You are very welcome.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1904977/posts
Captured Iranian agent identified, 15 Special Groups operatives captured in Iraq
The Long War Journal ^ | September 30, 2007 9:14 PM | Bill Roggio
Posted on 10/01/2007 10:48:15 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Multinational Forces Iraq and the Iraqi military continue to attack the Iranian-backed Special Groups while interdicting weapons flowing from the neighboring country. Fifteen members of the Special Groups were captured in Baghdad on Sunday. The US military has disclosed the identity of the Qods Force officer captured in the northern Kurdish province of Sulimaniyah on September 20, and has stated Iran is sending portable surface-to-air missiles to Shia insurgents.
During a Sunday press briefing in Baghdad, Rear Admiral Mark Fox identified Mahmudi Farhadi as the Iranian Qods Force officer captured in Sulimaniyah. Farhadi is the sixth Qods Force officer that the US has announced is in custody. Five senior Qods Force officers were captured in Irbil in January 2007.
Iran closed the northern border immediately after Farhadi was captured, claiming he was a businessman. “I find it hard to believe that they would close the border for a businessman,” Fox said.
Fox also stated Iran has supplied the Special Groups with Misagh-1 man-portable surface-to-air missiles. The Special Groups is a terrorist organization trained, funded, and supplied by Iran and is set up on the lines of Lebanese Hezbollah by the Qods Force.
“We’ve said that we’ve found these things [the Misagh 1 missiles], we’ve seen them employed,” Fox said. The Misagh-1 design is based on the Chinese made QW-1, which “caught the attention of foreign media and research institutions when it was first introduced to the public [at an air show in 1994] because it was claimed to surpass the US Stinger in maximum effective range, target seeker tracking capability, warhead power and other indicators,” according to Global Security.
It is unclear if the Misagh-1s have been successful in downing US or allied aircraft. The investigation into the downing of a British Lynx helicopter in Basra in May 2006 found that a “lucky shot” with an RPG was the cause of the crash.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1904858/posts
Man claiming to be terrorist arrested at Logan
Boston Herald ^ | 10/01/07 | Joe Dwinell & Mike Adaskaveg
Posted on 10/01/2007 7:33:57 AM PDT by raccoonradio
An irritable passenger offended by security grilling faces bomb threat charges in court today after reportedly telling Logan Airport security Saturday he was an Al-Qaeda terrorist here to “blow things up.”
Massport officials tell the Herald the 27-year-old man had a ticket on his bag from Dubai of the United Arab Emirates and security began asking him questions.
“He seemed aggravated and said ‘I’m Al-Qaeda and I’m here to blow things up,’ ” said Massport spokesman Phil Orlandella.
Orlandella said the man, Asfaw Ermiyas of Washington, D.C., was taken into custody at the AirTran gate Saturday night at 7:15 p.m.
He is set to be arraigned today in East Boston District Court on a charge of making a bomb threat.
Massport officials say Ermiyas was heading to Baltimore and listed his occupation as self-employed taxi driver.
State police confronted Ermiyas after he appeared to become annoyed with security questions. That’s when he lashed out, officials say.
Airport officials say they are treating the threats seriously, yet they believe his boasts were not a credible.
Massport officials sent a clear message today they won’t tolerate threats.
“This airport is not going to tolerate any outrageous threats of using a bomb or identifying themselves with a terrorist organization,” said Orlandella.
Orlandella praised gate security for not backing down from the suspect’s alleged threatening behavior.
This is the second bomb scare at Logan in the past two weeks. An MIT student, Star Simpson, 19, walked into the airport Sept. 21 with a circuit board strapped to her chest and carrying a glob of Play-Doh. She too was arrested and faces charges.
[photo in post #20]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1904896/posts
Anti-Jewish, anti-Christian fliers found on cars (Michigan-”Kill Jews and Christians”)
Macomb Daily ^ | 9-28-07 | Gordon Wilczynski
Posted on 10/01/2007 8:30:12 AM PDT by yankeesdoodle
Sterling Heights police Detective Sgt. Paul Jesperson said three separate complaints were filed by residents Tuesday who found the fliers on their windshields.
He said the flier said: “Kill Jews and Christians if they don’t believe in Allah and Mohammad.”
continued.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1904857/posts
Explosives-Carrying Man Arrested Near US Embassy in Vienna (Austria)
Deutsche Presse—Agentur (via Monsters and Critics News) ^ | 10/1/2007 | n/a
Posted on 10/01/2007 7:31:55 AM PDT by Pyro7480
Vienna - A man was arrested in Vienna Monday after he planted a backpack filled with explosives and nails in a street near the US embassy to Austria, the Austrian press agency reported.
According to initial information the suspect, a man with Bosnian background living outside Vienna, suddenly dropped the bag filled with hand grenades and other explosives in Pfluggasse in Vienna’s 9th district. Before that he had visited the US-embassy in nearby Boltzmanngasse, police said.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1904923/posts
TEEN BOY HANGED IN AFGHANISTAN FOR HAVING U.S. CURRENCY
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10012007/news/worldnews/teen_boy_hanged_in_afghanistan.htm ^
Posted on 10/01/2007 8:59:28 AM PDT by traumer
October 1, 2007 — KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Taliban militants hanged a teenager in southern Afghanistan because he had U.S. money in his pocket, and they stuffed five $1 bills in his mouth as a warning to others not to use dollars, police said Monday. Taliban militants elsewhere killed eight police.
The 15-year-old boy was hanged from a tree on Sunday in Helmand, the most violent province in the country and the world’s No. 1 poppy-growing region.
“The Taliban warned villagers that they would face the same punishment if they were caught with dollars,” said Wali Mohammad, the district police chief in Sangin.
Dollars are commonly used in Afghanistan alongside the afghani, the local currency, although the U.S. currency is more commonly seen in larger cities where international organizations are found.
Militants often justify their attacks and executions as a response to U.S. meddling in Afghan affairs.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1904928/posts
TSA, remote-controlled cars, and goose creek
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298745,00.html ^
Posted on 10/01/2007 9:07:46 AM PDT by Weight of Glory
The Transportation Security Administration announced Monday that it has stepped up screenings of remote-control toys in carry-on luggage.
Though the increased screenings are not tied to a specific terrorist threat, “TSA is aware that remote control toys can be used to initiate devices used in terrorist attacks,” the agency said Monday in a press statement.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
[see comments for updates and backgrounds].
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1904930/posts
Hezbollah is Secretly Building Battle Positions
National Review ^ | October 1, 2007 | W. Thomas Smith Jr.
