February 28, 2005

Zarqawi Planning Attack in US

Fox News is reporting that intercepted communications between Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi indicate that Zarqawi has been urged to focus his efforts on attacking the US. The report also indicates Zarqawi may also be on the verge of getting caught and that this strategy might come because of increased pressure in Iraq. (ht: Ace of Spades)

UPDATE: More from USA Today which doesn't name Zarqawi, but which alludes to it when it says:

"A U.S. counterterrorism official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the "very vague" information alluded to moving forward on planning for operations outside of Iraq.
Meaning, al Qaeda is part of the planning of operations in Iraq now. Meanwhile Zarqawi's group has claimed several attacks ain Iraq over the past few days. Notice how fewer and fewer of these attacks are aimed at Americans?

UPDATE Something or other: Other recipients of KKKarl Rove al Qaeda Meme *: Jeff 'I'm not an online terrorist posing as a Jew' Goldstein, Steve 'Allahu-Akhbar Jew-dog' Green, Speed of 'Only Zionist pigs can think that fast' Thought, Shape 'not a Jew, but a Zionist nontheless' Days, Jeff 'Son of a Pig' Quinton

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Anti-Syrian Forces in Lebanon Win!

Wow, it's like a neo-cons wet dream come true. AP:

With shouts of "Syria out!," more than 25,000 flag-waving protesters massed outside Parliament today in a dramatic display of defiance that swept out Lebanon's pro-Syrian government two weeks after the assassination of a former prime minister.

Cheering broke out among the demonstrators in Martyrs' Square when they heard Prime Minister Omar Karami's announcement on loudspeakers that the government was stepping down. Throughout the day, protesters handed out red roses to soldiers and police.

Blog Roundup: Jeff Goldstein, LGF, Vodkapundit, Instapundit, Captain Ed, Roger L. Simon, Slant Point, Dean's World

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February 25, 2005

Hizbullah Bombs Tel Aviv Nightclub

The group that the European Union recently claimed 'is not a terrorist organization' is responsible for tonight's bombing of a Tel Aviv nightclub which killed at least four and injured scores more. The Jerusalem Post and the AP report that a senior Palestinian security official lays the blame for the bombing sqarely on the shoulders of the Lebanese based Hizbullah.

While the individual who carried out the suicide attack was a leader of the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in the West Bank town of Tulkarm, the PA denies that the military branch of Yassir Arafat's Fatah movement had anything to do with the attack. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the Palestinian official claims that Hizbullah recruited and paid for the homicide mission.

Other media reports that factions within the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and Islamic Jihad claimed joint responsibility for the attack, but leaders of al Aqsa later denied involvement. The Associated Press also speculates that certain cells within al Aqsa are receiving money and orders from Hizbullah. If that is the case, than the Palestinian Authority's ability to control militants within its ranks may be severely limited.

Hizbullah has recently made threats against leaders in the anti-Syrian uprising in Lebanon. Syria has occupied Lebanon for over a decade and allowed Hizbullah freedom to launch attacks against Israel from Lebanese territory. Hizbullah is a recognized political party in Lebanon with strong ties to both Syria and Iran.

Despite Hizbullah's known connection to the murder of American soldiers and Israeli civilians, the European Union has been reluctant to formally declare the group a terrorist organization.

Leaders of Hizbullah in Lebanon have disclaimed the attacks calling the accusation that they were behind the mass murder "lies."

Initial reports from Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas are encouraging. The NY Times quotes Abbas as saying, "The Palestinian Authority will not stand silent in the face of this act of sabotage. We will follow and track down those responsible and they will be punished accordingly."

The J Post reports this from the scene of the mass murder:

About 20 to 30 people queued up outside the "Stage" club on the generally packed Herbert Samuel Boulevard shortly after 11 pm Friday night when the bomber, dressed as a reveler himself, struck. As he reached the front of the line he detonated a nail-packed device just before being searched by one of the club's guards. The force of the blast ripped cars open like cans, and sprayed the victims' blood onto the club's smashed front fa ade. Shops and windows of nearby buildings were obliterated.

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Another Top Zarqawi Aide Captured

Mohamed Najam Ibrahim, a top leader in Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's al Qada in Iraq network has been captured in the city of Baqouba. According to the AP, Ibrahim was personally involved, along with his unnamed brother, in beheadings. Iraqi officias say he is being interrogated by authorities for information they hoped would lead to other arrests.

