Posted on 12/17/2006 4:03:30 PM PST by DAVEY CROCKETT
VEVAK learned its methodology from the Soviet KGB and many of the Islamist revolutionaries who supported Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini actually studied at Moscow's Patrice Lumumba Friendship University, the Oxford of terrorism. Documented Iranian alumni include the current Supreme Leader (the faqih) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, under whose Velayat-e Faqih (Rule of the Islamic Jurisprudent) apparatus it has traditionally operated. Its current head is Cabinet Minister Hojatoleslam Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Ezhei, a graduate of Qom's Haqqani School, noted for its extremist position advocating violence against enemies and strict clerical control of society and government. The Ministry is very well funded and its charge, like that of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (the Pasdaran) is to guard the revolutionary Islamic Iranian regime at all costs and under all contingencies.
From the KGB playbook, VEVAK learned the art of disinformation. It's not so difficult to learn: tell the truth 80% of the time and lie 20%. Depending on how well a VEVAK agent wants to cover his/her tracks, the ratio may go up to 90/10, but it never drops below the 80/20 mark as such would risk suspicion and possible detection. The regime in Teheran has gone to great lengths to place its agents in locations around the world. Many of these operatives have been educated in the West, including the U.K. and the United States. Iranian government agencies such as embassies, consulates, Islamic cultural centers, and airline offices regularly provide cover for the work of VEVAK agents who dress well and are clean shaven, and move comfortably within our society. In this country, because of the severance of diplomatic relations, the principal site of VEVAK activities begins at the offices of Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.
Teheran has worked diligently to place its operatives in important think tanks and government agencies in the West. Some of its personnel have been recruited while in prison through torture or more often through bribery, or a combination of both. Others are Islamist revolutionaries that have been set up to look like dissidents - often having been arrested and imprisoned, but released for “medical reasons”. The clue to detecting the fake “dissident” is to read carefully what he/she writes, and to ask why this vocal “dissident” was released from prison when other real dissidents have not been released, indeed have been grievously tortured and executed. Other agents have been placed in this country for over twenty-five years to slowly go through the system and rise to positions of academic prominence due to their knowledge of Farsi and Shia Islam or Islamist fundamentalism.
One of the usual tactics of VEVAK is to co-opt academia to its purposes. Using various forms of bribery, academics are bought to defend the Islamic Republic or slander its enemies. Another method is to assign bright students to train for academic posts as specialists in Iranian or Middle East affairs. Once established, such individuals are often consulted by our government as it tries to get a better idea of how it should deal with Iran. These academics then are in a position to skew the information, suggesting the utility of extended dialogue and negotiation, or the danger and futility of confronting a strong Iran or its proxies such as Hizballah (Hezbollah). These academics serve to shield the regime from an aggressive American or Western policy, and thereby buy more time for the regime to attain its goals, especially in regards to its nuclear weaponry and missile programs.
MOIS likes to use the media, especially electronic media, to its advantage. One of VEVAK's favorite tricks is setting up web sites that look like they are opposition sites but which are actually controlled by the regime. These sites often will be multilingual, including Farsi, German, Arabic French, and English. Some are crafted carefully and are very subtle in how they skew their information (e.g., Iran-Interlink, set up and run by Massoud Khodabandeh and his wife Ann Singleton from Leeds, England); others are less subtle, simply providing the regime's point of view on facts and events in the news (e.g., www.mujahedeen.com or www.mojahedin.ws). This latter group is aimed at the more gullible in our open society and unfortunately such a market exists. However, if one begins to do one's homework, asking careful questions, the material on these fake sites generally does not add up.
Let's examine a few examples of VEVAK's work in the United States. In late October, 2005, VEVAK sent three of its agents to Washington to stage a press event in which the principal Iranian resistance movement, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK), was to be slandered. Veteran VEVAK agent Karim Haqi flew from Amsterdam to Canada where he was joined by VEVAK's Ottawa agents Amir-Hossein Kord Rostami and Mahin (Parvin-Mahrokh) Haji, and the three flew from Toronto to Washington. Fortunately the resistance had been tracking these three, informed the FBI of their presence in Washington, and when the three tried to hold a press conference, the resistance had people assigned to ask pointed questions of them so that they ended the interview prematurely and fled back to Canada.
Abolghasem Bayyenet is a member of the Iranian government. He serves as a trade expert for the Ministry of Commerce. But his background of study and service in the Foreign Ministry indicates that Bayyenet is more than just an economist or a suave and savvy businessman. In an article published in Global Politician on April 23, 2006, entitled “Is Regime Change Possible in Iran?”, Bayyenet leads his audience to think that he is a neutral observer, concerned lest the United States make an error in its assessment of Iran similar to the errors of intelligence and judgment that led to our 2003 invasion of Iraq, with its less than successful outcome. However, his carefully crafted bottom line is that the people of Iran are not going to support regime change and that hardliner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad actually has achieved greater popularity than his predecessors because of his concern for the problems of the poor and his fight for economic and social justice. To the naive, Bayyenet makes Ahmadinejad sound positively saintly. Conveniently overlooked is the occurrence of over four thousand acts of protest, strikes, anti-regime rallies, riots, and even political assassinations by the people of Iran against the government in the year since Ahmadinejad assumed office. So too, the following facts are ignored: the sizeable flight of capital, the increase in unemployment, and the rising two-figure rate of inflation, all within this last year. Bayyenet is a regime apologist, and when one is familiar with the facts, his arguments ring very hollow. However, his English skills are excellent, and so the naОve might be beguiled by his commentary.
Mohsen Sazegara is VEVAK's “reformed revolutionary”. A student supporter of Khomeini before the 1979 revolution, Sazegara joined the “imam” on his return from exile and served in the government for a decade before supposedly growing disillusioned.
He formed several reformist newspapers but ran afoul of the hardliners in 2003 and was arrested and imprisoned by VEVAK. Following “hunger strikes”, Sazegara was released for health reasons and permitted to seek treatment abroad. Although critical of the government and particularly of Ahmadinejad and KhameneМ, Sazegara is yet more critical of opposition groups, leaving the impression that he favors internal regime change but sees no one to lead such a movement for the foreseeable future. His bottom line: no one is capable of doing what needs to be done, so we must bide our time. Very slick, but his shadow shows his likely remaining ties to the MOIS.
http://www.ocnus.net/artman/publish/article_27144.shtml
Third Terror Suspect Absconds (back)
January 17, 2007
Home Secretary John Reid said on Tuesday another terrorism suspect on a control order had absconded.
In a written statement to MPs Reid said the suspect had disappeared earlier this month, soon after being served with a control order.
The suspect is the third to have absconded since the control orders, brought in for suspects who cannot be prosecuted in courts, were introduced.
'The control order was designed to address the risk posed by an individual who had recently been radicalised and wanted to travel abroad for terrorism-related purposes,' Reid said.
Conservative shadow Home Secretary David Davis said the control order legislation had been ineffective.
'Far from getting a grip since John Reid took over, the Home Office has been marked by murderers walking out of open prisons and suspected terrorists escaping from control orders,' Davis said.
'This latest failure demonstrates what we said some time ago. This legislation has achieved the remarkable double of being both repressive and ineffective at the same time.'
Control orders contain conditions restricting the behaviour and movement of the recipient. There are 18 orders in force, at least seven of them against British citizens.
Reid said restrictions imposed on the suspect had included a requirement to report daily to a police station, to surrender travel documents and to reside at a specified address.
The suspect was not believed to pose a direct threat to the public, he said.
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/latest/tm_headline=third-terrorism -suspect-absconds%26method=full%26objectid=18487696 %26siteid=94762-name_page.html
Criticism of Islam to become Illegal in Europe ? (back)
January 15, 2007
The Germans have suddenly discovered a very modern use for their history:
 “ Germany intends to introduce a Europe-wide law banning the display of Nazi symbols and making denial of the Holocaust a crime to fulfil its “historical obligation†62 years after the liberation of Auschwitz . Brigitte Zypries, the Justice Minister, will today outline plans to punish with up to three years in prison anyone in the European Union who publicly rejects the Nazi slaughter of six million Jews….
 But there will be extra pressure from former Soviet-bloc countries for a ban on the provocative use of the communist hammer and sickle.
