Via In the Bullpen news of a new al Qaeda tape. Right: A still image of Ayman al-Zawahri from the tape. Fox News:

Ayman al-Zawahri (search), Usama bin Laden's right-hand man, appeared in a new videotape aired on Al Jazeera on Thursday, Reuters reported.

The number two figure in Al Qaeda (search) said U.S. forces have only limited movement in Afghanistan, Reuters reported.

Al-Zawahri was wearing a white turban with a machine gun at his side and spoke for several minutes in the videotape, Reuters reported.

It is largely believed that Al-Zawahri, an Egyptian doctor, is the brains behind the terror network.

Al Jazeera headline: US Bombing Kills More Fallujah Civillians more...

Posted by: Rusty at 01:54 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 208 words, total size 2 kb.

From the Religion of Irony comes this op-ed out the Arabic Dar al Hayat. The gist of the op-ed is that murdering hostages is not justified. Great, but notice the contrast between say Paul or Peter or Buddha, who spread their faith through persuasion and Muhammed who used coersion to spread Islam.

There is an undisputed history, from which I will choose what was written back then, and was saved until today.

A military expedition was sent to Syria, in order to convert its people to Islam. [there is no condemnation of this in the op-ed] All the members of the mission were killed, except for 14 men and their commander. Also, Al Harith bin Omeir Al Azdi was sent to Hercules in order to convert him to Islam; but Sharhabil bin Omar Al Ghassani killed him on the way.

The Arab Prophet worried about the enemies who were waiting to kill the Muslims, [notice the spin here: Muhammed sends an army to force people to become Muslims, then the people who are defending themselves are somehow to blame for defending themselves] so he sent an army of 3,000 men, and told them: "do not backstab, do not get carried away, do not kill an infant or a woman, nor an old man, nor a hermit; do not harm palm trees, do not cut tress, and do not demolish constructionsÂ…" [thank you Muhammad, glad to know you just want to force us to convert to your religion, not kill our women, peas be upon your name]

These clear commandments were repeated by Abu Bakr Al Siddiq, who added to it, prior to sending the expedition of Osama bin Zaid, in the first of Apostasy Wars (unlike in Christianity and Judaism, apostasy is punishable by death in Islam). [that was the author's note, not mine. Get it dumbass multiculturalists? In Islam they kill you for leaving the faith. Once again, you leave you die.] He told the Muslim soldiers: "do not betray, do not get carried away, do not backstab, do not disfigure, do not kill an infant, nor the old; do not kill a woman, do not harm a palm tree or burn it. Do not cut a fruitful tree; do not slaughter a sheep, cow, or camel, except for food. You will encounter hermits on your way; let them be, and let them pursue their dedicationsÂ…" [again, thank you Muhammed, peas be upon your name, for only killing me for leaving your faith] more...

Posted by: Rusty at 11:04 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 892 words, total size 6 kb.

1 I would note that earlier in its evolution (round about the Middle Ages), Christians certainly had their share of warmaking in the name of spreading the Good Word. I might also note: * Ferdinand and Isabella expelled Moors and Jews from Spain. * Under the Spanish Inquisition, repeated heresy was punishable by death. * While the Thirty Years War had its roots in preservation of the Hapsburg dynasty, it was also a military conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism. * In Salem, the Puritans hung individuals accused of witchcraft. If we were to dig further, I am sure we would find that Christianity's litany of sins is as long as Islam's. --|PW|--

Posted by: pennywit at September 09, 2004 01:14 PM (trLts)

2 That's a total cop-out. Christianity evolved from a passifistic religion which operated outside the normal government santioned worship regime. It was not until Constantine that Christianity had to deal with the notion of Christians in power doing violence. From it's inception, Islam was violent. Further, Islam is rooted in the notion that there can be no seperation between Church and state which seems the crux of the dilemma. It officially endorses violence as a means to an end. Chrisianity officially rejects this from the beginning. Violence is introduced into Christianity at a later date. I'm no pacifist, violence is fine in my book under some conditions, but the Christian New Testament explicitly rejects the Old Testament violence.

