Jihad in a German hospital

"German authorities said on Tuesday they had uncovered plans by suspected Islamic extremists to launch a suicide car-bomb attack on a military hospital in the northern city of Hamburg." This from News24.com, with thanks to Nicolei.

"Dirk Nockemann, the Hamburg senator responsible for internal affairs, said the militant Islamic group, Ansar al-Islam, which is alleged to have links to al-Qaeda, was likely to be behind the plans. Citing United States intelligence sources, he said members of the group had planned a suicide-bomb attack, while an alternative target was the major US Rhein-Main air base in central Germany.

"Security at the hospital was immediately stepped up on Tuesday and surrounding streets sealed off. . . .

"The military hospital has 305 beds and handles some civilian services as well as military patients. US authorities believe Ansar al-Islam has links to Al-Qaeda, the extremist network responsible for the September 11 2001 attacks in the United States. The group's stronghold in northern Iraq was devastated by US air strikes in early April during the US invasion of Iraq. However, US commanders have said Ansar al-Islam has made a strong comeback, infiltrating Iraq from Iran and setting up operations in the Baghdad area.

"German intelligence services believe about 100 Ansar al-Islam militants are in Germany, mainly in the south of the country."

Schoolbook jihad in Syria

While most American textbooks present a whitewashed and incomplete picture of Islam — one that has bordered on outright proselytization in some cases — textbooks in the Islamic world do not tend to return the favor. "Virulent anti-Semitism, calls for Jihad and support for the elimination of Israel are entrenched in every level of Syria's school system, according to a study released by B'nai Brith International of 68 Syrian school textbooks spanning grades 1-12." This report is from the Jerusalem Post, with thanks to Jean-Luc.

"Conducted by the New York-based Center for Monitoring the Impact of Peace, the 30-page study titled, 'Jihad, Jews and Anti-Semitism in Syrian School Texts,' found that Syrian children are taught to hate Jews and Israel with such ferocity that genuine reconciliation between the two peoples appears unlikely in the near future.

"The study also highlights Syria's contradictory role in the international arena. Listed as one of seven sponsors of international terrorism by the US State Department, Syria also holds the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council and co-chairs its Human Rights Commission, based in Geneva.

"Among the many examples of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment provided in the study, which looked at government-funded texts only, is an excerpt from a 10th grade social studies text that describes Zionism as 'a racist-imperialist-colonialist-aggressive-expansionist political movement.' In an 11th grade reader, Zionism is termed the 'new Nazism' and a 'model of racist evil.'

"Eighth-graders are taught that, 'It is known that the Jews of today do not have any connection to Palestine,' and sixth-graders learn that 'The Prophet [Mohammed] knew about the treacherous intention harbored in the Jews' souls.'

"By age 15, Syrian children are read in their Islamic studies textbooks that Jews deserve to be liquidated: 'Co-existence with them or having them as neighbors, is an enormous danger that threatens Islamic and Arab existence with destruction and extinction. Their criminal intention should be turned against them by way of their elimination.'

"Calls for 'martyrdom' and terrorism are also tracked in the study. An Islamic studies text for grade-5 students describes praises Palestinian youth for 'rushing towards death, trying to reach it ahead of one another,' and 6th-graders learn: 'There is neither excuse nor forgiveness for the one who refrains from Jihad for the cause of God, for the purification of Palestine of the Jews.'

"B'nai Brith executive vice president Dan Mariaschin said that the study highlights the dim prospects for peace between Israel and Syria. 'Without education for peace, not incitement, good relations between Syria and Israel are unlikely,' he said." That's an understatement.

Jihad cruise

"Al-Qaeda has turned its terror sights to the sea, targeting luxury cruise liners in an expansion of its 'jihad' against the West." This from News.com.au, with thanks to Jean-Luc.

"Owners of the recently launched $1.3 billion Queen Mary 2 yesterday confirmed threats of terror hang over its maiden voyage early next year."

Jihadis covet Australia

Jemaah Islamiya, the Indonesian radical Muslim terrorist group, has been widely reported as wanting to establish an Islamic state in Southeast Asia, incorporating Malaysia, Indonesia, Mindanao, and other areas. But Australia has usually been kept out of the equation — until now. According to News.com.au, "occupation of Australia's Top End is a key goal of terror organisation Jemaah Islamiyah, a leading London-based academic has claimed.

"Anthony Paul, from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the al-Qaida-backed terror organisation wanted to incorporate northern Australia into a Muslim state that would also include South-East Asia. Writing in the respected Malaysian-based New Straits Times, Mr Paul said north Australia was part of Jemaah Islamiyah's plans for regional domination.

"Mr Paul compared JI's strategy to export global revolution with the former Soviet Union's expansionary plans. 'Instead of a world dominated by communist nation states, al-Qaida's vision is of a vast new Islamic nation -- a single caliphate (Muslim state) stretching from southern Spain to the Philippines. Jemaah Islamiyah promotes a more localised manifestation of the same dream -- a caliphate for South-East Asia and northern Australia.' . . .

"The NT Government yesterday called for the Federal Government to maintain a steady security focus in northern Australia. 'From our point of view the Federal Government needs to keep a firm focus on northern Australia because of its location,' a spokesman said. 'It can't just think of capital cities to the south, because we're close to the major population centres of the north.'

"Solomon MHR David Tollner said: 'The Federal Government's focus is very much to the north and it has shown a commitment to maintaining sound relations with our near neighbours.'" I hope he doesn't mistake "sound relations" for dhimmitude. (Thanks to Jean-Luc.)

Hamas, Islamic Jihad vow more attacks

"Hamas and Islamic Jihad have vowed to step up their attacks against Israel in the aftermath of Thursday's killing of the head of the armed wing of Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip." This from the Jerusalem Post, with thanks to Jean-Luc.

"Leaders of the two groups said over the weekend that the killing of Muqled Hamed and two of his companions in an IAF rocket attack on their car dealt a fatal blow to efforts to arrange a temporary truce with Israel."

So in response to the killing of the leader of the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, they are no doubt going to blow up more people on buses and restaurants. The fact that so many people don't see what's wrong with that picture is an index of the general decline of civilization.

A call to Islam

A reader named "Abu Bara" has posted the following as a comment to an earlier article here. He writes as a Muslim calling people to Islam; this is dawah, the indispensable precursor to jihad.

I tend to think the message was really written by a Muslim, as it sounds like many similar calls that I have read over the years. Also, it contains many small things that would be unusual for a non-Muslim posing as a Muslim to know how to formulate properly.

Please note in particular Abu Bara's statement that "Muslims are obliged to defend themselves under strict guidelines set down by Allah(swt) if the criteria is met then such defence is permissible. The acts of 9/11 fulfilled this criteria and hence were totally justified, there is no argument amongst the Islamic Scholars regarding this."

Note also that he invites questions. If, therefore, you have ever wanted to ask a radical Muslim anything -- about justifying 9/11 or anything else -- now's your chance.

"Islam calls all people to Tawheed: To believe that there is none worthy to worship follow or obey in truth except for Allah(swt) and accept Muhammad(saw) as His Final Messenger.

"If we look to the world we find that everything is weak, limited or dependant. Man is weak; plants depend on sunlight; the sun is powered by nuclear reactions that are themselves limited.

"At present we are all living in societies where the Law of God is not present, where man has taken legislation into his own hands rejecting his Creator both explicitly and implicitly. Consequently when the Law of God is not executed corruption spreads as Allah(swt) has informed us in the Koran. Today we see this in the form of homosexuality, alcoholism, Sexually transmitted diseases, money laundering via interest based transactions...the list is endless.

"As Muslims we believe the only solution is to refer to our Creator who has given us the answers through Koranic revelation and Prophetic revelation. We reject all other ways of life and then believe in Allah(swt) His names and attributes exclusively:

"[2:256] Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth(Islam) stands out clear from Error(non-Islam): whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.

"All of a Muslims actions are purely for the sake of Allah(swt) not from personal desire hence when judging actions such as 9/11 reference must be made to the text to see whether it conflicts. Muslims are obliged to defend themselves under strict guidelines set down by Allah(swt) if the criteria is met then such defence is permissible. The acts of 9/11 fulfilled this criteria and hence were totally justified, there is no argument amongst the Islamic Scholars regarding this.
Humanity for example stems from mans ration and desire, if we look to man for answers and obey and follow him we will stray. Allah(swt)created man and he has commanded all of mankind to worship follow and obey Him exclusively.

"[3:85]If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost.

"[3:185] Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full reward. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object of Life: For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception.

"If you have any questions, by all means post them and i will do my best to answer them.

"Come to the call of Islam,

"Saiful Islam."

Suspected terrorist worked in nuke lab

Michael Ray Stubbs

"Philippine authorities said Tuesday they were set to deport two American brothers arrested for suspected links to terrorism and for allegedly meeting charity groups believed to be al-Qaida fronts in the country." So says AP.

"One of the men, Michael Ray Stubbs, worked as a heating and air conditioning technician at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory — a major nuclear weapons lab outside San Francisco — for about 10 years ending in 2000. Officials said the FBI was looking into whether he had access to sensitive information.

"Michael Ray Stubbs, 55, and his brother James, 56, a convert to Islam, were arrested on immigration violation charges Dec. 13 in the town of Tanza in Cavite province, 21 miles southwest of Manila, the Bureau of Immigration said.

"The brothers denied any wrongdoing when they appeared at a news conference in handcuffs. Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo told reporters Tuesday that James Stubbs met with members of the Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group, as well as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front separatist movement, two groups loosely linked by Philippine officials to al-Qaida.

"'These are all fabricated lies,' James Stubbs shouted as Domingo addressed the news conference. An irritated Domingo responded: 'This is the Philippine government. They're violating immigration laws and they're being charged and they are going through immigration proceedings.'

"The brothers, born in Missouri, would be deported to the United States as 'undesirable aliens ... based on intelligence reports that they were seen meeting with known leaders of various terrorist cells in the country with links to al-Qaida,' the immigration bureau said. Domingo said they were under surveillance before their arrest.

"The two had tourist visas but also carried documents indicating they were soliciting funds for the construction of Muslim schools and mosques, Domingo said. She said there was no evidence linking the two to any past or planned terrorist plots, but said James Stubbs allegedly called for the overthrow of the U.S. government in statements to local authorities. James Stubbs said he has a Filipino wife and was in the Philippines because she was pregnant.

"A naval intelligence officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said U.S. officials were concerned that Michael Ray Stubbs may have passed sensitive information from Livermore to his brother. Susan Houghton, a spokeswoman for the Livermore lab, confirmed that Michael Ray Stubbs used to work there for about 10 years until 2000. 'We are aware of what the Philippines officials did,' she said. 'We have been working closely with the FBI on this issue since he was arrested in the Philippines a few weeks ago.' She said Stubbs' clearance was terminated after he left on medical leave in March 2000.

"The U.S. Embassy declined to comment on the allegations. Spokeswoman Karen Kelley said she understood the brothers retained legal council to address the charges.

"According to Philippine military intelligence reports, James Stubbs left his job as a teacher in California to study Arabic in Sudan. He met in May with several charity groups suspected of being al-Qaida fronts and founded by Mahmoud Afif Abdeljalil — believed to be a close associate of Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law. Abdeljalil was arrested in September in the southern Philippine city of Zamboanga on charges of having an expired visa. After he was interrogated, he was ordered deported.

"The charities were not immediately identified, but the immigration bureau said they were used to channel funds to al-Qaida cells in the Philippines."

Airspace over Las Vegas Strip to be closed New Year's Eve

"Jerry Bussell, Governor Kenny Guinn's adviser on homeland security, tells The Associated Press that the airspace over the Las Vegas Strip will be closed New Year's Eve.

"A spokeswoman with the US Department of Homeland Security says the agency has received the state's request to close the airspace and is coordinating any action with the FAA. A spokeswoman with McCarran International Airport says the ban, known as a temporary flight restriction, will implemented on New Year's Eve from 9:00 PM to 3:00 AM. The TFR will involve a ten nautical mile radius from the center of McCarran Airport. The TFR will not affect commercial airliners or medical, police or military flights. Private planes and tour helicopters will not be allowed to fly in the restricted air space. McCarran will remain open and operational.

"Las Vegas has been mentioned as a possible terrorist target, but officials have yet to say that was the reason behind the ban. Authorities are expecting more than 200,000 people to flock to the Strip this New Year's Eve."

Drug money sustaining al Qaeda: US officials

"Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network is deeply 'involved' in international drug trafficking and is using the money to buy arms, and possibly radioactive material for use in a 'dirty' nuclear bomb, according to senior US officials.
'Bin Laden does not mind trafficking in drugs, even though it is against the teaching of Islam, because it is being used to kill Westerners,' said a Defence official." This from SifyNews, with thanks to Nicolei.

The article says of bin Laden: "'He has allies and associates who are not members per se but who move products for him and take drugs and buy arms and give the arms to al Qaeda,' the official said.

This is no surprise; we have seen it before. The Taliban's Abdul Rashid banned hashish "because it is consumed by Afghans and Muslims," but stated: "Opium is permissible because it is consumed by kafirs [unbelievers] in the West and not by Muslims or Afghans."

Despite his profit margin, however, Osama bin Laden or his ghostwriter didn't hesitate in November 2002 to excoriate the U.S. for its drug use: "You are a nation that permits the production, trading and usage of intoxicants. You also permit drugs, and only forbid the trade of them, even though your nation is the largest consumer of them."

Sify continues: "Al Qaeda's drug operation came to the surface earlier this year when three boats operated by al Qaeda linked persons and carrying two tons of hashish, 85 pounds of heroin and 150 pounds of methamphetamines were seized, the officials were quoted as saying by 'The Washington Times'.

"Though the intelligence community still does not have a firm grasp on the scope of al Qaeda's drug operations and how much money it raises, estimates are in the millions of dollars.

"Bin Laden, officials said, reaps the profits in two ways. His allies regulate smuggling routes out of Afghanistan into Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and other countries, essentially placing a tax on each shipment to let it pass. Or, alternatively, al Qaeda takes the drugs as payment and uses them to buy arms.

"The officials said that there are also unconfirmed intelligence reports that al Qaeda has bought radioactive material for use in a 'dirty bomb'--a conventional bomb packed with radioactive material."

Two Americans arrested in Philippines

"Two American brothers were arrested for possible links to terrorism, a Philippine official said Monday." This from AP, with thanks to Nicolei.

"Michael Ray Stubbs and his brother James, a convert to Islam, have been held at an undisclosed location since they were arrested earlier this month 21 miles southwest of Manila, an immigration intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.

"The official said the brothers were of Middle Eastern origin but gave no other details. It was not clear what charges they could face or why authorities believe they may be linked to terrorism.

"The two were to be brought before the media on Tuesday, when more information was expected. It was also not known where they were from in the United States. The U.S. Embassy could not immediately be reached for comment."

Iraqi officers describe Saddam-al-Qaida link

"Saudi nationals helped Saddam Hussein recruit and finance al-Qaida insurgents as part of preparations to confront U.S. troops in Iraq." This from WND, with thanks to ohmyrus.

"Iraqi officers who have been interrogated by the United States and coalition officials reported the Saudi role in recruiting and training of al-Qaida units in Iraq. The officers said Saddam, through Saudi contacts, had invited al-Qaida insurgents to form suicide and other units to stop the U.S. military in March.

"Saddam's contacts with al-Qaida, the officers told interrogators, preceded the group's Sept. 11, 2001 strikes on New York and Washington. They said Saudi envoys arranged for al-Qaida insurgents to enter Iraq and begin training in camps around Baghdad."

Islam's unholy alliance with neo-Nazis, leftists

"Western-made terrorists motivated by Marxist, anarchist and neo-Nazi ideology are forming alliances with jihadists and are planning copycat-style attacks and others utilizing funding from Islamists, according to intelligence sources, reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

"While old-line non-Muslim terrorists seem to have been in hibernation, since Sept. 11, 2001, they are waking up to the need to act and the availability of funds from al-Qaida and other similar jihadist groups, according to the premium, online intelligence newsletter.

"Danger spots were recently identified in Europe, Asia and North America. Recent assessments indicate that daily reports on the success of Islamic terror in disrupting normal life are creating an urge within the ranks of western terrorists to return to action.

"Such groups dominated the terror scene in the 1960s and 1970s. The U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the resistance to globalization, xenophobic tendencies and anti-Semitism have all combined to pour oil on old flames, encouraging new alliances as a result.

"Experts attempting to draft the profile of non-Islamic terrorism in the 21st century are turning their interest toward militant Muslims' efforts to recruit terror contractors and to use the services of European terrorists and anarchists.

"Intelligence sources say they expect the jihadists to sub-contract terrorist attacks to small cells of two to three people familiar with their modus operandi. These groups sometimes operate in gangs of more than 10 individuals. European-style terrorism differs from the Islamic jihad type in that it often targets individuals to be assassinated or kidnapped. It has also been marked by taking large groups of innocent hostages for negotiation purposes.

"Jihad organizers are acquainted with the sleeper terror groups of Europe and North America, and they know these groups are in dire need of funds. These 'underground' groups need to travel and change their identities frequently.

"Sleeper terror groups are careful not to deal directly with money laundering, drug dealing or organized crime. This is due in part to ideological beliefs, but more because of the need to keep a low profile, away from the eyes of law enforcement agencies.

"Interrogation of non-Muslim terrorists apprehended during the last two years in Europe and Asia, reveals a desire to become copy-cats of the Islamic jihad and a growing need to be placed once again on the international scene. Intelligence agencies are beginning to dust files of old-style terror organizations, which some agencies now describe as the 'Red Jihad.'

"Israeli, British, Turkish and Greek counter-terror experts, have warned of signs pointing to jihadi groups trying to establish contacts with European and American organizations. The technique of hiring terror services, or partnerships with other terror operators was once popular with the Palestinians. The results of these unholy unions in the past have been the Air France hijacking by a group of Arabs and Germans to Entebbe, Uganda, in 1976, the Lufthansa hijacking to Mogadishu in 1977, and the Japanese Red Army attack on Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv in 1972.

"Al-Qaida, Jamaah Islamiah and Wahabbi groups see nothing wrong in using non-Muslims to further their cause. As the origin of most anti-terror activities focuses mainly on the Middle East and Asia, it is clear a western terrorist could be more successful in penetrating a number of security and defense circles. In cases of a precision attack against individuals or institutions, European or American Caucasian terrorists will be more successful in disappearing from the radar screen.

"Over the years, scores of Europeans, Americans and Asians, have been trained in Arab terror bases in Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Libya and Iraq. A number of those were later involved in attacks on international air traveling, including airports. . . .

"In a related development, last Month, G2B reported Carlos the Jackal, the legendary terrorist of the 1970s, has converted to Islam and pledged his allegiance to Osama bin Laden.

"Carlos, aka Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, has just published a book in French to announce his conversion to Islam and present his strategy for "the destruction of the United States through an orchestrated and persistent campaign of terror."

"Titled 'Revolutionary Islam' and published under the name Ilich Ramírez Sánchez-CARLOS, the book urges 'all revolutionaries, including those of the left, even atheists,' to accept the leadership of Islamists such as bin Laden and so help turn Afghanistan and Iraq into the 'graveyards of American imperialism.' . . .

"Carlos claims that terrorism is 'the cleanest and most efficient form of warfare.'"

New article on conspiracy paranoia in the Islamic world

Jihad Watch director Robert Spencer's new article, "The Conspiratorial Mind of the Arab World," is available today at FrontPage magazine.

Terror attempt on British jet foiled

"Saudi Arabia has arrested two Islamic suicide pilots who were preparing to fly two light aircraft into a packed British Airways (BA) jet, a British Sunday newspaper said, quoting a senior opposition politician." This from The Age, with thanks to Nicolei and Mrs. Obelix.

"The suspected suicide pilots were arrested in the last few weeks after they were found red-handed with aircraft loaded with explosives near Saudi Arabia's main airport in the capital Riyadh, The Mail on Sunday said.

"'My understanding is that they were found on the flight line and that the plan was to fly them into a passenger jet either about to land or take off,' said Patrick Mercer, the opposition Conservative spokesman for Homeland Security, according to the newspaper.

"Mercer, who said he had been informed of the plot by an 'unimpeachable' source, intended to raise the matter at the House of Commons immediately after MPs returned from their Christmas break on January 5, the newspaper reported.

"Mercer claimed, according to the same source, that the Saudi authorities tried to cover up the incident near King Khalid International Airport and withheld information from authorities abroad."

Going out for a bomb

"Sabih Kahn, 18, founder of a Muslim football league, right, prepares to throw the ball as teammate Muhammad Akhtar, 18, heads down field for a pass during a training session at Heritage Park in Irvine, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 21, 2003. Critics say names of some of the teams such as Intifada, which is used by Palestinian fighters, and Mujahideen glorify terrorism. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)"

Bush = Trotsky?

Amir Butler, Executive Director of the Australian Muslim Public Affairs Committee (AMPAC), has written an op-ed in the Jakarta Post entitled "Trotsky's idea clearly similar to forced democracy upon Muslim World."

Well, I wouldn't have thought of comparing Bush to Trotsky, although Woodrow Wilson has crossed my mind. But the main point of Butler's editorial is that democracy and Islam are not compatible — an opinion shared by many Muslims, as I have pointed out many times.

Says Butler: "On Nov. 6, George W. Bush announced that America, through it's interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan was leading a 'global democratic revolution'. That he should have made such remarks on the eve of Leon Trotsky's birthday -- the architect of 'global socialist revolution' -- was of course just coincidence.

"However, the similarities between Trotsky's idea that socialism should be spread at the barrel of a gun and the idea that democracy can be forced upon the Muslim world through violent occupation and threat of invasion are obvious."

Of course, the Jews are behind all this: "Contemporary American foreign policy is Trotsky's revenge. The neoconservative movement that holds Washington in its thrall is itself merely a warmed-up version of Trotsky's Fourth International. As Michael Lind wrote in Britain's The New Statesman (April 7, 2003), the neocons are 'products of the largely Jewish-American Trotskyist movement of the 1930s and 1940s, which morphed into anti-communist liberalism between the 1950s and 1970s and finally into a kind of militaristic and imperial right with no precedents in American culture or political history.'" (Thanks to Nicolei.)

Jihad to be explained by scholars

At long last, a group of Islamic scholars is going to cut through all the confusion and explain what the word jihad really means: "The Council of Religious Ministers for Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (MABIMS) will publish a comprehensive working paper for explaining Jihad (crusade or holy war) to their Ummah (followers of Islam) by its target date next year.
Such a move is needed to avoid confusion and will also serve as a guideline for Muslims, especially young Turks, who could be misguided by certain elements, caused by lack of definition to the phrase's real meaning." This from Borneo Bulletin.

The article makes a start: "Jihad is a religious conviction for able Muslims towards defending the integrity of Islam. Those who may die because of Jihad are promised good returns and paradise in the afterlife."

Hmmm. If someone could die during jihad, it must involve more than just a personal spiritual struggle. Heck, it may even involve violence. (For an overview of what Muslims really teach about jihad, see my book Onward Muslim Soldiers.)

Port of Miami or Port of Jihadi

By Joe Kaufman and Beila Rabinowitz

In December 2002, the Washington Post published an alarming report stating that “U.S. intelligence officials had identified approximately 15 cargo freighters around the world that they believed were controlled by al Qaeda or could be used by the terrorist network to ferry operatives, bombs, money or commodities over the high seas.” It further stated that, since September 2001, the U.S. maintained a list of up to 50 al Qaeda “mystery ships.”

The greatest fear, according to the Post article, is a scenario where one or more of these vessels would be used to blow holes in cruise ships, as what happened to the USS Cole and the French oil tanker Limburg, both off the coast of Yemen.

One American location that has been of particular concern regarding this is Miami, where just recently a 50-foot wooden freighter, undetected by authorities, ran aground whilst 220 undocumented Haitian passengers took to the shore. Bruce Stubbs, an ex-Coast Guard captain and now security consultant asked, “If the Coast Guard can't stop 200 people on a freighter from coming into the port of Miami, how can they stop a terrorist with a dirty bomb?”

This question becomes that much more difficult to answer, when the port you’re discussing is governed by those that possibly harbor sympathies for the attackers themselves.

Khalid Salahuddin, or Brother Khalid as he is affectionately known, is the Deputy Director for the Seaport of Miami. He received the position via an appointment from Director Chares Towsley, shortly after scandal had rocked the port when illegally diverted port funds had made their way into Democratic Party coffers.

As Deputy Director, Salahuddin’s responsibilities are many. He solicits Miami business via cargo and cruise ships; he attends and participates in various diplomatic functions, including trade missions, symposiums, news conferences and government briefings, with members of the international community; and he oversees port employment.

That last part came under scrutiny in late 2001, when an NBC 6 news report emerged questioning the hiring practices of the port. In it, it was stated that, out of 1300 members of the three major Longshoremen’s unions listed in port records checked, every one in five were convicted felons in Florida, with offenses that included “attempted murder, armed robbery, assault and battery, trafficking in cocaine, grand theft, auto theft, and sex with a child.”

When confronted about this, Salahuddin had this to say: “From our standpoint, what benefit would it do to kick him out on the street? We see none”

The report also had something ominous to say about easy access to the port. Jim McDonough, Florida Drug Control Director stated, “I think we have to be very prudent about who we put in the hen-house. We generally don't put the wolf in the hen-house, based on the promise that reform has taken place.”

But almost two years later, is the wolf still guarding the hen-house?

Aside from being the Deputy Director of the port, Salahuddin is also the imam of what is said to be the oldest and largest mosque in South Florida, Masjid Al-Ansar. That in itself doesn’t pose a problem, but his views and affiliations do.

Before coming to “the pure teachings of al-Islam,” and before becoming a “true believer,” Salahuddin was a member of the Nation of Islam, the organization headed by the virulently anti-Jewish and anti-American Louis Farrakhan.

This bit of information is found on a website for the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), which is selling a tape featuring Salahuddin. ISNA is an organization that serves as “an umbrella group for hundreds of Islamic organizations in North America, some of which promote the Islamic fundamentalist doctrine of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad” (Steven Emerson, American Jihad, 2002). Upon his death, Salahuddin gave a memorial speech for Hamid Iqbal Siddiqui, an East Zone Representative for ISNA.

The other individual featured on this video is Maulana Shafayat Mohamed, the spiritual leader of Darul Aloom, the Islamic center where “dirty bomber” Jose Padilla worshipped and where Imran Mandhai and Mossa Jokhan are said to have plotted attacks on a National Guard armory and South Florida electrical power stations.

On February 16, 2002, Salahuddin officiated a fundraising event sponsored by the American Muslim Association of North America (AMANA), a group whose website boasts anti-homosexual material and contains a graphic link to www.islamonline.net, a site which features religious/legal opinions in support of suicide bombings.

On September 21, 2002, Salahuddin was one of the main speakers in an event sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR was formed by three leaders of a front for the terrorist organization Hamas and has had numerous high ranking members suspected of and convicted of terrorist activity. The Executive Director of CAIR, Nihad Awad, has stated that he supports Hamas.

Other speakers at this event were:

• Muhammad Musri, who like Salahuddin also has his speeches sold by ISNA, believes about Arab Christians that claim they converted from Islam that they “are lying and that they were actually Christians all along” and that “they are using tales of conversion to get financial backing from evangelical ministries.” And he took a jab at Christianity, when he said, “We don't want the Muslims to end up with 700 determinations of Islam.”

• Zulfiqar Ali Shah, the ex-Ameer (President) of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), an organization which “proclaims in writing its support for jihad, or holy war, against the ‘enemies of Islam’” and whose “hatred of Jews is so fierce that it has taunted Jews with a repetition of what Hitler did to them.” Ali Shah gave a lecture on how “stories and descriptions [in the] Old Testament” have been “corrupted by the hand of man” and how “many teachings presently in the Old Testament actually go against all human logic and morality.”

• Hassan Sabri, the imam of the Islamic Center of South Florida, who came to the U.S. via the Palestinian territories on a “special travel document” that expired 16 years ago. On April 6, 2002, Sabri attended an anti-Israel rally outside the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach, where allusions to Nazis and genocide were broadcast. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called the references “a disgusting trivialization of the Holocaust.”

• Mohammed Qazi, the Orlando President of the American Muslim Alliance (AMA), a group that has been described as “Radical Islamic activists.” Hillary Clinton returned a $50,000 donation the AMA had made to her New York Senatorial campaign for statements made by members of the group she deemed “offensive and outrageous.”

• Sayed Hemayed of the Muslim American Society (MAS). The July 4, 2003 edition of the MAS’s on-line publication, The American Muslim Magazine, features an article titled ‘Reaching the Roots of Terrorism,’ which validates terrorism, including suicide bombing, as “a reaction to injustice.”

• Ahmed Bedier, the Florida Communications Director of CAIR, who used his position, on numerous occasions, to defend Sami al-Arian. Al-Arian was arrested for his role as the North American leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, was found to have aided in the murder of Americans, and has screamed “Death to Israel.” Bedier has openly complained that the post 9/11 climate “has been an effective tool to silence anti-Israeli views in the country.”

• Altaf Ahmad Ali, the Florida Executive Director of CAIR, who used a joint press conference with the FBI to defend 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Ali, on a radio show just one month after 9/11, wavered on the question of whether or not the people that died in the 9/11 attacks were innocent.

• Parvez Ahmed, the Florida Chairman of the Board of CAIR, who is the registered agent for the Independent Writers Syndicate, an organization created by CAIR which distributes violent and hate-filled commentaries to publications throughout North America. It syndicates such radical Islamist authors as: Hesham A. Hassaballa, Arsalan Tariq Iftikhar, Riad Z. Abdelkarim, and Fedwa Wazwaz.

• Khalid Hamza, the co-founder of the Islamic Center of Boca Raton, a mosque that’s website features material from a web based book (‘This Is The Truth’) that is published by the Al-Haramain Foundation, a Saudi-backed organization that raised millions of dollars for the terrorist group Al-Qaeda. Hamza was denied tenure from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) for “misstating his qualifications on his resume and behaving unprofessionally in the classroom” and used a Texas A & M University internet forum to defend Sami Al Arian.

• Rafiq Mehdi, the imam of Masjid Al-Iman, the mosque where ‘dirty bomber’ Jose Padilla converted to Islam and where Adham Hassoun worshiped. Hassoun was the Florida registered agent for Benevolence International Foundation, a charity “charged with financing Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network.”

• Akhtar Hussein, an attorney who had his license suspended in 2002 for improper council in two cases, one involving cocaine distribution and the other involving possession of firearms and car theft, and who had his license suspended in 1994 for two years, due to his own felony conviction. Hussein was also the lawyer for Adham Hassoun. He called the government’s case against Hassoun “ridiculous.”

Khalid Salahuddin’s mosque is tied to another attorney with troubles. The registered agent for Masjid Al-Ansar is Nashid Sabir, a lawyer that has numerous business dealings with ex-State Representative Willie Logan. In 1997, the Bar admonished Sabir for missing a key hearing for one of his clients. In 2001, the Bar found probable cause to believe he violated ethics rules in the 1997 deportation case of a Dominican man. And in 2002, Sabir was reprimanded for professional misconduct regarding an immigration case.

And just like Akhtar Hussein, Sabir also provided legal services to a radical. In 2002, Sabir was the lawyer for convicted terrorist Imran Mandhai (see above). But that makes sense, because, while he’s the registered agent for Masjid Al-Ansar, he’s also a Founding Director and the Assistant Secretary for Darul Aloom, Mandhai’s house of worship.

The website of Masjid Al-Ansar contains only two outside links, one to Yahoo Maps and one to iviews.com, a site that features rabidly anti-Jewish and anti-American writings. Prior to being arrested earlier this year on firearms and conspiracy charges in relation to a group associated with al Qaeda, Randal Todd “Ismael” Royer served as iviews.com’s Washington Bureau Chief.

All of these things must be taken into account, when considering the sensitive nature of the position Khalid Salahuddin holds at the Seaport of Miami.

On Oct 15, 2003, a forum was held by the Coordinating Committee on Public Safety to discuss Florida’s unique security concerns. The meeting, which was attended by law enforcement and state government officials, highlighted the Port of Miami’s vulnerability to attack. A proposal was put forth regarding the building of a “security wall” around the port. However, when the time comes, no wall can hold out the terrorists, when they have a sympathizer sitting in charge, right on the inside.

Joe Kaufman is the Chairman of Americans Against Hate. You could visit Joe’s personal interactive website, at joe4rep.com. Beila Rabinowitz is an international journalist and translator. (Thanks to Faithfreedom.org.)

Pakistani official: he who denies jihad has no place in Islam

From the Daily Times of Pakistan: "Rashid says Muslims can’t deny jihadi culture."

"Rashid" is Federal Information Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad. He "told a Pakistani television channel on Friday that one of the attackers of Thursday’s suicide bomb attack on President Musharraf seemed to be a foreigner. He also said the jihadi culture in Pakistan could not be changed and he who denied jihad had no place in Islam, adding 'But whether or not it is jihad can only be decided by the State.'

So there cannot be jihad against Musharraf, I suppose? I suspect opinions on that in Pakistan will differ.

Meanwhile, about the "jihad culture" in Pakistan, another piece in the Daily Times says that "law-enforcement agencies have identified 45 religious organisations believed to have links with international jihadi networks or thought to be involved in terrorist and sectarian activities in Pakistan, sources told Daily Times on Friday.

"According to the sources, major groups believed to have links with Al Qaeda, like the Harkatul Jihad-e-Islami (HJI) and Jamiatul Mujahideen Al Alami have not been banned yet. They not only had roots in Pakistan, but also in Kashmir, Myanmar, Bangladesh and the Philippines, sources said.

"HJI chief Qari Saifullah Akhtar, who reportedly lives a in some Gulf state, was allegedly former Taliban leader Mulla Umar’s advisor and believed to have a direct link with Al Qaeda. The sources said several of his organisation’s several activists who were arrested by law-enforcement agencies for terror attacks in Karachi had divulged this information.

"The sources said Harkatul Mujahideen Al Alami, which was accused of an attack on President Pervez Musharraf last year in Karachi and the suicide attacks on French engineers, was formed by the HJI, Harkatul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) and Jamiatul Mujahideen Al Alami." (Thanks to Nicolei.)

"Blessings for whoever has saved a bullet in order to stick it in a Jew's head"

MEMRI has published extracts from sermons in Palestinian mosques over the last three years. Anyone wanting real answers to hoary questions such as Why Do They Hate Us? and How Do They See Us? should read this material carefully.

Says compiler Steven Stalinsky: "Each Khatib (preacher) is a paid employee of the Palestinian Authority (PA). The sermons are broadcast live every Friday at noon from mosques under control of the PA and are shown on PA television." He lists the sermons' common themes, including "calls for the destruction of the U.S., the perceived American Crusader war against Islam, honoring Shahids and the rewards of the martyrs, educating children to martyrdom, and antisemitism, including calls for the killing of Jews."

A few extracts:

"Allah willing, this unjust state will be erased - Israel will be erased; this unjust state, the United States, will be erased; this unjust state, Britain, will be erased." — Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi

"Allah, destroy the U.S., its helpers and its agents. Allah, destroy Britain, its helpers and its agents. Allah, prepare those who will unite the Muslims and march in the steps of Saladin. Allah, we ask you for forgiveness before death, and mercy and forgiveness after death. Allah, grant victory to Islam and the Muslims…" — Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories, Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri

"Allah the almighty has called upon us not to ally with the Jews or the Christians, not to like them, not to become their partners, not to support them, and not to sign agreements with them… Allah, deal with the Jews, your enemies and the enemies of Islam. Deal with the Crusaders, and America, and Europe behind them…" — Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya

I know that some Palestinian Christians are aware that they are included in this group. I also know that some aren't.

"If, God forbid, something happens to Iraq, the aggression and the Crusade will turn tomorrow against the Koran… God forbid, his second assault is on the Koran, [he wants] to change verses and to mess with Allah's book, to Americanize the region, Americanize the religion, Americanize the Koran, Americanize Muhammad's message… To my brothers in Iraq, to the President of Iraq, to the Iraqi leadership, to the Iraqi people… Strike, my brother; may your right arm, oh proud Iraq, be strong… strike Allah's enemies with it. Strike with it the enemies of humanity… from the pulpits of Al-Azhar and other mosques around the world, that any Muslim who does not stand by Iraq and support it against the American-British-Crusaders cruel attack… Allah, grant victory to the Iraqi army… Allah, defeat America and its allies… Allah, purify the Islamic soil from the American and British treason and defilement… Allah, make their possessions a booty for the Muslims, Allah, annihilate them and their weapons, Allah, make their children orphans and their women widows…" — Sheikh Muhammad Abu Al-Hunud

"If we go back in the time tunnel 1400 years, we will find that history repeats itself… Byzantium represents America in the west… America will collapse, as Byzantium collapsed in the west… The Prophet [Muhammad] could, by means of unbroken ranks, conquer Byzantium, the greatest power compared to today's America - and this without a single martyr falling from among the Muslims… The Prophet could, by means of the unity of the Muslim ranks and its awakening, defeat the America of that time, as we will defeat America as long as it supports our enemy, as long as America insists on being against our people and against our cause and our holy places, and against our people and our leadership… Indeed, we consider America to be our No. 1 enemy… America is our No. 1 enemy, and we see it as our No. 1 enemy as long as we learn from the lessons of the Battle of Tabouk [which took place in October 630 AD] :'Make ready for them whatever you can of armed strength and of mounted pickets' [Koran 8:60]. We are prepared and ready, but victory is from Allah…" — Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris

"[Even when] a martyr's organs are being chopped off, and he turns into torn organs that spread all over, in order to meet Allah, Muhammad, and his friends, it would not be [considered] a loss… This is the honor given to our martyrs, the martyrs of the Islamic nation, who were killed due to their loyalty to Allah... The sacrifice of convoys of martyrs [will continue] until Allah grants us victory very soon. The willingness for sacrifice and for death we see amongst those who were cast by Allah into a war with the Jews, should not come at all as a surprise… Oh believing brothers, we do not feel a loss... The martyr, if he meets Allah, is forgiven with the first drop of blood; he is saved from the torments of the grave; he sees his place in Paradise; he is saved from the Great Horror [of the day of judgment]; he is given 72 black-eyed women; he vouches for 70 of his family to be accepted to Paradise; he is crowned with the Crown of glory, whose precious stone is better than all of this world and what is in it…" — Sheikh Isma'il Aal Radhwan

Sheikh Isma'il is speaking, of course, of the kind of martyrs who commit murder and are killed in the process.

