GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hundreds of gunmen from the shadowy Army of Islam marched in a funeral for five Gaza militants Thursday, firing in the air in their first public appearance in such large numbers.
The five Army of Islam members buried Thursday were among a total of 12 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes over two days. The Israeli military said it has targeted militants involved in rocket fire on Israeli border towns. A statement from the group posted on Islamic Web sites on Thursday said a sixth member wounded in Wednesday's strike against its men had since died of his injuries, but did not say when.
The Army of Islam, an offshot of Gaza's ruling Hamas group, has been linked to the March kidnapping of BBC journalist Alan Johnston, since released, and the June 2006 capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Individual members have made public statements, but the size of the group was never apparent. However, some 300 Army of Islam gunmen marched in Thursday's funeral procession. Sporting long beards and black headbands, many wore dark robes, a style of dress more common in Afghanistan or Pakistan than in Gaza. Gunmen, some wearing masks, fired Kalashnikov and M-16 assault rifles in the air.
Excerpted
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6954824,00.html
Will the 12th Imam cause war with Iran?
28/09/2007
Not since the prime minister of the tiny Caribbean island of Grenada presented an address claiming that UFOs posed a mortal threat to the future of mankind has the United Nations been treated to such a bizarre spectacle. Many people believe the greatest threat to world peace concerns Iran's nuclear programme, so there was understandably great interest at this week's general assembly in New York when the country's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, took the platform.
But instead of seeking to reassure delegates that Iran's nuclear intentions were purely benign, Mr Ahmadinejad took advantage of his official visit to a country deemed – in the lexicon of the Iranian Revolution – "the Great Satan" to embark on a discourse about the wonders of the 12th Imam.
Excerpted
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/09/28/do2804.xml
The story of the week earlier this month wasn’t Gen. David Petraeus’ testimony on Iraq, although it dominated the headlines. The story of the week wasn’t the sixth return of Sept. 11 since the jihad atrocity of 2001, although it inspired many public statements and ceremonies. The week’s biggest story garnered little press and few comments. But, in a significant way, this overlooked story - an outrageous display of police force in Brussels on Sept. 11, 2007 - symbolizes the missing link in our flawed comprehension of both Iraq and Sept. 11.
There, in the so-called capital of Europe, 200 people marked the day with a protest against the Islamization of Europe - a civilizational shift that, as Europe increasingly accommodates Shariah (Islamic law), is shockingly advanced. Indeed, Middle East expert Bernard Lewis has already predicted Europe will become Islamic by century’s end. Absent a reversal of Islamization (which remains possible), I’m guessing sooner than that.
Excerpted
http://www.columbiatribune.com/2007/Sep/20070927Comm002.asp
Fears of Al Qaeda terror plot from Pakistan’s tribal belt
Friday, 28 September, 2007
PESHAWAR: Al Qaeda is taking advantage of Pakistan’s political turmoil to ramp up operations in the tribal belt and possibly plot fresh terrorist attacks abroad, Western and Pakistani officials warn.
As President Pervez Musharraf battles to retain power, violence is surging in Waziristan, where Osama bin Laden’s senior henchmen have taken shelter behind a corps of Taliban fighters. “They have humiliated the army and made things very difficult for a president who is already in trouble. It’s a very clever strategy,” said a western military official. The UK and US fear that a “catastrophic” terrorist attack could be launched from Waziristan, he added.
Waziristan’s place as a hub of Al Qaeda operations was highlighted recently when police in Germany arrested three men - two Germans and a Turk - accused of plotting to attack a US military base in the country.
Excerpted