Singapore conference "International Conference on Terrorist Rehabilitation and Community Resilience" says 10,000 pro-jihad websites recruit but less than 100 are countering jihad propaganda

A 100 to 1 disadvantage yet we persist in telling the truth.  I do think there are more than 100 sites actively countering jihadist and Islamist propaganda, but the number 10,000 is chilling.  Even if the number is less, the disparity shows how powerful internet jihad recruiting has become, and how much more important the dissenting voices have become.  Spread the word far and wide; we must not let our voices be silenced in the face of mounting calls for our silence.  Keep telling everyone you know that the threat is real, spreading and as vicious as the ebola virus.

From Emirates 24/7 March 27

10,000 extremist websites on Internet: expert

There are more than 10,000 extremist websites on the Internet compared to fewer than 100 countering them, an analyst on Tuesday told a conference which stressed the need to rebut militant propaganda.

"In many ways, the terrorists are very successful in cyberspace," said counter-terrorism analyst Rohan Gunaratna, who heads the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore.

"It is very important for us to build in the next 10 years the capacities and capabilities to counter the increasing presence and the operation of these groups in cyberspace."

Speakers at the International Conference on Terrorist Rehabilitation and Community Resilience said moderate Islamic groups and governments should make a concerted effort to counter extremist propaganda on the Internet.

YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social media are increasingly being exploited to spread extremist views, and moderate religious leaders and governments must keep pace to counter their arguments, they said.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a keynote speech that self-radicalisation through constant exposure to radical views online was a "growing phenomenon".

"Jihadist sites and sermons by charismatic ideologue firebrands are just a mouse click away," said Lee, who also stressed the need for closer international cooperation against terrorism.

Some 500 security analysts, academics and religious leaders attended the forum.

Islamic scholar Ali Mohamed, co-chairman of Singapore's Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), said cyberspace "is shaping up to be the new battleground for hearts and minds".

The RRG counsels and reindoctrinates jailed militants and helps them reintegrate into society, including some arrested in late 2001 for allegedly plotting to bomb US and other targets in the city-state.

"Terrorists are increasingly exploiting the Internet as a tool for mass communication and radicalisation," said Ali.

"RRG believes that this is one of our greatest challenges today -- to deal (with) and counter the pervasive spread of terrorist ideologies and extremist views online."

No purple hearts for those killed and wounded by Ft. Hood jihadist

In this instance the beard wins.  The Army in its infinite wisdom has made a formal decision to not give the purple heart to the victims of Nidal Hasan because, in their words it would "...set the stage for a formal declaration that Major Hasan is a terrorist' because the medal is presented to military members who are 'wounded or killed in any action against an enemy of the United States."  In other words, the act of passing out the purple heart would give credence to the act as one of jihad, which the court wants to avoid at all costs, for to do so would open the worm can to questions about Islamic ideology.  Hasan is not to be seen as anything more than aberrant "workplace violence" which is what we are supposed to believe, per the White House.  The government is slapping the faces of the victims both alive and dead by giving in to political correctness.  To identify the cause of Hasan's actions would call Islam into question, and we can't have that now, can we?

From From Reuters/Yahoo March 29 by Jim Forsyth

Army formally declines Purple Hearts for Fort Hood shooting victims

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The U.S. Army on Friday formally declined to award Purple Heart medals to the victims of Major Nidal Hasan's shooting rampage at Fort Hood, saying the move would damage his ability to receive a fair trial.

The Army in a position paper said that awarding the medal to those wounded and posthumously to those killed in the November 2009 attack would 'set the stage for a formal declaration that Major Hasan is a terrorist' because the medal is presented to military members who are 'wounded or killed in any action against an enemy of the United States.'

Hasan, 42, an Army psychiatrist, opened fire on a group of soldiers who were preparing for deployment to Afghanistan, killing 13 and wounding 32 before he was shot and permanently paralyzed by two civilian Fort Hood police officers.

He faces the death penalty if he convicted by a military jury on 13 specifications of premeditated murder. His court martial is set to begin in July.

The Army formalized its ongoing opposition to awarding the Purple Hearts in a position paper responding to language inserted in the Defense Authorization Bill, which would require the Secretary of the Army to award the medal.

Some of Hasan's wounded victims and families of the deceased have filed a federal lawsuit and among the demands is that each of the victims be awarded financial compensation and a Purple Heart.

"U.S. military personnel are organized, trained and equipped to combat foreign, not domestic, forces or threats," the Army wrote. "To expand the Purple Heart award criteria to include domestic criminal acts or domestic terror attacks would be a dramatic departure from the traditional Purple Heart award criteria."

It's time to change the criteria, but to do so means addressing Islamic theology and an honest discussion of the tenets of jihad that drove Nidal Hasan and others to murder in the name of Allah.

A spokesman for the Secretary of the Army did not return a phone call seeking further comment.

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Syrian jihadists have Western weapons courtesy Saudi Arabia and Qatar

It will be stressed that neither country would willingly give these weapons to known jihadists, and as they have said as much they should be believed, right?  Yet as most of us knew the weapons would, eventually go to those who want the imposition of a true Islamic state in Syria, and Al-Nusra has been designated by our administration as the top terrorist group working within the FSA, but somehow our guns magically appear in their hands on the battlefield.  Granted they are Croatian weapons and not directly from a US manufacturer (as far as we know) but still they are not used guns from a previous skirmish, nor are they from China or North Korea, they are top of the line military weapons made to kill many and decimate the enemy.  Who do you think will be the enemy targeted after the fall of Assad?

All those weapons and no one to turn them on...what to do, what to do.

From VOA March 25 by Jamie Dettmar

Syrian Jihadist Fighters Getting Western Weapons

A Syrian rebel group the Obama administration considers a terrorist organization is managing to obtain modern anti-tank weapons meant for other groups fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad, according to regional experts.

The Jihadist Jabhat al-Nusra militia is managing to secure weapons being supplied by Saudi Arabia and Qatar to rebel brigades affiliated to the Free Syrian Army, the experts say. The Obama administration considers al-Nusra a terrorist organization because of suspected links with al-Qaida.

The weapons include the Croatian-made M79 portable 90 mm anti-tank gun and M60 recoilless anti-tank weapons. Regional experts say Saudi Arabia and Qatar had been supplying such weapons to rebel units more acceptable to the West, mainly secular or nationalist-focused groups such as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) brigades fighting to oust the Assad government.

Croatian-made weapons

According to the experts, the weapons are now appearing in the hands of al-Nusra fighters in videos posted by group on Jihadist websites.

In February, the New York Times first reported that the Saudis were supplying Syrian rebels with arms bought from Croatia. The supply operation was prompted by the fear in the West, and among Gulf allies, that Jihadist groups were better equipped than other rebel units and were increasingly able to dominate the anti-Assad movement.

The newspaper reported Monday that U.S. Central Intelligence Agency consultants were helping Arab nations and Turkey in getting heavy weapons to the Syrian rebels despite Washington’s public stance against supplying such weapons itself.

Citing air traffic data and interviews with unnamed officials and rebel commanders, the Times said the weapons airlift to the rebels had grown to include more than 160 military flights by Jordanian, Saudi and Qatari cargo planes landing at Esenboga Airport near Ankara, and at other Turkish and Jordanian airports.