"Blessings to those who wage [Jihad] with their body… Blessings to our Shahids who sacrifice their souls easily for the sake of Allah… Blessings to the happy Shahids within the entrails of the green bird in Paradise. Blessings to the Shahids whose sins are forgiven with the first drop of their blood." — Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris

"Know that a Shahid [who falls] on this land is considered more than one Shahid someplace else. Yes, there are traditions that a Shahid here [in Jerusalem] is worth 70 Shahids in a place other than this good land…" — Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris

"We tell them: in as much as you love life - the Muslim loves death and martyrdom. There is a great difference between he who loves the hereafter and he who loves this world. The Muslim loves death and [strives for] martyrdom. He does not fear the oppression of the arrogant or the weapons of the blood-letters. The blessed and sacred soil of Palestine has vomited all the invaders and all the colonialists throughout history and it will soon vomit, with Allah's help, the [present] occupiers." — Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri

"A young man said to me: 'I am 14 years old, and I have four years left before I blow myself up'… We, the Muslims on this good and blessed land, are all - each one of us - seekers of Martyrdom… The Koran is very clear on this: The greatest enemies of the Islamic nation are the Jews, may Allah fight them… Blessings for whoever assaulted a soldier… Blessings for whoever has raised his sons on the education of Jihad and Martyrdom; blessings for whoever has saved a bullet in order to stick it in a Jew's head…" — Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi

"Shame and remorse on whoever refrained from raising his children on Jihad… Blessings to whoever waged Jihad for the sake of Allah; blessings to whoever raided for the sake of Allah; blessings to whoever put a belt of explosives on his body or on his sons' and plunged into the midst of the Jews, crying 'Allahu Akbar, praise to Allah, There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger'… Allah, show us a black day for the Jews, like the day of 'Aad and Thamud. [14] Allah, turn them into pillage for us. Allah, we strive for martyrdom for your sake..." — Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi

"I feel the martyr is lucky because the angels usher him to his wedding in heaven. I feel the earth moves under the occupiers' feet… There is no doubt that a child [martyr] suggests that the new generation will carry on the mission with determination. The younger the martyr - the greater and the more I respect him… They [mothers of martyrs] willingly sacrifice their offspring for the sake of freedom. It is a great display of the power of belief. The mother is participating in the great reward of the Jihad to liberate Al-Aqsa… I talked to a young man… [who] said: '… I want to marry the black-eyed [beautiful] women of heaven.' The next day he became a martyr. I am sure his mother was filled with joy about his heavenly marriage. Such a son must have such a mother." — Mufti Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri

"Palestine will be, as it was in the past, a graveyard for the invaders - just as it was a graveyard for the Tatars and to the Crusader invaders, [and for the invaders] of the old and new colonialism… A reliable Hadith [tradition] says: 'The Jews will fight you, but you will be set to rule over them.' What could be more beautiful than this tradition? 'The Jews will fight you' - that is, the Jews have begun to fight us. 'You will be set to rule over them' - Who will set the Muslim to rule over the Jew? Allah… Until the Jew hides behind the rock and the tree. But the rock and tree will say: 'Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, a Jew hides behind me, come and kill him.' Except for the Gharqad tree, which is the tree of the Jews. We believe in this Hadith. We are convinced also that this Hadith heralds the spread of Islam and its rule over all the land… Oh Allah, accept our martyrs in the highest heavens… Oh Allah, show the Jews a black day… Oh Allah, annihilate the Jews and their supporters… Oh Allah, raise the flag of Jihad across the land… Oh Allah, forgive our sins…" — Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi

"All spears should be directed at the Jews, at the enemies of Allah, the nation that was cursed in Allah's book. Allah has described them as apes and pigs, the calf-worshipers, idol-worshipers… Whoever can fight them with his weapons, should go out [to the battle]; whoever can fight them with a machinegun, should go out; whoever can fight them with a sword or a knife, should go out; whoever can fight them with his hands, should go out; This is our destiny… The Jews have exposed their fangs. Nothing will deter them, except the color of their filthy people's blood; nothing will deter them except for us voluntarily detonating ourselves in their midst. They have nuclear power, but we have the power of the belief in Allah… We blow them up in Hadera, we blow them up in Tel Aviv and in Netanya." — Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi, referring to the Qur'an's Suras 2:62-5, 5:59-60, and 7:166

"Oh beloved of Allah… One of the Jews' evil deeds is what has come to be called 'the Holocaust,' that is, the slaughter of the Jews by Nazism. However, revisionist [historians] have proven that this crime, carried out against some of the Jews, was planned by the Jews' leaders, and was part of their policy… These are the Jews against whom we fight, oh beloved of Allah. On the other hand, [what is our belief] about the Jews? Allah has described them as donkeys." — Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi

"Oh Muslims, oh brothers, believers, everywhere, our Prophet used to deal in Friday's sermons with current events of his time and I will follow him and also discuss some religious rulings connected to the current international events following the [attacks] that took place in America on the 11th of this month. First, there is a religious legal rule that man is innocent, namely, in Islam, a human being is innocent until he is proven guilty. It is not allowed to blame a human being and then tell him 'prove you're innocent.' Therefore we tell America: 'It is forbidden to accuse a person before the beginning of the investigation.' Until now, the American administration could not present proof to convict the accused in the [attacks] in New York and Washington, [because] it is possible that there are other elements inside America who carried out these [attacks]." — Mufti Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri

Here's Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes with Arafat:

"[To Arafat]: Your state-controlled television carried a sermon by a sheikh telling worshippers that martyrs will go to paradise and marry 70 beautiful virgins. Do you believe that's a correct interpretation of the Koran?

"Arafat: I am not now in a position to translate for you what had been mentioned in our Koran."

Hanan Ashrawi played dodgeball with Tony Snow:

"Tony Snow: What I would like to do is read to you just a few statements that appeared on Palestinian TV on August 3 of this year, in a sermon broadcast over the television network, here is the quote: 'All weapons must be aimed at the Jews… Whom the Koran describes as monkeys and pigs. Whoever can fight the Jews with his weapons should go out to the battle; whoever can fight with a machine gun should go out; whoever can fight with a sword or knife should go out; whoever can fight them with his hands should go out… Nothing will deter them, except the color of their filthy people's blood; nothing will deter them except for us voluntarily detonating ourselves in their midst.' That is from Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi. Now, the question is, that being on your national TV, should people not view that as an endorsement of those tactics?

"Hanan Ashrawi:Well, frankly, I haven't heard this sermon, but had it been actually said, I certainly question the sources, but had it been broadcast, certainly I would condemn it.

"Tony Snow: We understand that, as a matter of fact, hate language is used by both sides. The unusual factor here is that it is on a television channel that you and the Legislative Council and Yasser Arafat control. You're responsible for the content…

"Hanan Ashrawi: No we don't control it.

"Tony Snow: You don't control your own television network?

"Hanan Ashrawi: No, no. There is no censorship or control on those and I never heard this speech, and I will have to take your word for it, although I would like to know your sources."

Jihad in Tennessee

Yes, there was a militant Muslim organization in Knoxville, Tennessee, that was helping fund jihad in Bosnia and Chechnya in the 1990s, but it's no longer active. See? Nothing to be concerned about at all. KnoxNews reports that "a former member of a secretive Islamic fundamentalist organization in Knoxville helped funnel money to militant fighters in Bosnia and Chechnya during the 1990s, but local Muslims said Tuesday the group is no longer active." (Thanks to Nicolei.)

"Mustafa Saied, a former University of Tennessee student and member of the Muslim Brotherhood, told the Wall Street Journal in a story published Tuesday that money raised at the Annoor Mosque ostensibly for poor civilians actually went to Muslim warriors."

In Onward Muslim Soldiers I explore the thought of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hasan Al-Banna, as well as that of one of its greatest exponents, Sayyid Qutb. I also details its ties to Hamas and other modern-day terrorist groups.

"Knoxville Muslims raised $6,000 to pay for tents, Saied told the paper, but in 1995 a representative of the Benevolence International Foundation, a Chicago-based nonprofit, told him a portion of the money was diverted to fighters in Bosnia and Chechnya. FBI Special Agent James Van Pelt of the Knoxville office said he isn't aware of any criminal prosecution of any people or groups arising from the activities described in the article. 'If something like that would happen today, the person could be guilty of (giving) material support to terrorists,' Van Pelt said.

"The foundation's leader pleaded guilty in 2002 to buying supplies for fighters in the two countries. The U.S. Treasury Department alleged the group also had ties to al-Qaeda, though the charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
The paper reported that Saied was part of an active group of Muslim Brotherhood members in Knoxville before he left the campus in 1996, a few credits short of graduating. The Muslim Brotherhood is an international fundamentalist political group.

"Rosalind Gwynne, faculty adviser to the UT chapter of the Muslim Student Association said she was surprised to find out the Muslim Brotherhood had been active on campus. There can be as many as 300 students in the association at any one time, and the mix can vary from year to year, she said. Knoxville's mainstream Muslims said they weren't aware of the group's presence here either. 'I've lived here for 30 years, and this is the first time I ever heard about it,' said Hanan Ayesh, a founder of the Annoor Academy, a Muslim school.

"Most of those involved in the Muslim Brotherhood here were foreign students who get involved in Islamic politics before moving back to their countries of origin, said Mostafa Alsharif, a lifelong Knoxvillian. 'The majority of Muslims in the United States couldn't care less about the Muslim Brotherhood. They're going to stay in the United States. There's no need to be affiliated with something like that,' Alsharif said. Alsharif said the Muslim Brotherhood isn't active here anymore. 'It's not the reality of what's happening in Knoxville today at all,' he said.

"The lengthy Wall Street Journal article detailed Saied's activities in Knoxville nearly a decade ago. Now an adherent of a less strident form of Islam, Saied is an executive at a Florida environmental-testing firm. Said's tale offers a glimpse into how secretive organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood operate in the United States. 'Anti-American sentiment is usually reserved for closed-door discussions or expressed in languages that most Americans don't understand,' Saied told Wall Street Journal reporter Paul M. Barrett. 'While such rhetoric has been drastically reduced since 9/11, it is still prevalent enough to be a cause for concern.'"

Calling CAIR's Ibrahim Hooper: Ibrahim, my friend, what is CAIR doing to counter such rhetoric?

"Saied told Barrett he and other fundamentalist Muslims would meet once a week to drink tea and eat sweets while discussing fundamentalist Islam in secret. Saied said the Knoxville chapter viewed violence as something 'we don't do here, unless necessary.'

"Saied told Barrett he feels guilty about his years as an extremist and is applying for U.S. citizenship. He worries, according to the article, that areas of 'venomous hatred toward Western society' persist on some campuses and in certain Islamic communities."

Islamic communities aren't alone on this one. There is a great deal of venomous hatred toward Western society on college campuses among non-Muslim students.

"Some in the local Muslim community fear that reports of such extremist activities — even those that occurred nearly a decade ago — will prompt other Americans to persecute law-abiding Muslims. Ayesh said she sometimes feels like she had more freedom when she first came to America 34 years ago than her children have today."

It's easy to throw around unfocused accusations. Mrs. Ayesh, do you have time for a couple of questions? Please detail some instances of persecution of law-abiding Muslims in America. I know that CAIR lists many, but quite a few of those have turned out be much less than what CAIR claims to be. Illegal immigrants don't count, although even in their case I don't equate deportation with persecution; in any case, you said "law-abiding." Also, and more importantly, please explain: exactly what could you do 34 years ago in America that your children can't do now? And one last thing: exactly what are you and you fellow moderate Muslims doing to eradicate Islamic radicalism — or even the anti-American rhetoric referred to above — from the American Muslim community? I'll look forward to your answers; you can contact me here.

Jihad leader killed

"A military leader of the radical group Islamic Jihad and four other Palestinians were killed on Thursday, and seven people wounded, when Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles at a car here, Palestinian medical sources said." This report is from News24.com, with thanks to Jean-Luc.

"Islamic Jihad leader Moqbel Hamid was killed when a missile struck the car in which he was traveling, the sources said. The Israeli army said in a brief statement that it had targeted Hamid.

"'During an operation in the Gaza Strip this evening, the car of a senior Islamic Jihad official responsible for a series of deadly attacks' was targeted, a statement said."

Radical Muslims' sentencing delayed

Did the attack on Maher cause the postponement?

"An Egyptian security court has postponed sentencing in the trial of 23 Egyptians and three Britons accused of plotting to oust Arab governments." So says Al-Jazeera, with thanks to Nicolei.

"They stand accused of belonging to and trying to reactivate the banned Islamic Liberation Party, and aiming to overthrow governments in the region. The group, which emerged in Jordan in the early 1970s, seeks to restore the caliphate - one Islamic government for all Islamic states - through military coups across the region. The accused face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. . . .

"In July, the supreme state security court said the verdict would be pronounced in December, but the presiding judge declared on Thursday that a final decision would be taken on 25 March, without giving a reason for the delay.

"'There is only one God and Muhammad is his prophet,' cried some of the accused as they were led from the court after the adjournment. . . .

"'It's possible that the attack on the Egyptian minister (Maher) could be behind the delay,' said Homira Nisbett, wife of another accused, Ian Malcolm Nisbett.
Maher was assaulted on Monday by a group of Palestinians, who called him a traitor while he visited the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem.

"'The delayed verdict following the attack on Ahmed Maher worries us, notably because it coincides with the arrests in the past 48 hours of 80 people accused of belonging to the Liberation Party,' said defence lawyer Montasser al-Zayat."

Palestinian children collect pictures of militants like baseball cards

The tiny minority of extremists, repudiated and despised as they are by the vast majority of Muslims, is printing the faces of its heroes on trading cards. And the kids love 'em: "Palestinian children are collecting cards showing gunmen and soldiers the way American kids trade baseball cards, and some educators are concerned that the uprising hobby is helping to breed a new generation of militants." So says AP, with thanks to Nicolei.

"The cards are an enormous hit, according to Majdi Taher, who makes them. He said that 6 million cards have been sold over two years and 32,000 albums this month alone in the two main population centers of the northern West Bank - huge numbers in a territory about 1 million Palestinians live, and he plans to expand his business.

"The card craze reflects reality in the West Bank, where three years of Palestinian-Israeli violence has become the dominant reality for children. Israeli soldiers enforce curfews, confining residents to their homes, and often carry out raids in towns and villages, looking for militants. Sometimes children throw rocks at Israeli soldiers or are caught up in exchanges of gunfire. At least 319 Palestinian children under the age of 18 have been killed in the conflict.

"In the West Bank, Palestinian militants carry their weapons openly on the streets and gain the adulation of the young. More than 100 Palestinian suicide bombers have carried out attacks against Israelis, becoming folk heroes in their home towns.

"The collectable cards depict real-life Middle East action figures familiar to the children: An Israeli soldier shooting a large gun, a soldier forcing Palestinians off their land, a small Palestinian child dressed in militant's clothing holding a toy gun and Palestinian boys throwing stones."

The cards also have gained approval in high places: "The albums are sold in cardboard boxes shaped like Israeli tanks and include a dedication from Nablus governor Mahmoud Alul. A child who fills an album with all 129 pictures can win a computer, a bicycle, a watch or a hat.

"Some teachers and parents are concerned about the new fad, trying to forbid their children from buying the pictures, saying they are teaching children violence and forcing them to grow up too quickly. 'I take hundreds of these pictures from children every day and burn them,' said Saher Hindi, 28, a teach at a Nablus elementary school. 'They turn children into extremists.'

"The desire to fill the albums has captivated children in Nablus and Ramallah, teachers say, keeping them from their homework as they spend all their money on the cards. It's a business success for Taher, who said he plans to expand the sale of the cards and albums to other West Bank towns. The former candy salesman said he means for the album and pictures to be a history lesson. Children who are now seven cannot remember incidents from the start of the fighting three years ago, Taher said.

"'I am writing the history of the intefadeh (uprising) in pictures,' Taher said. 'I collected these pictures from journalists, and I want people to remember this all their lives.'"

Terrorists still plotting

Las Vegas — as a symbol of Western decadence — has surfaced in the past as a target of Islamic terrorism, and now it has come up again: "U.S. government officials said yesterday they believe some of the passengers boarding one of the three Air France flights from Paris to Los Angeles that were canceled this week because of security concerns might have intended to hijack it and crash-land in Las Vegas or another city along its flight path." So says the Washington Post.

"Police in Paris questioned 13 people who had checked in for two Air France flights that were canceled Christmas Eve because of a terrorism warning from U.S. authorities, but no evidence of wrongdoing was found, the French Interior Ministry said. All 13 were released.

"But U.S. officials said they are suspicious about some of the passengers who did not show up at the airport to claim their seats on the ultimately aborted Flight 68 from Paris to Los Angeles. One of those who did not appear for the Christmas Eve flight apparently is a trained pilot, one U.S. official said.

"'We still have an interest in talking to those people who didn't show up,' said one U.S. official knowledgeable about the investigation. 'There might be more to come on this.' Despite French statements suggesting some of the American fears about the Air France flights were unfounded, U.S. government officials said they believe they might have averted a terrorist attack by arranging for the flights' cancellation. Officials said they feared that al Qaeda operatives planned to hijack one of the flights and use the plane as a missile to attack a site on or near its route.

"Moreover, U.S. officials said intelligence indicators suggest that al Qaeda might have set other terrorist operations in motion that do not involve aviation and are not centered in California. As on other occasions when terrorist fears are heightened, U.S. officials said their main concern is that al Qaeda might use a chemical or biological weapon, or a radiological 'dirty' bomb.

"'Our fear is that other things are going on' that have nothing to do with jetliner flights in or out of U.S. airports, said one U.S. official briefed on high-level intelligence. 'The concern is that there still could be a lot of activity that was underway.'

"Another government official with access to the classified reports said U.S. security officials 'are really concerned something major will happen' despite the cancellation of the three incoming and three outgoing Air France flights between Paris and Los Angeles on Christmas Eve and yesterday. One scenario embraced by a number of U.S. security officials is that al Qaeda operatives were in the final stages of planning an attack in this country, and were awaiting final direction from al Qaeda superiors to proceed."

Muslims warned to leave U.S. cities -- again

Evidently American Muslims in New York, Washington, and Los Angeles should keep their bags packed: six weeks after warnings for Muslims to leave those cities were posted on radical Muslim websites, they have appeared again. WorldNetDaily reports that "known al-Qaida affiliated websites are warning Muslims to leave New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles ahead of massive attacks it claims have been planned for those cities.

"The statements, posted on sites such as Al-Lewa – Arabic for 'The Banner' – are part of the alarming increase in 'chatter' among terrorist operatives in recent weeks cited by Homeland Security officials for raising the terror threat level to high, or orange, reports the New York Post. Officials told the paper the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency consider the messages 'pieces of the overall puzzle.'"

Another possibility is that the recent warnings are actually the same as those that surfaced in November: "Counterterrorism experts uncovered and translated statements boasting of an impending wave of terror that started Nov. 15 after the suicide bombings in Istanbul, Turkey. 'The next al-Qaida attacks will be most violent and will target the U.S.,' read one claim translated by Rita Katz, director of the SITE Institute. 'Our Muslim brothers in America, this is our final warning. We ask you, as fast as you can, to leave the following cities immediately: Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles,' read a second message posted Thursday by a group calling itself the Islamic Bayan Movement.

"According to the messages, the jihadists apparently are pleased with the terror alert issued by government agencies and the anxiety it prompts for travelers this holiday week. Katz said one message published quoted al-Qaida's mouthpiece, the Global Islamic Media Society, in saying it took delight that Americans are now 'living in a state of anxiety and constant fear.'

"'You will forget about Manhattan events. Be prepared,' the statement concluded."

"The nuclear programme became an integral part of the strategy of deniable proxy jihad"

Now that it has come to light that Pakistan may have given nuclear secrets to Iran and North Korea, we must ask what may have been the motivations of those who did so. In an editorial entitled "Jihad and loss of internal sovereignty," the Daily Times of Pakistan acknowledges that jihad was likely to have been high on the list.

The editorial focuses on two news items: "According to a Foreign Office spokesman in Islamabad, investigations show that 'certain individuals might have been motivated by personal ambition or greed' in facilitating possible nuclear technology transfers from Pakistan to Iran. The government says it will take to task anyone found involved in such activity. In another interesting report, we learn of a top Chinese ‘terrorist’ by the name of Hasan Mahsum who was shot dead in Pakistan’s South Waziristan area during a military operation last October. Mr Mahsum was supposed to have links with Al Qaeda.

"Two conclusions can be immediately drawn from these news items. First, that the sale of our nuclear secrets was probably more a result of lack of state control over individuals working in our nuclear establishment than any conscious or permitted state policy. Two, the killing of Hasan Mahsum should surprises us about the extent of penetration of our country by persons accused of terrorism by the countries of their origin. Both cases point to a lack of internal state control and jurisdiction in the past decade."

This lack of internal state control, says the editorial, became particularly acute in connection with jihad ideology: "Internal control was lost after the compulsion of importing warriors led to their immunity from the law inside Pakistan. Once such immunity was granted through special agencies handling jihad, larger sections of the state began to be included in it. Jihad, when it is not declared by the Islamic state, tends to eat at the fabric of the state’s sovereignty. Just as foreign mujahideen had a free run of the country, the personnel involved in the strategy of jihad gradually assumed immunity. In this context, the nuclear programme became an integral part of the strategy of deniable proxy jihad. In 1999, for example, when scientists from our nuclear establishment were decorated on Pakistan Day, most of them were proud to sport flowing beards, overtly displaying their political and religious viewpoint!

And: "In her second tenure, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto got the ISI to register the ‘foreign’ mujahideen in Peshawar in the wake of Egypt’s complaint that Mohammad Shawky al-Islambouli, a brother of the killer of President Anwer Sadat, was being sheltered there. The ISI came up with 5,000 names: 1,142 Egyptians, 981 Saudis, 946 Algerians, 771 Jordanians, 326 Iraqis, 292 Syrians, 234 Sudanese, 199 Libyans, 117 Libyans and 102 Moroccans. The world now knows how Pakistan became the bridge between Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and the ‘takfeer’-based Algerian-FIS breakaway organisation called the GIA whose terrorists had lived in the guesthouses in Peshawar. There is also an established connection with Iraqi Mulla Krekar’s Kurdish organisation whose members also came to join the jihad in Peshawar. Krekar, originally Najmuddin Feraj Ahmad, taught at Islamabad’s Islamic University where he also met Abdallah Azzam, Osama’s man in Peshawar. The University routinely employed Egyptian fundamentalist clerics in its faculty. Ramzi Yusuf, the first bomber of the Trade Center in New York, frequented the hostel of the University and this appeared in the Pakistani press. Similarly, one can explain how the Indonesian terrorist Hambali, the Bali bomber, and his brother wound up in Karachi. There are hundreds of examples of how the country simply gave away its internal sovereignty. Pakistani scientists and doctors began going to Afghanistan and meeting Osama bin Laden in the wake of the international terrorists. Just like the jihadi leaders who vowed divine rage, most of them were in it for money. Doctors were found in Lahore with huge amounts of dollars in their possession.

"If 9/11 had not happened and the UN Security Council had not forced Pakistan to reimpose internal controls, more and more Pakistanis would have found their way into the toils of global terrorism. We already have our plate full. We have to clean up and return to normalcy after years of chaos. But first we must correctly grasp the enormity of the task ahead of us."

Cleric: Bali bombers are Allah's fighters, not terrorists

Abu Bakar Bashir

Here is an example of why Muslims and non-Muslims so often talk past each other: Abu Bakar Bashir, the Indonesian Muslim leader who is or has been the head of the radical Muslim group Jemaah Islamiyah (although he denies it) has said that "the Bali bombers and an Indonesian bomb-maker killed by the Philippine military in October were not 'terrorists' but God's fighters." This from AFP, with thanks to Nicolei.

A man with this perspective could easily say that Islam condemns terrorism. But he would believe that "terrorism" is a label used by the West to discredit jihad warriors such as the heroic Osama bin Laden. And indeed, this is just the view of Abu Bakar Bashir:

"Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, who recently became a martyr, is a jihad [holy war] fighter, not a terrorist," Bashir told a gathering of prisoners at Salemba prison in Central Jakarta that journalists and his supporters were allowed to attend.

Convicted Bali bombers "Imam Samudra, Mukhlas, Amrozi and his friends are not terrorists either, they are fighters of the army of God," Bashir said, who is serving time for immigration offences. Bashir, 65, also praised Osama bin Laden as a Muslim fighter. He has praised bin Laden, head of the Al Qaeda terror network, in the past but his public accolade for Bali bombers was the first.

A court in Bali has sentenced Samudra, Amrozi and Amrozi's brother Mukhlas to death for their roles in the Bali bombings, which killed 202 people, mostly Westerners, on October 12, 2002. Self-confessed bomb-maker Al-Ghozi, a senior operative of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) extremist network that is linked to al-Qaeda, was killed by Philippine troops in October after escaping from a Manila jail three months earlier. The JI network is blamed for a string of bloody attacks including church bombings which killed 19 people on Christmas Eve 2000, the Bali blasts on October 12, 2002, which killed 202 people and the August Jakarta Marriott hotel blast that claimed 12 lives.

But as far as Bashir is concerned, it's all -- that's right -- America's fault.

Bashir said Indonesian Muslims had been targets of slander from the United States, which he warned the authorities not to support. "I warn police if they remain supportive of the US, they can laugh now but will later cry for the rest of their lives," he said.

Bashir even blames his jail time on the U.S.:

Earlier in the day Bashir's lawyers filed a petition to the Supreme Court against an appeal court ruling that he must serve three years in jail. In September he was convicted of treason through taking part in a JI plot to overthrow the government. But the court said there was no proof that he headed the JI terror network, as prosecutors alleged. The appeal court this month cleared Bashir of treason. It upheld his conviction for immigration offences and forging documents but cut his jail term from four years to three. His lawyers want him cleared of all charges. Bashir has denied any links to terrorism and said he was framed by Washington because he campaigns for Islamic sharia law.

U.S. Envoy: Pakistan a 'Sanctuary' for Jihadis

"Guerrillas from Afghanistan's ousted Taliban militia and the al Qaeda network it once sheltered are using Pakistan as a sanctuary, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan said Wednesday." This from Reuters.

"Speaking at a police graduation ceremony, Zalmay Khalilzad also said senior al Qaeda members including Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar must be brought to justice.

"'The remnants of extremist Taliban, al Qaeda and Hekmatyar want to take Afghanistan to the bad old days,' Khalilzad said. 'They use Pakistan as sanctuary.'

"The Taliban and Hekmatyar have declared a 'jihad,' or holy war, against U.S. forces in Afghanistan and U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai.

"The fate of bin Laden and al-Zawahri remains unknown, but they are widely believed to be hiding along the rugged Afghan-Pakistan border." Or somewhere below it.

"Afghan officials, including Karzai, have long complained Pakistan is not doing enough to clamp down on militants using its territory to launch deadly raids into Afghanistan. U.S. officials are usually less forthright, recognizing the importance of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's support for the U.S.-led war on terror.

"Pakistan has arrested hundreds of suspected guerrillas, including senior figures, and handed many over to U.S. custody, but senior officials say some militants could be hiding out along its remote Afghan frontier."

A new article for Christmas

The reality of Christmas today around the world is the subject of Jihad Watch director Robert Spencer's new article "A Holly Jihadi Christmas," available today at WorldNetDaily.

Threats of Christmas Terror

Many times I have been confronted by people who tell me that the Bible contains incitement to violence too, and so the Qur'an's incitement to violence is either beside the point or disingenuously one-sided. Among many important and necessary answers to this is the fact that jihad terror exists no matter what evil anyone else may be doing, so it's just irrelevant to invoke the Bible. Another is the empirical fact that when people speak of "Ramadan violence," they generally refer to violence done by radical Muslims, while the common understanding is that "Christmas violence" refers to violence done not by Christians, but to them. There is good reason for this common usage: no matter how politically incorrect the fact may be, there is no global network of Christian terrorists, but there is such a network of Muslims. (There are other essential answers to the question regarding the Bible and the Qur'an, which I discuss at some length in Islam Unveiled.)

A summary of Christmas terror past and present, courtesy Elizabeth Kendal of the World Evangelical Alliance, with thanks to Freedom Now News:

"Christmas 1999: A series of terror attacks planned against Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land and Amman (Jordan) were thwarted.

"Christmas Eve 2000: At around 9 pm, 18 bombs exploded almost simultaneously outside churches in seven cities across central Indonesia, killing 15 people and wounding 96. Another 31 unexploded bombs were recovered.

"Christmas Day 2002: In Pakistan, three girls were killed and 14 believers wounded when two masked men dressed in burkas threw grenades into a church in the village of Chianwala, 65km northwest of Lahore. Explosives were also found near a church in the Pakistan capital of Islamabad.

"Christmas 2003 is equally foreboding:

"* INDONESIA: a Jakarta police chief has warned that intelligence information suggests Jakarta could well be the target of a bombing campaign this Christmas. Police officers will be stationed at more than 240 churches throughout Jakarta and its suburbs.

"* IRAQ: intelligence indicates that Iraq also may experience major terror attacks over Christmas, although reports admit it is unclear what the targets might be.

"* ITALY: security will be increased at some 8,000 major Christian sites in Italy, including St Peter's Square, after a warning from Mossad (Israeli Intelligence Service) that there was a 'high index of probability' that 'an important symbol of Christianity' would be the target of a terror attack between Christmas and New Year. The Via della Conciliazione, the main road leading to St Peter's Basilica, will be closed every night until 25 December, a precaution officials say was unprecedented.

"* SRI LANKA: the situation in Sri Lanka is extremely tense due to the death last week of the prominent and much revered Sri Lankan Buddhist monk Ven. Soma Thero, a champion of Buddhist nationalism. He was in Russia receiving an award at the time of his death. An autopsy revealed he suffered a fatal heart attack. However, Sri Lanka's 'Supreme Council of Monks' has called for his death to be investigated, saying they suspect foul play. Sri Lankan media have speculated there is a Christian conspiracy. According to the Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (EASL), tensions are running so high that churches across the nation are postponing Christmas celebrations. Ven. Soma Thero's funeral will take place on 24 December, Christmas Eve. EASL is requesting prayer for the nation."

"Safeguard the burning ember of Jihad"

MEMRI reports that recent editions of the Al-Qaeda magazine, The Voice of Jihad, contain debates on whether or not the organization should strike within Saudi Arabia. "There has been no dispute," says MEMRI, "over striking American or Western targets around the world - only regarding attacks within the kingdom."

A "high ranking Al-Qa'ida member," Abd Al-'Aziz bin 'Issa bin Abd Al-Mohsen, is quoted thusly: "Jihad members and Mujahideen sympathizers were divided: Some said we must attack the invading forces that defile the land of the two holy places [i.e. the Arabian Peninsula], and must cause the Americans to become preoccupied with themselves and their bases so they won't leave them to crush the countries and lands of the Muslims, country by country.

"Others said we had to preserve the security of this base and of this country [i.e. Saudi Arabia], from which we recruit the armies, from which we take out the young people, and from which we receive [financial] backing. It must therefore remain safe.

"My opinion is an intermediate opinion, between the two groups. It is true that we must keep the enemy preoccupied with himself and not give him a sense of security, because as soon as he secures his bases and his lines of supply, he will have an opportunity to use them to attack our brothers in different parts of the countries of the Islamic world. But we must prepare ourselves and be ready for this momentous event the best way we possibly can. We told them: 'Wait, we are readying ourselves.' Then we attacked the Americans.

"It is also true that we must take advantage of this country [Saudi Arabia] because it is the primary source of funds for most Jihad movements, and it has some degree of security and freedom of movement. But we must strike a balance between this and America's invasion of the Islamic world and its hobbling of the Jihad movement and even of other Islamic movements…"

Another Al-Qaeda member, Louis Attiya Allah (an alias), says that the negative effect of Saudi attempts to portray the November 8 Riyadh bombing as an operation against Muslims (which it doesn't seem to have been anyway) "is temporary and will disappear if, for example, the Mujahideen strike another blow in America. Then sympathy will return to what it was in the past, and may even increase."

Says Voice of Jihad editorial writer Suleiman Al-Dosari: "Our number-one enemy is the Jews and the Christians, and we must make ourselves available and invest all our effort until we destroy them – and we are capable of doing this if Allah allows us to – because they are the main obstacle to the establishment of the Islamic state."

Plus this, also from Louis Attiya Allah: "The world order must be removed from the region and defeated, first of all militarily. Then, the Islamic state must be reestablished, in accordance with the Islamic regime. . . . The experience [of an Islamic state] is real, and it existed 1,300 years ago. The peoples of the East ruled themselves and lived according to their own rules long before the West was in the region. There is nothing to prevent the revival of these rules, which are based on the Koran and the Sunna . . . No political program has a chance of succeeding if we do not defeat the West, militarily and culturally, and remove it from Muslim countries. Then, it will not be difficult for the nation, with the help of its tremendous resources, to rebuild life according to religious Islamic principles. We will become the masters of the world, as the world's economic fate depends on us because we have the resources the world needs and all the elements of controlling the world are in our hands."

And: "The Jihad movement in the Arabian Peninsula will not be stopped by the borders of the so-called Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, because the entity called by this name is an artificial entity that has no religious foundation. There is no religious consideration that prevents, for example, the transfer of Jihad outside this entity to Yemen or to the countries called the Gulf States. All these types of nation-states have no significance, and they have no [religious] protection preventing their removal when the Jihad goes into action."

And finally, another indication of how deeply these men have imbibed the 7th-century world of the Qur'an: "The main enemies of the nation, the Byzantines, will not come to their end until Judgment Day, and therefore there is no point in talking of stopping the battle… The most important thing is that the Mujahideen will safeguard the burning ember of Jihad. The more martyrs' blood is shed for the sake of this ember, the greater its light; it will burn the enemies more quickly and victory will draw near, Allah willing…"

The Byzantines? Last I looked the Byzantine Empire fell on Tuesday, May 29, 1453, the black day when jihadist invaders finally broke into Constantinople and massacred its gallant, vastly outnumbered defenders. But to Al-Qaeda, the world is and will ever be as it is in the Qur'an and the traditions of Muhammad (the 30th sura of the Qur'an is entitled Al-Rum — that is, The Byzantines). Those who dismiss these as motivating factors for radical Muslims should take note.

Are Al-Qaeda operatives flying commercial airplanes?

"Authorities raised the terrorist threat assessment over the weekend after new intelligence indicated that operatives of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network, possibly trained and licensed to fly passenger jets, may now be pilots for some foreign airlines, ideally positioning them to carry out suicide attacks, U.S. officials told NBC News on Monday." This from MSNBC.

"Reinforced cockpit doors intended to thwart hijackers after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks would now protect any terrorist pilot at the controls, the officials said on condition of anonymity.

"Authorities would not describe the terror threats in detail publicly, but the U.S. officials told NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski that the threat alert would remain at 'orange,' or high, through the end of January, which they said was an indication of its seriousness."

Also, "new intelligence indicates that al-Qaida remains intent on attacking large gatherings of people with chemical or biological weapons, official said. They said law enforcement agencies were looking closely at two rural locations — one in the East and the other in the Southwest — that were believed to be high on the terrorist target list.

"Most troubling, the officials said, were indications that al-Qaida may already possess a radiological weapon, or so-called 'dirty bomb.' They did not elaborate.

"Experts said a potent dirty bomb could spread radioactive material for a half-mile in all directions. People in the fallout zone would be bombarded with radiation levels that they would not otherwise be exposed to from natural sources for a full year.

"While it may not particularly deadly, the psychological impact of a dirty bomb could be devastating, experts said.

"'The point of a dirty bomb is not mass casualties,' terrorism specialist Roger Cressey, chief of staff for President Bush’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board from November 2001 to September 2002, said in an interview. 'It's much more to instill fear and panic into the general population.'"

Mideast rife with rumors about American intentions

Last night I completed an article about conspiracy theories running rampant in the Muslim world (watch for it soon), and this morning CBN News has a piece about the same thing.

"Rumors and conspiracy theories seem to run rampant through the Arab world.
Today, the rumor that may generate the most fear and anger is that the U.S. has launched a Christian holy war against Islam, with an intent to stamp out Muslims, and the story is being pushed by the Arab media."

Most significantly, "the stories are spreading through the airwaves by some of America's so-called allies in the region."

The article brings us some quotes from Al-Jazeera talk radio: "According to Egyptian Caller, Majdee Hussien, 'The Muslim nation has come under a criminal Christian and zionist invasion. The U.S. forces are accompanied by missionaries to kill the women and children in Iraq and to kill the Iranian pilgrims.' One Saudi Arabian, Ali Zoudeide, said, 'As it says in the Koran, they are going to fight you until you will abandon your religion.'"

Ali Zoudeide is not alone: millions of Muslims are looking to the Qur'an as revelatory of the contemporary situation, particularly in regard to Muslim relations with Jews and Christians. This breeds a deep suspicion that will be hard, if not impossible, to overcome.

"A Kalashnikov culture has taken birth in our society"

Those are the words of a young Pakistani bemoaning the spread of the jihad ideology in his homeland. (Of course, it's the Americans' fault.) This comes from the Calcutta Telegraph.

The article asserts that the wind has gone out of the sails of the jihad movement in Pakistan: "The 'jihad project', a number of Pakistanis believe, is over. But they also think that their establishment does not seem to have fully realised this fact. The so-called jihadis have little support among the Pakistani masses. They are also realising that after 9/11, jihad is a word that shuts doors internationally."

Now, why would anyone have a problem with a struggle for self-improvement?

"Within Pakistan, the internal impact of the jihadi culture on society has been so great that youngsters are speaking out against it. Amra Ali, a young art critic, said: 'We were used by the Americans who first projected these jihadis as freedom fighters and branded them terrorists after 9/11. These terrorists that were created have had an impact on our society — today, there is a gun in front of every house. A Kalashnikov culture has taken birth in our society. Even our mosques need to be protected from the extremists.'"

If Amra Ali studied some history, he might realize that America did not create the jihadis. As I explain in Onward Muslim Soldiers, the modern jihad movement began in Egypt in the 1920s — but it considers itself to be in fundamental continuity with a movement that is as old as Islam itself.

Another young man, "Naveed Akhtar, a 27-year-old, went to the extent of saying: “I don’t think states should be based on religion. Earlier, Hindus and Muslims used to fight. Now, in our country, Muslims are killing each other. Up to the time of Partition, the difference between the Shias and the Sunnis, the Barelvis and the Deobandis did not warrant their killing each other. So where has this sectarianism come from? Who is giving these maulvis money to create strife in our society?”

"'The jihadis remain a force. But they cannot be a real threat without some support from the establishment,' Ghazi Salauddin, a senior journalist, said.

"Iqbal Haider, a former senator and human rights lawyer, felt the jihadi forces had damaged Pakistan. 'They have grievously hurt Pakistan’s international image, economy and society. What is the achievement of their so-called jihad? Our society has been brutalised by them,' he said.

"General Pervez Musharraf himself has been a target of these groups and after the latest assassination attempt against him, he has admitted to several other such bids in the past. Yet there are those in Pakistan who believe there is reluctance in sections of the establishment to let go of the jihadis. 'The pattern of this regime’s policy since 9/11 is to do under pressure the minimum necessary to keep Washington sweet. They have not realised that the jihad project is passé,' Rashed Rahman, former editor of The Frontier Post, said.

"This view is supported by the fact that even by its own admission, out of the 500 people that Islamabad has handed over to the US, 490 are al Qaida members and only 10 are Taliban. There are periodic bans on the jihadi groups but they resurface in a different garb. 'Two years ago, a ban was imposed on internal jihadi groups. But the regime chose to look the other way while these groups continued to function. Once again, two years down the road, pressure is mounting on Pakistan. So there is a fresh wave of bans, freezing of assets, etc. What is interesting about this new campaign is that except for the Shia leader, Allma Sajid Naqvi, accused of the murder of Azam Tariq, the leader of a virulently anti-Shia group called the Sipah-e-Sahaba, no other leader or member of a banned group has been arrested,' Rahman pointed out."

And why is that, exactly?

"He said: 'It is a policy of "preservation" rather than elimination that the Pakistani establishment is following.' Rahman argued that a three-way nexus had developed between 'the domestic jihadis, the Afghan jihadis and the Kashmir jihadis — retaining one means retaining the others and abandoning one means abandoning the others'. Those supporting the jihadis 'had merely put their head down in Afghanistan when the Americans had blood in their eye and waited for the storm to pass. Then they quietly put together a fresh triangular alliance between the Taliban, al Qaida and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar who was resurrected from exile in Iran. That forms the backbone of the resistance in Afghanistan today', he added. 'The nexus between the different kinds of jihadis is now causing rancour with the Americans. In Afghanistan, they are at the receiving end of it. And vis-à-vis India, it does not fit in with their grand design for the region of promoting trade, investment and possibly hoping that India would act as a counterweight to the new emerging power of China.'

"Rahman felt that regardless of Musharraf’s secular credentials, 'because of international, regional and domestic pressures, the regime will find it increasingly difficult to revive and continue with its past policies towards the jihadis'."

Saddam: Former Leader of the Global Jihad?

This morning, FrontPage magazine's lead story is my exploration of Saddam's reasons for getting himself included in the genealogy of the Prophet Muhammad. It could well have been part of an attempt to position himself as the chief of the global jihadist movement, trumping the Taliban's Mullah Omar as Osama bin Laden's spiritual leader. The piece is called "Saddam: Former Leader of the Global Jihad?"

No peace talks — or else

"Egypt’s foreign minister, on a peace mission to Israel, was rushed to hospital after being attacked today by Muslims at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem." This from The Scotsman.

Why was he attacked? Evidently for holding peace talks with Ariel Sharon: "Ahmed Maher had left talks with Israeli premier Ariel Sharon to pray at the Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, in the Old City.

