Andrew of Arabia

Iran Marches On

2006-08-26T11:10:00.000-04:00

Iran has been busy while their Hezbollah proxies have been wreaking havoc within Lebanon. CTV News reports,

Iran opened a plant today that produces heavy water which can be used to develop a nuclear bomb -- just days after a UN deadline for the nation to halt uranium enrichment.

The ribbon was cut at the new plant just days after a Thursday United Nations deadline requiring Iran to halt uranium enrichment or face economic or political sanctions. Iran has ignored the UN Security Council's resolution, calling it illegal.

The plant is capable of producing up to 16 tons of heavy water per year, according to reports. On its own, the heavy water facility is benign. But Iran is also building a heavy water reactor, which is scheduled for completion in 2009.

The heavy water reactor, once completed, could run on natural uranium mined by Iran, as opposed to a light water reactor which would be fueled by enriched uranium. Another concern is that the spent fuel left over from a heavy water reactor can be used as a source for plutonium, which can be used in a bomb.

Another crucial step in the nuclear cycle has been completed by Iran without any repercussions from the international community. The theocrats continually push the envelope when it comes to acceptable behaviour. Iran is destroying a formerly prosperous nation in Lebanon and are destabilizing the entire region as a result. How is it that they receive a free pass? Where can I get one?

Syria Shunned

2006-08-16T07:58:00.000-04:00

Israel withdraws, and once again Hezbollah claims "victory." The Houston Chronicle reports,

Israel began to pull many of its reserve troops out of southern Lebanon on Tuesday and hopes to be out of the country altogether in the next week or 10 days, the military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, said.

The Lebanese army, which is supposed to join with an U.N. force to establish order as the Israelis withdraw, is expected to begin moving into the area south of the Litani River in a couple of days, supported by an early deployment of foreign troops, said the French head of U.N. peacekeeping forces, Jean-Marie Guehenno, speaking to French radio.

In Damascus, President Bashar Assad of Syria said Israel "is in front of a historic crossroads." "Either it moves toward peace and gives back rights or faces constant instability," Assad said, "until a generation comes and puts an end to the issue," an apparent reference to the possible future elimination of Israel.

After the speech, the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, canceled a planned trip to Syria.

President Assad has all of the diplomatic skill and finesse of a dump truck.

The Real Mideast Threat ...

2006-08-15T16:58:00.000-04:00

Iranian and Syrian leaders appear to fully believe their massive propaganda machines. MSNBC and AP reports,

The leaders of Iran and Syria said Tuesday that Hezbollah defeated Israel, with the Iranian president telling a cheering crowd that “God’s promises have come true” and the Syrian chief saying U.S. plans for reshaping the Middle East have been ruined.

Tehran and Damascus may be the biggest winners from the 34 days of fighting in Lebanon — buoyed by the ability of ally Hezbollah to stand up to Israel’s punishing assaults and by the new, widespread popularity of the guerrillas across the Middle East.

“Both Syria and Iran have achieved a political victory,” said Dawood al-Shirian, a Saudi Arabian who hosts a talk show on Dubai television. “Lebanon once again has paid a heavy price, and Syria and Iran have once again taken credit.”

In his speech, Assad lashed out at Arab regimes that criticized Hezbollah for capturing two Israeli soldiers July 12 and setting off the war. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan — all U.S. allies — opposed Hezbollah’s actions at the start of the conflict.

“We do not ask anyone to fight with us or for us ... But he should at least not adopt the enemy’s views,” Assad said.

Syria and Iran have claimed victory simply because they need one. Unsurprisingly, wishful thinking is also a major component of international relations. Both of these regimes have no need for truth or reality and as such, do not pay heed to either. Notice that president Assad does "not ask anyone to fight with us or for us." Syria voluntarily groups itself with the terrorists of Hezbollah and the theocrats of Iran. At least now there is no confusion as to which entities comprise the "Axis of Evil."

Fox's Hit New Reality Show

2006-08-14T16:24:00.000-04:00

The Gaza strip and Western journalists do not mix. CTV News reports,

There are reports that two journalists from the U.S. Fox News television channel have been kidnapped by armed men in Gaza.

An American correspondent and an Irish cameraman were reportedly seized after gunmen intercepted their car in Gaza City, witnesses told news agencies. The Fox TV team's Palestinian driver and two other journalists were set free. No group has yet claimed responsibility for kidnapping the pair.

A Palestinian witness reportedly told news agencies that two vehicles blocked the journalist's transmission truck in the centre of Gaza City and a masked man put a gun to the bodyguard's head, forcing him to the ground. The kidnappers then sped away with the two journalists.

Peter of Pakistan reports that the kidnappers have demanded the return of all of "Palestine" to the Palestinians, the release of 1,100 fundamentalist terrorists from Israeli prisons, along with $750 USD. Kidnapping is a lucrative business in the Gaza strip. It is simply a sign of the times that one must release a fundamentalist rant along with one's monetary demands in order to be taken seriously. FOX has decided to spin off this calamity into a hit new tv series - Survivor XXIII: The Holy Land. We have heard good things.

Suspects Watched Since Last Year

2006-08-11T08:10:00.000-04:00

Yet another deluded fundamentalist plot to revenge themselves upon the "Great Satan." The Times Online reports,

Two British Muslims arrested eight to ten days ago in Lahore and Karachi gave vital information about the alleged plot to detonate chemical suicide bombs on US-bound passenger jets, officials in Pakistan claimed today.

The details that the duo revealed may have helped to trigger yesterday's dramatic arrests of 24 young Britons in London, Buckinghamshire and Birmingham, and the massive security clampdown at airports which caused hundreds of flight cancellations and travel chaos for 400,000 people.

Meetings of the Government’s Cobra emergency unit were told that the first wave of bombings was to have targeted five aircraft leaving British airports in the next few days. The destinations, US officials said, were New York, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles. The plotters are said to have studied the timetables of three US airlines: American, Continental and United.

The ISI, Pakistan's intelligence service, is said to have warned MI6 of the involvement of officials of Lashkar-i-Taiba - a militant group with close links to al-Qaeda, blamed for innumerable terrorist acts in Kashmir and, more recently, for the Bombay train bombings which killed 180 commuters last month.

The majority of those arrested in the UK are understood to be young British Asian men of Pakistani descent, many holding dual nationality.

"The alleged plot which has been intercepted was intended to 'commit mass murder on an unimaginable scale', Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson of the Metropolitan Police said yesterday."

We have nothing humourous or witty to say.

NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE! U.S. OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST!

2006-08-09T16:25:00.000-04:00

This gem below comes from the International Action Center.

The obstacles to peace in the Middle East are not Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria or Iran. The obstacle is the U.S. government and its client, the Israeli settler state. Republicans and Democrats alike have united to back the expansionist Israeli war against Palestine and Lebanon. This war is really an extension of the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq.

The expansion of U.S.-backed Israeli aggression in the Middle East is 'justified' through a widespread campaign of demonization against Hezbollah and Hamas. These are the movements of national resistance in Lebanon and Palestine. It is an urgent task, for those of us opposed to war and injustice, to clarify for the people of the U.S. he reality--that the problems of the Middle East are not rooted in a struggle between religions. The wars are driven by greedy imperialist policymakers in the U.S., like Bush and his super rich friends, to dominate, colonize, exploit and rob the natural resources (especially oil) of the people of the Middle East.

The Bush administration has given the Zionist rulers in Tel Aviv the green light to wage all-out war in Lebanon and Palestine, with full diplomatic, political and military support of Washington. Israeli soldiers and bomber pilots may be doing the killing in Lebanon, but this is fundamentally a U.S. war, and the Israeli army is a criminal surrogate for the Pentagon.

Here is their answer to the Great Satan's war on Lebanon:

Support the Right of the People of Palestine and Lebanon to Resist!
End the Occupation of IRAQ, PALESTINE and LEBANON ..
Support the Palestinian People's Right to Return
U.S./Israeli Troops Out Now
No More Fighting and Dying for Oil Profits

Join us in Washington DC on Saturday August 12, 2006, for a national Emergency Demonstration called by the National Council of Arab Americans, the Answer Coalition, and the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation.

On Saturday, thousands will rally in Lafayette Park in Washington and march past the White House to protest the U.S./Israeli war against the people of Lebanon and Palestine. The International Action Center bus will leave from 55 W. 17th St. on Saturday at 6:00 am--but you must purchase your tickets in advance. Bus Tickets are $35.00 round trip ($25 for fixed income/students).

There are so many things wrong with this iniitiative that our collective heads hurt.

Raffi Sings for Peace

2006-08-08T20:51:00.000-04:00

Raffi is doing his part to promote peace in the Middle East. Sympatico reports,

The Canadian troubadour has released his song Salaam Shalom, Side by Side as a free download on his website. In a Middle Eastern style, the song pairs the words salaam and shalom, which mean peace in Arabic and Hebrew.

Raffi, who now uses his full name Raffi Cavoukian, calls for a chance for Arab and Israeli children to shine, a time for the pain to heal "a circle where we all belong."

Thanks Raffi. If only more radical Islamic clerics listened to your music, the world would be a better place.

Iran Uses Time Wisely

2006-08-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

Iran continues to use their Hezbollah proxies to deflect international attention from their persistent pursuit of nuclear weapons. Reuters reports,

Iran vowed on Sunday to expand its atomic fuel work and warned that any U.N. sanctions aimed at halting its uranium enrichment would incur a painful riposte, possibly including a cut in oil exports.

Chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said Iran would expand the number of atomic centrifuges it was running. Centrifuges enrich uranium by spinning it at supersonic speeds.

Although Iran has intermittently threatened to use its massive oil exports as a weapon in international diplomacy, Tehran receives 80 percent of its export earnings from energy and would find such a cut hard to maintain.

The Iranian nuclear machine is running at full tilt, and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to halt. The Hezbollah "card" has given Iran an immense amount of room to maneuver because the international community is now focused upon a different facet of radical Islam, terrorism. It is exactly because the attention of the world has been diverted that it is much more important to deal forcefully and effectively with Iran, who is without doubt, the greatest threat to international stability today.

OIC Condemns Israeli Criminals

2006-08-03T07:47:00.000-04:00

Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh Thursday called on fellow members of the Organization of Islamic Conference, or O.I.C., to issue a collective condemnation of Israel's actions. The Voice of America reports,

Muslim leaders meeting in Malaysia have demanded an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Lebanon, as the United Nations debates a formula for ending the crisis.

"We're calling for comprehensive ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops and also to establish an international judiciary commission to investigate the criminal actions committed by Israel, and also the return of the displaced Lebanese to their homes and villages," said [Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh].

The United States, Britain and Israel say a ceasefire cannot be called until a peacekeeping force is in place, the Lebanese government reclaims full authority of the southern part of the country, and Hezbollah is disarmed.

France and the O.I.C. members want the reverse - a ceasefire first to stop mounting death and destruction, followed by the deployment of U.N. forces, and political progress toward a durable peace in the region.

Ahh France. Why are you so naive? How is it that you, a nation with a demonstrably restive muslim population, never fail to call for the exact opposite of that which is demanded by your closest political and geographic allies. Radical islam can have no place in society. Especially within such a fragile society like Lebanon. It is for this reason that Israel's assault on Hezbollah cannot end before an international peacekeeping force has been deployed. Perhaps, France, you are simply afraid that you will be asked to use your military? Or perhaps you figure that by opposing the Great Satan, you will appease the troublemakers within your muslim population. Appeasement is a slippery slope.

Cartoon of the Day

2006-08-02T07:53:00.000-04:00

Globalization hits the Jihad market.

UN Dashes Iran's Nuclear Hallucinations

2006-08-01T07:47:00.000-04:00

Iran has been condemned once again for its nuclear activities. This time, the United Nations got in on the act. The Middle East Times reports,

Iran reacted angrily Tuesday to a UN Security Council resolution ordering it to freeze sensitive nuclear work by the end of the month. UN Resolution 1696, which dangles the threat of sanctions unless Iran halts uranium enrichment and other work that could help build a nuclear bomb, was welcomed by the United States and its allies but decried as "destructive and totally unwarranted" by Iran's UN ambassador.

The Security Council gave Tehran an August 31 deadline to comply, and said that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei should then report back on what Iran has done to fall into line. But the text of the resolution held off from an immediate threat of sanctions, which have been opposed by Russia and China, and said that any punitive action would have to be the subject of further discussions.

An editorial in the ultra-hardline Siasat Rouz newspaper called on the government to quit the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) - something that officials have already threatened to do if the pressure mounts.

"In preparing the final battle, we should at first attack US bases in neighboring countries and then clear the region of this infected microbe," the paper said, while also calling on Iran to rally "friendly governments and Muslim people ready to carry out suicide attacks."

It is good to know that there are ultra-hardline newspapers in Iran doing their part to incite the population. This begs the question, are there any ultra-softline newspapers in Iran? How about liberal magazines? Most probably not. The theocrats of Iran rely on these newspapers, and the media in general, to distort the news coming into the country in order to rally public support for their harebrained initiatives. One such initiative would certainly be the funding/training/directing of Hezbollah and their declaration of war against Israel. Such a move can only end badly for the Iranians.

The UN is not the enemy ...

2006-07-31T08:19:00.000-04:00

The UN always gets the short end of the stick. All they ever try to do is condemn Israel and look how much respect it has gotten them. Canada.com reports,

Palestinians stormed a UN compound on Sunday during a protest against Israeli airstrikes that killed dozens of civilians in Qana, Lebanon, and security officials fired into the air to disperse them.

The protesters smashed windows of the UNSCO building with rocks after marching through Gaza City in the demonstration. At least seven people were wounded, including four policemen, officials at the Al-Quds and Shifa hospitals said. Five of the injured were hit by rocks and the other two by ricochets from the gunfire, the officials said.

The protesters - who were waving Lebanese and Hezbollah flags, and burning UN flags - quickly dispersed when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ordered Presidential Guards and Palestinian police to close the compound. Besides the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator, the compound also includes UN headquarters, the World Bank and the presidential Guest Palace, where important guests visiting the Gaza Strip stay.

Hezbollah flags were prominently displayed throughout the protest. This suggests that these Palestinians support terrorism. Can that be true? There is nothing wrong with demonstrating in favour of Lebanon, which has been hit hard by Israeli strikes, yet there is something oddly disconcerting about attacking the United Nations, as if they had the power to be responsible for the current state of the world. There is one certainty however, and that is that by demonstrating support for a vicious terror organization, these Gazan demonstrators have set their cause back by at least 37 years.

A Golden Ticket to Paradise

2006-07-29T13:29:00.000-04:00

One does not have to live in the Middle East to fall victim to fanatics. CNN reports,

Seattle police were protecting temples and mosques Saturday after a suspected hate killing prompted fears of the Middle East crisis spreading to the United States.

Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said a Muslim gunman killed a woman and wounded five others at a Jewish center in Seattle, Washington, Friday afternoon, and police were protecting mosques as well as synagogues out of fears of retaliation.

A U.S. citizen, Naveed Afzal Haq, has been arrested and booked on a charge of murder and five charges of attempted murder. The 31-year-old Muslim of Pakistani descent was angry at Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, officials said.

Peter of Pakistan reports that Haq's mentor and spiritual advisor, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has given the deranged man a "golden ticket" to paradise (not to be confused with a similar golden ticket to a certain chocolate factory). The ticket provides a one-way, non-refundable, first-class seat on a flight to the garden of paradise. There is reportedly no security however, as most of the occupants have already detonated their packages.

Al-Zawahiri Pursues Movie Career

2006-07-27T16:20:00.000-04:00

Ayman al-Zawahiri has indulged his pride once again and decided to further pursue a career in the movie industry. ABC News reports,

Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader issued a worldwide call in a new videotape released Thursday for Muslims to rise up in a holy war against Israel and join the fighting in Lebanon and Gaza until Islam reigns from "Spain to Iraq."

In the message broadcast by Al-Jazeera television, Ayman al-Zawahri, second in command to Osama bin Laden, said that al-Qaida now views "all the world as a battlefield open in front of us."

"It is a Jihad for the sake of God and will last until (our) religion prevails … from Spain to Iraq," al-Zawahri said. "We will attack everywhere." Spain was controlled by Arab Muslims until they were driven from power at the turn of the 16th century.

Al-Zawahri said Muslims everywhere must rise up to attack "crusaders and Zionists" and support jihad (holy war) "until American troops are chased from Afghanistan and Iraq, paralyzed and impotent … having paid the price for aggression against Muslims and support for Israel."

Yet another "victim" feels he must avenge perceived "wrongs". There is one other thing, and none of us at A of A are experts, but we feel that this point, while possibly minor, is certainly important: Allah does not wish for jihad. He no doubt has greater problems. Such as explaining to "martyrs" why they are barred from entering into the garden of paradise. Yes, it must be explained.

No "Peace! ... in the Middle East"

2006-07-26T08:23:00.000-04:00

Hezbollah has been using their time during Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon to its advantage. Thousands of rockets, bunkers, and munitions depots have been strategically located throughout the region. The Times Online reports,

THE full extent of Hezbollah’s resistance to Israeli ground troops in Lebanon emerged yesterday as returning soldiers and senior commanders admitted they were taken by surprise by the Shia group’s ferocity.