Reports of CIA assistance

Croatian weaponry believed to be part of those airlifts had been seen being used earlier this year by other Jihadist groups fighting in Syria, but al-Nusra videos posted on the internet this weekend showed for the first time their fighters using the M79 and M60 antitank weapons.
​​

“Neither of these weapons are locally available, either from the black market or looted from the Syrian army because they don't have them,” said British-based weapons researcher, Eliot Higgins, who first spotted the videos. “That's what made them so easy to track; they stand out like sore thumbs in Syria.”

Since announcing its formation in Syria in early 2012, Jabhat al-Nusra has grown rapidly and is considered one of the most effective forces opposing the Assad government.

The rise of al-Nusra, which has homegrown fighters in its ranks as well foreign jihadists drawn from elsewhere in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, has complicated Western considerations about whether and how to supply arms to the Syrian rebels.

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Manhattan: jihadist gets almost 10 years for training with Al-Shabaab

Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed, another misunderstander of the peaceful teachings of Muhammad.  It's amazing how many of them there are, and how they justify their actions through the theology of Islam.  But for me to point that out, well that would be Islamophobic.

From the FBI March 27

Al Shabaab Operative Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 111 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Support and Receive Military-Type Training from a Foreign Terrorist Organization

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 111 months in prison for conspiring to provide material support to and to receive military-type training from al Shabaab, a terrorist organization based in Somalia. The U.S. Department of State has designated al Shabaab as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed traveled thousands of miles to align himself with al Shabaab, to aid their campaign of terror, and to learn their ‘ways of war.’ Today, his journey ends in prison and marks the latest victory in our constant effort to protect Americans from terrorism at home and around the world.”

According to the Superseding information filed in Manhattan federal court, and prior court filings:

Al Shabaab has used violent means to destabilize the government of Somalia and to force the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country. The group has recruited foreign fighters to join in its “holy war” in Somalia, resulting in men from other countries, including the United States, traveling there to engage in violent jihad. Al Shabaab has also made numerous public statements demonstrating its intent to harm the United States.

In early 2009, Ahmed left his home in Sweden and traveled to Somalia in order to support and receive military-type training from al Shabaab. While in Somalia, Ahmed contributed approximately 3,000 Euros to al Shabaab, received training and instruction with respect to bomb-making and bomb-detonation, and purchased an AK-47 rifle, additional magazines, and two grenades. Ahmed subsequently provided the rifle and magazines to an al Shabaab military commander.
In addition to the prison term, an order of judicial removal was signed, and Ahmed will be deported upon completion of the sentence...

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What is Islamic Apartheid?

From Jihad Watch March 27 by Robert Spencer

"This is Islamic Apartheid": New AFDI ad campaign to launch in NYC to counter blood libel by American Muslims

We submitted [the top four ads above] responding to the repulsive, anti-Semitic American Muslims for Palestine ads (above) that were announced yesterday. Our ads will focus on the real apartheid, Islamic apartheid: the institutionalized oppression of women, gays and non-Muslims under Islamic law (Sharia). 

This is the fourth repulsive anti-Semitic campaign that Muslim Jew-haters are running in the New York City transit system. It is important to point out that it is these campaigns that were the impetus for the AFDI pro-Israel and #MyJihad campaigns. I can assure you that this latest Goebbels-style demonization of the Jews will not go unanswered. We are working right now to get ads responding to these ready for submission.

Anne Bayefsky notes that "there were once an estimated 900,000 Jews" in the Muslim world, "but today there are less than a few thousand. They were given a choice: die, convert or flee." That's apartheid. The slaughter of gays across the Muslim world: that's apartheid. The persecution of Christians across the Muslim world: that's apartheid. Muslims are freer in Israel than in any Muslim country.

Our ads will focus on the real apartheid, Islamic apartheid: the institutionalized oppression of women, gays and non-Muslims under Islamic law (Sharia).

Contribute to this campaign here or via paypal. Send your donation to americanfreedomdefense@aol.com (it's a 501C3)

See all the ads at the link above.

Staten Island; jihadist found guilty of lying about going to Pakistan to join other jihadists

Abdel Hameed Shehadeh believed he could go to Pakistan and learn to wage war against the infidel.  He tried to join both Al-Qaeda and the Taliban but was unable to get into Pakistan proper.  Other attempts to join other jihadists were also thwarted, and he was finally arrested at the end of 2010 in Hawaii.  Now he faces up to 21 years when sentenced.

No virgins for him!

From Staten Island Live March 25 by Frank Donnelly

Former Staten Islander convicted of lying to conceal attempts to join jihadist groups

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A former Staten Island resident, who wanted to die as a "martyr" fighting against his native United States, was convicted Monday of lying to the FBI regarding a trip to Pakistan in which he tried to join terrorists, said federal prosecutors.

Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, 23, was found guilty of making false statements in a matter involving international terrorism, said a spokesman for Loretta E. Lynch, United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Shehadeh, more recently a resident of Hawaii, faces up to 21 years in prison when sentenced by District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano, a Staten Island resident. A date has not been set.

Shehadeh was charged with three counts of making false statements to the FBI regarding a trip to Pakistan during which he allegedly attempted to join the Taliban or al Qaeda. Shehadeh tried to cover his tracks by telling federal agents he was journeying abroad to visit a university, said Ms. Lynch's spokesman.

A one-time Tottenville High School student, Shehadeh so wanted to join a jihadist group that he flew on a one-way ticket to Islamabad, Pakistan in June 2008, but Pakistani officials turned him away. The U.S. citizen also tried, unsuccessfully, that year to enlist in the U.S. Army at the Times Square recruiting station in Manhattan. Prosecutors said he hoped to deploy to Iraq, where he intended to commit "treason" and kill U.S. soldiers.

Undeterred, Shehadeh, in June 2009, bought an airline ticket from Hawaii to Dubai, but was intercepted by FBI agents who told him he was on a "no fly" list, said prosecutors.

In subsequent interviews, he allegedly admitted he had hoped to join the Taliban and receive training in "guerrilla warfare" and "bomb-making," according to court records.

Shehadeh wanted to die as a "martyr," waging war against his native United States, said prosecutors. He believed he would receive 72 virgins as a reward for giving his life for the jihadist cause...

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"It is impossible to read this latest UN report, or to listen to its authors and its state sponsors, without knowing that the campaign to rid the world of Israeli settlements is a campaign to rid the world of Israel"

The problems in the Middle East, from the Islamic perspective will go away once Israel goes away.  The UN, from reading this article feels the same way.

From the Jerusalem Post March 17 by Ann Bayefsky

Apartheid Palestine?

On Monday, March 17 in Geneva, the UN Human Rights Council will hold a first-ever three-hour session devoted to the alleged human rights abomination known as the “Israeli settlement.” In the moral wasteland of the United Nations, a Jew living on Arab-claimed land is a violation of Arab human rights.

There were once an estimated 900,000 Jews across the Arab world, but today there are less than a few thousand. They were given a choice: die, convert or flee.

Now the 22nd Judenrein Arab state is in-the-making: Apartheid Palestine.

Meanwhile, 20 percent of Israel’s population is Arab, and free Arab citizens sit on the highest courts of the land, represent Israel abroad, and hold political office. An Arab living (and thriving) in the Jewish state is fulfilling a human right.

