text:
50 Cent Net Worth
Date of Birth July 6, 1975
Profession Rapper
50 Cent Net Worth, How did the American rapper and entrepreneur accumulate his wealth? Read on to find out more about 50 Cent Net Worth and his career.
50 Cent Early Life
He is an American rapper and entrepreneur. 50 Cent began boxing at about age 11 and when he was 14 a neighbor opened a boxing gym for local youth.
He was competitive in the ring and hip-hop is competitive too. He think rappers condition themselves like boxers, so they all kind of feel like they're the champ.
Jackson began dealing narcotics when his grandparents thought he was in after-school programs at the age of 12 and brought guns and drug money to school.
He was caught by metal detectors at Andrew Jackson High School In the tenth grade and he was embarrassed that he got arrested. After he got arrested he stopped hiding it. He was telling his grandmother openly, 'I sell drugs'.
50 Cent Career
Curtis James Jackson III was born in Queens, New York on the 6th of July 1975. 50 Cent burst onto the rap scene in 2003 with his debut album Get Rich or Die Trying and to date, his studio albums have sold over 21 million units.
However, in his relatively short time in the spotlight, 50 Cent founded label G-Unit records, launched G-Unit clothing company, and has even acted in several movies with legends like Al Pacino and Robert Deniro.
On July 13, 2015, the Wall Street Journal reported that 50 Cent had filed for Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy was filed in US bankruptcy court in Hartford, Connecticut because 50 is a resident of Connecticut.
50 Cent lives in Mike Tyson's old mansion located at 50 Poplar Hill Dr, Farmington, CT 06032. In the filing, 50 Cent's reported assets valued in the range of $10 million to $50 million and claimed to have debts of equal amounts.
The filing comes days after a jury ordered 50 to pay Rick Ross' ex girlfriend Lavonia Leviston, a $5 million judgment for intentionally releasing a sex tape in which she was featured. The judgment was made up of $2.5 million for using her image without permission and another $2.5 million for emotional distress.
However, the judge in that case also ordered 'Mr Jackson' to produce proof of income and worth so the jury can determine further punitive damages.
After hearing about the bankruptcy filing, I spoke to a bankruptcy attorney to understand exactly what is going on. However, the attorney explained to me that based on what had just happened with the sex tape judgment that he would assume that the bankruptcy filing is a strategic move.
It appeared that 50 Cent filed for personal bankruptcy for three important reasons which is to prevent the judgment creditor 'Lavonia Leviston' from disrupting his business operations and place liens on his assets and to force the creditor to the negotiating table to bring the $5 million judgment down and then to prevent the jury case from being able to award 'Ms Leviston' further punitive damages.
As of today, 50 Cent Net Worth is $30 Million. 50 Cent Net Worth is amassed from his career as an entrepreneur and a rapper.
However, he is most brilliant financial investment came when he negotiated a minority stake in Vitamin Water in return for being their celebrity spokesman and lending his name for the 'Formula 50' drink, while the Coca Cola Company acquired Vitamin Water from Glaceau for $4.1 billion and made 50 Cent 10 times more money than he had ever made rapping.
The equity stake in Vitamin Water was initially reported to be 10% which would have meant $410 million in his pockets, but the number was widely dismissed by investment bankers familiar with the deal who intimated that 50 stake was closer to 2.5% which means he made $100-$150 million off the sale 'before taxes'.
In July 2017, it was reported 'but not confirmed' that 50 Cent had sold his minority stake in Effen Vodka for $60 million.
He took to instagram to confirm that the deal happened, but did not actually confirm the $60 million number which can be traced back to DJ Envy on The Breakfast Club radio show.
50 Cent Net Worth – Earnings By Year:
2007: $32 Million
2010: $8 Million
2012: $7.5 Million
I love you like a fat kid love cakeYou shouldn't throw stones if you live in a glass house and if you got a glass jaw, you should watch yo mouth: cause I'll break yo face.In Hollywood they say there's no business like show business in the hood they say there's no business like ho business.
Curtis James Jackson III also known as 50 Cent is an American rapper and entrepreneur who burst onto the rap scene in 2003 with his debut album Get Rich or Die Trying and to date, his studio albums have sold over 21 million units.
As of 2020, 50 Cent's net worth is $30 Million.


text:
CLAIRE CUNNINGHAM
Claire is a performer and creator of multi-disciplinary performance based in Glasgow, Scotland, and a current Factory Artist with Tanzhaus nrw in Düsseldorf, Germany, and Associate Artist in The Place, London.
One of the UK's most acclaimed and internationally renowned disabled artists, Cunningham's work is often rooted in the study and use/misuse of her crutches and the exploration of the potential of her own specific physicality with a conscious rejection of traditional dance techniques (developed for non-disabled bodies). This runs alongside a deep interest in the lived experience of disability and its implications not only as a choreographer but also in terms of societal notions of knowledge, value, connection and interdependence.
A self-identifying disabled artist, Cunningham's work combines multiple art forms and ranges from the intimate solo show ME (Mobile/Evolution) in 2009, to the large ensemble work 12 made for Candoco Dance Company.
In 2014 she created a new solo: Give Me a Reason to Live, inspired by the work of Dutch medieval painter Hieronymus Bosch and the role of beggars/cripples in his work, and the full length show Guide Gods, looking at the perspectives of the major Faith traditions towards the issue of disability. She is a former Artist-in–Residence at the Women of the World Festival at the Southbank, London, and of the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queens. In 2016 she was Artist in Residence with Perth International Arts Festival, Australia, and Associate Artist at Tramway, Glasgow.
Claire is currently touring The Way You Look (at me) Tonight, a duet with Jess Curtis.
CLAIRE CUNNINGHAM AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Out side of Kansas City on route 9 there is a wonderful stone structure that I stopped at to take a brake. I was am amazed at the structure and how it was put together. This is a quick video of some of the structure.... and it also shows the Long Haul Trucker with a pretty good load on it. And as all can attest, the LHT rides better when loaded !


Hollywood seems to follow a certain trend when it comes to making movies around certain 'themes'; there was a time when two movies about an Earth killing Asteroid released around the same time and then a few years ago two movies about how easy it was to completely demolish the White House also hit the big screen almost simultaneously. The latest theme seems to be Ferrari, specifically, the life of il Commendatore, Enzo Ferrari himself. In April it was announced that movie veteran Robert De Niro was playing the lead in an adaptation of Ferrari's life; the biopic is scheduled to release sometime in 2016. But the latest buzz is around The Dark Knight, Christian Bale, who has also been cast as the famous Italian in another biopic that's going into production.
Director Michael Mann (Blackhat, Public Enemies) is on board and word is that production is gearing up for next summer. Although there's not too much information being shared about the movie, word is that the scene will be set in 1957 and could be based on the book titled – Enzo Ferrari: The Man, The Cars, The Races, The Machine. Seeing as this is not the first time Mann has been pushing for a movie about one of the most famous people in vehicle history, we're sure he must be thrilled to finally get the 'green light'.
Bale is no De Niro but he is quite an accomplished actor and quite skilful at roles of all kinds, even if his behind the scenes performances leaves much to be desired. What most seem to be worried about is his transformation to look like Ferrari as he bears no real resemblance to the carmaker who passed away in 1988; though challenges of this kind never seem to be a big deal for Bale as he's taken on roles that involved him going from an anorexic-like underweight character in the Machinist to totally buffed in the Dark Knight to a balding, overweight, New York con artist in American Hustle.
It'll be quite a momentous time for the Prancing Horse as two movies about its founder, hopefully telling the same story about the man but perhaps from slightly different perspectives with details about different incidents highlighted, will be out around the same time it would seem.


text:
Austin Amplified
Two Young Austin Designers Are Looking to Make a Splash at Austin Fashion Week
Sloane Lenz and Jacqueline Bergeron show off their new collections on Thursday, May 18
By Olivia Morse | Photos courtesy Jacqueline Bergeron
Sloane Lenz and Jacqueline Bergeron, two designers who are showing their latest collections at Austin Fashion Week this month, use their youth to their advantage. Lenz (20) and Bergeron (18) are finding their place in the highly competitive, cut-throat, and intense fashion industry. As part of the new generation of local fashion designers, they are getting a chance to show their work in a professional event filled with industry insiders and get some buzz going for their pieces.
Sloane Lenz, creator of the fashion brand thisissloane, has become well known throughout Austin. Last year, at just 19 years old, she featured her first collection at Austin Fashion Week, and will be debuting her second collection on Thursday, May 18. She is often called a young Betsy Johnson because her clothes tend to feature spunky graphics and youthful energy. Her work has also been featured at Dallas Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week.
Lenz got her start early, learning to sew around eight or nine years old, and immediately fell in love with the whole process. The first dress she ever made was for a Katy Perry concert she attended with her brother where they had backstage passes. The dress was made out of Pop Rock wrappers and was specially designed for the pop singer's Teenage Dream tour. Her creative dress caught the eye of Perry who told her, "I want that! Take it off!" "I totally would have given it to her but I didn't have anything else to wear," Lenz recalls.
After that experience, Lenz began designing different outfits for all of the concerts she attended. She even went as far as making a dress out of 600 plastic bags for a Lady Gaga concert. Music has been an inspiration for Lenz from very early on and has a big influence on her designs; whether it is incorporating a lyric from a song onto her clothes or some kind of tie to the artist or album in different pieces. Being in the Live Music Capital of the world doesn't hurt either. Lenz's love for music has led her to begin designing clothes for musicians around town, like Calliope Musicals, who recently won Band of the Year at the Austin Music Awards.
Also showing her work on Thursday evening is Bergeron, who balances her fashion career while still attending Incarnate Word Academy in Houston. The senior plans to go to The University of Texas in the fall to study textiles and apparel. When she first began sewing, her parents thought it was just a hobby. After dabbling with patterns and making her first dress for her eighth grade graduation, she decided to enter her work into a local fashion show the next year. After the show, she decided she wanted to pursue fashion as a career. Unlike a lot of young people in the industry, she's come up completely on her own, without help of nepotism. "My mom is a teacher and my Dad is an accountant so I have no connections without [my] reaching out to people," she says.
Her persistence and determination helped her land an internship with Chloe Dao, a Houston-based designer who won Project Runway season 2. Bergeron's inspiration comes from the things happening in her life. Her three-piece collection, which will come down the runway at AFW, was greatly influenced by her doodles in art class. The collection is made from organza fabric that she hand painted with acrylic paint. Her ambitions don't just stop at UT, she hopes to either travel abroad or attend the UT in NYC program, an innovative learning experience led by fashion icon Iris Apfel, where students get to travel to New York and get an inside look at workrooms, showrooms, and curatorial spaces. It is very important to Bergeron to eventually learn from other cultures and get inspired in a new light.
Apparently, age is just simply a number for these ladies, and they have no intention on letting it hinder their progress. Lenz feels that her age "doesn't hold [her] back, if anything it's been a plus." Bergeron has a similar outlook. She tells young girls to start now because the younger you are the more they can work on building on their resume. Be on the look out for these two ladies because they are taking the fashion industry by storm. Lenz and Bergeron are both excited to be showcasing their collections at Austin Fashion Week and to hopefully add more credentials to their already burgeoning careers and maybe even catch the eye of fashion buyers.
"It really gave me the confidence and push that I needed to realize being a designer was something I really wanted to do," Lenz says of last year's AFW experience. "This is how is validating my work and now I truly believe my dream is possible," Bergeron agrees. "I will be entering college with a fire in me to make it happen."
Psychedelics, Superfoods, Seed Cycling, and Beyond: Our Comprehensive Guide to Alternative Health in Austin
Austin's 2023 Top Doctors
Inside Austin FC's Miraculous Bounce-Back Season
The Best New Plant-Based Restaurants Around Town
What to Do on Burnet Road
Why Psychedelic Medicine is On the Rise in Austin


