zTruth

Obama's remarks on Farrakhan dissected

Ann Althouse is a law professor who has dissected Barack Obama's answer to a question from Tim Russert about Louis Farrakhan's support for him on her blog.  What struck me in her review of the transcript from Tuesday night's debate is that Obama never rejected Farrakhan's support, at all!  Clinton picked up on it and suggested he reject the support of Farrakhan but Obama didn't do it.

...Russert challenges Obama to show what he's made of. Farrakhan offers his support: Do you have the courage to say no, I don't want your support, I reject it?

SEN. OBAMA: You know, I have been very clear in my denunciation of Minister Farrakhan's anti-Semitic comments. I think that they are unacceptable and reprehensible.

...I did not solicit this support. He expressed pride in an African-American who seems to be bringing the country together. I obviously can't censor him, but it is not support that I sought. And we're not doing anything, I assure you, formally or informally with Minister Farrakhan.

Clearly, this is a failure to reject Farrakhan. It's extremely clever, but don't be fooled by the cleverness, which was hard to catch in real time.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you reject his support?

Well, Tim, you know, I can't say to somebody that he can't say that he thinks I'm a good guy. (Laughter.) You know, I -- you know, I...

Read more

Is Barack Obama lying to Americans about NAFTA?

Found this on Little Green Footballs:

Canadian Television has a bombshell story on the hypocrisy and double-dealing of Barack Obama; apparently a senior member of his staff told Canadian officials that Obama’s promise to repeal NAFTA was just “campaign rhetoric,” and should not be taken seriously.

Little Green Footballs said CTV also published another story this morning, naming the Obama campaign person responsible. Obama's senior economic policy adviser,  Austan Goolsbee who supposedly assured Canadian officials that the senator's tough talk on the North American Free Trade deal should not be taken seriously by the Harper government.

Update: 3/3/08:  Sen. Barack Obama's campaign was thrown on the defensive today after a memo surfaced showing the U.S. presidential candidate's senior economic policy adviser told Canadian diplomats that Obama's call to renegotiate NAFTA was only campaign rhetoric.

The Canadian memo supports what CTV News reported exclusively last week, that Obama adviser Austan Goolsbee assured Canadian officials that the senator's tough talk on the North American Free Trade deal should not be taken seriously by the Harper government.

"Noting anxiety among many U.S. domestic audiences about the U.S. economic outlook, Goolsbee candidly acknowledged the protectionist sentiment that has emerged, particularly in the Midwest, during the primary campaign,'' said the memo.

"He cautioned that this messaging should not be taken out of context and should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans.''

The memo is the first documentation to emerge publicly out of a meeting that CTV reported on between Goolsbee and the Canadian consulate in Chicago. But the memo's contents are being disputed by Goolsbee.

...Obama spokesman Bill Burton said Sunday that Goolsbee's visit was not as a representative of the campaign but rather as a professor from the University of Chicago. (its called distancing from a real event to lessen the damage)

..."(Goolsbee) was frank in saying that the primary campaign has been necessarily domestically focused, particularly in the Midwest and that much of the rhetoric that may be perceived to be protectionist is more reflective of political manoeuvring than policy,'' the memo's introduction said.

"On NAFTA, Goolsbee suggested that Obama is less about fundamentally changing the agreement and more in favour of strengthening/clarifying language on labour mobility and environment and trying to establish these as more `core' principles of the agreement.''

Read more

Michelle Obama: Barack's middle name "Hussein" is ultimate fear bomb

When did it become offensive to say a person's middle name? Efforts to shame and intimidate people from doing so in the case of Barack Hussein Obama could backfire causing people to use his middle name of Hussein more often. 

Barack Obama's parents made a decision to name their child, Barack Hussein Obama - a family name that reflects the father's Muslim heritage.  PERIOD.  Odd that atheists would pin a Muslim name on their child, but they did.  Deal with it.  Remember, it was Obama who said Barack means "Blessed" in Arabic in his book, "Dreams of my Father".

Yesterday, Michelle Obama whined about rival's using his middle name of Hussein to create fear. 

Meanwhile to counter any connection between Obama and Islam, the Dallas Morning News reported in Texas thousands of flyers were handed out.  Titled "Faith. Hope. Change," the flier has Mr. Obama standing at a church pulpit with a cross prominently displayed in the backdrop. It features a quote from the candidate: "My faith teaches me that I can sit in church and pray all I want. But I won't be fulfilling God's will unless I go out and do the Lord's work."   Obama--church pulpit--cross:  overkill?

Listed prominently on the other side are the words "Committed Christian."

Micelles Obama has set the tone - if you are a rival don't use his middle name or you will be accused of instilling fear - in other words; a bigot.  It reminds me of the type of intimidation used by some Islamic groups in America to shut people up from criticizing Islam.  Firing back with inflammatory words about something so simple as one's middle name is very troubling.  :

"They threw in the obvious, ultimate fear bomb," Obama said today of her husband's 2004 Senate race. "We're even hearing [that] now. … 'When all else fails, be afraid of his name, and what that could stand for, because it's different.'"

The senator's wife said that rivals use innuendo to play on fears. "Just as they're saying it now," she said.

But, she told about 200 supporters this morning at a restored theater in Canton, Obama won despite that "climate of negativity and doubt" in 2004. "We learned, number one, that when power is threatened by real change they will say anything to stop it," she said. "But we also learned that the American people can handle the truth."

Chicago Tribune

Air Force Academy caves to Islam

When the Air Force Academy had a program on ideology and methodology of terrorists in early February, the Council of American Islamic Relations threw a fit saying the program wasn't fair if it didn't include a talk about the religion of Islam.  "Without a balancing perspective, the hate-filled rhetoric of [the former terrorist speakers] will poison the minds of those who may serve our nation in Muslim-majority areas of the world," said CAIR Legislative Director Corey Saylor. The response from the Air Force was the program wasn't about religion but terrorism. 

Well, guess what?  Now proselytizing for Islam will be included in an upcoming forum on terrorism - although CAIR won't be a part of it.  In February 2006, the Air Force adopted new guidelines cautioning top officers about promoting their religious views but I guess its OK for speakers to do so.

The Air Force Academy has now invited three speakers to give their vision of Islam after remarks made by three self-described former terrorists that some in the audience believed were condemnations of all Muslims.

Mikey Weinstein, head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, former U.S. ambassador to Niger Joe Wilson and Islamic expert Reza Aslan, a research associate at the University of Southern California's Center on Public Diplomacy, will speak to cadets April 9 at a forum on terrorism.

...Maj. Brett Ashworth, academy spokesman, said the three [former terrorists] had been checked out by Air Force intelligence. Ashcroft disputed reports that the three had pushed a Christian agenda during the February forum and had insisted in advance they would not be proselytizing on behalf of Christianity.

Academy officials invited the three [Islamic speakers] amid criticism of the appearances of Walid Shoebat, Kamal Saleem and Zachariah Anani at a Feb. 6 forum on the topic, “Dismantling Terrorism.”

SanDiego.com

Prince Harry fights in Afghanistan

The UK Ministry of Defense confirmed today that Prince Harry has been fighting in Afghanistan.  The news was leaked out despite a media blackout agreement when the story was posted this afternoon on Drudge Report.  While this story is an example of the ability of the Internet media and blogs to get news out, should Drudge have done it?  Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

British and international media -- including CNN -- had agreed not to report Harry's deployment because of security concerns for him and his unit. The military confirmed the operation after a U.S. Web site broke the news blackout.

"His conduct on operations in Afghanistan has been exemplary. He has been fully involved in operations and has run the same risks as everyone else in his Battlegroup.

..."In deciding to deploy him to Afghanistan, it was my judgment that with an understanding with the media not to broadcast his whereabouts, the risk in doing was manageable."

Dannatt added that he and senior commanders will now be reviewing Harry's deployment.

Last year, the military ruled Harry could not be sent to Iraq because publicity about the deployment could put him and his unit at risk.

CNN

Angry Kenyans want U.S. apology over Obama picture

Friday, after Muslim prayers,  there will be demonstrations in parts of Kenya over the circulation of pictures showing Barack Obama in Muslim Somali dress.  One of the pictures in question has been readily available at Geeska Afrika Magazine. Below the picture is a story how the U.S. anti-terror task force helped flood victims in 2006. 

U.S. naval engineers, who are part of the anti-terror Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa based in neighboring Djibouti, set up 60 enormous canvas tents that are housing 2,700 people. The tents are furnished with straw mats and basic necessities.

..."This is a wonderful thing that the U.S. military has done," said Mohammed Noor, who is living in the tent city. "We lost everything by the waters that washed away our home."

