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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[See the last 2 paragraphs]

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52018

Sunday, September 17, 2006
HOMELAND INSECURITY
Al-Qaida warns Muslims: Time to get out of U.S.
Afghan terror commander hints at big attack on N.Y., Washington
Posted: September 17, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Adnan el-Shukrijumah

The new al-Qaida field commander in Afghanistan is calling for Muslims to leave the U.S. – particularly Washington and New York – in anticipation of a major terror attack to rival Sept. 11, according to an interview by a Pakistani journalist.

Abu Dawood told Hamid Mir, a reporter who has covered al-Qaida and met with Osama bin Laden, the attack is being coordinated by Adnan el-Shukrijumah and suggests it may involve some form of weapon of mass destruction smuggled across the Mexican border.

"Our brothers are ready to attack inside America. We will breach their security again," he is quoted as saying. "There is no timeframe for our attack inside America; we can do it any time."

As WND has previously reported, el-Shukrijumah is a trained nuclear technician and accomplished pilot who has been singled out by bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri to serve as the field commander for the next terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

The terrorist was last seen in Mexico, where, on Nov. 1, 2004, he allegedly hijacked a Piper PA Pawnee cropduster from Ejido Queretaro near Mexicali to transport a nuclear weapon and nuclear equipment into the U.S., according to Paul Williams, a former FBI consultant and author of "The Dunces of Doomsday."

"He is an American and a friend of Muhammad Atta, who led 9/11 attacks five years ago," said Dawood. "We call him 'Jaffer al Tayyar' (Jafer the Pilot); he is very brave and intelligent. (President) Bush is aware that brother Adnan has smuggled deadly materials inside America from the Mexican border. Bush is silent about him, because he doesn’t want to panic his people. Sheikh Osama bin Laden has completed his cycle of warnings. You know, he is man of his words, he is not a politician; he always does what he says. If he said it many times that Americans will see new attacks, they will definitely see new attacks. He is a real mujahid. Americans will not win this war, which they have started against Muslims. Americans are the biggest supporters of the biggest terrorist in the world, which is Israel."

(Story continues below)

Dawood said he was currently conducting operations in Afghanistan under the leadership of the Taliban. He warned of a series of upcoming suicide bombings there directed against government and coalition forces during Ramadan.

He is also quoted as saying the next attack in America will not be conducted by people like Atta.

"We have a different plan for the next attack," he told Mir. "You will see. Americans will hardly find out any Muslim names, after the next attack. Most of our brothers are living in Western countries, with Jewish and Christian names, with passports of Western countries. This time, someone with the name of Mohamed Atta will not attack inside America, it would be some David, Richard or Peter."

He said there will be another audio message from bin Laden aired within the next two weeks.

Mir reportedly interviewed Dawood Sept. 12 at the tomb of Sultan Mehmud Ghaznawi on the outskirts of Kabul. Dawood and the al-Qaida leaders who accompanied him were clean-shaven and dressed as Western reporters. The al-Qaida commander had contacted Mir by cell phone to arrange the meeting.

"You have witnessed the brutality of the Israelis in the recent 34-day war against Lebanese civilians," said Dawood. "9/11 was a revenge of Palestinian children, killed by the U.S.-made weapons, supplied to Israel. The next attack on America would be a revenge of Lebanese children killed by U.S.-made cluster bombs. Bush and (British Prime Minister Tony) Blair are the Crusaders, and Muslim leaders, like (Pakistani President Pervez) Musharraf and (Afghani President Hamid) Karzai are their collaborators. We will teach a lesson to all of them."

El-Shukrijumah was born in Guyana Aug. 4, 1975 – the firstborn of Gulshair el-Shukrijumah, a 44-year-old radical Muslim cleric, and his 16-year-old wife. In 1985, Gulshair migrated to the United States, where he assumed duties as the imam of the Farouq Mosque in Brooklyn.

The mosque, located at 554 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, has served as a hive for terrorist activities. It has raised millions for the jihad and has served as a recruiting station for al-Qaida. Many of the planners of the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, including blind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, were prominent members of this notorious "house of worship."

In 1995, the Shukrijumah family relocated to Miramar, Fla., where Gulshair became the spiritual leader of the radical Masjid al-Hijah Mosque, and where Adnan became friends with Jose Padilla, who planned to detonate a radiological bomb in midtown Manhattan; Mandhai Jokhan, who was convicted of attempting to blow up nuclear power plants in southern Florida; and a group of other home-grown terrorists.

Adnan Shukrijumah attended flight schools in Florida and Norman, Oklahoma, along with Mohammad Atta and the other 9/11 operatives, and he became a highly skilled commercial jet pilot, although he, like Atta and the other terrorists, never applied for a license with the Federal Aviation Commission.

In April 2001, Shukrijumah spent 10 days in Panama, where he reportedly met with al-Qaida officials to assist in the planning of 9/11. He also traveled to Trinidad and Guyana, where virulent al-Qaida cells have been established. The following month, he obtained an associate's degree in computer engineering from Broward Community College.

During this time, he managed to get passports from Guyana, Trinidad, Saudi Arabia, Canada and the United States, according to Williams. He also began to adopt a number of aliases, including Abu Arifi, Jafar al-Tayyar, Jaafar At Yayyar, Ja'far al-Tayar, and Mohammed Sher Mohammed Khan (the name that appeared on his official FBI file). He traveled to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, where he met with Ramzi Binalshibh, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and other members of the al-Qaida high command. He also spent considerable time within al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan, where he received training in explosives and special operations.

Following 9/11, el-Shukrijumah was reportedly singled out by bin Laden and al-Zawahiri to spearhead the next great attack on America. One plan was for a nuclear attack that would take place simultaneously in seven U.S. cities, leaving millions dead and the richest and most powerful nation on earth in ashes.

"Muslims should leave America," said Dawood. "We cannot stop our attack just because of the American Muslims; they must realize that American forces are killing innocent Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq; we have the right to respond back, in the same manner, in the enemy's homeland. The American Muslims are like a human shield for our enemy; they must leave New York and Washington."

Mir, the journalist, has reported previously that al-Qaida has smuggled nuclear weapons and uranium into the U.S.

"I am saying that Muslims must leave America, but we can attack America anytime," he said. "Our cycle of warnings has been completed, now we have fresh edicts from some prominent Muslim scholars to destroy our enemy, this is our defending of Jihad; the enemy has entered in our homes and we have the right to enter in their homes, they are killing us, we will kill them."

