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September 30, 2005
Bangladesh: India Involved in Bombings
Following the massive August 17 bombings, it seems Bangladesh has chosen the classical Islamic path: when things go wrong, blame the infidel. They are now blaming India from what it obviously was a Jihadi attack: Bangladesh links India to serial blasts
Major-General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, head of Bangladesh's border guards, on a visit to India for regular border talks, said on Friday the suspected culprits had links with Bangladesh's giant neighbour. He told a news conference in the Indian capital that security forces have traced the route of the attackers and the explosives used to a neighbouring country. Asked which neighbouring country he was referring to, he said: "It is you, it is you I am telling, India."Chowdhury suggested that criminals from both Bangladesh and India may have conspired with the militants to carry out the attacks.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 9:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Iraq: Entire Anglican Leadership "Wiped Out"
A couple of days ago, the online version of Times reported that the leaders of St George's Church in Baghdad, the main Anglican church in Iraq, were attacked while returning from a conference in Jordan. The attack had happened along the road between Ramadi and Fallujah, a notorious blackspot for terror assaults. Canon White last heard news of the five people travelling on September 13, when he was told they had been attacked the day before.
Those travelling had included Maher Dakel, the lay pastor, Mona, his wife who led the women's section and their son Yeheya, the church's pianist and music director, Firas Raad, and their driver. Canon White, of the Foundation for Reconciliation in the Middle East, is the clergyman in charge of St George's, whose congregation numbers 800.
"It is the most dangerous area in Iraq," he said. "One of two things must have happened. They either got kidnapped or they died. But we have had no ransom demand or anything."Until recently, Canon White was the Archbishop of Canterbury's representative to the Middle East, and reopened St George's after the 2003 invasion/liberation. He was forced to withdraw due to the escalating violence in the region, and Maher Dakel was appointed to take services in his place. Today, the printed version of the Times confirms that no more news has come of the five travellers, making it seem certain that they are now assumed dead.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 8:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
US: Boston Muslims Angry at Governor's Wiretap Comments
In a report from IslamOnline, Muslims in Boston are outraged by Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's remarks that, in the war against terror, certain mosques should be "bugged". On September 14, in a speech to the Heritage Foundation, Romney claimed that mosques blamed for glorifying terrorism should be wiretapped. He further stated that foreign students from countries which Washington listed as "sponsors of terrorism" should be closely monitored.
Muslims, who are still a minority in Boston, numbering 200,000, stressed that he was sacrificing the state's smaller Muslim vote in favour of a tough line on homeland security. Mitt Romney is expected to try a bid for the presidential nomination in 2008.
If you click on the link above, you can read some of the comments that have been made. Since there ARE mosques in the US which have not only glorifed terrorism, but have actively helped to sponsor terrorism, the remarks originally made by the governor are absolutely sensible. Anyone who is seeking to deny that future terror attacks in the US are likely to either come from Islamic visitors or residents is not only denying a fundamental fact, but is showing more concern about their own special status as a "persecuted minority" rather than being concerned about the welfare and security of the country they have chosen to inhabit. Romney was referring to mosques that were "blamed for glorifying terrorism" which should be bugged. What is wrong with that? What do these Boston Muslims have to get so upset about? To quote Shakespeare: "Methinks thou protesteth too much." If you are truly innocent, then what is there to hide?
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 7:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
US: Iran Dispute May Jeopardise Russian Space Cooperation
In an article by Canada's CNEWS, it is reported that NASA's top official, Michael Griffin, is concerned that Russia's supplying of arms to Iran may cost future participation between Russia and the US on the joint space program, the International Space Station. Russia is helping Iran to build its nuclear power installation, which many in the IAEA already believe will be used to harvest plutonium for nuclear weapons. This would, in effect, mean that NASA's involvement with Russia, through its use of Soyuz and Progress spacecraft to reach the space station (ISS), would be breaking the law. The law in question is the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000. Russia is seeking payments from the US, since it has relied on Soviet craft to reach the ISS.
The Iran Nonproliferation Act requires that money should not be paid to any country supplying Iran with weapons of mass destruction, unless George W Bush determines that Russia is taking steps to prevent "transfers to Iran of weapons of mass destruction, missile technology and advanced conventional weapons technology."
Tomorrow, a US astronout will be blasting off to the ISS in a Russian Soyuz, accompanied by a Russian cosmonaut and a US businessmen who has paid for his own ticket.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 5:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
US/JAPAN: Porn site Carries Islamist Massacre Film
In a brief article from Global Politician, there is a disturbing message. A US hosted Japanese softcore porn site is also doubling as a "cyber home for radical Islamists". There is a particularly shocking video on the site called "The Ambon Massacre", available as a Windows Media Player upload, and lasting about six minutes. The site is http://www.dos222.com/ but cannot be accessed without a password. The first Ambon massacre occurred in 1623, on one of the Spice Islands, now Maluku in eastern Indonesia. Many Javanese Muslims had been relocated to this mainly Christian region. The recent Ambon Massacre, which happened in 2002, was led by Islamist cleric Jaffar Umar Thalib, head of Laskar Jihad. The massacre is described by John Marks Ministries:
After Friday prayers on 26 April, Thalib urged some 5,000 Muslims outside the Al-Fatah Mosque in Ambon to rally together in holy war against the Christians. He said, 'From today, we will no longer talk about reconciliation. Our ... focus now must be preparing for war - ready your guns, spears and daggers.' At 3:45am on Sunday 28 April, black-masked, heavily armed Islamic militants entered the Christian village of Soya (near Ambon city) as the people slept. They moved from house to house, killing up to 21 people by stabbing, decapitation or burning them alive, as well as wounding many more. Thirty homes and a Christian church were also incinerated. Whilst some attackers were seen with assault rifles and wearing military fatigues, the army denies any involvement.The video, though giving a date of 2004, is almost certainly of this 2002 event. It is shocking and gratuitous, with scenes of killing, decapitations, and the mutilation of children, with a sickening audio track, and repetetive images, designed as a form of sick "entertainment" for a jihadist. WARNING! DO NOT CLICK ON THIS LINK UNLESS YOU ARE SURE YOU CAN HANDLE IT! THE VIDEO IS VIOLENT AND SICKENING! THE AMBON MASSACRE - Discretion Advised.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 4:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Uncovering the "Alliance of Civilizations"
A previous report on Spanish PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero led us into his "Alliance of Civilizations" project. Now, courtesy of Memri we find out the AoC may have even more sinister motives than endless America-bashing: there is a second phase to the project, which would lead to the establishment of a World Parliament
The official U.N. announcement on behalf of Secretary-General Kofi Annan declared the establishment of a special trust fund to finance the project, and a Commission to prepare the action plan. The Turkish media has reported that there is a "second phase" to the project: the establishment of another world body parallel to the UN, to be called "The World Parliament," which will include representatives of all the faiths and cultures of the world.A front-page report by the mainstream, high circulation, Turkish daily Hurriyet, titled "A Turkish stamp on the World Parliament," elaborated on this vision...