text:
Q: restapi authentication without OAuth library I have working REST API and would like to authenticate users by providing tokens with expiry dates but without using OAuth library.
Here is what I'm thinking.
Can I create two methods, first will be having three parameters
Username, Password and Master token

And once its authenticate, it will produce one temporary token with some expiry date. This I will store into in database entry and will return to the client as well.
So when I will make second request with URL having token generated by first method, it will check into second method having parameter "token" where it will match with database entry, and if it agrees data will be exposed.
Can I do it in that way ? Does it makes sense for having authentication in this way ? If no please share your comments.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
May 30, 2014 By Annelore
U.S. House of Representatives Taskforce on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare
an Important Report of Congressman
Jim Saxton (Chairman) of the
TASK FORCE ON TERRORISM &
UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE
by Murray Kahl
APPROACHING THE NEW CYCLE OF ARAB-ISRAELI FIGHTING
The question of whether Israeli concessions is a positive step to further peace in the Middle East, or whether it only exacerbates existing conditions1 that will eventually lead to a regional war is answered by an important report of Congressman Jim Saxton (R-NJ), Chairman, of the Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, U.S. House of Representatives, entitled: "APPROACHING THE NEW CYCLE OF ARAB-ISRAELI FIGHTING."
The report is a detailed analysis leading to the conclusion that Israel will most likely be the focus of an unified effort by combined Islamic forces to destroy Israel2.
The report highlights a majority opinion in the Middle East that states, "'The question is no longer: Will the expected and planned war between Israel and Syria ever break out? It is rather: When will the war break out?'"
Militant Islam is seen as the motivating factor threatening Israel's survival and to a lesser degree the United States.
Other factors influencing Arab intransigence are that the leaders of Iran, Syria, and Iraq, are determined to use the doctrine of primogeniture as a methodology to ensure hereditary rights transferal to family.
U.S. interests are at risk in Saudi Arabia as power is transferred to the Abdallah faction. Prince Abdallah is perceived as an ally of Syrian influence that is considered vital to Prince Abdallah's rise to power.
Prince Abdallah is determined to seize power through the ejection of the U.S. from the area as a solution to Saudi Arabia's cash flow dilemma and by establishing more lucrative relations with East Asia.
The report says that these "relations have already initiated the bombing in Dahran." And that prince Abdallah promised Syria to launch a massive oil embargo against the West in the event of a major crisis with Israel.
Iran, Syria, and Iraq, are shown as plotting a unified strategy in pursuit of regional objectives. This cooperation was reached at the highest levels and establishes "arrangements" for the "dispatch of Iranian expeditionary forces and weapons to the Syrian front."
Specific strategic goals are delineated and military operations launched to simulate attacks on Israel. Both Iran and Egypt are recorded as attempting to hone crack units with simulated attacks. Iran with their Velayat operation and Egypt with their Badr-96 offensive. Both are clearly in preparation for a final offensive against Israel.
Syria is portrayed as preparing for a major war in which Syria is a victim. Syria expects a pre-emptive attack from Israel in response to Syrian provocations, either directly or through its epigone Lebanon who will join any military adventurism.
Planned Syrian provocations are discussed in detail as their intent is to force an Israeli retaliation against terrorists in South Lebanon, resulting in planned Syrian deaths that would create the excuse for Syrian retaliation.
Both Iran and Syria stress the cooperation between the two countries and Iran's support for any Syrian militarism against Israel.
A detailed list of Iranian arms delivered to Damascus are given. The weapons are sophisticated and lethal. Many are delivered not only to HizbAllah but to PLO units stationed in refugees camps in South West Lebanon.
The Palestinians are part of the calculus and their forces are committed to assist in the event of any crisis in the North. It is the Palestinian Authority and not the PLO making the commitment, which assures the use of Palestinian "police" forces along with other terrorist groups. Also involved are PLO intelligence and Syria intelligence joining forces and creating a liaison section composed of senior Syrian and Palestinian officers with headquarters in Beirut, Damascus, and Gaza.
Mention is made of the PLO preparations for war as they continue to accelerate their construction of concrete bunkers to be used for command centers, ammunition, and weapons storage. All part of the coordinated plan.
Other portions of the plan include a nuclear option using existing nuclear weapons possessed by Iran and Pakistan. The nuclear philosophy is simple; if used, the Muslims can absorb a nuclear strike while Israel cannot. This, in effect, neutralizes Israel's nuclear capability and with a broad brush stroke also neutralizes the United States as a participant due to anticipated U.S. reluctance to commit troops to an area that may be subjected to biological and/or nuclear weapons. The scenarios to use these weapons are well developed.
As explained, Syria's plans are to force a response from Israel that will allow Syria to attack in force. The report details one scenario in which Syria will launch a barrage of surface to surface missiles (SSMs) against Israel and Israeli key military facilities. Then a joint attack will be initiated with Palestinians in South Lebanon along with the Palestinian Authority's 50,000 man "police" force, in conjunction with "auxillary" forces, to launch a massive intifada and waves of terrorism.
Syria expects to reach its objectives on the Golan, and Israel is expected to succumb to anticipated world pressure to accept new Syrian positions. This scenario is of course possible if Muslim assessments of Israeli strengths and weaknesses are accurate. The report is clear in its understanding that Muslim leaders feel Israel's military strength is declining, "collapsing from within," and presents them with the opportunity to "resolve the Zionist menace once and for good." The conclusion is that while there is no hard evidence as to date of armed conflict, the Muslim elite await the "spark" that will "'compel' them into taking action."
1Update March 16, 2004: The question of whether Israeli concessions is a positive step to further peace in the Middle East, or whether it only exacerbates existing conditions has been answered by facts on the ground — it has exacerbated the existing conditions. Following the unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon under Ehud Barak's premiership, the PLO prepared immediately for increased terror activity, and used Arik Sharon's visit on the Temple Mount as the launching signal. This intifada has now entered its fourth year. And if Arik Sharon moves ahead with his plan to begin May 1st, 2004, with the uprooting of Jewish families from their homes on G-d's covenanted land, in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, the intifada will be accelarated and intensified and extended also into the south of Israel, with Ashkalon, Ashdod, Beer-Sheva and settlements in the Negev becoming targets as well.
Congressman Jim Saxton's report should be taken serious!
2 "Israel will most likely be the focus of an unified effort by combined Islamic forces to destroy Israel." This conclusion has proven correct, as by now it is not only the PLO and its "Fatah" carrying out terror acts within Israel, but also Hamas, Islamic Yihad, Hizbullah, Al-Aqsa Brigade, and as of late also Al-Quaida with military assistance and training in terror strategy.
New Cycle of Arab-Israeli Fighting
APPROACHING THE NEW CYCLE OF ARAB-ISRAELI FIGHTING,
from the Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare
Congressman Jim Saxton (R-NJ), Chairman
Israeli & Global News reviewed and presents the report as distributed to the highest levels on Capitol Hill. Although written in early December 1996, it is still very relevant.
Congressman Jim Saxton (R-NJ) points out that the issues advanced by the TFR (Task Force Report) are especially important in view of the Clinton Administration's Middle East policy. Congressman Saxton said, "The Administration continues to apply pressure on Jerusalem to make additional concessions to Mr. Arafat while ignoring the concurrent developments in the Middle East. Instead of pressuring the democratically elected government of Israel to deviate from the policies it was elected for, the US should concentrate on helping Israel meet the growing threat of war."
Indeed, additional intelligence information acquired since the report was originally issued only confirm and reinforce the findings and conclusions.
In late December, once the weather suddenly improved in Israel, Syria was apprehensive about an imminent outbreak of hostilities with Israel. Most senior leaders in Damascus formally approached their counterparts in Tehran and notified them about the possibility of a war breaking out soon. An alarmed Tehran approached the uppermost circles of power in Riyadh through both official and emergency channels. The Iranians told the Saudis of the Syrian fears and informed them that Tehran would provide Syria with all possible help. Tehran wanted to forewarn Riyadh and calm in advance any fears that the Saudi Royal family might have. Tehran stressed that the anticipated massive troop and air power movements, as well as other forms of high wartime military readiness, would not be directed against the Arabian Peninsula and would be exclusively designed to assist Syria in its war with Israel.
The Israeli defense establishment is fully aware of the gravity of the situation. In late December, Deputy Chief of Staff, Matan Vilnai, announced that the IDF's working plan for 1997 includes the possibility of a war with Syria. The IDF requested an additional emergency budget for such issues as purchase of ammunition and accelerated training of combat units.
Another alarming factor in the strategic dynamics in the Middle East is the growing cooperation between Syria and Egypt. Since the assessment of the military intentions of states is derived from the evolution of their political posture, the recent development in Cairo's positions concerning peace with Israel means that Egypt must now be considered a potential threat. The extent of the political dimensions of the Egyptian-Syrian cooperation that prompts such an assessment was made clear by the Egyptian Ambassador to Israel, Muhammad Basyuni. Hence, perhaps the most worrisome development since the completion of the TFR is the emergence, in early January 1997, of an Egyptian strategy specifically designed to escalate any perceived problems from a region-wide crisis into a major war. President Mubarak is determined to ensure and strengthen Egypt's undisputed role as the leader of the Arab World.
Initially, Mubarak sought international recognition for Egypt's posture by insisting on Cairo as a full partner in any "bilateral" negotiations between Israel and any Arab party. Washington and Jerusalem accepted this position. Presently, confronted with the rise of militant Islamism at home and the Islamicization process throughout the Arab World, Mubarak shifted the all-Arab policy into generating crises and building the justification for the total collapse of the "Peace Process." Indeed, a senior Egyptian official told Jordan's al-Dustur that upon studying Jerusalem's negotiating positions, Cairo concluded that Israel "already started the war."
Last week, Egypt formally warned Israel. In an interview with the Israeli magazine HaShavua, Egyptian Ambassador to Israel, Muhammad Basyuni, threatened that if Israel does not reach an agreement with Syria the entire region will explode. Basyuni said, "I'm sure that everybody wants peace and needs peace, for if they [Israelis] do not sign on [a recommitment to the Israeli/Arab accords] for peace, then, and I don't threaten — but it will be bad."
Basyuni stressed that Cairo does not care about the changes of Israeli governments nor their policies, and insisted on Israeli adherence to the policies of the previous Labor government. Significantly, he repeatedly conditioned a continuance of the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement on Jerusalem accepting the Syrian and Arafat negotiating positions. Basyuni said, "The [peace] agreement between Israel and Egypt will break if Israel does not sign [an agreement] with Syria." He stressed that the Egyptian-Israeli peace is valid only within the context of Egypt's leadership of the Arab world. He said, "The [peace] agreement signed with Egypt is conditioned on an overall peace agreement with all Arab countries. The agreement with us will break if Israel does not sign [agreements] with Syria and the other Arab states." Basyuni said, " I want it to be clear that when Egypt signed the peace agreement with Israel, the agreement is conditioned on a comprehensive agreement with all Arab states." Basyuni explained, "We believe that a partial peace agreement with one Arab country or another is a fragile and unstable agreement. True, you [Israel] signed [peace agreements] with Egypt and Jordan, but this will not be sufficient until a peace agreement is signed with all Arab states, and this includes Syria." Basyuni stressed that "even Jordan, like Egypt, is an integral part of the Arab states [World], and it will never agree to remain the sole ally of Israel."
TFR on Strategic Military Moves in the Arab World against Israel
Approaching the end of 1996, the Middle East may well be on the verge of a major regional war. The supreme leaders in most Arab states, as well as in Iran and Pakistan are convinced that the present vulnerability of Israel is so great that there is a unique opportunity to begin the process leading to the destruction of Israel. These circumstances are considered to be a historic window of opportunity the Muslim World should not miss. Therefore, these Muslim leaders have finalized numerous strategies and tactical alliances heretofore non-existent in the region. Several Arab states, as well as Iran and Pakistan, have been engaged in a frantic military build-up and active preparations in the last few months.
When analyzing these unfolding developments, it is highly significant to recall the emerging mega-trends in the Middle East: The rise of militant Islam as the primary motivating factor of the Arab public has already reached unprecedented levels. The present leaders of Iran, Syria and Iraq are determined to transfer power to their sons-and-heirs. The succession struggle in Saudi Arabia is peaking. These mega-trends are pushing toward a crisis environment. A dramatic breakout from the deadlock is virtually inevitable. The latest developments in the military threat to Israel fit perfectly into this overall trend.
THE LATEST STRATEGIC MILITARY MOVES AT THE THEATER-LEVEL
Specific military moves at the national-strategic level suggesting active preparations for a possible war in the near future began in the spring of 1996. These activities range from highly irregular and highly significant military exercises to political and international agreements.
SPECIFIC TACTICAL PREPARATIONS
Starting mid August, the Syrian Armed Forces have conducted a series of redeployments and maneuvers that have direct implications for their ability to launch an attack on Israel. The concurrent activities of both the Iraqi Armed Forces and PLO forces in Lebanon also contribute to the enhancement of the Arab military capabilities against Israel. Meanwhile, Iran has delivered, via Syria, a whole range of vastly improved weapons to the HizbAllah and other terrorist forces based on the border with Israel. Tens of flights delivered military equipment and highly specialized systems for Syrian and HizbAllah units.
THE NUCLEAR FACTOR
The nuclear factor has become a crucial element in any conflict in the Middle East. Iran has nuclear weapons and so does Pakistan. The supreme leaders in Tehran are convinced that the numerous warheads purchased from the former Soviet Central Asia are operational. Irrespective of skeptic "expert opinion" in the West, the decision-makers in Tehran operate on the basis of their own conviction that Iran has operational nuclear weapons. Moreover, there are indications of a Pakistani agreement, with Chinese consent, to "contribute" to the Muslim nuclear deterrence. And there is no doubt that Pakistan has operational nuclear weapons.
The Arabs have a well defined nuclear doctrine they believe in effect neutralizes Israel's "deterrence factor" at the very least for the strategically crucial initial period of war — the time frame in which the Arab-Iranian forces manage their strategic grab, while the Israeli government agonizes over the decision how to react to the nuclear ultimatum and the sudden war. Moreover, the Arabs and the Iranians are convinced they can also deter an American cover for Israel.
THE WAR SCENARIO
The Syrians and their allies have well defined contingency plans. The basic Syrian approach to a major war is based on the contingency plans prepared and exercised for the war that almost erupted in the Fall of 1992, while the plans for a strategic grab in a limited war are based on contingency plans prepared in 1994 and exercised since then. The latest changes in Syrian military deployment fit the prerequisites of these contingency plans.
When dealing with the Middle East, one should leave the "Crystal Ball" under lock and key. However, it is possible to point out to emerging and dominant trends in the crisis management. Arab leaders are convinced that a major brinkmanship crisis, the return to a no-war-no-peace tense situation, even the resumption of limited clashes, are a must to their own survival. Their undertaking of these steps means that they are fully ready to meet the possibility of a major war.
One reason for the readiness to face war, as opposed to the reluctance shown previously, is the Muslim World's conviction that Israel is falling apart. Considering the building Islamist pressure to destroy Israel under any conditions, the Arab and Iranian leaders who are determined to hold on to power may find these circumstances too tempting to be passed over.
Meanwhile, on a more pragmatic and realistic level, the fear of Israel's military might has shrunk and this factor is high on the leaders' mind. This newly found Arab sense of self-confidence and the firm belief in the ability to succeed in the initial phase of a war creates a new and worrisome framework within which these leaders examine the choices ahead of them.
Further more, at the higher political levels of the entire Arab World and most significantly in capitals considered relatively supportive of the "peace process," there is more hostile and confrontational attitude toward Israel — declaring a state of "cold war" between Israel and its Arab partners, and calls for the pursuit of policies of "armed peace" and even "confrontational peace" toward Israel.
