A Peek into Others' mind » September 27, 2008

Ma’an, as well as the rest of the PalArab media, reports:

Israeli settlers executed an 18-year-old shepherd boy in the fields outside Aqraba, a town in the Nablus district of the northern West Bank.

Village municipal affairs representative Ghassan Douglas identified the young man as Yahya Atta Riahin. Douglas said that a gang of Israeli settlers from Itamar settlement shot the boy at least 20 times at close range.

Yahya did not return home with his sheep for the fast-breaking meal, Iftar. His family alerted the neighbors and the whole village organized a search party to look for the missing boy.

His body was found in fields between the illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar and the villages of Aqraba and Awarta.

According to Douglas, eyewitnesses reported seeing a white vehicle driven by Israeli settlers stop, chase down the boy and shot him directly.

We have here a story that only exists in the Palestinian Arab press and its veracity depends on a politician who claims that eyewitnesses saw it. (Some of the Arabic press is more lurid, claiming that the settlers beheaded the victim.)

None of the Israeli media has picked up on this story nor has any wire service.

Besides the fact that it is highly implausible that a carful of settlers was driving around just to kill a random Arab shepherd for no reason, there is another problem with this story: it supposedly happened on the Jewish Sabbath.

It had to have happened before the Sabbath was over, because the dead youth would have made sure to make it home to his family at the moment of the Iftar meal during Ramadan which would be roughly the same time that Shabbat is over.

So now we are supposed to believe that not only were settlers driving around and randomly murdering Palestinian Arabs, but that these supposed religious fanatics were violating the Sabbath to do that?

Sorry, but chances are more likely that the victim was shot by other Arabs, or something completely different happened. As it is, the accusations seem to be just another of a long series of lies. 

Stinky Beaumont is project-managing a major code refactoring process this weekend, that we’ve been putting off because it’s painful. We’re talking duplicated code. Global variables. Inconsistent variable naming. Remnants from the days before we started coding smart, instead of just getting it working. It’s not all like this, but the Ajax-based comments code in particular still had a funny smell in some neglected corners. In other words, it worked but it wasn’t sleek.

We’re replacing duplicated code with object methods, or functions where the procedural code still needs more untangling. Replacing global variables with constants where possible, object properties where not.

It’s happening bit by bit, piece by piece, step by step. While loop by function call. Much of the ‘new comments’ logic has now been refactored in this way, and the front page and daily archives pages now use a common display interface.

And with that, I’m opening registration for a very limited time.

UPDATE at 9/27/08 5:45:20 pm:

Here’s a tip that comes in handy for eliminating global variables in PHP.

Constants are very useful for this purpose. They’re automatically available in the global scope. But they’re limited to numbers or strings. No arrays. Bummer.

But you can define an array, then serialize it and define the resulting serialized string as a constant. Then when you need to use it, even within a function or object method, you can simply unserialize the array and you’re good to go. For example, to define the serialized array:

$myItems = array('item1', 'item2', 'item3');
define('MY_ITEMS', serialize($myItems));

Then, to access the “array constant:”

$array = unserialize(MY_ITEMS);

UPDATE at 9/28/08 9:54:46 am:

LGF reader “scrad” pointed out that you can access any variable in the global scope (including arrays and objects) by using PHP's $GLOBALS array. The above example could also be coded this way (eliminating the overhead of the serialize/unserialize functions):

$myItems = array('item1', 'item2', 'item3');

To access the second item in the array:

$item2 = $GLOBALS['myItems'][1];

[Click image to enlarge]

Here’s a heat/size map of this blog, courtesy of Wordle. My favourites: Palestinian and Peace, not Israel.

Looking forward to “Peace”. Meanwhile, for “Occupation” to end with the end of “Israel”, figuratively speaking. Or actually, not figuratively speaking!

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• 1:00

  IAF pilot kicks the $%#@ out of two Bedouin

   » ‎ Israel Matzav
  I wish I had this on video. An IAF pilot driving to work in southern Israel on Thursday was harassed by two Bedouin who tried to cause an accident. Eventually, the Bedouin managed to force the pilot to the side of the road, where they were in for a little surprise. When the pilot got out of his car, one of the Bedouins attempted to slap him. Unfortunately for the attackers, it turned out that
• 0:39

  Syria blaming Israel, US for Damascus car bombing UPDATED with English-language video

   » ‎ Israel Matzav
  This post has now been updated with an English-language video from CNN. Please scroll down. A powerful car bomb went off in a taxi in Damascus, Syria earlier Saturday, killing 17 Iranian pilgrims. The Syrians are blaming little Satan and big Satan as usual. Israel and the US are responsible for the car bomb which exploded in Damascus, killed 17 people and wounding 14 others, several Syrian

• 0:37

  RIP: Paul Newman

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  Paul Newman died today at the age of 83. His memorable and unique films included Exodus and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and he’ll be greatly missed.