Needless to say, that new monstrosity should be rejected outright: the U.N. is bad enough, something called "the World Parliament", created by the West's enemies, is bound to be worse.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 4:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The US staves off the forces of darkness once more
From BusinessWeek online we have the story of the United Nations latest bid to wrench control of the internet away from the United States on the basis of "fairness," since the entire world uses the internet.
I have several objections to allowing the United Nation to take control of the internet, not the least of which are that the UN is a diseased and corrupted institution that has already inflicted enough damage with the power it already has and that dictatorships, which hold much sway in the UN would take this opportunity to crush the free flow of information and clamp down on voices of dissent.
My chief objection, however, is that taking away control from the institution that has built, developed and successfully managed the internet to put it in the hands of another institution that did not build, develop and has not proven it can successfully manage the world wide web, is not "fair". It's near communism.
Posted by Isabel de Castilla at 2:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Cloud-cuckoo Land: Muslim Chaplain Resigns from FDNY after Nutty Comments Discovered
Oh, how heavy they are, the wages of post-modern war: Muslim chaplain quits after questioning 9/11
NEW YORK - The fire department's new Muslim chaplain abruptly resigned Friday after saying in a published interview that a broader conspiracy, not 19 al-Qaida hijackers, may have been responsible for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.[...]Habib told Newsday in an interview published Friday that he was skeptical of the official version of the attack on the World Trade Center, which killed 343 firefighters.
"I’ve heard professionals say that nowhere ever in history did a steel building come down with fire alone," he told the newspaper.
"It takes two or three weeks to demolish a building like that. But it was pulled down in a couple of hours," he said. "Was it 19 hijackers who brought it down, or was it a conspiracy?"
This has to be one of the most preposterous stories I've ever heard. First of all, the FDNY, for no apparent reason other than appearing culturally diverse and tolerant, goes out of its way to hire a Muslim Chaplain. Even then, the guy turns out to be an Islamo-nutjob. What would it take for people to realize the madness that is Islam?
Other commentary:
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 12:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
UK: Muslim Prisoners Risk Attack in Youth Jails
In a report from today's Guardian, the inquiry into the death of a young Muslim inmate, Zahid Mubarek, is due to reveal its findings later today. Zahid Mubarek was killed by his cellmate. Chairman of the inquiry, Mr Justice Keith, said in a note to the inquiry delegates that since 7/7, Muslim prisoners are more at risk of attack:
"The position of Muslims in prison is now high on the agenda - not simply because Zahid Mubarek was a Muslim, but also because of the significant increase in Muslim prisoners in recent years, and the possibility of reprisals against them by other prisoners in the wake of recent terrorist outrages," he said. "What steps, if any, are being taken to afford Muslim prisoners adequate protection from other inmates?"19-year old Zahid Mubarek was killed in 2000 at Feltham young offenders institution by Robert Stewart, a known racist who was in the same cell.
The inquiry seminar is the fifth of six, and the final report will be finished in February next year. Keith suggested that race relations officers should be recruited from outside the prison establshment, and suggested imams in prisons should take on a more pastoral role, as is already expected from chaplains.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 6:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Thailand: Muslims Kill 3 in South
Following on from recent bloody events, a report from Reuters today indicates further violence is on the way, but in a more organised fashion. One policeman and two migrant Chinese workers were killed earlier today. The policeman died in a planned bomb attack on a police motorcycle patrol in the southern province of Yala. Five other police were injured. The road had been scattered with spikes, and trees cut down and used as barricades to block access to the victims. Eventually soldiers managed to use an armoured vehicle to rescue the injured, two of whom had been hit by AK -47 rifle fire.
In neighbouring Narathiwat, militants on motorbikes killed two Chinese street vendors in a drive-by shooting.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 6:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 29, 2005
US: Albany, NY Mosque Leaders Indicted Again
In Albany, NY, a federal grand jury yesterday made two new indictments charging leaders of a local mosque with conspiring to support terrorists, acccording to abc news. Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain were charged with attempting to provide support to Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistani extremist group, which is listed on the State Department's notice of foreign terrorist organisations.
35-year old Aref, who is the imam at Masijid As-Salam mosque, was charged with making a false statement, when he denied being involved with any organisations. He was charged too with making false statements to the FBI when he was arrested in August 2004, and denied being a member of the Islamic Movement in Kurdistan.
Mohammed Hossain, 50-year old founder of the mosque at Albany, and Aref have been free on $250,000 bond since August 2004, shortly after their initial arrests. The FBI had been investigating them for a year with an undercover agent. Initially they were indicted with 19 charges, including working with the FBI agent who posed as an arms dealer, and suggested to Hossain that he should hold money from the sale of a shoulder-held missile launcher which would be used to kill a Pakistani diplomat in New York City. Aref witnessed the financial deals and wrote receipts, but has denied knowledge of any missile weapon, despite being pictured in an FBI photo, holding it. In the same photo, Hossain is looking on.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 8:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
UK: Radio Ramadan's Run In with Regulators
A new radio station was announced this week for Edinburgh, Radio Ramadan. Due to start broadcasting on October 4th, the start of the month of fasting, the station aims to be discussing issues about Islam, such as hijab wearing, women's issues, and racist attacks in Edinburgh since 7/7. And of course, Islamic music. The bosses had invited politicians such as Member of the Scottish Parliament, Colin Fox, and the Scottish born traitor, George Galloway. Broadcast on frequency 87.7 fm, from three undisclosed locations, the station will be aired in Urdu, Arabic and English.
