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Friday, August 31, 2007

Justice for Muslims Not Christians in Indonesia

By Lucille Talusan

Courtesy of CWN News
August 31, 2007

CBN News 

CWN.com - CENTRAL SULAWESi, Indonesia - Religious violence has devastated the Indonesian territory of Central Sulawesi for more than a decade.

Christians and Muslims have attacked each other's communities, and sometimes killed each other.

But critics say Muslims who are tried for such crimes are given lesser sentences than Christians.

CWN's Asia correspondent, Lucille Talusan, looked into this seeming injustice.

Days before the sentencing of their brother, Edwin, Sustin and Neki Poima expressed great concern over his fate.

Edwin is one of 17 Christians arrested for the murder of two Muslims last September.

They allegedly took revenge for the deaths of three Catholics whom they believe were unjustly executed for murdering Muslims.

"We ask the government to make the sentence light," said Edwin's sister, Neki Poima. "Our parents are already old and they need Edwin to help our father on the farm."

Sustin and Neki feared the worst: that their brother- like the three Catholics before him - would also be executed for his crime.

That's because many Christians believe Indonesia's justice system favors Muslims over Christians.

Muslims, they say, receive lighter sentences than Christians when they commit similar or more serious offenses.

One example of this biased treatment can be seen when looking further into the incident with the Catholics.

The three Catholics - Tibo, Riwu and Da Silva - whose roles in the 2000 Muslim massacre were never proven, received the death sentence.

The Muslim extremists who beheaded three Christian schoolgirls were only given jail terms of twenty years. The court said they were spared execution because they confessed to the crime and expressed remorse.

Another high-profile case shows the same preferential treatment.

Christians say Rinaldy Damanik, a pastor who promotes peace between warring Christians and Muslims, also experienced injustice at the hands of the courts.

He was sentenced to three years imprisonment in 2003 for a crime they say he did not commit. Damanik was convicted of illegally possessing ammunition.

In contrast, Muslim leader Jafar Umar Thalib was never indicted for his alleged crime.

He admitted having initiated the jihad in Maluku, where 5,000 Christians were killed in the year 2000.

In an exclusive interview with CBN News, the Islamic leader said he escaped imprisonment because he hadn't broken any law.

"At that time, many Muslims were being killed by the separatist movement Republic of South Moluccas which was dominated by Christians," Thalib told CBN. "I mobilized jihad against the RMS and not against Christians. The government was not doing anything, and so in Indonesian law, it was self-defense.

Rev. Rinaldy Damanik shared a drastically different view of the situation.

"It is really, really unfair. Jafar Thalib led jihad in Maluku, killing 5,000 people, and he never went to court," Damanik said. "While me, I was sentenced for three years because they say I brought ammunition. Even if that was true, I don't think it is fair for me to get three years in prison."

Thalib disagrees with the notion that Muslims receive more favorable treatment than Christians in Indonesia's justice system.

"In reality, Muslims feel they are oppressed in our justice system," Thalib expressed. "This is why it is easy for them to fall to Jemaah Islamiyah and believe in their ideology, but unfortunately, they are misled."

But this summer, Muslim convicts received reduced sentences to mark Indonesia's independence day.

Sentence reductions by up to five months were granted to 10 Islamic militants involved in the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings.

Families of the more than 200 victims wondered why the terrorists' sentences were cut when they had only been given 8 to 18 years in the first place.

As for Sustin and Neki, they were overjoyed when they recently learned that their brother Edwin was spared from the death penalty. A court sentenced him to 14 years in prison instead.

God responded to their prayers.

Now they say they want their brother to respond to God.

"We hope that through this case, our brother and all 17 of them will know God more," Sustin and Neki shared. "We hope they will repent and ask forgiveness from God."

With Edwin and companions getting a fairly favorable decision from the court, Indonesians, both Christians and Muslims, are hoping to see a more balanced and credible justice system in Indonesia in the coming days.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

A Fatwa Against Violence Issued by Senior Iraqi Sunni and Shia Clerics

As heard on Dennis Prager's radio show this morning, a Fatwa against violence was issued by top Iraqi Sunni and Shia clerics who met in Cairo on August 24th.  According to Robert C. McFarlane, who was in attendance, the clerics formally agreed to "end terrorist violence, and to disband militia activity in order to build a civilized country and work within the framework of law."

The participants of the historical conference included, Sheikh Ahmed al Kubaisi, the senior Sunni religious authority in Iraq.  McFarlane said that Sheikh Kubaisi included the Fatwa in his Friday sermons. 

I am looking on this  latest announcement wondering if it is really a breakthrough or more empty promises from the religion of peace.  Let us hope that Sheikh Kubaisi and the other Sunni and Shia clerics can have an impact on the violence in Iraq.

What make me concerned it that the lame stream media has not reported this potentially historical breakthrough.  If news does not cast Iraq (and President Bush) in a bad light, the lame steam media appears unwilling to report. 

The lame stream media should report all the news!  Even, if they (yellow dog journalists and their editors) do not like what it says.  Have a good day America. 

R/ Bosun

Source: Dennis Prager show

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Damascus airport called Al Qaeda hub

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Courtesy of World Tribune

Damascus airport called Al Qaeda hub

WASHINGTON — Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, has been recruiting support for legislation that would sanction Damascus International Airport.

Lieberman said the airport has become the major conduit for Al Qaeda fighters to Iraq as well as Iranian weapons shipments to Lebanon. He based his assertion on briefings from the U.S. military.

On Thursday, the Bush administration released an unclassified version of a national intelligence estimate that supported Lieberman's allegations against Syria. But the report said Damascus, despite its increase in support for militias in Iraq, has cracked down on Al Qaeda in wake of a determination that the Islamic movement threatens Syrian national security.

Lieberman said U.S. intelligence has determined that the lion's share of Sunni volunteers fly into Damascus International Airport and then proceed overland to Iraq. He said this makes Damascus the hub of Al Qaeda travel in the Middle East.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

250 Militants killed in Pakistan Fighting

Fighting in Pakistan Kills 250 Militants

A month of fierce fighting near the Afghan border has killed about 250 militants and 60 the army said Friday, hours after the deaths of six soldiers in a suicide attack and roadside bombing.

Pakistan, a key ally of the United States in fighting terrorism, has deployed about 90,000 troops in the border region to try to contain al-Qaida and Taliban militants and their local supporters, who often target security forces. President Gen. Pervez Musharraf is under growing pressure from Washington to crack down on militants in the area.

Violence has surged in the region since July, when militants scrapped a September 2006 peace deal after accusing the government of violating the agreement  For the rest of the story: Fighting in Pakistan Kills 250 Militants

Car Bomb outside Spanish Police Barracks; ETA claimed

Car bomb explodes outside Spanish police barracks

A car bomb exploded Friday outside a barracks of Spain's paramilitary Guardia Civil in the northern Basque town of Durango, lightly wounding two guardsmen, the country's road assistance...

Cadena Ser radio called the explosion the "first attack by ETA" since the armed Basque separatist group officially called off its 15-month ceasefire on June 5, although no Spanish media had reported an ETA claim to the bomb attack.

A second car exploded one hour later in a neighboring town without causing injuries, according Basque police, who speculated it may have been the vehicle used by the bombers to escape.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Will Hezbollah strike in the US of A

Back in 2006, I asked the question; Will Hezbollah strike in the US??

According to a Reuters report dated July 18th 2006, Iran’s Hezbollah party, which has claimed links to Hezbollah in Lebanese, promised that it stood ready to attack Israeli and U.S. interests worldwide.  At about the same time, also from Reuters, the FBI was busy trying to ferret out possible Hezbollah agents in the United States amid concerns that rising U.S.-Iranian tensions at the time might trigger attacks on American soil.

