Among the six al-Qaeda militants killed during police raids in the cities of Medina and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia yesterday was Salih Muhammad al-Awfi, supposed leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Al-Awfi gained some notoriety in the Western media after numerous reports of his death turned out to be untrue.
On August 18 Saudi security forces launched a raid on seven suspected hideouts in the holy city of al-Medina, burial place of the Prophet Muhammad. Security forces located al-Awfi in one of these hideouts along with two accomplices. In the ensuing armed exchange, two militants were killed, one of them later confirmed "through verification processes" to indeed be al-Awfi. This latest security operation was a multi-faceted one. Earlier in the morning Saudi security forces surrounded a villa in the al-Masyaf district in Riyadh where an active al-Qaeda cell was suspected of planning attacks on Western targets in the Kingdom. In the ensuing fire-fight, four militants were reported slain, but the tally of fatalities is likely to grow, given the evidence of scattered human remains from the force of an explosion.
In July of last year there were reports that al-Awfi had been killed in a raid, and later the Saudi authorities claimed that he had died some time later from wounds sustained during that operation. The claim was repeated last November when Shaykh Hammud bin Sa'ud al-Utaybi delivered an address on an audio tape broadcast by al-Jazeera TV. This was read by the Saudi press as tacit admission that al-Awfi had been killed. In each case jihadi commentators on the web forums poured scorn on the idea. So far on this latest incident there has been no official confirmation of al-Awfi's death from al-Qaeda sources on the forums.
In fact there has been remarkably little comment on the incident so far, indicating that interest appears primarily among Western sources. One posting on the al-Tajdeed forum questioned what all the fuss was about. Deaths in Iraq, he noted, were regular. But when the "Land of the Two Shrines" was mentioned "things seem to change 180 degrees" â a point which he put down to a hypocritical distinction of âlegal jihad' being only that which is waged outside the Peninsula. "The method and the ideology remain the same, whether in Iraq or the Peninsula. The enemy is the same: America and the police and National Guard in both cases. Even al-Qaeda is the same. And the emir in both cases is the same: Shaykh Osama Bin Laden." [www.tajdeed.org.uk].
Salih al-Awfi is thought to have been the major figure in the Peninsular al-Qaeda since the death last summer of commander Abdulaziz al-Muqrin and had been ranked number five on the most-wanted list of 26 militants issued in December 2003. However, it should be said that the concentration by Western media on naming a âleader' for al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia risks emphasizing hierarchical structure over the more likely scenario of independent cell-like entities. More accurately, one may refer to senior operatives rather than leaders, since the term is not encountered in al-Qaeda statements themselves for the jihad in the Peninsula. Saudi authorities have used the term âleader' a number of times, the latest being that of the Moroccan Yunis Muhammad Ibrahim al-Hayari, reported killed soon after the publication on June 28 of a new list of 38 most wanted, after the earlier list of 25 had been progressively whittled down to three. The publication of a new list at this stage is revealing enough in itself. For according to Saad al-Faqih, a Saudi dissident residing in the UK, the pool of recruits in Saudi Arabia is unlikely to dry up any time soon, given the number of âreservists' with classic jihadi training, estimated at several thousand strong (see Terrorism Monitor, Spotlight, Volume 2, Issue 9).
As to the present level of mujahid capabilities, however, it should be said that they are facing an improving counter-terror capability from advanced American surveillance technology, which has contributed significantly to the Saudis' electronic espionage. In addition, each security success brings in the potential of new information from interrogation. Some intimation of the effect of this growing capability came last March with an exchange of messages posted on the jihadi forums [www.islam-minbar.net] and [www.almjlah.net]. Al-Awfi issued an audio announcement urging mujahideen throughout the Gulf States to aid the jihad in Iraq through funding, men, equipment and through providing distracting military operations in the Gulf to take the heat off al-Zarqawi. This followed a note of solace from Abu Maysara, saying "our hearts are with you" and urging the brothers in the Peninsula "to stay fast to the jihad" and "not to depart from the battle-field."
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/28/2005 13:37 ||
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A controversial Islamic scholar who is backed by London Mayor Ken Livingstone has said it is a duty of Muslims in Iraq to become suicide bombers.
Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, speaking at a conference of Islamic scholars in Egypt last Monday, criticised a fellow scholar who said the Koran categorically forbids suicide but an individual has the right to take such action.
Al-Qaradawi said: 'I think that saying it is a legitimate right in Palestine and Iraq is not enough because a right is something that can be relinquished. It is a duty...
'The truth is we should refrain from raising this issue because doubting it is like joining the Zionists and Americans in condemning our brothers in Hamas, the Jihad, the Islamic factions and the resistance factions in Iraq.'
Although Al-Qaradawi goes on to condemn the terrorist attacks in London, he also said: 'We cannot say we pat these misguided boys on the back but we do want to listen to them. They have gone astray so we want to treat them in a way that will set them straight... we want to treat them the way clerics treat their students, the way fathers treat their sons.'
His comments will be certain to stir up controversy. Last week Livingstone said he would take the government to court if they tried to ban Al-Qaradawi from coming to Britain under its new anti-terrorist laws. Al-Qaradawi has supported suicide attacks on civilians in Israel but this appears to be the first time he has openly supports such terrorist attacks in Iraq.
The latest statements from Al-Qaradawi come as a Saudi Islamic activist in London has decided to shut down his controversial website. Mohammed al-Massari, the Saudi dissident whose site featured videos of suicide bombings in Israel and Iraq, and anti-Western and pro-al-Qaeda propaganda, posted an internet 'obituary' announcing his site had been a victim of the 'murder of freedom of opinion and expression by the oppressive regime lead by Tony Blair, the liar and well-known war criminal.'
Al-Massari, 58, who took refuge in London more than 10 years ago, said his website had been 'open to anyone who wanted to post a message,' suggesting he did not necessarily endorse them all.
He said he had temporarily shut the site while awaiting clarification on his status in Britain. 'Unfortunately, we had to suspend big parts of our electronic site until this inquisition blows over or until I move to a country that allows an acceptable degree of free speech,' Al-Massari said.
Last Wednesday, the government said it was prepared to act within days against 'a number of names' to either deport or bar them from the country under new anti-terrorism measures.
The identities of those facing this action was not revealed, but among them was expected to be Palestinian cleric Abu Qatada, who has been called Osama bin Laden's spiritual ambassador in Europe, and Saad al-Faqih, a Saudi accused of supporting Bin Laden's terror network.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/28/2005 00:14 ||
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#1
What will have to occur before Red Ken and George Galloway are seen hanging by their necks off London Bridge? They are amongst the chief terrorist pimps in Britain. I guess the clue bat of reality takes a lot of whacks, before people have had enough.
Ulema in Saudia Arabia have issued a fatwa (religious decree) declaring football an un-Islamic sport, and have urged the youth to quit it immediately, BBC radio reported on Saturday. According to the report, the clerics urged the youth to indulge in jihad and other constructive activities that could help the Muslim ummah, the radio reported. The ulema argued that football wastes a lot of time and the participants wear shorts, which they said was an un-Islamic dress, the radio reported. Following the decree, some players of the famous Taif Football Club have quit the game, the report added.
They don't feel stoopid like we do...
Posted by: john ||
08/28/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
Stop that unseemly frivolity and mirth at once!
#4
That's probably a bad move. Football to them is like baseball, circa 1952 in the U.S. You cant fuck with their foootball. Islamists want people to live a life of drudgery, and misery where all you do is pray and suffer endlessly. Can't you see the appeal?
A prominent London-based militant Islamic scholar has issued a fatwa, or religious edict, banning suicide operations of the kind carried out by followers of the Al-Qaeda network. "To my mind, these operations are closer to suicide than to martyrdom-seeking, and they are taboo and not permissible" for a number of reasons, wrote Syrian-born Abdul Menem Mustafa Halimeh, alias Abu Baseer al-Tartussi, on his website.
I think this is fatwa #16,937,849. or 50. Can't remember which.
The Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat, which reported Tartussi's fatwa on Saturday, described him as a top ideologue for Islamist militants and said his edict had provoked angry reactions on Islamist websites, with some accusing him of letting down Al-Qaeda followers.
"If we can't turn ourselves into flying meat, how're we going to get to Paradise!? Huh? Riddle me that!"
Tartussi, who adheres to the rigorous fundamentalist Salafi school and is the author of several theoretical works, said he was publishing his edict in response to repeated queries over where he stands on suicide attacks.
Among the reasons listed by Tartussi for his stance was that suicide operations "necessarily mean a person killing himself, which violates dozens of (Islamic) religious texts." They also most often entail "wrongfully killing innocent and sacred souls, be they Muslim or otherwise," he said. In addition, a "mujahed", or holy warrior, who is prepared to sacrifice his life is "invaluable" and "should not be condemned to death, through a bombing operation, as soon as he sets foot on the arena of jihad... as this heartens the enemies," Tartussi said.
Actually we're happier when the mujahed crosses the red and blue wires right before he sets out.
"In some of the modern arenas of jihad to which young Muslims flock from everywhere... the young man is given a choice between accepting to become a martyrdom-seeker... and returning to where he came from," he complained. He was apparently referring to Iraq, where Al-Qaeda affiliates fighting against US-led and Iraqi government forces have carried out scores of deadly suicide bombings over the past two years, many of which have victimized civilians.
Reports say some of the Saudi and other militants who come from abroad to join the insurgency are pushed into carrying out suicide attacks shortly after they arrive in Iraq.
The edict was dated August 24, the same day Britain unveiled a plan to bar or deport foreign Islamist radicals who engage in so-called "unacceptable behaviors," such as fomenting, justifying or glorifying terrorist violence. Sounds like he does not relish the prospect of being requested to leave Britain.
The first enforced returns of failed asylum seekers to northern Iraq are expected possibly as early as this weekend despite objections from regional Kurdish authorities and the UN refugee agency. The Home Office has confirmed that 38 men are being held at immigration detention centres around Britain and that officials are "looking at a number of dates" for their return. They are likely to be flown on an RAF aircraft, via Cyprus, to the newly opened airport in Irbil, the regional capital. The Kurdish community believes the first flight will leave tomorrow. Many refugees say they could be killed, even in northern Iraq.
There are thought to be as many as 7,000 Iraqis in the UK who have been refused asylum and face deportation. The deportations will begin by the dispatch of single men to Iraqi Kurdistan, which has largely - though not entirely - been spared the onslaught of Islamist suicide bombings. "We will only return to areas assessed as sufficiently stable and where we are satisfied individuals will not be at risk," a Home Office spokesman said yesterday. "Enforced returns will be taken on a case-by-case basis. "It's important for the integrity of the asylum system that anyone found not to be in need of protection is required to leave the UK. Enforced returns will commence as soon as we have made relevant arrangements."
The decision to deport was taken in February 2004 but two new factors have stiffened the government's resolve: a reassessment of immigration priorities after the London tube bombings and the first flight this month into Irbil of those returning voluntarily. Although only 18 people were on the plane arranged by the International Organisation for Migration, it opened up a route that avoids the dangers of overland journeys via Baghdad. "It has made life a bit easier for those wanting to go back," said Marek Effendowicz of the organisation. "In the last year we have helped 300 Iraqis return from the UK."
But the Home Office decision has triggered protests by human rights bodies and refugee groups who warn it is not safe anywhere in Iraq. One Kurd told the Guardian he was no longer reporting to the Home Office because he feared he would be detained. The London office of the UN high commissioner for refugees yesterday restated its opposition. "Iraq is still extremely unstable and dangerous," it warned. "No part of Iraq can be considered safe, although ... some areas are more stable than others. The UK government [should also] review its low recognition rate of Iraqi asylum seekers."
Even the regional government in Irbil has warned it does not want to be burdened with unwilling returnees. Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic party, condemned the move, declaring it "was unnecessary to force Kurds to leave Britain". The Kurdistan regional government office in London added: "The British authorities are aware of [our] position. We are in continuing dialogue and are hopeful the situation can be resolved."
