The next Ayaan Hirsi Ali

is in India and her name is Taslima Nasrin

For more than a decade, the writer Taslima Nasrin has been fighting; fighting against the courts, fighting to be heard and fighting for her life. Last night, the Bangladeshi-born author was struggling again as violent protests in one city – and the purported threat of further violent protests in another – saw her shuttling across India to avoid angry Muslims who have accused her of insulting Islam.

"I have no place to go. India is my home and I would like to keep living in this country until I die," the Sakharov Prize winner told The Hindu newspaper. "Here in this country, I have got the love and sympathy of the people for which I am grateful."

On Thursday, Nasrin was forced to flee from the city of Kolkata where she has been living for the past two years, a day after Muslim activists led protests against her which resulted 50 people being injured and the imposition of a curfew. The All India Minorities Forum, a Muslim group, has demanded she be deported not just from Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, but from India.

But after one night in Jaipur, Rajasthan, the authorities there decided that Nasrin should also leave to avoid the risk of a repetition of violence. "She didn't inform the government of Rajasthan before coming here and as she requires high security we asked her to leave," the Home Minister, Gulab Chand Kataria, told reporters. As a result Nasrin was last night headed to Delhi, and presumably further controversy.

Controversy is nothing new for the writer. Having fled from Bangladesh in 1994, Nasrin has long been confronted by people who do not like what she has to say. After slipping out of Bangladesh where she was charged with blasphemy, the feminist writer spent many years in Sweden, before moving to Kolkata, a city with a long literary tradition. While her books have been translated into more than 20 languages, her first four autobiographical volumes remain banned in Bangladesh.

Read it all here before reading how dear Taslima caved...

Taslima deletes three pages - Jamiat says she may now return

Sad, but true. I still salute her and her efforts. Please pass the word about her plight.

Dhimmi Dhisgrace

From our good friends over at EYE ON THE WORLD:

eBay removes Mohammed Bear Auction

It was supposed to end on December 6 but was abruptly canceled today because someone must've complained.It now displays the message "This listing (270192422059) has been removed or is no longer available. Please make sure you entered the right item number."Mohammed The Bear (2007 - 2007).

Looks like I won't be shopping at eBay anymore. And I am a WORLD CLASS SHOPPER and a CAPITALIST OF THE FIRST ORDER. See Hard To Swallow's primo tanka for details.

Dhimmi Air

Gillian in happier days.

This is the UK's response?

Muslim peer flies to Sudan in hope of freeing jailed teacher.

Lord Ahmed, Britain’s first Muslim peer, is due to meet President el-Bashir of Sudan today in an effort to secure the release of a primary school teacher jailed for blasphemy.

A source close to the Sudanese Government said that it would consider offering Gillian Gibbons a pardon so she could fly home within days.

Ms Gibbons was being held at a secret location last night after hundreds of protesters, some of them wielding knives and ceremonial swords, called for her execution.

From her cell, the 54-year-old teacher from Liverpool said that she was devastated by the offence she had caused. “I would never insult anybody intentionally. People who know me know it’s not in my nature,” she told Kamal Djizoulli, her lawyer.

Prostrate yourself, dhimmi.

Dhimmi Shelter

This is why I love HOT AIR and hate The View.

This is a prime example of feminist self-loathing and American self-hating on display. And they don't even have their facts right! Sheesh.

(Okay, maybe I've been in the liquor cabinet tonight - you would be too if you liveFReeped the Hillary Hostage situation all afternoon, but this is the reason I hope these biyatches are the first to feel the lash when the Muslims come calling. I'll be standing by with my pink shotgun from Gander Mountain. Grrr.)

No milk for oil...

The Miami Herald calls it a Venezuelan paradox: much oil, no milk. I call it what happens when a megalomaniacal dictator practices his own zany brand of socialism...much to the detriment of the people.

(Paging Sean Penn. Paging Danny Glover. Paging Naomi Campbell. You can bet they had leche for their coffee when they visited. Funny how you're not hearing much from them on this.)

The lines formed at dawn and remained long throughout the day -- hundreds upon hundreds of Venezuelans queuing up to buy scarce milk, chicken and sugar at state-run outdoor markets staffed by soldiers in fatigues.

President Hugo Chávez's government is trying to cope with scattered shortages of some foods, and long lines at state-run megamercal street markets over the weekend show many Venezuelans are willing to wait for hours to snap up a handful of products they seldom find in supermarkets.

''You have to get in line and you have to be lucky,'' said Maria Fernandez, a 64-year-old housewife who was buying milk and chicken. She said trying to find milk is a constant frustration. She had almost managed to get powdered milk at a private supermarket -- only to watch someone else walk away with the last can.

Read it all.

Well, what do you know?

Crackdown on Iraq Sunni leader after bombs found.

Iraqi security forces arrested dozens of people, including the son of a leading Sunni Arab politician, in a pre-dawn raid on Friday after a car rigged with explosives was found near the lawmaker's office.

al-Reuters goes on to offers up their patented "incident threatens to increase political tensions, sectarian divide, blah-blah-blah before getting to the point.

The incident threatened to increase political tension across Iraq's sectarian divide at a time when violence has been falling dramatically.

The Shi'ite-led government said Adnan al-Dulaimi, leader of the Accordance Front, the main Sunni Arab bloc, could be stripped of the immunity from prosecution he holds as a member of parliament if he was found to have links to car bombs.

Seven people were arrested on Thursday at Dulaimi's office and 29, including Dulaimi's son Mekki, were seized in a raid early on Friday at Dulaimi's house, said Brigadier General Qassim Moussawi, security spokesman for Baghdad.

"We have also found quantities of weapons and uniforms of the army and police at the home of Dr. al-Dulaimi," he told Reuters. "Dulaimi's bodyguards are suspected of having links to car bombs and killings. There are confessions against them."

Nice. The guy runs a charity which doubles as a car bomb factory. There's some zakat for you!

The wreckage of a four-wheel drive vehicle could be seen on the road outside a charity run by Dulaimi next door to his main offices in Baghdad, where security forces detonated the car after discovering it was rigged with explosives on Thursday.

Moussawi said the car bomb was found when security forces chased a suspected fugitive involved in a shooting into Dulaimi's compound.

The U.S. military said one of Dulaimi's guards had a key to the car that was rigged as a bomb. Two bystanders were hurt when one of the guards escaped, and five American soldiers and one bystander were hurt in the controlled blast when the car was destroyed, the U.S. military said in a statement.

Sounds like the guy is not only a rotten bastard he's a sore loser as well:

Dulaimi's bloc quit Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government in August and has so far rejected efforts to lure it back. It says it wants a greater say in security policy.

One "MO" thing about that Teddy Bear...

It wasn't a parent that complained about Mohammed the bear.

It wasn't an Imam that complained about Mohammed the bear.

It was a MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL'S STAFF that complained...

...Staff from Gibbons' school, including Robert Boulos, the head of Unity High School, were present.

Boulos said he was "horrified" when he found out it was a member of his own staff who complained, not a parent as originally thought.

Defense counsel later confirmed that the complaint came from Sarah Khawad, a secretary at the school.

Gibbons has been working at the school -- popular with wealthy Sudanese and expatriates -- since August, after leaving her position as deputy head teacher at a primary school in Liverpool this summer, Boulos said.

He said Gibbons asked the children to pick their favorite name for the new class mascot, which she was using to aid lessons about animals and their habitats.

Go to the school's website here.

It says there are no teacher vacancies - gee, I can think of one.

AAARH! When will the dhimmitude end...

No resentment, please.

Crowds demand Teddy Bear teacher be shot...

but don't turn against the Muslims, folks!

Oh no, we wouldn't want to do that now, would we?

Her son, John, from Liverpool, has not yet been allowed to telephone her but was hoping to fly out to Sudan to visit her as soon as a visa could be arranged.

He stress that British people angered by his mother's jail sentence should not turn against Muslims.

"I don't not want this to lead to any anti-Muslims feeling in this country.

"Everyone has been very nice, we have had a lot of support from Muslims in Britain, in Sudan and across the world.

"My fear, and one of my mother's fears, is that this will result in resentment towards Muslim people. "That is something I really hope does not happen and I am sure my mum feels the same way."

Yeah, maybe. If she gets out of there alive.

Monkey Tennis Center offers sage commentary and has a round up of comments about the situation that will make your hair stand on end.

Other than among Islamic hardliners, you would think that the plight of British teacher Gillian Gibbons, who faces jail and 40 lashes in Sudan for allowing her pupils to name a teddy bear Mohammed, would elicit near-universal sympathy.Not so, judging by the comments of a sizable minority of commenters on the BBC's website, who appear to think that Mrs Gibbons deserves everything she gets. This is just a selection of their views (brackets are mine):

Follow the link.

Iran: Blogging about dogs can get you arrested

Okay, he was writing about Ahmadinejad's dogs...but still!

From Kamangir.

Persian blogger Reza Valizadeh (رضا ولی زاده) was arrested for his report about expensive German dogs being used in Ahmadinejad’s guard team.

On November 16th he wrote about the four dogs which are recently added to Ahmadinejad’s security team, after they were purchased form Germany for $150,000 each [Persian].

Read the complete translation of his post at Expensive German Dogs for Ahmadinejad.

Also read an independent report in Guardian, probably based on Reza’s post.

His post was an indicator that Ahmadinejad’s repeated claims of “living a simple life” are more of a propaganda issue than anything else. Reza’s post irritated the state to the extent that the state-run news agency Fars News talked to “a person in the security teams” who “emphasized that Dogs are used all over the world for security purposes” [Persian]. While dismissing Reza’s report about the price paid for the dogs, the official admitted that Dogs are of indeed of a German breed, but that “they are trained by Iranians”. The official then went on by saying, “The recent propaganda about the dogs is a psycho-war, geared towards weakening the security teams”. Answering to Reza’s question about the consideration of dogs as filthy animals in Islam, the official stated, “There are fatwas that using trained Dogs for security purposes is not against the Sharia”.

Dubai: Going to the Dogs

Not only are certain dogs banned, limits are placed on how many dogs you can have.

Villa owners can have one dog. Live in an apartment - no pooch for you!

The Dubai Municipality’s decision to round up certain select breeds of dogs under local order No.11, which comes into effect on January 1, has caused much consternation among some dog lovers.

The notice, which appeared in the newspapers on Wednesday, says Dubai Municipality will impound 16 particular breeds of dogs, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Husky and Shar-Pei, and “will deal with them as per municipality rules and regulations.”

K9 Friends Chairperson Jackie Ratcliffe said the notice remains unclear and has caused panic among dog owners, with many continuing to call up the organisation yesterday for additional information and clarifications.

However, Ratcliffe said she could only refer enquiries to the Dubai Municipality.
The Dubai Municipality, meanwhile, maintained that people who live in villas could keep just one dog.

Hisham Fahmi, head of the Veterinary Section in Dubai Municipality, earlier told Khaleej Times that people who live in apartments were not allowed to keep dogs.

“People are allowed to keep just one dog if they are staying in a villa. Those staying in apartments are not allowed to keep dogs,” he said.

A woman lawyer, who owns dogs and has rescued three dogs from K9 Friends, including an American Staffordshire Terrier, a Pit Bull and another breed of fighting dog, said she was shocked when she saw the notice this week.“Our dogs are not just pets, they’re part of our family,” she added, echoing the sentiments and anxiety of many passionate dog lovers like her.

This little piggy went to Madrassa...

From Fortress Australia Outpost.

Pigs' heads dumped at site of proposed Islamic school

TWO pigs' heads have been dumped at the controversial site of a proposed Islamic school in Sydney's southwest.

The pigs' heads, planted on wooden stakes on the Camden site, with the Australian flag draped between them, are believed to be in protest of the Muslim school proposal.

The proposed school, for up to Muslim 1200 students on 15ha and wedged between market gardens and pastures, has been highly controversial.

A public meeting held in Camden earlier this month attracted more than 2000 people opposed to the development.

The local council also received several thousand written objections during the planning approval process.

More here.

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, how does your garden grow?

Update 2: Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse at the CNN You Tuber (tuber - potato plant - get it?) Debate. Not only is there another plant, this one is courtesy of CAIR! (h/t Michelle Malkin)

9. Concerned about the Iraq-Afghanistan conflict and the damage it has done to the image of America, Undecided, Hijab wearer Yasmin = Former CAIR Intern Yasmin.


Update: Looks like the plant count is rising - here's two more courtesy of Powerline:

7. Concerned about Social Security, Undecided Adam Florzak = Quit his job to work on Social Security reform with pal Dick Durbin, Adam Florzak.

8. Concerned, Undecided Voter asking Ron Paul to run as an independent, Mark Strauss = Bill Richardson supporter and participant in CNN's DEMOCRATIC YouTube Debate, Mark Strauss.

From last night's CNN REPUBLICAN Debate... (courtesy of Michelle Malkin)

1.Concerned, Undecided Gay Military Retiree Brig. Gen. Keith H. Kerr = Hillary/Kerry supporter and anti-”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” activist Keith H. Kerr

2.Concerned, Undecided Mom LeeAnn Anderson = Activist for the John Edwards-endorsing United Steelworkers union LeeAnn Anderson

3.Concerned, Undecided Log Cabin Republican supporter David Cercone = Obama supporter David Cercone

4.Concerned. Young, Undecided Person “Journey” Murry = John Edwards supporter and gay activist girl “Journey” Murry

5. Concerned Corn Eater and subsidy basher = Ted Faturos former intern for Democratic congresswoman, Jane Harmon (good find Jason Coleman)

6. Concerned Why won't Blacks vote for Republicans? Black Guy = John Edwards supporter and BDS sufferer, David McMillan (good find Jason Coleman)

Iran: Obscene Rap Music targeted

My favorite gangsta, Tupac Shakur. RIP

Insane clown posse

The Iranian government has announced a campaign against rap music which it considers obscene.

The Ministry for Culture and Islamic Guidance said illegal studios would be closed and rap singers "confronted".

An official condemned rappers for using very vulgar words, but it was not clear if the whole genre was being banned.

Rap music in Farsi is increasingly popular among young men in Tehran, with lyrics covering political, social and sexual themes.

Iranians wanting to record an album or stage a concert need to get official permission.

Some songs are approved by the ministry, but most are circulated through a growing underground market for rap.

The culture ministry official, Mohammad Dashtgoli, was quoted by the official Irna news agency as saying he wanted to "find a solution" to internet distribution of the music.

Iranian rappers are inspired by the Iranian exile community in Los Angeles - one of the main centres of American rap.

Young Iranian singers are trying to replicate the accents and subject material used by many US artists.

Pakistan: No more female mannequins in the Islamabad shops

Shopkeepers warned of dire consequences.


Garment shop owners in northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar are removing mannequins from their displays or covering them up with clothes following threats from militants.

A meeting of the shopkeepers' association of Karimpura in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), on wednesday discussed the threatening letters from militants. The association decided to either remove the mannequins from shops or cover them up fully with clothes.

The meeting was informed that 10 militants visited Shaheen Bazaar, a market for women, and asked shopkeepers to remove mannequins. The militants claimed the mannequins promoted obscenity, 'Dawn' newspaper reported today.

The letter sent by the militants warned the shop owners of dire consequences if they did not remove the mannequins.

Iran: No more mentioning "women" on Iranian TV

Banned on state TV.

The word 'women' must now be replaced on Iranian state television by 'family', reformist Norouz news agency reports. In programmes broadcast throughout the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women last Sunday, Iranian state TV used the world family instead.

In recent weeks, Iran's Centre for the Participation of Women changed its name to the Centre for Family Matters.

Unh-huh.

Meanwhile back in Pakistan...

Musharraf assumes presidency as a civilian, opponent Nawaz Sharif calls him illegitimate and urges purge of Supreme Court. Which is funny because when Sharif was in power his supporters stormed the Supreme Court to force the Chief Justice from office. Ah, politics! Oh, and about Sharif?
Sharif's appeal is largely to conservative, religious sections of the electorate. While he is regarded as a moderate he is also seen as a politician more likely to appease radical Islamists than either Bhutto or Musharraf.

One more thing about Sharif. He's not out of the soup yet.
A National Accountability Court (NAB) will take up corruption cases against brothers Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif in Rawalpindi on December 5, a senior NAB official confirmed here.

Deputy prosecutor general Zulfiqar Bhutta said the cases against the Sharifs were activated in August this year before Nawaz Sharif had made his failed attempt to return from exile in September. Interestingly, the warrants of arrest issued against Nawaz before his September 10 landing in Islamabad were still valid and Sharif could be arrested if the NAB so wanted.

“I have no idea whether NAB chairman has withdrawn the arrest warrants or not,” the deputy prosecutor general said.

About Imran Khan? He's not going to participate in the upcoming elections - calling them a fraudulent poll.

While almost all top leaders of the government and opposition parties have filed nomination papers, under protest, Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf, is the only exception.

He insisted elections under Musharraf had already been rigged.

(Imran, if anyone's fraudulent around here, it's you- you cast your infidel wife Jemima Khan aside to satisfy the radical Islamists you were courting for political support. Yet she still stood up for you when you went to prison and went on that fraudulent hunger strike - end of rant.)


Good news: It is expected that Musharraf will lift emergency rule today.

