Our allies in the Global War on Terror have finally convicted Abu Bakar Bashir (Ba'asyir), the mastermind of the Bali nightclub bombing, to a lengthy sentence. What does the mass murder of 202 infidels get you in Indonesia? 30 months.

That's 2.5 years.

That's 900 days.

That's 4.5 days per victim.

And who does the New York Times blame for the light sentence? Who else but G.W. Bush. more...

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Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, has been indicted by Jordan. Let's hope he dies a painful death at the hands of a US Marine long before he ever sees a court room. more...

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Un-freaking-believable.Par for the course. File under: what they tell us in English vs. what they are saying in Arabic. more...

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"It's strange for me to say it," says Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who would never be mistaken for a Bush backer, "but this process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq."--LA Times. The strangest part is not that a Druze politician would say this, but that the LA Times would report it! (ht: No Pasaran)

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I've been puking since last night. Think the director's cut of The Exorcist. One of my colleagues called the morgue, but I'm not dead yet. In fact, I'm much better. Needless to say, I cancelled classes and there was a great mourning among the students. Weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

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The Revolution continues as the Lebanese opposition demands Syria withdraw troops immediately. Notice how this AP article, though, gives credit where credit is due: to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. I'm sure George Bush had nothing to do with this: more...

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This is the second time The Jawa Report has been used in a lecture on a university campus (as far as I know). Only 4,549,278 more times and I will have caught up to Chomsky!!

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The Army of Ansar al-Sunna has claimed responsibility for the murder of two Turkish drivers in Northern Iraq. more...

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Via Jeff Quinton this news that Mohammad Sohail, the man suspected of videotaping Daniel Pearl as he was murdered, was arrested today in Pakistan! May he rot in hell. Channel News Asia:

Pakistani police arrested a militant who was sentenced to death in his absence for a 2002 suicide bomb which killed 11 French engineers and who may be linked to the murder of US reporter Daniel Pearl, officials said.

Police said they suspect Islamic extremist Mohammad Sohail may have filmed the beheading of the Wall Street Journal correspondent, who was abducted in the volatile southern city of Karachi in early 2002.

A member of the Harkat Jihad-e-Islami militant group, he was detained after falling off a motorbike during a shootout with police in Karachi, city police officer Mohammad Fayyaz told AFP.

"He was arrested after he fell down from a motorcycle, while five other terrorists escaped after firing at police," Fayyaz said of the arrest.

Fayyaz said that during an initial interrogation Sohail had confessed to a role in the death of Pearl and a December 2003 suicide attack on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

"He could be the cameraman who made the video of Pearl's slaying and we are interrogating him," the officer added.

"Dr. Pearl and his wife (Ruth) have made a decision to take this brutal hurt and make something constructive out of it," said Rabbi Herbert N. Schwartz, spiritual leader of Temple Beth El.

Schwartz said Pearl's talk will center on choosing hope over anger and peace over conflict. Pearl will encourage Jews to embrace their faith, all the while inviting dialogue among different religions and races.

"He ultimately takes a look at who his son is, why he died, and how did (Daniel's) Jewish life contribute to this wider vision of understanding in the world," Schwartz said.

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A new video showing Minas Ibrahim al-Yussufi (also al-Yousifi, Yusefi) the secretary general of Iraq's Christian Democratic Party and a man who has been held hostage for a month, has been delivered to AFP. On the video, al-Yussefi begs for the intervention of the Pope and to the King of Sweden.

"I appeal to (Sweden's) King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Pope John Paul II, the international union of Christian parties and the Committee of Muslim Scholars... to work for my release and enable me to complete my national mission," he says.

Al-Yussefi also makes this heart-wrenching appeal, "I have been transferred to the execution unit of the Iraqi Vengeance Brigades, which certainly means my death and execution."

On a February 18th video Minas Ibrahim al-Yussufi made a similar appeal. He is to be beheaded unless his captors are paid $4 million dollars.

Al-Yousifi fled Northern Iraq in 1984 and emmigrated to Sweden. He returned to Iraq after the US led invasion to found a Christian politcal party. His wife and family remain in Sweden.

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Agenzia Giornalistica Italia reports that a low level Iraqi minister announced yesterday that the release of Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena was 'imminent'. The newspaper that Sgrena worked for, the Leftist Il Manifesto was cautiously optimistic on hearing the initial reports. Italian government officials, though, seem less optimistic and doubt the veracity of the report.