American law enforcement officials were concerned the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which has so far focused on fund-raising and other support activities inside the United States, could turn to violence in solidarity with Iran.

Much to my supprise, a name resurfaced about the same time in our news media but did not get much attention: Imad Fayez Mugniyah (one of the leaders of Hezbollah security organization).  The lame stream press has a very short memory and did not connect the name with the man. 

Mugniyah has been active on the terrorism circuit for over 20 years.

According to Laura Mansfield,  ( Laura Mansfield.com )

there appears to be striking similarities between Mugniyah’s brand of terrorism for the past 20 years and the practices of the present-day terrorists in Iraq.

Mugniyah allegedly has been tied to kidnappings and bombings throughout the world over the past two decades.  Please note that Mugniyah was also linked to terrorism in South America in 1992 and 1994. 

▪ April 18, 1983 bombing of the United States embassy in Beirut, which killed 63 people including 17 Americans

▪ October 23, 1983 simultaneous truck bombings against the French paratroopers and US Marine killing 58 French soldiers and 241 Marines.

▪ September 20, 1984, he attacked the US embassy annex building.

▪ Linked to the numerous kidnappings of Westerners in Beirut through the 1980s – some were killed, some by beheading, and a few were eventually released

▪ March 17, 1992 bombings of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires Argentina, which killed 29

▪ July 1994 bombing of the AMIA cultural building in in Buenos Aires Argentina, killing 86 people

▪ Orchestrated the 2000 abductions of three Israeli soldiers in the southern part of Lebanon

▪ Abduction of Israeli Colonel Elchanan Tenenbaum. Source: Laura Mansfield

In 2002, Jeffrey Goldberg, reporter-at-large for The New Yorker magazine did an interesting 2- part article, “IN THE PARTY OF GOD” that included Hezbollah operations in South America and the United States:

Here is an excerpt from Part 2 of Goldberg’s article:

“Roughly two hundred thousand people live in the Ciudad del Este region, including a substantial minority of Arab Muslims; in the Triple Frontier zone, there may be as many as thirty thousand. According to intelligence officials in the region and in Washington, this Muslim community has in its midst a hard core of terrorists, many of them associated with Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group backed by the Iranian government; some with Hamas, the Palestinian fundamentalist group; and some with Al Qaeda. It is, over all, a community under the influence of extreme Islamic beliefs; intelligence officials told me that some of the Triple Frontier Arabs held celebrations on September 11th of last year and also on the anniversary this year. These officials said that Hezbollah runs weekend training camps on farms cut out of the rain forest of the Triple Frontier. In at least one of these camps, in the remote jungle terrain near Foz do Iguaçu, young adults get weapons training and children are indoctrinated in Hezbollah ideology—a mixture of anti-American and anti-Jewish views inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini.

In the Triple Frontier, Hezbollah raises money from legitimate businesses but, more frequently, from illicit activities, ranging from drug smuggling to the pirating of compact disks. Unlike the other radical Islamic groups in the Triple Frontier, Hezbollah, it is said, has the capability to commit acts of terror.”

Part 2 of the series takes place in South America, not, the Middle East. It seems to me that the Atlantic Ocean offers little protection from the spread of terrorism as we witnessed first hand on September 11, 2001, in New York City.

We have been very lucky for the past six years.  However, the powder keg of the middle east and the hate of the Islamic Jihadi may have broader ramifications. Does Hezbollah have the ability to strike here?  Will it striker here?

Be ever vigilant.

China searches for missing uranium

Uranium pellets, a nuclear fuel product for atomic power plants, are seen in this August 11, 2006 file photo. Eight kg (17 lb) of radioactive uranium has gone missing in China, delaying the verdict in a trial of four men charged with attempting to sell it on the black market, state media said on Friday. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

China searches for 8 kg of "missing" uranium

Courtesy of Yahoo and Reuters - Fri Aug 24, 2007

BEIJING (Reuters) - Eight kg (17 lb) of radioactive uranium has gone missing in China, delaying the verdict in a trial of four men charged with attempting to sell it on the black market, state media said on Friday.

(D)espite having the four men in custody, police were unable to locate the uranium.

"The men claimed it had been lost because it had been moved around so much between potential buyers," the paper said.

Bosun's comments:  According to our left wing whackos, the ACLU, many left of center liberals, several senators, congressmen, and even some presidential wannabes there is no reason to monitor communications or other NSA counter terrorism initiatives. 

Wonder if there are any foreign nationals out there conversing on dirty bomb plans?

Visit the ACLU website to read about the initiatives and mind set of those who want to prevent NSA from doing their job.

From the ACLU website:

ACLU v. NSA: The Challenge to Illegal Spying
In the first federal challenge ever argued against the president's NSA spying program, the ACLU defeated the Bush administration in 2006, when a district court declared the program unconstitutional. In July 2007, the 6th Circuit overturned that decision. The appeals court refused to rule on the legality of the program, thereby denying Americans the chance to contest the warrantless surveillance of their telephone calls and e-mails. Read More >> ACLU vs NSA

Jordan Parliamentary Speaker: Iran's Intervention in Iraq is Historical

Special Dispatch-Iran/Jordan/Iraq
August 24, 2007
No. 1696

Jordanian Parliamentary Speaker: Iran's Intervention in Iraq - Product of Historical Conflict Between Arabs and Persians

To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: Jordanian Parliamentary Speaker: Iran's Intervention in Iraq – Product of Historical Conflict Between Arabs and Persians.

In a meeting with Kuwaiti journalists, Jordanian Parliamentary Speaker 'Abd Al-Hadi Al-Majali stated that Iran's intervention in Iraq has nothing to do with either religion or with the Sunni-Shi'ite conflict, but that it was nationalistically motivated and part of an historical conflict between the Arabs and the Persians.

This statement reflects a shift from Jordan's previous view of Iran's intervention in Iraq as part of the Sunni-Shi'ite conflict. In the past, Jordan's King Abdullah had warned of the danger posed by the "Shi'ite crescent,"(1) estimating that "the main problem would center around Iraq, where a terrible inter-Islamic conflict would erupt between the Sunnis and the Shi'ites."(2)

This new Jordanian approach is in line with the Saudi position. Although Saudi Arabia considers the Iran-Iraq confrontation to be a sectarian clash between the Sunnis and the Shi'ites, it has been careful not to refer to it as such publicly, phrasing its harsh criticism of Iran in nationalist, rather than sectarian/religious, terms. Thus, for example, earlier this year, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal called on Iran "not to interfere in Arab affairs."(3)

The following are excerpts from Al-Majali's statements, as published in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai.

"...[Iran is] harboring plans to significantly weaken the [Arab] identity. What is happening in Iraq [today] has nothing to do with either the Sunnis or the Shi'ites. Iran's intervention in Iraq is for nationalist reasons, and not in order to support the Shi'ites, as some claim. Hence I believe that Arab identity in Iraq is under threat.

"Iran's current actions are the product of a historical conflict between the Arabs and the Persians. This conflict was renewed with great force during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, whose grounds were nationalist, rather than religious. Indeed, during that war, Iran murdered hundreds of thousands of Shi'ites and their families, a fact that stresses the national, rather than sectarian, aspect of the conflict. Similarly, what is going on in Iraq today is unrelated to religion..."

According to Al-Majali, there is a need for a unified Arab Islamic framework to preserve the Arab identity. He also stressed that Iran's ability to eradicate the Arab identity should not be underestimated.

