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The U.S.-based assets of the Palestinian Authority have been frozen in an effort to force the PA to pay a $116 million dollar terrorism judgment against it. Read this and other stories in this week's Global Jihad Monitor.
From today's National Review Online:
Why are the polls down? Is public support for the war crumbling? Well, no. But the explanation for plummeting numbers varies depending on which war you are talking about.
If you mean what started out as the "war on terror," support remains high. You may recall that war. It was about the eradication of militant Islam and its state sponsors. To the extent there is public uneasiness, it is not over the fact of that war but rather the manner in which it is being prosecuted, with terrorists continuing to score successes and their facilitators in Iran and Syria making war on American forces with impunity.
But if you're talking about what the "war on terror" has lately evolved into — namely, the war to spread freedom — public support cannot fairly be described as "crumbling." Public support for that war was never there in the first place. Read More.
Today, the Lebanese Government accepted a UN investigation commission request to have a number of former security chiefs brought in for interrogation in the Hariri assassination. The three directors detained were: Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed, the former chief of General Security; Maj. Gen. Ali Hajj, the former director general of the Internal Security Forces; and Brig. Gen. Raymond Azar, the former director general of military intelligence. The commander of the Presidential Guards, Brig. Gen. Mustafa Hamdan, also appeared before the U.N. investigation in response to a summons. The Commission ordered former pro-Syrian MP Nasser Kandil to appear as well. But according to official sources, he has taken refuge in the Syrian capital. The four former security officials are considered as the strategic arm of the Lebanese regime and the umbrella that protected Hizbollah under Syrian Baathist supervision. Jamil Sayyed, according to well-informed Lebanese sources was the highest Syrian Mukhabarat “man” inside the Lebanese apparatus since the early 1990s. Mustafa Hamdan, commander of the Harass al Jamhuri, Lebanon’s version of the “Republican Guards,” is accused of masterminding many assassinations, and potentially part of the conspiracy to kill Hariri. Sources in Lebanon believe that the UN investigation may well link the Lebanese regime, Assad’s agencies and Hizbollah to the assassination.
Continue reading "WALID PHARES: Lebanon Security Arrests Could Lead to Syria and Hizbollah" »
Washington, D.C. (August 30, 2005) – The Coalition Against Terrorist Media said that the website of Hezbollah's al-Manar television (www.manartv.com.lb) was taken down over the weekend and forced to move to a new address, www.almanar.com.lb, on a server in India. Read More.
IGNORING ABU GHRAIB: Film-maker Don North has produced two films about some of the most despicable abuses to take place at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. But PBS and other MSM (mainstream media) outlets refuse to air them. Why? Perhaps because the abuses he has focused on -- the amputations of the right hands of Iraqi merchants -- were carried out while Saddam Hussein was still in power. Such barbarity evidently fills the MSM with ennui.
Want to bet that if Don had made films about abuses at Abu Ghraib while U.S. forces were running the place -- even such lesser abuses as scaring prisoners with barking dogs -- there'd be plenty of film at 11? Read More.
A number of bloggers and editorial writers have noted the hypocrisy of so many (like the New York Times) who are now criticizing the Iraqi Constitution, but celebrated the Afghan Constitution when it was drafted even though it gives an even greater role to Islam and includes fewer protections for the rights of women and non-Muslims.
Alenda Lux, for example, has a detailed and convincing analysis comparing the two constitutions, which he ends by criticizing those of us who remain concerned about the loopholes in the Iraqi constitution:
"The media, and much of the commentariat, will continue to bray about how we're establishing Shari'a law in Iraq and that women will "lose gains they made during Hussein's rule." Andrew Sullivan is playing Chicken Little, fearing that "there's still a reasonable chance of a pretty depressingly illiberal constitution." Hopefully that's just his hangover from the past weekend still making his head pound."
A few comments:
The fact that many who are now criticizing the Iraqi constitution didn't push back as hard on the Aghan one doesn't mean the loopholes for Islamists to hijack Iraq's emerging constitution don't exist. So what if the Aghan constitution is just as bad, or worse? Two wrongs do not make a right.
Many others, such as Nina Shea from Freedom House, were just as vocal about the problems with the Aghan constitution as they are now about the Iraqi Constitution - and it is really worth paying attention to their analyses (see today's op-ed in National Review Online)
It simply too soon to celebrate in Iraq.
The appear to be very different from those in Britain. The Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens and Joseph Rago write that Arab-American “are well on their way toward blending into the great American melting pot.”
As for American Muslims, most “have fared well in the U.S. … 59% of American Muslims have at least an undergraduate education, making them the most highly educated group in America. … They tend to be employed in professional fields, and most own stock, either personally or through 401(k) or pension plans. In terms of civic participation, 82% are registered to vote, half of them as Democrats. Interestingly, however, the survey found that 65% of Muslim Americans favor lowering the income tax.
