Breaking Video Footage of the Israeli Air Strike in Syria

New footage has emerged from Syria, apparently showing the effects of an Israeli air strike that was conducted in the early hours of Sunday May 5th. This marks the second Israeli air strike in Syria in almost as many days, and is the third overall since the start of the Syrian Uprising.

While any perceived Israeli aggression in the region would usually entail major backlash from Arab countries, such has not been the case during the ongoing Syrian crisis. Although, Egypt and the Arab League have condemned this latest venture. Furthermore, these increased strikes would explain why Israel has repeatedly violated Lebanese airspace over the past few days.

All indications suggest that Hezbollah in Lebanon is not seeking any of Assad's chemical or biological weapons. However, Reuters is reporting that Hezbollah is actively seeking conventional weapons systems. Here is where the recent air strikes enter the frame.


The Israeli air strike targeted a shipment bound for Hezbollah, in the outskirts of Damascus. An American intelligence official told the New York Times that the "shipment consisted of Iranian-made Fateh-110s." An upgraded replacement for the aging supply of Soviet made Scuds in the Middle east, the Fateh-110's are a formidable new ground-to-ground missile weapons system. Intelligence reports suggest that if armed with the Fateh-110's, Hezbollah would be able to strike practically anywhere in Israel from Southern Lebanon.

In light of the recent chemical weapons developments, these air strikes by Israel on Syrian regime assets are currently the best, and really only, possible option in lieu of a direct intervention from the West. In my March interview with Dr. Joshua Landis, he speculated that "the [U.S.] military is also investigating whether Chem Weapons can be destroyed by bombing alone."

Interestingly, since Israel deems the threat of the Fateh-110's to be deserving of a direct strike, where does that leave the Syrian people? Assad has already demonstrated his readiness to use Scud missiles in civilian areas. Clearly, steps should be taken to prevent Assad from using the feared Fateh-110 on his own people.

Here's another angle of the massive fireball in Damascus.


Iran has already condemned Israel's actions and "urged countries in the region to stand against the assault."

Boston Marathon Bombing: UN, NATO & World Leaders Respond

Yesterday's tragedy at the Boston Massacre has been felt the world over. Support and condolences have poured in from America's friends and allies abroad. Yesterday, I offered my uplifting response in an open memo on PolicyMic. Twitter is on fire with support for Boston, with #BostonMarathon trending worldwide in yesterday's aftermath.

Here are the statements and reactions of various world leaders and international organizations.

UN Secretary General, Ban-Ki Moon: "I condemn this senseless violence, which is all the more appalling for taking place at an event renowned for bringing people together from around the world in a spirit of sportsmanship and harmony. I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and to wish those wounded a speedy recovery. As more details emerge I am sure we will return to this with a more formal statement. But for now I just wanted to say that my thoughts are with everyone in Boston."

Anders Fogh-Rasmussen

NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh-Rasmussen: "I am deeply shocked by the explosions at the Boston marathon. I express my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who were killed, and I wish a full recovery to those who were injured. My thoughts are with the people of Boston and all of the United States."

British Prime Minister, David Cameron: "The scenes from Boston are shocking and horrific - my thoughts are with all those who have been affected."

Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper: “I was shocked to learn of the explosions that occurred today during the running of the Boston Marathon. It is truly a sad day when an event as inspiring as the Boston Marathon is clouded by such senseless violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured or affected by this horrible incident. We stand with our American neighbours in this difficult time.”

Julia Gillard

Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard: "Australians have awoken this morning to shocking and tragic scenes at the Boston Marathon. Our condolences go to the families of those killed and our thoughts are with those who have been injured. It will be some time before we know the full extent of what has occurred but these explosions have cast a long shadow over one of the world’s great sporting events."

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, via a Kremlin statement: "Vladimir Putin strongly condemned this barbaric crime and expressed his belief that the fight against terrorism requires the coordination of the global community’s efforts. The President of Russia stressed that the Russian Federation will be ready, if necessary, to assist in the US authorities’ investigation."

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu: "A day of joy became a day of terror, I send my condolences to President Barack Obama, the American people and the bereaved families. Today, like everyday, Israel stands shoulder to shoulder with the American people."

American President, Barack Obama, on the day of the marathon: “The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight,” he said. “And Michelle and I send our deepest thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims in the wake of this senseless loss.”