How does this obvious contradiction make it past the human rights geniuses at the UN?
The answer is almost as old as humankind: intolerance, xenophobia, bigotry and lawyers.

On the table in Geneva will be a report, produced by three lawyers carefully selected by the UN brass.

The first item of business brushed aside by these legal beagles was that the conclusion of their so-called “fact-finding mission” was decided before they ever got started. Their job description, laid out by the Human Rights Council, was “to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the... rights of the Palestinian people.” But the same resolution already says: “Affirming that the Israeli settlement activities... constitute very serious violations... of the human rights of the Palestinian people.”

Then there was the irrelevant issue of the bias of the fact-finders.

Pakistani “expert” Asma Jahangir has already had numerous UN jobs (as has her sister Hina Jilani, one of four authors of the UN’s infamous Goldstone Report). In 2004, as UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Jahangir took the extraordinary step of issuing a special statement exclaiming she was “aghast at the planned and deliberate extrajudicial execution of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.”

When Israel killed Yassin’s successor, Abdul Aziz Rantissi – with zero civilian casualties – Jahangir “sent a communication to the Government of Israel” worried that Israeli helicopters had fired “into the civilian car of Dr. Abdul Aziz al-Rantisi, a senior Hamas political leader.” No matter that their terrible acts had led US authorities to name both men as “specially designated global terrorists,” or that as combatants in a war they were not entitled to judicial process.

French “expert” Christine Chanet is on record as having told a UN treaty body meeting in July 2010 that settlements impose “severe” impediments to Palestinian rights.

Her decisions as a member of the UN Human Rights Committee are also revealing. In 2001 she dissented when the Committee decided that a Jewish citizen of the Czech Republic had been denied equal protection of the law after Czech authorities failed to provide restitution for property plundered by the Nazis. Chanet reasoned that by deciding in favor of the Jewish victim, the Committee was wrongly “involving itself in the assessment of evidence by the domestic courts.”

But in 2004, Chanet dissented when the Committee decided not to pursue the complaint of a professor who alleged he was denied an academic promotion because of his perceived anti-Israel and anti-Semitic views. In the case of the alleged anti-Jewish victim, Chanet reasoned in the opposite direction. She said the Committee erred in refusing to reassess the professor’s record of performance because the right answer was to “be determined not in the light of the complaint as made before a domestic court.”

The third judge, Unity Dow from Botswana, has been on the Executive Committee of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) since 2006, and was chairperson of the Executive Committee from June 2011 to June 2012. During that time, the ICJ played a leading role in pressing for and supporting the Goldstone report and its libelous accusation that Israeli defense forces deliberately targeted Palestinian civilians.

It is hardly surprising, therefore, that these legal minds produced a report on settlements that looks like law but smells like rubbish.

The report objects to “Settlement Master Plans.” The capitalized terminology is invented by the reports’ authors and is an unmistakable allusion to the deportation “masterplan” of Nazi SS chief Heinrich Himmler.

The report has one annex. It begins: “Timeline – Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestine Territory 1948.” Not 1967.

The report provides a “list of selected sources” upon which it relied, and links to them are helpfully provided by the UN website. A submission by the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists was deliberately excluded. Included are sources that claim Israel is deliberately dumping “waste” in the territories to increase cancer and miscarriages among Palestinians, that object to Israel’s “Law of Return” – the foundation of Zionism, and that place Israeli “security” in quotation marks on the grounds that the issue deliberately “masks an intent” to impose “a system of domination by one racial group over another.”

In short, the UN got exactly what it asked for.

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Obama appointee involved in Muslim sponsored event calling for free speech restrictions

In  a sane world these people would be roundly condemned and given no weight whatsoever.  In the PC world now, these people get platforms and lecture invites to sway the gullible kuffir towards a time when any speech about Islam deemed insulting would be punishable.  The irony of this particular episode is that the appointee,  Dr. Azizah al-Hibri is on the euphemistically titled "U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom" and he was publicly applauded by Dr. Qasim Rashid at Howard University during the symposium called “The Limits of Free Speech in a Global Era: Does America’s Free Speech Model Endanger Muslim Americans?”  Dr. Rashid spent most of his microphone time extolling the virtues of censoring speech deemed insulting or hateful to Muslims in America.  Equating speech which insults with a burning Qur'an, Rashid believes that with cyber-bullying laws on the books already, an expansion of those laws to prosecute speech would be easy, as "...we're already holding individuals responsible for this intentional infliction of harm on others"

Hate speech laws, including cyber-bullying laws will be used against us in the pursuit of the spread of pure Islam, and those promoters of Islam like Rashid and al-Hibri will be seen not as jihadists, but as "moderates" right up until it is too late.  With people like these in the White House, do we really need outside enemies?

From CNS March 26 by Elizabeth Harrington


Obama’s Religious Freedom Appointee Involved in Muslim Event Calling for Limiting Freedom of Speech

(CNSNews.com) – America’s free-speech model is in desperate need of an update, says an American-Muslim human rights activist who recently spoke at an event linked to an Obama administration appointee.
Dr. Qasim Rashid argued that cyber-bullying laws could be used to limit freedom of expression – such as the burning of Korans -- in war time:

“When a nation is at war, many things that might be said in times of peace are a hindrance to this effort,” Rashid said on March 19 at Howard University. “And their utterance will not be endured so long as men fight and…no court can regard them as protected by any constitutional right.

Wait...we are not at war with Islam, and Islam is not at war with us so who are we at war with?  Oh yeah, we are at war with the tactic of terrorism.

Rashid began his remarks by personally thanking Dr. Azizah al-Hibri, appointed by President Barack Obama to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in June 2011. Al-Hibri founded Karamah, a group devoted to the rights of Muslim women, and it was this group that invited Rashid to speak.

“I do want to start by thanking Karamah,” Rashid said. “I was fortunate enough to have several constitutional scholars look at this paper and provide feedback. Dr. al-Hibri, of course…”

The topic of the March 19 event at Howard University was titled, “The Limits of Free Speech in a Global Era: Does America’s Free Speech Model Endanger Muslim Americans?”

“Our understanding of free speech today is not some long-held 227- or 235-year understanding,” said Rashid, a member of the Muslim Writers Guild of America, who presented a paper titled “In Harm’s Way: The Desperate Need to Update America’s Current Free Speech Model.”

Rashid quoted Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who in 2011 said, “Free speech is a great idea, but we're in a war.”

Advances in technology that allow videos and messages to cross the world in an instant require a “revised speech model,” Rashid said.

“Most, if not all of you are familiar with the 2011 case where Terry Jones, a pastor from Florida, burned a Koran on March 20, 2011, and this event itself provides a prime example of the gap that advanced technology caused in America's free speech model,” Rashid said.

“So in addition to placing a big sign on his church lawn that said Islam is the devil, Jones burned the Koran, screened it live on the Internet and put in layman's translations so that people in war-torn [areas] in particular can see what he's doing,” he continued. “Now like the hypothetical KKK member who might burn a cross on his black neighbor’s lawn to target him specifically, Jones did the exact same thing by burning the Koran -- broadcast it and targeted Muslims in a war- torn country…to target them specifically.”

