Israellycool is liveblogging the Israel-Hezbollah war and mentions this brief item;
4:00PM: It has been revealed that the Shin Bet arrested a Canadian-Israeli geographer by the name of Professor Razi Salakh, 18 days ago, on suspicion of spying on behalf of the Hizbullah.
Razi was apprehended as he photographed military installations in the North
I can’t find anything through google on Salakh, but I didn’t look very long, etiher.
This is the post that got lost this morning behind the blocks….
w.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1153292002968&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
“A Canadian-Israeli geographer, Professor Razi Salakh, has been under arrest for the past 18 days on suspicion of spying on behalf of terror groups, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) announced on Wednesday.
The man, a Beduin, does not live in Israel, but his family lives in the Nazareth area.
The Shin Bet and Galilee police apprehended the suspect as he was photographing military installations in the North.
The Acre Magistrate’s Court extended his remand by four days and released the story for publication.
In April, Lt.-Col. Omar el-Hayib, a senior Beduin military officer, was convicted in a military court of spying on Israel on Hizbullah’s behalf.
El-Hayib, who was arrested in October 2002, was convicted of espionage, contact with a foreign agent and drug dealing but was acquitted of a charge of treason.
From the village of Beit Zarzir in the North, El- Hayib, 43, served in the IDF’s Northern Command and was responsible for the recruitment of Beduin soldiers.
According to the indictment, el-Hayeb held contacts with foreign Lebanese agents from 2002 on dozens of occasions. The prosecution claimed he transferred sensitive information regarding the movements and security surrounding then-OC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi to Lebanon, in addition to tank movements along the border as well as other military secrets.
In exchange, el-Hayeb received cash payments as well as dozens of kilograms of heroin and hashish.”
This link is playing hard to get through today:
jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1153292002968&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Perhaps Kofi wasn’t wrong, and it WAS “apparently deliberate”?
Mossad’s doing a better job than anyone could imagine, I suspect…
” From the Jerusalem Post…. and I have the link and have tried several times to get it to post, but here is the story for now:
“A Canadian-Israeli geographer, Professor Razi Salakh, has been under arrest for the past 18 days on suspicion of spying on behalf of terror groups, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) announced on Wednesday.
The man, a Beduin, does not live in Israel, but his family lives in the Nazareth area.
The Shin Bet and Galilee police apprehended the suspect as he was photographing military installations in the North.
The Acre Magistrate’s Court extended his remand by four days and released the story for publication.
In April, Lt.-Col. Omar el-Hayib, a senior Beduin military officer, was convicted in a military court of spying on Israel on Hizbullah’s behalf.
El-Hayib, who was arrested in October 2002, was convicted of espionage, contact with a foreign agent and drug dealing but was acquitted of a charge of treason.
From the village of Beit Zarzir in the North, El- Hayib, 43, served in the IDF’s Northern Command and was responsible for the recruitment of Beduin soldiers.
According to the indictment, el-Hayeb held contacts with foreign Lebanese agents from 2002 on dozens of occasions. The prosecution claimed he transferred sensitive information regarding the movements and security surrounding then-OC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi to Lebanon, in addition to tank movements along the border as well as other military secrets.
In exchange, el-Hayeb received cash payments as well as dozens of kilograms of heroin and hashish.”
Infolive tv had the story on yesterday from israel. Good show to watch for middle east news without the ctv/cbc crap
so he had a camera. dont all tourists especially Canadian Lebanese tourists have a camera? ;-P
What I want to know, is: was Salakh a Canadian-Israeli-Bedouin, or a Canadian-Bedouin-Israeli, or a Israeli-Canadian-Bedouin, or a Israeli-Bedouin-Canadian, or a Bedouin-Canadian-Israeli, or a Bedouin-Israeli-Canadian?
I know, I know, this is slightly off topic, but Edmonton has a “Heritage Festival” this weekend. Or as it’s more commonly known, a “bad meat on a stick and dances from places that Canadians once came from, like the Indians and Quebec”. I’m boycotting it. Why? Because there’s no Canada pavillion, sans hyphens. And, I Am Canadian.