[2005, joins the googles of today]

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45253

Wednesday, July 13, 2005
HOMELAND INSECURITY
Russian WMDs hidden in U.S.?
New evidence suggests al-Qaida after them
Posted: July 13, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

WASHINGTON – It was little more than a rumor during the darkest days of the Cold War.

Did agents of the Soviet Union conceal nuclear and biological weapons of mass destruction inside the U.S. and other western cities?

New evidence suggests they did – and that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorists network is determined to find them and use them with the help of bribed Russian spies or special forces soldiers who have maintained their secret locations for all these years.

According to a report by Gordon Thomas and David M. Dastych in the latest issue of the Polish news and opinion weekly Wprost, U.S. authorities searched in vain for the nuclear devices in New York City the day after the Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida attacks.

They had been tipped off about the possible existence of Russian "suitcase nukes" in the area by officials in Poland and the Czech Republic, according to the report.

No nuclear weapons were found Sept. 12, 2001, or thereafter. But, more recently, U.S. intelligence services have become concerned about efforts by terrorists to buy off former Soviet and current Russian agents with knowledge of the weapons.

The report also cites the work of Paul L. Williams, an investigative reporter, former FBI consultant and author of several books, including "Osama's Revenge: The Next 9/11," which claims al-Qaida sleeper agents have already stashed suitcase nukes in several major U.S. cities as well as Rappahannock, Va., where the U.S. government maintains an underground bunker as a command-and-control center for wartime or national emergency.

As WorldNetDaily reported earlier this week, Williams describes how al-Qaida has already purchased some post-Soviet mini-nukes and hired Russians to help them operate them. The report was first published in Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, the premium, online intelligence newsletter published by WND's founder.

Williams predicted in his book a nuclear attack by al-Qaida would be launched before the end of 2005.

Several U.S. officials have alluded to the threat recently.

"It may be only a matter of time before al-Qaida or another group attempts to use chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons," said Porter Goss, director of central intelligence before a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Robert S. Mueller III, director of the FBI, said: "I am also very concerned with a growing body of sensitive reporting that continues to show al-Qaida's clear intention to obtain and ultimately use some form of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear or high-energy explosives material in its attacks against America."

In addition, Thomas and Dastych report Britain's MI5 has identified 32 spies of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service operating under full diplomatic cover from their London embassy. The spies reportedly have links to deep-cover KGB agents who, during the Cold War, hid scores of genetically engineered biological warfare weapons in Britain's countryside. MI5 believes the Russian spies are still actively concealing the locations of the germ vials.

Meanwhile, KGB spymaster Alexander Kouzminov confirms his agents planted the vials. He, too, believes Russian agents are still involved in guarding them.

"Huge efforts and money was spent in our work," he explained. "It would be foolish to believe our people were stood down just because Russia took part in biological weapons talks in Geneva."

Subscribe to Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin

Related story:

Congressman to request al-Qaida nuke briefing

Previous stories:

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45426

Monday, July 25, 2005
FROM JOSEPH FARAH'S G2 BULLETIN
How Osama bought bomb
Al-Qaida directs poppy cultivation under noses of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan
Posted: July 25, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern

Editor's note: Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin is an online, subscription intelligence news service from the creator of WorldNetDaily.com – a journalist who has been developing sources around the world for almost 30 years. The subscription price for the premium newsletter has been slashed in half and is now available for only $9.95 per month.

© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

Osama bin Laden has spent billions of dollars on the successful purchase and development of nuclear weapons – money his al-Qaida terrorist network earned by directing poppy cultivation in the fields of Afghanistan, right under the noses of U.S. occupation forces, reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

That is the finding of sources of the premium, online intelligence newsletter published by the founder of WND as well as the investigative work of journalist Paul L. Williams, who documents the stunning revelation in his upcoming book, "The Al Qaeda Connection: International Terrorism, Organized Crime and the Coming Apocalypse."

The vast drug fortune has also aided al-Qaida in smuggling some of those nuclear weapons – along with thousands of sleeper agents – over the Mexican border with the help of the MS-13 criminal street gang, say the sources.

According to captured al-Qaida leaders and documents, bin Laden's terrorist network has a plan called "American Hiroshima" involving the multiple detonation of nuclear weapons already smuggled into the U.S.

Al-Qaida has obtained at least 40 nuclear weapons from the former Soviet Union – including suitcase nukes, nuclear mines, artillery shells and even some missile warheads. In addition, documents captured in Afghanistan show al-Qaida had plans to assemble its own nuclear weapons with fissile material it purchased on the black market.

Besides trying to detonate its own nuclear weapons already planted in the U.S., military sources also say there is evidence to suggest al-Qaida is paying former Russian special forces officers to assist the terrorist group in locating nuclear weapons formerly concealed inside the U.S. by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Osama bin Laden's group is also paying nuclear scientists from Russia and Pakistan to maintain its existing arsenal and assemble additional weapons with the materials it has invested hundreds of millions in procuring over a period of 10 years.

The plans for the devastating nuclear attack on the U.S. have been under development for more than a decade. It is designed as a final deadly blow of defeat to the U.S., which is seen by al-Qaida and its allies as "the Great Satan."

At least half the nuclear weapons in the al-Qaida arsenal were obtained for cash from the Chechen terrorist allies.

At least nine major U.S. cities, including New York and Washington, are prime targets for the al-Qaida nuclear terrorists.

Bin Laden's preferred dates for attacks include Aug. 6, the anniversary of the Hiroshima nuclear bombing in 1945, Sept. 11 and May 14, the anniversary of the re-creation of the state of Israel in 1948. The 60th anniversary of the Hiroshima attack will be marked next month.

Some skeptical of the alarming news have suggested bin Laden could never have achieved such results with his limited funds and a personal fortune estimated by the FBI and CIA at around $250 million.

In truth, Williams reports, bin Laden had lost his family fortune before he ever got to Afghanistan in 1996. Some of that money had already been spent in his quest for the weapons of mass destruction he believed he needed to wage a successful jihad against the greatest superpower on the planet. That search began by 1993 when al-Qaida is believed to have purchased weapons-grade uranium purloined from South Africa.

But, with the help of Taliban leader Sheikh Mullah Omar, bin Laden created a much bigger fortune by taking control of the Afghan poppy fields, refining the heroin into the highest quality and striking deals with Turkish drug lords and the Albanian Mafia to distribute it worldwide.

According to Yossef Bodansky, former director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare and author of "Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America," by the late 1990s, under bin Laden's direction, Afghanistan was selling $7 billion to $8 billion worth of drugs in the West each year.

"When Americans buy drugs, they fund the jihad," he said.

