day falls on October 12 this year.

"The US loses all opportunities to cooperate with regional and other world states by trying to support a regime (the Zionist regime) which is now at its weakest political and social position," Elham said.

He warned that Washington's insistence on its wrong policies and arrogant approaches would have no result "but further political disgrace" for itself.

Referring to the approaching World Qods Day, the spokesman stressed, "Supporters of the Zionist regime will definitely receive the final response for their support on that day."

Memorable Voices

"We cannot depend on an alliance of angels to defend the free world."
-David Rockefeller, 1980.










"In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies."
-Sir Winston Churchill
Former great British Prime Minister

Quand le deffaut du Soleil lors sera.
Sur le plain jour le monstre sera veu:
Tout autrement on l'interpretera,
Cherte n'y aura pourveu.
-Century III, Q 34.


"Look, I don't like to kill people, but I've killed Arabs. Maybe I'll tell you a story. A car came towards us, in the middle of the [Lebanese] war, without a white flag. Five minutes before another car had come, and there were four Palestinians with RPGs in it-killed three of my friends. So this new Peugeot comes towards us, and we shoot. And there was a family there-three children. And I cried, but I couldn't take the chance. It's a real problem... Children, father, mother. All the family was killed, but we couldn't take the chance."
-Gaby Bashan, Israeli reservist (severely wounded in Lebanon, 1982)

Hello, Mars! Farewell, Great Man!

A New Middle East war looms on the horizon as Russian-armed Syria fires on Israeli aircrafts and Iran offers to aid Syria.

I DID IT MY WAY...
The Great Maestro, opera singer, Lucianno Pavarotti dies in the holy city of Rome today.

"He fought a long tough battle against pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life", his spokesman said.

When the great leader Chairman Teng Sio Ping of China died, my dad, a former courageous Malayan home-guard during WW11 passed on after a heart attack ... Who is going away with one of the greatest if not the greatest opera tenor of all times?

Israeli Official War Drills

It was unusually officially announced last Thursday 21/6/07 that Israel would be carrying out exercises in preparation for action against militant Iran should the nuclear-coveting country persist in its dangerous militaristic direction.

Here, an awesome fast lightning-speed IAF 25 F-151 is seen high over the Jewish nation.

Here's my grim prediction: July, which is the cardinal number '7' is very meaningful: we have the 7 deadly sins of pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth; in the classical myth there were 7 heroes, Amphiaraus, Capaneus, Eteoclus, Hippomedon, Parthenopaeus, Polynices and Tydeus against Thebes to depose Eteocles in favour of the brother Polynices and last but not least, 7 is the complete number in the Bible... Another '7' figure will fulfill the equation for war and the beginning of the end... Alpha & Omega.