World Terrorism: News, History and Research Of A Changing World #7 Security Watch

No one to counter Chavez In a region where the leading ideology is Bolivarianism, there is not one leader positioned to offer a better idea for a brighter future.

For over two decades, the prevailing ideology in Latin America was neo-liberalism, a Washington-born idea that claimed the power of open markets would lift the region’s poor from misery. It did not, and corruption ran rampant.

While democracy still remains strong, resentful voters ushered in a new generation of neo-populist leaders touting a new idea: a form of socialism, called Bolivarianism, that has slowly but surely become the loudest and most prevalent ideology.

Bolivarianism is anti-capitalist, supports nationalization, regional trade with like-minded countries and above all, suggests that a country should rely on itself or fellow socialist states, not imperialist powers, as a source of the economic growth that will lift all from poverty. It is a sort of refurbished socialism that is not a guiding light for the future.

Latin America cannot readily absorb the economic shock of open markets, nor can it get bogged down in the trappings of old socialist ideas. A blended ideology must be promoted, but the problem is that no one is strong enough to counter Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the leader of Bolivarianism.

Chavez calls it Socialism for the 21st Century. Cuba's Fidel Castro passed him the torch. Leaders around the region pay homage to their own past as socialist upstarts through hugging and laughing with Chavez on the international stage while taking care of often pro-capitalist, neo-liberal business at home.

Brazilian President Luis Inacio “Lula” da Silva is a perfect example. He has the leftist background and eye for fiscal conservatism to become a great ideological counterweight to Chavez. His politics represent an ideal blend for the region. But his politically weak position at home and strong voices from his own left deter any would be shouting match with Chavez.

Within a week after winning his second term in office, Lula visited Chavez for a photo opportunity on a bridge linking both countries. That was in November, and it looks like Lula’s administration will remain bogged down until March as he struggles to get past his party’s sordid past and form a working cabinet willing to share the same table.

Argentina of the past could have been a counter weight to the Bolivarian ideology. But since Nestor Kirchner has come to power, Argentina has become a Venezuelan puppet.

Chavez has literally bought the support of his southern neighbor with over US$3 billion in purchases of Argentine debt. The most recent purchase occurred on 16 February, when Venezuela dumped another US$750 million into Argentine government coffers.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has the politics to promote an ideological battle with Chavez. Colombia has been a model of economic growth through a mixture of neo-liberal policies and social programs. But Uribe has serious problems.

Political allies are falling like dominos due to links with former paramilitary leaders. And if Uribe took the time to speak out for neo-liberalism and against Chavez, he would be dismissed as another of Washington's puppets. Colombia is a top recipient of US aid.

The only other leader who could take up an ideological fight with Chavez is Mexican President Felipe Calderon. He has the right politics and his country has a history of not blindly supporting the US. Voting against the US invasion of Iraq at the UN is a clear indication. But Calderon won on the thinnest possible mandate. His opposition controls enough seats in the Mexican Congress to block any unwanted initiative, and his focus is on Mexican organized crime, not on verbal sword play with Chavez.

Finally, the US has launched a diplomatic offensive in the region. This is to be a year of engagement, but the US president is clearly obsessed with the war in Iraq, not with putting a muzzle on Venezuela’s leader for the sake of the region’s future. Washington is doubly discredited, first for promoting an ideology that clearly did not work, and second for doing nothing about it.

Latin America needs an independent leader willing to stand up to Chavez, but that leader does not exist on the region’s geopolitical map. Bolivarianism will continue to seep into the minds and hearts of millions across Latin America. Chavez and his pool of allies will control the headlines until the next round of presidential elections tell the world how the region has embraced this new ideology.

As Chavez puts it, Socialism for the 21st Century is just getting started. If that is true, then he will continue to trumpet his ideology until Latin Americans learn, the hard way, that Bolivarianism did not carry them much farther from poverty than neo-liberalism. Disillusionment with reality may then spread faster than hope for the future.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sam Logan is an investigative journalist who has reported on security, energy, politics, economics, organized crime, terrorism and black markets in Latin America since 1999. He is a senior writer for ISN Security Watch based in Brazil.

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author only, not the International Relations and Security Network (ISN).

IAI Claims Hitting US Helicopter in Al-Tarmiyah, 10 Apr

Islamic Army in Iraq Claims Hitting US Helicopter in Al-Tarmiyah, 10 Apr

Originally published on 4/11/2007 by Jihadist Websites — OSC Summary in Arabic

Terrorism: Islamic Army in Iraq Claims Hitting US Helicopter in Al-Tarmiyah, 10 Apr

On 11 April, a jihadist website posted a statement from The Islamic Army in Iraq in which the group claimed “hitting a US Black Hawk helicopter from two directions in Al-Tarmiyah on Tuesday afternoon, 10 April 2007, forcing it to land”. The statement was attributed to the military command of the Islamic Army in Iraq.

A translation of the statement follows:

“In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

‘Fight them, and Allah will punish them by your hands, cover them with shame, help you (to victory) over them, heal the breasts of Believers’. [Koranic verse, Al-Tawbah, verse 9:14]

Praise be to God, Lord of all creation, the Dear, the Strong. The best prayers and most complete salutations be upon the prophet of guidance, the prophet of the epic, and upon all of his family and companions.

“At 1700 on Tuesday, 22 Rabi al-Awwal 1428, corresponding to 10 April 2007, after depending on God and with His assistance, one of the squads of the Islamic Army in Iraq targeted a Black Hawk helicopter and opened fire on it from two directions in the Al-Tarmiyah (Al-Shat) area, north of Baghdad (outside), and with God’s blessings, the plane was hit and smoke was seen coming out of it, forcing to land, where a Crusader support force was dispatched while the lions of the [Islamic] Army withdrew safely. Praise and gratitude be to God, Lord of all creation.

God is great, glory be to God.

Military Command of the Islamic army in Iraq.”

