MARYLAND MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY TO ACT AS AN IRAQI AGENT

Courtesy of the FBI

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

http://www.usdoj.gov   

Defendant Shredded Documents and Lied to FBI Agents

WASHINGTON—Saubhe Jassim Al-Dellemy, age 67, an Iraqi national living in Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government, specifically, as an agent of Iraq, announced Patrick Rowan, Assistant Attorney General for National Security and U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

“Since coalition forces invaded Iraq in 2003, the Justice Department has charged at least a dozen people who served in the United States as illegal agents for the former Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein or its feared intelligence service, the Mukhabbarat. The number of these cases underscores the reach of Saddam's intelligence service in America and the extent to which the former Iraqi regime was concerned with defectors and expatriate groups here," said Patrick Rowan, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.

“Documents recovered in Iraq by the United States Military led to Saubhe Jassim Al-Dellemy’s confession that he secretly worked as an agent of the Iraqi Intelligence Service under Saddam Hussein, using his restaurant as a meeting place and passing information to Iraqi agents,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Mr. Al-Dellemy lied about his work for Saddam Hussein regime when he was questioned by FBI agents in 2008, long after he became a lawful permanent resident of the United States.”

“The FBI is committed to rooting out and prosecuting those individuals who enjoy the benefits of residing in this country but who are acting on behalf of hostile foreign Intelligence services,” said Amy Jo Lyons, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office.

According to the plea agreement, under the regime of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) routinely recruited individuals, either currently in the United States or to be placed into the United States, to support the IIS and the Government of Iraq. Saubhe Jassim Al-Dellemy, who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2000, was one of these individuals. He was born in Iraq and was a member of the Ba’ath Party. He came to the United States as a student in the 1980s. His education in the United States was paid for by the Ba’ath Party. In exchange, Al-Dellemy was expected to provide information to the Government of Iraq on matters of interest to the government and the IIS.

Following the invasion of Iraq by coalition forces in March 2003, the U.S. military obtained confidential IIS documents establishing that beginning in 1989, and continuing through the Saddam Hussein regime, Al-Dellemy, referred to in many instances by the code name “Adam,” had been providing information to officials of the Government of Iraq and intelligence officers with the IIS. This information included reporting on the identities and activities of individuals and organizations in the United States that were opposed to Saddam Hussein and his regime, and specifics regarding U.S. policy and actions towards the Iraqi government. The seized documents also established that Al-Dellemy periodically received payments from the IIS and the Iraqi government as compensation for his assistance and information.

Specifically, according the plea agreement, throughout the conspiracy Al-Dellemy performed tasks at the Iraqi Embassy and at the Iraqi Interests Section (ISEC), formed in 1991 within the Algerian Embassy in Washington, D.C., after the U.S. severed diplomatic relations with Iraq for invading Kuwait. For example, in 1990, around the time of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Al-Dellemy assisted in the shredding of Ba’ath Party and other diplomatic documents maintained at the Iraqi Embassy that could compromise the Saddam Hussein regime and identify those individuals in the United States who had been acting as agents of the IIS. Al-Dellemy also attended and organized social gatherings at the Iraqi Embassy and the ISEC, which were used to recruit individuals to work for the IIS; to interact with individuals who were already working with the IIS and Saddam Hussein’s regime; and to maintain the loyalties of the participants to the Ba’ath Party and Saddam Hussein’s regime. Throughout the conspiracy Al-Dellemy made a restaurant he operated in Maryland available as a meeting place for IIS officers and Iraqi government officials, and utilized his restaurant as a means to gather information pertaining to U.S. government agencies near the restaurant, such as the National Security Agency and Fort George G. Meade.

Throughout the conspiracy, Al-Dellemy relied on fellow Ba’ath Party members and/or sympathizers to provide him with information about the Iraqi opposition in the United States, including members of the Iraqi community in Detroit, Michigan. Al-Dellemy also gathered information in Maryland regarding U.S. military training and travel concerning U.S. actions in Iraq.

Al-Dellemy, at the request of Iraqi government officials, sought out individuals for employment at the ISEC and in 2000, arranged for a coconspirator to be employed full-time at the ISEC as an accountant and a driver. This coconspirator continued his employment at the ISEC through March 2003, then resumed his employment at the Iraqi Embassy when it reopened in Washington, D.C., in December 2003. The coconspirator continued to work at the Iraqi embassy until March or April 2004. The coconspirator acted as a conduit between Al-Dellemy, Ba’ath Party members and loyalists in Detroit, and IIS and ISEC officials to transmit information of interest to the IIS, the Saddam Hussein regime, and the Ba’ath Party. Al-Dellemy was never recognized by the Department of State or the Attorney General of the United States as a diplomatic or consular officer of the Government of Iraq, or officially or publicly acknowledged and sponsored as an official, representative, or employee of Iraq.

According to the plea, Al-Dellemy never revealed his affiliation with the Ba’ath Party in applications to the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (now U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) for residency status in the United States, in an effort to conceal his activities as an agent for the Iraqi government. In addition, at the end of March 2003, Al-Dellemy and others destroyed numerous Ba’ath Party documents and related literature in his possession that would have compromised the activities of Al-Dellemy and his coconspirators as agents of the Iraqi government in the United States. On Oct. 13, 2008, during an interview with FBI agents, Al-Dellemy falsely denied passing information to the IIS and the Iraqi government, denied receiving payment from the IIS, and denied collecting information on the Iraqi opposition movement and reporting that information to the IIS.

Al-Dellemy faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy to act as an agent for a foreign government. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for March 5, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.

Patrick Rowan, Assistant Attorney General for National Security and U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Manuelian, who is prosecuting the case, as well as Senior Trial Attorneys Robert E. Wallace and Clifford I. Rones, from the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, who provided assistance in the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Harvey E. Eisenberg, Chief of National Security, who supervised this case.

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Technorati tags: al dellemy, baath party, ins, saddam hussein, Saubhe Jassim Al-Dellemy, foreign agents, iraq, conconspirator, Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS), Mukhabbarat

MEMRI: Rising Inter-Arab Tensions: Saudi Arabia and Egypt versus Syria and Iran

Courtesy of MEMRI

Tensions have recently increased between the pro-Western, moderate Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and the Iranian-Syrian axis, which supports Hizbullah, Hamas and the resistance in Iraq. Saudi Arabia and Egypt accused Iran and Syria of attempting to destabilize the region by interfering in the internal affairs of Arab countries and nurturing the resistance movements in Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories. They also accused Syria of dividing the Arab ranks and helping the non-Arab Iran to take over the Middle East, to the detriment of Arab interests.

Syria and Iran, for their part, accused Saudi Arabia and Egypt of being pro-American and pro-Israeli and of pursuing a conciliatory policy aimed at undermining the activity of the resistance movements. Recent political initiatives by Saudi Arabia – namely, the November 2008 Interfaith Dialogue Conference in New York, and the efforts to promote the Saudi peace initiative – were portrayed as attempts to achieve normalization with Israel and to deny the Palestinians' right of return. Saudi King 'Abdallah was branded by Syria as an "infidel" and "collaborator with the Imperialist Satan," while Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was called a "traitor" and a "tyrant" who should be assassinated like the late Egyptian president Anwar Sadat.