"Witnesses said Muslim extremists shouted at him and tried to attack him. Bodyguards surrounded the minister and whisked him out of the compound. They said he was heard saying, 'I’m going to choke, I’m going to choke' as he was being taken away. . . .

"Israeli police said protesters threw shoes at Maher. Muslims remove their shoes at the entrance to mosques. . . . Earlier Maher held talks with Israeli leaders about resuming peace talks with the Palestinians."

A radical Muslim threatens the U.S.

The Yahoo group Daleel Al-Mojahid (Guide for the Jihadi) has gotten attention in the past few months for passing on threats against Americans. Those threats didn't turn out to be substantive, but the man posting there now offers an oblique excuse: "We promise you a big surprise coming soon which was delayed due to the stupid play of bush and his wizards in the black house."

The "stupid play" seems to have been the capture of Saddam. Daleel assures us that "Saddam is in Iraq and he is still in his right place, so keep on your jihad as we get ready to make a strong come back and diminish these crusaders in the right time at the right moment. From Chechnya to Afghanistan passing by Iraq we will defeat the United States of America with Gods hands and power, we will teach bush and his wizards and turn his magic upon them soon."

You see, the Americans just captured a "Saddam look-a-like." Then they were "taking him out of Iraq and making him go under 6 surgery's to his face which shows so clear in the pictures that were given out, in his eyes and in his cheeks and to his noose and the rest of the face!"

His "noose," eh?

With the terror threat is high this week, Daleel offers a glimpse into the jihadist mindset. Despite earlier wolf-crying episodes, he is full of new threats. One is addressed "to all the crusaders." It declares, "we have warned you alot of times to get out from our muslim lands and stop funding the jewish state but you dont listen and you will never listen."

Therefore, in the coming attack, "Sowrds [sic] of islam will strike the head of the big snake and cut it as we have cut its tale and slapt the rest of its body. and then the world will watch and say (how could a big and great empire like this fall on its knees with out a breath?) and we say what god says in his holy book the Quran (how many times has a small bunch of people been able to win a big and huge army with the word of god!!)." This one concludes: "alaah akbaar and to a new era of islam."

Another message adds: "We can tell you that the wire has been led up and it's in its final stages and nothing will stop it but God and the wisdom of the Arab rules and the non Arab rules, we can tell you that we are people from you and with in you, planning with you and have knowledge of all your planes."

Daleel is all heart. He even apologizes to the human race for what he says is to come: "we apologize from now to the human race from the hardship that will affect them as an aftermath to the attack, but it is a less hardship for us than to see continents slaved, we apologize in advance to the American people and to the European community's but you have stud [stood] hand in hand with your governments and left the Jews take control of the rest of the world."

He lists a number of demands that must be met in order to forestall the attack. These include "The complete and right away stop of your (masked) invasion of our Islamic lands in any part of the world east or west"; "The dismantle of the so called (United Nations and its council) in an international decision"; and "the pricing of oil is left to us and we promise you to make it available at a reasonable price for poor and for rich nations."

The conclusion: "We have given you the solution, so either you are with us or
against us, that's your way of thinking isn't it! But we know that you are not with us but you will be forced to be (and we have warned). It is not in our morals to attack you with such a big attack with out a warning, we wont do what you did to us times and times before under the rule of the devilish tree that was planted by (whom you know) feeding it and giving it water with your blessings as you enslaved your self's and your people under their rule.

"All you have to do now is to stand up for once a real stand for your own good and the good of your nation and people that will be attacked by total destruction (cave of darkness), and history will re-write that your punishment was a combined punishment of all the nations that came before you and walked your same path. And you will then cry like women in your underground caves.

The jihad will be televised: "And it will be fair enough for you to see that for us knowing that you will run away hiding in your underground caves, we will give you a prior few minutes notice before our blessed attack so that you will be able to watch your destruction with your own satellite as we would be by then have passed the sky's of the seventh sky to heaven and your nation to the fires of hell, and what and end for letting you govern them and move them to the direction of hell and what a direction!"

He ends up with the truly Satanic juxtaposition of "Praise to God almighty" with "Islamic Jihad Brigade (Black Death Squad)," of which he is apparently is claiming to be a member.

ADDENDUM: In light of a comment posted here, I thought I should clarify: I do not take the threats above seriously, although there seem to be other threats that have led to the heightened threat level. Aaron Weisburd at Internet Haganah has discovered that Daleel Al-Mojahid is posting from Dubai, and doesn't seem to have any real connection with Al-Qaeda. I present his ravings above not as the contents of a real threat, but (as I said above) as a glimpse into the jihadist mindset, which, alas, is shared by millions today. (One other thing: are real terrorists using the Internet? Sure.)

Jihad recruitment in the West

Peter Brookes in today's New York Post offers a useful summary of many recent stories about jihad recruitment in the West:

"After two years, al Qaeda and its allies continue to find new foot soldiers to wage a jihad against the West.

"Italian police, for instance, made multiple arrests in the last few weeks related to jihadist recruiting networks for Iraq (by al Qaeda franchise Ansar al Islam) and presumably elsewhere. The network had recruited at least 200 Islamic militants, 70 of them from Italy.

"Italian authorities say an Arab male suicide bomber from Italy helped conduct the attack on the U.N. headquarters in August that killed 22, including U.N. envoy, Sergio de Mello. And another from Italy attacked the al Rasheed hotel in October, where Deputy Secretary of Defense Wolfowitz stayed during a visit to Iraq.

"Terrorist recruiting often comes through Islamic religious schools and mosques, as well as through Web sites and Internet chat rooms. And the new recruits are coming from the darnedest places, in addition to Italy: France, Germany, Britain, Spain, Norway, Canada and the United States.

"Arab Muslim males living abroad are one natural recruitment target, but some others are more surprising: young Caucasians, Latinos, Black Muslims and even women. Legal residents and travelers with valid passports are especially appealing for al Qaeda's recruit because they arouse less suspicion and can move more freely across international borders.

"Elsewhere in Europe, pockets of potential trouble exist.

"* France's community of Muslim converts is a rising concern. In this predominantly Catholic nation, many decide to convert to Islam to buck the establishment, much as did the U.S. flower children of the '60s and early '70s. The French government estimates the number of converts at about 100,000. Frenchman Pierre Robert, known as the 'Blue-eyed Emir of Tangiers' was recently sentenced to life in prison in Morocco for recruiting and training Moroccan extremists after the May 16 suicide bombing in Casablanca that killed 45 people.

"* Two Britons of Pakistani descent were radicalized by Muslim clerics before carrying out bombings in Tel Aviv earlier this year.

"* Germany, home to 3.2 million Muslims and the way station of three of the 19 hijackers of 9/11, has concerns as well. Take Christian Ganczarski, a Caucasian German convert with ties to former al Qaeda operations kingpin Khalid Sheikh Mohammed: The French arrested Ganczarski in June as a suspected conspirator in the bombing of a Tunisian synagogue on the island of Djerba, which killed 21, in April 2002.

"Officials believe that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed used a number of non-Arab Europeans, including Swiss and Spaniards, to support the Tunisian synagogue suicide bomber Nizar Nawar and confuse authorities.

"In the United States, Jose Padilla, a Latino gang member convert originally from New York, was arrested in May 2002 in Chicago for plotting to detonate a 'dirty bomb' in the United States. He was reportedly recruited by Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, Abu Zubaydah, and was directed by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. (Zubaydah was arrested in March in Pakistan.)

"The vast majority of Islamic converts, of course, don't become terrorists. But we should be aware that the pool of suspects isn't limited to Arab males from the Middle East.

"Law-enforcement officials note that many converts are ferociously ideological and anxious to show their zeal and worth to their new faith, including joining a jihad. Osama bin Laden reportedly views converts as an especially potent weapon and a unique talent pool for the cause.

"Perhaps the most surprising trend is the uptick in women terrorists. Islamist groups have long opposed female martyrs, but women are increasingly undertaking violent terrorist acts, according to Harvard University's Jessica Stern, a well-known terrorist expert. Because women are less prone to violence, they usually raise less concern among security personnel, making them ideal recruits for al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, Stern adds.

"All of this is not to say that everyone is suspect. But we do need to remain vigilant (especially during the holiday season). Though two-thirds of al Qaeda's senior leadership have been killed or detained since 9/11, a new generation of jihadis is stepping up to the plate for a swing at the ball. Sometimes these rookies hardly resemble the old team, but they're just as dangerous.

"We must adapt, just as our enemy is adapting. And, unfortunately, thinking outside the box for us is a continuing requirement, not a luxury, in the War on Terror."

Phares: why Code Orange

One of the keenest analysts of the Middle East and jihad terrorism, Walid Phares, explains at FrontPage magazine the significance of the new Code Orange alert:

Phares notes that "one main sound bite" dominated the airwaves yesterday: "Beware of crying wolf." But he says that on the contrary, "the concern that repetitive calls for Orange alert may well weaken the whole system is a glaring consumer-driven fallacy. One of the strategic tools in the War on Terror is popular mobilization, which, combined with such an alert, can deter a terrorist strike by threatening to expose terrorist networks and their operations."

Phares makes a key point: "Because of our failing intellectual elites, we are having a hard time situating terror threats as they unfold. Many journalists perceive the Jihadist threat according to their own standards. In reality, however, we need to evaluate al-Qaeda's intentions based on their own mindset, not ours. We are facing a terrorist threat produced by a different political culture. The way it thinks, perceives its surroundings, and reacts to its environment is far from identical to ours, and the division is not religious or economic as much as it is ideological.

Also: "Al-Qaeda has a pattern of menacing Americans at home the closer they are to holidays -- or important national dates such as the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. That pattern was tested and is ideologically grounded. The war is against the 'infidels.' For international Jihadists, it is crucial to strike fear in the heart of the enemy during its peak celebration of happiness and religious fervor. And on more practical realms, the launchers of the 9/11 attacks are still banking on its dividends. They know that the horrific images of that day of infamy are still present in the minds of all Americans. The terrorists continue to use the psychological interests of the 'big day.' If they have a greater weapon, they would use it while preemptively terrorizing their victims."

And: "Bin Laden doesn't care about the presence of Saddam, but he cares about his absence. Who will inherit the zaama (leadership) of the jihad? To us, it doesn't seem important. To the Sultan of the holy war, it is crucial. Osama needs to strike at the heart of the enemy, to harvest the anger produced by the 'dishonor' of the captured Arab dictator."

This is another important point which I develop in a forthcoming article.

"Psychologically, and by jihad logic, bin Laden has to do something, and something big. Did al-Qaeda wait until last week to plan the potential inland attack? Not at all. The cells have mandated the planning ages ago. The decision to use their resources was made based on Jihadist strategic needs."

There is a great deal more. Phares's insights are head and shoulders above those of most commentators. Read it all.

Jihad in suburban Pennsylvania?

As unbelievable as it may seem, The Suburban and Wayne Times of Pennsylvania reports that "last Friday the FBI informed Radnor Township Police that a 'credible threat' of terrorist activity existed against a business formerly located at 120 E. Lancaster Ave., Wayne.

"'When we have information of a possible threat we have to treat it very seriously,' said FBI Special Agent Linda Vizi, who declined to comment on any specifics due to the ongoing investigation.

"The FBI has said this threat will continue from Dec. 15 until Jan. 1. The threat has been made against a Christian satellite television service known as SAT-7, which relocated its offices from above the State Farm Insurance Company to Easton, Md., 'several weeks ago,' according to the township.

"SAT-7 bills itself as a satellite television service for Christians in the Middle East and North Africa. They also have offices in the United Kingdom, Lebanon, Egypt, Denmark and Cyprus."

Local officials are urging residents to go about their business as usual. That's good: we cannot allow terrorists to paralyze us.

"The SAT-7 Web site, www.sat7.org, explains their mission: 'The unrestricted ability to broadcast from satellite is of particular significance to the Christian communities of the [Middle East and North Africa]. They have the responsibility of witnessing to Christ in an area where increasing numbers of people are illiterate and many have been exposed to negative propaganda about the Gospel, the Christian Church and Christ himself.'"

The enemy of my enemy is my friend

Middle East Newsline reports that a major arms supplier to Muslim states has been North Korea. That nation "was said to have delivered 400 ballistic missiles to clients in the Middle East and sharply increased sales over the last year.

"The South Korean Defense Ministry told parliament in a report that Pyongyang delivered 400 Scud-class missiles to a range of Middle East countries since 1985. The report said the missile export constituted the largest source of hard currency for the Stalinist regime.

"The report said the best clients of North Korea were Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. The report did not say how much Pyongyang earned from the exports. But the Yonhap News Agency said the figure was $110 million.

"'Since the middle of the 1980s, North Korea has exported 400-odd Scud missiles along with missile-related parts to the Middle East region,' Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Ki-Beom, quoting the report, said."

Jihad at the Olympics?

During the 1990s, foreign jihadists streamed into Bosnia to wage jihad there. Many of these career warriors have now travelled to Iraq, but evidently not all of them: "Greece has determined that its national security interests are being threatened by Al Qaida-aligned Arab agents in Bosnia." This from Middle East Newsline.

"The Cabinet of Prime Minister Costas Simitis has convened to discuss what officials termed the threat from an estimated 2,000 Bosnian Arabs to the Olympic Games in August 2004. Officials said Western intelligence agencies have assessed that some of those Arab nationals could be training to carry out attacks on Israeli, U.S. or other targets during the Olympics in Athens.

"Officials said the threat of an Al Qaida-related attack will be one of the scenarios in a series of exercises scheduled to take place in February and March 2004. They said the United States has been pressing to revise security arrangements agreed upon a year ago.

"'Greece, as well as every other country, has the fundamental obligation to safeguard its internal and external security,' Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos said. 'And it is evident that military planning for the country's security takes into consideration the simple fact that the country is a member-state of NATO and, consequently, our military planning takes NATO planning into consideration.'"

European jihad network shut down

Abderrazak Mahdjoub (AP)

"Authorities in Europe have shut down a network that recruited at least 200 Islamic militants to carry out attacks on U.S.-led forces in Iraq, Italian investigators told The Associated Press." Thanks to LGF.

Just in case you got any idea that these were mainstream Muslims, the report assures you otherwise: "The volunteers were drawn from Muslim youths living on the fringes of society in Western Europe, with loose connections to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida and Ansar al-Islam, a militant group in northern Iraq. One recruit from Italy may have been involved in a rocket attack on the Al-Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad in October, when the U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was staying there, officials told AP.

"There are also suspicions that some of the Muslim militants have been involved in suicide attacks in Iraq, although there was no hard evidence, one senior Italian official involved in the investigation told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity. . . .

"Italian investigators said they believe they shut down the recruiting network in Western Europe with a dozen recent arrests of the ringleader, his aides and others in Italy and Germany who played peripheral roles. Western European officials can't rule out that the operation moved east, however, sending volunteers to the Middle East from Poland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, the senior Italian official told AP. . . .

"Europe has a large Muslim population, including some extremists, and is seen as a potential breeding ground for terrorism. The Italian probe is believed to be first to have traced the movements to the attacks against American targets since the United States invaded Iraq. August Hanning, head of Germany's foreign spy agency, has cited evidence that Islamic extremists have left Britain, Bosnia and Germany to fight in Iraq. 'We know of holy warriors who have gone to Iraq to fight the "infidels,"' Hanning told reporters last month. He refused to give details, but said the number was 'relatively small.'"

Of one suspect, Abderrazak Mahdjoub, a German official said a curious thing: "If he said, 'I'm going to Iraq to kill nonbelievers,' we would have arrested him, but if he says he's going to support his brothers, we can do nothing," said Heino Vahldieck, head of the Hamburg office in charge of tracking extremists." Do they think he was going to bring his brothers tea and blankets?

"Officials offered no hard evidence that Islamic recruiters have moved east, but there have been unsubstantiated reports of Islamic fighters training in Bosnia.
In October, Polish authorities arrested an Algerian terrorist suspect who was carrying a British passport when he was stopped at Krakow's airport. Authorities were looking for possible contacts in Poland while seeking details from foreign intelligence services."

Libya to scrap weapons of mass destruction

Qaddafi

Al-Jazeera reports that "Libya has announced it is to eliminate all its weapons of mass destruction. The North African country's foreign ministry said in a statement Libya 'had decided on its free will to... completely eliminate the internationally banned weapons of mass destruction.'

"The statement said the agreement was reached after meetings with 'experts' from Britain and the United States. No details were immediately available on the nature of these meetings, where they took place and when. The text, of which an excerpt was obtained by Reuters, said the decision was in line with Libya's pledge to make the Middle East and Africa a nuclear-free area. . . .

"In a surprise announcement to the White House press corps, US president George Bush said Colonel Muammar Qadhafi had agreed, after nine months of secret dealings with Washington and London, to destroy all of his weapons of mass destruction. 'With today's announcement by its leader, Libya has begun the process of rejoining the community of nations,' said Bush. 'And Colonel Qadhafi knows the way forward,' he said. 'Libya should carry out the commitments announced today. Libya should also fully engage in the war against terror. . . . Libya has a troubled history, but America and Britain will be
vigilant," he said. "Libya can regain a secure and respected place among nations and over time can achieve far better relations with the United States."

Gee, this couldn't have anything to do with Saddam Hussein and Iraq, could it? (Thanks to Jean-Luc.)

US Navy catch al-Qaeda drug smugglers

Many have pointed to the Taliban's involvement in drug production as proof that the Islamic character of the regime was only window dressing. However, such analyses overlooked the sharp division between Muslims and non-Muslims that is an essential part of the radical Muslim world view. I illustrate this in Islam Unveiled, quoting Abdul Rashid, at that time the head of the Taliban’s anti-drugs control force: "Opium is permissible because it is consumed by kafirs [unbelievers] in the West and not by Muslims or Afghans."

Now comes evidence that Al-Qaeda is involved in the same dirty business: "A US warship has seized two tonnes of hashish from a small dhow in the northern Arabian Sea this week in what was believed to be an al-Qaeda smuggling operation." This from ITV, with thanks to Jean-Luc.

"The Navy said about Monday's incident near the Strait of Hormuz in which the guided-missile destroyer Decatur stopped the 40-foot boat: 'An initial investigation uncovered clear ties between the smuggling operation and al-Qaeda. . . . The smuggling routes are known to be used by al-Qaeda and four of the 12 crew members are believed to have links to the organization.'"

Possible terror threats in major US cities

"Authorities are evaluating a surge of information related to possible terrorist threats to a number of cities in the United States, including New York City, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., ABCNEWS has learned.

"Threat information is coming from intelligence intercepts, interrogation of recent detainees and other methods, sources say. Intelligence and law enforcement officials are currently evaluating the threat information.

"Sources say the threat to New York City possibly involves a female suicide bomber, but no specific target has been identified and intelligence sources are still evaluating the credibility of this threat. The New York City Police Department released a statement saying it has 'no credible intelligence pointing to a specific or imminent terrorist threat' in the city.

"In the threats received for other cities, including Los Angeles and Washington, no mode of attack has been identified and no location or specific cells were named. Senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security, intelligence and law enforcement have a planned meeting Monday to evaluate the recent surge in information related to possible terror threats.

"'We have remained concerned about the volume of reporting of threats and that is why the Department of Homeland Security has sent out several bulletins over the past few weeks to homeland security officials and law enforcement personnel, urging all to continue be on heightened state of alert especially, as we enter the busy holiday season,' White House spokesman Scott McClellan said today at a news conference."

Muslims recruited in Norway to fight Americans

Mullah Krekar

Global jihad alert: The Norway Post says that "Arabs have been recruited in Norway for war against the Americans in Iraq. This is the opinion of Italian police, who have been questioning Mullah Krekar in Norway, Aftenposten reports.

"Mullah Krekar was Monday questioned by Italian investigators in an Oslo court. Senior public prosecutor Erling Grimstad confirms that the questioning has taken place. The opinion of the investigators is that Krekar's group Ansar al-Islam has cooperated with Al Qaida in recruiting arabs in Norway and other countries for fighting against the American forces in Iraq.

"Mullah Krekar said that he doubted that such recruiting has taken place, and he is 100 per cent sure that no one from Norway has travelled to Iraq. The newspaper Washington Post wrote Wednesday that the Italian investigators believe the terrorist organization Al Qaida and Ansar al-Islam cooperate on a network which recruits Arab volunteers for the fight against the US in Iraq.

"They believe this recruiting has been going on in both Italy, Germany, Spain and Norway." (Thanks to Nicolei.)

"Saddam" a popular new baby name

The tiny minority of extremists in Thailand has taken to naming babies "Saddam Hussein." This from The Australian, with thanks to Nicolei.

"'He's a cross between a hero and a tyrant, but we choose to remember his good side,' Rohcidee Lertariyapongkul, chairman of the Muslim Youth Association of Thailand, was quoted as saying in the Bangkok Post. 'One way to do it is to let our babies bear his name.'" How generous!

"Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, but its southernmost provinces are Muslim-dominated. Some Thai Muslims don't believe the man captured near Tikrit, Iraq, and purported to be Saddam is really him, and dismiss the capture as US propaganda, Rohcidee said.

"Navi Tohyor, a 36-year-old father from the southern province of Narathiwat, said he and his wife have named their newborn son Saddam. 'What Mr. Saddam did is right and legitimate,' Mr Navi said. 'He stood up against the US, the foreign invader. He's a fighter, not a bandit. I'm proud to name my son after him.'"

Florida Islamic Conference Outed As Jihad-Fest

Beila Rabinowitz & William A. Mayer write in PipeLine News about the Florida Conference, kicking off today, that I discussed here on December 3:

The Universal Heritage Foundation will today, they say, "give locals an opportunity to combine both the fun of the Magic Kingdom with Islamic fundamentalism and the Muslim Caliphate." Rabinowitz and Mayer note a "sudden venue change," as well as "the conflicting nature" of the explanations offered for this change, and ask: "What are these people trying to hide?"

They continue: "The UHF is an Islamic 'propagation' center founded by the Islamic Circle of North America and the Muslim American Society - two of the largest and most radical Muslim organizations in the United States. . . .

"The 'Islam for Humanity' conference flyer proclaims a message of brotherhood and understanding. . . . However, UHF director Zulfiqar Ali Shah and president Ashraf Shaikh who are hosting more than 25 participants, seem to have a decidedly different agenda. The roster of these participants reads like a Who’s Who of militant Islam and many of them represent institutions and organizations linked to international terrorism.

"Actually to be perfectly factual, the roster of only a few days ago read more like the sinister Who’s Who list than the current one, and there is a reason for that. The organizers of the 'Islam for Humanity' event know that they are being observed, and are making changes along the way to attempt to blunt in advance the growing criticism that the presence of such notorious people naturally brings about.

"'We want to awaken the conscience of America: because if you remain on the side of injustice, the wrath of God will come,' he told the crowd. 'Please all Americans, do remember that, that Allah is watching everyone. If you continue doing injustice, and tolerating injustice, the wrath of God will come.' - Muzammil Siddiqui, the former president of Islamic Society of North America, Imam of the Islamic Society of Orange County in California and hastily removed, previously scheduled speaker at the UHF Conference.

"There are others.

"'In a similar vein, CAIR board member Imam Siraj Wahaj calls for replacing the American government with a caliphate, and warns that America will crumble unless it "accepts the Islamic agenda." Wahaj, it should be noted, served as a character witness for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the Muslim cleric convicted for his role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.' Front Page Magazine March 5, 2003 – Wahaj was also a scheduled speaker at the Conference who now appears to be AWOL from the event.

"Possibly the most controversial 'special guest' speaker scheduled - Saudi Sheik Abul Rahman Al-Sudais – has been apparently pulled also. Al-Sudais is the head Islamic cleric of Saudi Arabia. He has called upon Muslims to 'kill Jews and American worshippers of the cross.' . . .

"Critics, including terrorism expert Steven Emerson, accuse the American based Islamic group [Islamic Circle of North America] as having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood is the ideological godfather of all radical Islamic movements - including Hamas and Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda.

"Documents show Hamas officials have participated in previous ICNA events. UHF director Zulfiqar Ali Shah is past president of the ICNA. Ali Shah was also the principal at the Sunrise School of Islamic Studies whose co-founder, Mohammed Javed Qureshi, was 'dirty bomber' suspect Jose Padilla's direct supervisor at a local Taco Bell. . . .

"Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) not one usually associated with spreading right-wing conspiracy theories, said that, 'The Wahabi presence in the United States is a foreboding one…My fear is that if we don’t wake up and take action now, those influenced by Wahabism ’s extremist ideology will harm us in of yet unimaginable ways.'

"Regarding the Universal Heritage Foundation's patron organization, the ICNA [Islamic Circle of North America] counter terrorism expert Steven Emerson stated that: 'The ICNA’s hatred of the Jews is so fierce that it taunted them with a repetition of what Hitler did to them.' In his book - American Jihad - Emerson writes that, 'The ICNA openly supports militant Islamic fundamentalist organizations, praises terror attacks, issues incendiary attacks on western values and policies, and supports the imposition of Sharia [Islamic code of law].' . . .

The article concludes by examining "the ongoing story of Pastor Lee Wasson’s Kissimmee Christian Academy. The Academy provides a faith-based curriculum from second grade through high school. Unfortunately, the Academy’s 6 acres of fenced grounds are adjoined by a 25 acre parcel that, by happenstance, serves as the location of the UHF compound. . . .

"Together, the 31 acre combined properties comprise what used to be David People’s South Eastern Academy - a travel & culinary school - which eventually filed for bankruptcy. It was in this bankruptcy proceeding that Super Stop Petroleum Company became the landlord to both UHF and the Kissimmee Christian Academy, the chief corporate officer of Super Stop?

"Denise Qureshi. There is a possible alias with the name however, Muhammed K. Qureshi is another possibility. Qureshi [or the Qureshis, as the case may be] own an impressive list of holdings, at least one, apparently with Shahida A Siddiqui. . . . Since the Pastor’s landlord became Qureshi’s petroleum company, he has been continuously harassed and the particular form of harassment has taken its toll on the students, the parents and the financial health of the school.

"Eviction proceedings, inexplicable power outages, cessation of running water followed by suspicious floods – all seemingly calculated to take place at or near the first of the month when tuitions are due, have resulted in the student population falling by nearly 50% since mid-summer, when the new land lord took over.

"Wasson has a lease through the end of the school year, yet the harassment continues. Because of circulating rumors of possible violence many parents are not allowing their children to even venture near the school, this Friday [the day the UHF event is slated to begin] simply because of their fear of possible extremist repercussions, so the school will again have to close, imperiling the educative process, not to mention the school's already shaky finances.

"Keeping in mind that the location of the conference was changed after this statement, this is how Pastor Lee Wasson synopsizes the story. 'The Islamic conference in Kissimmee Florida is being held on property purchased by a "petroleum" company in south Florida. It is a 31-acre former college campus. This petroleum company has been trying [unsuccessfully so far] to evict our Christian School and small church from one of the buildings there. We lease a 10,000 sq. ft. building right in the middle of where this conference is scheduled and where Universal Heritage is opening their college. They have actually pictured our building on their website and call it the "Islamic Training Center." We have sued them. Now, according to the Islamic group as told to me today by Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah, the Universal Heritage Foundation has no association with the petroleum company save an old friendship with the company president which led them to the property.'"

ADDENDUM: William A. Mayer of Pipeline News, a coauthor of this piece, has written in to note that the link we had was to a site that had reprinted this piece without permission and to give us the correct link. Apologies and thanks to Mr. Mayer; the link is now repaired.

PA Investigator of Gaza Bombing Its likely perpetrator

"Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center Director Nitsana Darshan-Leitner has written to United States Attorney General John Ashcroft alerting him to the fact the Palestinian Security Service commander assigned to investigate the October bombing attack on American personnel in Gaza was very likely the terrorist who planned it." So says IMRA, with thanks to LGF.

"Gaza Commander Col. Rashid Abu Shabak's has been entrusted by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation with hunting down the terrorist cell responsible for the October 15, 2003 bombing which left three Americans dead.

"The three Americans, John Branchizio, 37, of Texas, John Linde Jr., 30, of Missouri, and Mark Parsons, 31, of New Jersey, were security personnel guarding a convoy of diplomatic vehicles which was attacked by Palestinian Arab terrorists who detonated a powerful roadside bomb at the Beit Hanoun junction in Gaza. The Americans were visiting Gaza to interview candidates for Fulbright scholarships.

"Darshan-Leitner's letter accuses the Palestinian commander of being the mastermind behind numerous terror attacks perpetrated by Yasser Arafat's Fatah organization in Gaza. Shurat HaDin urges the Department of Justice to investigate Abu Shabak's involvement in prior roadside bombings.

"Not surprisingly, there have been no arrests made by the Palestinians in the
current investigation."

A tactic the Nazis would admire

Joseph D'Hippolito has a devastating op-ed in today's Orange County Register about suicide bombings, asking "Why do so many downplay suicide bombings that target Israeli civilians?"

"As December began, Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center met with Pope John Paul II in Rome. Rabbi Hier was trying to convince the pope to declare suicide bombing 'the crime of the 21st century,' according to reports.

"For a man of the pope's stature — a man who experienced the Nazis' brutal occupation of Poland and who lost friends to the Holocaust — even to be reminded along such lines is telling.

"While the world wrings its hands over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and cries platitudes, it fails to acknowledge that the Palestinian campaign of suicide bombing is much more than terrorism.

"It's genocide.

"Perhaps humanity has been conditioned to think about genocide solely in terms of cattle cars, gas chambers, ovens and shouts of 'Heil Hitler!' Perhaps humanity doesn't want to be roused from fashionable illusions about its innate goodness.

"Yet what other word describes the desire to obliterate a nation by targeting innocent civilians on buses, in restaurants and markets, in cafes and discos? Though the Palestinians take a low-tech approach, their sadism surpasses even the Nazi assembly line of death. Suicide bombers routinely stuff such anti-coagulants as rat poison into their explosive vests — so that those who aren't killed immediately bleed to death slowly — and nails, bolts, screws and ball bearings as shrapnel to maximize their victims' injuries.

"During one suicide bombing, a nail pierced the skull of Eran Mizrahi, who was celebrating his 16th birthday in a Jerusalem restaurant. The injury left Mizrahi paralyzed and catatonic. 'It is common knowledge here that light injury can [mean] losing a limb,' Immanuel Legomski, a neurotherapist and rabbi, told WorldNetDaily.com. 'Serious almost always means most of these victims wish they were dead.'

"What kind of a culture would encourage such barbarism? A culture that celebrates death, where not even children are immune.

"Vendors in Gaza sell candy-filled replicas of grenades, which Associated Press photographed. Palestinian TV, monitored by Palestinian Media Watch, shows children hoping for shahada, or 'martyrdom.'

"'Shahada is a very, very beautiful thing,' said Walla, an 11-year-old girl and a panelist on a call-in show.

"'Every Palestinian child - say, someone aged 12 - says, "Oh Lord, I would like to become a shahid (martyr),"' added Yussra, another 11-year-old girl on the show.

"The Palestinian Authority's education ministry pollutes innocent minds through its textbooks, as a 2001 report by the Committee for Monitoring the Impact of Peace noted. One fifth-grade language text builds a lesson around this sentence: 'The jihad against the Jew is the religious duty of every man and woman.'

"Suicide bombing, therefore, is not just genocide against Israelis. It's genocide against an entire generation of Palestinians who unquestioningly accept a cynical government's manipulation of Islam. However, the West chooses to ignore these facts.

"In April, the World Council of Churches published a letter sent by an ecumenical group to the United Nations' Security Council. That letter about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict not only downplayed suicide bombing but also blamed Israel for it: 'Such violence directed against Israeli citizens, while abhorrent, does not justify the occupation which gives rise to such acts, nor the misguided incursions and assaults now under way in response to them.'

"Pope John Paul II, who originated the phrase 'culture of death' to condemn Western societies that tolerate abortion, contraception and capital punishment, has failed to so describe the Palestinian Authority. Otherwise, why would Rabbi Hier seek a papal audience?

"If the religious West doesn't register legitimate outrage, the secular West certainly won't. It would be pretty hard to stimulate the moral imaginations of Europeans, for example, when a poll shows 60 percent of them think Israel is the world's greatest threat to peace.

"When Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel was asked what humanity learned from the Holocaust, he cynically replied, 'That you can get away with it.'

"For the second time in 70 years, humanity is proving Wiesel correct."

Jihad Watch and the realities of Islam

I have received a lengthy statement from a gentleman named Trevor Stanley criticizing various aspects of Jihad Watch. You can find it in the comments section here. Ordinarily it is wise not to reply to critics, but this message is so lengthy and thoughtful, and it touches on issues that are not only inflammatory but also frequently misunderstood, that I thought it would be useful to reply here to Mr. Stanley, and in so doing perhaps to introduce a few helpful distinctions and clarifications.

Says Mr. Stanley: "You claim that no muslim group has ever renounced terrorism, or renouncing violence against innocents."

This is in fact not the case. I have never claimed that no Muslim group has ever renounced terrorism or violence against innocents. To make such a claim would have been preposterous, for I have had the same experience as Mr. Stanley, who says: "I have repeatedly found Muslim groups denouncing such violence." What Mr. Stanley may be thinking of is the fact that no Muslim group has ever renounced the doctrines of violent jihad that radical Muslims use to justify terrorist acts. But many of these very groups decry terrorism and simply don't think of what they're doing in that category; they see themselves as performing religious acts and regard "terrorism" as a label devised by the West to discredit them.

Stanley: "For one thing, there is a consensus of all four schools of Sunni Islamic Law that violence against innocents, or violence outside a state of war, is unacceptable."

That is correct, and I have affirmed it on this site many times (see the first sentence here, for example), as well as in my book Onward Muslim Soldiers. Unfortunately, however, this is not a blanket prohibition. The Shafi’i school of Sunni Muslim jurisprudence stipulates that “it is not permissible . . . to kill women and children unless they are fighting against the Muslims.” The Hanbali jurist Ibn Taymiyya, a favorite of modern Muslim radicals, directed that “as for those who cannot offer resistance or cannot fight, such as women, children, monks, old people, the blind, handicapped and their likes, they shall not be killed unless they actually fight with words (e.g. by propaganda) and acts (e.g. by spying or otherwise assisting in the warfare).”

This loophole is exploited by Osama bin Laden and other radical Muslims to justify actions such as the destruction of the World Trade Center: the people in it, you see, were aiding America's putative war against Islam, and thus could lawfully be killed. I am not saying that the radicals' reasoning here is correct on Islamic grounds or universally accepted within the Muslim world, but only that it has an appeal based on traditional Islamic law.

Stanley: "There is an extensive literature on the law of war in Islam, and it is impressively civilised in many ways, given that it is over 1000 years old. Under these interpretations (traditional/mainstream Islam), the only permissable war is a defensive war, however if the Muslim country is under attack by non-Muslims _and_ Jihad is declared by respected, learned scholars, then contribution to the war is obligatory for all individuals who are able."

This is in the main correct. I have pointed out here many times (here's one) cases in which modern-day radical scholars position today's conflicts as defensive jihad. However, there is also offensive jihad in order to spread Islam. I point out in my book Islam Unveiled that the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence holds that Muslims need not wait until they are attacked to wage offensive jihad. Many scholars of other schools agree with them on this. In fact, this is one of the primary reasons why radical Muslims want to reestablish the Caliphate: they hold that only a Caliph can declare offensive jihad, and thus that this duty of Muslims is being neglected while this office remains vacant.

Stanley: "The whole point of _radical_ Islam is that it rejects sections of the traditional interpretation and imposes a new, narrow interpretation on the religion. It is radically different to conventional Islam."

There is no doubt that there are millions of peaceful Muslims. More on this below.

Stanley: "While respected traditional scholars generally study for around ten years, many of these radical Islamists have never actually studied theology - Usama bin Laden studied engineering and business, whereas his second-in-command Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri, is a paediatrician. Al Qaeda calls bin Laden a sheikh and their spiritual leader - but he has no theological training!"

Irrelevant. I am not saying that radical Islam is the only Islam, or even the correct form. I do point out that it has a solid theological and legal basis within Islam, because this fact has to be recognized if there is to be any reform. The fact is that radical Muslims routinely make theological appeals. Many of these are quite detailed, and convincing to many Muslims. The fact that they may come from engineers and pediatricians makes no difference: they are not arguments based on the authority of Osama, Zawahiri, and others, but on the cited texts of the Qur'an, Sunna, and jurists.

Mr. Stanley then makes the point that "the radical groups start with the conclusion that violence and terrorism is justified, then seek permission from the Quran, selecting passages out of context." His argument here is rather lengthy, and based on the assertion that "the al-Qaeda interpretation" of certain passages of the Qur'an "is a gross distortion of the traditional interpretation of the Quran, and when looked at more closely, this becomes clear." He bases this on Suras 2:190-194 of the Qur'an, arguing that radical Muslims ignore the sections of this passage that forbid fighting except in self-defense.

I would be the first to applaud a Qur'anic citation that genuinely rebuked the radicals. Unfortunately, this isn't it: Mr. Stanley acknowledges that "this section of Chapter 2 of the Quran specifically deals with the first period of Islam, when many on the Arab Peninsula were gathering to crush the Muslim upstarts. Permission to fight back against those who had repeatedly attacked or broken treaties was given at this point."

The fact that this dates from the first period of Islam (actually more like the middle period) is decisive. As I explain in Onward Muslim Soldiers, Islamic theologians generally regard passages of the Qur'an that were revealed later to take precedence over those revealed earlier if there is a matter on which two or more passages seem to clash. The Qur'an is not arranged chronologically; the last sura to have been revealed was Sura 9, which contains the Verse of the Sword: ". . . slay the unbelievers wherever you find them" (9:5), and the command to fight against Jews and Christians "until they pay the Jizya [non-Muslim poll tax] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued" (9:29). Ibn Kathir (1301-1372), whose tafsir (commentary) on the Qur'an enjoys widespread mainstream acceptance today, says that Sura 9:5 "abrogated every agreement of peace between the Prophet and any idolater, every treaty, and every term. . . . No idolater had any more treaty or promise of safety ever since Surah Bara’ah [Sura 9] was revealed."

The idea that the Verse of the Sword abrogates every peace treaty recorded in earlier passages of the Qur'an or elsewhere is the foundation of another widespread Muslim idea that I explain in Onward Muslim Soldiers. It is articulated by, among others, the Pakistani Brigadier S. K. Malik in a 1979 book, The Qur’anic Concept of War (a book that made its way to the American mujahedin Jeffrey Leon Battle and October Martinique Lewis, and which carried a glowing endorsement from Pakistan’s then-future President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who said that it explained "the ONLY pattern of war" that a Muslim country could legitimately wage). This is the idea that there is another stage of Qur'anic teaching on jihad beyond self-defense. Malik explains: "The Muslim migration to Medina brought in its wake events and decisions of far-reaching significance and consequence for them. While in Mecca, they had neither been proclaimed an Ummah [community] nor were they granted the permission to take up arms against their oppressors. In Medina, a divine revelation proclaimed them an 'Ummah' and granted them the permission to take up arms against their oppressors. The permission was soon afterwards converted into a divine command making war a religious obligation for the faithful." This is by no means a non-traditional idea, but one that is deeply rooted in the thinking of many venerable Islamic theologians -- such as Ibn Kathir.

Again, I am not saying that radical Islam is the only Islam or the only correct Islam. But any illusions that it is easily refuted and dismissed on Islamic grounds are unrealistic and possibly dangerously misleading, given today's global situation.

Mr. Stanley also says that "the Quran I've referred to in writing this also makes the point that [the command to fight] 'until the religion is only for Allah' [Sura 2:193] does not have the implications that Al Qaeda et al would like to give it. Allah is merely the Arabic word for the Christian God or Jewish Yahweh, and refers readers to 22:40, which explicitly states that Allah/God states that the Ahl al-Kitab (people of the Book - the Torah/Gospel/Quran) should repel those who attack 'cloisters, churches, and synagogues'. (Not much consolation for atheists like me...)"

Once again, this is only part of the Qur'anic evidence. The book also says that "if anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good)" (Sura 3:85). It is no good to ignore such passages, because Al-Qaeda and its ilk know them well.