Posted by: RS at September 09, 2004 01:38 PM (JQjhA)

3 I would further point out, then, that Christianity has evolved from pacifism to violence and to a more pacifistic state. Is it not possible for Islam to do the same? --|PW|--

Posted by: pennywit at September 09, 2004 11:13 PM (trLts)

4 It is not possible for Islam to do the same. Everything Islam is violent; everything about it is violent. The terrorists of today are muslims: I'm not saying every muslim is violent and soulless but I am saying that every (98%) of the terrorists are muslim. So, no, they can't be peaceful. These people are barbarians and should be wiped off the face of the earth; they have no right to live on this globe with the rest of us. Sure, there are sickos here and there but we're talking an entire religion of sickos but they are more than that - they are inhuman, inhumane, souless, unconscionable and this kind of crap has just got to end. It's that simple [PW]. ~C

Posted by: firstbrokenangel at September 10, 2004 01:08 PM (D39Vm)

5 ok, let's add the two Italian female humanitarian workers here, the Iraqi police that have been abducted, the two french journalists, and while we're at it, add Belsan school, the bombings of all the police stations and training fields, Najaf, Sadr City, all the others still being held or already dead AND all those that are already dead whether they were kidnapped then killed or killed when they were trying to be kidnapped, etc etc etc et al and tell me THEN that Islam means Peace! Yeah, right. Who's kidding whom here? Not you Rusty, just an overall thought. ~C

Posted by: firstbrokenangel at September 10, 2004 04:08 PM (D39Vm)

6 I would argue in return that an overall condemnation of Islam for the deeds of a few terrorists makes no more sense than an overall condemnation of Christianity for the deeds of the Spanish Inquisition. --|PW|--

Posted by: pennywit at September 11, 2004 01:15 PM (g5Nfn)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

Cajones? Check. Expect not so veiled threats from the Arab world IBD:

The United States declared on Thursday genocide has occurred in Sudan's Darfur region and blamed the Khartoum government and Arab militias for the crisis that has driven more than a million people from their homes.

"We concluded that genocide has been committed in Darfur and that the government of Sudan and the Janjaweed bear responsibility and genocide may still be occurring," Secretary of State Colin Powell said in testimony prepared for delivery to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Posted by: Rusty at 10:03 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 102 words, total size 1 kb.

Simon, an Australian by birth, is doing full coverage. He also has a blog roundup and reaction. Excellent resource. Might I be so bold to remind you that one of the convicted Bali bombers which killed 202, including 88 Australians, was recently seen in a coffee shop with his Indonesian jailor? That is called "getting tough on terrorists" I guess in that part of the world. Oh, and when they indicted another member of Jemaah Islamiyah last week for his part in the Bali bombing, it caused a riot. VOA:

"Naturally enough, our suspicion turns to Jemaah Islamiyah," he said. "We had some advice a few days ago of possible terrorist attack in Jakarta focusing on Western-style hotels. And we changed our travel advisory to take that into account but we didn't have any information on a specific attack on the Australian Embassy at this time."

Also blogging: Quinton, Tim Blair, Art Chrenkoff

Posted by: Rusty at 08:05 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 162 words, total size 2 kb.

File under: eating crow. When it was first revealed that Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun was abducted I was among a number of notable bloggers (I'm also looking at you Spoons) who said there was something fishy about this. I publicly apologize for casting dispersions on Cpl Hassoun's version of the story. I was completely wrong. I should not have jumped to any conclusions. I was way out of line. I also admit that his ethnicity as an Arab probably did cloud my judgement. Again, I am sorry. Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun deserves better than this. It looks like the worst he might have done was leave the base without permission, but probably to visit a girl he had met. He is not being accused of dessertion or treason. I am sorry for doubting your story. Thank you Cpl. Hassoun for your service.

UPDATE: Spoons responds.

AZCentral:

Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun has returned to his unit in North Carolina, although his mysterious abduction by Islamic militants in Iraq has yet to be publicly explained.

Posted by: Rusty at 02:07 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 536 words, total size 4 kb.

What was that line again about Islam and peace and only a few and all that stuff? The borders of Islam are indeed bloody. Russia and India are our new natural allies in this war. Hindustan Times:

Three Muslims were dragged out of their homes and beheaded amid rising civilian deaths in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Wednesday.

Police suspect that the three were killed because they were informants of Indian security forces. There was no way to independently verify the police claim.

Terrorists stormed into the village of Mara Doria in the Rajouri region, 180 kilometres northwest of Jammu, according to the duty officer at the Rajouri police station.

Kalu Din, 25, and Mishri Gujjar, 35, were taken from their homes to a nearby forest and beheaded, he said.

In the adjoining Fabri Dhok village, the attackers took Ghulam Shah, 50, and also decapitated him, the officer said on customary condition of anonymity.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:49 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 172 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Why the hell can't they get a clue, and just behead that guy on the Dytex commercials? Or Greg Cenimone[sp?]? (He's the guy threatening to turn your fat into concrete, so your pants will fit.) They'd have most infidels cheering Allah as a liberator.