Does that mean there is no cause for concern? Not quite. There is, for example, the problem of “U.S. mosques funded by Saudi Arabia, which can serve as a conduit for the kingdom's extreme Wahhabist brand of Islam.”
And while “most American Muslims have successfully integrated into American life, there remain culturally isolated and impoverished enclaves of Muslim immigrants. It was in just such an enclave in Jersey City, N.J., that the disciples of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman planned the 1993 World Trade Center bombings. Similarly, in Lodi, Calif., where two Pakistani men have been charged with attending terrorist training camps, some 80% of the Pakistani community does not speak adequate English.”
Also: “Hanging over all this is the question of the long-term trajectory of the American Muslim population. In Britain, as in Germany and France, a striking feature of the Islamist movement is that it has taken root among second-generation Muslims, whose disenchantment with their Western lives is matched by the romanticist appeals of ethnic authenticity and religious purity. America's mostly foreign-born Muslims are perhaps less susceptible to this. But that's no guarantee their children won't be seduced. Then, too, neither a first-rate Western education nor economic affluence offers any inoculation against extremism: Just look at the careers of 9/11 ringleader Mohamed Atta, educated at the Technical University of Hamburg, or Daniel Pearl killer Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who did undergraduate work at the London School of Economics.”
There’s more here.
Victor Davis Hanson writes:
It is becoming nearly impossible to sort the extreme rhetoric of the antiwar Left from that of the fringe paleo-Right. Both see the Iraqi war through the same lenses: the American effort is bound to fail and is a deep reflection of American pathology.
An anguished Cindy Sheehan calls Bush "the world's biggest terrorist." And she goes on to blame Israel for the death of her son ("Yes, he was killed for lies and for a PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel. My son joined the Army to protect America, not Israel").
Her antiwar venom could easily come right out of the mouth of a more calculating David Duke. Perhaps that's why he lauded her anti-Semitism: "Courageously she has gone to Texas near the ranch of President Bush and braved the elements and a hostile Jewish supremacist media."
Read the whole essay here.
Fareed Zakaria is a prominent and well read leading commentator of Newsweek. His reading of Middle Eastern geopolitics is often right on target. But as I read his last piece, I realized that strategic reading is always a two way street and the analyst must show both ways to his audience. In a piece titled "Don't Make Hollow Threats," (Newsweek, August 22, 2005), M Zakaria rightly reminded his readers of a dangerous game in international relations: Threats when they fail. He wrote that "President Bush appears to be headed on a path that could teach him this lesson." In a nutshell, the writer argued that when Washington threatens Iran with action, it must own the means to deliver the policy it promises. And to prove the hollowness of the White House Iran plans, M Zakaria writes that "with 150,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Tehran has many ways to retaliate against an American military strike." Taken as a headline it tells what it said: Indeed, if the US has a presence in both neighboring countries, the Iranian regime can obviously unleash his resources against American troops and installations in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is true and M Zakaria is right. But he only showed a one way street. The other way deserves to be analyzed too.
Hamas, has been making great strides in its quest for political acceptance in Gaza and the West Bank – with no small thanks to the Palestinian Authority’s invitation to it to join the government and the Bush administration’s conflicting signals about whether it should be regarded as a ruthless terrorist organization that must be dismantled or a political opposition group that should be dealt with.Now its military leader, Muhammad Deif, has issued a statement which sums up Hamas's take on the Gaza withdrawal. As the New York Times reports: "Today you have left the hell of Gaza in shame but have not gotten out completely, as you continue to occupy Palestine," said Mr. Deif, whose face is in shadow as he spoke in his hallmark deep voice and identified himself by name. "We tell the Zionists who have tarnished our soil, we tell you that all of Palestine will become a hell." The rest of the Times report is here.
FDD's Tanya Gilly will be on C-SPAN Sunday morning from 7:45 - 8:30am EST to discuss the Iraqi constitution and take viewers' calls.
FDD Ad in Waco Tribune-Herald Extends Invitation to Meet with Iraqi Freedom Fighters, Torture Victims, Democracy Activists
Washington, D.C. (August 26, 2005) – In a full-page ad to run in Sunday's Waco Tribune-Herald, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies President Clifford May offers an open invitation to Cindy Sheehan to meet with Iraqi freedom fighters, victims of Saddam's torture chambers and Middle-Eastern democracy activists and to discuss what is at stake in Iraq. Read More.
UPDATE: This event has been cancelled.
Washington, D.C. (August 26, 2005) – Avi Jorisch, the executive director of the Coalition Against Terrorist Media, will appear at a National Press Club "Afternoon Newsmaker" to discuss the coalition's efforts to prevent Hezbollah's al-Manar television from inciting hatred and violence, on Tuesday, August 30, at 2 p.m.