Stanley: "Several posters here have attempted to cast scorn on the statement of Indonesian Islamic scholars that suicide attacks are unacceptable outside a state of war - the webmaster says the statement is 'weaselly', as if the mainstream scholars are attempting to keep their options open."

Webmaster is guilty as charged. I did use the word "weaselly," because at least in the report I had at hand the scholars repeated the fact that Islam forbids the killing of the innocent without addressing the far more important question of whether those targeted in suicide attacks are to be regarded as innocent in the first place.

Stanley: "What the scholars are doing here is deliberately refuting the decidedly 'weaselly' standard arguments presented by the radicals. For one thing, suicide is illegal in Islamic law, while wading into an 'impossible' battle against a genuine enemy during a genuine war is praiseworthy, even if it means (almost) certain death. The jihadis attempt to justify suicide bombing by saying that it is not suicide at all, but martyrdom in warfare. 'Jihad Watch' says 'What if Indonesia becomes a war zone? It sure looked like one in Bali last year'. But that is entirely the point - the council of ulema is explictly saying that the Bali bombings were committed when there was not _legally_ a state of war, and therefore were out-and-out murder, completely against Islamic teachings. If someone actually declared war on Indonesia, are you asking that they do nothing in return?"

No, but I wouldn't want them blowing up nightclub patrons during a war any more than I want them to do it in peacetime. The point was that the scholars didn't condemn the murder of civilians outright -- they just said, according to the report, that "killing innocent people is forbidden, and that seeking martyrdom with such actions as suicide bombings is only justified in war zones. It states clearly that Indonesia is not a war zone." You know what that is? It's weaselly: they're saying it would be OK to kill civilians with suicide bombings in a war zone. Arguably, all of Israel is a war zone, but among civilized people the Palestinians have done themselves and their cause great harm by carrying out and approving of targeted suicide bombing attacks against schoolchildren, supermarket shoppers, etc.

Mr. Stanley adds that when jihadists claim that a state of war already exists between the West and Islam, they ignore "aspects of Islamic law such as when holy war is acceptable, who may declare it, and what conduct is acceptable under law. It is a convenient fig leaf for Al Qaeda's violence. By explicitly stating that there is no state of war, the council of Ulema are saying that the radicals are acting outside the pale of Islam, and are in deep sin."

As for "when holy war is acceptable" and "who may declare it," it is true that, as I explained above, only the Caliph may declare offensive jihad. Also, the Shafi'i school teaches that "it is offensive to conduct a military expedition against hostile non-Muslims without the caliph's permission." However, it adds that "if there is no caliph, no permission is required" ('Umdat as-Salik, o9.6). Once again, the case against the radicals is, unfortunately, not nearly as open-and-shut as Mr. Stanley seems to suppose.

Mr. Stanley: "Yes, JI have already 'justified' their violent behaviour. . . . Their web of rationalisations is based on extremely shoddy Islamic theology, contrary to 1400 years of practice and teachings. The ulema just did definitively refute the entire theological basis of JI's ideology, but as you say, from the point of view of dissuading the members of JI, they may as well be speaking to themselves. From the point of view of Muslim laymen in Indonesia however, this is a powerful statement that JI is _not_ a conventional Muslim outfit fighting a legitimate defence against a real war, but rather a sect composed of deluded souls who have strayed from the path of Islam."

I hope this is true. But I believe that what I have pointed out above, and more, is more likely to be the mindset of Muslim laymen in Indonesia and elsewhere than the incomplete statements of the ulama.

Stanley: "Your webpage also states that 'the West is facing a concerted effort by radical Muslims, most of whom are ignored by the Western media, to destroy the West and bring it forcibly into the Islamic world.' Actually, the western media finds the whole jihad thing very entertaining to publish. The numerous denunciations of terrorism I have come across in my studies never make it into the papers because they are, frankly, boring. 'Killing innocents is wrong' is a much less exciting headline than 'All Christians must die', and the media will always go with the latter."

I am sorry to say that the evidence is otherwise. At Dhimmi Watch the material I report on persecution of Christians in Muslim countries generally comes from sources such as the Barnabas Fund and Compass Direct. Why? Because it is largely ignored by the major media. However, in today's headlines alone there are two stories about Islamic groups renouncing violence: one in the World Tribune and one in GulfNews. I expect that these will get much more attention from the major media than those of persecution -- in the spirit of the notorious post-9/11 New York Times story anointing Al-Azhar Univerisity in Cairo, a hotbed of Islamic fanaticism, as an oasis of Islamic toleration, moderation, and peace.

Stanley: "Did you know that 20,000 Iraqis marched against terrorism and for democracy in Iraq recently (and more in other cities), but were ignored by the world media? The media were scooped by Iraqi blogs."

Not only did I know it, but I posted at Jihad Watch here about it.

Mr. Stanley admonishes me: "You are also incorrect to believe that this is primarily an attempt to bring the west into the Islamic world. Really, this is an attempt to transform the Islamic world by altering the relationship between it and the West. The radicals want to change their regimes, but believe the only thing standing in their way is Western support to the regimes in their countries. If they can drive out the West, they can overturn their home governments, so the logic goes. Consolidation would follow, then expansion within the Muslim world, more consolidation, then _perhaps_ an offensive jihad against the West."

Well, don't take it on my word, Mr. Stanley. Take it from the radicals themselves. For example, Sheikh Omar Bakri of Britain, who has said: "I want to see the black flag of Islam flying over Downing Street." Take it from Omar Ahmad of the Council on American Islamic Relations, who is on record saying that "Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant . . . The Koran, the Muslim book of scripture, should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth." Ahmad now denies saying this, but the reporter who heard her stands by her story. I could cite dozens of other examples all with the same point: that many Muslims have made abundantly clear their intentions to, as Mr. Stanley puts it, "bring the west into the Islamic world."

"My point? Our greatest potential allies are the Muslims who have been suffering from this onslaught of terrorism since the 1950s and earlier."

As I state in the FAQ section: "Any Muslim who renounces violent jihad and dhimmitude is welcome to join in our anti-jihadist efforts."

Stanley: "Finally, what concerns me about your page is that I can see the radicals cynically presenting their case as the opinion of 'all Muslims' or 'Orthodox Islam', and even presenting themselves as moderates. They are louder and more activist (like all fanatics) and therefore they sometimes drown out the mainstream Muslims. By presenting the claims of the radicals ('Jihad is a central duty of every Muslim') as the attitude of Islam towards the West (hands rubbed together in glee at the prospect of more Christians to kill), you are playing into the hands of the radicals, the people who today have the heaviest bet on Huntington's 'Clash of Civilisations' thesis."

Sir, jihad is a central duty of every Muslim. What that means to each individual Muslim is another matter. In any case, once again, I never present the teachings of radical Islam as the sole teachings of Islam itself. If a moderate voice were to present a vision of Islam that confronts and refutes the radical version, I would applaud and support them. But much more often, moderate voices simply ignore the passages that the radicals use. That is not true moderation or reform: it does nothing to convince the radicals themselves to follow a different path. On this basis I reject your contention that I am "playing into the hands of the radicals." I am pointing out the necessary parameters of true moderation and reform, rather than accepting patently inadequate and even deceptive models of those things. I will not apologize for doing so, because I don't believe that these inadequate forms of moderate Islam will get us anywhere -- in fact, they really play into the hands of the radicals.

Passing the baton: terrorists' sons in training

Here is more evidence that jihadis think of themselves as fighting a struggle that did not begin with them and will not end with them, but is part of a 1,400-year-old jihad: "Expecting their own capture or death, South-East Asian Islamic extremists sent their sons to Pakistan for training in how to attack Western targets so they could take over as the next generation of terrorist leaders." This from The Mercury, with thanks to nicolei and Jean-Luc.

"In a crackdown on the practice, five Malaysian students, including four teenagers, have been jailed without trial after raids on Islamic boarding schools in Karachi, which had sent them on field trips to get experience of Islamic militant operations. The students had weapons and explosives training in Afghanistan and Kashmir, and some met al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden before the US-led Afghan war started in late 2001, Malaysian police said.

"Three of the five students are the sons of members of an alleged Malaysian cell of Jemaah Islamiah – the al-Qaeda-linked terror network operating throughout South-East Asia – who were jailed two years ago. A fourth is the brother of a jailed militant suspect.

"Hambali, once operations chief for JI, arranged for some of his students to get Pakistan-based training, a senior Malaysian government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Hambali has been in US custody since August, but ran an Islamic school in Malaysia for years before going on the run just before the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. His plan was to train future JI leaders, with the students returning home by 2006 to take up jihad, or holy war, said another Malaysian official. . . . The five were indoctrinated in an extreme version of Islam in Pakistan and were learning how to attack US targets – including organising suicide missions – in Malaysia and elsewhere, authorities said. No specific plots were described.

"Under interrogation, the students said their instructors told them 'they must take up arms, especially against Westerners', the Malaysian security official said."

A holly jihadi Christmas in Jakarta?

"Indonesia's capital could be the target of a bombing campaign during the Christmas and New Year festivities, a Jakarta police chief has warned." So says AFP, with thanks to nicolei.

"'Based on intelligence information that we have received, the prominent issue that needs to be addressed is bombings,' Inspector-General Makbul Padmanegara was quoted by the official Antara news agency as saying.

"Police officers would be stationed at more than 240 churches throughout Jakarta and its suburbs, he said, as police sought to prevent a repeat of Christmas Eve 2000 bombings which left 19 people dead across Indonesia. . . .
The US embassy last week warned that it saw a 'particularly high' risk of terror attacks in Indonesia over Christmas and the New Year.

"'The potential for additional bombings of places where Americans and Westerners are known to live, congregate, shop or visit...is particularly high during the weeks around Christmas through the New Year,' an embassy official said."

"Virginia jihad network" member sentenced

"A Pakistani man, who received training to join Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist network in Kashmir, has been sentenced in the US to ten-and-a-half years in prison." This from IndiaExpress. He is indeed Pakistani, but he has been in the U.S. studying electrical engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

"Mohammad Aatique, 31, was first to be sentenced among a group of 11 people indicted in Pennsylvania and Virginia in July for training with assault rifles. Aatique, an electrical engineer by profession, had entered into a plea bargain with the prosecution under which he pleaded guilty to going to Pakistan after September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to train with Laskhkar.

"Of the remaining suspects, three have pleaded guilty of weapons charges and the trial is set to begin in February next year. A US Federal Court in Pennsylvania yesterday gave Aatique mandatory 10 years sentence for firearms violations but only six months for conspiring to violate the US Neutrality act.

"He could have got five years on the conspiracy charge but the judge decided on a lesser prison term as he was considered among people in lower in hierarchy of conspirators. The government had raised no objections to the period of Aatique's prison term, apparently satisfied with his cooperation during the probe of what prosecution called 'the Virginia jihad network.'"

Internet jihad: "Saddam arrest part of the Crusade against Islam"

Al-Muhajiroun's Sheikh Omar Bakri (BBC)

In a recent article about jihadist and radical Muslim organizations on the Internet I mentioned Al-Muhajiroun, the British Muslim group headed by Sheikh Omar Bakri, an open supporter of Osama bin Laden who has declared that his goal is to establish an Islamic state in Britain.

Now Al-Muhajiroun has issued a press release about the capture of Saddam Hussein. Their site doesn't seem to be set up for direct links, so to find the release click on anything from the home page and then on Press Releases.

The release says that in order to understand "what really happened" regarding Saddam's arrest, "we need certain political foundations giving insight into events occurring around the world both past and present, such as the collapse of the Khilafah [Caliphate] in 1924 forming the basis of recent Muslim history, since this was a milestone signifying the last rule, solely in accordance with the Shari’ah, on State level. In addition, we must bear in mind how the kuffar (i.e. non-Muslims) have been conspiring against Muslims throughout history, indeed the struggle between Haq (truth) and Baatil (falsehood) has always existed since the time of the Messenger Muhammad (saw). It is also vital that any analysis be from the perspective of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Messenger Muhammad (saw) and his prophecies i.e. that certain events will occur prior to the Day of Judgment. This will shed proper light on the global Christian Crusade, led by the USA, against Islam and Muslims."

This is common talk from radical Muslims: they all speak of wanting to restore the Caliphate -- the unified rule of the Islamic community worldwide by a single leader, recognized as Muhammad's successor -- expand Sharia rule everywhere, and wage jihad against Christians, Jews, and other non-Muslims. On the Internet, a piece like this, with its appeals to Islamic teachings and Muslim pride, stands as a recruitment tool for radical Islam.

The press release then gives a series of reasons why Al-Muhajiroun believes that Saddam was "not in fact arrested on Saturday the 13th of December 2003, but at least 10 days beforehand." The first one coincides with the most paranoid speculations of the far Left: "the delay in announcing the capture of Saddam Hussain by George Bush was timed to have the maximum impact for George Bush personally, His government generally and future plans for the region particularly."

Reason #5 hangs the case that this is a war on Islam upon Saddam's beard: "The US were keen to link the capture to Islam, Muslims and the so-called war against ‘Terrorism’. This connection was obvious with talk of Saddam’s beard, a clear Islamic symbol of a Muslim male and the Taliban. This is totally in line with their plea that they are fighting international terrorism (which their allies interpret as Muslim fundamentalist or Mujahideen). Psychologically, the beard being shown before and then after it has been shaved, together with Saddam being shown on his prayer mat, is vividly intended to motivate their own people, demoralize the enemy (i.e. Muslims) and destroy the Islamic inspiration. Especially when the supposed symbol of Muslim resistance (i.e. Saddam) is amazingly caught in a spider’ hole."

Apparently Al-Muhajiroun missed the fact that Bush passed up going to church so as not to be seen speaking outside it about Saddam: "The link to a Christian victory against the perceived infidels, akin to the crusades of old, is the announcement just two days after the Christmas festivities were begun in the US, rounding off the Christian year with a victory for their Deen [religion] against the Muslims and Islam."

But Al-Muhajiroun is not downhearted: "However, the truth is that it was the Mujahideen who were fighting the US and UK occupiers all along and their Jihad will be much clearer now that the confusion caused by Saddam’s presence has been removed. . . . The truth is that the Mujahideen have been carrying out wholesale bombing against the occupiers: some 42 operations a day. These operations are also ‘suicide’ ones, not a hallmark of the Iraqis but rather those who want to trade their life for paradise i.e. the likes of Al-Qaeda and other Mujahideen."

And finally: "Promised increased operations by the Mujahideen will underline the fact that the war in Iraq is and has always been one of Islam against Kufr (i.e. non-Islam) and that Terrorism translates for the US, UK and their allies as Islam and Muslims. However, despite Bush’s antics news from the Muslim camp is that victory has been promised to the Muslims already by Allah (SWT) in this life and the next – it is just a matter of time before it is clear for all to see (Insha’allah)."

All this paranoid raving would be unworthy of attention were it not for the fact that people believe it, and have taken up arms on the basis of this kind of thinking. (Thanks to nicolei.)

"I did this for you, God!"

Raussi Uthman, a Muslim who "who was convicted of hate crimes for burglarizing and burning down a Jewish temple three years ago, was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison." So says AP.

Uthman "also must pay $856,278 in restitution."

The story says that "no one was injured in the fire at Temple Beth El in Syracuse, which caused more than $700,000 in damage."

Uthman worked from the CAIR playbook at the sentencing: "'This sentence has nothing to do with your heritage,' Judge Joseph Fahey told Uthman, who claimed he was being discriminated against. 'It is based solely on your conduct. It is the same sentence I would impose on a Nazi, Ku Klux Klansman or any bigot that would have burned down a house of worship. My only regret is that it can't be longer.'

Uthman's accomplice, Ahed Shehadeh, "who is serving a five-year sentence for burglary and aiding and abetting an arson, testified that Uthman dedicated the arson to God, crying out in Arabic, 'I did this for you, God!'

"Uthman's attorney argued the accomplice set fire to the temple to cover up their burglary, then implicated Uthman and concocted a religious motivation in order to cut a deal with prosecutors." Yes, of course. A simple burglary, that just happened to be carried about by two Muslims against a synagogue. What a coincidence!

Terrorism, Suicide Attacks Forbidden by Islamic Law, Muslim Scholars Say

An influential group of Muslim scholars in Indonesia have declared that suicide attacks, and terrorism in general, is forbidden by Islamic law." So says VOA News. "Members of the Indonesian Ulama Council, which brings together Muslim scholars to discuss the implementation of Islamic law, say that killing - especially of innocents - is contrary to the teachings of the religion.

"The move comes after increasing criticism that Indonesia's powerful Islamic groups were doing too little to condemn terrorism in the country.

"The ruling says that killing innocent people is forbidden, and that seeking martyrdom with such actions as suicide bombings is only justified in war zones. It states clearly that Indonesia is not a war zone."

This is, again, weaselly. What if Indonesia becomes a war zone? It sure looked like one in Bali last year: "A regional terrorist group, Jemaah Islamiyah, or JI, has used Islam to justify a series of bloody attacks in Indonesia. They include last year's bombing of a nightclub on Bali, which killed more than 200 people, and August's attack on an U.S. run hotel, which killed 12.

"Captured members of the group say the attacks were part of a holy war against the West, particularly the United States. They accuse the West of waging a war against Muslims.

"The new ruling specifically excludes religious struggle, or jihad, which it says is an obligation of every Muslim when the religion is under attack.

"The ruling is unlikely to have a dramatic effect on JI and similar groups, but it is an important expression of the hostility the majority of Indonesians have toward terrorism and terrorists."

It is unlikely to have a dramatic effect on JI because they already have a detailed justification for their actions, based on Islamic theology. Until the ulama definitively refute this, they're just talking to themselves.

Al-Qaeda ops in Australia

The Herald Sun reports that "ASIO is monitoring more than 100 Australians whom it lists as suspects or 'persons of interest' in the war on terror.

"The security agency is also working to identify another mystery Australian who trained with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. He is described only as blond and caucasian. It is unknown whether he returned to Australia, remained in the Middle East, or was killed in the Afghanistan war.

"The chief executive of security consultants Intelligent Risks, Neil Fergus, said there were several Australians identified as having trained with al-Qaeda, and about 100 Jemaah Islamiyah supporters in Australia who were known to authorities."

Although many doubt that Al-Qaeda has the ability to carry out a strike in Australia at this point, The chief executive of security consultants Intelligent Risks, Neil Fergus, says: "As shown in the past, al-Qaeda will not simply cease and desist; they have quite remarkable determination.'

"Of al-Qaeda sympathisers and camp trainees in Australia, Mr Fergus said: 'There are several people who have links, and in the main you would have to say they have been engaged in proselytising for the group and raising funds. Western intelligence services have gone to extreme lengths to identify all those who have trained in the camps, through sensitive sources or interrogation. The indications are there are probably at least a few other Australians who have trained in an al-Qaeda camp.'

"Mr Fergus said captured US Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh may have identified two Australians at an Afghanistan camp, not just Abu Jihad, whom he named as a Melbourne painter in a December 2001 FBI interview. He said Australian officials had originally believed one of those men to be Jack 'Jihad' Thomas, but that possibility now appeared less likely because the suspect was described as blond.

"'He (the suspect) may not have returned to Australia; trying to ID him is the first step, and trying to find his whereabouts,' he said." (Thanks to Jean-Luc.)

Saudi terror apologists cancel trip to U.S.

Adverse publicity has compelled "two Saudi Arabian extremists, both supporters of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network," to cancel "plans to visit the U.S. this month to speak at an Islamic conference in Houston." This from WND.

"However, one will still make an appearance through a satellite television hookup from Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is asking the State Department to expel two Saudi diplomats scheduled to appear at the conference.

"According to the Saudi Information Agency, an independent news service critical of the Riyadh regime, at least two Saudi diplomats will join the conference to hear Sheikh Abdallah Ibn Jebreen, the bin Laden-praising Wahhabi cleric.

"A second cleric, Muhammad Saalih al-Munajid, who runs a website that promotes intolerance of Christians and Jews and calls for holy war on Shiite Muslims, has canceled his appearance.

"In a recent audiotape obtained by SIA and recorded in October, Ibn Jebreen called bin Laden a great warrior in the path of God: 'Osama is a man who fought in the path of God for a long time. May God aid him and bring victory to him and by him.'

"SIA said Ibn Jebreen issued at least two fatwas in support of the Taliban and encouraged young people to enlist in al-Qaida. He issued another fatwa calling on Saudis to aid Iraqis fighting U.S. forces. . . .

"Schumer is also raising questions about whether the Saudi Embassy is sincere about following through on its pledge last week to stop sponsoring Islamic-affairs programs that spread fanatical Islam. A report this week by the Saudi Press Agency quotes the Saudi Islamic affairs minister, Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdulaziz, denying the Islamic-affairs programs will be closed and declaring them 'part of the kingdom's message.'"

Jihad in South Korea: Al-Qaeda scouted U.S. targets there

A matchbook found in South Korea: all the coolest jihadis have them

Global jihad alert: "Agents from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network made repeated visits to South Korea recently scouting for US targets, a lawmaker said, citing a closed-door intelligence briefing to parliament." So says AFP.

"Ham Seung-Hui, a member of the Millennium Democratic Party, said that South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) was now on anti-terrorism alert to respond to reported al-Qaeda activity in South Korea. 'The NIS briefing said suspected al-Qaeda members had checked security of the US troops in South Korea on two or three occasions recently,' Ham told AFP.

"One suspected al-Qaeda member was detained at a South Korean airport for 10 hours last year prior to being expelled, he said, citing the intelligence briefing. Another was expelled earlier this year from South Korea. He was believed to be examining security at South Korean aiports and carrying out the same task in the Philippines. . . .

"'Recently, the al-Qaeda network is increasingly turning its attention to Northeast Asian countries, amplifying chances of terror in the region,' the lawmaker said." I wonder if Al-Qaeda ops made a trip north to see Uncle Kim.

Imam: Saddam is Islam's hero

Syed Ahmed Bukhari

"Describing former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's capture as the 'blackest day for the Islamic world', the chief cleric of India's largest mosque said he would be remembered as the symbol of Islamic resistance." So says The Times of India, with thanks to nicolei.

"'Arab rulers need not be jubilant on Saddam Hussein's arrest because America would now make the whole Arab world their slaves,' said Syed Ahmed Bukhari, chief cleric of Delhi's Jama Masjid."

Bukhari demonstrated his mastery of the leftist rhetorical appeal: "In a statement issued here on Monday, Bukhari said US President George W Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon were more dangerous, cruel and barbaric than Saddam. He called on 'all peace-loving people' to stand up against the cruelty, tyranny and oppression against Muslims."

Radical Muslim groups: jihad in Iraq will continue

"Leaders of the Hamas as well as Islamic Jihad in Gaza, commenting on the capture of Saddam, have said that despite his arrest, the resistance of the Iraqi people will never end.

"In a joint statement, both Palestinian movements had called on the people of Iraq never to surrender and to 'continue resistance against the U.S. occupation until it withdraws all of its forces from all Iraqi lands.'

Nafez Azzam, a prominent Islamic Jihad leader in the Gaza Strip said that the capture of Saddam Hussein was just a 'small symbolic and moral victory for the U.S., but would certainly not stop Iraqi resistance'.

He said that the Iraqi resistance would continue "carrying out painful strikes against the American occupation on their lands.' . . .

"A top leader of the Hamas movement, Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi told Reuters that the U.S. would 'pay a very high price for the mistake' of arresting ousted leader Saddam Hussein. 'What the United States did is ugly and despicable. It is an insult to all Arabs and an insult to Muslims.'" Evidently Rantissi found the gassing of the Kurds, the mass graves, the morgue prisons, and all the other highlights of Saddam's tenure less insulting. (Thanks to nicolei.)

Spencer article on Internet jihad

Jihad Watch director Robert Spencer's article "Internet Jihad" appears today at FrontPage magazine.

British Muslims: Bush, Blair should stand trial with Saddam

Remember Denis MacShane? He's the British Foreign Office minister who drew the ire of British Muslims last month by urging British Muslims to choose between the "British way" of democratic dialogue and the way of Islamic terrorism. Muslim leaders demanded, and received, several apologies from MacShane, who said: "I apologise to anyone who felt that I suggested that British Muslims sympathise with such terrorist actions."

Of course they don't. Except, that is, for the good folks of the British branch of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, who have issued a statement about the capture of Saddam Hussein. It says:

"While the leaders of Western militant democracies such as the US and UK celebrate the capture of Saddam Hussein, Muslims in Britain will not be rejoicing until Bush, Blair and the band of Western inspired dictators and tyrants in the Muslim world stand alongside him in the dock to answer for their crimes."

It decries "the imposition of Western secular liberal values over the barrel of a gun" and adds that "Imran Waheed, a UK based doctor and Representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, 'One form of tyranny and oppression in Iraq has been replaced with another. Western values and governments must be put in the dock. The true celebration for Muslims and non-Muslims will only occur on the day when militant secularism and its colonialist worldview is discarded in history’s dustbin. That day is fast approaching.'

Dr. Waheed wants an Islamic Sharia state in Iraq: "Only the Islamic Khilafah is a practical alternative to the continued US and UK occupation of Iraq.”

The release adds a statement about Hizb-ut-Tahrir's goals and its nonviolence. "Hizb ut-Tahrir is an independent political party whose ideology is Islam. The party works throughout the Islamic world, including Iraq, to resume the Islamic way of life by re-establishing the Islamic Khilafah [Caliphate]. The party adheres to the Islamic Shari’ah in all aspects of its work. It considers violence or armed struggle against the regime, as a method to re-establish the Islamic State, a violation of the Islamic Shari’ah."

Interesting. I wonder what Hizb-ut-Tahrir would make of Sharia stipulations such as this one from a manual approved by the prestigious Al-Azhar Univerisity in Cairo: the Muslim community must make "war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians . . . until they become Muslim or else pay the non-Muslim poll tax" ('Umdat al-Salik, o9.8).

"In the Western world, the party seeks to explain the Islamic ideology to Muslims, to create a dialogue with Western thinkers about Capitalism and its ills and to present Islam as an ideological alternative."

Jihad in Central Asia

In Kyrgyzstan, Hizb-ut-Tahrir is growing: AP profiles Hizb-ut-Tahrir activist Dilyar Jumabayev, beginning with a poster he has displayed outside his house, which says: "All Muslims of the world unite against the infidels."

"'Through his black beard, Jumabayev shows an easy smile, but his words are vehement. 'Muslims now realize who their enemies are. The United States and Britain want Muslims to fight against each other,' he said.

"Jumabayev, 32, is a member of the secretive Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, or Party of Liberation, which is spreading across Central Asia. The growth is believed fueled in part by secular governments' heavy-handed efforts here to crack down on what has become the largest such extremist movement in the region. It has as many as 20,000 members.

"Hizb ut-Tahrir is not recognized as a terrorist group by the United States and is so far not connected to any acts of violence. But Kyrgyz security officials warn that it has become a fertile recruiting ground for al-Qaida and its allies, such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, although they often fail to provide hard evidence proving such ties. . . .

"Hizb ut-Tahrir was founded in the 1950s in the Middle East and calls for an Islamic caliphate, or state, to be set up across Central Asia. It claims to eschew violence, setting it apart from other groups to which governments allege it is linked.

"Since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, Hizb ut-Tahrir has found fertile ground for expansion in the Muslim countries of Central Asia, capitalizing on the discontent of many in their newly independent countries. . . . The number of Hizb ut-Tahrir members in the two southern Kyrgyz regions where the group is most active rose from 1,393 to 1,598 since last year, according to police figures obtained by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The group is also believed to be spreading to the north beyond its traditional base in the conservative Fergana Valley, and is also active in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

"In Kara-Suu, Hizb ut-Tahrir member Jumabayev said he doesn't disagree with the IMU terror group or even al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden: 'He is certainly my brother. Saddam Hussein is also my brother. No matter whether he is Arab, Kurd, Turk or Palestinian, he is also Muslim,' he said.

"Still, Jumabayev firmly disavowed violence, which he called a 'sin.' 'It's easy to kill,' he said, recalling his time in the Soviet army when he was sent off to Azerbaijan where soldiers violently quelled mass protests in the late 1980s amid the Soviet collapse.

"A trader and tailor, Jumabayev joined Hizb ut-Tahrir three years ago because it 'explained the meaning of life.' He now said he pays one-tenth of his income for membership and belongs to a five-person cell. Jumabayev said they don't have to look hard for new members: The government condemnations draw people's natural curiosity. Although Jumabayev said upper leaders denied him permission to speak to an American reporter because he was the 'enemy,' Jumabayev spoke freely and said he wasn't afraid of retribution for his beliefs -- even claiming to be ready to make the ultimate sacrifice.

"'My daughter asks me when I will enter heaven and my son asks when I will become a martyr,' he said." Hmm. I thought he disavowed violence.

Jihad in China

More evidence of the global reach of the tiny minority of extremists: "China released a wanted list of Muslim separatist groups and individuals on Monday, accusing them of acts of terror and appealing to foreign governments to ban the groups and track down and hand over the wanted individuals."

"One day after the United States announced the capture of toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, China's ministry of public security fingered four groups in the restive north-west and 11 ethnic Uighur suspects, all of whom remain at large.

"'They have planned, organised and carried out a series of violent terrorist activities such as bombings, assassinations, arsons, poisonings and attacks,' Zhao Yongchen, deputy chief of the ministry's anti-terror bureau, said in a statement.

"He appealed to other governments to ban the groups, prohibit them from receiving support or asylum and freeze their accounts; and to prosecute and investigate the wanted individuals and hand them over to China. . . .

"Many Turkic-speaking Uighurs want to establish an independent state in the Xinjiang region, which they would call East Turkestan. China has blamed pro-independence activists for a string of bombings and riots since the 1980s in Xinjiang, which borders the former Soviet Central Asian republics and Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as in other parts of the country. . . .

"Many Western diplomats and scholars also doubt there is a unified Uighur independence movement. They say most Uighurs are struggling against cultural and economic inequities and, living with heavy police and military presence, lack the coordination to execute sustained violence."

More irrelevance from "Western diplomats and scholars." What difference does it make if the independence movement is unified or not, or can execute "sustained" violence or not, if such groups exist and are capable of any kind of violence?

Moreover, China is linking them to the global jihad movement: "One of the groups police named on Monday was the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (Etim), which Washington added to its terrorist list in 2002 at Beijing's bidding. China says Etim members trained at bases run by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan and, with Taliban backing, returned to Xinjiang to plot violence. Police said Hasam Mahsum, a key figure in Etim, was among the 11 wanted.

"The other three organisations were the Eastern Turkestan Liberation Organisation, the World Uighur Youth Congress and the Eastern Turkistan Information Centre. . . . In one of the more recent incidents, police said Etim hatched a plot in March to blow up train tracks linking Xinjiang to the neighbouring province of Gansu, but gave no further details."

Jihad online

I just completed an article about jihadist websites (I'll let you know when it's available), and reader Nancy Block has kindly referred me to two more. The sorts of things they say are readily available on the Net, are read by Muslims, and no doubt go a long way in recruiting terrorists.

First this morning is Islamic-World.net, where we are told that "because Islam is a complete way of life," the Qur'an and the Sunnah's "Divine Guidance is for all matters private and public, political and economic, social and cultural, moral and legal."

That is a clear call to establish states governed by Islamic law, the Sharia. Every radical Muslim from Osama bin Laden on down has declared this as his intention. "In the Godless secular nations," says the site, "they require a separation of religion and state. Politics is to be made free from religious influence. In Islam politics is a necessary element of the religious domain. Allah has told us He is to be the sole determiner of what is right and lawful. 'Command is for none but God; He has commanded that you obey none but Him – that is the right path,' ([Qur'an] 12:40). And, 'If any do fail to establish and rule by what God has revealed, they are the unbelievers, the unjust or the evil doers,' ([Qur'an] 5:44,45,47)."

How will the proponents of democracy in the Islamic world disabuse these people of the notion that to institute democracy would be to exchange God's law for human laws?

"What has a secular political system given the Western world? Admittedly, it has allowed them to gain great wealth, power and technological expertise; but, at what expense? Their secularism has brought with it skepticism in thought, confusion in values, expediency in standards, vulgarity in behaviour, and opportunism in diplomacy. Modern man has learned to fly through the air like a bird and swim through the oceans like a fish, but he has failed to learn how to live on the Earth like a human being.

"The political system in Islam is to help those it governs be successful in the practice of a right Islamic way of life. 'And grant from Thee a ruling authority as an aid for me,' ([Qur'an] 17:80). An Islamic world society cannot have a secular political system. For the Islamic world to exist there must be an Islamic State."

And from alminbar.net, a lovely sermon entitled "The Menace of the Jews."

Some highlights from a summary provided at the site: "Jews are a source of evil and enmity against them is part of our faith. . . . Nationalism has not and can never bring any benefit to the Muslims. . . . Our war against the Jews can only be conducted according to the principles of Islaam. . . . The miserable predicament of contemporary Muslims and the role of the sick-hearted Muslims and hypocrites in calling for peace settlements. . . . The Jews never keep their covenants and our war against them is continuous."

Then comes the sermon itself: "The Jews, who are the nation of pigs and monkeys . . ."

This is an extremely common designation for Jews among radical Muslims. It is based on Suras 2:62-65, 5:59-60, and 7:166 of the Qur'an, in which Allah curses a group of Jews and transforms them into pigs and monkeys.

Picking up where we left off: ". . . are nothing but a source of evil, corruption, tribulation and war. Hatred against the Muslims is inherited by every generation of Jews who in turn teach it to their children. Our enmity and hostility against them is based on our faith. The Jews have never and will never lower the banner of war against us Muslims; it is a war between truth and falsehood, belief and disbelief. It is a war between the truth of Islaam and the falsehood of Judaism. The Jews will never stop adding fuel to the fire of war, nor will they ever stop plotting against us. Whenever the fire of one battle is extinguished, they light another. . . .

"Nationalism has been devastated and humiliated repeatedly in its war against the monkeys and pigs over the past forty years. The nationalists, who fought for the sake of land and olive fields, have strayed far away from Islaam and have refused to base this war against the Jews on Islamic principles. The Jews rush towards their religion searching for ways of unity, strength and victory, while the nationalists run away from their religion. They have kept their people pre-occupied with empty slogans which are of no benefit. . . .

"The reality of our war against the Jews is that it is a religious war which cannot be conducted except according to the principles of Islaam which are clearly defined. Allaah says that which translates as: 'Fight those who do not believe in Allaah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allaah and His Messenger have made unlawful and do not adopt the religion of truth [i.e., Islaam] from those who were given the scripture – [fight] until they give the jizyah (protection tax) willingly while they are humbled.' (At-Tawbah: 29)."

At-Tawbah is the 9th sura of the Qur'an. "From those who have been given the scripture" refers primarily to Jews and Christians. So this sermon is a prime example of a radical Muslim quoting the Qur'an to justify violence on the contemporary scene. I have quoted this verse and other verses of the Qur'an many times in discussions with Muslim spokesmen, and they have invariably assured me that the great book is peaceful, and that Muslims do not understand such passages as calling them to violence. Indeed, many have suggested that it is I who make the equation between the Qur'an and violence, out of bigotry or hatred. No doubt many gullible non-Muslims in the U.S. and Europe believe that sort of appeal. But this sermon is just one of many examples of the fact that it is not Western non-Muslim analysts who have made a connection between the Qur'an and violence; it is Muslims themselves. Until they stop doing so and renounce the theological ideas quoted above, religious violence will continue in our age.

"Moderate jihadi" to head Afghan assembly

This just in from Afghanistan's Loya Jirga: "A former president and moderate Jihadi leader has been elected to head the Afghan constitutional assembly, which is to debate and approve the country's nation-building document, officials said on Monday." So says Xinhuanet of China.

What on earth is a moderate jihadi? Someone who believes in slaying not all, but just some of the unbelievers wherever he finds them?

"Sibghatullah Mujadadi was elected late Sunday as chairman of the constitutional Loya Jirga, or grand assembly, to oversee fierce debates on many issues of the country's future constitution expected in the coming days. Mujadadi, known for his outspokenness among Afghan political leaders, won an overwhelming vote in an election for the head of the assembly.

"Out of 489 delegates attending the election following the opening ceremony, 252 of them cast their votes in favor of Mujadadi, the assembly's acting chairman Pir Syed Ahmad Gilani announced. Mujadadi, who leads the moderate party of the Afghan National Liberation Front, is among important Jihadi figures who fought against the Soviet occupation of the country in 1980s.

"He became a rotatory president of the power-sharing Mujahidin government formed among different anti-Soviet factions in 1992, but the loose coalition collapsed eight months later, resulting inyears of civil conflicts in the country.

"The Loya Jirga, opened by former king Zahir Shah earlier on Sunday morning, is expected to discuss and ratify a new constitution which would pave the way for next year's general elections.

"Over 500 delegates from across the war-battered Afghanistan gathered at the assembly to decide on fundamental issues, like Islam's role, women's rights and the future political system, for a country, which had been ruled by the hard-line Taliban regime for six years.

"Many of the bearded delegates wearing traditional turbans welcomed Mujadadi's election as chairman of the constitutional assembly with applause and the Islamic slogan of 'God is Great'.

"'We the Afghans gave huge sacrifice for Islam and want the constitution to be based on Islamic principles,' said a cheerful Mujadadi, who was nominated by President Hamid Karzai as Loya Jirga delegate three days before the assembly opening."

September 11 Intelligence Failures

From The Cutting Edge in Australia: "It was not your typical wedding. The guests shouted 'Jihad! Jihad!' and sang 'May a volcano shatter the infidels'. The wedding video, shot in Hamburg in the 1990s, featured many names that would later feature in inquiries into the September 11 attacks.

"Evidence of al-Qaeda's Hamburg cell was one of many things the CIA and the FBI overlooked or underestimated in the '90s, despite mounting evidence that Osama bin Laden was planning a big terrorist action on US soil following the 1993 attack on the World Trade Centre.

"American authorities caught snatches of the plan, but never saw the big picture until it was too late. In 1994, Philippines police arrested a terrorist who told of plans to crash a plane into the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. The information was passed to America, but nothing happened.

"In Kuala Lumpur in 2000, al-Qaeda members met under the noses of CIA agents, who did not manage to bug their flat but did observe them repeatedly visiting Malaysia's twin towers. And all the while, al-Qaeda members were booking into American flying schools.

"This German documentary, made in the light of the joint congressional inquiry into September 11, interviews many key players. The last slip-up came on September 10, when the National Security Agency taped an al-Qaeda phone call: 'Tomorrow is zero house. Tomorrow the great game begins.' It was not translated until September 12."

A question: what has changed since then to keep the FBI and CIA from overlooking or underestimating evidence of radical Muslim activity since then?

Osama, Saddam, and Omar Sharif win votes for "greatest Arab"

Omar or Osama?

We may get a fresh indication of how tiny the tiny minority of extremists really is from this new poll. The Middle East Broadcasting Centre is holding voting for the "Greatest Arab of All Time," and surprise of surprises, Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein are in the running.

"An Arabic television channel began accepting nominations last week, after buying the format for the popular programme from the BBC. Thousands have already logged on to the website for the series or sent text messages to vote for their preferred candidate." This from the Telegraph, with thanks to nicolei.

"Both Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein have already received votes. Other nominations include Saladin, famous for having recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders; Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader; King Abdul Aziz al Saud, the creator of modern Saudi Arabia; and Omar Sharif."

Well, Omar Sharif gets my vote in that crowd. But I suspect that Osama may outpoll him.

Arafat, Palestinians saddened by Saddam capture

Saddam and Arafat in happier days (BBC photo)

The tiny minority of extremists was downhearted yesterday: "Palestinians in the West Bank reacted with shock and disbelief to the capture of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, with many expressing deep disappointment that the man who symbolized defiance against the US and Israel surrendered without resistance." This from the Jerusalem Post, with thanks to Maria Sliwa.

"For many ordinary Palestinians, the TV footage of a disheveled Saddam obediently submitting to a medical exam by his U.S. captors was painful to watch: it sealed the defeat of the one Arab leader they felt always stood by them. . . .

"Saddam should have put up a fight or committed suicide, they said, and his surrender is a stain on Arab honor. 'It is a big defeat for all Arabs and Muslims,' said Raji Hassan, 29, watching TV with friends in a Gaza City coffee shop."