American President, Barack Obama, this afternoon: "We continue to mobilize and deploy all appropriate law enforcement resources to protect our citizens, and to investigate and to respond to this attack. Obviously our first thoughts this morning are with the victims, their families, and the city of Boston. We know that two explosions gravely wounded dozens of Americans, and took the lives of others, including a 8-year-old boy. This was a heinous and cowardly act. And given what we now know about what took place, the FBI is investigating it as an act of terrorism. Any time bombs are used to target innocent civilians it is an act of terror. What we don’t yet know, however, is who carried out this attack, or why; whether it was planned and executed by a terrorist organization, foreign or domestic, or was the act of a malevolent individual."

Even comedian Patton Oswald has garnered media attention for his response. On Facebook he posted an eloquent response, which has been shared nearly 250,000 times. Here is an excerpt: "I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, 'Well, I've had it with humanity.' But I was wrong. I don't know what's going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem. One human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths. But here's what I DO know. If it's one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out."

As far as who is responsible for these cowardly attacks, no person(s) or group have yet to come forward. However, one of America's typical enemies have issued an official statement regarding the bombing, but they have denied any involvement.

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, via spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan: "We believe in attacking US and its allies but we are not involved in this attack. We have no connection to this bombing but we will continue to target them wherever possible."

Israel, Hamas, and Palestine: The Gaza Strip Rocket Attacks

UPDATE: The Israeli - Hamas Conflict in the Gaza Strip Entered into a Ceasefire on 21 November 2012. This is a video of a campaign to raise awareness of the Gaza Strip conflict at the University of Oklahoma's Norman Campus on Monday, 19 November 2012. I participated in this event with fellow classmates and clubs:

[I make my appearance at 2:45] 
Here is an article from the OU Daily on the demonstration.

-------------------- Original Article ------------------

IDF Rocket Attack Info-Graphic

Starting in the early 2000's, the rocket attacks launched from the Gaza Strip are responsible for approximately 60 Israeli deaths and 1,650 Israelis injured. All rockets launched from the Gaza Strip are considered by Israel to be the work of Hamas. In reality the majority of the rocket attacks emanate from terrorist groups like the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades [Fatah], Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - while about a third of rocket attacks are perpetrated by unknown or unaffiliated actors. Albeit, the argument could be made that Hamas demonstrates tacit support in so far as it is not able to prevent third-party rocket attacks, but it is worth noting that Hamas does claim responsibility when launching their own attacks and has policed other groups attempts at rocket attacks. 

     Yes, Hamas is widely designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and it is the elected government for the Gaza Strip. However, this does not mean that Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip are explicitly supporting Hamas in terms of their military/resistance actions, nor are they endorsing such activities. Hamas also polices, provides public services, and operates schools & hospitals in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, public opinion polls of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have shown an increasing rate of disapproval of the rocket attacks and an decrease in the view that the rocket attacks help Palestinian goals. When local Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have tried to prevent rocket attacks, their families are terrorized and/or murdered. Even in the West Bank, western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has vocalized his condemnation of the rocket attacks. 

     The number of rocket attacks coming from the Gaza Strip, since 2001, has been put at 7,882, with an estimated 4,890 mortar attacks, for a total of 12,791 attacks. Israel has responded to the rocket attacks by launching 7 official operations in the past decade, Operation Rainbow (May 2004), Operation Days of Penitence (2004), the 2006 Israel-Gaza conflict, Operation Autumn Clouds (2006), Operation Hot Winter (2008), Operation Cast Lead (2009), and Operation Pillar of Cloud (2012 - Currently Ongoing), while also intermittently dealing with individual rocket launches on an individual response strike basis.  The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conduct thousands of sorties, bombing hundreds of targets, over the period of an operation targeting rocket attacks. And although official sortie operation numbers from the Israeli Air Force are hard to find, there are an average of 2,000 per operation. So over the last decade the number of sorties performed by the Israeli Air Force are, by estimate, nearly similar in quantity to the rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip.

Iron Dome countermeasure missile battery in Israel

     Israel has developed two response systems for the rocket attacks: the Red Color early warning system and the famous Iron Dome defensive countermeasure anti-missile battery system. Both are highly advanced radar based systems. The Red Color warning system provides a town's residents with a 15 second warning of an incoming rocket. The Iron Dome defensive counter measure tracks an incoming rocket and fires countermeasure rockets to neutralize the threat - with about a 90% success rate. So, in the reality of statistics, the majority of potentially damaging threats to Southern Israel presented by the rockets fired from the Gaza Strip are effectively eliminated. 

