A few updates can be provided regarding the Personal-Projects previously explored, adding a fourth

related to gun-free zones within the hospital setting; they are evolving incrementally. Regarding the
Holocaust minimalization quote from Temple U. Professor Alessio Lerro, I again left a v.m. with his
Department Chair [Louis Mangione, 215=204-8268] to encourage him to encourage the Adjunct-Prof.
simply to coadopt the second policy-statement issued by the University; he can gloss-over nuances by
claiming he was typing too-quickly and he can avoid having to confront other quotes regarding alleged
Jewish control over Academe and alleged human-rights violations by Israelis [perhaps] if he simply acts
to neutralize the anti-Holocaust tinge [and these other concerns can be confronted afterwards].
Regarding the effort to create a Pennsylvania Chapter of Log Cabin Republicans, the paperwork has been
completed [and Facebook and Twitter account will be opened]; how it will be rolled-out in MontCo
[locally] will be determined by Rep. Mike Vereb [who currently is hosting his annual Golf Outing] in
conjunction with D.C. [and other interested parties in PA]. Regarding Mandatory Holocaust Education,
efforts are ongoing to follow-up the curriculum content. {The articles related to foreign-affairs follow an
initial focus on domestic concerns; note that a piece [The Medias Anti-Israel Bias is Beyond All Shame]
was written by locals [Bender/Verlin].}

And regarding security @ Catholic Hospitals East [CHE] of which Nazareth is related,
communications were held with those formulating a gun policy following the incident
@ Fitzgerald-Mercy [when a the gun-free zone was violated by a physician who used
his own firearm to quell a disturbance]; here, I attempted to enlarge the discussion by
raising the generic issue of hospitals being soft-targets for terrorists. Thus, I suggested
that people will feel safe if either they are able to defend themselves [2
nd
Amendment]
or if no one with a weapon [as screened by metal-detectors] can enter the premises.
{Noting the race-riot after a policeman shot a teen, know that Bloomberg and Other
Gun Rights Opponents Targeted Milwaukee pro-gun Sheriff David Clarke, Jr. in Primary
and that Red State Democrats are Running from Their Gun Control Votes.}

It is possible to provide a comprehensive follow-up of the days events in a shorter Blast e-mail simply
by grouping headlines from disparate sources; the fallout from the weekend interviews of BHO/Hillary,
predictably, has been huge, for the Divorce is final [Hillary is giving some liberals negative flashbacks
to 2008, WH's Response to Hillary Foreign Policy Criticism: 'She Was Fully On Board'; CNN's Keilar:
Hillarys Iraq Statement a 'Slam' of Obama, and Obama said Hillary's Syria criticism is 'horseshit'], despite
the fact that the Clintons and Obamas are Scheduled to Party Together at Martha's Vineyard.
Furthermore, we now have a POTUS who is such an avowed pacifist that he does not seek any military
victory for America in any venue, let alone the most savage [OBAMA: 'NO AMERICAN MILITARY
SOLUTION TO THE LARGER CRISIS IN IRAQ']. Even NBCs Todd and Mitchell Soured On Obama Over Iraq
Excuses: A Farce!, although Scarborough is 'Sick and Tired' of 'People Bitching and Moaning About'
Obama Inaction on ISIS. To BHOs residual defenders it matters not that Obama's Iraq narratives are
contradicted by the Pentagon, intelligence community, and Obama, nor are they apparently moved by a
SHOCK PHOTO [SEVEN-YEAR-OLD JIHADI POSES WITH SEVERED HEAD [John Kerry Horrified By Child
Holding Severed Head: 'That Child Should Be In School'] or by increasing recognition that Psychopathic
Jihadists Betray An Evil not Seen Since Hitler.

Former CIA Chief: Underestimating ISIS a Policy, Not Intel, Failure: Monday on "CBS This
Morning," former CIA director Michael Morell [who last made the news regarding his
internally-contradictory version of BenghaziGate-generated messaging] contradicted
Obama's claim Saturday that bad "intelligence estimates" were the reason the
administration did not anticipate the speed in which ISIS would capture large portions of
Iraq. CBS's Norah O'Donnell asked, "The president himself admitted over the weekend
that this Islamist State militants advance is more rapid than intelligence estimates. Was
this an intelligence failure or a policy failure?" Morell replied, "So I don't think this was
an intelligence failure. This is a classic problem in the intelligence world. There's a
difference between strategic warning and tactical warning. There was strategic warning
here in the sense that the intelligence community was saying for over a year, year and a
half, two years that this group was getting stronger and stronger and stronger."