Taken together, the multitude of political, strategic and tactical moves leave no doubt that the key leaders in the Arab World and Iran have already determined to continue the escalatory brinkmanship even as the likelihood of war is growing. They are now preoccupied mainly with strategic and military decisions — that is, determining the optimal conditions for initiating the war, achieving surprise despite the protracted escalatory crisis and Israel's edginess, etc.
However, there is no hard evidence, yet, of a specific decision to start something on a fixed date. Presently, the prevailing mood among the political, military and security elites in the Arab World is that of an almost passive, though willing, acceptance of fate's course. As the region continues to deteriorate towards an eruption of violence, they are waiting for the inevitable spark to emerge and "compel" them into taking action. Among the supreme leaders that really count, the "straw" seems to be still missing. But for how long?
Task Force Report Supplement of December 1996
APPROACHING THE NEW CYCLE OF
ARAB-ISRAELI FIGHTING
Approaching the end of 1996, the Middle East may well be on the verge of a major regional war. Numerous sources in the region report that the supreme leaders — both civilians and military — in most Arab states, as well as in Iran and Pakistan are convinced that the present vulnerability of Israel is so great that there is a unique opportunity to, at the very least, begin the process leading to the destruction of Israel. These circumstances are considered to be a historic window of opportunity the Muslim World should not miss. Therefore, these Muslim leaders have finalized numerous strategies and tactical alliances heretofore non-existent in the region. Toward this end, several Arab states, as well as Iran and Pakistan, have been engaged in a frantic military build-up and active preparations in the last few months. Indeed, this crisis is escalating even as all key players continue to reassert their commitment to the US-inspired "Peace Process". However, the slide to war is the real and dominant dynamics in the Near East because it represents the reaction of the Muslim World to the challenges of modernization — petrification exacerbated and aggravated by the post-Gulf Crisis regional dynamics, and particularly the intrusion policy of the Clinton Administration toward the Hub of Islam.
In late November 1996, Na'il Mukhaybar, one of the most authoritative Arab commentators on Middle East affairs observed: "The question is no longer: Will the expected and planned war between Israel and Syria ever break out? It is rather: When will the war break out?" This is not a minority opinion. It is also shared by senior officials in the Arab Middle East. For example, in late October, a senior Jordanian diplomat warned that "Syria is preparing for a surprise military attack on Israel in the coming weeks." This assessment was based on high-level contacts between Damascus and Amman, especially between senior officers of both armies, in which the military situation in the region was discussed. In these meetings the Syrians asked for passive and indirect support from the Jordanian military — for Jordan to hold maneuvers near Israeli border in order to compel IDF to divert forces and hold them there.
Many other Arab and Iranian officials share the same view. There is a commonly shared firm belief among the senior experts serving Middle Eastern governments that the political-strategic dynamics in the Middle East have already reached a deadlock that makes a dramatic breakout inevitable. The strong commitment to such a dramatic breakout among most senior leaders is the key to understanding the present dangers. These leaders see no alternative to a dramatic breakout possible only through cataclysmic violence. The mere revival of the ongoing processes — be it the peace process on the Arabs' terms or even the return to a region-wide state of war — will no longer suffice to meet the strategic challenges from Islamic revivalism. Hence, the slide toward the resumption of violence — ranging from spectacular terrorism to an all-out war between the Arabs and Israel. This is a very prudent and reasonable assessment given the overall regional dynamics over the last few months, particularly if examined in the context of the strategic regional dynamics of the last couple of years. Essentially, in their entirety, the tactical and military developments of recent months reinforce and confirm the earlier strategic posturing. Therefore, these military activities can, and should, be perceived as implementation of earlier grand designs. And this complementary relationship between the strategic and tactical dynamics is the key to the alarmist approach to interpreting the unfolding events.
When analyzing these unfolding developments, it is highly significant to recall the emerging mega-trends in the region: The rise of militant Islam as the primary motivating factor of the Arab public has already reached unprecedented levels3. The popular mistrust in existing nation-states, the hostility toward the US/West over intervention and presence in the Muslim World (in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, etc.), and the pressure on those in power to pursue "Islamic policies" continue to markedly increase. It will be difficult for rulers to resist the growing popular outcry and stay out of a major crisis with Israel, let alone support the US under such circumstances.
The present leaders of Iran, Syria and Iraq are determined to transfer power to their sons-and-heirs. They are convinced that only the emergence of a close alliance leading to a perpetual crisis against the rest of the world will rally the potential contenders in their own respective coteries to accept their chosen sons as leaders. The mere existence of a functioning militant block will enable the other "sons-of" to assist and save a "son-of" in distress. Given its popular Islamist connotations — liberating al-Quds – the current policy of brinkmanship and crisis is the best possible starting point for the establishment of this block.
The succession struggle in Saudi Arabia is peaking. The Abdallah faction is determined to seize power through the eviction of the US from the region, the solution of Saudi Arabia's shortage of cash by accepting more lucrative contracts with East Asia at the expense of the West, and by establishing close relations with the radical states as a guarantee against Islamist subversion. The very close Abdallah-Assad relations constitute the key to Prince Abdallah's rise to power. These relations have already initiated the bombing in Dahran. Prince Abdallah has already promised Damascus to deliver a comprehensive oil embargo against the West in case of a major crisis with Israel.
Thus, the mega-trends in the Middle East are pushing toward a crisis environment. A dramatic breakout from the deadlock is virtually inevitable. The latest developments in the military threat to Israel fit perfectly into this overall trend.
3 "The rise of militant Islam as the primary motivating factor of the Arab public": This analysis has proven true with the emerging of Al-Quaida and the increase in military sophistication and strategy of world wide terror, and its global networking supported by the Arab world, openly or secretly. Al-Quaida, led by Usama Bin-Laden, who is adherent to the most militant stream of Islam,Whabism, has begun to give its support to every terror organization in the world, whether that be the Irish IRA, or the Basque ETA, the Italian Red Brigade or the Russian underground opposition. The Islamic "Jihad", aiming at bringing the globe under the rule of Islam, is spreading like a spider net, with Israel and the USA as its prime target.
Revival of the Middle Eastern Front
In the Spring of 1996, Hafiz al-Assad and Saddam Hussein met secretly for a summit to ensure joint pursuit of regional objectives. The meeting took place in the area where the borders of Turkey, Iraq and Syria meet. This summit was aimed to get the endorsement and approval of both top leaders to the completion of strategic agreements reached in the course of recent high-level bilateral and tripartite high-level negotiations (Tehran is the third party). This summit created the conditions for the revival of the Eastern Front and set the specific and workable arrangements for the dispatch of Iranian expeditionary forces and weapons to the Syrian front.
In late May 1996, Tehran demonstrated how seriously Iran takes the possibility of dispatching forces to the Israeli front. Iran conducted its largest military exercise ever — Velayat. The essence of Velayat was a multiple corps deep offensive in the aftermath of a long range advance identical to the distance between Iran and Israel. The objective of Velayat was to confirm Iran's ability to send a strategically effective expeditionary force — the Velayat Force — to contribute to a regional war against high-quality armies. The primary intended objective of the exercise is Israel. The entire Iranian top leadership and high command were present at the exercise. Subsequent Iranian analysis pointed out deficiencies in the planning of the operations of a key special forces unit. These were quickly corrected and these improvements were demonstrated to the Tehran leadership in a follow-up exercise in late October.
With Iran's ability to significantly contribute to the military effort against Israel proven, Damascus and Tehran conducted high-level discussions aimed at the formulation of a joint war strategy. In mid June, Iran and Syria signed a major agreement specifically for the codification of their military cooperation against Israel. This agreement also provides for joint exercises in northern and northeastern Iran of the command elements of Syrian units and the Iranian units that will arrive to support them on the Golan front. By mid August, Iraq was brought into this framework with the establishment of a tripartite "joint command" specifically aimed to expedite the preparations for, and conduct of, "a major war against Israel". A key component of this joint command has been the coordination of the activities of Iran, Iraq, and Syria in mobilizing their SSM forces for a possible missile barrage against Israel.
In late September, the Palestinian factor was added to the joint preparations when the Palestinian Authorities (PA) entered into a major military agreement with Syria. Significantly, this agreement is between the PA, and not the PLO, and Syria, thus explicitly committing the Palestinian forces in the territories. The essence of the agreement is for the Palestinian "police" forces and other armed elements (terrorist organizations) to flare-up the Israeli interior in case of an escalation in the north. Syrian and PLO intelligence established a liaison section made up of senior Syrian and Palestinian intelligence officers with HQs in Beirut, Damascus and Gaza. In return, Syria will provide weapons and advanced training to PLO units in the refugees camps in southern Lebanon – – units disarmed as part of the Israeli-Lebanese agreements. Meanwhile, the PLO's preparations for an imminent war are evident. In Gaza, Arafat ordered the marked acceleration of the building of a personal command bunker, four stories deep. Moreover, the PLO is rapidly building all over Gaza a chain of command centers, ammunition and weapons-storage areas — all of them underground and well fortified to even withstand Israeli bombing and shelling. The PA's security services are also accumulating large stockpiles of anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, including missiles, even though they are forbidden by the Oslo Accords.
In mid September, the Egyptian Armed Forces conducted their largest military exercise since the late 1970s. The 10-days Badr-96 exercise simulated a strategic deep offensive against Israel and included a large scale call-up of reserves, a major amphibious landing on the Sinai coast, a nightly assault crossing of the Suez Canal, and major breakthroughs of defensive dispositions manned by high quality forces. In mid October, senior officers of the Egyptian Army conducted a tour of the Sinai, including areas near the Israeli border, in violation of the provisions of the peace agreement with Israel. It was a commanders' tour aimed to acquaint them with the peculiarities of a theater they might have to operate in. Meanwhile, Cairo encourages the resumption of calls for war at the political level. Brig.Gen. (Ret.) Mohammed Muawad Gad al-Moula, was permitted to establish a new political party committed "to revive the 'victorious spirit' of the October 1973 War" and whose leadership is made of retired senior officers. "We have no choice but to adopt a platform for rebuilding a strong Egypt and preparing a new generation capable of fighting any attackers," al-Moula told the semi-official al-Ahram. "We have to prepare for a fresh confrontation with Israel."
Starting early October, there have been several cycles of bilateral and multilateral political-military discussions and coordination sessions between Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Jordan. According to high-level Iranian sources, the initial phase of these consultations led to the adoption of "pan-Arab cooperation" making it possible "to impose a military blockade on Israel from the north, east, and south." In late October, senior officers from Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon held a series of meetings to coordinate and agree on a number of specific military measures and strategies for the forthcoming confrontation with Israel.
In early November, second-tier states were being brought into "the circle of confrontation" — the group of states of committed to contributing to the Arab-Iranian war effort. Most significant was the Syrian-Pakistani military agreement signed in Islamabad by the Defense Ministers of Syria and Pakistan which arranged for the seconding of Pakistani military experts and senior officers, pilots and technicians, and key equipment to Syria.
In late November, Damascus shared a comprehensive intelligence assessment with its Arab allies and a host of terrorist organizations. The primary objective was to warn of an impending major war between Israel and Syria with the active participation of, and support from, US forces on the side of Israel. Damascus has already concluded that "Israel is now preparing for a comprehensive war with Syria." The Syrian briefing points out to the call-up of reserves in Israel as indicative of an impending war. Special attention is paid to the military training in the Negev with US Marines. Syrian intelligence claims that "the training, objectives, and plans of these maneuvers focus on the occupied Syrian Golan and a number of positions west of Damascus." The Syrian sources are convinced that "one of these positions is a Syrian manufacturing plant for chemical weapons."
Concerning the political-strategic situation in Damascus, the Syrian briefing is consistent in its emphasis on the immediacy of war, but seemingly self-contradictory on the sources of this war. On the one hand, the Syrian briefing states that "the Syrian leadership now believes that the military option to liberate the Golan from the Israeli Army is a legitimate Syrian option. It also believes that Syria has the right to resort to this option any time it deems appropriate." This assertion virtually confirms the Syrian intention to initiate hostilities in order to break the deadlock in the region.
However, the section dealing with the military assessment of Syrian Intelligence emphasizes the possibility of an Israeli attack on Syria. Damascus now believes that "the Israeli Army will launch an imminent large-scale military operation against the Syrian Forces stationed adjacent to the Golan, in addition to the Syrian Forces that were relocated in Lebanon near the eastern Syrian border with Lebanon that extends to the Golan Heights." Presumably, this will be an Israeli preemptive strike given the extent of the Syrian preparations.
The Syrian briefing leaves no doubt that even under these circumstances, Damascus will pursue its own assertive war aims, not just repel the Israeli aggression. The Syrian briefing states that "the Syrian President instructed the command of the Syrian Forces stationed near the Golan to immediately retaliate against any attack by the Israeli Army." Moreover, Assad ordered his forces to immediately launch a deep strategic strike and, toward this end, "the Syrian Army placed its SCUD missile systems at maximum alert should war break out with Israel." These SSMs, Damascus argues, "can hit any target inside Israel."
The extent of the Iranian commitment to actively supporting the Syrian war effort is of crucial importance for the highest levels of leadership in Damascus. Indeed, in late November, Syrian sources stressed that Iranian President Hashemi-Rafsanjani had just reassured President Assad in a written message that "should war break out with Israel, Iran will support Syria with the necessary military hardware in order to strengthen the Syrian military position."
Tehran takes this commitment very seriously, and, in the first week of December, dispatched Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati for urgent high-level consultations. Velayati arrived in Damascus carrying yet another extremely important message from Hashemi-Rafsanjani for Assad. He then conducted extensive discussions with Assad and other senior officials on regional issues. According to the Iranian media, "the latest regional and international developments as well as further promotion of Tehran-Damascus ties were discussed in the meetings."
Velayati's discussions with Assad and his immediate aides went far beyond that, addressing Syrian-Iranian cooperation in the imminent and possibly inevitable war. Iranian sources highlighted the discussions with Assad in which Velayati "referred to foreign pressures and the Zionist plots and underlined the need to strengthen cooperation between Iran and Syria. The Syrian President stressed this cooperation will help establishment of peace and tranquility in the whole region." Both Damascus and Tehran agree that there is going to be a lot of violence — ranging from terrorism to war — on the road to regional peace.
Iranian sources report that "the Syrian President stressed the need to support the Islamic resistance in south Lebanon to confront the Zionist aggressions and to defend the Lebanese territory." Velayati and Assad also expressed support and commitment to ensuring Iraq's territorial integrity — a precondition for Saddam Hussein's support. Velayati also reiterated the Iranian long-standing support for "the aspiration of the Palestinian nation and the Islamic resistance in their struggle against the Zionist regime." He called for "a united action by the Islamic states to foil conspiracies of enemies." Velayati assured Assad that "the Tehran-Damascus close cooperation will lead to establishment of regional peace and tranquillity." Velayati returned to Tehran carrying a most important message from Assad to Hashemi-Rafsanjani.
Pan-Arab Cooperation for the Destruction of Israel
SPECIFIC TACTICAL PREPARATIONSStarting mid August, the Syrian Armed Forces have conducted a series of redeployments and maneuvers that have direct implications for their ability to launch an attack on Israel. The concurrent activities of both the Iraqi Armed Forces and PLO forces in Lebanon also contribute to the enhancement of the Arab military capabilities against Israel.
The initial Syrian force movements in Lebanon and near the Golan, especially near Mt. Hermon, already changed the strategic posture in the region. The changes in the deployment of Syrian forces and units in Lebanon were accomplished in two stages.