Nothing has changed with the U.S.-led occupation of Afghanistan – except that the flow of heroin has increased.

In 2004, according to the United Nations, opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan rose by two-thirds, climbing to 320,000 acres and producing a yield of 4,200 metric tons.

"Prior to bin Laden's exile from Sudan, the heroin that came out of the Golden Crescent was low-grade No. 3," reports Williams in his upcoming book. "It was a product that was good only for smoking or snorting."

But Omar and bin Laden recognized there was a growing worldwide market for No. 4 heroin that could be shot into veins.

"To meet the demand for this product, bin Laden established sophisticated laboratories near Kabul and recruited chemists from Pakistan, China and the former Soviet Union," writes Williams.

By 1997, the revenues from the poppy harvest poured into the Taliban economy to the tune of somewhere between $5 billion and $16 billion annually.

The sale of drugs to the West served a double purpose in the eyes of bin Laden:

# it helped to poison the infidel enemy;

# it paid for the acquisition and development of nuclear weapons – the ultimate means of destroying the United States;

As a direct result of this extraordinary development and the intersection of terrorism and narcotics sales, Williams, a former FBI consultant on organized crime matters, came, for all intents and purposes, the end of the Italian Mafia – La Cosa Nostra.

Those who filled the vacuum left after arrests and convictions of many of the top crime family leaders were bin Laden's Albanian allies.

"In 2004, the FBI announced that among ethnic Albanians, there is a group of radical Muslims who have replaced La Cosa Nostra as the 'leading crime outfit in the United States,'" writes Williams. The Albanian Mafia, due to their incredible propensity for blood-letting, gained supremacy over the long-entrenched LCN families in every major city along the Eastern seaboard.

It isn't just about money with the Albanian Mafia. There is a religious twist to their bloodletting and mayhem.

When Italian police tapped the phones of Agim Gashi, Milan's leading drug lord, he was overheard telling his Turkish suppliers to continue sending shipments of heroin during Ramadan, despite the Quranic injunctions against it.

It was necessary, he said, for the sake of the bigger picture, "to submerge Christian infidels in drugs." In another conversation, he said: "We have discovered that drugs are not only a source of wealth but a tool to weaken Christendom."

Stay current on all the latest details regarding al-Qaida's nuclear terror plans by subscribing to Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

Special offer:

What to do if nuclear disaster is imminent – get free report on practical steps for survival of terror attack.

Previous stories:

Bin Laden did it, say terror experts

Al-Qaida's U.S. nuclear targets

[cartoon of the Pope, at link]

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52143

Monday, September 25, 2006
FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU
Palestinian media calls pope 'stupid,' 'criminal'
Warns pontiff will be judged by Allah 'when eyes stare in terror'
Posted: September 25, 2006
5:00 p.m. Eastern

By Aaron Klein
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Pope Benedict XVI

JERUSALEM – Pope Benedict XVI is "arrogant," "stupid," and "criminal," and will be judged by Allah on the day "when eyes will stare in terror," declared a sermon delivered this past weekend on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' state-run television.

The sermon coincided with a cartoon also published this weekend in an official Hamas-run daily newspaper in which the pontiff is depicted holding a swastika while wearing a scarf of American and Danish flags.

The pope has been drawing fire from Muslims worldwide for remarks he made earlier this month concerning Islam.

"To this arrogant Pope – criminal and arrogant – this message is from Allah the Elevated and the Exalted, as it was said: 'Think not that Allah is unaware of what the wicked do. He but gives them a respite until a day when eyes will stare (in terror),'" stated Gaza preacher Osama Al-Mazini in a sermon broadcast by the official television station of Abbas' Fatah party.

(Story continues below)

"For this ignorant and stupid pope, who has no one to attack besides Islam and the prophet [Muhammad] ... [the pope] characterized Islam as a cruel religion and characterized Muhammad, may the Creator have mercy on him and protect him, as a cruel man, spilling blood, who strove to kill," Al-Mazini said in the sermon, which was translated by Palestinian Media Watch.

The Palestinian media was responding to a speech in which the 79-year-old pope quoted Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus, who wrote, "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

Cartoon appeared in Hamas-run daily newspaper

The pontiff last week said he was "deeply sorry" for the reaction to his comments and later explained the emperor's words did not reflect how he himself felt. He said the intent of his remarks was to call for a dialogue on the role of religions in modern life.

Benedict XVI met today with a group of Muslim leaders in a bid to calm anger that has spilled over into international Muslim protests. The envoys invited to the Vatican included leaders from major Muslim countries such as Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran and Iraq, and from the Arab League.

During today's meeting, the pope expressed his "esteem and profound respect" for members of the Islamic faith.

He spoke of the need for "authentic dialogue" between faiths and condemned violence.

"[We must] guard against all forms of intolerance and oppose all manifestations of violence," said the pope.

Iraq's ambassador to the Holy See, Albert Edward Ismail Yelda, expressed his hope the pope's speech today will suffice to end the anger ignited by his original remarks.

Mario Scialoja, an adviser to the Italian section of the World Muslim League who attended the audience with Benedict, told reporters afterwards he thought it was a "very good and warm speech."

Still, Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turk who tried to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981, warned Benedict not to travel to Turkey, stating his life would be at risk.

In an interview with WND last week, a prominent Gaza preacher called for holy war against the pope. He declared the "green flag of Muhammad" would soon be raised over the Vatican.

"We did not need the words of the pope in order to understand that this is a Crusader war against Islam and it is our holy duty to fight all those who support the pope, who follow him and who did not condemn what this small racist had to say," said Abu Saqer, speaking to WND from the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis.

"The day will soon come when the green flag of La Illah Illah Allah (There is no god but Allah) and Muhammad Rasul Allah (Muhammad is the prophet of Allah) will be raised upon the Vatican and all around the world and on the fortresses of those who want to destroy Islam, because they know that this religion obliges them to face the truth that Islam is Allah's favorite religion. And until they join Islam, hell is their last station," Abu Saqer said.

Immediately following the pope's original remarks on Sept. 12, Palestinians wielding guns and firebombs attacked five churches in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including Anglican and Greek Orthodox churches in the north Samaria city of Nablus and a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City. A group calling itself the "Lions of Monotheism" claimed responsibility for the church attacks, saying the violence was carried out to protest the pope's remarks.

Abu Saqer said he rejected the pope's stated apologies.

"He did not apologize. He said everything but an apology, which proves these are diplomatic acts and not a feeling of being sorry."

Abu Saqer claimed he did not condone violence. He blamed the pope for recent anti-Christian attacks in the Palestinian territories.

