Posted on 02/26/2007 4:18:14 PM PST by DAVEY CROCKETT
April 04, 2007
Ahtisaari’s Supporters Growing More Isolated
Ahtisaari supporters less enthusiastic
Lavrov: Ahtisaari’s Unilateral Approach Unacceptable to Russia
Just before the start of the UN Security Council session where Ahtisaari was to present his paper on Serbian Kosovo province, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday Ahtisaari’s unilateral approach to Kosovo-Metohija province was unacceptable.
“The report assumes the inevitability of Kosovo’s independence despite Serbia’s position. Such a unilateral approach is of course unacceptable,” Lavrov said at a press conference after meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian in Yerevan, Interfax reports.
“Russia will only support a resolution that meets the interests of both Belgrade and Pristina,” he said, stressing that the settlement of the Serbian Kosovo-Metohija problem “will be projected to other conflicts,” despite Western claims to the contrary.
Janlin: China Resolutely Against Imposing Solution for Southern Serbian Province
“China resolutely opposes imposition of the solution for Serbian Kosovo-Metohija province and believes that only a Belgrade-Pristina dialogue may yield positive results,” emphasized Pan Janlin, high official of the Foreign Policy Comity of Chinese National and Political Advisory Body, according to the Serbian TV report.
Talking to the Serbian Ambassador in Beijing Miomir Udovicki, Janlin pointed out that “taking away Kosovo province without Serbia’s consent would represent a flagrant breach of the UN Charter and basic norms of international law.” Janlin, who was the People’s Republic of China Ambassador in Belgrade at the time of NATO aggression and during the attack on Chinese embassy eight years ago, especially warned that granting independence to southern Serbian province would represent “an extremely dangerous precedent for similar regions in the world.”
Slovakia Vehemently Opposed to Disregarding Serbia’s Will
According to the Czech news agency CTK, Chairman of the junior ruling Slovak National Party Jan Slota sharply criticized U.S. policy seeking to dismember Serbian state. “The USA is behaving like a dictator in the world, liquidating whole nations,” Jan Slota said on Slovak Television Sunday. He added that the USA wished another war in the Balkans and this is why it pushed for independence of the Serbian province of Kosovo.
Slota also criticized the USA for having bombed Belgrade in the 1999 during the war against violent Albanian secessionists in Kosovo province, adding that Serbia was then more devastated than after WW II which, by the way, is correct: Belgrade citizens who have lived through both Hitler’s carpet bombing in April 1941 and the U.S.-led NATO aggression from March-June 1999 have testified to the fact that the terror and devastation NATO has caused with areal bombardment was far worse than the one wrought by the Hitler’s Luftwaffe “mission” fifty years earlier.
Slota stressed that Americans would like to destroy Serbs who had defended Christianity against Turkish invasions in the past, calling on Slovak Foreign Minister Jan Kubis not to vote for Kosovo province’s limited or supervised independence proposed by Martti Ahtisaari in the U.N. Security Council, where Slovakia is also one of the elected members. Slota pointed out that Kubis is bound by the Slovak parliament resolution which rejected the independence of Kosovo, insisting that Serbia’s will has to be respected.
The threat of hijacking Kosovo-Metohija province against Serbia’s will is a cause of serious concerns among Slovak leaders and politicians, since seizing part of Serbia’s integral territory on behalf of Albanian separatists in Serbia would encourage the similar land-grabbing intentions by the Hungarian minority in Slovakia.
Cartoon by Toso Borkovic (Serbia)
Posted by Svetlana at 02:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
April 03, 2007
UN Security Council About Kosovo Province
UN Security Council Session
Albanian Separatists Can’t Represent Serbian Kosovo Province
Today’s session of the UN Security Council in New York where Martti Ahtisaari was invited to present his document for the status of southern Serbian province was left undefined regarding its content and purpose. What is obvious thus far is that this is not the session where voting on any kind of proposal was expected to take place, that Ahtisaari’s strongly contested draft is not considered ready to be offered for adoption, and that arguments both for and against Ahtisaari’s proposal will be given due attention before the Security Council decides on the subsequent steps.
The Council was addressed by the UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari, Serbia’s Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Chief Joachim Ruecker, after which the session was paused.
The announced address of Kosovo-Metohija province’s self-styled “president” Fatmir Sejdiu was scrapped from the agenda after Serbian ambassador to the UN Pavle Jevremovic protested participation of a representative of Albanian separatists from the Serbian province, stressing that the UN Resolution 1244 stipulated that only UNMIK could represent the province.
Member of the Serbia’s negotiating team, Slobodan Samardzic said it would be unacceptable for Sejdiu to address the Council: “That would be in breach of Resolution 1244 and Kosovo province’s Constitutional framework. According to those documents, Kosovo-Metohija can only be represented by the UN special representative in international communication, not by members of the interim institutions. They can attend, but not represent Serbian province,” he said.
Since Sejdiu was not allowed to address the UN Security Council, UNMIK head Ruecker, who arrived at the last minute to the UN Headquarters, read parts of the speech Sejdiu prepared for the occasion. During the break, Sejdiu attended an informal gathering of the ambassadors of the Security Council member states that, according to the news agencies’ reports, lasted only couple of minutes.
Ahtisaari’s Arguments Weak and Bizarre
After addressing the Council and following a discussion of the Security Council members that was closed for public, Prime Minister Kostunica was directly connected to the Serbian national television program. Speaking from the New York studio, Kostunica said that he had a good opportunity to observe the strength of Serbia’s arguments in contrast to Ahtisaari’s proposal.
According to Prime Minister Kostunica, during the UN Security Council session Ahtisaari was not able to respond to essential questions — why is the UN Charter being violated, why is one state being deprived of the 15 percent of its territory and why is there no other solution that would honor the UN Charter itself.
“The most striking point in Ahtisaari’s exposé was the idea that Kosovo will remain isolated and unique case in the world. Why bring this up in advance? Obviously, there is justified fear that the case of Kosovo province would turn into a very grievous precedent,” said Kostunica.
“Taking into account blatant weaknesses of Ahtisaari’s ‘arguments’ and the growing awareness throughout the world about the dangers of undermining fundamental principles of the United Nations, I am very optimistic about the further developments regarding this issue,” said Kostunica, adding he is convinced the unattainability of the Ahtisaari’s proposal will be fully revealed.
Ahtisaari’s Draft Gives Right to National Minorities to Dismember Existing States
Speaking to the ambassadors of Security Council member states earlier, Serbian Prime Minister informed the UN Council that Serbia rejects Martti Ahtisaari’s proposal and requests this body to appoint a new mediator and launch new negotiations that will take the valid Resolution 1244 as a clear and firm framework for finding a solution based on agreement.
Addressing the Council, Kostunica reminded that Serbia is an old European state, a member of the League of Nations and later one of the founding members of the United Nations. “With its centuries-old tradition of state building, Serbia has taken part in shaping the history of Europe and thus in contributing to the definition of lasting and universal values essential to the world that we live in. When saying this, I refer first of all to fundamental values such as justice and the rule of law.”
Stressing that this is the first time in the history of United Nations that someone is attempting to challenge the validity of sovereignty and territorial integrity of internationally recognized states and to question the principle of inviolability of their internationally recognized borders, Kostunica warned that Ahtisaari’s document which proposes to undermine the UN Charter itself represents a draft for a very dangerous precedent. Once such a negative precedent is set and national minorities are given the right to violate the UN Charter by dismembering existing states, the critical point would have been crossed and nobody would be able to foresee what dangerous consequences for global peace such a precedent would trigger.
Status of Serbian State Not Open for Discussion
“Contrary to the principles of international law, contrary to the UN Charter, contrary to the UN SC Resolution 1244, contrary to the Helsinki Final Act, contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia and, last but not least, contrary to elementary justice,” Ahtisaari actually proposes redrawing of Serbia’s borders and taking away 15 percent of Serbia’s territory, against Serbia’s will and “by brutal imposition,” said Kostunica.
The only justification offered is that thus Kosovo and Metohija Albanians, a national minority within our country, could form another Albanian state on Serbian territory, adjacent to the already existing state of Albania [...] This, Mr. President, is the reason why Serbia has unambiguously rejected Ahtisaari’s proposal as an unlawful and illegitimate attempt to dismember our state. It was not within the mandate of the Special Envoy to violate the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity and to propose redrawing Serbia’s internationally recognized borders. In fact, the UN Secretary General had given Mr. Ahtisaari the mandate to act as a mediator in the talks aimed at determining the future status of the Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija. This is the way his role has to be understood within the UN framework: neither the Secretary General nor the Security Council could have given Mr. Ahtisaari the mandate to open the issue of the state status of Serbia, simply because this is not permitted under the UN Charter.
The Security Council is the right place to ask Mr. Ahtisaari — what is the legal basis of his proposal to violate the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity of internationally recognized states, thus depriving Serbia, a UN member state, of a significant part of its territory? The Special Envoy has so far been silent on this issue, and it is high time that he should repair this omission. Of course, we all know that, as long as the UN Charter remains in force, there simply cannot be any legal basis for such a proposal. No explanation can turn a violation of law into law, nor can brute might become right in such a manner.
The real question is: why has Special Envoy Ahtisaari chosen to act outside the scope of his mandate and why he has failed to take up the role of the mediator in the talks that should have been pursued within the framework of SC Resolution 1244 and the UN Charter? Renouncing his role as mediator, the Special Envoy has decided to come forward with a one-sided proposal of his own which completely disregards the position of Belgrade and is in direct violation of valid norms of international law.
The moment the Special Envoy decided to act contrary to the UN Charter, it became clear that his aim was not to help the two sides to reach a political compromise through a negotiated settlement. In fact, Mr. Ahtisaari deliberately adopted the position of the Albanian side and thus produced a proposal that only meets the demands of the Kosovo and Metohija Albanians. The best proof of this is the outright rejection of this plan by Serbia and its ready acceptance by the Albanians in the province.
Albanian Terrorism Given Wings by Supporting Their Illegal Demands
Serbian Prime Minister further emphasized that Serbia made every effort to help Ahtisaari succeed in his mission, by underlying that status talks must be pursued within the scope of the UN Charter and that Ahtisaari, as a mediator, should strive to find a political compromise and a mutually acceptable solution, instead of acting as an advocate for Albanian separatists in Serbian province. However, “In spite of our persistent reminders, Mr. Ahtisaari has clearly disregarded these two crucial conditions. In fact, his proposal directly contravenes the UN Charter, and this is why Serbia insists that the Security Council should reject it as unlawful and illegitimate,” said Kostunica.
The lack of any legal grounds for depriving Serbia of a part of its territory explains why Albanian separatists and terrorists have been increasingly resorting to threats of violence unless Kosovo is given independence. In the name of my country I ask you — can the Security Council afford to remain silent in the face of open threats of violence and, moreover, allow those threats to serve as an argument in favour of forming a new state on the territory of Serbia, an internationally recognized state and a member of the UN. Serbia is convinced that the Security Council will authoritatively reject all threats of violence and that this august body will clearly oppose the use of force as a way of settling the Kosovo issue, just as it would do in the case of any similar problem elsewhere.
Serbs and Albanians Have Lived Together for Centuries and Kosovo-Metohija Has Been an Integral Part of Serbia for Centuries
Expressing Serbia’s strong conviction that a negotiated and historically just solution can be reached if given a proper chance, Prime Minister Kostunica stressed that recognizing all the shortcomings in the negotiation process so far and assigning a new and impartial mediator — the one focusing on compromise solution with respect to the fundamental principle of preserving sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbian state — is of crucial importance.
Serbs and Albanians have lived together for centuries, and for centuries Kosovo and Metohija has been a part of Serbia. Serbia is fully committed to enabling the Albanian national minority to achieve, in accordance with the SC Resolution 1244, substantial autonomy in the Province of Kosovo and Metohija. This means that the Albanians in the Province would be able to decide upon their future, manage their own affairs and protect their interests, while at the same time Serbia would, in accordance with the UN Charter, preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is entirely possible to reconcile these two demands. In such a case, it would be perfectly acceptable to Serbia to have the United Nations supervise the implementation of substantive autonomy of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia.
Kostunica pointed out that bizarre claims of the Albanian separatists that “living together is not possible” are directly opposed to genuinely democratic principles, as well as the principle of multi-ethnicity which involve joint responsibilities in living together. He added that “Countries all over the world have developed a variety of arrangements to ensure autonomy for their national minorities, and it is impermissible that, in only one case, a single minority should have the right to form an independent state and reject even the highest form of autonomy as insufficient.”
Comprehensive Review of Resolution 1244 Implementation Will Reveal Unpleasant Facts
Calling for opening of direct talks between Belgrade and Pristina which, in spite of Belgrade’s insistence, have not taken place so far, Serbian Prime Minister reminded the UN Security Council of the fact that Ahtisaari, surprisingly, had organized only one, single meeting where the future status of Kosovo-Metohija province was discussed. According to Kostunica, the gravity of the issue and the overwhelming danger Ahtisaari’s draft in reality represents would certainly dictate the need for a more serious approach and commitment to dialog Ahtisaari has failed to demonstrate.