Al-Rashidin Army Denies Participation in Peace Negotiations

Originally published on 4/10/2007 by Jihadist Websites — OSC Summary in Arabic

Terrorism: Al-Rashidin Army Denies Participation in Peace Negotiations

On 10 April, a jihadist website posted a statement issued by the General Command of the Al-Rashidin Army in which the group denied having been involved in any negotiations over peace agreements with those they refer to as the “enemy and their collaborators”. The statement was not dated.

A translation of the statement follows:

“Every once in a while, someone comes, through the media, and makes wrongful accusations of negotiations being carried out between the heroic resistance groups and the occupying enemy and their collaborators. Some times the announcement comes from one of the midgets; the servants of the occupier. Other times, [the announcement] is by one of the rented pens [writers] in cheap newspapers, the loyalty and affiliations of which are known. The last [of the accusations] was a statement by the leader of the defeated forces in Iraq.

“Oh you patient and mujahidin people [of Iraq], sons of the zealous Rafidayn [the Two Rivers], we pray that the lies and falsehoods do not fool you; may your faith in your sons and in the mujahidin for God’s cause be greater then the claims of the liars. These lies shake this trust from one side and silence the American resonant opinion which calls for withdrawal, from another side.

“There is no negotiation and no giving up of arms. Our hands will remain on the trigger, showering the rotten heads with the bullets of the Truth. Let them claim what they wish to claim; let them name the group they have negotiated with if they are, indeed, telling the truth.

“Let it be known that the reasons for these lies are:

“1. To mislead the opinion of the general populous and to disillusion it into thinking that the American forces in Iraq are gaining political momentum on the scene by dragging the resistance into negotiations and into putting down their weapons.

“2. To give support to the peace plan which accomplished only trivial results, as the enemy’s minister of defense declared and since one of its desired side -effects is to foster national reconciliation.

“3. To please the democrats who have adopted the Hamilton-Baker project, which stresses that there is no possibility of any negotiations with the resistance and that the resistance must be persuaded to enter into a political negotiation, so that, consequently, they would obtain the necessary support for the budget of the forces in Iraq.

“4. To rattle the faith of the Iraqi people in the resistance groups after they neared expelling the occupier, and to ruin the image of their jihad and make it appear to be a jihad for gaining booty of war and power and, consequently, giving in to the plans of certain collaborator factions which are part of the government.

“5. To create a an environment full of chaos and accusations between the resistance groups and to make a sense of doubt permeate its leadership after it came close to joining forces in a united jihadist plan.

“6. The pursuit by certain vile individuals who are wrongfully attributed to the Salafis, to find an outlet for themselves to use a guarantee of their safety once the occupier departs.”

Tehran Imam: West Uses Iran To Frighten Countries

Iran: Friday Prayer Imam Says West Uses Iran To Frighten Countries, Divide Muslims

Second sermon from the Tehran Firday prayers led by Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani, member of the Expediency Council, at Tehran University - live

Originally published on 4/13/2007 by Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran Radio 1 in Persian
[Beginning of sermon lost due to bad reception]

Our great Imam [Khomeyni], may peace be upon his soul, [people chanting God is great] at the present time says [passage omitted in Arabic quoting Imam Sadeq on Islamic unity]. The secret behind what Imam Sadeq and others have said is that they have seen Muslims and have realized that Islam is in danger. Islam continues its survival through unity. Without unity there would be confusion and they [enemies] will destroy everyone.

This does not need any explanation as its importance is clear in today’s world. Let’s take a look at the strategy of western countries and the arrogance [referring to the US] concerning Islamic countries and Iran.

They have proceeded step by step and have understood that they will not succeed. They have learnt that by the occupation of Islamic countries, they will only be bogged down. They have learnt that using force will not help them succeed. They have also understood that the world will not back off by their slogans and threats. At a time, they [countries] were frightened. At a time, Iran was frightened when the British ambassador said something to Reza Khan or Mohammad Reza Khan [former Iranian shahs during the Pahlavi’s reign]

They have understood that people are not frightened any more. The only strategy they have chosen to dominate the Islamic world and Iran is to sow the seeds of discord. This is certainly their only policy. If they spend money it is to implement this policy. If they put pressure on others, it is for the same purpose. They say that by dividing Muslims, they [Muslims] will fight and kill each other and the end result would be in their [Western enemies’] interest.

The point that the supreme leader mentioned on the occasion of the New Year [calling this year] as I heard on the TV the year of Islamic solidarity and national unity, I came to the conclusion that raising such an issue would have not been possible if there was no divine inspiration behind it.

This is exactly the panacea needed for the Islamic world: Islamic solidarity and national unity. Why national unity? This is because the arrogant world has now zoomed in on Iran. You see that there are even films made against Iranians. Why have they [world arrogance] zoomed in on Iran? This is because Iran is the centre of religious thought. Thought emanates from Iran.

Muslims understand the reality. They see that there is light coming from a certain point. Therefore, national unity is important. Furthermore, they [world arrogance] are making similar efforts [sowing discord] inside Iran. The nuclear energy which has reached a better status, thank God, as announced by Dr. Ahmadinezhad in a gathering in Natanz, is developing further. They do not want this.

They know that Iran does not intend to produce nuclear weapons. The Islamic countries know the Islamic thought is not in this direction. But they [world arrogance] use Iran to frighten some governments of the Islamic countries. They [governments of some Islamic countries] also fan the flames of this fear inside their countries. They create fear and division among people.

So that one says yes, and another says no [people are divided]. That is why unity is important in every matter, among all and for God. We all have to repeat and follow what the leader on the Islamic Ummah says. [Interrupted by crowd chanting: God is great, Khamene’i is our leader. Death to America. Death to Israel.]

We should not be taken away by fear. Thank God the Iranian nation is awake and alert. Everyone with different tastes and beliefs are united especially when it comes to national interests. But I am warning you because the enemy is creating fear and psychological war inside the country. God willing, with the kind attention of our master Imam Zaman [the twelfth Shiite Imam] this country will be safe from any harm. The country is under the supervision of the twelfth Imam. We ask God to forgive all our sins, and turn a blind eye on our wrong deeds. [Passage omitted on praying to God]

I should add two more sentences. The Army Day is coming up. We commemorate the sacrifices of the Islamic Republic Army, as well as the martyrdom of the senior military officer Sayyad-Shirazi. It is also the anniversary of establishment of one of Imam’s [Khomeini] institutions, Housing Foundation. I ask you to pay donations to this institution which helps the people in need. Will God help us achieve what he prefers for us.

