Bang and Burn

The Front Page

February 15, 2008

Former Student Guns Down 6 in Attack at Northern Illinois University; Kills Self
Fox News

DEKALB, Ill — A former student dressed in black walked onto the stage of a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and opened fire on a packed science class Thursday, killing six students, wounding 15 and setting off a panicked stampede before committing suicide, FOX News has confirmed...

Florida authorities identified the gunman as 27-year-old former student Steven Kazmierczak after speaking with a man identified as his father, Robert Kazmierczak, in Lakeland, Fla.

Police said they had no motive for the rapid-fire assault by Kazmierczak, who fired indiscriminately into the crowd with a shotgun and two handguns as students dove to the floor and ran toward the exits...

--- That's it. Feel the collapse of civilization! Embrace it!

People have no clue. They're looking for "motive"? Nihilism.

On Friday President Bush offered his condolences in a phone call with NIU President John Peters.

"This morning I spoke to the president of Northern Illinois University. I told the president that a lot of folks today would be praying for the families of the victims and for the Northern Illinois University community," Bush said. "Obviously a tragic situation on that campus, and I ask our fellow citizens to offer their blessings — blessings of comfort and blessings of strength."...

--- Why don't you do something about these terrorists? You spend money like a drunken sailor to defeat the other thugs. I know, it's not the same. But think about it.

Peters said the gunman was a former graduate student in sociology at NIU, but was not currently enrolled at the 25,000-student campus about 65 miles west of Chicago...

The shooting was the fourth at a U.S. school within a week.

--- We're up to four a week.

To add further insult, the idiot was "a lauded sociology student who earned two high honors, the Chicago Sun-Times reported."

"The suspected gunman was an officer in a student government group, wrote about social justice on an Internet site and won an award that the chairwoman of the sociology department said only is given "to really good students," the paper said."

"In a paper he helped write two years ago, he described his interests as social justice, corrections, political violence and peace, the Sun-Times said."

Political violence AND peace. Can we blame it on Karl Marx??

February 8, 2008

Church backlash as Archbishop of Canterbury calls for Sharia law in Britain
thisislondon.co.uk

The Archbishop of Canterbury's claim that it seems "unavoidable" that some form of Sharia law will be introduced in Britain today came under attack from his own senior clergy.

The Bishop of Southwark the Right Reverend Tom Butler cast doubts on the argument that the Islamic law will come into force in the UK.

He said: "It will take a great deal more thought and work before I think it's a good idea."

--- This is a joke right? I mean paranoids like me saying sharia is coming, I'm just crazy. No, maybe I'm not crazy. The archbozo is though.

Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether the Church of England leader, Dr Rowan Williams, should have been more diplomatic in his speech which sparked the controversy, Dr Butler said: "The Archbishop has a way with language but this was a very heavy lecture."

He admitted that the Dr Williams had entered a "minefield" with his views on Sharia law and it was not clear whether he would backtrack on behalf of the Church of England, on this issue.

--- Yeah, I hope the buffoonish dhimmibishop steps on a mine, because I'm sure it's Allah's will.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham also launched a ferocious backlash against the Archbishop of Canterbury's claims about sharia law.

The Cabinet minister warned against such a radical legal shake-up in the UK stressing it would be a "recipe for social chaos"...

--- Christianist!

"It has got to be fundamental and a cornerstone of our country and our democracy that everybody is equal before that one system of British law."

--- When you have to lecture an archbishop about the basic legal framework of democracy... hell, can't he be removed or something? Can't he just quietly give himself a legal injection?

He declared that Sharia and Parliamentary law should be given equal legal status so the people could choose which governs their lives.

This raised the prospect of Islamic courts in Britain with full legal powers to approve polygamous marriages, grant easy divorce for men and prevent finance firms from charging interest.

His comments in a BBC interview and a lecture to lawyers were condemned at a time when government ministers are striving to encourage integration and stop the nation from "sleepwalking to segregation".

The Prime Minister rapidly distanced himself from Dr Williams's view. Gordon Brown's spokesman said: "Our general position is that sharia law cannot be used as a justification for committing breaches of English law, nor should the principles of sharia law be included in a civil court for resolving contractual disputes.

"The Prime Minister believes British law should apply in this country, based on British values."

--- It's encouraging to see that not everyone in jolly England is totally whacked. But we've known that the archprincess has been a little touched in the head for a while, haven't we...

December 14, 2007

Picture of the Day



--- These people apparently don't care about the slaughter of human beings all around us (and definitely in Indonesia), but they'll dress up in BEAR costumes to save a few damn polar bears. And they're in Bali, where it's HOT. I hope they dehydrate.

December 12, 2007

Canadian Muslim Teen's Dad Charged in Her Murder; Friends Say They Clashed Over Head Scarf
AP

TORONTO — A Canadian man has been charged with murdering his own daughter, and her friends say the two clashed over her refusal to wear a Muslim head scarf. Police have not commented on a motive.

Aqsa Parvez, 16, of Mississauga, Ontario, was rushed to hospital in critical condition Monday after a man made an emergency call in which he claimed to have killed his daughter, police said. She died late Monday night...

The girl's friends said in interviews Tuesday that Aqsa loved shopping for clothes and clashed with her family over her reluctance to wear the hijab, a traditional veil or head scarf for devout Muslim women.

"She didn't want to go home ... to the point where she actually wanted to go to shelters," classmate Ashley Garbutt, 16, told the Toronto Star.

Muslim leaders cautioned against jumping to conclusions.

"I don't want the public to think that this is really an Islamic issue or an immigrant issue," said Mohamed Elmasry of the Canadian Islamic Congress. "It is a teenager issue."

--- Murdering your daughter for not wearing her hajib is a teenager issue. Nothing to do with Islam.

And you trench coat killers think Christianity is an "evil sick religion"?

Kiss my Roman Catholic arse.

Toll in Algiers bombings rises to 31
AP

ALGIERS, Algeria - Emergency workers searched for bodies and survivors Wednesday after twin truck bombings by an affiliate of al-Qaida targeted U.N. offices and a government building in Algiers, killing at least 31 people.

Some estimates of the final death toll from Tuesday's attacks climbed well above the Interior Ministry's figure of 31, with a hospital official saying at least 60 were killed and Algeria's independent daily El Watan saying up to 72 died and 200 were wounded...

The Interior Ministry said 31 people died, and the Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said five were foreigners...

"Algerians are completely united against terrorism," Medelci said, insisting that the attacks did not portend "civil war."

Asked about the possibility of attacks elsewhere in North Africa, he said: "It's everyone who is targeted, sooner or later."

--- That's the money quote.

Al-Qaida has called for attacks on French and Spanish interests in North Africa. French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Algeria last week.

Al-Qaida's self-styled North African branch, in a posting on a militant Web site, said two suicide bombers attacked the buildings Tuesday with trucks carrying 1,760 pounds of explosives each.

It described the U.N. offices as "the headquarters of the international infidels' den." The other target, Algeria's Constitutional Council, rules on the constitutionality of laws and oversees elections.

Algerian Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni said the government was "certain" that al-Qaida's North Africa affiliate — formerly known as the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, or GSPC — "was behind the attack."

--- Oh God, is it Friday yet? It's been a deadly week already.

FBI May Have Been Alerted of Church Shooting
AP

DENVER — Federal authorities were alerted to anti-Christian postings apparently written by Matthew Murray only hours after he opened fire on a missionary center and just before his deadly rampage at a Colorado megachurch, the Web site's administrator said.

Joe Istre, president of the Association of Former Pentecostals, which operates the site, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he and other forum participants had grown familiar with the frequent and disturbingly dark poetry and obsessions of one participant, whose nickname was nghtmrchld26...

"I'm coming for EVERYONE soon and I WILL be armed to the @#%$ teeth and I WILL shoot to kill," one threat posted by nghtmrchld26 said...

The Denver Post reported Wednesday that Murray also was apparently posting to a different forum under the name DyingChild_65, and may have foretold of his rampage there, too. In one posting, he references the one of the Columbine killers and the gunman who opened fire at Virginia Tech, among others.

"Like Cho, Eric Harris, Ricky Rodriguez and others, I'm going out to make a stand for the weak and the defenseless this is for all those young people still caught in the Nightmare of Christianity for all those people who've been abused and mistreated and taken advantage of by this evil sick religion Christian America this is YOUR Columbine," the newspaper quoted the post as saying.

--- Yeah, you %@$&* crybabies are all alike. You read a little Nietzsche and you lose your %#$@#^ minds. Just do me a favor, all you Goth Christian hating nihilistic armed to the #$%^ teeth narcissists; shoot yourselves in the head now and leave everybody else alone, and spare us your delusions of being "heroes", you goddamn sissy babies. You get absolutely no sympathy from me.

December 10, 2007

Colorado Church Shooting Sprees Linked, Gunman Identified
Fox News

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Police have identified the gunman who killed two teenage sisters outside a Colorado megachurch Sunday as Matthew J. Murray, 24, of Englewood, Colo., FOX News confirmed Monday.

According to the Associated Press, a law enforcement official said Monday that Murray is believed to have carried out both deadly shooting sprees in Colorado Sunday--the shooting at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, and an earlier shooting at a missionary training school near Denver that left two people dead.

According to reports, Murray was the son of a prominent Denver neurosurgeon and multiple sclerosis researcher, who neighbors described as a "loner."...

The law enforcement official told the AP that Murray "hated Christians."

--- Gee what a surprise. A loner in a trench coat with a rifle shooting innocent people. Where'd he get that idea?

Murray was killed by an armed female security volunteer at the church before police arrived, authorities said. Officers found several smoke-generating devices on the church campus; their intended purpose wasn't clear.

Boyd said the security guard rushed the attacker, who didn't get more than 6 feet inside the building, and "took him down in the hallway."

"She probably saved 100 lives," Boyd said of the guard. The gunman, he added, "had a lot of ammunition to do a lot of damage."

--- Imagine that, someone shot back! Good job!

God help us.

December 6, 2007

Nebraska Mall Shooter Broke Up With Girlfriend, Lost Job Before Massacre
AP

The teenager carried his rifle into the mall, passing shoppers and decorations.

A department store employee was pressing a suit for a customer. A woman was making a quick stop to buy Christmas presents before picking up her son from school. Christmas music played.

The gunman stopped on the third floor and cut through the sounds with gunfire. Shoppers and employees at the Westroads Mall scrambled for cover in dressing rooms, clothing racks, offices and storage areas.

Eight people were killed and five wounded before the shooter ended the horror by taking his own life. He left behind a note that read, in part, "Now I'll be famous."

--- I've decided these homegrown terrorists are a bigger threat than Al-Qaeda. Police state is coming soon. A whole generation of thugs who want to "be famous" and post on YouTube and pick off 10 civilians at a time... This is what it comes to. And AP gives us a f***ing sob story.

Hawkins moved from his family's home about a year ago. He moved in with a friend's family, and Debora Maruca-Kovac and her husband welcomed him into their home and tried to help him.

"When he first came in the house, he was introverted, a troubled young man who was like a lost pound puppy that nobody wanted," Maruca-Kovac told The Associated Press.

--- See what I mean. He's not a puppy, he's a mass murderer.

And no picture, because he's disgusting to look at.

First it was schools, now it's malls; your guess what's next.