At the Kurdish Community Centre in Haringey, north London, this week, failed asylum-seekers were angry and anxious. They were aware that scores of people have been detained and only some released. "The Home Office have a policy to refuse everyone," said Bestun Baban, an exiled journalist from Sulaimaniya in northern Iraq who arrived in 1999. "It doesn't depend on each case. They just say: 'Go to Kurdistan.' The [London tube] bombings have changed attitudes to asylum seekers... Interesting situation. If they admit that large parts of Iraq are safe, then their quagmire argument is shown to be spurious.
PRIME Minister John Howard agrees with a leading French terrorist investigator that Australia may be a terrorism target. French judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere believes al-Qaeda is preparing an attack on a major financial centre such as Sydney, Tokyo or Singapore, to undermine investor confidence in the Asia-Pacific region. "We have elements of information that make us think that countries in this region, especially Japan, could have been targeted," the Financial Times newspaper quoted Mr Bruguiere as saying. "Any attack on a financial market like Japan would mechanically have an important economic impact on the confidence of investors. Other countries in this region, such as Singapore and Australia, are also potential targets..." Napoleon Bonaparte defined the examining magistrate as "the most powerful man in France." No French examining magistrate is more powerful than Jean-Louis Bruguiere. He has been chasing and smiting terrorists for 20 years.
Last week, The New York Times published a story on their exclusive interview with Condoleezza Rice. The first two paragraphs portrayed a Secretary of State focused, in the midst of a traumatic Israeli withdrawal, on signaling Israel that another one was next:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday offered sympathy for the Israeli settlers who are being removed from their homes in Gaza but also made it clear that she expected Israel and the Palestinians to take further steps in short order toward the creation of a Palestinian state. "Everyone empathizes with what the Israelis are facing," Ms. Rice said in an interview. But she added, "It cannot be Gaza only."
Since the Roadmap calls for the dismantlement of Palestinian terrorist capabilities and infrastructure in Phase I -- and does not require Israel to remove a single settlement (other than certain âoutpostsâ) during that phase -- Riceâs comments seemed gratuitously insulting. One would have thought she would emphasize the need for the Palestinians -- after a unilateral Israeli withdrawal that went far beyond their initial Roadmap requirements -- to comply with their own Roadmap obligations.
On the day of the Times story, a commenter at LibertyPost.org posted this comment: "This just doesn't sound right, or like Dr Rice... She doesn't screw up like this." Indeed, it didnât...she doesnât...and in fact the Times made the quote up. The transcript of the interview was posted by the State Department this week. It shows that the purported quote -- made the centerpiece of the Times story -- was constructed by the Times from two separate, unrelated comments by Rice -- one taken out of context, the other not even accurately quoted... Hat tip to Jewish Current Issues blog. Considerably more at permalink.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/28/2005 0:55 Comments ||
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#3
Every day the present editorial junta at the NYT remains in place is an affront to once faithful readers like myself. It gets so that I think we need a NYT Anonymous group.
Thank God for the NY Sun and NY Post.
Posted by: DanNY ||
08/28/2005 3:54 Comments ||
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Maybe it will gain some steam on the blogoshpere and come back to bite them in the ass.
The rise of political Islam in Syria can be traced to the 1940s, when a Muslim group called al-Gharra entered parliament, creating an Islamic Bloc to oppose the secular and civilian regime of President Shukri al-Quwatli. In 1944, its leaders presented a long list of demands that included installing special tramcars during rush hour to separate the sexes, shutting down all cabarets and casinos that served alcohol, arresting the owners of nightclubs, and the establishment of a moral police squad, similar to the one in Saudi Arabia, to be charged with patrolling streets and punishing transgressors of Islamic norms. In May 1944, al-Gharra violently protested against a charity ball held in Damascus, which wives of the ruling elite were planning to attend unveiled. Demonstrators took to the streets, carrying revolvers and knives, stoning cinemas that welcomed women and burning nightclubs. To win, the president decided to discredit the clerics in districts where they enjoyed most power; the poor neighborhoods of Damascus.
Quwatli got Adila Bayhum, head of the independent Women's Union, to temporarily cease the free distribution of milk to the city's poor. When mothers came to collect, they were politely turned away and told, "go to the shaykhs, let them give you milk." [1] Then, Quwatli cut off flour distribution in Midan, where the Islamists were popular, knowing perfectly well that nobody else could provide bread since the government controlled all flour rations in the wartime economy. [2] The clerics could not deliver, and overnight the demonstrations supporting the Islamic groups turned against them. This civilized and effective approach is what Syria needs today in order to curb the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood, or any other emerging Islamic group.
Consecutive regimes, especially after 1963, did not pursue moderate approaches, however, and clashed with the Brotherhood twice, in 1964 and 1982. The Brotherhood considered the Baâath to be secular heretics, and the Baâathists considered the Brotherhood leaders to be dangerous fanatics who needed to be rooted out from Syrian society. The Muslim Brothers were disturbed by the Baâathist takeover of 1963 and began to drum up anti-Baâathist sentiment in Syriaâs urban interior. Secret cells of Islamic groups were formed to bring down the Baâathist regime. In Aleppo, for example, Sheikh Abd al-Rahman Abu Ghuddah, an ally of pre-Baâathist Syrian President Nazim al-Qudsi and former Mufti of Aleppo, created the Movement for Islamic Liberation. [3] Inflammatory speeches aroused the street, and pulpits were used to denounce the Baâathist regime. By April 1964, rioting had developed into a religious war in the conservative city of Hama, where arms were used against the government. The prime agitator was Marwan Hadeed, a Muslim leader from Hama who claimed that the Baâathists, alongside all secular people, were infidels who must be put to the sword. He created a street militia of Islamic extremists to strike at anyone related to the regime, called al-Taliâa al-Muqatila (The Fighting Vanguard). [4] It became unsafe for Baâathists to walk the streets of Hama unguarded, since those who were caught were beaten, and in some cases killed, by the Islamists. The most famous assassination was that of Munzir al-Shimali, a young member of the Baâath National Guard, who was killed and mutilated in Hama. [5] This enraged the Baâathists and Defense Minister Hamad Ubayd ordered the Syrian Army into Hama, bombarding districts of the city where the Brotherhood were located. Street fighting ensued, and the insurgents took up residence at the Sultan Mosque which was air raided under orders from President Amin al-Hafez. [6] In all, around 70 members of the Brotherhood were killed. Defeated, they put down their arms and ceased their militant activity for the next 15-years, when they re-emerged in 1979 to challenge the regime of President Hafez al-Asad.
A combination of factors triggered the Brotherhood to re-activate in the mid-1970s. First, they had recovered, physically, morally, and financially, from the defeat of 1964. Second, their outrage was at its peek when Asad went to war in Lebanon in 1976, supporting the Christians against the Palestinian guerillas of Yasser Arafat. Third, mass recruitment into the Baâath Party made it easy to infiltrate and work from within against the regime. Fourth, the Brotherhood had a strong monopoly over schools, thus enabling it to indoctrinate many children and young adults.
Islamic terrorism reached its peak in June 1979 when the Artillery School was attacked in Aleppo, resulting in the deaths of all its young Baâathist cadets. Not all of the victims of the violence were Alawi Baâathists; indeed even members of the Sunni Muslim clergy were targeted by the Brothers and their militant allies. The most prominent victim was Sheikh Mohammad al-Shami, who was slain at his mosque, on February 2, 1980.
Faced with a relentless Islamist onslaught, the Baâath regime struck back with remarkable ferocity. At the Baâath partyâs Seventh Regional Congress (December 23-January 6, 1980), Rifaat al-Asad, the presidentâs brother, famously proclaimed that loyalty was a must: he who is not with the Baâath at this stage is against it. [7] On June 26, 1980, the Brothers tried to kill Asad in Damascus and in turn, he passed law 49 on July 8, which stipulated that membership in the Brotherhood was a capital offense, punishable by death. The fighting peaked on February 2-3, 1982 in Hama, where the Brothers took to the mosque pulpits and called for a âtotal warâ against the Baâathist regime. Authorities responded with force, giving the Syrian Army orders to crush the insurgency. The army responded positively, crushing the insurgency, and killing many thousands in the process. The defeat in Hama was a massive setback for the Brothers who disappeared from the Syrian political landscape for the rest of the 1980s.
To compensate for the losses it inflicted in 1982, the regime constructed hundreds of mosques throughout the country, and encouraged people to be pious but not fundamentalist and militant, as the Brotherhood had been. This eventually back-fired as âbackdoorâ sermons on political Islam started to surface once again in the early 1990s. Fiery and militant preachers took over numerous mosques, and banned books by the legendary jihadi ideologue, Said Qutb, were distributed widely.
The U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq in March-April 2003, has played an important part in reviving Syrian militant Islam. While some Americans regularly accuse Syria of giving shelter to an assortment of Iraqi and foreign militants â ranging from Saddam Hussein loyalists to Takfiris â the Syrian authorities and the wider public have to contend with the very real twin threat of the revival of the Brotherhood and its many militant and Salafist offshoots. The official position of the Syrian government is that it cooperates with the Americans, if only to neutralize the militant threat inside Syria. True, Syria did turn a blind eye to the fighters who crossed the border to fight in Iraq in 2003, but it soon corrected this policy.
When the fighters were defeated or deported back to Syria, a combination of frustration, anger and despair overtook them. Unable to strike at the Americans in Iraq or the Israelis in Palestine, they unleashed their anger on their fellow Syrians. In addition to the Mezzeh attack of 2004, a group of terrorists were apprehended, after a shooting that caused panic among picnickers, in July 2005 on Mount Qassioun overlooking the Syrian capital. Earlier in the summer of 2005, Syria announced that it had arrested one man and killed another who had been planning an attack in Damascus on behalf of Jund al-Sham, a terrorist organization that has recently emerged in the country.
In order to defeat political Islam in the long-term, the Baâath regime continues to promote moderate Islam through regime-friendly clerics like the deputy Mohammad Habash, the Aleppo-based preacher Mohammad Kamil al-Husayni, and new Grand Mufti Ahmad Hassoun, who has announced that he is categorically opposed to political and militant Islam. One of these clerics, for example, has a sign on the gates of his mosque in Aleppo saying: âNo to explosions!â There is some speculation that in the event of the sudden demise of the Baâath regime, the Brothers and their militant allies would quickly acquire ownership of the Syrian state. Certainly the events in neighboring Iraq since the invasion should be a wake up call for Washington. In Iraq, the U.S.-led invasion has ironically buried Iraqi secularism for good, thus surrendering control of the political landscape to Shiâa and Sunni Islamists
Living in Damascus, one gets the feeling that although overt religiosity is increasing, not all religious people are willing to support, let alone fight for the Islamists. Yet, the Islamic groups do represent a certain segment of Syrian society that cannot be ignored. Recently, some reconciliation steps have been taken by the government, including several amnesties which have set free over 1,000 members of the Brotherhood. In September 2001, Asad allowed the return of Abu Fateh al-Baynouni, the brother of the partyâs leader, Ali Sadreddine. [8] But the regime has made it clear that a return to organized political activity, for either the Brotherhood or any other Islamic party, is a red-line that the Islamists would cross at their peril. The regime, however, would be committing a grave mistake by not giving the Islamic activists a platform to express their views (as decided by the Baâath Party Conference of June 2005). True, the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood remains dangerous, but turning a blind eye to it will not make them go away, nor will it make them any less pernicious.
Notes:
1. Authorâs interview with Dr Munir al-Ajlani, a deputy in Damascus in 1943 (September 2, 2000).
2. Ibid.
3. Bawwab, Sulayman. Mawsouâat Aâlam Souriyya fi al-Qarn al-Ishreen (vol II 1999). Abu Ghuddah was exiled to Saudi Arabia and remained there until being pardoned in 1997 when he agreed, at the age of 80, to refrain from any political activity. When he died in February 1997, President Hafez al-Asad sent his condolences to the Abu Ghuddah family and his death was broadcasted on the 9:00 pm news on Syrian TV. This was considered the first rapprochement between the Asad regime and the Brotherhood after the events of 1979-1982.