The Edinburgh Radio Ramadan is not the only station to have a month long airing. Across the UK, other regions will have their own RR broadcasts. But there is now a downside. The regulatory service, Ofcom. Ofcom has suggested it would like to work with the broadcasters, to ensure the content is within their guidelines. Muslim leaders are, naturally, miffed at the idea, and are claiming they are being discriminated against. Though RR's have been going for 13 years, they have not had to deal with new advisory codes, brought in in May this year. One clause, on "harm and offense", has got many Muslims into a sense of unease, as it states that programmes must not contain material which "condones or glamorises violent, dangerous or seriously antisocial behaviour and is likely to encourage others to copy such behaviour." If, as they had earlier announced, their programming was to be full of wholesome Islamic fare, then why, I wonder, is anyone worrying?
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 7:55 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Zapatero: Traitor of Civilization
When Spain's Socialist appeaser Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced an "alliance of civilizations" project, I didn't pay attention. I thought it would be a grand, empty gesture, used by Mr. Zapatero to win easy political points.
Silly me. I had assumed Zapatero was a mere appeaser, not treasenous scum. It turns out the "Alliance of Civilizations" is a real project, and that it will be used to beat down efforts at resisting Islamic enchroachement, thus advancing the cause of Islamic expansionism. Here is a story from September 16:
First, from Turkey: Erdogan- Zapatero to Realize 'Alliance of Civilizations'
The co-sponsors of the Alliance of Civilizations initiative, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Spanish counterpart Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero agreed to realize the initiative in a meeting they held with the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan.The announcement issued by the UN News Center underlined the significance of the initiative "at a time of mounting tension between societies" and reported that both leaders agreed upon to make the project concrete.[...]
Touching upon such factors as poverty and the exclusion from benefits of globalization and from democracy and liberties, which pave the way for terror, Prime Minister Erdogan warned those who strive to identify terror with Islam: "Presenting terror as the clash of different traditions and cultures would be a fatal mistake." Prime Minister Erdogan also asked support for Turkey’s bid for non-permanent Security Council membership between the years 2009-2010.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 7:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
US: NY Mosque Has Assets Frozen
A report from the Pakistan Daily Times claims that a mosque in New York, frequented mainly by Pakistani and Bangladeshi worshippers, has had its assets frozen, and the personal accounts of its chief administrator, imam Hafiz Piracha, sealed. The administrators of the Al-Falah Mosque in Corona district were so unaware of any moves made against them by federal investigators that it was only when they went to their bank that they realised what had happened. Because they had preaching delegations from around the world visiting the mosque, sources said, the federal authorities had been monitoring the situation for a year. No arrests have so far been made.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 7:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Turkey: Karen Hughes Receives Verbal Lashing
Why, why, why would anyone think asking muslims to think rationally would work? Why was Karen Hughes sent to do this impossible mission, which came at a rhetorical cost, and whose meetings can become anti-American hate feasts? Because the Administration really, truly, does not understands the nature of Islam. The theory that claims Bush is speaking nicely to Muslims to avoid a wider confrontation looks weaker by the minute. Here is the story: Turks Challenge Hughes On Iraq
ISTANBUL, Sept. 28 -- A group of Turkish women's rights activists confronted Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes on Wednesday with emotional and heated complaints about the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, turning a session designed to highlight the empowering of women into a raw display of the anger at U.S. policy in the region."This war is really, really bringing your positive efforts to the level of zero," said Hidayet Sefkatli Tuksal, an activist with the Capital City Women's Forum. She said it was difficult to talk about cooperation between women in the United States and Turkey as long as Iraq was under occupation.[...]
"War makes the rights of women completely erased, and poverty comes after war -- and women pay the price," said Fatma Nevin Vargun, a Kurdish women's rights activist. Vargun denounced the arrest of Cindy Sheehan, the mother of an American soldier killed in Iraq, in front of the White House this week.
That's right, these people are so delusional they can't even comprehend Cindy Sheehan wanted to be arrested, to the point she couldn't contain her laughter when the Parks cops finally took her in.
Again, why was this madness started in the first place?
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 7:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
US: Judge Orders Release of Abu Ghreib Pictures
In the US today, only a day after Lynndie England was sentenced to three years imprisonment for her part in the Abu Ghreib prisoner-abuse scandal, a District Court Judge in Manhattan has ordered the release of the remaining photographs and video evidence of Abu Ghreib abuse. A year ago, leaked photographs of England and others humiliating Iraqi detainees were leaked from a larger collection, which so far has been seen only by US politicians and military. Judge Alvin Hellerstein ordered that photographs provided by Sgt Joseph Darby, according to Reuters should be made available. Previously, Judge Hellerstein had ordered the pictures to be made public, but the Defence Department appealed, claiming the images would incite more terrorism in Iraq.
Judge Hellerstein today argued that:
"the terrorists in Iraq do not need pretexts for their barbarism" and that America "does not surrender to blackmail and fear of blackmail is not a legally sufficient argument."He said that withholding the photos would be contrary to the American democratic freedoms that US troops were fighting for.
"Indeed, the freedoms we champion are as important to our success in Iraq and Afghanistan as the guns and missiles with which out troops are armed," Hellerstein said. "As President Bush said, we fight to spread freedom so the freedoms of Americans will be made more secure."The US government has 20 days in which to appeal.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 5:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Iraq: First Female Suicide Bomber
Yesterday, a woman, dressed as a man, approached a building near a US military facility in the northern city of Tall Afar, and then, when denied entry, she blew herself up. At least five civilians were killed, and more than 30 were injured, according to The Washington Post. The building she tried to enter is a "civil military operations center", used as an arena for US military and civilians to interact. This is the first Iraqi case of a female suicide bomber since the insurgency began in 2003, and has ramifications for all in Iraq.