November 26, 2007

British Teacher Faces 40 Lashes for Naming Class Teddy Bear 'Muhammad'
Times UK

A British primary school teacher arrested in Sudan faces up to 40 lashes for blasphemy after letting her class of 7-year-olds name a teddy bear Muhammad.

Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, was arrested at at Khartoum's Unity High School yesterday, and accused of insulting the Prophet of Islam.

Her colleagues said that they feared for her safety after reports that groups of young men had gathered outside the Khartoum police station where she was taken and were shouting death threats.

The Unity school is a Christian-run but multi-racial and co-educational private school that is popular with Sudanese professionals and expatriate workers...

Teachers at the school, in central Khartoum, a mile from the Nile River, said that Gibbons had made an innocent mistake by letting her pupils choose their favorite name for the toy as part of a school project. Robert Boulos, the Unity director, said Gibbons was following a British National Curriculum course designed to teach young pupils about animals and their habitats. This year's animal was the bear.

In September, she asked a girl to bring in her teddy bear to help the class focus and then asked the children to name the toy.

"They came up with eight names including Abdullah, Hassan and Muhammad. Then she explained what it meant to vote and asked them to choose the name," Boulos said.

Twenty out of the 23 children chose Muhammad. Each child was allowed to take the bear home for weekends and asked to kepp a diary about what they did with the toy. Each entry was collected in a book with a picture of the bear on the cover, next to the message "My name is Muhammad."...

Under Sudan's Sharia law, blasphemy could attract a large fine, 40 lashes or a jail term of up to six months.

--- The British National Curriculum crashes into Sharia! Guess who wins. Isn't diversity wonderful?

November 14, 2007

YouTube rants that anticipate a massacre
Daily Telegraph (AU)

--- The Daily Telegraph has a screen capture of the Finland killer maggot's YouTube site. Complete with his asinine self-absorbed narcissistic brain farts that he stole from the original overrated philosopher-nihilist, Nietzsche.

My utopia: Weak-minded people as slaves, intelligent people as free.... they who think deep political & philosophical issues, and are capable of intelligent existential thinking, should be free and rulers... and the weak minded masses / robots, they can be slaves since they do not mind it now either and because their minds are on so retarded level. The gangsters that now rule societies, will get what they deserve.

--- For a "deep thinker" he isn't original at all. Quite retarded actually.

Hate... Im so full of it and I love it. That is one thing I really love. It is almost impossible to change the system. The faster human race is wiped out from this planet, the better... no one should be left alive. No mercy for the scum of the earth.

--- It's amazing how someone in a free, peaceful country can actually believe that he is oppressed so bad and needs to change "the system." Always blame everything on the system, of which he was a beneficiary no doubt. Throw in the hatred and you sound brilliant in your own narrow, sick mind.

Religious people, your gods are nothing and exists only in your heads. Your slave morals means nothing to me. I'm the god & devil of my own life.

--- Oh that slave morality. You know, I was once enamored with Nietzsche too. Then I came back to reality. Don't let him destroy you. Too late for this scumbag.

I feel sympathy for misfits... I am one. But not after they give in to childish hate and pull the trigger.

I am the law, judge and executioner. There is no higher authority than me. Justice renders to everyone his due.

--- And you got yours... eternal death. You who supposedly were one of THE STRONG... you were the ultimate weak little coward. Enjoy the nothingness of your worthless life and death.

Don't go there people. There is nothing there.

November 8, 2007

Grief and disbelief in Finland after school massacre
AFP

TUUSULA, Finland - A shell-shocked Finland was in mourning Thursday after a teenaged gunman massacred eight people at a school in what he claimed was an attack on "humanity".

Flags flew at half mast across the Nordic country a day after 18-year-old Pekka-Eric Auvinen went on his shooting spree at Jokela High School in Tuusula -- a small, picturesque town of just 30,000 inhabitants on the banks of a lake north of Helsinki.

Auvinen had advertised his intentions by posting a notice detailing how he would carry out the massacre on file-sharing website YouTube before the attack.

"I don't want this to be called only as 'school shooting'," he said of the massacre, which appears to have been planned to coincide with the anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution...

--- Guess what? He was picked on. In the old days, if you got bullied it was unfortunate, but you got on with your life. Or you drank too much. Now the bullied become mass murderers. And I don't feel sorry for you if you're picked on and you decide that gives you the right to blow up your school. It was unimaginable even 20 years ago when I was in high school. But that's progress. Let's deal with the real issues like global warming and outlawing the "N" word.

This is why bin Laden thinks the West is doomed.

Auvinen ended the rampage by shooting himself with his weapon, a 9mm handgun he had nicknamed "Catherine" and for which he only received a license last month. He died of his injuries late Wednesday.

The 18-year-old, described as an adherent of extreme philosophies on both the left and the right, seems to have planned his attack in minute detail and intentionally staged it on November 7, the 90th anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia.

In the "attack information" notice he posted on YouTube, he clearly detailed his intentions.

"Target: Jokela High School, students and faculty, society, humanity, human race ... Attack type: mass murder, political terrorism."

--- A terrorist is a terrorist. He's just as craven as can be, to advertise it on YouTube before the event... Shouldn't the parents be held somewhat responsible for raising such barbarians, somehow?

Police have said Auvinen, a broad-shouldered youth with blond slicked-back hair, came from a "normal" family, living with both parents and a brother, and had no previous criminal history.


Today's Normal Teenager

Several of the 18-year-old's classmates and teachers however described a brilliant but complex loner obsessed with weapons, Internet war games and revolutionary history who was often bullied and tormented.

--- Where's the righteous indignation at this societal disintegration? At this refusal to accept personal responsibilty? Nowhere. Just self-pity and phony compassion for the bullied.

According to some students, the perpetrator of one of the worst tragedies in recent Finnish history had been taking anti-depressant medications and had made no secret of his admiration for Hitler and Stalin.

--- Poor Finland, raped by nihilistic mass murder. Wake up.

November 6, 2007

Deposed Pakistan judge urges defiance
AP

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's deposed chief justice called on lawyers nationwide to defy police and protest President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule, while the government debated whether to delay parliamentary elections by as much as three months.

The ousted judge, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, called on lawyers to defy the state of emergency — and hundreds of attorneys and police clashed during a street rally in the central city of Multan in the second day of unrest since the restrictions were imposed...

President Bush and other Western allies have pressured Musharraf to resign as army chief and hold crucial parliamentary elections in January as originally planned, but so far no new date has been set.

--- I'm sorry, I don't see the problem with the state of emergency. We'll have another Iraq if Musharraf goes, nuclear even. All the hypocrites now calling for "democracy" -- the same people who bent over for Saddam Hussein to protect him from President Bush. When Bush wants democracy and civil rights for Iraq, they call him Hitler.

Musharraf "must be cruel, only to be kind: Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind." That's Shakespeare, for those raised on a diet of multiculturalism and, actually, know nothing about any cultures!

Ok, I'm exaggerating, take it easy.

October 2, 2007

Chertoff: Illegals 'degrade' environment
AP

--- BUFFOON ALERT!

WASHINGTON - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Monday defended the construction of a fence along the southwest border, saying it's actually better for the environment than what happens when people illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico line.

"Illegal migrants really degrade the environment. I've seen pictures of human waste, garbage, discarded bottles and other human artifact in pristine areas," Chertoff said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "And believe me, that is the worst thing you can do to the environment."


Secretary of Environmental Security Whozawuzzit

To curb illegal immigration, the U.S. government plans to complete 670 miles of fencing on the southwest border by the end of 2008...

--- We're building the fence to... protect... the environment. He says this with a straight face.

Well, if keeping out terrorists and criminals isn't a good enough reason, I'm sure protecting pristine land from litter is!

Where did W. find this guy?

Wildlife enthusiasts fear the natural wonders of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas could be spoiled by fences and barriers and could harm some animals by cutting them off from the only source of fresh water.

Chertoff said the department has been able to satisfy most environmental concerns and will continue to address them. But if someone goes to court to slow construction, he said the department will use the environmental waiver authority Congress authorized.

For now, he said, everything is on track and the department exceeded its goal to complete 150 miles of fencing along the Mexican border by the end of the 2007 fiscal year, which was Sunday. Chertoff also said apprehensions of illegal migrants at the border have gone down about 20 percent in the past year.

"I was really driving these guys hard to make sure that we were getting this done," Chertoff said of the fence. "This is one of those deals where we made a promise, and we've lived up to that promise."

--- You'd think they were trying to build an engineering marvel. Like pyramids. It's just a fricking fence. It will take them longer to build than the pyramids, because they have to protect the animals' water supply.

September 26, 2007

Iranians decry harsh words for president
AP

TEHRAN, Iran - Iranians expressed dismay Tuesday at the tough reception given to their president in New York, saying his host was rude and only fueled the image of the United States as a bully.

The scenes at Monday's question-and-answer session at Columbia University and the outpouring of venom toward President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by protesters during his U.S. visit could bolster the hard-line leader at a time of high tensions with Washington.

Columbia President Lee Bollinger's statement — including telling Ahmadinejad that he resembles a "petty and cruel dictator" — offended Iranians on many levels, not least that of simple hospitality. In traditions of the region, a host should be polite to a guest, no matter what he thinks of him.

--- Not only is Lee Bollinger an idiotic smarmy totalitarian-loving dupe for inviting the little prick, he cowardly insulted the guy, who no doubt deserves it, to pacify those who criticized the invitation, which only made Bollinger appear downright schizophrenic. He just upsets everybody and shows himself to be an absolute moron. Nice job providing propaganda for Iran, you fricking overeducated bozo.

The chancellors of seven Iranian universities issued a letter to Bollinger saying his "insult, in a scholarly atmosphere, to the president of a country with ... a recorded history of 7,000 years of civilization and culture is deeply shameful."...


This Bollinger idiot is stupider than that Bush!
"Our president appeared as a gentleman. He remained polite against those who could not remain polite," said Ahmad Masoudi, a customer at a grocery store who had watched state TV's recorded version of the event, including Bollinger's remarks. Iranian Farsi channels did not air the event live.

Another customer in the store, Rasoul Qaresi, said Bollinger showed that even Americans "in a cultural position act like cowboys and nothing more."...

--- Free speech.

Iran's state-run radio said Bollinger's comments were "full of insult, which was mostly Zionists' propaganda against Iran."

--- Real dialogue.

Some critics of Ahmadinejad in Iran warn that U.S. demonizing of the Iranian president has only strengthened his hand and boosted his falling political fortunes.

--- Thanks Lee! Is this what you wanted? No, you're to stupid to be that clever.

September 12, 2007

Transcript of the First Cut of the New Bin Laden Video

--- The final version of his video was released on Sept. 7. Assuming that it is an Al-Qaeda produced conglomeration of babble sessions by bin Laden, or a body/voice double, I imagined that the first cut of the video might have had some bad edits and jumbled sentences in trying to weave together a coherent speech. So I provide a partial "transcript" of the first cut below, which is based on the real transcript that I hope you are familiar with.


All Praise is due to Allah, who built the heavens and the neoconservatives, despite the differing intentions. And from His ways is that the days rotate between the people, and from His Law is retaliation in kind: an eye for an eye, a tooth for al-Maliki and his government to spread freedom in Iraq. And for what comes after: Peace be upon he who follows the most powerful and up-to-date military arsenal.

