Posted on 07/28/2008 8:37:15 AM PDT by DAVEY CROCKETT
Thanks to Mark Taylor and Milford421
http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/20080925DH
Chilling Arabic communication: “When School Bus turns to Hell Bus”
“Rakan Bin Williams may be your neighbor and may be your colleague at work or a
member of the local police... Imagine if “Uncle Brian,” the school bus driver carrying your
children to school every morning is someone other than he claims to be? Just imagine, you
very, very stupid American.”
By Douglas J. Hagmann, Director
25 September 2008: Among Muslims who have immigrated to the United States over the
last quarter century, there is a certain element that has not arrived with the intention to
adapt, to make a new life for themselves or their families, to make a living, or to be
thankful for the country that has openly accepted and embraced them.
continued.
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/532755-al-qaeda-planning-to-bomb-atlantis-—report
Al-Qaeda planning to bomb Atlantis - report
by Dylan Bowman
Monday, 29 September 2008
TERROR THREAT: British spies have uncovered plans to target the grand
opening party.
The Atlantis hotel’s grand opening party is at the centre of a
terrorism scare after British spies uncovered plans to target the
lavish event in Dubai, to be attended by 2,000 VIPs.
There are fears Al-Qaeda is planning to bomb the event on Nov. 20
because it is seen by Islamic extremists as a symbol of decadence in a
Muslim country, according to the UK’s Sky News television.
Business leaders, politicians, actors, musicians and members of the
Dubai royal family have all been invited to the grand opening, which
is estimated to be costing $28 million and will be headlined by pop
princess Kylie Minogue.
British spies are reportedly monitoring talk of an attack in internet
chatrooms and have a number of suspects who pose a credible threat
under surveillance.
Story continues below ↔
advertisement
Neither Atlantis or the British embassy in Dubai were immediately
available for comment when contacted by Arabian Business.
The resort, located on the Palm Jumeirah, officially opened on Sept.
24, despite a recent fire on Sept. 2 that destroyed the hotel lobby
roof and caused smoke damage to the outside of the main hotel building.
The launch of Atlantis has become one of the most talked about events
on the Dubai calendar, with several global superstars linked with the
grand opening, including Michael Jackson and Madonna.
The 1,539-room resort encompasses a 46-hectare site with 17 hectares
of water-themed amusement parks, an open air marine habitat, beaches,
boutiques and restaurants.
The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in June raised its
terrorism threat level in the UAE to “high”, warning that terrorists
could target places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers
such as residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation
interests.
“We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the
UAE,” the FCO said.
“Attacks could be indiscriminate and could happen at any time,” it said.
The FCO said people should “maintain a high level of security
awareness, particularly in public places”.
U.S. Attorney Karen P. Hewitt
Southern District of California
U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg
Eastern District of Virginia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2008
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/CAS/
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/VAE/
CONTACT: DEBRA HARTMAN 619-557-5275
OR JIM RYBICKI 703-842-4050
FORMER CIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KYLE “DUSTY” FOGGO PLEADS GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING THE UNITED STATES
Alexandria, Va. – Former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Executive Director Kyle “Dusty” Foggo pled guilty this morning to count one of an indictment charging that he defrauded the United States and its citizens of their right to his honest services, Karen P. Hewitt, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California and Chuck Rosenberg, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today.
Foggo, who last served as the Executive Director of the CIA, the third-highest ranking position in the agency, devised a scheme to obtain money and to defraud the United States and its citizens out of their right to his loyal, faithful, disinterested and unbiased service. Foggo admitted that he executed the scheme by abusing his supervisory positions with the CIA in order to cause the CIA to hire companies and individuals with whom he had concealed his personal relationships.
Throughout the years-long scheme, Foggo had a standing offer for a high-level, high-paying position with his best friend Brent Wilkes (who is currently serving a 12-year sentence imposed following his conviction in the Southern District of California for bribing former Congressman Randall “Duke” Cunningham). Foggo admitted that he allowed Wilkes to conceal their close relationship by adopting false cover stories regarding their relationship and using “straw men” and shell companies to conceal Wilkes’s interest in CIA contracts. As described in the indictment, Foggo caused the CIA to enter into these lucrative contracts without disclosing his interests.
Foggo and Wilkes were originally indicted together in the Southern District of California in February 2007. In February 2008, following Wilkes’s sentencing in the Cunningham bribery case, the government elected to proceed against Foggo alone in the Eastern District of Virginia. United States District Judge James C. Cacheris, who has presided over the case since the transfer, had set a Nov. 3, 2008 trial date for Mr. Foggo.