Serbia’s Premier also requested a comprehensive review of the implementation of currently binding UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Welcoming the initiative of the Russian Federation for appointing a fact-finding mission which would establish the extent to which the standards defined by the Resolution 1244 have been fulfilled to date, Kostunica pointed out that since 1999 more than 200,000 Serbs have been expelled from their southern province, of which more than 40,000 from one city alone, the province’s capital, Pristina, where now only some 100 Serbs remain. Asking why the Serbs ethnically cleansed from the province are not returning if they are supposed to feel safe there, and underlying the fact that over 150 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries have been destroyed by the Albanian terrorists during the past eight years, Kostunica stressed that this is only one of the ways the Resolution 1244 has been completely disregarded and dishonored.
Impartial Mediator and True Negotiations the Only Way Forward
In view of all these facts, the next natural step is to take stock of the actual situation in terms of the implementation of the SC Resolution 1244. We are convinced that this is the best way to launch a new cycle of negotiations. I stress in particular that Resolution 1244 explicitly reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia with regard to Kosovo and Metohija and — I quote — ‘calls for substantive autonomy to be secured for the Province’. This explains why it is precisely this SC Resolution that should be central to further talks on the future status of the Province.
Serbia is taking this opportunity to point out once again that the SC Resolution 1244 is binding on the Governments of all UN member states. No state may violate this Resolution, or take a unilateral position on the future status of the Province. Any unilateral recognition of Kosovo’s independence would constitute flagrant and — I stress — double violation of UN norms. Both the UN Charter and Resolution 1244 would be violated, and any state that decides to act in such an unlawful manner would directly call into question the authority of the UN. Serbia would, of course, unequivocally reject any such recognition of Kosovo and Metohija’s independence as null and void, as it would constitute direct interference on the part of such states in the internal affairs of Serbia. In that case, Serbia would ask the Security Council to act in accordance with its own Resolution 1244, so as to protect and reaffirm the territorial integrity of Serbia, as well as the inviolability of its internationally recognized borders.
Let me remind you that Serbia has adopted a new Constitution in November of 2006. Everyone has to recognize the fact that, through a referendum, over half of the total number of the adult citizens of Serbia freely expressed their will, reasserting once again that the Province of Kosovo and Metohija is an integral part of Serbia’s territory as laid down by the Constitution. In addressing the issue of Serbia’s territorial integrity, this sovereign will of the people of Serbia must be fully taken into account. With the adoption of the new Constitution of Serbia, its international state borders have been unambiguously and explicitly confirmed.
Once again I want to emphasize that Serbia is an old European state, and that it cannot permit that law and justice be trampled upon by depriving it of a part of its territory. The dignity of our country and our people are inseparably bound with Kosovo and Metohija — the place of origin of our state, of our faith, of our culture, and of our national and state identity. For Serbia, this is a question of truth, a matter of law and of basic, elementary justice.
As any other sovereign state, Serbia can only see its future within its internationally recognized borders, and upon the entirety of its territory. You can rest assured that Serbian people will never permit its state to be dismembered, nor could it ever recognize the existence of another independent state on its sovereign territory.
In conclusion, Serbian Prime Minister thanked the Security Council “for the opportunity to present the position of Serbia, to inform the Security Council that Serbia has rejected the Ahtisaari proposal, and to request that the Security Council support further negotiations, with a new international mediator, this time taking the UN SC Resolution 1244 as a clear and firm framework for reaching a negotiated settlement.”
Full Address by Prime Minister of Serbia Vojislav Kostunica to the UN Security Council
Posted by Svetlana at 07:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (2)
http://www.byzantinesacredart.com/blog/
In my opinion, we need to be aware of what goes on here, clinton gave Serbia to the muslims and russia gave Chechnya to the muslims and it can only hurt us...........granny
http://www.byzantinesacredart.com/blog/
April 02, 2007
Bosnia on the Brink of Another War
Destruction
Bosnian Wahhabis Assault Reporters
Wahhabis assaulted reporters in the town of Tuzla, covering the funeral of their leader, Jusuf Barcic who returned from Saudi Arabia to his native Bosnia eight years ago.
Nezavisne Novine daily reports that Bosnian Muslims assaulted reporters covering the funeral of Jusuf Barcic on April 1, 2007.
According to the reports, the ceremony was attended by more than 3,000 Wahhabis. Barcic died Friday after sustaining lethal injuries in a car crash near Tuzla, eastern Bosnia. Accompanied by the Allahu Akbar cries, he was buried in the town’s Muslim graveyard, while Barcic’s followers banned photographers and reporters from the event, prohibiting them to even go near the Tuzla mosque Sunday.
Some 50 uniformed and plain clothes police officers were observing the ceremony from the safe distance, failing to react after Qaray Qanel bin Ali, a Palestinian man who was also the loudest and most aggressive, threatened to smash the journalists’ cameras. The policemen also ignored a physical assault on a Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz reporter, who was pushed and dragged at the Palestinian’s orders.
According to Nezavisne Novine reporter, Wahhabis who have come to attend the funeral from all over Bosnia’s Croat/Muslim federation, mainly from Sarajevo, but also from Slovenia, Serbian Raska region, as well as Austria and Germany, were spitting at the female journalists commenting that they, as all infidels, should be “wiped off the face of the earth.” Tuzla’s mufti Husein Kavazovic also attended burial ceremony.
The greater incident was avoided after Abu Hamza, a Syrian living in the Bosnian town of Bocinje, following the fierce argument with Bin Ali, advised the “brothers” not to attack reporters.
Al-Qaeda Growing Stronger Among Bosnian Muslims
Recently, the World Tribune published article about Wahhabi movement growing stronger in Croat/Muslim Federation in Bosnia.
According to the Bosnian magazine Dani reporter, “Saudis are helping to finance a Muslim presence in Bosnia with multiple links to Al Qaeda ideology”:
“Al Qaida agents have been operating in Bosnia. Pecanin said the Bosnia embassy in Vienna has been selling passports to Al Qaida operatives while senior officials were pocketing money from Saudi Arabia and other Muslim states.”
Bosnian Serbs and Croats Fear Muslim Domination
The widespread corruption among the Muslim leaders in Bosnia and al-Qaeda’s poisonous influence have largely contributed to the current situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina where tensions, according to Nebojsa Radmanovic, the chairman of the three-man rotating state presidency, are “the greatest since the end of the war.”
According to a report by the Italian news agency AKI, Radmanovic said the core of disagreements is Muslim insistence on the centralization of the country on one side, and Serbs and Croats, who fear Muslim domination and want to retain a degree of decentralization, on the other.
Addressing EU officials in Brussels, Radmanovic argued that the part of ICJ verdict asserting that the crime in Srebrenica represents genocide has encouraged Muslim leaders to step up demands for the abolition of Republic of Srpska (RS) and the creation of a Muslim-dominated unitary state, on the pretext that RS was “created on genocide.” Serbian leaders, on the other hand, insist that Bosnia could survive only as a federal state, with equal rights for all three nationalities.
Radmanovic said that the situation in Serbian Kosovo-Metohija province, whose ethnic Albanians demand independence, also reflected negatively on Bosnia, posing the question of why Albanians in Kosovo province should have the right to secede from Serbia, yet Serbs and Croats in Bosnia were denied the same right.
3,262 Srebrenica Serbs, Victims of Bosnian Muslim Slaughter, Entirely Ignored
Future historians will undoubtedly have an unpleasant task of assigning large portion of the blame for everything that happened in the Balkans during 1990s to Western politicians, diplomats, mainstream media and officials. Their collective belligerence, ignorance and boorish insistence on ignoring or distorting history in order to create a kind of reality that suits the Western powers’ present interests is most responsible for inflaming the wronged-victim mentality on behalf of Muslim side in the preceding civil wars. Combined with growing al-Qaeda influence in the Balkans, this perception of being an exclusive victim and “martyr” rather than the instigator of secession which triggered each of the wars in the first place, as well as perpetrator of a number of grizzly war crimes, is bound to result in another bloodshed, as vicious or worse than the preceding civil war in Bosnia.
Limiting itself to merely accepting unproven ICTY’s claim of “7,000 Muslim men and boys” allegedly killed in Srebrenica, without conducting its own investigation, the ICJ entirely ignored the 3,262 Serbian Srebrenica victims — men, women and children — mutilated, torched, beheaded and killed oftentimes in the most gruesome, sadistic fashion by Bosnian Muslims led by Srebrenica warlord Naser Oric.
Milivoje Ivanisevic, the president of the Center for Investigating Crimes Committed Against the Serbian People, has recently published a book “In Search of Truth” where the full “Srebrenica ID” is offered, taking into account all the victims and the complete picture of the war ravaged region, in contrast to selective truths and half-truths advertised as the history-sealed.
Belgrade daily Glas Javnosti has published the excerpt of Mr. Ivanisevic’s research in Serbian, while SINA news agency gives an unauthorized translation of Srebrenica ID.
Posted by Svetlana at 07:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)
April 01, 2007
Terrorist Attack on Decani Monastery
Decani Monastery areal photo
14th century Serbian monastery Visoki Decani, areal photo. Click to view large.
HRH Crown Prince Alexander II Strongly Condemns Attack on Serbian Monastery of Decani
At the time when the greatest Christian holiday Easter is approaching, the Monastery of Decani in the heart of Kosovo and Metohija was attacked.
The widely reported plans for the protection of Serbs and their property are not giving any results. I appeal to all countries that are fighting against terrorism to take these terrorist attacks seriously. The international community must firmly impress upon the authorities in Kosovo that this kind of behaviour is very uncivilised, and that they must prove that they are capable of respecting, not only the Serbs but everyone who is living in Kosovo. Democratic principles and human rights must be fully adhered to and such attacks must not be tolerated.
In Serbia, many ethnic minorities live in equality, and we ask for our people in Kosovo and Metohija to have the same equal status as anyone else living there.
The damage and pain that can be caused by such extremist attacks will not contribute to any future within Europe. I strongly condemn this act of terrorism on one of the most important Serbian Holy places which is a UNESCO World Heritage monument.
In light of this kind of barbaric behaviour, one should seriously consider whether Mr. Ahtisaari’s plan and the guarantees it offers are being taken in context. I demand much more guarantees for safety and protection from the authorities.
UN Contact Group Condemns Terrorist Attack on Decani Monastery
A U.N. statement issued late Saturday confirms that “Peacekeepers and police found a grenade launcher on the hillside overlooking the Decani monastery, and a rocket engine was discovered lodged in the outer wall of the building, after reports of a blast near the 14th-century site Friday.”
“All such violence against the Serb community or the Serbian Orthodox church in Kosovo is absolutely impermissible and intolerable,” the Contact Group on Kosovo said. The group is comprised of the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Russia.
“The full security of the Serb community in Kosovo is of the utmost importance, and any incidents of violence must be addressed promptly and resolutely by Kosovo authorities and the international community,” the United Nations Contact Group said in a statement.
Posted by Svetlana at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)
http://www.byzantinesacredart.com/blog/
April 05, 2007
Behind the Closed Doors
Support Serbia
Serbs gathered in Belgrade during the UN Security Council session, seeking support for preservation of their country.
British and U.S. Shameful Attempts to Manipulate Outcome of the Security Council Session
Following the first UN Security Council session where ambassadors of member states were to discuss Martti Ahtisaari’s proposal advocating dismemberment of Serbian state by severing part of its integral territory as “the only viable solution” that would satisfy Albanian Muslim separatists, RIA Novosti correspondent in New York Dmitry Gornostaev has revealed some of the most interesting details from the closed session for the Russian online daily Kommersant.
Gornostaev’s report opens with the revelation of the cunningness and shameful manipulation Western powers reach for all too often in order to achieve their objectives.
Openly bewildered, the author reports about a procedural problem “that turned out to be more serious even than any political question and that required almost three hours of consultations to be resolved.”
It turns out that current British Chair to the Security Council, Emyr Jones Perry and the U.S. representative have planned to signal the recognition of southern Serbian province as an independent state by placing the leader of Albanian separatists, Fatmir Sejdiu, at the same table with Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, “which would have symbolically raised Kosovo [province] to the same status as Serbia. Kosovo would have thus become an independent nation, if only for the duration of the Security Council meeting,” says Russian New York correspondent.
Majority Council Members Refused to Allow Albanian Separatist to Address Them Officially
The Russian delegation immediately declared that this arrangement was unsatisfactory because it violated the procedural rules of the Security Council. According to these rules, only representatives of the member nations of the United Nations are permitted to take the floor for an official address, and Kosovo is obviously not a member of the UN. Theoretically the Security Council can invite anyone it likes to its sessions, but only in a personal capacity and, naturally, only if the invitation is approved by a majority in the Council. In the very first minutes of the discussion, it became clear that the majority was in fact not pleased with the idea at all.
Not content to let the matter go, the experienced English ambassador happened as if by chance to again bring up the question of a speech by Mr. Sejdiu, but this time in a more veiled manner. Incidentally, he did so at the precise moment when his Russian colleague Vitaly Churkin left the room to speak on his mobile phone. Mr. Perry’s crafty plan was exposed, however, before the chairman could achieve a consensus on the exact nature of the Kosovar [...] attendance. Mr. Churkin soon returned and objected that he was supported by several African ambassadors and the representative from Indonesia, which has been fighting a struggle similar to Serbia’s over the rebellious Aceh province.