Since the 11th, many of America's policies have been speaking to you on important topics which concern you. The holocaust of the Jews was carried out by the annihilation of Hiroshima and Egypt, but we are a people who don't sleep under repression, especially Hollywood.

People of America: the world is following your news in regards to a million orphans in Baghdad alone, but the Democrats replace them with fear, destruction, killing, and the leaders of the White House. And so Kennedy was killed, and Al-Qaeda with your full knowledge and consent, continue to murder our people in Iraq and Mesopotamia. It has now become clear to you and the entire world that I ask Allah to grant them Noam Chomsky. So it is imperative that you free yourselves of conviction of this belief, and thus make the rich richer and the poor poorer. To conclude I invite you to embrace the fancy dress of the Defense Department's financial enticements. There are no taxes in Islam, because the entire world is in pursuit of them. And did you know that its essence is submission to the orders of Allah alone, totaling only 2.5%? It also must be noted that Allah has preserved the Quran from the alterations of Islam, and Peace upon He who waged this war.

September 7, 2007

Bin Laden Urges Americans to Convert
AP

CAIRO, Egypt -- Osama bin Laden appeared for the first time in three years in a videotape Friday released ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, telling Americans they should convert to Islam if they want the war in Iraq to end...



--- No way that is bin Laden on the right. One of those pretty bad body doubles.

Bin Laden makes no overt threats and does not directly call for attacks, according to the transcript posted on ABC's Web site.

Instead, he addresses Americans, lecturing them on the failures of their leaders to stop the war in Iraq despite growing public opposition in the U.S.

"There are two solutions to stopping it. One is from our side, and it is to escalate the fighting and killing against you. This is our duty, and our brothers are carrying it out," bin Laden said.

"The second solution is from your side," he said. "I invite you to embrace Islam."

--- Eat it.

The transcript also mentions the political activist and author Noam Chomsky, global warming, and refers to the Aug. 6 anniversary of the World War 2 bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

--- He's Ward Churchill with a beard.

The government was looking at bin Laden's physical characteristics in part, for clues about his health after unconfirmed rumors earlier this year that he had died of kidney disease.

Soon after word emerged that the United States had the video, Islamic militant Web sites that usually carry statements from al-Qaida went down and were inaccessible. The reason for the shutdown was not immediately known.

Evan H. Kohlmann, a terrorism expert at globalterroralert.com, said he suspected it was the work of al-Qaida itself, trying to find how the video leaked to U.S. officials.

"For them this is totally disruptive that the U.S. government could have a copy before their targeted audience does," he said. "They could be concerned and trying to plug the leak quickly."

--- Retards. Bin Laden is dust and his double doesn't even look like him.

August 30, 2007

Al-Qaida claims to have executed US embassy employee
AP

BAGHDAD: An Al-Qaida front group on Thursday claimed on an Islamic Web site known to be used by extremists that it had executed an employee of the US Embassy in Baghdad.

The veracity of the claim could not be independently verified and the US Embassy said it was looking into the report but had no immediate comment.

--- I certainly hope it's false. Sounds like it.

On the site, the Islamic State of Iraq claimed the execution of an embassy "official" it identified as Zaher Abdel Mohsin Abdel-Saheb took place on Saturday as revenge for "the Muslim women who are still captives in the prisons of Shiites and crusaders."

--- Like they care about their women! But I like that.... "Shiites and crusaders." What's the difference eh?

"Ask Sahib the Wahhabi".

Taliban Begins to Free South Korean Hostages
Washington Post

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- The Taliban on Wednesday began making good on a promise to release 19 South Koreans who have been held captive for a month and a half, freeing 12 and promising to turn over the rest in coming days.... The Red Cross reported that the freed hostages -- 10 women and two men -- "appeared to be in good physical health."

Abdullah, a top Taliban commander who helped orchestrate the kidnapping, said in a telephone interview that the episode had been a strategic victory. "We showed to the world that the United States is not taking care of its allies in the so-called war on terror," he said. "We will continue such a strategy to isolate the U.S. and its installed government in Kabul."

He called kidnapping "a good and cost-effective strategy for putting pressure on the enemy."

--- Stupid Koreans.

And we did nothing.

I can see recruiting efforts for phony hostages...

My name Abdullah, and have I a deal for you! Come Afghanistan and we pay you! Free ride, all cigarettes you want, all you do is look scared. When camera comes, you cry and say America bad, America kills babies. You come and have fun with us. If you act now, we give you two camels for the price of one! Call now before this offer end. Toll free... Look excellent on your resume!

I can see brainwashed college kids lining up to apply in order to wage peace.

August 28, 2007

U.S. Troops Apologize for Soccer Ball With 'Allah' Written on It
AP

KABUL, Afghanistan — The U.S. military regrets any offense it may have caused by handing out a soccer ball emblazoned with the name of Allah on it as part of a public relations exercise in Afghanistan, a spokesman said.

At least one of the balls — which were dropped by helicopter to children in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan on Friday — carried a small picture of the Saudi Arabian flag. The flag features in Arabic script the Islamic declaration of faith, which contains the words Allah and the Prophet Muhammad.

Villagers were "upset and angry" when they saw the ball, said Khost governor Arsalah Jamal.

"They wanted to demonstrate, but we explained to them it was a mistake," he said Monday.

Muslims treat with the utmost respect any printed matter containing verses of the Quran or the name of Allah or his prophet on it. Most would find the idea of kicking a ball emblazoned with those two names as deeply offensive.

--- Somebody in the U.S. coalition must have known enough about Islam to realize this would be considered offensive. On the other hand, what the hell?... upset about getting free soccer balls? Why don't you be thankful that we won't nuke you?

Sgt. Dean Welch, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, said "the distribution of soccer balls was done in the spirit of good will, something that we hoped would bring Afghan children some enjoyment."

--- Aren't there better ways of showing good will? Now we've insulted Islam with soccer balls. Big bad America has insulted the Prophet again! With soccer balls!! When will the imperialistic torture end!!??

But now to the real punch line...

Jamal said the U.S. military had told him they bought the balls in a market in Kabul and that they were made in China.

--- Made in China! Recall all Chinese soccer balls!

And they bought them in Kabul? So an Afghan Muslim store owner was selling them? Do you think the story is fishy now?

August 22, 2007

Norway: Christians, Muslims defend right to convert
AP

Two important Christian and Muslim groups signed a joint declaration Wednesday supporting the right to convert between religions without fear of harassment as a basic religious freedom.

The Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relation and the Islamic Council of Norway, which have met regularly since 1993, said they believe this is the world's first such joint declaration by national religious organizations.

--- Sounds good, but as usual, I have to see the cynical side...

"As far as we know, this is the first time that a church and representative national Muslim organization have jointly acknowledged the right to convert," said Olav Fykse Tveit, secretary general of church council. "By issuing this declaration we hope to contribute to the international process on this important matter."

About 85 percent of Norway's 4.7 million people are members of the state Lutheran Church of Norway. There are about 72,000 registered Muslims.

--- 4.7 million versus 72,000. Joint declaration? Isn't it implied that the Lutherans may kill you for converting to another faith, when it's Islam that believes you should kill converts to another faith?

When's the last time a Christian killed someone for converting to Islam? 1300? Yet it's a real death threat in 2007 if a Muslim converts to Christianity. So obviously Christians and Muslims have to sign a joint declaration.

"We reject and want to work against violence, discrimination and harassment due to a person wanting to convert or having converted from one religion to another," said the declaration, signed by Tveit and Shoaib M. Sutlan, secretary general of the Islamic Council.

Sultan said conversion between Islam and Christianity was uncommon in Norway, "but it is still important to establish this important principle."

--- So really it's directed at Islam, but you wouldn't know that from the first three paragraphs.

Under many interpretations of Sharia, or strict Islamic law, conversion from Islam is forbidden, and can have serious consequences.

--- Understatement of the year. Serious consequences. Well I'm glad they won't kill converts... I mean signed declarations are sacred, aren't they?

August 20, 2007

Sens. Warner and Levin Travel to Iraq, Praise Surge Results
Fox News

WASHINGTON — After a brief trip to Iraq, Sen. Carl Levin said Monday that the Iraqi Parliament should vote no confidence in the government of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki because of its sectarian nature and leadership.

"The Maliki government is non-functional," Levin, D-Mich., said in a conference call with reporters.

Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. John Warner of Virginia, the panel's top Republican, just returned from a fact-finding mission to the country. The two reported that they are encouraged by the effects of the recent U.S. military surge there, but their enthusiasm is tempered by concerns about Iraq's political climate.

"We have seen indications that the surge of additional brigades to Baghdad and its immediate vicinity and the revitalized counter-insurgency strategy being employed have produced tangible results in making several areas of the capital more secure. We are also encouraged by continuing positive results — in al-Anbar Province, from the recent decisions of some of the Sunni tribes to turn against Al Qaeda and cooperate with coalition force efforts to kill or capture its adherents," the two said in a statement issued after leaving the country.

--- If Levin admits the surge is working, then it must be working. Like I said before, I'm glad I was wrong about the surge being too small to be useful.

But the political situation... that's the excuse the Democrats can use now to end the war! They make me sick.

APA Rules on Interrogation Abuse - Psychologists' Group Bars Member Participation in Certain Techniques
Washington Post

SAN FRANCISCO - The American Psychological Association ruled Sunday that psychologists can no longer be associated with several interrogation techniques that have been used against terrorism detainees at U.S. facilities because the methods are immoral, psychologically damaging and counterproductive in eliciting useful information.

Psychologists who witness interrogators using mock executions, simulated drowning, sexual and religious humiliation, stress positions or sleep deprivation are required to intervene to stop such abuse, to report the activities to superiors and to report the involvement of any other psychologists in such activities to the association. It could then strip those professionals of their membership.

The move by the APA, the nation's largest association of behavioral experts, is a rebuke of the Bush administration's anti-terrorism policies. Many of the techniques deemed unacceptable have been widely reported to be used at military facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as well as in Iraq and at various CIA detention centers.

--- I'm glad we have an objective, scientific organization of mental health professionals to clarify that they care about the mental health of people who want to mass murder Americans by thousands or millions. Behavioral experts they are, worried about deranged killers who might get psychologically damaged by waterboarding.

They're fricking insane anyway!

Is the APA the most worthless piece of crap front group you've ever seen?

The American Psychological Association Declares All Psychological Problems Linked to One Cause - George W. Bush

August 17, 2007

Jury Convicts Jose Padilla of Terror Charges - Two Co-Defendants Also Found Guilty
Washington Post

MIAMI - A federal jury convicted former "enemy combatant" Jose Padilla on Thursday of terrorism conspiracy charges, handing a courthouse victory to the Bush administration, which had originally sought to imprison him without a criminal trial.

--- Again, the headline is all wrong. It's supposed to be "Freaking Bush, Executive Tyrant, Better Close Guantanamo Now So Lawyers Can Make More Money."

Padilla was arrested in 2002 for allegedly plotting a radiological "dirty bomb" attack, but prosecutors chose not to pursue those allegations in court here. But after a three-month trial, they had convinced the jury that Padilla, 36, participated in a South Florida-based al-Qaeda support cell that in the '90s began to send money and people to wage holy war in Bosnia, Chechnya, Kosovo and Somalia.