"We are deeply sorry for these acts that we condemn," he said. "But I am sorry that this little racist did not think of the consequences upon the Christians in the Arab world when he insulted our prophet. It is an open war – the Muslims against all the others."

Asked to respond directly to Paleologus' observations about Muhammad and Islam, Abu Saqer replied, "About your stupid question about our contribution to civilization, did not you read about who were the pioneers in medicine, in mathematics, in astronomy? Did not you hear about Averroes and others?

"I am not reading poetry, I am saying the truth. Islam, it is not the source of violence. Who is occupying by force and violence Iraq and Afghanistan? Who is occupying Palestine? Who occupied for years the black people and turned them into slaves while one of the first leaders of Islam was the black Bilal Ibn Rabah?"

Continued Abu Saqer: "Violence is a result of lack of faith. See the Western society and culture. See what free sex brings to your Western world and then see the family cell in Islam. Even our problems in Islam come when some parts of the Islamic population want to imitate your way of life."

The Gaza preacher said the pope and the Christian world are "panicking" because they realize "who is winning."

"See how Islam is progressing and gaining more and more members and see the moral crisis in the West," he said. "See today the support of Islam in the Arab and Muslim world and how Islam is gaining more and more adherents in Europe and even in the United States and you understand that Islam is the future and that this dwarf pope was wrong. But I can sympathize with him. He is frustrated because he understands where things are heading."

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52137

Monday, September 25, 2006
FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU
Hezbollah moving rockets near Israeli border
Lebanese government notes trucks coming, going from Palestinian camps
Posted: September 25, 2006
10:32 a.m. Eastern

By Aaron Klein
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah (aljazeera.net)
JERUSALEM – Hezbollah has been transporting rockets and heavy weaponry to Palestinian camps in south Lebanon just a few miles from the Israeli border, according to Lebanese officials.

The officials told WND the office of Lebanese Prime Minister Faud Sinora sent a letter last week to Abbas Zakir, the Palestinian Authority's most senior representative in Lebanon, outlining the alleged Hezbollah weapons transfers into Palestinian camps. The letter noted "unusual activity" in and near the Palestinian camps, including the coming and going of trucks suspected of carrying weapons.

Palestinian groups, including Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, maintain armed bases in Lebanon, mostly in the al-Naemeh province just south of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley, near Lebanon's border with Syria and Israel. Fatah is the party of PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

(Story continues below)

The reports follow a WND article last month quoting Lebanese officials claiming Hezbollah, with the help of Iran, started building underground war bunkers in Lebanon's Palestinian camps.

During its 34-day confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon that began July 12, Israel destroyed scores of complex Hezbollah bunkers that snaked along the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border. Military officials said they were surprised by the scale of the Hezbollah bunkers, in which Israeli troops reportedly found war rooms with advanced eavesdropping and surveillance equipment they noted were made by Iran.

A senior Lebanese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told WND Hezbollah started building a new set of bunker systems, this time in Palestinian refugee camps.

"The Lebanese Army doesn't have the authority to patrol inside the camps," said the official. "Hezbollah knows it is safe there to rebuild their war bunkers, and they began doing so with Iranian help."

A second Lebanese official confirmed the information, which came one day after Israel's Army Radio reported Hezbollah was seen by the Israeli army dismantling 14 outposts near the border with Israel, removing rockets and equipment for transport.

According to Army Radio, Hezbollah members blocked entry to their outposts using bulldozers. Trucks then removed weapons and other munitions from the area. Vehicles also reportedly cleared furniture and equipment from the outposts.

The Lebanese Army and a contingent of several thousand international troops have deployed in South Lebanon. None of the forces are authorized to enter Palestinian refugee camps.

The Lebanese government has stated its army will not confront Hezbollah or work to disarm the group. An agreement reached with Hezbollah last month allows the Lebanese militia to retain its weapons as long as it doesn't display the arms in public.

The agreement is in violation of the U.N. cease-fire resolution that ended confrontations initiated when Hezbollah ambushed an Israeli patrol unit, kidnapping two soldiers and killing eight others. The resolution calls for the eventual disarming of Hezbollah.

During a Hezbollah "victory" parade in south Beirut last Friday, the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, declared Hezbollah possesses more than 20,0000 rockets aimed at Israel and pledged his group will quickly reestablish militant bases in Lebanon.

Making his first public appearance since the war started, Nasrallah drew loud applause from the crowd when he vowed: "We will rehabilitate the force and bases within a short period of time."

"The resistance today is stronger than it was on July 12," Nasrallah said. "He who wants to weaken us is miscalculating."

Israeli security officials did not deny Nasrallah's claims of continuing to maintain a large rocket arsenal.

An official pointed to a volley of 240 rockets fired by Hezbollah one day before last month's cease-fire was imposed, the largest number the group had launched in a 24-hour period. One Israeli civilian was killed in the attacks; 26 others were injured.

"The message sent is that Hezbollah absolutely maintains the capability of firing hundreds of rockets per day into Israel," commented the official. "Wasn't one of the [Israeli] military campaign's main goals to eliminate the rocket threat?"

[a post for study and research]

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/15592439.htm

BP troubles increase fears in Glouco

Foes say a planned liquefied-natural-gas terminal in Logan should get
extra
scrutiny. The firm defended its safety efforts.

By Adam Fifield

Inquirer Staff Writer

Energy giant BP's recent series of stumbles - including a fatal 2005
explosion at a Texas refinery and last month's partial shutdown of an
oil
field in Alaska after a huge spill in March - has highlighted worries
over
its planned natural gas facility in Logan Township, Gloucester County.

Some environmentalists, residents and public officials have said BP's
proposed $600 million terminal, which would import potentially volatile
liquefied natural gas, or LNG, deserves extra scrutiny in light of the
problems.

"Preventable accidents are happening at BP facilities, and the kind of
accidents that could occur with LNG could have significant impact on
the
river and the surrounding communities," said Jane Nogaki, program
coordinator for the New Jersey Environmental Federation, who has long
opposed the project.

U.S. Rep. Robert Andrews (D., N.J.), who has not taken a position on
the
terminal, said BP faced "a burden of proof... to show that it can
safely
operate this facility," adding that recent accidents "make that burden
of
proof a very substantial one."

BP spokesman Tom Mueller said he did not believe the company's troubles
would affect its Logan project, which received federal approval in
January
but remains entangled in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Acknowledging that the world's second-largest oil company had
experienced "a
number of high-profile incidents," Mueller stressed: "The other side of
that
is we operate dozens of facilities safely every day with tens of
thousands
of employees."

