MEMRI: Profile of Reformist Algerian Cartoonist Ali Dilem

Inquiry & Analysis- North African Reformist Thinkers Project / Reform Project
June 27, 2006
No. 282

Profile of Reformist Algerian Cartoonist Ali Dilem

To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: HTML version of the profile .

By Nathalie Szerman*

Introduction

Algerian cartoonist Ali Dilem was born in 1967 in El-Harrach, a suburb of Algiers, and is of Kabyle origin. He studied at the National Art School in Algiers.(1) Dilem began his career as a cartoonist for the Algerian Communist weekly Alger Republican. In 1991, he drew cartoons for the independent Algerian daily Le Matin,(2) whose editor, Mohamed Benchicou,(3) was recently released from prison after serving a two-year sentence on charges of corruption.(4) Since 1996, Dilem has worked as a cartoonist for the French-language Algerian independent daily Liberté. Dilem also works for French TV5's Kiosque program. In 2000, he was awarded the International Prize of Drawing in Written Press.(5) In 2005, Dilem was awarded the Freedom of Press Trophy, which he dedicated to Benchicou; in 2006, he received the prestigious Cartoonist Rights Network Award.

Dilem became internationally known for his depictions of the Algerian political process and for his support of political pluralism in his country through his cartoons. In them, Dilem portrays Algerian civil society's criticism of the FLN (National Liberation Front) Party, in power since Algeria became independent in 1962; of the Islamist groups; and of the role of the army in the country. In an interview with Kabyles.com , Dilem describes Algeria's political situation as follows: "The majority is General Toufik [military security director Mohamed Mediène], and the opposition is also General Toufik."(6)

On February 11, 2006, Dilem was sentenced to one year's imprisonment and fined 50,000 dinars (?550), for dozens of cartoons he had published in Liberté during 2003 depicting Algerian President Abdelaziz Boutlefika. Dilem was sentenced under Article 144b of the Algerian Criminal Code, which allows for a prison term of two to 12 months as well as a fine for "insulting" or defaming the president.(7) Currently, 24 cases of press offenses are pending against him.(8)

During the Algerian civil war between Islamists and the Algerian government (1990-1998), Dilem received death threats from Algerian Islamist groups. In 2004, a fatwa was issued against him "in all mosques throughout Algeria."(9) Algerian Minister of Religious Affairs Boulem Ghoulamallah took responsibility for this fatwa.(10)

In his interview with Kabyles.com , Dilem reiterated his concerns about Islamist factions in Algeria, and said, "Everything that gave birth to the FIS [the Algerian Islamist party Front Islamique du Salut](11) in Algeria still exists."(12)

The following is a selection of 32 cartoons by Dilem, published by Liberté and by TV5(13) in 2005-2006. The cartoons focus on freedom of expression in the Arab world, especially with regard to the case of Benchicou in Algeria; women's rights; Iran's nuclear program; Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and his widely criticized decision to undergo medical treatment in France rather than in his own country; and the release from prison of Islamists in Algeria, under the 2005 general amnesty.(14) An additional theme is human and civil rights.

TO VIEW CARTOONS, VISIT: To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: MEMRI HTML of cartoons .


*Nathalie Szerman is Director of MEMRI's North African Reformists Project.

Endnotes:
(1) http://winne.com/algeria2/english/bf04.html
(2) Le Matin was closed in 2004, when editor Mohamed Benchicou was imprisoned. After Benchicou's release, he declared that Le Matin would soon return. http://www.elkhabar.com/FrEn/lire.php?ida=33550&idc=52 , June 15, 2006.
(3) Mohamed Benchicou is the editor of Algerian daily Le Matin. In 2004, he published a biography of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, titled Bouteflika: Une imposture algérienne, that exposed the corruption of the regime. Benchicou was imprisoned in June 2004 on charges of corruption and was released on June 14, 2006.
(4) http://www.elkhabar.com/FrEn/lire.php?ida=33550&idc=52 , June 6, 2006.
(5) http://winne.com/algeria2/english/bf04.html .
(6) http://www.kabyles.com , February 17, 2005.
(7) http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16478 , February 16, 2006.
(8) http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16478 , February 16, 2006.
(9) http://www.kabyles.com , February 17, 2005.
(10) http://www.algerie-dz.com/article2.html , Associated Press, as cited by Algerie-dz.com, February 15, 2004.
(11) The Algerian political party Front Islamique du Salut has been banned since 1992. In December 1991, the Algerian government cancelled the second round of elections after the first round showed an FIS victory. The Algerian civil war broke out shortly afterwards.
(12) http://www.kabyles.com , February 17, 2005.
(13) http://www.tv5.org/TV5Site/kiosque/kiosque_tous_dessins.php , L'année vue par Dilem, http://www.tv5.org/TV5Site/fetes/dilem2005/janvier.php?image=jan1&ext=gif&back=1 .
(14) Algeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Charte pour la Paix et la Reconciliation Nationale: http://193.194.78.233/ma_fr/stories.php?story=05/09/06/3612066 .

*********************
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.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-Mail: memri@memri.org
Search previous MEMRI publications at www.memri.org

Technorati Tags: Nathalie Szerman ... Middle East ... Terrorism ... North Africa ... Algeria ... Islamists ... Ali Dilem ... Islam ... FLN ... Islamic World ... Muslim

Detainee Transfer Announced

NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense
No. 594-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jun 24, 2006
Media Contact: (703)697-5131
Public/Industry(703)428-0711

Detainee Transfer Announced

The Department of Defense announced today that it transferred 14 Saudi detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Saudi Arabia.

This movement included one detainee found to no longer be an enemy combatant by the Combatant Status Review Tribunals. The other thirteen detainees were approved for transfer by an Administrative Review Board (ARB) decision at Guantanamo.

With today's transfer, approximately 120 detainees remain at Guantanamo who the U.S. government has determined eligible for transfer or release through a comprehensive series of review processes. Departure of these remaining detainees approved for transfer or release is subject to ongoing discussions between the United States and other nations. The United States does not desire to hold detainees for any longer than necessary. The department expects that there will continue to be other transfers or releases of detainees.

There are ongoing processes to review the status of detainees held at Guantanamo. A determination about the continued detention or transfer of a detainee is based on the best information and evidence available at the time, both classified and unclassified.

With this transfer, approximately 310 detainees have departed Guantanamo to other governments, including Albania, Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden and Uganda.

Approximately 450 detainees remain at Guantanamo.

-- Web Version: Web Version of Defenselink Mil
-- News Releases: Defenselink Mil Releases
-- DoD News: DoD News
-- Today in DoD: Today in DOD
-- U.S. Department of Defense Official Website - Defenselink Mil
-- U.S. Department of Defense News About the War on Terrorism -Defend America Mil

Technorati tags: Terrorism ... Guantanamo ... Military ... Detainee ... Enemy Combatant ... transfer ... Detainee Transfer ... al Qaeda ... Terrorist ... Afghanistan ... War on Terror ... President Bush ... Terror Cells ... Imminent threat

CNN: FBI Director Robert Mueller regarding home grown terrorism

Email passed on from CNN Pipeline.