Padilla and co-defendants Adham Hassoun, a Lebanese-born Palestinian, and Kifah Jayyousi, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Jordan, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim overseas, an offense with a maximum penalty of life in prison. They also were convicted of one count of conspiracy to provide material support for terrorists and one count of material support for terrorists. Sentencing is set for Dec. 5...

The conviction essentially accomplishes through the criminal-court system what the administration had tried to do five years ago by executive fiat.

--- Slap.

Prosecutors and federal law enforcement officials called the conviction a reflection of their agencies' hard work. However, legal critics said the verdicts show that terrorism suspects can be tried in criminal courts and that there was no reason for the Bush administration to have declared Padilla an "enemy combatant" and to hold him for years without formal charges.

--- What the hell's the difference? He's been convicted and he'll probably be in for life. Except now he'll have access to porn and cigarettes. And fricking lawyers on both sides can upgrade to Mercedes.

"This trial clearly undermines the Bush administration's unfounded fear that terrorists cannot -- in their view -- be tried in our criminal courts," said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida. The verdict proves, he said, "that the Bush administration should close Guantanamo and pursue terrorists in the criminal justice system, not outside the confines of the rule of law."

--- Alternative headline: "Bush Found Guilty of Ignoring Lawyers."

Journalists. Besides lawyers, are there any other lower forms of human depravity?

August 13, 2007

Muslims meet in Jakarta for pan-Islamic state talks
Reuters

JAKARTA - About 80,000 people gathered in the Indonesian capital on Sunday for a conference hosted by a radical international Muslim group, Hizbut Tahrir.

Hizbut Tahrir said the gathering was aimed at strengthening Muslims' commitment to revive the Caliphate, a single Muslim government across the Islamic world, through peaceful means...

--- First, what the hell kind of headline is that? The AP's more accurate headline is "Hard-Line Muslim Meeting Draws 90,000 Followers, Calls For Islamic State." And apparently someone can't count.

Peaceful means, huh? Let's examine that.

"After the destruction of the Caliphate, tragedy after tragedy has descended on the Muslim world," said Ismail Yusanto, the spokesman of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, at the meeting opening.

"Our nation has been divided into 50 and the infidel colonialists picked rulers in each of these countries," he said.

--- Exuding peace.

Hizbut Tahrir, founded in Jerusalem in 1953, is banned in several Arab and Central Asian countries but its Indonesian branch has grown rapidly in recent years.

It has denied allegations of anti-Semitism and links to violent Islamic militants, which have been cited by some in Britain as reasons why the group should be banned.


We will bury you... peacefully!
--- Their aim is the same as Al-Qaeda, to take over the world. And Reuters feels the need to tell us that they are peaceful? They're only peaceful if we let them roll over us.

Oh yeah, Indonesia.... the moderates. We moderately advocate sharia.

August 8, 2007

Dutch politician calls for ban on Koran
news.com.au

Dutch anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders has called for the Koran to be banned in the Netherlands, branding it a "fascist book" in the vein of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf which legitimises violence.

Writing in Dutch daily De Volkskrant today Wilders said: "Ban this wretched book just like Mein Kampf is banned. Send a signal ... to Islamists that the Koran can never, ever be used in our country as an excuse or inspiration for violence." ...

--- Oh, right. Since we're at it, why don't they ban Das Capital and the Communist Manifesto, which inspired millions of deaths. You gonna ban the Bible too? How about any book with violence in it? Maybe they should ban violent movies too. I may be somewhat sympathetic to his point, but you can't ban the Qur'an.

Mr Wilders, whose new party won nine seats out of the 150 in Parliament in last November's elections, is well known for his firebrand remarks on Islam.

He has warned of a "tsunami of Islamisation" in a country home to 1 million Muslims, and has lived under heavy protection since receiving death threats from Islamist militants in 2004...

--- Well that makes sense, but the book-burning thing... I guess he was just saying it to get attention.

Earlier this year, Mr Wilders called for a vote of no-confidence in two Muslim Government ministers, questioning their loyalty to the country because of their dual nationality.

He has also campaigned to ban Muslim face veils, ban the building of new mosques and halt all Muslim immigration.

--- I agree they should halt Muslim immigration. But they won't.

August 6, 2007

South Carolina Police Charge 2 Students With Possession of Incendiary Device
AP

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. — Two young Middle Eastern men arrested near a Navy base after police found a suspicious item in their car were charged Monday with possession of an incendiary device, authorities said.

A joint state-federal investigation was under way to see if there was any terrorism connection but no link had been found yet, said FBI spokeswoman Denise Taiste. The Navy base is the site of a brig where enemy combatants have been held.

Ahmed Abda Sherf Mohamed, 24, and Yousef Samir Megahed, 21, both students at the University of South Florida in Tampa, were being held Monday pending a bail hearing, Berkeley County Sheriff Wayne DeWitt said.

--- Nothing suspicious here. They were setup by the junta! The oil-grabbing Bush-Cheney blame-everything-on-Muslims inside jobbers. Obviously.

"They admitted to having what they said were fireworks. Based on the officer's judgment at hand, based on what he had seen, we judged it to be other than fireworks," DeWitt said.

The sheriff refused to say what was found in the car but said some items were being analyzed by the FBI. Taiste would not give any details on what was in the vehicle.

Mohamed is a native of Kuwait and Megahed is Egyptian, the sheriff said. Both are in the country legally but it was not clear if they were U.S. citizens, DeWitt said.

--- Three words. Suicidal immigration policies.

The two men were stopped for speeding Saturday night near Goose Creek on U.S. Highway 176.

Goose Creek is the site of the Naval Weapons Station, which houses the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig, a military prison where enemy combatants have been held. They were heading west, away from Goose Creek, when they were pulled over about seven miles from the sprawling Navy facility, police said.

Officers became suspicious because the men quickly put away a laptop computer and couldn't immediately say what they were doing in the area or where they were going, DeWitt said.

--- Do the math here. They just happened to be seven miles from a naval brig holding "enemy combatants" with a laptop and an "incendiary device" in their car. In the middle of South Carolina.

Dick Cheney's behind this frameup.

In a related story, 19 men of Middle Eastern descent were arrested when they were found with incendiary devices (rocket launchers) in a hostel in New Jersey, just a few miles from Manhattan. The men claimed that the devices were actually part an engineering project and that they were only meant to launch food supplies to starving little babies in Africa. The FBI says no terrorism connection has been found.

August 3, 2007

Suspect burned in Glasgow airport attack dies
Reuters

LONDON - An Indian man who took part in a suspected bomb plot in Britain has died in hospital after suffering horrific burns in a botched attack on a Scottish airport nearly five weeks ago, police said on Friday.

Kafeel Ahmed, 27, was one of two occupants of a jeep laden with petrol canisters that rammed into Glasgow airport on June 30 and burst into flames. There were no casualties in the building and both men were arrested.

--- I know I shouldn't gloat over his death, but isn't it great news for a Friday? I hope he was in lots of pain for as long as possible.

Ahmed, who died late on Thursday, had been in hospital since June 30 with 90 percent burns. Police kept the engineer under armed guard but were unable to interview him because he was in a coma, a spokeswoman for Strathclyde police said.

--- Damn, I guess he wasn't in that much pain if he was comatose.

Witnesses to the airport attack said Ahmed jumped out of the jeep and ignited a spectacular fireball by dousing himself and the vehicle in petrol.

"I remember his injuries, and to me they were the most horrific injuries I had seen on a living person. In my opinion he was resigned to death," said Stewart Ferguson, an off-duty policeman who grabbed a fire extinguisher to hose him down.

--- The prick got his wish.

August 2, 2007

S. Korean envoys to meet with Taliban
AP

GHAZNI, Afghanistan - South Korean and Afghan officials searched for a meeting place Thursday after agreeing to hold face-to-face talks with the Taliban to seek the release of the remaining 21 South Korean captives, a chief negotiator said.

A delegation of eight South Korean lawmakers, meanwhile, departed for Washington on Thursday to urge the United States to help negotiate the release of the hostages. Earlier South Korean diplomatic efforts have failed to bend Afghanistan's refusal to respond to Taliban demands for the release of militant prisoners...

--- This is a whopping mess. And it seems to be a tactic that the Taliban increasingly uses. You know, taking hostages, mostly female, and it helps if they're Christian because they're crusaders, and then killing them one by one in order to get their own "militant prisoners" released.

Militant prisoners... uh, kidnappers, rapists, murderers would be more accurate.

Two of the 23 South Koreans kidnapped on July 19 have been killed. But after another deadline passed Wednesday, Ahmadi said the remaining hostages were still alive.

On Wednesday, Afghan army helicopters dropped leaflets warning citizens of upcoming military action in Ghazni province, where the church group volunteers were kidnapped while traveling by bus from Kabul to the southern city of Kandahar.

--- Military action may be the only way to prevent further kidnappings. Do everything possible to get the hostages released, with at least the military threat behind it.

At a conference in the Philippines, South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte agreed to place top priority on freeing the hostages safely, ruling out a military attempt to end the standoff, a South Korean official said Thursday.

"We will sincerely plead with the United States to take more substantial and meaningful measures to resolve this crisis," Rep. Cheon Young-se of the liberal Democratic Labor Party said before the delegation set off.

--- This is where the idiocy starts. Rule out military action, but then beg the US to take substantial measures to resolve the crisis. Like what?

Meanhile, in Seoul, demonstrators are blaming all of this on the real villain. George W. Bush.


"The greed of U.S. has caused the death of kidnapped Koreans. Withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan."


The cause of all evil everywhere, at any time in the history of the world: George W. Bush

Thus is demonstrated the complete uselessness of the U.S. State Department, the impotence of the civilized world, and the determined zeal of Islamic thugs who may rather easily take over the world, one hostage at a time.

But on a more positive note, there has been no comment today from General Barack Obama.

August 1, 2007

Obama Pledges Aggressive War on Islamic Extremists
Washington Post

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama today pledged an aggressive war against Islamic extremists, calling for the deployment of at least 7,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to combat the growing Taliban influence and promising to order U.S. forces into Pakistan if necessary to seek out and kill known terrorists.

--- *cough* *cough* - Damn, I almost choked on my bagel. Barack Obama, darling of the left, warmonger.

"When I am president we will wage a war that has to be won," Obama told an audience at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. He added, "I will not hesitate to use military force to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to the United States."

--- He must realize that he's going nowhere and he's desperate to top Hillary. This of course will inspire his... base?

Obama's speech represented the most comprehensive outline of his approach to Islamic terrorism. He said ending the war in Iraq is crucial to success in the broader struggle against terrorism...

--- Ending the war in Iraq is... crucial to the ... success? of the struggle against terrorism? Oh, so that's what Cindy Sheehan meant. She wants to bring the troops home, and then send them to Pakistan. What kind of dumbass doublespeak is this?

The Illinois senator offered a biting critique of President Bush's foreign policy decisions after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, while seeking to reassure Americans that his long-stated opposition to the war in Iraq would not make him hesitant to vigorously pursue extremists who threaten the United States.

He repeated a pledge to double U.S. foreign aid to $50 billion, provide $2 billion to combat the influence of Islamic madrassas and launch a more ambitious public diplomacy initiative that he said he would lead personally. He also called for additional steps to protect the homeland from possible attack...

--- You know what he is saying sounds good, but it's so disingenuous, and altogether incoherent. Public diplomacy initiative? He would lead it, whatever it is, PERSONALLY. What the hell is he saying?