He added: "BP is one of the safest operators in all of industry."
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill called the company's policies and safety
record
into question this month, assailing BP officials for failing to inspect
feeder lines at the massive Prudhoe Bay oil field in Alaska properly
after
more than 200,000 gallons spilled in early March.

U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R., Texas), chairman of the Energy and Commerce
Committee, said he was concerned about events in Alaska. However, "I am
even
more concerned about BP's corporate culture of seeming indifference to
safety and environmental issues," he said.

The company's reputation also suffered from a March 23, 2005, explosion
that
killed 15 workers at its Texas City refinery and drew a federal fine of
more
than $21 million. Federal authorities also accused the company in June
of
cornering the propane market and driving up the price.

BP announced plans in 2003 to build the Logan LNG plant, which would
handle
enough of the material to serve five million homes.

Chilled to minus 260 degrees and condensed, LNG is not explosive but
vaporizes when exposed to air and can ignite into a massive fire.
Industry
representatives say that LNG has an excellent 40-year safety record,
and
that releases are extremely unlikely.

The Logan proposal has stoked a fierce local debate about safety,
terrorism,
and the need for more energy sources, and has sparked a border war
between
New Jersey and Delaware.

New Jersey filed a U.S. Supreme Court action last year after Delaware
denied
BP a permit to build a pier that would reach into that state's waters.

New
Jersey contends that a 1905 agreement gives it exclusive regulatory
control
over development along its side of the river.

Some residents in Logan said they supported the terminal despite the
dents
in BP's reputation.

"It will bring jobs to the area. We need jobs around here," said Joanne
Scarfo, 50, of the Bridgeport section.

Carolyn Grasso, of East Greenwich, who sits on a community advisory
panel
that has studied BP's proposal, expressed confidence in the company and
said
she believed the facility would be safe.

"They seem to be willing to do whatever they need to do to make sure
it's
safe and secure," she said.
Many others were skeptical.

"I don't trust BP," said Scott Bradbury, 51, also of Bridgeport.
Though he already had opposed the LNG plant, the company's string of
problems made him "even more concerned," he said. "If anyone is running
this, it ought to be someone whose first concern is safety," Bradbury
said.

The potential risks of LNG combined with BP's missteps make David
Keifer,
conservation chair of the Delaware Chapter of the Sierra Club, uneasy.

"The risk of harm as a result of some kind of accident... is
overwhelming,"
said Keifer, whose group has fought the terminal on environmental and
safety
grounds. "Then you take BP's record, and then you say, 'What is the
probability of an accident?' They seem to have had a lot of accidents
lately."

BP's Mueller said his company was working to gain trust.
"We're doing what it takes to make it right and to be able to prove
again
over time that we're a company that can and will operate safely in all
of
our operations," he said.

BP has said that it selected the Logan site because of its remote
location,
and that its terminal would be outfitted with state-of-the-art safety
devices.

Lawrence A. Husick, homeland security expert at the Foreign Policy
Research
Institute in Philadelphia, said two important questions involving BP's
proposal deserved close scrutiny:

"Is that facility optimally located? And is BP the right company to run
it?"

As for the potential benefits of LNG, there should be no dispute,
Husick
said.

"This is a really good technology," he said. "And we really do need
it."

http://hotair.com/archives/2006/09/24/photo-series-the-arizona-911-memorial/

Above is a link to the photos, thank you to Milford for sending me this, I had missed it. It is a shame that they ever built it, I had a problem understanding that a group of adults could create something as hideous as this memorial.

The lady is govenor, due to the fact that all the women in Arizona voted for her, a woman's lib, first woman govenor.

No, not me, I don't support many women for office, guess that I am not liberated.
granny................

[under-investigation] Arizona 9/11 Memorial - Blames America - Looks like a MoveOn Webpage CAIR Consul

http://www.michellemalkin.com/

The Arizona 9/11 memorial disgrace

By Michelle Malkin · September 24, 2006 10:40 PM

***scroll for updates...AZ Gov. Napolitano thinks the memorial
is "great," "honorable," and "responsible..."

You have got to see the entire stomach-turning photo series of the
Arizona 9/11 memorial disgrace over at Hot Air. Many thanks to Hot
Air commenter AZ Patriot for taking the pics.

The blogswarm has been building over the moonbattered memorial,
which was supposedly built so that future generations will not
forget the tragic losses of life and the inspiration, heroism and
lessons learned that day," but which stands as a Blame America
monument that will make the despoilers of Ground Zero and the Flight
93 Red Crescent memorial jealous.

Espresso Pundit sounded the alarm after visiting the site and
reported: "The memorial looks like a MoveOn.org webpage." Flopping
Aces and Allah followed up. Ace and his commenters are all over it.
The East Valley Tribune picked up on the blogswarm here. MKH
tracking here, with campaign donor info on some of the Arizona 9/11
commission members. You won't be surprised.

Dan Riehl and Ace report on the educational curriculum being offered
by the Arizona 9/11 memorial organization. It includes lessons like
this:

Describe how key political, social, environmental, and economic
events of the late 20th century and early 21st century (e.g.,
Watergate, OPEC/oil crisis, Central American wars/Iran-Contra, End
of Cold War, first Gulf War, September 11) affected, and continue to
affect, the United States.

Fox News covered the controversy this afternoon. Here's Brian
Wilson's interview with Arizona state rep. Russell Pearce.

Five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, we must remain as
vigilant as ever against those who would exploit jihadi acts of war
and mass murder as opportunities to erect literal Guilt Complexes on
American soil. They tried it at Ground Zero. They tried it at
Shanksville. They succeeded in Arizona.

Where next?

***

Update: GOP AZ gubernatorial challenger Len Munsil is hosting a
press conference tomorrow morning at 11am and has audio of Gov.
Napolitano's fawning over the memorial.

It's hard to improve on the memorial moonbattery, but the
Photoshopping has begun: Sean Gleeson and Six Meat Buffet have fun.

