"Until Allah Inherits the Earth and Everyone on It"

That's the name of the game in this production by Qaeda al-Jihad's media arm. No need to read between the lines. Just get your head out of your ass.

Lift the Fatwa against Salman Rushdie!

The Iranians have been spelling out numerous preconditions for the US to meet before talks. Here's one I'd like to see the Obama administration demand: lift the fatwa against Salman Rushdie. According to the AFP story in Lebanese The Daily Star:

Iran says fatwa ordering Rushdie's death still valid
By Agence France Presse (AFP) Thursday, February 12, 2009

TEHRAN: Iran said on Wednesday that a fatwa ordering the death of British writer Salman Rushdie was still valid 20 years after it was issued by the revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. "It is natural that as long as a fatwa has not been annulled, it is still valid," foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi said at a news conference suggesting that Khomeini's order was still valid.

The Indian-born Rushdie, 61, was forced to go into hiding for a decade after Khomeini issued the 1989 death sentence over his book "The Satanic Verses," saying it insulted Islam.
Khomeini's successor as supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in 2005 that he still believed the British novelist was an apostate whose killing would be authorized by Islam. - AFP

A Tale From Two Cities

Washington and Tehran. Here's the headline from the WAPO story: "Iran Signals Willingness to Talk to U.S. in Fair Atmosphere." Wow! That sounds fairly positive, unlike the tone I've outlined in several earlier posts about how Iran has been responding to Obama's overtures.

Here's the Tehran Times's coverage of the same Ahmadinejad speech:

TEHRAN - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that Iran is safe from any foreign military threat since the country has become a responsible superpower.

“Today, I officially declare that Iran has become a real and righteous superpower, and the shadow of threats over Iran has been removed forever,” the president stated at a rally in Tehran marking the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Ahmadinejad also said Iran would welcome a “fundamental” and not “tactical” change by the new U.S. administration and was ready for dialogue provided talks were held in a “fair atmosphere and with mutual respect.”

U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Monday that the United States is looking for opportunities for “face-to-face” dialogue with Iran after nearly three decades without diplomatic ties. “There’s been a lot of mistrust built up over the years, so it’s not going to happen overnight,” CNN quoted Obama as saying during his first news conference. Ahmadinejad went on to say “belittlement, threats, and monopolization of science” are the arrogant powers’ means to dominate nations, but the Iranian people have surpassed all these obstacles and are now filled with self-confidence. He pointed to Iran’s recent satellite launch, saying Iran is now one of only eight countries that possess the complete cycle of launch pad, rocket, reception station, and satellite.

Iran launched its first domestically manufactured satellite, called Omid (hope), into orbit on February 2. The satellite, carried on a Safir-2 rocket, is meant for telecommunications and research purposes. Today the world is about to enter the era of logic, thought, and dialogue, and the era of force and domination is over, Ahmadinejad added.

Note Ahmadinejad's use of the phrase about the "monopolization of science." That needs to be read as American insistence that Iran not develop the capacity to build nuclear weapons.

Note also that Iran's willingness to talk reflects its confidence in its new found and self-declared status as a "real and righteous superpower."

Even less positive is the report from the FARS News Agency. Ahmadinejad's statement came at a rally at which Iranians were "chanting anti-US slogans."

"It is quite clear that real change must be fundamental and not tactical. It is clear the Iranian nation welcomes real changes. The Iranian nation is ready to hold talks but talks in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect," Ahmadinejad told a mass rally at Tehran's Azadi square. Millions of Iranians chanting anti-US slogans took to the streets of the capital and other cities of Iran on Tuesday for the annual demonstration to mark the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution.

In fact, at the rally Ahmadinejad came up with a new demand:

Referring to US President Barack Obama's slogan about "change in US policies", Ahmadinejad noted, "…if you (the US administration) are seeking change, try and punish the agents behind the recent wars in the region because Saddam (former Iraqi dictator) was not the sole war criminal."

The Iranian president called for trial and punishment of former US President George W. Bush, his administration, companions and accomplices as well as leaders of the Zionist regime (of Israel) for their crimes against humanity.

For reasons I cannot fathom, non of this made its way into the WAPO report.

So where does that leave Obama? Well, the Iranians are ready for talks as long as the US: lift sanctions, unfreeze Iranian assets, apologize for past actions, stop all talk about regime change in Tehran, view Iran as a "victim" of, rather than an exporter of terrorism, free the Iranian "diploamts" under detnetion in Iraq, remove the "pressure" of the Jews from the backs of American voters, and bring Bush and members of his administration and the leaders of "the Zionist regime" to trial for war crimes.

Why doesn't this crap get reported by the American media? The fact that the Iranian leadership insists on looking a gift horse in the mouth isn't Obama's fault. But the reality is that the abysmal Iranian reaction to his sincere and well intentioned approaches could be and was predicted by many, making our new president appear . . . somewhat naive. Nevertheless, all of this says far more about the American press than it does about the American president.

Jihad-by-Forest-Fire?

I was watching NBC News tonight to see if Brian Williams or anyone else would mention a story making the rounds today on the web referencing an Australian news report dated 7 September 2008 about the call by the imprisoned "architect of the new al Qaeda" Abu Musab Al-Suri (background information here) to wage jihad-by-fire in Australia. Not a word from NBC News. When the program ended, I went to my PC and called up the page with the story, under the by line of Josh Gordon, that I had read in the morning. Guess what? It's gone! It was here. And if you Google it you'll still get the headline: "Islam group urges forest fire jihad theage.com.au" I suppose they pulled it because it had suddenly become too "incendiary." If the Aussies started to think that Jihadists were responsible for the fires that have killed over 170 people, well, things could get ugly. Nevertheless, you can still find a copies of the same Josh Gordon story here on a Canadian web site and here.

A little more searching revealed other stories that also pre-date the fires. Here's one from the World Tribune dated 15 January 2008. My bolding.

U.S. officials monitoring terrorist web sites have discovered a call for using forest fires as weapons against “crusader” nations, in what may explain some recent wildfires in places like southern California and Greece.

A terrorist website was discovered recently that carried a posting that called for “Forest Jihad.” The posting was listed on the Internet on Nov. 26 [2007] and reported in U.S. intelligence channels last week.

The statement, in Arabic, said that “summer has begun so do not forget the Forest Jihad.”
The writer called on all Muslims in the United States, Europe, Russia and Australia to “start forest fires.”

You can find another story here.

The news reports about the fire indicate that high temperatures, low humidity, and high winds present "perfect conditions" for these raging fires. But it is also true that the Australian government is now saying that they are beginning to suspect arson. Does that mean that Muslims set these fires? Of course not. We have forest fires in the US all the time and when it's a case of arson I can't ever recall a Muslim being involved.

Nevertheless, when you have jihadist leaders calling on Muslims to carry out fire jihad, you have to take that into consideration the next time you're looking at a major forest fire.

What happened to the public's right to know?

I wonder: if a building loaded with refugees in Gaza just blew up this evening without any clear evidence of who was responsible, would the Western media not report the incident because Muslims around the world would probably blame the Israelis and innocent Jews in Europe and elsewhere in the world might become the targets of hate-crimes? Of course they'd report it. But here we have a case where a leading al Qaeda type calls for Muslims to set forest fires, especially in Australia, we have major fires break out unlike any others known in Australian history, arson is suspected, and not only does the media refuse to report the story, they actually go out and delete earlier reports that suggest a connection.

I hope the fires are natural and that no arson is invovled. And if there are arsonists, I pray they're not Muslims.

Joe Biden's Munich Speech

Excerpts. You can find the entire text here. Bolding is mine.