As for the Iran-Hizbullah relationship, Al-Majali contended that Hizbullah was the foremost stronghold of Iran and its policy in the region, and that Iran was the one supplying it with money and weapons. The motive for this, he said, is that Hizbullah is Iran's tool for attaining its interests, and not – as Iran and Nasrallah claim – for liberating Palestine.

Al-Majali went on to state that the conflict between Lebanon and Israel had come to an end, since Israel had conclusively and officially withdrawn from all Lebanese territories, in accordance with the international resolutions. As concerns the Shab'a Farms, he stated that Israel seized them not from Lebanon but from Syria... Al-Majali further stated that he did not believe that Hizbullah would relinquish its military character even if the Shab'a Farms were liberated.(4)

Endnotes:    
(1) http://ammannet.net, December 9, 2004.
(2) Middle East Quarterly (U.S.), Spring 2005.
(3) Le Figaro (France), January 24, 2007.
(4) Al-Rai (Kuwait), August 15, 2007.

*********************

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent, non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle East. Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as background information, are available on request.
MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may only be used with proper attribution.

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Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-Mail: memri@memri.org

Search previous MEMRI publications at www.memri.org

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Iraqi terrorists caught along Mexico border

Iraqi terrorists have been captured coming into the United States from Mexico, according to a top intelligence aide to President Bush.

National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell says there's a path through Mexico that terrorists follow into the U.S. "Are they doing it in great numbers?  No, because we're finding them and we're identifying them and we've got watch lists and we're keeping them at bay." But, he said, "There are numerous situations where people are alive today because we caught them (terrorists)."


Read the article at WND.com.  American intelligence chief confirms

CENTCOM Meets with Saudi King Abdullah


US CENTCOM chief meets Saudi king

Saudi King Abdullah met on Tuesday with the visiting head of the US Central Command, Admiral William Fallon, the official SPA news agency reported.

The United States recently announced it has put together an arms package worth at least 20 billion dollars over 10 years for Saudi Arabia, saying the sale is meant to defend the kingdom against Iran, which Washington believes is working to acquire nuclear weapons.

For the rest of the story, US CENTCOM chief meets Saudi king

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Manipulates the System


Iran Revolutionary Guard dodges sanctions: dissident

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard uses front companies to sidestep international sanctions and import banned materials into the country, exiled Iranian dissident Alireza Jafarzadeh said...

CIA Inquiry urges accountability for 9/11/2001


CIA inquiry urged holding Tenet, others to account for 9/11

A two-year-old CIA inquiry urged holding former CIA director George Tenet and other top agency officials to account for leadership failures before the September 11, 2001 attacks, a summary...

Courtesy of the CIA:

August 21, 2007 - Statement to Employees by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, General Michael V. Hayden on the Release of the 9/11 IG Report Executive Summary. Here is the unclassified report:  Executive Summary: OIG Report on CIA Accountability With Respect to the 9/11 Attacks [PDF Only 989KB*]

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Seattle FBI Seeking Public's Assistance Identifying Individuals

FBI | 1110 3rd Avenue | Seattle, WA 98101

For Immediate Release
August 20, 2007

Contact: FBI Seattle
(206) 622-0460

SEEKING PUBLIC’S ASSISTANCE IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS

The Seattle FBI and the Washington Joint Analytical Center (WAJAC) are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the two individuals pictured below. These men have been seen aboard Washington State Ferries on several occasions and have exhibited unusual behavior, which was reported by passengers. While this behavior may have been innocuous, the FBI and WAJAC would like to resolve these reports.
If you can identify these individuals, or know their whereabouts, please call: 206 622-0460

The Seattle FBI and the Washington Joint Analytical Center (WAJAC) are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the two individuals pictured below. These men have been seen aboard Washington State Ferries on several occasions and have exhibited unusual behavior, which was reported by passengers. While this behavior may have been innocuous, the FBI and WAJAC would like to resolve these reports.

Seattle FBI Home Page

Seattle FBI Press Releases

Privacy Policy When Visiting the Seattle FBI Website

DOD Media News 08/21/2007

Seal of the Department of Defense
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
Today In DOD

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or +1 (703) 428-0711 +1


Today in the Department of Defense, Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England have no public or media events on their schedules.

Air Force Lt. Col. Gordon Phillips, commander of the Nangahar Provincial Reconstruction Team, and Shawn Waddoups, the PRT's Department of State representative, will brief live from Afghanistan at 9 a.m. EDT, Aug 22, in the DoD Briefing Room, Pentagon 2E579, to provide an update on ongoing reconstruction and development operations in the Nangahar Province.  Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the North Parking Entrance only.  Plan to arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification.  Please call (703) 697-5131 for escort into the building.

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Monday, August 20, 2007

Afghan Police Rescue Female German Hostage

Courtesy of Breitbart.com

Afghan police rescue female German hostage

A female German aid worker abducted at gunpoint two days ago in Kabul was rescued by police early Monday, an officer involved in the operation and an official said.

Philippines clashes with al-Qaeda linked rebels

Courtesy of Breitbart.com

Philippines clashes kill 13 soldiers, dozens of extremists

Thirteen troops and dozens of Muslim extremists were killed Saturday in clashes between government forces and Al-Qaeda-linked rebels on the southern island of Basilan, the military said.  The Philippines military has been battling Abu Sayyaf and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MNLF) in areas of the south since the extremists broke a ceasefire they negotiated with Manila three years ago.  The extremists claim that the soldiers "intruded into MILF territory."   In July, 14 Marines were killed in an ambush. Ten of the Marines were beheaded.

France pledges support for the Iraqi

Courtesy of Breitbart.com

France ready to help stabilize Iraq: foreign minister

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday reiterated his country's readiness to help stabilize Iraq, during a flurry of talks with leaders of the country's bitterly divided communities.  Kouchner commented, "We want to be at the side of this large and important country at the birth of its democracy."

Thursday, August 16, 2007

NYPD Report: Radicalization of the West, Homegrown Terrorism

The controversy: Arab-American civil rights groups swiftly criticized a New York City Police Department report that warns of a potential threat of "radicalization" among young, legal, male immigrants from the Middle East who grow disillusioned with life in America.

The groups accused the NYPD of stereotyping and of contradicting recent federal warnings that the chief terror threat remains foreign.

The NYPD report released Wednesday concluded that homegrown terrorists in the making _ a mounting threat as grave as that from established terror groups like al-Qaeda _ were shown to have particular traits. Source: Newsday

Here is the link to the report: NYPD: Radicalization of the West. Homegrown Islamic Terrorism

Bos'un's observation regarding the matter. The criticism is Baloney. The truth hurts but must be addressed. The brothers and sisters who criticized the release of the report must become proactive in solutions to the problem.

The safety of America is in ALL of our hands, Muslim, Christian, atheists, conservative, liberal, socialists, Americans.

I mean EVERYONE.

Wake up America. You may find yourself in a Déjà Vu experience thinking you are in Tel Aviv.

Padilla Convicted

Courtesy of NewsMax.com

Padilla Convicted of Terrorism Support

NewsMax.com Wires
Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007

MIAMI -- Jose Padilla was convicted of federal terrorism support charges Thursday after being held for 3 1/2 years as an enemy combatant in a case that came to symbolize the Bush administration's zeal to stop homegrown terror.

Padilla, a U.S. citizen from Chicago, was once accused of being part of an al-Qaida plot to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" in the U.S., but those allegations were not part of his trial.

Padilla, 36, and his foreign-born co-defendants, Adham Amin Hassoun and Kifah Wael Jayyousi, were convicted by a jury of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim people overseas, which carries a penalty of life in prison. All three were also convicted of two terrorism material support counts, which carry potential 15-year sentences each.