What's all the fuss about?  These people are going to demand U.S. troops leave over a picture if they don't get an apology?  For what?  Here we go again with that "I'm a victim" mentality from Muslims.

Note:  some critics have said the outfits are not Muslim attire yet an African discussion site says it's Muslim.

Kenyan elders demanded an apology from Washington on Thursday ahead of a planned protest over a controversial photo of U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama in traditional Somali dress.

...Mohamed Ibrahim, who attended one of two crisis meetings held in Wajir on Thursday by clan members who hosted Obama on his trip, said Washington must immediately make amends to them and especially to the elder pictured with him.

"The U.S. government must apologise to us as a clan and the old man," Ibrahim told Reuters by telephone. "We have been offended and we cannot afford to just watch and stay silent."

He said it was essential Clinton "clear her name" too.

The old man in question was retired chief Sheikh Mohamed Hassan, a senior elder who deserved great respect, local residents said.

...If there was no apology, the elders said, they would demand the expulsion of U.S. troops based near Garissa town.

Reuters

American-born Imam likely aided al-Qaeda

An American born Imam of one of the largest mosques in the country located in Falls Church, Virginia, apparently worked with al-Qaeda before and after he left America according to federal officials.  The charge of treason seems to be in order, don't you think?  Why this man was allowed to leave our country without having to stand trial for his role with al-Qaeda is beyond me. 

Similarly, why was a key Hamas offical, Mousa Marzook (Musa Abu Marzuq) who also lived in Falls Church, Virgina for a while also allowed to simply leave the country?  Marzook then openly thanked many American organizations, mostly Islamic, for their help in raising money for his defense before he was finally kicked out of the U.S.

Even before the 2001 terrorist attacks, American-born imam Anwar al-Aulaqi drew the attention of federal authorities because of his possible connections to al-Qaeda. Their interest grew after 9/11, when it turned out that three of the hijackers had spent time at his mosques in California and Falls Church, but he was allowed to leave the country in 2002.

New information later surfaced about his contacts with extremists while in the United States. Now, U.S. officials are saying for the first time that they believe that Aulaqi worked with al-Qaeda networks in the Persian Gulf after leaving Northern Virginia. In mid-2006, Aulaqi was detained in Yemen at the request of the United States. To the dismay of U.S. authorities, Aulaqi was released in December.

..."There is good reason to believe Anwar Aulaqi has been involved in very serious terrorist activities since leaving the United States, including plotting attacks against America and our allies," said a U.S. counterterrorism official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Aulaqi, 36, was the spiritual leader in 2001 and 2002 of the Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Falls Church, one of the largest in the country. In a taped interview posted this New Year's Eve on a British Web site, Aulaqi said that while in prison in Yemen, he had undergone multiple interrogations by the FBI that included questions about his dealings with the Sept. 11 hijackers.

...Federal prosecutors in New York alleged in a 2004 terrorism-related trial that a U.S. branch of a Yemeni charity for which Aulaqi served as vice president was a front that sent money to al-Qaeda. Documents filed around the same time in federal court in Alexandria assert that a year after 9/11, Aulaqi returned briefly to Northern Virginia, where he visited a radical Islamic cleric and asked him about recruiting young Muslims for "violent jihad." That cleric, Ali al-Timimi, is now serving a life sentence for inciting followers to fight with the Taliban against Americans.

Washington Times

Note: I saw this article first referenced on Little Green Footballs

Thousands of foreign student pilots not given background check

...8,000 foreign students in the FAA database got their pilot licenses without ever being approved by the TSA (as required by law).

ABC News uncovered disturbing facts obtained from government documents that thousands of foreign students pilots were trained despite new post 9/11 laws requiring a background check by the TSA. Enforcement is nearly non-existance.

Thousands of foreign student pilots have been able to enroll and obtain pilot licenses from U.S. flight schools, despite tough laws passed in the wake of the 9/ll attacks, according to internal government documents obtained by ABC News.  Some of the very same conditions that allowed the 9-11 tragedy to happen in the first place are still very much in existence today," wrote one regional security official to his boss at the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration.

"Thousands of aliens, some of whom may very well pose a threat to this country, are taking flight lessons, being granted FAA certifications and are flying planes," wrote the TSA official, Richard A. Horn, in 2005, complaining that the students did not have the proper visas.

Under the new laws, American flight schools are only supposed to provide pilot training to foreign students who have been given a background check by the TSA and have a specific type of visa.

ABC News

Hints Obama is a Muslim won't affect his presidential candidacy says Rep Keith Ellison

The AP reported the first Muslim elected to Congress, U.S. Representative Keith Ellison, believes a Muslim could be elected president of the United States: 

U.S. Representative Keith Ellison says suggestions that Barack Obama is Muslim won't have any effect on his presidential candidacy.

Ellison is the first Muslim member of Congress. He says that's because Americans are not bigoted and won't be swayed by such suggestions. Obama is Christian.    

Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat, says he has "no doubt" that a Muslim could be elected president.

MyFox Twin Cities

Abbas: Hamas helping Al-Qaida establish base in Gaza Strip

The situation in Hamas-controlled Gaza seems to be getting worse with the announcement by Palestinian President Abbas that al-Qaeda allegedly has infiltrated Gaza Strip and with the help of Hamas are setting up a base. 

Do you think this will temper the massive letter writing efforts of the Council of American Islamic Relations to put pressure on our government to get Israel to ease up on their blockade of the strip?

"An alliance has formed between these two organizations," Abbas told the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat on Wednesday.

Military Intelligence Chief Amos Yadlin on Tuesday said that Al-Qaida operatives managed to slip into the Gaza Strip after the Gaza-Egypt border was breached in January by explosives planted by Hamas militants.

According to Yadlin, many of the operatives underwent training in Syria and Iran and include snipers and explosives and engineering experts.

Last December, Al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden released a tape in which he warned the group would widen its operations in "occupied Palestine" with the goal of "liberating all of Palestine from the river to the sea."

Haaretz

Muslim leaders in America must speak out against the repression of freedom in the Middle East

We have, yet again, another example how the religion of peace, which dominates the Middle East, rules over the lives of its citizens in a report from Voice of America. The lack of religious freedom in this part of the world is appalling since their laws, constitutions and practices openly favors Islam while repressing or preventing other religious practices.  In this latest report, we learn the media in the Middle East and North Africa has the lowest level of press freedom in the world where journalists are intimidated, tortures, imprisonment and sometimes killed.

One result of the war on terror, is the exposure of the stark truth about the Middle East - which we see daily. Muslim leaders can't hide from it or explain it away.  Citizens there are repressed. They lack serious opportunities that comes with freedom which Americans enjoy each and every day. 

There needs to be a collective and on-going effort made by American Islamic leaders and organizations in their public words and actions which are directed to Middle East leaders and Muslim scholars imploring them to free their people - instead of complaining about America and how repressed or victimized they are here.  Enough. 

We can help them. It's time for Americans to hold these leaders accountable at forums and other public venues to practice what they preach to us about Islam. Rather than just ignoring or passively listening to their spin on Islam as the religion of peace and freedom, we must call to their attention publically, over and over again, that nowhere in the Islamic world is it practiced this way.  Nowhere.  Politely ask them to either put-up or shut up.  It's time Americans write letters-to-the-editors and do what they can to call attention to this issue.

Think about it, what does it say about America's Muslim leaders if they do not speak up for their fellow Muslims who cannot speak up for themselves in these repressive countries? 

Obama plans deep cuts in America's nuclear arsenals

In his own words, Obama tells Americans how he will achieve "deep cuts in America's nuclear arsenals" and set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons:

msnbc August 2007:  Obama said the U.S. should not use nuclear weapons against terrorist!

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday he would not use nuclear weapons "in any circumstance" to fight terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

...Obama warned that terrorists in the mountains of Pakistan are planning another attack on the United States, after already killing 3,000 Americans in their 2001 attacks.

"It was a terrible mistake to fail to act when we had a chance to take out an al-Qaida leadership meeting in 2005." he said. "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf will not act, we will."

NBC on Obama's nuclear weapons comment

IRS investigates Church of Christ over speech by Obama

Some well deserved scrutiny may be beginning for Obama and his actions:

The IRS is investigating the United Church of Christ over a speech Sen. Barack Obama gave at its national meeting last year after he became a candidate for president, the denomination said Tuesday---the IRS said "reasonable belief exists" that the circumstances surrounding the speech violated restrictions on political activity for tax-exempt organizations.

...The IRS said in the letter that it was concerned about articles posted on the church's Web site and on other sites stating that Obama had addressed nearly 10,000 people at the event. The agency also said Obama volunteers had staffed campaign tables "outside the center to promote his campaign."