I thought you might be interested to know that CNN Pipeline will be featuring FBI Director Robert Mueller giving a speech to the City Club of Cleveland regarding home grown terrorism. He is expected to have a short press conference afterwards. Both will be LIVE on CNN Pipeline at 12PM ET.

CNN Pipeline is an online, commercial-free, multiple live-news feed. It showcases four simultaneous news feeds from around the world and an on-demand function that allows you to select from a variety of news stories.

According to CNN, you may be able to visit their URL, www.cnn.com and click on the CNN Pipeline link to watch it *live.* This is a pay for view feature at CNN. Check to see if you qualify for two-week free trial. The Bosun Locker and Rumors of War are not affiliated with CNN, but, are passing on the email message announcing CNN Pipeline and Director Mueller's speech.

Technorati tags: Terrorism ... Florida ... CNN ... FBI ... Miami ... Chicago ... Sears Tower ... al Qaeda ... Terrorism ... Homegrown Terror ... Robert Mueller ... CNN Pipeline ... Terror Cell ... Imminent threat

Homegrown Terror Plot: Miami, Florida

Seven people were arrested, 5 were citizens, 1 has permanent residency, and the other was here ILLEGALLY (overstayed visa). One of two targeted plots released thus far: Sears Towers in Chicago, Illinois.

The FBI and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales are scheduled to hold a news conference on Friday to discuss the raid. According the FBI, there is no "imminent threat" to Miami, or other US city. This appears to be a homegrown plot, with no known ties to al Qaeda or other groups. The plotters thought that the undercover agents they were in contact with were al Qaeda. This plot has an uncanny resemblance of the recent plot in Canada with their homegrown terror suspects.

Turn the clock back to the Oklahoma Federal Building Bomber, Timothy McVeigh. He too wanted to usher in his own brand of perverted radicalism. Islamofacism, militant fascism, and perverted misfits from all walks of life threaten the free nations of the world.

Category: Terrorism.

Also posting about this story:

• Crazy Politico's Ranting. ‘Terror Plot Foiled? '
• Stop The ACLU, 'Terror Suspects Arrested In Miami'
• National Security Alert Response Center
• AP: Terrorism Investigation
• CNN Domestic Terrorism Plot Miami Raid

Other extremists who have threatened the fabric of free societies:

• Aum Cult of Terror
• Amerithrax Investigation
• Carlos the Jackal
• Ted Kaczynski
• New York City's Mad Bomber
• Jose Padilla

technorati tags: Terrorism ... Florida ... CNN ... FBI ... Miami ... Chicago ... Sears Tower ... al Qaeda ... Terrorism ... Homegrown Terror ... Jose Padilla ... Terror Cell ... Imminent threat ... New York City's Mad Bomber ... Ted Kaczynski ... Carlos the Jackal ... Amerithrax Investigation ... Aum Cult of Terror

Senate Rejects Calls on Iraq Troop Pullout

In two votes today, the GOP-controlled Senate rejected Democratic calls to start withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq by years' end, as the two parties sought to define their election-year positions on a war that has grown increasingly unpopular.

In an 86-13 vote, the Senate turned back a proposal from some Democrats that would require the administration to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq by July
1, 2007, with redeployments beginning this year.

Minutes later, the Senate rejected the nonbinding phased withdrawl plan with a vote of 60-39. The Levin & Reid proposal was a nonbinding resolution that would call for the administration to begin withdrawing troops, but with no timetable for the war's end. More from Channel 8 San Diego>>

On Fox News: Senate Rejects BidsTo Set Iraq Pullout

Stop The ACLU has posted a new item, 'Senate rejects calls on Iraq troop pullout '

Also writing about the Senate Rejecting: Hot Air .... Sister Toldjah .... Captain’s Quarters .... Right on the Right

Technorati tags: America ... John Kerry ... Iraq ... Cut and Run ... Withdrawal ... Politically Correct ... Liberalism ... socialism ... War on Terror ... Carl Levin ... Harry Reid ... Senate Republicans ... Senate Democrats ... Politics ... Liberal ... Lefti ... War ... Political Correctness

Iranian Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai: "America is Like a Paper Tiger..."

Special Dispatch-Iran
June 21, 2006
No. 1189

DISCLAIMER: The different points of views on MEMRI are not supported nor do they reflect the views and beliefs of the Rumors of War or any entity affiliated with the Rumors of War.

Iranian Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai: "America is Like a Paper Tiger - Even the Slightest Tremor Could Easily Make it Crumple & Disappear"

To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: America is Like a Paper Tiger .

The following are excerpts from an interview with Iranian Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai, which aired on Iranian Channel 2 on June 8, 2006.

TO VIEW THIS CLIP: MEMRI TV Clip.


"If Iran Goes Underground With Its Nuclear Activities, the Entire World Will Curse America"

Mohsen Rezai: "Twenty-five or 30 yeas ago, America by itself could boycott a country, because the significant and advanced commodities were in American hands. Nowadays, however, not only Europe, but also China, southwest Asia, Malaysia, and other large countries have made extraordinary progress, and have passed the developing phase. Today Iran's trading options are no longer limited to Europe or America, and the Americans understand this. Therefore, they cannot boycott Iran by themselves, or with the help of four or five countries. They need a broader consensus, which is a problem they will have to deal with."

The U.S. is "Facing Serious Military Difficulties"

Mohsen Rezai: "They are also facing serious military difficulties. They cannot conduct a ground offensive against Iran, and even if they wish to conduct an aerial attack, it is not clear whether this would be effective. Iranian technology is locally made, and Iran could quickly transfer the Natanz site to some desert, so that even if the entire world invades Iran, they might not find it. If Iran goes underground following a couple of American bombs... If Iran goes underground with its nuclear activities, the entire world will curse America, and say: 'What have you done? You have made the region unsafe, and achieved nothing.'"

[...]

"The American Empire is Hovering Between Life and Death"

Mohsen Rezai: "The American empire is hovering between life and death. If America loses some of the countries it has subjugated and plundered, there will be chaos in America."

[...]

"America seems so big, but in fact is like a paper tiger - even the slightest tremor could easily make it crumple and disappear. That's why America's strength depends upon maintaining its hegemony."

[...]

"Something very important has happened. The important thing is that the Americans wanted to finish this by September. They really wanted this boycott to be approved. This did not happen. Moreover, the Americans are no longer saying that Iran must be deprived of its nuclear rights forever. Many of our friends, who objected to Iran's firm stance, used to say: 'If the dossier is referred to the Security Council, it would deprive Iran of nuclear technology forever, within a week. Why are you resisting?' Why did this not happen? Iran has accomplished a great thing."

[...]

