October 12, 2004

Chinese Hostages Update: the Gitmo Connection

Three days ago I reported that two Chinese nationals were taken hostage in Pakistan's South Waziristan province--you may recall South Waziristan from such incidents as hiding fleeing al Qaeda leaders and Osama bin Laden's corpse is here. What I did not know was that the leader of the terrorists who had taken the hostages was one of those innocent victims who had been illegally held at Guantanamo Bay until all those great human rights activists and Geneva Convention conscience governments shamed the Bush administration into letting him go.

Get this:"Pakistan officials said the kidnappers were taking orders from [Abdullah] Mehsud, a former inmate of the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, who now heads tribesmen fighting alongside al Qaeda fighters in South Waziristan..."

Go check out Simon's post on the subject. He has the goods on Abdullah and some of the other released Gitmo prisoners.

Note to self: Could Abdullah be one of my many Muslim fans?

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October 11, 2004

Iraqi, Turk Beheaded by Army of Ansar al-Sunna

turk_2.jpg>UPDATE: If you are looking for the latest news and information on a more recent beheading/ murder video released by the terrorist bastards, PLEASE GO TO THE MAIN PAGE HERE.

The Army of Ansar al-Sunna released the videotaped beheading of a Turkish civillian working on reconstruction efforts and his Iraqi translator. In the video, both men are forced to confess that they are cooperating with the coalition, then they are brutally beheaded. The video may be downloaded at this site (subscription required at that site) or at In the Bullpen where Chad has graciously offered to host the video with no strings attached.. I have the video, but not the bandwidth to host it. Please e-mail if you would like to host the video on your site. I have posted graphic images from the beheading video in the extended entry below.

In the videotape, one of the hostage takers identifies himself as a member of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Tawhid and Jihad terrorist organization. Both the Army of Ansar al Sunna and Tawhid and Jihad are believed to be looseley connected to al Qaeda. This video is further evidence that the organizational structure of al Qaeda has shifted. While never a strict hierarcy, al Qaeda is increasingly becoming a loose network of like-minded jihadis. Also, this is further evidence that the hunt for Ossama bin Laden should not be a priority in the GWOT. Much more important is stopping the spread of the Islamist ideology behind the network of terrorists who are seeking an immediate restoration of the Islamic Caliphate and it's eventual world-domination.turk2intro_2.jpg
[Pictured above right, Turkish hostage. To the left is his Iraqi translator.]


The Army of Ansar al Sunnah murdered an Iraqi named Barie Nafi'a Daoud Ibrahim on Oct. 2nd [images, link to video, and information here]. The same group murdered three Iraqis on September 16th (information, links to video, and images here). On August 31st, these terrorists executed 12 hostages from Nepal, one of them by beheading (information, links to video, and images here). On August 11th the group beheaded a man they claimed was a CIA agent (information and images here) and on August 25th the group beheaded a second alleged CIA agent (information and images here). May God speed the victims' souls to heaven, and may His wrath reign down upon the spineless terrorists in the form of a MOAB or other appropriately large ordinance.

VOA:

A militant group in Iraq is reported to have beheaded a Turkish hostage and his Iraqi translator because they worked with U.S. forces.

The al-Jazeera television network aired scenes of a video showing masked men holding the two men. The station said the video was found on a militant-linked Web site and was purported to be from the al-Qaida-linked Army of Ansar al-Sunna group. The video reportedly showed militants killing the hostages after they confessed to working with U.S. forces, but al-Jazeera did not air the video.

Also today, the al-Arabiya station broadcast video showing militants threatening to behead another Turkish hostage.

In the footage, one gunman identified the kidnappers as members of Tawhid and Jihad - a group led by wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Reuters:
militant Iraqi group said it had beheaded a Turkish contractor and his Iraqi translator as punishment for working with U.S. forces in Iraq, television channel Al Jazeera television said on Monday.

The station aired scenes from a video by the Army of Ansar al-Sunna group showing the Turk standing between two masked militants. Al Jazeera said the group killed the two men after they "confessed" to have cooperated with U.S. forces.

The television said they would not air the beheading video, which it said it had obtained from a Web site, because it was too gruesome.

I have tried to enlarge the video enough to be able to read both hostages identification, but the resolution is too poor. If any of you find out their names, please let me know. These victims deserve to be remembered by name. UPDATE: The Interested Participant writes: "The Turk's name is Maher Kemal and the Iraqi's name is Lukman Hussein." Thanks for the heads up.


Below: The victims' ID badges 'proving' that the two were cooperating with the Coalition Authority. In the Palestinian territories, Chechnya, and Kashmir summary execution of 'collaborators' is common.

turkintro.jpg turk2intro_1.jpg

Others: Chad at In the Bullpen has the video; Jeff Quinton at Backcountry Conservative; MH King at Ramblings' Journal; James at Outside the Beltway


Warning: Graphic images follow. Do not proceed!!! more...