Who the Ibrahim brothers' beheaded victims were was not reported by Iraqi officials.

In the past several weeks a number of top Zarqawi aides have been captured or killed. With each new arrest information is gathered and more arrests are made. Are we getting closer to capturing Zarqawi? I certainly hope so.

UPDATE: It looks like we nabbed two Zarqawi aides in the same day.

Let me quote Ice Cube for a moment, "Today was a good day."

Others: Backcountry Conservative, Captain Ed

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February 24, 2005

Al Jazeera Cartoon Calls Jihadis to Arms

A country invades a nearby nation, rapes its women, murders its children, and tortures its citizens. How do you react? Would you think yourself justified in fighting this evil country?

That is exactly the way many Muslims see us. You would too if your only source of television were al Jazeera.

Take for instance this animated cartoon which is supposeed to be a criticism of Syria. It begins by showing how nobody wants the poor incompetent Syrians. It is even funny for a moment. Of course, it wouldn't be al Jazeera if it didn't end on this frame posted below. more...

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Australian Jihadi Held in Iraq

Ahmed Aziz Rafiq from Adelaide was arrested by Kurdish authorities late last year. He told his parents he was off to Iraq to find a wife before he turned up as a mujahadin fighter. US authorities had planned to turn him over to Australia, but they are now seeking 'clarification' on the man. More here. Of course, that story mentions the Mr. Rafiq was held in the 'notorious' Abu Ghraib prison. Do you think maybe he found a bride there and if so was he the bitch?

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February 23, 2005

Christian Sentenced to Seven Years in Pakistan for Tearing Up Quran

Our allies, those loveable Pakistanis, are at it again. Remember, Pakistan is a moderate Islamic country. At least this poor man didn't get the maximum sentence. The maximun sentence for blasphemy is death under all systems of Islamic law.

Daily Times via Jane:

Chishtian Civil Judge Muhammad Ashraf Bhatti on Wednesday sentenced Bashir Masih, 30, to seven years rigorous imprisonment on charges of desecrating the Quran.... A court official alleged that Bashir Masih was a magician cum exorcist and police had caught him tearing a copy of the Quran in Chak No 109/Fateh in Bahawalnagar district last year. Bashir was tried under Section 295-B of the Blasphemy Law. The convict confessed to the crime, saying tearing the Quran was part of the magic he was doing.

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Allawi Challenging Al-Jaafari for PM Job

Via VOA news this interesting development. I was under the impression that al-Jaafari was a shoe-in for the PM post. I guess I was wrong:

Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi announced he is forming his own coalition to challenge Ibrahim al-Jaafari for the prime minister's job. Mr. Al-Jaafari is one of the interim government's two vice presidents and head of the conservative Shi'ite Muslim party, Dawa.

The party won the most seats in the January elections, but still needs support from other electoral groups if it hopes to place Mr. Al-Jaafari in the prime minister's chair. Dawa has a more forthright religious orientation, while Mr. Allawi's party, the Iraqi List, is secular in tone. The minority Sunnis, in large part, boycotted the elections.

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February 22, 2005

Unclear on the Concept: Palestinian Man Celebrates His Brother's Release from Israeli Jail by Shooting Bystanders

In the air. Shoot in the air. JPost:

According to a preliminary investigation conducted by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, the incident occurred when Eyad Tawfiq, 30, arrived at his house in the village after he had been released from jail.

His brother-in-law, 28-year-old Haibat Taha, welcomed him by firing into the air from his M16 rifle. When he put the rifle back on his shoulder, a number of live bullets hit four men standing nearby. One of them, Salah, was killed by a live bullet in the abdomen.

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Al Jaafari Shiite's Nominee for PM

The AP reports that Interim Vice President Ibrahim al-Jaafari was chosen as his Shiite ticket's candidate for Iraq's next prime minister Tuesday, after Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid.

Al-Jaafari has sent mixed signals about his Islamist ties. He is brother-in-law to the Grand Ayatollah Sistani, the most powerful cleric in Iraq. His ties to Iran are also deep. After a failed rebellion against Saddam Hussein in the 1970s, al-Jaafari fled to Iran in 1980 where he lived in exile until 1989. He then moved to London where he became the chief spokesman for theh Dawa party in exile until the US led ouster of the Baathist regime. His wife and children remain in London.