Posted on 10/01/2007 9:09:42 AM PDT by DetailMan
I know for a fact that Hezbollah is building defenses and fortifications from which they can launch attacks in the south (where I was two days ago), in the Bekaa Valley, and in Al Dahiyeh (the Hezbollah security square in Beirut, which we covertly entered and moved through twice during our photo-reconnaissance a few days ago). ... he houses are being rebuilt – as they were — with secret interconnecting corridors linking the houses together in a link-by-link network of fighting positions. There are tunnels running beneath the houses linking them with other buildings and adjacent neighborhoods, as well as to huge underground command posts. And there are walls being constructed with concealed weapons-storage spaces.
(Excerpt) Read more at tank.nationalreview.com ...
[This has a comments section, that is full of links to more info]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1902655/posts?page=7
Spy Officials Tracking Key Scientists (anthrax)
Associated Press (Fox) ^ | September 26, 2007 | Pamela Hess
Posted on 09/26/2007 2:31:31 PM PDT by ZacandPook
WASHINGTON — Tracking scientists moving from country to country to share their expertise in building biological weapons is a major challenge, a top U.S. intelligence official said Wednesday.
...
Because they are easier to hide than nuclear weapons or missiles, biological weapons are best tracked by monitoring those with expertise to make them _ a formidable challenge in itself, Murrett said.
“The kind of challenge we have for proliferation which I think is tougher is, for example, the transfer of individual scientists from country A to country B,” he said at a breakfast with defense reporters.
Tracking individuals trying to spread biological weapons know-how is beyond the capabilities of his agency alone, Murrett said. It requires multiple intelligence agencies to combine their intercepts, data bases and analyses.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1904938/posts?page=38
Woo hoo!! The first two percent is in!! Thank you FReepers and Lurkers!!
Russians employed at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor suddenly depart in a body..
DEBKAfile ^ | October 1, 2007 | DEBKAfile
Posted on 10/01/2007 9:29:57 AM PDT by AU72
The Khorramshar News Agency, which is published by the ethnic Arab underground of Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan, reported early Oct. 1 that the entire staff of Russian nuclear engineers and experts employed in building the nuclear reactor at Bushehr had abruptly packed their bags Friday, Sept. 28, and flew back to Russia. The agency’s one-liner offers no source or explanation. DEBKAfile have obtained no corroboration of its report from any other source.
The story appears to have originated with the ethnic Arabs who live near the reactor or who come in contact with its Russian staff. If true, DEBKAfile can offer three hypothetical scenarios to account for the Russians’ precipitate departure:
1. Another crisis has cropped up in the patchy Russian-Iranian dealings over the Bushehr reactor. This is unlikely because Russian president Vladimar Putin is due for a high-profile visit to Tehran on Oct. 16, when he plans to sign a series of nuclear accords with the Islamic Republic. Furthermore, Moscow, like Beijing, stands foursquare behind Iran’s efforts to delay harsher sanctions for its continued uranium enrichment. Only this week, the two powers gained Iran two to three months’ grace by forcing a delay in the UN Security Council session that was to have approved a third round of sanctions.
2. Moscow or Tehran has been tipped off that a US or Israeli attack is imminent on the Bushehr plant and Iran’s other nuclear installations and acted to whip Russian personnel out of harm’s way.
3. Moscow has learned that an Iranian pre-emptive attack is imminent against American targets in Iraq and the Persian Gulf and/or Israel.
Aside from these hypothetical scenarios, DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources report that the Khorramshar News Agency keeps its ear to the ground on happenings in Bushehr, because it is claimed by Khuzistan separatists as Arab land which they will fight to liberate from Iranian “occupation.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1904957/posts
YouTube Bomb Video Brings Scrutiny Terrorism Suspect Allegedly Gave Tips on Using Detonator
The Washington Post ^ | October 1, 2007 | Peter Whoriskey
Posted on 10/01/2007 10:09:04 AM PDT by khnyny
MIAMI — On a video posted to YouTube.com this summer, a man speaking Egyptian-accented Arabic instructed viewers how to convert a remote-controlled toy car into a bomb detonator.
The 12-minute lesson was referenced on the popular video-sharing Web site under the search terms “detonator from a distance,” “suiciders” and “martyrdoms.”
A detonator could “save one who wants to be a martyr for another day, another battle,” the man told viewers, according to federal prosecutors.
Last month, authorities identified the instructor as Mohamed Ahmed, 24, a graduate engineering student at the University of South Florida. An Egyptian national, he’d been stopped for speeding in South Carolina on Aug. 4, then arrested with a fellow student for allegedly carrying four pipe bombs in the trunk.
Now as the criminal prosecution continues, questions remain not only about the men’s intentions but also about the way the popular video-sharing Web site may have been used to spread bomb-building know-how.
Representatives of YouTube declined to answer questions last week regarding their handling of the detonator video.
They offered instead a generic statement, saying that videos are removed once viewers flag them as inappropriate and the company determines that they violate its standards.
The company would not say how long the detonator video was available on the site; how many times, if any, it was viewed; or whether the company took it down as part of normal policing based on viewer tips or whether it was removed at the FBI’s request.