  UPDATE at 9/27/08 3:11:59 pm:

  Here’s the terrific opening scene from one of Newman’s lesser known performances, in the Coen Brothers’ The Hudsucker Proxy.

  [Video]

  

  

• 0:24

  Palin: 'We can't second guess Israel on its security'

   » ‎ Israel Matzav
  Shavua Tov, a good week to everyone. A lot of knee-jerk Democratic voting Jews are trying to question Sarah Palin's support for Israel. I heard a lot of it when I was in Boston. Those people are all wrong. This is Palin telling off Katie Couric who seems generally concerned by the fact that Palin would give Israel free reign when it comes to its own security. Let's go to the videotape.

• 0:19

  The Federal Reserve's Board of Governors Incestuous Relations

   » ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free

  WaMu. Another Mergers and Aquisitions Deal For JP Morgan Chase

  read more

• 0:00

  Searching our souls in the spirit of Ben Azai

   » ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories
  We must afford universal respect to all of mankind, since God created all of us in His image.

• 0:00

  Sudan forces kill six kidnappers, arrest two

   » ‎ Alarabiya.net English | Middle East
  Sudanese forces have killed six kidnappers who had abducted 19 tourists and Egyptians in a remote desert nine days ago, and arrested two, in a gun battle after a high-speed chase near the Egyptian border, Sudanese presidential advisor Mahjoub Fadl Badri told reporters on Sunday. "Sudanese
• 0:00

  Israel's Olmert warns of "Jewish underground"

   » ‎ Alarabiya.net English | Middle East
  Israeli interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said a bomb attack on a pro-Palestinian historian appeared to have been carried out by a right-wing group and warned of a "bad wind" of extremism in some parts of the country. "A new ultranationalist underground is apparently active in

• September 27, 2008
• 23:37

  Syrian Mukhabarat Perhaps Responsible for Today’s Car-Bomb Attack

   » ‎ Counterterrorism Blog

  A car bomb, most likely a truck, exploded today in Syria on the highway leading to the Airport killing more than 17 and wounding many others. In the hours following the blast a media blitz came out of Damascus and Tehran accusing mainly (and automatically) Israel, but also hinting at "forces inside Lebanon in collaboration with regional powers -that would be the Saudis- aiming at harming Syrian national security." Commentators backing the Syrian version, including on al Jazeera, hinted at Sunni militants as suspects as well. Interestingly a Syrian group in exile said it was an accident and the truck was prepared for an operation in the region, most likely in Iraq. But experts in Syrian intelligence support to Terror operations said it is less likely that a truck destined to Iraq -or even Lebanon- would be prepared as far as Damascus. It would be too far and too risky.

  In a chat with Thomas Smith from the World Defense Review this morning, I advanced another theory: Most likely, it was produced by the Syrian intelligence services, or at least one of these agencies, for strategic reasons: One is to send a message to the West that Syria is also targeted by Terrorists. Two, it could be in preparation for actions to take place against anti-Syrian Sunni sectors inside Lebanon. Here is the short interview as published by World Defense Review today.

• 23:32

  Palestinians attack students near Hebron

   » ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories
  Assailants throw stones at troops; Hebron spokeswoman: Earlier, Palestinians assaulted girls.

• 23:20

  on sovereignty

   » ‎ Body on the Line
  Watching the first U.S. Presidential debates today was like watching a contest to see who could out perform the other with respect to American hegemony and supremacy. It was like watching who could make more blunders to prove who did not know anything about the regions they discussed (both of them said the “Iranian Republican [...]

• 23:15

  Tibi: Meeting with Syrian FM unplanned

   » ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories
  Insists Israeli peace with Syria, Palestinians must be based on withdrawal from "forbidden" territories.

• 22:42

  "German" Foreign Minister Steinmeier blasts Ahmadinejad's speech

   » ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free
  German FM: Ahmadinejad's UN speech 'blatant anti-Semitism'

  Haaretz

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• 21:24

  The Real Reason For The Bail Out Rush - The Fed Is Going Under

   » ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free
  Related

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• 20:57

  Car Bomb Kills 17 in Syria

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  A taxi packed with explosives blew up on a crowded residential street in Damascus today, killing at least 17 people.