Even better news, unfortunately it's not the best news: Troops seize Fazlullah's base. Fazlullah on the run. Looks like the villagers got in on the act, too - destroying the militants fortified bunkers after the militants headed for the hills.
Troops on Wednesday seized Maulana Fazlullah’s base in Swat, where nearly two weeks of clashes have killed around 250 militants, officials said. “Security forces entered the town of Imam Dheri, the main base of Maulana Fazlullah,” provincial government spokesman Amjad Iqbal told AFP. The whereabouts of Fazlullah, however, remain unknown.

“He has gone underground,” the official said. Security sources in the area said the cleric’s close aides have also fled, including his spokesman, Maulana Sirajuddin. They quoted residents as saying they [Fazlullah’s men] were seen heading for the mountains. Iqbal said security forces were in “complete control” of a large stretch of Kabal district after shelling suspected insurgent locations with artillery and mortar fire.

Some more good news - it looks like progress is being made by the Pakistani army in Swat, and in other regions. In fact, it is being reported that most of Swat is now under military control. But those Taliban militants are still kicking it in those semi-autonomous tribal regions...Taliban issue moral codes in Bajaur.

Pro-Taliban militants have warned residents here not to put musical ring tones or pictures in their mobile phones, witnesses said on Wednesday. A pamphlet distributed in Khar, the main town of Bajaur district bordering Afghanistan, also told people not to shave their beards, listen to music or smoke cigarettes and hashish. The pamphlet, handwritten in Pashto language, also forbade tribesmen from leaving their homes without caps or to carry weapons without permission from the militants.

Here in the US a Pakistani image repair team is swooping down on Capitol Hill to explain why Pervez did what he did. Huh, maybe they can give San Fran Nan and Dingy Harry some image repair tips while they are there - talking about needing your image repaired...(and head examined.)

And despite progress on the ground in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan (to say nothing of their woeful plea for financial support via the Interweb)the UN believes that Al Qaeda and the Taliban are getting stronger...honestly.

And last but not least, here's a good read about Pakistan and their nukes in the the WSJ. It's definitely worth a look-see: Inside Pakistan's Drive to guard it's A-bombs.

About that uranium? It could be used in a dirty bomb.

From Bloomberg.

Nuclear material seized yesterday by police in Slovakia included enriched uranium capable of being used in a ``dirty'' bomb Slovak Deputy Police President Michal Kopcik said.

Police arrested three people, two in Slovakia and one in Hungary, for trying to sell less than half a kilogram (1.1 pounds) of the substance. The material's origin is not certain, although police believe it may have come from the former Soviet Union, Kopcik said, speaking at a press conference alongside Hungarian police officials.

The seized substance was uranium 238 and 235 in powder form, Kopcik said. The material was supposed to be transferred from Hungary, he said. The suspects were arrested on both sides of the Hungarian-Slovak border in a joint operation between the two European Union countries.

``The material was even more dangerous because of its powder form,'' Kopcik said today in Bratislava, Slovakia. ``It could be used for production of a dirty bomb.''

$1 million worth of radioactive material seized

From 3 yahoos trying to sell 2 lbs of the stuff...or some kind of stuff - the material is still being examined. More to follow.

The Slovakian police today arrested three people for trying to sell more than 2 pounds of radioactive material, a police spokesman told ABC News.

The radioactive material was seized near the border of Ukraine, between Slovakia and Hungary, Slovakian police spokesman Martin Korch said. He did not know the type of radioactive material seized, and the police did not reveal any information about the alleged intended buyer.
Related Stories

Two of the suspects were arrested in eastern Slovakia, the other in Hungary, in a coordinated Slovak-Hungarian police operation, Korch told ABC News. He said the suspects, whose nationalities he did not identify, had been under surveillance for several months by both Slovak and Hungarian authorities.

Specialists were examining the radioactive material, which the three were trying to sell for $1 million, said Korch.

But one expert says that dollar figure may be misleading.

"The $1 million figure might be suggestive that it was serious material," nuclear security expert Matthew Bunn of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University told ABCNews.com, "but it is also often the case that these smugglers have greatly exaggerated notions of the value of what they have."

Bunn pointed out that until further examination of the material occurs, it is impossible to know whether or not the seized material is dangerous or dubious.

"It could be low-enriched uranium (of which 1 kilogram is basically valueless and not important), could be some kind of radioactive source (in which case the 1 kilogram figure likely refers to the source plus its container), could be highly enriched uranium (in which case 1 kilogram would be the biggest incident in years), could be plutonium (in which case 1 kilogram would be the biggest case ever), could be various forms of unimportant radioactive trash," said Bunn.

Tomorrow a news conference is scheduled with the head of Slovakia's police, Gen. Jan Packa.

Uh-oh. Muslim fit about to hit the shan in Holland

Dutch lawmaker planning Anti-Koran film.

A Dutch conservative lawmaker said Wednesday he is making a film to highlight what he describes as "fascist" passages in the Quran, his latest high profile criticism of Islam.
The interior and justice ministers said they were concerned, but believed they had no authority to prevent the lawmaker, Geert Wilders, from screening his film.

Wilders plans to depict parts of the Quran he says are used as inspiration "by bad people to do bad things."

Less than 10 minutes long, the film is expected to air in late January. It will show "the intolerant and fascist character of the Quran," said Wilders, whose anti-Islam campaign helped his Freedom Party win nine seats in parliament in last year's election.

In the past, Wilders has said that half the Quran should be torn up and compared it with Adolf Hitler's book "Mein Kampf." He has claimed the Netherlands is being swamped by a "tsunami" of Islamic immigrants.

Immigrants from Muslim countries number about 1 million of the country's 16 million people.

Wilders' planned broadcast is reminiscent of the film "Submission" — a fictional study of abused Muslim women with scenes of near-naked women with Quranic texts engraved on their flesh.
"Submission" director Theo van Gogh was shot and had his throat slit by a Muslim extremist on an Amsterdam street in 2004.

Prominent Muslim critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who wrote the screenplay, was threatened in a note left on Van Gogh's body. She now lives under round-the-clock protection in the United States.

Miss Esther over at Islam in Europe provides some insight into the Muslim response - threats of violence ala the punk jihad riots in Paris - oh, and the massive boycotting of Dutch products. (like that worked out so well in Denmark.)

Abdelmajid Khairoun of the Dutch Muslim Council deplores the plans of Geert Wilders to make a film about the Koran. According to Khairoun, Wilders' film plans are not really news. The head of the PVV continues to provoke.

"We fear the worst if this becomes reality. Then on any given moment the last word will be up to the youth on the streets. And we can then not hold them back. Just look at France."

Khairoun also expects many negative reactions from abroad, compared with the affair of the satiric cartoons about the prophet Muhammad in Denmark, two years ago. "Other countries will not understand it. I'm afraid that many Dutch products will be boycotted."

Meanwhile, the Dhimmi Dutch cabinet is "warning" Wilders about the risks of making the film.

The justice, foreign and home affairs ministers, who are worried about a backlash from Islamic countries, have warned Wilders about the risks of screening such a film.

Justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin stressed that while Wilders is free to express his views about the Koran, he also has a responsibility towards society in general. ‘Think about the what the repercussions could be,’ he said.

If the film is hard-hitting, it could evoke hard-hitting reactions against himself and others,’ says the minister. Those who want a free debate must show respect for all religions and for things that are sacrosanct for others, he said.

And in other nuclear-materials-gone-missing news...

From Canada: Record nuclear thefts raise fears about security failures.

A record number of low-level radioactive materials, the kind terrorists could fashion into dirty bombs, have gone missing in Canada this year, raising concerns about the effectiveness of federal controls over nuclear materials.

News of the jump in thefts and lost material coincides with an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting in Europe at which nuclear counter-terrorism specialists were told this week of an almost four-fold increase in nuclear smuggling since 2006, a further indication that al-Qaeda-inspired radicals may be trying to obtain radioactive material for a bomb.

...As of Wednesday, 26 radioactive sources have been reported lost and stolen so far this year in Canada, compared to 15 last year and a dozen in 2005, according to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), the federal nuclear regulator.
Fourteen devices this year remain missing, twice as many as last year when six were not recovered and almost three times the five still missing from 2005.

Al Qaeda: Passing the Hat for Jihad

Such a pity. It looks like AQ is running into some financial difficulties. From the folks over at Counterterrorism Blog.

“Oh Muslims !! this is a call for you from the fighters to the entire Muslims. Following the campaign against Islam to dry its sources, many of the people who support this religion suffer from lack of equipments and basic means for their Jihad, after the belief in Allah. The situation became really bad. Imagine brothers, that some of them carry weapons with no ammunition. Sometimes they have no food or place of refuge. I see you calling for Jihad day and night without implementing it, as if the Jihad is just carrying weapons.

Brothers, in many cases the financial Jihad is not less than Jihad by fighting (Al-Jihad bil-Nafs). How could the Mujahid fulfill his huge tasks without weapons? Or without the support for his family while he is away or martyred?

The Noble Qur’an gave the financial Jihad a great priority. It is always compared to the Jihad by fighting as two sides of the equation. Moreover, in all the Qur’anic verses that record the two, except for one verse, the financial Jihad has a priority over the fighting Jihad.

… From these verses and stories, the significance of the financial Jihad is clear. The infidels spend their money to fight [the supporters of] Allah, and their reward, at the end of the day, is only defeat. Should not the believers spend their money to strengthen the basics of religion and enable its spread in the world? No one can claim that he owns nothing. I tell him, don’t you know any wealthy Muslim? Approach him and encourage him [to donate]. We know how far the infidels (Taghout) are suffocating the finance of the Mujahidin, and how dangerous it is.”

Cochran adds: The picture is clear and the call seems to be genuine. There is also an interesting element in using the term Taghout for “those who suffocate the finance of the Mujahidin.” This term is used for the Arab or Muslim governments, rather than the U.S. or other Western “enemies.” This might be an indication to the cooperation of Arab governments in this field.

South Africa Nuke break - in: A perp is found?

Remember the mysterious and (little reported upon) break in at Pelindaba? Here's the latest.

A 20-year-old Malawian, Eric Nyirenda, made a second brief appearance in court yesterday in connection with the daring break- in at the Pelindaba nuclear facility west of Pretoria two weeks ago.

Nyirenda, who lives on a plot in Broederstroom less than 15km from the facility, is suspected of being part of the gang that breached security at the complex.

A security chief, Anton Gerber, was shot in the chest during the incursion. He is recovering at home.

Nyirenda’s case was postponed to November 28 in the Brits Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

He is provisionally charged with attempted murder and armed robbery.

Police spokesman Superintendent Louis Jacobs said the investigating team hoped to make more arrests soon: “That will enable us to figure out exactly who played what role in this crime.”

The chief executive of the SA Nuclear Energy Corporation, Rob Adams, said that six of Pelindaba’s senior security staff had been suspended pending an internal investigation into the attack, which he described as having been carried out by “technically sophisticated criminals”.

Bride of Al Qaeda

It's a nice day for a white wedding...

I'm sure you heard about the takedown in Iraq of a "bridal party".

Well, here's the vid.

The gloves are a nice touch, aren't they?

Getting in the holiday spirit

At today's annual turkey pardoning ceremony W made a funny and said that his Vice President's suggestion for naming the turkeys was LUNCH and DINNER. You just had to laugh.

It's a lucky day for a couple of turkeys. President Bush is pardoning them in the annual pre-Thanksgiving photo-op at the White House.

The national bird and its backup are from Indiana and each weighs about 45 pounds. They'll be spared a dinner table fate and then flown to Disney World in Florida, to live in Mickey Mouse's backyard at the Magic Kingdom.

Presidents since Truman have pardoned the birds. But the event has been updated in recent years to include a bird-naming contest, with votes cast on the White House Web site. The nominees this year include: Wing and Prayer, Jake and Tom and Wish and Bone.

Al Qaeda in the Maldives...

Video raises Qaeda fears in Maldives (First it was Swat, the Switzerland of Pakistan and now Himandhoo Island, an Indian Ocean paradise. These AQ creeps love to go screw up tourist economies, don't they? I love the sound of Himandhoo Island, but I don't think I'll be buying a ticket there anytime soon)

MALE: A propaganda video shot inside a radical Maldives mosque and posted on the Internet has raised fears that Al Qaeda is gaining a foothold in the Indian Ocean tourist paradise. The video was recorded at the Dhar-al-Khuir mosque on the remote Himandhoo island. Under the catchline “Your brothers in the Maldives are calling you,” the trailer shows images of masked men praying. A follow-up feature is promised. Nick Grace, a counter-terrorism analyst said the propaganda video was an attempt to attract “finance and recruits” for militant activity in the Maldives.

Woman killed for being "fat'

And why, yes. Now that you mention it, the murderer - her loving husband, was a Muslim.

LAHORE: My brother-in-law killed my sister because he did not like her fatness, said Muhammad Shahid, brother of Sobia on Monday. Sobia was killed on October 30. Yousaf, a resident of inside Bhaati Gate, called the police on October 30 that four armed men had robbed his niece Sobia and her husband Zahid. Zahid told the police the robbers had killed his wife after looting them. While resisting the robbery bid, he said, the robbers had also shot him (Zahid) in the arm. He told the police that the robbers had looted about 50 tola gold ornaments. On suspicion the police checked Zahid's telephone record. The police found that Zahid had called his friend Waheed 15 times on October 30. When the police interrogated Waheed, he told the police that Zahid had killed Sobia with his (Waheed's) cooperation. Zahid during interrogation told the police that he had killed Sobia because she was bulky.

Hotspot: Pakistan

Musharraf arrives in Saudi Arabia and meets with King Abdullah - they agree on a series of joint measures to deal with Islamic extremists. It looks like the meeting with Nawaz Sharif did not come to pass - because Sharif didn't want it to.

We learned yesterday that the date for elections has been tenatively set for January 8. Today we learn that Benazir is contemplating a boycott of the elections. (And that worked out so well for the Sunnis in Iraq). Not only that, all the opposition parties boycotted the Election Council meeting held today to finallize a code of conduct for the general elections...AND she is claiming that the polls are already being rigged - as she speaks!!! (I'm telling you, people. This woman really IS the Pelosi of Pakistan.)

We have also learned that the problem in dealing with the Islamist miscreants (Pakistan code speak for murdering, Muslim scum) has largely resulted from the inadequacy of the Frontier Guard. Now we learn that there's a SECRET PLAN for US special forces to increase training and $ in the region. Git 'r done, guys.

It's starting to look like it's soon going to be GAME ON in Swat and Shangla as 3 Swat villages’ residents are asked to leave

MINGORA: Three villages in Swat have started migrations following announcements by the army asking them to evacuate. Military asked people of Akhund, Dagai and Kabal Khas to evacuate, raising fears that the army was launching operation there. In Shangla, residents said troops fired mortars on the Manrai Sar area, where rebel cleric Maulana Fazlullah’s loyalists have taken up positions. Meanwhile, around 18 people, including 12 militants, were killed by shelling. The military also announced that at least 40 militants were injured when forces targeted two militant compounds in Kot Nawakally, reported AFP. Sources said forces have arrested four persons for spying for militants.

Dialogue-schmialogue. The Alipuri region has been taken over and foreign fighters (Uzbekis)are rumored to be in the region and the governor wants to use force only as a last option. Meanwhile in Bajaur, government officials are being abducted. I wonder if they dialogued with the miscreants before being taken. Meanwhile the troops are being bolstered with pep talks and told:

The VCOAS praised efforts by tribes to evict foreign elements from their area. He said support of the local people was critical for success in military operations to purge the area of miscreants and terrorists. He appealed to the people of Swat to extend their help in restoring normalcy. He ordered the local commanders to help provide medical facilities and look after victims of miscreants’ atrocities.

Hah-hah. And it looks like the Pakistani version of Congress has the same kind of approval rating as the US one. "Rubberstamping the tissue paper".

Not only that - it appears that the RED STATE/BLUE STATE divide is alive in Pakistan. Majority Support Emergency Rule.

ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf has said Pakistan’s majority population was rural and supported the emergency rule, adding that some urban non-government organisations were rallying against the emergency rule.

And in Imran Khan news. He's still on his hunger strike and his sister is VERY WORRIED about him. (Give me a break, it's only been, what - two days?) And reports from the prison indicate he enjoyed supper the previous evening.

Love: Muslim Style

Fighting between Religious Men breaks up wedding.

And I'm not talking Methodist religious men, either.

(TROP you get a rock'em, sock 'em, cold cock 'em h/t with this one)

A muslim enjoys a romantic swim with a beautiful woman

Or hopes he does.

(h/t TROP)

More Taliban handiwork

only this time in Ethiopia. (h/t Jawa Report)

African Taliban desecrates Ethiopian Soldiers Bodies.

Gee. It seems like only yesterday they were doing the same thing in Pakistan.

Hugo and Ahmadinejad: US is on the decline...American imperialism is on the way out.

Some notable quotes from the happy couple.

Here are two brother countries, united like a single fist...

"God willing, with the fall of the dollar, the deviant U.S. imperialism will fall as soon as possible, too,"

"As the imperialist press says, I came to look for an atomic bomb, and I've got it here. If anyone should cross me, I'll fire it."

It was not all boy hugging, jawboning, and saber rattling between the two psychos, some business did get done.

In Tehran, Chavez and Ahmadinejad signed four memorandums of understanding Monday to create a joint bank, a fund, an oil industry technical training program and an industrial agreement, Iranian state television said. It said Chavez then left after an official farewell ceremony.