 Ms Zypries will appeal to them at a meeting in Dresden today and tomorrow to build a European criminal code on racism and xenophobia. “We have always said it cannot be the case that it should still be acceptable in Europe to say that six million Jews were never killed,†she said. “There is some controversy about that under `freedom of expression’ but we believe that there are limits to freedom of expression, and the limits are there when it is offensive to other religions and ethnic groups.â€
 Britain maintains that its laws banning incitement to hatred provide sufficient cover… A British government spokeswoman said that a specific offence of Holocaust denial “would sit uncomfortably with existing freedom of speech legislationâ€, but did not dismiss the German plan.
 The words “a European criminal code on racism and xenophobia†imply that “racismâ€, as they define it, will become a crime in Europe . And that means no more criticism of Islam. The words “other religions†above make that very clear.
 T. Summer Says:
 January 15th, 2007 at 7:00 am
Unfortunately I live in Europe , and the whole thing is getting out of hand. Not long ago they (fanatic muslims) used our kingdom’s freedom of speech to protest our freedom of speech!! Some people published drawings of Mohammed in a newspaper, and suddenly embassies and public building were lit on fire. Flags were burnt in the streets. Our constitutional freedom of speech was used, and is used, by fanatic muslims to protest against the very same thing, that’s right our freedom of speech! 30% of our capital’s population is now non-westerly.. Mosques are popping up on every street corner. At the same time they protest against church bells ringing on Sundays. Politicians continue to fasten the grip on free speech every day, making new laws and statutes. And why? In Europe the worst thinkable thing is to be called a racist. We have become so intellectual, and so huggie-feely over here that NO ONE dares to open their mouths to protest the open borders, the inundation of illegal immigrants claiming asylum well knowing that we can never send them back anyway because their countries are always at war, the travesty of the European Union embracing more and more rouge states who’s citizens are flooding across our borders just to get their hands on our socialist welfare systems.. and so on and so forth.. I give up, and that’s what this socialist regime want us to do..
 Europe is dead, soon to be an Islamic kingdom. Please please dont let the US fall down the same well. Resist the insanity of liberalism and socialism. If it was possible I would pledge allegiance in a heartbeat, and leave this sorry place.
 Â
Source: http://stoptheaclu.com/archives/2007/01/15/criticism-of-islam-to- become-illegal-thoughout-europe/
Iran Finances Militias for Syria (back)
January 18, 2007
Iran has been financing the formation of militias loyal to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Syrian opposition sources said Teheran has transferred tens of millions of dollars to organize, equip and finance at least two major militias under the direct control of Assad. The sources said the militias contain Shi'ites, with many of them trained in and sent by Iran .
'The alliance between Syria and Iran dates back more than two decades, and was explicitly reaffirmed by the two ruling regimes as recently as January 2005,' Ammar Abdul Hamid, director of the Tharwa Foundation and a leading Syrian dissident, said. 'Indeed, the two are now joined at the hip.'
Abdul Hamid said Assad turned to Iran to help his regime amid sagging support within the Syrian military. He said Iran has increased its influence in the Syrian military and intelligence community.
Source: http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2007/january/01_18_1.html
Again on Front Page (back)
January 16, 2007
I believe we as Muslims must keep the pressure on the Kuffar.
They are attacking Islam directly and indirectly night and day.
What are we doing but sleeping.What are the Muslims of Dailymotion doing but they all basically doing all the same thing and posting the same videos group after group and group.
In all aspects of life we should present and expose Islam to the Kuffar whether they want it or not.
Non-Muslims are presenting directly and indirectly their customs and ideas once again night and day.
My mission is different I don't see any really good Dawah videos so that is why I don't really post any or none. To post videos from example of Harun Yahya is to go against my mission. I won't give a false impression of what Islam is.
Moderate Islam is not what I want to present but true Islam.There is only one Islam but those Muslims especially the ones living in the West are giving a false image of Islam.
If you are afraid to speak the truth of Islam or to talk about an event keep quiet. Now if you really want to call our brothers and sisters dying Shuhada criminals and Kuffar then you are either confused or an enemy.
Source: http://muslims4khilafah.blogspot.com/2007/01/listed-once- again-in-front-page.html
Al-Suri's Doctrines for Decentralized Jihadi Training – Part 1
By Brynjar Lia
The evolution toward smaller, more autonomous and decentralized organizational structures has been identified as a key trend in jihadi terrorism during the past few years. Confronting amorphous structures and networks, which lack clearly identifiable organizational linkages and command structures and in which self-radicalization and self-recruitment are key elements, is a formidable challenge for security services. The jihadi decentralization trend is clearly a result of counter-terrorism successes. These "defeats" have been scrutinized and digested in the writings of key jihadi theoreticians during the past few years. New roadmaps and operational concepts are being explored as the jihadis search for effective ways to operate in the much less permissive security environment of the post-9/11 era. Among the new literature on future jihadi strategies, the writings of the Syrian-born, al-Qaeda veteran Mustafa bin Abd al-Qadir Setmariam Nasar have received considerable attention, both in jihadi circles and in Western media and scholarship. This two-part article outlines and discusses al-Suri's training doctrine and briefly assesses its potential importance for the new generation of jihadis. Hopefully, it will be a contribution to improving understanding of how jihadi groups are adapting their training doctrines in the face of a harsher and less permissive operative environment.
READ FULL STORY
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370236
* * *
Kyrgyzstan's Manas Airbase: A Key Asset in the War on Terrorism
By John C.K. Daly
The collapse of communism in the USSR in 1991 and the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States a decade later offered the Pentagon basing possibilities impossible even to conceive of during the Cold War. The chief beneficiaries were Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, which were catapulted from being the "back of beyond" of the "Evil Empire" to potential front-line states in Washington's and NATO's attempt to develop a new military footprint in former Soviet republics. Since relations between Uzbekistan and the United States soured after the events in Andijan in May 2005, Kyrgyzstan has emerged as Washington's sole front-line state for confronting terrorism in Afghanistan. The Manas airbase is critical to U.S. counter-terrorism strategy in Central and South Asia. A December 6 "incident" at Manas—when a U.S. serviceman fatally shot a Kyrgyz civilian at a truck checkpoint at the base—now threatens Washington's sole remaining military facility in the former Soviet Union, with no immediate resolution in sight.
READ FULL STORY
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370237
* * *
Expelling the Infidel: Historical Look at Somali Resistance to Ethiopia
By Andrew McGregor
The U.S.-supported Ethiopian invasion of Somalia has an unsettling resemblance to the British-supported Ethiopian incursions in the early years of the 20th century. In both cases, the Western powers became involved because of perceived strategic considerations, while their proxy, Ethiopia, went to war as a result of Somali resistance to Ethiopian domination of the ethnic-Somali Ogaden region. Last December's invasion succeeded in bringing the Ethiopia-friendly Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmad to power in Mogadishu. Although the Islamists have been dispersed for the moment, there are signs that a guerrilla campaign is in the making. Like the late 20th century, the late 19th century witnessed an international Islamic revival, spurred in part by the military occupation and economic domination of Muslim nations by the Western world. The Egyptian withdrawal from its short-lived occupation of the Somali coast in the 1880s and the failure of the Ottoman Empire to press its claims on the region opened the region to the advances of Britain, Italy, France and Ethiopia. In Somalia, there was a rare shift in public affairs as religious leaders became involved in traditionally secular Somali politics, using their unique position to transcend traditional clan divisions. The most notable of these leaders was Sayyid Muhammad 'Abdullah Hassan, who led his "dervishes" in a 21-year struggle against foreign domination.
READ FULL STORY
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370238
* * *
Iranian Involvement in Afghanistan
By Muhammad Tahir
The Afghan media has published an increasing number of critical reports about Iran's secret contacts with insurgent groups in Afghanistan, specifically those groups fighting against the U.S. presence in the country. On September 5, for instance, the Pashto-language newspaper Weesa referred to unidentified local officials in Nimruz province who claimed that Tehran was financing and providing weaponry to Afghanistan's militant groups. In March 2006, the Afghan official news agency Bakhtar reported on the secret activities of Iranians, including officers belonging to the armed forces, in border towns inside Afghanistan. Bakhtar quoted a high-ranking Afghan border policeman in Herat province, General Mohammad Ayub Safi, saying that "in only the first quarter of this year [2006], more than 10 Iranian officials have been arrested in Herat who were allegedly involved in illegal activities." These developments show that Iran has been increasing its operations in Afghanistan in an effort to gain influence with the contending insurgent factions and to hasten the departure of U.S. troops from the country.
READ FULL STORY
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370239
"The Jamestown Foundation has been at the forefront of serious reporting and analysis of the current terrorist threat. Readers will find Unmasking Terror filled with insights that enhance their understanding of terrorism."
--Dr. Joseph S. Nye, Jr.