The prevailing tensions between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, on the one hand, and Syria and Iran, on the other, have intensified further following the recent terrorist attacks in Lebanon and Syria, with Syria accusing Saudi Arabia and the Lebanese March 14 Forces of supporting fundamentalist organizations in Lebanon, such as Fath Al-Islam, which, they claimed, was responsible for the September 2008 terrorist attack in Damascus. In response, Saudi Arabia and the March 14 Forces stated that it was Syria that had created and nurtured Fath Al-Islam, with the goal of undermining Lebanon's stability and regaining control over it. They contended that the Damascus attack had been aimed at creating a false impression that the Syrian regime was also suffering from terrorism. 

Conflict also arose between Egypt and Hamas, after Egypt opened its border to Gaza pilgrims en route to Mecca but Hamas subsequently prevented them from reaching the border. This crisis, too, developed into a wide-scale conflict between Egypt and Saudi Arabia vs. Syria and Iran. Egypt accused Hamas of harming the Palestinians even more than Israel is, thereby promoting the interests of Syria and Iran, who are anxious to perpetuate the Palestinian problem rather than resolve it. Syria, Iran, and Hamas accused Egypt of being responsible for the siege of Gaza and of not acting as a neutral mediator between the Palestinian factions. In Iran, there have even been calls to topple the Saudi and Egyptian regimes.

The following are three reports on the recent inter-Arab tension:

• Rising Inter-Arab Tensions, Part I – Deepening Crisis in Saudi-Syrian Relations By: C. Jacob *
• Rising Inter-Arab Tensions, Part II – Egypt Trades Accusations with Hamas, Syria, Iran By: L. Azuri
• Rising Inter-Arab Tensions, Part III – Syria, Saudi Arabia Clash over Fath Al-Islam By: H. Varulkar *

 

BRIDGING THE LANGUAGE GAP BETWEEN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE WEST

MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may ONLY be cited with proper attribution.

Technorati tags: saudi arabia, egypt, hamas, gaza, iran, syria, islam, muslim, inter arab tensions, shia, sunni, fath al islam, damacus, imperialist satan, mubarak, sadat, abdullah, interfaith dialogue conference, middle east, arabian penisula, hizbullah, moderate arab countries, pro western

Five Radical Islamists Convicted of Conspiring to Kill Soldiers at Fort Dix

Courtesy of the FBI:

Five Radical Islamists Convicted of Conspiring to Kill Soldiers at Fort Dix

Department of Justice Press Release

For Immediate Release
Dec 22, 2008

CAMDEN – A jury today convicted five men on charges they plotted to kill members of the U.S. military, Acting United States Attorney Ralph J. Marra, Jr. announced.

After 5½ days of deliberations, which began Dec. 17, the jury convicted Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, brothers Dritan Duka, Shain Duka and Eljvir Duka and Serdar Tatar on Count One of the seven-count Superseding Indictment that charged them with conspiracy to murder members of the U.S. military. The jury acquitted each of defendants of Count Two, which charged attempt to murder members of the U.S. military.

For the conspiracy conviction only, each of the defendants faces a sentence of any number of years up to life in prison.

The case was tried by Deputy Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Hammer, Jr., Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Terrorism Unit. U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler, who presided over the 12-week trial, scheduled sentencing of the three Duka brothers for April 22. Judge Kugler scheduled sentencing of Shnewer and Tartar on April 23.

The remaining counts of the Superseding Indictment, which was returned in January, charged the three Duka brothers, who are illegal immigrants, and Shnewer with firearm offenses; including possession of machine guns. See below for conviction details on each of the defendants.

The defendants’ arrests occurred on May 7, 2007, in Cherry Hill as Dritan and Shain Duka were meeting a confidential government witness to purchase four automatic M-16 rifles and three semi-automatic AK-47 rifles to be used in a future attack on military personnel. The other defendants were arrested at various locations at about the same time.

“These men planned, trained and ceaselessly talked unambiguously about their intention to ambush and kill U.S. soldiers,” said Marra. “The word should go out to any other would-be terrorists of the homegrown variety that the United States will find you, infiltrate your group, prosecute you and send you to a federal prison for a very long time.”

“Vigilance was the key to disrupting the dangerous terrorists convicted today and we are glad they are off the street,” said Janice K. Fedarcyk, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the FBI. “We appreciate the tip from an alert citizen who reported this suspicious activity to law enforcement. Without tips from concerned citizens or cooperation from our law enforcement partners, it is much more difficult to safeguard our nation and protect the
United States from terrorist attack.”

“Today's verdicts underscore the need for continued vigilance against homegrown terror threats,” said Patrick Rowan, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “While these defendants were not members of an international terrorist organization, their involvement in weapons training, their surveillance of domestic targets and their discussions of killing U.S. military personnel posed a serious threat that required the law enforcement disruption and the prosecutions upheld by the jury today.”

In convicting the defendants, the jury found that one member of the group conducted surveillance at Fort Dix and Fort Monmouth in New Jersey, Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and the U.S. Coast Guard in Philadelphia. The co-conspirator obtained a detailed map of Fort Dix, where they hoped to use assault rifles to kill as many soldiers as possible,
according to trial testimony and evidence.

During the trial, the jury viewed secretly recorded videotapes of the defendants preforming small-arms training at a shooting range in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and watching training videos amongst themselves that included depictions of American soldiers being killed and of known foreign Islamic radicals urging jihad against the United States.

The defendants and the charges on which each was convicted are as follows:
• Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, 23, of Cherry Hill: conspiracy to murder members of the members of the U.S. military, and the attempted possession of AK-47 semi-automatic assault weapons to be used in the attack.
• Dritan Duka, 30 of Cherry Hill: conspiracy to murder members of the U.S. military; possession of machine guns; possession and attempted possession of machine guns in furtherance of a crime of violence; and two counts of possession of firearms by an illegal alien.
• Shain Duka, 27, of Cherry Hill: conspiracy to murder members of the U.S. military; possession of machine guns; possession and attempted possession of machine guns in furtherance of a crime of violence; and two counts of possession of firearms by an illegal alien.
• Eljvir Duka, 25, of Cherry Hill: conspiracy to murder members of the U.S. military, and possession of firearms by illegal aliens. The jury acquitted on one count of possession and attempted possession of machine guns in furtherance of a crime of violence.
• Serdar Tatar, 25, of Philadelphia: conspiracy to murder members of the U.S. military.
A sixth co-defendant, Agron Abdullahu, 26, of Buena Vista Township, Atlantic County, pleaded guilty before Judge Kugler on Oct. 31, 2007, to aiding and abetting the Duka brothers’ illegal possession of weapons. Abdullahu was arrested on May 7, 2007, along with the defendants convicted today. On March 31, 2008, Judge Kugler sentenced Abdullahu to 420 months in federal prison.

The charge of conspiracy to murder members of the U.S. military carries a sentence of any number of years up to life in prison. The charge of possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years imprisonment. The charge of attempted possession of AK-47 semi-automatic assault weapons to be used in the attack carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. Each count of unlawful possession of machine guns carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison. Each count of being an illegal alien in possession of firearms carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison.

Marra credited the Special Agents of the FBI's Philadelphia Division and the FBI South Jersey Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Fedarcyk, in Philadelphia, for investigation of the case.
Marra and Fedarcyk also thanked investigators with member agencies of the FBI South Jersey Joint Terrorism Task Force, which comprises ICE’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John P. Kelleghan, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of the Prosecutor Warren W. Faulk, NJ State Police, under the direction of Col. Joseph "Rick" Fuentes, Superintendent, and the Delaware River Port Authority Police, under the direction of Chief Dave McClintock, for their tireless efforts on the investigation.

