Hamastan is Born

'PA leader Abbas to transfer security powers to Hamas'

Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas intends to transfer broad security powers to the future Hamas government, including the national defense branch, preventive security, the civilian police and civil defense, he said on Tuesday. The national defense branch, which consists of 25,000 policemen, is the largest branch and is defined as the Palestinian army. "We'll grant Hamas authority over the Palestinians' national security because we need to have one body controlling the situation to ensure security."


Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas told the Arab daily el-Hayat that he had proof that al-Qaida cells have infiltrated, and are operating in the West Bank and Gaza."

Then phones Arafat with the good news. Arafat, who's worm eaten pustulent corpse, rests in an outhouse in Ramallah, congratulated Abbas. Arafat went on to say: "Good work. Peace will never be the Israeli's, as long as you carry on my ineffective, do nothing, and corrupt ways." Out of microphone range off the record, some reporters are saying that Arafat also told Abbas: "now might be a good time to take the money and run."


'Abbas begs Iraq to stop killings of Palestinians'

Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in Iraq by Iraqis ..... Palestinian Authority officials here told The Jerusalem Post. In the past week alone, three Palestinians living in Baghdad were kidnapped and brutally murdered. A week earlier, gunmen kidnapped and murdered Nawaf Mussa, a Palestinian who was working as an imam in a Baghdad mosque.

PA Chairman Abbas on Thursday phoned several Iraqi government officials and representatives of various groups in Baghdad, urging them to intervene. The families of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Iraq appealed this week ..... a worldwide campaign to stop the killings.

You know maybe its just me, but I really don't think there is enough irony in the world today.


U.S. Intel: Qaeda Plotting 'Big Bang'

(CBS/AP) U.S. officials tell CBS News that intelligence has picked up reports that al Qaeda in Iraq is planning what one source calls the "Big Bang," a spectacular terrorist attack (in Iraq).

U.S. officials have theorized al-Zarqawi seems to be betting that another big bang would push the country over the brink, reports CBS News correspondent David Martin. A bomb in one of the holiest sites for Shiite Muslims, set off violence all across the country that left hundreds dead.

CBS News President Andrew Heyward, on Thursday, in New York, said that should Zarqawi succeed. CBS will host the largest bash NYC has ever seen.


Score one for Kevin!

'The AP Katrina Briefing Story - Rathergate Connection'

It turns out that there's much more to (the story) than even I knew at the time. Have a look at the byline to the AP story: By MARGARET EBRAHIM (and JOHN SOLOMON)

Here's an interesting detail on someone who certainly looks like one of the story authors from the French-American Foundation's membership roles: Margaret Ebrahim Producer CBS News, 60 Minutes II

This CBS News page confirms that a Margaret Ebrahim was a 60 Minutes II producer in 2005. What are the odds that there are two people with that name, one an AP writer and one a CBS News producer? Given the tatters the story has been shredded into by the blogosphere, it's hardly surprising that it comes from an alum of 60 Minutes II...