...Amy Brundage, an Obama spokeswoman, insisted the speech was not a campaign event. In the address, Obama spoke about his personal spiritual journey and had said that faith had been misused in the past to divide Americans, partly because of the Christian right.  AP

The Washington Times reports that according to a text of the speech posted on the church's Web site, Obama promised to sign a universal health care bill in his first term as president, and he denounced the Iraq war.

"I have a plan that would have already begun redeploying our troops with the goal of bringing all our combat brigades home by March 31st of next year" according to the text. He also said "our conscience cannot rest" until genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan is stopped and 12 million illegal immigrants get a chance to earn their citizenship.

Obama distances himself from the press

With so many unanswered questions about Barack Obama, we are getting word that he is becoming more elusive with the press.  Not a good sign because Americans must find out much more about this man and what he stands for:

Reporter Carrie Budoff Brown stated today that for all the positive press Barack Obama receives---he is establishing himself as the candidate who keeps the most distance from the national media.

And the traveling press corps has been shut out of monitoring Obama's satellite interviews with local media outlets, which is a normal practice on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign.

On top of that, the traveling media has been tussling with Obama aides to keep conversations with the candidate on his campaign plane on the record. In any other campaign year, the media strategy might not raise eyebrows since it is standard practice for a front-runner.

But this is a year when the likely Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, has set a new standard for press accessibility, creating a potentially stark general election contrast between a reticent Democrat and the most accessible GOP nominee in decades.

...For his part, Obama attempted to connect with the traveling press corps Friday. But just as soon as he started, he was gone again.

He poked his head out from behind a blue curtain at the visitors center at the University of Texas-Pan American campus. Reporters, hunched over their laptops, looked startled at the sight of the candidate. They hadn't interacted with him in five days.

"Words matter. Don't listen to Hillary," Obama yelled to the four dozen media, beaming a mischievous smile. "That's a joke."

One reporter, sensing the rare opportunity to fire off a question, asked Obama about McCain's criticism of his pledge to talk with Cuban president Raul Castro.

"I didn't hear John McCain," Obama said, even though his campaign put out a statement on that very topic 30 minutes earlier.

A second later, the Illinois senator disappeared behind the curtain - off to do an interview with US Weekly, the entertainment news magazine.

Politco

15th year today since 1st World Trade Center Attack

Today marks 15 years since the first major Islamic terror attack on American soil.  Before the Feb. 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, Americans knew little of Islamic terrorism.  Yes, we knew they had killed 241 of our Marines in Lebanon in 1983.  But after these two events, we pretty much went about with our happy little selves and soon it was business as usual.  Like today, I didn't find any on-lines newspapers who carried a story on it.  Sad.

A granite memorial fountain honoring the six victims of the bombing was designed by Elyn Zimmerman and dedicated in 1995 on Austin J. Tobin Plaza, directly above the site of the explosion. It contained the names of the six people who perished in the attack as well as an inscription that read:

"On February 26, 1993, a bomb set by terrorists exploded below this site. This horrible act of violence killed innocent people, injured thousands, and made victims of us all."

The fountain was destroyed during the September 11, 2001 attacks. A recovered fragment from the 1993 bombing memorial with the text "John" (from John DiGiovanni, a victim) is being used as the centerpiece of a new memorial honoring the victims of the 2001 attack (source Wikipedia).

Here's some history:

The first terrorist attack on the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center occurred this week (Feb. 26) in 1993, when Islamic terrorists with ties to Osama bin Laden drove a rental van into the parking garage below Tower One, the north tower, and detonated a bomb of more than 1,000 pounds of explosives. The attack was masterminded by a Kuwaiti-born Muslim named Ramzi Yousef and carried out under the auspices of a blind, virulently anti-Western sheikh named Omar Abdel-Rahman, who preached at mosques in Brooklyn and New Jersey. Their goal was to cripple the foundation of Tower One, causing it to collapse into Tower Two, thereby bringing both towers down and killing many thousands of innocent people.

Although the attack did result in six deaths and 1,300 people were injured, and although it left a gaping 60-foot hole in the bottom of the north tower, it was considered a failure because both towers remained standing.--- Mohammed Salameh, attempted to retrieve the $400 deposit he had put down to rent the Ryder van used to carry and detonate the explosives. Salameh was promptly arrested, which led police to several of his co-conspirators. And when it was proved that the bombers had ties to Sheikh Abdel-Rahman, whose calls for jihad against America were well-known, he too was arrested and later put on trial. The mastermind, Yousef, however, managed to escape from New York and quickly fled the country, prompting the American government to institute a global manhunt that finally caught up to him in Pakistan, where in 1995 he was arrested and extradited back to the United States. On the flight back to America, Yousef reportedly admitted that he had been behind the bombings, even claiming to have lit the fuse that detonated the explosives.

When Yousef’s plane touched down at JFK International Airport outside New York, he was put in a helicopter and flown to a jail in downtown Manhattan. As it happened, the helicopter’s flight path took it over the twin towers of the World Trade Center, prompting an FBI agent in the helicopter to remind Yousef that, despite his best efforts, the towers were still standing. “Only because I did not have enough money or explosives,” Yousef replied. “Others with more money and explosives will follow me.” (note: I don't know if this creep said this or not because the writer didn't cite his sources)

source

BBC report on that day with video

Obama dressed as a Muslim again?

note the AP photo credit.

via sweetness and light

Fatwas on apostasy may hurt Islamic letter to Pope for peace

Not too long ago, over 100 Islamic scholars wrote a letter to the Pope called “A Common Word between Us and You” which to some was a call to Islam when they quoted a verse from the Quran followed by a lengthy discussion aimed at Christians:

Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to a common word between us and you: that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside God. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him). (Aal ‘Imran 3:64)

Now, Patrick Poole brings to our attention another potential problem with this letter first noted by an Austrian clernc who discovered some pesky little fatwas against religious freedom for Muslims:

...There is one thing, however, amidst all the flowery overtures, theological discussion, and representations of religious pluralism that the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute and the 138 Islamic scholars forgot to mention: The Institute, which operates a website, AlTafsir.com, which it calls “the largest and greatest online collection of Qur’anic commentary, translation, recitation, and essential resources in the world,” includes in an “Ask the Mufti” section a number of fatwas on apostasy issued by the Institute’s chief scholar, Sheikh Hijjawi, that call for the death of Christian reverts (Christians converting to Islam and then returning to the Christian faith) and Muslim apostates. Further they state that if the Christian reverts and Muslim apostates are not killed, they should be deprived of all rights and accorded the status of non-persons.

This glaring contradiction between the proffer of dialogue with Christians on the basis of allegedly shared common beliefs in freedom of religion and human rights, while simultaneously denying those very fundamental freedoms and recognition of rights to those Christians and Muslims who choose to exercise their freedoms, was first noted by an Australian Anglican cleric, Dr. Mark Durie, in a blog post last week [HT: Andrew Bostom].

...Needless to say, the implications of this finding in light of the singular leading role played by Sheikh Hijjawi and the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute in drafting and promoting “A Common Word” could very well be catastrophic...

Pajamas Media

U.S. courts hold Iran liable for deaths caused by Hezbollah

In speeches and debates presidential candidate, Barack Obama, said he would sit at the table with Iran, a country declared sponsors of terrorism by the U.S. government shortly after 241 Marines were killed by the terrorist group, Hezbollah, in the early 80s.  Meanwhile, the U.S. courts has been busy finding this despicable country liable in the deaths of Americans. 

What is Obama thinking?

Iran must pay more than $33 million to the family of a U.S.-born Israeli diplomat killed in a 1992 terrorist attack, a federal judge said Monday.

U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle said Iran was responsible for the truck bombing at the Israeli Embassy in Argentina---Hezbollah accepted responsibility for the bombing and the U.S. has held Iran responsible for helping finance and organizing the group's activities---In a similar ruling in September, a federal judge ruled that Iran must pay $2.65 billion to the families of the 241 U.S. service members killed in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut.

Huvelle awarded the money to Ben-Rafael's widow, father and children for wrongful death and pain and suffering. The ruling allows the family to try to collect Iranian assets from various sources around the world. Finding and seizing that money will be difficult, however.

AP

Former De Paul professor declares support for Hezbollah

Ousted professor Norman Finkelsten is a jerk and a traitor of the United States. He is the son of Holocaust survivors who professed his solidarity with terrorist organization, Hezbollah in a TV interview on Future TV in January.

Hezbollah brags about killing Americans.

An ousted American political science professor who believes some Jews have exploited the legacy of the Holocaust recently expressed his support for the terrorist organization Hezbollah.