He will show examples of al-Manar’s programming and discuss how Hezbollah, a global terrorist organization that has killed thousands, uses al-Manar as an operational weapon. Hezbollah’s al-Manar television is not like other channels. Its programming includes videos glorifying suicide bombers, calls for Jihadists to attack U.S. troops in Iraq, and virulently anti-Semitic and anti-American propaganda. Read More.
I’m not sure I agree with Robert Spencer that Sami al-Arian’s federal trial in Florida for ties to the deadly Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization has “more important national security implications than any since the Rosenbergs’,” but Spencer is unquestionably correct that it is one of the most significant national security prosecutions of our time. His synopsis, on Front Page Magazine, is well worth reading.
After I posted my quick, at-a-glance analysis of the draft Iraqi Constitution Wednesday night, I spent most of yesterday exchanging e-mails and calls with Iraqi activists and experts on constitutional law.
Robert Blitt from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom was particularly helpful, sharing with me the enclosed analysis of the August 3rd version. The good news is that we've come a long ways since that draft!
Download uscirf_supplemental_analysis_including_aug. 3 draft bill of rights).doc
The bad news is that the clerics still managed to sneak in a too many loopholes in the constitution that could be used to hijack democracy and impose an Islamic theocracy. For more on this see the Policy Briefing on FDD's website.
From today's National Review Online:
It was a relief for many Iraqi women and democracy activists when Thursday's deadline for Iraq's national assembly to vote on the draft constitution came and went. As the deadline loomed, many Iraqis frenetically rang the alarm bell about major loopholes in the constitution that open the door for Islamic law in Iraq. The delay buys a little time to work to close these loopholes — but it won't happen without U.S. support. Read More.
Thanks to those who commented on my WSJ article, here are some of the questions and my response :
Question:
It seems to me that al Qaeda infiltration into Bangladesh only can be sucessful by consensus of the citizens of Bangladesh and the region. I do agree that the world cannot ignore this problem. But, it should be the regional powers that should make an effort to combat the problem.
My question is, Why isn't their any outrage expressed by Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, China, India, or the influential Muslim nations in the region? They are the ones that have a better grasp of the behind the scenes of what is happening there. Also, they are the ones that can have a better chance of connecting to the citizens of Bangladesh since they are all Asians.
Why is it when their is trouble in the world, there is a an outright demand that the west, particularly the US, should get involve. In my opinion, it is western intervention, especially the US, that add growth to terrorism. The only helpful thing that the west can do is to open their markets to free trade and offer moral support.
Islamic terrorism in Bangladesh is a muslim problem that should be dealt with by the government & citzens of Bangladesh, by other Muslim countries, and the Asian powers in the region. Western or US intervention will only exacerbate the problem.
Maneeza's Response:
I agree with your comment on the need for regional response to the growing threat of Islamism in Bangladesh. However, I would add to the issues you raise that:
Whether terrorism is a “Muslim problem” or not, the world is engaged in a global war against terrorism. Therefore, I would strongly advise against isolating the issue region by region. International cooperation is the only way we will defeat radical Islamism, and countries as large as Bangladesh (population wise) which go unnoticed by the media, have become hide-outs.
Continue reading "Maneeza Hossain Responds to Questions on Bangladesh" »
From today's Scripps Howard News Service:
Dear Cindy Sheehan:
I know you want to talk to President Bush about the conflict in Iraq, the war in which your son, Specialist Casey Sheehan, was tragically killed. I also know that while the President met with you previously, he is not eager to see you again – not now that you are affiliated with Moveon.org and supported by David Duke and handled by slick public relations professionals.
So let me suggest an alternative: Come visit with me. Our meeting probably won’t get much publicity but I can promise you an interesting discussion. I’ll invite to join us some of the many Iraqi freedom fighters with whom I’ve been working for the past several years – many of them women -- as well as democracy and human rights activists from Syria, Iran, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon and other countries. Read More. Read the Spanish Translation.
This week's Global Jihad Monitor is now available, featuring stories on the bombings in Bangladesh, the rocket attacks against American and Israeli targets in Jordan and Israel, and the death of the leader of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, amongst other stories.
Susan Dakak, a member of the Women's Alliance for a Democratic Iraq, believes that placing Shari'a experts on the constitutional court is too big a loophole. She wrote in an e-mail to Iraqi women's rights activists:
"The Federal Supreme court that is made of Judges, Lawyers and Sharia Experts will have the final judgment in making the law ( any bill must be approved by these individuals prior to becoming a law). Laws while in effect must be approved by this body of Sharia Experts. And finally, any interpretations of any provisions of the constitution will be settled by the same individuals. Basically, 137 went out the front door and came back in a very sneaky and conniving way through the back door."