In the first phase, in late August, mechanized units deployed from Bhamdun and Dahr al-Baydar in central Lebanon to forward positions very close to the Israeli-held security zone. These Syrian forces deployed in such a way that any Israeli retaliation against terrorists in south Lebanon will inevitably kill Syrian soldiers, thus creating the "excuse" for further escalation. In addition, two of the three regiments of 14th Special Forces/Commando Division deployed from the Biqaa to forward positions on the Syrian Hermon overlooking the Israeli key early warning station on Mt.Hermon from the north and east.
In the second phase, completed in mid September, units of the 10th Mechanized Division deployed from the Beirut area along the Beirut-Damascus Highway all the way to the Biqaa, replacing the units that had deployed to the south. The third regiment of the 14th Special Forces/Commando Division deployed from Beirut to forward positions in south-eastern Lebanon, overlooking the Israeli Mt.Hermon from the west.
The deployment of the 14th Special Forces/Commando Division enables it to strike Israel's key early warning station on a moment notice, thus harming, if not paralyzing Israel's ability to detect a major surprise attack.
Units of the Syrian internal police replaced the Syrian troops in Beirut. Moreover, Syrian Air Defense units — both mobile SAM batteries and AAA — deployed to forward positions on the Beirut-Damascus Highway very close to the Lebanese border, but still on Syrian territory.
In late September, the Syrian forces were in a position to instigate a provocation of strategic dimensions. Syrian forces deployed behind a thin layer of Lebanese Army units around the SLA-held Jezzine salient. Additional Lebanese Army forces, totaling three brigades, deployed along the Israeli- and SLA-held security zone in front of the Syrian forces. The Syrian operational plan calls for an assault, by the Lebanese Army with "support" from the Syrian Army, on Jezzine, and, should the need arise, also on sectors of the security zone. According to Lebanese sources, the Syrian High Command is convinced that Jezzine will fall within 12 hours, and a few segments in the security zone within 24 hours. Damascus knows that Israel will have to retaliate with massive ground forces, thus providing the "justification" for the Syrian launching of a major escalation and war.
All through the summer and fall of 1996, the Syrian Armed Forces conducted a series of offensive exercises and related troop movements. As a result of these activities, numerous Syrian units ended up much closer to the Golan Heights that their permanent deployment areas. Moreover, these units are now deployed in a high state of readiness and can move on the offensive with a very short forewarning.
Of unique importance within these military activities were the exercises involving SCUD SAMs. At the end of the summer exercises, a Syrian unit launched a SCUD-C under conditions of an offensive war. Since then, and particularly in the second half of October, Damascus began conducting "irregular movements" with its SCUD units. According to Lebanese and Syrian sources, these constant maneuvers are aimed to further complicate Israel's ability to neutralize the Syrian deep strike capabilities through a preemptive strike.
In late October, Syrian officials briefed their Lebanese counterparts that the Syrian Armed Forces were properly deployed and ready for a preemptive strike against Israel. "The Syrians are capable of preceding/preempting Netanyahu's strike by initiating the attack," reported Lebanese sources.
As of mid October, Iraqi military units, including armor, artillery and missile units, began moving from central Iraq toward the Syrian border. Iraq also began a call up of reservists and the activation of units in western Iraq that had been dormant since the Gulf War. The majority of the main roads leading toward the Syrian border were taken over by the Iraqi military and closed for civilian traffic. Jordanian sources stressed that these are movements of Iraqi reinforcements to near the Syrian border in anticipation for the eruption of hostilities.
By mid to late October, the Syrian large-scale maneuvers and related troop movements got too close to the Golan Heights to be ignored as "routine". Taken in the context of the latest Syrian "exercises" with SSMs and major armored forces, these activities amount to "crawling" toward the forward positions enabling Syria to launch a surprise surge into the Golan as well as escalation in southern Lebanon aimed to achieve initial grabs.
Meanwhile, throughout the fall of 1996, Iran delivered, via Syria, a whole range of vastly improved weapons to the HizbAllah and other terrorist forces based on the border with Israel. Among these weapon systems are the truck-mounted Fajr-3 240mm rockets (which, with a range of 26-27 miles, can hit major Israeli objectives from beyond the security zone), the highly lethal FAGOT ATGMs (Soviet design), 35mm Oerlikon automatic guns (a Swiss weapon good against both helicopters and surface objectives). The Iranians also delivered large quantities of weapons already in the HizbAllah arsenals including Grad-M 122mm rockets, Isphahan rockets, Stingers SFSAMs, SAGGER ATGMs, night vision equipment, explosives and ammunition. The Iranians and the Syrians also oversaw the flow of weapons to the PLO units in the refugee camps of southwest Lebanon, implementing Syria's part in the PLO-Syria agreement. The Iranian airlift of weapons and equipment for the HizbAllah and terrorist organizations intensified markedly in the first week of December. Tens of flights of both military and civilian transports delivered military equipment and highly specialized systems for terrorists to the Damascus airport, from where the goods were delivered to Syrian and HizbAllah units.
The Pan-Arab Nuclear Factor
The nuclear factor has become a crucial element in any conflict in the Middle East. Iran has nuclear weapons, and so does Pakistan. The supreme leaders in Tehran are convinced that the numerous warheads purchased from the former Soviet Central Asia are operational. Irrespective of skeptic "expert opinion" in the West, they — the decision-makers in Tehran — operate on the basis of their own conviction that Iran has operational nuclear weapons. Moreover, there are indications of a Pakistani agreement, with Chinese consent, to "contribute" to the Muslim nuclear deterrence. And there is no doubt that Pakistan has operational nuclear weapons.
The Arabs have a well defined nuclear doctrine. Already in the late 1970s, the Syrians introduced the doctrinal tenet that since Israel cannot withstand even a few nuclear strikes while the Muslim World can prevail a massive nuclear attack of the magnitude attributed to Israel's capabilities, the nuclear factor is essentially irrelevant for as long as Arab leaders can hold their position in a strategic nuclear brinkmanship. While Tehran and Damascus are willing to gamble on such a brinkmanship, Jerusalem cannot afford to be wrong — Israel will not survive as a viable country in the aftermath of a strike with the few tactical nuclear warheads Iran has. Therefore, the mere existence of a credible nuclear threat (on top of the known arsenals of chemical and biological weapons) in effect neutralizes Israel's "deterrence factor" at the very least for the strategically crucial initial period of war — the time frame in which the Arab-Iranian forces manage their strategic grab, while the Israeli government agonizes over the decision how to react to the nuclear ultimatum and the sudden war. Moreover, Washington will be most reluctant to commit American forces and assets under conditions of possible exposure to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, particularly given the current Gulf Syndrome crisis. Hence, the Arabs and the Iranians can also deter an American cover for Israel.
The nuclear issue is not an theoretical academic or speculative issue. In the last days of November, Tehran "determined" that Israel already put its missiles on "atomic readiness". According to Iranian sources, Tehran did so in part on the basis of intelligence data (such satellite photographs and intercepts) acquired in Russia and Central Asia. On the basis of this "data" Tehran undertook the "appropriate countermeasures". And it is under this umbrella of nuclear uncertainty, that the Arab-Iranian non-nuclear war will be waged.
The Syrians and their allies have well defined contingency plans. The basic Syrian approach to a major war is based on the contingency plans prepared and exercised for the war that almost was in the Fall of 1992, while the plans for a strategic grab in a limited war are based on contingency plans prepared in 1994, and exercised since then.
Israeli security sources describe the 1994 contingency plan for a quick territorial grab on the Golan in the context of a limited war. The first step is the deployment of Commando forces to advance positions near the Israeli border. Then, once Damascus determines that hostilities are imminent, the Syrians will begin the moving around of SSMs inside Syria to reduce vulnerability to Israeli preemption or retaliation. The attack by the Commando forces on key objectives in the Israeli tactical depth will be followed immediately by an offensive surge of tank heavy forces. At the same time, other major Syrian units will be rushing toward the Golan in order to deter Israel from escalation and a massive counter-attack. Damascus intends to complete all these moves within 24-48 hours. Then, with Syrian forces still holding a small part of the Golan and a few Israeli POWs, Damascus and the Arab World will call for international pressure on Israel to impose cease fire, and to demonstrate "flexibility" and "realism" in negotiations with Syria.
Numerous Syrian, Iranian and Lebanese sources provided data that enables the reconstruction of the Syrian contingency plans for a major war. The first step will be a provocation launched from Lebanon — a "Lebanese" attack on the SLA and/or a major HizbAllah operation against an Israeli strategic target and/or a spectacular terrorist strike at the heart of Israel. As planned, such a provocation is bound to instigate a major Israeli "response" in Lebanon. Since, because of the nature of the Syrian deployment in south Lebanon, Syrian troops will be killed in any such an Israeli retaliatory strike, Damascus will thus be in a position to call the Israeli actions an unacceptable aggression and threat to Damascus.
The Syrians will then have the "justification" to "retaliate" by launching a barrage of SSMs against Israeli cities and key military facilities. Meanwhile, in solidarity with Palestinian victims in south Lebanon, the PLO's 50,000 "police" and "auxiliaries" will launch a massive "intifadah" and a wave of terrorism from their safe-havens in the territories. Taken together, these activities will prove sufficient to prevent a timely deployment of Israeli reserves to the Golan.
By then, however, the Syrian Armed Forces will have already launched a surprise surge largely based on the 1994 contingency plan. Given the Israeli inability to react, the Syrian forces will succeed in securing limited grabs on the Golan. Then, Damascus and its allies are convinced, international pressure — especially, if there are also oil embargo and Egyptian threat to intervene militarily — will compel Israel to reach a political compromise on their terms.
Meanwhile, in case of an Israeli refusal to compromise, and hence a failure with the diplomatic initiative, the Syrians will be in position to impose a major escalation with the arrival of the main Syrian forces, as well as the sizable Iraqi and Iranian expeditionary forces. Now surging also through Jordan, these forces will vastly expand and enlarge the Eastern front.
Given Badr-96, the mere war preparations in Egypt, will, at the very least, compel the IDF to keep forces on the southern border, just to be safe4. Moreover, building pressure in the Arab/Muslim World for all governments and peoples to join the Jihad or face popular uprisings because of their "un-Islamic" posture will most likely entice such governments as Egypt's and Jordan's to join the war rather than risk overthrow. Meanwhile, led by Saudi Arabia, the Muslim World will declare oil embargo. There are sufficient Islamist terrorists all over the West to launch a wave of terrorism in Europe and the US5 in order to prevent (or delay) US assistance to Israel.
With the militarily debilitating winter weather coming very soon, this scenario is all the more tempting from a strategic point of view. Given the adverse opening conditions and initial period of war, as well as the sudden escalation of the Arab-Iranian offensive, it is safe to assume that it will take the IDF more than a few days to repel all the Arab-Iranian forces from Israeli territory. Damascus, Tehran, Cairo and Baghdad believe that it is not inconceivable that a marked deterioration in the weather will slow down the Israelis before their counter-attacks could evict the Arab-Iranian forces from the Golan Heights. The Arabs and Iranians are convinced that the consequent virtual pause in the mobile war and severe limitations on the use of the Israeli Air Force will create both an opportunity and an incentive for the international community to pressure Israel into capitulation before the spring weather creates proper conditions for the resumption of a major mobile war.
4 Unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, including the IDF contingents, as planned by Arik Sharon for 2004, and leaving security in the hands of the Egyptians who wash their hands of the Palestinian terror organizations' activities, will leave the South of Israel open to unrestrained terror incursions, with Beer-Sheva, Ashkalon and Ashdod as prime targets.
5 This scenario is already becoming reality, with the 9/11 attacks on the US in 2001, and the latest major attack March 11, 2004, on commuter trains in Madrid, Spain, with 190 dead and more than 1,400 wounded. Al-Quaida claimed responsibilty.
The Egyptian-Jordanian Confrontational Peace toward Israel
When dealing with the Third World, and particularly the Middle East, one should leave the Crystal Ball under lock and key. Given the dominant power of the personality of individual leaders as the source of decision-making — based on these leaders' own reading of the situation on the basis of the information they have and believe in — and given the penchant of these leaders for the "conspiracy" theories and susceptibility to the "straw factor" (a small and at time relatively insignificant input pushes the leader into a major decision he has been procrastinating on — the straw that breaks the camel's back), it is virtually impossible to accurately predict what any of the dominant leaders involved in this crisis will ultimately do. However, it is possible to point out to emerging and dominant trends in the crisis management.
Starting the current crisis, the principal leaders may not have wanted war. At the least, they were wavering about it. Since the late 1980s, Arab leaders have been reluctant to embark on major undertakings against Israel. However, these Arab leaders are also convinced that a major brinkmanship crisis, the return to a no-war-no-peace tense situation, and even the resumption of limited clashes, are a must to their own survival. These leaders also know that any of these measures can quickly escalate into a major war. Hence, their undertaking these steps means that these Arab leaders are fully ready to meet the possibility of a major war.
One reason for the readiness to face war, as opposed to the reluctance shown previously, is the Muslim World's reading of Israel. Indeed, most senior leaders (especially in Damascus, Tehran, Baghdad and Cairo) are convinced that Israel is falling apart — collapsing from within in a unique state of self-confusion, of having lost the WILL to fight and survive. Hence, the current crisis is unfolding in the context of a historical window of opportunity to resolve the Zionist menace once and for good. In this context, the extent of the populist power of Islam — as reflected in the return to Islamic traditions in all aspects of life in the Hub of Islam, in the increasing Islamic profile of the supreme leaders — over national security decisions is a major yet unquantifyable factor. There should be no doubt that the most important leaders are strongly influenced by their Islamic heritage and their own legacy and historical contribution to the Islamic "cause". Hence, the lure of the possibility to liberate al-Quds and destroy Israel may be a far stronger an input to their decision making process than what cold logic would have. Considering the building Islamist pressure to destroy Israel under any conditions, the Arab and Iranian leaders who are determined to hold to power may find these circumstances too tempting to be passed over.
Meanwhile, on a more pragmatic and realistic level, the fear of Israel's military might has shrunk. These leaders, particularly in Damascus, Baghdad and Tehran, are fully aware of the escalatory potential of their move — the initiation of major brinkmanship and crisis. They know that a crisis of the magnitude and potential strategic impact they are instigating can easily escalate to a major regional war. But now, they have the nuclear umbrella. Arab strategic studies, as well as the unprecedented magnitude of development and acquisition of SSMs and all types of weapons of mass destruction, show that this factor is high on the leaders' mind. This newly found sense of self-confidence and the firm belief in the ability to succeed in the initial phase of a war create a new, and worrisome, framework within which these leaders examine the choices ahead of them.
Further more, at the higher political levels of the entire Arab World, and most significantly in Cairo, Amman and other capitals considered relatively supportive of the "peace process", there is a distinct and marked change in the attitude towards Israel. The present attitude is more hostile and confrontational, and the resort to force is no longer ruled out as being anathema in the era of a "peace process". This widespread acceptability of the possibility of war encourages these leaders who are committed to conflict. The Egyptians now talk about a state of "cold war" between Israel and its Arab partners to peace — a fundamental change from the previous term of "cold peace". Other political-military forces in Egypt call for the pursuit of policies of "armed peace" and even "confrontational peace" toward Israel.
Taken together, the multitude of political, strategic and tactical moves leave no doubt that the key leaders in the Arab World and Iran have already determined to continue the escalatory brinkmanship even as the likelihood of war is growing. Moreover, the overall situation and dynamics in the Arab Middle East contribute to a self-reinforcing escalation. Hence, the three key leaderships in Damascus, Baghdad and Tehran, as well as Cairo and the Abdallah faction in Riyadh, are increasingly convinced that war is essentially inevitable. Consequently, there is already a clear shift in these leaders' deliberations and consultations. They are now preoccupied mainly with strategic and military decisions — that is, determining the optimal conditions for initiating the war, achieving surprise despite the protracted escalatory crisis and Israel's edginess, etc.
Yossef Bodansky
Vaughn S. Forrest