: Tehran Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran Radio 1 in Persian — state-run radio

Ansar Al-Sunnah Group Reiterates Denial of Involvement in Negotiations

Originally published on 4/7/2007 by Jihadist Websites — OSC Summary in Arabic

Terrorism: Ansar Al-Sunnah Group Reiterates Denial of Involvement in Negotiations

On 7 April, a jihadist website posted a statement issued by the leadership of the Ansar Al-Sunnah group in which it reiterated its denial of any involvement in any reconciliation talks or any attempts to join forces with other groups. The statement was attributed to Bashir Al-Sunnah from The Ansar Al-Sunnah Group.

A translation of the statement follows:

“In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

“Praise be to God, Lord of all creations. Peace and prayers be upon the seal of the prophets and the messengers, Muhammad, and upon all of his family and companions.

“Anyone keeping track of the Iraqi jihadist scene in the past few years would clearly see that there is a very strong and misleading attack against the mujahidin and their jihad, using all types of malicious and fake methods. There is no doubt that the enemy and their followers have large-scale plans to corrupt the mujahidin and all Muslims in general, and to lead them off the straight path.

“In the past few days, the media has once again circulated the issue of cooperation and negotiation between the armed groups from one side Americans and the collaborating government from another. Therefore, it was necessary to issue this statement.

“We have previously clarified, and we reiterate, that our stance towards any proposed terms (such as reconciliation, participation, agreement) and other such terms that we have not entered into any of these nor have we discussed them. In truth, these are merely conspiracies laid out by the sects of infidelity and polytheism, as well as their local atheist collaborators. Their ultimate goal is to fool the general populous.

“By God, we say that it is only the beginning and not the end...these are only the first rounds in the path and they are not the last. God the Truthful and the Almighty said:’ How [else could it be]? -since, if they [who are hostile to you] were to overcome you, they would not respect any tie [with you,] nor any obligation to protect [you]. They seek to please you with their mouths, the while their hearts remain averse [to you]; and most of them are iniquitous.’ [Koranic verse; Al-Tawbah 9:8] Therefore, it becomes clear that this matter aims only to cause division and strife and to mislead the Muslims. Accordingly, we declare that this matter is not more then one the following possibilities:

“1. That there is a sect that has fallen into their traps, or it was their creation and it is functioning under the banner of the resistance. They use it for propaganda purposes such as this to empower their plans.

“2. That some of those captured were then released on the condition that they would declare, in the name of their group, their agreement with these statements in order to scare the [Ansar Al-Sunnah] group.

“In the end we say that...

“Within the [Ansar Al-Sunnah] group, and by the grace of God, all of our matters are tied to Islamic Law and its protocols which forbid the mujahid, [who is fighting] for the way of God, to act as he pleases fighting whomever and however he pleases. We ask God, the Almighty, to ameliorate our situation and that of all Muslims everywhere, and that He vindicates his people, the mujahidin [fighting] for Him and that He resolves our pains and those of all Muslims in all parts of the world. He is the generous Lord, and the best of Lords and the best vindicator.

“The leadership of the Ansar Al-Sunnah Group.

“19 Rabi Al-Awwal, 1428.

“7 April, 2007.”

Teachers drop the Holocaust to avoid offending Muslims

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=445979&in_page_id=1770
By LAURA CLARK - Last updated at 11:58am on 2nd April 2007

Schools are dropping the Holocaust from history lessons to avoid offending Muslim pupils, a Governmentbacked study has revealed.

It found some teachers are reluctant to cover the atrocity for fear of upsetting students whose beliefs include Holocaust denial.

There is also resistance to tackling the 11th century Crusades - where Christians fought Muslim armies for control of Jerusalem - because lessons often contradict what is taught in local mosques.

The findings have prompted claims that some schools are using history ‘as a vehicle for promoting political correctness’.

The study, funded by the Department for Education and Skills, looked into ‘emotive and controversial’ history teaching in primary and secondary schools.

It found some teachers are dropping courses covering the Holocaust at the earliest opportunity over fears Muslim pupils might express anti-Semitic and anti-Israel reactions in class.

The researchers gave the example of a secondary school in an unnamed northern city, which dropped the Holocaust as a subject for GCSE coursework.

The report said teachers feared confronting ‘anti-Semitic sentiment and Holocaust denial among some Muslim pupils’.

It added: “In another department, the Holocaust was taught despite anti-Semitic sentiment among some pupils.

“But the same department deliberately avoided teaching the Crusades at Key Stage 3 (11- to 14-year-olds) because their balanced treatment of the topic would have challenged what was taught in some local mosques.”

A third school found itself ‘strongly challenged by some Christian parents for their treatment of the Arab-Israeli conflict-and the history of the state of Israel that did not accord with the teachings of their denomination’.

The report concluded: “In particular settings, teachers of history are unwilling to challenge highly contentious or charged versions of history in which pupils are steeped at home, in their community or in a place of worship.”

But Chris McGovern, history education adviser to the former Tory government, said: “History is not a vehicle for promoting political correctness. Children must have access to knowledge of these controversial subjects, whether palatable or unpalatable.”

The researchers also warned that a lack of subject knowledge among teachers - particularly at primary level - was leading to history being taught in a ‘shallow way leading to routine and superficial learning’.

Lessons in difficult topics were too often ‘bland, simplistic and unproblematic’ and bored pupils.

Red Mosque Cleric Denies Support of Pak Intel Agencies

Pakistan: Cleric Says Intelligence Agencies Not Behind Declaration of Sharia

Report by Umar Cheema: “Lal Masjid walks a tightrope”

Originally published on 4/11/2007 by The News (Internet Version-WWW) in English

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

ISLAMABAD: The Lal Masjid administration is treading cautiously in holding negotiations with Gen Pervez Musharraf’s pointman Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, assuming him to be a shrewd politician.