Foggo’s plea exposes him to a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in custody, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for Jan. 8, 2009, before Judge Cacheris in Alexandria, Va. The case was prosecuted on behalf of the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valerie H. Chu, Jason A. Forge, and Phillip L. B. Halpern, who are all based in the Southern District of California and were designated Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Eastern District of Virginia.
http://sandiego.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel08/sd091208.htm
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
San Diego, California
United States Attorney
Karen P. Hewit
ELEVEN INDICTED FOR CONSPIRACY TO CHEAT TWELVE CASINOS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
For Immediate Release
Friday, September 12, 2008
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in San Diego has indicted 11 defendants for an alleged conspiracy to cheat 12 casinos across the country, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Matthew Friedrich and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Karen P. Hewitt announced today.
The one-count indictment, handed down in the Southern District of California on Sept. 9, 2008, and unsealed on Sept. 11, 2008, charges Bryan Arce; Don Man Duong; Hogan Ho; Thang Viet Huynh; Outtama Keovongsa; Leap Kong, a/k/a “Lanida Kong;” Qua Le; Khunsela Prom, a/k/a “Danny Prom;” James Root; Darrell Saicocie; and Dan Thich each with one count of conspiracy to commit several offenses against the United States, including conspiracy to steal money and other property from Indian tribal casinos, and conspiracy to travel in interstate and foreign commerce in aid of racketeering.
According to the indictment, from approximately March 2002 through July 2007 the defendants and co-conspirators allegedly formed and participated in a conspiracy, defined in the indictment as the “Tran Organization,” to cheat at gambling in casinos across the United States. The indictment lists 12 casinos that were allegedly targeted by members of the conspiracy, including five casinos that are owned and operated by Indian tribes.
According to the indictment, the defendants and others executed a “false shuffle” cheating scheme at some of the listed casinos during blackjack and mini-baccarat games. The indictment alleges that members of the criminal organization bribed casino card dealers and supervisors to perform false shuffles during card games, thereby creating “slugs” of un-shuffled cards. According to the indictment, after tracking the order of cards dealt in a card game, a member of the organization would signal to the card dealer to perform a “false shuffle,” and then members of the group would bet on the known order of cards when the slug appeared on the table. By doing so, the indictment alleges that members of the conspiracy repeatedly won thousands of dollars during card games.
The indictment also alleges that members of the organization used sophisticated mechanisms for tracking the order of cards during games, including hidden transmitter devices and specially created software that would predict the order in which cards would reappear during baccarat and blackjack games.
If convicted on the conspiracy charge, defendants face a maximum five year prison sentence.
A three-count indictment was returned in San Diego on May 22, 2007, and unsealed on May 24, 2007, charging Phuong Quoc Truong, a/k/a “Pai Gow” John and John Truong; Van Thu Tran; Tai Khiem Tran; Anh Phuong Tran; Phat Ngoc Tran; Martin Lee Aronson, a/k/a “Martin Smith;” Liem Thanh Lam; George Michael Lee; Tien Duc Vu; Son Hong Johnson; Barry Wellford; Willy Tran, a/k/a “Duy;” Ha Thuy Giang, a/k/a “Thuy Ha Giang;” and Han Truong Nguyen each with one count of conspiracy to participate in the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, defined in the indictment as the Tran Organization; one count of conspiracy to commit several offenses against the United States, including conspiracy to steal money and other property from Indian tribal casinos; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. That three-count indictment also charged five separate individuals each with one count of conspiracy to commit several offenses against the United States, including conspiracy to steal money and other property from Indian tribal casinos, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
To date, 17 defendants have pleaded guilty to charges relating to the casino-cheating conspiracy: Phuong Quoc Truong; Anh Phuong Tran; Martin Lee Aronson; Liem Thanh Lam; George Michael Lee; Tien Duc Vu; Son Hong Johnson; Barry Wellford; Willy Tran; Tuan Mong Le; Duc Cong Nguyen; Han Truong Nguyen; Roderick Vang Thor; Sisouvanh Mounlasy; Navin Nith; Renee Cuc Quang; and Ui Suk Weller.
Han Truong Nguyen was sentenced on May 12, 2008, to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,896,659 in restitution to designated victims in the case. Nguyen was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release. The remaining defendants who pleaded guilty are awaiting sentencing.
The prosecution of the case is being handled by the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Racketeering Section (OCRS) and prosecuted by OCRS Trial Attorneys Joseph K. Wheatley and Robert S. Tully. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s San Diego Field Office, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-Criminal Investigation, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department and the California Department of Justice. The investigation has received assistance from federal, state, tribal and foreign authorities, including: the Ontario Provincial Police; the National Indian Gaming Commission; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington; FBI resident agencies in Gulfport, Miss., Tacoma, Wash., and Toledo, Ohio; the Indiana State Police; the Rumsey Rancheria Tribal Gaming Agency; the Sycuan Gaming Commission; the Barona Gaming Commission; the Mississippi Gaming Commission; the Washington State Gambling Commission; and others.