At the same time, a Hezbollah leader has made the startling admission that the group had underestimated Israel’s response to the kidnapping of its two soldiers. “The truth is we didn’t expect this response . . . that (Israel) would exploit this operation for this big war against us,” said Mahmoud Komati, the deputy chief of the Hezbollah politburo.

Despite two weeks of relentless Israeli bombardment, Hezbollah managed to fire 111 rockets at northern Israel on Monday, and more than 80 yesterday, killing a 15-year-old Arab Israeli girl and wounding several others. To date, 24 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 75 wounded.

“It was really scary. Most of our armoured personnel carriers have holes,” a paramedic told The Times after recovering three wounded tank soldiers. “It’s a very hard situation. We were in Lebanon before but it wasn’t like this for a long time.” A tank commander said: “It’s a real war.”

These revelations about the ferocity of Hezbollah does not bode well for advocates of a short decisive war. The conflict will not end without Hezbollah being defanged; this may prove to be more difficult than was previously assumed.

Peter of Pakistan has begun a petition to bring back The New Kids On The Block's (TNKOTB) patented "Peace! ... in the Middle East" expression. Used to end every show that they ever performed, the saying contributed to greater worldwide feelings of peace and harmony than has ever been felt since Marky Mark left the funky bunch. We encourage you all to sign the petition/use the expression.

Cartoon of the Day

2006-07-25T16:37:00.000-04:00

Syria Flexes Its Muscles

2006-07-24T21:57:00.000-04:00

Syria, not content to allow their Hezbollah proxies have all the fun, has declared their willingness to intervene miltarily in southern Lebanon. The Times Online reports,

CONDOLEEZZA RICE will arrive in Jerusalem today on a mission to end the intensifying conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, as Syria indicated for the first time that it was prepared to intervene.

In a sign that Syria might be feeling the pressure from its Arab neighbours, Faisal al-Meqdad, its Deputy Foreign Minister, said Damascus was willing to have direct talks with the US to resolve the conflict.

That reconciliatory tone was countered, however, by Mohsen Bilal, the country's Information Minister, who said that Syria would enter the conflict if the Israelis invaded Lebanon. "If Israel makes a land invasion of Lebanon and gets near us, Syria will not stand by with arms folded," he told the Spanish newspaper ABC. "It will enter the conflict." He added that Syria would only co-operate with peace negotiations within the framework of a broader Middle East peace initiative that would include the return to Syria of the Golan Heights, captured by Israel in 1967.

That is exactly what Syria needs right now, a threat to aid Hezbollah in the attack of Israel. Do they not have enough on their plate? Oppressing their citizens, corrupting Lebanese politics, entrenching an authoritarian regime, and now threatening military action in their favourite stomping ground, south Lebanon. The Syrians seem intent upon rivaling Iran for status as the world's most ostracized nation. Apparently more flyovers by Israeli jets are needed to convey the message to president al-Assad...

The Universe vs. Nasrallah

2006-07-21T16:30:00.000-04:00

Taking a page from his Terrorism 101 course, Hezbollah leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, has appeared in an al-Jazeerah television interview. Haaretz reports,

Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said last night there was "no way in the world" he would surrender two Israeli soldiers snatched on July 12 except as part of a prisoner exchange brokered through indirect negotiations.

"If the entire universe came (to pressure Hezbollah) it would not bring back the Israeli soldiers unless through indirect negotiations and a prisoner swap," he said in excerpts of an interview with Al Jazeera television.

Nasrallah, who appeared in the interview, also said that the group's leadership structure was still intact. "I can confirm without exaggeration ... that the leadership structure of Hezbollah has not been hurt."

Well, if the weight of the entire universe pressed down upon you, I would imagine releasing two soldiers would be the least of your worries. However, Nasrallah assured his loyal fans that he would not lower himself by negotiating with the Israelis directly. Negotiations would have to be conducted "indirectly," lest the taint of Western Imperial values clung to his clothing. That is probably a smart precaution to take. I am sure there are dozens of Israeli missiles with his name on them. Perhaps his face also. You can never be too careful when you are a murderous terrorist leader.

Hezbollah's Puppet Master

2006-07-20T16:49:00.000-04:00

Iran has asserted itself into the Mideast by enodorsing Hezbollah's brazen cross-border attacks and abductions. Once again we find that Iran is indeed the root of all evil. The Guardian Unlimited reports,

Iranian officials often say that places with the greatest troubles offer their country the best opportunities. And now, the war in Lebanon could make Iran an even more important player in the Islamic world even as its militant Shiite Arab client, Hezbollah, gets pounded by Israel.

"Iran sees itself more than just the moral father of Hezbollah. Iran seeks to become a major force across the region as a counterbalance to America and Israel," said Ahmad Bakhshaiesh, a professor of political studies at Tehran's Azadi University. "Lebanon is part of this plan," he said.

But many analysts in Iran and abroad believe Tehran remains firmly at the helm of all important Hezbollah decisions, including the cross-border attack last week that touched off the worst fighting in 24 years.

"Hezbollah simply would not have taken the brazen steps to create murder and mayhem without the assent - if not the actual steering - from Tehran," said Lawrence Haas, an expert on Hezbollah at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute in Washington.

It cannot be any clearer. Hezbollah is funded, supplied, directed and trained by Iran. It is fighting Iran's war against the Jews by proxy. It also conveniently distracts world attention from their rapidly advancing nuclear program. Israel's measures against Hezbollah should include Iran in their considerations. Without substantial cost to the Islamic Republic, there is nothing to deter them from future attempts to destabilize the region.

For Iran, the only thing worse than not being talked about, is being talked about.

Palestinian Mothers Find New Hobby

2006-07-19T08:07:00.000-04:00

Boys, young and old, are no longer enough to satisfy the Fatah militia's lust for violence. Now women, young and old, are getting in on the action. Terror is an equal opportunity employer. The Jerusalem Post reports,

Enraged by the failure of the Arab countries to help Hizbullah and Hamas in their confrontation with Israel, one of the major Palestinian militias announced on Tuesday that it had recruited dozens of women to join the fight against Israel.

Dressed in military fatigue and armed with rocket-propelled grenades and Kalashnikov rifles, the women were sent to march in the streets of Gaza City, chanting slogans in support of Hizbullah and Hamas and calling on all Arabs and Muslims to launch a war against Israel. Some of the women fired into the air as they passed near the offices of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

The decision to establish the new force comes one week after the armed wing of Fatah announced the formation of a female suicide bomber unit to launch attacks against Israel. Um al-Abed, a spokeswoman for the group, said last week that over 100 women from the West Bank and Gaza Strip had signed up to carry out suicide attacks.

Palestinian militia executive to lowly foot soldier: "Is your mother busy tonight?" It appears that women are good for something in the Islamic world ...

Nothing is sacred these days.

Israel Enters Lebanon

2006-07-17T08:33:00.000-04:00

Escalation remains the name of the game in the Mideast's latest conflict. Hezbollah has demonstrated its new Iranian-supplied missiles, and Israel has deployed ground troops deep into Hezbollah territory. CTV News reports,

Israeli ground forces have entered southern Lebanon, a government spokesman said, as Tony Blair and Kofi Annan call for the deployment of an international force.

Seven Canadians of Lebanese origin were among those killed by an Israeli strike. Three others were seriously wounded, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. More than 200 people -- at least 180 in Lebanon and 24 in Israel -- have died in the recent spate of fighting.

Annan is pleading with Israel to spare civilian lives.

Annan does not waste his time pleading with Hezbollah to spare innocent civilian lives; he does not waste his breath. There is one stark difference with regards to the casualties caused by both sides. Hezbollah considers civilians to be targets while Israel does not. An Iranian missile landing in a Haifa train station is as valid a target as an attack on an Israeli warship. Israel however, uses restraint and targets the infrastructure of terror. Ask "Sheik" Nasrallah's house for clarification. Israel has declared war on Hezbollah, and it is about time. The situation will not improve until the Lebanese government, for one, acts upon numerous UN resolutions to disarm the terror group in its midst. What are the chances of that happening?

Hezbollah to Rethink Strategy

2006-07-14T16:51:00.000-04:00

Lebanon has been subjected to yet another round of military strikes in retaliation for their tacit acceptance of Hezbollah-ian sovereignty in the south of their country. The Australian Herald Sun reports,

ISRAELI jet fighters fired two rockets into a runway at Beirut's international airport yesterday, the third time in 24 hours.

The Jewish state intensified its offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, hitting one of the airport's three runways with air-to-surface rockets about 11am. Fuel tanks hit in overnight strikes were still burning late yesterday.

Israel has imposed an air and sea blockade and hit the main highway between Beirut and Damascus, cutting off Lebanon from the outside world.

On a second front in Gaza, Israel bombed the offices of Hamas, destroyed a bridge and fired a tank shell that killed one Palestinian.

Israel has no choice but to continue to exact a punishing toll on Hamas and Hezbollah until their soldiers are returned. It is interesting to note that terrorist prisoners in Israeli jails receive visits from family members and the Red Cross, while Israeli prisoners of terrorists vanish into obscurity. A half-hearted or ineffectual assault on Hezbollah and its Lebanese home base would only encourage other brazen abduction attempts and lead to greater security threats. Instead of blaming Israel (once again) for all of the region's troubles, why not shift the focus to Iran and Syria for providing the terrorists of Hezbollah with their marching orders - and the equipment to carry those orders out. They are the single greatest threat to Mideast peace today.

Hezbollah-istan Attacks Israel

2006-07-12T16:27:00.000-04:00

Hezbollah has taken advantage of their essential territorial sovereignty in Southern Lebanon to kill seven Israeli soldiers and capture two. CNN reports,

Hezbollah guerrillas killed seven Israeli soldiers and captured two more Wednesday, triggering Israeli airstrikes and military raids inside southern Lebanon, Israeli officials said.

The Israeli military said its land, air and naval forces had hit at least eight Hezbollah bases and five bridges in the southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Cabinet was expected to approve more military action Wednesday evening, as Israel warned it would unleash its "utmost power" to retrieve its soldiers.

Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah told reporters that "direct negotiations" would be the only way to return the soldiers and that their capture was "our natural, only and logical right."

Three of the seven soldiers who were killed Wednesday died during fighting with Hezbollah along the Israeli-Lebanese border, and four were killed later as Israeli troops moved into southern Lebanon, said Israel Defense Forces.

Abducting Israeli soldiers is now Hezbollah's "natural, only and logical right." Interesting. Most people prefer their right to live in peace. Not Hezbollah. What would Iran think if they ceased in their quest to vanquish their evil Zionist enemy? No doubt Hezbollah's funding would dry up as the mullahs rethought their strategy of warfare by proxy. Holding Iran and Syria responsible for the actions of Hezbollah is the only logical course of action. Lebanon is utterly powerless to assert central control over what we like to call "Terrorist Alley" in the south of the country. As such, Iran and Syria alone are to blame. Just follow the money.

Cartoon of the Day

2006-07-11T16:18:00.000-04:00

Hamas Terror Leader Defiant

2006-07-10T21:28:00.000-04:00

The terrorist mastermind in charge of all Hamas activities, Khaled Mashaal, emerged from hiding (presumably from Israel) in order to threaten ... Israel. The Times Online reports,

THE exiled supreme leader of Hamas emerged from hiding yesterday to give warning that only Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners would secure the freedom of its captive soldier.

Making a rare public appearance, Khaled Mashaal blamed Israel for the stand-off over 19-year-old Corporal Gilad Shalit, seized during a raid on Kerem Shalom military base on June 25.

Earlier, Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister, had sounded an equally defiant note in Jerusalem, refusing to negotiate and branding Mr Mashaal a "terrorist with blood on his hands".

Emerging from the stability and security of his life in Damascus, Mashaal had nothing but harsh words for Israel. It is interesting that the consequences of his actions, by abducting Israeli soldiers for example, are felt not by him, but by average Palestinians. Why should they continue to suffer at the hands of decadent foreigners far removed from the actual conflict? It is also interesting to note that Mashaal is generally considered a hard-liner in the Hamas administration; he can afford to be. How would this conflict evolve had Mossad suceeded in poisoning him?

NYC Attack Plot "Mastermind" Not So Masterful

2006-07-07T16:18:00.000-04:00

New York has been targeted by the enemies of freedom once again. The New York Times reports,

A terrorist plot to set off explosives in the PATH railway tunnels under the Hudson River in October or November was disrupted in its planning stages, and several suspects in the plot have been apprehended, law enforcement officials said today.

Mark J. Mershon, the agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New York office, said at a news conference this afternoon that Lebanese officials had taken the plot's "mastermind" into custody in Beirut and that he had confessed. Mr. Mershon said that the Lebanese officials had identified the suspect as Assem Hammoud, a 31-year-old Lebanese native, and reported that Mr. Hammoud had sworn allegiance to Al Qaeda.

Mr. Mershon said two of the other eight people he described as "principal players" in the plot had been taken into custody in other countries, although none had yet been charged with any crimes. He said that an investigation was continuing, involving six countries on three continents.

One can safely suppose that this "mastermind" was indeed no such thing. Whether or not that confession was extracted under duress, we can be sure of one thing, any swearing of allegiance to al-Qaeda is a bad thing. It is generally considered a sign of an imbalanced person with a warped sense of reality. Congratulations to the various intelligence services across the world for their success in foiling a potentially disastrous attack.

A Somali Friend in Need ...

2006-07-06T16:36:00.000-04:00

Somali extremists have received help in their jihad from the larger extremist community; they are apparently one big happy family. Forbes and the Associated Press report,

A recruiting video issued by members of the fundamentalist Islamic movement in Somalia shows Arab radicals fighting alongside the local extremists in Mogadishu, and invites Muslims from around the world to join in their "holy jihad."

The video, obtained by The Associated Press, provides the first hard evidence that non-Somalis have joined with Islamic extremists in Somalia.

The videotape, produced to both recruit new fighters and raise funds, glorifies the Islamic victory over U.S.-backed, secular warlords in Somalia. U.S. officials cooperated with the warlords, hoping to capture three al-Qaida leaders allegedly protected by the Islamic council, especially three men accused in the deadly 1998 bombings at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

The video, shot on a handheld recorder, shows Arab fighters preparing for a major battle on the northern outskirts of Mogadishu. Arabic anthems and poetry play on the audio track urging Muslims to join the global holy war to advance Islam and defeat its enemies.

Jihad truly is a team sport, and the Radical Islamist team sticks together. When one muslim brother is being oppressed, other radicals rally to the cause and never cease until they are the ones doing the oppressing. In the case of Somalia, or as we at A of A now call it, Radical Islamistan, the potential is there for the country to mature and prosper into a full-fledged terrorist training haven. Every country needs a memorable attraction to put their name on the map. The world's largest ball of twine was already taken and so construction has begun on the U of T (University of Terrorism) in Mogadishu. Enrollment numbers have exploded.

Somali Fighters Tackle World Cup

2006-07-05T16:18:00.000-04:00

Somali extremist fighters have confronted what is perhaps the greatest threat to Islam: the World Cup. The Times of India reports,

Radical Islamic militia fighters in central Somalia shot and killed two people at the screening of a banned World Cup soccer broadcast while dispersing the crowd of teenagers watching it, an independent radio station reported Wednesday.

The Islamic fighters, who have banned such entertainment, opened fire after the teenagers defied their orders to leave the cinema that was screening the Germany-Italy match, Shabelle Radio reported. It said the dead were a girl and the cinema owner.

Islamic fighters who wrested control of the Somali capital from warlords in June forbade movies and television entertainment in line with their strict interpretation of Islam. The Supreme Islamic Courts Council, originally called the Islamic Courts Union, has expanded its control to other parts of southern Somalia.

Decadent imperialist soccer players of the World Cup should take a page from Hamas sponsored teams and cover up their sexy legs; lest they drive the inferior opposite sex wild.

Islam Q & A offers,

The game should not be accompanied by anything haraam, such as uncovering the ‘awrah. The man’s ‘awrah is the area from the navel to the knee, and it is well known that most of those who play this game uncover their thighs, but this is haraam and is not permitted.

Furthermore, playing soccer is only permissable when it, "is not for money, whether it is paid by the two teams, one of them or by a third party, because it is not permissible to give prizes except for competitions which help prepare one for jihad..."

Keep that in mind as you unbelieving infidels enjoy the World Cup.

CIA Disses Osama bin Laden

2006-07-04T16:32:00.000-04:00

The CIA, in an attempt to "dis" terrorist mastermnind Osama bin Laden, has disbanded a unit solely dedicated to uncovering his wherabouts. Reuters reports,

The CIA has disbanded a unit set up in the 1990s to oversee the spy agency's hunt for Osama bin Laden and transferred its duties to broader operations that track Islamist militant groups, a U.S. intelligence official said on Tuesday.

The bin Laden unit, codenamed Alec Station, became less valuable as a separate operation as counterterrorism operations eliminated top al Qaeda operatives and the movement's focus shifted more to regional networks of militants, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Al Qaeda is no longer the hierarchical organization that it was before 9-11. Three-quarters of its senior leaders have been killed or captured," said the official, referring to the U.S.-led response to the September 11 attacks.