     The Qassam class rockets that account for 92% of the rockets fired from the West Bank have a payload range of 10-45 lb. (5-20 kg) in the form of an explosive warhead with bearings. The Israeli Air Force often responds with rapid response Helicopter Gunships or F-15 and F-16 airstrikes targeting the areas in the Gaza Strip where the rocket attacks were fired from. Here is where a core problem emerges. The effective size of the Gaza Strip is 141 square miles (365 square kilometers) - about the size of Denver, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or Liechtenstein. The population of the Gaza Strip is 1.7 million - about the size of Indianapolis, West Virginia, or Qatar. The population density of the Gaza Strip is 12,056/mi2 (4,657/km2) - about the same as Chicago, the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, or Moscow. These factors are clear evidence as to why the Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. So when the Israeli Fighter Jets drop a 150 lb. (70 kg) cruise missile or a 500 lb. (225 kg) precision guided air-to-ground missile (AGM) on their target, it should come as no surprise that collateral damage to the civilian population is almost assured. The estimate of rocket attack response casualties are approximately 1,000 Palestinian deaths and 6,650 Palestinians injured. The ratio for Palestinian to Israeli casualties are 4:1 for injuries and 16:1 for deaths. Again, this comparison demonstrates the disparity of Palestinian and Israeli aggression.

   

     The British Balfour declaration stated that "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine." This is a long gone consideration. The wealth and luxury of Israel bordering the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank is humanity's greatest irony; the best of what that the modern western world has to offer, next to deplorable and devastating conditions - conditions resulting from and preserved by that slice of the western world. This paradox is ingrained in Israel's founding principle - "A Jewish Democratic State." It can be Jewish, and Israel can be democratic within that Jewish demographic, but this is racist. This is fine, but it has to be recognized and not simply ignored - and as a result, is nothing more than an artificial democracy.

The Daily Star - Lebanon Editorial Cartoon

     Fervently reiterated is the point that "Israel has a right to exist." No nation-state has a 'right' to exist, they do, however, have a right to defend themselves. The whole concept of Zionism and Israel is for "the Jewish right of return to their historic homeland." Yet the Palestinians who were forced out of Israel and the thousands who have fled as refugees are categorically denied this right of return privilege and instead are downplayed as the "Palestinian refugee issue." That term is used by Israeli politicians, Netanyahu and the like, to casually describe the ethnic cleansing that is taking place. This is a double standard, justified by racist policies, to preserve a racist status quo.

     The claims of Zionism and thus, Israel are political in nature, but based off of religious mythology. Critiquing Zionism and Israel is not anti-Semitic, nor is it "New Anti-Semitism." Criticizing a political and national foundation is not being critical of Judaism or Semitism - and any conflation of such is the fault and consequence of using those as the foundation for the justification and legitimization of Zionism and Israel.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     For more interesting information on this issue, read 'The Fallacy of Biological Judaism' by Robert Pollack. He focuses on the biological history of Jewish genealogy. Here are some selected excerpts:

"Unlike asking “Are Jews a family?”, as historians have traditionally done, geneticists seeking to advise Ashkenazic families are also, in passing, asking, “Do Jews all share the same versions of one or more genes?” - a question with a testable, precise answer. As no two people except pairs of identical twins have exactly the same version of the human genomic text, this claim could be confirmed or rejected by a search for versions of the human genome shared by all Jews and no other people."

"At a recent meeting of the Association of Orthodox Jewish scientists and the Columbia Center for the Study of Science and Religion, it became clear that Jewish curiosity has provided sufficient genetic material to give a perfectly clear negative answer: There is no support in the genomes of today’s Jews for the calumnious and calamitous model of biological Judaism. Though there are many deleterious versions of genes shared within the Ashkenazic community, there are no DNA sequences common to all Jews and absent from all non-Jews. There is nothing in the human genome that makes or diagnoses a person as a Jew."

"People - our species - are one family in precisely the same way that Jews are not. The story of Ashkenazic inherited diseases should make us all sensitive to the larger issues of inherited disease, and of genetic difference. But beyond the obligation this story tells us all to undertake - to accept the evidence and give up vain hopes of any religious birthright in our genes - is an even larger moral duty."

Here are links to the websites of the parties involved in the current conflict:

Israeli Defense Forces

Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Hamas Information Office

[This is neither a defense of Hamas, nor is it an endorsement of them or their tactics. The casualty figures listed do not include Palestinians that were claimed as a soldier by Hamas, or those accused by the Israeli Defense Force of being a militant or enemy combatant.]

The Death of My Inspiration; The Birth of My Ascendancy

It is with a sad and heavy heart that I am discussing the departure of Christopher Hitchens from this plane of existence. Short of a death in my Family, or that of a friend - and just behind my cat - the death of the incomparable Mr. Hitchens is the saddest and hardest thing I could have experienced at this stage in my life. This man gave a voice to that which was without audible volume dwelling inside me, he made me fully feel that it was ok to not believe, and even propelled me to take the daunting and advantageous positions I now take.