Additionally, Marra and Fedarcyk would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance and support: the U.S. military services at Fort Dix, Fort Monmouth, Dover Air Force Base, and the U.S. Coast Guard in Philadelphia, along with the Cherry Hill Police Department, Mt. Laurel Police Department, Cherry Hill Fire Department, Camden County Sheriff's Department, Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, and N.J. Homeland Security.

Press Releases | Philadelphia Home

Technorati tags: american jihad, fort dix, joint, us military, war on terror, radical islamists, terrorists among us, conspiracy to kill us soldiers

Iran using Venezuela ties to duck UN sanctions: report

According to AFP and Iran Focus: Iran is using its warm relations with Venezuela to dodge UN sanctions and use Venezuelan aircraft to ship missile parts to Syria, an Italian newspaper reported Sunday.

Citing US and other Western intelligence agencies, La Stampa said Iran is using aircraft from Venezuelan airline Conviasa to transport computers and engine components to Syria for use in missiles.

The material comes from Iranian industrial group Shahid Bagheri, listed in the annex of UN Security Council Resolution 1737, adopted in December 2006, for involvement in Iran's ballistic missile programme.

For the rest of the story, please visit my friends over at Iran Focus: Iran using Venezuela ties to duck UN sanctions: report

Fitna

Here is Fitna. Caution Graphic Content

Courtesy of Robert Spencer and Jihad Watch.

This video is posted in the interest of freedom of speech. The video, Fitna, in no way constitutes an endorsement by or reflects the opinions or beliefs of The Bosun, Rumors of War, the Bosun Locker, or anyone affiliated.

Also posting this topic:

EU Bans Screening of Fitna

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: “Fitna” now online; Update ...

Geert Wilders': Fitna the Movie

Technorati tags: fitna, robert spencer, jihad watch, islam in action, freedom of speech

Report: Obama to Offer Israel 'Nuclear Umbrella' Against Iran

Courtesy of Fox News , as reported from Haaetz:

U.S. president-elect will offer Israel a strategic pact designed to fend off any nuclear attack on the Jewish state by Iran, an Israeli newspaper reports.

President-elect Barack Obama will offer Israel a strategic pact designed to fend off any nuclear attack on the Jewish state by Iran, an Israeli newspaper reported on Thursday.

Haaretz, quoting an unnamed source, said the Obama administration would pledge under the proposed "nuclear umbrella" to respond to any Iranian strike on Israel with a "devastating U.S. nuclear response."

Granting Israel a nuclear guarantee would essentially suggest the U.S. is willing to come to terms with a nuclear Iran, the paper reported.

According to the paper's source, Obama's nuclear guarantee would be backed by a new and improved Israeli anti-ballistic missile system. The Bush administration took the first step by deploying an early-warning radar system, which enhances the ability to detect Iranian ballistic missiles.

Secretary of state-designate Hillary Clinton had raised the idea of a nuclear guarantee to Israel during her campaign for the Democratic Party's nomination for the presidency. During a debate with Obama in April, Clinton said that Israel and Arab countries must be given "deterrent backing." She added, "Iran must know that an attack on Israel will draw a massive response."

Clinton also proposed that the American nuclear umbrella be extended to other countries in the region, like Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, if they agree to relinquish their own nuclear ambitions.

Obama said this week that he would negotiate with Iran and would offer economic incentives for Tehran to relinquish its nuclear program. He warned that if Iran refused the deal, he would act to intensify sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Granting Israel a nuclear guarantee essentially suggests the U.S. is willing to come to terms with a nuclear Iran. For its part, Israel opposes any such development and similar opposition was voiced by officials in the outgoing Bush administration.

"What is the significance of such guarantee when it comes from those who hesitated to deal with a non-nuclear Iran?" asked a senior Israeli security source.

"What kind of credibility would this [guarantee have] when Iran is nuclear-capable?"
The same source noted that the fact that there is talk about the possibility of a nuclear Iran undermines efforts to prevent Tehran from acquiring such arms.

A senior Bush administration source said that the proposal for an American nuclear umbrella for Israel was ridiculous and lacked credibility. "Who will convince the citizen in Kansas that the U.S. needs to get mixed up in a nuclear war because Haifa was bombed? And what is the point of an American response, after Israel's cities are destroyed in an Iranian nuclear strike?"

The current debate is taking place in light of the Military Intelligence assessment that Iran has passed beyond the point of no return, and has mastered the technology of uranium enrichment. The decision to proceed toward the development of nuclear arms is now purely a matter for Iran's leaders to decide. Intelligence assessments, however, suggest that the Iranians are trying to first accumulate larger quantities of fissile material, and this offers a window of opportunity for a last-ditch diplomatic effort to prevent an Iranian bomb.

Source: Obama's atomic umbrella: U.S. nuclear strike if Iran nukes Israel

By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent

Related articles:

Israel worried by report Iran has tripled its missile arsenal

Zbigniew Brzezinski: Israel's push for Iran strike may hurt U.S. ties

Iran rejects Barack Obama's 'failed' carrot and stick policy

 

Technorati tags: israeli, Iran, nuclear Iran, Obama, strategic pact, nuclear umbrella, haaetz, anti-ballistic missile system, early warning system, iranian ballistic missles, tel aviv, middle east, pre-emptive strike

Is the Saudi Peace Plan 100 years of Dhimmitude?

The republished Saudi peace plan - or ultimatum - offers 100 years of dhimmitude, the term for the protected but inferior and vulnerable status of non-Moslem religious and ethnic groupings in Islamic society. It purports to offer normal diplomatic and political relations between Israel and the entire Islamic world if Israel goes back to its 1948 borders and accepts the principle of repatriation of the Palestinian refugees. If Israel does not accept these terms, the subtext is quite clear: The Islamic world retains the option of remaining hostile to our existence.

This subtext rejects a self-evident principle: that Israel's existence and security are, as Barack Obama has declared, sacrosanct. That principle derives from the UN resolutions of 1948 and 1967, and not any decision by our neighbors. Israel is the national home of a first nation returning to its native land. Its existence and security are not negotiable. 

.......

ISRAELIS HAVE good reason to be skeptical about peace plans. While there is a cold peace with Egypt and Jordan, more Israelis have died in the 15 years following the Oslo Accords than in the two previous decades of undeclared wars. Therefore the burden of proof is on those who deny that the Saudi plan offers something between dhimmitude at best and a staged dismantling of Israel as the Jewish national home.

....... 

THE APPALLING treatment of religious minorities by many Arab regimes is another reason for skepticism concerning the Saudi plan. Coptic and Assyrian Christians, Baha'is, Armenians, Yazdis and other minority religious group have experienced persecution, expulsions and genocidal mass atrocities in many of the 29 countries, notably Egypt, Iraq, Sudan and Iran. In the PA itself, since the Oslo Accords, the Christian population is rapidly diminishing.

For the rest of the commentary in the Jerusalem post: The Saudi plan: 100 years of dhimmitude?