She is correct the proposed draft calls for the court to approve laws before they go into effect (article 91) , as opposed to resolving constitutional disputes - I think she's right, this does grant the court too much power. Not to mention it being completely impractical - imagine if the Supreme Court reviewed every law passed by Congress!
Other women activists, such as Maysoon Damluji, President of the Iraqi Independent Women's Group and the Deputy Minister of Culture in 2004, and Dr. Raja Kuzai, a member of the National Assembly (she was also one of three female members of the Iraqi Governing Council under the CPA), have been very vocal in denouncing the constitution. They argue that the clause calling for Shari'a experts on the Federal Court could negate all the other clauses in the constitution that aim to protect religious freedom and the basic rights of women.
Maysoon wrote in an e-mail to women groups: "After much insistence, some of us managed to meet with some high officials yesterday, in order to express our deep dismay with the draft of the constitution. Clergymen will veto any attempt to intoduce modern values to this nation... . We told them that there was nothing in the constitution that would prevent a 12 year old girl from forced marriage of a 60 year old tribal sheikh or religous sayed."
Other women leaders such as Safia al-Souhail and Zakia Hakki tell us in their e-mails and calls that they feel the lobbying by women's groups has been effective in blocking most of the religious parties' attempts to write an Islamic constitution. They say that the language on democratic principles and essential freedoms, the reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 25% quota for women, and the bi-cameral structure with elected representative give women (and other Iraqis) grounds to push back in the future if clerics try to impose Islamic law.
I say to the Iraqi women, and all Iraqis who want to ensure Iraq is not ruled by clerics: Keep pushing back! Every time women, minorities and non-Muslims in Iraq speak up and are vocal, they remind the political parties and their fellow citizens that the new Iraq must accomodate them as well. And the line is pushed closer to liberal democracy and away from theocracy.
The debate has begun - and it is an important one. The process will not end with the Assembly vote: if the constitution is approved, the Iraqi newspapers, radio, television and civil society will now take over and engage Iraqi society in a debate about the constitution.
Jurists around the world should weigh in on the one essential question:
Does the constitution contain sufficient mechanisms for Iraqis to protect themselves from clerics who would try to impose Islamic rule?
Iraqi women's groups and democracy activists are ready to spread the word inside Iraq.
THE GOOD
CORRECTION (8/25): 1) It appears that the Arabic version does mention that family law would automatically revert to religious courts, but Iraqis will have the right to opt out of religious courts and civil law will also remain in place. 2) The 25% quota for women is in the "Interim" section of the constitution, its status is still unclear.
FDD's Maneeza Hossain has this piece in today's Asian Wall Street Journal:
Last week an estimated 300 bombs went off in less than an hour in an Islamic country the size of Wisconsin, but with a population of 150 million. Although the attacks in Bangladesh were apparently not specifically targeted to kill civilians this time, two people died and more than 120 were injured. A banned Islamist group, the Jamatul Mujahideen, claimed credit for the attacks. Their message was clear: they just wanted to let the nation know that their terrorist network has been established. Read More.
From today's Opinion Journal:
Next month the United Nations will host not only the annual opening of the General Assembly but a world summit at which some 170 heads of the U.N.'s 191 member states are expected to converge on New York. From this conclave is supposed to emerge a neater, cleaner U.N.--chastened by scandal but revamped and ready for fresh infusions of taxpayer cash. Stacks of reform plans await. Read More.
DISENGAGEMENT: I paid a visit to Israel in the days leading up to the withdrawal from Gaza. Without question, Israelis are divided over an exodus that its enemies are celebrating as a victory for terrorism.
On the other hand, it was remarkable how life goes on in Israel: The streets of Israel's cities bustle with the Middle East's most diverse population -- Jews, Christians and Muslims, whites, browns and blacks. The restaurants and nightclubs are full. The economy is booming. The journalism and politics of this democratic nation are more than energetic.
This episode severely tested Israelis. Now it is the turn of the Palestinians. Are there a sufficient number of Gazans willing to do the hard work necessary to build a decent society in the territory that has been turned over to them? Or will Israel be blamed for every failure while terrorists take control and pursue their agenda of death and destruction? Read More.
Yesterday I heard the reporter from Baghdad on CNN International state that "Iraq looks like it will be an Islamic Republic in the model of Iran," and today's editorial in the New York Times accused the Bush Administration of settling for "an Iranian-style Shiite theocracy."
Wait a second! I have no issues with keeping the pressure on the administration to hold firm on religious freedom and women's rights in Iraq - but comparisons with Iran seem rather premature.
First of all, no one has seen the full draft yet, and we don't know what the exact language is with regards not only to Islam, but also freedom of religion, individual rights, as well as the process by which laws will be judged to be constitutional.
