USAF Modifying B-2’s To Carry Bunker Busters

Preparations are underway at the USAF for what seems to be a head on collision with Iran. "Is Iran Busted?" from Investor’s Business Daily:

The Air Force is busy modifying its B-2 stealth bomber fleet so it can carry deep-penetrating bunker-buster bombs, according to recent reports. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, call your office.

The Massive Ordnance Penetrator, known as the bunker buster, is a GPS-guided weapon that carries more than 5,300 pounds of conventional explosives inside a 20.5-foot hardened steel shell. Sounds formidable. It is.

Each B-2 has the capacity to haul two bunker-busters across long distances. Developer Northrop Grumman says the 21 delta-wing B-2s it built can fly 6,000 nautical miles without being refueled. A single aerial refueling allows it fly more than 10,000 nautical miles. As such, the B-2 can reach any point on the globe within a few hours.

"Any point" includes, of course, Iran, where the Islamist regime continues to develop nuclear weapons technology despite international pressure that it back down. Most likely, much of the work is being done underground in heavily fortified facilities.

The Natanz facility, where Tehran is enriching uranium and could produce weapons-grade material, is thought to be protected by several yards of concrete and as much 75 feet of dirt. Well protected, yes, but not out of the lethal reach of bunker busters.

al-Qaeda Uses Its Own As Human Shields

It’s not news that Jihadists use human shields. What is interesting to note is that they are also using their own as protection. Makes you want to think twice before joining the ranks of al-Qaeda.

"Al-Qaeda in Algeria uses new members as human shields" from Echorouk Online:

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, previously known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) has used its new members as human shields against the Algerian army, according to sources close to a military operation being carried out in Yakourene forest in the wilaya (province) of Tizi Ouzou (100 km east of Algiers).

Terror groups are used to make children and women human shields as it was the case of an “important” military operation in Babour Mountains between Setif and Jijel (east of Algiers) where a brigade was dismantled and "terror lords" surrendered, said a well-informed source.

The national leader of Al-Qaeda Droudkal has adopted this strategy in Yakourene operation as most of his accolytes besieged now by the army in the area are newly recruited members.

Better them than innocents.

Olmert Destroys Synagogue

The Palestinians no longer have to concern themselves with destroying Jewish holy sites in Israel. Israeli PM Olmert is doing the work for them.

"Olmert Government Destroys Synagogue Next to Joseph's Tomb" by Hana Levi Julian for INN:

The Civil Lands Administration destroyed a one-year-old synagogue built on Mount Gerizim near the Samarian city of Shechem on Monday afternoon. The structure was built not far from one of the holiest sites in the Jewish world.

Government officials maintained that the building was erected without a permit, and was not a synagogue.

This is one trait that the cowardly Olmert inherited from his incapacitated predecessor; bravery in the face of Jews and cowardice in the face of Muslims.

Dozens of Breslov Chassidim and other rabbis and students worshipped there daily, learning Torah between the services. The rabbinical students vowed not to give up the site without opposition. “If the synagogue is destroyed, it will be re-built,” vowed one student before the house of worship was razed to the ground.

The structure was built by the students in order to study as close as possible to the burial place in Shechem of the biblical Joseph, son of the Jewish matriarch Rachel and Jewish patriarch Jacob, following its capture and destruction by Palestinian Authority Arab hordes in October 2000. There have been many clandestine pilgrimages by Jews – and some not so clandestine – to the tomb since then.

The Tomb of Joseph, whose sons headed two of the twelve tribes of Israel, was to remain accessible to Jews under the terms of the Oslo Accords signed by Israel with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which represented the PA.

The area around it, including the city of Shechem, was handed over to the PA, then an administrative body whose leaders had promised to protect the site.

But Jewish access to the tomb was blasted away by PLO terrorists in October 2000 a scant few days after the start of the second intifada, which many refer to as the Oslo War.

The PA promise to preserve Joseph’s Tomb and allow Jewish access was violated within two hours after Yusuf’s body was carried away. A flood of PA Arabs entered the compound and razed the synagogue to the ground, burning furniture and holy books as the PA policemen who had vowed to protect the site stood idly by.

Two days later, the dome of the tomb itself was painted “evil eye green” as some people refer to the color, which in Arabic tradition wards off the evil eye. Bulldozers cleared away the remnants of the orgy of violence that had taken place there, transforming the holy Jewish monument into a Muslim religious site.

If you have no self respect, no one will respect you. It's all on Olmert's tab now

Olmert Implementing Palestinian "Return"

Another goodwill gesture. A deadly precedent. One step closer to the abyss.
"Israel to grant West Bank entry to Iraqi Palestinians" by Akiva Eldar for Haaretz:

Israel has recently agreed to allow a group of 41 Iraqi refugees of Palestinian origin to enter the West Bank and reunite with relatives there, as a gesture of good will to the government of Prime Minister Salam Fayad.

The Prime Minister's Bureau confirmed last night that officials were in the process of completing the procedure, in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and the relevant security authorities.

The Foreign Ministry clarified to the relevant parties involved, primarily the United Nations, that Israel does not consider granting entry to Iraqi refugees a precedent heralding the return of Palestinians to the territories - and certainly not to Israel.

But that is exactly what it is; a precedent. Just as prisoner releases and land withdrawals; once you start you never stop. Let's all stand up and welcome our new neighbors.

After discussion with the UN, it was agreed that the Palestinian Iraqis, who will enter the West Bank, will not receive refugee status and will be registered as regular citizens of the Palestinian Authority.

The vast majority of the Palestinians living in Iraq are originally from villages in the foothills of the Carmel Mountains of Haifa. In 1948, Iraqi officers stationed in the northern West Bank forcibly conscripted men from those villages, and then allowed them and their families to enter Iraq - but never offered them citizenship.

These "Palestinians" have not been here for the better part of 60 years. Some of them may have never been here at all. Is this what we need? Is this in Israel's best interests?

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

Libyan Hospitality

Yet another fine addition to the exemplary track record of human rights violations in the Arab world.

"Freed doctor describes torture ordeal inside Libyan jail" by Kate Connolly for the Guardian:

The Palestinian doctor who was held in Libyan custody along with five Bulgarian nurses on charges they infected hundreds of children with HIV, has described in detail how they were tortured during their eight-year ordeal. Ashraf Alhajouj, 38, said he was beaten, held in cages with police dogs and given electric shocks, including to his private parts. He said that he and the nurses were sometimes put together naked in the same room and tortured.

In a harrowing first-person account, published in the latest edition of the German news magazine Der Spiegel following the release of the six last week, Dr Alhajouj described how following his initial arrest in January 1999, along with the nurses, he was taken to a police dog training centre outside Tripoli.

"For the first days I was locked up with three dogs who were ordered to attack me. My leg is full of scars and marks from where they bit me [and] I had a big hole in my knee," he said.

Later, he said, wire cable that had been stripped of its plastic coating, was wound round his penis and he was dragged "screaming and crying" across the floor. He was also given electric shocks with a generator-style machine.
"They put the minus cable on my finger and the plus cable on my ear or my genitals. The most painful thing was their ability to increase the speed of the electricity flow. When I fell unconscious they would throw cold water over my naked body and then begin all over again," he said. The torture times were set for between 5pm and 5am and continued for 13 months. The nurses were submitted to similar treatment.

"Sometimes we were tortured in the same room. I saw them half-naked, they saw me completely naked when I was being electrocuted. We heard each others' whimpering, crying and screaming." He said he saw the women being raped and watched as one of them broke a piece of glass from the window and cut her wrists when she could not bear it any longer.

It was of these Libyan hosts that Nicolas Sarkozy's Chief of Staff said just last week “a country that respects international rules can obtain civilian nuclear energy”.

It makes you wonder.

Abbas' Al-Aqsa Terror Group Vows To Fight On

Israel keeps on supplying them weapons. Israel continues to talk withdrawal. Israel offers amnesty to Fatah terrorists. Israel released 250 prisoners, and is considering releasing 600 more. The Fatah response to Olmert's "goodwill gesture program"? Fight on.

"The resistance is our choice" says Gazan Al Aqsa Brigades leader from Ma'an News Agency:

Gaza - Ma'an – The Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa Brigades have stated that the positions of the Fayyad government, in regard to armed resistance groups, "doesn't represent the vision and philosophy of the resistance and the defence of the dignity of Palestinians".

A statement issued by Abu Al Muntasir, a prominent Aqsa Brigade leader in the Gaza Strip, declared, "This will make it more easy for Hamas to attack the Fatah movement, and say that we are 'standing against the resistance'. "

Abu Al Muntasir added that Fayyad "should have insisted on the resistance and its soul, and given his support to it… We will not lay down our weapons, and will not stop our resistance, as long as our people are suffering from the occupation."

What happened to Abbas' promise that his al-Aqsa terrorists would lay down their weapons? Why did Olmert release Fatah terrorists when it was clear that the fighting would go on? Why is Olmert considering releasing more? Why is he allowing weapons transfers from Jordan? Why is the US sending more money to Fatah?

Furthermore, I thought Fatah was out of Gaza.

Answers anyone?

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

Another Gaza Honor Killing?

It has been almost a whole week since the last honor killing in Gaza. I guess we were overdue. This from Ma'an News Agency;

Gaza - Ma'an - The corpse of a Palestinian woman in her twenties was found in the Al Bureij area of the central Gaza Strip with numerous knife gashes on Saturday.

Palestinian medical sources stated that the corpse was delivered to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital for examination.

In addition, the cadavers of three Palestinian sisters were found dumped in a deserted area of the strip a week ago. Honour killing has not been ruled out in the murders.

She sure didn't die of heart failure.

I am once again reassured knowing I have such humanitarians for neighbors.

Israel Continues to Arm the Jihad

The Olmert government continues on its suicidal mission by providing the transfer of weapons to its sworn enemy. Once again, the Israeli citizen will pay with blood. The jihad never had a better Israeli friend than Olmert & Co.

"Thousands more rifles reach Palestinian Authority" by Ali Waked for Ynet:

Three Jordanian trucks loaded with Kalashnikov rifles arrived Friday afternoon at the Muqataa compound in Ramallah, a Palestinian security source told Ynet.

Palestinian security officers began unloading some thousands of rifles off the truck slated to be used by the security organizations.

On Thursday, Ynet reported that four Jordanian trucks had arrived at the Palestinian Authority, containing more than 3,000 rifles. According to the security source, six additional trucks were expected to arrive in the coming days.

An Israeli military source on Thursday confirmed the report on the arrival of trucks carrying rifles to the PA, saying that the weapons were part of the plan to bolster the Palestinian security organizations.

The source could not say where the funding for the equipment came from, but mentioned that nine more trucks were expected to arrive in Jericho over the next few days carrying bullet proof vests and additional equipment

Rest assured, the guns will be pointed at Israel and the bullet proof vests will stop Israeli bullets. These guns will never be pointed at Hamas; especially when Hamas gets their hands on them. They usually do.

Blood Money

Lock up some foreigners and you too can receive nukes. That is the very sad message that French President Nicolas Sarkozy has delivered. I wonder if Chirac would have bent so low. Well…probably, he's French too.

"Sarkozy under fire for nuclear deal to secure nurses’ release" by David Charter and Adam Sage for theTimes Online:

Nicolas Sarkozy faced a barrage of criticism yesterday for agreeing to build a nuclear reactor in Libya as concern grew over the price extracted by Colonel Gaddafi for the release of five Bulgarian nurses this week.

Opponents said that the French President had effectively exchanged the nurses and their colleague, a Palestinian doctor, for nuclear technology.

The European Commission and Bulgarian Government were forced to deny yesterday that a ransom had been paid for the release of the six, who claimed that they had been tortured.

Of course no ransom was paid. Here is a list of what Libya will coincidentally receive from all parties involved.

1 million dollars to each of the 438 families whose children were infected.

3.425 million dollars in training and support to the Benghazi Hospital.

13.7 million dollars in future assistance to the Benghazi Hospital.

Bulgaria may forgive 54 million dollars in Libyan debt.

And of course….al-France to provide nuclear technology.

Of course, it’s not ransom.

Here are the French and Bulgarian statements:

Sergei Stanishev, the Bulgarian Prime Minister, said that his country may write off the $54 million debt owed to it by Libya. He added that this would be a humanitarian gesture, not “paying ransom or admitting guilt”.

Claude Guéant, President Sarkozy’s chief of staff, said that the nuclear co-operation deal meant that “a country that respects international rules can obtain civilian nuclear energy”. The President added: “Nuclear power is the energy of the future. If we do not give the energy of the future to the countries of the southern Mediterranean, how will they develop themselves? And if they do not develop, how will we fight terrorism and fanaticism?”

No shame. Since when did Libya, or any Muslim nation show that it respects international law.

If I was French, I would be outraged. Not only because Sarkozy pays a hefty sum in blood money to ransom Bulgarian citizens in order to make his presence felt in the EU and secure major contracts for French companies, but also because Sarkozy is standing by idly while a French citizen suffers in captivity.

Sorry…I forgot. Gilad Shalit is not only French; he’s Jewish too.

Flogging in Iran

Not every "criminal" in Iran gets stoned or hanged. Some just get flogged. Publicly. Maybe Iran is a humane nation after all.

"Iran: Feminists Face Flogging" from AKI:

Tehran, 26 July (AKI) - The trials of 31 feminists arrested on 3 March for having organised a sit-in in front of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran have resumed in the capital. The women's' rights activists are this time being tried individually and accused collectively of "seditious meeting" and "plotting against state security".

The first ten have been given jail terms of between six months and five years, of whom three are also to be flogged.

Most of the women received suspended sentences.

Only one woman, Behareh Hedayat, remains in jail but not for her activities in defence of womens' rights, rather for her role in the executive of the students association of the Amir Kabir Polytechnic.

While being sentenced to jail for demanding sexual equality and equal rights in the Islamic Republic may be considered "normal" public flogging, a punishment to date reserved for political crimes, is not.

How ironic that just yesterday Iran's FM claimed: "As regards the necessity of respect for the rights of minorities, Iran can play an example and set a paradigm for all countries".

The last three feminists judged by the Revolutionary Court, Delaram Ali, Alieh Eghdam e Maryam Zia, as well as jail terms, were punished with 10,20 and 10 lashes of the whip respectively. "This is an unprecedented and worrying development" commented Yousef Molaii, Maryam Zia's lawyer.

Iranian Nobel peace laureate, lawyer Shirin Ebadi, has appealed to the United Nations. In a letter to the UN Human Rights Commission she defined the public flogging of women demanding equal rights and protesting against polygamy as not only a violation of Human Rights but also an act of incivility.

Just like cattle.

Crossposted to The Religion of Peace

Iran Fights For the Rights of Minorities

Oh, the irony. The home of the public hanging and beating speaks out on behalf of the downtrodden. "FM Calls on West to Respect Rights of Minorities" from Fars:

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)-Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki blasted western states for disregarding the rights of religious and social minorities while alleging to be an advocate of human rights.

"Some western governments claim to be an advocate of human rights and assert that they seek to restore people's rights in Islamic countries while they ignore the rights of minorities living in their own countries," Mottaki said while addressing a convention of the Assyrian World Community here in Tehran on Wednesday.