Norman Finkelstein, who resigned from DePaul University last fall amid criticism of his opinions on the Holocaust, told Lebanese television that his view of Hezbollah is "rarely heard" in the United States.

"I have no problem saying that I do want to express solidarity with them, and I'm not going to be a coward and a hypocrite about it," Finkelstein told Future TV. "I don't care about Hezbollah as a political organization. I don't know much about their politics and anyhow, it's irrelevant."

...Finkelstein’s support for Hezbollah would be illegal if he were helping raise funds for the organization, said Richard Miniter, a terrorism analyst with the Hudson Institute.

“If terrorists are able to use his name to fundraise in any way, that would be illegal,” said Miniter, who added that only Al Qaeda has killed more Americans than Hezbollah.

The Jan. 20, 2008, interview was conducted in Arabic; Finkelstein replied in English.

Fox News

Watch the interview  MEMRI TV

Harvard submits to Islam - at least in the gym

Some believe the Islamification of America will happen in small incremental steps like what's taking place a various schools across the country.  For example, at Harvard University the gym is now off limits to men six hours a week to accomodate Muslim women.  Reasonable?

Harvard University has moved to make Muslim women more comfortable in the gym by instituting women-only access times six hours a week to accommodate religious customs that make it difficult for some students to work out in the presence of men.

Men have not been allowed to enter the Quadrangle Recreational Athletic Center during certain times since Jan. 28, after members of the Harvard Islamic Society and the Harvard Women's Center petitioned the university for a more comfortable environment for women.

Harvard Islamic Society's Islamic Knowledge Committee officer Ola Aljawhary, a junior, said the women-only hours are being tested on a trial basis. The special gym hours will be analyzed over Spring Break to determine if they will continue, she said.

Aljawhary said that she does not believe that the women-only gym hours discriminate against men.

"These hours are necessary because there is a segment of the Harvard female population that is not found in gyms not because they don't want to work out, but because for them working out in a co-ed gym is uncomfortable, awkward or problematic in some way," she said.

Though the policy was in part initiated by the school's Islamic group, Aljawhary said women-only hours are not a case of "minority rights trumping majority preference" and said women of different faiths have showed interest in the hours.

via Muslims against Sharia   Source

Taliban demands cells towers be shut down at night

The Taliban doesn't like it that cell towers can help track them down.  Now they are issuing an ultimatum:

Taliban insurgents on Monday gave Afghan mobile phone operators three days to shut down their networks at night or face attack, as the rebels said international forces used the cellphones to track them down.

The warning was issued after recent talks with representatives of the four mobile phone companies, Qari Mohammad Yousuf, a spokesman for the Taliban, told Reuters by mobile phone from an undisclosed location.

"Since the occupying forces stationed in Afghanistan usually at night use mobile phones for espionage to track down the mujahideen, the Islamic Emirate gave a three-day ultimatum to all mobile phone firms to switch off their phones from five in the afternoon until seven in the morning," Yousuf said.

If the mobile companies failed to follow the Taliban order, then the Taliban would target their towers and offices, he added.

Rueters India

Scrunity on U.S. Islamic charities round two

Counterterrosim officials have said key figures who escaped the initial go-round on Islamic charities crackdowns have continued to raise funds that help Islamic militants and are subject to a 2nd round of increased scrutiny.

The officials said Islamic fund-raisers have taken donor files and moved from one group to another a step ahead of the authorities, officials said.

"Government can come in and close down the charity, but the donor list still exists," said prosecutor Pat Roane, the Justice Department's point man on terrorism financing. "The donor list is gold."

...Kenneth Wainstein, the Justice Department national-security chief, said in an interview that intelligence reports continue to find that charities are being used by terrorist groups to provide both funds and logistics help, such as with visas and work permits in conflict zones. Mr. Wainstein and other officials say many of an estimated six million Muslims in the U.S. follow the tenets of their faith and give generously to charities that promote Islam and provide welfare to needy Muslims in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, but the funds often are diverted to other purposes in these war zones to underwrite items such as communications, logistics and medicine for groups fighting the U.S. military or U.S. allies.

...One big problem, some front-line prosecutors said, is that intelligence can show signs of terrorism support, but it is difficult to obtain the kind of unambiguous evidence that will stand up in court to prove money ended up with terrorists overseas. "Once it hits a foreign bank, it is gone to us," said one federal prosecutor who asked not to be named.

WSJ

Hamas's human chain protest small in turnout

AP Photo/Eyad Baba

Organizers had hoped to form a human chain running the length of the 25-mile strip but turnout was well below expectations.

About 5,000 people, many of them schoolchildren and university students, joined the chain outside the town of Beit Hanoun, about four miles from the border.

The crowd hoisted banners in English and Arabic, saying "End the siege of Gaza now," and "Your siege will not break our will."

"This is a peaceful event aimed to send a message to the world that the people of Gaza want to live in freedom," said one of the organizers, independent lawmaker Jamal al-Khoudary.

After the protest ended, some 2,000 Hamas loyalists marched to a checkpoint several kilometers away from Erez. However, Hamas police blocked the main road leading to the Erez checkpoint and called on loyalists to obey the law.

Source

Barack Obama dressed as a Muslim Somali Elder

The photo below of Barack Obama dressed as a Muslim Somali Elder was taken during his trip to Africa in 2006.  It can be found on an on-line African magazine and certainly adds flavor to the day. 

The Drudge Report reported they got the photo from the Clinton's staff.  Obama's staff has since blasted the Clinton camp on this one. 

U.S. Senator Barack Obama, right, is dressed as a Somali Elder by Sheikh Mahmed Hassan, left, during his visit to Wajir, a rural area in northeastern Kenya, near the borders with Somalia and Ethiopia. 

original source:  Geeska Afrika Magazine

Howard Wolfson, a Clinton spokesman, said: "I just want to make it very clear that we were not aware of it, the campaign didn't sanction it and don't know anything about it."

Al Jazeera

Farrakhan: "Obama is the hope of the entire world"

The one-time Nation of Islam leader , Louis Farrakhan, believes Barack Obama is the best hope for the world.  The long-standing vocal critic of Judaism and white people spoke at the annual Savior Day event for the Islamic organization.  Farrakhan compared Obama to the Nation of Islam's founder, Elijah Muhammad.  His son, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed (Muhammed?),  endorsed Obama on the "Muslim for Obama" website which I wrote about on February 6th. 

Last year Obama's church in their publication, Trumpet Newsmagazine, honored Farrakhan as a person who "truly epitomized greatness."

America, are you paying attention how often Obama has to distance himself from some of the people in his life or what he says or does which I wrote about here?  He done this with his spiritual mentor, Rev. Wright, his church, indicted political fund raiser, Tony Rezo, and to some degree Zbigniew Brzezinski and Farrakhan.  Earlier this month, Debbie Schlussel wrote Obama actually employs followers of the Nation of Islam.

On Sunday, Obama tap-danced some more for us.  "Wright, Obama said Sunday, "is like an old uncle who sometimes will say things that I don't agree with---including, on occasion, directed at African Americans. ... I am not suggesting that's definitive."  Obama also distanced himself from Zbigniew Brzezinski, the national security adviser in the Jimmy Carter administration who traveled to Iowa with Obama when he made an Iraq speech.  "I do not share his views with respect to Israel. I have said so clearly and unequivocally," Obama said. "He's not one of my key advisers. I've had lunch with him once. I've exchanged e-mails with him maybe three times. He came to Iowa to introduce ... for a speech on Iraq."

As Obama distanced himself from others on Sunday, his camp tap-danced around Farrakhan's praises for him.  Isn't this a bit too much distancing to feel comfortable?  At some point, it has to become insincere.

Then, as I was finishing up this morning a photo of Obama dressed as a Muslim elder from his 2006 trip to Africa surfaces via several blogs which led me to where it's posted on an online African Magizine website.  Not that there's anything wrong in dressing up as a Muslim.

Still, I wonder are we to believe his words or the trail of evidence?

Is America at risk of missing critical terrorist intelligence?

Are the Democrats putting America at risk in order to help support their claim that President Bush and his administration are fear mongers about the seriousness of future Islamic terror attacks?  Even far-left Barack Obama said in a speech last August stated the threat from an Islamic caliphate exists.  Yet nearly ever Democrat tells the American public our president is the bad guy here. 

Either we are at serious risk of more Islamic terror attacks or we are not.  Either there is an Islamic caliphate forming or there isn't.  Prove to us none of this is true Democratic leaders or else shut up and stop dividing our country. 

Having our country divided - mostly along party lines, no less, is unbelievable.  It's exactly what our enemies want.  This division will probably help elect a very liberal president in November.  It could be to our detriment but what do I know.