Technorati tags: Arab, Persian, Dhimmitude, Israel, Right to exist, Obama, Muslim, Islam, Hebrew people, Islamic World, United Nations, Western World

Trooper subdues gunman

Cop who Stopped Islamic Shooting Honored in Oklahoma

Courtesy of Islam In Action: 09 Dec 2008 02:12 PM CST

Recently many of us have stated that sooner or later a Mumbai style attack will take place here in America. Thankfully a smaller version of one was stopped back in September by a trooper from Oklahoma who was walking into a local Burger King. As he walked in he noticed a man sitting at a table with a Glock 40 and a box of ammunition laid out in front of him. The courageous trooper then snuck up on the man and wrestled him to the ground to stop the attack. Oh....did I mention that the gunman was praying to Allah at the time?

Trooper honored for subduing man with a gun .  Link to Islam in Action

Technorati tags: islam in action, oklahoma, burger king, allah, muhammedan, glock 40

Are Minnesotans being recruited for Jihad in Somalia?

So now, are some Somali youth in Minnesotastan, USA, joining the JIHAD in Somalia?
Link: Jihad Recruiting Effort May Explain Missing Somalis in Minneapolis Area

Dozens of young Somali men in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area have disappeared in recent months, causing community members and U.S. intelligence officials to fear that they are joining jihadist groups in Somalia.

Officials are especially concerned that some of the men may be destined to return to the U.S. after they have received terrorist training.

(Bosun's comment: Hmmmmmmmm, wonder if this is a Trojan horse technique to introduce jihad in the United States at a later date?)

The missing young men have been the focus of some attention since late October, when Shirwa Ahmed, a naturalized U.S. citizen, died in a suicide bombing in northern Somalia. Ahmed was a 1999 graduate of Minneapolis's Roosevelt High School.

Immigrating to the United States from another country and wanting to return home to visit friends or family should not be a red flag or cause any concern.

What causes peaceful a Muhammadan to turn into a lunatic fanatic, as the case of Shirwa Ahmed, a graduate of Minneapolis' Roosevelt High School?

Now he is a dead homicide bomber.

How about Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, the 1999 valedictorian at the Islamic Saudi Academy, Northern Virginia, who was convicted of joining Al Qaeda and plotting to assassinate President Bush? Jihadi Ali was a United States Citizen, born in Houston, Texas, and raised mostly in the U.S. His father worked for the Saudi embassy and the family moved to to Jordan for four years.  They returned to Falls Church, Virginia, when Abu Ali was 14 or 15. Jihadi Ali's father worked at the Saudi Embassy in Washington. Now he (Jihadi Ali not his father) is a convicted terrorist.

Let us not forget John Phillip Walker Lindh and Adam Gahdan, two Californians who converted to Islam. What caused them to turn into lunatics?  We should be studying and exploring as to what caused peaceful Muhammadans to metamorphose into radical Muhammadans.  Do they and potentially thousands of others pose a threat to the stability of the United States of America or are these simply isolated incidents not worthy of serious concern?

What causes a peaceful Muhammadan to become a raving Islamist lunatic?

Technorati tags: ahmed omar abu ali, john phillip walker lindh, adam gahdan, muhammadan, jihadist, jihad, muslim, shirwa ahmed, somalia, minneapolis, minnesota, Islamic Saudi Academy, Northern Virginia, falls church

Inside Radical Islam

On Friday, Dennis Prager had an interesting show.  For a full one hour segment of the show, Dennis Prager interviewed Daveed Gartenstine-Ross, a former Islamist who is now is now a full-time counterterrorism consultant.

Daveed also talked briefly about his book, My Year Inside Radical Islam: A Memoir.
In a nutshell, according to Human Events book service and Dennis Prager's interview with Daveed:

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross was a spiritual seeker. Raised by Jewish-born hippie-era parents in liberal Ashland, Oregon, he longed to find a religion that would ground his social consciousness in spiritual ideals. When at college in the late nineties, he met a charismatic Muslim student who seemed to have what he was looking for.

Gartenstein-Ross converted to Islam, and began eagerly to learn the details of Islamic belief and practice. He didn't have any inkling of what was to come, as at that point he was convinced that "the true Islam was moderate." But at the moment of his conversion he began a descent into the bizarre world of the Islamic jihadist subculture in America - a descent he recounts in chilling detail in My Year Inside Radical Islam.

After college, Gartenstein-Ross went to work for the al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, a charity which - it soon became to clear to him - was dedicated to furthering the aims of the global jihad by funding terrorists abroad while spreading the jihad ideology at home. To his growing disquiet, he quickly began to chafe against the many rules and restrictions that Islamic law imposes upon Muslims - including the forbidding of music and the requirement that men wear beards - and to question the Islamic restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of religion. But at the same time, he began to discover that the version of Islam taught by jihadist extremists tallied with what he was reading in the Qur'an and Islamic tradition.

Instead of putting his mind at ease about the path he had taken, this realization made him all the more uneasy - and led him to resume his spiritual search with renewed vigor. He left al-Haramain and, ultimately, Islam itself. His theological and historical investigations led him to the realization that Christianity was in fact the true faith, and he became a Christian around the time his former employer was charged by the U.S. government as being a source of funds for terrorist organizations. Gartenstein-Ross, by this time a lawyer at a prominent firm, volunteered to be questioned by the FBI. They already knew who he was.
My Year Inside Radical Islam is a harrowing story of how easily good intentions can be distorted and a decent man can be led away from its principles. It is also an instructive guide to the seductive attractiveness of the jihad movement, and to how quickly and easily a well-intentioned soul can find himself involved in groups that are dedicated to the destruction of the United States and Western civilization.
Among the revelations of Daveed Gartenstein-Ross' amazing journey:

• The fundamental difference between how religion is viewed in the West and how it is seen in the Islamic world
• How Gartenstein-Ross's Muslim colleagues at al-Haramain disguised their financial support for terror groups so as to avoid detection by law enforcement authorities
• The significance of the fact that there is no separation between mosque and state in Islam
• How the mainstream media rushed to defend al-Haramain and Gartenstein-Ross's former colleagues from terror charges, printing what Gartenstein-Ross knew to be ridiculous distortions and half-truths - including calling al-Haramain America's "natural partner in the war on terror"
• The ease with which some of Gartenstein-Ross's Muslim friends trafficked in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories
• How the Muslims around Gartenstein-Ross defended the Taliban and wrote off the Afghan regime's murderous brutality as "Western media hype"
• The key role that social pressure plays in enforcing Islamic morality and custom
• The enlightening reason why women from the Muslim world make better wives than American Muslim women - according to one of Gartenstein-Ross's Muslim friends
• The disagreements within Gartenstein-Ross's Muslim circle as to how orthodox Sunni Muslims should regard members of Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam
• Does jihad properly refer only to defensive warfare against an unjust regime? How Gartenstein-Ross came to the conclusion that this was not the Koran's view
• Why seemingly trivial matters such as the length of Gartenstein-Ross's beard became matters of contention among his Muslim peers
• The chief obstacle that most Americans encounter when they try to understand the jihadist mindset
• The Saudi Chief Justice who convinced Gartenstein-Ross while he was a Muslim that Muslims have a duty to fight unbelievers, not just an option to do so
• Discoveries that helped propel Gartenstein-Ross out of Islam: yes, Islam does sanction polygamy (and yes, Muslims do practice it in the United States), mandate the death penalty for apostasy, and more
• How Gartenstein-Ross determined that Christianity was true, and the Muslim claims about it hollow
• How Gartenstein-Ross's Muslim friends reacted to 9/11
• "You should not go to law school. If you go to law school, you will have to say that the Constitution is good" - and other advice Gartenstein-Ross received from Muslim mentors in the U.S.
• How Americans must awaken to the seductive pull of the ideology that is today our nation's deadliest foe 

We have gone back and forth about Muslims, Islam, Muhammad, and Radicalized Islam. Some have a rather jaded view of radicalized Islam, some are naive, some are apologetic and appeasers, and some are totally against Mohammedanism.