Terry Jones never said he was targeting Muslims in any way, he did say he wanted people to understand that his burning of the Qur'an was his way of making the point that he felt the Qur'an was a violent book.  The KKK, when burning crosses made a specific point to say they were "Christian" and wanted blacks to be either dead or gone, preferably dead.  A burning cross is a direct threat, a burning Qur'an is, at best a insult.

Rashid noted that government officials warned Jones that his actions might provoke violence, and while Jones said he knew it, he burned the Koran anyway, sparking deadly protests in Afghanistan and a condemnation by Pakistan’s government.

Who is responsible for their actions but the one expressing those actions, not the one saying something derogatory.  Not in Islam, though.

Using the Koran burning as an example, Rashid said that cyber-bullying legislation could be used to prosecute individuals for their speech on a case-by-case basis.

“My argument is that we already have legislation, right?” he said. “I mean, we already have a cyber-bullying policy in all 50 states that even without the threat of violence – even without violence occurring, we're already holding individuals responsible for this intentional infliction of harm on others.”

“So I think that legislation's already there,” Rashid said. “It's just more a question of how is it going to be applied.”

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Obama releases $500M in jizya to the PA despite genocidal demonstration

Removing a monument/map showing Israel gone and "Palestine" in all of what was Israel so as not to upset Obama, halal.  Holding out the hand for, and demanding the kuffirs jizya, also halal.  One thing you must admit, when it comes to money Islam makes no bones about what they deserve from the infidel.  Sadly, and dangerously Obama has kowtowed to their intimidation, thus this check for $500M sent to those poor refugees.

From YNet March 23

US unblocks $500M for Palestinians

The United States has quietly unblocked almost $500 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority which had been frozen by Congress for months, a top US official said Friday.
The news that the funds had finally been freed up came after US President Barack Obama met top Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a landmark visit to Israel and the West Bank earlier this week.

"To date, we have moved $295.7 million in fiscal year 2012 money… and $200 million in fiscal year 2013 assistance," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters.

The Obama administration also notified Congress in late February that it was seeking a further $200 million to fund US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs for the Palestinians, she said.

The first sum comprises some $195.7 million, allocated under the 2012 fiscal year budget for USAID economic, development and humanitarian assistance, as well as a further $100 million earmarked specifically for narcotics control.
The second sum of $200 million unblocked and available to the Palestinian Authority will come under the 2013 budget and be spent for direct budget support.

The Palestinian Authority is facing its worst economic crisis in years, in part because of a failure by donors to deliver pledged funds. But its finances were plunged further into chaos after president Mahmud Abbas won upgraded UN observer status at the UN General Assembly in late November.

Congress froze the US administration's requests for funds.

And Israel, which also strongly opposed the move, said it was suspending monthly transfers of the tax and tariff revenue it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the wake of the decision.

It did, however, transfer $100 million in a one-off payment in late January.

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Nigerian Update; March 24

25 more murdered by jihadists, 120 prisoners freed and many wounded.

This is Islam.

From AP/Yahoo March 24

120 inmates freed in Nigeria attacks, 25 die

YOLA, Nigeria (AP) — Officials say gunmen attacked a remote town in Nigeria's northeast, killing 25 and freeing 120 inmates.

Adamawa State's head of prisons, Andrew Barka, said Sunday 120 inmates were freed in the Friday night raid in Ganye near the border with Cameroon.

Police spokesman Mohammed Ibrahim said 25 people were killed after the assailants also attacked a bank and a drinking spot.

The attacks come a week after men claiming to be members of the radical Boko Haram Islamist network said in an unverified video that they would not free a kidnapped French family unless Nigeria and Cameroon freed all the group's members from their jails.

Palestinian Authority removes monument of map of "Palestine" showing no Israeli state prior to Obama's visit

The explanation from Abbas was that "...the monument was removed in order to be "redone" and expanded."  

Uh huh.

From PMW March 24 by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

PA removed monument in shape of map of "Palestine" that encompasses Israel so that Obama would not see it

Palestinian Media Watch has documented that the official maps of the Palestinian Authority erase the entire State of Israel and replace it with "Palestine." These maps appear in the offices of PA officials, in schools and on monuments, just to name a few examples. Before his first election, US President Obama criticized such maps that anticipate a world without Israel, calling them a threat to Israel's security:

"I will never compromise when it comes to Israel's security... Not when there are terrorist groups and political leaders committed to Israel's destruction. Not when there are maps across the Middle East that don't even acknowledge Israel's existence." (emphasis added)
[AIPAC Conference, June 4, 2008]

After the UN vote in November 2012, the PA built a monument in a central square in Bethlehem called "The State Monument," which shows the "State of Palestine." However, the model of "Palestine" also includes all of Israel, thereby erasing it completely. The monument celebrates the UN vote on statehood as well as the first PLO/Fatah terror attack against Israel in 1965, which is seen as the beginning of the Palestinian "revolution" and Fatah's anniversary date. The words on the map-shaped monument are:
"Birth certificate of the State of Palestine - Nov. 29, 2012,
The outbreak of the glorious revolution - Jan. 1, 1965"

It turned out that the monument was on President Obama's route in Bethlehem, so in order to prevent him from seeing it, the PA had the monument removed before he arrived, the official PA daily reported. This, however, outraged the local Palestinians who witnessed its removal:
"In the city, there are those who not only welcome the visit of the American President, but are willing to go even further... Residents were surprised to find that a model of the map of Palestine engraved with details about the Nakba ("Catastrophe" i.e., Israel's creation) and an olive tree were removed from the Al-Karkafa Square, to be replaced by a model of what was described as a peace dove. This enraged many people who gathered there."

PMW has documented that the PA hides its ideology, activities and goals from the US and European donors, in order to get political support and funding. The temporary removal of the map-shaped monument, so Obama would not see it, is consistent with this deception policy. (See PMW's book Deception for extensive documentation.)

In response to the popular anger that the PA daily had reported, the PA then tried to deceive its own people as to the reason for the removal of the monument. Two days after the first story appeared, the paper reported on a press conference held by the Bethlehem District Governor with the Mayor of Bethlehem, at which they claimed that the monument was removed in order to be "redone" and expanded. The fact that it was immediately before Obama's visit was coincidental, according to the PA. In the words of the District Governor: "Everyone knows that Americans do not dictate any Palestinian decisions."

New York: Al-Shabaab/Al-Qaeda liason found guilty of weapons facilitation

He was a top jihadist in service to Allah, now he will sit in a federal prison cell.  His incarceration takes another voice of pure Islam out of circulation but does not dim the message.  Many believe as Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame does, so there is no shortage of feet to fill his shoes.  He may be going to prison, but the ideology that drove him gains strength each day across the globe.

From the FBI March 25

Guilty Plea Unsealed in New York Involving Ahmed Warsame, a Senior Terrorist Leader and Liaison Between al Shabaab and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, for Providing Material Support to Both Terrorist Organizations

NEW YORK, NY—Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and John Carlin, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced today the unsealing of the guilty plea of Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame to a nine-count indictment charging him with providing material support to al Shabaab and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)—two designated foreign terrorist organizations—as well as conspiring to teach and demonstrate the making of explosives, possessing firearms and explosives in furtherance of crimes of violence, and other violations. Warsame pleaded guilty on December 21, 2011, before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon in Manhattan federal court as part of a cooperation agreement with the United States.

