Good morning (in your time zone) from Jerusalem. The biggest ever Civil Defense preparedness drill has begun.

Please note the item below in Ha’aretz about the PA (Fatah) Hamas clash in Kalkilaya (West Bank) yesterday. Our American taxpayer dollars continue to be wasted.

The American trained and equipped PA/Fatah Security Services operation was a textbook example of how not to conduct a raid. The first three killed were Fatah officers. So much for the element of surprise and a rapid strike. The Presidential Guard (aka Force 17 from the days of Arafart) were called. These are the crème-de-la-crème of the PA Special Operations command forces. It took them over 6 six hour to end the firefight. They managed to kill two Hamas and the innocent, poor shmo landlord of the building the PA forces attacked.

These are the same kind of dedicated fighters who shed their uniforms, abandoned all the American supplied arms, munitions, communications gear, secret documents and files and fled rather than stand and fight Hamas in Gaza. Now the Obama Administration is rushing to train in Jordan and equip 3 more brigades (?) of PA police/infantry and Spec-Ops counter-terrorists.

Words elude me.

Have a good week.

Howard

HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

HA’ARETZ

1. SENIOR MOSSAD OFFICIAL APPOINTED MEDIATOR IN CONTACTS FOR SHALIT’S RELEASE: “IT WON’T BE HOCUS POCUS”

Hagai Hadas appointment attests that his functions will not be limited to negotiations, but also operational aspects of release. “We must be prepared for extended and exhaustive negotiations,” he commented after his appointment. (…).

2. SECRET INTELLIGENCE UNIT 8200 MAJOR COMMITED SUICIDE BY SHOOTING HIMSELF IN THE HEAD IN HIS OFFICE.

3. SIX KILLED IN CLASH BETWEEN PA POLICE AND HAMAS CELL