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The_Red_Crayon
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Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East.
#5799481 - 06/28/06 01:53 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Warplanes bombed militant training camps and artillery rounds were fired within earshot of Gaza Strip Wednesday as Israel kept up the pressure on Palestinian militants to release a captured Israeli soldier.
The Hamas-led Palestinian government responded to the Israeli incursion by calling for a prisoner swap to solve the crisis.
Militant groups holding the Israeli soldier had proposed an exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, but it was the first time the government had made such a request.
It is "natural logic" to carry out an exchange, a statement released by the Information Ministry said.
"This has been exercised by previous Israeli governments with Hezbollah and the PLO, and this is what other countries do in conflict situations," the statement said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said there will be no negotiations and called for the unconditional release of the soldier, 19-year-old Cpl. Gilad Shalit. Olmert said Israel did not intend to reoccupy Gaza but would not balk at "extreme action" to bring home Shalit, who was captured in a cross-border raid on Sunday.
But if Israelis do not negotiate a swap, Palestinian militants will conclude "that they should capture more soldiers," Hamas' representative in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, told The Associated Press.
"The message for the resistance is to kill soldiers, even if they have the opportunity to capture them," he said.
Palestinians readied weapons and fortified positions in preparation for a major strike after Israel sent troops and tanks across the border just after midnight local time. No casualties have been reported since the offensive began.
Tension rose as Israel artillery units opened fire near Gaza City, causing loud explosions but no injuries or damage. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the units were test-firing the weapons and had not fired at a specific target.
Residents of northern Gaza, preparing for what they feared could be a long military operation, stocked up on food, candles and batteries for radios as a minister warned of a "humanitarian crisis."
The White House continued pressuring Hamas, saying it was the responsibility of the Palestinian government to "stop all acts of violence and terror." But the United States also urged Israel to show restraint.
"In any actions the government of Israel may undertake, the United States urges that it ensures that innocent civilians are not harmed, and also that it avoid the unnecessary destruction of property and infrastructure," White House press secretary Tony Snow said.
It was Israel's first ground offensive since pulling its soldiers and settlers out of Gaza last summer.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas deplored the incursion as a "crime against humanity," and a leading Hamas politician issued a call to arms against the Israeli troops.
Meanwhile, concerns about the fate of a missing West Bank settler grew after militants claiming to hold him displayed what they said was a copy of his identification card.
Also, a group affiliated with Abbas' Fatah party claimed to hold a third Israeli and threatened to attack an unspecified Israeli embassy within days.
Israeli Troops Enter Gaza With 'One Objective'
Israeli tanks and soldiers began taking up positions east of Rafah overnight under cover of tank shells, witnesses and Palestinian security officials said. Capt. Jacob Dallal, a military spokesman, said troops moved a mile inside the coastal strip.
He said the army was prepared for a long operation, and "everything is on the table."
Israeli warplanes fired at least nine missiles at Gaza's only power station, cutting electricity to 65 percent of the Gaza Strip, engineers at the station said. The station's three functioning turbines and a gasoline reservoir were engulfed in flames.
Wasfi Kabha, the Palestinian minister of prisoner affairs, said the Israeli attacks were creating a "humanitarian crisis."
Quote:
"They hit the bridges, they hit the power station, so there will be a problem in water supply and health services," he told the British Broadcasting Corp.
Areas in northern Gaza that receive electricity from Israel still had power, and generators relieved darkness in other places.
The Israeli military said three bridges were attacked "to impair the ability of the terrorists to transfer the kidnapped soldier." Knocking down the bridges cut Gaza in two, Palestinian security officials said.
Witnesses reported heavy artillery shelling near the long-closed Gaza airport outside of Rafah. Warplanes flew low over the strip, rocking it with sonic booms and shattering windows.
Fighter jets repeatedly fired missiles at open fields in northern and southern Gaza in a show of force, the military said. Two missiles hit empty Hamas training camps, witnesses said. Separately, Israel attacked a rocket-making factory in the area.
"We won't hesitate to carry out extreme action to bring Gilad back to his family," Olmert said. "All the military activity that started overnight will continue in the coming days.
"We do not intend to reoccupy Gaza. We have one objective, and that is to bring Gilad home."
Shalit was captured Sunday during an attack on a southern Israeli military post by militants affiliated with the Palestinians' ruling Hamas party. Israel believes the group's Syria-based leaders ordered the operation.
Hamas' Syria Political Chief Faces Reprisal; Warplanes Fly by President's Home
Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon said Hamas' Syria-based political chief, Khaled Mashaal, was "not immune" from Israeli reprisal.
"Khaled Mashaal, as someone who is overseeing, actually commanding the terror acts, is definitely a target," Ramon told Army Radio. The station interpreted his comments as meaning Mashaal was a target for assassination.
Israel tried to kill Mashaal in a botched attempt in Jordan in 1997. Two Mossad agents injected Mashaal with poison but were caught. As Mashaal lay dying in a Jordanian hospital, King Hussein forced Israel to provide the antidote in return for releasing the Mossad agents.