The Indian Gaming Working Group (IGWG) was established in February 2003 to combat crimes related to Indian gambling. The group is spearheaded by the FBI and includes the Department of Interior’s Office of Inspector General, the National Indian Gaming Commission, the IRS’s Tribal Government Section, the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Center, the Department of Justice, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Law Enforcement Services. The IGWG works to ensure the honesty and fairness of Indian gambling activity for visitors and fights organized crime groups attempting to commit embezzlement and other scams.
An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Anyone with information relating to the investigation may contact the FBI’s San Diego Field Office at (858) 565-1255.
http://sandiego.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel08/sd090408.pdf
NEWS RELEASE
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
San Diego, California
United States Attorney
Karen P. Hewitt
For Further Information, Contact: Assistant United States Attorney Anne Perry (619) 557-5767
For Immediate Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY - September 4, 2008
United States Attorney Karen P. Hewitt announced that Easy Moon, Inc., a California corporation with businesses in San Diego County, pled guilty yesterday in federal court in San Diego to a charge of Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1960.
18 U.S.C. Section 1960 is a statute designed to provide the government with more control over monetary transactions.
It requires that financial institutions, which can include check cashers and other money exchange operations, be properly licensed by either the State of California, the federal government, or, in some cases, both. According to court documents, Easy Moon, Inc. operated convenience stores in San Diego County that offered various money services, including check-cashing, wire transfers, and the issuance of money orders. Easy Moon, Inc., therefore, operated “financial institutions,” which were required to be licensed by the U.S. Department of Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Easy Moon
did not have such licenses. As part of the plea, the corporation also agreed to forfeit monies seized in the course of the investigation. This is the first such charge brought in the Southern District of California.
DEFENDANT Case No. 08cr2959
Easy Moon, Inc.
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 18, United States Code, Section 1960 – Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business
Maximum penalties: 5 years’ incarceration; 2-3 years’ supervised release; $100 penalty assessment; $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
http://phoenix.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/2008/ph092608.htm
Office of the United States Attorney
District of Arizona
For Information Contact Public Affairs
SANDY RAYNOR
Telephone: (602) 514-7625
Cell: (602) 525-2681
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 26, 2008
PIMA COUNTY KIDNAPPING SUSPECT CHARGED IN THREE FEDERAL CASES
TUCSON, Ariz. - A federal grand jury in Tucson returned three separate indictments against Robert A. Ergonis, 46, of Tucson, Ariz. on Wednesday for violations of drug, firearms and false statement laws. Warrants have been issued for his arrest. Ergonis is in custody at the Pima County Jail, pending trial on unrelated kidnapping and assault charges in Pima County case number CR 07-724912A.
The 2-count drug indictment alleges that beginning at a time unknown, through February 14, 2007, Ergonis conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute, and actually possessed with intent to distribute, 2,427.8 pounds of marijuana. A conviction for each of these crimes carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, a $4,000,000 fine or both.
The 2-count fraud indictment alleges that on March 12, 2007, and again on April 23, 2007, Ergonis lied to federal agents when he falsely claimed that several items of jewelry were missing from his house after it was searched by special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In fact, Ergonis knew where the jewelry in question was. A conviction for these crimes carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
The 2-count firearms indictment alleges that on February 7-8, 2008, Ergonis, a convicted felon, unlawfully possessed seven firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. A conviction for these crimes carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a $4,000,000 fine or both.
An indictment is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If the defendant is convicted, the U.S. District Court Judge will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines in determining an actual sentence. These guidelines provide appropriate sentencing ranges, however, the judge is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.
The investigations in these cases were conducted by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Tucson Police Department; and the Fugitive Investigation Strike Team. The prosecution is being handled by Mary Sue Feldmeier, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
CASE NUMBERS: CR-08-1205-TUC-DCB; CR 08-1206-TUC-JMR; CR 08-1207-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2008-255(Ergonis)
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/az/
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/rssarticleshow/msid-3542192,prtpage-1.cms
Pak President Zardari met CIA Director secretly: Report
30 Sep 2008, 0056 hrs IST,PTI
NEW YORK: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari secretly met the
director of America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Michael Hayden
on his recent US visit, a media report said on Monday.
Details of the meeting were not given but a regular columnist of the
New York Times reported that Zardari has replaced heads of three
directorates of the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.
Zardari said Pakistan’s new government will confront the Taliban
militants, to “free the country” from their hold.