Indeed, as BHO parties on his vay-kay, he was even repudiated in his birthplace-state ['Historic Upset'
in Hawaii as Obama-Backed Dem loses]. Ron Fournier [no true-blood conservative] has declared to be
Obama the 'Underestimator in Chief' due to his serial miscalculations; even if HIS intelligence
community [purged by Arabist-Brennan of key vocabulary words that would depict Islamic terrorism]
missed the strength of the IS, pundits and academics didnt, and many people [including myself, on
multiple occasions during the past half-decade] were pleading with him to arm the Kurds [and, even
now, he is only giving them bombing-cover and small-arms]. Indeed, BHO is finally arming the Kurds
directly, but apparently he was vindictively and childishly withholding such aid until al-Maliki had been
shunted-aside [a process that may have been initiated on Monday, but which hes resisting]. Yet,
predictably running to his defense was the NYT, which Mocked Conservatives and Its Own [RINO]
Columnist for Concern about Obama's 'Caesarism.' The Deaf/Dumb/Blind lead the Deaf/Dumb/Blind,
flanked by fawning lefties. {These hyperlinks on Drudge individually/collectively characterize BHO in a
fashion he may not appreciate: EXPERT: President refuses to make decisions; MILBANK: He vacations
while the world burns; FLASHBACK: Promised No Vacations For Himself As President; VIDEO: 'Will not
rest until'; and Complained about cold water at Martha's Vineyard.]

ObamaDontCare Architect [Jonathan Gruber] Met with Obamacare Author [Health and
Human Services (HHS) Director Liz Fowler] the Afternoon Before His 'Typo.' Renaming
his error as a speako invokes a neologism suggesting this MIT economist and the chief
architect of Obamacare only misspoke [albeit serially, forcefully and unambiguously]
regarding the essence of the [then-proposed] legislation. The issue at the heart of the
latest ACA court cases is whether subsidies should only be available for state-run
insurance exchanges vs. whether they can also be paid as part of a federal exchange.
The SCOTUS will probably have ruled on this issue within a year. {Also note that British
Smokers are Being Denied Treatment by State-Run Healthcare Service.}

Regarding Illegals, hypocrisy abounds:
GOP Ads Go On Attack Over Border
'The border fence is a joke': Filmmaker crosses from US to Mexico dressed as Osama bin Laden as
Border Patrol says 'we can't be everywhere at once' [video]
James O'Keefe, known for guerrilla documentaries targeting liberals, says US Border Patrol was
nowhere to be seen when he crossed border twice
The conservative firebrand wore a bin Laden mask to show the national security implications of
unmonitored borders
A Border Patrol official said agents who ought to be on the 'front lines aren't even on the front
lines anymore'
Texas sheriff showed how a section of border fencing ends abruptly, providing easy access for
immigrants to sneak in from Mexico
Rick Santorum: Both Establishments Embrace Amnesty Because They Don't Care about American
Workers
RNC Chair Reince Priebus: 'I Don't Know' What GOP Should Do if Obama Enacts Executive Amnesty
CADDELL CONCEDES POLLS MAKE IMMIGRATION A WEAPON
LAMAR ALEXANDER EMBRACED AMNESTY AGAIN AFTER PRIMARY WIN
Two Alaska GOP Senate Candidates Refused to Sign Anti-Amnesty Pledge
Feds Wanted to House Illegals in Empty Hotels and Stores in Wisconsin
In Iowa, Social Conservatives Cheered Tough Immigration Rhetoric
Left-Wing 'New York' Mag: We May Look Back on Obama's Executive Amnesty 'with Regret'
Washington Post: Less Amnesty, More Secure Borders Won't Deter Illegals
Nancy Pelosi Urges Obama to Enact 'Broadest Possible' Executive Amnesty
Department of Education: Unaccompanied Illegal Immigrant Minors 'Entitled to' Public Education
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: HOW MANY ILLEGALS WILL ATTEND?
Huffington Post Lied About Border Poll Results - For a story about a poll that shows only 13% of
Americans want the children in this recent flood of illegals to be allowed to stay in America, The
Huffington Post wrote this headline: "Most Americans Believe Migrant Children Should Be Allowed To
Remain In U.S., Poll Shows."
Reuters Misleads About Results of Own Border Poll - Reuters commissioned a border poll and obviously
didn't care for the results. When you are Reuters, though, that's not a problem. You simply bury the
inconvenient numbers under a misleading headline that reads, "Obama vow to speed deportation of
children at odds with public opinion" -- even though the poll says nothing of the sort.
GOP Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: Paul Ryan Works 'Every Day' toward Amnesty Bill
Illegal Alien Crime Victims Slam Boehner Absence At Border
Connecticut Diocese Praises Pro-Abortion U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney for Amnesty Support
DREAMers plan to occupy Ted Cruz office
PEW: More than 60% of Hondurans in USA Illegals