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Is American William Bradley a Hostage in Iraq?

Interesting article, sent to me by reader Cindy, about an American civillian kidnapped back in April. His whereabouts are still unkown. Newsday:

In the six months since truck driver William Bradley
disappeared in Iraq, his relatives say they're frustrated by their
countless efforts to find out what happened to him.

"I haven't heard one thing," Bradley's sister, Donna Cureton, said from
her home in Carlsbad, N.M. "My phone bill looks like the national debt,
but nobody will talk to you."

Bradley, 50, of Chesterfield, went missing April 9, when insurgents
attacked his fuel convoy outside Baghdad. Two others in the convoy -- Army
Spc. Keith M. Maupin of Ohio, and Timothy Bell of Mobile, Ala., who
like Bradley worked for a subsidiary of energy giant Halliburton Co. --
are also still missing. Thomas Hamill of Macon, Miss., managed to escape
the Iraqis who captured him.

more...

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October 10, 2004

Kenneth Bigley Beheading Video Released

bigley1.jpgPictured right: Image from the videotaped beheading of Kenneth Bigley.

The Beheading video of Kenneth Bigley was posted to an Islamic bulletin board today. Images from the video and information on this sad news can be found at my original post and can be viewed by CLICKING HERE. The following are two links to the video, both are horribly graphic and should not be seen by minors. You can view the video in Real Player format by clicking here (courtesy of the Northeast Intelligence Network). The video can also be downloaded in Windows Media format by going to the Terrorist Media site, although you must sign up for a free password. Transcripts of Ken Bigley's last plea can be found at Blogs of War or Digger's Realm. The video is truly gruesome. In the video, Bigley seems unaware of his impending death. Instead, he pleas one last time for Tony Blair to give the terrorists what they want. Unfortunately for Ken Bigley, what the terrorists want is a world-wide Islamic state. A state where freedom of religion is a thing of the past. A state where Hindus and Buddhists are forced to convert or be killed. A state where Christians and Jews are second class citizens, what Muslims call dhimmis. [Hat tip: Digger, who e-mailed me about this.]

Images from the video and news updates can be found by CLICKING HERE.

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October 09, 2004

Suicice Bomber in Kashmir

Last post, I swear. One guess as to what certain Religion of Irony dominates in Kasmir? Here's a hint: the MSM likes to call their terrorists militants. ABC News:

A suicide car bomber rammed into an army convoy in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Saturday, triggering an explosion that left four people dead and 22 wounded, the army said.

Two soldiers, a civilian and the bomber were killed in the attack on a highway connecting Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu-Kashmir state, with the frontier town of Uri, an army garrison, said Lt. Col. V. K. Batra.

Twelve soldiers and 10 civilians were injured in the blast.

Shortly after the attack, a local news agency in Srinagar said it received a telephone call from the Jaish-e-Mohammed militant group claiming responsibility for the attack. The Current News Service said the caller identified himself as Abu Jindal and claimed to be a spokesman for the Pakistan-based militant group.

The Jaish-e-Mohammed is one of more than a dozen Islamic militant groups fighting for Kashmir's independence from India or its merger with neighboring Pakistan. The group, also known as the "Army of Mohammed" is considered by the United States to be a terrorist group.

More than 65,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the conflict over Kashmir since 1989.

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Two Chinese Nationals Kidnapped in Pakistan

South Waziristan, you may recall, is the province where many in the al Qaeda leadership are said to be holed up. Daily Times:

Two Chinese engineers working at the Gomal Zam Dam project in South Waziristan Agency were kidnapped along with a security guard and a co-worker on Saturday morning.

The men left for work early in the morning and their abandoned vehicle was later found at Tormandi. DIG Police Habibur Rehman told reporters in Dera, 160 miles south of Peshawar, that the Chinese engineers and the two Pakistanis were kidnapped 10 kilometres inside South Waziristan Agency at 7:00am.

Officials said that security forces were chasing the kidnappers and had sealed the area.

Sources said the authorities had asked Muttahdia Majlis-e-Amal MNA Maulana Mirajuddin to negotiate the release of the Chinese workers. Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao told reporters in Peshawar that all channels were being explored to secure the release of the abducted men. “We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the safe release of the Chinese men and two Pakistanis,” he said. Brig (r) Mehmood Shah, FATA security chief, told Daily Times that two foreigners and one Pushto-speaking tribesman were involved in the kidnapping.