***

Contact Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano:

The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Governor of Arizona
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Telephone (602) 542-4331
Toll Free 1-(800) 253-0883
Fax (602) 542-1381

E-mail the Arizona 9/11 memorial organization:
information@AZ911Memorial.com

Here are the 30 members of the Arizona 9/11 memorial commission
approved by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (I'm hyperlinking with
contact info or adding email info as I find it):

Crystal Allman Assistant United Phoenix Fire Fighters
(callman@phxfirefighters.org)
Benito Almanza President Bank of America
Joe Anderson Chairman & CEO Schaller Anderson
Marcos Andrade
Johnny Basha Vice President Chairman of the Board Bashas
Viana Bruce Marine Semper Fi 24/7 Support Team
Cassidy Campana Public Relations Manager R&R Partners
Lynne Christian
Shelley Cohn Executive Director Arizona Commission on the Arts
Kathy Copeland Lieutenant/ Investigation Division Glendale Police
Dept.
Rich Dozer President Arizona Diamondbacks
Susan Ehrlich Judge State Court of Appeals
Paul Eppinger Executive Director Arizona Inner Faith Movement
Jennifer Glazar Flight Attendant Southwest Airlines
Dan Hoffman Architect Studio MA
Jake Jacobsen President P.L.E.A.
Donna Killoughey Bird General Council Life Teen, Inc.
Ronnie Lopez Chairman P.I.C.
Paul Luna President Valley of the Sun, United Way
Ken Magoch Past President FOP Retired Sgt. Tucson PD
Cindy Petrovich Buyer I Arizona Dept. of Veterans' Services
Penny Pfaelzer PfaelzerJohnsAmen&Dean
Bob Ramsey Chairman & CEO Starwest Associates/American Life Star
Diane Saunders Assistant to the Governor Governors Office
Billy Shields President United Phoenix Firefighters
Sonia Singh
Steve Speisman Teacher
Joe Tucker CPA
Daniel Valenzuela
George Weisz Mayor's Office

Who sponsored the memorial? Here's a list provided by the AZ 9/11
memorial foundation:

Arizona Emporium
AZ Comm Financial Services
azcentral.com
Bank of America
Bashas'
Blue Cross Blue Shield AZ
City of Glendale
City of Phoenix
City of Tempe
Concert
Fort McDowell Casino
Future Vision Investment
Grupo ñ Advertising
Honorable George Weisz
Humana
iHealth Technologies
Levine Foundation
Maricopa Community College
Mass Electric Construction
McCarthy Construction
MTI
Nationwide
Phoenix Councilmember Greg Stanton
Phoenix Suns
Primestaff
RBC Dain Rauscher
SCF Arizona
Schaller Anderson
Sleep America
State government agencies
The Arizona Community Foundation
The Arizona Republic
The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association- PLEA
The Ramsey Foundation
UFCW
United Phoenix Fire Fighters

http://hotair.com/archives/2006/09/24/photo-series-the-arizona-911-memorial/

Photo series: The Arizona 9/11 Memorial; Audio update: AZ governor
comments on controversyposted at 9:17 pm on September 24, 2006 by
Allahpundit

A million thanks to AZ Patriot, who did yeoman's work for us today
by heading over there and snapping these pics. I think this is the
whole series but I'm not sure; he hasn't responded to my e-mail yet.

Here they are, in sequence. I've made the "interesting" ones full
size. The rest are clickable thumbnails. One of the full size images

towards the end having to do with "terrorist organizations" got cut
off. Hopefully AZP will stop by and tell us what the full
inscription says. Bear in mind as you go that the memorial's website
describes it thusly:

Arizona's September 11th Memorial will be built at Wesley Bolin
Memorial Plaza located directly in front of the Capitol Mall so that
future generations will not forget the tragic losses of life and the
inspiration, heroism and lessons learned that day. This monument to
those who died, served and rallied to the cause, will be a worthy
and lasting education symbol to remind us of how our great State
came together in the face of adversity.

Mary K has a comprehensive post about this. Don't miss that either.

Google Alert - shooting of people on street

One shooting case fuels the debate: Is eyewitness testimony ...
Palm Beach Post - FL, United States
... So on that dark street, a memory of a minute ... I have never seen
any of these people in my ... an anonymous tip line, Crime Stoppers,
four
months after the shooting. ...
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/pbccentral/content/local_news/epaper/2006/09/23/m1a_eyewitness_0923.html

Fatal shooting could spur Beach crackdown on rowdy nightclubs
Virginian Pilot - Norfolk,VA,USA
... Lance Hyman, 23, of the 400 block of Birmingham Street in Norfolk,
was ... people were bailing out of the parking lot and people were
still
shooting out here ...
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=111500&ran=55533
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&hl=en&client=google&ncl=http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm%3Fstory%3D111500%26ran%3D55533

911 calls -- Published Sept. 23, 2006
Stockton Record - Stockton,CA,USA
... Shooting: A 23-year-old man told police that at 10 pm Thursday he
was
... sitting in a car in the first block of West 7th Street when five
people,
one armed ...
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060923/NEWS06/609230312/1001/NEWS01
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&hl=en&client=google&ncl=http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20060923/NEWS06/609230312/1001/NEWS01

Triple shooting in the Bronx
7Online.com - New York,NY,USA
... three people in the Bronx. One of victims is in critical condition
this morning. The shooting happened just before 11:00 last night along
the Bonus Street in ...
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=local&id=4590881

Peoria man charged in Taft Homes shooting
Peoria Journal Star - Peoria,IL,USA
... the 600 block of Northeast Adams Street just before ... Then
several
people saw Knight shoot Glen and heard ... Wednesday's shooting
incident
at Taft was the second in ...
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/092306/TRI_BB1NN7BR.012.shtml
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&hl=en&client=google&ncl=http://www.pjstar.com/stories/092306/TRI_BB1NN7BR.012.shtml

Officer, woman suspect give different accounts of Foley shooting
North County Times - Escondido,CA,USA
... gets out of his car and starts shooting at him ... area, and
sheriff's
officials indicated they had people on the ... except that he gave them
the wrong street name at ...
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/09/23/news/top_stories/7_99_999_21_06.txt
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&hl=en&client=google&ncl=http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/09/23/news/top_stories/7_99_999_21_06.txt

Club melee and high-speed chase end in injuries, charges
DesMoinesRegister.com - Des Moines,IA,USA
... shot and three were arrested in an overnight shooting and two ...
report
said there were more than 250 people in the ... Weaver headed north on
SE 14th Street and as he ...
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060923/NEWS01/60923004/1001/NEWS

Suspect in Scranton Shooting Arrested
WNEP-TV - Scranton,PA,USA
... a shooting that took place July 8th at a gas station on Moosic
Street.
According to investigators, Draine encouraged another man to shoot at
some people there. ...
http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=5447641&nav=5ka4

Car linked to fatal shooting
Albany Times Union - Albany,NY,USA
... Robinson, who admitted shooting people and operating a crack house
on Emmett Street, said 845 Stanley St. was a hub of illegal
trafficking.
...
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=519510&category=SCHENECTADY&BCCode=LOCAL&newsdate=9/23/2006

Hawkinsville man killed outside church
Macon Telegraph - Macon,GA,USA
... who were seen running south down South Union Street about the time
of the shooting, Tripp said ... in the cool night, also reported
hearing
people running, the ...
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/15588482.htm

[a post for study and research]

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2006/0923/local/stories/seda-ross.htm

September 23, 2006
Pete Seda sent prisoners copies of a radical version of the Quran that includes a call to jihad, or holy war, against those who do not belive in Islam. (Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell)
A TALE OF TWO SEDAS
Pete Seda's peace activism 'largely a facade,' former employee claims
By Mark Freeman
Mail Tribune

Former Ashland activist Pete Seda was "seduced" by radical Islamic ideology and harbored mixed views about the use of violence in the name of faith, claims a former employee who has aided the government's terror investigation.