On Chavez's visit in July, the two leaders broke ground for a joint petrochemical complex in Iran, with 51 percent in Iranian ownership and 49 percent owned by Venezuela. The two nations also began construction of a petrochemical complex in Venezuela, at a total combined cost of $1.4 billion.

Since 2001, the two countries have signed more than 180 trade agreements, worth more than $20 billion in potential investment, according to official reports.

Iran has partnered with Venezuela on several industrial projects in the South American nation, including the production of cars, tractors and plastic goods.

Wanna bet?

The U.S. Economy Remains Strong, Flexible, And Dynamic

Real GDP grew at a strong 3.9 percent in the third quarter of 2007. The economy has now experienced six years of uninterrupted growth, averaging 2.8 percent a year since 2001.

Real after-tax per capita personal income has risen by 12.7 percent – an average of over $3,800 per person – since President Bush took office.

Real wages rose 1.2 percent over the 12 months that ended in September. This rise is faster than the average rate during the 1990s.

Since the first quarter of 2001, productivity growth has averaged 2.6 percent per year. This growth is well above average productivity growth in the 1990s, 1980s, and 1970s.

The deficit today is at 1.2 percent of GDP, well below the 40-year average. Economic growth contributed to a 6.7 percent rise in tax receipts in FY 2007, following an increase of 11.8 percent in FY 2006.

The Religion of Peace Perverts

Man Marries Daughter - claims divine sanction. And why yes, he IS a Muslim.

JALPAIGURI: A 36-year-old man married his teenage daughter and made her pregnant, justifying his perverse act by claiming he had divine sanction for his incestuous lust. What's even more galling is that his wife was the prime witness in the nikah of her daughter to her husband. Afazuddin Ali's wedding happened quietly and understandably without fanfare, so none in Kasiajhora village of Jalpaiguri district knew. But now, six months later, as the girl showed signs of pregnancy, eyebrows were raised, tongues started wagging and word finally got out.

Outrage and anger swept across the village and there was even talk of attacking the family. Sensing that things could quickly get out of control, cops from the Banerhat police station rushed in and arrested Ali, his wife Sakina and their 15-year-old daughter.

The three were taken to an SDO's court on Monday but the hapless magistrate had to release them because he had no criminal jurisdiction; there was no complainant and police strangely did not bring a case of statutory rape against Ali. "Police has not lodged any specific case and the court does not have jurisdiction over criminal cases. So they were released unconditionally," said the SDO, Atanu Kumar Ray.

Mohammed made him do it.

POTUS 2008 Debate Schedule

Mark your calendars, possums...

Don't worry Mississippi. You'll be relevant soon, along with Missouri, Tennessee and New York.

The three might not be hotbeds of activity during the 2008 presidential primary contest, but they were announced today as the sites of the general election debates. That will make them must-visit places for the media throng that covers such things.

In a statement today, Paul G. Kirk Jr. and Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr., the co-chairs of the presidential debate commission, said the three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate would take place as follows:

POTUS schedule
Friday, Sept. 26, 2008, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS*
Thursday, Oct. 7, 2008, Belmost University, Nashville, TN
Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

VPOTUS schedule
Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

"Shut up, Chavez" is ringtone hit in Spain

Ringtone is music to the ears of Venezuelan students, too.

An estimated 500,000 people have downloaded the insult featuring the words "Why don't you shut up?", generating a reported 1.5m euros ($2m)...

Branded mugs, t-shirts and websites featuring the row are also profitable.

In Venezuela, a group of students who oppose Mr Chavez's government have also been downloading the ringtone, a US newspaper reported.

"It's a form of protest," a 21-year-old student in Caracas told the Miami Herald. "It's something that a lot of people would like to tell the president."

Companies selling the ringtones have avoided legal problems concerning breach of the king's image rights by using an actor to voice the line.

Swiss to cook uranium for Ahmadinejad and Iran?

Hmmph. Trust me, this world would be better off if they sent him CHOCOLATE.

Iran: Uranium Enrichment in Switzerland.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will meet with Arab nations to discuss an Iranian plan to enrich uranium outside the region in a neutral country, such as Switzerland, Ahmadinejad said Nov. 18 in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires ahead of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries summit. Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey, who has said her country recognizes Iran's right to peaceful nuclear technology, recently has been attempting to facilitate talks between Tehran and Washington.

Hotspot: Pakistan

Taliban hang cop bodies in trees as warning to locals.

Gazak Village/Derawud district: Taliban militants tortured five abducted policemen in southern Afghanistan and hung their mutilated bodies from trees in a warning to villagers against working with the government, officials said Sunday... "The Taliban told the people that whoever works with the government will suffer the same fate as these policemen," Himat said. "This village is under Taliban control. There are more than 100 Taliban in this village."

Pakistan sends troop into Kurram to quell Sunni-Shiite fighting.

Pakistan's military said Sunday it was dispatching forces to quell fighting in the country's volatile northwest after three days of clashes between rival Sunni and Shiite Muslims left 91 people dead.

Military officials said an unspecified number of soldiers and a paramilitary force were headed to the town of Parachinar, in the remote Kurram tribal area, where the government maintains limited control.

Both sides fired mortars and other heavy weapons at each other, targeting residential areas and hitting mosques, an intelligence official speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press.

Violence between Shiites and Sunnis is common in Parachinar. (Violence among MUSLIMS seems to be common the world over!)

The push continues into Swat and Shangla.

We know that Musharraf is visiting Saudi Arabia tomorrow - it is now rumored that he will also be meeting with opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif. (Sharif is in exile - his rule of Pakistan ended with a Musharraf led coup d'etat back in 1999)

Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf, will be in Saudi Arabia tomorrow to meet with King Abdullah and he may hold talks with former Pakistani premier and leader of the opposition, Nawaz Sharif, who lives in exile in the Kingdom. The visit has been announced in Riyadh by the official Saudi news agency SPA. This will be Musharraf's first visit abroad since he announced the state of emergency on 3 November. In the Pakistani media, a possible encounter between Musharraf and Sharif was announced with Saudi mediation. Collaborators of the ex-premier have announced that the only purpose for the meeting could be the finalization of a strategy for the unconditional political retreat of the Pakistani president. Sharif has indicated that he has already refused the request to meet Musharraf twice.

The Saudis don't sound too happy having Sharif as a guest.

Sharif has remained in Jeddah since he was put on a flight to Saudi Arabia in September after Pakistani authorities blocked his attempted return from exile.

Unlike Pakistan's other main opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, Sharif has steadfastedly refused to have any negotiations with Musharraf.

Saudi unhappiness at being asked to keep Sharif in exile was heightened by Musharraf's readiness to allow Bhutto to return to Pakistan last month without fear of prosecution in old corruption cases, according to diplomats and Pakistani officials.

Hey CAIR! Put this in your pipe and smoke it! Islamophobia-schmobia.

From LGF via Robert Spencer (this is too important not to spread the word, people.)

According to the 2006 FBI report on "hate related crimes" Jews are 5 times more likely to suffer hate crimes than Muslims (and whitey is not far behind them. It's disturbing to see the number of Anti-Black crimes though...I really wish we could all just get along).

Anti-Black 3,136

Anti-Jewish 1,027

Anti-White 1,008

Anti-Male Homosexual 881

Anti-Hispanic 770

Anti-Female Homosexual 192

Anti-Islamic 191

Islam: The religion of crybabies...

La Pelosi to Salvation Army: Habla Espanol or else!

From the WSJ.

It's been less than a week since New York's Sen. Hillary Clinton and Gov. Eliot Spitzer had to climb down from their support of driver's licenses for illegal aliens. Now House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has moved to kill an amendment that would protect employers from federal lawsuits for requiring their workers to speak English. Among the employers targeted by such lawsuits: the Salvation Army.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, a moderate Republican from Tennessee, is dumbstruck that legislation he views as simple common sense would be blocked. He noted that the full Senate passed his amendment to shield the Salvation Army by 75-19 last month, and the House followed suit with a 218-186 vote just this month. "I cannot imagine that the framers of the 1964 Civil Rights Act intended to say that it's discrimination for a shoe shop owner to say to his or her employee, 'I want you to be able to speak America's common language on the job,' " he told the Senate last Thursday.

But that's exactly what the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is trying to do. In March the EEOC sued the Salvation Army because its thrift store in Framingham, Mass., required its employees to speak English on the job. The requirement was clearly posted and employees were given a year to learn the language. The EEOC claimed the store had fired two Hispanic employees for continuing to speak Spanish on the job. It said that the firings violated the law because the English-only policy was not "relevant" to job performance or safety.

Hmmm. I wonder, como se dice "Bite ME?"

DMV bans ex-cop's Osama tag.

Fools.

The federal government may have a $25 million reward for fugitive terrorist Osama bin Laden, but a retired city cop says the Department of Motor Vehicles has banned his "GETOSAMA" vanity license plates as offensive.

Arno Herwerth, 42, a retired NYPD sergeant from Hauppauge, in Suffolk County, told The Post he's flabbergasted by the DMV's kibosh, terming the agency's move as "unpatriotic" and political correctness run amok.

Frances Townsend resigns

From Politico.
Frances Fragos Townsend, President George W. Bush’s homeland security adviser, will announce Monday that she’s leaving the White House, a senior administration official told Politico.

It's official.

And some are saying it's because of the resurgence of Al Qaeda in Pakistan.

Hotspot: Pakistan

The beat goes on in Swat and Shangla...government hopes to have 'area back open for tourists by December'

Artillery and helicopter gunships pounded positions of militants in Swat and Shangla districts on Sunday amid reports of civilian casualties in Shakardara and Thotano Banda areas.With no major ground offensive taken during the day, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) claimed a number of militants had been killed in different places.It said that 120 militants had been killed in fierce clashes over the past four to five days. The militants denied the claim and said that only nine of their men had been killed.Meanwhile, the militants are reported to have kidnapped five people, including arms dealer Fazal Hakim, Matta traders’ leader Shah Rawan and car dealer Abdul Qayyum. It is believed that they were critical of the militants and had nationalist inclinations.


“Militants’ strongholds in Jatkot near Kuza Banda and Bariam Bridge near Matta were pounded by helicopter gunships. A number of miscreants were killed,” said a government spokesman.In the adjoining Shangla district, militants continued to control the district headquarters of Alpuri. Although they left Puran, the hometown of former federal minister Amir Muqam, they held positions on heights outside the town.Some people from Alpuri said the militants were entrenched on hilltops overlooking a key road linking the town with Bisham from where troops have been advancing.The ISPR claimed that security forces had consolidated their positions at Rheem Sar Banda, about 6km from Shangla, which they had secured after an operation.


A jirga of elders and political leaders requested both the sides to cease fire.


In other tribal jirga news, Tribes rise up against the militants.

The Bakakhel Wazir and Gurbaz tribes of the Bannu Frontier Region on Sunday decided to take action against militants attacking security forces in the area.A jirga of the two tribes was held in Bakakhel Mandi which decided that houses of people found involved in attacks on security forces would be demolished and they would be fined Rs500,000.The jirga said that the violators would also be expelled from the area.


And in the leak of a classified report, the NY Times reports US hopes to use Pakistani tribes against Al Qaeda. (I wonder if the NYT is even aware that this strategy is working in Iraq?)

Meanwhile Pakistan responds to the NYT's other leak.

Pakistan Monday said as a responsible nuclear weapons state Pakistan has always attached great significance to the security of its strategic assets.Commenting on a news published in ‘The New York Times’ titled “US Secretly Aids Pakistan in Guarding Nuclear Arms”, Foreign Office Spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said it gives distorted and exaggerated picture of Pakistan’s efforts to learn from best practices of other countries with regard to their nuclear safety and export controls.


Musharraf to visit Saudi Arabia on Tuesday

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will go to Riyadh Tuesday for talks with King Abdullah over the political crisis in his country, Saudi official sources said Monday.


Elections called, Benazir does backflip.

"Inshallah (God willing), the general elections would be held on January 8," a government statement quoted General Musharraf as telling supporters in Karachi amid rumours of a possible meeting between him and Ms Bhutto. Both General Musharraf and Ms Bhutto were in the city at the same time following the departure from Pakistan of top US diplomat John Negroponte.


Benazir softens her stance vis a vis Musharraf?

PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto appears to have softened her attitude towards President Pervez Musharraf following a visit by a top US envoy to Islamabad, which aimed at promoting reconciliation between her and the general.Although still critical of Gen Musharraf, Ms Bhutto said in an interview to CNN on Sunday that she was waiting for him to respond to the message Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte brought from Washington.


Perhaps this is why?

PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto could soon be facing the same corruption charges that have forced her into exile for more than eight years, according to a report published in The Sunday Times.TST correspondent Christina Lamb quoting Attorney-General Malik Mohammad Qayyum said that a government amnesty lifting the charges – which enabled Ms Bhutto to return to the country last month – was legally invalid and was likely to be overturned.“I don’t think it will survive the challenge,” Mr Qayyum told the TST. Quoting Ms Bhutto, the TST correspondent said she was unconcerned.


All political prisoners to be released.

The caretaker Pakistan cabinet has decided to release all the detained political workers and leaders with the announcement of the schedule for the general elections. In its first meeting chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Muhammadmian Soomro, the cabinet directed Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Syed Afzaal Haider to start co-ordinating with the provincial governments and all concerned for the release of political workers, lawyers, human rights activists and students taken into protective custody since the proclamation of emergency.


War by Facebook.

Defying a growing crackdown on dissent by President Pervez Musharraf, young Pakistanis are using blogs and social networking sites such as Facebook to hit back at a state of emergency. Plans for “flash” protests in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and other cities are being posted at the last minute to skirt a ban on all political rallies under repressive emergency laws. The Internet has become a vital tool for them, with the government shutting down the country’s biggest two private television news channels on Sunday and rounding up thousands of opposition leaders.


Benazir, US Envoy visit Geo (I don't know - it sounds like democracy is alive and well in Pak. They even have a protest camp! Paging Code Pink)

U.S. Ambassador in Pakistan, N W Patterson and Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto Monday visited Geo News offices here.US envoy expressed her grave concern over suspension of Geo News transmission and said that media could not be restrained.Benazir Bhutto recorded her comments in a book placed at the protest camp set up by Geo Network.

And in other Pakistan democracy is alive and well news.

Journalists, lawyers, political workers and civil society activists on Sunday staged protest demonstrations against curbs on Media in all major cities and towns of the country.

Still with me? Well, Imran Khan is back on his hunger strike for as long as it takes (or until he gets thristy) and his ex Jemima has taken to the streets of London in support.

Mmm. Pancakes.

Pakistan Court: The Verdict is in.

Election challenge tossed. Musharraf to resign from military and begin civilian rule.

The Pakistani Supreme Court threw out legal challenges today to last month's re-election of President Pervez Musharraf, paving the way for him to step down as head of the army and to lead the country as a civilian.It was a widely expected ruling from a high court packed with justices loyal to Musharraf, who put Pakistan under an official state of emergency Nov. 3.

It's a quagmire, I tell you!

A quagmire! (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

We're floundering in a quagmire in Iraq. Our strategy is flawed, and it's too late to change it. Our resources have been squandered, our best people killed, we're hated by the natives and our reputation around the world is circling the drain. We must withdraw.

No, I'm not channeling Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. I'm channeling Osama bin Laden, for whom the war in Iraq has been a catastrophe. Al-Qaida had little presence in Iraq during the regime of Saddam Hussein. But once he was toppled, al-Qaida's chieftains decided to make Iraq the central front in the global jihad against the Great Satan.

"The most important and serious issue today for the whole world is this third world war, which the Crusader-Zionist coalition began against the Islamic nation," Osama bin Laden said in an audiotape posted on Islamic Web sites in December 2004. "It is raging in the land of the Two Rivers. The world's millstone and pillar is Baghdad, the capital of the caliphate."

Jihadis, money and weapons were poured into Iraq. All for naught. Al-Qaida has been driven from every neighborhood in Baghdad, Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, the U.S. commander there, said Nov. 7. This follows the expulsion of al-Qaida from two previous "capitals" of its Islamic Republic of Iraq, Ramadi and Baquba.

Al-Qaida is evacuating populated areas and is trying to establish hideouts in the Hamrin mountains in northern Iraq, with U.S. and Iraqi security forces, and former insurgent allies who have turned on them, in hot pursuit. Forty-five al-Qaida leaders were killed or captured in October alone.

Al-Qaida's support in the Muslim world has plummeted, partly because of the terror group's lack of success in Iraq, more because al-Qaida's attacks have mostly killed Muslim civilians.
"Iraq has proved to be the graveyard, not just of many al-Qaida operatives, but of the organization's reputation as a defender of Islam," said StrategyPage.

There's more at the link.

(P.S. My stepmother aka Mad Madge made the quagmire comparison during her recent visit. I almost came across the dining room table at her. She also said "Vietnam". I told her she really had to get out on the interwebs more.)

Another suspicious airplane incident

Move along folks, nothing to see here.

From Jihad Watch. Four passengers targeted bathroom, tampered with mirror.

On 24 October 2007, crewmembers aboard a Reagan-Washington National to Milwaukee General Mitchell International Airport flight reported to a Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) flying in non-mission status that they noticed suspicious behavior by four passengers.

One of the subjects entered and exited the rear aircraft lavatory three times and failed to comply with crewmembers' verbal instructions. The FFDO seated himself near this subject to observe his behavior. Shortly afterward, two more of the subjects moved into the aisles and entered both lavatories. After one of the subjects vacated the rear left lavatory, the FFDO searched it, noting that the mirror above the sink was not properly latched.

