Richard Miniter doesn't have the faintest idea what the global jihad is really all about -- he even recommends apologist Karen Armstrong to readers curious about Islam in his new book Shadow War -- but that book also contains a most interesting revelation about Osama: he seems to have been and could still be in Iran. From WND, with thanks to Jeffrey Imm:
The sources say bin Laden is constantly on the move, "shuttling from Iranian safe houses controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to areas of Afghanistan controlled by the Iranian-backed warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.""Choopan," one of the sources, gives three reasons why Tehran would give safe haven to bin Laden, risking the wrath of the West.
"First, the Iranians believe they can keep bin Laden's presence a secret and plausibly deny it if publicly accused," Miniter writes. "Second, the mullahs are feeling increasingly threatened by the War on Terror.
"The mullahs, Choopan says, fear a counter-revolution and see bin Laden's fighters as tools they can use to ensure the failure of these young democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan and the survival of mullah-dominated Iran. Finally, they share enemies, including many Arab leaders, the United States and the rest of the Western world."
There have been reports for a long time that Osama's wives and progeny are living in Iran.
A.E Haji makes a valid point considering OBL's known fanatism although politics make for 'strange
bedfellows.' How about Yemen??
Hello all
After a discussion with a fellow Catholic about Islamic fundamentalism and Jihad being contrary to the teachings of Moses and to Christ, I was urged to read Karen Armstrongs book; the local library had nothing in stock so I tried to find out what I could about her, since my fellow Catholic lauded her as the best authority on Islam and that she had been a Catholic nun; then I did an internet search and found out that she was a disaffected former catholic nun, who had joined a cloistered order. She complained that she was not told of the 'Cuban missile crisis ' and felt she had been intolerably isolated by the Catholic Church.
The most telling compaint about her cloistered life is that she never received any form of mystical experience or spiritual awakening.
On obtaining her book i read the first paragraph She sounded like she is Bahai or Muslim this link clearly shows a bias against Christianity; (http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,2763,1113570,00.html
in favour of Islam.
I am always wary of people who cross the thresholds of religions, Islam is more of an ideology than a religion or rather it is an ideology first and a religion second. As I was intrigued about why she left Catholicism I wanted to read her book; knowing the enormity of such a decision I wanted see if there was root of bitterness behind that decision; it sounded likely there was as she has posited the contention that “In the beginning, man created God” which as you know is a scandalous position to take, it means that the Name of God and the Word of God mean nothing.
That was the furthest I got into reading her book too!
breadwinner
I believe that Osama Bin Laden is long since dead and that he died in the Tora Bora bombing during January or February 2002.
If he were alive wouldn't he be making more videos to taunt the Americans? After all he seemed to love doing this before, didn't he?
His fellow jihadis wouldn't like to admit that they have lost him as this would be a boost to President Bush.
Otherwise it may be possible that no one has found his body quite possibly because it was vapourised by a daisy cutter.
Bin Laden caught our attention and our imagination, BUT he is only one of hundreds of thousands of petrobillionaires that are funding the Islamofascist push against non-Muslims and Muslims that don't strictly adhere to fundamentalism. He has become a figure around which jihadists have rallied for inspiration, but he is not the the most influential nor the most dangerous. Those must be identified and dealt with. All the talk about running down Bin Laden is only a distraction.
Breadwinner:
She wrote a really great book called Through the narrow gate. I highly recommend it, as it's very well written. She was a nun for a while, but she was treated quite brutally by some of the nuns. She lost her faith and left.
I've been surprised and remain surprised by her support of Islam.
Breadwinner:
She wrote a really great book called Through the narrow gate. I highly recommend it, as it's very well written. She was a nun for a while, but she was treated quite brutally by some of the nuns. She lost her faith and left.
I've been surprised and remain surprised by her support of Islam.
That Bin Laden is sheltered by Iran certainly provides another dimension to the following 10/02 worldnetdaily headline:
Iranian leader wants nuke in 4 months
'We must have two bombs ready to go in January or you are not Muslims'
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40723
This kind of cooperation between Shiites and Wahhabis is nothing new. After all, Gulbudin Hekmatyar stayed as a "guest" in Iran for some years.
Surprise, sur-friggin'-prise!!!
Do I spy another brilliant reason to start whupping Iran??? Methinks, me-most certainly do!!!