Given his tricky style of parleys and the way he put the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal on the defensive over the issue of the Legal Framework Order, it makes it harder for them to guess his real intentions.

“It is hard to predict a politician ... they are very clever people,” is what a top cleric said about the outcome of their negotiations with the ruling party chief. There was no one around when the PML chief came to see the two Maulana brothers — Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid Ghazi — spearheading a Nifaz-e-Shariat movement in the capital. What Shujaat admitted is hard for them to believe particularly so when he is representing an enlightened moderate — the president — a person who is completely averse to what the Lal Masjid administration has done.

“There is nothing un-Islamic in what you people have done,” Ghazi quoted Shujaat’s compliments to them over the enforcement of Shariah. In a detailed chat with this scribe, Ghazi also denied having the backing of intelligence agencies as alleged by Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

A graduate from the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Ghazi was busy surfing the net when approached by this correspondent. Squatted on a carpet with a bundle of newspapers placed on his right side, he appeared to be quite relaxed and friendly. Compared with Abdul Aziz, his elder brother, Ghazi can well be called a moderate version as far as his outlook is concerned. Nowadays he is booked for interviews by several mediapersons.

Although he is receptive to queries and criticism from mediamen, he is visibly quite contented with what they have done, not giving a damn to what other religious leaders think about them. Ghazi, however, strongly feels that it is a “do or die” situation for them.

It is, however, difficult for him to predict the outcome of their ongoing discussions with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. If he goes by the ruling party chief’s views that “there is nothing un-Islamic in what they have done”, Ghazi appears to be quite optimistic.

However, Shujaat’s advice that “minutes” of the meeting would not be disclosed to the media makes Ghazi a little sceptical about the intention of the emissary of the government. During the whole meeting, Shujaat did not contest a single act of the Lal Masjid administration. He instead sought their demands to resolve the conflict. They put forward a paper containing around 10 demands, including a ban on liquor. He put them in his pocket and left the place.

Shujaat held a meeting with the president on Monday but did not contact the Lal Masjid administration. However, background discussions with the participants of the meeting held in the Presidency, suggest that the government has decided to resolve the issue through political means instead of opting for an armed operation.

Reacting to Maulana Fazl’s allegations that the enforcement of Shariah has been declared at the behest of intelligence agencies, Ghazi vehemently denied it. He said the Lal Masjid administration took the decision on its own in consultation with 400-500 religious leaders and not with the backing of intelligence agencies.

He, however, did not rule out the possibility that intelligence agencies could exploit the situation for their own agenda. “Fazlur Rehman is not the only religious leader,” Ghazi said, when asked as to why they went for Shariah enforcement without consulting religious leaders like Fazl. “Instead of Fazl, we consulted Dr Sher Muhammad, (Fazl’s) teacher,” he said.

According to Ghazi, they have received a tremendous feedback from around the country over the enforcement of Shariah but largely from the NWFP and the tribal areas. He said they were in constant contact with those involved in the “Talibanisation” in the NWFP but refused to comment on a question if they (proponents of Talibanisation) had contacts with al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

: Islamabad The News (Internet Version-WWW) in English — Internet version of the widely read, influential English daily, member of the Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of domestic and international issues. Hardcopy circulation estimated at 55,000; root URL as of filing date: http://www.thenews.com.pk

Up To 60 Taliban Killed in Southern Afghanistan Battles

AFP: Up To 60 Taliban Killed in Southern Afghanistan Battles

By Sardar Ahmad

Originally published on 4/13/2007 by AFP in English
KABUL, April 14, 2007 (AFP) - NATO and Afghan troops backed by warplanes killed up to 60 Taliban militants, officials said Friday, as the US-led coalition battled to gain control of the restive south.

US and Afghan troops backed by warplanes killed more than 35 Taliban militants during a five-hour battle on Thursday in the bitterly contested Helmand province Thursday, the US-led coalition said.

Friday, a joint NATO and Afghan military offensive in the Garmser district of Helmand killed a further 24 militants, the province’s police chief Mohammad Nabi Mullahkhil told AFP, although the reports could not be confirmed.

Meanwhile, a British soldier with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was killed in a separate gunbattle with rebels on Friday, becoming the 12th foreign soldier to die in Afghanistan in a week.

US special forces and Afghan troops also killed three Taliban who pinned down a group of civilian contractors after their helicopter came down in another area.

The fighting on Thursday, where 35 of the rebels were killed, took place in the Sangin district of Helmand, which some 1,000 Afghan and international troops wrested from insurgent control at the weekend.

Sangin is one of several districts in southern Afghanistan that have been out of government control at times during the last year amid a fierce insurgency led by the Islamist Taliban.

“More than 35 Taliban fighters were killed by ANA (Afghan National Army) and coalition forces during the five-hour afternoon battle,” the coalition said in a statement.

The statement said the clashes erupted after the troops identified several militant groups in the region. US air support was also called to pursue the fighters as they fled, the statement said.

The British soldier was killed and two others wounded in southern Afghanistan when their patrol fought fierce firefights with Taliban insurgents, the Ministry of Defence in London said.

The fighting erupted when a unit returned from a patrol aimed at reassuring Afghans that NATO forces were improving security in an area of northwest Helmand province and spotted five Taliban preparing an ambush.

The soldiers based near the town of Now Zad opened fire on the Taliban who were soon reinforced, with other fighters firing mortars, rockets, RPGs, heavy machine guns and small arms, the ministry said.

One of the soldiers received serious gunshot wounds, it added in a statement relayed from an ISAF press centre in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan.

Backed by an Apache attack helicopter exchanging fire with Taliban fighters on the ground, a Chinook ambulance helicopter arrived to collect the casualty and evacuated him for medical care at the main British base at Camp Bastion.

However, he was pronounced dead on arrival, the ministry statement said.

The death brought to 40 the number of international troops killed in Afghanistan this year. Some 170 were killed there in 2006.

It came a day after two NATO soldiers were killed in separate explosions in southern Afghanistan, and follows Canada’s heaviest single-day troop loss in 50 years with the deaths of six soldiers near Kandahar on Sunday.

