My prediction of a "January surprise" is coming right along:
Israel's security Cabinet convened a meeting tonight, and officials said they expected a decision to halt its 3-week-old offensive in the Gaza Strip but to keep the army there while Egypt mediates a long-term cease-fire deal with Hamas.
"We believe that our military campaign has achieved its goals and that we are now in a situation where we can cease our military operations against Hamas," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said.
So as I expected, Israel is going to pull back from full-on Guernica levels of mayhem to a less obtrusive Jack the Ripper style before Obama is inaugurated, thus helping him avoid the embarrassment of openly backing mass murder on his first day in office—as the Israelis were helpful enough to say outright:
Officials in Israel also said they wanted to stop the fighting before Barack Obama is sworn in as president Tuesday to avoid clouding a historic day for the Jewish state's main ally and creating friction with the new U.S. administration.
Any other predictions, you ask? One word: plastics.
(Projectile vomit here)
Posted by: KDelphi | Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 01:09 PM
Wouldnt want to interrupt the $150 milliion "festivities" with death of innocents...everybody cash in!
Posted by: KDelphi | Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 01:12 PM
Congratulations, John!
Posted by: Save the Oocytes | Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 03:24 PM
I "predict" (actually, I just read that...) Israel wil "remain in Gaza"--I thought that they "had no interest in occupying"?? But, who believed it...sigh
Olmert also said that the "forces had exceeded his expectations" (they "always do"--what are you going to say--"crappy job, guys!" or "mission unaccomplished!"), and, they had MORE than accomplished their goal (just in case anyone would have the balls to say that, despite superior militarty hardware and forces, Israel had just spent time killing people) and had succeeded in winning the wrath of the world.
Posted by: KDelphi | Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 03:46 PM
StO: If there was a note of ironic reproach in there, I'd accept it, but I don't mean to make this about the prediction. I'm happy for the attack to stop no matter what the reason. If there wasn't, thanks, but it's not like it took Nostradamus to figure this one out....
I think what's going to happen now is we're going to settle into the usual state of "relative calm"—in which only Palestinians are being killed in quick, less attention-drawing bursts of violence.
KDelphi: The funny thing is, I've changed my mind about whether or not the Israelis achieved their goal. But I'll save that for a posting.
Posted by: John Caruso | Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 08:38 PM
Hmmmm...
Posted by: KDelphi | Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 11:00 PM
Of course it achieved their goals. Over a thousand Palestinians are dead, and Kadima/Labor's poll numbers have been successfully rehabilitated in time for the Israeli election.
Posted by: strasmangelo jones | Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 03:38 AM
Yes, but did it achieve their goals, or do the same as Lebanon did, for pr purposes? Alot of the world is VERY angry-! In the long run it will do them no good.
Is anyone else cheesed about Obamas Inaugeral Music Fest being on HBO?
I wonder if they will sing, "We are the world..."
Posted by: KDelphi | Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 12:51 PM
No! Whew! INSTAEAD they sang "we are One!" with emphasis on "O" for ...??
Also, Axelrod now says that we will "pull out of Iraq on Day ONe"...right...
No mentin of Gaza, at the "festivities"..
Posted by: KDelphi | Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 02:08 PM
Sorry...I am just angry..that all this "goodtime" crap is going on, once again, while people bleed and die.
Posted by: KDelphi | Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 04:11 PM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7836205.stm
After the "cerasefire" video from bbc/
Posted by: KDelphi | Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 04:14 PM