In the end, the British and their American allies failed to garner a majority of votes (the five permanent members do not wield veto power of procedural questions) and began to search instead for a compromise. From the very beginning, Russia maintained that it did not object to hearing a speech from the Kosovar leader, but only at an unofficial meeting of the Security Council’s members outside the sessions chamber. The British, Americans, and French, however, insisted that Pristina’s voice should be heard in the Security Council itself, and they suggested that [...] Sejdiu’s speech be read by UN mission to Kosovo head Joachim Ruecker. On that, a compromise was finally reached.
What’s Good for Albanian Goose Must be Good for the Abkhazian Gander
Allowing Albanian separatist leader to speak to UN Security Council ambassadors, even if only at an informal gathering during the session break, even if only in the basement, and even if only for few minutes, has created for Russian ambassador (who, by the way, did not attend that informal conversation but has sent his representative instead), an opportunity to score another important point — to have the Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba be afforded the same luxury as Albanian Sejdiu and address the UN SC ambassadors regarding the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict. According to Gornostaev, “Mr. Churkin reported that he had received a promise from the British ambassador that he will use his capacity as Security Council chairman to ‘speak with the US government about ceasing to make difficulties’ for Mr. Shamba and granting him a visa.”
After both Martti Ahtisaari and Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica spoke about the problems regarding Kosovo-Metohija province, after UNMIK chief Joachim Ruecker read parts of the speech Albanian separatist representative prepared for the occasion, and after the break, the second official session of the Security Council dedicated to the discussion of Ahtisaari’s proposal started, and lasted almost five hours.
It Became Clear Ahtisaari Never Allowed Discussion About Alternatives to Independence
The Council’s members argued less fiercely over the plan than over the procedural question, since the positions of the participants were already well known. As Vitaly Churkin noted, “only three or four members of the Security Council immediately declared unconditional support” for the plan.
These “three or four” turned out to be the representatives of the US, Great Britain, France, and Belgium, which became clear later thanks to their comments to the media. The other ambassadors expressed various qualms about the accuracy of several points in the report, and several temporary members posed some tricky questions to Mr. Ahtisaari. For instance, the UN general secretary’s special representative to Kosovo could not answer a question about how much time during the negotiations was devoted to a discussion of the most important question, the status of Kosovo, and what alternatives had been proposed. It became clear that no alternatives to independence had been discussed.
That fact, as well as Serbia’s rejection of the plan, is the main reason that Moscow is against it. Beijing, another member that wields veto power on the Council, agrees, as do several temporary members.
[...] The Russian ambassador’s subsequent remarks were less optimistic about Mr. Ahtisaari’s future as a mediator in Balkan affairs. Mr. Churkin noted that in 1993 two no less experienced diplomats, Cyrus Vance and David Owen, worked out a plan to resolve the situation in Bosnia. “But it was not accepted by the conflicting sides. In the end a new round of negotiations had to be opened, which led to the Dayton Accord, a plan that was very different from the Vance-Owen plan,” said Mr. Churkin, who at that time was the special representative of the Russian president to the Balkans. Given that the Dayton Accord was not adopted until two years after the Vance-Owen plan was discarded, Mr. Churkin may have been hinting that finding a solution to the Kosovo question could take an equally long time.
French ambassador to the UN Jean-Marc de la Sabliere [...] accused Russia of dragging its feet on deciding Kosovo’s status. However, he also said that he sees no deadline in the process, and he agreed with Russia’s idea to send a mission from the Security Council to Belgrade and Pristina to give the Council’s members an idea of the situation in the region. According to Mr. Sabliere, all of the members of the Security Council agreed to the idea of sending a delegation to the Balkans, and Mr. Churkin even said that he is ready to fly there “tomorrow, if you like.”
Ahtisaari and Albanian Separatists Against the UN Fact-Finding Mission Visiting Serbian Province
But even though French ambassador in the UN has confirmed that “all of the members of the Security Council agreed“ to send a fact-finding mission to the southern Serbian province based on Russian proposal, and even though Serbian representatives and government officials have welcomed the proposal as the only way to fully understand the issues at stake and have a first-hand knowledge necessary to be able to discuss the problem in a responsible manner, both Martti Ahtisaari and Kosovo-Metohija separatist representatives are against the planned visit of the UN Security Council delegation.
Apparently expecting the UN member states to trust one man on his word before deciding to sever part of Serbian territory for good, Ahtisaari insists that Joachim Ruecker’s rosy reports are more than sufficient knowledge on Kosovo-Metohija province and on implementation of the existing UN Resolution 1244 Security Council ambassadors will ever need to figure it all out in the shortest timespan.
Taking their cue from Ahtisaari — Albanian separatists’ advocate in the UN — secessionists occupying Serbian province have started pounding the same drum:
“United Nations have already had a report regarding the progress in Kosovo, and this report was realistic, and prepared by the internationals [e.g. Joachim Ruecker] in Kosovo, therefore we believe that there is no reason that would justify such a request,” war criminal Agim Ceku’s spokeswoman Lama told Koha Ditore.
If the report was as realistic and as thorough as Ahtisaari and his Albanians claim, they have nothing to fear — the United Nations’ fact-finding mission will merely confirm that Ruecker’s sermons were not an ode to independence as charged, but objective, unbiased, impartial reflection of Kosovo Albanian democracy, multi-ethnicity and highly advanced desire for peaceful coexistence, inter-ethnic love and mutual prosperity. Ruecker, Ahtisaari and a number of U.S. and British diplomats have repeated numerous times already that Albanian separatists in Serbian province “are ready for independence” and ought to be awarded the chunk of Serbian state. Now they need to allow the UN Security Council to see that for itself.
India Joins the Countries Supporting Serbia’s Territorial Integrity
Radio Serbia reports that India joins Russia, China and some EU member states in supporting “territorial integrity of Serbia and preservation of its internationally recognized borders.” According to the report, India’s ambassador Aji Swarupa reminded that authorities in New Delhi always supported UN Resolution 1244, according to which Kosovo-Metohija province is an integral part of the Republic of Serbia.
Russian Duma: Security Council Confused by the Fact Ahtisaari’s Draft Adopted Only Albanian Separatists’ Requests
President of the Foreign policy Committee with the Russian Duma Konstantin Kosachov stated on April 5 that Russia has “neither moral nor political right to allow adoption of a resolution on Kosovo-Metohija status in the UN Security Council if the Serbian and Albanian side did not achieve compromise or agree that possibilities for further negotiations are exhausted.” He underlined that it is not only Russia’s approach but that it is supported by most Security Council members except for the US, Britain, France, and Belgium. There is no reason for urgent adoption of the resolution on Kosovo-Metohija province, said Kosachov, reminding of the great similarity with the situation in Cyprus that has been legally and politically undefined for over three decades. The Russian official said that a large number of Security Council members was confused with the fact that Ahtisaari’s report adopted almost all requests of the Albanian separatists and nearly none of proposals by the Serbian side. Belgrade filed as many as 500 amendments to Ahtisaari’s draft and the UN Envoy adopted only one, which is the fact that speaks for itself, pointed Kosachov.
Kosovo-Metohija Serbs: International Officials Threatening Serbs With More Violence Endorse Crime, Persecution and Murder
The Association of Serbian Municipalities and Settlements in Kosovo-Metohija province assessed that the fact-based presentation of Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica before the UN Security Council has rendered Ahtisaari’s proposal meaningless. Kosovo-Metohija Serbs have been encouraged by this, hoping that the space has been created for new negotiations on the status of their Province. The most important thing is that Serbia is no longer alone and that there is a growing opinion that seizing part of the territory of an independent state is against the international principles on which world order is based, said the Association. According to its representatives, threats of violence against Serbs from numerous Albanian lobbyists and international officials in case Kosovo province is not given independence is a method of affirming crime, persecution and murder as a legitimate means of attaining political goals.
Photo: AFP/Dmitar Dilkoff
Posted by Svetlana at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
http://abuaardvark.typepad.com/abuaardvark/2007/04/jaysh_alislami_.html
Jaysh al-Islami vs Al-Qaeda
Yesterday I noted that the 1920 Revolution Brigades had changes its name to HAMAS-Iraq in what seemed to be a bid to unite the Iraqi mujahideen outside of the Iraqi Islamic State (al-Qaeda). Today, the Islamic Army in Iraq (Jaysh al-Islami) has released a very long, very angry denunciation of the Iraqi Islamic State and al-Qaeda in Iraq (available at the IAI site and on many forums). Jaysh al-Islami is one of the largest and most important of the Sunni insurgency groups, and has been repeatedly mentioned as one engaged in talks with the Iraqi government and with the United States. This statement marks one of the most direct and open confronations with AQI and the IIS that has yet appeared - far more direct and clear than the HAMAS statement which we debated yesterday.
The IAI statement comes in response to a speech by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi which had demanded that all jihadist factions come under the banner of the Iraqi Islamic State. The IAI begins by laying down its principles and its history, comparing its four years of armed resistance to the occupation favorably to what al-Qaeda had managed. It blasts Abu Omar for dividing Muslims and the jihad, spreading internal conflict instead of unifying their efforts: the mujahideen should be responding to the aggression of the Americans and Iranians and Sufis, not fighting against each other. The IAI complains about al-Qaeda’s practice of declaring takfir on all those who disagree with it, and of killing people it declares kafir who are perfectly good Muslims. The IAI calls for pragmatism and a level of moderation - for instance, it decries Abu Omar’s demands that all Sunni women wear the niqab by pointing out that women wearing the niqab come under greater scrutiny from the American and Iraqi armies and that this imposes unnecessary burdens on them. It complains about al-Qaeda members killing good Muslims, attacking other jihadists, ransacking their homes, and of doctrinal and physical intimidation. Throughout, the statement blasts Abu Omar and al-Qaeda for seeking to impose its control over organizations which have acted independently and successfully for years, and for accusing all who refuse to submit to al-Qaeda of being American agents.
The IAI then responds to a range of criticisms leveled against it. It denies having negotiated with the Americans (and says that it knows of no major jihadist group which has), but keeps the door open: doesn’t Abu Omar understand the difference between negotiating to secure the fruits of victory and a surrender? It denies categorically having any relations with the Baath party or Baathists. It admits talking to Yosri Fouda of al-Jazeera for a documentary film, but denied that talking to al-Jazeera means that they are conspiring with the Mossad - pointing out that many al-Qaeda people had also talked to Fouda and to al-Jazeera. It says that the IAI will talk to any media which help it advance the cause of the Iraqi jihad - something which al-Qaeda of all organizations should understand (a less-than-veiled criticism of the publicity seeking of the AQI leaders). Finally, it makes a point of denying that it had received any financial or other support from any Arab government or Iran, only from Muslims supportive of jihad in Iraq.
After all this, it turns to what should be done. It is witheringly critical of Abu Omar’s attempt to describe everyone outside of the Iraqi Islamic State as kufr, and to make fighting the armies of Arab governments more of a priority than fighting the Americans. It then calls on the ulema of the Islamic world to issue clear fatwas in support of the jihad in Iraq. It calls on Osama bin Laden to intervene with al-Qaeda in Iraq to stop its divisive rhetoric and actions. And it calls on al-Qaeda in Iraq to review its actions and to correct its mistakes before it is too late.
There’s a lot of noise out there about tribes rising up against al-Qaeda, which I take with considerable skepticism, but this statement posted on the IAI website speaks for itself. It’s the most concrete evidence I’ve yet seen of real splits between the IIS/AQI and the other non-AQ parts of the Islamist insurgency. It may or may not be a coincidence that the influential Islamist Hamid al-Ali almost simultanously wrote taht the Iraqi Islamic State should be seen as just one faction among many in the Iraqi jihad and should stop trying to monopolize it. (Both Ali and the IAI have come under pretty heavy fire in the jihadi forums, it’s worth noting.) Whether this should be read as a sign of IIS/AQI strength rather than weakness, as suggested by Greg Gause, is an important question... the IAI statement could be seen as a desperate attempt to staunch the flow of support away from itself towards al-Qaeda, rather than as the reaction of a strong, confident movement. I don’t know. Nor do I think that this should be read as an indicator of the success (or failure) of the American “surge” - I think it has more to do with the internal politics of the Sunni insurgency than with American efforts. But as with yesterday’s post, consider this another data point which deserves attention.
Oh, one more thing. I’m sure this is just an odd quirk of how Arabic script is appearing on my screen, but I just had to reproduce this little bit from early in the statement, which just cracks me up:
Godfrowns
God says (frowny face).
I’m fairly sure that “frowny face” is not traditional Quranic calligraphy.
http://talismangate.blogspot.com/2007/04/islamic-army-of-iraq-lambasts-al-qaeda.html
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Islamic Army of Iraq Lambasts Al-Qaeda, Al-Baghdadi
vs.
The Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI) issued a lengthy statement today on its affiliated websites (see IAI’s official website and Al-Buraq Forum, both in Arabic) under the title ‘The Islamic Army of Iraq’s Response to the Speeches of Brother Abu Omar al-Baghdadi’ that amounts to a vicious rhetorical counterattack against Al-Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq and its recent statements and actions.
This communiqué came a day after Sheikh Hamid al-Ali issued a fatwa (Arabic) casting doubts over the validity of giving allegiance to Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Al-Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq (ISI); this religious edict has sent jihadist forums abuzz with recriminations between supporters of Al-Qaeda and its detractors. Al-Ali is one of the more influential jihadist theologians, and he’s based in Kuwait. He goes as far as saying that Al-Qaeda should retract its declaration of the ISI and that it is unprecedented in Islam to give allegiance to an anonymous ‘Imam’ who holds no sway over territory. (Side note: Al-Ali regularly writes poetry hailing the killing of Americans in Iraq; Kuwait was liberated by American soldiers. Al-Ali, to my knowledge, doesn’t get hassled by the Kuwaiti authorities; Why is that?)
The IAI’s communiqué begins with a very long preamble explaining the IAI’s principles, which I have chosen not to translate. I translated some excerpts (see below) of what I believe are the important new developments brought about by this communiqué and I chose to leave out all the religious references to the Koran and Islamic tradition that are employed by the statement to anchor its points.
This is the first time, as the statement makes clear, that the IAI have openly expressed their disapproval of Al-Qaeda’s rhetoric and actions, and they didn’t want to do that earlier because it would have hurt the cause of jihad, the IAI says.
It is interesting that the IAI (the communiqué is not attributed to any individual or body within the IAI) never mentions the words ‘Islamic State of Iraq’ or its predecessor, the Shura Council of the Mujaheddin, and chooses to refer to al-Baghdadi’s organization as ‘Al-Qaeda’; they’re calling it as it is, which is more than can be said about the U.S. media (see my column, Blackout of the Media, which also gives some background on the ISI and its timeline. I’ve also speculated about al-Baghdadi’s real identity here). They also never refer to any honorific titles when addressing al-Baghdadi (…referred to simply as ‘Abu Omar’) and al-Muhajir (…referred to as ‘Abu Hamza’); they are deliberately being rude.
The IAI is responding to al-Baghdadi’s Third Speech (released on March 13, 2007) and they address several points or accusations in this speech that the IAI feels is directed against it: collaborating with the Mossad, being in Saudi Arabia’s pay, and negotiating with the Americans. It’s important to read al-Baghdadi’s speech beforehand to get a feel for all the points being made by the IAI.
The IAI also addresses some leaps taken by al-Baghdadi such as labeling other jihadists who have not pledged allegiance to him as seditionists, and beginning to terrorize them into submission. (I’ve written about this in my column from last month, Jihadist Meltdown)
The chief point of the IAI’s statement is made towards the end: the grown-ups of Al-Qaeda need to reign in their adolescents who are running amok in Iraq and ruining the jihad. The IAI appeals to Osama Bin Laden to reassert ideological and organizational control and authority over the branch of his franchise operating under the name ‘Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia’ and warns that if corrective steps are not taken then great harm will befall the jihadist venture in Iraq.
The leader of Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, and the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq to whom he pledged allegiance to, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, are not going to take kindly towards the IAI when invoking the authority of the ‘Waziristanis’, i.e. Bin Laden and Zawahiri, who al-Muhajir and al-Baghdadi have already written off as has-beens in the pantheon of the jihadist superstars.
I’ve been making this point on Talisman Gate ever since the Islamic State of Iraq was declared by al-Qaeda on October 12, 2006: this was a huge strategic mistake that has come back to bite them in the ass, and there’s no way out of this mess—no one, not Bin Laden or Al-Ali, can undo this damage.
The insurgency in Iraq is one of the top global security issues of our times, but it is being covered in an uninformed and shallow manner by the press. I would put this fight between Al-Qaeda and the other jihadist groups right up there at the top of what should be getting reported from Iraq—unfortunately, very few news bureaus are putting in the effort.
Here are the translated excerpts:
And since many people hold the mujaheddin generally, and the Islamic Army specifically, liable for remaining silent over what is being done by some brothers in the Al-Qaeda organization by way of judicial excesses, we justify [our silence] by [saying]:
1-We were busy fighting Allah’s enemies; the Americans, the Safavids and those who aid them.
2-To preserve the brotherhood of Islam and faith among all the mujaheddin.
3-To preserve the jihadist project which belongs to the entire ummah [fellowship of Muslims].
4-To be wary of being used by the enemies of Islam and the Muslims.
5-To give ample opportunity for reform and returning to what is just.
Thus we resolved to treat them with wisdom and pleasant patience…
But it was to no avail, for their chief concern became to harm [our] blessed organization…using whatever means and methods such as:
-Libeling [our] group with arbitrary false and abusive accusations [such as] attributing us to the Ba’ath [Party], and they know and everyone knows that there isn’t a single Ba’athist in [our] group and there is no link whatsoever between us and the Ba’athists, neither ideologically nor organizationally or operationally, and at other times they attribute [our] group to other Islamist platforms and movements and that is patently false, and [at other times] they attach [us] to intelligence organizations, and at every turn Allah shows that which is just, and the falsehood of these accusations is made clear, and the numbers of the mujaheddin and [their] operations increase, and blessings fall upon this group and it becomes more acceptable to the people and spreads [among them]…and they should have been happy for us and to wish us well as we do towards them…
…
-And as such, they have threatened some members of [our] group with murder if they don’t pledge allegiance to Al-Qaeda or its other names, and we would [turn a blind eye] so that the fight would be limited to the enemies…
-And then those people went further and they unjustly killed some brothers [from our group]…the numbers [of those killed] have [climbed] to over thirty until now, and they weren’t satisfied with just that for they showed hostility towards other jihadist groups, and this hostility turned into confrontations with some groups such as the 1920 Revolt Brigades and until this hour there are recurrent confrontations between the two in Abu Ghraib, and the most recent was the murder of one of their field commanders and he is [our] brother Harith Dhahir al-Dhari, may Allah receive him, and they killed some members of the Army of the Mujaheddin and then some members of the Ansar al-Sunnah, and they threatened the Islamic Front, and all these group bore the burden of preserving the jihadist venture so that it would not veer off course.
-But this pleasant patience only made them more daring, and they made allowable the murder of a number of Muslims and especially the easy targets such as the sheikhs and [the criers for prayers] at the mosques, and unarmed Sunnis, some of them were members in the Muslim Clerics Association…Even lay Sunnis became legitimate targets for them and especially those who are wealthy, for they either pay what is wanted of them or are killed, and whoever criticizes them or disagrees with them and shows them their faults in such actions, then they seek to kill him for this is easy of them, and justifying it is even easier.
-Attacking peoples’ homes and taking their money is commonplace.
-Labeling people as infidels and apostates is a usual matter now.
-And then they slandered [us] in the media, as was clear in the two speeches of Abu Hamza and the speeches of Abu Omar, which were full of accusations…
All these speeches that are being referred have been covered on Talisman Gate: Abu Hamza al-Muhajir’s first speech and his second speech. See also Al-Baghdadi’s first, second and third speeches.
This is a useful backgrounder on the IAI and their gradual radicalization.
And we didn’t hurry in responding to what we were accused of, for we awaited the pious clerics to advise [Al-Qaeda] and to show them the mistakes and [their] judicial transgressions especially the ones in the last speech [by al-Baghdadi], so that we deflect this opportunity from being used by our enemies the Americans and the Safavids and those who are with them, and so that the advice would be like a healing tonic for all, but our imams did not speak out so it became necessary to address some points so that no one would think they were valid:
…
-There was a challenge to all the mujaheddin outside of Al-Qaeda to showcase one operation against an American base…The number of raids conducted by the Islamic Army against bases and barracks number in the tens, and [the IAI] seized major bases too by Allah’s reward, including the ‘Golden Base’ in Jurf al-Sakhr that was [annihilated] in 2003 even before Al-Qaeda was established in Iraq, and the ‘Eagle Base’ that was wiped out in 2006, and the bases of the Ukrainians who fled back defeated to their country, and many other operations that have recently topped a thousand operations per month…
…
-And the other groups conduct blessed and innumerable operations for all to see…So how can they all be cancelled [by al-Baghdadi]!!!
-There is also the accusation that [our] group conspired with the journalist Yusri Fodah and the Mossad…And it just so happens that the same journalist had met with the leaders of the Al-Qaeda organization, and produced programs and films for them, and went to their places and headquarters, so does that mean that all those leaders were conspirators aiding the Mossad? Such as Khalid Sheikh and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, may Allah release them, or does the Mossad link apply only to he who meets with the Islamic Army?
And we deal with every journalist individually or as a means that serves the causes of our ummah and especially the cause of jihad in Iraq irrespective of judging them, what is important is that we don’t have a harmful security lapse…
As regarding the dearth of men and exposing the route, everyone knows that is false for the crossing route of the mujaheddin is not hidden from anyone, and as such what would one say about the reports and films produced under Al-Qaeda’s supervision and the speeches of its leaders that did not leave a detail unstated, for we were not the ones who revealed the details of 911 and we were not the ones who uncovered the whereabouts of Al-Qaeda’s individuals in Arab and non-Arab countries, and all these things were mentioned in their speeches? So is this [also] cooperation with the Mossad?
…
-And as for [Al-Baghdadi’s] mention of the mujaheddin as ‘Saudi Hezbollah’ then we are thankful to Allah that we never followed any government or party or front whether internal or external, and we suffered a lot as did our Salafist brothers in Iraq and especially in the last decade of the last century, from accusations of links with the Wahhabis and the Saudis as they call them, and oddly they add the Mossad to them too!!!!!
And after the occupation, the labels increased to become ‘Terrorist Wahhabi’…etc, and then our brothers come to accuse their brothers who are with them in the same trench against the enemies with the same accusations hurled against us by the enemies of Islam…
Thanks be to Allah we have not received, to this hour, any aid from any government, neither from the Arab governments nor from Iran, and we have not sought to receive support for the jihad from any Arab country unless it was general support for the Muslims in Iraq, and even so all the governments advance one step forward then go back a thousand steps awaiting a clear American permit to aid the Sunnis of Iraq.
As regards to the oil money, well nothing has reached the mujaheddin neither from Iraq’s oil or the oil of any other country, neither directly or indirectly.
Then who are those ‘clerics of the tyrant’ and the ‘merchants of religion’? Why all these talismans?
And what has been put in reserve for future speeches that are set aside for the [Badr Forces] and the [Mahdi Army] and Chalabi and Allawi and the others?
The implication here is that “Al-Qaeda had said its worst against fellow jihadists, so what is left to tar the enemies with, then?”
And if matters had been left at this then they wouldn’t have needed a response [from us] to clarify them since they are clear…But brother Abu Omar transgressed against the whole ummah and against the platform of the ummah’s predecessors and its clerics by bringing forth weird laws and issues:
-Such as considering all the lands of Islam as lands of the infidels. If so, what is the verdict on his state which is under the rule of the Crusaders and their aides?
-His saying that fighting the armies of the Arab governments is more pressing than fighting the Crusader occupier?!
-To say that jihad is mandatory—with such comprehensiveness—since the fall of Andalusia; this is not backed-up.
-His judgment that the People of the Book in our land are people of war who have no protections; who of the learned men says so with such comprehensiveness?
-And he judged all the sons of the jihadist groups as seditionists…adding that they call upon their tribes and members to rest and be lethargic!!! Is there any rest and lethargy in Iraq? And he called the pledge of allegiance to him the ‘duty of the age’ and this is [indeed] very dangerous for those who understood him!!
This is a clear reference by the IAI that they understand that al-Baghdadi is setting himself up as the candidate caliph.
…
-He accused the [other] groups of seeking accords with the Americans, while not distinguishing between negotiations that are properly based on Shariah and the treaties of surrender being called for by the [defeatists], and he stipulated the permission of his state, but who acknowledges his state [in the first place] for him to permit [anything]?
-And even though we in the Islamic Army accept the legality of negotiations with the enemies, but we have not negotiated with any enemy until this hour whether they were Americans or Safavids or others, and it is unnecessary to go through the conditions for negotiations since they have been stated often, and we also do not know of any major jihadist group that had negotiated with the Americans…except for some hangers-on to the jihad who have been exposed.
…
On this occasion, we direct the following pressing calls:
First: to the learned men of the ummah, for them to take on their religious duty to save the jihadist project in Iraq and to stop the flow of Muslim blood by issuing fatwas in the important matters after determining the reality on the ground, and not to be silent…
Second: to the leaders of the Al-Qaeda organization, headed by the mujahid Sheikh Osama Bin Laden, may Allah preserve him, and who is famous for being very careful where Muslim blood and honor are concerned, and who is famous for his piety and fear of the Day of Judgment, to defend his religion and honor by taking upon himself judicial and organizational responsibility for the Al-Qaeda organization, and to clarify facts so that he can be assured, for he and his brothers in the leadership of Al-Qaeda are responsible for what is being done by their followers, and it is not enough to distance yourselves from such acts but you must correct the course…
Third: to all the members of Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, to look inside [yourselves] and to fear Allah for what you have perpetrated and those who have been sinful should seek redemption in Allah…
Fourth: to all jihadist groups and factions, they should advise their brothers in the Al-Qaeda organization since it is required to fix the matter of the jihad.
posted by Nibras Kazimi
5 Comments:
gawad said...