Posted by: Demosophist at September 08, 2004 10:54 AM (turqZ)

2 Sorry, I think that's DiTech rather than Dytex, but who the hell knows for sure. It's not as though I've ever lifted my head to look at the TV while the commercial was playing. I have a theory that Alzheimer's is a diseased caused by watching too many TV commercials, or reading too much SPAM. And that suggests another politically savvy move to give Allah a helping hand. They could start tracking down and kidnapping spammers, which would have the added benefit that they'd probably end up heheading themselves... which would be the holiest irony that ever tickeled Allah's funny bone, I bet. Well, it's funnier than making war on children and humanitarian aid workers because those are the only people you can beat, anyway.

Posted by: Demosophist at September 08, 2004 11:15 AM (turqZ)

3 Like I said before - 98% of the terrorists are muslims but not all muslims are terrorists. These people were obviously innocent and what happened to them was not right but I can understand it. The problem is, go after the ones who ARE doing it and kill them. ~C

Posted by: firstbrokenangel at September 10, 2004 01:20 PM (D39Vm)

4 these terrorists guys suck i swear i mean everyones "P Oed" over these stupid guys slotering our poor souls

Posted by: tyler becker at January 31, 2005 10:35 PM (nU8ce)

5 Hello.. Praise be to Allah.... I know it was meant well by all comments, but I want to point out something... Not 98% of Muslims are terrorists... Muslims are misunderstood and mistreated in many different parts of this world... Islam is a religion of peace, justice, merci and equality... The word "ISLAM" it's self is taking from: selm and salam (which means: peace in Arabic_)... “We are ordered to keep away from violence and arbitrary acts" People who don't ... are being disobedient to God... and are guilty of violating the laws of God.. As a Muslim.. I don't consider them any of us... It hurts to see the destruction of buildings and properties, bombing of many innocent people... Those are all forbidden according to Islam.. Where prophet Mohammed (PBUH) has said: (Whoever has killed a person shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise, though its fragrance is found for a span of forty years). Prophet Mohammed also listed murder as the second of major sins. He (PBUH) has said: (The first cases to be adjudicated between people on the Day of Judgment will be those of bloodshed.) In the holy Quran.. Allah has said: (God does not forgive you for showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you out of your homes. God loves just dealers.) Soldiers themselves were also forbidden from killing children and women and elderly people during wars… Muslims are also commanded to be kind to the e-mails.. And are forbidden to hurt them.. I thank you for your time.. alsalam alaykum.. o rahmat allah.. o barakatuh... (Peace be upon you all, and God's merci.. and forgiveness...)

Posted by: zoya at March 02, 2005 02:34 PM (Vbon4)

6 Muslims are also commanded to be kind to the ANIMALS.. And are forbidden to hurt them..*** ANIMALS not E-MAILS!! Guess i got carried away a little.. huh?? i opologize for this UNPROMPTED mistake..

Posted by: zoya at March 02, 2005 02:44 PM (Vbon4)

7 those sick basterds!!!!!!!!they are Fuckin basterds what if it was there family what if it was my friend Joel Reinteria,i would catch them and then give 'em a slow painful death

Posted by: juan cortez at May 05, 2005 01:55 PM (XzTAy)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

This is just sick. Absolutely sick. I post pics of these things to wake readers up from the sleep America drifted into after 9/11. But these people? They make Ogrish look like a saint. Swiss Info:

The hottest selling item at Baghdad's video CD market is not a movie or a music video.

It's an ordinary Egyptian whose beheading was filmed by his Muslim militant captors and distributed as a gruesome message to
anyone who cooperates with U.S. troops in Iraq.

"The CD is in big demand. We sell about 300 to 400 clips a week," said Abu Muhammad, a shop owner who said he didn't have
the stomach to watch the decapitation by knife.

"We have all kinds of customers, both old and young."

The video shows a terrified Mohammed Abdel Aal kneeling in front of masked militants with AK-47 assault rifles as he confesses to planting electronic devices in houses that guided bombs dropped from U.S. warplanes. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 08:41 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 528 words, total size 3 kb.

1 "A Muslim could not do something so barbaric. This was the work of Israeli intelligence trying to give Muslims a bad image in the world," said video shop owner Abu Safwat. This alone proves it's a good reason the CD is for sale in Baghdad. Iraqis need to realize that everything bad is not the fault of the Jews.