He further reminded Iran's full respect and recognition of the rights of minorities, and said, "As regards the necessity of respect for the rights of minorities, Iran can play an example and set a paradigm for all countries, as Mr. Bet Kelia, Iranian Assyrians' representative at the Islamic Consultative Assembly, said."

"Unfortunately, some western countries ignore the rights of their own minorities while they allege to be in pursuit of the restoration of people's rights in Islamic countries," the minister continued.

Read it all…it's a laugher.

England is in Bed With Hamas

The empire is long dead. Whatever remains is sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss. Boycott and appeasement have become synonymous with the British nation. Cavorting with terrorists is their new pastime. Is there any self respect left in a once proud nation?

"Hamas leader claims UK has widened links" by Conal Urquhart for the Guardian:

The British government has expanded its links with Hamas in recent weeks, according to the militant organisation's leader, Ismail Haniyeh.

Mr Haniyeh, who was the Palestinian prime minister until last month, claims that contacts between Hamas and Britain have increased since they worked together to free Alan Johnston, the BBC Gaza correspondent, who was held captive in Gaza for almost four months.

"I cannot deny that there are now other contacts, other channels of communication with the UK and these involve people of high rank, although I am not personally involved," he claimed in an interview with the Guardian.

"The main aim of the contacts is to improve our democracy and governance. This is just part of the many contacts that are going on with other governments around the world."

He added that Britain wanted to keep the contacts secret.

Why the secrecy? Anything to be ashamed of?

Officials at the Foreign Office and the British consulate in Jerusalem denied that there had been political links with Hamas and insisted that any contacts had been purely "humanitarian and consular". They said it was possible that Mr Haniyeh had misunderstood the work of British non-governmental organisations such as Forward Thinking and Conflicts Forum, which have established contacts with Hamas. Both groups work with former government advisers and civil servants and members of the House of Lords.

Have the British established "humanitarian and consular" contacts with the Taliban or al-Qaeda? Have the British hosted prominent leaders of the Taliban or al-Qaeda as they have Hamas leaders? The answer is no and no. The difference is obvious. England recognizes Hamas.

Hamas' policy? Unchanged.

He (Haniyeh) said that Hamas would not change its policy of refusing to recognise Israel and said that the Palestine Liberation Organisation's recognition of Israel 15 years ago had not led to any improvement in the rights of Palestinians.

"In return for recognition, the PLO got the opposite of what they wanted. They got the expansion of the settlements, the confiscation of the Jordan valley and the wall. The problem is therefore not one of recognition but something else," he said.

With support from the British, Hamas does not need to recognize Israel nor abandon its strategy. On the contrary, the strategy is working to a tee. England is on board and the rest of Europe will not be far behind.

The Saudi Nuclear Program

Just what the doctor ordered…more Islamic nukes. Pakistan is already there and Iran is closing in. Is the land of Mohammed going nuclear? According to a Saudi website; absolutely. "Saudi Arabia’s Secret Nuclear Program Exposed" from Iran Daily:

TEHRAN, July 25-A Saudi website revealed the secret nuclear program of the Saudi Arabia which is underway with the help of Pakistan.

The news website ’Sawt Al-Salam’ announced on Wednesday that a group of Pakistani nuclear scientists who entered Saudi Arabia during the Hajj ceremony in 2003 have been working to expand the secret nuclear program of the country, Fars reported.

“During the Hajj pilgrimages to Mecca from 2003 through 2005, Pakistani scientists posed as pilgrims have come to Saudi Arabia and helped it expand its nuclear program,“ the website said.
It adds that between October 2004 and January 2005, some of them slipped off from pilgrimages, sometimes for up to three weeks.

According to Western security services, the website added, Saudi scientists have been working since the mid-1990s in Pakistan, a nuclear power since 1998. It says the scientists advised the Saudi government to build its nuclear laboratories below prisons that are under construction.

“The Saudi government has also hired some Iraqi nuclear scientists to help its nuclear program. Some residential complexes have also been constructed in southern Riyadh for them,“ it said.

Sawt Al-Salam also quoted a US military analyst, John Pike, as saying that Saudi barcodes can be found on half of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons because Saudi Arabia co-financed the Pakistani atomic nuclear program.

The website also said satellite images indicate Saudi Arabia has set up a base in Al-Sulaiyil, south of Riyadh, a secret underground city and dozens of underground silos for missiles.

More Hangings on the Way in Iran

No trials. Certainly no appeals. Justice the old fashioned way. Welcome to Iran. Welcome to Islam. This from AKI:

Tehran, 24 July (AKI) - Tehran's chief prosecutor Saiid Mortazavi has announced that the execution by hanging of 17 "socially dangerous" people "is imminent". His announcement comes after Sunday's mass hangings (as shown in this rare cellphone image shortly before their deaths) of 12 people.


Islam's humane side
The authorities have also published the names of those executed and informed the families of the 17 others on death row

Socially dangerous? What century are we talking about? Keep talking to these people Condi…you're making real strides!!

On the grim list of those due to be punished with the death penalty in the coming days, or maybe hours, is Meysam Lotfi, a student who was jailed for one year during the student revolt in 1999.

His mother, in an interview with the feminist website Shahrzad News, said her son was arrested at dinnertime at the family home after in the afternoon he had tried to defend some young women who had been mistreated by the police because of their clothing.

The mother of Meysam and other young people accused of being "thugs" or a "danger to society" have formed a committee and appealed in a letter to Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iran's spiritual leader and to president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad demanding an explanation on the arrest son their children.

"Even if our children were guilty of some crime, they have the right to a free trial and a defence lawyer, while these sentences are summary justice and contrary to the current legislation of the Islamic Republic" read the letter.

"However grave the crimes might be, they are never as grave as the crimes committed by the judges who have issued these sentences, trampling on the rights guaranteed under our constitution and our law to any defendant, whatever his crime."

Meysam's mother would be advised to tone it down or she just might be judged as "socially dangerous".

Sick.

Hanging of Two Men and a Woman in Public in Iran

This clip is very graphic.

Tehran, Iran, Jul. 15 – Iranian authorities hanged a woman in public in the north-western province of East Azerbaijan, state media reported on Sunday.The unnamed woman was hanged in public in the provincial capital Tabriz, the daily Tehran-e Emrouz wrote.The report put her age at 29. She was accused of murder and conspiring to kill.

Throughout the horrific event there are a multitude of "Allahu Akbars".

Behold the religion of peace.

More Appeasement From The Land Of the Boycott

I doubt Tony Blair would go this far.

"UK parliamentarians soften on Hamas" by Jonny Paul for the Jerusalem Post:

British parliamentarians on Monday softened their demands for negotiating with Hamas and said that while it is critical for the group to renounce violence, it does not necessarily need to recognize Israel for preliminary contact to be established with the European Union, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

In a report to be published on Tuesday, a subcommittee of the House of Lords' European Union Committee said that the EU should avoid an "undesirably rigid" approach to dealing with Hamas that would risk undermining progress in building viable and democratic Palestinian institutions, a prerequisite, they say, for any peace settlement.

The mandate for the destruction of Israel is not a serious enough matter to discontinue with peace talks. Makes perfect sense from the Kings of Boycott.

Paging Dr. Scholl

And now for something completely different. The Gaza shoe thief strikes!!

"Hamas angry over footwear faux pas" by Khaled Abu Toameh for the Jerusalem Post:

Who stole the shoes of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh while he was attending Friday prayers in Gaza City?

This is the question that Hamas's security apparatus has been trying to answer since last Friday.


The loafers are mine

The incident has embarrassed Hamas, whose leaders tried on Sunday to play down the case by claiming that the theft was the work of a child.

Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip accused Fatah leaders in Ramallah of exploiting the incident to defame Haniyeh.

The shoes were stolen after Haniyeh and his entourage arrived at a mosque in Gaza City for Friday prayers. Ever since he was appointed prime minister, Haniyeh has been delivering Friday sermons in various mosques in the Gaza Strip.
In line with Islamic tradition, worshipers are required to take off their shoes upon entering mosques.

Following the prayer, Haniyeh discovered that his shoes were missing. His nervous bodyguard immediately began searching for the missing shoes and all worshipers were required to remain inside the mosque until the search was over.
"It was a very embarrassing situation," said a Palestinian journalist who was present at the scene. "Hamas sent reinforcements to the area and a frantic search for the shoes began."

The shoes were discovered minutes later in the possession of a Palestinian child who admitted that he had stolen them, a Hamas official in the Gaza Strip told The Jerusalem Post.

Another Hamas official told the Post he did not rule out the possibility that Fatah activists were behind the theft.

"These Fatah people are doing their utmost to discredit Hamas," he said. "It's possible that the boy was sent by some Fatah activists to steal the shoes to embarrass Hamas. But for us this is not a big issue and we have nothing to hide. Haniyeh's shoes were stolen while he was praying inside a mosque and not while he was swimming on the beach of Tel Aviv or eating in a fancy restaurant with Condoleezza Rice."

Patience…that invitation will come soon enough. In the meantime, please check your shoes at the door.

A New Fatah Terror Group

Welcome to the show.

"New Fatah terror group to target Israel" by Aaron Klein for WND :

JERUSALEM - Militants from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' party have organized a terrorist cell in the northern West Bank over the past few days to commit attacks against Israel using the name Abu Ammar Brigades, according to Fatah militants leaders speaking to WND.

The move comes after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last week offered amnesty to 178 Fatah fighters, including many who comprise the senior leadership of Fatah's declared military wing, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. The Fatah militants signed a document pledging to refrain from terrorism.

Israel will pay a high price for Olmert's "goodwill gestures".

Being that this new terror group is a Fatah production, it will be financed by US taxpayer funds as President Bush continues to heap tens of millions of dollars on the lame horse Abbas.

According to senior Palestinian sources, Olmert's office told Palestinian officials during talks last week the Israeli army will largely refrain from carrying out anti-terror operations against Fatah fighters, including Al Aqsa Brigades members who were not granted official amnesty.

The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades took responsibility for every suicide bombing in Israel the past three years.

The amnesty program was bad enough as it released brutal murderers from any responsibility for their heinous crimes. Now there is amnesty for those who haven't relinquished their weapons and have not signed the "I promise not to be a terrorist anymore" paper.

Through members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, WND yesterday was put in touch with a man identifying himself as Abu Muhammad, a leader of the Abu Ammar Brigades, a group officially formed in 2004 as an offshoot of the Al Aqsa Brigades. It has mostly kept a low profile as far as taking credit for attacks under its name.

He said the Abu Ammar Brigades are working as part of Fatah but he claimed attacks aren't coordinated with the Fatah leadership. He said attacks would continue in spite of Israeli pledges to refrain from targeting Fatah militants.

He slammed Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades members who accepted amnesty as "neglecting the resistance and allowing other groups, like Islam Jihad, to take on the main role of fighting the occupation."

He said his Abu Ammar Brigades cell members would "never" turn in their weapons.

Such an obvious ruse that even a three year old child can see right through it. They use Fatah resources to terrorize, yet distance themselves just enough so the international aid keeps on coming.

Israel's response to the goings on?

Miri Eisin, a spokesperson for Olmert, said the prime minister granted the terror suspects amnesty "as part of developing a relationship with Abbas and the PA government in the realm of security, economy and many other levels."

"The Israeli government is committed to cooperating with the PA just as the PA committed to international principles, and they are already taking concrete steps on their side. We hope this (amnesty) deal adds to the momentum to bring about a Palestinian state living securely alongside Israel," said Eisin.

Right.

Sex Crimes in Shangri-La

The Iranian crackdown continues. For those who don't fit the mold; if they're lucky they will find themselves in a cell. If not…

"Iran: 125 'arrested over immorality' at Shiite shine" from AKI:

Tehran, 23 July (AKI) - A total 125 people have been arrested in the northeast Iranian city of Mashhad, one of the holiest Shiite shrines, according to police.

The 67 men and 58 women were arrested for committing 'sex crimes', a spokesman for Mashhad police said without elaborating.

Many thousands of Shiite pilgrims head to Mashhad each year to visit the Imam Reza's mausoleum.

Shiite Muslims believe that Imam Reza was the eighth successor to the Prophet Mohammad. Reza was allegedly poisoned in 818 while travelling through Mashhad.

Mashhad sounds more like a party town than a holy shrine. Soon the cruise ships will start coming in.

Crossposted to The Religion of Peace

Epiphany in England

Allah made an appearance in England yesterday. The results were all too predictable. Will somebody call the coroner please? This from Court News UK:

BENOMOR:CRAZED IMMIGRANT BEAT MAN TO DEATH WITH HIS BARE HANDS HARLINGTON, MIDDSX.

A Tunisian immigrant beat a man to death with his bare hands and feet believing Allah was telling him how to bring about world peace, a court heard. Bearded Laidi Benomor, 30, attacked six people as he went on the rampage in the Harlington High Street near the Holiday Inn at Heathrow.

You can't make this stuff up.

H/T to Jihad Watch

He's Back

Perhaps he was emboldened by the recent visit of Iran's dictator at large. Maybe the summer heat has gotten to him. Either way, the Hezbollah leader is out of the closet. He is chirping again.

"Hezbollah can hit all of Israel" from Al Jazeera:

Nasrallah, speaking to Al Jazeera's Arabic channel, said: "In July and August [2006], there was no place in occupied Palestine which was out of the reach of the resistance missiles.


Hezbollah "children" at play on Sunday (AP)

"Tel Aviv or elsewhere, we were certain that we could reach any corner or spot in occupied Palestine and now we are certain that we can reach them."

Nasrallah also said that Syria had been willing to engage in last year's war.

However, he said: "Hezbollah did not see the interest in that, and that the Israelis took into account the Syrian preparation but did not act militarily on the front which may require Syrian advancement."

The full interview will be aired on Monday.

Honor In Gaza

More "honorable" acts of mercy from our neighbors to the south. I get the feeling that a final peace deal is getting close. After all, they are so irresistible.

"Three sisters stabbed to death in Gaza "honor killing" from AP:

Three sisters were found stabbed to death in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, raising suspicion they were killed by relatives because of suspected immoral behavior, a human rights organization said.

The three sisters, 16-year-old Nahed Hija and her sisters, 19-year-old Suha and 22-year-old Lina, were found dead from multiple stab wounds, buried in a shallow grave in the central Gaza Strip early Sunday morning, said Hamdi Shakkour of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.

Shakkour said they suspected the women were victims of "honor crimes," in which women are murdered by male relatives because of suspected intimate relations - not necessarily sex - outside of marriage.

A little more detail from Ma'an News Agency:

A jeep disposed of three corpses in a deserted area of Deir al Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, and attempted to cover the bodies in soil, reported eyewitnesses and Palestinian security sources on Sunday.

The Hamas-affiliated Executive Force and medical staff discovered the bodies of three females. The cadavers were transported to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah.

According to Palestinian medical sources, there was evidence of knife wounds and suffocation on the corpses.

All for the honor of Gaza. All for the honor of Allah.