He exited the lavatory and a fourth subject was waiting second in line with a passenger in front of him. The FFDO offered the fourth subject access to the right lavatory, but the subject declined, claiming the right lavatory was dirty. The FFDO noted the right lavatory was clean, and the subject reluctantly entered the right lavatory and remained there for an extended period of time. (TSA/SD-10-3849-07)

(U//FOUO) TSA Office of Intelligence Comment: Although there is no information that the aircraft was being specifically targeted for a future terrorist attack, the actions of the four passengers are highly suspicious. FFDO confirmation of possible tampering of the lavatory mirror in one of the lavatories could be indicative of an attempt to locate concealment areas for smuggling criminal contraband or terrorist materials. In this case, it appears the left lavatory was the sole area of interest for the passengers. One subject's excuse that the right lavatory was dirty when it was confirmed to be clean shows the four passengers had a specific, operational objective. Although unconfirmed at this time, this incident has many of the elements of pre-operational terrorist planning....

Testing, testing, testing.

Iran to file annual Human Rights abuses report...

on the US and use it to "condemn the US in the UN general assembly".

Majlis Research Center has called for the approval of a law by Majlis, based on which Iran’s Foreign Ministry would be obliged to publicize US human rights violations.

In a report, the center’s Office for Political Studies elaborated on instances of human rights violations in the US, ISNA reported.The center noted that many human rights bodies, including Amnesty International and the United Nations Human Rights Commission, have expressed serious concerns over these violations. “This is while Washington constantly interferes in the internal affairs of other countries on the pretext of rights violation,“ he said.

Majlis Research Center recommended Majlis to entitle the Foreign Ministry to prepare an annual report on human rights violations in the US. The report said Iran is entitled to direct the attention of Amnesty International and other world bodies to such violations and condemn the US in the UN General Assembly.

Oh, please.

Follow up To Iranian (a-hem) work accident

Ah yes, the recent explosion at Parchin.

Work accident, or Delta Force?

Inside job, or Mossad?

Global warming?

Who knows? Chances are we never will - but here's some addl info on Parchin to think about...and it makes me smile to think that maybe, just maybe the US had a little something to do with it.

The wide range of military activities at Parchin does not stop at manufacturing missiles of different sorts; interestingly, the Chemical Project is very busy making the new generation of Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFP) especially ordered by the Qods Force to supply to its proxies in Iraq. Kalantari, a specialist and director of Quality Control at project five of Parchin facility is overseeing the manufacturing process.

The testing grounds for newly developed EFPs are a military drilling field called Hesar Amir belonging to the Defense Ministry. The field is located in the extended Parchin Complex which is the main testing grounds for all newly manufactured products.The Explosion in Parchin highlighted the IRGC's ill intentions not only in proliferating WMD, but a more acute problem in Iraq that is the manufacture of the EFP's.

There's more at the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

And there is this: Iran sticking to pledge to halt arms flow.

Yeah, because they're all blown up now!!!!!!!

Bwa-ha-ha-ha.

Tiptoe through the tulips at the Democratic debacle debate.

You practically needed a machete, the plants were so thick on the ground in the Dem's Vegas debacle debate.

Instead of the "ordinary people, undecided voters" trumpeted by CNN - each and every one was a trumped up DEM operative. (h/t Doug Ross)

They were:

LaShannon Spencer - introduced as an undecided voter. She served as the political director of the Arkansas Democratic party.

Suzanne Jackson - the Marine's mom is an antiwar activist well known in protest circles

Judy Bagley - the casino cashier is a union official with Culinary Local 226

Khalid Khan - is president of the Islamic Society of Nevada (hosts of well known Islamonut Mohammed Siddiqui) and has appeared on the CNN special "Keeping the Faith in Sin City" or how Muslims can live in Vegas with all that sin and stuff.

Maria Luisa - Remember the diamonds or pearls girl from UNLV? Well, she is not EVEN ELIGIBLE to vote because she is an immigrant on a quest to become a US citizen and oh yes, a Harry Reid staffer. (Update: My bad - it looks like Maria Luisa became a citizen in 2006. Read her touching story - if you've got a strong stomach. It pretty much glorifies the whole illegal experience.)

George Ambriz - A radical Chicano separatist and former president of M.E.Ch.A. - the hispanic separatist organization that encourages Anti American activities and civil disobedience.

Yep. Ordinary folks, just like you and me.

Read it all. (Mr. Ross has much more on the subject.)

Can you imagine how loud the Dems would be screaming if Fox News tried to pull something like this?

AQ: And another one's gone, and another one's gone...

Another one bites the dust.

The U.S. forces killed a wanted al-Qaida cell leader and his two family members on Tuesday during a raid in Mosul, capital of Nineveh province in northern Iraq, a provincial police officer said.

"U.S. troops at dawn raided a house in the neighborhood of al-Rifaq, eastern Mosul, killing a man, his wife and a one-year-old child," Brig. Abdul-Kareem al-Jubouri, director of the provincial security operations office, told Xinhua.

Jubouri quoted a U.S. military source as saying that the man was leader of a local group affiliated to al-Qaida organization, and he was wanted by the U.S. forces.

More on the closure of Iraq's Umm al Qura Mosque

We talked last week about the closure of Iraq's Umm al Qura mosque here.

Now, Bill Roggio over at the Long War journal fills in the backstory for us and he's right - it just keeps getting better and better.


Sunni Clerics turn on association of Muslim scholars.


Wednesday's closure of the headquarters of the Association of Muslim Scholars at the Umm al Quraa mosque marks a dramatic shift in the Sunni religious establishment. Prominent Sunni clerics, who once supported, justified, or remained silent about al Qaeda's terror tactics, have now turned on the leading Sunni religious establishment that supports al Qaeda in Iraq.

On November 14, Iraqi soldiers surrounded the headquarters of the Association of Muslim Scholars after Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Ghafour al Samarrai, the leader of the Sunni Religious Endowments, or Waqf, ordered the mosque's closure. "The association has always justified killing and assassinations carried out by al Qaeda," Samarrai said the day the troops shut down the Umm al Quraa mosque.Samarrai's criticism of the Association of Muslim Scholars was pointed. He accused the Association of collusion with al Qaeda in Iraq and held the group responsible for the murder of Iraqi Sunni and Shia alike. Iraqslogger excerpted portions of Samarrai's statements, which were originally reported on Voices of Iraq in Arabic:


Do read it all.

You Tube Islamist arrested for threats against UK official.

And it just happens to be an official who is opposing the construction of the Mega Mosque. (h/t Religion of Peace)

This SURE doesn't make Islam look very good for London now then, does it?


A man who placed an "obituary" on YouTube of one of the leading opponents of plans to build Europe's biggest mosque near the London Olympics site has been arrested by police. The video, "In memory of Councillor Alan Craig", features the Leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance party, his wife and two daughters...


Commenting, Cllr Craig said: "This incident now seems over. I will not be intimidated by threats of any kind as important issues about this mosque have to be addressed in an open and fair fashion. This whole episode has exposed the reality that some Muslims accustomed to using either violence, intimidation, or the threat of violence are linked to the idea of this mosque.

"I cannot say it often enough: the proposed mosque will be bad for London, bad for the community and an invitation for the propagation of separatist and fundamentalist Islamic ideas.


Up to now, Mayor Ken Livingstone and the Labour establishment have turned a blind eye to the real nature of the organisation behind the mega-mosque. I hope they will look more seriously at them now."


Mr Craig represents Canning Town South ward in Newham borough, where he has the support of many Muslim residents in the area in his opposition to plans for the "mega-mosque" at Abbey Mills, near West Ham tube station, which will have a 12,000 capacity. It is being proposed by the controversial Islamist group Tablighi Jamaat, whose previous adherents include Glasgow airport bomber Kafeel Ahmed, shoe bomber Richard Reid and the July 7 bombers Mohammad Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer.


The Christian Peoples Alliance is Britain's first political party of Christian Democrat inspiration and carries the support of sister parties across the European Union.

Nice work if you can get it: New Jihad terror manual being written

Terror for dummies? The manual will be released tomorrow and is expected to "shake up Al Qaeda. But I'm not really so sure about that. The author, jailed terror leader Sayd Imam, is being forced to write it by Egyptian authorities and get this HE'S BEING PAID!!!

The new manual will call for an end to all Jihadi operations inside Arab-Islamic countries as well as an end to the killings of civilians in general and tourists, in particular, of all nationalities.

No word on what will happen to us infidels. What do you think?


Sayd Imam is currently imprisoned in a Cairo jail. He was the founder and first commander of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad organisation, whose supporters assassinated President Anwar Sadat in 1981 and later worked with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in the war against the Soviet Occupation. He worked with al-Qaeda number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, another Egyptian doctor and now Bin Laden's deputy, before being kidnapped in Yemen after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Imam was interrogated by the CIA and extradited to Egypt where he has been serving a life sentence since 2004.

According to a representative of Jamaa-al-Islamiya, Najih Ibrahim, the book is "a very important document because it is the most important initiative by the Jamaa al-Islamiyah directly to its members in Egypt and around the world."

Reports say that Jamaa al-Islamiya was once the largest Jihadist organisation in the Arab world which mounted countless armed attacks starting in the 1980s until it called a ceasefire after the massacre of 62 foreign tourists at Luxor in 1997.

According to the Saudi newspaper al-Watan, Sayd Imam was forced by the Egyptian authorities to write this document while in prison. The 80-page book appears to have been written in exchange for money. Despite this, al-Watan, believes that its criticism of al-Qaeda is likely to have a direct influence on the organisation and in particular on Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's second in command. Al-Zawahiri was a good friend of Dr. Fadel, who is well-known throughout the Jihadi world for having written some of the most important books on Jihadi ideology.

Sayd Imam's manual is expected to generate a crisis within al-Qaeda. Imam's lawyer, Montaser al-Zayyat, told the Egyptian newspaper al-Misriun, that Osama Bin Laden has begun a series of consultations within the terror organisation to prevent new divisions. There is concern that Sayd Imam's manual may provoke discontent and defections within al-Qaeda.

Sayd Imam has a strong influence within the Jihadi world and can influence the militants in various al-Qaeda cells. "For this reason, Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri are aware of what this can do and recently had a summit in which they expressed their concern," said Zayyat. It's this concern that led Osama bin Laden to release his an audio message in October in which he admitted mistakes made in Iraq and said that they should be corrected.

It also also led to a message by al-Zawahiri in November announcing that the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group have joined al-Qaeda - a move believed to have been taken to calm tensions in view of the expected publication of Sayd Imam's book.

Who is the Religion of Peace here again?

Buddhist Monks look at the meaning of happiness, while Muslim Muftis have a shoot out and kidnap each other.

You tell me.

Hotspot: Pakistan

It looks like the Army is getting ready to move on the Swat Valley.

Pakistan says offensive looming in militant valley

Pakistan will launch a major operation "any time from now" to clear militants loyal to a pro-Taliban cleric from a scenic northwestern valley, an army general said Saturday.

Major General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, director general of military operations for the Pakistan army, said he hoped the mountainous Swat area would be reopened for tourism by the end of December.

He said five days of clashes in which the army reports around 100 militants have been killed are only a prelude to the impending large-scale offensive...

"The operation will start any time from now. The concept is to clear Swat of militants," he added. "For the moment we are just picking up anybody visible and pounding any known hideouts with helicopters."

Sectarian clashes between Sunni and Shia kill 30. That's in Pakistan - not Iraq, folks. Each accuses the other of initiating the violence. Religion. Of. Peace.
At least 30 people were killed and over 100 others injured in sectarian clashes between rival Sunni and Shiite Muslims in northwestern Pakistan, police said Saturday.

The clashes began Friday in Parachinar, a town near the Afghan border, when gunmen opened fire on a Sunni mosque, said Mohammed Nadeem, a local police official. Since then, armed men from the two groups have been attacking each other with assault rifles and other weapons.

He said gunbattles were still raging in the town, despite a curfew and appeals from authorities for religious leaders to help stop the fighting.

Flip...

Musharraf warns on nuclear weapons LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters): President Pervez Musharraf, defending his decision to declare emergency rule, in a BBC interview Saturday said that if elections were held in a “disturbed environment”, it could bring in dangerous elements who might pose a risk to control of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. “They cannot fall into the wrong hands, if we manage ourselves politically. The military is there - as long as the military is there, nothing happens to the strategic assets, we are in charge and nobody does anything with them,” he said.

Flop...
Foreign Office denies BBC report based on Musharraf interview (APP): Pakistan on Saturday denied a BBC report that claimed President Pervez Musharraf had told the network in an interview that the country's nuclear weapons could fall into wrong hands. In the interview the President had stated that these weapons could not fall into wrong hands, the Foreign Office spokesman said while commenting on the BBC report. “This report is a complete distortion of the President's interview,” the spokesman said. The spokesman said that contrary to the report, President Musharraf had reiterated that the nuclear weapons “cannot fall into wrong hands”. “He (President) had argued that because the military organization is responsible for their safety and security, our strategic assets are totally secure and in no danger of falling in wrong hands,” the spokesman said.

US warns Pakistan's Musharraf over military aid: diplomats but Pervez doesn't appear to budge.

A top US envoy warned Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf Saturday that Washington will its review military aid to the country unless he lifts a state of emergency, diplomats said. John Negroponte, number two in the US State Department, met Musharraf for two hours of talks Saturday which diplomats had said he would use to send "a very strong message" to end the two-week-old emergency rule. Western diplomats said Negroponte told Musharraf "military aid would be under review" if he did not quit the army, hold elections on time, lift curbs on the media and release political prisoners. "Both sides gave their views very clearly," one diplomat said. But the military ruler told Negroponte that he could only restore the constitution when the security situation improved, a senior presidential aide told AFP.

Militants blame John Negroponte for violence in Swat. Read their spin.
"A ceasefire is a possibility but it is up to the government to decide," he said. "However our government is under intense American pressure and therefore it is compelled to carry out the operation. But if you ask our opinion, a compromise is very easy. "Our people want the enforcement of Islamic laws. If the government would enforce those laws, a ceasefire will happen immediately," said Sirajuddin.

Three Supreme Court Judges want to quit bench in advance of next week's hearing on Musharraf's imposition of emergency law - I think.
Three judges on a 10-member Supreme Court bench hearing petitions against the imposition of emergency on Friday said they wanted to opt out of the bench.Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi, Justice Faqir Mohammad Khokhar and Justice M. Javed Buttar said judicial propriety demanded that they detached themselves from the bench after President Gen Pervez Musharraf had cited their recent judgments to justify the imposition of emergency.

Widow of slain Pakistani reporter killed in blast: More handiwork from the Religion of Peace.
The widow of a Pakistani journalist, shot dead last year after reporting that an Al-Qaeda leader was killed by a U.S. missile, was killed in a bomb blast on Saturday. The bomb planted outside the family house in Mir Ali town, in North Waziristan near the Afghan border, went off early in the morning, killing Mehr-un-Nisa, on the spot. “All her five children who slept in the same room survived miraculously,” said her brother-in-law, Ihsanullah Khan. Mehr's husband, Hayatullah Khan, was found dead in June 2006 nearly seven months after he was abducted shortly after reporting on an explosion in a militant hideout near the Afghan border that killed Abu Hamza Rabia. Hayatullah who reported for various publications, was the first journalist to photograph fragments found at the scene that appeared to be from a U.S. missile.

Still with me? Read more from Benazir Bhutto's niece, Fatima, about Benazir and her return to Pakistan. She's not happy.
The clash between Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto during the country's current state of emergency is a "farce", according to Bhutto's niece, Fatima...

As for Benazir's house arrest, revoked on Thursday, the young Bhutto described it as a joke."Have you ever seen anyone placed under house arrest released continually for interviews and even receive an American consul?" she said.

Is Islam good for London?

Attendees at the "Is Islam good for London" debate.

If they were in a Muslim country the women would be off in the basement listening to the debate on an audio feed.

And that pic in the background would be put to the torch.

Just sayin.'

You gotta know what my answer is...and that would be a resounding no.

Unfortunately if you agree with me, you will find yourself in the minority according to the Evening Standard's opinion poll which shows seven that out of 10 people believe Muslims make a "positive contribution" to the economy of the capital.

This poll was held in conjunction with the Evening Standard's "Is Islam good for London?" debate held last night.

Panelists (and their answer to the question is Islam good for London) included:

No - Rod Liddle, Former editor of BBC's Today Programme.

Yes - Inayat Bunglawala, Asst. Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain

No - Joan Smith, Novelist, columnist and human rights activist

Yes - Prof Michael Burleigh, Academic, historian and author

Yes - Ed Husain, Author of the highly-acclaimed book, The Islamist

More of their remarks can be found here.

Celebrity Dhimmi bonus! Jemima Khan is in the house! She just "happens" to get called on and earns her useful idiot designation by offering a lame brain "It's all in the interpretation" defense of Islam. When challenged about the reality of Islamic terror, she excuses the cold, hard truth that today's terror is Islamic by referring to the past evils committed by Christians.


It's not pretty, folks. Coverage and video of the event can be found here.

The dollar, the Saudis and our friends at OPEC

Saudis seek to squelch dollar debate.

The accidental airing of a closed OPEC session Friday provided a surprise glimpse into a sensitive debate over the weakening U.S. dollar, with Saudi Arabia's foreign minister warning that even talking publicly about the currency's decline could further hurt its value.

