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Posted on 09/11/2004 12:09:10 AM PDT by nwctwx
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BTT.
Iran on the Brink
If there is no sure way to prevent Iran from getting within a screw driver's turn from having nuclear arms, what should the international community do? The answer: Tackle the most worrisome preventable problems. This would clearly exclude getting Iran to keep its nuclear materials and capabilities out of the hands of terrorists. This scenario is not only unlikely (Tehran's power-controlling Mullahs are unlikely to allow it), but clearly beyond the scope of international powers.
What, then, deserves greater attention? The one thing that's even worse than a nuclear-ready Iran and that can still be thwarted: an entire Middle East cast in Iran's nuclear mold. Earlier in 2004, senior Saudi officials announced their interest in acquiring or "leasing" nuclear weapons from China or Pakistan (a legal move under the NPT, so long as the weapons remain under Chinese or Pakistani "control"). Egypt, having revealed plans to develop a large nuclear desalinization plant, also recently received sensitive nuclear technology from Libya. Syria, meanwhile, is believed to be experimenting with uranium enrichment centrifuges. And Algeria is in the midst of upgrading its second large research reactor facility, which is still, curiously, ringed with air defense units.
If these states continue to pursue their nuclear dreams (spurred by Iran's example), could Iraq, with its considerable number of nuclear scientists and engineers, be expected to stand idly by? And what of Turkey, whose private sector was recently revealed to have been part of Pakistani proliferator Dr. A. Q. Khan's network? Will nuclear agitation to its south and its repeated rejection from the European Union cause Turkey to reconsider its non-nuclear status? What would happen if, under the pressure of increasing anti-US sentiment in Turkey, the US withdrew its forces, along with the tactical nuclear weapons it has based there? (snipped)
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=4557
THANKS Rumsfan and stop in anytime.
Yes, I heard something like that and yes, the Clinton pardon of Rich keeps coming up again, and again, and again....
Living history.
Terrorists draw 3 different types of viewers to their websites
America hosts 76% of terrorist websites
Interesting article posted the other day over at It's Happening by poster NYer. Sorry if it was already posted here:
***
Osama's intriguing silence
B Raman
September 15, 2004
Since the terrorist strikes of September 11, 2001, in the US, at least 10 taped messages attributed to Osama bin Laden have been telecast by the Al-Jazeera television channel.
These were disseminated on November 3 and December 28, 2001; September 10, October 6, and November 12, 2002; February 11, September 10, and October 18, 2003 and January 4 and April 15 this year.
Thus, there were two messages in 2001, three each in 2002 and 2003 and two so far this year. In 2002 as well as 2003, there were two messages disseminated on September 10, coinciding with the first and second anniversaries of the terrorist strikes in the US.
In the message attributed to him to mark the first anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist strikes, he said: 'When you talk about the New York and Washington raids, you talk about those men who changed the course of history and cleansed the chapters of the nation from the filth of the treasonous rulers.'
I will become martyr this year: Osama
In the message to mark the second anniversary, he said: 'The confusion caused to the enemy was sufficient to make people wake up from their slumber and rise for jihad for the sake of God. I had the honour of knowing these men. One is honoured by knowing such men.'
Keeping in view his practice of issuing a message on the eve of the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist strikes and remembering the terrorists who had participated in the attacks, one expected him to issue a message on September 10 this year too. I kept awake the whole of that night waiting for the expected message, but intriguingly, no such message has come till the time of the writing of this article.
Instead, a message attributed to Ayman al-Zawahiri, his No 2, was disseminated by Al-Jazeera on September 9. In it, he said:"The Americans are hiding in their trenches. The defeat of US-led forces in Iraq and Afghanistan is only a matter of time. The Americans were between two fires. If they continue they will bleed to death, and if they withdraw they lose everything."
Zarqawi at par with Osama
It is difficult to establish the authenticity of the message and the date on which it was recorded though some analysts feel it must have been recorded after the end of June 2004, since it refers to the interim government in Iraq. Even though the message was telecast two days before the third anniversary of 9/11, there is nothing in it to indicate that it was recorded specifically to coincide with the third anniversary of 9/11.
There is no reference to Al Qaeda or the Taliban by name. There is no recall of the so-called sacrifices made by the terrorists who participated in the attacks of 9/11 in US territory and no homage to them. It just refers to the activities of the Mujahideen in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The absence of any anniversary message from bin Laden so far has revived speculation among the cadres of the various components of the International Islamic Front in Pakistan. This speculation relates his health, to his still being at large and the state of Al Qaeda.