Excepting the crap about climate change I consider this an excellent speech. I've seen reports on the speech that stress Biden's focus on diplomacy, but he readily admits throughout that the US won its Independence through force of arms and has since secured its freedom in that same manner. "That will not change," Biden reminds his audience. Likewise he talks about multilateralism, but also makes it clear that the US will move unilaterally if that multilateralism fails to materielize. The speech offers no weakening on the need to "defeat" global jihadism, and by implication Hamas. And while he reiterates Obama's willingness to talk with Iran, Biden lays out tougher sanctions as a possibility.

He also talks somewhat loosely about not preemptive war, but "preventive actions" meant to avoid situations were we would be attacked or placed in a situation where the best option might be preemption. That's fine, but it's not clear from the speech that "preventive actions" might also include the use of force, given the fact that the tools in Biden's arsenal include the "military and diplomatic; intelligence and law enforcement; economic and cultural...."

There are other salient points in the speech as well. Biden indicates that the administration will continue to support missile defense systems. The administration favors the two-state solution and does not see Hamas as part of that process.

This is a classic "walk softly but carry a big stick" kind of speech. Yes, we want to talk. Yes, we want to act multilaterally. But if you don't want to talk, and if our allies doesn't want to step up and help us in Afghanistan, then we'll consider using force and on our own.

This is not a speech I would have imagined Biden giving back in September 2008. You have to wonder: what does the Obama team know now, or what has it learned, that it didn't know five months ago?

Speech at the 45th Munich Security Conference
02/07/2009

...And we must recognize new forces shaping this young century:

The spread of mass destruction weapons and dangerous diseases;
A growing gap between rich and poor;
Ethnic animosities and failed states;
A rapidly warming planet and uncertain supplies of energy, food, water;
The challenge to freedom and security from radical fundamentalism.

The False Choice Between Security and Values

In meeting these challenges, the United States will be guided by this basic principle:

There is no conflict between our security and our ideals. They are mutually reinforcing. The force of arms won our independence, and throughout our history, the force of arms has protected our freedom. That will not change. But the very moment we declared our independence, we laid before the world the values behind our revolution and the conviction that our policies must be informed by a “decent respect for the opinions of mankind.” Our Founders understood then and the United States believes now - that the example of our power must be matched by the power of our example. That is why we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. America will vigorously defend our security and our values, and in doing so we will all be more secure. As hard as we try, I know that we are likely to fall short of our ideals in the future, just as we have in the past. But I commit to you now: we will strive, every day, to honor the values that animate America’s democracy … and that bind us to you. That is why, on one of the very first days of his presidency, Barack Obama reaffirmed America’s most basic values. He made clear to the world:

America will not torture. We will uphold the rights of those we bring to justice. And we will close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. Tough choices lie ahead. As we seek a lasting framework for our common struggle against extremism, we will have to work cooperatively with nations around the world – and we will need your help. For example, we will be asking others to take responsibility for some of those now at Guantanamo. Our security is shared. So, too, is our responsibility to defend it.

What We Will Do - What We Will Ask

That is the basis upon which we want to build a new approach to the challenges of this century.

America will do more, but America will ask for more from our partners. Here is what we will do and what we hope our partners will consider.

First, we will work in partnership whenever we can, alone only when we must.

The threats we face have no respect for borders. No single country, no matter how powerful, can best meet them alone. We believe that international alliances and organizations do not diminish America’s power – they help us advance our collective security, economic interests and values. So we will engage. We will listen. We will consult. America needs the world, just as I believe the world needs America. But we say to our friends that the alliances, treaties and international organizations we build must be credible and they must be effective. That requires a common commitment not only to live by the rules, but to enforce them.
military and diplomatic; intelligence and law enforcement; economic and cultural -
That is the bargain we seek. Such a bargain can be at the heart of our collective efforts to convince Iran to forego the development of nuclear weapons. The Iranian people are a great people, and Persian civilization is a great civilization. But Iran has acted in ways that are not conducive to peace in the region or to the prosperity of its people; its illicit nuclear program is but one manifestation. Our administration is reviewing policy toward Iran, but this much I can say:

We are willing to talk.

We are willing to talk to Iran, and to offer a very clear choice: continue down your current course and there will be pressure and isolation; abandon your illicit nuclear program and support for terrorism and there will be meaningful incentives.
military and diplomatic; intelligence and law enforcement; economic and cultural -
Second, we will strive to act preventively, not preemptively to avoid wherever possible a choice of last resort between the risks of war and the dangers of inaction.
military and diplomatic; intelligence and law enforcement; economic and cultural -
We will draw upon all the elements of our power - military and diplomatic; intelligence and law enforcement; economic and cultural - to stop crises before they start. In short, we will recapture the totality of America’s strength, starting with diplomacy. On his second full day in office, President Obama went to our State Department, where he stressed the centrality of diplomacy to our national security. That commitment can be seen in his appointments, starting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It can be seen in the President’s decision to name two of America’s most tenacious diplomats – Senator George Mitchell and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke – to contend with two of the world’s most urgent and vexing challenges:

The need for a secure, just and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians and the imperative of stopping the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan from providing a haven for terrorists. In both of these efforts, America seeks your partnership. Senator Mitchell just completed his first trip to the Middle East. Above all, he went to listen. In the near term, we must consolidate the cease-fire in Gaza by working with Egypt and others to stop smuggling and developing an international relief and reconstruction effort that strengthens the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas.

Neither of these goals can be accomplished without close collaboration among the United States, Europe and our Arab partners. Then, we must lay the foundation for broader peacemaking efforts. It is past time for a secure and just Two State solution. We will work to achieve it, and to defeat the extremists who would perpetuate the conflict. And, building on the positive elements of the Arab Peace initiative put forward by Saudi Arabia, we will work toward a broader regional peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

As we responsibly draw down our forces in Iraq, the United States will continue to work for a stable Afghanistan that is not a haven for terrorists. We look forward to sharing that commitment with the government and people of Afghanistan and Pakistan and with our allies and partners because a deteriorating situation in the region poses a security threat to all of us, not just the United States. President Obama has ordered a strategic review of our policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan to make sure that our goals are clear and achievable.

As we undertake that review, we seek ideas and input from you, our partners. The result must be a comprehensive strategy for which we all take responsibility that brings together our civilian and military resources that prevents a terrorist safe have and that helps Afghans develop the capacity to secure their own future.

No strategy for Afghanistan can succeed without Pakistan. We must all strengthen our cooperation with the people and government of Pakistan, help them stabilize the Tribal Areas and promote economic development and opportunity throughout the country.

Third, America will extend a hand to those who unclench their fists.

We do not believe in a clash of civilizations. We do see a shared struggle against extremism – and we will do everything in our collective power to help the forces of tolerance prevail. In the Muslim world, a small number of violent extremists are beyond the call of reason. We will defeat them. But hundreds of millions of hearts and minds share the values we hold dear. We will reach them. President Obama has made clear that we will seek a new way forward based on mutual interest and mutual respect. It was not by accident that he gave his very first interview as President to Al-Arabiya.

To meet the challenges of this new century, defense and diplomacy are necessary - but not sufficient. We also need to wield development and democracy – two of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal. Poor societies and dysfunctional states can become breeding grounds for extremism, conflict and disease. Non-democratic nations frustrate the rightful aspirations of their citizens and fuel resentment.

Our administration has set ambitious goals to increase foreign assistance – To cut extreme poverty in half by 2015;

To help eliminate the global education deficit;
To cancel the debt of the world’s poorest countries;
To launch a new Green Revolution that produces sustainable supplies of food and;
To advance democracy not through its imposition by force from the outside, but by working with moderates in government and civil society to build the institutions that will protect freedom.
We also are determined to build a sustainable future for our planet – and we are prepared to lead by example. America will act aggressively against climate change and in pursuit of energy security with like-minded nations. Our administration’s economic stimulus includes long-term investments in renewable energy.