Two French aid workers, apparently kidnapped by the Taliban in southwestern Nimroz province on April 3, remain missing.

French President Jacques Chirac called his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai late Thursday to “demand his support” for efforts to free them, according to Karzai’s office.

The Taliban beheaded an Afghan journalist kidnapped with an Italian reporter a month ago. The Italian journalist was freed after two weeks in captivity under a deal which saw five Taliban freed from Afghan jails.

Around 1,000 people, most of them militants, have died in insurgency-related violence this year.

: Hong Kong AFP in English — Hong Kong service of the independent French press agency Agence France-Presse

UN Envoy Calls For Dialogue With Taliban in Afghanistan

“UN Envoy Calls For Dialogue With Taliban in Afghanistan” — AFP headline

Originally published on 4/13/2007 by AFP (North European Service) in English

BERLIN, April 13, 2007 (AFP) — The UN envoy in Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, urged talks with all the forces in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, to stanch the bloodshed in the country, in an interview published Friday [ 13 April].

“If there is to be a chance for peace, we must talk to everyone, including alleged war criminals. The aim is to stabilise Afghanistan,” Koenigs told the German daily Berliner Zeitung.

He said this included the Taliban, which he described as “a movement that includes terrorists and uses terrorist methods but that also has a political foundation.”

Koenigs said the hardline Islamist movement also comprised “young fighters who often just need money” and “people who feel discriminated against by corrupt or partisan government officials” as well as drug dealers and Muslim fundamentalists.

“The idea that you have to kill all of them to win the conflict is nonsense,” he said.

“Of course there have to be talks with various groups. The answer to the conflict cannot only be based on the military or development policy but must be comprehensively political.”

He said the United Nations was trying to integrate all the conflicting parties with a negotiated truce.

“In the end, reconciliation has to come from the Afghans themselves,” he said.

Kurt Beck, the leader of Germany’s Social Democrats, half of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling left-right coalition, recently called for dialogue with “moderate Taliban” with the aim of ending the bloody unrest in Afghanistan.

Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta swiftly rejected the proposal, saying there were no moderate Taliban.

NATO-led forces are battling the strongest Taliban insurgency since the hardline Islamist movement was toppled for harbouring Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in December 2001.

: Paris AFP in English — North European Service of independent French press agency Agence France-Presse

This is a painting, when I saw it, my first thought was:
“This is how I have always thought of God”

I did not know that it was the Native Indian viewpoint, or at least one artists thought.

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog/slideshow.html?p=328&id=TW3k.48maaM21114watIn8lzWCfe

I once knew a Nez Prez Elder, there came a time when my Indian thoughts needed to be clarified, as I am both, the normal Texas American and an Indian.

I asked him, how I was to think of “Mother Earth”, as I was not willing to give up God and Jesus.

He said to not worry about it, God had appointed Mother Earth to care for the earth and care for it.

And I get fighting mad when some liberal spouts their garbage about Mother Earth, as they have stolen her for their evil mascot.

Do take time to look at the slide shows below, they are breathtaking and the animal paintings will speak to you.

I am thankful that God put the Indian Group next in my email box, as I have had enough war for a life time and today it is so thick that I will never get it all posted.
granny..............

Date: Fri Apr 13, 2007 8:58 pm ((PDT))

(http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog/slideshow.html?p=418&id=TW3k.48maaM21114watIn8lzWCfe)
(http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog/slideshow.html?p=418&id=TW3k.48maaM21114watIn8lzWCfe)

Simple Things!

In the long and long ago,the Elders told the People,there is more to
cleansing self than you seem to know.

When you go before Creator,do you think He,can not see all the little
secret
things you keep from family?

It is the things within your mind that cause your heart unrest,those
things
you must clean out for you to do your best.

If you have a grudge against your neighbor,think about what caused
it,then
work hard to make things better.

Do not let greed live within your heart,give away anything that may
cause
these feelings,remember it is not how much you have but how much you
helped
others.

To gather up possesions,will clutter up your soul,if your family has
enough
to eat,a safe place to lie their heads,then you are doing well.

Warriors choose first the path of peace whenever you are able,women
teach the
children love and respect,that is your sacred duty.

Grandmothers and grandfathers,it is for you to protect and pass on the
ancient knowledge,and help keep the children on the path of perfect
balance.

Healers teach the People how to care for their bodies,keep their
spirits
clean,and say their prayers,remember to go to water.

Elders are the teachers of humbleness and honor,lead well your People
and
always hear their voices when you call a counsil.

Never for get the animal kin and how very much we owe them,the
finned,feathered and plant peoples should as well be treated kindly.

Remember children,how much Creator loves you,learn to walk in peace
with all
who share your Mother Earth,in this way you show Creator honor!

[The historical use of the Honeysuckle plant...They are not joking about boiling it, for basket weaving, I was given the stems for a basket, 35 years ago, I did make it, but every year, more layers break off, so it is only a small sample today...granny]

Honey Suckle- ANTI VIRAL
Posted by: “Shirl
Date: Fri Apr 13, 2007 6:29 am ((PDT))

Honey Suckle- ANTI VIRAL
Honey Suckle

First thing you need to do is go find a “safe”
honeysuckle patch that is blooming right now. Ours is just beginning
to
blossom. The one you want is the kind that blooms white then turns
yellow.
Gather as many blossoms (blossoms only no green stuff) as you can
during the season.
Dry them. Air dry them not dehydrate them. When they
are good and dry
put them in a dark jar and leave them until winter.
These blossoms are MULTI viral. Which means that when you get that
flu shot the doctor gives you the virus that is common for the flu
they are guessing you are going to get.
What you need is a multi viral that will kill ALL virus that it comes
in
contact with. When the
flu hits you take out your little brown jar or big brown jar. Take a
teaspoon of
the dried blossoms and put them into a cup. Add boiling water, cover
with a
saucer and
let steep for 10 minutes (infusion). You can strain off the blossoms
if you want but since they are edible you can also snack on them
after drinking the tea. Sweeten the tea and drink as hot as you can.
Repeat later in the day if necessary. We have found that only two cups
will get rid of the flu or virus.