Regarding myriad major-issues, Conservatives appear to be trending well:

Rep. Steve King: Hillary Clinton Lied about Video Causing Benghazi Attacks
Obama hired about 70 previously registered lobbyists

Common Core's Growing Unpopularity
Hoosiers against Common Core: Indiana Education Manipulated by 'Czars'
Bobby Jindal Made Waves in Iowa on Anti-Common Core Platform
New Jersey Grassroots Group: 'No More Common Core'
Eight Most Despicable Attacks on Campbell Brown - Education reformer and former
CNN host Campbell Brown has had to deal with a series of vile Twitter attack from
teachers, trolls, and pornbots since launching her court challenge to teacher tenure.

The Culture-Wars also are raging, as intimidation sometimes is daunting:
Atheist Group Forces Diner to Stop Offering Discount for Praying
PUNT THE PRAYERS? Atheist group tells football team to sack game ritual
An obituary for Robin Williams in the form of his best scenes

Regarding events in PA:

PSU TRUSTEES TO SEEK OPEN DOOR TO FIGHTING ALL SANDUSKY-RELATED SANCTIONS
Chaka Fattah Jr.'s former roommate pleads guilty in federal court [this portends problems]
Ostracized candidate Russ Diamond to Lebanon GOP: No, you should resign
Coal country Congressman to Obama: 'Get off of the back nine and come into the mines'
Baer: PA pols who don't belly up to the trough
CORBETT AIDE TOMALIS RESIGNED EDUCATION POST
81% IN PA BELIEVE UNIONIZATION SHOULD BE A CHOICE [not mandated]
Sen. Wagner: Prevailing wage law drives up school costs and taxes

Regarding Politics, conservatism appears to be on-the- rise:

Cruz: Americans have reason for optimism
Ted Cruz: ISIS is the Face of Evil
Ted Cruz Tests Waters, Meets with Iowa Grassroots Leaders
Ted Cruz: President Obama Should Spend Less Time Golfing, More Time Leading
IN IOWA, TED CRUZ TEASES PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
'Conservatives Winning'
Al Franken Touted Collaboration WithTed Cruz?
Mexican Officials Will Speed Up 'The Beast' to Deter Illegals from hopping on and off.
Ted Cruz hosted, on behalf of Americans for Prosperity, a quick chat about what YOU can do in
your community to fight back against the left's harmful, big-government policies.
Christian conservatives/Evangelicals play big role in early races; Cruz, Perry well-liked

LIBERTARIAN-LEANING VOTERS COULD SWAY THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Libertarian on Kentucky Senate Ballot Could Hurt Mitch McConnell

One of five cities bidding for the Democratic National Convention, Philadelphia appears
to hold an early edge with a track record of hosting the major gathering - not to mention
that Hillary Rodham Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden have family ties to the state.
The original U.S. capital and now the nation's fifth largest city, Philadelphia touts its
historical significance. It has hosted the presidential nominating convention seven times
since 1856, most recently the Republican one in 2000.
Dems are confident they will hold the majority this fall

The GOPs Civil-War has not abated:
Ken Cuccinelli: GOP Estab Race-Baiting in MS Cost Conservatives in Other States
'Tea Party Wave' Responsible for GOP Strength in the House
Chris McDaniels Attorney Is Contesting His Own Vote In Mississippis Run-Off [illustrating fraud]