“The authorities are negotiating with the kidnappers as they have threatened to blow up themselves and the hostages if the security forces try to carry out a rescue operation,” Brig Shah said. He said the kidnappers had so far made no demand for the release of the hostages but sources in Dera said that the kidnappers had demanded to be “taken to the ameer.” But they would not elaborate who the ameer was. Military helicopters were hovering over the Gardoway area near Tank district, a source in Wana said. “They are walking on foot. Paramilitary troops are following them,” an intelligence source said.

I just popped in for a minute to print up something for my wife and I saw this. Madness. Absolute madness.

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Kenneth Bigley Escape Attempt Confirmed

Yesterday I played down reports that Kenneth Bigley had attempted to escape before he was murdered by the terrorscum[original Kenneth Bigley post here]. Today, multiple sources confirm that Bigley had attempted to escape before Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Tawid and Jihad terrorist organization beheaded him. The interesting question, here, is how did the Iraqi authorities and MSNBC, who carried the story yesterday, get this information? Washington Times:

The British engineer who was held three weeks by Islamic extremists in Iraq before being beheaded managed to escape shortly before his video-taped murder.

Apparently, one of his captors helped Ken Bigley escape in the town of Latifiya, southwest of Baghdad, where he was being held, the BBC reported Saturday.

But he was recaptured about 30 minutes later and soon thereafter beheaded while a video camera taped the killing, Iraqi officials told his family.

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October 08, 2004

Religion of Peace and Other Happenings

My Pet Jawa is getting slammed today, but there is other Religion of Peace news going on out there.

Al Qaeda may be behind yesterday's massacre of vacationing Jews in Egypt, says Israeli Intelligence Chief.

Indonesian Embassy in Paris Bombed and now Islamic group claims responsibility.

Allah's will is that Iran obtain at least two nukes by January

Shiites vs. Sunnis in Pakistan. 42 dead in yesterday's bombing. Despite declaration of martial law, violent protests erupt.

After months of US-led effort, UN finally to begin investigating genocide in Darfur. Star Wars Episode I replayed in real life!

Beslam victim update.

First Afghani elections EVER tomorrow. Hooray!!! What was that about the US being Imperialist and imperialism is bad, mmm-kay? Expect violence.

Oil for food scam getting more coverage. For complete coverage I suggest Friends of Saddam.

Cool pic of our boys hunting down the scum bastards in Iraq.

*Schtick Copyright Infringement Alert* (via Leather Penguin)

FBI siezes Indy media servers.

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Kenneth Bigley Beheaded in Iraq

bigley1.jpg>UPDATE: If you are looking for the latest news and information on a more recent beheading/ murder video released by the terrorist bastards, PLEASE GO TO THE MAIN PAGE HERE.

Pictured right: Image from the videotaped beheading of Kenneth Bigley.

UPDATE 10/10: Kenneth Bigley beheading video was posted today. I have seen it. It is horrible. Links to the video and images from it below.

Abu Dhabi Television reports that British hostage Kenneth Bigley has been 'executed' by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Tawid and Jihad terrorist organization. Reuters claims that UK government sources have confirmed Bigley's murder. On September 25th a message was posted on an Islamic message board claiming Ken Bigley had been beheaded [information here], but the report turned out to be false. However, today's report would be the first time a major media organization has claimed to have confirmation of Bigley's death. UPDATE: Video emerges of Bigley beheading. Links to video and images soon. Scroll down for updates.

Developing.....Expect frequent updates.

UPDATE I: Sources in Fallujah claim that Kenneth Bigley has been beheaded. Expect the release of a beheading video within the next 24 hours. Reuters:

British hostage Kenneth Bigley has been beheaded near Baghdad, insurgent sources in the rebel-held town of Falluja say. The sources said Bigley was killed on Thursday afternoon in the town of Latifiya, about 22 miles southwest of the Iraqi capital. They declined to say how they had got their information.
UDATE II: MSNBC (via Jeff Quinton) has a conflicting report about how Bigley was killed and that others might also have been killed. Is this an allusion that US or other Coalition Forces could hav been involved in a rescue attempt?
At the Pentagon, meanwhile, U.S. military sources told NBC News that they have reports from Iraq that Bigley might have been killed while trying to escape. The reports indicate that a number of "others" who might have been trying to help Bigley escape were also killed, the sources said.
UPDATE III: Al Jazeera also claiming Bigley was beheaded.

UPDATE III: Video surfaces of Bigly beheading. Reuters:

A video released by Muslim militants shows them beheading British hostage Kenneth Bigley, a Reuters witness says.

Bigley was shown making a statement as six militants stood behind him before one cut his head off with a knife.

