Free Republic

IT’s nearly here! The birthday of the selfless one himself. The man, the myth, the legend, saviour of all humanity, Jesus Christ. However, it is actually widely debated that, if he did exist in flesh and blood, his birthday was actually on December 25. One theory suggests that the ‘Star of Bethlehem’ may have been Venus and Jupiter coming together to form a bright light in the sky, a rare event that occurred in June of 2 B.C. Another possibility is that it could have been a similar conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter, which was in October of 7 B.C....

In its waning days the Obama administration proposed two new wrinkles for the 2020 census: creating a brand new pan-ethnic category for people of Middle Eastern heritage and classifying Hispanics as a race.

"If a dry run is occurring, the attack will shortly follow." That's according to Wolf Koch, a Boeing 767 pilot for Delta Airlines and an official at the Air Line Pilots Association International, who was discussing common terrorist tactics in the run-up to devastating attacks like those on 9/11. That is an extremely worrying thought given a memo leaked this week from the U.S. Airline Pilots Association, which warns of "several cases recently…of what appear to be probes, or dry runs" of such attacks.

A rebel fighter holds up a packet of cigarettes with a "health warning" sticker which features a caricature of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi near the frontline along the western entrance of Ajdabiyah April 18, 2011. Libyan leader Gaddafi's forces fired rockets on Sunday at rebels stationed along the edge of Ajdabiyah, sending some residents fleeing from the eastern town, witnesses said. The words on on sticker reads "Warning, Muammar destroys Libya and causes death. The destructive impact of Muammar affects civilians and non-civilians alike." REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

I hesitate to write this because I don't want to come off as paranoid. But I figured its worth it to share info just in case there really is something in the planning stages. Especially after the church masacre last week in Baghdad, I believe that it is highly possible that a similar attack could take place in the US. Tonight 4 middle-eastern men were seen down our childrens' wing at our church. They were walking briskly and talking in Arabic. A woman spotted them at the other end of the hall. She tried to catch up to them but...

Twenty-one illegal immigrants were arrested and transferred into the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week after a traffic stop and short pursuit in Katy. According to Katy assistant police chief Tim Tyler, officers were on routine patrol in the 24000 block of Interstate 10 eastbound on Aug. 30 at approximately 12:40 a.m. when they noticed two suspicious vehicles that appeared to be following each other. After running the license plates on both vehicles, it was determined that one Ford pickup truck was stolen from Kingsville, while the other Ford pickup was stolen from Fayette County. “A...

SNIPPET: "A gunman threatened to detonate a car bomb and claimed links to al-Qaida while robbing an American Express office on the Magnificent Mile this afternoon, police said. About 4:20 p.m., a man approached a female employee in the American Express travel service office at 605 N. Michigan Ave. at first trying to buy euros and showing her a gun in his waistband as he demanded money, said Near North District Captain Leo Crotty." SNIPPET: "The man, described as 6 feet tall, 200 pounds and possibly of Middle Eastern descent, went on to instruct all the office employees they had...

Higgens was paid by dozens of foreign students -- mostly from the Middle East -- who were paying him to sit in class, take exams and write papers for them so their student visas would remain valid. Investigators with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the demand was so great that he hired employees, including a blond woman who they believe posed as an Middle Eastern man to take a test. Agents are continuing to investigate the case and believe Higgins had several co-conspirators.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2010 – Just back from a trip to the Middle East, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today cited widespread concern about Iran’s nuclear program, but emphasized the importance of diplomatic and economic pressure, rather than military action, to stem it. “Let me be clear: We owe the secretary [of defense] and the president a range of options for this threat. We owe the American people our readiness,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said. “But as I’ve said many times, I worry a lot about the unintended consequences of any sort of military action.” For now,...

There may be no place like home. But, for many Bay Area Middle Easterners, a new market just north of downtown Oakland feels a lot like it. "The smells here remind me of my childhood," said Oaklander Ze'ev Sharone. "It's the aroma of the spices. Driving around, I saw it when it was under construction. When it was open, I came in and said, 'Joy and hallelujah.'" Sharone, a therapist, was born in Israel. The 61-year-old likes to stock up on Israeli groceries, spicy Turkish salad, and fresh soups from the deli counter. "It's just what I'm used to," he...

PHOENIX - Tensions are running high after Friday's attempted terror attack aboard an airplane, and those fears sparked a security scare at Sky Harbor Airport Saturday night -- and two men had to be pulled off a plane. The two men were described as Middle Eastern and were reportedly acting suspicious. The flight crew called ahead for law enforcement and security officials to meet them on the tarmac. When the US Airways flight from Orlando landed in Phoenix about 8 p.m., the passengers on board were told to remain in their seats. Police officers boarded and pulled the two men...