Iran are getting far too cocky and defiant. It's like they're are testing us, seeing how far they can push, they know we can't make the same mistake as with Iraq (attack without definate proof.... not that I think that was wrong) because they know our governments care far too much about "doing the right thing", and listening to the left and protesters, and offeneding muslims....what a sorry crock of shit it all is, why don't they just toughen up and blitz the shit out of any muppets like the mullahs who are sat there laughing at us planning the next insult??!!!
What irritates me the most is Saddam has had WMD, probably still did when we attacked, but because "none have been found" it has now made too many people dubious about politicians attitudes to war, and because of that they are going to trivialise the threat Iran poses with it's nukes, and no doubt the left will milk this triviality for all it's worth, while the mullahs continue to laugh, and prepare to strike.... I hope the liberals think it's worth it when they do, those morons are going to have a lot to answer for.
In the Bush/Kerry debate Kerry accused Bush of "rushing into the war with Iraq" when he should have been getting the allies on board making sure the evidence was concise, but because he didn't Bin Laden is still free and Iran are more dangerous.
I hope this means then that if Kerry wins the election, he's going to deal with Iran (although he's already offered them nuclear fuel, that man is fucking lethal).
As for his comments toward Bush, he's of course BSing as usual, with his perfect-script and his one-trick-pony (in other words the Iraq war, the only critisism he , like most lefties, seem capable of bringing forth).LikeBushy said, Saddam posed a unique threat and the world is a better place without him ( the jihadists are the ones keeping the war alive in Iraq , not the coalition, and most aren't even Iraqis).Plus are we really so certain that Kerry would have done any better, he claims he was all for the Iraq war, so why is he now so against it, there's nothing he could have done differently to Bush that would have acheived as effective an outcome, most likely we'd still be fighting Saddams forces, as US troops were forced to tip-toe around Iraqis so as not to upset the democrats and their puny, bleeding-heart followers.
As for having Osama in jail, how the hell was he going to pull that one off, it's not as though every clandestine, and government agency in the west aren't scouring the globe for him...he's probably dead... or does senator Kerry know something we don't, maybe he's hiding him in his closet until election day, or maybe his ties to Al qaeda have paid off (LOL).
Never Trust John Kerry
While it is not preposterous to suggest that bin Laden is in Iran, it is highly unlikely. In Iran, and especially in the remote mountainous regions where he might seek refuge, he would be surrounded by tens of thousands of hostile Shi'a who are still living the 7th century fitnah. He has repeatedly denounced the Iranian Islamic state as an inevitable failure because of its Shi'a roots. In some parts of Iran he would find himself surrounded by fanatics who would be more fanatical than he is, the difference being that they are fanatical about an ideology that is incompatible with his.
this is complete crap there is no proof that bin ladin is in iran. just like there is no proof that iran is behind that bombings in egypt nomatter what debka says. because when it comes down to it by posting this garbage your just trying to get the united states to invade iran and its very transparent in what you are doing by posting such yellow journalism. try to think logically for a second iran right now is scared they know that us/israel are gunning for them to try and depose govt there at a future time and they are trying whatever they can to build a detterant (propaganda about there missile programs and hinting at that nuclear program) to keep from being invaded. so why would they harbor binladin or sponsor some terrorist attacks that are implied to be from him if they know that this will give the usa and israel the justification to invade them. iran needs a velvet revolution not more of the big stick crap that bush seems to favor. well thats alright just 24days before the cowboy goes back to texas.
Voltaire
She never responds to E-mail, She is a Muslim; no Catholic would describe time as BCE as she does in the link I gave you. In her article she blames God and religion for the woes of humanity, equating Jewish Torah and history, Catholic Bible and history , to the Islamic Koran and history.
She has forgotten the commandments and the word God spoke to Ezekiel 32:20 Yet you say" The way of the Lord is not just".
Her article treats the present day woes of Islam by comparison the histories above yet to my certain knowledge it is militant islam that has been persecuting its neighbours most ruthlessly for the last 10 years it has come to my attention, starting in Indonesia.
Breadwinner
Karen Armstrong is seriously disturbed. Mentally. Her most recent book is about her long journey up from depression. And this is the wack-a-doodle-do that liberals fawn over when she "explains" Islam.
The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness
Rikki:
So in a world with 3 billion Muslims, whose population is growing exponentially, in which all of them are pissed at the US and in which practically all are, or support, a Jihad against the West, we should bomb or invade Iran, when we can't even subdue Iraq and Afghanistan.