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
6:14 PM, April 05, 2007
Anonymous said...
Takfirists turning on Takfirists, you have to see that as a victory for the Iraqi and American peoples.
Thank you Nibras for the excellent effort. If the Ny Times did a story on that, first of all, they wouldn’t do as good of a job and seconly they would spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on research/contacts etc... so my question is this, why the hell are people still reading that trash when there is this treasure called blogger.com and there are these gems like yourself.
You are doing God’s work.
6:42 PM, April 05, 2007
Robert said...
Well, Nibras, this intra-irhabist feud can only bode well for our allies in Anbar.
Bill Roggio:
On the political front, the Anbar Salvation Council will hold a meeting in Baghdad with the province’s tribes to discuss the situation in Anbar province and further integration in the political and security spheres. This is a continuation of Prime Minister Maliki’s reconciliation program in Anbar province. The Iraqi government has ignored Anbar in the past as it is a wellspring of the Sunni insurgency, so a meeting of the council in Baghdad represents a sea change in the government’s position on the province.
Question: The covenant signed by the founding tribes of the Awakening Movement in September, 2006, states that killing an American in Anbar is like killing a tribal member. Does this apply to the Iraqi nationalist jihadists as well as to Al Qaeda jihadists?
8:57 PM, April 05, 2007
Anonymous said...
Nibras:-
What you have been saying for months is coming true and I wish more people in our government are listening to you.
You should be given credit for all the great work you put in here and in your columns.
Keep up the good work.
10:20 PM, April 05, 2007
pelted said...
This is an amazing blog and this is an amazing post. Of course, I think that if the media were widely covering this story it would provide much more motivation for these groups to put up a better public face. These groups are well aware of the PR effects of ALL of their actions, and it may be best to let them continue to self-destruct in private.
9:25 AM, April 06, 2007
My Photo
Name: Nibras Kazimi
Visiting Scholar at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC. I also write a weekly column on the Middle East for the New York Sun, and a monthly column for the Prospect Magazine (UK).
http://commentary.threatswatch.org/2007/04/grapes-of-wrath-americas-recip/
ThreatsWatch.Org: Commentary
Grapes of Wrath: America’s Recipe for al-Qaeda’s Victory
The US State Department Supports All But Somalis in Somalia
By Steve Schippert
It’s ‘The Other Spring Offensive.’ In order to create an eastern toehold on the Horn of Africa and create an Islamist Crescent from Mogadishu to Morocco, al-Qaeda is recommitting to re-taking Somalia through their once-ousted Southern Garrison, the Islamic Courts Union. With al-Qaeda’s clear and overt strategic aims on conquering Somalia, one would think that, at the very least, America’s economic might would be employed to support Somalis practically begging for the tools to do the bulk of the fighting themselves on all fronts - militarily, governmentally and socially. Think again.
This week, I wrote an analytical commentary for FrontPage Magazine titled Do or Die in Somalia that looked at the situation on the ground there but, more importantly, also at America’s inexplicably disengaged stance in a clear front-line battle with al-Qaeda. Given that al-Qaeda’s goal is to destroy the UN-recognized Transitional Federal Government and replace it with an Islamist-run state governed by strict adherence to Shari’a law, this American disengagement is difficult to fathom. What the average American needs to know is simply this:
No matter one’s political views, it should be a source of national shame and utter embarrassment that the Islamic Courts Union fighters receive more arms, better equipment and far more funding from al-Qaeda than the Somali Transitional Federal Government receives from the United States.
Indeed, al-Qaeda leadership has made repeated calls recently for terrorist fighters and supporters to pour terrorist human resources, cash and weapons into Somalia for this fight from around the globe.
It is from this perspective that one must consider the latest story from the USA Today generously titled “U.S. tries new strategy with Somalia”. The opening sentence is even more generous in terming US support.
CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti — The United States is using surrogate nations and financial aid in an effort to prevent Somalia from slipping further into chaos as militias battle in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.
The United States has vowed to support an African Union peacekeeping force arriving in Somalia and has trained elements of the Ethiopian army, which toppled Somalia’s anti-American Islamic government.
Why can’t the United States (read: State Department) ‘vow to support’ the Somali Transitional Federal Government who, unlike other theaters in the Long War, has wanted to both install a representative secular democratic system of government and fight al-Qaeda on their own soil? As one will clearly see, we choose instead to let the willing and almost able wither on the vine like forgotten grapes in a vineyard that sees too few of them to begin with.
The ‘surrogate nations’ are more accurately termed a willing Ethiopia, who is in al-Qaeda’s sights as well and perhaps a ‘Step 2’ in their overall Horn of Africa terrorist grand strategy. It is not as if Ethiopia has no stake in the fight beyond American funding and training. Perhaps if they were more European they would be termed an ally, but I digress. Even still, fully two-thirds of the Ethiopian forces have withdrawn to Ethiopia.
The true pitfall in the USA Today opening line, and thus in the thrust of the entire article, is the suggestion that the United States is providing financial aid in the conflict. This implies much that is not there, principally the absence of any of that financial aid actually finding its way to the front-line TFG forces actively fighting al-Qaeda currently in and around Mogadishu. Somali TFG forces lack boots, training, pay and often even lack food.
If it was so critical that America chose to directly support driving the Islamic Court Union al-Qaeda franchise out of Somalia, why then do we now insist on turning our backs on those we helped liberate?
The USA Today talks about US aid in the effort, but fails to give an accounting. Here is the accounting: The US State Department committed $40 million. But $16 million was spent on the funding needed humanitarian aid in Somalia. The other $24 million is marked solely to underwrite the transportation and supply of an 8,000 man African Union ‘peacekeeping’ force. What’s left is what goes to the Somali’s trying to hold onto their country and create a functioning secular democratic government. Do the math. Zero.
What’s worse, the African Union has only managed about 1,500 Ugandan troops fielded thus far. And the leadership of those forces have already begun to make non-engagement agreements with the most hostile local Mogadishu tribes. (UNIFIL in Africa, anyone?)
That, my friends, is what our State Department is bankrolling.
What sense is there in this?
Al-Qaeda has declared a jihad in and on Somalia since being driven out. They are returning now and making good on their promise to unleash “an Iraq-style insurgency” seeking the TFG’s destruction. Millions are available for the al-Qaeda mission. They are better trained, better armed (try night vision goggles, for size) and inexplicably more financially supported than the TFG forces we left the country to…without any direct financial support.
So when you read stories about American support in the Horn of Africa and in Somalia, look for actual numbers and do the math. Try these numbers:
1.) Ethiopian Forces are already down to one-third strength.
2.) AU ‘peacekeeping’ forces are stalled at a disengaged 1,500.
3.) al-Qaeda is streaming back with a call to jihad.
4.) al-Qaeda is streaming back with untold millions in support.
5.) The Somali TFG has nothing and receives less.
Not sure what the Vegas line is, but Spring Offensive is the game.
Again, do the math. It’s not exactly trigonometry.
There is one clear choice for the future of Somalia going forward. With proper American support, a secular and democratic Somalia with local clan representation at district, regional and federal government levels will emerge. With proper American support, Somalis will fight to achieve this and defeat the emerging al-Qaeda insurgency and save their own lands. Without proper American support, Somalia will with certainty succumb to al-Qaeda-aligned Islamists and become another Islamic State, complete with terrorist safe haven and a repressed people.
Shame on us. Don’t call your bookie. Call the US Department of State.
By Steve Schippert on April 5, 2007 12:03 AM
Notes
FrontPage Magazine: Do or Die in Somalia
USA Today: U.S. tries new strategy with Somalia
http://rapidrecon.threatswatch.org/2007/04/the-unnatural-linkage-of-harir/
The Unnatural Linkage of Hariri, Pelosi and Assad
Steve
Much has been said and written of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to meet with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. But for all the criticism, little if any has been leveled at perhaps the most stunning statement to date made by a public figure (this side of Ahmadinejad). It was made by Speaker Pelosi while visiting Beirut Tuesday. Lebanon’s Daily Star headline alone is enough to grab the attention of the mildly observant: Pelosi stresses dialogue with Syria as medicine for what ails Lebanon. But the quote within is a jaw dropper.
“The road to solving Lebanon’s problems passes through Damascus,” Pelosi told reporters after meeting with Lebanese parliamentary leader Saad Hariri at Qoreitem.
That she believes “the road to solving Lebanon’s problems” passes anywhere near Damascus is troubling enough, as ‘solving’ has nothing to do with it.
But that a major US political figure uttered such after speaking with the son of a man assassinated at the command of Bashar Assad - who happens to live in Damascus, coincidentally - is simply stunning. Stunning. I’ve no other words.
I had sent this article and quote to a few friends. One of them, a counterterrorism analyst I spoke to later by phone, replied, “She seriously said that? I thought it was a joke.” The conversation then naturally led down the path of such similarly proud moments as the new sitting Chairman of the House Committee on Intelligence not understanding the fundamental difference between Sunni and Shi’a just days before his confirmation. But even that pales in comparison to pontificating to Saad Hariri that ‘dialogue’ with his father’s assassin will solve Lebanon’s problems.
Lebanon’s biggest problem is it’s Syria-supported Hizballah terrorist ‘state within a state.’ Up there also is Lebanon’s sitting pro-Syrian president, Emil Lahoud, still in office though installed during Syrian occupation. And the assassinations of anti-Syrian Lebanese figures after Rafik Hariri was blown up with 19 others by a Beirut truck bomb? All of these roads lead to Damascus.
For those who may criticize these words here as a ‘partisan attack,’ I offer:
Exhibit ‘A’: Who is Next?
Pay special attention to the last frame, as the words in the presentation’s title are not mine. They are Lebanese in origin.
Madam Speaker, with all due respect, you owe Saad Hariri an apology.
[Bunny Kisses to all of you!!!]
T O D A Y ‘ S Q U O T E
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Easter is the demonstration of God that
life is essentially spiritual and timeless
~Charles M. Crowe
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
T O D A Y ‘ S R E C I P E S
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
FRIDAY’S RECIPES: HOLIDAY FUN
If you are in need a some Easter ideas or Passover
recipes visit our holiday section! I also have some
neat recipes to share today. Here is the link:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/main.html
It’s 29 degrees and snowing here so our egg hunt is
going to be rather chilly to say the least!
GAYLA’S FAVORITE EASTER COOKIES
Easter Sugar Cookies
From Gayla, OFL Moderator
Ingredients:
4 cups all purpose flour
3 1/4 sticks butter cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I use 2 cups)
2 egg yolks plus 1 egg white
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
Icing:
1 lb powdered sugar
3 tbsp. powdered egg whites
6 to 9 tbsp. water
assorted liquid food colors
Mix all sugar cookie ingredients in food processor or
mixer until dough forms. Divide in half and wrap in
plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. (I have made
this dough ahead and refrigerated it for 2 weeks) Roll
out dough about 1/8” thick and cut out with cookie cutters.
Bake 400 for 8 to 10 minutes (I bake longer because
I like crisper cookie) Cool on wire racks. Prepare icing
by mixing all ingredients and divide into separate bowls
and add food coloring. Decorate cookies when they are
completely cooled.
This recipe is good to use with cookie cutters because it
holds it’s shape during baking. You can make those thick
decorated sugar cookies like you get at the bakery. ~Gayla
CINDY’S AWARD WINNING LEMON BARS
I won Grand Champion at our county fair with this recipe!
Tangy Lemon Bars
Ingredients:
Crust:
2 c. flour
3/4 c. margarine
3/4 c. sugar
Filling:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp lemon peel 1/4 c flour
1/4 c. lemon juice 1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar 1 1/2 TBL lemon juice
1 tbsp. margarine 1/2 tsp vanilla
Combine crust ingredients. Pour into ungreased 9 x 13 pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F.oven for 20 minutes. Combine eggs,
sugar, lemon peel salt and lemon juice. Blend 2 minutes with
mixer. Add flour and baking powder, blend well. Pour filling
onto crust and bake 25 minutes. Combine glaze and spread
on cooled bars.
EASY EASTER CANDY FUN
Bunny Kisses
From Laura Kaye
Put some Hershey Kisses or Hugs in a plastic baggie (or use
chocolate chips- they look like mini kisses) and attach the
following poem:
This cute little bunny has hopped all day
Been delivering baskets for the holiday.
His paws are so tired and his little nose itches.
He left you something special-something to fill all your wishes.
These cute little hugs and Easter kisses
SLOVAK TRADITIONS
I am Slovak and would like to share my Grandma’s Hrudka
(Easter Cheese) recipe. It’s simple to make a good to eat!
Hrudka (Slovak Easter Cheese)
This is to be made the night before Easter.
Ingredients:
1 dozen eggs
1 quart milk
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Crack eggs in a bowl and beat until smooth. Put eggs into large
sauce or frying pan and stir in milk, sugar and vanilla. On medium
low heat, stir mixture constantly until curds separate from whey.