With the latest incident that happened in Mumbai, and the revelations reported by Fox News, Report: Mumbai Terror Attack Aimed to Kill 5,000 People, we have a lot more to learn.  The free world needs to fully understand the process of Islamism and how radicalization takes place with some who originally enter with peaceful intentions such as John Phillip Walker Lindh and Adam Gahdan. At the end of the day, are all Muhammadans the same?

We need to think outside the box, folks. Those who want to wish it away, the Elephant in the room will remain there.

Technorati tags: john walker lindh, adam gahdan, mumbai, radlcial islam, muslim, daveed gartenstein ross, dennis prager, muhammedanism, muhammed, apologist, appeasers, terror attacks, al-Haramain

Africa: The Unnoticed Threat

What about the Somalian pirates? Ah, yes. Now you look, but what do you really know? For example, did you know that the middle east has been using sub-saharan Africa as a gateway to Mexico so they can enter the United States?

Yes, this is happening more and more often. Especially since our media refuses to educate the masses that are too stupid to handle the truth...or is it that they are just too lazy to track it down? Hmm, I'll leave that to you to decide. On with the article.

I like to read Douglas Farah's site, because he keeps his eyes, ears, and whatever body part is available to the ground when it comes to Africa. He is a counter-terrorism expert expert, and he has authored the book, "BLOOD FROM STONES", the secret financial network of terror.

This is what attracted my eye today:

Sub-Saharan Africa Rises for the Wrong Reasons.
By Douglas Farah

While the Somali piracy crisis has galvanized world opinion, it is not the only area of Sub-Saharan Africa that is attracting counter-terrorism attention.

The growing ties between criminal and terrorist groups (often one and the same when it comes to Hezbollah's broad activity in Western and Central Africa) has been noted. The Congress authorized the creation of the new Africa Command (Africom) largely because of the terrorist threat in the region.

But what is the real threat? Again I return to the pipeline metaphor, and Africa is more and more frequently a important part of that pipeline structure.

Two cases illustrate this clearly. The first, an illegal alien smuggling ring running from Ghana through Central America to the United States was ideally positioned to carry anyone, including terrorists, across multiple borders.

The ring was run by a 26-year-old named Mohammed Kamel Ibrahim, living in Mexico and using the moniker "Silk the Shocker." For $5,000 he offered to have his clients met by corrupt Mexican officials and sent on to the United States.

What is astonishing is the number of countries through which this network moved people. Like water running downhill they simply took the path of least resistance at any given moment. My full blog is here.

If you continue reading this article, you will find there are several ways in which corrupt governments - including the Mexican government - are aiding in the spread of jihadism. This is one of the very important reasons why we must remain ever vigilant on the issue of gaining control of and keeping it of our borders.

Not only our borders by land but by that of sea. Yes, they are planning something which will occur because someone got into America through the sea. We must press our government to gain control of our harbors. Also, they must give the Coast Guard proper training and equipment to face our enemy head-on. We are all counting on them as well, and it's about time we showed it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Source(s): CounterTerrorism Blog and Douglas' site, Sub-Saharan Africa's Rising Role in Terrorism and Crime.

PM Manmonhan Singh, World Leaders condemns terror attacks in Mumbai

PM, World Leaders condemns terror attacks in Mumbai

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday night condemned the terror attacks in Mumbai and assured all help to Maharashtra in meeting the situation.

Headlines in India post Terror attack

Courtesy of the Indian Govenment

 

Security strengthened in Delhi, Goa

Following Wdnesday's terror attack in Mumbai security stepped up in the poll-bound national capital following the terror strikes in Mumbai on Thursday.

HEADLINES

Defence Minister to meet military top brass

With terrorists striking in Mumbai, Defence Minister A K Antony has convened a high-level meeting of the armed forces on Thursday to review the situation.

At least 100 killed in Mumbai terror strike; Operations Continue to flush out terrorists

Courtesy of the Indian Government:

At least 100 killed in Mumbai terror strike; Operations Continue to flush out terrorists

More than 100 people have been killed and nearly 300 injured so far in the multiple attacks by an unspecified number of heavily armed gunmen in ten places in South Mumbai.  

Security forces on Thursday prepared to launch an assault to flush out terrorists from two luxury hotels - Taj and Trident - where a couple of 100 people are believed to be either held hostage or trapped in the most audacious terror attacks that have claimed over 100 lives and left over 300 injured in India's financial capital.

Latest reports indicate that terrorists, about 10-12 in number in Trident (rpt) Trident, formerly Oberoi, alone, have made some ransom demands but Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil said no demands have come from them.

He said five of the dozen terrorists in Trident (rpt) Trident have been killed while one has been captured and was being interrogated.

Claiming to have some "vital leads", the minister expressed confidence of breakthrough soon.

An unspecified number of foreigners including Americans, Israelis and Canadians are believed to be among those trapped in the two hotels and in Nariman House, a

residential complex with an old Jewish prayer hall, where also a hostage situation prevailed.

As the day broke, gunbattles raged between terrorists, believed to have come in a boat to the Gateway of India, opposite Taj hotel, and commandoes and fresh explosions rocked the two hotels after the night of terror targeting ten places.

The terrorists struck with impunity in Mumbai on Wednesday night in coordinated multiple blasts and gunfire in a dozen areas including at iconic landmarks CST railway station and two five star hotels—Oberoi and Taj.

Terror strikes hit life in fast-paced Mumbai

While terror-hit Mumbai came to a virtual standstill on Thursday with trains running almost empty and streets wearing a deserted look as government asked residents not to panic in the face of the most audacious militant attack on the metropolis.

A curfew-like situation prevailed in south Mumbai, the metropolis' business district which is the centre of terror attacks since Wednesday night.

The otherwise overcrowded suburban trains, the lifeline of Mumbai, were running on schedule but with only a few office-goers as passengers on Thursday morning.

Schools and colleges were shut down by authorities and trading at Bombay Stock Exchange and commodity markets stalled in view of the grim situation.

ATS chief Hemant Karkare killed in terror strikes

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said five police officers including Anti Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare were killed in one of the worst terror strikes in the country's financial capital that in all claimed the lives of at least 11 police personnel.

Karkare(54), who is probing the Malegaon blasts case, was gunned down when he was leading an operation at Hotel Taj against terrorists who had taken 15 people, including seven foreigners, as hostages.

He was hit by three bullets in his chest. One MP Krishan Das and 200 people were stranded in Taj hotel.

Another IPS officer Ashok Marutirao Kamte, a 1989 batch IPS officer, was killed while fighting terrorists at Metro Cinema in the city along with encounter specialist Vijay

Salaskar who also gunned down as one of the worst terror strikes brought Mumbai to the knees.