During the past few years I had been imbibing every inscription made by this intelligent man. I was drawn to him because of his beautiful grasp of polemics and I fawned over his numerous criticisms of religion. While the latter is certainly what he is known for currently, Thursday night after I learned about his passing, I was watching hours of 30 year-old C-Span interviews featuring a younger Christopher Hitchens. He was analyzing the situation in Grenada and providing commentary and comparison regarding the freedom of the press in the United State and the United Kingdom as well as the current state of journalistic affairs in the world. Most notable about the interview - save his usual charisma with the host and camera - was his chain smoking that easily rivaled any industrial revolution smoke stack. Sadly while this was the signature Hitch, this would ultimately contribute to his fatal development of esophageal cancer.

His most recent book titled 'Arguably' is an 800 page compilation of essays and reports he wrote during his 40+ year long career as an essayist. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this book. He may be gone and the fresh stories may have ceased, but his writings will live on forever. The wit, clarity, and relevance of his writings are immortal even though the mortality of the author has been revoked.

I never got to meet him, but I was able to leave a message on his answering machine in Washington D.C. and occasionally flood his inbox with my emails. Now I can only review, reexamine, and continue to study his epic writings. At Oxford he earned their PPE degree which incorporated Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. I am majoring in the first, but am swapping in Religion and International Area Studies for the latter two. I hope one day to meet the height of his level of influence. My goal is not to be the next Christopher Hitchens, but to be the best Nolan Kraszkiewicz I can be, and use the great works of the incomparable Hitch to continue to spark my engine of ingenuity, interest, and scholarship. I will miss this man I never met, to an extent which few will ever know. This may be the death of my inspiration in the physical sense, but thanks to Christopher this is just the beginning of my ascendancy to a level I can see - currently positioned on this side of my furthest horizon.

Christopher Eric Hitchens, 13 April 1949 - 15 December 2011 

I would have liked it to perhaps end on a slightly more upbeat note, but the tone of this writing somehow adequately mimics the sentiment I feel in regards to a retrospective of 2011. Happy Winter season and I look forward to writing again in 2012 - I can only hope y'all share this same sentiment of enthusiasm.

[Now I'm off to CANADA!!!]

I'm Officially Enrolled for the Spring!

I finally was able to get advised for the Spring 2012 semester. My adviser confirmed that I would be able to graduate in 4 years, culminating in the Spring of 2013! So my plan of a Double Major with a Minor is going directly on schedule. However I did decide to take a different route concerning the direction of my Minor is Philosophy... I changed that to a Minor in International Area Studies; My 15 hours needed for that Minor will be 3 hours from my Intermediate French [FR 2113 which is already completed], Islamic Law [RELS 3543], Understanding the Global Community [IAS 2003], Culture and Society in the Middle East [Hist 3893], and The Modern Middle East [HIST 3953].

My lineup for next semester as far as my schedule goes is this: IAS 2003-001] Understanding the Global Community, [IAS 2603-001] Governments Around the World, [IAS 3003-006] Nationalism/Modern Middle East, [P SC 3550-900] Intelligence Challenges, [RELS 3013-001] Bible in the 21st Century, and [RELS 3543-001] Islamic Law. I am enrolled for 18 hours and for the 4th semester in a row I have Fridays OFF!!!

For the winter intersession I am planning to take Native American Philosophy, which should be very interesting. This will help me with my plans to graduate in 4 with ease. I am only 12hrs away from completing my RELS Major, 33hrs away from finishing my Poli-Sci Major, and 12 for my Minor... I am excited for the future but sad my experience here at the University of Oklahoma is drawing to a conclusion...

Until the Next Post My Friends...

-N.K.

Wrapping Up the Academic Season...

Well folks, we are coming upon the beginning of the end. The end of the semester that is. I have major final papers, research projects, and group presentation projects that are requiring my attention and will be my main focus into early December. This is my first semester of having all upper-division courses related to my major, so these assignments will be undertaken with gusto and motivation making full use of my academic skills.

Here is an overview for my courses and the endeavors I will be launching into:

Religion & The U.S. Constitution: A legal review type research paper of the Kitzmiller v. Dover case. This is the furthest an Evolution vs. Intelligent Design Creationism legal case has proceeded up the chain of judicial authority. It should come as no surprise my main focus will be to eviscerate the deception, deceit, and ultimately destroy the the fundamentalist opposition. If you would like to get a glimpse of my previous work and opinion regarding ID-Creationism you can find that here.