Pour into cheesecloth, squeeze out as much of the whey as you
can and hang overnight. On Easter morning, cut into slices or
cubes and serve cold.
My Grandmother taught me how to make hrudka. It is traditionally
only made and eaten on Easter Sunday and served with kolbasi,
ham, paska (a sweet bread with whole hardboiled eggs baked into
it) and freshly grated horseradish. Everything is put on a platter
and everyone eats from the same big platter. I teach cheesemaking
classes and always add this recipe to my handout!
~Suzanne Nagler Harris
http://www.goodnaturedearthling.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Drive safely and have a wonderful holiday! ~Brenda
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com
ISI Details Attack on US Forces in Fallujah 28 Mar
Islamic State of Iraq Gives Details on ‘City of Mosques’ Battle in Al-Fallujah 28 Mar
Originally published on 3/29/2007 by Jihadist Websites — OSC Summary in Arabic
Terrorism: Islamic State of Iraq Gives Details on ‘City of Mosques’ Battle in Al-Fallujah 28 Mar
On 28 March, a jihadist website posted a statement issued by the Islamic State of Iraq in which the group claimed responsibility for the attack carried out against US Forces on Wednesday, 28 March, in the city of Al-Fallujah, which they referred to as the battle of “The City of Mosques.” The statement was attributed to the Ministry of Information of the Islamic State of Iraq, and was copied from the Al-Fajr Media Center. All dates are published as received.
A translation of the statement follows:
“In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
“Praise be to God, Lord of all creation, and prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and companions.
“This morning of Wednesday, 9 Rabi-al-Awwal 1428, corresponding to 28 March 2007, the brigades of the Islamic State of Iraq, may God protect her, in the city of Al-Fallujah, prepared for a battle for this blessed morning. The soldiers of the state spent their night offering their supplications to God asking Him to guide their strikes and to grant them victory over their enemy. And, in the early morning, the lions of Islam took off, after relying on God, to carry out the attack. The plan for this operation was as follows:
“1. The soldiers of the [Islamic] State [of Iraq] carried out an attack against the headquarters of the Crusaders in the city of Al-Fallujah, referred to as “The Simak,” from four angles, and clashed with them with various types of light and medium weapons for more than 30 minutes.
“2. Then, two lions belonging to the martyrdom brigade of the [Islamic] State [of Iraq], may God protect her, drove two trucks, from two different sides, into the headquarters, causing serious losses in the lives and the equipment of the Crusaders. Praise be to God.
“3. At the same time, the soldiers of the [Islamic] State [of Iraq] set up four booby-trapped vehicles on the side of the road to trap the approaching support that was sent to support the Crusader forces, and detonated [the booby-trapped vehicles] against a number of American vehicles, leading to the destruction and the disabling of several of them.
“4. Following this, the soldiers of the [Islamic] State [of Iraq] shelled the headquarters with 82-mm and 120-mm mortars to finish off whatever was left of the Crusaders, scoring a direct and accurate hit. Chinook planes were seen landing inside the center to transport the dead and the wounded.
“5. Simultaneously, at another location, one of the lions of the martyrdom brigade drove his booby-trapped truck into the Al-Mazra’ah headquarters, which is one of the Crusader forces’ largest [military] camps near the city of Al-Fallujah, which led to the killing and the wounding of dozens of them.
“After these attacks, the Crusader forces declared a complete curfew in the city of Al-Fallujah, may God grant her strength. We shall bring to you the total outcome of this large blessed operation, God willing.
“This operation comes under the Al-Karamah [Dignity] Plan campaign, which was announced by the amir of the believers, Abu-Umar al-Baghdadi, may God protect him, the amir of the Islamic State of Iraq.
“God is great. ‘Honor belongs to Allah and His Messenger, and to the Believers; but the Hypocrites know not’ [Koranic verse; Al-Munafiqun 63:8].
“The Islamic State of Iraq/ the Information Ministry”
Fatah al-Islam Movement Calls Palestinian Refugees to Jihad
Fatah al-Islam Movement Calls Palestinian Refugees to Jihad
Originally published on 3/28/2007 by Jihadist Websites — OSC Summary in Arabic
Terrorism: Fatah al-Islam Movement Calls Palestinian Refugees to Jihad
On 28 March, a jihadist website posted a statement issued by the Fatah al-Islam Movement, a group based in Lebanon, in which it addressed the Palestinian people in refugee camps, declaring the group’s determination to pursue the way of jihad as the most effective way to liberate their land.
The following is a translation of the statement:
“Fatah al-Islam Movement
“14 March 2007
“A Statement to our people in the [refugee] camps
“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
“Praise be to God who said: “Those (i.e. believers) unto whom the people (hypocrites) said, “Verily, the people (pagans) have gathered against you (a great army), therefore, fear them.” But it (only) increased them in Faith, and they said: “Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us). So they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allah. No harm touched them; and they followed the good Pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty.” [Koran, Al Imran 200:173,174]
“Prayers and peace be upon the leader of mujahidin, our prophet Muhammad, and upon all of his family and companions.
“The forces of wickedness and sin are increasing their aggression against our people to the maximum, and put everything that is taking place on our [refugee] camps, which have suffered repression and deprivation all these years, and turn the victim into a sacrificial lamb for their agreement. Sixty years have passed since the catastrophe [Nakbah of 1948], during which we have counted the hours and minutes and suffered humiliation and repression and have been under siege, while our enemies enjoyed security in our own homes under the protection of the guards who besieged us. They scattered us across the globe and endeavored to make us forget that we have a land blessed by God and violated by the Jews. Here are the guards awaking again and mobilizing, because they sensed a true danger that threatens the state of their masters and because they realized that this path leads to Al-Quds [Jerusalem], Yafa, and Haifa. It is the only path God showed us; the path to victory.
“Oh sons of our free nation,
“Do not worry about their large numbers, for it will not help them against God. The forces of disbelief before them gathered around the city of the messenger of God, may peace be upon him, and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached to the throats, as God Almighty said [in the Koran], then he sent his soldiers to defeat their large numbers. We have now in this gathering of disbelievers and their agents against the small numbers of mujahidin a living example, and we shall, God willing, see them defeated, so that the banner of monotheism is held high over the blessed land violated by the [forces] of disbelief and sin.
“Oh brothers in Islam,
“It is a Paradise the size of the Heavens and Earth, prepared by God for those who spend their life for the sake of God. Do not let it pass you; for everybody is meeting his God, the question is whether it is going to be a happy meeting or an unhappy one. Let us strive on this path to attain the pleasure of God Almighty.
“Any attempt to attack our [refugee] camps will be met with harshness and determination. Hundreds of martyrs who have been preparing against the Jewish state are ready to defend Islam and are burning with passion to meet their God. Be among them, for martyrs are the chosen ones. God Almighty said: ‘He may take martyrs from among you.’ [Koran, 200:140]. And God Almighty also said: ‘And many a Prophet fought (in Allah’s Cause) and along with him (fought) large bands of religious learned men. But they never lost heart for that which did befall them in Allah’s way, nor did they weaken nor degrade themselves. And Allah loves As-Sabirin (the patient). And they said nothing but: Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our transgressions, establish our feet firmly, and give us victory over the dis believing folk. So Allah gave them the reward of this world, and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. And Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (the good-doers).’ [Koran, 200: 146,147,148].
“The time of deliverance from humiliation and dishonor has come; so come to a Paradise the size of the Heavens and Earth. Victory comes only with perseverance.
“God is great, and ‘honor, power and glory belong to Allah, His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites know not.’ [Koran, 11:8]
“Praise be to god, Lord of all creation
“Media Office
“Fatah al-Islam Movement
“Source: Al-Fajr Media Center”
UK Arabic Press Treatment of Pelosi’s Visit to Syria
UK Arabic Press Treatment of Pelosi’s Visit to Syria
Originally published on 4/5/2007 by United Kingdom — OSC Report in Arabic
The London-based Arabic press on 5 April carries factual reports on the visit to Syria by US House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi, highlighting the results of the visit. Al-Hayah publishes the only commentary.
London Al-Hayah carries on pages 1 and 6 a 600-word factual report headlined “Syrian Promise for Pelosi to Work to Exchange Prisoners among Israel, HAMAS, Hizballah. Pelosi Moved from Damascus to Riyadh To Meet King Abdallah.” The report says that Pelosi’s visit to Damascus “resulted in her receiving a Syrian ‘promise’ to ‘exert maximum efforts’ with HAMAS and Hizballah to secure a ‘deal’ that includes exchanging the three Israeli soldiers for Arab prisoners.” The report adds that Pelosi also received reassurances from the Syrian president that Syria “is ready for a comprehensive and just peace that includes the return of the occupied Golan.”
The reportage briefly cites a “high-level” Syrian official saying: The visit is the first in two years by a US official at this level, the visit “has broken the psychological barrier” with regard to the Americans, “the doors of dialogue have now been opened” between Damascus and Congress, “and the administration’s engagement in this dialogue would be welcomed.” The report also cites press statements made by Pelosi expressing concern over those who cross the border and “threaten the Iraqi people and the Americans.” The report highlights Pelosi’s call for Syria to intervene with HAMAS “to help achieve peace with Israel. The report includes a photo of Pelosi and the Syrian president.
Al-Hayah also carries on page 15 an 800-word article by Adnan al-Sayyid Husayn, “a Lebanese writer,” entitled “Democratic Party and US Deterrence Strategy.” The article says Pelosi’s “tour of the Middle East falls within the framework of the Democratic Party’s pressure on the US Administration” in preparation for the 2008 presidential elections. (OSC is filing this item)
London Al-Sharq Al-Awsat publishes no commentaries on Pelosi’s visit to Syria but carries a 500-word factual report on the visit, headlined “Pelosi Delivers to Al-Asad Message from Olmert on Israel’s Readiness To Resume Peace Negotiations. Pelosi Says She Informed Syrian Leadership of ‘Her Concern’ Over Damascus’ Relations with Hizballah and HAMAS.” The report says Pelosi conveyed to the Syrian president “the US Administration’s reservations about Syria’s regional policy” and also expressed to Syrian officials “the concern” over “Syria’s relations with Lebanese Hizballah and the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS.
The report also makes a reference to Pelosi’s statement regarding the concern over those who cross the border to “fight US and Iraqi forces,” and also her statement: “We expressed our concern about the fate of the Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hizballah and HAMAS.” The report includes a photo of Pelosi and the Syrian president.
London Al-Quds al-Arabi publishes two agency reports on Pelosi’s visit to Syria; no commentaries. On page 1, the paper carries a factual 500- word report attributed to AFP and UPI, headlined “Pelosi Conveys to Al-Asad Message from Olmert About His Willingness To Start Negotiations.” The report cites Pelosi as saying before leaving Damascus that she had conveyed to the Syrian president a message from Israeli Prime Minister Olmert about “the Israeli Government’s readiness to launch a peace process with Syria.” Pelosi is also cited as saying: “Al-Asad issued his instructions to follow up the issue of the release of the Israeli prisoners being held by Hizballah and HAMAS.” The report makes a reference to Pelosi’s statement that “the visit is very fruitful for bilateral relations as well as the region’s security, stability, and peace.” Pelosi says her country “is behind a unified and free Lebanon.” The report includes a photo of Pelosi and the Syrian president.
On page 6, Al-Quds al-Arabi carries a factual 800-word report attributed to Reuter and AFP, headlined “Pelosi Meets with Al-Asad in Damascus, Says He Is Ready for Peace Negotiations with Israel.” The report refers to Pelosi’s meeting with the Syrian president and her earlier meetings with the Syrian prime minister and the Syrian foreign minister. The report cites Pelosi saying: “Peace in the Middle East is a high priority. We were very pleased with the reassurances we received from the president that he was ready to resume the peace process. He was ready to engage in negotiations (for peace) with Israel.” The report cites the Syrian president as saying that Pelosi’s visit brings “a message of dialogue and peace.”
The report cites the Syrian news agency, SANA, saying the Syrian President “reiterated Syria’s desire for peace, recalling the role that Syria and the United States have played since the launch of the peace process in Madrid and the talks that followed, in addition to its support for the Arab peace initiative, which proves the credibility of Syria’s peace move as a strategic option.” The report also makes a reference to a statement by the Syrian foreign minister: “They told us Olmert was ready for peace and we told them Syria too was ready for a just and comprehensive peace based on the Arab peace initiative.” The report includes a photo of Pelosi and Syrian Vice President Faruq al-Shar’a.
The electronic daily Ilaf carries a 700-word report headlined “Israel Ignores Al-Asad: No Verbal Message from Olmert.” The report mainly cites the Israeli press on the release of the British sailors in Iran and Pelosi’s visit to Syria. The report makes a reference to the statement issued by Olmert’s office “strongly criticizing Pelosi’s statements.” Olmert’s office “strongly denied that Israel conveyed a message to Syria inviting her to resume peace negotiations, and Pelosi’s statement that she conveyed a message from the Israeli prime minister to Damascus to the effect that Israel is ready for peace talks with Syria is absolutely untrue.” The report includes a photo of Pelosi and the Syrian president.