The incident comes amid growing questions regarding what role a company such as YouTube has in controlling its content.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
October 1, 2007 Anti-Terrorism News
(Afghanistan) More than 20 rebels killed in US-led, Afghan raids - near Kabul
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071001/wl_sthasia_afp/afghanistanunrestus_071001093716;_ylt=Ar_e2xZLsVz_JboOUvM2WQjOVooA
(Afghanistan) Taliban executes Afghan teenager for having US money
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/asia/AS-GEN-Afghan-Violence.php
(Afghanistan) Al-Qaeda wants a part of Afghan talks
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IJ02Df01.html
(Afghanistan) India expresses concern over growing influence of Taliban
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_expresses_concern_over_growing_influence_of_Taliban/articleshow/2419894.cms
Commentary: Afghanistan: No peace with terror
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/10/01/dl0102.xml
(Afghanistan) US offers $200,000 to catch Taliban - 12 local leaders, list does not includes Mullah Omar
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071001/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan;_ylt=Aqn4bP4jYM06gkcnnYPTbK.s0NUE
(Pakistan) Suicide bomber in burqa kills 16 in Pakistan
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071001/wl_asia_afp/pakistanunrestblast_071001112818
(Pakistan) Militants bomb girls’ school in Swat
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\10\01\story_1-10-2007_pg7_20
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/detailed_news.asp?date1=10/1/2007#8
(Pakistan) Blast rocks Gwadar
http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/01/top8.htm
(Pakistan) US and Pakistan sign $750m accord for development of FATA
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/detailed_news.asp?date1=10/1/2007#17
(Pakistan) Former ISI chief could succeed Musharraf as Army chief: Report — Pervez Kiyani
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Pakistan/Former_ISI_chief_could_succeed_Musharraf_Report/articleshow/2418314.cms
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu.pa8QBHlDgBgl5XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTFhMG9nNmQ5BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMgRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA01BUDAxNV85OQRsA1dTMQ—/SIG=127eqomu1/EXP=1191330522/**http%3a//www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21036547/site/newsweek/
(Pakistan) Al-Qaeda, Taliban Recreating Afghanistan Inside Pakistan
http://rapidrecon.threatswatch.org/2007/10/alqaeda-taliban-recreating-afg/
(Iraq) Car bomb blast in Mosul kills professor
http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=1024443
(Iraq) Two Gunmen arrested, three injured in two incidents in Kirkuk
http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=1024269
Washington Post report on IEDs - Summer 2004 - Summer 2005 (my title)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/30/AR2007093001675.html?hpid%3Dtopnews⊂=AR
(India Assam) Five killed, 25 wounded in northeast India blasts
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070930/wl_nm/india_blasts_dc;_ylt=Ag.y1hQ72NQDWasUU9ueBqqs0NUE
(India) Naxalites blow up transporter’s house in Bihar
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Naxalites_blow_up_transporters_house_in_Bihar/articleshow/2420156.cms
(India) Analyst agrees with Stratfor report on ULFA outsourcing suicide attacks
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20071001/781148.html
(India) Tracking terror funds may be a click away
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1124583
(U.S.) Terror database gets plenty of hits
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071001/NATION/110010062/1001
US “Special Coordinator” against PKK terror submits resignation
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/7396686.asp?gid=74&sz=69985
(Iran) Britain ‘on board’ for US air strikes on Iran after Navy hostage humiliation
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=485018&in_page_id=1811
(Lebanon) Fatah Al-Islam military leader arrested
http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=1024328
Syrian president tells BBC Israeli warplanes struck “unused military building” last month
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/africa/ME-GEN-Syria-Israel.php
Egypt frees Hamas group into Gaza — in exchange for wanted Al Qaeda leader - updated story
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/10/01/egypt_frees_hamas_group_into_gaza/2042/
(Gaza) Two Gaza militants killed in shootout with Israelis
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2007/October/middleeast_October8.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
Fatah video hoax aims to smear Hamas
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411518043&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Israel releases 57 Palestinian prisoners in goodwill gesture
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/africa/ME-GEN-Israel-Prisoner-Release.php
Hamas Member Taken Off Release List of Terrorists
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/134029
(Israel) Terrorists on Their Way to Freedom
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/134023
Terror leader: Palestinian Authority officials conspired in Church of Nativity siege
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57914
(Sudan) African Union vows to punish Darfur troops’ killers
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071001/ts_afp/sudandarfurauunrest_071001091211;_ylt=AsDnl4Z6xyIfLtfpvk92YewShIMA
(Russia) Dagestan: Imam Shot Dead — a day after he spoke out against Islamic extremists
http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2007/10/01/031.html
Turkish general says independent Kurdish state is security risk
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/europe/EU-GEN-Turkey-Military.php
(Turkey) Terrorists target civilians, regional calm
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=123528
(France) Algerian extremist on trial for metro bombings
http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=25&story_id=44429
(Germany) Failed German terror attack had its roots in Islamabad, UK
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=146f26cb-873d-4d04-b87e-bcee7401e67e&MatchID1=4577&TeamID1=7&TeamID2=3&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1148&MatchID2=4569&TeamID3=8&TeamID4=2&MatchType2=2&SeriesID2=1146&PrimaryID=4577&Headline=Failed+German+terror+attack+had+its+roots+in+Pak%2c+UK
(UK) Islamic group ‘with links to Al Qaeda’ wants to open school near Olympic village — Tablighi Jamaat
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=484958&in_page_id=1770&ito=newsnow
(UK) London police on trial for safety lapses in death of innocent man mistaken for terrorist
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/europe/EU-GEN-Britain-Brazilian-Shot.php
(UK) De Menezes police control room ‘in chaos’ before deadly shooting
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2567496.ece
(UK) Phone data law extends surveillance powers
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/01/nphones101.xml
Spanish police dismantle bomb at party HQ — at HQ of Catalan green-left political party
http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=81&story_id=44424
(Indonesia) Six men face terrorism charges in Indonesian court
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s2048278.htm
(Thailand) Bomb blast injures two Thai police near army HQ in Bangkok
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070930/wl_asia_afp/thailandblastarmy_070930203820;_ylt=AmdIiZoLU.6hc1wmdOH5o8vuNREB
(Philippines) Officer known for his anti-terror exploits becomes Philippine police chief
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/asia/AS-GEN-Philippines-New-Police-Chief.php
(Philippines) One wounded by Islamists — Al Qaeda-linked Islamic militants attacked
an army camp on a southern Philippine island, wounding one soldier
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=175636&version=1&template_id=45&parent_id=25
‘Sri Lanka fighting kills 19, wounds 27’
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2007/October/subcontinent_October29.xml§ion=subcontinent&col=
(Maldives) FBI helping in the investigation into Maldives bombing
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/asia/AS-GEN-Maldives-Explosion.php
(Maldives) Ten held over Maldives bomb attack on tourists - update
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2181051,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
Maldives president blames opposition for bomb attack
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL2932342520070930
Other News:
Iran MPs warn over Benetton stores
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071001/wl_mideast_afp/iranfashionsocialcompanybenetton_071001121033;_ylt=ArqPn2Ku12R.6dmsKVRSRU5Sw60A
(UK) Muslim ‘peace’ adverts launched
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7021323.stm
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2566693.ece
UK: Supermarket staff can opt out on alcohol