Dems are worried about the mid-terms:
NO HOPE FOR DEMS TO TAKE BACK HOUSE
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS FIGHT FOR CONTROL OF STATE LEGISLATURES - The New York
Times reports on the intense battle in the state for party control. "It was over 100 degrees here
the other evening, but inside a buzzing office tucked away on a stretch of gun stores and
pornography shops, Democrats were staring into computer screens and talking urgently into
cellphones. The stakes were high: The Nevada Senate, which Democrats control by a single seat,
could very well shift into Republican hands after November....It is not only Nevada. Republicans,
who had appeared to hit a high-water mark in control of statehouses in recent years, are
seeking to pick off another half-dozen chambers this year, taking advantage of President
Obama's persistent unpopularity, anxiety about the economy, and a history of anemic turnout
among Democrats in nonpresidential election years.

Regarding the interaction of American/World politics:

Putin is upset:
Ukraine's Forces Close to Taking Rebel-Held Donetsk
NATO Sees High Probability of Russian Invasion
Ukraine: Russia Aid Can Enter with Red Cross Role
Ukraine says trucks carrying purported aid from Russia won't be allowed across border

Anti-Semitism is increased in the wake of Gaza War #3, both in America [House of Israel
Vandalized in San Diego and Swastika Found Carved in Riverdale, NY] and abroad [BRITISH
HARD-LEFT LINE UP BEHIND HAMAS and EVEN BIN LADEN FOUND ISIS TOO EXTREME.];
amazingly, J Street, a Fringe group, blamed Israel for the conflict and accused it of racism,
thereby Fanning Growing Flames of Anti-Semitism. {Recall that libs such as Reform Judaism
supported its membership on the Conference of Presidents of the Major American Jewish
Organizations, prompting one to probe the Psychopathology of Jew-Hating Jews.}

The Syria/Iraq conflict rages-on:
ISLAMIC MILITANT FORCES in northern Iraq appear to be shifting tactics in the face of the newly
launched US airstrike campaign, complicating the mission of the Obama administration.
Obama's mixed messages - US will not intervene overseas directly, except when it does [per lib-Politico]
Officials: Pentagon considering rescue mission for Iraqis trapped on mountain
Kurdish fighters hold off Islamic State, await more help from US, Baghdad
Iraq incumbent PM al-Maliki fights to stay on amid power struggle
Helicopter delivering aid to displaced Yazidis crashes in Iraq
VIDEO: ISIS responds to airstrikes
White House Cant Explain Iraq Objectives to Congress
Obama Took Credit for Iraq Troop Withdrawal Before Ducking Responsibility
Iraqi Prime Minister Nominee Gains Support
Baghdad Power Struggle Adds to Chaos in Iraq
Syrian Forces Advance on Aleppo; Rebels Fear Another Siege - Syrian government forces are advancing
on Aleppo, aiming to besiege the rebel-held city into submission in what would be the biggest blow yet
to the three-year uprising. The fall of Aleppo, Syria's largest city and economic hub before the fighting,
could also bolster the ranks of Islamic State militants who continue to make gains across the country, as
defeated rebels from the Western-backed Free Syrian Army switch to their side.
ISLAMIC STATE 'PREACHING VANS' RECRUIT CHILDREN TO 'KILL ALL INFIDELS'
Islamic State Crucifies, Slaughters Civilians in East Syria
US Airstrikes in Iraq Have Had Minimal, 'Very Temporary' Effect Against Islamic State
Jihadi Accused of 2011 Sarajevo US Embassy Attack Killed Fighting In Iraq
Iraq's Maliki Tells Army to Keep out of Politics
U.S. Actions in Iraq Fueled Rise of a Rebel
ISIS Leader was Released from Detention Camp in 2009
Islamic State carves jihadist hub in heart of Middle East
Pentagon may send more 'advisers'
Aided by U.S. Airstrikes, Kurdish Forces Retook Gwer and Mahmour two strategic towns about 20 miles
from Erbil, the capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan region] from Islamic State.
John Oliver Skewered Obama Over Iraq Tone
David Gregory Slammed Obama: Big, Expansive Terrorist Threat Amassed On His Watch
PETER KING HAMMERS 'INCREDIBLY ABSURD' MSNBC HOST ON IRAQ
U.S. Underestimated Urgency of Threat
The Islamic State (Part 1) was generated by a reporter who spent three weeks embedded with the
Islamic State, gaining unprecedented access to the group in Iraq and Syria as the first and only journalist
to document its inner workings; in part one, Dairieh heads to the frontline in Raqqa, where Islamic State
fighters are laying siege to the Syrian Army's division 17 base.