text:
Saudi foreign minister: Qatar must end support for Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood
Saudi foreign minister: Qatar must end support for Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood /node/1110976/saudi-arabia
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. (AFP)
PARIS: Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Tuesday Qatar must take several steps, including ending its support for the Palestinian group Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, to restore ties with other Arab states.
Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said Qatar knew exactly what to do to restore relations with Riyadh and its Arab allies.
"We want to see Qatar implement the promises it made a few years back with regard its support of extremist groups, regards its hostile media and interference in affairs of other countries," Jubeir told reporters in Paris.
"Nobody wants to hurt Qatar. It has to choose whether it must move in one direction or another direction."
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain said on Monday they would sever all ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.
"We took this step with great pain so that it understands that these policies are not sustainable and must change," Jubeir said.
Jubeir added that Qatar was undermining the Palestinian Authority and Egypt in its support of Hamas and the Muslim brotherhood.
"We don't think this is good. Qatar has to stop these policies so that it can contribute to stability in the Middle East," he said.
Jubeir declined to say exactly what he wanted Qatar to do immediately, but said the measures taken by Arab states, including a sea, land and air blockade would have a considerable cost on the country.
"We believe that common sense and logic will convince Qatar to take the right steps. The decisions that were made were very strong and will have a fairly large cost on Qatar and we do not believe that Qataris want to sustain those costs," he said.
The campaign to isolate Qatar is disrupting trade in commodities from crude oil to metals and food, and deepening fears of a possible shock to the global gas market, where the Gulf state is a major player.
Jubeir also dismissed Qatar's recent rapprochement with Shiite Iran — Sunni Saudi Arabia's arch foe in the region — saying that countries that deal with Tehran "deal with it at their own peril."
When asked whether there could be military measures should Doha not change course, Jubeir said: "I hope not."
Topics: Adel Al-Jubeir Saudi Arabia Qatar Crisis
Qatar in crisis as more countries sever ties
Kuwaiti ruler and King Salman meet amid Qatar row
Qatar seeks Kuwaiti mediation after powerful Arab nations shun it