The CIA intitiative comes closely upon the heels of OBL's newest audio release, Sgt. Bin Laden's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The CIA is using the media to attack OBL's reputation and importance in the terrorist community. The reallocation of assets is meant to signal that Osama is simply not the mastermind that he used to be. After all, can one truly be called a terrorist mastermind when the CIA does not even have a special unit dedicated to your capture? The hope is that fantastically wealthy Middle Eastern oil sheiks will close their wallets to the "has-been" and come to realize how farcical the Jihadist campaign really is.

Peter of Pakistan reports that the CIA will release their own audio recordings dissing top al-Qaeda personnel in an attempt to steal market share and draw these figures out of hiding. We encourage all of our readers to buy them.

OBL's New Hit

2006-06-30T10:40:00.000-04:00

Jealous of the media attention that the late al-Zarqawi's recordings generated, Osama bin Laden himself has released a smash new hit. The Times Online reports,

A message purporting to be from Osama bin Laden has been released online in which the head of al-Qaeda praises the dead terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and warns George Bush not to be "too happy" about his death.

In the 19 minute taped message, which has been posted on an Islamic website, the voice of bin Laden says that the banner of al-Qaeda in Iraq will be passed from "one lion of Islam to another", and demands that the US President hand over the body of "the hero" to his family.

He defends attacks by al-Zarqawi against civilians, saying that the militant was acting on orders from al-Qaeda to kill anyone who supported the Amercians in Iraq.

He praises the dead al-Qaeda leader effusively, describing him as "a lion of Islam and jihad who does honour not just to his family and tribe but to the whole of mankind".

One wonders if OBL knows that Jordan refused to accept the body of its "heroic" son. His family disowned him, mankind reviled him, and his death is indeed a great blow to al-Qaeda. This recording espouses much of the same fictional worldview for which al-Zarqawi's recordings were famous. When one is an Islamic fundamentalist, the world does not have to make sense, it just has to be cleansed of infidels.

Peter of Pakistan reports that the recording is on its way to Double Biological status in much of the Middle East. There are even reports that school dances feature the smooth sounds of bin Laden's voice instead of the corrupting influence of Western pop music. And by dances we mean male-only prayer gatherings. We encourage our readers NOT to buy OBL's latest release. We are boycotting it.

UK Court Slams Terror Prevention Measures

2006-06-29T15:24:00.000-04:00

The British judiciary has stood up for the underdog: the suspected terrorist. United Press International reports,

The British government's anti-terror policy has been plunged into disarray by a court ruling that control orders used to restrict the movements of terror suspects are incompatible with human rights law.

Justice Sullivan quashed the orders on six men -- all understood to be Iraqis -- on the basis that they contravened the European Convention on Human Rights restrictions on detention without trial.

The controversial orders are imposed on individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism where there is not enough evidence to bring a prosecution. They entail a variety of restrictions ranging from tagging and curfew to house arrest. Wednesday's appellants are understood to be banned from leaving their homes for 18 hours a day, cannot use cell phones or the internet, and are not allowed visitors who have not previously been cleared by the authorities.

"Their liberty to live a normal life within their residences is so curtailed as to be non-existent for all practical purposes," the judge said.

Peter of Pakistan reports that the men can hardly use their satellite phones without being eavesdropped upon by the tyrannical security services. Nor are they able to distribute jihadist propaganda like other free British citizens. What is the value of a society that restricts the movement of "potential" threats to its collective security? The key word is potential. When will the government learn that they should act only once these threats have been carried out? We applaud the decision.

Summer Camp Destroyed in Gaza

2006-06-28T12:15:00.000-04:00

Yet another innocent Hamas training camp in Gaza has suffered under the merciless Zionist onslaught. The LA Times reports,

Israel turned up the pressure on Palestinian militants to release a captive soldier today, sending its warplanes to bomb a Hamas training camp after knocking out electricity and water supplies for most of the 1.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians dug in behind walls and embankments, preparing for a major strike after Israel sent in troops and tanks and bombarded bridges and a power station. Warplanes fired missiles in northern and souther Gaza.

It was Israel's first ground offensive since pulling its soldiers and settlers out of Gaza last summer. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel would not balk at "extreme action" to bring Cpl. Gilad Shalit, 19, home but did not intend to reoccupy Gaza.

The Hamas-led Palestinian government called for a prisoner swap with Israel, saying the Gaza offensive would not secure the soldier's release. Hamas-affiliated militants holding the hostage previously made that demand, but this was the first time the government did.

Israeli warplanes fired at least nine missiles at Gaza's only power station, cutting electricity to 65 percent of the Gaza Strip, engineers at the station said. The station's three functioning turbines and a gasoline reservoir were engulfed in flames.

The situation is made worse by the fact that these flames were not of the holy, cleansing kind; these were begun by infidels. Our only question is, how can Allah allow this to happen? This power plant did nothing wrong. How can the evil Zionists be allowed to assail the "Islamic Resistance Movement"?

What is certain is how quickly the Hamas government has gone back to its roots by urging the Israelis to agree to a prisoner exchange. Their extensive experience in all terrorism-related cases, including kidnappings, allows them to act as the guiding force behind this latest hostage crisis. Without Cpl. Shalit's release, the situation must necessarily get worse before getting any better.

Somalia's Religion of Peace

2006-06-27T11:01:00.000-04:00

Somalia has advanced further along the righteous path of embracing the one true faith, the Religion of Peace. BBC News reports,

Somalia's Islamist militia have taken control of a key road junction south of their Mogadishu stronghold despite last week's ceasefire.

Meanwhile in Islamist-controlled Jowhar three men face death by stoning if convicted of rape by an Islamic court. Death by stoning is considered the most severe of punishments under Islamic law, handed down to adulterers and rapists.

In the capital, there have been more than 16 amputations - the punishment for theft - in that time, he says. Islamic law is based on an eye for eye system of justice. Last month an Islamic court ordered a teenage boy to stab his father's killer to death in public.

Named as the head of the Islamic courts' new legislative council on Sunday, Mr Aweys is seen as a hardliner compared to the more moderate Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who recently seized power from an alliance of Mogadishu warlords. Meanwhile, the United States has said it will not deal with Mr Aweys because of alleged ties to al-Qaeda, a charge he denies. He used to lead al-Itihaad al-Islamiya, a group which the US described as "terrorist".

Who is the real terrorist here? The leader of a devout religious group that happens to be fundamental in nature, or the Great Satan? The Western imperialist powers have once again conspired with the Zionists to oppress another Islamic nation. The peaceful, Allah-fearing state of Somalia has overcome decades of tribal warfare thanks to the success of its holy warriors. Now Sharia can be imposed and justice can be meted out. Let peace reign.

Militants Abduct Israeli Soldier

2006-06-26T12:05:00.000-04:00

Palestinian militants scored another victory for Allah when they abducted a 19-year-old Israeli soldier during a cross-border raid. CTV News reports,

Three Palestinian groups claiming to have abducted an Israeli soldier over the weekend are demanding the release of women and children from Israeli jails.

"The occupation will not get any information about its missing soldier until it commits to the following: First, the immediate release of all women in prison. Second, the immediate release of all children in prison younger than 18," read the fax that was signed by Hamas's military wing, the Saladdin Brigade, and the Army of Islam.

The last two groups are offshoots of the Popular Resistance Committees, which is connected to the governing Palestinian party Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned Palestinians that he has ordered the army to get ready for a "broad and ongoing" military operation.

"I gave the orders to our military commanders to prepare the army for a broad and ongoing military operation to strike the terrorist leaders and all those involved," Olmert said at a tourism conference in Jerusalem. "It should be clear. There will be immunity for no one."

Shalit, a 19-year-old conscript tank gunner, was seized in an unprecedented raid near the Kerem Shalom crossing point early Sunday. Two Israeli soldiers were killed and three militants died in an ensuing shootout.

The incident may force Olmert to reinvade Gaza, which would erase any progress gained by the historic unilateral wiwthdrawal of the territory. That is exactly what the militants want to happen. It is much more difficult to kill Israelis when they are no longer on your street corner. Violence is the raison d’être of many of these militant organizations, and this becomes much more difficult to accomplish when your professed goal of acquiring an unoccupied state starts to become a reality. To Palestinian militant groups, as long as there is conflict, there is opportunity.

Breakfast Most Important Meal of Day

2006-06-23T10:57:00.000-04:00

The Israeli Prime Minister and the Palestinian President met today over a breakfast full of carbohydrates. The BBC reports,

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have met for the first time in a year, at an informal breakfast. The pair attended the event in the Petra, Jordan, hosted by King Abdullah.

Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas shook hands and embraced on meeting in Petra, but it was not a one-to-one event - others joining them on the sidelines of a Nobel conference included Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel and the Thai deputy prime minister.

And after the event, Mr Olmert said he would meet the Palestinian president again - although he cautioned serious negotiations were unlikely until the Hamas-led Palestinian government recognised Israel, the Associated Press reported.

No word on whether or not that recognition will be forthcoming, what is certain however is that both men's Atkins diets have gone out the window. The picture below, taken by special guest Peter of Pakistan, shows the breakfast table loaded with carbohydrate-laden grain and wheat products. Studies have shown that the awkwardness of first dates can be relieved somewhat by consuming croissants wrapped in pancakes and dipped in cinnamon buns. The two leaders have taken that advice to heart.

We can expect the hardliners within the Hamas movement to have conniption fits upon seeing the photo record of this meeting. Abbas will most likely be branded a collaborator, will be cursed by the mullahs, and will accomplish more for his people than any other Palestinian leader in history. Not bad for a breakfast's worth of work.

Sudan Repulses Western Imperialist Aggression

2006-06-22T11:08:00.000-04:00

The radical Islamic government of the Sudan has yet again "refused to be recolonised by Western imperial powers." In other words, Khartoum refuses to end the ongoing and horrifying human rights catastrophe in their country. The Mail & Guardian Online reports,

Sudan's war-ravaged region of Darfur needs a United Nations peacekeeping force, despite President Omar al-Beshir's repeated opposition to deployment of Western forces, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Thursday.

Khartoum has not completely ruled out a UN takeover but has repeatedly voiced its opposition to any deployment without its prior consent and accused Western powers of challenging Sudan's sovereignty.

"I swear that there will not be any international military intervention in Darfur as long as I am in power," Beshir was quoted as telling a meeting of his ruling National Congress late on Monday.

"Sudan, which was the first country south of the Sahara to gain independence, cannot now be the first country to be recolonised," he said.

Since the civil war broke out in Darfur in February 2003, the combined effect of fighting and a dire humanitarian crisis has left up to 300 000 people dead and more than two million displaced.

These numbers, though staggering, are misleading because most of the victims were in fact infidels. The radical Islamic government in Khartoum has waged a vicious campaign of extermination against the non-Muslim Sudanese population and it has been most effective. It is no surprise that the very same government refuses to end the chaos that they began. The UN will have to push harder than it has been if it expects results on the ground. We will not be holding our breath as radical Islamic governments are not known to cave in to "Western imperial aggression."

Bodies of Tortured Soldiers Recovered

2006-06-21T11:21:00.000-04:00

Allah's will has been once again been carried out in the Land of the Two Rivers. The Times Online reports,

THE bodies of two American soldiers who disappeared last weekend were recovered yesterday as al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed that it had slit their throats after kidnapping them. An Iraqi general said that the corpses showed signs of "barbaric torture".

"Coalition forces have recovered what we believe are the remains of the soldiers," Major-General William Caldwell, a US military spokesman, told reporters. He refused to comment on how the young men abducted at a roadblock near Yusufiyah last Friday night had been killed.

An internet statement said that the new head of al-Qaeda in Iraq had "slit the throats" of the two men. It used the word "slaughter".

"God Almighty has graced the leader Abu Hamza alMuhajir . . . with the implementation of the sentence," said a statement from the Mujahidin Shura Council, a rebel association that includes al-Qaeda in Iraq. If true, the act would be a brazen act by the successor to al-Qaeda’s former leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a US airstrike two weeks ago.

If God Almighty graced alMuhajir and the result was the torture and execution of two people, what would be demanded as a punishment? Perhaps having coffee with an infidel? Or sharing your lunch with an unclean Zionist pig? These fates are worse than death to a follower of the one true faith. Apparently "The Merciful" is not one of Allah's 99 names ...

Taliban's New Campaign

2006-06-20T11:10:00.000-04:00

The Taliban's high moral quality was on display once again for the world to see. These upstanding young men do their best everyday to live the principles communicated to us by the Prophet (SAW), and to act as goodwill ambassadors for the faith. The Times Online reports,

TALEBAN fighters used women and children as human shields as they tried to escape into the mountains of Afghanistan, British troops claimed yesterday.

The tactics were revealed in the first account by those who fought in one of the main battles faced by the men of 3 Para and the Royal Gurkha Rifles in Helmand province, where 3,300 British troops are stationed. The Taleban's use of human shields happened during a six-hour battle that began when British troops arrived in a remote area to flush out a suspected Taleban hideout.

"It happened twice where they pushed women and children in front of them. The first time they ran into a compound and pushed them out the front to stop the assault," said Corporal Quintin Poll, 29, from Norfolk.

"The second time they were firing through a building with women and children inside. My guys had to go around the left and right to get them." About 21 Taleban were killed.

The Taliban certainly know how to win the hearts and minds of their fellow Afghans. The Taliban's "human shield" tactic follows closely on the heels of their recently abandoned "shock and awe" campaign, in which members attempted to shock and awe the infidel invaders into submission to Allah. The new campaign, similar to their previous effort, is expected to produce no results.

Americans Abducted in Iraq?

2006-06-19T11:45:00.000-04:00

Two American soldiers have reportedly been kindapped by insurgents in Iraq. They are confirmed to be missing. SFGate.com and the Associated Press report,

An umbrella group linked to al-Qaida in Iraq claimed Monday that it had kidnapped two American soldiers reported missing south of Baghdad, where 8,000 Iraqi and U.S. troops were conducting a massive search.

The group, called the Mujahedeen Shura Council, also claimed it had kidnapped four Russian diplomats and killed a fifth in Baghdad on June 3.

The message, which could not be authenticated, appeared on an Islamic Web site known for publishing messages from insurgent groups in Iraq. U.S. officials have said they were trying to confirm whether the two soldiers, who disappeared Friday evening following an insurgent attack that also killed a U.S. soldier, were kidnapped.

During the search for the missing Americans, U.S. spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell also said the military killed three suspected insurgents and detained 34 others in fighting that wounded seven U.S. servicemen.

Despite the large number of American and coalition forces in Iraq, the number of abductions has been relatively low. Should the insurgents' claim prove to be true, these soldiers would be in serious peril. Nothing makes a terrorist recruitment video like footage of kidnapped American soldiers. The military has already demonstrated, by their intensive search effort, that no expense will be spared to find the two missing servicemembers.

Another Point for Radical Islam

2006-06-16T12:13:00.000-04:00

Yet another firebrand radical cleric has been released back into the population. The Daily Telegraph reports,

ABU Bakar Bashir yesterday told his adoring followers his 26 months in prison were nothing compared with the sufferings of the ancient prophets.

Meanwhile in Jakarta, Indonesian authorities brushed off claims they had gone soft on terrorism despite anger in Australia over the release of the radical cleric, who is accused of inspiring the 2002 Bali bombings.

In Ngruki, near the Javanese city of Solo, followers yesterday packed the mosque and surrounding roadways of Bashir's al-Mukmin Islamic school to hear him speak at prayers.

The 68-year-old told his students to have faith and "don't be gentle with the khaffirs (unbelievers)".

"The worst is that we are called Islamic hardliners, hardline fundamentalists, terrorists," he said. "Don't question the orders of God -- even if your mind cannot accept it or even if it's dangerous -- because it's true."

That's right! Don't be gentle with the khaffirs! They don't deserve any respect at all! Peter of Pakistan reports that Bashir then went on to inspire his adoring fans to commit heinous acts in the name of Islam. Another day in the Islamic paradise of Indonesia.

Hamas' $20 Million Bake Sale

2006-06-15T12:36:00.000-04:00

The difficult conditions imposed upon the Palestinian Authority by Western infidels has forced its ministers to become especially creative. Bake sales and bachelor auctions have netted millions of dollars that will hopefully find its way into Hamas' coffers. Haaretz reports,

A Hamas government minister returned to the Gaza Strip on Thursday carrying $2 million in his luggage.

It was the second straight day that a minister has hand-delivered large amounts of money to the financially strapped government. Officials said Information Minister Yousef Rizka turned over the money to the Finance Ministry.

Fearing U.S. anti-terrorism sanctions, international banks have refused to allow Hamas to transfer money electronically to the Palestinian areas. In recent days, Hamas officials have taken matters into their own hands, physically carrying donations in their luggage.

[In addition,] Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar, who has been seeking to raise money for the financially strapped government, returned to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday with suitcases full of cash.

Egyptian border officials informed Abbas's office that al-Zahar was carrying $20 million in cash.

