Saturday, June 26, 2010

In the news...

There are several interesting stories in the news today, with the first story involving yet another major earthquake:

"Earthquake strikes off Soloman Islands"

A strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands in the western Pacific, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

No immediate threat of a destructive tsunami was reported.

The quake struck at a depth of about 30 kilometres with an epicentre 40 kilometres south-west of Kira Kira, on Makira Island, and 224 kilometres south-east of the capital, Honiara, at 4.30 pm (local time), the USGS said.

Like much of the Pacific, the Solomons regularly experience earthquakes, most recently a 6.8 magnitude tremor in April, without a tsuanmi or reports of damage.

A string of tremors rocked the western Solomon Islands in January, with the largest of 7.2 causing a tsunami estimated at nearly 2.5 metres.

About 1,000 people - almost a third of the population - are believed to have been left homeless on Rendova island due to earthquake and tsunami damage.



And as expected, this comes in the midst of a number of noteworthy quakes around the world:

4.9 Mexico
5.1 Ryukyu Islands
5.8 Indonesia
4.9 Sumatera
5.1 Kermadec Islands
4.9 Fiji
5.1 India

"Earthquake Map"


In other news...

"IAF Hits Gaza Terror Targets after Mortar Barrage"

Israel responded late on Thursday night to a series of terrorist mortar shell and rocket attacks from Gaza that took place earlier in the day. IAF planes hit three terror-related targets in the area.

IDF spokespeople confirmed that the operation was a response to Thursday's attacks. “The IDF will not tolerate attempts to harm Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers,” they said.

"The IDF will respond with force and determination to any element using terrorism against the state of Israel. The IDF sees the Hamas terrorist group as bearing sole responsibility for what happens in Gaza,” they continued.



"US Warns Lebanon: Don't Send Flotilla to Gaza"


The United States has warned Lebanon to steer clear of the current effort by various elements to escalate tensions with Israel by attempting to violate its maritime sovereignty over Gaza waters.

...organizers who are planning an “aid flotilla” similar to the one sponsored last month by the terror-linked Turkish organization IHH, were told to send their aid via the approved overland routes.

Lebanese and foreign journalists have said they are planning to be aboard the two vessels, along with the activists and the alleged aid. According to the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, the two groups behind the operation are Journalists without Borders and the Free Palestine Movement. The ITIC added, however, that the vessels were purchased and the flotilla was organized with backing from Syria and the Lebanese Hizbullah terrorist organization. “Neither of them wants to expose its true identity,” said ITIC.

“Israel reserves its right under international law to use all necessary means to prevent these ships from violating the existing naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip,” wrote Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gabriela Shalev, in a letter last Friday to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “While those who organize this action claim that they wish to break the blockade on Gaza and to bring humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, the true nature of the actions remains dubious,” Shalev added. “The organizers of these boats have made repeated assertions to the media that they wish to be Shahids [martyrs].”


Also, for anyone interested, are two commentaries worth reading:

"Is Europe Awakening to Islamist Threat?"

"Slicing and Dicing the Israeli Salami"

7 comments:

hartdawg said...

has it occurred to you that we have yet to experience (at least recently) a major killer earthquake here in the u.s (like chile, haiti or packistan) despite our shameful treatment of isreal? i wonder why.

Scott said...

We have had a series of events over the years that correlate with our treatment of Israel -

Read "Israel, God and America" and the author details numerous instances of the US taking action against Israel, and "natural catastrophes" which have followed.

It doesn't have to be limited to quakes. Hurricane Andrew and Katrina both come to mind as specific disasters which followed anti-Israel actions by the US administration.

Its pretty amazing actually, IMO

hartdawg said...

true true. i personally think it`s possible that tho we had our share of disasters it`s Gods staying hand of grace that we havent ha something as major as a killer earthquake. nothing wakes a nation up as much as that. tho even Gods mercy must give way to judgement at some point.

hartdawg said...

i`ll have to check out isreal God and america. a few years ago i looked at as america as done to isreal, tho not thoroughly. just skimmed over it. you read it? is it good? he was the 1st one to mention damascus and psalm 83 to precede Gog/magog tho he didnt mention psalm 83 by name, just the nations.

Scott said...

Hart

Wasn't "As America has done to Israel" by the same author (David Stein)? If I'm not mistaken , it may have been his first book on the topic? (because the one I read was a sequel) - yes, it was very enlightening.

I'm not sure on the Psa 83/damascus thing.

You probably know this, but Katrina was names as a hurricane on the very day that the last Israeli settlers were evacuated from the Gaza strip. George Bush pushed this on Israel. I don't believe that was a coincidence.

hartdawg said...

no. as america has done to isreal was written by john mcturnin(i think thats ho his last name is spelled)

DrNofog said...

Billy, don't forget "Eye to Eye" by William Koenig...