Crossposted to The Religion of Peace

Israeli Education Ministry: Establishment of Israel was a Disaster

The Israeli government has taken a new step in its drive for national suicide; self denial. This time it's the turn of the Education Ministry.

"Education Ministry okays new textbook featuring Nakba" by Moran Zelikovich for Ynet:

The Education Ministry has authorized Arab schools to use a history book featuring the establishing of the State of Israel as a disastrous to the Palestinians, Israel radio published Sunday.

The third-grade book, Living together in Israel, states that some Arab residents were driven out of their homes and became refugees and that Israel confiscated many of their lands.

Considering that the Israeli government arms, finances and pardons Palestinian Jihadists, it should come as no surprise that they should indoctrinate the Arab Israeli youth with the same poisonous lies and propaganda that their Palestinian relatives are so adept at disseminating. Israel is preparing the next generation's fifth column.

Education Minister Yuli Tamir told Ynet Sunday that the ministry's decision was "part of a new curriculum, which has been in the works for a number of years and includes mentioning the Nakba.

"The book underwent an evaluation by a professional viewing board and was sent to dozens of readers prior to being approved for distribution," said Tamir.

"The book offers the Arab pupils a balanced picture, so that they may put what they exposed to in their home environment in the proper context," she added.

If Tamir really want to help put things in the proper context for them she might as well import textbooks from the Palestinian Authority.


Palestinian children hold maps of the PA territories that includes Israel, at a rally marking the Naqba, or "catastrophe," in Nablus earlier this year.(AP)

The Israeli education system should not be peddling lies so as to mirror the "home education" these little darlings receive. School is meant to educate, not pollute.

The national board of education geography supervisor, Dalia Pening, said the new curriculum is meant to be uniform for all school sectors.

"This program features the term 'Nakba'. When the Hebrew book was translated, we need to make some cultural adjustments," she said. "Writing a version detached from reality is counterproductive to our goal of creating a joint sense of relevance."

No need to worry about a "joint sense of relevance". By teaching the "nakba", the school system is admitting that there is no need for anything" joint" in relation to Arabs and Israel. The term nakba, or catastrophe in itself virtually denies many of Israel's basic rights to exist. Is this a point that will spur mutual love and admiration or will it just drive the children into the arms the next generation Jihadists?

This isn't the first time Tamir authorized a controversial book be added to the schools curriculum. In December 2006 she ordered new textbooks featuring the Green Line - Israel's borders prior to the Six Day War – be distributed.

You can read more about that brilliant move here.

Justice For the True Refugees

Finally, the real Mid-East refugee issue is being addressed. I have discussed in the past the Palestinian refugee situation which many Arabs themselves admit is nothing more than a perfectly executed propaganda campaign. An overwhelming majority of the local Arab population left Israel by choice. The ones who remained enjoyed all the benefits of living in a democratic country. As far as their brothers who ran; they currently populate the not too hospitable refugee camps in Arab countries. Sometimes you pay dearly for making the wrong choices.

This new campaign will hopefully bring justice to those who truly deserve it. "Rectify injustice against Israel, Cotler tells U.S" by Steven Edwards for CanWest News Service:

NEW YORK - Former justice minister Irwin Cotler and other Canadian scholars presented the U.S. Congress yesterday with its first testimony on Jews driven from Arab lands following Israel's creation in 1948.

The group was among experts helping U.S. lawmakers decide on a pair of bills that would oblige the Bush administration to actively oppose the Arab-led practice in Middle East peace efforts to speak only of Palestinian refugees.

While key Arab voices continue to push for a "right of return" for descendants of some 600,000 Palestinians whose pre-1948 homes are now inside Israel, the general discourse for decades has all but ignored tens of thousands of Jews, Christians and other minorities who were similarly turned into refugees.

"The time has come to rectify this historical injustice," Mr. Cotler told members of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in Washington in a written statement. He argued the United Nations, where Arab countries have mustered majority backing from Muslim and developing states to pass 101 resolutions speaking only of Palestinian refugees, bears "express responsibility for the distorted narrative."

Co-authored by fellow Canadian Stan Urman, who also gave testimony in Washington, the study spoke of new evidence Arab states reacted to the creation of Israel by orchestrating the persecution of their Jewish citizens.

"Today, we cannot allow a second injustice, namely for the international community to recognize rights for [only] one victim population," Mr. Urman, executive director of New York-based Justice for Jews from Arab Countries, said.

Israel Urges Withdrawal; Iran Urges Terror

One may question the tactics of Iranian dictator Ahmadinejad as he calls for more Palestinian terror attacks against Israeli interests. However, when senior Israeli politicians loudly speak of surrender, you have to believe he may be on to something. "Ahmadinejad Meets Khaled Meshaal" from Fars News Agency:

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a meeting with the head of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Movement Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, in Syria on Thursday stressed the need for the Palestinian groups to show vigilance and cement their unity and resistance.

"It has been proved that Qods and Palestine will be freed only though struggle and Islamic faith," Ahmadinejad said during the meeting, adding that enemies are now in bad conditions.

He said that Palestine today is a scene manifesting tendency towards Islam, and reminded, "Anyone who fights for God will not be defeated even though he might be in minority."

Ahmadinejad described strong faith in God as the major element contributing to victory, and said, "Until we safeguard this trait, we will not fear from threats."

He also reiterated that the demise of the enemies is imminent, and said, "It is now time that everyone revolted for God and pushed the movement ahead with much hope in victory."

The president also stressed the need for continued resistance among Palestinians, saying that the entire Palestinian lands should rapidly turn into a scene of continued resistance.

For his part, Khaled Meshaal briefed Ahmadinejad about the present political conditions in Palestine, and emphasized on resistance as the final solution for the Palestinians, adding, "And we will continue political war and resistance."

He also noted the necessity for maintaining unity and solidarity among Palestinian groups, and said that all Palestinian groups should obey what is right.

Comments like these from Israeli PM Olmert;

Anyone who believes that Israel can maintain it current hold on all the West Bank is "living in a dream," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Friday, reiterating that Israel "needs to withdraw."

and these from Israeli President Peres

"We have to get rid of the territories… I won't make any secrets of my mind. I shall respect the minority. I shall not insult them…I changed my position. I didn't change my beliefs," said Peres.

only make matters worse. They confirm the jihadist belief that terror pays. With Olmert at the helm…it does.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

Taliban: Two Kidnappings, Twenty Death Threats

In two separate incidents, 18 Korean and 2 Germans have been kidnapped by the Taliban. Death threats have been issued all around. Allah must be pleased. The weekend has gotten off to a good start. "Taliban seek troop pullout for release of abducted Germans" from dpa:

Kabul/Seoul (dpa) - A Taliban spokesman threatened on Friday to kill two abducted German engineers that insurgents kidnapped on Wednesday unless Germany pulls out all its troops and all Taliban prisoners are released in Afghanistan.

The Taliban's purported spokesman, Qari Mohammad Yousif Ahmadi, said that Taliban insurgents kidnapped two German nationals along with their five Afghan colleagues in Ghazni province and were keeping them in a safe place.

"The Taliban leadership council demands all the German troops to be pulled out of the country and besides all Taliban prisoners in Afghan government jails should be released," Ahmadi told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa by telephone from an undisclosed location.

"If the demands are not met, we will killed (sic) the Germans," Ahmad warned.

Wait...there's more. "Taliban Threaten to Kill 18 Korean Hostages" by Barry Bearak and Choe Sang-Hun for the NY Times:

KABUL, Afghanistan, Saturday, July 21 - Taliban gunmen boarded a bus and abducted 18 South Koreans who were apparently volunteers for a Christian church group, and a spokesman for the insurgents told reporters Friday that the fates of those kidnapped would be decided after the prisoners have been questioned.

“They have got until tomorrow at noon to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan, or otherwise we will kill the 18 Koreans,”

Will there be more beheadings sponsored by the religion of peace, love and understanding? Stay tuned.

UPDATE: From AP:

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A purported Taliban spokesman said the hard-line militia killed two German hostages on Saturday because Germany didn't announce a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Afghan government, however, said one of the Germans died of a heart attack and that the second was still alive.

Hamas Terrorists Among The Released Prisoners

Despite promises to the contrary, Israeli PM Olmert has released 30 Hamas terrorists from Israeli prisons while Gilad Shalit remains captive in Hamas hands. How this "goodwill gesture" will strengthen Fatah Chariman and Hamas rival Abbas is beyond me.

"Prisoners released include members of Hamas, Jihad" by Ali Waked for Ynet:

Ziad Abu Ayn, director of prisoner affairs in the Palestinian Authority said Friday that among the 255 prisoners released are 30 members of Hamas and two members of the Islamic Jihad.

The Palestinian Authority, he told Ynet, does not distinguish between prisoners: "they are all our prisoners, all our sons." The PA, he added, is proud of the fact that prisoners affiliated with Hamas and Jihad are among the released.

Who exactly was supposed to be released from prison?

"Palestinian prisoners transferred to PA" by Raanan Ben Zur for Ynet:

Warden Eli Gabizon, commander of the IPS' southern district, said that according to the government decision, all the prisoners slated to be released are prisoners with no blood on their hands, residents of the West Bank, Fatah members, and have served 70 percent of their jail term.

The Israeli government is still intent on keeping us in the dark. Spin and lies are the fuel that drives the Olmert government. A government shill explains;

"256 freed security prisoners start arriving at Beitunya" by Rebecca Anna Stoil for the Jerusalem Post:

Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said the prisoner release was part of a package of goodwill gestures that was to give new momentum to stalled peace efforts.

"We're hopeful that the combined steps by the Israeli government and the Palestinian government can bring about a new period of cooperation and dialogue, that we have turned the corner on the negative dynamic," Regev said.

Under the guise of supporting the terrorist gang known as Fatah, Israel has released terrorists that are hell bent on killing Jews and destroying Israel. From here on in, Ehud Olmert will be the terrorist enabler with blood on his hands.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch, The Religion of Peace

Iran Urges More Terror

The calming Syrian air seems to bring out the best in Iranian president Ahmadinejad. A meeting with the head of the Islamic Jihad terror group is too good an opportunity to pass up. Can anyone say terror?

"Ahmadinejad: Iran fully supports resistance of Palestinian nation" from IRNA:

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that the Islamic Republic of Iran is duty-bound to fully support the resistance of the Palestinian nation.

He made the remarks in a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement of Palestine Ramadan Abdullah Shalah in Damascus on Thursday.

At the meeting, the Iranian president underlined that the Palestinian groups should forge unity and continue resistance to attain victory.

Can we have some more terror please?

The time is now ripe to put up vigilant defence to safeguard genuine Islam, he said.

According to the Iranian tyrant, terror safeguards "genuine Islam"; terror is "genuine Islam". Will the moderates please stand up? Anyone?

"Great victories will be attained after hardships," he said, calling on the Palestinian nation as well as resistance and Jihadi groups to forge unity and solidarity.

The Islamic Republic of Iran will spare no efforts to assist the Palestinian nation and will fulfill its grave responsibility to this end, he said.

The checkbook is open. The weapons are on the way. Iran is here. For Terror Inc., it's business as usual.

The Zionist regime has suffered heavy defeats in recent years, he said, adding that the usurper regime was now trying to reconstruct its shattered image and make good on its defeats. For this reason, regional countries, Palestinians and Lebanese should maintain their vigilance.

Some of recent seditious acts and conspiracies in Palestine were masterminded by the Zionist regime, Ahmadinejad said, adding that no doubt that they try to resolve the issue as quickly as possible in order to mastermind other plots in the region.

Those sneaky Israelis. What will they be up to next?

Ahmadinejad also showed off his meteorological skills. His prediction for the summer season? Hot; very hot.

"Ahmadinejad: It will be a 'hot' summer" from the Jerusalem Post:

"We hope that the hot weather of this summer will coincide with similar victories for the region's peoples, and with consequent defeat for the region's enemies," Ahmadinejad added, in an apparent reference to Israel.

"The enemies of the region should abandon plans to attack the interests of this region, or they would be burned by the wrath of the region's peoples," the hardline Iranian leader said at a joint press conference with Assad.

Today's post courtesy of The Weather Channel.

Crossposted to Jihad Watch

Brutal Religious Murder in the Phillipines

Islamic terror knows no bounds as Abu Sayaf butcher one of their own. Muslim on Muslim brutality.

"Philippines: Muslim missionary murdered in latest religious killing" from AKI:

Zamboanga City, 19 July (AKI) - In the latest in a series of macabre religious killings in the Philippines, a Muslim missionary has been killed on the island of Basilan, in the southern province of Mindanao.

According to The Mindanao Examiner, the missionary, whose name has not been released, was believed to have been killed because he gave information to the authorities about the Islamic terrorist organisation, Abu Sayyaf.

Officials said the preacher's mutilated body was found on Tuesday inside a sack in the village of Balagtasan.

“We condemn the killing and authorities are now hunting the culprits behind the gruesome murder,” Marine Colonel Ramiro Alivio, the island’s military chief, told The Mindanao Examiner.

Ramiro said the victim had provided information to the military about the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group and lawless elements in Basilan.

Last week, authorities blamed Abu Sayyaf militants for the murder of another Muslim preacher, Matarul Hakim Alkanul, in Basilan on suspicion he was passing information to military authorities about kidnapped Italian catholic priest Giancarlo Bossi.

This was where the army and rebels clashed last week in a seven hour conflict that resulted in the deaths of more than 20 solders and rebels. Ten of the dead soldiers were reportedly beheaded.

Hi-Tech Weapons In Hamas Hands

The UN claims that Gaza is on the verge of economic collapse. Not totally. The military industry is flourishing.

"IDF: Hamas is smuggling high-tech arms into Gaza" by Amos Harel for Haaretz:

A senior Israel Defense Forces officer said Thursday that in the past two years Hamas has made a significant leap in the level of sophistication of the arms it is smuggling into Gaza, which he said has reached "import" dimensions.

The officer said Hamas has been able to smuggle in large quant primarily because the border with Egypt has been completely porous following the militant group's takeover of the Gaza Strip.

According to the officer, Hamas recently smuggled 20 tons of explosives into the Gaza Strip in the span of one month. The IDF believes Hamas now possesses a small quantity of anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank rockets, which are most likely Sagger guided missiles.

While this is going on; Israel is being pressured to open the border crossings. If Hamas is so adept at smuggling, let them smuggle food as well.

Crossposted to Jihad Watch

Fatah's Words Are Cheap; Olmert's Even Cheaper

Israel has not yet even released the Palestinian terrorists and already, the Fatah promises are ringing false. Why delay the inevitable? "Palestinian military wings fire projectile and mortar shells at Israeli targets in Gaza" from Ma’an News Agency:

Gaza - Ma'an - Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, and Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades claimed responsibility on Wednesday evening for launching two homemade projectiles at the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon.

In a separate incident, the Al-Aqsa Brigades claimed responsibility for launching two mortar shells at an Israeli military post near Nahal 'Oz, located east of Gaza City.

The brigades said in their statements that their operations came in retaliation for the Israeli "criminal acts" against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Israel PM Olmert has just offered amnesty to nearly 200 hundred al-Aqsa terrorists. This is their thank you bouquet.