4. Interview with Ali Sader al-Din al-Baynouni, the leader of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, on al-Jazeera TV on July 7, 1999. See also, Taâammulat Istratijiyya fi al-Ahdath al-Souriyya (Strategic Observations in Syrian Events), al-Hayat March 11, 2005.
5. Seale, Patrick. Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East p.93 (London 1988).
6. Interview with ex-President Amin al-Hafez on al-Jazeera TV, episode 12 (June 6, 2001).
7. Tishreen (July 1, 1980).
8. The Daily Star (September 21, 2001).
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/28/2005 13:44 ||
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Are Syrian officials aiding the underground mujahideen railroad to Iraq? The many strong opinions on the matter reflect the different views of Syriaâs future, its relations with neighbors, Iraq and Lebanon, and to jihadist and moderate Islamism. Certainly, we need to look at the totality of Syrian affairs and not simply at isolated cases of questionable behavior. At present it appears the Syrians are more concerned about their decreasing control over a variety of actors in Lebanon than about the progress of mujahideen from Syria eastward. More broadly the Syrians are anxious to assert their cooperation in the global war on terrorism, despite Washingtonâs freezing of certain ministerial and agentâs assets, as if protests of innocence will sharpen Washingtonâs aggressive image or prove that the Americans generate a lot of kalam fadi, or empty talk in Arabic.
An Islamist threat is not unknown in Syria. Thousands of Islamists and innocent bystanders were massacred to stem an Islamist challenge to the state in 1982. The Muslim Brotherhood (or the Ikhwan) disclaimed a role in violent challenges to the state but in fact a radical militant branch of the Brothers, al-Tali`a al-Muqatila (The Fighting Vanguard) founded by Marwan Hadeed, engineered a crisis between the Syrian government and the Islamists. This group acted precipitously in its massacres of Baâath party members and their families, thus bringing down the regimeâs fierce vengeance on all active Sunni Islamists. At that time, the Ikhwan who survived the onslaught fled the country or went underground, but Islamism rose again like a phoenix amongst Sunni Syrians despite their socialization and education in the Baâath values of freedom, socialism and Arab nationalism. The popularity of hijab and prayer groups was already widely apparent in the early 1990s. Islamismâs re-emergence has been credited to resentment of the Alawi elite and the Baâath Partyâs secularism, the governmentâs own sponsorship of Islamic education, and some 585 religious institutions, as well as religious influence from the Persian Gulf region, and Syrian interest in Islamist alternatives elsewhere in the Arab world. [1]
Back in 2002, the Muslim Brotherhood convened a conference in London aiming at unification of the Syrian opposition. [2] But President Bashar al-Assad later publicly suggested that Syriaâs Muslim Brotherhood had already returned to their homeland like prodigal sons, or might do so. [3] Such statements fall in line with certain characterizations of Bashar as a would-be reformer who lacks the power to dictate to those shadowy figures who allegedly control the country, and up until recently, much of Lebanon as well. Many of the 600 prisoners released in 2000 were Ikhwan members, another 113 were released in November of 2001, 112 in December of 2004, and some of the 55 prisoners set free on February 12, 2005 were also from the Party. Moderate cleric Mohammad Habash called for an end to Law No. 29 which makes membership in the Muslim Brotherhood a capital crime. [4] The Syrian governmentâs extension of the olive branch meant that it hoped to absorb its opposition, and stem the growth of radicalism from within the country.
However, it is not entirely clear whether the Syrian government is seriously interested in promoting democratization, let alone involving the Islamists in the political process. The late Lebanese writer, Samir Kassir, assassinated on June 2 by a car bomb, believed that only through Syriaâs democratization would Lebanon achieve viable independence, and in addition to his organization of huge anti-Syrian protests in Lebanon, he was said to be encouraging a more viable Syrian opposition that included the Ikhwan. [5] The Baâath Party Congress convened just after his murder and the killing of a Syrian Kurdish leader. That Congress was disappointing as it only slightly amended emergency laws, and while allowing the legalization of some political parties, made it clear that the Baâath will remain the pre-eminent force.
What relationship does the re-emergence of the Ikhwan have with Syriaâs alleged support or lack of oversight over fighters moving into Iraq to join the insurgency? First, a country and President that cannot control its own security operatives or political opponents is unlikely to be capable of political transformation. Secondly, wherever citizens support Islamism as a popular discourse and see the insurgency in Iraq to be a legitimate form of resistance, it may be more difficult to protect a porous border or contain the future role of Islamism. Further, the Syrian government may have shot itself in the foot by loudly announcing its non-aggression pact with Iran, or when President Bashar al-Asad claimed that âThe armed operations against the American occupying forces in Iraq [are] a legitimate resistance because it represents the majority of the Iraqi people.â [6] Opponents of the Syrian government argue that Syria has long demonstrated a tolerance of terrorist organizations and aims at regional influence beyond its own natural capabilities. Therefore, the logic is that since Syria has supported groups like Hizbullah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and interfered in Lebanonâs sovereign politics, it is allowing jihadi activity from its territory into Iraq. This argument does not address support for the Iraqi insurgency from within Iraq, or from other porous avenues like the Saudi and Jordanian borders.
At first, U.S. analysts emphasized alleged Syrian complicity in the Iraqi insurgency through collusion with Iraqi Baâathists who had fled there. The U.S. Treasury Departmentâs July 21 identification of four nephews of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein operating from Syria and funding the insurgency substantiates a part of this claim without explaining the Islamist component of the insurgency. On the other hand, Syriaâs relationship to the situation in Iraq is complicated. Saddam Hussein was not beloved in Damascus, and Syria now hosts a huge number of refugees, many of whom are so poor that prostitution is burgeoning along with malnutrition. [7]
And then there is the Islamist strand of the insurgency in Iraq and the recent posting on Minbar Suriyya al-Islami (www.nnuu.org) which suggested that jihadists were trying to discourage the flow of inexperienced fighters into Syria. It is fairly certain that various routes for fighters supplying the Iraqi insurgency were established, and a recent jihadi website suggests a route through Aleppo, a Sunni urban center, that might be less avidly patrolled than Damascus. The material implies that jihadis will no doubt travel to Syria despite the websiteâs discouragement, but they should forget about entering Syria on an individual basis, exercise caution and subtlety in locating recruiters, and avoid the Internet. As for the question of whether Aleppo is buzzing with mujahideen, it was a center of Islamist activity years ago, though, perhaps no more so than the other large cities, Hama, Homs, and Damascus included.
Aleppine followers of Abu Qaqaa, a radical preacher, gathered in Aleppo and smugglers helped bring fighters over the Iraqi border at least until January of 2005, when a crackdown began. According to one former recruiter, the crackdown did not prevent his cell from sending a Saudi insurgent with plenty of cash over the border. Now, the question is whether officials possess sufficient knowledge of continuing support for the insurgency, or control over networking in Syria to bear responsibility. Or are their opponents still angry over other issues like the continuing operations of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Syriaâs test launching of Scud missiles, a continuing intelligence presence in Lebanon and a purported âhit listâ in that country? It is certainly possible to make a case, as critics of Syria do, that the sponsorship of international terrorism has long been a useful means for Syrians to magnify their countryâs regional impact. While Syrian officials assert that their border with Iraq has been closed, other reports suggest crossings that lead down the Euphrates valley, or northwards toward Tal Afar and Mosul, remain open to the mujahideen. [8] However, given that the total strength of the Iraqi resistance stands at anywhere from 20,000 to 200,000, even if an estimated 150 fighters cross into Iraq each month, Syrians or those crossing in from Syria, are a fairly insignificant proportion of it.
Syria meanwhile argues that it has captured terrorists and recently two additional militants were detained after a skirmish on Mt. Qassioun which overlooks the city of Damascus. Events more pressing than any jihadi presence amounted to a Syrian-Lebanese border crisis. A gun battle outside the village of Qaa, arrests of alleged smugglers, detention of fishermen, and a blockade on the truck crossing at the Abboudiah-Dabbousiah northern crossing and at Masnaa have seriously disrupted truck transport. [9] The flow of arms, money, intelligence and goods from Lebanon into Syria has been of higher concern to Damascus, than U.S.- or Iraq-generated charges that Syria is not sufficiently discouraging Iraq-bound mujahideen. Foreign Minister, Faruq al-Shara commented that Syria would like âevidenceâ of the alleged cross-border activity and infiltration. Syrians continued to claim that there âwas noâ credible Iraqi evidence. Although al-Shara also announced that Syria wants to co-operate with Iraq and âopen a new page,â his country is certainly more comfortable with a fractured and destabilized Iraq than with the loss of its control over events and actors in Lebanon.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/28/2005 13:43 ||
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A real estate group based in the UAE will invest some $530m in a series of projects in Syria, including a 50-storey Damascus World Trade Centre.
The Syrian government gave the go-ahead for the trade centre, which will be built at a cost of $120m by Tiger Real Estate, part of the Tiger Group based in the emirate of Sharjah.
Tiger Group deputy general manager Saleh Shereen said the company had received government approval for the first of five projects. "It includes the construction of the Damascus World Trade Centre, a five-star hotel, a shopping mall, residential and office towers, terraces, restaurants, theaters and associated structures," he said.
'cause trade with Syria is so lucrative.
The group, owned by Syrian expatriates, will set up a company in Syria to oversee the project, Shereen said. The Syrian Investment Office licensed the venture, a first such move as Damascus begins to woo foreign direct investment. If that doesn't severely challenge the gods of irony to kick their ass, I don't know what will.
An unmanned single-engined plane has crashed in a mountainous area of western Iran and the wreckage has been recovered by the Iranian armed forces, Iranian newspapers said yesterday. It was not clear if the plane was Iranian or foreign, although the influential Kayhan newspaper pointed out that "usually these sort of planes are used for spying".
The reports quoted Ali Asgar Ahmadi, deputy head of security in the interior ministry, as saying the plane went down in the Alashtar mountains near the city of Khorramabad, 350km southwest of Tehran. Kayhan said that as soon as the plane crashed, police sealed off the area - just 150km from the border with Iraq - and "a group of experts from Kermanshahr airbase went to examine the fuselage".
Earlier this year the former intelligence minister Ali Yunessi confirmed the presence of "American spying instruments" in the skies over Iran.
He knows this from his source, Col. Flagg.
US media reports earlier this year also said the United States has been flying drones over Iran since April 2004, seeking evidence to back up its claims that Iran is working on nuclear weapons.
The decimation of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood in 1982 had many long-term implications, the most pernicious of which was the emergence of a particularly extreme form of Syrian Salafism. At the center of this is Mustafa Setmariam Nasar, better known as Abu Musab al-Suri (the Syrian), who is widely believed to be the most prolific al-Qaeda ideologue and trainer alive. Currently working closely with the Zarqawi network, and probably based in Iraq, Nasar also allegedly exercises operational control over several al-Qaeda linked networks in the West.
Despite his strenuous denials, Nasar is widely believed to have masterminded the Madrid attacks in March 2004 and probably had an important role in the recent London attacks. Notorious for his online teaching courses, in which he expertly equips the new generation of jihadis and al-Qaeda loyalists with knowledge, insights and useful practical training, Nasar is the most important live link between the old al-Qaeda and the emerging new al-Qaeda. Understanding Mustafa Setmariam Nasar is key to gaining a better insight into the evolving universe of Salafi-jihadism.
Abu Musâab al-Suri is the nom de guerre of Mustafa Abdul-Qadir Mustafa Hussein al-Sheikh Ahmed al-Mazeek al-Jakiri al-Rifaâei whose family is known as âal-Set Mariamâ after their grandmother. [1] He was born in Aleppo in 1958, where he studied mechanical engineering and is also known by the name of Omar Abdul-Hakeem.