In his speech today, Obama said the "lesson of the Bush years is that not talking [to hostile nations] does not work" and signaled his desire to take a different approach.

"It's time to turn the page on Washington's conventional wisdom that agreement must be reached before you meet, that talking to other countries is some kind of reward and that presidents can only meet with people who will tell them what they want to hear," he said.

--- So the whole speech about sending our forces out to where the REAL fight is... is then contradicted by saying we need more diplomacy.

This is satire material par excellence.

"Anti-Iraq War Left Declares War on Al-Qaeda, Wants to Send Troops to Pakistan for Aggressive Ground War - And While We're at it, Save Darfur!"

July 31, 2007

Cautious optimism in Iraq
AP

BAGHDAD – The U.S. military said today that a Marine was killed in fighting west of the capital, pushing the American death toll for July to at least 75, the lowest in eight months.

The No. 2 commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, expressed cautious optimism about the downturn last week. He said casualties had increased as U.S. forces expanded operations into militant strongholds as part of a five-month-old security crackdown aimed at clamping off violence in Baghdad, but were going down as Americans gained control of the areas.

"It's an initial positive sign, but I would argue we need a bit more time to make an assessment whether it's a true trend," he said...

While steady progress has been made on the military front, Iraq's political factions have made only limited headway in achieving reconciliation, said Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, who has been nominated to replace U.S. Gen. Peter Pace as the nation's top military officer.

--- I have criticized the surge as not being large enough in the past. But here even the AP acknowledges military progress. I am glad the surge seems to be working. I am glad my pessimism was probably wrong. The political situation in Iraq is a mess though. But if we eventually secure Iraq, they can work out the politics. Possibly without killing.

July 12, 2007

Government Report Concludes Al Qaeda Now as Strong as in Summer of 2001
AP

WASHINGTON — A new threat assessment from U.S. counterterrorism analysts says that Al Qaeda has used its safe haven along the Afghan-Pakistan border to restore its operating capabilities to a level unseen since the months before Sept. 11, 2001.

A counterterrorism official familiar with a five-page summary of the document — titled "Al Qaeda better positioned to strike the West" — called it a stark appraisal. The analysis will be part of a broader meeting at the White House on Thursday about an upcoming National Intelligence Estimate.

The official and others spoke to The Associated Press on condition they not be identified because the report remains classified.

The findings suggests that the network that launched the most devastating terror attack on U.S. soil has been able to regroup despite nearly six years of bombings, war and other tactics aimed at dismantling it...

--- First, let's assume it's true. Thanks a lot stupid politicians! It's hard to believe that Al-Qaeda just didn't fold after seeing and hearing our fierce Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.


Doesn't that face strike fear in your hearts?

But then counterterrorism analysts have an interest in making the threat as severe as possible, so they can continue to be counterterrorism analysts, I think.

I told you, we gotta Get Gashouse! Instead we're preening about banning trans fats, and imaginary scenarios of climactic doom based on somewhat subjective weather models in 50 years, though meteorologists can only predict the weather with reasonable certainty 2 days into the future.

Counterterrorism officials have been increasingly concerned about Al Qaeda's recent operations. This week, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he had a "gut feeling" that the United States faced a heightened risk of attack this summer...

--- I have a gut feeling this guy's a weasel. Yeah, because Al-Qaeda cells sneak in through the US-Mexico border, you spineless yes man.

Still, numerous government officials say they know of no specific, credible threat of a new attack on U.S. soil.

Al Qaeda is "considerably operationally stronger than a year ago" and has "regrouped to an extent not seen since 2001," the counterterrorism official said, paraphrasing the report's conclusions. "They are showing greater and greater ability to plan attacks in Europe and the United States."

The group also has created "the most robust training program since 2001, with an interest in using European operatives," the official quoted the report as saying.

At the same time, this official said, the report speaks of "significant gaps in intelligence" so U.S. authorities may be ignorant of potential or planned attacks...

--- We really have no idea what they're planning, and our borders are open, and half the country is rooting for them. OK, not half the country but you know what I mean.

The threat assessment says that Al Qaeda stepped up efforts to "improve its core operational capability" in late 2004 but did not succeed until December of 2006 after the Pakistani government signed a peace agreement with tribal leaders that effectively removed government military presence from the northwest frontier with Afghanistan.

The agreement allows Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives to move across the border with impunity and establish and run training centers, the report says, according to the official.

--- Nice.

But our gummint will keep us safe!

July 10, 2007

Four found guilty of July 2005 London bomb plot
AFP

LONDON - A British court found four men guilty Monday over a failed Islamist plot to set off bombs in London on July 21, 2005, two weeks after suicide bombings which killed 52 commuters in the capital.

Muktar Said Ibrahim, 29, Yassin Omar, 26, Ramzi Mohammed, 25, and Hussain Osman, 28, were found guilty of conspiracy to murder after a six-month trial.

The plot to explode home-made devices made of hydrogen peroxide and chapati flour in rucksacks was executed exactly 14 days after the July 7 attacks which killed a total of 56 people, including four British Islamist bombers.

The verdicts came on the seventh day of deliberations and amid intense media interest in Britain, which is on high alert following three failed car bombings in London and Glasgow, Scotland, last month...

--- It took SEVEN days of deliberations?

Jurors at high-security Woolwich Crown Court, south-east London, have not yet reached verdicts on two other alleged July 21 plotters -- Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, 34, and Adel Yahya, 24.

They will continue their deliberations Tuesday and sentencing will take place after the remaining two verdicts are reached.

--- Hurry up already. Do jurors get paid well in Britain?

Rebel Pakistan mosque leader killed by militants: official
AFP

ISLAMABAD - Rebel cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi was killed by militants when he tried to surrender to Pakistani forces who stormed an Islamabad mosque, an interior ministry spokesman told AFP.

"He was accompanied by four to five companions and he wanted to surrender when he was shot dead in a hail of bullets by other militants," spokesman Brigadier Javed Cheema said.

--- I just love it when they kill each other. Go right ahead.

July 2, 2007

Airport car bombers hoped to murder hundreds
The Daily Telegraph (UK)

The Glasgow airport car bomb was intended to create a devastating fireball which would have swept through the heart of the main terminal building, killing and maiming hundreds of innocent people, it emerged last night.

As forensics teams continued to examine the burnt-out shell of the 4x4 vehicle, an initial analysis of Saturday afternoon's astonishing events revealed just how close the terrorists came to causing an unprecedented atrocity.

New photographs last night showed that the green Jeep Cherokee contained a terrifying payload of gas canisters.

The driver revved the engine as he tried to smash through the glass doors at 30mph and into the heart of the main terminal, which was packed with passengers, including many families.

Experts said that, had the cargo detonated, a huge fireball would have swept through the building, with shrapnel killing and maiming many victims.

The bomb was also designed to bring down the walls and roof of the terminal leading to an even greater loss of life.



--- The American liberal response: How did Dick Cheney pull this off?

Hey, what War on Terror? It's just a slogan.

I'm just trying to go into denial myself.

You get the feeling that the recent intensity of global warming alarmism is just a transference from the real terror that people repress over this War on Terror?

Foreign doctors at centre of terror inquiry
The Daily Telegraph (UK)

Police investigating the car bomb attack on Glasgow airport have made two new arrests, as the terror inquiry focuses on the activities of at least two foreign doctors working in Britain.

Today's arrests - of men aged 25 and 28 in the Paisley area of Scotland - brings the number of people in custody in connection with the current terror alert to six.

A seventh man is under armed guard in hospital, being treated for 90 per cent burns received during after a blazing Jeep packed with gas canisters was driven into a terminal building at Glasgow Airport.

The other man detained at the airport was named today as Bilal Abdulla, an Iraqi who qualified as a doctor in Baghdad in 2004.

--- Doctors. The kind of people who you'd never think would be capable of this. And that's what they counted on. I'm telling you, the West should just shut off all immigration of Muslims. You tell me how else they can be stopped. But it'll never happen. We're better than that. We're determined to annihilate ourselves by proxy through Islamism, because we're determined to never discriminate or offend all the Muslims who aren't terrorists. How do you weed out the jihadists? It's impossible.

The second doctor, Dr Mohammed Asha, 26, from Chesterton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, was arrested with a 27-year-old woman believed to be his wife on the M6 on Saturday night.

Originally from Lebanon, he trained in Jordan and worked at the North Staffordshire Hospital, Stoke under a provisional GMC registration. He lived there with his wife and baby boy.

--- I've known such educated Muslim family men. I lived next to one. I went to school with them. I never thought of them as potential killers. It all just makes me want to puke, this whole nasty reality that needs to be faced sometime.

In the aftermath of the attacks it has also emerged that:

• The same two men may have been responsible for the Glasgow and London bomb attempts;

• Police were on the trail of the suspected bombers before the airport attack and narrowly missed tracking them down;

• Experts revealed the attack on Glasgow airport aimed to kill and maim hundreds in a massive fireball;

• Gordon Brown has raised the prospect of detaining suspects without charge for more than 28 days and allowing the use of phone-tap evidence in court....

Assistant Chief Constable John Neilson said: "The people we have in custody came to Scotland a short while ago to seek work. I'm sure the community in Glasgow in particular will be reassured. These are not your young people."...

How reassuring! Goddamn naivete.

Police sources suggested those arrested have lived in this country for some time although it was unclear whether they had crossed the radar of the security forces.

--- They certainly didn't expect anything like this in Glasgow. But so what, we're all infidels, mostly naive or in denial.

June 29, 2007

Security searches after car bomb defused
The Daily Telegraph (UK)

Security alerts have brought London to a standstill today as much of the capital was shut down while police investigated two suspicious vehicles hours after officers defused a bomb that "could have caused carnage" in London's West End.

Police investigated a car near Hyde Park amid fears that it could be connected to a bomb defused by authorities hours earlier in London's West End. ...

Jacqui Smith, the new Home Secretary, called an emergency meeting of top officials this morning, calling the attempted attack "international terrorism."

She said: "We are currently facing the most severe and sustained threat to our security from international terrorism"...

The head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, Peter Clarke, said police were alerted to a silver Mercedes car by an ambulance crew who noticed smoke inside it. The crew had been called to the scene just before 1.30am for an injury at a nearby nightclub.

--- The amount of good luck here is staggering. The bomb malfunctioned and an ambulance crew just happened to drive by.



They should have been counting the dead today. Thank God they aren't.

June 28, 2007

Senate blocks immigration bill
AP

WASHINGTON - The Senate drove a stake Thursday through President Bush's plan to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants, likely postponing major action on immigration until after the 2008 elections.

After the stinging political setback, Bush sounded resigned to defeat.

"Legal immigration is one of the top concerns of the American people, and Congress' failure to act on it is a disappointment," he said after an appearance in Newport, R.I. "A lot of us worked hard to see if we couldn't find common ground. It didn't work."

The bill's Senate supporters fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to limit debate and clear the way for final passage of the legislation, which critics assailed as offering amnesty to illegal immigrants. The vote was 46 to 53 in favor of limiting the debate...

--- Now go lick your wounds, lame duck.

Bush appeared glum as he spoke. His negotiators had expressed optimism the vote would go their way — or, at least be closer.

"Congress really needs to prove to the American people that it can come together on hard issues," Bush said.

--- Congress needs to prove that it will do what the American people want. This will come up again after the elections of course.