The amnesty was contingent on the terrorists laying down their weapons. That too, is apparently not happening. "Not all gunmen give up weapons in amnesty deal" by Ali Waked for Ynet:

Some members of al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades refuse to disarm, despite PA deal with Israel for Palestinians not in official security forces to hand over weapons in exchange for being taken off IDF wanted list.

Israel has decided to halt negotiations to expand a list of wanted Fatah operatives eligible for amnesty, after number of members from al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades – Fatah's military wing – refused to sign a document renouncing terror activities, Palestinian sources said Thursday.

No disarming and no renouncement of terror are clear violations of the terms of the agreement. The ramifications of this violation are absurd. Israel won’t offer amnesty to more terrorists. The prisoners will still be released and amnesty will still be offered to many.

Whose side is Olmert on?

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

The Muslim Spin

Right is left and day is night. In the eyes of the Muslims, the defenders of Western civilization are themselves the terrorists. "Veiled Protest as Race-Hate Muslims are Jailed" by Charlotte Gill for the Daily Mail:

Dozens of veiled women gathered outside the Old Bailey to protest against the jail sentences given to four Muslim men for encouraging terrorism.





Mizanur Rahman, 24, Umran Javed, 27, and Abdul Muhid, 25, were each jailed for six years for inciting murder and racial hatred during a demonstration against cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.


The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
A fourth man, 32-year-old Abdul Saleem, was cleared of soliciting murder but convicted of inciting racial hatred. He was jailed for four years.

Judge Brian Barker, the Common Serjeant of London, told the four men their words had been designed to encourage murder and terrorism.

He told them: "No one is entitled to make perverted use of ideology to propagate destruction and death."

The judge said the protest in February 2006 had been "threatening, hateful and uncompromising" and the four men had "whipped up a frenzy" and gone far beyond what was "acceptable and legal".

The burqa clad jihad supporters are hypocrisy defined. They project their own faults on others in order to play the role of the oppressed.

To fight jihad is to be a crusader. To protect civilians is to be a terrorist.

An upside down people in an upside down world.

Going, Going, Gone

Couldn't agree more. Both the Israeli "goodwill gestures" (national suicide) and PA Chairman Abbas (pro Israeli national suicide) will go down the drain. The "gestures" will take a lot of Israeli lives as well.

Abbas will soon be history. Hopefully, Olmert will be as well.

From Arab News

Christians Crucified In Iraq

This time it is not the Romans doing the hammering. Guess who. "Report: Christians Crucified by Terrorists in Iraq" from WND:

Christians in Iraq, including converts from Islam and people involved in mixed-faith marriages, are being crucified by Muslim terrorists, according to a Dutch member of Parliament studying the war-torn country.

Several Iraqi Christians "are nailed to a cross and their arms are tied up with ropes. The ropes are put on fire," Joel Voordewind told BosNewsLife, an online news agency focusing on Christians and Jews in difficult circumstances.

According to the site, Voordewind described how a person, who "survived" a crucifixion, "even showed holes in his hands," apparently from nails.

Voordewind said victims of the crucifixions are "in most cases Christian converts who abandoned Islam or people who, religiously speaking, are involved in mixed marriages."

Quran sponsored brutality at its finest.

18 Year Old Iranian To Be Executed For Crimes Committed As A Minor

The UN still sees no human rights issues worth investigating in Iran. This from Reuters:

LONDON, July 17 (Reuters) - Amnesty International made an urgent appeal on Tuesday against the planned execution of an Iranian teenager convicted of murder when he was 16.

"Should this execution be carried out, it would be in complete violation of international law," Amnesty said in a statement.

"It would also be a morally unjustifiable, abhorrent act carried out by a government against one of its young citizens."

Sina Paymard, a musician and drug addict with a history of psychological problems, according to his lawyer, was arrested in 2004 after stabbing a drug dealer in a Tehran park. His execution is expected to take place on Tuesday.

He was nearly hanged in September last year. But, as a last request he was allowed to play the ney, a Middle Eastern flute, and his playing so moved the family of the victim that he was granted a last-minute reprieve, Amnesty said.

Paymard's lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, said he was now scheduled to be executed on Tuesday, although it was still not certain.

"Sina has been told that he will be executed tonight," Sotoudeh told Reuters. "The fact that an 18-year-old goes to the execution chamber, whether executed or not, is terrifying."

Issuing death sentence for juveniles under 18 years of age is banned under the convention on children's rights, to which Iran is a signatory," Sotoudeh said. "Sina was under that age when he received the death sentence."

I am no fan of murderers no matter how young they may be; even if he killed a drug dealer. The psychological problems his lawyer claims he suffers from could be reason enough not to execute him. A death sentence at 16???

Only in Iran, or Saudi Arabia, or ….you get the point.

Italy To Offer State Sponsored Arabic Lessons

Has Italy come to terms with the inevitable? The unfurling of the red carpet is underway. This from AKI:

Rome, 17 July (Aki) - After English, Spanish and Chinese, the Italian state service e-portal has begun offering Arabic language lessons on line.

The National Centre for Computing in the Public Service (CNIPA) which created and runs the site, is providing a course for complete beginners or for those with only a rudimentary knowledge of Arabic.

Reading, writing, listening and speaking are the four categories and the course makes much use of common expressions from everyday life.

A recent study conducted by a leading research institute in Italy, showed that the most popular non-European language to learn these days is Arabic.

It is understandable that the state would sponsor English and Spanish lessons as these are the primary languages on full continents. The Chinese surge on the economic scene creates a natural demand in the business world to learn the language.

Arabic? I wonder who was polled in the recent study. I wonder if the respondents speak any Italian.

They're coming.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

New Poll Indicates Rise In European Anti-Semitic Attitudes

In a previous post, I reported on a similar poll conducted in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Poland. This time; a new group of countries with the same disturbing results. This from the ADL:

In a companion survey to one fielded several months ago in five European countries, a new survey of an additional six countries shows similarly that millions of Europeans believe the classical anti-Semitic canards that have persistently pursued Jews through the centuries.

Country by Country Findings on Anti-Semitic Attitudes
In responding "probably true" to the statement, "Jews are more loyal to Israel than their own country," the 2007 survey found:

Austria – 54% up from 38% in 2005
Belgium – 54% up from 41%
Hungary – 50% up from 37%
The Netherlands – 46% up from 36%
Switzerland – 44% up from 38%
The United Kingdom – 50% up from 39%

In responding "probably true" to the statement, "Jews have too much power in the business world," the 2007 survey found:

Austria – 37%, up from 24% in 2005
Belgium – 36%, up from 33%
Hungary – 60% up from 55%
The Netherlands – 11% down from 18%
Switzerland – 41%, up from 26%
The United Kingdom – 22% up from 14%

In responding "probably true" to the statement "Jews have too much power in international financial markets," the 2007 survey found:

Austria – 43%, up from 33% in 2005
Belgium – 40%, up from 33%
Hungary – 61% up from 55%
The Netherlands – 14% down from 19%
Switzerland – 40%, up 30%
The United Kingdom –21% up from 16%

In responding "probably true" to the statement "Jews still talk too much about what happened to them in the Holocaust," the 2007 survey found:

Austria – 54%, up from 46% in 2005
Belgium – 43%, up from 41%
Hungary – 58% up from 46%
The Netherlands – 31%, down from 34%
Switzerland – 45%, down from 48%
The United Kingdom – 28% no change

I once again propose that the following questions be asked in the next Europoll:

Do you think that too many Moslems have immigrated to Europe?

Do you think that Moslems who settle in Europe are more dedicated to their religion than their new country?

Are your opinions of Moslems affected by the activities of the global jihadists?

Do you think the Islamic community in general bears any responsibility for the 9/11 or 7/7 attacks? If so, why? If not, why not?

Just what I thought…silence.

Europe continues to hound the perceived enemy while the real enemy goes unchecked. There will be a steep price to pay for this gross miscalculation.

Italian FM: Hamas is a "Ground Roots" Movement

I think he means “grass root” movement. Either way, the implications are horrendous. Hamas is to be accepted as is. "Italian FM: Hamas Significant Part of Palestinian People" by Barak Ravid for Haaretz:

Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said Hamas is a "significant and substantial" part of the Palestinian people, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported Tuesday.

D'Alema expressed fears that isolating Islamic groups like Hezbollah and Hamas will push them towards international terror network al-Qaida.

"Hamas has carried out terror attacks, but it is also a ground roots movement," he said.

You can’t have it both ways. If Hamas is representative of the people, then view the whole Gaza Strip as Hamas; no aid and no assistance. They are after all a terrorist organization leading a terrorist nation.

If Hamas is not representative of the people, then no need to legitimize them, grass roots and all.

"Not recognizing the government elected democratically is not exactly a lesson in democracy, and pushing such a group into the hands of al-Qaida is not in the international committee's interest."

On the contrary, this is the most important lesson in democracy class. Democracy does not give the majority the right to decide whatever they want. It gives them the right to decide between many different options of which all have moral and legal standing. A democracy cannot legitimize murder or rape because the majority wishes to. It is still murder. It is still rape. They would still be heinous crimes.

The denial of Hamas' legitimacy is democracy defined.

D’Alema is also concerned that distancing Hamas would force them into al-Qaeda’s arms. No need to worry…they are already there.

Hezbollah just enjoyed a visit in France. At his rate, Hamas should receive an Italian invitation very soon.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

Iran: Stoning is a "Wise Measure"

Is stoning brutal or inhumane? Is it a violation of basic human rights? On the contrary; Iran considers it wise. Sharia is everything and the only thing. This from AKI:

Tehran, 16 July (AKI) –Iran's chief prosecutor Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabad has defended the death penalty by stoning describing it as a "wise measure".

"Death by stoning and all the measures contained in the Sharia (Islamic law) are wise measures' he said in speech delivered Monday in Zanjan, a town located some 200 kilometres west of the capital Tehran.

"We need to distinguish between the law of bloodmoney and the of executions carried out after the death sentence has been passed. The first is a right the Sharia recognises to the victims, while the second is a law wanted by men", Najafabad said.

The issue of death by stoning has recently made headlines again in Iran after the practice was used to execute a man in Iran's Takestan region. The penalty was carried out on the order of a local judge acting against the advice of Iran's chief judicial authority official Seyyed Mahmoud Shahroudi.

"Ayatollah Shahroudi, is not against death by stoning, but sometimes he doesn't agree with how this measure is applied", the head of Iran's state appointed Human Rights Commission Mohammad Javad Larijani said.

"No one can be against stoning by death because this form of punishment is contained in the Sharia," said Larijani, adding that he believed the practice did not run contrary to international human right accords signed by Iran.

Sharia uber alles.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch & The Religion of Peace

Iran To Arrest Men With "Western" Haircuts

The Iranian news website Etemaad reports that as of July 23, men with long or extravagantly styled hair will be arrested. They will be ordered to cut their hair and then report to the police; apparently for a check up.

Tehran Chief of Police Ahmad-Reza Radan;

"The streets belong to the sphere of society, not that of the individual. It's not possible for one to appear in society as one pleases."

I recall reading statements similar to this that were issued in another country about 70 years ago.

Men caught wearing shorts or t-shirts with brands on them will also be arrested.

No indication has been given as to the punishment for non compliers and whether this new law will apply to visitors.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch & The Religion of Peace

Amnesty For Terrorists

More goodwill gestures. More concessions. More capitulation.

Apparently, Israel's release of 250 imprisoned Fatah members was not enough to "strengthen" Mahmoud Abbas so Israeli PM Olmert has decided to take one more step towards the abyss; amnesty to mass murderers. Olmert probably figures why bother to hunt them down if they will be released anyway? This from Aluf Benn, Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel for Haaretz:

The Prime Minister's Office, apologizing for an earlier denial, acknowleged Sunday that Zacharia Zbeidi, head of the Fatah Tanzim militia in the West Bank city of Jenin and one of the highest-profile Fatah commanders on Israeli wanted lists in the territories, is among nearly 200 militants to whom Israel plans to offer amnesty.

The offer is one of the package of measures which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is to present to Mahmoud Abbas in a meeting with the Palestinian Authority chairman on Sunday. The gestures will also include a release of prisoners.

On Saturday, an Israeli official denied Palestinian reports that Zbeidi was on the list. But the Prime Minister's Office reversed course on Sunday morning, conceding that the reports were correct.

The effective amnesty would extend to nearly 75 percent of the wanted militants of the Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. Scores of the fugitive militants began signing a document Saturday that announced their resignation from the paramilitary organization and a promise to refrain from terrorism. As of Saturday night, nearly 150 of the 178 militants had signed the document.

As so many of them have promised in the past…no more terror.

(See here for more of Zubeidi's illustrious history.)

A delusional senior Israeli explains the move as follows:

"The agreement serves Israel’s interests in that the Fatah men on the list will lay down their arms and leave the cycle of terror," a senior Israeli official said.

They signed the paper, didn't they? Not only will the amnesty release the terrorists from any responsibility from the deaths of hundreds it will give them freedom of activity to plan more. They will be free to roam without any fear of assassination or incarceration.

"The Palestinians will benefit from the fact that Israel will cease to hunt down those who form the foundation of Abbas’ forces in the West Bank."

And Israelis will pay the price at the cemetery. Olmert is the best thing that ever happened to the Fatah Jihadists. He has become a true supporter of their cause. Who will grant him amnesty?

Here is a brief bit on the al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade, of which 75% percent of its members will receive amnesty.

Olmert goes on with the perverted Western backed policy of supporting the "moderate" terrorists known as Fatah in order to isolate the "real bad" terrorists known as Hamas.

If Tony Blair was considered George Bush's lap dog, then Olmert is the mongrel who is not even allowed passed the front door.

No one seems to have caught on yet that there is no such thing as a good terrorist. Fatah's and Hamas share the same goal; the destruction of Israel. The only difference between the two is the way to go about it; with a gun or with a smile. The end result, however, is the same in both playbooks.

No good will come of this. Abbas will not be strengthened and Hamas will not be weakened. More Israeli will die as more Jihadists are released.

Ehud Olmert has accumulated so much Jewish blood on his hands that he will never be able to remove the stain. He has become a jihadist. He has become an enemy of the Jews and Israel.

Taliban Targets Women and Schoolgirls

No one is safe in the Taliban's war against the Afghani Government sponsored school system. In the Taliban's eyes, to destroy the schools is to prove the government weak and unable to provide security. To make their point, the Taliban have no qualms with massacring innocent preteen schoolgirls. "Schoolgirls in the Gunsights of the Taliban" by Barry Bearak for Scotland on Sunday:

WITH their teacher absent, 10 students were allowed to leave school early. These were the girls the gunmen saw first, 10 easy targets walking hand-in-hand through the blue metal gate and on to the winding dirt road.

A 13-year-old named Shukria was shot in the arm and the back, and teetered into an adjacent wheat field. Zarmina, her 12-year-old sister, ran to her side, listening to the wounded girl's precious breath and trying to help her stand. But Shukria was too heavy to lift and the two gunmen, sitting astride a single motorbike, sped closer.