http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2007/09/uk-supermarket-staff-can-opt-out-on.html
Denmark: Islam in community colleges
http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2007/09/denmark-islam-in-community-colleges.html
Denmark: Danish Muslims participating in Yemeni Islam courses
http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2007/09/denmark-danish-muslims-participating-in.html
Indian Jews Outraged Over ‘The Nazi Collection’ Line of Bedspreads
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298676,00.html
(Israel) Neo-Nazis in the Jewish homeland
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411484435&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
(Israel) Three swastikas sprayed in Holon school grounds
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411523444&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
October 1, 2007 PM Anti-Terrorism News
CTB News Analysis: Austria: Attack on US Embassy in Vienna Foiled
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2007/10/vienna_attack_foiled.php
(Austria) Man with grenades held near US Embassy - in Vienna — Bosnian man carrying bag of
hand grenades and nails - bag included Islamic literature
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/01/waustria101.xml
— AP report
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3674282
— OSINT report
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/message/98511
Hizb ut Tahrir going stronger worldwide — by Olivier Guitta
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/154nwrvp.asp
(Iraq) Al-Qaida in Iraq umbrella group confirms death of senior leader, calls him a ‘martyr’ —
Abu Osama al-Tunisi
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/africa/ME-GEN-Al-Qaida-Iraq.php
(Iraq) US troops disrupt Al-Qaeda leadership, seven killed, 11 detained
http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=1024505
(Iraq) ‘Dragon’ Offensives Destroy al Qaeda Outposts in Dora with Iraqi Assistance
http://www.army.mil/-news/2007/10/01/5125-dragon-offensives-destroy-al-qaeda-outposts-in-dora-with-iraqi-assistance/
Iraqi Christians forced to leave
http://washingtontimes.com/article/20071001/FOREIGN/110010067/1001
Pakistan: ‘Taliban abduct 24 military personnel’
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.1372339124
(Pakistan) Another Pakistani Defeat as More Soldiers Feared Kidnapped — over 20 Pakistan Army
feared kidnapped after armed militants attacked their base in Bannu
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/10/another-pakista.html
(Pakistan) Bhutto says she might allow U.S. strike on bin Laden
http://africa.reuters.com/world/news/usnN01317614.html
(U.S.) High court refuses bin Laden driver case
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-10-01-court-hamdan_N.htm
(U.S.) FBI has failed to plug spying gaps: inspector
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071001/pl_nm/security_usa_fbi_dc_1;_ylt=Aons0S0UgipCRL4PDvnYJcwTv5UB
(U.S.) Terrorist Training Video Leads To Heightened Security At Airports — online video showed how
remote control toys could detonate bombs
http://www.abcnews4.com/news/stories/1007/460017.html
(U.S.) Boston: Police: Man arrested at Logan after claiming to be in Al Qaeda
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/10/police_man_arre.html
(Somalia) 5 killed in clashes in northern Somalia
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/africa/AF-GEN-Somalia.php
(Somalia) Young Somalis lured home by al-Qa’ida
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22516425-5013404,00.html
Jordan’s military court convicts alleged pro-al-Qaida poet for slandering the king
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/africa/ME-GEN-Jordan-Qaida-Poet.php
http://www.metimes.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20071001-084834-7461r
(Australia) Islamic cleric preaching ‘extremism, hate’ — Mohammed Omran
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22516508-601,00.html
(Europe) EU mulls Internet clampdown to combat ‘terrorism’
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Technology/EU-mulls-Internet-clampdown-to-combat-terrorism/2007/10/02/1191091044824.html
(UK) British designer blasts government’s stance on terrorism suspects
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/europe/EU-GEN-France-Fashion-Politics.php
(Sweden) Defying al-Qaeda threats, Swedish artist wants to turn prophet cartoon uproar into musical
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20071001-1107-sweden-prophetdrawings.html
Other News:
(UK) Coffee and biscuits the answer to integration for Muslims says Minister
http://www.theasiannews.co.uk/news/s/1018092_coffee_and_biscuits_the_answer_to_integration_for_muslims_says_minister
New York Times Columnist Thomas Friedman: “9/11 is over” - states US needs to stop “restrictions” in
foreign travelers coming to USA — says “We have got to get our groove back”, and hopes “that anyone who
runs on the 9/11 platform gets trounced”
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/30/news/edfried.php
THREATS
Expelled Ex-Imam’s Website Mentions Imminent Terror Attacks in Italy (back)
September 27, 2007
Expelled Ex-Imam’s Website Mentions Imminent Terror Attacks in Italy - Paper
Text of report by Italian newspaper La Repubblica on 27 September
[Unattributed report: ‘Journalists Threatened by the Former Imam on the Internet’]
Rome - Abu Sayyaf, the former imam of Carmagnola, has been attacking and insulting journalists from [news agency] Aki- AdnKronos International, from [ Milan daily] Corriere della Sera, and from [ Rome daily] La Repubblica on his Internet site. Abu Sayyaf was expelled from Italy by the then Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu back in 2003, and he has now sought refuge in Senegal . The Italian journalists whom he targets on his Internet site are Hamza Boccolini from Aki, [terrorism expert] Guido Olimpio from Corriere della Sera, and [US correspondent] Vittorio Zucconi from La Repubblica. Abu Sayyaf also talks about an alleged document from the terrorist network discussing imminent attacks in our country.
Originally published by La Repubblica, Rome , in Italian 27 Sep 07.
TERRORISM PREVENTION
EU Intends to Punish People Searching Online for ‘Terrorism’ (back)
September 27, 2007
by Jens Meiert
The European Commission apparently plans to control search for terms like ‘bomb’, ‘genocide’, and ‘terrorism’, according to German news sources like ZDF and Heise citing delegate Alexander Alvaro.
The list presented by Heise currently refers to the German words ‘Bombe’, ‘töten’, ‘Völkermord’, and ‘Terrorismus’, thus including the equivalent to ‘to kill’ as well.
Current coverage goes on to say that people looking for information on the above terms should be staked out, effectively making them terror suspects. While this specific plan doesn’t seem to have passed yet, it is seen as a part of the European Union’s ‘Anti Terror Program’ that is apparently heavily supported by the vice president of the European Commission, Franco Frattini.
This development really worries me, and it certainly doesn’t ease the anger I already expressed; instead, it makes me care even more:
How does a search for a usually harmless word make somebody a terrorist? Are the ZDF, Heise, and other reporters now terrorists, too; me, you?
How does control (and censorship) actually prevent terrorism? Really, how?
Are criminal resources tagged ‘terrorism’, ‘bomb’, and stuff? If yes, shouldn’t it be quite easy to stop those apparently brainless people then, without throwing essential rights overboard?
Isn’t it yet such actionism that should be controled? Aren’t the EU delegates responsible for citizen rights, too? Don’t they yet jeopardize these rights!?
How long will it take until there’s such a strong industry behind the growing surveillance monster that there’s no turning back anymore? (Like many Europeans judge the US arms industry as so strong that, though certainly linked to the history of America , there’ll never be such a situation as in Europe where the absolute minority of people owns more than a kitchen knife.)
Instead, how ‘terrorist’ is ‘absolute surveillance’? Do some people believe that this ‘terrorism from inside’ neutralizes the ‘terrorism from outside’ one day, anyway …?
Orwell must be really proud of us, the ‘2014’ reality show will make ‘1984’ look like a pale bootleg. ‘Terror fighters’, you’re great, we will all feel safe, and thus we should probably yet expand Schäuble’s idea of online monitoring, panic even more people by talking about the danger of nuclear attacks, and also back up Jung’s attempt to shoot down hijacked airplanes.
Please, wake me up. Before we’re all treated like terrorists, before the love for freedom doesn’t count anymore.
Source: htt://meiert.com/en/blog/20070927/eu-intends-to-punish-people-searching-for-terrorism/
TERROR MODUS OPERANDI
Bin Laden Ramadan Lanterns Show Record Sales in Egypt (back)
September 27, 2007
Huge Ramadan lanterns, displaying the world’s number one terrorist Osama bin Laden are proving immensely popular among Egyptian children, the Al-Masri Al-Yaoum newspaper said Thursday.