“It is my decision that we will go after them (Taliban insurgents), we
will free this country,” he told Roger Cohen in an interview. “Yes,
this is my first priority because I will have no country otherwise. I
will be president of what?”
The article said Zardari also spoke for “genuine conciliation” with
India and Afghanistan, which is essential to the region’s stability.
Asked if the assassination of his wife motivated him to confront
Islamic militancy, he replied in the affirmative, but said he intends
to fight the Taliban insurgents because they were a “cancer” to the
society.
“I will fight them because they are a cancer to my society, not
because of my wife only, but because they are a cancer, yes, and they
did kill the mother of my children, so their way of life is what I
want to kill; I will suck the oxygen out of their system so there will
be no Talibs,” he was quoted as saying.
[Our next food contamination?...granny]
HEPATITIS A - MEXICO (QUERETARO)
*********************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Sat 27 Sep 2008
Source: Rotativo del Queretaro [trans. Mod.MPP, edited]
http://rotativo.com.mx/queretaro/%20se_extiende_en_queretaro_brote_de_hepatitis_reconoce_salud/%20330,16,8529,html
The Health Department of Queretaro acknowledged that a hepatitis
outbreak in the state is spreading. There have been more than 290
cases, and approximately 26 000 persons are at risk according to the
State Secretary of Health.
The head of the agency, Rafael Asencio Asencio, stated that although
only 14 outbreaks of hepatitis A have occurred, there are more than
290 cases [reported] in the state, which is forcing the health
authorities to implement greater measures.
“We have to study a population of approximately 26 000 persons who
might be at risk in these outbreaks; this is the extent of the
problem we are facing in order to prevent the spread of hepatitis A
[virus infection].
Asencio Asencio noted that the disease trend is low, since so far
this year [2008], there have been 14 outbreaks reported, while in
2007 there were 29 cases [outbreaks?], which means that the disease
has decreased by 60 percent. [Presumably, here there is a discussion
on the number of individual outbreaks and not the number of actual
cases for 2007. It would be interesting to know the actual number of
cases of hepatitis A reported in 2007. - Mod.MPP]
The most recent outbreaks were in Tequisquiapan as a consequence of
heavy rain, resulting in unhygienic environmental conditions, which
have promoted the spread of the [virus], with a resultant 80 reported
cases of hepatitis so far, in a population of 24 000 people.
The health official mentioned that the Health Ministry contacted the
municipal authorities in order to inform them that 200 houses exist
in the municipality that do not have access to drainage, or possibly
septic tanks or latrines, a situation that leads to poor health
conditions as a result of an environment that is conducive for
development of the bacteria. [The newswire uses the word “bacteria”
in referring to the causative organism of hepatitis A when in fact it
is caused by a virus. In this case though, it is not inappropriate to
use the word bacteria, as long as viruses and other microorganisms
are also mentioned, as the lack of adequate waste removal facilities
in a neighborhood is associated with increased transmission of many
different diseases caused by a wide variety of different species of
microorganisms. - Mod.MPP]
Finally, he said that in order to combat this [virus], it is
necessary to keep the water clean and not exposed to people who are
sick, and also said that medical resources are adequate. [Presumably,
this means that the health sector is not responsible for the actual
provision of clean water, but another ministry. - Mod.MPP]
[Byline: Andrea Arreguin]
—
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via
ProMED-mail promed@promedmail.org
[Hepatitis A is a self-limited disease which results in fulminant
hepatitis and death in a small proportion of patients. However, it is
a significant cause of morbidity and socio-economic losses in many
parts of the world. Transmission of hepatitis A virus is typically by
the fecal-oral route. Infections occur early in life in areas where
sanitation is poor and living conditions are crowded.
Almost all hepatitis A virus infections are spread by the fecal-oral
route. Good personal hygiene, high quality standards for public water
supplies and proper disposal of sanitary waste have resulted in a low
prevalence of hepatitis A virus infections in most well-developed societies.
The rather confused statement from the Queretaro Health Department
omits mention of control of infection by vaccination. Until resources
become available to improve the water supply, sanitation and social
infrastructure, targeted vaccination would be an appropriate approach
in controlling this epidemic of hepatitis A in Queretaro, since the
outbreaks appear to be localized and spreading only slowly. Further
information as the situation develops would be welcomed.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Mexico is available at:
http://healthmap.org/promed?v=24,-102.5,5
A map showing the central location of the Mexican state of Queretaro
can be accessed at:
http://www.map-of-mexico.co.uk/map-of-queretaro.htm
- Mod.CP]
[see also:
Hepatitis A - Czech Republic 20080923.3007
Hepatitis A - Micronesia: Chuuk, Guam, travel restrictions 20080807.2430
Hepatitis A, schoolchildren - UK: (England) 20080606.1810
2007
=== Google Blogs Alert for: Osama bin Laden tape video ===
what comes to mind when I say Omar Osama bin Laden
By Mindovermatter
Do you agree with this man If so why For everyone else, express your
opinion about this video and this man.(I searched for threads about him and
found nothing, if this has been done my apologies)
http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1683.htm ...
http://www.politicalforum.com/showthread.php?t=51825
Political Forum
http://www.politicalforum.com
This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google...