UPDATE IV:Abu Dhabi television obtains Bigley beheading videotape. Bloomberg:
Abu Dhabi television has obtained a videotape that it says shows Bigley being beheaded by his captors, and it has decided not to broadcast the tape of the killing, said a network spokesman who asked not to be identified.
UPDATE V:Kenneth Bigley's brother blames Blair, has "blood on his hands." Reuters:
The brother of British hostage Kenneth Bigley said on Friday that Prime Minister Tony Blair had "blood on his hands".

In a statement to anti-Iraq war activists, issued after he had heard reports of his brother's apparent death, Paul Bigley said: "Please, please stop the war and prevent other lives being lost.

"It is illegal, it has to stop. Mr Blair has blood on his hands."

UPDATE VI: Bigley's family has proof that Ken is dead. What is so odd about this is that the British government cannot yet confirm Bigley's death, yet his family ca. The victim's younger brother, Paul Bigley, recently had his home Dutch Intelligence officers and his computer was siezed [details here] amidst allegations that Bigley's family was communicating with the terrorists. Reuters:
His brother said on Friday that Bigley had been killed, confirming earlier reports coming out of Iraq. "We can confirm that the family has now received absolute proof that Ken Bigley was executed by his captors," Phil Bigley, Ken's younger brother, said in a televised statement.
UPDATE VII: Blair reacts. No matter how much revulsion you think you feel upon hearing the news, when you see the video or images of it your revulsion level will reach unimaginable heights. Reuters:
"I feel utter revulsion at the people who did this, not just at the barbaric nature of the killing but the way frankly they played with the situation over the past few weeks," Blair told reporters on Friday. "I feel a strong sense, as I hope others do, that the actions of these people whether in Iraq or elsewhere should not prevail over people like Ken Bigley."
UPDATE VII: Allawi reacts. Reuters:
"This is a horrible, barbaric act," Allawi told Reuters. "We are determined to pursue those terrorists who killed Mr Bigley and put them on trial as soon as possible."

Allawi said there had been intense efforts to secure the release of the 62-year-old engineer, but no attempt to rescue him by force.

Asked if he knew why the kidnappers had chosen to kill Bigley at this time, he said: "Their intention from the start was to kill him, but they were trying to exploit this matter for a long time for publicity. Their intention was to kill him."

UPDATE VIII:Allawi claims no rescue attempt, but admits that security forces were sweeping area where Bigley was being held. Jon, of Gam Blog, tells me that British media are reporting that Coalition forces were getting near the safe-house Zarqawi was holding Bigley in. It is also being reported that a US bomb may have struck a Tawid and Jihad meeting in the neighborhood. These events may have scared Zarqawi enough that he decided to execute Bigley on the spot.

But make no mistake, Zarqawi would have killed Bigley sooner or later. The only reason Bigley lasted the 22 days in captivity that he did was because Zarqawi found the Brittish public so easily manipulated by his propaganda. Bigley's life was a propaganda tool in Zarqawi's hands. His death must not be forgotten, and his murderers hunted down like the vermin they are.

UPDATE IX: Straw confirms Biglye death, admits that contact had been made with terrorists, refuses to comment when asked if more than Bigley dead. Scotsman:

Four days ago, an individual approached the British Embassy in Baghdad, presenting himself as a potential intermediary with the captors,” he said.

“It was very clearly in Mr Bigley’s interest that we should do all we could to establish contact.

“Messages were exchanged with the hostage-takers in an attempt to dissuade them from carrying out their threat to kill Mr Bigley.

“But at no stage did they abandon their demands relating to the release of women prisoners, even though they were aware that there are no women prisoners in our custody in Iraq.

“Both the Prime Minister and I approved these communications and endorsed their content, which was in line with the public statements which both of us had made.

“Ken Bigley’s family in Liverpool and his wife in Thailand were kept fully aware of our communications with this intermediary.

“This afternoon, as you all know, the intermediary has provided us with proof beyond reasonable doubt that Ken Bigley’s captors have carried out their threat.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to Ken Bigley’s family, his colleagues and friends.”

UPDATE X: Requium Mass held for Kenneth Bigley in Liverpool.

UPDATE XI--Oct. 9th: Yesterday I played down reports that Kenneth Bigley had attempted to escape before he was murdered by [original Kenneth Bigley post here]. Today, multiple sources confirm that Bigley had attempted to escape before Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Tawid and Jihad terrorist organization beheaded him. The interesting question, here, is how did the Iraqi authorities and MSNBC, who carried the story yesterday, get this information? Washington Times:

The British engineer who was held three weeks by Islamic extremists in Iraq before being beheaded managed to escape shortly before his video-taped murder.

Apparently, one of his captors helped Ken Bigley escape in the town of Latifiya, southwest of Baghdad, where he was being held, the BBC reported Saturday.