The President has directed our environmental protection agency to review how we regulate emissions, started a process to raise fuel efficiency and appointed a climate envoy – all in his first week in office. As America renews our emphasis on diplomacy, development, democracy and preserving our planet, we will ask our allies to rethink some of their own approaches - including their willingness to the use force when all else fails.

When it comes to radical groups that use terror as a tool, radical states that harbor extremists, undermine peace and seek or spread weapons of mass destruction and regimes that systematically kill or ethnically cleanse their own people - we must stand united and use every means at our disposal to end the threat they pose.

None of us can deny – or escape - the new threats of the 21st century. Nor can we escape the responsibility to meet them.

Renewing Our Alliance
Two months from now, the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will gather for our Alliance’s 60th anniversary. This Alliance has been the cornerstone of our common security since the end of World War II. It has anchored the United States in Europe and helped forge a Europe whole and free. Together, we made a pact to safeguard the freedom of our peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. We made a commitment to cooperate, to consult – and to act with resolve when the principles we defend are challenged.

There is much to celebrate. But we must do more. We must recommit to our shared security and renew NATO, so that its success in the 20th century is matched in the 21st. NATO’s core purpose remains the collective defense of its members. But faced with new threats, we need a new resolve to meet them, and the capabilities to succeed. Our Alliance must be better equipped to help stop the spread of the world’s most dangerous weapons, to tackle terrorism and cyber-security, to expand its writ to energy security and to act in and out of area effectively.

We will continue to develop missile defenses to counter a growing Iranian capability, provided the technology is proven to work and cost effective.

We will do so in consultation with our NATO allies and Russia. As we embark on this renewal project, the United States, like other Allies, would warmly welcome a decision by France to fully participate in NATO structures. In a recent discussion with President Sarkozy, President Obama underscored his strong support for France’s full participation in NATO, should France wish it. France is a founding member of NATO and a major contributor to its operations. We would expect France’s new responsibilities to reflect the significance of its contributions throughout NATO’s history and strengthen the European role within the Alliance.

We also support the further strengthening of European defense, an increased role for the European Union in preserving peace and security, a fundamentally stronger NATO-EU partnership and deeper cooperation with countries outside the Alliance who share our common goals and principles.

The United States rejects the notion that NATO’s gain is Russia’s loss, or that Russia’s strength is NATO’s weakness. The last few years have seen a dangerous drift in relations between Russia and the members of our Alliance.

It is time to press the reset button and to revisit the many areas where we can and should work together. Our Russian colleagues long ago warned about the rising threat from the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Today, NATO and Russia can and should cooperate to defeat this common enemy.

We can and should cooperate to secure loose nuclear weapons and materials and prevent their spread, to renew the verification procedures in the START treaty and then go beyond existing treaties to negotiate deeper cuts in our arsenals. The United States and Russia have a special obligation to lead the international effort to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world.

We will not agree with Russia on everything. For example, the United States will not recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. We will not recognize a sphere of influence. It will remain our view that sovereign states have the right to make their own decisions and choose their own alliances.

But the United States and Russia can disagree and still work together where our interests coincide.

Conclusion

This conference started in the shadow of the Cold War. Now it takes place in a new century with new threats. As a great poet once wrote, our world has changed utterly - a terrible beauty has been born. We must change too, while remaining true to the principles upon which our alliance was founded.

And we must have the courage and commitment of those who came before us to work together to build together - and to stand together. In sharing ideals and searching for partners in a more complex world, Americans and Europeans still look to one another before they look to anyone else.

Our partnership benefits us all. This is the time to renew it.

Some Well Done Satire

Dr. Ayman Speaks #1

Here's the first part of an As-Sahab (al Qaeda's media arm) interview with Ayman al-Zawahiri, Qaeda al-Jihad's number 2. In this part Dr. Ayman claims that the Americans are losing in Iraq and Afghanistan, that he hopes the Americans send their entire army to Afghanistan, that the dogs of that country have yet to eat their fill of American flesh, and that the "Zionist Fanatic" Tom Friedman of the New York Times dictated the "Saudi" peace plan and the idea of the recognition of Israel to King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz (about 5:15 into the video). I had not known that the Saudis were under the thumb of "the Juice." Had me fooled.

Say What?

The Jerusalem Post today ran a story about why human rights groups don't investigate Hamas war crimes.

It makes it quite easy regarding Hamas. It is quite clear that they are attacking and targeting civilians. When someone straps a bomb on themselves or fire missiles at civilians, the details are less important. It is clearly a war crime without even looking at the details," [Sarit Micha'eli] said. "Even if they fired a Kassam missile as a military target, the fact that it is an inaccurate weapon, it would still count as an indiscriminate attack."

Now I have it. Since Hamas blatantly ignores international law and openly targets civilians, there's no need to investigate. Whereas the Israelis, whose policy is to do their best to avoid hitting civilians, need to be investigated.

Following this logic, the Israelis should take off the gloves and announce that Gaza is a free-fire zone and indiscriminately start bombing and shelling the place. That way they could avoid all these investigations.

I have to wonder, though, if Hamas's war crimes are so obvious, how come the international community isn't calling for trials for its leadership, whereas they are calling for trials of Israelis?

If these idiotarians had been around in 1945, and Adolf Hitler and Franklin Roosevelt had somehow survived the war, I suppose we would have seen FDR on trial while Hitler wandered Germany as a free man.

Pot Calls Kettle Black Alert

The Islamic Republic News Agency ran this story today.

Iran criticizes human rights violation in Canada

Tehran, Feb 5, IRNA – Iran criticized Canada for violating the rights of Muslims and other minorities as well as its recent support for Israeli crimes in Gaza Strip.

Iran made the move in the fourth summit to review human rights situation in the world which was held in UN European office in Geneva. The country’s representative in the meeting referred to the cases of human rights violations in Canada and criticized the country for its opposition to the recent resolution by Human Rights Council condemning the atrocities of the Zionist regime in Gaza.

While Canada claims to advocate human rights in the world, it supports the Israeli crimes against the civilian Gazans, he said. He called on Canada to fulfill its commitments regarding human rights without any political considerations. Referring to the problems facing Muslims and Canadians of African origin and the increasing trend of Islamophobia, he added that Muslim community in the country was under mounting pressure following September 11 attacks.

Several other countries participating in the summit objected to the country’s discriminating behavior towards the Muslims as well as its policy on the Zionist regime.

I suppose if this doesn't stop Canadian Muslims will start returning to their countries of origin where human rights are so strongly upheld. Do they stone women in Canada? Do they hang homosexuals? Do Canadian leaders talk openly of "wiping the Arabs off the face of the Earth"?

Sniper Victim in Iraq

This is an incredible story I found on "The Jawa Report v3.0" blog, which has on its banner a superb quote attributed to Thomas Mann that captures the essense of our time: "Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil."

U.S. Soldier Shot by Iraqi Sniper - watch more videos

Latest Iranian Demand

The Financial Times reports that Mojtaba Samareh-Hashemi, a close aid to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has stated that "dialogue with the US will succeed only if the Obama administration accepts Tehran’s right to have a nuclear programme."

So where's that leave our president? If he wishes to talk to the Iranians he has to apology for past US policies, release frozen Iranian assets, lift the sanctions regime, drop all support for Iranian dissident movements, and allow the Iranian nuclear program to progress. And then they will talk with President Obama.

About what? The weather? Maybe they could debate the Holocaust? They must be scratching their heads in the Whitehouse.

Larijani: Will not Meet with Americans in Munich

There's been much speculation that Iranian and American officials would sit down with each other at the forthcoming 45th Munich Security Conference. But Iranian sources have made it clear that Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani will not met with the American officials attending the conference.