Awe (ah-weh): A one word greeting meaning hello, how are you?
Babbelas (babba-lahs): A hangover-a bad one.
Boet (Boo-t): Translated from Afrikaans it means brother but it is used as reference to a friend or pal.
Gees (Gheas): To have spirit, team spirit. Also used to express the "vibe" of supporters at an event like a concert or sports match.
Howzit (how-zit): An informal greeting, not asking a question in particular. Similar to awe.
Taxi: Not like your yellow cabs, this a larger van type vehicle meant to transport large groups of people at one time.
Tsotsi (tso-tsee): Someone of dodgy character eg: a thug or robber.
As you can see we have expressive and often confusing South Africanisms where a "robot" is not a programmable mechanical, "just now" is not a definite unit of time and where "shame" can have two meanings at the same time. But our "South Africanisms" are not just fun for tourists, as locals we love them too and use them with great pride!
In keeping with the "gees" of our beautiful language we will be running a competition to find the best "South Africanism".
Share your favourite South African saying on twitter or facebook tagging @cellucity #talklikealocal and you could stand in line to win a Blackberry DTEK50 valued at R5999.
Ts&Cs apply, keep it clean and good luck!


• Durable, braided cable design for tangle free use and aluminum tips for added strength on most models.
• Colorful, easy to find in your bag and harder for someone to claim as their own.
• Convenient, always having the connector you need at your finger tips.
• Higher power transfer, up to 20% increase compared to standard 1 meter cables to charge your devices more quickly.
• 1 meter/39 inch sync charge cable.