"The operation(by security forces) is still going on," Deshmukh also said. Besides army commandoes, naval commandos and Rapid Action force personnel joined in the operations to rescue those stranded in the two hotels.

Five columns of Army and 200 NSG commandoes have been rushed.

Two sten guns have been recovered by police so far, he added.

Deshmukh said it was not immediately known how many terrorists were involved in the audacious attack in ten places that shook the western metropolis.

The chief minister said the Taj and Oberoi is not in control yet. He said there are no terrorists in Cama hospital which was also targeted by gunmen. (KR-27/11)

Radial muslims attack the innocents in India.

Courtesy of Michael Savage:  Muslim fanatics attack innocent Indians, Americans; bloodbath

(BBC News) Terrorists attacked at least seven sites in Mumbai today and were holding Western hostages at a hotel. At least 80 people were killed and 250 wounded ... 

Note: The Bosun and Rumors of War are not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.  This story and links are for your information and evaluation only.  We must decide how to retaliate against armed aggression by these radial muhammadan terrorists.

SEE OTHER ARTICLES BY BBC

Mumbai attacks leave India reeling
27 Nov 08 |  South Asia

Witnesses tell of Mumbai violence
27 Nov 08 |  South Asia

In pictures: Mumbai attacks
27 Nov 08 |  In Pictures

Mumbai shootings: Reaction in quotes
27 Nov 08 |  South Asia

RELATED INTERNET LINKS

FROM OTHER NEWS SITES

ABC Online Australian confirmed killed in Mumbai - 29 mins ago

The Scotsman Terror attacks in Mumbai: Death toll rises to 101 - 31 mins ago

ABC Online Australians among Mumbai dead: reports - 34 mins ago

Haaretz At least eight Israelis held hostage in Mumbai as 101 killed across city - 43 mins ago

CNN Ex-wife of pop icon Prince flees India gunfire - 49 mins ago

Indian government

Terrorist in India hunt for Americans and Brits

Courtesy of Michael Savage: Witnesses: Terrorists looked for Brits, Americans

(BBC News) "They told everybody to stop and put their hands up and asked if there were any British or Americans. My friend said to me, 'don't be a hero, don't say you are British'" ...

What Islam is not

Courtesy of FrontPageMagazine.com

What Islam Isn't

By Dr. Peter Hammond
FrontPageMagazine.com | Monday, April 21, 2008

The following is adapted from Dr. Peter Hammond's book: Slavery, Terrorism and Islam: The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat:
Islam is not a religion nor is it a cult. It is a complete system.
Islam has religious, legal, political, economic and military components. The religious component is a beard for all the other components.
Islamization occurs when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their so-called 'religious rights.'
When politically correct and culturally diverse societies agree to 'the reasonable' Muslim demands for their 'religious rights,' they also get the other components under the table. Here's how it works (percentages source CIA: The World Fact Book (2007)).
As long as the Muslim population remains around 1% of any given country they will be regarded as a peace-loving minority and not as a threat to anyone.  Read the rest of the article at this LINK

Islamist strike the heart of India

Courtesy of Islam In Action

Terrorist Attacks at 7 Sites in India

Posted: 26 Nov 2008 11:22 PM CST

Updated TV reports say that at least 20 are dead and that there are terrorists trapped inside one of the hotels.
Update: There is a hostage situation. Gunman are asking for passports and they are looking for Brits and Americans.

Several wounded in Mumbai shootings
Associated Press
MUMBAI, India – Police say several people have been wounded in a series of attacks by terrorist gunmen at seven sites in Mumbai, including two luxury hotels.
A.N. Roy, a senior police officer, says several people have been wounded, and police were battling the gunmen.
"The terrorists have used automatic weapons and in some places grenades have been lobbed, the encounters are still going on and we are trying to overpower them," Roy says.
The gunmen attacked two luxury hotels, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station in southern Mumbai and Leopold's restaurant, a Mumbai landmark.

Link to Article

AkBARF

Islam in the news

Courtesy of Islam In Action

Minneapolis Muslim Blows Himself up in Somalia Attack

Posted: 25 Nov 2008 09:25 PM CST

Less than two weeks ago it was reported that there are thousands of Somalians here illegally. Today it comes out that a Minneapolis Somalian named Shirwa Ahmed went back to Somalia and blew himself up as a homicide bomber. While this man was here legally, it was also learned that Somalians are recruiting in Minneapolis for the jihad in Somalia. This can be done much easier if our government does not know who is here. Recently over a dozen young Somalians from the Minneapolis area have not been seen. It is believed that they have went back to Somalia to fight the Islamic holy war.
Video on the story

Virginia:Two Muslims Offer to Sell Missile to FBI Informant

Posted: 25 Nov 2008 07:03 PM CST

Two Muslim men from Virginia have been arrested in a FBI sting. They were caught trying to sell a missile that could reach the Pentagon. This comes from the same state where a Saudi school for children was busted preaching hatred towards non-Muslims. Virginia was also the home of the former Virginia Jihad Network.

Annandale man offers to sell missile to FBI informant
Fairfax County
By Gregg MacDonald
Source: Fairfax County Times
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 2008
"You want to hit the Pentagon. You can put the bottle on it, the blue bottle, and hit the Pentagon."-- Amjad Hamed, as quoted in a U.S. District Court affidavit. Two Annandale men have been arrested in an FBI sting that uncovered visa fraud, gun smuggling and references to Lebanon, Yasir Arafat and bombing the Pentagon with a missile.
According to a recently unsealed U.S. District Court affidavit, an FBI informant met with Annandale resident Amjad Hamed, a Jordanian native, in April 2006.
Hamed provided the informant with six valid Palestinian passports and asked him to obtain U.S. visas for them.
According to the affidavit, Hamed revealed that he was part of an international visa fraud scheme. "I challenge anyone in the world who can bring so many passports without being inspected," he is quoted as saying.
Hamed is also quoted as saying he was a member of the Palestinian Authority who met regularly with Yasir Arafat.
Hamed's references to smuggling were also quoted in the affidavit. "Yes, I have connections to transport from America directly to the middle of Lebanon ... no one does anything through the airport ... the airport is hard. All the companies have to disclose their shipment. Do you know through what? ... via the port ... By the sea."
According to the affidavit, Hamed also sold the FBI informant an 8 mm semi-automatic handgun and a SKS sniper rifle on June 21, 2007.
During that transaction, Hamed is quoted as saying that he could obtain a missile that could reach the Pentagon. "You want to hit the Pentagon. You can put the bottle on it, the blue bottle, and hit the Pentagon," he is quoted as saying in the affidavit.
Hamed's cousin, Ibrahim Hamed, allegedly also sold the FBI informant an altered 9 mm handgun in August 2007, and offered to sell him other weapons that he said would come from a source in Florida.
According to the affidavit, Ibrahim Hamed said that his cousin did not have the connections to get the guns and the missile, but that he did.
Amjad Hamed is charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud, and Ibrahim Hamed is charged with conspiracy to transport in interstate commerce a firearm with a serial number that was removed and obliterated.
Both men are being held without bond and will be sentenced on January 30.
"Some of the statements in the affidavit are overblown," said Attorney Gregory Stambaugh, who represents Ibrahim Hamed. "He said some things that probably didn't help him, but the charge against him is for the sale of a handgun. It's really a rather mundane case."