Nasar was initiated into al-Taliâa al-Muqatila (Fighting Vanguard), a Jihadist group linked to the Syrian Muslim Brothers, founded by the late Marwan Hadeed. Nasar received training from Egyptian and Iraqi officers and additional training in camps in Jordan and Baghdad during an era when Arab regimes were on a collision course with the Syrian Baâathists. He was also a member of the higher military command of the Muslim Brotherhood Movement that was established in Baghdad after the Syrian Brothers fled from their country. According to unverified sources Sheikh Saeed Haowa was head of that military command.
Following the events in Hama in 1982, when the Syrian army successfully suppressed the Muslim Brotherhood uprising, Nasar left the movement, after declaring his opposition to the Brotherhoodâs alliance with sectarian movements and the former Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein. He headed for Afghanistan where he met with Abdul-Kader Abdul-Aziz writer of the book entitled The Master of Preparations, which is regarded as a reference point for the jihadis, and also met with Sheikh Abdullah Azzam.
After taking part in the war against the Soviet occupation forces in Afghanistan, Nasar traveled to Spain and subsequently joined the embryonic al-Qaeda organization in 1992. [2] In due course Nasar left Spain for Britain and began associating with Algerian Islamic militants. According to some reports, Nasar attended the initial meetings which led to the creation of the Algerian al-Jamaâa al Islamiyah al-Musaliha (Armed Islamic Group). Also in London, Nasar established a center called Conflicts of the Islamic World and it was reported that he had arranged â through that center â two interviews for CNN and the BBC with Osama Bin Laden.
In 1998, he moved back to Afghanistan and pledged allegiance to Mullah Omar. He worked at the Arabic section of Kabul radio. After the ouster of the Taliban regime, Nasar took time to research and write on the Jihadist experiment. According to Nasar, he was not active in any movements during this period and he describes the U.S. State Departmentâs reward of $5 million leading to his capture as simply âridiculousâ.
In the State Department warrant, Nasar was accused of running the Derunta and al-Ghoraba camps located in Kabul and Jalalabad. The camps allegedly specialized in imparting training and expertise on toxic materials and chemical substances. The State Department voiced concern over Nasarâs association with WMDs, and he was also accused of being a close ally of Abu Musâab al-Zarqawi. Moreover, he was associated with the Madrid explosions on March 11, 2004 and was alleged to have had close association with Abu al-Dahdah (Muhi-deen Barakat Yarkas).
Nasar wrote a long reply in response to the State Departmentâs accusations denying any role in the September 11th attacks, claiming that he had not heard of the attacks until news of them was broadcast by the media. However, he voiced strong support for the attacks. He also claimed that he had not visited Spain since 1995, and that he has no connection to the Madrid explosions whatsoever. Furthermore, Nasar denied any association with Abu Musâab al-Zarqawi, with the qualification that he would consider any such association an honor.
Nasar urged the European governments to distance themselves from the aggressive policies of Americans and Israelis as much as possible. He also called upon jihadist fighters to differentiate between an aggressor country and others, and to listen to the more experienced elder Jihadists. Strangely enough, Nasar paid tribute to the innocent victims of the Madrid explosions, but at the same time voiced his sorrow for the absence of WMDs in the 9/11 attacks. Moreover, despite the fact that he expresses reservations about striking mainland European countries, Nasar excludes Britain from such calculations. On the contrary, Nasar places Britain firmly within the American-Israeli alliance.
An important feature of Nasarâs work revolves around what he terms the âthird generationâ of Salafi-Jihadists: âI believe that a new generation of Jihadists is born today in the post 9/11 climate, where Iraq is occupied and the Palestinian uprising has reached a climax, thus leaving it at a crossroads. We are at a juncture where the believers have exhausted all their resources, and the nation stands by as a spectator in relation to their sacrifices because of the compelling silence of the ulama, the oppression of its rulers, and the inability to retaliate.â [3]
Through his writing, Nasar is clearly trying to use his position as a âsecond generationâ militant to connect the emerging âthird generationâ to the accumulated experiences and expertise of the âfirst generationâ as represented by the senior leaders of al-Qaeda, who today are either dead, captured or dispersed around the world. Nasar describes his objective eloquently: âIn this book, in my capacity as one of the survivors of the second generation, I have tried to hand down part of this mission to whoever walks in our path. This work is a systematic intellectual summary, and a historic insight that aims to assist those who are prepared to continue the mission, to continue in the path of light without forgetting the great lessons of a noble path that is paved with the blood of thousands of martyrs, and the suffering of a whole generation that strived against tyrants and withstood the most severe repressions.â [4]
This generation is most probably represented by those who carried out the post 9/11 attacks in Bali, Istanbul, Madrid and London. Most importantly are the foreign Arab fighters in Iraq who exemplify the third generation as they mostly lack any military experience whether in Afghanistan or anywhere else. They are the vanguard of the emerging Salafi-Jihadist networks, gaining useful experience in American occupied Iraq, and will in due course be recognized as the âArab Iraqisâ in the same vein as the âArab Afghansâ.
This radicalized third generation will in due course create security problems in their own countries. And as the Syrians allegedly form the second highest group amongst the Arab volunteers, Nasarâs analysis on the situation in Syria, which he published on the Internet in two volumes, may grow increasingly popular. In his book Ahl as-Sunna fil-Sham fi Muwajihat al-Nusairia wal-Salibeen wal-Yahoud, which he wrote following the death of the late Syrian president Hafez al-Asad, Nasar focuses on two fundamental issues: the Nusairi (Alawi) sect and its unjust dominion in Syria and the Syrian state apparatus in its entirety, which according to Nasar, is supported by the West to establish peace with Israel.
From a strategic perspective, Nasar offers interesting insights into the failure of what he calls the âJihadist experience in Syriaâ. In short, the failure is attributed to a lack of strategy and planning, unified ideology, jihadist theory and weaknesses in informational and media groundwork. While Nasar does not offer any ready-made solutions to the jihadis in Syria and the wider Islamic movement in that country, it is clear that the inspiration he exercises over Iraq returnees, coupled with wider dynamics, could pose serious problems for the Syrian Baâath regime. Meanwhile, Mustafa Setmariam Nasar continues to educate, train and inspire jihadis the world over.
Notes:
1. His biography has been crafted together from three different sources: Jihad and Tawheed Forum (Abu Mohammed al-Maqdisiâs Website), al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper 20/11/2004 â Page 9 and his reply entitled âA letter to Bush and his nationâ â December 2004, which was published on the Middle East Transparent website.
2. âA letter to Bush and his nationâ â December 2004, published on www.metransperant.com.
3. Abu Musâab al-Suri, Daâwat al-Moqawma al-Islamiyahâ âGlobal Islamic Resistance Callâ â a book that is over 1,500 pages long, thus constituting his largest and most important product. In it he discusses the âAfghan Jihadâ and the Islamic movements which it inspired. Nasar also reviews military methods, propaganda, and fund raising. Moreover, the author reviews an important book on Central Asia and presents his perspective on the region as a suitable platform to center global Salafi-Jihadist activities and consequently âliberateâ the Middle East, thus imperiling American interests in the region and beyond.
4. Ibid.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/28/2005 13:39 ||
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The arrest of an alleged top figure in the Turkish division of al-Qaeda following the failed plan to attack Israeli tourist cruiser ships, promises analysts a windfall of information on the present structure of the international Islamist terror organization. According to the Turkish daily al-Zaman, on August 6 Luayy Sakraâreportedly one of the five most senior members in the organizationâwas arrested in the eastern Turkish town of Diyarbakir. Two days earlier, Turkish authorities intercepted members of an al-Qaeda cell at the coastal port of Alanya following a fire in an apartment from which a strong chemical odor emanated (from bombs being manufactured from chemical detergents) and impounded a boat docked in the harbor [www.zaman.com]. This had been loaded with 400kg of TNT in preparation for an attack on four Israeli cruise ships carrying 3,500 tourists due to call in at the port. The incident prompted a travel warning from Tel Aviv to avoid the Turkish coast.
What makes the arrests particularly interesting is Sakra's profile, a Syrian national, who appears to have a full al-Qaeda CV, and is suspected of responsibility for the November 2003 bombings in Istanbul when 61 people were killed and more than 600 were injured. On interrogation, he appears to have been forthcoming on details of his terrorist work. According to the Turkish language Vatanim magazine, Sakra claimed that the failed operation against the Israeli ships had been ordered by bin Laden, and that he was "one of the most important points connected with al-Zarqawi" [www.vatanim.com.tr]. Despite Sakra's own statements, his lawyer denies that his client has any connection with al-Qaeda and insists he was acting alone in planning the attacks on the Israeli cruise vessels. As reported in Zaman, Sakra claims the present structure of al-Qaeda is no longer under the sole control of bin Laden, but "consists of groups that perform operations on behalf of the whole network." As evidence of this, Sakra claimed under interrogation that following the July 7 attacks on London bin Laden asked him whether the attack was carried out "by our people." Sakra also revealed that he had no prior knowledge of the second London attack, and that its perpetrators "may not be a known group" [www.zaman.com].
However, the personality of Luayy Sakra presents a problem. He appears keen to claim an important role for himself, saying that he supplied the 9/11 terrorists with passports and money, and has been active "sending dozens of people to the US, England, Egypt, Syria and Algeria to accomplish the acts of violence." He further stated that he had personally fought at Fallujah alongside Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, whom he claims is in hiding in northern Iraq, and that he had "killed 10 US soldiers with my bare hands." His non-observance of the daily prayers and his drinking habits also complicate his image along with a cultivated âmysterious personality' he presented during interrogation, during which he talked up his contacts with the CIA, the Syrian Mukhabarat, and the Turkish National Security Organization [www.zaman.com].
If Sakra's revelations are credible, there will be much valuable information expected from the interrogation. However, given the indications that the London bombings came as a surprise to bin Laden, suspicions that al-Qaeda is less of an operative organization than a brand that militants use are being confirmed by Sakra. The implication for security authorities is that less and less will be achieved by focusing on al-Qaeda operationally, and that resources will be stretched further as it deals with dozens of small groups, each at least as dangerous as al-Qaeda once was, only much harder to track.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/28/2005 13:38 ||
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#1
I don't think you're quite up to speed on this whole "less bandwidth" drive, Dan...
#4
UG, if you're relatively new to Rantburg you may not realize that Dan's work tracking terror networks has evolved to an internship with Dr. Michael Ledeen at the American Enterprise Institute and now to a fellowship at the Manhattan Institute.
Here's the inside story that New Delhi and Islamabad will never reveal. Spymasters in both India and Pakistan appear to have decided the campaign to free Sarabjit Singh is the perfect cover for a swap of a few real spies who had been caught on the wrong side of the border.
Off the record, intelligence sources maintain that Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row in Pakistan after having been convicted for espionage, is not an agent. "Not even a recruit," they say.
This trade-off won't be done with much fanfare. Neither side is certain yet, whether to pass it off as a Track II exercise or just do it quietly. The swap might be hidden in some future list of "civilians who erroneously strayed across the border" since better bilateral relations have made the release of "innocents" much easier.
Details, modalities and a time-frame are being worked out. There are about 12-18 real operatives in ISI custody who New Delhi wants back. Though none of them are likely to ever be used for active duty, the top brass believe that many have contributed enough to deserve to be bailed out.
It's the same in Islamabad. "We have some people they want back. The numbers are broadly the same if you don't count those who have come in for militancy," officials here say, adding that Sarabjit is a perfect human face to the exercise as "he is genuinely a civilian". This makes it easy for New Delhi to plead his case, and for Islamabad to be "generous". It also sets a precedent for "a few more" similar cases to be pursued later, though on a much lower key.
Officially, India has offered to release all Pakistani prisoners whose nationality has been verified by Islamabad. Out of a total 611 suspected Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails, the nationalities of 177 have been verified by the Pakistan foreign office. This, however, was a process that began long before Sarabjit made headlines, and, assert officials, has no connection to the Sarabjit case.
Sarabjit was drunk when he strayed into Pakistan in 1990.