$20 million buys a lot of cupcakes. The only condition imposed upon the Hamas government is that of renouncing violence and recognizing the Israeli state. It does not seem like an insurmountable obstacle yet Hamas, as a terrorist organization, is ideologically opposed to any agreement that would force it to reject violence. Without violence, they would just be another inept government on the path to failure; a government that does not inspire confidence.

The Palestinian people have given them a mandate to rule using violence and terror. It is obvious why they do not want to give that up. Ruling officials would then have to learn how to govern ...

Cartoon of the Day

2006-06-14T11:24:00.000-04:00

Heretical Mobs Attack Hamas Offices

2006-06-13T12:59:00.000-04:00

Anti-Hamas sentiment has increased exponentially and resulted in the destruction of various public buildings and Hamas offices. Angry mobs are on the loose, and this time, Israel is not to blame. Ireland On-Line reports,

Hundreds of Palestinian security men loyal to president Mahmoud Abbas went on a rampage against the Hamas-led government, riddling the parliament building and cabinet offices with bullets before setting them on fire in retaliation for an attack by Hamas gunmen in the Gaza Strip.

In yesterday’s unrest, hundreds of members of the Preventive Security force shot out the windows of the parliament building before storming the two-building cabinet complex, where they smashed furniture, destroyed computers and tore up documents. No casualties were reported.

Shooting wildly in the air, the mob then set fire to one of the cabinet buildings, gutting the fourth floor. When a fire engine approached the scene, one gunman lay on the road, preventing it from reaching the building.

The crowd also set fire to the parliament building and a Hamas office. Both blazes were quickly contained. Abbas’ presidential guard later arrived to guard the burned-out parliament and Cabinet buildings.

The internal Palestinian political situation is becoming more chaotic each day. President Abbas' desire to call a referendum on whether or not to recognize Israel is seen by some psychotic Hamas supporters as, not a progressive move toward peace, but as a subversive attack on Hamas' core ideology. They are, after all, sworn to Israel's complete destruction.

We at A of A would like to know how Hamas plans to destroy Israel when it cannot even protect their own offices. How can we have faith in the Islamic Resistance Movement when their members are not even supported by large swaths of the Palestinian population? Their troubles are enough to convince us that Allah is not actually on their side ...

Ahmadinejad Not Welcome in Germany

2006-06-12T13:52:00.000-04:00

Soccer and international relations are inextricably linked. Iran's failure to stand up to Mexico may prove beneficial because President Ahmadinejad is not welcome in Germany - a win could have enticed him to fly in. Reuters reports,

Iran lost 3-1 to Mexico on Sunday in the World Cup while 1,000 exiles and opponents of their government protested outside Nuremberg's Frankenstadion.

The German government has made it clear Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not welcome in the country and a win or draw by his team would have boosted chances of him flying in.

At the forefront of Iran's nuclear showdown with the West, Ahmadinejad has faced fierce criticism for his inflammatory remarks about Israel and denials of the Holocaust -- a crime in Germany punishable by up to five years in prison.

"A criminal like Ahmadinejad is not welcome in Germany," Bavarian Interior Minister Guenther Beckstein shouted at a march in the southern city known for its trials of Nazi war criminals. "Only his diplomatic passport would prevent his arrest."

The Iranian coach, Branko Ivankovic, stoically denied commenting on politics, stating that his team was "here to make friends." It appears that Ahmadinejad has monopolized all of the beneficial religious aura, and it was the Iranian national team who lost out. The Iranian people will not stand for this. They do not mind having their political and human rights abused, but when the president interferes with their chances for World Cup glory, the gloves come off. It is only a matter of time before regime change is forced upon Tehran by angry, rights-loving hooligans.

Twin 500-Pound Tickets to Paradise

2006-06-09T12:06:00.000-04:00

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has bitten the dust, which, to a martyr, tastes like sweet ambrosia. The leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq should now enjoy a special place in the level of hell reserved for those who decapitate others; heaven is apparently already full of suicide bombers. The Herald Sun reports on the operation that killed AMZ,

But the most crucial factor was the co-operation of a source within Zarqawi's own network, which put US forces on the trail of his spiritual adviser Sheik Abd-al-Rahman. US Maj-Gen William Caldwell said that began a painstaking, six-week surveillance operation of Abd-al-Rahman which also used unmanned aerial drones.

But Wednesday was the first time the US was certain Abd-al-Rahman was at a hideout where it was certain Zarqawi was, which could be struck without risk of mass civilian casualties. He said someone inside the house began shooting as the American commandos took up positions. The Americans returned fire but the fight did not last long.

Senior officers in Baghdad called in an air strike at sunset on Wednesday. Two F-16 US Air Force Falcons circled high above and dropped two 225kg laser-guided bombs. The first flattened the house, which disintegrated into three dust clouds.

Six corpses were initially taken from the ruins: a woman, a child, two unidentified males, Abd-al-Rahman and finally Zarqawi. The last had green tattoos, just like Zarqawi, who was known among other terrorists as the "green man".

Within hours, the US launched 17 raids on suspect houses around Baghdad, gathering what Maj-Gen Caldwell says was a treasure trove of information. Checks of the scars and tattoos on the body suspected to be Zarqawi were confirmed by an FBI fingerprint check.

Zarqawi built himself up over the last few months in particular because some analysts felt that he was becoming more and more of an "outsider" to the insurgency. His rants against the evils of sectarian cooperation made him a polarizing figure and his death should calm religious tensions within Iraq. While it may not prevent what many see as inevitable, the spectre of civil war was certainly injured by those twin 500 pound bombs as surely as they killed al-Zarqawi. The US can chalk this one up as a victory.

Zarqawi Declares Jihad on Dying

2006-06-08T12:29:00.000-04:00

This video image displayed by the U.S. Military at a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday June 8, 2006, purports to show the body of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

(AP Photo/U.S. Military)

Mogadishu Won for the True Faith

2006-06-07T13:26:00.000-04:00

Mogadishu has reportedly fallen under the control of Islamic militants. Those Somalis who report feeling a sense of relief and newfound security have not been decapitated. The Financial Times reports,

After Islamic militias claimed to have seized control of Mogadishu from an alliance of warlords, allegedly supported by the US, initial reports from the chaotic Somali capital yesterday seemed to suggest that many Somalis would welcome their apparent victory.

For 15 years, competing, clan-based factions had run the war-ravaged city, dividing it into mini-fiefdoms, running exploitation rackets and ruling through fear and the power of the gun.

In an FT interview yesterday, Mohamed Ali Gedi, prime minister in the country's impotent transitional government, said his expectations were "extremely positive", adding that his administration hoped to enter into dialogue with the Islamists.

The first objective of any politician is to ingratiate themselves with the victorious army, and then collaborate. Expectations were high that the secular government would not be executed ... even in a warzone there is hope to be found.

"It was a popular uprising with all the stakeholders who have defeated the warlords, who have obstructed peace and stability in Somalia for the last 15 years," Mr Gedi said by telephone. "The Somali people are fed up with fighting, nobody is ready to continue with conflict and war."

History is written by the victors and in this case, it was indeed a "popular" uprising. While the Somali people at large may be fed up with fighting, it is unfortunately not up to them to decide when Allah should take over Mogadishu. That decision is left to al-Qaeda.

We can only hope that these Islamists can imitate the success of their Palestinian coreligionists and bring stability to Somalia.

Hamas Brings Chaos, Not Corruption

2006-06-06T09:53:00.000-04:00

It seems that hating the Israelis alone is not enough to bring people together. The Telegraph reports,

The gunman from the new Hamas security force left passers-by in no doubt as to what he thought of the official Palestinian police.

Standing in front of a smouldering, bullet-riddled police car from which the occupants had just fled, the Hamas gunman fired several rounds into the air before his colleagues, also wearing the black T-shirt uniform of the new Hamas police, tied a tow rope to the bumper of the blackened vehicle.

They then dragged their trophy round the streets of southern Gaza City while they fired more celebration volleys. The clash, which left the driver of the police car seriously injured with multiple gunshot wounds, is indicative of how Gaza is turning into a war zone.

The overpopulated territory was abandoned by Israeli troops last year and rival factions have turned on each other. With skirmishes occurring almost daily and a body count that has already reached more than 15, there are fears that all-out civil war is imminent.

It would be interesting to poll Gaza residents and determine how many of them would prefer the Israelis to bring some order to this chaos. Hamas' creation of a new security force has plunged the Gaza strip into near anarchy. What happened to Hamas' promise to focus on the plight of the average Palestinian? Life has gotten decidedly worse as salaries have not been paid, violence on the streets has increased, and the government has been crippled by infighting. Hamas, though a terror group, was legitimately elected by the Palestinians and so one must not be shocked at the result.

Churchill said, "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." That may be particularly true in this case.

Canadians NOT Universally Admired?

2006-06-05T18:25:00.000-04:00

The threatening reality of terrorism became only too vivid for residents of Toronto this weekend as 17 men were arrested on terrorism related charges. CBC News reports,

In the largest operation ever carried out under Canada's Anti-terrorism Act, more than 400 police officers conducted a series of raids in southern Ontario on June 2-3, and arrested 17 suspects.

Search warrants were executed on homes in Mississauga, Toronto and Pickering. Most of the suspects were taken under heavy guard to be processed at a police station in Pickering, east of Toronto. Police officers carrying automatic weapons ringed the building. Snipers were perched on nearby rooftops. It was a show of force rarely seen on Canadian soil.

In this article CBC News also reports,

Six of 17 suspects arrested over the weekend in connection with an alleged plot to bomb Ontario targets have been charged with planning to cause a deadly explosion.

The charges, released Monday morning, reveal that Fahim Ahmad, Zakaria Amara, Asad Ansari, Shareef Abdelhaleem, Qayyum Abdul Jamal and Saad Khalid have been accused of the most serious charges in the alleged plot. If convicted, they face sentences of life in prison.

Twelve of the men have been charged with knowingly participating, directly or indirectly, in the activity of a terrorist group.

Canada was among the nations specifically named by Osama bin-Laden as a collaborator of the United States. To some it seemed only a matter of time before Canada fell victim to these radicals' hateful interpretation of Islam. These coordinated arrests have shown that Canadian intelligence and security services are indeed a full partner in the War on Terror. Most of the accused were Canadian citizens which demonstrates the very real threat posed by "homegrown" radicals. Only a concerted effort by the Canadian muslim community at large can hope to prevent youth from becoming radicalized and acting upon their delusions.

Zarqawi's Release Declares Jihad on Charts

2006-06-02T13:39:00.000-04:00

The pinup boy for the Islamic fundamentalist movement, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has released his latest demo in which he freestyles on the evils of sectarian cooperation. BBC News reports,

An audio recording has been released on the web claiming to feature the voice of al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq, urging Sunnis to attack the country's Shias. The taped voice - allegedly that of Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi - says Shias have long collaborated with foreign invaders in Iraq.

It urges Sunnis to resist attempts at reconciliation with the Shias. The speaker in the audio recording urges Sunnis to "wake up, pay attention and prepare to confront the poisons of the Shia snakes".

"Forget about those advocating the end of sectarianism and calling for national unity," the speaker says. The recording also describes Iraq's highest-ranking Shia cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, as an "atheist" and lambasts Shia militia groups for attacking Sunnis in their houses on the pretext of searching for insurgents.

Zarqawi is so removed from reality that he lambasts Hezbollah for "shielding" Israel from attack, and rips into Ahmadinejad for not acting on his anti-Israel rhetoric.

This latest release from Jihad Recording Studios is expected to tear up the popular music charts around the muslim world. Zarqawi's previous releases have gone triple-Biological and hopes are high that this recording will sell enough to shatter the sought-after "Nuclear" rating. Only OBL's genre-smashing, original release, Exhortation to the Faithful, has ever gone nuclear. Many pundits have blamed the so-called glass ceiling that prevented muslim terrorists from receiving the industry's highest accolades. Grab your copy today!

True Civility in Palestinian Territories

2006-06-01T12:51:00.000-04:00

Islamic Jihad sent a housewarming gift to the Israeli defence minister with more than their usual flair for the dramatic. Opting to boycott the imperialist capitalist pig corporation known as Hallmark, PIJ sent a homemade rocket into the roof of the minister's neighbour. Al-Jazeera reports,

Palestinian fighters firing rockets from the Gaza Strip hit a house near the home of the Israeli defence minister, according to Israeli media.

The roof of a house about 100 metres from Amir Peretz's home in the town of Sderot was damaged on Wednesday by one of three rockets that Islamic Jihad members said they fired into southern Israel.

The makeshift rockets are very inaccurate. Eli Moyal, the mayor of Sderot, told Israeli Radio: "Our luck is that the Palestinians don't know how to aim precisely.

For PIJ, a successful terror campaign does not require accuracy from their rocket attacks. Peter of Pakistan reports that the minister was grateful to Islamic Jihad for their kind intentions, however he suggested that perhaps next time they send chocolates. One characteristic of a courteous person is to reciprocate kind deeds. Peretz plans to send his own version of a housewarming gift ... delivered by attack helicopters.

Haniyeh Proves Money DOES Grow on Trees

2006-05-31T12:15:00.000-04:00

The Palestinian financial situation has not proven as grim as Hamas would have the world believe. The San Francisco Chronicle reports,

The Hamas-led government has said it will pay partial salaries to its 165,000 employees, the first payday for increasingly desperate Palestinian workers in three months.

The surprise announcement came after thousands of angry workers staged an anti-government protest. Salaries have not been paid since a cutoff of Western aid and Israeli tax transfers after the militant Islamic movement took over the Palestinian government.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said yesterday he hoped the workers would get checks "in the next few days" for USD 333, equal to a full month's salary for about a quarter of the workers and an advance for the rest.

Haniyeh is expected to take full credit for delivering the salaries and none of the blame for having them cut off in the first place. He is a true politician. Peter of Pakistan reports that the Prime Minister is in such a sullen mood over the average Palestinian's financial straits that he has ordered the 1/2 cup of ruby Port to be excluded from his Duck Confit sauce this evening. Life is difficult for all.

Also Tuesday, masked Palestinian gunmen killed a man they suspected of spying for Israel. Jafal Abu Tzrur, 24, was shot dead on a main street by members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, who suspected he informed on three militants killed during an Israeli raid on the Balata refugee camp near the West Bank city of Nablus.

The group also denounced Abu Tzrur's girlfriend, a mother of four who was married to one of the Al Aqsa men slain by Israel, and she was killed by male relatives on grounds that she shamed her clan.

Makes sense. Nothing shames a clan more than allegedly cooperating with the Israelis. The exciting thing about tribal justice is that one does not ever have to be proven guilty in a court of law. Rest assured her four children will grow up being taught to hate their "collaborator" mother, and will no doubt sacrifice themselves to the cause.

Just another day in the terrorist-occupied territories.

Extreme Journalism Popular in Gaza

2006-05-30T12:01:00.000-04:00

The Palestinians have put their newly-liberated Gaza Strip to good use; as a launching pad for rocket attacks. The Australian reports,

IN the first Israeli ground penetration of the Gaza Strip since pulling out last August, a special forces team killed four Palestinians yesterday as they prepared to launch a rocket attack.

The ambush took place in Bait Lahiya, in the northern part of the strip. Nine Palestinians were wounded, including two journalists, when a helicopter fired a rocket in support of the ground assault.

Three of the dead were members of Islamic Jihad.

The Islamic Jihad Journalism Society protested the attack and subsequent injury of its members by saying, "Our journalists continuously struggle to report the successes of the Intifada against the Zionist enemy. Their jobs are made more difficult by being attacked by special forces soldiers ... why cannot we document rocket attacks in peace?" Later, the Society's spokesman called A of A to clarify that they were not documenting "attacks" but were acts of "self-defence." Thank you for the clarification.

Gratitude Rears its Ugly Head

2006-05-29T11:13:00.000-04:00

Kabulians have shown their gratitude at being released from the Taliban's clutches by attacking Afghan security forces and looting western charities. This all-day, riot spectacular was enjoyed by Islamists old and young, as students comprised a core demographic. The Washington Post reports,

[Kabul] erupted in anti-American riots Monday after rumors spread that U.S. troops had fired on and killed several civilians after a rush-hour traffic accident on the outskirts of the city.

Police and U.S. forces tried to secure the area of the accident but were surrounded by mobs of young men, including students on their way to school. The crowds ran through the streets, burned tires and set up roadblocks, and gunfire echoed across the city for hours. The mobs stopped and burned Afghan police and security vehicles.

Students? What school do they attend? The Mujahedin Preparatory Academy? No one at the A of A offices have ever set cars alight on their way to school, or work for that matter. Although it does make sense to burn the Afghan security forces vehicles. After all, the angry mob's countrymen should not have been so naive as to think they could help secure their nation.

Witnesses said the students burned down some police checkposts and the police fled. The students were in groups of 200 to 300. They were shouting "Down with Karzai," referring to President Hamid Karzai, and "Down with the U.S.! Down with Bush."

The mobs came into the city and burned and sacked the headquarters of CARE International. Witnesses said they attacked the buildings and went inside and looted office equipment and laptop computers, scattering papers all over the street before setting the building on fire.