I have been reporting since the beginning of 2002 that Osama suffered a splinter injury during the US air strikes at Tora Bora post 9/11 which affected his speech and that he underwent medical treatment at the Binori madrassa of Karachi till last August, when he disappeared from there.
Laden, Al Zawahiri safe: Taliban
Thereafter, while messages attributed to him continued to keep coming, there was not a single report from human sources, who claimed to have seen him. However, sections of the Pakistani media had claimed that after his arrest at Rawalpindi in March 2003, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad had told the Pakistani authorities that Osama was alive and that he had met him a few weeks before his arrest in the tribal areas of Balochistan.
This is, however, not corroborated by the report of the US National Commission, which had gone into the 9/11 terrorist strikes.
The absence of an anniversary homage to the terrorists of the 9/11 operation by Osama is interpreted by some as an indicator that either he is already in the custody of the US or Pakistan and will be produced before the world just before the polling day in the US or that he is dead or that his health has deteriorated aggravating the speech disability reportedly suffered by him due to the sharpnel injury.
But since there is no evidence to corroborate any of these interpretations, he must be presumed to be alive and free till there is evidence to the contrary.
Al Qaeda has a new military chief Expert
The other kind of speculation relates to alleged differences between Osama and al-Zawahiri. Since the occupation of Iraq by US-led forces last year, one had seen some intriguing developments to which I had drawn attention in my past articles. Examples:
The extremely virulent nature of the statements of al-Zawahiri whereas those of Osama were less virulent.
The strongly anti-Musharraf, anti-India and anti-Hindu references in the statements attributed to al-Zawahiri whereas those attributed to Osama, while critical of Pakistan, were devoid of virulent attacks on Musharraf.
Al Qaeda taunting me Musharraf
Discrepancies indicating that bin Laden and his No 2 were not in the same place and probably did not have the means of co-ordinating the contents of their respective messages.
Frequent warnings, claims of responsibility and other statements issued by organisations with different names after the terrorist strikes in Istanbul, Madrid, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. While some of them projected themselves as affiliates or brigades of Al Qaeda, there was hardly any reference to bin Laden in the statements relating to the other terrorist strikes.
The Islambouli Brigade of Mohammad Islambouli, which had practically disappeared from public view after its reported merger with the Islamic Jihad of Egypt led by Al-Zawahiri after the formation of the IIF in February 1998, is back in the news under its original name since July. It has claimed responsibility for the failed attempt to kill Shaukat Aziz, Pakistan's prime minister, in the last week of July, the blowing-up of two Russian planes on August 24 and the explosion outside a Moscow metro station on August 31.
Al Jazeera suppressed Laden tapes
Interestingly, while the claims relating to the attack on Aziz referred to it as the Islambouli Brigade of Al Qaeda, any reference to Al Qaeda was absent in the statements relating to the terrorist strikes in Moscow.
The absence so far of any follow-up message from bin Laden to his last message of April 15 in the wake of the Madrid bombings, in which he had offered a so-called three-months' truce to West European governments if they distanced themselves from US policies.
Follow-up statements have come after the expiry of this period on July 15 in the form of warnings to Italy, Denmark, Indonesia and Malaysia, but these bore the names of organisations such as the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade, the Abu Bakr al-Seddiq Brigade, the Khalid Ibn al-Walid Brigade, the military wing of al-Zarqawi's Tawhid Wa al-jihad (Unification and Holy War ) etc. The messages did not refer to bin Laden.
Is the net closing in on Osama?
These developments have given rise to the following questions: Is bin Laden still alive? If alive, is he still healthy enough to be active and leading? Is he in US or Pakistani custody to be produced before the US voters on the eve of the US presidential elections? Are there differences between him and his No 2?
Has Al Qaeda or the IIF split? If so, why?
One can only draw attention to these questions. One is not in a position to answer them convincingly due to inadequate evidence.
http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/sep/15raman.htm
SKorea says North may be preparing to test-fire missile
South Korea's Defence Ministry says Seoul and US military authorities are on alert as North Korea appears to be preparing to test-fire a missile as part of a routine military drill.
A South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman says military authorities have recently noticed missile-related activities in North Korea.
He says the missile-related activities are probably part of North Korea's annual military drill.