What are some you all thinking. Do you have a death wish? If so then you are no different than the Jihadists who are willing to commit suicide in the belief that they become Shahids.
The world is insane, Christians, Muslims and Jews.
Well I'm not ready for perpetual war, nor do I believe in the End Times, I leave that to Islamics and Christian Funnymentalists.
As regards Osama Bin Laden. More and more he looks like the 2lst Century version of Emmanuel Goldstein (Orwell's villain in 1984, you know the guy that didn't exist).
However as regards Al Qaida it is only a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood Which according to their own lights has organizations all over the world in different names (such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Ansar al whatever). There are more of these fanatics in Pakistan than in Iran. There is the Brotherhood outfit Abuy Sayyef in the Philipinnes, they are holed up in their own enclaves in Bangladesh.. do you all suggest nuking every country in the world?
Muslim Brotherhood site http://www.ummah.org.uk/ikhwan/
And what happens when the Muslims get really pissed and turn off the oil spigot? You guys will scream like hell as the economy, your food and your jobs dive into the pits.
Are we capable of invading Saudi Arabia and Iran and running the oil wells, refineries and pumping stations? LMAO: we can't even secure and maintain the oil production of Iraq.
Meanwhile a little bit of info for you, since you are so anti Kerry.
You have a good friend in Osama, for he too is anti Kerry and pro Bush.
This is what Imad Khadduri,( a former Iraqi nuclear scientist with the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission from 1968-1998. He is author of the book Iraq's Nuclear Mirage} said October 7th on Democracy Now
Quote: Six months ago, when there was the Spain Madrid train bombing and ten days later the Al Qaeda issued a statement on that, that was six months ago. They said, we will ask all operations to be halted in Spain, giving the Spanish people the chance to vote and perhaps withdraw, and they did. Now, the second part of that statement, declaration, was not published, was not widespread in the west. I did translate it and send it to the Toronto Star. It wasn't published there. What did it say? In it Osama Bin Laden was hoping, was saying to Bush: "I really wish that you would win next November election, because you are the only one who can convince the Muslims of the -- of the -- with your -- with your intransigence and violent approach, it will convince the Muslims that American military postures and foreign policy is against their interests. Therefore I have asked all operations to be suspended from the United States until the election. And after that, every event will have its own discourse." Now, end quote
Source:An Interview with Imad Khadduri
Be careful for what you wish, you just might get it, if so then you deserve to reap the rewards of your own ignorance and stupidity, but I don't.
I hold no truck with idiots and dolts.
Voltaire:
I don't have access to it at the moment, but there's an excellent web post that deconstructs Armstrong and her opinions. Tuesday, when I'm back in my office, I'll look up the address and forward it to Mr. Spencer.
Armstrong is more than a bit of a media darling and most undeservedly.
Riboflavin:
There will be no invasion of Iran unless Russia, India, China and Europe are coming along. There are not enough troops. Iran is the same size of Nazi Germany and that was occupied by 4 different countries. Plus, the war had been going on for 6 years for them. By the time it was over, they knew they were beaten. You can't demoralize a population in a quick conqest.
All that needs to be done is to get rid of the Iranian government or go kill the leadership. I'm not sure how this would be accomplished. The Iranian people can do the rest, if they have the motivation.
Occupying a country of that size where the people are very nationalistic and where about 30% may favor the old regime would be a ticket to a blood bath. By contrast only about 1.5% of Iraqis would vote for Saddam Hussein if he were running as president.
I don't know about the oil spigots. Here in the US, we produce about 40% of our own oil. We get much from Canada and Venezuala (spelling?). I think that the Japanese, Europeans and Chinese would be hurting. Also people in the third world would be hurt since they would be outbid for the remaining oil. Also, many of these oil regimes are not popular, so to end the money spigot would mean that they would have to abdicate from their private honey-pot. It's in the leadership's interest to sell, and our interest to buy. Unless they have a stash of cash that would last as long as the oil was stopped, their people would be very unhappy because the populace's cushy lifestyles could no longer be supported. Plus, I would cheat on the embargo if I was running an oil kleptocracy and I'm sure they would too.