Posted by: Chad at September 08, 2004 10:54 AM (HwKuA)

2 It's sickening either way...Iraqi's are muslims, they don't need more info on this or learn how to do this. It's absolutely disgusting and the Baghdad dealer should be put out of business; in a way, he's helping Al Jazeera. They should try to remember that this could happen to them by 'THEM' at any time, why watch the horror of Muslims beheading other muslims. Sorry I do not find this so called "religion" a peaceful one. The Kuran does not say it's peaceful although they are trying to make it more conservative by leaving out the warrior section which is what 'they' are using as a reason for this barbarism. ~C

Posted by: firstbrokenangel at September 10, 2004 01:26 PM (D39Vm)

3 WHERE CAN I BUY THE BEHEADING CD ?

Posted by: JON at November 17, 2004 09:11 PM (CjbXy)

4 I can't believe it, my co-worker just bought a car for $78458. Isn't that crazy!

Posted by: Betsy Markum at November 09, 2005 11:15 AM (HpDlV)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

MEMRI has the full report on the Arab reaction, some of full condemnation and some of it a kind of half-hearted argument that this is bad because it hurts Islam. But here are the hightlights along with my thoughts:

is a group of criminal murderers, and everyone responsible for this crime must be hunted down and brought to trial in an international court. The time has come for everyone to accept as a first principle the sanctity of life and [the obligation] to avoid harming civiliansÂ…"

Posted by: Rusty at 08:53 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 839 words, total size 5 kb.

Their names are Simona Pari and Simona Torretta (the latter pictured right). They were in Baghdad working for a humanitarian organization. The question of the day: will the Arab world rise up and demand their safe release? Reuters:

Gunmen have abducted two Italian aid workers and two Iraqis in central Baghdad in a brazen attack that will alarm foreigners who are already on edge from widespread kidnappings.

Witnesses told Reuters about 20 men with AK-47 assault rifles and pistols with silencers stopped their vehicles in a busy commercial area of Baghdad and raided a building housing humanitarian organisation Bridge to Baghdad.

They left with Italian staffers Simona Pari and Simona Torretta and two Iraqis, a women who worked for another Italian organisation Intersos and a male engineer who worked for Bridge to Baghdad.

The abductions raised the stakes in kidnappings that have gripped Iraq for months, with more than 100 foreigners and Iraqis seized since April mostly outside of the capital.

The latest abductions are likely to fuel uncertainty over the fate of two French journalists whose kidnappings have triggered intense diplomatic efforts to free them.

Insurgents kidnapped and killed Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni last month as he travelled to the southern city of Najaf. In April, kidnappers killed Italian security guard Fabrizio Quattrocchi.

Others: The Command Post, Jeff Quinton, In the Bullpen, James Joyner

Posted by: Rusty at 12:38 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 281 words, total size 3 kb.

Via the early to rise Jeff Quinton good news, but there are dozens of others still held hostage:

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul reported Monday that kidnapped truck driver Mithat Civi, a Turkish national, had been freed by his captors.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:11 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 54 words, total size 1 kb.

Religious right or Muslims, it's all the same. You remember the great Oklahoma City Riots of '96 when Christans in that city rampaged the streets over the Tim McVeigh indictment, right? Read the whole story. Notice that one rioter yelled "You are American puppets" at the police. Abu Bakar Ba'asyir has been accused of involvement in the Bali nightclub bombing which killed 202, including 88 Australians. Jakarta Post:

Supporters of terror suspect Abu Bakar Ba'asyir fought a running battle with police officers and hurled shoes and other debris inside a courtroom, shortly after a judge dismissed on Monday the lawsuit against the arrest of the elderly cleric.

Judge Syamsul Ali announced at the South Jakarta District Court that police had valid grounds to detain Ba'asyir on terror charges. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 05:04 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 633 words, total size 4 kb.

1 george is the truely of terorism. he is monkey

Posted by: usama bin raden at May 02, 2005 03:31 AM (I8huQ)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

Wow, here's some news I totally overlooked. Possible terror connections written all over this. That, or the Brits have their own Unabomber running amok. Scotsman:

Four more letter bombs were recovered by police from homes and a sorting office this morning in an area where 10 of the mystery packages were found at the weekend....

Officers have so far been unable to determine a motive or a connection between the recipients of the brown A4 envelopes, but they have issued a warning to the public to exercise caution.

Posted by: Rusty at 04:55 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 99 words, total size 1 kb.