As Zarmina scurried away, the men took a more studied aim at those they had already shot, finishing off Shukria with bullets to her stomach and heart. Then the attackers seemed to succumb to the frenzy they had begun, forsaking the motorbike and fleeing on foot in a panic, two bobbing heads - one tucked into a helmet, the other swaddled by a handkerchief - vanishing amid the earthen colour of the concealing wheat.

Six girls were shot here on the sunny afternoon last month; two of them died.

Simply horrible. Can any normal human being justify the shooting innocent little girls for going to school?

The girls are not the only targets; their mothers are under attack as well.

Although the power of the Taliban has been greatly reduced in Afghanistan since the 2001 US-led invasion, slowly but surely their influence, especially in the tribal south, is returning.

In Badakshan, all women must get permission from their husbands before being allowed to visit a doctor.

Women teachers are regularly subjected to beatings and assaults from roaming Taliban gangs.

Mothers who send their children to school are also targeted by the thugs, who try to intimidate them into keeping their youngsters at home.

Forced marriages and domestic violence feature regularly in the lives of many women who live in the south and eastern provinces of the country.

Although more women are working in the media now, they are under constant threat. Shaima Rezayee, a popular MTV-style presenter, was shot dead after receiving death threats in 2006.

The blood worship of Allah continues.

Jihadists Continue to Use Human Shields

Allah's forces continue the honorable fight. This from AFP:

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) - A US air strike in Iraq's restive Diyala province killed six alleged militants who used women and children as "human shields" on the rooftop of a building on Saturday, the military said.

US forces came under small arms fire during an operation targeting a weapons dealer linked to a foreign "terrorist network," the military said.

"During the engagement, armed terrorists gathered on the roof of one building and brought several women and children to their fighting positions as human shields," the military said.

The gunmen eventually released the women and children and allowed US-led forces to move them off the battlefield, but continued to rain down small arms fire from the rooftop, prompting the ground forces to call in an air strike.

As usual, no condemnation from Muslims who claim their religion to be peaceful and humane. No condemnation from "moderates" who claims their religion was hijacked by "militants". Why? Because all is fair in Allah's war.

Iran Arrests Squirrels For Spying

Will they break under interrogation? This from Sky News:

Police in Iran are reported to have taken 14 squirrels into custody - because they are suspected of spying.

The rodents were found near the Iranian border allegedly equipped with eavesdropping devices.

The reports have come from the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

When asked about the confiscation of the spy squirrels, the national police chief said: "I have heard about it, but I do not have precise information."

The IRNA said that the squirrels were kitted out by foreign intelligence services - but they were captured two weeks ago by police officers.

The article has since been removed from IRNA's website.

If this squirrel was one of the alleged culprits, I have no beef with Iran.


I just hope it's not this guy. He is liable to be executed.

Iran Opts For the Yen Over the Dollar

Iran has notified Japan that effective immediately, Tehran will request Japanese yen as payment for oil shipments instead of US dollars. The timing of the announcement is significant as the dollar reached its lowest level ever against the Euro. Iran is jumping on an already weak dollar and applying more pressure. The yen gained slightly today vs. the dollar.


More from Bloomberg :

Iran asked Japanese refiners to switch to the yen to pay for all crude oil purchases, to counter the risk that U.S. dollar transfers may be frozen by increased sanctions.

Iran wants yen-based transactions "for any/all of your forthcoming Iranian crude oil liftings,'' according to a letter sent to Japanese refiners that was signed by Ali A. Arshi, general manager of crude oil marketing and exports in Tehran at the National Iranian Oil Co. The request is for all shipments "effective immediately,'' according to the letter, dated July 10 and obtained by Bloomberg News.

At stake are payments from Japanese refiners to Iran that rose 12 percent last year to 1.24 trillion yen ($10.1 billion), according to the finance ministry in Tokyo. Iran is Japan's third- largest oil supplier, behind Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Not surprisingly, Iran has taken a strong anti-dollar stance recently. Read more about it here, here, here and here.

While Iran's concern that the dollar transfers could be frozen is legitimate, the timing of the announcement leads me to believe that Iran has ulterior motives as well. This is nothing short of a continuation of the economic war that Iran has been waging against the US.

Al-Qaeda Serves Up 11 Year Old For Lunch

Al-Qaeda has become synonymous with mass murder, torture and just about everything else horrible in this world. It might be hard to believe, but even AQ has found a new and abominable pastime; serving invited guests their own children for lunch. Allah would be proud. This from WND;

A reporter embedded with the U.S. military in Iraq reports a government official has recounted a new atrocity by al-Qaeda: several instances in which terrorists baked a young boy, then invited his family to lunch with the victim as the main course.

"Speaking through an American interpreter, Lt. David Wallach, who is a native Arabic speaker, the Iraqi official related how al-Qaeda united these gangs who then became absorbed into 'al-Qaeda.' They recruited boys born during the years 1991, 92 and 93 who were each given weapons, including pistols, a bicycle and a phone (with phone cards paid) and a salary of $100 per month, all courtesy of al-Qaeda. These boys were used for kidnapping, torturing and murdering people," said Yon's dispatch, "Bless the Beasts and Children."

"At first, he said, they would only target Shia, but over time the new al-Qaeda directed attacks against Sunni, and then anyone who thought differently. The official reported that on a couple of occasions in Baqubah, al-Qaeda invited to lunch families they wanted to convert to their way of thinking. In each instance, the family had a boy, he said, who was about 11 years old," Yon continued.

"As Lt. David Wallach interpreted the man's words, I saw Wallach go blank and silent. He stopped interpreting for a moment. I asked Wallach, 'What did he say?' Wallach said that at these luncheons, the families were sat down to eat. And then their boy was brought in with his mouth stuffed. The boy had been baked. Al-Qaeda served the boy to his family."

How appropriate!! I’m no expert but aren’t whole pigs traditionally served in this matter? While pigs of course are haram; little boys are delicious.

A group with far more knowledge about torture and atrocities than it would prefer is Washington, D.C.-based International Christian Concern.

Policy analyst Jeremy Sewall told WND the report is "pretty extreme."

But he also said with the documentation of various other tortures, "Your report wouldn't surprise me."

"I'm just thinking of a report about two Muslims who approached a Christian boy at work at a mechanic's shop. They said, 'Are you a Christian.' He said, "Yes". And they beheaded him on the spot," Sewall said.

He also cited the recently confirmed report from Turkey, where Muslims martyred three Christians in an attack described as "gruesome."

In that case, "various body parts were chopped off," he confirmed. "It was terrible."

Bon appétit.

Temple Deniers Dig Away At The Temple Mount

The religion of peace has once again shown its total disregard for the holy sites of other religions. A large scale dig is currently taking place on the Temple Mount under the auspices of the Wakf, the Islamic religious body in charge of Temple Mount affairs. The damage to the site is extensive. This from Ezra HaLevi for INN ;

(IsraelNN.com) The Islamic Wakf is digging large ditches on the Temple Mount without archaeological supervision to protect antiquities at Judaism’s holiest site.

Photos of the construction were publicized earlier this week. Investigation revealed that the dig had been approved by the police, though not coordinated with any archeological authorities. The ditch is being dug in the direction of the Dome of the Rock, the site of the Holy Temple, according to most opinions.

The Israeli Police and Antiquities Authority are no less guilty than the Wakf. Judaism’s holiest site is being ransacked and nothing is being done to protect it.

Police approval of the project, which involves heavy machinery, as well as a JCB tractor, was apparently approved by the head of Israel’s Antiquity Authority. "The trench depth varies from 50 – 100 cm deep!" reports Zachi Zweig, an archaeologist that has been involved in exposing the Islamic Wakf's campaign of destroying Jewish artifacts on the mount. "Grey earth was removed from the dig, which indicates that it is archaeologically significant. In addition, signs of ancient architecture was exposed beneath the current platform slabs. It should be mentioned that the bedrock level at this location is very close to the current platform."

The Muslims continue unabated in destroying any remnants of the Temple in order to try and erase any evidence which proves that the holy site ever existed.

Zweig, who started the Temple Mound Debris-Sifting Project following his publicizing the dumping of artifacts by the Wakf in the Kidron Valley, says the Antiquities Authority shares responsibility for the destruction. "It is an atrocity for which Antiquities Authority Director Shuka Dorfman, who authorized the dig, is responsible," Zweig said. "Ancient architectural remains were exposed during this dig in the northern section of the trench. No reasonable archaeologist would justify conducting a mechanical dig in such a sensitive location. The core problem here is that the IAA director is not an archaeologist - but rather a politician."

Past excavations carried out by the Wakf resulted in tons of priceless archaeological artifacts being mixed with garbage and dumped in the Kidron Valley. Some of that dumped earth was transported to the Tzurim Valley, below Hebrew University, where Zweig organized a group of archaeological students and volunteers who are still sifting through it after finding antiquities from the First and Second Temple periods.

Here are some pictures of the work....or damage;





As for the Muslims, they continue to deny that the Temples ever existed. This from Aaron Klein for WND;

Speaking to WND in a recent interview, Waqf official and chief Palestinian Justice Taysir Tamimi claimed the Jewish Temples "never existed."

"About these so-called two Temples, they never existed, certainly not at the Haram Al- Sharif (Temple Mount)," said Tamimi, who is considered the second most important Palestinian cleric after Muhammad Hussein, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.

"Israel started since 1967 making archeological digs to show Jewish signs to prove the relationship between Judaism and the city and they found nothing. There is no Jewish connection to Israel before the Jews invaded in the 1880s," said Tamimi.

Asked about the Western Wall, Tamimi said the structure was a tying post for Muhammad's horse and that it is part of the Al Aqsa Mosque, even though the Wall predates the mosque by more than 1,000 years.

And deny…

"We are fed up with this crap nonsense of the Temple Mount," said Nasser Abu Aziz, the deputy commander of Fata's Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the northern West Bank.

"We do not know where this story came from. There is no historical or archeological proof that your legendary Temples existed. We are sick of this story. But Allah warned us that Jews will look for an excuse in order to corrupt life on earth, so we are not surprised from the fact that you keep raising this issue."

Muhammad Abdul-El, spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees terror organization, said the Jewish Temples "existed only in your dreams."

"Go look for your stupid Temple elsewhere. And I am not saying this for political reasons. I say that the enemy invented this story in order to justify its occupation of Jerusalem."

And deny…

Abu Abdullah, considered one of the most important operational members of Hamas' so-called military wing, accused all Jews of being pathological liars.

"Stop lying and believing your own lies. Even if there was such a thing (as a Jewish Temple) do you really believe that Solomon, who was a prophet, would have built a Temple in the place that Allah wanted for the Al Aqsa Mosque?"

Here and here are more examples of how Islam treats Judaism’s holy sites.

When Israel planned to reconstruct the Mugrabi Bridge adjacent to the Temple Mount the Islamic world screamed in horror at the plan. The damage they claimed, would be enormous. No complaints now.

UN U-Turn: Recipe For Disaster

The UN appears to be making a very treacherous U-turn. In 2000, the UN said Sheba was Syrian. Suddenly it’s Lebanese. Good morning Hezbollah. This from the Jerusalem Post;

The Sheba Farms, a small tract of land in the north of Israel, is Lebanese territory, according to an expert UN cartographer, Israel Radio reported Wednesday, quoting an unnamed official in Jerusalem.

An official UN statement on the issue was yet to be published.

The long-disputed farms were not returned to Lebanon during the 2000 pullout after Israel insisted the farms were claimed by Syria. Israel then said that only as part of a peace deal with Syria, which would potentially include returning part or all of the Golan Heights, would it consider returning the Sheba Farms to Syria.

The source said Israel rejected a request by the UN to be in control of the Sheba Farms until the dispute was resolved.

The cartographer, meanwhile, has moved to Jerusalem to continue his work, and a UN official denied that a demand from Israel to rescind control of the territory has been made.

The UN’s reversal of its prior position on Sheba can have far reaching ramifications. Since the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 and the subsequent UN declaration that Israel no longer occupied Lebanese territory, Hezbollah has lost its reason to exist. They are a freedom fighting, land liberating organization after all. By declaring Sheba to be Lebanese, the UN has legitimized Hezbollah in the eyes of all the Lebanese; not just the Syria backing factions.

For an historical background, I refer you to an earlier post on Sheba. Here is a snippet;

Sheba is a 10 square mile piece of farmland that sits at the junction of Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Israel has controlled Sheba since the 1967 war when it was captured along with the Golan Heights from Syria.


Map Courtesy of Wikipedia

In 1923, England and France signed the Anglo-French Demarcation Treaty, designed to set permanent borders between Syria, Lebanon (French controlled) and Israel (English controlled). In this treaty, Sheba was designated as Syrian territory. Official French maps from 1933 and 1945 also clearly designate Sheba as Syrian territory. The 1949 Armistice Agreement between Israel and Syria designated Sheba as Syrian territory.

After Israel completed its withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, UN Security Council Resolution 1553 designated Sheba as Syrian territory. Even UN Special Envoy to the Middle East Terje Larsen, who is not known as having a soft spot in his heart for Israel, has said Sheba is Syrian. After all he claims Israel captured it in 1967 in a war that Lebanon did not even participate in. Even Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara said in 2000 that Israel no longer occupied Lebanese territory despite the presence in Sheba, because Sheba was Syrian territory.

Back to today. On a technically dead issue, the UN reversal of position would undoubtedly pour some oil on an already burning northern front. Why now? The following gives us a little more insight. This from Barak Ravid for Haaretz;

France and the United States are also ratcheting up their pressure on Israel, in the belief that a withdrawal from the Shaba Farms will strengthen the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who will be coming to the region next week, pressed Olmert during the Second Lebanon War to withdraw from Shaba to bolster Siniora. Olmert refused, saying the move would be viewed by Hezbollah as a victory.

There it is. Israel is once again to be sacrificed on the altar of appeasement as the Western powers continue to promote the bankrupt policy of supporting teetering anti-West leaders. It isn’t working with Fatah and Abbas and it won’t work in Lebanon.

Of course, Israel will be left to foot the bill.

Torture at Muslim "Rehabilitation" Centers?

Islam is so peaceful and understanding, why would anyone want to leave? Or even try? For those who do try, it's off to rehab. This from the New Straits Times;

"I have always told our religious authorities that they should be ready to listen to these grouses and solve the problem," Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said at a press conference after opening the 18th Conference of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy here (Malaysia).

The prime minister was asked to comment on a number of highly publicised cases of Muslims wishing to renounce their religion, the latest of which was that of 29-year-old M. Revathi, born Siti Fatimah Abdul Karim, whose profession of the Hindu faith earned her a six-month detention at a rehabilitation centre in Selangor.

She was released into the care of her Muslim parents on Thursday.

Abdullah said he did not know why such cases were coming up one after another.

On allegations of torture at the Islamic rehabilitation centres, Abdullah said he had not heard of such claims.

"Rehabilitation centres are not for torturing, only counselling.

According to the BBC, she was forced to eat beef; a cardinal sin for a Hindu. Imagine the outrage if Guantanamo residents were served pork. Read it all.

Eurabian Diplomacy

How many times have we seen this? This from Francois Murphy for Reuters;

PARIS (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of France, Italy, Spain and seven other European states called on Monday for an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said Israel should make more concessions for peace.