Link to Article

Muslims Firebomb Church

Posted: 25 Nov 2008 02:09 PM CST

Most of the readers are probably thinking that this happened in the Middle East. But the hate of Islam is now across Europe as this was a Dutch Church. Is there a reason that we still allow Muslims to come into our countries?
Hat tip to Islam in Europe

Gouda:Church firebombed
Four teenagers of Moroccan origin were arrested Saturday evening for setting fire to the Vaste Burcht Reformed church in Gouda. A Molotov cocktail was thrown at the door of the church, according to the police. The bottom part of the door and the doormat were damaged.
The four Gouda residents, three aged 14 and one aged 15, are suspected of arson. The fire was reported at 5:45pm and the directions given by the reporter led to the residence of one of them, where three youth were arrested. The 15 year old suspect was arrested later that evening.
Three of the suspects spent the night in jail. They will appear in court Tuesday. A 14 year old was released after interrogation since there was no evidence of his involvement. The police is continuing with the investigation.
A spokesperson of the church said that there are often fights there but this is the first time a Molotov cocktail was thrown at them. The administrator of the church said that they had windows broken in in the past which they put down to street youth.
The parishioners were informed of the events and were told that the police and mayor are taking the case seriously.

Florida:Volunteers Needed To Counter CAIR's con

Posted: 24 Nov 2008 08:18 PM CST

The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization that was just hit with racketeering charges yesterday is taking a page out the playbook of the Islamic Circle of North America . They are going to be using the Florida mass transit bus system to proselytize Islam to our fellow countrymen. The ICNA used the NYC subway cars to do the same back in September.
I had made up fliers to counter their campaign and they can easily be printed up to counter this Islamic ad campaign also. There will be two press conferences held on Tuesday November 25Th to announce this campaign. The addresses are listed below.
Islam the Ugly Truth
Ramadan the Month of Imposition

S. Florida Muslims to Launch Bus Ad Campaign on Islam
Last update: 4:41 p.m. EST Nov. 24, 2008
MIAMI, Nov 24, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- On Tuesday, November 25, South Florida Islamic and interfaith leaders will hold two news conferences to launch an educational outreach project designed to dispel common misconceptions about Islam and Muslims.
Starting November 25, and continuing for eight weeks, the Dade and Broward County transit systems will display large, colorful banners about Islam on the sides of 120 buses. The project, called the "Bus Ad Campaign," is designed to invite Floridians of all faiths to call 1-888-ISLAM-55 or to log on to the www.CallingIslam.com website to find the accurate and objective information about Islam and Muslims.
A bus with the display will be present at both press conferences.
1st Press Conference:
WHAT: News Conference to Launch Bus Ad Campaign on Islam
WHEN: Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 11 a.m.
WHERE: 2775 SW 74th Avenue, Miami, FL
2nd Press Conference:
WHAT: News Conference to Launch Bus Ad Campaign on Islam
WHEN: Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 4 p.m.
WHERE: 4305 NW 183rd Street, Miami, FL

For the rest of the article

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Holy Land Charity Guilty on 108 Counts!!

Posted: 24 Nov 2008 05:06 PM CST

Over a year after escaping the first trial because of a declared mistrial the Holy Land Foundation was finally found guilty of 108 counts of funneling money to the Hamas terrorist organization in Palestine.

Charity convicted of financing terrorism
November 24, 2008
Associated Press
DALLAS — A Muslim charity and five of its former leaders were convicted Monday of funneling millions of dollars to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the retrial of the largest terrorism financing case since the attacks of Sept. 11.
U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis announced the 108 guilty verdicts on the eighth day of deliberations in the retrial of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, once the nation's largest Muslim charity.
Relatives of the former leaders sobbed after the defendants were found guilty of all counts, and one crying woman screamed in the courtroom, "My dad is not a criminal!"
Holy Land was accused of giving more than $12 million to support Hamas. The seven-week retrial ran about as long as the original, which ended in October 2007 when a judge declared a mistrial on most charges.
Holy Land wasn't accused of violence. Rather, the government said the Richardson, Texas-based charity financed schools, hospitals and social welfare programs controlled by Hamas in areas ravaged by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The U.S. designated Hamas a terrorist organization in 1995 and again in 1997, making contributions to the group illegal.
Prosecutors labeled Holy Land's benefactors — called zakat committees — as terrorist recruiting pools. The charities, the government argued, spread Hamas' violent ideology and generated loyalty and support among Palestinians.
It was a "womb to the tomb" cycle, prosecutor Barry Jonas told jurors during closing arguments last week.
Holy Land supporters told a different story. They accused the government of politicizing the case as part of its war on terrorism, while attorneys for the foundation said Holy Land's mission was philanthropy and providing much-needed aid to the Middle East.
They reminded jurors that none of the zakat committees are designated by the U.S. as terrorist fronts, and that Holy Land also donated to causes elsewhere, including helping victims of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.
"No one here is engaging in acts of terrorism," Theresa Duncan, attorney for former Holy Land chief executive Shukri Abu Baker, said during closing arguments.
Government officials raided Holy Land's headquarters in December 2001 and shut it down. President George W. Bush even personally announced the seizure of Holy Land's assets, calling the action "another step in the war on terrorism."
A chaotic courtroom scene ended last year's original trial, which lasted nearly two months and kept jurors deliberating for 19 days. But they deadlocked on many counts, and when a judge polled the panel about other verdicts, some disavowed their vote.
The confusing finish led U.S. District Judge A. Joe Fish to declare a mistrial, and leaders of the defunct charity rushed outside to celebrate.
Observers last year panned the government for presenting a bloated case too complicated for jurors to follow. Prosecutors responded this year by dropping nearly 60 charges in the trial and tightening their narrative to jurors, even offering a kind of road map to help the panel follow the money.
But nearly 15 boxes of evidence wheeled into court on a flatbed still impressed the size of the case, as did the more than one hour that Solis needed to read aloud the indictment.

Link to Article

Chaos in Egypt as Coptics try to Build a Church

Posted: 24 Nov 2008 04:11 PM CST

The persecution of the Coptic Christian community in our so called ally Egypt has been going on for centuries and continues today. Them not being allowed to build or repair Churches is a common event in Egypt.

EGYPT: MUSLIM-POLICE FIGHT OVER COPTIC CHURCH IN CAIRO
(ANSAmed) - CAIRO, NOVEMBER 24 - Eight civilians and four policemen have been hurt, two cars have been set ablaze and an unknown number of arrests have been made during fighting in Matareya, a working-class area east of Cairo. The fighting was between police and Muslims who were protesting over the rumoured destruction of a half-complete building in order to build a Coptic church in its place. The skirmish took place yesterday evening, after evening prayers. At the exit of a mosque in the area, belonging to the Confraternity of Muslim Brothers, Mohamed Yussef Abu Hussein incited those present to protest against the construction of a church on soil that is not owned by Christians. Police troops gathered on the scene and arrested several people, unleashing a violent reaction from the people which eventually culminated in a full blown skirmish. Since the early hours of the morning the whole area has been watched over by security forces, but there have been no signs of gathering crowds. (ANSAmed).
2008-11-24

Link to Article

Did Pakistan approve of missile strikes?

Pakistan Denies Agreement Okaying US Missile Strikes

(Courtesy of CNSNews.com) – Pakistan has no agreement with the United States permitting missile attacks on Pakistani soil, the country’s prime minister told lawmakers in a bid to quell strong suspicions that a surge of attacks – more than 20 in three months – had been quietly authorized. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said in Islamabad Saturday that the government would not tolerate such attacks, which were adding to Pakistan’s problems.