  Syrian television said a car packed with 440 pounds (200 kilograms) of explosives blew up on Mahlak Street, in a southern district of the Syrian capital close to the city’s international airport. The charred remains of the car was shown by television in the street near a primary school as firefighters stood near a wide crater believed be caused by the blast.

  One witness said on television the explosion sounded like an earthquake. “My apartment collapsed, and five of my family members are injured and in hospital,” he said.

  Another witnesses who was sleeping in his truck at the time of the blast said it appeared as if the bomb vehicle was a taxi. “I saw lots of smoke and the glass windows of my truck shattered.”

  Bassam Abdul-Majid, the Syrian Interior Minister, called the bombing a terrorist act and said all the victims were civilians. But he would not say who might have been responsible. “We cannot accuse any party. There are ongoing investigations that will lead us to those who carried it out.”

  

  

• 19:58

  TiU Radio 27th Sept - The Irish Holocaust (mp3)

   » ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free

  The Info Underground
  TiU Radio

  Date Saturday  27th Sept 2008
  Hosted by Ognir

  What is the NWO,  where do we stand along the time-line at the moment

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• 19:46

  Nature's 18 Science Questions

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  Science journal Nature asked both presidential candidates to answer 18 questions about science and science education (different from the questions asked in Sciencedebate 2008). John McCain declined the invitation but Barack Obama responded: US election: Questioning the candidates.

  Since McCain (for whatever reason) didn’t participate, Nature included his public statements on the issues under discussion.

  Do you believe that evolution by means of natural selection is a sufficient explanation for the variety and complexity of life on Earth? Should intelligent design, or some derivative thereof, be taught in science class in public schools?

  Obama: I believe in evolution, and I support the strong consensus of the scientific community that evolution is scientifically validated. I do not believe it is helpful to our students to cloud discussions of science with non-scientific theories like intelligent design that are not subject to experimental scrutiny.

  McCain said last year, in a Republican primary debate: “I believe in evolution. But I also believe, when I hike the Grand Canyon and see it at sunset, that the hand of God is there also.” In 2005, he told the Arizona Daily Star that he thought “all points of view” should be available to students studying the origins of humanity. But the next year a Colorado paper reported him saying that such viewpoints should not be taught in science class.

  

  

• 18:42

  Israeli security to turn LAX into an apartheid system for Jews and the rich

   » ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free

  Jeremy Rothe-Kushel questioned the efficacy of Israeli security firms, pointing out that Israeli firms were in charge of security at Logan Airport in Boston and the Newark airport on Sept.

  read more

• 18:33

  Public relations agency advised to seek cooperation with SEARCH ENGINES to censor negative info

   » ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free

  http://theinfounde

  read more

• 18:23

  Obama Blatantly Flip Flops on Missile Defense

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  Cuffy at Perfunction put together this short video clip, showing Barack Obama’s complete 180 degree reversal on missile defense in last night’s debate.

  [Video]

  

  

• 17:54

  Sarah Palin Gets Protection From Witches

   » ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free

  Is there anyway we can get protection from Sarah and her End Times beliefs?

  read more

• 17:29

  In pictures

   » ‎ BBC News | Middle East | World Edition
  Car bomb hits the Syrian capital, Damascus

• 17:20

  רכבת אווירית אמריקנית, של 14 מטוסי תובלה מהגדולים ביותר הנמצאים בחיל האוויר האמריקני,'גלובמסטר' , C-17 Globemaster III, ו'גלאקסי' C-5 Galaxy, העבירו לבסיס

   » ‎ DEBKAfile

  המקורות הצבאיים של תיקדבקה, מוסרים כי יחד עם מערכת המכ''ם הגיעו לבסיס חיל האוויר בנגב 120 קצינים וחיילים אמריקנים מפיקוד האירופאי האמריקני ה- EUCOM, אשר יתפעלו אותה. האזור בו המערכת תוצב בבסיס נבטים, יגודר, והכניסה למתקני המערכת ולמגורי החיילים האמריקנים תהייה אסורה לישראלים. זו פעם ראשונה שבבסיס של צה''ל מוצבת מערכת צבאית אמריקנית, לה לא תהייה לישראלים גישה. מלבד מערכת המכ''ם עצמה, הטיסו האמריקנים לישראל, מערכות גנרטורים בעלי עוצמה. שומרים וכלי נשק שיגנו על תחנת המכ''ם perimeter defense weaponry, ועשרות של טכנאי מכ''ם. להלן הפרטים המלאים.