It's beginning to look like much of the American '08 campaign debate about whether or not Obama should meet with the Iranians is becoming a moot point. They don't seem like they want to, unless he's willing ahead of time to apologize, release frozen assets, and drop all sanctions.

I wonder how many cheeks our new president has?

Iranians Slap Obama Again

One of the outreach programs that the Obama administration had hoped would symbolize a new beginning in American-Iranian relations was the planned trip of the American women's badminton team to an international tournament to be held in Iran starting this week. Just as Ping Pong symbolized the American opening to China back in the '70s, perhaps Badminton could have played a similar role with Iran.

Unfortunately, the Iranians have rejected the Visa applications for the team. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi told reporters: "The issuing of visa is a time-consuming procedure and this long period made it impossible for them to receive visas. Therefore they will not participate in the competition."

Maybe the Americans were slow getting their paperwork in; or maybe this is another Iranian message to Obama.

I wonder how the American women would have been expected to dress?

Hamas Steals UN Aid

Gulf News carried an AP story "Hamas seizes UN food aid, says UN spokesman." [Excerpt, bolding mine]

Hamas police in Gaza broke into a warehouse full of United Nations humanitarian supplies and seized thousands of blankets and food packages, a UN spokesman said Wednesday, a rare public clash between the international agency that feeds much of the territory and the militant group that rules it. . . .

Hamas policemen stormed into an aid warehouse in Gaza City on Tuesday evening and confiscated 3,500 blankets and over 400 food parcels ready for distribution to 500 families, said United Nations Relief and Works Agency spokesman Christopher Gunness.

"They were armed, they seized this, they took it by force," Gunness said, terming the incident "absolutely unacceptable."

UN officials said the aid was kept in a local storage facility because the organization's regular warehouses were full. The UN, human rights groups and Palestinians have often complained that a blockade by Israel and Egypt has left Gaza critically short of vital supplies.

Who Let the Dogs Out Alert

Let them go! Let them go! The long and the short and the f---ing jihadists.

The New York Times reports that "Eleven Saudis who were released from Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and then passed through a Saudi rehabilitation program for former jihadists are now believed to have fled the country and joined terrorist groups abroad, Saudi officials said Tuesday."

Can you believe that? The report goes on to acknowledge:

The announcement further underscored the difficulties faced by the Obama administration as it prepares to close the Guantánamo detention center. All told, 14 Saudis now appear to have rejoined terrorist groups after their return from Guantánamo, including the 11 living abroad and 3 who were rearrested in Saudi Arabia after their return.

You don't say. I suppose it's a "green" thing. We recycle the jihadists.

"Jewbama"

The Queens-New York-based Islamic Thinkers Society is a group purportedly committed to peaceful Dawa (prostelyzation. They offer an "intellectual" invitation to Islam. Their "about us" webpage proclaims:


Bismillah ir Rahman ir RahimInnal-Hamdalillah was-Salaatu was-Salaam `alaa RasoolillahAs-Salaamu alaikum wa-Rahmatullahi wa-Barakatuhu

Welcome to the Islamic Thinkers Society web site.

We are less than a handfull of Muslims from Ahlus Sunnah wal jama'ah who give public da'wah to society, where we invite the society to Islam(Aqeedah+Shahriah), command the good, forbid the evil and expose falsehood from every angle. Our struggle is always intellectual & political non-violent means.To find out more about our activities and about our views, we highly recommend you visit the "About Us" page first.

Thoughtful? I guess it depends on how you define "thought." Is this thoughtful?

"Beware of Jewbama" is the title of the piece. Note the picture in the bottom-right corner: "Obama & Vermin." Where have we seen this before?

I can imagine the kind of Americans who come to Islam through this type of Dawa.

And remember: this group is not operating from Peshawar, Tehran, or Jenin. No, they're right here in "The Big Apple."

More Zionist War Crimes Detailed!!!

The Ma'an News Agency, which operates from the West Bank, released a list of 181 Gazans who were killed or maimed as a result of the Zionist assault on Gaza.

Sorry! I hold on. I goofed. The 181 Gazans were killed or maimed by Hamas. Fatah had 11 members executed by Hamas gunmen. A total of 58 Fatah men were shot in the hands or feet or both. Another 112 had their legs broken.

Can you imagine the outrage if the IDF had purposefully maimed 170 Gazans?

The Undersecretary of the caretaker government’s Ministry of Prisoners Affairs Ziyad Abu Ein spoke out against the rights violations and accused Hamas of “terrorism,” and said they were preventing media outlets in Gaza report on their crimes. “Our people badly need a free press capable of protecting the truth,” he said, noting that the truth was all that could counter the “terrorist procedures against patriotic Palestinians.”

Abu Ein also published a list of names and neighborhoods of those in Gaza who were killed, maimed, beaten or tortured during the Israeli war on Gaza. He encouraged aid organizations inside Gaza to check the list and contact those who have given testimony and prove the truth of the list of 181 names. Abu Ein also called on the Arab League to send a fact-finding mission to Gaza and uncover the reality behind the shocking information.

I'm certain that the Western media will follow up on these leads with the same doggedness that they pursue accusations of crimes by the Israelis. After all, Fatah has already provided the names, fates, and neighborhoods of those killed or maimed. Keep your eye out for the follow up stories on this one. And if you actually see one, please forward it to me. Maybe I'm too cynical.

Canard #1: It's All about Oil

This is the first in a series of post that address various canards--false, unfounded, and misleading arguments or stories--that obfuscate the realities of American policy toward the Middle East. We hear them all the time.

#1 It's All about Oil

We have all heard the cry: “It’s all about oil!” It is a legitimate point to make in 2009 that United States policy in the Middle East is heavily influenced by issues related to petroleum supplies, but that is far too simplistic. History offers the most obvious retort. The West, and even the United States, was involved in the affairs of the Middle East long before the age of petroleum. It's not as if Vasco de Gama rounded the horn of Africa in 1497 in search of oil.

Even the United States, a relative newcomer to the Middle East, has been involved in the region since the late eighteenth century. We signed our first treaty with a Muslim state—Morocco—in 1784. No oil was involved. Algerine depredations in 1793 led the new Federal Congress to re-establish a U. S. Navy and Marine Corps in March 1794. No oil was involved. We signed a treaty with Algiers in 1796; the treaty marked the beginning of the American arms trade with the Middle East and served as our first, but far from last, “arms for hostages agreement.” No oil was involved. We fought a war with Tripoli (Libya) between 1801 and 1805. The American fleet blockaded and bombarded Tripoli (not for the last time). No oil was involved.

Even in the twenty-first century only a fool would argue that “It’s all about oil.” After all, if it was, the United States certainly would have sold out Israel decades ago.

Iranians Make New Demands of Obama

The Tehran Times reports that Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has upped the ante for President Obama. Iranian officials had earlier demanded an apology and evidence of "new thinking" before beginning official talks with the United States. On Monday Larijani expanded on and detailed what else needs to be done. "What is important," Larijani stressed, "is that Iran’s rights have been ignored and some measures have been taken (against Iran) since the revolution, including the freezing of Iranian assets, and our diplomats are also being held hostage in Iraq. The U.S. needs to untangle these knots so that it becomes clear that new thinking on peace and security has arisen in the country.”

The reports also notes:

Larijani made the remarks after the new administration of President Barack Obama has officially announced that it is ready to negotiate with Iran on matters where Tehran and Washington differ. Analysts have also said that the Munich security conference, which begins on February 6, may serve as a catalyst for a direct encounter between Iranian and U.S. officials. Larijani is one of the Iranian officials who have been invited to the Munich security conference. “I have been officially invited to the Munich conference,” Larijani said. He said his speech at the 45th Munich Conference on Security Policy will center on crises in the Middle East and Afghanistan, energy, European security, and disarmament. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will represent the United States at the annual security conference. White House National Security Adviser James L. Jones is slated to join Biden at the meeting.