"Iran Halted the Dossier in the Security Council, Without the Support of Any International Power"

Mohsen Rezai: "True, America managed to refer Iran's dossier to the Security Council, but Iran halted the dossier in the Security Council, without the support of any international power. A Third World country that has no right of veto in the Security Council, or the support of any other country, has stopped this dossier and forced the other side to behave courteously, although they are by nature not courteous."

[...]

Interviewer: "Why do you think the Americans gave in?"

Mohsen Rezai: "First of all, the Americans and the Europeans did not think Iran would persevere. Iran was skillful in that it came very close to the sanctions. Eisenhower said something interesting. He said that a strong a country is one that will progress to the brink of nuclear war. Iran has displayed a potential that they did not believe it had.

"Three years ago, Iranian foreign policy was almost a disgrace. We used to give them everything they wanted. We made all the country's documents available to the IAEA. We were tumbling down a slope, and they did not believe that Iran would display such steadfastness, which completely contradicted what was before."

*********************
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.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-Mail: memri@memri.org
Search previous MEMRI publications at MEMRI

Why Gaddafi is so Afraid of Charles Taylor

This is an excellent article by Douglas Farah. You wonder to yourself, "Why?"

It is interesting to see that Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi is slamming Nigeria for turning Charles Taylor over to face justice. News reports quote Gad[d]affi as saying such a move sets a dangerous precedent for the rest of Africa. [continue reading]

This man is a brilliant researcher and analyst on counter-terrorism. He is not beholden to a political party, nor is he confined to one area of expertise. He has written several books. His newest book is, "Blood from Stones", and you may purchase it from Amazon.com.

I have focused on Charles Taylor in this article, because this is the person I go to for information. I like to cooberate my data, and I trust the information I receive from Douglas. That really means something. Hint, hint! lol. (You can trust him, too.)

Category: Lybia, Liberia and Nigeria.

Somalia, Iran, Charles Taylor, Afghanistan and NK News

I sure do wish there were more than 24 hours in a day. It is difficult (for me, lol) to cover everything I'd like in this short amount of time. Especially when it comes to the weekend, because most people are out with their families. These articles are of utmost import, so please take a moment and consider them.

The title has the original article, and the 'continue reading' has a copy of the article. I do this because I'm tired of losing articles. Make no mistake, however, that these articles are the property of the authors and press they belong to. Thank you.

SOMALIA: Regional body imposes sanctions against "warlords" by AlertNet.org

NAIROBI, 14 June (IRIN) - East African states have agreed to isolate leaders of armed factions in Somalia by imposing a regional travel ban on them and freezing their assets in a bid to help the nation's fledgling transitional federal government restore stability.

Kenya took the lead last week, imposing sanctions against Somalia's so-called "warlords" after they and their militia were driven out of Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, by forces loyal to the city's Islamic courts. The faction leaders were accused of being the main stumbling block in efforts to re-establish a government in Somalia, where anarchy has reigned since the overthrow in 1991 of the administration led by Muhammad Siyad Barre. [continue reading]

We Are Playing With Fire, and Radiation, in Iran by Jay D. Homnick, Posted Jun 16, 2006.

...Nor do I relish here the role of skeptic. I am as enamored as the next guy with the image of 'our team' running rhetorical circles around the primitive hooligans who run Iran. We could get them to agree not to nuke Manhattan Island, and all it will cost us is $24 worth of trinkets. Show those guys once and for all that the Great Satan can pitch you anything with forked tongue and make you like it. Worse comes to worst, we might have to throw in a boatload of free burqas as an incentive, complete with ILGWU labels. [continue reading]

UK pressed to jail Charles Taylor By Norman Smith, BBC News, Freetown.

Sierra Leone's leader says it would be "very helpful" if the UK were to jail ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor if he were convicted of war crimes.

He faces the charges in the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, which requested his trial be transferred to The Hague for security reasons.

But the Dutch government said it would only accept this if any ensuing jail term was served in another country. [continue reading here and here.]

Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill 45 Militants By TINI TRAN, ABC News International.

KABUL, Afghanistan Jun 17, 2006 (AP)— Coalition forces pressed forward with a major offensive in southern Afghanistan, killing an estimated 45 insurgents in attacks on two Taliban militant camps, military officials said Saturday.

Most died when Afghan and coalition forces surprised militants as they gathered at a "known enemy camp" in Khod Valley, part of the Shaheed Hasas district of Uruzgan province, the military said in a statement. [continue reading]

Reports: NKorea to test fire missile. by Canoe Network (cnews.canoe.ca)

TOKYO (AP) - The United States and Japan urged North Korea not to proceed with reported plans to test-fire a long-range missile that could reach the U.S. mainland, saying Saturday that a launch would be dangerous and provocative.

But North Korean officials later denied such preparations, the Kyodo News agency reported, citing a South Korean official it did not identify. [continue reading]

I hope these articles keep informed as to what America is facing in these perilous times. There is an author I like to follow who writes several articles about Charles Taylor, terrorism, et al. His name is Douglas Farah. I encourage you to visit his site.

He also writes for The Counter Terrorism Blog. Bill Roggio, known to many of us through his older blog, "The Fourth Rail," also writes for this site. At this moment, he is in Afghanistan covering the events in real time. We may not receive all the information, which is proper, but he is doing a fantastic job! Thank you, and have a great day. (Don't forget, tomorrow is Father's Day!)

Category: Somalia, Lybia, United Kingdom, Iran, Afghanistan, (Military) News, North Korea and Terrorism.

North Korean Missiles: Potential to reach the United States

Fox News and other US news media is reporting that North Korea is preparing to test missiles with the potential to hit the United States. This should come as no suprise and has been in the works for several years. It appears that the United States mainstream media (MSM) is finally waking up to Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK) missile technology.

Information about DPRK missile system technology has been reported in the Japan's Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (NHK), or the Japan Broadcasting Corporation for several years. Japan is very aware of the DPRK missile threat because Japan has been within the targeting range of North Korea missile systems since the late 1990s.

Throughout the Clinton Presidential years (January 1993 - January 2001), North Korea succeeded in developing its “Nodong” missile and nuclear programs. By 1998 DPRK's “Nodong” missile had a range estimated at up to 900 miles and was capable of covering South Korea and most of Japan.

In the United States, the Americans in the dark about the DPRK (and their partner Iran) missile programs. DPRK and Iranian programs have paralleled each other since the 1990s. The following is a brief primer on DPRK's Taep'o-dong programs:

The Taep’o-dong 1 is a medium-range, liquid and solid propellant, single warhead ballistic missile.

The missile is said to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to a maximum range of 2,000 km (1,243 miles). This missile has been in development since 1990 and with advance testing and a successful first test launch in 1998. Apparently Iranian and Pakistani personnel were involved in the first test launch. Source: Missile Threat.Com - Taep’o-dong 1

The development of the Taep’o-dong 2 is estimated to have begun at the same time as the Taep’o-dong 1, in 1990.