The language in a draft in circulation as of Sunday was actually encouraging. It stated that "no law shall be enacted that contradicts [Islam’s] established provisions, the principles of democracy, [or] the rights and basic freedoms stipulated in this constitution." The same provision also protected "all the religious rights of all individuals in the freedom of belief and religious practice."
Second, there are many other key issues that will affect women and religious minorities. One, will the civil law of 1959 governing women's issue remain in place (good news), or will it be replaced by religious courts (bad news)? My guess is that the civil law will remain in place, with the option of using religious courts. Not a great solution, since many women will be forced by their families and customs to go to religious courts, but worth remembering that is also an option in place in ... Canada! Two, is Shari'a (Islamic law) explicitly mentioned (not so good), or more vaguely, does the constitution refer to the "values of Islam" (more wiggle room here)? Third, who will be in charge of determining whether laws are constitutional, and how will they be appointed?
GWU student Jason Zorn is an undergraduate fellow with FDD. He recently completed his initial training as an anti-terror/pro-democracy activist and has written an article for the Orlando Sentinel which describes his experiences here.
The fourth anniversary of the attack on the New York Trade Towers is almost upon us, September 11, 2001.
We have already been engaged in the Global War on Terror a few months longer that the years we spent fighting World War Two. Time flies.
The thought occurs that when you add you add up the death and destruction and misery caused by this weird war, and the huge costs of security -in the multi billions of dollars for our country alone- and then enumerate the annoyances and inconveniences and interference in everyday life: the encouragement of paranoia, the surveillance cameras, the “no parking” signs, the long lines, the pat downs, the shoe removals, the metal detectors and worst of all the mindless bureaucracy that has been encouraged to grow and control our freedom of movement; and then dwell on the fact that is it a tiny handful of the world’s population, every one of them a male religious fanatic, who has caused this to happen to us, then you wonder why we aren’t angrier about it as individuals, why Christians, Jews, Muslims, non believers, aren’t jumping up and down in frustration, grinding their teeth, and shouting they just wont take it any more.
The answer to that question is that too many people are like the beasts of the field, chewing their cuds and equably awaiting whatever situation, good or bad, God or the farmer or the weather put them in.
The men who are doing this to us should be crushed to pulp. No question in our minds, hopefully not in yours.
Continue reading "RICHARD CARLSON & BARBARA NEWMAN: Danger Zone - The Column" »
UVA student Ginger Hatfield is an undergraduate fellow with FDD. She recently completed her initial training as an anti-terror/pro-democracy activist which is described at length in an article by Walter Littrell ofThe Kingsport Times-News featured below.
Continue reading "DAVID SILVERSTEIN: Anti-Terrorism Training at Work" »
The Iraqi National Assembly has put forward a draft constitution by today's deadline, but has announced that they will take three more days to hammer out some final details. Apparent issues of conflict involve how to deal with Saddam era Baathists, the ongoing debate about federalism in Iraq, and the division of powers.
12:00PM- Check Iraq the Model for up to-the-minute updates on what Iraqi spokesmen are saying about the constitution on Arab Television..
It seems that the Shi'a and Kurdish leaders have decided to present a draft constitution, with or without Sunni support. On the key question of the role of Islam in the constitution, Omar reports that at a press conference in Baghdad 30 minutes ago, two members of the CDC from the United Alliance announced the following compromise:
" No laws that are against the widely agreed upon values of Islam can be issued and no laws that are against the values of democracy and human rights can be issued."
Depending on the exact wording, this could be a great compromise that provides the requisite ambiguity and space in Iraqi political life for pro-democracy Muslims to argue for interpretations of Islam that are compatible with the core democratic values of equality before the law and basic freedom for all citizens - in which case Iraq could become the center of a vibrant intellectual and religious debate about Islam and democracy.
On the other hand, if the constitution explicitly states that no law may contravene Shari'a, and does not specify what is meant by "the values of democracy," then the door will have been opened for new laws to be introduced that subject Iraqi women to the will of their husbands or other male guardians, as is the case in virtually all countries where family law is governed by Shar'ia, as well as laws curtail the freedom of religion and belief of all Iraqis.
For many Iraqis who simply want security, electricity and jobs, it is hard to see what difference a few words on a piece of paper can make. And yet a few words will make all the difference in the world.
