World Terrorism: News, History and Research Of A Changing World #4.

Tehran & Damascus Move to Lebanon Lebanon-born Walid Phares is a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Author of the recent book Future Jihad, he was also one of the architects of 2004’s United Nations resolution 1559, which called for the disarming of Hezbollah. NRO editor Kathryn Lopez recently talked to Phares about what’s going on in the Mideast, what happened to the Cedar Revolution, and this war we’re all in.

Kathryn Jean Lopez: What is “Future Jihad”? Are we seeing it in the Mideast now?

Walid Phares: “Future Jihad,” which has already begun, refers to a new and potent form of Islamic terrorism, characterized by a Khumeinist-Baathist axis. These are the two trees of jihadism, so to speak — the Salafism and Wahabism embodied in al Qaeda and the sort of jihadism led by Iran and also including Syria, Hezbollah, and their allies in Lebanon.

The alliance has not been in entire agreement as to strategy. The al Qaeda branch began its “Future Jihad” in the 1990s; its efforts culminated on 9/11 and have continued explosively since then. The international “Salafists” aimed at the U.S. in the past decade in order to strengthen their jihads on various battlefields (Chechnya, India, Sudan, Algeria, Indonesia, Palestine, etc.). “Weaken the resolve of America,” their ideologues said, “and the jihadists would overwhelm all the regional battlefields.”

As I argue in Future Jihad, bin Laden and his colleagues miscalculated on the timing of the massive attack against the U.S. in 2001. While they wounded America, they didn’t kill its will to fight (as was the case, for instance, in the Madrid 3/11 attacks). I have heard many jihadi cadres online, and have seen al Jazeera commentators on television, offering hints of criticism about the timing. They were blaming al Qaeda for shooting its imagined “silver bullet” before insuring a strategic follow up. But bin Laden and Zawahiri believe 9/11 served them well, and has put a global mobilization into motion. Perhaps it has, but the U.S. counter strategy in the Middle East, chaotic as the region currently appears, has unleashed counter jihadi forces. The jury is still out as to the time factor: when these forces will begin to weaken the jihadists depends on our perseverance and the public understanding of the whole conflict.

The other “tree” of jihadism, with its roots in Iran, withheld fire after 9/11. They were content to watch the Salafists fight it out with the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan and Iraq, not to mention within the West, as terror cells were hunted down. Ahmedinejad, Assad, and Nasrallah were analyzing how far the US would go, and how far the Sunnis and Salafis would go as well.

The fall of the Taliban and of the Baath in Iraq, however, changed Iran and Syria’s patient plans. The political changes in the neighborhood, regardless of their immediate instability, were strongly felt in Tehran and Damascus (but unfortunately not in the U.S., judging from the political debate here), and pushed the Khumeinists and the Syrian Baathists to enter the dance, but carefully. Assad opened his borders to the jihadists in an attempt to crumble the U.S. role in Iraq, while Iran articulated al Sadr’s ideology for Iraq’s Shiia majority.

A U.S.-led response came swiftly in 2004 with the voting of UNSCR 1559, smashing Syria’s role in Lebanon and forcing Assad to withdraw his troops by April 2005. In response, the “axis” prepared for a counter attack on the Lebanese battlefield by assassinating a number of the Cedar Revolution leaders, including MP Jebran Tueni. In short, the attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah and the kidnappings of soldiers were the tip of an offensive aimed at drawing attention away from Iran’s nuclear weapons programs and Syria’s assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri. Hezbollah was awaiting its moment for revenge against the Cedar Revolution too.

What we see now is 1) a Syro-Iranian sponsored offensive aimed at all democracies in the region and fought in Lebanon; 2) Israel’s counter offensive (which it seems to have prepared earlier); and 3) an attempt by Hezbollah to take over or crumble the Lebanese government.

Phares: Actually, it would be more accurate to say that the Cedar Revolution was failed. The masses in Lebanon responded courageously in March 2005 by putting 1.5 million people on the streets of Beirut. They did it without “no-fly-zones,” expeditionary forces, or any weapons at all, for that matter, and against the power of three regimes, Iran, Syria, and pro-Syrian Lebanon, in addition to Hezbollah terror. The “revolution” was for a time astoundingly successful; since then it has been horribly failed, and first of all by Lebanon’s politicians themselves. One of their leaders, General Michel Aoun, shifted his allegiances to Syria and signed a document with Hezbollah. Other politicians from the “March 14 Movement” then stopped the demonstrations, leaving them with the support of God knows what. They failed in removing the pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud and brought back a pro-Syrian politician to serve as a speaker of the house, Nabih Berri. Meanwhile, even as they were elected by the faithful Cedar Revolution masses, they engaged in a round table dialogue with Hezbollah, a clear trap set by Hassan Nasrallah: “Let’s talk about the future,” he said — with the implication, of course, that they forget about the Cedar Revolution and the militia’s disarming. While political leaders sat for months, enjoying the photo ops with Hassan Nasrallah, he was preparing his counter offensive, which he unleashed just a few days before the Security Council would discuss the future of Iran’s nuclear programs.

