Author Archives: JMD Live Online Business Consulting

The Israeli Settlements Expansion in Occupied Territories

05 Wednesday Dec 2012

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Benjamin Netanyahu

For Benjamin Netanyahu, plans to expand Israeli settlements may risk a diplomatic crisis with Europe but could prove a good bet at the ballot box.

With the forthcoming January 22 election, Benjamin Netanyahu defies long-standing international opposition to settlements and reiterates plans to build at least 3,000 additional residences in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Settlement projects on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, except for Canada and the United States, are considered illegal by most world powers and have routinely drawn condemnation. Despite the international controversy, the Israeli government is now considering new “planning work” in one of the most highly sensitive areas of the West Bank, the “E1”. Israeli housing on the E1 barren hills could split the West Bank in two.

Many Israelis have traditionally viewed the United Nations and many European governments as being particularly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. And in an aside by Netanyahu during a visit to the United States, Israel’s main ally, he appeared to indicate he shared those sentiments. “Americans get it,” he said, referring to arguments he has made in support of his government’s policies. “Europeans don’t.”

So far, with details of the future settler housing in the West Bank and East Jerusalem still sketchy and, with the possibility that this announcement was only made for dramatic effect, international anger over the announced E1 settlement plan has not yet led to any sanctions against Israel.

Nice bluff Benjamin.

JMD

Bashar al-Assad warned by George Obama not to use chemical weapons

04 Tuesday Dec 2012

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Obama: “The world is watching!

NATO – “Any use of chemical weapons in his fight against encroaching rebel forces would be met by an immediate international response.”

The warning from NATO came as U.S. government sources said Washington had information that Syria was making what could be seen as preparations to use its chemical arsenal. International concern over Syria’s intentions has been heightened by reports that its chemical weapons have been moved and could be prepared for use.

If the Obama administration was looking for an excuse to get involve, they found one. U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday told Assad not to use chemical weapons. “The world is watching! The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable and if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons there will be consequences and you will be held accountable,” Obama said.

This is déjà vu.

JMD

The US Defense Intelligence Agency is sending hundreds of spies overseas

03 Monday Dec 2012

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The Pentagon

Islamist militant groups in Africa, weapons transfers by North Korea and Iran, military modernization in China are among the Pentagon’s top intelligence priorities.

Aimed at transforming the Defense Intelligence Agency into a spy service focused on emerging threats more closely aligned with the CIA and elite military commando units, this project is expected to have as many as 1,600 “collectors” in positions around the world.

The sharp increase in DIA undercover operatives is part of a far-reaching trend: a convergence of the military and intelligence agencies that has blurred their once-distinct missions, capabilities and even their leadership ranks. “This is not a marginal adjustment for DIA, this is a major adjustment for national security,” the agency’s director, Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn.

Echoing the military’s latest and largest foray into secret intelligence work and the Obama administration’s affinity for espionage and covert action over conventional force, the Pentagon plan is to create what is called the Defense Clandestine Service, or DCS. The latest plan also fits in with the administration’s efforts to codify its counterterrorism policies.

The expansion of the agency’s clandestine role is likely to heighten worldwide concerns over a possible escalation in lethal strikes and operations outside public view.

JMD

jmdlive@live.ca

Full details: The Washington Post

As Predicted: UN votes in favor of Palestine

29 Thursday Nov 2012

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Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority

The United Nations General Assembly votes in favor of upgrading the Palestinians status to that of a non-member observer state.

With 138 countries voting in favor of the upgrade, nine countries against and 41 abstentions, the United Nations General Assembly votes in favor of upgrading the Palestinians status to that of a non-member observer state. Palestinians were previously listed as a UN observer “entity” with no voting rights.

Abbas addressed the General Assembly ahead of the vote referencing the recent Israeli assault on Gaza. “The moment has arrived for the world to say clearly: Enough of aggression, settlements and occupation,” he said before adding that the Palestinians were not seeking to “delegitimise” Israel, but to affirm the legitimacy of Palestine as a state.

The new status is an indirect recognition of the Palestinians’ claims on statehood in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. It allows them to join a number of UN agencies, as well as the International Criminal Court (ICC).

JMD

jmdlive@live.ca

Syrian Opposition Gets a Serious Boost!

29 Thursday Nov 2012

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In recent weeks, Syrian rebels have acquired as many as 40 shoulder-fired missile systems to counter assaults by Syrian military aircrafts.

According to Intelligence officials who closely track the flow of arms into Syria, rebels have acquired dozens of the devices in recent weeks and are using them with increasing effectiveness against Syrian helicopters and military jets.

Some of the missiles were supplied by Qatar, which has provided most of the weapons smuggled to Syria’s rebels across the Turkish border. Together with the man-portable air defense systems seized from Syrian army depots, the newly acquired missiles provide the rebels with a powerful defense against the airstrikes that are considered critical to the regime’s defense.