Gen. Michael B. Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence J. Michael McConnell, stated in a letter to Congress on Friday they are missing intelligence since the House Democrats dug in their heels and didn't pass new legislation to help wiretap terrorism suspects.  The Democrats pushed back against our Commander-in-Chief: 

Democrats denounced the letter, saying the administration was "further politicizing the debate" even as it has refused to allow the extension of existing authorities while the House and Senate work out differences on a complex new bill.

"They cannot have it both ways," four Democrats said in a written statement. "If it is true that the expiration of the [Protect America Act] has caused gaps in intelligence, then it was irresponsible for the president and congressional Republicans to openly oppose an extension of the law."

The statement was issued by the leaders of the House and Senate Intelligence and Judiciary committees: Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas and Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Bush had only himself to blame if any intelligence has been missed because the administration failed to participate Friday in congressional staff negotiations over a new bill. 

New legislation did pass the Senate but not without a divisive statement coming from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who said President Bush is "crying wolf".

"No amount of fear mongering will change the fact that our intelligence collection capabilities have not been weakened since last week," Reid said.

Is this any way to run a country during such an unprecedented time of Islamic terror?

Background article

Background article

An open letter to Rudy Giuliani - the Muslim Factor

I just stumbled across a rather interesting open letter to Rudy Giuliani that was written January 31st after his loss in Florida.  These Muslims and their group, MuslimBridges, are somehow attributing his loss to the "Muslim factor" claiming they worked hard to defeat him with targeted ads and so on.  They call on Giuliani to call Israel a state of terror and to demand he stop talking about all Muslims in such a bad way.  Now, I know for a fact Giuliani only spoke about Islamic terrorism and its threat to us.  It's really insulting for this Muslim group to twist the truth.  Shame on them. I've got to go take more Tylenol.  This stuff really gets to me because it's dishonest. Giuliani Collapse: The Muslim Factor

An Open Letter to Mayor Giuliani

Mr. Rudy Giuliani,

On the eve of your election loss in Florida, we still recognize that you continue as a public figure in American politics. MuslimBridges.org would like to present you with this letter of reconciliation, proposing that you take this opportunity to end your hostility towards American Muslims. People still look to you for leadership.  It is time for you to change your consistent position of provocation and anti-Islamic resentment.

In your speech tonight, you stated "The best way to reach peace is through an overwhelming force," clearly a position not accepted by people of conscience in America.---however, you often speak derisively about all Muslims and create animosity toward all of us. That has to stop.

Therefore, here are five actions proposed towards mutual reconciliation.

1. Visit an Islamic Center

We would like to invite you to visit with an Islamic Center ---American Muslims are very active in the society, and often reflect the views shared with all people of faith in our country. Christians, Muslims and Jews are all "People of the Book." An estimated 30 million Americans are the "extended family" of American Muslims" made of Christian and Jews, immediate friends, neighbors, and relatives of Muslims of interfaith families.  Mr. Giuliani, will you accept our invitation?

2. Stop the Hate Speech

Advisers on your team have publicly advocated anti-Islamic remarks, while you stood silent, indicating your approval and encouragement.  Will you issue a statement now making it clear to all your current staff, advisers, and anyone who does work for you, or may work for you in the future, that anti-hate speech laws apply not only to Jews, but also to Christians and Muslims.  Hateful speech targeting any groups cannot be tolerated. Will you immediately distance yourself from anyone with affiliation to Zionist / Racist / Hate groups?

3. Fight Terrorism throughout the World

People of faith all across the world -- and in America -- are protesting the siege of (Hamas controlled) Gaza and the slow genocide being committed against the civilian Palestinian population, from whom Israel is denying not only access to food, water, medicine, but also gas and electricity.--- Listen to the voices of opposition to Israeli oppression.  Mr. Giuliani, as a political leader known for fighting terrorism, will you loudly and clearly condemn the actions of Israel and call it "State Terrorism?"

4. Support American Health Care with American Resources

---Mr. Giuliani, all people of faith in this country believe in compassion and helping our fellow Americans who are in-need, struggling during these difficult times.  Can we count on whatever influence and contacts you may have in our Government, to demand and press for an immediate freeze on the $30 Billion aid package to Israel, and the redirection of this money to be used as an emergency fund toward health care for the uninsured in America?

5. Join with Muslims in New Cooperation

Several weeks ago, many political estimates had you as the leading presidential candidate. Considering your loud animosity towards Muslims, many organizations, including MuslimBridges.org, had to speak out against your nomination.  We worked hard to reach out to millions of Americans in targeted ads, making our views and the facts known regarding your stance against us.  Today, we are stopping all of these campaigns.  Tomorrow, we are prepared to remove any content in opposition to you and replace it with a new phase of reconciliation and cooperation. We want to work together with you in peace and mutuality.

MuslimBridges.org
27475 Ynez Rd
Temecula, CA 92591   

Source

"We have to think of another way to martyrdom," says al-Sadr supporters

Hey, good news from those who support Iraq's Moqtada al-Sadr who are advocating trading prayers instead of terrorism:

Clerics loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr announced the extended truce between his Mahdi army militia and U.S. and Iraqi forces during Friday prayers.

Iraqi government and U.S. military officials immediately welcomed the move, saying the initial six-month truce helped to sharply reduce attacks on Iraqi and U.S. troops, as well as diminish sectarian violence in Iraq.

In a press release Friday the Multi-National Force in Iraq said the extension would foster national reconciliation and allow coalition and Iraqi security forces to focus on combating al-Qaida terrorists.

The press release said those who continue to honor al-Sadr's pledge would be treated with respect and restraint, but warned security forces would continue to crack down on criminals who violate the law and dishonor the cease-fire.

Al-Sadr spokesman Sheik Jamal al-Sudani addressed the rally. And despite the defiant tone of the marchers, he made it clear they would not renew fighting.

"We have to think of another way to martyrdom, this time not by attack or assassination but by a doctrinal stand," he said. "We have to break the thorn of enemies by our millions of prayers in yards and mosques."

VOA

Jamal Badawi's compatriot, Yusef Qaradawi, states again his support for martyrdom operations

"I have supported this for more than 20 years - our Palestinian brothers are forced to turn themselves into bombs---God has given them this means as a kind of just devine compensation---turn himself into a human bomb. This is devine justice.

Yusef Qaradawi  February 2008

Muslim Brotherhood's Jamal Badawi came to Oklahoma at the end of January to debate at the invitation of the Islamic Society of Tulsa which I wrote a lot about here.  A very, very close associate of Badawi is Yusef Al-Qaradawi who chairs a number of organization Badawi belongs.  Qaradawi has, once again, stated his support for suicide bombings on Middle East TV. This video is being shown to the Islamic world via Al Jazeera.  But there's more; Badawi supports martyrdom operations, too.  Why is he allowed to travel freely to America and preach the sanitized version of Islam?  Badawi is a master at it.

"...those who are treated as martyrs in this life and in the Hereafter. This applies to those who are killed in the battlefield in a legitimate combative Jihad for the sake of Allah, even if he died in an operation that required that he sacrifices his life for the benefit of other vulnerable people...."

CAIR, another close associate of Jamal Badawi and the Islamic Society of Tulsa, has a speech by "renowned Muslim scholar" Qaradawi condemning terrorism against civilians on their website.  Qaradawi talks to the Middle East Islamic world doesn't seem to match with the sanitized version in the U.S., do they?  CAIR knows this to be so.

How ironic because CAIR seeks cooperation from journalists not talk about "Islamic terrorism" as such or use the words Islamists, fundamentalist, Muslim extremist or Islamofacism as put forth in their newly released journalist guide with a recommendation to do more human interest stories on Muslims in America to help "humanize a community often portrayed in the media through the prisms of extremism and terrorism" (page 18).

Click MEMRI TV to watch video.

Source LGF

Obama's spin doctors

This week, John McCain called attention to Barack Obama's war plan for Pakistan given in a speech last August. 

On cue,  one of Obama's foreign policy advisors, Susan Rice, of the Brookings Institute, said in a quickly arranged press conference yesterday, "McCain had distorted Obama's record by saying the Illinois Democrat would bomb an ally, Pakistan." Then she deflected the subject immediately away from Obama and blamed McCain for advocating invading Iraq.  Her bate and switch tactic didn't address what Obama said about changing the battlefield from Iraq to Pakistan.

In a speech last August, Obama said:

"....Just because the President misrepresents our enemies does not mean we do not have them. The terrorists are at war with us. The threat is from violent extremists who are a small minority of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims, but the threat is real. They distort Islam. They kill man, woman and child; Christian and Hindu, Jew and Muslim. They seek to create a repressive caliphate. To defeat this enemy, we must understand who we are fighting against, and what we are fighting for.