Warsame, a Somali national in his mid-20s, was captured in the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen by the U.S. military on April 19, 2011, and was questioned for intelligence purposes for more than two months. Thereafter, Warsame was read his Miranda rights, and, after waiving those rights, he spoke to law enforcement agents for several days. Warsame arrived in the Southern District of New York on July 5, 2011.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Bharara said, “The capture of Ahmed Warsame and his lengthy interrogation for intelligence purposes, followed by his thorough questioning by law enforcement agents, was an intelligence watershed. The handling of Warsame represents a seamless orchestration by our military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies that significantly furthered our ability to find, fight and apprehend those who wish to do us harm. Warsame’s capture, cooperation, and prosecution is a major victory for the United States, for its citizens and for justice.”

Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Carlin said, “Ahmed Warsame served as a critical link between two foreign terrorist organizations and was an operational terrorist leader, commanding hundreds of fighters. His capture, successful interrogation, and guilty plea demonstrate how U.S. military, intelligence, and law enforcement assets coordinate to neutralize threats and protect the country. I thank all those responsible for this important operation.”

According to the indictment, Warsame’s sworn guilty plea allocution before Judge McMahon, and other public information:

From 2007 until April 2011, Warsame conspired with others, including American citizens, to provide material support to al Shabaab. He fought as a soldier on behalf of al Shabaab in Somalia in 2009 and provided other forms of support to the terrorist organization, including explosives, weapons, and training. In addition, Warsame possessed and used destructive devices, machine guns, and an AK-47 semi-automatic assault weapon in Somalia in support of al Shabaab.

Warsame also brokered a weapons deal, arranging for al Shabaab to purchase weapons directly from AQAP. From 2009 until April 2011, he conspired with others, including American citizens, to provide material support to AQAP in the form of money, training, communications equipment, and personnel. While Warsame was in Yemen in 2010 and 2011, he received weapons, explosives and other military-type training from the terrorist organization. In addition, he possessed and used grenades and an AK-47 semi-automatic assault weapon in Yemen in support of AQAP.

From 2010 until April 2011, Warsame conspired to teach and demonstrate the making of explosives and instruct other terrorists and would-be terrorists how to do so. Specifically, Warsame received training in explosives directly from members of AQAP, intending to share that training with al Shabaab when he returned to Somalia.

Warsame was captured at sea by the U.S. in April 2011 on his way back to Somalia from Yemen.

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Seattle, WA: convert to Islam and wannabe jihadist sentenced to 18 years in prison

See you in 2031

Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif formerly known as Joseph Anthony Davis seems to have misunderstood his new religion.  Jihad is not about killing infidels, it is the inner struggle to better oneself and make a noble impact on friends and humanity...isn't it?

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer March 25 by Levi Pulkkinen 

18-year sentence in ‘a classic crime of terrorism'

A SeaTac man whose plans to wage “jihad” against a South Seattle military office were derailed by a child-molesting friend was sentenced Monday to 18 years in prison.

Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif, 35, was nabbed after a rapist he tried to recruit went to police; he was arrested in a sting operation before he could attack the Military Entrance Processing Station, an induction center where young recruits to all military branches take their oaths and are sent to basic training.

The would-be terrorist planned to storm the East Marginal Way South center alongside Los Angeles resident Walli Mujahidh and the informant. Once inside, they were to open fire with automatic weapons and grenades on the Department of Defense workers and new recruits headed to basic training in the hope of killing as many as possible before being killed or captured.

Mujahidh pleaded guilty shortly after his arrest and is scheduled to be sentenced later in the year. Abdul-Latif’s guilty plea came in December, as his attorneys and prosecutors were preparing to argue over the improper destruction of hundreds of text messages exchanged between the informant and his Seattle Police Department handler.

The unlikely hero in the federal prosecution was a Seattle rapist who went to police after Abdul-Latif approached him about the attack. The man ultimately spent weeks working with police and recording conversations with the conspirators, and was paid about $90,000 for the work.

Abdul-Latif pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder government employees and to use weapons of mass destruction. He was sentenced Monday morning by U.S. District Judge James Robart at the federal courthouse in Seattle; in addition to the prison term, Robart ordered Abdul-Latif 10 years under supervised release.

Sentencing Abdul-Latif, U.S. District Judge James Robart described the government’s handling of the text message as “at best sloppy.” Robart added the Seattle Police detective’s deletion of those texts would have impacted the government’s case had a plea agreement not been struck.

That plea agreement limited the sentencing range available to Robart to 17 to 19 years in prison. Life in prison is the suggested sentence for the crimes Abdul-Latif admitted to, and he would have faced a minimum term of 30 years in prison if not for the plea agreement. Had Robart imposed such a sentence, though, Abdul-Latif could have withdrawn his guilty plea, and doubtlessly would have done so.

Robart chastised the government for the detective’s conduct – which was discovered by the defense months after charges were filed – while also dismissing Abdul-Latif’s contention that he was led astray by the paid informant.

“The motivation for this attack was terrorism, and the idea for the attack was the defendant’s,” Robart said. “The government did not provide the instigation for this plot.”

The motive is a tactic, says the judge, blind to the ideology that drove Abdul-Latif.  Even if he knew what drove the action, he would never say it in open court.

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More whitewashing of Islam in the Northeast; University of Maine Muslim Student Association presents "Misconceptions about Islam"

If you want to know everything you need to know about Islam and terrorism, here is the perfect chance. Well, not really but you get the idea that there will be little to chew on at this annual mosque open house except the disinformation and tired lies we hear constantly about how Islam is a religion of peace and that Muslims reject jihad and sharia law, and that this lecture is needed because of the rampant Islamophobia that is killing Muslims.  There is nothing new here, just more of the standard pablum that is supposed to mollify the uninformed.  Unfortunately, millions believe this tripe, and willingly carry water for their "moderate" Muslim friends.

From the Bangor Daily News March 21

Islamic Center open house to feature speakers on Islam and terrorism

ORONO, Maine — A California marriage and family counselor will outline the “Psychology of a Terrorist” at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at the annual open house at the Islamic Center of Maine, 151 Park St.

Yassir Fazaga of Mission Viejo, Calif., will talk about what factors, including religion, shape a terrorist. He also will discuss “Misconceptions About Islam” at 9 a.m. Friday, March 22, at the Wells Conference Center at the University of Maine.

The programs are sponsored jointly by the University of Maine Muslim Students’ Association and the Orono mosque.

Fazaga was invited to speak in Maine after officers in the Muslim student group heard him lecture last year at a national conference.

“In this country, terrorism is mainly associated with Islam,” Nabeel Hashmi, 20-year-old president of the Muslim Students’ Association, said Wednesday. “We want to break that misconception.”

The only way to break the misconception that Islam and terrorism are bedfellows is to stop those who use the texts and tenets of the Qur'an and hadiths of Muhammad to justify the murder of non-Muslims.  It is not non-Muslims that are the problem, it is Muslims who follow the behavior of Muhammad who have created the problem.  Until this is addressed in honest and open debate, Islam will continue to have a PR problem.

Hashmi, who graduated from Bangor High School, said that the student group and members of the mosque were looking for a “hot topic” that would be relevant and entice people to attend the event.

Vice President Abdulraheem Sbayi, 20, of Lincoln said the Muslim Students’ Association is partnering with the Honors College in an effort to broaden students’ education and to bring more cross-cultural involvement to the Orono campus.