Al Zarqawi's "al Qaeda in Iraq" claimed on a website that the woman was a "sister" connected with the Malik Suicidal Brigade. During the 2003 invasion, Saddam Hussein's forces made use of two female suicide bombers in an incident in a car, which they used to kill 3 US soldiers. After yesterday's attack, Gen Ahmed Mohammed Khalaf, the regional police chief noted that women are not usually searched at the Tall Afar checkpoints, for religious and social tradition. He stated that now, both women and children would be searched, as men are.
The Washington Post also stated that in a separate incident, a bomb was detonated outside the home of Moqtada the radical Shiite cleric. Six children were killed in the blast, and eight others, including adults, were injured. Near the Kuwaiti border, in Safwan, 2 US military were killed and one injured by a roadside bomb, and north of Baghdad, another roadside bomb killed another US soldier. A Marine was shot dead near the city of Fallujah in the west.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 5:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Pakistan: Islam to Play Vital Role in Economic Development
Actually, I'm not linking to this piece to beat on Musharraf. The Lord knows, there are usually better targets out there. But the title of the article just defies reality just a little more brazenly than other articles out there: Basic principles of Islam would play a vital role towards economic, social development: President Musharraf
KARACHI, Sept 29 (APP)- President General Pervez Musharraf has said that pursuance of the basic principles of Islam would play a vital role towards our economic and social development.He stated this in his message on the occasion of a national conference which began at the Karachi University campus on Thursday.
The theme of the two-day moot is: "Religious tolerance and social development: Basis of a strong civil society."
Pervy! The basic principles of Islam have played a "vital" role in a good chunk of the world for the last 14 centuries. How well have does societies developed economically?
Counting on Islam to bring you material prosperity is like counting on Mohammad to protect the chastity of your 9-year-old daughter. Not that Pervy would love the comparison.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 3:33 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Britain: the Airbrushing of History
Journalist Melanie Phillips has a jaw-dropping entry on her weblog: Britain's 200-year jihad
On my travels for the past few days, I have been reading a book which tells the story of a quite astonishing part of British history of which I was previously unaware. In 'White Gold', Giles Milton records the appalling details -- gleaned,it appears, from a wealth of historical documents including diaries and letters -- of a seaborne Islamic jihad against Britain which lasted for no less than two centuries.From the early seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, thousands of British men women and children were kidnapped by Arab corsairs and sold into slavery in Morocco where they were kept in conditions of unspeakable barbarism. The astounding thing is that these British victims were not merely seized at sea where they ran the gauntlet of such pirates in places such as the Straits of Gibraltar. They were actually abducted from Britain itself.[...]
Like Ms. Phillips, I'm startled I didn't know about this before today. I will promptly read the book where the information came from, White Gold: The Extraordinary Story of Thomas Pellow and Islam's One Million White Slaves.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 2:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Zapatero the Tool
The Barcepundit has noticed something odd: Spain's Socialist PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has two countries to Spain's October 12 military parade in Madrid. Last year, PM Zapatero disinvited a different countries. Which countries are those? I'll let the Barcepundit explain:
REMEMBER THAT last year US troops were disinvited for the October 12 parade in Madrid? Remember that one year before that, when Zapatero hadn't yet gained power with the 'push' of the jihadists on March 11, he conspicuously refused to stand up when the Stars and Stripes was passing in front of him ("Why should I? It's not my flag"; see this post for background).Well, guess which countries are good for Zapatero: he's inviting for this year's October 12 military parade... Cuba and Venezuela!
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is a dangerous man, who will do much damage to Spain before his tenure is over. He is guaranteed to betray the interests of Spain in service of his ideology. I'll keep an eye on him.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 10:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Vatican City: Foolish Dialogue
The Vatican is an institution of faith. But it requires much more than faith to believe that Christian-Muslim dialogue is nothing more than a way for muslims to get real advantages in Europe, while making promises they don't intend to keep. Fourteen hundred years of history are being ignored. Here is that foolish story: ISLAM-VATICAN: DIALOGUE TO PREVENT CONFLICTS
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 9:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Spain: Imam Who Wrote How to Beat One's Wife is Disciplined
In Spain, a Muslim cleric who wrote a book on how to beat your wife, without leaving marks on her body, has been ordered to study the Spanish Constitution. The UK newspaper, the Telegraph today reports that Mohamed Kamal Mustafa, who is an imam at a mosque in the southern resort of Fuengirola, must spend six months studying articles of the constitution, and also the declaration of human rights. Last year, he was sentenced by a Barcelona court to 15 months in jail for inciting violence to women, and also given a fine of $2,700. However, despite government objections, a judge had released him after only 22 days in jail, on condition that he takes a re-education course.
Four years ago, Mustafa wrote Women in Islam, which, taking its cue from the Koran, advocates that a disobedient wife can be beaten.
"The blows should be concentrated on the hands and feet using a rod that is thin and light so that it does not leave scars or bruises on the body,'' he wrote."Women in Islam" also taught that verbal warnings, followed by withdrawal of sexual activity can be used to discipline a wife, and if these failed, then the beatings could be administered.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 9:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
UK: Osama bin Laden Sought UK Asylum
From this morning's Times, a strange tale. At the end of 1995, while based in Sudan, Osama bin Laden asked followers in Britain whether he would be able to move there. This was at a time when he was planning the 9/11 US atrocities.
Current Tory leader Michael Howard, who was then Home Secretary, recalls how his aides told of him of the request for asylum, made by bin Laden. At this time, bin Laden had brothers and other relatives owning London properties. In his teenage years, bin Laden had toured Europe with his family, and was even a fan of UK soccer team, Arsenal.