...The first step must be getting off the wrong battlefield in Iraq, and taking the fight to the terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

Was Rice deceptive or even dishonest since she didn't clarify he plans to change the battlefield to Pakistan? 

I call it an Obamination! 

President Bush gets his groove on in Africa

President Bush's struttin in the Liberian capital of Monrovia today

Rueters

U.S. Embassy in Belgrade on fire

REUTERS/Oleg Popov

The birth of a new country is not going over well in its mother country, Serbia.  Thank goodness the U. S. Embassy was closed and evacuated when Serb demostrators broke open the doors and started a fire at the embassy in Belgrade, Serbia.  According to a report by msnbc, one protester climbed up to the first floor, ripped the U.S. flag off its pole and briefly put up a Serbian flag in its place. 

Serbia's ambassador to Canada has urged Ottawa not to recognize the independence of Kosovo, warning the recognition by some countries is setting a "worldwide dangerous precedent." "If we accept this kind of violation of international law, the whole international order is at stake," Dusan Batakovic was quoted as saying during an interview with Canadian Press,  reports a chinese paper.

Serbia will never recognise Kosovo's independence, President Boris Tadic said on Monday.  Belgrade ordered the withdrawal of Serbian ambassadors from the United States, France and Turkey and plans to withdraw its ambassadors from other countries that recognise Kosovo's independence.

Protesters started a fire in the U.S. embassy in Belgrade on Thursday after breaking in to protest at U.S. support for Kosovo's independence. The embassy was closed. Police were not protecting the building. Doors were ripped off, set on fire and wedged in the embassy windows. Black smoke billowed out of the building.

Reuters

I believe this protest, caught on video in Belgrade, is several days old but shows rioting against the U.S. Embassy - it gives you a good idea what is going on there.  They try to kick in the door of our embassy and then are pushed back by the police and then the police are pushed back and then there is a loud shot.  It's worth watching.

Update 3:22 PM:  The US Ambassador to the United Nations said Thursday that he was "outraged" by the storming of the US embassy in Belgrade by rioters opposed to Kosovo's independence.

"I am outraged by the mob attack against the US embassy in Belgrade," Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters, adding he would seek condemnation by the UN Security Council.

"The embassy is sovereign US territory. The government of Serbia has a responsibility under international law to protect diplomatic facilities, particularly embassies."  AFP

2007 record year for Islamic related court cases

A historic number of court cases involving Islamic related matters occurred in 2007 according to Jeffrey Breinholt, on leave from the Justice Department.  He claims "Muslim plaintiffs use “...frivolous litigation to control how people express themselves and to frustrate government security efforts.” 

Last year, 888 judicial opinions mentioned Muslims, Islam or variations on those terms, more than in any other year in the history of the United States. In contrast to the views of many academic researchers and civil liberties groups, Mr. Breinholt says the decisions show that terrorism prosecutions work and that American Muslims are prickly, litigious and poorly integrated into American society.

“Next time someone claims that American prosecutors never win terrorism cases, or that Muslims are not more likely to be terrorists than other ethnic enclaves,” he wrote in a report last month, “recommend that they visit a law library, where they will find several published 2007 opinions in the case books where Muslims were successfully prosecuted for conduct related to religiously inspired violence.”

Mr. Breinholt, who is now director of national security law at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, a Washington research group, conducted his study by plugging words into a database of judicial decisions. After eliminating cases in which Islam figured tangentially and 280 cases brought by Muslim prisoners claiming violations of their religious rights, about 500 pretty interesting cases remained. Most of them involved garden-variety crimes, requests for asylum and claims of employment discrimination. Relatively few concerned terrorism.

Read more

zTruth tracked 2007 terrorism cases here

Video: spy satellite destroyed - China concerned

AP video - it doesn't show the actual hit, darn it.  Meanwhile China is calling on the U.S. to provide more information voicing concern about the potential international impact of the operation reports Al Jazeera:

"China further requests that the US fulfill its international obligations in earnest and promptly provide to the international community the necessary information and relevant data... so that relevant countries can take precautions," Foreign Minister Jianchao Liu said.

Are Christians disappearing in the Middle East?

Once upon a time, Egypt and Turkey was dominated by Christians as it was in many other Middle East countries.  But then Islam became dominate and ruled over all other religions there keeping its citizens in bondage only to Islam by their constitutions, laws and practices.  For Muslims to tell us Islam is all about religious freedom is laughable and it insults our intelligence. No other religion poses religious restrictions as does Islam. And no other religion seeks to dominate over all other religions.  Until Islam is reconciled in the Middle East showing the world it practices what it preaches in the West - beware!

We must see actions from Muslim leaders in the West putting significant pressure on Islamic leaders in the Middle East for total freedom of religion for their citizens.  Do you think Western Muslim leaders will do this?  Not a chance - and that should tell you what side of the Islamic fence they are on.  They want us to believe their words rather than the realities of Islamic domination throughout the Middle East until it dominates over all religions in the world.  Don't be fooled.

Below is an article about how the Christian minority is getting even smaller throughout the Middle East.

The disappearance of Christian communities from the Middle East threatens hope for finding a way to preserve traditional Arab values while also recognizing individual human rights, said two of the region's Catholic bishops.

In Iraq, "all minorities are threatened with extinction," said Latin-rite Archbishop Jean Sleiman of Baghdad.

"The drama of Christians is the drama of Iraq. The flight of Christians is leading to a cultural and religious homogenization, which will weaken and impoverish Iraq," the archbishop said Feb. 20 at a conference in Rome.

The conference, sponsored by the Community of Sant'Egidio, looked at the situation of Christians in the Middle East, their political status and their relations with their Muslim neighbors.

..."Christians in Syria -- like people everywhere -- want to be citizens of the world with freedom, democracy, well-being and happiness," he said. But high unemployment and hints at a rise in Muslim fundamentalism make them doubt their future in "a country that could become hostile to them," he said.

"Christians wonder why they should stay (in Syria) and get involved when they see what happened in Iraq and in Lebanon," Bishop Audo said.

---He said that while Christians were not treated equally under the government of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein their dreams for equality, freedom and peace in a post-Saddam Iraq have been dashed.

"The situation in Iraq is still serious," he said. "The violence is still real, even though for the media and for the politicians, including (U.S. President George W.) Bush himself, it has decreased. But this is a trap because it prevents people from seeking real solutions, and it makes the drama of violent outbursts more shocking."

Source

For more about Islamic countries in the Middle East go here.

Muslim leader blames American commentators and bloggers for the collapse of Islam's good name

It's all their fault Islam has such a bad name according to Hussein Ibish, founder of the Foundation of Arab-American Leadership.  I could fill a book on why his assertion is ridiculous, false and is just another typical attempt to shift the focus on to the back of those who criticize a religion that holds its people in bondage in the Middle East, and is the cause of nearly all the world's conflict now and in the past 1400 years. Ibish insults the intelligence of Americans.

American culture's view of American Muslims and Islam is steadily deteriorating under an onslaught of "bigotry" on cable news shows, newspaper op-ed pages and in the blogosphere, an Arab-American activist told an audience at Tulane University here Tuesday.

That's a significant shift, said Hussein Ibish, founder of the Foundation for Arab-American Leadership in Washington, D.C.

Since 9/11, he said, commentators such as Malkin, Ann Coulter, Charles Krauthammer, Daniel Pipes and David Horowitz have transferred old anti-Arab stereotypes to Islam, in a stream of "incredibly bigoted commentary" that would not have been tolerated before then.

"This is what explains the collapse of the good name of Islam," he said.

USAToday

Man arrested with hollowed-out book with box-cutter inside at Tampa airport

This guy also had several Islamic books inside his backpack. 

A 21-year-old Clearwater man was arrested at Tampa International Airport this weekend after security personnel found a box cutter in a hollowed-out book, authorities said.

Benjamin Baines Jr.

About 7:30 a.m. Sunday, airport security ran Benjamin Baines Jr.'s backpack through an X-ray machine and saw the image of a box cutter, according to a report from the Transportation Security Administration.

When searching the backpack, a security officer found a book titled "Fear Itself." The book was hollowed out, and the box cutter was inside.

After Baines was read his rights, he said his cousin had cut away the pages to make the hollow section in the book. Later, reports state, he said he had hollowed it out himself to hide money and marijuana from his roommates.

Baines told officers he was moving to Las Vegas and forgot the cutter was in the book.

Officers found books in the backpack titled "Muhammad in the Bible," "The Prophet's Prayer" and "The Noble Qur'an." He also had a copy of the Quran and the Bible.