“There are many misconceptions about Islam, but a lot of them are minor details,” Hashmi said. “There is a lot of mixing between religion and culture. We want to be able to help students separate the religious form the cultural...

Impossible to do, as Islam is a complete social, familial, economic and political religion.  You cannot separate the religious from the cultural in Islam.

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New Pope Francis I calls for more "intense" dialogue with Islam

If by intense he means honest and truthful, I am all for it.  History does not show Islam receptive to criticism or questioning, especially from the Vatican, leaving Francis I with an uphill battle against a sworn ideological enemy.  There may be dialogue between the Pope and Islam, it will be interesting to watch how Francis I interacts with the religion of the perpetually insulted.

From the Daily Bhaskar March 22

'Intensify' dialogue with Islam: Pope to Roman Catholic Church
Vatican City: Pope Francis on Friday called for the Roman Catholic Church to "intensify" its dialogue with Islam, echoing hopes in the Muslim world for better ties with the Vatican during his reign.

"It is important to intensify dialogue among the various religions and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam," the new pontiff said in an address to foreign ambassadors at the Vatican.

Francis's predecessor Benedict XVI was seen by some Muslim leaders as hostile to Islam and the change at the top had been welcomed by the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning.

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, head of the Saudi-based OIC, said earlier this month that he hoped "the relationship between Islam and Christianity will regain its cordiality and sincere friendship".

Mahmud Azab, adviser for inter-faith affairs to Al-Azhar imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb in Cairo, also told AFP earlier, "As soon as a new policy emerges, we will resume the dialogue with the Vatican".

Al-Azhar broke off ties in 2011 after Benedict called for the protection of Christian minorities following a suicide bombing at a church in Egypt.

The new policy, from the perspective of Islam needs to be one of non-criticism of the actions of Muslims.  Silence must be the order of the day from the non-Muslim.

Benedict was also heavily criticised early in his reign when he recounted a Byzantine emperor's description of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed as a warmonger who spread evil teachings.

In his address on Friday, Francis also called for the Church to dialogue more with non-believers -- returning to an effort begun during Benedict's reign amid rising secularism in the Western world.

"It is also important to intensify outreach to non-believers so that the differences which divide and hurt us may never prevail but rather the desire to build true links of friendship," he said.

Good luck with that.

Iraq: Churches disappearing faster than a chocolate cake at a Weight Watchers meeting

Of the 300 churches in Iraq in 2003, today finds only 57 left.  The persecution and cleansing of non-Muslims from Iraq has been proceeding apace for years now, yet no one in the West will talk about it.  For to do so would be Islamophobic, and we just can't have that.

From FOXNews March 21 by Perry Chiaramonte

Christians, churches dwindling in Iraq since start of war 10 years ago

The head of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq says that the number of Christian houses of worship there has dwindled alarmingly in the decade since the U.S. invaded and ousted Saddam Hussein from power.

There are just 57 Christian churches in the entire country, down from more than 300 as recently as 2003, Patriarch Louis Sako told Egyptian-based news agency MidEast Christian News. The churches that remain are frequent targets of Islamic extremists, who have driven nearly a million Christians out of the land, say human rights advocates.

“The last 10 years have been the worst for Iraqi Christians because they bore witness to the biggest exodus and migration in the history of Iraq,” William Warda, the head of the Hammurabi Human Rights Organization told the news agency.

Many Christians live in the provinces of Baghdad, Nineveh, and Kirkuk, and Dohuk and Erbil, which are both in the autonomous region of Kurdistan. Warda said some 1.4 million Christians lived in Iraq prior to Hussein's ouster. Under the democratically-elected government that now oversees the war-torn, but oil-rich nation, Islamic extremists have been able to operate more freely.

“More than two-thirds [of Christians] have emigrated,” Warda noted.

Not by choice, but by threats and intimidation from jihadists following the words of Muhammad.  

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EU to remove Hamas from terrorist list, Abbas says Hamas the same as the PA

This is the "peaceful resistance" Hamas believes in

"...given that Hamas has honored the truce, and has declared that it supports peaceful popular resistance… As far as I am concerned, there is no difference between our policies and those of Hamas. So why are they labeled as terrorists? In my opinion, [the EU] can remove Hamas [from the list], why not?"

Why not indeed.  

From Jihad Watch March 23 by Robert Spencer

Obama: Israelis have true peace partner in Abbas. Abbas: We have the same policies as Hamas. Hamas: Killing Jews is worship that draws us close to Allah.

"PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: EU Can Remove Hamas from Terror List, No Difference between Our Policies and Theirs"

Following are excerpts from an interview with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, which aired on Russia Today TV on March 15, 2013.

Interviewer: It is said that the EU plans to remove Hamas from the list of terror organizations. Do you view this as a step toward complete recognition of the legitimacy of the [Hamas] government?

Mahmoud Abbas: I do not think that they will acknowledge the legitimacy of the Hamas government. After what happened, and given that Hamas has honored the truce, and has declared that it supports peaceful popular resistance… As far as I am concerned, there is no difference between our policies and those of Hamas. So why are they labeled as terrorists? In my opinion, [the EU] can remove Hamas [from the list], why not?

Interviewer: But you do not fire missiles at Israel.

Mahmoud Abbas: Neither we nor Hamas fire missiles. Since the end of the second Intifada, we have committed ourselves to refrain from using weapons. We say this out in the open. It’s no secret. We don’t hide this under the table. We say loud and clear that we have no intention or desire to violate… or rather, to engage in an armed Intifada with Israel. I say this loud and clear.

Hamas declared [the same], but then there were skirmishes once or twice. Hopefully, that was the end of it.

"Dark Knight" killer James Holmes now a Muslim

Jihad beard #2 in court

A prison source says Holmes prays 5 times a day, eats only halal food and reads the Qur'an.  Also reported is that his conversion now has him "brainwashed" into "...believing he was on his own personal jihad and that his victims were infidels"  What a novel idea; use the defense that your crimes are because of religious reasons and the victims deserved it, according to your spiritual doctrine.  Now the question is; how did Holmes learn that Islam preaches death to infidels, and that jihad means holy warfare?  Could it be that in prison there are Muslims who teach such things?  Naa, couldn't be, to think that would be Islamophobic.

From the Daily Mail March 20

Dark Knight killer James Holmes 'is now a Muslim who prays five times a day

James Holmes, the gunman behind the Dark Knight massacre in Colorado last July, has reportedly turned Muslim and prays five times a day.

The killer showed off a lengthy, thick beard during a court appearance earlier this month, and a prison source has claimed it is a symbol of his new-found faith.
The source said Holmes has turned to Islam as a way of justifying his horrific murder spree in an Aurora, Colorado cinema on July 20 which left 12 people dead and 58 people wounded.

James Holmes, the gunman behind the Dark Knight massacre in Colorado last July, has reportedly turned Muslim and prays five times a day.

The killer showed off a lengthy, thick beard during a court appearance earlier this month, and a prison source has claimed it is a symbol of his new-found faith.
The source said Holmes has turned to Islam as a way of justifying his horrific murder spree in an Aurora, Colorado cinema on July 20 which left 12 people dead and 58 people wounded.

'None of them condone forms of terrorism or extremism,' the source added. 'And they don't want their religion to be connected to that awful shooting.'