U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke set a Dec. 5 sentencing date for all three defendants.

For the rest of the story: Padilla Convicted

Hezbollah brings Israel war to computer screen

Courtesy of Reuters

BEIRUT - Raid Israel to capture soldiers, battle tanks in the valleys of south Lebanon and launch Katyusha rockets at Israeli towns -- a new Hezbollah computer game puts players on the frontline of war with the Jewish state.  Full Article: Hezbollah brings Israel war to computer screen

Yazidis fear annihilation after Iraq bombings

Courtesy of Reuters

KAHTANIYA, Iraq  - Angry members of a minority sect said on Thursday they feared annihilation and pleaded for help, after suicide attackers killed scores in possibly the worst such bomb attack of the Iraq conflict.  Full Article: Yazidis fear annihilation after Iraq bombings

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Ahmadinejad: rule of islam the only way

 

Courtesy of Iranian News Agency

This is the radical ideology that we are up against.  This guy is nuts.   R/ Bosun

Iran-Afghanistan-Ahmadinejad
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Tuesday that rule of Islam on mankind is the only way for salvation of human beings.

"There is no truth on earth but monotheism and following tenets of Islam and there is no way for salvation of mankind but rule of Islam over mankind," said Ahmadinejad in a meeting with Afghan Sunni and Shiite ulama at Iranian Embassy in Kabul.

President Ahmadinejad said nations are today distancing themselves from culture of materialism and selfishness and look for a new way for their prosperity, that is the path of Islam.

He said that the world is on verge of a great upheaval and ulama at this juncture shoulder a heavy responsibility that is introducing genuine Islam as it is.

"Nations today have no haven but religion," the Iranian president announced, cautioning Muslim nations against enemies' divisive plots.

He said, "All of us have the duty to resist the enemy by closing our ranks."
He said that the Iranian nation today feels more than ever the need to stand beside the Afghan nation.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has kindly received their Afghan brothers and will continue to do so in future. Minor issues will cannot affect Iran's policies on Afghanistan," he added.

The president said Islam belongs to all generations and Muslims should get ready for global mission of Islam.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

The Islamic Caliphate may be here before we know it

Courtesy of the BBC

Stadium crowd pushes for Islamist dream
 
The BBC's Lucy Williamson reports from Indonesia, where tens of thousands of Islamists have gathered to push for the creation of a single state across the Muslim world.

Hizb ut-Tahrir managed to fill the Gelora Bung Karno stadium

The dull roars of a football match, the twanging music of a youth group concert - from a distance it is not always easy to tell an Islamic conference from a holiday crowd.

Inside Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno stadium the clues get easier. There are about 100,000 people inside, and everyone is in Islamic dress.

The women's section - by far the biggest - is a pitter-patter of ice-cream colours. On their parasols, one word is printed over and over again: Khilafah, caliphate. This is the reason why people have come here. To show their support for a single, unified, Islamic state.

For the rest of the story: Stadium crowd pushes for Islamist's dream

Italy probe unearths huge Iraq arms deal

Courtesy of Yahoo and AP:

Their discovery led anti-Mafia investigators down a months long trail of telephone and e-mail intercepts, into the midst of a huge black-market transaction, as Iraqi and Italian partners haggled over shipping more than 100,000 Russian-made automatic weapons into the bloodbath of Iraq.

As the secretive, $40 million deal neared completion, Italian authorities moved in, making arrests and breaking it up. But key questions remain unanswered.

For one thing, The Associated Press has learned that Iraqi government officials were involved in the deal, apparently without the knowledge of the U.S. Baghdad command — a departure from the usual pattern of U.S.-overseen arms purchases.

Why these officials resorted to "black" channels and where the weapons were headed is ?

Hmmm did the Italians find some government officials who are part of the insurgency or playing both sides of the conflict?  Time will tell. 

For the rest of the article, here is the link: Italy probe unearths huge Iraq arms deal

bin Laden had al Qaeda camps in Iraq pre-invasion?

Received an email from my friend, Blackrain.  So, I figured that I would share what he received from another one of our friends.

Have a good day. R/ Bosun

Quote:

Terrorist Says Bin Laden Had al Qaeda Camps in Iraq (prior to invasion)

For those counting, this is at least the sixth confirmation of this. ABC News led the way with three reports from captured AQ and captured IIS guys immediately after the invasion.

The political rhetoric says that these camps were not in Saddam's Iraq but in the Kurdish north. What that ignores is that the camps were certainly not at all allied with the Kurds, but against them, and were acting with Saddam's help.

Politicians often try to point to Sen Intel Com reports claiming there were no ties etc., but these reports are:

  1. political reports not intelligence reports
  2. the Sen Intel Com is not an Intelligence agency any more than Feith's OSP was an intelligence agency
  3. the claims of no ties in the Sen Intel Com reports were based on a single interim DIA officer's testimony-not an intel investigation and subsequent conclusions
  4. believe it or not....there has NEVER been a conclusive investigation done by ANY of the 16 intel agencies into whether or not there were AQ camps in Iraq prior to the invasion (read the political reports carefully, and you'll see this)

For a complete listing of the government reports on AQ ties to Saddam's
regime, you can go to flopping aces blog and read this:

Flipping Aces: Saddam's  ties to al-Qaeda debunk

Some points of concern regarding this matter:

  1. no one has really looked into this matter, but politicians have been happy to cherry pick it and push a false idea until it's accepted
  2. every few months there's more and more evidence leaking out that Saddam's regime had closer ties with Al Qaeda than the Germans and Italians did with the Japanese (think about it, were there Japanese training camps in Bavaria and Tuscany?  Were German and Italian troops in training camps in Japanese held Indochina?
  3. by and large the news media let the world down by not adequately looking into either the Bush Admin or the UN claims about WMD in Saddam's Iraq, and now they're doing it again by not (FIVE YEARS LATER) by not examining a question that's only been reported on by politicians and not by intelligence agents.

So the American people and the world are left to look at the videos themselves as ABC, NBC, CBS, even Fox just won't report on the connection and adequately describe it.

We're letting politicians, professional lawyers (trained, professional liars and spinmeisters) tell us what is real and what is not depending more on their political needs than on what is fact.

Why does the media parrot the political distortions rather than the truth (see video again)?

Captured Iraqi Terrorist Says Bin Laden Had al Qaeda Camps in Iraq (prior to invasion)

Friday, August 10, 2007

NYPD Steps Up Dirty Bomb Precautions

Courtesy of My Fox New York

Logo patch of New York's Finest.

MYFOXNY.COM  --  The NYPD has modified its counter-terrorism posture Friday because of unverified intelligence regarding a dirty bomb risk.

This change includes an increased deployment of radiological sensors -- including those mounted on vehicles, boats and helicopters as well as those carried by NYPD personnel.

In addition, vehicle checkpoints are being established in New York City, including lower Manhattan, and at certain approaches to the city from neighboring areas.

These efforts are not in response to a verified threat, the department spokesman said.

Linked article:  NYC Modified Threat Conditions

Australian troops fight off Taliban attack

Courtesy of Australian News Service

AUSTRALIAN forces in Afghanistan have fought off another coordinated attack by Taliban extremists, the second in two days.

Five Australian troops were doing reconstruction work in an alley in the Oruzgan province at about midday yesterday (Afghanistan time) when they were attacked with rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire.

"An aggressive and precise response by our soldiers repelled the Taliban attack,'' Defence spokesman Brigadier Andrew Nikolic said.

"The fighting was reported as being close and intense and it was the firepower, mobility and protection the soldiers had at their disposal that again proved the difference in this contact.''