Allah Sent Hitler to Put the Jews in Their Place

Another teaching moment! Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi--one of those many "clerics" of the "religion of peace." I cannot imagine why the Brits tossed this guy out of the country? If the embededd video doesn't work, you can find the video here.



You can find the transcripts here. My bolding.

January 30, 2009: Hitler "Put The Jews In Their Place"

"Throughout history, Allah has imposed upon the [Jews] people who would punish them for their corruption. The last punishment was carried out by Hitler. By means of all the things he did to them – even though they exaggerated this issue – he managed to put them in their place. "This was divine punishment for them. Allah willing, the next time will be at the hand of the believers." [...]

January 28, 2009: I Will Die As A Martyr Shooting Jews Al-Qaradhawi

"To conclude my speech, I’d like to say that the only thing I hope for is that as my life approaches its end, Allah will give me an opportunity to go to the land of Jihad and resistance, even if in a wheelchair.

"I will shoot Allah’s enemies, the Jews, and they will throw a bomb at me, and thus, I will seal my life with martyrdom. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. Allah’s mercy and blessings upon you."

Why doesn't the sheikh simply make his way to the Lebanese-Israeli border with a few grenades and an AK? I'm certain the Israelis would be happy to speed the bozo on his way to Paradise. Somebody please send this "holy man" a map.

Tariq Almohayed: Hamas on Political Suicide Mission

Well worth reading.

[Excerpt]

Some might ask; what about Hamas? Unfortunately the Muslim brotherhood-affiliated movement has consented to becoming an implement in the destruction of the Palestinian cause, and the sacrificing of Palestinian blood and the long history of armed and political struggle which led our region into long wars and which Hamas [now] wants to simply erase. Hamas has become involved in the Iranian- Syrian- Qatari axis as just a small wheel propping up a large base, allowing quick and easy movement, but not towards a solution that will result in a Palestinian state, rather in a return to decades of conflict in order to return the Palestinian cause back to square one.

What will happen is that the West Bank will fall under the jurisdiction of Jordan, or Gaza will declare itself an Islamic governorate, or fall under the administration of Egypt and destabilize it [Egypt]. This is something we have seen increasing over the past three weeks, although it [the destabilization of Egypt] began when Hamas executed a coup on the Gaza Strip.

Khalid Mishal's announcement of his intention to form a new Palestinian authority can only be described as a suicide attack aimed at our history, and at our future. We are the sons of the region, and that is what should be noted.

Qaddafi Calls for Single-State Solution in NYT

He calls it "Isratine!" Why can't we all just be friends, sit around the fire, and sing Kumbaya?

This is actually an old idea from the late 1960s and early 1970s that made some sense when the Arab side was at least nominally secular, namely Palestinian Muslims and Christians. Lebanon--where Christians, Sunni Muslims, and Shia Muslims lived in brotherhood and peace--was usually offered as the model for a multi-sectarian state.

But then reality intervened in the form of the Lebanese Civil War. No one in his or her right mind would today offer Lebanon as a model for a Palestinian solution.

To further complicate matters, the "secular" Palestinian movement is increasingly dominated by Islamists who wish to live under Shari'a. Fatah's loss of Gaza to Hamas is a perfect example of such a development. I suppose Hamas would allow the Jewish population to remain in Palestine, as long as Muslims ruled and the Jews were willing to live as Dhimmis. But that's not what the Israelis have in mind.

Round 2?

Hamas, having so recently "won" its war with Israel, apparently is eager to have at it again. And why not? The more Palestinians who die the bigger the "victory" in the minds of much of the Hamazis and much of the international community.

According to Hamas's Iranian controllers, most recently "Supreme Leader" Ayatollah Khamenei, both Israel and the United States are "experiencing weakness and gradual annihilation worldwide." According to an IRNA report: "Signs of promised victories by Almighty God have been revealed more than before, said the Supreme Leader."

One more push! Just one more and maybe....

These bozos have no clue what "maybe" is. I do. And it's not what they suspect. but they are right: it is only a matter of time.

"Eat Me"

A new spin to an old concept.

"A Gift to You from Obama before He Takes Office"

Here's the audio of al Qaeda #2 Ayman al-Zawahiri's take on Gaza.

Iran and Syria behind Hamas Move?

The Jerusalem Post reports that the PLO leadership is accusing Syria and Iran of working with Hamas to undermine and replace the leadership of the PLO. (See this post yesterday.) I doubt that Hamas would take such a step on its own.

The Palestinian Authority on Thursday accused Iran and Syria of encouraging Hamas and other radical groups to establish a new leadership that would challenge the PLO's claim to be the "sole and legitimate" representative of the Palestinians.

The Hamas effort so far includes "all the Damascus-based Palestinian groups, including Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command headed by Ahmed Jibril." West Bank based PA officials termed the effort "the most serious challenge to the PLO since its founding."

Ahmed Abdel Rahman, a senior Fatah official closely associated with Abbas, accused the Iranians and Syrians of meddling in Palestinian affairs. "This is cheap meddling in our affairs," he said. "They are inciting some sick people like Khaled Mashaal to reject national reconciliation and to go ahead with their plans to form an alternative leadership. But these attempts are doomed to failure."

"They are seeking to take advantage of the increased sympathy for Hamas on the Arab street following the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip," the official said. "We see this as a declaration of war on the legitimate representatives of the Palestinians."

Senior Fatah official Hussein a-Sheikh stated: "This is an Iranian-Syrian plot against the PLO," he said. "We will do our utmost to thwart it."

Another senior Fatah official, Ziad Abu Ein, said Damascus and Teheran were seeking to "destroy" the Palestinian cause and to solidify divisions among the Palestinians.

The PA believes that Qatar is also behind the call to establish a new Palestinian leadership. A PA official said the Qatari-owned Al-Jazeera network had long served as a platform for Mashaal and Hamas. He also claimed that the station had been "inciting" against Fatah and Mahmoud Abbas by depicting them as traitors.

If this move succeeds, Israel will have no one to negotiate with, unless Hamas suddenly changes its policies. And if the Palestinians choose electorally to turn to Hamas, or a Hamas-like coalition of groups for representation, they'll be in for a rough time. Nor would this be good news for the Obama administration.

Covering World War II: Twenty-first Century Style II

(AP) Polish fighter-bombers today pounded refugee camps in the German town of Guben, after militants fired rockets across the border into the Polish town of Gubin, killing one Polish woman and wounding three children. The Polish government called the air strikes, conducted by American-built F-16s, acts of “self-defense” following years of rocket fire from within the Guben refugee camps across the border by militants of the Deutchen der Widerstand die Bewegung, more commonly known as Heimat. A spokesperson for Heimat claimed that the Polish strikes killed nine women and children. A SPRP (Polish Air Force) acknowledged that the strikes may have hit civilians, but were targeted at known Heimat weapon storage sites and had killed at least five Heimat militants.

“These were acts of barbarity and genocide,” Hans Hitlerson announced. “The Poles are occupying our territory,” Dieter Himmlerson declared. “We have the right to resist!”

“It’s a holocaust for the people in the Guben refugee camps,” one UNRWA spokesperson lamented. Since 1945 the UNRWA has run the Guben refugee camp, and scores of other camps along the border filled with refugees who fled the advancing Russian army. “The UN has looked after these poor refugees, and their descendants, for more than a half-century,” John Scott, head of the UNRWA organization in eastern Germany, informed this reporter.

Professor William Muller, who teaches German history at San Francisco State University, organized a march through the streets of that city in support of the Germans in the Guben camps and Heimat. “Guben was once a beautiful German town,” he informed the crowd gathered in support. “All Germans demand the right to return—to Guben, Danzig, Konigsberg, and thousands of other towns and cities lost to the Polish Entity during the Katastrophe. we are witnessing genocide and a new holocaust!" As Muller spoke, several protesters yelled “Death to Pollocks!”