There was reportedly no KFC available to torch and so CARE was the next best target of opportunity. The humanitarian organization dedicated to fighting global poverty is so obviously an imperialist, Zionist front, that it is a wonder it lasted this long. In terms of the security situation, this day of jubilation will no doubt set the country back another 50 years (to 650 AD).

A of A has imposed a travel restriction to Kabul on all of its employees. We have also sent back our exchange student from Mujahedin Prep ... we just did not see eye to eye.

Infidel Mercedes Kills Jihadi

2006-05-26T14:01:00.000-04:00

Another Islamic Jihadi bites the dust. A mysterious remote-detonated car bomb has rid the world of a top Palestinian Islamic Jihad "policy-maker." The vehicle must have been an infidel to agree to participate in such a dastardly deed. The Jerusalem Post reports,

The Islamic Jihad on Friday vowed a "harsh response" to the car bombing that killed Mahmoud Majzoub, the group's leader in southern Lebanon earlier Friday.

Majzoub, a member of the group's policy-making Shura Council body and its leader in Sidon, 40 kilometers south of Beirut, was walking with his brother Nidal near the central square of this coastal city, when a parked car was detonated by remote control, security officials said.

Earlier, before Mahmoud died, Islamic Jihad's representative in Lebanon, Abu Imad Rifai, blamed Israeli intelligence for the attack.

The profane vehicle was a silver Mercedes. As usual, Israeli intelligence was blamed. They are, after all, the cause of all evil in the world. Their power and capabilities, of apparently mythical proportions, are focused on plotting world terror attacks to rile up anti-Arab sentiment. The world trade center attacks were a prime example.

In this case, a simple car bombing was sufficient. Islamic Jihad has one less member, and Israel has one less enemy. If only everything in the region were so simple ...

Power Comes from the Blast of a (70kg) Bomb

2006-05-21T12:48:00.000-04:00

Internal power squabbling in the Palestinian government has taken a turn for the worse. Fatah security officials are being targeted for assassination by the holy forces of Hamas. BBC News reports,

A large bomb apparently intended to target the head of the Palestinian security services has been defused in Gaza City, security sources say.

The device was found outside the home of Rashid Abu Shbak, a commander loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

It followed an apparent bomb attack on the Palestinian intelligence service's head, who was injured when a blast tore through a lift on Saturday.

Hamas spokesmen could not be reached for comment as they were occupied planning their next assassination attempts. They are busy busy busy. Hamas has proved that both idle AND active hands are the devil's playground...

Lessons from Nazi Germany

2006-05-19T09:04:00.000-04:00

Just when you thought Iran had done all it could to provoke the international community, they devise a new strategem. Taking a page straight out of the Nazi Party's playbook, Iranian legislators have proposed legislation that would single out non-muslims (aka infidels) and impose upon them coloured insignia representative of their faith. The National Post reports,

The law mandates the government to make sure that all Iranians wear "standard Islamic garments" designed to remove ethnic and class distinctions reflected in clothing, and to eliminate "the influence of the infidel" on the way Iranians, especially, the young dress. It also envisages separate dress codes for religious minorities, Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians, who will have to adopt distinct colour schemes to make them identifiable in public. The new codes would enable Muslims to easily recognize non-Muslims so that they can avoid shaking hands with them by mistake, and thus becoming najis (unclean).

Religious minorities would have their own colour schemes. They will also have to wear special insignia, known as zonnar, to indicate their non-Islamic faiths. Jews would be marked out with a yellow strip of cloth sewn in front of their clothes while Christians will be assigned the colour red. Zoroastrians end up with Persian blue as the colour of their zonnar.

Islamic legislators are unanimous that Islam is incompatible with "gay, wild, provocative colours" such as red, yellow, and light blue, which are supposed to be favoured by Satan. The colours to be imposed by law are expected to be black, brown, dark blue and dark grey.

"There is no sense in a Muslim man or woman wearing something that is, in fact, an advertisement for an infidel designer or clothing merchant," says [Mostafa Pourhardani, Minister of Islamic Orientation].

What is already labelled "the Islamic clothes revolution" will not be limited to Iran. Tehran has already sent a team to Lebanon to inform the Hezbollah of the new law and train cadres to impose it on Lebanese Shiites.

The Iranian version of Islam becomes more insane every day. Orwell's dystopian future society also imposed a dress code on it's inhabitants. Iran seems to be drawing inspiration from all the wrong places. According to president Ahmadinejad, the Holocaust was a myth. He therefore shows no compunction about forcing Iran's tiny Jewish population to endure the same humiliating treatment that was a precursor to the Final Solution. The same treatment is to be reserved for other "non-believers."

The world's most dangerous man becomes seemingly more unstable every day. What lunacy will tomorrow bring?

Dutch Politician Sacrificed

2006-05-18T12:18:00.000-04:00

Appeasement is just as dangerous now as it was nearly 70 years ago. The Globe and Mail reports,

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the courageous Dutch politician, travels nowhere without protection. When she came to Canada last year to speak out against the adoption here of sharia (Islamic law), she was surrounded by armed guards. Islamic extremists have been threatening her life for years. For much of that time, she has lived in hiding, moving constantly from place to place.

This week, in an act of astonishing appeasement, her citizenship was revoked by the Dutch immigration minister. And so Ms. Hirsi Ali, 36, finds herself a refugee again, from a country and a continent deeply confused about how to respond to the threats she has named all too clearly.

Ms. Hirsi Ali, who is Somali-born, speaks with compelling clarity about the dangers of Islamic extremism to the West. Her greatest worry, she says, is what she calls "the liberal betrayal" -- the failure of the West to defend its own liberal democratic values against those who would destroy them. She is enormously unpopular not only among Muslims, but also among the European left, who accuse her of inflaming racism.

By the time her passport was revoked, she had already decided to move to the United States, where she has a job offer from a conservative think-tank. Across Europe, dozens of politicians, journalists and academics are under police protection because of Islamist threats. The infamous Danish cartoonists are lying low, and Flemming Rose, the editor who decided to publish them, is thinking of moving to the United States, too.

Like Ms. Hirsi Ali, he says it's not the extremists who are driving him out. It's Europeans and their governments who are so willing to appease them.

The forces of political correctness have won out over the powers of logic once again. Ali, a true defender of Western democratic values, has been victimized by the system that she helped to defend (at great personal risk). There will no doubt be many a celebration in fundamentalist gatherings throughout Europe as another "collaborator" bites the dust.

When will it be safe to denounce the threat that radical Islam poses to Western society?

Hamas Terrorized in Attack of Irony

2006-05-17T10:48:00.000-04:00

Hamas has inaugurated a new "security" force designed to keep their members safe from Palestinian bullets. Hamas' terrorist credentials were supposed to have been the party's greatest asset. Analysts predicted that after years of planning and executing "martyrdom operations," Hamas-niks would have the savy to avoid becoming victims themselves. This is not the case. The Guardian reports,

The Hamas-led Palestinian government said a new security force would start operating today, defying an order against its creation by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.

[Palestinian interior minister, Saeed] Seyam, activated the force just hours after masked gunmen, shooting from a car, killed a member of Hamas's military wing, Bilal Abu Kouskya, 28, as he walked to pre-dawn prayers.

No one claimed responsibility for today's killing, the second such attack in two days. Yesterday drive-by shooters killed a Hamas activist on a street in Gaza City, and earlier in the day, in the southern town of Khan Younis, two Hamas activists were wounded by shots from a passing car.

Both Hamas and Fatah suggested Israel was somehow involved, saying it is the only party to benefit from the growing chaos, but they offered no evidence.

Ah, the old standby. In addition to being the sole cause of all tension in the Middle East, Israel has now become the root of all drive-by shootings, gangland executions and Palestinian power struggles. In the Middle Eastern media, government officials need only to mention Israel's name and every annnouncement will be followed by knowing nods of the head. Proof of Israel's involvement is not required, as everyone "knows" what they are capable of. Ahmadinejad did not need to explicitly mention Israel, whose "intelligence service" was apparently responsible for the September 11th attacks, in his "peace overture" to President Bush; it was implicitly understood.

Maybe after being terrorized themselves, Hamas will gain a newfound respect for life ... and then again, maybe suicide bombers actually go to the garden of paradise ...

Hats Off to Libya

2006-05-16T10:06:00.000-04:00

The world of high fashion has been thrown on it's head as President Bush has legitimized Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's sense of style. This legitimization comes as a result of Libya's forsaking nuclear weapons. The Globe and Mail reports,

The United States announced it was restoring full diplomatic relations with Libya yesterday, a reward President George W. Bush says is also on offer to other rogue states if they forsake nuclear weapons.

"Continuing to seek those [nuclear] weapons will not bring security or international prestige, but only political isolation, economic hardship, and other unwelcome consequences," Mr. Bush warned, outlining the carrots-and-sticks approach to superpower diplomacy.

Those "unwelcome consequences" include full-blown war, like that launched in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein in Iraq after he defied a decade of UN-authorized sanctions.

In the aftermath of that war, Libya quietly dropped its anti-American stand, cut a secret deal to dismantle its nuclear- and chemical-weapons programs and paid $2.7-billion (U.S.) in compensation to the families of 270 people killed in the Lockerbie bombing.

Colonel Moammar Gadhafi could not have been more pleased with President Bush's announcement. In celebration, last month he told al-Jazeera that, "Europe is in a predicament, and so is America. They should agree to become Islamic in the course of time, or else declare war on the Muslims." This declaration was followed by the piercing report of AK-47 fire, and shouts of "Allahu Akbar."

It is unclear whether or not Gadhafi will stop repressing his people and agree to respect basic human rights. What is certain however, is that Bush has requested one of the Colonel's hats ...

Ahmadinejad's Largest Carrot Yet

2006-05-15T10:33:00.000-04:00

Iranian President Ahmadinejad will soon be presented with another comprehensive package of benefits ... as a reward for his intransigence. The Times Online reports,

Europe will help Iran develop a "proliferation-proof" nuclear power programme in exchange for the regime agreeing to halt uranium enrichment on its own soil.

The offer is one of a series of incentives unveiled in Brussels today which are designed to succeed in reining in the Islamic republic where the faltering threat of sanctions has failed.

Margaret Beckett, the new Foreign Secretary and an opponent of nuclear power in Britain, confirmed the suggestion, adding: "If they [the Iranians] do come back into compliance, people will work hard to help them achieve what they really need, or say they need, which is access to civil nuclear power."

Therein lies the rub. Iran's professed desire is completely different from their real goal - that of atomic weapons. The proof lies in their nearly two decades of secretive nuclear research and construction. The Non-Proliferation Treaty provides technical assistance from nuclear states to non-nuclear states in exchange for abstaining from the pursuit of nuclear weapons. Iranian secrecy speaks volumes as to their true intentions. A rejection of this latest "broad and generous" offer should remove all inexplicably lingering doubt about Iran's true nuclear intentions. It will also put pressure on Russia and China to reverse their positions in favour of a hardline towards the Evil Republic.

Peter of Pakistan has received inside information that Ahmadinejad will reject this deal in favour of one that offers Iran tactical nuclear weapons. Only one atomic weapon is required (because Israel is not very large). When asked about the feasibility of this goal, Ahmadinejad reported he saw it's successful outcome in a vision - a vision of sugarplums and nuclear fallout.

While the EU's offer is logically the best possible outcome, one cannot expect logic from a man like Ahmadinejad. We predict delay.

Egypt Earns UNCHR Seat

2006-05-12T10:12:00.000-04:00

Egypt, that bastion of liberalism and democracy, has shown that it truly deserves its membership in the UN Commission on Human Rights. Security forces beat demonstrators who were described as "uppity", and who had the gumption to protest against the government's authoritarian tendencies. The New York Times reports,

President Hosni Mubarak's government dispatched thousands of riot police officers into the center of the city on Thursday to silence demonstrators intent on showing support for judges demanding independence from the president.

Two of Egypt's most senior judges, Mahmoud Mekki and Hisham Bastawisi, were to appear Thursday in the High Court to face disciplinary proceedings for publicly charging electoral fraud during parliamentary elections late last year.

The police clubbed men and women trying to demonstrate as well as half a dozen journalists.

It is comforting to know that the United State's $2 billion yearly aid package is being put to good use. Peter of Pakistan reports that it was plainclothed policemen who were prosecuting the beatings. This is particularly effective in a dictatorial state because the resultant feelings of confusion and fear are that much higher. However, not all of the news out of Egypt was bad:

Ten riot police officers were killed Thursday when their van fell off a bridge as they drove toward the center of the city, officials said.

Sounds like some of the sentences meted out by sharia courts around the world. Justice is blind, and so was their driver.

Mogadishu Attacked by Fundamentalists

2006-05-11T11:21:00.000-04:00

122 people are dead after Somali Islamic extremists decided they could run the country more religiously and attempted to capture Mogadishu. Most of the casualties were civilians, however they are a small price to pay in exchange for the benefits that will be realized upon imposing sharia law. The Globe and Mail reports,

Secular fighters and Islamic extremists traded artillery and mortar fire in Somalia's capital overnight, despite mediators' efforts to broker a cease-fire in fighting that has left at least 122 people dead.

Most of the victims have been civilians caught in the crossfire. Mogadishu residents were fleeing Thursday amid fears the fighting will get much worse in a country that has known little but violence and chaos for more than a decade.

Fighting has escalated steadily since Sunday, when the extremists, who have alleged ties to al-Qaeda, tried to capture a strategic road through northern Mogadishu from the warlords, who are linked to the United States.

Islamic fundamentalists have portrayed themselves as an alternative capable of bringing order and peace, but they have not hesitated to use force and have allegedly linked up with al-Qaeda terrorists.

The United States has reportedly backed some secular groups in efforts to fight international terrorism; several high-ranking al-Qaeda operatives are being given support and sanctuary by radical clerics. The Religion of Peace has opened a new battlefront and, as usual, civilians pay the price.

Somalia collapsed into anarchy in 1991 when warlords united and overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. Since then, the country has had no effective government, although the UN endorses Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi, whose headquarters are in Baidoa, 240 kilometres west of Mogadishu.

While the present chaotic situation must not be allowed to last, allowing fundamentalists to take control of the country would be the worst possible scenario. History and experience has shown that fundamentalists of any nature are incapable of running a government. Simply ask the many victims of the Iranian Islamic Republic ... although that may prove difficult.

"For Canadian Muslim groups, it's always about Israel"

2006-05-10T20:54:00.000-04:00

The negative image of Arabs in the media is always a source of frustration and amazement for Arab groups. Leonard Stern argues, "Terrible crimes are being committed explicitly in the name of Islam, and the community's leadership is not repudiating them loudly enough." Sounds simple enough. The National Post reports,

I regularly come across press releases and letters from Muslim groups, and what's striking is how often they focus exclusively on the sins of Israel. A recent communique from the Canadian Islamic Congress, which incidentally also addressed Islam's negative image, accused "pro-Israeli Zionists" of "playing manipulative mind-games on unsuspecting, decent mainstream Canadians."

In the last five years, some 4,000 Arab Palestinians have died in the war with Israel, most of them armed fighters (more than 1,000 Israelis have died, mostly civilians). In that same period, around the world, hundreds of thousands of Muslim civilians have died at the hands of other Muslims, yet I can't recall much outrage.

Let's review the last five press releases from the Canadian Islamic Congress. Two were simply announcements that the organization had met with various MPs. Of the remaining three releases, one denounced Israel for withholding transfer money to the Hamas-led Palestinian government; another criticized Canada for bowing to the "pro-Israel Jewish lobby" and also withholding aid money to the Palestinians.

The final news release was a congratulatory note to Iran for "having produced low-level enriched nuclear fuel."

Meanwhile, the genocide continues in the Darfur region of Sudan. Nearly 200,000 African Muslims have died, the victims of Arab Muslim militias. I can't find a single press release on the subject from the Canadian Islamic Congress, either this year or last.

Israel is the great unifier of the Islamic world. Without the Zionist entity, frustrated Muslims around the world would have no outlet to their pent-up anger towards their own repressive governments. It is true - anti-American/Israeli sentiment is the only permissable form of political expression in the Arab world. Everyone needs a good flag/effigy-burning, violent rampage every now and again. Only then is it possible to continue leading a life full of censorship, oppression and political disenfranchisement.

The real question is, what excuse do Canadian Muslim groups have for villifying Israel, when Arab regimes are far worse? Perhaps there is a feeling that, in exchange for living the good life in Canada, they must virulently attack the Zionists in order to gain some street "cred" ... sounds like a bad gangsta' movie.

Terrorist Blogging Entity Denounced

2006-05-10T20:47:00.000-04:00

Blogger is officially the greatest threat to the Middle East Peace Process since the election of Hamas. After denying us at A of A the ability to post our helpful commentary, we have been forced to add Blogger to the government's no-fly list. Accept our apologies for any bewilderment, perplexity or uncertainty that you may have experienced during our brief absence. Tuesday's and Wednesday's postings will follow shortly.

In Palestine, Missiles Are The New Black

2006-05-08T10:48:00.000-04:00

Monday was just another day at the office for Palestinian officials; albeit a day with a more than usual amount of dead colleagues. The International Herald Tribune reports,

Rival gunmen from Hamas and Fatah fought with assault rifles and missiles Monday, leaving three militants dead in the bloodiest internal fighting since Hamas took over the Palestinian government six weeks ago.