<><><><><><><>
Honeysuckle ï¿½ (from the Modern Herbal)
Botanical: Lonicera caprifolium (LINN.), Lonicera
Periclymenum (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Caprifoliaceae
Synonyms-—Dutch Honeysuckle. Goats’ Leaf.
(French) Chï¿½vre-feuille.
(German) Geisblatt.
(Italian) Capri-foglio.
Parts Used-—Flowers, seeds, leaves.

Honeysuckle
(Lonicera periclymenum LINN.)

Caprifoliaceae, the order to which the Honeysuckles
belong, includes about 300 species, chiefly shrubs,
growing in the north temperate zone or extending into
the higher cool tropical regions. Besides the
Viburnums and Sambucus, a number have found more or
less important uses in medicine, but they exhibit but
little uniformity in composition or properties.

Medicinal Action and Uses-—A dozen or more of the 100
species of Lonicera or Honeysuckle are used
medicinally, the fruits generally having
emiticocathartic properties. Several of these drugs
have more than a local repute.

The herbage of L. caprifolium (Linn.), the smaller, or
ITALIAN HONEYSUCKLE, of Mid- and Southern Europe, is
used as a cutaneous and mucous tonic and vulnerary and
the seeds as a diuretic.

L. Periclymenum (Linn.), our common ENGLISH WILD
HONEYSUCKLE, is used similarly and the stems as a
substitute or adulterant for Solanum Dulcamara, the
Bittersweet.

Waller says: ‘The leaves and flowers of Honeysuckle
are possessed of diuretic and sudorific properties,’
and adds:
‘a decoction of the flowers has been celebrated as an
excellent antispasmodic and recommended in asthma of
the nervous kind. An elegant water may be distilled
from these flowers, which has been recommended for
nervous headache.’

Gerard says: ‘The Honeysuckle is “neither cold nor
binding, but hot and attenuating or making thin.” ‘ He
quotes Dioscorides as saying that:
‘the ripe seed gathered and dried in the shadow and
drunk for four days together, doth waste and consume
away the hardness of the spleen and removes
wearisomeness, helps the shortness and difficulty of
breathing, cures the hicket (hiccough), etc. A syrup
made of the flowers is good to be drunk against
diseases of the lungs and spleen.’
He also recommends it for sores in various parts of
the alimentary canal.

Salmon in his Herbal (1710) speaks only of the Meadow
Honeysuckle, ‘which was the name given by the
agriculturists of his day to the Meadow Trefoil
(Trifolium pratense).’

The herbage of the true Honeysuckle is a favorite food
of goats, hence the Latin name Caprifolium (Goats’
Leaf), the French Chï¿½vre-feuille, German Geisblatt and
Italian Capri-foglio, all signifying the same. The
berries have been used as food for chickens. The name
of the genus, Lonicera, was given by Linnaeus in honor
of Adam Lonicer, a physician and naturalist, born at
Marburg in 1528, who wrote, among other works, the
Naturalist Historiae Opus novum, which contains much
curious information about plants.

Our native Honeysuckle has expectorant and laxative
properties. The flowers in the form of syrup have been
used for diseases of the respiratory organs and in
asthma and the leaves as decoction in diseases of the
liver and spleen. It was also considered a good
ingredient in gargles.

L. tartarica, a native of Siberia, an upright species,
a shrub, not a climber, has berries which are
nauseously bitter and purgative.

The wood of L. Xylosteum, native of Eastern Europe and
Asia, but found naturalized in Sussex, also of
shrub-like nature, is used by the Russians to prepare
an empyrheumatic oil for ‘cold tumors and chronic
pains. ‘ It is sold in China as Jin-tung. Animals
seldom touch the leaves of this species and birds eat
its berries only in hard weather - they are reputed to
be purgative and emetic.

L. brachypoda repens is used in Japan as a drastic
purgative, and L. Japonica (Thunb.) is sold in China
as Kin-yin-keva.

Diervilla, the Bush Honeysuckle, especially Diervilla
Diervilla (L. Diervilla, Linn.), has a similar repute,
especially as a diuretic and as an application to
relieve itching.

Various species of Symphoricarpus, Snowberry,
Wax-berry, Coral-berry, Indian Currant, Turkey-berry,
Wolf-berry, to give a few of its names, of North
America, are similarly employed. S. racemosa (Mich.)
is often planted in hedges.

Culpepper says:
‘Honeysuckles are cleansing, consuming and digesting,
and therefore no way fit for inflammations. Take a
leaf and chew it in your mouth and you will quickly
find it likelier to cause a sore mouth and throat than
cure it. If it be not good for this, what is it good
for? It is good for something, for God and nature made
nothing in vain. It is a herb of Mercury, and
appropriated to the lungs; the celestial Crab claims
dominion over it, neither is it a foe to the Lion; if
the lungs be afflicted by Jupiter, this is your cure.
It is fitting a conserve made of the flowers should be
kept in every gentlewoman’kept in every gentlewoman’
cure for the asthma than this besides it takes away
the evil of the spleen: provokes urine, procures
speedy delivery of women in travail, relieves cramps,
convulsions, and palsies, and whatsoever griefs come
of cold or obstructed perspiration; if you make use of
it as an ointment, it will clear the skin of morphew,
freckles, and sunburnings, or whatever else discolors
it, and then the maids will love it. Authors say, the
flowers are of more effect than the leaves, and that
is true: but they say the seeds are the least
effectual of all. But there is a vital spirit in every
seed to beget its like; there is a greater heat in the
seed than any other part of the plant; and heat is the
mother of action.’
Honeysuckle Vine
A honeysuckle vine is a woody vine with leaves, which
are from 1 to 3 inches long. The flowers of the
honeysuckle vine are tube-shaped, about 2” long, and
range from white to bright yellow in color. The
honeysuckle vine produces fruit, which are orange or
red berries about a quarter of an inch large.