Arafat wasn't feeling too well either: "The Palestinian Authority declined to comment on the arrest of Saddam, but a senior PA official in Ramallah said Yasser Arafat was 'saddened' by the news from Baghdad. 'President Arafat was sad to see an Arab leader in an humiliating position,' said the official. . . .

"In the past three years, Saddam was the only Arab leader to pay millions of Dollars to the families of Palestinian victims of the violence. Families of suicide bombers received up to $10,000, while those whose houses were destroyed by the IDF were given $20,000.

"The payments further boosted Saddam's popularity among the Palestinians, particularly at a time when Arafat was handing out smaller sums to his people. Earlier this year, Palestinians demonstrated in favor of Saddam when the US threatened to invade Iraq and topple his regime. At the rallies they chanted, 'O beloved Saddam, bomb Tel Aviv.' . . .

"On the streets of Ramallah on Sunday, many Palestinians expressed sorrow and shock at the capture of Saddam. Jihan Ajlouni, a 24-year-old university student, said, 'This is a big loss for the Arab nation. Saddam was one of the great Arab leaders who supported the Palestinian people and many Arabs. We feel very sad today, and we say to all the traitors and collaborators: Don't rush to celebrate because there are millions of Saddams in the Arab world.'

"Fathi Salman, 50, a taxi driver, described the arrest of Saddam as a 'black day' for the Palestinians. 'This is a black day for all the Palestinians and all the Arabs and Muslims,' he said. 'I still can't believe that President Saddam has been captured by the Americans. Saddam was the only Arab leader who cared about us. He supported the Palestinian cause from the beginning. His arrest is a major setback for the Palestinians. It's a pity that he didn't fight.'

"Khairiyeh Said, 43, a high-school teacher, said she wept when she watched Saddam in captivity. 'I was sitting with my friends when we heard the bad news,' she added. 'We all started crying because we love Saddam and we hate [US President George W.] Bush and [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon. This is a big victory for Bush and Sharon and all the enemies of the Palestinian people. We hope the Iraqi resistance will now teach the American dogs a good lesson.'

"Michael Hanna a 28-year-old engineer was one of the few Palestinians who said they were happy that Saddam was captured by the Americans. 'Saddam is responsible for the killing of thousands of his own people and he deserves to die,' he said. 'I have no sympathy for him or other Arab dictators. I hope he will be put on trial and executed. This should be a lesson for other corrupt and tyrant Arab leaders. I hope the Iraqi people will now be able to live in peace because they have suffered for a long time under Saddam and his sons.'

"Palestinian legislator Hatem Abdel Kader said he too hope that Saddam's captue would serve as a lesson for the rest of the Arab dictators. 'I think the Iraqis can finally celebrate their birthday,' he said. 'This is the fate of all tyrants. This is a humiliating end for a dictator, but we wish he had been caught by the Iraqis and not the Americans.'

"Abdel Kader, one of the top Fatah leaders, said many Palestinians were disappointed that Saddam did not try to defend himself. 'It would have been better if he had been killed,' he added. 'At least he would have died in an honorable way. It's a happy and sad ending for a dictator and I hope that this would be a lesson for all the other Arab dictators. This shows that all tyrants are cowards.'"

"Mohammed Horani, a legislator from Arafat's ruling Fatah movement, said he had expected Saddam to be more courageous. 'I had expected him to have fought back, or at least end his life,' he said. 'But then again, all dictators are cowards.'"

Freed Taliban "seeking revenge"

Saddam has been captured, but the jihad continues. Although the jihadis have received a huge blow, the ideological basis of the global jihad movement, which is not based on the charismatic appeal of any leader but on elements of Islamic theology and law, ensures that the movement will continue. Jihadis fought for Saddam despite his dubious piety because Islamic law stipulates that jihad must continue even if a Muslim leader is a tyrant; they certainly won't be giving up now that he is out of action.

A bit of evidence for this comes from Afghanistan, where "a Taliban commander once held at the US military base in Guantanamo but released in July is reportedly back in Afghanistan and in charge of attacks against US forces there."

"Sources in Pakistan and Afghanistan have told Time magazine that Mullah Shehzada, who was among 16 Afghans freed from the US base in Cuba, masterminded a jailbreak in Kandahar in October in which 41 captured Taliban burrowed under prison walls with help from bribed guards.

"A deputy to Taliban army chief Mullah Fazal Mazloom before his capture during the 2001 Afghanistan war, Shehzada allegedly seized control of Taliban operations against US forces and their Afghan allies in the southern part of the country once he was back in Afghanistan.

"Asked why Shehzada had resumed attacks on US forces, Taliban spokesman Hamid Agha said: 'Once a Taliban, always a Taliban. Now he wants revenge.'

"The Pentagon declined to comment on the report, the weekly said." That's understandable. After all, somebody there made the decision to free this man.

Saddam in custody

Saddam in custody

As news came out of Muhammad Atta's having been trained in Iraq, Saddam has been captured. "Without a single shot being fired, U.S. military forces captured former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as he hid in the bottom of a hole in a home near Tikrit, officials announced at a Baghdad press conference." The story is from Fox.

Memo: 9-11 chief trained in Iraq

Atta

"Mohammed Atta, the hijacker believed to be the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, was trained in Baghdad by Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal, claims Iraq's coalition government." So says WND.

"The leaders says a handwritten secret memo to Saddam Hussein gives details of a visit by Atta to the Iraqi capital in the summer of 2001, just weeks before the attacks, reports the London Telegraph.

"'We are uncovering evidence all the time of Saddam's involvement with al-Qaida,' said Dr Ayad Allawi, a member of Iraq's ruling seven-man presidential committee, according to the London paper. 'But this is the most compelling piece of evidence that we have found so far,' he said. 'It shows that not only did Saddam have contacts with al-Qaida, he had contact with those responsible for the September 11 attacks.'

"The memo, obtained exclusively by the Telegraph, was written by Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti, the former head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service.

"Dated July 1, 2001, it outlines a three-day 'work program' for Atta at Abu Nidal's base in Baghdad, the Telegraph said. Abu Nidal, headquartered in Baghdad for more than 20 years, was responsible for the failed assassination of the Israeli ambassador to London in 1982.

"Habbush, according to the memo, says Atta 'displayed extraordinary effort' and demonstrated his ability to lead the team that would be 'responsible for attacking the targets that we have agreed to destroy,' the Telegraph reported.

"The paper said the memo's second part, titled 'Niger Shipment,' has a report on an unspecified shipment believed to be uranium. The memo says it had been transported to Iraq via Libya and Syria.

"Allawi insists the document is genuine, although Iraqi officials refuse to disclose how they obtained it. The Telegraph noted although Atta is known to have resided in Florida in the summer of 2001, intelligence experts believe he easily could have slipped out of the U.S. because he was known to have used more than a dozen aliases.

"Abu Nidal died in August 2002. Arab intelligence sources dispute the official Iraqi version of his death – that he committed suicide after his arrest by Iraqi agents. The sources said Abu Nidal, or Sabri Al Bana, was killed by Iraqi agents in his Baghdad office several days before his death was reported Aug. 19. The news about the memo comes after the New York Times reported a former Iraqi intelligence officer has denied claims he met with Atta in Prague."

National Post: Sharia in Canada? Relax

In an unsigned editorial, National Post ridicules the idea that Canadians need be concerned about the prospect of the implementation of the Sharia.

The editorial explains that a possible Sharia court in Canada "will invite consenting Muslims to submit disputes about marriage, money and other civil matters to arbitrators schooled in the precepts of Islamic religious law. Assuming the decisions are otherwise consistent with federal law . . . , these Sharia judgments would then be enforceable in Canadian courts."

That consistency with federal law makes all the difference: "The question of how much would be left of Sharia after courts strip away everything that is sexist or otherwise prohibited is an interesting question -- but not one we need to deal with here. Our point is that giving Muslims the right to apply Sharia in the resolution of mundane civil disputes will not lead to the stoning of adulterous women -- or any other scandalous result. In other words, while the combination of Ontario arbitration law and Sharia may titillate the blogosphere, Canadians have little to fear."

That sounds reasonable, and I'm sure that that is indeed the framework within which Sharia is being introduced in Canada. However, I wonder what will happen when a group that is growing rapidly in numbers and influence begins to call for changes in that federal law on multiculturalist grounds, charging that their freedom to be who they are is being infringed by statutes that restrict full implementation of Sharia among themselves. Then if that group becomes a majority in the country, I wonder if any among them will remember the pronouncements of many learned jurists of their faith to the effect that once their group is a majority in a nation, Sharia must become of the law of the land.

Will any of this happen? Maybe not. But I wouldn't go so far as to assume that it cannot happen.

Al-Qaeda suspect identified as Canadian college student

Federal law-enforcement authorities yesterday identified a Somali man arrested this week in Minneapolis on suspicion of associating with the al Qaeda terrorist network as a Canadian citizen and college student." So says the Washington Times.

"Mohammed A. Warsame, who was taken into custody on Tuesday on a material witness warrant, also has been tied to Zacarias Moussaoui, the suspected al Qaeda member who faces trial in Virginia on conspiracy charges in the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington, authorities said.

"Mr. Warsame, according to authorities, is believed to have knowledge of Moussaoui's activities in the Minneapolis area when the French Moroccan is suspected of seeking flying lessons prior to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. . . .

"Authorities also confirmed that Mr. Warsame is believed to have information on Moussaoui's activities in an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. Moussaoui was arrested before the September 11 attacks by FBI agents and held on immigration charges.

"Mr. Warsame's wife, Fartun Farah, 28, described her husband as a responsible man, telling the newspaper through a translator that 'he is not a terrorist. He loves the United States just like his home country of Canada.'"

One sees this kind of thing so often, I must note that someone who wants to see America or Canada become an Islamic state and who is willing to kill to help bring this about see it all as a function of loving one's country. If a radical Muslim loves his country, he wants to see it become a Sharia state. So for his wife to say this really says nothing about whether or not he is a terrorist.

"Authorities said Mr. Warsame has been a student at Minneapolis Community Technical College for the past two years, where he was pursuing a career in computer sciences.

"Moussaoui, 35, is the only person directly charged in the September 11 attacks that killed about 3,000 people. Some law-enforcement officials have described him as the intended '20th hijacker' had he not been in custody for immigration violations at the time. He has acknowledged belonging to al Qaeda, but has denied any involvement in the September 11 conspiracy. His trial has been delayed indefinitely while the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond rules on his right to question three al Qaeda operatives now being detained by the U.S. military. The government has refused to make the detainees available, saying Moussaoui's access to the prisoners posed a threat to national security."

"Jihad is coming": Hamas vows more suicide bombings

Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi (Middle East Times)

Speaking of Islamikazes, Hamas official Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi has announced that "Bodies of Qassam men (Hamas suicide bombers) will continue to blow up in the depth of the Zionist entity." He said this before what Reuters described as "a cheering crowd in Jabalya refugee camp."

Hamas, "sworn to the Jewish state's destruction, has led the three-year-old Palestinian uprising. It views with suspicion the U.S.-led 'road map' to peace calling for steps leading to a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, alongside Israel. 'We will not allow any of those burnouts to sell out Palestine,' Rantissi said in an apparent allusion to Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie, who on formally taking office last month vowed to restart the stalled plan if Israel reciprocated.

"Rantissi also railed against the 'Geneva Accord,' a symbolic peace initiative calling for most Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza to be dismantled and for Israel to have the right to decide how many Palestinian refugees to take back. 'I tell those that signed the Geneva Accord that Palestine (Israel and the occupied territories) will never be Jewish,' Rantissi told a crowd including dozens of gunmen. . . .

"Scores of Hamas militants on Israel's wanted list turned out for today's rallies, having spent months dodging Israeli helicopter-gunship strikes and special forces. 'I tell the Palestinian people not to be deceived by the relative calm,' Rantissi said. 'Jihad is coming and Sharon and his Zionist gangs will realize Palestine has its own fighters.'"

The voice behind the intifada

Dr. Mohammed al-Shiekh Mahmood Sayam

Dr. Mohammed al-Shiekh Mahmood Sayam, who first called for "intifada against Zionism" in 1987, was recently interviewed by Asia Times Online. The interview reveals a great deal about the radical Muslim mindset.

Sayam numbers among his intellectual mentors several of the fathers of modern radical Islam whom I profile in Onward Muslim Soldiers. He acknowledges "learning from Syed Qutub (Sayyid Qutb) [the Muslim Brotherhood ideologue executed by the Egyptian government] that Islam should prevail over all the world. From Imam Banna [Hasanul Banna (Hasan Al-Banna), founder of the Muslim Brotherhood] I learned that jihad should be the way. From Imam Modudi [Syed Abul Ala Modudi (Maududi), founder of the Jamaat-i-Islami in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh] I learned that Koranic teachings should be dominant in the system of state. From the book of Imam Nadvi [Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi, the Jamaat-i-Islami India chief who later became a writer], The Rise and Fall of Muslim and its Influence on Human History, I learnt of the role Muslims should play in the world community."

Sayam traces a very important development: the evolution of the Palestinian movement from a nationalist to a religious one. "The dynamics of the movement changed," he says. "Leaders like George Habash and Yasser Arafat ran the movement on nationalist lines. Their decades-old struggle only resulted in frustration and retreats from basic Palestinian rights. In fact, Palestinians do not want to abdicate their rights, and as a result they joined Islamic organizations. Today's Palestinian does not want to compromise his position, and this is true of Muslims around the world."

Sayam also says that "if in the first place the Palestinians had been allowed to live in their homes there would have been no question of an intifada, the Islamic Jihad or Hamas. The whole episode is a reaction to the tyrannies imposed on us."

There's no doubt that if Israel hadn't been established, these movements would have no purpose. But the existence of radical Muslim movements elsewhere in the world demonstrates that Israel is not the source of the trouble.

Sayam says disingenuously: "Palestinians did not flourish on the aid given by Saddam, though it is correct that he supported bereaved families whose members were killed in struggle or whose houses were demolished."

"Families whose members were killed in the struggle": i.e., suicide bombers.

Also: "The intifada flourishes on public jihad funds raised all over the world, and we continue to receive these funds." (Thanks to nicolei.)

Preschool jihad

France has closed two nursery schools because, well, they were radical Muslim institutions. Don't laugh: in an environment where children are made to memorize the entire Qur'an before they learn their multiplication tables (and before they have a ghost of a chance of understanding what they're memorizing), it's quite possible that radical Muslims could be trying to indoctrinate even preschoolers. Possibly also they used the schools as a front for other activities.

The AP report says that "French officials have closed two Paris region nursery schools with alleged Islamic fundamentalist tendencies, the Interior Minister announced. 'Le Jardin des Enfants' and 'La Tribune des Enfants' in the Hauts-de-Seine region west of the capital were shut last week after officials were alerted to their suspected ties to radical Islam and administrative irregularities.

"Announcing the closures, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy described the schools as 'illegal schooling establishments under Salafist influence.'

"Salafists promote a strict interpretation of Islam. Sarkozy was speaking Wednesday in parliament. He said 101 people have been detained, and that 42 remain in prison, this year in France's battle against Islamic terrorism.

"'Those who don't respect the republican values and the laws of our country will be sent back to their countries and their establishments will be closed,' he said."

Bungling the war on terror

Sami Al-Arian (l) and James Yousef Yee (r) (AP)

Some documents have been shredded relating to the prosecution of Sami Al-Arian, the former professor who is accused of running a Palestinian Islamic Jihad cell in Florida. It was an accident, says the clerk's office for the Middle District of Florida, but it could severely damage the prosecution's case.

The documents in question: "three warrants and an affidavit that allowed investigators to search the home and offices of Sami al-Arian in 1995." On these depend "thousands of pieces of evidence gathered during the 1995 searches of al-Arian's home and offices -- coupled with bank records and intelligence wiretaps that were declassified last year," all of which "helped bolster the U.S. Department of Justice's case against him, officials said."

The defense is taking full advantage: "'We simply don't know whether the search and seizures were constitutional, but we have a right to know and we're going to find out,' said Tampa lawyer Linda Moreno, who along with Washington, D.C., attorney William Moffitt is representing al-Arian."

In fact, this could be a major boon for Al-Arian: "Legal experts said al-Arian's attorneys may have been handed a big break in what many view as a daunting case -- one that includes 20,000 hours of wiretapped conversations. . . . Miami lawyer Richard Strafer, a criminal appellate expert, said al-Arian's legal team could capitalize on the mistake because the initial warrants and affidavit formed a foundation for the overall indictment. 'The goal is to find the first illegal [warrant] and the dominoes start falling because everything becomes tainted,' Strafer said."

Meanwhile, in Georgia, "the criminal proceedings against Capt. James J. Yee, the former Muslim chaplain at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, fell into confusion on Tuesday and stalled as the military prosecutors asked for extra time to determine whether documents that were found in Captain Yee's luggage when he was leaving the base were, in fact, classified."

They have to find out whether or not the documents were classified? They don't know?? "The hearing was postponed until Jan. 19 to give the prosecutors time to review the documents that set off a major investigation into whether Captain Yee was a spy, a contention from which the government has since emphatically distanced itself."

This kind of bungling is not only appalling; it's dangerous. Al-Arian, despite years of investigations and mountains of evidence, could walk on a technicality, without the implications of that evidence ever being fully examined. He may not go back to his old bad habits after this experience, but still: while it's good to show the scrupulousness of our justice system, it would also send a signal that we may not have the nerve for this kind of prosecution. As for Yee, if he wasn't mishandling classified material, he never should have been bothered in the first place. There are other cases involving misuse of classified documents at Guantanamo, and this case is diverting time and manpower from them.

Of course, both these case still bear a great deal of watching. But I certainly hope that someone will put a stop to the bungling.

Recruitment and training for jihad in non-Muslim countries

"Police are investigating whether Jack Thomas, the Melbourne man allegedly linked to al-Qa'ida, trained with a Jemaah Islamiah terrorist at a boot camp in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney." This from The Australian, with thanks to Jean-Luc.

"Sources have confirmed Mr Thomas, who is also known as Jihad Jack, has figured prominently in investigations."

"However, national security sources said yesterday that the training conducted there was in low-level hand-to-hand combat and survival techniques, and did not involve weapons or breach anti-terrorism laws. 'Karate training in the bush is a . . . long way short of a breach under the terror legislation,' a source said."

I can't believe how short-sighted this is! If Jemaah Islamiyah has a training camp in Australia, it doesn't matter if they're just practicing karate. Whatever they're doing is part of a much larger operation that murders civilians and is working to establish a Sharia state in South Asia. Australian authorities should view the camp in this light.

"Similar types of training are also understood to have taken place at two other undisclosed sites in NSW: one in Cooma, near the Snowy Mountains, and the other near Nelson Bay on the north coast. The sources say weapons have been known to be used at only one site – Braidwood in southern NSW, well before the Olympics. Authorities are still unsure about exactly what took place there, or whether the training posed an actual terror threat."

Meanwhile, in France, "Islamic radicals held training camps for potential recruits across France through 2002, Le Parisien newspaper reported Wednesday, adding that French investigators believe they have successfully dismantled the network running the camps. Recruits were sent to seven sites - including one in the Normandy city of Dieppe, one in the southeastern Alps, and a site in the Fontainebleau forest outside Paris - for rugged, outdoor exercises and religious and political indoctrination, the daily said.

"The purpose of the sites was to take untested candidates and determine whether they were fit for jihad in battle zones like Afghanistan and Chechnya, the newspaper said, citing an unnamed intelligence officer.

"Most recruits came from Paris-region mosques where religious leaders preached a hardline brand of Islam, the newspaper said."

Bangladesh may be emerging terrorist sanctuary

The tiny minority of extremists may have found a new South Asia home base: "Bangladesh may be emerging as a haven for Islamic terrorists in South Asia, intelligence reports say." This from Straits Times, with thanks to nicolei.

"A report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) expressed concern about serious attacks by radicals on cultural groups in Bangladesh, hints of collusion with Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda and the government's alleged unwillingness to crack down on terrorism. . . .

"After reading the report, Bangladesh's High Commissioner in Ottawa steadfastly denied his country had become a terrorist sanctuary. 'We condemn terrorism in any country, in any form, in any place,' Mr Mohsin Ali Khan said on Tuesday. 'Bangladesh is against any terrorist attack and it will not allow its soil to be used by any terrorist group.'"

Oh, good. That means there aren't any terrorists in Bangladesh.

"But the United States said on Tuesday that it had received information about possible threats against its embassy in Dhaka. It warned Americans in Bangladesh to be vigilant, particularly in places frequented by foreigners. 'The US government has recently received information regarding several possible threats against the US Embassy in Dhaka and other US interests in Bangladesh,' said the State Department. 'American citizens in Bangladesh should remain vigilant, particularly in public places frequented by foreigners, including but not limited to hotels, restaurants, shopping areas and places of worship.'"

Jihad conference in Texas

Hot on the heels of news about a jihadist conference in Florida, "the director of a U.S. group that seeks democratic reform in Saudi Arabia complained yesterday about an upcoming conference in Texas that will feature addresses broadcast from Riyadh by clerics who have praised holy war and Osama bin Laden."

"Ali Ahmed, head of the Washington-based Saudi Institute, also noted that instructors at a Virginia Islamic institute who hold diplomatic credentials issued by the Saudi Embassy are scheduled to speak at the gathering.

"Keynote speakers at the three-day event in Houston, scheduled to begin Dec. 24, have espoused intolerance for Christians, Jews and Shiite Muslims. One of them, Sheikh Allamah Ibn Jibreen, has publicly urged young Saudis to join al Qaeda and fight U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Saudi Institute.

"Ahmed said he believes it is outrageous that the Saudi government is allowing the clerics to espouse their views while repressing groups, such as his, that urge reform.

"Saudi Embassy officials declined to discuss the upcoming conference. 'The embassy has no comment on something that hasn't happened yet,' said Michael Petruzzello, whose public relations firm represents the embassy. 'The preaching of incitement or extremism is prohibited in Saudi Arabia. If that's what happens, they'll deal with it after the conference.'

Oh. So they'll be allowed to preach incitement and extremism, despite their previous track records, and then punished afterwards while the effects of their words reverberate in Texas?

"Last week, a Saudi official said that the embassy would cease sponsoring the Fairfax-based Institute for Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America (IIASA), as part of Riyadh's recent efforts to curb the spread of extremist Islamic rhetoric. The diplomatic credentials of 16 clerics and instructors at IIASA who are accredited with the Saudi Embassy are being withdrawn, the official, who asked not to be identified, said this week. . . .

"Jibreen, who is to speak via video hookup from Saudi Arabia, is an influential cleric whose Web site is linked to the IIASA site. Ahmed said Jibreen praised bin Laden in a speech recorded in Saudi Arabia as recently as two months ago. 'Osama is a man who fought in the path of God for a long time,' Jibreen said, according to a translation provided by the Saudi Institute. 'May God aid him and bring victory to him and by him.'"

Two months ago! But haven't the Saudis been announcing that they're cracking down on extremism longer than that? After all, Adel Al-Jubeir told Tony Snow on FoxNews last May that "the crown prince has made it very clear in his address to the nation, we will go after the terrorists, those who support them, those who condone them. He issued a warning to anyone who uses religion to justify such acts, and he described anyone who does so as a partner to the terrorists who will suffer their fate." How did they miss Jibreen?

Not to mention these others: "Another cleric scheduled to speak via video hookup is Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman al-Arifi, a student of Abdur-Rahman Baraak, a well-known cleric who has also praised bin Laden. A third cleric, Muhammad Saalih al-Munajid, who runs a Web site that promotes intolerance of Christians and Jews and calls for holy war on Shiite Muslims, has canceled his appearance. His Web site is also listed as a source of Islamic teaching by the IIASA."

Muhammad Saalih Al-Munajid is a charming fellow whom I quote in Onward Muslim Soldiers: Muslims, he said, must "educate the children to Jihad and to hatred of the Jews, the Christians, and the infidels."

"Saudi officials made the decision on the diplomatic visas after looking into claims that the IIASA, a satellite campus of al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, promoted an extremist brand of Islam that denigrates other religions."

You don't say!

"Last month, U.S. authorities revoked the diplomatic visa of Jaafar Idris, a well-known Islamic scholar who has lectured at IIASA and was slated to speak at the Texas conference.

"U.S. law enforcement officials have complained that a large number of Saudis with diplomatic visas do not have legitimate diplomatic business in this country."

That's interesting. What are they doing here?

"A Saudi official has said that Riyadh, concerned about the promotion of religious extremism, will close Islamic affairs offices in its embassies and no longer will provide diplomatic status to Saudi clerics teaching overseas."

Not so fast: another Saudi official has denied published reports saying that Saudis were going to close these notorious Islamic affairs offices. So the Saudi commitment to anti-terror efforts is still very much in doubt. (Thanks to "Allah.")

Renegade warlord promises jihad against U.S. Afghan forces

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (BBC)

"A new video from a rebel warlord in Afghanistan is urging an uprising against U.S. forces." This from AP.

"The recording features the renegade warlord, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, saying that U.S. and NATO forces have been unable to restore security to the country. He urged Afghans to join in a holy war to drive out what he called 'infidel forces.'"

Note that he doesn't just call for an uprising. He calls for jihad, because no doubt he is aware that that kind of language is what will resonate most with the largest possible number of Afghans.

Although Hekmatyar had previously made conciliatory motions toward the Karzai regime, now "U.S. officials say the warlord's fighters have allied with remnants of the old Taliban regime in attacks on troops and international aid workers."

German raids target Islamic group

Metin Kaplan

"German police have raided hundreds of addresses in an operation targeting suspected Islamic militants. The searches were aimed at suspected members of the Caliphate State group, one of a number of groups banned after the 11 September attacks in the US." So says the BBC.

It's interesting to note that as Islamic advocacy groups press in the name of pluralism for recognition of what they present as Islam's great contributions to European history, other Muslims are working to establish Islamic states that will be governed according to Islamic law and thereby subjugate the non-Muslim populations.

"More than 5,000 police took part in the dawn raids in 13 of Germany's 16 states, searching apartments and seizing evidence. The federal prosecutor's office said the targets included the residences of four people suspected of planning attacks on as yet unspecified interests.

"The Caliphate State group calls for establishing an Islamic state in Turkey and is considered by the German Government to be potentially violent and a threat to security and social peace.

Mr Schily has described the group as a 'breeding ground for Islamic terrorists'.

"He said the raids were launched because Caliphate State members were violating a government order from December 2001 to disband, and the measures taken would be a clear warning to other Islamic extremists in the country.

"The Caliphate State was set up in 1984 by Metin Kaplan of Turkey, who finished a four-year prison term in March for inciting group members to murder a rival Islamic leader. Germany is currently trying to extradite Kaplan to Turkey, where he is wanted on treason charges."

Al-Qa'ida Preparing Big Operation in February

Of course, we have heard threats before, and nothing happened. Muslims were warned to leave New York, Washington, and Los Angeles in November; can they come back yet?

Maybe only until February: MEMRI says that "the London-based Arabic daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that 'information sources close to Al-Qa'ida said that the organization, headed by Osama bin Laden, is gearing up for a big operation to coincide with Eid Al-Adha [February 2, 2004].' [Eid Al-Adha is a major Muslim holy day celebrated on the tenth day of Dhul Hijjah, the month of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca.]

"The information coordinator for the Sahab Institute, which is associated with Al-Qa'ida, said that a new videotape of bin Laden will be circulated shortly before the holiday. He added in an interview with the Internet site Al-Anbaa [The News] that the videotape will surface in conjunction with 'a great event that will shake the region.' He refused to confirm or deny that he was in possession of a pre-taped videotape of bin Laden, and stated only that: 'When the event occurs it will be broadcast by Al-Jazeera television.'" I'm sure it will.

An American Muslim fed up with CAIR, AMC, and MPAC

Esam Sohail in FrontPage makes a most welcome and long overdue statement: Silence in the war on terror is something Americans of Arab and Muslim descent cannot afford anymore."

He details some of the "dubious pronouncements" of, among others, Abdurrahman Alamoudi (formerly of the American Muslim Council, Nihad Awad of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), and Maher Hathout, senior adviser to the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), and then declares: "A vast majority of America’s three million Muslims, some of them my relatives and friends, do not subscribe to that nonsense. They passionately love the country that has given them the chance to reach their dreams and they grieve for their friends and family lost in terrorist attacks. They hope their children grow up in a safe America, and they resent the stigma attached to their faith as a result of Islamist terror."

Now, these organizations have condemned terror also. But their "dubious pronouncements," and dubious actions, cast doubts on their words. The fact that Sohail condemns these organizations is a very good sign that his denunciation of terror is more truly substantive.

"It is unfortunate," says Sohail, "for every decent person concerned that the American Muslim community is defined through the likes of CAIR and MPAC. The power to change that unflattering image, however, is in the hands of Muslim America. By making the civic decision to actively join the front ranks in the American struggle against senseless terror, American Muslims make America’s fight undoubtedly their very own. Anyone, like myself, who has traveled widely in the Islamic world and America will notice the paradoxical difference in terms of Muslim religious freedoms. Unlike Pakistan or Iran or Saudi Arabia where smaller Muslim sects are ruthlessly suppressed, the United States provides a haven for all varieties of Islam to be practiced freely. Defending this freedom is not just George Bush’s fight, it is rightly American Muslims’ fight as well.

"The first order of business in this fight ought to be to reclaim Islam’s transcendent beauty by reclaiming America’s mosques, cultural centers, charities, and civic organizations from self-styled leaders who lack moral clarity on the defining issue of terrorism. Apart from creating a solid moral foundation for an essentially moral struggle, such an internal cleansing of Islamic institutions will send a much-needed message of reassurance to the rest of America.

"Secondly, America’s Muslims can use their strong transnational links to help build global social resistance against the petty merchants of religious bigotry. The prestige and social and familial networks that many successful immigrants have in their former homelands can be harnessed to turn up the heat on individuals and institutions in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Middle East that condone terror.

"Thirdly, perhaps most importantly in the short term, Muslim America can and must become the first line of defense in the uprooting of those in the United States whose anti-American hatred is shielded behind a community’s religious faith and traditional hospitality. In their homes and hearts, amidst their councils and convocations, ordinary Muslims can make a huge dent in the ideological foundations of terror by simply saying, 'If you don’t like America, you are not welcome amongst us.'

"Finally, as befitting any comprehensive struggle, America’s Muslims can and must become full partners in her direct confrontation with those who engage in terrorism and those who support or finance it. Apart from active service with the military and intelligence communities, Muslims here can play other key support roles. Be it as eyes and ears of law enforcement in ethnic neighborhoods, as cultural advisers to FBI field offices, or as public cheerleaders of terror-fighting agencies, American Muslims can contribute vitally to the nation’s pledge to uproot terrorism.

"Putting their hearts, souls, minds and resources on the line in this great American undertaking, this country’s Muslims can forever put to rest the nagging doubts about their loyalties. A true jihad against the al-Qaeda types could be the winning shot in the arm that the war on terror needs. Not to mention that in purely theological terms, defending America may well be something that is incumbent upon every Muslim in the United States.

"Just ask U.S. Army PFC Lana Sbitani, a Muslim American Military Policewoman in Hawaii who follows the timeless words of the Prophet Muhammad, ‘Patriotism is an unbreakable part of your faith.’

"‘I find no conflict between my religion and the idea that I must defend my country’, says Sbitani.

"America’s Muslims have an active choice between the ideals of Lana Sbitani or the ideologues of CAIR and AMC, a choice where silence passivity is construed as an endorsement of the latter. This vital choice will decide the place of Islam at America’s diverse family table."

I would like to see how Sohail would respond to the theological arguments of Islamic radicals, which enable them to gain recruits around the world. But denouncing CAIR, AMC, and the rest of that rogue's gallery is a most welcome development.

Phares: resistance to jihad in Baghdad

In FrontPage magazine, the ever-insightful Walid Phares analyzes yesterday's anti-terror demonstrations in Iraq — and the response, both incredulous and sinister, from Al-Jazeera and the Western media:

"Yesterday's demonstrations in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities were a benchmark: Iraq's resistance to terrorism has begun. Ironically, the first TV station to report such a revolutionary development was none other than al-Jazeera, the jihad channel across the Arab world. But the exclusive airing of such footages was not so innocent. The Qatar-based media understood much faster than Western networks the real dimensions of these marches. Therefore it decided to report it first, and, through condescending coverage, demean it in the eyes of Iraqi and Arab viewers, a traditional-yet-efficient subversive tactic. But whatever were the desperate attempts to pre-empt the unfolding realities, the latter rolled on.

"Almost 20,000 men and women - twice the number reported by al-Jazeera - marched across central Baghdad, while others repeated the move in different cities of Mesopotamia yesterday. The demonstrators, from all walks of life and from all religions and ethnicities of Iraq, shouted one slogan in Arabic: 'La' la' lil irhab. Na'am, na'am lil dimucratiya.' That is: 'No, no to terrorism. Yes, yes to Democracy!'

"Taking the streets of the former capital of the Ba'athist prison, Iraqi Shiite, Sunni, Kurds and Christians bonded together against the 'enemies of peace.' . . . But there was even a more significant element in the marches. Cadres from the 'Hizb al-Dawa al Islamiya' - a rather conservative Islamic 'movement' whose members were walking under the same banners of resistance to terrorism. Why? Well, we need to understand the Shi'a drama. By the day, mass graves are being uncovered with thousands of bodies of men, women and children, all massacred by the Saddam security. How on Earth would the Shiite majority ever accept the return to power of the Sunni-controlled Ba'ath Party?

"Let's note two matters about these demonstrations. First, they were almost not reported in much of the Western media. Until late last night in Europe and the Western Hemisphere, news focused on the operations against Coalition forces. But the Iraqi people's genuine calls for democracy were not heard, not seen, and not factored in the game. The BBC and CNN downplayed the events, while al-Jazeera mislead the Arab world about them. The jihad network spent more editorial energy undermining the objectives and the credibility of the event than reporting it.

"The anchors, to the disbelief of many viewers in the Arab world, said the marchers were 'expressing views against what they call terrorism' (emphasis added). Al-Jazeera evidently reserves to itself the definition of terrorism. Since September 11, the network has systematically added 'what they call terrorism' to each sentence reporting terror attacks by al-Qaeda, other jihadist factions and the Saddam. In sum, that is not terrorism, but a Western view of what is legitimate violence. But al-Jazeera's sour surprise with the first steps of popular resistance to jihadism in Baghdad took the network by surprise. As it was airing the segment, its anchors lost linguistic balance and added this time: 'The demonstrators are criticizing what they call violence!' Hence, the editors in Qatar were trapped ideologically. They couldn't even accept the idea that Arabs could be marching against violence, so they described tens of massacres and bombings as 'alleged violence,' (ma yusamma bil unf). The al-Jazeera debacle was probably the most important victory of the demonstration. . . .

"While the underdogs are barking freely in the streets of Baghdad, challenging the Ba'athist shadows and the jihadist terrorists, human rights and democracy groups in the West lack the courage to come to the rescue of their fellow progressive forces in the Middle East. As a group of Iraqi students told me, 'Isn't it terrible to see that Western elites came here to demonstrate in support of Saddam against the Coalition, and when we took the streets to demonstrate against the Saddam war crimes, they didn't show up?'

Two men arrested with explosives outside US embassy in Beirut

"A bomb attack on the US embassy near here was foiled when a Lebanese man and a Palestinian were arrested as one of them tried to carry explosives into the embassy compound, the Lebanese army said." So says AFP, with thanks to LGF.)

"The incident came just a week after the US State Department renewed a warning for US citizens to 'consider carefully' any travel to Lebanon, alerting them to continuing high anti-American sentiment there amid heightened tension in the Middle East. . . .

"The army did not identify either of the men, nor did it say whether they had any accomplices. It was not immediately known whether they belong to any political organization.

"Security sources said the Lebanese man, who was carrying a package containing sticks of dynamite, was nabbed by embassy security personnel and quickly turned over to the army. . . .

"Last Thursday, the State Department, updating a May 6 warning, noted that US interests had been the targets of terrorists in Lebanon in the past and that those responsible for many of the attacks remained at large.

"'Recent events in Lebanon, such as bombings directed at US franchises and the November 2002 murder of a US citizen in Sidon, underscore the need for caution and sound personal security precautions,' it said.

"The alert added that the perpetrators of anti-American attacks who remain at large 'retain the ability to act.'

"It also pointed to the presence of Asbat al-Ansar, a group apparently affiliated with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network that has targeted US Lebanese interests, in Lebanon's Ain el-Helweh refugee camp.

"The warning added that the security situation in Lebanon was 'sufficiently serious' to require US diplomats and other government personnel to live and work under tough travel restrictions.

"At the end of September, 31 Lebanese and Palestinians went on trial before the military tribunal in Beirut, charged with participating in bomb attacks at three different American fast food restaurants and the attempted car-bombing of a McDonald's restaurant in the Christian sector of the capital.

"In October, Yemeni Ibn al-Shahid was arrested in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon. Believed to be associated with Asbat al-Ansar, he was charged with being the mastermind of the attacks. The verdict in the trial is expected on Saturday.

"The current embassy complex was built after its predecessor, located on the Beirut seafront, was blown up by terrorists in 1983 during the 15-year-long Lebanese civil war. Only two months before that, 239 US marines were killed in a suicide bombing of their barracks in Beirut. They had been sent to Beirut as part of a multinational force that moved in following the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon."

Malkin: how the media got the snipers' jihad all wrong

Lee Malvo's drawing of Osama bin Laden, "servant of Allah"

Michelle Malkin has a superb piece in the New York Post today, in which she reminds us of how many people dismissed the possibility that the D.C. snipers might be jihadists.

"* CNN downplayed Muhammad's religious conversion - calling him by his old name, John Allen Williams, when his identity was first revealed. Malvo was cast as a clueless dupe with no true convictions.

"* Nihad Awad of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) argued: 'There is no indication that this case is related to Islam or Muslims.'

"* Chicago Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper railed against conservative commentators such as the indomitable Mark Steyn, who had taken note of Muhammad's Islamic faith and his reportedly expressed anti-American sentiments after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"Roeper . . . smugly concluded: 'An awful lot of conservatives really, really wanted the snipers to be terrorists. But they were wrong. I'll say that because they never will.'

"Now it is time for Roeper, CAIR and the militant 'Religion of Peace' propagandists to face the facts once and for all. A chilling stack of evidence, introduced by Malvo's own lawyers last week at his capital murder trial, exposes accused sniper Malvo as an unrepentant Muslim extremist.

"He may not have been a card-carrying member of al Qaeda, but as Claremont Institute fellow John Hinderaker notes on Power-lineblog.com, Malvo was more of a 'freelance' Islamofascist - as legions of aggrieved fanatics around the world are.

"Malvo's violent drawings and anti-American and anti-Semitic rantings show him to be every bit as blood-thirsty, hatemongering and martyr-craving as any Sept. 11 hijacker or Palestinian suicide bomber. Among Malvo's jailhouse artwork:

"Exhibit 65-006: A self-portrait of Malvo in the cross hairs of a gun scope shouting, 'ALLAH AKBAR!' The word 'SALAAM' scrawled vertically. A poem: 'Many more will have to suffer. Many more will have to die. Don't ask me why.'

"Exhibit 65-016: A portrait of Saddam Hussein with the words 'INSHALLAH' and 'The Protector,' surrounded by rockets labeled 'chem' and 'nuk.'

"Exhibit 65-043: Father and son portrait of Malvo and Muhammad. 'We will kill them all. Jihad.'

"Exhibit 65-056: A self-portrait of Malvo as sniper, lying in wait, with his rifle. 'JIHAD' written in bold letters. . . .

"Exhibit 65-067: A suicide bomber labeled 'Hamas' walking into a McDonald's restaurant. Another drawing of the Twin Towers burning captioned: '85 percent chance Zionists did this.' More scrawls: 'ALLAH AKBAR,' 'JIHAD' and 'Islam will explode.'

"Exhibit 65-103: A lion accompanies chapter and verse from the Koran ('Sura 2:190'): 'Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you and slay them wherever ye catch them.'

"Exhibit 65-109: Portrait of Osama bin Laden, captioned 'Servant of Allah.' [Pictured above.]