Missiles? They were fighting with missiles? Whatever happened to the good old days of one-on-one, mano a mano, fisticuffs? Peter of Pakistan reports that, in Gaza, to be considered a man, one has to "pimp" his missile launcher with all the latest accessories. Insiders blame MTV.

The confrontations began after midnight with a spate of kidnappings and peaked at daybreak, when Hamas fighters fired a shoulder-held missile into a jeep with government license plates, killing two Fatah gunmen who were also members of the Palestinian security forces.

The fighting was the latest sign that the two sides could be sliding toward large-scale clashes. Each group has been training its gunmen for possible confrontation, and Hamas recently outbid Fatah in buying a black market shipment of 100,000 bullets.

Palestinian politics is becoming more and more chaotic. Not since the heady days of Yasser Arafat have government officials engaged in such outright violence and terrorism. We can however, thank Jimmy Carter for assuring us that for all of its terrorist foibles, Hamas is at least not corrupt.

The editorial staff at A of A is in agreement with regards to one fact - we would much rather be represented by an official who lines their pockets than one who negotiates with shoulder-fired missiles.

Hamas Denied Jaunt to Stockholm

2006-05-05T09:44:00.000-04:00

Hamas just can't get no respect! The Swedish infidels offer the latest unforgiveable insult to the direct personifications of Allah's wrath as they refuse members of Hamas permission to travel through Sweden. This decision comes directly after a similar refusal from France. Yahoo! News reports,

Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson has said two leading Hamas officials hoping to visit Sweden this month would not be allowed entry after France denied them a visa.

Hamas parliamentary group spokesman Salah Muhammad al-Bardawil and Hamas official Mohammad al-Rantissi were to visit Malmoe in southern Sweden on May 16 following an invitation by a local association.

The French foreign ministry on Wednesday confirmed that it had refused visa applications for both Hamas officials. Sweden, in line with the rest of the European Union, does not have political contacts with the Hamas-led Palestinian government.

Denying the Islamic Resistance Movement officials a travel visa is reportedly linked to the "terrorist" designation imposed upon Hamas. Who are the real terrorists here? Perhaps it is for the best. After all, Gaza in the springtime is much more interesting than Paris or Stockholm.

The good news is that now, Hamas can use their travel budget to pay Palestinian salaries ...

Russia: New Champion of Radical Islam

2006-05-04T10:16:00.000-04:00

Russia became the sole defender of freedom and democracy in the modern international system when, on Wednesday, they stood firmly in the way of imperialist aggression versus Iran. AP and the Indian Express reports,

Facing tough resistance from Russia, Western nations debated on Wednesday how to push ahead with a resolution that could trigger sanctions against Iran unless it abandons uranium enrichment, diplomats said.

Russia made its opposition clear during a Tuesday meeting in Paris, where envoys debated how to respond to a report from the UN nuclear watchdog confirming Iran has continued uranium enrichment despite demands that it stop.

Russia, which has arms and technology deals with Iran, acknowledges that many questions surround Iran’s nuclear programme but say there is nothing to confirm it is seeking a nuclear weapon. China backs that view.

Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the Russian Lower House of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, told Ekho Moskvy radio that he expected agreement on a milder resolution at the foreign ministers’ meeting in New York.

This milder resolution is expected to include provisions that will exempt Moscow from selling arms/nuclear technology to Iran. It is not clear at this stage what the resolution actually hopes to accomplish. Peter of Pakistan reports that Kosachev wishes the US would stop bullying Iran. "Russia is strong! Mother Russia will stand in way of Yankee imperialism wherever is found, and not only because Iran sends me a new limousine packed with pistachio nuts every year ... "

Good for you, Russia. Hopefully you can delay Western aggression against the innocent Islamic Republic until they are able to manufacture their own nuclear "deterrent". Then President Ahmadinejad can successfully deter Israel from their planned course of continuing to exist.

Sec. Council to Attack Iran's Nuts

2006-05-03T11:37:00.000-04:00

Western officials have moved a step closer towards their goal of tightening the noose around Iran's neck by drafting a Security Council resolution to punish Iran for it's uranium enrichment. The International Herald Tribune reports,

The United States, Britain and France have drafted a UN Security Council resolution to require Iran to stop its nuclear activities, but Russia and China are resisting, according to officials involved in the negotiations.

The proposal invokes Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which permits sanctions that could include military action if a resolution is not obeyed. The proposal is expected to lead to weeks of negotiations in the Security Council that even then might not result in a clear outcome.

[Under Secretary of State, R. Nicholas] Burns emphasized that sanctions, if they were imposed, would come only later, if negotiations failed. He said that sanctions to bar purchase of Iranian oil and gas were not under discussion but predicted that there would eventually be international support for some actions. He mentioned several possibilities: sanctions on Iranian technology imports with both civilian and military uses, a travel ban on Iranian officials and a ban on arms sales to Iran.

There is a novel idea. Banning arms sales to the Evil Republic seems like it should have been a no-brainer. This implies that there are still arms sold to Iran. We can only suppose that the Western Imperialist Capitalist arms-dealing pigs value the profits from arms sales over the moral quandary that arises from arming such a brutal and oppressive regime.

When it comes to Iran's uranium enrichment capabilities, the Security Council cannot be relied upon to adopt any meaningful resolution that would force Iran to comply. The question then becomes, what other options are available? Iran has repeatedly declared that it would "transfer the experience, knowledge, and technology of its [nuclear] scientists" to its many terrorist allies, along with threatening the destruction of Israel in response to American aggression (and just for laughs). Backing down from forcing Iran to comply with the international consensus is not an option.

We prefer to boycott all Iranian pistachio exports. That will stick it to them where it hurts ... in the nuts.

Hamas Attacked by Ideology

2006-05-02T10:44:00.000-04:00

The incorrigible Churchill said, "The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter." This is especially true when that voter elects terrorists to be their representative. Like other political groups that gain authority above and beyond their importance, Hamas is now reportedly in the midst of a dispute over ideology. On one side is the supreme leader of Hamas, Khaled Mashaal, who operates from his base in Syria. On the other, the supposedly more "pragmatic" elected officials who actually live in the Palestinian territories. This pragmatism reflects the remote possibility that some of these officials may be convinced of the necessity of working with the Zionist enemy. The Washington Post reports,

Hamas' turbulent first month in power has laid bare brewing friction between the militant group's Syria-based hard-line chief and elected leaders in the West Bank and Gaza. The dispute rages over one central issue - whether Hamas, whose charter calls for Israel's destruction, should moderate its ideology.

Party hierarchy places supreme power in the hands of Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal, who lives more than 100 miles away from the chaos and impoverishment of the West Bank and Gaza. However, with Hamas now running the Palestinian Authority, that balance of power could shift.

A former physics teacher born in 1956 in the West Bank, Mashaal unwittingly leapt onto the international stage in 1997 when Israeli spies injected him with poison in Jordan, where he was living at the time. When Jordan's King Hussein learned of the attempt on Mashaal's life, he enlisted President Clinton to pressure Israel to deliver an antidote, Jordanian officials said.

As supreme leader, Mashaal is thought to have final control over both the outside political wing and the various political wings in Gaza and West Bank. The political wings are thought to set Hamas' general policy on suicide and other attacks, but the group's military wing carries them out.

The burden of governing is almost always a moderating experience. Perhaps this truism has affected Hamas officials as they live under the pressures of providing a stable, secure, and economically prosperous Palestinian society. The current situation, in which state employees are not paid, internal political strife debilitates the government, and the most significant progress towards an independent Palestinian state has been made by Israel, cannot last. Hamas must join the community of civilized human beings and denounce terrorism if they ever hope to provide the Palestinians with a bright future ... unless their hopes lay elsewhere.

We are beginning an "Impeach the Supreme Leader" campaign. Collect signatures and send them in to A of A. With your help we can show Khaled Mashaal that the infidels are capable of more than debauchery.

The Ayatollah's Key to Paradise

2006-05-01T10:07:00.000-04:00

Should any doubt the consequence of Iran's threat to world stability, this insight into the Iranian culture of death will alleviate those misgivings. The Basiji are a mass movement created by the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 and militarized after the war started in order to supplement his beleaguered army. The Basij Mostazafan - or "mobilization of the oppressed" - was essentially a volunteer militia, most of whose members were not yet 18. They were put to good use ...

The article in its entirety can be found on Iran-va-Jahan's English edition, entitled Ahmadinejad's Demons. Here are some highlights (although lowlights would be more appropriate):

During the Iran-Iraq War, the Ayatollah Khomeini imported 500,000 small plastic keys from Taiwan. The trinkets were meant to be inspirational. After Iraq invaded in September 1980, it had quickly become clear that Iran's forces were no match for Saddam Hussein's professional, well-armed military. To compensate for their disadvantage, Khomeini sent Iranian children, some as young as twelve years old, to the front lines. There, they marched in formation across minefields toward the enemy, clearing a path with their bodies. Before every mission, one of the Taiwanese keys would be hung around each child's neck. It was supposed to open the gates to paradise for them.

The chief combat tactic employed by the Basiji was the human wave attack, whereby barely armed children and teenagers would move continuously toward the enemy in perfectly straight rows. It did not matter whether they fell to enemy fire or detonated the mines with their bodies: The important thing was that the Basiji continue to move forward over the torn and mutilated remains of their fallen comrades, going to their deaths in wave after wave. Once a path to the Iraqi forces had been opened up, Iranian commanders would send in their more valuable and skilled Revolutionary Guard troops.
...
Consider that, in December 2001, former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani explained that "the use of even one nuclear bomb inside Israel will destroy everything." On the other hand, if Israel responded with its own nuclear weapons, it "will only harm the Islamic world. It is not irrational to contemplate such an eventuality." Rafsanjani thus spelled out a macabre cost-benefit analysis. It might not be possible to destroy Israel without suffering retaliation. But, for Islam, the level of damage Israel could inflict is bearable--only 100,000 or so additional martyrs for Islam.

The article outlines how Ahmadinejad was reportedly an instructor of the Basiji, and how they are now experiencing a revival in popularity and political power. This fanatical support base, intensely loyal to the president, has now been encouraged, not to roll themselves over mines, but to work in the state's nuclear laboratories.

Ahmadinejad has used his support with the Basiji to roll back some of the moderate reforms enacted by his predecessors. His goal is nothing less than a revitalized revolution to wipe out the corrupting influences of liberalism and the West. Only then - and through the fires of nuclear armageddon - will he prepare the way for the return of the "hidden" 12th Imam.

We are in no mood for humour.

Honour Killings Found to be Harmful to Health

2006-04-29T12:36:00.000-04:00

Nearly exactly one year ago, the Religion of Peace claimed another victim. To "cleanse" his family's honour, a young Jordanian man murdered his sister. Sounds about right. I mean if your own brother cannot murder you, who can? BBC News reports,

Jordanian police say a man is believed to have shot dead his divorced sister after seeing her photograph on his male friend's mobile phone. The 27-year-old shepherd is said to have surrendered himself shortly after the incident saying he had killed his sister to cleanse his family's honour.

Under the current laws, men convicted of an honour killing can get jail sentences of as little as six months. The 31-year-old victim, who has not been identified, was shot twice in the head at her home in a Palestinian refugee camp in the northern city of Irbid.

The article continues by saying this was the 19th "honour" killing in Jordan of that year. The government claims they would like to enact changes in the feeble law prohibiting these killings, however, "many MPs from conservative tribal backgrounds are against the proposed changes, arguing that they encourage vice." A culture is considered broken when murdering family members is not taboo.

Oddly enough, and we may be in the minority here, but we at A of A feel that it is a violently murderous society that encourages vice, not the toughening of anti-honour killing laws. But what do we know ...

Iran Spurns UN Resolution ... Repeatedly

2006-04-28T14:42:00.000-04:00

Iran is now officially in violation of a Security Council resolution stipulating that all uranium enrichment activity be terminated. The report, by IAEA chief Mohamed Elbaradei, outlines specifically how Iran laughs in the face of danger and throws caution to the wind. Living on the edge is a way of life for hard-liner president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - the edge of sanity. The president has repeatedly declared that he "does not give a damn" for international opinion, and he also wishes that we, in the blogosphere, would "die of our anger." CBC News reports,

As expected, the International Atomic Energy Agency declared Friday that Iran has enriched uranium and is therefore in defiance of the United Nations Security Council.

"The existing gaps in knowledge continue to be a matter of concern," he writes in the report, a copy of which was obtained by the Associated Press. "Any progress in that regard requires full transparency and active co-operation by Iran."

The United States had called for UN-imposed sanctions if the watchdog's report were to find that Iran has not heeded a Security Council call last month for a "full and sustained suspension" of its uranium enrichment program.

Iran has been toying with the IAEA and the international community for years. Time now appears to be running out. The Security Council will convene next week to determine whether or not to pursue punitive sanctions on Iran. China and Russia remain opposed to sanctions, as that would hurt their valuable economic interests in the Evil Republic.

To circumvent this obstacle, we propose starting a rumour that Iran killed Russia's cousin, with China's help. If enough bloggers repeat the claim, it will gain it's own momentum - a momentum that cannot be stopped. The erstwwhile allies will turn on one another and then all will fall into place. Remember the advice of Adolph Hitler, "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."

Quotations of the Day

2006-04-27T13:47:00.000-04:00

"Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people."

"A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it."

-Oscar Wilde

Cartoon of the Day

2006-04-27T13:27:00.000-04:00

Al-Zarqawi Bares All

2006-04-26T10:57:00.000-04:00

Jealous of the attention that his co-terrorist mastermind, Osama bin-Laden, has received over the years, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has shed his veil of secrecy and launched his very own publicity campaign. Appearing in a new video entitled Jihadists Gone Wild, the secretive leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq bares all. The Boston Globe reports,

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Al Qaeda mastermind accused of orchestrating dozens of bombings and beheadings in Iraq, sought yesterday in a rare videotaped message to portray himself as a leader of radical Islam's global struggle against the West.

While restating his allegiance to Osama bin Laden, Zarqawi appeared to go out of his way to look the part of an influential holy warrior on a par with Al Qaeda's chieftain, sitting cross-legged and bin Laden-like before a circle of his followers, with an AK-47 by his side and wearing what looked like a suicide bomb vest.

He urged Iraqis to fight the American "crusader" and hailed the deadly terror campaign waged by foreign Arabs, North Africans, and other Sunni Muslim militants he has helped recruit for suicide attacks. He also criticized the new Iraqi government led by the Shi'ite Muslim majority as a stooge of the United States.

While most civilized people would not consider baring a suicide bomb vest to be sexy, the Jihadists Gone Wild series is targeted to a small, yet vociferous demographic. To them, it is indeed sexy ... and holy at the same time.

Analysts conjecture that al-Zarqawi's presentation to the world, similar to a quinceañera, stems from his reported marginalization within the fundamentalist Islamic movement. Peter of Pakistan reports an al-Zarqawi aide as saying, "Gosh! There's like, soo much drama! I can't wait 'till we like, kick out the infidels and then we won't have to deal with all this drama!" Indeed.

We recommend that you not buy the latest edition of Jihadists Gone Wild. Islamic fundamentalists are not the only ones who know how to boycott.

Iran Threatens End to Cooperation ... ?

2006-04-25T11:44:00.000-04:00

The Iranians have shifted gears in their approach to relations with the international community, and have decided to become threatening. *GASP! Threatening to end their spectacular record of cooperation, Iran said all bets would be off if the Security Council voted to impose sanctions. At risk is the 18 year history of subterfuge and secrecy surrounding the Iranian nuclear program. While it is unclear to what extent Iran has actually cooperated - with anyone - what is certain is that Iranian leaders are more divorced from reality than had previously been assumed. CNN reports,

The Iranian official, Ali Larijani, said Tuesday that his country would cut off ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency if the U.N. Security Council imposes U.S.-favored sanctions. The IAEA, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, has supervised Tehran's nuclear activities.

The Security Council has set a Friday deadline for the suspension of Iran's nuclear program, asking IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei to report back by then.

"We don't have any need to cover up our activities," Ahmadinejad insisted Monday. "If we were going to cover up, we would have conducted ourselves differently."

You would have conducted yourselves differently? Perhaps by not covering up your nuclear program for a spectacular 18 years? Perhaps by not covering up the technology provided to Iran by the A. Q. Khan network of nuclear proliferators? Or perhaps Ahmadinejad means Iran would have not have "cooperated" so completely and whole-heartedly than has been the case. Now that would have been a shame.

In any event, official propaganda has won many converts in Tehran. In unrelated news, former Iraqi Information Minister, Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf, has opened a media relations company in Tehran. Peter of Pakistan reports that all government ministers are required to attend the hour-long seminars. Highlights from the first lesson: "There are no American infidels in Baghd ... um, Tehran. Never!" "I can say, and I am responsible for what I am saying, that they have started to commit suicide under the walls of Baghd ... oh, I did it again! I mean Tehran. We will encourage them to commit more suicides quickly." Lesson plans available from WeLovetheIraqiInformationMinister.com.