Muller, who last year was tired but not convicted of funneling money to Heimat, an internationally recognized terrorist group, continued his speech:

After the war the Communists conducted a vicious ethnic cleansing campaign. Twelve million Germans were made refugees by the advance of the Red Army. Two million Germans died during this Katastrophe. Our women were gang raped. Our elders and little children were slaughtered like animals. The ten million survivors to this day live in desperate conditions in refugee camps. The Russians, British, and Americans redrew the borders. Land that had been German for centuries was now suddenly “Polish.” They drew the border right through Guden, leaving the other and Polish half of the town called Gudin. My parents were from Guden. I can go there and look across the border and see our family home, flying a Polish flag from its roof. Heimat will never accept that these historic German lands are now Polish. We refuse to recognize the existence of the Polish Entity. We have a right to resist this occupation, despite what the United States and the United Nations says.

“Pollocks are Untermenschen!” the crowd roared.

In a post-march interview, reporters asked Muller why over a half-century after the war Germans are still living in refugee camps. “Why haven’t they been absorbed into the rest of the German population?” I asked. “Germany lost the war; the UN redrew the borders; why haven’t these people been resettled? Aren’t you keeping them in these horrid camps for political purposes? Germany is a rich country. Surely these people could have been resettled. And don’t the Poles have a right to defend themselves from the Heimat rocket attacks?” another reporter inquired.

Muller slammed his fist onto the table. “The Polish-controlled American media is always trying to turn the oppressors into the victims.”

“Do you really think that the Poles control the American media?” I asked.

“Look at your new president, Obama. Where’s he from? Chicago—a city with one of the largest Polish populations in the world. We might as well call him Obamski! He’s a pawn of the Poles.”

“What about resettlement?” I asked.

“The refugees in these camps came from East and West Prussia, Silesia, and the Sudetenland. They don’t wish to live in Thuringia, Hesse, or the Palatinate. They demand to live where their ancestors lived. On ground that is sacred and German. The German refugees demand the right to return to their homes. No one had the right to take their homes and give them to the Poles. The German people have a right to fight the oppressor.”

“Does that include shooting missiles blindly into Polish towns, hitting innocent people?” I inquired.

“If the international community and the Poles would lift their sanctions against us and allow us to buy more accurate missiles, we would be happy to target Polish military installations. But this is the best we can do with our homemade “Wolf” rockets. Moreover, who is innocent? Not the Poles who live in our homes. They are occupiers and oppressors.”

Earlier in the day the United Nations passed yet another resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. The United States vetoed a more strongly worded draft resolution that condemned the Poles for the air strikes.

UN General Secretary Ban ki-Moon called for a prompt end of “the cycle of violence.” A Polish government spokesperson released the official response to the UN resolution: “We will be happy to end the strikes when Heimat agrees to recognize our right of Poland to exist and stops firing the “Wolf” rockets.” Heimat declared its refusal to halt its “resistance” until “all former German lands are evacuated and returned to their rightful owners.”

This Must Drive the Islamists Nuts in Pakistan

It's a trailer for a Pakistani slasher film. Derivative? Maybe?

Hamas Seeks to Replace the PLO

According to a Islamic Republic News Bureau report Khaled Mashaal, Chief of the Hamas Political Bureau, speaking in Doha rejected calls for any ceasefire unless Israel opens all the Gaza border crossings. But the more important announcement by Mashaal was that Hamas was working with other Palestinian groups to create a new umbrella organization to supersede the PLO, which began as the self-appointed and later became the officially recognized representative of the Palestinian people. [Bolding mine]

During the ceremony [celebrating Hamas's Gaza "victory] political leader of Hamas also announced an unprecedented decision regarding establishment of a new national organization for Palestinian groups instead of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

"Palestinian groups are trying to establish a new organization which all Palestinians and groups active inside the Palestine or in the other countries could be its members," he said.

"In the current situation the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is not able to act as the Palestinians' representative," he said adding, "The organization has changed into an institute to sow discord among Palestinians."

Addressing George Mitchell, the new American special envoy to the Middle East, Mashaal reiterated that in the case of ignoring the important role Hamas plays in the region, all efforts would be doomed to failure.

"The Palestine national dialogue should be carried out on the basis of the resistance and national principals," he said adding that otherwise it would be an effort to implement foreigners' orders.

Good luck, George.

It will be very interesting to see what happens in the next round of Palestinian elections, if there are any.

Here's the video report from al Jazeera.

The Ummah's Best and Brightest

Next time someone tells you that people are driven to violent jihad by poverty and hopelessness, show them this al Qaeda video.

Obama: Tool of the "Juice"

According to Lebanese author Farid Salman. You can watch the MEMRI clip here (registration required). Bolding mine.

Farid Salman: Obama will not complete the plan of George Bush Senior. Obama was brought to power by the Jews. Let me tell you something. In my view, and I might be mistaken, the Jews brought Obama to power in order to take revenge... Before they establish the Semitic Middle East, they want to tear America to shreds, because they hate America. Obama will be the cause...

Interviewer: They want to rule...

Farid Salman: Of course. Obama will be the cause for internal strife in the U.S. In addition, they want to destroy the European Union, and thus, the Semitic Middle East will be established. It's the Jews, not the Zionists, that are doing this.

Who Let the Dogs Out Alert

Another released Guantanamo detainee has popped up in a video as an al Qaeda leader. Fox News reports that Saudi national Abu al-Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi, released from Guantanamo because he "insisted he had only wanted to help refugees and was not a fighter," has resurfaced as an Al Qaeda field commander "sporting a bandolier of bullets" and being hailed "as a veteran guerrilla and 'a fomenter of war.'"

Read the f---ing manual! They are taught to lie and accuse the US of torture. I'm not saying that no one has been tortured. But the fact that someone claims to have been tortured does not mean he has been. Nor does the fact that they claim to not have been fighters mean that they weren't.

Is the Concept of Hyperbole Unknown in the Arab World?

Moqavemat, a Hezbollah website, today carries this story: "Al-Ghoul: Israeli war on Gaza was the biggest holocaust in history."

Palestinian parliament member MP Mohammed Faraj Al-Ghoul, of Hamas Movement, has described the Israeli war on Gaza as the biggest holocaust in history, adding that his government would chase Israeli war criminals and file lawsuits against them.Ghoul's remarks were uttered as he received a Moroccan Parliamentary delegation visiting the PLC building that was flattened to ground in an Israeli air strike on it during the war on Gaza.

Come on! Does this guy have no concept of scale? Haven't they been beating the United States up for years for Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Was what happened in Gaza worse than that? What about firebombing Dresden? There's no need to ask, of course, about the Armenia Genocide of the Great War or the Jewish Genocide of the Second World War.

The bar for holocausts and genocide will soon be the death of a single Arab.

Harry Potter: "Cultural Crusader"

And speaking of wacko Iranian beliefs (see my earlier post today), have you ever read a Harry Potter book or bought one for a child? Have you ever seen a Harry Potter movie? If you answer yes to any of these questions you have been duped by the vast global Zionist media conspiracy, according to Iranian film experts and university professors.



Yes, all we need is to establish a dialogue with the leaders of Iran and all will be well. But how can you "respect" foreign leaders who come to the table convinced that there's a vast Zionist conspiracy afoot and that Harry Potter (and the Rotary Club) is part of it?

I could go on, but I have to take a call from my controller in Jerusalem.

Ceasefire Strained

First, members of some Gazan group detonated a bomb killing an IDF soldier, then the Israelis retaliated with air strikes against the tunnels, and now a rocket was fired into southern Israel from Gaza.