On the one hand he has stated that he believes Islam should be the only source of Iraq's fundamental law. A chilling statement for Iraq's Christian minority who would be forced to live in legal dhimmitude--or second class citizenship--if even moderate sharia law were imposed. For instance, Islamic law forbids the free expression of religion and prescribes the death penalty as the maximum sentence for Muslims who leave the faith. But even if the maximum penalty were not given any society that forbids apostasy as a matter of law is not free.

On the other hand Al-Jaafari has been generally supportive of Kurdish autonomy. He is expected to become Prime Minister with the support of the Kurdish ticket which came in second in the elections. He has also been a critic of Wahhabi style laws which restrict women from voting or even driving. He supported the US invasion and was part of the original governing body appointed by the Coalitin Authority.

More from Wikipidia and BBC.

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February 21, 2005

Al Jazeera Now Quoting NY Times

An editorial in al Jazeera today quotes Jesus Christ as the basis for why Christian fundamentalists are just like Muslim fundamentalists. The gist of the editorial is that all religious fundamentalism is basically equivalent.

Citing religious scriptures serves as an illustrative example. Prophet Jesus said: "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Mathew 5:9), but he also warned his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on Earth, I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Mathew 10:34). Prophet Muhammad affirmed: "I am the Prophet of Mercy", but he also said: "I am the Prophet of War".

Most Christians the world over, view Jesus as the Prince of Peace, a belief shared also by Muslims, but Christian fundamentalists in America look at him differently.

In their view, he is not the Jesus known for turning the other cheek (Matt 5:39) but a Jesus "from whose mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations; he will rule them with an iron sceptre" (Revelation 19:15).

As I have argued for some time now, there is a link between Islamic fanaticism and the American left. Not that the left agree with the remedies of Islamism, but they do share the same belief about the source of the world's problems. Hence, it is not surprising that many Islamist diatribes attempt to link the criticisms of the American left with their own. See, they say, even many in America agree with us. The editorial goes on to quote Nicholas Kristoff (who is called a 'courageous journalist) in the New York Times:
We have quite properly linked the fundamentalist religious tracts of Islam with the intolerance they nurture, and it is time to remove the motes from our own eyes. We should be embarrassed when our best-selling books (the Left Behind series) gleefully celebrate religious intolerance and violence against infidels.
The piece really gets silly from there claiming that since Jimmy Carter taught Sunday School that his rule was no different than that of Mullahs in Iran.
If a professor of tafsir (exegeses of the Quran) becomes a president of any Muslim country today, the American media would fiercely condemn him and his rule as a "regime of mullahs", and the French media would condemn him as a "regime des barbus" (regime of the bearded ones).

But President Jimmy Carter was teaching tafsir (exegesis of the Bible here) in one of the churches of Washington DC during his White House years. Carter's book, Source of Strength, is a collection of his biblical lectures at that church; another instance of how religion and politics are intermingled in America today.

The silliness continues as he takes a Baptist minister out of context. The words of Charles Colson which show how Christians do not believe in forced faith are at odds with Islam's explicit fascist tendencies are used to warn Muslims against Christian fanatacism.
While Islamists want to enforce a theocracy, most Christians live peacefully with competing value systems. Christians believe in winning people through love, not conquest.
Right. Equivalence.

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Zarqawi Propaganda Chief Killed in Iraq

Al Qaeda in Iraq's propaganda chief has been killed in Iraq! You may know Adel Mujtaba's work from such blockbuster hits as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Cuts Off the Head of Paul Johnson & Kenneth Bigly Execution: The Video. The best part of Mujtaba's death is that he was apparently in charge of the now defunct websites which Tawhid and Jihad used to run. News24:

Iraqi security forces have killed a propaganda chief of al-Qaeda's frontman in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the government said on Sunday.

Security forces "killed the terrorist Adel Mujtaba, known as Abu Rim, who disseminated propaganda for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist network", it said in a statement.

One of Abu Rim's associates, Abu al-Izz, was also killed in the same raid on February 11, it added, without saying why it was only now releasing news of the raid.

"Abu Rim specialised in creating terrorist websites which encouraged terrorism," the statement said.

"He glorified the murder of innocent people and published images which included terrorists torturing hostages."

Abu Rim is the third Zarqawi propaganda chief to be killed or detained after the alleged first and second in command, Abu Sufiyan and Husam Abdullah Muhsin al-Dulaymi, were respectively killed and detained, the statement added, without providing further details.