With the proviso, of course, that if the federal government slips back into the forty years of old-Canada oligarchic corruption we have just been through, then I Am Albertan. Meat on a stick, indeed; in Alberta, we use forks, or at least, worst case, meat on a Bowie knife.
Headline says 50. Down in the article says 70. …-
Lebanon arrests 50 suspected of spying for Israel
BEIRUT, July 26 (Reuters) – Lebanese security forces working with Hizbollah have detained some 50 people suspected of spying for Israel in recent days as it pounds Lebanon in a two-week assault, security sources said on Wednesday.
At least 36 informants, many of them former members of a now defunct pro-Israeli militia, were arrested in the eastern Bekaa Valley and the south, which have seen heavy Israeli bombardment, they said.
Around 22 informants were arrested in Beirut and its southern suburbs earlier in the conflict, some accused of helping Israeli planes pinpoint Hizbollah targets.
Security sources said that up to 15 more had since been detained in Beirut and that they had confessed to spying for Israel, bringing the total number of informants arrested during the conflict to around 70.
“The campaign of arrests is ongoing, some were caught in the act,” one source said. …-
via LGF
There was an item about this on the CTV news. They spelled his name Ghazi Zalak.
There was an item about this on the CTV news. They spelled his name Ghazi Zalak.
Sorry about the double post.
The Mossad is very good, so I would not doubt their accusations. I trust the ‘U.N. post bombing’ was not was criminal Annan says it was. Good for Harper to say that clearly.
I hope the IDF gets at least another month to clean out this incredible mess. Thanks to the U.N. for letting Hezbollah get this established.
/sarcasm off
Get rid of the U(seless) N(incompoops)., the hyphenated Canadians and let the IDF accomplish what needed to be done 40 years ago.
Vitruvius:
If we take all the hyphens out of hyphenated Canadians, we’d have nothing left to eat but back bacon, beaver tails and maple sugar.
Well, we’ve learned to eat a lot of crow!
That is still more than what’s in my fridge right now.
Off topic:
http://www.onlythefacts.ca
Another O/T from the Dept. of There’s No New Thing Under the Sun –
Breaking News July 25, 2006, Dublin, Ireland
Irish Worker Finds Ancient Book of Psalms in Irish Bog
According to AOL News, The 20-page book of Psalms, dated back to the years 800-1000, and was found open to Psalm 83, in which God hears complaints of other nations’ attempts to wipe out the name of Israel.
And I’ve seen his name as Ghazi Falah. Google it, and you’ll get the recent data. He’s a geographer, but in ‘human geography’ (relation of people to their environment) and seems to focus primarily on political issues and the Israeli-Palestinian situation.
Nasrallah said: Spies? What spies? Moi sees no spies.
Moh and Al said: Nas, look under your bunker. Them spies is Joos.
Nasrallah/Hezbollah are paranoid/spooked/nuts/eating their prayer rugs/smoking camel dung/chewing pork rinds…
…-
“Security sources said that up to 15 more had since been detained in Beirut and that they had confessed to spying for Israel, bringing the total number of informants arrested during the conflict to around 70.”
“The campaign of arrests is ongoing, some were caught in the act,” one source said. …-
(Posted at July 26, 2006 09:08 PM)
Wretchard at Belmont club says:
Sixty or more Lebanese have reportedly been arrested as Israeli spies in Beirut. The Hezbollah see them everywhere. Although subsequently denied, there were reports that Nasrallah had sought refuge in the Iranian embassy. In the meantime Ahmadinehjad and Assad are ceaselessly calling for ceasefires. Everywhere the word “ceasefire” is heard. But never from Israel. …-
http://fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/2006/07/pulp-fiction.html
Well someone else other than the israeli’s using a Hotel Key (Canadian Passport) to do things they shouldnt. At least this guys passport is legal.
I tell you I wish we could strip people of citizenship for these kinds of things, certainly you start to look hard for them fibbing on their citizenship application.