The Lebanese government of Prime Minister Seniora also abandoned the Cedar Revolution. His cabinet neither disarmed Hezbollah nor called on the U.N. to help in implementing UNSCR 1559. This omission is baffling. The government was given so much support by the international community and, more importantly, overwhelming popular support inside Lebanon: 80 percent of the people were hoping the Cedar Revolution-backed government would be the one to resume the liberation of the country. Now Hezbollah has an upper hand and the government is on the defensive.

The U.S. and its allies can be accused of certain shortcomings as well. While the speeches by the U.S. president, congressional leaders from both parties, Tony Blair, and Jacques Chirac were right on target regarding Lebanon, and while the U.S. and its counterparts on the Security Council were diligent in their follow up on the Hariri assassination and on implementing UNSCR 1559, there was no policy or plan to support the popular movement in Lebanon. Incredibly, while billions were spent on the war of ideas in the region, Lebanese NGOs that wanted to resume the struggle of the Cedar Revolution and fighting alone for this purpose were not taken seriously at various levels. Policy planners thought they were dealing with the “Cedar Revolution” when they were meeting Lebanon’s government and Lebanese politicians. The difference between the high level speeches on Lebanon and the laissez-faire approach from lower levels is amazing. Simply put, there was no policy on supporting the Cedar Revolution against the three regimes opposing it and the $400 million received by Hezbollah from Iran.

The Cedar Revolution was basically betrayed by its own politicians and is now essentially without a head. Nevertheless, as long as the international support remains, the Revolution will find its way and will face the dangers. The one and a half million ordinary citizens who braved all the dangers didn’t change their minds about Hezbollah’s terror. The resistance and counter-attack was to be expected. Unfortunately, thus far Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah have outmaneuvered the West and are at the throats of the Cedar Revolution. The international community must revise its plans, and, if it is strongly backed by the U.S. and its allies, including France, the situation can be salvaged. The good seeds are still inside the country.

Jumbo jet in 'near-miss' incident

The Boeing 747 was an Israeli registered jet
The pilot of a jumbo jet with 450 passengers ignored autopilot landing
instructions when he realised they had veered off course, a report
said.
The Boeing 747 flew over parts of west London at heights of 1,200ft
(366m)
rather than the normal 2,300ft (701m).

The plane's autopilot was pushing the nose down and gave the pilot
landing
instructions which he did not follow in order to avoid a crash.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is continuing its inquiry.

Campaigners opposed to the level of air traffic using Heathrow say the
incident last January highlights the dangers of more planes using the
airport.

'Tragedy averted'

John Stewart, of the campaign group Hacan ClearSkies, said: "The
instruments
were telling the plane not to land at Heathrow but to land in west
London.

"If he (the pilot) had followed those directions there would have been
a
major tragedy. Thankfully he took matters into his own hands and
averted
that tragedy."

It is not yet clear why the incident happened but it is thought that
the
Israeli-registered plane lost touch with the Heathrow guidance beam.

Councillor Serge Laurie said: "It's worrying because a plane that
should
have been flying at 2,600 ft was actually flying at 1,200 ft.

"Cloud cover was 1,500 ft so you can tell that the pilot would have had
limited time to respond.

"It's clear that either the computer on the plane wasn't working
properly or
there was a fault with the landing system on the ground."

The Department for Transport said there was never any risk of a crash
because the pilot took action which air traffic control was aware of.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/5386992.stm

[Now God is even planning how close the trees will go, must be just so, for saving blimps, busy that he is.....with thanks]

Pilot Uninjured In Treetop Blimp Landing

Reported Losing Rudder Control
A familiar sight in the skies over Boston's Fenway Park, the Hood-dairy
blimp became stuck in the woods near Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA Tuesday
after
its pilot, the sole person onboard, reported rudder failure during a
routine
flight.

Witnesses told Providence, RI television station WHDH-10 the stricken
blimp
flew in circles, and pitched up and down several times before settling
30-feet above the ground atop several trees. The pilot, Leigh Bradbury,
was
aiming for a nearby beach... but due to winds, couldn't quite make it.

Bradbury told the Associated Press he lost rudder control shortly after
takeoff around 12:00 pm Tuesday.

The pilot was not injured in the incident... but Bradbury did spend a
fretful two hours in the gondola, suspended from the slowly-leaking
envelope, before being rescued by crews on all-terrain vehicles and a
35-foot ladder.

Wednesday morning, a professional tree-clearing service was called in
to
rescue the blimp. The airship -- owned by Lightship Group of Orlando,
FL and
leased to Hood for advertising purposes -- came down with the trees
just
before 7:00 am.

"It was being held by two trees, kind of like being held in a cradle,"
said
police Sgt. Neil Andrews.

FAA investigators are looking into the incident, after which time it
will be
dismantled and removed from the wooded area.

The A-60 airship suffered one puncture near the tail -- but was
otherwise
reported in good shape.

FMI: www.lightships.com
aero-news.net

[unknown url, one has to stop and think about the 800 soldiers, on hand to handle the luggage?]

Bangkok's New $4.1 Billion Airport Opens for Flights

Sept. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi airport, built on
the
reclaimed Cobra Swamp, opened today to full domestic and international
traffic, with 800 soldiers on hand to lug baggage in case systems fail.