A plane was stopped from taking off from Los Angeles International Airport, and two men on board were taken into custody, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. LAPD Lt. John Romero said the men, who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent, were acting suspiciously. A law enforcement source said at least one of the men ran into a restroom on the plane and appeared to hide while the New York-bound jet was taxiing on the runway, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing. The flight crew confronted the two...

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The FBI has issued an alert to 350 law enforcement agencies in the southwest and Salt Lake City for potential Valentine teddy bear bombs after a suspicious transaction at a Wal-Mart last month. Law enforcement sources said authorities also were on the alert at airports in case the suspected bear-bombs might be carried onto airplanes on Valentine's Day. The FBI said a clean-shaven male, possibly of Middle Eastern descent, purchased nine Valentine teddy bears, 20 inches tall, and 14 canisters of propane, 9 inches tall, small enough to fit inside the teddy bears. The man...

Bomb scare at BP station in Twinsburg Bomb squad expodes a suspicious package. By Ken Robinson, Newsradio WTAM 1100 Check out Ken's personality page Thursday, July 31, 2008 (Twinsburg) - It was a strange day at a BP gas station in Twinsburg. Twinsburg Police were called to the station at Route 82 and I-480 for a report of a man acting strangely. The man had gone into the store's bathroom with several items picked up from the store, and came out a short time later, naked and mumbling. A scuffle broke out when police arrived, and the man was tasered...

Goose Creek - Two men are being held in the Berkeley County Detention Center after police find explosive making devices in their car. There are conflicting reports as to the quantity of explosive making materials in that vehicle. FBI (website) reports are saying that there is not believed to be a link to terrorism. The men 21-year-old Yousef Megahed and 24-year-old Ahmed Mohamed (seen in the video attachment) were pulled over Saturday evening during a routine traffic stop near Myers Road and Highway 176. Among the explosive devices found were igniters and fusers. Few details about the suspects are known...

Jordanian pleads guilty to money laundering By TIM MCGLONE, The Virginian-Pilot © July 23, 2005 Last updated: 12:35 AM NORFOLK — Eddie Akkawi came here from Jordan at 19 with little cash, speaking little English and with an eighth -grade education. He entered the fast-food world and quickly established himself as a suave businessman, opening several restaurants with friends who, like him, came here from Jordan in pursuit of the American dream.Thirteen years later, having learned English and amassed wealth, Akkaw i stood before a federal judge and listened as that dream shattered.Eyad “Eddie” Akkawi, 33, pleaded guilty Friday to...

RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) - A man who made threats and was seen leaving suspicious packages on an Amtrak train was being questioned Wednesday by the FBI as a bomb squad examined the items, police said. The man, described as Middle Eastern and in his mid-30s, was approached by an Amtrak ticket taker and apparently became agitated after being told he had missed his stop, Lt. Mark Gagan said. The man said "the train was going to fall into the sea and the train was going to disappear," according to Gagan. Business and homes in the area were evacuated after an...

NJ: Hospital Security Breach From WABC New York, "Government Alert: Hospital Security Breach" New York — Imagine - people posing as doctors and inspectors, just walking into a hospital and demanding information and patient records. Now the Department of Homeland Security is taking action. The last two hospitals where it happened were in Newton and New Brunswick, New Jersey. This really has federal authorities puzzled - intruders masquerading as doctors and inspectors probing hospital security. But there is no evidence the cases are connected, including two in New Jersey. Hospital officials and security experts say the similarities are disturbing. It...

A new documentary accusing Arab professors of intimidating Jewish students has touched off a fierce war—of words—on the Upper West Side. Where does free speech end and bullying begin?Of all the political documentaries that have ignited controversy in the past year, Columbia Unbecoming is by far the shortest, sparest, and lowest-budget. Still, it quickly attracted an illustrious audience. It was first screened in March to a handful of university alumni. Then it was shown to a trustee, then to a high-level administrator, and then eventually to the university provost, Alan Brinkley. By October, Natan Sharansky, Israel’s minister for Jerusalem and...

After three years as an AmSouth Bank customer, Imad Aleithawe got a one-page form letter telling him his account had been closed. The bank refuses to explain why, citing confidentiality and a broadly written customer agreement allowing accounts to be shut down at any time "for any reason." Aleithawe, a civil engineer with the state's transportation department, says that without answers he is left with only the lingering suspicion that it has something to do with his Middle Eastern heritage. At least three other Mississippi residents with Middle Eastern backgrounds - including a university instructor and business owners - have...