Ahmadinejad Gives Obama "Cold Shoulder"

President Obama has made a start at trying to "change" American Middle East policy. Admittedly, different people see that change differently. Some of the right see a weak Obama pandering to the "Arab Street." Some on the left think that Obama's policies are starting to look like "Bush III." The harshest foreign critics of Obama have been the al Qaeda leaders, the Iranian leadership, and assorted Islamists.

Iranian President Ahmadinejad today offered his reaction to Obama's interview on al-Arabbiya. Different agencies reported it very differently. The Reuters headline was: "Iran Tells US to Show Change in Policy Not Tactics." The Tehran Times announced: "Iran welcomes change in U.S. foreign policy: Ahmadinejad." The IRNA so far has nothing on the story, but does cover a response from a lower-level Iranian official. . The Fars News Agency carried the harshest headline: "Ahmadinejad: US Should Apologize to Iran to Show 'Change.'"

What, in fact, did Ahmadinejad actually say? (Bolding mine)


TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on the new US administration to extend an apology to Tehran if it really intends to put Obama's campaign slogan of "change" into practice.

"The people who want to make changes in the US should apologize to the Iranian nation and compensate for their crimes against the Iranians" Ahmadinejad said during his tour of the western Iranian province of Kermanshah on Wednesday. "We welcome change provided that it will be fundamental and in the correct direction, otherwise the world should know that if any one even with new words but with Mr. Bush's literature, spirit and aggressiveness wants to speak with Iranians, their response is the one they have stressed for years," he added.

Ahmadinejad further noted inauguration of the new US administration, and stressed, "The fact that a new administration with the slogan of 'change' has come to power and said that it wants to change US policies is good as Mr. Bush's policies were inhumane, immoral and alien to the prophets' teachings." "They say we want to make changes but change can occur in two forms: One form is basic change and the other form is tactical change and changing the words they use which is political warfare," the Iranian president said. Noting that change means not interfering in other countries affairs, he reiterated, "Mr. Bush humiliated the US nation, wiretapped their phone calls and did whatever he wanted (to do) without soliciting them." A real change, Ahmadinejad said, is a change in policies which means "removing pressure from the American people and allowing them to freely decide about their fate".

Didn't we just have an election? That last line may seem cryptic, but it's not. Can you guess whom Mahmoud Ahmadinejad believes is pressuring the American people and whose control needs to be ended? Hmmm? It can't be the Republicans or Neocons, because the Democrats control the House, Senate, and Presidency. Bush is home in Texas. The Congressional Black Caucus? NOW? Who could it be except--THE JEWS! After all, given all the other wacky theories Adhmadinejad holds, I'm sure he's convinced Rahm Emmanuel, Obama's chief-of-staff, is a Mossad agent. See it here!

One for the Books!!!! Puke Alert!

This is the most disgusting overtly anti-Semitic video I've yet to see coming out of the Islamic world. You have to register to see the clip. It's worth it, assuming you have a strong stomach. Bolding is mine.

This "cleric's" history and timeline is messed up; there are far too many errors to annotate. But he at least doesn't deny that there was a holocaust. Unfortunately, he looks to it as a model that Muslims should emulate!

Keep in mind that this guy is an Islamic "religious leader," who is being broadcast on Egyptian TV.

I'm beginning to see the power of anti-Semitism. It makes life so simple. You don't have to bother studying history, political science, economics, or anything else. If a problem arises you "Blame the Jews." "Death to the Jews!" It's all in the Qur'an.

January 26, 2009
Clip No. 1999

Egyptian Cleric Amin Al-Ansari Justifies the Holocaust, Airs Footage, and Declares: "This Is What We Hope Will Happen But, Allah Willing, at the Hand of the Muslims" WARNING: Extremely Disturbing Holocaust Footage
Following are excerpts from a show featuring Egyptian cleric Amin Al-Ansari, which aired on Al-Rahma TV on January 26, 2009.

Warning: The show contains extremely disturbing Holocaust footage.

Amin Al-Ansari: Let us examine the civil strife the Jews have caused throughout the world. Of course, we know what problems they caused the Muslims. They have always been like that, but in modern times, they only turned to the Muslims [relatively] late. They went around the world – to the East and West – because they love money, and the West was full of money – in England, France, Germany, and of course, in America, which was still a new country. This was 200 years ago. They focused on these places, and this is why they have spread in America and control the money. They immigrate to any place where there was money.

The Jews spread corruption in the land during World Wars I and II. Let me tell you a very short story, so that you understand their way of thinking. The Jews do not know how to climb from the bottom up. They do not want to meet poor people, and then climb up, in order to reach the rulers of any country. Instead, they go straight to the rulers.

In the 19th century, there was a man called Herzl, who was a scientist and had nothing to do with politics. [I don't know what he's talking about.] What did this Theodor Herzl do? He used explosives to invent a weapon. He could have invented anything else – something that would benefit the world – but no, he had to invent explosives, bombs, and missiles. Annihilation underlies their ideology. This Theodor Herzl looked for the most powerful country in the world back then. It was England, which was occupying India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, and so on. So he became close to the British prime minister, and said to him: I’ve invented something that could benefit you in your colonialist wars. [At the time of his death in 1904 Herzl was pushing for a Jewish homeland in Uganda, not Palestine.]

Balfour promised them [in fact, he did not] a state for the Jews in the land of Palestine. So the Jews began channeling all their loyalty and support to England. They began traveling all over the world in support of England. What did they do? They waged World War I, and tried to crush all the forces that were fighting England, such as Germany and other countries. They spread corruption in the land – in Czechoslovakia, in Germany, and in the republics of the USSR [Czechoslovakia and the USSR did not exist during World War I].

The corruption spread by the Jews was very great. Very great. It got to the point that the rulers themselves had no solution but to annihilate them. This was said even by the rulers of America themselves. You see that America supports Israel, but this is partly because it hates and fears Israel, since the [Jews] are corruptors. Most of the U.S. rulers said to the American people: We’d better give them a place of their own, and keep them and their evil at bay from our European countries. They wanted to places them in a country of their own, far from anything to do with the European peoples.

In a nutshell, the holocausts of the Jews in Germany were because of their own deeds. They were killing Germans, kindling civil strife, inciting the people against their rulers, and corrupting the peoples. “Every time they kindle the fire of war, Allah extinguishes it.” Let me show you what corruption they caused, and what damage they inflicted upon all the countries of the world – upon peoples and governments alike. Let’s watch the holocaust that the Jews underwent, which were Allah’s way of wreaking vengeance upon them. Let’s watch what the German people, or the German army, did to them. This is, of course, a part of the corruption of Germany by the Jews.

Amin Al-Ansari gives running commentary against the backdrop of Holocaust footage

This is the Germany army. It is clear. These are children in the German army. Consecutive wars, which lasted many years, annihilated the people, so the Germans began using children as soldiers.

Look, this is Berlin. The German cities were bombed from all directions, because of the Jews, who were destroying countries... Observe the great similarity between Gaza and the German streets back then, even though Germany is a very large country.

These people like to spread corruption, and when they can’t, they look for those who can, and encourage them to do it. Back in those days, it was England that they encouraged to spread corruption. This is Germany, and this is the destruction it suffered in 1945.

Observe these cities, and think about what exactly is happening. These are the armies that Israel encouraged to corrupt and destroy the German army and country. See the rubble and the dead people on the ground. The world was dying – country and civilization was being annihilated. This is what the Jews did. The Germans were, of course, strong. When they realized that the Jews were behind all this, they took revenge on them. They were not weak, as the Muslims are today. They had something different in mind. Let’s watch what Germany did to Israel – or rather, to the Jews – so we can understand that there is no remedy for these people, other than imposing fear and terror on them.