But he was recaptured about 30 minutes later and soon thereafter beheaded while a video camera taped the killing, Iraqi officials told his family.

UPDATE XII--Oct. 9th: Neither Abu Musab al-Zarqawi nor Islamic bulletin boards have posted the Kenneth Bigley beheading video yet. What is unique about this particular video is that the terrorists did give the video to al-Jazeera, their normal method of disseminating the initial video. Their normal MO is to then post the video to one of several Islamic bulletin boards, followed by posting the video to one of several websites closely associated with Zarqawi. Is this a good sign that Zarqawi is on the run and unable to take the time to get the video online? I hope so. Better yet, I hope he's dead.

UPDATE XIII--Oct. 9th: Bigley body found? One report says his body was found, but it conflicts with all other reports.

UPDATE XIV--Oct. 10th: Beheading video of Kenneth Bigley was posted to an Islamic bulletin board today. I have posted images from it below. The following are two links to the video, both are horribly graphic and should not be seen by minors. You can view the video in Real Player format by clicking here (courtesy of the Northeast Intelligence Network). The video can also be downloaded in Windows Media format by going to the Terrorist Media site, although you must sign up for a free password. Transcripts of Bigley's last words can be found atDiggers Realm or Blogs of War. The video is truly gruesome. In the video, Bigley seems unaware of his impending death. Instead, he pleas one last time for Tony Blair to give the terrorists what they want. Unfortunately for Ken Bigley, what the terrorists want is a world-wide Islamic state. A state where freedom of religion is a thing of the past. A state where Hindus and Buddhists are forced to convert or be killed. A state where Christians and Jews are second class citizens, what Muslims call dhimmis. [Hat tip: Digger who e-mailed me about it.]

Below: Images from the video. Graphic images in extended entry.

bigleytitle.jpg bigley2.jpg

GRAPHIC IMAGES OF THE VIDEO ARE BELOW. Warning, do not proceed. What follows will make you angry. Very angry.
Other information: Digger's Realm, Backcountry Conservative, Blogs of War, Six Meat Bufet, I Love Jet Noise, Outside the Beltway, Classical Values, ConsterNations, Wizbang, Rooftop Report, The Laughing Wolf, In the Bullpen, Rambling's Journal, Marrtini Pundit, Gam Blog UK, In Search of Utopia, Passionate America, Slant Point, Right on Red more...

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October 07, 2004

Muslim Cleric Issues Fatwa: Kidnapping is fine, and the occasional beheading too

Sheik Youssef al-Qaradawi, once called a moderate by MSNBC, has condemned the murder of hostages in Iraq. The catch? It's ok to take hostages, just not kill them. I think the ol' Sheik is kinda missing the whole point about hostage taking. Like when Sheriff Bart took himself hostage in Blazing Saddles, the people of Rock Ridge really had to believe that he was crazy enough to blow the hostages head off. Ok, so al-Qaradawi is a moron, I can live with that. At least he's sort of changed his position on the whole kill all the infidels question. Notice the wording of the article, though. Only governments have the authority to kill the infidels. Nice, so I guess if Allawi is replaced by al Sadr then that sort of changes everything. Seattle Post Intelligencer:

An influential Sunni Muslim cleric who once condoned attacks on U.S. civilians in Iraq has issued a religious edict saying it is permissible under Islam to kidnap in wartime - but not to kill the hostages.

Hostages should be accorded good treatment as prisoners of war and only government courts have the authority to order executions, according to the fatwa, or edict, issued by Sheik Youssef al-Qaradawi, head of the London-based International Association of Muslim Scholars.....

Those who actually take them as prisoners or keep them do not have any authority over them and cannot determine their fate," the edict said.

Although the edict cites Quranic verses and Islamic traditions that say killing captives is prohibited, it says a captive can be killed in "exceptional circumstances, by an order of the head of the Muslim state made on the basis of a court sentence."...

It urged Muslims to maintain "the upper moral ground and not lower our ethical conduct to the wanton level of the occupation forces in Iraq."

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Hostages Recite Koranic Versus to be Released

How do you say, "I'm a Muslim, I swear" in Arabic. Oh wait, that one doesn't always work--ask Frank Gardner. The Jakarta Post:

In order to prove that the two hostages were Indonesian Muslims, the kidnappers asked them to recite the Koran, and they passed this test.

The kidnappers also accused the women of being the wives of Western men. "I don't know who were the men they were referring to. Luckily, I brought a photo of my husband. I showed them his picture and they believed me," Istiqomah said.

After being convinced, the captors treated them well. Istiqomah said she and Casingkem were released after the kidnappers saw President Megawati Soekarnoputri make an appeal on Al-Jazeera.

Maybe we can get the good Pres to put in a good word for some of the other hostages on al Jazeera, too?