On other things. On the news this morning they played a section from a pro israeli rally…when Harpers name was mentioned, oh my goodness the absolute thunderous cheer that errupted was a surprise.
I dont know how representative this is of the community but it may mean my riding, Thornhill goes CPC. Significant Jewish vote in the area. Sorry to be pedestrian about these things but all politics is local.
“I tell you I wish we could strip people of citizenship for these kinds of things, certainly you start to look hard for them fibbing on their citizenship application.”
It’s not a Canadian problem. For all those who grouch here about people “enjoying” dual citizenship, may I point out the “downside” of it?
He’s an Israeli citizen, so nothing Canada can do for him here (except maybe suggest a hypoallergenic pillow for his jail cell as a humanitarian gesture).
Canada makes it very clear to dual citizens that there’s very little we can do for them if they run afoul of the authorities in their other country of citizenship.
Plot is interesting but evidence is thin.
This plot has meat. With some personal risk…
Plot to undermine our Economy?
Or is this just a BIG rip-off in a small town?
A popular hotel, beer parlour , restaurant, nightclub and adjacent liquor sales outlet all suddenly now stand boarded up and closed here in Courtenay B.C.
I wondered about how this happened when all those businesses were doing a brisk business.
Speaking with someone connected with the city, I learned the following.
The whole hotel complex had been under new ownership for the last three or four months.
Suddenly, the new owners evaporated, left town, vanished. They left, I am told with a bundle , because none of the bills had been paid.
Politically incorrect part…. Brace yourself! Before everything closed , I noticed while attending the restaurant and club that the new owners were Arabian. No idea if they were Shia, Sunni, or Iranian or Palastinian of course, but the thought did occur that this was a fast way to raise great amounts of money for say, a fundamentalist cause and damage your enemy economy at the same time.
OK, you could suggest that I am overly suspicious, yet everything fits so well, there just seems to be a very real possibility that this could be happening in other small towns in Canada.
Grand larceny on a grand scale? Knowing the MSM, we the peons, would be the last to know about it.
Lawyers, notaries public, law enforcement and investigative professionals who read this could possibly find out if this pattern of rip-off has jumped recently in Canada. Those of you who have access to crime trends sites on the net could let us know if hotels and small complexes are being foreclosed due to fraud more frequently than average. This non-violent stuff never shows up in the press.
My city contact said the new complex owners had suggested they were in the Middle East precious gems business and the impression that they had great wealth was unmistakable.
I know, I know. All this is simply word of mouth and there is no documentation. This is in fact only a possible theory. However, I risk reprimand in mentioning it, because if this is happening in other places in Canada, there is no harm in being alerted. A conspiracy theory to be sure, but there is great logic behind it and what*s the harm in debunking it if this happens to just be an isolated incident?
In fact, I hope someone can assure us with authority, that this is not a growing trend in Canada. = TG
So you don*t think I am completely out of my tree….
In order to finance the training of these *volunteers,* as well as the seemingly endless barrage of rockets that have rained down on Israeli cities, Hezbollah has established an extensive fundraising infrastructure in the United States, as well as in Canada, South America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Supplementing the nearly $100 million Hezbollah reportedly receives from Iran, Hezbollah operatives in the U.S. have engaged in a litany of criminal activities, including credit card fraud, cigarette smuggling, counterfeiting, drug running, and organized retail theft, that provide millions to the Shiite terrorist organization.
*snip*
Despite Al-Mabarrat-USA’s direct link to a Fadlallah-controlled organization, to date, the U.S. branch continues to operate unfettered.
In fact, the organization appears to have gained a level of credibility in the U.S. as the Detroit Free Press reported earlier this month that *many Muslims in the region have donated to Al-Mabarrat.*
http://myrepublicanblog.blogspot.com/
= TG
“…Canada makes it very clear to dual citizens that there’s very little we can do for them if they run afoul of the authorities in their other country of citizenship….”
So if someone who holds dual/tri-citizenship ‘runs afoul of the authorities’ in another country other than then the countries in which he/she has citizenship, they may in fact have the benefit of receiving assistance from two countries, or maybe even three, instead of just one?