All the previous concessions and goodwill gestures have been so successful that another round is needed to put the icing on the cake. If Israel was in Europe, France would probably suggest that Israel would be best off ceding the Ruhr and the Sudetenland. European diplomacy at its finest…reward the criminal at the expense of the Jews and then we will have peace on earth.

In an open letter to new big-power Middle East envoy Tony Blair, the foreign ministers of the EU's Mediterranean states -- Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Romania and Slovenia -- welcomed Arab states' efforts for peace following the stalled U.S.-backed "road map".

Here is the two-headed monster. First a cheap shot at the US and then praise for the Arab initiative which calls for the demographic destruction of Israel. Europe loves those types of peace initiatives.

"The road map has failed. The status quo that has prevailed since 2000 is leading to nothing," the ministers said in their letter, published in French daily Le Monde.

The ministers said there was a need to "redefine our objectives", adding that Europe and the Quartet of Middle East mediators should firmly tell Israel to make more concessions in support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Why the road map failed is of no concern to Eurabia. The fact that the Palestinian Jihadists have not rested for a moment and the "moderate" Abbas has done nothing but encourage them is no cause in the eyes of the Eurabians to stop supporting Fatah. On the contrary, Eurabia seeks to reward the Jihadists for a job well done.

"Support the oppressed Jihadists" is the European rallying cry. They need more help.

The ministers said one of their new objectives was "to obtain from Israel concrete and immediate measures in favor of Mahmoud Abbas.

"Among these, the transfer of all taxes due, the release of the thousands of prisoners who do not have blood on their hands, the release as well of the main Palestinian leaders to ensure succession within Fatah, a freeze in new settlements and the evacuation of unauthorized settlements," they said.

Any demand of the Palestinians? Of course not.

Negotiations, peace process and two state solutions all imply that two parties are involved. In the natural course of events, both parties would "give and take" in order to come to a settlement.

When Eurabia is the judge and Israel is in the box….in just doesn't work that way. Israel must give and the Jihadists must take. European mathematics… strengthen the enemy who is attacking you in order that he will stop.

The ministers said another aim was to take into account Israel's need for security and consider creating an international force to impose a ceasefire among Palestinians, as Abbas has called for.

Don't call us; we'll call you.

Israel's security is an afterthought; something to "consider" and "take into account".

On the contrary, the gestures that Israel is being pressured to make are very real. Deadly real.

Stoned In Iran

It's not what you're thinking. This from dpa;

Oslo (dpa) - Norway was Monday investigating reports that an Iranian national has been stoned to death for alleged adultery, news reports said.

Members of the Stop Stoning Forever campaign in Iran, citing "credible sources" have told Norwegian media that the man, identified as Jafar Keyiani, was stoned Thursday in Takestan, western Iran.

Last month, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store summoned the Iranian ambassador to Oslo to convey his concern over "credible" reports that two Iranian nationals faced stoning.

Mokarrameh Ebrahimi, a mother of three, and her alleged partner Keyiani, have been held in prison for 11 years.

After his meeting with the Iranian ambassador, Store issued a statement stating that "stoning is a barbaric punishment that clearly violates Iran's commitments to human rights."

Anyone home at the UN's Human Rights Council? Apparently not. They are probably investigating Israel again.

Syria Threatens War...and War Crimes

Typical Islamic bravery. This from Aaron Klein for WND;

GOLAN HEIGHTS - If Israel doesn't vacate the strategic Golan Heights before September, Syrian guerrillas will immediately launch "resistance operations" against the Golan's Jewish communities, a top official from Syrian President Bashar Assad's Baath party told WND.

Here are two defining factors of the typical Islamic "army". Firstly, they launch "resistance operations" when no one is attacking. Resistance, of course means terror. Secondly, they immediately target civilians. The Syrians threaten war crimes.

The Baath official, who spoke on condition his name be withheld, said Damascus is preparing for anticipated Israeli retaliation following Syrian guerrilla attacks and for a larger war with the Jewish state in August or September. He said in the opening salvo of any conflict, Syria has the capabilities of firing "hundreds" of missiles at Tel Aviv.

"Syria passed repeated messages to the U.S. that we demand the return of the Golan either through negotiations or through war. If the Golan is not in our hands by August or September, we will be poised to launch resistance, including raids and attacks against Jewish positions (in the Golan Heights)," the Baath official said.

Syria has no intent of pointing its guns and soldiers and tanks. Syria plans to concentrate on the civilian population. This is standard operating procedure for Allah's Army. Not only will there will no condemnation of such illegal attacks, there will not even be a mention of it. That is until one stray Israeli bullet hits a civilian and then the Chief Justice at The Hague will be polishing his gavel.

The Baath official said a new purported guerrilla group called the Committees for the Liberation of the Golan Heights has been training and is ready to attacks against Jewish communities in the Golan in August or September.

He said Syria is preparing for a war.

England Is Dead To Me

Here we go again. The list of professional British Dhimmis just got even longer. The British Transport and General Workers Union, 800,000 strong have voted to boycott all Israeli made products. They join the UCU, UNISON, British doctors, press and architects who have also called to boycott Israel and bow in prayer to the pagan Palestinian god. This from the Jerusalem Post ;

Just ahead of the cabinet's authorization Sunday of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's offer to release 250 Fatah security prisoners as a goodwill gesture to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, another British organization has called for sanctions against Israel over its policies in the PA.

The British Transport and General Workers Union, one of the UK's largest, voted on Saturday to boycott all products made in Israel.

Ahead of the actual vote, Eric McDonald, secretary of TGWU's Birmingham branch, which proposed the boycott motion, compared Israel to Nazi Germany.

In June, Britain's UNISON trade union - comprising 1.4 million members - also decided on sanctions against Israel. UNISON has had a policy of supporting a boycott of Israeli goods for at least the last five years. In 2002, UNISON's Executive Committee called for "a boycott of Israeli goods and services' and urged the UK Government and European Union to 'instigate economic and trade sanctions against the state of Israel."

I will of course receive the same emails and comments from well meaning Brits telling me that a few nuts out there are causing all this ruckus and it is in no way a reflection of the English as a whole.

However, it is a reflection on England as a hole.

Save yourselves the time and pocket those comments. Just the two unions alone in the Hall of Fame list above represent 2.2 million of you. It is no longer a fringe minority.

You wonder why the peace loving amongst your Muslims don't speak out against the terror. I ask you; Why don't you speak out against these unions and groups who elect to boycott Israel, and no one else. No one. The world is a paradise in your eyes, except for the Jewish State. They must be punished.

Keep your BBC and your Palestinian wanna be Alan Johnston. Keep your drunken football hooligans. Boycott us....please. We want nothing to do with you.

You are a disgrace to civilization. You are a disgrace to humanity.

Your empire fell along time ago. All that is left is a decaying corpse.

The Tridentine Mass: One Step Forward or Two Steps Back? Part 2

UPDATE:

See Part 1 here.

The verdict is in. This from Catholic News Service;

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In a long-awaited overture to disaffected Catholic traditionalists, Pope Benedict XVI relaxed restrictions on the use of the Tridentine Mass, the Latin-language liturgy that predates the Second Vatican Council.

The pope said Mass celebrated according to the 1962 Roman Missal, commonly known as the Tridentine rite, should be made available in every parish where groups of the faithful desire it.

He said that while the new Roman Missal, introduced in 1970, remains the ordinary way of Catholic worship, the 1962 missal should be considered "the extraordinary expression of the law of prayer."

Faithless, blindness and darkness may be out, but the Catholic Church still seems to believe that the path to my redemption passes through Rome.

I will call it one step back.

Gunshots at Intifada High

What's gonna happen when it's time for their med boards? This from Khaled Abu Toameh for Jerusalem Post;

Despite Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's decision to ban militiamen from patrolling the streets of the West Bank, scores of Fatah gunmen on Saturday forced teachers in Nablus to call off high school matriculation exams (tawjihi).

The gunmen, who claim they are wanted by Israel, were protesting Abbas's refusal to allow them to sit for the exams in secret halls for "security reasons."

High school gunmen? Just how old are these terrorists? Are they the "slow learners" who didn't gain admission to Jihad Summer Camp?

Abbas decided last week that all students must report to public exam halls throughout the West Bank, drawing sharp criticism from hundreds of gunmen belonging to the Aksa Martyrs Brigades.

Until now, all Fatah gunmen were granted special treatment by the PA Ministry of Education when sitting for the tawjihi. In addition to allocating secret halls for them, the ministry also permitted the gunmen to enter the halls with their weapons - a move that was seen as a direct threat to the lives of the teachers.

Apparently there are no metal detectors at the door.

In the context of his efforts to end lawlessness and anarchy in the West Bank, Abbas last week instructed PA Education Minister Lamis Alami to cancel the practice of allocating special halls to the fugitives.

Enraged by the decision, some 100 Fatah gunmen went on a rampage in a number of schools in Nablus, forcing the ministry to call off the exams. Firing warning shots into the air, the gunmen ordered hundreds of students to leave four halls where the exams were being held.

This gives new meaning to the term "student strike".

One of the students who was forced to leave in the middle of the exam told The Jerusalem Post that PA policemen at the scene refused to interfere to stop the gunmen from closing the halls. "The policemen told us that they have orders not to anger the Fatah gunmen," he said. "What kind of a government is this? If they can't impose order, they must go."

I guess the British academics are justified in calling for a boycott of their Israeli counterparts. Isn't this, too, Israel's fault?

Iran Green Lights More Terror

Terror; Islam's solution. This from IRNA;

Chairman of Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani received Hamas Headquarter Commander Emud al-Elmi here Saturday afternoon. In the meeting, Rafsanjani said, "Islamic resistance is the only way for liberation of Palestine and freedom of the Islamic territories," He added, "Islamic Republic of Iran supports the Palestinians politically and ideologically to achieve their rights."

No negotiations, no land for peace…only resistance. All under the full backing and support of Iran.

Ayatollah Rafsanjani said, "The religious beliefs of Hamas movement is a great asset for continuation of its way" adding, "The fact that Hamas moves and struggles on the basis of Islamic thoughts, is the secret of its success."

What further evidence is needed to prove that terror is Islam? Rafsanjani states very clearly that the Hamas struggle (terror) is "successful" only because it's based on Islam.

EC chairman said, "Conflicts among Palestinian groups is what the Zionists want," adding, "Islamic Republic of Iran hopes that unity and brotherhood can be returned among Palestinian groups again." Ayatollah Rafsanjani underlined that the Western countries do not want to help the Palestinian government and their policy, along with the Zionist regime, is based on weakening the Palestinians.

Correction. Many Western countries do help the Palestinians by transferring billion of dollars in cash and weapons. In fact, many Western countries seem to have no problem with the "Palestinian policy of struggle", either. The liberal brain freeze that has paralyzed so many continues to lead them to believe that the Palestinian struggle is just that, a struggle, when in fact it is nothing short of a call to genocide.

According to Rafsanjani there is no two-state solution to the problem; just resistance, struggle and terror. On this point I must disagree. The two-state solution would be an improvement. In fact, it is already in place. The states are Israel and Jordan. Now it's time to make it happen.

Allah's Police Keep Busy

Never a moments rest when you have to guard the prophet's honor and fight vice. This from Ian MacKinnon for the Guardian;

Religious police in Malaysia have detained a Muslim singer and her band, accusing her of baring too much flesh during a recent performance at a nightclub.

Siti Noor Idayu Abd Moin's sleeveless white top exposed a triangle of skin on her back, prompting officials to charge her with "revealing her body" and "promoting vice".

Can you imagine turning these cops loose in Vegas?

The artist, who plans to contest the allegations, was released on £145 bail and ordered to appear before the Sharia court in the northern town of Ipoh early next month. But Noor Idayu, 24, was bemused by the charge that her top was too skimpy and said it was a style she would feel comfortable wearing in public during the day.

The artist, wearing the white top and long trousers, was detained in the early hours of Wednesday as her band finished its set at Ipoh's Sunway City club. Officers from Perak state's religious department took band members to their offices and held the singer overnight. Noor Idayu said one officer took many pictures of her in the top. She was also accused of drinking alcohol but took a breathalyser test twice and passed each time. She said she felt insulted by the officers' insinuations.

Promoting vice and alcohol charges. The Sharia court will soon be in session. Watch your head.

In an unrelated incident, journalists were sentenced for "offending Islamic sanctities". They got off easy; only a few years in jail. This from IRNA;

Baku Appeals Court here Friday approved on the Preliminary Civil Court verdict against officials of Azerbaijan Republic's San'at Qezti for offending Islamic sanctities.

According to Baku media sources, the Appeals Court has rejected the appeals request filed by Rafik Taqi, the writer of the blasphemous article, and the Editor in Chief of the said biweekly, Sedaqat Uqli, both of whom have been sentenced to three- and four-year prison terms respectively.

The appeals court of the two was held in absentia of the culprits and in the presence of a jury.

The West inclined low circulated San'at Qezty that is published once every two weeks published an insulting article against Islamic sanctities, including Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) last fall, that raised the outrage and the Azeri pious individuals, intellectuals, and various political, social and cultural circles in Azerbaijan Republic ever since then.

Apparently their heads will remain attached.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

Suspected Al-Qaeda Members Serve on British Police Force

"To protect and serve" is the motto. Who to protect and who to serve is the question. This from Stephen Wright for the Daily Mail;

Up to eight police officers and civilian staff are suspected of links to extremist groups including Al Qaeda.

Some are even believed to have attended terror training camps in Pakistan or Afghanistan.

Their names feature on a secret list of alleged radicals said to be working in the Metropolitan and other forces.

The dossier was drawn up with the help of MI5 amid fears that individuals linked to Islamic extremism are taking advantage of police attempts to increase the proportion of ethnic staff.

An inside job. Fifth column. Call it whatever you want. Why are they still there?

Astonishingly, many of the alleged jihadists have not been sacked because - it is claimed - police do not have the "legal power" to dismiss them.

We can also reveal that one suspected jihadist officer working in the South East has been allowed to keep his job despite being caught circulating Internet images of beheadings and roadside bombings in Iraq.

He is said to have argued that he was trying to "enhance" debate about the war.

Sounds like he is seeking the Democratic nomination.

Classified intelligence reports raising concerns about police staff's background cannot be used to justify their dismissal, sources said.

Instead, the staff who are under suspicion are unofficially barred from working in sensitive posts and are closely monitored. Political correctness is blamed for the decision not to sack them.

How many must one attempt to kill before the liberal blanket of protection known as political correctness is taken away? Why do the rights of these suspects supersede the rights of ordinary citizens to lead ordinary lives without having to endure the constant threat of being randomly blown to bits?

MI5 has warned in the past that suspects with "strong links" to Osama Bin Laden's killers have tried to join the British security services and, in January, exiled radical Omar Bakri claimed that Islamic extremists were infiltrating the police and other public sector organisations.

Suspicions are growing that the gang behind the failed London bomb attacks could have received inside information about rescue procedures in the aftermath of an atrocity in the capital.

The Daily Mail can reveal that the second device parked near Haymarket was left at a designated "evacuation assembly point" where civilians and the emergency services would have gathered had the first bomb gone off.