The Taep'o-dong 2 missile is a 2-stage liquid, possible 3-stage, with a range of 6,000-9,000 km. Pakistan and Iran have jointly received technical assistance on their missile projects which are derivatives of DPRK's Taep’o-dong 2 project. The Iranian Shahab-5/Shahab 6 is similar in technology and in design to the Taep'o-dong 2. It is expected that proliferation of DPRK technology will pass to other countries in the same manner as their other weapons programs. Source: Missile Threat.Com - Taep’o-dong 2

In August 6, 2003, Japan’s Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported that DPRK and Iran were negotiating a deal for the export of DPRK's long-range Taep'o-dong 2 missiles to Iran. Apparently they were also working jointly in development of nuclear warheads. Source: FAS org - CRS Issue Brief for Congress August 27, 2003

Links for more information on DPRK Missile Technology:

• Missilethreat.Com - News Archive North Korea
• FAS - Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) DPRK - Iranian Shahab - 3 Technology
• FAS - Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) DPRK - Iranian Shahab - 6 Technology
• Janes: Iran moves its Shahab 3 units
• History of Ballistic Missile Development in the DPRK

Technorati tags: Iran ... United States ... Ballistic missile ... North Korea ... Shahab - 3 ... Shahab - 6 ... Missile test ... International diplomacy .... Chess ... Strategic ... Nodong-1 ... Taep'o-dong 2 ... Taep'o-dong 1 ... Warhead ... Weapons ... Nuclear ... Opinion

Bosun Op-ed: Seize the day - War in Iraq

Al-Qaeda 'coming to end in Iraq': National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie showed documents he said were found in the Zarqawi raid and indicated that the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi marks the "beginning of the end" of al-Qaeda in Iraq, the country's national security adviser has said.

BECAUSE OF THE INTELLIGENCE DOCUMENTS SEIZED IN ZARQAWI SAFEHOUSE(S) WE ARE ON A ROLL RIGHT NOW AND MUST KEEP THE PRESSURE ON AS HARD AS POSSIBLE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS

Report filed in Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) Iraqi government unveils details of Zarqawi document MIL-IRAQ-ZARQAWI-DOCUMENT Iraqi government unveils details of Zarqawi document BAGHDAD, June 14 (KUNA) -- The Iraqi government has unveiled on Wednesday details of a document which the Iraqi forces set hand at the house where the Al-Qaeda operative Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi and his aids were killed during a US air strike last Wednesday.It said that the "death and destruction" document uncovers the strategic relation between Saddam Hussein's henchmen and Zarqawi group.

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

National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie also said he believed the security situation in the country would improve enough to allow a large number of U.S.-led forces to leave Iraq by the end of this year, and a majority to depart by the end of next year. "And maybe the last soldier will leave Iraq by mid-2008," he said.

Now Jack "anti-marine" Murtha, John "F" Kerry, Nancy "Botox" Pelosi, Harry "Dingy" Reid, Biden, Durbin and the rest can spin it to make it into their idea to get the troops out. I hope the America people will connect (the real dots in the coming election to) victory in the war in Iraq to the people who made it possible. If it was not for the President's fortitude and determination we may not have been there to help Zarqawi meet his maker.

Over the horizon placement of troops would not have allowed "On Time" response to the Zarqawi intelligence and several other successes we have had in the war on terror in Iraq. Iraqi leaders would like to stand up their government as soon as possible and take total charge. And, they are going to do it.

The dems are the biggest bunch of blunderers I have ever seen. Clinton complacency got us into this mess to begin with by his inability to come to terms with USS Cole, the African embassies bombing, Afghanistan situation, and other terrorism incidents that moved forward at a rapid rate for the eight years he was in office.

Bill was to busy playing around with Monica, et. al. and trying to dodge Hillary's jealously than for him to be a good sitting president. After the Gore presidential defeat along came the liberals and donk lefti and tried to throw every barrier they could find in front of President Bush and the US Military. It has been an uphill battle for the past six years, even with 9/11.

It is rough fighting terrorism, Zarqawi in Iraq, and all the other evils that are threatening our country and also dodge the barriers that the donk lefti threw in the way.

We have gained momentum in Iraq. We must seize the day. And, when we are finished, then we can go home.

Get the Dems out of the way and get the war fought.

By the way, this blogger would like to point out that John "F" Kerry threw nails under the tires of the war on June 12th.

Besides slaming the President and the war in Iraq, Kerry was also busy introducing additions to Senate Bill 2766. The addition, Section 1084, was to require the withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq and urge the convening of an Iraq summit. (As of this writing, the addition did not have traction to pass. It is unlikely that it will be added.)

Here are the facts as they are known right now. You decide on which side of history you would like to be.

Technorati tags: America ... John Kerry ... S.2766 ... Iraq ... Cut and Run ... Withdrawal ... Viet Nam ... Politically Correct ... Liberalism ... socialism

Zarqawi's been DEAD for a whole week

While the dinosaur media would like you to believe this was only a little, insignificant mission, I am not going to allow that to happen! This was HUGE! Great going, all of you guys. I am so proud of you. Stay safe, destroy all of the enemies, and bring it on home. Godspeed.

ICE nabs illigals across the United States

ICE agents and officers have apprehended 2,179 criminal aliens, illegal alien gang members, fugitive aliens and other immigration violators as part of a nationwide interior immigration enforcement operation.

What took so long? The federal authorities should have been doing this for a long time.

The nationwide blitz called "Operation Return to Sender," has been conducted by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers nationwide since May 26TH.

Officials are currently targeting child molesters, gang members, violent criminals and others, who have returned to the country after being deported by a judge, the Associated Press reported. The operation has caught more than 140 immigrants with convictions for sexual offenses against children; 367 known gang members, including street soldiers in the deadly Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13; and about 640 people who had already been deported once, immigration officials said. The numbers include more than 720 arrests in California alone.

For addition information on Operation Return to Sender please visit the links below:

• News 8 San Diego: Agency Nabs Illegals Across United States >>>>
• World Net Daily: Operation Return to Sender sends agents across country to target violent criminals>>>>

Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) links:

• Child Exploitation
• Gangs
• Human Trafficking
• Secure Borders (SBI)
• Special Registration & More
• Inside ICE provides all the latest top stories and more from the ICE case files.
• ICE Photos and Imagery: Stanislaus County Gang Enforcement Operation

Technorati tags: America ... DHS, Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) ... California ... Illegal ... MS-13 ... Gang Enforcement ... SoCal ... Human trafficking ... Child Exploitation ... Immigration ... Mara Salvatrucha ... President Bush ... Deported ... Welfare ... Border Control ... Border Fence ... Politically Correct ... Liberalism ... Economics ... socialism

Iranian Chant; Resolution of the Holocaust - Destruction of Israel

Special Dispatch-Iran/Antisemitism Documentation Project
June 15, 2006
No. 1186

DISCLAIMER: The different points of views on MEMRI are not supported nor do they reflect the views and beliefs of the Rumors of War or any entity affiliated with the Rumors of War.

Iranian Presidential Advisor Mohammad Ali Ramin: "The Resolution of the Holocaust Issue Will End in the Destruction of Israel"

To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: HTML The Resolution of the Holocaust: Destruction of Israel .