Posted by: john ||
08/28/2005 07:19 ||
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With five days left until the end of anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan's vigil near President Bush's ranch, Crawford became protest central Saturday as supporters and opponents of the Iraq war rallied, marched and simmered in 101-degree heat.
A handful also got themselves arrested, including a protester whose anti-Sheehan sign was deemed unnecessarily offensive by organizers of a large pro-Bush rally. The man carrying the sign became violent when he was asked to put it down. Ken Robinson, of Richardson, Texas, who described himself as a Vietnam veteran, was carrying a sign at a âYou Don't Speak for Me, Cindy!â rally. The sign read, âHow to wreck your family in 30 days by âb**** (bitch) in the ditch' Cindy Sheehan.â Nothing about J-Lo's tush though. Bitch in the ditch does have a nice ring to it.
Kristinn Taylor, an event organizer with FreeRepublic.com, heard about the sign and rushed up to Robinson. âThis is our rally and you can't do that here,â he said, only for Robinson to insist he was within his rights. Camera crews rushed in and Taylor turned to face them. âTo all the media here, this sign is not representative of the crowd here today,â Taylor announced. Some of the crowd around Robinson came forward to shake his hand, while others chanted, âIdiot, go home.â
The two men then squared off and raised their voices. âJust get outta here!â Robinson yelled, and aimed a kick at Taylor's midsection. Taylor called for security, and a young Woodway policeman quickly showed up. âI have the right to freedom of speech,â Robinson said. Robinson continued to protest loudly as police handcuffed him and led him away.
Much of the media focus Saturday was on Sheehan's two peace camps just beyond Crawford -â one on the side of Prairie Chapel Road, the other in a field temporarily donated by a local landowner â and yet other anti-war protesters at the Crawford Peace House in town.
In addition, however, there was a pro-Bush camp that sprouted alongside a souvenir shop specializing in President Bush dolls, T-shirts and coffee cups; a West Coast caravan dubbed âYou Don't Speak for Me, Cindy!â that took over the football stadium Saturday afternoon to rally on behalf of U.S. troops; and Operation Iraqi Hope, made up of family members who have lost loved ones in Iraq but still support the war.
Altogether, pro-war events in Crawford attracted about 3,000 people. Attendance at Camp Casey I and II together appeared to reach about 1,500. Good show, they were outnumbered 2 to 1.
Underneath a giant revival tent about a mile from the Western White House, peace mom Cindy Sheehan continued to stoke the fires of the anti-war movement. âI finally figured out what the ânoble cause' is ...â she said, referring to two words the president uses to talk about the sacrifices of U.S. troops. âHe wants more American soldiers killed because American soldiers have already been killed, and that's his mission. We have to stop him. We have to stop him as soon as possible.â
The anti-war movement lost its footing with the re-election of President Bush in November 2004. But Sheehan's highly publicized vigil has brought to surface long-simmering doubts about the Iraq war among some Americans.
Some, including those at much larger simultaneous rallies in Crawford supporting the president and the troops, have questioned Sheehan's morals, patriotism and even her religious convictions. Sheehan, of Vacaville, Calif., was a part-time wingnut Catholic youth minister prior to becoming a full-time wingnut activist shortly after the death of her son, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan. Casey Sheehan was killed by terrorists insurgents in an ambush attach in Baghdad in 2004.
Folk singer Joan Baez, an earlier visitor to Camp Casey, returned to Crawford this weekend and aimed an arrow directly at those Christian critics after leading a chorus of âAmazing Grace.â âOh, Christian right, eat your heart out,â Baez said, capping the song. Two more seconds of attention for one far beyond her usefulness.
Sheehan on Saturday was joined by Iraq war veterans and military families who have had relatives killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. All were united by opposition to the war. American Indian activist Russell Means also made an appearance, praising Sheehan for her attempts to save others from warfare. Means is an actor who has starred in The Last of the Mohicans and Natural Born Killers. My God, where do they dig up these retreads? Indians, neo-Nazis, Rev. Pimp, 60's relics, etc.
The massive crowd, however, bore more everyday people from across the nation, and across Texas. Five chartered buses ferried passengers from Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.
While mostly siding with pro-Bush forces, many Crawford residents said they nonetheless look forward to the day when all the protesters go home. Sheehan has said she will end her month-long vigil Wednesday. âWe've remained calm and let them do their thing, but this has really taken away our peace,â said 46-year-old Carolyn Dobbs, who lives next door to the Crawford Peace House. âI've tried not to say anything but, well, when they park in my driveway, I've got to ask them to move.â
Bob McDonald, 43, also of Crawford, sought to get that message across, riding his horse Deacon up and down town streets. Marked on the horse's hind-quarters was a message to Sheehan inviting her to leave town. âThis is a small little town and you can't breathe anymore,â McDonald said of all the traffic and indiscriminate parking, much of which he said was caused by the Sheehan camp. âIt's not just bad today, it's been this way the last two weeks.â
The tenor of pro-Bush protesters varied. Members of Operation Iraqi Hope said they encouraged Sheehan to mount her protest but said they had come from all corners of the nation to ensure that their voices, too, are heard. âWe don't want conflict,â said M.J. Kesterson, 58, of Independent, Ore., whose son, Erik, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, was killed in Iraq. âThis is to honor our sons and daughters. And if things get to where we lose sight of that, we'll leave. It serves no purpose losing your cool.â
Yet at the crossroads of Crawford, where officers directed long lines of traffic, some pro-Bush supporters shouted at Crawford Peace House volunteers driving shuttles, accusing them of aiding terrorism.
President Bush, as much the focus of the protests as Sheehan, weighed in on the matter Saturday, saying in his weekly radio address that the U.S. military would have to remain committed to the operations. âOur strategy is straightforward,â Bush said. âAs Iraqis stand up, Americans will stand down. And when Iraqi forces can defend their freedom by taking more and more of the fight to the enemy, our troops will come home with the honor they have earned.â
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/28/2005 04:48 ||
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#1
If some people who are pro-Bush choose to kick the living crap out of some annoying antiwar protesters, I've got no problem with that. Personally I've had it with the left and believe them to be traitors to the nation who are aiding and abetting the enemy in time of war. If bad things happen to them at the hands of loyal Americans, they've gotten no more than they deserve.
Posted by: mac ||
08/28/2005 7:55 Comments ||
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Mac, nice idea in fact I would like nothing more but that would make that person a war-monger and all around bad guy. The peace nitwits are slowly peeling away their soft outside and revealing their true colors. A review of past Cindy seeches is very revealing and she will slip back into that mantra before too long. When Americans start hearing how Israel, Haliburton, and PNAC are the reasons behind all evil, Cindy will lose her star status and reveal the true moonbat inside. It is not going to be pretty but I almost guaruntee a crash with camera rolling.
#3
...Wish Mr. Robinson had kept his cool, but on the other hand, I don't blame him.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/28/2005 10:14 Comments ||
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This may sound trite but one of the concepts that the left continually injects into its protests which so far that I have not seen challenged, is that Bush got her son killed.
It may seen a small thing, but I believe it is very important to point out that Casey Sheehan was killed by an armed and hostile enemy in a war, not by Bush. In fact it is, IMO, an element which can conceivably remind folks that we are at war and that young people do die, and if we have any indentity as a nation, we must honor their sacrifice, and pray Sheehans buddies eventually got the guy who did the killing.
Casey Sheehan died at the hands of a hostile enemy.
Posted by: Red Dog ||
08/28/2005 14:02 Comments ||
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#8
Sacred Cowburgers is a riot! Humor applied as a weapon of war. "B*tch in a Ditch" is a keeper, LOL!
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
08/28/2005 15:13 Comments ||
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#9
..but that would make that person a war-monger and all around bad guy.
I'd love to see one of their asses kicked royally. With the constant drumbeat of relentless protesting, Bush=Hitler namecalling, and over-the-top rhetoric by the Left, it's about high time they feel the consequences of their actions. And please dispense with the "bad guy" stuff; remember the demonstrations at the various economic summits that have erupted into violence? Has any one of the protesters at those events ever been depicted as "bad guys" in the press?
Like most Texas reporters, I have made the pilgrimage to interview Cindy Sheehan and her anti war comrades parked in front of Crawford. One of the made-for-television signs held up behind Cindy during the news event I attended was particularly disturbing. "Iraq," read the sign held aloft by two prosperous looking white women,"is Arabic for Vietnam."
By holding this sign, I presume they would favor that the Iraq war end the same way the war in Vietnam ended. I also presume that this means they would not oppose the same fate for the people of Iraq that befell the people of Vietnam and Cambodia after the end of US involvement there, which was one of the more horrible in the sorry annals of twentieth century tyranny. But in 1975, we were told by the anti war crowd that, after all, they were only Asians, they probably couldn't understand democracy anyway, and knew it wouldn't work 'for them.' Its sad to see the same attitude repeated today, that its not worth the blood of white Americans like Casey Sheehan to win freedom and democracy for 'those people,' in this case, brown skinned Arab Muslims.
Even if you drink every last drop of the anti war Kool Aid, even if you are convinced that President Bush was ordered by the Chairman of Halliburton to start the Iraq war and that he intentionally lied to the American people about the existence of weapons of mass destruction, the simple fact is that today, there is demonstrably more freedom for the people of Iraq and for the people of Afghanistan, some 50 million brown skinned Muslims. Yes, there is dawdling over the drafting of an Iraqi constitution, but before April of 2003, metal shredders and rape rooms awaited any Iraqi who breathed the word 'constitution.'
Yes, a brutal insurgency continues to threaten the Iraqi people, an insurgency which has killed some 25,000 Iraqi civilians since April of 2003. But Saddam Hussein, even by conservative estimates, butchered 1.5 million Iraqis during his 25 years in power (not counting the one million who died in the war he started with Iran).
So Saddam and his goons killed an average of 60,000 people a year, while the insurgency has killed 25,000 in two and a half years. Despite the hand-wringing over the insurgency, the devil's arithmetic would indicate that life for the average Iraq is actually safer today than it was under Saddam. But they're brown skimmed Muslims, so not worthy of America's notice, let alone America's sacrifice.
President Bush is actually the greatest liberator of Muslims in history, considering that there weren't 50 million people in the entire MIddle East when Saladin beat back the Crusader hordes. But to the anti war activists, providing freedom from slavery, democratic and economic opportunity to brown skinned people isn't worth the sacrifice of white Americans. Good thing they weren't around when Lincoln was drafting the Emancipation Proclamation.
I recently watched the magnificent Don Cheadle film "Hotel Rwanda" with a group of friends, certified Bush Bashing Democrats all. After it was over, the general murmur in the room was 'why didn't America do something!' to stop the carnage in Rwanda. If Cindy Sheehan were to get her way, and President Bush would be 'impeached and tried for war crimes' over his wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as she has demanded, the real losers will be the future citizens of Rwanda, and the other places where brutal dictators will have free reign to massacre people in large numbers, knowing that American leaders will pay too high a political price for them to get involved and 'do something.' And I don't think many of those places will be populated by white Europeans.
#3
Good catch, SN2330! The more things change, the more they remain the same. Hadn't thought about the Copperheads since High School. Maybe the new Copperheads can be called the AirHeads.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
08/28/2005 16:39 Comments ||
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#4
Copperheads damm I think I do remember that name from school just dont remember what it was.
Thats pretty freekin sad the Dem's have been p*ssies since the begining. Why do we allow them to continue to live in this great nation if all through time they have failed to defend this nation?
BRITISH Army officers in Iraq are being handed stashes of up to £100,000 in cash for âoperational expensesâ without formal controls on how it is spent.
The money is used by the SAS and other units to buy off leaders of the insurgency or to purchase weapons on the black market to avoid them passing into rebel hands.
The decades-old tradition of paying so-called âporter moneyâ to officers is understood to be the focus of a wide-ranging internal inquiry in the SAS. It follows allegations earlier this year that hundreds of thousands of pounds may have been misappropriated during SAS covert operations in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.