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370227&printthis=1
Volume 3, Issue 47 (December 7, 2006) | Download PDF Version
Jihadi Forum Outlines Use of Poisons for Terrorist Attacks
By Abdul Hameed Bakier
Jihadi attempts to procure lethal and destructive weapons are endless. It is especially disturbing when they attempt to experiment with and acquire chemical and biological weapons. One recent post on a jihadi website outlined a user's attempts at mixing chemical components to create deadly substances for terrorist purposes. The post, titled "The War of Poisons," was authored by a user with the pseudonym "Wajeh al-Qamar," who explained how to use different poisons against Americans in order to push them out of the Arabian Peninsula (http://alsayf.com, July 30).
Al-Qamar instructs fellow jihadis to mix cyanide with any type of body lotion that enlarges skin pores. According to al-Qamar's theory, the skin will then absorb the cyanide in three to five seconds. Al-Qamar claims that experiments have already been completed on rabbits, which he explains have a similar blood pressure to humans. In the experiments, the cyanide-lotion mix quickly killed the rabbits. As part of this plot, al-Qamar suggests that jihadis smear the door handles of cars owned by Americans with small quantities of the cyanide-lotion mixture, or spray it in the air-conditioning vents of their cars or houses.
In addition to the cyanide-lotion mix, al-Qamar suggests that jihadis use malathion and propoxur to poison Americans—insecticides that are available from farming markets and can be easily purchased. According to al-Qamar, the insecticides, after being mixed with a third poisonous substance, would have a dangerous effect on the target, although it will not necessarily result in death. Al-Qamar then says, "I vowed to invent stronger poisons than cyanide," and moved to explain how to pollute groceries of an American shopper with sodium peroxide and sodium oxide by injecting the fluids into their food products. Al-Qamar discusses other deadly substances that can be extracted from plants and explains how to transform them into either fluid or aerosol form. Al-Qamar acts as if he is an expert on chemicals since he uses medical terms to label the degree of health hazards that each substance might cause.
Regardless of the likelihood or effectiveness of the above terrorism strategies, they display the danger posed by jihadi use of the internet. If a jihadi with experience in chemical weapons was able to establish contact with a willing recruit in Europe, the United States or elsewhere, he would be able to transmit the necessary knowledge needed for a chemical attack. Moreover, direct contact between a handler and a recruit is not even necessary since the jihadi forums contain hundreds of documents outlining various methods to kill large numbers of people. The recruit does not have to be a member of al-Qaeda, but only a sympathizer willing to pursue the organization's ideology.
Find this article at:
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370227
[an interesting blog, lots of subjects]
And if you think that a portrait of Che Guevara on the wall next to an Islamic one is an anomaly, think again:
Prime Minister of Chechnya is not a man to be messed with, especially if you work for him.
At the age of just 30, Ramzan Kadyrov counts the Russian President Vladimir Putin as a close ally, wields enormous power in his war-ravaged world-infamous republic, and is the object of a Stalin-style personality cult.
[..] He has advocated polygamy, banned gambling, and clamped down on the sale of alcohol - all policies that would cause a riot if implemented elsewhere in Russia.
[..]Inside, Kadyrov’s office resembles the boardroom of a multinational corporation, albeit with a few significant differences. The federal Russian flag stands alongside the green flag of the Chechen republic, and from one wall, a framed black-and-white picture of Che Guevara stares down. Kadyrov clearly identifies with the Argentine who made his name in Cuba, since his fan club (yes, he does have a fan club) often waves aloft stencilled posters of the Chechen leader wearing Che’s beret and adopting the same uncompromising stare.
[..]A colourful portrait of a woman wearing a headscarf adorns another wall, presumably Kadyrov’s mother, and I notice at least two likenesses of his benefactor, Vladimir Putin.
Through the window, the green-topped minaret of a newly built mosque reaches up into the gloomy Grozny sky, a reminder that Kadyrov has styled himself as a devout Muslim and adopted elements of shariah for his regime.
Yep, you read correctly, a chunk of Russia is now partially implementing Sharia Law. But don’t get too carried away with that one - this is an elaborate and cynical exercise in sock-puppetry, not a naive subjugation to a creeping Islamification. This is Russia, not Sweden, and the Russia Empire has centuries of experience with “self-governing” Muslim populations within its borders. More importantly it has several centuries experience of being governed by Muslims - an experience permanantly etched into the national psyche and untempered by Western political correctness and one Russia will not be repeating any time soon (”scratch a Russian and you will find a Tartar”, goes a Russian proverb). And by soon I mean ever. I had a post on Islam and demographics in Russia in the works that I am thinking of posting in several smaller posts, largely in response to the “Russia is turning Muslim” silliness that swept the blogosphere recently. Chechnya is only a very small part of Russia, the Muslims of the North Caucasus are a very different breed to say the Tartars, who make up the biggest Muslim segment in Russia, and the whole Islamification-of-Russia line is a misfire. But I digress.
Now a quick look at the other end of the spectrum - the far right and Islamism. Its not called Islamo-Fascism for nothing, and if you need proof, look up the collaboration of Bosnian Muslims with the Nazis in World War 2. Look up the relationship between the Mufti of Jerusalem and Hitler. Look up the list of speakers at the recent Holocaust conference in Iran.
I’ll throw in just one more example though, that relates directly to the “Promise Keeper rally enthusiast” types Scallon is talking about:
Turning Muslim in Texas
Praying in Texas
George W Bush may be backed by Christian fundamentalists but in his home state of Texas, Islam is the latest big draw. The Bible belt is transferring its allegiance to the Qur’an because, for many erstwhile Christians, believe it or not, the church is too liberal.
Eric was a Baptist preacher before he became a Muslim 14 years ago. Now he prays five times a day – even in the middle of watching a football game. His wife, Karen, also a convert, is covered from head to toe in the traditional Muslim burka. Islam, says Eric, ‘is everything I wanted Christianity to be’.
The Bible belt is not about to turn into the Our’an belt, any more than Russia is about to turn into Russiastan, so don’t take the “transferring its allegiance” baloney above too seriously. But do check out the video for the comedy. You can watch the full 24-minute documentary, “Turning Muslim in Texas”, on Google Video. Here it is:
See also my previous posts on Islam’s useful idiots on the Left.
http://www.taoofdefiance.com/
The Texas video is here.
[Cal do you have this one? the photos are _______I don't know what word to use....
So much of this is being used and refined by the jihadi today....
granny]
http://www.ushmm.org/research/doctors/twoa.htm
The Doctors Trial
FROM THE INDICTMENT [from Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals under Control Council Law No. 10. Nuremberg, October 1946–April 1949. Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O, 1949–1953.]:
COUNT TWO — WAR CRIMES
(A) High-Altitude Experiments.
A prisoner in a compression chamber loses consciousness during an experiment to determine altitudes at which aircraft crews could survive without oxygen.
A prisoner in a compression chamber loses consciousness (and later dies) during an experiment to determine altitudes at which aircraft crews could survive without oxygen. Dachau, Germany, 1942. NARA
From about March 1942 to about August 1942 experiments were conducted at the Dachau concentration camp, for the benefit of the German Air Force, to investigate the limits of human endurance and existence at extremely high altitudes. The experiments were carried out in a low-pressure chamber in which atmospheric conditions and pressures prevailing at high altitude (up to 68,000 feet) could be duplicated. The experimental subjects were placed in the low-pressure chamber and thereafter the simulated altitude therein was raised. Many victims died as a result of these experiments and others suffered grave injury, torture, and ill-treatment. The defendants Karl Brandt, Handloser, Schroeder, Gebhardt, Rudolf Brandt, Mrugowsky, Poppendick, Sievers, Ruff, Romberg, Becker-Freyseng, and Weltz are charged with special responsibility for and participation in these crimes. [return]
(B) Freezing Experiments.
Victim of a medical experiment immersed in freezing water at the Dachau concentration camp.