program used to create or digitize. Um fortfahren zu können, müssen Sie Cookies aktivieren. Bitte geben Sie das gesuchte Geschlecht. You cannot overwrite this file. Summary edit, file history, click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. Retrieved from " ". Comment current 12:09, 986 1,500 (257 KB nordiskaMuseetBot ( ) int:filedesc Artwork artistSigrid Wågman (Swedish, ) nfrIdSE/NMF4383 Dateother dateca19001910 Descriptionsv1Ateljéporträtt av medelålders kvinna i klänning med broderier och hög spetskrage. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details such as the timestamp may not fully reflect those of the original file. Jump to navigation, jump to search, original file (986 1,500 pixels, file size: 257 KB, mime type: image/jpeg).


Brandon is the founder and CEO of The Social Butterfly. He truly is a workhorse that refuses to stop until the job is done. From sales, to filming, to client relations; he truly does it all. His contagious work ethic sparks motivation in the office everyday.


Hamburg property developers ECE will be joining forces with hotel operators Steigenberger Hotels AG to erect a 4-star Superior Hotel at the future Capital Airport Berlin Brandenburg International BBI. ECE and Berlin Airports have concluded a heritable building right contract with a duration of 60 years. Parallel to this, a business space operations contract was signed between ECE and Steigenberger Hotels AG which will run for a period of 25 years.
The 4-star Superior Hotel of Steigenberger Hotels AG, headquartered in Frankfurt, will contain 322 rooms, of which 27 are suites. The offerings are complemented by nine excellently furnished and equipped conference and event rooms on a congress area of 1,500 square metres, international cuisine and a generously dimensioned wellness area. In a premium location directly in front of the terminal in the urban surroundings of the Airport Plaza, the hotel is ideally connected to the local infrastructure. The building was designed by Eike Becker_Architekten of Berlin and the interior architecture was styled by Markus-Diedenhofen from Reutlingen.
The plot covering 4,300 square metres has already been handed over. The hotel is due to be opened when business at BBI begins in 2012.
Alexander Otto, CEO of ECE: "ECE is proud to be able to embark on a new area of business with this first-class hotel at the Capital Airport BBI. Other ECE hotel projects are under way in Dresden and Vienna; a project is also being planned for Munich."
ECE Project Manager Martin Rodeck: "Our aim is to complete hotel projects with premium operators at prime locations, which here at BBI has proven exemplary."
Matthias Heck, member of the board and CFO of Steigenberger Hotels AG: "With ECE and Berlin Airports, we have gained sound partners for our forward-looking airport hotel project. The largest German hotel enterprise, Steigenberger, looks back on decades of expertise where airport hotels are concerned and, in 1968, pioneered this segment in Germany with the Airport Hotel in Frankfurt. Backed by 80 years of tradition and experience in the hotel business, we will erect a hotel here at the Capital Airport to ideally meet the expectations of international travellers. The Steigenberger Airport Hotel Berlin-Brandenburg will usher in a phase of concentrated expansion for the Steigenberger Hotel Group focusing on international metropolises and airports."
Prof. Rainer Schwarz, CEO of Berlin Airports, comments: "Now that the hotel operator for BBI has been determined, the BBI is again adding another piece to its mosaic. Short, fast access and pleasant, convenient travel are the central idea for the new Capital Airport BBI. The central location of the hotel in the Airport City directly in front of the terminal – just two minutes' walk away – consistently reflects this idea. The hotel's extensive conference facilities will make it a magnet and congress venue for business people and business travellers from around the world. Travelling time is reduced, travel simplified and the opportunities to relax are enhanced. Networking the BBI hub with a hotel and conference centre will promote the global exchange of knowledge and information."
"We are delighted to have two strong partners in ECE and Steigenberger at our side for this top investment project. The involvement of the two companies in the Airport City points the way ahead. ECE stands for first-class project development, the Steigenberger brand for premium hospitality in Europe. We will continue to establish the airport in future as a prime investment location in the capital," says Dr Manfred A. Körtgen, Managing Director of Operations/BBI at Berlin Airports.
The Airport City is centrally located right in front of the terminal at the new Capital Airport BBI. An up-to-date urban services complex is being erected on an area of 16 hectares. Investors will be able to build five- and six-storey buildings here on variable plots along a central plaza. The space available amounts to 148,000 square metres of gross floor area. What makes Airport City into a prime location is its high-quality character, fast access and excellent infrastructure.


text:
Jürgen Berndt (geboren 31. Mai 1933 in Lauterbach (Rügen); gestorben 16. August 1993 in Perugia, Italien) war ein deutscher Japanologe, Übersetzer und Herausgeber japanischer Literatur.

Leben und Werk
Jürgen Berndt begann 1952 ein Studium der Sinologie und Japanologie bei den Professoren Eckardt (1905–1969), Ramming und Zachert an der Humboldt-Universität in Berlin. 1957 schloss er sein Studium der Japanologie ab und übernahm eine wissenschaftliche Anwärterstellte. 1959 begann er mit der Lehrtätigkeit zur modernen japanischen Literatur und Sprache, ab 1961 arbeitete er als Wissenschaftlicher Assistent am Ostasiatischen Institut der Humboldt-Universität. 1963 erfolgte die Promotion zum Dr. phil., 1964 Ernennung zum kommissarischen Leiter der Abteilung Japanologie am Ostasiatischen Institut. Von 1968 bis 1970 war er Stellvertretender Direktor für Forschung der 1968 gegründeten Sektion Asienwissenschaften. 1973 folgte die Berufung zum Hochschuldozenten für Japanische Literatur und 1979 die Berufung zum ordentl. Professor für Japanologie.

1984 sorgte Berndt für die Gründung der Mori-Ôgai-Gedenkstätte und war bis 1993 deren Leiter. In Zusammenarbeit mit der Tōkai-Universität veranstaltete er das internationale Symposium "Japan Today" in Berlin. 1989 erfolgte die Verleihung der Ehrenmitgliedschaft in der Mori-Ôgai-Gesellschaft Tōkyō. 1990 wurde Berndt zum amtierenden Direktor des Instituts für Japanologie gewählt. Von 1990 bis 1991 war er Gastprofessor International Research Center for Japanese Studies in Kyōto. 1993 erfolgte die Wahl zum Geschäftsführer der Stiftung "Mori-Ōgai-Gedenkfonds". Zusammen mit Siegfried Schaarschmidt wurde er 1993 mit dem Noma-Übersetzerpreis (野間文芸翻訳賞, Noma bungei hon'yaku-shō) des Kōdansha-Verlages posthum für sein Gesamtwerk ausgezeichnet. (Berndt war im August 1993 in Perugia (Italien) verstorben.)

Die Japanologin Jaqueline Berndt ist mit Berndts Sohn Enno verheiratet.