While the missiles are seen as a potential game-changer in the fight against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, such an arrival evoke fear and dismay among Syria’s neighbors as well as Western countries, including the United States. “In the hands of terrorists, the missiles could be used to blow up commercial jets,” they say.

While most of the Western World (not to say the USA) is concerned about the possibility of a commercial jet flying inadvertently low enough over Syria to be hit by a manpads — the acronym for man-portable air defense systems —both Qatar and Saudi Arabia have provided extensive help for Syria’s rebels in recent months, providing cash and weapons for the guerilla army.

30,000 people died in Syria and 400,000 more have fled the country since the civil war began.

JMD

jmdlive@live.ca

Palestine is now to be recognized as a “Non-member Observer State” by the U.N.

28 Wednesday Nov 2012

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President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas

 “… a move that will strengthen the Palestinians’ legal basis for pursuing possible war-crimes prosecutions against Israeli troops and set up a showdown with the United States and Israel.”

The U.N. General Assembly is poised to recognize Palestine as a “Non-member Observer State” on Thursday. The Palestinians are expected to win the Thursday vote by an overwhelming margin, diplomats.

132 countries have recognized the state of Palestine and supporters hope the vote will provide a desperately needed political boost to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party has been eclipsed in recent weeks by rival Hamas.

U.S. officials say a negotiated settlement with Israel is the only way to establish a Palestinian state.

JMD

jmdlive@live.ca

Read more: The Washington Post

The Obama Absurdity or the James Bond Syndrome!

23 Friday Nov 2012

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Obama: “Israel has every right to defend itself from Gaza missiles attacks”

A few days ago, while touring Burma, the USA president, Barack Obama had this surprisingly absurd commentary on the tragic escalation of violence between Israel and Gaza: “Israel has every right to defend itself from Gaza missiles attacks”.

While the true situation is quite the opposite, the United States President message was loud and clear: “Hamas is the aggressor”.

Well, Mister President, for most of the observers, except yourself and your friend Netanyahu, over the years, Israel always has been the aggressor. There may be the usual discussion about who draw first blood but what we have seen in the last few weeks looks exactly like the repeat of the late 2008 Israeli aggression against the Palestinians.

What is it that you do not understand Mister president?

Israel simply needs the Goddamn land to expand and the Palestinians are in their way. If Israel has the right to defend itself, the Palestinians, Mister president, have exactly the same right.

For years now, with the full support of the United States of America representatives, while subjecting the entire population of Gaza to the most severe forms of collective punishment, Israel has tried to fool the world by setting forth its own narrative of events. Since 2007, thanks to Israel and the support of the United States of America representatives, Gaza has become the largest open-air detention center in the whole world.

For the Palestinians to escape what have become their concentration camp, there are not too many options: either they surrender their identity to take an oath of loyalty to Israel as a Jewish state or, they fight back.

No matter your opinion on the subject, what we see now, is the people of Gaza screaming for justice while Israel is trying to decide how much violence they can unleash on Gaza without being targeted by the World public opinion.

Unless Iran decides to get involve in the actual Israeli-Palestinian conflict and this is still a probability: Gaza is no fair game Mister president. This conflict is a one-way street, a one sided-war where Israel holds all the cards of the deck.

Without the support from Iran or the support of any other country, the only thing that Gaza can do against Israel is to keep on firing off meaningless salvos of rockets as a gesture of resistance and pray.

Whatever you are trying to make us believe Mister President, Hamas is absolutely no match for Israel and, this, is without saying about a less known reality: according to a recent UN Report, the way things are going, Gaza will be totally uninhabitable by 2020.

I am telling you, Mister President, Hamas will be out of rockets well before 2020 and unless you and your Israeli friends need the Palestinian land to build a McDonald or a new Wal-Mart, why the rush?

I guess that Capitalism cannot afford to wait.

JMD

jmdlive@live.ca

JMD Public Affairs & Communications; Michel Ouellette JMD’s Systemics; Le Futuriste Daily News; Michel Ouellette JMD on Pinterest; JMD’s Opinion & Factuality on Tumblr; JMD Live on Twitter; Michel Ouellette JMD on Facebook

Blogging 101

21 Wednesday Nov 2012

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Blogging is not for everyone!

Unfortunately, successful blogging is not easy and not for everyone. Building a successful blog is not the easiest process. It is a long process that requires a lot of work, thinking and planning.

Blogging is everything about branding and nothing different from marketing. Like for every successful marketing campaign, a successful blog shall be unique and demonstrate creativity through careful planning. Carefulness and attention to details is of utmost importance and if not done properly, all your efforts will be absolutely for nothing.