Source

Oklahoma City settles Christmas discrimination suit

Two employees of the city of Oklahoma City sued after the city manager sent a memo last November that stated religious items should not be displayed in government offices.  It cited interpretations of the U.S. Constitution that could expose the city to legal liabilities if holiday items "based solely on religious themes” are used to decorate government buildings.

Yesterday, the city agreed to settle the case for $20,000 in attorney's fees and the issuance of a new memo which expressed their support for freedom of speech and religion. 

Hurray for freedom of speech and freedom of religion in America! 

City Manager Couch - what were you thinking, dude?

Brent Olsson, attorney for the employees, [Chris Spencer and Kenneth Buck], said his clients wanted a fair policy that allowed them to express their religious freedom.

"This was not about money," Olsson said. "It was about trying to correct an injustice."

As part of the settlement, City Manager Jim Couch agreed to release a statement to The Oklahoman.

"I appreciate Mr. Spencer and Mr. Buck bringing this matter to my attention," Couch said in the statement. "I also appreciate their working with the city to create new guidelines so that such a misunderstanding does not occur in the future and to ensure protection for the free speech rights of city employees."

NewsOK

Christians arrested in Jordan

The Islamic police in Jordan have arrested 8 Christians for the horrendous crime of propagating the Christians faith.  This is how Islamic countries keep their citizens in bondage to Islam.  The government outlaws conversion from Islam, as well as proselytism among Muslims.  Religious freedom?  Forget about it.

Muslims work hard to convince Americans how wonderful Islam is, right?  Well, simple ask them very politely to provide you one example of an Islamic country that is the role model for Islam where freedom of religion is the norm.  There isn't one.  The truth about Islam can be found in studying Islamic countries, especially its country of origin - Saudi Arabia.  All the rhetoric from Muslims in America who are freely propagating their religion without persecution can't hide this fact.  Islam is as Islam does.

Americans need to speak up more often in interfaith forums and letters-to-the-editors how Islamic countries treat Christians. 

Eight people have been arrested in Jordan for propagating the Christian faith, according to a Saudi newspaper.

Jordanian security forces arrested eight people, mostly foreigners, after they were caught distributing missionary material to Bedouin families north and east of the Jordanian capital, Amman, the Saudi daily Al-Watan reported.

The authorities received information about the missionaries from local residents who said these foreigners were offering humanitarian assistance to poor Muslim families and distributing fliers promoting Christianity.

Sources said they were "enticing" impoverished youngsters by paying them money and calling on them to marry foreign girls.

Islam is the state religion in Jordan, though christianity is a recognized religion in the country.

Evangelism is a practice frowned upon in the Muslim world, and often associated with Western imperialism.

Source

Additional resource:

Global Mapping International - the world of Islam

CAIR tackles Little Green Footballs with FBI call

Here we go again with CAIR.  This time they are attacking Little Green Footballs for a few comments readers allegedly made after a post about a gigantic Islamic prayer tower being erected in St. Louis.  CAIR asked the FBI to investigate these comments and refers to Little Green Football as a hate site in their press release. 

Little Green Footballs is not a hate site - far from it.  Does it bring to its reader's attention the infiltration of our country by Islamists and the like?  Is it aware of the dangers of an Islamic caliphate like President Bush and even far-left socialist-leaning Barack Obama have said?  You bet. 

I would expect a group more aligned with the Islamic global world than America to issue such a one-sided hateful press release.  If I've learned anything about CAIR is that civil liberties is a one-way street with them.  There's plenty to know about the Council of American Islamic Relations and other questionable players of the Islamic world and their ultimate goals which I attempt to track here.  It's a work in progress but it paints a pretty unmistakable picture.

Perhaps we should cut them some slack today, though.  They may have lashed out because of the stinging defeat of their ACLU-backed domestic spy lawsuit thrown-out by the Supreme Court today.  Or that their tax-exempt status with the IRS is now a notch less than what it was  - possibly affecting their ability to lobby.  What am I thinking?  CAIR would have pounced, regardless.  Can you imagine these people reading through several thousand comments on LGF daily?  Geez.  They are trying to act like the sharia police of America.  Oh, I'm so scared - I'm shivering.

CAIR, do you spend any time tracking down and reporting hateful comments on jihadist websites from those who want to destroy America and its citizens? 

LGF

Update 2/19/08. 12 PM:  LGF wrote about the local one-sided sloppy coverage of CAIR's press release.  As I understand it, CAIR did not contact LGF about the comments they believed offensive prior to them contacting the FBI.  It figures.

You can watch the local CBS video of the story here.

The American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Tuesday asked the FBI to investigate the apparent threats that were posted on an anti-Muslim internet site. (They mean Little Green Footballs)

Why don't we all consider sending a polite e-mail to the local CBS affiliate KMOV-TV about the one-sidedness of their story:    news@kmov.com

CAIR is calling the comments threats directed against the mosque but in the comments I read they only mentioned the free standing 107 ft tall tower never the mosque, at all.  But CAIR, apparently, is trying to make this into something much bigger...

"The apparent threats come following a recent arson attack on a Tennessee mosque allegedly by three members of the "Christian Identity" movement and a fire-bomb attack on a Minnesota Muslim business."  CAIR said in their press release

Because of similar bias-related incidents nationwide, CAIR is urging Muslim individuals and institutions to review security procedures using advice contained in its "Muslim Community Safety Kit."  SEE: CAIR Muslim Community Safety Kit

Update 1/19/08, 2 PM:  LGF posted a series of e-mails received from reporter, Tim Townsend, of St. Louis Today who did an article on CAIR's press-release which prompted me to write the following e-mail to Arnie Robbins, Editor, arobbins@post-dispatch, of St. Louis Today.

Your reporter Tim Townsend did an article today that only told one side of a much, much bigger story.

When the subject of the report contacted your reporter, he got the following e-mail replies which are now posted on one of the largest read blogs in the world, Little Green Footballs.

Your paper and especially your reporter look very bad. His responses to Mr. Johnson are not worthy of a reporter.  It's unprofessional, like his article.

I'm appalled.

Sincerely,

B. L. Eave

zTruth

Supreme Court deals CAIR a blow in domestic spy suit

Today, the Supreme Court rejected a case brought before them by the ACLU, who represented the Council of American Islamic Relations and other plantiffs, that challenged President Bush's domestic surveillance program.

The justices were asked to hear the case after a lower court ruled the ACLU and other groups and individuals that sued the government had no legal right to do so because they could not prove they had been affected by the program.

It's very disturbing that the president's actions will not be reviewed by the Supreme Court," said Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU's National Security Project. "Allowing the executive branch to police itself flies in the face of the constitutional system of checks and balances."

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, criticized the decision:

...calling it "a disappointing one that was not made on the merits of the case, yet closed the courthouse doors to resolving it."

He added a plea for the Bush administration to supply information Congress has asked for relating to the surveillance program.

"There is a dark cloud over the White House's warrantless wiretapping program, and a full response to the outstanding subpoena from the Senate Judiciary Committee by this administration would be a good start to clearing the air," Leahy said.

CNN

Michelle Obama has insulted America to its core.

I'll repeat it again.  Michelle Obama has insulted America to its core.  So with her husband riding a wave of popularity that may or may not see him to the White House, Mrs. Obama said without saying it directly that she's been - how shall I put it - ashamed of America her entire adult life, until now.  Good God Almighty.  She's proud because she said hope is making a comeback?  Hope?  Her implication is that America has been a nation without hope for decades!  When did it leave?  I had no clue, did you?

I've had hope as an American every day of my life, Mrs. Obama.  I know how well we have it in America having grown up in a third world country - Brazil to be exact, for part of my childhood. I've seen a group of older children carrying the casket of a small child to its grave - none wearing shoes - the littlest one with nothing covering their cute little butts.  Or that my mother had to take the newly bought chicken home and saw off its head before you could cook it.  A memory which still haunts me to this day. I'm shocked at her statement.  The audacity of what she said is still ringing in my ears a day later.

Michelle Obama proclaimed yesterday that for “the first time” in her adult life,” she was proud of America, as she spoke during a rally to support her husband’s presidential bid.  “Hope is making a comeback and, let me tell you, for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country. Not just because Barack is doing well, but I think people are hungry for change,” she said during a rally in downtown Milwaukee.

The "Islamic Nation" welcomes Kosovo independence

Is Kosovo going to be the next Muslim country to join the Organization of Islamic Conferences?  Probably, if all goes well for them.  If that happens it would bring the number of Islamic countries in the OIC to 57. 

Kosovo will be the first Muslim country in Europe where much of its population was converted to Islam under Ottoman Turkish rule according to Llewellyn King's article yesterday. 