For the rest of the story, link here

Technorati tags: America at war, yousuf raza gilani, islamabad, preditor strikes, islamists, radical islam

Have you ever thought that Islam should reform?

Reform

Have you ever thought that perhaps Islam should go through reformation and enlightenment?

Islam is a new religion as Muhammad started receiving recitations in a cave about 610 years after Christ. He was originally run out of Mecca because he preached contrary to Arab tradition and got a following together in Medina to overtake Mecca.

True Muhammad did clean up the Kaaba ( الكعبة ) in Mecca when he returned and cast out about 359 other pagan gods that were worshiped there. Muhammad’s goal with to introduce monotheism into a pagan polytheistic culture. He was influenced by the Jews, Christians, and Persians surrounding the Arabian Peninsula. By the way, allah was one of the 360 pagan gods worshiped in Mecca before Muhammad cleansed the Kaaba. He kept allah and threw out the rest……

It took Muhammad a short 20 years to spread Islam through the Arab peninsula. After his death it took about another 100 - 200 years to spread Islam (by the sword) from Spain to India. The Kafir ( كافر ) eventually cast out the radical Islamists (who incidentally have tried to restore the Islamic Golden Age Caliphate). It is the desire of the new generation of radical Islamists to reestablish the Caliphate.

It is my desire that the multitude of moderate Muslims go through a reformation and enlightenment and excommunicate the radicals from their mists.

The people of the book should not have to pay Jizya or submit to the will of allah as some radical Islamists believe. We should be discussing oppression and bigotry by some in the religion of peace. If one would explore how Kafir are treated in some Islamic countries one would realize the extent of disregard for non believers. The twisted and corrupted teachings of Muhammad have caused much pain and suffering to the non-believers…..

In America we are very tolerant and accommodating to all religions and do not restrict Muslim worship. At times, their religious views run contrary to American tradition. I say they should learn to accept American traditions and modify their views (not values) to assimilate into America.

On the whole Muslims are good decent people and I have neighbors who are Muslim. They work in the the stores that I shop at, drive public transportation, and work in all aspects of the private sector. Most all are very industrious and have the American dream.

I am not a bigot. Actually I am compassionate toward moderate Muhammadans. The rest of the radical Muhammadans should be locked away or dispatched to hell, where they cannot hurt anyone including moderates and Kafir.

Technorati tags: muhammad, muhammadan, kaaba, kafir, islam, kafir nation, pagan gods, mecca, medina

What is this War on Terror, Islamophobia?

Courtesy of Maggie's Notebook

It's War - Call it What it is: War on Islam

After 9/11 we declared a War on Terror and it sparked a uniting of Americans that was too long coming. We've been able to define "Terror" now for several years and we know the terror to be Islam. WorldNetDaily quotes "a top commander for al-Qaida:"

"Islam does not distinguish between the American people and the American government, since both are in a state of war with Islam," Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid said in a recent interview.

He is right. This is a War on Islam in response to Islam's War on America, Islam's War on Freedom and Liberty, Islam's War on Infidels, Islam's War on Democracy - and just to be clear, Islam brought it to America years ago.

The difference between Islam's thinking and a thinking American is that Americans will be suspicious of, and fight back against, those Muslims supporting the downfall of America. We won't pin it on our next door neighbor unless he is found to be actively anti-American. We won't pin it on the Muslim children in our community, but we will hold their parents responsible for dispelling the Islamic agenda of hate toward us, we won't pin it on our co-worker unless she demonstrates a disdain for us - sees us as an infidel, but we will always be suspicious of the Mosques in our community - because we have no other choice.

I won't use the impotent and futile term "War on Terror" again. From now on it is the War on Islam - a hateful ideology, a hateful oppressive form of government, a seething desire to eliminate all things non-Islamic.

I'm declaring it for my blog.

http://maggiesnotebook.blogspot.com/2008/08/islam-hi-jacks-american-labor-day.html

Trackback URL for this entry:
http://haloscan.com/tb/maggiesnotebook/7163489530767127951

Technorati Tags:War on Islam, War on Terror, al-Qaeda, Muslims

Religion of Peace targets Olympics

Islamist bombers target Olympics

Courtesy of Times Online

A MILITANT Islamic group has threatened to attack the Beijing Olympics with suicide bombers and  biological weapons and has claimed responsibility for a string of fatal bombings and explosions in China over recent weeks.

In a video released by IntelCenter, a terrorism monitoring group, a bearded man identified as “Commander Seyfullah” is seen reading a declaration of jihad against the Olympics and warns athletes and spectators, “especially Muslims”, to stay away. link to the article:  Islamists

It appears that the teachings of Mohammed is deviant.  That idiot, Commander Seyfullah, will create even more hardships for the Ulghur people of Xinjiang Province through his twisted interpretations of the teachings of the moon-worshiping caravan raider, Mohammed.

The world has been at war with itself throughout history, sometimes, errant religious ideology has played a factor and sometimes has not.  The real source of war is the blind ambitions of those who want to dominate others, more recently Saddam Hussein's thirst for power and Osama Bin Laden's fatwa against the west. 

Mohammed's followers have used the Olympic backdrop in the past when Black September terrorists took Israeli athletes hostage and killed eleven.  We are entering a new front in the war on terror.  Pray for the Chinese government that their security catches the homicidal jihadists who may try to disrupt the games.  Pray for the athletes and those who attend the games.

Technorati tags: islam, muslim, jihad, fatwa, china, olympic games, terrorist, terrorism, commander seyfullah, militant, biological weapons, mohammed, ulghur people, East Turkestan Islamic Movement

Russian bombers step up provocative flights - 18 incursions in past year

Russian bombers have stepped up provocative flight exercises off the Alaskan coast, reminiscent of Cold War incursions designed to rattle U.S. air defenses. U.S. Northern Command, which protects North American airspace, told The Washington Times that TU-95 Bear bombers on 18 occasions the past year have skirted a 12-mile air defense identification zone that protects Alaska.

The incursions prompted F-15s and F-22 Raptor fighters to scramble from Elmendorf Air Force Base and intercept the warplanes.

The last incident happened in May. Moscow's sophisticated show of force has some in the Pentagon paying more attention to the long-term goals of a Russian military, which is being rebuilt with proceeds from the country's huge oil and gas revenues. NORAD is more sensitive than ever to wayward aircraft, given the Sept. 11 attacks by hijackers and the lack of military coordination at the time to track, and perhaps destroy, the planes.

Mr. McInerney said the incursions are the most sophisticated since the Cold War. The retired general called the exercises "coordinated attacks coming into our air defense identification zone. These incursions are far more sophisticated than anything we had seen before." He said the Russian army air force is launching Bear bombers from Tiksi on the Arctic Ocean and Anadyr in Siberia. They are flying against the air defense identification zone from both the polar caps and from the south.

The Air Force statement said it has "monitored Russian aircraft taking off from a variety of air bases across their country." ............. read more

Technorati tags: russian bombers, provocative flights, tu-95 bear bomber, alaska, elmendorf afb, f-15, f-22 raptor, norad, pentagon, tiksi, anadyr, siberia, air defense indentification zone, usaf