Meanwhile, Japanese media reports say there are signs that North Korea is preparing to launch a ballistic missile which could hit almost any target in Japan.
The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper says Tokyo and Washington have detected signs after analysing data from reconnaissance satellites and radio traffic.
The newspaper says Japan's defence ministry has sent two destroyer class warships and an electronic surveillance aircraft to the Sea of Japan to boost its early warning and surveillance abilities in the area.
23/09/2004 13:02:48 | ABC Radio Australia News
http://www.abc.net.au/asiapacific/news/GoAsiaPacificBNA_1205476.htm
INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANALYSIS TODAY by Toby Westerman: "ATTROCITIES WITH CHARACTERISTICS Slaughter, Chemical Attack, and 'Capability Building'" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "If China's governing of Hong Kong, its continued dire threats against Taiwan, and its continued support of pro-terror states are any indication, Beijing's new method of governance will be merely a more efficient version of the present Communist state apparatus, a more robust approach to the destruction of terror's ultimate enemy - the United States.") (September 23, 2004) (Read More...)
SAAG.org - SOUTH ASIA ANALYSIS GROUP Paper No. 1122: "CHINA'S GENERATIONAL CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP: An Analysis" by Dr. Subhash Kapila (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Unlike former President Jiang Zhemin who seemed to have struck personal chords of friendly relationships with American leaderships, President Hu Jintao does not seem to have established any such rapport. On the contrary, political analysts believe that President Hu Jintao favours closer relationships with West European countries than with the United States and Japan.") (September 22, 2004) (Read More...)
http://www.internet-haganah.us/harchives/002791.html#002791
September 22, 2004
"You're damn right he's not allowed into the USA"
Man of History
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times (Kuwait)
We are with President Bush who has said, "I am the man who makes history." Who, other than President Bush, can launch a war against terrorism? Who else will come to the rescue of people suppressed by dictators? Who else was there to build and develop nations? and above all who made democracy the new international system for all the people in this world?
None of the Middle Eastern countries could face terrorism alone. Some of them went to the extent of making compromises and allying with terrorist organisations. These countries were afraid to kick out terrorists until the United States arrived on the scene, heading a coalition of the willing to root out terrorism. Some people may be sceptical about what the US has achieved. But we know it has not only liberated Afghanistan from Taleban and its ally Osama Bin Laden but also created a modern democratic country with its own police, army and other civil institutions. The United States has also liberated the Iraqi people and created a modern country from the ruins of the former regime. There are some people who still call the war to liberate Iraq as "baseless," citing the failure of Americans to find any weapons of mass destruction (WMD). What they forget is the Americans did find many mass graves where millions had been buried alive. This alone is enough to prove Saddam's regime was more lethal than any WMD man has known.
Quite recently the US forces have cleansed the holy places in Najaf of the remnants of the former regime and other infiltrators. When we consider all these there is no doubt Bush is a man who creates history. Western countries, which were against Bush in his war on terrorism, are now feeling the painful stings of terrorism. France has two of its citizens kidnapped in Iraq. The kidnappers have threatened to behead the French hostages if France fails to reconsider its law, which bans Muslim women from wearing hijab in schools. Terrorism can be tackled only through war and only the United States, backed by a President who creates history, is capable of handling such a war. We must remember Islam has nothing to do with terrorism. Terrorists exploit the religion to achieve their objective, which is to destroy civilisation, kill people, start wars and plunge the world into darkness. We saw how these terrorists kidnapped and killed innocent people under the cloak of religion only to forget all about their cause in exchange for a fistful of dollars.
The entire world is aware of the cause and effect of terrorism. The killing and beheading of some innocent people won't prevent the United States or its allies from confronting terrorism. Americans are convinced of the need to fight this menace and no country is better equipped to do this job except the United States, which has the mightiest armed forces history has ever known. President Bush has the right to say "I am the man who makes history" because he is fighting aggression against modern civilisation. He is creating countries which enjoy democracy, peace, stability and security. These countries are now able to be a part of the international community sharing their traditions and culture with the rest of the humanity. Bush is the President of not only the United States but the whole world for he is making history on this small planet.
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/opinion/view.asp?msgID=547
http://www.internet-haganah.us/haganah/global.html
September 22, 2004
"Sheik Abu Anas al-Shami: intercepted"
Whether UBL IS DEAD, captured, or in a hidey hole; his evil spirit lives on via jihad.