American Foreign Policy WW2-Present: I still have to seek and gain approval from my instructor in this, but I want to either focus on A) The short-sided realism of American Foreign Policy has come back to bite us time and time again and we really need to move to broader and more considerate long term approaches to foreign policy and B) The Religious Christians Right's Bearing on Foreign Policy with Focus on U.S.-Israeli/Palestinian Relations. Also I have a group project debate position that will focus on the U.S.'s role concerning humanitarian interventions around the world - Military, Economic, and Social Justice.

Islamic Theology: I am expanding upon my midterm essay and including the theologians Sayyid Qutb and al-Ghazali. I will be doubling the length of this paper and will be incorporating about 80% of my original material in this final version.

World Religions in America: My research paper for this course will focus on how the Christian Right and the remnants of Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham, and numerous other Evangelical Nut-Jobs have desecrated the domestic policies of the United States. I know this will be a heated topic so I may have to redirect my research, which I will then examine the post 9/11 wave of Islamaphobia that has swept the United States.

The project I am most eager at embarking on is the Group Interview Project for my World Religions in America Presidential Dream Course. Me an my group will be visiting Dr. Imam Imad Enchassi of the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City at the OKC Mosque and spending an hour having a candid and insightful conversation with him. The focus of our project is looking at Islam in America especially with a focus on post-9/11 relations and we are excited to have the personal experiences of Imam Imad Enchassi playing an integral part to this presentation.

Here is a video he was a part of for a CAIR [Council of American Islamic Relations] PSA competition for combating Islamophobia. It gave me chills, have a look for yourself...

Finally an Update on Potential & Upcoming Updates!

     As many have noted to me, this blog had last left off at the beginning of my third week in Turkey over the summer. Due to circumstances outside of my control I was not able to log into Google Blogger from Bogazici University's internet connection on the campus or in the dorms. This was a truly unfortunate development for those who were eagerly following my adventures. Although I do not have any current papers or essays to add to this site, this semester is starting to ramp up so new content will be added in the coming days and weeks. As far as the missed posting from when I was in Turkey, I have a total of ~4.8 Gb of pictures and a few videos that I need to organize and arrange, and then I will provide links and instructions on how to access and view my spectacular imagery. I look forward to directly contributing material over my first all Upper-Division semester and am eager for feedback, discussion, and criticisms. Stay Tuned!...

'Evim Şirin Evim' for the Next Two Months...

My 7'x 10' Dorm Room

     I am finally moved into my SuperDorms apartment! My friend Ozgur picked me up from my hotel yesterday and again escorted me to my destination via Istanbul public transport. I turned out to be a smart choice; because with the money I saved not having to get a 'Taksi' I was able to go on a walk with some fellow classmates into town to purchase bedding [sheets & pillows]. I knew prior to arriving that we would have to have something for the beds, so I had swiped the blanket and the small pillow from my Turkish Airlines flight a few days prior. This would have been a great plan, had I not forgotten the pillow in the hotel.

Arkema Shopping Mall

     So far my experience with the new district of 'Etiler' has been great. We have scouted the nearby village for nutritional sustenance and groceries as well as scoured the Besiktas district for Migros-Turk. During this period of first reconnaissance we discovered a 'Western-World' gem amongst the treasure trove Eurasian culture. This was our initial stop for bedding, but you had to drop about 100TL for decent bed linens and although they would be comfy, they were only needed for 2 months. So our next destination was Migros-Turk. The group I was with asked me what Migros was. I replied by saying 'Migros is the closest thing to a Walmart you are going to see while in Europe.' It translated between cultures beautifully and much to my relief they had well priced bed linens, allowing me to keep my mantra of 'The World Traveler.' I did however make a mistake by wearing my slip-on non tied Vans into town, so now my feet are sore and blistered.

The Mixed-Grill Dinner

     Once the journey to bed-linen land was complete, our initial group met up with some more 'SuperDormer-ers' and we departed for dinner. We walked back into town where we had previously been earlier in the day and scoured the restaurants for a favourable combination of price and cuisine, and a place that could sit all 16 of us together. We found a great Turkish restaurant that met all of our demands. After sitting down, we played the 'name game' and everyone proceeded to say their name, major, what school they hailed from, and interesting facts of their choice. The dinner soon arrived annd we all began to marvel at the cuisine that was now being front of our starving eyes. While nothing quite beats the 3TL street wraps of chicken and beef, this has been the BEST Turkish meal yet. Once we all began to devour our delicacies, we continued on with our conversations. The biggest plurality of students are from California, with pepperings of different nationalities: Turkish, American, Palestinian, Indian, and Lebanese. The majority of students are like me, pursuing an Arts & Sciences degree with focus on politics, religion, and/or history. This is definitely a great group of kids to be stuck with halfway across the world...    

The Futbol Stadium Next to the SuperDorms