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Hotel Explosion in Egypt Kills Vacationing Israelis

I would note that today is the 60th anniversary of the Auschwitz uprising. Half a century after the Halocaust and Jews are still the victims of those that wish to see a final solution.

UPDATES ONGOING: 23 Dead 29 DEAD 35 Dead and rising

JPOST: Dual homicide bombing at one bombing location. Over 100 wounded. Doctors being flown in from around Israel

Ha'aretz (via Brain Shavings): 10 floors of hotel collapse, still digging people out. Pic of what the hotel looked like pre-explosion here.

Daily Telegraph, AU (via Michele Catalano): Jamaa Al-Islamiya Al-Alamiya (World Islamist Group) claims responsibility for the explosion using car bomb.

Israel Insider (via Darleen): Street celebrations in Gaza and in Cairo.

Channel News Asia: After first trying to blame the explosions on a gas leak (see below) Egypt now admits probably a bomb.

3 Explosions in different locations. Reuters:

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Explosions rocked two resort towns in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, shortly after a massive blast in the Hilton Hotel near Israel killed at least 23 people, Israeli radio stations reported.

The radio stations reported explosions in the Egyptian resorts of Nueiba and Ras al-Sultan dozens of kilometers (miles) to the southwest of Taba where the first explosion occurred. Thousands of Israelis have been vacationing in the Sinai Peninsula over the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Notice how this, the first Reuters report, goes out of it's way to mention that it might have been a gas leak. UPDATE: Al Jazeera repeating al Reuters party line: "Police sources said that a car bomb caused the blast, however the Egyptian television reported that a gas leak caused the explosion." Reuters:
An explosion has torn through an Egyptian hotel used by many vacationing Israelis at the Red Sea border resort of Taba and Israeli witnesses reported seeing dozens of bodies from a possible bomb attack.
more...

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Homeland Security After Beslan: Keep an Eye on Schools

AP via Robert Spencer:

The Education Department has advised school leaders nationwide to watch for people spying on their buildings or buses to help detect any possibility of terrorism like the deadly school siege in Russia.

The warning follows an analysis by the FBI (news - web sites) and the Homeland Security Department of the siege that killed nearly 340 people, many of them students, in the city of Beslan last month.

more...

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BIG MISTAKE: Sadr Aide Freed

Sadr aide freed as Iraq seeks pre-election calm. Remember the whole 'fool me once' thing? Now, change that to 'fool me umpteen times'. I swear, if we 'loose the peace' or whatever in Iraq it will be because of bunch of tools in the State Department believed the piles of crap their IR Profs doled out on a daily basis. If this was the decision of a military leader then God help us.

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October 06, 2004

The Case for Nuking Mecca

In this post I make the case that nuking Mecca would be a rational deterrent to radical Islamists bent on using WMD against American civilians. However, even if there is no deterrent effect, attacking Mecca and wiping out the central locus of Islamic ritual worship may be in the long-term interests of the US and Occidental world.

Ace: What would we do if we get nuked? Continue to "hunt down the terrorists" who nuked us? At what point does the desire to survive outweigh the desire to be merciful and sparing in the use of force?

Bill Whittle: If a suitcase nuke detonates in Times Square, or Long Beach harbor, or outside the Capitol building, what do we do? Nuke Mecca? Incinerate Damascus? Because – so help me God, I tremble to say it – that is exactly the response our enemies would hope for. They care not a whit about their own people because they have no allegiance to anyone but themselves and their vision of a vengeful and bloodthirsty Allah.

In response to Bill Whittle's and Ace's considerable thought on how you deter terrorists, I thought I'd add a couple of thoughts that have been ruminating between my ears for awhile now.

Let me make a couple of points first. One: I do not advocate using nuclear weapons. Two: I do not advocate killing Muslims or any other follower of any religion. Three: I do not imagine in any way possible the US government actually doing this--or even thinking it. Four: These are rudimentary thoughts. This post is used as a sounding board only. Much of what I say may be wrong and all is subject to revision. The purpose of this post is to start a conversation.

First point: Bill's major argument about deterring terrorists is well taken and mostly on the money. I think he's right, for the most part: you cannot deter these guys, only defeat them. And if incinerating Damascus were the only threat we could use to deter terrorists then certainly a MAD scheme would not work in this new Cold War we find ourselves in.

However, Mecca is not Damascus. It plays a central role in Muslim worship. Five times a day Muslims pray toward it. All Muslims who have the means are expected to make the Hajj--a pilgrimage to Mecca which revolves around the Kaaba stone. The Kaaba stone is really the reason Mecca is considered holy. Muslims believe the site was used for worship as far back as Adam and that the shrine around the stone was first placed there by Abraham (Ibrahim). There is a 12 mile zone around the stone that infidels are restricted from entering. It's that holy. No non-Muslims near it. In fact, without Mecca and the Kaaba stone, Islam would be very different.