Ha, and Republicans are going to get pummelled. And the Bushes will hopefully be finished with politics.

Immigration Bill Faces Crucial Vote
AP

WASHINGTON — Conservative Republican senators and a handful of Democrats are trying to put a final knife in President Bush's plan for legalizing millions of unlawful immigrants.

A broad immigration bill, embracing what critics call amnesty, survived a series of unfriendly amendments Wednesday. Supporters pointed to the bill's tighter borders and workplace rules to keep it alive.

Both sides agreed the crucial vote occurs Thursday. Supporters must gain 60 votes in the 100-member chamber to limit debate and clear the way for a roll call on final passage, perhaps by Friday. Anything less will likely doom the legislation until a new president and Congress take office in 2009.

--- I think the President is delusional. Ever since Katrina he's been acting like Captain Queeg in the movie The Caine Mutiny. He's obsessed with finding out who stole the strawberries. Except he knows who stole the strawberries.

He wants to win in Iraq, but he doesn't have the stomach to win it. So we're fighting to not lose. Which is losing.

He wants an open border with Mexico and yet he's trying to protect America.

And his "legacy" which could have been one of the greatest presidencies, will be a failed war, a huge expansion of government, and the destruction of the Republican party. In addition to all the left-wing complaints that historians will add to his resume.

And if he gets amnesty, flagrant disregard for the law.

It hurts me so, because I used to like him.

It seems to be some kind of moral vanity. He's convinced he's always doing the right thing, which he often does, but is blind to the possibility that he may be wrong. And he can't translate his moral certitude into action. Hence he knows what to do, but can't get it done.

The bill's bipartisan supporters, who include liberals such as Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and conservatives such as Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said they would push hard to survive Thursday's vote. But they were frustrated by the lack of enthusiasm shown by many in the president's party.

--- Oh there's PLENTY of enthusiasm. The other way. Talk about delusional.

It could be that they're all crazy, which means the President is on par.

June 26, 2007

Iran to launch news channel in English
Reuters

Iran's state broadcaster will launch a 24-hour English-language satellite news channel next week to rival dominant Western services.

Tehran-based PRESS TV starts broadcasting from Tehran on Monday staffed by both Iranians and foreigners, and will seek to compete against the likes of CNN and BBC World, says Nader Rad, head of live programming.

"The news is mostly covered by the Western media. We would like to have a say in this," he said today.

"They (Western outlets) don't usually cover the whole story ... The news about Iraq does not cover all perspectives. The news about Palestine and Beirut is also like this," he said.

--- Yeah, Palestine. State-run anti-infidel news broadcasting, offering fresh perspectives. What global war? It's Bush's war right?

Mr Rad said Britons and Americans were among those working for the new channel, some based in Tehran. PRESS TV had journalists in Washington, New York, London, Beirut and Damascus, and was planning to have staff in Baghdad and Cairo, he said.

--- Britons and Americans are working for an Iranian state-owned propaganda oufit. Why am I not the least bit surprised.

The PRESS TV website said one of the goals was "to break the global media stranglehold of Western outlets." It also said the channel wanted to "bridge cultural divisions."...

--- Building a bridge for the true faith of the Prophet, PBUH.

"It is a state-owned channel, but it is not managed by the state. It has its own guidelines," Mr Rad said, but would not give further details about editorial policy.

--- Heeehee. The mullahs don't manage the channel. Reminds me of the movie Airplane! The part with a Soviet news anchor with a gun at his head, saying how terrific it was that the airplane filled with capitalists was doomed. Might have been Airplane II.

Insurgents Muster Their Forces Online - Radio Free Europe Report Describes Iraq Fighters' New Media Versatility
Washington Post

The Web sites through which the insurgency in Iraq communicates with the world sound shadowy and illicit when they are mentioned in American media. On the nightly news, a blurry bit of violence in a dun-colored country is introduced with a vague reference to a new video posted on a jihadist Web site. These glancing and reductionist descriptions do little to capture the breadth and sophistication of the not-so-underground world of Iraqi insurgent media, according to a report released yesterday by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty...

The report, which the authors believe is the first of its kind available to the public, focuses on Sunni insurgent groups, in part, says one its authors, Daniel Kimmage, because the Shiite viewpoint has access to Iraq's established media outlets.

What he found was a surprisingly rich mix of news and religion and entertainment.

For example, "Top 20," produced by Ansar al-Sunnah, is a compilation video of attacks on U.S. forces, presented as a greatest-hits competition among "insurgent brigades" for footage of the most spectacular attack. It is made with the express intention to encourage "healthy" rivalry among cells of fighters....

--- Top 20 attacks. Imagine that on CNN. I mean attacks that WE make on THEM. They've already shown attacks on US.

Whole books can be downloaded. Among them are the extensive "martyr biographies," collections of obituaries with inspirational messages detailing the lives of young men who have died in the struggle. The slickly designed compendia celebrate the deaths of often privileged, educated, technologically savvy young men whose directionless lives were turned around by the call to martyrdom in Iraq. The martyrdom biography of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, killed in June 2006, was a book in its own right, presented as an "encyclopedia" of his statements and accomplishments.

--- But the surge is working.

Can we fight a war soon?

Magazines, some with regular publication cycles, can be downloaded as well. Issue No. 10 of Al-Fursan (or The Knights), was published in September 2006. It is in full color, 64 pages long and includes sophisticated maps and graphics detailing attacks by the Islamic Army in Iraq.... There's also poetry, a column called the Oasis, devoted to inspirational thoughts and stories, and a martyrdom story celebrating the life of a sniper who killed American forces.

--- Terrific.

Amateur filmmakers can download jihadist songs from free music sites -- male choruses most often chanting in a resonant acoustic, giving their video a jolt of musical testosterone. One popular chant begins, "Strike the long-awaited blow / And kill as many infidels as you wish." Webmasters can also copy and paste coding to add a "news crawl" that constantly updates readers on the number of U.S. casualties (the report says the estimates exaggerate the official U.S. tally by a factor of 10).

--- The West is so ignorant and clueless.

June 4, 2007

Uncovered women 'beheaded'
The Australian

AN underground Islamic group has threatened to behead female news presenters on the official Palestinian Authority television station who do not wear strict Islamic dress.

"If necessary we will behead and slaughter to preserve the spirit and morals of our people," the Righteous Swords of Islam said. The group said the women presenters were corrupting Palestinian society by appearing on television with their faces uncovered.

--- Remember, they're only a teeeeeeeeeenny weeny group of extremists. Islam is peaceful.

The group is one of three al-Qaeda-affiliated organisations that have emerged in Gaza in the past two years. These groups have taken responsibility for bombing more than 30 internet cafes, music shops and pool halls.

"These are extremely dangerous groups that are trying to take Palestinian society back to the dark ages," a Palestinian Authority official in Ramallah, on the West Bank said. The official warned that existing radical groups could be replaced by even more extremist groups.

"The day will come when we will miss Hamas."

--- Oh God help us.

Foiled US airport bomb plot was 'home-grown'
AFP

WASHINGTON - A foiled plot to bomb New York's main international airport was a "home-grown" plan not directly linked to Al-Qaeda, though the militant Islamic network may have inspired it, a top US justice official said Sunday.

--- Didn't bin Laden declare it a duty for Muslims to attack Americans? And people are surprised when home-grown Muslims who are not directly linked to Al-Qaeda decide to commit mass murder in order to get to Paradise?

The plot against the JFK airport allegedly was linked to Jamaat Al Muslimeen, described by justice officials as an international network of Muslim extremists from the United States, Guyana and Trinidad...

--- The most surprising part was that they're from South America. I mean, not transplants from North Africa or Pakistan, if I understand correctly.

Four suspected Islamic extremists from South America and the Caribbean have been charged over the plot, including a US citizen Russell Defreitas who was a cargo handler at the airport, and Abdul Kadir, a former member of Guyana's parliament. Three of the suspects have been arrested and a fourth, Guyanese national Abdel Nur, is still being sought...

--- We are just freaking lucky that we're not dead yet. And the borders are wide open.

According to US authorities, the plot went back to January last year and would have involved blowing up buildings, fuel tanks and pipelines at the airport, which handles 1,000 flights and more than 120,000 passengers daily.

"They had done up to four surveillances. They were searching for funding and explosives. So on that level, it was certainly operational," Miller said.

Authorities said the explosions would also have devastated large portions of nearby Queens, a borough of New York City.

--- But the real threat is from George W. Bush! He's spying on me!!

Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein praised authorities for disrupting the plot but said the country was still under threat from a possible terrorist attack.

"Clearly, this was nipped in the bud before it developed, and I think that's very impressive and we all should be very thankful," Feinstein told CNN television.

--- Oh you maggot. A Democratic senator telling me the country is under the threat of a terrorist attack. Your party, and not just your party, is full of self-destructive suicidal maniacs without a clue of what we're up against. You know nothing about history, have no vision or even a hint of the potential devastation that is quite possibly around the corner.

And your response? Bush blew up the Twin Towers.

Yeah, we're really winning this war.

I'm the world's only true democrat, says Putin
AP

--- This is here for comedy relief...

MOSCOW - Russia's President Vladimir Putin has described himself as the world's only "pure" democrat and attacked the United States and Europe, which have criticized him, for falling short of their own ideals.

In an interview with Western media released on Monday, he rejected Western criticism that he has centralized power in the Kremlin, marginalized the opposition and increased state control over the media.

--- Man of the people, he is.

Putin said the West's record on democracy was less than perfect.

"Let's look what happens in North America -- sheer horror: torture, the homeless, Guantanamo, keeping people in custody without trial or investigation," Putin said in the interview ahead of this week's summit of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrial nations.

"Look what's going on in Europe: the harsh treatment of demonstrators, the use of rubber bullets, tear gas in one capital or another, the killing of demonstrators in the streets."...

"After the death of Mahatma Gandhi there's nobody to talk to," he concluded, referring to the Indian leader who championed civil rights and non-violent resistance to tyranny.

--- Bush was right, he has a good heart. The best heart in the world, now that Gandhi is gone. Huh?

May 30, 2007

American Al Qaeda Threatens Attack Worse Than Sept. 11, Virginia Tech Unless U.S. Leaves Mideast
AP

CAIRO, Egypt — An American member of Al Qaeda warned President Bush on Tuesday to end U.S. involvement in all Muslim lands or face an attack worse than the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a new videotape.

Wearing a white robe and a turban, Adam Yehiye Gadahn, who also goes by the name Azzam al-Amriki, said Al Qaeda would not negotiate on its demands.

"Your failure to heed our demands ... means that you and your people will ... experience things which will make you forget all about the horrors of September 11th, Afghanistan and Iraq and Virginia Tech," he said in the seven-minute video.

--- This imbecile again. This kid is Jewish. Yes, at least half. But Al-Qaeda finds him a useful idiot.

Gadahn, who has been charged in a U.S. treason indictment with aiding Al Qaeda, spoke in English and the video carried Arabic subtitles. The video appeared on a Web site often used by Islamic militants and carried the logo of Al Qaeda's media wing, as-Sahab.

Gadahn, who appeared in an Al Qaeda video last September in which he called on Americans to convert to Islam, demanded that Bush remove all U.S. military and spies from Islamic countries, free all Muslims from U.S. prisons and end support for Israel. He said a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq alone would not satisfy Al Qaeda.