Descriptors:
London Al-Hayah (Internet Version-WWW) in Arabic — Influential Saudi-owned London daily providing independent coverage of Arab and international issues; commentaries occasionally critical of US policy.
London Al-Sharq al-Awsat (Internet Version-WWW) in Arabic — Influential Saudi-owned London daily providing independent coverage of Arab and international issues; editorials reflect official Saudi views on foreign policy.
London Al-Quds al-Arabi (Internet Version-WWW) in Arabic — London-based independent Arab nationalist daily with an anti-US and anti-Saudi editorial line; generally pro-Palestinian, pro-Iraqi regime, tends to be sympathetic to Bin Ladin.
London Ilaf WWW-Text in Arabic — London Internet daily providing independent coverage of Arab and international issues.
Former Iraqi Minister says Hussein’s regime used jih...
Yes, I’m sure that the Bush administration has exercised the amazing
amount
of constraint necessary to keep such nuclear weapons documentation
under
wraps when releasing it could so easily save the president’s sinking
fortunes. The I’m also sure that the Bush Administration, and the Iraq
Survey Group, have taken the utmost precautions to keep secret the
significant infrastructure necessary to build a nuclear weapon. After
all,
the release of that information might have the same effect as releasing
the
secret nuclear weapons paperwork, disastrous for an Administration so
clearly unconcerned with politics. Yes, I’m absolutely sold on the
clear
and imminent threat posed by the Iraq weapons program that the evil
press is
keeping secret from us. Then there was that Niger deal...
On the chemical weapons, according to intelligence officials and the US
military, responding to Rick Santorum’s attempt to invoke WMD as a
reason he
should stay in the Senate, the chemical was a ‘blister agent that was
no
longer active.’ We aren’t talking VX here.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/21/AR2006062101837.html
Iranian Oppositon Group Jundullah Denies Having Links with United States
Report by Ali Nurizadeh in London and Salah Awwad in New York: “’Jundullah’s’ Leader to ‘Al-Sharq al-Awsat’: I Have No Links With United States. Intelligence Sources Say Washington Backing Secret War Against Iran Across Pakistani Borders”
Originally published on 4/5/2007 by Al-Sharq al-Awsat (Internet Version-WWW) in Arabic
Abdel-Malik Regi, leader of an Iranian rebellion called “Jundullah” and recently renamed “Iranian Opposition Popular Resistance Movement”, has denied categorically the existence of any relationship between his organization and the United States.
Regi’s denial came in an exclusive statement he made to “Al-Sharq al-Awsat” after the American “ABC” channel broadcast a report in which US and Pakistani intelligence sources asserted that Washington is backing “Jundullah” to launch guerilla attacks inside Iranian territories by infiltrating across the Pakistani borders and targeting Iranian army soldiers and officers. Regi said these reports “are fabricated and propaganda circles connected to the Iranian regime are behind them.” He stressed that the organization is made up of young Baluchis “who are fighting for retrieving their usurped rights and backing the establishment of a secular democratic regime in Iran which treats its citizens equally regardless of their religion and community.”
In reply to a question that he is detaining men from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Regi said: “We released three security forces officers on the occasion of Nowruz (the Iranian new year). They were captured by our revolutionaries during a bloody clash few weeks ago with the Guards and the security forces.” He stressed that the regime’s attempts to depict his movement as a fundamentalist organization linked to Al-Qa’ida and Taliban had definitely failed after the movement launched a campaign through the media “to show the truth” and added: “Most sons of Iran know that Abdel-Malik Regi and his brothers oppose Al-Qa’ida and Taliban policies. We are demanding the establishment of a secular democratic system which respects the people’s beliefs and sects. Yes, we are defending the rights of the deprived and persecuted Sunnis against the discrimination practiced by the regime against them which is unprecedented in the history of Iran and the region. The Sunnis do not hold even the lowest political, military, security, and economic responsibility in the country.” [Passage omitted on ABC’s report]
: London Al-Sharq al-Awsat (Internet Version-WWW) in Arabic — Influential Saudi-owned London daily providing independent coverage of Arab and international issues; editorials reflect official Saudi views on foreign policy. URL: http://www.asharqalawsat.com/
Israeli Press Views UK Soldiers’ Release as West Inability To Handle Iran Threat
Originally published on 4/5/2007 by Israel — OSC Summary in Hebrew
Three Israeli dailies on 5 April carry commentaries viewing the release of the British sailors by Iran. Two of them perceive the affair as a demonstration of US and UK weakness and the West’s failure to deal with the Iranian threat. The third praises Prime Minister Blair’s conduct but views the outcome as victory for Iran’s radicals.
Iran Proved US, UK’s Vulnerability
The Jerusalem Post (Internet version-WWW) in English, a right-of-center independent daily, carries Anshel Pfeffer’s analysis, entitled “Iran Shows Up Britain’s Weakness,” saying: “With the 15 British sailors and marines kidnapped on March 23 on their way home, apparently without any major concessions having been awarded to the Iranians (though some could well have been made behind the scenes), it would seem that the British policy of increasing diplomatic pressure through the United Nations and the European Union and not offering the Iranians anything for the captives’ release worked.
“On the other hand, the mullahs have gotten away with piracy on the high seas, thumbing their nose at the United States’s closest ally. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seemed almost magnanimous when he announced his country’s Easter ‘gift’ to Britain, and then receiving (on camera) protestations of gratitude.
“But Ahmadinejad also succeeded at a more fundamental level. The British and American response to the sailors’ abduction proved how difficult it is for Western powers to face the threat his regime poses to the free world.”
“Both US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are aware of the acute danger Iran poses to world peace and Middle East stability, but neither has the credibility or public backing to launch another military campaign. While Bush, in the last quarter of his presidency, still officially has the power to strike at Iran — and many still believe that he might do so before leaving office — Blair, who is planning to vacate Downing Street in three months, is another story.
“Throughout this hostage crisis, the Iranians have read the British perfectly. The timing and content of press releases, the footage of the captured sailors and marines, the female sailor’s statements and the other officers’ admissions of guilt all played on the deep distrust the British public feels toward a government it believes dragged the country into a bloody war under false pretexts.”
“The reluctance to act and the lack of outrage in the public and most of the mainstream media (The Independent went so far as to blame a botched US snatch operation for the Iranians’ action) certainly left its mark on the administration’s policy. Blair was careful not to mention any forceful tactic and his aides downplayed remarks that might be construed as threats. Britain in the twilight of the Blair era is clearly in no condition to participate in another campaign, and there is no indication that Chancellor Gordon Brown, who is expected to succeed Blair, has any interest in doing so once he grasps the reins of power.
“The sailors’ capture also managed to drive a wedge between the two allies, with the UK sending quiet messages to the White House to keep out of the crisis in the belief that the US could only exacerbate tensions.
“It is interesting to speculate how the Bush administration might have reacted had the Iranians abducted US servicemen. It is almost unimaginable the Americans would have been so patient, preferring quiet diplomacy to military pressure. By capturing British sailors, the Iranians were going for the weaker link.
“The 15 abductees might be going home after a traumatic ordeal, but their safe return will only serve to heighten criticism of the American and British military presence in Iraq. Iran has proved just how vulnerable they are.”
West Unable To Use Force Against ‘Local Incidents’ Initiated by Iran
Tzvi Bar’el’s commentary, entitled “A Gift To Britain Is Iran’s Gain” in Ha’aretz (Internet version-WWW) in English, a left-of-center, independent daily of record, says: “When Iran’s president explained that the release of the British prisoners is a gift to the British people on the birthday of the prophet Muhammad, he knew that he had missed the date by three days.
“What is important, though, is not the holiday, but the way the decision was made and who affected it. It begins with the British decision to use diplomatic means and not flex its military muscles — a move linked to the previous British decision to withdraw 1,600 British soldiers serving in Iraq in the coming months. A military operation and concern for further deterioration would have blocked this, and another conference on Iraq is expected to take place soon, with the participation of foreign ministers from the U.S., Britain, Iran and Syria. Britain also understood that any military threat against Iran would bolster extremists such as Ahmadinejad and improve their position in the eyes of the public, which suspects its country is being persecuted.”
“Beyond this, Iran understood the advantages of a diplomatic solution. If the arrest itself, which was carried out on the eve of a United Nations decision on sanctions, was meant to deliver the message that Iran is not afraid of sanctions and that it distinguishes between the nuclear issue and matters pertaining to its territorial sovereignty, the diplomatic solution is no less important. It will now be used by Iran as proof that even powers such as the U.S. and Britain are limited in their ability to use force when it comes to a minor border incident — and that the threat Iran poses is precisely in initiating local incidents that are not sufficiently important to lead to war.”
“It is doubtful whether this incident would impact Iran’s determination to develop nuclear capabilities, a project considered an inalienable part of national strategy and pride.”
Iran’s Radicals Are Winners in Sailors Affair
Yedi’ot Aharonot in Hebrew, an independent, centrist, largest-circulation daily, carries Ronen Bergman’s commentary, entitled “The Iranian President Settled for a Tie” on page 4, asking: “Who won and who lost in the affair of the British sailors’ abduction? In terms of international relations, in was a kind of a tie.
“Tony Blair proved that a crisis can be resolved swiftly by retaining a low profile and without firing a single shot. Having strictly maintained a cautious language and issuing no more than an implied threat to use force, he may have come out less than a macho out of the affair, but the bottom line is that the sailors are on their way back to Britain. Wouldn’t Olmert make a similar deal if he received guarantee that the three missing soldiers would be released within a week?”
“For the Iranians, it was a double-edged show of power. First of all, they showed the West that Iran would not tolerate what it perceives as violation of its sovereignty and honor, and that there are things it can do in response. Actually, Iran used a weapon it has employed for political and military ends since 1983: the taking of hostages. It worked in Lebanon — through Hizballah — where hostages became a valuable bargaining chip that forced the United States (and Israel) to supply Iran with large quantities of weapons. And now it tried to repeat that success at home.
“Secondly, it was a show of power for domestic consumption. Throughout the crisis, President Ahmadinezhad’s voice was almost the only one people heard. The voices of other prominent figures, considered much more moderate (Rafsanjani, Larijani), were hardly heard. At least outwardly, the president set the tone and dictated the terms of the resolution. Yet the man who matters in power struggles in Iran is Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, one of the most radical Iranian clerics, the spiritual pillar of strength for many Revolutionary Guards and intelligence service members. It was in Ayatollah Yazdi’s court that Ahmadinezhad’s political career had been forged. The hand that yesterday bestowed a citation on the sailors’ kidnappers was Ahmadinezhad’s, but the voice was that of Yazdi. At least this time, the radicals prevailed in the struggle over the nature of Iran’s regime.”
Somali Islamist: Top Qaeda Network Leaders Are in Somalia
Member of Islamic Courts Claims Top Al-Qa’ida Network Leaders Are in Somalia
Report by Jean-Philippe Remy: “Islamic Court Leaders Heading Insurrection in Mogadishu”
Originally published on 4/5/2007 by Le Monde (Internet Version-WWW) in French
Admitting that anyone whatsoever is thinking of listening to them, the inhabitants of Mogadishu would be justified in calling for help. Here is a capital in which the Ethiopian army (which is supporting a very weak Somali president, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed) and a group of insurgents have been waging war on one another for four whole days. A part of the city has been shelled by heavy artillery. The number of dead and wounded is in the hundreds. More than 100,000 people, who do not receive any help at all, sleep under trees on the city’s edge. Hospitals are overwhelmed and some were bombed by the Ethiopian army.
The Somalis are all the more alone in their suffering because, with the exception of the International Red Cross, international organizations and bodies, the UN in the lead, have refrained from intervening at all. And the contingent of 1,500 African Union soldiers, who are trying hard to observe cautious neutrality, makes no difference in this regard.
The fragile suspension of hostilities has little chance of lasting. The two sides are taking advantage of this respite to get ready for new confrontations. The Ethiopian army is continuing to reinforce its troops in the capital, where its forces could exceed 4,000 men, before waging the second part of the battle against the insurgents, who also number several thousand men.
Over the past few weeks, the insurgents have appeared to come from the Hawiye, a vast confederation made up of the majority clans in Mogadishu. In fact, the insurgents are members of some Hawiye sub-clans, such as the Ayr, the Duduble and the Suleyman in particular, which are members of the more restricted group of the Haber Guedir.
However, their core is mostly made up of Islamic Court fighters who were chased out of Mogadishu in January. The sub-clans involved in the insurrection are those that made up the recruitment base for the Islamic Courts. The Islamist fighters have been joined by militiamen from their clans since then, thus broadening the base of the rebellion, which has taken on the informal name of “mukhawama” (resistance).
On the other hand, some other clans, including some from the Hawiye, support President Yusuf’s transition federal government. Clan membership does not exactly dictate alliances however. The Murursade clan (one of the subdivisions of the Hawiye), for example, fights on behalf of the TFG, which does not prevent some of its members from fighting with the “mukhawama.”