Flights arrived smoothly at the new 155 billion baht ($4.1 billion)
airport
after the 3 a.m. handover this morning. Some passengers complained of
luggage being delayed or lost.

A record 40 million passengers will use Bangkok airport in the next 12
months, and the numbers may rise as tourists shrug off last week's
bloodless
military coup. The junta, which ousted the government of billionaire
Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Sept. 19, stuck to the former
government's
schedule for the airport opening.

``It looks like the airport will be full from day one,'' Derek Sadubin,
general manager at the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation said in an
interview
today. ``The authorities will have to think about expanding the airport
and
there could be a construction site for some years to come.''

Chalit Pukbhasuk, Thailand's Air Force chief and a deputy leader of the
junta, told reporters yesterday the facility was ``100 percent ready''
during a final inspection.

Lingering Concerns

Airlines still have concerns about insufficient power supplies, lengthy
baggage systems, fire-damaged catering centers and unfinished airline
lounges. The soldiers will be stationed at the facility for three
months
``just in case they're needed'' for luggage handling, Chalit said.

``Although we are ready, we need to pay special attention to the
electrical
supply and the luggage systems, because there are much longer conveyor
belts
than we had at Don Muang,'' Apinan Sumanaseni, president of Thai
Airways
International Pcl which operates an average of 270 flights through
Bangkok
daily, told reporters yesterday.

Suvarnabhumi, pronounced ``soo-wan-na-poom'', means Golden Land and was
chosen by King Bhumibol Adulyadej in January 2002.

Baggage delivery was held up on some morning flights because equipment
for
unloading was still being brought over from the old airport, Wanchai
Sarathulthat, permanent secretary at the transport ministry, told
reporters
today.

``We are working to reduce the number of baggage losses and loading
delays,'' Wanchai said. ``We've added staff in the baggage rooms to
work by
hand.''

The Real Test

``We lost two of our seven suitcases, and there are a number of people
in
our tour group who've also lost their luggage,'' said Rakesh Shett,
product
manager at an Indian pharmaceutical company, after he arrived on a Thai
Air
flight from Mumbai. ``We are praying that we will get them back.''

Suvarnabhumi has been handling some domestic flights since earlier this
month to test systems, with 155 takeoffs and landings yesterday. Today
will
it deal with the full contingent of 813 flights - the real test -
according
to Somchai Sawasdeepon, general manager of Suvarnabhumi.

The landing of the first official flight arriving after the 3 a.m.
transition -- a Deutsche Lufthansa AG cargo plane from Frankfurt --
sparked
cheering and celebration among ground staff and technicians in the
control
tower, according to Captain Stephan Mack, who has been flying to
Bangkok for
more than 20 years.

``It's a big improvement,'' Mack said in an interview at Suvarnabhumi
today.
``You should see the lights from up there, it's like a festival the way
it's
lit.''

Passengers Arrive

As the first international passenger flight arrived from Kiev at 4:30
a.m.
workers were still installing equipment and finishing off fittings, as
duty
free store clerks unwrapped merchandise and hung signs. Most airline
lounges
won't be ready until next year, Chotisak said.

Airports of Thailand will provide more signs and English- speaking
staff
after passengers complained of trouble navigating the airport, Wanchai
said.

The junta decided to open the facility on Thaksin's deadline, as
airlines
have already adjusted schedules for the transition. Carriers including
Singapore Airlines Ltd. and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. worked for
months to
be ready to move operations to the new airport.

``Too much was at stake to pull out of the opening so they had to go
ahead,'' said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science
at
Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

60's Roots

First conceived in 1960 and built from a 1994 design, Suvarnabhumi may
fill
its 45 million capacity in its first year, according to Airports of
Thailand
Pcl, which operates Suvarnabhumi.

The new facility is more than five times the size of Don Muang, and is
capable of handling the Airbus SAS A380, the world's biggest commercial
plane. A new satellite terminal to boost its capacity is scheduled for
completion in 2010.

After a farewell ceremony, 92-year-old Don Muang sent off its last
commercial flights last night and will be used by only private aircraft
and
charter flights from today.

The new airport is also needed to boost exports -- particularly of
fresh
produce like seafood and fruit -- by providing better warehousing and
refrigerated airfreight capacity, Chotisak told a seminar on Sept. 12.

``A bunch of fish and frogs have died at Don Muang before they got to
dinner
tables overseas,'' Chotisak said. ``At Suvarnabhumi, those fish and
frogs
won't die any more.''

http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/challenges.php?id=295897

Exclusive: When is a War a War?
Col. Jeff Bearor, (USMC, ret.)
Author: Col. Jeff Bearor, (USMC, ret.)
Source: The Family Security Foundation, Inc.
Date: September 28, 2006

The latest rumblings of liberal politicians and pundits this week indicate that they believe the war in Iraq has actually created more Islamists and therefore invited more terrorist attacks. FSM Contributing Editor Jeff Bearor refutes this myth, providing relevant background information that leads to the inevitable conclusion: Islamist extremists were at war with us long before we were at war with them.

When is a War a War?

Col. Jeff Bearor, (USMC, ret.)

September 28, 2006

An underlying debate has been occurring since 9/11 in our country about whether we are “at war.” If we are “at war,” against whom or against what are we fighting?