Ramon told Israel Radio in a separate interview that he believed diplomacy had run its course.
Abbas deplored the Israeli invasion, calling it "collective punishment and a crime against humanity," and he urged the United States and other international negotiators to intervene, according to a statement.
An aide said Abbas called Syrian President Bashar Assad to ask him to persuade Mashaal to free the soldier. Assad promised to do so, the aide said on condition of anonymity because he was discussing private talks.
Israeli warplanes on Wednesday buzzed Assad's summer residence, military officials said, in a message aimed at pressuring the Syrian leader to win the release of the captured Israeli soldier.
The officials said Assad was targeted because of the "direct link" between Syria and Hamas.
Deputy Prime Minister Nasser Shaer of Hamas said his government, too, was trying to resolve the situation diplomatically.
"We call for an immediate halt to the invasion, and urge that the soldier's life be spared," Shaer said.
Strike Leaves Empty Streets; Dozens Seek Sanctuary
The normally bustling streets in southern Gaza, where the invasion was launched, were eerily deserted, with people taking refuge inside their homes. The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt — Gaza's main link to the outside world — has been closed since Sunday.
Israeli troops, backed by tanks, took over the Gaza airport. Dozens of people living near the airport left their homes, seeking sanctuary in nearby Rafah.
A small grocery near the airport was open, but no one was inside except owner Allah Abu Jazr.
"We want the soldier to return home, just as we want our prisoners to come home," Abu Jazr, 45, said.
Militants said they fired rockets early Wednesday at several Israeli targets, including Nahal Oz, the Israeli forces' staging area.
Kidnappings Aggravate Tense Relations
Shalit's abduction has threatened to turn devastated relations between Israel and the Hamas-led government into all-out war. Hamas took over the Palestinian Authority after winning parliamentary elections in January and has been under international pressure to renounce violence and recognize Israel.
Complicating matters was a new claim by the Popular Resistance Committees, one of the three groups that carried out Sunday's assault, that it had also kidnapped a Jewish settler, 18-year-old Eliahu Asheri, in the West Bank.
Outside a Gaza City mosque, PRC militants displayed what they said was a copy of Asheri's ID card and reiterated threats to kill him if Israel did not end the invasion.
The group also warned that it had just begun its campaign to seize soldiers.
"The operation of kidnapping soldiers has started and is in a countdown," spokesman Mohammed Abdel Al said.
Separately, a statement obtained by the AP and signed by Abu Fouad, a spokesman for the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Gaza, said the group was holding an unidentified 62-year-old Israeli from Rishon Lezion.
The statement said the man was kidnapped Monday and that more evidence would be released later.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police had a missing persons report concerning a man identified as Noah Moskovitch.
Palestinians Call for Prisoner-Swap, Laud Abductions
In a separate statement, Al Aqsa said it planned to attack an unspecified Israeli embassy soon.
Despite the ground and air assault, many Palestinians in Gaza said they saw the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier as a military action and expressed the feeling that he should not be released without major concessions from Israel.
"Even if they slaughter 100,000 Palestinians, this is a chance that can't be lost. It's the only way the prisoners will be able to get out," said Bassem al Khoudry, 35, owner of a fast food stand in Gaza City. "If they release him with nothing in return, they would betray their nation, their prisoners."
Abdel Fatah al-Aila, a 61-year old engineer in Gaza, called the abduction a "courageous" operation that followed Israeli attacks that killed Palestinian civilians. Israel has been shelling northern Gaza and carrying out airstrikes targeting militants in response to a wave of rocket attacks into Israel, and some civilians have been killed.
"This is not kidnapping, but a military operation against a military target," al-Aila said.
Palestinians said they were confused by Israel's refusal to negotiate an exchange.
Palestinian prisoners are no less "precious" than Lebanese prisoners, said Nihaya Armelad, a 31-year-old mother of five who lives in the southern town of Rafah, which would likely be the front line of any Israeli ground assault.
"They have to exchange him for [Palestinian] prisoners," Armelad said. "They haven't seen their children in years. We are [humans] just like the Israelis."
Since the abduction, prisoners' relatives have marched through Gaza's streets demanding their family members be released in exchange for his freedom.
Sanaa Hirz, 44, said she was willing to weather attacks from Israel if it would bring the release of her husband, a Fatah activist who has been in prison for 22 years.
"Gazans are used to missiles, assassinations, artillery. Every day there is death. Death is a natural thing," she said. "Let it come ... it is better with honor."
What the fuck has got into Israel? They are punishing an entire region because some militants took a hostage. Does anyone think this is overreacting a bit.
Why do they need to destroy Electrical grids and water treatment centers? Why do they need to destroy bridges? This is clearly EBO (effects based operations) Israel is obviously up to some no good shit.
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xDuckYouSuckerx
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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: The_Red_Crayon]
#5799838 - 06/28/06 03:45 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Israel always over reacts. Of course, we only get the one-sided story of this, the story that puts us in the same boats as our democratic little ally against the evil brown scary Muslim-people! I wonder why...