Pakistani leader says Muslims sense no justice in global disputes
http://www.goasiapacific.com/news/GoAsiaPacificBNA_1205141.htm
Pakistan's President, Pervez Musharraf, says an "iron curtain" is falling between the Islamic world and the West, as Muslims feel they are getting no justice in international disputes.
In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, General Musharraf said the major powers of the West should take steps to resolve disputes affecting the Muslim world.
The Pakistani leader has put special emphasis on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which he describes as an open wound inflicted on the psyche of every Muslim.
"While Pakistan stands for peace, recognising the right of Israel to exist, as also the right of the Palestinians to have their homeland, we can never accept the usurpation of additional Palestinian land," President Musharraf said.
23/09/2004 13:02:49 | ABC Radio Australia News
"Pakistan's President, Pervez Musharraf, says an "iron curtain" is falling between the Islamic world and the West..."
Yes, and this curtain will continue to hang between all of Islam and the West until they do something from WITHIN this "religion of peace" to stem the tide of terrorism, murder and general mayhem that is being perpetrated by the radicals. To all the rest: your silence is deafening. Renunciate AND THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, or be counted as standing with them.
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The entire world is aware of the cause and effect of terrorism."
I wish that statement is true; but unfortunately, it is not a true statement.
There are many ignorant people AND MANY WILLFULLY IGNORANT PEOPLE who absolutely do not comprehend or DO NOT WANT TO COMPREHEND the cause and effect of terrorism. This is a shame.
That is why we must dessimate them all -- all the terrorist murderers. Starting the day after GWB's reelection... To hell with the aclu, dem party; international red cross, un, Vatican spokesman, etc.
The world -- except for a few nations so we found out -- hates us anyway no matter what we do, so we might as well go about solving the terrorist problem with sharper teeth. We can't get anymore hated inside or outside our country...
Misunderstanding the Enemy: the Islamic Threat and the U.S. Media
Chronicles Magazine ^ | 22 September 2004 | Srdja Trifkovic
Posted on 09/22/2004 9:50:44 PM CDT by MegaSilver
On September 19 the Sunday edition of the Chicago Tribune published an article entitled Struggle for the Soul of Islam: A rare look at secretive Brotherhood in America. This 5,000-word feature sought to reveal the existence, methods and ultimate goals of the American offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, "the world's most influential Islamic fundamentalist group." The Tribune story is important for revealing the magnitude of the threat America faces no less than for revealing the underlying misunderstanding of that threat by the American elite class in general and the media in particular.
The Brotherhood's slogan, ever since it was founded in Egypt in 1928, has been unambiguous: "Allah is our goal; the Messenger [Muhammad] is our model; the Koran is our constitution; jihad is our means; and martyrdom in the way of Allah is our aspiration." It has had a major impact on Islam in America by establishing mosques, Islamic schools, summer youth camps and Muslim organizations. (snip)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1224264/posts
Article is linked at the original FR post.
Iran begins uranium enrichment despite IAEA warning
* Khatami says Iran will continue its nuclear programme
VIENNA: Shrugging off a 35-nation ultimatum, Iran revealed on Tuesday that it had started converting tons of raw uranium as part of technology that could be used to make nuclear arms.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) board of governors passed a resolution on Saturday specifically demanding that Iran freeze all uranium enrichment — including conversion — and expressing alarms of Tehran’s plans to start the process. .
Describing his country as a victim of “pressures imposed by the United States,” Iranian Vice President Reza Aghazadeh said that of the more than 40 tons of uranium being mined for enrichment “some (already) has been used.”...
(Snip)
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_22-9-2004_pg1_8
I see what you mean, Cindy. I read it as a most general statement. In other words, he made the point about how the terrorists say they are ruled by religion (my words paraphrasing) yet some backed away from certain terrorist acts when given money. This belied the grandiose religious reasons they like to say prompt them to do their dasturdly deeds. So the noble terrorism "cause" was belied too. They just are evil, twisted people.
Besides, I'm happy to see any arab or muslim at all on our side (doesn't take much to please me as far as this is concerned).
P.S. Don't you owe Traveller a post here?!
boomkark
"...rest in pieces."
Nice touch, Aaron! And yes, we want zarqawi next.
Terrorists planned to blow up the Italian embassy in Beirut
Terrorists recruiting more women
Saudi terrorists say Al Qaeda recruited impressionable kids
Iran tries to reverse gains made by women
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