A bad part of the world in which to be a pesky academic with dual Canadian citizenship. Ramin Jahanbegloo in Iran and Razi Salakh in Israel. Not a damned thing that Canada can do for either of them but the guy in Israel will probably survive whereas the one in Iran may even be dead already.
A bad part of the world in which to be a pesky academic with dual Canadian citizenship. Ramin Jahanbegloo in Iran and Razi Salakh in Israel. Not a damned thing that Canada can do for either of them but the guy in Israel will probably survive whereas the one in Iran may even be dead already.
“So if someone who holds dual/tri-citizenship ‘runs afoul of the authorities’ in another country other than then the countries in which he/she has citizenship, they may in fact have the benefit of receiving assistance from two countries, or maybe even three, instead of just one?”
Probably! I guess that’s one way to get the most out of your citizenships.
Some plausable grounds for my suspicions above…
In order to finance the training of these *volunteers,* as well as the seemingly endless barrage of rockets that have rained down on Israeli cities, Hezbollah has established an extensive fundraising infrastructure in the United States, as well as in Canada, South America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Supplementing the nearly $100 million Hezbollah reportedly receives from Iran, Hezbollah operatives in the U.S. have engaged in a litany of criminal activities, including credit card fraud, cigarette smuggling, counterfeiting, drug running, and organized retail theft, that provide millions to the Shiite terrorist organization.
*snip*
Despite Al-Mabarrat-USA’s direct link to a Fadlallah-controlled organization, to date, the U.S. branch continues to operate unfettered.
In fact, the organization appears to have gained a level of credibility in the U.S. as the Detroit Free Press reported earlier this month that *many Muslims in the region have donated to Al-Mabarrat.*
-ttp://myrepublicanblog.blogspot.com/
= TG
I agree, Zog. This dual nationality thing is going a bit far in that nations can now ignore the Canadian component as they did in the Kazemi case.
I m not sure how it works, and I be glad if someone could help me, but is it true that if you are of Iranian descent, they consider you Iranian even if you dont hold an Iranian passport or dual citizenship? I have Bahai friends who, whilst American citizens, refuse to go to Iran on these grounds.
If it is the case that only dual citizens holding Iranian citizenship are considered as Iranians in Iran then Canada should ban dual citizenship for certain countries. I think its neccessary because having Canadians get killed and being able to do nothing about it sets a nasty precedent.
If it is the case that anyone of Iranian birth is considered Iranian then there is one simple way to do it – either ban Canadians from travelling to Iran, or declare the passport void with regard to that country as the Americans had done with Cuba and most Muslim states do with Israel. A void passport will ensure that you wont be allowed to enter the country.
While there are many Canadians of Iranian origin, Canada does not gain much from being associated with Iran. We hardly have strong trade links with them. If its going to cost us – with Canadians losing their lives, I think its time to shut shop.
“…Professor Razi Salakh…”
or
“…There was an item about this on the CTV news. They spelled his name Ghazi Zalak….”
or
“…But family, friends and colleagues of Ghazi Falah….”
http://tinyurl.com/ghblc
How many variations can there be in one person’s name? Is this just sloppy reporting by the media or are these the actual names used by Mr Salakh/Zalak/Falah under different circumstances?
They re trying to phonetically provide an English alternative for a Persian name. Of course theres going to be variations depending on the pronounciation. Its like Amir and Amer. If Mr Salakh wanted to use a different name he wouldnt have gone for a name that sounded as similar to it as Zalak. And Falah isnt that far off either.
I think you re being a bit paranoid, like the one who thinks people are buying hotels to fund terror. In that case, I d put my money on the owners just trying to make a quick buck.
I bet you ve heard this a gazillion times before, but I think its worth remembering that not ALL muslims are terrorist/connected to terrorism. While it is true that terrorists in this day and age are quite likely to be muslims, I wouldnt go so far as to believe that most Muslims are likely to be terrorists.
“Trying to phonetically provide an English alternative for a Persian name.”
I would call that sloppy reporting.