Investigators are trying to establish whether the bombers knew the significance of the location.

Intelligence agencies warn the authorities of impending threats and nothing gets done. The liberal leaning governments and left wing media continue to protect the rights of the accused at the expense of you and me. This cannot end well.

Prodi on Iran: We Are Part of the Problem

Liberal Dogma 101; the enforcement of the law is partly to blame for criminal behavior. It's never totally the criminals fault. This from AKI;

Rome, 6 July (AKI) - Sanctions are part of the problem and not the answer in the international standoff over Iran's nuclear programme, Italian prime minister Romano Prodi on Friday told the online edition of the Hebrew language Israeli newspaper Maariv, Nrg-Maariv. "There is a problem with the attitude towards Iran," Prodi said. "The current strategy is leading us nowhere. Iran is continuing on its path, building up centrifuges every month while time goes by."

Liberal Dogma 102; if the punishment doesn't stop the criminal behavior, you must stop punishing the criminal instead of enforcing a stronger punishment.

The premier said Iran should not restrict UN inspections on its nuclear installations, which Tehran claims are solely for civilian use but stressed that "non-dialogue has a price and the international community will pay the price."

Liberal Dogma 103; talk to the criminal and understand him. If you keep on punishing him, his behavior will only get worse. In short, appease. Why?

Italy is Iran's main trading partner in Europe and commercial relations between the two countries were reportedly worth five billion euros in 2005.

Always keep your eye on the money.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

Another Hamas Coup

The Alan Johnston affair proves that Hamas has mastered the art of manipulation no less than Fatah Chairman Abbas. Hamas has turned the Johnston crisis into a major public relations coup. They are now being portrayed as the saviors of the Gaza Strip; the protectors of law and order.

Hamas was so effective that even English MP’s have fallen for the charade; hook, line and sinker. This from the BBC;

Meanwhile a group of UK MPs called for international engagement with Hamas.

Twenty MPs from all parties signed a motion in the House of Commons calling for a new relationship with the group following its role in securing the journalist's release.

Interesting to note how the US totally misread the situation. At least Condi Rice’s office did. As usual. This from Xinhua;

The United States said on Thursday that Hamas' role in releasing of BBC reporter Alan Johnston will not change the world's opinion of the Islamic militant group.

"I don't think the world views Hamas any differently as a result of this," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said of the release of Johnston who was kidnapped in Gaza in March.

Hamas has gone to great lengths to explain their interest in seeing Alan Johnston go free. It has nothing to do with any policy change. It has nothing to do with giving up terror. It has everything to do with public perception. It has everything to do with continuing their murderous ways.

Hamas is not shy. Here is their explanation as to why they were so bent on seeing Johnston go free. This from Hamas strongman Haneya;

"I can confirm that there was no transaction or bargaining. The release of Johnston was unconditioned. We don't disperse political rewards, we just want a shining image of our people, Hamas and the government," said Haneya.

And this from Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri;

"We hope that the international community will end its boycott of Hamas and realize that they made a mistake when they refused to accept the democratic choice of the Palestinians when they voted for us. Today we proved to the world that we respect the freedom of the media and that we won't allow anyone to harm a foreigner who visits us."

It’s all about public relations. Based on the English response, the ploy seems to be working.

However, the most shameful display was reserved for Alan Johnston himself.

This from Aaron Klein for WND;

Johnston thanked Haniyeh and said Hamas saved his life.
At a news conference in Jerusalem, Johnston again credited Hamas with saving his life.

"I'm pretty sure that if Hamas hadn't come in and turned the heat on, I'd still be in that room," Johnston said.

"Hamas has a huge law and order agenda," he said.

Although Hamas is considered a terror group by most Western governments, Johnston said, Hamas "is better at keeping law and order than many would agree. And God knows Gaza needs law and order."

Johnston has always sold himself out to the Jihadists; just as his BBC bosses do. He wasn’t even afforded the cheap polyester suit that his other brave countrymen were honored with upon the conclusion of their embarrassing episode. Johnston played the role of political pawn to a tee. He embarrassed himself and his country. And his country doesn’t need any help in that regard; they do a fine job all on their own.

I will let Gerard Baker of the Times Online sum it up.

How do you like your jihadi? Is yours the avenging physician sort; self-immolating practitioner of weird medicine outside nightclubs and airport terminals who hopes to take hundreds of innocents with him on his journey to Paradise?

Or do you prefer the voice of sweet reason, the heroic freedom fighter turned politician, who magnanimously leaps into a hostage drama and helps to free your innocent journalist from his captors?

Not difficult, is it?

We’ve had an exercise in good-cop, bad-cop with our Islamist friends in the past week. In London and Glasgow, the nutters – the scale of their murderous ambition matched only by their ineptitude with a car a mobile phone and a tankful of petrol – tried the explosive, take-no-prisoners approach to persuading the West to do their bidding Over in Gaza, they’re a bit more sophisticated. They’ve figured out that, at least when it comes to Europeans rather than Israelis, the direct approach is less effective than the power of high-profile good deeds. Hamas prefers the take-prisoners-and-then-generously-let-them-go approach.

Read it all.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

Linked to Woman Honor Thyself Right Truth Perri Nelson
Dumb Ox Wake Up America 123beta

Britain Will Release al-Qaeda Sheik As Payment For BBC Reporter

The great empire has folded. They have negotiated with terrorists and approved a prisoner swap. How long before the next Brit is kidnapped? This from Aaron Klein for WND;

JAFFA, Israel - In exchange for the release of BBC reporter Alan Johnston, Britain told the Hamas terror group through mediators it would free from jail an extremist sheik accused of serving as al-Qaida's spiritual adviser in Europe, Palestinian sources involved in the negotiations claimed to WND.

The sheik, Abu Qatada, is accused among other things of advising 9/11 terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui and attempted shoe-bomber Richard Reid. Qatada's sermons were found among the possessions of 9/11 operational leader Mohammed Atta.

A major league player in the world of terror for a reporter. Not for a soldier and not for a kidnapped tourist but for a man who voluntarily went to Gaza knowing full well the risks that entailed.

The Palestinian sources involved in the Johnston negotiations claimed the British government pledged through a third-party mediator to release Abu Qatada after six months so the release wouldn't appear connected to Johnston's freedom.

Qatada has been detained in Britain as a terror suspect but was not tried or sentenced.

How naïve!! Does the Brit government think that if they hoodwink the public then all is well? The terrorists know you paid the ransom. They will come knocking again very soon. You never pay ransom only once.

The sources admitted the Army of Islam had no way of ensuring the British government follow through with its purported commitment to release Qatada, but they said Dugmash (the kidnappers) threatened to kidnap more British nationals in Gaza if Qatada is not freed.

They will kidnap any Brit they can. It has nothing to do with Qatada anymore. Britain has folded and there will be a heavy price to pay.

Who exactly is Qatada?

Abu Qatada entered the UK in 1993 with a forged United Arab Emirates passport after fleeing Jordan, where he faced accusations of inciting terrorist acts. He reportedly delivered sermons calling for the downfall of the U.S. and Britain. In the mid-1990s, Qatada was said to have held meetings with an MI5 officer at which he suggested his willingness to co-operate to help prevent Islamist terrorism in the UK. The meetings were later outlined in an official governmental commission regarding Qatada. Qatada was accused by German authorities of plotting an attack on a central market, and he was sentenced in absentia in 2000 to life imprisonment in Jordan for his alleged involvement in a plot to bomb tourists there attending millennium celebrations.

Qatada is wanted on terrorism charges in Algeria, the U.S., Belgium, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Jordan.

Nineteen videotapes featuring Qatada's sermons were found among the possessions of 9/11 ringleader Atta. A Paris-based terror cell accused of plotting to blow up the U.S. embassy in France in 2001 reportedly was headed by a follower of Qatada.

A British immigration appeals commission report stated it concluded Qatada was a "key UK figure" in al-Qaida related terror.

This monster will soon be free courtesy of Her Majesty's Government.

Linked to Woman Honor Thyself Right Truth Perri Nelson
Dumb Ox Wake Up America 123beta

Ultimatum to Mosul’s Christians: Leave Within 3 Days or Die

Not a very tough decision. This from the Eastern Star News Agency;

A statement by an Islamic group that calls itself the Islamic Emirate of Mosul threatened to kidnap or kill all Christians whether students or employees in Mosul University if they did not leave the university campus in three days.

According to the statement that was posted on city streets, the Islamic group threatened as well all Christians living in Mosul to leave the city within three days or the group will behead any Christian who will remain in the city.

The Islamic Emirate of Mosul had killed four Christians living in the al-Sa'aa and al-Yarmook quarters of the right littoral of the city after they were kidnapped and their bodies were found in the Wadi 'Aaqab cemetery. The group had killed as well two Christians who arrived from Hamdaniya District to Mosul where they worked. The said group murdered another female Christian employee of the Iraqi Central Bank in Mosul.

The event will be sponsored by Allah and the tolerant religion of peace.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

Linked to Woman Honor Thyself Right Truth Perri Nelson
Dumb Ox Wake Up America 123beta

More Islamic War Crimes

When the going gets tough, Allah’s brave soldiers hide behind women and children. This from Khalid Qayum and Khaleeq Ahmed for Bloomberg;

July 5 (Bloomberg) -- Thirty ''hardcore'' militants are preventing students at the Red Mosque in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, from surrendering amid a siege of the mosque by security forces, the government said.

The militants ''are using women and children as shields,'' Javed Iqbal Cheema, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, told reporters in Islamabad today. A total of 1,146 students have surrendered since yesterday, he said. At least 16 people have been killed in gun battles between students and police.

Despicable.

Crossposted to Jihad Watch

45 Muslim Doctors Planned US Terror Attacks

More doctors who kill. Paging Dr. Kervorkian. This from John Steel for the Telegraph;

A group of 45 Muslim doctors threatened to use car bombs and rocket grenades in terrorist attacks in the United States during discussions on an extremist internet chat site.

Police found details of the discussions on a site run by one of a three-strong "cyber-terrorist" gang.

They were discovered at the home of Younis Tsouli, 23, Woolwich Crown Court in south-east London heard.

One message read: "We are 45 doctors and we are determined to undertake jihad and take the battle inside America.

Whatever happened to the Hyppocratic Oath?? Rest assured, I will not be seeing an Islamic doctor any time soon. I will take the witchdoctor any day.

"The first target which will be penetrated by nine brothers is the naval base which gives shelter to the ship Kennedy." This is thought to have been a reference to the USS John F Kennedy, which is often at Mayport Naval Base in Jacksonville, Florida.

The message discussed targets at the base, adding: "These are clubs for naked women which are opposite the First and Third units."

It also referred to using six Chevrolet GT vehicles and three fishing boats and blowing up petrol tanks with rocket propelled grenades.

Doctors are now filling the ranks of the Islamic Vice Squad. Still think it prudent to sponsor exchange student programs for the "gifted" Muslim??

Investigators have found no link between the Tsouli chat room and the group of doctors and medics currently in custody over attempted car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow.

The three "cyber terrorists" - a British national and two who had been given the right to live in Britain - are facing lengthy jail sentences after admitting using the internet to spread al-Qa'eda propaganda inciting Muslims to a violent holy war and to murder non-believers.

They had close links with al-Qa'eda in Iraq and believed they had to fight jihad against a global conspiracy by kuffars, or non-believers, to wipe out Islam.

Al-Qaeda promised action this summer. It looks like they are trying to stick to their word.

Crossposted to Jihad Watch

We Will Get Fooled Again

Fatah got their money and their prisoners are packing their bags as they prepare to be released by Israel. This all takes place under the pretense that Fatah is a "stand alone moderate group", without any ties to or dialogue with Hamas. So what's Fatah's next logical step? Renew cooperation with Hamas. This from Nissan Ratzlav-Katz for INN;

Despite the complete Hamas takeover of Gaza and the Fatah suppression of Hamas in Judea and Samaria, including heavy violence and mutual accusations of illegitimacy, the two Palestinian Authority terrorist organizations may be moving towards a renewed cooperation. This, according to IDF analysts, can be seen in the cessation of Fatah activity against Hamas in Judea and Samaria.

The intelligence assessment was presented on Tuesday to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee by Brigadier General Ronen Cohen of IDF Intelligence (known by its Hebrew acronym, AMAN).

"Despite the brutal process Gaza has gone through," Brig. Gen. Cohen told the Knesset committee, "Hamas aspires to return to a dialogue with regional Arab states, such as Egypt and Syria, as well as with [PA Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas]."

For his part, Abbas seems to have ceased anti-Hamas efforts in areas still under his control, Cohen reported: "The Palestinian Authority acted during the first few days [after the Hamas coup in Gaza] against the Hamas in Judea and Samaria. That activity has declined in recent days, until we see no further activity in that direction."

Chief of Staff Ashkenazi added his own comments during the intelligence briefing, saying, "Over time, a situation of dialogue between Abu Mazen [Abbas] and [Hamas's Damascus-based chief Khaled] Mashaal will develop, with the two organizations finding a way to maintain contact, as they have a common national interest."

The West and Israel get duped again. For the gazillionth time, Abbas has prepared his dinner using the same old recipe. An international summit somewhere in Egypt is the forum to cry poverty, oppression and occupation. Israel and the West do not miss the opportunity to participate in yet another photo-op. Boycotts are lifted and millions are transferred.

Abbas may be the guest of honor at the feast, but Hamas will still get their share. And a fat one at that.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

EU To Adopt Passenger Profiling…Sort Of

Finally, a step in the right direction. This from AKI ;

Brussels, 3 July (AKI) - An airline passenger data recording system for the whole of the European Union is among new measures being prepared by the European Commission, justice and security commissioner Franco Frattini announced on Tuesday in Brussels. The plan will offer all member states the option of establishing "national databases of passengers from across the world who fly through their airspace."

It is hard to believe that it took the EU almost six years since 9/11 to start getting their house in order…a little.

Frattini is also drafting legislation that will make it a crime to post bomb-making instructions to the Internet, he said.

The Times Online adds;

Internet service providers (ISPs) would face charges if they failed to block websites containing bomb-making instructions generated anywhere in the world, EU officials said.

"It should simply not be possible to leave people free to instruct other people on the internet on how to make a bomb - that has nothing to do with freedom of expression," Mr Frattini said yesterday.

Back to AKI;

Washington and the EU late last month agreed to share transatlantic passenger data. The accord covers such information as booking details, traveling companions and travel history. A passenger's frequent flyer miles, credit card number, email address and telephone number could all be made available to the US authorities.

Requests for a special meal appear unless they indicate the passenger's race or religion, in which case the data will not be provided under the deal, which has sparked criticism on civil liberties grounds.

The US government demanded access to information about everyone flying to the US from the EU in the wake of al-Qaeda's 11 September 2001 attacks on American cities.

The EU is missing the point. I can't recall the last time a Christian or Jewish suicide bomber tried to take down a commercial aircraft. If the EU plans to establish a profiling program then they can't ignore the role that religion plays in the story. Religion is the driver. To ignore it is nothing short of negligence.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

Jihad Summer Camp

For a summer that will last your child a lifetime; albeit a very short one. This from Khaled Abu Toameh for The Jerusalem Post;

Some Palestinian parents in the Gaza Strip are up in arms over Hamas summer camps which are being used to train children on the use of weapons and other military equipment.