Bin Laden was virtually unknown in the British media at the time of his asylum request, even though his operatives had bombed US army bases abroad and he had plotted assassination attempts against Bill Clinton and Pope John Paul II. He was only placed on the US government's "most wanted" list in June 1998. Michael Howard stated
"In truth, I knew very little about him, but we picked up information that bin Laden was very interested in coming to Britain. It was apparently a serious request. He already had people operating here, and who knows how history could have been rewritten if he had turned up here?"Howard's officials at the Home office investigated him, and he was issued with an immediate banning order. It is a shame that other radicals, such Mohammed al Masari, were allowed in by Howard's immigration officials.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 6:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 28, 2005
Saudi Arabia: Former Junkies Become Saudi Imams
From Qatar's The Peninsular: A number of reformed drug addicts have become imams in Saudi Arabia. In Doha, a visiting scholar, Sheikh Ibrahim Al Talha, has been specifically invited by local drug-enforcement agencies from neighbouring Saudi Arabia to do his special work. He claims that he has become so popular in rehabilitation of addicts throughout the Arab world that much of his time was now taken up by travelling. Sheikh Al Talha (pictured) has now delivered anti-addiction lectures in Doha's central prison, and a mosque in Al Wakrah.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 10:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Iran and Venezuela Share Long, Wet Kiss
I know, I know, it is just diplomats doing the diplomatic thing. Still, even for a diplomatic report, the love is very real. The Communist-Islamist alliance deepens: Venezuelan ambassador confers with Mottaki
New Venezuelan Ambassador to Tehran Arthura Galeh Gouss met here Wednesday with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and submitted a copy of his credentials to him.According to the Foreign Ministry Media Department, Mottaki described bilateral ties as " friendly and sincerely" and said the stand of Venezuela in international arena is in harmony with Iran's position.
Referring to deep strategic ties between the two countries, Mottaki praised President Chavez' clear viewpoints and justice seeking ideas as well as deep relations between and common positions of both countries.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 10:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Iran: Spite Against India - Gas Deal Cancelled
According to Pakistan's Daily Times, the proposed natural gas deal with India has been cancelled by Iran, after India voted in favour of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution, censuring Iran. This was also announced by the Hindu, even though India has not officially announced that the deal, which would have been worth $21 billion to Iran, had been abandoned. The original deal, signed in June, would have had liquefied natural gas imported for the next 25 years by pipeline to India, at a rate of 5 million tons annually. The first deliveries would have started in 2009.
According to the Hindu, the announcement of the cancellation was carried to Sheelkant Sharma, India's permanent representative at the IAEA, by Iran's ambassador in Vienna. Tehran at present supplies more than 5% of India's crude oil imports. These too may be threatened.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 8:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Iran: Student Bassij Vigilantes Attack British Embassy
Even though he wears western secular clothes (but is too vulgar to wear a tie), President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran seems to be using every means at his disposal to reignite the flames of the Khomeini revolution. He has already replaced many top officials with "hardliners". 
Another tactic is to send out members of the Islamist Bassij, to keep citizens "under control", acting now as legally sanctioned "back-up" to the police, and to do the dirty work that is beneath his reputation as a statesman. And, as promised earlier, the Bassij have staged a violent and angry protest today outside the UK Embassy in Tehran, according to Iran Focus. The reason for the protest? Anger that a British-written resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency, censuring Iran's nuclear plans, has been approved.
Stones, eggs and tomatoes were thrown at the building, shattering several windows. Chanting "Nuclear energy is our legitimate right!", "Death to America", "Death to England", many called for the embassy staff to be made hostage, as happened to the US embassy in 1979. Others called for Richard Dalton, the UK ambassador, to be deported. According to the BBC, firecrackers and Molotov cocktails were thrown at the embassy building. When the protests seemed to be out of control, police used batons to control the protesters. One, whose forehead had been cut by a baton swipe, put bloody handprints on the brass plate on the embassy wall (pictured right). The UK commission has received much attention from protesters. In August, a similar situation occurred. Commentators have said that as the US has no embassy in Iran, the UK acts as a stand-in during anti-Western protests.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 5:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The Battle for Education
The state of America's schools is nothing less than disgusting. Our educational system seems more interested in indoctrination than education itself. (And there are severe national security implications in that.) The following Frontpage interview explores the problem, and outlines part of the solution: Education Myths
Go read it all.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 5:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
US: Lodi Mosque School Will Not be Built
In an article today from the Sacramento Bee, the Lodi Muslim community is upset once again. There had been plans to build a Mosque School, the Farooqia Islamic Center, south of Lodi. But yesterday, San Joaquin County supervisors rejected the request to build the school in amongst a cornfield site, which would have appeared on the Sacramento Road. The supervisors' decision was unanimous.
Neighbours of the 18-acre Farooqia site had appealed, triggering the inquiry and ruling, which lasted two hours. They argued that the building of an elementary school for 50 children, a worship hall and community center would have created traffic congestion, and ruined their rural way of life. Superviser Leroy Ornellas stated that religious buildings should be built in cities, and that he had "a problem with religious facilities built out in the country."
Lodi's Muslim community founders, Muhammed Adil Khan and Shabbir Ahmed, were investigated by the FBI recently, and were recently deported back to their homeland of Pakistan. In 2001, Adil Khan, a cleric from Pakistan had joined the mosque, and helped the efforts to raise money for the center, $420,000, some of which was gained by selling some of the mosque's seven acres of land. Khan was accused by law enforcement agents of having "some very nefarious connections", one disgruntled neighbour stated.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 2:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Scotland: Beheading Video - Man Jailed
Remember the story we brought you from August 26, about a young Muslim man who showed a girl, Ms Charlotte McClay, a video of an Iraqi beheading? He was then found guilty in Glasgow District Court. Sentencing was deferred until a background review of the man, 23-year old Subhaan Younis, had been made. Well, according to the BBC they have obviously done their review. Stipendiary magistrate Euan Edment, who found him guilty before asking for the review, has sentenced Younis to 60 days in jail. He said he did not find the man's evidence to be reliable. The defendant's lawyer, Dominic Sillar, had argued that the incident, in which a young woman was extremely distressed by being shown decapitation images at the Moathouse Hotel, had been a "colossal mistake".