Holmes sported a thick, bushy beard and unkempt dark brown hair during his appearance earlier this month - a stark difference to his bright orange hair at the time of the massacre.

Holmes is charged with 166 counts, mostly murder and attempted murder, in the assault on moviegoers at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora.

On the night of the attack, prosecutors say he donned a police-style helmet, gas mask and body armor, tossed a gas canister into the seats and then opened fire.

The judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf earlier this month. In the nearly eight months since Holmes first shuffled into court, neither he nor his lawyers have said much about how he would plead.
If Holmes is convicted, he could be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison.

More pictures at the link'

New York; jihadist charged with helping Al-Qaeda and plotting to murder Americans

Someone should go to Brooklyn and explain to Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan Adam Harun that Islam doesn't mean planning to kill non-Muslims or blow up diplomatic facilities, it means a struggle to finish homework or go to the gym more.  Sheesh, everyone knows that, don't they?

From the FBI March 20

Alleged al Qaeda Operative Charged in New York for Terrorism Offenses Against Americans Overseas

BROOKLYN—A six-count indictment was unsealed today in United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York charging Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan Adam Harun, also known as “Spin Ghul,” with conspiracy to murder American military personnel in Afghanistan, conspiracy to bomb American diplomatic facilities in Nigeria, conspiracy to provide material support to al Qaeda, providing material support to al Qaeda, and related firearms and explosives counts. The indictment was returned under seal by a federal grand jury sitting in Brooklyn, New York on February 21, 2012, and relates to Harun’s alleged activities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Africa beginning in 2001.

The charges were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John Carlin, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security; George Venizelos, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office; and Raymond W. Kelly, Commissioner, New York City Police Department.

According to court documents, Harun, who was born in Saudi Arabia but claims citizenship in Niger, was extradited from Italy to the United States on October 4, 2012, and arraigned in a sealed proceeding in federal court in Brooklyn, New York on October 5, 2012. The case is scheduled for a public status conference before United States District Judge Edward R. Korman at the United States Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York, on March 22, 2013, at 2:30 p.m.

Harun is charged with crimes related to his alleged terrorist activities on behalf of al Qaeda beginning in 2001. According to the indictment and other court documents, beginning in 2001, the defendant traveled from Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan with the intent to fight violent jihad. He arrived in Afghanistan shortly before the September 11, 2001 attacks. He then joined al Qaeda, received military-type training at al Qaeda training camps, and ultimately fought against United States and Coalition forces in Afghanistan with an al Qaeda fighting group based in Pakistan. According to the indictment, Harun allegedly attempted to kill United States military personnel in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2003. In 2003, in Pakistan, Harun received further al Qaeda training and traveled to Africa with the intent to conduct attacks on United States diplomatic facilities in Nigeria. While in Nigeria, Harun allegedly conspired with others to bomb such facilities.

According to the indictment and other documents, after the arrest of a co-conspirator, the defendant traveled to Libya, en route to Europe, but was apprehended in early 2005. The defendant then remained in Libyan custody until June 2011, when he was released by the Libyan government. He was then arrested by Italian authorities after assaulting officers on board a refugee ship bound for Italy. As noted, the defendant was indicted in the United States on February 21, 2012, and charged with (1) conspiring to murder United States nationals; (2) conspiring to bomb United States government facilities; (3) conspiring to provide material support to al Qaeda; (4) providing material support to al Qaeda; (5) using firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence; and (6) using explosives in furtherance of one or more felonies.

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While Obama talks to the West Bank, rockets are fired into Israel

Sitting under a photo of the man who turned peace down 31 times

"One of the rockets exploded in the courtyard of a house in Sderot...The other landed in an open field"

But if Israel just gives up a little more land, there will be peace.

History says otherwise.  So does the Hamas Charter.

From MyWay March 21 by Julie Pace and Matthew Lee 

Rockets hit Israel as Obama meets Palestinians

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - U.S. President Barack Obama is meeting Palestinian officials on the second day of his Mideast tour to emphasize the importance of reaching an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, a message underscored Thursday when Palestinian militants in Gaza launched rockets into southern Israel.

After a visit to Israel's national museum - where he inspected the Dead Sea Scrolls, which highlight the Jewish people's ancient connection to the land that is now Israel - Obama headed to the West Bank to tell the Palestinians that the creation of a Palestinian state remains a priority for his administration.

He is not bringing a new plan to relaunch peace talks, but in meetings with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and a speech to Israeli students later in the day, he will appeal to both sides to halt unilateral actions that make negotiations more difficult.

Those troublesome actions include continued construction of Jewish housing settlements on land claimed by the Palestinians and repeated Palestinian efforts to achieve recognition at the United Nations in the absence of a peace agreement.
Yasser Abed-Rabbo, an aide Abbas, said before the meeting that the Palestinians will tell Obama they won't return to negotiations with Israel without a settlement freeze.

"There can be no real (peace) process with the continuation of settlement activities on our lands," he said, adding that the issue of settlements is central to the Obama-Abbas meeting.

Palestinians argue that they cannot negotiate a border between Israel and a future Palestine while Israel unilaterally shapes that line through accelerated settlement building.

The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem - territories Israel captured in the 1967 war - but are ready for minor adjustments to accommodate some settlements closest to Israel...

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Obama in Israel; calls for a two-state solution and spouts the usual platitudes

More of the same from Obama to Israel.  It's always the same rhetoric, the same promises, the same exhortations to peace, the same bullshit.  I could write the speech in my sleep now, t is so predictable.  Everyone buys it, slaps hands and backs, drinks a toast and moves on.  No one makes concrete suggestions for solutions because there aren't any, the only path to true peace is to admit the "Palestine" lie, lay the blame on the refugees problem where it deserves to be, the Arab League and then create the land of Palestine where it should have been all along; most of Jordan and a small part of Syria.  Until that time, all the platitudes and glad-handing will mean nothing, and more will continue to die.

A two-state solution is impossible; there is no way to connect two disparate areas without bisecting Israel, effectively reversing the current status quo; Israel becomes two countries and the refugees get one country.  The destruction of one means the creation of the other, not viable to any kind of peace.  Yet our dear leaders persist, believing a two-state solution will solve everything.  Yes it will solve everything; with no unified Israel there is no problem.

From CBS March 21

Obama tells Israel: "Peace is the only path to true security"

Speaking before a lively and receptive crowd of 600 Israeli students, President Obama today urged the youth of Israel to accept "the realization of an independent and viable Palestine." A two-state solution, the president suggested, is the only viable path forward for Israel, given the political and technological changes underway.
"Peace is necessary. I believe that," Mr. Obama said, speaking at the Jerusalem International Convention Center on his second day in Israel. "I believe that peace is the only path to true security. You have the opportunity to be the generation that permanently secures the Zionist dream, or you can face a growing challenge to its future."

With the fast-moving developments in the Middle East sparked by the Arab Spring and the spread of democratizing technology, Mr. Obama said, "This is precisely the time to respond to the wave of revolution with a resolve and commitment for peace."

"Peace must be made among peoples, not just governments," he continued. "No one step can change overnight what lies in the hearts and minds of millions.... But progress with the Palestinians is a powerful way to begin, while sidelining extremists who thrive on conflict and division."