Speculation in this arena grew over the weekend with the leak of part of a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) concerning the current state and growth of radical Islamic terrorist organizations around the world. The narrow implications of the media’s reporting this week on the NIE is that “the-war-in-Iraq equals more radical Islamic extremists therefore more terrorism” as if terrorism emanating from the Middle East hadn’t been increasing for decades.

Even a cursory reading of the facts shows that radical Islamic terrorism has been on the rise for many years. A historical view of radical Islamic jihadist terrorism helps place the NIE in perspective and, at the same time, might serve to help focus on the real reasons for the growth of radical Islamic terrorism.

Radical Islamism has been around for generations arising in the mid-east well before appearing on the greater world stage. The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt dates back to the 1920s. Its goal was and still is to “install an Islamic empire and worldwide Caliphate” and to “Islamize target countries by any means necessary.” Many regard this organization as the “source” of all modern jihadist terrorism.

The growth of the more modern organizations dedicated to many of the Muslim Brotherhood’s goals can be traced back to the establishment of the state of Israel in the late 1940s. When it became apparent that Arab armies could not sweep Israel into the sea we saw the growth of Palestinian based terrorism in the form of Black September, Abu Nidal Group and others dedicated to destroying Israel. These groups provided many of the operational templates used by various terrorist organizations today.

Iran became the biggest state supporter of wholesale terrorism when Hezbollah came on the scene in the early 1980’s. Iran, along with Syria, Libya, and others used terrorist surrogates to attack western targets to further their own nationalist goals, some of which coincided with those of “jihadis” like the Muslim Brotherhood. Through the 1980s and 1990s we saw a steady increase in the number and lethality of radical Islamic terrorist organizations. And, ultimately, America and Americans were the “targets of choice” for radical Islamics around the world.

Throughout the 1990s the West, and particularly (symbolically or literally) America, was attacked again and again. Whether based on a hatred of Israel, pursuing the original goals of the Muslim Brotherhood, or doing the Iranian Ayatollahs’ bidding, it should have been very clear that radical Islamic terrorists of many stripes saw us as legitimate targets. The West and our ideals of individual freedom and liberty, our vibrant and growing global economic and cultural reach were seen as the fountainhead of all the Middle East’s woes, therefore we must be attacked and defeated for jihad to succeed.

After we helped push the Soviets out of Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden and his ilk were convinced they could also rid the greater Middle East of all western influence and presence and then he could start his faithful down the path to the global Caliphate. Bin Laden went straight to the Muslim Brotherhood to recruit members to his cause of pushing the US and the west off the Arabian Peninsula. Beginning as early as 1994 al Qaeda was targeting Americans. Almost every year thereafter they succeeded in hitting us somewhere. In 1997 bin Laden issued his famous call for holy war saying that every American every where was a legitimate target for jihad.

Here is the point -- radical Islamic jihadists declared war on America years before 9/11 and years before the attack to Baghdad. It doesn’t matter whether they hate us because of our support to Israel, for our liberal lifestyle and devotion to freedom, because we brought down Saddam, or because in their minds the successful west must have stolen its riches from the mid-east. What matters is they have said they’d attempt to kill Americans around the world and they have been successful.

It seems to me that when an organized armed group of world-wide scope, dedicated and determined on killing us and destroying our country, our way of life, and our ideals of liberal democracy says they are going to kill us and then have done it – that’s war.

Al Qaeda grew and morphed into a terror-murder group that reaches around the world and has continued to change and adapt to our efforts to defeat it. Other radical Islamic jihadists just as dedicated to killing Americans, destroying our way of life, and imposing their 7th century views on us and our children have come out of the woodwork. Whether or not these jihadis are joining the fight now because of the war in Iraq, they would have been in the fight sooner or later. At this point it doesn’t matter to me how the cockroaches got into the light. All that matters now is that it’s much easier to hunt them down and kill them than it was before.

FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Col.Jeff Bearor (USMC, ret.) is a career Marine Corps officer, the former commanding officer of the Recruit Training Regiment at the US Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, SC, and has served as Chief of Staff, Marine Corps Training and Education Command, Quantico, VA.

© 2003-2006 FamilySecurityMatters.org All Rights Reserved

Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of Family Security Matters.

[Did they have the School district connection in the other articles]

http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/homeland.php?id=300137

Exclusive: Hazmat License Fraud
Joan Harrold Messner
Author: Joan Harrold Messner
Source: The Family Security Foundation, Inc.
Date: September 29, 2006

With United States borders so porous, it is no wonder that there are people in our country attempting to obtain drivers licenses illegally. Perhaps the scariest part of this is the illegal acquisition of Hazmat licenses. FSM Contributing Editor Joan Messner gives us an upclose look at the dangers that exist when state and local governments ignore their duty to keep a close eye on their licensing programs.

Hazmat License Fraud
Joan Harrold Messner
September 29, 2006

We who work for the Coalition for a Secure Drivers License are concerned not only with traditional licenses, but also with licenses given to people who transport hazardous materials [Hazmat].