Il Manifesto made the cryptic claim that they believed, "Giuliana will arrive from nowhere just like she disappeared".

Yesterday a hunger strike was coordinated between the Catholic and Muslim communities in Italy in support of Giuliana Sgrena's plight. The protesters, so concerned about Sgrena focused much of their attention on calling for the US to end its attack against terrorists in Ramadi.

Developing....

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A Gallup poll leaked today by Editor & Publisher reveals that nearly one in four Americans support using nuclear weapons "to attack terrorist facilities”. Nearly two-thirds of Americans support the assassination of "known terrorists” and 39% agreed that torturing known terrorists was legitimate "if they know details about future terrorist attacks in the U.S.”

We at the Jawa Report have long speculated that the threatened use of nuclear weapons against Mecca could serve as a rational deterrent to Islamic jihadis using weapons of mass destruction against the US. Indeed, many Washington insiders suggest that the Administration has sent back-door messages to terrorist organizations that if they were to use a WMD within the borders of the US that a nuclear strike against Mecca would result. This, they argue, is the reason no WMD attack has happened since 9-11. more...

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From this site:

Your Jedi robe is a Camouflage color.

You have ever used the force to get yourself another beer so you didn't have to wait for a commercial.

You think the best use of your light saber is picking your teeth.

At least one wing of your X-Wing is primer colored.

There is a blaster rack in the back of your landspeeder.

Your father has ever said to you, "Shoot, son come on over t' the dark side...it'll be a hoot."

Come celebrate White Trash Wednesday with these other fine rednecks:

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CNS has this exclusive:

George Soros, the billionaire liberal financier who spent more than $23 million of his own money trying to defeat President Bush last year, is being sued and could end up having to testify over a dog attack at his estate in Westchester County, N.Y.

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A letter was smuggled out of the central prison in SanaÂ’a, Yemen from Mr. Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani to Jane Novak of Armies of Liberation. Mr. al-Khaiwani is a Yemeni editor, journalist, and advocate of democracy. Here is a portion of it:

Furthermore, solidarity with my issue was prohibited and people in solidarity were punished and even terrorized to visit me in prison or declare their solidarity. In addition, the journalistsÂ’ syndicate is falling under tremendous pressures. I believe in democracy, freedom, equality and rights and am willing to sacrifice for their sake simply because I do not wish my children to suffer dictatorship and I will strive to provide them with a better future.

The first cracks in the Soviet system came because dissidents were able to smuggle their accounts of oppression out of the gulags and to the West. With all the good news coming out of the Middle East, let's not forget that not all countries are sharing equally in what appears to be a new dawn of freedom in the region.

If you are a blogger, please help get the word out.

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What next, a burka that doesn't cover the ankles?

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From Digger's Realm: more...

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A judge and lawyer responsible for the prosecution of the crimes committed by the Saddam Hussein regime have been assassinated in Iraq. Judge Barwez Mohammed Mahmoud al-Merwani--a leading Kurdish politician--and his son, lawyer Aryan Barwez al-Merwani, were murdered as they tried to get into a car outside their home. Earlier reports that the Chief Judge, a man who's identity was secret until anti-war activist and reporter Robert Fisk outed him last summer, had been killed proved false.

Over 100 judges are working on various cases against former Hussein regime members. At least five former Saddam Hussein regime members have already been charged with 'crimes against humanity'.

This is further evidence that a key component of the insurgency is in Saddam Hussein loyalists. As reported here earlier yesterday, the Baathist party has been revised and is now working with jihadis to overthrow democratic rule in Iraq. more...

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Suspended DePaul professor gagged and bound at news conference (ht: Michelle Malkin)

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Good news, a federal judge has refused to release Ahmed Omar Abu Ali pending trial. Abu Ali is being held on six terrorism related charges, one of which included his involvement in an al Qaeda plot to assassinate the President of the US. KRT:

A federal magistrate Tuesday declined to release a Virginia man on bond who is accused of joining al-Qaida and plotting to kill President Bush.

But U.S. Magistrate Liam O'Grady left open the possibility of reconsidering his decision after hearing evidence that a top FBI official indicated last spring that the suspect, Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, was no longer of interest to the bureau and might soon be freed from a prison in Saudi Arabia.

For the moment at least, O'Grady accepted the government's arguments and ruled that "there's way beyond clear and convincing evidence that (Abu Ali) is a danger to the community" and should not be released pending trial.

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