"Exhibit 65-117: The White House drawn in crosshairs, surrounded by missiles, with a warning: 'Sep. 11 we will ensure will look like a picnic to you' and 'you will bleed to death little by little.' . . .

"Exhibit 65-101: Malvo's thought for the day: 'Islam the only true guidance, the way of peace.'"

How could he call it "the way of peace"? No problem. It must be emphasized that Islamic radicals believe that what they are doing is in service of ushering in the peace of Allah wherever they are victorious. They don't see this as in the least incompatible with violence.

Malkin continues: "Ten Americans were murdered at the hands of the Beltway-area snipers. Malvo's lawyers say he was insane and 'brainwashed.' No more so than your average madrassa student in Jeddah or America-hating cave dweller in Tora Bora. Malvo is, in his own words, a 'believer' of Allah and a 'soldier' for 'JIHAD.'

"Stop telling me Islam had nothing to do with it."

The media, by the way, is still getting it wrong. In looking around for the drawing above, I came across headlines like "Malvo's drawings reveal 'Matrix' obsession" and "Malvo's drawings attack U.S., racial bias." Sure, but a lot of people like "The Matrix" and are angry about racism, without going out and murdering people at gas stations. There was another element involved in this case that many are still reluctant to acknowledge.

UPDATE: Reader "corrupt mayor" tells me that the "poem" quoted above is actually a Bob Marley song, "Natural Mystic."

Aussie school "a target"

"An Indonesian accused of the bombing of Jakarta's Marriott hotel has told police the Australian International School and two other sites had been surveyed before the terrorists chose their target." So says The Australian, with thanks to nicolei.

"Forced to reconstruct the plan of the August 5 suicide bomb attack yesterday, Thohir explained that the five-star hotel was chosen over the school, the Citibank Landmark building and the western supermarket Kemchicks because it was frequented by Americans and owned by Americans.

"Thohir and his co-accused Ismael showed how the explosives were mixed and packed into a vehicle under the supervision of Azahari bin Husin, a leading Jemaah Islamiah terrorist and now one of the most wanted men in Indonesia.

"'I just feel guilty because there are some Muslim victims,' Ismael said of the blast that killed 11 Indonesians and a Dutch banker. 'Our purpose was to get Americans, because they oppress Muslims.'" Asked whether the bombing was a suicide attack, Ismael nodded.

Confessions of a failed jihadi

Asia Times recently interviewed a "failed jihadi" — a former jihad commander in Pakistan who now works as a "medical researcher for a Canadian company." (Thanks to nicolei.)

He left the struggle, he explains, because he realized that he was being used as a pawn by the Pakistani army in its conflict with India. Although he is not now actively fighting, he is still committed to the cause of jihad, explaining: "This is a matter of heart and soul, and cannot be given up. Do not get me wrong, I am committed to my cause, but cannot be cannon fodder for a simple 'military game' of two armies. Have you seen a horse and cart? The horse's owner puts leather blinkers close to its eyes so that it can only see what its master wants it to see, not look here or there. This is how the Pakistani army treats jihadi organizations. This is possible with animals, but not with a walking, talking and thinking human being."

About this man, the article says: "He was always considered extraordinary. He was an excellent pupil, a good cricketer, a natural student leader, and a popular teacher in the medical career that he chose to pursue. Then he decided on a radical change in direction. He would become a jihadi, undergo a six-month training program, and then die as a martyr in the Kashmir Valley." Why did he choose to do this? He himself explains that "I come from a Salafi [Wahhabi] family so I was a practicing Muslim to some extent. After completing my medical education I joined a college where I taught. I came close to a few Salafi scholars whose appeal for jihad inspired me. I prepared a program of six months under which I would go to Kashmir and sacrifice my life in the way of Allah."

This man was disillusioned by the cynicism of his commanders, whom he regarded as waging a struggle for power and territory in the name of jihad. Unfortunately, he left behind many others who had come to no such realization, and were soldiering on. This illustrates the potency of figures like Osama bin Laden, and why they take pains to present themselves as devout and wholly committed Muslims (which, of course, they are). In Onward Muslim Soldiers I discuss how jihadis insist on purity of intention. The flamboyant jihad commander Abu Abdel Aziz fought in Afghanistan and Bosnia in the 1980s and 1990s. In a 1994 interview he ruled out all mixed motives for jihad: "we have to make Jihad to make [Allah's] word supreme, not for a nationalistic cause, a tribal cause, a group feeling or any other cause. This matter is of great importance in this era, especially since many groups fight and want to see to it that their fighting is Jihad and their dead ones are martyrs. We have to investigate this matter and see under what banner one fights."

Abu Abdel Aziz (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Homicidal vice squad in Saudi Arabia?

Writing in Asia Times, Syed Saleem Shahzad has a provocative thesis about the Riyadh bombings: "The suicide bomb attack at the Muhaya residential compound in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh on November 9 in which at least 17 people were killed - most of them foreign Arabs - was neither an episode of global jihadi terrorism nor part of a conspiracy to destabilize the House of Saud."

What was it, then? "A Pakistani undercover intelligence operator who recently returned from Riyadh told Asia Times Online that the attack was in fact the result of a deep divide within Saudi society between strict religious conservatives with little exposure to the outside world, and a more 'liberal' element with the money and power to indulge in restricted activities.

"The compound attacked on November 9 was inhabited mainly by Lebanese, Palestinians and Egyptians, and it had earned notoriety as a 'pleasure ground' for Saudi 'playboys' in a country in which prostitution is outlawed. Apparently, some of the female residents of the compound were well known for their 'exotic erotica', for which they were showered with money and gifts.

"According to an Associated Press report, 'Muhaya had a coffee shop where residents of both sexes chatted over water pipes and watched foreign movies and other entertainment on a big screen television. It was located next to a pool where women swam in bikinis.'

"The goings-on in the compound were seemingly known to the authorities, including agents of the Saudi religious police - the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice - but nothing had been done about it, much to the anger of conservatives who wanted to 'eliminate the evil in their society' and what they called the 'Arab brothel of Riyadh'."

So it was "conservatives," says Shahzad, who bombed this "brothel." He concludes that "the motives behind the Riyadh bomb blast were local and social, not political and global," although "it shows possible problems ahead."

This assertion actually coincides with the fact that the Riyadh bombing was intended to target non-Muslims — a claim made by radical Muslims (such as Britain's Al-Muhajiroun group, which declares that "unlike the media hype, which would have you believe that the targets are Muslims, the operations this Ramadan (and before) were clearly targeted at non-Muslims in Muslim countries and, in particular, those representing or connected with regimes at war with Islam and Muslims") and non-Muslims alike. Radical Muslims generally regard non-Muslims as being completely morally bankrupt, and the places where they live as hotbeds of vice — whether they are in reality or not.

So this Pakistani intelligence officer's information could be accurate even though his assessment that these attacks were not examples of jihad terrorism probably isn't. (Thanks to nicolei.)

"Do you know the anthem of the jihad against the Americans?"

Italian authorities have been wiretapping jihadists, and now the Alphabet City Yahoo group has posted some of the transcripts. (Thanks to LGF.) These are extraordinarily revealing in all sorts of ways.

Italy's Il Nuovo explains: "Here is the text of intercepted conversations from the inquiry into the recruitment of future Islamic terrorists in Italy. It paints a worrying picture of a little known phenomenon with deep roots. In the context of the investigation in Milan into the Ansar al-Islam transnational terrorist organization, what has emerged is a 'fresco' of the world of radical Islamism full of secret projects but also a propensity for subversion that is completely different from the one that we were accustomed to seeing here in Italy in connection with our own form of domestic political terrorism.

"Thus over and above the more strictly investigative aspect, a thorough read through some of the documents or wiretaps conducted in the course of the investigation can be revealing in terms of the group's plans but also, and above all, in terms of its political, religious, and social implications. We can gain a clear idea of the prestige and program of Emir Krikar, the acknowledged leader of Ansar al-Islam, a group that is in turn linked to al-Tawid whose leader is Emir Abu Musab al-Zarkawi, still a leading member of Al-Qa'ida."

Some excerpts from the transcripts:

[Man] And that is not the end of it. There are so many things to change in order to eliminate God's enemies, the policy of Israel and those who pursue it.

[Abu Umar] That is our hope...

[Man] On 16 of last month there was a confidential meeting with the shaykhs in Poland; the final decision was to completely change the Hizb al-Tahrir front and to build a new organization that concerns itself with the national territory and with the international territory but we need highly trained people at every level.

[Abu Umar] It takes time.

[Man] We have time; we are moving very gradually. There are people
already on the inside.

[Abu Umar] What do you mean?

[Man] Now Shaykh Adel and Shaykh Abd al-Wahab have set up various groups in which there are various brothers who have come back from Chechnya.

[Abu Umar] How about Shaykh Adlen?

[Man] He moved before I came here. I met him in 1987. But let us now return to our topic. Our project needs intelligent and highly educated people. Where the Jihad part is concerned, there is Abu Serrah who is planning to set up a battalion of 25 to 26 units but the plan needs to be thoroughly prepared.

[Abu Umar] As long as the Devil does not work his way into it.

[Man] The first thing that I will tell you is that we are aware that we are under surveillance. We know that half the brothers are in jail, including those who have been accused of gathering funds. I repeat, the plan must be studied in detail because the thread begins in Saudi Arabia; the person taking care of this plan is Abu Salman (or Abu Suleyman) who is of the same blood as Emir Abdullah so there is no need for any comment.

At that point both men laugh.

[Man] But the mosques have too high a profile; they must be left alone. We need new structures; we are seeking from seven to nine buildings. We recently bought a four-story building.

[Abu Umar] Are we not concerning ourselves with the mosques?

[Man] Yes, we are concerning ourselves with them. We are also concerning ourselves with financing them, but money has to generate money because the aim is also to form an Islamic army with the name of Force 9 (source translator's note: the term used is Kawa).

[Abu Umar] How are things going in Germany?

[Man] I cannot complain. There are 10 of us; we are taking an interest in Belgium, Spain, The Netherlands, Turkey and Egypt, Italy and France, but the nerve center is still London... Shaykh Adlen has given a great deal of money; as I told you this plan has no need of any further comments or words.

[Abu Umar] I hope that this will cause our youth to shine.

[Man] That is our objective; each of us has a task, for instance if one has 10 operatives available, he becomes their leader and then it is up to him to decide whether to organize them into smaller groups or to keep them like that. The important thing is to use one's intelligence.

[Abu Umar] Even if they are foreigners (source translator's note: not Arabs)?

[Man] That is not important. We need also foreigners; we have Albanians, Swiss, British... It is enough that they be of a high cultural level. In Germany we have interpreters and interpreters that translate books; we have also in telecommunications [as published], also in Austria; the important thing is that their faith in Islam be sincere.

[ . . . ]

[Man] Never worry about money, because Saudi Arabia's money is your money; the important thing is not to rush ahead, because it is all new; there are old things too, but the training is completely new. The man who wanted to set up the plan is close to Emir Abdullah and we are grateful to Emir Abdullah. Get prepared.

[ . . . ]

[Man] . . . Dear Abu Umar, technology is needed to fight God's enemies.

[Abu Umar] That is true.

[Man] That is why the shaykhs insist on having highly educated people.

[Abu Umar] Yes, yes.

[Man] It is necessary to have a great deal of intelligence. If Shaykh Abu Khalil, Shaykh Abu Qatada, and Shaykh Aden the Syrian are under surveillance, there are other people who run the group in their stead, who handle the situation; second, one needs to be careful of the way he speaks, one must not just throw words about carelessly, one must control his tongue; our groups are spread from Algeria throughout the world. For instance a person can manage the group perfectly well from Poland, like Shaykh Abd al-Aziz; he has a group called the Katilea group, its organization is stunning, it is a perfect organization, communication is possible even via a book.

[Abu Umar] What, has he written a book?

[Man] Even more. He, in books, they are books, but they are full of dollars. [sentence as published]

[Abu Umar] He sends dollars via books?

[Man] Yes, and other things too.

[Abu Umar] How? Through the mail?

[Man] Yes, also through the mail.

[Abu Umar] With such ease?

[Man] Yes, because it is not Europe. Europe is now under surveillance by air and by land, but in Poland, in Bulgaria, and in countries that are not members of the European Community it is all easy. First, they are corrupt, you can buy them with dollars. I take the substance from there and I place it here and there; they are countries that are less monitored, there are not too many eyes; but the country from which all kinds of things depart is Austria. Three I meet with all the shaykhs and all our brothers are there... At this juncture that has become the country of international communications. It has become the country of contacts; as I told you before, all the contacts arrive from Austria or from Poland. The most convenient country is Austria, and all the other neighboring countries. If you are on the wanted list, you have two options. Either you hide there (in Austria) or in the mountains. Above all the mosque of Sahafi (or Sahawi), the old mosque, has been a very hot mosque for a long time, very hot; they are very united especially after the event that occurred recently.

[Abu Umar] There is only one God and Muhammad is his Prophet.

From another transcript, of two jihadis conversing in prison:

[Mera'i] I have been reciting the Koran all night.

[Mohammad] So have I.

[. . . ]

[Mera'i] The enemies of God, sons of dogs; stupid questions. Have you been to Iran? Yes, so what? What is the problem with my having been to Iran? Have you been to Syria? Stupid questions.

[Mohammad] They told me that I am Sudanese.

[Mera'i] You tell them yes, no, perhaps, I have forgotten; take them for a ride. These people here, the Americans' servants, they are slaves.

[ . . . ]

[Mera'i] Very soon they will be getting news, a splendid thing to behold... and they pay because they are dogs, they are like dogs, they are sons of dogs, they are cursed, they are the enemies of God; the others in front and them behind on a lead. They have no worth; they are dogs. They are devils. The American power does not frighten me. Are you afraid of them? Whatever questions they ask you, do not answer. Or else tell them that you do not know. Tell them that it is the Koran that answers.

[Mohammad] The enemy of God came to touch my Koran.

[Mera'i] And did you let him?

[Mohammad] No.

[Mera'i] Tell him to go away and not to touch it even with his finger.

[Mohammad] He told me that he wanted to check it and I told him that I would open it, page by page; he made me open it three times.

[Mera'i] Enemies of God. They will undoubtedly ask you about the people who were in Afghanistan; they want the head (the leader -- Il Nuovo editor's note). They like life; I want to be a martyr, I live for the jihad . There is nothing in this life; life is afterward; above all, brother, the indescribable feeling is that of dying a martyr. God, help me to be your martyr. [Mera'i ends]

They recite verses from the Koran. [ . . . ] There follows more chat in the course of which the two men insult the Americans and their allies, then recite verses from the Koran and the anthem of the jihad , then:

[Mera'i] Do you know the anthem of the jihad against the Americans?

[Mohammad] Yes!

[Mera'i] By Shaykh Abu Faysal. Come on, let us recite it together. [Mera'i ends]

The two men recite the anthem.

[Mera'i] We have freedom and we go to paradise, but they will have only woes. Come on, brother, paradise is ours. We have not lost the day. We have learned so many things.

[Mohammad] But when they arrest people, do they usually put two of them together?

[Mera'i] No!

[Mohammad] So how come they put us together?

[Mera'i] They conducted a roundup and everything is undoubtedly full.

[Mohammad] Bizarre.

Saudi official: embassy Islamic centers not closing

According to a statement from the Saudi Press Agency (courtesy IMRA), the Islamic Centers in Saudi embassies are not closing down — contrary to a Washington Post report. The Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance, Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh, "replying to a question on the Washington Post newspaper's report on the Kingdom's closure of religious cultural centers in its embassies, he noted that this news item is incorrect, adding that the centers are working and they are part of the Kingdom's message."

These Islamic centers have been discovered to be hotbeds of Islamic extremism. The one in Washington's embassy openly espoused violence. According to a statement on its website, "the Muslims are Required to Raise the Banner of Jihad in Order to Make the Word of Allah Supreme in this World. . . . The Muslims are required to raise the banner of Jihad in order to make the Word of Allah supreme in this world, to remove all forms of injustice and oppression, and to defend the Muslims. If Muslims do not take up the sword, the evil tyrants of this earth will be able to continue oppressing the weak and [the] helpless…"

Sheikh Saleh also "pointed out that the eighth session of the Executive Council of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Ministers due to start here on Wednesday will focus on significant topics topped by terrorism and occupation of parts of the Arab and Muslim World. In an arrival press statement here today, he said that it is improper to attribute terrorism to Islam and other divine religions since Islam's emblem is peace, indicating that all religions lay stress on mercy, peace and amicability. He affirmed that divine messages have nothing to do with any call for terrorism, extremism and violence, stressing that Islam calls for moderation."

Great. I trust then that he will he renounce the theology of jihad as explained by a man who has served as Chief Justice of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh ‘Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Humaid. I quote him in Onward Muslim Soldiers. He says that for Muslims, fighting (with weapons, that is) is "obligatory" against "all those who worship others along with Allah." In the Muslim view that includes Christians and Jews (cf. Sura 9:30: "And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old. Allah (Himself) fighteth against them. How perverse are they!"). It also, of course, includes virtually everyone else. Sheikh 'Abdullah cites three chapters of the Qur'an in support of this view: suras 2, 3, and 9. What will Sheikh Saleh say to him?

Crouch: Ashcroft is wrong to stop checking out Muslims

(New York Daily News photo)

Stanley Crouch strongly criticizes the ending of registration of visitors from Muslim countries in the New York Daily News: "Since 9/11, I have been supportive of every homeland security measure used to single out for close scrutiny those with Islamic backgrounds and those from Islamic countries. I supported measures like annual registrations, periodic checks and a policy of refusing to allow such immigrants onto these shores.

"None of that support had anything to do with hating Muslims or disrespecting Muslims or profiling Muslims. It had to do with war and how differently one expects a society to go about protecting itself during a war.
For those who did not notice it, the destruction of the World Trade Center and the murder of nearly 3,000 people was an act of war by an Islamic group of terrorists bent on killing as many Americans as possible.

"So I am opposed to the recent decision by Attorney General John Ashcroft and the homeland security team to back away from such close scrutiny. The argument behind the decision is that only 11 of the 85,000 Muslims who were checked turned out to have connections to terrorist organizations.

"Only 11? That is more than half the number of those who went on the 9/11 murder raid that ended with the Pentagon aflame, a plane crashed in Pennsylvania and the largest single act of mass murder in the history of this nation.

"Those who oppose putting the spotlight on Muslims seem to think that in a time of so much high technology 11 people is a small number. It is not. The kinds of things that small groups of people can now do are far different from the kind of devastation small groups of fanatics could bring off in the past, when the machines were much less powerful, the explosives were much less deadly and we were not connected to one another by an Internet that is surely a terrorist target.

"I do not think, therefore, that arguments about the preferential immigration policies that once favored certain Europeans or the bigoted attitudes that Irish, Italian, Jewish and Latino immigrants once faced in this country have anything to do with the present war. This is very different from state troopers stopping Negroes in New Jersey for no other reason than they were black.

"If the most that Muslim immigrants had to do was show up and register once a year, so what? Whatever bureaucratic discomforts they experienced would have ceased when this war ended.

"Those discomforts were also quite different from what they would have experienced in the countries from which they came had they been Christians residing there immediately following a terrorist attack by Christian fanatics that murdered 3,000 Muslims. They would have been slaughtered in frighteningly large numbers, no questions asked. Anyone who has a television knows that.

"So, John Ashcroft and the homeland security team, boo-boo on you. You punked out."

Terror groups mull: Is it OK to kill Muslims, too?

"Southeast Asian radicals" — radical Muslims, that is, not Maoists — "are divided over the wisdom of attacking hotels, nightclubs and other 'soft targets' where Muslims may be killed alongside Westerners — an internal split that could weaken the terrorist enterprise, authorities told The Associated Press."

This is because a Muslim must not kill another Muslim: "If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein forever" (Sura 4:93). Radical Muslims get around this by considering the Muslims they're killing to be essentially unbelievers (i.e., "infidels like the Turks," to use a phrase from Osama bin Laden's meeting with a Saudi sheikh shortly after 9/11). Obviously this justification can't be used everywhere.

But anyway, no one has any trouble with killing non-Muslims: "Some militants inside the al-Qaida-linked Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah want their jihad, or holy war, to focus on fighting Christians in certain regions of Indonesia rather than bombing Western targets where Muslims die, too, according to government officials, defense attorneys and an intelligence adviser to Indonesia.

"The debate among Indonesian militants appears to have intensified after the Aug. 5 bombing of the JW Marriott in Jakarta - whose 12 fatalities were mostly Muslim. A prominent group of Muslim defense lawyers told AP they would not accept any Marriott bombers as clients.

"After the Marriott bombing, several senior militants close to Zulkarnaen, Jemaah's Islamiyah's purported operations chief, expressed displeasure because most the victims were Muslim, said the senior intelligence adviser who asked that his name not be used."

Grover Norquist and radical Islam

Grover Norquist (Christian Science Monitor)

Frank Gaffney has written in FrontPage magazine an article that is much needed and long overdue: "A Troubling Influence," about the extensive ties that conservative activist Grover Norquist has with radical Islamic elements.

This is a lengthy and exhaustively documented piece about a man who has stood as a singular obstruction to efforts to alert people to the gravity of the threat from radical Islam. All of it should be read carefully, but here are a few highlights:

The association between Grover Norquist and Islamists appears to have started about five years ago, in 1998, when he became the founding chairman of an organization called the Islamic Free Market Institute, better known as the Islamic Institute. The Institute’s stated purpose was to cultivate Muslim-Americans and Arab-Americans whose attachment to conservative family values and capitalism made them potential allies for the Republican Party in advance of the 2000 presidential election. . . .

Unfortunately, some associated with the Islamic Institute evidently had another agenda. Abdurahman Alamoudi, for one, a self-described “supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah,” the prime-mover behind the American Muslim Council (AMC) and a number of other U.S.-based Islamist-sympathizing/supporting organizations, saw in the Islamic Institute a golden opportunity to hedge his bets.

For years, Alamoudi had cultivated ties with the Democratic Party and its partisans, and contributed significant amounts to its candidates. These donations had given Alamoudi access to the Clinton White House and enabled him and his associates to secure the right to select, train and certify Muslim chaplains for the U.S. military. . . .

The right to select military chaplains not only offered Alamoudi and his colleagues the chance to recruit still more Islamists with specialized and highly useful skill-sets. It also was an invaluable legitimating credential to be wielded against those who might otherwise regard the American Muslim Council and its leader with suspicion, or worse.

It would, therefore, have been important to retain this role even if the Democratic presidential candidate, Al Gore, were to lose and Republicans come to power. Hence, Abdurahman Alamoudi took an interest in one of the GOP’s most assiduous and influential networkers, Grover Norquist.

It seems unlikely that even in Alamoudi’s wildest dreams he could have imagined the extent of the access, influence and legitimacy the American Muslim Council and allied Islamist organizations would be able to secure in Republican circles, thanks to the investment they began in 1998 in a relationship with Norquist.

The investment began when Alamoudi wrote two personal checks (a $10,000 loan and what appears to be a $10,000 gift) to help found Norquist’s Islamic Institute. In addition, Alamoudi made payments in 2000 and 2001 totaling $50,000 to Janus-Merritt Strategies, a lobbying firm with which Norquist was associated at the time. . . .

The founding director of Grover Norquist’s Islamic Institute, Khaled Saffuri, is a Muslim Palestinian by birth. Prior to joining Alamoudi’s group (where he served for almost three years), Saffuri was active in Muslim-support operations in Bosnia, a hot-bed for Islamic radicals from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere anxious to establish a beachhead on the continent of Europe. In recent years, he has acknowledged personally supporting the families of suicide bombers – even though, in public settings, he strenuously denies having done so. He denounced President Bush for shutting down the Holy Land Foundation, a Saudi charity that the U.S. government determined was funneling American Muslims’ donations to terrorist organizations overseas. . . .

From time to time, one or another of the Islamic Institute’s associates would make a presentation to the generally standing-room-only crowds of influential Washington conservatives, would-be politicians, think-tank denizens, journalists, and an increasing number of lobbyists. Over the years, topics they addressed included: the plight of Palestinians under Israeli occupation; the much-maligned and badly misunderstood Islamist government of Sudan (in fact, a designated state-sponsor of terrorism); the innocent nature of the process whereby Muslim chaplains have been selected for the armed forces; the honored status of women in the Muslim world; and efforts to promote Islamic causes and candidates in Republican circles. . . .

Saffuri had also arranged for the Bush campaign to enlist Sami al-Arian, a well-known Florida-based activist – despite the fact that the professor made little secret of his radical Islamist sympathies – to help engender Muslim support in his state. A photograph of Mr. Bush taken with al-Arian in March 2000 subsequently received considerable attention after the professor was arrested last February on 40 terrorism-related counts. Of particular concern are those alleging his functional direction over the past 19 years of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, one of the most murderous terrorist organizations in the Middle East.

Al-Arian’s arrest was made possible by the USA-PATRIOT Act. With this legislation’s enactment after 9/11, it became possible for the first time in decades, for U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies to share sensitive information – such as the voluminous wiretaps of Sami al-Arian coordinating Palestinian Islamic Jihad operations from his professor’s office in Tampa.

Not surprisingly, the Islamist front recognizes the threat this and other provisions of the PATRIOT Act represent to their operations in America. They are determined to rescind it and, if possible, remove its principal architect and most effective defender, Attorney General John Ashcroft. Accordingly, they have become an integral part of the left-wing coalition, which includes the ACLU, the pro-Castro National Lawyers Guild and many Islamic 'solidarity' groups, in waging a national campaign against the PATRIOT Act. It seems hardly coincidental that the preeminent conservative figure to join the campaign and lead the recruitment of other conservatives is Grover Norquist. . . .

. . . over the years, and particularly as the Bush Administration’s Muslim outreach effort ramped up in the aftermath of 9/11, Grover Norquist was able to gain extraordinarily high-level access for a number of troubling individuals and groups. An undated White House memo, evidently prepared by Suhail Khan in early 2001 and intended to coordinate Muslim and Arab-American public liaison events, shows that Norquist’s Islamic Institute was instrumental in establishing Islamist connections with the Bush administration. The Islamic Institute provided the White House with a list of Muslim invitees, with the name, date of birth and Social Security number of each. As the founder of the Islamic Institute, Grover Norquist tops the list. . . .

Grover Norquist’s efforts to legitimate and open important doors for pro-Islamist organizations in this country must be brought to an immediate halt. They have already created political vulnerabilities for this President and his Administration. But for the influence exerted by Norquist and his friends, President Bush might long ago have reached out to peaceable, tolerant, pro-American Muslims. In particular, the past 26 months could have been spent building up Muslim spokesmen and groups who share this President’s vision of a world in which democracy, liberty and freedom of religion prosper – and who could help cultivate those values in Muslim lands and communities overseas.

Instead, the President has been put in the position of repeatedly embracing individuals and organizations who are part of the problem. They have capitalized on their preferred treatment to exclude non-Islamist Muslims from meetings with the Bush team, to secure government contracts and favors, to raise funds and to dominate other Muslim- and Arab-Americans. We have thus been denied allies and strengthened our foes in what the President calls 'the Battle of Ideas.'

Grover Norquist has been confronted many times over his activities in behalf of the radical Islamic front in this country. He has responded by denouncing his critics as racists and ducking the issue. Even now and despite all the foregoing evidence to the contrary, Norquist insists that he has not helped or in any other way facilitated the Islamists political influence operations. Indeed, he denies that there is such a subset of the Muslim population. And, to this day, he demeans any who challenge him on that score as 'racists and bigots.' It is evident that Grover Norquist will not voluntarily do the right thing by the President, the movement or the country, which would mean terminating his ties to a network that has shown itself to be dangerous, and by ceasing to work on behalf of the radical Islamic front. Because he will not do this himself, conservatives must act to see that he is politically isolated so that the damage he can do is minimized.

Thanks to Mohamed ibn Guadi for the link.

Somali Muslim Journalist on the Detrimental Effects of Wahhabism on His Country

Says MEMRI: "On November 21, 2003, Somali journalist Bashir Goth wrote an extensive article detailing how Saudi Arabia's Wahhabi Islam has corrupted the Islam of his native Somalia."

He calls Wahhabism an "alien, perverted version of Islam that depends on punctilious manners more than it depends on deep-rooted faith. A strange uniformity… has crept into the social manners of our people. The unique fashion and identity of our people has changed forever. We have become a people without fashion, without culture, and without identity…"

"It is a pity… to see that, at a time when Saudi Arabia, the home of Wahhabism, is reassessing the damage that Wahhabism and extremism had done to their country's name and to the reputation of Islam all over the world… that Wahhabism has to find a save-haven in our country. . . .

"The most conspicuous foot soldiers of Wahhabism are the moral police known as Mutawi'un, who roam in the streets like riot police and force people to perform rituals or adhere to Wahhabism's code of decency in dressing and other mannerisms. [This] religious police… forced a group of schoolgirls to their deaths by forcing them to go back to an inferno that had been their school. Their crime? Forgetting the head coverings in their haste to save themselves…

"This is the Wahhabism that the Saudi-oriented clerics want to impose on Somaliland. This is the sect that produced 15 of the 19 suicide bombers of Sept. 11... It is a closed [mindset] that turned Islam into a fragile creed that lives in constant fear of children's toys and games such as Barbie dolls and Pokemon… This is the brand of distorted Islam that the neo-Muslim clerics want to enforce on our people. . . .

"It is time to tell these sick men that the bare breast of the woman suckling her child is not about pornography, but about motherhood. The girls and boys sitting next to each other in class are not indulging in a sex orgy, you demented paranoiacs, but enjoying a healthy educational environment. The girl walking in the street without a headcover and wearing a big smile is not about flirting; it is about beauty of life. The woman holding a lively conversation with a male friend in a coffee house or a shopping mall is not about illicit affairs; it is about a much-needed human relationship and a healthy exchange of intellectual ideas. The woman wearing the traditional diric and hagoog and regally strolling in the street is not about indecency but about culture. The nightingale voices of our female singers are not about eroticism, you philistines, but about art, music and enjoyment of one of God's marvelous gifts…

"It is time we have to speak out. If we don't do it today, we won't be able to do it tomorrow. Because there will be no tomorrow as our country descends into 7th century Arabia." (Thanks to nicolei.)

Is North America Hamas's Next Battleground?

As noted here yesterday, one of the world's most violent terrorist organizations is targeting Jews overseas. Tonight the Chief Reporter for Canada's National Post, Stewart Bell, will discuss startling revelations about Palestinian terrorist groups that are bringing their war to the North American Continent.

You can hear Bell on the Tovia Singer Show, Tuesday, December 9 from 10 PM to Midnight EST on Arutz-7 Israel National Radio and around the world on the Internet at http://www.toviasingershow.com.

You can call into their on-air studio line toll-free from Israel, USA, & Canada at 1-800-270-4288; England at 00 800 3-700-7000; and South Africa at 09 800 3-700-7000. To call in live through the Internet using your PC mic, the Tovia Singer Show is multi-cast on Paltalk Radio at www.paltalkradio.com. (Thanks to Jerry Gordon.)

Senegalese imam: bin Laden "a great man, a great strategist, a great Muslim"

Mamour Fall and family (Photo thanks to LGF)

"I know bin Laden. People want me to insult him and I will not do it. He is a great man, a great strategist, a great Muslim, and that is what interests us and not the fact that he is accused of killing people." These are statements of Imam Mamour Fall, a Senegalese imam who was deported from Italy last month. (The report is from Reuters, with thanks to nicolei.)

Says Fall: "Me, I am a Muslim who wants to apply all that Allah outlined in the Koran, like the Jihad (holy war), solidarity between the Muslims. What we can do today is defensive Jihad. If an Islamic territory is attacked as America and its allies are doing today, every Muslim has the duty to attack these invaders."

Fall's explanation of defensive jihad closely follows precisely delineated elements of Islamic law, as I explain in Onward Muslim Soldiers. They are echoed by radical Muslims around the world, who are exploiting them today to justify their actions and recruit terrorists.

But Reuters, ever on the job, assures us that most Senegalese Muslims reject Fall's radical Islam: "He's a minority voice in Senegal, but Imam Mamour Fall is not afraid to speak out for Osama bin Laden. Fall's support for America's No. 1 enemy strikes an especially jarring note in Senegal, a relaxed mainly Muslim country on West Africa's coast where religion is confined to mosques and churches and doesn't stray into politics."

How does Reuters know that that Fall's views are only held by a minority in Senegal? Did they take a poll?

Or maybe they just asked "Muslim preacher" Alioune Sall, who is quoted thusly: "Islam has never called on the faithful to devote oneself to violence. Islam is a religion of peace par excellence. . . . There are Muslims who commit terrorist acts, but this should never be blamed on Islam. Islam rejects all forms of violence. . . . If bin Laden is the author of the attacks he is accused of, he will answer to God. Because this religion that is a religion of peace does not allow anyone to take another person's life."

This is, Reuters tells us, a "widespread view." Great. But I do wonder what Sall would say to fellow Muslims like Maulana Masood Azhar, a radical Muslim leader who has said that in Islam the only legitimate meaning of jihad is killing.

Meanwhile, Reuters says that "the head of a U.N.-backed war crimes court in Sierra Leone has said he had proof al Qaeda operatives were working in Liberia -- but their activities seemed limited to diamond trading and money laundering rather than recruiting among battle-hardened youths."

Oh. Just laundering money, eh? Well, that's ok, then.

And: "In neighboring Mauritania, fears of extremism run deeper as pro-Western President Maaouya Ould Sid-Ahmed Taya fears foreign-backed zealots are trying to turn his country into a hotbed of Islamic extremism. Taya has won the backing of the United States, which regards Mauritania as a possible breeding ground for Islamic militants. But even here, Islam is traditionally tolerant and there are few signs that more radical preachers are making serious inroads."

Well, that's reassuring. Thanks, Reuters! Here's hoping our luck holds. But until all these anti-terrorist Muslims start convincing radicals on a large scale that their form of Islam is defective, it would be worthwhile to stay alert.

Death penalty for Jordanian-American upheld; planned to murder American tourists

Raed Hijazi

A military court in Jordan has "upheld a guilty verdict and death sentence for the third time Monday against" Raed Hijazi, "a Jordanian-American convicted of conspiring to carry out poison gas attacks on American and Israeli targets in Jordan three years ago." So says AP.

"Hijazi, wearing a navy blue prison uniform and sporting a long beard, asked Buqour after hearing the verdict: 'What have I done to deserve this (harsh sentence)?'

"'God is greater than you,' he shouted. . . .

"Hijazi — who was born in San Jose, Calif., and carries Jordanian and American passports — had pleaded innocent to seven charges, including possession of arms and explosives and conspiring to blow up Jordanian sites frequented by American and Israeli tourists during the New Year 2000 celebrations.

"Military prosecutors said Hijazi planned to attack sites including Mount Nebo, from which tradition says Moses saw the promised land, and a Christian settlement along the Jordan River where John the Baptist is said to have baptized Jesus Christ. . . .

"Hijazi testified in his trial early last year that he had no links to Osama bin Laden and that he did not plot terror attacks because to do so would be against the teachings of Islam."

A significant detail: "The military showed documents saying Hijazi was exposed to radical Islam as a student at California State University, Sacramento, in 1991 and heard testimony that he took military training in Afghanistan."

Canadian Hamas member arrested; planned to hit US targets

A Hamas Rally (AFP)

"Israel said on Monday it had arrested a Palestinian with Canadian citizenship on suspicion he planned to carry out attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in North America on behalf of the Islamic militant group Hamas." This from Reuters.

"A statement by the Shin Bet security agency said Jamal Akal, 23, was arrested in November while leaving the Gaza Strip, where he had visited his birthplace in the Nuseirat refugee camp.

"'During (Akal's) interrogation, it arose that during his visit he was trained by Hamas in order to assassinate a senior Israeli official in the U.S. and to attack members of the U.S. and Canadian Jewish communities,' the Shin Bet statement said.

"It did not name the senior Israeli official but said Akal had been instructed to select Jewish targets in the United States or Canada that he would target using a locally bought rifle or homemade bombs."

Al-Qaida's plan to nuke London

WorldNetDaily reports that "Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network plotted to detonate a dirty nuke bomb floated into London on one of its armada of mystery ships, but the plan was foiled by security forces, says an official.

"The device was to be delivered on a cargo ship and moored at a dock ready to be detonated when the wind was right, according to the People newspaper in London. If it had exploded, it would have contaminated a huge area and forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of terrified people. . . .

"The bomb would have been unlikely to cause many deaths because the radiation given off would be weak. The plan was to cause panic and paralyze the City.

"Bin Laden still has a fleet of rogue ships which could be used as floating bombs.

"Last week London Mayor Ken Livingstone revealed four al-Qaida attempts to target London had been thwarted. Others were targeting the Jewish community in north London with ricin, hitting an airliner at Heathrow with a ground-to-air missile and an attack on a soft target like a disco."

Jihad in Ohio

The Hardline Movement, according to Aaron at Internet Haganah, who kindly pointed this out to me (thank you very much, Aaron), seems to be aiming to "recruit for jihad 'revolutionaries' of all types, who, over time, can be brought into the fold of Islam, inshallah. In other words, all you have to do is share the desire to bring down 'Amerika.'"

For background on the Hardline Movement, "see the related taliyah.org site. . . . Note also the focus at taliyah.org on jailhouse jihad. See for example: Islamic Revolution in Amerikkka," written by Mustafa (Al-Khemi) Lancaster, a prisoner in San Quentin.

"Jihad Jack" case collapses; is jihad still on for Australia?

Some time ago I wrote an article about Jack "Jihad" Thomas, the Australian convert to Islam who was accused of being an Al-Qaeda terrorist. He had been described as "just an average Aussie," whose apparent turn to radical Islam took place under mysterious circumstances, but seemed most likely to have stemmed from a religious appeal based on core texts of his new faith.

Anyway, Jihad Thomas may soon be in the clear, but not because he is innocent: "The case against alleged al-Qaeda terrorist Jack 'Jihad' Thomas has collapsed after a damning confession he made has been found to be inadmissible." This from The Age.

"It is believed the 42-page confession, considered to be one of Australia's most important intelligence documents, mentions plans to set up a terrorist cell in Melbourne. Mr Thomas made the alleged confession to federal police while in custody in Pakistan this year.

"Federal police flew to Pakistan to interview Mr Thomas about two months after his arrest. He was cautioned, warned, and the interview was taped according to Australian law, but his request for a lawyer to be present during the interrogation was denied.

"It is believed that Mr Thomas, a Melbourne taxi driver, told police he had been recruited by al-Qaeda and was assigned to return to Australia to set up a sleeper cell and scout for possible terrorist targets.

"Police have asked lawyers from the office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions if the statement could be used in an Australian court. The DPP's advice was it would be deemed inadmissible."

Radical Muslim leader: Jihad means killing

Maulana Masood Azhar (BBC News)

"Chief of banned militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed Maulana Masood Azhar has said that in Islam the only meaning of Jihad was killing, even as another militant group supporter asked Pakistan to declare that suicide bombing against West was Jihad." This from Press Trust of India.

"In Islam the only meaning of jihad was killing, and those who projected the concepts of Jihad Akbar and Jihad Asghar were against Islam," Azhar was quoted by an Urdu daily Nawa-e-Waqt as saying.

Jihad Akbar is the "Greater Jihad," which Muslims identify as a spiritual struggle. "Jihad Asghar" is "Lesser Jihad," which includes violence. In Onward Muslim Soldiers I detail how radical Muslims including Abdullah Azzam, Osama bin Laden's mentor, and Hassan Al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, rejected the concept of the "Greater Jihad" as being founded upon inauthentic traditions of Muhammad. Azhar evidently shares this view.

Not only that: Azhar "said it was a conspiracy against Islam to say that Jihad was not killing." What would that make Ibrahim Hooper, who has asked Paul Harvey for an apology for saying that Islam was "a religion which encourages killing"? Would Azhar regard Hooper as a conspirator against Islam — or merely as a practitioner of war as deceit, in the spirit of the Prophet Muhammad's equation of the two (cf. Sahih Bukhari, vol. 4, bk. 52, no. 268)? Or, conversely, will Hooper demand an apology from Azhar?