The high-profile blunder ahead of a rare OPEC summit revealed the debate as Iran attempted to convince other member countries to express concern over dollar depreciation in the meeting's final declaration.

Oil is priced in dollars on the world market, and its depreciation has concerned oil producers because it has contributed to rising crude prices and has eroded the value of their dollar reserves. Cartel officials have resisted pressure to increase oil production to ease prices.

Who was behind the press to abandon the dollar?

Why, none other than Iran and Venezuela....of course, it was seconded by Nigeria.

“The reality is that we have this problem. I think we should draft the declaration to reflect our concerns,” Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said during a pre-summit meeting here with fellow ministers from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Their proposal:

Iran and Venezuela have proposed trading oil in a basket of currencies to replace the historic link to the dollar, but they have been unable to generate enough support from fellow OPEC members. Both nations have antagonistic relationships with the U.S., suggesting their proposals may have a political motivation as well.

Gee, ya think?

The Saudis came out swinging:

But Saud al-Faisal, foreign minister of U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, came out against the proposal with unusually frank comments.

“In my feeling, the mere mention that the OPEC countries are studying the issue of the dollar is itself going to have an impact that endangers the interests of the countries,” he said.

“We all should be worried if any action that we take will lead us to do some injury to our returns on our product,” said Mr. al-Faisal. “Nobody wants to have less money than more money. I am sure that we all agree on that.”

He went further today in his speech at the opening of the summit, adding:

" oil should not be allowed to become a tool of war.."

Now, about that inadvertent transmission of the session. Was it a real blunder or... just some OPEC political theatre? You gotta wonder.

The closed meeting was accidentally broadcast to journalists and after approximately 40 minutes, an official rushed into the press room and yanked the television cable out of the wall.

Update: Hugo Chavez speaks. 100USD is fair price for oil...

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said 100 usd is 'a fair price' for a barrel of oil, adding prices could rise as high as 200 usd if the US continues to threaten OPEC members such as Iran.

He said in his speech to the Third OPEC Summit in Riyadh that '100 usd is a just price, it is a fair price'.

'If the US is crazy enough to invade iran or to threaten Venezuela, then the price of oil will not be 100 usd, it will be 200 usd,' he said in his speech to dignatories at the inaugural session of the summit, attended by heads of all member states.

'(The opec states) need stability, we need to know the world powers do not expect us to guarantee regular supply and stqbility of prices without anything in return.'

Update: And look who else decided to join in the fun? Ahmadinejad joins leaders in Riyadh for OPEC Summit.

A smiling Ahmadinejad, who waved to television cameras as he walked from his plane, was greeted by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah.

Leaders from Algeria, Angola, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Nigeria, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have already arrived in Riyadh, the centre of which has been brought to a stand-still because of security arrangements.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is expected later Saturday and he is to be joined by leftist Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa who will seal the return of the country to OPEC, bringing the cartel's membership to 13.

A representative of Libya is also expected but it is unknown if leader Moamer Kadhafi will attend.

Saturday and Sunday have been declared a public holiday for residents of the Saudi capital due to the tight security, with the main roads in the centre of the city closed to traffic.

OPEC now numbers 13 - hope it's unlucky for them.

Update: Well, we can all heave a deep sigh of relief now. Al Gore will be so pleased! OPEC plans to fight climate change. Their grand plan (and yes, there is something in it for them):

The group's Secretary General, Abdullah al-Badri, said on Thursday that carbon capture and storage (CCS) could be a solution and that OPEC would be willing to play its part to develop the technology.

CCS involves capturing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) that are produced from burning fossil fuels, and storing them underground chiefly in depleted oil and gas fields.

CCS may be one of the best ways to cut emissions of man-made heat-trapping gases blamed for global warming, but development has been slowed by high costs and legal and safety risks, a United Nations study said.

The technology, most valued for capturing carbon from coal, may benefit oil producers economically, not least because the CO2 can be used to push yet more oil out of near-depleted wells.

The Dinah Lord Classic

It's a beautiful Saturday morning, people.

Let's hit the links!

In Veni, Vidi, ...Verto? Taheri on Putin's Visit to Tehran: GW over at Wolf Howling gives us the down low on the Pooty-poot's reaction. Let's just say they didn't play golf and Putin didn't catch the 'Mahdi fever' while he was there.

Citizen Warrior hits a hole in one with this one! Good one, CW! Modern Revelations about Islamic Revelations.

Just in case you missed it - Marked Manner points out an important endorsement picked up by Hillary Clinton after this weeks Democrat debacle debate. Hamas supports Hillary Clinton in 2008 (P.S. Check out all the jihadi links in the sidebar Marked Manner has for you to pwn with.)

Watcher is keeping his/her Eye on the World (and on the ball!) with this feel good story out of Iran. Iran: Massive Explosion in Parchin Missile site of Guard Corps.

Aurora over at The Midnight Sun managed to get the real deal on the Hollyweird writer's strike. That's right. It's All Rush Limbaugh's Fault.

I've long worried about the Wahhabi threat in our prisons. WC over at The Gathering Storm posts about a recent court decision on a case brought by - wait for it, MODERATE MUSLIM PRISONERS that might just offer a ray of hope. Disgruntled Muslim Prisoners Fed Up with Islamic Indoctrination

Remember the CIA/FBI spy that was in the news for a nanosecond before being buried deep in a sand trap? USpace at Hard To Swallow puts his own unique spin on the situation with Tanka and quality linkage in Hard To Swallow: MSM Passes on Bush-Bashing to Stay Quiet about Possible Alien Jihadi Spy Inside CIA via FBI...
Check it out.

19th hole...you're going to need a drink to get through this. (Watch the hands there, Willie Jeff!)

Chavez demands apology from the King of Spain

claims he "didn't hear" King Carlos telling him to shut up and goes on to say this:

"If I had heard him ... I would have stared him down like an Indian, because I am an Indian and a little bit black and white," he said.

One year of captivity for kidnapped contractors.

Thank you Vicki No Veil for reminding us.

(h/t The Jawa Report)

This is an anniversary that should never have been allowed to take place. One year ago today, five employees of Crescent Security were guarding a convoy of trucks taking supplies from Kuwait to Iraq, when they were stopped at a phony checkpoint. The contractors, Americans Paul Reuben, John Young, Jonathan Cote and Josh Munns, and Austrian Bert Nussbaumer, were abducted by men including some believed to be disgruntled former Crescent Security employees. Others have described the kidnappers as being part of Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army.

Whatever happened to the spirit of "Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead!"?

I agree with the government's policy of not negotiating with terrorists, but that assumes that the hostages aren't just being abandoned to their fate. To me that means searching for and rescuing the hostages and then killing or arresting the abductors. It doesn't mean that families should have to shoulder the responsibility of finding their loved ones and selling t-shirts to raise money for their ransom. I greatly admire the families that have refused to give up and let their husbands and sons be forgotten. But it shouldn't be necessary.

Please continue to pray for the safe release of these and other hostages in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pray that their families will be strengthened and renewed to continue their efforts, and that they will be blessed by a happy reunion with their loved ones.

This is a crying shame. Prayers up, Miss Vicki.

Imran Khan on hunger strike. Sort of.

What is it with these lefties and their fake hunger strikes? (Columbia. Code Pink.)

He did have some juice and water.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, protesting against his detention, emergency and arrest of his party workers, observed a hunger strike on Friday in Dera Ghazi Khan jail, sources revealed to The Post.The jail administration tried its best to make him eat but in vain, the sources said. However, he (Imran) agreed to take juice and water some time later, they added. According to reports, Imran was transported to Dear Ghazi Khan jail in a police truck after 14 hours of tedious journey.The PTI chief was treated as a dangerous criminal and no one was allowed to meet him, sources said. On his arrival, two doctors, one from the jail admin and other from DG Khan, examined him and issued a fitness certificate.

It must be catching - the Paki lawyers are trying it too.

A wicked googly - if you can make heads or tails of How and Who Bowled Imran Khan out, you're doing better than me.

Al Qaeda: Chased out of Iraq with their tails between their legs.

Chased out of Waziristan and now Al Qaeda chased from last Baghdad bastion.

(I pray that we will be able to continue to chase these scumbags to the ends of the earth.)

An armed Sunni group has ended Al-Qaeda’s tight two-year grip on north Baghdad’s volatile Adhamiyah neighbourhood and is now in control, an AFP correspondent witnessed on Friday.

A local militia calling itself the “revolutionaries of Adhamiyah” took over the Sunni district on the east bank of the Tigris on November 10 in a swift and audacious raid that sent Al-Qaeda fleeing from its last stronghold in Baghdad.

On Friday, members of the “revolutionaries of Adhamiyah” controlled main roads into the neighbourhood as well the square housing the famous Abu Hanifa mosque where Saddam Hussein made his last public appearance before fleeing Baghdad in 2003 as US-led forces invaded the country. A Sunni bastion encircled by Shiite districts, Adhamiyah had been one of the most dangerous areas of Baghdad, under the tight control of Al Qaeda “emirs”.

Next stop - I wonder, will it be the Pakistani tribal regions or Africa?

7 Terrorists Nabbed in France

Seven Suspected "Militants" held in France. (h/t The Jawa Report)

French authorities have detained seven suspected Islamic militants who allegedly trained to fight in Iraq by firing weapons in the woods of eastern France, police officials said Friday. Six of the men are French nationals of Bosnian origin, and the seventh is Algerian, the officials said. The men, ranging in age from early 20s to mid-40s, were arrested on Tuesday in the towns of Besancon and Pontarlier in eastern France. At least one was a student; another is a teacher.

Police and anti-terror investigators say anger over the Iraq war (oh yeah, that's right. See below.) has radicalized some young Muslims in France, which has Western Europe's largest Muslim population, estimated at 5 million.

Judicial authorities believe dozens of youths, some just young teens, have left from France for Iraq to join the insurgency. Some have been killed there. Police are particularly worried that some French youths with roots in North Africa may be traveling to Iraq, without being noticed, traveling via countries including Algeria and Morocco.

French counterterrorism officials worry that such militants could return home with skills learned in combat and a desire to carry out terror attacks in France — even though the country opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and has ruled out sending troops to help U.S. forces battling insurgents there.

Oh, but it's all about Iraq...really.

On a personal note, my husband travels to Besancon on business all the damn time...

Iraqi MDs murdered by the Religion of Peace.

Male gynos attacked by Islamists.

Male gynaecologists are being targeted by Islamic extremists in Iraq as they are accused of invading the privacy of women. Women’s NGOs have raised concerns as there are few women gynaecologists in the country and their male counterparts are scared to continue working.

“Because of the extremists’ religious views, doctors are scared to continue with their work and the number of women gynaecologists is very low and cannot meet the demand,” said Mayada Zuhair, spokeswoman for the Women’ Rights Association (WRA).

“Extremists say that [male] doctors are not allowed to see the private parts of women and two male doctors were reportedly killed last week after leaving their clinics. A message was left near their bodies saying that was the end for any doctor who insists in invading the privacy of Muslim women,” Mayada added.

Makes you wonder what they would be thinking about this: Virgin Territory: Muslim Women's Virginity Repair High Priority for NHS - while UK soldiers wait for treatment.
(h/t tip to the dynamic and lovely Miss Velvet over at Ironic Surrealism.)

UN sanctions looking less and less likely

China deals blow to Western efforts to punish Iran... drops out of November 19 meet.

China has dealt a blow to Western efforts to increase diplomatic pressure on Iran over its nuclear program by dropping out of a meeting to discuss tougher sanctions against Tehran.

Russia, which like China opposes further U.N. sanctions against Iran, added fuel to the fire by announcing on Friday that the U.N. nuclear watchdog would soon start inspecting and sealing atomic fuel bound for an Iranian reactor... Russia has given no specific date when it will send the nuclear fuel to Bushehr, but says it would be sent six months before the plant's start-up.

These guys are really starting to annoy me. I would like to deal a blow to Chinese efforts to host the Olympics.

The UK, France and Germany are all holding firm with France, and now Germany, pushing for EU sanctions similar to the US's.

Meanwhile Iran and China vow to boost ties and the Iranians want the US to apologize for lying to world public opinion, of all things. Oh please, don't make me laugh.

The US does some saber rattling by way of reply.

It's interesting to note that the NY Times is reporting that Iran was blocked from purchasing Nuclear materials at least 75 times over the last nine years.

/But it's for peaceful purposes, right?

More on that SA nuke break in...

Reactor raid renews fear about nukes in Africa.

Six security officials at Pelindaba, a high-security facility west of Pretoria, have been suspended, according to Rob Adam, chief executive of the South African Nuclear Energy Corp. Officials suspect the Nov. 8 raid was carried out by "technically sophisticated criminals" familiar with the facility's electronic security systems.

Formal commission of inquiry called for.

ACDP president Kenneth Meshoe has called for a formal commission of inquiry to determine how armed attackers were able to bypass the security systems at one of South Africa’s most closely guarded national key points.

Meshoe said he was not sure what South Africa could teach other countries about security at nuclear sites after such an embarrassing incident.

“It is embarrassing that a country that is hosting the International Atomic Energy Agency convention on nuclear safety soon should have such serious security breach.”

Not to worry, Mr. Meshoe. It is the IAEA after all.

Read about South Africa's nuclear history - the only country to build and dismantle nukes here. (the Penlindaba facility just makes medical nukes now)

It's important to note that SA played a large role in the Paki acquisition of nukes. (courtesy of the Acorn.)

...South Africa was also an important node in Pakistan’s illicit nuclear proliferation network. In addition to using the country as a trans-shipment point, A Q Khan’s accomplices had an entire centrifuge factory there. Given that Pakistan’s proliferation apparatus is still functional, and other cases of South Africans involved in

Want to read more? Idaho Samizdat is your man. Read the 6 questions he has concerning the event here.

Saudi UK ambassador stiffs nephew, ignores court proceedings

It's good to be Prince.

The Saudi ambassador to London's allegedly colourful shopping habits have been revealed in an embarrassing expenses claim including guns, karaoke machines and "party night" girls, a report said on Friday...

The more than £three-million (about R34-million) claim also includes expenses for top-of-the-range off-road cars, a thermal night-vision kit for his Hummer H2 and a £391 bill for a takeaway meal, The Guardian said.The bills were included in documents submitted to the High Court by a former employee of Prince Mohammed bin Nawwaf bin Abdul Aziz, a nephew of King Abdullah, who is claiming he was not reimbursed for the expenses...

a Beretta pistol for €6 761, as well as antique guns, a shotgun, and swords (€66 000). Also two Czech CZ75D and CZ97B pistols, a French Famas assault rifle and a Micro-Uzi machine gun of Israeli origin;

43 luxury watches at a cost of £350 000, including a Patek Philippe for 23 000 and two Jaeger Le Coultres for 17 500 and 16 700;

a fleet of Yamaha Grizzly and Big Bear quad bikes for £13 000;

five Raytheon thermal night vision cameras, to be fitted on an H2 Humvee US-army derivative vehicle: $183 000;

a crocodile Birkin bag listed at €18 770.

Outfits from the couturiers Lanvin for a further €150 000;

on a trip to Morocco "hotel extra suite expenses, rooms for girls etc: $1 465... girls party night 5: $2 500... Moroccan sweets arrangement to take away: $250... HRH cash in hand: $20 000".
"two Arab karaoke machines" for 3 180 Saudi riyals.

According to The Guardian, the Saudi diplomat was ordered to repay the money last month, after he ignored the court proceedings. The 54-year-old prince is seeking an "amicable" settlement with his ex-employee, the newspaper said.

Talibani to his Arab Brothers...

where the hell are you and what have you done for me lately?

In an interview published on Wednesday Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has criticized Arab states’ refusal to open their embassies in Iraq and to forgive Iraq’s debts.

“Unfortunately Arab countries are not in harmony with us...although we have urged their aid in all conferences,” he told Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram. Many countries, except Arab countries, have opened their embassies in Iraq and have forgiven Iraq’s debts, he said, adding “but we had to pay the Arab states 30 billion dollars in compensation in a time we were in great need for money to launch Iraq’s reconstruction.”

Iran rejects "urgent" meet with Solana

and El Baradei is not welcome either. Hugo Chavez is.

I wonder if it's because the imposition of new sanctions will depend on El Baradei's report. If you believe the Tehran Times the Zionist anger indicates that the report will come down on the side of Tehran. So it can't be that, right?

Israel thinks Iran is just trying to buy time.

All the while industrial enrichment is proceeding.

Lebanese AQ plotted to kill Nasrallah?

Lebanon: Al-Qaeda plan to kill Hezbollah chief and attack UN troops, says report

Beirut, 15 Nov. (AKI) - An al-Qaeda cell in Lebanon is reported to have planned to kill the leader of the militant Shiite group Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and carry out a violent attack on the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL). The alleged attacks were reported in the Lebanese newspaper al-Safir. The investigation into the al-Qaeda cell and its alleged plans began earlier this year with the arrest of some Islamic extremists, said the report in the local daily. The capture of the group's leader, a Lebanese man, led to the discovery of an organisation divided into three cells located in the al-Khurub, Sidone and Tiro areas of the country.

The group's aim was to kill the Hezbollah leader and to follow an order given by al-Qaeda number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a video released earlier this year, to attack UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon.

The same terrorists also admitted to having launched various missiles against Israel from the south of the country between 2004 and 2007.

US authorities reportedly asked to be informed about the investigation because a significant amount of explosives were found at the home of the captured Lebanese leader of the terrorist group. The explosives were said to be destined for use in Iraq against US forces.