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a former Muslim who worked for Seda's Ashland-based Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation in 1999, painted a stark and contradictory picture of Seda as a jihadist at heart yet a strong opponent of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Gartenstein-Ross called Seda the "smiling salesman for radical Islam" who knowingly gave prison inmates literature that called on killing non-Muslims and who intentionally funneled money to Chechen rebels as outlined in a federal criminal case against him.

Though he embraced the similar radical Islamic views that spurred Osama bin Laden and the Sept. 11 attacks, some "moral impulses" kept Seda from supporting terror attacks here, Gartenstein-Ross said.

"His view actually was not one standing against all violence," said Gartenstein-Ross, 30, now a lawyer and counterterrorism consultant in Massachusetts. "He fostered that ideology, yet he himself was unable to accept the full implications of the literature that he aggressively peddled.

"In the end, he couldn't accept the final, logical implication (of jihad) when it came to al-Qaida, when it came to making war against Americans," he said.

Gartenstein-Ross, who grew up in Ashland and left Al-Haramain in 1999 after eight months there, testified Tuesday before a U.S. Senate committee about Al-Haramain's Islamic evangelical program in U.S. prisons.

His testimony included references to Seda and Soliman Al-Buthe, Seda's former co-director in the Ashland-based chapter. Both are global fugitives wanted on money-laundering and tax-fraud charges stemming from a federal investigation of the chapter.

The government has labeled Al-Buthe and the chapter agents of global terror, but Seda so far has sidestepped that label.

If true, Gartenstein-Ross' portrayal of Seda could shatter the latter's image among supporters as a man of peace whose investigation and prosecution by federal authorities has been characterized as a Patriot Act witch hunt.

"The peace-advocate Pete Seda so beloved by the community was largely a facade and not representative of the views he held behind closed doors," Gartenstein-Ross said.

Jonah Sedaghaty, Pete Seda's 22-year-old son, acknowledged that, privately, his father was somewhat different from his arborist-for-peace persona. But Sedaghaty said any sinister reading of his father's personality and his Islamic outreach efforts could twist pieces of a complex man to make him appear as someone he is not.

"Behind the smiling face was a very strict, straightforward Muslim," said Sedaghaty, now a college student in Portland. "But there wasn't any evil there."

Seda, now 46 and living in Iran, preached peace but did support Muslims fighting oppression, such as Islamic Chechens fighting Russians, Sedaghaty said. But he characterized Gartenstein-Ross' portrayals as "ridiculous."

"He's trying to put a twist on it, and I don't know why," Sedaghaty said. "Tell you the truth, I never liked the guy."

Rabbi David Zaslow, an Ashland activist who worked with Seda on peace and interfaith issues, said he also knew Gartenstein-Ross while growing up in Ashland and considers him a person of great integrity. But Zaslow said he cannot reconcile Gartenstein-Ross' portrayal of Seda with the Seda he knew.

"It would be hard for me to think he could pull the wool over my eyes for that long a time," Zaslow said. "It's startling."

Gartenstein-Ross testified Tuesday about the charity and Seda before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C.

A 1994 Ashland High School graduate, Gartenstein-Ross converted to Islam in 1997 from his native Judaism. Recruited by Seda, he worked at Al-Haramain from December 1998 until August 1999 and oversaw the prison Islamic evangelism, or "dawa," program.

The program sent prisoners copies of a radical version of the Quran that includes a call to jihad, or holy war, against those who do not believe in Islam. The book, called "The Noble Quran," includes a chapter, called "Appendix 3," that tells readers to "race to jihad" and kill those who do not embrace Islam.

"I believe he was seduced by this ideology, that jihad was a proper way to spread Islam," Gartenstein-Ross said. "He knew what the literature was.

"He believed he was doing God's work," Gartenstein-Ross said.

Tom Nelson, Al-Buthe's attorney based in Welches, disputed Gartenstein-Ross' view of Seda and Al-Haramain.

"He's saying there's a conspiracy out there," Nelson said. "I suppose you could look as these facts and say maybe there was a conspiracy here. But I don't think you'll find anybody in your neck of the woods who thinks Pete's a terrorist."

Gartenstein-Ross said he found himself warming to Seda's radical views during his tenure at Al-Haramain, but began to question those views after leaving Al-Haramain for law school in August 1999.

He converted to Christianity in 2000, but said he didn't tell Seda until a year later because he was concerned about Islamic teachings calling for the killing of people who left the faith.

Gartenstein-Ross said he kept in touch with Seda until late 2002, when he applied for a law-clerk appointment at the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.

In January 2003, FBI agents first questioned Gartenstein-Ross about Seda and his days at Al-Haramain, but Gartenstein-Ross did not understand the nature of the inquiries until the government's indictment of Seda, Al-Buthe and Al-Haramain, he said.

"Pete was no dupe," Gartenstein-Ross said.

Gartenstein-Ross since has written a book, due for release in early 2007, about his time at Al-Haramain in Ashland. He also has consulted with law enforcement about terrorism, has written a counterterrorism blog and has appeared on television and radio talk shows.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Cardani, who is prosecuting the Al-Haramain case, declined to discuss whether or how Gartenstein-Ross has assisted in the case against Seda, Al-Buthe and Al-Haramain.

But Cardani called Gartenstein-Ross a "rising voice" in the terrorism-consulting world.

"His background is fascinating," Cardani said. "He's come full circle. I've met with him before. He seems to be extremely sincere in adding his voice out there against radical Islamic voices around the world."

Nelson said he wanted a formal venue to rebuff Gartenstein-Ross and his version of the actions and motivations of Al-Haramain's leaders in Ashland during the 1990s.

"Consider the source," Nelson said. "They've got their take on it and he's got an audience before Congress. We hope we can respond to it."

Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail mfreeman@mailtribune.com.