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zappaisgod
horrid asshole

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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: xDuckYouSuckerx]
#5799847 - 06/28/06 03:51 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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The election of Hamas to the leadership has removed their ability to blame this on "militants". They are the militants and the people voted for militants to lead their country. Not very smart.
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xDuckYouSuckerx
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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: zappaisgod]
#5799852 - 06/28/06 03:53 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Yes, fortunately Israel doesn't have such militant leaders in it's past! I mean, imagine the negative press Israel would get, the denouncement from the US leadership and media (hardy-har), if they ever elected someone who was out killing noncombatants in foreign countries, commiting acts of murder against civilian targets in soverign nations, or targeting people for assassination.
-------------------- Unions are the bastions of the mediocre. - luvdemshrooms
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xDuckYouSuckerx
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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: xDuckYouSuckerx]
#5799856 - 06/28/06 03:54 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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hah, how did that picture of Barak sneak it's way in there? How ironic.
-------------------- Unions are the bastions of the mediocre. - luvdemshrooms
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Basilides
Servent ofWisdom


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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: The_Red_Crayon]
#5800219 - 06/28/06 05:50 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Collective punishment has been an Israeli policy for years now, it's not surprising
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    "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death."
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zappaisgod
horrid asshole

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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: Basilides]
#5800329 - 06/28/06 06:24 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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There are no longer militants in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has committed several acts of war against Israel since they won the election. Daily rocket attacks and now infiltration, murder and kidnappings. Oh well. They elected these assholes.
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Basilides
Servent ofWisdom


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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: zappaisgod]
#5800335 - 06/28/06 06:26 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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If there's rockets being fired from the Gaza strip there are probably militants there
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    "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death."
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zappaisgod
horrid asshole

