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Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Les 10 et 11 février 2016, la frégate légère furtive Surcouf a profité d’une relâche opérationnelle pour s’entraîner avec un détachement des forces armées libanaises.

Plenary sessions : Welcoming the President of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz pointed out that Lebanon, with its four million inhabitants, is hosting one million Syrian refugees. This deserves the “greatest recognition and greatest thanks”, particularly in light of the debate on refugees in the EU, Schulz said at the opening of the February II plenary session, adding that the European Parliament will assist the country in any way.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : Welcoming the President of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz pointed out that Lebanon, with its four million inhabitants, is hosting one million Syrian refugees. This deserves the “greatest recognition and greatest thanks”, particularly in light of the debate on refugees in the EU, Schulz said at the opening of the February II plenary session, adding that the European Parliament will assist the country in any way.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

"Moreover, all journalism is a form of activism. Every journalistic choice necessarily embraces highly subjective assumptions — cultural, political or nationalistic — and serves the interests of one faction or another."
Glenn Greenwald, quoted in "Is Glenn Greenwald the Future of News?"

If the future of journalism really is that it will be reduced to emotional assumptions instead of fact-based assertions, we can also ask if that is the future of other formerly respected endeavors as well.

Take for instance Steven Salaita, described by Wikipedia as an American scholar, author and public speaker currently holding the Edward W. Said Chair of American Studies at the American University of Beirut.


Steven Salaita Credit: Alalam News Network
Surely being a scholar means that this Salaita is a smart fellow -- that's what a scholar is, no?
Maybe not.

When I did an online search for "scholar," I got the following:
Apparently, it is passe and downright archaic to say that someone who is called a scholar is actually smart or educated. Instead of being defined by what he is, a scholar today apparently is defined by the position he holds. Also a scholar is distinguished. And what distinguishes Salaita?

Here are 3 snapshots of the many tweets by Salaita about Israel (Hat tip: Legal Insurrection, who has many more of Salaita's tweets):





One definition of a "distinguished" person is one who "commands respect" -- obviously, that is not what we are dealing with here.

Salaita was recently among a number of speakers at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London.

UK Media Watch covered the Apartheid Week panel hosted at SOAS, and Salaita made himself at home.

Among his claims:
He said that “humanising Palestinians undermines the Zionist project” and so Zionists associate Palestinians with Hitler and “have a fear of binationalism which is actual democracy” (this drew huge applause and cheers).This claim Israeli demonization is quickly debunked by a look at the EoZ posters for "Apartheid Week", which features poster of prominent Arabs in Israel, including in the Israeli army, judiciary and Knesset -- and check out Elder of Ziyon's post for many, many more such posters.




Salaita also claimed that
“Israel directs so much of its violence at children and takes more Palestinian land for water and agriculture”.Unlike Hamas, which instigates terrorist attacks on unarmed civilians, Israel has only attacked Hamas in response to terror attacks. Even then, Israel does not target civilians, let alone children. Israellycool notes that during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014, Israel's care in avoiding children was supported by the Gaza Health Ministry-based list of casualties featured on Al Jazeera

Israellycool put together a chart based on that list:


That chart clearly shows that the Al Jazeera list indicates that to the degree that any age group was targeted, it was the age group associated with terrorists.

As for Salaita's claim about water, myths about the water issue are addressed in The Myth of the Thirsty Palestinian.

A third claim by Salaita is his whitewashing of Palestinians throwing stones:
He then mused on the symbolism of Palestinians throwing stones. He said there’s a miniscule chance of harm from stones (although tell that to the family of Asher Palmer who was killed along with his one year old son when a Palestinian thrown rock smashed through their car windscreen).

He said Israelis see stone-throwing as “an act of rejection” and that “stones assume primordial importance and an existential anxiety”.The Palmers are not the only casualties of stone-throwing Palestinian Arabs. According to Wikipedia, "at least 14 Israelis have been killed by Palestinian stone throwing, including 3 Arabs mistaken for Jews."

And a look at the long history of Arabs throwing stones at Jews indicates that anxiety has nothing to do with it.

In 1955, S. D. Goitein, in his book Jews and Arabs: Their Contacts Through the Ages, wrote:
In former times--and in remote places even today--it was common for Muslim schoolboys to stone Jews. When the Turks conquered Yemen in 1872, an envoy was sent from the Chief Rabbi of Istanbul to inquire what grievance the Yemenite Jews had against their neighbors. It is indicative that the first thing of which they complained was this molestation by the schoolboys. But when the Turkish Governor asked an assembly of notables to stop this nuisance,there arose an old doctor of Muslim law and explained that this stone-throwing at Jews was an age-old custom (in Arabic 'Ada) and therefore it was unlawful to forbid it. [p. 76, emphasis added]In the book Eight years in Asia and Africa from 1846-1855, Israel Joseph Benjamin includes among the multiple indignities regularly suffered by Jews at the hands of the Muslims of Persia:
Under the pretext of their being unclean, they are treated with the greatest severity, and should they enter a street, inhabited by Mussulmans, they are pelted by the boys and mob with stones and dirt.[p 212]Andrew Bostom gives another example in The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism: From Sacred Texts to Solemn History:

• The British Jerusalem Consul, James Finn, reported in 1858 about the dangers faced by Jews in then-Palestine in the city of Hebron:
  The rural district is left entirely to peasant Sheikhs, with one responsible over the rest.The streets of the town were paraded by fanatic Dervishes—and during my stay there a Jewish house was forcibly entered by night, iron bars of the window broken, and heavy stones thrown by invisible hands at every person approaching the place to afford help. One of the Members of the Council affirmed that they were not obliged to obey orders from the Pasha’s deputy—and another declared his right derived from time immemorial in his family, to enter Jewish houses, and take toll or contributions any time without giving account. [p 89]

Contrary to Salaita, the "primordial importance" of stone throwing was as a means to persecute Jews, who then --- and now -- are the ones who are feeling the "existential anxiety.”

Whether in journalism or academia, taking a profession that used to be respected for honoring truth and twisting it into a form of activism inevitably leads to subjective conclusions, error and outright sloppiness. Regardless of whether it is inevitable or not, even if what one writes, reports or teaches serves the interests of a particular faction that should not be an excuse for tossing out all sense of propriety and standards.

But Steven Salaita apparently doesn't feel that way.
At least in Lebanon, home of Hezbollah, he can find a faction that appreciates his "work".
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Technorati Tag: Israel and Steven Salaita and Gaza and Stone throwing.

VIDÉO. Après un article du "Monde" révélant la présence de forces spéciales françaises en Libye, Le Drian lance une enquête. Mais c'est un secret de Polichinelle !

The Joint Deployable Exploitation and Analysis Laboratory (JDEAL) was delivered to Soesterberg, the Netherlands at end of last week. The deployable laboratory was financed through the European Defence Agency and is now ready for deployment to operations to counter-IED threats on the request of the JDEAL Contributing Members.

JDEAL was facilitated by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the lead nation The Netherlands. The JDEAL programme is now counted as a fully operational training facility and a deployable capability. Moreover, JDEAL is now seeking to acquire a second deployable capability.

JDEAL also makes use of equipment and knowledge gained from the EDA-developed Counter-IED Technical Exploitation Laboratory (MNTEL) which was previously deployed with ISAF in Kabul.

The laboratory works across the entire spectrum of technical IED exploitation. This includes detailed visual examination and high quality image capture; technical exploitation reporting; biometric analysis (latent finger print recovery); electrical circuitry (primarily radio parts); document and media recovery (focused on the mobile phones often used as IED triggering devices); chemical analysis; mechanical exploitation as well as other materiel exploitation.

Major Geert-Jan Verkoeijen, JDEAL Manager in Soesterberg, and his team received the deployable facility on 10 February. Major Verkoeijen answers to three questions on the laboratory and possible future deployment here below.

 

• What does the Joint Deployable Exploitation and Analysis Laboratory (JDEAL) mean for C-IED capability in Europe?

JDEAL is an EDA Cat B project that started in September 2014 for the duration of three years. After the opening ceremony, on 4 November 2014, JDEAL has proven to be a good example for how cooperation between European nations can be arranged. The gained experience so far shows that it takes time to change, adapt current approaches, doctrines and even processes on (C-IED) technical exploitation. In some cases we see and experience that we don’t  have this time. In my opinion the JDEAL concept can be seen as an example in current European political-military discussions: the current review of the ‘C-IED concept in EU-led military operations’ could benefit of the lessons identified and learned or even the cooperation approach as a whole.

The JDEAL concept is already used in other cooperation developments, thus, this is a huge compliment for what we have achieved so far. In case the JDEAL concept is used for future cooperation plans, the main and most important issue is commitment. With commitment and willingness it’s ‘easy’ to start in a short time. This JDEAL concept approach (could) benefit future decision making processes and eases supporting but ‘mandatory’ issues like budget, equipment and personnel.

After executing several JDEAL basic courses we enter now the ‘next’ stage in the project. On 10 February we received our deployable laboratory in Soesterberg. JDEAL is now in the position to fulfill and execute its main tasks: (1) execute trainings, (2) deploy the laboratory and (3) maintain knowledge & research developments. JDEAL can contribute to trainings, operations and discussions related to our specific C-IED technical exploitation work field.  Either way JDEAL demonstrates that ‘pooling and sharing’ of capabilities and capacities are beneficial for contributing countries. This knowledge will be used for the discussion, the continuation of JDEAL after 2017.

 

• How do you see the readiness of the staff and laboratory for deployment?