Fanoos, a Ramadan lantern, lighted from inside by a candle, became the symbol of Ramadan in early Islamic Egypt, when women visited relatives with lanterns to break the fast.
Sellers say the immense popularity of the bin Laden lanterns among children can be explained by his long white beard and traditional Islamic clothing which are reminiscent of a popular ‘cartoon hero.’
‘All bin Ladens have already been snatched up’ - the newspaper quotes a fanoos merchant in Ismalia, a city on the west bank of the Suez Canal , as saying.
The lanterns, made of elaborate tin and colored glass, are produced in China and cost significantly more than other fanoos - 100 Egyptian pounds ($18).
Egypt is known for its weird Ramadan goods. Every year Cairo merchants name their dates in a tradition allowing Muslims to break the fast during the Islamic holy month, when observant Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from sunrise to sunset. Last year stalls in the Egyptian capital were packed with ‘bin Laden,’ ‘Nasrallah’ and ‘Saddam’ dates.
Source: http://en.rian.ru/world/20070927/81323521.html
Canadian ‘R&R’ for an ETA Terror Cell (back)
September 27, 2007
by Stewart Bell
The photo taken at an organic herb farm in D’Arcy, B.C., shows three Spanish men and their wives relaxing in a garden on plastic lawn chairs, their coffee mugs perched on a round patio table.
It looks unexceptional, but it isn’t. When the RCMP found the snapshot during a recent raid in Vancouver , they identified the men as Ivan Apaolaza Sancho, Victor Tejedor Bilbao and Mario Ines Torres — all wanted terrorists.
What they were doing at the isolated Moon Farm, deep in the Coast Mountains , remains a mystery, but two have since been captured by the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency, which say they are members of the terrorist organization ETA.
Canadian authorities have arrested Ivan Apaolaza Sancho and Victor Tejedor Bilbao, suspected of belonging to the terrorist group ETA. A third man is at large. Sancho is accused of participating in a Madrid car bombing in 2000, above.
The third, Mr. Torres, remains on the loose. Canadian immigration has issued an arrest warrant. It describes him as a member of the International Revolutionary Action Group. All three men in the picture are alleged to have violent pasts.
Police files obtained by the National Post say Mr. Torres kidnapped a bank director, placed two car bombs in front of an Iberian airlines office in Belgium , was caught with weapons in France and has ties to ETA and several other leftist terror groups.
The documents say Mr. Bilbao was a gunman in an ETA commando unit and took part in four assassination attempts and several bombings, while Mr. Sancho allegedly committed three murders as a member of another ETA cell.
There is no evidence the Spaniards were planning attacks in Canada . Officials believe they were simply here for ‘R&R.’ Despite being wanted on international warrants, the men spent years living freely in B.C. One drove a black SUV to work. Another took his parents on a vacation to the Rockies last year.
This wasn’t supposed to happen anymore. After Algerian terrorist Ahmed Ressam was caught at the Canada-U.S. border in 1999, as he was driving to California to bomb Los Angeles airport, the Canadian government vowed to fix the security gaps that had allowed him to live in Montreal under a false identity. More reforms followed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
But since the arrests of Mr. Sancho and Mr. Bilbao in June, some are asking how, in post-9/11 Canada , suspected terrorists were able to hide out in the country for so long, in Mr. Bilbao’s case, for 11 years.
‘Something sounds wrong about the whole thing,’ said Martin Collacott, a former Canadian ambassador and a critic of Canada ‘s immigration system. ‘What aren’t we doing that we should be doing? And how many others are there around like them?’
Spanish police records say Mr. Bilbao was recruited into ETA in 1979 in the Zubulbara neighbourhood of Bilbao , a city in the Basque region of northern Spain . He joined a commando unit called Donibane that operated in the Vizcaya district.
In 1981, ETA ordered Mr. Bilbao’s commando unit to kill the manager of the Basque newspaper La Gazeta del Norte, Gerardo Huezo Fernandez, who was branded a ‘squealer,’ the documents say.
At 11 a.m., on April 4, the four man hit squad arrived at the newspaper office at 8 Tayer Tenayo. Two stayed outside as lookouts; the other two donned ski masks and stormed the building.
They found their target upstairs and shot at him from a distance of three or four metres. When Mr. Fernandez fell to the ground, the gunmen fled to a nearby market, ditching their guns in a parked car. They didn’t realize until later that their shots had missed.
That summer, the same commando unit bombed three electrical substations and tried to attack a police patrol, but after one of the members was arrested in August, Mr. Bilbao fled to France , the documents claim.
Seven years later, Mr. Bilbao was arrested by French police and expelled to Spain , where he was questioned about the shooting of Mr. Fernandez. In a statement obtained by the National Post, he confessed to his involvement in the assassination attempt.
The next day, however, he recanted, saying he had been tortured during his interrogation. He was charged with membership in an armed organization, but acquitted in 1989 for lack of evidence and set free.
The investigation into the newspaper shooting continued and in July, 1993, police made another arrest. Manual Jose Chavarri Lopategul was convicted for his role (although he claimed the attack was only meant to frighten Mr. Fernandez).
When he named Mr. Bilbao as one of the gunmen, Spain issued an arrest warrant. The information was forwarded to Interpol and Mr. Bilbao fled to Mexico , and then to Canada in 1996. He used a false Spanish passport to get in.
He used at least five fake names, according to Canadian immigration. ‘In fact,’ a CBSA official said at a hearing, ‘he seems to have an infinite supply of fraudulent documents available to him.’
In B.C.’s Lower Mainland, he was known as Serge Brault. Others knew him as Juan. He found work at construction and renovation sites in Langley , West Vancouver and at the University of B.C. campus, and lived on Fraser Street with his wife Iciar Otaegui Olagaray, who worked at a care home.
Like Mr. Bilbao, Mr. Sancho had fled terrorism charges in Spain . ‘Spanish intelligence indicate that he was involved in three homicides and one attempt in 1996, 1997 and 2000,’ says an RCMP report. The last attack, on Jan. 21, 2000, killed Lieutenant-Colonel Pedro Blanco Antonio Garcia of the Spanish Army.
Using the alias Jose Perales-Herrera, Mr. Sancho lived on East 15 Ave. in Vancouver with his girlfriend Ekai Alcorta Zabaleta, a.k.a. ‘Maria Gonzales.’ He worked as a carpenter at an antique reproduction company, and she was employed as a house cleaner.
Asked what Mr. Sancho had been doing in Canada for the past six years, his lawyer, William Sloan, said he was ‘living here, living with a lady and doing what we all try to do. He was hiding basically, from the Spanish police.’