On June 9, 2006, the reformist online daily Rooz reported that during a visit with students at Gilan University in Rasht, Iran, Mohammad Ali Ramin, advisor to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, discussed historical accusations against the Jews and questioned the Holocaust.

The following are excerpts from the Rooz article, in the original English:(1)

"'Throughout History, This Religious Group [i.e. the Jews] has Inflicted the Most Damage on the Human Race'"

"On a visit to Gilan University, president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's advisor Mohammad Ali Ramin said to a group of students in the town of Rasht, 'Ten years ago, when I brought up the issue of the Holocaust for the first time in this country, my goal was to defend the Jewish people. But among the Jews there have always been those who killed God's prophets and who opposed justice and righteousness. Throughout history, this religious group has inflicted the most damage on the human race, while some of its groups engaged in plotting against other nations and ethnic groups to cause cruelty, malice and wickedness.'

"'Historically, there are many accusations against the Jews. For example, it was said that they were the source for such deadly disease as the plague and typhus. This is because the Jews are very filthy people. For a time people also said that they poisoned water wells belonging to Christians and thus killed them,' Ramin said.

"Ramin also pointed that there were other plots that powerful people used to mislead public opinion around the world. 'When the Islamic Revolution of Iran succeeded and attracted many people around the world, including Christians, the AIDS epidemic came about, and fear again overtook the world. After the September 11 attacks, the deadly epidermis broke out, which was destroyed when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan. On the eve of the invasion of Iran, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) illness broke out, but disappeared after the invasion,' he said."

"'Nobody Asks How a Bird That had the Flu Could Fly From Australia to Siberia'"

"Ramin also claimed that the spread of bird flu was a conspiracy plot cause[d] by the failure of America, Israel and Britain in the Middle East. Ramin pointed out that to cover up and hide their failures, these countries have spread the news about the bird flu to preoccupy and distract public opinion for some 5 to 6 months. 'Nobody asks how a bird that had the flu could fly from Australia to Siberia,' he said, adding that even the Iranian minister of health had claimed to have stopped the disease at Iran's borders. He claimed the holocaust story and bird flu rumors are interrelated. He attributed the killing of millions of chicken was to control the price and amount [of] chicken in the market."

"In Order to Deny the Germans the Ability to Increase Their Power, 'the British and Americans Present Them as a Human-Burning Nation'"

"While acknowledging not knowing the source of these events around the world, Ramin said, 'I only know that Jews have been accused of such conspiracies and sabotage throughout history and have not performed well.'

"And repeating the president's claims about the Holocaust, he presented four theories that are presented in its support.

"The first is that in order to deny the Germans the ability to increase their power, 'the British and Americans present them as a human-burning nation.' The second theory is that the Americans and the British have cocked up this story with the Zionists, so as to create the state of Israel in the middle of the Islamic world and thus control the Islamic world on the Holocaust pretext, and getting rid of the Jews from Europe. The third hypothesis relates to the traditional animosity between Christians and the Jews. 'The U.S., Britain with the cooperation of France, Russia and Germany, and because of their Christian leanings and its animosity with the Jews, launched the idea of the Holocaust after the Second World War to scare off the Jews and sent them to what is now Israel in order to get rid of them in Europe and America,' he said. He further said that the movement that created Israel is in fact against the Jews. The fourth theory relates to covering up the crimes of the U.S. and Britain. He claimed that Britain had killed some 100 million red Indians in the last 300 years and the U.S. had leveled Hiroshima, which he said were the real Holocausts."

"'The Resolution of the Holocaust Issue Will End in the Destruction of Israel'"

"Claiming that the Holocaust was the principal reason why Palestine was occupied while Israel was the main cause of crises and catastrophe in the Middle East. 'So long as Israel exists in the region there will never be peace and security in the Middle East,' he said adding, 'So the resolution of the Holocaust issue will end in the destruction of Israel.'

"Turning to President Ahmadinejad's comments on the Holocaust, Ramin said that he criticized the president for making those comments. 'We do not know whether the Holocaust existed or not and so must find out in order to defend the suffered party. My suggestion to him was to set up an investigative committee on this to collect the supporting documents,' he said."

Endnote:

(1) Rooz, June 9, 2006, 'Throughout History, This Religious Group [i.e. the Jews] has Inflicted the Most Damage on the Human Race' .

*********************
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.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-Mail: memri@memri.org
Search previous MEMRI publications at www.memri.org

Technorati Tags: Iran ... Middle East ... Terrorism ... Ahmadinejad ... Holocaust ... Jews ... Israel ... Islam ... Irrational Behavior ... Islamic World ... Muslim

Plots, Casings, and Infiltrations Referenced in President Bush's Remarks on the War on Terror

Fact Sheet: Plots, Casings, and Infiltrations Referenced in President Bush's Remarks on the War on Terror

President Discusses War on Terror at National Endowment for Democracy

Overall, the United States and our partners have disrupted at least ten serious al-Qaida terrorist plots since September 11--including three al-Qaida plots to attack inside the United States. We have stopped at least five more al-Qaida efforts to case targets in the United States or infiltrate operatives into our country.

10 Plots

• The West Coast Airliner Plot: In mid-2002 the U.S. disrupted a plot to attack targets on the West Coast of the United States using hijacked airplanes. The plotters included at least one major operational planner involved in planning the events of 9/11.
• The East Coast Airliner Plot: In mid-2003 the U.S. and a partner disrupted a plot to attack targets on the East Coast of the United States using hijacked commercial airplanes.
• The Jose Padilla Plot: In May 2002 the U.S. disrupted a plot that involved blowing up apartment buildings in the United States. One of the plotters, Jose Padilla, also discussed the possibility of using a "dirty bomb" in the U.S.
• The 2004 UK Urban Targets Plot: In mid-2004 the U.S. and partners disrupted a plot that involved urban targets in the United Kingdom. These plots involved using explosives against a variety of sites.
• The 2003 Karachi Plot: In the Spring of 2003 the U.S. and a partner disrupted a plot to attack Westerners at several targets in Karachi, Pakistan.
• The Heathrow Airport Plot: In 2003 the U.S. and several partners disrupted a plot to attack Heathrow Airport using hijacked commercial airliners. The planning for this attack was undertaken by a major 9/11 operational figure.
• The 2004 UK Plot: In the Spring of 2004 the U.S. and partners, using a combination of law enforcement and intelligence resources, disrupted a plot to conduct large-scale bombings in the UK.
• The 2002 Arabian Gulf Shipping Plot: In late 2002 and 2003 the U.S. and a partner nation disrupted a plot by al-Qa'ida operatives to attack ships in the Arabian Gulf.
• The 2002 Straits of Hormuz Plot: In 2002 the U.S. and partners disrupted a plot to attack ships transiting the Straits of Hormuz.
• The 2003 Tourist Site Plot: In 2003 the U.S. and a partner nation disrupted a plot to attack a tourist site outside the United States.