Memri has OBL’s son video and others and the forum is an
‘odd’ forum...
granny
=== Google Blogs Alert for: submarines jihadi al Qaeda ===
Cables, dispatches and memoranda
By Jeff Kouba
ITIC - During the past year Osama Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda leader, waged an
intensive media campaign after a long silence. Its objective was mainly to
inspire global jihad operatives to increase terrorist activities worldwide.
...
http://peacelikeariverblog.com/?p=845
Peace Like A River
http://peacelikeariverblog.com
Gates of Vienna News Feed 9/28/2008
By Baron Bodissey(Baron Bodissey)
Police apparently stepped in to prevent them from joining their comrades in
the Islamic Jihad Union, (IJU), often described as a successor to the
terrorist network al Qaeda. Planning terrorist attacks? ...
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2008/09/gates-of-vienna-news-feed-9282008.html
Gates of Vienna
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/
This once a day Google Alert is brought to you by Google...
http://www.arabwashingtonian.com/english/article.php?issue=21&articleID=845
Road Map or “Bulldozer Map?”
Nasser Al-Lahham Nasser Al-Lahham
Nasser al-Lahham: Editor -in- Chief Ma’an News Agency Palestine
Palestinian journalists and writers seem to have found it difficult to address the current trend of bulldozer attacks in Israel. The piece of construction equipment appears to have joined our national conflict as a new weapon in the hands of Palestinians working inside Israel.
I see this astonishment, however, as something that Palestinian writers have picked up from the Israeli media. This is perhaps understandable, since the subject of bulldozer attacks has no precedent, and it is not an easy subject to approach. The response of Palestinian newspapers, then, has been to tackle the issue from a purely journalistic perspective, and most journalists are still dazzled at what is happening.
Chief Editor of the Palestinian daily newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Hafidh Al-Barghouthi, however, seems to have been able to digest the phenomenon. In his paper he is calling the trend a “Bulldozers’ war.” The crux of the bulldozer issue is complicated, and what the machine represents to Palestinians may explain why their use in attacks is so astonishing and yet comprehensible.
To the outsider, reflected Al-Barghouthi, bulldozers are machines used to dig; they are used in construction, for paving streets, to dig quarries and to irrigate farms. They are a useful, harmless tool.
In the Palestinian context, however, they take on a different meaning.
Bulldozers are a machine used to build Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. They are used to dig up fields and confiscate them from Palestinian farmers. Palestinians have seen bulldozers tear up ancient olive trees; they have seen them tear down their homes. The bulldozer was the tool used by Israeli forces to kill US solidarity activist Rachel Corrie. Rachel was killed by a D9 Caterpillar bulldozer in March of 2000. The machine had been shipped to Israel by manufacturers in her own country.
For Palestinians, says Barghouthi, bulldozers are tools of the occupation. They are used for destruction and not for construction.
Take out the tools of this occupation, says Barghouthi, and so too disappear the tools of destruction. This, he says, rings true both for the destruction of Palestinian lands, and for the loss of Israeli lives. “The occupation,” he says, “is responsible, so let them withdraw and take away their bulldozers.” With the machines and what they represent gone, he continues, “there will eventually be no more victims of bulldozers whether they are foreign solidarity activists, Israelis or Palestinians.”
“All of the people harmed by these bulldozers, be their names Corrie, Cohen of Kamal,” says Al-Barghouthi, “are humans” who deserve not to be undone by tools meant to advance humanity.
There are people on both sides who understand that all life has value. This is evidenced by the treatment of the body of 22-year-old Ghassan Abu Teir, the driver of the bulldozer in the 22 July attack. A group of mostly orthodox Jews who volunteer for the ZAKA (Zihuy Korbanot Ason, translated as “Disaster Victim Identification”) collected Abu Tier’s body, and any parts of the man’s body that were detached from him during the incident. In both Orthodox Judaism and Islam, having a complete body to burry is important. The ZAKA is thus seen as a service to families of Jews killed in such accidents, as well as Palestinians.
While many people would see four Rabbi’s carrying the body of Abu Teir as inhuman, says Al-Barghouthi, it is actually a service of respect for human life.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas seems to agree, and condemned the killing of civilians anywhere and under any circumstances after news of the second bulldozer attack. Such respectful actions seem to be forgotten these days, as plans for a respectful peace are quickly abandoned in favor of the “bulldozer plan.”