No Australians were injured, but Brigadier Nikolic said the Taliban force was believed to have sustained injuries.

The Australian soldiers involved in the attack were providing security to the Reconstruction Task Force, which has been rebuilding in the area.

The men were attacked from multiple positions and the conflict lasted for about 90 minutes, defence said.

Helicopter gunships were called in to help protect the troops along with light armoured vehicles.

However, none of the Australian vehicles were damaged and the reconstruction work was not disrupted.

There was a similar attack in the same area on Wednesday.

That attack lasted for about two hours but was also unsuccessful, with no Australian troops wounded, no vehicles damaged and no disruption to the reconstruction task.

'INTIFADA' PRINCIPAL RESIGNS

Courtesy of the NY Post

August 10, 2007 -- The principal of the city’s controversial, new Arabic academy resigned this morning in the wake of her comments that condoned "Intifada NYC" T-shirts.

Debbie Almontaser’s resignation comes just days after The NY Post reported that the inflammatory shirts were being sold by an Arab activist group headquartered in the same storefront as a Yemeni-American association that Almontaser heads.

Instead of condemning the shirts, Almontaser attempted to justify them, provoking a huge outcry from residents and elected officials who said she would not be appropriate to head the Khalil Gibran International Academy, which will focus on Arabic culture, history and language.

For the rest of the story at the NY Post: Intifada Principle Resigns

Are America Troops bound for Mexico to help the War on Drug Cartels?

According to World Net Daily, a Texas congressman is leading discussions with the White House to develop a military plan to assist Mexico in the war President Felipe Calderón is waging against the drug cartels.

Yolanda Urrabazo, spokeswoman for Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, told WND the discussions involve the possibility of utilizing the U.S. military directly in the effort in addition to providing military assistance.

Read the story at WND.com:  U.S. military headed next for Mexican soil?

Other stories of interest at World Net daily: 

TODAY'S WND POLL:

Debka Files - New al Qaeda Chatter Threatens U.S. Cities

Courtesy of National Terror Response Center:

By News Admin | August 9, 2007

This story is making the rounds on several blogs and forums. The information contained in the story has not been confirmed by U.S. Intelligence, law enforcement or reliable mainstream news sources. We cannot confirm the accuracy of this report and post it only for informational purposes.

The threat was picked up by DEBKA file’s monitors from a rush of electronic chatter on al Qaeda sites Thursday, Aug. 8.

The al Qaeda communications accuse the Americans of the grave error of failing to take seriously the videotape released by the American al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gaddahn last week. “They will soon realize their mistake when American cities are hit by quality operations,” said one message.

Another said the attacks would be carried out “by means of trucks loaded with radio-active material against America’s biggest city and financial nerve center.”

A third message mentioned New York, Los Angeles and Miami as targets. It drew the answer: “The attack, with Allah’s help, will cause an economic meltdown, many dead, and a financial crisis on a scale that compels the United States to pull its military forces out of many parts of the world, including Iraq, for lack of any other way of cutting down costs.”

There is also a message which speaks obliquely of the approaching attacks easing the heavy pressure America exerts on countries like Japan, Cuba and Venezuela.

DEBKA file’s counter-terror sources and monitors say there is no way of gauging for sure how serious these threats are, how real, or whether they are part of a war of nerves to give the Gaddahn tape extra mileage. But it is important to note that the exchange of messages took place over al Qaeda’s internal Internet sites and that they contained the threat of radioactive terror and specific American cities for the first time after a long silence on these subjects.

Read the Article at National Terror Response Center: Debka Files - New al Qaeda Chatter Threatens U.S. Cities

Additional Articles at National Terror Response Center:

« FBI Seizes Computers, Store Video In Goose Creek Bomb Case | Main | Border Terror Alert - Fake Visas and Underground Tunnels Cause Concern »

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Diplomacy not working with Iran - US talks

U.S. Says Diplomacy With Iran Is Failing to Halt Attacks on Troops in Iraq

Diplomatic talks with Iran are failing to stem the insurgency in neighboring Iraq, the U.S. State Department said, as the military revealed Iranian-linked bomb attacks on troops are increasing.

Link to Article: Iran

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Read my lips; 'Keep the Economy Growing'

Politics

Bush to Dems: 'Keep Economy Growing'

President Bush tells Democrats they may have the votiing power in Congress, but he still has the 'veto' power to control spending.

32 Suspected Militants Dead

U.S. Military: 32 Suspected Militants Dead

U.S.-led forces swooped into the Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City, killing 32 suspected militants.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

WTF? China threatens 'nuclear option' of dollar sales

We better reevaluate our Chinese relationship ASAP and shore up our finances.  Sure is beginning to sound like we have screwed ourselves through greed, corruption, and piss poor business sense decisions.  R/ Bosun


Courtesy of the UK Telegraph, Britain's No.1 quality newspaper website

By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

08/08/2007 - The Chinese government has begun a concerted campaign of economic threats against the United States, hinting that it may liquidate its vast holding of US treasuries if Washington imposes trade sanctions to force a yuan revaluation.

Two officials at leading Communist Party bodies have given interviews in recent days warning - for the first time - that Beijing may use its $1.33 trillion (£658bn) of foreign reserves as a political weapon to counter pressure from the US Congress. Shifts in Chinese policy are often announced through key think tanks and academies.

Described as China's "nuclear option" in the state media, such action could trigger a dollar crash at a time when the US currency is already breaking down through historic support levels.

China threatens 'nuclear option' of dollar sales

Israelis warned to leave muslim countries

Courtesy of CBN News: Israelis Warned to Leave Muslim Countries

 

August 8, 2007 CBNNews.com - Israel is warning its citizens traveling in Egypt, Jordan, and other Muslim countries to leave immediately due to the severe threat of terror attacks.

The announcement came from the country's national security council. Officials also say Israelis anywhere in the world should be alert to the danger of being kidnapped by Hezbollah operatives.

The national council has also warned against traveling to Morocco, where Israeli tourists can visit with special permission.

MORE INFORMATIONInside Israel

RELATED LINK: U.S. Department of State Travel Warning

War in Afghanistan update

Courtesy of CBN News: U.S., Afghan Forces Kill 20 Taliban

U.S. and Afghan forces used mortars and machines guns to repel an attack by A group of insurgents in Afghanistan.

Click Play to see CBN News' Erick Stakelbeck give his analysis of the situation in Afghanistan.

Military officials say that Taliban fighters know they can't match Western militaries in a heads-up battle, which leads the insurgents to more often rely on roadside and suicide bombs.

This new assault by the Taliban comes on the heels of President Bush's meeting over the weekend with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The two leaders pledged to fight terrorism and stabilize Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, said the meeting between Karzai and Bush had "no result," and that militant prisoners must be released in exchange for the lives of South Korean hostages or there will be a "bad result. 

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Japan helping with war on terror

Courtesy of Japan Times Online in conjunction with Kyodo News

A U.S. antinuclear terrorism laboratory has received data from Japanese specialists who researched Japanese atomic bomb survivors and victims of U.S. nuclear testing in the 1950s.

The main purpose of the Cytogenetics Biodosimetry Laboratory, established last year in Oak Ridge, Tenn., is to help determine the amount of radiation that potential victims would be exposed to from terrorists' nuclear weapons or radioactive "dirty bombs" so physicians can formulate treatment plans.

....

The collaboration between U.S. and Japanese scientists reflects the new reality of the age of nuclear terrorism. But A-bomb survivors may have mixed feelings about the new scientific approach, which is based on past accomplishments of Japan's Radiation Effects Research Foundation and its predecessor, which have been criticized by many survivors for allegedly prioritizing research rather than treating them.

