***Suspect Atomic Bomb Link***
One of the suspected terrorists on trial for allegedly plotting a nationwide bombing campaign has been linked to a nuclear weapon.
The Old Bailey jury was told that Salahuddin Amin had been involved in discussions to buy a nuclear bomb.
The prosecution said contact had been made with the Russian mafia in Belgium, from whom they wanted to buy a radio-isotope bomb.
Yesterday, jurors heard the prosecution outline its case that the seven-strong gang - all British citizens - planned to blow up pubs, nightclubs, trains and also considered hitting the UK's power infrastructure.
Khyam, Garcia, Hussain, Akbar The gang had wanted to blow up "the biggest nightclub" in central London, prosecutor David Waters QC said.
In February, 2004, they were allegedly overheard discussing bomb targets.(snip)
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1216187,00.html
Cold War bunker found in Brooklyn Bridge
By Hussein Saddique
NEW YORK (CNN) -- New York workers have discovered a trove of Cold War-era supplies within the masonry of the Brooklyn Bridge, a cache meant to aid in survival efforts in the event of nuclear attack.(snip)
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/21/coldwar.trove/index.html
photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/binkybink/sets/72057594087703836/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/positiveprint/sets/72057594087728935/
As tensions between the Muslim and Western worlds continue to grow, there is one largely overlooked area of activity that may play a role in building bridges: ijtihad. While ijtihad can be a tool for understanding Islamic principles in a way that fits the needs and challenges of individuals and societies, there is no universal agreement on its proper role.
The Islamic tradition has two conceptions of ijtihad. One is a very narrow, legalistic notion of it as a process of juristic reasoning employed to determine the permissibility of an action when primary sources, namely the Qur'an and Sunnah (Tradition of the Prophet), are silent and earlier scholars of shari'a (Islamic law) had not ruled on the matter. For those who hold this view of ijtihad, who can perform ijtihad is often more important than the need for ijtihad.
In reality, this view is designed to stifle independent thought among Muslims and to confine the right to understand and explain Islam to Muslim jurists. It is also opposed to reasoning, because it essentially says that reason shall be employed only when the texts are silent and no medieval scholar has addressed the issue under scrutiny. Reason, according to this viewpoint, is the last resort for understanding the will of God. For those who hold this view, opening the doors of ijtihad would make no difference, since their very conception of it is impoverished and limited.
http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/fellows/khan20060321.htm
p.s. - source code:
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