Victim of a medical experiment immersed in freezing water at the Dachau concentration camp. Dachau, Germany, between August 1942 and May 1943. YV
From about August 1942 to about May 1943 experiments were conducted at the Dachau concentration camp, primarily for the benefit of the German Air Force, to investigate the most effective means of treating persons who had been severely chilled or frozen. In one series of experiments the subjects were forced to remain in a tank of ice water for periods up to 3 hours. Extreme rigor developed in a short time. Numerous victims died in the course of these experiments. After the survivors were severely chilled, rewarming was attempted by various means. In another series of experiments, the subjects were kept naked outdoors for many hours at temperatures below freezing. The victims screamed with pain as their bodies froze. The defendants Karl Brand, Handloser, Schroeder, Gebhardt, Rudolf Brandt, Mrugowsky, Poppendick, Sievers, Becker-Freyseng, and Weltz are charged with special responsibility for and participation in these crimes. [return]
(C) Malaria Experiments. From about February 1942 to about April 1945 experiments were conducted at the Dachau concentration camp in order to investigate immunization for and treatment of malaria. Healthy concentration-camp inmates were infected by mosquitoes or by injections of extracts of the mucous glands of mosquitoes. After having contracted malaria the subjects were treated with various drugs to test their relative efficacy. Over 1,000 involuntary subjects were used in these experiments. Many of the victims died and others suffered severe pain and permanent disability. The defendants Karl Brandt, Handloser, Rostock, Gebhardt, Blome, Rudolf Brandt, Mrugowsky, Poppendick, and Sievers are charged with special responsibility for and participation in these crimes. [return]
(D) Lost (Mustard) Gas Experiments. At various times between September 1939 and April 1945 experiments were Conducted at Sachsenhausen, Natzweiler, and other concentration camps for the benefit of the German Armed Forces to investigate the most effective treatment of wounds caused by Lost gas. Lost is a poison gas which is commonly known as mustard gas. Wounds deliberately inflicted on the subjects were infected with Lost. Some of the subjects died as a result of these experiments and others suffered intense pain and injury. The defendants Karl Brandt, Handloser, Blome, Rostock, Gebhardt, Rudolf Brandt, and Sievers are charged with special responsibility for and participation in these crimes. [return]
(E) Sulfanilamide Experiments. From about July 1942 to about September 1943 experiments to investigate the effectiveness of sulfanilamide were conducted at the Ravensbrueck concentration camp for the benefit of the German Armed Forces. Wounds deliberately inflicted on the experimental subjects were infected with bacteria such as streptococcus, gas gangrene, and tetanus. Circulation of blood was interrupted by tying off blood vessels at both ends of the wound to create a condition similar to that of a battlefield wound. Infection was aggravated by forcing wood shavings and ground glass into the wounds. The infection was treated with sulfanilamide and other drugs to determine their effectiveness. Some subjects died as a result of these experiments and others suffered serious injury and intense agony. The defendants Karl Brandt, Handloser, Rostock, Schroeder, Genzken, Gebhardt, Blome, Rudolf Brandt, Mrugowsky, Poppendick, Becker-Freyseng, Oberheuser, and Fischer are charged with special responsibility for and participation in these crimes. [return]
(F) Bone, Muscle, and Nerve Regeneration and Bone Transplantation Experiments. From about September 1942 to about December 1943 experiments were conducted at the Ravensbrueck concentration camp, for the benefit of the German Armed Forces, to study bone, muscle, and nerve regeneration, and bone transplantation from one person to another. Sections of bones, muscles, and nerves were removed from the subjects. As a result of these operations, many victims suffered intense agony, mutilation, and permanent disability. The defendants Karl Brandt, Handloser, Rostock, Gebhardt, Rudolf Brandt, Oberheuser, and Fischer are charged with special responsibility for and participation in these crimes. [return]
A Romani (Gypsy) victim of Nazi medical experiments to make seawater potable.
A Romani (Gypsy) victim of Nazi medical experiments to make seawater potable. Dachau concentration camp, Germany, 1944. NARA
(G) Sea-water Experiments. From about July 1944 to about September 1944 experiments were conducted at the Dachau concentration camp, for the benefit of the German Air Force and Navy, to study various methods of making sea water drinkable. The subjects were deprived of all food and given only chemically processed sea water. Such experiments caused great pain and suffering and resulted in serious bodily injury to the victims. The defendants Karl Brandt, Handloser, Rostock, Schroeder, Gebhardt, Rudolf Brandt, Mrugowsky, Poppendick, Sievers, Becker-Freyseng, Schaefer, and Beiglboeck are charged with special responsibility for and participation in these crimes. [return]
(H) Epidemic Jaundice Experiments. From about June 1943 to about January 1945 experiments were conducted at the Sachsenhausen and Natzweiler concentration camps, for the benefit of the German Armed Forces, to investigate the causes of, and inoculations against, epidemic jaundice. Experimental subjects were deliberately infected with epidemic jaundice, some of whom died as a result, and others were caused great pain and suffering. The defendants Karl Brandt, Handloser, Rostock, Schroeder, Gebhardt, Rudolf Brandt, Mrugowsky, Poppendick, Sievers, Rose, and Becker-Freyseng are charged with special responsibility for and participation in these crimes. [return]
(I) Sterilization Experiments. From about March 1941 to about January 1945 sterilization experiments were conducted at the Auschwitz and Ravensbrueck concentration camps, and other places. The purpose of these experiments was to develop a method of sterilization which would be suitable for sterilizing millions of people with a minimum of time and effort. These experiments were conducted by means of X-ray, surgery, and various drugs. Thousands of victims were sterilized and thereby suffered great mental and physical anguish. The defendants Karl Brandt, Gebhardt, Rudolf Brandt, Mrugowsky, Poppendick, Brack, Pokorny, and Oberheuser are charged with special responsibility for and participation in these crimes. [return]
(J) Spotted Fever (Fleckfieber) Experiments. [It was definitely ascertained in the course of the proceedings, by both prosecution and defense, that the correct translation of "Fleckfieber" is typhus. A finding to this effect is contained in the judgment. A similar initial inadequate translation occurred in the case of "typhus" and "paratyphus" which should be rendered as typhoid and paratyphoid.] From about December 1941 to about February 1945 experiments were conducted at the Buchenwald and Natzweiler concentration camps, for the benefit of the German Armed Forces, to investigate the effectiveness of spotted fever and other vaccines. At Buchenwald numerous healthy inmates were deliberately infected with spotted fever virus in order to keep the virus alive; over 90 percent of the victims died as a result. Other healthy inmates were used to determine the effectiveness of different spotted fever vaccines and of various chemical substances. In the course of these experiments 75 percent of the selected number of inmates were vaccinated with one of the vaccines or nourished with one of the chemical substances and, after a period of 3 to 4 weeks, were infected with spotted fever germs. The remaining 25 percent were infected without any previous protection in order to compare the effectiveness of the vaccines and the chemical substances. As a result, hundreds of the persons experimented upon died. Experiments with yellow fever, smallpox, typhus, paratyphus [It was definitely ascertained in the course of the proceedings, by both prosecution ad defense, that the correct translation of "Fleckfieber" is typhus. A finding to this effect is contained in the judgment. A similar initial inadequate translation occurred in the case of "typhus" and "paratyphus" which should be rendered as typhoid and paratyphoid] A and B, cholera, and diphtheria were also conducted. Similar experiments with like results were conducted at Natzweiler concentration camp. The defendants Karl Brandt, Handloser, Rostock, Schroeder, Genzken, Gebhardt, Rudolf Brandt, Mrugowsky, Poppendick, Sievers, Rose, Becker-Freyseng, and Hoven are charged with special responsibility for and participation in these crimes. [return]
(K) Experiments with Poison. In or about December 1943, and in or about October 1944, experiments were conducted at the Buchenwald concentration camp to investigate the effect of various poisons upon human beings. The poisons were secretly administered to experimental subjects in their food. The victims died as a result of the poison or were killed immediately in order to permit autopsies. In or about September 1944 experimental subjects were shot with poison bullets and suffered torture and death. The defendants Genzken, Gebhardt, Mrugowsky, and Poppendick are charged with special responsibility for and participation in these crimes. [return]
(L) Incendiary Bomb Experiments.
Photo of wounds left by a medical experiment.
Photo of wounds left by a medical experiment. The victim had been burned with phosphorous so that medicaments could be tested. NARA
From about November 1943 to about January 1944 experiments were conducted at the Buchenwald concentration camp to test the effect of various pharmaceutical preparations on phosphorous burns. These burns were inflicted on experimental subjects with phosphorous matter taken from incendiary bombs, and caused severe pain, suffering, and serious bodily injury. The defendants Genzken, Gebhardt, Mrugowsky, and Poppendick are charged with special responsibility for and participation in these crimes. [return]
http://www.oldwardogs.us/2006/12/putin_and_poiso.html
Putin and Poison
Contributed by George Mellinger
Elsewhere I have written about Russia’s grievances and its plight. And how does Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin fit in here? and what about poisons?