....

The National Institute of Radiological Sciences has studied the radiation effects caused by the U.S. hydrogen bombs tested at Bikini atoll in 1954, in which 23 Japanese fishermen were exposed to heavy radiation.

....

With the increased focus on nuclear terrorism since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Agency decided to re-establish civilian cytogenetic capabilities by constructing an improved laboratory.

 

For the complete article, please go to Japan Times Online:

Japanese helping U.S. on nuclear terrorism, A-bomb data to aid medical response

Explosives near South Carolina military prison

Goose Creek South Carolina - Police Discover Explosives During Stop

Courtesy of Homeland Security NTARC News | August 4, 2007

Authorities closed a highway outside Charleston for more than five hours Saturday night after police found explosives in the trunk of a car, a newspaper reported, citing an FBI agent. The vehicle with Florida tags was driven by two men of Middle Eastern descent.

Julie Johnson, assistant special agent-in-charge for the FBI in Columbia, said there was “no immediate threat,” according to The (Charleston) Post and Courier.

Law enforcement officials closed the road about 7 p.m. after the traffic stop in Goose Creek, home to the Naval Weapons Station. The station houses the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig, a military prison where enemy combatants have been held.

Johnson said the FBI was still trying to determine whether a crime had been committed but that there was “no immediate threat” related to the traffic stop.

South Carolina law enforcement Chief Robert Stewart told The Associated Press that his officers were on the scene, but that the FBI was handling the case and he did not elaborate.

According to Lt. Vince Lombardo, deputies discovered the suspicious items in the trunk during a traffic stop. The two men inside the vehicle are detained at the scene. Lombardo also said information from an investigation in another jurisdiction raised the suspicions of the deputies.

Goose Creek, with a population of about 30,000, is located about 20 miles north of Charleston.


Channel 2 News Video

Friday, August 03, 2007

Tensions in the Middle East: Iran - Bahrain

Inquiry & Analysis-Iran/Bahrain
August 3, 2007
No. 379

Tension in Iran-Bahrain Relations After Kayhan Editor Claims Bahrain Is Inseparable Part of Iran
By Y. Mansharof and I. Rapoport*

To view this Inquiry and Analysis in HTML, visit: Tensions in Iran-Bahrain Relations

Tension has recently developed between Iran and the Gulf states, particularly Bahrain, in the wake of an op-ed by the editor of the Iranian daily Kayhan, Hossein Shariatmadari, who is an associate of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The op-ed, which depicted the Gulf regimes as "not legitimate" and claimed that Bahrain is an inseparable part of Iran and should be returned to it, provoked angry reactions in the Gulf.

Iran's official response to Shariatmadari's piece was that it did not express Iran's official position but only a personal view.

Nevertheless, Iran attempted to alleviate the resulting tension with the Gulf states through diplomatic channels. In a visit to Bahrain during which he met with Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Aal Khalifa, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki refused to apologize for the piece, saying that the Iranian government did not accept Shariatmadari's statements, and that "Iran and Bahrain respect each other's national sovereignty and territorial integrity." The Bahraini foreign minister responded that Bahrain had received official guarantees from Iran alleviating concerns aroused by Shariatmadari's statements, and that there was no need for any apology from Iran.(1)

Despite diplomatic attempts to settle the upheaval, irate responses continued to reverberate throughout the Gulf states and Bahrain, particularly angry condemnations of Iran and calls for it to stop issuing pronouncements that aggravated the tension in the region and to respect the sovereignty of its neighbor states. In Iran, while there were some expressions of support for Shariatmadari's piece, on the grounds that its premises were "historically true," there were also statements that the piece should not have been published because such remarks could harm Iran's interests.

This paper summarizes the reactions in the Arab and Iranian press to Shariatmadari's op-ed:

Shariatmadari: Bahrain is an Inseparable Part of Iran
Hossein Shariatmadari's controversial July 9, 2007 op-ed in the Iranian daily Kayhan was a response to the closing statement of the GCC foreign ministers' summit, which stated, inter alia, that the three Gulf islands Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Moussa belonged to the United Arab Emirates.

Shariatmadari wrote: "Member countries of the Cooperation Council of the Arab States in the Persian Gulf, [namely] Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman – none of which dates back more than 100 years – are [all] well aware of Iran's absolute sovereignty over the three islands, which is rendered unassailable by [relevant] documentation. Thus [these countries should] not imagine in their wildest dreams that this sovereignty will ever change..."

Shariatmadari contended that Bahrain's joining the council must be regarded in a different light than that of other GCC countries. "This," he continued, "is because Bahrain is part of Iran's soil, having been separated from it through an illegal conspiracy [spawned] by... Shah [Pahlavi, in conjunction with] the American and British governments. The principal demand of the Bahraini people today is to return this province, which was separated from Iran, to its mother, Islamic Iran...

"The governments of all [the Gulf States] were established by direct intervention of the forces of arrogance [i.e. the West, led by the U.S.]. The people [of the Gulf States themselves] were not [allowed] to be involved in the appointment of their government, in policy making, or in the decision-making [process] in their states. Furthermore, all the member governments in this council [i.e. the GCC] are accused by their people of collaborating with the Zionist regime, or, at the very least, of indifference to that regime's crimes against the oppressed Palestinian people. The heads of these governments are well aware that in the age of the Islamic awakening – which follows the model of the Islamic Revolution – it is unacceptable for one family to rule over the fate of an [entire] people and plunder national resources. [The heads of those governments] believe, and rightly so, that the [emulation] of the Iranian model is bound to bring about the fall of their unlawful regimes. Consequently, they have adopted hostility to Iran as one of their strategic goals. The danger of such a position - not to Iran, but to their continued rule [- cannot be underestimated]..."(2)

In a July 13, 2007 interview, Shariatmadari defended his position, saying that his piece reflected "the opinion of the majority of Iranian people, and even of the people in Bahrain."(3) In another editorial, published July 15, 2007, he reiterated his claim that Bahrain was an inseparable part of Iran, saying: "...Indisputable official documents show that... the island of Bahrain was until several decades ago a province of Iran, and was [subsequently] separated from it through a [joint] conspiracy by Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and the American and British governments..." In addition, he argued that the Persian Gulf states were insisting on "opening another front against Iran..."(4) In July 17, 2007 Kayhan interviews, several Basij officials voiced support for Shariatmadari's claims, saying that "Kayhan's stand with respect to Bahrain is absolutely sensible and appropriate."(5)
Support for Shariatmadari: "Most States in the Region Were Once Part of Iran"

Despite the storm of protest that followed Shariatmadari's op-ed, and notwithstanding Iran's assurances that it reflected his personal views alone, his position had its supporters in Iran, who argued that it was "historical fact" that Bahrain and other countries in the area had once been part of Iran. Parliamentary Committee for National Security and Foreign Policy member Darioush Kanbari told the conservative news agency Aftab that "[Foreign Minister] Mottaki's visit to Bahrain... to apologize to the representatives of the Bahraini [regime] is tantamount to trampling the principle of national honor in Iran's foreign policy." He explained that "if the Arab [i.e. Gulf] states should want to revise the established borders [in the region] based on historical [sources], the greatest damage would be suffered by these countries themselves, since most of them were once part of Iranian soil, when [Iran] stretched from Egypt to Syria...
"At present, Iran has no complaint against [the sovereignty] of these states over [their] lands... However, every so often the neighboring countries, and especially the UAE, come up with unreasonable claims, which are bound to result in war and conflict in the region... The Arab countries in the region are taking advantage of the U.S. presence [in the Gulf region and Iraq] and of their relations with the West... In its talks [with other GCC countries], the UAE must not be allowed even to raise the question of the three Iranian islands. The arguments presented in Kayhan are correct, no matter who wrote the article. Bahrain did once belong to Iran, but today Iran has no claim to [sovereignty] over it."(6)

In its July 15, 2007 editorial, the reformist daily Etemad-e Meli, which is affiliated with the reformist party of the same name headed by former Majlis speaker Mehdi Karroubi, stated: "These gentlemen [i.e., the leaders of the Gulf states] should brush up on their history. If we decide to focus on history... many of the countries will be harmed. Iran is a descendent of ancient governments and great empires. Maps of the Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid, Safavid, and Afsharid, and even Zand and Qajar, empires(7) have not yet been destroyed. [Nevertheless,] the great Iranian nation today lays no claim to a single inch of its land that is [now] under the rule of other governments or nations. At the same time, should there be a decision to reopen the case of the [three] Iranian islands, Bahrain [will] not be very satisfied. If [the Gulf states] harm even an inch of Iranian soil, the Persian Gulf will be inundated with blood, and the political map of the area will in all likelihood change. This [change] will hurt the nations in the region, particularly the governments of small Arab states.