“I think you re being a bit paranoid…that most Muslims are likely to be terrorists”
I would call that jumping to the wrong conclusion.
Video Report From
Kofi Annan’s War Against Israel:
UN ambulance picking up Muslim Islamist terrorists in Gaza Strip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqGjz7iJTns&mode=related&search=
This dual citizenship thing continues to be a fixation at SDA. And still it remains a complete red herring.
“[I]s it true that if you are of Iranian descent, they consider you Iranian even if you dont [sic] hold an Iranian passport or dual citizenship?”
Every sovereign country has the right to determine its own criteria for citizenship.
The Germans have traditionally always offered automatic German citizenship to ethnic Germans, particularly those in Eastern Europe (I’m not sure where this stands now though). I believe every Jew has the right to Israeli citizenship. And, while I do not know the specifics, it would appear Iran does consider expatriate Iranians as citizens. So your Bahai friends are smart to steer clear of it.
The point here is that it is perfectly possible to be a dual citizen even if you don’t want to be. That’s because the STATE determines citizenship, not the INDIVIDUAL – though an individual can choose to try and obtain citizenship in other country.
But citizenship is not an automatic right unless you’re born in a country. And that might not be enough in itself: some countries “weasel-word” their citizenship requirements to keep out certain ethnic/religious groups even if they’re born there (for example, Palestinian Arabs in certain Gulf states – so much for Muslim solidarity).
“If it is the case that only dual citizens holding Iranian citizenship are considered as Iranians in Iran then Canada should ban dual citizenship for certain countries.”
The problem is, you can’t ban dual citizenship. Canada has no authority over another country’s citizenship laws.
You could do one of two things:
1. Use the US “renunciation” approach. But having someone who is about to become a Canadian citizen renounce their old citizenship is little more than a nice patriotic gesture. The other country can simply ignore any renunciation and continue to consider the individual to be a citizen.
2. Refuse citizenship to citizens of certain countries. That’s perfectly legal: Canada is free to set its own requirements for citizenship.
“A void passport will ensure that you wont [sic] be allowed to enter the country.”
It might and then again it might not. It’s this pesky “sovereign state” business again. It’s not up to the US to determine whether its citizens can enter another country; it’s up to that particular country (the US can only prevent its citizens leaving the US).
Neither Cuba nor North Korea is obliged to respect “VOID” statements on an otherwise valid US passport. They can simply say, “Your passport’s fine with us!”
Of course, the US would be fully within its rights to prosecute any US citizen as soon as he arrived back from Cuba. And any US citizen travelling in Cuba is on his own. There’ll be no consular assistance if he runs into grief.
So let the traveller beware!
What you have to realize is the obvious: dual/triple/quadruple citizenship simply doesn’t matter. If you’re a Canadian citizen, you’re subject to the laws of Canada.
Woe betide you if, because you’re also an Iranian citizen, you choose to conduct terrorism against Canada and are caught by the Mounties. Under Canadian law, you’re a treasonous bastard and you’ll be prosecuted accordingly. Your Iranian citizenship is of no account.
And woe betide you too if you choose to take a holiday in Teheran and run into trouble with the law there. Canada can do almost nothing to help you – you’re an Iranian citizen. Your Canadian citizenship is of no account.
“And still it remains a complete red herring.”
The real issue is that Canadians who have lived & resided in Canada and have paid Canadian taxes their entire working career are essentially fed-up with having to pay for an extensive network of social assistance programs, only to have other ‘Canadians’ collect on & benefit from a system that they’ve either contributed very ‘little’ to, or perhaps nothing at all.
“The real issue is that Canadians who have lived & resided in Canada and have paid Canadian taxes their entire working career are essentially fed-up with having to pay for an extensive network of social assistance programs, only to have other ‘Canadians’ collect on & benefit from a system that they’ve either contributed very ‘little’ to, or perhaps nothing at all.”
Quick, get me a Kleenex, you’re breaking my heart!
Where is the factual basis for all your accusations?