Yes, Putin was a career KGB man. And I have heard some Western pseudo-sophisticates solemnly proclaim "Once KGB, always KGB." Case closed end of the issue. That is nonsense. Were it true, how to explain poor Litvinenko? He was KGB. And so was Peter Deriabin, Stanislav Levchenko, Vasilii Mitrokhin, Oleg Kalugin, etc. etc. etc., the scores or even hundreds of KGB who changed sides or broke with The Organs. Some KGB keep their loyalties in retirement to the grave. Others change and evolve with new situations and responsibilities. I do believe that even after leaving, they retain their general personal attitudes and ways of looking at the world, just as does the member of any other profession, be he an engineer, a historian, a physician, policeman, or anything else. This is the matter of basic personality.
It is said that even as a little boy little Vladka wanted to be KGB. So far, no problem. Every little boy at some point has dreams of a heroic profession, soldier, policeman, spy, fighter pilot. And during the 1950s and 1960s, that is the way KGB was presented to Russian boys. And some boys actually go all the way, like Putka did.
KGB was always a multi-faceted organization with multiple responsibilities - in the USSR even including the firemen and travel agents. Putin was never one of the internal security leg-breakers enforcing conformity on domestic dissidents. Not even one of the domestic counter intelligence types. No. With an aggressive disposition and rare intelligence, he went to the First Chief Directorate, the real spies. He worked in East Germany where he supposedly ran several agents in the West; but not much is publicly known about this (no surprise). It seems that he had nothing to do with the "Active Measures" directorate, the ones who sponsored and trained terrorists. But he certainly had to be aware of them and what they were doing, even if only to avoid crossing up each other’s operations. It seems safe to presume that Putin never did it but knew about it. Putin is known to be near-native fluent in German, and since 1999 has been studying English.
He is also genuinely a tough guy. Bush may have the swagger, but Putin does not need to swagger. He was interested in Judo, and Sambo (the Russian form of Judo) from an early age, and has continued to develop his proficiency as his form of exercise. It is notable that the poplar form of unarmed combat in America today seems to be Karate or one of its similarly named variants, a fighting sport based on delivering powerful kicks and punches. Judo is based on the different principle of avoiding the opponent’s blows and redirecting his force against him. This implies a strong element of trickery and indirection. This, too, relates to Putin’s intelligence.
Putin is probably not an ideological Communist. He was able to see both East Germany and almost certainly West Germany (though again, we know little of this, and should believe even less.), and he certainly had better information than his masters back at the Politburo. Plus, like so many others, he has seen Communism make a mess of his own country. He is a nationalist, and if nationalism can be best served by Marxism-Leninism, so be it; if it can better be served by some other system, so be that instead. Besides, too many of his supporters and friends have gained capitalist wealth, and would be expropriating themselves.
Putin is reliably reported to have become a believing Christian. The account is that during the early 1990s, when he was an official in Sankt Petersburg, there was a fire at his dacha, and his young daughter was miraculously rescued from the flames; Putin taking the known as a miracle and a revelation to convert. I first heard that account from a personal friend who was friendly with Putin at that time.
But whether the story is a convenient political myth or true, Putin’s Christianity would not hinder him from taking the most extreme political measures. Renaissance Italy was Catholic, and still notorious for its politics by assassination. Russian history is equally rich in "unfortunate accidents, such as the young Grand Prince Dmitrii, who "cut his own throat with a knife with which he was playing when he had a seizure", making way for Boris Godunov. Or Tsar Paul, who was strangled in 1801 by his own bodyguards (the official account said he died of "hemorrhoidal colic") Or all the hundreds of rival princes who were assassinated during the centuries before the Mongols arrived, and afterward in the struggle to unify Russia; all done by good Christians. For evaluating Russia’s future, perhaps we should begin to give a bit more attention to Russia’s fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, their first age of "gathering in the Russian lands".
But as for Putin today, though he began his term as president relatively mildly, it seems that there has been a growing number of assassinations. some of these murders might be blamed on rival criminal factions, but increasingly they seem to serve the interests of Putin and his supporters.
It is also significant that many of Putin’s appointments have backgrounds in the KGB. Let us allow, for a moment, the benefit of the doubt. Any of us would be inclined to appoint not strangers, but friends, men whom we know and trust. And we would be inclined to appoint those who are known to be competent, and efficient. And in general, competence and efficiency tend to have concentrated in the KGB. Unfortunately, ruthlessness is the third member of that triad. And again that seems to fit too well with Putin’s personal inclinations.
The KGB has a history of using poison. During the 1950s they carried out assassinations in Western Europe using a pistol which sprayed sodium cyanide into the face of the victim; by the time the body would be discovered, the remaining poison would have evaporated, an death would appear to be heart attack. This technique was revealed when an assassin defected together with his weapon. Then during the 1980s, the Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was killed with a small pellet of ricin, injected into his leg by a specially rigged umbrella. Even during the 1930s the then, NKVD liked poisons for disposing of prominent people, including perhaps maxim Gorky. It has even been suggested, probably falsely, that Stalin himself could have been done in by KGB poison.
The latest poisoning of Litvinenko is unique only in the unprecedented use of polonium 210 as the means. This is also a tip-off that the murder must trace back to the Federal Security Service, only a governmental agency of a major power such as Russia would have had the resources to prepare and administer the poison. And here is the demonic beauty of the whole operation. Everyone knows and understands, but nobody can prove anything. The particularly clever part is that everyone knows, because this enhances the intimidation effect, particularly if nobody dares say it. It proclaims to all, "We can get you, and nobody can stop us, or even pin it on us afterward". As the Chinese say, "Kill the chicken to frighten the monkey". I expect that a lot of people in Russia, and even far abroad are going to become much more discrete.
There remains one question. Did Putin himself give the order or did one of his subordinates take the initiative for him? We hear that Putin had previously complained to Britain about Litvinenko, so it suggests high level interest. Regardless of the answer though, we can be certain that Putin was at least aware, almost certainly before the plot progressed to actual delivery. And as other innocent bystanders are also contaminated, this assassination has reached an alarming new low. Can Western leaders even afford to meet with Russian officials under such hazardous circumstances? Dare they even engage in a diplomatic formal toast?
At one time it appeared that Putin had a number of attractive qualities. Putin had promise. Now he is a threat and that's a promise.
-Rurik
Contributed by George Mellinger on December 3, 2006
[I like his writing]
http://www.oldwardogs.us/george_mellinger/index.html
I Opposed the War Before I Supported It
Contributed by George Mellinger
It was August 2, 1990, and the Cold War was coming to an end. The Soviet Union was already selecting its preferred spot on the ashheap of history, and peace seemed to be lurking on the horizon. Then the news broke. Iraq had just invaded and overrun Kuwait. Some brief fighting had occurred before the remnants of Kuwait’s Air Force and Army fled across the border into Saudi Arabia. Saddam Hussein announced that Kuwait had been incorporated into Iraq as the Nineteenth Province. Almost as quickly George II, a.k.a. Bush I, condemned the invasion and pledged to reverse it. And despite the diplomatic small talk, it became obvious that we were moving toward war.
Though I did not yet know all the facts later to emerge, I thought it was a really bad idea for us to involve ourselves. It was obvious that Saddam Hussein was a monumentally bad man, even though we did not yet know the full scope of his badness. But as Harry Truman had said about Trujillo of the Dominican Republic, a generation earlier, "He’s a bastard, but he’s our bastard." Our real enemy was someone else.
Khomeini’s radical Shiites had overthrown the Shah and seized the American Embassy and hostages in 1979, and not long after that, Iraq had invaded Iran. Thus for the next decade, Iraq and America unofficially supported Iraq against the Mullahs. Khomeini was Enemy Number One. We may note that during the first year or two, Israel provided weapons and spare parts to Khomeini, "seeking to maintain traditional influence", and not yet having met Hezbollah. And Kuwait was one of Iraq’s leading supporters, both politically and economically. So Saddam was our bastard, just as Trujillo had been, and as "Uncle Joe" Stalin had been before that. Among the Arab countries, none had very good human rights reputations, and few could be mistaken for real friends.
As for Kuwait, they had never been particularly friendly to the United States. Though they bought some of their weapons from us, they bought far more from Britain, France, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union. Officially neutral, they had one of the more anti-American voting records in the UN, even among the Islamic World. We had no defense agreements or treaties in place. And the Kuwaitis had been one of the leading financial bankrollers for Arafat and al-Fatah. America had no moral or legal obligations to Kuwait. Kuwaiti oil? Saddam didn’t want to use that oil for his swimming pool or to drink; he wanted to sell it just as former-Kuwait had done. After a decade of war, Iraq was near bankrupt, and wealthy Kuwait was one of its biggest creditors. From a Mid-Eastern perspective, mugging your creditor made perfect amoral sense.