Mecca, then, is quite unlike any other place in the world for Muslims. It is an entire city dedicated to Muslim worship. A place set apart. A holy place. It is an entire city that is thought to be the Temple of God.

Islamist terrorists also consider Mecca the holiest place in the world. It is central to their mode of worship. They face it when they pray. They too believe they must make the hajj. If we take them at their word, then the reason they commit terrorist acts is because they take their religious convictions so seriously. When they kill us, it is because they believe that this is what their God wants them to do.

So, ask yourself the question again: Can terrorists be deterred from using WMD against American targets?

Maybe they can. If Islamic extremists really love their religious institutions in the way that they claim they do, then pointing an ICBM at Mecca may not be the most irrational thing to do. They may not care if the rest of the world goes up in a nuclear mushroom cloud, as Bill points out, but Mecca is not the rest of the world. Would they really risk blowing up New York City if they believed the consequences of such an action would be a 30 kiloton nuclear explosion over the Kaaba stone? After all, the nuclear destruction of Mecca would end Islamic forms of worship as they presently exist.

If I might misquote Sting for a moment, "Is it such a crazy thing to do, if the Terrorists love their Mecca too?"

Second point: Why would destroying Mecca have potentially beneficial long-term affects to US and Occidental interests?

I have already made the case that Mecca is central to Islamic forms of worship. Mecca, I have argued, is a Temple City. Although many Muslim theologians will deny that any place is holy in Islam, there is at least a de facto holiness ascribed to the area surrounding the Kaaba stone. In many ways the city of Mecca is central to Islam in just the same way that the Temple of Solomon was central to ancient Judaism. It is this similarity which is so striking, and why the destruction of Mecca might do to Islam what the final destruction of Herod's Temple in Jerusalem did to Judaism. While the bloody events surrounding Rome's sacking of Jerusalem are indeed disgusting and tragic, that event forced Jews to rethink their relationship with God. More importantly, that event forced Jews to rethink their relationship with their fellowman.

Without wishing to reduce all of Jewish history or life to one paragraph, and thus leaving out the many facets of ancient Hebrew worship, let me go ahead an do that anyway (with many apologies up front--and welcoming any corrections or differing opinions). Ancient Judaism had a legal structure which was similar to Islamic sharia in that they both unify the religious codes thought to be handed down by God with secular authority. In fact, the Old Testament laws seem just as draconian as any I would find in sharia. There is just something about stoning adulteresses that I kind find of harsh, that's all. I know such applications of Mosaic law were probably rare, but Muslims would argue the same thing about the strict application of sharia law in the ideal Islamic state.

Ancient Judaism also had another commonality with Islam: worship was centered on a holy place of ritualistic practice. After the destruction of the Temple, though, Jews had to ask new questions about the meaning of being holy. Stateless, they found that strict religious codes of conduct could not be enforced in the same way as before. While the Jewish Diaspora had already begun the process of transforming Judaism, the final destruction of Temple centered worship forced this transformation on a broader scale.

Jews found that God no longer had a place to reside in. Jews found that they could no longer perform the rituals required by God to be purified. Jews found that they could no longer enforce God's law. Jews found that their specialness was different than they had previously supposed. Worship changed. Everything changed.

What I propose is simply this. Would destroying Mecca begin a similar process for Muslims? Perhaps only the threat of destroying Mecca would be enough.

Radical Muslims believe they are in a race to bring about the world wide Caliphate. They believe that Muslims are destined to rule the world. What I propose is simple: show them that they cannot rule the world. Show them that Allah is not on their side--at least, not in the way that they believe.

Osama bin Laden once famously said that people will choose the strong horse over the weak horse. What if Islam is shown to be the weak horse? What if one of the central tenants of Muslim worship, the hajj, was gone? Would this not force some serious rethinking in the Islamic world?

Today we are told by Muslims that the true meaning of jihad is internal struggle. Unfortunately, the actions of too many Muslims shows that they believe jihad means armed struggle against the infidels. Destroying Mecca may have the long-term affect of convincing radical Muslims that Allah really doesn't want sharia law around the world. That all that stuff about killing the infidels in the Quran--that's all metaphor.

After all, if Muslims can be convinced that the whole hajj thing is just metaphor, then what else might they consider as metaphorical? Perhaps jihad. Perhaps sharia. Perhaps the global Caliphate.

These are just some thoughts. No one should take them too seriously.

Posted by: Rusty at 04:54 PM | Comments (91) | Add Comment
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French Hostages now in Syria?