U.S. POLICY LIMITED WITH AIRSTRIKES IN IRAQ. The Wall Street Journal writes, "After
four days of pounding targets in northern Iraq, U.S. officials warned...the campaign was
unlikely to inflict serious damage to the militant group now controlling large parts of
Iraq and Syria. The airstrikes' modest impact poses a strategic conundrum for President
Barack Obama, who must decide whether to limit American military operations in Iraq
once his objectives are met or expand the U.S. role to defeat the Sunni extremist forces,
which have threatened to attack Americans."

"Already there are signs that the military involvement could expand. The U.S. is pursuing
an aggressive new strategy to directly arm Kurdish forces battling the Islamic State in
northern Iraq. Such a move could embolden the Kurds, who have long sought to break
away from Baghdad's influence, and further draw the U.S. into the fray... The U.S.
strategy is an outgrowth of dueling interests: The Obama administration wants to
confront the danger posed by the Islamic State militants and prevent Iraq from
fracturing without returning the U.S. to a costly, unpopular Middle East war."

Regarding Israel:
Israel is prepared to ease conditions in Gaza to reach truce
Gaza ceasefire talks: Easing of blockade, but no demilitarization
Israels Negotiation-Team includes: Maj. Gen. (res) Amos Gilad, Director of the Bureau
of Political-Military Affairs, Ministry of Defense; Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen; Yitzhak
Molcho, lawyer and close confident of Netanyahu; Maj.-Gen. Nimrod Sheffer, head of
the IDFs Planning Directorate; and Yoav Mordechai, Coordinator of Government
Activities in the Territories.
The Keren Shalom crossing had to be shut down because of deliberate shelling of the
area by Hamas
Arlene Kushner avers Hamas and ISIS are one and the same; Obama cannot bomb ISIS in
Iraq and support Hamas as a legitimate entity in Gaza. If everyone doesnt wake up, the
US will have to contend with ISIS on its own shores. She notes the Israelis near Gaza will
not support anything short of demilitarization noting, for example, their shock when
they learned of the planned-massacre [via tunnels] on Rosh Hashanah.

From the Daily Alert [yesterday and today, the most fascinating articles]:

Hamas Executed Dozens of Tunnel Diggers - Hamas executed dozens of diggers responsible for
its extensive tunnel system in past weeks, fearing the workers would reveal the site locations to
Israel; the digging of tunnels began four years ago and has demanded 40% of Hamas' budget.

Video: Islamic Jihad Missile-Launching Pads in Gaza Tunnels - On Aug. 8, MayadeenTV (Lebanon)
aired a report on the military tunnels of Islamic Jihad in Gaza: Beneath Gaza City is another
complete, sprawling city whose roads, corridors, and rooms are known to the resistance fighters
only. This is a strategic tunnel used for launching long-range missiles. The missiles are stored
within the tunnel. This is one of the strategic launching pads. This missile is on the pad, ready to
be launched. All we need to do is open the hatch from underneath and the missile, which is
aimed in advance, will be launched. As you have seen, there are more missiles. After this missile
is launched, another is loaded to the same pad.

Foreign Reporters Condemn Hamas' Censorship Policy in Gaza - The Foreign Press Association
(FPA) released a statement Monday condemning censorship by Hamas in the Gaza war. "The FPA
protests in the strongest terms the blatant, incessant, forceful and unorthodox methods
employed by the Hamas authorities and their representatives against visiting international
journalists in Gaza over the past month." Hamas pressured and threatened reporters, preventing
them from giving viewers and readers an "objective picture from the ground." After foreign
reporters exited Gaza, several reports have surfaced showing footage that they had been afraid
to show while in Gaza. See also Gaza War Media Coverage Lacked Reporting on Hamas Fighters -
Oren Kessler and Why Everything Reported from Gaza Is Crazy Twisted.