So I saw no reason to get involved. We could have noted our lack of obligations to the Emir of Kuwait, and said a sorrowful "inshallah", while privately reminding all interested parties that we did have treaties and obligations with the Saudis, so any threat to them would be handled entirely differently. It could have been presented as an object lesson that if you want Sam’s insurance, you should be making the premiums before there is a problem, and free-riders do not count as friends. And if there were to be one less member in the US General Assembly. the effect on New York City would be minimal but positive. I felt we didn’t have a dog in that fight.
There were other reservations as well. Remember that in 1990, there had been no serious test of the American military since Viet Nam. Grenada and Panama were so small, and isolated, that they hardly counted. Could our military perform? Could our politicians and our public perform? Or would we see another replay of Viet Nam all over again? Despite the professional cheerleading (later proven fully justified) nobody knew for sure, ahead of the big test, how our forces would perform.
In arguments with professors and other grad students, I championed the position that we certainly could win, and without suffering the 10,000 or 100,000 deaths being predicted by hysterical scholars and journalists. I pointed out that the Iraqi Army had fought well against Iranians, but had always proven helpless when encountering Israelis. Iraqi armored vehicles were seriously allergic to enemy aircraft, tending to explode and burn in their presence, and an open desert was an ideal place for that to happen. And I suggested that unless we did everything wrong, we should expect to win a lopsided victory. But would we do everything wrong? Or even anything right? That was still unproven. I was uncertain of the American people’s steadfastness, and I certainly did not trust the politicians. And then there was the question of what would follow if we did win? Might we find ourselves faced with new enemies on the borders of the newly conquered zone? Might we find ourselves dragged into the Middle East Fun House for another century?
But then during the autumn, as soon as we first deployed an Airborne Brigade to Saudi Arabia, everything changed. Everything. Perhaps going to war was a bad idea. But losing that war damn sure was a hell of a lot worse idea. Following on the heels of Viet Nam and the Lebanon fiasco, I knew that defeat would mean the final, complete, and irreversible destruction of American prestige and influence. It would transform the United States into a super-rich, continental-sized, third world nation, tempting for plunder. It would be for us what the Russo-Japanese War had been for Tsarist Russia. And most important, it was my military being deployed. All of a sudden I had not one, but a few hundred thousand dogs in the fight. When you find your kid in a fight with the neighbors’ pit bull, you don’t bother about whether he had provoked it by teasing the dog or not; you take care of your own.
So when the first green tracers shot into the Baghdad night, I threw a blanket and some pillows on the floor in front of the television, and watched round the clock, cat-napping during breaks for a couple of weeks. The only exceptions were the bathroom, a trip to the army recruiter to be told I was too old, and then a trip to the bloodbank as an alternative. And I came down with a case of Vicarious Traumatic Stress Disorder. Ultimately I relaxed a little after I saw that the campaign was progressing beyond my best hopes, and I shifted my efforts to agitating that we had to go all the way to Baghdad and had to secure the archives for the sake of establishing our side of the story.
When the war was halted prematurely, I felt our forces had been cheated. And at that time I knew we’d have to go and do it again. That was reconfirmed the first time Saddam tried to stretch and evade the cease-fire terms, from the first attempt at a plot against Bush I. It was only a matter of time. To revisit that pit bull analogy, once you’ve got yourself into a fight with a pit bull, even if you know that your kid was the one who provoked it, you still have to finish off that pit bull, because its going to remember and hold a doggy grudge. And until you kill it, right or wrong, you’ll never enjoy another day of peace and safety.
And that is why I supported this current war from the very beginning, and even before. George III may have done an asshat job of his marketing and public relations, but Operation Iraqi Freedom was nothing more or less than a continuation of Desert Storm. As much as anyone the mistakes in this war have been the legacy of George II and Colin Powell.
And it is also why we must learn our lesson and finish the job this time. We do not want to have to go back and do this yet again in the year 2020.
-Rurik
Contributed by George Mellinger on January 11, 2007 at 09:59 PM in Current Affairs, George Mellinger, Iraq | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
2007.01.08
Michelle Again in the Crosshairs
Contributed by George Mellinger
Michelle Malkin, OWD's favorite poster girl, is under attack again from another old pest. Not the CAIR and Jihadist fanatics we expect. This one is a tenured traitor professor at the University of North Carolina Law School, Eric Muller, who accuses her of racism against Muslims because she supports profiling. Michelle has had public dealings with him before:
First, the matter of Malkin: On September 28, 2006, Muller tried to score points off (or possibly in his own mind, with) Michelle by posting a picture of her on his IsThatLegal? blog in a bikini.
The image he had discovered, however, was an obvious Photoshopping of the head of the petite Michelle onto a very tall woman's body. She laughed:
"Yup, and for the record (sorry to disappoint the gentlemen), I haven't worn a bikini since I had my two kids."
Go read the full story here. I think Michelle is in a duel of wits with an unarmed opponent.
I wonder whether Eric Muller thinks it is racist for neighboring district attorney Mike Nifong to withhold exculpatory evidence in order to convict some White Duke lacrosse players of a rape that was never committed?
-Rurik
Contributed by George Mellinger on January 8, 2007 at 10:29 AM in Dem Dumbness, George Mellinger, Islamism Dems
http://www.oldwardogs.us/
ChiComs shoot down weather satellite
Contributed by Bill Faith
Chinese Test Anti-Satellite Weapon
U. S. intelligence agencies believe China performed a successful anti-satellite (asat) weapons test at more than 500 mi. altitude Jan. 11 destroying an aging Chinese weather satellite target with a kinetic kill vehicle launched on board a ballistic missile.
The Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, NASA and other government organizations have a full court press underway to obtain data on the alleged test, Aviation Week & Space Technology will report in its Jan. 22 issue.
If the test is verified it will signify a major new Chinese military capability. ...
Continue reading "ChiComs shoot down weather satellite"
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Contributed by Bill Faith on January 18, 2007 at 03:09 PM in China | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
[This is a 2004 report on al-qaeda's plans to bomb and gas Jordan]
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110005016
Al Qaeda's Poison Gas
The foiled attack in Jordan might have killed thousands.
Thursday, April 29, 2004 12:01 a.m.
Jordanian authorities say that the death toll from a bomb and poison-gas attack they foiled this month could have reached 80,000. We guess the fact that most major media are barely covering this story means WMD isn't news anymore until there's a body count.
continued..........
[a snippet]
Plotter Hussein Sharif Hussein was shown on Jordanian television saying the aim was "carrying out the first suicide attack to be launched by al Qaeda using chemicals." A Jordanian scientist described a toxic cloud that could have spread for a mile or more. So was it really a foiled WMD attack? Here's hoping someone is trying to get to the bottom of this.
The provenance of the operation is also of note. The bomb trucks and funds are said to have entered Jordan via Syria. Last fall General James R. Clapper Jr., director of satellite intelligence for the Pentagon, said there had been an unusual amount of traffic--including possibly WMDs--between Iraq and Syria in the lead-up to war.
The terror cell's ringleader, Jordanian Azmi Jayyousi, said he was acting on the orders of Zarqawi, whom he first met at an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan: "I took courses, poisons high level, then I pledged allegiance to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi." Mr. Jayyousi said this attack had been plotted from Zarqawi's new base of operations in Iraq. A Jordanian court sentenced Zarqawi to death this month for plotting the 2002 murder of U.S diplomat Laurence Foley in Amman.
Prime Minister Blair has said it's simply "a matter of time unless we act and take a stand before terrorism and weapons of mass destruction come together." According to Jordanian authorities, that sometime was intended to be last week. That strikes us as news.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html
U.N. Cash for Kim
Echoes of Oil for Food in hard currency for Pyongyang.
Friday, January 19, 2007 12:01 a.m. EST
The U.N.'s Oil for Food disgrace rolls on, with this week's indictment by a federal prosecutor in New York of the program's former administrator Benon Sevan. But now a new dollars-for-dictators scandal is breaking into the open, this one involving the U.N. Development Program (UNDP) and North Korea's Kim Jong Il.
Our Melanie Kirkpatrick lays out many of the gory details here, based on documents reluctantly produced by the U.N. after prodding by American officials. The tale is similar to Oil for Food in that money for programs designed to benefit North Korea's poor appears to have been used instead to sustain the government. While the total amount of cash spent by the UNDP in North Korea isn't clear thanks to the opacity of U.N. record-keeping, any hard currency is manna from Turtle Bay for the isolated Kim regime. If dollar amounts into the tens of millions over nine years are accurate, that's money that would have helped Kim stay in power and continue his nuclear weapons program.