WashTimes:

The French Democratic Union Party said Wednesday the French government fears two French nationals kidnapped in Iraq may have been taken to Syria.

Update: Leopold Stotch reminds me that hostages aren't the only things terrozombies are good at moving from Iraq to Syria.

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Zarqawi in the News

Leaders of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist organization bombed during meeting (via Matt Cardens). Let's just hope Zarqawi didn't draw the short straw and was out getting the pizza.

Zarqawi's Tawid and Jihad group targetting Jewish sites and discos in Germany. That whole appeasement strategy is really working out for Germany I'd say.

Sympathy for al-Zarqawi grows among Iraqis amid US airstrikes. This after a report yesterday that Zarqawi was becoming more unpopular.

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Muslim Colonial Imperialism

What is that tired Santayana line about repeating history and such? Richard C. Csaplar in CBN News:

Imperialistic

The Muslim wars of imperialist conquest have been launched for almost 1,500 years against hundreds of nations, over millions of square miles (significantly larger than the British Empire at its peak). The lust for Muslim imperialist conquest stretched from southern France to the Philippines, from Austria to Nigeria, and from central Asia to New Guinea. This is the classic definition of imperialism -- "the policy and practice of seeking to dominate the economic and political affairs of weaker countries."

Colonialist

The Muslim goal was to have a central government, first at Damascus, and then at Baghdad -- later at Cairo, Istanbul, or other imperial centers. The local governors, judges, and other rulers were appointed by the central imperial authorities for far off colonies. Islamic law was introduced as the senior law, whether or not wanted by the local people. Arabic was introduced as the rulers' language, and the local language frequently disappeared. Two classes of residents were established. The native residents paid a tax that their colonialist rulers did not have to pay.

Although the law differed in different places, the following are examples of colonialist laws to which colonized Christians and Jews were made subject to over the years:


Christians and Jews could not bear arms -- Muslims could;
Christians and Jews could not ride horses -- Muslims could;
Christians and Jews had to get permission to build -- Muslims did not;
Christians and Jews had to pay certain taxes which Muslims did not;
Christians could not proselytize -- Muslims could;
Christians and Jews had to bow to their Muslim masters when they paid their taxes; and
Christians and Jews had to live under the law set forth in the Koran, not under either their own religious or secular law.

In each case, these laws allowed the local conquered people less freedom than was allowed the conquering colonialist rulers. Even non-Arab Muslim inhabitants of the conquered lands became second class citizens behind the ruling Arabs. This is the classic definition of colonialist -- "a group of people who settle in a distant territory from the state having jurisdiction or control over it and who remain under the political jurisdiction of their native land."

There is more. Read it. Hat tip: Robert Spencer

Posted by: Rusty at 11:33 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Former hostage sues al-Jazeera

The former hostage claims that it was an al Jazeera cameraman who actually shot video of him while in captivity. News24:

A Saudi truck driver who was kidnapped and released by a militant Iraqi group in June has sued al-Jazeera television for "moral" damages and is demanding compensation, a lawyer said on Tuesday.

Saydan Saadun Saydan charged before Kuwait's lower court that a cameraman from the television station shot a video of him while reading a statement during captivity, al-Jazeera's lawyer in Kuwait, Ali al-Nimesh, said.

"As the kidnappers asked me to read a statement, I saw a photographer and a reporter from al-Jazeera entering the place. They started shooting the video," Saydan said in his complaint.

But Nimesh said Saydan had not told the court how he recognised that the team belonged to al-Jazeera.

On June 5, al-Jazeera aired a video showing Saydan reading a statement warning lorry drivers not to work for the US-led occupation forces.

Need we any more pretense to bomb al Jazeera?

Posted by: Rusty at 08:01 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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October 05, 2004

Religion of Beheadings: 5 More Iraqis Murdered

Via the Command Post this news:

Police have found five decapitated bodies of Iraqis in northern Iraqi cities, police and hospital officials said.
They said two decapitated bodies were found dumped separately in central Mosul on Tuesday, two days after another was discovered near a bus station.

Two had been identified and the third was also believed to be an Iraqi.

There was no immediate word on who had beheaded the three men or on the motives for the killings.

In Kirkuk, Lieutenant Colonel Awaad Jibouri said the corpse and head of a former Iraqi army officer, identified as Ali Hussein, was found in a town south-west of the city.

Mr Hussein had worked at a United States military base in Kirkuk.

A second Iraqi, identified as Taha Abdullah, who worked at a US barracks near Baiji, was also beheaded and his body was found on Monday night, Lieutenant Colonel Jibouri said.

Also blogging: Chad Evans at In the Bullpen and Alan at the Command Post

Posted by: Rusty at 03:44 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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