The incident arose out of a series of misunderstandings. Both had been engaged in a conversation about the Iraq War and he said he would show her something which would cause her sleepless nights and her reply was 'Aye right'.Aye, right. According to The Times:"He didn't believe he was acting maliciously when he showed her the image. He misunderstood that she might want to view this and she misunderstood what might be shown to her."
Witnesses at the trial spoke of how Ms McClay was left pale and shaking after seeing the footage. Paul Jackson, 19, a concierge assistant at the hotel, said: "She was upset and water was welling up in her eyes."
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 1:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Thailand: Muslim Woman Surrenders In Marines Death Probe
Yesterday, a Muslim woman surrendered to Thai police after being named as a suspect in the beating to death of two Thai marines, which we reported below. In an article in the Khaleej Times, 33-year old Meeno Mahama is a resident of Tanyong Limo village in the southern province of Narathiwat. On 21 September, 2000 people defied the military, who were trying to negotiate the release of the two bound hostages. Hundreds of women barred the road leading to the village, and before negotiators could get through, the men were killed.
Meeno Mahama gave herself up to Lieutenant General Adul Seangsingkaoe at the provincial police HQ, becoming the fifth suspect in custody. Today, police issued further warrants on four more suspects from the village. The total now wanted are 26. Adul Seangsingkaoe said: "The suspects have two choices. Either surrender to authorities or we will hunt them down."
More than 950 people have so far died in southern Thailand in the violence which began in January 2004, along the border with Malaysia. The violence is assumed by authorities and commentators to be caused by a mixture of Islamic separatism, local corruption and organised crime.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 11:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Cloud-Cuckoo Land: German Muslims to Clear "Misconceptions"
The denial of reality continues, as German Muslims ask us to fight the evidence of our lying eyes: German Muslims Mobilize to Clear Misconceptions
German Muslims are planning a series of proceedings in a number of German cities to clear stereotypes and misconceptions against Muslims, highlight merciful teachings of Islam and engage positively with non-Muslims in the European country.Seeking to highlight the better image of Islam, a "Week for Islam" will be organized September 29 by the German Muslims in the city of Karlsruhe.
Titled "Reach Out Hand For Me", the week, which is expected to run till October 3, aims to post a better image of Islam and Muslims and to enhance mutual understanding with other sectors of the society.[...]
The energetic volunteers used "Muslims Against Terror" as their mantra to reinforce the fact that Muslims have nothing to do with terrorism.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 11:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Russia: Muslims Want Their Own Vice President
In a report today from MosNews, Russian Muslims are seeking to have their own vice-presidential post to have representation in the government. The demand is being made by Ravil Gainutdin, head of the Muftis Council. He was speaking on Ekho Moskvy radio.
Such an official will be needed if "the number of Muslims in Russia increases at the current pace, while the demographic situation changes for the worse," Gainutdin said. In his opinion, Muslims deserve to have their interests "represented on the highest level."He conceded that the country did not need a Grand Mufti on a par with the Orthodox Christian patriarch, but thought an organisation which united Russian Muslims would be worthwhile.
A group of 400 Muslims from the Russian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria have written an open letter to President Vladimir Putin, asking to be allowed to leave Russia to go to any European or Asian state where "human rights are respected".
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 10:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
UK: Parents of Jean Charles de Menezez in London
The parents of Jean Charles de Menezez arrived in London today, for meetings with investigators examining the circumstances of their son's death. Suspected of being a terrorist, their son was shot seven times in the head at Stockwell tube station, even though he was innocent of any crime. The Times stated that Matuzinhos and Maria flew in to Heathrow, accompanied by the family of Jean Charles' brother, Giovani Da Silva. In the article it is said that they will visit Stockwell station tomorrow, but Channel 4 lunchtime TV news states that they are already there.
They stated upon their arrival that they were "searching for justice", and Maria, through an interpreter, said: "I want the police to be punished." They may meet Sir Ian Blair, the head of the Metropolitan Police. The IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission) has promised that the family will be the first to see much of the evidence it has uncovered. However, Nick Hardwick, IPCC chairman, has said that some material will have to be withheld, for reasons of national security.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 7:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
UK: Mosque Arson Attack in Chester
Chester, in northwest England, has had a suspected arson attack at the only mosque in the town. The Shahjalal mosque, at Clifton Drive, Blacon, was holding a special service, on Lailat-ul Bara'at, the Night of Records, on Monday 26 September, with about 20 worshippers inside. Members of the congregation spotted smoke, and were able to extinguish the small fire. Asian representatives say it was certainly racially motivated. Earlier in the year, windows in the mosque were smashed, followed by months of calm, until this arson incident. Mosque leaders have met with police to "boost relations" and discuss the problems. Information from Chester Now
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 7:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Pakistan: Christians Forced to Flee After Blasphemy Backlash
From Pakistan Christian Post, a report of a riot that ensued, causing 50 families to flee, after a Christian man was accused of blasphemy. The incident started in Waheed Park in Chungi Amer Sidhu after 40-year old Younis Masih made derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad at a gathering arranged by another Christian on Friday night. This was followed by Younis first being beaten by local Christians, wanting him to apologise, and then he was attacked by a mob of enraged Muslims. Younis refused to retract his statements.
On Saturday, a mob of 200 Muslims armed with sticks surrounded the Factory Area police station demanding a case be made against Younis under the country's blasphemy laws. By Sunday, 50 Christian families had fled. The police transferred Younis to Kot Lakhpat jail earlier that morning, as the local police station was not strong enough to protect against a lynch mob. His wife arrived at the local police station in tattered clothes, claiming Muslims had attacked her.
And all this for "blasphemy" - about Prophet Mohammed who had sex with a nine-year old girl (Aisha) when he was in his 50's, who committed numerous acts of war, and sanctioned murder and rape amongst his followers. And one cannot disparage his name in Pakistan.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 1:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 27, 2005
Denmark: Woman Murdered, Government Grovels
Little Green Footballs reports a young Pakistani woman was murdered on an apparent "honor" killing on Denmark. The report itself, from the Danish government website is an almost perfect picture of what is wrong with Denmark, and the West. I am actually amazed that my usually cynical view of our political class has been dwarf by the article I'm about to quote. (I will emphasize the parts of the report I find offensive): General News
A Pakistani man's alleged shooting of his younger sister in a so-called 'honour killing' over the weekend has led members of the Pakistani community to discuss ways of halting the practice.The Organisation of Pakistani Students and Academics intends to discuss the practice during an upcoming debate forum, according to the organisation's chairman Qasam Nazir.