In other Pakistan news

Troops back in Swat and the Militants disappear from the streets in Shangla. More here.

Pre- Eid Waziristan surge in the works?

Benazir gets in bed with the enemy. Cozy.

Party Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto has talked to some opposition leaders including Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Imran Khan for a joint struggle for the restoration of democracy and their response is positive,” said Ashraf while addressing a press conference at the party’s media centre.

Can you say Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam? Can you say Jamaat-e-Islami?

Her other strange bedfellow is Nawaz Sharif, the exiled leader of the Muslim N League. He is the guy who has the itchy nuke trigger finger.

I still say Madame Bhutto is trouble.

I guess this is good news. I don't know - if their MSM tv stations are anything like ours...
TV stations coming back on line.

And the useful idiots from Harvard are well - being idiots. Harvard to honor sacked Pak SC Justice. IMO this guy was just a meddling judiciary hampering the fight against the Islamists.

Speaking of useful idiots: Jemima Khan starts "Free Pakistan movement" in Britain.

Need to get the taste of useful idiots out of your mouth? Read Stanley Kurtz on Pakistan here.

Benazir gets ungrounded.

Benazir freed from house arrest

Benazir Bhutto has been released from house arrest in Pakistan, say reports.
The opposition leader was placed under a seven-day detention order on Tuesday in Lahore, where she had been planning a mass protest march.

Police said the order had been lifted - but there are reportedly still dozens of officers outside her residence.

It's called security, you idiot.

(Still in a bad mood after that Dem debate. Nice job pimping that boxers/briefs question into a Diamonds or Pearls question for the Hildebeast. Casting pearls before swine, more like.)

Democrats Vow Not to be Bullied By Bush on Iraq.

How about buffaloed, you fools?

(For the first time I watched a 2008 POTUS Dem debacle debate in it's entirety and for some reason I'm in a bad mood now. It might have something to do with the thought of those loons in charge of national security. It might have something to do with their poor production values - it was by far the most pathetically scripted and staged agit-prop dog and pony show I have ever seen. Don't even get me started on the make up! Ghastly. If they can't put on a debate, what makes them think they can do war. Just thinking about 4 8 years of that nonsense makes me shiver. Grrr.)

Another Grim Milestone

Murdering rat bastards.

A grim milestone you will never hear about in the MSM.

Brought to you by the website, The Religion of Peace

What a difference six years makes! In the mind-numbing aftermath of 9/11, who would have guessed that within just a few years American politicians would be campaigning on promises to ensure the comfort of incarcerated terrorists... that Hollywood writers would be generating reams of scripts replete with noble Muslim characters persecuted by fictitious American bigots... that footbaths would be making their way into airports and public universities... or that Muslim travelers would be chasing lawsuit dollars by scaring the hell out of fellow airline passengers with deliberately provocative behavior.

Welcome to this brave, new world, where even Osama bin Laden must be shaking his head over the spasm of Western butt-kissing that follows high-profile Islamic terror. Each new attack in the name of Allah seems to bring a fresh round of public groveling to the religion that inspires it - even if we can count on one hand the number of Muslims courageously calling the Islamic world to accountability for the violence.

Read it all.

(Got a minute to fight the Islamic jihad by saving the Religion of Peace? See here. )

Mandate, my Aunt Fanny.

I'm sure you've heard by now that Karl Rove has been hired by Newsweek as a counterpoint to the Daily Kos', Markos Moulitsas. (Whatever. It still won't make me buy that rag, Newsweek) Anyways. I found myself reading this WSJ Opinion piece written by Karl Rove and was absolutely gobsmacked by these numbers.

The Democratic victory in 2006 was narrow. They won the House by 85,961 votes out of over 80 million cast and the Senate by a mere 3,562 out of over 62 million cast. A party that wins control by that narrow margin can quickly see its fortunes reversed when it fails to act responsibly, fails to fulfill its promises, and fails to lead.

I had no clue the vote margin was THIS narrow.

To my way of thinking a margin this small does not a MANDATE make and for the Dems to go around screaming out their claim to this massive mandate like a bunch of chimpanzees - make that macacas, is just plain wrong.

Ruh-roh.

U.S. Examines 'plan B' for supplying troops in Afghanistan

IMO, they'd be guilty of gross dereliction of duty if they weren't studying contingencies at this point...but it is sobering to think what could happen if we found our supply lines under attack.

The U.S. military is examining different contingencies for supplying American troops in Afghanistan if supplies can no longer be shipped through Pakistan, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today. (Video)

Morrell hastened to add that the unrest in Pakistan following President Pervez Musharraf instituting a state of emergency has not impinged on U.S. supply lines through or over Pakistan.

Morrell said at a Pentagon news conference that the supply line issue “is a very real area of concern for our commanders in Afghanistan, because 75 percent of all of our supplies for our troops in Afghanistan flow either through or over Pakistan.” This includes about 40 percent of the fuel shipped to U.S. forces, which comes directly from Pakistani refineries. No ammunition goes through Pakistan, the press secretary said.

More at the link.

Useful Idiots on Parade

American Students seek true view of Middle East

Professors at the American University in Cairo call them "September 11 kids." In the heart of Egypt's capital the university with its arabesque buildings and gardens of palm trees is a new hot spot for Americans studying abroad.

Drawn by curiosity about the September 11 attacks on New York's World Trade Center in 2001, hundreds of American students are venturing to the Middle East, eager to learn Arabic, study Islam and cut through media stereotypes as they prepare for careers in intelligence or diplomacy.

Natasha George, a 38-year old Texan, decided to study at AUC in Cairo after her brother Michael deployed to Iraq with the U.S. Air Force.
...

"I wanted to understand how we got into a position where we were invading a country with no real reason," she said. "I wanted to get a first-hand look and I didn't trust the information that the U.S. media was reporting."

...

"It's funny how it's different. It's just not a scary place at all," said University of Illinois student Anne Shivers, whose worried older brother offered her $400 not to come to Cairo.
"I've explained it to my parents but they still don't believe me," she added.

Break in at nuclear site baffles South Africa

And get this. There were two attacks in one night

This much is known: Just after midnight on Nov. 8, Anton Gerber was sitting with his fiancée in the control room of South Africa’s most secretive nuclear facility, the site at which this nation’s apartheid government conceived and delivered six atomic bombs, when four gunmen burst into the room. Mr. Gerber pushed his fiancée under a desk. The attackers shot him in the chest, grabbed a computer and fled, but abandoned their booty as they came under assault by guards.

Now, one week after the assault, the most serious on a nuclear installation in recent memory, the government is largely mum about who was behind it, how they broke in or why.

Already, the attack is raising questions among advocates and analysts about the wisdom of plans by South Africa and other African states to embrace nuclear energy as a solution to chronic power shortages and the looming problems of climate change.

The assault on the Pelindaba nuclear reactor and research center, one of South Africa’s most zealously guarded properties, is a severe embarrassment to the government. The four gunmen escaped cleanly, neither caught by guards nor identified on surveillance cameras. Mr. Gerber is still recovering.

On Tuesday, officials belatedly acknowledged that the Pelindaba reactor had come under attack that same night by a second team of gunmen who were also repelled — and also escaped — after guards sounded an alarm.

It was evidently quite a busy week for nuclear activity in South Africa

A woman has appeared in Cape Town Magistrate's Court Nov 8th on charges of helping to smuggle parts used in manufacturing nuclear weapons from the United States to South Africa. Marisa Sketo, 46, allegedly also helped to export the nuclear weapon parts illegally from South Africa to Pakistan. She is facing charges under the Weapons of Mass Destruction Act. The trial has been rescheduled for January 23, according to a court official.

An unnamed US source reportedly told the TV station the parts she allegedly helped to smuggle to Pakistan were "rapid high-voltage electric switches". A nuclear weapons expert, who did not want to be named, said these switches "were used in nuclear weapons." Most likely he is referring to Krytron detonation switches or similar switches.

More details here:

Raid on site planned, co-ordinated. Armed men clearly had prior knowledge of the security system.

Computer taken, internal security personnel suspended pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

Paki Parliament makes like Cinderella...

and disappears at midnight.

Parliament to be dissolved at midnight.

If only we could wave our magic wand and make it happen to Reid, Pelosi & Co.

CAIR bellies up to the Media bar

and spreads their manure...

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said today the centerpiece of its "Beyond Stereotypes" campaign will be distribution of the newly-published "American Muslims: A Journalist's Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims" to some 40,000 media professionals nationwide.

CAIR's guide offers journalists the tools needed to gain a better understanding of Islam and to write accurate and balanced stories about Muslims.

The guide offers background information on issues related to Islam and Muslims, best practices for reporting on the American Muslim community and definitions of terminology often used in news stories or editorials.

The guide provides an Islamic perspective on hot-button issues such as Islam and democracy, freedom of religion, women's rights, and interfaith relations. Media professionals may request a free copy of CAIR's journalist guide through the "Beyond Stereotypes"

CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Right, and I'm Grace Kelly.

Meanwhile, the MSM will be eating it all up with a spoon.

You got to wonder what happened to CAIR's Saudi-bucks, because they're aggressively looking for sponsors to place the guides in the grubby hands of the MSM...

And here's some other steps CAIR is recommending you take to make sure the word is spread.

Maybe we should all leave a comment.

Let's hear it for the girls! (and goats)

AL-MUKULLA, Yemen - Army Capt. Joanna Buckley shows Yemeni herdswomen how to properly inoculate a goat. Buckley was part of a three-woman team who spent three days in Yemen educating 40 herdswomen.

The Iberia, Mo., native is the Bahrain Veterinary Services officer-in-charge.

U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Suzanne Eisinger.

You are my idol, Army Capt. Buckley.

Army Capt. Joanna Buckley, Bahrain Veterinary Services officer-in-charge, Navy Chief Petty Officer Suzanne Eisinger, a chief sonar technician for surface warfare, and Army Staff Sgt. Jennifer Brooks, 489th Civil Affairs Battalion civil affairs liaison officer, spent two days in a classroom environment and one day conducting hands-on training with women from the Yemen coast of Hadramout and the Yemen valley to better educate them on animal husbandry and treatment of herds.

“Being a strictly female team aided us by putting the participants at ease and helped the exchange of information and learning to be more open,” said Buckley.

Feminists pretty much suck. Army girls rock.

“I gained a better understanding of how important herd health is for a family and a community that truly depends upon animals for income and food,” said Buckley. “I learned that a basic foundation of animal husbandry can greatly help these women improve their herd’s profitability.

“I also learned how much I take for granted the education that is available to women in the United States,” said the captain. “The women who participated in this program were eager and willing to learn so that they could increase their knowledge and their confidence. I was fortunate to play a small role in that.”

Get your Koranic toilet seat right here, folks!

Italy: Muslims campaign against Koranic toilet seat. (tip of the Islam-o-plunger to TROP)

A campaign launched by an imam in central Italy and other local Muslims against a toilet seat featuring verses of the Koran has made it to the frontpage of London-based Arabic daily Al-Quds al-Arabi. "Uproar in Italy over the 'Koranic' toilet seat cover," screamed a banner headline in the paper - one of the best-selling in the Middle East.

The imam of the mosque in the town of Latina in the central Italian region of Lazio, Sheikh Yusuf, on 26 October heckled interior minister Giuliano Amato about the toilet seat as he presented Italy's new 'Charter of values, citizenship and integration' for immigrants' at Rome's Grand Mosque.

Listen to the interior minister as he exhibits a Charmin two ply fold:

"... Amato, who reassured Yusuf, saying: "I would like to tell our friends from Latina that we have been informed of this matter and are taking action because it is offensive."

Consider the toilet seats seized. (I don't know, but I kinda got a charge out of this part.)

"Inscribing the toilet seat covers with Ayat Al-Kursi (The Verse of the Throne) and putting the noble verse in the nastiest place was not unintentional," he said.

Just in case you were wondering, here's the Verse of the Throne -

"Before or After or Behind them..." (snicker)

"Allah! There is no god but He - the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him Nor Sleep. His are all things In the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede In His presence except As he permitteth? He knoweth What (appeareth to His creatures As) Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they compass Aught of his knowledge Except as He willeth. His throne doth extend Over the heavens And on earth, and He feeleth No fatigue in guarding And preserving them, For He is the Most High. The Supreme (in glory)."[Surah al-Baqarah 2: 255]

Amen suckas.

Calling all Pajamahideen!

How many anti-jihadi websites have you seen this at?

Well, if something's not done - it will be GONE.

Your help is urgently needed.

The Religion of Peace, the go-to guys on all things Islamic is being harassed and slandered by some shadowy, shady character with ties to CAIR. (tip of the tiara to Queen Aurora over at The Midnight Sun for this gem!)

A campaign of harassment has been carried out against the excellent anti-jihadi blog, The Religion of Peace with the help of several internet companies. A shadowy character calling himself ‘Rev. Jim Sutter’ (a pseudonym) has lied, harassed and campaigned to have this website closed down. Who is this ‘Rev. Jim Sutter’ and who is behind him? And why out of all the anti-jihad blogs did he target this one? Read the astonishing story below.


Read it and act. We all need to take a stand on this, ladies and gentlemen.


Out of respect for others The Religion of Peace has avoided asking for assistance. They did not want to impose their problems onto anyone else. I have permission to make this appeal on their behalf.


Please ask your readers to contact the following companies with a short polite e-mail clearly stating that The Religion of Peace -(include the url in the e-mails) is against violence, not racist and should be categorized appropriately under labels such as General News, Politics and Religion. To the best of our knowledge the e-mail addresses are correct.

If anyone encounters problems please contact either myself or The Religion of Peace:

Secure Computing e-mail: ">sites@securecomputing.com
SonicWall e-mail: cfssupport@sonicwall.com
SurfControl e-mail: customerservice@surfcontrol.com

It's all hands on deck for this one, possums.


About Reverend Jim Sutter:


CAIR and the Con Artist

... I subsequently learned that the person behind it is a 51-year-old Cleveland, Ohio area man named Jim Sutter. Sutter is a disturbed man whose only real claim to fame is having successfully used e-mail aliases to persuade the Internet's largest censorware providers to block websites that do not share his particular ideology (including my own).


Sutter also calls himself "Reverend" and claims to be a highly decorated Navy Seal combat veteran who holds the Navy Cross and four Purple Hearts. He says that he has three doctorates and two master degrees, and claims to speak eleven languages, including Arabic. In fact, all of Sutter's "degrees" are mail order certificates, his title of "reverend" is bogus, and he is not the retired Navy officer that he claims to be, much less a decorated Seal.


Sutter actually dropped out of the Navy in 1976 after only seven months of mess hall training (he never saw an active duty assignment or combat). He obviously spends a good deal of time inventing fantasies about himself that often fool others.Sutter is also a two-time felon, but the worst thing that he may have done is to portray himself as a licensed professional counselor actively seeking victims of rape and psychological trauma. His current scheme is running an intellectually-challenged blog in which he pretends to be an "anti-hate" crusader with a one-word vocabulary (everyone with whom Sutter disagrees is automatically slurred as a racist, regardless of their actual view on race).


There's more here.

...It turns out that our Phony Rev’s “anti-hate” crusade is about as genuine as the rest of him. Over the last several months at least, Sutter has been busy stirring up hatred against Muslims and Jews through the use of e-mail aliases. Disguised as a Muslim writer, Sutter has called Jews “pigs,” spouted 9-11 conspiracy theory and even defended the practices of slavery, beheading and pedophilia to anti-Islamist site operators.

Under another alias (this one non-Muslim) Jim Sutter has actually advocated shooting Muslims and bombing mosques. This is one sick puppy. A few more details about this can be found here.

Perhaps the most interesting thing to come out of this is that the Council on American-Islamic Relations, though made aware of Sutter's dishonesty and 'covert' activities, has continued to stand by its endorsement of him.


The man himself:

Not my lovely diggers!

Krekar, the kreep

God bless Australia and God bless their troops. IMO we owe them a debt of gratitude that will take a long time to repay....

So you can imagine that reading this Terrorist leader urges followers to target diggers left me very steamed. (tip of the Australian Slouch aka Digger hat to the fine folks over at Fortress Australia Outpost)

THE founder of the Iraqi terrorist militia Ansar al-Islam has called on his followers to kill Australian troops and their civilian support staff in Iraq, and defended his group's murder of Najmaddin Faraj Ahmad, who is commonly known as Mullah Krekar, has told the ABC's Foreign Correspondent program: "It is allowed for me to kill Australian soldiers in Iraq. It is allowed for me in Islam to kill his translator, to kill the people which give him food and water, give him medicine. All of them is in the line of the war." Australian cameraman Paul Moran, killed by a suicide bomber in northern Iraq in March 2003.

From the ABC Foreign Correspondent website:

Alleged Iraqi terrorist Mullah Krekar faces almost certain execution if deported to Iraq from his safe haven in Oslo, but he’s beaten all attempts by Norway to imprison or deport him and also foiled a CIA kidnap attempt.Mullah Krekar, created the radical islamic guerrilla force, Ansar al Islam, now known as Ansar Al Sunna. It’s affiliated to Al Qaeda. Now confident of his position in Norway, Krekar makes extraordinary admissions. He admits training a unit of suicide bombers who have since slaughtered hundreds of men, women and children.