The honeysuckle vine is a climbing vine that can grow
to as much as twenty-five feet in height. Honeysuckle
vines generally flourish in zones 4 through 8. The
usually fragrant flower blooms during summer and fall.
The honeysuckle vine generally prefers full sun and
normal water conditions.

Honeysuckle vines are also very popular to animals.
Butterflies and hummingbirds feed off the flower.
Birds eat the fruit produced by honeysuckle vines, and
deer feed off the leaves year round.

A honeysuckle vine would be a great addition to any
garden. The vine will spread quickly and cover just
about anything in its path. A honeysuckle vine will
add a touch of color to otherwise dull fences and
walls. The scent emitted from the flower of the
honeysuckle vine will drift through the air for all to
enjoy.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
How to Prepare Honeysuckle Vine for Weaving
Honeysuckle produces a light-gold to light-brown vine
once the outer bark is removed. The woody vine climbs
or trails along the ground.

Steps:
1. Use honeysuckle as an accent when weaving a melon
or egg basket and as a material to lash a basket
together.

2. Gather vines. Honeysuckle vines are thin, and it
will take a large amount to make a basket.

3. Coil vines in loose coils and discard badly
damaged vines. Coil longer runners together and short
ones together to be used on different parts of the
basket.

4. Boil water in a large pan. We suggest a #2 washtub
on a camp stove outside to prevent a mess in your
kitchen.

5. Place coils in boiling water and boil for 10 to 30
minutes or until the outside bark peels away easily.

6. Remove coils from hot water with a pair of
barbecue tongs. Wear gloves to prevent burns from
splashing water.

7. Cool coils until you can easily handle them.

8. Remove outer bark with a plastic scrubber. You can
use a knife to gently scrape stubborn bark.

9. Hang stripped vine up to dry and to prevent
molding.

10. Coil and store until needed.

Tips:
Stored honeysuckle vine can be soaked in warm water to
make it pliable and ready to use.

Honeysuckle can be gather at any time of the year.

Al-Qaeda Sends a Message

Time.com

Thursday, Apr. 12, 2007

http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1609521,00.html

By Brian Bennett/Baghdad

In an assault apparently aimed at chilling negotiations between the
Iraqi government and a faction of the insurgency, the Iraqi Parliament,
located in Baghdad’s high-security Green Zone, suffered a bomb attack. An
official at the Ministry of the Interior told TIME that the bomber was
wearing a suicide vest and was likely a guard for one of the members of
parliament. The blast went off just after 2 p.m. on Thursday at the
cafe in the central atrium of the building just outside the main hall
where politicians, staff and journalists often meet for a cup of tea or a
plate of food from a buffet spread. The casualty estimates fluctuated
all day. On Friday, the U.S. military said that 22 people were injured
and one civilian killed, Mohammed Awad, a Sunni legislator belonging to
the moderate National Dialogue Front.

Two secondary bombs were found, apparently set to mow down those
fleeing the initial blast, said the Interior Ministry official. One was in a
briefcase inside the building, he said, and another in the parking lot
outside. One of the detection machines leading into the Baghdad
Convention Center, where Parliament is housed, was not operating Thursday,
said the official, who was suspicious of a wider plot. U.S. forces have
sealed off the building and are conducting an investigation into the
blast. Two weeks ago, Coalition forces found two suicide vests inside the
Green Zone and there was speculation about the presence of a third in
the area.

Within an hour of the explosion, a message from the al-Qaeda-controlled
Islamic State in Iraq was posted on a prominent militant website,
muslm.net, calling the blast a “message” to anyone who cooperates with “the
occupier and its agents.” It said ominously, “We will reach you
wherever you are”

continued...

[A bomb scare, as reported by a liberal.....granny]

http://www.smallgov.org/?p=402

Culture Of Fear
Posted by RNoval under News and Events

As I arrived at the Wachovia Bank building in downtown Miami Wednesday afternoon, I found the area in the midst of a bomb scare. South East second street, at the main entrance to the building, was blocked off; a City of Miami Bomb Squad truck in front.

I refer to it as a “scare”, rather than a “threat”. As the previous day, at the Federal Reserve Bank branch a few miles away there was a “suspicion” of a possible bomb; no one had made a threat. In the case of the Fed, it was a substance smelled by a bomb-sniffing dog. At Wachovia, it was a suspicious package.

It seemed rather odd me that there was no evacuation, as at a previous bomb-related incident at the building a few years ago. A police officer explained to me later that current procedure does not call for evacuation, unless a threat is confirmed.

I had business in the building across the boulevard, so I tryed to enter and was stopped by a police officer.

I called the office services dept. at the law firm, to let them know I had taken care of their matters at the County Courthouse but was not being permitted to go upstairs. They were finding out about the bomb scare from me.

I then went around to the back entrance to the Wachovia building to see if I could enter there. One of my fellow bikemessengers was just ahead of me. I saw him stop and talk to a police officer, who waved him through; I followed.

As we entered the building, he remarked that it was a precautionary measure, likening it to a hurricane evacuation.

Carrying on his analogy, I pointed out to him that this was a man-made hurricane.

So, this is what we’ve come to. If it looks like a bomb, or smells like a bomb, where we are now, it would be imprudent to not take it to be a bomb.

The moral of this story is a familiar theme here. If you initiate a conflict, it is ever your responsibility to end it. This holds true for conflicts inherited from previous generations, as much as contemporary ones. I expect it would even hold true if all record of the historical basis were lost.

But in this case, the historical record is clear and unequivical. Our conflict with the most prominent terror threat was initiated from this side.

It will probably go on until enough people in the west, the United States in particular, come to reckoning with both the facts of history and the facts of human nature.

Reality simply does not allow for the simplictic, self-serving us-vs-them comic book paradigm proposed by the current White House resident.

There are no gratuitous comic book villians, conveniently and arbitrarily choosing to be “evil”.

No, those who threaten us are human beings. They believe their cause is just. However we may deplore their methods, those who doubt it was their side of the conflict which was attacked at the onset need to summon the courage to examine the historical record.