It all came to an end when Mr. Sancho’s girlfriend left Canada in May and flew to Paris , and made her way to the Spanish city of San Sebastion . Spanish intelligence intercepted her phone calls. In one of them, she spoke to Mr. Sancho, who talked about leaving Canada within a week and
said the ‘other’ was also departing. Spanish intelligence believed he was referring to Mr. Bilbao.
With confirmation the two fugitives were in Canada , Spain ‘s National Intelligence Centre notified the RCMP Liaison Officer at the Canadian embassy in Madrid . Spain wanted Canadian police to conduct ‘surveillance and discreet enquiries.’
‘The Spanish Authorities have expended considerable resources over the years investigating the whereabouts of these subjects,’ the RCMP officer wrote in a May 30 memo to headquarters in Ottawa . ‘They feel that this is a unique opportunity and are asking for Canadian assistance to bring them to justice before they disappear.’
The RCMP arrested Mr. Bilbao in Vancouver two days later. During recorded interviews with an immigration officer, he called ETA a ‘military organization’ fighting to free Basque country.
He referred to himself as a ‘militant’ member of the Basque political party Herri Batasuna (suspected of being an ETA front) and complained about the Spanish government, saying, ‘To me, the government is worse than ETA.’
His lawyer Phil Rankin said the government’s case is built on statements obtained under torture and Mr. Bilbao fears he will be tortured again if Canada returns him to Spain. ‘There’s quite a bit of evidence of torture of Basque suspects, even very recently,’ Mr. Rankin said.
Nineteen days after Mr. Bilbao’s arrest, police tracked Mr. Sancho to Quebec through his banking activities. He was arrested on the ferry that links Quebec City and the south shore town of Levis .
Canadian immigration officials claim he was on his way to the French islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and planned to go from there to continental Europe , but his lawyer said he was simply on a cycling holiday.
‘They claimed that he wanted to bike to Europe or something. They’ve got some wild theories,’ Mr. Sloan said. ‘He was just on his summer holidays; he was on a bike tour.’
Their cases are now before the Immigration and Refugee Board. Mr. Bilbao’s case resumes today in Vancouver . Mr. Sancho’s case was to be heard behind closed doors, but the National Post applied to open it to the public and the IRB agreed. His case begins on Oct. 4.
The RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team in B.C. showed the photo they found to a ‘confidential source’ who identified everyone in the shot.
The informant told police a woman in the foreground was Mr. Torres’ wife, Margaret Moon, the organic farmer who runs Moon Farm and sells her produce at the market in Whistler, B.C.
A Canadian immigration report says Mr. Torres was stopped at the Douglas border crossing in B.C. in April, 2005, as he was returning to Canada from a holiday in Mexico .
Interviewed by immigration officers, he said he had been living in D’Arcy and confirmed he had been a member of the International Revolutionary Action Group.
Asked if he had any involvement with ETA, he said: ‘No, I don’t like nationalists, particularly.’
The CBSA decided to deport Mr. Torres for terrorism. Instead of holding him in custody, he was instructed to come to a hearing before the IRB in Vancouver on Jan. 12, 2006.
He never showed up. Police are still looking for him.
MARIO INES TORRES
Date of Birth Jan 1. 1954. Born Barcelona .
1974 Joins ‘Gari’ — International Revolutionary Action Groups.
1974 Involved in kidnapping bank director in Paris and two car bombings.
1978 Arrested in Paris as part of a group planning robbery. 1980 Tried in absentia in Paris and sentenced to three years.
1984 Arrested in Spain for being part of an armed group. 1986 Madrid court issues arrest warrant.
1987 Arrested by Finnish police and jailed.
1988 Extradited to Spain . 1996 Applies for a Spanish passport at the Spanish Consulate in Mexico City .
2005 Photographed with two suspected ETA terrorists in D’Arcy, B.C.
ETA
A.K.A. Basque Homeland and Liberty .
Headquarters Basque regions of Spain and France .
Goal Creation of an independent Basque state.
Methods Has been called the most dangerous terrorist organization in Europe , said to have killed more than 800 people and carried out about 1,600 terrorist attacks. Legal status Put on Canada ‘s list of outlawed terrorist groups on April 2, 2003.
Source: Public Safety Canada
NP
For more on this story visit our news blog at nationalpost. com/posted
BACK STORY
Why did it take so long to capture two suspected ETA terrorists hiding in Canada ?
The Canada Border Services Agency says it did not know they were here until Spanish authorities came forward in May.
Unless the CBSA is told a suspected terrorist might be travelling to Canada , or might already be here, there isn’t much the agency can do, said spokesman Erik Paradis. ‘We need to know,’ he said. ‘There’s a sense of urgency as soon as we know that person is on our territory or is coming to Canada .
‘We don’t want these people in Canada.We want them out as soon as possible and we’re going to take all the measures that need to be taken in order to remove those persons from Canada .’
Once the CBSA got word from Spain the men were believed to be in Canada , the agency worked with police to quickly locate and arrest them, and is now attempting to deport them.
Source: http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=1bf098f3-aff0-4248-b3f7-5bbc59b91091
Sunni-Shi’a Collaboration
http://www.islam21stcenturysuperpower.com/page6/page6.html
There is a battle for the hearts and minds of the Muslim world and it
is not
being waged by the Americans, British, French or indeed any non-Muslim
country or society. This battle is being waged by the new Islamic
leaders of
the 21st century, such as those in Dubai, with the extremists of the
Islamic
community. Where some members and organizations of the Islamic
community are
engaged in the export of conflict, Dubai is currently engaged in
exporting a
new collaborative Islamic model of socioeconomic investment and
resource
stewardship that has the very real promise of bringing opportunity and
security to the world.
The leaders of Dubai have rightly recognized that there is no ROI in
indiscriminate destruction of human life or conflict between cultures
and
communities. The first president of the UAE, Sheik Zayed, was very
clear in
pointing out that Islam did not advocate the kind of violence that is
occupying the front pages of most newspapers.19
Sheikh Zayed imbibed the principles of Islam in his childhood and they
remained the foundation of his beliefs and principles throughout his
life.
He was a firm and dedicated opponent of those who sought to pervert the
message of Islam to justify harsh dogmas, intolerance and terrorism. In
Sheikh Zayed’s view, however, such an approach was not merely a
perversion
of the message but is in direct contradiction of it. Extremism, he
believed,
has no place in Islam. In contrast, he stressed that: Islam is a
civilizing
religion that gives mankind dignity. A Muslim is he who does not
inflict
evil upon others. Islam is the religion of tolerance and forgiveness,
and
not of war, of dialogue and understanding. It is Islamic social justice
which has asked every Muslim to respect the other. To treat every
person, no
matter what his creed or race, as a special soul is a mark of Islam. It
is
just that point, embodied in the humanitarian tenets of Islam, that
makes us
so proud of it. He recognized, however, the necessity not only of
eradicating terrorism, but of tackling its fundamental causes. Besides
the
international campaign against the types of terrorism, there should, he
believed, be a strong international alliance that worked, in parallel,
to
exert real and sincere efforts to bring about a just and lasting
solution to
the Middle East conflict.