There's more:
The Norwegian Government says Krekar has breached asylum conditions, is a threat to national security and want him out of the country. But after six years of court cases, Krekar isn’t going anywhere. Norwegian law prohibits deportation to countries that have the death penalty or engage in torture.The United States Treasury department maintains that Krekar, despite his denials, stills commands fighters in Iraq. It describes him as an Al Qaeda facilitator who covertly funds Ansar operations through a European network.

Meanwhile back in Norway, the dhimmis are dithering: Authorities mum on Krekar's latest provocation
A government spokesperson told news bureau NTB that Norwegian officials are finished with his case, and had no comment on the latest batch of controversial remarks Krekar reportedly made to an Australian television station.

At least there's still this possibility: Krekar faces house arrest

Norwegian authorities will likely restrict mullah Krekar's freedom of movement when a new Immigrant Act comes into effect. Krekar, founder of the militant Islamic Kurdish guerrilla group Ansar al-Islam, can finally be legally deported from Norway, but will not be until his home country of Iraq is considered safe by Norwegian authorities.

In the interim, Krekar will likely face a type of house arrest that will make it easier to monitor him, radio station P4 reports.

A proposal contained in the new Immigrant Act allows the government to impose a fixed abode for and regular reports from a person deemed a threat to national security. A recent Supreme Court ruling confirmed that there were grounds to assess Krekar a threat to national security.
"The proposal means that Krekar may also be forbidden from staying at certain locations," said state secretary at the Ministry of Labor and Social Inclusion Libe Rieber-Mohn.

"We want to increase security. At the same time, we cannot intern people like Krekar because it would violate international conventions," Rieber-Mohn said.

House arrest with no damn internet, thank you very much. Also in the interview:
He (Krekar) explains how through the internet, he calls on supporters to kill Australian and American troops in Iraq.

Gazastreet Boys...

They're sure not singing my tune...

Wearing blue camouflage fatigues and crooning about Islamic holy war, the five members of Hamas's Protectors of the Homeland police band are trying to boost morale in Gaza with an arsenal of anti-Israel numbers. Standing bolt upright and staring straight ahead in their Hamas uniforms, the bearded men -- in their 20s and 30s -- are not quite Gaza's answer to international boy bands like Backstreet Boys or 'N Sync. "Our duties are to boost the spirits with entertainment and encourage the forces," Hussam Abu Abdu told Reuters after a band rehearsal at the Hamas-run Gaza Strip's police headquarters. Hamas's top police commander, Jamal al-Jarah, who is wanted by Israel, formed the band after the Islamist group seized control of Gaza in June following violent clashes with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah faction.

Their idea of a good lyric:

"O Jerusalem, rest assured we are the sacrifice," goes one song. "I will not retreat from my Jihad, I will not back down."

The ever-tightening noose in Iraq...

The Mosque formerly known as um-al Qura

Iraq govt shuts down HQ of Sunni group...

Iraqi government soldiers shut down the Baghdad headquarters of one of the most powerful Sunni Muslim groups in Iraq on Wednesday cordoning off the building and accusing the group of supporting al-Qaeda, officials said.Soldiers moved into the Um al-Qura mosque in a Sunni district of western Baghdad where the Committee of Muslim Scholars is based and ordered the occupants out, according to a statement on the group's website. The committee, which is said to be close to the anti-U.S. insurgency in Iraq, is headed by cleric Harith al-Dhari, one of the most important Sunni Muslim religious figures in Iraq who currently lives in exile in Jordan.

The association has long opposed the U.S. military presence in Iraq and has often been at odds with the Shiite-backed government. It spearheaded the Sunni boycott of the January 2005 elections, which fueled the insurgencyAccording to the association, the soldiers were acting on the orders of Ahmad Abdel Rafur Sammarrai, who runs a government agency charged with managing Sunni mosques and other religious sites. The raid is yet another sign of the growing battle for influence between the Committee of Muslim Scholars and rival Sunni groups, some of which have joined U.S. forces in the fight against Al-Qaeda.

Good news

Hot on the heels of reading about the formation of an "Islamic Emirate" in Pakistan ala the AQ command structure in Iraq we get this good news from MNI-Iraq.


US kills Al Qaeda in Iraq's Emir.


Task Force 88, the special operations hunter-killer teams assigned to dismantle al Qaeda in Iraq's leadership, took out a major link in the terror network earlier this month. Today, Multinational Forces Iraq reported "Coalition forces"--which is the code used for the Task Force-- killed Tha’ir Malik, the emir of Tarmiyah.



na-na, na-na-na-na,

hey-hey-a, good bye.

Chased out of the Waziristans - foreign fighters landed in Swat.

Pakistan loses Swat to Taliban.

...explaining in some measure the new brutality witnessed in Swat, are the reports of foreign militants joining Fazlullah. As North and South Waziristan have witnessed intense fighting, many foreign fighters have moved to safer areas, including Swat. Fighters from Uzbekistan and Afghanistan among others reportedly have joined Fazlullah’s forces—a claim denied by Fazlullah. Locals claim that the foreigners perpetrated the recent beheadings of four troops (Daily Times, November 7).

Despite knowledge of these developments, the government was slow to respond. Local officials are rumored to be either ambivalent or even sympathetic to the militants. The local administrator was replaced in October under a hail of allegations that he aided the fighters. The main religious parties, JI and the JUI have been loath to confront Fazlullah, as they both fight for influence in the region and fear alienating potential supporters.

The troops on the front lines - "ever-more humiliated"

...The morale of the armed forces in Swat and elsewhere is low due to abduction, beheading of captive troops, increasingly sanguinary and brazen suicide attacks, deals with the militants, decisive military defeats and the demoralizing task of fighting one’s own citizens. These difficulties have resulted in numerous troop defections and many paramilitary and military personnel choosing to leave service. The evacuation of the government and incapacity of the security forces have left the population in Swat and elsewhere vulnerable to ravages of the militants and fearful of swift airborne assaults by an ever-more humiliated army.

...With the under-equipped and ill-prepared security forces already demoralized by a war that pits them against their fellow countrymen and in many cases against co-ethnics and fellow tribesmen, Musharraf’s actions are not likely to foster confidence and morale amongst his military. Yet this is exactly what is needed if Pakistani forces are to rally to the cause of tackling the Taliban.

More on the Taliban takeover of Shangla district

Map shamelessly lifted from the Long War Journal - thanks Mr. Roggio

red = Taliban controlled districts.

purple = defacto Taliban control

yellow = under Taliban threat.

From Bill Roggio.

The Taliban continue to take territory in the Northwest Frontier Province. After fighting the Pakistani military to a standstill in North Waziristan and forcibly taking over much of Swat, the Taliban have marched eastward into the settled district of Shangla.

The problem with this?

The Taliban's move into Shangla pushes the extremists even closer to Islamabad.

The problem with that?

"We can't say with absolute certainty that we know where they all are," the Washington Post quoted an unnamed former US official as saying. As for any US effort to seize and secure Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, the official said: "It could be very messy."

Islamabad, Washington's key ally in the fight against al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, is believed to have about 50 nuclear-armed weapons, an arsenal it began assembling after detonating its first nuclear devices in May 1998.

More about how Shangla fell with a whimper not a bang here. And here.

While the world's attention focused on the troubles of President General Pervez Musharraf following his declaration of a state of emergency in Pakistan at the weekend, the Taliban have launched a coup of their own in Afghanistan and the Pashtun areas of Pakistan. Pakistani troops had prevented the Taliban from launching their planned post-Ramadan (Muslim holy month) offensive into Afghanistan by invading the Pakistani North Waziristan and South Waziristan tribal areas on October 7.

The Taliban managed to set up a counter engagement by stirring their network in the Swat Valley in North-West Frontier Province, which took the pressure off the Waziristans. The November 4 declaration of an emergency and the preparations before it was enforced distracted the military. As a result, several villages and towns in the Swat Valley, only a drive of four hours from Islamabad, have fallen to the Taliban without a single bullet being fired - fearful Pakistani security forces simply surrendered their weapons.

I read things like this and I can better understand (and support) Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency. There's more:

The Taliban have secured similar successes in the northwestern Afghan province of Farah and the southwestern provinces of Uruzgan and Kandahar, where districts have fallen without much resistance.

A new wave of attacks is expanding the Taliban's grip in the southeastern provinces of Khost and Kunar. And on Tuesday, the Taliban are suspected to have been responsible for the massive suicide attack in northern Baghlan province in which scores of people died, including a number of parliamentarians, most notably Sayed Mustafa Kazimi, the Hazara Shi'ite leader.

Rise of the Neo Taliban - part 2

"And then nobody will be able to stop our march...."

Straight from the mouths of the mujahideen in the mud huts, Syed Saleem Shahzad discusses the "dynamics of the new Afghan resistance", the latest "Islamic Emirate" org chart, nukes, and the "real showdown" shaping up in the tribal regions of Pakistan.

"... soon all the people in the mud hut had gathered around and the conversation turned to the new dynamics of the Afghan resistance. So I launched a series of questions.

"It is still not clear who is in whose command. What is the command of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar [leader of the Hezb-i-Islami]? Is [veteran Afghan resistance figure] Jalaluddin Haqqani under [Taliban leader] Mullah Omar, or is he commanding separately? Who do the Pakistan Taliban answer to? To Mullah Omar? And what are Pakistani jihadis up to? Sadiq smiled at the barrage of questions and responded with some breaking news, "Mullah Omar, the Taliban shura [council], al-Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban have resolved this issue once and for all. Soon the mujahideen will announce the revival of a [region-wide] Islamic emirate, and after this - like all fighting groups gathered under a single command in Iraq - all commanders in Afghanistan will fall under the umbrella of the Islamic emirate.

"The Islamic emirate will govern [operations in] Afghanistan and Pakistan, and whether it is Gulbuddin Hekmatyar or any other, they will be under a single command and will not be able to defy the emirate because this is Islam," Sadiq said.

The pronouncement of an emirate would be a major development, and I jumped to my feet. "Are you sure that an Islamic emirate will be announced soon?" "Yes, indeed," said Sadiq smiling. "Sadiq, you know what this means? It would challenge both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Are the Taliban capable of doing this?" I asked. "Of course we are," Sadiq replied calmly.

Even the mud hut mujahideen knows the stakes involved in Pakistan

The Americans know exactly how near we are to Islamabad and they are aware of defections in the Pakistani army, and they are also aware that only one or two defections at the level of colonel will mean that the mujahideen will get their hands on some batteries of missiles which can carry nuclear warheads. "And they [Americans] know the moment the mujahideen get that, the game will turn in favor of the mujahideen both in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and then nobody will be able to stop our march. So the Americans want a big battle between the army and the mujahideen so that the end game will be that they can step in and destroy Pakistan's nukes under the pretext that the Pakistani army cannot protect them from the mujahideen," Sadiq said.

Sounds like a plan to me...

Rise of the Neo Taliban - part 1 can be found here.

Pak: Send Lawyers, Guns and Money

Lawyers

Michigan lawyers express solidarity with their Pakistani brethren. (Jewish lawyers do, too.)
The State Bar of Michigan has urged its members to show support for their Pakistani counterparts and to “encourage our own government to support the release of the detained judges, lawyers and human rights activists, and the restoration of the rule of law in Pakistan”.

Last of Senior Lawyer leaders taken away.
KARACHI: The last of the senior frontline lawyers heading the protests were removed from the scene by Tuesday afternoon with the arrests of Munirur Rahman, who is the honorary secretary of the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA), its former president 65-year-old Abdul Lafeez Lakho and another former president Akhtar Hussain.According to witnesses, at the time Lakho was with Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed who had addressed the SHCBA general body meeting in the afternoon. When their car reached the gate, a police party stopped the vehicle and attempted to take Lakho into custody. Justice Wajihuddin resisted by demanding a warrant of arrest or any other order. They were made to wait for half an hour following which an order from the Sindh Home Department surfaced in which Lakho was served with detention orders under the MPO for 90 days. The senior lawyer was then sped away.

Guns

Gunmen fire at police during PPP protest
KARACHI: Gunmen opened fire on two police stations in Karachi on Tuesday as supporters of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto were protesting against her house arrest, but no one was hurt, Reuters quoted a senior police official as saying.“About 35 to 40 armed men fired ... while the PPP workers were holding a protest rally,” said senior police official Fayyaz Khan.

Bright Star Military Exercises enters next phase.
The ongoing Coalition Military Exercises, Bright Star between Pakistan, Egypt, US, Kuwait, Germany, France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Netherlands, Turkey and Yemen in Egypt entered into the next phase, says an ISPR press release.

Money

Italian reporter's wallet stolen.
The wallet of Italian newspaper La Repubblica’s reporter Raimondo Bultrini was stolen while he was talking to SSP (operations) Aftab Ahmad Cheema on Tuesday. Reporters from almost all around the world were in the city on Tuesday to cover the Pakistan People’s Party’s long march which was scheduled to be taken out early on Tuesday. The dejected reporter did not lodge a complaint and simply went away from the scene for a while.

Fake bills business thrives in Islamabad, Pindi.
Unhindered circulation of counterfeit bills, particularly of Rs 5,000 denomination, is at its peak in the twin cities’ markets causing a huge loss to the business community.The government had introduced new bills of various denominations ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 5,000 claiming that they contained new security features to discourage production and circulation of fake bills. However, the claim blew up right in its face, encouraging the counterfeiters to go ahead with their business uninterrupted.The fake bills look so genuine that no one can tell them from genuine ones. In addition to Pakistani currency, the counterfeiters have also been producing and circulating fake foreign currency.

Meanwhile back at the Paki front - the struggle for sharia continues

Taliban take over Shangla town.

Around 500 local Taliban took over control of Shangla district headquarter Alpuri moments after sunset on Tuesday, occupying the DPO, DCO and police lines offices without facing any resistance from the government, eyewitness and a local nazim told Daily Times.

The eyewitnesses said the armed militants urged locals to stay calm and extend all possible support to them. Alpuri union council Nazim Sabir told Daily Times that the armed militants, led by Maulana Muhammad Alam, a close associate of rebel Swat cleric Maulana Fazlullah, captured the district.“

All government functionaries, including the DPO and DCO, left the area the moment they heard of the fall of Shangla Top police station, located at the border between Swat and Shangla,” Sabir said.

Taliban commander Maulana Muhammad Alam was quoted as saying that no one would be harmed nor would any private or state property be damaged. “We only struggle for the enforcement of Shariah,” he told Alpuri residents.

Paki crack down - ban on satellite dishes

Import of satellite equipment banned.

The government on Tuesday restricted the import of a total of 14 items, including satellite dishes, decoders, receivers, Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG), encoders, modulators, High Power Amplifiers (HPAs), Integrated Digital Receivers (IRDs), Broadband Global Access Network (B-GAN) and Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs).

From now onwards, only importers that get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) would be allowed to import such equipment. If any consignment of such equipment arrives in the country that is not supported by a NOC from PEMRA, it would be confiscated at the import stage, according to an official at the Commerce Ministry.

Due to the ban on the telecast of private television channels following the imposition of emergency, the sale and import of satellite dishes, decoders, receivers, DSNG and similar items had increased. Viewers are able to watch most banned channels, including programmes on political developments, the Swat operation and protests by lawyers and opposition parties.

Pak: Amir Khan arrested. Bhutto still grounded.

And get this, Khan was detained by 'hard line students' until police arrived according to the WSJ article...

From the Beeb: Khan arrested at Pakistan protest.

Pakistani opposition politician Imran Khan has been arrested after making his first public appearance since emergency rule was declared, police have said.

The former cricketer was detained after going to the University of Punjab in Lahore to address a protest by students against President Pervez Musharraf.

From the WSJ: Bhutto: Grounded one more day, but Pervez to give up role as Army Chief, as planned.

In an interview, he (Musharraf) blamed former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, currently under house arrest for at least another day, for fueling political turmoil with an "acute trust deficit," but left the door open to working with her after elections.

Is it just me, or is Bhutto beginning to seem like the Nancy Pelosi of Pakistan to you, too? Her niece is airing some dirty laundry over at the LA Slimes editorial page: Aunt Benazir's false promises.

Ms. Bhutto's repeated promises to end fundamentalism and terrorism in Pakistan strain credulity because, after all, the Taliban government that ran Afghanistan was recognized by Pakistan under her last government -- making Pakistan one of only three governments in the world to do so.

Just in time for Haj - get your animal sacrifice coupons...

But make sure it's an OFFICIAL animal sacrifice coupon. (a tip of the cleaver to Aunty Dhimmitude) Last year false coupons were distributed (surely that is haraam) and their Haj was left incomplete. Oh the humanity!

JEDDAH, 12 November 2007 — With pilgrims required to sacrifice animals as part of the Haj rituals, they have been warned against falling prey to unauthorized individuals distributing unofficial coupons for animal sacrifice.

Ahmed Muhammad Ali, president of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), delivered the warning at an annual meeting with Haj officials, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) delegates and representatives from foreign embassies yesterday.

Ali said the only authorized provider of sacrifice coupons in the Kingdom is the Saudi Project for Utilization of Haj Meat, which is managed by the IDB.

Ali said last year there were reports of fake coupons being distributed resulting in people’s pilgrimages being left incomplete, as livestock was not being sacrificed.

Valid coupons are sold through Al-Rajhi Bank, the Al-Amoudi Exchange Co. and the Saudi Project for Utilization of Haj Meat’s website: http://www.adahi.org/.