The documents we've seen follow the program back to 1998 and the era of detente between Kim and the Clinton Administration. But what's especially alarming is that the UNDP's programs have persisted in North Korea even as Kim has banished U.N. weapons inspectors, raised the volume on his threats, tested long-range missiles and even tested a nuclear weapon--all in defiance of the U.N.'s own stated positions and Security Council sanctions.
continued.......
[Remember a week ago, the reports of a man on an airplane being bit by scorpions?]
http://www.curledup.com/greekfir.htm
Buy *Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World* online
Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World
Adrienne Mayor
Overlook Press
Hardcover
319 pages
September 2003
[Now give thought to the fact our Embassy in Greece was attacked.........granny]
[interesting and could use a google, several hidden urls in the article]
http://www.opendemocracy.net/globalization-institutions_government/poison_power_4111.jsp
Alexander Litvinenko: the poison of power
Zygmunt Dzieciolowski
20 - 11 - 2006
A poisoned Russian defector in London is only the latest official enemy to be targeted, reports Zygmunt Dzieciolowski.
January 18, 2007 PM Anti-Terrorism News
(Iraq) Insurgents in Iraq claim convoy attack - killed a 28-year-old
Ohio woman and three security contractors
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070118/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_convoy_claim_4
(Iraq) US Senate Obama bill to cap Iraq troops
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21083900-1702,00.html
(UK) Radicals vs. moderates: British Muslims at crossroads: "I come to
slaughter all of you"
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/01/17/warwithin.overview/index.html
(UK) MP: Investigate Mosques
http://www.totallyjewish.com/news/national/?content_id=5350
Video of UK mosque documentary
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=24026_Busted_Islamic_Leader_Reacts&only
ZIP of three video files (65 MB):
http://www.newsvigiles.com/dwl/UK_Mosques_part_1-2-3.zip
(UK) London Mosque DVD: Jews Face Mass Extermination
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=119330
(UK 7/21 Trial) 'Bomb plotter' studied chemistry
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6275223.stm
(UK) Hamza liable for £1m legal aid costs
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=RVF10M2AXOVMXQFIQMFSFGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2007/01/18/nhamza118.xml
(India) Police detain woman separatist in Indian Kashmir
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070118/wl_nm/kashmir_women_dc_1
Tunisian court convicts man for belonging to Algerian terror group
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/18/africa/AF-GEN-Tunisia-Terror-Conviction.php
Gates: Iranians 'overplaying their hand'
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070118/ap_on_re_mi_ea/gates_7
Bush picks new ambassador to Afghanistan
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070118/pl_nm/afghan_usa_dc_1
White House to control release of data on wiretaps, Gonzales tells
committee
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20070118-014046-8153r.htm
AG: Fighting terror still top DOJ priority
http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi/20070118-122406-9901r.htm
Pentagon manual details rules for trials of terrorism suspects
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/18/america/NA-GEN-US-Detainees-Trials.php
Draft Manual for Military Commissions (pdf)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/d20070118MCM.pdf
(Canada) Alleged Canada terror leader was "time-bomb" -mole
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N18447081.htm
Jamestown.org: The Curious Death of Turkmenbashi
http://jamestown.org/docs/Jamestown-DeathofTurkmenbashi.pdf.pdf
Palestinian Authority Discovers Hamas Tunnel
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=119811
Israel to give $100m to Abbas for aid, security
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2007/January/middleeast_January187.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
Al-Qaeda On the march: Intelligence agencies see worrying signs of
al-Qaeda's revival
http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displayStory.cfm?story_id=8559882&fsrc=RSS
Passports to be required for air entry into U.S. - beginning Tuesday,
travelers from Canada, Mexico or any part of Western Hemisphere will
require passport for air arrival in USA
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/18/news/passport.php
Al Jazeera English: Another perspective, or jihad TV?
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/17/opinion/edpearl.php
(Afghanistan) SAS seizes Taliban leader in secret war - Mohammad Nabi
believed key commander in Kandahar - Karzai sacks aide amid plot rumours
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/18/wafghan18.xml
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=2ENKHNIMFK1G5QFIQMGCFGGAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2007/01/18/wkarz118.xml
(Jammu & Kashmir) Four Hizbul militants killed in J&K -
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Four_Hizbul_militants_killed_in_JK/articleshow/1279975.cms
Can a Conventional Army Vanquish a Terrorist Insurgency? (commentary) -
Analysis by retired Israeli Maj. Gen.
http://jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=283&PID=0&IID=1483
(Somalia) Clan Divisions Threaten Somalia Government
http://www.redbolivia.com/noticias/News%20in%20English/38486.html
Iran offered to cut off Hezbollah in overture to US in 2003: BBC and
Iran offers to train Iraqi troops
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2007/January/middleeast_January173.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200701/s1829670.htm
High-level Iran delegation visits North Korea and Iran Finances
Pro-Assad Militias in Syria
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9htfMRmjK9Fnn0AaiHQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHZkMjZyBHBvcwMxBHNlYwNzcg--/SIG=12kji7nuk/EXP=1169219046/**http%3a//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070118/ap_on_re_mi_ea/nkorea_iran_1
http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2007/january/01_18_1.html
Israel to build bomb shelters near Gaza
http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi/20070118-075634-4970r.htm
(Israel) Palestinian convert to Judaism accused of aiding Islamic Jihad
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/815154.html
(Nigeria) Six foreign hostages freed in Nigerian oil delta
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070118/wl_nm/nigeria_hostages_dc
Hezbollah image suffers in south Lebanon village - "For me, Hezbollah
has changed completely"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070118/wl_nm/lebanon_hezbollah_shebaa_dc
Commentary: The Anti-Profiling Agenda
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=26388
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16691306/from/RS.2/
(US) Muslims protest reprised role as terrorists in 24
http://www.thestar.com/artsentertainment/article/172567
Egyptian blogger, accused of sectarian strife and insulting Islam,
stands trial
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/18/africa/ME-GEN-Egypt-Blogger-Trial.php
UK girl to stay in Pakistan as custody row ends
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/18/nmolly118.xml
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2007/January/subcontinent_January656.xml§ion=subcontinent&col=
Independent media under threat as private TV and radio stations forced
to
pay massive license fees or cease transmission
Date: 18 / 01 / 2007 Time: 20:37
www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=18729
West Bank and Gaza - Ma'an - For the first time since their launch
following
the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1993 during the Oslo
process, the private TV and radio stations across the Palestinian
territories are at a turning point. The majority of these stations are
threatened with closure, following a decision by the ministry of
communications and information technology to force these channels to
pay
large fees to the government, with the threat of backdated payments
being
demanded also.
Directors and owners of these channels were stunned by the decision,
considered to be beyond their means.
The previous Fatah government issued order no. 223 in 2004, regarding
tariffs and licenses. That decision was sharply opposed by private
television and radio stations.
One day after the recent strike of public sector employees ended in
late
2006, the communications ministry sent messages to the directors and
owners
of the private stations, asking them to pay for their licenses, based
on a
cabinet decision taken on 12 October 2006, in order to continue their
transmission.
In the new decision the licenses were halved in price from the previous
rates. The licenses ranged between 4,150 Jordanian Dinars (5,850 USD)
and
8,500 Jordanian Dinars (12,000 USD) for each television station,
depending
on the power of their transmitters.
For the radio stations, the licenses range from 2000 Jordanian Dinars
(2,800
USD) to 9400 Jordanian Dinars (13,270 USD), depending on the power and
quality of their transmission.
Sweidan: decision hasty and not fully thought through
Salim Sweidan, the president of the Ma'an network and general director
of
Nablus TV, described the decision as "hasty" and "not thought through".
He
stated that the decision does not take into consideration the limited
conditions and capacities of the stations.
Sweidan declared, "We in the Ma'an Network, which comprises the largest
ten
private television stations in the Palestinian territories [one in each
of
the major cities], can't pay the fees that the ministry is asking for,
despite the discount which has been discussed. We have to pay a total
of
some 100,000 US dollars, which is enough money to launch a satellite
channel, and is far too much to simply license limited stations, whose
transmission does not extend beyond each of the Palestinian
governorates."
Sweidan confirmed that the decision affects the freedom of the
Palestinian
press, which has, over the past several years, proven its ability to
project
the voice of the Palestinian people. The independent Palestinian media
have
even proven their ability to function under very difficult conditions,
including regularly being attacked and destroyed by the Israeli
military.