The Sunday Times has obtained a photograph of a British officer smiling broadly as he holds nearly £60,000 worth of Iraqi dinars â still less than the maximum allowance. The cash, in crisp new notes, is neatly stacked in bundles that he holds to his chest.
The officer, said to be a captain in the SAS, told friends that the money â 158m Iraqi dinars â was part of a secret stash kept at the barracks at Basra Palace in southern Iraq.
He claimed it was used to bribe locals suspected of collaborating with rebels loyal to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, and to buy weapons on the black market.
âItâs held in a drawer in a room at the back of the palace. The SAS just walk in and take it out in a bag,â an insider said. The picture was taken in March this year and was circulated by the officer â whose name The Sunday Times is withholding for security reasons â in e-mails to his friends and family. There is no suggestion that he has acted improperly with the money.
Ken Connor, a former SAS soldier who is now a military historian, said âporter moneyâ was first used by the SAS when it was fighting rebels in the jungles of Malaya and Borneo in the 1950s.
Connor said: âIt was used to pay locals who were employed as porters to help carry the regimentâs heavy equipment through the jungle.
âThe accountability is very loose. Itâs got to be because being in the SAS is not like being in a normal nine to five job. But Iâve never heard of such large amounts being available. If thereâs a job where you can get £100,000 without having to account for it, please count me in.â
Connor said the regimentâs use of âporter moneyâ had sparked a previous investigation. âThere was a big scandal during the Dhofar campaign,â he said, referring to SAS operations in Oman during the early 1970s.
The Ministry of Defence said that it was the departmentâs policy not to discuss special forces matters.
The ease with which SAS officers have been given access to such large sums of cash has raised eyebrows among colleagues in other units.
The alleged irregularities came to light after concerns were raised about the purchase of aviation fuel and other supplies for a secret mission.
Sources said military investigators queried some of the invoices. There are suggestions that they may have been inflated and the extra cash channelled elsewhere.
A senior officer with extensive special forces experience flew to Iraq this month to take part in an inquiry into the affair.
The SAS has always been able to secure funds for its special operations without going through the bureaucratic processes to which other regiments are subject. Other units in Iraq have also occasionally been granted âporter moneyâ in special circumstances.
A review of the whole system of âporter moneyâ is now likely. A friend of one SAS officer said: âHe told me they were getting into trouble about the money, that other soldiers were asking questions about why they had so much money. He said they were probably going to have to find a better way of doing it.â
A source said inquiries were looking into covert accounts used by the elite regiment to finance operations against Al-Qaeda terrorists and insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. âInvestigators are going through the SAS accounts,â said the source.
âThey are investigating every penny thatâs gone through the SAS in recent years.â
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/28/2005 00:17 ||
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#1
Off-Topic Note:
1) Num Lock ON
2) hold down Alt key and, on the number pad, type 0163:
£
#6
Instead of learning all these neat geek tricks, Currency traders long ago assigned unpronounceable TLAs to currencies so you can just type three little letters:
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/28/2005 10:56 Comments ||
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#9
Add this site to your bookmarks: Index DOT html. Or for a more compact and focused list, try this Latin-1 list.
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
08/28/2005 11:06 Comments ||
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#10
At the current rate of exchange, that is the whopping huge sum of $180,000 USD. Peanuts. Nothing. The US military has confiscated and spent tens of millions of Saddam's dollars for similar purposes. And yes, the US bureaucrats freaked out about military people spending money that the bureaucrats hadn't parceled out to them.
The bottom line: it not only works, but it is one of the best ideas for reconstruction ever. The money didn't take critical months to get bureaucratic approval, arrive, and be carefully accounted for in dispersal. Each command used it for immediate, pragmatic, and well-thought out purposes and accomplished miraculous improvements both in the combat situation and reconstruction effort.
In future, the Pentagon should create a black budget amounting to tens of billions of dollars to be dispersed to field commanders at their discretion and with minimal accountability. These monies should be distributed as soon as major hostilities cease, in cash and appropriate other mediums to include gold, neutral nation currencies, and paper money that has been marked for future identification.
#11
Yea but Anonymoose just think of all the UK National Health Service appointments and operations that could have been resheduled to a later date in hopes the ill would drop dead or go away with that money. Just think how far that money might have gone at home in the UK.
More than 500 Egyptians are being held in connection with a blast that lightly wounded a pair of Canadian peacekeepers two weeks ago in the Sinai peninsula.
"Around 200 Sinai residents who were arrested after the blast have already been released," North Sinai member of parliament Mohammed al-Kashef said.
"More than 500 other people are still detained for the needs of the investigation... and contacts are under way with the police to obtain their release," he added.
Security sources in Cairo confirmed the figures.
Two Canadian peacekeepers from the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) were lightly wounded on August 15 in an area of the peninsula not far from the border with the
Gaza Strip -- close to the Al-Gurah military airport -- when a homemade bomb struck their vehicle.
The MFO is an independent peacekeeping force not related to the
United Nations, created as a result of the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty and funded mainly by the two neighbours and the United States.
Egyptian forces arrested thousands of local Bedouins in the Sinai following the deadly October 7 bombings against Red Sea resorts, several of whom have since complained of torture.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/28/2005 00:05 ||
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Religious Affairs Minister Mohammad Ejazul Haq has said that Pakistan will soon construct Pakistan House for zaireen (pilgrims), at Karbala, Iraq.
Special on passport photos every Thursday.
Speaking to IRNA he said that Pakistan House would also comprise a hospital, besides other facilities for Pakistani Zaireen, visiting Iraq's holy shrines. He added that the foundation stone laying would be performed during the ruling Pakistan Muslim League President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's visit to Iraq after December parliamentary elections there.
The minister, Chaudhry Shujaat, he (Ejaz) and PML Secretary General Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed had been invited by prominent Iraqi leader Hojjatul Islam Jafar Al-Hakim during his meetings with these leaders early this week in Pakistan. Ejaz pointed out that with peace and normalcy returning to all parts of Iraq, the number of zaireeen was expected to increase manifold, necessitating construction of facilities at Karbala.
Zaireen from all across the Muslim world, including Pakistan throng the mausoleums of Hazrat Ali (AS), Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), Hazrat Abbas (AS) and other noble members of the household of Hazrat Mohammad Peace Be Upon Him, and devoted followers of the Ahle Bait (AS).
To a question, the minister said that the piece of land was purchased by late Raja Sahib Mehmoodabad, a key worker of the Pakistan Movement. However, this land was grabbed by Saddam Hussain and has been retrieved back after his fall. He pointed out the Karachi-based Khamees Trust, Pakistan, will construct the Pakistan House and take care of it, as the land had been given to it on lease for 30 years.
#1
More than anything else, this means that perception on the Shiite "street" is that Iraq is cooling, and there is big pressure for pilgrimage to Najaf and Karbala. This means that the Shiite countries will want a big presence in Iraq sooner rather than later to handle the influx of millions of their people to visit the shrines.
BAGHDAD - Iraqâs parliament will vote on a constitution on Sunday regardless of the minority Sunni position on the draft, parliament speaker Hajim Al Hasani said.
Iraqiâs Sunni Arab former elite presented fresh demands on the wording of the constitution Saturday amid warnings from Shiite and Kurdish negotiators that they would make no further concessions. The text presented by the Kurds and Shiites Friday, after weeks of tortuous negotiation, was âfinal and parliament will vote on it tomorrow (Sunday)... even if the Sunnis do not accept it,â Hasani told AFP.
Part of majority rule is that the majority gets to rule, and the minority gets to accept that.
Iraqâs interim leaders are struggling to stick to a political timetable that would culminate in election of a new government in Decemberâand pave the way for withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. But parliamentary approval of a constitution not supported by Sunni negotiators could set the stage for its rejection in a national referendum in October.
Then it would be back to the old drawing board. The Shi'a would be pissed, the Kurds would be pissed and worried, and the Sunnis would suddenly find themselves without any leverage at all. Rejecting the constitution puts federalism, with or without the attending civil war, on the 'most likely to succeed' list.
A written proposal from the Sunnis Saturday demanded that all reference to autonomous regions other than the Kurdish north be deleted from the text and that a bigger role for Islam be enshrined in the charter. âWe want a capital (Baghdad) and one autonomous region only, in addition to provinces enjoying delegated powers,â the proposal said, rejecting calls from many Shiites for their own autonomous region in Shiite-majority areas of the south and centre.
The Sunnis also demanded that the Kurdish language be given official status in the Kurdish region only and that the whole of Iraq be referred to as part of the Arab world. In deference to Kurdish sensitivities, the current text says that Iraq is part of the Islamic world but that only its Arab people are part of the Arab nation.
The Sunni leaders have to know that the Kurds won't accept this, and I suspect that's precisely the point. If I were a betting man I'd bet that the Sunnis want the whole enterprise to fail. That means they think they can make a stand against the Shi'a and the Kurds, and that the Americans will hold the Shi'a back.
The five Sunni ministers in Iraqâs interim governing coalition expressed similar reservations, calling for the Arab identity of Iraq to be preserved as Arabs formed 80 percent of the population. The Sunnis also demanded that Islam be enshrined in the constitution as âthe main source of legislationâ not âa main source,â a Sunni negotiator said.
Between them the Kurds and Shiites hold some 210 seats in the 275-member parliamentâenough to push through the text. But the rules for Octoberâs referendum specify that two-thirds of the voters in any three provinces can vote down the charter, and at least three are predominantly Sunni.
Hasani said the Shiites and Kurds had made some concessions in their final offer, particularly on plans for a Shiite autonomous region. âThe draft constitution gives the right to establish federalism, but leaves the mechanism to form federal regions for the next elected parliament,â he said referring to new polls due to be held by mid-December.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/28/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
Sunni or later its gonna go for a vote.
Part of majority rule is that the majority gets to rule, and the minority gets to accept that.
That is correct, sir. Throw the sunnis a bone and get on with it.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/28/2005 3:09 Comments ||
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Andrew Krepinevich is a careful, scholarly man. A graduate of West Point and a retired lieutenant colonel, his book, "The Army and Vietnam," is a classic on how to fight counterinsurgency warfare.
Krepinevich has now published an essay in the new issue of Foreign Affairs, "How to Win in Iraq," in which he proposes a strategy. The article is already a phenomenon among the people running this war, generating discussion in the Pentagon, the C.I.A., the American Embassy in Baghdad and the office of the vice president.
Krepinevich calls the approach the oil-spot strategy. The core insight is that you can't win a war like this by going off on search and destroy missions trying to kill insurgents. There are always more enemy fighters waiting. You end up going back to the same towns again and again, because the insurgents just pop up after you've left and kill anybody who helped you. You alienate civilians, who are the key to success, with your heavy-handed raids.
Instead of trying to kill insurgents, Krepinevich argues, it's more important to protect civilians. You set up safe havens where you can establish good security. Because you don't have enough manpower to do this everywhere at once, you select a few key cities and take control. Then you slowly expand the size of your safe havens, like an oil spot spreading across the pavement.
Instead of trying to kill insurgents, Krepinevich argues, it's more important to protect civilians. You set up safe havens where you can establish good security. Because you don't have enough manpower to do this everywhere at once, you select a few key cities and take control. Then you slowly expand the size of your safe havens, like an oil spot spreading across the pavement.
Once you've secured a town or city, you throw in all the economic and political resources you have to make that place grow. The locals see the benefits of working with you. Your own troops and the folks back home watching on TV can see concrete signs of progress in these newly regenerated neighborhoods. You mix your troops in with indigenous security forces, and through intimate contact with the locals you begin to even out the intelligence advantage that otherwise goes to the insurgents.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/28/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
This is the "carrot" side of the argument. The "stick" side are the less cooperative towns where you intentionally do not form a presence. The bad guyz, who are dispersed, concentrate to fill the vacuum, which doubly punishes the place. First in the dictatorship of the villains, then when the US and Iraqi forces come to root them out. It also simplifies our task immeasureably to have identifyable targets en masse, instead of individuals blending in with the crowd of civilians.