There is one language that the Jews understand – the language of force. If you are stronger than them, they are afraid of you. That is why Allah said: “They fear you in their hearts more than Allah.” Allah said: “Prepare for them whatever force and steeds of war you can, to strike terror in the hearts of Allah’s enemies and your enemies.” The Jews is afraid of you more than he is afraid of God. When the Germans revealed the treachery and the war of the Jews against them, and the fact that they were spreading corruption in their country – let us watch how oppressors are killed by the people they oppressed.

What we have here are German graves, but let’s watch what the Germans do to the Jews. These are corpses of dead humans and the shattered bones of Jews. Here we have a crematorium, in which the Jews were burnt. These are Jews who are being prepared to be burnt. Look, these are Jews dying of hunger or by gas. Look how they round them up and put them on trucks. Note the humiliation on his face, Allah be praised. “Abasement and humiliation were brought down upon them, and they became deserving of Allah’s wrath.”

Look what starvation [the Germans] inflicted upon them. Look what humiliation. These are people being buried alive. Does this look like a human being? He is placed in a ditch to be buried alive. This is a pile of bodies. Ibn Mas’oud was right... Look, this is a barbed wire, used to crush their bodies. He and five others will be hanged with a single chain. Concentrate on this, my brothers. Watch this. Look, they are tying five heads together. These are bodies. Here they are drilling a hole in his back with a nail. This child awaits his turn. Watch their humiliation. These are corpses, Allah be praised. The [Jews] are oppressors. They are being deported. Ibn Mas’oud was right when he said: “All the oppressors are killed by those they oppress.”

These are bodies, these are dead people, these are skulls. These are the bodies of the Jews being loaded like animals. Watch this tractor clearing away the corpses of the Jews, and these are the refugees awaiting their turn to be killed. A German soldier will come now, and you will see a Jewish woman kissing his hand. Notice what humiliation, fear, and terror have struck her. See how much she is kissing his hand. Watch her humiliation. This is what we hope will happen, but, Allah willing, at the hand of the Muslims.

These are the bodies of the Jews. These are oppressors. Not so long before, they were fighting these soldiers [actually, the soldiers in the video in this section are Americans who had liberated the camp], who are now standing and looking at their corpses.

Watch, my brothers. This is the German army. These are the tractors clearing away the bodies of the Jews, in order to put them in collective pits. These are the images that the Jews are now exploiting in order to make people feel sorry for them.

These holocausts and all that are a thing of the past. But they are renewing it again and again, and have even turned it into a holiday, which will be marked in a few days. They call it the Holocaust Holiday, in which they rekindle what happened to them, for the whole world to see, so that people will feel sorry for them.

They got the whole world on its feet over these holocausts, so that they can continue to extort people politically and financially forever. They like money.

[Amin al-Ansari concludes with an anti-Jewish joke]

Obama's al-Arabiya Interview

Here's President Obama's interview with al-Arabiya TV.

More Arrests in Turkey

The International Herald Tribune reports that nine security officers have been arrested in turkey on suspicion of plotting a coup against the government.

Sun Revolves around Flat Earth

Forget evidence to the contrary. Read the Qur'an!

While we wrestle with evolution and creationism, Islamic Science still wrestles with the heliocentric/geocentric debate.

I can't embed this one so you have to go to the You Tube link below.

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F5kYWceTsI

Iran Seeking Ties with Zimbabwe?

Why not? Who else would offer anything to Mugabe? We're not talking about an "Axis of Evil;" we're talking about a new "Axis of Bottom Feeders!" The IRNA reports:

According to report by the Public Relations Department of Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, documentary film ‘Today Iran’ will be aired in the English language in 20 episodes each lasting 20 minutes in cooperation with Iran’s Cultural Office in Herare. The series will portray Iran’s achievements in scientific, industrial and agricultural fields.

Paks Admit Swat Lost

The Daily Times of Pakistan reports that officials admit that they've lost control of the Swat district along the north west frontier [soon to be renamed Afghania] to the Taliban.

The NWFP [Northwest Frontier Province] government has lost its writ in the volatile Swat valley, the ruling ANP [secular Awami National Party] admitted in the Senate on Monday. ANP senators Haji Adeel and Ilyas Bilour said the insurgency was spilling over to the rest of the country and would “reach Islamabad sooner than Lahore”. Bilour said Taliban had demolished more than 300 schools in the region once considered liberal. Senator Razina Alam said more than 80,000 children could not go to school and 8,000 teachers had lost their jobs. Jamat-e-Islami Senator Prof Muhammad Ibrahim criticised the military saying it too had lost its writ in Swat. “How can Taliban demolish schools and behead civilians during curfew?” he asked.

US Tilting toward India?

There were two interesting stories today in the Times of India.

The first involved statements by Vice President Joe Biden that when the Obama administration possesses "actionable intelligence" it will attack al Qaeda targets in Pakistan. The story also confirmed that the Obama administration has decided to continue the Bush policy of allowing US forces in Afghanistan to attack relevant targets in Pakistan.

The second reported the message sent to India on Republic Day from President Obama. According to the report Obama's message noted:

As Indian people celebrate Republic Day, they should know that they have no better friend and partner than the people of the United States," Obama said. Obama, who calls India a natural ally of the US and seeks inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, in a message said: "It is our shared values that form the bedrock of a robust relationship across people and governments. Those values and ideals provide the strength that enables us to meet any challenge, particularly from those who use violence to try to undermine our free and open societies."

Taken together, these two reports should add additional pressures on Pakistan to address the charges of the Pakistani origins for the Mumbai attack.

But there's a possible added benefit. If the Obama administration is serious about putting pressures on Iran, it will need Indian help. While Iran produces and exports crude petroleum, it is an importer of refined product and much of that comes from India. Indian companies are also involved in expanding Iranian refinery capacity. If India joined a full fledged international sanctions regime against Iran, the pressure on Tehran would be far more serious than what it's been facing during the Bush years.

Iranian MP Demands Preconditions for US Talks

Fars News Agency reports today that Majlis member Falahat Pisheh has urged that Iran demand the end of US sanctions before beginning talks between the two countries.

Referring to the new US President Barack Obama's statement about Iran in which he repeated the preconditions of Bush's government for talking with Iran, he said, "If the new US president seeks to pursue outdated US policies in dealing with Iran, it will not bear any results."

I think it's becoming apparent that that there are many people in the Middle East who have decided that instead of taking advantage of Obama's election to work out some new dynamic, that they prefer to simply try to take advantage of Obama. While I'm not surprised, it remains nonetheless a shame.

Hamas Complicates Reconciliation

The Jerusalem Post reports today that Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan has announced that Fatah must end peace talks and cooperation with Israel before Hamas will resume reconciliation talks with Fatah. In short, the only way for Palestinian political reconciliation is for Fatah to renounce those political agreements with Israel that data back to Oslo and to adopt the position of Hamas--namely the goal of the total elimination of the Jewish state. (Bolding mine)

Speaking at a rally in Beirut Sunday, Hamdan said Hamas welcomed Palestinian dialogue, but any reconciliation should be based on "a resistance program to liberate territory and regain rights."

"We say clearly that we welcome a national Palestinian dialogue but this dialogue must include those who really belong to Palestine and to the Palestinian cause," he said.

He maintained that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process had ended.

Hamas is clearly playing the "claim that you won and act like you did" game while hoping the dupes in the Arab world and the West believe you. And, to be sure, there are the Chomskys of the world who will call for the Israelis to lift the siege of Gaza, hand over billions of foreign reconstruction dollars to Hamas (none of which, I'm certain, will find their way into weapons purchases), and do everything possible so the "militants" can import longer range missiles so that the next time they can rocket Tel Aviv.

Well, if the peace process has ended, at least the Israelis don't have to worry about derailing it down the road.