Also:

Another supporter of militant groups in Pakistan, Justice (Retd.) Javid Iqbal said at a seminar in Lahore that Pakistan and the Islamic world should declare that suicide bombing against the West was actually Jihad. It was the United States that was doing terrorism and not the suicide bombers of various organisations, he was quoted by the daily Jung as saying.

Iran radicals beat up reformist

Why don't more moderate Muslims speak out against terrorism? There are many reasons, but one of them is no doubt physical intimidation. Certainly this is true in other contexts: "A senior reformist Iranian member of parliament close to President Mohammad Khatami was beaten up by Islamic radicals, amid rising factional tension in the country as elections approach, reports said Saturday." This from Agence France Presse.

The main reformist party, the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), accused the Ansar Hezbollah group of attacking Mohsen Mirdamadi, chairman of parliament's national security and foreign affairs committee, on Friday.

Another reformer, Ahmad Shirzad, accused Islamic hardliners of "giving Tehran's opponents 'the arguments for presenting Iran as an oppressive regime, that violates human rights, opposes freedom of speech and is anti-democratic.' Well, yes. "Yas-e-No quoted a Sanandaj deputy, Kazem Jalalizadeh, as saying a military officer had told him beforehand he would go personally to the airport to 'break Shirzad's legs'."

Conservatives hit back Wednesday when deputy Ali Emami-Rad accused some reformists of being 'Zionists' and Khatami's government of supporting 'counter-revolution.'

Football jihad

The LA Times reports on a group of Muslim football teams with some provocative names: "Monikers for the flag-football teams include Mujahideen, Intifada and Soldiers of Allah and are accompanied on the league's Web site, http://muslimfootball.com, by logos of masked men, some with daggers or swords.

"An organizer of the Jan. 4 event, geared for American Muslims in their teens and 20s, said the names are a sign of football bravado and a show of support for Muslims in the Middle East.

"'A lot of the kids on our team are from Palestinian origin,' said Tarek Shawky, Intifada's 29-year-old captain and quarterback. 'We are in solidarity with people in the uprising. It's about human rights and basic freedoms.'

"'I think they should be more sensitive and show respect to other people's sensitivities,' said Muzammil Siddiqi, director of the Islamic Society of Orange County and a national Muslim leader. 'The words themselves do not have bad meanings, but people associate them with what's going on in the world around them.'

"But others say Palestinian fighters in the Intifada are terrorists and shouldn't be glorified. Another provocative name, Mujahideen, means 'holy warrior,' and is associated with a variety of Islamic resistance movements, including two on the U.S. government's list of terrorist groups.

"'What exactly are they honoring here?' asked Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. 'The continued targeting of innocent women and children by homicide bombers deserves to be condemned across the board. It's deeply, deeply disturbing.' . . .

But one Islamic scholar said she wonders why the team names should be controversial.

"'Who cares? Why are people so sensitive?' said Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad, a professor at Georgetown University. 'Intifada is something that Muslims and Palestinians all approve of. It means "just get off my back." Is the only way we accept [Muslims] is if we devalue their faith?'

Like Osama bin Laden, these Mujahedin won't be able to put Crusaders on their schedule, much as they may desire to do so. Teams with that name have long been falling to PC sensibilities: "In 2000, Wheaton College replaced its Crusader label after 70 years, with the more politically correct Thunder. Twenty miles down Interstate 5 from Irvine, where the football tournament will be held, a new Catholic high school in San Juan Capistrano changed its name before it opened last year, from the Crusaders to the Lions, a move applauded by local Muslim leaders.

"Some of those same officials say they oppose the controversial names for the Muslim football teams, but emphasize that they reflect youthful hyperbole more than any dark meaning." Yet self-proclaimed (and well-armed) mujahedin are much easier to find in the world today than crusaders are.

Also, don't these names suggest that the radical Muslims who take the same names for more sinister purposes may have more support among the general Muslim population than we are usually led to believe? (Thanks to LGF.)

How the Saudis built a global terrorist network

After 9/11, Saudi Arabia, "America's longtime ally and the world's largest oil producer had somehow become, as a senior Treasury Department official put it, 'the epicenter' of terrorist financing." Of course, this is common knowledge by now, but U.S. News and World Report has a detailed report on how it happened, and what exactly the Saudis have done — and how "U.S. officials did painfully little to confront the Saudis not only on financing terror but on backing fundamentalists and jihadists overseas." Maybe this report will help bring about the long overdue adjustments in the U.S.-Saudi relationship. (Thanks to LGF.)

Australian imam: gays should be beheaded

Rexhep Idrizi (Photo: kitezh.com)

Many Americans on the Left like to equate radical Muslims with Christian conservatives. Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, even George W. Bush — they're all our own version of the Taliban, you see. I have encountered this phenomenon on many a radio call-in show, and I always try to point out one obvious distinction: Christian conservatives do not advocate or commit murder.

Overheated rhetoric that equates opposition to gay marriage with the Sharia's prescription of capital punishment for homosexuals obscures the fact that the Sharia is a deadly serious thing. There are many in the world today who will institute its punishments if they have the power to do so, and are willing to commit violence in order to increase their power.

Evidence comes from Australia today: "a complaint made to Victoria Police alleges the chairman of the Board of Imams, Rexhep Idrizi, was reading from the Koran when he made derogatory comments about homosexuals and said they should have 'their heads chopped off'.

"Imam Idrizi's alleged outburst occurred before 1000 worshippers at a prayer service to celebrate the conclusion of fasting for Ramadan at the Albanian Mosque in Drummond St, Carlton.

"Imam Idrizi, whose son was jailed last year for bashing gays, said yesterday the claims were unfounded and he had a video of the service, in Albanian, to prove it.

"'It's just spite from idiots,' he said. 'All I said was that homosexuality is prohibited in Islam. I wouldn't encourage anyone to attack my enemy. And if you put this in the paper, it's discrimination against Islam and we will defend ourselves."

Hmm. Has he been taking lessons from CAIR?

"But worshipper Asip Demiri, who was at the service, told the Sunday Herald Sun that Imam Idrizi had verbally attacked homosexuals. 'I couldn't believe it. I was sitting there with my son and he comes out with comments as if the Koran says it's OK to attack homosexuals,' Mr Demiri said. 'He told us they should have their heads chopped off.' . . .

"Last year, Imam Idrizi's son was jailed for four years and eight months, with a minimum of 15 months, for bashing gays. Muhamed Idrizi, 20, and four others attacked a cyclist with a machete and bashed and robbed two other men. The court heard that the group had gone on what he called a 'p--fter bashing' mission."

Bin Laden's plans for Iraq

According to Newsweek, Al-Qaeda has shifted its primary focus from Afghanistan to Iraq. At a meeting during Ramadan, "according to Taliban sources, Osama bin Laden’s men officially broke some bad news to emissaries from Mullah Mohammed Omar, the elusive leader of Afghanistan’s ousted fundamentalist regime. Their message: Al Qaeda would be diverting a large number of fighters from the anti-U.S. insurgency in Afghanistan to Iraq. Al Qaeda also planned to reduce by half its $3 million monthly contribution to Afghan jihadi outfits."

That Al-Qaeda can manage $3 million a month to jihadis in Afghanistan or anywhere else will come as a surprise to many, who still consider Islamic terrorists to be a tiny group on the radical fringe, talking tough as they skulk around in caves.

"All this was on the orders of bin Laden himself, the sources said. Why? Because the terror chieftain and his top lieutenants see a great opportunity for killing Americans and their allies in Iraq and neighboring countries such as Turkey, according to Taliban sources who complain that their own movement will suffer. . . . Bin Laden believes that Iraq is becoming the perfect battlefield to fight the 'American crusaders' and that the Iraqi insurgency has been '100 percent successful so far,' according to a Taliban participant at the mid-November meeting who goes by the nom de guerre Sharafullah."

This Newsweek piece is full of silly Democratic Party cheerleading about how "bin Laden’s shift of focus could be unsettling news for George W. Bush," despite Bush's own statement that "we are fighting that enemy [in Iraq] today so that we do not meet him again on our own streets." Nonetheless, it contains some useful information about global terrorist machinations.

Terrorists "regrouping in Indonesia"

With Abu Bakar Bashir's already light sentence reduced even further, terrorists in Indonesia are "regrouping, retraining, and recruiting" — and "could be planning more deadly bombings." So says AP, with thanks to nicolei.

"Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, has emerged as a key battle ground in the United States-led war on terrorism since Islamic militants bombed two nightclubs on the country's Bali island last year, killing 202 people, mostly foreign tourists.

"The Al-Qaeda-linked south-east Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah was blamed for the Oct 12, 2002, Bali attacks. It has also been implicated in the Aug 5 blast at the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, which killed 12 people and injured around 150.

"'We are up against determined enemies who attack us again and again,' security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at an international conference here on the economic challenges facing Indonesia in 2004.

"Indonesia was criticised before the Bali bombings for failing to act on warnings that militants were targeting the sprawling archipelago. Since then, police have arrested more than 90 militants, but public displays of support for the war on terror, or recognition that Islamic terrorists remain a threat, are rare.

"Many government officials are wary about being seen as cooperating too closely with the United States -- something they fear could alienate Muslim voters in polls scheduled for 2004."

But surely the vast numbers of moderate Muslims who condemn terrorism in all its forms will offset this effect, no?

Jihad recruitment network in Europe

"A string of recent arrests of terror suspects has shown that Al Qaeda and groups linked to it have established a network across Europe that is moving recruits into Iraq to join the insurgency against American and allied forces, European intelligence and law enforcement officials said this week." This from the New York Times.

"Over the past year, the officials estimate, the network of recruiters working in at least six European countries — Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Britain and Norway — has assisted hundreds of young men trying to get to Iraq. The network provided high quality fake documents, training, money, and infiltration routes into the country, the officials said.

"They said the evidence indicated that the campaign to recruit young militant Muslims for Iraq had become better organized and coordinated in recent months."

You mean there were militant Muslims in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Britain and Iraq? Wouldn't that fact indicate that concern about the Muslim populations in those countries doesn't stem simply from "racism"?

"According to an investigating judge in Italy, the new network is building on an underground that helped smuggle fighters out of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the fall of 2001, when Taliban and Qaeda forces were routed by American-led allied troops. But since the end of last year the flow of recruits, including young men from Europe and North Africa, has turned toward the new front in Iraq, the judge said. 'In August and September people were approaching the borders of Iraq, in Turkey and Syria,' he said. 'These people got very close and it's very easy for them to slip in.'

"An Italian investigation of a terrorist group with links to Al Qaeda led to the arrest of three men in Italy and Germany last week. Two of the men who were arrested in Milan were accused of providing false passports and money to the network for Iraq. Six men arrested in northern Italy in April were also accused of aiding the recruiting operation.

"Officials in Italy said the conclusions emerging from their case were supported by investigations in other European countries. . . .

"It is not clear how significant a role foreign terror recruits may have in the surge of violence in Iraq. President Bush and L. Paul Bremer III, the American administrator in Iraq, have said that 'jihadists' and foreign terrorists have entered the country. But American military leaders there say they have not seen signs of a large influx of foreign fighters. They say that about 300 people of 5,000 prisoners in Iraq are holding non-Iraqi passports."

Why the sneer quotes around "jihadists"? That's how they describe themselves.

How extensive is this effort? Armando Spataro, coordinator of terrorism investigations at Milan's Justice Department, says that "almost all Western European countries have been touched by recruiting." . . .

"Investigators in several European countries, including Italy, Germany and Britain, have focused on the participation in Iraq recruitment of a terrorist organization named Al Tawhid. The group is led by Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian who collaborated with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, and has been implicated by American and European intelligence agencies in recent terror attacks in Jordan."

Tawhid is a term of Islamic theology. It refers to the absolute unity of Allah, and its implications.

Why don't moderate Muslims speak up?

General Aslam Beg

"Why don't moderate Muslims speak up in favor of US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair when they resolve 'to crush global terrorists who hate freedom?'" Arnaud de Borchgrave asks this question, which has occurred to many of us.

Then he supplies a disquieting answer from Pakistani General Aslam Beg: "One of Pakistan's most respected former army chiefs supplied a chilling explanation this week: Because the 'terrorists' are the 'freedom fighters' of a 'Muslim world facing unprecedented oppression and injustice.' . . .

"In a lengthy e-mail, Beg said the Bush-Blair 'strategy to combat global terrorism' is 'a declaration of total war on freedom movements, and it is the Muslim world that will be at the receiving end.'"

It's one thing when a radical Muslim member of a terrorist group spouts this sort of thing (thanks to nicolei for the link), but Beg holds a position of influence in Pakistan's government — and he is by no means singular in his views. Says Borchgrave: "The anti-coalition resistance in Iraq and Afghanistan, as seen by Beg, is 'a new reality emerging – a surging tide of their élan and vitality.' By the standards of Pakistan's coalition of six politico-religious parties that govern two of Pakistan's four provinces and hold 20 percent of the seats in the federal assembly, Beg is a moderate."

"Musharraf estimates that the number of extremists in Pakistan amounts to 'no more than 1 percent of the population.' That's 1.5 million religious fanatics who are holding, according to Musharraf, '99 percent of the population hostage.' But what happens when the moderates speak – only to echo the extremists? That certainly appears to be the case of Beg, a soft-spoken man who is a leading geopolitical thinker in a country that is one of nine nuclear powers in the world. Pakistan is also a Muslim nation where anti-Americanism is the issue that unites all shades of political opinion.

"Beg argues that it is the United States that originally sponsored the rent-a-jihadi, or holy warrior, when the CIA sought the support of jihadis from all over the Muslim world to fight the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Some 60,000 mujahideen passed through a system that was sponsored by the US, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. Their numbers are now growing daily, says Beg, and they 'form the core of the global Muslim resistance... engaged in fighting in Chechnya, the Palestinian territories, Kashmir, Afghanistan, and Iraq.'

"'They are highly motivated, selfless, and fearless people, obeying no earthly authority,' he says, 'they are hard to subdue by military force, and recognize no international borders in pursuit of their goals... they have frustrated the designs of the two superpowers and are surging forward to carve out their own destiny.' The Bush administration dismisses the 'Islamic resurgence' by 'maligning such liberation movements as terrorism.' But, adds Beg, the United States will soon find that Iraq and Afghanistan are 'quagmires' from which 'safe exits' will become increasingly difficult. As for Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, 'all wars of liberation have splinter groups who lose sense of direction and indulge in wanton acts of terrorism.' But the United States has only itself to blame. . . ."

Beg, according to Borchgrace, speaks of American "anomie": "For Beg, this 'anomie' stems from America's alleged lack of ethical values, which, in turn, begets violence, ergo Bin Laden is not responsible for 9/11; America is. This is a switch on the still widely held belief in the Muslim world that the CIA and Mossad were co-conspirators in the 9/11 plot, whose objective was to provide a rationale for military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq. This taradiddle also had its roots in Pakistan when Gen. Hamid Gul, a former head of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency and a classmate of Beg, said he had evidence that the US Air Force was also involved in the plot (the fact that no US fighter planes took off to shoot down the hijacked aircraft). Both Beg, the head of a think tank, and Gul, who is 'strategic adviser' to politico-religious parties, are held in high regard by the Pakistani military.

"Either way, the warped, apprentice-sorcerer thinking goes a long way to explaining the recent Pew Foundation's survey on global attitudes toward the United States: As a trustworthy leader, Bin Laden scored higher than Bush in most Muslim countries.

"There are no quick fixes for change. Despite all the constantly repeated assurances given to the United States about reform, Pakistan's madrassas, or religious schools, are still churning out 750,000 jihadi-prone male teenagers a year. The madrassas were the spawning grounds of the Taliban. Today, a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan continues to enjoy the same logistical support – and casualty insurance."

"I strongly encourage young Muslims to join the jihad for Allah’s sake"

How do radical Muslim groups get recruits? With rhetoric like this: "I strongly encourage young Muslims to join the jihad for Allah’s sake, to protect our land and to drive Christians and Jews out of Muslim countries."

This comes from an Al-Qaeda recruitment video obtained (how?) by NBC News.

The "jihad for Allah's sake," jihad fi sabil Allah, is a term that is precisely defined in Islamic theology as referring to the taking up of arms. A young Muslim who is well instructed in his faith will recognize that this is part of his religious responsibility.

The NBC report also says that "there’s a videotape aimed at American and Saudia Arabian rulers and another that includes what appears to be well-produced footage of the 9/11 attacks — raising still other questions.

"The menacing new al-Qaida video obtained by NBC News features a new look — a terror cell that claims to be training inside Saudi Arabia mugs for the camera with most faces blurred to conceal identities.

"Their attire and weapons look like a professional assault team and they appear to be practicing an entry drill consistent with tactics used in bombings this year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where small teams of shooters breach security to get car bombs in place.

"It’s apparently the latest propaganda piece from al-Qaida, with dire warnings for the West and the Saudi royal family.

"Terrorism analyst Ben Venzke, who supplies material to U.S. law enforcement, downloaded the material from a known al-Qaida Web site: 'It’s significant that al-Qaida is training terrorists within Saudi Arabia because it would appear they are preparing for a continued campaign of regular strikes both against the Saudi regime and Western interests,' Venzke said. . . .

"The tape appears to be real, because it was posted late Wednesday night on a known al-Qaida Web site — produced by a company that has made other bin Laden tapes.

"The tape also contains what U.S. counterterror experts say may be never-before-broadcast video of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York’s World Trade Center shot from across the East River in Brooklyn. The FBI says it is familiar with the video, which was provided by a friendly bystander.

"But that raises the question — how did a tape that was not widely circulated end up on a known al-Qaida site?

"Experts emphasize that these videos serve many purposes. 'The release of the tapes clearly has a way of globalizing others to carry out suicide operations,' said terrorism expert and NBC News consultant Steve Emerson."

Islamic Jihad: Talks won't stop attacks

In Onward Muslim Soldiers I explain what should be obvious to everyone by now: that the jihad ideology of radical Muslim groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad poison prospects for a negotiated settlement in Israel. Here is more evidence: "A Palestinian militant group participating in Egyptian-mediated ceasefire talks vowed fresh attacks on Israel and said in a Friday statement it would not abide by any agreement to stop." This from Reuters.

"Islamic Jihad's statement appeared to skewer expectations that Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie could come away from talks in Cairo among 13 Palestinian militant groups with an agreement to cease attacks on Israelis. . . .

"'We remain committed to the choice of resistance as a strategic (one) to...dismiss the occupation from our land,' said the statement issued by the Islamic Jihad's armed wing in Gaza. 'We will not abide by any agreement or any dialogue that will abandon these principles...and our painful reaction in the heart of (Israel) will not be delayed,' the statement added."

Jihad in Iraq: the New York Times Interview

"We want the world to know that Bush, the biggest criminal of all, and Blair, that monkey of the desert, will not be able to control the Iraqis. We will not allow them to kill Iraqis. I am speaking before God, on my behalf and that of the other mujahedeen."

This quote comes from a New York Times interview with a mujahid, a jihad warrior, in Iraq.

The Times explains: "His choice of the word 'mujahedeen' was perhaps one of the most telling details about what this insurgency would like to be.

"The word means 'holy warrior,' and for many Muslims it connotes brave struggles against occupiers over centuries, against the crusaders a millennium ago or against the Russians in Afghanistan a mere two decades ago. These resisters would like that honorable title bestowed on them. The recruiting leaflets the American military says were found here called for Iraqis to join them on a 'jihad,' or holy war, against the Americans — prompting a large United States military raid on the town this week."

It's not just a connotation, it's a law. As I explain in Onward Muslim Soldiers, the schools of Islamic jurisprudence all teach that it's the duty of every Muslim to wage defensive jihad against invaders. This is how radical Muslims worldwide are framing America's presence in Iraq.

Nevertheless, the Times continues on its oblivious way, refusing to acknowledge what it is in the process of telling us: "It was hard to pin down any single motive for the fighter here, who said he served in the Iraqi Army for six years, ending in 1998, and who gave the nickname 'Fighter for the Sake of God.' In compact and articulate answers, the man seemed a fanatic neither for God nor for Mr. Hussein.

All right. He's not a fanatic for "Mr. Hussein," since he says: "We are not fighting for Saddam." However, where is the evidence that his fanaticism isn't religious? He goes on to say: "We are fighting for freedom and because the Americans are Jews. . . . The religious principle is that we cannot accept to live with infidels. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him, said, `Hit the infidels wherever you find them.' We are also a tribal people. We cannot allow strangers to rule over us."

What he represents as a saying of Muhammad is actually the Qur'an's "Verse of the Sword": "Slay the unbelievers wherever you find them . . ." (Sura 9:5). (Thanks to LGF.)

Hamas accused of Canadian plot

"The terrorist group Hamas recruited and trained a Palestinian-Canadian to carry out attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets in Canada and the United States, an Israeli embassy official said yesterday." So says the National Post, with thanks to LGF.

"In what is being described as a new direction for the radical Palestinian group, Hamas allegedly gave weapons and explosives training to the 23-year-old Canadian in an attempt to expand its war against Israel to North America.

"The embassy official said that Jamal Akkal of Windsor has confessed he was assigned to assassinate visiting Israeli dignitaries, booby-trap the cars of Jews and Israeli diplomats, and murder Jews whenever the opportunity arose.

"'He is a member of Hamas,' said Ofir Gendelman, second secretary at the Israeli embassy in Ottawa. 'Basically, he is part of a new cell that planned terrorist attacks in North America against Israeli and Jewish targets.

"'This is very, very dangerous, a novelty so to speak in terrorist activities done by Hamas,' the embassy spokesman added. 'Hamas has always, or most of the time, concentrated on Israel and the territories. In some cases they plan to execute terrorist attacks in Jordan, but this is the first time that we are getting information about terrorist attacks in North America by Hamas.'

However, "Jamil al-Qhateb, the lawyer representing Mr. Akkal, said the Canadian admits he was approached by Hamas to carry out attacks in North America but said he never agreed to do so, and that his confession was extracted under duress."

"You know how they take all this information. For 20 days they interrogated him without sleep. He was all the time sitting in the chair ... and what he has said, I think that [was] because he was tired or because he didn't sleep at all."

20 days without sleep. Mm-hmm.

What's more, LGF also links to a related story: Canadian "Senior Foreign Affairs officials will call the Israeli ambassador on the carpet next week to chide him over his 'inappropriate' comments about an alleged confession by a Canadian arrested in Israel. The ambassador, Hiam Divon, has said that Jamal Akkal, a Canadian citizen of Palestinian extraction, confessed to being recruited by Hamas to attack Jewish and Israeli targets in Canada. Foreign Affairs complained that he's pre-judged the case."

According to Akkal's lawyer: "He said he asked Mr. Akkal if he planned to conduct attacks in North America and he said he did not. He also said allegations that Mr. Akkal underwent Hamas military training were overblown. 'It's just eight bullets he was shooting, that's it, and they tell him it's military training.'" Why was he firing eight bullets?

Akkal, meanwhile, "admitted during his investigation that during his stay in the Gaza Strip ... he was drafted into the military wing of Hamas and had a series of military trainings that included the use of small arms and preparation of explosive devices," according to Gendelman. "The aim of this training was committing a series of terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish interests in North America. One of the plans was shooting at an Israeli VIP, a minister that would come to visit North America. He was supposed to tail that minister, get close to him and shoot him."

"Another scenario was booby-trapping cars of Israelis and Jews.... And he also wanted to kill a Jew wherever he meets him, like in the street if he would see an Orthodox Jew, he had orders to kill him on the spot."

This was perhaps inspired by the Qur'an's "Verse of the Sword": ". . . Slay the unbelievers wherever you find them . . . " (Sura 9:5).

Gendelman: "He admitted to all those. He said in the investigation that he was planning to do all those things. So we are not talking about allegations but about facts."

Jihad in Russia: Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 37 on Train Near Chechnya

"A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a crowded commuter train in southern Russia today, killing at least 40 people in what President Vladimir V. Putin denounced as a terrorist act intended to disrupt parliamentary elections here this weekend." So says the New York Times.

"The explosion, which occurred at 7:42 a.m., wrenched apart the second carriage of the train only moments after it left the station in Yessentuki, near the foothills of the Caucasus, not far from Chechnya. . . .

"While there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, Sergei N. Ignatchenko, chief spokesman for the Federal Security Service, said in an interview that it bore all the characteristics of terrorist acts by Chechnya's separatist fighters. . . .

"Over the spring and summer Russia suffered a wave of terrorist attacks, many of them carried out by suicide bombers. The attacks — at a rock concert in Moscow, a bus stop and military hospital in Mozdok and government buildings in Chechnya — killed more than 250 people. . . .

"Officials have attributed the attacks — as well as the siege of a theater in Moscow last October that ended with the deaths of 129 hostages and 41 guerrillas — to Chechens aided by international Islamic extremists."

Here is their motivation: traditional jihad theology.

Jihad in Bolivia — en route to U.S.

We have seen jihadist activity in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Now — Bolivia: "Bolivia's state news agency said authorities in La Paz detained 16 Muslims on Thursday after a tip-off from French police that some of them were planning to hijack a plane and attack targets in the United States. . . ." This from Reuters, with thanks to LGF.

"It quoted Interior Minister Alfonso Ferrufino as saying most of those arrested were Bangladeshis and that they were detained at Viru Viru airport near the southern Bolivian city of Santa Cruz on Thursday morning.

"'(Ferrufino) said that the tip-off from French police said that the 16 Muslims were planning to hijack a plane en route from La Paz via Santa Cruz to Buenos Aires to attack targets in the United States,' the news agency report said."

Jihad metaphorical and literal in Australia

We all know that jihad is a spiritual struggle within the soul of the believer, and that if it extends to the battlefield at all, it refers only to self-defense, right? Every day, of course, more evidence comes that large numbers of Muslims around the world don't think of it this way at all.

This time it comes from an Australian named Zak Mallah. Says The Australian: "For the past two years he had been a vocal critic of the domestic intelligence agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs. He brought himself to the attention of authorities by suggesting he wanted to participate in a jihad act in Lebanon.

"However Mr Mallah had said he was referring to jihad in a metaphorical, not literal, sense."

Hmm. What's a metaphorical jihad, as opposed to a literal one? A war of words? The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune? Whatever this could have meant, it appears that Mallah may in fact have had something more "literal" in mind:

"Police last night laid terrorism charges against Sydney man Zak Mallah after taking possession of a jihad-style video and uncovering what they allege was a specific threat by him to kill an ASIO officer." ASIO is the Australian Security Intelligence Organization.

"Mr Mallah, 20, of Condell Park, was charged at Bankstown police station with committing an action in preparation for a terrorist act and threatening a commonwealth officer.

"The video includes readings from the Koran and Mr Mallah holding a placard reading: 'I will take you hostage.' . . .

"The Weekend Australian revealed two weeks ago Mr Mallah had prepared a typed script claiming he was now prepared to die for his cause. . . .

"On September 14, NSW police arrested and charged Mr Mallah after finding a firearm and 100 rounds of ammunition in his unit."

Meanwhile, another report adds that "Keysar Trad, a director of the Lebanese Muslim Association, said outside the court that he had spoken to Mallah by phone on Wednesday night." Said Trad: "Personally, I don't think he is a threat. He has not been a regular at the mosque at Lakemba. But since we started counselling we have tried to bring him to the mosque. He will require spiritual assistance." Indeed. But is the spiritual assistance offered in the Lakemba mosque of the type favored by Jamal Badawi, or by Abu Zobayer? (Thanks to nicolei.)

UPDATE: Here is the beginning of a letter from Zak Mallah: "Peace be upon those who follow the guidance. This is Zak Mallah, Australian-born, Australian-bred. I start my letter with verses from the Koran, which outline the causes and reasons for my actions." Kaysar Trad is also quoted in this article, saying: "He has previously expressed a confused understanding of the religion of Islam, particularly on the rulings of jihad and self-defence. And that needs to be rectified by education." That rectification, if it can be successfully done, needs to be carried out on a global scale.

Germany mulls Islamic group probe

More evidence of the deep inroads that radical Islam has made in Europe: "Germany's chief federal prosecutor is considering whether to take over an investigation into an Islamic group suspected of trying to smuggle suicide bombers into Iraq, a spokesman said Thursday.

"It follows the arrest of an Iraq at Munich railway station Tuesday and reports that police had broken up an Islamic terrorist group.

"Media reports from Munich said the group was believed to be a cell of Ansar al-Islam (supporters of Islam) which has alleged links to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

"A spokeswoman for the Federal Prosecutors Office in Karlsruhe said chief prosecutor Kay Nehm was looking to see if there was any need to take over the investigation from Munich prosecutors.

"Normally the Karlsruhe office would be responsible for investigating terrorist groups."

Malvo sketches depicted "jihad"

One of Malvo's drawings

Hoping to shed light on what they believe was an insane mind, defense attorneys for sniper suspect Lee Boyd Malvo presented a judge yesterday with dozens of sketches that the teen-ager scribbled in his jail cell while awaiting trial for last fall's sniper attacks — crimes that Malvo depicted in his art as 'jihad' in America.

This from the Baltimore Sun.

Filled with rambling anti-American messages and hand-drawn images of Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and a mix of characters from The Matrix movie, the drawings offer an eerie glimpse of Malvo and the possible motivation behind the sniper siege that spread terror around the nation's capital.

"I would take you out at your dinner table. ... You will not escape, America. Not now, not ever," Malvo wrote on one sketch, which shows the cross hairs of a rifle superimposed over a police officer. Another sketch shows cross hairs aiming at the White House. . . .

While the letters and drawings express a wide range of militant sentiments, the most recurring theme is that of jihad - or holy war - against America.

"We did not start this flame, we merely picked up the torch," he wrote on the drawing showing bin Laden near a police officer in a rifle's sights. "Ye shall all die! Every last one." . . .

And another: "I have been accused on my mission. Allah knows I'm gonna suffer now."

Jailhouse Jihad

Recruitment of jihad warriors isn't just something that goes on in far-off places like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Jordan, Egypt, and Paraguay: it has also been going on in the Texas prison system.

CBS-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth has "uncovered a disturbing half-hour videotape apparently used as a recruitment tool in the Beto One Prison Unit in East Texas."

The confiscated video is titled 'A Message to the Oppressed' and carried a militant Islamic sermon in praise of terrorists to inmates before authorities seized it during Islamic services.

The tape features the anti-Semitic exhortations by the California-based Imam Muhammad Abdullah who claims that the 9-11 terrorist attacks were actually carried out by the Israeli and U.S. governments.

'Are we to believe that some person that some people walked in airports and hijacked airplanes and then just went and blew up buildings blew up the Pentagon? This is ignorance to the max.'

The Imam’s tape ends by giving credit to Hamas, al-Jihad and Hizballah. All three groups are listed as terror organizations by the State Department....

Some terrorism experts say the videotape is new evidence of militant Islamic groups infiltrating prisons through religious programs. The Senate judiciary subcommittee on terrorism concluded recently that U.S. prisons and jails are a key area of recruitment for Al Qaeda and other terror organizations....

'There have been cases domestically here in the United States and some of the training we have received indicates that there is a possibility that there is a recruiting effort going on inside prisons,' said John Moriarty, Inspector General of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 'As a matter of fact, in other states, other than Texas, there has been confirmation of that.'...

Comments Mark Briskman of the Anti-Defamation League: "You have a potential in this prison system, as these people begin to get out, in terms of recruiting them into whether it's al Queda or Hamas or Islamic Jihad, and possibly be recruited to fight overseas or possibly be recruited to perform terrorist acts in the United States."

The article notes:

Some prison chaplains say the discovery of the tape raises [concern] that religious freedoms in jail appear to have been abused to help spread a militant message that encourages terrorism.

Indeed.

In a continuation of the article, we meet Omar Rakeeb, who has "carried an Islamic outreach from his mosque in Midland as a Muslim chaplain to federal and state prisons."

He brought the videotape into the Beto One Unit, but he denies any knowledge of it: "'I didn't have anything to do with showing the tape,' Rakeeb said. He said an inmate ordered the tape to the chaplain’s office. . . . Rakeeb was unable to explain who removed the tape from Rakeeb’s office and who else, besides him, had access to a VCR to show it to inmates. . . .

The 55-year-old Chaplain said when asked about the message that he’s not familiar with what Anti-Semitic means.

He declined to disavow the theory that Israel and Jews orchestrated the attacks that killed more than 3,000 innocent American office workers.

'Well, I heard that. I saw it in different…I heard it, I believe on TV and I read it somewhere on the Internet and heard people talking like that,' Rakeeb said. 'Usually, I just treat it as news, whether it is true or not, I have no way of knowning.'

The FBI warns that militant Muslim prison chaplains sympathetic to terrorists are trying to recruit inmates as future operatives.

(Thanks to LGF.)

Suicide bombers nabbed in mosque; school was targeted

Many Muslims have pointed out since September 11 that Islam forbids killing women, children, and the innocent. Of this there is no doubt, but there is a key distinction: as I explain in Onward Muslim Soldiers, the Shafi’i school of Sunni jurisprudence stipulates that “it is not permissible . . . to kill women and children unless they are fighting against the Muslims.” The Hanbali jurist Ibn Taymiyya, a favorite of modern Muslim radicals, directed that “as for those who cannot offer resistance or cannot fight, such as women, children, monks, old people, the blind, handicapped and their likes, they shall not be killed unless they actually fight with words (e.g. by propaganda) and acts (e.g. by spying or otherwise assisting in the warfare).”

This is one reason why Samir Qantar, who murdered a four-year-old Israeli girl, her father, and a policeman in a notorious 1979 raid, has said: "In our opinion there are no civilians in Israel." In Onward Muslim Soldiers I quote Muammar Qaddafi's son, Seyf-al-Islam (Sword of Islam) Qaddafi, saying the same thing: "There are no civilians in Israel."

This is also why Muslims can meet in a mosque and plot the murder of children in a nearby school: "Israeli police raided a West Bank mosque on Wednesday, capturing two Palestinians who allegedly were planning to attack a school. One was reportedly wearing an explosives belt." This from AP, with thanks to LGF.

". . . Israeli troops raided the mosque in the West Bank village of Bardala, nine miles south of Beit Shean. Tadji Sawafta, a local official, said two men were arrested.

"Dore Gold, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said the Palestinians were planning a suicide attack on a school in the Israeli town of Yokneam. One was wearing an explosives belt like those used by suicide bombers, Israeli media said."

Briton Charged With Helping "Shoe Bomber"

Shoe bomber Richard Reid: did he have help? (AP photo)

"A British man arrested last week in southwestern England was charged Wednesday with conspiring with convicted 'shoe-bomber' Richard Reid in an explosives plot, police said." This from AP.

"Sajid Badat was charged with three offenses, including that between Sept. 1, 2001, and Nov. 28, 2003, he 'unlawfully and maliciously conspired with Richard Reid and others unknown' to cause an explosion 'likely to endanger life or cause serious injury' in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, London's Metropolitan Police said.

"Badat, 24, also was charged with two counts of possessing or controlling an explosive substance.

"He was arrested Nov. 27 after police found explosive material at his home in Gloucester.

"Shortly after the arrest, Home Secretary David Blunkett said the security services and police believed the suspect had 'connections with the network of al-Qaida groups.'

"Ibrahim Master, chairman of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, said last week that the suspect had been a student at the College of Islamic Knowledge and Guidance in Blackburn, northern England.

"Reid was sentenced to life in prison for a Dec. 22, 2001, bombing attempt aboard a Paris-to-Miami flight. When he pleaded guilty in October 2002, Reid said he was a member of al-Qaida, pledged his support to Osama bin Laden, and declared himself an enemy of the United States.

"Reid had tried to ignite plastic explosives hidden in his shoes on American Airlines Flight 63. Prosecutors said there was enough plastic explosives in his shoes to blow a hole in the fuselage and kill all 197 people aboard."

Meanwhile, Daniel Pipes writes an insightful essay in the Jerusalem Post about reactions to Badat's arrest in the British Muslim community — and their implications: "But he was good to his mother: Murdering for militant Islam."

Pipes notes that virtually everyone interviewd about Badat said that he was a quiet, gentle soul, and that they couldn't imagine him doing such a thing. He reminds us that similar reactions recur "almost every time a supporter of militant Islam has either been arrested on terrorism-related charges or engaged in an actual terrorist operation."

Pipes concludes: "Such high regard for terrorists has several important implications. First, it points to the adherents of militant Islam being indeed 'normal, good-natured young' people, and not misfits. In common with other totalitarian movements, militant Islam finds support among many accomplished, talented, and attractive individuals – which renders it all the more dangerous a threat.

"Second, the fact that those who murder on behalf of militant Islam often enjoy psychological soundness, educational attainment, sporting success, economic achievement, or social esteem suggests that Islamist violence cannot be reduced by adopting the 'root causes' approach of addressing personal poverty and despair. The phenomenon needs to be fought head-on.

"Third, that terrorists are (unsurprisingly) skilled at hiding their intentions has the unfortunate consequence of making them harder to discern and therefore spreads suspicion to the larger Muslim community. This in turn points to that community's heightened responsibility and incentive to ferret out potential terrorists in its midst." CAIR is, unfortunately, unlikely to heed these words.

Jihad in Florida: Conference of the Terrorists

While CAIR and other American Muslim advocacy groups try to strong-arm the American public and law enforcement agencies into accepting on faith that all American Muslims are benign, peaceful people, a veritable who's who of Islamic radicals is planning a conference in Florida. "Some anti-hate groups are outraged that a Saudi cleric who called on God to 'terminate' the Jews and urged Muslims to shun peace with Israel is the invited keynote speaker at an Islamic conference scheduled this month in Osceola County." This from the Orlando Sentinel, with thanks to LGF.

The organization that is bring Shaikh Abdur-Rahman Al-Sudais to Florida, the Universal Heritage Foundation, "envisions a home base in Florida's tourist corridor that would attract Islamic scholars and promote tolerance among religious groups." However, "some anti-hate groups . . . fear Shah may be inviting radicals to Central Florida who will stir up prejudice and divisiveness. . . .

Zulfiqar Ali Shah, chairman and chief executive officer of the UHF, "said his motives are pure. He also said he wasn't aware that the man invited to be the keynote speaker, Al-Sudais, was quoted in various newspapers in April 2002 as calling Jews 'the scum of humanity, the rats of the world, the killers of prophets and the grandsons of monkeys and pigs.'"

I wonder if Shah reads the Qur'an, where Jews are called monkeys and pigs in Suras 2:62-65, 5:59-60, and 7:116.

"Al-Sudais is senior imam at the Grand Mosque in Mecca. . . . Rita Katz, who heads a nonprofit anti-terrorism research center in Washington, D.C., said American Muslim leaders should not invite individuals like Al-Sudais, who are 'virulently intolerant of the West and other religions.'

"'He's incredibly antisemitic, and widely publicized as so,' said Katz, who heads the SITE Institute. 'Post 9-11, why are they seeking someone so radical?' she asked, noting that Al-Sudais represents the conservative Saudi Wahabi sect of Islam.

"Joe Kaufman, president of a South Florida group called Americans Against Hate, said Al-Sudais should be denied entry into the United States because of his antisemetic remarks, which were broadcast on Arabic TV and radio.

"'The biggest fear is that the group this person will be speaking to is largely a who's who of the most radical figures in our country from the most radical organizations in our country,' Kaufman said. 'This could spark a violent act.'

"No federal or state agency said it plans to prevent Al-Sudais from entering the country.

"The Council on American-Islamic Relations denounced Kaufman as an advocate of a radical Jewish group. Kaufman fired back that the council is connected to Palestinian militants. Both sides deny the accusations.

"Altaf Ali, Florida director of the council, said Al-Sudais and the other speakers are highly respected and that it has been "open season" on Muslims since the 9-11 attacks.

"'I personally have never heard any of these individuals say anything hateful,' Ali said. 'Anybody associated with a mosque is immediately [considered] a terrorist suspect. We are being found guilty by association.'

"In addition to Al-Sudais, the announced speakers include:

"Imam Siraj Wahhaj, an 'unindicted person who may be alleged as (a) conspirator' in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, according to former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White. His Masjid al-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn, N.Y., hosted the blind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, who was convicted in a conspiracy to bomb the Holland and Lincoln tunnels in New York. Wahhaj testified as a character witness for Rahman. Wahhaj, whom his supporters say is 'mainstream,' has made numerous anti-American statements.