Mr. Obama noted that, given the strong support for Israel in the U.S., it would be easy for him to put aside the idea of pursuing a two-state solution. However, he added, "It is important to be open and honest, especially with your friends."

"Given the demographics west of the Jordan River, the only way for Israel to endure and thrive as a Jewish and democratic state is through the realization of an independent and viable Palestine," Mr. Obama said, prompting cheers from the young audience.

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Gay community in San Francisco carries water for Islamic jihad, calls pointing out of anti-gay Islamic rhetoric "anti-gay"

How is it possible that supposedly intelligent people make sweeping generalizations about Islam, and then refuse to believe the opposite when presented with overwhelming evidence?  The intellectual emptiness of our dear leaders, pundits, apologists and Kool-aid drinkers are overwhelming the sane and rational voices, overwhelming even the words of the enemy so as to render moot any questioning of motive or objective.  How the gay community can continue to support Islamic doctrine which condemns them to death is beyond rational, almost a Stockholm Syndrome on steroids mindset is beyond my thinking, and that irrationality will, in the end subject them to unimaginable horrors.  The city of San Francisco, its leaders and all free thinking people should be standing together, denouncing Islamic dogma that demands death for homosexuality, instead of carrying politically correct water for their executioners.  They are demonizing the messenger when their anger needs to be directed at the message, but to do that would just bring charges of Islamophobia.

Welcome to another trip down the rabbit hole...

From Atlas Shrugs March 20 by Pamela Geller

HEAD OF SF HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION TRANSGENDER THERESA SPARKS ON AFDI GAY ADS, IT'S "EASIER TO GET INSURANCE FOR SEXUAL TRANSITION PROCEDURES IN IRAN THAN IN AMERICA"

The disconnect is breathtaking. The head of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, transgender Theresa Sparks, continues to support the sharia and denounce our ad campaign designed to raise awareness of the plight of gays under Islamic law. Our new campaign uses the actual quotes of President Ahmadinejad, global Muslim spiritual leader Qaradawi and popular radio host in the UK, Sister Ruby Ramadan (political, religious and cultural).

Sparks, something of the spark for our new AFDI campaign, went so far to say, "it’s actually easier to get insurancefor sexual transition procedures in Iran than in America." Hmmm, is that why the President of Iran insists there are no homosexuals in that country?

Such delusion is without peer. Sparks ought to spend a little time in that hellhole and see if she escapes with her life. For someone so clear about being true to herself and being who she is, she is either blind or cowardly. The persecution, subjugation and oppression of gays is religious -- it's the sharia. Not every Muslim subscribes to it, of course. But the ideology behind it is very much the problem. Sparks claims it's cultural -- what culture is that? Islamic culture. Sparks is sharpening the blade of her executioners.

Sparks is intellectually dishonest when she claims that our ads "suggest that all Muslims hate gays." That's a red herring. The ads suggest no such thing. The oppression and persecution of gays is epidemic in the Muslim world and Sparks is sanitizing this horror. And many in the gay community suffer here in the United States.

Where was Theresa Sparks when a Muslim gang was targeting gays in San Francisco in a series of attacks, shooting them in the face with a BB gun and video-taping the attacks? A Muslim gang targeted nearly a dozen victims one evening,recording the shootings on a video camera confiscated by police along with a “rifle-style” BB gun.There was a concerted effort within the San Francisco police department to bury this story, and it is only because one officer leaked the report to the media that anything was ever reported. Where was Sparks then?

The Muslims chose their victims "because they appeared to be gay."

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Obama administration video of Israel eliminates land

The inset is Israel as it really is, the large map as the WH wishes Israel was

Another example of how the Obama WH cares not one wit about Israel.  How crass to publicly demean the only democracy in the Middle East, but then again this is not a new behavior for Obama.  It is a continuation of the policy of distancing Israel in order to garner support from our enemies.

From The Washington Free Beacon March 18

Obama’s Middle East Map Erases Israeli Territory

The map of the Middle East displayed in an Obama administration video released days before President Barack Obama’s visit to Israel shows the Jewish state dispossessed of substantial parts of its current territory, including its capital.

The map of Israel, displayed repeatedly during the video, shows the Golan Heights, Jerusalem, northern Israel, and areas surrounding what is currently the West Bank as non-Israeli territory. The Golan Heights is shown as part of Syria; Jerusalem is shown as part of the West Bank; and northern Israel is shown as part of Lebanon.

The itinerary on the White House website also implies that Jerusalem is neither Israel’s capital nor even part of Israel.

The president’s schedule lists two stops in “Tel Aviv, Israel” and one in “Amman, Jordan” but his activities in Israel’s capital city are identified as taking place only in “Jerusalem” — with no country name attached. This keeps with a reluctantly-acknowledged administration policy of denying that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital or even a part of Israel.

Fear of Islamic violence has Korean star PSY change lyrics and song title

I want you...to not insult Muslims

PSY, the star of the most popular dance video on Youtube "Gangnam Style" is about to release the much awaited sequel, but Islam is getting in the way.  The title of the new song is "Assarabia", a word in Korean which is an expression of excitement or thrills, and has no connection to anything Arabic or Islamic, yet PSY has decided to change the name and lyrics so as not to "offend" Muslims.

How have we gotten to the point where we have to censor our own language in order to assuage Muslims angst over perceived insults?  Continued protests over words and actions seen as derogatory to Muhammad, Allah and Islam make it almost impossible to not offend Muslims, yet no one questions how a religion said to be tolerant and peaceful can be continually offended.  If PSY is concerned about potential violence from Muslims, he doesn't specifically say, but his decision to change words and title so as to not insult the religion of peace is telling.  Past actions by Muslims must have weighed on the mind of PSY and his reluctance to use a word that is part of his culture and society had to have been a tough one to make.  Artistic expression worldwide relies on an open and free attitude; music is the story of the soul and deserves no self-censorship due to outside pressure.  PSY has placed himself firmly in the camp of fear over function due to a belief that Muslims will react badly, he should stand firm for his right to express himself in a culturally correct manner fitting his position as a Korean pop star, not as a de facto dhimmi who is kowtowing to Islamic sensibilities.

For Islam to demand censorship is one thing, for an artist to self-censor due to fears of violence is supporting what is known as the "Hecklers Veto" where the threat of violence is enough to cancel the expression of free speech.  If artists practice self-censor due to threats from Islam, whether real or perceived, we will have lost the ability to freely say what is in our hearts through the melodies of music.  The words of the Ayatollah Khomeini are coming true in the West; "There is no fun in Islam."

From WPTV March 19

Assarabia, Assaravia, PSY new song: Gangnam Style YouTube video star worried over new song

SEOUL, South Korea -- PSY says he will change the title and lyrics of his potential "Gangnam Style" follow-up over worries it could offend Arabs.

The announced title for the song can be written as "Assarabia" or "Assaravia" in English. It's slang used by South Koreans to express thrills. It suggests no ethnicity or body part, but worries have risen that Arabs might misinterpret the title and find it derogatory.

PSY said Monday on a South Korean social media website that he has decided to change the title. Some lyrics also will change.

After several Korean albums, PSY has promised future work in English but it isn't clear when. The "Gangnam Style" video with its catchy tune and much-imitated horse-riding dance has a record 1.44 billion views on YouTube since July.