Ahmadinejad Romances Notorious Terrorist

2006-04-24T11:49:00.000-04:00

Imagine the most terrifying thing you can think of. Would it be spiders? Perhaps snakes? How about spiders that shoot snakes out of their mouths? Well, the world's scariest man has attended a meeting with the world's most professional terrorist. No, they are not one and the same. The UK's Times Online reports,

IRAN’S president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, attended a meeting in Syria earlier this year with one of the world’s most wanted terrorists, according to intelligence experts and a former national security official in Washington. US officials and Israel intelligence sources believe Imad Mugniyeh, the Lebanese commander of Hezbollah’s overseas operations, has taken charge of plotting Iran’s retaliation against western targets should President George W Bush order a strike on Iranian nuclear sites.

Mugniyeh is on the FBI’s “Most Wanted Terrorists” list for his role in a series of high-profile attacks against the West, including the 1985 hijacking of a TWA jet and murder of one of its passengers, a US navy diver.

Mugniyeh lives in Iran and has evaded capture for more than 20 years, despite a $5m American bounty on his head. Western intelligence reports claim he has many connections to terrorist cells in Europe, Africa, Latin America and the US and he is said to have met Osama Bin Laden.

Mugniyeh has also been linked to the demolition of the American embassy and marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 and is wanted in Argentina for his role in recruiting the bombers of the Israeli embassy and Jewish centre in Buenos Aires in the early 1990s.

A of A has forecast all along that Iran's two most significant weapons were their immense oil resources and their proven willingness to rely on terror. Ahmadinejad has shown no reluctance to take advantage of either. Hezbollah is funded and controlled directly from Tehran. Iranian strategic commanders have reportedly taken direct control of rocket positions targeted at Israeli cities to act as a deterrent against possible Israeli military strikes against Iran (Iran's President Recruits Terror Master, pg 2). One cannot examine the one without considering the other. Ahmadinejad, by opening talks with Mugniyeh, has significantly expanded Iran's terrorism capability.

More on Imad Mugniyeh to come. However, Peter of Pakistan was able to obtain a photo from Western intelligence sources that reportedly shows Mugniyeh's post-plastic surgery appearance.

He looks truly maniacal.

Mashaal Provokes Fellow Terrorists

2006-04-22T10:58:00.000-04:00

Inflammatory comments by the Hamas Politburo Chief, Khaled Mashaal, has increased tensions in the already confrontational world of Palestinian politics. Ynetnews.com reports,

Serious clashes erupted on Saturday afternoon in Gaza between Fatah and Hamas supporters. At least 20 people were injured when students from the two organizations clashed over comments by Khaled Mashaal, who accused Fatah of cooperating with Israel. Three Palestinians were moderately injured. In the course of the clashes, grenades were fired, and Molotov cocktails were thrown. The clashes spread to other areas in Gaza.

In the afternoon, Fatah and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades members held a press conference in Gaza and Nablus, in which they vowed not to let Hamas insult the honor of Fatah. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said their members would participate in any security forces set up by the new government. Fatah activists also accused the government of failing to pay their salaries, despite paying the Hamas military wing members.

Accused of intentionally raising the spectre of civil war, Mashaal also slammed Palestinian President Abbas for his denunciation of the recent Palestinian Islamic Jihad suicide bombing in Tel-Aviv (Islamic Jihad Still Jihading in Tel-Aviv). The escalating confrontation between Hamas and Fatah has the potential to destroy any grander notions of peace, international recognition or statehood. The fragile amount of goodwill that the moderate Abbas has built up with Israeli negotiators will be at risk if Abbas becomes marginalized. The presidential veto of Jamal Abu Samhadana was a direct part of the strategy to prevent this from happening. Israel's second most wanted man in control of all of the Palestinian security forces? It requires an act of DoubleThink to understand the reasoning behind this appointment.

New Israeli PM Olmert will soon be given carte blanche to unilaterally make decisions regarding the future Palestinian state, on account of the sheer instability of Palestinian internal politics. That is the best thing to happen to the Middle East peace process since the death of Yasser Arafat.

Hamas Security Chief Guilty of Being War Hero

2006-04-21T11:32:00.000-04:00

Predictably, outrage has resulted from the appointment of yet another Palestinian hero to the necessary albeit thankless position of Security Chief. The West, also known as the real terrorists, are showing an amazing amount of hypocrisy in criticizing the appointment of this experienced warrior. We ask, "Who is more appropriate for a role in the security forces than one who has experience with homemade explosives?" The new Chief, Jamal Abu Samhadana, not only has experience with conventional nail bombs, but also with high-powered rockets capable of destroying several Zionist children at once. It is obvious that no Palestinian would be acceptable to the Zionist entity and that we may expect the "pressures of the occupation" to increase. Never fear comrades, this pressure can be turned on the Israelis as it will incite mass martyrdom operations. The Sydney Morning Herald reports,

HAMAS has defied the international community and risked provoking a violent response from Israel by appointing a notorious militant as Palestinian security chief.

Jamal Abu Samhadana, who is responsible for a continuing wave of rocket attacks on Israel, will occupy a new position overseeing the dozen or so police forces and security services operating in the Palestinian territories.

Israeli officials said Mr Samhadana's organisation had over the past several years been responsible for numerous attacks against Israel, including the planting of roadside bombs in the Gaza Strip and the firing of homemade rockets. Israel also has accused the group of involvement in an attack on a US diplomatic convoy in Gaza in October 2003 that killed three American security personnel.

Mr Samhadana is believed to have been targeted for assassination by Israel on at least three occasions, one of which left him seriously wounded.

The Zionists are only capable of oppressing poor Palestinians. Dennis, the poor peasant from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, said it best when beset upon by King Arthur: HELP! HELP! I'm being repressed! Did you see him repressing me, you saw it didn't you?

The Zionists are not even capable of carrying out an assassination (after three attempts no less!) How are we supposed to respect an entity that cannot even carry out a successful assasination? When will they learn? Peace will be achieved through politicide.

UPDATE: A day after Popular Resistance Committees head Jamal Abu Samhadana was appointed as the PA Interior Ministry director-general, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas reportedly decided to veto the controversial appointment, amid Israeli and American criticism.

Lesson in Preparedness II

2006-04-20T12:05:00.000-04:00

We are proud to announce the second installment of our popular "Lesson in Preparedness" series. The US government has a new website, Ready.gov. It is a valiant attempt at scare mongering à la the old "duck and cover" recommendation amidst those heady days of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the general threat of nuclear winter.

The fun thing is that these pictures are so ambiguous they could mean anything! Here are a few interpretations:

If you have set yourself on fire, do not run.

If you spot terrorism, blow your anti-terrorism whistle. If you are Vin Diesel, yell really loud.

Michael Jackson is a terrorist. If you spot this smooth criminal with dead, dead eyes, run the f**k away.

Try to absorb as much of the radiation as possible with your groin region. After 5 minutes and 12 seconds, however, you may become sterile.

After exposure to radiation it is important to consider that you may have mutated to gigantic dimensions: watch your head.
Send us your interpretations! The most creative suggestion will win its creator an all-expenses-paid vacation to the sunny Sunni Triangle! Good Luck!

Gas-Tax Will Declaw Iran

2006-04-19T11:53:00.000-04:00

One of Iran's most potent weapons has always been its massive oil reserves and production capacity. Iran, as the world's fourth largest oil producing nation, has the power to influence world prices merely through the power of suggestion. The upsurge has the potential to drive smaller nations into recession. Even large nations are not immune as May oil futures hit a record of $71.60 Tuesday; simply through the uncertainty of the current climate of confrontation. USA Today reports,

Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that crude oil prices are still below their "real value," and developed countries are benefiting the most from high oil prices, state-run Tehran radio reported.

"The global oil price has not reached its real value yet. The products derived from crude oil are sold at prices dozens of times higher than those charged by oil-producing countries," the report quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

The price of oil has tripled since the start of 2002 and is nearing the inflation-adjusted peaks above $80 a barrel reached in the early 1980s, just after the Iranian Revolution.

On Tuesday, the United States failed to secure international support for targeted sanctions against Iran and President Bush refused to rule out nuclear strikes if diplomacy failed to curb the Islamic Republic's atomic program.

Sun Tzu advised that, "All warfare is based on deception." Ironically enough, the West is at an advantage because of Iran's vast oil reserves as it is already known that they will be used as a bludgeon. A most advantageous strategy would be to lesson the impact of oil on the West's economy. This is through a gas-tax.

While the concept of raising taxes is anathema to many, a tax would force America in particular to seriously reconsider its consumption of oil. At the same time, it would force its citizens to make an individually slight, yet collectively significant contribution to government coffers that can be used to fund alternative energy sources. The United States, and the West, is facing a serious threat to international stability from Iran while at the same time prosecuting a full-scale war on terror. It must be driven into the heads of the average citizen that all is not "business as usual," and sacrifices must be made if security is to be attained. While this strategy would not produce results in the short-term, reducing oil reliance is the most cost-effective strategy to contain so-called "rogue states" and their threat to international stability.

We at A of A, as the true trailblazers that we are, have decided to sell our fleet of Hummer H1 Alphas (2006) in favour of more economical modes of transportation. As such, we are calling for volunteers to piggyback our editorial staff around.

FIFA Jumps on Zionist-Bashing Bandwagon

2006-04-18T12:24:00.000-04:00

Startling news out of the world of professional soccer as FIFA condemned the Zionist entity. Peter of Pakistan reports that the Federation of Islamic Fighters of Arabia has entered the political sphere and used its clout to unfairly criticize Israel and its stubborn refusal to cease defending itself. Tom Gross, in the Canadian National Post, reports,

Israel is used to being singled out for unjust criticism and subjected to startling double standards by the United Nations, the European Union, much of the Western media and numerous academic bodies. But now FIFA -- the supposedly non-political organization that governs the world's most popular sport, soccer -- is getting in on the act as well.

FIFA has condemned Israel for an air strike on an empty soccer field in the Gaza Strip that was used for training exercises by Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. This strike did not cause any injuries. But at the same time FIFA has refused to condemn a Palestinian rocket attack on an Israeli soccer field two weeks ago, which did cause injuries.

The international governing body for soccer condemned the Jewish state and announced that it was considering possible action over the Israeli air strike on the Gaza soccer field that had been used for terrorist training exercises. The field, which had also reportedly served as a missile launching pad, was empty at the time; the strike itself came in response to the continuing barrage of Qassam rocket attacks directed at Israeli towns and villages.

Only a couple of days earlier, one of those Qassam rockets landed on a soccer field at the Karmiya kibbutz in southern Israel, causing light injuries to one person. Several other Israeli children and adults needed to be treated for shock. The attack was claimed by the al-Quds brigades, an armed wing of Islamic Jihad. The soccer pitch is regularly used by children and it was only a matter of luck that there were not greater injuries. (Since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza last year, several members of the kibbutz, including a 10-month-old baby, have been wounded after their homes took direct hits from Qassams. Israelis elsewhere have died after being hit by these weapons.)

FIFA, normally an unbiased, extremely professional association of professionals, has never commented on the often shocking human rights abuses associated with the world's most popular sport. That is, not until Israel dared to destroy a few metres of grass.

When Saddam Hussein's son Uday had Iraqi soccer players tortured in 1997 after they failed to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup Finals in France, FIFA remained silent. Uday, who was chairman of the Iraqi soccer association, had star players tortured again in 1998. And in 2000, following a quarterfinal defeat in the Asia Cup, three Iraqi players were whipped and beaten for three days by Uday's bodyguards. The torture took place at the Iraqi Olympic Committee headquarters, but FIFA said nothing.

The Freedom-fighters International Fighting Association decided that Israel, being Jewish, was a prime target for criticism and that abuse and torture pales in comparison to the destruction of such precious grass.

While executives at the Federation of Iraqi Fedayeen of Amara could not be reached for comment, insiders agreed to speak anonymously with A of A. "We believe our organization no longer needs to hide behind a thin veneer of respectability. Our previous decision to stay out of the world of politics only applied to the abuses of Islamic nations. Now that Israel has slipped up, we can get on with our virulent anti-Semitism unhindered."

English soccer hooligans are no longer the greatest threat to world peace; it is now Israel and their blatant disregard for superb bluegrass.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad

2006-04-17T15:23:00.000-04:00

As Palestinian Islamic Jihad takes on more responsibility for destroying the Zionist entity, we have decided to take on more of the responsibility for educating the public in regards to who and what they are. The National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism's (MIPT) Terrorism Knowledge Base (TKB) reports,

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad is a violent offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni, Islamist, religious movement that originated in Egypt and seeks broad social, moral, and political reforms based upon Islam. The PIJ is one faction within a loosely organized, highly secretive group of Islamic Jihad movements that span the Middle East.

The PIJ was founded in the late 1970s by a group of radical Palestinian activists living in Egypt. This group of activists, led by Fathi Shaqaqi, believed that the Muslim Brotherhood movement had become too moderate and had abandoned the Palestinian cause. Inspired by the Shi'a Islamic revolution in Iran, the PIJ blended Palestinian nationalism, Sunni Islamic fundamentalism, and Shi'a revolutionary thought into its ideological agenda which stressed that Islamic unity could not be achieved until Israel was utterly annihilated and all of Palestine liberated.

PIJ is dedicated to the violent destruction of Israel. PIJ's radical ideology views its armed struggle against Israel as one battle in a larger worldwide holy war, pitting Islam against all non-believers. PIJ has thus violently opposed the peace process and has actively used suicide bombings against Israeli targets to derail the process. Unlike Hamas, which has built a network of social services, PIJ has focused almost exclusively on violent activities.

The Middle East Intelligence Bulletin published an article by Matthew A. Levitt, entitled Sponsoring Terrorism: Syria and Islamic Jihad, in which they detail "overwhelming" evidence linking Islamic Jihad operations to its operational headquarters in Damascus. Iran is not the only state that can sponsor terror like a pro. More information can be found within these above two sites.

Top section: "And Allah is the greatest and the support of our nation and Allah be with our nation." The bottom: "The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine." The middle: "God is Great."

Islamic Jihad Still Jihading in Tel-Aviv

2006-04-17T14:32:00.000-04:00

Members of Israel's 17th parliament were sworn in today, hours after a suicide bomber struck a falafel stand near Tel-Aviv's old central bus station. MonstersandCritics.com reports,

A Palestinian suicide bomber killed nine people and injured some 60 others when he blew himself up in a busy street in southern Tel Aviv Monday, police and hospital officials said. Five bodies - in addition to that of the suicide bomber - were seen sprawled on the ground. Four more people later died of their wounds in hospital. The wounded included some 30 people treated for post-blast shock.

The military wing of the radical Islamic Jihad organzation said it was responsible for the attack, with leader Khaled al-Batsh calling it a 'brave operation.'

He told reporters it was a retaliation for Israel's killing, in two separate incidents, of Khaled al-Dahdouh, the Gaza head of the Jihad's armed wing, and Abed al-Guga, Abu Yousef, leader of armed division of the militant Popular Resistance Committees. The Islamic Jihad has carried out all six suicide bombing in Israel in the past year.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad seems to be positioning itself as the "true" resistance front on behalf of the Palestinians. The apparent lack of Hamasian martydom operations can perhaps be attributed to their recent surprise introduction to the real world; a world in which Palestinians cannot eat nor be paid with terrorism. Hamas spokespeople claim they will not punish those who attack Israel. Surprised?

We at A of A predict that this attack will harden the international community's united front against Hamas until the pressure to join the society of civilized human beings becomes unbearable. The Hamasian cabinet will then martyr themselves in protest.

CPT Plans to "Take Back Iraq"

2006-04-14T14:26:00.000-04:00

Christian Peacemaker Teams has announced a new plan to take advantage of the fortuitous publicity stemming from the "kidnapping" of 4 CPT members - there is no such thing as kidnapping between friends. This plan calls for the recruitment of an army of thousands of peaceful volunteers for their new "Take Back Iraq" campaign. In collaboration with the Righteous Sword of Allah party, this CPT army will be responsible for a "guerilla love campaign" that aims to put Iraq firmly in the hands of al-Qaeda ... we mean the Iraqis. CTV News reports,

With three of four CPT members home safe and unharmed, the group says it now needs people for peace efforts in several areas, such as Columbia, Israel/Palestine and even Iraq.

The group's website says members of the Iraq delegation will be based primarily in Baghdad and may travel to outlying areas.

"Delegates will meet with representatives of nongovernmental organizations, fledgling Iraqi civil society groups, the US military, and others, to assess the current situation," CPT's website says.

By "assess the situation", they mean, "villify the Coalition military for rescuing luckless/senseless peaceniks from the jaws of certain doom." Adding insult to injury, potential members will need to raise $3,000 US to pay for the trip. That seems an exorbitant amount for the pleasure of being a "guest" in al-Qaeda's summer home. We could hold you at the A of A offices for 30 days at the bargain price of $99 US (meals/utilities not included; travel to and from airport at kidnappee's expense; no outside communication permitted; blackout start dates include all weekends, holidays and anti-America rallies).