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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: Basilides]
#5800345 - 06/28/06 06:29 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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They're no longer miltants. They are now state approved and funded actors.
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Basilides
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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: zappaisgod]
#5800368 - 06/28/06 06:36 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Nope. That might make sense if the PA police were the ones firing rockets into Israel and kidnapping soldiers.
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    "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death."
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xDuckYouSuckerx
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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: zappaisgod]
#5800648 - 06/28/06 08:19 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
zappaisgod said: They're no longer miltants. They are now state approved and funded actors.
I'm sure we are all awaiting Israels proclaimation that these "people" are now considered enemy combatants and that the Geneva convention applies to them. Come on Israel, you can't have it both ways, can you?
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Basilides
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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: xDuckYouSuckerx]
#5800842 - 06/28/06 09:09 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
xDuckYouSuckerx said:
Quote:
zappaisgod said: They're no longer miltants. They are now state approved and funded actors.
I'm sure we are all awaiting Israels proclaimation that these "people" are now considered enemy combatants and that the Geneva convention applies to them. Come on Israel, you can't have it both ways, can you?
Shouldn't it be "doesn't apply to them" (the Geneva convention)?
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    "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death."
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xDuckYouSuckerx
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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: Basilides]
#5802461 - 06/29/06 08:51 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Nope, now that Hamas is a recognized government and their forces, according to the country-that-can't-do-wrong, are offical fighters (like ZIG said, they aren't militians anymore), they should be protected by the Geneva convention. I'm sure that Israel will stop reprisal bombings, torture, murder, assassination, all of those things. Right Israel?
Oh Zappa, no comment on PM Barak? I mean, you realize that he is, quite literally, a murderer, right? He went into foreign countries, soverign nations, and killed un-uniformed civilians. But I guess thats OK, right? Israel and the US are on the same side, the civilized world fighting those stinky brown people, so it's ok.
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero


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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: xDuckYouSuckerx]
#5802482 - 06/29/06 09:03 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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> they should be protected by the Geneva convention.
One has to abide by the convention in order to be protected. I have a friend that used to be a sniper in the USMC. There were times that he was ordered to violate the Geneva convention. He was told that if he got caught by the enemy, that he would not be protected by the convention because he was not following it himself.
There are many requirements of the Geneva convention, such as soldiers must be in uniform. If the powers in charge do not follow the rules of the convention, then they certainly should not get the protections offered under the convention.
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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: Seuss]
#5802489 - 06/29/06 09:07 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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When I was in the USMC, and later the Army, we were given VERY SPECIFIC instructions on what to do if given an illegal order. Such as "not follow it".
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Seuss
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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: xDuckYouSuckerx]
#5802675 - 06/29/06 10:10 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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> we were given VERY SPECIFIC instructions on what to do if given an illegal order. Such as "not follow it".
The work my friend was doing was well outside the lines of what is expected of the the typical soldier. This was back in the late 80's early 90's and was anti-drug related in Central America.
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xDuckYouSuckerx
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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: Seuss]
#5802927 - 06/29/06 11:32 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Yea, I dealt with guys that did drug interdiction. I was offered a chance to go do it, but I declined.
Do you think that Israel has violated the Geneva convention? Was Barak wearing a uniform and operating in an "area of war" when he was travelling to Beiruit to AK-47 some "terrorists" to death? Is that allowable under international law? I'm not saying that the habeebs are acting properly, I'm saying that the Israelie's aren't either and that we should pull our support from them until they do, or ideally, until hell freezes over.
-------------------- Unions are the bastions of the mediocre. - luvdemshrooms
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero


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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: xDuckYouSuckerx]
#5802974 - 06/29/06 11:53 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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> Do you think that Israel has violated the Geneva convention?
I don't know. I don't wanna get into a tit for tat debate between who is more correct, Israel or the PA... both behave as badly as the other at times. However, Hammas has to make some serious changes (im my opinion) before it has the right to claim protection under the Geneva Convention. (Is the PA even a signer of the GC?)
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xDuckYouSuckerx
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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: Seuss]
#5803025 - 06/29/06 12:08 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Doesn't matter. If one party is a signator, they have to obey. Even if the parties aren't signators, they can still be tried for War Crimes. I'm just sick of the whole holier-than-thou attitude of Israel. Israel drops some bombs on a family household and we hear how it's a "reprisal" done against the evilest of evil, brown terrorists peoples. Hamas wins an election and we hear how it's a terrorist government. The Jews know the value of the word "terrorist", and they've got enough media power to use it to suit their own needs.
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Redstorm
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Re: Bout' to be some big shooting in Middle East. [Re: xDuckYouSuckerx]
#5803033 - 06/29/06 12:10 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
I'm saying that the Israelie's aren't either and that we should pull our support from them until they do, or ideally, until hell freezes over.
I'll agree with that.
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