As a devout Muslim, Sheik Zayed was clear in his vision to provide
opportunity to the people of the UAE through financial decisions and an
unwavering obedience to the teachings of the Qur’an. Not only does the
Qur’an articulate the need for stewardship of God’s original creation,
and
against the senseless and evil destruction of innocent lives, Muslim or
otherwise; there is also no economic argument for it.
The visionary leaders of Dubai have instead decided to invest in
constructing the future communities of the Islamic world based on an
integration of the rights of all people and devout respect for the
teachings
of the Qur’an. Where some members of the Islamic faith want to force
societies to fit their model of religious community, Dubai has
recognized
that in order to develop a sustainable and diversified economy it must
be
respectful of other cultures and other religions. As the Qur’an
teaches, the
leaders of Dubai are engaged in a model of stewardship for their
people,
their resources and the members of the international community who
would
choose to either visit or indeed live in Dubai. There is no argument
that in
order for anyone to invest their hard earned money in a residence in
Dubai
or a trip to the country for tourism, there must be a sense of justice
and
safety.-
IMG_2670
http://www.islam21stcenturysuperpower.com/page6/files/page6_2.jpg
Commercial development on the scale that is taking place at breakneck
speed
in Dubai is dependent on one critical socioeconomic component;
stability.
People will simply not fly into a country where they are concerned
about
random violence or systematic and unchecked corruption. I can
personally
attest to the absolute safety and sense of stability and fairness that
is
present in Dubai. I visited every major shopping venue, including the
local
Souqes. I walked the streets at all hours of the day and night in all
parts
of the city, by myself, and experienced nothing but cordiality and
security.
I did not see police armed with anything more than a whistle or a
clipboard.
Dubai is safe and secure quite possibly because it is practicing a new
model
of community collaboration. A collaboration between the values and
practices
of Islam (daily call to prayer, traditional dress, etc.) and the
acceptance
of the social dress and practices of international commerce that is
best
reflected in the growing consumer and investment sector of Dubai. The
people
of Dubai and the people visiting Dubai are indeed engaged in
consumerism and
capitalism. It is no accident that the largest mall in the world with
the
largest indoor ski slope is located in Dubai or that the tallest tower
in
the world is currently being constructed there. People are engaged in
buying
and selling of goods and services. This is not in any way an insult to
God
or Islamic norms. Commerce of this type has been taking place in
Islamic
countries for centuries. The Islamic society that is emerging in Dubai
is
unique and powerful in its ability to create a society that is a true
cross-cultural integration of faith and finance, where the Mosque and
the
marketplace can coexistence in a theologically- sound and spiritually
respectful way.
http://waficity.com/waficitymall/index.htm
IMG_2388
The fact that there is an attention to the need to pray while shopping
is
where Islam has embraced the model of creation and development that
both the
Qur’an and the Bible attest to. God, Allah did not intend to create a
beautiful world that was to not be enjoyed. But the difference between
what
is happening in Dubai and Dallas is that God is still first in the
lives of
the leaders and the people of Dubai, while the pursuit of riches and
happiness are allowed as long as they are second to and not in conflict
with
the worship of and obedience to God. This is the way that a Theology
Economy
reinforces itself on a daily basis. God is not left out of any part of
the
Muslim lifestyle or daily processes. Muslims and non-Muslims can go
shopping
at the Mall of the Emirates together, and when the call to prayer is
broadcast, the Muslims have a place to go and pray. There is no
conflict
between faith and the daily activities of life.
This is not the case in most Western countries where the idea of a
church or
prayer room in a mall would more than likely lead to lawsuits and
protest.
Islam and shopping can exist side by side and whether one is at the
Mall of
the Emirates or engaging in business at one of the many office towers,
a
Muslim prayer room is never far away. Where the west has systematically
attempted to remove God and religion from all public aspects of life,
Islam
would never consider doing this. As a result, what you see happening in
Dubai is the first sign of a 21st century model of the city of tomorrow
incorporating worship and consumerism in one location without
destroying the
profit incentive of either.
What is being practiced in Dubai and exported to other Muslim and
indeed
non-Muslim countries is a model of financial investment in the net
present
value of peace. What this means is that the long-term return in net
present
value terms of peaceful coexistence and investment in constructing new
cities and societies, exceeds the return in continued conflict and
destruction of societies. What Sheik Rashid understood and his sons and
family have continued to practice and perfect is the wisdom of the
model of
stewardship of resources that is embedded in the thread of creation
found in
the Qur’an and indeed, is also found in the teachings of the other
major
religions. This is not to be confused with or understood to mean a
global
religious objective or conspiracy. This is entirely about the emerging
economic model of Islamic Economics and social relations with the rest
of
the world.
This new model of Islamic economics that is sweeping over the Arabian
Peninsula and quite possibly all of the Islamic world, is based on a
Theology Economy as opposed to a knowledge economy. It is this Theology
Economy that holds the promise of promoting and sustaining
collaboration
between cultures and communities instead of conflict.
Islamic Economics
http://www.islam21stcenturysuperpower.com/page4/page4.html
The key to the development and sustainability of any superpower is
economics. Economic power and influence have supported and defined all
superpowers since the dawn of time and will continued to do so in the
Islamic century. The ability to develop a diverse economy is essential
to
maintaining a superpower economy. Economic strength and diversity have
provided the necessary capital in the past for superpowers to not only
fund
their military budgets but to also act as a component of overall global
strategy. The United States has used both its military strength and
economic
strength in the past to engage in foreign policy. The economic embargos
and
sanctions, often imposed on other nations as a means of diplomatic
persuasion, have been a common approach to resolving international
incidents. The best and most recent example is the Gulf War of 1991.
Economic sanctions were initially suggested as a means to convince Iraq
to
retreat from its hostile takeover of Kuwait. Without a strong economy
to
economically support a military action or influence sanctions, a
superpower
would be unable to dictate international foreign policy.
What is developing in Dubai, and at the cutting edge of Islamic
Economics,
is an ability to encourage and enforce peaceful behavior based on
economic,
cultural, and theological arguments and solutions, not military ones.
While
the USA, China, Russia, and Europe invest in new weapons systems, Dubai
is
investing in new cities and new worlds. The military expansion of the
Middle
Eastern nations, with the exception of Iran, has for the most part
stopped.
Instead, the focus is on developing new economies and new opportunities
for
the citizens of Islam. Instead of an arms race, the focus is shifting
to a
more potent form of power, what I call the Theology Economy.