 Accordingly, let us be wise, and not play with the lion's tail, [that is, of] Iran."(8)

Criticism Within Iran: The Op-Ed Did Not Serve Iran's Interests
In contrast, views were also expressed within Iran opposing Shariatmadari's piece, and arguing that pronouncements like those in his article did damage to Iran's foreign policy and interests. A senior official at the Iranian Embassy in Bahrain, Reza Henrou Naziri, stressed to the Bahraini periodical Al-Waqt during an interview that Shariatmadari's pronouncements were "unacceptable and harmful to [Iran]-Bahrain relations." He stated that "Iran respects Bahrain's sovereignty and independence, as well as its Arab [identity]."(9)

Senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official Javid Ghorban Oghli posted, on the Baztab website, an article criticizing Shariatmadari's piece: "A daily associated with Supreme Leader [Ali Khamenei] must not act in a way that will cause tension and crisis in [Iran's] foreign affairs... Under the circumstances... responding to the GCC announcement does not justify instigating an unnecessary crisis."(10)

On July 16, 2007, Mashallah Shams Alvaezin, spokesman for the Society for the Protection of Free Press in Iran, wrote in the reformist daily Sharq: "The new crisis in Iran-Bahrain [relations, which erupted] over the Kayhan editorial, has demonstrated yet again the harm that rash and irresponsible statements can cause to the national interests and foreign policy of [any] country... Senior political officials, especially if their work is related to national security, should not take this affair lightly. The foreign minister's prompt response by conveying [a message] to the Bahraini capital Manama, as well as Iran's insistence on [maintaining] a consistent policy in the region, were steps that were appropriate and praiseworthy, albeit insufficient. It is necessary to identify the source of the radical tendencies regarding territorial issues, especially in matters of national security [i.e. Shariatmadari], and to remove [the individual in question] from a position of influence..."(11)

In Bahrain, Strong Protest

Shariatmadari's statements caused a storm in Bahrain. In the Bahraini capital Manama, dozens of protesters assembled in front of the Iranian Embassy chanting slogans condemning Iran and demanding an official apology from the Iranian government.(12) Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa summoned the Iranian ambassador and made it clear that Bahrain expected Iran to issue an official objection to Shariatmadari's claims.(13) Bahrain's two houses of parliament, the Shura Council and the House of Representatives, strongly condemned Shariatmadari's article, describing its arguments as "fairytales that have no basis in reality," and called upon Iran's government to honor international decisions that endorse [Bahrain's] Arab identity and independence. The parliament further demanded that Iran desist from making such announcements, in order to prevent additional tension within the region.(14) Bahraini Parliamentary Council for Foreign Affairs, Defense, and National Security chairman Sheikh 'Adel Al-Mu'awada demanded that Iran officially apologize for Shariatmadari's words, since, he said, they represent the official position of the Iranian regime.(15) Several parliament members even insisted on expelling the Iranian ambassador, recalling Bahrain's ambassador to Iran, and lowering the level of diplomatic relations with Iran.(16)

Salafi Sheikh and MP Jasim Al-Sa'idi called for terminating diplomatic relations with Iran, even issuing a fatwa stating that anyone who believes in the truth of Shariatmadari's words should be considered Khawarij, and as such must be "punished by death, unless he repents within three days."(17)

Harsh Criticism in the Bahraini Press

Shariatmadari's op-ed triggered a wave of criticism in the Bahraini press. Journalists called upon Iran to stop using threats as a way of relieving pressures from within and from without, and to respect the sovereignty of its neighbors.

Bahrain Will Not Fall Victim to Iran's Mistaken Policy
An editorial in the Bahraini daily Al-Ayyam titled "Bahrain Is and Will Remain an Arab State" contended that the statements against Bahrain are evidence of Iran's desperate attempts to impose its hegemony on the Gulf states: "Once again, Iran is falling back on the language of confrontation and threats, to which it resorts every time it feels cornered or isolated because of its policy – which antagonizes an overwhelming majority of the world's countries. Yet again, [Iran has resorted to such language] via an associate of its supreme leader Ali Khamenei, demanding the return of Bahrain... and inciting the Bahraini people to overthrow their government...

"[This] repeated use of threats by Iran has several meanings and [conveys several] messages. Firstly, Iran is ruled by conservatives, and therefore [tends to] adopt an extremist policy vis-à-vis its neighbors every time it is subjected to international pressure aimed at  curbing [its] aspirations to rule over this vitally [important] region [i.e. the Gulf]. These threats are [nothing but] a desperate attempt to impose its influence on the small neighboring states. The second message is that today Iran... has several kinds of weapons which it can use against the countries in the region when it feels isolated in the international arena. The weapon [Iran is planning to use] is the illusory idea that there are certain sectarian elements [within Bahrain, i.e. the Shi'ites] who support Iran's line. However, the Bahraini people has on many occasions proven its loyalty to its motherland and its leadership, represented by the Al-Khalifa family and the constitutional regime...

"Bahrain will never agree to fall victim to the mistaken policy of the Iranian regime. Bahrain would suggest to Iran that the way to end Iran's international isolation is not through provoking Bahrain and [other] Gulf states... Bahrain will not agree to declarations of this kind, which are at odds with international conventions and with [the rules of] neighborliness. The Arab Gulf states must unite their ranks and positions, and clearly declare their objection to all Iranian threats... Bahrain is an Arab state and will remain an Arab state..."(18)

Iran Cannot Convince the World of Its Peaceful Intentions
In an editorial in the Bahraini daily Akhbar Al-Khalij, the paper's editor Anwar 'Abd Al-Rahman wrote: "Your claims, Mr. Shariatmadari – which border on nonsense – that the Gulf regimes are not legitimate, both puzzled and amazed us... Aren't you ashamed, Mr. Shariatmadari, of questioning the legitimacy of the Arab Gulf regimes while your compatriots are still supporting their families and building roads, hospitals, schools, etc. with the funds [from these same] Arab Gulf [states]?...

"On what grounds are you accusing the Arab Gulf regimes of illegitimacy?... Aren't these regimes, which you view as illegitimate, the [very] ones that Iran has recognized and with which [Iran] has exchanged ambassadors?... Could it be that everything that we heard has come from a man who speaks nonsense?... You [must] realize that since the dawn of history our region has been entirely Arab, just as yours has been Persian!..."(19)

In another editorial in Akhbar Al-Khalij, 'Abd Al-Rahman wrote: "The time has come for Iran to realize that, [today] more than ever before, it has an opportunity to be a sister and a friend to all the neighboring countries – provided that this brotherhood and friendship are grounded in loyalty, common interests, and a belief in their shared fate as neighbors, particularly when it comes to security, economy, development, etc...