You may have read an earlier column wherein I reported the danger of the liberal-pass-policy at the ports of the United States. After investigating New York and New Jersey ports, Homeland Security described gaps as “stunning.” More than five hundred of the nine thousand port truckers’ identities were unknown; nearly six percent had false licenses. Drivers licenses for truckers are supposed to be more stringent; to drive hazardous materials, a special license is required using fingerprints, criminal history records check and immigration status checks.

Well, it seems the federal government is trying to get a handle on at least part of the problem.

The federal grand jury unsealed an indictment last week against fifteen people in Missouri. And Missouri is on CSDL’s “low risk” map, which means Missouri tries to vet its drivers before licensing them. [High-risk states, indiscriminate in granting licenses are Alaska, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin].

The Missouri indictment states that more than two hundred immigrants, mainly from Somalia and Bosnia, with the help of Mr. May, the former superintendant of South Central, illegally obtained Missouri commercial drivers licenses and/or were certified to handle [Hazmat] hazardous materials.

Remarkably, the driving school, South Central Career Center, is operated by the West Plains public school district and has contracts with the state! Charges in the 62-count indictment include mail fraud, conspiracy and producing illegal documents.

A connection has been made to Kansas City as well. Ernest “Mustafa” White ran the Muslim Brothers and Sisters Driving School there. Students received test answers from White in advance of tests, surely putting many unqualified drivers of hazardous materials on the road. He was also charged with possession of a firearm.

According to the indictment, White gave May money to shorten the test and even had tests taken by others, using the names of registered students that White felt could not pass the tests on their own. After the tests, May would sign the requisite forms asserting that the students had achieved passing grades.

This story is an absolute horror. It is bad enough that on a daily basis all of us are on the road with thousands of drivers who illegally obtained their driving licenses in lax states, or with forged documents, or are driving with no license at all -- and without insurance. But to think that unqualified people are getting commercial licenses to drive trucks of any size on our roads and even to transport hazardous materials is terribly alarming.

An alert Missouri Highway Patrol made the first warning of this security risk. No doubt this will make other localities sit up and look around for similar violations. The sooner the better.

FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Joan Messner is a member of the Board of Directors of the Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License.

© 2003-2006 FamilySecurityMatters.org All Rights Reserved

Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of Family Security Matters.

http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=146&z=1

<http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=146&z=1

NewsEmergency.com

Emergency update: Microsoft issues immediate CRITICAL update patch

Microsoft has rushed out a new CRITICAL security update that impacts
Windows
and Internet Explorer and recommends the update be applied immediately.

Microsoft decided to release the update, Microsoft Security Bulletin
MS06-055, now and ahead of its normal monthly scheduled round of
security
updates.

From Microsoft statement...
"Microsoft originally planned to release the update on Tuesday, October
10,
2006 as part of its regular monthly release of security bulletins.

However,
Microsoft is aware of the existence of a public attack utilizing the
vulnerability. Since testing has been completed earlier than
anticipated,
Microsoft has released the update ahead of schedule to help protect
customers. "

Software affected...

Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

Windows XP Home Edition

Windows XP Media Center Edition

Windows XP Professional

Windows XP Professional 64-Bit Edition

Windows Server 2003 Web Edition

Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition

Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition

Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition

Windows Server 2003 for Small Business Server

Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition for Itanium-based Systems

Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition for Itanium-based Systems

Windows 2000 Server

Windows 2000 Professional

Windows 2000 Datacenter Server

Windows 2000 Advanced Server

Internet Explorer 5.01

Internet Explorer 6.0

Windows Server 2003 Datacenter x64 Edition

Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition

Windows Server 2003 Standard x64 Edition
Updates are available from the Microsoft web site Windows Update area.

http://www.opinioneditorials.com/guestcontributors/dsernoffsky_20060928.html

They really are trying to kill us

Dan Sernoffsky
Lenin called them "useful idiots," and for the 70 or so years that the
Soviet Union existed, they were, indeed, very useful. From Walter
Duranty,
who won a Pulitzer Prize for deliberately covering up Stalin's genocide
in
the Ukraine, to those who demonized Whittaker Chambers for
demonstrating
that Alger Hiss was, indeed, a Soviet spy, and even to Henry Kissinger
("We
cannot prevent the growth of Soviet power" - 1976), there was a
constant
drumbeat of support, and in many quarters respect for, the advances of
Soviet society while ignoring the realities of the brutal
totalatarianism of
the regime.

Ronald Reagan managed to put all that to rest in rather short order.

But as a wise man once said, those who fail to learn from history are
doomed
to repeat it.

The United States has apparently not learned from history. But the
Islamofascists who are bent on destroying the United States have.

The Soviet Union may have been consigned to the "ash heap of history,"
and
because of that no longer threatens us, but Islamofascists do, and they
have
found in the United States a new group of "useful idiots," primarily,
but
certainly not limited to, the American left.

There has been of late considerable indignation on the part of some
that
captured Islamofascists, men who wore no uniform but who engaged in
acts of
war against American military forces, and acts of terror against
civilians,
are not being properly treated at various detention centers. Worse,
they
have been coerced into revealing information by means considered
unmannerly.