FDD obtained a scanned copy of the leaflet that the Jamatul Mujahideen left behind at the site of one of 200 bombings that they orchestrated last week in Bangladesh. A translation into English is available here. Anyone who still needs to be convinced that the war against terrorism is about democracy and freedom should read how the Jamatul Mujahideed themselves define their jihad: " In a Muslim country there can be no laws other than the laws of Allah. But it is a matter of great regret that in a land inhabited by 90 percent Muslims the laws of Allah are not enforced in Bangladesh. On top of it from the districts to the capital city in the courts of law justice is dispensed according to laws based on a man-made constitution." In other words, their battle is to destroy Bangladesh's democracy and replace it with Islamic theocracy: "Jamatul Mujahideen discards the existing judicial system of the country and they stand for the demand for upholding Allah’s laws and faith in Allah. At the same time it rejects the constitution that conflicts with Allah’s laws and calls upon all to abandon the so-called election process and run the affairs of state according to the laws of Allah and the traditions of the prophet." And who are their enemies? "The laws of the land are the brain-children of infidels, non-believers and Jews precisely to destroy Muslim mores and faith."
According to MSNBC "...Gunmen seized three Sunni Arabs hanging posters urging people to vote in the constitutional referendum, drove them to a mosque and shot them dead Friday, an official of their political party and witnesses said..."
This was not an attack against Americans or Iraqi soldiers. It was an attack against innocent civilians (members of the Iraqi Islamic Party no less) trying to encourage their fellow countrymen to engage in the democratic process.
This was not an act of resistance. It was just the latest proof that the majority of victims of the so-called insurgency are Muslim Iraqis.
Washington, D.C. (August 19, 2005) – The Coalition Against Terrorist Media (CATM) said that a recent interview in which Hezbollah’s al-Manar television promoted the extremist views of a known terrorist is yet another example of why al-Manar must be removed from broadcast. Read the full press release.
Learn more about CATM's efforts to remove al-Manar from the airwaves.
Two days ago, Bangladesh was blanketed with a series of synchronized bomb explosions. Not 2, not 20, but more than 200 bombs exploded in less than an hour, throughout a country the size of Wisconsin.
The local newspaper, the Daily Star, published a map of the bombings that conveys what words cannot.
The bombs exploded in 62 of Bangladesh's 64 districts. Although they were not intended to kill civilians (not this time), 2 people were killed and more than 120 injured.
A banned Islamist group, Jamatul Mujahideen took credit for the attacks. Their message was clear: they left behind their business card, letting the nation know that their network is in place and what they are capable of in their goal to take over Bangladesh. A leaflet found at one of the bombing sites said: "It is the third call to establish Islamic rule in the country. If ignored and (if) our people are arrested or persecuted, Jaamat-ul-Mujahideen (Assembly of Holy Warriors) will take the counter action." The group was referring to prior attacks this year for which it had claimed responsibility.
Why have we not seen this map in major Western newspapers? The Washington Post carried a small item about the bombings on August 18, on page A-13, and the New York Times buried the story in the International Section.
From today's Wall Street Journal:
Since the Oil for Food program came to an end in 2003, it has been described--accurately enough--as oil for palaces, oil for terror and oil for fraud. Now it turns out the U.N. relief program in Iraq was also oil for Enron. Read More.
The British government is facing demands to close down London radio station Al-Tajdeed. The radio station, which also broadcasts in Iraq and Saudia Arabia, calls on all Muslims to join the 'holy war against the Coalition.'
Link: MEMRI: Latest News.
Lebanese Terrorist-Turned-Researcher Anis Al-Naqqash on Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV: In Support of Terror Attacks in London, the U.S., and Arab Countries
Anis Al-Naqqash, a Lebanese researcher and former terrorist, was involved in the December 21, 1975 attack on an OPEC oil ministers' conference in Vienna in which three were killed and 70 were taken hostage, flown to Algeria, and released for ransom. [1] He was also involved in the failed assassination attempt in France against former Iranian prime minister under the Shah Shapour Bakhtiar, July 18, 1980, in which two were killed. Al-Naqqash was sentenced in France to life in prison; however, he was released a decade later.
The following are excerpts from interviews with Anis Al-Naqqash and footage can be found here and here.
Turkish authorities arrested a suspected al-Qaeda leader who they believe was planning attacks on Israeli targets in Turkey and more available in this week's Global Jihad Monitor.
Every day that Hezbollah’s al-Manar television remains on the air, someone somewhere will answer its call to Jihad. And sadly, someone else will lose their life, a limb, or a loved one as a result.
The Coalition Against Terrorist Media, a group of Muslims, Christians, Jews and secular organizations, was created by FDD to remove al-Manar from the global airwaves.
AL-MANAR IS 24/7 TERRORIST TV:
Al-Manar is an operational weapon used by Hezbollah, one of the world's most deadly terrorist organizations. Until recently, al-Manar freely broadcast across the globe -- six continents, 15 million viewers a day -- calling for suicide bombers to slaughter U.S. soldiers in Iraq, inciting anti-Semitic and anti-American hatred, recruiting new followers to its cult of death, and featuring afternoon videos glorifying terrorism to children.