Islamic Court leaders — such as Aden Ashi Farah “Ayro”, Hassan Turki, or Mokhtar Robow “Abu Mansur — have returned to Mogadishu where they are leading the insurrection. Their former military leader, Yusuf Mohamed Siad “Indahadde”, was wounded. Mohamed Ali “Ilka Hasi” (”Red Teeth”), a former bodyguard for a leader of the Islamic Courts, sums up the situation as follows: “Our leaders have returned and, this time, we will not leave Mogadishu. It is in the city that we fight best. We have orders to stay regardless of the cost. And we have important people to protect.” “Important people” that have every chance of being members of international terrorism networks linked to al-Qa’ida; less than ten persons under the protection of the most extremist fighters in Somalia.
A significant number of insurgents, who took up arms out of clan solidarity, are unaware of this situation; hence the need for their leaders to present the fighting as a confrontation between Hawiye and Darods, the group in which President Yusuf’s Majertin clan belongs.
However, by trying to meld into the huge Hawiye group, the leaders of the insurrection have merely reproduced, by inverting it, the indictment made by their enemies, Ethiopia first among them, who deliberately established confusion among Islamic Courts, international terrorism, and Haber Guedir to justify a military intervention backed by the United States.
Well, the main support for the Islamic Courts had nothing to do with al-Qa’ida; it came from Eritrea. If the insurgents go looking for orders, advice and weapons somewhere, it is in Asmara rather than in the tribal zones of Pakistan or any other bastion of Usama Bin Ladin’s movement.
The opening of a third front (after Iraq and Afghanistan) in America’s “war on terrorism” is not being played out in Somalia now. It is rather an episode in the cold war, which is in the process of warming up, that Ethiopia and Eritrea are waging against one another on a background of clan rivalries.
: Paris Le Monde (Internet Version-WWW) in French — leading left-of-center daily
From the April 06, 2007 edition -
Syria, Hizbullah, Iran prepare in case of war
Defensive measures taken amid US-Iran tensions spur concern about accidental conflict.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0406/p01s04-wome.htm
By Nicholas Blanford | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
BEIRUT, Lebanon
The prospect of an attack by the United States against Iran has triggered a flurry of military activity around the Middle East as Tehran mobilizes its allies to prepare a defense. In a region where suspicion dominates and trust is rare, politicians and analysts warn, mounting tensions between the US and Iran could spark a war by accident.
‘The situation is such that you can’t rule out an unplanned development,’ says Zvi Shtauber, director of the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University in Israel. ‘Since we’re living in an era where there is no negotiation, it looks like everything is open.... things are so fragile that you could have an accidental development.’
Those concerns were voiced this week by Amos Yadlin, Israel’s chief of military intelligence, who told the government that Lebanese Hizbullah, Syria, and Iran are making defensive preparations in expectation of war. ‘We are closely monitoring these preparations because [Iran, Syria and Hizbullah] could misinterpret various moves in the region,’ Mr. Yadlin was quoted by the Israeli Haaretz daily as saying. Israeli media reported that Israel asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to relay to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during her visit to Damascus Wednesday a message of reassurance that Israel has no intention of attacking.
Still, the Middle East has a grim history of bellicose rhetoric and military gestures causing unintended consequences. A fatal chain of misinterpreted muscle-flexing moves by Egypt and Israel provoked the Arab-Israeli war of June 1967, a conflict that redrew the geostrategic map of the Middle East, and the repercussions of which continue to be felt today.
More recently, Hizbullah’s abduction of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12 last year sparked a 34-day war that cost Lebanon more than 1,000 lives and damage estimated at $3.6 billion. Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah subsequently all but admitted that the party’s leadership had misread Israel’s response to the abduction of the two soldiers.
‘If any of us had a 1 percent doubt that Israel was going to reply in this savage manner, we wouldn’t have captured those soldiers,’ he said in a television interview.
President George W. Bush has vowed to resolve the crisis over Iran’s nuclear ambitions by the time he leaves office in early 2009.
Although the White House says it is pursuing diplomacy to achieve its goal, it refuses to rule out the military option. The recent disappearance of a senior Iranian general, the arrests of Iranian diplomats in Iraq, and the deployment of US naval battle groups in the Persian Gulf have raised expectations in the region that a US attack on Iran may be imminent.
‘US threats against Iran are no longer regarded by the Iranians and Syrians as just saber-rattling, and it’s only natural that they prepare themselves,’ says Amal Saad-Ghorayeb of the Carnegie Endowment’s Middle East Center in Beirut.
Hizbullah officials and fighters say that the party has launched an intensified training program with new recruits pushed through month-long courses in camps scattered along the flanks of the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon. Veteran fighters receive refresher courses and can volunteer for 45-day programs to join special-forces units.
‘There is a high level of recruitment. The rearmament is happening because there will be a war with Syria. The Israelis cannot accept the insult of the July war,’ says Mohammed, a Hizbullah activist in Beirut, referring to last summer’s conflict.
Analysts suspect, however, that Israel will bide its time to absorb and apply the lessons learned from last summer’s conflict before contemplating a second round with its Lebanese foe.
Nawaf Mussawi, Hizbullah’s foreign affairs adviser, says he doubts that Israel’s government is strong enough domestically to persuade the public to support a second major war against Lebanon. But, he adds, Hizbullah ‘is ready for all eventualities.’
‘What we expect, or don’t expect, from Israel has nothing to do with our preparations. In any situation, we are prepared,’ Mr. Mussawi says.
Iran’s region-wide defensive preparations against a potential US attack, ironically, have been aided by Washington’s policy of politically isolating Syria since 2003 and the Hamas-led Palestinian government since last year.
Ignored by the US and Europe, Syria and Hamas turned to Iran. In June 2006, Syria and Iran signed a mutual defense pact and last month inked a protocol on deepening bilateral military cooperation.
‘There is a belief very much in Syria and certainly with Hizbullah that, should the Americans attack Iran, then Israel will get involved in a preemptive operation here,’ says Timur Goksel, a Beirut-based security-affairs analyst.
A Lebanese intelligence source says that the Syrian Army is being taught some of the guerrilla-style tactics devised by Hizbullah in Lebanon. ‘The Iranians are trying to convince Syria that if they use the same tactics as Hizbullah and if they can last 20 to 30 days in a war with Israel before a cease-fire, then [the public perception will be that] they will have won and Israel will have lost,’ the source says.
Iran also took advantage of the refusal by Israel and the US to deal with the Hamas government in the Palestinian territories, which was elected in January 2006. Tehran stepped into the gap, pledging Hamas $150 million to compensate for the freeze on Western development aid.
Israel claims that dozens of Hamas militants have traveled to Iran for training and that Iranian-supplied weapons are being smuggled via tunnels from Egypt into Gaza. ‘Hamas is doing all its best to arm itself. The attempt to stop it is like putting a door in the middle of the desert,’ Dr. Shtauber says, commenting on an Egyptian promise this week to stave the flow of weapons. ‘You can just go around it.’
� Ilene R. Prusher contributed to this report from Israel.
http://www.americansagainsthate.org/press_releases/PR-HiltonLetter.php
April 6, 2007
For Immediate Release
Contact: Joe Kaufman (info@americansagainsthate.org)
HILTON G.M. REFUSES TO ALLOW COUNTER-TERROR GROUP TO PROTEST OUTSIDE HOTEL
HOTEL, INSTEAD, OPENS DOORS TO HAMAS FRONT
(Coral Springs, FL) Americans Against Hate (AAH) will be leading a protest against Congressman Joe Sestak’s appearance at the First Annual Banquet for the Philadelphia office of CAIR, tomorrow, Saturday, April 7, 2007. Americans Against Hate feels it inappropriate and offensive for a sitting United States Representative to be participating in a function sponsored by a group with direct ties to Hamas.
AAH Chairman Joe Kaufman contacted the Hilton Philadelphia City Ave to ask if it would kindly allow AAH to hold a peaceful protest outside the hotel. Kaufman received an e-mail, in response to his inquiry, from the General Manager of the Hotel, Eric C. Davies. In it, Davies adamantly stated, “We will NOT allow you to hold any protest in front or anywhere near our hotel.”
After receiving the e-mail, Kaufman contacted the Philadelphia Police Department to make sure that the protesters were allowed to be in an area outside the hotel. Kaufman was assured that the group was permitted to do so and that there would be a team of officers on hand for the entirety of the protest for the benefit of all involved.
In a follow-up e-mail sent by Kaufman to Davies, Kaufman stated, “It is a shame that you have refused to allow our small counter-terrorism group to hold a peaceful protest outside of your hotel, while at the same time, you are allowing an organization with numerous terrorism ties to speak inside your institution. It is that type of backwards attitude that led us to 9/11, and unfortunately, in the five-plus years since, we have not learned our lesson.”
Kaufman continued, “You will certainly not stop our protest from happening. It will go on as planned, and it will take place in an area that is allowable by law and not on your property, to suffice at least half your wishes.”
Protest details:
*
Day / Time: Saturday, April 7, 2007, 5:15 PM - 7:15 PM
*
Location: Outside the Hilton Philadelphia City Ave, at 4200 City Ave.
*
There will be refreshments
*
Joe Kaufman will be giving his speech at 6:15
For more information about CAIR and its representatives, go to www.cairwatch.org.
Joe Kaufman is available for interview. E-mail: info@americansagainsthate.org.
http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=86329&TM=41547.27
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Thief Strikes Jetport
Steve Reed
Reporter
Thursday, April 05, 2007
A thief appears to be flying high.
Someone broke into a plane parked outside on the tarmac at the Harnett Regional Jetport and stole $15,895 worth of aviation equipment.
Harnett County Sheriff Larry Rollins said this type of theft is rare.
“It’s very rare to have an aircraft broken into,” Sheriff Rollins said. “I’m assuming, from what was taken, it was someone who flies airplanes. What was taken could only be used in airplanes. It was specific equipment for aviation.”
The 172 Cessna that was targeted by the thief belongs to Mark Woodley of Fuquay-Varina. The items stolen were an audio panel, navigation radio, transponder and headset.
Jetport Manager Tony Wilder said the parts could also have been stolen by someone wanting drug money.
“With drugs being like they are, people will steal anything if they can sell it for $10, whether it’s of value to them or not,” Mr. Wilder said. “They might go to another airport and try to sell it. We just hope they find out who did it.”
Mr. Wilder agreed with Sheriff Rollins that incidents at the jetport are rare.
“There have been but it’s very seldom because most of the time people are out there,” Mr. Wilder said. “We’ve had break-ins in the building itself. Now, we have an alarm system.”
Mr. Wilder said the Harnett County Airport Authority does have long-range security plans in place for the jetport.
“The long-term plan is to have the entire airport fenced in, but we don’t have grants for that,” Mr. Wilder said. “There are systems out there that can monitor entire airports but they come with a cost. That plane which was broken into was tied down on the apron.”
Mr. Wilder said many plane owners prefer hangars but current space is limited.
“We are limited on hangar space,” Mr. Wilder said. “We’re going to look at new areas in the future.”
Sheriff Rollins said his deputies do what they can to secure the jetport.
“It’s obviously within our scope of jurisdiction,” Sheriff Rollins said. “We patrol it as often as we can.”
Related Links
Content © 2007
Blackmon’s Crossroads Has More Fires; Brings Number To 10
Friday, March 30, 2007
Two more brush fires in the Blackmon’s Crossroads area bring the total under investigation to 10. Previously eight fires that appear to have been intentionally set in the same area were under investigation.
Johnston County Fire Marshal Harold Henrich said today that two fires which ignited near Juniper Road and at the corner of Juniper and Dodd McLamb Road on Wednesday are under investigation by his department as well as the N.C. Forestry Department.
Mr. Henrich said he could not speculate as to whether the fires were intentionally set or whether there is any connection between the 10 fires that have burned in the area within a week.
The succession of suspicious blazes began last Thursday and continued until yesterday when it rained. Fires have been ignited on Hockaday Road, East Ridge Road, Kenan Road, and Blackmon Road. Some of the blazes were within 100 yards of each other.
Chief Granthan of the Blackmon’s Crossroads Fire Department said earlier that the Hockaday Road fire appeared to have been intentionally set.
“I cannot give any specific comment at this time, but we are looking at the fires and what caused them,” Mr. Henrich said.
Mr. Henrich said he would appreciate the public’s help in identifying any suspicious vehicles in the Blackman’s Crossroads area.
“If anyone sees a suspicious vehicle or knows anything about the fires we would like for them to call our office at (919) 989-5050 and let us know,” Mr. Henrich said.
Related Links
Content © 2007
There are other fires, I did not check them out: granny
http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=86204&TM=57092.05
[I have heard of this before............]
http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=86375&TM=57092.05
Crews Leave Train In Dunn
From Staff Reports
The Daily Record
Friday, April 06, 2007
Stalled railroad cars kept traffic north of Cumberland Street stalled for more than two hours this morning.
Dunn police authorities said they called the 800 number to CSX Railroad Company and were told the train crew had worked past its allotted time schedule and had to be pulled off the train.
Concern for citizens who might be unable to receive fire and rescue services has prompted multiple calls to the Dunn Police Department.
As of press time Dunn was awaiting a fresh railroad crew to arrive and clear the blocked roadways.
A CSX Railroad official who declined to give his name confirmed the railroad was aware of the situation. Beyond that he had no comment.
Related Links
Content © 2007
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.