• 17:20

  נפתחה הדרך בפני איראן להשלים את בנין הפצצה הגרעינית הראשונה ולערוך ניסוי גרעיני, ללא סנקציות, ללא התנגדות, מלבד מילולית, של 5 המעצמות, וללא פ�

   » ‎ DEBKAfile

  המקורות של תיקדבקה בוושינגטו: סוף השבוע, ובייחוד יום ו' 26.9, ייכנסו להיסטוריה הישראלית כיום בו התמוטטה סופית המדיניות הישראלית, של שמעון פרס, אהוד אולמרט, וציפי ליבני, מול איראן. בעוד נשיא המדינה שמעון פרס ממשיך לומר בניו יורק כי את הפצצה הגרעינית צריך לעצור העולם ולא ישראל, מסרב 'העולם' אפילו להטיל סנקציות נוספות על טהרן, ו-5 המעצמות, ביניהן ארצות הברית, וגרמניה מגישות למועצת הביטחון הצעת החלטה חדשה הקוראת לאיראן למלא את ההחלטות הקודמות של המועצה. כלומר, מדובר בהחלטה חסרת שיניים ותוכן. להלן הפרטים המלאים:

• 17:20

  לפחות 17 הרוגים בפיצוץ מכונית תופת בדמשק.

   » ‎ DEBKAfile

  תיקדבקה: מכונית תופת ובה כ-220 ק''ג חומר נפץ התפוצצה, בשבת בבוקר 27.9, ליד מתקני הביטחון והמודיעין בסידי קאדאד Sidi Kadad, הנמצאים על הדרך הראשית המוליכה לנמל התעופה הבינלאומי בדמשק. ישנם לפחות 17 הרוגים ו-14 פצועים, שזהותם לא נמסרה.

  הטלוויזיה הסורית הפסיקה בשבת בבוקר את שידוריה והודיעה על ההתפוצצות. הכביש בו אירעה ההתפוצצות הוא גם הכביש המוביל את אחד המקומות המקודשים ביותר לשיעיים מקדש זינאב Zeinab shrine, שהוא אתר עלייה לרגל לאיראנים רבים. המקורות של תיקדבקה: ייתכן כי מכונית התופת נועדה לחסל אישיות בכירה איראנית או של חיזבאללה שעברה במקום, או קבוצה של איראנים, שהם אנשי צבא וביטחון, הקשורים לתוכנית הגרעינית האיראנית. זהו הפיצוץ הגדול ביותר של מכונית תופת בדמשק מאז חודש פברואר השנה כאשר חוסל עימד מורנייה.

• 16:24

  Alessandra Stanley: "Mr. Obama was not particularly ...

   » ‎ War and Piece
  Alessandra Stanley: "Mr. Obama was not particularly warm or amusing; at times he was stiff and almost pedantic. But all he had to do was look presidential, and that was not such a stretch. Mr. McCain had the harder task...

• 13:47

  haYoreh..

   » ‎ East Med Sea Peace
  the first rain for the season has come down.. more or less.. its exciting.. we love our rain.. i was on the phone to my mother discussing rosh hashana plans when this happened.. my mother squealed from excitement.. she is so funny..
  
  

• 12:22

  Czechoslovakian Strategic Air Defense: A Cold War Case Study

   » ‎ IMINT & Analysis
  INTRODUCTION
  
  The Czechoslovakian strategic air defense network provided air defense for a critical portion of territory in the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War. Various SAM sites provided air defense for the Warsaw Pact's southwestern region, theoretically preventing NATO air strikes from being mounted into Czechoslovakia or onward into East Germany or Poland.
  
  GENERAL LAYOUT
  
  The Czechoslovakian strategic SAM network operated five SAM systems at various points in its history, the SA-75 Dvina and S-75M Volkhov (SA-2 GUIDELINE), S-125 Neva (SA-3 GOA), S-200VE Vega (SA-5 GAMMON), and S-300PMU (SA-10B GRUMBLE). Tactical air defense was provided primarily by 2K12 Kub (SA-6 GAINFUL) units. Strategic SAM assets were assigned to five different anti-aircraft brigades, or PLRBs. Engagement ranges of the strategic SAM systems are as follows:
  
  SA-75 Dvina: 34 km
  S-75M Volkhov: 43 km
  S-125 Neva: 25 km
  S-200VE Vega: 240 km
  S-300PMU: 90 km
  
  In the imagery contained within this article, SAM systems will be identified as follows: 2K12 sites are marked with green circles, SA-75 and S-75 series sites are marked with triangles and red range rings, S-125 series sites are marked with stars and light blue range rings, and S-200 series sites are marked with hexagons and purple range rings.
  