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2006/0925/local/stories/tinsel_town_fire.htm

September 25, 2006
Fire causes theater evacuation
By SANNE SPECHT
Mail Tribune

Moviegoers at Tinseltown in Medford were evacuated after a restroom fire filled the theatre with smoke and set off the building's sprinkler system late Sunday afternoon.

Someone torched the toilet -paper holder in the men's restroom, which created enough fire and heat to set off the sprinkler system, said Captain Fred LaBrasseur of Medford Fire Station 3. The perpetrator will be charged with arson if the individual is apprehended, he said.

"Nobody was hurt, but that was lucky," LaBrasseur said, adding there were about 500 people in front of the theatre when he and his crews arrived.

"People can sometimes panic when they evacuate. Sometimes that can create even more injuries than the fire."

Employees of the theatre were not allowed to discuss the extent of damage caused by the fire or whether customers were being compensated for the movies they missed.

Ian Bezzant and Makenzie Madsen of Ashland said they received "rain checks" when their chosen film, "The Last Kiss," come to a smoky stop just after 5 p.m.

"Everything went black," said Bezzant. "We saw a little flash and somebody yelled 'Fire!' "

"There was a lot of smoke and it smelled like fire," said Madsen.

However, both Bezzant and Madsen agreed the crowd was "calm and orderly" during the evacuation process.

"There was no pushing or shoving," said Bezzant.

Tom Hyrup of Central Point was taking a stroll with his dog, Gizmo, when customers began streaming out the entrances. Hyrup said the crowd seemed "pretty lackadaisical" considering it was clear the theatre was experiencing some sort of problem.

"I noticed it was a little smoky as they were coming out the doors," he said.

An hour after the 5:05 p.m. call came in, fire crews continued to attack the wet smokey mess with squeegees, ladders and wrenches, while Medford police began their criminal investigation of the crime scene.

Dozens of customers who had either been in the theater at the time of the fire or those arriving expecting to see a show were still milling around trying to make sense of what had happened.

Angie Anders of Medford said she and her friends had expected to view the movie "Jackass 2" until someone "pulled their own in the bathroom."

The theater will remain closed until the smoke and water damage are cleaned up and the sprinkler system is back in operation, said LaBrasseur.

"This was really a costly prank," said LaBrasseur.

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2006/0923/local/stories/seda-chapter.htm

Prisoner database could have been potential terrorist recruitment tool

ASHLAND — Behind the fence at 3800 Siskiyou Boulevard loomed more than a prayer tent and grass-munching camel that owner Pete Seda used as tools for teaching Islam in the late 1990s, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross claims.

The headquarters for the U.S. chapter of the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, later labeled a terrorist organization, was the front for preaching radical call-to-jihad Islam shared by Seda and other Al-Haramain leaders, said Gartenstein-Ross, who worked there from December 1998 to August 1999.

Visiting lecturers would sometimes spout bigoted, homophobic or anti-Semitic ideas to gatherings of men. At times, Seda had speakers wear microphones so women cloistered in different rooms could hear how those who left Islam should be killed or that Jews were trying to control the world, Gartenstein-Ross alleged.

"Jewish conspiracy theories," Gartenstein-Ross said. "Pete thought they were amazing."

Seda also liked guns and carried an "apocalyptic view" that he may one day have to retreat into the woods for survival if a world-threatening catastrophe occurred, Gartenstein-Ross said.

"According to him, he had a stockpile of weapons that would challenge a survivalist," Gartenstein-Ross said.

But what caught the eye of federal investigators was a database of more than 15,000 Muslim prison inmates who filled out graded questionnaires about their knowledge of Islam and listed where they planned to go after their release from prison, Gartenstein-Ross told a Senate panel Tuesday.

That database could have become a potential terrorist recruitment list had the chapter's parent organization in Saudi Arabia chosen to use it, said Gartenstein-Ross, who worked on the prisoner program.

Yet it never did, largely because the pre-9/11 Al-Haramain wasn't looking for U.S.-born terrorists and its leadership overlooked the opportunities disaffected criminals could bring it, Gartenstein-Ross told the Senate panel.

Still, Gartenstein-Ross warned that prisons remain ripe with potential terrorists who could be recruited through a similar Islamic evangelism prison program like the one he oversaw briefly for Seda.

"Al-Haramain in Ashland is kind of a microcosm of what could happen," Gartenstein-Ross said in an interview. "It's a microcosm of how radicals can take over leadership of a community and change its tone dramatically."

Gartenstein-Ross said there were many people who passed through the Siskiyou Boulevard house who were not extremists and that he believes the extremism is gone from Ashland's Muslim community.

Gartenstein-Ross' assertions befuddled Seda friends who said they never saw the zealot Gartenstein-Ross describes nor the activities he claims to have witnessed at the house.

"It might be true, but I didn't see any sign of it," said David Berger, an Ashland lawyer and friend of Seda who was in the house often and attended end-of-the-year parties there.

"I knew Pete for a much longer period of time than Daveed did and I never saw any of that," Berger said. "Literally none of it."

Jonah Sedaghaty, Pete Seda's son, said the questionnaire was meant solely to find out what sort of literature a prisoner wanted. The database, Sedaghaty said, was to curb duplicate mailings of expensive materials.

"It was all coincidences," Sedaghaty said. "There was nothing sinister going on there." — Mark Freeman

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2006/0923/local/stories/alharamain-background.htm

September 23, 2006
The back story of Seda and Al-Haramain

Pete Seda and Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation co-director Soliman Al-Buthe remain international fugitives wanted on money-laundering and tax-fraud charges for allegedly smuggling $150,000 out of the United States through the charity to Saudi Arabia, then filing a false tax return to cover the crime.

The federal government has designated Al-Buthe and the Al-Haramain chapter as agents of global terror, but Seda has so far sidestepped that designation. Al-Buthe is fighting his designation in federal court.

Al-Buthe and two of his Washington, D.C., attorneys also are suing the government over alleged illegal National Security Agency wiretapping of Al-Buthe's phone conversations with his attorneys while Al-Buthe was out of the United States.

Al-Buthe is in his native Saudi Arabia and government officials have said they believe Seda, a naturalized U.S. citizen, is in his native Iran. The United States has no extradition agreement with either country, but either man could be arrested on an Interpol warrant if found entering a country with an extradition agreement with the United States.

Seda left the United States prior to a February 2004 search of his house and seizure of the religious materials. Federal treasury officials in 2004 froze Al-Haramain's assets here.

The chapter's Highway 99 house, which served as the Seda family residence as well as the foundation headquarters, was sold at a government auction in May.

— Mark Freeman

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.