All sides seem to have left the idea of the Road Map, and are taking the physical tools of occupation and turning them into weapons. Al-Barghouthi calls this the “bulldozer plan.” He recalled the recent story of Israeli settlers launching home made projectiles at towns in northern Nablus. This action mirrored the use of homemade projectiles launched out of Gaza, sometimes made out of the broken sewer pipes that spill sewage onto city streets.
These actions are symbolic, thinks Al-Barghouthi, taking those things around you which represent occupation and using them against a perceived enemy. “God only knows what the future tools of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will be,” says Al-Barghouthi, “will people use hand blenders, toasters, or pressure cookers?” He wonders what will happen when people go far enough down this “bulldozer plan” path. “What will Israeli security do then?” he asks, and what will people say when they ask what happened to the Road Map plan?
Nasser Lahham is the Chief Editor for Ma’an News Agency
Permission to quote and reproduce texts from the Arab Washingtonian is readily granted on the condition that the source is credited. ©2006 The Arab Washingtonian
http://www.arabwashingtonian.com/english/article.php?issue=21&articleID=852
The search for the real Obama
Elias Harfoush Elias Harfoush
Elias Harfoush: Journalist from Lebnon
You would need a microscope to locate the difference between the statements made by US Democratic Party presidential candidate Barack Obama during his recent trip to the region, especially in the Israeli-Palestinian part of the itinerary, and between the stances and policies currently pursued by the Bush administration.
Obama’s old friend, the Palestinian thinker Edward Said would turn in his grave if he could hear Obama’s statements about Jerusalem as “the capital of Israel” and the “miracle” of the establishment of a Jewish state, and its right to self-defense, while ignoring Israel’s constant aggression against the rights of those under occupation to live a dignified life. However, the new-edition Obama has changed considerably from the person known by Said. He has changed to the extent that he has managed to make public any position that guarantees his ascent to the apex of the American power structure and to “expiate” what Obama has begun to consider his original sin: the color of his skin and his Muslim father.
Obama went to the village of Sderot, which borders the Gaza Strip, along with Israeli ministers Ehud Barak and Tzipi Livni. Israeli commentators compared this visit with the trip that Ariel Sharon took candidate George Bush on, in 2000, above the West Bank settlements, by helicopter. At the time, he had confirmed to the coming US president the “danger” that would threaten the survival of Israel if it gave up its settlements! It is the same “danger” that Barack Obama “discovered” in Sderot, when he inspected the remains of rockets that were launched at settlements from Gaza. He expressed his fear that these rockets would do away with the existence of the
Jewish state! He affirmed that “America stands beside the right of Israel to defend itself against those who threaten its people.”
Just like the former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, now in a coma, dealt with Bush as the coming occupant of the White House, Shimon Peres and Olmert acted the same way; they were joined by Barak, Livni and others. They anointed him president of America after he had received this honor from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Poor John McCain could only gnaw on his regret because he followed behind his rival at the lobbying group’s banquet and effusive attempts to attract the Jewish vote. Obama proved to be skilled in such efforts, to the degree that the British (and Jewish) commentator, Jonathan Friedland, said in The Guardian that Obama was an ultra-right-wing Israeli!
Out of the 36 hours the trip lasted between Israel and the Palestinian territories, Obama found an hour to meet with Palestinian leaders in Ramallah. This hour was sufficient to reveal the fate of bilateral negotiations, if Obama were to supervise them. Such a fate will not be better than that of the limping talks that are currently being led by the Bush administration. There is no hope that these talks will produce anything, “thanks to” the total US bias toward the Israeli position.
As for Iran, and after Obama made statements that drew wide criticism, because he expressed his desire to open “unconditional talks” with the Iranian leadership, the Democratic candidate has now begun to talk about using “big carrots and big sticks” to convince Tehran to halt its nuclear program. However, he did not say how his carrots and sticks would be more effective than those being used today by the Bush administration, along with the “incentives” of the other five leading countries involved in the issue, knowing that these methods have not been able at all to shake ahmadinejad’s intransigent stance. If these means happen to fail, then “keeping all options on the table” with Iran, as Obama has threatened, would be the exact same position that has been reiterated by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
As for Iraq, the best thing Obama would do is to build on the achievements of Bush’s plans to support the US. Army, and provide it with equipments and money. In fact, these plans have helped achieve a qualitative jump in the security situation in the country in the last two years. Now, the Democratic candidate is able to promise to withdraw his forces from the country within 16 months of taking office.