#2
Instead of trying to kill insurgents, Krepinevich argues, it's more important to protect civilians. You set up safe havens where you can establish good security. Because you don't have enough manpower to do this everywhere at once, you select a few key cities and take control. Then you slowly expand the size of your safe havens, like an oil spot spreading across the pavement.
All you need is a corps of telepaths to distinguish between civilians you're trying to protect and "insurgents".
#3
This was known as the "enclave strategy" in Vietnam. Here is a good article.
Of course, big chunks of Iraq already are enclaves. Unfortunately, they are all Shiite or Kurdish areas. To run with Krepinevich's analogy, will a Shiite oil spot spread into a Sunni zone or are they immiscible? I think also that Fallujah is a good example of what happens when you declare an area to be outside the enclave.
I honestly think that you have to create safe areas and keep the bad guys rocking back on their heels. To fail to do the former would mean giving up the strategic intiative. To fail to do the latter would entail giving up the tactical initiative.
#4
Rather than focusing on killing insurgents, they should concentrate on providing security and opportunity to the Iraqi people, thereby denying insurgents the popular support they need.
Wrong.
It's not 'either/or', it's 'do both'. And it's working.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh begins a rare visit to Afghanistan on Sunday, the first by an Indian premier in nearly 30 years, as New Delhi steps up efforts to deepen historic links hit by years of conflict. The two-day visit is aimed at reaffirming New Delhi's strong commitment to help rebuild the war-torn nation and wrest back influence over the central Asian country which India lost to rival Pakistan during the 1990s. India is among Afghanistan's top donor nations -- it has pledged aid of about $500 million so far -- and holds sway over Northern Alliance groups that helped U.S.-led forces overthrow the Taliban regime.
``Afghanistan is an extremely important country for India,'' Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said ahead of the visit. ''We want Afghanistan to emerge as a democratic, independent, sovereign country fully in mastery of its own destiny. We believe that the relationship with India would contribute to that end.'' Saran said Singh would announce new aid of about $50 million during his visit and launch projects to help local communities, moving forward from India's involvement so far in mostly infrastructure building.
India is involved in training Afghan armed forces, police and diplomats, building roads, schools, hospitals and power lines, digging wells and supporting trade and services as Afghanistan makes slow progress in recover from two decades of conflict. Singh is scheduled to hold talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. He is also due to take part in the groundbreaking ceremony for a new Afghan parliament building, being built with Indian assistance.
Pakistan, the Taliban's main backer until Islamabad sided with Washington after the September 11, 2001, attacks, has been uneasy about increased Indian influence in Afghanistan since. Islamabad has refused overland transit for Indian goods bound for Afghanistan and further on to Central Asia, hampering trade. This has forced India to route trade by sea via Iran. India has also been disturbed by rising violence on the Afghan-Pakistan border as Taliban insurgents and their Islamist militant allies step up attacks in the run-up to next month's parliamentary elections in Afghanistan. Saran said New Delhi was keen that Afghanistan did not slide back into being a center for extremism and could help further strengthen the capability of Afghan security forces.
Analysts said the success of India's efforts to recoup influence it lost in Afghanistan would depend on the character the Afghan state takes in the coming years. ``If Afghanistan goes back to moderation then we have a strong opportunity,'' said Sukh Deo Muni, who teaches international relations at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University. ``But if it slides back to extremism, India will have very little room there.''
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/28/2005 00:00 ||
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High brown off factor for Musharraf and the ISS.
Posted by: Red Dog ||
08/28/2005 4:40 Comments ||
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Ah here's some more surplus aircraft we could sell India for 100 lbs of saffron.
The "Muslim Brotherhood" Aims to Take Over the Islamic World
"With eruption of public protests in Egypt against and the government's anti-democracy crackdown, public attention has focused on the radical Islamist Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is a transnational organization, established in Egypt in 1928, which aims to take over the Islamic world. Its goal is establishing a Caliphate, a religious militarized state, as the base to wage war against the 'infidel' West. The Muslim Brotherhood today is the best-organized political force in many Arab countries.
"The hasty promotion of democracy may bring the Brotherhood to power in Egypt, Syria, Jordan and elsewhere. While some in Washington are ready to accept this risk, it may entail dangerous unintended consequences.
"It is important to understand the political thinking of the Muslim Brotherhood, in hopes of shedding some light on an issue many people in the world need to understand."
The Brotherhood Wants to Subject Politics to the Shari'a
"Unlike Western democracies, which guarantee the political participation of all citizens regardless of ideology, opinion or religion, the Brotherhood makes political participation of individuals in society subject to the principles of Islamic holy law (the Shari'a). While in the West, the legislative and judiciary branches of government monitor state actions to ensure they conform to democratic rules, the actions of the state would be monitored by the Brotherhood to ensure they conform to the rules of Shari'a.
"The Brotherhood guarantees freedom of belief only for the followers of the three revealed (Abrahamic) religions. The Brotherhood's position on religious minorities can be summed up by its insistence [that] a non-Muslim can never become president and [that] non-Muslims will be subject to the Shari'a principles on which the entire legal system will be based.
"While Western democracies guarantee absolute freedom of the individual as long as it does not impinge on the freedom of others, the Brotherhood limits the freedom of thought within the strict parameters of a code derived from the Shari'a. The Brotherhood calls for restoring hisbah, which allows a private citizen to prosecute any individual who commits an act he considers a breach of the Shari'a even if the plaintiff himself was not personally injured by itâŠ"
Women's Political Participation Would be Limited to Municipal Elections
"In Western democracies, women enjoy the same political rights as men. But as far as the Muslim Brotherhood is concerned, women's political participation would be limited to municipal elections. There is no question, for example, of a woman ever becoming head of state. To further marginalize women and exclude them from any meaningful public role, the Brotherhood calls for educational curricula to include material appropriate for women, tailored to suit the female nature and role and insists on complete segregation of the sexes in classrooms, public transportation and the workplace.
"The organization calls for an economic system based on respect of private property. At the same time, however, it insists the system be based on the principles of Islamic Shari'a, which criminalizes charging interest on borrowed money, as by banks. They also call for state ownership of public utilities."
The Brotherhood Calls for Revival of the Caliphate
"Contrary to the democratic governmental system, based on peaceful rotation of power by elections, the Brotherhood calls for a government based on the principles of Shari'a and the revival of the Islamic Caliphate.
"The freedom of association enjoyed by civil organizations in a democracy would, in an Islamist system, be conditional on their adherence to the strictures of Shari'a.
"The Brotherhood opposes the notion of a state based on democratic institutions, calling instead for an Islamic government based on the Shura (consultative assembly) system, veneration of the leader and the investiture of a Supreme Guide. In this, they are close to the model established by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Iran, which enables diehard conservatives (a group to which the Supreme Guide belongs) to nip any reform or renewal in the bud."
The Brotherhood will Never Recognize the Legitimacy of Israel
"Over the last 57 years, the Brotherhood has opposed all attempts for a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The organization will never recognize the legitimacy of Israel.
"The Brotherhood calls for a constitutional and legal system based on the principles of Shari'a, including cruel corporal punishments in the penal code (stoning, lashing, cutting off the hands of thieves, etc.). The Muslim Brotherhood has never condemned use of violence against civilians, except when directed against Muslims.
"Finally, modern progress is realized by two tools â science and modern management. These are two disciplines of which the Brotherhood has not a vaguest idea. Instead, it promulgates a retrograde ideology, which can be deadly for sustainable economic development, growth in investment, and equality.
"Promoting democracy in the Middle East is an imperative necessity for all humanity. Given the right steps, the peoples of the Middle East (as Professor Bernard Lewis has repeatedly expounded) are capable of flourishing democratic societies. However, a hasty transformation is likely to be disastrous for the forces of progress in Egypt and in the Middle East." Where the Muslim Brotherhood stands, and how Washington plans to deal with them, is one of the great mysteries in the Moslem world. A war against them would be as large or larger than one against the Baathists, and could possibly ignite into a civil war in Egypt or beyond. While they are the parent to many a violent Islamist schism, they have always carefully distance themselves from such acts.
Failing a government or Knesset veto of the still unsigned Israel-Egyptian military protocol, the Sharon government will make Egypt two if not three strategic gifts: naval control over the territorial waters off the Gaza Mediterranean coast up to Ashekelon, for one. A second unpublished clause will place within range of Egyptian air force surveillance Israelâs big air forces bases in the Negev and its armored and ground forcesâ deployment around the evacuated Gaza Strip.
These clauses have been withheld from the public, cabinet ministers and Knesset members. Sunday, August 27, the cabinet will be asked to approve the protocol; the Knessetâs ratification will be sought Wednesday, August 31.
These sweeping Israeli concessions are set forth in a secret appendix to the military protocol. They are the price prime minister Ariel Sharon and defense minister Shaul Mofaz are willing to pay Cairo for relieving the Israeli armyâs of its security missions on the Gaza-Egyptian border.
Egyptian border guardsmen are ranged on their side of the Rafah border ready to cross over upon the protocolâs signature.
For Israel, these concessions signify the end of the Sinai Peninsulaâs demilitarization, one of the most valuable defense assets the Begin government attained in return for withdrawing from Sinai under the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty.
For Egypt, they are a military bonanza: its navy and air force are restored to Sinaiâs air space and eastern Mediterranean shores.
But that is not all. Our exclusive sources learn that Israel is also willing to let Egypt build a new 300-meter naval pier for six 300-ton naval ships on the shore of Rafah, the town divided between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. The craft are roughly the same size as Israelâs âStormâ missile vessels. Command and storage structures will be built on the wharf.
There are only two limitations: no missiles may be mounted on the Egyptian warships and no breakwater built to enclose the waterfront.
DEBKAfileâs military experts say the Egyptian navy has two types of vessel that fit the secret appendixâs specifications: The fast, 60-meter long Ambassador Mk.III with a crew of 35, newly supplied by the US. Its advanced electronic equipment makes these vessels resistant to radar detection. The second craft is the fast US-made Bertan built for US SEAL commandos to perform intelligence gathering and other tasks. They can land troops on shore and pull out to sea at great speed.
Israeli naval experts fear that, in no time, the Egyptians will bring into the Rafah facility one of their six Ramadan class missile corvettes. Their 350 tons can be shaved down to 300 tons without too much difficulty.
It is a little-known fact that the Egypt has one of the largest and strongest navies in the Arab world; it is considered by experts to be superior to the Israeli navy. A place to moor war ships in Rafah will greatly enhance the Egyptian fleetâs tactical edge, especially in conjunction with the air cover provided by the helicopters accompanying the Egyptian border troops earmarked for the Philadelphi border strip inside Gaza.
According to our sources, Israelâs air force commander and AMAN military intelligence chief have both warned the prime minister, defense minister and chief of staff that the Rafah naval facility will afford Egypt control over Gazan waters and its shore. This control threatens to drive a hole in the Israeli naval presence along the southern stretch of its Mediterranean coast. Ships from Lebanon or other hostile countries will be free to put into Gaza port without undergoing Israeli inspection of their passengers and cargos. The Egyptian navy will be in place for blocking any attempt by an Israeli vessel to inspect or interdict a suspect terrorist vessel entering Gaza waters.
Furthermore, should Cairo violate its undertaking and arm its ships with missiles, Israelâs strategic ports of Ashdod and Ashkelon where main power stations, harbors, oil port and naval bases are situated, will be in easy range of those shipsâ missiles.
It would take no more than a few hours to mount the missiles from hiding places in warehouse on the quays of Rafah or El Arish in Sinai further down the Mediterranean coast. The secret appendix makes no stipulation that would entitle Israel to inspect the Egyptian warships and ascertain there are no violations.
Israel commanders are under no illusion that Cairoâs commitment to refrain from building a breakwater at Rafah will hold up for much longer than necessary to allow Sharon and Mofaz to protest that the Rafah facility holds no security hazards for Israel. Eventually, with or without asking Israel, the Egyptians can be expected to build a breakwater and locate intelligence apparatus and guns there.