Watch examples of al-Manar's programming here AND here, including al-Manar's "blood libel" ( 34 MB pictured above), which broadcast the vicious lie that Jews kill children to make Passover Matzah, and other videos inciting violence and promoting terrorism.
7 DOWN, 2 TO GO:
Over the past year, the Coalition and its members have been instrumental in taking al-Manar down from seven satellite providers.
The Coalition has met with hundreds of government officials in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, recruited allies all over the world, and launched an intensive advocacy campaign to remove al-Manar.
As a result, Hezbollah’s television broadcast is no longer viewable in North American, South and Central America, Asia, Australia, and much of Africa.
But there’s still much more to be done. And we need your help. Now is the time to take al-Manar off the air once and for all.
Continue reading "HEZBOLLAH'S AL-MANAR TV: 7 DOWN, 2 TO GO" »
This Sunday's groundbreaking WMAL radio show Danger Zone will feature Prof. Akbar Ahmed and former Congressman Bob Barr. Read More.
43 people were killed and 88 were injured when two car bombs exploded 10 minutes apart at the al-Nahda bus station in central Baghdad this morning.
From August 14th's Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat:
American sources in Washington report on the success of the campaign led by The Coalition Against Terrorist Media (CATM), which, as explained by Bill McCarthy, head of communications at the Coalition, resulted in France Telecom dropping Al-Manar from its programming to AsiaSat. Read the full English translation.
Read the original article in Arabic.
Link: Clifford May: Notes & Comments.
STUPID INTELLIGENCE: Do you happen to recall the July 10th, 2001 New York Times op-ed by Larry C. Johnson, a former CIA and State Department counter-terrorism specialist (now one of those campaigning against Karl Rove)?
In it, Johnson wrote what many of his colleagues in the intelligence bureaucracy believed that "Americans have little to fear" from terrorism.
Fears about terrorism, he added, were only being stirred up by "24-hour broadcast news operations too eager to find a dramatic story," by "pundits who repeat myths while ignoring clear empirical data," as well as politicians who "warn constituents of dire threats and then appropriate money for redundant military installations and new government investigators and agents."
Well, it now turns out that, "Three weeks before the London bombings of July 7, Britain's Joint Terrorist Analysis Center advised policymakers that 'at present there is not a group with both the current intent and the capability to attack the UK.'"
The Iraqi National Assembly voted unanimously to extend the deadline for Iraq’s new constitution until August 22. President Jalal Talabani formally requested the extension.
There are still several unresolved issues: among those, the role of Islam in the constitution. Sources tell us that there has been some progress on equality under the law for women. One quarter of the National Assembly and other positions of power will be set aside for women. But women’s groups will be keeping the pressure on to ensure Shari’a isn’t the sole source for law. For more about FDD’s efforts on this, please click here and here.
From today's New York Sun:
To the cast of characters caught up in the U.N. oil-for-food scandal, investigators have reportedly added another name, that of the secretary-general's brother, Kobina Annan. That means at least three members of the Annan clan are now under scrutiny, including Secretary-General Annan himself, his globetrotting son, Kojo Annan, and his brother, who is Ghana's ambassador to Morocco. Read More.
Delegates of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are currently meeting at their annual convention in Orlando. They are scheduled to vote Saturday on a resolution attacking Israel, which, among other items, condemns the Israeli security fence. To get the flavor of what this is all about, check this out -- from the indispensable Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting (CAMERA), which attempts to correct some egregiously inaccurate claims about the fence which have been published in The Lutheran, the ECLA's magazine.
In a forum along with two Islamists on al jazeera, I told the audience that
"Thawahiri's tape in reaction to Dr Rice's speech at the American University in Cairo shows that al Qaida is afraid from the spread of Democracy among the youth in the region. The Jihadists resents the doctrines that oppose their ideology, regardless of liking or disliking America."
The forum was a 30 minutes long debate on al Jazeera on Sunday August 7, 2005 with Radouan al Sayid from Beirut and Muntasir al Zayat from Cairo.
I asked the panel if al Qaida's ideology really represent the Arab and Muslim masses and wondered why doesn't the organization tell the peoples of the region what are its final goals. Will the youth accept a Taliban regime from Morocco to Iraq? See the text in Arabic or listen to the entire forum. al Jazeera
"A suicide bombing, whether in a restaurant in Tel Aviv or Beirut, is terrorism. ... There is no cause, no matter how just, that justifies terrorism." Majdi Khalil.
From today's New York Daily News by the president of the Women's Alliance for a Democratic Iraq, Basma Fakri:
If Iraq is to succeed as a model democracy in the Middle East, the next few days will be among the most crucial since its liberation from Saddam Hussein's iron grip. At stake is whether women will be full partners in Iraq's new freedom or whether they will be relegated to second-class status, denied equal rights and prevented from full participation in Iraq's society, economy and government. Read More.