"Imam Maulana Shafayat Muhammad, principal of the Darul Uloom Institute & Islamic Training Center in Pembroke Pines. Dirty-bomb suspect José Padilla attended his mosque. Padilla, Brooklyn-born Muslim convert, is accused of plotting with al-Qaeda to explode a bomb containing radioactive materials in the United States.

"Muzzamal Siddiqui, who has spoken at pro-Hezbollah rallies, supported the creation of an Islamic state in the United States and praised martyrdom for the Islamic cause, according to the SITE Institute. In spite of his statements, Siddiqui has been a guest at the White House, and he spoke at Washington National Cathedral post 9-11.

"Sayyid M. Syeed, secretary-general of the Islamic Society of North America and former director of academic outreach at the International Institute of Islamic Thought. Federal agencies raided the institute last year on suspicion of funneling money to suicide bombers.

"Areej Zufari, spokeswoman for the Islamic Society of Central Florida, said attempted censure of the speakers is un-American." Evidently Zufari would have us welcome with open arms those who would destroy us.

Charles at LGF notes that "Shah himself is former president of the Islamic Circle of North America, a group allied with the militant fundamentalist movement of Jamaat-e-Islamiya in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Steven Emerson’s book American Jihad describes the Islamic Circle of North America: 'ICNA openly supports militant Islamic fundamentalist organizations, praises terrorist attacks, issues incendiary attacks on Western values and policies, and supports the imposition of shari'a (Islamic code of law). . . . In 1995, ICNA’s president made the following comments on the topic of jihad at a conference in Columbus, Ohio: 'Sometimes, especially nowadays, I hear some Muslims defining jihad, and they will talk and talk and talk about everything in jihad, but they'll be very careful that there is nothing of qital [battle, fight, combat] mentioned in there. Well, at least you should not be disrespectful of the people you're talking to. They can pick up a Koran of any translation, and see what is in there in an instant. And a strong part of Islam is qital, and all nations and all people have a legitimate use of violence and war. And in Islam we came up with the first international law, that when you have qital, you have "culture of qital." There's a method, there's a decision-making body. It's not that a person gets angry and he starts his own qital. But when you present jihad you have to present it in its entirety.'"

CAIR, Buffalo News complain over sentencing of Lackawanna Al-Qaeda cell members

The Lackawanna Six (AP/CBS photo)

Andrew Whitehead of Anti-CAIR has issued a press release about the sentencing of the "Lackawanna Six," the Al-Qaeda cell operating in an upstate New York mosque:

Sentencing Debate over “Lackawanna Six”?

On 02 December, 2003, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), issued a press release (link not available) linking to an article in The Buffalo News concerning the sentencing of several Yemeni-Americans for providing material assistance and personnel to the al-Qaida Islamist terror group.

Why did CAIR print this article in their “American Muslim News Brief”? The article is clearly not balanced and presents all those convicted as victims of an over-zealous government. The first paragraph of the article reads:

“They never built a bomb, never hijacked an airliner and, as far as the U.S. Justice Department can determine, never made any plans to commit terrorism.”

Is this the criteria we can expect Ameriphobes to use in the war on terror? We can do absolutely nothing to the terrorists until they either build a bomb, hijack a plane or make voluminous notes in planning a terrorist attack? Law enforcement is to adopt a hands-off policy regarding Islamist terrorists until such time as planes begin to fall out of the sky? Bombs go off in our streets? Is this the policy CAIR wants? Is this the policy the American people want?

It bears mentioning that not only did all six men plead guilty, they cooperated with law enforcement for reduced sentences. According to prosecutor Mr. William J. Hochul Jr., the men provided information regarding al-Qaida’s methods of recruitment, training and communication, along with locations of “guest houses” in the Middle East.

All six [pled] guilty. All six provided accurate intelligence information to the government.

Sure sounds like they are innocent to us!

Andrew Whitehead
Anti-CAIR

Radical Muslim cleric cleared of treason, jail term cut

"The Jakarta Superior Court has overturned militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir's treason and sedition conviction, and cut his jail term from four years to three." This from Straits Times, with thanks to nicolei.

Judges said prosecutors failed to prove Bashir had taken part in a plot by the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror network to overthrow the government. . . .

Police detained him following last year's Bali bombings. Prosecutors accused him of two counts of treason, of having false papers, and of illegally exiting and entering the country. . . .

In the trial that ended in September, he beat the more serious treason charges, but was convicted on the other three. Prosecutors had sought a 15-year jail term.

The international community criticised September's verdict, saw the punishment as light, and questioned Jakarta's resolve to root out potential terrorists.

This latest ruling is likely to further disappoint some foreign governments, including several major donors to Indonesia, which have insisted Bashir led JI at least until 2000, and continued to play a major role after that.

A foreign diplomat based in Jakarta said: 'By rolling back Bashir's jail term, the court hurts the country's efforts to fight terror. The body of evidence for his leadership of JI is clear and convincing.' . . .

Despite foreign intelligence information that Bashir played a major role in JI, the authorities have not linked him to either the Bali blasts or August's blast at the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta. Both incidents have been blamed on the group.

Pakistan to deport six terror suspects

"Pakistan will deport six Indonesian students suspected of having links to terrorism next week, including the brother of a recently detained militant considered to be Al-Qaeda's point man in Asia, Indonesian officials said yesterday." This from Straits Times, with thanks to nicolei.

"The suspects, all of whom were studying at the Abubakar Islamic University in Karachi when they were arrested on suspicion of terrorism in September, will be questioned by Indonesian police when they return to Jakarta, said Brig-Gen Soenarko, a police spokesman.

"Pakistan officials have said the men are suspected of having links to Jemaah Islamiah, the Al-Qaeda-linked terror group accused in last year's Bali bombings that killed 202 people. . . . A senior Islamabad-based security official has said the students were part of a JI sleeper cell."

Now wait a minute. They were studying at an Islamic University? Didn't they learn there that the Qur'an teaches peace and nonviolence?

Jihad in Paris: Jewish pupil beaten up by Muslims

"A Jewish pupil attending a highly rated Paris secondary school was repeatedly beaten up by Muslim fellow pupils." This from the Jerusalem Post, with thanks to Alyssa Lappen.

"The headmaster filed a lawsuit against the two aggressors.

"The 11-year old Jewish boy, whose name was not released, was repetitively verbally abused and beaten by two Muslim pupils of the same class.

"'We'll finish Hitler's job,' they reportedly yelled at him. The headmaster moved the Jewish boy to another class within the 1,800 pupils secondary school. . . .
The [Lycée] Montaigne is located in one of the most exclusive areas of Paris opposite the Luxembourg garden.

"The headmaster Jean-Marie Renault announced he will 'organize a debate on the dangers of xenophobia' next term and denied any foot-dragging in the handling of the case. 'The issue is very complex. There is obviously a victim that should be protected, but there are no admission and no witnesses willing to testify. We're in a dead-end.'"

Xenophobia. Yeah, that's the problem, all right.

"Other Jewish pupils at [Lycée] Montaigne decided to take off their 'Hai' and Magen David necklaces.

"France's Chief rabbi Joseph Sitruk recently recommended that Jewish boys should wear caps instead of their kippas in order to avoid being physically abused in the streets."

Jihad warriors trained in rural France

Perhaps attracted by the congenial surroundings, "French Islamist militants, who later spent time in al-Qaida military camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan and went on to became soldiers of the jihad, underwent their first group training exercises in the bucolic surroundings of the forest of Fontainebleau, investigators said yesterday." This from the Guardian, with thanks to CruxNews.

"'We call them the Old Campers,' said a police officer working with judge Jean-Louis Bruguière, France's leading anti-terrorist investigating magistrate. 'They trained in the forest near Paris, and also in the Alps near Annecy. At least one later died fighting with al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan.' . . .

"Several times during night exercises in the Alps, the magazine said, frightened would-be Islamist fighters from France's big-city suburbs got lost in the mountains and had to use their mobile phones to be rescued by gendarmes. One reportedly fell into a crevasse.

"'They were not very advanced affairs,' the police officer said. 'We believe they were used as a sort of preliminary weeding-out procedure, to see who was capable of going further down the road. Some participants who ended up not leaving France worked in support and logistics for terrorist projects that were mounted here.'

"The more successful 'Old Campers' went to training camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2000 and 2001.

"Meanwhile, the head of France's DST intelligence agency said yesterday that France had successfully foiled 'quite a few' terrorist plots.

"Pierre de Bousquet de Florian said some 120 suspects had been arrested in France since the September 11 attacks, and that half of them had been convicted of membership of a terrorist organisation."

El Fadl denies report, threatens to sue

El Fadl strikes back (PBS photo)

The New York Sun (no link, subscription only) reports that Khaled Abou El Fadl, "a Bush administration appointee to the Commission on International Religious Freedom," is "threatening to sue an Egyptian government magazine over an interview in which he allegedly calls President Bush a religious fundamentalist who is seeking to Christianize Muslim countries through invasion.

"The Egyptian publication 'October' quotes Commissioner Khaled Abou El Fadl predicting that America may invade Syria and Iran if Bush is re-elected and describing American soldiers in Iraq as mentally-ill nervous wrecks who wet their beds out of shock that the Iraqi people did not greet their invasion with flowers.

"'I didn't say any of this crap,' Mr. El Fadl told The New York Sun in a telephone interview from Yale Law School, where he is a visiting professor teaching national security law and immigration law. . . .

"'I can't vouch for the translation, but the stuff that they have me saying is pure fabrication. It is not a case of tweaking what I said in a different way, or emphasizing or de-emphasizing what I said,' he said.

"The article also quotes him boasting that he determined the U.S. 'deployment plan of withdrawal from Iraq.'

"'I would need to be a schizophrenic with serious delusions to say that. Give me a break,' said Mr. El Fadl, who is a professor of Islamic law at UCLA law school.

"The article was translated into English by the Middle East Media Research Institute and posted on its popular Web site last week.

"Mr. El Fadl told the Sun that he did not agree to be interviewed by the magazine and has asked a lawyer in Egypt to prepare a possible lawsuit against the magazine. . . .

"Mr. El Fadl said an unidentified man . . . walked up to him during the meeting and asked a handful of general questions in a 10-minute conversation that was neither recorded nor written down. He said he now believes that was the basis for the article.

"He recalled being asked whether he approved of the administration's Iraq policy.

"'I said, I think Middle East needs democracy. We all agree on that, but it is a point of discussion on how we get there,' he told the Sun.

"Asked whether America intends to invade [Syria] and Iran, he recalled replying, 'I don't know.'

"Asked whether he was a 'Muslim stooge' for accepting an appointment from the American president, Mr. El Fadl said he replied: 'No. In fact, the administration had tried from the beginning to be inclusive toward American Muslims, to appear with organizations, to speak about the need for tolerance.'

"But the magazine's rendition of the conversation was more elaborate. . . .

"The article also quotes him as saying that President Bush 'permitted missionaries into Iraq before medicines.' Mr. El Fadl said he has no idea whether missionaries were allowed into Iraq. . . .

"Fellow commission member Nina Shea dismissed the Egyptian press as 'highly unreliable."

"'Based on my encounters with him, I don't believe he said these things,' said Ms. Shea, director of the Center for Religious Freedom of the human rights group Freedom House, in an interview prior to Mr. El Fadl's disavowal of the report.

"'This notion that Bush is a bigot that wants to forcibly Christianize the Middle East sounds more akin to wild conspiracy on the Internet than the reasoned analysis of a scholar. I just don't believe he said these things,' she said."

I am sorry that El Fadl is going through these difficulties, despite my criticisms of his work in the past. If he did not say these things, their fabrication by the Egyptian magazine illustrates how desperate some segments of the Egyptian press are to keep hatred of the United States at a fever pitch.

Bosnian Muslim Officers on Trial for War Crimes

Enver Hadzihasanovic (BBC)

"Prosecutors have opened their case against the two highest-ranking Bosnian Muslims to face trial at the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague." This from the Voice of America. "Army commanders Enver Hadzihasanovic and Amir Kubura are accused of allowing the killing of Bosnian Croat and Serb prisoners of war during the Bosnian conflict in the early 1990s. Prosecutors say they did not act to stop their subordinates from mistreating and murdering the prisoners, or plundering and destroying villages.

"The two officers, who surrendered to the tribunal two years ago, have pleaded not guilty.

"Prosecutor Ekkehard Withopf told the tribunal Tuesday that this trial shows members of all sides in the conflict committed war crimes. He said among the war crimes were ritual beheadings by 'Mujahedin,' or Muslim holy warriors, who came from Islamic countries to fight in the war and were under the commanders' leadership.

"Prosecutors say at least 200 Bosnian Croat and Serb civilians were killed in Muslim attacks on Croat forces in central Bosnia-Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995."

In Onward Muslim Soldiers I trace how Bosnia became a magnet for international jihadists in the 1990s, and explain how jihad ideology poisoned prospects for peace there, as it has in so many other places. Now it seems that some of the truth is coming to light.

Jihad at the Pentagon

Evan D. McCormick, the Henry M. Jackson National Security Fellow at the Center for Security Policy, writes in Front Page that "when federal authorities arrested a Muslim military chaplain nearly one month ago at Guantanamo bay on suspicions of espionage, the danger of our radical Islamist enemies infiltrating the American infrastructure at dangerous levels came into the daylight.

"Federal agents confirmed the bad news with the arrest of Abdurahman Alamoudi, the founder of the military's Muslim Chaplaincy program and an American-Muslim leader well connected to the White House. On October 23, Alamoudi was indicted on charges that include financial dealings with al-Qaeda and Hamas, passport fraud, illegal procurement of citizenship, and engaging in prohibited activities with state sponsor of terrorism, Libya—a relationship that dates back nearly eight years.

"Within days of the arrest, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism held a hearing in which expert witnesses testified that the Graduate School of Islamic Social Sciences (GSISS), an unofficial but primary training body for Muslim chaplains, is part of a network of Saudi-financed entities that are currently under investigation by US authorities for links with terrorist groups.

"But just when it seemed that the US Military had no sensible choice but to immediately overhaul the way it brings Muslim chaplains into its ranks, prominent DOD officials chose instead to ignore the problem. When pressed by members of the Subcommittee about the process of approving groups that certify and endorse chaplains, Defense Deputy Under Secretary Charles Abell stated that the DOD only requires that the endorsing agencies maintain tax-exempt status with the IRS.

"This hands-off policy has led the Pentagon to overlook the fact that the groups it deals with in placing Muslim chaplains are vocally radical and linked with several ongoing Federal terror investigations.

"This is just the latest example in a troubling history of official ignorance about the fact that extremists are exploiting the chaplaincy program as a platform for subversion of US forces. In order to end this vulnerability to our enemies in the War on Terror, officials must face the problem and act immediately."

The article contains numerous valuable details about the extent to which Islamic radicals have penetrated into the chaplaincy.

Saudi Interrogators Try Gentler Approach

"Saudi Arabia, known for harsh criminal penalties such as beheadings, is trying a gentler approach to get information from some al-Qaida captives." AP says that "Saudi interrogators often bring clerics and a Quran to their prison interviews to establish a religious connection, a technique that has proved successful in eliciting information from terrorist suspects and reorienting them to less violent religious beliefs. . . .

"Shortly after these al-Qaida prisoners are taken into custody, Saudi interrogators send in a cleric who appears to espouse militant Islamic views to help build a personal bond with the young men and open a dialogue based on Islam, the officials said.

"'Once we connect with them, the interrogators slowly hand them over to a more moderate cleric, who sits with them and goes over what the Quran says and discusses what the traditions of the prophet are,' one Saudi official explained.

"Over time, the clerics position the prisoners to repent and renounce their past allegiance to the network established by the Saudi-born fugitive bin Laden. Then traditional interrogators are brought in to question the prisoners and learn tactical information, officials said.

"'We have learned that what drove them into this cult, and what causes them to cooperate, is religion,' said one senior Saudi official involved in intelligence work."

You don't say. I'd like to know how this is done — that is, what they show these prisoners from the Qur'an and Sunna that changes their minds. For it is usually radical Muslims, not moderates, who are rigorous about sticking to what the Qur'an and Sunna say about jihad and everything else. In Onward Muslim Soldiers I detail how high-level Saudis (including a chief justice of Saudi Arabia) have taught that the Qur'an's teachings on jihad are in three stages, with violence being the last one, abrogating the others. This is common teaching not just in Saudi Arabia, but all over the Muslim world. Al-Qaeda knows this well.

So how do the interrogators disabuse these imprisoned jihadists of such notions? If they are not doing so, then this story is a sham. If they are doing so, then maybe they have found the key that will destroy radical Islam. I rather think the former view is more likely, but I'd like to know more. (Thanks to Nissan Ratzlav-Katz.)

Jihad in Paraguay

"International law-enforcement authorities combating terrorism have growing concerns about a major influx into the Latin American nation of Paraguay of Arabic-speaking visitors carrying European passports." This from WorldNetDaily, with thanks to Mary Beth Roderick.

"Some of these 'Europeans' could not even speak the language of their so-called mother land, according to a report in the latest issue of Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, an online premium intelligence newsletter published by WND.

"Many of the visitors and emigres travel to the triple border region where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. This region, often described as a lawless area, is nicknamed by some intelligence station agents as 'The Muslim Triangle meeting zone.'

"Intelligence experts have been warning since the late 1990s they had noticed a tendency among Islamic terrorists to operate from Paraguay, a landlocked country in the heart of South America, with a territory slightly smaller than California, and with geographic extremes perfect for hiding illegal activities. Information surrounding such activities arrived in the U.S. before Sept. 11, 2001, but failed to sound any alarms.

"Even today, reports G2 Bulletin, dealing seriously with Islamic terrorism in Latin America is not considered to be of high importance.

"Muslims have also found their way into Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil and other neighboring countries, and authorities claim most Muslims crystallize into small community clusters, centering mainly in large cities, close to mosques, prayer locations or religious Quran schools known as madrassas. One of the best examples to this trend is the Maicao district, where some 70 percent of all small- and medium-sized businesses belong to Muslims mainly of Syrian, Lebanese and Egyptian origin.

"A Colombian official told G2 Bulletin: 'A fair part of our Muslim community are second- and third-generation immigrants, but the problems arise from recent immigrants who import new jihadi philosophies. These people are also active in Islamic missionary work converting the poor and destitute with promises of a better life under Islam.' . . .

"The Argentineans expressed their caution by emphasizing the danger is not only local. They reflected on the anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli deadly terror attacks in 1992 and 1994 in Buenos Aires, warning similar events are imminent elsewhere. The Argentineans now claim the attacks against the Jewish Community Center and the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires are linked to the Iranian intelligence and their Hezbollah proxy.

"These terrorists are organized in active cells around the country with safe houses in neighboring Paraguay. An Argentinean document seen by G2 Bulletin describes part of the drug-smuggling trail, as well as that of weapons and people. These elaborate trails run through a web of border crossings pointing also to the complex cooperation between various 'smuggling experts.' These belong to jihadi organizations such as al-Qaida, joining forces with local drug lords, developing and oiling their smuggling mechanism all the way to Mexico aiming ultimately to hit the U.S.

"The Argentinean intelligence service assessment, privy among others, to European and Middle Eastern agencies, has reached a significant and grave conclusion: They claim that since 9/11, and the partial success in the war against terrorism, mainly in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Central Asia, the jihadi pendulum is tilting more and more toward South America. The reason terrorist cells in Paraguay, whether active or dormant, can continue to grow and flourish, is the fact this nation is considered to be the most corrupt in South America.

"The nature of law and order, or rather lawlessness and disorder in Paraguay, enabled operatives of such terrorist groups as al-Qaida, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas to feel safe, even in the heart of Asuncion. . . . .

"A German agent of the Bundes Nachrichten Dienst - Federal Information Service who recently visited a number of Latin American capitals has evaluated the situation in the triple border area as 'a ticking time bomb.' He believes the growing pressure exercised on terrorists in Europe, Asia and North America will bring many of them to move their organizational apparatus to countries such as Paraguay. . . .

"CIA and MI5 agents, who according to the Asuncion police were 'hovering over the hotel districts,' were surprised to discover Muslim Paraguayans and some of their guests visiting the large Cathedral Blas San de Dia.

"Apparently the alleged terrorists discussed organizational matters while inside the cathedral, hoping to appear as regular worshippers, undisturbed by intelligence agents. A similar practice was reported from other Latin American cities where many suspects of jihad ideologies meet in churches and cathedrals presenting themselves as members of the Christian community. The Israeli experience shows that in the past Arab intelligence services used the disguise of religious Jews to penetrate the Jewish community in Argentina and from there arriving in Israel as 'bona fide' immigrants.

"At this stage the growing danger is that of militant Islam penetrating Mexico, a country with an increasing Muslim community, including Muslim converts. Some of them have ties to the Mexican community and to illegal immigrants' smugglers operating in American states bordering Mexico, especially those with connections in the greater Los Angeles area and other major cities.

"Intelligence experts now assume the so-called jihadi spider web is moving north fast from Paraguay. It is just a question of time before terrorists use, and quite possibly already have used, the loosely guarded American-Mexican border. It should come as no surprise when, sometime in the not-too-far future, the U.S. will be attacked in a deadly way. Presently this danger, due to the porous southern border, enables easy penetration of the country described by one official as 'the largest Swiss cheese in the world.'

New article

Human Events this morning carries a new article by Jihad Watch director Robert Spencer: "On a Collision Course: Democracy and Islam."

"It's the normal thing for people to do in Afghanistan"

The Toronto Star profiles "Abdurahman Khadr, the 20-year-old Canadian released last month from the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo."

This is an article-length exoneration of Khadr. I don't know the details of his case, so it may well be accurate. But it is interesting for its glimpse into the recruitment of jihad warriors in Afghanistan, although it gives no hint of whether or not Khadr was aware of how his leaders were placing the conflict in Afghanistan within the context of a global jihad.

Khadr has actually spent little time in Canada. Mostly he has been in Afghanistan: "Back in 1998, when other Canadian boys his age might be trying to hustle girls, Khadr was a warrior in the making, a 15-year-old enrolled by his father in what he freely volunteered yesterday was an 'Al Qaeda-related training camp.'

The article explains that at the time the Taliban was the legitimate government of Afghanistan, so Khadr was simply doing what he was expected to do: "'It's the normal thing for people to do in Afghanistan,' he said. So that's what he and his older brother, Abdullah, did."

Khadr, however, "said he was not Al Qaeda. In those days, before Osama bin Laden was elevated in the popular mind to the position of world terror mastermind, Al Qaeda was just one of many Islamic factions operating in the crazy dysfunctionality that was Afghanistan."

This is more than a little disingenuous. By 1998, Al Qaeda was hardly just another faction in Afghanistan. By 1998 it was suspected of involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the 1996 murder of 19 American soldiers in Saudi Arabia, and bombings in East Africa in '98 itself. Khadr may not have known all this, but the reporter should have.

Al-Qaeda still spreading, warns UN group

"Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network has continued to spread, with Iraq becoming a fertile ground for al-Qaeda supporters while anti-terror responses have been weak, a UN-appointed group said." This from the Sydney Morning Herald.

"While the group cited some progress in freezing assets of and banning travels by members of al-Qaeda and the former militants in Afghanistan, the Taliban, it said governments failed to cooperate in providing information regarding those members. . . .

"The group, known as the 'Committee on Sanction on al-Qaeda, the Taliban and their associates', was created by the UN Security Council in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States.

"The council ordered a freeze of assets and a travel ban on al-Qaeda and Taliban members. The monitoring group has listed 371 names and organisations belonging to al-Qaeda and Taliban and has demanded governments provide information on 272 individuals for the purposes of asset freezing and travel ban. . . .

"It said Iraq has become 'readily accessible to followers of al-Qaeda'.

"'With such large numbers of foreign and non-Muslim troops involved (in Iraq), it is proving an ideal "battleground" for followers of Osama bin Laden's inspired "World Islamic Front for Jihad against the Jews and Crusaders",' the report said, referring to the US-led coalition army in Iraq.

Which governments have been slow to cooperate? "The monitoring group tried to visit several Middle East countries in September to write the report. Saudi Arabia denied entry to the group. In Kuwait, the group sought information about the al-Qaeda-related Wafa Humanitarian Organisation, but was told that organisation did not exist. Yemen failed to provide names of those detained in the attack against the USS Cole in 2000. In Egypt, the group was told that Cairo had not received a UN letter requesting information on individuals on the list of al-Qaeda suspects. The report said it received little cooperation in Jordan, Syria and Morocco.

"It said governments in some countries were not aware of UN resolutions demanding information and cooperation in fighting global terrorism.

"Al-Qaeda was suspected of maintaining assets in 83 countries, but only 21 countries have reported freezing those assets.

"The total assets frozen amounted to $US75 million ($A103.38 million) with the United States accounting for $US70 million ($A96.49 million).

"Governments have been asked to provide information on asset freezing, but the report said they have been vague on the mechanism and structures put in place to identify and investigate banking institutions that may harbour those assets.

"The UN arms embargo on al-Qaeda and Taliban has not been fully carried out, either. The report said, 'States' description of the measures (embargo) ... are more telling from the information they do not provide than from what they do provide.'

"The UN has also asked for information on charity organisations, which have been suspected of financially helping al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

"But the monitoring group said some governments had resisted demands for information.

"It cited for example the al-Rashid Trust and its partners in Pakistan, and the Om al-Qura Foundation, which has branches in Thailand and Cambodia as well as in Bosnia and Chechnya. Little information was received from those organisations.

"'It has proven particularly difficult to pierce the charity veil and uncover the deep pocket donors, including business entities that provide such funding,' the report said." (Thanks to nicolei.)

American Muslim Woman Sentenced for Role in Taliban Aid

October Martinique Lewis (CNN)

"The lone woman among a group of American Muslims who tried to ally themselves with the Taliban was sentenced Monday to three years in prison." This from AP.

"October Martinique Lewis, 26, was convicted of wiring money to her husband and a group of men who tried to cross into Afghanistan in 2001 to aid the Taliban in their fight against U.S. soldiers.

"'My heart never internalized a hurt so bad that tears are insufficient to explain how it feels to be called a terrorist by my fellow Americans,' said Lewis, whose traditional Muslim garb covered all but her face. 'Even so, I refuse to be bitter. Love and peace remain unyielding in my heart.'"

It may seem strange or simply deceptive for Lewis to complain about being called a terrorist after trying to help people join up with the Taliban. However, it is common for radical Muslims to bridle at the appellation of "terrorist." They are not criminals, anarchists, or purveyors of chaos. They are fighting to establish the law of Allah.

"Last week, Lewis' former husband, Jeffrey Leon Battle, and another of the men, were sentenced to 18 years in prison for conspiracy to levy war against the United States.

"Four other men accused of conspiring to travel to Afghanistan have pleaded guilty, and a fifth, accused ringleader Habis Abdulla al Saoub, 37, was killed in a shootout in Pakistan, according to the U.S. government.

"The group only made it as far as China and never entered Afghanistan."

Jailed Muslim had many friends in Washington

Abdurahman Alamoudi (IslamOnline.net)

Abdurahman Alamoudi was one of the nation's leading Muslim "moderates." In former Congressman Paul Findley's book Silent No More: Confronting America's False Images of Islam, he praised Alamoudi as an "early pioneer in Muslim political activism"; he didn't quote, of course, any of Alamoudi's statements supporting terrorist groups.

Findley wasn't the only one fooled by false images. The Washington Post today carries a revealing and disquieting piece about Alamoudi's political influence in Washington.

It begins by recounting an iftaar dinner in 1996: "the guest list was impressive: Clinton administration officials, ambassadors and Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.), a prominent Jewish senator. To Abdurahman Alamoudi, the charismatic Muslim leader who organized the Feb. 13, 1996, dinner, it was a landmark in his community's struggle for political recognition. . . .

"Today, Alamoudi sits in a green jumpsuit in the Alexandria jail, charged with accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from Libya, a U.S.-designated sponsor of terrorism. He has pleaded not guilty.

"U.S. officials have also alleged that the Falls Church resident funneled money to organizations that support Middle East terrorist groups, but they have not charged him with any crime related to those allegations. His attorneys say the claims are unfounded.

"Perhaps no other arrest since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks has so shaken the U.S. Muslim community or so reverberated through Washington's political elite. Alamoudi is no youthful jihadi, no dirty-bomb conspirator. He is a well-heeled advocate who had represented American Muslims in White House meetings. He had helped found the Pentagon's Muslim chaplain program. He also was a pillar of the local Muslim community, generously donating to charitable events and running a free health clinic in Falls Church.

"In nearly two dozen interviews, Alamoudi's friends, his former colleagues and U.S. officials depict him as a man savvy enough to enjoy great success working the U.S. political system but too naive or stubborn to abide by American financial practices.

"U.S. officials suspect him of more sinister intentions. They said Alamoudi cultivated a moderate image that masks support for a radical agenda he long privately espoused. They point to his contacts with people the United States has designated terrorist sponsors, a statement of support for a 1994 terrorist attack and his association with groups suspected of funneling money to terrorists. They also question the destination of millions of dollars that passed through his personal bank accounts. . . ."

How did Alamoudi become so influential? ". . . as U.S. involvement in the Middle East deepened, the government was eager to reach out to Muslims. Alamoudi seemed moderate, a man who denounced terrorism and supported the 1991 Gulf War.

"The council wanted to 'tell mainstream America that the Muslim community . . . is part and parcel of America,' Alamoudi said in the interview. At the same time, he said, it wanted to 'tell the Muslim community we need to organize ourselves, to get and obtain our rights.' . . .

"Alamoudi's energetic networking soon helped the council develop contacts at the highest levels of government. Its members met with members of Congress and officials from the National Security Council and Justice Department and even, on several occasions, with President Bill Clinton. First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton hosted one Ramadan reception, and prominent figures such as Lieberman spoke at others. . . .

"Lieberman was not alone in engaging Alamoudi. The State Department sent him to Muslim countries at least six times in the 1990s, to speak on religious tolerance and Muslim life in the United States, officials said.

"'Arabic speakers that would say the right things to Arab audiences were in short supply,' explained a State Department official. 'Abdurahman Alamoudi got really good reviews. . . . We would have used him more if we could have.' . . .

"Investigators are trying to follow Alamoudi's personal money trail. On tax returns Alamoudi said he never earned more than $58,000 a year, but investigators have alleged that $2.17 million moved through his bank accounts from 1996 to 2002. Court papers show that Alamoudi's brothers, who live in Saudi Arabia, gave him about $550,000 in unreported gifts from 1997 to 2002.

"He declined to comment on his personal funds other than to say he used the money to help American Muslims. . . .

"The 18-count indictment handed up Oct. 23 charges Alamoudi with money laundering, fraud and illegal travel in his relationships with the government of Moammar Gaddafi. As he passed through London on his way to Syria in August, prosecutors contended, Alamoudi received $340,000 in sequentially numbered $100 bills from a representative of a charity funded by the Libyan government. Alamoudi intended to illegally ship the money back to the United States, the indictment alleges. But British authorities discovered the cash in his luggage and confiscated it.

"Doing business with Libya is illegal under U.S. law because of that nation's role in the 1988 bombing of an airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, and other terrorist acts. . . .

"In a separate document filed Sept. 31 to argue for Alamoudi's continued detention, prosecutors also contended that Alamoudi has ties to organizations and individuals linked to the Islamic Resistance Movement, also known as Hamas, and al Qaeda. They have not charged him with any crimes relating to those allegations.

"Alamoudi said he had held only ceremonial posts with the organizations listed in court papers. 'I might have signed a check or two, but I had no involvement in those organizations,' he said.

"Prosecutors also alleged in court that Alamoudi explicitly endorsed a terrorist act. They read a transcript of a 1999 conversation between Alamoudi and an unidentified person during one of Alamoudi's State Department-sponsored trips to the Middle East. According to the transcript, Alamoudi said the 1998 al Qaeda attacks on two U.S. embassies in East Africa were not effective because they killed hundreds of Africans but no Americans.

"Instead, he said, he favored the selection of 'strategic' targets like the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, where a 1994 bombing killed 86 people. Alamoudi described that attack as 'a worthy operation,' according to the transcript.

"In the interview, Alamoudi said such statements were part of an effort to win the trust of those who support violence and get 'people from the extremist view to come back [to] the center.'

"Even before the current case, however, Alamoudi was under investigation for possible terrorist financing, according to a government document and a Department of Homeland Security official. A search-warrant affidavit filed in March 2002 said Alamoudi was an officer or director of several organizations that are part of what the government calls the Safa Group, a network of Muslim charities, businesses and think tanks based in Northern Virginia. The government is investigating whether those organizations were used to funnel millions of dollars to terrorists.

"No one has been charged in the cases. Nancy Luque, an attorney for many of the groups and individuals, has categorically denied they have any connection to terrorism. . . ."

Politicians began to treat him more carefully. "In late October 2000, Hillary Clinton, who was running for the U.S. Senate in New York, returned thousands of dollars in campaign donations from Alamoudi and other Muslims after some media described them as supporters of Palestinian violence. Presidential candidate George W. Bush returned $1,000 at the same time.

"Alamoudi was furious. When he arrived at a demonstration against U.S. Middle East policies in Lafayette Square on Oct. 28, 2000, friends recalled, he angrily took the microphone.

"'Anybody's a supporter of Hamas here?' he yelled as the crowd cheered. 'Hear that, Bill Clinton, we are all supporters of Hamas! . . . I am also a supporter of Hezbollah!'"

OK. So he said that because he was angry with Hillary and Bush? Why did the crowd cheer? Didn't all the moderate Muslims who assert that suicide bombing is forbidden by the Qur'an protest this display of support?

Global jihad watch: Philippine rebels trained by Indonesian terrorists

Just as foreign jihadists are traveling to Iraq to wage jihad, so "Indonesian militants from the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah (JI) network are probably training Filipino guerillas in mountainous areas on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, a top official said yesterday." This from AFP, with thanks to Nicolei.

"Defence Secretary Eduardo Ermita, quoting military intelligence reports, said the Indonesians were believed to be in the Lanao province and near areas controlled by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country's largest separatist force negotiating peace with Manila.

"The 31 Indonesians could be the remnants of a group who infiltrated Mindanao as early as 1999 with the help of bomb expert Fathur Rohman al-Ghozie, who was killed by troops in October, he said. He warned the MILF against associating with the Indonesians."

Al-Jazeera under fire for links to terrorism

An Al-Jazeera broadcast shows a man calling for attacks on the US. -- REUTERS

John R. Bradley, managing editor of Arab News, writes in Straits Times about the notorious Qatari news network Al-Jazeera's recent troubles: "Even for a news organisation which frequently makes world headlines, the past two months have been a roller-coaster ride for Al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based, Arabic-language satellite station famous for airing exclusive video and audio messages from Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

"Its best-known Arab reporter, Tayssir Allouni, was arrested in Spain in September for his alleged membership of a Syrian-dominated Al-Qaeda group suspected of close links to the cell responsible for the Sept 11 attacks. He has since been charged.

"The US-backed Iraqi National Congress, meanwhile, slapped a two-week ban on Al-Jazeera's Baghdad reporters in the same month, following accusations that they had encouraged 'anti-coalition attacks' within Iraq by airing calls for suicide attacks by what the station invariably calls 'resistance groups'.

"Then, in October, US forces detained two Al-Jazeera employees covering a suicide bombing at a police station in Baghdad suspected of having had prior knowledge of the attack. They had arrived at the scene and started to film before the bomb went off.

"Last week, Al-Jazeera was in the headlines again, this time for dumping its star Western journalist, Yvonne Ridley, as the senior editor of the recently launched English-language website, english.aljazeera.net. . . .

"Ridley, for decades a Fleet Street hack, shot to fame in 2001, shortly before the US bombing campaign against Afghanistan, when she sneaked into the country disguised as an Afghan woman riding a donkey. The Taleban jailed her for 10 days.

"In a book, Ridley claimed the CIA leaked false documents to the Taleban saying she was a spy for Mossad, the Israeli secret service.

"The CIA had hoped, she argued, that her captors would be persuaded to execute her, and thus give the pro-war lobby in the West a powerful boost on the eve of the planned bombing campaign.

"Ridley became not the martyr to radical Islam she claims the West had planned for, but a convert to Islam - and then, as a journalist with Al-Jazeera, a thorn in the West's side in the build-up and aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq, most notably with a series of powerful articles attacking the war's assumed justification.

"Yvonne Ridley was sacked last week, a sign that Al-Jazeera is generally toning down its anti-US rhetoric. . . . an article had appeared in a respected Kuwaiti newspaper which quoted an American Gulf-based diplomat as saying Congress had secretly proposed to US President George W. Bush that he should 'put all possible pressure' on the Qatari government to close Al-Jazeera.

"The article, published in the Arabic-language daily Al-Siyasa, sent shockwaves through Al-Jazeera, according to insiders, despite the fact that its journalists were not able to verify its accuracy. . . .

"If Al-Jazeera failed to relook its news content, the committee was said to have concluded, the US would in turn have to reconsider its relations with Qatar - from where the US-led war on Iraq had been supervised.

"Al-Siyasa said committee members had accused Al-Jazeera of being against both US foreign and domestic political interests and its armed forces, particularly those in Iraq and Afghanistan; of having become a platform for Al-Qaeda and the ousted Iraqi regime; and of promoting other 'fundamentalist and terrorist' Islamist groups.

"There is no doubt that, under all this pressure, Al-Jazeera is toning down its anti-US rhetoric. There is evidently little room for the likes of Ridley, eager to promote anti-US and pro-Arab agendas." (Thanks to nicolei.)

Security alert in Scotland: "Tartan Taliban" questioned, released

Most Americans have heard of John Walker Lindh, the "Marin County Mujahid" who converted to Islam as a teenager and had gone to Afghanistan to join forces with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda by the time he was in his early twenties. Few know that there are many such Westerners — including the Australian Jack Jihad Thomas and the Scot James McLintock, the "Tartan Taliban." These men, whose only tie to Islam was religious, not cultural or national, illustrate how radical Muslims use traditional Islamic religious concepts — not national loyalty, resentment born of poverty, or other inducements now fashionable among analysts — to recruit terrorists.

McLintock was recently arrested again: "A man labelled the Tartan Taliban was detained by anti-terrorist officers in Manchester last week, it emerged yesterday.

"James McLintock, a graduate of Dundee University whose parents live in Arbroath, was arrested last Thursday but released the next day without charge.
News of his arrest came as seven other men continued to be questioned and as a newspaper reported that M15 fear a possible Christmas bombing campaign by al Qaeda.

"Mr McLintock, a 39-year-old father of four, was described as the Tartan Taliban after he was arrested at the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Christmas Eve, 2001.

"He was held for 40 days in Pakistan before being released.

"He was raised a Catholic, but converted to Islam and had lived in Karachi with his wife and family for two years.

"Scotland Yard and M15 are worried that Islamic fundamentalists may be preparing to carry out simultaneous attacks on so-called soft targets such as shopping centres. . . .

"Meanwhile, six men were being detained by Sussex Police under anti-terrorism legislation, as elsewhere officers continued to question a man suspected of having links to the al Qaeda network.

"The six men, of North African origin and all in their mid-20s, were arrested in Eastbourne a few days ago, but details were not immediately released by police.
They are being held under a section of the Terrorism Act relating to the arranging of funds or property for the purposes of terrorism, police said.

"They were detained by officers investigating a large-scale cheque and credit card fraud."

"Yes to Iraq, no to terrorism"

"We demand that all criminals, whether they are Saddam [Hussein] loyalists or al-Qaeda members, be chased and tried for their crimes against the Iraqi people," said Ali Sahib, an Iraqi who "lost his daughter in a recent suicide bombing."

This was the most encouraging statement in a BBC report about the Iraqi anti-terror rally, in which "hundreds of Iraqis have marched in the capital, Baghdad, to protest against 'terrorism' and continuing violence."

The BBC persists, however, in placing the word "terrorism" within sneer quotes. If they don't know what it means, they should ask Ali Sahib.