Perhaps it is time to remember Daniel Pearl and Nick Berg, Paul Johnson
and
Eugene Armstrong. Pearl was a journalist, Berg an aspiring journalist.
Johnson was an engineer, Armstrong a contractor. All of them were
civilians.
All of them were kidnapped, tortured and beheaded, the vicious
beheadings
videotaped and shown around the world. Calling their killers sadistic
murderers would certainly be an apt description. But it is also worthy
of
note that they were Islamofascists, no different from the detainees at
Guantanamo Bay, or elsewhere, captured on the battlefields of the war
on
terror. That they receive any consideration as legitimate prisoners of
war
is almost laughable.

Yet the "useful idiots," and that even includes Sen. John McCain,
himself
the victim of torture while a prisoner of war in Vietnam, fail to
recognize
that America's Islamofascist enemy has no concern for the niceties of
civilization. Indeed, while Americans dearly cling to the concept of
"taking
the moral high ground," the enemy will have no qualms about torturing
and
killing any American prisoners it may take.

In August 1928, the Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed. The treaty was
designed
to "outlaw" war. Among the signatories were Germany, Italy and Japan.
Three
years later, Japan invaded Manchuria. Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1936,
and
three years after that, Germany invaded Poland. The Geneva Conventions,
first signed in 1864, attempt to lay down rules for war but
specificially
exclude terrorists. The Islamofascists being held by the United States
and
her allies are terrorists.

There has also been of late considerable condemnation of the war in
Iraq as
unnecessary, criticism which includes the assertion that it is creating
an
even greater terrorist threat.

But while the Vatican has no standing army and has, in fact, been
critical
of the war in Iraq, when Pope Benedict XVI recently cited a
centuries-old
text condemning the militancy of Islam, it triggered a wave of
terroristic
actions that included rallies calling for the death of the Pope,
burning the
Pope in effigy, threats to the Vatican and to Catholicism in general,
and
the cold-blooded murder of Sister Leonella Sgorbita, a 65-year old nun
who
had spent 40 years in Somalia treating the poor.

When a Danish newspaper published several cartoons depicting Muhammad,
there
were terroristic riots throughout Europe and the Middle East resulting
in
more than a dozen deaths.

For all the condemnation and criticism of the American effort in Iraq,
there
has been no rioting here similar to that which has happened in Europe,
nor
has there been another attack on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001,
even
though Islamofascists have struck in Spain and in England.
When the United States left Somalia in 1996, Osama bin Laden said,
"After a
few blows, it (the U.S.) ... rushed out of Somalia in shame and
disgrace."
The American soldier, he said, "was just a paper tiger."

Later, in predicting the fall of the United States, bin Laden said
"When
people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature they will like
the
strong horse."

The weak horse, according to bin Laden, is the United States. His
useful
idiots in the United States are trying to make that a reality.
###
Dan Sernoffsky is an award-winning sportswriter and political columnist
for
The Lebanon Daily News in Lebanon, Pa. A career journalist, he is a
graduate
of Ottawa University, Ottawa, Ks., and attended graduate school at
Central
Michigan University. The father of four grown children, he and his wife
reside in Lebanon.

http://english.pravda.ru/world/americas/28-09-2006/84750-American_attack-0

FBI covers terrorists as al-Qaeda prepares next American attack
28.09.2006 Source: URL: http://english.pravda.ru/world/americas/84750-American_attack-0

The increasing number of incidents when US special services arrest Islamists on the territory of the United States perfectly exemplifies the recently published report about the growing terrorist threat in the world caused with the war in Iraq. In most cases, US authorities say that the detained individuals do not pose any threat to the national security of the country. Many experts believe, however, that officials simply attempt to pacify the population. It is easy to understand that the activities of the suspected terrorists cannot be explained with criminal factors only.

Fifteen people – most of them Muslims - were arrested in Missouri last week because of a large quantity of fake documents authorizing the transportation of dangerous freights and substances in the country. The detainees intended to present the documents to 70 residents of Somalia and Bosnia. Ernest “Mustafa” White, a 49-year-old resident of Kansas, the owner of a driving school and the trucking company Muslim Brothers and Sisters was the leader of the criminal group. 300 of his 520 students came from the Middle East. One of the suspects, a superintendent of another driving school, filed a report against Mustafa White several years ago and claimed that there were too many suspicious individuals in Mr. White’s schools, all of them immigrants from the most unstable region of the world. The police ignored the claim, and the superintendent apparently decided to assist Mustafa White in his illicit business.

Official spokesmen for the Department of Justice in Missouri released a public statement that said that the case had no connection with terrorism. Drivers’ licenses for the transportation of poisonous materials can become potentially dangerous weapon for those seeking ways to cause serious damage - that is true. The authorities also said that the defendants neglected the protection of national security. Surprisingly, the US police found no terrorism in the above-mentioned activities. It may seem a little confusing that the investigation was conducted by Heart of America Joint Terrorism Task Force – a special group of the FBI dealing with questions of terrorist threat in the USA. It brings up the idea that the special group has no work to do if it started investigating criminal affairs.