This Theology Economy is focused on achieving the objectives of a
global
Islamic community centered on staying true to the theological teachings
of
stewardship found in the Qur’an. One of the primary motivators for
Mohammed
was a desire to fight the poverty and corruption that was affecting the
people of his day in Arabia. The result of his search for answers was
the
Qur’an, which very clearly states the requirement for mankind to be
khalifas, or stewards of God’s creation.11
A Theology Economy is therefore, first and foremost, an economy of
stewardship before it is one of profit. The profit motive of modern day
economics is not forbidden, but is instead incorporated into the
theological
basis of stewardship. Stewardship of resources also means stewardship
of
finances, which means intelligent investments that yield a positive
return.
In a capitalist system, maximizing utility and returns all to often
leads to
a big winner and a big loser. As the world is witnessing today, the
disequilibrium this model creates leads to an increase in corruption
and
poverty which, in effect, is a tax on investment returns. The result is
the
proliferation of sick societies that Peter Drucker wrote will
ultimately
lead to sick corporations instead of “functional societies”.12 The
model of
a Functional Society is a core component of the Theology Economy of
Stewardship. By finally addressing the issues of systematic corruption
and
abject poverty, the
Theology Economy will incorporate the best of the teachings of
stewardship,
the vision for a just economy, and equal rights for all people to fully
participate in the global economic system.
Islamic leaders understand that economic power is superior to military
power. While the West, Russia and China have been busy stockpiling for
a war
that will never be fought, Islamic Economics will be the preferred
method of
competition in the future for Islam. Security, in the Islamic context,
will
be gained by uniting the growing base of Muslims globally into one
economic
trading block that will also protect and promote the cultural capital
and
values of Islam. For arguments sake, it is true that the one military
weapon
that is required for superpower status is already in the possession of
one
if not more Islamic countries, nuclear weapons. Pakistan has nuclear
capability and has not been hesitant in sharing this knowledge with
other
Muslim countries like Iran. The critical factor for Islam going forward
is
to demonstrate responsible stewardship of this weapon for the benefit
of
mankind and not its destruction. Commerce instead of conflict,
especially
nuclear, must be the goal.
Adam Smith had it wrong when he wrote of the invisible hand guiding the
economic behavior of people and nations.13 His argument failed because
it
assumed people would act for the benefit of each other when in reality
they
often act selfishly, in their own interest. This is why the Game
Theory14
developed by John Nash has proven to be so successful in the past fifty
years. It clearly demonstrates to individuals and organizations the
wisdom
of collaborating and cooperating on economic decisions for the benefit
of
both sides. Islamic Economics goes one step further in showing how
stewardship of all resources is a benefit for all members of a
community and
ultimately the world.
The Islamic economy that is providing the fuel for superpower
development is
being strengthened and enabled by the creation of an Islamic stock
exchange.
In 2005, the DIFX, Dubai International Foreign Exchange15 was opened
with
the goal of creating an Islamic alternative to the exchanges in New
York,
London, and other Western countries. This development gives
entrepreneurs in
Islamic countries the access they need to capital via the selling of
shares
in companies. This new Islam Incorporated will provide the capital to
create
the next generation of Islamic companies that are helping to build the
new
Islamic cities and societies.
C 2006 Steven R. Watts
[Propaganda or is it their plan???}
Islam: 21st Century Superpower
http://www.islam21stcenturysuperpower.com/page1/page1.html
Who will be the 21st century superpower?
USA
CHINA
INDIA
RUSSIA
ISLAM
Hint:
It will not be a country
Throughout history, superpowers have been defined more or less by the
same
standards. Whether one looks at the most recent 20th century models
demonstrated by the United States, the USSR, or Great Britain; or the
more
ancient models of the Ottoman Empire, the Roman Empire, or the ancient
civilizations of the Greeks or the Persians, the standards have been
the
same. The best definition, commonly accepted in a historical context,
is a
nation with the ability to project its cultural identity and
geopolitical
will on other peoples, cultures and nations.
The USA, it is argued, emerged from the cold war with the communist
USSR as
the only nation capable of projecting a global military, economic and
cultural presence around the world without any real competition or
barriers
to entry to other cultures. This is best seen in the adoption of the
English
language as the accepted language of international commerce and the
American
dollar as the accepted form of international currency. The spread of
democracy, as a sociopolitical solution to the general governance of
people
in the context of national identities, is widely argued as due to the
American model of government. Other evidence of the superpower nature
of
American culture is the rapid adoption and affinity for American
movies,
music, and fast food. The final qualifier for superpower status is the
ability to project military power, anywhere, anytime and the associated
critical possession of nuclear weapons.
Given these parameters, it is the intent of this article to introduce
the
hypothesis, with supporting evidence, that a new superpower is emerging
in
the 21st century - ISLAM. This superpower not only possesses all the
requirements highlighted above, but it also has unique qualities that
will
make the 21st century a very different place in which to live and work.
This
is a superpower that for the first time in the history of civilization
will
neither rely upon, nor need to develop a dominant military strategy.
The
power of the Islamic Superpower will reside primarily in its economic,
cultural and theological foundations. The most powerful and compelling
distinction of this superpower is that for the first time in the
history of
the world, a global superpower will not be constrained by nationalistic
motives or geographic limitations of artificial borders. This new
Islamic
Superpower will possess the ability to effectively fight poverty and
corruption where the Western powers have failed. It will be the most
effective, if not only legitimate response to radical Islamic
fundamentalism.
The 21st century will be the Islamic century as much as the 15th
century
could be argued as the Christian century with the emergence of the
global
military, economic, and theological capability of Christian Spain,
Portugal,
France, and England. These, and all other Christian countries are
becoming
more Islamic, more secular, and less Christian. As you will see, the
sheer
demographic growth of Islam will overtake every Christian nation by
2050,
with the exception of most South American countries and the United
States.
C 2006 Steven R. Watts
Speaking Of Bird Strikes...
AirTran Flight Turns Around After FO Injured By Bird-Strike Induced
Debris
Just as we were writing up a listing of all the recent bird strikes,
ANN has
learned that yet another case of “Shredded Tweat” has occurred. An
AirTran
Boeing 737-700, departing Philadelphia (Saturday) took a bird strike to
the
right side of the nose resulting in windshield damage that also injured
the
First Officer.
The FO suffered injuries as a result of windshield debris, resulting in
a
number of minor facial cuts and bruises. The aircraft notified PHL
tower
that they were returning to PHL about 10 minutes into the flight,
landing
without further incident. Bound for Atlanta, the flight carried 143
people,
none of which were injured, according to AirTran spokesperson, Phyllis
Van
Istendal.
The flight was originally scheduled for an 1100 departure but a
replacement
flight was able to continue the flight at 1608, arriving in ATL at
1740,
EDT.
FMI: www.airtran.com
aero-news.net