As long as the War Party “All members of the Inner Party believe in this coming conquest as an article of faith…”(Chapter 9 1984, George Orwell) controls Washington, as long as they are free to persue their imperial ambitions, the conflict will go on.

Future generations will utter the phrase from Orwell’s 1984, “we have always been at war with…”

Oh, and of course, when I got upstairs, everyone found out about the “scare” from me.

—The Bikemessenger

Survivor Remembers Posted 2007-04-13
By Jeff Mellott

HARRISONBURG — Robert Bragg, 69, of McGaheysville often thinks about his brush with death.

Bragg was the co-pilot for a Pan American World Airways B-747 when it was struck by a KLM B-747 on a runway in the Canary Islands on March 27, 1977. The crash, with 583 deaths, is listed as the worst commercial airline disaster.

Now, 30 years later, Bragg, an Alabama native, shows slides of the crash and warns audiences to be prepared when flying because anything can happen.

Bragg, who was at James Madison University on Thursday, travels the country retelling his story and going over the lessons from the disaster.

Communication Breakdown

Bragg found himself in the crisis situation by chance.

Bragg’s B-747 had been diverted to the island of Tenerife after a terrorist’s bomb had exploded at one of the other Canary Islands, Las Palmas, the plane’s original destination.

On the ground, Bragg waited with the Pan Am crew and passengers behind another B-747 owned by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

The control tower had ordered the KLM plane to move to the end of the single runway and turnaround.

Bragg’s plane followed slowly, seeking a place to taxi off the runway.

As the planes moved into position, a heavy fog bank limiting visibility to 1,500 feet rolled in.

An apparent communication breakdown between the control tower and the experienced KLM pilot Jacob van Zanten led to a takeoff attempt before Bragg’s plane could get off the runway.

Collision

Pan Am’s pilot, Victor Grubbs, saw the plane approach and tried to get the aircraft off the runway.

But it was too late.

As the KLM plane became airborne, it struck the Pan Am plane.

“I can never understand why he did that,” said Bragg.

Watching the events unfold, Bragg instinctively closed his eyes and ducked.

The thump he heard during the collision did not seem serious. But he found out differently when he looked around.

“It was like someone had taken a large knife and cut the entire top of the airplane off. I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

With other exits blocked, Bragg jumped 48 feet to the ground and suffered a cracked bone in his foot.

He ran from the burning plane. But he returned to find dozens of people, whose average age was 70, on a wing about 30 feet above the ground.

“Everyone got out on their own,” he said. “No one told them to get out.”

At Bragg’s beckoning, they jumped from the wing.

No one on the KLM plane survived.

Rescue Response

Taxicabs soon responded to take victims, including Bragg, to the hospital.

Bragg said 63 of the more than 300 people onboard got off the Pan Am plane, including the badly burned captain, but eight of those died later.

Listening to Bragg’s story, JMU graduate student Tavia Sullens, 22, of Jacksonville, Fla., was impressed by the reaction of the passengers who got off the plane.

“Most people just tend to freeze,” said Sullens, who plans to study aerodynamics.

Heroism Honored

For his conduct, Bragg received the President’s Award for Heroism, the Federal Aviation Association’s Achievement Award, and the Flight Safety Foundation’s Award.

Bragg helped passengers get off a wing of the burning plane.

“Because of the way the plane had been cut up,” Bragg said, “all they had to do was step out of the fuselage and out on to the wing,” he said.

“It just took someone to yell at them to jump,” Bragg said.

“It was incredible the way he handled himself in that type of disaster,” said JMU freshman Jaclyn Drumheller, 19, of Winchester.

Chelsea Dilkes, 19, of Virgina Beach, a freshman, agreed. “It was very impressive,” she said, “that he was able to maintain his composure.”

Veteran Pilot

After recovering, Bragg resumed flying.

For 10 years before his retirement in 1997, he flew for United Airlines. In 1991, he flew soldiers and thousands of pounds of ammunition to Saudi Arabia during the military operations against Iraq.

He has consulted for television networks and appeared on two specials on the History and Discovery channels.

And, he still likes to fly.

“After the accident,” he said, “I was even more relaxed.”

Contact Jeff Mellott at 574-6290 or jmellott@dnronline.com

http://www.rocktownweekly.com/news_details.php?AID=9757&CHID=2

http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=90604

Student surrenders after bomb threat, school evacuation

The Associated Press - JEFFERSON, Ga.

A student walked into the office of a northeast Georgia high school wearing a vest containing a bomb Wednesday morning, leading to the evacuation of almost 1,700 students, authorities said.

The 15-year-old surrendered about 2 1/2 hours later after talking to police negotiators, and bomb experts from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the University of Georgia detonated the explosive device outside Jackson County Comprehensive High School.

County schools superintendent Shannon Adams said the boy walked into the main office about 8:30 a.m., announced he had a bomb and allowed two employees and a student to leave. Adams said the teen had what looked like an electronic device strapped to him and a knife on his belt.

The student, whose identity was not released, was charged with possession of a destructive device, making terroristic threats and aggravated assault and was held without bond at the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, Jefferson Police Chief Joseph Wirthman said.

Wirthman said he didn’t know how the student made the bomb, but added, “You can go on the Internet and learn how to make anything you want.”

Jackson County Sheriff Stan Evans and Arcade Police Chief Dennis Bell negotiated with the teen for a little over an hour before he surrendered. He had no specific demands or grievances, Bell said.

Evacuated students, some of whom knew the boy and said he had a history of being picked on, were taken to the Jefferson Civic Center near downtown Jefferson.

Assistant School Superintendent Keith Everson said all the students were supervised and were safe. He said some parents were frustrated that their children were not being allowed to contact them, but because cell phones can detonate bombs, calls were being limited as a precaution.

After classes were cancelled for the rest of the day, parents were allowed to pick up their children.

Roads were closed around the school, on Georgia Highway 11 off U.S. Highway 129 on the west side of Jefferson.

Bomb technicians from the GBI and university used dogs to search the school for more explosives. A robot removed a backpack that the student with the bomb had brought to school, but only deodorant and cables were found, Wirthman said.

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