5 Casings and Infiltrations

• The U.S. Government & Tourist Sites Tasking: In 2003 and 2004, an individual was tasked by al-Qa'ida to case important U.S. Government and tourist targets within the United States.
• The Gas Station Tasking: In approximately 2003, an individual was tasked to collect targeting information on U.S. gas stations and their support mechanisms on behalf of a senior al-Qa'ida planner.
• Iyman Faris & the Brooklyn Bridge: In 2003, and in conjunction with a partner nation, the U.S. government arrested and prosecuted Iyman Faris, who was exploring the destruction of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Faris ultimately pleaded guilty to providing material support to al-Qa'ida and is now in a federal correctional institution.
• 2001 Tasking: In 2001, al-Qa'ida sent an individual to facilitate post-September 11 attacks in the U.S. U.S. law enforcement authorities arrested the individual.
• 2003 Tasking: In 2003, an individual was tasked by an al-Qa'ida leader to conduct reconnaissance on populated areas in the U.S.

Visit the Whitehouse Website: White House.Gov

U.N. desperate to question scientist after evidenceof enriched uranium found at Iranian military site

According to World Net Daily (WND), U.S. officials and U.N. inspectors believe nuclear scientist A. Q. Khan, the "father of the Islamic bomb," provided both Iran and North Korea with details of how to make their own nuclear bombs. Khan may have critical information about the Iranian program.

With the U.S. giving Iran until June 29 to accept or reject a package of incentives to end its nuclear program and Tehran defiantly stepping up enrichment activities, pressure is building on Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf to allow access to Khan by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to discover what he knows about fresh traces of enriched uranium found on equipment used at an Iranian military site. To read the article, please visit WND, U.N. desperate to question scientist after evidenceof enriched uranium found at Iranian military site

Additional resources from Global Security Org:

• Nuclear Weapons
• Fissile Material Acquisition
• Iranian Statements
• Western Assessments
• A.Q. Khan Network
• A.Q. Khan & Iran

Technorati Tags: WMD ... Weapons of Mass Destruction ... Terrorism ... WND ... Joseph Shahda ... Chemical Weapons ... Iran ... Middle East ... Terrorism ... Ahmadinejad ... Khamenei ... President Bush ... Diplomacy ... Islam ... Irrational Behavior ... Opinion

Possible location of MWD in Iraq???

According to World Net Daily (WND) a captured document from the Saddam regime but left untranslated by the Pentagon describes the hiding of chemical-weapons materials and the location of their burial in Iraq.

World Net Daily reported that the information came from Joseph Shahda, who has translated a number of key texts from among the thousands made available on the Internet by the Defense Department, posted his work on the conservative forum at Free Republic.com.

Free Repubic provided a link to Document ISGQ-2003-00004530 dated September 15 2002, alleged to be a memo from a General in Saddam Feedayeens to the Supervisor of those Feedayeens, Uday Saddam Hussein.

It will be interesting to inspect this site and to translate the documents that are available. Perhaps there is more information that will shed light on what happened to the WMD.

Read the WND article linked at: Memo reportedly shows location of WMD

Technorati Tags: WMD ... Weapons of Mass Destruction ... Terrorism ... WND ... Joseph Shahda ... Chemical Weapons ... Saddam ... Opinion

Brits release brothers: Another rush to judge without the facts

According to the UK Telegraph, two brothers arrested last weekend in terror raid have been freed without charges. The brothers were arrested following a controversial anti-terror raid by police during which one of the them was shot. Early news reports from the British press indicated that a bomb making workshop was found. Later reports indicated that a bomb making workshop had not been found.

Now the police have released the brothers without charges after nothing was found. The brothers had been held and were questioned at London's high security Paddington Green police station for several days.

This incident comes on the heals of the questionable shooting last year of a Brazil man and other incidents that targeted Muslims in Britain.

Fortunately, the brothers' family held up well during the ordeal and maintained their sons' innocence. In addition, the family encouraged Muslims not to attend anti-police rallies that were organized by others in the community. The family did not to antagonize the tense situation.

Now the police must sift through their probable cause for the original raid. For more information regarding the release link: Terror raid brothers freed without charge

Additional links:

• UK Daily Express: Terror raid - brothers released Two brothers arrested following a controversial anti-terror raid by police durin...
• UK Guardian Unlimited: Terror raid was 'barbaric' UK: Sister of man shot during anti-terrorist raid describes police actions as 'barbaric and horrific'. Special report: terrorism threat to UK ... Guardian Unlimited Politics
• UK Times Online: Family's fears at East London terror protest Muslims demonstrated outside an East London police station today against last weekÂ’s anti-terror raid by armed officers.

Technorati Tags: England ... Bangladesh ... Terrorism ... Terror cell ... Islamic extremists ... London ... al-Qaeda ... Islam ... Dirty bomb ... Opinion

Coalition Strikes Back

Coalition strikes back: Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, spokesman for Multi–National Force – Iraq, said the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was reason to celebrate, but warned of further violence by terrorists.

Photo Credit: U.S. Central Command .... Operation Iraqi Freedom

Two large caches of weapons were discovered in the Baqubah area on Thursday morning after Coalition forces launched 17 separate operations immediately following the death of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. For pictures of the find, please visit Central Commands Multi-National Force Iraq Official Website's Powerpoint Presentation

Technorati Tags: US ... Military ... US Central Command ... Iraqi Freedom ... Weapons Find ... Baqubah ... al-Zarqawi ... Coalition ... Military News

CBS: Another Terrorist Attack Coming Soon?

One should not dismiss the developments in Tornoto, Canada, to quickly. According the an exclusive article published by CBS, U.S. officials believe Canadian arrests over the weekend and three recent domestic incidents in the United States are evidence that the U.S. potentially may be be hit again by a terrorist attack.

In the article, CBS alludes that a significant incident could possibly come by the end of the year. Right now it is speculation, but, the warning should not be discounted. Ever since 9/11, the country has been bracing for another attack. Each time the United States gears up for an attack, it has not come.

An English speaking terrorist, believed to be an American raised citizen, threatened the United State directly in 2004. The FBI issued a suspect seeking information file bulletin. And, don't forget bin-Laden's rhetoric threatens the United States' heartland. The threats are there. Are the threats real? How developed are islamfacists ideals in the Western Hemisphere?

For the CBS article, please go to this link: CBS News: U.S. Officials Believe Recent Incidents Point To An Imminent Threat

Technorati Tags: Canada ... America ... Terrorism ... Terror cell ... Islamic extremists ... Toronto ... al-Qaeda ... Islam ... Opinion

MEMRI analysis on Khamenei threats

Special Dispatch-Iran
June 6, 2006
No. 1181

Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei: The U.S. "Will Never Be Able to Guarantee the Safe Supply of Energy in This Region"

To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: MEMRI HTML Dispatch: Oil Supply Threatened.

The following are excerpts from a speech by Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, which aired on the Iranian News Channel on June 4, 2006.