The families on Tuesday also accused Hamas of inciting their children against Israel and Fatah. Some of the families decided to pull their children out of the camps after discovering the goals of the camp. Most of the children who are participating in the current Hamas summer camps are between the ages of eight and 17.

In the past, Fatah also used summer camps for teaching schoolchildren how to use weapons and for inciting against Israel and the US.

I wonder if US Lt. General Dayton is a guest instructor at the Fatah Summer Camp. I understand he is scheduled to give a course in weapons maintenance…right after the afternoon milk and cookies break.

The Fatah-affiliated Palestine Press Agency reported that the Hamas camps had been established in closed areas in various parts of the Gaza Strip so that the families would not see what's happening inside them.

The agency quoted eyewitnesses as saying that children were being taught how to fire automatic rifles and handle hand grenades.

"The military training is taking place in the early hours; children are being taught how to use Kalashnikov assault rifles and other weapons," said one eyewitness.

When pictures of African children holding AK-47's hit the evening news, everyone is up in arms. When the children in question are being trained to kill Jews, the story does not even get a mention.

"The Hamas supervisors are also giving lectures to the children accusing Fatah of collaboration with Israel and betraying the Palestinians. They are also quoting phrases from the Quran that encourage the children to kill the 'traitors."

And still the West refuses to address the real issue; Islam. It's not the occupation or the poverty. It’s the Quran. It's Islam.

The children are recruited through advertisements in mosques that only promise to teach children about Islam.

Apparently, that is exactly what they are doing. Islam equals death.

A statement issued by Fatah accused Hamas of "kidnapping" and "brainwashing" the children.

"Hamas is helping create a culture of hatred and vengeance," the statement charged. "They are killing the innocence of children by forcing them to undergo military training and teaching them hatred. They want to use these children to fight their own people in the future.

The Fatah pot calls the Hamas kettle black. Easy to do when you're a "moderate".

Crossposted to Jihad Watch

Iranian TV: Britain Staged Glasgow Attack

An auspicious premier for Iran's English TV network. This from Oliver Burkeman, Helen Pidd and Robert Tait for The Guardian;

Much of yesterday's airtime was occupied by long extracts from a soporifically gentle interview with Venezuela's Hugo Chávez, and a slow-moving documentary about Russian culture. That - rather than the channel's overtly propagandistic tone - seemed likely to prove the biggest obstacle to its success. As Fox News discovered, you do not need to worry too much about the truth, just as long as you keep your reports to 60 seconds, and use a lot of loud music.

Press TV's website took a more forthrightly partisan approach, emulating the design of the BBC News site to an almost spooky degree, but with material to make the BBC blanch. A story about the attempted attacks on London and Glasgow airport, headlined More threadbare propaganda from the west, was a perfectly serviceable account of recent events - until the final paragraphs, where the reporter suggested they were staged by the UK government, in order to tarnish the image of Muslims enraged by the knighting of Salman Rushdie.

Inside Iran, meanwhile, the channel itself did not seem to be available at all. At the launch of Press TV, at the headquarters of state broadcaster IRIB,president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said its goal was to counter "propaganda" peddled by western channels. "Knowing the truth is the right of all human beings but the media today is the number one means used by the authorities to keep control," he said. "We scarcely know a media that does its duty correctly. Our media should be a standard bearer of peace and stability. "

Celebrating the launch of the new network, Ahmadinejad had this to add;

"The message of media is the same as that of prophets." He went on, "All efforts should be directed so that borders between "truth and false", "selfishness and divinity", and "loving mankind and oppressing, threatening them" could be clearly in front of world people's eyes." Ahmadinejad called such news dissemination as a "diligence and struggle" and said, "The TV which is born today should be beside to the world oppressed people." The president underlined "Disseminating correct and timely news, and presenting correct analyses and disclosing behind scene of the mankind's enemies propaganda networks are among new TV's basic duty."

At least it will be entertaining.

Crossposted to Jihad Watch

Jordan Secretly Buying Properties Near The Temple Mount

The Israeli Government frowns when Israelis legally purchase Arab properties. It seems to be all right when a Muslim state does so. This from Aaron Klein for WND;

JERUSALEM – Jordan has been quietly purchasing real estate surrounding the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in the hope of gaining more control over the area accessing the holy site, according to Palestinian and Israeli officials.

Israel's Maariv daily newspaper reported a member of the Jordanian royal family has been leading efforts to purchase properties near the Temple Mount – Judaism's holiest site – as part of the kingdom's plan to solidify its already strong presence there.

The Maariv story was first reported by WND four months ago in an exclusive report revealing Jordan has used shell companies during the past year to purchase several apartments and shops located at key peripheral sections of the Temple Mount.

Israeli and Palestinian officials told WND Jordan also set up a commission to use the shell companies to petition mostly Arab landowners adjacent to eastern sections of the Temple Mount to sell their properties. They said profits from sales at any purchased shops would be reinvested to buy more real estate near the Mount and in eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods.

The Jordanian shell companies at times have presented themselves as acting on behalf of the Waqf, the Muslim custodians of the Temple Mount, WND has learned.

The Olmert Government continues to give every indication that Israel is willing to let foreign and sometimes hostile entities create "facts on the ground" which question Israel’s sovereignty. This is not new…

In February, WND first reported Prime Minister Ehud Olmert granted permission to Jordan to construct a large minaret at a site on the Temple Mount where Jewish groups here had petitioned to build a synagogue. According to Israeli diplomatic sources, an announcement on the minaret has been stalled.

A top leader of the Waqf told WND Olmert's granting of permission to build the minaret in the synagogue's place "confirms 100 percent the Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount) belongs to Muslims."

"This proves Jewish conspiracies for a synagogue will never succeed and solidifies our presence here. It will make Muslims worldwide more secure that the Jews will never take over the Haram al-Sharif," the Waqf official said.

And Olmert and Co. will see to that.

Jordan previously controlled eastern Jerusalem and the Temple Mount from 1948 until Israel liberated the territory in the 1967 Six-Day War. During the period of Jordanian control,Jews were barred from the Western Wall and Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest sites, and hundreds of synagogues were destroyed. Jordan constructed a road to the Intercontinental Hotel that stretched across the Mount of Olives, bulldozing hundreds of Jewish gravestones.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; true defenders of Holy Places. Typical of an Islamic state. Typical of the complicity of the Olmert Government.

I am surprised that Jordan actually has to pay for the properties. I would have thought that Olmert would give them away for free.

Crossposted to Dhimmi Watch

New Famous Cartoon Character To Replace Farfur

Farfur might be off to the virgins but Hamas TV is not at rest. New famous cartoon characters are on the way. This from Reuters:

GAZA (Reuters) - A Hamas television station that last week killed off a Mickey Mouse lookalike who urged children to fight against Israel will use other famous characters to further their Islamist agenda, station officials said on Monday.

The host of the children's show "Tomorrow's Pioneers", Farfur, dressed in a full body-suit to resemble the Walt Disney cartoon character. The character was beaten to death in the show's final episode last week by a character posing as an Israeli.

Farfur and a female co-host instructed their young viewers on Hamas' militant brand of Muslim piety and urged children to support armed resistance against Israel.

Mohammad Saeed, the director of production at Al-Aqsa Television, told Reuters the station would use other famous cartoon characters in future shows.

"Farfur was a story alive and he has turned into another story as a (martyr)," Saeed said.

Who’s next? Jihadi Sam? Wile E. Jihadi? Muhammad Fudd? Suggestions?

Crossposted to Jihad Watch

Germany: Out Turn Will Come

Europe is under siege. This from AKI;

Berlin, 2 July (AKI) - Terrorist attacks similar to the failed attacks last week in British capital, London, and at Glasgow airport in Scotland, could occur in Germany, federal police chief Konrad Freiberger said on Monday. There are some 100 individuals living in Germany who may have "the intention and the capability" to carry out such attacks, Freiberger told the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper. He underscored the importance of strengthening security measures to thwart terror plots, the chances of which he said have increased since the German army's participation in peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan.

Let's see how tough Ms. Merkel really is.

Crossposted to Jihad Watch

Taliban Continue to Use Human Shields

This as Afghan President Hamid Karzai continues to criticize NATO and the US for civilian casualties. This from American Forces Press Service ;

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2007 - Taliban terrorists continue to use innocent civilians as shields, NATO officials in Afghanistan said today.

Afghan and American soldiers under International Security Assistance Force command participated in Operation Ghartse Ghar in Helmand province yesterday. The goal was to clear Taliban forces from both sides of the Helmand River in the village of Haderabad.

After battling enemy forces most of the day, Afghan and coalition forces came under heavy fire from enemy small arms, medium machine guns, 82 mm mortars and rocket-propelled grenades.

The Afghan and coalition forces identified several enemy positions during this exchange, including mortar positions, observation posts, compounds and a trench system. They returned fire and called in close-air support. All enemy positions were destroyed in the engagement.

Though Afghan and coalition forces appear to have fired at clearly identified firing positions, said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force 82, there are reports of civilian casualties.

“After our forces surveyed the area, there are reports of some possible civilian deaths,” Belcher said. The troops found the remains of innocent civilians who were killed in firing positions in a trench line.

“We are deeply saddened by any loss of innocent lives,” Belcher said. “Insurgents are continuing their tactic of using women and children as human shields in close combat with friendly forces.”

The brave soldiers of Islam fight on.

Crossposted to Jihad Watch

Al-Qaeda Goes Online With Bomb Training Course

Log on, sign in, and bomb out. This from Yaakov Lappin for Ynet;

The three botched terror attacks launched in Britain in the past 72 hours bear all the hallmarks of first-time British-born jihadis attempting to emulate al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Multiple car bombs designed to slaughter hundreds of civilians and strikes against critical infrastructure are daily events in Baghdad, and al-Qaeda in Iraq has decided to put its experience in mass murder on the internet for the benefit of its members around the world, in the form of an online training course on bomb attacks.

The ACLU and friends will guarantee sites like this stay on line. Freedom of speech for all.

The bombing manual, available in Arabic on a jihadi website, contains a number of key pieces of advice for car bombers. It instructs terrorists not to park their vehicles illegally, and advises the car bomber to leave the scene quietly, if he plans to detonate the vehicle from a distance, in what al-Qaeda terms "non-martyrdom operations."

The manual details precise locations inside the vehicle where explosives should be placed, and recommends various targets such as "cinemas" and "stadiums."

Other forms of explosives, the guide says, should be aimed at "groupings demonstrations, celebrations or festivals."

The guide calls on terrorists to "monitor and identify the route of the enemy, how they leave a cinema or a stadium at the end of a game," and also gives instructions on how to carry out suicide car bombings.

"Drive the car on the road passing the crowd. If a car passes near these places, it could draw the attention of the enemy, and the car could be inspected," the guide said. It went on to explain in detail how suicide car bombers can fool security guards, and suggests a correct speed to drive a vehicle packed with explosives into a target.

In other words, kill as many innocent civilians as possible. Allah just loves that.

Crossposted to Jihad Watch

The Tridentine Mass: One Step Forward or Two Steps Back? Part 1

"The Jews are a nervous people. Nineteen centuries of Christian love have taken a toll." - Benjamin Disraeli

"I am of the opinion, to be sure, that the old rite should be granted much more generously to all those who desire it. It's impossible to see what could be dangerous or unacceptable about that." - Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI), Salt of the Earth

I do. This from the Independent ;

A plan by the Pope to authorise the widespread return of the controversial Latin Mass, despite concerns that parts of it are anti-Semitic, has provoked a backlash among senior clergy in Britain and threatens to divide the Catholic Church worldwide. The 16th-century Tridentine Mass - which includes references to "perfidious" Jews - was abandoned in 1969 and replaced with liturgy in local languages, to make worship more accessible to the bulk of churchgoers. But the Pope announced on Thursday that a long-awaited document liberalising the use of the Mass, which some clergy fear will also limit the Church's dialogue with Jews and Muslims, will be released next week.

The prayer in question is part of the Good Friday Prayer and is called "For the Conversion of the Jews." Here is the translation from the Latin original;

Let us pray also for the faithless Jews: that our God and Lord may remove the veil from their hearts; that they also may acknowledge Our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray. ('Amen' is not responded, nor is said 'Let us pray', or 'Let us kneel', or 'Arise', but immediately is said:) Almighty and Eternal God, Who dost not exclude from Thy mercy even the faithless Jews: hear our prayers, which we offer for the blindness of that people; that acknowledging the light of Thy Truth, which is Christ, they may be delivered from their darkness. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, through all endless ages. Amen.

According the prayer, Jews are faithless, blind, sit in darkness and need the veil removed in order that they can see the truth.

I am not faithless, my eyesight is OK, the electricity bill is paid and I don't plan on acknowledging your Lord. I have my own.

It is important to note that this prayer was toned down in 1965 and again in 1970. Faithless, blindness and darkness were removed but the hope is still there that Jews will find full redemption. Not in Judaism of course.

In addition to the Pope's statement quoted above, other Church officials had these comment on the reinstatement of the Tridentine Mass; This from Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State;

"The pope has written a beautiful letter to all the bishops of the world, explaining why the church should revalue and reclaim the liturgical form that preceded the (Second Vatican) Council, which is a great richness in the history of the church," Cardinal Bertone said.

I hardly consider the derogatory statements and implications from the Good Friday Prayer representative of the "great richness in the history of the church."
And this from Cardinal Castrillon; President of the Pontifical Commission;

Wider use of the pre-Vatican II Mass in Latin "is not a step backward," but a sign that the pope "wants to make available to the church all the treasures of the Latin liturgy that have, for centuries, nourished the spiritual life of so many generations of Catholic faithful."

If this prayer is what "nourished the spiritual life of so many generations of Catholic faithful", I begin to have a better understanding of the history of the Catholic Church.

Taking into account the sensitivity of the issue, I would have expected that the Good Friday Prayer would have been singled out as subject to possible change. There was no such mention. This leads me to believe that the statements above refer to the Mass in its entirety. Disturbing at best.

The verdict is still not in. The text of the prayer may be changed (as it was twice in the past). If the Catholic Church, for whatever its reasons wants to broadly reinstate the Mass, that's really none of my business. If they insist on reverting to the Good Friday Prayer of old as is, then it is my problem.

Even if this prayer is said only once a year, there is still no justifying such statements. The historical relationship between the Catholic Church and Jews and Judaism is not a study in tolerance. The reinstatement of such prayers does nothing to help the situation. In fact, it only makes matters worse.

Would the Catholic Church be that much different than the mosques that send a very similar message about Judaism and Jews? How could any Catholic point to Islam and claim "incitement" or "lack of tolerance"? Would the Catholic Church be any different?

The fact that the prayer was not widely in use for over forty years and is now being brought back makes the insult that much stronger. The Catholic Church is in effect saying that their more moderate position on Judaism is no longer on the agenda. It is back to Middle Age thoughts and beliefs.

See update here.