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference has welcomed Kosovo's declaration of independence, saying it would be an asset to the Muslim world.

"Kosovo has finally declared its independence after a long and determined struggle by its people. As we rejoice in this happy result, we declare our solidarity with and support to our brothers and sisters there," Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the head of the OIC, said at the opening of a meeting in Dakar on Monday.

"The Islamic (nation) wishes them success in the new battle awaiting them, which is the building of a strong and prosperous state capable of satisfying its people. There is no doubt that the independence of Kosovo will be an asset to the Muslim world and further enhance joint Islamic action," he said in comments sent to Reuters.

...China, Russia, Spain, Serbia and other countries have opposed the move, some saying it will encourage separatism.

Rueters

Islamic prayer tower goes up in St. Louis!

I'm shaking as I write this from the shock of finding out that a tall prayer tower is being erected in St. Louis, Missouri - complete with loud speakers according to Gateway Pundit who got the information and pictures from Republican Riot.

KSOK Channel 5 said the tower is called a minaret, and such structures are found accompanying most mosques in the world. When it's finished, the minaret will stretch 107 feet into the air --- The imam at the mosque says it will not be used as a public address system, despite reports on some radio talk shows.

So the prayer tower is for looks only?  I've got to go take some Tylenol.

There is an interesting update to this story here.

(GP Photo)

Update 2/20/08:  A national Muslim civil rights organization has asked the FBI to investigate what it considers threats made on the Internet against a Bosnian mosque in St. Louis. The comments were made on at least two blogs and related to a posting about a minaret being built at the mosque.

Another blog, called "Little Green Footballs," linked to the "Gateway Pundit" post, and several comments on "Little Green Footballs," caused the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations to contact the FBI, said Ibrahim Hooper, the council's spokesman.

"We ourselves get these kinds of hate messages and threats frequently," Hooper said. "But you never know who's just talking and who's going to carry out some these threats, so you have to check them out."

St. Louis Today

Barack Obama's socialist connections

In an in-depth article called "Obama's Communist Mentor" Accuracy in the Media give us more insight about Barack Obama.  An astute blogger by the name of Trevor Loudon believes the childhood mentor called "Frank" in Obama's autobiography "Dreams of My Father" was, in fact, a likely communist, by the name of Frank Marshall Davis.   In his March 2007 post titled Barack Obama's Marxist Mentor, Loudon referenced a speech given by Professor Gerald Horne called Rethinking the History and Future of the Communist Party which mentioned Davis and Obama:

...In any case, deploring these convictions in Hawaii was an African-American poet and journalist by the name of Frank Marshall Davis, who was certainly in the orbit of the CP [communist party] – if not a member – and who was born in Kansas and spent a good deal of his adult life in Chicago, before decamping to Honolulu in 1948 at the suggestion of his good friend Paul Robeson.

Eventually, he befriended another family – a Euro-American family – that had migrated to Honolulu from Kansas and a young woman from this family eventually had a child with a young student from Kenya East Africa who goes by the name of Barack Obama, who retracing the steps of Davis eventually decamped to Chicago.

Treavor ended his post by saying according to African American Review of Summer/Fall 2003, "In Davis's case, his political commitments led him to join the American Communist Party during the middle of World War II--even though he never publicly admitted his Party membership."

This could fit in with the whole package of Obama but it requires more scrutiny.  The problem is, the media will probably not touch it, investigate it or report on it. Does it matter anyway?  Obama was very young back then and so what if he mentioned him in his book?  In any event, it should be explored more because it could fit a pattern - like when Obama campaigned for socialist Bernie Sanders. Watch a video of Obama campaigning for Senator Bernie Sanders here. Sanders is the first self-described socialist to be elected to the U.S. Senate. 

The lack of quality, thorough reporting taking place in America today is stunning.  But, this is why many have become bloggers.  In the case of Obama, we have to piece together, on our own, who he really is and what he stands for which I attempt to do in The Audacity of Separatism.

Cuba's villain #1, Castro resigns

Well, well, Castro has finally called it quits after 5 decades of being the dictator of Cuba.  Communism will likely continue there, I suspect  The U.S. wants free and fair elections for Cubans - a democracy.  In a letter posted today on the Web site of Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma, Mr. Castro says that as his government prepares to nominate and elect a new leadership -- a de facto formality since the 1959 revolution, according to the Wall Street Journal.

...The current status of Mr. Castro's health isn't clear, nor is his current role in Cuba's governance, though the New York Times reports that he remains active in directing policy behind the scenes. But his central position in Cuban rhetoric for nearly five decades -- and his role as villain No. 1 to more than one generation of anti-Communists in Washington and Miami -- makes his formal exit a potentially transformative one for Cuba and the lingering Cold War relationship it has with the U.S. In the statement, Mr. Castro acknowledges that his death could "bring traumatic news to our people in the midst of the battle" and that "my first duty was to prepare our people both politically and psychologically for my absence."

Wall Street Journal

Qaradawi appeals to the "Muslim nation" for calm

On Sunday, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Yusef Qaradawi, called on the Muslim nation - the umma - for calm over the reprinting of the Danish cartoons and to work with others to bring these people to trial.  In the meantime, he wants them to boycott Danish products.  The umma will try to get their way through the U.N. and draw others into and under their rule - one of the worst case scenerios of possibilites. 

..."This is an insult to Muslims and an attempt to provoke them," Qaradawi, the president of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, told Al-Jazeera news channel.  "Those people are provoking us to go in protests everywhere and Muslims have a right to be angry," said Qaradawi.

"But we are appealing for the umma [Muslim nation] for a rational, wise and calm response."

Boycott

... "We should work with others to bring these people to trial and work to issue legislations banning such actions."

Following the 2005 cartoon crisis the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Arab League sought a UN resolution, backed by possible sanctions, to protect religions against blasphemy.  Muslim, Christian and Jewish clerics pressed in 2006 for United Nations action to ban blasphemy and offenses to religious symbols.

Sheikh Qaradawi, meanwhile, renewed the call to boycott Danish products as a demonstration of anger at the reprinting of the lampooning cartoon.  "The boycott of Danish products should be activated."

Islamonline

Muslims protest American aid in the Philippines

U.S. soldiers are taking part in humanitarian missions involving medical aid and building schools, bridges and clinics in Muslim areas of southern Philippines - yet their presence is called provacative by the Muslims.  Go figure.

About 6,000 U.S. troops are taking part in annual training exercises---but they will only hold humanitarian missions in the south of the archipelago, where Muslim communities are suspicious of their activities.

Zainab Ampatuan, head of the Suara Bangsamoro (Voice of the Moro People) political party, said about 20,000 people gathered ---to protest the presence of U.S. soldiers.  Ampatuan said the troops might provoke members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country's largest Muslim separatist group...

"We fear that hostilities may happen considering that U.S. and Philippine troops will hold their humanitarian missions in controlled areas of the MILF," she said.  ...The humanitarian missions could be fronts for actual combat operations to fight Islamic militants," Beverly Musni, leader of a coalition of professionals, students and rights activists called Out Now.

Reuters

Muslim dad to 5 year old son, "Who do you kill?"

This is chilling.  Could this be happening in America?  the short answer:  probably.

Parviz Khan not only spoke openly about his plotting in front of his young children, but actively groomed them to take part. In one recorded conversation of May 2006 he was heard shouting at his five-year-old son when he made a mistake reading the Koran from heart.

He made him stand in front of him with his hands by his side and demanded: "Who do you love?"

The child answered: "I love Sheikh Osama bin Laden."

"And?" said Khan.

"Sheikh Abdel-Rahman" referring to the "Blind sheikh" in prison in the US.

"And?" asked Khan.

"Sheikh Abu Hamza" referring to the jailed imam at Finsbury Park Mosque in North London. Who else you kill?" said Khan.

"Who do you kill?" asked Khan.

"America kill," said the boy.

"Bush I kill," said the boy.

"And who else?" demanded Khan.

"Blair kill, both people kill."

"Who else you kill?" asked Khan.

"Saddam, Saddam," said the boy.

Then the pair began chanting at each other.

Khan said: "Kuffar [non-believers]" the boy said: "Kill."

Khan said: "Mushrik [polytheists]" and the boy said: "Kill."

Source

Parviz Khan was sentenced to life in prison for plotting to behead a British soldier.

Presidents Day

This video, the reciting of Pledge of Allegiance, is appropriate for today, President's Day.  I love how they did the flag and the voice is so commanding. 

Presidents Day (or Presidents' Day), is the common name for the federal holiday officially designated as Washington's Birthday, and both variants are among the official names of a number of coinciding state holidays. It is celebrated on the third Monday of February.

Hey, it's less than 40 seconds long...