TO VIEW THIS CLIP, VISIT: MEMRI TV clip of Khamenei's speech.

"We Do Not Need a Nuclear Bomb - We Do Not Have any Target Against Which to Use a Nuclear Bomb"

Ali Khamenei: "When Iran progressed bravely in nuclear technology, it won the support of 116 non-aligned countries. The Organization of the Islamic Conference supported Iran. All the independent governments support Iran. At times, some [European countries] function as intermediaries. They repeat what America says, because of the American pressure, and because they do not feel comfortable standing up to the U.S. They quietly say that this is what they were asked to say by the Americans, and not their own opinion."
[...]
"We have good relations with Russia as well. The Russians know full well what would have happened to them if there was a pro-American government in Iran."
[...]
"They claim Iran is pursuing the nuclear bomb. This is an unfounded claim and a complete lie. We do not need a nuclear bomb. We do not have any target against which to use a nuclear bomb. We believe that using nuclear weapons runs counter to Islamic laws."
[...]
"We have no aspirations to take over the world. Thus, we do not need a nuclear bomb, unlike the Americans, who want to control the world by force. Our nuclear bomb and explosive capabilities are our faith, our youth, and our people."
[...]
"I Say to [the U.S.]... Yours is the Most Hated Government in the History of the U.S... [While] Our Government is One of the Most Popular"

Ali Khamenei: "To the American officials, and to the team that is running America today, and has aspirations to lead the world, I have a few things to say. I wish they would listen. I wish they would think. I wish they would understand. I say to them: Compare yourselves to our government. Compare your president to ours. Today, even within America, yours is the most hated government in the history of the United States. Their own surveys revealed this to the entire world. Today, in the view of the American public, the current administration is the most hated in the history of the United States. Compare this to our government. Today, our government is one of the most popular, in the past century, from the constitutional revolution to this day."
[...]
"Wherever your president, Mr. Bush, goes, throughout the world, he encounters demonstrations and the hatred of the people. This is the case in Europe, Asia and Africa.

"In Latin America, governments rise to power with the slogan of resisting America. Look at what is happening in Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, and in many other Latin American countries. The presidential candidates who voice anti-American slogans are elected."
[...]
"Compare the message our president sent to the American president to the impolite with the stupid message of the Americans, which was published a few days ago worldwide... This message did not conform to diplomatic norms, and was full of the kind of conceit that leads to stupidity, and full of threats and absurdities."

"You Will Never Be Able to Guarantee the Safe Supply of Energy in This Region"

Ali Khamenei: "If you had been able to harm the Islamic republic, you would not have wasted a single minute in the past 27 years. The former American secretary of state explicitly said that he must uproot the Iranian people. He went to hell, but the Iranian people has grown from day to day."

Crowd: "Death to America. Death to America. Death to America. Death to America. Death to America, Death to America."
[...]
Ali Khamenei: "In an attempt to threaten Iran, you claim you can guarantee the flow of energy in this region. You are wrong. If you make the slightest mistake regarding Iran, the flow of energy in this region will surely be jeopardized seriously. You must know this."

Crowd: "Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Khamenei is the leader. Death to those who reject the rule of the Jurisprudent. Death to America. Death to England. Death to the hypocrites [Mojahedin-e Khalq] and Saddam. Death to Israel."

Ali Khamenei: "You will never be able to guarantee the safe supply of energy in this region."
[...]
"We adhere to our ambitions and to our national interests. Whoever threatens our interests will feel the sharp wrath of this people."

Crowd: "Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Khamenei is the leader. Death to those who reject the rule of the Jurisprudent. Death to America. Death to England. Death to the hypocrites [Mojahedin-e Khalq] and Saddam. Death to Israel."

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

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.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-Mail: memri@memri.org
Search previous MEMRI publications at www.memri.org

Technorati Tags: Iran ... Middle East ... Terrorism ... Ahmadinejad ... Khamenei ... President Bush ... Diplomacy ... Islam ... Irrational Behavior ... Opinion

Iranian threats

Middle East's oil supply would be jeopardized in case of U.S. attack, so says Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

When you listed to the Iranian leadership, one has to think, bi-polar or paranoid. They, the Iranian clerics and Ahmadinejad leadership, make their demands, and, when the demands are countered or incentives offered they continue to go down their slippery slope into 7th century paranoia.

In the latest round of diplomacy with Iran, Europeans and the United States offered Iran several incentives to resolve the issues at hand. Ahmadinejad issued a statement saying his government would not rush to judge the incentives package. Then, Khamenei kicks up a fuss and insists that his country has the right to produce nuclear fuel along with threats to stop the flow of oil from the Arabian Gulf. In Khamenei's mixed bag of 7th century thinking, he also assured the world that the nuclear fuel Iran produces will not be used for nuclear weapons.

Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are now playing good negotiator - bad negotiator. They have been watching too much television. Depending on the day, they switch places. This weekend, Ahmadinejad backed off his usual rhetoric and Khamenei picked it up. Perhaps Khamenei and Ahmadinejad should start on Prozac therapy.

Anyway, the doomsday clock hands did not move forward this weekend because as Khamenei was spouting off about his right to produce nuclear fuel, United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, discounted his threats and encouraged continued dialog with Iran.

Will Khamenei and his alter ego, Ahmadinejad, show the international community that they can be responsible or will the regime show that it is irreversibly committed to its dual-use enrichment program? For sure, Rice's tack for diplomacy will force the Tehran government to show its hand to the international community.

As Rosemary pointed in her posted article, 'Hello? Is anyone listening to the Iranian people?', the late Shah of Iran's son, Reza Pahlavi, has proposed that the solution to Iran's percolating and fanatical signals is for, "the United States and free world to support the Iranian people." Pahlavi insists that in dealing with the fanatical Tehran, "there is only one thing that the outside world can do, and that is to tell the regime: 'We are serious about supporting the people who are inside Iran who are against you.'

Regime change is possible, by assisting the internal struggle of the Iranian people.

Hello? Is anyone listening to the Iranian people?

I have just finished reading a good report from Opinion Journal about
Reza Pahlavi, the deposed Shah's son. He has some insights I have been promoting for some time now. I just wish the White House, the Congress, or anyone with authority would listen.

And yet a solution to all of this is percolating up today, Mr. Pahlavi says, and it's coming from the Iranian people. In fact, he insists, in dealing with a belligerent Tehran, "there is only one thing that the outside world can do, and that is to tell the regime: 'We are serious about supporting the people who are inside Iran who are against you.' That is the only thing that will make Mr. Khamenei [Iran's supreme leader] and everybody stand down. Because nothing else ruffles them. The only thing they are really scared of are the people themselves."

Peaceful revolutions from within have worked before, so why, he asks, isn't the West investing in the Iranian people--"the same way they supported so many movements in Eastern Europe that ultimately brought down communist governments that were under Moscow's umbrella?" Dissidents are everywhere, in the universities, workplaces, the conventional armed forces, he adds: "There are thousands of cells . . . each trying to bring as much pressure as they can--but with very limited resources. Imagine the cumulative weight of all these resistance groups in a civil disobedience act--nonviolent, we don't believe in violent change--that could begin sustained pressure to the point of paralyzing the system until it would collapse."