  71 PLRB
  
  The 71st PLRB provided air defense for the Czechoslovakian capital of Prague. Initial air defense units were equipped with the SA-75 Dvina. In 1965, these units were reequipped with S-75M Volkhov batteries, with the Dvina batteries being relocated to stand up the 77th PLRB. In 1973 the 71st PLRB began to receive the S-125 Neva, and in 1985 the S-200VE Vega arrived. By the end of 1989, eight S-75M and eight S-125 sites were active, alongside the S-200VE site. The S-300PMU arrived in 1990, displacing one of the S-75M batteries near Lisek. Czech air defense units were reorganized in 1994, with the 72st PLRB becoming the 41st PLRB. The 41st PLRB's S-200VE battery disbanded in 1994, and the entire unit was disestablished in 1999.
  
  The following image depicts the coverage of the 71st PLRB in 1989. S-200VE coverage is not depicted.
  
  
  The following image depicts the coverage of the 41st PLRB in 1994:
  
  
  76 PLRB
  
  The 76th PLRB provided air defense for the city of Brno and the surrounding areas. Stood up with the SA-75 Dvina at four locations in 1965, the 76th PLRB added four S-125 batteries in the mid 1970's. In 1985 two Dvina batteries reequipped with the S-75M Volkhov, the two remaining Dvina batteries being retired by 1989. 1989 also saw the addition of the second Czechoslovakian S-200VE site. Unlike the 71st PLRB, when the 76th PLRB underwent reorganization the S-200VE was retained. The 76th PLRB became the 42nd PLRB under the reorganization, and was disestablished in 1999.
  
  The following image depicts the coverage of the 76th PLRB in 1985. Note the larger engagement zones of the two S-75M batteries.
  
  
  The following image depicts the coverage of the 42nd PLRB in 1994:
  
  
  77 PLRB
  
  The 77th PLRB was established in 1965 to defend the region surrounding Ostrava. As previously mentioned, the initial equipment came from the 71st PLRB in the form of surplus SA-75 Dvina systems which were deployed at five locations. Between 1985 and 1990, the 77th PLRB was reequipped with S-75M Volkhov batteries. The 77th PLRB survived the 1994 reorganization unscathed, retaining all five operational batteries until the unit was disbanded in 1999.
  
  The following image depicts the coverage of the 77th PLRB in 1990. 43rd PLRB coverage was identical.
  
  
  185 PLRB
  
  The 185th PLRB was established in 1962 to defend the western border of Czechoslovakia and the approaches to Prague. Given that the western border was shared with the southeastern border of West Germany, a layered air defense posture such as this would provide greater defense against a NATO aerial attack. The first S-75M Volkhov batteries stood up in 1964, eventually equipping five locations. The northern two locations were disbanded between 1985 and 1990. The 185th PLRB did not survive the reorganization, having been disestablished sometime between 1990 and 1994.
  
  The following image depicts the coverage of the 185th PLRB at full strength in 1984:
  
  
  186 PLRB
  
  The 186th PLRB was established in the early 1960's to provide defense of the area surrounding Bratislava. After reception of the S-125 in the mid 1970s, the 186th PLRB consisted of four S-75M sites and four S-125 sites. The 186th PLRB was renamed the 37th PLRB following the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993, becoming part of the new Slovakian air defense network. The 37th PLRB was inactive by 2002.
  
  The following image depicts the coverage of the 186th PLRB in 1989:
  
  
  2K12 KUB
  
  Tactical air defense for armored units was provided by nine 2K12 Kub units. These units were stood up between 1975 and 1985. Each unit was based at a garrison and was provided with a fixed launch site for field deployment to allow the Kub batteries to perform as part of the overall air defense network. Two Kub units became part of the Slovakian air defense network following the split in 1993. The western unit at Nitra became part of the 36th PLRB, with the eastern unit becoming part of the 35th PLRB.
  
  The following image depicts the locations of the 2K12 batteries. Where known, the placemarks depict the locations of the firing locations.
  
  
  OVERALL COVERAGE
  
  Taken as a whole the Czechoslovakian Cold War SAM network was arranged geographically, with each brigade being responsible for defending a set piece of territory usually surrounding a major population center. The only exception to this rule would be the 185th PLRB, which was emplaced to provide an additional barrier of defense for Prague.
  