The challenge is to create a pool of experts that fulfills continuation in future deployment(s). This pool must consist of military staff who are able to use the available equipment, material and procedures. Importantly, the staff has to work in a team. Right now we don’t have a deployment or mission and it’s difficult to anticipate needs and consequences. In my opinion JDEAL is flexible and modular enough to adapt and fulfill  future needs. From this perspective JDEAL is in the position  to influence the decision making process. Before the actual deployment JDEAL analyses with the lead-nation how to support the deployment. JDEAL is able to prepare and execute the necessary means for deployment and make sure that the assigned crew is trained by the JDEAL permanent staff.

The delivery of the first deployable laboratory JDEAL allows us to focus on the possible operational consequences of getting deployed in the upcoming months.  We are now preparing for the C-IED training exercise ‘Bison Counter’ in Sweden (August 2016). The Bison Counter ’16  exercise will also be a test for the technical exploitation ‘chain’ and JDEAL will benefit also from the knowledge/ procedures  of operational units and collection / level 1 tactical exploitation. This exercise will connect the several technical exploitation steps. 

 

• When do you see the first opportunity for the laboratory for deployment?

As stated in the JDEAL Programme Arrangement the contributing members states can claim the deployable facility. Now we have the deployable laboratory I can imagine (my assumption) that nations are considering JDEAL deployment. The JDEAL permanent staff has the challenge to make sure that when the time comes, we are ready to support the lead nation.

 

More information:

• Counter IED project page

The objective for the cyber situation awareness package (CySAP) is to provide commanders and other decision-makers with information to develop a clear understanding of the cyber-attack threat landscape.  Also, it aims to equip them with the tools (competent personnel, effective procedures and technology platforms) to manage risks during the planning and conduct phases of a military operation. This will improve the resilience of military information infrastructure and other networked systems in the event of a cyber-attack. 

The official endorsement of the Business Case by EDA Steering Board on the 12 February 2016 and the military requirements based on the Common Staff Requirement on the 27 November 2015, marks the initiation of an ad hoc project through the negotiation of a Project Arrangement. 

The project will be carried out under the EU Pooling & Sharing agenda and aims to develop a modular capability within the goal ‘to mitigate the risk of a cyber-attack on Communications and Information Systems and other network capabilities used within the planning and conduct of CSDP operations’.  

The agreed milestones will progress through simultaneous activities comprising:

• Requirements and Architecture Development by 2016
• Definition of work package options within a Programme Arrangement by 2017

Background 

The EU Cyber Defence Policy Framework, as adopted by the Council on 18 November 2014, states that “Cyberspace is often described as the fifth domain of military activity, equally critical to European Union (EU) Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) implementation as the domains of land, sea, air, and space. The successful implementation of CSDP has been increasingly dependent on the availability of, and access to, a secure cyberspace. Robust and resilient cyber defence capabilities are now required to support CSDP structures and CSDP missions and operations”. 

More information:

• Cyber defence programme

 

Le ministre de la Défense réagit à un article paru dans Le Monde. 

Constructions navales : RIA Novosti : on reparle du croiseur de nouvelle génération du Projet 23560 Lider dont la consctruction serait intégrée au programme d'armement 2018-2025. Sa mise sur cale pourrait intervenir en 2019 pour une remise à la marine...

Már a Facebook-on is megalakultak a csoportok, előnyben a nemet mondók.

http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/9af27504-6c3c-11e5-8ebe-bc764e084e2e_88.14_thumb_169_1455729239_1455729239_129_97shar_c1.jpg

EU Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs meet in Brussels on 25 February 2016 to discuss migration, the reinforcement of checks against relevant databases at external borders and the European border and coast guard proposal.

Download this video here.

Shoe Branding Europe / adidas
Propriété intellectuelle et industrielle
adidas peut s’opposer à l’enregistrement, comme marque communautaire, de bandes parallèles apposées sur la face latérale des chaussures de sport

Shoe Branding Europe kontra adidas
Szellemi és ipari tulajdon
adidas may oppose the registration, as a Community mark, of parallel stripes placed on the side of sports shoes

Russian RPG-16 Anti-Tank Grenade Launcher

Despite high unemployment in many parts of Europe, few Europeans look for work in another EU country. This is partly because of the difficulty of finding a job abroad. The European network of Employment Services (Eures) was launched in 1993 to help with this. On 25 February MEPs approved a proposal to strengthen the Eures network. Watch the video to find out what services Eures can offer.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Despite high unemployment in many parts of Europe, few Europeans look for work in another EU country. This is partly because of the difficulty of finding a job abroad. The European network of Employment Services (Eures) was launched in 1993 to help with this. On 25 February MEPs approved a proposal to strengthen the Eures network. Watch the video to find out what services Eures can offer.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

A 2016-os Singapore Airshow-on került napvilágra a hír, miszerint az Indonéz Légierő CH-47 Chinook típusú nehéz szállítóhelikoptereket szerezne be.

Ukrajna egy krími tatár énekesnő, Jamala dalát indítja az Eurovízión. Az orosz Duma napirendre veszi a kérdést, és elítéli a “russzofób” dalválasztást, lépéseket vár az Eurovízió szervezőitől. Mármint “tilcsákbe”!

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