'Many (Pakistanis, ed) are very disappointed that this problem has again appeared in contemporary Denmark,' said Nazir.
Many members of the Pakistani community were shocked over the weekend to hear reports that a 29-year-old Pakistani man was apprehended on Saturday, accused of shooting his 19-year-old sister and her Afghan husband on Friday. The sister died shortly after from her gunshot wounds.
'We will try to find imams and other prominent people to get a discussion about this cultural phenomenon, which is not a religious practice in any way,' said Nazir.
How society could prevent killings committed in the name of honour would be the focus of the discussion forum.
'We don't know the actual background for the killing, but if there is talk of an 'honour killing', I would say there is no honour involved,' said Nazir. 'He has lost a sister, and the family must now mourn over two losses, both the daughter and the son are gone. Honour is a strange word to use.'
So, dear readers, what do I find so offensive about the report? That the Danish government website is spinning the story to put the 'Pakistani' (e.i., Muslim) community in the best light. A woman is murdered, and all we get is the souped-down equivalent of 'Islam is a Religion of Peace.'
Disgusting Dhimminitude.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 11:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Scotland: Muslim School Reprieved - But Must Improve
Scotland's only Muslim school, the Imam Muhammad Zakariya girls' school in Dundee, has survived its attempt to remain on the Register of Independent Schools, according to the Scottish Executive. It had previously been served with a notice of complaint, but despite still being on the Register, it needed further progress. Education Minister Peter Peacock said:
"While a number of improvements - notably in relation to the curriculum offered and qualifications of teaching staff - have been made, the progress has been limited."Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education will revisit the school in December, to see if changes have been made. It is a boarding school, and it will also have to register with the Care Commission.
In The Scotsman it is reported that previous failings, identified 18 months ago, had included poor staff. None had any teaching qualifications. Also pupils were confined to the school and its grounds for two weeks at a time. Now, a new headteacher is in place, and Education Minister Peacock states:
""This is the start of the process - not the end. The school now has an experienced headteacher at the helm and I want these developments to be sustained and built on. I look forward to being kept informed of progress."
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 8:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
They Always Kill the Teachers
The Muslim terrorist campaign in southern Thailand has developed a particularly vicious twist; the murder of teachers. Sometimes barbarism takes unexpected turns: Four soldiers, teacher killed in Thai Muslim south
[...]In a separate incident, a teacher was shot dead in his car in the province of Pattani. Teachers are often targeted by insurgents as symbols of government authority.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 6:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Iraq: Al-Zarqawi's Deputy Killed, Says US
The most wanted man in Iraq is Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (pictured), responsible for untold murders of civilians and soldiers, Iraqi and foreign. Today, Reuters reports that his second-in-command, Sheikh Abdullah Abu Azzam, was shot dead this week in Baghdad. The announcement came from the US military, who, with Iraqi soldiers, had tracked Azzam to a high-rise apartment on Sunday, where he was shot. Azzam was shot without being interrogated, so there is still no clear news where his leader is located. However, even though his death has not stopped insurgent attacks, it has removed one of the main movers and shakers of the insurgent terrorist network.
Azzam, who is believed to be Palestinian, commanded day-to-day operations in Baghdad and other cities, and was the religious adviser to Zarqawi. According to military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Steve Boylan, he had claimed responsibility for the deaths of a member of Iraq's former Governing Council and the governor of the city of Mosul.
US and Iraqi officials have warned of an increase in sectarian and other violence in the lead up to the referendum on the country's constitution, which will be held on October 15. Lt. Col. Boylan stated:
"This shows that we are actively going after the network. We've taken down the number two in the network and that is going to have an impact," he said. "And whoever replaces him as number two, we will go after him as well."
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 5:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Norway: Asylum Detainees Demand Sharia Law
In the southeastern county of Ostfold, police have been busy at an asylum center in Nordbybraten, Valer, according to a report today from Aftenposten. A group of about a dozen refugees from Chechnya have demanded the imposition of Sharia law in the center, with demands that everyone must pray to Allah, that no-one must wear shorts, and that they must receive their dinners before everyone else. Other residents and even employees at the canter have been frightened by the behaviour of these individuals, according to local newspaper, Moss Avis.
After a report was filed and sent to the police, emergency meetings are to be held between the management and the national immigration agency. The sheriff of Valer, Per Tore Fremstad told Moss Avis that it now questionable whether the management at the center has any control. Police were called again to the centre when an employee was assaulted there at the weekend, after asking one of the residents to show ID. Fremstad stated the police have been summoned eight times to the center in the past two months, and police have described the conditions there as "scandalous" and "lawless", requiring at least 10 police officers to handle each incident.
The manager himself, Ole Morten Lyng, admitted that conditions were not "acceptable", and said he needed more staff. Sheriff Freeman said that residents who caused trouble should be sent to other centers quickly. Many could be deported, he claimed, but, due to bureaucracy in other countries, "it can take weeks before they can be sent back where they came from".
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 4:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Germany: Raids Against Suspected Islamists
According to Focus, today police in West Germany, in the state of Hesse, made raids in six cities, in the search for extremist Islamists suspected of funding planned terror operations. Police searched homes and offices in Kassel, Dillenburg, Wetzlar, Marburg and Bad Vilbel. Police spokesperson Peter Liebeck said:
"We have information that Islamic extremists engaged in petty crime are building a network and the logistics for terrorism."He added that the extremists were believed to be using local cafes and call centres as fronts for their activities.