Under another secret clause, Egyptâs Gaza border force will be provided with a fleet of 8 military helicopters - not just light reconnaissance craft as claimed by Sharon and Mofaz. The helicopters will carry missiles and sophisticated surveillance instruments. Their deployment along the 14-km Philadelphi strip means the helicopters will be placed at 1.75 km intervals along the route.
The Sharon government has left pending for discussion at a later date Cairoâs demand for permission to deploy military troops the full length of the Egyptian-Israeli border â from the Mediterranean to Eilat. But it has not been rejected. Egypt will undoubtedly expect this force, if approved, to be armed with military helicopters in the same ratio as the Philadelphi unit, i.e. 140 military aircraft strung down Israelâs western land border.
AMAN chief Maj-Gen Aharon Zeevi has repeatedly cautioned Sharon, Mofaz and chief of staff Lt.-Gen Dan Halutz of a still more immediate peril.
The Egyptians make no bones about the helicopters patrolling the Gazan border being equipped with sophisticated electronic instruments capable of picking up high-value intelligence on Israelâs aerial movements and activities at its important Negev air bases. They also mean to keep a close eye on Israelâs post-disengagement deployment around the Gaza Strip. The danger here, according to general Zeevi, is acute: in the event of an outbreak of Palestinian terror from Gaza against southwestern Israel, any IDF counter-terror action in the Gaza Strip would be wide open to surveillance from these Egyptian helicopters. They will be able to forewarn the Palestinian terrorists of every step the Israeli troops are taking and their routes to targets. Israeli forces would lose the tactical advantage of surprise and Palestinian terrorists would know exactly where to lie in wait for them.
That's the Galloway as in, the English Saddam lover
George Galloway, the anti-war MP for Bethnal Green and Bow who rocked the US Senate earlier this year, is to be accompanied on a speaking tour of America by the actress and activist Jane Fonda. He is scheduled for a debate with Christopher Hitchens, so, you need to go read this article, A War to be Proud of
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/995phqjw.asp
Few things are more likely to antagonise US conservatives than the combination of Mr Galloway and Ms Fonda - still hated by the right because of her outspoken opposition to the war in Vietnam - joining to condemn the American presence in Iraq. But Mr Galloway can expect a thunderous reception from those he impressed with his performance before a Senate committee last May. He still has to face Hitchens
In a statement, Mr Galloway, the Respect MP, said: "I'm really pleased and excited to be going back to America to campaign against this illegal war and occupation. And to have Jane Fonda join me is fantastic. I'll be able to get that autograph at last."
He added: "I'm sure that when the full implications of the constitutional settlement lashed-up by the puppet Iraqi government are understood that opposition will grow massively."
Mr Galloway, whose speaking tour, Stand Up and Be Counted, starts in Boston on 13 September and will end at a rally scheduled for 24 September in Washington, said he had received more than 20,000 messages from US residents asking him to return. He will also be promoting a new book, Mr Galloway Goes To Washington.
A tour organiser, Chris Dols, said: "People want to hear Jane Fonda and what she has to say about the war. That's worth hearing, and George Galloway has a lot to say about it, too."
#6
On yesterday's thread about Sharpton going to the Crawford antiwar rally, I commented that I couldn't imagine how it could get any wackier down there. I think I know now - bring in Galloway!
Egypt's foreign minister on Saturday turned down a request from the world's nuclear watchdog to sign a treaty banning the testing of nuclear weapons, saying Israel should first join a separate agreement calling for a halt to the spread of atomic bombs. The refusal by Israel, which is believed to possess hundreds of nuclear warheads, to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty has also made the Middle East more insecure, Ahmed Aboul Gheit was quoted by Egypt's semiofficial Middle East News Agency as saying.
Aboul Gheit's comments came in a letter to Tibor Toth, the new executive secretary of the commission that oversees the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. "Egypt's ratification of the (test ban) treaty is linked to the extent of developments that may occur in regional and international circumstances, including the possibility that Israel may join the NPT," MENA quoted the minister as saying.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/28/2005 00:00 ||
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A list of 13 demands presented by five top Sunni members of Iraq's government in objecting to Iraq's draft constitution:
The drafting committee should be given enough time to overcome all obstacles;
In the constitutional preamble, no specific sect should be mentioned as having suffered under the previous regime, since that regime was unjust to everyone and this would foster future hatreds;
Government posts should not be apportioned by religious sect;
The preamble should be brief and no majority or minority should be mentioned because that does not serve Iraq's unity;
The question of a federal state should be postponed for a future period, putting into consideration a special status for the Kurds;
Iraq's Arab identity should be preserved because Arabs make up more than 80 percent of the population, with full respect to all religions and ethnic groups such as Kurds, Turkomen, Chaldean-Assyrians and Yazidis;
Executive authority should not be concentrated in the hands of any one group;
The next National Assembly should have the right to introduce amendments to the constitution;
There should be no mention of de-Baathification in the constitution. The issue should be referred to the Justice Ministry;
The constitution should not refer to the Arab population as Sunnis and Shiites, but just Arabs;
Elected leaders including the president and prime minister, as well as government officials and military officers, should take an oath to "preserve the unity of Iraq and its independence;"
Civil law should be the basis of legal norms affecting citizens and ethnic groups;
The decision on the future powers of autonomous provinces and regions should be left to the National Assembly elected in December.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/28/2005 00:00 ||
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Wow, heady demands, considering the fact that their supposed constituents largely boycotted the elections.
#2
"Iraq's Arab identity should be preserved because Arabs make up more than 80 percent of the population, with full respect to all religions and ethnic groups such as Kurds, Turkomen, Chaldean-Assyrians and Yazidis;"
Kashmiris vowed on Saturday to fight âtooth and nailâ a ban by Indian Kashmirâs government on political speeches in most of the regionâs main mosques and shrines. Iftikhar Andrabi, chief executive officer of the government-regulated Waqaf Board, said the decision to enforce the ban aimed to prevent separatists and pro-India politicians from using religious sites to spread political beliefs. âNo one will be allowed to make such speeches,â he said in Srinagar.
The decision by the Waqaf Board, made public late last week, has infuriated separatists who say that according to Islamic tradition religion and politics are intertwined. âIslam allows us to discuss politics in mosques. How can the government dictate otherwise?â said Mirwaz Umar Farooq. âItâs a clear interference in our religious affairs, and we will fight it tooth and nail.â Syed Ali Geelani also denounced the move. âThe government has no power to stop people making speeches in favour of freedom for Kashmir and the institution of Islamic law in shrines and mosques,â Geelani said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/28/2005 00:00 ||
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A Sunni Arab negotiator said Saturday that Sunnis submitted counterproposals on Iraq's constitution and would meet with the U.S. ambassador, who has urged the country's factions to produce a charter acceptable to all.
Earlier, parliament Speaker Hajim al-Hassani, himself a Sunni, said Shiites and Kurds had made amendments to address Sunni concerns about federalism and purging former ruling party members. But Sunni negotiator Fakhri al-Qaisi said his side saw no "essential changes" in that offer.
He said Sunnis would not accept the draft described by Shiites and Kurds on Friday as complete. Sunni leaders have urged voters to reject the charter in an Oct. 15 referendum if it does not meet their demands.
Al-Qaisi said Sunni delegates met with al-Hassani to present new charter wording. "We are waiting for an answer," al-Qaisi said.
See this post today for the 'list of demands', and this post for the Shi'a/Kurdish response.
Al-Hassani said the concessions involved delaying setting the details of how to implement federalism â or the establishment of self-ruled regions â until a new parliament is elected in December, presumably with more Sunni members than the current one. Many Sunni voters did not participate in the Jan. 30 elections, and the current parliament has few Sunni members. I've spent most of the day repairing electronics stuff. Now it appears the Symphathy Meter needs work, too. It keeps reading zero.
Shiite negotiator Ali al-Adeeb insisted his group offered major concessions on federalism and the program to purge former Baath members from government and public life. "Regarding the powers given to provinces, this is the right of the Iraqi people and we can give up this right," al-Adeeb said. "It could be regulated by the next National Assembly, this article is optional. ... As for the Baath issue, there were crimes and there should be punishment for the criminals. This is a right of Iraqis that we cannot give up."
Sunnis fear that federalism, demanded by the Shiites and Kurds, not only would establish a giant Shiite state in the south but also encourage Kurds to try to expand their self-rule region into northern oil-producing areas. That would leave the Sunnis cut off from Iraq's oil wealth. They'll have to earn their pay, rather than skim it off.
Sunnis had insisted the issues of federalism and the fate of Baath party members be deferred to the next parliament, in which they hope to have more members. Sunni Arabs form an estimated 20 percent of the 27 million Iraqis but won only 17 of the 275 parliament seats because so many Sunnis boycotted the Jan. 30 election. You can't win if you don't play.
The Sunni Tehrik (ST) announced here on Saturday that it was suspending its political and organisational activities in protest against the governmentâs failure to redress its complaints. Speaking at a press conference here at the party headquarters, ST leader Iftikhar Bhatti claimed that a particular political party in the government was creating obstacles in the way of its functioning as a political organisation.
He claimed that in the past three months the ST head office in Karachi was besieged five times, six party leaders had been killed and more than 600 party activists had been implicated in false cases. He claimed that the ST drew the attention of the government towards all this several times and urged it to take action against those involved in violence and high-handedness against the ST, but the government remained unmoved. He claimed that party leaders also met Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui and the IG police also in this connection, but nothing came out of these meetings. âSo in view of the inaction on the part of the government the ST has decided to suspend its organisational and political activities in Karachi till removal of its complaints,â Mr Bhatti said. He said party activists had been told to keep in contact with the party head office.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/28/2005 00:00 ||
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Sunni Tehrik got into a turf war with the MQM and came off the worse for wear.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
08/28/2005 0:22 Comments ||
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My heart's cockles are all warm and toasty. Brownshirts thumping brownshirts does that for me....
Posted by: Fred ||
08/28/2005 12:05 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Ulema in Saudia Arabia have issued a fatwa (religious decree) declaring football an un-Islamic sport, and have urged the youth to quit it immediately, BBC radio reported on Saturday. According to the report, the clerics urged the youth to indulge in jihad and other constructive activities that could help the Muslim ummah, the radio reported. The ulema argued that football wastes a lot of time and the participants wear shorts, which they said was an un-Islamic dress, the radio reported. Following the decree, some players of the famous Taif Football Club have quit the game, the report added.
The first enforced returns of failed asylum seekers to northern Iraq are expected possibly as early as this weekend despite objections from regional Kurdish authorities and the UN refugee agency. The Home Office has confirmed that 38 men are being held at immigration detention centres around Britain and that officials are "looking at a number of dates" for their return. They are likely to be flown on an RAF aircraft, via Cyprus, to the newly opened airport in Irbil, the regional capital. The Kurdish community believes the first flight will leave tomorrow. Many refugees say they could be killed, even in northern Iraq.
PRIME Minister John Howard agrees with a leading French terrorist investigator that Australia may be a terrorism target. French judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere believes al-Qaeda is preparing an attack on a major financial centre such as Sydney, Tokyo or Singapore, to undermine investor confidence in the Asia-Pacific region. "We have elements of information that make us think that countries in this region, especially Japan, could have been targeted," the Financial Times newspaper quoted Mr Bruguiere as saying. "Any attack on a financial market like Japan would mechanically have an important economic impact on the confidence of investors. Other countries in this region, such as Singapore and Australia, are also potential targets..."
Last week, The New York Times published a story on their exclusive interview with Condoleezza Rice. The first two paragraphs portrayed a Secretary of State focused, in the midst of a traumatic Israeli withdrawal, on signaling Israel that another one was next:
BAGHDAD - Iraqâs parliament will vote on a constitution on Sunday regardless of the minority Sunni position on the draft, parliament speaker Hajim Al Hasani said.
Indian Prime Minister 