Head of New UN Gaza Inquiry Commission Called to Try Netanyahu at International Criminal
Court - The UN named 'Unbiased' William Schabas to chair an international commission of inquiry
into possible human rights violations and war crimes during the Gaza War. Schabas, a Canadian
professor of international criminal and human rights law, has previously stated he would like to
see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "within the dock of the International Criminal Court." In
2011, Schabas co-sponsored a "Center for Human Rights and Cultural Diversity" conference in
Iran, which at the time was led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In response, Israel Foreign Ministry
spokesman Yigal Palmor said: "The appointment of the chairman of the panel, whose anti-Israel
bias and opinions are known to all, proves beyond any doubt that Israel cannot expect justice
from this body, whose report has already been written."

Gaza Construction Funding "Incorrectly" Handled, UN Report Finds - An internal UN audit report
reveals that a UN Development Program office that funds and monitors spending on construction
in Gaza allowed at least five non-staff contract employees to handle "core" procurement
processes that only staffers are supposed to handle, including those for ordering up "significant"
civil construction activities. Moreover, the report says the UNDP office: "was not monitoring and
recording actual work" performed by these individuals. Moreover, the Palestinian program office
was not properly keeping track of expenditures or receipts in the financial system. "This practice
increases the risk of paying for goods that are not delivered." The findings point to a possible
black hole in the supervision of civil construction, and perhaps other programs in Gaza. The
report adds credibility to Israeli accusations that internationally-managed relief supplies to Gaza
were diverted into construction of attack tunnels.

U.S. Intelligence Chief Warned: The Threat of Islamic Terrorism Is Spreading - The outgoing chief
of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, said in an interview:

In 2004, there were 21 Islamic terrorist groups spread out in 18 countries.
Today, there are 41 Islamic terrorist groups spread out in 24 countries. A lot of
these groups have the intention to attack Western interests, to include Western
embassies and in some cases Western countries. Some have both the intention
and some capability to attack the United States homeland.

Unfortunately the [al-Qaeda] core ideology and belief system [of
perpetual jihad] is spreading, not shrinking. Look at the unbelievably violent
videos [of beheadings, executions and the destruction of religious places]
coming out of Iraq just in recent days.

When Bin Laden was killed there was a general sense that maybe this threat
would go away. We all had those hopes, including me. But...we kept
decapitating the leadership of these groups, and more leaders would just
appear from the ranks to take their place. That's when I realized that
decapitation alone was a failed strategy.

IDF Detailed Hamas' Use of Civilian Areas as Missile Bases - Throughout the Gaza war, IDF maps,
graphics, and videos have illustrated Hamas' consistent transformation of civilian areas into
launch pads for some 3,000 rockets blasted wildly into Israel. The IDF also has informed the
world about its leaflets, phone calls, and text messages that urge Gazans to seek shelter before
Israel neutralizes Hamas' hostile-fire installations. The IDF now has created an outstanding
indictment of Hamas: "Hamas War Tactics: Attacks from Civilian Centers - Evidence of Hamas'
Violations of International Law through Use of Civilian Facilities and Densely Populated Areas for
Terror." It details Hamas rocket blasts from mosques, schools, power plants, and hospitals.

The Real "Siege" of Gaza is c/o Egypt; recent calls for lifting the "siege" on Gaza have ignored
that Hamas' main demand is that Egypt reopen the Rafah border crossing, the Palestinians' only
gateway to the Arab world. Even during the Gaza war, the Egyptians rejected demands to reopen
the Rafah terminal indefinitely. The Egyptians want the world to blame only Israel for the "siege"
on Gaza. According to Palestinian sources, the Egyptians are worried that the reopening of the
Rafah terminal would facilitate terrorist attacks by radical Islamist groups against Egyptian
targets, especially in Sinai.

Hamas Liaison for Murder of Three Israeli Teens Was Freed in Shalit Prisoner Exchange - The
Hamas liaison in Gaza for the cell that kidnapped and murdered three Israeli teens in the West
Bank was Mahmoud Qawasmeh, exiled to the Strip after the 2011 prisoner exchange that freed
captive soldier Gilad Shalit. Mahmoud Qawasmeh was responsible for transferring money from
Gaza to the West Bank to fund the June 12 kidnapping of Gilad Shaer, Naftali Fraenkel and Eyal
Yifrah. Qawasmeh was serving a 20-year sentence when he was released in 2011. The leader of
the cell was Mahmoud's brother Hussam, who was arrested by Israeli counterterroris police in
July. The two Palestinians who murdered the three teens, Marwan Qawasmeh, a third brother,
and Amer Abu Aisheh, are still at large.