Another curious situation took place in Indianapolis, Indiana. The police arrested a mentally unbalanced man, a US citizen, who made poisonous substances and stored al-Qaeda brochures. The local authorities believed that it had nothing to do with terrorism either. The police broke into the apartment of Joseph Bagley and found bomb-making equipment and al-Qaeda literature there. The FBI was attracted to the investigation of that “non-terrorist” case. Officers said that they found no evidence to prove Bagley’s links with the notorious terrorist group. They only concluded that the man was inspired with terrorists’ actions. It is not clear though how a mentally unbalanced man could get hold of Islamist literature.

Another similar incident took place in Missouri too. FBI agents searched the houses of three local Muslim community leaders, the founders of Life for Relief and Development charity foundation. It was stated that it was a criminal case, the details of which were not to be exposed. The agents withdrew a computer and several closed boxes from the house of Khalil Jassemm, the director of the fund. Another defendant said that the special services suspected the foundation of its links with Iraq before the start of the war.

On September 18 federal agents raided the office of the same foundation in Michigan. The agents seized files, cabinets, computers and copied documents from the office. Spokespeople for the Muslim community in Michigan expressed their protest and said that Life for Relief and Development was helping those in need in Iraq, Pakistan and Palestine. The fund transferred about $50 million to the war-torn countries during several years of its activities. The authorities and the FBI did not explain the reasons of the probe. It is worthy of note that agents of Heart of America Joint Terrorism Task Force also participated in the inspection. Were they also tracking down criminal activities only? Not likely.

To crown it all, a new al-Qaeda warlord in Afghanistan urged all US-based Muslims to leave large cities, particularly New York and Washington. The warlord said that al-Qaeda was planning a large-terrorist act in those cities with the use of weapons of mass destruction. Moreover, he said that the weapons had already been delivered to the USA. Supposedly, Osama bin Laden entrusted the terrorist operation to Adnan el Shukrijumah, a Saudi-born US citizen, a professional pilot and cold-blooded killer. The price for his capture reaches $5 million. “Our brothers are ready to strike America from within! We will destroy the US defense once again. We can strike at any moment,” the Pakistani media outlets quoted Adnan as saying. It is not ruled that those “brothers” were the people involved in the above-mentioned incidents in Michigan, Missouri and Indiana, although US authorities said that they had nothing to do with terrorism.

Utro

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov
Pravda.ru

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http://english.pravda.ru/hotspots/conflicts/29-09-2006/84765-confrontation-0

Georgian-Russian confrontation escalates further
29.09.2006 Source: URL: http://english.pravda.ru/hotspots/conflicts/84765-confrontation-0

Russia recalled its ambassador from neighboring Georgia on Thursday and ordered the evacuation of some of its officials, escalating a crisis sparked by the detention of five Russian army officers on spying charges.

Moscow also told its citizens not to travel to Georgia, raising the stakes in Russia's confrontation with the small mountainous state of 5 million people it ran in Soviet times.

Russia's Foreign Ministry announced a partial evacuation of Russian personnel in Georgia and their family members in connection with a growing threat to their security, to begin today.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili denounced the Russian move as "hysteria", adding: "Russian personnel and their families face absolutely no threat here" the Herald reports.

Sergei Mironov, the chairman of Russia's Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, yesterday warned that the unfolding row could lead to war as nationalists demanded Russia get tough with a country it believes is being propped up by its old enemy, the United States.

Visibly shaking with anger, the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Ivanov, told Russian state television of a separate incident in which he claimed seven Russian servicemen had been savagely beaten by Georgian law enforcement officials in an unprovoked attack, the Independent reports.

Analysts have warned that both sides have at times this year appeared to be spoiling for a fight, but the latest escalation seems to pose the most serious threat of confrontation, FT.com says.

Source: agencies

Prepared by Alexander Timoshik
Pravda.ru

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[LiveInternet: ïîêàçàíî ÷èñëî ïðîñìîòðîâ è ïîñåòèòåëåé çà 24 ÷àñà] Rambler's Top100 Ðåéòèíã@Mail.ru

http://english.pravda.ru/russia/politics/21-09-2006/84551-USA_Russia-0

USA determined to nullify Russia’s growing power and international influence
21.09.2006 Source: URL: http://english.pravda.ru/russia/politics/84551-USA_Russia-0

Russia and the USA will definitely have to experience a crisis in their relationship during the forthcoming years. The relations between the two countries will worsen no matter which administration – Republican or Democratic - the USA will have after the 2008 election. The USA will try to do its best to isolate Russia’s leadership and execute the “orange revolution” scenario in Moscow through its protégé. In addition, Washington will continue to undermine the energy-based sovereignty of the Russian Federation and activate the support of disintegration processes on its territory. To crown it all, the USA will try to damage Moscow’s efforts in international politics. This will be easy to achieve when Georgia and Ukraine join NATO.

The above theses have been taken from a report about USA’s possible political activities in the future and its attitude to Russia in 2006-2008. The report was prepared by experts Valentin Falin (former ambassador of the USSR to Germany) and Gennady Evstafiev (retired lieutenant-general of intelligence) and distributed in the State Duma.

The quiet revolution

The analysis of experts’ estimates and sentiments in the circles close to the White House shows that the US administration will try to regroup forces within the Russian leadership as well as in business and political elite. The transformed Russian government would then be used for the organization of a quiet version of the orange revolution in the country.