The first thing you want to do is to clearly define your overall goal. Then, you have to define your prospective audience accordingly. I would suggest starting with a spreadsheet where you can drop in all of the possible variables. This spreadsheet will be your “media
list” where you will keep track of all your activities, contacts information and results.

Build your spreadsheet according to the existing possible competition. Before even creating your blog, you need to know what the competition looks like. Is there any other similar blog out there? Is it successful? Which other blogs most closely align with your overall goal? What can you do differently and better to differentiate from the competition?

Now that you have collected all this information about the competition: their post frequency, their audience engagement, their potential reach, their relevance, it is completely up to you to use it or not at your advantage. How you do it will depend on your own specifics goals.

Finally, I strongly suggest that you keep a close eye on the following metrics to evaluate your overall performance: traffic increase; increase in Twitter followers and Facebook fans; total amount of RSS subscribers and above everything else, your SEO ranking compare to the competition.

From there use your best judgment.

JMD

jmdlive@live.ca

JMD Public Affairs & Communications; Michel Ouellette JMD’s Systemics; Le Futuriste Daily News; Michel Ouellette JMD on Pinterest; JMD’s Opinion & Factuality on Tumblr; JMD Live on Twitter; Michel Ouellette JMD on Facebook

 

Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Intensify

19 Monday Nov 2012

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US President Barack Obama  leaving for Myanmar!

Israel bombed dozens of suspected militant sites in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and Palestinians kept up their cross-border rocket fire as international pressure for a cease-fire intensified.

Escalating its bombing campaign over the weekend in an attempt to repress Hamas rocket fire, Israel began attacking homes of activists in Hamas, the Islamic militant group ruling Gaza. Israeli aircrafts struck crowded areas in the Gaza Strip and killed Ramez Harb, a senior figure of the Islamic Jihad’s military wing.

Khaled Mashaal, the Hamas’s actual leader, took a tough stance today, rejecting Israel’s demands for an immediate stop of Palestinian rocket fire. Instead, he said that Israel must meet Hamas’ demand and lift the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

While Israel and Hamas are far apart in their demands, both sides say they are open to a diplomatic solution while still prepared for further escalation. A senior Egyptian official told The Associated Press that Hamas and Israel were each presenting Egypt with their conditions for a cease-fire. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and a delegation of Arab foreign ministers are expected in Gaza tomorrow.

While Egypt with the help of Turkey and Qatar is trying to negotiate a general cease-fire, the US President is touring the world.

I guess he followed my advice!

JMD

jmdlive@live.ca

JMD Public Affairs & Communications; Michel Ouellette JMD’s Systemics; Le Futuriste Daily News; Michel Ouellette JMD on Pinterest; JMD’s Opinion & Factuality on Tumblr; JMD Live on Twitter; Michel Ouellette JMD on Facebook


Mie Tomoda may well be wright: We are to get it in 2013!

17 Saturday Nov 2012

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Israel pounds Gaza from air as troops assemble!

Israel is now accelerating its air offensive in the Gaza Strip and destroyed the offices of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in the process. Among other buildings struck were the civilian police headquarters and the house of a commander of Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist group.

While Israeli officials are maintaining that they do not seek war, their intent to send a loud warning to Hamas was clear and Israel is now seemingly intensifying its focus on targeting sites connected to the leaders of the militant Islamist movement that rules the coastal territory.

As strikes fell on Gaza, the foreign minister of Tunisia’s Islamist-led government, Rafik Abdesslem, pledged to work with the Arab League and the United Nations to stop what he called Israeli aggression.

Hamas newly  found support

As the conflict between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip intensifies, Arab governments are throwing their weight behind the territory’s long-isolated Islamist leaders. Long kept at a distance by Arab autocrats, the group now finds a new set of highly influential friends including the democratically elected governments of Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey, all U.S. allies. Those backers give Hamas stronger standing internationally. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi signaled the extent of the shift on Friday when he sent his prime minister to Gaza in a show of solidarity with Hamas.

The Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil toured Gaza alongside Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. “Egypt will not leave Gaza alone,” Morsi said.

Hamas long relied on two Iran and Syria for support. But the outbreak of a revolt in Syria shattered ties between Hamas and the government of President Bashar al-Assad and forced a rift between Hamas and Shiite Iran. Hamas has since repositioned itself, gaining a new set of regional partners in democratic Egypt and Tunisia, along with regionally influential Qatar and Turkey.

Hamas’s new support has given it stronger backing than it had during the 2008-2009 Israeli military offensive into Gaza, during which the Arab world largely stood aside. The leaders of the new Middle East have promised that this time will be different. What we are seeing now taking place is a major opinion shift in Hamas’s favor and against Israel.

If Israel does not acknowledge this opinion shift in responding positively, this will be definitely interpreted, as a message to the world that Israel wants war.

And the Western World is better to stay out of that one.

JMD

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