Publikationen
 Die Banshū Ebene. 3 Erzählungen von Miyamoto Yuriko, Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin 1960 (Übersetzung und Nachwort.) 334 S.
 Japanische Novellen. 16 Novellen von Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, darunter Im Dickicht. Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1964 (Herausgabe, Übersetzung und Kommentierung), Nachwort. 369 S. Eine Auswahl davon erschien im Diogenes Verlag Zürich 1966, eine Teilübersetzung ins Hollandische bei Meulenhoff 1969.
 Der Tor aus Tokio. Roman von Natsume Sōseki (Originaltitel: Botchan), Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin 1965 (Übersetzung in Zusammenarbeit mit Seiei Shinohara), Nachwort. 179 S. Neuausgabe: Theseus Verlag, Zürich 1990
 Japanische Dreigroschenoper. Roman von Kaikō Takeshi (Originaltitel: Nihon sanmon opera), Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1967 (Übersetzung). 360 S.
 Japanische Dramen. Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1968 (Herausgabe und Teilübersetzung und Nachwort.) 397 S.
 Rotes Laub – Altjapanische Lyrik. Insel-Verlag, Leipzig 1972 (Herausgabe, Übertragung und Nachwort.) 130 S.
 Die Geschichte einer Rache. 20 Kurzgeschichten und Erzählungen von Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1973 (Herausgabe, Übersetzung und Kommentierung), 387 S.
 Rashōmon. Ausgewählte Kurzprosa von Akutagawa Ryūnosuke. Bibliothek der Weltliteratur, Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1975 (Herausgabe, Kommentierung, Übersetzung und Nachwort). 626 S., 2. Auflage 1982 (1. Aufl. ex libris Volk und Welt) Durchsicht, Neukommentierung für die Reihe Orientalische Bibliothek, Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1985, 4. Auflage 1991. Dass.: Lizenzausgabe Beck-Verlag, München 1985.
 Träume aus zehn Nächten – Moderne japanische Erzählungen. Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin 1975 (Herausgabe, Teilübersetzung und Nachwort.) 681 S., 2. Auflage 1980. Veränderte Neuauflage: Theseus Verlag, Zürich 1992.
 Meer und Gift. Roman von Endō Shūsaku (Originaltitel: Umi to Dokuyaku), Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1976 (Übersetzung). 198 S., 2. Auflage 1982. Lizenzausgaben: F. H. Kerle-Verlag, Freiburg – Heidelberg 1982, 214 S., Fischer Taschenbuch-Ausgabe 1984, 152 S.
 Pflaumenblüten in der Nacht. Zwölf Erzählungen von Ibuse Masuji, Reclam-Verlag, Leipzig 1981 (Herausgabe, Kommentierung und Übersetzung) 205 S., 2. durchgesehene Auflage 1985. Lizenzausgaben: Ostasien-Verlag, Berlin (West) 1986, 205 S., Insel-Verlag, Frankfurt/M. 1990
 Sprichwörter aus Japan. Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1984, 2. durchgesehene Auflage 1986
 Als wär's des Mondes letztes Licht – Hundert Gedichte von hundert Dichtern. Japanische Lyrikanthologie aus dem 13. Jh. (Originaltitel: Hyakunin isshu), Verlag Rütten & Loening, Berlin 1986 (Herausgabe, Übersetzung und Kommentierung). Dass.: Lizenzausgabe Insel Verlag, Frankfurt/M. 1987. Revidierte Neuauflage: edition q, berlin 1992
 An jenem Tag – Literarische Zeugnisse über Hiroshima und Nagasaki. Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1985 (Herausgabe, Teilübersetzung, Gesamtredaktion).
 Der Samurai. Roman von Endō Shūsaku (Originaltitel: Samurai), Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1988, 380 S. (Übersetzung, Kommentierung). Dass.: Lizenzausgabe Schneekluth Verlag, München 1987, 408 S.
 Requiem. Erzählung von Gō Shizuko (Originaltitel: Rekuiemu), Orlanda Frauenverlag, Berlin (West) 1987, 157 S. (Übersetzung). Dass.: Die verdunkelte Sonne – Ein Requiem, Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin 1988, 182 S. (Übersetzung und Kommentierung).
 Ausgestoßen. Roman von Shimazaki Tōson (Originaltitel: Hakai), Insel-Verlag, Frankfurt/Main 1989, 307 S. (Übersetzung und Nachwort). Dass.: Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin 1989, 307 S.
 Sünde. Roman von Endō Shūsaku (Originaltitel: Sukyandaru), Schneekluth Verlag, München 1990, 274 S.
 Gedichte von Ishikawa Takuboku, Nakano Shigeharu, Takenaka Iku und Tanikawa Shuntarō (Nachdichtung). In: ad libitum Sammlung Zerstreuung. Nr. 15; Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1990, S. 192–200.
 Akutagawa Ryūnosuke – Gedankensplitter. (Übers.). In: ad libitum Sammlung Zerstreuung. Nr. 16; Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1990.
 Gutes ist am besten gleich getan. 100 Sprichwörter aus Japan. (Herausgabe und Übersetzung), edition q, Berlin 1992.
 Der Vulkan. Roman von Endō Shūsaku (Originaltitel: Kazan), Herder Verlag, Freiburg 1992, 180 S.
 Finsternis eines Sommers. Roman von Kaikō Takeshi (Originaltitel: Natsu no Yami), edition q, Berlin 1993, 235 S.
 Draußen in der Stille. (Originaltitel: Tsurezuregusa). Essaysammlung aus dem 14. Jahrhundert. (Übersetzung und Kommentierung) edition q, Berlin 1993, 280 S.
 Das Ballettmädchen. Erzählung von Mori Ōgai (Originaltitel: Maihime), edition q, Berlin 1994, 106 S. Übersetzung, mit einem Nachwort von Ursula Berndt und Auszügen aus dem "Deutschlandtagebuch 1884–1888" von Mori Ōgai (herausgegeben und aus dem Japanischen übersetzt von Heike Schöche, Tübingen 1992, Konkursbuchverlag Claudia Gehrke).

Weblinks
 Lebenslauf Berndt und Publikationsliste

Japanologe
Übersetzer aus dem Japanischen
Übersetzer ins Deutsche
Hochschullehrer (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
DDR-Bürger
Deutscher
Geboren 1933
Gestorben 1993
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Ever-expanding Network
Explore the world on i3D.net's network. With our private 22+ Tbps global backbone, you can secure your connection in more than 45 locations worldwide.
Game Hosting Platform
FairFight Anti-Cheat software
Bare Metal Servers
Bare Metal Cloud
Anti-DDoS Solution
Get ahead of the Game
Ensure the ultimate game experience with our ultra-low-latency network, multi-cloud scaling game deployment platform and a team of experts at your fingertips.
Enterprise IT Infrastructure
WebRTC Hosting
Home › Vacancies › Legal Counsel
Rotterdam (NL)
i3D.net is a leading provider of high-performance, low-latency hosting through a vast, privately-owned global network. As game sector veterans, we know what it takes for an application to withstand heavy demands. Our relentless focus on quality has not gone unnoticed by companies outside of the games industry. With our privately owned data centers, we serve some of the biggest companies in the world with the same quality as we do for the games industry. We are growing faster than ever, keeping some of the world's biggest online environments, RTC services, and their users connected.
As our in-house Legal Counsel, you are responsible for advising on applicable laws and regulations, set-up and maintaining our (sales) contracts. You are involved in contract negotiations with some of the world's biggest video game companies and real-time communication platforms, as well as with our vendors on an international level. You are a sparring partner for management and our internal business units. You assist them by advising on legal matters and contract negotiations but also implement procedures to mitigate risk and consult with local external lawyers when needed.
Draft, negotiate, structure, implement, manage, and monitor a wide variety of commercial agreements, including but not limited to customer services agreements, master service agreements, and service level agreements
Review and negotiate international vendor contracts to make sure they are in line with our policies and do not include risks we are not willing to accept
Advise business partners of contractual rights and obligations, provide interpretation of terms and conditions, and ensure contractual commitments comply with applicable laws while limiting risks relating to that for the company
Compliance with local and international laws and regulations for our line of business by implementing policies and processes
Watch and monitor legal and regulatory changes that are relevant to the business
Maintaining our General Terms & Conditions
Be a subject matter expert on privacy laws; maintain GDPR and applicable privacy laws as relevant
Risk assessment and risk mitigation on a company level
Insurance: making sure we have the right balance between risks we are willing to accept and what we need to insure for our global presence
Support implementation of Group policies where needed
At i3D.net, who you are is just as important as what you can do. You will be a hands-on self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit who is used to being an ambassador for a global company. You can be your master and relish the opportunity to structure your own days and interconnect with many people both in and outside the company. You can balance customer focus with business needs and have strong analytical and communication skills. Most importantly, you are a team player who can stand your ground in a fast-paced but fun working environment.
Highly experienced professional with 5 to 7 years of relevant experience in a leading law firm or in-house legal counsel, having in-depth knowledge and experience in international corporate/company law, preferably in the hosting business
A completed Master of Laws
You can bring a process-driven mindset and have strong attention to detail
You can easily apply ideas and methods to achieve your goal by remaining flexible and liaising with internal and external stakeholders
Skilled in sensibly identifying and mitigating risks while balancing the same with commercial aspects
Experience in drafting and negotiating complex agreements where counterparties are prominent international players with their legal teams
Demonstrated strong communication skills with the ability to influence and communicate effectively across the company and externally at all levels
Possess the ability to influence decision-making throughout the organization.
Excellent organizational skills, with an emphasis on priorities and goal setting
Fluent in both written and spoken Dutch and English.
Work From Home Budget
Remote is the new office. Optimize your home office space to suit your comfort and needs.
High-End Laptop
The latest Dell XPS will be at your disposal so you'll be ready to rock 'n roll from day one.
Annual Bonus
Get your hard work rewarded with our performance-based bonus of up to 12% of your yearly salary.
Travel the Globe
With offices, data center PoPs, and customers scattered across the globe, you'll be sure to see a city or two.
Vitality @ Work
Keep your mind and body in top shape with our company-funded programs. Quit smoking, get a health check, personal training, or mental coaching.
Workout in our Gym
A fully equipped gym in our Rotterdam office equals deadlifts, squats, and the treadmill for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
The sky is the limit. We offer you all the room to grow. With our unlimited educational fund, we've got you covered for everything from books or part-time courses to a whole Master's degree.
Get Free Games
Access to the entire Ubisoft backlog for life comes with the job! You'll never be bored again.
Views, 50 specialty beers, french fries, Friday afternoon drinks, and an all-you-can-eat candy buffet.
Low latency is our mission! In 2002 we set out to improve online experiences for gamers. Today, we translate our hosting innovations to various industries, but gaming is still in our DNA. And as of 2019, we are part of the Ubisoft family! We build out our network presence in data centers across the globe – from Madrid to Mumbai, Amsterdam to Seattle, and everything in between – bringing content closer to the users.
Our team works hard on everything related to running our privately owned premium network, from opening new points-of-presence, setting up peering relationships, developing integral products like anti-DDoS protection, and serving our customers with expert help and advice. Finally, we play even harder, in our office gym and bar, and with our lifetime access to Ubisoft games.
What does i3D.net offer you?
A challenging and dynamic job in an international company
A competitive salary (depending on education, knowledge, and experience)
25 vacation days (excluding national holidays)
Travel allowance & work-from-home budget
Collective pension scheme
All the hardware and software you need to perform, including a laptop
Career guidance including remuneration of relevant education, courses, and training
A modern office in a prime location with open workplaces
Free access to Ubisoft games through Ubisoft Connect
Free use of the in-house gym
i3D.net is an equal opportunity employer. At i3D.net, we believe in a fair and equal workplace for all and foster an environment that is inclusive as well as diverse. We do not discriminate based on color, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender (identity), age, mental or physical abilities, or other characteristics. We believe that employees thrive when they can be comfortable and be themselves! We encourage candidates to apply knowing that they will be considered solely on their merits and qualifications.
Apply with a cover letter and CV
We will review your application
There will be two rounds of interviews
We will give you a job offer
You're hired!
Did you find your next career step?
That's great! Apply for the position with your cover letter and CV and we'll get in touch with you as soon as we can.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our HR department at +31 10 8900070 or via hr@i3d.net.
You may consult our privacy statement for more information on the processing of your personal data.
Rivium 1e straat 1
hr@i3d.net
About i3D.net
We do the recruiting for this vacancy ourselves. Please do not contact us for sales purposes.
View in Dutch
Need help from our Customer Support Team?
Subscribe to our Newsletter and stay up to date with the latest from i3D.net
© i3D.net - A Ubisoft company | All rights reserved.
Twitter Linkedin Facebook-f Youtube Instagram


text:
Q: How to translate django model field's help_text with variable models.py:
from django.conf import settings
from django.db import models
from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _

class MyModel(models.Model):
    name = models.CharFiled(help_text=_("Name cannot contain %s") % settings.SPECIAL_CHARS)

django.po:
msgid "Name cannot contain %s"
msgstr "xxxxx"

Not working.
How to use gettext in django model field's help_text with variables?