There are two types of slaughterhouses that are run during Haj by the Saudi Project for Utilization of Haj Meat: Open-door slaughterhouses (for sheep, camels and cows) and closed-door slaughterhouses that are exclusively reserved for sheep. In open-door slaughterhouses, pilgrims can select their own animals. The meat is then transported to eligible recipients and all animals are checked by vets.

In closed-door slaughterhouses, pilgrims arrange their slaughters by proxy. Access to these slaughterhouses is permitted to representatives of pilgrims and one permit is granted to a representative of a group of pilgrims consisting of no less than 30 pilgrims.

“We advise pilgrims to delegate the sacrificing ritual... For those wishing to go to open slaughterhouses we advice them to avoid crowded hours,” said Ali, adding that meat is distributed to the poor in Makkah and exported to poor Muslims across the world.

The IDB chief said that previously meat would go bad in the heat and would be shoveled in large holes to be burned. However, the Kingdom’s new animal sacrifice system minimizes such occurrences.

Ali said a shipment of meat would also be sent to Darfur this year. Slaughtering of animals begin immediately after Eid prayers and is completed before the sunset of Dhul Hijjah 13.

The Kingdom established the Saudi Project for Utilization of Haj Meat in 1403AH to enable pilgrims to have a smooth and trouble-free Haj, and to make maximum utilization of the sacrificial meat.

Bonus Haj tip: Chapped thighs marring your haj, there pilgrim? Here's your answer.

Guess they haven't got the memo yet...

US Catholic conference of Bishop voices alarm over Iraq.

They HATE to say they told us so (quagmire! quagmire!) but... and they want us to work with Iran and Syria...like that hasn't been tried before.

BALTIMORE - Increasingly frustrated by the war in Iraq and worried about bellicose talk toward Iran, the outgoing president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops described the situation in Iraq yesterday as "unacceptable and unsustainable" and called for the Bush administration to work with Iran and Syria to stabilize the region...

About the incoming president Bishop Francis George...

"As archbishop of Chicago, Francis George's recent record on the crisis has been characterized by an inexplicably high tolerance for priests credibly accused of sexually assaulting children,"

Here's a copy of the memo for the Bishop's no doubt overflowing in basket.

Death by the light of the silvery moon

From the Asia Times: Rise of the Neo-Taliban: Part 1

Without legends such as the slain Mullah Dadullah and Mullah Akhtar Osmani, and with an extremely ill Jalaluddin Haqqani, a neo-Taliban movement has emerged with a new leadership, new zeal and new dynamics. The revitalized and resupplied Taliban are geared to enter a new phase of war without borders to fight coalition forces in Afghanistan and the Pakistan army.

Oh really, now?

Jarrah began, "Before answering you, I will ask you a question. Who is qualified to claim that he has actually seen world?" Before I could reply to this rather strange question, Jarrah answered himself, "The one who has experienced true love, the one who has lived in an alien atmosphere and place, and the one who has spent time in captivity.

"The mujahideen have experienced all three things in the past seven years. We have been reared on a true love for our global struggle, we were forcibly displaced from one place to another and we spent lots of time in the detention centers of Cuba [Guantanamo], in Pakistan, Bagram [Afghanistan] and Abu Ghraib [Iraq] and braved the brutalities of the CIA [US Central Intelligence Agency], the ISI [Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence] and Afghan intelligence," Jarrah said.

I call bullshit on this guy.

Happy Veterans Day...

Please take a minute to thank a soldier here.

Islamic Rage Boy - the truth is out there.

The Truth behind Islamic Rage boy -

He's 29 years old and lives with his Mom. He dropped out of school at the ripe, old age of 10 and gee, what a surprise, he's a Truther. And get ready, girls. His fondest wish is to marry a non-Muslim woman to convert her and get a special place in the after life. I particularly liked this part:

Shakeel's understanding of the world is limited by his inability to read or write. He likes going to demonstrations and has an ambition to start a political party.

Gee, Officer Krupke-he's depraved on account he's deprived.

Shakeel Ahmad Bhat is the product of poverty, lack of opportunity and state brutality. Islam is to him a way of life. He is illiterate and his only source of news is the street.

Read it all, possums.

God Love George Bush 41!

I'm freefallin'

What a guy!

Former President Bush celebrated the grand reopening of his presidential museum today with a surprise skydive. It was the former president's sixth skydive and his first since 2004, when he jumped to celebrate his 80th birthday.

When Bush jumped today, he was strapped to an expert from the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team, as he did three years ago.

Bush is 83 years old. He had hip replacement surgery in January. He said at the time that he planned to skydive in 2009 for his 85th birthday. Bush's first parachute jump came in 1944 when he was shot down over the Pacific island of Chi Chi Jima.

Spanish King tells Hugo Chavez to shut up-

and I love it.

Spain's King Juan Carlos told Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez to "shut up" as the Ibero-American summit drew to a close in Santiago, Chile.

The outburst came after Mr Chavez called former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar a "fascist".

Mr Chavez then interrupted Spanish PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's calls for him to be more diplomatic, prompting the king's outburst.

And what a nice smackdown it was...

Mr Chavez called Mr Aznar, a close ally of US President George W Bush, a fascist, adding "fascists are not human. A snake is more human."

Mr Zapatero said: "Former President Aznar was democratically elected by the Spanish people and was a legitimate representative of the Spanish people."

Mr Chavez repeatedly tried to interrupt, despite his microphone being turned off. The king leaned forward and said: "Why don't you shut up?"

According to reports, the king used a familiar term normally used only for close acquaintances - or children.

Take that, Hugo Chapass.

Update: Mi amigos at Eye on the World have video! Priceless.

Hah! Most Arabic Yahoo groups are about S-E-X...

How funny is this? (h/t The Religion of Peace)
By country:
Hoo-boy. Arabic is the 2nd most common language that is used to search for “gay sex.”

It’s the number one language for search involving “sexy.”

As you can see in that same graph, Iran is at 3 and Egypt is at 4, listed under regions where search on “sexy” was most conducted.

Arabic is the 2nd most common language that is used to search for “gay man.” The countries that most search for this is currently Malaysia (#1) and Indonesia (#2).

For “gay girl,” Arabic is also the 2nd most common language.

For “child porn,” Turkey is the 2nd country where this is most searched. Turkish is the #1 language used. Turkey has one of the most searches for the word “porno.” Morocco is at 5. Turkish is #1 language used to conduct the search in.

Indonesia is currently #1 country that search for the word “vagina.”

For the kinks in crowd...

Egypt is currently #1 for “fat sex.”

Pakistan, Morocco, Turkey and Egypt are at the top of the list when it comes to “animal sex.”

For “children sex,” Pakistan is at #1, Egypt #2 and Iran #3. The most common languages used to conduct the search in are Arabic and Turkish.

For “sexy child,” Pakistan is #1, followed by Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey. Common languages are Persian, Arabic, and Turkish.

For “homo sex,” Indonesia is #1, Morocco is at 6.

For “rape,” Pakistan is at 1. Malaysia is at 3.

For “bird sex,” Egypt is at 1. (Come ON!)

A hair raising experience...

What you got under there, Bushra?

Hairdresser sued in row about headscarf.

The owner of an "alternative" London hair salon is being sued for religious discrimination after refusing to give a job to a Muslim woman who wanted to wear a headscarf at work.

Sarah Desrosiers, whose Wedge salon specialises in "urban funky" cuts, says she turned down applicant Bushra Noah because she was "selling image" and needed her staff to display their hairstyles to the public.

Ms Noah, 19, is claiming religious discrimination and suing Ms Desrosiers for more than £15,000 for injury to her feelings, as well as an unspecified sum for lost earnings.

Ms Desrosiers, 32, who set up her business in King's Cross 18 months ago, has already spent more than £1,000 fighting the case and says that if she loses she will be forced to close. She denies any discrimination and says she rejected Ms Noah because she was unwilling to show her hair at works.

Be a poll cat. Evening Standard Poll: Hijab or Job.

Coffee, tea or burka?

The latest targets of the Islamofashion police.

Malaysian Muslim Women want Air Asia crew to cover up ...in skirts to their ankles.

Influential Malaysian Muslim women demanded on Friday a budget airline to swap its flight attendants' miniskirts for less revealing, more Islamic attire in keeping with the multi-faith country's dominant religion.

Female delegates of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), during a debate on Islam at the final day of its week-long annual meeting, zeroed in on AirAsia's stewardesses, saying their skirts should go down to the ankles. The 3.3-million-strong UMNO represents the country's dominant ethnic Malays, who are by definition Muslim. UMNO is increasingly pushing an Islamic agenda to counter the opposition Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) in the country's Malay heartland.

"increasingly pushing an Islamic agenda" - I'd say so.

Here's Beyonce to get that sharia taste out of your mind...

Help! I've been kidnapped by...

relatives from outer space...(my father and his bride are visiting.)

Hope to be back soon.

King Abdullah gives Pope a sword?

How very Religion of Peace of him

Makes all that "work for peace, build closer ties" business kind of suspect to me.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Pope Benedict XVI pledged to work for peace and build closer religious ties at an historic meeting at the Vatican in Rome on Tuesday. It was the first official visit by a Saudi monarch to the Holy See and the meeting lasted for thirty minutes.

The 84-year-old monarch, wearing a traditional blue, gold and white robe, gave the 80-year-old pope a gold sword encrusted with stones and in exchange the pontiff gave King Abdullah a 16th century engraving of the Vatican.

More details on the historic meeting can be found here.
They spoke for about 30 minutes in the Pontiff's private study with the help of interpreters in what both the Vatican and reporters described as a cordial atmosphere.

A Vatican statement said "the presence and hard work of Christians (in Saudi Arabia) was discussed" -- seen as a clear reference to the Vatican's concern over the Christian minority.

That's it? That's the sum total of the Pope's concern about the persecution of Christians in the Muslim world? Geez. How do you say lame in Italian? Oh wait, they sent the Bishop out to be the mouthpiece - and guess what? It's still lame.

In an interview with Reuters on the eve of the meeting, the bishop in charge of Catholics in Saudi Arabia called on the country to guarantee more freedom and security for minority Christians and allow more priests in to minister to the faithful.

"What I am hoping is that there can be more security and freedom for our people in a very low profile manner," said Bishop Paul Hinder, a Swiss national who is based in Abu Dhabi.

"I am not expecting to be able to build a cathedral. But at least (we need) the freedom to worship in security," he said.

How the meet and greet is being played in Riyadh. (Okay, what's Italian for bologna -and I don't mean the city. )

Being the custodian of Islam's holy shrines and the leader of the Islamic world, Saudi Arabia, which is calling for a dialogue with one of the heads of Christianity, is proving that it is not the one raising arms and creating enmities, the paper said in an editorial.

More about that sword. It looks like a statue was included in the King's giftage as well. (Man riding a camel under a Palm tree - how original)

The pope admired the statue but merely touched the sword.

(and shivered as he thought about it being used upon his throat.)

Eurabian Terror Cell Busted!

TERRORISM: RECRUITMENT OF SUICIDE BOMBERS, 20 ARRESTS

(the English translation is a little rough but you get their drift. This terror cell is going down!)

There were activities for terrorism conducted outside mosques and private apartments in Milan and Reggio Emilia where, according to investigators, the network of the radical Islamic cell identified by the Milan prosecutor's office spread by recruiting individuals willing to be involved in terrorist and suicide attacks in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This is the overview of the about 500-page order with which Milan investigative judge Luisa Savoia issued twenty arrest warrants for Tunisian or Algerian nationals.

At the moment still being sought are three alleged participants in the organization who are abroad and have not yet been arrested.

Among the other members of the alleged criminal association for acts of terrorism, two are in England, two in France and one in Portugal.

The leaders of the terrorist cell are reportedly Dridi Sabri (in Milan), Medi Ben Nasr (in Reggio Emilia) and Imed Ben Zarkaouwi (already on trial in the Lombardy capital where this morning his appeal trial has begun). The twenty North Africans allegedly have been recruiting individuals since 2003 willing to carry out acts of terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Danish political party threatened - guess who?

From Aftenposten: More Threats and Intimidation from the Religion of Peace. Shocka!

The decision by the Danish Folkeparti (People's Party) to use the highly controversial caricatures of the prophet Mohammed in their election campaign has resulted in terrorist threats.

The Islamist terrorist organization the al-Aqsa Brigade threatened the DF in an interview with Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

"This party is dealing in the blood of the Danish population. It is dangerous," said al-Aqsa Brigade spokesman Khaled al-Jabbari. "We do not wish to see the Danish people as an enemy, but this could lead to actions."

Like I said...

The Universe has gone all scatological tonight. Again.

This time it's the Koran in the bathroom trick.

Saudi executes Egyptian for practising "witchcraft"

The Saudi Press Agency said Mustafa Ibrahim was put to death in Riyadh in a controversial case which has drawn criticism from rights activists. It said Ibrahim had been accused by another foreign resident of practicing magic in order to separate him from his wife and said evidence had been found in his home, including books on black magic, a candle with an incantation "to summon devils" and "foul-smelling herbs".

"He confessed to adultery with a woman and desecrating the Koran by placing it in the bathroom," the agency said.

Off to buy a Koran for some light reading. In a Gaza lagoon. Still ick.

The Universe has gone all scatological tonight

Gaza Sewage Tsunami - Total Ick.

What can I say? First we have drunken Thais peeing in prayer rooms and now we have Gaza giving new meaning to the phrase 'third world shithole'.

The NY Slimes complains that they can't have pipes brought in to fix the toilet that is Palestine and all their other pipes are being used to make bombs. Unreal, but that's a Muslim Ghetto for you.

Fahmi al-Abrak, 70, was at home on March 27 when a lagoon of human waste broke through its sand embankment and hurtled downhill, inundating this poor village of Bedouins in northern Gaza. “It rose to here in 15 seconds,” he said, pointing to a discolored line on the walls, four feet above ground.

Five people died, drowned in the wave of waste, along with scores of goats, sheep and chickens. Nearly 1,000 people had to be taken out of the village. Now, Mr. Abrak said, “I’m afraid to go to sleep at night.”

The lagoon disaster seemed a sort of metaphor for Gaza — overcrowded, lacking in resources, coping with makeshift answers to long-term problems. But the lagoon, which held more than 150,000 cubic yards, is dwarfed by the huge lake of sewage it was built to reduce. That lake, which itself holds sewage overflow, now contains almost four million cubic yards of water and human waste, covering about 100 acres, and it is again creeping close to the danger point. Its sand embankment was reinforced this summer, and two more outlet ponds have been dug in the sand. But more waste enters daily than is discharged, the lake is only six feet below the embankment and the winter rains are coming.

And yet a project to fix the problem is stalled by politics and conflict. Israel has declared Gaza “hostile territory” and is sharply limiting the kinds of goods allowed in. The restrictions cover many ordinary items not considered essential to human life. But they also cover things like metal pipes, welding machines and the wire used to refurbish electric motors — things that Israel believes could have secondary use by the Hamas administration and the Palestinian gunmen who fire rockets toward nearby Israeli towns like Sderot.

The article ends with this plaintive plea:

“How many Palestinians need to drown?”

How many Jews must be bombed, is my reply.

Read it all - believe it or not there are several other Gaza garden spots currently under threat of a sewage tsunami.

I ask you, where are all the Muslim brothers and sisters with their Muslim charitable obligation that they're always bragging about, the zakat.

Let me tell you, unless it goes boom, the zakat is the zero for the Palestinian brothers.... Which reminds me - why aren't they helping these refugees while they are at it? (h/t Eye On the World) You don't hear boo about the Bangladeshi and Sri Lankans!

No-o-o-o, it's all about the poster child Palestinians.

Drunken Thais Pee in Egyptians Prayer Room.

Chaos and violence ensues.

One side of the story:

Labour ministry denies Thais killed in a brawl in Kuwait

A brawl between Thai and Egyptian construction workers in Kuwait last week that led to the deaths of two Thai workers was reportedly caused by drunken Thais urinating in an area reserved for Muslim prayers.

However, Labour Minister Apai Chandanachulaka said no Thai workers had been killed as a result of the brawl last Thursday night, but four had sustained slight injuries.

The other side of the story:

A worker's relative in Phichit, Yor, (not her real name) told The Nation Monday that her son-in-law, who is one of 1,000 Thai workers at the Kuwait site, often told her that the Thai and Egyptian workers did not get along well. The Egyptian workers bullied the Thais by cutting into the queues for food and pushing to get on vehicles to work, she said.

In the latest incident, some of the 20,000 Egyptian workers invaded the Thai workers' camp on Thursday night, attacking them and damaging their belongings. They were furious that drunken Thai workers had intruded on the Muslim camp's prayer room and reportedly urinated there, Yor said.

Yor said that her son-in-law had contacted her on Sunday saying that many Thai workers were injured and at least two were killed in the brawl. She quoted him as saying that labour recruitment agencies had moved the Thai workers out of the area and promised to provide extra security.

"The government's information doesn't match what we know from those who were there. After the brawl, my son-in-law and other Thai workers felt disheartened. But the Thai ambassador, who went to inspect the scene and provide assistance, did not do what he supposed to do because, soon after his arrival, he hurried away for fear of security," Yor said.

(Sounds like the Religion of Peace at work to me.)

Bhutto suicide bomber...a child?

From CNN via Outlook India.

"Although it remains difficult to know for certain, I doubt that a suicide bomber was involved in the attack on me. I suspect, after talking to some of the injured, that the terrorists used a 'small child' as a ploy to get to me," Bhutto w