Hamas Obtained Cash for Salaries in Gaza - Hamas has brought millions of dollars into Gaza to
pay the salaries of thousands of its workers, the Gaza-based Sawa news agenc reported on
Sunday, after two months in which no such payments were made. Payment of the salaries has
been one of the key demands by Hamas for a cease-fire.

Hamas Holds Body of IDF Soldier - Israel is utilizing diplomatic channels in hopes of retrieving the
body of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, a soldier declared killed in action in Gaza last month, Defense
Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Sunday. Ya'alon told the Shaul family that the soldier's body was in
the hands of Hamas, and that Israel will insist that the body be returned. "We are committed to
bringing Oron to burial here in Israel," he said. "We won't rest until this happens, and we are
dealing with this issue."

Israeli Poll regarding Goal in Gaza: 74% [Demilitarization under the supervision of an
international force]; 16% [replace Hamas with Abbas' government]; and 8% [just security quiet].

Standoff at Gaza Cease-Fire Talks in Cairo - At the Gaza cease-fire talks in Cairo, Israel and
Egypt are jointly determined not to give Hamas what it wants. There's an Israeli readiness to
ease border restrictions and to expand fishing rights off the Gaza coast, but nothing more than
that. Cairo, too, is emphasizing to Hamas that it can forget about a seaport or an airport unless
or until all of Gaza is demilitarized. For now, at least, Hamas wants to be seen as refusing to
capitulate. Hence its decision to allow others to fire rockets at Israel. Hamas hopes there'll be
enough pressure on Jerusalem to give it some kind of gain that would allow it to come out from
the corner it's painted itself into.

Amidror: Israel May Need to Retake Parts of Gaza - PA President Mahmoud Abbas is too weak to
regain control over Gaza, leaving Israel with the option of either recapturing part of the Strip or
learning to live with a low-level war of attrition, former Israeli national security adviser Maj.-Gen.
(ret.) Yaakov Amidror said Sunday. "The reoccupation of Gaza is on the table now more than
ever before," Amidror said. "The price which the Israeli public is willing to pay is much higher
than it was in previous operations in Lebanon and Gaza."

Israel Will Not Get Dragged into a War of Attrition - few days of patience may make it clear to
Hamas that continued rocket fire into Israel will cause more damage to its position in the
negotiations than improve it. Senior Israeli officials clarify that if the IDF detects the slightest
possibility that Israel is being dragged into a war of attrition, it will not hesitate to enter Gaza to
complete the disarming of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In the current stage, the goal is to reach a
stable cease-fire, and to meet the basic needs of 250,000 people with no roof over their heads
and no clean drinking water. Yet Hamas is presenting exaggerated demands, betting that global
public opinion will allow aid to be brought in, and then the Egyptians will give i as well. Hamas is
gambling again, holding the civilian population hostage. Israel is seeking to demilitarize Gaza of
weapons and military infrastructure under international supervision in return for a large aid
package to rebuild the Strip. Demilitarization includes removing rockets and launching pads,
destroying launchers, and removing 160- and 120-mm. mortar shells. At the same time,
manufacturing will be supervised and the excavation of tunnels will be thwarted.

Hillary Clinton: "Israel Did What It Had to Do to Respond to the Rockets" - Hillary Clinton offered
a vociferous defense of Israel. This is noteworthy because, as secretary of state, she spent a lot
of time yelling at Netanyahu on the administration's behalf over Israel's West Bank settlement
policy. Now, she is leaving no daylight at all between the Israelis and herself. "I think Israel did
what it had to do to respond to the rockets.... Israel has a right to defend itself. There's no doubt
in my mind that Hamas initiated this conflict....So the ultimate responsibility has to rest on
Hamas and th decisions it made." "It is striking...that you have more than 170,000 people dead
in Syria...more than 1,000 people have been killed in Ukraine on both sides...and yet we do see
this enormous international reaction against Israel....This reaction is uncalled for and unfair."
Clinton also blamed Hamas for "stage-managing" the conflict. "What you see is largely what
Hamas invites and permits Western journalists to report on from Gaza. It's the old PR problem
that Israel has....The PR battle is one that is historically tilted against Israel."

