Making a Little Extra Money...the Palestinian Way

When there was a draft lottery during the Viet Nam War, my brother got a relatively low number, 182. As his number approached, my mother would tell my dad to get in shape, because if they reached 182, my dad was going to have to serve in my brother's place.

It seems the Palestinian families have a totally different philosophy, they encourage their children to harass IDF soldiers so they can get arrested. For the time their kid(s) are in jail they get a stipend from their favorite terrorist organization.

This report made me crazy until I realized if they send their kids to blow themselves up, I guess this is nothing.

Palestinian children encouraged to go to jail

Ali Waked(YNET)

Exactly a year after Hamas' January election to the Palestinian government, the wild optimism of early 2005 is noticeably absent. Ongoing inter-faction violence and rising poverty are providing Palestinians with little to be optimistic about.

At this time, both internal and international efforts to advance a Palestinian unity government appear to be at a stand-still.

In a recent bout of infighting Thursday night, two Palestinians – one operative from Hamas and one from Fatah - were killed. Friday afternoon, a Hamas security official, injured earlier during exchanges of fire in Beit Lahiya, died of his wounds.

As if the violence were not enough, the Palestinian Authority has also recently logged an increased number of homeless children. For this problem, however, some Palestinian families seem to have found a unique, if tragic, solution.

Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member Issa Qaraqe told Ynet of an increasing phenomenon of Palestinian minors deliberately provoking IDF soldiers at checkpoints in order to be arrested, and thus receive shelter in Israeli prisons.

"Prison time provides these lads with shelter, and also provides their families with prisoners' benefits," Qaraqe explained.

"We were actually amazed to find that some families encourage such a phenomenon in order to reduce expenses, and primarily to receive the weekly benefits given by the Palestinian government to the family of every prisoner," he added.

Qaraqe recounted a recent visit to a family whose underage son had been arrested: "I started to comfort the father and was amazed to hear him say that it's actually not so bad, because now the family will receive a government benefit. It will be their only income."

According to Qaraqe, such sentiments by parents illustrate the financial and emotional hardships suffered by Palestinian families over the past year.

"How can one explain a parent who not only isn't sad that his son is in jail, but rather, encourages him to go there?" Qaraqe queried. "These people are sick, and it indicates the severe deterioration of Palestinian society over the past year."

American Soldiers get " Double O" status

In the"James Bond" movies "Double 0" Status means you have a license to Kill. Well thats just what the US Government gave our heroes in Iraq. Up until now their hands have been tied with regards to Iranians in Iraq. But, after uncovering much evidence that the Iranis are heavily involved in trying to divided Iraq through terrorism, the President has resolved to remove them any way possible. See the report from Ynet below.

Report: Bush authorizes targeting Iranians in Iraq

US president authorizes military to kill, capture Iranian agents in Iraq, counterterrorism officials tell Washington Post, adding that move aimed at weakening Islamic Republic’s influence in region, force it to abandon nuclear program; skeptics in intelligence community fear Iranians may try to kidnap or kill US personnel in Iraq as payback, report says

President George W. Bush has authorized the US military to kill or capture Iranian agents active inside Iraq, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing government and counterterrorism officials with direct knowledge of the plan.

The move, approved last fall, is aimed at weakening Iran's influence in the region and forcing Tehran to abandon its nuclear program that the West believes is for nuclear weapons and not energy, the newspaper said, citing the unidentified officials.

For more than a year, US forces have held dozens of Iranians for a few days, taking DNA samples from some as well as photographs and fingerprints from all those captured, the report said.

Several Iranian officials have been detained in three US raids over the last month. Outgoing US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters on Wednesday that details of accusations against them would be made public in the coming days.

He said they were "going after networks" of security agents, which he said were a mainstay of Iran's involvement in Iraq. The United States has accused Iran of helping arm, train and fund Iraqi militants, notably fellow Shi'ite Muslims.

Iran has long been at odds with the United States, pushing ahead with plans to enrich uranium as part of what Tehran calls a peaceful energy program. The West has feared that Iran instead has been trying to develop nuclear weapons.

The new policy applies to Iranian intelligence operatives and members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard thought to be working with Iraqi militias, but not civilians or diplomats, the newspaper said.

'Our forces have standing authority'

No deadly force was known to have been used by US troops against any Iranians, but administration officials have been pushing military commanders to exercise that authority, it said.

The newspaper said there were skeptics in the intelligence community, State Department and Pentagon, including CIA Director Michael Hayden who said Iranians may try to kidnap or kill US personnel in Iraq as payback.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice backed the plan to help pressure Iran on the nuclear issue, but raised concerns about the risk for mistakes and demanded there be some oversight, the Post reported.

The newspaper said the Defense and State Departments referred inquiries to the White House National Security Council, which declined to comment on specifics of the plan.

But in response to questions about the "kill or capture" authorization, NSC spokesman Gordon Johndroe told the Post: "The president has made clear for sometime that we will take the steps necessary to protect Americans on the ground in Iraq and disrupt activity that could lead to their harm. Our forces have standing authority, consistent with the mandate of the UN Security Council