I know lots of Canadians living here in London; none of them is “collecting and benefiting” from the “system” while they’re overseas. Quite a few of them are making BIG BUCKS that will eventually find their way back to Canada and allow folks like YOU to “collect and benefit” from the system though.
It’s actually very difficult to claim OHIP when you’re not a resident of Ontario.
And the Canadian government has very specific tax rules for Canadians living abroad.
Stay away from Canada long enough and you can even lose the right to vote.
All this has been outlined in postings here before by “Buffalo Bean,” myself and others.
What would your pinched and crabby view insist on? That we not allow Canadians to live overseas?
So much for taking advantage of the global economy then.
Perhaps you would be better placed focussing on all those HOMEGROWN ‘Canadians’ who live in Canada and collect on, and benefit from, a system that they’ve either contributed very ‘little’ to, or perhaps nothing at all.
“…I know lots of Canadians living here in London…”
You’re an expat? That probably explains why you seem somewhat defensive on this issue.
“You’re an expat? That probably explains why you seem somewhat defensive on this issue.”
In a nutshell.
I sit here in the UK, more than well aware what benefits Canadians overseas are leaching off the homeland while away.
Next to nothing. You have to be a Canadian resident.
So let’s stop the silly whingeing about folks overseas sponging off the state.
Any real sponging has to be done from within Canada.
I have family in England. My parent works there for one very simple reason. The Canadian economy has no place for her. Let me explain.
She works for a software company. The software company sold an auditing tool that was very expensive, and indeed, a big hit. The company was located in California, and she was hired as a sales rep to Canadian firms. Now this particular tool is popular with big companies- Ericksson type big. In Canada, believe it or not, theres very few companies that would find this tool useful. Its a wonderful tool and the company has now been merged into a giant company called SAP. THose of you who ve used international airports will be familiar with it. Theres many advertisments in Airports of how that particular airport uses their tool.
She nailed the Canadian market in little over a year – Bell being the largest customer. The company wanted to open up Europe, and time differences being what they are, she was duly sent off to London. Now shes in charge of the European region.
Is it her fault that she was sent to the UK? No. I d argue that she really didnt have a choice. Should she stay here and waste her skills selling houses (her previous job) when the pay is considerably higher and the work considerably more enjoyable? I dont think you can blame her for taking the opportunity. Who wouldnt? It isnt her fault that the Canadian economy represents something of a monopoly – Rogers and Bell monopolize high speed internet and television in places like Toronto. The banking system is also highly irregular – 5 big banks and no real competition. These arent things that you can blame expats for. They re just utilizing their skills. Blame it on the government if you want.
For what its worht, my mother pumped plenty of money back into the Canadian economy to get me and my sister through school. However I think its unfair to blame expats, because while they may not pay taxes – they definitely dont use the social welfare network either. As for using embassy facilities, you ll be shocked to know that Canadian embassies like all embassies make plenty of money in Visa processing fees. So if you ever feel your tax dollars are being used to fund embassy work in freeing said expats, its far more likely that revenue generated in that country is funding their activities.
Dual Citizenship is really a red flag, more than a red herring.
Sure the cost came into the discussion,eventually.
But what became the greater ‘grrr-factor’ included the surprising number of people in permanent residences in Lebanon, expecting that their ‘other’ country, Canada, should get them out of their country of choice…in a manner surprisingly, often devoid of gratitude.
The red flag for many, has become the undercurrent of uncertainty of just exactly where would allegiances truly reside, if push came to shove in a greater war.
Laws need to be looked at in this new climate of conflicts, and the ability of people and nations to retain their hold on other citizenships.
Since Canada cannot cancel the original citizenship, it does seem reasonable to expect *responsibilities of citizenship* be clarified, here.
It is time to compare what other countries do to protect against any abuses.
In fact, it may be downright irresponsible to not now, as the troubles of the world are being brought to us, *inside* this country.
Kevin Sorenson, CPC MP from Alberta, and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, has called for the committee to meet this Tuesday in Ottawa, on this very issue. [From Garth Turner’s website]
Let them know what we expect out of this experience….for Canada!
His e-mail: Sorenson.K@parl.gc.ca