--- Brain dead death-worshipping traitor. Look him up in Wikipedia. Dig it:

Adam was described by former friends as a "loner" as well as a "follower" who had little experience in social situtations. A fan of death metal, Gadahn contributed music reviews and artwork to a zine called Xenocide.

At age 16, he recorded a 60-minute-long death metal symphony.

In 1995 at the age of 17, Gadahn began studying Islam at the Islamic Society of Orange County. Members of Gadahn's study group were young fundamentalists who "targeted the mosque's chairman, Hitham 'Danny' Bundakji," whom they referred to as `Danny the Jew,` for his practice of "wearing Western clothes and being overly friendly with Jews."

This guy is certifiable.


This could be your son who listens to death metal and starts hangin' with the wrong crowd.

May 14, 2007

Can Taleban recover from biggest setback?
BBC

The killing of Mullah Dadullah Akhund in a joint military operation by US, Nato and Afghan army forces on 12 May is the biggest blow to the Taleban since it lost power in Afghanistan in December 2001.

--- Can anyone deny that the BBC is rooting for the Taliban? British spelling, "Taleban", bloody traitors.

In recent months the Taleban have suffered a number of setbacks.

They lost one of their top military commanders, Akhtar Mohammad Osmani, in December 2006 when a laser-guided missile fired by a pilotless US Predator plane destroyed his vehicle in Helmand province.

Subsequently, another important commander, Mullah Obaidullah, who was deputy to the Taleban movement's founder and leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, was reportedly captured by Pakistan's security forces.

But Dadullah's death is a bigger loss because he had become the public face of the Taleban through his frequent interaction with the world media.

He had also acquired the reputation of a fearless fighter who led his men from the front. This despite his obvious disability - he lost his left leg in past fighting in Afghanistan against Soviet forces...

--- A freaking eulogy.

It is obvious that the Taleban will take time to recover from Dadullah's loss.

His death has shocked and demoralised them and right now they are in mourning. Finding a replacement would be difficult...

The Taleban leadership could order a review of their military options and tactics in view of the heavy losses that they have suffered in recent months.

--- Giving them advice.

It is even possible that some of the diehard supporters of Dadullah decide to avenge his death by launching more attacks and sending an even greater number of bombers on suicide missions.

--- The same old gratuitous "this will cause more terrorism" manure.

May 13, 2007

Top Taliban Commander Killed in Afghanistan
AP

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The Taliban's most prominent military commander, a one-legged fighter who orchestrated an ethnic massacre and a rash of beheadings, was killed in a U.S.-led military operation in southern Afghanistan, officials said Sunday.

Mullah Dadullah, a top lieutenant of Taliban leader Mullah Omar, was killed Saturday in the southern province of Helmand, said Said Ansari, the spokesman for Afghanistan's intelligence service. NATO confirmed his death, calling it "a serious blow" to the insurgency...

--- ... And Rosie O'Donnell.

Dadullah is one of the highest-ranking Taliban leaders killed since the fall of the hard-line regime following the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. His death represents a major victory for the Afghan government and the international coalition that has struggled to contain a Taliban-led insurgency wracking the south and east of the country.

"Mullah Dadullah was the backbone of the Taliban," said Asadullah Khalid, governor of the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. "He was a brutal and cruel commander who killed and beheaded Afghan civilians."

--- Justice.



--- Conspiracy Update ---- Dick Cheney personally hacked off this guy's leg, and hell they all look alike because they all have beards, and then declared that this guy was Mullah Dadullah; and he threatened everybody to keep quiet about it or he'd rape their mothers.

May 9, 2007

Moderate re-elected as Tehran mayor
AP

TEHRAN - The Tehran City Council defied hard-line government pressure on Wednesday, re-electing a moderate-leaning mayor who is seen as a potential rival to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The government had been campaigning to keep Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf from being picked again as mayor of the capital. But the City Council vote appeared to indicate waning support for Ahmadinejad, especially in the city he used to lead...

Qalibaf's re-election would be seen here as a victory for "moderate conservatives" — supporters of Iran's cleric-led power structure angry at Ahmadinejad over his harsh anti-Western rhetoric and faltering economic policies.

--- In journalism school, where useful idiots learn how to be "objective", they apparently teach their young, idealistic troopers that the word "moderate" has at least two meanings: 1) In the West, "moderate" means "left-wing radical" (example; Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a "moderate"), 2) In Iran, "moderate" means "theocratic authoritarian pseudo-fascist who doesn't support homicidal jihad quite as much as the others."

Though conservative, Qalibaf is considered more of a pragmatist compared with Ahmadinejad, who has faced increasing criticism at home for fueling fights with the U.S. and other Western countries over Iran's disputed nuclear program.

--- Duuuuuuuuuuuuhhh. I guess by this standard Krushchev was a moderate, compared to Stalin. Though a communist.

Qalibaf is considered to be in the same line as Rafsanjani, who is also considered a more moderate figure than Ahmadinejad, although it is not clear whether Rafsanjani would necessarily support him.

--- "I'm a thug, but I'm a moderate thug."

"The Enemies of Islam, Moderate Version, Allah Be Praised"

May 8, 2007

Ahmadinejad under fire for embracing his old teacher
AFP

TEHRAN - Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stood accused of "indecency" on Wednesday after he publicly embraced and kissed on the hand an elderly woman who used to be his school teacher.

At a ceremony on Tuesday ahead of Iranian teachers' day, Ahmadinejad was photographed and filmed by state media stooping to kiss the woman's hand and then clasping her arms in an embrace.


"The Muslim Iranian people have no recollection of such acts contrary to sharia law during Islamic rule," since the 1979 revolution, seethed the ultra-conservative Hezbollah newspaper on its front page.

"This type of indecency progressively has grave consequences, like violating religious and sacred values," added the paper, which has no link to the Lebanese militant group of the same name.

The elderly woman, who was not named, wore thick gloves along with a headscarf and long black coat, meaning that Ahmadinejad avoided any skin contact.

However his action raised eyebrows. According to sharia law, it is forbidden for a man to have any physical contact with a woman to whom he is not related.

--- What a sick demented sex maniac! If he only kissed a little girl, about 9, the age of one of Muhammed's wives, then that would have been normal.

Religion of peace.

PUBLIC APOLOGY
IOF

I'd like to issue an apology regarding the story "Bush knew about the Spanish Inquisition in Advance." The authenticity of the execution order below has been called into question by both conservative and liberal bloggers. Several media outlets have examined the document's authenticity and have concluded that the document is a forgery. If I knew then what I know now, I would not have gone ahead with the story, and I certainly would not have used the document in question. For this, I'm sorry. However, I do believe that that the underlying story is true.

Bush knew about the Spanish Inquisition in Advance
IOF

Documents uncovered by IOF prove conclusively that President George W. Bush had advanced warning about the Spanish Inquisition's reign of terror, and may have actually contributed to its planning.

One document reveals that Bush and Pope Sixtus IV met several times in Spain around January 1477.

Several documents include notes taken at these meetings that indicate that Dick Cheney had designed and built several torture devices while working for a company called Holyfartin.

The smoking gun is this document, in which an order was given by Bush to execute a "heathen" who was found guilty at a tribunal in Cordoba.

3 dead, dozens hurt in Philippine bombing
AFP

COTABATO, Philippines - A powerful homemade bomb tore through a packed public market in the southern Philippine city of Tacurong on Tuesday, killing three people and seriously wounding 33, police said.

The military said the attack bore the hallmarks of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the Al-Qaeda's Southeast Asian arm which has, according to latest intelligence, linked up with Philippines-based militants.

The bombing came came just a week before national elections and two weeks after US warnings of imminent terror attacks in the area...

--- SEE BUSH KNEW ABOUT IT. HE WAS BEHIND IT BECAUSE HE'S TRYING TO KILL EVERYBODY AND TAKE OVER THE WORLD AND LISTEN TO MY PHONE CONVERSATIONS. HE'S UNDER MY BED, I'M TOO SCARED TO LOOK UNDER MY BED BECAUSE HE AND DICK CHENEY ARE MAKING CLICKING NOISES AND BUILDING IED'S UNDER MY BED. I REPRESENT A GOOD CHUNK OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION ACCORDING TO RASMUSSEN.

In late April the US embassy in the Philippines issued an alert about travel to central Mindanao, the second-largest island in the country.

"The embassy has information that a terrorist group may be planning to carry out bombing attacks in central Mindanao over the next several days," it said, urging Americans to "carefully consider plans" to visit the area.

Several JI militants led by Indonesians Umar Patek and Dulmatin are holed out with Abu Sayyaf militants in nearby Jolo island. The US government has offered a 10-million-dollar reward for the capture of Dulmatin and one million dollars for Patek for helping to mastermind the October 2002 bombings in Bali, Indonesia that left 202 people dead.

--- When do we start counting the number of dead civilians dying at the hands of Islamic radicals, and holding up signs saying "how many more must die!"

In my dreams.

6 charged with plot on Army base in N.J.
AP

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. - Six men from the former Yugoslavia were arrested on charges they plotted to attack the Fort Dix Army base and "kill as many soldiers as possible," federal authorities said Tuesday.

The suspects were described as "Islamic radicals," said U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Greg Reinert.

--- After we went out of our way to stop the Serbs from killing you. Scum.

They were scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Camden later Tuesday to face charges of conspiracy to kill U.S. servicemen, said Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey. Five of them lived in Cherry Hill, he said...

Authorities believe the men trained in the Poconos for the attack and also conducted surveillance at other area military institutions, including Fort Monmouth, the official said. The official said that the men had lived in the United States for some time.

The six were arrested trying to buy automatic weapons in a sale set-up by law enforcement authorities, the official said...

Five of suspects lived in Cherry Hill, about 10 miles east of Philadelphia and 20 miles southwest of Fort Dix, Drewniak said.

Fort Dix is used to train soldiers, particularly reservists. In 1999, it sheltered more than 4,000 ethnic Albanian refugees during the NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia.

--- Since a majority of Democrats think Bush knew about 9/11 in advance, how do they figure Bush framed these guys just to spread "Islamophobia"? It's all a ruse man, for OIL. So if we took all of Iraq's oil, why are we paying $3.00 a gallon now? What does this have to do with this story? I don't know, but since logic is so scarce around here...

May 7, 2007

Cars burnt, police hurt in French election violence
Reuters

PARIS - Hundreds of people were arrested in France overnight in clashes between police and protesters who torched cars following conservative Nicolas Sarkozy's victory in Sunday's presidential election, police said.

Official figures released early on Monday said demonstrators set fire to 367 cars and injured 28 policemen across France, and 270 people were arrested in the violent protests against the tough-talking former interior minister...

Reports and eyewitness accounts suggested the violence was worse than the official statistics indicated because they did not include other incidents such as petrol bomb attacks on buses near Paris or smashed up shop fronts in large cities.

--- I congratulate France for not giving the rioters what they wanted... a feminist socialist useful idiot. The violence isn't working. Allahu Akbar.

Youths went on the rampage in adjoining streets, smashing phone cabins and shop windows as they moved towards the nearby Gare de Lyon station.

--- Oh yeah, them "yoots" of ambiguous ancestry.

"Everyone got hit. We heard people were at the Bastille but we didn't expect them to come up here," said Sophie Wolkowitch, whose pharmacy near the station had its windows smashed and suffered 14,000 euros ($19,000) of damage.