The USA may try to isolate Russia’s key political and business figures internationally with the help of compromising materials discrediting Russian officials’ names. It would also be possible to strengthen the political pressure on the Russian administration or use the factor of social protest that is currently present in the Russian Federation. Social concerns can be used for imposing certain sanctions e.g. freezing state funds on foreign bank accounts. Furthermore, the USA can win Russia's large business over to its side to provide financial support for the opposition and subdue a possible counteroffensive of governmental forces.

The energy question

The authors of the above-mentioned report described a strategy to undermine Russia’s energy-based sovereignty. They believe that the United States will try to promote alternative international energy suppliers to Russia’s export pipeline system. Washington will demand enterprises of the Russian Fuel and Energy Complex be privatized and Western companies be actively involved in it. The US administration can also try to ruin Russia’s plans of energy cooperation with China.

Washington can also develop a plan to create the pipeline system to export oil and gas from Asia leaving off Russia. In this case the USA will show great interest in post-Soviet Asian states, such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

International sabotage

Russian experts believe that Washington will try to undermine the political authority of the Kremlin and minimize its official ties with the international community. In this case the respectable Group of Eight club may cease its existence and return to G7 again.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov
Pravda.ru

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Le Pen says 'zero immigration' will be key theme of presidential bid
26.09.2006 Source: URL: http://english.pravda.ru/world/84692-immigration-0

Far-right French leader Jean-Marie Le Pen said Tuesday that his push for "zero immigration" would be one of the central themes of his presidential campaign.

During a visit to the central Auvergne region, Le Pen criticized the immigration policies of other candidates in France's spring election center-right Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist lawmaker Segolene Royal.

"I think what we need now is zero immigration in any case, for immigration that comes from outside of Europe, and even from Europe," said 78-year-old Le Pen, who has been convicted numerous times for racist and anti-Semitic comments.

Le Pen also said that France should change its laws so that anyone who comes to France as an illegal immigrant can never win French nationality.

Le Pen is looking to repeat his performance in the 2002 election. That year, his first-round success allowed him to face off against President Jacques Chirac in the runoff vote, shocking the nation. Horrified voters rallied together in the second round to give Chirac a resounding 82 percent, reports AP.

If elected, Le Pen has pledged to pull France from the European Union and NATO, outlaw abortions and restore the death penalty.

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http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=29706

Violent protests cripple life in Kashmir

Srinagar, Sep 29: Normal life in Kashmir Valley was crippled Friday following a complete shutdown against the hanging order of Mohammed Afzal, convicted for his role in the December 2001 terror attack on parliament.

Police had to use dozens of tear smoke shells to break protest marches in several downtown areas after the Friday prayers.

Afzal is due to be executed on Oct 20 in Delhi's Tihar Jail.

Hundreds of protesters shouting pro-Afzal slogans came out on the streets in Badu Bagh, Nowhatta, Bohri Kadal, Khanyar and Gojiwara neighbourhoods in Srinagar and indulged in heavy stone throwing as police tried to stop them.

Police and paramilitary forces responded by firing tear gas shells and used batons to chase them away. But the protesters re-grouped in the lanes and bylanes of the town.

"We are trying to restore order. We have rushed more reinforcements to the affected localities," said a police officer.

The authorities had deployed police and paramilitary in strength from early morning in downtown Srinagar to maintain law and order.

Over a dozen journalists, covering the protests, were roughed up by angry paramilitary central reserve police force (CRPF) troopers at Nowhatta this afternoon.

Nearly 6,000 people gathered at two places in south Kashmir's Anantnag town and held protests against the decision to hang Mohammed Afzal.

The protesters, shouting anti-government slogans, marched on the streets demanding release of Afzal.

Massive protests were also held in Sopore, Afzal's hometown and in nearby Baramulla town in north Kashmir. The protesters assembled in Sopore and Baramulla after the Friday prayers.

In uptown Srinagar police and paramilitary troops were trying to break protests in Maisuma locality and in Maharaj Bazzar area.

Security forces were using tear smoke and batons to chase away the protesters.

"The overall situation is well under control. We are trying to restore order in downtown areas and security has been beefed up," said a senior police officer.

Friday's strike call was given by hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani and supported by frontline guerrilla outfit Hizbul Mujaheedin, the Kashmir Bar Association and other groups.

Geelani had been placed under house arrest Thursday as a precautionary measure.

The city has been tense for the last three days after a Delhi court issued orders Tuesday that Afzal be hanged.

The Supreme Court had Aug 4 last year upheld the Delhi High Court judgement confirming the death sentence awarded to him by the trial court.

Apart from Afzal, there were three accused in the case - Shaukat Hussain, Navjot Sandhu alias Afsan Guru, wife of Hussain, and S.A.R. Geelani, a lecturer in Delhi University.

The apex court had acquitted Geelani and Afsan Guru from all charges and had reduced the death sentence awarded to Hussain to 10 years' imprisonment.

However, it upheld the judgement of the high court in sentencing Afzal to death for actively participating in the conspiracy to attack parliament and waging war against the Indian state.

In its judgement the apex court characterised Afzal as a "menace to society", whose "life should become extinct" to satisfy "the collective conscience of society".

--- IANS

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