Iran Enriches Climate of Fear

2006-04-13T15:54:00.000-04:00

Iran's recent announcement that it has successfully enriched uranium to a degree of 3.5% has rightfully sent tremors through the international community. Weapons-grade uranium requires enrichment to 100%. This important milestone in Iran's quest for nuclear capabilities, comes after years of frustratingly slow international negotiations and innefective IAEA inspections. Reportedly in development for 18 years, Iran's nuclear program seems to be here to stay. At least that is what the mullahs would have the world believe. How can we deal with this most serious threat to international stability?

Charles Krauthammer, in Time's April 3rd edition essay, Today Tehran, Tomorrow the World (subscription required), states,

After all, soon afterward, the most aggressive world power, Stalin's Soviet Union, acquired the Bomb, yet never used it. Seven more countries have acquired it since and never used it either. Even North Korea, which huffs and puffs and threatens every once in a while, dares not use it. Even Kim Jong Il is not suicidal.

But that's the point. We're now at the dawn of an era in which an extreme and fanatical religious ideology, undeterred by the usual calculations of prudence and self-preservation, is wielding state power and will soon be wielding nuclear power.

That is why Iran's arriving at the threshold of nuclear weaponry is such a signal historical moment. It is not just that its President says crazy things about the Holocaust. It is that he is a fervent believer in the imminent reappearance of the 12th Imam, Shi'ism's version of the Messiah. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been reported as saying in official meetings that the end of history is only two or three years away. He reportedly told an associate that on the podium of the General Assembly last September, he felt a halo around him and for "those 27 or 28 minutes, the leaders of the world did not blink ... as if a hand was holding them there and it opened their eyes to receive" his message. He believes that the Islamic revolution's raison d'être is to prepare the way for the messianic redemption, which in his eschatology is preceded by worldwide upheaval and chaos. How better to light the fuse for eternal bliss than with a nuclear flame?

Voice of America News reports, "[Iran's] state news agency quoted [Ahmadinejad] as saying that Iran's answer to those who are angry about Iran's uranium enrichment is this: "Be angry, and die of this anger."

We at A of A would like to warn our readers not to follow Ahmadinejad's advice. While we do condone anger at Iran's intransigence, we cannot tolerate death as its result. If you feel that you are so angry that you might die, just take a break. Have a KitKat, count to ten, burn your Ahmadinejad effigy, and then enjoy the resultant relaxation. Remember, if everyone listened to the World's Scariest Man and died, there would be no more opposition. Fight the good fight and live.

Video of the Day

2006-04-12T20:00:00.000-04:00

Highlights: The Qur'an cures both mental and physical illness, but only in combination with honey ... the prophet Muhammad has told us that when a jinn hears the call to prayer, he flees ... this man is therefore obviously not possessed.

EU to Shun Term "Islamic Terrorism"

2006-04-11T23:20:00.000-04:00

In the latest example of political correctness winning out over intelligence, the European Union is reviewing its use of the term "Islamic terrorism." It apparently offends Islamic terrorists.

We tip our kaffiyehs to the Sixth Column. Read more at EU lexicon to shun term "Islamic terrorism".

"[Moderate Muslims] have been increasingly active in isolating the radicals who abuse Islam for political purposes, and they deserve everyone's support. And that includes the choice of language that makes clear that we are talking about a murderous fringe that is abusing a religion and does not represent it."

In related news, terror advocates around the world are planning a march in Brussels in support of the revision. Spokesman, Ayman al-Zawahiri, suggests that, "Anything that will legitimate our cause is a good thing. Look, the truth is that we just want a little respect. I can't get no respect. I mean, when I was born the doctor told my mother, 'I did all I could but he pulled through anyway.'"

Mr. Zawahiri should take his show on the road ...

Tigers Outlawed in Canada: No More Zoos?

2006-04-11T12:14:00.000-04:00

The Canadian government has decided to ban notorious terror group, the Tamil Tigers. This shift in official government policy is drastically different from that of the previous Liberal government, who "turned a blind eye" in exchange for the 50,000 Tamil votes in the Greater Toronto Area. More can be found in a letter by Asoka Weerasinghe, a naturalized Canadian citizen, at TamilCanadian.com. With regards to the Conservatives' ban on Tigers, CTV News reports,

The Conservative government has outlawed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, making it illegal for anyone in Canada to support or participate in the group's activities.

"Human rights watch and other groups have reported very clearly that there has been intimidation going on within the Tamil community in Canada," Day told reporters Monday afternoon.

Listing the Tamil Tigers under the Criminal Code means that any groups or individuals associated with them are also vulnerable to prosecution. It also means it is a criminal offence to participate in the activities of the Tigers, with a punishment of up to 10 years in prison.

This policy is just the latest incident of Conservative bigotry toward all other species. Tigers have as much of a right to live in Canada as humans do. This announcement has sent shockwaves through the worldwide zoo community. The Zoo Engineers and Bear Representatives Association (ZEBRA) has denounced the ban, claiming, "Tigers have been given a bad rap. They are naturally peaceful creatures who would gladly take a bullet for you." The long-term economic consequences of this ban remain to be seen. What is certain however, is that Tony the Tiger has been reported missing. Coincidence? We think not.

This update comes after spirited discussions resulted from A of A's previous postings, War is Peace and Report Concludes: Terrorism Bad. It seems clear that Andrew of Arabia's discussion of this matter directly influenced the Canadian government in their decision to ban these dangerous animals.

A Vile Case of Ungenerous Blackmail

2006-04-09T13:18:00.000-04:00

In a particularly humourous example of the pot calling the kettle black, Ismail Haniyeh has declared his utter astonishment at the ethical deficiency of Western governments. Hamasian insiders say that the PM never thought that the infidels would stoop to blackmailing the legitimate Palestinian government. "We always just assumed that we were the only unethical party involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict. What's next? Western diplomats launching suicide attacks against our nightclubs?" You are right sir, it is a slippery slope indeed. The San Francisco Chronicle reports,

The Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, called a cutoff in foreign aid blackmail on Saturday and said his government would not bow to international pressure and recognize Israel.

On Friday, the United States and the European Union, the largest donor to the Palestinian Authority, announced that they were suspending all financial aid to the new Hamas-led government because they regard the Islamic fundamentalist party as a terrorist organization.

"The attempts to strangle the government have one aim," Haniyeh told reporters in Gaza City. "They will not extract political concessions from us that will harm the rights of the Palestinian people."

Exactly! Never will we give up the legitimate Palestinian right to terror. Israel may have taken their dignity, but Hamas will ensure that they never take their explosives.

In a surprising twist, Haniyeh's intransigence has gotten him nowhere, fast. The Palestinians are used to dealing with partners who willingly cede land (ie: Gaza), in exchange for peace (ie: nothing). It appears that Hamas will be forced to enact Plan B. What's Plan B again?

Quote of the Day

2006-04-09T13:06:00.000-04:00

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse."

- John Stuart Mill

Child's Play

2006-04-06T17:00:00.000-04:00

We would like to bring to your attention a website devoted to children, "al-Fateh Kids Magazine". The header features an animated cartoon. There are smiling books, a colourful paintbrush, and links to comics and games. Sound like fun? Well, not even children are safe from terrorist propaganda.

Clicking on the first button on the right (which says "Palestinian Children"), we are told that "Children of the Stones will be heroes forever (lit. today and tomorrow)."

أطفال الحجارة أبطال اليوم والغد

We are then shown an archive of injured, rebellious and orphaned(?) children. Palestinian youth of the world, why live out your childhood when you could give your life for the cause!

This next page is dedicated to extolling the virtues of the Hamas Field Commander for southern Gaza City, Ibrahim al-Dayri(?), who coincidentally has been martyred. Responsible for multiple al-Qassam rocket and mortar attacks on the Zionist occupiers, Ibrahim himself fell victim to an Israeli rocket. The blessed martyrdom came while the Commander was travelling by car with several "colleagues". Apparently used to Israeli planes following their movements, the militants did not expect imminent death from above.

"Doctor" Mahmoud al-Zihar offers,

"Ibrahim was an example of a true freedom fighter. Other than [being] a leader, he was a true example of the Palestinian hero who gives without taking."

كان إبراهيم مثالاً للمجاهد الحقيقي، مقبلاً غير مدبر، وهو نموذج حقيقي للبطل الفلسطيني الذي يعطي دون أن يأخذ

Is he really a doctor? Children will however, look up to him and believe his opinion as a respected authority figure.

Clicking on the first link to the left, children will be brought to the page devoted to the "magnificent" Sheik Ahmed Yassin, also martyred. This page features an image of exploded car parts, burned shoes, and the blood-soaked ground. That is enough to give any normal person nightmares. What would it do to a child?

We could not see any publishing source statistics, however some of the contacts had Moroccan registered email addresses. As Sheik Yassin was the spiritual leader for Hamas, it is probably a safe bet that this site is operated and funded by agents of Hamas (hosted far away from the Palestinian territory, of course).

"We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us." - Golda Meir

Trump Tower Gaza

2006-04-05T11:45:00.000-04:00

The Middle East as a vacation hot-spot? You read correctly. News has surfaced that the insurgent wave of terror and carnage has actually been helpful to the tourism sector. The Australian reports,

TEN al-Qa'ida-affiliated terrorists have infiltrated the Gaza Strip in recent weeks to lay the infrastructure for strikes against Israel, the Ha'aretz newspaper reported yesterday.

The al-Qa'ida operatives, mostly Egyptian citizens, reportedly include men trained in Lebanon and Afghanistan in sophisticated explosive devices and large-scale attacks. Israel announced last month the arrest of two alleged al-Qa'ida operatives on the West Bank - local Palestinians said to have been recruited in Jordan by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a leader of the insurgency in Iraq.

Two peripheral strikes on Israeli-held territory in recent months have been attributed to al-Qa'ida. One was a rocket launched at an Israeli town from across the Lebanese border and the other a rocket fired from Jordan that struck the airport at Eilat in the south.

It seems some naughty Islamofascists have been racking up their frequent-flyer miles. While most analysts consider the Middle East a relatively dangerous place to travel, that has not dissuaded al-Qaeda from getting out to see the sights. Copies of Fodor's Guide to the Occupied Territories have been found in the possession of members of all branches of al-Qaeda. This signals the start of high tourist season within fundamentalist Islam.

In addition to large-scale terror and catastrophe, terrorism travel is expected to add millions of dollars to the Middle Eastern economy this year alone. It is a booming industry; similar to those wily entrepeneurs who sell flammable Danish, American and Zionist flags. When living under the pressures of the occupation, those who are not faithful enough to become martyrs for Allah, sell time-shares. Even al-Qaeda's fanatics need somewhere to live while plotting their mayhem.

Donald Trump plans to construct a new 70-storey tower in Ramallah. Units are expected to cost anywhere from $1 million on the low-end to the lives of 5 Zionist occupiers on the pricier-end. Reserve yours today!

Hezbollah's Intelligence?

2006-04-04T12:42:00.000-04:00

The world's favourite Persian nation has set up a sophisticated intelligence gathering operation in southern Lebanon to identify targets in northern Israel in the event of a military confrontation over its "peaceful" nuclear program. The situation is dire if not even Iran believes its own rhetoric and is preparing for war. The Daily Telegraph reports,

Senior Israeli military commanders say Iran has spent tens of millions of dollars helping close ally Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim group that controls southern Lebanon, to set up a network of control towers and monitoring stations along the entire length of Israel's border with south Lebanon. Some of the new control towers, which are made of reinforced concrete and fitted with bullet-proof reflective glass, are less than 100 metres from Israeli army positions and are clearly visible for long stretches along the border.

Israeli militay officers say teams of Iran's Revolutionary Guards travel regularly to southern Lebanon to help train local Hezbollah fighters in terrorist tactics. Iran has also equipped Hezbollah with improved weapons and ammunition to launch attacks against Israel, including heavy mortars and rockets with a range of up to 45 kilometres.

It appears that Ahmadinejad has taken his head out of the clouds (or religious aura), and has taken preparative measures for when his lies are revealed. Chief among these preparations is the gathering of intel to attack as many Israeli civilians as possible. They are, after all, a first-class ticket to paradise. Hezbollah, which receives its marching orders directly from Tehran, is more than happy to attack the wretched Zionists, under any pretense.

In their defence, Hezbollah claims that the towers are merely radio transmission towers that are able to broadcast popular Western music ... that they have forbidden. When asked about the apparent illogicality of building towers to broadcast music that is forbidden, Hezbollah insiders ominously claimed, "The towers will be used in our martyrs' training regimen." On a more positive note, the short-lived towers' construction contracts were awarded to Halliburton.

Honk for Hamas

2006-04-03T16:26:00.000-04:00

Not even the money raised through the contributions of charitable organizations and individuals are safe from the infidels. Large international currency holdings of Hamas are potentially threatened by the Coalition of the Disbelievers. The "reason" is that these funds could potentially be diverted from the noble cause of re-educating Palestinian children to hate the Zionists, and directed toward violent (yet legitimate) modes of expression. After all, it is common knowledge that the pressures of the occupation force many martyrs onto their righteous path. Haaretz.com reports,

Arab-owned banks holding Palestinian Authority accounts have begun trying to persuade the PA to withdraw its money, apparently out of fear that the U.S. and Western European countries will impose sanctions against them for holding terrorist funds.

Pressure by the banks on the new PA government stems from assessments in the West and in Israel that although Hamas has declared its willingness to freeze acts of terror for a long period, it does not intend to change its stance against recognizing Israel's right to exist or agreements signed with Israel. This position may sharpen the new government's identification with terror.

Another question regards control of the PA money that Yasser Arafat held in banks abroad. According to various reports, those accounts hold hundreds of millions of dollars, and the PA leadership under Abbas has never reported publicly on their whereabouts.

Nothing is sacred to these infidels. Not even the revered memory of our leader/father, Yasser Arafat. The infidel media continuously accuses Arafat of diverting funds from the poor Palestinian people. This is simply not true. He worked hard for his money, so hard for his money ... and he was going to spend it right.

From now on, all of us here at Andrew of Arabia will be accepting charitable donations on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. Send us money if you support Hamas. A bumper-sticker will be forthcoming.

April Fool's Day Cartoon of the Day

2006-04-01T12:56:00.000-05:00

Stockholm Syndrome?

2006-04-01T12:36:00.000-05:00

In the latest effort to belittle the heroic, albeit misguided, rescue operation that freed 3 nonsensical CPT'ers, Harmeet Sooden has suggested it was a paid ransom that accomplished the hard work. CTV News reports,

Canadian Harmeet Singh Sooden, who was held hostage in Iraq for close to four months, says he believes it's "highly likely" that his rescue last week was the result of a ransom being paid.

Sooden did say that he had no evidence to back up his claim except for his "instinct."

"New Zealand's policy is never to pay ransom," [New Zealand Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Helen] Tunnah told Associated Press. "It is the Canadian policy too. We have no knowledge of any ransom being paid."

Sooden was later overheard on the phone with his former kidnapper, "Mahmoud-y Bo-boody", asking if it would be possible to, "like, go out for coffee some time." The sheer ecstasy on Sooden's face indicates that the answer was in the affirmative.

Just to what extent does this (sexual?) relationship between kidnapper/kidnappee extend? When confronted on his coffee date, Sooden could only spew political hyperbole about the "occupiers" and "zionists." Chief amongst his charges was that terrorism is the fault of the occupiers and their oppression, which caused normal people to turn into homicidal maniacs. A of A later received an email from his date, which threatened us with bodily harm and an eternity roasting in hell if we continued with our exposé.

We will keep you updated.

Muslim Association Educates Public

2006-04-01T12:05:00.000-05:00

Peter of Pakistan reports feelings of negative energy after a Muslim gang of no-goodniks threatened to stop buying their croissants from French café, Mer a Boire. The café, in the working-class Belleville neighbourhood of northeast Paris, had the reputation of being a hotbed of free expression and liberal democratic values. That is, until the Faithful put an end to all that. Agence France-Presse reports,

A gang of young Muslims wielding iron rods has forced a Paris café to censor an exhibition of cartoons ridiculing religion, the owners of the establishment said Friday.

The collection targetted all religions -- including Islam -- but there were no representations of the prophet Mohamed such as sparked the recent crisis between the West and the Islamic world, according to Marianne who is one of the cafe's three owners.

"Later more of them came back with sticks and iron rods and tried to smash the pictures. They managed it with a few of them. With the customers we chased them away, but they kept coming back," she said. Later the cafe-owners were approached by a group of older youths.

"They said they did not approve of what the youngsters had done. But what we were doing was unacceptable too. They warned us that if we didn't take down the cartoons they would call in the Muslim Brothers who would burn the cafe down," said Marianne. "They kept saying: 'This is our home. You cannot act like this here,'" she said.

Exactly! In our home one acts like an animal, and transgressors are punished by being set alight. Is that not the way of all homes? Peter of Pakistan remembers something along those lines from the Qur'an ... he will get back to us.

Hopefully this threat will teach those stinky French liberals to have more respect for the Religion of Peace, even in the privacy and security(?) of one's own home.

Cartoon of the Day

2006-03-31T14:48:00.000-05:00