However, if it were his choice, he would leave Iraq from the very beginning in the hands of militant terrorists and bombers, from all sides, whose plan is to do away with any chance of seeing a safe and unified Iraq arise.
This is Barack Obama, the man that the Israeli president Peres received, promising that he would be a “great president of the United States, and a great promise for us and for the rest of the world.” Can we ever dream of a better president?
Permission to quote and reproduce texts from the Arab Washingtonian is readily granted on the condition that the source is credited. ©2006 The Arab Washingtonian
kdwn.com on the radio, in Las Vegas:
99 Brands Markets has removed milk from its shelves, due to the contaminated milk from China.
On ABC radio news, about noon, they said that England, Australia and other countries had pulled Cadbury Chocolate Easter Eggs, made in China, as they contain melamine.
http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?fr=yalerts-keyword&c=&p=%22Syria%22&ei=utf-8
ews Stories for “Syria”
(Results 1 - 10 of about 7,570)
Sort Results by: Relevance | Date
445 News PhotosPlay Play 5 News Videos
* 1.
Syria says Islamist bomber behind deadly blast
Syria says Islamist bomber behind deadly blast Open this result in new window
Reuters via Yahoo! News - Sep 29 9:07 AM
An Islamist suicide bomber was responsible for a car bomb on Saturday that killed 17 people in Syria, the state news agency reported on Monday.
* 2.
Russia defends arms sales to Syria Open this result in new window
UPI - 1 hour, 49 minutes ago
NEW YORK, Sept. 29 (UPI) — Russia’s foreign minister said Monday his country’s sale of weapons to Syria won’t upset the balance of power in the Middle East.
* 3.
Syria, Iran and Israel in focus at IAEA conference
Syria, Iran and Israel in focus at IAEA conference Open this result in new window
AFP via Yahoo! News - Sep 29 2:02 AM
The UN nuclear watchdog’s annual conference started Monday with a showdown looming over efforts by Syria and Iran to get a seat on the IAEA board and Islamic countries railing against Israel’s nuclear programme.
* 4.
Syria says suicide attacker behind weekend bombing Open this result in new window
AP via Yahoo! News - Sep 29 1:54 AM
The attack that killed 17 people in Damascus this weekend was carried out by a suicide bomber who belonged to a Muslim extremist group, Syria’s state-run media said Monday.
* 5.
Rice Says U.S. May Engage Syria as Middle East Tensions Ease Open this result in new window
Bloomberg - 15 minutes ago
Sept. 29 (Bloomberg) — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the U.S. may engage Syria more since the Arab nation slowed the flow of fighters into Iraq, began indirect talks with Israel and helped end a political stalemate in neighboring Lebanon.
* 6.
Syria could be paying a price for moderating
Syria could be paying a price for moderating Open this result in new window
AP via Yahoo! News - Sep 28 2:50 PM
A rare bombing in Damascus over the weekend could be sign that Syria is paying a price for moderating its hard-line policies as it tries to boost its international standing.
* 7.
Deadly blast in Syria Open this result in new window
TVNZ - Sep 29 12:29 PM
An Islamist suicide bomber was responsible for a car bomb on Saturday that killed 17 people in Syria, the state news agency reported. The SANA news agency said the vehicle had entered Syria from a neighbouring Arab country on September 26. It did not say which country.
* 8.
Syria’s intelligence community again hit by major car bomb Open this result in new window
World Tribune - Sep 29 8:58 AM
NICOSIA — Syria has been rocked by the latest in a series of major car bombing targeting terrorist leaders and security officials. A truck filled with explosives was detonated near Syrian intelligence headquarters in Damascus.
* 9.
Assad warns North Lebanon has become base for extremism, poses danger to Syria Open this result in new window
The Daily Star Lebannon - Sep 29 12:39 PM
Syrian President Bashar Assad told the head of Lebanon’s Journalists Union Melhem Karam Monday that North Lebanon had become “a real base for extremism and constitutes a danger for Syria.” Syria denounced the bomb attack in the restive Northern Lebanese city of Tripoli Monday that killed five soldiers, two days after a deadly car bombing in the Syrian capital.
* 10.
Suicide blast by Islamist: Syria Open this result in new window
Gulf Times - 2 hours, 24 minutes ago
DAMASCUS: An Islamist suicide bomber was responsible for a car bomb on Saturday that killed 17 people in Syria, the state news agency reported yesterday.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1222017425192&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Sep 29, 2008 22:48
Al-Qaida in new posting criticizes Pakistan
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAIRO
A new video message purportedly by al-Qaida criticizes Pakistani leaders - both past and present - and accuses them of having no concern for the welfare of Muslims.