The Iranian dictatorship has no right to exist. Anybody can come in and overthrow it by any necessary means. That also means the people of Iran are entitled to overthrow the regime even if it means lynch mobs and assassinations. I could not imagine something worse taking its place.
The US getting rid of the mullah's would be a step in correcting Eisenhower's sins in the country in 1953 when the democratic government was overthrown.
Giaour:
You miss the point. The coalition's goal in Afghanistan and Iraq is regime change. That would entail setting up another regime in it's place that has the popular mandate of the native population. The coalition is not to "subdue" the population as a conqueror, but stabilize the country so elections can take place.
The first step is overthrow the oppressive regime. Second, get rid of anarchists, former regime elements, and all the common-law criminals that were released from prisons, remove people from positions of power that were in the former regime and build a new, un-tainted police force and army. Third, leave the country or go back to the military bases that were set up in the country.
We have enough problems governing ourselves, we don't want more problems by trying to govern societies we don't understand. We don't want to be threatened by vicious dictatorships. There are two more threatening dictatorships to get rid of.
I don't think there can be a "velvet revolution" in Iran. The government there stays in power by mass-murder and fear and allowing unhappy elements of the population to emigrate. That's their safety valve, emigration. The government doesn't want a bunch of dissidents in the country. It's better to have them go to the West where no one will help them or pay attention to them.
Giaour loses all credibility right out of the gate with the "3 billion muslims" figure. Where did that come from? Can you post a [credible] link citing that figure? I thought not. I would be careful about labeling another as a "dolt" or an "idiot".
The current muslim population is numbered worldwide to be around 1.2 billion, and even that is thought to be inflated.
Methinks I smell another poser.
Giaour,
I'm not in the mood for posting a lenth argumentative post to someone who rivals me today, so I'll just let you know that Metal Muncher and CGW hold the jist of what I'd like to say back to you had I had the time.
Your claim we can't even "subdue Iraq and Afghanistan" trust me Giaour if we needed to "subdue them" with the most advanced technology/weaponry in the world... we would, and there's not a damn thing either Iran, Saudi Arabia or Pakistan could do to stop us (I mean the US and Europe collectively here, and I'm talking about if we were run by a government that couldn't care less what the lefts critisisms were, and where on a global domination mission ourselves, we'd have the power to do a damn-good job of it, even if we did in the end fail.... but we're not).
But that's beside the point, what I'm saying is Iran really does pose a threat to us, they have nukes, and can't be trusted with them (they've openly declared they would "wipe Israel off the map " with them, and we all know they are no fan of the states).
I'm not suggesting another war, I'm talking about destroying their nukes, let the Iranian people fight to get their country back from the mullahs (maybe we should provide them with weapons though).
As for Iraq and Afghanistan, which news channel have you been watching????I'm sure the democrats/left would love it that we'd failed miserably in both countries , but we haven't, Afghanistan's holding it's first ever election with female candidates available; and Iraq is only still in Turmoil because of the persistent attacks and bombings comming from the jihadist scumbags trying to keep Iraq in a state of chaos, but the coalition are slowly but surely kicking their asses, and at the same time lessening the terrorist population of the world with the "Honeypot" stategy ( Iraq being a battleground , that's attracting islamic terrorists from allover the place.... it's making more work for our troops granted, but overall in the long-run it's actually lightening the load).
BTW- What makes you think I follow any religion???
Riboflavin,
So as far as the left are concerned : Iraq was "about oil".
Okay, so if we are to agree with you that there is some kind of Republican political agenda in articles such as the one above creating excuses for an attack on Iran, what is the conspiritorial motive for Iran then???
I don't know Ribo; with Iran being known as an exporter of metals and all, maybe George Bush is concerned about a sudden US Steel drought and sees the destruction of a tyrannical bunch of nuclear nutters as pivotal in quenching this dilemma.
I fart in your general direction ;fool.
I kinda agree with Elephant here. I think Bin Laden is just a grease spot in some cave somewhere in Afghanistan. A guy with his huge ego would not pass up the chance to appear as the great muslim hope leading the Jihad against the US & Allies in Iraq. For most worshippers of the deathcult invading Iraq was a much bigger deal than Afghanistan. Afghanistan doesn't really count compared with Arabic Iraq therefore if bin laden was going to release a video then anytime in the last year would have been the time to do it. don't tell me that they couldn't get a little video camera and a plain white backdrop for ossie to do his wizard of oz stuff ?