Hide Comments | Add Comment

An unmanned US spy plane has crashed in Fallujah. Sources say residents danced in the streets with glee. Unofficial reports indicate they were doing the 'safety dance', more evidence that Iraq's path to development might take years longer than expected. The surviving members of Men Without Hats could be reached for comment.

Posted by: Rusty at 04:50 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 60 words, total size 1 kb.

****Exlusive****Must Cite MPJ****Bin Laden Not Captured, Still****

News Flash--In an MPJ Exclusive, Dr. Rusty Shackleford can reveal that Osama bin Laden is still not in custody. MPJ can further reveal that left leaning bloggers question the timing of this news.

Posted by: Rusty at 11:57 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 50 words, total size 1 kb.

I was just reading about how former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction was overturned. That's right, sodomy. Oh, and this wasn't a replay of Lawrence v. Johnson. He was let out on a technicality. Had he the evidence that he had actually had sex with another man been better, well, let's just say Mr. Ibrahim would not be on a plane to see London's fabulous night-life right now. So, let's just keep the whole gay marriage thing in perspective, shall we? I'm looking in your general direction Sullie.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:33 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 101 words, total size 1 kb.

Another Turkish truck driver. ABC News:

Iraqi militants threatened to behead a Turkish truck driver if his company and the Kuwaiti contractor it works for don't stop their operations in Iraq within 48 hours, according to a videotape aired on Arab television Saturday.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:17 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 74 words, total size 1 kb.

Snooze. I've heard this one before. He's dead. Teets up. Six feet under. Wormfood. Proof? He's the Jihadi equivalent of Paris Hilton, pure media-whore. Go a month without seeing Paris on TV and you know she's dead. Same rule applies to Ossama bin Laden. AP:

The United States and its allies have moved closer to capturing Osama bin Laden in the last two months, a top U.S. counterterrorism official said in a television interview broadcast Saturday.

"If he has a watch, he should be looking at it because the clock is ticking. He will be caught," Joseph Cofer Black, the U.S. State Department coordinator for counterterrorism, told private Geo television network.

Asked if concrete progress had been made during the last two months - when Pakistan has arrested dozens of terror suspects including some key al-Qaida operatives - Black said, "Yes, I would say this."

Posted by: Rusty at 09:03 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 154 words, total size 1 kb.

That's a good appetizer. I'd suggest a nice incitement to murder lawsuit to go with that. The main course would be to never let it open again. And for dessert? How does a nice JDAM sound? If killing in war is justified, why is shutting down hostile media outlets not? You know, cause when you kill someone dies. But when you shut down hostile media, the principle of free-speech is broken, but lives are saved. There has to be a trump card in there somewhere. Xinhuanet:

The Iraqi interim government Saturday renewed closure of offices of the Arabic-language satellite television network Al-Jazeera over incitement toviolence.

The decision was taken as the Qatar-based channel did not submit explanations requested by the Iraqi government, the prime minister's office announced in a statement.

The statement said during the temporary closure since Aug. 5,the Iraqi Government had expected the al-Jazeera management to offer an explanation to the presented allegations or to officiallyrequest a description of the possible threat that the channel maybe imposing. However, none of this has happened."

"Additionally, al-Jazeera TV has not respected the decision taken by the ministerial national security committee and has continued to broadcast from within Iraq and interview individuals on Iraqi soil regardless of the temporary closure order," added it.

The government, therefore, decided to extend the ban on al-Jazeera from operating within Iraq until a time when its headquarters sends an official response of their policies andmotives within Iraq, said the statement.

Washington and Baghdad has frequently accused al-Jazeera ofinciting violence by screening "exclusive" video tapes from Muslim extremists, including al-Qaida terror network mastermind Osama binLaden.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:58 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 280 words, total size 2 kb.

I knew it. Look long enough and the hidden hand of the J-O-Os will be revealed in all dastardly deeds:

Ali Abdullah, an Islamic scholar in Bahrain who follows the ultra-conservative Salafi stream of Islam, also condemned the school attack as 'unIslamic'. However, he insisted Muslims were not involved and revived an old conspiracy theory: 'I have no doubt that this is the work of the Israelis, who want to tarnish the image of Muslims.'

Posted by: Rusty at 08:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 84 words, total size 1 kb.

Reuters:

Lebanon's parliament is going ahead with a vote to extend the term of Syrian-backed President Emile Lahoud on Friday despite a U.N. Security Council resolution warning Damascus against interfering in Lebanon.

Posted by: Rusty at 01:22 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 58 words, total size 1 kb.