Sweidan added that the media organizations expected the Palestinian
government to honour and support the press, rather than imposing yet
more
obstacles.
Al-Kurdi: The stations are threatened with closure
The general director of Amal TV in Hebron, Muataz Al-Kurdi, considered
the
insistence of the ministry to force the stations to pay the elevated
fees as
an "implied order" to close these stations, "which have all suffered
from
many hardships, particularly during the years of Intifada."
Al-Kurdi demanded that the communications ministry, and other concerned
ministries, protect the media institutions through endorsing laws that
protect the stations and the dozens of employees, whose jobs are at
risk as
a result of this new order.
He also asked them to take into consideration the poor economic
situation,
and to allocate discounts appropriate to the current conditions.
Abir Al-Kilami: Our airwaves are still occupied
The managing director of Gama TV in Nablus, Ms Abir Al-Kilami, declared
that
"the government does not yet possess these airwaves, which are the
right of
the Palestinian people. These waves are still under Israeli control."
She enquired, "Can the government guarantee that the waves will really
be
owned by the stations which pay their fees? What guarantees do they
have?"
Al-Kilami demanded that the government provide guarantees that assured
perpetual ownership of the airwaves, before they think of how to deal
with
the economic crisis. She also demanded that there be a national unity
government, saying that this would improve the economic situation.
"These
stations are either bankrupt or on the brink of bankruptcy already,"
according to Ms Al-Kilami.
Al-Ashqar: The stations' income is barely enough for the salaries of
the
employees
The owner of As-Salam TV in Tulkarem, Issa Al-Ashqar, explained that
local
stations depend financially on the advertisements for local businesses,
which have dropped sharply. "The majority of TV stations' owners have
adopted a policy of symbolic fees for such advertisements, in
accordance to
the poor economic conditions, locally and nationally, many of whom are
suffering from low or nonexistent income and unemployment."
Al-Ashqar's vision was no different from other managers and owners of
private stations. His station's income barely covers the running costs
of
the organisation. "My employees are the breadwinners for families. How
can
we afford to pay such high license fees when I am unable to pay the
water,
electricity and telephone bills?"
Al-Ashqar called for these licenses to be reconsidered, in order to
enable
everybody to pay, according to their ability. He stated that everybody
has a
high sense of responsibility and belonging. He quoted the Qur'an,
saying:
"God gives us work according to our abilities"
The ministry: The decision came to organise the work of the stations
In their comments on the decision, the undersecretary of the
communications
ministry, Suleiman Zuheiri, declared that the aim of this decision is
"to
organise the transmission of the radio and television stations in a way
that
guarantees not to harm the national interests and environment." He said
that
the fees were being imposed in accordance with the law and through a
cabinet
decision.
Zuheiri added that his ministry, the information and interior
ministries had
prepared and commended the decision to the cabinet, asking them to
increase
the license fees in accordance with the economic situations of the
stations.
In addition, he said that "the Palestinian Authority has to understand
the
problems of these stations and if these stations are weakened, they
will not
survive."
Zuheiri called the owners of the stations to examine the issue in terms
of
the organisation of the stations, rather than in terms of monetary fees
from
the stations.
In response to a question from Ma'an about the fact that the
Palestinian
Authority does not own the rights to the airwaves in the Palestinian
territories in accordance with any international agreement, Zuheiri
stated
that "there were Palestinian radio and TV stations before and after the
Oslo
Accords". He added that the Palestinians have the right to own their
own
natural resources, and Oslo enhanced this right.
He affirmed that the existence of private stations has preserved the
Palestinian right to the ownership of these airwaves.
The undersecretary of the ministry explained that foreign stations are
permitted to use the Palestinian airwaves, as this opens the market to
investment in the available resources. His vision is that the existence
of
these strains has two benefits: 1) the ability to cover local events
rapidly
and 2) investment from abroad and the provision of job opportunities
for
local professionals and workers.
Zuheiri's vision for the way out of the crisis is for the stations to
join
together, like the Ma'an network of independent television stations.
He added that the stations can complement each other's work through
specialisation, such as providing channels specifically for youth or
children. He stated that there are 108 frequencies used in the West Bank and
Gaza Strip, which use signal boosters. He warned that this high use of
the
airwaves can dangerously affect the environment and potentially the
people
within it, due to the poor quality of the antennas.
The fees currently being demanded by the communications ministry are
for
2006. The stations are obliged to pay the 2006 fees immediately, and to
pay
2007's fees within the coming three months. Backdated fees will,
apparently,
be discussed at a later date.
Former Minister's son held in mosque desecration case
http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/19/stories/2007011905521300.htm
Former Minister's son held in mosque desecration case
Shujaat Bukhari
He is mentally ill, a drug addict: police
SRINAGAR: The Anantnag police on Thursday solved the mosque desecration
case in Chandervan, in the Shangus area here that had resulted in
public
anger. Gowhar Maqbool son of Maqbool Dar, a former Union Minister of
State for Home, during the Deve Gowda government, was arrested after
intense investigation.
Police said that he was mentally ill and a drug addict. While the fire
was perceived to be accidental, villagers were outraged when they found
copies of the holy Koran thrown into a urinal the following day.
Thousands of residents of Chandervan and adjoining villages took to the
streets and demanded that the culprits be exposed.
Another incident took place on January 6, when the coir matting of a
masjid in the Vakhil Balan village of Shangus was set on fire. Police
filed an FIR under sections 295, 436 of the RPC in the Achabal police
station.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Anantnag, Abdul Gani Mir said that 120
persons were detained and questioned. "The investigation team finally
zeroed in on Gowher Maqbool Dar, resident of Nowgam in the Shangus
area."
An investigation team headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police
Headquarters in Anantnag, Saif-ud-Din Shah, found that Gowhar was not
only responsible for the reported incidents but had also tried to
forcibly open a shop at Chandervan, before trying to set the mosques on
fire. He had also looted some crackers, sweets, biscuits and cigarettes
from the shop, police said.
The culprit had stolen a wooden chest from a local shrine and thrown
the
Holy Koran, stolen from the Jamia Masjid Shangus, in a drain at Nowgam
and also attempted to set on fire a mosque at Somran Nowgam.
New religious Sunni group declared in Iraq
http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20070118-014534-1842r
New religious Sunni group declared in Iraq
BASRA, Iraq, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- A new religious Sunni organization has
been announced in Iraq that calls for cooperation with the government
to
restore stability and unity.
The organization is calling itself the "Jamaat Ulema al-Janoub," which
translates from Arabic to "Scholars Group of the South," according to
its chief, Sheikh Khaled al-Mulla.
Al-Mulla, who is also a mosque cleric, said Thursday the group calls
for
"moderate political rhetoric, confronts terrorism and stands with the
central government to achieve security, stability and unity."
He made his announcement in the first conference launching the group in
the predominantly Shiite southern port city of Basra.
Al-Mulla said the organization consists of 500 Sunni scholars and
clerics from across the country and has the approval of the Baghdad
government and the Shiite religious authorities "to change the Iraqi
reality and end this ordeal."
It was not immediately clear whether the formation of this
government-backed group constitutes a split from the Islamic Scholars
Association, Iraq's only and highest Sunni religious authority that has
been a major opposition player against the political process since the
U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003.
Al-Mulla, however, said his organization was formed after intensive
consultations with Sunni scholars to "close the gaps and divisions
among
the Sunni authorities."
He added Basra was chosen as the launching pad for his group to send a
message of "tolerance, love and peace among the Iraqi people and we
will
seek -- through our national and regional relations -- to achieve that
purpose."
Iraq has been in a state of sectarian strife and virtual civil war
between Shiites and Sunnis for the past two years.
3 Get AIDS From Hospital: Report
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=91120&d=19&m=1&y=2007
3 Get AIDS From Hospital: Report
Arab News
JEDDAH, 19 January 2007 --- A man and a woman have died after
contracting
AIDS during a dirty blood transfusion at a local hospital, the daily
Al-Madinah reported yesterday. A two-year-old girl also contracted the
virus after a transfusion from the same hospital, which the newspaper
did not name. The girl's father has filed a lawsuit against the
hospital, which is being investigated. According to the report, the
judge who is considering the lawsuit said the investigation is likely
to
find negligence on the part of the technician who took the blood,
allegedly from a Filipino donor who has since left the country. The
judge did not say whether the hospital might also be considered
negligent. The family of the girl says they fear she will spread the
virus to her siblings.
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