  The following image depicts the locations of the various strategic SAM units based in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War up through 1989. 71st PLRB sites are orange, 76th PLRB sites are red, 77th PLRB sites are yellow, 185th PLRB sites are purple, and 186th PLRB sites are blue.
  
  
  The following image depicts the overall coverage of the Czechoslovakian air defense network as it existed in 1989:
  
  
  The following image depicts the coverage of the SAM network following the 1994 reorganization of the Czech Republic's air defense assets:
  
  
  LIMITATIONS
  
  The main drawback to the Czechoslovakian SAM deployment strategy was that a large swath of territory between Prague and Brno was largely undefended, only falling under the umbrella of the S-200VE batteries of the 71st and 76th PLRBs. As the S-200VE did not perform well at low altitudes or against maneuvering targets at long ranges, the potential for a NATO strike package to ingress through the area was high. It is likely that this are would have been monitored and defended by Soviet and Czechoslovakian interceptors during a time of war, minimizing this potential. In fact, this area may have been set aside for use as an egress corridor for Soviet and Warsaw Pact strike packages, the lack of SAM coverage preventing any friendly fire incidents during the opening stages of a critical air campaign against NATO.
  
  Apart from the deployment strategy, the primary weakness of the Czechoslovakian air defense network, especially during the latter stages of the Cold War, was an overreliance on older SAM systems. NATO members had experience against all of the SAM systems deployed in Czechoslovakia, and the potential for a debilitating electronic warfare campaign was very high. Also, each SAM battery could only engage a single target per engagement radar, with only the S-200VE sites featuring multiple engagement radars. This made the Czechoslovakian strategic SAM network vulnerable to saturation. This was a primary drawback of any nation relying on Soviet-era SAM systems for strategic air defense: until the arrival of the S-300P series SAM systems, a prohibitive number of SAM batteries would be required for any strategic SAM network to be regarded as a truly reliable means of defense.
  
  THE S-300PMU
  
  The S-300PMU was delivered to Czechoslovakia in 1990, becoming part of the 71st PLRB. The S-300PMU was intended to replace most of the extant S-75M Volkhov units inside of Czechoslovakia, but the cessation of the Cold War brought to a halt any future plans for reequipment. In the end only a single S-300PMU battery was activated in Czechoslovakia, replacing an S-75M battery at a site near Prague. The Czechoslovakian S-300PMU battery was positioned at 49°58'07.64"N 14°00'42.37"E. Following the breakup of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the S-300PMU battery was transferred to Slovakia, where it became part of the Slovakian 36th PLRB.
  
  The following image depicts the Slovakian S-300PMU battery near Nitra:
  
  
  The Slovakian S-300PMU site was active as of August 30, 2005, as evidenced by Digital Globe imagery contained in Google Earth. Recently, however, Google has provided coverage of the majority of Slovakia from Geodis Slovakia, imagery which was gathered in 2004. The 2004 imagery does not depict the S-300PMU battery, suggesting that it was not active at Nitra before that date.
  
  The following image from Digital Globe, dated 30 August 2005, clearly shows the Nitra S-300PMU location, circled in red:
  
  
  CONCLUSION
  
  Czechoslovakian strategic air defense assets would have played a critical role in any Warsaw Pact confrontation with NATO. Aside from providing air defense of critical areas of the nation, the S-200VE batteries combined with those of East Germany and Hungary to provide a significant air defense umbrella for the majority of the Warsaw Pact's western front. Interestingly, there does not appear to have been any significant Soviet contribution to the strategic air defense network in Czechoslovakia. This was likely due to the relatively small number of Soviet military units located in-coutry when compared to other Warsaw Pact states like East Germany or Poland.
  
  ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION
  
  Feel free to discuss this feature at the IMINT & Analysis Forum discussion thread found here.
  
  GOOGLE EARTH PLACEMARK DATA
  
  The range rings used to create this article can be downloaded as a Google Earth placemark file here.
  
  SOURCES
  
  -Imagery provided courtesy of Google Earth and Digital Globe
  
  Czech Air Defense Units
  Jane's Land-based Air Defence, various editionsAuthored by Sean O'Connor Visit geimint.blogspot.com for the article in its entirety.

• 8:33

  Arab TV Tests Societies’ Limits With Depictions of Sex and Equality

   » ‎ NYT > Middle East
  While most Arab television dramas are produced in Syria and Egypt, the Arab world’s biggest TV market, in Saudi Arabia, is by far the most culturally conservative.