Similar attacks were reported in the southeastern city of Lyon and the southern city of Toulouse. Bus shelters were smashed in the northern city of Lille and a school was set on fire in the Paris suburb of Evry.

In the northern department clustered around Lille, about 100 cars were torched, the fire brigade said...

--- France. What the hell is so special about France.

Socialist candidate Royal said last week a Sarkozy victory would provoke violence in the suburbs, but an internal police memo obtained by Reuters said there was no large-scale trouble in those areas overnight.

"The second round of the presidential election did not generate any large demonstrations of urban violence in sensitive neighborhoods," the memo said.

It added that the level of violence was above that usually seen on July 14 Bastille Day, France's national holiday "but below that of New Year's celebrations."

--- They didn't even match New Year's level of rioting? Perhaps there's hope for France.

April 30, 2007

Muslim women in France regain virginity in clinics
Reuters

PARIS -- Sitting in a cafe near the Champs Elysees, the 26-year-old French-born woman of Algerian descent looks like any other Parisian. But two months ago, she did something none of her friends have done.

She had her hymen re-sewn, technically making her a virgin again.

"I'm glad I had it done," said the woman, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. "I wanted to reconstruct part of my life, to reconstruct myself so that I could feel better about myself."

--- SAY WHAT??

This 30-minute outpatient procedure, called "hymenoplasty" and costing between 1,500 and 3,000 euros ($2,000-$4,000), is increasingly popular among young women of North African descent in France.

--- This must have been thought up by some nut in France. A greedy nut.

Doctor Marc Abecassis, whose office is near the chic Champs Elysees, sees the rise in religion among France's five million Muslims fuelling this trend. His patients are between 18 and 45 years old, Muslim, born both in France and in North Africa.

"Many of my patients are caught between two worlds," said Abecassis. They have had sex already but are expected to be virgins at marriage according to a custom that he called "cultural and traditional, with enormous family pressure."

For this woman, the decision to have the surgery came after she broke up with a boyfriend who had pressured her into having sex. Unable to cope with breaking family tradition, she felt a hymenoplasty would help put her life back together again.

--- Oh my God. Is that an unintentional pun? "A hymenoplasty would help put her life back together again." And how does the condition of your hymen "repair your life?" I wouldn't know.

Another of Abecassis' patients, a 22-year-old Algerian immigrant who asked to be called Karima, said most young women had the operation to respect their culture or family tradition, not for religious reasons.

In fact, neither woman is a practicing Muslim. They dress, speak and act like other young Parisians, but are also part of a growing silent group of women who juggle traditional Muslim and modern French values...

--- I was right. This is inspired more by modern French values than by Islam.

But still.

A leading Muslim spokesman said Islam says bride and groom should be virgins before marriage, but did not take a clear stand for or against hymenoplasties.

"If someone committed a sin, the essential thing is to repent," said Lhaj Thami Breze, head of the Union of French Islamic Organizations.

--- Yeah.

Abecassis defended the operations and said he helped patients who could not pay his 2,500 euro fee. "This surgery gives them another chance," he said. "It's a rehabilitation. For many, it's the only solution."

--- Right.

I'm not hungry anymore.

5 convicted in London bomb plot
AP

LONDON - A jury convicted five men on Monday of a plot to bomb targets in London including a popular nightclub, power plants and shopping mall, and the court for the first time revealed connections between the men and the suicide bombers who launched a deadly 2005 attack on the city's transit system.

--- AP doesn't mention the sentencing. After checking Reuters' version, they all got LIFE IN PRISON.

Minor detail.



Details kept secret to ensure a fair trial showed that counterterrorism agents tracking the five men had also stumbled onto the transit plotters. And despite disturbing signs that the transit plot was in the works, agents failed to piece together in time to prevent the bombings that killed 52 people, testimony and official briefings during the trial showed...

The jury that convicted the five men deliberated for nearly a month after nearly a year of testimony in Britain's longest terror trial. The men, all British citizens, were accused of plotting a series of attacks using more than 1,300 pounds of fertilizer they had placed in a storage unit.

--- That's a huge load of s***!

Omar Khyam was found guilty of conspiracy to cause explosions made from a chemical fertilizer that could endanger life. Also found guilty in the conspiracy were Anthony Garcia, Jawad Akbar, Waheed Mahmood and Alahuddin Amin.

--- B-Bye.

April 27, 2007

Bush talks malaria, beats bongos
AP

WASHINGTON — The White House turned its attention Wednesday to preventing and eradicating malaria, a big killer of African children.

But it wasn't all serious business: President Bush pounded on the drums for a West African dance troupe and had some fun at Congress' expense...

After a few songs from the colorfully and traditionally dressed KanKouran West African Dance Company, the president and first lady joined the dancers and drummers on stage for a picture.

In no time, it was Bush who was enthusiastically choreographing the moves. Flashing a big grin, Bush pounded on the drums to set the rhythm and led the women and men of the group in a little dance.



--- Maybe it is time to impeach him.

Dick Cheney wouldn't have been caught dead doing this.

Mr. President, who do you think you are, Bill Clinton?

I'm sure our troops really appreciate this one. Congress is screwing you and the troops, and you're dancing. Eradicating Malaria is certainly a good cause, but this movie certainly enhances your media "buffoon" image. Go ahead and dance if you want, but do it in private.

AP even got this clever buffoon shot to make you look even more idiotic.


Leader of the free world in times of war
Didn't any of his advisors try to prevent this? Did someone actually think this would make the President look hip?

April 24, 2007

Jihadist media thriving in Pakistan
AP

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A daily newspaper warns that Jews and Christians are engaged in "genocide" against Muslims. A Web site says children should love guns instead of cricket. A video shows a child beheading a militant accused of betraying his comrades.

Despite government promises to crack down, hate-filled jihadist propaganda is thriving in Pakistan, especially in print and on the Internet. Critics say it is contributing to the demonization of the West and the "Talibanization" of Pakistan.

--- The War is just getting started, man.

Hard-line religious propaganda is still far from the mainstream in Pakistan, a key U.S. ally in this volatile region. Liberal programming prevails on Pakistan's booming private TV channels. But as in other Muslim countries, the call for jihad, or holy war, against the West is gaining resonance amid widespread anger over the U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq...

--- As usual, it's all America's fault.

Tayyabat, a magazine for women published by Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which was listed as a terrorist organization by Washington last year, says Pakistan's alliance with the U.S. amounts to surrendering to an America bent on killing Muslims.

"A white flag will not put out the fire from the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. They are thirsty for the Muslims' blood," an article in February said...

"Jews, Christians and their allies are engaged in genocide of Muslims but Islam is spreading and its enemies are losing their nerve," a recent article said.

--- Well they're right about us losing our nerve.

... the boldest challenge to the government's authority is in the affluent and cosmopolitan capital, Islamabad, where firebrand clerics have launched a vigilante campaign against vice.

Last month, the clerics and students at the Red Mosque kidnapped an alleged brothel owner and forced her into a public confession. They then set up a court to impose their version of Shariah, or Islamic law, and threatened suicide attacks if the government tries to intervene.

In broadcasts on an illegal FM radio station, Red Mosque prayer leader Maulana Abdul Aziz has reportedly warned that his students would soon visit Islamabad residents to persuade them to burn "satanic things" such as TV sets...

--- Oh yeah, TV sets are evil too. Liquid crystal displays are pawns of Satan.

A Web site affiliated with the al-Qaida-linked group Jaish-e Mohammed, which was banned in 2002, still lavishes praises on those who wage jihad.

One recent post by a writer called Abu Khabib Mardanvi urged youngsters to shun the "dirty and useless game" of cricket and opt instead for militancy. "I pray that God may stanch the love of the bat from the hearts of today's youth and bless them with love for the gun," he wrote.

--- Cricket is evil? These maggots are caricatures of themselves!

Go to India if you want to dance: Pak cleric
Hindustan Times

Notwithstanding the nationwide rallies which are being held against attempts to enforce strict Islamic law here, a radical cleric has said that dance and music would not be permitted in Pakistan and those interested in these should go to India.

"We will not wait more ... It will now be Sharia (law) or shahadat (martyrdom)," said Maulana Abdul Aziz, one of the clerics of Lal Masjid who have threatened to impose the strict Islamic law in a month's time in the capital.

In his Friday prayer sermon, he said those interested in dance and music should go to India, the media here reported.


Burn in hell Jessica Simpson!

Aziz vowed to enforce Sharia in the country even if the government did not itself do so, saying the Sharia would be enforced at any cost for which the whole nation should support the mosque's management...

His comments came as moderate political parties like Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and human rights and women rights groups held massive rallies all over Pakistan, opposing threats by the Lal Masjid clerics and their supporters to resort to moral policing and impose Sharia law.


Happy people must die!!

April 23, 2007

Al-Qaeda plans 'Hiroshima'
Daily Telegraph (AU)

AL-QAEDA leaders in Iraq are planning the first "large-scale" terrorist attacks on Britain and other western targets with the help of supporters in Iran, according to a leaked intelligence report.

Spy chiefs warn that one operative had said he was planning an attack on "a par with Hiroshima and Nagasaki" in an attempt to "shake the Roman throne", a reference to the West, according to The Times newspaper in the UK.

Another plot could be timed to coincide with Tony Blair stepping down as prime minister, an event described by Al-Qaeda planners as a "change in the head of the company"...

The intelligence report also makes it clear that senior Al-Qaeda figures in the region have been in recent contact with operatives in Britain...

The report was compiled by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) - based at MI5’s London headquarters - and provides a quarterly review of the international terror threat to Britain. It draws a distinction between Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda’s core leadership, who are thought to be hiding on the Afghan-Pakistan border, and affiliated organisations elsewhere.

The document states: "While networks linked to AQ (Al-Qaeda) Core pose the greatest threat to the UK, the intelligence during this quarter has highlighted the potential threat from other areas, particularly AQI (Al-Qaeda in Iraq)." ...

Analysts believe the reference to Hiroshima and Naga-saki, where more than 200,000 people died in nuclear attacks on Japan at the end of the second world war, is unlikely to be a literal boast.

"It could be just a reference to a huge explosion," said a counter-terrorist source. "They (Al-Qaeda) have got to do something soon that is radical otherwise they start losing credibility." ...

--- I can't come up with any comment. Just let it sink in.

Note to 9/11 truthers: here's your chance to rationalize away!

April 20, 2007

Severed heads delivered to military
Daily Telegraph (AU)

Al-Qaeda-linked extremists ordered civilians to deliver the severed heads of seven Christians to military outposts in the southern Philippine island of Jolo, the army said today.

The six road workers and a fisherman were kidnapped in separate incidents on Monday by the Abu Sayyaf extremist group amid a military operation against the Muslim movement...

The group has been blamed for a series of bomb attacks in the Philippines in recent years as well as high-profile kidnappings of Christians, foreigners and missionaries.

It is also sheltering two members of the Jemaah Islamiah who were allegedly involved in the deadly 2002 Bali bombings which left more than 200 dead.

--- When does the world condemn Abu Sayyaf and its violence the same way it is criticizing America for its violent gun culture amid the VT massacre? Oh yeah, that's different.

Of course the cowards don't fight the military. They deliver civilian body parts to them. Really brrrraaaave.

April 19, 2007

Taliban at