From today's Opinion Journal:
"A single dollar lost to corruption is a dollar too much if you're handling international public monies": With this pious utterance did United Nations chief of staff, Mark Malloch Brown, greet the findings that the head of the U.N.'s Oil for Food program, Benon Sevan, was on the take from Saddam Hussein. Read More.
The heavy sand storm in Baghdad earlier this week may have kept Iraqi political leaders from gathering to discuss the constitution, but it did not stop Iraqi women from holding a demonstration in Fardous square in Baghdad.
Mohammed at Iraq the Model shares pictures of the demonstration, and relates conversations with Islamist women who held a small counter demonstration: "No to immorality and dissolution" they called, illustrating the way Islamists play into the fears of a conservative society by equality women's rights with sexual promiscuity.
But not all religious women are falling for this, Mohammed also reports that last week in the holy city of Najaf, women from 17 civil society organizations expressed their concerns:
"We want a civil law to govern issues like marriage and inheritance and we also want to reactivate the related international treaties that Iraq had already signed and approved long time ago and even the existing civil law that we support needs to be modified and improved in a way that matches the needs and rights of Iraqi women and we insist that Islam must not be the only source of legislation".
So far, the women of Iraq - and their male supporters - have been the most active and forceful voice pushing back on Islamist attempts to turn Iraq into an Islamic state. Their struggle is about a lot more than merely granting women the same rights as men: it's about freedom of religion, freedom of belief, freedom of conscience, and whether the new Iraq will be a step forward or a step backward in the Middle East.
From today's National Review Online:
In the aftermath of militant Islam’s 7/7 suicide bombings — followed hard by the botched conspiracy to duplicate the savagery on July 21 — Great Britain has tangled itself in a thorny legal debate over the propriety of treason prosecutions against terrorists. This row, though unnecessary and doubtless destined to be short-lived, is noteworthy. Beneath its surface lie both the cause of England’s tumult and an emerging dividing line in antiterror strategy. Read More.
Washington, D.C. - GlobeCast, a division of France Telecom, dropped Hezbollah's al-Manar television from its programming to AsiaSat, bringing to seven the number of satellite companies no longer carrying al-Manar. This action removes al-Manar from broadcast to Asia, leaving only two satellite providers in Egypt and Saudi Arabia still airing the station after months of intense advocacy by the Coalition Against Terrorist Media (CATM). [Read More]
Firebrand cleric, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, who has long used London mosques as pulpit for urging Muslims to wage jihad against Great Britain, has apparently fled the country. The Syrian-born Bakri Mohammed founded Britain's radical al-Muhajiroun group which publicly celebrated the 9/11 attacks. More recently, he referred to the July 7 suicide bombers who mass murdered nearly five dozen British innocents as England's new "Fabulous Four." His departure, to Lebanon for now, comes only days after Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the government's intention to get tough on militant preachers. The London Times has details.
Agence France Press. TEHRAN - Iran's new President Mahmood Ahmadinejad welcomed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Tehran on Sunday, vowing to strengthen ties between the two countries brought together by "shared threats".
"Syria represents the frontline of the Muslim nation, shared threats bring us together and make our cooperation even more necessary," Ahmadinejad said ahead of talks with the leader of Iran's leading Arab ally.
"Reinforcing our bilateral relations will protect the region against the threats of its enemies ... our enemies are trying to undermine this relationship," he said.
One week after Hizbollah's leader’s visit to Tehran and his meeting with the new President of Iran, the Syrian regime's leader paid the same visit to the regional power seeking nuclear weapons, and reaffirmed the strategic alliance in the region. Back in 1992, I wrote for the periodical Global Affairs a study on the Syrian Iranian Alliance, which I baptized then as an "Axis." After 9/11 and the removal of Saddam Hussein, the Syrian-Iranian axis designed a joint strategy of obstruction to the rise of democracies.
Continue reading "WALID PHARES: Second Warning – Assad in Tehran" »
From today's Washington Times:
A number of North American-based Muslim organizations, clerics and activists held a recent press conference in Washington to release a "fatwa against Terrorism." The religious edict, unveiled at a critical time following the London bombings, is certainly the subject of significant interest. [Read More]
Veteran Asia correspondent Jasper Becker concludes he’s “an extraordinarily skillful tyrant presiding over the worst man-made catastrophe in modern history, worse than Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge or the Soviet Union in the 1930's.” A review of his new book is here.
From Friday's National Review Online:
It’s rich that the former head of the United Nations Oil-for-Food program, Benon Sevan, is now protesting the secrecy surrounding U.N. records that he himself set up as confidential. [Read More]