"We hope that Iran – as a state rather than a revolution – will take the time for some profound reflection. What benefit has it gained during the 28 years since the revolution? [Nothing but] precarious relations with many of the world's countries, which are often based on suspicion, and which have at times deteriorated to a discouragingly low level...

"With its political orientations, Iran... has not been able to convince the world of its peaceful intentions... because its behavior, provocative declarations, and continuous attempts to interfere with its neighbors' internal affairs... lend a hideous image to the Iranian regime..."(20)

To view a cartoon that appeared in the Bahraini daily Al-Ayyam on July 12, 2007 visit: http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=IA37907.

Intense Protest in Other Gulf States

Shariatmadari's statements triggered harsh criticism in other Gulf states as well. GCC Secretary-General 'Abd Al-Rahman bin Hamed Al-'Atiyya stated that Shariatmadari's claims "have no connection whatsoever to reality or truth," and that they were intended to "harm the Gulf States and their sovereignty... to incite [the population], and to instigate civil war."(21)

Numerous articles in a similar vein appeared in the Gulf press, which condemned Shariatmadari and was of the view that his declarations were an expression of Iran's aggressive attitude towards all the Gulf countries, as well as evidence of the Iranian regime's imperialistic aspirations.

Kuwaiti Columnist: The Gulf States Need a Unified Military Defense Against the Racist Persian Elites

In an article in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyassa, Kuwaiti columnist Muhammad Hassan Nasser Al-Din called upon the Gulf states to build defense alliances among themselves and with other strong countries in order to deal with Iran's expansionist aspirations. He wrote: "...The Persian racist elites, along with their associates such as Shariatmadari, cannot, [with their] racist, imperialist and aggressive agenda, find an alternative way to alleviate pressures exerted on [them] by the international community and to [reduce] the isolation forced upon them, other than the ineffective and failed way of creating problems such as [the current crisis] vis-à-vis the neighboring Gulf states...

"We are sick and tired of listening over and over again to the same old narrative resorted to by [these] elites since the inception of the revolutionary regime. Every time [they] face either an internal problem or a crisis vis-à-vis the international community, they take refuge in stirring up trouble with the countries neighboring [Iran], in an attempt to divert [Iranian] public opinion [and thus] alleviate the domestic pressure...
"This is an appeal to the Gulf states to consolidate their security strategy in order to deal with external challenges and aspirations. GCC members should have a unified military defense [strategy]. In addition, they must form military alliances and agreements, on a regional basis, with strong and prominent Arab and Muslim countries such as Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan, as part of a regional defense strategy..."(22)

The Purpose of Shariatmadari's Statements is to Make the Iranian People Forget Their Hunger and Poverty

In an article in the UAE daily Al-Ittihad, UAE columnist Ahmad Amiri wrote that the people of Bahrain should have protested more strongly against Shariatmadari's statements: "Will the Bahraini learn from this unprecedented occurrence... [that they must] unite their ranks, overcome all internal disagreements... present a unified front, and clearly declare: 'No to Iran!' – just as the Kuwaiti [people] did to Saddam Hussein? Will some of the 'remote' Arabs stop reprimanding the Gulf [states] for expressing concern over Iran's policy, and in particular over [its attempts] to export the wretched Khomeini revolution?...

"Why on earth have [the Iranians] produced from the Shah's storerooms the trump card of demanding the return of Bahrain [to Iran] – unless [it is part of] efforts by the mullahs' regime to start fires all over [the region] in an attempt to make the Iranian people forget their hunger and poverty, and to divert the attentions of the International Community away from the Iranian issues in Teheran, Kabul, Baghdad, Beirut, and Gaza?..."(23)

Shariatmadari's Declarations Reinforce Concern Regarding the Aims of Iran's Nuclear Project

In an article in the Saudi daily Al-Yawm, Saudi columnist Muhammad 'Abd Al-'Aziz Al-Sama'il wrote that Shariatmadari's aggressive statements would lead to Iran's isolation in the region and to a lack of support for its nuclear program, out of concern that this program might serve its expansionist aspirations. He wrote: "If Iran has been the object of concern on account of its nuclear program... it has also [now] become an object of concern because of its imperialist aspirations with respect to the lands and resources of its neighbors...

"Even if we view such statements as a sort of negative diplomacy intended to divert the world's attention from the crucial issue of [Iran's] nuclear program, this [incident] has harmed Iran in every respect, by reinforcing the Gulf states' mistrust of Iran and causing its total isolation within the region...

"Iran could have been expected to try to improve and mend its relations with its neighbors and to restore the mutual trust that has been lost. But [instead] it is unnecessarily heating up the atmosphere, thereby causing serious damage to future relations with its neighbors... In addition, it will lose all tentative manifestations of support for its rights to the nuclear project.

"After all [that has happened], no one will believe that [Iran] will ever renounce its aspirations to its [allegedly] peaceful nuclear program. On the contrary: [These aspirations] will become a real threat to the [neighboring] countries. Nuclear power will turn Iran into a coercive force that attains its aspirations without fear of any objection... These declarations reflect a strategic plan, which reveals [only] a small part of what Iran will be capable of doing should it have nuclear weapons at its disposal..."(24)
To view a cartoon that appeared in the Saudi daily Al-Watan on July 19, 2007 visit: http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=IA37907.

* Y. Mansharof and I. Rapoport are research fellows at MEMRI.
Endnotes:  
(1) Akhbar Al-Khaleej (Bahrain), July 15, 2007.
(2) Kayhan (Iran), July 9, 2007.
(3) ISNA (Iran), July 13, 2007.
(4) Kayhan (Iran), July 15, 2007.
(5) Kayhan (Iran), July 17, 2007.
(6) Aftab (Iran), July 15, 2007. However, Parliamentary Committee for National Security and Foreign Policy chairman Ala Al-Din Boroujerdi explained that Mottaki's visit to Bahrain was intended to stop the U.S. policy of destroying relations between Iran and its neighbors. Aftab, July 17, 2007.
(7) That is, empires that ruled Iran's territory from the 6th century B.C.E. until the 20th century C.E.
(8) Etemad-e Meli (Iran), July 15, 2007
(9) Al-Waqt (Bahrain), July 12, 2007.
(10) Baztab (Iran), July 16, 2007.
(11) Sharq (Iran), July 16, 2007.
(12) Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), July 14, 2007.
(13) Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), July 12, 2007.
(14) Akhbar Al-Khaleej (Bahrain), July 12 and 13, 2007.
(15) Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), July 15, 2007; Akhbar Al-Khaleej (Bahrain), July 12, 2007.
(16) Al-Siyassa (Kuwait), July 13, 2007.
(17) Al-Watan (Bahrain), July 13, 2007. The Khawarij were a group that separated from the forces of Fourth Caliph 'Ali Ibn Abi-Talib during the battle of Siffin in 657 B.C.E., and they are considered the first Muslim opposition within Islam. Here, this term is used as a derogatory label for a secessionist group.
(18) Al-Ayyam (Bahrain), July 11, 2007.
(19) Akhbar Al-Khaleej (Bahrain), July 11, 2007.
(20) Akhbar Al-Khaleej (Bahrain), July 13, 2007.
(21) Al-Ayyam (Bahrain), July 11, 2007.
(22) Al-Siyassa (Kuwait), July 15, 2007.
(23) Al-Ittihad (United Arab Emirates), July 20, 2007.
(24) Al-Yawm (Saudi Arabia), July 19, 2007.

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