Monday’s message was posted on militant Web sites commonly used by al-Qaida. It’s a compilation of old videos, including those of the terror networks leader Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida’s No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri.
continued.
Press Releases: Bus Bombing in Tripoli
Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:00:00 -0500
Press Statement
Robert Wood, Deputy Spokesman
Washington, DC
September 29, 2008
Bus Bombing in Tripoli
We condemn the senseless attack today on a bus carrying Lebanese army troops in Tripoli, Lebanon. This incident is particularly abhorrent as it comes during the holy month of Ramadan.
We express our deep condolences to the Lebanese Armed Forces and the families of those soldiers and civilians killed in the attack.
This tragic event further underscores the importance of bringing all arms in Lebanon under the control of the state. The United States remains firmly committed to supporting Lebanon’s state institutions and its security services. We support the Lebanese government and its efforts to bring the perpetrators of this terrible attack to justice.
2008/808
Released on September 29, 2008
from: state.gov
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,575276,00.html
Tracking the Terrorists Online
By Yassin Musharbash in Washington, D.C.
For years, al-Qaida and other terror groups have set up shop in the
Internet. Those who track them have covertly followed. The companies
SITE and IntelCenter have penetrated even deeper into the terror Web
than most intelligence agencies.
When al-Qaida was founded, Josh Devon was nine years old. Ben Venzke was
15. The year was 1988, and Devon and Venzke were as uninterested in the
terrorist network as its leader, Osama bin Laden, was in the two young
Americans.
Now, two decades later, things have changed. Venzke and Devon have both
become fascinated in terrorism and have turned that interest into
careers. And al-Qaida now takes careful note of their work.
Venzke and Devon are two of the most prominent “terror trackers”
worldwide. In the United States, and increasingly in other countries,
the term refers to a community of people who spend their days analyzing
traces that al-Qaida and affiliated organizations leave behind,
especially on the Internet. The two Americans are essentially digital
trackers in the age of globalized terrorism.
Continues and it is a good article, lots of details in it....
Mainstream US Islamic Websites - and Terror
frontpagemag.gifBy Patrick Poole
FrontPageMagazine.com | Monday, September 29, 2008
In counterterrorism circles there is significant buzz about “Al-Qaeda 2.0”, warning of highly decentralized jihadist networks operating independently and driven by a highly toxic internet-inspired Islamic ideology. The sad reality is, however, that an increasing number of jihadist websites, especially those in the English language, are finding safe haven in the US - and the US government seems powerless, or unwilling, to stop them.
Other commentators have explored at length the “Al-Qaeda 2.0” phenomenon, but what has thus far gone unreported is how mainstream Islamic websites associated with some of the most visible Islamic organizations in the US are openly promoting extremist ideology and terrorism.
continues, with lots of links.
US Legislative Immigration Update September 29, 2008
September 29, 2008
FAIR has released its Legislative Immigration Update that covers the following:
* Congress Extends E-Verify for Six Months
* Senate Panel Scrutinizes Visa Waiver Program
* House Subcommittee Examines Immigration Judge Hiring Practices
* Senate Establishes Liaison to Facilitate Military Citizenship Applications
continues, with links.....
From the Rhine River to the Jihad
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,581152,00.html
The arrest of two Muslim extremists at the Cologne-Bonn airport last
week shows that German converts continue to volunteer for the jihad.
Investigators fear that some are on their way back now that they’ve
received training.
It was Friday morning, shortly before 7:00 a.m., and all passengers had
boarded KLM flight 1804 at the Cologne-Bonn airport. The small Fokker 50
was ready for takeoff. This particular Friday was a special day for
devout Muslims, being one of the last days of the holy month of Ramadan.
According to the literature distributed by radical Islamists, anyone who
completes his journey to Jihad during Ramadan will go straight to
paradise. At least two of the passengers — Abdirazak B., 24, and Omar
D., 23, both Germans with Somali backgrounds — were aware of this.
But they weren’t the only ones. Criminal investigators from the German
state of North Rhine-Westphalia had been trailing the two men — and
when officials found a letter from a relative of Omar D. in the physics
student’s luggage indicating that he had decided to join the “holy war,”
they decided to strike. The plane was prevented from taking off and the
pair’s path to Jihad came to an end on the Cologne-Bonn runway.
The arrest of the duo was the result of an ongoing covert operation run
by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV),
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency. Investigators have long been
keeping tabs on Islamists from Germany as they head for the Hindu Kush
to train for the Jihad. For a number of weeks now, agents have
maintained surveillance on a group of young fanatics in the Bonn region
who are closely linked to the two detained German-Somalis. All these men
are preparing to leave their lives in Germany behind them. Some have
already given notice for their apartments, others have said farewell to
friends.
continued.
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