Fighters Abandoning al-Qaeda Affiliates to Join Islamic State, U.S. Officials Say - "Small groups
from a number of al-Qaeda affiliates have defected to ISIS," or the Islamic State, as the group is
also known, said a U.S. official with access to classified intelligence assessments. "And this
problem will probably become more acute as ISIS continues to rack up victories" in Iraq and
Syria. The launching of U.S. airstrikes has raised new questions, including whether the bombings
will hurt the Islamic State's ability to draw recruits or elevate its status among jihadists. U.S
officials expressed concern that the Islamic State may now place greater emphasis on carrying
out attacks against the U.S. and its allies. U.S. officials estimate that the Islamic State has as
many as 10,000 fighters, including 3,000 to 5,000 from countries beyond its base in Iraq and
Syria. {This undermines the canard used by the libs to undermine Bush-43 regarding Iraq, when
it was claimed Americas presence enhanced recruitment; instead, their successes fuel their PR.}

U.S. Conducts New Iraq Airstrikes Against Islamic State Insurgents - U.S. fighter jets and drone
aircraft carried out a wave of airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq on Sunday,
targeting armed trucks and a mortar position, in the fourth set of U.S. airstrikes since President
Obama last week authorized the new campaign in Iraq. The U.S. is attempting to thwart the
Islamic State advance in northern Iraq that threatens to overrun Irbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-
autonomous Kurdish region.

Aided by U.S. Airstrikes, Kurdish Forces Retake 2 Towns from Islami State - With the support of
American airstrikes, Kurdish forces counterattacked against Sunni militants of the Islamic State in
northern Iraq on Sunday, regaining control of Gwer and Mahmour, two strategic towns about 20
miles from Erbil, the capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
The Betrayal of the Intellectual -
Too many American and European intellectuals have taken moral relativism to its absurd
extreme, falling back upon the "validity of every narrative" and repeating the mantra that "every
story has two sides." They treat those who have a clear moral stance as primitive. For them, if
you take a moral stand or choose a side in a conflict you must lack the necessary tolerance to
"see the other side."
Not long ago intellectuals did the exact opposite. They were the ones who helped us differentiate
between good and evil, between right and wrong, between justice and injustice. They didn't ask
whether the Germans felt a genuine sense of hardship. The debate wasn't over feelings but the
essence of truth.
During Israel's operation in Gaza, there should be no question as to who enlightened people
should support; on one side stands a Western democracy, which warns civilians before striking
legitimate terrorist targets. On the other side stands an Islamist terrorist organization,
homophobic and misogynistic, committed to killing Jews, which does all in its power to murder
innocent civilians.
When Hamas forces civilians to stand on the roof of a building which is used as a terrorist
command center despite knowing that the building will be attacked (and they know because we
warn them), who are we to hold responsible? When Hamas places rockets and explosives inside
UN schools and fires from within hospitals, who are we to hold responsible?
Hamas sees Western intellectuals who buy into their gruesome propaganda as a tool, to be used
and to be mocked.

From Pamela Gellers website:

o AFDI Rally: Support Israel and Persecuted Religious Minorities, Union Square, August 17th 4pm
o STOP THE ISLAMISATION OF AMERICA Trademark Battle Heads to Supreme Court
o Gaza Civilian Casualty Count Untrue and in Question
o Pamela Geller, WND Column: Israel: Struggle of good vs. evil
o Garnier Submits to Savages: Apologizes for IDF Photo @garnierUSA #BoycottGarnier
#GarnierSupportsJihad
o Kosovo: 40 Muslims arrested for waging jihad in Iraq and Syria; mosques used for recruiting;
explosive devices, weapons and ammunition seized
o I will gladly cut the throats halal style of any aussie dogs that oppose Islam: Customer service
rep suspended after vile rant was posted on his Facebook account
o Thats my boy: Australian jihadist tweets photo of 7-year-old son holding severed head
Anglican Vicar of Baghdad: Child I baptised cut in half by ISIS