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February 19, 2005

Terrorists Release Indonesian Hostages Video

indonesianhreporters.jpg
Two Indondesian hostages, Meutya Hafid and her cameraman known only as Budianto, appeared in a new video released by a group calling themselves Jaish al-Mujahidin, or Army of Warriors, al Jazeera reports. However, the Associated Press reports that a voice can be heard on the video claiming the group is called Mujahedeen in Iraq.

The AP reports that a voice on the video says, "We are now investigating the reason they are in the country, and we ask the Indonesian government to clarify their position and tell us the reason they are in the country. Otherwise we will kill them."

In response, Indonesia has issued several statements clarifying their anti-war stance. Family members have also emphasized that the journalists were in the country to report on the plight of the Iraqi people.

Image: al Jazeera

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February 16, 2005

Syria and Iran Form Anti-US Alliance

The Axis of Evil decided to replace Iraq with Syria today. Iran announced they will put up a united front against the US with their Muslim brothers in Syria. While both Syria and Iran have opposed the two year old US occupation of Iraq, the latest diplomatic maneuvering came after the US objected to the nearly 30 year old Syrian occupation of Lebanon. BBC:

Iran has vowed to back Syria against "challenges and threats" as both countries face strong US pressure.

"We are ready to help Syria on all grounds to confront threats," Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref said after meeting Syrian PM Naji al-Otari....


"Our Syrian brothers are facing specific threats and we hope they can benefit from our experience. We are ready to give them any help necessary," Mr Aref said.

Syria, for its part, backed away from the Iranian threats:
However, Syria's ambassador in the US denied that the common front was an alliance against Washington.

"We are not the enemies of the United States, and we do not want to be drawn into such an enmity," Imad Moustapha told CNN.

Others:Wizbang

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February 15, 2005

Hamas Funds Unfrozen by Palestinian Authority

While the Palestinian Authority gives the terror group Hamas their blood money back, the US is busy freezing terrorists assets. JP:

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has agreed to unfreeze Hamas funds held in a number of Palestinian banks, Palestinian sources in Gaza City said Monday.... more...

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February 11, 2005

Zarqawi Mistakingly Released

Wow, talk about incompetence.....but at least were still hot on the trail. Kuna:

Eyewitnesses Thursday reported to the authorities and claimed terrorist leader Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi was seen in Kirkuk this morning, Kirkuk Police Commander Sarhat Qader told reporters.

The official said "still unconfirmed" information suggested Al-Zarqawi was seen in Kirkuk today in a white vehicle.

This after interior ministry investigations showed Al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian, was actually captured and released after security personnel failed to recognize him. The US prize for his head or assisting in his capture stands at USD 10 million.

Hat tip: Reliapundit

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February 09, 2005

Al Qaeda Operatives Arrested in Iraq

Note that it was the Iraqis who caught these Abu Musaab al-Zarqawi aides with the aid of the local population. Zarqawi's organization, previously known as Tawhid and Jihad, is now al Qaeda in Iraq. Zarqawi's terrorist group is behind many of the beheading murders in Iraq. Yesterday another Zarqawi aid was arrested in Tikrit on suspicion of being involved in beheadings. Very good news indeed. Via the Reliapundit this article: more...

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February 08, 2005

Peace in Our Time

chamberlain.jpg

More...Still More.....Yet more.....

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February 04, 2005

Iraqi Villagers Take on Terrorists

File under good news. When more of this starts happening, we'll know we have won. Via Paul at Wizbang this ABC (Aus) article:

The Iraqi police have investigated a case in the village of al-Mudhariya, which is just south of Baghdad. The villagers there say that before the election insurgents came and warned them that if they voted in last weekend's election, they would pay.

Now the people of this mixed village of Sunni and Shia Muslims, they ignored the threat and they did turn out to vote.

We understand that last night the insurgents came back to punish the people of al-Mudhariya, but instead of metering out that punishment the villagers fought back and they killed five of the insurgents and wounded eight. They then burnt the insurgents' car. So the people of that village have certainly had enough of the insurgents.

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February 03, 2005

Israel to Release 900 Palestinian Prisoners, Withdraw from West Bank Towns

As part of a cease-fire deal in preparation for the upcomig summit between Prime Minister Arial Sharon and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel promised to Release 900 Palestinian Prisoners and withdraw from Jericho and five other West Bank towns.

Exactly how releasing 900 suspected terrorists and their sympathizers could possibly help a cease-fire was not explained by either the PA or the Israeli cabinet which approved the deal. more...

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