Again in Focus, it is briefly mentioned that today in London, British police announced that they have detained a 36 year old man linked to the unsuccessful second attacks on London Transport, which were carried out on 21 July.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 3:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Austria: Attack on Mosque and Worshippers
In a report today from Islam Online, it is revealed that on the 24 September in the Austrian town of Linz, as worshippers were going into a mosque for morning prayers (Fajr), an unidentified group started hurling rocks. Though no people were hurt, windows in the mosque were damaged. There are an estimated 400,000 Muslims in Austria, comprising 4% of the population. Previously, in 2003, more than 30 graves were desecrated in Linz's Muslim cemetery.
Such actions are to be condemned utterly. Even though many of us see Islam as a threat to our way of life, senseless violence and wanton acts of destruction only cause unnecessary hurt, and give Muslims more reason to be fearful and mistrusting.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 2:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Israel: Hamas Executes Israeli Kidnap Victim
In an apparent act of revenge, Hamas today have claimed responsibility for the killing of Sasson Nuriel, an innocent Israeli whom they had kidnapped last week, according to Reuters. Hamas claimed he had been originally taken as a hostage to ransom him for the release of imprisoned Hamas terrorists. Mr Nuriel, aged 50 was the first Israeli to be killed in the fortnight since the Gaza withdrawal. His body was discovered outside Ramallah yesterday. A Palestinian suspect had been arrested, and after a rocket salvo from Gaza aimed at Israel, mass detentions had been carried out. A Hamas statement claimed:
"The (Hamas) unit was preparing to swap the Zionist prisoner for prisoners of the Palestinian people, but the campaign of random arrests by the occupation forces in West Bank cities forced our unit to kill him," the statement said. They also released a videotape of Mr Nuriel, blindfolded before a Palestinian flag.On Sunday, while the Palestinians were sending rockets from Gaza, a pinpointed airstrike killed Islamic Jihad's top commander in southern Gaza, Mohammed Khalil, and his bodyguard as they drove along a coastal road in Gaza City, according to Nashua Telegraph, which also shows an image of the white car after its direct hit.
Breaking news from Ynet: The Islamic Jihad radio station, "The Voice of Al-Quds" has announced that this evening it is terminating its broadcasts, which are sent from the Gaza Strip. The announcement was made after it claimed that IDF (The Israeli Defence Force) had threatened to bomb the station.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 2:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Comments on Planned Paris Attacks
My colleague Giraldus Cambrensis points to the story of the nine Islamic "militants" whom French authorities believe were planning an attack against the Parisian subway system.
Well, isn't that a piece of pie.
Allow me to explain; after all the trouble the French government has gone to attack the U.S., the U.K. and Australia (Anglo-Saxons, etc.)and to oppose the war in Iraq. After all the interference France has run in the U.N., in short, after all the short-sighted appeasement the French government has perform, the "Islamic militants" still want to murder French people.
It seems, still, the wages of appeasement are death now, and eventually defeat.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 11:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Oil: Sometimes the Best Policy is Doing Nothing at All
I have been worried about the rethoric surrounding the price of oil in the United States. Failed economic policies are being dusted off as we speak, ready to make a re-entrance into the political arena as "new and improved" policies. Of these policies, a "windfall profits tax" might be the worse of all. James K. Glassman explains:
"An angry public wants quick relief from high prices" at the pump, says Business Week. That's hardly a surprise. Over the past year, the Energy Department reports, a gallon of regular gasoline has gone from $1.86 to $2.96.But even at less than bottled water, $3 gasoline hurts consumers and the economy as a whole. The question, however, is what to do?
The worst approach is one now being considered by the Senate: slap a windfall profits tax, or WPT, on oil companies.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 10:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
France: Islamists Planned to Attack Paris Subway
We mentioned below that several Islamists were sought in Paris yesterday. Today's Focus, quoting from Le Figaro newspaper, mentions that nine suspected Islamic terrorists have been detained in yesterday's raids. Members of the terrorist group Safe Bourada and some of its members had signed up to Al Qaeda and joined its jihad. Apparently the group had planned attacks against the Parisian Metro, the underground system, one of Paris' airports and the HQ of France's counterintelligence agency.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at 10:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
India Votes with the U.S. on Iran
It seems India has made my criticism of its friendship with Iran (semi) obsolete. India has joined the United States in a vote to threathen Iran over its nuclear activities. It seems India has either "seen the light" that another muslim nuclear state is a strategic threat to India, or they have responded to American diplomacy--or both. (A note on diplomacy: it works much better when you have leverage over the target of your diplomacy, as the U.S. has over India, it doesn't work at all when you don't have leverage.) That's enough babbling, here is the story: India's Vote Against Iran Seen as Important Shift
Iran has accused the U.N. nuclear watchdog of acting under American and European pressure, following passage of a resolution critical of its nuclear activities.But the U.S. attributed the move to recognition by "a growing majority of nations" that Iran's noncompliance must be tackled.
India's vote in favor of the resolution at the weekend was seen as a particular victory for the U.S.-E.U. position, and White House spokesman Scott McClellan said its support was appreciated.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at 10:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
US/Pakistan: Deported Lodi "Jihadist" Arrives in Pakistan
One of the men involved in the "Lodi Affair", Shabbir Ahmed, aged 38, has arrived in his home country of Pakistan, it is reported today in RecordNet. He was the second individual to have been voluntarily deported after FBI officials raided his Mosque in Lodi, California, on suspicion of terrorrism. Ahmed was accompanied on his flight by immigration officials from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. The exact location of his Pakistan destination was not revealed.
Ahmed was one of 5 people apprehended in the federal investigation of terrorist links within the Lodi Muslim community. Previously, Mohammed Adil Khan had been deported in August, after he stopped contesting that he had overstayed his religious visa, according to Dawn. Another religious leader from the Lodi mosque had been deported at the same time. Neither of the men removed in August had been charged with any crime, but the government alleged that they had intended to set up a terroris training camp in Lodi.
Hamid Hayat, 22, and his father, Umer Hayat, 47, were originally charged only with lying to FBI agents who were investigating the alleged terror activity in Lodi. But Hamid Hayat was indicted on Thursday on a charge of providing material support to a terrorist organisation.According to CantonRep, the newer indictment alleges that he "intended, upon receipt of orders from other individuals, to wage jihad in