Indeed. Stop their travel, their phony companies that allow terrorists to arm themselves, freeze their bank accounts, and many other steps that could be taken.

After all, we helped with the Orange Revolution (Ukraine), the Lebanon situation where we kicked out Syria temporarily, and brought down the USSR by supporting the people. Have we forgotten how to do this? I do not think so! Condi, you were there. Remember! Damn it.

Anyway, read the article. It is a good one, and it can keep us from the brink of war. Thank you.

Category: Iran and the USA.

Brits search for "dirty bomb"

British police are searching the United Kingdom for an explosive "dirty chemical bomb" vest. The terror alert came after anti-terrorism police raided a house where suspected terrorists are believed to have been making bombs and planning attacks. The Brits believe that one target may be the World Cup soccer matches next week.

Anti-terrorism police apparently have not yet located a bomb factory as first reported and have not yet locate a dirty bomb explosive vest that they are searching for (corrected copy.) Police in chemical suits searched a house and two workplaces and the results of their searches are forthcoming. Two males were taken into custody for further investigation, one of the males, was shot once in the shoulder, and suffered no life threatening injuries. Neighbors interviewed in the vicinity of the incident said that the family who lived in the house was from Bangladesh and there has been no indication of any suspicious activities.

The anti-terrorism police have not fully recovered adverse publicity they received when they shot and killed a young Brazilian man last year after the bus and train bombings. Lawyers for the two suspects taken into custody today protested their innocence. People in the neighborhood are upset and suspicious of the police activities.

Sources for this corrected copy: Reuters UK Telegraph

Additional news stories:
Battering rams and gunfire
Jihadi 'chatter'
In the line of fire
Man shot in 'bomb' raid

Also posting about this latest development is Big Dog Web Log: Three Piece Suit, Chemical Vest Included

Technorati Tags: England ... Bangladesh ... Terrorism ... Terror cell ... Islamic extremists ... London ... al-Qaeda ... Islam ... Dirty bomb ... Opinion

Terror in the western hemisphere update

According to AFP via Breitbart.com, 17 people were arrested in terror plot in Canada last night for plotting Al-Qaeda-inspired "terrorist attacks" on several locations in Ontario. Apparently one of the targets was a high rise office building that housed offices of a Canadian intelligence service. In early press releases from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) there were no targets in the United States and that this group was focusing on Canadian assets. According to a late breaking news clip from MSNBC, this group may also have been linked to a Georgia Tech college student who was arrested in a couple of months ago and is currently being held by America authorities charged with giving "material support" to a terrorist organization.

The Canadian terror cell was in the process of obtaining 3 tons of ammonium nitrate, a common fertilizer ingredient similar to that used 0n April 19, 1995, by American terrorist Timothy McVeigh to bring to the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

For reference on ammonium nitrate: 1 ton is equal to 1,000 kg. McVeigh used a rented Ryder truck containing about 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of explosive material exploded. The truck bomb was composed of ammonium nitrate, an agricultural fertilizer containing nitromethane, a highly volatile motor-racing fuel mixture also known as Kinepak or ANFO (ammonium nitrate/fuel oil). The effects of the blast could even be felt in Bridge Creek, which is about 30 miles away from the Murrah Building.

So, as you can see the potential for 3 tons of ammonium nitrate could produce catastrophic results. Imagine how multiple targets could be blown simultaneously. Keep in mind this was just one Canadian terror cell.

In the world of terrorism, the structure of a terror cell is intended to limit the harm that can be done if members are captured and interrogated. Judging by the amount of explosives and number of persons involved, this was a rather sophisticated cell. The Toronto cell, by press reports, had 17 jihadists.

The authorities apparently had the cell under investigation for some time and gave them a long leash to see who else the cell would lead to. This blogger will not discount other cells or terrorist activities planned in Canada or the United States.

This could be another terror gang "who could not shoot straight?" Press coverage and sloppy news leaks regarding the Georgia Tech student and second American arrested in Bangladesh and handed over to the FBI appeared in the mainstream media in April along with grumblings about rights violations, illegal wiretaps, and other stories contrary to our war on terror.

Apparently, the Toronto terror cell kept on with their plans until they were arrested yesterday. What is disturbing that we are seeing with this cell, the Americans, and recent British jihadists that they are home grown jihadists born and/or raised in the countries that they reject.

Why are members of the religion of peace radicalizing and wanting to destroy freedom and democracy?

Other news links of interest:

FBI: Georgia men talked of U.S. terror plan

U.S. man accused of terror plot appears in court
Student, second man allegedly met with Islamic extremists in Canada

Technorati Tags: Canada ... America ... Terrorism ... Terror cell ... Islamic extremists ... Toronto ... al-Qaeda ... Islam ... Ontario ... Opinion

Chavez at it again, cites friendship with Carlos the Jackal.

According to Reuters, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez took center stage at OPEC's meeting in Caracas on Thursday and used the gathering to lambaste Washington and tout his extremist socialist views.

In a wandering 90 minute speech, Chavez showed his bizarre behavior to OPEC and even cited his friendship with the former terrorist for hire, Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, a/k/a Carlos the Jackal.

After several bungled bombings, Sanchez obtained notoriety for a 1975 raid on the OPEC headquarters, resulting in the murders of three people. For many years he was among the most wanted international fugitives. Source: Wikipedia - Carlos the Jackal

The Ramirez family is indeed close to Chavez and his Bolivarian elite socialist party. In May 19, 1999, Time Magazine ran a brief story “Dear Ilich: I Am Fine. How Are You? Sincerely, President….”

“Less than a month after taking office, the President mailed a letter to the world’s most infamous incarcerated terrorist, addressing him as “Distinguished Compatriot.” Last week Chavez instructed his Foreign Minister, Jose Vicente Rangel, to meet with the Ramirez family, who say their relative was illegally seized and his human rights are being violated by harsh conditions in prison.”

Chavez latest revelations confirms his friendship to the Ramirez family and puts the icing on the direction he has turned the country of Venezuela.

For an account of Chavez bizarre behavior at OPEC, visit the Reuters story link>>>>>

Technorati tags: International Terrorism, United States, Rafael Ramizez, Carlos the Jackal, Socialist, Chavez, Americas, Venezuela, Asymmetric warfare, Rijock, Iran, Americas

Schwarzenegger To Send National Guard Troops To Border

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger finally agreed on Thursday to send the California National Guard to the Mexican border, ending a 17-day standoff with the Bush administration over whether the state's troops would join the border patrol effort and who would pay for it, administration officials said.

For more on the Associated Press (AP) exculsive story Click here

Technorati tags: NGAUS, National Guard, Border Contriol , President Bush, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Smuggling, Homeland Security, Border Security, Title 32 Missions, Schwarzenegger